《Biochemical Martial Arts: Supreme Heavenly Venerate》


 Chapter 1 The Beginning of Fate

    The year 4161, Observational Base on the Ninth Planet of Tianji Star, Longze East Road City Rail Station.


    As Lin Rui followed the crowd to the exit of the city rail station, he subconsciously raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight reflecting off the surrounding skyscrapers.


    He was planning to head towards the bus station when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a vibrant young girl with delicate and sweet features, and a petite yet well-proportioned figure, waving at him from the side of the road.


    Feeling surprised, Lin Rui quickly crossed through the bustling crowd and approached the girl with a frown, "Lin Xi, are you skipping class again?"


    This was his younger sister, Lin Xi, sixteen years old, attending the nearby Longze Girls'' High School, and a problematic girl who gave her teachers endless headaches.


    Lin Xi let out a ''pfft'' of laughter, filled with disdain, "What''s the big deal with skipping class once? I learned all that boring stuff they teach two years ago."


    She glanced at Lin Rui with a look full of hidden meaning, then hopped onto the hover motorcycle parked behind her, passing him a safety helmet.


    "I came all the way here to pick you up, and you''re not even happy. Hurry up and get on!"


    Lin Rui looked somewhat helpless.


    He noticed that the box on the back of the hover motorcycle was filled with all sorts of fresh ingredients.


    As Lin Rui got on the bike, he asked with a puzzled tone, "You bought all these groceries? Didn''t you say we were almost out of money for the month?"


    "It''s to nourish your body," she said.


    Lin Xi had already started the engine and merged into the traffic ahead, "Tomorrow''s your school''s Astral Energy Combat Assessment, that''s a big day for our family. I need to make you a good meal, to support you in every way. I''ve been waiting for this day for a long time. As long as you pass the assessment, we won''t have to live so tightly anymore."


    After hearing this, Lin Rui fell silent.


    If it had been the original owner of this body, he could have easily placed within the top three of the class in this assessment.


    The problem was that Lin Rui was not the real Lin Rui, nor was he from this era.


    His soul came from the 21st century, a regular student who tragically suffered from leukemia and passed away, only to transmigrate to this world and wake up inside this dying body ten days ago, inheriting the previous owner''s identity.


    Lin Rui only inherited fragments of memory, so he had been very confused from the moment he woke up until now.


    Lin Rui was still adapting to this high-tech era two thousand years later, and the biotech martial arts ''Zhi Zhuang Wudao'' of this time was a bit too advanced for him. Although he learned very quickly and worked hard, there simply wasn''t enough time left for him.


    With a silent sigh in his heart and a distant tone, Lin Rui said, "You have quite a lot of confidence in me. What if I don''t pass this time?"


    "Fail? That would be terrible." Lin Xi seemed not to have picked up on his probing, casually shrugging her shoulders in front of him, "You would have to move to the lower city district, and we would have to live apart for a while.


    But that''s almost an impossibility. You''ve been working so hard, and for the past few years, your scores have been in the top twenty of your grade. If even you can''t pass the assessments, then probably no one from your school could. You have to hold steady this time; our family''s future comfort all depends on you."


    Lin Rui felt even more burdened.


    He knew how much sweat and effort the original owner of this body had put into becoming an exceptional Martial Artist.


    Although Lin Rui''s inherited memories were incomplete, his smart terminal contained two thousand seven-hundred pages of study notes recorded by the original body, as well as five burst sandbags and seven damaged sparring robots at home, all evidence of the relentless effort left by his predecessor.


    Lin Xi had also made tremendous sacrifices.


    His sister started doing part-time jobs at the age of fourteen to supplement their income and allow Lin Rui to focus on his martial training. During the summer break, she even took on three part-time jobs.


    Lately, Lin Xi had been dressing up as a ghost every night, just to ensure she''d be safe walking home from her night shifts.


    The siblings were working so hard with the hope that Lin Rui could successfully pass the exam, so they could stay together without being separated and avoid being driven out of the inner city area of the base by the government.


    How could Lin Rui be at peace with himself if he uttered the words ''I don''t want to take the exam'' or ''I can''t pass''?


    At that moment, two more lines of information emerged in Lin Rui''s mind ¡ª¡ª "Colonel rank war spirit detected, capture it?"


    Hint: The sooner the war spirit is captured, the more complete it will be,


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow and without hesitation thought, "Capture!"


    In response to his will, the Skull Ring suddenly emitted a black glow, and a small vortex formed in its hollow mouth.


    Soon after, the Colonel Xue in the distance was uncontrollably drawn over, turning into a stream of blood-red light that was absorbed into the Skull Ring.


    In that instant, a list appeared in Lin Rui''s mind.


    Lin Rui was about to concentrate and take a closer look when Lin Xi pushed his hand away, "What''s there to be afraid of?"


    She started the motorcycle again and entered the alley ahead.


    Lin Xi''s voice carried a tinge of sadness, as if to express indignation over the Xue family''s tragedy, "Brother, I just saw the body of Xue''s second brother. His whole body was covered in blood, and his upper body bones must have been shattered, looking like a mashed mess. The murderer is not only brutal but also very strong! I wonder if the murderer is still in our neighborhood?


    I really hope the police can step up their efforts and catch the murderer quickly."


    Lin Rui glanced at his younger sister in surprise at her words.


    This sixteen-year-old girl had witnessed such a bloody scene and yet seemed completely unaffected.


    He nodded slightly and said with an authoritative tone, "It''s indeed dangerous. You shouldn''t go to your night shift these next few days, you must come home before six o''clock."


    The hover motorcycle slowly stopped in front of their three-story townhouse where they lived.


    Before the vehicle entered the garage, Lin Rui jumped down, "I need to go back to my room for a bit."


    He was eager to examine what the list of text that had appeared in his mind was all about.


    After parking the motorcycle in the garage, Lin Xi also entered the house with groceries.


    Then she stood gazing at Lin Rui''s room door, lost in her thoughts.


    Lin Xi''s demeanor changed from before, her face gradually turning pale, and tears welling up in her eyes.


    Her brother was clearly already dead! She had seen it with her own eyes.


    Lin Xi activated her smart terminal with a thought and pulled up a video from the terminal''s memory.


    The video showed a dark alley where her brother, Lin Rui, was walking.


    Suddenly, a black figure appeared at the end of the alley, wielding an electromagnetic revolver and firing three shots at the back of Lin Rui''s head, nearly blowing it apart.


    Watching the video, Lin Xi''s eyes filled with tears. She felt sorrowful, perplexed, and horrified.


    If her brother was already dead, then who was this Lin Rui who had been living with her for the past ten days?


    What should she do next?


    Lin Xi felt an indescribable loneliness and panic engulfing her.


    Lin Xi then wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She walked over to the coffee table in the living room, picked up a fruit knife, and also their family portrait of five, holding them tightly in her arms,


    The girl''s eyes were resolute and cold, and she gripped the knife in her hand firmly.


    She was determined to figure out the origin of this "brother".

 Chapter 2 The Spirit of War

    Lin Rui was checking the information in his mind in his room.


    War spirit number one: Xue Bogao (possession possible)


    Learnable skills 45 entries: Red Thunder Saber (Grandmaster), Red Thunder Palm (Grandmaster), Thunder Fire Stance (Grandmaster), Pistol Proficiency (Master)...etcetera omitted


    Copyable skills 9 entries: Red Thunder Saber (Grandmaster), Red Thunder Palm (Grandmaster), Thunder Fire Stance (Grandmaster), Pistol Proficiency (Master)...etcetera omitted


    User Guide 1: Each war spirit holds a strong obsession, the more you use the power of the war spirit, the more frequent the use, the heavier the influence of the war spirit''s obsession.


    User Guide 2: The skills you can copy are closely related to your physical condition.


    User Guide 3: Higher-level war spirit possession can cause damage to both body and soul, please pay attention to the level and duration of possession.


    "War spirits?"


    Surprise flashed in Lin Rui''s eyes.


    He could now confirm that the Skull Ring on his hand was indeed a divine item.


    But what was this list all about?


    Red Thunder Saber, Red Thunder Palm, and Thunder Fire Stance were quite popular basic martial arts of this era.


    From the information listed, it seemed that Xue Bogao had practiced these three martial arts to the level of a grandmaster.


    Coincidentally, those were the very martial arts that Lin Rui''s original self had practiced.


    There were also over forty other martial arts and skills listed, including knowledge of other species, infantry tactics, and even cooking, among others.


    The levels of these skills varied, with some at the beginner level, some at the novice level, some at the adept level, some at the master level, some at the level of true insights, some fully achieved, and others at grandmaster and master levels.


    One of the martial arts was named "Radiant Thunder God Refining Technique," which Lin Rui had heard was a very formidable high-level martial art that only a colonel-level martial artist could practice, and its level was also at master.


    There were rumors in their district that Colonel Xue had the chance to be promoted to brigadier, and it seemed to be true.


    Lin Rui pondered for a moment and had an epiphany.


    He immediately grabbed his practice saber and couldn''t wait to go to his backyard.


    Their backyard was about eighty square meters, and it was there that Lin Rui usually practiced martial arts.


    Staring at the ''Learnable Skills'' section and the words ''Red Thunder Palm,'' a string of information naturally appeared in his mind.


    "Do you want to learn Red Thunder Palm?"


    As Lin Rui chose yes with his thoughts, he suddenly felt a slight chill all over his body, and his limbs moved uncontrollably.


    He first took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, his palms and limbs beginning to circulate True Qi, as if an invisible force was flowing between his palms.


    With the movement of Lin Rui''s palms, the air around him seemed to heat up as well.


    The temperature in his palms rapidly rose, turning a deep red with faint traces of electricity dancing in his palms.


    Lin Rui''s pupils suddenly constricted.


    Lin Rui was exhilarated and redirected his focus to the term ''Red Thunder Saber'' in his mind.


    "Copy Red Thunder Saber?"


    As Lin Rui chose ''Yes,'' his face once again showed a pained expression.


    However, this pain was considerably weaker than before, probably because the Red Thunder Saber was derived from the same source as the Red Thunder Palm, and many of the techniques were similar.


    After the pain faded, Lin Rui found his mood slightly agitated, with many distracting thoughts sprouting in his mind, some even violent and aggressive.


    Lin Rui''s expression gradually turned solemn as he thought of the content in ''usage instruction 1''¡ª''The more you use the power of the battle spirit and the more frequently you use it, the more you are affected by the battle spirit''s obsession.''


    Lin Rui had initially wanted to copy the Grandmaster level Radiant Thunder God Refining Technique and to try out what the ''Possession'' feature was all about.


    But now he felt somewhat apprehensive.


    In the end, Lin Rui decided to copy only the Radiant Thunder God Refining Technique. As for the Possession feature, he would wait and see how things went over the next few days before trying it out.


    The Radiant Thunder God Refining Technique was crucial, directly influencing his future accumulation of True Qi and the effect of physical and spiritual training.


    These three Grandmaster-level martial arts would not only enable him to pass the heteromorphic assessment but might even allow him to go a step further and try for the top ten in actual combat for the year!


    Lin Rui drew his practice saber and began to execute his newly acquired Grandmaster-level Red Thunder Saber technique.


    Just like with the Red Thunder Palm before, the saber technique seemed etched into his very bones, the long saber in his hand moving as if it were an extension of his arm.


    But he had only practiced a few moves when he heard a light footstep.


    "Who''s there?"


    A wave of uncontrollable anger and murderous intent surged within Lin Rui''s heart, and the practice saber in his hand slashed out like a whip.


    During the slashing motion, it even produced a streak of lightning as thick as a little finger.


    However, Lin Rui''s saber had only sliced halfway when he saw his sister Lin Xi''s delicate face.


    Lin Rui hurriedly pulled back and controlled the saber.


    Fortunately, the Grandmaster-level Red Thunder Saber technique he copied included instinctive body movements, allowing him to wield the saber with complete control.


    His practice saber stopped steadily three feet in front of Lin Xi''s forehead.


    Lin Xi''s face turned deathly pale, and with her heart still racing, she stared at the saber blade in front of her, "Brother, what are you doing? Dinner is ready, I came to call you to eat."


    Her voice trembled as she instinctively reached into her pocket, clutching the butterfly knife hidden there along with a small, unopened bottle of sleeping pills.


    Lin Xi was certain, beyond a doubt, that in that moment just now, Lin Rui truly wanted to kill her!


    The murderous intent was bone-chilling, sending shivers down her spine and goosebumps all over her body.


    Lin Rui was completely unaware of Lin Xi''s reaction.


    He frowned deeply, his mood heavy.


    The violent thoughts in his mind, and the murderous intent, undoubtedly originated from Xue Bogao''s battle spirit. It seemed that copying abilities from the battle spirit came at a certain price.

 Chapter 3 Practical Assessment

    Lin Xi had prepared a plentiful meal: a large bowl of beef soup, a large bowl of goji berry stewed pork ribs, a large bowl of braised pork, and two dishes of seasonal vegetables.


    Lin Rui swept through the dining table like a whirlwind, occasionally glancing up at the holographic TV in front of him.


    Having copied two martial arts earlier had drained Lin Rui of quite a bit of his strength, causing his appetite to surge, feeling as if he could eat an entire cow right now.


    Watching TV had become a habit of his since traveling to this time, ten days ago. Lin Rui sought to understand the world he was now in through the news on TV.


    Lin Xi had long since put down her bowl.


    Watching Lin Rui wolf down his food with shining eyes, she said admiringly, "Brother, how did your Red Thunder Saber suddenly become so powerful? You really scared me just now. I feel like your saber technique already resembles that of Grandmaster Xue from a few years back."


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but smile slightly. His Red Thunder Saber had been copied from Xue Bogao himself, so of course, it was the real deal.


    He struggled to devour his meal, asking with a muffled voice, "You''ve seen Grandmaster Xue use the Red Thunder Saber?"


    "Of course I have," Lin Xi raised her eyebrows with pride, "You started learning the Red Thunder Saber, Red Thunder Palm, and the Leihuozhuang martial arts from Grandmaster Xue when you were ten. He even came to our house to demonstrate it for you personally. Sadly, he later severed ties with our family. Otherwise, your martial arts would certainly be even stronger by now."


    Lin Rui suddenly realized. No wonder his original self''s foundational martial arts were identical to Xue Bogao''s¡ªthe Grandmaster was in fact his martial arts mentor.


    He searched for the keyword "Xue Bogao" in his personal video library on his terminal bracelet and indeed found over a hundred related videos, mostly from when he was between ten and twelve years old.


    Lin Xi continued, "But you''re very impressive now too, maybe you''re already 70 to 80 percent as good as Grandmaster Xue. I think you''ll definitely pass the assessment tomorrow."


    After hearing this, Lin Rui felt something odd.


    Excitement and joy were evident in Lin Xi''s tone, yet why did he feel like there was something insincere about her words?


    However, he didn''t take it to heart.


    Just then, Lin Rui heard a male voice from the holographic TV announcing, "We interrupt with breaking news: at six o''clock this evening, the Police Headquarters of the Ninth Base issued an alert stating that according to a Federal Security Agency announcement, three individuals from Tianji Star have infiltrated the Ninth Observation Base and have committed over a dozen violent crimes within the base, injuring more than seventy people.


    The police are currently putting all efforts into searching for and apprehending them. Citizens of the Ninth Base are advised to be cautious about personal safety when going out and to be alert to suspicious behavior of people around them.


    The methods of the Tianji Star infiltrators include forging identities, creating counterfeit genetic clones, spiritual possession, and more. They have the following characteristics¡ª"


    Upon hearing the words ''Tianji Star people,'' Lin Xi''s hands under the table trembled slightly; she looked suspiciously at her brother sitting opposite her.


    Lin Rui also put down his chopsticks and looked towards the holographic TV.


    Since awakening, he had begun to grasp the state of this era he was in.


    Tianji Star, a supermassive planet 1,200 light-years from Earth, was currently hostile towards the Earth Federation.


    That planet was not only rich in a variety of minerals but also home to a carbon-based species similar in stature to humans.


    Their civilization was similar to ancient China, and they possessed formidable individual strength.


    Eight hundred years ago, the Tianji Star individuals had dealt the Earth Federation a severe blow, annihilating an entire expeditionary force within Tianji Star''s atmosphere.


    This had thrown the Federation''s government into a panic, forcing a change in policy towards Tianji Star from colonialism to exploration, research, learning, surveillance, and infiltration.


    The Ninth Planetary Observation Base that Lin Rui was now in was one of many bases constructed by the Earth Federation to monitor and study Tianji Star, located within the ninth satellite of Tianji Star.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    While they studied the Tianji Star individuals, those individuals kept an eye on them as well, even attempting counter-infiltration.


    As Lin Rui listened intently, he suddenly felt a sharp prick on his head,


    Turning his head, he discovered that his sister Lin Xi had plucked a hair from the top of his head.


    The Weirdo youth is named Wang Sen, a classmate and close friend of Lin Rui, and Weirdo Youth is his online handle.


    Lin Rui glanced at the time and realized it was almost eight o''clock.


    His heart tightened, and he strode toward the examination venue.


    At this moment, Wang Sen sent another message.


    Weirdo Youth: Brother Rui, did you see the notification from the school''s board of directors? Damn, the class group is blowing up.


    Lin Rui was slightly startled and immediately checked the school webpage.


    Sure enough, he found the announcement from the school''s board of directors on the webpage.


    Lin Rui took another look at the class group chat, which was indeed going wild.


    You Fei: As long as your combat performance ranks within the top three hundred in the city, this year''s tuition is waived, and you can even receive a Type 1 genetic enhancement drug from the school for free, is this for real?


    Cha Sensen: It''s really strange, why is the school suddenly so generous? The reward is too good to be true, right?


    Yan Ke: I heard it''s related to the latest policy from the Education Center; they''ll offer educational subsidies based on the rankings of schools. Our Alien Body College has not had anyone break into the top hundred in the city for ten years, and our overall performance has always been the worst among the nine alien body colleges, so the board of directors must be feeling the pressure.


    Cha Sensen: Heh, they were reluctant to spend money on us before, now making a last-minute effort, what''s the use? Even with high rewards this time, how many of us can make it into the top three hundred? At most two from our class, Lin Rui, Wang Linna, and those in the top ten of our grade might have a shot.


    Liu Jingyao: Lin Rui can''t make it. His talent is good, but the quality of the artificial meridians he implanted is only second grade, and he''s actually starting to fall behind in combat power. Wang Linna has an eighty to ninety percent chance, even hoping to break into the top 200.


    Then Wang Sen sent another message.


    Weirdo Youth: Brother Rui, I have a genetic drug here, do you want to use it? Your performance is very good, you can try to compete for it. With some luck, you might hit the top 200 in the city. Besides the genetic drug, the school will also reward a set of first-grade artificial meridians, or an equivalent amount of cash.


    Lin Rui was slightly moved.


    His previous life''s close friend truly cared for him.


    He replied with a "Thanks, but don''t worry, I''m confident," and then looked back at the board of directors'' announcement.


    He looked at the rewards for making it into the top one hundred in the city-wide assessment.


    ¡ª A set of special-grade artificial meridians, three Type 1 genetic enhancement drugs, tuition waiver, plus a scholarship of thirty thousand federal dollars.


    A strong desire appeared in Lin Rui''s eyes.


    Artificial meridians are one of the basic implants for martial cultivation.


    After a painful defeat on Tianshi Star, the Earth Federation reflected deeply and began to study the power of Tianshi Star beings.


    Because the human body structure is different from that of Tianshi Star beings and cannot conduct meridians, expand vessels, or form cores like them, humans combined various biotechnologies with the DNA of Tianshi Star beings to manufacture "artificial dantians," "artificial meridians," "artificial channels," and even "artificial inner cores," collectively referred to as "implants."


    Those who cultivate Tianshi Star martial arts based on implants are called martial cultivators.


    Lin Rui also had a set of artificial meridians in his body, but they were only of second-grade quality.


    That was what he and his sister exchanged after using up the savings left by their parents and nearly two years of scrimping and saving.


    Yesterday Lin Rui didn''t dare to even think about the top three hundred rank, but now his heart was pounding.


    Lin Rui cherished his second life very much.


    So he really wanted this set of special-grade artificial meridians!

 Chapter 4 Gu Ying Tiandao

    When Lin Rui arrived at the physical testing center behind Mingde University, he saw his classmates all lined up in front of a large device that was three meters tall and twelve meters wide, exuding a strong sci-fi vibe.


    The first subject of the practical assessment was spiritual power testing.


    The expressions of Lin Rui''s classmates varied, some excited, some anticipatory, some anxious, and some disheartened.


    His close friend Wang Sen was among them.


    This was a chubby-faced youngster with a somewhat slick demeanor, now winking at him.


    Lin Rui''s test number was 1. When he stepped into the line, he heard a crisp female voice from behind him, "Why didn''t you participate in the practical simulations these past few days, Lin Rui?"


    Lin Rui immediately looked back.


    Standing behind him was a girl with a neutral appearance and demeanor, her short hair jet-black and her gaze sharp.


    This girl, named Wang Linna, was one of Lin Rui''s academic rivals.


    Since their admission, the first and second ranks had been alternated between the two of them, with the chubby boy constantly in third place.


    Lin Rui, with a cold expression, withdrew his gaze, "I was busy, no time."


    Based on some videos from the smart terminal, Lin Rui and Wang Linna didn''t have a good relationship, so there was no need to be pleasant toward her.


    But Wang Linna was relentless, "You know, I''ve already implanted the top-grade artificial meridians. Are you afraid to compete against me, afraid you''ll lose?"


    She shook her head dismissively, "You underestimate me. I wouldn''t take advantage of you. I hope we encounter each other in this practical assessment; I''ll show you the progress I''ve made over the last month."


    Wang Linna actually admired Lin Rui quite a bit. This guy had no family tutor, didn''t attend any martial arts cram schools, couldn''t afford monthly gene enhancement injections, and his meridians were only second-grade quality, yet his performance always managed to stay among the top of their class, nearly equal to hers.


    However, she was certain her scores could surpass Lin Rui''s this year.


    Lin Rui just rolled his eyes.


    His absence from the practical lessons was actually because he was afraid of exposing his true abilities.


    Since Wang Linna persisted in thinking that way, he let her be.


    Right at that moment, the staff near the large device spoke up, "Eight o''clock sharp; the assessment begins. Please, student number 1, enter the testing device and remember, once inside, to remove all upper garments, and ladies, please be aware, I mean all upper garments."


    Lin Rui immediately walked into the entrance of the device.


    Inside the spiritual power tester, there was an enclosed space. As soon as Lin Rui stepped in, the door behind him automatically closed.


    He took off his shirt and quietly waited inside, watching some indicator lights flicker with fluorescent light around him.


    About a minute later, he heard an electronic synthesized voice, "Testing complete! Spiritual power 153, lieutenant class. Your score has been sent to the city education center. Please proceed to classroom 3321 to participate in the next phase of the practical assessment."


    Lin Rui was slightly pleased.


    Lin Rui''s original body had been tested just one month ago, and at that time, his spiritual power was only 112.


    This must be benefiting from copying the Grandmaster-level Red Thunder Pilaster technique,


    Yesterday, after he had copied that martial art, he felt his spiritual power and True Qi had significantly progressed.


    However, without specific tests, Lin Rui could not be certain.


    Lieutenant class spiritual power was now sufficient for meridian implantation.


    The bodies of Tianji Star people contain twelve meridians and eight loops revolving around the central Dantian in the chest and abdomen, very similar to the ancient Chinese meridian system.


    Lin Rui had only implanted the ''Dantian'' and ''Meridians'', but not the ''Loops'' yet.


    His family was so poor it was barely making ends meet, struggling to supply the proteins and calories Lin Rui needed for his daily martial training, let alone consider ''artificial meridians''.


    Just as Lin Rui left through another door of the device, Wang Linna entered from the entrance.


    She quickly removed all her clothes and stood stark-naked inside the machine.


    A moment later, she too heard an electronic synthesized voice, "Testing complete! Spiritual power 123, lieutenant class. Your score has been sent to the city education center. Please proceed to classroom 3321 to participate in the next phase of the practical assessment."


    Wang Linna''s eyebrows lifted slightly, a touch of joy appearing in her eyes.


    "I want to check my spiritual power ranking."


    Humans controlled Alien Bodies to arrive on Tianji Star to carry out various exploration and scientific research tasks.


    They regarded themselves as ''Alien Body Walkers,'' but the Tianji Star people called them ''Heavenly Demons from beyond their domain''.


    The Earth Federation built fourteen mega base cities on many satellites of Tianji Star, and only the most talented armored martial artists in these cities could get the Alien Body license to become Alien Body Walkers.


    Alien Body Walkers held a very high social status and belonged to the most profitable profession of this era, a shortcut for ordinary people to climb up the social ladder.


    At that moment, Lin Rui''s opponent also appeared on the stage.


    However, what Lin Rui looked at first was the ''Combat Assessment Instructions'' projected in front of him.


    Lin Rui had already understood the rules of the assessment.


    In summary, there were only three points.


    1: The combat assessment is a ranking battle, opponents are randomly assigned from ranks close to one''s own battle record.


    2: Each battle lasts for five minutes. If the battle cannot be concluded in five minutes, the winner is decided based on both sides'' combat scores.


    3: The ranking battle ends after four hours, and the final scores are determined by each individual''s victories and accumulated combat scores.


    After choosing to agree with his thoughts, Lin Rui looked at his opponent.


    It happened to be his classmate.


    The name displayed above his head¡ªAnderson Wodder.


    Anderson also looked over, his face darkening slightly, "Lin Rui?"


    This virtual world was incredibly realistic, even Anderson''s emotions were fully displayed.


    Anderson then chuckled awkwardly, "Look at my luck, it''s terrible! Rui, considering we''ve been classmates for so many years, can you¡ª"


    Beep! Beep! Beep!


    The stage suddenly emitted three warning beeps and a burst of red light enveloped Anderson.


    Anderson was unable to speak anymore.


    His recent remarks about cheating had resulted in him being muted by the system.


    Yet Anderson''s eyes still watery, looked at him with a plea.


    Unfortunately, Lin Rui''s heart was as hard as stone.


    As soon as the battle started, Lin Rui dashed forward and finished Anderson with a single strike.


    Recently, Anderson''s performance in class ranked around 20th; the old Lin Rui might have taken about a minute to take him down.


    But now, his Red Thunder Saber was of Grandmaster level, ending the fight instantly.


    The duration of each battle influenced Lin Rui''s combat scores significantly, and these scores decided his overall ranking.


    Lin Rui, striving to get into the top 100 of the city to secure the school reward, how could he afford to hold back in the first battle?


    Moreover, future Alien Body companies also looked at their combat performances in this assessment.


    Lin Rui wouldn''t let Anderson go; their relationship wasn''t that good either.


    In the following seven battles, Lin Rui resolved each one with extreme speed.


    The longest fight didn''t last more than fifteen seconds.


    He took a moment to check his ranking, currently 142nd in the city of the ninth base.


    Lin Rui was secretly astonished; he had resolved the fights very quickly.


    Including the waiting and preparation time, it took ten minutes for seven battles, yet he had just made it into the top 150 in the city.


    The ninth base city had only nine Alien Body Colleges, yet it was a place full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.


    Just then, another slender figure appeared before Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui looked at the name above the opponent''s head¡ªWang Linna.

 Chapter 5 Nine Slashes of the Red Thunder

    "Lin Rui?"


    Wang Linna looked at Lin Rui, her expression clearly surprised, "You actually managed to fight your way to the top two hundred of the city?"


    She was unable to see Lin Rui''s ranking, but according to the rules of the combat examination, the system should have matched her with an opponent within fifty places of her own.


    Wang Linna had defeated six opponents within ten minutes, and her current ranking was one hundred and eighty-three.


    Lin Rui''s face turned cold upon hearing her words.


    This woman''s way of speaking was truly irritating, reeking of condescension.


    Was she the only one allowed to make it to the top two hundred?


    Lin Rui thought of the videos saved on his smart terminal.


    The effort of the original owner of this body was hard for ordinary people to imagine.


    He had risked everything, cultivating day and night without a single day of slack, just to catch up with the gap in resources compared to others.


    In Lin Rui''s view, if he hadn''t crossed over, his original body also had a great chance of entering the top two hundred of the city.


    Although the quality of the meridians implanted in Lin Rui was only second-grade, he had cultivated his martial arts to a relatively profound level.


    Especially the Red Thunder Saber, Lin Rui''s original body was close to mastering the most powerful secret technique of this saber method, ''Red Thunder Nine Slashes,'' capable of delivering up to seven continuous slashes.


    This achievement, though not comparable to Xue Bogao, was still extremely outstanding among his peers.


    Lin Rui had never showcased it in school, just so he could astonish everyone in this combat examination.


    Wang Linna, seeing that Lin Rui did not respond, also felt slightly annoyed.


    But in her memory, Lin Rui was always like this, arrogant and aloof, not fond of socializing, and no one except the chubby Wang Sen could get along with him in class.


    Wang Linna slowly drew her sword from her waist, "I didn''t expect to encounter you in the combat examination. Good, I''ve said before that I would show you the results of my hard training over the past month."


    She lowered her stance slightly, her gaze sharp, staring at her opponent like a cheetah poised for the hunt.


    Wang Linna was originally confident that she would be able to defeat Lin Rui if they were paired up.


    In the combat examination, although their physical fitness was the same, the intensity of their spiritual power was determined based on previous test results.


    Spiritual power is a vital ability for ''Exotic Body Practitioners.'' This not only determines their control over the exotic body but also the strength with which they can execute their martial arts, as well as the duration of their fights, etc. A good Exotic Body Practitioner must have exceptional spiritual power talent, which is why the federal government doesn''t always insist on fairness.


    Wang Linna had thought she had a significant advantage in this regard, believing that even if it came down to attrition, she could wear Lin Rui out,


    However, the recent spiritual power test showed Lin Rui''s spiritual power value was actually higher than hers!


    Wang Linna then bit down hard, summoning all her strength.


    She couldn''t believe it! She couldn''t believe Lin Rui had fully mastered the Red Thunder Nine Slashes.


    This technique required one to bring the Red Thunder Saber to the Great Achievement Realm, to a state of perfection before it could be mastered, far surpassing the threshold of the White Rainbow Six Layer. With Lin Rui''s capabilities, how could he possibly have done it?


    However, Lin Rui''s movements and saber techniques were like clouds flowing smoothly across the sky, as fast as a shooting star, incredibly fluid.


    By the time Wang Linna parried the sixth strike, her stance and posture were in complete disarray, staggering, barely able to stand firm.


    When Lin Rui''s seventh slash came down, Wang Linna could no longer hold on, her sword was forcefully knocked out of her hands by the overwhelming saber force.


    The residual blade light fierce and unyielding, chopped down, directly into Wang Linna''s virtual avatar''s brow.


    "The winner is decided! Please be aware, this battle scene will end in thirty seconds."


    As the synthesized female voice sounded, Wang Linna''s damaged body revived, restored to its original state.


    First, a daze crossed her eyes, her mind cluttered with several chaotic thoughts.


    She actually lost? She was defeated by Lin Rui in just seven strikes? Unbelievable, and difficult to accept!


    And Lin Rui''s ''Red Thunder Nine Slashes'' seemed effortless to execute, the moves transitioned extremely smoothly.


    Wang Linna took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.


    She looked at Lin Rui with complicated eyes, "Lin Rui, have you truly mastered the complete Red Thunder Nine Slashes?"


    But Lin Rui''s attention was caught by a light screen that had just appeared before him.


    ¡ª¡ªThe system has matched you with your next opponent, do you wish to proceed to the next battle scene?


    Lin Rui immediately chose ''Yes'', and his virtual body dissipated into specks of light.


    He didn''t like Wang Linna, and right now he only wanted more victories to improve his rank, so as to receive the school''s rewards; there was simply no time for idle talk with Wang Linna.


    Seeing this, Wang Linna was first taken aback, then swung her fist in annoyance and frustration.


    This Lin Rui, he actually just left like that? Would speaking another word to her have killed him?


    His character was still as detestable as ever.


    After a dozen or so seconds, Wang Linna returned to her calm state, her gaze becoming solemn.


    Lin Rui''s saber had been silken smooth, naturally harmonious; it was clear he must have mastered the full Red Thunder Nine Slashes.


    This opponent who had been evenly matched with her for three years had now left her far behind, surpassing her thoroughly; this was simply unbearable for her.

 Chapter 6 Face

    ```


    Two hours later, the practical evaluation for alien beings was still ongoing.


    In the conference room of the Ninth Base City''s Department of Education, the Chairman of the Sky Blue Biological Group and the Chairman of Mingde University, Fang Kongfang, anxiously and awkwardly adjusted his tie.


    He had never imagined that as the chairman of a company worth tens of billions, he would one day be scolded like a grandson.


    Right in front of Fang Kongfang, a man in his forties with a dark and rough complexion, a masculine and robust demeanor, slapped the table making a loud ''thump'', and his spittle splashed all over Fang Kongfang''s face: "At present, only fifty-seven students from Mingde University have made it into the top one thousand. Is this the result your Mingde University is presenting?


    Excellent, truly excellent. The Department of Education allocates over six billion in aid to Mingde University every year, this year even reaching eight billion three hundred and fifty million. Yet your graduates cannot produce even sixty A-grade alien body practitioners. Is this how Mingde University repays the Federation?


    Did I throw those eight billion three hundred and fifty million federal dollars to dogs? No, if I fed dogs, at least they would show gratitude and wag their tails at me."


    Fang Kongfang really wanted to punch the head of the Department of Education in the face.


    How dare this Mr. Li call him worse than a dog?


    However, Fang Kongfang took a look at the other''s sturdy physique and those large, pot-sized fists and barely managed to restrain his temper.


    He had reviewed the data collected by his secretary before coming.


    Half a year ago, this Director Li was still a powerful federal brigadier general, known in the military for his fierce strength, strong-willed and fiery character, and untamed nature.


    It was precisely because he was too unyielding that, two months ago, he was kicked out of the military.


    Nevertheless, Director Li''s background and power should not be underestimated. He had barely retired when he suddenly became the head of the Ninth Base City''s Department of Education.


    In this era, the Department of Education bore the critical responsibility of nurturing alien body practitioners and Martial Artists, standing as one of the government departments with the most authority and highest status.


    The key issue was that this guy was also capable of launching a sweeping education reform soon after taking office.


    "Do you understand the significance of the Alien Body College to the Federation? Look at that planet outside."


    Director Li pointed towards the glass curtain wall on the left side of the conference room.


    Fang Kongfang followed the direction of Director Li''s pointing.


    Through that huge floor-to-ceiling window, a blue planet could be seen.


    That was the Polar Star!


    Even with a vast distance of eight hundred and twenty thousand kilometers separating them, this planet still appeared immense in Fang Kongfang''s vision, occupying more than half of his field of view.


    "¡ªHave you ever read the Federal Security Bureau''s security white paper? Do you know how many general-level powerhouses there are on the Polar Star? How many marshal-level? This is a sleeping lion that possesses strength beyond our reach. Once they awaken and burst out of the atmosphere of the Polar Star, they could easily tear the Earth Federation to shreds!


    Without enough alien body practitioners, without a large number of Martial Artists, what would we use to fight against them?"


    Fang Kongfang certainly knew how dangerous that beautiful planet, Lun Meihuan, was outside.


    Fang Kongfang himself was extremely surprised.


    His secretary had conducted detailed research, predicting this year''s Alien Body combat assessment would only see two or three students from Mingde University breaking into the top hundred, and none of them was named Lin Rui.


    Fang Kongfang opened his personal terminal to check the situation.


    His gaze tightened once again.


    This Lin Rui had actually won all his battles?


    Up to now, fifty-three battles, zero defeats.


    It is known that the person currently ranking first also has only fifty-one victories.


    He quickly understood why Lin Rui hadn''t broken into the top twenty until now.


    It must be that Lin Rui''s scores from the previous few mock combat assessments were too poor, and the system did not treat him as a seed contestant, giving him a low weighting. Most of the opponents arranged for him by the system ranked low, preventing Lin Rui from scoring many combat points earlier on.


    Only now did Lin Rui fight his way up.


    Just a short while ago, Lin Rui consecutively defeated the twenty-second and fifteenth place opponents, and with short battle durations, causing the leaderboard to change.


    Fang Kongfang couldn''t help but slightly lift the corners of his mouth, "We don''t have someone in the top twenty at Mingde University, do we?"


    Wang Dabo''s expression was very ugly as he felt as though he had been slapped in the face.


    He had just mentioned this issue, and his school''s student was squeezed off by someone from Mingde University.


    And who was this Lin Rui? He had never heard of this person before.


    In the lists for the previous mock assessments of the top hundred, this person was nowhere to be found.


    Wang Dabo scrolled through his personal terminal, his mind fixating on one thought.


    The next opponent arranged by the combat assessment system for Lin Rui was currently ranked fourth, Weide from The First City University.


    This was a monster, a freak of nature, who at merely eighteen years old perfected two foundation martial arts, and Lin Rui was decidedly not his match.


    With one hour left until the end of the assessment, the current rankings are not yet set in stone; this Lin Rui may not be able to maintain his position.


    "Fifty-three victories with zero defeats? More victories than the first place? This kid is quite interesting."


    Director Li also saw Lin Rui''s record, his eyes lighting up as he directly pulled up the combat footage between Lin Rui and Weide for everyone present to see.


    "This ranking doesn''t seem to reflect his true strength yet. I wonder whether Weide will be able to push him down?"


    He was even more curious about what abilities this Lin Rui had to achieve fifty-three victories without a single loss?


    Fang Kongfang also concentrated on the virtual imagery projected on the conference table.


    He felt as if his entire reputation hinged on this Lin Rui.

 Chapter 7 Genius!

    In the virtual combat scenario, Lin Rui stood with his saber grounded, eyes closed to conserve his energy.


    Unaware of the audience he had gathered, he hurriedly rested.


    In simulated combat, though Lin Rui''s body was virtual and wouldn''t tire physically, the mental and spiritual drain was very real.


    After fifty-three consecutive battles, Lin Rui''s spirit inevitably wore thin.


    Thus, this practical assessment was also a test of pressure.


    Many students performed well at first, but after one or two hours of constant fighting, their performance deteriorated, due to weak stress resistance and excessive mental and spiritual expenditure, preventing them from unleashing their full capabilities in battle,


    Only five seconds before the battle began did Lin Rui open his eyes,


    He saw the name above his opponent''s head¡ªWeide (First City University)


    Lin Rui''s eyebrows lifted, his gaze intense.


    He knew this person; on the day he crossed over, he had heard from his classmates about the famous ''Top Ten'' of the 58th class.


    Among the special students of their cohort, these ten individuals were at the very pinnacle of the pyramid.


    From the year 4159 when they entered, these ten ranked top in all foundational assessments over many other special students from Base City Nine and were universally acknowledged as geniuses.


    The one before him, Weide, was ranked fourth among the Top Ten!


    Weide was also looking at Lin Rui.


    Both were virtual entities created by the system, identical in height and build, and even their clothing was the same, without any difference.


    Yet, Weide was carefully sizing up Lin Rui, his eyes filled with puzzlement, "You''re from Mingde University? What''s your current ranking? Why haven''t I heard of you before?"


    That Lin Rui could be matched with him meant that his ranking must be within the top fifty-four.


    Yet Weide recognized everyone at this level, as the circle of top students was quite small.


    How had this guy suddenly emerged, especially from a university notorious for being subpar?


    Lin Rui glanced sideways at his ranking, "Fifteen."


    This Weide was different from the previous Wang Linna, his demeanor showing no sign of disrespect, so Lin Rui''s attitude was also different.


    Weide was taken aback by the response, "Fifteen?"


    He hadn''t expected Lin Rui''s ranking to be so high.


    Immediately, Weide massaged his forehead with a headache, realizing he was in trouble.


    Anyone who could make it to the top twenty was not to be underestimated.


    The trouble was that he knew nothing about Lin Rui, hadn''t gathered any intelligence in advance, nor had he prepared any strategies specifically for him.


    Weide didn''t know what kind of Sword Dao the other was proficient in and hadn''t prepared any strategies for combat.


    But in the next instant, the blood in Weide''s body started to boil, and his eyes surged with fighting spirit.


    This was going to be an interesting fight!


    This guy, not originally a seeded candidate, had managed to break into the top fifteen from tens of thousands of special students in just three hours!


    His blade technique must present a distinct landscape, different from that of the Top Ten!


    Those old rivals had already bored Weide.


    In the instant the countdown ended, Weide suddenly drew his sword, moving as fast as a shadow.


    All his moves were extremely quick, leaving Lin Rui catching only glimpses of afterimages.


    This was Weide''s signature ''Instant Shadow Sword'', a sword technique legendary for its speed.


    Wang Dabo even suspected that this young man''s Red Thunder Blade Technique had transcended its original limitations and entered the Grandmaster Realm!


    If Wade was a monster, what level was Lin Rui, who could defeat him?


    As Wang Dabo was thinking this, he heard the Chairman of First City University from the top of the table sigh, "Wade is in trouble. This kid''s Red Thunder Saber has already reached the Grandmaster Realm. Mingde University has produced a remarkable figure this year."


    This chairman was bewildered, wondering how Mingde University, with its faculty and student quality, could have nurtured such a freak?


    On another side, the Chairman of Rejuvenation University also nodded slightly, "His saber technique is indeed at the Grandmaster level. It''s the limitations of this special body that have restricted the power of his saber technique; otherwise, Wade might not last fifty seconds!"


    In the actual combat assessment, the participants used special bodies that all had complete Dantians, meridians, and chakras, and their physical qualities were identical.


    However, their Dantians, meridians, and chakras were just at the standard of an average person from Tianji Star, equivalent to a second-grade quality implant from the Earth Federation.


    If Lin Rui had used better meridians and chakras, the power of his saber technique would have increased several times.


    "It''s still too early to talk about winning or losing."


    Wang Dabo was unwilling to see Fang Kongfang pleased with himself, his eyes slightly resentful, "Although Lin Rui''s blade technique is powerful, it clearly lacks real combat experience. Look at Wade, now he is slashing at exactly the same spot on Lin Rui''s saber each time, and Lin Rui''s saber is almost about to give way."


    Fang Kongfang heard this and gave a cold laugh. Wasn''t that obvious? Who among them couldn''t see it?


    Certainly, Wade''s sword was indeed slashing at the middle section of Lin Rui''s long saber, aiming to forcibly break it.


    However, Lin Rui had the same intention.


    This kid was quick to react. He too wanted to break Wade''s sword. In the last ten seconds, each of Lin Rui''s slashes had also landed at the same spot on Wade''s sword blade, steadily widening the notch there, showcasing Lin Rui''s unparalleled control over the long saber in his hand.


    But Fang Kongfang''s eyes still revealed some doubts.


    If Lin Rui had realized Wade''s intention, why still respond in this manner?


    Didn''t he know that Wade''s "Instant Shadow Palm", also mastered to the Great Achievement Realm, was ranked among the top three for close-combat prowess in the "Top Ten" of the fifty-eighth competition session?


    However, in the next instant, Fang Kongfang''s expression brightened, noticing that a thin thunder snake and a similarly slender fire snake suddenly gathered around Lin Rui''s body.


    The tails of those twin snakes of thunder and fire were coiled around Lin Rui''s waist, winding up to the wrist of his right hand.


    The Director Li, who had been silently watching the battle, raised his bushy eyebrows, "It''s the Red Thunder Snake Hand, clever boy!"


    The many university presidents present didn''t catch on at first, looking towards Director Li with puzzled eyes.


    Director Li chuckled, "You might not have heard of it. This is a secret move that can only be mastered by simultaneously mastering the Red Thunder Palm and Red Fire Stance to the Great Achievement Realm. Its power is immense, capable even of killing beyond one''s level! Lin Rui began to gather his strength five seconds ago and is nearly ready¡ª"


    Before he could finish his words, both Wade and Lin Rui''s sword and saber shattered upon impact, scattering into dozens of metal fragments in all directions.


    Wade''s spirits immediately lifted, although his sword was also broken, close-quarters combat with bare hands was his specialty.


    ¡ªIt was his turn now.


    But at that very instant, a dazzling flame and lightning suddenly burst out from Lin Rui''s body.


    Lin Rui''s altered form then charged at Wade like a charging tyrannosaur, appearing instantly before him.


    Wade''s pupils contracted, his expression incredulous.


    What kind of martial art was this? How could it be so fast? And the power of that fire and lightning was simply unimaginable. Wade barely had time to react before Lin Rui stamped a hand on his chest.


    His chest collapsed instantly, and his body flew like a cannonball, crashing heavily against the empty wall dozens of meters away.


    The system''s synthesized female voice followed, "The victor has been decided! Please note, this combat scenario will conclude in thirty seconds."


    Wade''s mind was nearly blank, with only two thoughts left¡ªhad he really lost? This Lin Rui was simply a monster!


    Meanwhile, everyone in the Ministry of Education''s conference room was also looking at each other, all seeing the astonishment in each other''s eyes.


    Since Lin Rui could use the powerful secret move "Red Thunder Snake Hand," it meant his Red Thunder Palm and Red Fire Stance had been mastered to above the Great Achievement Realm!


    This was clearly a martial arts genius with a talent even greater than Wade''s!

 Chapter 8 Despair Heavenly Girl

    Lin Rui had just defeated Wei De when Lin Xi sat in the waiting room of "Lu Qing''s Private Clinic" on Longze East Road, her eyes looking listlessly at the main entrance.


    Lin Xi was thinking about Lin Rui. It was twelve o''clock sharp now, and there was still an hour until the end of the heterotype combat exam. She wondered what Lin Rui''s final ranking would be.


    Lin Xi estimated that her brother''s score would definitely not be lower than the top three hundred in the city.


    Although Lin Rui had seemed very unconfident when talking to her in the past few days, Lin Xi thought back to last night when she had seen Lin Rui''s slash. It indeed possessed a bit of the charm of General Xue''s style.


    Lin Xi had a high martial arts talent so remarkable that all her school''s martial arts teachers felt regretful. They believed that with Lin Xi''s natural ability, if she had enough money to implant an inner core and meridians, she would definitely become the most outstanding enhanced Martial Artist.


    Therefore, she could tell that there was something extraordinary about Lin Rui''s slash. Especially the fierce killing intent coming with the blade''s light, which made her shiver and goosebumps rise whenever she thought about it.


    The problem was that her brother hadn''t been this strong before. His progress in martial arts had been so fast, too fast¡ª


    Just at that moment, a female doctor wearing a white coat and smart glasses walked in with a report in her hand.


    Lin Xi immediately came back to her senses and stood up, "Qing Sister!"


    Her eyes were filled with both anticipation and fear.


    "The test results are out," the female doctor said with a serious look, glancing at Lin Xi, "But before that, I must remind you again, according to current regulations, except for law enforcement agencies, any unauthorized DNA testing of a Federal citizen or their guardian''s consent is illegal.


    Me sending those two strands of hair you brought in for testing without permission was an act against procedures. If this gets out, I could very well have my medical license revoked."


    Does that mean there''s still a high probability that someone has replaced her brother?


    At that moment, she didn''t notice the strange look in the female doctor''s eyes across from her.


    "Cloning doesn''t need to be explained, but as for spiritual possession, it refers to one''s body being taken over by another person''s soul. It''s the method the people of Tianjixing used when they first infiltrated the Federation. Subsequently, our Federation developed soul digitization technology, which allows people''s souls to be uploaded to computers for preservation.


    Spiritual possession has become relatively common and is a substantial judicial issue plaguing the Federation," explained Lu Qing casually.


    Lu Qing paused, her expression turning suspicious as she looked at Lin Xi, "But let''s get back to the point, Lin Xi. What is this all about? Whose hair is this? And why must you ask me to get it tested? It''s not your brother Lin Rui''s, is it?"


    "No! How could it be?" Lin Xi laughed stiffly, then quickly grabbed the report and headed towards the door, "Thanks, Qing Sister. I have to go now, but I''ll treat you to a meal later."


    Lu Qing watched Lin Xi leave in a daze, her elegant face gradually becoming cool and detached.


    She then used her terminal bracelet to make a call, "Chief, what exactly is going on with Lin Xi''s brother? Is he dead or not?"


    "How should I know?" came a somewhat hoarse voice from the speaker, and he seemed very troubled, "He clearly died, yet he is alive again, and Lin Xi, the Despair Heavenly Girl who should have been driven to despair by this, has not fallen into despair."


    Lu Qing frowned slightly, her voice cold as she said, "This is the biggest obstacle to the awakening of the Despair Heavenly Girl. I suggest we remove this obstacle."


    "No!" the hoarse voice immediately retorted angrily, "Lu Qing, don''t act recklessly, you do not know the terror after the Despair Heavenly Girl awakens. If the organization wants to truly control her, not to be backlashed by the future Despair Heavenly Girl, they must not personally get involved in Lin Rui''s blood. Lu Qing, if you want to die, I can kill you right now!"


    Possibly feeling he had been too harsh, he softened his tone, "Don''t act rashly. I''ve already arranged for someone to investigate Lin Rui''s situation, to verify if he is alive or dead, if he is himself or has been possessed. In short, wait for my message. If you really can''t wait, you could also help Lin Xi investigate the truth. If she could kill her brother by her own hands, that would be the best¡ª"

 Chapter 9 Divine Thunder and Heavenly Flame

    Lin Rui was looking forward to Guan Biran''s "little surprise" with great anticipation, yet when he arrived at the school''s service center to collect his reward, he was puzzled.


    There was no surprise at all; everything Lin Rui received was what he was entitled to: a scholarship of thirty thousand federal dollars, plus a refund of twenty-seven thousand federal dollars for tuition and fees for the year, all of which were directly deposited into his account.


    Next, he was given a set of artificial meridians of the highest quality and three gene-enhancing potions, which were handed to him in a very high-end portable mini-refrigerator.


    Just as Lin Rui was feeling slightly disappointed, the smiling manager of the service center told him that Assistant Guan had specifically instructed that Tianlan Biological Company had already arranged a surgery for him at the affiliated hospital of the school.


    The company had not only hired a top-tier surgical professor to perform the operation but had also covered the surgical costs and asked him to proceed as soon as possible.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui was slightly pleased, thinking that this could barely count as a "surprise."


    Implanting artificial meridians required a full-body operation, which demanded much experience and skill from the doctor, and the quality of the meridians varied with different doctors'' standards.


    Those doctors, who were highly skilled and experienced, charged particularly high fees.


    Although Mingde University was quite weak in the areas of xenotransplantation and biological enhancements in martial arts, its medical school was the top among the many universities in Base Nine.


    The surgical professors at their affiliated hospital were also top-notch throughout Base Nine; the fee for a meridian implant surgery likely started at twenty thousand.


    Lin Rui immediately took the portable refrigerator and hurriedly went to the affiliated hospital, where he found Professor Sima.


    This surgical professor was around thirty years old, with delicate features and a scholarly appearance.


    Professor Sima conducted a thorough examination of Lin Rui, then opened the portable refrigerator.


    Upon seeing the contents, his expression briefly showed surprise: "It''s Sky Blue Company''s ''Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame''? No wonder¡ª"


    A look of realization appeared in Professor Sima''s eyes as he thought to himself why Sky Blue Company would spare no expense to arrange for him to perform the meridian implant surgery for Lin Rui.


    Since becoming a doctoral advisor, he had not personally conducted such basic biological enhancement surgeries for a long time.


    Lin Rui had already been sterilized and was lying in a specialized enhancement tuning pod.


    This was a fully enclosed surgical pod surrounded by transparent glass, yet Lin Rui could still hear the surgical professor''s voice.


    His expression surprised, he asked, "Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame? Professor, what model is this?"


    Lin Rui had never heard of this name before; as he asked, he opened his personal terminal and searched the internet for information on ''Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame.''


    Currently, a set of top-level spiritual vessels on the market costs only one hundred thousand federal coins. Three hundred thousand federal coins was equivalent to six years'' total salary for a mid-level blue-collar worker in this era.


    Lin Rui then said firmly, "I understand!"


    Such top-tier artificial meridians were not something he could normally come into contact with; he absolutely could not miss this opportunity.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The meridian implantation surgery lasted for an hour, and when Lin Rui woke up, there were no wounds on his body.


    Federal biomedical technology was highly developed, already capable of using medications and devices to rapidly heal human cells. Consequently, hospitals of this era only had intensive care units and no inpatient departments.


    The moment Lin Rui woke up, he sensed changes within his body.


    The feeling was indescribable,¡ªif he had to describe it, it was incredibly smooth.


    If his previous level-two artificial meridians were compared to a two-lane country road, now it was like a two-way five-lane highway.


    And now, the connection between his artificial meridians and his artificial Dantian was very firm and tightly integrated with his body.


    Lin Rui had always felt as if there was a film separating his meridians from his Dantian, but that sensation was no longer there; it felt as if these enhancements were naturally parts of his body.


    After carefully sensing for a moment, Lin Rui suddenly exclaimed, "Professor, I feel like this inner core and the meridians seem to have many more branches."


    His eyes showed confusion, wondering where these branches came from.


    Professor Sima smiled, "Those branches are the twelve regular meridians and the extraordinary vessels in your body, which are part of the natural meridian system humans originally have¡ªquite amazing, right? This is very similar to the meridian system of the beings from Sky Pole Star.


    In fact, there has long been a scientific suspicion that Sky Pole Star visitors may have come to Earth early on and had contact with humankind, even that human beings have Sky Pole Star bloodlines from interbreeding that occurred long ago.


    The medical community has also been researching how to utilize the human meridian system to aid Martial Artists in their cultivation. I was fortunate to join a project that developed a technique to connect artificial meridians with the twelve regular meridians within the human body, which could improve efficiency of various artificial meridians by about twenty percent, unfortunately¡ª"


    He did not continue, instead, he started editing medical suggestions on his personal office tablet: "I''ve prescribed some medications for you, to help reduce rejection reactions and stabilize your spiritual power, all included in the cost of this implantation. You can go directly to the prescription window to pick them up later.


    Also, the next four hours is the adaptation period. Do not engage in intense physical activities. After four hours, you can try practicing martial arts. I saw that you still have three doses of gene enhancement liquid in your portable fridge. You can inject one during practice to increase the intensity. Let me know immediately if anything feels wrong, and I can continue adjusting for you."


    Lin Rui''s eyes showed anticipatory excitement.


    He was eager to see what was so special about this set of ''Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame'' implanted in him?

 Chapter 10 Mysterious Blood Drop

    Lin Rui returned to his residential area at six in the evening.


    The sky inside the base had turned completely dark, the artificial sun had gone out, and had been replaced by an artificial moon, which caused the temperature throughout the entire base city to drop suddenly.


    Just as Lin Rui was driving the rented shared hover motorcycle into the entrance of the neighborhood, his sister Lin Xi sent another message.


    Summer''s Shallow Thought (Lin Xi): Didn''t you say you would be back around six? I have made the food already, why don''t I see you?


    Summer''s Shallow Thought (Lin Xi): Brother, did you really take the 11th place in the combat assessment? You''re not lying to me, right?


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but chuckle; he had told Lin Xi about his assessment results at noon, but she still found his scores unbelievable.


    He was just about to reply when the corner of his eye caught sight of General Xue''s villa ahead.


    Lin Rui''s brows slightly furrowed.


    The feeling he had when he passed by this villa this morning came again, rising within him out of nowhere a boundless desire to kill and malevolence.


    He desperately suppressed his emotions while stopping the vehicle, staring intently at the three-story villa still under yellow police tape.


    Through the reflections on the glass curtain walls that made up the exterior of the villa, Lin Rui noticed that his eyes were completely blood-red.


    Lin Rui felt a chill in his heart.


    This was definitely the influence of the combat spirit''s obsessions; the repercussions of this replication skill were beyond his imagination.


    Was there any way to resolve it?


    Just then, another piece of information appeared in Lin Rui''s mind.


    Instruction 4: Enhancing the strength of one''s soul can resist the influence of the combat spirit''s obsessions.


    Instruction 5: Helping the combat spirit fulfill its obsessions can weaken the intensity of its obsessions, ultimately neutralizing the combat spirit.


    Lin Rui, sensing the text in his mind, displayed a thoughtful expression.


    He concluded that enhancing his own soul strength could only provide temporary relief; the real cure would be helping the combat spirit fulfill its obsessions.


    Just yesterday, he had taken pride in replicating three master-level martial arts skills from Xue Bogao, yet he hadn''t realized that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.


    At that moment, another piece of information popped up in Lin Rui''s mind.


    Mission: Combat Spirit Number One has issued you a mission; he wants you to help him check the crime scene and look for clues about the murderer. After completing this task, you can copy a skill from Combat Spirit Number One''s skill list at no cost.


    Lin Rui was momentarily stunned by surprise that the combat spirit could issue him a mission.


    To take a look at the crime scene and be able to exchange for a skill for free?


    Lin Rui used his thoughts to open Xue Bogao''s skill list and found that there was an additional skill available for copying.


    He guessed it was related to the enhancements in his spiritual power and physical fitness after implanting new meridians.


    Lin Rui looked around once more.


    It was the evening rush hour now, the neighborhood''s internal streets bustling with people and vehicles. Lin Rui also spotted two patrol officers nearby and a security team patrolling the streets.


    The security management in the vicinity had been strengthened by the government after the crime occurred; now was clearly not a good time to sneak into the villa.


    This sister also made his heart ache; Lin Xi clearly had a higher martial talent than her brother, yet she consistently refused to implant an artificial Dantian.


    She not only gave all opportunities to Lin Rui but had supported him unconditionally over the years, striving to keep their home intact.


    Lin Rui was somewhat envious of his predecessor for having such a good sister.


    Through Lin Xi''s bangs, Lin Rui saw her eyes slightly reddened, and he couldn''t help but ruffle her head again, "Don''t worry, as soon as the Alien License is obtained, our family''s situation will get better and better, and that''s settled then, first thing Saturday morning we proceed with the implantation; I have already made the prepayment."


    After he finished speaking, he picked up the chopsticks and reached for the bowl of braised pork in front of him.


    This was his favorite dish before he time-traveled and his tastes hadn''t changed; Lin Xi must have noticed his preference and had deliberately placed this bowl in front of him.


    But as Lin Rui''s chopsticks nearly reached it, Lin Xi snatched the bowl away first.


    Lin Rui slightly startled, asked, "What are you doing?"


    "The dish has gotten cold, I''m going to heat it up."


    Lin Xi hurriedly walked into the kitchen with the bowl.


    She hesitated slightly, then dumped the braised pork into the trash can.


    Lin Xi still couldn''t confirm that the Lin Rui in front of her was her own brother.


    The issue was, other than the brother who had stuck by her side through thick and thin, who else would be so good to her? To just have obtained his Alien License and then unreservedly use all his money for her implantation?


    After all, had Mrs. Qing not said so? There are many reasons for fluctuations in the brain''s electromagnetic field, such as severe emotional swings, suffering heavy injuries, or a large increase in spiritual power; and Lin Rui had just been heavily injured.


    She couldn''t be so rash and hasty, nor did she want to do anything that would harm their sibling relationship.


    Lin Xi immediately opened the cupboard, took out a packet of instant braised pork and put it into the warmer.


    The majority of today''s dishes on the dining table were instant meals she had bought; they weren''t made with care.


    Thinking about it now, Lin Xi felt quite guilty for just using ready-made meals on her brother''s big day.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xi reopened her personal terminal to watch the video of Lin Rui being shot.


    This time, she watched the video to the end, to the part where the gunman in black shot towards the direction of the holographic monitor, and then everything turned dark.


    Lin Xi''s eyes narrowed slightly, anger flaming inside her like magma¡ªwho exactly were these people, and were they targeting her? Were they trying to force her awakening?


    She must find out what exactly happened after the shooting. Her brother was supposedly dead, his head shattered by a bullet, yet how could he just casually walk back into her life? She also needed to uncover the identity of the gunman, and then¡ªslaughter them!


    If her brother had indeed been revived by some sort of biotechnology, that would be one thing, but if he was truly dead, then what meaning was there to continue living in this world?


    "Oh, right!"


    Lin Xi suddenly remembered something, hurried back to her room, and grabbed a small pig-shaped piggy bank before rushing out.


    She smashed the piggy bank fiercely, and inside it, there were a bunch of coins and three blood-red crystals.


    Lin Xi threw one of the crystals to Lin Rui, "Take this, once your Alien License is down, you''ll need to cultivate an alien form. Dad instructed repeatedly years ago, when you cultivate your alien form, you must integrate the drop of blood inside this crystal."


    Lin Rui picked up the crystal, his eyes suspicious as he examined and toyed with it.


    He noticed the crystal was hollow, and its material wasn''t actually blood-red; it was colored by the blood stored inside.


    Lin Rui''s eyes flashed with astonishment, wondering what kind of creature''s blood it was. Was it from an alien from Tianji Star?

 Chapter 11 Best Reinforcement

    By nine o''clock in the evening, Lin Rui arrived in his backyard carrying a saber, once again practicing the "Red Thunder Blade Technique."


    Ever since the meridian replacement surgery concluded, Lin Rui had been looking forward to this moment.


    He wanted to see how powerful his newly installed meridians were and where their magic lay.


    The moment Lin Rui began to practice, joy burgeoned in his heart.


    Today, his saber technique bore a drastically different demeanor from the practice of just yesterday.


    Lin Rui''s footsteps were as smooth as drifting clouds and flowing water; his movements brisk and powerful. Wrapped around the blade was a double serpent of Lei Huo, tracing sharp trajectories through the air, stirring up slight bursts of wind and the sounds of a tempest.


    His breathing was steady and ordered, his True Qi incomparably smooth, harmonizing with the rhythm of the saber technique as if his flesh and the saber in his hands were one. The True Qi even reached the tip of the saber, where rhythm and power neared perfection.


    Employing the Grandmaster level Red Thunder Saber, the power of each strike was now at least three times greater than the day before!


    He could generate more thunder and red flames during his slashes, and his speed was also faster, having increased by at least sixty percent. Correspondingly, the consumption of Lin Rui''s True Qi and spiritual power had decreased, now less than a third of what it used to be.


    He also felt a significant increase in his spiritual power, though he did not know the exact figure. When he had the money, he planned to undergo another spiritual power assessment.


    "Is this the special-grade meridian ''Divine Thunder Flame''?"


    A flush of excitement appeared on Lin Rui''s face, "Truly formidable! Worthy of the government''s classified status. The collateral channels Professor Sima helped me develop also had an effect, enhancing the capabilities of the Divine Thunder Flame by about twenty percent. I feel that now, without using any moves, I can conjure up thunder and flame with just a thought."


    Lin Rui then retreated to the entrance of the backyard and took a deep breath. After a brief preparation, he slashed forward with a series of saber lights.


    This was the secret chain move of the Red Thunder Blade Technique, the Red Thunder Nine Slashes, but it was not just that.


    Xue Bogao had honed the Red Thunder Blade Technique to the Grandmaster realm, elevating its divine might beyond the bounds of basic martial arts.


    He optimized and improved the Red Thunder Nine Slashes to execute up to twelve consecutive slashes, but this placed extremely high demands on the quality of the artificial meridians. During the execution of the technique, the True Qi inside his body needed to maintain a period of high-speed, high-pressure circulation.


    The second-grade meridians Lin Rui used before couldn''t handle this burden, attempting to use it would cause them to burst outright.


    Now, with the aid of the special-grade meridian ''Divine Thunder Flame,'' Lin Rui could use it with ease.


    After the twelve consecutive slashes, Lin Rui moved his mind, feeling he still had ample energy left within his body.


    He then managed to slash out two more times in succession!


    At this point, Lin Rui still felt at ease, certain he could strike out another slash. However, remembering Professor Sima''s instructions that he should not engage in high-intensity combat within four hours after implanting the meridians, he decisively stopped.


    Even though more than four hours had already passed, Lin Rui still dared not overuse these meridians.


    He was brimming with excitement, utterly thrilled.


    The Red Thunder Nine Slashes already possessed the capability to fight above one''s level¡ªso what about the "Red Thunder Fifteen Slashes"?


    Next up was practice with the Lei Huo stake technique. Following Professor Sima''s medical advice, Lin Rui injected himself with a Type 1 gene fortifying injection before practicing.


    Two months ago, the siblings had bitten the bullet and purchased the "Heavy-Armored" Type 2 dummy from Jinshan Armor Company, hoping it would be a long-term investment.


    This dummy, covered with high-strength alloy, could withstand the fierce blows of a real lieutenant-level Martial Cultivator''s cybernetic enhancements for up to ten minutes. Yet now, Lin Rui had smashed it to pieces!


    The problem was that Lin Rui hadn''t even implanted any "artificial lun veins"!


    In just these short ten days, Lin Rui''s martial arts progress had been so great, no wonder he managed to rank in the top ten in the city for the foreign body assessment!


    Lin Xi looked at Lin Rui, not knowing whether to be happy or worried. She then abruptly pulled down the window with a ''clang'' and said, "Fine, you''re the mainstay of the family now. It''s your money you''re spending, so as long as you''re happy, that''s good enough."


    After a moment of wincing over the loss, Lin Rui''s mood was still jubilant.


    The power of his Red Thunder Snake Hand palm strike had far exceeded his expectations.


    As he executed the move just now, the twin snakes of thunder and fire that condensed around him were even thicker than they had been in the virtual environment during the live combat assessment, reaching the thickness of two fingers.


    You should know that the foreign body he used at the time not only had meridians, but also a complete set of lun veins.


    The compatibility of this "Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame" with the Red Thunder Blade Technique and Red Thunder Palm was terrifyingly high, achieving an effect of 1+1=10.


    He immediately opened the communication interface with Professor Sima.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, I''ve tested it out, there are no problems at all; the circulation of Qi through the meridians is simply perfect. Your technique is too good, Professor, thank you so much!


    He also sent an emoticon of kowtowing in worship, truly grateful to the professor, as the effects of the surgery were simply perfect.


    Seeing the screen name "Gu Ying Tiandao," Lin Rui began to feel embarrassed and developed a headache until he read Professor Sima''s reply, which alleviated his embarrassment somewhat.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Hmm! When you were practicing, Lin Rui, you didn''t experience any hallucinations, did you? No feelings of irritability or significant emotional fluctuations?


    Lin Rui hesitated slightly, thinking back to the severe emotional turbulence he had felt when he passed by Major General Xue''s villa, although this should have nothing to do with the set of meridians he had implanted; the issue was with his battle spirit.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): No, I feel very good.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): That''s good then. Just to be safe, you should still observe your mental state when using the meridians over the next few days. If there''s anything abnormal, come to the affiliated hospital at any time. Additionally, if you wish to implant higher-level cybernetic enhancements in the future, you can come to me; I can offer you a 20 percent discount.


    Lin Rui had just paid the surgery deposit for Lin Xi, and he had seen the hospital''s fee schedule; even with a 20 percent discount, Professor Sima''s surgery fees were very costly.


    However, he felt very pleased. This was a doctoral supervisor from Mingde University Medical College! It was not easy for others to even get a chance with Professor Sima.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was keen to practice the Thunder Fire Stance a few more times.


    He felt he was in excellent shape, and practicing the Thunder Fire Stance now would be doubly effective,


    But next, Lin Rui had something even more important to do.


    His gaze shifted towards Major General Xue''s villa, two hundred meters to the north.


    It was now 12 o''clock midnight, with no pedestrians on the streets, and only a few lights on in the neighborhood homes. The security guards and patrol officers on the street were also tired; it was the perfect time to infiltrate Xue Bogao''s villa.

 Chapter 12 The Shocking Change at the Xue Family

    Before taking action, Lin Rui specifically found a piece of synthetic silk at home to cover his face. He also changed into a form-fitting diving suit and wore optical glasses for diving, wrapping himself up tightly.


    The synthetic silk of this era is very smooth, capable of reflecting light, and can withstand some basic optical scans.


    The diving suit, left by Lin Rui''s father, could wrap his entire body tightly, preventing him from leaving fingerprints or any body waste that could lead to his DNA being detected.


    Moreover, this suit itself possesses various high-tech features resistant to water pressure, allowing one to dive up to two hundred meters deep. Therefore, the suit did not hinder his movements and also provided a certain level of defense.


    Although what Lin Rui was about to do was not illegal, being discovered would still lead to significant trouble and could even attract the attention of the assassin who killed Colonel Xue''s family. Thus, he had to be extremely cautious and leave no traces as much as possible.


    However, these were just backup measures; Lin Rui himself didn''t know if these methods would be effective. They were just for peace of mind. What he really relied on was his Grandmaster-level Red Thunder Palm.


    Just as Lin Rui stepped out of his yard, a spherical thunderbolt suddenly appeared in his palm. At the same time, all nearby surveillance devices failed to capture his image. In the footage recorded by these cameras, everything around was normal, except for the area where Lin Rui stood¡ªthere was merely a blank space.


    This was one of the Grandmaster-level application techniques of the "Red Thunder Palm" that Lin Rui had copied from Xue Bogao.


    In the hands of ordinary martial artists, this basic martial art was just a technique for fighting and foundation building in martial arts. However, characters like Xue Bogao could bring out the full potential of "Red Thunder Palm."


    From this, Lin Rui deduced that Xue Bogao was likely from some special forces unit within the federation''s military.


    Though these techniques seemed simple for him to use, only requiring the powerful control of electromagnetic fields to distort light for optical invisibility, the principles involved optics simulation and electronic signals, making the mechanism very complex. It would undoubtedly be very difficult for a beginner and require a lot of time and effort.


    Such technologies would likely be banned by the government, and apart from some special forces, ordinary soldiers would not spend a lot of time learning them.


    Lin Rui then carefully snuck into the backyard of Xue Bogao''s villa.


    He placed his hand on the electronic lock of the back door and, with a crackling flash of electricity, the door opened from the inside.


    This too was a complex technique involving computer programming and hacking. Aside from powerful thunder capabilities and control, it also required a high IQ to master.


    Astonished, Lin Rui also felt a chill internally.


    What seemed like secure electronic locks were practically useless in front of someone like Xue Bogao.


    Lin Rui then gathered a ball of lightning near his eyes and glanced in every direction.


    When practiced to the Great Achievement Realm, Red Thunder Palm and Red Thunder Saber could stimulate the nerves in the eyes with minor electrical currents, granting powerful night vision abilities and even a certain degree of infrared vision.


    Although the villa was dark and devoid of light at this moment, Lin Rui could still see everything inside clearly.


    He first looked at the kitchen on the first floor, which was one of the murder scenes. Not only was there a small amount of blood left, but the police had also drawn the outlines of the corpses with white chalk.


    However, Lin Rui had been just a student before transmigrating and had limited knowledge of criminal investigation. After looking around for a long time, he couldn''t find any useful clues.


    Lin Rui really wanted to ask Xue Bogao''s war spirit whether it had found anything and if it was satisfied. Unfortunately, he couldn''t communicate with the war spirit.


    He then used his smart device to take several photos, meticulously capturing all details.


    Now lacking knowledge in criminal investigation and not deeply understanding martial arts, he couldn''t figure much out, but that might not be the case in the future.


    Lin Rui had already decided that he must allocate time in the future to learn about this area.


    He had already figured out the approximate location of the basement, but it still took him a while to find the entrance to the hidden chamber behind a workbench in the rear of the garage.


    To Lin Rui''s delight, the entrance switch was an electronic lock. After unlocking it, he entered and walked down eighty steps before finally seeing the full view of the chamber.


    The first thing he saw was the wall opposite, covered with various monitors, as many as twenty-four, most of which were still on and connected to numerous holographic surveillance cameras.


    The chamber was approximately forty square meters, with a desk in the middle littered with files, a pen holder, cigarettes, an ashtray, empty liquor bottles, and miscellaneous items creating a disordered appearance.


    To Lin Rui''s left was a bed, messily made, suggesting that Xue Bogao likely lived here and had poor private habits, which was rare among the strictly disciplined federal soldiers.


    To his right were three bookshelves filled with thick volumes, a complete set of the military-standard "Xuanwu" model exoskeleton armors, and a small database for storing data.


    "Strange, there are no signs of police entry. Didn''t they discover it? That''s impossible, even a rookie like me found that pinhole camera!"


    Lin Rui glanced around uncertainly and then focused on the monitors.


    He needed to identify which of the monitors was connected to the camera in Xue Bogao''s study.


    Weirdly, was Xue Bogao a voyeur? Why would he install so many cameras?


    One of these monitors simultaneously displayed images from eight cameras, twenty-four times eight, a total of 192 cameras!


    From these images, these cameras were distributed throughout the entire compound, and their locations were very concealed.


    Although Xue Bogao was responsible for the security of the neighborhood, this seemed rather excessive, considering that the neighborhood''s security department itself had a very comprehensive monitoring system.


    Lin Rui''s expression suddenly changed dramatically, his eyes turning sharp as if he were a fierce wolf, staring at the holographic monitors in the middle.


    Because the surveillance cameras in the images were pointed directly at Lin Rui''s siblings'' home!


    A total of forty-five holographic cameras covered their terraced villa from all angles without any blind spots, plus an additional twenty cameras covered the front and back streets and the entrances and exits of their house.


    This meant that everything that happened at their home was under Xue Bogao''s supervision.


    What was terrifying was that he and his sister had yet to notice these monitors.


    Lin Rui''s mind was tumultuously overturning, struggling to calm down.


    Was the main purpose of Xue Bogao''s surveillance to monitor their house? Who exactly was he? And what purpose did he have in watching their home?


    As Lin Rui''s thoughts roiled, he heard a series of footsteps outside the staircase,


    "Someone''s coming! The footsteps are light and there''s more than one person; they''re probably martial artists in exoskeletons,"


    Lin Rui''s pupils contracted slightly, and he quickly ducked behind a bookshelf on the right side of the secret room, using the Xuanwu armor to tightly hide his figure.


    He was now extremely grateful that he had cautiously locked the secret room''s door after entering, which prevented the newcomers from finding him and the secret room immediately.


    But what should he do next? If the newcomers find the secret room and enter, what consequences will unfold?


    Just as this thought flashed through Lin Rui''s mind, he heard the secret room door slowly open with a ''clicking'' sound, causing his eyebrows to furrow deeply, and his heart raced.

 Chapter 13 Consecutive Strikes

    As the door of the hidden room opened, Lin Rui also heard voices from outside.


    A loud voice said, "The entrance to the hidden room is actually here, quite secretive. If that person hadn''t told us the location in advance, I guess we''d still be spending time searching for it. But it''s strange, didn''t the police find it? They can''t be that incompetent, right? If it were me, I''d have used those detection instruments to search throughout."


    At this moment, another slightly shrill voice rang out, "Of course they could find it. As for why they didn''t, you figure it out."


    The loud voice clearly gasped, "You mean there''s someone inside the police department involved? That would be difficult, right? The person inside must have the power to cover the sky with one hand."


    "Not that exaggerated," the shrill voice laughed dismissively, "Alright, don''t ask so many questions. This isn''t something you should know. We can''t stay here much longer, let''s quickly take the surveillance data and leave."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui''s heart gradually grew cold as ice.


    From this conversation, it was obvious that these two were connected to the murderer who killed Major Xue, and were colluding with some high-level insider within the police department!


    But what did they want with the surveillance data here? Did that tiny camera catch a glimpse of the murderer?


    And what if these two discovered it? The consequences would be unimaginable.


    Whether it was that killer or the high-level police insider mentioned by these two, either could easily crush him to death.


    Lin Rui looked down at his waist where the Xuanwu armor was fastened, notably equipped with a battle saber.


    He immediately grasped the hilt of the saber, silently drawing the blade slightly, the veins on his hand bulging.


    At that moment, another piece of information appeared in his mind.


    Prompt: War Spirit No. 1 is very concerned about your current situation and feels guilty. He has decided to gift you a Grandmaster-level "Concealing Breath Skill" and an unconditionally free ''Possession'' opportunity for one minute. You can choose whether to accept and use it with a thought.


    Concealing Breath Skill and Possession?


    Lin Rui''s eyebrows raised slightly, and he unhesitatingly chose to accept the gift of the Grandmaster-level "Concealing Breath Skill."


    As a stream of information formed in his mind, Lin Rui instantly understood the function of the Concealing Breath Skill.


    It was a unique secret technique that could converge blood energy, divine awareness, and breath to deceive other people''s senses and spiritual perception.


    Lin Rui grew increasingly curious. Exactly which military unit did Major Xue belong to, or was there another origin?


    Just as Lin Rui was using the Concealing Breath Skill to regulate his breath and blood flow, making his presence nearly imperceptible, the two had already walked down the stairs.


    They were extremely cautious and vigilant, constantly looking around as they searched the area.


    One of them, a tall and thin man around thirty, even went specifically to the center of the hidden room and glanced behind the Xuanwu armor.


    When Lin Rui felt the man''s gaze, he instinctively wanted to swing his saber, then remembered he was in a state of optical invisibility, and the man might not be able to see him, so he restrained his impulse.


    Lin Rui realized something was off with his emotions.


    Not only did he feel no fear or apprehension, but his mind was instead filled with murderous intent and malice, a strong urge to kill these two men.


    This was undoubtedly influenced by the war spirit''s obsession.


    The tall and thin man indeed didn''t notice Lin Rui. After a brief glance, he turned away and began to operate a small database, soon frowning deeply, using the shrill voice, "The data is encrypted, can''t be accessed. It''s the federal security bureau''s encryption system, very complex. It needs not just a password but Xue Bogao''s personal fingerprint and iris, ha, and even genetic recognition."


    Meanwhile, the other stout young man also approached, his voice loud, "Can you break it?"


    "It''s troublesome, a slight mistake and it automatically destroys the data. Probably only a top-level hacker could manage it," the tall thin man shook his head, "But it doesn''t matter. Our original purpose was to destroy the data. Just to be safe, you''ll have to carry this database away, can''t leave it for the police."


    The stout young man shrugged, "Alright, I''m here to do the heavy lifting anyway, but it still feels odd to me. That employer was capable of killing Major Xue and his family in such a short time, must be a top-level assassin. How could he leave such a flaw to be caught on camera? That level of master could probably blow up these tiny cameras with a thought, right?"


    "Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"


    "This is the Red Thunder Nine Slashes!"


    The tall and thin man recognized Lin Rui''s saber technique and desperately defended. With each slash he received, he stepped back, and after just four slashes, he was forced back against the wall with no room to retreat.


    He then fiercely bit down on his tongue, "Blood Secret Treasure!"


    The tall and thin man suddenly activated the energy stored in his blood, boosting his strength and speed once again.


    His gaze was as cold as a blade as he stared at Lin Rui.


    The tall and thin man had already assessed this masked person''s true capabilities.


    This person''s strength, speed, spiritual power, and other physical qualities all reached the lieutenant level, with some even touching the threshold of a captain, yet he had no implanted artificial meridians. He was only able to compete because of his highly skilled foundational martial arts and a technologically advanced saber.


    ''Red Thunder Nine Slashes'' had exactly nine slashes, and if he could withstand them, it would be his turn to counterattack the masked person.


    But just as he withstood the nine slashes and was preparing to counterattack, Lin Rui struck again with a seamlessly flowing, additional slash.


    "What?"


    The tall and thin man was taken aback, thinking, how is this possible?


    This guy''s Red Thunder Nine Slashes could actually execute a tenth slash!


    It was said that some extremely rare geniuses and Martial Cultivators with great prowess could indeed elevate the power of Red Thunder Saber to a higher level after mastering it to perfection.


    Was this black-clothed person who hadn''t implanted artificial meridians one such genius?


    The tall and thin man gritted his teeth, his eyes bulging with blood vessels as he let out a beast-like roar.


    "You wish! I want to see just how many slashes you can execute!"


    He pushed himself to the limit, continuing to activate the energy in his blood.


    The eleventh and twelfth slashes, the tall and thin man managed to guard against, but Lin Rui''s thirteenth slash followed closely.


    "Clang!"


    With that sharp sound, the tall and thin man''s long sword actually snapped.


    His face instantly turned pale as if he were a corpse.


    The opposing saber was incredibly sharp and resilient, and after thirteen consecutive slashes, it forcefully broke his sword!


    In the next instant, Lin Rui''s long saber fiercely descended, cleanly severing the tall and thin man''s neck!


    After succeeding, Lin Rui began to breathe heavily, easing his nearly exploding lungs and the sudden onset of weakness and fatigue in his limbs.


    However, the scent of blood that Lin Rui breathed in, along with the sight of the two gruesomely deceased bodies in front of him, made him realize he had killed people!


    Lin Rui quickly covered his mouth, forcefully using his True Yuan to suppress his churning stomach.


    He absolutely could not vomit here, leaving behind any remnants.


    Yet, what troubled Lin Rui even more at this moment were the scene of the fight and the two bodies.


    If he could not manage them properly, he and his sister would face enormous trouble ahead.


    He had thought that investigating the crime scene would be an easy task, yet he had almost lost his life in the process.

 Chapter 14 Handling (Thanks to 0景天0 for the reward)

    PS: Thank you to the reader 0¾°Ìì0 for the reward, (? ?) ??).


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lin Rui took a full minute to steady his breathing, two more minutes to calm his mind, and also his surging blood vessels.


    He found his mental fortitude to be exceptional, regaining composure just minutes after killing, able to think and act with clarity.


    Lin Rui first returned to the secret room''s entrance to close the outer door, then he came back to examine the two bodies.


    "It''s a pity, I could have held back a bit with the last strike¡ª"


    This way, he could have kept a live captive.


    But that was easier said than done.


    In the fight, restraining himself even slightly would have been irresponsible to his own life.


    Lin Rui couldn''t afford to hold back, sorely lacking experience in life-and-death combat, unable to accurately assess an opponent''s strength and condition during battle, knowing only to hack forward with all his might.


    Besides, he also was affected by the battle spirit''s obsession; his thoughts turned fierce, his killing intent strong, nearly beyond his control.


    In the end, Lin Rui only found two kinetic pistols on the bodies, the commonly seen "Shocker model 4102" of the last decades, characterized by their low cost and not insignificant power, capable of threatening sergeant-level implant wearers. Their drawback was the need for a charging time, and the initial bullet firing speed was slow, which likely was why the two didn''t opt to draw their guns.


    Beyond the pistols, there was nothing else¡ªsuch was the downside of the technological era, with many life functions integrated into smart terminals.


    Lin Rui''s Grandmaster level Red Thunder Palm had some hacking abilities, but he couldn''t hack into the terminals worn on the wrists of the two men, so he didn''t bother trying.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Fortunately, the underground chamber built by Xue Bogao perhaps intended to avoid detection by powerful Martial Cultivators, was lined with special materials, blocking the public network of the Ninth Base.


    Otherwise, the smart terminals of the two men would have alerted the medical center and police station of the base city at the instant of their deaths.


    "Hmm? This looks like a gang tattoo?"


    Lin Rui noticed a teal tattoo on the right side of each man''s neck, shaped like a lizard, encircled with the words "Loyalty and brotherhood, share glory and shame, unite and assist, dare to act and bear."


    He photographed the tattoos of both men, planning to search for them online later. Their faces, too, if circumstances allowed, could be a lead to their identities.


    As soon as he finished the photography, information formed in his mind.


    Notification: You have fulfilled wish number 1 of the battle spirit''s crime scene investigation, and the battle spirit is very satisfied with your findings. You may now reproduce any ability from his replicable abilities column without any cost.


    Lin Rui opened Xue Bogao''s ability list.


    In both of Xue Bogao''s ability columns, there was an ability named "Cleaner (Expert)".


    Lin Rui had always been unclear about what this so-called "Cleaner" ability entailed.


    The chubby boy complained, "I came over early in the morning, but you were nowhere to be seen."


    Lin Rui did have an appointment with Wang Sen the day before, so hearing this he gave an embarrassed smile, "My bad, Wang Sen, just wait a bit, I''ll be right over, and I''ll treat you to a big meal at noon."


    Wang Sen wasn''t really angry. He huffed and crossed his arms, "That''s more like it. Hurry up and come over. Next is Blade Exploration Company''s presentation. It''s the top Alien Exploration Company at Base Nine, best not to miss it."


    After hanging up the phone, Lin Rui ate the beef steak while opening his personal terminal system''s email inbox, where he found a pile of emails, one of which was from the Base Nine Urban Affairs Center.


    Urban Affairs Center: Congratulations, Mr. Lin, for passing the Alien Creature Assessment and obtaining the government-issued Alien Creature License. Please visit the ''Alien Cultivation Center'' within one month to cultivate your alien creature. We wish Mr. Lin smooth sailing and a bright future in your upcoming career.


    ¡ªClick the link to view your assessment scores.


    Lin Rui''s eyebrows slightly raised. The alien license was approved so quickly?


    He opened the certificate folder in his terminal, and indeed there was an Alien Creature License.


    Lin Rui also clicked on the link in the email.


    His written exam scores were 32nd in the city, including subjects like the history, language, and geography of the Polestar planet, all of which the previous Lin Rui had studied, and had nothing to do with him.


    Lin Rui was clueless about these subjects and didn''t know the Polestar language at all.


    His practical assessment scores were 11th in the city, and he ranked 14th overall.


    Lin Rui immediately took a screenshot of his scores and the Alien Creature License and forwarded it to his sister.


    Summer''s Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Shocked!!!! It''s actually true, brother, you''re amazing!


    Lin Rui could almost picture Lin Xi with her eyes wide open, utterly shocked.


    He smiled slightly and began browsing through the other emails.


    Most of these emails were from various Alien Exploration Companies and government agencies, inviting Lin Rui to visit their facilities for an internship. Even the Federal Military had sent him an invitation, hoping he would join the army.


    And there were banks, insurance companies, cybernetic hospitals, car dealerships, etc., promoting various loan services. When he was still an alien trainee, these financial institutions had barely paid him any attention, but now they were sending him a bunch of spam.


    The Housing Management Center also sent an email, reminding him that next month he would turn eighteen and become an adult. From then on, he would need to pay for the townhouse. If he couldn''t afford it, the Housing Management Center would arrange a new place for him in the lower-city district.


    What Lin Rui focused on were the invitations from the Alien Exploration Companies.


    The main business of these companies was trading aliens, acquiring various resources from within Polestar, as well as undertaking exploration and scientific research missions issued by the government, military, and other social institutions, with relatively high remuneration. Some of the larger companies even offered generous salaries during the internship period.


    Right now, Lin Rui only wanted money, the faster the better, the more the better.


    He looked for a moment before shaking his head and closing his inbox, then hurried out the door with a fried dough stick in his mouth.


    The invitations from these companies were mostly the same, with little to differentiate them, so it was better to attend their presentations and visit the companies in person.

 Chapter 15 Senior Sister

    Just two hours after Lin Rui rushed to school, several armored police vehicles flew in and arrived at Xue Bogao''s villa.


    The car had not yet come to a complete stop when a middle-aged man, with prominent brow bones and wearing a crisp military uniform, jumped directly out of the vehicle.


    ¡ªThis was Zhang Long, a senior colonel of the Federal Homeland Security Bureau.


    After Zhang Long entered the villa, he put on a pair of plastic gloves and meticulously investigated several areas with his subordinates, paying close attention to every detail.


    His frown deepened until he reached the door of Xue Bogao''s study on the second floor. Suddenly, he flashed into the corner of the room, bent over to examine the pinhole camera hidden there.


    Zhang Long''s eyes were cold, "This is the top model ZS4319 camera released by Divine Shield Security Company fifteen years ago, its end connected to the basement. Why isn''t it mentioned in the police report provided by the precinct? Who was in charge at that time?"


    "It was the head of the Homicide Unit on Longzidong Road, Major Police Inspector Thomson Jacob."


    The person who answered was Zhang Long''s assistant, Major Detective Fei Aibi, a mixed-race man in his thirties, with blond hair and robust features. He was carefully reviewing related documents projected on a holographic screen from his wrist terminal.


    "Besides the field investigation report, he also left a remark stating that he had just entered the scene when he received an order from the Homeland Security Bureau, indicating that this case involved confidential secrets of the bureau. He was instructed to withdraw his team and hand over the case to the Homeland Security Bureau."


    "Major Police Inspector Thomson?" Zhang Long involuntarily pressed his brow.


    Military ranks are also linked to the federal police department.


    A Major Police Inspector is equivalent to a major in the Federal Military, and only those of major rank who are Martial Cultivators could be promoted, as their sensing capabilities are already quite strong.


    However, his being forced to halt the investigation upon just entering the scene made sense.


    The ZS4319 model camera, with a completely closed circuit design, emits no electromagnetic waves and does not reflect any light from its lens, making it highly concealed. Even Zhang Long, a colonel-ranked Martial Cultivator, did not notice the pinhole camera until he was at the door of the study.


    Although wireless technology in this era is well-developed, if one wants to make their presence undetectable to Martial Artists, they still need to use closed-circuit cameras.


    "So which department from our Security Bureau issued that order? Who took over this case afterwards? Why can I not find any corresponding records in the internal data bank of the Security Bureau?"


    "Indeed, there are no records. It''s very strange. All the action units of the Ninth Base Security Subdivision have not received any orders to take over the investigation of the Xue Bogao case. Thus, for the past two days, no one has inquired about this case, which is absurd. I''ll check the source of that order¡ª"


    Fei Aibi''s expression grew solemn as he waved his hands rapidly through the air, creating a blur of afterimages: "It was issued from the office of the Deputy Director of the Third Division of the Ninth Base Security Subdivision. Interestingly, this deputy director is currently on vacation. He should be on Hailan Star with his family at a hot spring hotel on Hailan Star."


    Zhang Long''s expression turned colder, and he sneered, rising to walk towards the garage, having sensed the secret room inside earlier.


    Upon entering the secret room, Zhang Long first glanced at the several screens that had been turned off, then swept his gaze around the room.


    "A mini database for storing video has been taken here, and there are traces of a fight on the north wall."


    Fei Aibi, attempting to restart the screens, looked around bewilderedly, "Traces of a fight? I don''t see anything."


    "The scene has been tampered with."


    During these ten days, Lin Rui had focused most of his time and energy on three basic martial arts, only now finding time to learn these.


    After all, it wouldn''t do to land on Hailan Star and not understand what the people were saying.


    While he could use the implanted smart neural chip for translation, the response time would definitely be slower.


    This might lead to exposure, revealing his identity as an ''Alien Visitor.''


    It was said that Hailan Star citizens dealt with Alien Visitors very cruelly, extracting souls and seizing spirits intensely, making even the thought of death difficult.


    Just as Lin Rui was feeling bothered by this, he felt his foot being kicked by Wang Sen.


    Lin Rui looked at Wang Sen with puzzled eyes. The plump boy was excitedly winking and gesturing with his eyes repeatedly toward the side.


    Only then did he notice that two women had seated themselves next to their table at some unknown time.


    One was a lady in her mid-twenties, in a crisp, simple women''s suit, sporting black-rimmed smart glasses, and possessing a competent aura, with a fierceness in her brows.


    The other was only eighteen or nineteen, wearing a Mingde University women''s uniform. She should have been a vibrant, alluring young beauty but sat listlessly and languidly at the other side of the table.


    Lin Rui thought, who is this? Our school really had such a stunning beauty?


    He quickly opened the video library to search, and scanned the school''s forum. Only then did he discover the identity of the girl.


    The young woman was a first-year student from Mingde University''s Martial Cultivator Academy, with the surname Fang, named Fang Ranran, recently a prominent figure in their school.


    Mingde University had eight major faculties: Mathematics, Engineering, Martial Cultivation, Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, Alien Study, and Historical Humanities.


    Alien Visitors, due to age requirements, started attending the Alien Studies faculty quite early, typically around fifteen, and it was more akin to a vocational school, equivalent to a high school level.


    Hence, Lin Rui, nearing graduation, was still half a year younger than Fang Ranran.


    Lin Rui''s predecessor not only recorded videos when Fang Ranran first enrolled but also saved several accidental encounters. Notably, these recordings had more than twenty views each.


    The senior''s demeanor and appearance were indeed exceptional within their school, and Lin Rui was equally astonished.


    Moreover, according to the information from the school forums, Fang Ranran was more than just a pretty face. Her martial prowess ranked in the top three of the Martial Cultivator Academy, and within less than two months of enrolling, she had defeated almost all the experts in various disciplines of the academy.


    She had also taken over the school''s martial arts club, secured huge sponsorship, and prepared to showcase her ambitious plans in the college union competitions.


    Lin Rui felt as if Fang Ranran''s face had a black hole-like suction, fiercely capturing his gaze.


    It took immense willpower for him to shift his focus back to the table in front of him.


    However, in the next moment, Lin Rui heard the two women mentioning his name.

 Chapter 16 Do We Also Have the Ten Outstanding?

    Fang Ranran had already noticed that two boys next to her were sneaking glances at her, but she didn''t care much.


    Having been the center of attention from boys since she was young due to her excessive attractiveness, she had long become desensitized.


    Fang Ranran was checking her personal email: "Zhuang Xiao''ai didn''t agree."


    She looked dejected, resting her chin in her hand as she spoke weakly, "She was quite enthusiastic when I invited her to dinner. I thought there was a chance, but then she turned around and sent me an email apologizing. What should we do now, Emerald Sister? All the ''Top Ten'' freshmen have refused.


    It''s one thing that the Martial Arts Society couldn''t recruit upperclassmen, but to think that not even the new talent from this year''s freshmen could be persuaded¡ªeven with the conditions we offered?


    Full scholarships, the best training equipment, the top coaches, and professors from the entire Medical and Biological Sciences departments of Mingde University serving as advisors for our Martial Arts Society¡ªare there any other university martial arts clubs that could compete with our offers?"


    The lady in professional attire across the table was unmoved, emotionlessly picking up some food: "The problem is they aren''t lacking money, nor are they lacking good coaches or training and medical resources. What they lack are honors, powerful and reliable teammates, and a platform that can give them more visibility and exposure¡ªnone of which we have.


    Mingde University indeed has a weak reputation in armed martial arts."


    Fang Ranran was left speechless by her blunt words; all she could do was sigh, "You''re right. But, Emerald Sister, isn''t there really anything we can do? Now that we can''t count on those upperclassmen, and although the few we poached from other schools are decent, they can''t bear the main burden. No matter how much we train them, they cannot confront the main competitors from other schools.


    I guess we''ll be at the bottom for the next two years. If this new generation doesn''t rise up, we''ll just have to wait for the new freshmen in two years¡ªand by then, I''ll be a junior¡ª"


    The lady in professional attire shook her head: "I''ve always said that with Mingde University''s conditions, it''s unrealistic to think about poaching. If you want to improve the Martial Arts Society''s performance, you''re only going to have to invest heavily and find a few talented prospects in high school to train."


    As she spoke, she noticed that Fang Ranran''s face was filled with disappointment.


    She paused, then smiled slyly. "However, there has been a new development. Today, when I invited Wei De, we had a chat. He told me something¡ªthat your Mingde University already has a Top Ten level champion within its ranks, so why seek others?"No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Fang Ranran was startled, her eyes widening in disbelief: "Our Mingde University has a Top Ten level player? Where? How do I not know about this?"


    "This person is named Lin Rui."


    The lady in professional attire picked up a shiny piece of braised pork and elegantly stuffed it into her mouth: "He''s a student at your university''s Alien Body College. Wei De said that during yesterday''s practical assessment for alien bodies, Lin Rui fought him fiercely for two minutes using ''Red Thunder Snake Hand'' and defeated him, ranking eleventh city-wide.


    Wei De also mentioned that Lin Rui''s practical abilities could definitely make the top three in the city. The reason Lin Rui didn''t push higher was that someone tampered with the matching algorithm and he never encountered another Top Ten level competitor."


    "His ability can reach the top three in the city?" Fang Ranran looked incredulous: "Red Thunder Snake Hand requires mastering both Red Thunder Palm and Thunder Fire Stance to the Great Achievement Realm, right? Do we really have such a person at Mingde University? Why haven''t I heard about him before?"


    "He suddenly emerged during this practical assessment; he was probably concealing his skills before. Most of the students from your university''s Alien Body College come from the outer city areas, and for a commoner without connections, standing out too much might not be a blessing."


    The lady in professional attire picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth: "I plan to go to the Student Affairs Center to request his details. Do you want to come too?"


    "Why go to the Student Affairs Center? I can check right now." As Fang Ranran spoke, she noticed the two boys were still watching her.


    Lin Rui had no choice but to put down his chopsticks and politely replied, "The university martial arts league is widely renowned, its popularity far surpassing that of the professional martial arts league. It would be hard to find someone who doesn''t know about it in these times.


    As for our school''s Martial Arms Association, I only learned about it when Sister took over the martial arts club and was elected as the president in her freshman year. I think our club ranked eighteenth at Base Nine last year?"


    Base Nine only has nineteen universities in total.


    Lin Rui continued, his voice slightly hesitant, "I also heard that the atmosphere in the martial arts club isn''t very good, especially in the last few years, where several serious incidents have occurred."


    "Indeed, the performance of our school''s martial arts club hasn''t been very good, but now that I''m in charge, it''s no longer the same as before."


    Fang Ranran spoke with sincere earnestness, "Lin fellow student, since you are aware of the university martial arts league, you must understand the immense influence it has among the people. Achieving good results in the league would greatly benefit both the school and your own future prospects."


    Seeing Lin Rui nod, she continued, "Therefore, since Celestial Blue Corporation acquired Mingde University, there has been a significant focus on revitalizing the school''s Martial Arms College. There has been substantial investment into the martial arts club. Our club now has abundant resources and finances, whether it''s instructors or equipment, all are top-notch.


    Everything is ready now except for a favorable east wind, what''s missing is the talent that can help us achieve good results.


    Lin fellow student, you were able to defeat Wei De and secure the city''s eleventh spot, which shows your strong martial arts talent, certainly at the level of the ten elites. I would like to invite you to join our martial arts club and compete together in the university martial arts league.


    With your talent, I''m confident that within two years, we can make it to the Tianjixing University championship at the end of the season, and perhaps even into the final rounds."


    Whether it was an illusion or not, although Fang Ranran spoke with sincerity and earnestness, Lin Rui always felt like her look was that of a fox eyeing its prey.


    However, Lin Rui knew this Sister Fang had significant influence, so he patiently listened to her finish speaking before responding with an impeccable smile, "I''m sorry, Sister, I have no plans to advance to the Martial Arms College, nor do I wish to waste time and energy in the martial arts club or the university martial arts league."


    Fang Ranran''s spirits dropped slightly; she heard the firm resolve in Lin Rui''s tone.


    Just as Fang Ranran prepared to speak again, the professionally dressed beauty approached and whispered behind her, "Lin fellow student, may I know the reason? I noticed you just said you don''t want to waste time and energy, not that you aren''t interested."


    Lin Rui looked up at her and then nodded in acknowledgment, "As far as I know, the Martial Arms Association doesn''t offer a salary, right? It seems that the league''s committee not only prohibits students from taking advertisements but also doesn''t allow students to receive any kind of external financial sponsorships."


    What he needed now was money, not only to support Lin Xi''s transfer to a private school but also to save money to buy an artificial meridian for himself.


    Lin Rui was actually very interested in the university martial arts league; if he could make it to the final rounds as Fang Ranran mentioned, he would definitely become a martial arts star, with a bright and wealthy future.


    But that was merely a pie in the sky, unable to solve Lin Rui''s current dilemma.


    Lin Rui wasn''t like the ''ten elites,'' who already had significant fame and followership, able to earn money through live streaming and short videos while studying.


    It''s not like he could generate power just from passion, right?


    Fang Ranran lifted the corners of her lips slightly and exchanged a glance with the professionally dressed beauty.


    Both saw a hint of delight in each other''s eyes; since it was a matter of money, it would be easier to handle.

 Chapter 17 Martial Arts Club

    Half an hour later, Fang Ranran was piloting a limited edition super-wing coupe flying through the interior airways of Mingde University.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen were both seated in the back seats of the flying car, each holding a promotional brochure for the Mingde University Martial Arts Society.


    They were there at the invitation of Fang Ranran to visit the Martial Arts Society of Mingde University together.


    Wang Sen looked at the contents of the promotional brochure, clicking his tongue in amazement, "Impressive, as long as one could become an official team member, in the first year one could receive a Type 1 gene enhancement solution every month, a Type 1 spiritual power enhancement solution, ten body-strengthening pills, and thirty vials of spirit-nourishing oral solution.


    Does that mean you could take one vial every day? And you could also get all sorts of implants at cost price from the Tianlan Biological Group; is this for real? When did our school''s Martial Arts Society start offering such good benefits?"


    "It''s true," replied the professionally dressed beauty with a laugh, looking back at them: "The Tianlan Group has a huge determination to revitalize the Implant Department, and they also want to use the university martial arts tournament as a platform to promote all sorts of basic implants under Tianlan Group. The resources they provide for the Martial Arts Society are comprehensive."


    Her gaze fell on Lin Rui, "To maintain the tax-exempt status of the ''University Martial Arts League'' as a non-profit organization, the competition committee does not allow schools to give participating team members any form of monetary awards on top of salaries or regular scholarships.


    However, various materials for cultivation are not included in this, and all sorts of implants are also allowed to provide to the school in the form of a loan.


    "With a talent like you, Lin Rui, you will inevitably be our school''s main team member, or even the team captain in the future. We will spare no effort in supporting you, whether it''s gene enhancement solutions, body-strengthening pills, or spirit-nourishing oral solutions. As long as the competition rules allow, we can provide all sorts of drugs for free.


    We hope that you can grow within a year and become the pillar of the Martial Arts Society. We will also offer you an interest-free loan to help you implant an artificial meridian."


    Lin Rui nodded. This was one of the benefits of joining the Implant Martial Arts Society, the ability to freely access many cultivation resources.


    The problem was, if he could become an Alien Body Cultivator, he would receive even more.


    A Type 1 gene enhancement solution was priced at a maximum of three thousand Federation dollars. If he could join that pioneer exploration company, just the internship salary would be fifty thousand Federation dollars a month, which would double after becoming a permanent staff member; in addition, many companies also have some free drugs distribution internally.


    As for the interest-free loan mentioned by the professional beauty, Lin Rui did not take it to heart either. Loans don''t have to be repaid?


    After joining an Alien Body company in the future, the pioneer exploration company promised him a subsidy of one hundred thousand Federation dollars. Just a few months'' salaries would be enough to purchase it.


    If it really came down to it, he could also take out a loan from the government, which had a lower interest rate than outside.


    However, Fang Ranran had just said that she had a way to have the best of both worlds, allowing Lin Rui to join the Martial Arts Society as well as earn enough money.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    This was exactly why Lin Rui had agreed to come for the visit.


    "We''re here!"


    Fang Ranran piloted the super-wing coupe to hover in front of the entrance of a skyscraper, smiling and gesturing a welcome: "I invite both of you to visit our Martial Arts Society."


    Lin Rui gave her a glance, and for some reason, he increasingly felt that this girl was like a fox, a beautiful white fox with a snow-white body, always with a smile on her face.


    Lin Rui got out of the car and looked forward, noticing that they had stopped at Mingde University''s Building 47, which was a skyscraper with a total of 127 floors, ranking ninth in height among all buildings in Mingde University, and covering an area of 7300 square meters, equivalent to the size of a football field in the past.


    It was estimated that just the decor here had cost a lot of money, with a style that was starkly minimalist, understated luxury, pleasing to the eye.


    At this moment, in this vast training area, two people were sparring on the ring, fiercely exchanging blows.


    When Fang Ranran and Lin Rui''s party of four exited the elevator, both the combatants stopped their hands simultaneously.


    One of them was shirtless, his muscles exceptionally well-defined and strong.


    He had golden wavy curly hair, sculpted features, yet a very cold demeanor, his eyes sharp and piercing as if filled with ice.


    The other was slim, his face lean, cheekbones slightly prominent, yet possessing a sunny disposition, his face wearing a clean and cheerful smile.


    "Manager Yu, what brings you and the President here today?"


    The cheerful young man glanced at the four of them, then fixed his gaze on Lin Rui and Wang Sen with curiosity, "Are these the new people you''ve brought?"


    Wang Sen hurriedly waved his hands and took a step back, standing behind Lin Rui.


    The professional beauty smiled slightly and introduced each side, "They are students from our school''s Alien Body College, Lin Rui and Wang Sen, with excellent performance at the college; the well-built one on the stage is Zhao Yan, the main Captain of our Martial Arts Society.


    He was previously the Deputy President of the Second City University''s Martial Arts Society and transferred here this year; the slim one is Nolan Wei, the Deputy General of our Martial Arts Society, the backbone of our school and also from Second City University."


    When she mentioned this, she noticed a hint of skepticism cross the faces of Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei.


    The professional beauty quickly understood the reason; the reputation of Mingde University''s Alien Body College wasn''t great, often at the bottom of the rankings.


    Besides, the two likely noticed that Lin Rui hadn''t yet implanted his meridians.


    So she added another sentence with emphasis, "Lin Rui is one of the top eleven in this session''s Alien Body Combat Assessment and has defeated Wei De during the assessment."


    Upon hearing this, a spark of interest erupted in the eyes of Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei.


    Nolan Wei even leaped off the sparring ring, "You defeated Wei De in the actual combat assessment?"


    He looked at Lin Rui up and down with immense surprise, "Man, you haven''t even implanted your meridians; could it be that Wei De deliberately took it easy on you? Would you be interested in sparring with me to let me see your level?"


    Fang Ranran and the professional beauty both frowned upon hearing this.


    They were trying their best to recruit Lin Rui to the Martial Arts Society and didn''t want any complications.


    If Nolan Wei''s challenge caused Lin Rui displeasure, it would be rather unfortunate.


    Regarding Lin Rui''s martial arts level and talent, both women had no doubts at all.

 Chapter 18 The Quality is Indeed High

    "Stop messing around!"


    Fang Ranran directly slapped the shoulder of Nolan Wei, "I''m here to show Lin Rui around the martial arts club. If you, Nolan, want to exchange pointers, you can wait until Lin Rui has joined our martial arts club. There will be plenty of chances then."


    The blond man Zhao Yan also spoke in a cold voice, "Nolan!"


    Nolan Wei momentarily stared blankly before realizing that his behavior was inappropriate. He gave Lin Rui an embarrassed smile, "Then forget it, brother, no offense. I was just curious about what kind of person can defeat Wei De, one of the top ten figures from this batch of the Alien Body College. And to think he comes from a dump like Mingde Alien Body College¡ª"


    Having said that, Nolan Wei consciously covered his mouth.


    Fang Ranran and the lady in professional attire stared at him fiercely, their gazes intense.


    If you can''t speak properly, then speak less!


    The blond man Zhao Yan also facepalmed, looking helpless.


    The chubby Wang Sen also glared at Nolan Wei indignantly.


    How could this guy speak like that? Granted, Mingde Alien Body College was indeed terrible, but it was his alma mater.


    "It''s fine!" Lin Rui saw that this guy in front of him, despite his lack of tact, didn''t seem to have bad intentions.


    He shook his head and then looked around, "Where do we practice? How do we practice? Virtual combat or real combat? I''m also keen to see the skill level of our club''s Deputy General."


    Fang Ranran and the lady in professional attire were slightly stunned by his words, their expressions one of surprise.


    Nolan Wei''s eyes lit up, excited, "Let''s have a real fight! With Sister Yu here as a great expert to keep an eye on us, there''s no fear of accidents."No?v(el)B\\jnn


    He caught hold of the rope at the edge of the ring and agilely flipped onto the platform, "You haven''t implanted spiral veins, nor have you injected artificial serum, so I won''t either. I''ll just use my dantian and meridians to fight you. What weapon will you use, Lin Rui?"


    Lin Rui felt his clothes being tugged by Wang Sen.


    Wang Sen looked at him with urgent eyes, whispering, "Why did you agree to him? That guy has undergone blood replacement and his strength is at least that of a major!"


    "No problem!" Lin Rui smiled and patted Wang Sen on the shoulder, then he too flipped up onto the platform, "I''m accustomed to using the Yanling Blade from the thunder-fire series!"


    Lin Rui''s thoughts were straightforward.


    Despite appearing a bit disheveled at this point, he still managed to neutralize each of Nolan Wei''s attacks.


    "The standard is really high!"


    The blonde Zhao Yan watched the two on the stage: "Nolan Wei''s first sword strike used only twenty percent of his power. However, right now, among those so-called ten elites, I estimate that only four could block it. His Red Thunder Saber has reached the Grandmaster level, definitely at the elite ten''s level. No wonder he could defeat Wade, it''s a pity his physical conditioning is a bit lacking."


    Fang Ranran''s lips curved slightly upwards: "I''ve checked his records for buying genetic enhancement fluids. Guess what? He''s only purchased Type 1 enhancement fluid twice in three years, and it wasn''t until yesterday when he made it to the top eleven in actual combat, that he received an award of three doses from the college! Also, the way he defeated Wade was with the Red Thunder Snake Hand."


    After hearing this, although Zhao Yan''s face remained calm, his heart was surging.


    Just three doses of genetic enhancement fluids and he has trained his body and spiritual power to this extent?


    And ''Red Thunder Snake Hand'', employing this technique requires one to achieve Great Achievement Realm in both Red Thunder Palm and Thunder Fire Stance simultaneously!


    He nodded: "That indeed shows limitless potential. His blade speed is almost half the speed of Nolan Wei''s, but the efficiency is nearly as good. This is the hallmark of a top-tier talent. It seems the mainstay of the martial arts society is already in place for the future."


    Each stroke of Lin Rui''s blade served a purpose, unlike Nolan Wei, whose sword, though fast, had nearly half of its movements without any effect ¨C that was where the difference in their efficiency lay.


    "The deal isn''t sealed yet. His family situation is probably quite bad, he''s eager for money, and now he''s more inclined toward alien body companies."


    Fang Ranran shook her head slightly: "And as you said, Lin Rui''s physical condition is quite poor and does not meet the standards for participating in the martial arts competition. In the next two years, the martial arts club will still have to rely on Senior Zhao to carry the load."


    Lin Rui''s martial arts realm might be high, but honestly, both his spiritual power and physical condition weren''t really that impressive.


    Those ''elite ten'', each one of them has been nurtured with top-grade drugs from a young age, terrifying in all aspects of their physical qualities.


    Don''t be deceived by Wade''s loss to Lin Rui; that was in a virtual combat environment where both their physical conditions were the same.


    In a real environment, Wade could use his higher speed and greater strength to defeat Lin Rui, and college martial arts league matches are all about real combat with real weapons in the real world.


    Besides, the standard of martial arts in college differs from high school. The mainstream levels are that of captain and major, and some exceptional talents could even reach the levels of lieutenant colonel and colonel during their college years!


    Lin Rui has not yet implanted any artificial vascular networks. Strictly speaking, he is still at the rank of warrant officer in conditioned martial arts. How could he compete against those experts?


    It was just as Fang Ranran''s words fell that the situation on the ring suddenly changed.


    ```

 Chapter 19 CEO Xiao Fang

    Although Nolan Wei was far more powerful than Lin Rui, his attitude in combat was very serious.


    He didn''t use his meridians or serum, but in every other aspect, he gave it his all, trying his best to break through Lin Rui''s defense.


    Perhaps he was too anxious. Just as Nolan Wei kept using secret techniques, aiming to corner Lin Rui in the southeast corner of the arena to trap him completely, he exposed a flaw that Lin Rui seized, leading to his opponent''s first counterattack.


    When Nolan Wei saw the dark red saber light that sliced towards him, like a ribbon, he actually revealed a smile, his lips curving slightly upward with amusement in his eyes.


    He had a nickname in the university martial arts league: ''Abandon-Horse Wei'', and his greatest skill was the ''abandon horse'' tactic, deliberately exposing flaws to lure his opponent into a trap of his own making.


    Nolan Wei felt sure of his victory.


    Indeed, Lin Rui''s Red Thunder Saber was of Grandmaster class; he used the primarily offensive saber technique to defend his domain without a single leak.


    However, if he were to go on the offensive, it might not hold up as well.


    But after only the first saber strike, Nolan Wei sensed something was off.


    Lin Rui, one after another, launched a series of slashing strikes that were not only faster than lightning but also seamless and flowing like clouds and water.


    Nolan Wei had to take a step back after blocking three strikes.


    On the one hand, the speed of Lin Rui''s saber was so fast that his Instant Shadow Sword could hardly keep up; on the other hand, were the electric currents and flames wrapped around Lin Rui''s saber.


    The electric currents were numbing Nolan Wei''s right hand, while the flames caused his weapon to heat up rapidly, becoming hot to the touch.


    "Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang¡ª¡ª"


    After defending against eight strikes, Nolan Wei was forced to retreat five steps.


    He laughed out of sheer anger. To think that he, someone who never had meridians implanted, was forced into a continuous retreat by a junior. If his former classmates were to find out, wouldn''t they laugh their heads off?


    Nolan Wei was already looking forward to the end of Lin Rui''s ninth strike, the moment he could launch his counterattack.


    It would be like a tidal wave, crushing this junior ashore in one fell swoop!


    But he quickly realized something was wrong. After Lin Rui''s ninth strike, there was no space or opportunity for him to counterattack, the following slashes still raining down like thunder.


    The tenth strike! The eleventh! The twelfth! The thirteenth!


    "Clang! Clang! Kerrang! Clang!"


    The arena was only ten meters wide. Nolan Wei had been cornered by Lin Rui''s swordplay.


    There was an appointment notice¡ªFor the strategic development needs of Mingde University''s operations, the board of directors has resolved to appoint Ms. Fang Ranran as a member of the school''s board.


    Lin Rui''s lips twitched slightly, and his gaze grew solemn.


    The pleasant and genial senior sister who had accompanied him on the tour of the martial arts club¡ªNo, not a senior sister, but Little Miss Fang¡ªshe was actually a member of the school''s board!


    While Nolan Wei was whispering, the blond man Zhao Yan watched Lin Rui intently from below the stage.


    "What an excellent sword technique, what talent!" He sighed complexly, "What a pity, such a pity!"


    Zhao Yan then turned around and walked towards the indoor activity area, and for some reason, his silhouette seemed forlorn.


    Fang Ranran was somewhat puzzled by his reaction; she scratched her head and shifted her gaze back to Lin Rui.


    Fang Ranran''s mouth was practically watering, and her already bright eyes shone with excitement.


    The fight just now had given her another pleasant surprise from Lin Rui.


    This was clearly an uncut gem.


    She had to get her hands on this dazzling gemstone no matter what!


    But the smartly dressed beauty on the stage was looking at Zhao Yan, her eyes filled with a mix of sympathy and helplessness.


    She understood why Zhao Yan was feeling so downcast.


    Fang Ranran had found the future pillar of the martial arts club and would no longer need to spend money and effort on recruiting others.


    This meant that for the next two years, the martial arts club wouldn''t have any strong reinforcements joining, and Zhao Yan, who was already a third-year, was bound to become a sacrificial piece.


    Lin Rui''s talent was strong, terrifyingly so!


    However, Lin Rui''s foundation was too weak, and by the time he truly rose to power and could contend with the main forces of the major school teams, it would be at least two years later.


    Earlier in the cafeteria, Fang Ranran had blown her own trumpet, claiming that as long as Lin Rui joined, they could enter the final championship tournament within two years, but the professionally dressed beauty couldn''t be as optimistic.


    According to the intelligence she had, the martial arts clubs of the major universities on Tianji Star had seen a surge of talents lately, far surpassing those from a few years back.


    So, the real time for their martial arts club to exert their strength was two years later, by which time Zhao Yan would have already graduated, and whatever glory they achieved would be irrelevant to him.


    "What secrets are you two sharing? Are you talking behind my back?"


    Fang Ranran had already leaped onto the stage, forcing Nolan Wei back with a hand chop, and then said to Lin Rui with a beaming smile, "This is the outdoor activity area; let me take you to see our indoor activity area. I guarantee that even the largest mutant companies don''t have the facilities our martial arts club does."


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow; he was keen to see just what this competition team''s exclusive activity area, which had cost a staggering 430 million Federal dollars, looked like.

 Chapter 20 Divine Sleep Model 3

    Lin Rui''s visit to the indoor activity area felt like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, a real eye-opener.


    There was even a fully-equipped bio-enhancement surgery room here, where members could undergo bio-enhancement just by arranging for a doctor to visit their martial arts club.


    Finally, Fang Ranran led Lin Rui into the interior of a suite and pointed to a transparent, octagonal column-shaped sleep pod: "This is the ''Divine Sleep Model 3,'' the most advanced sleep-based cultivation enhancement pod recently developed by the Sky Blue Group. Are you familiar with it, Lin?"


    Lin Rui, having only crossed over for twelve days, naturally hadn''t heard of it.


    As he opened the search bar on his smart terminal to look up related information, the nearby Wang Sen raised his hand, "I know, this is a device that helps bio-enhanced martial artists operate their cultivation techniques in their sleep, thus comprehensively strengthening their physique, spiritual power, and True Qi."


    Fang Ranran nodded, "The ''Divine Sleep Model 3'' is currently the most advanced and high-end model among similar products. It hasn''t hit the market yet.


    It covers a total of twenty-nine basic cultivation techniques, fifty-two advanced techniques, and one hundred thirty-seven high-level techniques, nineteen of which can attain a perfect training efficiency, with the rest also achieving over 90% efficiency.


    It is actually designed for the wealthy and Alien Body practitioners. Previously, Alien Body practitioners controlling their alien bodies within the planet Tianji rarely had time to concurrently cultivate their own bodies, until the recent appearance of the sleep-based cultivation enhancement pods which changed this trend."


    Her eyes filled with expectation, she looked at Lin Rui: "If you decide to join the Martial Arts Club, I can arrange for the Sky Blue Group to customize a model for you that is tailor-made for Thunderfire techniques and subsequent cultivation, allowing you to control your Alien Body without neglecting your own cultivation.


    Such terms are not something other Alien Body companies can offer, they would never provide such high-end sleep pods for an intern."


    This was her trump card to convince Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui had found information and various promotional articles about the Divine Sleep Model 3 online, where Sky Blue Group had praised it to the skies.


    Since the Divine Sleep Model 3 was not yet on sale, Lin Rui only found the official price of the Model 2¡ª3,999,999, and that was just for the basic model.


    He instantly felt a whiff of the tycoon''s atmosphere hit him in the face.


    As Nolan Wei said, this Miss Fang was a bit too extravagant.


    Lin Rui was already very tempted, but his face showed no hint of emotion: "As good as this thing is, the problem is that if I join the Martial Arts Club, the sleep pod will have limited use for me."


    The cultivation technique operated within the sleep pod couldn''t possibly compare to the efficacy of his Grandmaster level techniques.


    "It will be useful," the professional woman pushed her glasses up: "Lin, according to the competition rules, our Martial Arts Club can''t pay you a salary. However, Mingde University''s Arts and Sciences College and Biology College support more than a dozen Alien Body exploration teams. We can arrange for you to join one of them, earning the team''s salary.


    It will be a bit lower than outside the university, about thirty thousand or so for internships, and the official salary is seventy-five thousand."


    Lin Rui suddenly realized that this was Fang Ranran''s idea of having the best of both worlds.


    University competition committees don''t allow students to accept any external financial support, but if the money is earned by the student themselves, it''s a different story. This is exploiting a loophole in the rules.


    Thirty thousand or so a month, plus all kinds of drugs provided within the Martial Arts Club, and those devices, were actually better than the treatment offered by the Skywalkers Exploration Company.


    Although the salary of the school''s alien exploration team was a bit low, the other benefits were something companies did not offer. If they included the supplements for the martial arts club, the monthly income would already be quite high.


    Wang Sen had just calculated for Lin Rui that with all factors combined, it would be close to seventy-thousand during the internship period and estimated to be around one hundred and twenty-thousand after becoming a regular.


    But the problem was that they were interested in Lin Rui, not him. What did that have to do with Wang Sen?


    Still, Wang Sen was quite happy in his heart; his close friend was making it big.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui nodded and thought to himself that it was good to have the will. He then said to Fang Ranran and her companion, "I am very satisfied with the conditions of the martial arts club. It would be even better if the salary could be a little higher. Besides that, I would like to bring someone else in."


    Lin Rui pointed at the chubby boy beside him: "My classmate here ranked two hundred and thirteen in the alien practical combat assessment. I wonder if that qualifies him to join the martial arts club and the school''s exploration team?"


    Wang Sen was taken aback and looked at Lin Rui in enormous surprise.


    Lin Rui''s face remained expressionless.


    He had seen that Wang Sen was quite envious of the treatment Fang Ranran had offered him.


    Lin Rui also happened to need a reliable helper.


    He knew that the early stages of alien arrival were very dangerous, and pulling together as a group in this phase was an effective way to improve the chances of survival.


    In Lin Rui''s view, this chubby boy by his side had a very reliable character.


    Although Wang Sen''s family was just a regular middle-class household and could not afford many Type 1 genetic potions, he was willing to share one with Lin Rui before the exam.


    Trouble reveals true friendship, and this friendship was worth maintaining.


    Importantly, Wang Sen himself was quite capable, achieving full marks in subjects like Tia?nji? Star language, history, and geography.


    "Two hundred and thirteen?"


    Fang Ranran looked at Wang Sen in surprise.


    She hadn''t expected this chubby boy to be extraordinary either.


    Though the Alien Body College at Mingde University was not great, any top students who managed to stand out from this college should not be underestimated, especially those from ordinary family backgrounds.


    As long as they were given sufficient resources and teaching, their performance often improved significantly.


    Ranking two hundred and thirteen in the city''s alien practical combat assessment was enough to serve as an alternate member in their martial arts club.


    Fang Ranran then smiled and extended her hand towards Lin Rui and his companion: "Definitely enough! So, welcome to both of you to the Mingde University martial arts club."

 Chapter 21 Higher Demon Blood

    Fang Ranran was rather impulsive, and as soon as Lin Rui agreed, she couldn''t wait to drag the two to handle all sorts of procedures.


    She knew Lin Rui was highly sought-after and many companies wanted to poach him, so she feared that the piece of meat that was almost in her mouth would slip away again. She wouldn''t be at ease until everything was settled.


    The first stop was the Prosthetic College. Since the college entrance exams at all the major bases and cities of Tianji Star were over, Fang Ranran, acting on behalf of the school''s admissions office, specially recruited both of them to start school next semester.


    Next was arranging for Lin Rui and the others to join an Alien Exploration team. The school''s exploration teams were generally led by professors, and the team members were also the professors'' students.


    So Fang Ranran used her authority as a director to place Lin Rui and another person under a professor named ''Han Kedao'' to do a combined bachelor''s and doctorate program.


    However, when Fang Ranran took Lin Rui and his companion to find this professor, Lin Rui noticed that the professor, who appeared to be about forty years old, wearing gold-rimmed smart glasses and emanating a scholarly aura, looked extremely displeased, his eyes burning with fire.


    He first asked Lin Rui and the others to step outside, then discussed the matter behind closed doors with Fang Ranran. Lin Rui heard the sound of a desk being banged ''thud thud'' as if there was a fight, and faintly heard the roars of ''quota'', ''immediate combat power'', ''why should'', ''funding'', ''sponsorship''.


    After hearing this, Lin Rui and Wang Sen looked anxiously at the officer in professional attire.


    This Professor Han would be their doctoral supervisor for the next eight years and also their team leader; would they be given a hard time in the future?


    The officer in professional attire noticed their concern and smiled, "Don''t worry, nominally you two will follow Professor Han, but you''ll mainly be undertaking activities with the Martial Arts Society. The ''Quantum Incarnation Device'' you''ll be using will also be kept at our Martial Arts Society.


    However, to pass the inspections of the competition committee, it''s essential to take part in the alien activities, at least every few months, to join one or two missions with Professor Han, otherwise, it won''t look good."


    She paused for a moment, emphasizing her tone, "Speaking of which, I must remind you that your activities and missions on Tianji Star must ensure personal safety and avoid any danger as much as possible."


    Lin Rui nodded his head.


    He understood the meaning of the officer in professional attire, which was basically to do as little as possible on the ground, just get by, but to insist on signing in and clocking in to leave the competition committee with nothing to say.


    Wang Sen also intuited the message, "Understood, Sister Yu, all my actions down there will prioritize Rui''s safety."


    He already knew that the professional woman''s last name was Yu, named Yu Feicui, who Fang Ranran had brought in to manage the Martial Arts Society as its manager.


    She was also a high-ranking Martial Artist and had obtained a Level One Martial Arts coaching certificate.


    The two Deputy Generals in the Martial Arts Society were very respectful towards her.


    The blood of the seventh realm''s high-class demon, although it couldn''t compare in price to "Divine Sleep No. 3," Ranran would still need to call in favors to get it.


    She then laughed at herself and swiftly nudged Yu Feicui''s shoulder with her elbow, "Sure thing, Feicui sis. You''re in such a hurry to secure benefits for your team members? Alright, I''ll call and ask them for it now."


    Wang Sen was immediately overjoyed; "That''s very kind of you, President, and you too, Sister Yu!"


    According to federal law, the government would subsidize the cultivation of exotic bodies for exotic practitioners.


    However, the exotic bodies cultivated in this way usually have average talents, just on par with the standard Tianji Star people.


    Some wealthy and resourceful individuals would invest additional money and various divine items from Tianji Star, or the blood of top-level powerhouses, to cultivate exotic bodies with stronger talents.


    This was somewhat similar to the current online games, where wealthy players could get better initial talents when creating their characters.


    Wang Sen''s family was merely average middle-class; what good resources could they have? Therefore, he was extremely thrilled at the moment.


    Lin Xi originally felt a tinge of dread.


    Now to cultivate an exotic body? There was no need to rush this, right? It wouldn''t be too late until after he''d learned the Tianji Star language.


    However, when he heard about the blood of a high-class demon from the seventh realm, his heart leapt with excitement.


    Demons from the seventh realm were equivalent to Deputy Generals and Generals in the federal armed with prosthetic enhancements. Blood from a demon of this level was not something ordinary people could obtain; even a single drop of ordinary seventh realm blood started at a price of at least 200,000, and if it came from a high-class demon, it might be impossible to buy even if one had the money.


    This opportunity was too good to miss.


    Lin Xi then felt a slight stirring in his heart, reached into his pocket, and clenched tightly the blood-red crystal that Lin Xi had given him.


    Ever since he got this blood-red crystal, he suspected it had an extraordinary origin and that it could potentially enhance exotic body talents.


    This had to do with his parents'' previous occupation, who, just a few years ago, were chief researchers at a well-known institute on Tianji Star.


    Given their position at the time, they could have acquired some exceptional items.


    The question now was whether the blood in that crystal was compatible with the blood of the seventh realm''s high-class demon.

 Chapter 22 Identity

    In the pristine operating room, Professor Si Malin was examining Lin Rui''s brand-new medical report.


    "It seems that the ''Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame'' has greatly improved you. In just one day, your physical condition has improved so much, some indicators are already close to the level of a lieutenant, especially the spiritual power value, which has shown a significant increase, reaching 203, crossing the threshold for a lieutenant."


    Lin Rui lay within the transparent surgery capsule, listening to Si Malin speak.


    He hadn''t expected to meet with Professor Si Malin so soon. Coincidentally, it was in the same operating room.


    Not only was Si Malin a consultant for the development of Tianlan Corporation''s ''Divine Sleep Type 3'', but he was also one of the partners for the product''s CRO.


    "Given your current condition, I estimate you could consider the implantation of a Meridian Wheel in about twenty days. After the ''Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame'' is implanted, the subsequent Meridian Wheel implantation demands are very high, requiring at least a spiritual power value of 260. However, this won''t be a problem for you.


    I''ll have a student send you an email later, with the models of the Meridian Wheels that can be implanted later on. You can compare the pros and cons yourself, and choose the one that suits you best."


    Lin Rui''s spirit was lifted. He wanted to implant a Meridian Wheel as soon as possible to elevate his Zhi Zhuang Martial Arts level.


    The levels in Zhi Zhuang Martial Arts were not classified according to physical condition and spiritual power, but rather by comparing them to the martial realms of Tianji Star, based on the implanted Zhi Zhuangs.


    For example, the first realm of Tianji Star''s martial arts, called ''Channel Opening,'' is equivalent to a four-star officer and a warrant officer in the Federation, requiring the implantation of ''Artificial Meridians''.


    The second realm of Tianji Star''s martial arts, called ''Vein Expansion,'' corresponds to a lieutenant and a mid-lieutenant in the Federation, demanding the implantation of ''Artificial Meridian Wheels''.


    The third realm of Tianji Star''s martial arts, called ''Blood Refining,'' corresponds to a captain and a major in the Federation, and requires the implantation of ''Artificial Blood Serum''.


    Although Lin Rui''s physical condition was close to that of a lieutenant, because he had not yet implanted a Meridian Wheel, he was still at the rank of a warrant officer.


    Professor Si Malin continued, "And your custom-made Divine Sleep Type 3, I have already made adjustments according to your condition. It can reach 95% of the efficiency of your Grandmaster level Thunderfire Stance. However, after you implant the Meridian Wheel, you should consider switching to an advanced Stance. Lin Rui, do you have any thoughts? I can help you adjust everything in one go."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui used his thoughts to open up Xue Bogao''s replicable skills tab again.


    Inside was a set of ''Lightning Extreme God Shine Stance (Grandmaster)'', the same stance that had been added to the replicable skills tab yesterday.


    "Professor Si Malin, for the subsequent Stance, I choose the Lightning Extreme God Shine Stance!"


    The Lightning Extreme God Shine Stance was one of the advanced practices of Thunderfire Stance, known for its extreme power and difficulty in practice.


    Not many civilian martial artists practiced it, yet it had a high rate of adoption in the military.


    Any service member with the opportunity would choose this technique, as its power was truly formidable, well-suited for the battlefield, and fitting for both solo and group combat.


    Being able to learn and replicate the Grandmaster level Lightning Extreme God Shine Stance, Lin Rui naturally saw no reason to choose any other Stance.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Lightning Extreme God Shine Stance was also compatible with the Red Thunder Saber and Red Thunder Hand. Once mastered, it could enhance these two basic martial arts with greater power and more variations.


    "Lightning Extreme God Shine Stance? This Stance is quite challenging, but it does match your meridians well. Hmm¡ª"


    Si Malin opened another interface on his office terminal: "The results of the blood sample you provided are also out. It seems to be from someone from Tianji Star, quite strange! The blood''s specific rank is indistinguishable, we can only determine that its affinity to thunder and fire is very high, and it contains powerful residual spiritual power.


    Constables?


    These were two constables who were going to die from internal injuries in three days.


    Just yesterday, these two had been ordered by the county office to participate in the encirclement and killing of a demon at the fourth level of cultivation. During the fight, they were hit by a cut of spiritual power from the demon from afar. Fortunately, they were far enough away at the time, or else they would have died on the spot.


    After the battle, both men, due to the severity of their internal injuries, passed out and were sent home to recuperate; it was expected that in three days, both would die violent deaths one after the other. That would be the time for them to take their place.


    Lin Rui quickly saw the advantages of these two identities. First, the family relationships were simple; one of them even had both parents deceased and no wife or children, which would make it convenient for them to blend in.


    Second, the identity was very suitable for their development within Tianji Star, as being part of the government sector made for good cultivation conditions; the treatment and status within the Six Fans Gate of Tianji Star were quite good.


    Finally, for specters, being inside a government office was relatively safe.


    As long as they behaved themselves, the chances of encountering danger were slim.


    Constables like those two who were killed by the demon were extremely rare.


    Secondly, since many others were injured at the time, it wouldn''t be conspicuous for the two of them to blend in.


    Finally, there was a point that suited Lin Rui well.


    Recuperating would require some time, which would give Lin Rui the perfect opportunity to learn the language of Tianji Star.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Let''s choose this one. I''ll pick the one called Lin Twelve; he also practices the ''Red Thunder Pole Skill''.


    The Red Thunder Pole Skill was a cultivation technique originating from Tianji Star and was widely circulated within it.


    Lin Rui then input the physique and appearance data of Lin Twelve in the specter birth interface, which had to be operated by himself and could not be done by doctors.


    "Then I''ll start now."


    Si Malin''s fingers flew like butterflies as he operated outside the surgery pod.


    He first had to extract a somatic cell from Lin Rui''s body, and after combining it with a DNA fragment from Tianji Star, he would cultivate an embryo.


    Only after the embryo had been cultivated to a certain extent could it be fused with that drop of blood.


    Considering the balance, the DNA portion belonging to humans needed to be extra enhanced.


    A look of anticipation was also present in Lin Rui''s eyes.


    As far as he knew, growing a specter typically needed forty-eight hours, plus an additional twenty-four hours for a recuperation and stabilization period.


    At most in three days, which is next Monday, he would be able to see his own specter.


    He wondered what his specter would look like?

 Chapter 23 Power Supply (Thanks to Alliance Hierarch Fei Ningjing Wuyi Zhiyuan)

    PS: Thanks to the book friend "Tranquility Leads to Far-Reaching Brothers" for the reward, the first Alliance Hierarch of the book, let''s commemorate it.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When Lin Rui and Wang Sen had left the school, it was nearly 10 pm, and they had nearly missed the last urban rail train.


    "Rui Brother, I really owe you big time this time," Wang Sen said emotionally, sitting next to Lin Rui. Today''s experience felt like a dream to him.


    He had simply followed Lin Rui around and not only joined the university martial arts club with excellent benefits, obtaining a high salary of nearly seventy thousand federation dollars a month, but he had also gotten a body with exceptionally good initial talent.


    "I''ll treat you to a fancy dinner later, don''t worry, not the cafeteria kind, it must be upscale, three stars or above!"


    Inviting someone to eat in the cafeteria was something he, Wang Sen, would never do.


    Lin Rui gave a nonchalant smile, "That sounds good. I would also like to try what high-end restaurants taste like. Can I bring my sister along?"


    He was reading a message that Lin Xi had sent him not long ago.


    Summer''s Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Brother, I''m already home. There''s a police car at the door, and two officers along with someone who claims to be a junior major of the Federal Security Agency have been waiting at our door. They say it''s for routine questioning for Colonel Xue''s case, to take a statement.


    Summer''s Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): It''s so strange, this junior major investigator asked about our family''s relationship with the Xue family in great detail, over and over, it didn''t seem like routine questioning at all.


    Lin Rui''s heart sank when he saw this message.


    Could it be that the violent crime he committed at the Xue family had been discovered? Did Xue Bogao fail to clean up the scene properly, leaving traces behind?


    However, Lin Rui''s psychological qualities were truly strong, as he swiftly calmed down, showing no change of expression on his face.


    He immediately thought of the surveillance equipment in the Xue family''s basement.


    The police and the Federal Security Agency personnel must have discovered Xue Bogao was monitoring his family and wanted to investigate exactly what was going on.


    Lin Rui himself was also very curious as to why Xue Bogao would do such a thing?


    Lin Rui speculated that Colonel Xue might not have truly retired and must have other official identities.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Considering the professions of Lin Rui''s parents and the situation at home, the family he had transmigrated into was not simple at all and might be hiding a significant secret.


    Moreover, Lin Rui had already found out the identities of those two individuals.


    Last night, he had found the source of the tattoo online; it belonged to a gang called ''Blood Lizard Gang.''


    It was said that this gang dealt in neurotoxins, black market prosthetics, and human trafficking, boasting two thousand members and over a hundred prosthetic-wearing martial artists.


    Lin Rui suddenly furrowed his brow, looking at the half-eaten roujiamo in his hand.


    The roujiamo Lin Xi had made this time was incredibly delicious, and Lin Rui felt his taste buds explode.


    It was nothing like the roujiamo he had eaten six days ago.


    Had this girl secretly changed places with someone else? How could she have improved so much in just a few days?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    What Lin Rui didn''t know was that, just as he was on his way home, at Mingde University Affiliated Hospital''s research building behind it, lights on various floors suddenly flickered.


    Si Malin, who was reviewing student papers, received a call from the Logistics and General Services Department.


    A moment later, Si Malin raised his eyebrows and said, "An overload caused a power trip, so emergency backup circuits were activated, and backup power was started? Are you sure it''s my lab?"


    "Yes! According to our findings, the source seems to be in Professor Si Malin''s lab. Starting from five minutes ago, your lab''s power consumption suddenly increased, repeatedly exceeding the power limit of the cables. May I ask if Professor Si Malin knows what might have caused this?"


    "Hold on a moment!" Si Malin noticed the lights were still flickering, so he immediately donned his white lab coat and strode into his laboratory.


    His gaze turned to the two vertical culture tanks on the left side of the lab.


    The culture tanks were fully transparent, revealing two embryonic entities being cultivated within.


    They were still in the shape of infants, with eyes tightly closed, limbs curled up, resembling fetuses in the womb.


    Si Malin''s attention was fixed on the culture tank to the left, primarily because he saw two red indicator lights lit up on the outside of this tank.


    "It''s Lin Rui''s entity¡ª"


    Si Malin walked over quickly and pulled up the data interface.


    "The temperature of the culture solution is abnormally high, genetic fragments are undergoing unknown mutations, and there''s an abnormal electricity consumption."


    Si Malin''s pupils dilated slightly, a hint of excitement in his eyes as he leaned in to observe: "It''s interesting, this entity seems to consume several dozen joules of electricity for every cell it creates."


    Si Malin knew these changes must be due to the drop of blood Lin Rui had provided.


    And so, he called the Logistics and General Services Department back: "I''m sorry, the experiment I''m conducting has undergone some unexpected changes that I hadn''t anticipated. I need to apply for the use of our building''s DS30 ectopic modulation chamber, and we also need higher power cables, as soon as possible!


    Over the next three days, we might consume a large amount of electricity, so I hope your department ensures an uninterrupted power supply to my lab. This will determine the success or failure of my experiment. Yes! It would be best if you could pull two more backup circuits."


    He looked at the entity in the culture tank, thinking that this kid named Lin Rui was becoming more and more interesting.

 Chapter 24 Induction

    After securing his job, Lin Rui spent the next few days staying at home, behaving himself.


    He was very curious about the secrets his family was hiding, and was eager to help Xue Dajiang complete her obsession in exchange for more abilities, but Lin Rui valued his life even more.


    Curiosity killed the cat, as the saying goes, but a cat supposedly has nine lives. With his meager strength, he couldn''t afford to take risks.


    Aside from his daily stance training exercises, Lin Rui spent the remainder of his time shut in his room, furiously studying the Tianji Star language.


    Even his meals were delivered directly to his room by his sister.


    Lin Xi found his behavior quite puzzling. Why was he constantly chattering away in the Tianji Star language inside his room? And why did his tones sound so strange?


    After all, ever since his first year at Alien Body College, Lin Rui''s grades in the Tianji Star language had been A+.


    Lin Rui had his excuse ready, claiming that he needed to learn the dialect of Wang City in the Tianji Star region, which had significant differences from the official language of Tianji Star. He had to strengthen his studies before his descent.


    According to what he knew, besides the official language, there were indeed thousands of dialects within Tianji Star, just like the ancient China of the Earth Federation, some of which were so different from the official language that they were like completely different tongues.


    With a dawning understanding, Lin Xi left and went to the backyard to practice her martial arts.


    On the afternoon of Friday, Lin Xi had already gone to the affiliated hospital to have artificial Dantians and meridians implanted.


    For the next two days, Lin Xi was extremely excited. Not only did she buy an expensive captain-level dummy, but she also commandeered the practice field in the backyard, which used to be Lin Rui''s exclusive training area. She would head to the backyard early in the morning to train, hitting the dummy with a ''thumping'' sound.


    This brings us to Lin Xi''s martial arts talent.


    Lin Rui had gone to check on her once during a break, intending to give some pointers on her martial arts practice, but after just a half moment, he felt discouraged and returned to his room to continue his arduous study of the Tianji Star language.


    Lin Rui felt that Lin Xi''s martial arts talent was truly exceptional, at least as high as the clouds in the sky.


    In Lin Rui''s recorded video library, there were almost no clips of Lin Xi practicing martial arts, but her skills in the Red Thunder Palm and Red Thunder Saber had already reached a proficient level, and her mastery of the thunder and fire stance was nearing true understanding.


    Lin Xi likely practiced by mimicking videos of Xue Dajiang from before. She was only an audient before, yet now, she had thoroughly grasped the essence.


    Lin Rui thought that the siblings were completely misguided in their efforts¡ªit should be him who was fully supporting his sister.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    If Lin Xi had had her Dantians and meridians implanted three years ago and started martial cultivation, she might have already reached the stature of the first of the ten prodigies by now.


    With Lin Xi''s martial arts talent and her delicate, sweet, and pure beauty, she could have become a highly paid influencer star. Why should they have had to live in such straits as they had before?


    What concerned Lin Rui more was his sister''s cooking skills.


    Lin Rui was now almost certain that the changes in his sister''s cooking were related to her mood.


    The food that Lin Xi cooked in the two days before and after the implantation of her Dantians and meridians was especially delicious, supremely so.


    However, by the third day, the quality of Lin Xi''s cooking had returned to its original state.


    Not that it tasted bad, but it was unvarying, lacking surprise and anticipation.


    Lin Rui suspected that his all-nighters practicing Tianji Star language conversations had disturbed his sister''s sleep, and that he had upset her.


    Lin Rui, filled with uncertainty, looked at Wang Sen who had just met up with him, "Wang Sen, can you sense your alien body right now?"


    Lin Rui suspected that the thing calling to him was his alien body.


    Simply because Lin Rui''s alien body was being cultivated right there in the experimental building of the attached hospital.


    Wang Sen, upon hearing this, looked blank and clueless, "No? Brother Rui, can you really sense your alien body from so far away?"


    According to the knowledge they had learned, this was an ability of high-ranking alien body practitioners, or those who had achieved unity of spirit and flesh with their alien bodies and could sense them from a distance.


    Lin Rui frowned slightly and shook his head.


    At that moment, he received a message from Si Malin.


    Divine Doctor Si Malin (Si Malin): Lin Rui, have you arrived at school? Have you felt anything unusual?


    Lin Rui was slightly startled and immediately replied to the message.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Wang Sen and I are at the school gate. Professor, is there something wrong with my alien body?


    Divine Doctor Si Malin (Si Malin): There has been a little mishap, but it''s a good thing for you. You''ll understand the specifics when you come over, Lin Rui. Come straight to the experimental building later. I''ve spoken to the security department, and they''ve granted you access.


    Lin Rui was about to respond when he suddenly frowned and looked behind him.


    Just then, Lin Rui felt as if a distant thought was pressing down upon him from afar, peering into him.


    The feeling was vague and ephemeral, especially since it disappeared when he looked back.


    Lin Rui did not know whether it was an illusion or not, so he scanned the area behind him and found nothing. He then shook his head and continued towards the experimental building of the attached hospital.


    Meanwhile, not far behind Lin Rui at the corner of the street, a middle-aged man with a Caucasian face and sparse hair, appearing to be in his forties, emerged from around the corner.


    He watched Lin Rui''s retreating figure with a troubled and uncertain look.


    Was it just a coincidence, or was this fellow acutely aware of his presence?


    The Caucasian middle-aged man then looked towards the attached hospital''s experimental building, his expression showing some helplessness.


    He had come on a mission to seek out Lin Rui''s soul and search for certain information in his memories.


    However, Lin Rui never gave him a proper chance to act.


    Seeking the soul required a safe and stable environment, but in recent days, Lin Rui was either at school or holed up at home, and unfortunately, the nearby police and security presence had increased due to a terrible incident in that civil servant residential area.


    Lin Rui''s alien body was about to form, and he would begin his descent on Tianji Star with their Martial Arts Society.


    This was even more troublesome; Mingde University already had a very secure defense system, and the security in that Martial Arts Society was even more outrageous.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man had explored the Martial Arts Society the day before and couldn''t understand why a university society would have eight 5th-order combat robots?


    It caused the middle-aged Caucasian man an immense headache.


    Now, he could only wait for Lin Rui''s soul to return from Tianji Star, but it was uncertain when it would happen. His superiors had become impatient with increasing pressure over the past few days.

 Chapter 25 Complete Form

    Lin Rui and Wang Sen''s extraterrestrial spiritual synchronization work was carried out separately.


    Professor Si Malin personally took charge of Lin Rui''s part, munching on the cookies Lin Xi had prepared while reading Lin Rui''s newly issued medical report. He clicked his tongue and said, "Your spiritual power value is now 372, which is at the level of a captain, having almost doubled."


    Lin Rui listened, his eyes blank.


    He hadn''t done anything special these past few days. He had practiced the Red Thunder Stance every day without fail but certainly couldn''t have increased his spiritual power level to 372 in just a few days.


    With a speculative look, he gazed at Si Malin, "Professor, could this be related to my extraterrestrial body?"


    "You guessed it right, it is indeed the extraterrestrial body."


    Si Malin closed the medical report and looked at Lin Rui, "You must be familiar with the theory of the people from Tianji Star. They believe that the universe is an ocean, the physical body a ship, and the soul nurtured within it. The more robust and powerful the ship, the stronger the soul it nourishes."


    Lin Rui nodded; such theories also existed in ancient China.


    Other ancient civilizations within the Earth Federation had similar beliefs.


    "The so-called extraterrestrial body is essentially another physical form of yours, akin to the ancient concept of an external incarnation. Your current extraterrestrial form is extraordinarily powerful, hence it can nurture back your soul, significantly increasing your spiritual strength and even enhancing your control over thunder and fire.


    This is quite common among those with extraterrestrial bodies, nearly all of whom possess a far superior spiritual power than average bioengineered martial artists."


    After saying this, Si Malin opened a door nearby, "Come on in, and see what your extraterrestrial body looks like."


    Lin Rui had long been anxious for this moment.


    Eagerly following Si Malin, he then saw a vertical incubation tank positioned in the center of the room.


    Inside the tank stood a ''Tianji Star person,'' two meters four in height, well-proportioned, with a handsome face, high nose, ears reminiscent of legendary elves, and short hair floating in the nutrient solution like seaweed.


    By human standards, this Tianji Star person''s features were very handsome, although Tianji Star people''s aesthetic standards differed from humans''.


    Upon seeing this Tianji Star person for the first time, Lin Rui felt a profound connection of blood and flesh.


    ¡ªThis must be his extraterrestrial body!


    Lin Rui felt as if he and this body were one!


    Lin Rui then noticed that this Tianji Star person''s skin was strikingly covered with scales reminiscent of dragon armor.


    "These dragon scales can be retracted and hidden under the skin. Their defensive capability is very strong, equivalent to the latest model of third-tier exoskeletal armor.


    If you ever attain the Dragon Transformation Realm, your transformative armor should be incredibly powerful," Si Malin said while sending Lin Rui a report via an online chat interface, "You can have a look at your extraterrestrial body''s medical report."


    Lin Rui opened it and glanced through, his body trembling.


    The Tianji Star identity ''Lin Twelve'' chosen by Lin Rui was a first realm martial artist, already in the later stage of ''Channel Opening'', equivalent to a Warrant Officer in the Earth Federation.


    Hence, the cultivation standard of Lin Rui''s extraterrestrial body was set accordingly.


    The current bioengineering technology of the Earth Federation was indeed capable of directly cultivating bodies fit for colonel-level bioengineered martial artists.


    However, considering the issue of soul-body synchronization and spiritual power, extraterrestrial walkers generally started at the levels between four-star non-commissioned officers and warrant officers, growing in synchronization with their extraterrestrial bodies.


    According to the report in Lin Rui''s hands, although this extraterrestrial body met the standard of a warrant officer, its physical attributes far exceeded this benchmark.


    Lin Rui took the document and found it was a permission agreement, which would allow Si Malin to extract some data from his ''variant body intelligent auxiliary biological chip.''


    Variant operators still have to live; they can''t control the variant incessantly.


    That''s when the ''variant body intelligent auxiliary biological chip'' is needed to help. In the absence of the variant operator, it takes over according to programmed behaviors, much like an automobile''s autopilot system, capable of handling daily activities and simple tasks for the variant.


    Lin Rui noted that the permission agreement Si Malin offered was very rigorously worded. Si Malin was allowed to access data only on Lin Rui''s variant body''s physical condition, and the term was set for 20 years.


    After careful thought, Lin Rui decisively signed the agreement.


    He knew someone like Si Malin, a top-level medical professor, had many ways to take advantage of or harm him if he wished to.


    Si Malin didn''t need a permission agreement to meddle; he could have tampered with his body during the cultivation of the variant body.


    Lin Rui knew without Si Malin''s help, with the electronic consumption of his variant body at the time of cultivation, he likely wouldn''t have had the chance to complete it.


    This was a blessing in disguise.


    Looking at the worst-case scenario, Si Malin could directly report the situation to the company and federal government, forcing him into experiments.


    "Here''s to a fruitful collaboration."


    Si Malin''s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he took back the agreement, thinking that this kid was truly smart.


    There was definitely something wrong with that drop of Lin Rui''s blood; it probably related to the calamities that befell the Lin family years ago. However, Si Malin had no intention to probe deeper or to announce it publicly. He just wanted to research the data of Lin Rui''s variant body, which could help him develop a new model of enhanced control implants, a more powerful version.


    That old classmate of his had left him a significant surprise.


    Si Malin was even willing to use his formidable connections to offer some protection to the kid: "Given your body''s condition, you don''t need to wait another month. Based on past experience, your variant body and original body will have a synchronized reaction; the stronger your variant in Tianji Star, the stronger your original body will become as a result.


    After one round on Tianji Star and taking one type of gene enhancement fluid, you can implant the wheel veins. I recommend the ''Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame'' wheel vein version, which fits your channels inherited from the Sacred Body. However, it''s very expensive, 450,000 Federation Coins, and you''ll need to replace your Dantian too, which will cost another 50,000 Federation Coins.


    Your current Dantian is top-grade, but it can''t bring out the full power of ''Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame.'' You should prepare a loan; at that time, based on the condition of your variant body, I still plan to make special adjustments to ensure uniformity between your physical body and variant body.


    If you''re not reassured, you can actually consider enrolling in my integrated bachelor-master program in medicine, which would help you better understand your body."


    Lin Rui frowned slightly.


    Wasn''t the gene enhancement fluid only usable once a month? Otherwise, his spirit and body wouldn''t be able to handle it.


    He soon realized that this was advice based on his particular body condition provided by Si Malin.


    This was one of the benefits of signing the permission agreement with Si Malin.


    As for Si Malin''s suggestion about studying medicine with him, Lin Rui was actually quite tempted.


    If he could master certain medical knowledge, it would prevent others from deceiving him.


    He trusted the current Si Malin and had no choice but to trust him, but who knew what the future might hold?


    Lin Rui heaved a quiet sigh; where would he find the time and energy to study now?


    "By the way! Who made these pastries? Your sister?" Si Malin picked up the gift box in his hand and shook it in front of Lin Rui, "Bring me some more next time you have the chance."


    These cookies and sweet osmanthus cakes are delicious!

 Chapter 26 The Descent

    ```


    Psychic synchronization with an alien body is the final procedure in the cultivation of alien bodies, ensuring that the soul of the alien body practitioner is one hundred percent harmonized with the alien body.


    After synchronization is completed, the Alien Body Management Bureau will use a starship to deliver the cultivated alien bodies into the atmosphere of Tianji Star, to designated locations, a journey that takes about three to five hours. During this period, all expenses are covered by the government.


    When Lin Rui walked out of Si Malin''s laboratory, he found Wang Sen already waiting outside, the young man''s face flush with excitement.


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but chuckle, "It seems, Wang Sen, that the talent you''ve awakened is quite impressive?"


    "It''s incredible! Both the Divine Authority and Sky Speed bloodlines!"


    Wang Sen laughed so hard he almost couldn''t close his mouth: "As expected from a high-ranking demon of the Seventh Realm! The alien body cultivated has directly awakened two top-tier bloodline talents."


    Lin Rui nodded slightly, for his own alien body had awakened these two bloodline talents as well, in addition to the unawakened mutated version of the Sacred Body.


    The Divine Authority bloodline boasts immense strength and physical resilience, while the Sky Speed bloodline significantly enhances speed and reflexes, extraordinarily powerful.


    Many companies within the Federation have developed numerous assistive prosthetic gears specifically tailored for these, priced extremely high.


    So-called assistive prosthetic gear refers to devices that do not relate to the cultivation process of prosthetic martial cultivation but can enhance combat ability nonetheless.


    "What talent did you awaken?" Wang Sen asked, both worried and curious, "You seemed a bit distracted when you approached earlier. Did the alien body cultivation not go well?"


    Lin Rui shook his head, a complex expression on his face: "The alien body Professor Si Malin cultivated for me is fine, it''s just¡ªhow should I put it? Never mind, let''s go report to Professor Han."


    Lin Rui had never expected such a turn of events with his alien body.


    So much so that his head was still a bit muddled.


    If Professor Si Malin''s judgment was correct, then the bloodline talents currently possessed by his alien body were frighteningly powerful¡ªa complete Sacred Body coupled with two superior bloodline talents.


    This was a good thing for him, but given his family situation and the circumstances with Xue Bogao, Lin Rui couldn''t help but worry.


    Lin Rui really wanted to ask Lin Xi what the situation was with that drop of blood. Did Lin Xi know the origin of that blood?


    However, after opening Lin Xi''s chat interface, he closed it again.


    What if the original owner was aware of all these circumstances?


    Wouldn''t asking such questions be tipping his hand and exposing his own identity?


    The two of them then hurried to Professor Han''s office, only to be turned away.


    They did not manage to see Professor Han but instead met a graduate student named Li Li in another office under Professor Han''s name.


    Li Li was amiable and courteous, "The professor has already entered the sleep capsule and is descending into an alien body. It might be two months before the official start of the semester before he has time to meet you two juniors. As for your alien bodies, the professor has granted you autonomy as long as you do not go beyond the boundaries of Wang City County.


    If you must leave Wang City County, you need to report to him in advance."


    Both the main and deputy leaders of the club were absent today, and Fang Ranran along with Yu Feicui were also out, leaving the atmosphere within the martial arts club particularly somber.


    However, Tianlan Group''s custom-made ''Shenmian Type 3'' had already been delivered to the martial arts club and placed in Lin Rui and Wang Sen''s private resting room. Fang Ranran even hired a cute-looking and charismatically caring nurse, at a considerable cost, to assist with their initial alien body descent and take care of their physical bodies during their alien form''s descent.


    Lin Rui was lying quietly in the octagonal column-shaped Shenmian Type 3 life pod.


    Various infusion tubes within were ''gurgling'' as they pumped life-sustaining fluid in, completely submerging Lin Rui and wrapping around his body from all sides.


    Lin Rui felt very warm, as if he had returned to the womb.


    Wang Xiaofang, the nurse, stood by the ''Quantum Spirit Control Device'' control panel, making various adjustments.


    Wang Sen''s descent time was a bit later than Lin Rui''s, and he was in another room, chatting with Lin Rui.


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): It''s bad; these next eight years are going to be rough. Professor Han doesn''t just have a problem with us; he utterly despises us.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): How can you tell?


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): Brother Rui, can''t you see? Look at the work group chat, not a single senior is speaking; it''s too quiet. I bet that''s not their real work group, just one to appease us. I''ve tried private messaging them, and not one has responded.


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): Also, I''ve done some digging, and it seems Professor Han is working on a project and has been scouring the world for free alien body users with strong combat power. His recruitment requirement is at least the rank of Captain, meaning all our seniors are at least Captains, possibly even Major ranked alien body users.


    Lin Rui thought the same and frowned slightly as he looked at Professor Han''s work group chat.


    Right then, Yu Feicui sent a message to the group.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): You''re about to descend, right? Remember, safety comes first. Did you receive the notification from the Alien Body Administration? The relay is damaged, and communication is temporarily unavailable. Be extra cautious while it''s being repaired.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Understood!


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): Got it!


    At that moment, the nurse named Wang Xiaofang spoke up, "Lin Rui, the Alien Body Administration has sent a message; your alien body has reached the designated location.


    However, the administration has issued a warning that there have been abnormal environmental changes in the counties around Wang City over the past three days, elevating the risk level for Warrant Officer ranked Martial Cultivators to S level."


    "Heart rate normal, blood pressure normal, electroencephalogram normal, oxygen supply normal, organ responses good¡ª"


    "The life pod is functioning normally, the quantum network is stable, and the Quantum Spirit Control Device is in good condition. Ready to proceed with the soul attachment. Shall we descend now?"


    Lin Rui''s brow furrowed tighter. What''s happening? Why has the risk level suddenly increased so much?


    He then composed himself, "Descend now!"


    Now that the arrow was on the string, he had no choice but to shoot. Lin Rui was actually looking forward to his first journey to Tianji Star.


    Despite the fact that Lin Rui would have to focus primarily on the martial arts club for the coming years, he felt some anticipation for his soon-to-begin alien body career, the Tianji Star civilization, and the powerfully martial people of Tianji Star.


    ¡ªAfter all, that was an alien civilization, rare and intriguing!

 Chapter 27 Breaking Through

    Nurse Wang Xiaofang cast a sidelong glance at Lin Rui in the life support pod and then pressed the ''Consciousness Connection'' button.


    "Initiating consciousness connection, descending into the alien body!"


    Boom!


    A loud explosion resounded in Lin Rui''s mind.


    Everything before his eyes turned black for a moment, then his vision slowly returned.


    What lay before Lin Rui was no longer the bright and spacious rest room of the martial arts club; instead, he found himself in an old room made of blue bricks.


    The air was filled with the scent of earth, wood, and medicine. The walls were blotched with blue bricks, sunlight poured through the wooden window lattices, casting mottled shadows on the floor tiles inside the room.


    The room contained only a few pieces of simple furniture, a bed, two chairs, and a wardrobe that were rough and solid in design. In the corner on the east side sat a small stove, from which sounds gurgled above, and the aroma of the medicine was rich.


    Lin Rui realized that his soul had descended upon Tianji Star.


    Using quantum entanglement technology developed by the Earth Federation, Lin Rui''s soul crossed several hundred thousand kilometers, bypassing Tianji Star''s danger-laden atmosphere that even a few Four-Star Marshals of the Federation feared, and descended directly into his ''alien body''.


    Lin Rui sat up from the bed, looking down at his own body.


    It was the same as what he had seen in the cultivation tank previously, except he was dressed, and his chest and abdomen were wrapped with thick bandages, which seemed to be smeared with medicinal paste, giving off a strong medicinal smell.


    He even felt a slight pain in his chest, which must have been a wound that cracked his sternum.


    Lin Rui silently admired the Federation Alien Body Administration''s extensive capabilities and thoroughness in their work.


    The real Lin Twelve must have had the same external injuries, but as for where this Lin Twelve went, Lin Rui had no idea.


    He might have died, his body disposed of by the Federation Alien Body Administration.


    Now Lin Rui was Lin Twelve; even his facial features, physique, and voice were modeled after the real Lin Twelve with no discrepancies.


    At this moment, Lin Rui''s pupils contracted slightly as he discovered the Skull Ring on his finger!


    But how could that be possible? The Skull Ring was clearly on his real body, back in the rest room of the martial arts club at Mingde University.


    Another piece of information then appeared in his mind.


    Instruction 6: The Battle Spirit Ring is bound to your soul.


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but curl the corners of his lips, thinking that was fine, this thing too had vast capabilities, and there seemed to be no need to delve into it.


    Mainly because it was an enigma beyond his understanding. Who the heck knows what was going on.


    He then got up, pushed open the door, and walked out.


    Outside was a small courtyard of about sixty square meters, with two wing rooms on the left and right, all of which were closed with windows and doors, and even reinforced with wooden bars on the outside.


    According to the intelligence Lin Rui read beforehand, Lin Twelve''s parents had passed away, and he was the only one living in this yard with five rooms.


    Looking beyond the courtyard walls, one could see a majestic city wall two kilometers away, made of bluish-gray bricks and stones, twelve meters high, entwined with vines and lush with greenery, exuding an air of time-worn vicissitudes.


    Lin Rui thought to himself, is this Tianji Star? It''s almost identical to ancient China.


    The only difference was the lofty scale of the buildings here, which related to the height of the people of Tianji Star.


    What will happen after awakening?"


    "No, it''s not just talent and Grandmaster-level stance, the internal environment of Tianji Star also plays a role. The ether inside Tianji Star is much denser than that at Base Nine, more suited for martial cultivation."


    The so-called ''Ether Elements'', called Heaven and Earth Qi by Tianji star people, are the source of True Qi, the foundation of cultivation, and remain unfathomable and unexplained by human scientists to this day.


    Lin Rui practiced the Red Thunder Stance six times and became more and more skilled at it, fluid as the wind over water.


    During this process, he even noticed some inadequacies in his own Grandmaster-level Red Thunder Stance.


    This was because Lin Rui now had a complete set of meridians and chakras, better suited to this technique, which allowed him to sense its wonders while practicing the stance.


    Lin Rui almost managed to forcefully clear one of the eight chakras during the stance practice, and in the process, accumulated a large amount of True Qi, with his spiritual power growing in tandem.


    After practicing the Red Thunder Stance for an hour, Lin Rui switched to the Red Thunder Saber.


    It is known that the human body has resistance to ether, so the longer the stance practice doesn''t necessarily mean the better. Any time over an hour a day, the body''s efficiency in absorbing Ether Elements drastically decreases.


    Like when practicing the Red Thunder Stance, Lin Rui clearly sensed the surrounding ''Ether Elements'' and gained even more insights into the Red Thunder Saber.


    Besides that, he felt the powers of ''Divine Authority'' and ''Heavenly Speed'' within his body.


    Lin Rui pondered that with his current body''s talent, he could probably execute ''Red Thunder Nine Slashes'' seventeen times in a row.


    But just as he was practicing the Red Thunder Saber for the third round, Lin Rui suddenly sensed something.


    Someone was coming, and they were quickly approaching from the nearby courtyard walls and rooftops!


    By then, he didn''t have enough time to retreat inside his house; he only slightly held back some strength while practicing the saber.


    Shortly after, Lin Rui heard applause from outside the door.


    "What a good move, Red Thunder, well executed!"


    Lin Rui turned toward the door and saw a young man with a high-bridged nose, yellowish complexion, and a stately aura, standing on top of his wooden door, looking down at him.


    This person was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, dressed in the attire of an arrest officer, with a bandage wrapped around his left shoulder and dried blood stains visible on it.


    Lin Rui''s mood sank, recalling the information provided to him by the Federation Alien Body Administration.


    This was his superior, Zhang Tianchang, the arrest officer of Yinyue County.


    Then another person came running over the wall, panting, and stood behind Zhang Tianchang.


    He was two meters and twenty centimeters tall, robust in stature, with a round face and a pair of shiny black eyes that were signaling to him.


    ¡ª That was the Alien Body that Wang Sen had manifested, identified as Wang Twenty-seven.


    In Tianji Star, ordinary citizens did not have names. They were named based on the ranking among siblings, the sum of their parents'' ages, or their birth date.


    Lin Rui was born on March twelfth, hence he was called Lin Twelve, and Wang Sen''s Alien Body was born on the twenty-seventh.


    Only people with status like Zhang Tianchang could have proper names.


    Lin Rui immediately clasped his fists in greeting, "Officer Tian Chang, good health to you!"


    He was a bit worried that after seeing him practicing martial arts, Zhang Tianchang might suspect something.


    Lin Rui also found it strange ¨C wasn''t he on sick leave? What did Zhang Tianchang want with him?

 Chapter 28 Soul Power

    "I hadn''t expected that your swordsmanship had reached such a level, that one strike of ''Red Thunder'' already possesses the essence of sword techniques. It seems you have also entered the second realm of Martial Cultivation, the Vein Opening Phase, haven''t you?"


    Zhang Tianchang leaped down from the wall and landed in front of Lin Rui.


    He looked down at Lin Rui''s chest, "How is your injury now? Can you move?"


    Lin Rui really wanted to say that he was actually critically injured and needed to continue resting in bed for a while, but he had already been seen by Zhang Tianchang practicing his swordsmanship vigorously, so it wasn''t good to lie to his face.


    Lin Rui could only helplessly clasp his hands together, "My bone fractures and external injuries are still quite serious, but they should be no trouble."


    "Why do you sound so reluctant?"


    Zhang Tianchang laughed dryly, and then sighed, "You and Number Twenty-Seven are good kids, more honest than the others."


    His tone, for some reason, carried a bit of relief.


    He then turned around and opened the door, "If it''s nothing serious, come with me. Today there is a task to be handled, and afterward, we need to go to Zuihua House. The County Magistrate has ordered all on-duty Government Officials to report to Zuihua House in one hour! Number Twelve, no need to change clothes, just bring your sword, this case is urgent."


    Lin Rui, completely bewildered, could only follow behind Zhang Tianchang with his sword in hand.


    At this time, Wang Sen also jumped down from the wall and walked alongside Lin Rui.


    He looked quite helpless, "Bad luck, I was also seen by the arrest officer while practicing with my sword."


    After his arrival in a different body, Wang Sen also couldn''t wait to adapt to his new form.


    As a result, while Wang Sen was practicing with his sword, Zhang Tianchang suddenly descended from the sky, landing directly in his yard.


    At that time, his situation was even worse than Lin Rui''s; he was completely unprepared.


    Lin Rui recalled the information provided by the Alien Management Bureau in his mind and gradually understood the reason.


    He massaged his temples with great headache, "It seems we''ve been drafted for labor; this might be troublesome."


    "Isn''t it?" Wang Sen also sighed.


    The battle with the fourth realm demon three days ago had left more than just the two of them injured.


    At the time, eighty constables from the county office had participated in the battle, and seventy-three of them were wounded and had subsequently taken leave to recover at home.


    However, according to the information from the Alien Management Bureau, of these seventy-three constables, only seven were truly severely injured; the others were either feigning injuries or had only sustained minor scratches.


    The reasons behind this were complex; it could be because the escaped demon was too powerful, making the situation in the county office too dangerous, or it could be related to the power struggles within the county office. Their County Magistrate was an outsider and very assertive, not getting along well with several local influential Government Officials.


    That''s why Zhang Tianchang had said they were good kids.


    People like them were rare in the county office.


    Both remembered the risk alerts issued by the Alien Management Bureau before their descent, and they felt a gloom settling in their hearts.


    Zhang Tianchang didn''t take them directly to Zuihua House but instead walked down the streets, visiting the residences of more than a dozen constables along the way.


    His method of visiting was the same as before, always unexpected, breaking directly into these constables'' homes.


    "She''s lunging at Lin Twelve."


    "Lin Twelve, be careful, this demon is tricky! She''s third stage, watch out for her hair strands, don''t let her touch you, or she''ll drain your essence blood."


    At this moment, the old grandmother was using her hair like feet, moving with the speed of a six-legged spider, and pounced towards the beams with the speed of lightning.


    From a distance, Wang Sen''s mind tightened, but he quickly calmed down again.


    Martial Cultivator third stage blood refinement early phase, equivalent to a captain in the Earth Federation.


    Although the demon was severely injured by Zhang Tianchang just now, she still retained at least thirty to fifty percent of her strength.


    However, Lin Rui, who could withstand Nolan Wei, a top-tier captain among Martial Cultivators, should have no problem handling a seriously injured third-stage demon.


    Zhang Tianchang was slightly alarmed and worried. Before coming here, he hadn''t expected that this old grandmother, who had never practiced martial arts before, would reach the third realm directly after turning demonic!


    Zhang Tianchang had just seen Lin Twelve''s use of Red Thunder, and the level was indeed very high, much to his surprise.


    However, Lin Twelve was only at the initial stage of the second realm and might not be sufficient to cope with this third-stage demon.


    He immediately soared into the air, chasing after the silhouette of the third-stage demon. At the same time, several flying knives shot out from his sleeves, pursuing like shooting stars.


    However, even though the Thousand Silk Demon was severely injured, her agility remained exceptional. Her figure shifted left and right, managing to only get hit by one knife.


    Her gaze, fierce and wild, stared at Lin Rui, a mad and ferocious smile appearing on her face.


    If she could devour his essence blood, this small constable, the weakest among the surrounding constables, her injuries would instantly recover by half.


    Lin Rui, watching the old grandmother pounce towards him, felt rather helpless. Why was he so unlucky? Right from the start on Tianji Star, his luck was terrible. It''s said that one should be a layabout.


    After a brief contemplation, he decided to strike with all his might.


    Lin Rui, from a higher position, fiercely chopped downwards from the rooftop, bringing forth thunder and lightning snakes!


    This was exactly the move ''Red Thunder'' that Zhang Tianchang had seen!


    At this point, there was no time for holding back. Being hesitant now would only raise suspicions.


    He could conceal his true strength for a while, but it would inevitably cause future trouble.


    Thus, without any hesitation, his blade was sharp and decisive, pushing his divine right and celestial speed bloodlines to their limits. Both his blade force and speed were like thunder!


    "Boom!"


    With a booming explosion, the old grandmother''s body was blasted into the courtyard like a cannonball, her whole body burning with white flames as she let out a desperate wail.


    Her wailing abruptly ended, however, as Lin Rui leaped down from the roof and directly beheaded the old grandmother with one slash.


    Just then, new information appeared in Lin Rui''s mind.


    Notification: Slaying a third-stage demon, gained 532 Soul Power.


    Lin Rui''s eyes momentarily flickered.

 Chapter 29 Zuihua House

    In the kitchen filled with the aroma of meat, Tian Chang lifted the lid off a pot only to find several severed hands and feet and two human heads, one male and one female.


    The scent of the meat soup in the kitchen grew even richer, yet the several constables around him fled outside on the spot, vomiting profusely as they cast sideways glances at Lin Rui with a look of surprise. It seemed he had been on the job for only a few months, yet he was so strong? The thunderous strike from Lin twelve a moment ago had left everyone in shock.


    At this point, Wang Sen also walked in, "Arrest officer, the two kids from this household are still alive, tied up in the woodshed."


    He never should have glanced towards the cooking pot.


    Wang Sen too quickly ran to the side, throwing up as if his guts were churning.


    Poor him, having just descended and still not having eaten anything.


    Lin Rui watched this scene with an expressionless face, showing no reaction.


    He was examining the information that appeared in his mind.


    Instruction 7: Holding the Battle Spirit Ring and slaying any demon or transformed Martial Cultivator, allows one to extract their Soul Power.


    Tip: Soul Power points can be used to repair the Battle Spirit Ring, copy skills from the battle spirit, deduce martial arts, enhance the efficiency of stake techniques, and temporarily boost the power of your moves and spiritual power during combat.


    Instruction 8: The current integrity of the Battle Spirit Ring is 12.15%. Once the integrity reaches 20%, the second battle spirit slot will unlock, capturing stronger battle spirits.


    Upon discovering this, Lin Rui''s interest piqued; was the Battle Spirit Ring currently in a damaged state?


    Killing demons and Martial Cultivators yielded Soul Power points to repair the Battle Spirit Ring?


    Lin Rui thought to himself, hearing this just kept him awake.


    Achieving 20% integrity would allow capturing stronger battle spirits? How strong? A Brigadier General, Major General, or Marshal?


    Even Xue Bogao''s battle spirit was impressive enough to teach him Grandmaster-level martial techniques, so what of Brigadier Generals, Major Generals, or even Marshal-level battle spirits?


    Beyond that, the uses mentioned in the tip were quite enticing¡ªSoul Power points could enhance stake technique efficiency as well? To what extent? And they could also trade skills, how many Soul Power points were needed to exchange?


    In short, killing demons = getting stronger?


    Lin Rui reflected, what kind of luck was this? Wang Sen''s suggestion to become a constable really hit the mark given the current best option.


    Fang Ranran and Yu Feicui both wanted him to just relax and coast along, but given the current circumstances, he was afraid he couldn''t fulfill their wishes.


    Whether it was the pole star or the Earth Federation, it was a world where the strong were revered. Now that there was a chance to become stronger, of course, he would blindly charge forward!


    At that moment, Tian Chang looked over at him with a trace of astonishment, "Lin twelve, you''re still new here, right? I remember you''ve been at the government office for only three months?"


    He felt surprised, this guy didn''t find the stew disgusting? That was rare among the newcomers.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui recalled the sight of Xue Bogao turning into a corpse. He had seen worse; this scene was nothing in comparison.


    "Chief Zhang, it''s precisely three months since I joined!"


    After bowing in response, Lin Rui pointed to Nurse Zhang outside, who was still burning vigorously: "Chief Zhang, do you know what exactly the Thousand String Demon is all about? The two people in this pot, they should be her son and daughter-in-law, right?"


    "It''s domestic strife."


    Tian Chang shook his head and sighed, "From what I know, Nurse Zhang was very harsh on her daughter-in-law when she was younger. As she aged and weakened, the couple despised her. The daughter-in-law in the pot also harbored thoughts of revenge, driving her out of their home several times. Nurse Zhang, in a moment of despair, transformed into a demon. Her bloodline power was just too strong, alas!


    Soon after, they arrived at Zuihua House with Zhang Tianchang.


    This was a famous brothel located in ''Hanhua Alley'' in the south of Silver Moon County, a benchmark on the local brothel street.


    However, when they arrived, the street, usually bustling with crowds and traffic and filled with the sounds of joy, was now unusually quiet.


    Not only were there no pedestrians on the street, but all the doors and windows on both sides were also tightly closed, creating a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere with not a trace of human life.


    Lin Rui also noticed many dried bloodstains on the street''s bluestone tiles and the walls on both sides.


    The entire street was deserted with only the main door of Zuihua House open. Lin Rui followed Zhang Tianchang inside, went up to the second floor of Zuihua House, and found that in this huge hall, there stood about forty people, scattered around.


    They all seemed to be in poor shape, some looking confused, some pale-faced, some with a gloomy look in their eyes, some even with bandaged heads and swollen faces; overall, their spirits were very low.


    The other six arrest officers from the county yamen were sitting quietly around a square table, waiting.


    Although Silver Moon County was quite far from the county seat of Wang City jurisdiction, it was on a major traffic route. To the north was the region known as the ''land of fish and rice,'' Tianyue County, right next to Tianyue Lake, and to the south, it led directly to the capital of Shazhou, making it a populous county with abundant money and grain.


    The county yamen had enough funds to sustain eight squads of constables, with eight arrest officers.


    At the head of the table sat a middle-aged man around his forties, his face like a red jujube, who was none other than the local historian Jiang Hanzhang.


    Lin Rui took a special look at this person.


    The governmental system of Tianji Star''s Great Song dynasty was similar to ancient China''s Song and Ming dynasties. The historian was responsible for assisting the county magistrate, handling arrests, and prisons. Although his official rank was not high, his authority was substantial, ranked just below the county magistrate, the county''s deputy, and the county captain.


    Of course, in the language of Tianji Star people, he was not actually called a historian, but was translated as such due to the similarity in job titles.


    Lin Rui noticed that this historian, Jiang Hanzhang, had looked coldly at Zhang Tianchang as soon as they ascended the building. His gaze was as sharp as a knife or spear, extremely stern. Then he looked at Lin Rui and the others with a gaze so cold it seemed it could freeze someone,


    Lin Rui instantly realized that his superior might not get along well with the historian, and he too was caught in the crossfire.


    As Lin Rui was observing the scene, a strong and robust voice from downstairs announced, "The County Magistrate has arrived!"


    Following that shout, a young man about 2.4 meters tall, dressed in loosely-fitting magistrate clothes and with handsome features, ascended the stairs of Zuihua House''s second-floor hall, accompanied by an old man.


    Lin Rui''s gaze shifted to the stairway entrance, inwardly marveling, "No wonder this Tianji Star civilization resembles ancient China, even their official robes are hardly different."


    At that moment, all the constables inside the hall bowed and said, "We greet the County Magistrate!"


    "Dispense with the formalities!"


    The County Magistrate walked over to his seat and slouched down, sitting boldly more like a bandit than a scholar, brimming with roguishness.


    He picked up the teacup from the table and asked casually, "Do you know why I have summoned you here today?"


    All the government officials present made listening gestures, with Lin Rui and Wang Sen being particularly attentive.


    The arrest officers and the historian seated at the table were silent, faces grim.


    Only Zhang Tianchang stood up and said, "My lord, have you come concerning the Blood Blade witch who has been wreaking havoc in the southern part of the city?"


    Lin Rui''s mind stirred upon hearing this.


    Four days ago, Lin Shier had been struck by a remote sword attack from that very Blood Blade witch, suffering severe internal injuries, which eventually led to his death.

 Chapter 30 Blood Blade Princess

    "Four days ago, a ''Blood Blade'' rampaged through Hanhua Alley, murdering indiscriminately," said arrest officer Tian Chang as he continued, "My colleagues and I rushed to the scene and tried to encircle her for the kill, but the effort fell apart. The Blood Blade broke through our encirclement and escaped.


    This battle cost us one arrest officer and three deputy arrest officers from our precinct, and over thirty innocent civilians lost their lives. I too was seriously injured and had to return home to recuperate, and I am not aware of the events that followed."


    "What happened afterward? The Blood Blade wreaked havoc in the city! In four days, she killed thirty-seven people. Look at Hanhua Alley! She attacked so many brothels that the customers dare not visit and all the courtesans have fled!"


    The County Magistrate''s face was stern, his eyes filled with sorrow, "The death of Lin, the arrest officer, and several deputies has indeed caused me great distress. However, what pains and worries me even more is that this Blood Blade is now lurking within the city, harming our people daily, consuming the vital essence of young men and women, causing panic and fear among all citizens.


    This has become the greatest threat in our Silver Moon County!"


    His voice suddenly grew louder, resounding through the air: "This case has shocked the provincial city! This morning, the prefect sent a dispatch to our county, ordering that we eradicate this demonic calamity within three days. As the local official, I absolutely cannot sit idly by while our people suffer from this demon''s torment!"


    The impassioned sound caused Lin Rui''s eardrums to tingle and ache slightly.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    He realized that this local County Magistrate also possessed an extraordinary cultivation, likely having reached the fourth realm of ''Core Formation,'' comparable to the rank of a federal Major or Lieutenant Colonel.


    Lin Rui was straining to understand what the County Magistrate was saying, finding it quite difficult to comprehend without guessing and relying on the translations provided by the biological chip behind him.


    The County Magistrate was not a local, speaking in the official language of the Great Song dynasty.


    Yet his Mandarin bore a heavy South State accent.


    If one must describe it, it would be like a Guangdong version of Mandarin¡ªevery country has its national anthem.


    The County Magistrate turned his head to look at Government Official Jiang Hanzhang, his words laced with frost, "Capturing criminals, overseeing public order, suppressing demons, these are the responsibilities of a Government Official. May I ask, Official Jiang, have you investigated the origins of this Blood Blade? Where does she come from? Why has she brought calamity here?


    And presently, where is she hiding? You and the other officers, why have you not yet been able to kill or capture her?"


    Jiang Hanzhang was not at all intimidated by the County Magistrate''s authority, and he responded calmly with a bow: "Sir, I have found that the Blood Blade came from the capital, originally a guard of a major merchant''s heir. It is not clear why she lost control and betrayed her master.


    This demon was originally at the late third realm, and she possesses several superior bloodline talents, making her extremely powerful in battle. After betraying her master, she began to kill indiscriminately in Hanhua Alley, and after consuming a large amount of the essence of young, healthy individuals, she broke through to the fourth realm during combat.


    Even I am not capable of subduing her alone."


    The County Magistrate sneered upon hearing this, "So you''ve chosen to ignore the Blood Blade, fearing involvement? Have you even instructed your staff to feign injuries and take leave, resulting in an increased number of unchecked demons in the city? Jiang Hanzhang, are you worthy of your official robe? Of the trust that the court has placed in you?


    Of the support the people have provided for your nourishment?"


    The government officials present lowered their heads even further upon hearing this.


    The twin swords on her back emitted a strange glow as if they could devour all life.


    Lin Rui wondered who this girl was. Beautiful and yet, quite eerie.


    However, strangely enough, why were all the formidable people inside the building ignoring this girl in red? Did they not see her, or did they all recognize her?


    While Lin Rui''s attention was diverted to the girl in red, the County Magistrate inside was tossing a ledger directly in front of Jiang Hanzhang, "Clerk Jiang, I''m giving you another chance. Think it over carefully before you answer me."


    Jiang Hanzhang furrowed his brows and flipped through the ledger briefly.


    His complexion changed slightly and gradually paled. Nevertheless, he later took a deep breath and said, "It''s really true that when you want to condemn someone, any excuse will do. I don''t know where the County Magistrate came up with this ledger, intending to sentence Jiang to death. But, sir, if you think that this forged ledger can constrain m, then you are underestimating people."


    He then removed his official seal from his waist and placed it on the table, "Sir, in the matter of eliminating Blood Blade, more than thirty of my subordinates have died or been injured. Over these four days, we have done our best to maintain the safety of the southern city on behalf of the Silver Moon County''s citizens.


    If the County Magistrate insists on sending us to our deaths, then please allow me to resign from my position and return my seal!"


    The six arrest officers sitting below him also stood up at this point, three of them nonetheless, slapping their tokens on the table with a sneer.


    "Please also allow us to retire, sir! This suicidal mission is not worth undertaking!"


    At this moment, Jiang Hanzhang felt slightly surprised as he looked at the three unmoved arrest officers with a dark and stern gaze.


    Under his glare, these three had complex expressions but remained seated, utterly motionless.


    Jiang Hanzhang couldn''t help but scoff, "Very good!"


    He abruptly swept his robes and turned directly toward the staircase.


    This scene left all the constables pale faced, caught in a dilemma, but then, nearly half of them followed Jiang Hanzhang down the stairs loudly.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen exchanged glances, pondering whether to stay at the tavern or to follow the Clerk.


    It felt more sensible to leave with the Clerk, after all, they were just there to collect a paycheck.


    However, given today''s situation, the County Magistrate clearly had the upper hand, having won over four out of the seven arrest officers.


    At that moment, Tian Chang, whose gaze was sharp as a knife, swept over them, making them suppress the chaotic thoughts in their minds.


    The saying goes that the official present outweighs the one who is not, and they were under Tian Chang''s control.

 Chapter 31 Promotion and Wealth

    The young County Magistrate sat motionless in his seat, coldly watching as the recordkeeper Jiang Hanzhang and a group of arrest officers and constables strutted down the stairs.


    He then regained his smile, looking at Zhang Tianchang, "Tian Chang, your ability to manage your subordinates is quite commendable."


    Out of the remaining sixteen constables in the house, five were under Zhang Tianchang''s command.


    Zhang Tianchang, however, replied with a wry smile and a clasped hand, "I am ashamed!"


    Out of his total squad of twenty-eight men, he had only brought five.


    Zhang Tianchang actually wanted to ask the County Magistrate what should be done next. Now that most of the constables had left with the recordkeeper, the city''s rats and monsters, unrestrained, would likely wreak havoc.


    Still, he held back, seeing the County Magistrate''s confident appearance, assuming there must be a plan to cope with the situation.


    However, the three arrest officers sitting on the other side all looked worried, with one of them standing up as if wanting to speak but hesitating.


    "Are you worried about the law and order in the city, Chief Zhuang?"


    The young County Magistrate raised his hand to signal them to calm down and let out a disdainful snort, "Rest assured, I have already requested three hundred county soldiers from the prefectural city to take over the duties of the yamen patrol. They will soon be arriving outside the east city gate, and the Imperial City Division has already sent people to lurk in the city.


    Recordkeeper Jiang''s attempt to coerce by taking the constabulary with him and threatening to resign has been a miscalculation."No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Upon hearing this, everyone was first surprised, but then they calmed down.


    A few even showed relief on their faces, for with the County Magistrate having summoned the county soldiers, Recordkeeper Jiang''s actions today were likely to land him in defeat.


    Just then, the young County Magistrate abruptly said, "Duo li La Zha, Tuo Yi Lai A Ti Bu Chi."


    Lin Rui, not understanding the meaning, wondered if the County Magistrate intended for them to strip. However, when he saw the subsequent translations from the biological intelligence chip, his heart immediately tightened.


    The County Magistrate had also spoken in official language, but this time it was in the refined accent of the capital from the official language, akin to Beijing Mandarin during the Ming and Qing dynasties, which meant ''Everyone go back, and focus on doing your jobs well.''


    This biological chip, though it appeared to be a lump of normal brain tissue and could effectively avoid detection by masters from Tian Ji Star, had computing power that didn''t even come close to those of quantum chips.


    To prevent the chip from developing a self-awareness, its interior was also subjected to various restrictive measures, resulting in a reaction and thinking speed far inferior to that of a real person.


    The chip had to link the context together to complete the translation and then relay the result into Lin Rui''s consciousness, which made the response even slower by half a beat.


    Lin Rui''s resignation stemmed from the fact that everyone present had understood the message and had turned toward the staircase to leave, while he was the only one who had reacted a beat too slow.


    Wang Sen, too, had understood the message. Not only had he learned the official language of Tian Ji Star at the Alien Body College, but he had also mastered the seventeen main dialects of the south.


    Wang Sen, puzzled and with a troubled expression, walked outside, giving his sworn friend beside him a bewildered look. Lin Rui usually had language grades on par with his, or even better¡ªwhy had he not reacted just now?


    Lin Rui remained as calm as ever, nonchalantly turning around to follow the others out.


    However, no sooner had he taken a step than the County Magistrate spoke, "Tian Chang and Lin Twelve, stay behind."


    Lin Rui''s scalp tingled, yet there was not a hint of change in his expression; he calmly halted his steps.


    On the other hand, Wang Sen, who had already started descending, looked subtly alarmed.


    Under everyone''s watchful eyes, Wang Sen dared not look further; with confusion and worry, he followed the others toward the staircase.


    Yet, he tightly gripped his sword, already preparing to help Lin Rui escape from below if necessary.


    Advisor Du was holding a mirror, facing it towards Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that the County Magistrate was indeed thorough in his actions.


    Expressionless, he exerted all his effort to activate the ''Concealing Breath Skill''.


    Once the Concealing Breath Skill reached the Grandmaster level, it had a particular benefit: one could conceal what they wished to the extreme, and what they did not wish to hide could continue as normal.


    Lin Rui firmly believed that such a small place as Yinyue County surely lacked professional artifacts to detect external Heavenly Demons; otherwise, the Alien Body travelers of the Earth Federation would not have grown to their current scale.


    The mirror that Advisor Du held must be a mere ''Demon Mirror'', capable of dealing with some newly descended Alien Body travelers, certainly not enough to trouble him who had mastered the Grandmaster-level Concealing Breath Skill.


    Indeed, after Advisor Du had held the mirror towards him for a while, he put the mirror away and nodded at the young County Magistrate.


    Zhang Tianchang, who was standing beside them, visibly relaxed his muscles, feeling somewhat ashamed that he had come to suspect this subordinate who came from a pitiful background.


    Lin Rui''s father was also a constable, who had died in the line of duty a year ago, and Lin Rui had taken his father''s position.


    Zhang Tianchang bowed and said, "Sir, Little Twelve''s father was also a public servant, who died while capturing demons a year ago. His natural talents are extraordinary; with only three months on the job, his cultivation had already reached the Meridian Opening Realm!


    Furthermore, he possesses divine authority and the Blood of Swiftness, along with a fire-type talent, with combat power close to a third realm Martial Cultivator, so he is indeed qualified for the black belt position!"


    "Oh?"


    The young County Magistrate looked at Lin Rui with surprise. He originally intended to find one or two reliable people in the office to run errands, send messages, and the like. He hadn''t expected Lin Rui to not only have a clear background but also possess quite remarkable martial arts talent.


    As a precaution against demons, most people start their cultivation after the sutures in their skull have closed at eighteen years old. This meant that Lin Rui had only recently started cultivating. And as a black-belt constable, he could already serve as the backbone of the office staff.


    His lips curled into a smile as he walked to the window, "That''s truly excellent. I am currently in need of help; the entire office is almost empty. Lin Rui, I hereby appoint you as a black-clad constable, acting as deputy arrest officer, tasked with all matters of theft and demon suppression in Hanhua Alley and the seven streets east of it. Do you have the courage to take on this responsibility?"


    He looked at Lin Rui with a gaze that weighed him up and down.


    Merely possessing a high martial talent wasn''t enough, one must also have the courage, only then could they be considered truly useful talent!


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Rui''s gaze sharpened, and without hesitation, he gave a respectful bow, "I thank the County Magistrate for his recognition!"


    Not everyone had the qualifications to call themselves a subordinate in front of the County Magistrate, and the deputy arrest officer was certainly qualified.


    Lin Rui thought to himself, what was there to fear about a mere Hanhua Alley?


    The wealth laid before him was not something to be refused.


    "Very good!" the young County Magistrate smiled even more broadly, "Zhang Tianchang, take him to the office now to get his uniform, badge, and seal! Then go to my study and choose one of the three suits of third-order Divine Porcupine Armor for him. Hmm, and let the apothecary give him three Soul Stones ahead of time."


    Zhang Tianchang immediately carried out the order, signaling Lin Rui to follow.


    As Lin Rui followed Zhang Tianchang downstairs, he saw Wang Sen looking at him a bit nervously.


    He gave Wang Sen a look, signaling that he was fine.


    However, as Lin Rui walked out of the Zuihua House''s main entrance, his body tensed slightly. He saw several wanted posters opposite the door.


    One of them was certainly for ''Blood Blade Ji'', and although the portrait was not exactly the same as the red-clothed girl he had seen earlier, it bore a striking resemblance.


    Lin Rui quickly looked up, only to find that the ''Blood Blade Ji'' who had been standing on the eaves of the second-floor balcony had already vanished without a trace.

 Chapter 32 Soul Stone

    ```


    "It seems the boat has capsized,"


    On the second floor of Zuihua House, the young County Magistrate still stood by the window, watching Zhang Tianchang and Lin Rui below, "Sir, you''re right, this official has acted rashly. I should have been more patient."


    The advisor standing behind him bowed slightly to the young County Magistrate, "It''s due to Your Honor''s benevolence. You were unwilling to let the townspeople continue to suffer at the hands of corrupt officials and demonic beings, and thus your actions were a bit hasty. However, I didn''t expect the connection between Historian Jiang and the County Magistrate to run so deep."


    Just now, when our County Magistrate passed over that account book, it already implied a reluctance to further investigate Historian Jiang''s transgressions. Yet, contrary to expectations, Historian Jiang still resolutely chose to flip the table and sided with the County Magistrate.


    That is quite rare elsewhere, after all, historians generally have conflicts of power with the County Magistrate and are naturally the arm and right-hand helpers of their own County Magistrate.


    However, ever since taking office, our County Magistrate used several strategies to sow discord but failed to divide and rule the historian and the County Magistrate.


    This indicated a much larger issue at hand.


    "There''s certainly something strange about this. To my knowledge, Historian Jiang has no kinship ties with the County Magistrate. When the County Magistrate first took up his post, they even had some conflicts. Why would Historian Jiang cling so tenaciously to the County Magistrate''s coattails?"


    The County Magistrate shook his head with a wry smile, "Discussing this now is pointless. We need to swiftly deal with that Blood Blade servant."


    "This shouldn''t be too difficult," the advisor said with indifference, "Now, with three hundred county soldiers about to enter the city, the daily security of the city should be no issue. Once the imperial envoys arrive, it will take just a day or two to capture that Blood Blade servant¡ª"


    But before he could finish his sentence, he heard the young County Magistrate''s lightly floating voice say, "There is no more imperial envoy."


    The advisor was startled and looked intently at the County Magistrate, "Your Honor, what do you mean by this?"


    "News from the county town: the imperial envoy''s ''Wang City Corps'' suffered severe damage a few days ago. Almost the whole ''Imperial Dragon Squad'' was wiped out in one fell swoop. I''m afraid we can''t rely on the imperial envoy for the next month or two."


    The young County Magistrate handed a letter to the advisor, "As for the county soldiers from the county town, they can''t stay here long either. In at most a month, they will have to return to the county town."


    The advisor opened the letter and skimmed through, then his face was covered in dark lines, thinking with this kind of situation, you still dare to confront Historian Jiang?


    He quickly realized that the County Magistrate''s actions must have been a last resort.


    The news of the Wang City Corps'' heavy loss would soon spread. Once Historian Jiang learned of this, he would be even less likely to compromise, and even the three arrest officers leaning toward the County Magistrate might turn on him.


    Today''s move was actually a way to force them to take sides.


    "So from now on, we can only rely on ourselves."


    The young County Magistrate looked toward the government office, "Sir, do you think that those victims who died one after another in the past four days, truly died at the hands of the Blood Blade servant?"


    "I went to the scene myself. Whether it''s the traces on the site or the wounds left behind, it''s undoubtedly the work of the Blood Blade servant, especially since those corpses were all drained dry,"


    The advisor frowned slightly as he spoke, "Why do you ask, Your Honor? Do you feel something is wrong?"


    "Haven''t you noticed? Among those victims, some of them had conflicts with the County Magistrate, whether it''s business disputes or past grudges?"


    Soul stones were a special product of Tianji Star, capable of strengthening spiritual power, and their effects far surpassed the ''spiritual power enhancers'' developed by the Federation.


    The effect of a single low-grade soul stone was equivalent to three doses of spiritual enhancer, and it had no adverse side effects.


    The official Federation purchase price was five thousand Federation coins per stone, and the offers from mutant companies were even more lavish.


    The third-grade armor was even more precious. It was a set of full-body Divine Porcupine Armor, whose defensive capabilities were on par with the exoskeleton armor worn by a Federation Major, incredibly sturdy with the ability to inflict retaliatory damage.


    Armor of this level was rare in the entire yamen. Not even the arrest officers of the third realm had it, and the companies'' purchase price could go as high as over one hundred thousand Federation coins.


    Thus, the character of the County Magistrate was quite magnanimous.


    As Zhang Tianchang led him around, he introduced Lin Rui to the many colleagues in the yamen and explained the importance of the role of the deputy arrest officer.


    "You know how to use the badge, right?"


    Zhang Tianchang had a grave look and a hint of worry in his eyes as he said this, "You must be careful these days. If you encounter any emergency, do not hesitate, just use your badge to notify me.


    As for manpower, according to the regulations of our county yamen, a deputy arrest officer is assigned one black-belt and three green-belts. Hanhua Alley is rich and, in principle, should have increased allocation, but as you saw in Zuihua House just now, the yamen doesn''t have any extra manpower. I saw that you''re quite close to Wang Twenty-Seven, so I''ve simply assigned him to you.


    For the remaining three, I''ll supplement them for you once the yamen recruits more people these next few days."


    Lin Rui had not had a positive impression of Zhang Tianchang originally.


    He had not forgotten how Zhang Tianchang had conscripted men forcefully this morning, and just now in Zuihua House, how tense his muscles had been.


    Had the County Magistrate given the order, Zhang Tianchang would have struck his head with a palm, shattering his skull.


    However, after accompanying Zhang Tianchang around, Lin Rui had already lost much of his resentment.


    Lin Rui cupped his hands together, "Arrest officer, you seem deeply concerned. Do you feel that the situation is ominous?"


    Zhang Tianchang smiled wryly in response, "The current situation seems like a storm is coming. I actually regret recommending you to the County Magistrate a bit. I didn''t expect him to appoint you as the deputy arrest officer directly. It might put you in the eye of the storm."


    He immediately perked up, patting Lin Rui''s shoulder, "Anyway, be careful these next few days. Do what you can in Hanhua Alley, and if you truly can''t cope, I will speak for you with the County Magistrate. There''s no need to be too concerned. The County Magistrate is exceptionally astute and has everything under control. He will surely have a solution to this crisis."


    Having said this, he rested his hand on his waist knife and strode out the door with determination.


    Lin Rui watched his resolute figure and pondered, is the situation in the county really so perilous?


    He then thought about the management bureau''s warning and, while contemplating, stuffed a low-grade soul stone into his mouth and crunched it to pieces with a ''crack''.


    The correct way to use soul stones was to grind them into powder, mix with water, and swallow. If that wasn''t possible, crushing them with teeth also worked.


    Shortly after the powder entered his mouth, Lin Rui felt a refreshing coolness inside his mind.


    The digestion of a soul stone by the human body was a long-term process. For the next three days, he would remain in this state until the soul stone was completely absorbed.

 Chapter 33 Follow

    When Lin Rui emerged from the government office''s storeroom, holding a set of armor, he unexpectedly encountered Wang Sen.


    Wang Sen''s eyes widened as he looked Lin Rui up and down, dressed in his brocaded garb.


    The brocaded clothes, stretched taut by the soft armor underneath, appeared imposing and grand.


    "Brother Twelve, how did you become an acting arrest officer?"


    Wang Sen, wary of the busy surroundings, refrained from using Lin Rui''s real name, his face filled with disbelief, "I thought we might be in trouble this time."


    Just now, Wang Sen had been ready to fight to the death under Zuihua House. Once the battle began, he planned to catch several constables off guard and then thrust a sword upwards toward the spot where the County Magistrate was standing.


    Instead, Lin Rui had come downstairs unscathed and had even taken on a middle management role in the county government.


    "What acting arrest officer? I''m merely a constable acting in that capacity," Lin Rui said as he tossed a set of armor to Wang Sen, "You arrived just in time. Put this on¡ªThe County Magistrate has put me in charge of Hanhua Alley and the seven streets to the east. I asked Officer Zhang for some men, but he said he was short-staffed and could only assign you, Wang Twenty-seven, to me.


    Also, this inferior soul stone was an advance from the storehouse by the County Magistrate''s orders. You''ll have to pay me back once you''ve made some money."


    The armor Lin Rui displayed was that reserved for a deputy arrest officer within the premises of the government office.


    It happened because the County Magistrate had bestowed upon him a set of third-tier battle armor, which made the previous one available for Wang Sen''s use.


    Additionally, Lin Rui had also secured a second-tier ''Demon Steel Shield,'' knowing that Wang Sen specialized in the technique of sword and shield with a focus on defensive counters.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Hanhua Alley had felt deadly and filled with an eerie demonic aura¡ªit was clearly very dangerous.


    Although Lin Rui himself was somehow excited and eager about this street of brothels in Yinyue County, he could not ignore the danger to Wang Sen''s life.


    Wang Sen, without any hesitation, crushed the soul stone, his words muffled, "Acting deputy? That''s hardly any different from the real deputy."


    Now, with the chief clerk absent, Officer Zhang was the highest authority in the office, followed by Lin Rui.


    The office had previously two deputy arrest officers, both killed by the Blood Blade Ji.


    It wasn''t until Wang Sen swallowed the soul stone that he noticed the phrase ''Hanhua'' in Lin Rui''s words. Instantly, he exclaimed, "Both of us in charge of Hanhua Alley? Just the two of us?"


    His astonishment was such that even his voice distorted, drawing sidelong glances from two clerks passing by.


    These two were initially stunned, then looked at them with sympathy-filled eyes.


    Wang Sen felt a chill down his spine, wondering what the current state of Hanhua Alley was¡ªhadn''t Lin Rui seen it?


    All the women had fled; not only them, but the brothel owners and protectors had also clean escaped, leaving it a dead street.


    Wang Sen glanced around and then leaned close to Lin Rui, lowering his voice, "Brother Twelve, Sister Feicui''s intention is for us to prioritize safety."


    "I too wish for safety," Lin Rui clicked his tongue, "But now that I am the acting arrest officer, the district is under my jurisdiction, and the soul stone is consumed, what do you propose we do?"


    Wang Sen choked up at those words, feeling as if things were beyond his control.


    Wang Sen inwardly disagreed with Lin Rui''s strategy, feeling it was somewhat risky, but he kept his opinion to himself.


    Seeing Wang Sen''s expression, Lin Rui knew he was only one step away from successfully convincing him.


    He pulled out a stack of wanted notices from his pocket, slapping them in Wang Sen''s arms, "Take another look at the reward amounts on these wanted notices."


    He had obtained these during his frequent visits to the clerk office with Zhang Wen, from the clerk assistant who was in charge of such matters.


    The demons and criminals listed in these wanted notices had all committed crimes near Hanhua Alley, and Lin Rui felt a connection with them.


    Just then, Lin Rui''s body suddenly stiffened, frozen in place.


    He saw her again, that "Blood Blade Lady."


    She was standing on the opposite wall, coldly observing him.


    Lin Rui also noticed that the eyes of this red-dressed young girl were different from before; they were a striking red, which looked rather eerie.


    "You can''t be serious, I didn''t notice before. Our Silver Moon County is so wealthy? An offering of fifty taels for a second realm demon, and a low-grade spirit stone as well?"


    As Wang Sen flipped through the wanted notices in front of him, his eyes gleamed.


    Fifty taels of demonic silver, worth sixty thousand yuan in the market, and since they had not signed an exclusive agreement with the company, they only needed to pay 10% tax to the government.


    Additionally, there was a low-grade spirit stone; combined, they could trade for a prime-grade meridian.


    It was at this moment he realized something was amiss, looking suspiciously at Lin Rui, "Brother, what''s wrong with you?"


    Lin Rui felt a dryness in his mouth, wanting to shout that the "Blood Blade Lady" was right here, in the magistrate''s office!


    But when he thought that the County Magistrate had not returned, neither the county officer nor the clerk were there, and only a county provost who Tian Chang mentioned didn''t really care about affairs was present, he suppressed the urge.


    There wasn''t a single fourth realm expert capable of fighting in the magistrate''s office; what use was there in shouting?


    After ten seconds of eye contact between the man and the demon, the red-dressed young girl finally withdrew her gaze, looking away.


    "Nothing''s wrong; just remembered something," Lin Rui took a deep breath, nonchalantly folded the wanted notices handed back to him by Wang Sen, and slipped them into his sleeve.


    Internally, however, he felt a chill, puzzled.


    What does this Blood Blade Lady want? Why was she looking at him? She surely wasn''t thinking of killing him, was she?


    Lin Rui then shook his head, nonchalantly walking toward the entrance of the magistrate''s office.


    This Blood Blade Lady was not only a high-tier demon at the early fourth realm, she also possessed an exceptional Escape Skill, able to move in and out of the magistrate''s office at will.


    If this woman truly wanted to kill him, fearing wouldn''t help; he could only wait for death.


    So he brushed off his fears and carried on!


    But the thing that made Lin Rui''s scalp tingle again was that the Blood Blade Lady actually followed, floating behind him like a ghost.

 Chapter 34 Kill

    Lin Rui did not know that, as he once again left the County Magistrate''s office, someone in a nearby tavern indeed harbored a murderous intent towards him.


    It was a middle-aged man around thirty years old, dressed in the attire of an arrest officer.


    He stood behind a window in a private room on the third floor of the tavern, peering outside. His nose, sharp like an eagle''s beak, appeared sinister and harsh under the sunlight filtering through the window lattice: "That''s Lin Twelve, a small constable under Zhang Tianchang who has been on the job for only three months.


    That man just stayed on the second floor of Zuihua House with Zhang Tianchang for a short while before coming downstairs."


    He smirked with a hint of mockery, "It seems the County Magistrate has no one else to rely on. Not only did he promote him to deputy arrest officer, but he also put him in charge of Hanhua Alley."


    Surprisingly, though he had left Zuihua House with Jiang Hanzhang earlier, he knew all the County Magistrate''s arrangements and movements.


    At this moment, Government Official Jiang Hanzhang was sitting in the corner of the room, enveloped in shadows.


    He poured himself a drink and pondered with the cup at his lips, "So, does this imply that this man has the County Magistrate''s trust? How strong is he?"


    "He''s fit to be a dark yellow-belted constable." The eagle-nosed arrest officer shook his head slightly, thinking how cautious their Government Official was: "He''s said to have quite a talent for martial arts, having entered the Meridian Opening realm. This morning, he killed a third-realm demonic creature that was seriously injured.


    However, in my estimation, he must have just entered the Meridian Opening realm not long ago. The Thousand Thread devil he killed had previously been struck by a punch from Zhang Tianchang and was already close to death."


    Jiang Hanzhang then narrowed his eyes, "Then let''s send him on his way."


    His tone was casual, as though he was simply instructing someone to take out the trash.


    The eagle-nosed arrest officer turned around with a sly smile, "Thinking of killing a chicken to warn the monkeys now might be too late. I''ve said before that Constable Zhuang and the others are unreliable, and that County Magistrate is a tricky figure to deal with."


    Jiang Hanzhang''s face turned cold. The betrayal of the three major arrest officers indeed caught him off guard and dealt him a heavy blow.


    He snorted, "Officer Li, just do your job. There''s no need for so many words."


    "I can do the job." The eagle-nosed arrest officer fixed his gaze on Jiang Hanzhang, "As far as I know, the County Magistrate will be stationed at Zuihua House in the next few days."


    Zuihua House was at the entrance to Hanhua Alley, so acting against Lin Twelve at this time was extremely risky.


    Since the County Magistrate appointed Lin Twelve as deputy arrest officer in charge of Hanhua Alley, he probably also intended to provide oversight.


    "Isn''t that even better?" Jiang Hanzhang sneered coldly, draining the wine in his cup, "You don''t need to worry about the County Magistrate; when the time comes, someone will naturally keep an eye on him."


    This was exactly the effect he wanted to see.


    In Yinyue County, he and the County Magistrate were the heavens!


    Even the County Magistrate of the same county, if he became their enemy, could only watch helplessly as his confidants perished.


    The eagle-nosed arrest officer fell into thought, then smiled, "Perfect, I have someone to deal with today, I might as well take him along. But I suspect he won''t live that long¡ªthose demons around Hanhua Alley don''t subsist on veggies."


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    "Boom!"


    As evening approached, at the tail end of the street in Hanhua Alley, in the wine cellar of a tavern''s backyard, with over a dozen wine jars suddenly exploding, a booming sound erupted, and streams of black wine merged in mid-air, forming a four-meter tall water giant.


    He was muscular, ugly, and fierce-looking, with eyes that were dark and muddy, bellowing with rage at Lin Rui, "You damned scoundrel, why prevent me from drinking? I haven''t troubled you¡ª"


    The two exchanged a glance in midair, then ran out like madmen, and just as they barely escaped the wine cellar, another earth-shattering boom occurred behind them, the sheer force of it blasting the dome of the wine cellar clean off.


    Lin Rui was once again thrown to the ground by the blast wave, and only after the surrounding dirt rain had fallen did he climb to his feet.


    Lin Rui, annoyed, wiped his face: "Damn it, I forgot that the vile wine ghosts have the ability to purify liquor, capable of distilling high-proof alcohol."


    "How much high-proof liquor would that take?" Wang Sen was also shaken, his face pale as he pondered in bewilderment: "Vile wine ghosts are obsessed with liquor; why wouldn''t it drink all this liquor rather than go to the trouble of purifying it to such a high degree?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.


    He then brushed aside his thoughts, putting a chunk of frozen ice into the pouch around his waist.


    This was a piece of the vile wine ghost''s body frozen by Wang Sen, which they could take to the Government Office to exchange for money.


    About seven days ago, a group of brothel and tavern owners had urgently implored the county government to kill this vile wine ghost, offering a bounty of seventy taels of demon silver.


    Although due to Blood Blade Ji''s affairs, one of the owners had died and the rest had gone into hiding, the bounty they offered for the vile wine ghost had already been paid in advance.


    The vile wine ghost''s combat strength wasn''t strong, but it possessed keen sensing abilities and a certain degree of water escape ability, so the constables previously assigned to Hanhua Alley had been unable to catch it.


    Lin Rui, fortunately, had a Grandmaster level Concealing Breath Skill, and his derivation of the Red Thunder Palm into electromagnetic sensing was incredibly refined.


    The Ice Wind Palm and Red Thunder Palm they''d learned were particularly restrictive to the vile wine ghost, making it quite easy for them to find and slay it.


    As for why the vile wine ghost wanted to distill so much high-proof liquor, Lin Rui couldn''t figure it out and didn''t bother to think about it.


    Afterward, he pulled out the stack of arrest warrants from his sleeve, flipping through them by the last glimmers of daylight.


    Wang Sen watched this scene, his gaze filled with genuine admiration.


    Before the vile wine ghost, by leveraging Lin Rui''s exceptional sensory abilities, they had together hunted down a ''Faceless Ghost,'' a ''Demon Wing Ghost,'' and that morning''s ''Thousand Silk Demon.'' This was already the fourth demon.


    Looking at Lin Rui''s manner, it seemed he was still ready to press on.


    No wonder he was called Brother Rui, his perseverance was terrifying indeed.


    Wang Sen was also focusing on regulating his breath, fortifying his energy and spirit.


    According to the three-to-seven split agreed upon with Lin Rui, Wang Sen had already earned eighty-five taels of demon silver, which left him eager for more, hoping to earn another fortune.


    Wang Sen hadn''t forgotten the instructions given by Yu Feicui before their descent.


    Every so often, Wang Sen would look through the group chat history and the word ''understood'' that he said before descending.


    This made him feel deeply ashamed and conflicted; he was constantly struggling internally.


    The problem was that money was coming too easily. With Brother Rui''s powerful electromagnetic sensing, they easily located hidden demons.


    Moreover, this couldn''t really be considered dangerous for them, right?


    Together, the two of them easily handled second-realm demons with neither strain nor danger.


    It was clear that the risks were still within a controllable range! He shouldn''t have let down Feicui''s trust.

 Chapter 35 Demons and Purgatory

    While Lin Rui examined the yet-to-be-resolved sea arrest warrants in his hands, he stole glances at the red-clothed girl a few dozen meters away.


    The Blood Blade girl was still following him, her face expressionless.


    But just now, during the explosion in the wine cellar, Lin Rui thought he saw this woman smiling, her smile laced with sarcasm and schadenfreude.


    Lin Rui wondered what the woman wanted to do. If you want to kill, then kill. If you want to skin someone, just do it. If you want to get on with it, then get on. Don''t dawdle, or I, Lin, will frown and take your surname!


    He had long adopted a devil-may-care attitude and simply redirected his attention, "Speaking of which, each of these demons is quite pitiful and their lives are not easy. Look at this Consumptive Demon. Just because she contracted tuberculosis, she was driven out of the brothel, and she had to sell all the money she had saved over ten years.


    In just a few months, she gambled it all away in pawnshops and spent it in drugstores. In the end, she coughed herself nearly to death in the cold wind under the bridge."


    Wang Sen didn''t give it much thought and agreed, Right, isn''t it?


    He had also seen this sea arrest warrant and felt that the people the Consumptive Demon killed all deserved to die.


    However, this is a characteristic of Tianji Star. The vast majority of demons are transformed from living humans. They all possess hidden, powerful bloodline talents. Some transform due to intense desires, some due to extreme hatred, and some are martial cultivators who lose control of their minds, causing their bodies to mutate and become ''demons''.


    Therefore, a large portion of these demons had suffered tragic fates before their transformations.


    The forms of demonic mutations vary greatly, with most focusing on a particular part of the body.


    For instance, the Thousand-Tendril Demon transformed with its hair as the main focus, whereas the Consumptive Demon''s mutation concentrated on the lungs.


    These demons are a disaster and nightmare for the ordinary people of Tianji Star but a stroke of luck for the Earth Federation.


    Because of the existence of demons, most of the martial force of Tianji Star people is firmly restrained within the atmosphere, leaving them no time to look outward.


    For the Tianji Star people, the most significant threats have always been the ''demons,'' ''purgatory,'' and themselves.


    Lin Rui flipped through the sea arrest warrants to the last one and abruptly stood up, "Next up is this Consumptive Demon. The current bounty is one hundred and eighty silver taels. Same rules as always, we''ll go have a look. If we can''t beat her, we run; if we can, we send her to salvation. Considering her condition, she probably doesn''t want to harm anyone else and is enduring great pain.


    We should let her rest in peace sooner rather than later."


    He had acquired a total of nine sea arrest warrants for demons from the scribe.


    All of the second realm ones had been dealt with, and what remained were all of the third realm, which were a bit tricky.


    However, based on their encounter with the Evil Wine Ghost, Lin Rui felt that they could take a chance.


    The combat power of Wang Sen gave him much confidence, worthy of being ranked 213th in the abnormals'' practical combat assessment. Wang Sen''s combat power had also reached the peak of the second realm, always managing with aplomb.


    Moreover, there were Soul Power points. This was Lin Rui''s biggest confidence booster. The results of his recent trial use of the Soul Power points had left him pleasantly surprised.


    Lin Rui also had the trump card of being possessed by General Xue, believing that even if he faced an upper-level third realm demon, he should have the power to protect himself.


    ¡ªAlthough he had not yet attempted possession up to this point.


    Upon hearing this, Wang Sen felt somewhat nervous, as the Consumptive Demon was an early third realm demon.


    Lin Rui felt an increased fondness for the young County Magistrate; it seemed the man had no intention of throwing him into the fire.


    "This child, I really don''t know what to say to you."


    Zhang Tianchang sighed, "You''ve just started your job; it would be best to take it easy and remember to act within your capabilities!"


    Zhang Tianchang felt a mix of happiness, gratification, and worry over Lin Twelve''s achievements.


    This subordinate''s ability to take action was extraordinary, capturing three level-two demonic creatures in less than half a day since starting his post. However, the situation within the city was turbulent, and Lin Twelve''s high profile could easily lead him to a downfall in this tumult.


    "Your subordinate understands." Lin Rui withdrew his gaze from the Zuihua House. "Did the arrest officer seek me out for another matter?"


    "You guessed it."


    Zhang Tianchang replied with a hearty smile, "One of Zhao Yuanwai''s family members reported to the yamen that a level-two demonic creature is causing havoc in their household at the southern corner of Willow Alley, resulting in two human deaths. I''ve dispatched two squads of county soldiers to surround Zhao''s residence. If you are currently available, head over and assess the situation."


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows at these words.


    A level-two demonic creature?


    He lacked interest, yet promptly replied, "Your subordinate understands. We will head there now."


    A mosquito may be small, but it is still meat.


    "When you arrive, ensure you are mindful of your demeanor. Zhao Yuanwai makes annual donations to the yamen, so try not to make things difficult for the County Magistrate," Zhang Tianchang continued to instruct, "Zhao Yuanwai is easy to deal with, very particular about manners, and very generous. You will realize when you get there, but still act within your means.


    If you can handle it, do so; if you can''t, withdraw temporarily and advise Zhao Yuanwai''s family to find another place to stay. After all, they are wealthy with several properties in the city; there''s no shortage of places for them to live."


    Zhang Tianchang figured Lin Rui should be able to handle a single level-two demonic creature.


    Yet, he couldn''t help but worry.


    The more excellent Lin Twelve performed, the more Zhang Tianchang appreciated, cherished, and wished for his safety.


    Lin Rui, however, found this arrest officer to be tediously verbose. He patiently listened until the communication with Zhang Tianchang ended, then hung the token back at his waist and patted the dust off his clothes, "Let''s go. It seems we must first make a trip to Willow Alley."


    Wang Sen was initially shaking his head, scoffing to himself¡ªthis is what gentry are like.


    Had it been a commoner, with the current state of the yamen, they definitely wouldn''t have had the time to bother.


    It was only for a wealthy gentry like Zhao Yuanwai that the County Magistrate would dispatch two squads of county soldiers at such a time.


    Even Earth Federation these days is just the same; despite highly advanced technology, the vast majority of social resources are held by the wealthy and the politicians.


    But when Wang Sen heard the last few sentences from Zhang Tianchang, his spirits lifted.


    He understood the hint in Zhang Tianchang''s words¡ªthere should be a red envelope waiting, and a significant amount at that.


    This was certainly safer than provoking a level-three demonic creature.

 Chapter 36 The Chosen Constable

    Lin Rui and his companion tidied up slightly and then walked out the door, heading in the direction of Zhao''s home along the street.


    By this time, the sun had quietly set, the glow in the sky gradually faded, leaving behind a deep blue expanse.


    The twelve moons of varying sizes of the planet Tianji Star also outlined themselves in the sky.


    The planet they were on had a diameter of 1.17 million kilometers, just slightly smaller than the sun of the solar system.


    Given the massive mass of Tianji Star, it should have triggered a nuclear fusion reaction and become a dazzling sun, yet due to unknown reasons, its environment was not much different from that of Earth.


    Due to its astonishing mass, its rotation speed should also have been very fast, but it was restrained by the tidal forces of the giant sun of this solar system and its twelve large moons, making a day here a bit longer than on Earth, about 25 hours.


    This was like a strong man dragging a group of children in a turn, naturally unable to move quickly.


    Also, due to the presence of a mysterious power-filled underworld called ''Purgatory'' within Tianji Star, both the gravity and attraction of the planet were far lower than those of normal planets.


    This phenomenon was inexplicable scientifically but had indeed occurred; some scientists suspected that it was a meeting point of different space-time dimensions, yet this could not be proven.


    Just as the two of them looked up, admiring this unique view inside Tianji Star, Lin Rui felt a sudden drop in the temperature around him.


    At this moment, they had just walked into an intersection, Lin Rui sensed a warning sign, and electric light burst simultaneously from both sides of his temples, a strong electromagnetic induction instantly covering a ten-meter radius around him.


    Lin Rui then saw a familiar blood-red figure, floating twenty yards in front of him and stopping.


    Blood Blade?


    Lin Rui frowned, Blood Blade Ji, who had been following behind, had run to his front again, blocking the road.


    What was wrong with this Blood Blade Ji now? Was she preparing to kill him? Was she overcome by a bloodlust, wanting to devour them?


    "What''s happening?"


    Wang Sen couldn''t see the figure of Blood Blade Ji.


    Yet he didn''t hesitate to position the magic steel shield in front of Lin Rui, using the shield to protect the shapes of the two of them.


    Lin Rui''s martial arts capability was definitely stronger than his, but when it came to defense, Lin Rui couldn''t be better than the shield in his hands!


    He had promised Sister Jade, bearing the responsibility to guard Lin Rui safely!


    Seeing Wang Sen''s actions, Lin Rui couldn''t help feeling warmed inside, thinking that his predecessor had indeed made a good brother, this little chubby guy was truly dependable in crisis.


    At this point, Lin Rui''s mood had relaxed a bit.


    He noticed that Blood Blade Ji opposite him seemed to bear no intent to kill, only standing there motionless, quietly watching him with her bright red eyes.


    However, Lin Rui felt a strong and sharp telekinesis pressing towards him, causing a stinging sensation at the center of his forehead and his mind.


    Lin Rui''s face turned pale, wondering what this female demon was really after?


    He strenuously stimulated his own spiritual power, confronting the telekinesis pressing from Blood Blade Ji, barely holding his body from collapsing.


    After a few exchanges, however, Blood Blade Ji let out a surprised cry.


    "Grandmaster level Thunder Fire Stance?"


    The red figure suddenly retreated, standing thirty yards away as she fixed her gaze on him anew, her pupils seemingly flickering with surprise and severity.


    She then floated up, sheathed her sword, and moved aside, standing atop a nearby Zuihua House.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui''s mind briefly relaxed, and then, frowning, he looked puzzledly at the red-clothed girl.


    So Blood Blade Ji could speak? And her voice was quite pleasant. He had previously thought she was mute.


    Lin Rui cupped his hands towards Blood Blade Ji, "May I ask what your intentions truly are?"


    If she had any intentions, why not just speak to him directly instead of making him guess wildly?


    However, what annoyed Lin Rui was that Blood Blade Ji''s expression turned cold again, and she remained silent.


    What he failed to notice was that deep within Blood Blade Ji''s eyes, there lurked a hint of anticipation. Her hands concealed in her sleeves were even trembling slightly, with a few sparks flickering about.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The view from the fifth floor of Zuihua House was very open, so when Lin Rui and his companion were attacked, the young County Magistrate saw it immediately.


    At first, he couldn''t see Blood Blade Ji, but when this fourth realm demon put forth all her effort to deploy her telekinesis, attempting to overpower Lin Rui, the young County Magistrate finally spotted the bloody red figure in the middle of the street.


    It was Blood Blade Ji!


    The County Magistrate''s mind instantly tensed, and his hands tightly gripped the window railing.


    Could it be that Blood Blade Ji had developed a ''blood addiction'' and wished to kill Lin Rui?


    That wouldn''t do!


    When the County Magistrate decided to promote Lin Rui, he hadn''t held much hope, merely seeing a young man with some martial arts talent, hoping to cultivate a talent to safeguard the peace of the local people in Yinyue County.


    But then he was incredibly surprised. After Lin Rui took the position of assistant arrest officer, he had resolved three second realm demons in the vicinity of Hanhua Alley in just one afternoon!


    This was the first time the County Magistrate had encountered such an effective subordinate. Lin Rui was even more diligent and committed than Tian Chang, with enormous potential in the martial path and extraordinarily strong sensory abilities, truly a chosen material for a constable!


    More importantly, this child had passed his test and was trustworthy.


    Such a useful subordinate couldn''t just be lost, especially when most of the county government was vacant; a person like Lin Rui was even more precious.


    The problem was that at such a distance, he couldn''t save him even if he wanted to.


    Had it been another fourth realm demon, he might have been able to make it in time.


    But with Blood Blade Ji, if she wanted to kill someone, the County Magistrate had not the slightest confidence in protecting Lin Rui.


    What gave the County Magistrate a slight relief was that although Blood Blade Ji had made a move against the two from afar, she hadn''t used her full strength. After a brief contact with Lin Rui, she stepped back and vanished into thin air.

 Chapter 37 What is Blood Blade

    "This Blood Blade dame has such incredible techniques of concealment, she''s like a ghost, completely unpredictable,"


    The moment the incident occurred, Grandmaster Du was also on the fifth floor of the Zuihua House, witnessing the same scene from afar.


    His eyebrows deeply furrowed, his eyes full of dread, "Fortunately, this demon had no intention to kill; otherwise, these two would undoubtedly be dead."


    The young County Magistrate had already relaxed, nodding slightly, "This must be a kind of bloodline power; this ability is indeed terrifying. If she wanted to assassinate any of our people, except for me, I''m afraid no one in the office could defend against her. However, this also precisely proves that the recent murders near Hanhua Alley are likely unrelated to her."


    The County Magistrate spoke up to here and then slightly doubted as he propped his fan against his chin, "Looking at her, she doesn''t seem to be suffering from a blood addiction. Grandmaster Du, what do you think her intentions are?"


    Speaking of which, the few exchanges between Lin Rui and Blood Blade just now were also very powerful, possibly already at the Grandmaster level!


    If he hadn''t already verified it, he would almost suspect Lin Rui was a Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain.


    But now, it seems this child is merely extremely talented, truly a great surprise to him.


    The County Magistrate was even more puzzled by Blood Blade''s intentions.


    By acting this way, could it be that there is some trait on Lin Twelve that attracts the Blood Blade? Does she intend to form a bond with Lin Rui?


    If it really could be so, the young County Magistrate would actually be pleased to see it happen. It''s not a solution for the Blood Blade to continue like this; if the demon doesn''t consume blood, she will be tormented painfully by bloodlust, eventually leading to loss of control. However, if she starts to prey, she will completely succumb to her instincts, becoming no different from a beast.


    The only way to avoid this is to find a demon tamer, from whom she can obtain high-quality primal blood.


    The problem is Lin Twelve''s cultivation is not sufficient, a normal demon tamer must have a third realm cultivation, entering the blood training phase. Like Blood Blade''s previous master, that was a special case, not a countable example.


    Under the current situation, it''s more likely that Lin Twelve will keep being followed by her and end up being eaten by her¡ªunless, Lin Twelve can step into the third realm within a few days.


    Grandmaster Du also fell into contemplation upon hearing this.


    "Speaking of which, this Lin Twelve has indeed given us a surprise. Seeing him confront Blood Blade, both his telekinesis and blade technique are quite extraordinary."


    Grandmaster Du said this, suddenly his thought shifted, "My lord, could she be signaling a warning? Trying to stop Lin Twelve from going to Zhao''s family?"


    The young County Magistrate''s expression changed drastically and he looked in the direction of Zhao''s home.


    It was located on the eastern side of Hanhua Street, separated by seven streets, exactly at the edge of Lin Twelve''s jurisdiction, and five miles away from the Zuihua House where he was.


    "There''s trouble at the Zhao''s, it''s probably a trap!"


    He lifted a hand, taking off the jade pendant from his waist.


    Just as the County Magistrate was about to use this jade pendant to communicate with Lin Twelve, calling this potential major asset back, he discovered that the jade pendant emitted a ''sizzling'' sound.


    At that moment, he couldn''t contact Lin Twelve, nor could he reach Zhang Tianchang and the others.


    The young County Magistrate furrowed his brows and prepared to leap from the fifth floor of the Zuihua House, but saw countless black threads shooting out from underneath the Zuihua House.


    These black threads interwove like a spider web, and in an instant, it seemed like a giant birdcage enveloped the entire Zuihua House.


    The young County Magistrate''s pupils shrank slightly.


    "Fourth realm, Thousand Thread Demon!"


    It was not just one late fourth realm Thousand Thread Demon. The young County Magistrate also sensed two more fourth realm presences lurking around.


    The County Magistrate then took out the official seal hanging from his waist, tossing it downstairs, his expression extremely grim as he looked toward a shadow-covered alley below.


    This man-made demon not only had extremely powerful combat prowess but could also be used to nurture blades, with their bodies and royal blood fostering powerful demonic blades.


    Their potential was also exceptional, not only as upper-level demons but also having the credentials to be promoted to ''King.''


    The Blood Blade Maidens were once a power exclusive to the royal family of the Great Zhou Nation until the country''s downfall, after which the secret technique of transforming Blood Blade Maidens gradually spread.


    From then on, people came to know the necessary conditions for transforming a Blood Blade Maiden, which not only required imperial lineage but also their willing consent.


    Since then, women of royal descent had become highly coveted.


    Although the current dynasty''s royal women were untouchable, there were many female descendants from previous dynasties who were suitable candidates.


    "The wisdom of Blood Blade Maidens is very high, and even after mastering their masters, their spiritual intelligence won''t be affected. As long as their blood diet is assured, their actions are no different from ordinary people.


    However, their blood addiction will also become increasingly severe¡ª"Lin Rui listened intently to Wang Sen''s explanation about Blood Blade Maidens while falling into deep thought.


    He wondered whether the Blood Blade Maiden had stopped them earlier with good or ill intentions?


    It''s likely more out of goodwill?" he surmised.


    If the Blood Blade Maiden had come with malicious intent, why bother with complications?


    A straight blade strike would have sufficed.


    However, regardless of the situation, Zhao Yuanwai''s house might pose a great danger, perhaps even a dragon''s lair or a tiger''s den.


    Who else wanted to harm him? Was it Historian Jiang? Was it because he became the deputy arrest officer and a confidant of the County Magistrate, thus triggering a crisis?


    Lin Rui hesitated only briefly before continuing forward with resolute steps.


    He decided to take the risk. No matter what dangers lay hidden in Zhao''s house, the enemy couldn''t possibly know the full extent of his and Wang Sen''s strengths at this time.


    It was worth taking a look, and if the situation turned dire, they could think of ways to escape later.


    Lin Rui had endured the torment of advanced-stage blood cancer and the despair of having no cure, which had tempered his will.


    At the initial diagnosis, Lin Rui felt as if the sky had fallen, overwhelmed with weakness and fear daily, following medical advice that led to a rapid deterioration of his condition.


    Later, he completely let go and began to face death calmly, living stubbornly and optimistically. He ended up living three years longer than the doctors had predicted, though it was still torturous for him.


    If fate decreed that he was to die here, there was no need to be overly cautious.


    If this was indeed a plot by the historian, then it was crucial to seize the opportunity while the fog of war still lingered between the two parties and collect some heads first.


    Only by weakening the enemy''s strength as much as possible could he enhance his own chances and vitality.


    Besides, they needed to investigate the Blood Blade Maiden thoroughly as soon as possible, clarifying her background and origin.


    Lin Rui thought to himself, if the Blood Blade Maiden willingly chose to transform into a demon, then why did she devour her master? If she stopped them from going to Zhao''s house out of goodwill, were the bloody incidents in Hanhua Alley also her doing?


    And why did she keep following him? She could speak, yet she was as silent as a mute, not responding to any questions.


    Lin Rui felt it was necessary to look into this thoroughly.


    Unfortunately, Lin Rui hadn''t even mastered the language of Tianji Star, let alone its writing and reading.


    This matter could only be entrusted to the chubby boy beside him after dealing with Zhao''s house.

 Chapter 38 Goodbye, Snake Hand

    Zhao Yuanwai''s residence was extremely spacious, occupying half of the street with its five-section grand mansion.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen arrived there to find a large crowd gathered at the entrance of the Zhao family home.


    They formed small groups, whispering among themselves while occasionally standing on tiptoes to peek inside the courtyard.


    When Lin Rui and the other approached, the crowd parted to either side, as if fearful to obstruct their path.


    "The constables are here, make way!"


    "How strange, this is an arrest officer? Why haven''t we seen him before?"


    "So young, barely grown into his features, can he handle this?"


    Lin Rui''s gaze had already pierced through the crowd and landed on Zhao Yuanwai.


    This was a man in his forties, plump and wealthy-looking, dressed in a celestial variant of the Yuanwai attire, standing conspicuously at the gate.


    At the moment, Zhao Yuanwai was clutching the doorframe, peeking inside with the escort of several Protectors and a group of county soldiers.


    Next to him stood a butler, tall and thin, with a sallow complexion.


    Noticing Lin Rui and Wang Sen approaching, the butler frowned deeply: "Where is Zhang Tianchang? Why did he only send the two of you here?"


    The butler looked Lin Rui up and down with a skeptical expression: "You are an arrest officer? As far as I know, there''s no one like you in the county yamen."


    Lin Rui did not answer. He took out his waist plaque and shook it in front of the butler, then stood firm in the center of the gate: "What exactly is the situation? It''s just a second-realm demon; can''t you handle it yourselves?"


    The Zhao family was clearly wealthy; the eight Protectors around Zhao Yuanwai were all formidable, muscular, and well-equipped.


    The leader of the Protectors even had cultivation in the third realm, ''Blood Replacement''. Lin Rui could sense the powerful spiritual energy emanating from them from a distance.


    Moreover, twenty county soldiers had arrived, all first-realm Martial Cultivators, with two being in the second realm.


    Lin Rui couldn''t understand. Did they really need to be so frightened of a second-realm demon?


    Listening to the conversations outside the courtyard gate, he knew that most of these people were Zhao Yuanwai''s household members and servants.


    This entire family had retreated outside the courtyard.


    "It''s not that we can''t handle it, but that we can''t find it!"


    The head Protector bowed helplessly: "This demon is skilled in concealing itself, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. We''ve searched the entire courtyard and can''t find any trace of it, yet it managed to harm another person. Hong is ashamed. I can''t even determine its species. To prevent further incidents, I suggested that Yuanwai evacuate everyone from the residence."


    He glanced sideways at the group of county soldiers; "Just now, two officers led people inside to search, to no avail."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui nodded slightly, recognizing that this Protector head was not only diligent but also rational.


    He then asked in a focused voice, "Since you''ve all never seen it, how can you be sure it''s a second-realm demon?"


    "When it killed, I sensed its aura. Additionally, Arrest Officer Lord will understand once he sees the corpse of the deceased."No?v(el)B\\jnn


    While the head Protector was responding, Zhao Yuanwai also turned around to greet them with a bow: "May I ask for the Arrest Officer''s esteemed surname?"


    This was because, after reaching the third level, demonic entities would drain nearly all of a victim''s vital blood, leaving the body dry like drained wood.


    "Brother Twelve, did you notice anything?" Wang Sen quietly inquired, "The conjugation skill is extremely sophisticated, and claws are used, it feels somewhat like the Hidden Claw Demon, but it doesn''t quite explain why a level three Martial Cultivator couldn''t trace it."


    He knew that Lin Rui''s perceptive abilities were very strong, far surpassing his own.


    The earlier evil spirit was discovered by Lin Rui, and even when the Blood Blade attacked, Lin Rui was able to react in advance, while Wang Sen had not sensed any aberrations.


    "Not quite."


    Lin Rui shook his head, responding quietly, "It feels more like a beastly demon, possibly a cat demon. Its perception is very sharp and it''s extremely agile, be careful."


    At that moment, his gaze toward the butler ahead was unusual, as he gathered strength under the cover of the Concealing Breath Skill within his body.


    Lin Rui had already realized that his sensory abilities were quite strong. The traces of the Blood Blade that others couldn''t detect, he could see.


    His eyes could see things unnoticed by others, his spiritual power could even project outward up to three meters¡ªthese talents might originate from his unawakened unknown Sacred Body.


    Just now, Lin Rui had noticed near the murder scene, there were tracks resembling cat paw prints.


    The paw prints were very faint, imperceivable to ordinary people, but not to his eyes.


    In Tianji Star, there weren''t cats, but there were creatures similar in shape and habit, which the federation''s biologists, out of laziness, directly named ''Tianji Star Cats,'' classified under the cat family, subfamily of Tianji Star cats.


    At this moment, they happened to be passing by a storage room, and Lin Rui''s expression shifted as he stood still.


    "Is that barrels of oil over there? Butler, why is there so much oil here? Can''t it fit inside the storage room?"


    On both sides of the storage room were piled more than a hundred large wooden barrels, their exteriors sleek and shiny.


    The butler turned his head to look and responded indifferently, "That''s vegetable oil. Don''t you know? Our master is the biggest oil merchant in the county. Our household produces hundreds of thousands of liters of oil each year. This is freshly pressed from this year''s harvest and hasn''t been sent to the provincial city yet."


    Upon hearing about the oil, Wang Sen glared fiercely at Lin Rui.


    With so much oil, let''s not burn it again.


    At this moment, the butler had already walked up to the archway ahead, "This side is the back garden; you''d better keep up, it''s quite winding inside. Don''t blame me if you get lost."


    The butler led the way and Wang Sen followed closely behind.


    He walked in front of Lin Rui, shield in hand, looking cautious, guarding against the level two demonic entity.


    The moment Wang Sen stepped in, he tensed up, looked up, and saw a shadow swooping down from the top of the archway.


    ¡ªIt really was a cat demon!


    In Tianji Star, any beast transformed by magic is a demon!


    As Wang Sen instinctively threw the torch and raised his shield to defend against the cat demon, the butler walking ahead slightly raised the corners of his lips, a gleam of triumph in his eyes, thinking the end was near for the two men behind him.


    But just as he turned around, confident and flashing his sleeve sword, ready to pierce through Wang Sen''s neck, his expression froze slightly as he saw a hand wrapped in thunder and flame abruptly appear in front of his eyes.


    The butler was incredulous.


    Was that the Red Thunder Snake Hand? Was it that Lin Twelve? But how was that possible?

 Chapter 39 Fifteen Consecutive Kills

    "Boom!"


    When Lin Rui''s palm struck the butler''s chest, a deafening explosion immediately occurred, and a massive amount of blood and flesh splattered from behind the butler, splashing up to twenty meters away.


    Lin Rui''s palm had actually pierced straight through the butler''s chest and abdomen.


    Because of the penetration through his chest and abdomen, the butler''s body lost force; he staggered back a few steps, then collapsed on the ground, his eyes wide in disbelief as he looked at Lin Rui, his voice strained, "Why, why do you want to kill me?"


    How, how on earth did he find out?


    Considering the timing of Lin Rui''s attack, it must have been before that cat demon pounced.


    The butler thought his acting was perfect, revealing no flaws. However, he couldn''t wait for an answer, as Lin Rui''s palm had already shattered his internal organs and severed his spine, cutting off his lifeline.


    Barely managing to speak these words, the butler lost consciousness as darkness enveloped him.


    Lin Rui couldn''t be bothered to answer the butler.


    In his eyes, the Demonic Qi hidden within the butler was as conspicuous as fireflies in the night.


    After the palm strike, Lin Rui immediately stepped back, drew his saber, and covered Wang Sen''s flank, generating a series of ''clangs'' from beside them.


    Wang Sen was also surprised at Lin Rui''s palm strike towards the butler.


    He didn''t have time to ponder, his gaze fixed on the black cat.


    Wang Sen responded swiftly and decisively; he simply blocked with his shield, used his Cold True Qi to slow the cat demon''s speed, and then slashed off the black cat''s head with his sword.


    This move was clean and swift, ending the battle in the blink of an eye.


    However, if it were Wang Sen''s own body, he wouldn''t have been able to do it.


    But his current clone, possessing the "Divine Right" and "Celestial Speed" bloodlines, had True Qi, strength, reaction, and speed far superior to ordinary Martial Cultivators.


    Wang Sen''s Ice True Qi also penetrated the cat demon''s brain, completely freezing its lifeforce.


    Since demons with mutated flesh have strong regenerative capabilities and are difficult to kill, Wang Sen spared no effort.


    Right after dealing with the cat demon, Wang Sen forcefully smashed his shield to the side.


    Following a loud explosion, the two figures fiercely battling Lin Rui were finally forced to retreat.


    By now, Lin Rui was heaving, breath ragged, and his arms were trembling slightly.


    The two enemies he had confronted were very strong, both being Martial Artists of the third realm with robust saber skills, and they pressured him immensely.


    Lin Rui had to use both hands wielding his saber, fully invoking his Divine Right bloodline to cope, yet in that brief time, the two opponents nearly made him lose grip of his long saber.


    After they retreated, Lin Rui got a clear view of their figures, his pupils slightly constricting, "Demon Cultivators?"


    Indeed, they were two Demon Cultivators, their right shoulders conspicuously covered with a layer of bone armor, enhancing their strength far beyond that of normal third realm Martial Artists.


    "Is this a perfected Red Thunder Palm? Your saber technique is also outstanding, seemingly perfected as well. No wonder the County Magistrate promoted you to deputy arrest officer."


    "Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"


    Until Lin Rui''s twelfth saber strike, the long-haired demonic cultivator showed no change in expression.


    Not until Lin Rui''s thirteenth strike did the long-haired demonic cultivator''s composure begin to waver slightly.


    A second-level Martial Cultivator, even with superior physical quality or top bloodline, could only perform twelve slashes.


    Lin Rui''s ability to execute the thirteenth slash had only one possibility.


    The guy''s Red Thunder Saber technique had already reached the Grandmaster level!


    This young man must not yet be 19 years old, his skull just closed, and less than a year into his cultivative journey, what immense martial talent!


    The long-haired demonic cultivator coldly smiled, still poised and composed.


    His right hand bone armor quickly spread and extended, in an instant covering his entire shoulder and right hand, and its length also increased by three inches.


    This gave him another significant boost in strength, not only firmly blocking Lin Rui''s saber but even managing to rebound Lin Rui''s saber momentum!


    Lin Rui saw this and slightly furrowed his brow.


    He knew that even if he executed the remaining three slashes, he likely couldn''t overcome this demonic cultivator.


    This was the first opponent that his Nine Slashes of Red Thunder couldn''t resolve.


    No wonder he was a third-level demonic cultivator. Although nowhere near Nolan Wei, he was definitely not someone Lin Rui could currently confront.


    But from the probing just now, there seemed no need to use possession.


    Using Soul Power would suffice¡ª


    Just as he executed his fifteenth slash, Lin Rui, with a thought, injected thirty Soul Power points into his flesh and soul.


    For safety, he used thirty Soul Power points at once to ensure no failures!


    Lin Rui actually wanted to use more, but from the amplitude increase last time, over-investing could damage his body due to his inability to withstand it.


    "Boom!"


    In that instant, two lightning-fire snakes as thick as fingers explosively emerged from Lin Rui''s body, and his saber in that instant turned into a blur!


    The long-haired demonic cultivator''s pupils dilated in shock, "What''s going on?"


    Because Lin Rui''s saber speed suddenly erupted, catching the long-haired demonic cultivator off guard, his defensive slash failed to block Lin Rui''s saber light as he had anticipated.


    "Shriek!"


    Amidst the thunderous explosions, Lin Rui''s saber swiftly swept across the long-haired demonic cultivator''s neck, drawing a streak of bright red blood through the lightning.


    The long-haired demonic cultivator''s head dropped, his eyes vacant.


    What happened? Could Lin Rui''s saber speed burst like this at such a moment? How did he manage that?

 Chapter 40 Restraint

    Lin Rui decapitated the long-haired demon cultivator, causing another one to lose his color in shock. He didn''t hesitate to jump back, trying to escape from Wang Sen and withdraw from the battle.


    Lin Rui immediately roared, "Wang Twenty-Seven!"


    "Understood!"


    Wang Sen took advantage of the demon cultivator being confined by the terrain, preparing to jump over the garden wall, and charged out enveloped in a fierce wind.


    ¡ªThis was the secret technique "Ice Follows the Wind" from the "Ice Wind Sword"!


    Originally fast, being a nimble little chubby fellow, now amplified by the Speed Blood Vein, Wang Sen''s presence became even more domineering like a cannonball ferociously striking the demon cultivator who was trying to flee.


    His sword, although it did not injure the demon cultivator, broke the opponent''s leaping momentum and cornered him against the wall.


    Just a moment later, in a flash of thunder and lightning, Lin Rui rushed over.


    This time he gathered his strength and used the Red Thunder Snake Hand!


    In this Red Thunder Snake Hand, Lin Rui had added a full thirty points of Soul Power!


    "Boom!"


    The man was unable to block Lin Rui''s palm and could only rely on the second-tier armor on his chest and the bone armor spreading quickly from his shoulder to bear the brunt.


    This tyrannical and ferocious force of the palm hammered him so hard that blood spilled from his mouth and nose, and he smashed through the wall, rolling over backwards several times.


    As he struggled to stabilize his tumbling vital energy and stand up, Lin Rui had already charged in front of him once again.


    This time, Lin Rui switched to the "Nine Cuts of Red Thunder".


    "Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang¡ª"


    Their weapons clashed like forging iron, continuously without end.


    The demon cultivator struggled to hold on, and just as he managed to withstand until the seventh strike, he noticed Wang Sen was also on the pursuit.


    The chubby fellow didn''t join in but instead took out three throwing knives from a distance of three meters, aiming in his direction and poised to throw.


    As the demon cultivator was fully on guard, Lin Rui''s body lit up with thunder and fire snakes once again, his blade speed suddenly increased, forcibly breaking through the demon cultivator''s defense and striking his forehead.


    The ferocious blade force nearly split his head in two.


    Tip: By killing the third-stage demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you''ve obtained 388 points of Soul Power.


    Tip: By killing the third-stage demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you''ve obtained 438 points of Soul Power.


    Tip: By killing the third-stage demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you''ve obtained 463 points of Soul Power.


    Lin Rui didn''t have time to pay attention to the notifications in his mind, he was taking deep breaths, easing the surging vital energy within his body, quickly restoring his True Qi.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that indeed these demon-transformed Martial Cultivators were much tougher than the two he had encountered in the basement of Xue''s School, very difficult to kill.


    However, the Soul Power was unexpectedly minimal, none comparing to the ''Thousand Thread Demon'' he faced in the morning.


    Although the fighting ability of the Thousand Thread Demon was lower than these three demon-transformed Martial Cultivators, it offered as much as 532 points of Soul Power.


    That butler, not even breaking the 400 barrier this time, was truly a disgrace among demon cultivators.


    Wang Sen was also rapidly gasping for breath, his lungs puffing up like a broken bellows.


    It turned out this person was incredibly powerful!


    At this moment, Zhao Yuanwai had also figured out the situation, his heart jumped and he took several steps back.


    Then, trembling, he waved his hand, "Someone, go and bring me silver, 300 taels of demon silver! Also, from my storeroom, bring two middle-grade Soul Stones and two Dragon-Tiger Meridian Pills, and prepare a banquet! Make it the best wine and dishes, I want to properly host these two heroes!"


    He did not know that the three demonic cultivators were specifically targeting Lin Rui, and at this moment, he felt genuine gratitude.


    The thought that his own steward had been a demonic cultivator all along, secretly lurking by his side, made him shiver with fear.


    The crowd behind them was abuzz with murmurs,


    "Killed three third realm demonic cultivators? Is that real or fake?"


    "Could it be fake? Didn''t you hear the commotion just now? Didn''t Instructor Hong just confirm it himself? You know what kind of person Instructor Hong is; he wouldn''t speak recklessly."


    "Impressive! I thought this Deputy Constable Lin was too young, inexperienced, and unreliable, but who knew his abilities were so robust."


    "Who would have thought that we have such a powerful person in our county office!"


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen exchanged glances and both smirked.


    It seems they could make a good profit from this incident.


    Just as Lin Rui was about to ask Zhao Yuanwai which delicacies to prepare, Lin Rui''s waist token suddenly began to heat up.


    He took the waist token and pressed the beast head button, and the voice of the County Magistrate came out from it.


    "You two return to the county office immediately, be sure to be cautious on the way, I have arranged rooms for you. For the next month, you are to stay within the county office, and try not to go home at night."


    Lin Rui was startled by these words, then he silently sighed.


    It seemed he wouldn''t be able to enjoy Zhao Yuanwai''s banquet today, a pity! He was actually very curious about the food from Tiantai Star.


    He then instinctively glanced in the direction of Zuihua House.


    Lin Rui was slightly stunned; he discovered that Zuihua House was on fire, blazing brightly, and particularly noticeable in the night.


    Lin Rui also saw a girl in red standing on a nearby wall, looking at him with an unusual gaze.


    Lin Rui glared back fiercely¡ªmind your own business!


    Wait until I reach the fourth realm, let''s see if you dare to look then.


    Meanwhile, at Zuihua House, the young County Magistrate was pleasanterly extending his hand, suppressing the fire behind Zuihua House with his strong True Yuan.


    He had just seen the situation at Zhao Yuanwai''s house.


    Lin Twelve and Wang Twenty-Seven had both survived; they had been trapped in such a perilous situation yet emerged unscathed and even counter-killed three third realm demonic cultivators.


    The powerful combat abilities displayed by these two young men truly surprised him.


    Instructor Du was wrong; this idle move he played turned out to be a sharp and piercing knife.


    The child had actually cultivated the Thunder Fire Pillar Technique to the Grandmaster level, which greatly repressed demons and demonic cultivators. Their strong regenerative abilities were useless in front of Lin Twelve.


    The young County Magistrate also knew why the Blood Blade Lady was following Lin Twelve now, and his eyes showed a hint of anticipation and excitement.


    Reaching the third realm within a few days would not be very difficult for this child, would it?

 Chapter 41 Leveling Up to Become Stronger

    Three days later, in the early morning, within a small courtyard behind the county government office.


    Lin Rui was practicing the Thunder Fire Stance work as early as dawn.


    His hands were wrapped in thunder and fire, with soft yet forceful movements and light and agile steps, akin to controlling a pair of thunder and fire snakes, dancing together under the early morning sunlight.


    Lin Rui''s breathing was almost perfectly synchronized with his movements, each breath accompanied by the rise and fall of his body and the flow of energy. His posture was sometimes as gentle as flowing water and sometimes as swift as the wind, with each move filled with rhythm.


    His body and mind were deeply relaxed and unfolded to their greatest extent, as if blending with the universe, while a continuous popping sound like frying soybeans came from deep within him.


    With the aid of this grandmaster-level Thunder Fire Stance work, Lin Rui''s second meridian channel was being forcefully penetrated like sections of bamboo.


    "Not bad! The efficiency of meridian opening through the grandmaster-level Thunder Fire Stance work is already perfect. All stance forms have been adjusted to their optimal state, fully adapted to this body. After adding ten points of Soul Power improvement, the growth in True Qi and spiritual power is quite astonishing.


    Although I lack specialized equipment to measure it, it should be a 100% increase, where one point of Soul Power boosts by ten percent,"


    "However, this seems slightly uneconomical. Practicing daily like this, wouldn''t the consumption of Soul Power points be massive? Besides, the current highest increase is 100%. If I aim higher, the efficiency dramatically drops, with only seven percent improvement per one point of Soul Power."


    "The efficiency of meridian opening hasn''t changed much, about 20% faster than before. But as my True Qi increases and my spiritual power strengthens, the speed of piercing through the meridian channels will also elevate correspondingly."


    After practicing a full round, Lin Rui sat down quietly to regulate his breath.


    Once he felt his spirit and energy were restored to their optimal state, Lin Rui took out a green porcelain bottle and poured out a red pill the size of half a fist.


    This was the ''Dragon Tiger Meridian Pill'' gifted by Zhao, the wealthy merchant, on that night. It was one of the best pills for meridian opening in Tianjixing, and it was said that even martial artists with the poorest aptitude could use this to forcibly open two meridian channels.


    Outworld practitioners could exchange for this item through the official interface of the Outworld Management Bureau, with the price being one hundred thousand Federation dollars or a hundred taels of demon silver.


    Lin Rui had not taken it because he wanted to understand the best way to use ''Soul Power points'' and at the same time perfect his Thunder Fire Stance work, making it perfectly compatible with his physique.


    Only today did Lin Rui finally feel confident enough to maximize the effects of the Dragon Tiger Meridian Pill, benefiting from it to the greatest extent.


    He put the pill in his mouth, crushed it with his teeth, then swallowed. Afterward, he waited silently.


    When his whole body began to heat up, and his internal energy gradually swelled and began to boil and surge, Lin Rui stood up once again to perform the Thunder Fire Stance work.


    This time the scene was different. The thunder and fire snakes coiled around his body were even more ferocious and domineering, swelling in size, and Lin Rui''s movements became even more vigorous and agile.


    The popping noises inside Lin Rui''s body had shifted from frying soybeans to popping popcorn, creating a constant ''pitter-patter'' sound that never ceased.


    "I''ve opened six!" Lin Rui looked Wang Sen up and down, "And you, Twenty-seventh, how many now?"


    It might seem like Wang Sen had left early in the morning, but in fact, he had already completed his stance training.


    His training was in ''Wind-Chi Stance'', consisting of static and dynamic parts, each requiring half an hour of practice at midnight.


    So when Lin Rui had fallen asleep last night, Wang Sen had already done his stance training.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, practiced at dawn when the sun rose, as that was the best time for him.


    Back in the ninth base, without a real sun, any time was fine for training, but inside Tianji Star, one must align with the right timing.


    "I also took the ''Dragon-Tiger Meridian Pill'' yesterday and opened three meridians; the fourth was almost open but missed by a hair. So in total, I have about 4.9 meridians open now," Wang Sen said.


    Wang Sen was amazed, "Truly worthy of being Twelfth Brother; to have opened six all at once is too impressive."


    The body he had taken over was actually older than Lin Rui by two months, and he had been cultivating for a little longer, so at the beginning of his descent, he had 11.9 out of 12 meridians opened.


    Now, he found himself behind Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui gave a slight nod upon hearing this.


    Wang Sen''s talent was actually pretty awesome, worthy of someone who managed to rise to rank 213 in practical assessments even in the backwater of Mingde School.


    His mastery of stances could be said to be second only to the original Lin Rui, so he was also able to fully absorb the effects of the ''Dragon-Tiger Meridian Pill''.


    In Lin Rui''s view, if Wang Sen had enough resources and the guidance of a Grandmaster, his overall strength could actually enter the top 20 in the city.


    It should be known that Wang Sen''s family situation wasn''t much better than Lin Rui''s declining family fortunes, and he didn''t have the luxury of childhood guidance from a powerful Martial Cultivator like Instructor Xue teaching him stances and martial arts closely.


    Wang Sen''s achievements were all due to his own understanding.


    Lin Rui then cast a sidelong glance at the red shadow standing on the wall, before a powerful magnetic field erupted from his palm, enveloping the surrounding ten meters.


    Although he had now adapted and treated the presence of Blood Blade with indifference, he still needed to take precautions.


    After activating the silencing field, Lin Rui spoke in a lowered voice, "Did you find the office of the Exotic Management Bureau? How much federal currency did you exchange?"


    This was what he was most concerned about at the moment.


    ```

 Chapter 42 The Prestige of Deputy Arrest Officer Lin

    "I found it¡ªyou''d never guess their branch''s location; it''s hidden inside a coffin shop at the southern city gate, and it''s an old brand that''s been in business for 50 years."


    Wang Sen snickered, "Don''t worry, I disguised myself during my visit, and I even added twenty centimeters to my height. I was very careful the whole time, ensuring that my identity would not be exposed.


    In total, eight hundred taels of demon silver were exchanged for 800,000 federal dollars, minus taxes I received 720,000, which has already been distributed into our two accounts using a three-seven split."


    Wang Sen was very confident in his makeup skills and anti-tracking abilities.


    Although it was just an elective course at Alien Body College, Wang Sen had achieved an ''A'' grade across the board.


    He then said regretfully, "What a pity, we could have earned an extra 200,000 if we had sold to those companies and institutions."


    Lin Rui remained unconvinced.


    Selling demon silver as an alien body walker was somewhat like selling game currency in an online game.


    Although selling to companies and institutions earned more, the transactions were also more troublesome and had no guarantees.


    First, they had to contact the buyer online, agree on a price, and then meet up to hand over the silver. The whole process was fraught with tremendous risks.


    Encountering some unscrupulous companies could even lead to murder and robbery, or their alien body identities being sold out to others, even to the officials of Tianji Star.


    Unlike the Alien Body Management Bureau, although the prices were rather exorbitant, they were reliable and swift.


    The Alien Body Management Bureau had very strict management and confidentiality measures internally. Even if a branch was exposed, it rarely implicated the alien body walkers within its jurisdiction. In six hundred years, they had never leaked any alien body walker''s information.


    Fang Ranran had mentioned that if they had any earnings, they could sell to the Tianlan Group, but such a small business of a few hundred thousand federal dollars was probably not appealing to them, and contacting them was a hassle too.


    Thinking of the money already transferred into his account, Lin Rui couldn''t help but smile.


    The eight hundred taels of demon silver Wang Sen had exchanged were the result of their continuous hard work over three days.


    The two had slain seven demons in seven days, and including their gains at Zhao Yuanwai''s house, they had acquired a total of eleven hundred taels of demon silver.


    They kept three hundred taels and exchanged the rest for money.


    70% of 720,000 is 504,000. Lin Rui already had plans for the money required for the ''Divine Thunder Sunflame'' meridian edition and his Dantian.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that being an alien body walker indeed made good money; it was truly the best way for federal commoners to obtain wealth and climb up in class.


    Before Lin Rui and his companion''s arrival, they had never imagined amassing a fortune of 800,000 federal dollars in just three days, several times more than their own salaries.


    However, thinking back to the fierce battle at Zhao Yuanwai''s house three days ago, Lin Rui realized that this money was earned with their lives.


    A demonic cultivator at the third realm, equal in strength to a captain in Mass Armor, was only worth 200,000 federal dollars after all.


    The two were certainly exceptions among their peers.


    Most alien body walkers had a tough life when they first arrived, not to mention making money.


    Nowadays, everyone in this Government Office knew of the deputy arrest officer Lin''s reputation.


    Three days ago, the County Magistrate promoted him as deputy arrest officer, responsible for the security of Hanhua Alley and the surrounding seven streets. Many people wanted to see Lin Rui make a fool of himself at that time.


    However, just half a day after taking office, he consecutively slain three demons, and later was ambushed at the home of Mr. Zhao, surrounded by three third-realm demonic cultivators.


    The outcome surprised everyone, as Lin Rui, together with Wang Sen, reversed the situation by killing all of those third-realm demonic cultivators and also slew a second-realm cat demon.


    That day, when Lin Rui returned from Mr. Zhao''s home, the incident shocked everyone in the Government Official''s office and then stirred the whole city.


    Everyone in Silver Moon County knew that the Government Office now had another fearsome figure not to be provoked.


    The County Magistrate recognized his merits that same night, officially appointing Lin Rui as the deputy arrest officer and promoting his staff member Wang Sen to a black belt.


    Lin Rui achieved an increase of two ranks in just one day, and Wang Sen was promoted to black belt, but now there was not a single person in the office who doubted them.


    Over the next two days, Lin Rui not only continuously killed three third-realm and one second-realm demons, but his actions also resulted in two continuous days without any homicides near Hanhua Alley.


    This made everyone who had doubted Lin Rui''s achievements at the Zhao residence stop their suspicions altogether.


    When the two arrived at the checkpoint called ''Gather Classics,'' there were already many people waiting, but the crowd parted ways spontaneously upon seeing their arrival, clearing a path for them.


    It was at this moment that a roaring sound like thunder came from the north, "Scram! All of you, scram!"


    Someone else bellowed, "Anyone who dares to block our way, dies!"


    Lin Rui was momentarily startled, the noise coming from the direction of the prison.


    Following the sound, he saw three robust figures bursting out from a corridor in the northeast.


    The trio''s aura was fierce like wolves, using the iron chains locked on their hands as weapons.


    These iron chains were tremendously powerful, smashing nearby walls and wooden pillars to debris, and forcing back several prison guards and Government Officials trying to block them.


    "They are third-realm Martial Cultivators, and two of them show signs of demonic possession."


    Wang Sen looked surprised and whispered to Lin Rui, "It''s strange, why don''t they have stabilization nails in them?"


    Lin Rui''s eyes narrowed slightly. After scanning the surroundings, he realized that none of the deputy arrest officers or arrest officers were present.


    He immediately realized that today''s scenario was aimed at them.


    Lin Rui smiled coldly, confidently walked to the doorway, and blocked the must-pass path of the three men.


    As the trio rushed forward, they were about thirty to forty meters away and suddenly widened their pupils in surprise and bloodthirsty fierceness.


    Although one was a deputy arrest officer and the other a black belt, they were only just over eighteen years old; how much cultivation could they have?


    These young lads, how dare they block their path?

 Chapter 43 Killing with a Bang

    Just as the three escaped convicts were fleeing from the county jail, the crowd gathered for roll call at the assembly point scattered in alarm, some hiding in corners of the courtyard, others standing against the wall.


    Even the assembly organizer himself went ''bang'' and shut the door of his government office.


    Although he also possessed the strength of the Third Realm, he was not skilled in combat. Having served as a civil officer for decades, his martial arts abilities had long grown rusty.


    In the courtyard, only a few constables drew their weapons and feigned readiness, posing as if they were about to fight.


    Not daring to confront them head-on, they kept a distance of a dozen steps, shouting loudly and fiercely.


    In fact, there were not many constables remaining inside the county government office, as the majority were civil officials, all with terrified expressions.


    "How did these three escape? Are all the prison guards dead?"


    "How else could they have escaped? Didn''t you see that the Town Yuan nails in their bodies have been pulled out? They are also brimming with vitality, obviously well-fed before the jailbreak."


    "Could it be Jiang Dianshi? That''s outrageous. If we''re unlucky, someone could get killed."


    "Silence! Is this something we can discuss? Right now, we don''t even know if Lin, the arrest officer, can stop them."


    "I don''t know. Although Lin the arrest officer killed three demon cultivators at the Zhao residence three days ago and displayed exceptional combat prowess, as far as I know, he defeated them one after another. Today''s situation is different, and don''t forget he''s only of the Second Realm."


    "Exactly! These three are joining forces and taking desperate measures, fighting with the ferocity of trapped beasts."


    At this moment, everyone inside the courtyard was watching Lin Rui, eager to see if he could stop the three escaped convicts.


    Lin Rui stood still, his hand resting on his saber, gathering momentum.


    Without waiting for the three to reach him, he suddenly drew his blade, and a burst of thunderous red fire erupted around him!


    Immobile as a mountain when still, he was like a thunderbolt when he moved.


    With a flash, he appeared before the man in the center of the trio.


    Lin Rui targeted the strongest among them, aiming to break their momentum with a direct strike!


    The man appeared to be in his thirties with muscles coiled like dragons, and on both sides of his forehead were budding horns yet to fully form.


    Caught off guard by Lin Rui''s direct attack, the man was surprised and unprepared.


    What a fast blade!


    The horned martial cultivator never expected Lin Rui to act so fiercely and swiftly when he made his move!


    He let out an angry grunt and his arms swelled rapidly, exerting all his strength to slam the chains in his hands toward his opponent.


    "You''re looking for death!"


    Unable to intercept, he resolutely chose to trade blow for blow! As long as he could force the other side to divert the saber strike, each of them swinging a chain could smash this fellow into pieces!


    But the next instant, he saw a surge of thunder and lightning erupt from Lin Rui''s arm and the blade.


    Lin Rui''s saber speed suddenly increased!


    "Fizz!"


    "So sharp! With Arrest Officer Lin''s Red Thunder Saber, even the Imperial City Division should be well within reach."


    Zhang Tianchang entered right at that moment.


    After receiving the alert, he hurried to the government office as fast as he could, only to arrive a step too late.


    Fortunately, the outcome was not as bad as he had feared in his worst-case scenario.


    Glancing around, Zhang Tianchang could roughly deduce what had happened just by looking at the two corpses.


    Afterward, his gaze towards Lin Rui was somewhat complex.


    That night, Zhang Tianchang had been shocked to the core when he learned that Lin Rui had slain three third-realm demon cultivators at the Zhao residence, it seemed inconceivable.


    How could Lin Rui''s combat power be so strong?


    If even Zhang Tianchang found those three third-realm demon cultivators somewhat tricky to handle, yet they were killed by Lin Rui and his companion working together.


    Today''s scene was even more startling to him.


    Lin Rui''s strength had grown even more formidable.


    Zhang Tianchang felt it very peculiar.


    Lin Rui was like a small sapling he picked casually by the roadside without much thought, but the next day, the sapling had turned into a towering tree, reaching the same height as himself.


    "Lin Rui''s aura is very restrained and doesn''t show much, but he must have taken the Dragon-Tiger Path-Opening Pill, having opened more than five meridians," Zhang Tianchang thought.


    Zhang Tianchang possessed a unique spiritual vision talent, yet he could not discern the depth of Lin Rui''s actual strength, only Wang Sen''s vigorous vital energy was visible to him.


    It must be the residual of practicing stake skills until reaching the peak of vital energy.


    Zhang Tianchang knew that Zhao Yuanwai had given Lin Rui and Wang Sen two Dragon-Tiger Path-Opening Pills and two mid-grade Soul Stones.


    They should have used those items by now, having opened several meridian channels and made significant advancements in their cultivation.


    Zhang Tianchang was very pleased, as their strengths should be even greater now, able to stand on their own.


    Lin Rui also saw Zhang Tianchang at this time. His spirits lifted, and he walked over with a beaming face: "Chief Arrest Officer!"


    Seeing him approaching, Zhang Tianchang, as if seeing a fifth-realm evil spirit, quickened his pace in a hurry and dashed towards the main gate.


    Even with Lin Rui shouting "Chief Arrest Officer, Chief Arrest Officer" behind him, Zhang Tianchang pretended not to hear, without slowing down his steps, in fact, going even faster.


    He waved his hand backwards, laughing: "It''s fine! We are all brothers, no need for formalities. What''s that? I didn''t catch that, I have some matters to attend to, I''ll take my leave first."


    Lin Rui''s team lacks several members, especially since Hanhua Alley is an important area for the county''s revenue and usually required additional personnel.


    The problem is, there are only about sixty constables in the entire government office at the moment; the rest have either resigned or are on leave at home.


    Although the government office has been recruiting these past few days, the County Magistrate has given specific instructions to favor quality over quantity. The new recruits must not only have a clean personal and family background, be honest and reliable, but also possess strong martial abilities, and so only six people have been recruited in total.


    With staff shortages all over the county city, where would Zhang Tianchang find extra people to allot to Lin Rui?


    That''s why he felt a headache whenever he saw Lin Rui.

 Chapter 44 Three Days

    After Lin Rui left the government office, he did not continue the chase.


    Zhang Tianchang was such an ignoble character, despite being the chief arrest officer, he actually jumped onto the roof beams and with a few leaps, he disappeared without a trace, making Lin Rui sigh in frustration.


    Wang Sen also caught up from behind, and upon seeing this, he let out a chuckle, "It seems Chief Zhang still doesn''t provide us with any backup."


    Because the archivist position was vacant, the County Magistrate appointed Zhang Tianchang as the chief arrest officer a few days ago to temporarily carry out the archivist duties.


    In Yinyue County, the position of chief arrest officer is not permanent and is only established under special circumstances.


    Lin Rui was grinding his teeth in irritation.


    The reason they had only managed to kill four demons these last few days was due to a lack of manpower, preventing them from properly setting up a control perimeter for the demons.


    Once those demons sensed danger, they would flee at once and escape far away.


    This Zhang Tianchang, not only hindered him from making money but also from gaining soul power points, was utterly detestable.


    He shook his head and turned to look at the thick dossier Wang Sen was holding, "Is this the file on Blood Blade Ji?"


    That day, after returning to the government office from Zhao the wealthy merchant''s house, Lin Rui requested to view the case file on Blood Blade Ji.


    Blood Blade Ji was from the capital and a foreigner here; no one locally knew her origin or background. Hence, Lin Rui wanted to look at her case file to see if the archivist Jiang and his people had discovered anything.


    However, this file had always been kept by Archivist Jiang, and the government office had also been requesting it from Jiang, who had resigned and was at home.


    "Exactly! The archivist finally managed to get this dossier," Wang Sen glanced around and then walked towards a nearby noodle shop, swallowing salivatively, "Let''s go there to eat and review it. I heard that this noodle shop is also quite good, no less delicious than the pastry shop we visited yesterday."


    The first thing Wang Sen did after waking up in the government office the day before yesterday was to subtly inquire from his colleagues about the gourmet delicacies in Yinyue County.


    This was one of the original motivations for Wang Sen to become a being with an extraordinary physique.


    Since he was a child, he had wished to taste the food of the people from Tianji Star.


    Although the ingredients used by the people of Tianji Star were different from those in the Federation, their culinary culture was very similar to that of ancient China.


    There was also another advantage; all the food here was natural, unlike in the Ninth Base where Wang Sen had grown up eating synthetic food and had rarely tasted authentic natural delicacies.


    Thinking of the Tianji Star version meat buns he had eaten yesterday morning, Lin Rui couldn''t help but salivate.


    In addition, the government office''s highly publicized recruitment drive had unsettled some of the "recuperating" government officials. Lin Rui''s rapid promotion to deputy arrest officer within a few days had sparked many people''s ambitions.


    "That''s why I let Ge Jiu and Wang Zhongba out, intending to use them to test Lin Rui''s current strength."


    The arrest officer fell into deep thought. "I still have five third-realm individuals at my disposal, which might be worth a try. However, I''m not entirely confident. Both of them stay in the county government office at night, only leaving during the day. During the day, when the sunlight is shining, all demons'' combat power decreases by more than thirty percent.


    Our Thousand Threads Demon and Hundred Blades Demon are already seriously injured and significantly weakened, I''m afraid they''re not enough to restrain the County Magistrate."


    Three days ago, these two fourth-realm demons had joined forces to fight the County Magistrate, injuring each other, and their wounds were not yet healed.


    In contrast, the County Magistrate himself was unharmed. These past few nights, the County Magistrate had been on duty alone, collaborating with the county soldiers to suppress the entire city, preventing all demons from making a move, which also made them highly apprehensive.


    "If you''re not sure, then we shouldn''t try. There''s no need to add fuel to the fire," Jiang Hanzhang shook his head. "Wait a bit longer. Let him live for another three days. After three days, once those demons have recovered, we can take care of him without rush."


    "Three days later?" The arrest officer instinctively felt something was wrong, "Won''t it be too late by then? How about letting the Blood Blade Chi take action? It would be a matter of a single strike."


    "No, we can only control the Blood Blade Chi a limited number of times. There''s no need to use a cleaver to kill a chicken. The Blood Blade Chi is of great use to the County Magistrate, and we can''t spoil his big plans."


    At this, Jiang Hanzhang gave a slight smile, "Don''t worry! News from the city says that a few days ago Wang City was wiped out by someone, two hundred people died tragically, and the culprit is still unknown. Now the Imperial Guards and Burning Saber Sect have no time to care about Silver Moon County. We have plenty of time to deal with the County Magistrate."


    The arrest officer''s spirits lifted upon hearing this, his eyes showing a trace of joy.


    Wang City had been annihilated? This was excellent news for them.


    Meanwhile, in the noodle shop eighty meters away, Lin Rui''s expression was solemn as he put away the clump of electromagnetism in his palm.


    He had recognized one of the voices from just now¡ªit was that official, Jiang Hanzhang!


    Lin Rui had not expected the two men to be so unguarded, allowing him to overhear such an important conversation, and it made him shiver with apprehension.


    According to Jiang Hanzhang, he and Wang Sen would only live for another three days.


    The good news was that they were safe for these three days, and he and Wang Sen could safely return to the Ninth Base of Tianji Star.


    The bad news was that after three days, they would face another life-and-death crisis.


    And this time, the enemy would come prepared, certainly not as easy to deal with as they were three days ago.


    What''s more alarming to Lin Rui was that the two in the restaurant were colluding with demons and even had the power to control the Blood Blade Chi!

 Chapter 45 Return (Please follow and read)

    PS: The editor said that there are requirements on Sanjiang now, the continued readership of a work must be good, so I''m asking for everyone''s help! If you all think this book is still worth a read, please help support the scene.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    "Delicious! Delicious! The texture is chewy, and the flavor is fresh and fragrant, not bad at all. It truly lives up to its reputation as a decades-old establishment!"


    As Wang Sen relished his bowl of noodle soup, he flipped through Blood Blade Ji''s dossier.


    His main attention was on the bowl, and he couldn''t help but inwardly exclaim.


    So this is the wheat and noodles of Tianji Star? Indeed, it has a different flavor, chewier than the noodles on Earth Federation, less mushy and soft.


    "I''ve finished reading. The house of Blood Blade Ji''s master has the surname Yuan, they''re major merchants from the capital. Her master''s name is Yuan Yi, the legitimate eldest son of the Yuan family, currently 12 years old. He came over to learn how to collect medicinal materials from his uncle, and ended up being beheaded by Blood Blade Ji in his sleep at Zuihua House.


    After the incident that day, the magistrate Jiang immediately arrested Yuan''s servants for interrogation, hence the details about Blood Blade Ji''s background came to light¡ª"


    As Wang Sen spoke, he pushed the dossier towards Lin Rui, "Take a look as well, Brother Twelve."


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but roll his eyes.


    I''m illiterate now, how could I possibly understand?


    All he could do was to feign understanding as he opened the dossier, pretending to read seriously while waiting for the translation from the smart assist system.


    At this moment, a sudden flash of red appeared beside him, expressionlessly looking at the words on the dossier.


    Wang Sen continued, "Blood Blade Ji''s original surname is Ji, her name is Ji Xueying, she is a descendant of the former Great Zhou royal family. It is said that she is the direct descendant of the last Emperor Zhou of the Great Zhou dynasty. The girl was born physically weak and plagued with illnesses since birth, which led to her family''s dire straits. All six members struggled to survive.


    About three years ago, her family was embroiled in a lawsuit. Not only was Ji Xueying gravely ill and near death, but her father was also arrested and imprisoned by the authorities. They were forced to leave their hometown, leading a life of hardship and starvation. It was at this time that Yuan''s people approached them.


    Yuan''s family was willing to pay for their settlement and buy them a thousand acres of land. They were also willing to pull some strings to get her father out of prison, all in exchange for Ji Xueying to transform into Blood Blade Ji and protect her master for life."


    After finishing his explanation, he ''tsked'' in amazement. "It''s no wonder the magistrate Jiang didn''t dare to round up Blood Blade Ji. If what Yuan''s servant told is true, Blood Blade Ji might not be just an ordinary demon, but a king-level one! She''s the direct descendant of Emperor Zhou."


    Lin Rui felt his scalp tingle once again.


    So his cautiousness over the past few days was indeed correct.


    A king-level demon of the fourth realm... I''m afraid even the County Magistrate can''t subdue her.


    And with the County Magistrate and magistrate Jiang in possession of such a trump card, how is the County Magistrate supposed to compete with them?


    At the same time, doubt surfaced in Lin Rui''s eyes as he thought about what these two were really after.


    It seemed that their goal wasn''t simply to vie for power with the County Magistrate.


    Lin Rui closed the dossier and fell into deep thought, "So Blood Blade Ji doesn''t hold any grudge against her master''s family?"


    "She probably doesn''t, and she might even feel grateful," Wang Sen slurped his noodles. "After all, she was on her deathbed at that time. It must have seemed like a good deal to exchange her worthless life for the wealth and comfort of the family that had taken care of her for so long. A big merchant family like Yuan''s definitely handles things properly, and they wouldn''t leave any loose ends."


    "There''s also say in the dossier that when the incident happened, there was no conflict between Yuan Yi and Blood Blade Ji. Although that kid was up to no good, staying in brothels at the age of 12, he never had designs on Blood Blade Ji. How should I put it? Yuan Yi didn''t fancy her because he thought Blood Blade Ji was rather plain-looking and too short."


    Lin Rui was taken aback when he heard this, and glanced over at the red figure beside him.


    Blood Blade Ji is plain? She''s so beautiful.


    He then realized that this girl probably didn''t fit the aesthetics of the people of Tianji Star, unlike himself, Lin Twelve, who was considered handsome by both standards.


    "That''s really strange, isn''t it said that the minds of demons like Blood Blade Ji are very stable? How could she lose control?" Lin Rui, seeing Wang Sen enjoying his meal, also started to eat his noodles.


    The expedition to Tianji Star 800 years ago was led by other member states within the Federation. The East Asian Republic, due to its history of colonization, abhorred this colonial war and thus avoided the disaster, preserving its national power intact.


    Today, of the 12 satellites and 14 base cities on Tianji Star, 7 satellites and 7 of the cities'' ownership belong to the East Asian Republic. Four are exclusively managed, and three are co-managed with the Federation government, including the ninth base city which is one of the co-managed cities.


    If other member states of the Earth Federation hadn''t protested at the time, the East Asian Republic had the financial resources to cover all 12 satellites of Tianji Star.


    ¡ªAccording to the leader of the East Asian Republic at the time, the moment the Earth Federation launched the colonial war against Tianji Star, the Republic was inevitably drawn into it.


    As part of humanity, they''ve been dug into this pit and, willing or not, they''ll be seen as enemies by the people of Tianji Star.


    Lin Rui very much agrees with the leader''s philosophy.


    Coexistence has its conditions; to live with lions, one must possess power equal to the lions'', and thus they cannot escape.


    The East Asian Republic wants to consolidate the opinions within humanity, and that requires a necessary condition¡ªoverwhelming power! The strength to silence everyone!


    "This is not something we should worry about," Lin Rui quickened his pace, "Come on, we should go back!"


    Upon hearing this, Wang Sen''s eyebrows perked up, his eyes filled with anticipation.


    That very evening, the two returned to the small courtyard where they lived and directly selected the option to return in the smart assistance system.


    When Lin Rui woke up in the resting room of Mingde University''s Martial Arts Club, he could feel that his body had undergone some changes.


    His qi and blood seemed more abundant and powerful, much stronger than before!


    Was it the effect of the Type 3 Godsleep? But could the sleep pod be that powerful? According to the instructions, the pod could only assist with the circulation of his main body''s energy while his consciousness was occupying another body, without affecting his daily cultivation.


    No, it''s more than that, it''s also due to the ''Symbiotic Assimilation Effect''.


    While an Exobodied Walker manipulates an exobody, their main body will also undergo changes in tandem with the exobody, which is what the textbooks refer to as the ''Symbiotic Assimilation Effect''.


    Lin Rui feels that his benefits are particularly evident and guesses it''s related to that unknown perfect Sacred Body.


    He subsequently found that his communication system had many unread messages.


    However, Lin Rui didn''t check them right away but directly opened Professor Sima''s chat box instead.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, I''m back. I wonder if you''re free and able to help me with the implantation of the wheel meridians soon?


    Professor Sima responded immediately.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Alright, wait for me! I''m on my way.


    His tone sounded somewhat impatient.


    Meanwhile, in an underground garage 2500 meters away, a middle-aged Caucasian man hidden inside a hovercar perked up.


    He sensed the mark he left with a psychic Secret Technique; Lin Rui had returned from Tianji Star.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man smiled faintly, started the engine of the hovercar, and sent a message to someone.


    "Director, he''s back."


    "Good, move fast. Tell me the result before midnight."


    As the middle-aged man read the response, he shook his head helplessly. It seemed that the director had completely lost his patience.


    Fortunately, the security forces in the civil servant residential area had been significantly reduced, and he had rented a house near Lin Rui''s home, which would allow him to use that Secret Technique to probe Lin Rui''s soul in peace.

 Chapter 46 Tyranny (Please follow)

    As Silvermoon County slipped into the depths of night, the artificial sun at Sky Extreme Star''s Ninth Base had long been extinguished.


    Enshrouded by darkness, Lin Xi was hiding in a secluded corner of the library at Longze Girls'' High School, connecting the library''s medium-sized supercomputer to her personal terminal with a data cable.


    She had already seized control of this medium-sized supercomputer, and with its formidable computing power coupled with her adept hacking skills, she was surfing the vast network sea of the Ninth Base city.


    Lin Xi had never told her brother that she was actually a highly skilled hacker.


    Although her age and lack of foundation prevented her from entering the top-tier circle of the hacking world, the alias ''Trackfinder'' that she used online had already gained some reputation.


    The so-called ''part-time work'' Lin Xi recently did mostly involved using her hacking skills to take on jobs online, conducting various grey-area businesses.


    Lin Xi didn''t own her own supercomputer, yet the smart terminal she was using was the ''Night God series'' near top-end model, ''Night God 320''.


    This was one of the best terminals for hackers, not only offering impressive computing power but also able to rapidly transform her thoughts into various data streams, while providing the best signal and largest network bandwidth.


    At this moment, a soft voice filled with admiration came through the headset Lin Xi was wearing, "You''ve hacked into the city government''s database? It took 24 minutes and 05 seconds, you''re truly incredible. Your skills have improved yet again, and they probably haven''t noticed."


    That was ''Swallow,'' the mentor who introduced Lin Xi to the trade and her current partner.


    Their two-person team had been unbeatable on the net of late.


    Lin Xi, expressionless, was rapidly skimming through the city government''s database with her superior reading abilities. "I found it. June 1st, 11:00 AM, the video near Longze East Road, Shajie Lane."


    Lin Xi''s gaze grew increasingly solemn, "The city government''s backup surveillance videos have also had parts erased. Dozens of cameras around the crime scene have about a minute of footage missing, to be precise, replaced."


    Lin Xi wanted to investigate the whereabouts of her brother''s body after his death.


    How did Lin Rui''s head become intact again, and how did he make it back home? There had to be a process.


    However, she had risked hacking into the East District Police Station and the Police Headquarters in the past two days and discovered that the surveillance videos near the scene of Lin Rui being shot all had a period of blank footage. Your adventure continues at empire


    Today, she had penetrated the city government database to check the backup video materials, and the result was the same.


    "As expected," Swallow scoffed coldly, "If a person can clean the surveillance videos from the Police Headquarters, they can surely do the same with the city government''s videos. I suggest you give up this lead. The only ones who might still have the surveillance footage are the Federal Security Bureau and the Central Intelligence Agency."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xi''s brows knitted together in thought.


    Swallow warned in a grave tone, then exclaimed, "Trackfinder, you''re not really thinking about targeting the Federal Security Bureau, are you? Don''t be crazy - just in the Ninth Base alone, there are dozens of top-tier hackers recruited by the Security Bureau and Intelligence Agency. That''s not something we can touch!


    Unless we had a large supercomputer of our own, I absolutely disagree with attempting to hack them."


    Just as Swallow''s voice trailed off, she gasped with surprise, "Trackfinder, I think I may have found the person who sent that video to your email. You''ll never guess who it is."


    Lin Xi had already seen the information sent by Swallow.


    She was first stunned, then her eyes chilled, showering with a look of doubt.


    "Interested in hanging out with us? You gotta relax a bit after studying, right? Follow our big brother here, and we guarantee you''ll have a blast."


    Lin Xi frowned at their words.


    This was a situation she had never encountered before. With a thought, she touched her face.


    Lin Xi cursed inwardly, it was already 9:00 PM, and she had forgotten to put on makeup when she left school.


    What was worse, she noticed the tattoos on their necks.


    It was a blood lizard surrounded by the words ''Loyalty and righteousness, share glory and disgrace, unity and mutual aid, dare to act and take responsibility.''


    These youths were actually peripheral members of the Blood Lizard Gang.


    Someone''s hand had already reached her shoulder when Lin Xi slapped it away fiercely and stared coldly at them: "Get lost! Or I won''t be polite."


    The several youths exchanged glances, smirking and showing excitement as if they were about to catch their prey. They each pulled out a Gauss short knife, and one with a nose ring said with a smile, "Beauty, be good. I don''t want to be rough with you, don''t worry. I don''t plan to do anything to you, just want to have a chat."


    The others let out mocking laughter: "Yeah, just a heart-to-heart talk with our big brother."


    Lin Xi took a deep breath and then suddenly leaned back, striking the chin of a youth with green hair behind her with her head.


    With a ''crack'', the youth immediately passed out without a sound.


    Lin Xi looked at the remaining few with a murderous look in her eyes.


    Her hands instantly glowed with a pair of lightning fire snakes, and her body sprang forward like a cheetah.


    Perhaps it was ''Flying Swallow''s'' words that made Lin Xi especially irritable at the moment.


    The previous collision was like flipping a switch, providing her an outlet for release.


    If Lin Rui were present, he would be astonished to find that Lin Xi was using the Red Thunder Palm, the highest-level technique ''Red Thunder Snake Hand'' from that skill set!


    ¡ªThis was a technique that could be performed only when both the Lightning Fire Stance and Red Thunder Palm were mastered!


    "Boom!"


    With a burst of flames and lightning, a blond youth tumbled out like a broken sack.


    The arm holding the knife was limp, evidently broken!


    The fight ended in just a minute. Lin Xi stood in place, looking bewilderedly at the young men lying on the ground and wailing in pain.


    Could this really be her doing? Why was she so impulsive? Lin Xi furrowed her brows, touching her heart, wondering if her sanity had been affected again.


    Just then, a piercing alarm sounded in the distance, and several police cars descended from the sky. A dozen officers rushed out of the vehicles, pointing their pistols at Lin Xi.

 Chapter 47 Spiritual Power 500 (Asking for Follow-up Reads Part 3)

    PS: This book will need a lot of catching up from Wednesday through next Monday, so please help out by browsing through a few more chapters and spend some more time on each section. To honor pioneering readers, three updates to start with, thank you all!


    ***


    When Lin Rui woke up inside the surgical pod, he saw Si Malin sitting nearby, intently reviewing some data.


    Noticing Lin Rui''s movements, Si Malin glanced sideways at Lin Rui inside the surgical pod, "Awake? How do you feel?"


    Lin Rui was closing his eyes and sensing his surroundings, trying out the circulation of True Qi.


    By then, he had received the "Divine Thunder Flame" wheel vein implant and had also replaced his Dantian with the "Divine Thunder Flame", making himself a complete set of military Classified Models and officially becoming a Martial Artist with the rank of lieutenant.


    In addition to that, before the surgery, Lin Rui also received a type 1 gene enhancement injection, which elevated his spiritual power and overall physical condition to that of a lieutenant''s level, so he skipped the second lieutenant rank directly.


    Experience tales with empire


    One good thing about the Federation''s implanted enhancement circuits is that they are unobstructed upon insertion and offer the widest possible bandwidth, eliminating the need for the process of breaking through and widening.


    Lin Rui also heeded the advice of Si Malin and couldn''t resist taking a loan of nine hundred thousand Federal dollars to get the auxiliary implants "Divine Authority", "Celestial Speed", and another called "Thunderblood" all implanted into his body.


    This was just the basic version suitable for the rank of officers, from warrant officer to captain. It could barely be used at the rank of major and lieutenant colonel, but it would only have eighty percent of its power, and at the rank of colonel, it would not even reach thirty percent of its power.


    Yet, even this basic version of the auxiliary implants cost three hundred thousand Federal dollars¡ªthis was the cost price Lin Rui got from the Tianlan Group. If he had bought it on the market, it would be at least five hundred thousand to start.


    Of course, if Lin Rui''s spiritual power met the standards and he had enough money, he could have directly gotten the complete versions of "Divine Authority" and "Celestial Speed", but the complete version of Divine Authority alone cost a staggering eight million!


    That''s why the earnings of physically enhanced individuals and those with implanted Martial Cultivator enhancements are genuinely substantial, but the vast majority of them are deeply in debt.


    The government is also happy to provide loans to Martial Cultivators, even if it leads to bad debt, they spare no effort, the stronger their abilities, the better.


    There are conspiracy theories on the internet, claiming that the government and the financial elite desire to control the physically enhanced individuals and those with Martial Cultivator implants through loans.


    Originally, Lin Rui had no intention of switching, but Si Malin said that the prices of all implants have been rising recently. As Lin Rui had joined the Martial Way Society, he would have to buy them sooner or later, so it was better to do it sooner and enjoy the benefits earlier.


    Plus, Lin Rui''s mental strength was not only robust but his mental state was also excellent, which could withstand a large amount of implanted enhancements.


    At this moment, with a slight exertion of force, Lin Rui felt the difference.


    His True Qi was not only flowing unimpeded throughout his body, but the strength and circulation speed of his True Qi had also evidently improved a level, greatly enhancing his affinity with lightning fire ether.


    Si Malin, who had heard Lin Rui''s phone conversation, had been quietly waiting until Lin Rui hung up the phone before he manipulated the interface and opened the surgical pod, "According to the current testing data, your implantation was very perfect, ha! Truly worthy of my work. But still, old rules, no strenuous physical activity within four hours."


    He watched Lin Rui get out of the surgical pod, hurriedly put on his clothes, and kindly offered advice, "Lin Rui, I suggest that before you go to the Longze Road Subdivision Police Station, it would be best to get in touch with Fang Ranran. How should I put it?


    I''ve heard that the police department in the east city doesn''t have a great reputation, and it''s been quite corrupted by the federal forces."


    "Fang Ranran?" Lin Rui pondered, wondering whether it would be useful.


    "Don''t underestimate her; her influence in the military and political spheres far exceeds your imagination. She is the legitimate eldest princess of the Fang family of the Ninth Base."


    Si Malin smiled, "I don''t know what situation your sister is in, but if you seek Fang Ranran''s help, at least you can ensure her case is dealt with fairly and justly.


    Don''t feel burdened, sometimes owing a favor isn''t a bad thing, particularly with someone like Fang Ranran. Although she puts great effort into learning from her father, she hasn''t quite mastered it yet, being inherently tender-hearted and protective, and that trait is unlikely to change anytime soon. Alright, next, Wang Sen, you can come in now."


    Wang Sen immediately pushed the door and entered from outside.


    He looked at Lin Rui with a puzzled look, but Lin Rui had no time for him at the moment, putting on his coat and rushing out the door.


    Wang Sen was somewhat curious and wanted to ask what was going on, but Lin Rui had already left without a trace.


    By this time, the surgical pod had already completed its cleaning and sterilization procedure, and Wang Sen obediently lay down inside it.


    "Professor, do you think you could help me implant all the selected enhancements?"


    Si Malin looked at the list of implants selected by Wang Sen and immediately raised an eyebrow.


    Although they were all basic implants, there were quite a lot of them. The number of implants was the same as Lin Rui''s, totaling a set of ''Xuanwu Type 3'' circulation channels, one initial level Divine Authority, initial level Heavenly Speed, and initial level Ice Blood.


    This young man not only had great ambition but also a lot of guts; so young, yet he dared to take on so much debt?


    It remained to be seen whether his spiritual power could withstand it.


    Si Malin began operating the surgical pod, performing various tests on Wang Sen.


    The surgical pod provided by Fang Ranran for the Martial Arts Club was the most expensive model, integrating numerous functions, and some tests could be done within the pod itself.


    "Spiritual power at 224, not bad at all, young man!"


    This value barely met the standard for implanting these enhancements.


    Because of Wang Sen''s unique constitution, which already possessed the Divine Authority and Heavenly Speed bloodlines, the standards could be lowered.

 Chapter 48 Above All Beings

    Lin Rui stepped out of the operating room and first sent a message to Lin Xi to inquire about the situation, but he didn''t get a response. He figured his sister must have been locked in police detention without internet access.


    After weighing his options, he decided to open Fang Ranran''s chat.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Sister Fang, I need your help with something. My sister is currently detained at Longze Road Subdivision Police Station. The police say she assaulted someone with malice, but I don''t know the specifics. I might need some assistance.


    Knowing that Fang Ranran was usually busy, he didn''t waste words and got straight to the point.


    About three minutes passed without a response from Fang Ranran. Just as Lin Rui hesitated over whether to call her, a message appeared in the chat box.


    Yu Luoxinchen (Fang Ranran): I''ve already had someone check. Your sister acted in self-defense, there was no malicious assault. However, this case might be interfered with and pressured by others. I''m busy right now and can''t come over, but I''ve parked a car in the garage outside our team''s activity area. I''ve given you the authorization. Lin Rui, you can take my car to the police station.


    My lawyer is on the way there. Don''t worry, it''s just a minor issue.


    After reading the message, Lin Rui''s mind immediately relaxed, filled with both shock and joy.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    He was glad that Lin Xi had only acted in self-defense and hadn''t committed a crime. However, he was shocked that, as he suspected, someone was indeed trying to meddle with his sister''s case.


    At the same time, Lin Rui was also amazed by Fang Ranran''s influence¡ªhad she really managed to investigate the whole situation in just three minutes?


    Si Malin had not deceived him; the background of their Society President Fang was truly unfathomable.


    Lin Rui originally planned to take the elevator to the floor below but changed his route after seeing Fang Ranran''s reply.


    Fang Ranran had built a small garage in the corner of the team activity area, with two winged sports cars parked inside. This allowed her to come and go from the martial arts society on the ninth floor of the building without having to enter the underground garage.


    When he arrived at the martial arts society''s activity area, he found that today both Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei were present, and there was also an unfamiliar long-haired youth.


    Nolan Wei was sparring with the long-haired youth on a fighting platform, while Zhao Yan, with golden hair, stood with his arms crossed, watching from below.


    "Lin Rui!"


    Upon seeing Lin Rui, Nolan Wei immediately greeted him warmly, tilting his head.


    His martial prowess clearly outmatched that of the opposite long-haired youth by a wide margin, and even while distracted, he effortlessly parried the youth''s attacks.


    Zhao Yan also looked towards Lin Rui and nodded kindly in his direction.


    Lin Rui also wanted to build good relationships with these two teammates. He temporarily suppressed the anxiety in his heart and responded with a smile, "Senior Zhao, Nolan!"


    After all, the saying goes, "Take the king''s shilling and do the king''s bidding." Now that he was relying on the benefits provided by Fang Ranran, it was natural for him to commit wholeheartedly to the martial arts society.


    Moreover, he owed a favor to Fang Ranran this time.


    The long-haired youth had already stopped fighting on the platform and looked at Lin Rui: "Are you Lin Rui?"


    He jumped down from the platform and extended his hand to Lin Rui: "My name is Lu Fang, a new member of the martial arts society. I came with Sister Yu Feicui. I will be enrolling next year. Sister Feicui mentioned you, saying you''re a martial arts genius of the top three among the ten elites, maybe even surpassing them!"


    Initially, Lin Rui didn''t pay much attention and shook hands with Lu Fang. However, the moment their hands met, he felt a strong force emanating from Lu Fang''s hand.


    Lin Rui frowned slightly.


    A police officer in his thirties, with a lean and stern face wearing the rank of Captain, sat opposite her, looking at Lin Xi with a helpless expression.


    His voice was sincere and earnest, "Young lady, I advise you to plead guilty yourself, it''s better for you, for me, and even for your family."


    "Five victims, four seriously injured by your hand, two in the ICU, still unconscious. Your martial arts are indeed powerful, but have you thought about the consequences? Do you realize what you''ve done?"


    "Your only choice now is to plead guilty, rest assured, you''re a minor, and I will try my best to plead your case with the prosecutor. Just pay some money to pacify the victims, sincerely apologize, and get their forgiveness. The court won''t impose a heavy sentence, at most you''ll spend a year or two in a juvenile prison.


    You could even apply to serve your sentence in a different base city and avoid the Blood Lizard Gang."


    Finally, Lin Xi lifted her head, her gaze defiant, looking into the bright light across from her at the police officer who claimed to be ''Tao Baize'': "Why should I plead guilty? They were the ones who threatened me with knives first. There were two holographic cameras nearby, which should have captured the situation at the time. I don''t believe the court and prosecutor would be so blind."


    Tao Baize frowned greatly, his gaze turning stern.


    This girl didn''t grasp the situation.


    The people she injured were peripheral members of the Blood Lizard Gang, one of whom was the brother-in-law of a high-ranking member of the gang.


    That was the notoriously vicious Blood Lizard Gang! With many armored martial artists, they were beyond the reach of the law.


    If he let this girl walk out of their subdivision police station unharmed today, not only would she be doomed to be retaliated against by the Blood Lizard Gang, but he would also be complained about by the gang for taking money without doing the job.


    At that moment, a female deputy police chief with a peculiar expression walked in: "Captain, Lin Xi''s brother has arrived."


    Tao Baize let out a cold snort and stood up from his seat.


    If he couldn''t reason with this girl, then he would have to talk to her guardian.


    There was surveillance in this interrogation room. Many things and principles he couldn''t afford to speak too plainly about, but it was okay to discuss them with Lin Xi''s family outside.


    Tao Baize had already checked this family''s household registration through the system. The girl''s brother had some status, an aberrant practitioner, but he had just started his job, and should be easy to handle.


    The aberrant company Lin Rui joined might not be willing to stand up for him.


    Today, he had to make these siblings plead guilty at all costs.


    Before leaving, Tao Baize knocked heavily on the table, making a thumping sound, his tone unapologetic: "I''ve already said everything I need to say to you, think about it! Think it through!"


    Lin Xi also looked towards the door at this time.


    Has Lin Rui arrived?


    At this moment, her feelings were very complicated. On one hand, she regretted her impulsive actions, unable to control her emotions; on the other hand, she wondered what her brother would do. Would he come later to persuade her to plead guilty?


    Lin Xi felt very bitter inside.


    She admitted to herself that pleading guilty might be the only way to avoid retaliation from the Blood Lizard Gang.


    Lin Rui had only just become an aberrant practitioner, with a promising future ahead of him. He shouldn''t be targeted by a gang like the Blood Lizard Gang at this time.


    Moreover, whether he really was her brother still remained uncertain¡ª

 Chapter 49 The Untouchable Lin Rui

    ```


    Tao Baize had just stepped out of the interrogation room when the female police officer with the title of deputy chief came over and whispered in his ear, "Chief, her brother came in a flying wing supercar, and it landed on the rooftop. I checked the model; it''s a Divine Wing 520, valued at 95 million federal dollars. I couldn''t find any information on the car''s owner; it must be encrypted."


    Tao Baize''s face stiffened slightly, and his eyes filled with added gravity.


    The ''Divine Wing 520'' supercar was a limited edition from Divine Wing Company, with no more than 500 units across the entire Earth Federation. Such supercars weren''t simply a matter of money but required Divine Wing Company to consider the buyer''s identity and social status.


    The fact that the car could land directly on the rooftop added greatly to his sense of pressure.


    The parking lot atop their district police headquarters wasn''t somewhere just anyone could park.


    Even the family members of their district police chief wouldn''t dream of parking on the rooftop.


    Tao Baize had originally thought that Lin Xi''s brother was just an average Alien Body Cultivator fresh out of school, someone he could easily deal with.


    But now it seemed that Lin Rui''s background was far from ordinary.


    Tao Baize regretted the words he had just said to Lin Xi.


    At that moment, he also received a message from the chief: "Tao Baize, what''s the deal with the case you''re handling? Do you not want to work anymore? If you don''t want to work, then get lost!"


    "Deal with this case properly, then come to my office. Be mindful of the way you handle it; it must be fair and just, and you must ensure satisfaction for the victim and their family!"


    Tao Baize''s scalp tingled. After replying to the chief''s message, he took a deep breath and asked, "Where is Mr. Lin right now?"


    The deputy chief officer''s expression was also very solemn: "In reception room number 5."


    Tao Baize turned and glared fiercely at the female officer.


    He thought, if Mr. Lin came in a Divine Wing 520 and parked it on the rooftop, how could they bring Mr. Lin to reception room number 5, and let him run into that guy? Wasn''t that asking for trouble?


    Hastening his steps, Tao Baize rushed to reception room number 5.


    He had just barely opened the door when he heard a cold laugh from inside: "Boy, your sister is very bold. Her martial arts are quite impressive too¡ªfive grown men couldn''t handle one little girl, and she left them in this state.


    Now, my sister-in-law has taken quite an interest, wanting to know who was brazen enough to send her brother to the ICU, from which he still hasn''t emerged. So, I advise you to be smart. If you don''t want to die, you''d better admit what needs to be admitted, pay what needs to be paid, and find a way to appease my sister-in-law and her brother until this fire is put out.


    Only then will this matter be considered settled."


    Tao Baize saw that in the reception room, two people were seated facing each other at a long table.


    One was a familiar member of the Blood Lizard Gang, ''Blood Dagger'' Bet Aiken, who was sporting a lascivious grin; the other was an eighteen-year-old in the uniform of Mingde Alien Body College, with handsome features and a somber expression. This must be Lin Rui.


    Upon seeing him enter, Blood Dagger Aiken laughed and tossed a cigarette at Tao Baize.


    "Busy as ever, Tao? Haven''t seen you much lately. This is our new stuff; big bro asked me to give it to you to try out."


    Tao Baize caught the cigarette and immediately recognized it was laced.


    The Blood Dagger Aiken didn''t wait for him to finish and slammed his hands down on the table with a ''bang.''


    He suddenly stood up, his gaze dark and menacing as he looked down at Lin Rui, "You cur, think before you speak! Your sister left our man in this state, and you''re calling it self-defense?"


    He deliberately opened his suit to reveal the Blood Lizard tattoo on his neck and chest.


    "Furthermore, Brother Tao, if you can''t handle this properly, the Blood Lizard Gang won''t let this go."


    Tao Baize, hearing this, rolled his eyes inwardly, thinking whether this was something he could intervene in.


    The man who could park his car on the rooftop could effortlessly make him lose his job.


    As long as he wore the tiger skin of a Major Police Chief, he could get a hefty sum of money from the Blood Lizard Gang every month. Without that, would the Blood Lizard Gang take him seriously?


    Just as Tao Baize was about to say something, the door to the reception room was pushed open, and a white middle-aged man with a suit as sharp as his high nose bridge ¨C exuding an imposing aura ¨C walked in.


    He glanced at the few people inside, then went straight to Lin Rui and extended his hand, "Mr. Lin, hello, my name is Radford Comming, from the Purple Gold Flower Law Firm, a junior partner."


    Tao Baize and the Blood Dagger Aiken changed their expressions slightly upon hearing this.


    Purple Gold Flower Law Firm is currently the top law firm in the Ninth Base City, serving the wealthy and noble, and also responsible for the legal affairs of several companies worth hundreds of billions.


    Even the Blood Dagger Aiken had heard of the renowned "Purple Gold Flower."


    And a junior partner of Purple Gold Flower, that''s a top-notch lawyer for sure!


    Lin Rui also quickly got up and shook hands with Lawyer Comming.


    Lawyer Comming flashed a slight smile, "Mr. Lin, I have already watched your sister''s video, and it is absolutely self-defense. Your sister should be released immediately!


    Moreover, you can sue these five members of the Blood Lizard Gang for committing the crimes of indecency, provocation, and attempted rape against your sister. I noticed that your sister''s arm is injured, which constitutes intentional injury! Moreover, your sister has been mistreated by the Longze Road police substation; you are entitled to compensation."


    Tao Baize felt his scalp tingle upon hearing this, looking toward Lin Rui with anxious eyes.


    After a moment of thought, Lin Rui nodded decisively, "Then I''ll leave it to you!"


    How could he accept his sister being treated with such indignity without protest?


    Seeing this scene, the Blood Dagger Aiken couldn''t help but look extremely troubled.


    The reputation of Purple Gold Flower Law Firm was impressive, indeed.


    He realized that his gang''s big brother''s brother-in-law had bit off more than he could chew, and now not only would they fail to get compensation or justice, but they might also end up behind bars.


    The Blood Dagger Aiken looked at Lin Rui with an even more ferocious and chilling gaze, mixed with some confusion.


    Did this Lin Rui not know how to write the word ''death''? Did he think the Blood Lizard Gang was made of mud to be sculpted at will, daring to counter-sue them?


    And what was this guy''s background? How come he could make Tao Baize change his attitude so suddenly?

 Chapter 50 Grandmaster Level Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance

    Lin Xi was still a bit dazed as she walked out of the police station under the escort of several officers.


    She didn''t understand why Tao Baize, who had been so aggressive, suddenly became servile, politely sending her out of the station and speaking in soft tones, subtly pleading them not to file a complaint. His point was that while they could claim against the police station, they should try not to involve the individuals.


    Lin Rui held Lin Xi tightly in his arms, ruffling her hair, "It''s alright now, we''re going home."


    He then turned to speak to attorney Kang Mingkai, "Mr. Kang Mingkai, the rest is up to you."


    "No trouble at all, the case has clear evidence, and it''s easy to handle,"


    Kang Mingkai, the lawyer, replied with a smile, "However, the upcoming lawsuit might require your sister to testify in court. I''ll notify you in advance."


    For him, this indeed was a minor case and didn''t even require his personal attention¡ªhe could just delegate it to a junior lawyer.


    "You should still be cautious in the next few days. The Blood Lizard Gang is the most violent gang in the eastern district, not only unpredictable but also harboring a pack of desperados who are reckless about their lives. Since you live around here, you must be careful about your safety.


    Although Miss Fang''s family has extremely powerful influence, the top members of the Blood Lizard Gang are a bunch of hyperthymesia syndrome sufferers who are irrational lunatics with mental issues, plus¡ª"


    Lawyer Kang Mingkai operated his smartphone terminal and transmitted an electronic business card to Lin Rui, "This is my contact information, Mr. Lin can reach out to me for any legal matters in the future."


    Although he had come to the police station on Fang Ranran''s request, after investigating Lin Rui''s situation, he had taken a great interest in Lin Rui.


    If someone was entrusted with great expectations by Fang Ranran and Yu Feicui and considered to be the future mainstay of Mingde University''s martial arts society, then his martial arts talent was beyond doubt.


    Once Mingde University''s martial arts society managed to achieve results in the university league, Lin Rui would definitely become a martial arts star in the limelight.


    The alumni of Mingde University, reaching as many as five million members, eagerly anticipated each year for Mingde to make a splash in the martial arts league. When that happened, most of them would become Lin Rui''s loyal fans.


    This meant that the young man in front of him was his potential client for the future.


    Lin Rui also exchanged his electronic business card and then fell into contemplation.


    As Kang Mingkai had said, they really did need to be careful about their safety.


    After the incident that night, Lin Rui had looked into the Blood Lizard Gang and knew that their methods were very bloody, their actions insane, and that they were highly unscrupulous.


    Their leaders were not only ambitious but also had many mentally unstable lunatics due to their breeding equipment.


    And there was Aiken, the blood dagger who had been driven out of the station by Officer Tao, whose eyes at the time were extremely cold, like a venomous snake.


    This made Lin Rui secretly harbor murderous intent, feeling the urge to kill the man outright.


    Lin Rui first browsed through the newly acquired information and the profound mysteries of the cultivation technique within his mind, then he tried to utilize the ''Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance'' to mobilize the blood and energy throughout his body.


    "Worthy of the Grandmaster-level ''Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance!'' Whether it''s the efficiency of the True Qi or its strength, they are much stronger than before. A rough estimate would be at least a 150% increase, which is unfortunate¡ª"


    Unfortunately, the ''Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance'' is an intermediate-level technique of the Sky Extreme Star, created thousands of years ago by a Great Grandmaster of the martial path specifically for the third realm of refining blood and the fourth realm of Core Formation.


    In the absence of implanted artificial blood serum and the artificial Golden Core within Lin Rui''s body, this ''Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance'' could improve the efficiency and strength of his True Qi and speed up the accumulation of his True Qi but couldn''t unleash all its power.


    "Just like the last time I copied the ''Thunder Fire Stance,'' after copying the ''Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance,'' my total amount of True Qi has also increased correspondingly, by about thirty percent, and my spiritual power should have improved as well."


    At this moment, Lin Rui came across a passage about the profound mysteries of the ''Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance'' in his mind, and his eyes immediately lit up.


    Lin Rui raised his hand, and a ball of lightning flashed in his palm, drawing all the metallic particles within the car to congregate and coalesce into a metal ball the size of a grain of rice in his palm.


    With the ''Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance,'' Lin Rui''s control over electromagnetism had greatly increased, and he could now manipulate metal on a small scale.


    Lin Rui immediately opened the virtual shopping platform on his smart terminal and found a martial arts equipment store, ordering two sets of the ''Yuan Magnetic Flying Needles,'' totaling 108 needles, and one ''Smart Flying Sword.''


    Principal Xue had mastered a technique utilizing the ''Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance'' that could control Yuan Magnetic Flying Needles and even small flying swords in combat, which was extremely powerful.


    This technique, coupled with Lin Rui''s complete set of ''Divine Thunder Inferno'' and high spiritual power of 500 points, could enable a transformative increase in his combat abilities, elevating him several levels.


    Lin Rui was extremely excited, not only because this method of commanding flying needles and swords was immensely powerful, but also because he could use it on Sky Extreme Star in the future.


    His foreign body could soon open up all meridian wheels, making use of the ''Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance''.


    Once again, a thought arose in Lin Rui''s mind: "Ring Spirit, can I use Soul Points to help me copy the ''Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill (Grandmaster)''?"


    He wanted to carry on swiftly and exchange for the Escape Skill as well.


    With the Escape Skill, all aspects of his speed would greatly increase, and his martial prowess would rise significantly. Of course, this was predicated on having sufficient True Qi and spiritual power.


    However, a section of information immediately appeared in Lin Rui''s mind.


    ¡ªInsufficient Soul Points detected. Copying the ''Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill (Grandmaster)'' requires 5000 Soul Points.


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but shake his head slightly, he only had 2123 Soul Points, far from enough.


    At this moment, he finally noticed that his sister, Lin Xi, was watching him intently.


    Just as the shared flying-wing car they were in arrived at its destination and descended slowly in front of their adjoining villas.

 Chapter 51 The Express Delivery Arrives

    When the shared wing car came to a halt, Lin Rui, while pushing the door open to get out, jokingly asked, "Lin Xi, why are you staring at me like that? Do you think your brother looks exceptionally handsome today?"


    At that moment, his actions slightly paused as he started to survey his surroundings.


    Lin Rui sensed a faint presence, observing them.


    It felt exactly like when he last went to Mingde Affiliated Hospital to receive Alien Body at the school''s gate.


    However, even when Lin Rui concentrated and even released a magnetic field in his palm, he still found nothing.


    "Vain!" Lin Xi got out of the car from the other side, her gaze skeptical, "Brother, what was that just now? I felt your Qi suddenly become very strong."


    ¡ª It wasn''t just strong; it also gave her a great sense of oppression.


    Lin Xi even faintly sensed that the ether elements of the surrounding void and their fiery nature fluctuated with Lin Rui''s breathing tides.


    It was strange because Lin Xi, a newly implanted Lieutenant Martial Artist, shouldn''t be able to sense these ether elements.


    But during Lin Rui''s bursting energy just now, Lin Xi clearly felt it.


    The method Lin Rui used afterward with the metallic particles inside the car impressed Lin Xi even more.


    Lin Rui returned his gaze and smiled slightly, "I have already implanted an Array Plate, and changed my Dantian as well, it''s a complete ''Divine Thunder Inferno,'' something I mentioned before that couldn''t be found online, a military confidential model."


    At these words, Lin Xi''s spirit lifted, instinctively feeling joy for Lin Rui.


    But Lin Rui''s next words made her face stiffen again, "However, I now owe Tianlan Finance and Credit Company 900,000 Federation dollars, but don''t worry, it''s an interest-free loan with no right of recourse, they can''t trace it back to you."


    Including his recent purchase of flying swords and needles, he actually spent over 1 million, almost reaching his maximum credit limit.


    Lin Xi took a deep breath and calmed her feelings, "It''s okay, this is normal."


    After all, how many Martial Cultivator and Alien Body practitioners don''t owe money?


    Their parents, while primarily researchers, had also spent a lot on implantation.


    It''s very rare in the world of Martial Cultivators that their parents could still leave some savings for them.


    Lin Rui only owed 900,000¡ª


    Lin Xi then lowered her head, speaking hesitantly, "About today, brother, don''t you want to say something?"


    "What''s there to say? You didn''t do anything wrong."


    Lin Xi felt annoyed internally, silently cursing the Blood Lizard Gang.


    She wondered if in the future, the siblings wouldn''t even have a chance to stay here anymore.


    It turned out her brother was quite the tough cookie, well aware of the Blood Lizard Gang''s influence in East City yet still insisting on filing a lawsuit.


    Lin Xi felt very pleased; those people from the Blood Lizard Gang were all bastards, and keeping quiet didn''t help at all.


    Just at that moment, an electronic sound came from outside the door.


    "Your courier has arrived."


    Lin Rui''s heart skipped a beat, knowing the "Yuan Magnet Flying Needles" and "Smart Flying Sword" he had ordered had arrived.


    Courier services in this era were that fast, reaching anywhere within the same city in just minutes.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    As Lin Rui and the other took a shared flying-wing car back to their own doorstep, in a terraced villa on the opposite side, a middle-aged Caucasian with thinning hair pulled down the curtain, not daring to peek toward Lin Rui''s side any longer.


    He realized Lin Rui''s spiritual awareness was indeed very sharp. Last time at the entrance of Mingde University, Lin Rui almost spotted him.


    Today was even more impressive than before; Lin Rui''s spiritual power seemed to have grown stronger, and his sensing range had become much broader.


    The question was, to what extent had this guy''s spiritual power reached now? Was it 200? Or 240? Surely not 300? It had only been a few days since Lin Rui''s spiritual power broke through 150.


    Now, the most recent intelligence they could review was the data from Lin Rui''s physical examination during an exam.


    Since then, all of Lin Rui''s physiological data had been taken over by Si Malin, encrypted by this candidate academician of the East Asian Republic.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man frowned deeply, feeling that the matter of soul-searching could not be delayed any longer.


    The higher Lin Rui''s spiritual power grew, the more difficult soul-searching would be.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man then hurriedly walked to the basement of this terraced villa.


    Inside, this space originally used for storage was astonishingly arranged into a simple array altar.


    The altar was assembled from twenty-four array plates, each one meter in length and width, made by a carbon fiber 3D printer, and within the altar, 108 candles were burning.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man sat down at the center of the altar, first taking three mouthfuls of blood drawn from a child, then forming a magic gesture and began to meditate deeply.


    Suddenly, a whirl of chill wind started in the basement, blew through the open door, and rushed towards the direction of Lin Rui''s house.

 Chapter 52 First Possession (Please follow and read)

    After receiving the parcel, Lin Rui couldn''t wait to head to the backyard of the townhouse.


    Controlling a flying sword is a dream of every fan of fantasy and martial arts fiction.


    Lin Rui had spent many hours devouring such books in the past, admiring the depicted sword immortals immensely, and was now excited to get the chance to experience it for himself.


    First up were the flying needles, which Lin Rui controlled to whirl around his body, darting up and down in various maneuvers.


    He then pointed towards the newly purchased major-ranked dummy, "Armored Type 3," belonging to Lin Xi, directing the flying needles to strike it and causing a series of "ding ding" noises as they hit the dummy''s chest.


    The power of these flying needles was terrifying, managing to dent the Armor Type 3''s chest plate with indentations the size of a pinky finger.


    It''s worth noting that, although Armor Type 3 was ranked as a major, its defensive capability was far superior to the flesh and blood of the same rank, indicating the massive destructive power of these needles.


    This was why Xue Bogao only mastered several firearms skills to a level of proficiency.


    For Xue Bogao, firearms were nowhere near as useful as flying swords and needles.


    In this era, gunpowder weapons were obsolete, only kinetic firearms exceeding three or even five times the speed of sound, along with various beam guns, posed a threat to major-ranked martial artists.


    The nerve responses of major-ranked martial artists were greatly enhanced, making it difficult to hit them with bullets traveling slower than three times the speed of sound.


    Lin Rui now could block bullets.


    He then activated the auxiliary armors "Divine Authority" and "Thunder Blood."


    The dummy''s armor plates began to emit a crystalline ringing, "ding ding ding," as his controlled flying needles pierced through!


    At this sight, Lin Rui was slightly alarmed, quickly glancing up towards the window of his younger sister''s room.


    This "Armored Type 3" had been purchased by Lin Xi with her own savings, and damaging it would require a difficult explanation.


    However, possibly because the sound of the needles piercing the armor was faint, or because Lin Xi was absorbed in sorting her belongings and did not notice the noise outside, there was no indication that the window upstairs had been opened.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui was relieved. They were moving to the school dormitories tomorrow, and Lin Xi wouldn''t see the dummy for a while.


    He would replace it when he had enough money.


    "Amazing! Are ''Divine Authority'' and ''Thunder Blood'' really this powerful when combined?"


    Lin Rui was very satisfied with the ''Thunder Blood'' he had implanted.


    Indeed, as several online implant review experts had mentioned, the combination of Divine Authority, Heavenly Speed, and Thunder Blood could greatly enhance their power, achieving an effect of 1+1+1 equals 5.


    Implanting two specific auxiliary armors later could even form a relatively powerful low-grade Sacred Body.


    Yet what surprised him more were the God Thunder Heavenly Flame and Thunder Extreme God Brilliance Stance.


    "The power of this set of God Thunder Heavenly Flame is really exaggerated, much stronger than the military version Xue Bogao has, and my physical state has also been clearly enhanced a level, likely due to the Grandmaster-level Thunder Extreme God Brilliance Stance. I remember last time when I duplicated the Thunder Fire Stance, my True Qi and physical state were greatly improved."


    "Hmm~ since duplicating stances enhances physical state, what would happen if I duplicated several stances? Ah, forget it, Xue Bogao only has four stances, two of which I can''t duplicate until I am promoted to lieutenant colonel¡ª"


    "Such a shame, I can currently only control up to twelve flying needles at once. Any more, and I can''t manage precise control; it must be due to insufficient spiritual power. Moreover, my amount of True Qi is a bit low; managing twelve flying needles in combat can only last for five minutes. Thankfully, my set of God Thunder Heavenly Flame has an ultra-fast Qi recovery rate."


    In Lin Rui''s mind was a scene of Xue Bogao fighting enemies with hundreds of flying needles.


    At that moment, he noticed a message that had been present in his mind for a while.


    Alert: Foreign spiritual power detected, possession by Host Spirit #1 now available, which can help you absorb and refine the core of the foreign spiritual power. Would you like to possess it?


    Lin Rui was puzzled, wondering, what is a ''spiritual core''?


    Alert: The spiritual core is the foundation of spirit, the root of soul power, which can enhance your spiritual aptitude comprehensively.


    Lin Rui''s eyes lit up, saying without hesitation, "Possess!"


    He had always been wary of the ''possession'' ability, especially after copying three basic martial arts and being heavily influenced by Xue Bogao''s obsession. Lin Rui feared that this ''possession'' might have severe drawbacks, so much so that he dared not use it during the battle at the Zhao household.


    But now, he was intrigued. Since the spirit guardian offered advice at such a crucial moment, it indicated that Xue Bogao''s possession must have a way to help him absorb and refine the foreign spiritual power.


    It was worth a try¡ª


    At this time, the one invading Lin Rui''s mind was that middle-aged Caucasian with thinning hair.


    His consciousness was both alarmed and anxious.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man had never expected Lin Rui''s spiritual power to be so strong!


    Lin Rui had managed to withstand his mental suppression without collapsing, and was even counterattacking in some areas!


    This guy''s spiritual power must be over 400, and might already have broken through 500! Otherwise, the current situation could not be explained.


    The problem is, this guy is only 18 years old and seems to have just implanted his meridians.


    As a lieutenant colonel and a Martial Cultivator specializing in souls, the Caucasian middle-aged man''s spiritual power had only just approached 3000.


    The situation was getting worse, and while the Caucasian middle-aged man''s spiritual power could still overpower Lin Rui, the problem was that their battlefield was inside Lin Rui''s body¡ªit was Lin Rui''s home ground.


    Lin Rui''s Primordial Spirit had an abundant supply of vital energy, providing endless stamina, while the Caucasian middle-aged man was running low on energy, depleting with every bit he used.


    What was more troublesome was that during his sudden rush earlier, his Primordial Spirit had been slashed by Lin Rui''s sword.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man had been hiding in the basement just before, not seeing Lin Rui''s sword and needle practice, and thus was caught off guard when he made his move.


    Lin Rui''s resistance was extremely resolute, so resolute that it made him hesitant to withdraw from Lin Rui''s body.


    This guy''s will was also exceptionally robust, indomitably steadfast, allowing Lin Rui''s 500 points of spiritual power to perform like 1000. No matter how many times he was shattered, he could regroup in a very short time.


    In a full-on mental struggle between them, a hasty retreat by the Caucasian middle-aged man would surely result in a disastrous defeat!


    His Primordial Spirit would definitely be shaken to pieces by Lin Rui, and most likely, it would disintegrate while trying to return to his body, completely dissipating.


    Even if he managed a lucky return, his Primordial Spirit would still suffer significant damage, a cost the Caucasian middle-aged man could not afford.


    "Damn it! Why won''t this guy back down just a little? Even a slight relaxation would help."


    The Caucasian middle-aged man no longer wanted to continue the soul-searching, only wishing to retreat safely.


    One misstep had led him into a massive pitfall.


    It was then that he sensed another powerful Martial Artist''s Primordial Spirit emerging within Lin Rui''s body.

 Chapter 53 Meat Buns and a Dog (Asking for Follow-Up Reads)

    "What''s going on? Who are you?"


    The Caucasian middle-aged man was terrified, wondering whose Primordial Spirit this was.


    Could there be a second person exerting Soul Secret Technique on Lin Rui today? Had he collided with someone else?


    The Martial Artist''s Primordial Spirit not only possessed incredibly strong spiritual power but was also extremely violent, brimming with aggressiveness, shattering the Caucasian middle-aged man''s soul into pieces upon entry.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man sensed that this person''s spiritual power might be at the level of a major, at least twice as strong as his! It was even possible that it was at the general level, leaving him completely unable to resist.


    Fortunately, although the Martial Artist''s Primordial Spirit was strong, it only knew how to mindlessly attack and rampage within Lin Rui''s body, its reactions far less agile than his.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man could adopt a guerrilla fighting style, engaging in hit-and-run tactics with the Martial Artist''s Primordial Spirit, avoiding direct confrontation.


    The problem was that there was also Lin Rui, the "local snake" in this body.


    Lin Rui''s thoughts were also blocking all sides, attacking, biting, cooperating with that powerful Martial Artist''s Primordial Spirit, entangling with all their might!


    The Caucasian middle-aged man had realized that this Martial Artist''s Primordial Spirit was likely Lin Rui''s ally, and they were teaming up to strangle him!


    "You want to kill me? That''s impossible, don''t even think about it!"


    The Caucasian middle-aged man was both furious and terrified.


    At that moment, his body in the basement of another townhouse suddenly spat out blood and a layer of ethereal crimson flames ignited all over him.


    This caused the spiritual power of the Caucasian middle-aged man to surge suddenly, elevating more than sixty percent in an instant, temporarily stepping into the level of a colonel!


    In that moment, he distinctly sensed part of the situation inside and outside of Lin Rui''s body.


    He saw a middle-aged soul shadow of about forty years old, wearing a major''s uniform, with a tall and sturdy figure, masculine features, and a commanding presence, currently attached to Lin Rui''s body.


    Lin Rui himself had his hands clasped in a seal, with crimson thunder snakes coiling around his palms and continuous flashes of crimson lightning within three meters around his body.


    "Who is this person? A major, but how could he have such a solid soul body?"


    The Caucasian middle-aged man was first puzzled, then his eyes widened in horrified despair, "Not good, this is the Thunder Engine Realm!"


    This was an extremely powerful lightning technique, the Demonic Suppression Secret Martial Art of Tianji Star, especially effective against Primordial Spirits!


    From the looks of it outside, Lin Rui had already completed the preliminary steps of this Secret Technique.


    The problem was, how was this possible? Thunder Engine Realm was a powerful Secret Martial Art that could only be mastered by school-level Martial Cultivators and involved some of the secret technique knowledge of Tianji Star.


    Lin Rui was just a mere company-level Martial Artist, how could he possibly master such a powerful Secret Martial Art?


    The Martial Arts Society alone has dozens of Combat Gear Type 4s, all intelligent sparring robots. Their combat capabilities are nearly as good as a real school-level Martial Cultivator, much stronger than your Heavy Armor Type 3."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xi scoffed coldly and then ''slammed'' the window shut.


    She still needed to pack her luggage and had no time to argue with Lin Rui.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui reluctantly touched his nose, at the same time sensing the thoughts in his mind.


    Tip: By slaying a fourth-realm demonic Martial Cultivator, you have obtained 561 Soul Power points.


    Tip: With the help of Battle Spirit Number One, you have completely refined and absorbed part of the demonic Martial Cultivator''s spiritual essence, slightly enhancing your spiritual power.


    Tip: Battle Spirit Number One has devoured part of the demonic Martial Cultivator''s spiritual essence, advancing its spiritual power and altering its skill list accordingly.


    Lin Rui was first surprised; his guardian spirit actually treated this soul, brimming with malicious intent trying to possess him as a demonic Martial Cultivator?


    Could this person actually be from the Celestial Poles Star?


    Lin Rui thought this was very likely; however, why did slaying a fourth-realm demonic Martial Cultivator only yield 561 Soul Power points?


    A fourth-realm Martial Cultivator was equivalent to the major and lieutenant colonel rank Mechanical SUit Martial Cultivators, and their spiritual power strength started at least at 1000.


    Lin Rui scanned the last two tips and then realized his oversight.


    The Soul Power of this fourth-realm demonic Martial Cultivator must have been divided between him and Xue Bogao.


    Both his and Xue Bogao''s battle spirits had obtained a portion of the so-called "spiritual essence."


    Xue Bogao''s battle spirit likely took the larger share, and it seemed to have undergone some changes after devouring the spiritual essence.


    Lin Rui reflected on the recent possession.


    It did not feel as bad as he had initially imagined; it was somewhat similar to when Lin Rui learned the battle spirit skills, although the battle spirit''s control over his body was much stronger.


    If Lin Rui did not have a strong wish to end the possession, the battle spirit''s control over his body would take priority over Lin Rui''s own consciousness.


    Also, during the possession, the Yin energy produced inside Lin Rui''s body was several times stronger than when learning battle spirit skills, and his consciousness was also more deeply affected by the battle spirit''s malevolence and fixation.


    The reason Lin Rui had been relentless, fiercely attacking the foreign spiritual power within his body, was influenced by the battle spirit.


    Lin Rui then activated a thought.


    "Guardian spirit, show me Battle Spirit Number One''s skill list."


    As information surfaced in Lin Rui''s mind, his pupils suddenly constricted, revealing a hint of surprise.

 Chapter 54 Evolution (Please follow for more)

    Battle Spirit No. 1: Xue Bogao (can be possessed)


    51 skills available to learn: Handgun Use (Proficient), Purple Glow Thunder Blade (Grandmaster), Purple Glow Thunder Palm (Grandmaster), Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill (Grandmaster), Spiritual Rejuvenation Stake (Great Success), Magic Control Divine Technique (True Meaning), Formation Basics (Proficient)... and others not listed here


    20 skills available to copy: Handgun Use (Proficient), Purple Glow Thunder Blade (Grandmaster), Purple Glow Thunder Palm (Grandmaster), Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill (Grandmaster), Spiritual Rejuvenation Stake (Great Success), Magic Control Divine Technique (True Meaning), Formation Basics (Proficient)... and others not listed here


    Lin Rui carefully reviewed both skill lists.


    Battle Spirit No. 1 had 7 more copyable skills, and 9 more learnable skills than mentioned, all of which were related to magic and spiritual power.


    They must have been abilities Xue Bogao acquired after devouring the spiritual essence of the demonized Martial Cultivator.


    Furthermore, as Lin Rui''s spiritual power focused on Xue Bogao''s name in the list, another piece of information appeared in his mind¡ªBrigadier-level Battle Spirit.


    What is a Brigadier? Above a Senior Colonel, yet not quite a Major General.


    While the official ranks don''t include this echelon, it''s a term used among the people.


    This phase is called Half-step ''Dragon Transformation'' on Tianji Star.


    Lin Rui was astonished, could a Battle Spirit actually level up? He wondered if it could reach the rank of Major General.


    However, this seemed to have little benefit for him.


    His need for the Battle Spirit primarily lay in learning and copying various skills.


    Then again, if he faced a situation like the recent possession, or needed to compete in spiritual power, having a Battle Spirit with greater spiritual strength would be of use.


    Lin Rui then glanced around at his neighbors without showing any reaction.


    The soul of that demonized Martial Cultivator couldn''t have possibly drifted over from outside the residential area.


    A mere Senior Colonel-ranked Martial Artist wouldn''t meet the requirements for a Primordial Spirit to travel far from the body.


    The person must have another body nearby.


    Lin Rui''s gaze quickly locked onto two of the row houses in the vicinity.


    The roar of the thunder just now was so immense that, had it not been for the good quality glass of this era, all glass within a 200-meter radius would have likely shattered.


    All the neighbors in the vicinity were startled, either turning on their lights or walking to the windows to peek out, some even cursing. Yet the row houses Lin Rui was particularly vigilant about showed no signs of life, no light shone from within.


    Housing at Base Nine was always in short supply, so occupancy rates in this public servants'' residential area were very high; any vacancy would be filled immediately.


    Therefore, these two houses were the most suspicious.


    Lin Rui then without any apparent concern, went back inside his own house.


    He stayed inside for about 10 minutes, waiting for the surroundings to calm down, before stepping out again from the back door.


    But if this person just had Cybernetic Implantation Syndrome, what was his purpose?


    Lin Rui couldn''t be sure, so he began searching for personal items on the body.


    This time, his loot was much better than the previous time in the basement of General Xue''s home.


    In addition to a smart wristband terminal, Lin Rui also found a fourth-tier smart pistol, a fourth-tier battle sabre, a set of fourth-tier half-body armor, an anonymous savings black card, and six magazines filled with 30 bullets each, two of which contained expensive smart bullets.


    The smart pistol, named ''Smart Dragon'' Model 4, was an electromagnetically powered firearm, not only fast to charge but its bullets could also reach eight times the speed of sound and could fire smart guided bullets. The drawback was that its firing rate was slightly slow, at only 80 rounds per minute, providing somewhat insufficient suppression against cybernetically enhanced warriors.


    The fourth-tier battle sabre, ''Truth'' Model 4, was shaped like a Tang sword and integrated with the electromagnetic energy storage technology from Sky Extreme Star''s runic studies. The blade was extremely sturdy and resilient, enhancing the user''s sabre speed and strength, and could also store energy in the scabbard, greatly increasing its power when drawn!


    The half-body armor, on the other hand, was a very ordinary set of Level 4 bulletproof armor, its advantages being agility and lightness, capable of being worn under clothes.


    Lin Rui was overjoyed.


    This pistol and sabre were much better than those he had seized from General Xue''s place.


    In General Xue''s basement, although he had also obtained a fifth-tier battle sabre and a set of fifth-tier full-body armor, which he hid in a secret location, Lin Rui could neither fully leverage their power nor dared to use them.


    In contrast, the weapons he had acquired from the white middle-aged man might be useful in the future.


    In the following days, Lin Rui paid particular attention to this villa and the information released by the police.


    He suspected that the white middle-aged man''s identity was shady, and he might even be undocumented, as his smart terminal showed obvious signs of tampering and was not a common model on the market.


    This person must have entered the community in a very secretive manner, known to few.


    If the police hadn''t listed the white middle-aged man as missing, it would indicate that the authorities were completely unaware of his death.


    Lin Rui felt joyful yet regretful.


    It was a pity he didn''t have hacking abilities; otherwise, he could have hacked into this guy''s smart terminal and traced his origins.


    He could also try to extract the funds from the savings black card.


    This was an anonymous savings card issued by an underground bank. Although it wasn''t tied to an identity, one must know the password to withdraw money.


    No sooner had this thought formed than a string of numbers, interspersed with a few English letters, appeared in his mind.


    "Could this be the savings card''s password? I absorbed and refined this person''s spiritual essence, obtaining some of his key memories, similar to Xue Bogao, who gained so many new skills."


    Lin Rui''s eyes lit up with surprise, and he hurriedly inserted the savings card into his wristband terminal, entering the password into the prompt box.


    However, the result was slightly disappointing, as there were only 70,321 federal dollars in the savings black card.


    Yet, it was still an unexpected delight. Lin Rui then shook his head and opened up the list of skills learnable from Xue Bogao.


    As Lin Rui''s intention locked onto the Cleaner skill, he began to learn, and his eyes gradually took on a cold indifference.

 Chapter 55 Fearless (Please Follow)

    The next morning, Lin Rui used the AI terminal to call for a shared winged car, which stopped right at their home''s doorstep.


    For safety''s sake, the car Lin Rui called for was still the luxury business model.


    Just the night before, Lin Rui had heard the sound of motorcycle engines roaring outside the community more than once.


    Lin Rui didn''t know if those were Blood Lizard Gang members, but he couldn''t rule out the possibility, given that the security in the Ninth Base had never been good. After all, this was an era where individual combat capabilities were off the charts. The government of the Ninth Base could barely ensure the common people could live and work in peace, so Lin Rui had to be a bit cautious.


    Lin Xi obediently carried a few bags of luggage and got into the luxury business winged car with Lin Rui.


    Last night, she had hacked the cameras outside the community and had seen the situation, knowing all too well how dangerous it was.


    Indeed, there were some Blood Lizard Gang members surveilling the neighborhood.


    As the car took off into the air and merged into a transparent ring highway tubing under the control of the automated driving system, Lin Rui turned his head and asked, "Lin Xi, what do you think about the matter we discussed yesterday?"


    "Of course I agreed," she said.


    Lin Xi was in a bad mood. She felt unwilling and said glumly, "We''re now depending on others for our needs, not to mention that they helped us so much yesterday. How could we possibly refuse at this time? Besides, Miss Emerald''s offer is quite generous. I talked to her last night; she is truly sincere."


    Lin Xi was actually quite excited, because if she transferred to Mingde Alien Body College, she wouldn''t have to be a burden to her brother.


    In the future, her scholarships and body augmentations would no longer pose problems, which would save the family a great deal of money.


    Lin Xi herself was very interested in martial arts, especially after the incident the night before.


    At that moment, Lin Xi''s face subtly changed, and she intently peered out the car window, "Brother, something is not right."


    Lin Rui had already noticed something amiss. There were suddenly nineteen floating motorcycles chasing from behind, zooming beside their luxury business winged car.


    Several other vehicles had already positioned themselves in front, preventing the business winged car from accelerating.


    The engines of these floating motorcycles were clearly modified, emitting piercing buzzing noises as they spewed out crimson flames.


    The riders on the motorcycles were all dressed in cyberpunk style, sporting multicolored hair, studded leather jackets, strange face paints, and various metal rings.


    Lin Rui also noticed that these people had Blood Lizard Gang lizard tattoos on their necks and arms.


    This made him frown, as his return to Tianji Star had been incessant with troubles; as soon as one wave settled, another arose.


    "Passengers, please be aware! Ambola has detected a total of 14 secondary threats and 5 tertiary threats outside the vehicle, with 12 individuals having serious criminal records. Ambola has activated the security protection system and reported to the nearby police station. Please ensure your personal safety," announced the voice of Ambola, the AI system of the car sharing company.


    Lin Rui reassuringly patted Lin Xi''s hand, while his eyes coldly surveyed the scene outside, "Don''t worry, the business car has bulletproof capabilities, and its autonomous driving is of the highest grade. Everything will be fine once we get out of the East City viaduct."


    Lin Rui didn''t wait for the electronic voice to finish, he emphasized, "I am aware of the consequences, open the sunroof immediately!"


    Following his command, the vehicle''s roof window slowly opened up.


    Lin Rui then unbuckled his seat belt, "Ambola, once I''m out, you must close the sunroof immediately. I''m the main passenger, that''s my order. Lin Xi, wait for me inside the car, be good and obey, don''t try to be brave!"


    When he said this last sentence, his voice intensified, stern and forceful.


    At that very moment, like a spring, Lin Rui''s figure leaped out of the sunroof.


    The Blood Lizard Gang riders outside were first stunned upon seeing this, then burst into harsh laughter, with a few drawing their handguns and aiming at Lin Rui.


    "Ha, this guy''s got guts! He actually dared to come out?"


    "He''s got shit for brains, the idiot."


    "Yo-ho, just watch, I''m gonna blow his head off!"


    "Shoot! Shoot!"


    Lin Rui, expressionless, stepped on the roof of the business winged car, wrapped in a thunderous flash of electricity, and landed on top of a nearby floating vehicle, chopping down ferociously.


    The green-haired rider on this vehicle was designated by the vehicle''s smart-driving system as a level three threat¡ªa captain-class Martial Cultivator enhanced with synthetic serum.


    "You''re asking for death!"


    The green-haired rider looked up, eyes wide with a cold stare at Lin Rui, unexpectedly counterattacking instead of defending, abruptly pulling out a roughly four-foot-long, third-tier ''mono-molecular combat knife'' from the motorcycle''s storage and slashing towards Lin Rui.


    He found it amusing¡ªthis fool on top must not have any implanted energy vessels and yet dared to launch an attack from the car, choosing him imbued with synthetic serum as the first target.


    But just as their blades were about to clash, a blood hole suddenly appeared in the center of the green-haired rider''s forehead.


    What''s going on?


    As this thought barely emerged in the green-haired rider''s mind, he lost all consciousness, his swung blade faltered, passing by the falling Lin Rui without contact.


    Lin Rui cleanly decapitated his head and grabbed the mono-molecular combat knife, then with a swift kick, pushed the green-haired rider''s corpse off the motorcycle.


    He then swung the long blade and took control of the floating motorcycle, steering it to the side.


    "Bang!"


    With a flash of thunder, blood mist sprayed, and another rider fell from their motorcycle, which, due to engine failure, uncontrollably smashed into the high-speed freeway''s surrounding transparent glass walls, producing a booming echo followed by a glaring burst of flame.


    At this moment, streaks of silver filaments were whizzing by Lin Rui''s body.

 Chapter 56 The Might of Sword Control (Seeking Follow-Up Reads)

    The consecutive deaths of two knights brought a chilling silence to the Blood Lizard Gang riders who had previously been screaming and howling.


    Messages began to flood their combat group chat.


    "He killed Ravend?"


    "What''s going on? Ravend was a Captain; how could he be slain with a single strike?"


    "I don''t understand, how did Ravend suddenly die? What method did this guy use to kill him?"


    "Miao Bin is dead too, he used the Red Thunder Saber and probably had Thunder Blood implanted, the power of lightning is extremely strong!"


    "A Bin! He killed A Bin, A Bin is dead too."


    While they were puzzled and uncertain, Lin Rui had already swung his sword again, cutting down two more riders from their motorcycles, his monomolecular combat knife being sharper, faster, and more dangerous than the practice knife he had originally used.


    This drove all the Blood Lizard Gang riders into a furious rage.


    "Kill him!"


    "Get closer! Speed up, speed up!"


    In an instant, over a dozen hover motorcycles abandoned the chase of the business-wing car and instead veered in the direction of Lin Rui to encircle him.


    Sitting inside the wing car, Lin Xi''s heart almost stopped, she pressed against the window looking at Lin Rui, for some reason, the cabin kept sounding alarms: "Please note, abnormal air pressure inside the cabin! Please note, abnormal air pressure inside the cabin!"


    It was at this moment that the engines of the two modified wing cars in front suddenly exploded, countless pieces of metal shrapnel blasted out, and both cars lost control, tumbling violently ahead.


    Lin Xi''s pupils brightened, her heart finally relaxed, feeling confident that Lin Rui could indeed handle these bastards.


    Those were flying needles! The flying needles Lin Rui purchased yesterday had, under his control, lodged directly into the engines of the two wing cars.


    Shortly after the explosion, three more motorcycle riders inexplicably fell off their bikes.


    A blood hole appeared in the center of their foreheads, their eyes filled with disbelief and confusion.


    Those modified hover motorcycles crashed into the glass curtain walls of the high-speed pipeline, exploding into three scorching fireballs, with metallic shrapnel scattering in all directions.


    Sparks burst continuously around Lin Rui, producing a ringing clangour.


    Several guns were firing at him at the moment, luckily none of the Blood Lizard Gang members had high-powered submachine guns in their hands, and the velocity of the pistol bullets was only thrice the speed of sound.


    Lin Rui swung his long sword, deftly blocking the bullets, using the bodies of surrounding Blood Lizard Gang riders for cover, dodging and blocking, barely managing to remain unscathed.


    Lin Rui then seized the opportunity to leap onto another motorcycle speeding by.


    However, Lin Rui had already taken off from that motorcycle one step earlier and arrived above another vehicle. With a flash of his ''monomolecular combat knife,'' he cut off the head of a knight along with a good portion of their shoulder.


    Next, his figure darted about like a nimble monkey. With every leap, every slash of the knife, he would claim a life. His monomolecular combat knife, combined with the flying needles he controlled, was simply unstoppable. None of the Blood Lizard Gang members could withstand a single blow from him.


    Gold-Tooth Jack kept chasing from behind but was always one step too slow, fueling the furious rage in his heart to a burn.


    That bastard could even use electromagnetic force to control the engine, slowing down the floating motorcycle he was driving.


    He could only wave his chain saw sword frantically, crying out in angry desperation, "I''ll slaughter you! If you get caught by me, I swear I''ll slaughter you, I''ll chop you into pieces!"


    However, after Lin Rui killed four men, the remaining few Blood Lizard Gang riders had already fallen apart, one by one, creating distance and even driving into the on-ramps that appeared ahead.


    At that moment, Gold-Tooth Jack''s floating motorcycle suddenly accelerated, finally catching up to Lin Rui.


    Gold-Tooth Jack realized in an instant that Lin Rui had done this deliberately, relinquishing his control over the engine. This guy was intent on settling the score with him, with Gold-Tooth Jack!


    He let out a burst of crazed laughter, his eyes revealing a look of bloodthirsty madness, "You want to kill me? Then come on!"


    He was Gold-Tooth Jack! He was nothing like those captain-level losers Lin Rui had killed before.


    Not only was his spiritual power intact, but every aspect of his physical constitution had also reached the level of a major. His implanted meridian system was even the ''Hunter'' model regulated by the federal government¡ªa complete set of cybernetic implants!


    Moreover, the synthetic serum he''d been injected with was derived from a high-ranking demon on the planet Tianji Star!


    Just as the two motorcycles were about to collide, a harsh metallic clang and a series of dazzling sparks erupted between them.


    The chain saw sword and the monomolecular combat knife collided fiercely, spewing forth a stream of blinding sparks.


    Lin Rui was clearly outmatched. Not only was his blade speed much slower than Gold-Tooth Jack''s, but his strength was also far inferior. After only two strikes, he was almost unable to stand, and even the floating motorcycle he was on wobbled unstably.


    This motorcycle had been heavily modified, and although the power was exceedingly strong, the automatic driving system and the vehicle''s stability system were as crappy as shit.


    Gold-Tooth Jack laughed maniacally, his facial muscles contorting into a ferocious look, "You son of a bitch, go to hell, die!"


    With just two more strikes, he could chop this man up alive.


    But at that moment, Gold-Tooth Jack suddenly saw a streak of sword light flash towards his neck.


    "Sword Control Technique?"


    This guy could even wield Sword Control!


    Gold-Tooth Jack felt a chill rush to his skull, causing goosebumps all over his body.


    He managed to dodge the fatal strike to his neck at the last moment, but his left shoulder and arm were sliced off by the sword light, spraying a fountain of fresh blood and eliciting a scream of agony from Gold-Tooth Jack.

 Chapter 57 Hall of Fame (seeking follow-up reading)

    Educational Charity Center of Base 9, Yu Feicui hurriedly walked into the auction hall and found Fang Ranran talking with several business tycoons.


    When Fang Ranran saw her approaching, she couldn''t help but feel a bit surprised.


    She excused herself from the people nearby, and with curious eyes, she went up to Yu Feicui, "Is there something you need, Sister Feicui?"


    Although both of them were attending the charity auction today, they had their reasons.


    Fang Ranran was there to fundraise for the education charity foundation she operated.


    Yu Feicui, on the other hand, was accompanying General Fei Yunlai, a newly risen star of the military, at this charity auction.


    She and General Fei Yunlai were like siblings, sharing a very close relationship.


    "There''s a video spreading online, Ranran, you should take a look."


    Yu Feicui directly sent a video link to Fang Ranran through a private chat interface.


    Fang Ranran opened the video with a skeptical look, but after watching for a moment, her eyes lit up, "Is that Lin Rui?"


    She then frowned, turning to Yu Feicui, "How are they doing right now? Why didn''t they inform me immediately?"


    "By the time I saw this video, they had already escaped danger."


    Yu Feicui shook her head, her lips slightly curving up, radiating pleasure, "Keep watching the video."


    Fang Ranran then settled down to continue watching the video, her eyes widening in amazement, almost incredulous at the content, "He can actually command flying needles and swords? How is that possible?"


    Fang Ranran knew that Lin Rui had implanted a complete set of ''Divine Thunder Flame Armor'', truly becoming a Lieutenant-level martial artist, greatly enhancing his strength, but it still shouldn''t be so exaggerated, should it?


    Watching the battle footage in the video, Lin Rui slaughtering Captain-level martial artists looked like slicing through melons and vegetables.


    "I couldn''t believe it when I saw it either, but it is indeed true. My senior brother Fei also saw this video, he said Lin Rui might have cultivated the ''Extreme Divine Thunder Pillar'', or a similar intermediate-level cultivation technique to a very high level, possibly to perfection!"


    Yu Feicui shook her head, speaking in a tone filled with wonder, "Lin Rui''s talent is very high, higher than we previously thought, possibly above the level of the top ten, reaching hall-grade! He might have already mastered the Extreme Divine Thunder Pillar, but just hadn''t shown it due to not having implanted his meridian points."


    She couldn''t help but sigh, "His sister is also quite impressive, at sixteen, right after implanting meridians, she could use the Red Thunder Snake Hand, she too will rank among the top three of the top ten in the future. This sibling duo is truly remarkable."


    Fang Ranran wondered where Lin Rui had learned the Extreme Divine Thunder Pillar from?


    She soon thought of Lin Rui''s parents'' background and understood; with their positions in the research institutions, they could obtain most of the government-regulated advanced cultivation techniques.


    Fang Ranran also agreed with Yu Feicui''s judgment, thinking to herself that Lin Rui''s talent was indeed frighteningly strong! If Lin Rui could make a name for himself in the upcoming martial arts league, then her uncle would have found a treasure.


    Their Tianlan Group developed various cultivation enhancements, the quality of which was quite good, but so far, the Tianlan Group still lacked a hall-grade martial arts star to boost its reputation.


    However, Fang Ranran right now was more concerned about Lin Rui''s safety.


    Lin Rui was fighting a life-and-death battle with Jack Goldtooth.


    After having an arm severed by Lin Rui, Jack Goldtooth regained his composure and rode his hover-motorcycle at full speed trying to escape.


    However, this motorcycle wasn''t his original one, and Lin Rui''s electromagnetic interference had greatly reduced its speed, making it unable to shake off Lin Rui.


    The two pursued each other on motorcycles in the high-speed pipeline, constantly clashing swords.


    Jack Goldtooth''s face gradually turned pale, and the strength in his sword weakened with every collision.


    The stump on his left arm had actually stopped bleeding, but during the minutes-long chase, Jack Goldtooth was stabbed several times by Lin Rui''s flying sword.


    Jack Goldtooth had a foreboding feeling.


    Was he going to die here, in the hands of this youthful nobody?


    He felt unwilling and angry.


    This nobody was outright monstrous. How could someone so young, just over 18, be so strong? He wasn''t even among the top ten warriors.


    Moreover, this guy''s disposition was extremely venomous.


    He had already opted to flee, yet this nobody still relentlessly chased him down, intent on completely annihilating him.


    Jack Goldtooth''s thoughts were a chaotic mess, even giving rise to various hallucinations.


    It was then that he noticed Lin Rui''s hover-vehicle suddenly slowing down.


    Jack Goldtooth felt a surge of joy, thinking Lin Rui had given up the chase.


    But then he spotted about a dozen police cars and armored vehicles blocking the way ahead, with over twenty kinetic assault rifles and particle beam rifles aiming at him from afar.


    "Warning! Warning! Please pull over immediately and drop your weapon! Please pull over immediately and drop your weapon!"


    Jack Goldtooth''s expression darkened, knowing he was ultimately going to be caught today.


    But just as he was about to slow down and pull over, the hover-motorcycle beneath him suddenly accelerated, charging toward the police cars.


    "Warnings unsuccessful, open fire!"


    At that moment, several dozen kinetic rifles fired simultaneously, instantly riddling Jack Goldtooth''s body with numerous bloody holes.


    Lin Rui stopped his vehicle 150 meters away, watching the scene from a distance.


    A look of surprise flashed in his eyes.


    Because among the group of police, Lin Rui saw a familiar face ¡ª the only surviving daughter of the Xue family.

 Chapter 58 Xue Lingxue (Third update, sincerely asking for follow-up reads!)

    PS: Today is very important for breaking new ground, a large amount of catch-up reading is needed. I ask everyone to please help read this book, especially today''s chapter. Just read at your normal pace! Starting off with three chapters as thanks!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Ten minutes later, traffic in the high-speed tube had returned to normal.


    Lin Rui parked his car on the side of the high-speed tube and leisurely drank the hot beverage provided by the police.


    Lin Xi was holding a pack of wet wipes, cleaning the blood off Lin Rui.


    Most of the blood belonged to the knights from the Blood Lizard Gang, though Lin Rui had also sustained some injuries himself, with his shoulders and waist being grazed by bullets.


    Lin Xi treated his wounds, her eyes turning slightly red.


    "It''s fine, I''ll just lie down in the automatic surgery capsule when we get back, and it''ll heal in a minute," Lin Rui said, not overly concerned about his injuries. In this era, as long as one didn''t die on the spot, wounds could basically heal within ten minutes, without even leaving a scar.


    He began to look through the information sent to him by his Battle Spirit Ring in his mind.


    Notification: For slaying a second realm demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you have gained 261 points of Soul Power.


    Notification: For slaying a third realm demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you have gained 348 points of Soul Power.


    Notification: For slaying a third realm demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you have gained 358 points of Soul Power.


    Notification: For slaying a third realm demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you have gained 363 points of Soul Power.


    Lin Rui had killed a total of 15 people, yet there were 13 notifications, providing him with over 2900 points of Soul Power.


    Lin Rui was a bit stunned. Could it be that the Battle Spirit Ring actually considered these Martial Cultivators, who were suffering from ''cybernetic implant syndrome'', as demon-transformed Martial Cultivators?


    Thinking about it, weren''t the three thousand cybernetically-enhanced Martial Cultivators of the Blood Lizard Gang just a huge packet of experience?


    It truly was madness for members of the Blood Lizard Gang to implant so many things inside their bodies with such low spiritual power.


    Take Jack with the gold teeth, for example, he had at least five assistive cybernetic implants in his body, and he even used a higher-grade artificial serum despite his insufficient spiritual power. No wonder he contracted ''cybernetic implant syndrome''; it''s a miracle they haven''t all gone completely mad.


    Another piece of information lingered in Lin Rui''s mind.


    Mission 2: Battle Spirit No. 1 hopes that you can help take care of his daughter, Xue Lingxue, through the most difficult stage of her life. After completing the task, you can copy one high-level skill from Battle Spirit No. 1''s skill list without paying any cost.


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes.


    The death of a bunch of drug-trafficking vermin was not a significant matter at all; the lives of these people combined were not worth as much as a single finger of this rising star of the Tianlan Corporation.


    If the Blood Lizard Gang refused to abide by the government''s rules, others naturally could employ forces outside the rules against the Blood Lizard Gang.


    Lin Rui immediately thought of Fang Ranran.


    Apart from their family''s club president, he guessed no one else would go to such lengths to help him.


    Lin Rui felt immensely grateful and promptly stood up, saying, "Then we''ll be going now. If the police need to ask us anything, feel free to contact me at any time."


    At this moment, a luxurious Ambola shared rental car, a President''s Wing model, slowly pulled up beside them.


    Lin Rui now had a lot of trust in this company''s business car brand.


    It was a pity that earlier, he didn''t have the determination to spend more to hire the luxurious President''s version; otherwise, Jack with the golden teeth and his group wouldn''t have managed to lay a finger on his siblings.


    Of course, if it weren''t for the battle that day, he wouldn''t have known that the Battle Spirit Ring actually mistook the spiritually ill for transformed Martial Cultivators.


    Before getting into the car, Lin Rui looked solemnly at Xue Lingxue, "Sister Xue, take care of yourself, and my condolences!"


    Xue Lingxue''s eyes suddenly reddened, and she fought back tears while nodding, "I know, you guys go."


    She watched as the siblings boarded the luxurious Ambola business Wing car, which then took to the sky and disappeared from sight. She immediately made a phone call.


    Xue Lingxue''s eyes were still filled with sadness, but her expression had resumed its usual cool composure, "General, I have made contact with Lin Rui and Lin Xi, the siblings."


    "I''ve seen it," a hoarse male voice came through the terminal wristband''s microphone, "So, how do you feel about it?"


    "I don''t know if it''s an illusion, but I feel that the siblings are quite guarded against me," Xue Lingxue frowned slightly, "And Lin Rui, judging from this battle, his talent is unfathomably high¡ªit was not apparent when he was younger."


    "They are guarded against you?" The hoarse male voice seemed somewhat surprised. He then said sternly, "Lin Rui''s martial talent is indeed alarmingly high. He''s just undergone the vein implantation surgery, and he''s already able to exercise Sword Control and needle control. However, from the information we have, whether he really is Lin Rui is not yet certain. Be observant."


    He then shifted his tone, "Since they are wary of you, then do not approach them for the time being. Lingxue, make the most of your current identity, prioritize observation, and pay close attention to Lin Xi! From the recent intelligence, more than one party wants to force the Despair Heavenly Girl to awaken. We must not let them succeed; it was your father''s unfinished mission.


    And as for Lin Rui, you must clarify his situation. But be very careful not to let Lin Xi notice."


    "I understand!" Xue Lingxue nodded, "We can''t let Lin Xi know that her brother might have already died. So, we also need to ensure this Lin Rui''s safety, correct?"


    "Very good," the hoarse male voice seemed very satisfied and ended the communication.


    Xue Lingxue then stood there, deep in thought. She wondered if her family''s tragic deaths had anything to do with Lin Rui''s ''death''?

 Chapter 59 Physical Index

    As the luxurious business flying car took off, Lin Xi crossed her arms and sneered, "Brother, you should stay away from that Xue Lingxue from now on, their family is not good people."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui turned to look at Lin Xi with a skeptical look in his eyes.


    Just a few days ago, Lin Xi was still filled with righteous indignation for the demise of Colonel Xue''s family, yet today she was saying there were no good people in the Xue family.


    The saying goes, "The gods are watching over us from a mere three feet above."


    Colonel Xue''s war spirit might still be lingering and could even be listening in right now.


    "Don''t say that," Lin Rui shook his head thoughtfully and looked out the window at the increasingly distant Xue Lingxue, "It''s odd, didn''t Sister Xue used to work at the second research base? Why has she suddenly returned to the ninth base city and even become a lieutenant colonel of police? That''s enough to enter the middle and upper ranks of the East District Police Department.


    Could it be that she wants to avenge her father and investigate his case?"


    Lin Xi chuckled coldly at his words.


    She had keenly sensed that when Xue Lingxue spoke to them, she had an abnormal interest in them as siblings.


    Lin Xi now understood why their parents had fallen out with the Xue family years ago.


    Their parents broke off relations with Xue Bogao, and no longer allowed him to teach Lin Rui martial arts, surely because they had noticed something.


    About 3 minutes later, the luxurious business flying car arrived at Mingde University, and slowly came to a stop in front of the Martial Arts Society.


    Lin Rui was somewhat astonished to see both Fang Ranran and Yu Feicui waiting outside the Martial Arts Society''s gate.


    Lin Rui approached them proactively and said gratefully, "This time, the situation with us siblings has really troubled the president. I cannot thank you enough; Lin Rui will keep this in mind."


    Yu Feicui laughed at this, "Why so formal? Don''t mention it. This matter was a small thing for Ranran. As long as you, Lin Rui, can make a name for yourself in the Martial Arts Society and get into the finals, that will be the best way to repay her."


    She then took Lin Xi''s hand, "I''m here for Lin Xi, you two talk," she said.


    Lin Xi glanced at Lin Rui, hesitated a bit but still followed Yu Feicui into the Martial Arts Society.


    After the two women left, Fang Ranran stared steadily at Lin Rui.


    Her gaze was focused, examining him from head to toe, making Lin Rui feel uncomfortable.


    Back on Tianji Star, the Blood Blade lady often looked at him the same way.


    "Lin Rui, did you manage to achieve the Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance?" After examining Lin Rui for a full 3 seconds, Fang Ranran''s gaze turned sharp, "Attack me with your flying sword, and go all out!"


    Knowing that Fang Ranran was a major-ranked armored martial artist, Lin Rui did not hesitate and struck towards Fang Ranran with his Sword Control.


    Yet Lin Rui had improved so much in just one night.


    Furthermore, there was a remarkable 50-point increase in both Lin Rui''s physical quality and True Qi amount.


    "How is it?" Fang Ranran looked at the two men expectantly, "Is there any way to implant an artificial Golden Core in Lin Rui within six months?"


    Guan Biran, looking at Lin Rui''s test data with excitement, then shook his head, "No, it''s impossible! His spiritual power talent is very high, already at 569, nearly reaching the cadet stage.


    We at Tianlan Group can fully open our cybernetic arsenal and medical supplies to him, we can even build a team to help him adjust the cultivation efficiency of the sleeping chamber, but implanting an artificial Golden Core within half a year is too much of a stretch.


    With his current physical index at 341 and True Qi index at 384, it would take at least a year''s training before he could implant an artificial Golden Core. Moreover, if he wants to possess greater combat power by that time, he''ll have to implant one of those regulated models of Golden Cores, which have even higher requirements for the physique and spiritual power."


    Cybernetic warriors at the rank of major and lieutenant colonel correspond to the fourth realm of Core Formation in Tianji Star.


    To implant an artificial Golden Core, the minimum requirement is to have a spiritual power, physique, and True Qi index all reach 800.


    Even stronger, regulated-model Golden Cores require a spiritual power of at least 1400.


    So between the ranks of captain and major, there''s an intermediate stage called ''cadet stage''. On Tianji Star, it''s referred to as a half-step Golden Core, a term used to describe people who haven''t achieved Golden Core but whose combat abilities far exceed those of cultivators in the third realm.


    Fang Ranran felt a bit disappointed upon hearing this.


    Guan Biran, her uncle Fang Kongfang''s assistant and a Ph.D. in Biology, had a profound knowledge of biotechnology. He was also very familiar with the various cybernetic products and medications on the market.


    If he also concluded that Lin Rui couldn''t implant a Golden Core within half a year, that must be the case.


    Shaking his head with a look of helplessness, Guan Biran said to Fang Ranran, "Ranran, what''s the rush? Lin Rui''s talent is indeed at a hall of fame level! He will definitely be able to implant a Golden Core within a year, and at that time, in the whole Base Nine, less than ten people will be able to match him in battle.


    As long as the deputy general and the core members of your Martial Arts Club can hold out, there should be no issue for you to reach into the university championship. By the time he''s a junior, he will surely enter the finals."


    He was very excited inside. This was the first cybernetic warrior with hall of fame level talent that they had encountered since the chairman established Tianlan Biotech Group, and he had been implanted with their group''s cybernetic augmentations from the very beginning.


    Si Malin, sitting by the surgery pod, once again looked at Lin Rui inside the pod with an unusual expression.


    Unable to implant a Golden Core within half a year?


    If this guy could keep increasing at this rate every day, who would need half a year?


    Si Malin then shook his head and did not speak out to contradict Guan Biran''s assessment.


    The changes in Lin Rui were likely due to the implantation of the wheel veins, combined with his mastery of the high-level Thunder Extreme Shining Stance, which led to the explosive increase in his body''s indices. It couldn''t be considered normal.


    Si Malin thought to himself that he would need to continue observing.

 Chapter 60 The Capital Is Quite Substantial

    After Si Malin and Guan Biran had taken Lin Rui''s medical examination data and left, Lin Rui looked out at Fang Ranran and asked, "President, do you have any other matters?"


    He was actually hinting to this young Miss Fang that she could leave now, as he was about to come out of the surgical pod and the situation might get a bit awkward.


    Fang Ranran didn''t catch on and, with her arms crossed, looked at Lin Rui''s perfectly proportioned body and sighed repeatedly, "What a pity, what a pity."


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, curious, and asked, "President, you seem very concerned about advancing to the finals of the university league. Is there some other reason?"


    It seemed that young Miss Fang''s aim was not just to revitalize the school martial arts club and promote her Tianlan Corporation''s products.


    Fang Ranran scratched her head and sighed again, "It''s my grandfather, he is about to pass away. He told me he had one last wish, to see our school''s zhi-zhuang martial arts department rank within the top ten of Base Nine before he goes. I thought it would be better to fulfill his wish sooner rather than let it become a dying wish."


    "Grandfather? Is he your maternal grandfather?" Lin Rui looked skeptical.


    He knew that in the Earth era in Sichuan, some regions called the maternal grandfather ''grandfather,'' but why would Fang Ranran''s maternal grandfather have such an odd wish?


    Fang Ranran smiled, "It means my maternal grandfather. My maternal grandfather''s name is Linghu Mingde."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui suddenly understood. Linghu Mingde was the founder of Mingde University. His statue was even standing at the entrance of the school.


    "My grandfather''s greatest regret in life," she continued, "was that during his tenure as the principal, he didn''t manage the heterogeneous and the zhi-zhuang departments well. Later on, these two departments at Mingde University became even worse, notorious and a laughingstock among many of his old friends."


    Fang Ranran clicked her tongue, looking displeased, "Originally, he wanted me to manage the university and take over its operations step by step after I graduated, but I don''t have the patience to teach students.


    The truth is, the zhi-zhuang department in Mingde University struggles because it lacks fame and results. The subsidies from the education bureau are minimal, and the teachers are subpar. Once I lead Mingde University to a good position in the martial arts league, our zhi-zhuang department''s reputation will be enhanced. With my uncle''s management skills, it will certainly rise quickly."


    Fang Ranran then laughed and patted the surgical pod, "Guan Biran was right, I am indeed impatient. So don''t take my words to heart, Lin Rui you have already been very impressive, super amazing, far beyond my expectations!


    I initially thought it would take at least three years to reach the stage of the martial arts championship. Now with you, I estimate it could be achieved within two years. That''s all for today. Knowing you want to come out, I''ll leave first. Tsk! What are you, a big man, still embarrassed about?"


    Lin Rui watched her push the door open and leave, then finally pressed the button inside the surgical pod and stepped out.


    He looked thoughtful, wondering if he could implant the Golden Core within six months?


    To repay even a sip of water with a gush of spring.


    Of course, there was also a penalty for breach of contract; for the two siblings, one penalty was 150 million and the other was 380 million, while the brokerage''s penalty was much less¡ªif they failed to provide the signing bonus, paying 2.5 million would suffice to dissolve the agreement.


    "Alright!" Guan Biran smiled and glanced at the electronic contract''s signatures, then ended the video projection, "Congratulations to you both on joining our Tianlan Group. It is our honor."


    Yu Feicui also stood up saying, "I will go to the administration office at the school right now to handle Lin Xi''s transfer procedures, and Lin Xi''s room will be next to yours, Lin Rui. Please take her there. If you''re missing anything, you can call the logistics department directly, and they will arrange everything as soon as possible.


    Your meals will be handled by the logistics department as well, I suggest not going to the cafeteria. To achieve the optimal training effect, diet must also be managed."


    In addition, we will arrange for a top gold-medal martial arts instructor for Lin Xi as soon as possible, and she can also use all the training equipment in our martial arts club."


    At that moment, Lin Xi suddenly interjected, "Sister Feicui, can I have a small home computer? Preferably the Tianyan Model Three that can play large virtual games."


    Upon hearing this, Yu Feicui casually made a call, "Okay, I''ll have them arrange it. We don''t have the Tianyan Model Three, only the Tianyan Model Nine. But I must warn you, Lin Xi, do not let this disrupt your martial arts practice, or else I might have to confiscate it."


    The computing power of the Tianyan Model Nine was very high, comparable to the standard of a mid-sized home supercomputer, beloved by many gaming enthusiasts.


    In fact, even if Lin Xi hadn''t mentioned it, the martial arts club had already reserved a mid-sized home supercomputer for each of the team member''s rooms, which Fang Ranran had already sponsored nine units of.


    The computational power of the mid-sized home supercomputer, combined with the practical virtual terminals, was meant to provide excellent training effects in virtual actual combat settings.


    Lin Rui felt a bit puzzled, as Lin Xi was actually interested in large virtual games?


    He soon realized that since they had never had the financial means to own a home supercomputer, Lin Xi, despite her interest, wouldn''t have shown it before.


    He then took Lin Xi from Yu Feicui''s office to tour the martial arts club''s competition team club.


    All along the way, Lin Xi looked around curiously like a little explorer. She had heard that Fang Ranran had spent over two hundred million Federal dollars on these four floors alone, and she was equally astonished.


    Lin Xi had heard from Lin Rui about the luxury of Mingde University''s martial arts club before, but seeing it in person truly surpassed hearsay.


    Just as Lin Rui was leading Lin Xi towards the indoor activity area, a long-haired young man came out.


    It was the new member of the martial arts club, Lu Fang, who brightened up upon seeing Lin Rui, "Lin Rui, you came just in time. You''ve implanted the meridian wheels, right? Dare you have a bout with me?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui couldn''t help frowning.

 Chapter 61 Indeed a Pervert (Requesting Monthly Pass)

    Lin Xi looked at the long-haired youth opposite her and similarly furrowed her brows.


    She leaned close to Lin Rui''s ear and asked, "Who is he?"


    "His name is Lu Fang, also known as ''Little Lu Bu.'' He''s a member of our martial arts club''s competing team and will be my classmate later."


    Lin Rui, rubbing his temple with some distress, said to Lu Fang, "Lu Fang, how about we change the day? Today is not convenient for me."


    He needed to take his sister to her room and familiarize her with the martial arts club and the environment of Mingde University¡ªit was quite busy.


    "Not convenient?" Lu Fang''s expression turned cold. He looked Lin Rui up and down, his words containing defiance and persistence, "Lin Rui, you couldn''t be scared, could you? Scared to lose to me? How about this, I''ll only use 20% of my strength."


    He had just seen Lin Rui entering the operating room with Fang Ranran.


    It was clear that the president had come today for Lin Rui, showing that Fang Ranran placed much more importance on Lin Rui than on him, Lu Fang.


    The two of them were both fifth-eight term heteromorphic students, but his own past reputation far exceeded that of Lin Rui.


    Lu Fang wondered what was so special about this guy, to be so highly regarded by Fang Ranran, and why Nolan Wei thought he, Lu Fang, was far less than Lin Rui?


    Lin Xi''s gaze immediately turned sharp, her cheeks puffing up slightly in displeasure.


    Lu Fang''s words irritated her. Who was this guy to look down on her brother? Some ''Little Lu Bu''¡ªLin Xi had never heard this name in the top ten of the fifth-eight term.


    Lin Rui felt a bit resigned, thought for a moment, then nodded, "Since you insist, let''s have a spar here without making a fuss of going to the arena. Just a few moves right here should be fine."


    Lin Rui thought that it wouldn''t take much time anyway and should be quickly resolved.


    "Good!"


    Lu Fang, spirited, took down the weapon bag he was carrying on his back, pulled out some parts and assembled them into two short halberds, each 1.2 meters long.


    Then, looking puzzled, he asked Lin Rui, "Aren''t you using a weapon?"


    Lin Rui shook his head. "No need."


    Lin Rui had left his second-class training knife on the road, and the single molecule combat knife he had taken was seized by the police as evidence.


    But using his palms was the same for him.


    Lin Rui wasn''t being careless or underestimating his opponent; rather, he had gauged Lu Fang''s physical condition and spiritual power strength quite accurately through electromagnetic induction.


    Although Lu Fang was stronger than Lin Rui in every aspect, the margin was limited, and in terms of combat skills alone, the opponent couldn''t match him no matter what.


    However, Lu Fang''s pupils suddenly sharpened. Did this guy dare to underestimate him like this?


    He took a deep breath, stood three meters in front of Lin Rui with a gaze as sharp as a knife, and said, "Then be careful! Don''t say you weren''t paying attention or didn''t react quickly enough when you lose."


    His pair of halberds were spread like wings, utterly unable to defend.


    Nevertheless, he managed to change the magnetic properties twice in a very short time, but still couldn''t succeed, as Lin Rui predicted his moves accurately.


    Lu Fang, left with no choice, eventually had to abandon his halberds and crossed his arms in front of his chest to brace for Lin Rui''s strike.


    "Boom!"


    With that loud crash, the ground within 10 meters around them trembled slightly.


    Lu Fang''s body had been blasted away by Lin Rui''s palm, smashing into the wall behind him.


    The high-strength alloy wall even had two shallow pits dented by Lu Fang''s body.


    Although Lu Fang managed to stabilize himself against the wall, a trace of blood spilled from his mouth.


    His arms drooped powerlessly to his sides, his face looking extremely grim as he faced Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui''s strike had fractured both of his arms!


    What made Lu Fang even more uncomfortable was that he had only managed to use one move in front of Lin Rui!


    Lu Fang stared at Lin Rui as if seeing his teammate anew, his voice strained, "I lost!"


    Lin Rui had already retracted his stance, "You gave way!"


    He looked at Lu Fang with a slight apology, "Sorry about that, your strength is great; I couldn''t hold back. Do you need me to accompany you to the surgery room?"


    "No need, I can manage on my own!" Lu Fang replied coldly and turned, heading toward the direction of the surgery room.


    Lu Fang''s expression was peculiar; Lin Rui saying he was strong, and hinting that he had to go all out to defeat him quickly, lightened his mood a bit.


    But this guy''s strength is truly overpowering!


    With such power, why hadn''t he entered the top ten competitors?


    No wonder President Fang values him so highly, and Nolan Wei also admitted he is not his equal, mentioning how fortunate Mingde University was to have him, potentially going far with Lin Rui in the Sixty-Four Champion Tournament.


    Lu Fang had been displeased before, but now he was utterly convinced.


    Lin Rui''s martial arts talent was indeed freakish!


    Lin Xi saw this scene, her lips curling into a slight smile.


    She knew Lin Rui was still considering the face of Lu Fang, his teammate.


    If Lin Rui had used a sword, or combined it with his Sword Control and Needle Control techniques, Lu Fang might not have been able to make a single move.

 Chapter 62 The Gentlest in History (Requesting Monthly Votes)

    Lin Rui originally planned to give Lin Xi a thorough tour of the campus.


    However, once Lin Xi stepped into the room arranged for her by Yu Feicui, she couldn''t move any further.


    Lin Xi really liked this suite; it was a three-bedroom, one-living room apartment that not only had a spacious and bright lounge but also a gym equipped with more than a dozen training devices, and just the bathroom alone was 30 square meters in size, almost larger than Lin Xi''s previous room.


    The key was that in the study, a brand-new "Tianyan Jiuxing" had already been set up.


    This mid-sized domestic supercomputer, worth 1.2 million Federal coins, which had once made Lin Xi enviously drool, was now sitting in her study, hers to use as she pleased.


    On the spot, she pushed Lin Rui out the door, saying she was tired and needed to rest.


    Lin Rui felt inexplicably puzzled; just earlier, when he accompanied Lin Xi around the Martial Arts Club, she seemed quite excited about Mingde University''s campus environment.


    Nevertheless, it was also good timing for Lin Rui, as he wanted to check on the condition of his heterograft.


    The intelligence support system of the heterograft was a bit like using bots to auto-play in online games before.


    The key was that this bot was too new, its behavior patterns had not yet been tested, and Lin Rui was somewhat uneasy about it.


    He hurried into his own room and approached the quantum transmigration instrument to retrieve various data about his heterograft.


    A moment later, Lin Rui''s expression relaxed.


    When the soul of the heterograft wanderer had not yet descended into the heterograft, the main quantum communication module in their biological chip could be freed up to maintain two-way contact with the quantum transmigration instrument.


    When the heterograft encountered danger or judged that the surrounding environment was deteriorating beyond its ability to cope, it would send out a warning to the original body through the quantum transmigration instrument, urging the original body to descend as soon as possible.


    Lin Rui was also able to check on the condition of his heterograft through the quantum transmigration instrument.


    He had already reviewed the body data and video footage sent back by the intelligence support system.


    Currently, everything was normal, with no special circumstances occurring.


    The heterograft was following the behavior patterns he had set, pretending to study case files with Wang Twenty-Seven in the yamen office, essentially slacking off in this manner.


    Lin Rui thought this was just fine; he opened the sleep capsule, lay down inside, and once again descended in spirit to Tianji Star.


    This time it took very little time; Lin Rui practiced the Thunder Fire Pile skill for an hour using his heterograft and also optimized his behavior patterns before choosing to return.


    His main purpose for descending this time was to practice the Thunder Fire Pile skill.


    The effects of this practice session were surprisingly good; Lin Rui''s spiritual power level had increased to that of a captain, providing great support during the process of opening his meridians, and he now had a thorough understanding of the structure of the meridians, knowing exactly how to open them quickly.


    Gentlest in History (Wang Xiaofang): In the future, my family and I will undergo surveillance by Tianlan Corporation''s security department. You can be at ease. Assistant Guan and Tianlan Corporation highly value you and take your safety very seriously.


    Tomorrow, a Level 6 Security Defense System will be installed inside and outside your room, and there will also be two Type 5 Defender Combat Robots positioned in the corridor. They will take you as a key defense object.


    Upon reading this, Lin Rui suddenly felt embarrassed.


    He wasn''t sure if Wang Xiaofang had intuited his thoughts and therefore went out of her way to explain.


    Now, Lin Rui did feel a lot more at ease.


    When he descended to Tianji Star in the future, he wouldn''t have to worry about the safety of his original body anymore.


    A Level 6 Security Defense System was capable of withstanding a short assault from a colonel-level martial cultivator, while the combat capability of Type 5 Defender Combat Robots was on par with lieutenant colonels and colonels among martial cultivators.


    Yet, the special attention from Tianlan Corporation made him feel unexpectedly cherished.


    Lin Rui hadn''t expected Tianlan Corporation to invest so many resources in him, and up until now, he had not given anything back to Tianlan Corporation or Fang Ranran.


    After some thought, Lin Rui opened the chat interface with Si Malin.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, I want to ask if it''s really impossible for me to implant an artificial Golden Core within half a year?


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Why are you suddenly asking this? I get it, is it because you''ve taken so much from others that it''s burning your hands, and you''re feeling uneasy?


    That was exactly what Lin Rui was thinking, but Professor Sima was scornful of the idea.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): If they''ve given it to you, then take it with ease. It''s a fair trade. You signed a contract; the penalty fee is a whopping 380 million, the sort of figure associated with a third-tier martial star! Don''t think you owe them anything. If Tianlan Corporation is willing to invest so much in you, they must expect to get a sufficient return from you in the future.


    They''re capitalists! Why should you, a worker, share any sentiment with them?


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but touch his nose, left speechless.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, mainly I want to understand which way I should proceed from here.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Alright, no need to explain. That kind of attitude you have is problematic; you''ll be eaten alive in the professional world.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): With your current bodily condition, it is indeed very difficult to implant an artificial Golden Core within half a year, unless you can awaken your full Sacred Body within six months. Under the effect of the avatar assimilation, your body''s various qualities will quickly strengthen.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Oh, there''s also another method, which is to train in Blood! Avatar users have a great advantage in the field of artificial blood serum.


    If Lin Rui, your avatar, could quickly complete the blood training and successfully capture a king-class monster of the fourth realm or above, extracting its demonic blood, and using your avatar''s blood and the king-class demon blood as materials to create blood serum, then the rate of improvement for your original body would be unimaginably quick.


    It might not be possible in six months, but giving yourself eight months, there is a definite possibility, precisely in time for the championship.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): However, it''s also very challenging. The artificial Golden Core that best suits your complete Sacred Body demands a spiritual power quality of 1400 and a physical strength of 1100, both surpassing the rank of a major!

 Chapter 63 The Secret of the Silver Moon (Seeking Monthly Pass)

    Lin Rui, upon seeing Si Malin''s reply, couldn''t help but shake his head slightly in resignation.


    Producing artificial blood serum with the demonic blood of a monarch level above the fourth realm? Wasn''t that something only those super-scale alien corporations, or the top-tier alien families of the Federation, could manage?


    The ''artificial blood serum'' for the enhanced Martial Cultivators was made from extracting the marrow and refined blood of the demonic creatures from Celestial Star.


    In short, human bodies cannot produce blood refined with a large amount of Ether elements, so biologists extract the marrow and refined blood from the demonic creatures of Celestial Star to create ''artificial blood serum'' as a substitute, allowing the enhanced Martial Cultivators to complete the third realm of blood cultivation.


    The East Asia Republic is a bit more particular, allowing only the extraction of marrow from demonic creatures.


    Other member states of the Earth Federation have no such scruples; they even include the Martial Cultivators of Celestial Star.


    The marrow extracted from Martial Cultivators can also be used to produce artificial blood serum.


    Therefore, the price of artificial blood serum is extremely high, starting at a million Federation coins! Many of the Federation''s enhanced Martial Cultivators are stuck at this bottleneck, unable to advance beyond the rank of Lieutenant for their entire lives.


    Alien walkers have an advantage in this respect because their alien bodies can autonomously complete blood cultivation.


    Cultivating ''artificial blood serum'' based on their own blood, the compatibility with their original body would undoubtedly be much stronger than the marrow from demonic creatures of Celestial Star.


    Some alien walkers with the means would capture powerful demonic creatures with strong bloodline powers and extract their marrow to enhance the quality and potential of their own ''artificial blood serum.''


    Lin Rui also wanted to do the same, but unfortunately, he didn''t have the conditions to do so.


    Where could he find a monarch-level demonic creature above the fourth realm to harvest its marrow?


    Lin Rui opened a few internal trading sites exclusive to alien walkers and casually searched for materials for artificial blood serum.


    He found that not only was there no monarch-level demonic creature''s marrow on the network, but there wasn''t even any from higher demonic creatures above the fourth realm.


    Lin Rui had initially wanted to do everything in his power to improve his cultivation level, to see if he could help Fang Ranran, but now it seemed he was being too hasty.


    He shook his head and prepared to push the door and leave the sleep pod.


    However, Lin Rui''s hand had just touched the switch when it retracted back.


    Lin Rui found the Shenmin-3 model sleep pod extremely comfortable, far more so than the outside.


    Worthy of integrating the cutting-edge technology of Tianlan Corporation, it indeed had its impressive aspects.


    I visited an Abnormality Management Bureau branch located at the coffin street at South City Gate, where I saw lots of wood piled up, especially the highly flammable olive trees. It can''t be a coincidence.


    Eccentric Youth (Wang Sen): Moreover, I found a thesis on the Blood Blade, can you believe it? This paper was written by our supervisor, Professor Han, when he was young. Based on its content, we can preliminarily determine the reason for the Blood Blade''s loss of control, as well as a method to briefly control it. You might want to take a look, it costs 100 Federation Dollars.


    Eccentric Youth (Wang Sen): Rui, based on the content of the paper, I suspect the Blood Blade might be controlled by those behind the scenes with the flammable materials. Coincidentally, Ji Shenyan from 6,700 years ago was also from the Great Zhou royal lineage, but I feel like I might be overthinking it.


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly. Overthinking? It''s better to overthink!


    Wang Sen was unaware that the Blood Blade had been controlled by the County Magistrate and those people, so he didn''t grasp the severity of the situation and was clueless about the calamity they would face in two days.


    Lin Rui wondered what the County Magistrate was trying to achieve?


    And the County Magistrate, did he know about these actions of the County Magistrate? Was he aware of the danger of the situation?


    After opening the paper and reading for a while, his eyes suddenly lit up.


    At that moment, Wang Sen sent another link.


    Eccentric Youth (Wang Sen): Rui, take a look at this news from Tianji Star. Holy shit, Wang City of the Imperial Si was completely leveled, over 200 people dead. No wonder Master Duo is visiting those local gentry everywhere, asking them to provide support. The situation in Silver Moon County is super tricky right now.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I got it. When you have time, help me look up more related information.


    Lin Rui was also researching on his own. He even accessed the Abnormality Management Bureau''s database, paying to look up the Blood Blade''s original house, Jing Luo Yuan, as well as the current status and family trees of the Great Zhou royal descendants, and even checked the information on their own County Magistrate.


    Not long after, Lin Rui frowned deeply.


    He had pierced through some of Silver Moon County''s mysteries and was shocked by what he found, especially regarding the County Magistrate. What was going on? Just over two months ago, hadn''t a County Magistrate died in Silver Moon County?


    The Abnormality Management Bureau had provided the relevant information, and it was recorded in the biological chip, so why hadn''t he noticed it while he was operating below?


    Lin Rui then returned to carefully read Professor Han''s paper, his heart beginning to pound ''thump thump''.


    He now knew why the Blood Blade had followed him and had found a way to counteract the Blood Blade.


    Lin Rui''s spiritual power was very strong now. According to the method described in Professor Han''s paper, he had a good chance of success.


    However, to execute this plan, he needed enough Soul Power points and had to master certain arcane abilities.


    Lin Rui reviewed Xue Bogao''s skills list in his mind and looked at his Soul Power points that had just reached 5,600, his gaze gradually becoming stern.


    He had some scores to settle with someone.

 Chapter 64 Courageous Outburst (Request for Monthly Votes)

    As night fell, on Longze East Road, Fallen Street.


    About forty hoverbuses, filled with sex workers, drug dealers, and addicts, were whisked away under the escort of numerous police and armored vehicles.


    The sudden severe crackdown by the police caught the ten or so bars and nightclubs on this street off guard; nearly every venue had a large number of people handcuffed and taken away by the police. The remaining patrons, too, dared not stay any longer and scattered in a swarm, turning this once brightly lit and bustling street eerily quiet.


    As those police cars sped away, Lin Rui was standing on top of a twelve-story building, looking down at the street below.


    He was wearing a fourth-level half-body armor under a long coat he bought from a street stall, and a fourth-level combat knife ''Truth 4'' slung on his back.


    As for that ''Zhilong'' 4 smart pistol, it was hidden inside his long coat.


    While observing a nine-story building adorned with neon lights next door, Lin Rui opened up an electromagnetic field in the palm of his hand.


    At this moment, Lin Rui could not only achieve optical invisibility but also accurately sense all electromagnetic fields within a radius of 70 meters, and even emit ultrasonic waves to probe the interior of the building.


    This was the advantage brought by the Grandmaster-level Thunder Extreme God Shine Pillar; Lin Rui had higher control over electromagnetism and had learned new electromagnetism techniques.


    As time passed, Lin Rui''s brows gradually furrowed.


    "There are quite a few people down there¡ª"


    The nine-story building opposite was a large nightclub, called Fabric Nightclub.


    It had just been raided by the police. All the patrons had fled, but there were still more than 200 people inside the nightclub.


    About 71 of them were martial artists equipped with implants, while the rest had very weak magnetic fields, probably waiters and sex workers who had luckily avoided capture.


    Clearly, this nightclub was not just a nightclub, but also a stronghold of a faction within the Blood Lizard Gang.


    "I sensed 20 warrant officers, probably the peripheral members of the Blood Lizard Gang. This gang has high criteria; one must reach the rank of a junior officer to become an official member. There are also a total of 39 junior and middle officers, plus 12 captains and majors. I wonder which one is Tiana Higgins, but the blade Aiken is on the third floor.


    I must not have mistaken it; Blade Aiken is Tiana Higgins''s lieutenant. From this, it''s clear that this nightclub indeed belongs to Tiana. Tsk, I''m really crazy. In a situation like this, I''m not only unafraid, but I also refuse to give up. My mentality must be messed up, definitely influenced by Xue Bogao, that crazy Colonel Xue."


    Lin Rui touched his nose, feeling his mindset was very dangerous.


    He definitely couldn''t handle these 71 martial artists with implants alone, let alone be sure they were all the enemies inside.


    His electromagnetic sensing was not omnipotent.


    Inside the building where Lin Rui stood, there were lots of metal components. In places dense with these components, there were blind spots that Lin Rui couldn''t sense.


    Moreover, some powerful martial cultivators could conceal their aura, even sense his electromagnetic waves and react accordingly.


    Luckily, thanks to the police''s recent massive raid, the security system of this nightclub had significant loopholes.


    For instance, its surveillance cameras. Their main server had been taken away by the police and couldn''t be used for the time being.


    Lin Rui thought for a moment, then called to the Ring Spirit with his consciousness.


    "Ring Spirit, I want to use Soul Power points to copy Master-level Pistol Usage and Major-level Qi Nourishing Stance!"


    Reminder: Copying "Pistol Usage (Master)" requires 300 Soul Power points, copying "Qi Nourishing Stance (Major)" requires 1000 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui had a Level 4 pistol, the "Zhilong" Mark 4, but he knew nothing about using firearms.


    With Master-level skill in pistol usage, his shooting would not be inferior to elite soldiers in the military. Combined with smart guided bullets, the killing power of the "Zhilong" Mark 4 in his hands was very considerable.


    The Qi Nourishing Stance he copied should be the basic Cultivation Technique of that Caucasian middle-aged man.


    This technique primarily cultivates spiritual power, and only secondary cultivates True Qi and various aspects of physical constitution.


    After this replication, the pain throughout Lin Rui''s body was much less intense.


    He focused his senses intensely, and a trace of an unusual gleam appeared in his eyes.


    "This stance technique can indeed be stacked; copying more stance techniques later will also enhance my physical constitution correspondingly. My current physical index might be close to 360, a pity this Qi Nourishing Stance is only a basic stance technique, its body-enhancing effect is far from that of an intermediate level technique like the Thunder Extreme God Glow Stance."


    Lin Rui then brushed aside these thoughts and jumped across to the building opposite. After a few leaps, he entered a narrow alley where he found a small pharmacy and bought a large quantity of medication,


    Throughout, he was shrouded in a long coat, wearing sunglasses, and his face covered, paying with a black savings card when it was time to check out.


    Far from being surprised, the pharmacy owner found it quite normal; the guy had bought a bunch of painkillers, clearly a drug addict.


    Lin Rui then went to a nearby aquatics market.


    It was just shortly after nightfall, and the aquatics market had not yet closed; here, Lin Rui managed to purchase six ''Red Puffers''.


    Sourced from Earth''s puffer fish, some unscrupulous traders at Base Nine bred them in radioactive water, causing genetic mutations in the fish.


    As a rare fresh food item, and indeed delicious, Red Puffers had a good market among the lower classes of Base Nine.


    The Red Puffers themselves were no longer poisonous, but their livers contained a key ingredient needed by Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui then found a secluded, deserted location and skillfully mixed these medications with the livers of the Red Puffers to produce five large bottles of red medicine.


    In the end, he returned to the nightclub''s top floor to administer the poison, his mood inexplicably buoyant for some unknown reason.


    As he poured the medicine into the direct drinking water machine on the rooftop and the central air conditioner''s humidifier, he leisurely hummed a song.


    "I planted a seed in my heart, diddle-diddle-dee, it can fulfill small wishes with magical powers, I heard every child wants to own it, get ready¡ªwow, let''s explore together¡ªOk go, come on, unleash your bravery."


    This was a habit from his previous life; whenever his leukemia flared up and his body was in severe pain, he would sing loudly to fight it. Later, whether he felt sad or joyful, he would always sing this kind of simple, easy-to-remember children''s song.


    Lin Rui thought that if the poisoning was successful, he would find a suitable moment to attack, and if not, he would decisively withdraw.


    It turned out the skills possessed by Colonel Xue were quite formidable, perfect for home travel, for killing and silencing. It was unclear who would be capable of swiftly assassinating someone as powerful as Colonel Xue.

 Chapter 65 Digging and Digging (Requesting Monthly Votes)

    On the third floor of "Fabric Nightclub,", when "Blood Dagger" Bet Aiken entered the Presidential Suite, he felt extremely lousy.


    Cursing inwardly, Aiken thought, "Damn Jack! Damn Lin Rui! Damn Tiana! Damn, damn, they all tmd deserve to die!"


    Tiana was his sister-in-law, the wife of "Iron Fist King" Wang Li.


    That very morning, the foolish Tiana had actually ordered "Gold Tooth" Jack to attack the siblings Lin Rui and Lin Xi on the ring expressway.


    This foolish, reckless, and arrogant act brought great disaster and loss to their Blood Lizard Gang.


    The Ninth Base City government classified the incident as a terrorist attack, and tonight the chief of the East District Police Station called in twenty federal operation teams, three regular federal marine corps, and two battalions of the armed police from the East Asian Republic, sweeping through the entire eastern district''s streets and alleys under the guise of a gang-crackdown and anti-terrorism operation in collaboration with the military and the police.


    All the businesses under the Blood Lizard Gang became prime targets of the military and police''s crackdown.


    This action caught them completely off guard; before the event, the gang''s top brass hadn''t received any intelligence, and the networks the Blood Lizard Gang operated through all failed them.


    As a result, the Blood Lizard Gang suffered heavy losses; during the military and police search, they not only lost a large amount of money and materials, but also had more than 180 people shot dead by the military and police, and over 600 taken away in handcuffs, nearly half of whom may end up convicted and imprisoned.


    What infuriated "Blood Dagger" Aiken even more was that the two drug storage warehouses he managed on behalf of the Iron Fist King were also swept by the police, with the lost goods valued at 90 million federal coins.


    "Blood Dagger" Aiken was sure there was a rat within their ranks, so as soon as the police finished their sweep, he summoned all the personnel who had access to the two drug storage warehouses, attempting to root out the traitor. Unfortunately, he has yet to find the bastard who betrayed the gang and was covertly serving others.


    And all of this stemmed from that reckless, damned move by sister-in-law Tiana and "Gold Tooth" Jack on the ring expressway this morning.


    If "Gold Tooth" Jack had managed to kill those siblings, it would have at least demonstrated their Blood Lizard Gang''s might. Instead, they suffered a brutal defeat, with Jack and his men nearly completely wiped out, and "Gold Tooth" Jack himself dying under police gunfire.


    "Blood Dagger" Aiken felt a hint of regret; he really should have persuaded his sister-in-law otherwise.


    If he had given her a stern warning yesterday, today''s events might not have happened.


    When he returned yesterday, he also couldn''t accurately judge the severity of the situation.


    At that time, Aiken only felt that Lin Rui might be troublesome, as the people of Longze Road police substation didn''t hesitate to side with the Lin siblings, even forcibly driving him out of the police station, which suggested that this person had an extraordinary background.


    However, he never imagined that the power behind Lin Rui was so strong that it could prompt the Ninth Base''s government leadership to join forces with the military for such a massive anti-gang anti-terrorism operation on behalf of the Lin siblings.


    Clearly, this power had connections that reached the skies!


    "Damn it, it''s really infuriating!"


    Aiken cursed Lin Rui, cursed his sister-in-law, and even cursed himself.


    As Aiken looked at Tiana''s body, his heart felt icy cold.


    The reason Aiken was able to kill Tiana was not that his shooting was exceptional just now, but because Tiana Higgins herself had issues. Her gait was staggering and unstable, unable to execute any effective block or dodge.


    Tiana was also a Captain-level Martial Artist. Although her combat capabilities were not great, she was not so easy to kill.


    Aiken clenched his teeth.


    He was certain he had been poisoned, likely by an extremely potent anesthetic. The issue was when he had been poisoned because he hadn''t perceived anything out of the ordinary before that.


    He immediately opened the gang''s chat group, only to find that the internal network of the nightclub was down.


    Just then, Aiken heard a burst of gunfire from outside the suite, which made his pupils contract to pinpoints.


    And just two minutes before the gunfire, a sleek black figure forcefully burst through the window of the eighth floor of the building.


    This was Police Superintendent Xue Lingxue, who was now wearing an extremely form-fitting black exoskeleton battle armor, her head covered with a closed tactical helmet.


    However, when she stood alert with twin blades in hand, her expression became slightly startled.


    Xue Lingxue noticed that the door to the surveillance room was wide open, with several members of the Blood Lizard Gang sprawled inside¡ªeither throats slit or necks completely severed, all killed with a single blade.


    The various equipment inside the surveillance room was also destroyed, unable to function properly.


    Xue Lingxue narrowed her willow eyebrows and continued walking forward.


    She then encountered several more bodies, their death similar to the previous ones. Judging from the wounds, the killer''s knife skills were profound, and the killing strikes were swift and decisive.


    There were also some servers and fashionably dressed women, all cowering in corners, shivering with fear.


    Xue Lingxue noticed a notification inside her tactical helmet. Her battle armor detected the presence of a synthetic anesthetic in the air. Stay tuned for updates on empire


    It contained elements of propofol, lidocaine, and carfentanil, mixed with liver oil from the red pufferfish, making the anesthetic nearly colorless and odorless when diluted to a certain extent. It formed a unique aerosol that blended into the air, making it more readily absorbed by the human body.


    Thus, the members of the Blood Lizard Gang inside the building were basically all affected, their senses and reactions dulled, losing most of their combat ability. Judging from the combat traces, they were also incapable of mounting a proper resistance.


    Right then, Xue Lingxue heard a burst of gunfire. With a grave look in her eyes, she quickened her pace following the sound to the hallway of the fourth floor of the building.


    As Xue Lingxue descended the steps, she heard a clear voice singing a nursery rhyme, "Digging in the tiny garden, dig and dig and dig, planting tiny seeds to bloom little flowers; in the big garden digging, dig and dig and dig¡ª"


    Xue Lingxue narrowed her eyes, pondering that the person singing must be the killer who used the anesthetic. Who could this person be?

 Chapter 66 A Particularly Large Garden (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

    As Xue Lingxue descended the stairs, she felt a special frequency of electromagnetic waves sweep across the nearby area.


    Her heart gave a slight start, and she instinctively took a step back.


    "This person has a strong electromagnetic field and soundwave detection ability, and can become optically invisible!"


    With the help of her exoskeleton armor, Xue Lingxue carefully concealed her own qi and magnetic field, while she released three tiny drones, the size of fingernails, from her arm into the fourth-floor corridor.


    Before long, she saw the images from the corridor ahead through the imaging system inside her helmet.


    The opponent was cautious, using optical invisibility even during combat. It was only through AI image reconstruction that Xue Lingxue saw a man in a long coat, tall and slender, engaging in wanton slaughter in the corridor.


    The man moved through the corridor, fighting the members of the Blood Lizard Gang who had been alarmed by the gunshots and had come one after another. His figure was swift like a leopard, ferocious like a tiger, his long blade enveloped in crimson fire and thunder, his momentum utterly fierce.


    He killed with effortless ease, singing a nursery rhyme as he did so: "Digging in the great forest, planting huge seeds, blossoming huge flowers."


    Xue Lingxue''s gaze became puzzled; she felt this person''s figure was somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him before.


    Not just the figure, but even the sword technique he used was extremely familiar to Xue Lingxue, so familiar it made her heart tremble. However, the song he hummed was strange to Xue Lingxue; it was clearly a nursery rhyme, yet it was a melody she had never heard before.


    When Xue Lingxue searched for the lyrics on the internet, she only found a few links, and upon opening them, discovered the web pages were defunct, remnants of an age unknown.


    Xue Lingxue frowned tightly, lost in thought.


    After a moment, her eyes suddenly widened.


    ¡ª¡ªIt''s the Purple Glow Thunder Blade! Father''s Purple Glow Thunder Blade!


    The Purple Glow Thunder Blade wielded by this person was identical to her father''s, as if it had been cast from the same mold!


    Just as Xue Lingxue found it unbelievable and began to closely observe the coat-clad man''s blade work, Lin Rui had already cleared the entire floor.


    He moved to the other side of the corridor, to the fire exit stairs leading to the third floor.


    The elevators in this nightclub had been sabotaged by him and were inoperable, so all he had to do was to keep killing his way down floor by floor.


    "But there are quite a number of people below¡ª"


    Lin Rui sensed that in the stairway below, as well as in the corridors to the left and right, several dozen people were hiding.


    The Blood Lizard Gang members who had been in a meeting on the second floor had nearly all gathered here.


    Lin Rui was slightly surprised. Why weren''t these Blood Lizard Gang members trying to escape? Why insist on standing their ground there? Was there a reason?


    These people were close to the nightclub''s main door, they could preserve their lives just by running out.


    Could it be out of self-confidence? Did they believe that in their partially anesthetized state, they still had the capability to withstand his attack?


    Or was it due to their gang rule, something about loyalty and valor, shared glory and shame, solidarity and mutual assistance, the courage to act and to accept responsibility?


    Of course, they could just be insane, afflicted with Combat Gear Syndrome, or their brains rotted by drugs.


    Lin Rui recognized the last person¡ªit was the Blood Lizard Gang officer he had met yesterday at the police station.


    This was a highly skilled captain-level enhanced soldier.


    Despite being heavily under the influence of anesthetics, the man''s sharpshooting still resulted in three bullets hitting Lin Rui.


    Had it not been for the fourth-tier half-body armor Lin Rui wore, he would now have three gaping bullet wounds on his body.


    "Digging in a particularly large garden, planting particularly large seeds to blossom into particularly large flowers¡ª"


    Lin Rui''s pupils dilated, his face flushed with excitement as he lunged forward, blade in hand.


    Sparks flew in front of him as he used his blade to slice through the incoming bullets.


    A moment later, Lin Rui''s blade sent Blood Dagger Aiken''s arm flying and kicked the man 7 meters away into a wall.


    He continued to fire, hitting Blood Dagger Aiken in the arms and legs until he was certain that the man no longer posed a threat, and then glanced left and right.


    He saw inside the suite a female corpse in her twenties, of Caucasian descent, with a beautiful appearance but eyes wide open, filled with unwillingness.


    That was Tiana Higgins!


    Lin Rui had seen her photo online; she was his secondary target for this mission.


    Today, Lin Rui''s main goal was to gain experience, no, Soul Power points.


    He also intended to take advantage of the chaos in Fallen Street to eliminate this threat to Lin Xi''s life.


    As long as he tidied up loose ends and used the capabilities of Grandmaster Xue to stage the scene as a gang conflict or vendetta, his sister would be safe.


    However, it seemed Tiana had been killed before his arrival.


    Lin Rui also noticed about twenty briefcases placed in a corner of the suite.


    Lin Rui walked over and used his sword to slice open a briefcase, looked inside, and his eyes flashed with understanding.


    "So that''s how it is!"


    No wonder those people had been so desperate to defend this area.


    All these briefcases were filled with drugs, likely moved here by the Blood Lizard Gang not long ago.


    The gang''s logic was that since this nightclub had already been searched by the police, it was temporarily safe, unaware that someone as audacious as him would burst in.


    Lin Rui then approached Blood Dagger Aiken and pulled a syringe from his trench coat pocket. He injected a homemade truth serum into Blood Dagger Aiken''s neck.


    Lin Rui watched the time and, after about 30 seconds, asked coldly, "Who exactly killed Xue Bogao?"


    Xue Lingxue was standing at the corner of the wall 50 meters away, observing the situation through a miniature drone.


    When she heard that sentence, her delicate body trembled.


    Why was this person asking who killed her father?

 Chapter 67 Inspector Xue (Vote for Monthly Ticket)

    "Xue Bogao?"


    The Blood Dagger Aiken''s head was already dizzy, and after being injected with the truth serum, it became even more muddled.


    His eyes appeared somewhat bewildered, "The person who killed Xue Bogao was ''The Extreme Evil Pirate Group''s'' Skull Assassin Yun Yu."


    "The Extreme Evil Pirate Group?" Lin Rui''s gaze was skeptical.


    He had not heard of The Extreme Evil Pirate Group, nor did he know who Skull Assassin Yun Yu was.


    He instinctively opened the search interface on his smart terminal to look for information, only to discover that the network was down in the vicinity.


    Lin Rui found it odd; he had not disrupted the network systems nearby.


    Lin Rui''s alter ego had just arrived not long ago, and its intelligent assistive behavior pattern had not undergone testing. Considering the especially complex situation in Silver Moon County, the alter ego might seek assistance from his original self at any time.


    At this time of year, how could Lin Rui dare to disconnect the network?


    Furthermore, his True Qi was insufficient, limiting his electromagnetic force, preventing him from disrupting the network over a wide area.


    Something was not right¡ª


    Lin Rui simply narrowed his eyes and fired two shots, shattering the windows.


    Afterward, while intently observing his surroundings, he carefully retreated to the side of the window, simultaneously pressing on, "So, where is this Skull Assassin Yun Yu? What is your relationship with him?"


    "I don''t know where he is. I only know that he approached our boss not long ago, asking us to send people to help."


    The Blood Dagger Aiken felt an excruciating headache, and his gaze grew increasingly scattered, "Our Blood Lizard Gang and The Extreme Evil Pirate Group are in a cooperative relationship. They control the smuggling channels, and most of our drug production materials come from them¡ª"


    Just then, Lin Rui raised his hand and fired three shots, using smart guided bullets to shatter three nail-sized drones in the distance.


    Lin Rui''s eyes were filled with a cold intensity as he stared in the direction of the doorway, "Who is there? Show yourself!"


    He then saw a figure in a black exoskeleton suit of armor standing at the doorway to the presidential suite.


    The full-coverage exoskeleton armor was certainly designed for females, presenting a dashing style and a graceful figure.


    Upon seeing this person, Lin Rui felt a chill in his heart.


    ¡ªThis woman cloaked in black armor was definitely a college-level Martial Artist!


    His instinct was to jump out the window and flee the scene, but the words spoken by the woman in black armor halted his actions. Read exclusive content at empire


    "Are you Lin Rui?"


    Lin Rui was startled and touched his own face.


    Not only was he constantly disrupting light with electromagnetic interference, but his face was also covered with several thick layers of stockings, sunglasses, and a windbreaker that concealed him completely, with cotton padded in certain areas under his clothes.


    Lin Rui estimated that even Lin Xi wouldn''t recognize him now, so how could this woman in black armor identify him?


    Could it be that the woman in black armor''s tactical glasses had x-ray scanning capabilities?


    Lin Rui then sensed a rather strong soul fluctuation from the Battle Spirit Ring on his hand.


    The few unique moves Lin Rui had performed earlier were also unique skills developed by her father himself.


    So, in these past few years, even though it seemed that the Xues and the Lins had cut ties, Xue Bogao had actually been secretly teaching Lin Rui martial arts, even imparting him the skills of poison-making.


    It was for this very reason that Lin Rui had decided to act against the Blood Lizard Gang today, in search of the murderer who killed his father.


    Xue Lingxue felt a sting in her nose and eyes.


    It turned out that apart from herself and General Zhang, there was someone else in the world who cared about her father, someone who wanted to avenge him.


    Even though she felt that what Lin Rui did might have been incidental, it still moved her.


    Furthermore, if her guess was right, then Lin Rui could be the real Lin Rui!


    "Lin Rui, you''re really too reckless!"


    Xue Lingxue''s tone was cold and stern, containing a warning, "What level of cultivation have you reached now? A mere cybernetic lieutenant, having learned a bit of poison-making, you dare to act rashly and attack Fabrik Nightclub, the biggest Blood Lizard Gang stronghold in the Eastern District¡ª"


    Lin Rui shook his head, interrupting her, "Inspector Xue, there''s a problem with what you''re saying. Just because one is weak doesn''t mean they can''t try to resist. Take Lin Rui you just mentioned, he''s behaved and does nothing now, will the Blood Lizard Gang spare him then?"


    Xue Lingxue was taken aback by his words and fell silent.


    Blood Dagger Aiken had just said that the Iron Fist King had already asked the Evil Seas Pirate Crew to take action to kill the siblings.


    "You don''t need to worry about safety¡ª"


    Xue Lingxue had just started to say when her expression suddenly changed, "The police are already on their way here. You should go, leave in the eastern direction, I will clean up everything here for you."


    Lin Rui hesitated only slightly before decisively jumping out of the window.


    He was a bit worried about Xue Lingxue''s ''skills'' and whether she could be trusted or not.


    But at this point, there was no time for him to clean up the scene, so he had to leave it to Xue Lingxue.


    This should be fine, as Lin Rui had been very careful throughout, leaving no trace behind. As long as the police couldn''t prove anything against him, that would suffice. As for the Blood Lizard Gang, they would probably have to face each other openly sooner or later, to the death. So, whether the Blood Lizard Gang knew or not didn''t matter.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui also felt fortunate.


    The truth was, Xue Lingxue''s advice was correct; his actions today were too risky.


    This world was full of masters, as numerous as the sea.


    There were more than thirty cybernetic experts of school rank within the Blood Lizard Gang alone, and if any one of them had been present, the outcome would have been unimaginable.


    Today he was lucky to escape unharmed, but next time may not be the same. So, it was all the fault of Major Xue, that madman, for making him so impulsive.


    Lin Rui silently blamed Major Xue''s Battle Spirit, yet had a clear understanding in his heart.


    Even if given another chance, he would still choose to take action; he had no choice. If he didn''t want to end up on the dinner table, he had to become the hunter.


    Lin Rui then called out in his mind, "Ring Spirit, I want to know how many Soul Power points I have now?"


    Notification: You currently have 14,041 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui perceived the information that appeared in his mind and the corners of his lips turned upwards ever so slightly.

 Chapter 68 Great Harvest, Great Improvement (Requesting Monthly Votes)

    ```


    Lin Rui killed a total of 64 Martial Artists with enhancements at the Fabric Nightclub and received 59 notifications of having killed demonically transformed Martial Cultivators.


    Among them, five individuals did not suffer from enhancement syndrome and were mentally normal.


    But they were far from innocent, as the Blood Lizard Gang monopolized the drug trafficking business in the entire eastern district and also dealt in usury, with each member deserving the death penalty.


    Lin Rui only regretted that there were seven who got away during this operation.


    These few were too far out of reach, and Lin Rui did not go out of his way to find them.


    At that time, Lin Rui was uncertain when the police would arrive, and he was also unsure when the Blood Lizard Gang reinforcements would get there; he had to complete the maximum amount of killing in the shortest time possible, so he couldn''t attend to those on the peripherals.


    Fortunately, he successfully completed this efficient harvest.


    The Soul Power accumulated by these 59 demonically transformed Martial Cultivators reached a staggering 14,041 points!


    Lin Rui now had two choices. One was to use the Soul Power points to repair his Battle Spirit Ring to 20%. Experience more on empire


    With just another 7,000 Soul Power points, the Battle Spirit Ring could capture a second Battle Spirit.


    However, even if he captured a second Battle Spirit now, Lin Rui would still not have enough Soul Power points to replicate skills.


    What''s more, he hadn''t even fully learned the skills of Colonel Xue.


    His second option was to strengthen his martial power and survival abilities as much as possible, which was undoubtedly the best choice.


    Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Rui decisively called out to the Ring Spirit, "Ring Spirit, help me replicate the Grandmaster-level Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill!"


    Notification: Replicating Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill (Grandmaster) requires 5,000 Soul Power points.


    After Lin Rui replicated it, his muscles began to ache violently again.


    As he was running swiftly on the rooftop, he almost couldn''t bear it and nearly fell off the rooftop.


    But once Lin Rui got used to it, his running speed on the rooftop began to increase exponentially.


    Not only were his muscles stimulated by faint threads of lightning, Lin Rui''s footsteps also flashed with streaks of thunder, with powerful electromagnetic forces carrying his body at high speeds through the air.


    Using his smart terminal bracelet to help calculate his speed, Lin Rui found that if he didn''t care about the drain, and ran at full force, he could actually reach an extreme speed of 350 kilometers per hour.


    Even if he scaled back a bit, using a more energy-efficient economy mode, he could still reach 200 kilometers per hour.


    His running was as unpredictable as lightning, swiftly changing from east to west, making it impossible for anyone to accurately judge.


    Besides, Lin Rui could interfere with his opponents using high-temperature flames and lightning, and even move anywhere at will with the aid of surrounding flames and lightning.


    This miraculous ability was almost akin to magic and special abilities rather than martial arts.


    Unfortunately, Lin Rui''s True Qi was too weak. Using the fire Escape Skill a few times in battle would leave him drained, and he couldn''t achieve Colonel Xue''s extreme 100-meter distance, only managing to transfer 20 meters away with the help of flame and electrical currents.


    If the Caucasian middle-aged man had chosen to take on Lin Rui in person instead of a spiritual attack, Lin Rui might not have been able to withstand even a single move.


    Yet, the man chose spiritual possession and was refined and killed by the combined efforts of Lin Rui and Xue Bogao''s Battle Spirit Ring, which could be considered extremely unlucky.


    Once the painful sensation within Lin Rui subsided, he clearly felt that the range of his Spiritual Sense had extended by about one meter.


    In addition, both his physical fitness and the amount of True Qi had been somewhat enhanced.


    After carefully sensing for a moment, Lin Rui felt a bit of regret in his heart, "It''s a pity, even though I''ve exchanged for the True Origin Stacking Skill and the Magic Control Divine Technique, I don''t have the magic-casting auxiliary device, so I can''t use them."


    ¡ª¡ªThese two skills were actually copied for his alternative body.


    At this time, Lin Rui took an interest in the ''Purple Glow Thunder Palm (Grandmaster)'' from Xue Bogao''s skill list.


    After copying these skills, Lin Rui''s Soul Power points were just depleted, leaving only a mere 441 points.


    However, after experiencing the slaughter at the Fabric Nightclub, he distinctly felt that Xue Bogao''s obsession had less of an influence on him, especially the chilling energy that had accumulated in his brain, which had almost dissipated completely.


    This was probably because he killed those 60+ members of the Blood Lizard Gang and found out the identity of the murderer, satisfying some of Xue Bogao''s obsession.


    Lin Rui estimated that his spiritual power was strong enough to forcibly copy a ''Purple Glow Thunder Palm (Grandmaster)'' while withstanding the impact of Xue Bogao''s obsession.


    However, after pondering for a moment, he still gave up the idea.


    "It''s better to learn slowly with Grandmaster Xue. Even if I copy another Purple Glow Thunder Palm, it won''t greatly improve my combat power."


    The Purple Glow Thunder Palm and the Purple Glow Thunder Blade have the same origin, and their martial mysteries are almost identical.


    Lin Rui had already mastered the Grandmaster level Purple Glow Thunder Blade, so it would be easy for him to learn the Purple Glow Thunder Palm.


    The only significance of exchanging the Purple Glow Thunder Palm now was the slight body enhancement it offered.


    At this time, Lin Rui arrived at a large street, where he summoned a shared business flying vehicle at the roadside and headed towards Mingde University.


    The distance from Lin Rui''s location to Mingde University was a full 50 kilometers. If he really relied on his own legs to get there, it might take Lin Rui half an hour and all his True Qi, so it was more time-efficient and less strenuous to take a vehicle.


    Taking the shared flying vehicle would expose his whereabouts, but Lin Rui didn''t care.


    Simply because his personal intelligent terminal had left traces of network positioning while he was in Fallen Street.


    1700 years ago, in order to promote intelligent personal terminals and alleviate citizens'' concerns about personal privacy, the Earth Confederation enacted the stringent ''Intelligent Terminal Act''.


    The law stipulated that all citizens'' personal positioning trajectories are private information, and except for counter-terrorism needs, all government departments do not have the right to investigate or use it as corroborative evidence in various cases.


    So, Lin Rui just had to ensure that the police did not have strong, direct evidence against him.


    Even if the police obtained some circumstantial evidence, there were lawyers to help him cope.


    The security in the Ninth Base City was far from comparable to the directly managed First to Fourth Base Cities of the East Asian Republic; however, the equipped Martial Artists thrived even more in the Ninth Base City, including Lin Rui himself.


    It has been a common truth since ancient times: scholars confuse the law with words, while heroes violate prohibitions with martial force.

 Chapter 69 Lieutenant General of the Breeding Corps (Request for Monthly Tickets)

    Lin Rui returned to Mingde University around 10 PM.


    He had planned to sneak in quietly, trying not to disturb anyone, but when he got back, he found not only were the lights of the Martial Cultivator Club ablaze, but all its members were gathered in the outdoor activity area as well.


    Lu Fang and Nolan Wei were doing strength training in a corner, while Wang Sen and Zhao Yan each occupied a platform, practicing martial arts on them.


    Even Lin Xi was there.


    She had previously stayed in her rest room, busy with something on her Tianyan Model 9.


    Lin Rui had even delivered dinner to her that evening.


    Now, Lin Xi was standing under Wang Sen''s platform, watching him practice martial arts.


    Lin Rui was puzzled, wondering what was wrong with these people. Why were they lifting weights in the activity area in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Did they have too much energy to burn off?


    After exchanging greetings with Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei, he noticed that both seemed somewhat distracted, both excited and tense, as if they were waiting for something.


    Lin Rui walked over to Lin Xi and asked curiously, "Lin Xi, how come you decided to come out? What''s going on today?"


    "Didn''t you see the message from Sister Yu in the group?" Lin Xi looked back at Lin Rui with a puzzled expression, "She will bring a colonel named Fei Yunlai later to visit our Martial Cultivator Club. He will also give us some guidance on martial arts, so we are waiting here."


    Lin Rui hurriedly opened the group chat and saw that it was indeed the case.


    Earlier, he had been focused on fighting, had disabled message notifications, and had been busy analyzing the skills he had copied on the road, hence he missed the message in the group.


    A colonel in armor, huh? That''s equivalent to a Martial Cultivator at the ''Divine Skills'' phase of the seventh realm in Tianji Star, nearly at the pinnacle of armoured martial arts, no wonder Zhao Yan and the others had such expressions.


    Lin Rui then searched the internet for information about Fei Yunlai and found that he is actually an exogenous practitioner who had been conscripted by the military and granted the rank of reserve colonel.


    At that moment, Lin Xi was again looking toward the platform above, her expression thoughtful. "I didn''t expect Brother Sen''s martial arts to be so remarkable."


    Initially, based on what Lin Rui had told her about Wang Sen, she had thought of Wang Sen only as a little follower around Lin Rui, but she had not expected Wang Sen''s strength to be so formidable.


    Lin Rui followed her gaze.


    In the activity area, only Wang Sen was practicing martial arts with complete concentration.


    He wanted Lin Xi''s help to use various testing instruments in the Martial Arts Club to measure his various physical qualities.


    After the tests were completed, Lin Xi immediately gasped, "Spiritual power index 589, physical index 375, True Qi index 404¡ª"


    Lin Rui''s physical qualities were now higher than many captain-rank Martial Cultivators!


    Especially the True Qi, which had already broken through 400 points.


    No wonder yesterday on the expressway, he found it as easy as slicing melons and chopping vegetables to slay those captain-ranked Martial Cultivators.


    Lin Rui was also secretly amazed. He was worried that people like Yu Feicui and Professor Sima would be frightened, so he decisively deleted this data after the tests.


    These figures were indeed frightening. Compared to yesterday''s comprehensive testing, all his physical attributes had increased by over 30 points.


    The values that Lin Xi detected might not be as precise as those of Professor Sima, but they wouldn''t be far off.


    Lin Rui was concerned that if this medical data were to leak, there might be a risk that Professor Sima would want to take his samples.


    Therefore, he couldn''t undergo any more physical tests in the next few days. He must take it slow, and by then he could use the "Heterogenous Assimilation Effect" as an excuse.


    After the tests, Yu Feicui and General Fei were still not seen, so Lin Rui opened several news websites to check.


    To his surprise, not only did the major news websites not have any reports on "Fabric Nightclub," but those video sites also had no related videos circulating.


    Find exclusive stories on empire


    Lin Rui also turned on the TV to watch the news channels, only to find that they were heavily reporting the anti-gang operation in the eastern district and none mentioned "Fabric Nightclub."


    Lin Rui was astounded by this. The Fabric Nightclub was quite famous in the eastern district, and today, over sixty people died there with intense gunfire and explosions at the scene. When he left, he saw people filming; how come it didn''t make any splash online?


    Was it that the news agencies of the Ninth Base City were unaware of this case and did not take it seriously, or was it suppressed by someone?


    Lin Rui thought of Xue Lingxue, feeling that her influence was immensely deep and untraceable.


    Unfortunately, he now lacked a reliable information channel and didn''t have hacking skills; otherwise, he could have hacked into the police internal system to see whether the police had filed a case and whether they were in a state of outward relaxation but internal tension.


    Just then, Yu Feicui sent a message in the team group.


    Heart of Jadeite (Yu Feicui): Attention, General Fei has arrived; meet at elevator 4.

 Chapter 70 Indeed a Hall of Fame (Requesting Monthly Pass)

    After receiving the message, Lin Rui and his group hurriedly found elevator No. 4 and lined up in a row.


    About a minute later, the elevator doors opened, and two young men and women came out.


    The woman was none other than Yu Feicui, still in her sharp and capable business attire, exuding an elegant and composed demeanor; the man appeared to be seventeen or eighteen, dressed casually, with delicate features like a woman''s, slightly effeminate, looking like an average student from the outside, showing no sign that he was an incredibly powerful genetically enhanced general.


    Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei led with a military salute, their voices loud and clear, "Good day, General Fei, welcome to the martial arts club of Mingde University!"


    Lin Rui also raised his hand.


    He was respectful on the surface, but inside he was thinking how good General Fei was at keeping himself young.


    Lin Rui had already checked online, Fei Yunlai was nearly 50 years old, yet he still had the appearance of a youth.


    It was unclear whether this was due to Fei Yunlai''s cultivation for maintaining health, or a genetic modification that made his face eternally youthful.


    "There''s no need for that."


    Although Fei Yunlai had a gentle and effeminate face, he spoke with a hearty voice, smiling as he waved his hand, "I''m just a reservist general, a rank foisted on me by the federal government, not a real soldier, so no need for a military salute to me."


    He then walked directly to a fighting platform ahead, "Your manager invited me to come over to help take a look at your martial arts, to see if there''s anything that needs improvement or enhancement. However, I''m quite busy today and can''t stay here too long, so I can only do my best to help you out, so let''s not waste time, shall we start right away? Who''s first to come up?" Discover exclusive content at empire


    Zhao Yan''s eyes lit up, without any hesitation he followed him and jumped onto the platform, "Let me be the first, General Fei!"


    Fei Yunlai looked him up and down, "Are you practicing the Dragon and Tiger True Skill? Nice stance."


    He put one hand behind his back and gestured with the other, "Come on, show me your best martial arts!"


    Hearing this, Zhao Yan didn''t hold back; his body stretched wide, emitting roars like a dragon and tiger, then, with speed almost like teleportation, he moved ten meters away and hammered a punch towards Fei Yunlai''s face.


    Fei Yunlai didn''t move an inch, his True Qi surged out, turning into protective energy, taking Fei Yunlai''s place to counter Zhao Yan''s fierce attacks as if it were a real person.


    Lin Rui watched Zhao Yan''s boxing closely; the moves were expansive and powerful, like a drawn bow, explosive like thunder, each fist like a heavy hammer, with grand and intense power, incomparably fierce!


    Yet his punches couldn''t come within three feet of Fei Yunlai. Not only did Fei Yunlai remain immobile, but even his hair didn''t flutter in the slightest.


    The genetically enhanced general''s expression was serious, observing every move of Zhao Yan.


    Attracted by Zhao Yan''s overbearing boxing, Lin Rui initially wanted to get closer to watch, but the tremendous force of Zhao Yan''s punches forced him to retreat a meter away.


    If you can''t find a match within the club, then play around in virtual combat platforms like ''Fighting City'' and ''White Jade Capital''."


    Having said that, Fei Yunlai looked down at the contenders below, "Next!"


    Nolan Wei had been eagerly waiting and without hesitation, he leaped onto the stage, "Me!"


    He couldn''t wait for Zhao Yan to jump off the stage before charging with his practice sword, creating a series of afterimages in the eyes of the audience.


    Fei Yunlai still stood motionless, but his expression was very serious, as he managed and observed the situation.


    He gave everyone 10 minutes, and his advice afterwards was always substantial and to the point, benefiting each of the competitors immensely, leaving them overjoyed.


    Although they had waited for Fei Yunlai for several hours today, it was well worth it.


    Especially Wang Sen, to whom Fei Yunlai had spent extra time explaining, breaking down the ''Ice Wind Sword'' technique for him.


    Following Yu Feicui''s gesture, Lin Rui was the last one to step onto the stage.


    At that moment, Fei Yunlai''s lips curved into a smile, examining Lin Rui with interest.


    He knew that the main reason Yu Feicui had invited him was for this hall-of-fame martial arts prodigy.


    Fei Yunlai was also very interested in this kid.


    He had seen Lin Rui''s battle videos before and was quite impressed.


    However, after Lin Rui demonstrated a set of ''Red Thunder Saber'' and ''Red Thunder Palm'', Fei Yunlai pondered and said, "Do it again!"


    Not understanding his intent, Lin Rui performed another set of the complete ''Red Thunder'' techniques for Fei Yunlai.


    After finishing the last punch, Fei Yunlai squinted his eyes and asked, "Lin Rui, have you already partially mastered the ''Purple Lightning Saber'' and the ''Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill''?"


    This kid was truly hall-of-fame material!


    The entire indoor activity area became silent at once, as Yu Feicui''s eyes sparkled with keen interest, and the others exchanged surprised glances.


    Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei, especially, were taken aback.


    They were already surprised that Lin Rui had mastered the ''Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance'', and now he was even starting to delve into the ''Purple Lightning Saber'' and ''Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill''.


    Wang Sen''s eyes were also filled with shock; Lin Rui''s martial arts had grown to such an extent?

 Chapter 71 Hes Bragging (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

    ```


    Lin Rui''s heart trembled upon hearing those words, for after he had mastered the Grandmaster-level Purple Gleaming Thunder Saber and Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill, he began unconsciously applying some of the techniques into the Red Thunder Saber and Red Thunder Palm.


    He hadn''t noticed it himself, but Fei Yunlai had.


    Feeling a bit guilty, Lin Rui nodded, "I have indeed been studying the Purple Gleaming Thunder Saber and Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill, and I have gained some insights."


    In reality, he had already reached the Grandmaster level in these two martial arts.


    Yu Feicui, who was below the stage, couldn''t help but light up with joy, "Lin Rui, since you''ve learned it, then show it, let Brother Fei see."


    However, Fei Yunlai shook his head after hearing this, "Forget it, we''re almost out of time. It would take at least ten minutes for him to use that set. Since he didn''t use it earlier, it''s clear that he doesn''t have confidence in these two martial arts. He might as well practice some more, and when I''m free later on, I''ll come back to check on him.


    But, this kid''s Red Thunder Saber and Red Thunder Palm are near perfect, and I barely have anything to teach him. The techniques from the Purple Gleaming Thunder Saber and Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill are also applied correctly, just right."


    Folding his arms in front of his chest, he pondered while speaking, and at that moment, his expression suddenly changed, fixing his eyes on Lin Rui, "Lin Rui, you should know the advantages of combining fire and thunder, right?"


    Lin Rui nodded again, "I do, it''s thermal puncturing."


    Here, we have to mention ''dielectric breakdown,'' especially ''solid dielectric breakdown.''


    Under the action of a strong electric field or high temperature, solid dielectrics can lose their electrical insulation and abruptly change from an insulating to a conducting state.


    Solid dielectric breakdown is divided into three types: electrical puncture, thermal puncture, and electrochemical puncture.


    Electrical puncture usually occurs under normal temperature conditions when the electric field strength exceeds the endurance range of the insulating material.


    The so-called ''thermal puncture'' occurs in high-temperature environments. It''s caused by the internal accumulation of heat in the medium, leading to excessive temperatures and the loss of insulating ability.


    Under normal circumstances, when the temperature rises, the resistance of most conductors also increases. Enjoy more content from empire


    After the resistance increases, if high voltage continues to be supplied, the temperature will rise until it reaches a level that causes melting, burning, and thermal puncture.


    Apart from solid dielectric breakdown, there is also liquid and gas dielectric breakdown, both of which are influenced by high temperatures to some extent.


    This is the mystery of combining the fire and thunder cultivation techniques. So even though Lin Rui''s ability to control fire is still underdeveloped and hardly causes any damage to the enemy, once the temperature of Lin Rui''s fire control exceeds 1000, the power will increase several times, and it will be incredibly awesome!


    Everyone present could hear a hint of testing in Fei Yunlai''s words.


    The armored admiral clearly wanted to gauge just how high Lin Rui''s comprehension was.


    Lin Rui had heard it too, and he felt a headache coming on.


    Fei Yunlai might be overestimating him a bit. Lin Rui now had a clear understanding of his own comprehension¡ªit was at most similar to that of the Lin Rui from before, slightly stronger than Wang Sen but only to a limited extent.


    He guessed he was above the common crowd but hanging at the tail end of the top ten.


    Lin Rui had indeed grasped some things just now, but he was far from touching the essence of that slash.


    Nevertheless, this was the price he had to pay for establishing a genius persona.


    Lin Rui wanted others to see him as a genius to dispel any doubts about the swift progress of his martial arts, which meant he had to face these tests.


    Just as Lin Rui was about to make an excuse, his expression suddenly changed and he called out to his soul ring spirit in his mind.


    "Spirit of the ring, can I use my Soul Power points to deduce the essence of the Thunderclap Absolute Slash?"


    He remembered that the spirit had previously mentioned Soul Power points could be used to deduce various martial arts.


    The prompt read: ''Thunderclap Absolute Slash'' is a mid-tier saber technique secret move, given an overall S+ rating by the Federation Martial Arts Association for its immensely powerful force. To deduce the Thunderclap Absolute Slash to basic proficiency, 200 Soul Power points are needed; to reach beginner level, 400 Soul Power points are required¡ª


    Without hesitation, Lin Rui said: "Deduce to beginner level!"


    He only had 400 Soul Power points left, enough only to deduce the ''Thunderclap Absolute Slash'' to beginner level.


    At that moment, Lin Rui''s consciousness experienced a change.


    Unlike the previous occasions when he had copied skills, Lin Rui found his thought processes working at high speed under the influence of a mysterious force, with various thoughts and inspirations continuously popping up in his mind¡ªlike replaying a movie, it repeatedly showed high-definition frames of Fei Yunlai executing ''Thunderclap Absolute Slash''.


    A moment later, Lin Rui opened his eyes and said, "I''ve seen it clearly now, but I can only comprehend about ten percent of its mysteries."


    Hearing this, Fei Yunlai couldn''t help but feel a ripple inside, exchanging a glance with Yu Feicui.


    This young fellow could understand his three slashes, which was quite impressive, but to learn them? Pure boasting without a draft.

 Chapter 72 Thunderclap Absolute Slash (Seeking Monthly Votes)

    "A grasp of one-tenth?" Fei Yunlai placed his hands behind his back, his interest intensifying, "Then can you actually perform it?"


    He thought Lin Rui was boasting beyond his capabilities.


    Initially, when his cultivation had reached the rank of a middle officer in the martial armor, it took him four hours just to grasp the basics of this move.


    Lin Rui understood it after only seeing three slashes? Impossible!


    "Should I give it a try?" Lin Rui gripped the saber at his waist, lost in thought.


    He carefully reviewed what he had just comprehended, integrating the insights, pondering over the path and release of this saber technique.


    A moment later, the crowd saw a dazzling display of purple light before them.


    These purple lights all originated from the thunderous slash Lin Rui unleashed with his saber, which was also fleeting, vanishing without a trace in an instant.


    However, in the next moment, the pillar at the southeast corner of the platform, about ten meters in front of Lin Rui, suddenly had a deep saber mark slashed into it, a full foot in depth.


    This corner pillar of the platform was built to withstand the battles of middle officer level martial cultivators; its material was incredibly sturdy, yet now it had been silently slashed by Lin Rui to a depth of one foot.


    "Thunderclap Absolute Slash!" Yu Feicui exclaimed in shock.


    Lin Rui had indeed performed it!


    The expressions of the others below the platform varied.


    Wang Sen felt simple admiration, while Lin Xi''s eyes were filled with bewilderment.


    Lin Rui had always been talented, but never to such an extent.


    Lin Xi couldn''t help but wonder, what exactly had happened to her brother after his head was smashed?


    "Impressive!" Nolan Wei uttered a light praise, his eyes full of mockery as he glanced at Lu Fang beside him, "If you''re not convinced, you can go challenge him."


    This guy was lucky to have witnessed Lin Rui''s slash, otherwise, he would have been severely discouraged.


    Lu Fang remained silent.


    He had already challenged Lin Rui once before, yet the slash Lin Rui displayed today indeed shook his courage to challenge him again.


    Zhao Yan, standing nearby, clenched his fists tightly, his face flushing.


    What a Thunderclap Absolute Slash!


    This junior of his possessed hall-of-fame level talent!


    Then there was still hope for him, Zhao Yan, to enter the final rounds of the university martial arts league!


    It was probably not possible this year, but next year, before his graduation, Mingde University had great chances of achieving results!


    Fei Yunlai''s expression stiffened slightly, his mental defenses slightly shattered.


    Was this the talent of a hall-of-fame level? To just need a glance to master a mid-level secret saber technique with an S+ comprehensive rating?


    Yu Feicui looked startled, "For just this matter, you can''t directly inform Professor Han?"


    She knew that Fei Yunlai was seeking out Lin Rui for a reason, but she didn''t know what it was.


    "No can do," Fei Yunlai said with a wry smile. "Professor Han and his students are all in their alternate selves right now, unable to see my messages. And then there''s the issue that the quantum communication relay in Sha State has been destroyed. Oh, another thing¡ª"


    He clicked his tongue and lamented, "It''s quite lively over there in Sha State. Just in these last few days, the governor of Sha State destroyed three of the military''s starships and killed over sixty of the military''s alternate reality travelers. The military, unable to tolerate it anymore, retaliated by flattening the royal cities of three jurisdictions in Sha State, serving as a ruthless payback.


    Now both sides are seeing red, and it looks like a full-scale war is imminent. Many companies'' alternate reality teams have also been forcibly conscripted by the military under the guise of reservists, ready to be deployed into battle at any time."


    On hearing this, Lin Rui raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    Wang City of the Royal Administration, actually flattened by the federal military? The governor of Sha State has destroyed three of their starships and killed more than sixty alternate reality travelers? Both parties have now crossed each other''s red lines, indeed signaling the brink of a major war.


    As for passing on the message that Fei Yunlai requested, Lin Rui felt it was fairly straightforward.


    Brother Li Li had given them several methods to contact Han''s team, and the simplest of them was merely to leave a message on the wall across from the Yunlai Inn in their county town.


    Yu Feicui, however, wore a grave expression, "Is what you speak of really true, Senior Brother? Is the situation over there so dangerous?"


    The jurisdiction of Wang City where Lin Rui and the others were situated wasn''t far from Sha State City.


    "Extremely dangerous, a great war is on the verge of breaking out."


    Fei Yunlai noticed Yu Feicui''s concern and understood her intent. He smiled casually, "Are you worried about Lin Rui and the rest? They should be fine. They''ve only just arrived in their alternate selves. As long as they haven''t exposed their identities and stay out of trouble, there shouldn''t be much of a problem.


    The government of the Great Song won''t bother to expend so much effort to look for them, and the military won''t expect much from these rookies. Besides, I will be heading to Wang City myself soon to meet with Professor Han. If there''s a chance, I might even give his and Wang Sen''s alternates a little opportunity."


    Upon hearing this, Yu Feicui finally relaxed.


    Lin Rui''s expression, on the other hand, was somewhat odd.


    He was now a deputy arrest officer and couldn''t exactly stay out of trouble.


    No, that''s not right. He was only executing demons and banishing evils, upholding local security¡ªduties of a deputy arrest officer. This should still be within the realm of ''keeping out of trouble,'' right?


    However, in the next few days, it was time for him to focus all his time and energy on the alternates in Tianji Star.


    As for the opportunity that Fei Yunlai had mentioned, Lin Rui didn''t take it to heart. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn''t reveal his alternate identity to anyone.


    It was at this moment that Lin Rui received a message from Yu Feicui in the group.


    Emerald Heart (Yu Feicui): Just pass on the message to him. There''s no need to meet him in Tianji Star. His alternate is a top-wanted fugitive on the imperial list, getting involved with him is seeking death.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen immediately regarded Fei Yunlai with newfound respect. This honorary marshal was listed on the imperial wanted chart and was still able to return lively to his original body.


    Unaware of their private conversation, Fei Yunlai said, "I''ve already made contact, the coaches from Tianjing Martial University and Future Science and Technology University have agreed. They will bring their teams to stay for a few days. You, Yu Feicui, will arrange the details with them."


    Then, with a smile, he patted Lin Rui''s shoulder, "Give it your all, Lin Rui. There are a couple of prodigious talents in the team this time, and two of them are about your age but have already advanced to refining their blood. They are very interested in you, so don''t lose too badly when the time comes."


    Fei Yunlai''s tone was somewhat schadenfreude.


    Lin Rui had somewhat caught him off guard earlier, but there were plenty of geniuses in the world with illogical talents who were also going to give Lin Rui a taste of what a true hall-level shock was.

 Chapter 73 Cultivating Blood in Three Realms (Seeking Followers and Monthly Tickets)

    Two days later, at the county government office of Yinyue County under the Sky Extreme Star.


    In the early morning sunlight, Lin Rui''s entire body suddenly crackled like popping soybeans, as a surge of True Qi erupted from within him, generating a breeze around him.


    Lin Rui''s expression brightened, and a trace of joy appeared on his face.


    "I''ve finally made it through!"


    He had indeed managed, within three days, to open up the last meridian channel, clearing all eight meridian channels!


    Without hesitation, Lin Rui then began to perform the ''Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance.''


    As he moved and posed, Lin Rui''s blood, in conjunction with his own meridians, swirled like mercury in his veins, drawing in massive amounts of ether elements from the surroundings, gradually compressing and refining them into his blood.


    At this moment, Lin Rui''s body ignited with a faint layer of flames, with streaks of lightning crackling through.


    ¡ªThis was the third realm of blood cultivation!


    While performing the stance, various cells in Lin Rui''s blood would gradually transform in a high-density ether environment.


    In particular, a type of ''Ether Cell'' in the blood, unique to the bodies of Sky Extreme Star denizens.


    Normally, these cells had little function, but upon absorbing massive amounts of ether elements, they could mutate into ''Prime Cells.''


    In the future, these cells would not only be fundamental to the source of his vital energy but would also further assist in transforming and strengthening his bone marrow and physical body!


    Prime Cells were also the main component of synthetic serum, which would mingle into the serum upon coagulation.


    Lin Rui''s eyes gradually lit up with excitement.


    He had not expected the ''Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance'' to be so effective.


    Lin Rui had mastered the Grandmaster-level ''Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance'' three days ago, but apart from combat, this stance had not found its use.


    At the Ninth Base, his main body had no blood to cultivate, and his alter-body didn''t need such an advanced stance.


    It wasn''t until now, with all the meridian channels in his alter-body unblocked, that the ''Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance'' had a place to shine its tremendous effects.


    Lin Rui could be certain that his blood cultivation efficiency was among the highest in the alter-body practitioners.


    He had only lightly tried it and already felt his blood rapidly transforming.


    "No, the efficiency of the Grandmaster-level ''Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance'' is indeed strong but should not be to this extent.


    According to publicly available data on the Internet, the fastest known blood cultivation efficiency among alter-body practitioners is a 0.3% increase per complete stance cycle, 3% in an hour with 10 stance cycles, and yet I''m achieving at least 0.4% per cycle now!


    This is even without taking any blood cultivation drugs. Could it be related to that unawakened complete Sacred Body? It''s incredible! What exactly is the blood Lin Xi gave me?"


    Unfortunately, to open up his channels, Lin Rui had already spent a good half hour practicing the Lightning Fire Stance earlier.


    After that, he only managed two more cycles of the ''Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance'' before his body reached its limit and began rejecting the ether elements.


    Lin Rui then switched to practicing the ''Purple Blaze Thunder Palm.''


    He had been training in this palm technique for two days now.


    The girl in red remained indifferent.


    Experience tales at empire


    She of course wanted to die, for death would bring her release.


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes and continued to inquire, "But you dare not die, what exactly are you worried about?"


    The girl in red''s blade intent surged nearly double in an instant, and her entire body ignited with tangible flames.


    This caused Lin Rui to frown slightly, halting his words; this woman''s blade intent and spiritual power were excessively strong, beyond his expectations.


    Just as the two were locked in a mental power clash, Lin Rui felt his badge on his waist growing hot.


    Could it be the County Magistrate?


    Lin Rui, unable to move initially, soon realized the Blood Blade had withdrawn some of her blade intent. He didn''t dare delay and pressed the beast head button on the badge.


    Sure enough, the next moment, the County Magistrate''s voice came from within the badge, "Deputy Arrest Officer Lin, please come to my study at once, I have a task for you."


    Lin Rui found this slightly surprising.


    As the County Magistrate was required to be stationed at Zuihua House nightly to suppress the city''s demons, he had been spending the days sleeping inside the government office and only appeared in the afternoon.


    Lin Rui was instinctively wary of the County Magistrate; he believed that the Magistrate was a person of extraordinary capabilities, unfathomable and not to be underestimated.


    However, he had now reached the Third Realm, possessed several mid-tier Grandmaster level martial arts techniques, and had a certain ability to protect himself.


    Lin Rui''s thoughts raced as he quickly responded, "I follow the order. I''ll just change my clothes and be there."


    As he communicated with the County Magistrate, the girl in red took it upon herself to withdraw her blade intent.


    Lin Rui couldn''t be bothered with her anymore, hurriedly returned to his room to change into a fresh official uniform, and attached his waist saber.


    Just as Lin Rui was about to leave, he saw Wang Sen enter through the door.


    "Are you heading out? Where are you planning to go?" He asked, while handing Lin Rui a bag with a skeptical look, "This is the hundred refined steel needles you requested, along with nine hundred top-grade yellow talismans and cinnabar, thirty-six low-grade Yuan stones; the question is, do you know how to use these things? Don''t waste money."


    Wang Sen had gone out early in the day just to gather these items for Lin Rui.


    The bag also included eight needle-equipped blood bags from the coffin shop and some drugs from the Federation, which Wang Sen found it inappropriate to mention directly as they were at the government office.


    These were all acquired at great cost from a Federation agency site.


    "If I don''t know, I can learn," Lin Rui grinned, slipping the bag into his sleeve.


    His expression then shifted, and he stared at Wang Sen with a look of surprise, "Look at you, your aura''s not bad, you''re almost ready to open your Six Meridians!"


    Wang Sen could only respond with a bitter smile.


    He had received instructions from the gold medal martial arts coach and Fei Yunlai, which had improved his stance, thus greatly increasing his meridian opening efficiency in recent days.


    However, it all depended on who he was compared to; compared to Lin Rui''s training speed, he was as slow as a snail.


    Wang Sen knew Lin Rui was about to breakthrough today.


    They had just arrived in this foreign body a few days ago, and this guy had already started training his blood, which was awesome to the max.

 Chapter 74 Another Promotion

    Lin Rui entered the inner courtyard where the County Magistrate resided and saw that the door to the study on the left was wide open.


    He had just approached the doorway when he heard the young County Magistrate''s voice come out, "Is that Deputy Arrest Officer Lin? Come in."


    Lin Rui stepped into the room and saw the young County Magistrate seated behind a desk, his back to the window on the eastern side, looking at a document in his hands.


    Possibly due to consecutive nights without sleep, the dark circles under the County Magistrate''s eyes were noticeable.


    Lin Rui also noticed a screen placed in the northeast corner of the study.


    A hint of suspicion flashed in Lin Rui''s eyes; he had accompanied Zhang Tianchang to the County Magistrate''s study once before to retrieve a set of divine armors treasured by the Magistrate. Lin Rui remembered that there had been no screen in the study at that time.


    Crucially, Lin Rui''s Spiritual Sense detected that the screen had a unique Formation structure within it that could block the sensing of Spiritual Sense.


    Lin Rui pondered whether there could be 500 axemen ambushed behind the screen.


    He then gathered his thoughts and bowed to the young County Magistrate, "This subordinate pays respects to the County Magistrate! May I know what matters you have summoned me for?"


    "There are some matters I wish to inquire about," the young County Magistrate made a gesture for Lin Rui to sit down, "Please sit, let''s talk over tea. Someone, bring tea!"


    Once Lin Rui was seated, a servant came in and served them tea. The young County Magistrate then turned towards him, holding the document and raised it towards Lin Rui, "Deputy Arrest Officer Lin, I wish to know who wrote this document?"


    Only then did Lin Rui realize that the young County Magistrate was looking at the record document about the evil drunkard, which he himself had submitted.


    He tensed up internally but appeared calm and collected on the surface, "Replying to your honor, this document was written by my subordinate Wang 27, although I signed at the end."


    "Indeed so," the young County Magistrate smiled upon hearing this, pointing at Lin Rui''s signature "Lin 12", "Looking at your signature, Deputy Arrest Officer Lin''s characters are truly like dragons flying and phoenixes dancing, towering and striking."


    The corners of Lin Rui''s mouth twitched slightly, thinking that the County Magistrate really knew how to speak.


    However, the Magistrate probably meant it the other way around; he should be saying it was like worms in spring and snakes in autumn, irregular and uneven.


    Lin Rui had not yet learned how to write in Celestial Extreme Script, and the "Lin 12" signature was imitated from the text seen in an auxiliary chip.


    The young County Magistrate continued to ask, "It seems Deputy Arrest Officer Lin doesn''t comprehend the characters? However, as far as I know, you attended a private school with Wang 27 for two years?"


    The reason he was asked to live within the courthouse was for protection as well as close supervision, keeping an eye on him!


    The young County Magistrate was very pleased to hear this, "Very good, your martial arts talent is indeed one in a million. The timing of your breakthrough is also perfect, a blessing for our county indeed.


    A Martial Cultivator of the third realm in our courthouse can stand on his own now, not to mention your combat power is already high, more than enough to fulfill the duties of an arrest officer and ensure the peace of the locals.


    From today onward, Lin, you will act as the arrest officer, taking my place at the Zuihua House, assisting Chief Arrest Officer Zhang Tianchang in guarding against surrounding demons and monsters!"


    While speaking, he got up and fetched a locked iron box from the bookshelf beside him.


    The young County Magistrate fiddled with it for a moment, then took out a bottle of pills and two red lucky knots, reluctantly handing them over to Lin Rui, "I won''t hide it from you, overseeing Zuihua House is highly risky, possibly life-threatening, so I won''t let you go unrewarded.


    These are ten Blood Refining Divine Sense Pills that I had leftover from my own blood refining; they can help you rapidly refine your blood and also enhance your divine sense, awakening the power of your bloodline, each worth fifty taels of demon silver;


    Experience tales at empire


    As for these lucky knots, they are a type of precious demon-suppressing item. I won''t disclose their use for now. If you''re destined to know, you will naturally discover in the future. If not, knowing it wouldn''t be beneficial. You must carry them with you at all times while overseeing Zuihua House, never leave them behind. Trust me!


    I won''t harm you."


    These items were exceedingly precious; if the young County Magistrate could not be sure of Lin Rui''s reliability, he truly wouldn''t want to give these items to him, nor would he dare to let him handle such a powerful monster.


    Lin Rui slightly arched his brows, a hint of doubt appearing in his eyes.


    He took the two lucky knots in hand, only to discover that they were carved out of red jade.


    Lin Rui sensed runes and strong aether elements within them, yet he couldn''t ascertain their function.


    He had now mastered a greatly advanced foundational magic technique, an expert level of formation basics, and the genuine Magic Control Divine Technique, yet he still didn''t recognize what these were.


    Just then, Lin Rui heard a ''crack'' sound from the screen beside him.


    Turning his head, he saw that the screen suddenly bore a sword mark, almost splitting in half, dividing into two.


    Lin Rui''s pupils constricted, realizing the person who had struck the screen was none other than Blood Blade Ji!

 Chapter 75 Close to Death?

    Lin Rui glanced outside the study, the courtyard was calm as if nothing had happened at all.


    It seemed that Lady Blood Blade had no intention to continue with her actions.


    He then tilted his head to adjust his angle and peered through the slash marks on the screen, noticing a figure seemed to be standing behind it.


    Could it be Master Du inside there? Continue reading at empire


    The young County Magistrate noticed Lin Rui''s movements and couldn''t help but feel a bit embarrassed. He picked up the teacup from the table, blew on it and said, "Stop looking, I had the arrest officer come over today exactly for this matter. I wonder what your thoughts are, arrest officer?"


    "My lord''s command, how could I, a humble official, decline? Besides, protecting the common people and suppressing demons is my inherent duty!"


    Lin Rui stood up, his expression solemn as he bowed, but then his tone changed, "However, my lord, as far as I know, the Zuihua House has been attacked several times by a fourth-order demon, and even experienced a major fire not long ago.


    I fear that my own abilities may not suffice, and I might fail to ensure absolute safety, hence I''d like to bring Wang Twenty-Seven as an assistant. However, Wang Twenty-Seven has only recently reached the Sixth Meridian, his strength is somewhat lacking, and I''m a bit concerned about that."


    The young County Magistrate chuckled upon hearing this, seeing that Lin Rui was beating around the bush, apparently trying to secure some benefits for his effective aid.


    However, he was a bit unsure about Wang Twenty-Seven.


    Looking at the several official documents written by Wang Twenty-Seven, his handwriting was not particularly beautiful, but it was clean and tidy, and the use of words and phrases was quite appropriate, surpassing many seasoned clerks.


    Wang Twenty-Seven had studied in a private school for five years, but the County Magistrate was more than clear about the general standards of private school students.


    His gaze hesitant, he weighed his options and smiled as he took out two mid-grade soul stones from the iron box and tossed them to Lin Rui, "Twenty-Seven has already used a Dragon-Tiger Meridian Opening Pill, and he can''t use other meridian opening pills for a while, but I saw a technique for rapidly opening meridians through standing meditation when I was in the academy.


    Twenty-Seven''s stance skill is precisely ''Cyclone Dragon Stance,'' half of which involves standing meditation, and it fits perfectly.


    These are two mid-grade soul stones, have him take them while practicing his stance, and also apply ''Dragon-Tiger Body Cementing Oil'' on his body. It might help him increase his meridian opening speed a little, and also enhance his spiritual power."


    The young County Magistrate considered the lesser of two evils, as Wang Twenty-Seven had recently exerted a lot of effort following Lin Twelve in hunting demons, indeed providing reliable assistance to Lin Twelve.


    Lin Twelve was indeed in a dangerous situation and needed an assistant.


    Lin Rui did not know how many thoughts passed through the County Magistrate''s mind in that instant. He joyfully accepted the soul stones.


    What Wang Sen needed the most now was spiritual power, so these two mid-grade soul stones were actually a bigger help to him.


    However, Lin Rui was not satisfied and hesitated, "My lord, I fear two mid-grade soul stones might not be enough. Wang Twenty-Seven is exceptionally gifted, and his progress in cultivation is almost comparable to mine. With sufficient medicinal support, he could break through his limit within ten days, providing one more skilled hand for our county office."


    He was certain that the County Magistrate needed his help, and considering the recent revelation through the screen, the County Magistrate was certainly feeling somewhat guilty and embarrassed, so Lin Rui took the opportunity to open his mouth wide and heavily demanded benefits.


    The young County Magistrate''s face darkened, and he took out another mid-grade soul stone from the iron box and tossed it over, "This is the last one I have left, that''s all I can help with. Now go, please."


    He didn''t care that the tea was still boiling hot, he downed the tea in the cup and then shook the empty cup at Lin Rui.


    Fortunately now, Lin Twelve has broken through to the third realm, which might prevent him from being devoured by Blood Blade who was enduring her limit.


    Unfortunately, Blood Blade poses a significant risk, and Lin Twelve, being such a young and talented child, is still not far from death.


    "My lord, there''s no need for concern, Lin Twelve has broken through to the third realm, meeting the requirements of a ''Demon Controller'', and with the extraordinary item you granted him, at least there''s a glimmer of hope for him to survive."


    The arrest officer actually preferred Lin Twelve to face the calamity that was Blood Blade.


    Although he also admired Lin Twelve''s talent, currently it was the County Magistrate who supported his livelihood, and Blood Blade clearly had issues which even the County Magistrate might not suppress.


    He bowed slightly, "Lin Twelve is young and handsome, his appearance excellent, and he is full of vigor ¡ª just the type Blood Blade likes. His fortunes are also good; he will surely be able to avert disasters and thrive amidst adversity!"


    The young County Magistrate shot the arrest officer an irritated glance.


    Just three days ago, the arrest officer had chastised him for speaking such nonsense.


    "Well, I am now helpless, and what comes next is up to him alone."


    The young County Magistrate shook his head and walked over to the window to look out at the yard, "Lin Twelve is right, those inflammable items could just be a diversion. I am now more worried about Fire Ruins Town."


    A shadow crossed the eyes of the young County Magistrate: "We still need to deceive our eyes and escape to the sea, and hurry over there to have a look."


    Fire Ruins Town is about ten miles from the county town. It is rumored that in the distant past, that place was the county town of Silver Moon County, but was burned to ruins due to warfare.


    Also, it is said that 3000 years ago, that area was barren until the population of Silver Moon County gradually prospered, after which people began to live there, forming a small-sized town.


    Since it was built on ruins, the town was named Fire Ruins Town.


    Just three days ago, a great fire occurred within Fire Ruins Town, burning nearly a third of the town, and the surrounding areas were enveloped in a crimson fog.


    The local ''village head'' and ''patrolling officer'' surveyed the site and found traces of a demon''s mischief at the center of the fire, and thus they asked for help from the county town.


    The young County Magistrate was stretched too thin and had yet to find the time to go there.


    In the last two days, Fire Ruins Town had even lost contact with the county town. Although they are only ten miles apart, no messages came through, nor did anyone come from that direction.


    This reminded the young County Magistrate of an ancient legend circulating in Silver Moon County, filling him with extreme unease.


    He suspected that what the mastermind truly aimed at was Fire Ruins Town, ten miles away, and he wanted to go there himself to see.


    But given the current situation in Silver Moon County, the young County Magistrate dared not stray far.


    Beyond that, the young County Magistrate also wondered, what exactly did the mastermind intend to do with Blood Blade?


    His instinct told him that this fourth-realm king-class demon played a very important role in that person''s schemes.

 Chapter 76 The Holy Church of Light (Three more requests for monthly votes)

    PS: It''s the last day for double monthly tickets, so I''m asking for your votes one last time! Additionally, I''ve been notified that the book will launch at 12pm on the 12th. As a way to give back to the readers, we will release three chapters per day for the next few days, and I hope everyone can help by subscribing as soon as it''s available.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    After leaving the County Magistrate''s study, Lin Rui first went back to his own courtyard to call for Wang Sen.


    Considering that for the next while, they would have to stay frequently overnight at Zuihua House, the two of them also needed to bring bedding and various daily necessities.


    When Wang Sen left his house, not only did he carry his own bedding on his back, but he also took the initiative to carry both of their pots and pans.


    His face bloomed with joy, "Nightly nestled with fragrant beauties in the brothel, crimson canopy above shining on silver candles, I never thought I, Wang Twenty-Seven, would become a man who calls the brothel home."


    Just now, Lin Rui had given him three medium-grade soul stones.


    This made Wang Sen overjoyed, thinking to himself that Brother Rui truly deserved to be his good brother, helping him greatly once again.


    What Wang Sen now lacked was spiritual power.


    Previously, carrying so many things was actually an overstretch for him.


    Therefore, in the past two days, Wang Sen occasionally felt aches and pains all over his body.


    This was because his spiritual power was unable to control the implants, resulting in a rejection reaction. Many martial artists with implants relied on medication to solve the problem, but Wang Sen relied on his own willpower to endure.


    Now, with these three medium-grade soul stones, his spiritual power could increase by at least 70 points, which would be enough to solve his current problems.


    Moreover, the Secret Technique that Lin Rui had requested from the County Magistrate could help him open his meridians.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui let out a snort of laughter, "Nesting nightly with fragrant beauties? What fragrant beauties do you have to nestle with? Haven''t you seen the current state of Zuihua House? What awaits us is a cabin where the wind and rain prevail, accompanied nightly only by a lonely lamp."


    While the two were laughing and talking, they saw a group of people entering the gate of the county office ahead.


    One person in front left a deep impression on them.


    This was a stocky middle-aged man in crimson armor, with coarse, straight, short hair and a beard like tangled javelins. With short legs and a thick neck, and a body shaped like a barrel, he was much rounder than Wang Sen.


    Behind this person, there were forty county soldiers dressed in leather armor and holding long weapons. The entourage was quite imposing, and their presence was intimidating.


    One of them wore the standard black iron armor of the military and had a burly figure, standing behind the stocky man like an iron pillar. Judging from his attire, he seemed to be a figure of ''Capital Commandant'' status in the military.


    As the stocky man entered, almost all the clerks and Government Officials in the county office stopped what they were doing and came over to greet him, addressing him as ''County Magistrate''.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui''s expression turned solemn as he stared intently at the stocky middle-aged man.


    He recognized that this man was none other than the ''County Magistrate'' Zhu Lingshi. Lin Rui had seen a three-dimensional drawing of this man in the materials provided by the extraterrestrial management bureau, but this was his first face-to-face encounter.


    As for the iron-armored Capital Commandant, he must be ''Iron Halberd'' Ying Yuan.


    According to Lin Rui''s understanding, although this man wasn''t particularly intelligent, he possessed a powerful bloodline. Although his cultivation was just at the beginning of the fourth realm, his martial power surpassed many advanced masters in the late stages of the fourth realm and was considered Zhu Lingshi''s right-hand man.


    The extraterrestrial management bureau assessed his combat power as a B-grade Lieutenant Colonel, equivalent to a high-level demon of the fourth realm.


    Ho ho, in fact, it wouldn''t be bad to let her acknowledge a new master again. I''m quite looking forward to it; I really want to see her expression when she kills her master for the second time."


    He had thought it would be the County Magistrate falling into this trap, but unexpectedly, it was a mere arrest officer who got involved.


    What a pity, what a pity¡ª


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    At this moment, Lin Rui and his companion were utterly bewildered.


    After they left the government office, they had intended to go to a noodle shop at the corner of the street for breakfast.


    That was a new discovery made by Wang Sen - the beef noodles there were even tastier than the one opposite the government office.


    However, just as they had reached the spot, they saw a large group of people dressed in white clothes coming from the opposite side of the street.


    It was a grand ceremonial procession. At the front was a golden palanquin carried by 32 people. Atop the palanquin was a golden altar with nothing on it except for a ball of crimson-gold flame, around which thunder and lightning occasionally exploded.


    Behind the altar was a dense crowd, swarming and filling the street, so broad that it stretched three fathoms wide, with no end in sight.


    All these people crossed their hands and placed them on their shoulders, singing devoutly, "Holy lightning brilliant, sacred light resplendent, pity our mortal kind, fraught with distress¡ªLife''s trials manifold, demons'' dust within us folds; multitude of disasters bold, myriad illnesses unfold; thus joy in living is untold, and death brings no distress.


    Majestic sacred lightning, cleanse my waning frame; enlighten my clear heart, revive my lucid spirit; to do good and shun evil, for Guang Ming''s sake alone; joy and sorrow, grief and glee, all return to dust will be¡ª"


    "It seems to be the¡ªGuang Ming Sacred Church!" Wang Sen quickly pulled Lin Rui aside, watching the procession with a look of surprise.


    "I never expected the Guang Ming Sacred Church to have so many followers in Silver Moon County; this is exceedingly brazen. They even dare to march in the streets in broad daylight. I saw Liu Ergou; that guy is actually a follower of the Guang Ming Sacred Church. He''s even donned white robes, a formal member of the church."


    Liu Ergou owned a steamed bun shop, where Wang Sen had bought buns before.


    Lin Rui, too, was astonished and checked the relevant information in his intelligence assistance system.


    His expression grew even stranger.


    The Guang Ming Sacred Church mentioned by Wang Sen was a sect founded 1800 years ago by a group of dock workers on the planet Tianji Star, originally worshipping thunder and flame to an extreme degree.


    They believed the world to be dim and the living to suffer and that only thunder could split open the night to summon a catastrophic blaze, purifying all filth between heaven and earth to bring light to the people, saving them from the bitter sea.


    Originally a minor sect spreading among sailors and laborers on Tianji Star, it reached its zenith under the seventh leader, extending its influence across four continents and twenty-seven islands with countless followers and even their own army to protect the church, becoming one of the top forces on Tianji Star.


    However, the golden age of the Guang Ming Sacred Church lasted only 50 years. Due to its teachings, the four great empires and noble families of Tianji Star deemed it a dire threat. The church was labeled as a demonic cult, and over the ensuing centuries, they were relentlessly persecuted and suppressed in a joint effort.


    As Lin Rui read this, the golden palanquin just happened to pass in front of them.


    In that moment, the ball of golden fire on the palanquin''s altar suddenly blazed fiercely, leaping from about three feet to an explosive thirty feet in height, as a wild streak of lightning cracked forth.


    The ends of those golden electric currents struck the followers around them, causing pained expressions to spread across their faces.


    Just then, a woman dressed in a white robe and wearing a hat, with four groups of golden fires and four golden lightning bolts embroidered on her clothes, walked out from the crowd.


    "Stop!"


    Her stern command halted the entire procession. Then, she scanned the area, searched for a moment, and finally, her gaze settled on Lin Rui''s face.

 Chapter 77 Charm Still Remains

    Just as the white-robed woman was eyeing Lin Rui with a serious expression, Lin Rui also looked at the woman suspiciously.


    From her attire, she appeared to be a fourth-order High Priest from the Light Church.


    The question was, why was she looking at him like that?


    Even though the white-robed woman wore a conical hat draped with light gauze, which concealed her face, Lin Rui still felt her gaze sharp and resolute, as if it could pierce through all pretense and disguise, pushing directly to the deepest secrets of the heart.


    Could it be because of the anomalous event with the sacred thunder fire on the altar just now? But that had nothing to do with him; he had been perusing data in a biological chip at the time, doing nothing else.


    Just as Lin Rui was beginning to feel uneasy and Wang Sen was likewise perplexed, the white-robed woman''s gaze softened, and she clasped her hands in salute towards Lin Rui.


    "It''s unexpected to encounter a Fateful of our church here."


    "A Fateful?" Lin Rui couldn''t help frowning, thinking to himself, what on earth is that?


    "Just now, the sacred thunder fire of our church burned for you, indicating that you are fated with our church."


    Your next read is at empire


    The white-robed woman smiled, took out an object from her bosom, and held it out in front of Lin Rui: "Please, Fateful, accept this."


    It was a fist-sized red jade stone, its surface carved with sacred thunder and divine fire.


    Lin Rui frowned deeply at this.


    He did not want any connections with the Light Church.


    Although the Light Church was still one of the top powers within the interior of Heavenly Pole Star, with numerous strong members including the ''Three Columns, Five Envoys, Seven Kings,'' and hundreds of millions of followers, its influence had significantly waned.


    Now all four great dynasties and major sect families within Heavenly Pole Star were tirelessly hunting it down, and while the lower ranks of the Light Church were still stable, its leaders were in a state of being hunted by everyone.


    Lin Rui certainly did not want to become a target of public criticism.


    Wang Sen''s expression changed and he leaned in to whisper to Lin Rui, "This is the Light Church''s Fourth Realm Sacred Emblem!"


    This was indeed a minor Magic Artifact that could slightly enhance the power of the Thunder and Fire Martial Paths. Its real value lay in its emblematic identity.


    In the future, as long as Lin Rui held this emblem, he could receive high treatment at any branch of the Light Church, and if he wished to join the Light Church, he could even directly become a Third Realm Priest.


    Wang Sen was inwardly amazed; this white-robed woman placed such great importance on Lin Rui, was it because of the explosive burst of the sacred thunder fire earlier?


    Lin Rui became even more reluctant to touch this thing after hearing this.


    Now it was in front of a large crowd. If he accepted this object in full view, he would later be unable to disassociate himself from the demon cult.


    Should the government inquire into it later, losing his official position would be the least of his concerns.


    He didn''t want to accept that forced good fortune, so it was foist upon him, was it?


    At that moment, Wang Sen came up with a bunch of meat buns he had casually bought along the way, looking perplexed at Lin Rui, "Brother Twelve, what''s with the hurry?"


    Lin Rui was taken aback, his chest still open; the mark was so obvious, yet Wang Sen couldn''t see it?


    He concentrated again for a moment and then felt slightly better.


    This mark of the sacred lightning fire was indeed mysterious, invisible to ordinary people.


    "I''ve been plotted against, and I''m furious!" Lin Rui took the pile of buns from Wang Sen and gobbled one after another, grinding them fiercely in his mouth.


    He even walked over to the window, staring aggressively toward the white parade procession in the west part of the town, hand on his knife, "That damned witch from the Light Church, she better not come looking for me."


    Wang Sen, confused, wondered to himself what exactly had that High Priest of the Light Church done to offend Brother Rui?


    Lin Rui fumed in silence for a good while before managing to calm his mood.


    Next, he started running up and down, scrutinizing the structure of Zuihua House, using electromagnetic induction to figure out the geopathic stresses of the building, before returning to the top floor and beginning to prepare talismans using cinnabar a brush, with materials Wang Sen had purchased.


    Wang Sen, bored, watched with disbelief.


    Lin Rui had only checked out books on basic magic techniques, Formation, and Magic Control Divine Technique from the government office''s library the day before yesterday. Could he have mastered them by today?


    In Wang Sen''s view, this was just a waste of money.


    As expected, the talismans Lin Rui produced were all crooked and twisted like a child''s scribblings, completely unsightly.


    When Lin Rui reached the seventh talisman, his eyes lit up, "Yes! Finally, one has succeeded!"


    Wang Sen couldn''t help but retort, "What ''yes''? What success? Look at this mess¡ªjust like a ghost drew it. If this thing works, I''ll eat this table!"


    Lin Rui chuckled, "I''ll remember your words. Messy handwriting doesn''t necessarily mean ineffectiveness. You know, in creating talismans, it''s not about the quality of writing, but the spirit within."


    Lin Rui actually felt quite helpless inside. Although he now possessed advanced knowledge in magic techniques, Formation, and talismanic arts,


    the problem was that the Caucasian middle-aged man simply didn''t know how to draw talismans. Whether it was drawing talismans or setting up formations, he always relied on various three-dimensional talisman-printing machines.


    These days, which mage in the federation would bother writing talismans by hand when they could use a 3D printer that was faster and more convenient?


    Just as Wang Sen was scoffing, the air in that floor suddenly turned cold.


    Lin Rui''s spirit tensed, and he suddenly looked up, only to find the Blood Blade girl standing in front of him at an alarmingly close distance.


    The girl in red drew out a six-foot-long slender battle saber and pointed it coldly at him, "Make your choice now. Become my demon minion or get lost! Leave Silvermoon County now, the further away, the better; otherwise, I will kill you!"


    Lin Rui looked at her, surprised to see that the young girl''s hair had grayed halfway, her eyes were blood-red, her body flared with demonic fire, and blue veins bulged against her pale skin.


    The Blood Blade girl used to be beautiful, but now she possessed a strange, demonic allure¡ªlike that ethereal beauty lingering beyond the mortal realm.

 Chapter 78 Demon Enchanter

    "What''s going on with Brother Twelve?"


    Although Wang Sen could not see Blood Blade Ji, he could sense the change in the aura inside the house.


    He immediately took out his sword and shield, standing by Lin Rui''s side with a wary look, watching in all directions.


    Lin Rui pressed a hand on Wang Sen, forcibly withstanding the powerful blade intent coming from the opponent, and calmly met the red-dressed girl''s gaze, "I choose the Blood Covenant, but there''s no need to rush, how about you wait for half a day? I need some time to prepare, once I''m ready, we can proceed with the Blood Covenant."


    Blood Blade Ji frowned slightly, then sheathed her sword and retreated, stepping back beyond the eaves, "Fine! Half a day it is."


    Bearing the bloodlust was extremely painful, but she believed she could endure it.


    It was only half a day after all; she could wait.


    Blood Blade Ji actually hoped Lin Rui would run far away, leave Yin Yue County, but this guy made the worst decision imaginable.


    As Blood Blade Ji exited the building, the atmosphere inside returned to normal.


    Wang Sen put away his sword and shield, looking at Lin Rui with a puzzled and uncertain expression, "Brother Twelve, who were you talking to just now? What Blood Covenant?"


    "Of course, it''s the Blood Covenant used by demon enchanters." Lin Rui, while dipping his brush into cinnabar ink and continuing to draw talismans, explained, "There''s a powerful fourth realm demon who wants to sign a Blood Covenant with me, to become my protective fiend."


    Lin Rui dared not mention the three words "Blood Blade Ji"; he was afraid Wang Sen might go mad.


    Wang Sen''s eyes lit up upon hearing this, "A fourth realm demon? That''s great news! What kind is it? What''s its rank?"


    To his knowledge, many hybrid practitioners were demon enchanters.


    Signing a Blood Covenant with a demon required bearing its frenzied spiritual consciousness, which greatly increased the burden on one''s spiritual power. For hybrid practitioners who have more enhancements, this was an extremely heavy burden.


    However, the benefits of becoming a demon enchanter were even greater. Firstly, it could significantly strengthen their overall combat power, and secondly, these protective fiends possessed all sorts of miraculous innate abilities that could grant hybrid practitioners stronger survival skills.


    Additionally, when hybrid practitioners'' consciousness returned to their main bodies, the protective fiends could take on the duty of guarding their masters, helping to look after their hybrids.


    Wang Sen surmised that General Fei Yunlai was very likely a demon enchanter, having a powerful demon guarding his hybrid.


    Otherwise, how would he, a royal-list level fugitive, dare to withdraw his consciousness to the ninth base and stroll around everywhere?


    If Lin Rui could sign a fourth realm demon, it was undoubtedly excellent news for them.


    A fourth realm Golden Core was equivalent to the rank of major to lieutenant colonel in the Federation, possessing extremely powerful strength.


    As long as they signed one, they could strut around in Yin Yue County.


    Judging from the fact that the demon could hide from his five senses and spiritual sense, its rank was likely at the upper echelons.


    Wang Sen knew Lin Rui had strong spiritual power and a high talent for it, possibly even higher than his martial arts talent; he should be able to bear it.


    "Type, huh?" Lin Rui smiled with a profound look, "Let''s keep that a secret for now. You''ll find out at noon."


    Wang Sen felt somewhat displeased at this response, his curiosity scratching at him like a cat''s claws.


    This guy was actually playing coy with him¡ª


    But he still suppressed his curiosity, going to the courtyard below to practice martial arts on his own.


    He had to elevate his martial arts to the level of major accomplishment as soon as possible, to lay a solid foundation for the advanced martial arts he planned to practice in the future.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen''s cultivation had greatly improved, and even without using Escape Techniques, their speed was twice as fast as before. In just one minute, they arrived under a stone bridge at the end of Hanhua Alley, where they found the third-realm Tuberculosis Demon.


    This time they had learned their lesson and had taken a Lung-Clearing and Cough-Suppressing Pill in advance, which would help suppress coughing during combat.


    Tactically, they had also adapted: Lin Rui alone would approach, while Wang Sen stayed at a distance using Ice Wind Palm to exert pressure and to encapsulate and block off escape routes.


    Unexpectedly, as Lin Rui approached with his long sword to within 5 meters of the Tuberculosis Demon, the monster neither fled nor resisted but simply stood there quietly, staring at the river under the bridge without moving.


    Lin Rui looked at her pus-covered, extremely ugly face, at first puzzled.


    It wasn''t until his Spiritual Sense felt a corpse under the murky river water next to him.


    Lin Rui''s eyes widened, and he realized, "So that''s how it is!"


    He sighed, "I''ll send you on your way now. You have taken your revenge, and may you rest in peace."


    With a flash of the blade, the head of the Tuberculosis Demon fell instantly, rolling several times on the grass.


    Tip: For slaying a third-realm demon, you have obtained 521 points of Soul Power.


    "What happened?" Wang Sen flew in and asked with a puzzled look, "She didn''t resist?"


    Lin Rui responded with a wry smile, pointing to the water below, "There''s a body at the bottom of the river, around sixty years old. If I''m not mistaken, it should be the doctor who, at the request of that old brothel keeper three years ago, performed the forced abortion on her. The people she hated the most were probably that man and the old brothel keeper.


    Having taken her revenge, her wish has been fulfilled, and she no longer wished to live."


    "That explains it," said Wang Sen, his expression easing after hearing this, "It seems that when she fled last time, she had found the trace of this doctor."


    Wang Sen had found it odd at the time; from their understanding, the woman should still have been rational and not wanting to harm others.


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    However, demons trying to suppress their urges to kill and feed on blood suffer greatly; it''s said that bloodlust is several times worse than suffering from drug addiction, imposing a torture she must have been eager to escape from.


    Thus, when they found the Tuberculosis Demon last time, she didn''t hesitate to flee.


    Wang Sen then remarked, "I bet that old brothel keeper and the pharmacy owner regret their actions. If they had known earlier about such a powerful bloodline talent within her, they would never have dared to go too far."


    Lin Rui cynically chuckled upon hearing this, his eyes full of irony, "That may not necessarily be the case!"


    He reached out his hand and took a sachet from the waist of the Tuberculosis Demon as proof for closing the case.


    As for the body, he would inform the county yamen to take care of it later.


    But at that moment, Lin Rui sensed several powerful auras rapidly approaching from around him.


    Beneath the river beside him, an extremely dangerous presence burst out from the muddy river sands.


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes, "Be alert, we''re ambushed!"


    With one hand on his sword ready to strike and the other grabbing Wang Sen, he rapidly retreated away from under the bridge. A mocking smile played at the corner of his lips.


    The opposition had resorted to the same tactic again, almost identical to the ambush from Zhao Yuanwai''s family that time.


    These people couldn''t even wait for nightfall¡ª


    ```

 Chapter 79 It Can Actually Be Used (Three More Updates)

    Lin Rui''s body erupted with thunder as he moved like a specter, quickly retreating under the bridge with Wang Sen, distancing themselves ten meters away from the water-dwelling demon. Discover hidden content at empire


    This move greatly surprised the enemies around them; they had never anticipated that Lin Rui could move so fast while dragging another person along, causing a collective gasp of shock.


    "It''s the Escape Skill! Has he actually mastered the Escape Skill?"


    "Bastard, this guy is like a demonized rabbit!"


    "That''s the Thunder Fire Escape! He has entered the third realm, stop him, don''t let him escape!"


    "He won''t escape!"


    At that moment, the three black figures closest to Lin Rui and Wang Sen exploded with blood energy, doubling their speed in an instant, and surged towards Lin Rui''s back.


    "Escape?"


    Lin Rui let out a slight cold chuckle, his long sword charged and slashed out like thunder and lightning towards the left, creating a sharp, dazzling red blade light.


    Red Thunder Saber¡¤Red Thunder Wan Jun!


    The person in front of the blade light tried to resist, but Lin Rui''s strike was so fast that the third-rank demon cultivator could hardly catch it with his eyes.


    "So fast, how is this possible?"


    That person looked ahead with eyes full of despair and disbelief. Being in the same third realm, why was this person''s blade so fast?


    He could have exploded with blood energy to defend himself, but the rapid acceleration had already drained a great deal of his strength.


    Now he could only desperately swing his sword in defense, yet he was still too slow to respond.


    Mid-way, Lin Rui changed his attack from a vertical slash to a horizontal cleave, striking into his chest and abdomen with the force of a great weight.


    "Bang!"


    With a splash of blood, the third-rank demon cultivator''s chest and abdomen were blasted into pieces by Lin Rui''s fierce blade force, sending his body flying backward.


    Lin Rui then turned around, ditching his sword as his hands suddenly burst into a purple flame electrical current, hammering towards another figure behind.


    Accompanied by a deep thunderous roar shaking the eardrum, Lin Rui''s hands erupted with crimson purple flame thunder instantly, blazing like wild fire and tearing the sky like lightning.


    When his hands collided with a long staff-shaped weapon, it immediately caused a thunderous "boom", making the surrounding air tremble.


    Then, this thundering boom continued one after another.


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"


    Lin Rui''s hands, wrapped in purple flame thunder, were ferociously fierce as they passed through the air, which seemed to tear apart, emitting an extremely sharp whistling sound.


    His opponent was a third-rank demon cultivator, whose mutation was in a pair of leg bones, thus he was exceptionally fast and had a particularly stable stance.


    This person was originally more powerful than Lin Rui, yet just after one strike, he couldn''t use his full strength.


    The violent thunder paralyzed his muscles all over, making it impossible to muster full power.


    The three three-realm demon cultivators were also falling further behind. They were slower than the Blackwater Demon.


    In Lin Rui''s right hand, the Red Thunder Saber burned fiercely with flames and thunder, its power accumulating to a peak.


    No one else was around; Hanhua Alley was usually desolate, and now only two brothels were open. Lin Rui deliberately lured the Blackwater Demon to a deserted area.


    Just then, Lin Rui saw the Blood Blade Maiden nearby.


    The girl in red floated beside Lin Rui, her ethereal form not touching the ground, watching him with a pair of crimson eyes.


    Lin Rui suddenly understood that if he died now, the Blood Blade Maiden would rush to consume his flesh and blood the moment he perished.


    This is a demon¡ª


    Lin Rui didn''t care too much; if he didn''t have reservations today, afraid to use the Grandmaster-level ''Purple Glow Thunder Saber,'' even the ''Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill'' had to be restrained by eighty percent.


    A demon just entering the four realms, he had the odds to win in a frontal confrontation.


    Especially since escaping was actually very easy for them now.


    Lin Rui shook his head, "Twenty-Seven, interested in taking a risk for a fortune? I''m completely confident we can make at least 500 taels!"


    Wang Sen''s eyes immediately showed conflict.


    Jade Sister repeatedly, repeatedly cautioned to be careful.


    But since Lin Rui mentioned complete confidence, there probably wasn''t any danger, right?


    He suddenly clenched his teeth, "Then let''s gamble!"


    Lin Rui''s pupils flashed fiercely. "Then watch out!"


    He actually hurled Wang Sen, holding him like a bowling ball towards the enemy while his figure suddenly transformed into a burst of thunder and lightning and vanished.


    When Lin Rui appeared again, he was surprisingly behind the Blackwater Demon.


    This was facilitated by a ''Thunder Summoning Talisman'' he had preemptively placed on the rooftop while retreating, immediately using Flash Escape to move behind the Blackwater Demon.


    Seeing this, Wang Sen''s eyes bulged, astonished not only by Lin Rui tossing him like a ball towards the enemy but also by Lin Rui''s use of the talisman for Flash Escape.


    ¡ª¡ªHis eccentrically drawn talisman could actually work?


    He quickly got over his initial shock, roaring fiercely like a mad tiger, charging at the Blackwater Demon, and fervently freezing the black water around the demon.


    Meanwhile, behind the Blackwater Demon, Lin Rui swung his saber emotionlessly, enveloping it with boundless thunder and fire, slashing at the demon''s back!


    Red Thunder Saber¡¤Red Thunder Wan Jun!


    While the Blackwater Demon''s tentacles were all drawn to Wang Sen, Lin Rui unleashed ten slashes with a speed invisible to the naked eye, severing all ten tentacles.


    Following this, he slashed eight more times, dissecting the Blackwater Demon''s body like butchering a bull.


    That moment not only stunned the Blood Blade Maiden but also left the three distant demon cultivators utterly shocked and bewildered.

 Chapter 80 Forming Connections

    Bloody Blade Hime stared fixedly at Lin Rui, until two breaths had passed, her eyes still unable to believe.


    This guy, he actually slew a fourth realm blackwater demon! He moved with a clean and decisive strike, swift as thunder!


    It was only when Lin Rui and Wang Sen began to clean up the blackwater demon''s corpse that Bloody Blade Hime came back to her senses.


    In an instant, her figure turned into a flash of lightning, appearing behind the three third-order demonic cultivators. As Bloody Blade Hime pulled out a six-foot-long narrow battle saber from behind and chopped down, all three were cleaved into two by her single strike!


    Bloody Blade Hime then looked towards a direction in the east. Her entire being turned into a red streak, dashing towards the direction she had been gazing at moments before.


    Now, twenty zhang away on a three-story building, a man dressed in arrest officer''s attire, with a nose sharp as an eagle''s beak and a sinister and harsh face, was frantically running downstairs, his complexion pale.


    That was precisely the arrest officer Li, his eyes filled with panic, horror, and disbelief!


    That Lin Twelve, had actually killed the blackwater demon they had spent a significant amount of resources to cultivate!


    But the problem was, it was too absurd, impossible! How could Lin Twelve possibly do that?


    Arrest Officer Li couldn''t believe that the arrangement he thought was foolproof had been so easily torn apart by Lin Twelve. The seemingly invincible fourth realm blackwater demon had also been cleanly killed by Lin Twelve.


    It must be known that just a few days ago, this young man was only a second realm Martial Cultivator!


    However, what panicked him into frantic escape now was none other than Bloody Blade Hime.


    When he saw his three third realm demonic cultivator subordinates unexplainably split in half, he knew it was Bloody Blade Hime.


    ¡ªIt was that wretched woman''s doing! She clearly had made up her mind to use Lin Twelve''s power to resist the County Magistrate''s authority!


    Just as Arrest Officer Li was rushing down the stairs, a red figure appeared before him. She stood three zhang away, holding her saber slanted, blocking Arrest Officer Li''s path.


    "You dare strike at me?" Arrest Officer Li staggered back, his expression a mix of sarcasm and despair as he met the eyes of the red-dressed girl.


    "Think it through, if I die, you''ll also pay the price. Do you think that by associating with Lin Twelve, you can resist the County Magistrate? You''re dreaming¡ª"


    The red-dressed girl didn''t wait for him to finish. With a swing of her saber, she decapitated Arrest Officer Li.


    She thought this Li surname really overestimated himself. Would the County Magistrate named Zhu care about wasting valuable chips over such a trivial underling?


    By the time Bloody Blade Hime had taken care of all loose ends and returned to the fourth floor of Zuihua House, she found that Lin Twelve and Wang Twenty-seven had already brought back the corpse of the blackwater demon.


    That chubby fellow named Wang Twenty-seven was busy hanging up the demon''s severed legs and torso pieces, trying his best to squeeze out the fresh blood from these chunks into several pots and pans beneath.


    Lin Twelve stood by, mixing medicine. Strangely enough, as he dripped a few drops of the liquid into the pots, the blood of the demonic beast showed no signs of coagulating.


    Wang Sen was distressed, for Lin Rui had chopped the blackwater demon into pieces too finely, resulting in poor quality of the fourth realm demon blood, and only one portion could be collected.


    The blood of this blackwater demon could have been sold for eight hundred thousand Federal dollars. Now, it would be quite good if they could get three hundred thousand.


    Lin Rui''s lips curved slightly at her words, amused that this woman was actually asking him to give up?


    How could he possibly give up the chance to subdue a King rank or even higher than King rank demon?


    Besides, could he survive by running away? Would the County Magistrate and the arrest officer let him go? What if the County Magistrate ordered Blood Blade Ji to hunt him down? Wouldn''t he be dead anyway?


    Lin Rui''s heart began to thrill with excitement, his blood surged, and his heart pounded!


    This venture was indeed fraught with great risk, but great risk also meant great rewards.


    Lin Rui thought that his mentality had been a bit off lately, slightly crazed.


    It''s all Instructor Xue''s fault. That number one battle spirit is crazy! Perhaps Xue Bogao was already suffering from armor syndrome before his death.


    It seems he will have to kill more members of the Blood Lizard Gang in the future in order to resolve Instructor Xue''s hostility and weaken his influence upon him.


    Lin Rui did not respond, instead directly cutting his wrist with a blade.


    When Blood Blade Ji saw the fresh red blood dripping from the wound and smelled the blood''s scent, her blood-red pupils instantly constricted to pinpoints.


    Her rationality rapidly faded, yet she still struggled to control her urges, her voice hoarse: "Where is the Ruyi Knot the County Magistrate gave you? Give me one!"


    Lin Rui was startled by her words, wondering if the Ruyi Knot was meant to be used for the Blood Covenant?


    That implied that the County Magistrate might have foreseen the events of today.


    He was decisive, taking out two Ruyi Knots and tossing one to the red-clad girl.


    The girl swallowed it right away and then looked steadily at Lin Rui, her gaze filled with anticipation. The thing was called the Ruyi Symbiotic Knot, which she had used with her previous master as well, but regrettably, Yuan Yi''s divine consciousness was too weak, and his will, too frail, so the Ruyi Symbiotic Knot could not exert its expected effect.


    Lin Rui immediately understood, thinking that this item was used in this manner? So he too placed a Ruyi Knot in his mouth and swallowed it.


    In the next instant, the red-clad girl suddenly appeared in front of him.


    She produced a bright red short blade from nowhere, stabbing it diagonally into Lin Rui''s back, piercing both their bodies to connect the Ruyi Knots they had ingested.


    However, Lin Rui was not injured; the bright red short blade seemed like an illusion, and he felt nothing as it entered his body.


    This must be Blood Blade Ji''s ''Covenant Blade,'' the object used for forming the pact.


    Meanwhile, Wang Sen, who was watching from the side, suddenly changed color and drew a sharp breath.


    When he had heard Lin Rui speaking earlier, he had been quite curious: who was this fellow talking to? Could it possibly be that fourth realm demon who was to form a Blood Covenant with him?


    It wasn''t until this moment that Wang Sen finally saw the silhouette of this demon.


    ¡ª It was Blood Blade Ji! The very one with a bounty of 2000 magic silver coins issued by the officials!

 Chapter 81 The Real Dog

    Wang Sen watched the man and woman embracing each other before him and carefully recognized the appearance of the girl in red, then covered his face with his hand, his head aching immensely.


    Was the demonic entity from the four realms that Lin Rui mentioned actually this Blood Blade Ji?


    He should have realized it, should have known!


    The problem was that he did not know Lin Rui was so bold, daring to provoke a demonic entity like the Blood Blade who had devoured its master before.


    This guy was definitely insane, absolutely crazy; he might even be suffering from Capgras syndrome!


    If Wang Sen had known earlier, he would have tried his best to stop it, but looking at the master and demon now, it seemed they had already completed the Blood Covenant, and it was a done deal!


    At that moment, the girl in red suddenly grabbed Lin Rui''s arm and violently sucked the blood from his wound.


    The reason why the pact between demonic entities and their handlers is called a ''Blood Covenant'' is precisely because it is founded on blood.


    Once the covenant is made, the handler must feed the demonic entity with their own blood.


    According to research by federal scientists, demonic entities can not only obtain a large amount of pure aether from their master''s blood, but can also absorb certain blood factors they can''t produce themselves, thus eliminating their own blood cravings.


    After only three sips of blood, the crimson glow in the girl''s eyes noticeably receded, and the blue veins on her body gradually faded.


    Still unsatisfied, she sucked ten mouthfuls until Lin Rui''s face began to pale, and then the girl in red reluctantly released Lin Rui''s hand.


    "Forgive this servant''s rudeness," the girl in red said, wiping her crimson lips with her sleeve, her eyes somewhat ashamed. "This servant has been craving blood for a long time, so I consumed a bit more. With the master''s current cultivation, one sip of blood a day is enough for this servant. If you complete your blood training, then one sip every month, no! One sip every three months would suffice."


    She found Lin Rui''s blood tasted absolutely wonderful, worthy of a Martial Cultivator who had mastered the Thunder Extreme Divine Shine Stance!


    Blood rich with intense thunder and fire energy naturally possessed powers to ward off demons and evil.


    If only Lin Rui''s cultivation were higher, the thunder and fire energy in his blood was still not concentrated enough.


    The girl in red then thought this was actually meaningless; the only reason she established a Blood Covenant with Lin Rui was to fight against the blood cravings, to resist that person''s control.


    Their calamity could come at any moment, and whether they could survive until tomorrow was a question.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui''s mind stirred, and he looked at her with an unusual gaze, "You haven''t killed anyone in these 10 days, haven''t consumed any blood food?"


    "No."


    The girl in red, possibly feeling they were too close, stepped back two meters, a blush appearing on her icy jade-like face. "The first few days I didn''t want to commit more killings, and I''ve been following you in the latter days, not thinking about blood food."


    Especially, Lin Rui in these last two days was too tempting, intensely attracting her.


    Compared to Lin Rui, the blood of others was like swill, not worth mentioning.


    Lin Rui signing the Blood Covenant with Ji Xueying was like stepping into a pit. This Blood Blade warrior was bound to turn on her master again, and what would Lin Rui use to withstand her?


    "I see," Lin Rui was also very troubled. This Blood Blade seemed completely ignorant; it seemed that aside from her talent in martial arts, she had no other merits.


    Had she done nothing in the past few days except watch him?


    Lin Rui shook his head and continued asking, "Then, who in the Yuan family was responsible for transforming you into a Blood Blade warrior?"


    After the fall of the great Zhou dynasty, the method of creating Blood Blade warriors had been perfected by sorcerers; otherwise, no one would dare use them.


    So, Lin Rui deduced that Ji Xueying''s Blood Covenant had been tampered with from the very beginning.


    "You suspect it was an inside job by the Yuan family?" Ji Xueying furrowed her brows, feeling inexplicably dizzy and forcing herself to respond, "That''s very likely. Back then, the Yuan family hired a Sixth Realm sorcerer they trusted to transform me into a Blood Blade warrior.


    Additionally, this time Yuan Yi went down to Yinyue County ostensibly to learn business from his uncle Yuan Ji, but in reality, it was to work with the managers who accompanied him to scrutinize the account books for the southern medicine and tea business."


    Lin Rui immediately noted down the name ''Yuan Yi'' in his biochip.


    Just as he was about to continue the conversation, the Blood Blade warrior suddenly lurched forward, her forehead hitting the table with a ''thud.''


    She had lost consciousness and fallen into a faint.


    Wang Sen looked puzzled, "What happened to her?"


    "I drugged her," Lin Rui pointed to the medicine bottle he had emptied beside him, "I mixed a tranquilizer that can lurk in my bloodstream. The more of my blood she drinks, the faster she falls."


    At that moment, he swallowed another type of medicine.


    The tranquilizer Lin Rui mixed needed to first mix with his blood and then react with the air to take effect, sort of a mixed poison.


    However, if he couldn''t expel the drugs in his blood in time, it would still greatly damage his body.


    Surely, Colonel Xue was formidable, mastering various methods of mixing poison.


    Wang Sen was surprised upon hearing this, Lin Rui actually knew how to mix poison?


    He then saw Lin Rui grabbing Ji Xueying''s hand, "Nianqi, bring a blood bag over."


    Wang Sen immediately suppressed his thoughts, showing his admiration with a thumbs up to Lin Rui, "So that''s it, Brother Twelve, you are really sharp!"


    As he spoke, he took out a blood bag, ready to collect the Blood Blade warrior''s blood.


    He had been worried about Lin Rui''s safety before, but apparently, Rui had already prepared for this, aiming to obtain the demonic blood of this fourth realm royal demon.


    This was a complete Blood Blade warrior, and the blood drawn could at least create four artificial royal class blood serums; they had struck it rich this time!

 Chapter 82 Not Human (Third Update)

    The blood bag Wang Sen handed to Lin Rui had a syringe attached.


    The blood bag itself was also a high-tech product, capable of sealing and freezing blood to ensure that the blood inside would not spoil for a year.


    However, Lin Rui only drew a little bit before stopping.


    Seeing this, Wang Sen was once again bewildered, "Keep drawing, how is that little bit enough?"


    Lin Rui first appeared puzzled, then realized what was happening, and cursed with a laugh, "This is my protector demon, why would I draw her blood? If her vital energy is hurt, will you compensate me?"


    Especially at this time, Lin Rui only wished for Ji Xueying''s combat strength to be as high as possible.


    "It''s not like that," Wang Sen said, his forehead lined with black, "Brother Twelve, do you really plan to keep her? Didn''t you hear her parents and siblings are in someone else''s hands? How will you fight with others?"


    "I have my own ways."


    Lin Rui then pulled out a blood-colored longsword from behind Ji Xueying.


    This Blood Blade Ji had a total of three swords, one to carry the Blood Covenant, one was her personal combat blade called ''Jingxue'', and the last one was the Blood Blade nurtured for her master, which was the one Lin Rui had drawn out.


    Judging from the inscriptions on the hilt, the name of this Blood Blade should be ''Leishen''. Seeing the material of the blade, Lin Rui knew it must be a valuable creation of the Yuan family. Although its current grade wasn''t high, the blade itself was incredibly strong, with endless potential!


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    Theoretically, any Blood Blade had the potential to grow to the ninth rank. The better the initial material of the blade, the faster it would grow, and the greater its potential. However, this blade was currently only at the fourth rank.


    Lin Rui''s eyes looked enigmatically as he closely examined the blade and the symbols on the Blood Blade, "Have you forgotten what Professor Han mentioned in his paper about a theory that could use the characteristics of Blood Blade Ji to rapidly enhance and strengthen a demon''s body? I think this method could logically prevent it from devouring its master."


    "But that theory is pure fantasy!"


    Wang Sen instinctively retorted, then paused mid-sentence as if struck by a thought, "No, that theory when applied to Body Refinement is wishful thinking, but to prevent devouring, it actually has great potential. It''s quite complex though, as you must possess a certain level of Array ability. Besides, you need an extremely high tolerance in your body.


    Damn, Brother Twelve, you actually came up with this method."


    Lin Rui''s lips curled up slightly, thinking that it was Professor Han who was truly impressive.


    That was why he had taken the risk to decimate the Blood Lizard Gang''s nighttime headquarters, exchanging for the magical skills of Xue Bogao.


    At this moment, the badge at his waist grew warm.


    "Zhang Tianchang?"


    Lin Rui hesitated for a moment, but then set aside the Blood Blade Leishen to accept Zhang Tianchang''s communication request, "Brother Tian, looking for me?"


    Zhang Tianchang was stationed five miles away, and upon hearing Lin Rui''s words, he tightened his eyebrows.


    Just two days ago, Lin Rui had warmly referred to him as ''Arrest Officer Zhang'', but now it had become ''Brother Tian''.


    But never mind that; the man was already serving as an acting arrest officer and was on his way to being an equal.


    Zhang Tianchang shook his head slightly and said with a grave voice, "Lin Twelve, I''ve just sensed two strong demonic presences of the fourth realm near you, one of which should be a water demon, and the other should belong to Blood Blade Ji. The water demon has been slain by Blood Blade Ji, hasn''t it? Have you already formed a Blood Covenant with her?


    Ji Xueying judged that she must have entered the mid-stage of the Fourth Realm.


    Ji Xueying initially didn''t think much of it; her talents were extraordinarily high anyway. The reason she had lingered in the Third Realm before losing control was because her former master, Yuan Yi, was not yet of age, his fontanelle hadn''t opened, and he couldn''t cultivate, thus unable to provide her with his vital blood.


    In the past, the Yuan family had provided various medicinal herbs as substitutes to help quell her blood craving, but this method also restricted her and prevented her from growing.


    So a few days ago, after Ji Xueying had killed Yuan Yi, her own shackles were released, and her power and physical condition began to increase with each passing day.


    However, Ji Xueying then felt that something was off. Her demonic blood, which was originally very cold, like uncomfortable cold water in the dead of winter, now not only returned to normal temperature but even had a scorching sensation, leaving her body feeling warm.


    "Is this¡ª¡ª"


    While sensing inwardly and pondering, Ji Xueying''s pupils dilated.


    This must be the vital blood she had sucked from her master! This blood likely contained unknown and strange powers.


    Ji Xueying concluded that this was probably an unawakened Sacred Body, and most likely one of the top-tier Sacred Body embryos.


    Ji Xueying then realized that this was probably why Lin Twelve was able to quickly perfect the Thunder Extreme Divine Posture, wasn''t it?


    Besides the unusual blood, there was nothing else abnormal in her body.


    Ji Xueying frowned slightly and walked out of the room.


    She saw Lin Twelve sitting in the outer hall, drawing symbols by the light of a lamp.


    He was fully concentrated and seemed unaware of Ji Xueying''s arrival.


    Ji Xueying''s eyes held suspicion as she scrutinized Lin Rui. She hesitated for a moment but still bowed and asked, "My lord! May I ask what caused me to faint just now?"


    Lin Rui''s body trembled, apparently startled into failing his symbol drawing, and turned to look at Ji Xueying with a mix of annoyance and helplessness: "Why you fainted, don''t you know yourself? I was about to ask you, why did you suddenly faint!"


    At his words, Ji Xueying was taken aback, as she originally suspected that Lin Rui had done something to her.


    Now she began to doubt herself instead. Could her fainting have been due to her own reasons? And what could they be?


    "You''ve woken up just in time. Come take a look at this." At this moment, Lin Rui took out a thick stack of wanted posters and beckoned to her, "These are demons that were once active in my territory. Now go help me locate their positions. I don''t need you to take action, just make sure they can''t escape once you find them."


    He was worried that Ji Xueying would steal his kills and was unsure if the Soul Power points from demons slain by Ji Xueying could be harvested by his Battle Spirit Ring. He needed to experiment.


    Wang Sen, who was nearby, perked up at these words.


    Lin Rui had just told him that for the demons Ji Xueying located, the rewards would be split eighty-two with Wang Sen.


    If Ji Xueying were to participate directly, it would be a ninety-one split.


    Although the share was less than before, the quantity was substantial!


    Wang Sen knew this was Lin Rui''s way of helping him, and he had no intention of being polite with Lin Rui.


    He indeed needed money to enhance himself and would work hard to repay Lin Rui''s investment.

 Chapter 83 Unreasonable

    Six days later, in the morning, Wang Sen lay in his sleep pod, browsing through the self-operated goods interface of the Heteromorphic Administration.


    He was looking at a ''Type 1 Heteromorphic Bloodline Enhancer'' produced by Tianlan Corporation, his eyes wavering indecisively.


    "The selling price is 100,000 Federal dollars a dose? Tsk, why don''t they just rob people?"


    As Wang Sen grumbled, he opened up his bank account.


    The balance was 1,231,113 Federal dollars, all earned from six days of demonic exterminations led by Lin Rui.


    Wang Sen clenched his teeth and tapped the number below the product icon to ''3'' and chose to pay.


    Three doses of Type 1 Heteromorphic Bloodline Enhancer would be enough to help him awaken the ''Ice Blood'' at its initial extreme.


    It was irritating that this potion was only priced at 9,999 Federal dollars on Tianlan Corporation''s official website, yet it skyrocketed to 100,000 when sold through the Heteromorphic Administration.


    However, there was no choice. The atmosphere of Tianji Star was extremely dangerous.


    In addition to the winds of 5000 kilometers per hour, the lethal gases, the powerful thunderstorms and ionizing radiation that could tear apart a Martial Cultivator of the ninth realm, there were also numerous dangerous gravitational distortions and spatial rifts, rendering many of the Earth Federation''s star-destroying weapons ineffective against it.


    Currently, only starships equipped with ''Quantum Jump'' devices can enter the interior of Tianji Star.


    The construction of each of these starships is expensive, and they require cloaking devices to evade the perception of the strong beings of Tianji Star.


    Even so, the Earth Federation still loses forty to fifty starships each year¡ªsome are destroyed by the people of Tianji Star, others are plundered by interstellar pirates¡ªso the high cost of courier services to Tianji Star is justified.


    Indeed, there are many organizations that own cloaked starships, such as the military, pharmaceutical companies, mining companies, and the Federal Security Bureau, as well as some wealthy families and large companies that purchase their starships.


    However, these organizations either do not operate publicly, or they have too few outlets, unlike the Heteromorphic Administration which not only has nearly a thousand cloaked starships for entering and exiting the atmosphere of Tianji Star but also has a vast network of outlets distributed across all the counties of Tianji Star.


    Wang Sen placed an order with the Heteromorphic Administration, estimating he could pick up his order at the coffin shop in 12 hours. With other organizations, it was uncertain when he would receive his goods.


    He then spent 300,000 to buy three more doses of Type 1 Heteromorphic Enhancer to strengthen the physique of his heteromorphic body.


    The enhancement technology for heteromorphs developed by the Federation starts at the genetic level, distinct from the drug enhancement of Tianji Star; the best method of cultivation is to utilize both in conjunction.


    He also used the discount card given by Fang Ranran to purchase a dose of Type 3 Spiritual Power Enhancer from Tianlan Corporation''s official website at cost price of 300,000, preparing to inject it directly into his main body in two days to further enhance his spiritual power.


    Wang Sen had no immediate plans to pay back his previous loans. He had a broad perspective; which of the will-class heteromorphic travelers didn''t have debts amounting to three to five hundred million?


    Wang Sen''s family did not need his help either. His parents, although from a lower-middle class, were more than capable of supporting themselves. On the contrary, they were looking forward to Wang Sen''s cultivation improving rapidly, which could benefit the entire family.


    Wang Sen believed that the money in his hands was all earned through Lin Rui''s guidance, so it was best invested in himself to keep up with Lin Rui''s pace and provide him with support.


    Wang Sen left only 300,000 Federal dollars in his account, reserved for future expenses in making ''artificial serum''.


    Lin Rui was right; with their strength, there was no need to buy artificial serum. They could simply find demon beasts with matching attributes to kill, extract their blood, and send it back to Ninth Base City to produce the serum.


    After placing the order, Wang Sen cleaned up his personal communications and replied to a few messages from his family.


    Wang Sen noticed people in their class group were mentioning him and Lin Rui; opening the conversation, he found that a bunch of those who passed the heteromorphic exam wanted to organize a meal to gather and exchange ideas.


    "We''ve only just started the internship; what''s there to gather for?"


    However, Lin Rui remained indifferent, sipping his tea, his eyes lifelessly fixed on the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought.


    Only when the crowd grew tired of cursing at his unbothered demeanor did he set down his teacup and spoke gravely, "Ladies and gentlemen, I understand the pain of losing loved ones, and your desire to see the murderer brought to justice. I truly empathize. However, the Zuihua House case is not as it seems.


    The County Magistrate has determined there is another true culprit, and Ji Xueying of the Blood Blade was manipulated and influenced by others, acting against her will.


    "As for the subsequent murders, the yamen has confirmed they were not committed by the Blood Blade. The County Magistrate is currently in search of the real murderer. Once the facts are clear, the yamen will surely give you an explanation."


    But his words only served to further infuriate the crowd.


    "Ji Xueying of the Blood Blade is the murderer; how can she not be the culprit?"


    "She killed them and drained their vitality; the murderer must die!"


    "I say you''re all in cahoots, protecting the demoness!"


    "Manipulated by someone else? Don''t be fooled by him; who could control Ji Xueying over her own master?"


    Lin Rui, unfazed by their remarks, waited until the people had exhausted their anger and settled down before he sighed, "My friends, as I''ve said, there is someone else behind this case. The Blood Blade is just a knife being controlled by someone. What crime does a knife have? It''s merely a little too sharp."


    He shook his head, "This case has nothing to do with me. If you must have an explanation from me, then I''m sorry. How about this¡ªI''ll now break the Blood Covenant with her, and you all can settle your own scores. Take your revenge or air your grievances as you see fit." Your next read awaits at empire


    As Lin Rui spoke, he gestured and took a blood-colored short blade into his hand.


    That was Ji Xueying''s ''Covenant Blade,'' which had come into Lin Rui''s possession after forming the pact, normally kept on his person and nurtured by vital essence.


    Seeing this, Ji Xueying''s face changed, her eyes suddenly turning crimson, her body ablaze with demonic fire.


    She surveyed the crowd with a look that sent a shiver down everyone''s spine, their hearts squeezing tight as if grasped in someone''s fist.


    Xueying then reached out for the Covenant Blade.


    At that moment, a portly, richly dressed middle-aged man suddenly raised his hand and said, "Wait!"


    Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he turned to the crowd and spoke, "Everyone, since the County Magistrate has determined that there is another true culprit in this case, why don''t we wait and see, let the yamen uncover the truth?"


    A wave of agreeing voices arose from the crowd.


    The merchants and gentlemen, especially, turned pale.


    What was Lin Rui thinking, being so unreasonable? Could the Blood Covenant with the Blood Blade even be so simply broken?


    The demoness was rumoured to be a formidable fourth-realm Wang rank. How terrifying was her combat power? With Lin Rui in control, she was restrained from causing harm. But once Lin Rui released the Blood Blade, who could predict what the demoness might do?


    They were all people of substance; there was no need to risk their lives testing the ferocity of the Blood Blade.


    The recent peace in Hanhua Alley, under the control of the arrest officer, had been hard-won; there was no need to disrupt it again.


    As these businessmen and gentlemen, with their hired Protectors, left, the commoners'' momentum waned, and they scattered reluctantly.


    Grumbling as they left, they criticized Lin Rui, an arrest officer fed from the public coffer, who couldn''t protect the people and conspired with a demoness, utterly heartless and beastly.


    At that moment, Wang Sen, narrowing his eyes, watched the departing figures and said, "Brother Lin, it seems someone with ulterior motives has incited these people to come here today."

 Chapter 84 Dark World

    "Quite likely," Lin Rui, unconcerned, slightly shook his head and casually spilled the hot tea on the ground, "But it does no harm to me, no need to worry about it."


    If he truly took it seriously, he would be playing right into their hands and falling into their rhythm.


    Blood Blade Ji maintained a cold demeanor, her hands clasped behind her back, silent and unspoken.


    Seeing this, Wang Sen understood, thinking that if the mastermind behind this drama intended to coerce Lin Rui by swaying public opinion, they were sorely mistaken.


    Like him, Lin Rui was an outer-domain Heavenly Demon, indifferent to fame and even less concerned about the opinions of the Tianji Star''s populace.


    They hunted demons for money, to cultivate and elevate themselves, to implant stronger enhancements, possess greater power, and achieve a higher social status.


    They might possess a bit of chivalrous spirit¡ªseeing the plight of those around them, they offered protection whenever possible.


    But that chivalrous spirit was really not abundant.


    As for Blood Blade Ji¡ª Wang Sen, observing her since the recent days, felt that she was purely demonic.


    Xue Ying, perhaps due to her voluntary transformation in the past, had a clear sense of self-identity and no longer regarded herself as human.


    The soul power of Blood Blade Ji was extremely strong; she did not care for human lives. The reason she restrained herself from killing and feeding on blood during those ten days was simply because she did not want to lose her sanity, succumb to her instincts, and fall completely into a bestial state.


    Thus, she also could not possibly feel guilty about the Zuihua House case concerning those people.


    Suddenly, Lin Rui''s gaze sharpened, turning towards the direction of the doorway.


    Outside, the crowd was dispersing, revealing three figures on the street, one adult and two children.


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    The adult, in her forties, dressed in white, had an ordinary appearance but exuded a gentle and soft temperament, radiating a calm and profound aura.


    The two children, a boy and a girl, both under 10 years old, wore plain clothes, skinny and weak-looking, each carrying a vegetable basket.


    Lin Rui instantly recognized that middle-aged woman, who was none other than the High Priest of the Guang Ming Sacred Church!


    Today, the woman had not worn her hat and veil, yet Lin Rui recognized her at first glance.


    He also found the two children very familiar, though he could not recall immediately.


    After checking in his biological chip, Lin Rui recognized the two children as those he had saved on their first day of arrival.


    They were from the family where the grandmother turned into a Thousand-Thread Demon and the parents were captured.


    In her eyes, he saw innocence and admiration.


    Lin Rui, feeling somewhat guilty, averted his gaze and thought to himself that he wasn''t really protecting these people of Heavenly Extreme Star. He was just harvesting Soul Power points and the bounty offered by the government office.


    Lin Rui looked up at Li Qiufeng, "What''s the situation with these two children?"


    "Their parents were followers of our sect." Li Qiufeng caressed the children''s heads with a tender and compassionate look, "Having lost their parents, it is only right that our sect takes care of them. I plan to bring them to our sect''s Wang City branch. There, they should have a better life.


    Today, hearing that I was going to visit the constable, they also wanted to come and thank you and constable Wang for saving their lives and for the silver you gave that day."


    These children actually had some cousins, but they were from poor families that could not afford to support them.


    Moreover, with what had happened in their family, living here would inevitably lead to being pointed at and talked about. It would be better for them to go with her to Wang City and start anew.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui sneered inwardly, suspecting that the High Priest had taken an interest in the children''s talents.


    People affected by demonic transformations all possess strong lineage talents, especially since the children''s grandmother, with no martial arts foundation, had transformed into a third-realm Thousand-Thread Demon, indicating a strong family bloodline heritage.


    Being careful of the children''s presence, Lin Rui spoke with sarcasm, "Your Guang Ming Holy Sect indeed has a lot of followers in Yin Yue County."


    "When have we ever enticed anyone?" Li Qiufeng''s gaze suddenly turned sharp, "In today''s world, where jackals and demons run rampant, the common folk not only have to bear excessive taxation and exploitation by the government but also suffer from the scourge of demons, making their lives precarious."


    She shook her head, "Constable Lin, coming from a family of government officials and living comfortably, likely cannot fathom the suffering of the common people. Take these Zhou children, do you really think their father did not want to support their grandparents?


    They were simply struggling to survive. Before the incident, their family of five had already been without food for three days. Do you know how heavy the commercial taxes are in Yin Yue County? They''ve reached one and a half out of ten for commerce and one and a third for agriculture, not to mention the various harsh local levies.


    It is precisely because the people have lost hope in the government and see no way out that they flock to join our Guang Ming Holy Sect, seeking our protection."


    Lin Rui, rendered speechless, exchanged glances with Wang Sen beside him.


    As Li Qiufeng spoke the last few sentences, her voice softened. She smiled again, "Constable Lin misunderstands our sect too deeply; more words now are useless. When the time is right, Constable Lin will naturally come to understand the profound truth of our sect''s great will."


    "Constable Lin, although you carry the blood of Guang Ming, it''s regrettable that you haven''t awakened your bloodline. However, just keep a heart of Guang Ming, and you will eventually have a day of great radiance."


    After giving a bow with her arms crossed, she led the two children out the door.


    Lin Rui watched Li Qiufeng''s figure disappear at the street corner outside the door and frowned in deep thought for a long time before clearing up the chaotic thoughts in his mind, "How absurd!"


    Lin Rui then stood up and strode out the door, "Twenty-seven, let''s go make some money! Xue Ying has already located that fourth-realm Thousand-Thread Demon."


    At this, Wang Sen''s spirits lifted, setting aside Li Qiufeng''s earlier words.


    The fourth-realm Thousand-Thread Demon currently had a bounty of 500 taels in the government office, and its blood could also be sold for money.

 Chapter 85 Surprisingly, He Can Also Command Needles (Third Update)

    Lin Rui and his two companions left Zuihua House and jumped onto the rooftops, sprinting along the ridges.


    Many people along the way spotted their figures, all turning their eyes towards the trio, with some even raising their hands to greet them.


    "Arrest Officer Lin, are you going to slay demons again? Don''t damage my rooftop, okay?"


    "Officer Lin is mighty, haven''t seen you stop these past few days!"


    "You''ve been working hard, Officer. Come drink at my place when you''re back; I''ll prepare the feast now. Please, slay more demons¡ªthe more, the better!"


    "Damn you, Officer Lin, my husband''s been hanging around Hanhua Alley these days again."


    While running across the rooftops, Lin Rui connected to Zhang Tianchang using his waist token communicator.


    "Old Zhang, my protector demon has located that Fourth-Realm Thousand-Thread Demon''s trace. It''s at the Ning family ancestral hall to the west of the city. I''m headed in that direction now. Send two teams over first. Yes, no need to explain the situation to them for now. You will also need to keep an eye out for me; if things go south, come to support me."


    He was actually very cautious and careful.


    Even though his overall combat power could crush that Fourth-Realm Thousand-Thread Demon, he would still make full preparations.


    Lin Rui feared that the Fourth-Realm Thousand-Thread Demon might have other accomplices, or even interference from the person behind the scenes, so he made sure to give Zhang Tianchang a heads-up in advance. Enjoy new tales from empire


    However, Zhang Tianchang remained silent for a few breaths before responding in a faint voice, "Sure! ''Old Zhang'' will keep an eye on you and be ready to assist."


    "Don''t just be ready to assist, Old Zhang," Lin Rui said with dissatisfaction. "What about the people you promised me? I''m now a respectable arrest officer, and besides Twenty-Seven, I don''t have a single person under my command¡ª"


    The waist token suddenly emitted a ''beep beep'' sound, indicating that Zhang Tianchang had actively cut off the communication.


    Lin Rui cursed in his heart, ''Damn it,'' thinking how dare Old Zhang hang up on him¡ªdidn''t he have any shame?


    Since the day the County Magistrate and the archivist fell out, over twenty new government officials had been recruited, yet not a single one had been assigned to him.


    Zhang Tianchang always claimed that other places needed people more urgently, and that the routine patrols of Hanhua Alley were assisted by army soldiers, so there was no immediate need for more people, hence his reluctance to allocate anyone to Lin Rui.


    Indeed, office politics were all the same, whether among the people of Planet Tianji or the Earth Federation.


    The harder you work and the better you handle your tasks, the fewer resources you get from above. This was the so-called maxim of the more capable getting more work.


    Lin Rui had pretty much cleared the area near Hanhua Alley of demons, and naturally, Zhang Tianchang was unwilling to allocate precious manpower to him.


    "We''re here!"


    Ji Xueying suddenly halted in mid-air.


    ¡ªThis was yet another ambush!


    Lin Rui thought this really never ended.


    The setup this time was quite clever, with two fourth-realm mud demons hidden deep underground, eluding not only the Blood Blade but also Lin Rui.


    But these mere three fourth-realm entities, who were they looking down on?


    Lin Rui, being mid-air, was no longer able to change his move.


    But he pushed his blood energy to the extreme, drawing in more thunderous flames and released all twenty flying needles he had hidden up his sleeve!


    The Thousand Thread Demon that pretended to flee also stopped, its lips curving into a smug smile; all its hair was launched towards Lin Rui like an arsenal of blade and spear, slashing and stabbing at him.


    It thought this person was certainly dead!


    Lin Rui''s lightning-fire double serpents met the hair first, exploding with a thunderous boom!


    The immense lightning fire instantly burned away nearly eighty percent of the Thousand Thread Demon''s hair!


    At this moment, the two fourth-realm mud demons had already burrowed out of the ground, each stretching out a huge hand, ready to seize Lin Rui.


    Standing at a distance, Ji Xueying of the Blood Blade also leapt into the air simultaneously.


    However, just as she was ready to swing her blade, a piercing pain shot through her head, forcing Ji Xueying to moan involuntarily and fall from the sky.


    Delighted by the sight, the Thousand Thread Demon cackled maliciously and swung its sickle-bearing hair-whip at Lin Rui while simultaneously growing more hair from its head.


    At that moment, the Thousand Thread Demon felt a sharp pain at all its vital points simultaneously.


    Those were twenty steel needles, penetrating its eyes, ears, and mouth¡ªthe weak spots, wreaking havoc in its flesh, even piercing into its heart and brain!


    Not only did this cause the aim of the Thousand Thread Demon''s sickle to deviate, but it also drained much of its strength.


    "Could this be Needle Control?"


    The demon felt a wave of confusion and despair.


    ¡ª This guy, a mere third-realm Martial Cultivator, could actually wield the art of Needle Control?


    Once again in midair, Lin Rui''s long blade erupted with two imposing lightning-fire double serpents, ferociously slashing into the brow of the Thousand Thread Demon with a ''pong'' sound of explosion.


    This slash from Lin Rui took off half of the Thousand Thread Demon''s head, and the fierce lightning fire pursued the demon''s brain tissue, intent on burning it to ashes!

 Chapter 86 Domineering

    After severely injuring the Thousand-Threads Demon, Lin Rui swept a glance at Ji Xueying with the corner of his eye.


    Seeing Ji Xueying''s condition, his heart sank slightly, knowing that someone was trying to control her, and Ji Xueying was desperately resisting.


    From the expression of the Blood Blade Ji, she seemed to be in extreme pain, her pupils turned blood-red, and veins popped out all over her skin.


    Her intense pain even spilled over to Lin Rui, her master, causing a throbbing ache at his temples, like needle pricks.


    However, Ji Xueying should have no problem protecting herself, although she was in too much pain to stand up, her blade Qi chaotically surged around her, crazily slicing back and forth within a range of one zhang, shattering anything it touched.


    Even those two colossal three-legged mud demons didn''t dare challenge its edge. Their giant hands stretched out from the ground, one to the left and one to the right, reaching near him, those hands blotting out the sky, leaving hardly any gaps.


    Lin Rui remained unfazed upon witnessing this. If he were an ordinary martial artist, the only option now would be to fight head-on, but he was now both a martial and magic cultivator, a cultivator of immortality!


    He formed a hand seal with one hand, and his entire being turned into a bolt of thunder, then he used Flash Escape to appear above the Thousand-Threads Demon that had escaped five zhang away.


    The demon, while fleeing, was desperately trying to heal its wounds.


    Its remaining limited intelligence was overwhelmed with terror, wondering what on earth was happening. Wasn''t that Lin Rui a martial cultivator who had just entered the third realm? How could his blade technique be so sharp? And he could even control needles?


    The mission of the Thousand-Threads Demon was to lure the enemy, then coordinate with the two fourth-realm three-legged mud demons to ambush and kill Lin Rui. But its role as bait almost led to its own death by his blade.


    When it saw Lin Rui appearing above it again, it gazed blankly.


    What''s going on with this guy? How did he catch up? Are those two three-legged mud demons useless? Just decorations? They actually let Lin Rui catch up!


    The key issue was that the twenty steel needles were still wreaking havoc inside its body, draining it of the strength to resist.


    "Boom!"


    With the explosion of two purple-red fiery thunder serpents, the upper body of the Thousand-Threads Demon burst apart.


    Its life force depleted, it could no longer withstand Lin Rui''s fiery thunderblade power, and its flesh and blood quickly disintegrated.


    After delivering that slash, Lin Rui turned his attention to Ji Xueying, "Xue Ying, open your heart, if you can''t bear it alone, don''t shoulder it alone."


    In the midst of excruciating pain, Ji Xueying heard these words, hesitantly holding her head as she looked at Lin Rui with puzzlement and astonishment.


    Just over a dozen days ago at Zuihua House, she had experienced a similar situation. Her former master, Yuan Yi, refused to endure any pain, and he scolded her harshly, ordering her not to transfer the pain to him, but at the time, she had tried her utmost to refrain from affecting her master.


    Lin Rui had already started cooperating with Wang Sen, fighting against the two three-legged mud demons.


    Standing at five zhang tall, the mud demons had immense strength, but their speed was lacking. Their three legs just couldn''t run fast, hence the two of them unanimously decided to employ hit-and-run tactics, with Wang Sen very tacitly pulling one mud demon to the side. He fought and retreated, continually enticing the two mud demons to spread apart.


    "Boom!"


    As this thunderous noise resonated, a mighty torrent of thunder and a fierce blaze erupted within ten meters around him.


    These were no fewer than fifty Flash Thunder Talismans and Blazing Fire Talismans, all detonating at once.


    Lin Rui''s figure flashed, appearing behind the three-legged Mud Demon like a ghost.


    Wrapped in the double serpents of thunder and fire, he slashed over forty times in an instant, each strike cutting at least five feet deep into the demon''s body.


    The Mud Demon was unable to track Lin Rui''s movements, its giant hands flailing helplessly.


    This was the terrifying synergy of a Grandmaster-level Purple Gleam Thunder Blade and the Grandmaster-level Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill.


    The tyrannical blade technique coupled with the versatile Escape Skill created an unstoppable force, unleashing horrifying destructive power.


    "Clang! Clang! Clang, clang, clang¡ª"


    Lin Rui delivered forty-six slashes in succession before stepping back as he ran out of strength.


    By then, over half of his True Qi had been depleted, and he gasped for breath like a broken bellows.


    However, the three-legged Mud Demon stood still, and after a short while, its massive body suddenly exploded, blasting debris in all directions and leaving the surrounding buildings within a forty-five-foot radius riddled with holes, all collapsing.


    Lin Rui''s spirits lifted as he continued to breathe deeply, striving to recover his strength. However, in the next instant, he saw Ji Xueying stand up from the ground with great difficulty, her body swaying from the pain.


    Lin Rui immediately sensed trouble. He had tried a few days earlier; the demons that Ji Xueying killed didn''t yield any Soul Power points.


    "Xue Ying, don''t¡ª"


    But Ji Xueying had already swung her blade at another Mud Demon.


    She couldn''t bear to be so useless. Their master had taken on nearly forty percent of her pain and pressure but was still able to wield a blade and fight, slaying demons.


    As her protective demon, she couldn''t just lie on the ground like a lump of useless mud, could she?


    As her blade flashed, the Mud Demon, defenseless, was slashed in two.


    The constables watching from a distance all shifted their expressions, their eyes trembling with excitement.


    Looking at each other again, they all thought that Constable Lin was more than just capable.


    Being able to slay a Mud Demon known for its strong defenses, coupled with his protective demon, there were probably very few in Silver Moon County who could match him.

 Chapter 87 Great Grandmaster Level Thunderclap Absolute Slash

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    About 100 meters away from the Ning family ancestral hall to the west of the city stood a tavern. While Lin Rui and his companions battled the Thousand Silk Demon, County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi and the registrar Jiang Hanzhang were sitting leisurely on the top floor of this tavern, casually sipping their wine.


    The Capital Commandant Tie Jie Ying Yuan was standing by the window railing, admiring the distant battle.


    Not until they saw the Thousand Silk Demon grievously wounded by Lin Rui did the expressions of all three men simultaneously darken, their eyes filled with surprise.


    And when the two three-legged mud demons were also slain by Lin Rui and his companions, registrar Jiang Hanzhang, holding his cup of wine, found he could no longer swallow another sip.


    "This young man¡ª"


    Jiang Hanzhang''s eyes showed panic: "Such a fierce sabre technique!"


    Not only was the sabre technique fierce, but Lin Rui also demonstrated strength and speed that were quite remarkable, and his affinity with the lightning and fire elements was also startling.


    Jiang Hanzhang estimated that this youth''s Blood Covenant progress was at least forty percent.


    Even if he were to face this Lin Rui now, he couldn''t guarantee a sure victory.


    The key was the ''Blood Blade Ji'', whom the County Magistrate had failed to control successfully, allowing her to go on a rampage and lose control.


    This made Jiang Hanzhang''s heart flutter with trepidation, feeling as if there were needles on his seat, making it hard for him to sit still.


    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi''s face was also as dark as iron: "Ying Yuan, what do you think?"


    "Truly fierce!" Tie Jie Ying Yuan, standing by the window railing, frowned: "I thought he was just a pretty face, but it turns out this fellow actually has some talent. His mastery of the Red Thunder Saber aside, he can even use magic skills."


    He took down a short halberd from behind and weighed it in his hand: "But I should have no difficulty slaughtering him. The problem is that Blood Blade Ji, I''m no match for her."


    Jiang Hanzhang also set down his wine cup, his face pale: "County Magistrate, this cannot go on. In recent days, this youth, along with the Blood Blade Ji, has roamed the city, eradicating nearly one-fifth of the demons we cultivated. Moreover, five of the Fourth Realm have died by their hands! And if that Blood Blade Ji completely loses control, I fear the time of our deaths will come."


    Six days have passed, and not only has their combined strength not increased, but it has also weakened compared to before the Zuihua House incident. If not for the Wang City troops from the Imperial City having been utterly annihilated, they would have had to consider giving up their plan.


    What Jiang Hanzhang was even more concerned about was the Blood Blade Ji.


    He knew some inside information about how terrifying the Blood Blade Ji was.


    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi also narrowed his eyes, setting down his wine cup: "While you worry about the Blood Blade Ji, I''m starting to fear this Lin Rui a bit. Do you not find the rate at which this youth''s strength has increased to be simply terrifying?"


    He felt a mix of shock and caution inside, suspecting that this youth was very likely a Heavenly Demon from beyond their realm.


    This Lin Rui, everything about him seemed suspect.


    And who could fathom what the County Magistrate was thinking, for actually promoting him to arrest officer and providing him with so many cultivation resources, even allowing Lin Rui to form a connection with the Blood Blade Ji.


    Zhu Lingshi shook his head: "However, registrar, there''s no need to worry. I have received a message; my uncle has already arrived at Tianyue County, only a day''s journey from here."


    Upon hearing this, Jiang Hanzhang''s spirits lifted.


    The County Magistrate''s uncle had entered the palace as a youth and now served in the Han King Palace as a sixth-rank eunuch, deeply trusted by Prince Han.


    This Eunuch Zhu was precisely the source of their confidence in opposing the County Magistrate.


    All their actions here were for the sake of Prince Han.


    However, a single Type-2 Exotic Bloodline Strengthener would be enough to allow him to condense the ''Iceblood'' bloodline in his body.


    He then nodded heavily and turned to walk in the direction of the north of the city.


    The coffin shop was located at the south city gate, but before heading there, Wang Sen had to disguise himself to ensure no one followed him.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was calling to the Battle Spirit Ring in his mind to check his Soul Power points.


    Prompt: You have 17,341 points of Soul Power.


    This was the result of six days of him and people like Wang Sen killing a total of 54 demons. Unfortunately, some of those kills were stolen by Wang Sen and Blood Blade Ji.


    Now, his only regret was that his companions were working too hard.


    Lin Rui had originally planned to reserve these Soul Power points for his next Battle Spirit.


    But today''s battle made him feel a fear of insufficient firepower once again.


    Lin Rui, after some contemplation, said, "Battle Spirit, help me deduce Thunderclap Absolute Slash to a Great Grandmaster level!"


    After careful consideration, he believed that there was nothing better for increasing his combat power at the moment than ''Thunderclap Absolute Slash,'' a move that held an S+ comprehensive rating.


    Prompt: Deduction of ''Thunderclap Absolute Slash'' to the Great Grandmaster realm will require a total of 4,000 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui frowned, wondering how a mere secret technique could cost so much? How did the Battle Spirit calculate this?


    Then another prompt appeared, showing the required Soul Power points for each level increase of Thunderclap Absolute Slash. From Truth to just before Grand Truth only 200 points needed, but over Grand Truth it required 1,000 points.


    He hesitated for a moment before agreeing.


    "Battle Spirit, help me raise Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill to Great Grandmaster!"


    Stance skills are foundational for a Martial Artist, and Lin Rui had also discovered that his stance skills were indeed quite effective against demons. Just now, Blood Blade Ji borrowed some of his thunder fire True Yuan to suppress her spirit.


    Prompt: Deduction of Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill to the Great Grandmaster realm will need 2,000 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui furrowed his brows and gritted his teeth as he proceeded.


    He didn''t expect that bringing Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill to the level of Great Grandmaster would cost so much Soul Power.


    However, after Lin Rui endured the information explosion in his mind, he felt it was worth it.


    The True Qi in his body actually changed, both in strength and volume, and even the yuan cells in his blood that had been converted were slightly altered.


    "No, it''s because my stance skill has improved, so the utilization rate of True Qi accordingly has also increased. I can now extract even more Qi from both inside my body and blood, and the purity of the True Qi is higher as well. It''s unfortunate due to the lack of practice, this change is not very stable¡ª"


    At this point, he still had 11,341 points of Soul Power.


    Lin Rui, narrowing his eyes, asked, "Battle Spirit, how much Soul Power would I need to raise Thunder Fire Stance Technique, Red Thunder Saber, and Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill to the Great Grandmaster level?"


    Prompt: To deduce Thunder Fire Stance Technique to the Great Grandmaster realm, 1,000 Soul Power points are needed; to deduce Red Thunder Saber to the Great Grandmaster realm, 500 Soul Power points are needed; to raise Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill to the Great Grandmaster realm, 2,000 Soul Power points are needed.


    Lin Rui, with a lift of his brows, thought that this was perfect, with 7,841 points of Soul Power left for backup. He could use these points to repair the Battle Spirit Ring, or for other contingencies.


    Lin Rui then reviewed the stance techniques, escape skills, and saber techniques that had unfolded in his mind. He discovered that the saber techniques and secret moves he possessed had a lot of room for enhancement and could even be elevated to another level.

 Chapter 88 Excess Qi and Blood (Three Updates)

    Ten li east of Silver Moon County, a red mist wrapped around the desolation of Huoxu Village.


    When the young County Magistrate arrived at this place, he found that this small township was completely deserted.


    This sent a shiver down his spine, for although Huoxu Village had a small population of just over 300 households, now there was not a single person to be found, only several dozen charred corpses within those houses.


    It was surprising that although these people had been burned to death, most of their houses were undamaged.


    "Self-combustion? Very strange, it seems like the fire started from within their organs, flesh, and marrow. What could have caused this?"


    After examining several bodies, the young County Magistrate made his way to the center of Huoxu Village and stared at a huge pit there.


    He glanced down and his expression subtly changed.


    The pit was very deep, at least 80 zhang, and one could barely see the bottom.


    What surprised the young County Magistrate were the structures on the walls of the pit, clearly visible twenty zhang down was a coal seam that went forty zhang deep, and beneath the coal seam, there was a large amount of purple-red Crystal Stones.


    These Crystal Stones were mixed with coal chunks and extended all the way to the deep end of the pit.


    The young County Magistrate was amazed to find that beneath Huoxu Village lay a not-so-small mine of Zi Yao Yuan Crystals, together with the coal mine.


    At the same time, he heard faint crying and yelling from the depths of the cave, as if there were many women and children crying below, and he also sensed a whiff of demonic aura, all too familiar to him.


    "It''s that guy''s scent¡ª"


    The young County Magistrate frowned and turned to take a look at Silver Moon County, hesitated for a moment, and then jumped into the pit.


    His body moved like a crane, pushing off the walls of the pit, lightly landing at the bottom.


    Beneath was a rather spacious area, with the surrounding rock walls also peppered with large and small Zi Yao Yuan Crystals.


    There were four passages in total, leading into the depths of the cave, unfathomably deep and with unknown destinations; the young County Magistrate could only track the direction based on the wind and followed the cries toward the eastern tunnel.


    The young County Magistrate lit a fire stick and continued observing as he walked.


    "Looking at the marks on the walls of these tunnels, they are clearly man-made, yet very ancient, and they don''t seem like mining tunnels. I wonder who could be behind this?"


    The path was winding and deep, with many branches along the way.


    About a hundred breaths later, the young County Magistrate entered a cave that was quite spacious, at least one hundred zhang wide and over five zhang high.


    He also saw a group of weeping women and children, who were placed on a stone platform ahead, bound together with chains.


    In addition to the women and children, there were also several men on the platform, all looking disheartened, even quietly weeping.


    They were all drawn to the light of the fire in the County Magistrate''s hand and looked up.


    Initially filled with hope, their expressions turned to despair upon seeing the seventh-rank official robe on the County Magistrate.


    The young County Magistrate stood at the entrance, frowning deeply.


    Lin Rui finished practicing Thunderclap Absolute Slash ten times, which took exactly one hour.


    At this time, blood suddenly gushed from under his nose.


    Lin Rui, while holding a handkerchief to his nose, looked at Ji Xueying standing atop the wall.


    The rapid improvement of his physical qualities was also due to her, Blood Blade Ji.


    Lin Rui''s body was currently being nourished by her, the problem was that she was providing far too much, leading to an excess of vital energy.


    Ji Xueying, feeling somewhat puzzled, stared at Lin Rui with wide eyes, wondering why her master was looking at her that way.


    Lin Rui smiled at her, and after he finished wiping his nose, he began practicing with his blade again.


    Lin Rui''s blade practice today was different from before; he only practiced the Thunderclap Absolute Slash.


    Although he had already deduced this blade technique to the level of a Grandmaster, it still felt somewhat unfamiliar when he used it.


    Lin Rui had been practicing from yesterday noon straight into the evening and still wasn''t satisfied.


    He hadn''t yet formed muscle memory, couldn''t deploy it as easily as moving his arm or pointing his finger, but he had become very fast with the blade, able to complete a stroke from drawing to sheathing it in a flash, too quick for Blood Blade Ji to react.


    However, he still needed to practice more; the power of a Grandmaster''s Thunderclap Absolute Slash was far from just this.


    Lin Rui had only been practicing for half an hour when his waist badge began to heat up.


    Lin Rui picked up the waist badge and sensed something, his expression turning slightly puzzled.


    Was it Cun Dian? What was this clay Bodhisattva from the government office contacting him for?


    He pressed the beast head button and heard Cun Dian''s voice from inside: "Arrest Officer Lin, today the County Magistrate is assuming the County Magistrate''s duties in court and summoning all officials with black belts and above to present themselves within two quarters of an hour. Please hurry back to the government office, Arrest Officer Lin."


    Lin Rui''s eyes grew more puzzled.


    The County Magistrate was assuming the County Magistrate''s duties in court? Could it be that the County Magistrate wasn''t in the government office today?


    What was the intention of County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi in summoning them?


    Instinctively on alert, Lin Rui turned and shouted loudly, "Twenty-seven, Xue Ying, the County Magistrate is ascending to the hall today, calling us to the government office. There may be something amiss with this situation; bring everything you need."


    He also went back to the fourth floor and put on the God Wen armor under his clothes, adding another layer of third-tier military leather armor outside that did not hinder movement.


    Lin Rui then gathered all the talismans he had drawn and several vials of medicine, placing half in a bag and the other half in his sleeves and on his belt¡ªlocations that were close to his body and easily accessible.


    After preparing everything, Lin Rui set off for the government office in the company of Wang Sen and Ji Xueying.


    As he entered the gates of the government office, he saw Zhang Tianchang and his several capable subordinates, along with Arrest Officer Cao Jun and other officials with black belts and subordinate arrest officers from the office, being blocked by a group of government soldiers at the entrance of the main hall.


    Ying Yuan stood with his hands folded on his back, looking down coldly from the steps above, "The County Magistrate has ordered that no one is allowed to carry weapons into the hall for today''s discussion. Everyone must remove their personal swords and blades!"


    Upon hearing Ying Yuan''s command, Lin Rui''s gaze turned sharply intense.

 Chapter 89 The astonishing truth

    "Our county government doesn''t have a rule that prohibits carrying weapons into the hall."


    Lin Rui, hand on the hilt of his waist blade, walked up the county government steps from behind the crowd, instantly attracting the attention of everyone around.


    Tie Ji Ying Yuan, Zhang Tianchang, and Cao Jun among others, all fixed their gaze on him.


    Lin Rui walked steadily, exuding an air of composure and confidence, "What exactly does the County Magistrate intend to do? If he wants to discuss matters, let us in. If not, forget it. What''s with this nonsense? I don''t have time to serve him."


    Tie Ji Ying Yuan''s eyes bulged instantly, looking at Lin Rui with a cannibalistic stare, "How dare you show such disrespect to the County Magistrate?"


    Lin Rui laughed lightly, his gaze falling on the pair of iron halberds in Ying Yuan''s hands, as well as his bulging, veiny hands.


    "What? You want to take me on?"


    Lin Rui slightly drew his battle blade at his waist, lips curling into a cold smirk, his aura sharp, "Believe it or not, I''ll quit being arrest officer today and slaughter you first?"


    Clang!


    Standing behind Lin Rui, Ji Xueying also abruptly drew her sword, raising the six-foot-long narrow battle sword ''Surprise Snow'' at an angle in her hand.


    She looked steadfastly at Tie Ji Ying Yuan, her eyes like icy rocks revealing a tinge of blood, her intent to kill chilling and grim.


    With just one word from Lin Rui, she would behead this man.


    Ying Yuan couldn''t help but stiffen in the face, the corners of his mouth twitching madly, cursing in his heart about this pretty-faced, good-for-nothing bum, how dare he strut around with the Blood Blade Ji in front of him!


    Had he the guts, he should leave Blood Blade Ji behind and fight him one on one!


    Just a mere Third Realm, I could slaughter this lad single-handedly!


    Just then, the voice of the County Magistrate came from within the hall, "That''s enough, Ying Capital Commandant, let them in."


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    Tie Ji Ying Yuan''s face turned extremely ugly, his cold gaze flickering across the faces of Lin Rui and Ji Xueying like a venomous snake''s tongue.


    A moment later, Tie Ji Ying Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and thought to himself, let this disgusting couple live a little longer. There''ll be time to settle accounts with them later.


    He let out a cold snort and walked into the hall, carrying his iron halberd.


    Seeing this, the county soldiers standing on the platform could only step aside.


    Zhang Tianchang smiled faintly, giving Lin Rui a thumbs-up as a sign of admiration.


    Lin Rui responded with a sneer.


    If one is too rule-bound, one risks being manipulated. Facing people like the County Magistrate and Ying Yuan, one must not act the gentleman.


    He was the trusted confidant of the County Magistrate; it was appropriate for him to be a bit arrogant.


    He also gestured to Zhang Tianchang and pointed inside.


    Zhang Tianchang nodded slightly, also sensing that today''s County Magistrate was up to no good.


    Lin Rui then handed a large stack of Flash Thunder Talismans and Blazing Fire Talismans from his pocket to Blood Blade Ji, "Xue Ying, stick these talismans around everywhere, don''t miss inside or outside, and those places out of sight like beams, corners, and behind walls¡ªstick a few there as well."


    He had been drawing talismans these past few days, and with plenty of silver coins at hand, he had stockpiled over 800 Flash Thunder Talismans alone.


    Blood Blade Ji''s art of concealment was rare in the world; if she didn''t want to be seen, not even the County Magistrate could sense her presence.


    Ji Xueying nodded and immediately vanished from sight.


    Her movements were swift, flickering from place to place, first sticking over a hundred talismans outside the main hall, then moving inside to stick, stick, stick, even sticking one or two on the backs of the constables and county soldiers standing at the corners of the hall.


    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi was seated in the hall at this moment, watching this scene unfold, and he couldn''t help but feel speechless.


    His gaze followed Ji Xueying as she moved around the hall, sticking talismans everywhere, and thought, I can see you! Do you take me for a blind man?


    Now whoever dares to take me¡ª"


    His eyes widened, the light within fierce and piercing, "Lin will chop them down! I don''t care what County Magistrate or historiographer you are!"


    Zhang Tianchang secretly marveled inwardly, thinking this youngster indeed had guts!


    Of course, Lin the Twelfth''s backbone was also quite stiff. Having Blood Blade Ji Xueying alone was enough to oppose the County Magistrate and historiographer. Lin the Twelfth himself was also quite strong, capable of killing fourth-stage demons. If he wished to flip the table and tackle this head-on, the County Magistrate and others would definitely not be able to suppress him.


    At this moment, Zhang Tianchang felt a heavy weight on his mind, pondering what exactly was the matter with that County Magistrate?


    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi squinted, eyeing Lin Rui and after a moment, let out a rueful laugh.


    When Lin Rui came in, he knew that official means would probably be ineffective in restraining the young man.


    Zhu Lingshi''s gaze then shifted to Blood Blade Ji Xueying, his eyes deep, "You brat, relying on a Blood Blade Ji so recklessly, but do you really think she belongs to you?"


    Ji Xueying immediately furrowed her brows, feeling a sudden change within her blood marrow, reminiscent of that night in Zuihua House about a dozen days ago.


    Her entire body''s blood boiled, her mind spawning countless violent and chaotic thoughts, and she also remembered the image of her killing Yuan Yi.


    At the same time, a powerful intention seeped into her mind, attempting to control her and make her limbs move involuntarily.


    She resisted mightily but instantly triggered a backlash from the depths of her soul and bloodline, causing her whole body to suffer excruciating pain. She even let out an involuntary groan.


    Having experienced this once before, Ji Xueying immediately transferred her pain to Lin Rui through the As-You-Will Unity Knot without hesitation.


    This was something her master had instructed beforehand, so she did not hesitate.


    Seeing the expression on Ji Xueying''s face gradually calming down, the record keeper Jiang Hanzhang and the halberd-bearer Yuan Yi felt an unsettling emptiness within.


    If the County Magistrate couldn''t subdue the Blood Blade Ji, today could turn into a bloodbath, and it was uncertain who would purge whom.


    Yet, County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi casually pulled out a fist-sized golden seal and a porcelain vial from his sleeve.


    As Zhu Lingshi opened the vial and poured the blood onto the seal, the golden seal suddenly flared with a blood-colored flame.


    Lin Rui''s brows furrowed deeply; he had first felt a surge of intense pain, which then abruptly vanished without a trace.


    Lin Rui instantly realized that the Blood Covenant he shared with Ji Xueying had been temporarily severed by someone.


    Ji Xueying''s face contorted, her pupils gradually reddening as green veins crawled over her delicate white skin.


    In her heart, she thought no, it cannot be this way! She absolutely could not lose control again.


    However, her consciousness and reason were still gradually slipping away beyond her control.


    Seeing this, County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi barely concealed a smile, as his prediction was accurate¡ªJi Xueying still couldn''t withstand her father''s blood.


    He pointed distantly towards Lin Rui and commanded, "Kill him, immediately!"


    Hope shone in Zhu Lingshi''s eyes; this would be the second instance of the Blood Blade Ji slaying her master.


    Although he was slightly disappointed by the absence of the Mingde University official, Lin Rui''s martial arts talent might even surpass that official! This might bring him even greater surprises.


    In the hall, Zhang Tianchang, Cao Jun, and the others could not help but their expressions drastically change as they stared in the direction of Ji Xueying.


    The Blood Blade Ji was clearly beginning to lose control, and this County Magistrate actually possessed a method to bypass the Blood Covenant and control the Blood Blade Ji.


    This reminded them of the massacre at Zuihua House from ten days before.


    Zhang Tianchang had personally witnessed that bloodbath; he remembered Ji Xueying in that very state, killing her former master Yuan Yi! Afterwards, she went on a rampage near Zuihua House, slaying more than twenty people, including his deputy and several of his fellow officers.


    Could it be that today would replay the events of that day?


    At this moment, Ji Xueying also turned around, her blood-red eyes locking onto Lin Rui behind her.


    In her hand, she held the battle blade ''Jing Xue,'' which burned with blood flames.

 Chapter 90 Slay the Demon! (Subscribe Please)

    When Zhang Tianchang saw Ji Xueying turn around, his heartbeat almost stopped.


    However, in the next moment, he saw Ji Xueying glance at Lin Rui before turning back with a blank expression.


    Her face was still filled with pain, yet she stood still, knife in hand, without moving an inch!


    Zhu Lingshi also felt slightly surprised upon seeing this, puzzled and frowning deeply.


    He subconsciously thought that the blood he had splashed on the golden seal was not enough, and he poured all the remaining blood in the bottle onto it.


    Behind Ji Xueying, Lin Rui and Wang Sen both had slight smiles on their lips, each revealing a hint of amusement.


    Wang Sen, holding his sword and shield at Lin Rui''s side, thought to himself that although the County Magistrate was cunning and sly, how could he match Brother Rui''s brilliant and martial prowess?


    Why didn''t the Blood Blade Ji turn on her master? Simply because the current Lin Rui was not only the master of Blood Blade Ji but also the sword nurtured by her!


    How could Blood Blade Ji possibly harm the sword she nurtured? This was the meaning of her being called Blood Blade Ji, and it was fundamental.


    So, his Brother Rui was indeed very clever and had also paid a significant price. In recent days, Lin Rui had to take three cold baths every day, and Wang Sen even suspected that Rui had used his golden left hand, although there was no evidence.


    Three breaths later, County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi saw that Ji Xueying still did not make a move, his face slightly changed.


    Why didn''t Blood Blade Ji swing her knife at Lin Rui?


    "Why aren''t you taking action?"


    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi suddenly stood up from his seat, holding the golden seal and coldly looking down at Ji Xueying, "I command you to kill him now!"


    Ji Xueying still did not respond; she not only did not swing her knife but also gradually regained focus in her pupils, slowly recovering some consciousness.


    She was originally extremely scared, worried that after regaining consciousness, she would see her blood-stained knife and Lin Rui''s corpse.


    However, in the next instant, she sensed Lin Rui''s presence through the "Mutual Heart Knot."


    Although their Blood Covenant was interrupted, the Mutual Heart Knot still worked between them.


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    Ji Xueying''s eyes suddenly widened, filled with joy and disbelief.


    Her master was still alive? He hadn''t died by her knife!


    What was going on?


    She had clearly lost control, so why didn''t she follow County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi''s order to turn on her master?


    This question, County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi also couldn''t understand. He involuntarily stepped back, his eyes filled with doubt as he looked at Lin Rui.


    ¡ªWhat on earth had Lin Rui done to Ji Xueying?


    Fortunately, the only thing he could be thankful for was that, though the seal in his hand couldn''t control Ji Xueying or force her to turn on her master, it was still able to suppress her, temporarily preventing her from acting.


    "County Magistrate, you might as well save your effort." Lin Rui shook his head lightly, extending his hand toward Ji Xueying, "Xue Ying, hand me your Blood Blade ''Thunder God''."


    Ji Xueying, without any hesitation, marshaled all her strength. Briefly breaking free from the internal prohibition, she violently flung her sleeves, and the six-foot-long Blood Blade ''Thunder God'' came flying out of its sheath, spinning towards Lin Rui.


    As the Blood Blade was unsheathed, a trace of confusion appeared in Ji Xueying''s eyes; she felt as if the blood connection she once had with this blade had disappeared.


    Although he could not control Blood Blade Ji, those large wooden boxes contained no less than six four-realm demons and ten three-realm demons, along with twenty-four three-realm demon cultivators nurtured for Prince Han.


    Their collective power was enough to completely annihilate Lin Rui and all the constables in the hall within 100 breaths!


    Today, no one in this hall would survive!


    But in the next moment, he saw a flash of purple thunder fire before his eyes.


    The purple light suddenly burst forth, almost filling Zhu Lingshi''s entire field of vision.


    Zhu Lingshi only felt a hint of heat in front of him, and then his robust arm was suddenly severed from the shoulder, with copious amounts of blood spurting from the wound.


    He was initially stunned, then let out a heart-wrenching roar.


    This was both due to the pain from the thunder fire dragons entwined around the wound, gnawing at his flesh, and due to fear.


    Zhu Lingshi''s eyes held disbelief. How did Lin Rui make that slash, and how had he managed to sever his arm?


    What was even more terrifying was that with the loss of his left arm, the golden seal also slipped beyond his control.


    This meant that Blood Blade Ji¡ªthe super king-tier four-realm artificial demon¡ªwould also regain her ability to move freely!


    Beside him, Ying Yuan looked bewildered. How had the County Magistrate''s hand been severed?


    He hadn''t seen clearly what had happened, only witnessing the purple thunder fire flash and explode, and Lin Rui severing the County Magistrate''s arm.


    The question lingered, what sword technique had Lin Rui used? It was so fast that he couldn''t even discern the trajectory of Lin Rui''s blade.


    In the hall, Zhang Tianchang also promptly launched an attack.


    While using his fists to remotely strike at the back of Government Official Jiang Hanzhang, he was mindful of his surroundings, watching over the numerous constables behind him.


    Although Cao Jun and the dozen deputy arrest officers were also highly capable, they were only at the three-realm level, which was significantly inferior to those four-realm demons. The only one who could truly stand their ground in this entire hall was he, Zhang Tianchang.


    What worried Zhang Tianchang even more were Lin Rui and Wang Sen.


    Wang Sen, this kid, actually charged at Jiang Hanzhang with a shield while Lin Rui was even more reckless, rushing forward to the desk to slash at Zhu Lingshi.


    Bumping against Ying Yuan and Zhu Lingshi, both four-realm figures, with his current three-realm cultivation was practically synonymous with suicide.


    But just as a purple light dazzled near the desk, Zhang Tianchang was similarly stunned, utterly astonished.


    What had just happened?


    What martial arts had Lin Rui used to sever County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi''s arm?


    It must have been some kind of secret sword technique, that slash was incredibly fast! So fast that it eluded his vision!


    While Zhu Lingshi roared, his other hand desperately reached for the golden seal!


    He needed to regain control of that seal as quickly as possible.


    But just as his fingers were about to touch the seal, he saw a white, slender hand, smooth as if carved from cream, snatch the golden seal just before him.


    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi jerked his head up to see Blood Blade Ji standing just a yard in front of him, her crimson eyes like blood jade, staring intently at him.


    The bone-chilling murderous intent and the extreme fury made Zhu Lingshi tremble, his whole body breaking out in goosebumps.

 Chapter 91 Great Grandmaster Level Red Thunder Saber (Please Subscribe)

    When Zhu Lingshi saw the Blood Blade Ji so frighteningly close, although his heart nearly stopped beating, his response was incredibly swift.


    "Fuck your ancestors!"


    Zhu Lingshi immediately utilized a secret technique at the first opportunity, detonating his broken left hand.


    This thick arm then exploded violently, triggering a tremendously powerful shockwave of force, followed by countless fragments of flesh that sprayed like marbles in all directions, blasting countless holes in the roof and surrounding walls.


    The explosive power of the flesh was tremendously formidable and terrifying enough to instantly kill some Fourth Realm Martial Cultivators.


    However, Ji Xueying stood her ground, unwavering. Suddenly, her whole body burst into blood flames, the grandiose Demonic Qi almost breaking through the roof.


    "Boom!"


    With this thunderous noise, a grand, domineering intent of the saber swept across the entire hall, and from Ji Xueying, sharp and peerless saber energies burst forth, sweeping all around, smashing and leveling everything!


    The several Third Realm demon cultivators within a five-yard radius who attempted to rush over and help were unable to even utter a sound before being knocked unconscious by her saber intent, their bodies slashed with dozens of bloody wounds.


    The shockwave from the explosion seemed to meet an iron-wall, as none of the force or flesh droplets could move even a single hair on her.


    At that moment, Ji Xueying''s figure flashed, and in an instant, she crossed five yards to appear behind Zhu Lingshi, her six-foot battle saber ''Shocking Snow'' mercilessly swung down, cutting through the air with a sinister arc of bloody light.


    Zhu Lingshi had already sensed the deadly saber light behind him, his face twisted in rage, eyes wide with bloodshot veins.


    He knew Ji Xueying was strong, exceptionally strong among peer demons!


    But having experienced it firsthand, Zhu Lingshi realized he had still underestimated the Blood Blade Ji.


    Is this what a supreme king-level demon is? She''s actually this powerful? Zhu Lingshi felt that even those imperial-level demons were nothing in comparison.


    Fortunately, at that moment, he had already taken out two white jade talismans from his sleeve and crushed them to activate.


    The next instant, there was a ''bang'' sound of detonation from behind him, a layer of golden light had just enveloped his body when it was mercilessly shattered by Ji Xueying''s strike, unstoppable and devastating.


    Moreover, Zhu Lingshi''s torso burst into a spray of blood, a massive wound opening up.


    The aftermath of Ji Xueying''s strike almost split his bulky body in two, instantly killing him!


    However, right after this strike, the other jade talisman Zhu Lingshi had crushed began to take effect.


    Zhu Lingshi''s entire body was enveloped in a layer of purple-gold lightning, resembling a rolling meatball crashing through the walls behind him, fleeing towards the back of the county government.


    Zhu Lingshi violently spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes full of disbelief.


    He had just used a fifth-order Vajra Talisman! Crafted by a Fifth Realm sorcerer with dedicated effort, it couldn''t even withstand one strike from Ji Xueying.


    All he could do was grit his teeth and madly flee forward, knowing that his only chance of survival was to quickly get to that place, to his uncle''s side.


    Presently in the entire Silver Moon County, only his uncle could save his life!


    Meanwhile, from behind Zhu Lingshi, two enormous demons suddenly emerged from the ground.


    ¡ªThey were two Fourth Realm, three-legged mud demons that fiercely leapt from under the earth, wielding their giant hands to block Ji Xueying''s path.


    Ji Xueying slightly frowned upon seeing this.


    She had not expected Zhu Lingshi to be so cautious as to have arranged two Fourth Realm three-legged mud demons behind the county hall.


    "Kill!"


    Lin Rui''s Escape Skill was also unpredictable, like a sprite dancing through thunder and flames, dreamlike and illusory.


    This guy combined his saber skills and Escape Skill nearly perfectly, each strike clean and ingenious, not only tricky in angle but as unpredictable in movement and method as an antelope hanging its horns, without a trace.


    He never confronted Tie Jie Ying Yuan head-on, equally matching him with that miraculous Escape Skill and divine saber technique.


    Tie Jie Ying Yuan''s spiritual perception could hardly track Lin Rui''s saber path; if it weren''t for his extremely strong reaction ability to respond at the last moment when the saber light reached him, he would have been definitely killed by this Lin Twelve.


    "Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill and Red Thunder Saber?"


    ¡ªEspecially the Red Thunder Saber!


    Tie Jie Ying Yuan could hardly believe it; this guy actually managed to elevate a basic saber technique to this level! It was absolutely on par with the intermediate saber techniques that Ying Yuan had practiced for many years.


    And this was merely a third-realm Martial Cultivator, barely 18 years old, perhaps only five months since the closure of his fontanelle!


    However, he felt that the current situation was still within his control.


    A fierce smile appeared on Tie Jie Ying Yuan''s face, "This must be the Grandmaster-level Red Thunder Saber, right? If you said it was Great Grandmaster level I would believe it. This Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill is also tremendous. You''ve already perfected it, but unfortunately, your True Qi is insufficient to fully unleash this Escape Skill''s power, otherwise I would be dead by now.


    The County Magistrate was right, your talent is terrifying!"


    His body slightly stooped, he resembled a cheetah about to pounce, "But what a pity, such a pity that a talent like yours won''t see tomorrow''s sun!"


    Lin Rui also wanted to finish the battle quickly.


    The situation in the main hall was not good; the few slashes from Blood Blade Ji before she left only temporarily eased their peril.


    The problem was that there were simply too many demons in the hall.


    Lin Rui had already seen a black-belted colleague being cut into the chest by a scythe demon, nearly killed.


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    The four nearly dead fourth-realm demons also had to be resolved quickly, without giving them a chance to recover.


    Hearing Tie Jie Ying Yuan''s words, his gaze also grew sharp.


    After fighting for two minutes, Lin Rui had roughly figured out the level of Tie Jie Ying Yuan and knew the boundaries of his own combat strength.


    He felt secretly fortunate, grateful for the significant enhancement provided by the Great Grandmaster realm Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill and Red Thunder Saber.


    Lin Rui took a deep breath, then with a slightly provocative smile, said, "What? Is Capital Commandant preparing for a decisive strike? Fortunately, I have also completed my buildup."


    Tie Jie Ying Yuan glanced sidelong at Lin Rui''s left hand, which was holding the unsheathed waist saber, the palm and blade accumulating immensely powerful thunder and fire energy.


    Ying Yuan smirked disdainfully; so what if this guy completed his secret technique buildup? Hadn''t he completed his as well?


    Could the might of a mere third-realm''s secret technique surpass his?


    But the next instant, Tie Jie Ying Yuan thought of the slash Lin Rui used to sever the County Magistrate''s arm, and a sudden jolt went through him.


    Then he heard Lin Twelve say in an eerie voice, "Capital Commandant, have you ever seen the Red Thunder 21 Consecutive Slashes?"


    Tie Jie Ying Yuan didn''t really listen, his body lunging forward like a mad tiger.


    He decided to strike first, not giving Lin Twelve a chance to make a move.


    However, next, he saw Lin Rui''s body explode with thunder, his figure disappearing right before his eyes.

 Chapter 92 The Speedy Knife (Please Subscribe)

    "on my right rear side!"


    tie ji ying yuan had been guarding against lin rui''s red sky thunder protection skill''s lightning escape, his pupils dilated as he miraculously switched positions at an incredible speed, and his pair of halberds ferociously chopped towards the position behind him, with the momentum of splitting mountains and cracking rocks!


    at the same time, he also saw lin rui''s left-hand waist saber swinging toward his throat.


    tie ji ying yuan couldn''t help but let out a sinister laugh; he had already foreseen the image of this supremely talented youth being dismembered by the great halberd in his hands.


    what red thunder 21-slashes? it must be a variation based on the red thunder nine-slashes, right?


    but today, it wouldn''t matter if it were 21-slashes or even 100-slashes, this lin rui, he''s a dead man!


    at that instant, tie ji ying yuan saw the sky filled with lightning and fire.


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    behind lin rui, at least a hundred flash thunder talismans and blazing fire talismans exploded simultaneously, forming a 10-meter radius network of thunder and fire.


    the waist saber in lin rui''s hand also burst into a ball of purple-red flames and lightning.


    "die!"


    the saber in his hand slashed forward at an unbelievable speed, unstoppable in its momentum, invincible in its path, and it sliced through the center of tie ji ying yuan''s pair of great halberds like cutting through butter, also splitting ying yuan''s brow.


    tie ji ying yuan''s body immediately stiffened on the spot, motionless.


    his heart was filled with astonishment; he actually lost? killed by a mere third-realm individual!


    ying yuan then wondered why lin rui''s saber could explode with such speed? lin rui''s slash was just as extraordinary as the one that had cut off the county magistrate''s arm!


    afterward, tie ji ying yuan''s mind stirred, realizing this was the ''red thunder 21-slashes'' lin rui had mentioned!


    this damn brat had actually stacked the true yuan of the red thunder 21-slashes together, combining them into one slash!


    for a moment, tie ji ying yuan felt an immense darkness and despair before his eyes.


    just how far had lin rui refined this basic saber technique, the red thunder saber?


    he thought this brat''s talent might even be more terrifying than that of blood blade ji xueying!


    it must be beyond the super king-rank! even the emperor-rank was possible.


    however, he no longer had the chance to ponder further; as a mass of blood burst from his brow and the back of his head, tie ji ying yuan''s body fell backward, losing all consciousness.


    after slaying tie ji ying yuan, lin rui first scanned his surroundings.


    his primary target, naturally, were the four fourth-realm demons that had been severely injured and on the brink of death by blood blade ji.


    zhang tianchang and the numerous constables inside the hall were in a dire situation; four were already critically wounded and down, unable to get up, while the others were embroiled in a tough battle, incapable of dealing with them.


    as a result, these four fourth-realm demons were vigorously recovering, their wounds healing rapidly.


    lin rui did not intend to give them a chance to catch their breath; amidst a burst of purple lightning, he annihilated each of the critically wounded demons in turn.


    next, he turned his attention to government official jiang hanzhang!


    jiang hanzhang had already made a run for it, escaping with two arrest officers, sneaking out through a hole in the back of the grand hall.


    jiang hanzhang had been watching the battle between lin rui and ying yuan closely.


    at that moment, the situation in the main hall had been forcefully reversed by his relentless assaults.


    the group led by cao jun was overjoyed, cheering uncontrollably.


    "lin rui, you did great!"


    "i''m convinced, lin rui, even ying yuan is no match for you."


    "thanks, lin rui! if not for that strike of yours, i would have been dead for sure."


    "rest for now, lin rui, leave the rest to us."


    after observing for a while and seeing that the people below were no longer in mortal danger, lin rui began to tightly focus on zhang tianchang.


    as he relaxed, his thoughts turned to soul power points.


    lin rui''s total soul power points had now surged to 15,745.


    this was calculated by lin rui himself; the spirit in his ring didn''t have this function, and it would only give notifications when asked directly.


    this was the first time he had been so wealthy, enough to cause another qualitative transformation in his martial path.


    but he was never satisfied with soul power points and wanted even more.


    lin rui could see that the fourth-realm two-headed demon below had been pounded by the arrest officer tian chang''s fists to the point of a shredded lung and stomach, on the brink of death.


    tian chang had probably reached the fourth realm not long ago, but his external hardening cultivation technique was exceptionally tough. combined with a set of fourth-level ''heavenly bull armor'' he wore, he was virtually invulnerable to sword and spear.


    his divine power vajra skill was also extremely fierce and domineering, with a powerful and majestic force.


    it was only in group battles that he was slightly weaker, and his killing power and explosiveness were also somewhat insufficient, unable to hold the scene today and take care of his numerous subordinates.


    in another situation, if it weren''t for the presence of the black-belt constables, tian chang alone could have withstood the onslaught from these demons and demon cultivators, surviving without dying for a good half amount of time.


    his overall strength was definitely not weaker than that of tie jie ying yuan.


    and just as the fourth-realm two-headed demon, with two heads and four arms, was bleeding from its nose and mouth, stumbling and unstable, lin rui suddenly leaped down from above.


    in his hand, the blood blade ''thor'' created two massive thunderfire snakes in mid-air, splitting the body of the two-headed demon into two halves with a single stroke!


    notification: for slaying a fourth-realm demon, you have gained 1,263 points of soul power.


    tian chang, watching from behind, immediately furrowed his brows in confusion.


    the two-headed demon had already been pounded to the brink of death by his fists. while it seemed intact on the outside, its insides were completely destroyed. even if left unattended, the demon''s life force would have ceased, so lin rui''s additional slash seemed entirely unnecessary.


    but the man was indeed formidable; whether it was chopping off the county magistrate''s arm or the killing strike on ying yuan, both had profoundly shocked tian chang.


    tian chang even doubted if his own ''divine power vajra skill'' could withstand those attacks.


    afterward, lin rui cleared the field, demonstrating his incredibly powerful burst and killing power, simply unmatched in his realm!


    tian chang then shook his head slightly and turned his attention elsewhere.


    all of a sudden, his expression subtly changed as he looked towards the entrance of the county office, where an unexpected purple light was shining in.


    tian chang furrowed his brows and flashed outside the county office to look around, only to discover that the entire sky was tinged purple-red by the vast amounts of purple crystal dust drifting in from all directions.


    at the same time, tian chang felt a slight burning sensation in his organs.

 Chapter 93 Ziyao Yuan Crystal (Please Subscribe)

    outside the main hall of the county government office, there were originally many clerks hidden in various corners, secretly watching the commotion inside the hall. at this moment, they were all looking around and at the sky, with expressions of shock and suspicion.


    "what is this thing?"


    "so bright! the whole sky has turned purple."


    "it seems like some kind of mineral powder, it''s everywhere."


    "right, do you all feel extraordinarily hot inside your body, as if it''s burning up?"


    zhang tianchang also reached out his hand, attempting to grab those purple crystal dust particles.


    it was only then that he realized that this purple crystal dust was actually extremely fine, like mustard seed particles, barely noticeable.


    it was only because they were particularly bright at the moment that zhang tianchang could see them.


    zhang tianchang was furrowing his brow, pondering what exactly this substance was, when he heard a familiar voice say, "this should be crystal dust attracted by the true yuan gem."


    zhang tianchang, shocked, looked towards the direction of the voice, "clerk du?"


    he found that clerk du was standing forty meters away, at the entrance of the county government office.


    zhang tianchang knitted his eyebrows and immediately bowed towards clerk du, his voice not the least bit courteous, "clerk du, may i ask where the county magistrate is? also, just now county magistrate zhu lingshi mentioned that the imperial court has not yet appointed a new county magistrate to silver moon county. our current county magistrate is supposedly disguised by a demon.


    may i ask whether this is true or false?"


    his eyes were filled with astonishment and anger.


    in zhang tianchang''s memory, the previous county magistrate had indeed died two months ago.


    logically speaking, it would be indeed unlikely for the ministry of personnel to appoint a new county magistrate in such a short time.


    however, before county magistrate zhu lingshi revealed this matter, he had not harbored any suspicion towards the county magistrate, nor had he noticed anything amiss.


    clerk du heard this and gave a wry smile, pacing forward, "chief arrest officer zhang, my master is not a demon but the capital commandant''s seventh rank inspection envoy, surnamed zhuang, called zhuang mingyue!


    originally my master came here in pursuit of the black list fugitive blood rain miao shi.


    as blood rain miao shi colluded with local forces and his tracks were hard to find near silver moon county, and seeing that for some reason demonic transformations frequently occurred within silver moon county with numerous demonic cultivators hiding, therefore my master used his divine skills to deceive everyone''s perception and temporarily took on the role of silver moon county magistrate.


    on the one hand, he investigated the whereabouts of blood rain miao shi, and on the other hand, he protected the safety of the locals, probing into the cause of the demonic transformations among the people."


    zhang tianchang was taken aback upon hearing this.


    their county magistrate was actually the capital commandant''s seventh rank inspection envoy? this was much more prestigious than a mere county magistrate.


    master du gave a wry smile and nodded: "not only will they combust, but the entire county town will go up in flames. by then, the area within ten miles of the town will become a sea of fire. all the residents of silver moon county, even if they wanted to escape, would not be able to escape."


    that was the reason he chose to flee.


    simply because once the county magistrate and the others took action, all the townsfolk were doomed!


    unless they could flee to a place fifty miles away, far from the range of the purple gleam true crystal mine.


    even zhang tianchang and his fellow arrest officers were no exception.


    these people, native and long-lived in silver moon county, had too much purple gleam crystalline dust in their bodies, and no matter how high their cultivation, they were bound to combust and die. there was utterly no need for salvation.


    it was also fortunate that the county magistrate had cleared the entire county town of flammable materials and stored them outside the city. otherwise, with fires breaking out everywhere, the people inside the city would only die faster.


    zhang tianchang was both alarmed and even more puzzled, his complexion pale: "then what is the county magistrate''s purpose?"


    the county magistrate wouldn''t commit such heinous crimes in silver moon county without a purpose. that man wasn''t a madman, nor had he transformed into a demon. surely, he wouldn''t harm so many people for no reason.


    "that''s exactly what my master wants to find out."


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    master du shook his head slightly: "we previously discovered that county magistrate zhu lingshi was a partisan of his majesty''s sixth son, prince han. moreover, when my master took over as county magistrate, he found that the county annals of silver moon county were destroyed in a fire several years ago, and even the copy in the prefecture city mysteriously disappeared without a trace.


    the county magistrate had to pull some strings to get the copy from the state city, and it wasn''t until recently that he got his hands on the copy of the county annals. he suspects the county magistrate''s plot might be related to a fire disaster from thousands of years ago, and a member of the great zhou royal family."


    that''s why his master had fallen into the county magistrate''s trap and had left the town to go to the fire ruins manor.


    there was no mention of the purple gleam true crystal mine in the county annals, nor was it mentioned that the mining area covered such a wide range. master du only discovered the cause using his unique talent master''s abilities when the incident broke out.


    while they were discussing this, lin rui in the hall had already chopped off the head of the four-realm, three-eyed demon.


    his own combat strength was superior to that of the three-eyed demon, and with the assistance of wang sen, cao jun, and others, even without the help of charm runes and flying needles, without unleashing true yuan, he managed to end the battle quickly and efficiently in just eighteen or nineteen moves.


    tip: for slaying a fourth-realm demon, you gain 1321 points of soul power.


    this three-eyed demon''s overall strength was weaker than the four-realm, two-headed demon they had just fought, but its soul power was stronger.


    at this moment, lin rui''s total soul power points had reached 19329.


    lin rui then picked up the ''thunder god'' blood blade in his hand and frowned as he looked towards the big hole at the back of the hall, which had been smashed open by the county magistrate and blood blade.


    it had been nearly half an hour since blood blade had chased after the county magistrate, but there was still no sign of them, which made him somewhat uneasy.


    he didn''t know where blood blade had gone, and lin rui''s ''ruyi heartfelt knot'' inside him could no longer sense her whereabouts.

 Chapter 94 Major Generals Battle Spirit (Please Subscribe)

    after the battle in the hall ended, everyone, including several arrest officers, collapsed on the ground without regard for their appearance


    they lay or sat amongst the piles of corpses, each gasping for breath and resting.


    although the battle was brief, only lasting a moment, it almost exhausted their vital energies.


    wang sen took only a short break before he moved close to lin rui''s ear and whispered solemnly, "i didn''t expect it to be a problem with the true yuan crystal vein below, given the astonishing amount of radiation."


    when his consciousness returned to the ninth base, he had checked many materials about silver moon county and knew early on that there was a large purple true yuan crystal vein beneath this county town.


    a federal mineral resources exploration team came here three hundred years ago and discovered this true yuan crystal vein that spans over twenty kilometers.


    however, purple true yuan crystals are very common and not an urgently needed resource for the earth federation; thus, although the reserves here are impressive, no mining company has shown interest in this place.


    wang sen had seen the purple crystal dust outside and realized the terrible consequences.


    lin rui frowned deeply. during the battle, he had been distracted, listening to the county magistrate''s conversation, and knew the county magistrate had gone to huoxu villa.


    lin rui felt a headache coming on. he had already subtly reminded the county magistrate, yet problems still arose.


    it must have been that the ''hints'' he gave were not informative enough.


    but he had no choice; he could not possibly tell the county magistrate directly that there was a large purple true yuan crystal vein beneath the county town.


    "it seems the situation is not good," wang sen glanced around, looking at the demon corpses in the hall, the unconscious county soldiers, and many colleagues.


    he noticed that several of the county soldiers, who had been knocked unconscious by the aura of ji xueying''s blood blade, were now unconsciously frowning.


    these county soldiers were weaker in cultivation, most of them only at the first realm "tongjing," and had already been affected by the purple crystal dust.


    wang sen also heard groans coming from a few civil officials outside the hall.


    with a troubled look, wang sen asked, "brother twelve, what do we do next? should i send a message to my family?"


    what he meant by this was for his consciousness to return to the ninth base and seek help from fang ranran and the tian lan corporation.


    although wang sen used his wind-based true yuan to keep his voice low, he was still afraid of being overheard, speaking very cryptically and with great caution.


    he was now in a dilemma.


    at first, wang sen also had the impulse to simply leave, which was undoubtedly the best response plan.


    he and lin rui''s altered bodies were only perfected half a month ago; they hadn''t breathed in too much purple crystal dust and were not affected by the dust, so if they left the county town now, they should be fine.


    but what about the future? if everyone in the entire county town burned to death and only the two of them survived, what would be the reason for that?


    of course, they could change their names and flee far away afterward, but doing so would negate the point of the identities they had assumed; they would still be unregistered afterwards.


    seeing this, cao jun''s brows furrowed slightly, and he assumed the authority of a seasoned arrest officer, "those above the third realm can follow, the rest stay above and try to maintain order in the city."


    he knew that most of these black-belted men were at the end of their tether. the demon cultivators and fourth-realm monsters lying in ambush in the main hall were a real handful.


    if it hadn''t been for ji xueying''s timely slashing with her eight blades, they might have lost several people.


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    for these eight slashes alone, cao jun could let go of his hatred for that blood blade ji.


    lin rui had already used his magical power to make the blood butterfly fly up high, following ji xueying''s scent.


    master du was inwardly amazed when he saw this. lin rui''s display of magic was seamless and exquisite!


    was this guy really just learning magic?


    master du was also a mage about to enter the fourth realm, but his blood attraction technique was not as slick as lin rui''s.


    he then looked at the flash thunder talismans and blazing fire talismans plastered all over the main hall and outside.


    the talismans drawn by lin rui were extremely ugly, almost too painful to look at, yet the man had a good grasp of the true meaning of talismanic magic, and each talisman was well crafted, potent in power.


    it turned out that lin rui''s martial arts were also formidable. just now, master du had seen lin rui''s red thunder saber and red sky thunder protection skill and was utterly mesmerized by their marvelous intricacy.


    master du shook his head, attributing these miraculous phenomena to lin rui''s great insight and talent.


    after all, geniuses were beyond the understanding of ordinary people.


    what''s key was that to his knowledge, there was no such individual among the heavenly demons from other domains.


    everyone followed behind lin rui and the blood butterfly, rapidly running across the rooftops.


    their expressions became more and more solemn. along the way, they saw some people lying on the streets, motionless. some were directly passed out, while others were rolling on the ground, moaning in pain.


    the rest of the people also sensed that something was wrong and were bravely enduring the pain, rushing towards their homes.


    after running swiftly for about fifty breaths, they saw the blood butterfly suddenly stop, circling a deep pit that seemed bottomless.


    everyone quickly leaped forward, landing beside the pit.


    cao jun looked around and his expression changed slightly, "i''ve been here before; this was a pond in the county magistrate''s villa."


    lin rui''s eyes also flickered slightly as a piece of information emerged in his mind at that moment.


    prompt: a war spirit of the rank of lieutenant general has been discovered. would you like to capture it?


    ```

 Chapter 95 Transforming into a Dragon (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    lin rui''s eyes lit up, astonished to find that silver moon county, such a small place, also possessed a battle spirit.


    moreover, it was of a general rank, equivalent to the ''dragon transformation'' later stage of the sixth realm of martial arts in tianji star, already possessing its own ''dragon''!


    lin rui did not rashly attempt to capture it, but instead asked in his mind.


    "spirit ring, is it possible for me to know the orientation of this battle spirit''s cultivation technique?"


    if the captured battle spirit''s nature didn''t match his own cultivation technique, wouldn''t that be a loss?


    another piece of information then appeared in his mind.


    notice: insufficient power in the battle spirit ring, identification failed.


    lin rui immediately realized that this was the spirit ring reminding him to recharge.


    "spirit ring, help me use 5850 soul power points to repair the battle spirit ring and continue to search for the orientation of that battle spirit''s cultivation technique."


    the completeness of the battle spirit ring was previously at 14.15%; adding 5850 points would just restore it to 20%.


    as lin rui willed it, the battle spirit ring briefly warmed up, and the ring''s surface emitted a faint eerie red light, especially at the eye sockets of the skull which were particularly chilling. read new chapters at empire


    lin rui knew others couldn''t see the skull ring on his hand, yet he still subconsciously tucked his hand into his sleeve, hiding his fingers.


    then, two more pieces of information entered his mind.


    notice: identification successful, this battle spirit possesses dragon rank fire attribute martial arts, dragon rank light attribute martial arts, high rank thunder attribute martial arts, high rank body refining techniques.


    notice: battle spirit ring repair entering stage three, needs 30000 soul power points, to repair up to 30%.


    lin rui couldn''t help but squint his eyes.


    dragon rank fire attribute and high rank thunder attribute? and it even includes body refinement methods and a light attribute? it seems that this battle spirit is just barely usable.


    however, the next repair stage of the battle spirit ring requires 30000 soul power points? that doesn''t seem like a lot, cleaning up two to three blood lizard gang strongholds should suffice.


    no sooner had this thought surfaced in lin rui''s mind than he quickly shook his head.


    he thought that he must have been corrupted by the number one battle spirit to even consider such a terrifying idea, hoping that the upcoming number two battle spirit wouldn''t be as manic as xue bogao.


    "spirit ring, help me capture that battle spirit."


    notice: battle spirit capture failed, insufficient power in the battle spirit ring, your distance is too far, the battle spirit is 1.3 kilometers below you, and there is intense radiation interference, please move within 500 meters, clear the radiation, and then attempt the capture.


    lin rui couldn''t help but frown and looked toward the pit in front of him.


    1.3 kilometers below? and there''s intense radiation interference? could this battle spirit also be related to today''s events?


    his communication with the spirit ring was instantaneous; meanwhile, everyone else was still inspecting and sensing the situation of this pit.


    the key was his extraordinary perceptiveness; he sensed some residual battle traces on li qiufeng.


    this woman had been through an intense battle before rushing out of the pit.


    he looked at li qiufeng. "priest li, i want to know what the situation is below now. have you seen my blood blade ji?"


    "i just met your blood blade ji briefly; her situation is quite awkward now. her parents and siblings are being controlled by the magistrate, held as hostages. she dares neither fight nor flee, only able to scurry about below, waiting for an opportunity."


    li qiufeng gave a bitter laugh, "as for the specific condition below, i''ll just project it for you to see."


    she raised her hand and formed a spell, using her mana to distort the surrounding light, projecting several illusory images around her. "pay attention, these are the scenes i saw when i entered the deepest part of the mine a hundred breaths ago. the images show many demons and demon cultivators present, and that''s just what i could see.


    your county''s scholar jiang hanzhang and that magistrate are both there, but this man is key."


    li qiufeng pointed at the center of one illusory image. "if my senses are correct, this sixth-rank eunuch should be a fifth-realm expert!"


    hearing this, everyone present changed their expressions drastically and simultaneously looked toward the man li qiufeng was pointing at.


    the man appeared to be around thirty, dressed in a sixth-rank palace attendant''s official robe, with a jaded belt around his waist, without a beard, clean eyebrows, and handsome features. his waist was naturally bent, possibly due to habit.


    zhang tianchang''s complexion turned even paler, the fifth realm ''dragon molt'' was an overwhelmingly dominant presence in their silver moon county.


    priest du also spoke hoarsely: "this person should be named zhu tianmao, the uncle of the magistrate, who entered the palace at a young age and is now a trusted eunuch of prince han."


    seeing this person, he already knew there was no hope for the silver moon county right now.


    it was unexpected for this master zhu to personally come to this place.


    this meant that they had utterly no hope of turning the situation around, meaning everyone in silver moon county was doomed¡ª


    lin rui inwardly grew anxious, but then he noticed that in front of the sixth-rank eunuch, there was a coffin made entirely of purple radiance crystals.


    inside the crystal coffin lay a young woman dressed in a bright red robe, covered with bone armor, and bore some likeness to blood blade ji.


    "who is this woman?" zhang tianchang also noticed the woman and pointed to the purple crystal coffin, asking sternly, "looking at this woman''s appearance, could she also be a blood blade ji?"


    lin rui turned his head and exchanged a glance with wang sen beside him.


    both of their minds raced with a guess¡ªthis woman could very likely be the great general named ji shenyan, who triggered the great fire in silver moon county 6700 years ago.


    according to historical materials collected by the earth federation from the sands state, it was ninety percent likely that ji shenyan was female, and her cultivation level was at the peak of the sixth realm before her death!


    to protect silver moon county, she willingly transformed into a formidable demon, but the history texts did not mention her species, only speculating that she ultimately transformed into a seventh-realm fire demon, thereby causing a great fire in silver moon county.


    lin rui instantly understood the origin of the battle spirit sensed by the battle spirit ring.


    the peak of the sixth realm, wasn''t that precisely the rank of a federal lieutenant general? this battle spirit was most likely ji shenyan!


    however, for her battle spirit to exist for 6700 years was unusually long, wasn''t it?

 Chapter 96 The Scaled Dragon (Please Subscribe)

    li qiufeng also looked towards the crystal coffin in the image, her voice containing a trace of trepidation, "this should be a seventh realm blood blade ji, and she possesses a special bloodline. look at the purple glow prime crystal next to her; the colossal creature inside might very well be her ''dragon,'' a being of flesh and scales, clearly a dragon of the seventh realm!


    from what i sensed at that time, she''s very likely dead, or in a state of self-sealing. her aura is deathly still, yet very powerful!"


    lin rui followed the direction of her pointing finger and looked over, his expression unusual.


    inside this enormous twenty-zhang-high purple glow prime crystal, which was like a small mountain, he saw a giant figure approximately seven zhang tall. it had a humanoid shape but was covered in golden scales from head to toe, with barbs at the joints, presenting an extremely majestic and domineering image.


    ¡ªthat was what tianji star called a ''dragon,'' something the earth federation referred to as a ''zhi zhuang battle dragon.''


    only those who had reached the sixth realm and entered the dragon transformation realm could possess a ''dragon.''


    upon hearing this, du shiye frowned, "a deathly still aura, yet very powerful? isn''t that contradictory?"


    "that''s because you haven''t seen it."


    li qiufeng gave du shiye a sidelong glance, "the images i''ve projected cannot fully convey how terrifying she is. her aura is extremely powerful, beyond what words can describe. her body seems to be connected to the entire purple glow prime crystal vein around her, and it resonates with the crystals, like a scorching sun, capable of melting everything!


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    she is the source of the anomaly within the prime crystal vein. today, all the purple glow prime crystals here shine because of her, and all the yang fire elemental energy flourishes on account of her. however, her aura is indeed that of the deceased. i didn''t sense any vitality; she must have been dead for a long time. due to the purple glow prime crystals, her body is very well preserved."


    her voice paused as she said this, "my guess is that county magistrate zhu lingshi''s and zhu tianmao''s arrangements in silver moon county, all their actions, are likely for this blood blade ji."


    everyone''s expression turned solemn. seeing this, how could they not guess what zhu lingshi and zhu tianmao were planning?


    this insignificant silver moon county could only attract the likes of eunuch zhu because of the blood blade ji within the prime crystal vein.


    a seventh realm blood blade ji would be a great asset even for personages like prince han.


    moreover, the bloodline power of this blood blade ji must be extremely strong.


    only du shiye looked uncertain and shocked.


    could eunuch zhu be planning to resurrect the blood blade ji? but is there any method of resurrection in this world?


    if people could truly be resurrected from death, then all those emperors and generals who died in the past, as well as those ninth realm experts, would be climbing out of their coffins one by one.


    furthermore, looking at county magistrate zhu lingshi''s arrangements, there''s likely a hidden motive, but he couldn''t figure it out at the moment.


    at this time, lin rui pointed at the four corners of the image, "there are many more crystal coffins around, about seventy or eighty of them, and they seem to have people inside, though some of the images are very blurred."


    "arrest officer lin, these are images i''ve condensed with the ''heart image technique,'' the reflections of the impressions in my heart. my attention at the time was drawn to the blood blade ji and her dragon, so i only quickly glanced at those areas without carefully observing. my attainment in formation is also lacking, not enough to ascertain their true nature."


    li qiufeng held lin rui in high esteem and answered all his questions, "those inside should all be living people, and if i''m not wrong, they are all descendants of the great zhou imperial family.


    if you look closely, you''ll see that there are blood channels under these crystal coffins, connected to the seventh realm blood blade ji''s coffin, and together with the elemental stones they''ve arranged, they form an altar. it is very likely that the zhu uncle and nephew need the blood of these people."


    "so that''s how it is!" lin rui''s gaze returned to the seventh realm blood blade ji, his eyes squinting as he pondered, "i see there is also an empty coffin here, positioned directly opposite to blood blade ji''s coffin. according to my knowledge of formations, these two points exactly correspond to the yin and yang opposition, where movement and stillness, substance and void intersect. why is this?"


    upon hearing this, du shiye?''s mind stirred, "i know what they want to do now, it must be for refinement. they plan to use the divine soul of your blood blade ji, lin twelve, along with the physical body of this seventh realm blood blade ji as the main subject, to create a new demon."no?v(el)b\\jnn


    his voice sounded somewhat distraught, "look at the formation beneath the vein, it''s clearly the work of a master. they intend to burn thirty thousand inhabitants of silver moon county and all livestock, extracting the essence of their primordial spirits, refining and purifying it, thereby elevating the soul and bloodline strength of this man-made demon to the pinnacle in one fell swoop!


    once they succeed, they will have an extremely powerful new blood blade ji at their disposal!"


    "creating a new demon?" lin rui crossed his arms, deep in thought, "since it''s based on my blood blade ji''s soul, can i still control her?"


    he still wanted to go down and fight, to take a few more people with him before dying.


    cao jun''s eyes bulged as he snorted angrily, "leave? leave my ass! my family has over twenty people; how many can the priest take with them?"


    the other arrest officers showed no joy either, grinding their teeth fiercely, their eyes full of bloodshot veins.


    lin rui remained silent, looking at the image reflected by li qiufeng, and thought about how many soul power points there would be with so many demons beneath this cave. it would be enough to repair his battle spirit ring to the third stage.


    lin rui squinted at the body of the seventh realm blood blade warrior, then thought of his own fourth realm blood blade warrior, and the sixth realm battle spirit sensed by the battle spirit ring.


    the cost of giving up now was simply too high, besides, there should still be a chance¡ª


    lin rui indeed saw an opportunity. his proficient basic knowledge of formation and magic control divine technique, allowed him to perceive some flaws in the formation depicted in the image.


    it was not due to the formation itself, but the extremely harsh environment beneath the ore vein.


    of course, the skill level of the formation caster was not very good either, seeming like someone who was copying from someone else''s formation diagram without true understanding.


    he wasn''t sure of his judgment, so he called to the ring spirit in his mind, "ring spirit, help me elevate my basic formation knowledge and magic control divine technique to great grandmaster level!"


    tip: to deduce the basic formation to great grandmaster realm, you need 1000 soul power points; to deduce the magic control divine technique to great grandmaster realm, you need 3000 soul power points.


    lin rui''s mind rapidly deduced at an unimaginable speed, assimilating the essential mysteries of both the basic formation and the magic control divine technique.


    his eyes grew brighter and more confident in his judgment, but this was still very risky, risking his own life¡ª


    at this moment, lin rui saw a red shadow in the image.


    it must have been a scene briefly viewed by li qiufeng, her impression was blurry, hence the reflected image was also vague.


    however, lin rui recognized it at first glance: it was none other than his blood blade warrior, ji xueying.


    the woman was not only in tattered clothes but had also acquired several wounds on her body. the key was her eyes, filled with anger, hatred, despair, and unwillingness.


    ¡ªthis foolish girl is quite pitiful and silly. she got bullied to this degree the moment she lost her master.


    lin rui began to think that the risk wasn''t that great; he had at least a ten percent chance¡ªno, a fifty percent chance of success.


    no sooner had this thought arisen than he took a deep breath and cursed xue bogao fiercely in his heart.


    he, a student known for being steady and of pure heart, had been influenced by this xue bogao to this extent! a fifty percent chance, was he comforting himself?


    he still had a sister at home to take care of; how could he be so crazy? no, absolutely not, he couldn''t be so stupid¡ª


    lin rui''s expression, however, was impassive: "i think there''s still a chance. no matter what, i want to go down and give it a try!"


    upon hearing this, everyone looked at lin rui in utter astonishment.


    lin rui unceremoniously extended his hand towards them: "but i need a large number of lightning and fire talismans. priest li, you practice both martial arts and magic, right? and magistrate, i would like to ask you to give me all the thunder fire talismans you have!"


    li qiufeng was moved, her chest heaving with emotion.


    she stared at lin rui as the ''sacred thunder fire'' in her hand blazed and spluttered, the lightning flickering.


    li qiufeng sighed, her expression one of admiration: "worthy of being a fate''s chosen, you truly have a ''heart of light'' within you!"


    she thought no wonder the great bright saint king valued lin rui so much.

 Chapter 97 Heart of Guang Ming (Seeking Subscriptions)

    "the heart of guang ming?"no?v(el)b\\jnn


    upon hearing this, lin rui scoffed to himself. where did this ''heart of guang ming'' come from?


    he was merely reluctant to part with his level 4 blood blade ji and the major battle spirit.


    and now, the situation in silver moon county had become irredeemable.


    even if he somehow succeeded, only a small portion of the thirty thousand residents could be saved.


    next, li qiufeng handed him a large stack of talismans, totaling over four hundred fifty, along with a small flying sword, two feet long.


    lin rui found that the quality of these talismans was very high, much better than the flash thunder talismans and blazing fire talismans he had drawn himself.


    but what surprised him even more was the small flying sword that glinted silver and was dazzlingly white.


    he held the flying sword in his hand and looked at it in amazement, "is this a level 4 flying sword?"


    although the sword was small, only two feet long and two fingers wide, it contained an astonishing amount of thunder and fire elemental power.


    "this is the ''little guang ming holy sword'' that i personally forged. its power is quite decent, and its elemental attributes are very suitable for an arrest officer."


    li qiufeng explained with a slight smile, speaking very rapidly, "yesterday, i saw officer lin fighting that thousand silks demon using flying needles. hence, you must be able to use this flying sword as well, which is much more powerful than the needles. perhaps it could grant you a bit more of a chance."


    lin rui was indeed now capable of controlling a flying sword.


    back at base nine, when he had just exchanged for the ''lightning extreme divine pillar'', sword control felt a bit forced and he had to rely on an intelligent flying sword.


    but now, he had exchanged several other pillars, including the spirit nourishing pillar and the true source pillar, which were cultivation techniques specifically for enhancing spiritual power, and he had even advanced the ''lightning extreme divine pillar'' to great grandmaster level, significantly increasing his spiritual power and control over electromagnetic forces.


    his current limit state could simultaneously control thirty-five flying needles, managing this two-foot flying sword would be no problem at all.


    moreover, the spiritual nature of this level 4 flying sword was extremely strong.


    li qiufeng continued, "additionally, after officer lin enters the cave, i can try to buy silver moon county''s people half a moment more time, i assure you, i''ll keep my word!"


    upon hearing this, everyone looked at li qiufeng once again with astonished expressions.


    especially zhang tianchang, whose eyes brightened and sparkled with several flashes of brilliance, "really?"


    half a moment''s time could be used to accomplish many things.


    lin rui couldn''t help but slightly curve his lips upward at this scene.


    the power of the ''little guang ming holy sword'' was indeed remarkable; he speculated that his spiritual power rating had likely surpassed 650!


    simultaneously, zhang tianchang also leaped down from the cave''s roof.


    a moment ago, he was breathing fiery hot air, his body burning fiercely, but as he leaped down, zhang tianchang''s body temperature returned to normal.


    this was because zhang tianchang had directly slit his wrist, letting blood drip out and using this method to release the fiery heat from his body.


    following zhang tianchang, wang sen also jumped into the pit, a bitter smile on his face.


    it was he who had led lin rui into this pit in yinyue county, and he had made quite a sum thanks to rui.


    since rui was determined to look into the pit, how could he just stand by and watch?


    following wang sen, the ice method practicing arrest officer ximen shou, with cao jun and the other three arrest officers also fiercely bit their teeth and jumped in one after another.


    they, like zhang tianchang, slit open a wound on their bodies, using bloodletting as a method to release heat, and they each also took a tranquility and focus pill.


    given their situation, they couldn''t possibly sit idly above ground, even if it meant risking their lives, even if they could contribute only a meager effort, they had to fight.


    the priest watched this scene and was slightly moved.


    however, he soon turned around and headed towards gui xu town.


    he was a retainer of zhuang mingyue, and his most pressing task was to find his lord and learn of zhuang mingyue''s whereabouts and safety, rather than descending into a deadly battle with these doomed people.


    "these six are all heroes with brave hearts, each possessing a heart of light!" li qiufeng said emotionally, "the world is fraught with mistrials and the demon dust dulls; countless ordeals and diseases rapidly develop; thus, what joy is there in living, and what pain in dying?


    there must be sacred lightning, shining holiness, promoting good and eradicating evil, cleansing my frail body, enlightening my clear mind, and awakening my bright nature¡ª"


    she chanted the hymn of the church of guang ming while her body unexpectedly ascended into the air, holding the divine thunder fire in her hands, which began to emit intense light, and li qiufeng''s entire body also began to burn with white flames.


    in that instant, the purple light covering the sky was distorted by a strange force, converging towards the divine thunder fire in li qiufeng''s hands.


    the priest immediately turned his head back, looking at li qiufeng in surprise.


    he had not expected the demonic cult priest to use this method to delay the spontaneous combustion of the town''s citizens.


    but was it worth it for her to do so?

 Chapter 98 Bone Armor Dragon (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    beneath the cavern, ji xueying was frantically escaping.


    she was surrounded by fiend demons and demonic cultivators, all intent on capturing her.


    the demon types created by zhu lingshi seemed utterly fearless.


    since entering the cavern, ji xueying had slain seventeen demonic cultivators and twenty-five fiend demons, including five from the fourth realm. yet these demonic cultivators and demons still charged forward fearlessly, desperately blocking her path.


    the county magistrate may have used some forbidden techniques or drugs on these fiends, turning the inherently fierce creatures into obedient servants.


    they often disregarded their lives, seeking only to delay ji xueying for a moment.


    under normal circumstances, ji xueying wouldn''t have been afraid.


    as long as zhu lingshi couldn''t control her with the golden seal, ji xueying could annihilate these demons one by one with minimal cost.


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    the complex environment below the cavern actually suited her combat style perfectly.


    the problem was her current condition was dire, especially with two horrific penetrating wounds in her chest and abdomen that left her internal organs exposed.


    odd powers twisted around her wounds, making recovery extremely difficult for ji xueying''s physique.


    the injuries were sustained during a fight with zhu lingshi''s uncle zhu tianmao.


    unbelievably, silver moon county had attracted a dual cultivator of the fifth realm in both mechanical techniques and martial skills. ji xueying barely managed a hundred moves against him before escaping with severe injuries.


    the county magistrate zhu lingshi''s cold, sinister voice then drifted from behind, as if coming from the deepest hells, "still running? how long can you run? where can you possibly go?"


    "don''t you care about your mother''s life anymore? look, she''s not even 40 yet, skin soft and tender, quite the beauty too. what a pity it would be for her to die."


    just then, a painful wail escaped from behind.


    ji xueying''s face turned pale as she recognized her mother''s voice.


    it belonged to her mother, who had cared for her tirelessly and without complaint while she was bedridden for several years.


    what had that beast zhu lingshi done to her mother to cause her such pain?


    ji xueying was heartbroken, but she did not slow down her desperate run.


    she knew that stopping would be playing right into the enemy''s hands.


    as long as she was alive, her family would not be killed, but if she were captured, then her parents and siblings would surely be doomed!


    these beasts wanted to use her parents'' blood to create demons.


    her war blade, ''shock frost'', easily cut through the bone armor. however, in the next instant, a metallic sound emanated from the bone-armored dragon''s left shoulder.


    ji xueying''s expression shifted slightly: "steel bones?"


    the skeleton of this bone-armored dragon was made of extremely strong metal.


    her war blade, ''shock frost'', forged by the yuan family with a hefty price, was made of material not inferior to her nurtured ''thunder god'' blade, which was also a fourth-realm divine weapon, yet it could only make a tiny breach in the iron bones of the bone-armored dragon.


    having failed to inflict a significant injury with her strike, ji xueying realized the gravity of the situation. just as she prepared to retreat, the bone-armored dragon swung its hammers furiously at her, striking back with the ferocity of a prehistoric tyrannosaur.


    as jiang hanzhang, hiding behind the bone-armored dragon, also charged out at this moment, wielding a pair of iron maces furiously pounding down on ji xueying.


    he took advantage of ji xueying''s distraction while she battled the bone-armored dragon. with two consecutive strikes, he hit her right hand and shoulder, causing her flesh to fly and her blood to spray.


    even the arrest officers took this chance to attack ji xueying; although they didn''t hurt her, they made her position increasingly dire.


    at this moment, more demons and demonic cultivators charged at her, surrounding ji xueying completely and causing new wounds to emerge across her body.


    she gritted her teeth, appearing ragged as she defended and parried, but her eyes smoldered with intense fury.


    it was just three breaths later when she nearly had her thigh muscle crushed by the bone-armored dragon''s spike-headed hammer. she was forced to stagger backwards once again. just then, the figure of county magistrate zhu lingshi finally appeared behind ji xueying.


    he had changed into clean clothes, and his injuries had largely healed, though his left sleeve was still empty and fluttering.


    zhu lingshi was still cautious, his right hand holding a sword as he stood on the outskirts, looking for an opportunity to strike, his face twisted into a cruel sneer. "what a pity. i just wanted to take off your mother''s hand, and now i can''t? i thought you would last longer¡ª"


    just at that moment, as he saw jiang hanzhang''s iron mace hit ji xueying for the third time, causing flesh to fly, zhu lingshi''s speech abruptly halted, his figure suddenly darting into the fray to slash at blood blade ji''s back.


    hate and rage filled his eyes. that cut he had received in the courthouse from ji xueying had really hurt!


    but in the moment he neared her, sudden demonic fire blazed violently around ji xueying, and countless red lightning bolts exploded from beside her.


    "slice!"


    ji xueying swung her blade fiercely, her war blade shock frost tracing a brilliant arc of red light.


    this stroke not only decapitated a fourth-realm demon besieging her but also severed a limb of the bone-armored dragon! shockingly, with an unstoppable force, she cleanly sliced through the metal bones of the bone-armored dragon.


    clerk jiang hanzhang was startled and swiftly pulled his head back, but in the process, his hat and hair were caught and sliced off, his scalp bombing with blood from the red lightning.


    luckily for him, ji xueying''s true target was not him or the nearby bone-armored dragon, but the eunuch zhu lingshi standing behind.


    the dazzling arc of blood light continued, slicing down and severing zhu lingshi''s left leg.


    then, ji xueying swung her blade a second time, despair, rage, and a will to die glowing in her blood-red eyes.


    she knew she had no way out now; she only wanted to take one person down with her.


    even if it meant death, she was determined to make zhu lingshi, the mastermind behind her misery, pay!

 Chapter 99 Emperor Flame Battles the Dragon (Four updates, please subscribe)

    zhu lingshi caught sight of the crimson blade light slashed by ji xueying and felt a chilling horror surge through him, a coldness striking directly at his crown.


    he couldn''t even care about the pain of his broken leg as he let out a terrified scream.


    he knew he was definitely going to die!


    zhu lingshi tried desperately to resist, but he was so weak that he couldn''t even stand, and could only watch as the war blade descended toward his face.


    at that moment, a middle-aged man with a pale face dressed in the attire of a sixth-rank palace servant appeared in front of him.


    "uncle?"


    zhu lingshi saw the figure before him and couldn''t help but feel a surge of incredulous joy.


    his uncle, zhu tianmao, had finally taken action!


    the pale-faced middle-aged man, highly skilled, merely waved his sword and diverted the blade light that ji xueying had slashed with all her might to the side.


    ji xueying''s mouth corner was already brimming with blood froth, and the despair in her eyes deepened.


    yet, she didn''t hesitate at all. summoning all her strength, she fiercely slashed her blade toward her opponent!


    "not a bad blade technique, pity it''s the last of your strength!"


    zhu tianmao scoffed coldly, his long sword entangled and twisted, flicking off the war blade in ji xueying''s hand.


    the sword style then changed, coordinating with the ''bone mail dragon'' behind him, and within three to five strokes, ji xueying could not respond. the back of the sword fiercely struck her forehead, knocking her unconscious.


    "you fool!"


    zhu tianmao grunted lightly, looking back at zhu lingshi dissatisfied, "did you not see that she was all this while accumulating strength, preparing to go all out for one last strike?"


    "uncle!" zhu lingshi''s face was as pale as paper, enduring the intense pain, he managed to stand by leaning against the wall, "i am ashamed, if not for uncle''s intervention, i would be dead by now."


    zhu tianmao, however, was looking at zhu lingshi''s crotch: "it''s a pity¡ª"


    pity that ji''s blade was off by just a bit, otherwise this boy could also have had the fortune to enter the palace and serve alongside him under prince han.


    "never mind, the blood blade ji you picked has excellent talent, not only is she truly a super king rank, but she also has the potential to go even further, making her an excellent material. however, handling a fish with spines is bound to prick the hands."


    zhu tianmao then walked towards another tunnel direction, his demeanor calm and collected.


    "i am now set to complete the final step in forging the ''imperial flame blood blade ji,'' take care of your injuries on your own. don''t worry about your disabilities, prince han has obtained some medicinal potions from an extraterrestrial heavenly demon that can restore limbs. after today''s matters conclude, i''ll return to the capital and secure a portion for you."


    at that time, the ''bone mail dragon'' also dragged ji xueying by one foot, following behind zhu tianmao.


    this blood blade ji is the final key to forging the ''imperial flame blood blade ji.''


    jiang hanzhang also saw that ''bone armor dragon'' pick up ji xueying and throw her into the empty crystal coffin, then locking her up with the chains inside the coffin.


    zhu tianmao had already walked to the front of the giant purple gleam primordial crystal and stood, watching the ''dragon'' inside with great interest.


    "what a pity! such a powerful imperial flame battle dragon, since its birth, has only been able to lie dormant within the purple gleam primordial crystal, unable to display its splendor."


    after a sigh, he formed hand seals, his eyes flickering with a ghostly light, "today, zhu will let you awaken, given new life by his highness prince han!"


    at that instant, streams of blood flowed out from the surrounding crystal coffins, converging towards where zhu tianmao was standing.


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    the surrounding purple gleam primordial crystals also emitted a strong purple gleam in that instant, releasing even more violent purple gleam yang energy.


    at that same instant, ji xueying woke up from her unconsciousness.


    she instinctively started to struggle, but she found not only her hands and feet shackled, but her bones also broken, and she couldn''t move at all for the time being.


    ji xueying''s face turned pale; on one hand, she used her powerful recovery ability to mend her bones; on the other, she gathered blade qi, attempting to cut open the surrounding crystal coffin.


    but just then, strands of fresh blood flowed beneath her crystal coffin.


    ji xueying let out a heart-wrenching scream; not only did her whole body burn, but she also felt an extremely fierce and tyrannical purple flame scorching her primordial spirit''s soul.


    this extreme pain almost shattered her will and heart, causing her gathered blade qi to directly dissipate.


    is this where it ends? am i so incapable that i still can''t make the enemies who harmed my family pay the price¡ª


    ji xueying''s heart was filled with despair, sorrow, helplessness, and resentment.


    with her last strength, she turned her head, her gaze passing through the crystal, looking in the direction where her father and siblings were.


    they too were trapped in crystal coffins, their expressions full of immense pain.


    ji xueying also saw her mother, who was thrown aside like a torn sack, weeping softly in a corner.


    indeed, her mother''s right thumb and pinky were also cut off.


    ji xueying gave a bitter smile, weakly closed her eyes, and silently endured the agony, perhaps a hundred times more painful than being slowly tortured to death.


    at the next instant, ji xueying suddenly opened her eyes wide, disbelieving.


    she could sense her master again!


    her master, lin twelve, had also entered the cavern!


    ji xueying wondered if her master had lost his mind. why hadn''t he fled under such circumstances but had instead willingly jumped into this pit?


    was he unaware of ''zhu tianmao''s existence, or that a powerful dual cultivator of martial arts and magic, a fifth realm expert, had come to silver moon county?

 Chapter 100 Unstoppable (Five Updates for Subscription)

    ps: gone all out to break new ground, five updates today, seeking subscriptions! seeking monthly votes!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    as lin rui fell to the bottom of the pit, he stumbled and nearly lost his footing.


    with one hand supporting his head, he let out a pained moan.


    this was because the blood covenant had spontaneously resonated with the ruyi synchronization knot, reestablishing contact with blood blade ji.


    as their minds reconnected, an intense throbbing pain burst in lin rui''s temples.


    the pain was extremely severe, several times stronger than the previous two instances, as if flames were furiously burning within his brain, threatening to turn all of his marrow to ashes.


    "tsk! that dumb girl, caught just like that?"


    lin rui deduced that not only had blood blade ji been captured, but she was also being subjected to soul burning and spirit refining, by piecing together the further outbursts from the nearby purple crystals.


    the agony of soul burning and spirit refining was so excruciating that blood blade ji couldn''t contain her mind, letting the pain wash over like an overwhelming tide.


    lin rui couldn''t help but rub his temples and wryly smile.


    he had anticipated that his blood blade ji would be caught.


    with ji xueying''s weakness in the enemy''s grasp, and the presence of a high-ranking dual cultivator of magic and martial arts, ji xueying would eventually fall into enemy hands.


    however, encountering such a setback as soon as he arrived was somewhat of a blow.


    "that dumb girl, if you can''t beat them, then run, run for your life! even if you ultimately can''t escape, you could have caused some trouble for county magistrate zhu lingshi and gained some time."


    ji xueying couldn''t bear to see her blood relatives tortured, and now her whole family was in peril, all together.


    lin rui quickly pulled himself together and looked around.


    "however, it''s also good. once zhu tianmao initiates the refining process, he won''t be able to easily leave the altar. but now, i must hurry."


    ¡ª¡ªsince there''s no turning back after descending, he must stake everything, doing everything in his power to accelerate his pace.


    lin rui used his heightened spiritual senses to survey the area and then proceeded down a side tunnel.


    at this moment, his face appeared calm, with even a hint of a smile on his lips, but on close inspection, one would notice his facial muscles twitching slightly.


    lin rui could voluntarily close the door of his mind, shutting out the soul burning pain washing over from ji xueying''s side, but he chose not to.


    ji xueying must be in an extremely vulnerable state right now, and lin rui worried that if he shut the door to his mind, it could plunge that foolish girl into despair and cause her to give up resisting.


    if ji xueying''s consciousness was truly wiped clean, it would mean trouble, signaling that zhu tianmao was close to completing that terrifying seventh realm demon, and it would also mean that all of them would die here.


    besides, he could bear it¡ª


    lin rui instinctively hummed a nursery rhyme, using a habit formed in his past life to combat the soul burning agony.


    "your smile is so lovely, like the flowers in spring, it blows away all the worries and sorrows¡ª"


    the lyrics, hummed in the language of the extreme star, didn''t rhyme well and required some effort to think of, but they enabled lin rui''s focus to gradually drift away from the pain and become more concentrated.


    lin rui had sensed it early on; among the demons around, this was the most troublesome and strongest one!


    but lin rui didn''t defend, nor did he dodge; he remained resolutely in place, saber in hand, gathering momentum.


    sure enough, in the next instant, a figure covered in bronze color, with a gale force, rushed to his front from behind.


    that was zhang tianchang, who, despite being unarmed, fearlessly threw a fierce punch forward.


    "thud!"


    when the fiery scythe collided with zhang tianchang''s fist, a thunderous roar erupted, shaking the entire cave thrice, and a myriad of broken rocks and dust cascaded down.


    the strength of the four-realm fire scythe demon was no match for zhang tianchang, who forced it to retreat half a step with the impact.


    and at that moment, the thunder god saber in lin rui''s hand flashed again amidst exploding lightning and fire.


    this slash seemed unremarkable, its might far from the previous one, yet the body of the fire scythe demon was instantly chopped into eight pieces!


    tip: slaying a four-realm demon, obtained 1653 points of soul power.


    zhang tianchang''s eyes widened slightly; lin twelve''s saber was so fast! it even seemed quicker than during the fight at the county yamen!


    they had watched lin twelve fight these demons on their way over, and he felt the speed of lin twelve''s sabre was unbelievably fast.


    now, witnessing it from a close distance, zhang tianchang was even more shocked.


    zhang tianchang immediately set aside his thoughts and let out a roar, "lin twelve! i don''t care what you''re thinking, as long as you can stop those two beasts, as long as you can ensure all the people in this city survive, then just focus on doing that!"


    although he had followed lin twelve down here, he had no idea what lin twelve actually wanted to do.


    but that didn''t matter, he had already been in despair, only wishing to fight those two beasts to the death.


    now that lin twelve had given him a glimmer of hope, he was even more determined to fight!


    cao jun and the others quickly followed, swiftly positioning themselves in front of lin rui to shield him on both sides. gritting their teeth, they fought to the death with the demon cultivators and demons, determined not to let those scoundrels in front interfere with lin rui''s symbol-attaching.


    lin rui didn''t respond; he couldn''t afford to be distracted. he needed to fully concentrate on opposing the burning pain of soul and keep sensing the ether elements around him with his spiritual sense, discerning the status of those purple brilliance crystals.


    his eyes grew brighter and brighter. the magistrate and li qiufeng together gave him more than 900 symbols, and with his own flash thunder talismans and blazing fire talismans totaling 2400, he had already attached nearly a third.


    ¡ªalready quick!


    that eunuch zhu should soon sense that his "eggs" were already in my grip!


    no, that''s wrong! being a eunuch, he should not have those.


    next, it would be interesting to see what skill zhu tianmao had in array tactics and how he would respond. experience exclusive tales on empire


    what the extremely focused lin rui didn''t know was that, at that moment, just a li away in the vast purple brilliance crystal hall, county magistrate zhu lingshi stood on one leg at the edge of the altar, listening to a subordinate''s whispering report.


    his eyebrows rose at first, then he sneered, a look of anticipation and ridicule in his eyes.


    the scum lin twelve actually came down here! he isn''t burnt to death yet!


    this bastard has actually given him the chance for personal revenge!

 Chapter 101 What Happened? (Please subscribe)

    the county magistrate zhu lingshi''s unusual expression caught the attention of zhu tianmao on the altar.


    zhu tianmao clasped his hands together, and turning his head, he asked, "what has happened?"


    "a minor issue!" zhu lingshi replied nonchalantly, bowing toward zhu tianmao, "just that a few fierce rats have made their way in; they''ve already broken through the team i had stationed in the south."


    zhu lingshi then looked back and said, "jiang hanzhang, i''m giving you four fourth-realm demonic beasts, along with three teams of demonic beasts and three teams of demonic cultivators. please take your men and deal with those rats quickly, remember! that lin twelve, i want him alive, try to bring him to me unharmed."


    actually, zhu lingshi wasn''t very confident in jiang hanzhang, but with his current critical injuries preventing him from fighting and his most trusted blood blade yi yuan having been slain by lin twelve, he had no choice but to rely on jiang.


    jiang hanzhang immediately bowed in response. he signaled the two arrest officers behind him to follow, and with a pair of iron maces in hand, he walked toward the southern cave entrance with a dragon and tiger''s stride.


    jiang hanzhang also surmised that the enemies were those constables, with both lin twelve and zhang tianchang being tough to handle.


    however, the four fourth-realm demonic beasts given to him by zhu lingshi were all vigorous and lively.


    in addition, there were three squads of third-realm demonic beasts and three squads of third-realm demonic cultivators, each team consisting of ten members. the overall strength surpassed that of the average third-realm martial cultivator.


    if it hadn''t been for blood blade ji xueying severing four of the six fourth-realm demonic beasts to near death right before leaving during the previous battle at the county government, they would have slaughtered lin twelve and his group of constables long ago.


    in jiang hanzhang''s view, they could simply overpower the group with sheer numbers.


    upon seeing this, zhu tianmao seemed unconcerned. he had previously learned about silver moon county''s situation and knew aside from the county magistrate, there was no one of concern.


    he then thoughtfully turned his head to look at the crystal coffin on his left side. he contemplated the ji xueying inside the coffin.


    a moment later, zhu tianmao''s eyes turned profound, and the corners of his lips curled up, "this is getting interesting!"


    at that moment in another crystal coffin, the body of the seventh-realm blood blade ji had begun to decompose, transforming into fine blood mist that merged into the array altar, blending with the blood of other da zhou dynastic members.


    but on this side, the primary consciousness of this blood blade ji was still intact.


    ji xueying was putting up a strong resistance, and her willpower was far stronger than he had anticipated.


    zhu tianmao had concentrated countless purple glow primordial crystals into purple glow primordial flames via the array, and up to now, he had still not burned through ji xueying''s superficial psyche.


    she still possessed endless fighting spirit and was unwilling to give up.


    was it because of the group of rats that had just come in? according to zhu lingshi, the person who had made a blood covenant and shared a psyche with ji xueying was one of the constables.


    this person must have come inside as well, hence why ji xueying was unwilling to cease her resistance.


    thus, the girl''s core consciousness not only hadn''t been washed clean, but instead, her body, after assimilating some of the da zhou dynasty royal blood, actually showed signs of bloodline transformation.


    zhu tianmao, standing in front of this gigantic purple sun crystal, also halted his hand signs in that instant, his expression extremely ugly as he looked ahead.


    zhu lingshi sensed that the operation of the array was nearly at a standstill, feeling both alarmed and perplexed, "uncle, what''s going on?"


    "can''t you see?"


    zhu tianmao clenched his fists tightly, his arms emitting a ''crack crack'' sound, his eyes piercing like knives: "the ley line under my feet has been tampered with. the purple sun crystals in the south are excessively fierce, causing the array to lose balance and hard to stabilize.


    i didn''t expect that in yinmoon county there would still be such a proficient artificer. just talking about the basics of arrays, he is even more skilled than me."


    he is far more skilled! this person must be a very orthodox artificer, with extremely high proficiency in array paths, unlike me, who dual cultivates both arts and martial skills, limited by time and energy, inevitably having some inadequacies in cultivation¡ª"


    "is it those rats?" zhu lingshi''s pupils constricted as he considered whether this artificer might be that master du. no, that person should not have such high skills.


    he frowned deeply, "i''ll call on a few more teams right away!"


    "that''s not enough!" zhu tianmao stared deadly at the giant purple sun crystal in front of him.


    during their short conversation, the cracks had continued to widen, and that person was destroying the natural network of the crystal mine, damaging the perfection of this array.


    zhu tianmao''s voice was chilling, "lingshi, you go personally and take my dragon puppet! find that artificer and kill him."


    zhu lingshi, upon hearing this, hesitated, thinking how he could fight others with his arms and legs cut off?


    just then, he saw that the wounds on his shoulder and leg began to ''sprout.''


    in just a moment, zhu lingshi had grown arms and a left leg composed completely of branches and vines.


    zhu lingshi blinked, then, without any hesitation, headed toward the southern cave entrance, his gaze fierce: "everyone, follow me!"


    with his command, the remaining demons and demonic cultivators, all crowded behind zhu lingshi.


    these demons had forbidden techniques within them, all controlled by him, while the demonic cultivators were daily refined by his medicines, most of them with a dull expression.


    zhu lingshi understood his uncle''s intent, that even in hunting a rabbit, the lion uses all its might; they must capture and kill these rats with the fastest speed and greatest power!


    at that moment, zhu lingshi''s expression shifted, and he snatched ji xueying''s mother from the hands of a four territory fire scythe demon, then continued forward with a cold laugh.


    this woman was a useful tool; later, when facing lin twelve, she might also come in handy.


    inside the crystal coffin, ji xueying endured the immense pain while observing the outside.


    she felt both anger and amazement; anger at zhu lingshi''s actions and amazement at the situation outside. what exactly was happening that could cause zhu tianmao to be so furious?

 Chapter 102 Collapse (Please Subscribe)

    inside the tunnel, zhang tianchang and his companions were on full alert, guarding against every rustle of wind and movement of grass.


    after the battle they had just fought, they followed lin rui''s flying sword through the underground tunnels at high speed.


    the structure of these tunnels was extremely complex, reminiscent of a labyrinth.


    from the traces inside the tunnels, it was evident that a small part of them were ancient mines, while the rest had been excavated more recently, within the last few years.


    they were most likely the work of the county magistrate, who, unbeknownst to anyone including the county magistrate himself, had bred numerous demons and demonic cultivators and hidden them under the ground.


    the group initially proceeded with great caution, but soon discovered that lin rui''s sensing abilities were abnormally strong.


    the tunnels lin rui''s flying sword chose for their route were definitely intentional.


    they could hear intense footsteps and curses around them, clearly indicating that a large troop was encircling and attempting to trap and annihilate them.


    they even heard the archivist jiang hanzhang barking orders and curses.


    yet, lin rui often managed to strike at their weaknesses and leap out of the enemy''s encirclement, taking paths where demons were less frequent. they encountered no more than five demons at a time, all of which they could quickly dispatch.


    the group weaved through these tunnels, striking the enemy down like slicing a sausage.


    each cut was minor, but their efforts accumulated. in just under a hundred breaths, they had slain at least twelve demons and nine demonic cultivators.


    however, the urgency in their hearts grew because they knew time was running out.


    in just these short hundred breaths, who knew how many civilians from silver moon county had perished in self-immolation.


    only lin rui''s demeanor became increasingly composed; he continued to affix talismans while humming a tune.


    his singing was leisurely and pleasant to the ear, but in the heat of the subterranean tunnels, surrounded by enemies, it seemed out of place to everyone else.


    one of the four arrest officers named zhu fang couldn''t contain his impatience and wore a look of confusion and helplessness as he turned to wang sen, "twenty-seven, is your boss always like this?"


    wang sen was walking right in the middle of their group.


    he and ximen shou took turns using the cold ice palm to cool down zhang tianchang and the others.


    they only needed to gather cold energy in their palms and slap it against the others'' chests and abdomens to noticeably relieve their distress.


    this method was quite damaging to one''s true yuan, and they would definitely be seriously ill afterward, but the current situation left no room for consideration¡ªthey had to drink poison to quench their thirst.


    as wang sen struck, he looked back and said, "pretty much. brother twelve sings when he''s in a good mood, and he sings when he''s not."


    he suspected that lin rui might have a bit of pseudologia fantastica.


    occasionally, he saw expressions on lin rui''s face that seemed slightly neurotic.


    but this seemed unlikely, as lin rui had an excellent talent for spiritual power, a high value for spiritual power, and his body hadn''t been implanted with any excessive equips, so there was no reason for him to be psychotic.


    just as wang sen looked back, lin rui suddenly warned, "careful, to the left!"


    soon after he spoke, three figures and two bulky silhouettes with three legs burst out from the left side of the passage ahead.


    they were three third-realm demonic cultivators and two third-realm, three-legged mud demons.


    lin rui would not have ventured into the caves without some measure of confidence.


    wang sen also saw lin rui''s bright white flying sword quietly poking at the nearby cave wall, doing something unclear.


    "isn''t this officer lin and officer zhang? i didn''t expect to meet so soon."


    county magistrate zhu lingshi caressed the wound at his severed hand, his eyes filled with an extremely malevolent look, "it''s marvelous indeed, i just happen to have a score to settle with you."


    zhu lingshi surveyed each of them while speaking, trying to determine which one was the high-level sorcerer mentioned by his uncle.


    zhu lingshi''s words came to an abrupt halt because, in that instant, he saw lin rui scatter around eighty talismans into the surroundings, manipulating them with the power of thunder magnetism to float in mid-air.


    at the same time, lin rui''s hands formed seals, as if casting a spell.


    by the look of those seals, it seemed like a spell called ''soul summoning technique'' that could guide the spirits of heaven and earth and also remotely detonate talismans.


    the key point was that this man was full of wits and currently resonating with the surrounding ziyao yuan crystals, as the ziyao yang yuan within those crystals was becoming volatile.


    zhu lingshi''s face changed, instinctively sensing danger, "what are you doing? stop at once!"


    lin rui paid no mind to him, not wanting to waste precious time engaging in pointless talk. instead, he continued to chant nursery rhymes while forming seals.


    he had completed the final seal, causing all eighty-one talismans around him to explode. lin rui then teleported behind zhang tianchang, "old zhang, it''s all up to you now!"


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    lin rui''s little guang ming holy sword had already pre-emptively cut a niche in the wall beside zhang tianchang, just big enough to hold six people.


    zhang tianchang was initially puzzled but then heard an earth-shattering explosion that nearly deafened him, and saw intense purple light appear in the tunnel ahead and behind him.


    the purple light gathered together, forming a torrential stream of purple luminescence, sweeping through the cave like a tidal wave, unstoppable, burning everything in its wake!


    "ziyao yuan crystals?"


    zhang tianchang instantly realized what was happening; those talismans lin twelve had placed must have triggered the surrounding ziyao yuan crystals to release a more violent yang flame energy. the extreme heat caused everything touched by them to ignite instantly.


    even the ziyao yuan crystals themselves were no exception, all starting to burn fiercely!


    this caused the demon cultivators and demons to catch fire all over, emitting heartbreaking screams as they howled in agony and struggled.


    wang sen and cao jun, along with the others, reacted very swiftly, all dodging into the hole dug out by lin rui.


    zhang tianchang let out a fierce roar, pushing his divine power vajra skill to the extreme.


    his body swelling instantly by a fifth, he seemed encased in metal, like a wall, shielding the others in front of him.


    "huh?"


    wang sen looked surprised; he felt that zhang tianchang''s bloodline power seemed to have undergone a tremendous transformation in that instant.


    with no time to ponder, he used his shield to seal any gaps and exerted his full strength to deploy his cold ice palm true yuan, cooling down the few beside him.


    in the next instant, wang sen saw the surrounding purple light fill his vision.


    ```

 Chapter 103 Burning and Killing (Please Subscribe)

    as the dazzling purple light unfolded and enveloped the tunnel they were in, the few hiding behind zhang tianchang, including cao jun, also let out agonizing groans.


    the temperature inside the tunnel rose rapidly, with violent and chaotic purple solar essence rampaging throughout, even melting some of the tunnel walls'' surfaces.


    the spot they were in was, under lin rui''s manipulative guidance, where the purple solar essence was least concentrated¡ªits temperature much lower than elsewhere, only about twenty to thirty percent of it. although they were shielded by zhang tianchang''s body, everyone''s body temperature was still rising swiftly, nearing spontaneous combustion.


    consciousness began to blur in their minds due to the heat, and breathing became difficult, almost to the point of suffocation, yet they all fiercely clenched their teeth and used their bodies to cover the innermost lin rui, keeping him away from the purple light.


    they all knew that whether the people of silver moon county could survive now depended on lin twelve!


    zhang tianchang let out an animalistic growl, his body continued to expand, the metallic color on his skin darkened further, and even short, sharp bone spurs grew out of his finger joints, as if he were wearing a set of knuckledusters.


    his eyes were filled with hopeful luster.


    that guy lin twelve, he hadn''t lied! he was about to incinerate all the demons underground!


    so he must hold on! he must protect lin twelve at all costs!


    it didn''t matter if they died today; lin twelve must not be harmed!


    lin rui silently watched the few before him.


    he didn''t need protection; his body had been refined not long ago and lacked much of the purple solar dust within.


    the radiation and high temperature from outside were entirely bearable for him.


    lin rui looked at their faces, twisted in agony yet unwavering, his gaze becoming tender and complex.


    he began to sing again, singing "your smile is so beautiful."


    but lin rui had barely sung a few words when he was interrupted. from afar came the furious cursing of the county magistrate zhu lingshi, "lin twelve, i curse your ancestors for eighteen generations! singing? sing to your grandmother, to your ancestors, you bastard, you lunatic!"


    the surge of purple light came quickly and receded just as fast, fading after barely twenty breaths.


    all the third realm demons in the tunnel had turned into fireballs, lying motionless on the ground, presumably dead, yet their bodies were still ablaze.


    only a few third realm demon cultivators were struggling, howling like ghosts and wolves, rolling on the ground in agony. however, judging by their state, they weren''t far from death either.


    this could be confirmed by the continuous stream of notifications in his mind.


    notification: slay a third realm demon cultivator, obtain 434 points of soul power.


    notification: slay a third realm demon cultivator, obtain 394 points of soul power.


    notification: slay a third realm demon cultivator, obtain 394 points of soul power.


    lin rui received over sixty such notifications in his mind, and he couldn''t help but be astonished, thinking to himself that this was indeed a windfall.


    he calculated his total soul power points; previously, he had 5479 points of soul power, and after coming down here, he had reaped several demons, with his current soul power points surprisingly reaching 26432.


    afterward, lin rui''s sword moves were incredibly straightforward and fast, working in conjunction with the red sky thunder protection skill, his figure flickering like a phantom among the several demons, while the mini guang ming holy sword harassed and restrained them with its quick thrusts.


    in just a few changes of movement, lin rui had left two of the fourth realm demons at a loss, no longer capable of capturing lin rui''s figure and sword light.


    they became aware of the danger, emitting angry and fearful roars, their bodies swelling continuously under the stress of the crisis,


    "kill! kill! roar!"


    yet lin rui''s figure unbelievably appeared behind one of the fourth realm tiger-shaped demons, the ''thunder god'' sword wrapped in lightning and fire serpents, chopping down fiercely.


    boom!


    the ferocious sword light instantly blasted the fourth realm tiger-shaped demon, splitting its body open and turning its flesh into mush.


    tip: slain a fourth realm demon cultivator, obtained 1398 points of soul power.


    at the same time, another fourth realm demon nearby was also pierced through the brow by his mini guang ming holy sword.


    this fire scythe demon had an extremely strong vitality and it wasn''t dead even after its brain was pierced, but lin rui''s hand was already reaching out and he actually grabbed the fire scythe demon''s spine, forcibly pulling out the seven-foot-long vertebral column from the demon''s body and then crushing it with one hand! discover more stories at empire


    "holy shit!" wang sen, who was behind assisting cao jun and others with cooling down, saw this scene, and his eyes almost popped out.


    lin rui''s move was simply brutally extreme!


    wang sen knew lin rui''s combat strength was very high, and the battle at the county hall had been an eye-opener for him.


    however, the fights he''d seen before were nowhere near as shocking as what he had witnessed today.


    while wang sen was still surprised, lin rui looked up and glanced at both sides of the cave.


    the county magistrate zhu lingshi had been cursing fiercely before, but once the violet light in the vicinity had completely retreated, this person had already fled without a trace.


    and that archivist jiang hanzhang had also disappeared, although two of his arrest officers had been burned to death alive.


    county magistrate zhu lingshi must have had some method that allowed jiang hanzhang and others to avoid self-combustion under the illumination of the violet sun crystals.


    however, these two arrest officers still couldn''t withstand the continuous high temperatures and intense radiation inside this tunnel for 20 seconds, peaking at at least 1,800 degrees celsius.


    lin rui''s figure then exploded forward like thunder once again, driving his sword into the neck of a fourth realm thousand threads demon, not only decapitating it but also using violent thunder and fierce fire to completely eradicate its brain.


    tip: slain a fourth realm demon cultivator, obtained 1313 points of soul power.


    lin rui held nothing back, pushing his combat strength to its limit, determined to end the fight in the shortest time possible!


    in just a few breaths, lin rui had slain the last demon, and on tian chang''s side, the steel armor at the chest of the bone armored dragon had also been forcefully blasted apart, tearing out a red crystal embedded inside, causing currents to stream chaotically throughout the body of the bone armored dragon, rendering it immobile afterwards.


    after the battle ended, lin rui showed no sign of joy.


    he held the ''thunder god'' sword in one hand, gazing at the mutated parts of cao jun and the others, his expression solemn and silent.

 Chapter 104 Seeing Shocking Thunder Again (Request for Subscription)

    just as lin rui and zhang tianchang silently watched several arrest officers, cao jun also lowered his head and looked at his transformed body.


    "i''ve become a demon," cao jun let out a bitter laugh, "old cao has killed at least twenty demons and five demon cultivators in his lifetime, and yet, i turned into a demon myself."


    as he spoke, he leaned against the wall, exhausted and helpless, and slid down.


    although cao jun had just resisted the four-realm, three-legged mud demon by transforming, the vital energy he consumed was astonishingly great.


    previously, he was holding on by sheer determination, but now that he relaxed completely, he felt utterly drained.


    yet cao jun''s eyes were fixed on lin rui, "does arrest officer lin truly have a way to stop him, stop that eunuch?"


    lin rui didn''t speak, but nodded solemnly.


    "then go quickly!" cao jun''s eyes shone, "promise me, you must stop him, at least prevent him from burning all the people of our silver moon county to death! if you can do that, even in death, i will feel it was worth it."


    he had already harbored a determination to die, and planned to take his own life with his sword after lin rui left.


    how could cao jun, who had been an arrest officer all his life, bear to end up as a demon whom the people would dread and the imperial court would zealously exterminate?


    "arrest officer lin!" zhu fang, another officer beside him, who also looked defeated, bowed respectfully to lin rui: "we are exhausted and can''t accompany you till the end, it''s all up to you now, arrest officer lin!"


    another officer who had undergone a demonic transformation, tao bin, laughed loudly, "arrest officer lin, please go quickly, don''t mind us. time is pressing, don''t waste it on us."


    lin rui was indeed in a rush, as he sensed that ji xueying''s will was on the verge of collapse.


    the eunuch not only had no intention of stopping, but on the contrary, he spared no expense to increase the intensity of the soul-burning and spirit-refining, attempting to crush ji xueying''s will in the shortest time possible.


    this person even fused some of the souls of the self-combusted villagers after refining them, forcibly merging them with ji xueying. this approach could strengthen ji xueying''s spirit, and at the same time, it could reduce her control over her own spirit.


    the pain from the soul burning and spirit refining was so intense that lin rui could hardly bear it.


    lin rui closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and his expression returned to calm, "arrest officer ximen, tian 27, stay here to look after them."


    ximen shou was silent, though he had not transformed into a demon, he too was drained of vital energy, almost too weak to move.


    wang sen clenched his fists tightly, his face grim.


    he knew lin rui thought his strength was not enough to face the fifth realm eunuch.


    a sense of urgency arose in wang sen''s mind, thinking that he must quickly level up and bolster his combat power.


    he concentrated on sensing inside his body, perhaps due to the so-called sustained exposure to "purple lustrous solar essence," wang sen felt a new bloodline power awakening within him.


    lin rui, holding the thunder god saber, with lightning exploding beneath his feet, sprinted out of the cave entrance. "the entire world, all its moments, beautiful as a scroll of paintings, longing to visit the distant mountains and rivers¡ª"


    zhang tianchang immediately followed him, his expression a bit helpless, "what song are you singing, number 12? can you stop singing? if not, change the song."


    he felt the song was a bit too cheerful.


    zhu lingshi''s pupils dilated as he pressed the blade into the hostage''s neck, bellowing angrily, "stop!"


    in that instant, zhu lingshi saw a familiar purple glow.


    just like during the previous battle at the county government office, when lin twelve sliced off his arm, the style of drawing the sword was exactly the same.


    this is bad¡ª


    before zhu lingshi could react, he heard a ''puff'' sound.


    his hands then slid off his body and fell to the ground.


    with a look of shock and perplexity, lin twelve had, in that instant, made two strikes, severing both of his hands!


    the problem was, how did this guy make the cuts? how could he be so fast? he hadn''t even seen it! moreover, he covered at least a distance of twelve meters in the air, with the sword light directly piercing the void!


    zhu lingshi quickly realized this, violently smashing his head toward the middle-aged woman before him. he knew he was undoubtedly doomed, but he wanted lin twelve to pay a price.


    this was ji xueying''s mother, the most important person to blood blade. since lin twelve had come down for ji xueying, it showed he treasured blood blade highly.


    but in the next moment, lin rui had already reached him, and with a punch smashed into zhu lingshi''s face, sending him flying three meters away.


    he had held back, not killing the man with a single punch.


    lin rui surmised that his blood blade would very much like to deal with this county magistrate personally, probably having much to say to this scoundrel.


    zhang tianchang then caught up to him, his expression one of astonishment, "twelve, what kind of swordsmanship did you just use?"


    he had seen this type of blade work once before in the county office, but lin twelve''s drawing of the blade just now seemed even faster, almost invisible beforehand.


    "it evolved from the purple radiance thunder blade!" lin rui said, while swiftly stripping the county magistrate zhu lingshi of a set of armor and tossing it to zhang tianchang, "put on this armor, and remember to return it after you''re done."


    this was a set of fourth realm half-armor, its name unknown, covered entirely in metallic fluorescence, completely undamaged.


    lin rui could tell at a glance that this item was extraordinary, estimating that this armor must be rated at least s+ by the martial arts association.


    the reason zhu lingshi survived the intense heat and radiation just then was largely due to this armor.


    "nice piece, this is zhu lingshi''s set of night light armor, said to be crafted by top craftsmen using expensive sixth-realm materials. on the day the armor was finished, he even invited people from the government office for drinks,"


    zhang tianchang unapologetically donned the set of night light armor.


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    understanding his responsibility, he knew that next, this master zhu would be his burden to bear!


    meanwhile, lin rui took advantage of the time zhang tianchang spent donning the armor to feed the middle-aged woman a few pills and hastily bandaged her wounds.


    at this moment, his expression shifted.


    alert: entered the range for capturing major general level battle spirits. proceed with capture?

 Chapter 105 The Blood of Guang Ming (Fifth Climactic Release, Subscribe Please!)

    ps: once again, five chapters in a row, consecutive climax chapters, the pioneering effort is genuinely strenuous, please subscribe, please vote for monthly tickets!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    lin rui sensed the information that appeared in his mind without the slightest hesitation.


    "ring spirit, help me capture the battle spirit now!"


    as lin rui willed it, the skull ring in his hand suddenly emitted a black-red fluorescence, and a small vortex formed in the hollow mouth, creating a force of attraction that was difficult for ordinary people to detect.


    next, lin rui dimly saw a red shadow drifting over from a distance.


    the red shadow moved swiftly, and lin rui could vaguely make out that it was a woman who not only resembled the seventh realm ''blood blade'' in the crystal coffin but also bore a slight resemblance to ji xueying.


    he only had time to glance at her before the red shadow was sucked into the skull ring.


    notification: successful capture of a mid-rank battle spirit. you can now view the ability list of no.2 battle spirit.


    task: no.2 battle spirit has issued a task. please do your best to save her kin. after completing the task, you can copy one advanced skill from no.2 battle spirit''s skill list without paying any cost.


    without hesitation, lin rui opened the ability list of no.2 battle spirit.


    no.2 battle spirit: ji shenyan (capable of possession)


    learnable skills 115 items: shaoyang palm (great grandmaster), shaoyang saber (great grandmaster), shaoyang stance (great grandmaster), tianji star language (proficient), basic medical skills (great grandmaster), acupuncture healing technique (great grandmaster), divine breath technique (great grandmaster) ... the rest are omitted


    copyable skills 41 items: shaoyang palm (great grandmaster), shaoyang saber (great grandmaster), shaoyang stance (great grandmaster), tianji star language (proficient), basic medical skills (great grandmaster), acupuncture healing technique (great grandmaster), divine breath technique (great grandmaster) ... the rest are omitted


    gift-able item: imperial flame war dragon (seventh realm)


    lin rui perceived the information in his mind and couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows slightly.


    this no.2 battle spirit, indeed, was ji shenyan!


    this woman, worthy of being a peak sixth realm great expert, possessed a staggering number of skills.


    not only was she well-versed in various martial arts and techniques, but the list also included a series of ''great grandmaster level'' skills.


    beyond that, what surprised him the most was that ji shenyan had an extra item in the gift-able column compared to xue bogao.


    lin rui''s eyes suddenly blazed with divine light, "ring spirit, i want the seventh realm imperial flame war dragon from no.2 battle spirit!"


    if he could exchange it now, that would be awesome.


    from the projection cast by li qiufeng, this imperial flame war dragon of the seventh realm was definitely not an ordinary ''dragon''; its combat capabilities must be extremely powerful.


    the seventh realm ''divine skills'' of tianji star correspond to the rank of admiral and grand admiral in the federation.


    by then, why would he need to worry about that zhu eunuch? in the future, he could swagger across the entire sha state.


    the next moment, lin rui felt a trace of disappointment.


    notification: you need to pay 100,000 soul power points for no.2 battle spirit to agree to the gift, and another 1 million soul power points to refine the imperial flame war dragon. in addition, the strength of your spiritual power is not yet sufficient to bear the imperial flame war dragon (seventh realm).


    lin rui did some quick calculations of his soul power points. after having continuously slain several fourth realm demons, his total soul power points were only 35,210.


    he thought this was simply too much; no matter how many blood lizard gang strongholds he cleansed, it wouldn''t be enough.


    but from ji shenyan''s ability list, he could confirm one thing.


    the seventh realm ''imperial flame war dragon'' was indeed still alive, otherwise, how could there be talk of refining or gifting?


    in the lower-left corner of these four characters were also the words ''imperial city division, imperial dragon guard''.


    "is this the capital commandant of martial virtue''s token of the imperial city division?" zhang tianchang had been watching his actions all along, and he couldn''t help but be surprised upon seeing the token.


    it appeared to be a commander''s token without an owner.


    zhang tianchang wondered where had their county magistrate, zhuang mingyue, acquired such an item.


    a capital commandant of martial virtue was an official of the seventh rank in the great song dynasty and could command 300 men in the forbidden and border armies. in the local military system, he could oversee more than a thousand men.


    ''imperial dragon guard'' of the imperial city division was different as well: originally an army designation within the forbidden army, it represented the direct retinue most trusted by the great ancestor of the great song. later, the emperor taizong of the great song used ''imperial dragon guard'' as a foundation to establish the imperial city division while retaining its military designation.


    therefore, members of the imperial city division were also members of the forbidden army.


    the imperial city division was responsible for part of the emperor''s palace guards, as well as the spying intelligence, supervising officials, suppressing demons, and investigating illegal activities; its authority was significantly large, making the position of capital commandant of martial virtue extraordinarily prestigious.


    zhang tianchang was utterly confused. county magistrate zhuang mingyue was just a seventh-rank inspection envoy and did not have the right to appoint a capital commandant of martial virtue. giving this token to lin rui was against the rules, wasn''t it?


    lin rui''s mind raced with thoughts.


    recently, he had been spending an hour every day reading the history and books of tianji star.


    lin rui was using this method to cram the language of tianji star while deepening his understanding of the world.


    as far as he knew, this ''capital commandant of martial virtue'' token not only symbolized the identity of the imperial city division, but it was also a tier-three magic artifact which could comprehensively enhance the bearer''s physical quality, true yuan, and spiritual power, potentially boosting a third-tier martial cultivator by at least half a tier.


    moreover, while the token could bring him authority and power, it would also bring immense crisis and trouble.


    if fang ranran and yu feicui were to find out, they would probably be very troubled. the two women had sent him to tianji star to live an ordinary life.


    lin rui did not hesitate for too long, he made his decision in an instant; he bit his finger and dripped his blood onto the token.


    he would soon face an enemy of the fifth tier!


    he had to strengthen his power as much as possible now to have more chances of victory and increase his chances of survival. how could he afford to think about the future?


    at the moment the blood touched the ''capital commandant of martial virtue'' token, lin rui felt a warm flow emanate from within the token, spreading over his entire body.


    lin rui also felt the pain in his mind intensify further, as ji xueying reached her limit, with collapse merely a thread away.


    fortunately¡ª


    "i have arrived!" he declared.


    lin rui lifted his foot and stepped into the hall ahead.


    "the dark sky hangs low, accompanied by the bright stars, bugs are flying, bugs are flying, whom are you longing for¡ª"


    at this moment, lin rui, who was focusing all his effort to resist the pain of soul burning and refining, did not notice at all. the moment he lifted his foot, his entire body burst into a bright white flame.


    zhang tianchang''s body trembled slightly, his eyes disbelieving as he watched lin rui''s silhouette.


    "is this? so that''s how it is, so that''s how it is!"


    no longer doubting the continuous surge of yuan power from lin rui, zhang tianchang realized that lin rui must have been in the prelude to a bloodline awakening.


    but what kind of bloodline power could ignite the lightning, fire, and light elements between heaven and earth?


    meanwhile, the high priest li qiufeng, who was suspended above the county magistrate''s private residence, absorbing the purple light from the city, also sensed something and suddenly opened her eyes wide.


    "indeed, it is the blood of guang ming!"

 Chapter 106 Beyond Emperor Level (Please Subscribe)

    ```


    "so that''s how it is!"


    li qiufeng lowered her head, looking at the fiercely burning ''sacred thunder tribulation fire'' on her chest, her gaze filled with relief, surprise, and also regret.


    "is this why you took interest in him? the blood of guang ming, this is the foundation of the ''radiant thunder sacred body''s'' bloodline, and his blood of guang ming is especially powerful. having just awakened, it can distort all light within a radius of one li, indicating it must be from a powerful branch of the radiant thunder sacred body. i wonder from whom he inherits it.


    his bloodline, his talent, his heart of guang ming are all sufficient to bear you, to bear a supreme holy artifact like you. he is more suitable than the others, it''s just a pity¡ª"


    unfortunately, her current state rendered her incapable of passing the news of zhang tianchang to the main hall of the guang ming holy church.


    however, the higher-ups of the holy church should be able to find him, right? they must be able to find him!


    the main body of the ''sacred thunder tribulation fire'' must have sensed something by now; it must react.


    --the seventh eligible candidate for the current generation''s ''sacred thunder tribulation fire'' who may be the most suitable successor, is right here, in silver moon county of wang city, in the shazhou region!


    as li qiufeng muttered to herself, deep under the sea thirty-seven thousand miles from silver moon county, there lay a vast palace hidden beneath the ocean depths.


    deep within this palace was an altar covering a hundred zhang squared, shaped like a pyramid, majestic and imposing, exuding a grand aura.


    in the center of the altar was a lotus-shaped flame of reddish-gold, emanating boundless bright light. if one''s eyes were cultivated to the extent that they weren''t affected by the brilliance, one could see golden lightning continuously flashing within the flame.


    below the altar sat a thousand followers of the guang ming holy church, all facing the reddish-gold flame.


    their expressions were serious, chanting scriptures, practicing their cultivation techniques with the aid of the ''sacred thunder tribulation fire''s'' fierce sunlight-like brightness.


    however, in that moment, all of them looked up in astonishment at the reddish-gold flame at the top of the altar.


    they sensed that the holy church''s supreme holy artifact was suddenly bursting with powerful energy.


    as time went on, the light, thunder, and fire energies grew increasingly twisted and violent, and not only did they explode into intense thunderous bright flames, but they also created several rays, sweeping around, pulverizing anything they touched into nothing.


    this alarmed some of the followers below, turning their faces pale with fright.


    fortunately, the ''sacred thunder tribulation fire'' seemed to possess intelligence; despite the wildness of its energy, it never harmed anyone. stay updated through empire


    just a few breaths later, a robust, middle-aged man with a towering physique appeared at the highest point of the altar.


    he was at least twelve zhang tall, draped in red and clad in radiant armor, his temples and jawline sharp as blades, his features tough as iron.


    this man, floating in mid-air with a stern face, reached out and gently pressed towards the flame, calming the lotus-shaped reddish-gold flame.


    at that moment, the multitude of followers below all placed their hands on their shoulders and bowed deeply in worship.


    "we greet the bright king, may your highness''s light illuminate the heavens and earth, with boundless sacred thunder, infinite tribulation fire, to split the ground and open the skies!"


    the middle-aged man did not pay any attention to the worship of the followers below. he kept his eyes fixed on the ''sacred thunder tribulation fire'' in front of him, sensing intently.


    it was her gamble, and its success or failure was still unknown.


    "lin twelve actually didn''t assimilate the commandant''s waist badge until now? what on earth is dharma master doo doing? did he take matters into his own hands again? why are the people my uncle assigned me so unreliable? or, has the county magistrate and his men not made their move yet?"


    zhuang mingyue, massaging her forehead in deep thought, fretted: "but this could also be considered good news, at least lin twelve is still alive, and he has not been backlashed by the blood blade ji. just what is the current situation in silver moon county?"


    zhuang mingyue then looked up at miao shi, who stood outside the array.


    she was in a tricky situation, although miao shi couldn''t harm her, she was firmly trapped by him here.


    the array he had set up, named "six luminaries divine yang array," was not only powerful in strength but also adapted to the environment, connected to a large area of purple glow elemental crystals nearby. it could instantly melt and refine a fourth-level expert within moments.


    fortunately, zhuang mingyue was also skilled in arrays and array formations and immediately suppressed a few critical points within the array, preventing it from unleashing its full force. however, zhuang mingyue had to remain in this corner within the array, unable to move.


    furthermore, the surviving residents of fire ruins manor also became the hostages miao shi used to control her.


    however, this was no long-term solution; she needed to escape as soon as possible and return to silver moon county.


    zhuang mingyue suppressed her anxiety, and with swift mental calculations, contemplated a breaking strategy when she heard miao shi, known as "blood rain," let out a mocking laugh: "inspector zhuang must be very curious about how the cave underneath fire ruins manor came to be, right? what about the scheming of the county magistrate zhu lingshi and me in silver moon county?"


    zhuang mingyue, with an ironic tone, replied, "is that even a question? it''s because of the demon-suppressing general ji shenyan from 6700 years ago, isn''t it?"


    if she had not been able to deduce their intentions, she would have been foolish.


    "as expected of inspector zhuang," blood rain miao shi nodded, still smiling. "do you know what truly happened during the silver moon county fire disaster 6700 years ago? general ji shenyan had clearly won, so why did he vanish without a trace after the war?


    according to the county annals, ji shenyan turned himself and his subordinates into demons to defend silver moon county, burning the great song''s seventy thousand troops and also the entire city''s populace.


    however, that''s not the truth. the truth is the great song''s military repeatedly failed to conquer silver moon county, which led to the triggering of the underground purple glow elemental crystal veins, incinerating the entire city''s population of silver moon county.


    look at these caves; they are the evidence. back then, the great song army dug from the purple glow elemental crystal mines ten miles away up to here, setting up an array underground that caused the purple glow elemental crystal veins to emit endless purple light yang essence and set the whole city ablaze.


    but what they didn''t expect was the combination of the resentment of silver moon county''s citizens and ji shenyan''s defiance, which ultimately gave birth to a terrifying existence. in that battle, ji shenyan''s imperial flame battle dragon not only eradicated numerous experts from the great song but also burned the entire seventy thousand army of the great song''s imperial court alive¡ª"


    zhuang mingyue finally looked intently at miao shi, known as "blood rain," her complexion even paler.


    miao shi''s revelations were things zhuang mingyue had already deduced from hints and innuendos in the county annals.


    before, when zhuang mingyue read that passage, she did not realize it, but after entering the cave under fire ruins manor and piecing together the clues, she had nearly figured out the whole truth.


    these madmen who regarded human life as worthless clearly wanted to create another ji shenyan!


    they were willing to burn the tens of thousands of citizens of silver moon county just to recreate a "blood blade ji" with imperial flame war capabilities¡ªa blood blade ji with beyond-imperial level strength and in the seventh realm!


    no! zhuang mingyue had also recently looked into ji xueying''s family and found that not only had ji xueying''s parents and siblings gone missing half a year ago but a portion of the descendants of the great zhou imperial family had disappeared as well.


    so even ''beyond-imperial level'' was not enough to satisfy these lunatics!


    thus zhuang mingyue was ready to escape at any cost. the county magistrate and others had been plotting for several years, surely making thorough preparations.


    in such a situation, lin twelve alone could not possibly suppress everything.

 Chapter 107 Awakening (Please Subscribe)

    when lin rui dragged zhu lingshi by the hair into the underground hall paved with purple luminescent crystals, he felt another piercing pain in his head, as if it was being crushed by a huge rock.


    it was an extremely powerful sword intent that struck from afar, even more formidable than ji xueying''s, not only suppressing his consciousness but also piercing his soul with countless wounds.


    he tilted his head slightly, a somewhat neurotic smile appearing on his lips, bravely withstanding the oppression of the sword intent as he looked at zhu tianmao in the center of the array.


    this zhu was also standing with his hands behind his back, looking down at him from a height.


    "so you are that lin twelve!"


    zhu tianmao''s gaze was predatory, mixed with disbelief and delight, "interesting, a mere local arrest officer, and yet you possess the blood of guang ming!"


    he felt a change occurring again inside the crystal coffin beside him.


    the moment ji xueying of the blood blade saw lin rui, not only did her will to resist intensify to the limit, dragging her back from the brink of collapse, but her bloodline also underwent drastic changes due to this lin twelve.


    the blood covenant between the two of them meant they could influence each other.


    originally, the ritual to forge the "imperial flame blood blade ji" had been imperfect. the crystal riot that occurred in the south had nearly caused the southeastern corner of the array to collapse.


    this left zhu tianmao both annoyed and disappointed, merely finishing the ritual out of necessity, but now he saw a chance for redemption.


    "blood of guang ming?"


    lin rui was initially confused but soon noticed the silver-white flames burning on his body.


    he distinctly felt that his control over the elemental powers of light, thunder, and fire had greatly strengthened.


    the mark of the "sacred thunderfire" on his chest was also emitting a slight heat.


    a flash of delight passed through lin rui''s eyes as he thought, so this is the mutated "radiant thunder sacred body" professor sima talked about?


    unexpectedly, he had awakened it just at the crucial moment before the battle.


    although this was just the foundation of the radiant thunder sacred body, it could further enhance his strength, significantly increasing his chances of victory.


    lin rui glanced at the "imperial flame war dragon" behind zhu tianmao and then slightly curved the corners of his lips, tossing zhu lingshi aside like a worn-out sack.


    at the same time, the last few hundred flash thunder talismans and blazing fire talismans in his hand were scattered like flowers cast from the heavens.


    lin rui held a charm in one hand and hummed a song as he walked towards zhu tianmao: "no matter how much wind and rain there are, having you is enough. i like to see the corners of your mouth, i like to watch your brow¡ª"


    zhu tianmao frowned slightly at this sight, what is this guy singing? he seems like a madman.


    his pupils dilated: "kneel down for me!"


    zhu tianmao not only pushed his sword intent to the extreme but also hesitated to delay the refinement of ji xueying, drawing power from part of the array.


    zhu lingshi couldn''t help but exclaim in admiration, his eyes filled with regret, "what a pity; if someone like you served under prince han, you would have surely had a grand future."


    just then, zhu lingshi noticed the blood flames erupting from ji xueying''s body had turned into a golden-red color.


    zhu lingshi''s lips curled slightly, ''success!''


    with such excellent material, the upcoming array ritual could reach the heights he had envisioned, even with its flaws.


    so it was time for lin rui to die!


    he waved his sleeve, flinging out several talismans to enhance himself with spells, and then his figure abruptly flickered, escaping the array altar as swiftly as the wind, so fast that only a blurred shadow could be seen.


    zhang tianchang had been closely monitoring every move of zhu lingshi, but he only reacted when zhu lingshi was almost upon him.


    he suddenly roared in anger, lunging towards zhu lingshi.


    zhang tianchang exerted all his strength, squeezing out all the vital energy within his body to maximize his power, speed, and sensory abilities to their limits.


    he was fully focused on capturing the movements of zhu lingshi, continuously pounding with relentless punches.


    the incredibly powerful punches created a forceful explosion of qi within a six-foot radius.


    "boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!"


    the sounds of his punches were like drumbeats, the powerful bombastic qi sweeping across all directions.


    even so, zhang tianchang couldn''t completely block zhu lingshi''s sword light.


    zhu lingshi''s figure and sword continuously pursued lin rui, each step seeming to communicate mysteriously with the earth, steady yet rhythmic. his sword moves flowed like a cloud of mist, light and agile, yet like a fluttering ribbon, elegant and powerful.


    lin rui responded with the red sky thunder protection skill, continuously dodging and shifting positions, his movements as explosive and elusive as lightning, also utilizing talismans to directly change positions.


    he was not afraid of the sword light thrusting towards him from zhu lingshi, seizing every opportunity to counterattack.


    each strike from lin rui''s thunder god saber was direct and swift to the extreme.


    he generally avoided direct confrontations with zhu lingshi, and when he couldn''t dodge, he did not flee.


    experience new tales on empire


    the two of them fought intensely around zhang tianchang, emitting continuous ''clang clang'' sounds, sparking flashes of light.


    every clash with zhu lingshi''s sword caused lin rui to spit out a mouthful of blood and his body to be repelled violently by zhu lingshi''s sword energy.


    even though lin rui''s abilities had undergone exaggerated improvements just before the fight, when compared to zhu lingshi, who was at the fifth level of cultivation, he was still significantly outmatched.


    however, lin rui''s escape skill, even in the worst situations, could still be used; he took advantage of zhang tianchang''s cover, repeatedly dodging zhu lingshi''s lethal sword light, time after time dispelling the fearsome sword energy of zhu lingshi.

 Chapter 108 Blood Profit (Climax, Three More, Please Subscribe)

    "grandmaster-level red sky thunder protection skill?"


    zhu tianmao furrowed his brows, his gaze serious, "damn!"


    he had discerned that lin rui''s escape skill had reached the pinnacle of mastery, transforming to a new level, no less than those higher-level escape skills. combined with the power of ''guang ming''s blood,'' it had become even more diverse, possessing a hint of being as fast as light and electricity.


    zhu tianmao even suspected that this fellow might have cultivated this skill to the great grandmaster level.no?v(el)b\\jnn


    and it was not just the red sky thunder protection skill; the blade technique used by lin rui was also refined to the utmost simplicity, divinely inspired, and wonderfully mysterious!


    the problem was this guy was just over eighteen years old, and at 18 he had mastered two intermediate cultivation techniques to grandmaster level?


    such talent was unprecedented to zhu tianmao.


    zhu tianmao had originally thought that he could resolve lin rui within three to five strikes.


    but now, after a full ten breaths, zhu tianmao still had not managed to seriously injure lin rui.


    this made him feel that he had misjudged; had he known earlier, he would have simply waited for lin rui to approach him, and then he wouldn''t need to be in the current situation where the array had been unattended for a full ten breaths, already falling into a state of disorder.


    however, at that moment, zhu tianmao inexplicably felt a sense of crisis and wanted to kill lin rui as quickly as possible.


    now, the sense of crisis in zhu tianmao''s heart had not only not disappeared, but had become even stronger, pricking his heart like needles.


    at that moment, zhu tianmao suddenly had an inspiration and looked toward lin rui''s left hand.


    the fellow had been forming signs with one hand the entire time, using the hand signs of the soul summoning technique, but zhu tianmao did not know what he intended to do.


    and forming signs with one hand was something only possible when one had mastered the technique to the pinnacle.


    zhu tianmao squinted his eyes, directly asking, "what are you doing?"


    "what am i doing?"


    this time, lin rui did not sing; his eyes mocking as he said, "your demon refining array is clever, but sadly it lacks adaptability. i guess your array was probably set up by some other expert on your behalf."


    zhu tianmao was slightly disturbed by these words.


    the array here was indeed not his handiwork.


    zhu tianmao had only arrived in wang city yesterday; how could he have had the time?


    it was blood blade miao shi who had set up this array, as he was currently at firescar mansion restraining the capital commandant''s seventh-rank inspector, zhuang mingyue.


    but what did that have to do with his level of proficiency in arrays?


    zhu tianmao seemed enlightened: "are you the sorcerer from earlier?"


    that is, the one who had destroyed the southeastern corner of this demon refining array while simultaneously hunting down over a hundred demonic cultivators under his nephew''s command.


    for a moment, zhu tianmao''s heart tightened, yet he quickly calmed down.


    such a method, lin rui definitely could not replicate it a second time; it required time.


    "of course, it was me. you think you''re the only one proficient in both martial and magical arts?" lin rui scoffed, "weren''t you wondering what i was up to? now, you can take a look behind you."


    zhu tianmao immediately turned around, then shockingly discovered that the 20-zhang tall purple brilliance yuan crystal behind him had suddenly developed dense cracks, and he could continuously hear a ''crackling'' sound coming from within the crystal.


    zhu tianmao suddenly thought of something, his complexion instantly drastically changing.


    "when i was outside earlier, i thought, isn''t the imperial flame battle dragon still alive? it has always been here guarding its master."


    lin rui smiled, a strange gleam in his eyes, "so what do you think will happen if it were to wake up now?"


    the few people in the underground palace, upon hearing this, couldn''t help but change their expressions dramatically.


    "how dare you?"


    zhu tianmao had long anticipated this scene, but still closed his eyes in pain, feeling a boundless fury growing inside him.


    then he saw an even more terrifying sight, ji xueying''s crystal coffin was cracking inch by inch.


    zhu tianmao''s pupils dilated, thinking that this fourth realm blood blade ji could actually break free by herself? had she awakened some additional bloodline? her strength was so formidable!


    not good!


    zhu tianmao didn''t hesitate to flash away from his spot, escaping towards an exterior tunnel.


    he had to leave this place as quickly as possible, or else the consequences were unimaginable.


    but in that instant, ji xueying''s crystal coffin suddenly exploded open, a dazzling red shadow burst out and pursued at an unimaginable speed!


    she actually got ahead of zhu tianmao, intercepting him right at the tunnel entrance, her hands and feet swinging the fine metal chains, furiously smashing them down at zhu tianmao.


    at that moment, she needed no martial arts, merely using her instincts to fight, channeling her power through pure, extreme hatred and intent to kill. she wanted to slaughter the eunuch regardless of the cost¡ªslaughter this beast!


    "clang! clang! clang! clang! clang!"


    the dense shadows of the chains had hammered zhu tianmao into a retreating stagger, even causing blood to seep out from the grip of his sword.


    as someone of a superior level, nearing the power of a king-level warrior, he had been hammered into disarray by a mere fourth-level fighter.


    his strength and speed were all three parts inferior to this blood blade ji!


    the chains wielded by ji xueying moved like beams of light, startlingly fast, such that even someone as strong as zhu tianmao often couldn''t react in time.


    moreover, the violent thunder that accompanied the chains continuously shattered his protective gang qi, occasionally paralyzing him and disrupting his movements, while endless flames scorched his body.


    zhu tianmao couldn''t help but taste bitterness in his mouth.


    this was the imperial flame blood blade ji¡ªno! it was a new variant, combining the powers of fire, thunder, and light!


    this was an entirely new species, and undoubtedly, her bloodline level was now beyond imperial, and her spiritual power talent was terrifyingly high.


    damn it! all his efforts had unexpectedly turned into a wedding gown for lin rui, cultivating a beyond-imperial-level monster with his own hands!


    he suddenly looked back, gazing coldly at lin rui: "lin rui, she''s your protective demon, isn''t she? do you even know what you''re doing? i am the chief of the inner service in prince han''s residence, a sixth-rank eunuch. you dare to harbor a monster, attack court officials¡ªare you seeking death?"


    lin rui smirked with mockery in his eyes, turning back to look at zhu tianmao, "according to the laws of the great song dynasty''s founder, anyone who colludes with demons and drives them to create havoc shall be captured immediately, and whoever dares to resist shall be killed without mercy! so, are you going to surrender now, or continue to resist arrest?"


    without anyone noticing, he had also formed a single-handed seal, held in front of his chest, precisely the soul summoning technique!


    zhang tianchang also very much wanted to kill zhu tianmao; he didn''t care who this person was! he wasn''t concerned about any prince han either; he just wanted this prime culprit to pay the price.


    but as he watched their two-person fight from a distance, he felt he couldn''t even get involved.


    zhang tianchang simply walked over to lin rui, guarding him with his body, and while watching the battle, he commented with a sense of amazement, "amazing, merely a mid-fourth level, not even using her favorite weapon, yet she''s suppressing a near king-level fifth boundary peak."


    this must be a beyond-imperial-level blood blade ji!


    lin rui had really hit the jackpot by subduing ji xueying!


    after this turmoil is over, the bond between this man and demon will certainly reach its peak, and there will no longer be any risk of the demon turning on its master.


    with this protective demon helping him, lin rui would even be a leading figure throughout wang city county.


    lin rui also felt he had made a huge gain, his face brimming with smiles.


    today he had staked 200 times, and then he won!


    just then, the twenty-zhang tall giant purple luminescent crystal emitted a crisp ''crack'' sound, and the imperial flame battle dragon inside suddenly opened its eyes, revealing a pair of sky-blue pupils.

 Chapter 109 The Dragon Seed (Request for Subscription)

    "roar!"


    despite the relentless onslaught from blood blade ji, zhu tianmao kept observing his surroundings, seeking a chance to escape.


    when he noticed that the purple dawn crystal further cracked and the ''imperial flame battle dragon'' inside opened its eyes, he was shocked to the extreme and felt utter despair.


    zhu tianmao had studied many historical records and knew just how powerful that battle dragon was.


    6700 years ago on that very night, the battle dragon had torn apart two of the great song''s seventh realm famous generals alive during an assault by numerous experts, dealing a severe blow to the great song''s southern expedition forces!


    "i will kill you!"


    zhu tianmao''s eyes red, he turned and charged towards lin rui, his body suddenly bursting into flames of blood while releasing astonishing sword qi.


    if this guy wanted him dead, then he would go to hell with him!


    ji xueying hadn''t expected him to turn against lin rui, but her reaction was not slow¡ªthe red light of her figure darted towards her master.


    "blade, come!"


    as ji xueying extended her hand towards the south, the six-foot-long blade ''startling snow'' that had been thrown far away flew into her hand, captured by her qi.


    "clang!"


    with a sharp, ear-piercing clatter of metal followed by an explosion of thunder and fire.


    ji xueying''s long blade, at a distance of three feet from lin rui''s eyes, harshly severed zhu tianmao''s sword and flung him three feet away with an unmatched blade force.


    her eyes, red as blood jade, blazed with golden thunderous light, staring intensely at zhu tianmao.


    nobody could harm her master in front of her; she had sworn that much already!


    whoever could save her and her family, ji xueying was determined to dedicate her life, her everything, to repay his kindness.


    and her master had done so!


    lin rui not only rescued them, ending the calamity in silver moon county, but also gave her the chance for personal revenge!


    "kill! kill! kill! kill! kill!"


    with increasing murderous intent in her heart, ji xueying fought even more calmly, her thoughts cold as ice.


    her blade strokes became swifter and more dangerous. she no longer fought like a wild beast but anticipated the enemy''s movements in advance.


    ji xueying struck five swift blows, driving zhu tianmao back sixty feet, keeping him far from lin rui. then she unleashed a storm of blades that nearly engulfed this fifth realm expert completely.


    at his limits, zhu tianmao fought desperately, incurring wound after wound, blood splattering all over.


    ¡ªit was lin rui himself who would come back.


    how could he possibly neglect such a powerful seventh realm battle dragon?


    someday, he would gather one million soul power points and come back to refine this emperor flame battle dragon.


    yet one thing concerned him, and he had to clarify it.


    "guardian spirit, will i also have my own ''dragon'' in the future? if i refine the emperor flame battle dragon, will there be any conflict or overlap?"


    the information that subsequently entered his mind brightened lin rui''s eyes once more.


    instruction 9: after the battle dragon is refined, it can act as a protector spirit. you can personally enter the battle dragon''s body to control it, or have the war spirit possess it.


    lin rui thought to himself, could it really be like this? the explanations about refining battle dragons from the guardian spirit were even better than he imagined, but what did possessing mean?


    he asked the guardian spirit again, but this time he received no response.


    the emperor flame battle dragon watched lin rui intently with its sky-blue eyes as if to confirm the truth.


    just moments later, it shifted its gaze toward ji xueying.


    while the group was uncertain and wondering what it intended to do, the emperor flame battle dragon suddenly plunged its hand into its chest and pulled out a blood-red crystal the size of a fingertip.


    "what is this?"


    lin rui looked at the red crystal with astonishment in his eyes, sensing that he had seen this object before?


    lin rui quickly searched through his biological chip''s database.


    before he could find the answer, zhang tianchang exclaimed in surprise, "is this perhaps a dragon seed?"


    he understood what the emperor flame battle dragon intended to do.


    it was known that regular demons could not transform into ''dragons'', even those with supremely regal bloodlines like ji xueying''s.


    cases like ji shenyan were exceptions; she had already transformed into her own dragon before becoming a demon as she was a sixth realm martial cultivator.


    moreover, after reaching the ''transforming dragon'' stage in the sixth realm of martial cultivation, the possibility of turning into a demon was exceedingly rare, so ji shenyan''s situation was quite unusual.


    there was also another special case, the ''dragon seed,'' given by high-level martial cultivators who controlled battle dragons to allow demons to also transform into their dragons.


    indeed, in the next instant, he saw the emperor flame battle dragon suddenly thrust the blood-red crystal violently into ji xueying''s chest.


    its form was seven zhang high, approximately 21 meters, and its movements were incredibly swift. its large hand was also remarkably agile. ji xueying had no time to react before she was gutted.


    however, it had no malicious intent and simply inserted the blood-red crystal into ji xueying''s body before withdrawing its hand. it then walked to the center of this underground palace, closed its eyes again, and its aura became increasingly tranquil.

 Chapter 110 Harvest (Asking for Subscriptions, Second Update)

    "a dragon war breed?"


    lin rui walked up to ji xueying, full of curiosity.


    unfortunately, ji xueying''s wound had already healed, and he saw nothing but a swath of blinding whiteness.


    lin rui couldn''t help but admire the magnificent mountains and rivers that lay before his eyes, then he hastily extended his hand to block zhang tianchang, who also tried to look from the front, "old zhang, have you never heard the saying ''do not peek when it''s impolite''? i didn''t expect you, with your thick brows and big eyes, to be that kind of person."


    zhang tianchang was speechless upon hearing this.


    he stopped in his tracks and then his legs gave way, leaving him sitting on the ground.


    he had been holding back, only thinking about fighting to the death against the county magistrate and others.


    latter, having realized that lin twelve was not lying and that the young man indeed had a way to turn the tide, zhang tianchang clenched his teeth, his will to fight flaring up as he exerted all his strength, doing his utmost to provide support for lin twelve.


    now that the crisis in silver moon county had been resolved, one of the zhu nephews, the main culprits, was dead, and the other was unconscious, the pent-up frustration in his heart relaxed, and he felt completely deflated.


    ji xueying''s face flushed, and she covered her chest with her hands. after a moment, her clothes returned to normal.


    the red robe she was wearing was actually a three realms magic artifact with the ability to repair itself.


    ji xueying then turned serious, and half-knelt before lin rui, "my lord!"


    she looked up at lin rui, her eyes still like blood jade, shining with red spiritual light, "my lord has abided by the blood covenant, treating me kindly for having pledged myself to you, granting me what i deserve, and saving me in my time of need. henceforth, i vow to be loyal, to follow the will of my master, to love what he loves, and to despise what he despises, with no betrayal!


    please, my lord, consider me as your weapon, no matter when and where, no matter the dangers and trials, no matter how time flies, i shall never shrink back, and will spare no effort!"


    lin rui was pleased to see this, as this was actually a part of the blood covenant that had been missing. although it was just a symbolic ceremony, it did not affect the efficacy of the blood covenant.


    he also grew solemn and placed the thunder god saber he had been holding into ji xueying''s hands, "take good care of this saber for me!"


    lin rui had already dispelled the saber-training runes that had been transferred to himself.


    they were just too intense; he couldn''t hold up, not at all!


    professor han must have been out of his mind when he was younger to have such an absurd and impractical idea.


    he then smiled slightly, "your mother is still alive; she''s right there in that tunnel. i''ve already given her medicine, so she should not be in mortal danger. as for zhu lingshi, i haven''t killed him. i suppose you have quite a few words to say to him."


    ji xueying''s eyes lit up, and she instantly ran like mad in the direction lin rui pointed.


    but after only a few steps, she returned like a whirlwind, bowing solemnly to lin rui once more.


    at that moment, no words could express the gratitude in ji xueying''s heart.


    lin rui chuckled silently, and after ji xueying turned into a fleeting shadow and ran off again, he began to check the corpse of zhu tianmao for loot.


    zhu tianmao''s shoes were also a four realm magic artifact, but their rank was only lower-grade, and their yuan energy attributes did not match lin rui''s.


    lin rui, disliking the man''s smelly feet, pinched his nose, peeled off the shoes and wrapped them in a piece of torn cloth.


    he planned to directly toss these to the alien management bureau, which should also fetch about five hundred taels.


    last was zhu tianmao''s pouch and wallet.


    in total, there were twenty taels of fragmented silver, along with over three hundred taels in silver notes, which deeply disappointed lin rui.


    this was a sixth rank eunuch, as well as a trusted aide of his highness prince han; how could he possess so little?


    however, he then pulled out over a dozen pill bottles from the dead eunuch''s pouch.


    the problem was that they were not labeled, so lin rui could not identify them with the help of a biometric chip either.


    the pill shapes of tianji star are random, with no uniform standards.


    those pill masters also have quite the personality; even though they made the same pill, the shapes they produced were all different.


    lin rui pondered for a moment and called out to his ring spirit in his mind.


    "ring spirit, help me copy advanced-level medicinal studies no. 2 battle spirit, advanced-level herbal studies, proficient-level basic alchemy, and beginner-level intermediate alchemy."


    this no. 2 battle spirit seemed to be proficient in medical arts, possessing many medical skills, but unfortunately, she only dabbled in alchemy.


    reminder: copying "tianji star medicinal studies (advanced)" requires 1000 soul power points, copying "tianji star herbal studies (advanced)" requires 1000 soul power points, copying "basic alchemy (proficient)" requires 500 soul power points, and copying "intermediate alchemy (beginner)" requires 1000 soul power points.


    lin rui frowned, thinking that these skills were expensive, roughly the same as those basic martial arts skills.


    but after some thought, he still made the exchange. lin rui had 24,710 soul power points on hand, which was quite a sum, and these skills were relatively practical.


    lin rui''s head started to ache again; he realized he had been rash, as the volume of information from these skills exceeded that of the basic martial arts by at least twenty times!


    after about fifty breaths, lin rui''s headache subsided slightly.


    he then opened each pill bottle in turn, identifying the components and effects of these pills by the smell that wafted from them.


    lin rui couldn''t help showing delight in his eyes again; the pills zhu tianmao carried with him were all excellent, mostly spirit pills above the second realm, very precious.


    among them were even sixty nourishing marrow pills, which could be used for blood cultivation, and also to further strengthen the bone marrow after blood cultivation.


    it looked like he didn''t need to worry about his subsequent blood cultivation medicinal needs, and even wang sen''s blood cultivation was now covered.


    lin rui opened the last pill bottle with anticipation.


    when he saw what was inside the bottle, his pupils instantly widened, and his eyes were filled with astonishment.no?v(el)b\\jnn

 Chapter 111 Seeing Through (Three more for subscription)

    inside the bottle, there was actually a golden pill.


    "this seems to be an ''artificial golden core''. could the grade be really high? insane, looking at this image comparison, could it be a royal-ranked divine flame golden core?"


    lin rui''s eyes opened wide in amazement as he accessed the biotech database in his biochip and found that this was indeed an artificial golden core.


    however, this type of golden core was not meant for human martial cultivators, but for alien practitioners and people from the tianji star.


    in the early years, when the federation had just started to make contact with the people of tianji star, the overall quality of the alien practitioners was inconsistent, with some unable to achieve core formation successfully and began to seek help from the federation''s biotechnology.


    they created an artificial golden core specifically for aliens.


    as is known to all, the entire structure of the aliens was no different from that of the people of tianji star, so since the golden core was suitable for ''aliens,'' it naturally suited the tianji star people as well.


    later on, the federation established a strict selection system for aliens, and all selected alien practitioners possessed extremely high spiritual power and martial talents.


    after that, in the ranks of the alien practitioners, aside from those tycoons who paid their own way to descend to tianji star, not a single one failed at core formation.


    therefore, this artificial golden core became an important bargaining chip for the federation to curry favor with and corrupt the nobility of tianji star.


    "so it seems that this zhu tianmao, and even the han king behind him, may have ties with some powerful force within the earth federation, but zhu tianmao has already reached the fifth realm of the dragon transformation, so this golden core is likely meant for someone else."


    lin rui, not paying too much attention to it, solemnly tucked the artificial golden core into his sleeve.


    he certainly didn''t need an artificial golden core, but if the item was truly a royal-ranked divine flame golden core, then its value would exceed the combined value of zhu tianmao''s sword and shoes.


    as long as he could find the right buyer, he could easily sell it for tens of thousands of demon silvers, that is, ten million federation credits, which would allow him to get rich overnight and join the ranks of the wealthy!


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    after putting away these items, lin rui gestured towards zhang tianchang with a beckoning hand.


    zhang tianchang shook his head helplessly and decisively took off the luminous armor he was wearing and tossed it to lin rui.


    by then, he had regained some strength, got up, and walked over to the crystal coffins to check the physical state of those inside.


    these imperial descendants of the great zhou were both victims and key witnesses and couldn''t be allowed to die like this.


    there was still a surge of anger unresolved in zhang tianchang''s heart.


    though zhu tianmao had been executed today, there was still one mastermind left to deal with, the ''han king'' in the capital!


    that inhuman bastard of a prince dared to treat the tens of thousands of people in silver moon county like grass!


    zhang tianchang knew that as a mere constable, he had no clout over a noble like the ''han king'', but he hoped to use these descendants of great zhou to make the ''han king'' pay a certain price.


    in the old days, the great song dynasty had replaced the great zhou through abdication, hence officially the dynasty held the imperial descendants of great zhou in great respect.


    if today''s case were to be made public, the imperial court would certainly punish the ''han king'' severely.


    "don''t worry, i''ve already sensed it; their condition is still good. the zhu family uncles and nephews must have given them some medicine in advance to slow down their death, let more blood flow. now that the array is destroyed and no longer drawing blood from their bodies, their lives are safe,"


    lin rui said while casting a deep gaze at ji shenyan''s crystal coffin.


    zhuang mingyue had finally escaped the "six luminaries divine yang array" and was now hurtling through the caves, chasing after the "blood rain" miao shi ahead of her.


    in the dim and narrow underground environment, the two moved with changing steps and clashed fiercely, occasionally emitting ground-shaking booms and sparks from their swordfights.


    "blood rain" miao shi, who was a demon-transformed fifth-realm martial cultivator and a realm higher than zhuang mingyue, was now being pursued relentlessly and could only desperately flee ahead.


    despite being at the mid-stage of the fourth realm, zhuang mingyue possessed the power of a bloodline of royal rank.


    crucially, she was also in possession of the "suppressing demon seal," a powerful magic artifact unique to the imperial bureau.


    the suppressing demon seal could not only suppress the strength of all kinds of demonic beings but also raise the martial prowess of a third-realm martial cultivator by half a realm, even surpassing the badges of the capital commandants.


    at critical moments, zhuang mingyue could also push the "suppressing demon seal" to its limits, forcibly elevating her bloodline power by an entire level by consuming her life essence!


    hence, her actual combat strength was, in fact, superior to his.


    this woman was actually long overdue for a promotion. had she not been delayed by the pursuit of him, she would already be the deputy supervisor of supervision, a sixth-rank official of the imperial bureau.


    moreover, there was a degree master following behind, assisting zhuang mingyue from the shadows.


    the reason zhuang mingyue had been able to escape was that the degree master, surnamed du, had managed to disrupt the array.


    the two of them, one in pursuit and the other fleeing, gradually left the underground veins and emerged onto the surface.


    the moment zhuang mingyue set foot on the ground, her attention was divided as she glanced in the direction of silver moon county.


    she was very worried about the situation in silver moon county; from the few words that the degree master had said to her underground, it seemed that the situation there was quite dire.


    the presence of zhu tianmao made zhuang mingyue even more uneasy.


    however, when she focused on the county, she found no abnormalities in the sky above, nor any signs of purple gleaming crystal dust.


    at this time, "blood rain" miao shi was even more shocked. while sprinting at full speed, he also turned to look toward silver moon county, his gaze blank and puzzled.


    not only was the air above silver moon county free from purple light, but miao shi was also unable to contact zhu lingshi and zhu tianmao using his communication magic artifact.


    what could be the reason? had the bloodline transformation ritual of the princess of the blazing flame blood blade failed? how exactly had it failed? were the zhu cousins dead or alive?


    the degree master emerging from behind could not believe the scene before him.


    he thought that silver moon county was beyond salvation, and the events of 6700 years past were bound to repeat themselves.


    but when he looked now, he saw that the county had somehow managed to switch from danger to safety.


    was it lin rui? had he truly succeeded?


    first surprised and delighted, zhuang mingyue continued to pursue miao shi while taking out the suppressing demon seal to try and contact lin rui.


    the suppressing demon seal had the function of long-distance communication, its range extending beyond the badges of the arrest officers and deputy arrest officers in the county.


    zhuang mingyue urgently wanted to know, what exactly had happened in the county?


    what had lin rui done to avert the catastrophe in silver moon county?

 Chapter 112 Heavenly Demon Test (Please Subscribe)

    seven nights later, the streets of silver moon county were deserted.


    the tens of thousands of citizens had mostly gathered seven miles east of the city at the foot of thousand tomb ridge, to attend the funeral of the three fallen arrest officers and four black-belt constables.


    the citizens, each holding a torch, crowded together in layers, standing solemnly and heavily in the open field at the foot of thousand tomb ridge, with eyes filled with mourning and sorrow.


    they had personally experienced the excruciating pain of spontaneous combustion from the purple crystal dust and had heard the cause of the disaster that day. knowing the deeds of these fallen government officials, they felt a deep respect and gratitude.


    at this moment, lin rui stood at the mid-slope of thousand tomb ridge, with a tall platform built of pine in front of him, neatly arranged with seven wooden coffins.


    surrounding the platform, a large amount of dry wood had been stacked, and it was doused with quite a bit of fire oil.


    when the county magistrate zhuang mingyue stepped forward with a torch to light the woodpile, the flames spread rapidly, shooting up into the sky and illuminating the entire night sky.


    lin rui and wang sen watched the roaring blaze, their expressions extremely complex.


    lin rui was somewhat better off. when he emerged from the underground hall, arrest officer cao and the others were already dead.


    wang sen, however, had witnessed the three men taking their own lives, which deeply moved him, leaving him with emotions he couldn''t let go of to this day.


    by the time the entire cremation ceremony ended, and the relatives of the deceased gathered the ashes of arrest officer cao and others to be interred once more, it was already the wee hours of the night.


    before, silver moon county was the territory of the chi-li tribe, whose custom was to cremate their people.


    however, after being influenced by the royal culture of the imperial court, the people of silver moon county had mostly adopted burial, except for the chi-li who lived deep in the mountains and still held to their traditions.


    the reason the county magistrate revived the practice of cremation was to conceal the evidence of demonic transformation in the three arrest officers.


    the county magistrate was equally keen on pinning everything on prince han and was said to have called on the judicial departments of the imperial court, the ministry of punishments, the court of judicial review, and the censorate in shazhou to send special agents to re-examine the case.


    to avoid being criticized and questioned by the prince han''s mansion during the trial, which could result in the case being overturned, they had to destroy the bodies of the three fallen arrest officers.


    this also made it easier for the county magistrate to seek compensation and rewards for the families of the fallen officers.


    otherwise, if the officials responsible for the review came down and saw that the three fallen arrest officers had actually undergone demonic transformation, who would be willing to give money?


    so lin rui''s view of the county magistrate had been getting better; this was a superior who was clear about right and wrong and had a humane touch.


    regrettably, he still did not know what this seventh-rank patrol inspector looked like, only that this county magistrate was probably a woman named zhuang mingyue and was incredibly young.


    at a distance, county magistrate zhuang mingyue was watching lin rui.


    her gaze was a mix of admiration, satisfaction, respect, and envy.


    zhuang mingyue still remembered the shock she felt seven days ago when she pursued ''blood rain'' miao shi to the surface and communicated with lin tianda.


    this fellow not only had managed to avert the crisis on the day of the incident but had also turned the tables and slain zhu tianmao and his nephew zhu lingshi!


    lin tianda, relying on his wisdom and exceptional talent for array talismans, had pulled thirty thousand citizens back from the brink of spontaneous combustion.


    of course, what was even more stunning was his potential in the martial path.


    zhuang mingyue''s lips curled up slightly; this was indeed the wisest decision she had made since entering the capital''s division, one she could boast about for a lifetime.


    at that moment, her expression suddenly changed, and with a wave of her hand, she grasped a white paper bird-shaped flying message from the air.


    to her surprise, it was a flying message system exclusive to their division, sent from hundreds of miles away, and targeted her waist token known as the ''heavenly demon seal.''


    upon opening the message, ming yue''s brows lifted, "interesting! the capital commandant from the sand province has already sent someone to silver moon county, with the purpose of re-examining this case and conducting the ''heavenly demon test'' on lin twelve to assess his divine sense and flesh. this person is already in wang city prefecture and will arrive in our county tomorrow."


    upon hearing this, mentor du was momentarily stunned, "they''re going to conduct the heavenly demon test on lin twelve? so soon?"


    due to the heavy responsibilities of the capital''s division, the great song court''s scrutiny was extremely strict.


    the problem was that lin twelve currently held an idle position as a martial virtue commander without actual authority, which would not attract much attention from higher-ups.


    ming yue scoffed, "this person is named lin tianda, a sixth-grade imperial censor. i happen to know him; he is the mentor of historian jiang hanzhang. moreover, he has certain connections with yuan ji."


    yuan ji was the previous master of the blood blade concubine, the uncle of yuan yi, who controlled all the medicine and tea businesses of the yuan family in the south.


    ming yue had already found out that this person was closely associated with prince han''s mansion, likely leveraging the yuan family''s business channels to amass wealth for the mansion, and at the same time, embezzling the yuan family''s assets.


    "i see!" mentor du suddenly realized, "it seems this has been instigated by prince han''s mansion. do they suspect lin twelve is a heavenly demon from outside our realm? your excellency, do you not plan to intervene?"


    upon hearing this, ming yue couldn''t help laughing. why should she intervene?


    she crossed her arms, looking confident and composed, "this matter is also somewhat related to me. recently, i''ve submitted a memorial, requesting that lin twelve be appointed as the acting defense envoy for wang city."


    "the defense envoy for wang city?" mentor du took a sharp breath, his eyes widening in shock as he looked at ming yue: "your excellency, such a move shows extraordinary boldness."


    within the great song''s various prefectures, the capital''s division established a ''royal dragon direct'' division, with a sixth-grade royal dragon direct school captain serving as the defense envoy, responsible for suppressing local unrest, monitoring officials, and quelling demonic threats, among other duties.


    the position was so high that it could rival that of the local prefectural governor.


    was her excellency really planning on pushing lin twelve to such a prominent position?


    "it is only a temporary assignment. lin twelve will soon complete his blood cultivation and enter the fourth realm of martial arts. with a super emperor tier fourth realm guardian beast by his side, he will soon have no match in the entire wang city region. he has single-handedly resolved the demonic disaster of silver moon county, and his achievements are sufficient.


    since the capital''s division cannot dispatch anyone for the time being, it''s fitting for lin twelve to take on the role and stabilize the situation first," said ming yue with a slight smile.


    "therefore, it''s not bad to conduct the test."


    while ming yue was bold and decisive in her actions, she could also be extremely cautious when necessary, especially regarding the matter of heavenly demons from outside their realm, where ming yue wouldn''t rely solely on her judgment.


    the position of the defense envoy for wang city was now very important not only for her mentor but also for her family.


    ming yue was willing to use her connections, even seeking help from her uncle and mentor to support lin twelve.


    however, at the same time, she had to ensure that this candidate was extremely reliable and wouldn''t bring trouble to her uncle and mentor because of this matter.


    so lin tianda''s arrival was quite timely; if lin twelve passed this test, then he was truly trustworthy.


    ming yue believed that there wouldn''t be a problem; how could lin twelve possibly be a heavenly demon from another realm?

 Chapter 113 Beyond Emperor Blood Serum (Please Subscribe)

    The next day, Lin Rui and Wang Sen attended another grand funeral. However, it was the common people of Silver Moon County who organized an official funeral for the High Priest of the Light Church, Li Qiufeng. The location was at Thousand Tomb Ridge, seven miles away.


    True to his word, Priest Li indeed delayed the self-immolation time of thirty thousand citizens of Silver Moon County by half a moment, a sacrifice which cost him his vital energy, ultimately reducing him to ash and returning to the heavens and earth.


    Lin Rui learned of this after emerging from the underground cavern and felt deeply moved.


    The reason Cao, the arrest officer, and his colleagues were willing to follow Lin Rui into a life-or-death battle was due to their roots in Silver Moon County¡ªout of affection for their homeland, a sense of duty, and for the sake of their own lives and the lives of their families.


    Li Qiufeng had no reason to risk her life, yet she generously sacrificed herself for the thousands of disciples of the Light Church.


    Lin Rui felt a rare sense of shame and even now, he remained unsettled.


    In the past, his attitude towards Priest Li had been far too contemptuous, judging a noble heart with the pettiness of a scoundrel''s mind.


    Priest Li had said he had a heart of light, but in Lin Rui''s view, it was Priest Li who truly possessed the heart of light.


    After the funeral, Wang Sen also couldn''t help feeling deeply moved, and said gloomily, "This must be what our ancestors meant by choosing righteousness over life. It seems the Light Church does have some substance after all. A High Priest of her stature willing to go to such lengths for the people, she can''t simply be dismissed as the leader of a heretical cult."


    Lin Rui strongly agreed. Based on what he now understood, the current doctrine of the Light Church was very pure, and they didn''t seem to exploit the ignorant masses for their hard-earned money, though that might also be related to the fact that the people were too poor to be exploited.


    Within the church, there was indeed a group of individuals with firm convictions, true believers of the "Holy Thunder Fire", who wanted to cleanse the world according to the teachings of the Light Church, bringing true light to mankind, ensuring the people could live peacefully and happily without worries about food and clothing, free from the troubles of demons.


    Lin Rui had been quite worried about the Zhou siblings of Wang City, but when he saw another High Priest from Wang City showing kindness and care towards the siblings, he was reassured.


    It turns out that the Light Church had many female members. Not only were the two High Priests he had met women, but about seventy percent of the priests were also female.


    According to his understanding, women seemed to have an advantage when cultivating the basic and advanced techniques of the Light Church.


    Lin Rui also met with this High Priest, whose name was Tang Wenlan. Like Li Qiufeng, she was a calm and gentle woman of elegance and grace, welcoming Lin Rui, the one touched by holy fate, with warmth.


    Lin Rui''s attitude towards Tang Wenlan was much better than towards Li Qiufeng, always treating her with respect, though he did try to keep his distance in their conversations.


    He was now a seventh rank ''Capital Commandant of Martial Virtue'' and couldn''t risk his future for the Light Church.


    This was a position in the Imperial Guard of the capital!


    In the first few days after his arrival, he had seen a news story about how the Federal Security Bureau spent three hundred million Federal Credits and had over eighty pathwalkers assist in an attempt to plant someone in the Imperial Guard system of the Great Song. The mission failed, resulting in significant casualties and a bureau chief resigning in accountability.


    The incident had caused a huge stir and was all over the news, so Lin Rui remembered it vividly.


    "Enough of this, our relationship with the Light Church doesn''t matter. In the future, we should try to avoid any entanglement with them."


    ¡ª¡ªHowever, for Li Qiufeng''s sake, he would turn a blind eye to certain matters.


    At that moment, both of them sensed a peculiar change in their biochips.


    "Damn, that thing is finally repaired."


    Ji Xueying had been absent these past few days for the purpose of settling her family.


    Ji Xueying didn''t want her parents to be dragged into the struggle with Han and Wang, and her family wanted to find somewhere to live incognito, quietly for the rest of their lives.


    "Everything has been arranged; the household registration and all that is in order," Ji Xueying said gratefully with a bow, "My parents asked me to thank you for the Silver Coin provided by Your Highness, which is enough for them to re-establish their household and live comfortably for a lifetime.


    They truly cannot thank you enough, and my father especially asked me to convey the message that they will live quietly and not cause you any trouble."


    Hearing this, Lin Rui thought that the matter might still be troublesome.


    Lin Rui had met Ji Xueying''s parents, both of whom were upright and honest people, and Ji Xueying''s three siblings were also capable of living decently.


    Even if they weren''t previously, after surviving a dangerous encounter, they would likely become more settled.


    Lin Rui had also given them a generous amount of Silver Tael.


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    After the battle, he and a group of constables, along with the magisterial offices'' clerks and officers, had confiscated the County Magistrate''s and the registrar''s properties under the pretext of searching for demons, accumulating 19,000 Silver Tael of magical currency, in addition to various lands, buildings, and shops.


    They had given half of their spoils to their superiors, used some for hush money for the other clerks in the office, and covered the expenses for altering land and building registrations in the county and provincial cities; the rest was divided among themselves.


    Lin Rui didn''t want land or property, so he took a full 5,000 Silver Tael and passed 3,000 of it to Ji Xueying''s family.


    It was money for settling down, and he couldn''t be stingy.


    The Ji family''s problem was with their household registration, as this world''s registration system was very strict and could easily expose one''s background.


    Lin Rui had asked a professor of law to help arrange the Ji family''s household registration.


    Possibly feeling guilty for having hesitated during the battle, the professor had immediately agreed to help and given Lin Rui a letter of introduction, saying that presenting this letter to a certain officer in charge of household registration in the neighboring county would get the Ji family registered.


    However, this solution could only alleviate an immediate issue, and there were still potential risks in the long term, so they would have to find a more permanent solution when the opportunity arose.


    "Oh, and there''s this."


    Ji Xueying took out two porcelain bottles the size of an arm and looked at Lin Rui with her icy jade-like eyes, "These are two bottles of fourth-realm emperor-grade blood. I don''t know where they came from, but I guessed they might be useful to you, my lord."


    Lin Rui was initially surprised but quickly realized that Ji Xueying must have guessed his identity as an outsider Heavenly Demon.


    But it was something that would have been revealed sooner or later, and he smiled casually and took them without hesitation, "Thanks, Ying''er, this blood is indeed crucial for me!"


    Lin Rui was close to completing his blood cultivation, and at this stage, there was no better blood serum material than Ji Xueying''s blood.


    It was the bloodline quality, not the level of cultivation, that mattered for the serum material, and Ji Xueying''s fourth-realm emperor-grade blood held boundless potential, making it the best choice currently available.


    The key elemental power also matched well; Ji Xueying once had a pure thunder attribute, and now her blood carried thunder, fire, and light.


    Originally, Lin Rui was wondering how to ask for blood from Ji Xueying since he needed a greater quantity this time, including some marrow blood, which couldn''t be simply brushed off like last time; unexpectedly, Ji Xueying had already prepared it for him.

 Chapter 114 Muscle-Tendon Transformation, Bone Forging (Third update, please subscribe)

    At the same time, nearly 125 miles away in Wang City County.


    Teacher Han Kedao was sitting at the top floor of a teahouse, furrowing his brows as he looked at the county government office diagonally across from the teahouse.


    His student Li Li was smiling as he poured tea for him, "Teacher, you say one thing and do another. You keep saying to let them fend for themselves, yet you still sent so much demon silver to the junior brothers. But, isn''t this first mission too difficult? The special beings have only just arrived a few months ago; it would be good enough if they could simply gain a firm foothold."


    Han Kedao snorted upon hearing this, "They are all geniuses in the top 300 before the special beings assessment, merely black belts. What''s so difficult about that? Isn''t Silver Moon County short of many constables? How could they not rise to the occasion?"


    He paused for a moment and then casually added, "Let''s give them two months. If it really doesn''t work out, have little Lu go there and take a look."


    Li Li laughed upon hearing this. Little Lu was Lu Xinran, also a student of Han Kedao''s and had already infiltrated the county government, serving as an official responsible for the county''s finance and population registers.


    As long as Lu Xinran put in a word, even the Silver Moon County Magistrate would have to give him face.


    In fact, they did not know the names or detailed information of the special beings Lin Rui and Wang Sen; Li Li only knew that the two junior brothers chose the identity of constables when they descended.


    This was information that had to be reported to the project team; otherwise, they would not be able to carry out their work.


    As long as they knew the identities of these two, it would be easy to handle. Lu Xinran just had to check according to their ages, and he could easily figure out who the two of them were.


    Previously, a major case occurred in Silver Moon County. It was said that a County Magistrate had cultivated many demons and wanted to burn the entire Silver Moon County down, resulting in the death of thousands of civilians and several government officials.


    After learning of this, Li Li was quite worried for his two junior brothers and specifically returned to Base Nine to check on the situation. Upon discovering that Lin Rui and Wang Sen''s true bodies were fine, he was able to let go of his worry.


    These two junior brothers descended in Silver Moon County to bide their time and wouldn''t seek trouble. Besides, with their current cultivation status, they were not eligible to be involved.


    Han Kedao continued to gaze in the direction of the county government, his brows deeply knit, "Little Li, regarding Fei Yunlai''s warning, what do you think?"


    "I think we should treat it seriously and take a temporary pause, that wouldn''t be a problem."


    Li Li''s expression also became solemn, "Moreover, the situation within Wang City County is getting messier, and taking into account the whole situation in the Shazhou region, it''s somewhat incomprehensible to me. So to be on the safe side, let''s wait until the winds die down a bit before making any moves."


    Not long ago, Wang City was bloodily purged by the federal military, and all 200 of the ''Imperial Dragon Guards'' from the Royal City Division were slaughtered.


    This affected not only Silver Moon County but also plunged the entire Wang City County into turmoil. The city was in a state of unrest, with dangerous and tumultuous situations developing.


    Additionally, one matter was of great concern to Li Li.


    The newly appointed governor of the Shazhou region was fully committed to eradicating the so-called ''Heavenly Demons'' within the area, and the federal military was also fighting back fiercely. The conflict was escalating, with the scale of casualties on both sides growing larger and larger.


    However, strangely, since the conflict had started, those loyal to the governor of Shazhou had not encountered any trouble. In contrast, the branches of the Royal City Division in various counties had suffered heavy losses.


    "The situation in Shazhou is indeed very strange, but it doesn''t have much to do with our project team. It''s baffling," Han Kedao said, tapping his fingers on the table, his gaze filled with a bit of helplessness and impatience.


    He had been preparing for this project for many years, and it was supposed to enter a phase of reaping rewards in these few months. However, the warning from Fei Yunlai had forced them to temporarily stop their operations.


    Li Li poured himself a cup of tea, "But, Professor, you still called a halt, which shows you trust General Fei greatly."No?v(el)B\\jnn


    In reality, it was his students who were most eager, hoping to gain substantial benefits and prestige from Han Professor''s project. Now they were pressed by the professor to temporarily halt their actions.


    Han Kedao simply smiled bitterly at this remark; few people knew that the federal general Fei Yunlai had also been his student, albeit for a very short time.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui and Wang Sen both had a shiver run down their spine and exchanged a glance.


    Wang Sen''s scalp tingled. When he first learned of Lin Rui''s appointment as Capital Commandant of Martial Virtue, he had anticipated trouble would follow, but he had never imagined it would come so soon.


    They had returned to their senses several times these days, all the while seeking ways to eliminate future problems.


    The two had already made some headway and found several methods that could help Lin Rui pass the Heavenly Demon Test.


    Yet before they could act, the Capital Commandant''s envoy from Shazhou had already sent someone to examine Lin Rui''s physical body and Divine Sense.


    Standing outside the main hall of the county government office, Ji Xueying was equally shocked. Instinctively, she clenched her fist, ready to draw her sword at any moment.


    Lin Rui showed no expression, showing no sign of emotion as he opened the abilities list of War Spirit No. 2, eyeing the skills available for copying.


    He sighed inwardly, thinking that he would have to pay a hefty price for this skill but it was a necessary loss.


    Lin Rui then called out to his Spirit.


    "Spirit, help me exchange for Grandmaster-level Sinew Transforming Bone Refinement."


    Notification: Sinew Transforming Bone Refinement (Grandmaster) is an advanced skill, requiring 15,000 Soul Power points or one free advanced skill exchange opportunity.


    By then, Lin Rui''s Concealing Breath Skill had been enhanced, but what was lacking was proficiency in controlling the blood, flesh, and bones within his body. Sinew Transforming Bone Refinement was one of the more famous types of techniques for this purpose.


    In his heart, Lin Rui prayed that those generals with different forms had not misled people on the forum.


    That was a discussion he found on a forum for those of different forms when searching for information on the entrance test for the Capital City Division.


    A few high-ranking military figures among those with different forms discussed what methods would allow them to infiltrate the Capital City Division and other dynasties'' spy agencies, and one suggested that mastering Sinew Transforming Bone Refinement could help one pass the physical examination.


    This comment was unanimously approved by two other high-ranking officers, with over 20 people liking it; however, they considered the method to be unrealistic, as Sinew Transforming Bone Refinement was a high-level Body Refinement Secret Technique. Practitioners from different backgrounds would need to have reached at least the rank of a minor general, or even a middle general, to fully master it.


    The Capital City Division wasn''t foolish; they would recruit only those under 25 as core members. Although they would recruit older individuals, they could only mix in the peripheral positions, not penetrating the core circle of power.


    Coincidentally, Ji Shenyan''s skill list contained the Grandmaster-level Sinew Transforming Bone Refinement. The problem was that this was merely a Body Refinement technique, not a Cultivation Technique, and aside from helping him with the test, it wouldn''t be of much other use to Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui chose the free exchange amidst the pain, and in the next instant, a tidal wave of information burst into his mind, causing some odd changes in the flesh and bones of his body.


    Fortunately, Lin Rui had advanced his Concealing Breath Skill to the level of Great Grandmaster beforehand, maintaining the subtle nuances of his energy throughout the process.


    Lin Rui felt a sense of surprise: "Turns out it''s not only Cultivation Techniques that can strengthen the physical body; these high-level Body Refinement techniques can actually enhance my physical attributes too."


    It was at this moment that Lin Rui saw two people enter through the doorway.


    The person in the lead was clothed in the robes of a sixth-rank Imperial Censor, with a square face and pronounced, well-defined features¡ªpresumably the sixth-rank Imperial Censor Lin Tianda.


    The other, cloaked in a black cloak, had an indistinct appearance.


    However, Lin Rui still recognized from this person''s figure that he was likely the record keeper Jiang Hanzhang, who had escaped seven days ago.


    This individual, revealing only a pair of eyes, watched him with an exceptionally venomous and severe gaze.

 Chapter 115 Wang Citys Defense Commander (Please Subscribe)

    As the Sixth-Rank Imperial Censor Lin Tianda entered, Zhuang Mingyue didn''t even plan to rise. She merely sat there and cupped one hand in the other before her as a gesture of respect, considering her courtesy done.


    Lin Rui had initially intended to stand up, but with a sidelong glance from Zhuang Mingyue, he realized he did not need to be too courteous to this Imperial Censor Lin and thus remained seated without moving.


    He was now a member of the royal city''s authority, holding the title of Seventh-Rank Martial Virtue Capital Commandant; he was an official, with a status on par with Zhuang Mingyue''s, the Seventh-Rank Circuit Inspector.


    Lin Rui inwardly sighed in admiration; they say that those from the Great Song''s royal city''s authority are exceptionally arrogant, even more so than crabs on land, and indeed, they were extraordinary upon first meeting.


    This Lin Tianda was an esteemed Sixth-Rank Imperial Censor, a ''pure stream'' within the court, with a status far higher than that of an average Sixth-Rank official, yet Zhuang Mingyue treated him with such disregard.


    Lin Tianda then coldly fixed Zhuang Mingyue with a stare and looked over at Lin Rui, who was sitting to Zhuang Mingyue''s left. Without bothering with courtesies, he bluntly asked, "You are Lin the Twelfth, the newly appointed Martial Virtue Capital Commandant?"


    Seeing Lin Rui cup his hands in acknowledgment, Lin Tianda swept his robe sleeve aside, "I am here under the command of the superiors.


    Firstly, to reconduct the investigation into the Zhu relatives'' case of abducting former royal heirs, concocting demons, and slaughtering civilians; and secondly, to perform the ''Heavenly Demon Test'' on Lin the Twelfth, to determine whether this person is a Heavenly Demon from beyond our domain. Since you are here, let''s proceed now."


    "There''s no rush!" Zhuang Mingyue said with a slight smile, picking up a teacup and nonchalantly blowing on the tea leaves, "Before Imperial Censor Lin uses the Heavenly Demon Test, you need to set up an array, right? Conveniently, our Wang City''s Magistrate Jiang and the Prefectural Governor''s Capital Punishment Investigator Wang have also arrived. I have already sent someone to invite them.


    They will join us shortly to witness the test for Capital Commandant Lin."


    This arrangement would be conclusive. With a group of officials as witnesses, not only would they avoid future trouble, but it would also prevent Lin Tianda from making excuses or tampering with the test on the spot.


    She then lifted her gaze and looked at the man in black behind Lin Tianda, "May I ask who is the person behind Imperial Censor Lin? He looks somewhat familiar."


    Lin Tianda expressionlessly ripped the cloak off the man in black, revealing his face and expressions to everyone present.


    "Jiang Hanzhang!"


    Zhuang Mingyue squinted her eyes, examining the former chief clerk up and down, then her lips curled into a meaningful smile, "I didn''t expect that the chief clerk would end up looking like this. To think that just over ten days ago, we were sharing drinks and working shoulder to shoulder, it really is thought-provoking."


    Jiang Hanzhang, although still maintaining a human form, had undergone demonic transformation, his skin turned to resemble ancient tree bark covering his entire body, and his hands were locked tightly with iron chains.


    He twitched the corners of his mouth upon hearing her words, clenching his teeth tightly.


    How could Jiang Hanzhang not perceive Zhuang Mingyue''s mockery?


    Reflecting on the past ten days or so, he had been a highly respected chief clerk, calling the shots in Silver Moon County, making Zhuang Mingyue defer to him; yet, in just ten days, he had become a figure neither human nor ghost.


    And all of this was because of that Lin the Twelfth beside him!


    "Imperial Censor Lin!" Zhuang Mingyue''s tone turned cold, "Are you not aware that this Jiang Hanzhang is also one of the masterminds behind the Zhu relatives'' case, a wanted criminal by the royal city''s authority?"


    "How could I not know?" Lin Tianda''s expression was cold and composed, upholding justice with resolve, "This man is also my student. Upon learning of this beast''s involvement in the Zhu relatives'' case, I immediately captured him and personally delivered him here to serve as living evidence, and to face the law and receive punishment!"


    Zhuang Mingyue immediately came to an understanding upon hearing this.


    This Jiang Hanzhang must have been sent over by the Prince''s Mansion as a scapegoat.


    She deduced that Jiang Hanzhang would likely take on the role of one of the masterminds and push most of the blame onto the Zhu relatives to facilitate the Prince''s acquittal, as the dead could not speak.


    Zhuang Mingyue, however, was unconcerned and sneered disdainfully.


    This case involved over a hundred of the Great Zhou royal heirs and the thirty thousand civilians of Silver Moon County; how could the Prince expect to so easily deceive his way out?


    Lin Tianda, the sixth-rank Imperial Censor, however, fell into hesitation. He did not think being unable to speak the official language or to write was a characteristic of a foreign Heavenly Demon.


    In the last hundred years, all the Heavenly Demons captured by the court had been proficient in the court''s official language and script.


    As for the point about the progression of cultivation not conforming to that of a normal person, that, on the contrary, cleared Lin No.12 of suspicions.


    Those foreign Heavenly Demons, when they first descended, even if they cultivated rapidly, would always conceal this fact and not dare to expose themselves for fear of attracting attention.


    So the likelihood of Lin No.12 being a foreign Heavenly Demon was very slim.


    Lin Tianda then shook his head and formed a Dharma Seal with his hands.


    The decision to perform the Heavenly Demon Test on Lin No.12 came at the behest of someone from the Prince of Han''s residence, and Jiang Hanzhang, using some pretext, had persuaded that person to spend a large sum to procure his services.


    Since Lin Tianda had taken the silver coin, and promised that person, he must handle this matter properly, leaving no grounds for criticism.


    A moment later, Lin Tianda was enveloped in a blaze of blood flames. As he formed a complex Array with his hands, a huge phantom gradually appeared beneath the steps outside the county office''s main hall.


    This figure was nine zhang tall with a humanoid shape, covered in golden armor, three dragon-shaped heads, and six arms, resembling the three-headed and six-armed deities from ancient Chinese mythology.


    "The Guardian War Dragon!"


    Adjacent to him, both the chapter''s presiding official and the chief prosecutor were visibly moved upon seeing the phantom of the war dragon.


    Lin Rui, too, was taken aback. Lin Tianda had actually gone so far as to use the final step of the Heavenly Demon Test.


    Summoning the Divine Sense of the Guardian War Dragon was a costly act that drained a lot of vital energy and life force, so normally, no one would use this method in a ''Heavenly Demon Test.''


    He inwardly felt uneasy, worrying that his Transformative Bone Technique and Concealing Breath Skill might be exposed. None of the upper echelons had mentioned such a scenario in their instructions.


    However, after the three-headed war dragon opened its vertical eye in its forehead and scrutinized Lin Rui for a moment, it let out a ''pchht'' sound and dissipated into green smoke.


    The blood flames on Lin Tianda also vanished, leaving him pale and weak as he said with difficulty, "After examination by the Heavenly Demon Strategy Technique, Lin No.12 is not a foreign Heavenly Demon!"


    Hearing this, Jiang Hanzhang collapsed to the ground, his face filled with despair and confusion: "No, how can this be? How is this possible? There must be something wrong."


    Zhuang Mingyue, seeing this, smiled with satisfaction, knowing Lin No.12 was indeed not a ''foreign Heavenly Demon'': "You fool, take this demon cultivator away."


    She stood up from her seat, pulling out an official document from her sleeve: "Lin No.12, take orders! The Commander-in-Chief of Sha State has decreed that Wu De, the Capital Commandant Lin No.12, is to immediately proceed to Wang City County to take up the post of Deputy Defence Commander of Wang City, and also to temporarily assume the role of Defence Commander of Wang City!"


    As Zhuang Mingyue made this declaration, not only was Lin Rui''s face filled with surprise, but Wang Sen''s heart was also struck with tumultuous waves.


    What did the County Magistrate just say? Lin Rui was to go to Wang City County to take up the post of Deputy Defence Commander of Wang City, and also to temporarily assume the role of Defence Commander of Wang City?


    Although the official rank of Defence Commander of Wang City was low, only sixth-rank, its authority was significant, enough to stand on equal terms with the local Prefectural Governor!


    Lin Rui had only been here for a few days and was already ascending to such a high official position? Experience new stories on empire


    No, the most crucial point was that his Brother Rui had actually infiltrated the core reserves of the Imperial Secret Service!


    Since Lin Rui could be entrusted with such an important task by the upper echelons of the Imperial Secret Service, it meant that he was being considered one of their own by a significant faction within, and deemed worthy of substantial grooming!


    Even the chapter''s presiding official and the chief prosecutor changed their expressions, looking at Lin Rui with eyes and smiles that became much warmer and more sincere.


    Although they ranked higher than Lin No.12 officially, on the grounds of Wang City County, they both would have to defer to this Lin Defence Commander.

 Chapter 116 Limitless Saber Venerable (Requesting Subscriptions)

    Lin Rui felt incredibly surprised and utterly confused.


    Wasn''t this County Magistrate being overly generous with him?


    He speculated that his appointment must be related to Zhuang Mingyue.


    Without the power of this deep and unmeasurable County Magistrate, how could that high-ranking protector of the region even think of letting him, a newly appointed ''Martial Cultivist Capital Commandant'' with no background, take over Wang City?


    Since his arrival just over twenty days ago, Zhuang Mingyue had promoted him several ranks in quick succession, not only appointing him as a seventh-grade Martial Cultivist Capital Commandant but also temporarily placing him as the deputy defender of Wang City, and even the acting defender.


    The question was, why did Zhuang Mingyue favor him so much? On what basis?


    If it weren''t for the fact that Zhuang Mingyue''s gaze had shown no signs of strangeness, Lin Rui might even suspect that the County Magistrate had taken a liking to him.


    However, he showed a face of shocked gratitude, his voice full of emotional vigor, "Your subordinate obeys the command! I am deeply grateful for your mentorship, heavier than a mountain, and as deep as the sea, beyond words. I am profoundly grateful and shall engrave this in my heart every single day!"


    This County Magistrate could be considered his patron, the old leader who promoted him, and he must make her feel the emotional value.


    After receiving the official document from Zhuang Mingyue, Lin Rui quickly scanned it.


    The content was as Zhuang Mingyue had stated, the regional protector instructed him to promptly go to the county city to suppress the local demons and martial forces to prevent the law and order in Wang City county from further deterioration, and also to monitor whether the officials in Wang City had engaged in any unlawful activities during its destruction.


    The regional protector, a fourth-rank official under the Imperial City Division, was the head of all ''Imperial Dragon Guards'' in the region, and also Lin Rui''s future immediate superior.


    This official also authorized him to recruit a hundred Imperial Dragon Guards after taking office, to rebuild the structure of Wang City.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Lin Rui felt very conflicted, musing that he had initially come to slack off and steal a salary, yet in less than a month, he ended up as a high official of the great Song Dynasty.


    If Manager Yu and others asked him how he was doing here, Lin Rui really didn''t know what to answer.


    Zhuang Mingyue was very satisfied with Lin Rui''s reaction. She smiled and swept her sleeve gently, "Why thank me? It''s all because of your own efforts, impressively managing the case of Zhu cousins, earning the regional protector''s favor. If you really want to thank me, just do your duties well and don''t disgrace me."


    Zhuang Mingyue then turned to the Imperial Censor, Lin Tianda, "Lord Lin, our county office also has a young hero, who stepped into the third realm only after a few months of cultivation, nearly reaching two-tenths proficiency in blood control, and is both intelligent and brave; Zhuang also intends to recruit him into the Imperial City Division for key training.


    Today just happens to be a good opportunity; why not test him as well?"


    Upon hearing Zhuang Mingyue''s words, Wang Sen almost lost his composure.


    As long as Zhuang Mingyue''s requests did not contradict his conscience, Lin Rui would do his best to fulfill them.


    A smile flickered across Zhuang Mingyue''s eyes, thinking to herself that he indeed was the person she had valued, "To be honest, the Governor of Shazhou is my senior brother. This time he appointed you to take over Wang City because he had no other choice. My sect operates some businesses in the Wang City County, which require supervision. Moreover, it relates to a matter that occurred recently.


    My senior brother must have a person strong in martial arts and reliable in character to help him manage Wang City."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui''s spirit was stirred.


    The County Magistrate''s senior brother was the Governor of Shazhou?


    His guess was correct, Zhuang Mingyue indeed came from a powerful faction within the imperial department.


    Lin Rui then listened to Zhuang Mingyue saying, "Twelve, have you ever heard of the Mad Saber Gentleman Qin Yan?"


    "Mad Saber Gentleman Qin Yan?" Lin Rui looked puzzled.


    He only had a vague understanding of the martial folklore of the Sky Extreme Islands, though he found the name very familiar; where had he heard it before?


    Before Lin Rui could even start to search online, Zhuang Mingyue laughed softly, thinking it was normal for Twelve of his age and experience to not have heard of him.


    She continued, "This person was a seventh realm Martial Cultivator from three thousand years ago, once listed within the top thirty on our Great Song''s imperial wanted list. That''s not too impressive itself, but what''s crucial is his other identity; he was the direct disciple of Du Zunlong."


    "Du Zunlong? The Limitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong?" Lin Rui finally remembered, his pupils dilating as he thought, isn''t that the project that Professor Han and his team are working on?


    "Exactly, the Limitless Saber Venerable! You''ve actually heard of his title!" Zhuang Mingyue felt a bit surprised, then nodded, "Du Zunlong was the undisputed number one master known beneath ''The Abyss'' at the time, in his later years he was infinitely close to The Abyss, and was the most likely entity to break through The Abyss in the last ten thousand years.


    He ultimately failed and perished in the Sky Extreme Islands overseas. Afterward, the fragments of his war dragon were divided among the ten disciples he had taken during his lifetime. Mad Saber Gentleman Qin Yan was one of them.


    Half a year ago, there were rumors suddenly on the rivers and lakes that Qin Yan might have lived in Wang City County for the last 100 years of his life, and his hideout was near Wang City County.


    This news created an uproar at the time, drawing many masters to Wang City, turning the county upside down until it calmed down two months ago. However, recently Wang City stirred up again, as new clues about the hideout of Mad Saber Gentleman Qin Yan were discovered¡ª"


    Hearing this, Lin Rui squinted his eyes.


    He remembered the message Fei Yunlai had them relay to Professor Han.


    ¡ªThe situation is not right; pause the plan; it''s a trap!

 Chapter 117 Simply Absurd (Subscription Request)

    Lin Rui walked out of the County Office''s inner courtyard looking somber, devoid of any joy. Continue reading stories on empire


    Wang Sen and Blood Blade Ji had been waiting outside, and both were slightly surprised when they saw Lin Rui''s expression.


    Today, Lin Rui had not only passed the Imperial Censor''s "Heavenly Demon Test," but had also been appointed as the Deputy Commander for the defense of Wang City¡ªa cause for great celebration. So why did he still look so troubled?


    Knowing they were curious, Lin Rui signaled to them with his eyes as he came out, "Let''s talk when we get back!"


    As the three of them reached the gate of the office, Lin Rui ran into Zhang Tianchang, who was just coming out from the other side.


    This man must have been working overtime on a case in the County Office and only now had he finished his shift.


    Lin Rui felt a surge of thoughts and greeted Zhang Tianchang with a beaming smile, "What a coincidence, Brother Tianchang! You haven''t finished your shift yet?"


    Zhang Tianchang furrowed his brow and, holding his sword, bowed expressionlessly, "Zhang has seen the Capital Commandant!"


    He wondered why this guy suddenly started addressing him as Brother Tianchang so enthusiastically again.


    Recently, Lin had always called him Old Zhang, and Zhang Tianchang had gotten used to it.


    As long as he didn''t call him Little Zhang, Zhang Tianchang would not bother arguing with this fellow.


    "What are you up to, Brother Tianchang?" Lin Rui approached warmly, clapping Zhang Tianchang on the shoulder forcefully, "Just the other day, we weathered hardships and faced death together. It wouldn''t be too much to say we are as close as brothers, right? Why so formal?"


    He then lowered his voice, sounding utterly sincere and persuasively gentle, "Brother Tianchang, I recently received a great opportunity. I don''t know if you''d be interested?


    Just today, the County Magistrate secured for me the position of Deputy Commander for the defense of Wang City, and the Commander of Sha State City has even allowed me to recruit a hundred strong men to join the Royal Guard of Wang City.


    "This is an Imperial Guard role! A very rare opportunity. If Brother Tianchang is willing to come with me, Lin would willingly offer you the rank of team leader, bearing the title of Capital Commandant. What do you say?"


    Zhang Tianchang was momentarily startled upon hearing this, Lin Rui had been appointed as the Deputy Commander for the defense of Wang City?


    He had thought Lin''s first step into the Imperial Guard would begin as an officer in the Royal Guard, maybe as a team leader commanding fifty men, or a Qu Zhang commanding a hundred men, or perhaps as a deputy commander in a small county on the frontier. He had never expected Lin to start at such a high position.


    Everyone knew Wang City was a major county! Located next to Sha State City, it had always been a critical location for the court''s grain and silver supplies.


    And the Commander even allowed him to recruit his own troops?


    He knew that several higher officers had come today from the county and the state, and Lin, as the Martial Virtue Capital Commandant, had also been there to accompany them. He hadn''t realized Lin had achieved such an impressive future prospect.


    Zhang Tianchang felt slightly moved, thinking that Lin was indeed quite loyal.


    The position of a team leader in the Imperial Guard was no low affair, significantly stronger than his current role as a temporary chief arrest officer.


    In the army, a team leader could only command two groups, which is about fifty men. However, in the Imperial Guard, the rank of team leader was particularly prestigious, usually held by an officially appointed eighth-rank Capital Commandant, and sometimes even a seventh-rank Martial Virtue Capital Commandant like Lin.


    Yet he simply smiled and shook his head, "I''ll pass. I''ve already promised the County Magistrate to stay in Silver Moon County for three more months, to stabilize the situation here before the new County Magistrate and the new arrest officer take over. After three months, he will recommend me for the Imperial Guard''s Inspector assessment.


    By then, if I pass, we might still have the chance to work together. If not, I''ll come and seek a position from you."


    Lin Rui was also taken aback upon hearing this, just then realizing Zhang Tianchang''s future might even exceed his own.


    The Imperial Guard''s Inspector and the Royal Guard belonged to different branches, the Royal Guard being akin to local military and patrol units, whereas Inspectors were more like special forces and major case departments¡ªnot only wielding greater authority but also covering a wider jurisdiction and receiving more attention from higher-ups.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Sima Lin): Back already? I saw the thing you sent over through the Heteromorphic Management Bureau, man oh man! It''s actually blood from a four-realm super emperor! How did you manage it? Did you kill a four-realm super emperor demon?


    Lin Rui chuckled lightly after reading it.


    If Sima Lin knew that he had also brought three tubes of blood from a seven-realm royal class demon suitable for cultivating heteromorphic beings, what would his reaction be?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, I captured a Blood Blade Ji, a four-realm super emperor!


    Divine Doctor Sima (Sima Lin): !!!!!!! Really? Are you joking with me, Lin Rui?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): It''s true, I''m not lying to you. I want you to personally make a serum for me with this super emperor blood. Are you interested, Professor?


    Lin Rui''s synthetic serum could only be completed after his heteromorphic blood cultivation was perfected.


    However, the preliminary preparations could already begin. Lin Rui''s progress in cultivating heteromorphic blood was swift, already reaching 78%.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Also, after removing the serum portion from this blood, there should still be a considerable amount left. I''d like to run a genetic test on my protective demon as soon as possible, equip her with some specialized strengthening potions, and a top-grade subdermal nano-armor, ideally all within a week.


    These strengthening potions and subdermal nano-armor should be able to boost Ji Xueying''s combat power to the extreme.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Sima Lin): No problem, as long as it''s cybernetic equipment, it''s within my field of research, but I and my team charge a lot. You need it done especially quickly, so expect the fee to be no less than 2 million Federation coins, with a 500,000 deposit, not including the nano-armor. You''ll need to buy that yourself.


    Lin Rui immediately transferred the amount. He glanced at his bank account, which still had 17.21 million remaining after the transaction.


    ¡ª¡ªThis was the reward from the great battle eight days ago; even after dividing 3,000 magic silver with the Ji family and paying taxes to the Heteromorphic Management Bureau, Lin Rui still obtained a massive amount of 17.71 million.


    This did not even include the three tubes of seven-realm royal class demon blood he held.


    The battles at the County Magistrate''s office and the dungeon that day accounted for a total of 25 bounty demons and 11 bounty demon cultivators, so just from the official bounties, Lin Rui obtained over 5,000 somethings.


    Additionally, the weapons gathered from those demon cultivators sold for over 300 somethings; most of these cultivators were very poor, lacking any decent Magic Artifacts, only a couple of weapons left by burnt arrest officers were of some value.


    That upper-level four-realm sword and a royal class synthetic Golden Core, Lin Rui also sold to the Heteromorphic Management Bureau, despite the fact that the price was a loss. However, it was fast and hassle-free.


    Moreover, he instructed Blood Blade Ji to use her divine hiding ability to extract some blood from those deceased four-realm demons before their blood congealed, which also sold for over 2 million.


    However, all these funds combined did not match the value of the divine hedgehog armor on Lin Rui''s body, which could be sold for at least 50 million Federation coins. It''s likely all the eunuch''s belongings were invested in this armor set.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, I might need your help with some cybernetic equipment in the next few days.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Sima Lin): Received! Looks like you made a fortune down there, but you need to create synthetic serum and other cybernetic equipment, so you better come to the affiliated hospital for a comprehensive physical examination. Let''s see the redundancy of your body today; you should have some free time, right?


    Conveniently, your sister is also here; hm~ call Wang Sen over as well, and have him tested too.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Okay, Professor, I''m on my way.


    In fact, these past few days, Sima Lin had already urged him several times about the physical examination. Lin Rui had been making excuses about being busy to push back the body check until today.


    Just as Lin Rui replied, located in the affiliated hospital''s Laboratory Building 3, sitting in a pristine white lab, Sima Lin suddenly furrowed his brows.


    Lin Xi''s physical examination report had already come out, and Sima Lin was reviewing her medical report form.


    His gaze was puzzled: "Strange, aren''t they siblings? Why do their DNA sequences not have even a bit of similarity?"


    Moments later, Sima Lin abruptly rose from his seat, his gaze incredulously glued to Lin Xi''s DNA structure model: "How is this possible? This is absurd, utterly inconceivable¡ª"

 Chapter 118 Longevity Association (Please Subscribe)

    "Spiritual power index 729, physical index 485, True Qi index 524, hiss¡ª"


    Half an hour later, Si Malin looked at Lin Rui''s test report and couldn''t help but gasp.


    What top-tier delicacy did this guy eat on Tianji Star? The indices of his body have improved so fast, he''s almost surpassing the standards of a capital commandant completely.


    And that''s without any artificial serum implanted.


    At this rate, why would Lin Rui even need to wait half a year? In five to six months, this guy could get the top-grade artificial Golden Core implanted.


    Si Malin pulled up Lin Rui''s alternate body data.


    He discovered that Lin Rui''s alternate body''s physical condition was much stronger than his original body.


    There weren''t detailed testing tools for the alternate body side, so it was roughly estimated by the biological chip. In the rank of an officer, the variance is usually around 50 points.


    "Bright Divine Blood, indeed, you have awakened the foundational bloodline of the Dazzling Thunder Sacred Body, a super emperor-grade talent¡ª"


    Si Malin still felt it was unbelievable how quickly both bodies of Lin Rui were advancing in strength.


    Was it because Lin Rui''s alternate body''s quality was too strong, and under the effect of alternate body assimilation, it caused the original body''s power to improve simultaneously?


    This little guy is getting more and more interesting, not even slightly less outstanding than his sister.


    He looked at Lin Rui lying in the medical pod, "Lin Rui, what implantation equipment are you planning on getting?"


    Lin Rui was currently exploring the website of Tianlan Group.


    He had previously made a plan, but after taking up the post of vice defense envoy of Wang City, Lin Rui felt he had been too conservative.


    The proverb goes, "Three years as a county magistrate earns one hundred thousand taels of snowflakes silver."


    The circumstances on Tianji Star were different from ancient China, where magical silver was even more valuable.


    The defense envoy of Wang City could stand on par with the local prefectural governor. With such authority, even without exploiting the citizens, earning twenty to thirty thousand taels of magical silver a year would not be a problem.


    The salary for Lin Rui''s official rank of seventh-grade Martial Virtue Capital Commandant, along with various allowances from his position, also amounted to about two to three thousand taels a year.


    In addition, just the dividends promised by Zhuang Mingyue were as high as five thousand taels per year.


    Zhuang Mingyue had already promised that as long as he handled things properly, secured a strong foothold in Wang City, and raised his cultivation to the fourth realm of Golden Core, then the position of defense envoy of Wang City would be his.


    So he must give it his all to satisfy his superior.


    "¡ª''Celestial Armor'' Type 5 growth-type subdermal nanotech armor, three sets, one for the original body, one for Ji Xueying, and one for my alternate body needing injection."


    That''s a total of 6 million federation dollars.


    Subdermal nanotech armor involves microrobots that are fused with the user''s DNA. Once injected into the body, they settle beneath the skin and remain inactive. In critical moments, they can gather and form an extremely powerful defensive armor under the skin.


    Its utility isn''t limited to defense¡ªit also helps in wound cleaning, healing, detoxification, and can somewhat enhance the muscle structure, increasing strength and more.


    ''Celestial Armor'' Type 5 corresponds to a fifth realm dragon-transformation Martial Cultivator and is the top model in this tier. A growth-type subdermal nano-armor can even actively absorb etheric metals from the host''s body to fortify its structure.


    This nanotechnology is relatively inexpensive, yet very practical, making it a great value for the price.


    This kind of implantation equipment might expose his alternate body walker identity, but Lin Rui has already passed the highest level ''Heavenly Demon Test'' in the presence of group officials, so naturally, he is undeterred.


    Now, he is the most orthodox and genuinely pure resident of Tianji Star! No one could question him, not even Zhuang Mingyue.


    "Intermediate ''Blood Core Fury Sun'', 800 million federation dollars."


    "Intermediate ''Bright Divine Blood'', 800 million federation dollars."


    "Intermediate ''Light Blood'', 80 million federation dollars."


    "Intermediate ''Flame Blood'', 80 million federation dollars."


    But when he saw the message sent by Wang Sen, his face twitched slightly.


    Quirky Youngster (Wang Sen): Professor, I want to implant a set of mid-tier ''Xuanwu Divine Blood'', not sure if I meet the conditions now?


    Si Malin could firmly confirm that these two definitely had robbed someone''s vault below.


    ''Xuanwu Divine Blood'' was an S+ tier bloodline implant, with a mid-tier price of 4 million.


    He carefully looked at Wang Sen''s body data and then frowned.


    It was just barely sufficient, ''Xuanwu Divine Blood'' was only an auxiliary implant, not a core implant, so the burden on spiritual power was comparatively lesser.


    However, this guy was walking on the edge of madness.


    Si Malin felt that he had to perform the surgery himself, otherwise this kid was sure to succumb to implant syndrome.


    "Oh, right, Professor." Lin Rui remembered Lin Xi waiting outside the examination room, "How''s my sister''s physical data, any progress these days?"


    He wanted to use Lin Xi''s physical data to determine if her martial arts training had fallen behind.


    Si Malin looked up and through the transparent glass window at Lin Xi out in the family waiting area.


    The young girl was staring at him with wide eyes, her eyes containing a mix of anxiety, hope, and pleading.


    Did this child not want Lin Rui to know that their DNA had nothing in common, or did she not want her brother to know about her condition?


    Si Malin smiled, "Her progress is good, your sister''s talent is actually much stronger than yours."


    However, Lin Xi''s abnormal body data were ingrained in Si Malin''s mind.


    Just then, Si Malin noticed a message alert on his smart terminal.


    "Hold on!"


    Si Malin''s expression changed slightly, and he quickly walked over to the changing room, projecting a virtual screen in front of him.


    With Si Malin''s thought, the screen displayed a website filled with a mysterious aura, bearing the ''Longevity Association'' LOGO.


    Someone had sent him a message through this website.


    Grand Priest[Chen Long]: Noon Horse, were you looking for me, what is the matter?


    Si Malin''s eyes narrowed slightly, and he immediately responded.


    He maintained another username and identity on this website.


    Priest[Noon Horse]: Chen Long, I want to know, is it possible for humans to have an extremely high concentration of ''Dragon'' essence in their blood without undergoing implantation?


    Grand Priest[Chen Long]: Extremely high concentration of ''Dragon'' essence? I see, you have made contact with Despair Heavenly Girl and seen her medical report, right?


    Si Malin paused slightly when he saw this message.


    Despair Heavenly Girl, was he referring to Lin Xi? Was the Longevity Association always monitoring them?


    He immediately opened the Longevity Association''s data archive to look for information on ''Despair Heavenly Girl''.


    However, the website soon popped up a message¡ªYour confidentiality level is insufficient to view all top-secret information related to this entry.


    Priest[Noon Horse]: Chen Long, what do you mean by Despair Heavenly Girl?


    Grand Priest[Chen Long]: Oh, right, your level isn''t yet high enough to view her research materials, let me think.


    Grand Priest[Chen Long]: Noon Horse, considering the information about Despair Heavenly Girl has been broadly leaked and you will be often in contact with Despair Heavenly Girl recently, I can make an exception and tell you part of the situation. Noon Horse, you know our creed at the Longevity Association, right?


    Priest[Noon Horse]: Of course, it''s to achieve immortality! For the Abyss!


    Grand Priest[Chen Long]: Mainly the Abyss, until now, our Earth Federation has yet to produce an Abyss! This is the biggest bottleneck for the federation''s implant martial arts, and Despair Heavenly Girl was once part of our ''Abyss Program''.

 Chapter 119 Heavenly Maiden Plan (Please Subscribe)

    Divine Doctor Sima looked at the message Chief High Priest Chen Long had sent, his pupils contracting ever so slightly.


    Could it be that Lin Xi was one of the ''Deep Abyss Project'' from the Longevity Organization?


    The Longevity Organization was established by certain high-ranking members of the federation for the purpose of creating the ''Abyss.'' It boasted not only a large number of federal elites, over three hundred banking and financial institutions, but also thousands of genius scientists and possessed an incredibly powerful armed force.


    This organization, with an overwhelming presence, always lurked in darkness, outside the awareness of the federal citizens, attempting to break through the ''Abyss'' by any means necessary, both legal and illegal, so that certain people within it could gain ''eternity'' and a power capable of confronting the five great ''Abysses'' of Tianji Star.


    They were ruthless, with a notorious reputation in the underground world of the federation.


    High Priest Martial Cultivator: Since you used ''once,'' does it mean the project has failed?


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: How should I put it? The project did fail, but ''Twin Goddesses'' were in fact the closest to success among all the Abyss projects in the last hundred years. It''s said they almost touched the brink of the Abyss during the final stage, but I''m not clear on the details.


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: Although this project failed to break through the Abyss, its core components, ''Despair'' Heavenly Girl and ''Suffering'' Heavenly Girl, remain the strongest biological weapons of this century, the pinnacles of Earth Federation''s biotechnology.


    High Priest Martial Cultivator: The Twin Goddess Project? Besides the ''Despair'' Heavenly Girl, there''s also a ''Suffering'' Heavenly Girl?


    Divine Doctor Sima thought back to the family information of Lin Rui that he had investigated not long ago, his eyes narrowing slightly, his thoughts growing heavy.


    High Priest Martial Cultivator: Does this mean the Twin Goddesses are still valuable? Why did our Longevity Organization give up on the project?


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: The reasons are complex. The primary one is that they have defects. You have conducted a body examination report on her, so you should understand, right? The stronger her power, the shorter her lifespan. Once she awakens her ''Despair Battle Dragon,'' she won''t live much longer. Second, they are uncontrollable; their mental states are problematic.


    It is said that during the Twin Goddesses'' experiment phase, an accident occurred that resulted in a large number of personnel fatalities.


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: Finally, we lost the experimental data. The person in charge of the project at the time destroyed all the experimental data, as well as all the data collected during the experimental phase. Since the Twin Goddesses harbor great hatred towards the Longevity Organization, the project not only ceased progress but instead became a heavy burden for the organization. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    The higher-ups finally decided to seal the project.


    High Priest Martial Cultivator: Chen Long, is the project leader Lin Cong? Is the Longevity Organization''s intention to pursue him related to the Twin Goddess Project?


    As Divine Doctor Sima sent messages, he wondered about his old classmate Lin Cong. What exactly had he done? Why would he adopt someone like Lin Xi?


    Could this be the reason why Lin Cong disappeared?


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: How could that be? The ''Twin Goddesses'' project ended thirteen years ago. Lin Cong did participate in the project, and he was among the most brilliant biological scientists in recent decades, but back then, he was still green. The reason the Longevity Organization is pursuing him is another matter entirely.


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: Enough Martial Cultivator, stop asking. I''ve told you all that I can.


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: You might have to interact with the Despair Heavenly Girl frequently in the future, so help us keep an eye on her. The battle power of the Despair Heavenly Girl is formidable. Once awakened, even for our Longevity Organization, she poses a great threat, especially in her ''Twin Goddesses'' form.


    Therefore, some organizations are now watching her, trying to provoke her into awakening on her own.


    High Priest Martial Cultivator: The ''Twin Goddesses'' form? So the Suffering Heavenly Girl is still alive. Where is she?


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: I told you not to ask! You''re not of sufficient rank, and this information is not for you to know.


    Divine Doctor Sima did not give up and sent two more messages, but the Chief High Priest responded no more.


    He stared at the chat history, his brows deeply furrowed in thought.


    Si Malin connected all the assistive cybernetic enhancements closely to his meridian system and spinal nerves, thereby minimizing the physical and mental burden while maximizing the power of the enhancements.


    After waking up, Lin Rui received a message from a stranger.


    White Summer: Do not go out in the near future, the Vile Pirate Group has arrived.


    Lin Rui was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Is this Sister Xue?


    He had been so busy lately that he almost forgot about the beautiful Miss Xue.


    He was ashamed that the No. 1 Spirit Warrior had issued a mission for him to take care of his daughter.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): In any case, be careful. Be extra cautious when you go out. Their people have already scouted Mingde University, they might have given up on finding an opportunity, but you still can''t be careless. The people sent by the Vile Pirate Group are very strong, all of them are at least of Major and Lieutenant Colonel ranks, with cybernetic enhancements rated at least grade B.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Have many people come? How many?


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): I currently know of seven. What do you need their numbers for? What''s your cultivation level now? You want to confront them? Just stay put and don''t go out. Don''t worry!


    I will ensure your safety.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Understood!


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes, letting out a cold chuckle.


    He thought he''d have a month or two, but they found him so quickly? That was fast!


    Next, he hummed the nursery rhyme ''The Big Garden'' while sensing the changes brought by the cybernetic enhancements.


    Lin Rui noticed that his spine was different from before; he could clearly feel a continuous warmth being generated inside his vertebrae.


    This was ''Blood Core Fury Sun''!


    In the Earth Federation, ''Blood Core Fury Sun'' was an SS+ graded cybernetic enhancement implanted into the spine; on Tianji Star, ''Blood Core Fury Sun'' was a super-royal-tier bloodline talent!


    According to the standards issued by the Martial Cultivators Association, with the four realms of Martial Cultivators as the benchmark, as long as a person''s core enhancement is of full special grade, and they can implant six pieces of SS+ grade, or assistive enhancements with similar overall combat effectiveness, their enhancement rating can reach SS+, which is equivalent to Tianji Star''s super-royal-tier.


    It must be mentioned here that the so-called top ten talents, the rankings of the hall and legendary talent evaluations of the Earth Federation, are not the same thing as Tianji Star''s ''Royal Tier'' and ''Imperial Tier''.


    The so-called hall-level talent only means that in the future there is hope to implant imperial-tier enhancements and achieve imperial-tier strength.


    Whereas on Tianji Star, the imperial tier represents a realized talent that has already reached this level.


    Lin Rui was eager to test the power of his two SS+ grade cybernetic enhancements.


    However, he still followed Divine Doctor Sima''s medical advice, patiently studying the knowledge of Tianji Star, until four hours later.


    When testing the cybernetic enhancements, Lin Rui did not go to the public activity area of the club but did so in the practice room of his own room.


    When Lin Rui wielded his sword with all his might, he saw a flash of light before his eyes.

 Chapter 120 Blood Core Frenzy Sun (Subscription Request)

    After two slashes and three cuts, Lin Rui halted his actions and thoughtfully looked at the practice blade in his hand.


    The SS+ combat gear "Guang Ming Divine Blood," also known as "Blood of Guang Ming," is based on the "Radiant Thunder Sacred Body." It greatly enhances the affinity and utilization efficiency with light, thunder, fire, and all other Guang Ming elements, significantly boosting True Qi strength and physical condition.


    According to tests conducted after Lin Rui''s surgery, his affinity with the three elemental series had increased by about 33% each.


    The utilization efficiency had increased by 24%, True Qi strength by 23%, and physical condition by 21%.


    However, the real power of this combat gear lay in speed and response time.


    The speed of Lin Rui''s three slashes had just increased by nearly 120%!


    What does that mean? Previously, Lin Rui could slash at most 15 times per second, but now he could slash 33 times, surpassing the firing rate of many firearms!


    This enhancement significantly boosted his combat effectiveness. Opponents who were previously on par with Lin Rui might not react quickly enough to the second slash and get killed by him.


    The speed of movements and reaction time had not yet been tested, but the outcome would not be disappointing.


    Lin Rui''s variant had awakened the "Blood of Guang Ming" eight days ago and had already experienced this innate ability.


    The reason Lin Rui was able to withstand that eunuch Zhu in the underground palace was due to his greatly increased blade speed and agility. Stay connected through empire


    The problem was that activating the "Guang Ming Divine Blood" consumed too much energy.


    Lin Rui had only fought Zhu Tianmao for a dozen seconds, and he had already used up more than half of his True Qi.


    Therefore, he exchanged for the SS+ combat gear "Blood Core Fury Sun."


    This piece of gear was implanted in his spine and worked like carrying a miniature nuclear battery.


    It not only increased the power of light, thunder, and fire among other Guang Ming attributes but also continuously generated Guang Ming energy and ether elements, filling his meridians and blood and providing him with a steady supply of True Qi.


    Besides, it could activate its "Fury Sun" mode, doubling the capabilities of the "Blood Core Fury Sun" and enabling Lin Rui''s strength and speed to burst to their limits.


    Lin Rui believed that the combination of these two combat gears could yield an effect of at least 1+1=5.


    Indeed, as Lin Rui had predicted, the "Blood of Guang Ming" and the "Blood Core Fury Sun" astonishingly enhanced his combat power.


    "Worthy of being a super Emperor-level combat gear! I really hope my variant can awaken this gift soon, but this level might still be insufficient to handle seven B-ranked combat gears appraised at four realms," he said.


    It was unfortunate that his Blood Blade Ji was not present, or else things wouldn''t have been so troublesome¡ªhe could have just gone straight in for the kill.


    "From my feeling, my speed could be faster, the Blood of Guang Ming hasn''t reached its limit, and the Blood Core Fury Sun''s recovery ability can also be stronger¡ª"


    Lin Rui felt that he had not fully utilized the capabilities of these two SS+ auxiliary combat gears.


    The issue lay in the Cultivation Techniques and martial arts he was learning; they were either solely focused on light or a combination of thunder and fire, or just the two systems of light and fire.


    The key issue was that both his battle spirits had not mastered martial arts skills encompassing all three elemental systems.


    Ji Shenyan did have a potent dragon-tier martial art, integrating the powers of thunder, light, and fire, but the current Lin Rui was far from reaching it.


    However, Lin Rui''s awakening of the "Blood of Guang Ming" over these eight days had not been in vain.


    He had thought of a method and was ready to experiment today.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that it was very good, based on statistics, a Lieutenant Colonel ranked with a B-level implant usually achieves around 30 strikes, spending so much money on implanting two types of supreme royal implants and the Soul Power points used to deduce martial arts was still worth it!


    "Ring Spirit, help me elevate the poison concoction skill to Great Grandmaster level!"


    Reminder: Elevating poison concoction to Great Grandmaster level requires 2,000 Soul Power points.


    This deduction was a bit different from before, triggering a link with the Extreme Star Herbology that Lin Rui had previously studied, he came up with dozens of entirely new poison and medicinal formulas, and also improved the two hundred formulas he already mastered.


    Afterwards, Lin Rui threw himself into the sleep chamber, starting the deep sleep mode.


    This continuous four-time deduction depleted his mental energy to the extreme, leaving his consciousness completely numb, almost like a walking corpse.


    Lin Rui slept through turmoil until a message from his younger sister Lin Xi woke him up.


    Lin Xi: "Bro, what are you up to? I''ve finished cooking. Why haven''t you come over yet? Professor Si is already here."


    Only then did Lin Rui remember that this morning Lin Xi mentioned she would cook dinner tonight to host Professor Si and several members from the club.


    He quickly got up, hurried through his washing, changed into clean clothes, and went to Lin Xi''s suite next door.


    The dining room in the large suite was bustling, not only was Si Malin there, but Yu Feicui was also present, along with Zhao Yan, Wang Sen, Nolan Wei, and even Lu Fang had the cheek to show up.


    Lin Rui immediately smelled the aroma of the food, his appetite surging.


    Yu Feicui, sitting at the dining table, turned her head to look at him, eyes showing a strange gleam.


    She had already learned from Si Malin that Lin Rui had implanted two types of supreme royal implants, significantly advancing his martial arts.


    Yu Feicui wondered curiously, where did this kid get the money?


    Originally according to their plan, Lin Rui would systematically advance to the Fourth Realm Golden Core, by which time his bank loan limit could reach 50 million, with Fang Ranran''s interest-free loan guarantee, it would be enough to fully enhance Lin Rui''s capabilities.


    But now, Lin Rui had already implanted two types of supreme royal implants at this stage!


    She wanted to probe Wang Sen for information. However, the chubby young man was indeed very clever, keeping tight-lipped and leak-proof, maintaining that it was Lin Rui''s personal privacy, and he couldn''t disclose it.


    In the past, Yu Feicui might have felt a bit annoyed.


    But now Wang Sen''s overall quality had broken through to the Captain level, and he had also implanted the S+ level Guang Ming Divine Blood! In her eyes, his value was no less than Lu Fang''s.


    She couldn''t pressure Wang Sen to talk.


    However, this was indeed good news for the Minde Martial Arts Club.


    Yu Feicui initially thought she had only nabbed a big trump card, but what she actually got was a royal flush.


    Zhao Yan raised his eyebrows, a sharp gleam appearing in his eyes, "Lin Rui, Professor Si said your physical qualities have surpassed the Captain level, are you interested in sparring with me?"


    He wanted to see if Lin Rui could implant the Golden Core in half a year, could he carry the club''s main responsibility?


    Appointing Lin Rui as the main team leader in half a year might still be a bit of a stretch, but as long as Lin Rui implants the Golden Core, he could definitely be promoted to Deputy General.


    Lin Rui smiled at the words and took a seat at the dining table.


    He picked up a pair of chopsticks, "Aren''t you just curious about my current level of martial arts, why don''t we use these to test a few moves?"


    Zhao Yan, unhesitatingly, also picked up a pair of chopsticks, "Alright! Let''s test a few moves!"No?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 121 Still Need to Shock Him (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Rui knew that Zhao Yan''s martial arts standard was far superior to his own, with a chasm-like gap between them.


    Not only had Zhao Yan implanted a special-grade Dragon and Tiger Golden Core, but he likely also had several S-grade or higher auxiliary cybernetic enhancements.


    So, Lin Rui didn''t hold back. As soon as he saw Zhao Yan pick up his chopsticks, he made his move directly, jabbing with his own chopsticks and creating a blur of afterimages beside the dining table.


    "Holy shit!" Nolan Wei, who was by his side, almost dropped his jaw in shock. "That''s fast!"


    Such a fast strike! This guy didn''t even have synthetic blood serum implanted, and yet his speed was already catching up to Nolan''s!


    Was this the power of SS+ grade auxiliary cybernetic enhancements? Was the enhancement that significant?


    No! The martial arts Lin Rui demonstrated with the chopsticks were also very powerful, and they were highly compatible with his enhancements¡ªa style Nolan had never seen before.


    He immediately captured the footage and used video matching to search, but he couldn''t find any videos with similar movements on the network.


    Lu Fang''s complexion had paled slightly too.


    He had come to the banquet today with the intention of challenging Lin Rui.


    Recently, Lu Fang had implanted his first piece of S+ grade auxiliary cybernetic enhancement and had made progress in his martial arts, which boosted his confidence.


    But after watching Lin Rui engage with Zhao Yan, he realized that instead of closing the gap between them, it had widened even more.


    "Tap! Tap! Tap, tap, tap¡ª"


    The two''s exchange of moves was extremely fast, delivering over thirty strikes in an instant.


    Lin Rui initially used the advantage of the initiative to suppress Zhao Yan''s chopsticks in front of his face, but Zhao Yan quickly recovered and started to counterattack.


    Seeing a good point to stop, Lin Rui decisively retreated his chopsticks, "Stop! I won''t fight anymore; my current level is about this."


    There was no need to continue; he had already showcased the advantages of his martial arts to the fullest¡ªthat was extreme speed and variation.


    Lin Rui felt inwardly shaken, pondering that Zhao Yan must have implanted at least four S+ grade enhancements! His combat power rating was definitely above S+ grade, on par with the former Blood Blade Ji.


    He now hadn''t implanted synthetic blood serum, and his strength was far from that of his variant body, so he was completely overwhelmed by Zhao Yan.


    Was this the level of a Deputy General from the Second City University? Then, what level was the Main General?


    And had Zhao Yan lost his position as a Deputy General at the Second City University?


    Zhao Yan''s own heart was also churning, struggling to settle down.


    A good two breaths later, Zhao Yan finally spoke up, "Lin Rui, did you create your own Cultivation Technique and martial arts to match your enhancements? You wield chopsticks like a knife, and the technique seems unfamiliar."


    Lin Rui smiled slightly, "You noticed, Zhao? I felt that my previous martial arts were not sufficient to bring out the potential of the enhancements, so I made some slight improvements on top of my original martial arts base. Indeed, I''m not familiar with it yet, and I need more practice."


    His statement sent shockwaves through the minds of the others present.


    This guy had truly created his own martial arts stance work? And it seemed quite impressive.


    Just how high was his martial arts talent?


    Yu Feicui frowned slightly upon hearing this, but she quickly resumed her smile, "It looks very systematic! Lin Rui, you might want to refine it further. In a while, I''ll call over General Fei to help you evaluate and offer advice.


    He then raised an eyebrow, having spotted a rival at the table.


    It was Lin Rui. For some reason, this guy''s pace in picking up dishes had suddenly quickened, yet his movements remained elegant, with a touch of nobility.


    Si Malin glanced sideways at Lin Xi and then opened the chat with Lin Rui.


    Divine Doctor Si Malin (Si Malin): Lin Rui, starting tomorrow, study biology, internal medicine, and prosthetic surgery with me. I''ll send you a few book lists later, along with some teaching videos. I''ll check your homework bi-weekly. If your results during summer break satisfy me, I''ll give you a chance to directly pursue a Ph.D. without exams.


    This little girl didn''t want him to tell her brother the truth, and the Longevity Association had also warned him, but Si Malin truly did not want to see this top-notch little chef meet her end.


    He couldn''t outright tell the truth, but he could lead Lin Rui to perceive it on his own.


    After receiving the message, Lin Rui looked puzzled and glanced toward Si Malin.


    Though he was currently in a possessed state, Spirit #2 was only interested in the food and did not interfere with his operation of the smart bracelet.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Okay! Thank you for the recognition, Professor, I''ll study diligently. Discover more content at empire


    If it had been before, Lin Rui would have worried about not having enough time, but now he had learned of Soul Power Points, a method to quickly study.


    Si Malin was slightly surprised that Lin Rui''s pace of eating was not affected at all.


    He then spoke up directly, "Also, you need to gather some money to create an artificial body for Lin Xi, to summon her to the extreme boundary star."


    The moment Si Malin spoke, everyone at the table froze, turning towards him in utter astonishment.


    Without taking his eyes off Si Malin, Lin Rui forcefully controlled his gaze.


    Yu Feicui was puzzled, "Professor, Lin Xi is only 16 years old. Even if she descends upon the extreme boundary star, she wouldn''t be able to start cultivating, right? Besides, she doesn''t have a license for an artificial body."


    Considering the ''spirit-flesh convergence'' issue, artificial body warriors typically choose someone of the same age when creating artificial bodies.


    Why do artificial body warriors descend upon the extreme boundary star only at 18? It''s simply because the fontanelle usually closes around that age.


    "That''s why he needs to raise some money," Si Malin said, taking advantage of the pause in the meal to heap his bowl full, "Without a license for an artificial body, he''ll have to self-fund it. People on the extreme boundary star generally start martial cultivation at 18, but there are many exceptions.


    I have a way to make her artificial body''s fontanelle close earlier, and as it happens, Lin Rui has top-tier blood essence at his disposal."


    The amount of four-realm imperial blood that Lin Rui had brought, which remained after producing synthetic blood serum, was more than adequate for creating top-tier blood essence.


    Lin Xi''s chances of survival probably couldn''t be aided by the Federation''s biotech, or else the Longevity Association wouldn''t have easily given up on her ¨C a top biological weapon known as the Despair Heavenly Girl.


    Lin Xi''s only chance to live lay on the extreme boundary star, that world existing at the convergence point of two spacetime dimensions, filled with countless wonders.


    Lin Xi''s eyes shone at the mention of this.


    She wasn''t thinking too much, just genuinely intrigued and curious about the extreme boundary star, knowing that artificial body warriors could enhance their combat abilities much faster than conventional prosthetic martial artists.


    Their martial arts society, including Yu Feicui, all possessed their own artificial bodies.


    But such a self-funded artificial body would cost much, wouldn''t it?


    Many in Base Nine chose to self-fund their artificial bodies, all of whom were multi-millionaires and elite figures.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, was contemplative. Why did Si Malin suddenly take him as a student today and urge him to finance an artificial body for Lin Xi? What was his ulterior motive?

 Chapter 122 Top Poison Master (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    As night fell, the Night Wolf Bar located in Taiping Street in the eastern district shimmered early with neon lights.


    When ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke entered the bar with a few subordinates, he was immediately hit by a mixed scent of alcohol, perfume, and drugs.


    The dim, red lighting inside created a hazy atmosphere; the colorful cocktails on the bar shimmered enticingly under the lights, while the music throbbed rhythmically and deeply.


    However, a quick scan revealed that there were not many guests.


    The recent government crackdown against terror and gang influence had affected business up to that point, with the Night Wolf Bar having reopened just five days earlier, yet the flow of customers was less than a quarter of what it had been at its peak.


    This was partly because his regulars were still nervous and cautious; second, their Blood Lizard Gang didn''t have much good stuff left.


    That night, the Fabric Club was flattened by a mysterious force, and the last batch of goods hidden by the Blood Lizard Gang there was burnt, causing many customers to drift to other gangs'' territories.


    The Blood Lizard Gang, which had once controlled the drug trade in the eastern district, was forced to purchase drugs from other forces, a disgrace indeed.


    "Damn Tiana, what did she and her brother have to provoke that bastard for?",


    ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke, hugely irritated, tugged at the gold chain around his neck, "Fuck his grandma, I really don''t know what the boss was thinking, hooking up with such a crazy woman."


    What was even worse was that Iron Fist King actually wanted revenge, hired a whole action group from the Extreme Evil Pirate Gang, and made Nai Ke responsible for their logistics.


    ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke shuddered at the thought of the consequences if this matter were uncovered.


    He knew what Iron Fist King was thinking.


    It had only been a few weeks since the last incident, and striking now, in this very sensitive period, could actually serve to prove Iron Fist King''s "innocence" to some extent.


    The problem is, why would such a powerful entity, capable of marshalling military and security forces, care about the innocence of an ant like him?


    If they got angry, they wouldn''t care whether he was involved or not; they''d just flatten him.


    Yet ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke dared not resist.


    He wasn''t afraid of Iron Fist King, but he dreaded the ''Extreme Evil Pirate Gang'', a force that could frustrate the Federal Space Army, ten times more bloody and brutal than the Blood Lizard Gang.


    If his boss had brought in another force or another assassin, ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke would have written a letter denouncing his boss by now, but at this moment he could only trust his boss''s promise that if things went south, he could escape through the channels of the ''Extreme Evil Pirate Gang'' and become a pirate leader.


    "It''s bad enough that there are few customers; why are there so few of our people as well? Are they all slacking off? Fuck, send a message in the group chat, telling them to get their asses back here! If I don''t see anyone by 8:00, they''re out of a job."


    Nai Ke, worried and annoyed, walked up to the third floor of the bar and pushed open his manager''s office.


    Something felt off at that moment; his pupils dilated as he stared intently at the corner where the surveillance monitors were.


    ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke had installed several surveillance monitors in his office to keep an eye on both the inside and outside of the bar, facilitating management.


    Yet, he now saw in the monitors, in the sneaky corners of the second and third floors of the bar, thirty-something people lying there.


    They were motionless, utterly silent!


    ¡ª Had they died?


    No! If they had died, their smart bracelets would have automatically alerted the authorities.


    They must have been knocked out and hidden in these secluded corners.


    So there must also be something wrong with the control room!


    No wonder he hadn''t seen anyone on his way up.


    ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke felt a chill shoot up his spine to his head, his scalp tingling as he drew a gun from his waist, "Assassin! Stay alert; I''m calling the police!"


    This was surely a top-grade assassin! Silently, he had laid flat all his subordinates on the second and third floors.


    He also conveniently destroyed the database in the surveillance room, the flying needles emitting bursts of lightning, using extreme heat to obliterate the database.


    At this time, numerous notifications of demon cultivators being slaughtered popped up in Lin Rui''s mind.


    Lin Rui''s lips curled up in pleasure.


    This time, though the Soul Power points he gained were not as high as during the underground mine battle, the total reached 8324 points.


    Lin Rui then carried ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke and jumped out the window, swiftly running across the rooftops outside.


    Not until three minutes later, when Lin Rui could no longer hear the siren, did he put ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke down.


    Lin Rui looked at him emotionlessly, "Where are the people sent by the Vile Pirate Gang?"


    ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke, with a dazed look, vaguely answered, "They are on Longze West Road, Longze Youth Hotel, rooms 5321 and 5322 on the fifth floor, both presidential suites, can accommodate 3 to 4 people each."


    While checking the map on his smart terminal, Lin Rui inquired, "Who are they? What''s their combat strength? What weapons do they use?"


    "Captain Acheson, B-rank lieutenant colonel! Mechanic Cha Ya, C-rank major! Sniper Yan Zhuo, B-rank major¡ª"


    Lin Rui patiently listened to all the information from ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke and continued to ask, "What are the passwords for the two bank cards you carry? Which bank issued them?"


    ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke instinctively felt something was wrong. He knew he shouldn''t divulge it, for saying it would seal his fate.


    Besides, the money in those two bank cards was what he had worked hard to earn this year.


    Yet, he couldn''t help himself and blurted out the names of two underground banks, along with a combination of numbers and letters for the passwords.


    Lin Rui took the two cards and confirmed the passwords.


    Balance: 3345621¡ª


    Balance: 4563124¡ª


    As he looked at the balance figures on the cards, his eyebrows arched slightly. This guy was quite rich indeed, deserving of being a mid-level leader in the Blood Lizard Gang.


    Too bad it was all unprocessed black money, not usable openly.


    But he could consider using this money to exchange for some private equipment, like a set of rune flying needles.


    With the rune flying needles, Lin Rui wouldn''t need to stick symbols everywhere when he fought.


    He could also buy a four-boundary flying sword. His current spiritual power was quite strong, and he could afford to buy a better one to greatly enhance his combat strength.


    Lin Rui then swiftly drew his knife and plunged it into ''Wild Wolf'' Nai Ke''s forehead, harvesting his Soul Power points.


    Next, his figure flickered, and he dashed toward Longze West Road, heading to the Longze Youth Hotel.


    It was at this moment he received a message from Xue Lingxue.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Lin Rui, were you just at the Night Wolf Bar? Did you attack someone from the Blood Lizard Gang again? Have you lost your mind? What were you thinking?


    Lin Rui blinked and replied immediately.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): What''s the Night Wolf Bar? I don''t understand. I''m in the sleep chamber right now.


    Just then, he saw a dark figure in the night sky, shooting toward him like a meteor, slashing with a knife.


    Lin Rui''s mind sharpened, and he instantly changed his stance, retreating 20 meters to create distance between them.


    He looked at the familiar figure in front of him, clad in black full-coverage exoskeleton armor, and couldn''t help but feel a headache.


    ¡ªIt was indeed Xue Lingxue the police commissioner, and his lie had been exposed.

 Chapter 123 This Bad Guy (Request for Subscription)

    "Who are you?"


    Lin Rui looked menacingly at the figure opposite him and asked in a muffled voice, "Why did you suddenly attack me just now? Attacking a federal citizen for no reason is a crime, you know that?"


    He was not only cloaked tightly in his clothes but had also used the Great Grandmaster-level ''Muscle and Bone Refinement'' to alter his skeletal appearance.


    This skill was very useful; apart from deceiving the Heavenly Demon Test and Body Refinement, it had many other ingenious uses.


    Lin Rui was curious, how did this woman find him?


    "Stop pretending!" Xue Lingxue coldly snorted, holding a long saber and pointed it at Lin Rui, "I have your terminal chip location and have checked your chip''s trajectory. You were just at the Night Wolf Bar, stayed for 12 minutes."


    Xue Lingxue said this with a pain in her chest.


    Previously at the Fabric Nightclub, Xue Lingxue had risked a lot using her authority to suppress the incident involving nearly a hundred casualties.


    She thought Lin Rui would stay low-key after that, but today, this guy reappeared and killed more than 50 people at the Night Wolf Bar, creating a shocking, dreadful crime scene!


    It was laughable; she had even warned him during the day to stay put, but not only did he not listen, he went and wiped out an entire division of the Blood Lizard Gang.


    However, at the same time, a hint of confusion flashed deep within Xue Lingxue''s eyes.


    The person in front of her, hooded with stockings, dressed in black, did not really look like Lin Rui. He was taller and slimmer, and his arms, wielding the sword, were longer.


    However, Xue Lingxue had pinpointed Lin Rui''s terminal chip''s location to be this very person through the security bureau''s system!


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui was momentarily stunned.


    He had suspected that Xue Lingxue might be, like his father, a member of the Federal Security Bureau.


    But according to federal law, the Federal Security Bureau could only locate a federal citizen''s chip for anti-terrorism purposes.


    Lin Rui had many questions in his mind¡ªwhy was No. 1 Battle Spirit Xue Bogao monitoring them? Was Xue Lingxue taking over her father''s job?


    Did this Xue sister really need to use anti-terrorism permissions for the two of them? Who allowed her to use this authority?


    Yet, his face showed no sign of disturbance as he continued to feign ignorance, "I don''t know what you''re talking about. I haven''t been to the Night Wolf Bar, and what does where I go have to do with you? Are you a cop? Tell me your badge number, I want to file a complaint!"


    According to federal law, locating a terminal chip could not be used as evidence in court; as long as he was not captured by surveillance devices or seen by eyewitnesses, Xue Lingxue couldn''t do anything to him.


    Xue Lingxue was extremely frustrated; this guy had disguised himself like this, hooded with stockings, looking like a gangster, and he still had the gall to complain?


    Xue Lingxue''s gaze turned even more icy, "Still pretending? The method you used in this crime is exactly the same as the one you used at the Fabric Nightclub earlier. You''ve left behind too many traces. Do you really think Iron Fist King won''t find out the truth, won''t find you? Lin Rui, you''re dancing on the edge of a knife, do you think you''re not dying fast enough?"


    Lin Rui thought, what difference does it make?


    Iron Fist King would kill him if he found him, the murderer, and kill him if he didn''t.


    Her vision darkened, and she felt an immense sense of fatigue growing within her, starting to feel drowsy.


    "What''s happening?"


    Xue Lingxue''s thoughts were slightly disturbed as she realized her plight, "Is it poison? Did you poison me?"


    She concentrated fiercely, unable to comprehend as she looked up at Lin Rui, "When?"


    Her issue was that her exoskeletal armor had a poison defense function; its respiratory system could filter out 99% of all known toxins.


    Xue Lingxue couldn''t understand why she was poisoned or how.


    At this moment, Lin Rui did not advance but retreated, maintaining a 30-meter distance, cautiously observing Xue Lingxue.


    He was concerned that Xue Lingxue might have some tricks up her sleeve, a desperate last stand that could turn the tables on him at this stage would be too unfair.


    But judging by how Sister Xue on the ground seemed unable to hold on much longer, it didn''t look like she was pretending.


    Lin Rui crossed his arms, smiling slightly, "It''s the talismans. I developed this anesthetic myself. Your mask''s respiratory system probably couldn''t block it."


    When those talismans exploded, the anesthetic was also released.


    Others might think he was employing a technique, when in fact, he was using it as a chance to disperse poison.


    This was a new tactic Lin Rui had come up with, and it seemed quite effective.


    He felt that investing 2000 points of Soul Power into refining the ''poison composition'' skill offered a far better cost-performance ratio than advancing his martial arts stances and techniques.


    Xue Lingxue''s eyes widened in realization.


    So that''s it; she had fallen into this guy''s trap from the very start. That''s why he specifically jumped down and fought her in the alley¡ªbecause the air here was stagnant and it facilitated the dispersal of his anesthetic.


    Seeing Lin Rui standing far away, not daring to come closer, she gnashed her teeth in hatred.


    This villain! Had she known earlier, she wouldn''t have been merciful just now. She should have used her firearms to deal with this guy at maximum speed.


    Xue Lingxue regretted deeply but was helpless.


    She indeed had a last resort that could win in an instant, but Lin Rui never gave her a chance.


    And after a brief moment, Xue Lingxue no longer even had the strength to clench her teeth; everything before her eyes turned completely black, and then she lost consciousness.


    It wasn''t until three seconds after Xue Lingxue had passed out that Lin Rui flashed next to her.


    With a stab of his knife, he precisely opened the nuclear-powered backpack of her exoskeletal armor, rendering its automatic defense system useless.


    At this moment, Lin Rui felt very pleased and unconsciously started singing a song, singing "I am an ugly duckling, yah yah yo yee¡ª"

 Chapter 124 Goodbye (Please Subscribe)

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    Longze West Road, Longze Youth Hotel.


    Yan Zhuo, wearing a temporarily purchased medical mask, lay on a high platform on the hotel''s rooftop with the best view, observing the surroundings through the high-definition holographic scope of a "Heaven''s Wrath Type 3" sniper rifle in his hands.


    They had already received the news that more than fifty members of the Blood Lizard Gang from the Night Wolf Bar had been slaughtered by unidentified individuals, and "Wild Wolf" Nai Ke had also been killed.


    Although there was no evidence to prove that the unidentified individual was targeting their group, they still instinctively became alert and entered a wartime readiness state.


    In fact, the best course of action at this time would be to leave the Longze Youth Hotel.


    The trouble was that they were not familiar with Base Nine, did not possess legal citizen smart bracelets, and their contact from the Blood Lizard Gang, "Wild Wolf" Nai Ke, had been killed.


    After careful consideration, the captain decided to stay, remain alert, and adapt to changes.


    After that operation to fight against criminal gangs and terrorism, the security in Base Nine''s Eastern Urban District was still very strict, especially since two battalions from the East Asian Republic''s armed police were still stationed in the eastern suburbs, and their riot control vehicles could be seen patrolling the main streets daily.


    If they, a group without identities, were to act on their own without the protection of the Blood Lizard Gang, they were likely to expose their whereabouts.


    Their employer''s demands were very strict, requiring them to leave no trace in this assassination mission.


    Yan Zhuo heard Captain Acheson''s voice coming through his earpiece: "Yan Zhuo, how is it on your end? Any abnormalities?"


    "No, everything is normal here."


    Yan Zhuo aimed the scope at a hotel across the street, his high-definition holographic scope allowing him to see into a room where a man and a woman were engaged in a fierce battle.


    Licking the corner of his lips, Yan Zhuo hoped for the mission to end soon: "Boss, it''s been two hours already, should we end the alert status? I think that person isn''t targeting us."


    Yan Zhuo didn''t find anything terrifying about the mysterious person.


    From what they now knew, this person had relied on the widespread dispersion of anesthetics in advance to quickly take down the Night Wolf Bar.


    Assessing this person''s combat ability, it certainly wouldn''t exceed that of a lieutenant colonel.


    With the overall strength of their action team, as long as they took proper anti-poison precautions, there really was no need to be concerned about this person.


    "Let''s wait a bit longer, we can''t be careless," Captain Acheson spoke gravely: "Brothers, bear with it a little longer. In half an hour, Iron Fist King will send someone to take us to another hiding place."


    Yan Zhuo shook his head, his expression somewhat dissatisfied: "Alright! Moving around like rats, but the question is, how long do we have to stay here? Dammit, being cooped up in a room every day without being able to do anything is driving me mad."


    In this forsaken place, he couldn''t even enjoy himself properly, and Yan Zhuo felt that his combat syndrome would sooner or later flare up.


    "Same here."


    Captain Acheson sympathetically replied with a tone of helplessness: "I''m absolutely sick of it. If it weren''t for Iron Fist King''s sincere payment, I would have told him to shove it a long time ago.


    Old Yan, let''s wait another five days. If that Lin Rui doesn''t want to show up, then we will only target Lin Xi. The girl went out to buy groceries today, to the supermarket inside the university. It''s very easy to take her down."


    Yan Zhuo was surprised: "Not that easy, right? That''s insider Mingde University, heavily guarded. Killing her is no problem, but I''m worried about the extraction."


    "I know," Captain Acheson sneered: "We don''t need to take action ourselves. The mechanic, didn''t he get a bunch of scrapped parts from Iron Fist King that belonged to the federal naval marines? He has assembled two fourth-tier combat robots today and is currently adjusting the combat AI. By the day after tomorrow, he should be able to assemble a third one.


    What we need to do is get these three robots into the campus."


    But in the end, Lin Rui had still taken him out!


    Relying on his Great Grandmaster level Concealing Breath Skill, coupled with Great Grandmaster level tendons and bones refining skills, along with electromagnetic-optical invisibility, Lin Rui could move around almost at will right under these people''s noses, so long as he didn''t run in front of their detection equipment.


    Lin Rui wiped his twin blades on the body of the sniper and then, humming a song, descended from the rooftop.


    He arrived at room 5321 of Longze Youth Hotel, then kicked the door open with a single foot.


    There were a total of four people in the room, three of whom were already unconscious.


    Only team leader Acheson was still conscious, desperately guzzling water in the bathroom to try and mitigate the effect of the anaesthetic.


    However, his senses were very blurred. There were several cuts on his thigh, presumably self-inflicted to stay alert through pain.


    When Lin Rui kicked the door open, Acheson was slow to react. He only turned his head to shoot at Lin Rui after a brief delay.


    But his reactions were too sluggish, too slow. Acheson had fired only a few bullets when Lin Rui had already dashed in front of him and sliced his head in two with a single strike.


    Tip: Assassinate a fourth stage demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, gain 2137 points of Soul Power.


    As expected of the captain among the seven, he provided quite a lot of Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui dealt with the remaining three people in the room and then proceeded to the adjacent room, 5322.


    As soon as he kicked the door and stepped inside, rapid gunfire erupted, ''da da da'' filling the room.


    Two combat robots placed in the corner began firing at Lin Rui with shoulder-mounted heavy-duty power guns.


    "The Charger Type 4 combat robot?"


    Lin Rui was taken aback, recognizing the standard auxiliary combat robot of the federal military. How did these guys even have this thing with them?


    Fortunately, he never let down his guard. Before entering the room, he had scattered a dozen Flash Thunder Talismans outside.


    With a thunderous explosion, Lin Rui vanished from the door, reappearing 10 meters away in the corridor.


    He noticed that the two Charger Type 4 combat robots had flawed combat logic; they chased after him and continued firing.


    With this, the situation became much simpler. Lin Rui dodged while using a flying needle inscribed with talismans to shuttle back into room 5322.


    As soon as Lin Rui''s body exploded with lightning once more, he reappeared in room 5322.


    The living room of the suite was empty. Quickly sensing with his Divine Sense, Lin Rui broke into the far-left room.


    This hotel room had apparently been transformed into a workshop, filled with various tools and parts, and in the center stood a temporary workbench.


    Behind the workbench, a middle-aged man wearing work glasses and slightly plump in stature, lay limp in his chair, his eyes wide with terror as he looked at Lin Rui.


    "Goodbye!"


    Lin Rui''s eyes were ice-cold as he swung his blade, slicing the mechanic in half, then into quarters.


    Then, before the two Charger Type 4 combat robots could return to the room, Lin Rui exploded into a burst of thunder once more, flash-stepping 20 meters away to the outside of the window.


    He spread out his arms, unravelled his cloak, and like a bat in the dark, glided into the shadows.


    All that was left in the night was a leisurely hum of a nursery rhyme.

 Chapter 125 Grinding Teeth in Hatred (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    When Xue Lingxue regained consciousness, she found herself lying on the rooftop of a tall building.


    She was still wearing her exoskeleton armor, but the power pack had been disconnected, rendering many of its functions unusable.


    "Lin Rui!"


    The mere thought of this name made Xue Lingxue involuntarily grit her teeth in hatred.


    Since graduating from college and joining the Federal Security Bureau, she had never faced such a setback¡ªit was a complete humiliation!


    She suddenly started, wondering how long she had been unconscious. What had Lin Rui been doing while she was out?


    At this moment, Xue Lingxue''s mind was still somewhat groggy as she forced herself to stand up and look around in all directions.


    Xue Lingxue immediately noticed an old-looking hotel across the street, her pupils tightening slightly.


    The neon sign on the hotel¡ªLongze Youth Hotel.


    Wasn''t that the hideout for the battle group of the notorious pirate gang? She had been monitoring this hotel recently.


    Crucially, there were numerous police cars and armored vehicles below, with many officers entering and exiting.


    Xue Lingxue checked the time: 10:25 am, meaning she had been unconscious for two hours and twenty minutes.


    Had that guy knocked her out and then attacked the group from the pirate gang at this location? Had he succeeded? Was he hurt?


    Xue Lingxue felt a chill run down her spine.


    In her memory, Lin Rui was always so pure and kind.


    She remembered how a few teasing words would make him blush and leave him tongue-tied, adorable beyond words. How had he become so harsh and ruthless as he grew up?


    He seemed like a lone, malevolent tiger, brutally handling each of his enemies.


    Just then, someone called her smart device.


    Seeing the name displayed in the phone book, Xue Lingxue instantly tensed up and hurriedly answered the call, "General!"


    She also noticed that there had been seven missed calls within 10 minutes.


    "What''s going on over there?" the voice from the smart ring''s microphone carried a trace of displeasure, "It''s been nearly two and a half hours since you last contacted the operations center!"


    Xue Lingxue was at a loss for words.


    Should she tell the General that she had been ambushed by the person she was monitoring, and had been unconscious for over an hour?


    At that moment, the man''s slightly hoarse voice deepened, "Did you take action against the people from the pirate gang to avenge your father?"


    "How could that be possible?" Xue Lingxue''s voice amplified as if she were a cat whose tail had been stepped on, "General! I wouldn''t ignore mission discipline! And even if I wanted revenge, I wouldn''t choose this method."


    It was too dangerous to act against these people inside the base city since it could potentially harm the innocent.


    She had been prepared to act as soon as they moved away from the base, to annihilate this gang of pirates in outer space and simultaneously uncover their smuggling methods.


    "Is that so?" the hoarse voice said noncommittally, "But I just investigated the location tracking of your device. At the time of the incident, you were inside the Longze Youth Hotel; also, according to the forensic analysis reported by the police, the knife wounds on those bodies clearly came from a fifth-grade combat knife ''The Ripper,'' which you possess.


    The knife technique used was your father''s favorite, Purple Glow Thunder Knife, and the Sword Control Technique derived from the Extreme Thunder Pillar!"


    The middle-aged man then thought about the video of Lin Rui being shot, wondering whether the current Lin Rui was truly Lin Rui.


    There was also a possibility that he was resurrected using biotechnology after a great trauma, which changed his personality and even caused mental issues.


    Consider that the kid''s head was blown to pieces; it would be strange if his mental state remained unaffected.


    Now, the bureau''s expert group generally believed that Lin Rui might have a "soul backup."


    Lin Rui''s father, Lin Cong, precisely mastered this technology, uploading a person''s soul and some critical memories to a large quantum computer for backup.


    According to the current understanding, people revived in this manner usually exhibited extreme emotions, tendencies toward violence, delusional disorders, and other symptoms.


    The middle-aged man rubbed his temples, giving up on further contemplation.


    He still had many other matters to attend to and could not afford to worry about this issue.


    The current situation in the Ninth Branch of the Security Bureau was severely problematic. About three months earlier, the Eastern Asia Republic discovered that the Ninth Branch had been infiltrated and corrupt by several internal factions of the Federation, almost to the point of losing control. Hence, they had called him, a decorated officer, to take over the position with high expectations.


    However, since his appointment months ago, there had been little improvement in the internal governance of the bureau.


    Not long ago, there even was a severe incident where no one cared for several days after the death of Xue Bogao, showing just how dire the situation in the Ninth Branch was.


    "Longevity Club!"


    The middle-aged man looked at the three words he had written on his office desk, his gaze as sharp as an eagle''s.


    He replied to Xue Lingxue: This time, record a major demerit! Continue monitoring; I will assign a few more people to you later, pay attention to strengthening surveillance on Lin Rui and enhance protection for him and his siblings.


    Right then, the middle-aged man received a message.


    Han Kedao: Old Zhou, is there really no way on your end? This is our project in cooperation with the Security Bureau, are you just going to watch?


    The middle-aged man chuckled bitterly upon seeing this, thinking it was another troublesome matter.


    Zhou Yunfei: What''s the situation on your end now?


    Han Kedao: It''s very bad. Although I managed to stop those people from the Imperial Prosecution Bureau this time, they immediately retreated to their base in Wang City, locking up the people in the Wang City dungeons. They''re mobilizing manpower and are expected to try again soon to transport Zhu Meng to the state city.


    By then, not only will my students be in danger, we''ll also have wasted all our efforts.


    Han Kedao: We need time right now, just over a month, and Fei Yunlai will come over.


    Zhou Yunfei: Old classmate, if there''s anything I can do to help, there''s no way I''d just stand by. You know that, from the previous undercover incident, not only were more than a dozen of our people infiltrating the outer ring of the Imperial Bureau wiped out, but also 80 biomechanical agents were eradicated by the Imperial Bureau, with over 100 people wanted by the Imperial Bureau.


    This incident led to the resignation of many seniors in the Ninth Branch, and Zhou Yunfei himself got implicated.


    This time''s incident was indeed triggered by their rash attempt to infiltrate the Imperial Bureau through the Heavenly Demon Test and was also caused by an internal power struggle within the Ninth Security Bureau.


    Some took advantage of the situation to betray the grassroots biomechanical agents, flushing down Zhou Yunfei''s three months of efforts.


    So he had advised Han Kedao to wait a bit longer for the Ninth Branch to reestablish its intelligence network, but Han Kedao was already impatient.


    Zhou Yunfei: Our current strength is very low. The federal military is also in conflict with the Governor of Sahara, and we simply do not have the manpower, old classmate.


    Han Kedao: Is that so? Understood, I''ll look for someone else.


    Zhou Yunfei looked at Han Kedao''s response, chuckling bitterly. He heard the strong resentment from his old classmate, but the problem was that he was now like a skilled woman unable to cook without rice.


    Nevertheless, he then opened his contact book, thinking about who else in his network could help.

 Chapter 126 Supreme Emperor of the Four Realms? (Please Subscribe)

    At the same time, Lin Rui was lying in the Divine Sleep Chamber, flipping through the budget sheet that Si Malin had sent over.


    Lin Rui''s face was a bit dark.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): "Professor, how come it adds up to over 30 million? Why would Lin Xi''s alternate body cost so much?"


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): "Don''t forget that your alternate body also cost over 5 million, and that doesn''t include the part that the government reimbursed."


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): "Her situation is a little more complicated. You''ll understand the specifics when you take my master''s course. Don''t worry, for little Xi''s sake, I won''t scam you. Of course, if you really can''t come up with the money then forget it, but if you decide to go through with it, it''s best to act quickly so you won''t have regrets later."


    In the lab, Si Malin looked disdainful. To create an alternate body for ''Despair Heavenly Girl,'' could the expenses be any less?


    Just the Dragon Origin Quality alone was very difficult to deal with.


    The quote of over 30 million was already the result of repeated reductions. Si Malin planned to stuff all electricity and nutrient fluid costs into several other research projects of his. As for the usage fees of various top-tier instruments, none were included in the calculation.


    After seeing the message, Lin Rui ''tsked'' and grew even more suspicious that Si Malin was hiding something from him about Lin Xi.


    He pondered for a moment, then sent a message to Lin Xi.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): "Start getting ready now. Learn some knowledge about Tianji Star. In at most a month, I will create an alternate body for you."


    To make 30 million within a month, Lin Rui felt a bit of pressure.


    But he always saw Lin Xi as his responsibility.


    The existence of his younger sister was like an anchor, allowing his ship to stay steady on the sea''s surface, preventing it from being blown off course by the raging waves between heaven and earth.


    There were seven of the second realm, two of the third realm, and they were likely the fish that slipped through Zhu Lingshi''s net, or perhaps mutations induced by the Ziyao Yuan Crystal radiation.


    The intelligent life chip did not sense a threat to life, so it chose to handle it autonomously and did not inform his main body.


    "They were just a group of lowly demons; it''s nothing," Ji Xueying said with an indifferent expression. "I noticed my lord seems to especially despise demons and demon cultivators, so I cut off their limbs and left it for you to finish them personally."


    Lin Rui''s face darkened as he watched the video to the end.


    It was indeed as Ji Xueying had said; Blood Blade Ji had chopped off the limbs of these demons and lined them up beside the official road for ''Lin Rui'' to execute personally.


    Lin Rui considered his own obsession with harvesting demon lives; had even Ji Xueying clearly perceived it?


    Unfortunately, the killings carried out by the intelligent life chip did not yield any Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui shook his head: "There''s no need for this in the future. In such situations, prioritize our safety and clear out the enemies quickly."


    Having Blood Blade Ji for protection offered him an undeniable sense of security.


    Lin Rui''s intelligent life chip could also fight, possessing a certain level of combat ability, and could autonomously learn Lin Rui''s battle habits.


    However, even if he were to fine-tune the combat AI of the life chip to perfection in the future, its combat power could never match that of his main body; being at 2/3 the strength would be extremely fortunate.


    The Earth Federation was capable of producing better life chips, but if a life chip became too smart, it could lead to unpredictable accidents.


    Before coming to Tianji Star, the Federation had experienced a robot rebellion that affected several colonies.


    Although the rebellion was quickly suppressed, the impact was profound. Since then, the Federation has maintained strict limitations and requirements for all types of AI.

 Chapter 127 The Countys Defense Commander! (Subscribe please)

    The green-robed civil official looked at Ji Xueying below him with a mix of shock and suspicion, as well as the inspection certificate in her hand.


    He wasn''t certain whether this Blood Blade Ji was beyond the supreme sovereign of the Four Territories, only that the intent of the woman''s blade was terrifyingly strong, sending an instinctive warning through his soul and leaving him feeling extreme danger.


    Therefore, even as a formidable Fifth Realm official, he was likely no match for this Blood Blade Ji.


    The green-robed civil official then turned his gaze to Lin Rui and the group of county soldiers.


    He saw the Capital Commandant''s badge that Lin Rui took back and played with in his hand.


    The demeanor of the green-robed civil official eased somewhat, "Who are you? What has happened here? Why did you conflict with Inspector Zhang and knock him out?"


    This young lad is so young, perhaps just turned 18, and yet he is already a Seventh Rank Martial Virtue Capital Commandant?


    That Blood Blade Ji must be his protective demon, right?


    I truly have no idea what his background is, for someone so young to possess such a powerful demonic protector.


    At this moment, the county soldiers all reveled in their schadenfreude, smiling broadly with delight.


    That Inspector Zhang always acted high and mighty in front of them, but today someone managed to hold him down; it seemed he was about to suffer a significant loss.


    The team leader smiled wryly and gave a brief explanation, "Prefectural Governor, this is Capital Commandant Lin Rui, Lord Lin. Just as Lord Lin was entering the city, Inspector Zhang was disrespectful and clashed with him. He might also be implicated in last month''s murder case of Wang City officials, which is why Lord Lin ordered his protective demon to capture him."


    The green-robed civil official couldn''t help but frown deeply.


    He thought to himself that this Martial Virtue Capital Commandant was perhaps too ruthless. Even if Inspector Zhang was arrogant and had offended him, there was no need to forcefully link him to the blood case of Wang City Government Office.


    Who doesn''t know that it was the doing of the Heavenly Demon from beyond the realm? It was a major case caused by the full-scale war between the Governor of Shazhou and the Heavenly Demon.


    He was about to ask Lin Rui if he had any evidence when he saw Lin Rui below, with an indifferent demeanor, salute him, "Prefectural Governor Dong, I am Lin Twelve, humbly serving as a Seventh Rank Martial Virtue Capital Commandant, sent to Wang City Prefecture by the order of the Shazhou Defense Envoy to take up the post of Deputy Defense Envoy of Wang City, as well as to act as the Defense Envoy of Wang City!


    Seeing this man obstructing my entry into the city and acting suspiciously, I wanted to arrest him and interrogate him in prison, to see if this wretch is colluding with the outer demons."


    Prior to his arrival, Lin Rui had roughly understood the officialdom of Wang City Prefecture and knew that the civil official in the green robe, named Dong Linghui, was the Prefectural Governor of the prefecture.


    His tone of voice suddenly became harsh, his eyes fierce and threatening, "The northern city gate and Wang City Government Office are just a stone''s throw away. When the massacre in Wang City occurred, this man, as the gate inspector, was highly suspicious. Where was he at the time of the incident? Why didn''t he detect and warn? Did he let the murderer into the city?


    These are all things that I want to investigate clearly!"


    The heart of the green-robed civil official jolted, and he promptly withdrew the words that were on the tip of his tongue.


    Not only was this youth a Martial Virtue Capital Commandant, but he was also about to take charge of the defense of Wang City? What exactly was his background?


    ```


    Furthermore, although this young man is using the Wang City disaster as an excuse for retribution, his arguments do sound quite reasonable, and cannot be considered as making unfounded accusations.


    "So that''s how it is!"


    The green-robed civil officer leapt down from the city gate tower, cupped his fists in return, and said, "I sensed a powerful Demonic Qi here just now, and thought a fiend was causing trouble, so I hurried over. Since it''s Lin Rui''s protective demon, then there''s no problem."


    He then didn''t even mention the matter involving Inspector Zhang, but with a polite smile said, "It just so happens that your arrival, Sir Lin, is most timely. In light of the calamity that struck Wang City a month ago, our prefecture is currently in complete disarray. The lowly demons within the city are all restless. The citizens here are longing for an official like you as they long for rain.


    Would you care to accompany me to the prefectural office? I can introduce you to some colleagues and also hold a welcome banquet in your honor."


    However, Lin Rui shook his head without hesitation, "Thank you for your kind offer, Eastern Prefectural Chief, but the Capital Commandant entrusted me with a decree upon my appointment to take control of Wang City. He ordered me to immediately set things in order and exercise my Capital City Division authority to oversee this prefecture on behalf of the Emperor.


    With such a heavy responsibility, I dare not delay. Once I''ve dealt with the affairs within the office, it won''t be too late to pay a visit to the prefectural office."


    Although they hadn''t been present to witness it, they had heard the accounts of the prefectural soldiers and had felt the disturbance at the city gates, so they dared not underestimate Lin Rui because of his young age.


    This person, at such a young age, had become the Defense Officer and was accompanied by a demonic beast surpassing the king realm. Not only was his strength formidable, but his background must also be extremely profound.


    Lin Rui smiled and slightly nodded: "Rise! I am new here and am ignorant of the local situation. Our Wang City has just experienced great hardship and is short of manpower. You must take up the responsibilities and give much support to me, so we can uphold the face of the Imperial City Division."


    Feeling something was amiss, he turned to look at a group of warriors in green standing behind the door, his expression puzzled: "Who are you people?"


    These warriors in green were definitely not from Wang City; their attire and demeanor were all wrong.


    "My lord, please allow me to report!" This was one of the three surviving clerks, named Wen Tailai and holding the position of chief scribe at Wang City.


    He explained with a smile: "These gentlemen are from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Inspectorate. They recently captured a Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain and intended to transfer it to the state city.


    However, they were intercepted by numerous Heavenly Demons en route and were forced to retreat into the city, temporarily residing in our office and borrowing the iron prison of Wang City to detain the foreign demon."


    At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed in heavy armor stepped out from the group of warriors in green and saluted: "My lord, I am Dou Ming from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Inspectorate. Pressured by the Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain, we had no choice but to take refuge here, borrowing the iron prison of Wang City to detain the external demon.


    I ask for your understanding and leniency!"


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but exchange a glance with Wang Sen.


    Both of their eyes held a strange expression.


    A Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain? One of their own kind was caught by these people?


    "Take refuge temporarily? There is no such rule, is there? Can''t they stay at the post station?"


    Lin Rui did not show a friendly face to Dou Ming; he had previously dealt with the head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Inspectorate, Wang Judge, and had a decent impression of him. However, this Judge Dou was breaking the rules of the Imperial City Division.


    This person was a sixth-rank official, and his cultivation was not weak either, already at the peak of the Four Realms, with extremely strong vital energy.


    Yet Lin Rui only glanced at him coldly before turning his gaze to Wen Tailai, sternly questioning, "Since when did the mighty Wang City Government Office of the Imperial City Division become a post station? Did this chief scribe take it upon himself to decide this, or did these constables take advantage of the fact there''s no one in Wang City? What audacity."


    He huffed softly: "It''s quite a coincidence though! One of the tasks assigned to me by the Lord Commandant is to investigate the massacre that happened in Wang City a month ago, to avenge our fallen brethren. Bring someone to lead the way to the prison for me; I want to see what this Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain looks like and whether it''s related to that tragic case in our office."


    The people in front of the office looked at each other upon hearing this.


    By now, two quick-witted Imperial Dragon Guards had already taken the initiative to lead the way, guiding Lin Rui inside the office.


    Seeing this, Judge Dou Ming hesitated slightly but still swallowed the words that had reached his lips.


    After all, the other man was the esteemed Defense Officer who had no reason to be stopped from visiting his own prison.


    Moreover, he couldn''t stop him. Standing right behind the Lin Commandant was the Ice Jade-eyed Blood Blade Ji, who was staring at them with a cold gaze.


    Even a slightly superior king realm would be considered equivalent to someone from the fifth realm, let alone someone surpassing the emperor realm?


    He exchanged glances with Wen Tailai, both thinking that this new Defense Officer didn''t seem easy to fool.


    The Wang City prison was built in the northeastern corner of the office. As Lin Rui entered, a damp and decayed smell hit him.


    Lin Rui was unfazed, following the two Imperial Dragon Guards briskly further inside.


    The prison was extremely large, not only covering an area of five acres but also extending deep underground, with three layers of underground chambers dug out.


    The Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain captured by the Criminal Investigation Department was being held in the bottom layer.


    When Lin Rui and Wang Sen saw the Heavenly Demon, they both paused, surprise showing in their eyes.


    ```

 Chapter 128 Heavenly Demon Imprisons the Heavenly Demon (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

    ```


    From the figure of that otherworldly Heavenly Demon, she appeared to be a woman, about two meters tall, bound to a cross.


    Her hair covered her face, making it difficult to see her features, yet her figure was graceful. The clothes on her body were torn and stained with large patches of blood. She had been tortured until her body was covered with wounds, and her clothing barely covered her.


    The key is that after they stepped into this prison cell, their biological chips all started frantically signaling an alarm to them.


    This was indeed their kinswoman; the woman''s biological chip was instinctively emitting an emergency SOS signal to the surrounding extraterrestrial travelers, calling for help.


    Lin Rui, with hands clasped behind his back, glanced over the woman, then surveyed the surroundings, "Has this prison been fitted with Nullifying Stones?"


    "Indeed!" At this time, Wen Tailai, the chief clerk from Wang City, hurried over and explained with a bow, "Sir, this prison was constructed at the founding of the nation. It is surrounded by walls ten feet thick made of Ironclad Stone, strong and unbreakable, and clenched within is a layer of Nullifying Stone, along with a complete suppression Array.


    Speaking solely of defensive capability, it is unique within Wang City Prefecture."


    Lin Rui thought it was no wonder they hadn''t received the SOS signal from their compatriot outside the prison cell; it had been disrupted by the Nullifying Stone.


    Nullifying Stone is a material unique to the extremity star, capable not only of blocking electromagnetic signals but also of disrupting quantum communications.


    Such a material is extremely expensive, and the Earth Federation considers it a strategic resource.


    It would be quite impressive for a prison to have a few pieces of Nullifying Stone, yet the walls of this prison were inlaid with an entire layer of it.


    Only during the prosperous early years of the Great Song dynasty could such a construction be afforded.


    It made sense for the officials from the Torture and Inspection Division to place the Heavenly Demon here.


    Torture Master Dou Ming also followed down, with a face full of smiles, handing over his waist badge, "Capital Commandant, may I ask you to step outside the prison to speak? Our inspection deputy envoy would like to pass a message to you."


    "No need!" Lin Rui thought that this was just a higher-up making a call, and he had no wish to take it.


    Communicating would only bring trouble; the inspection envoy was a high-ranking third-grade official, overseeing criminal justice in a province, responsible for quelling rebellion and calming disputes, redressing grievances, wielding significant authority.


    One couldn''t withstand such pressure from a lofty official.


    With a slight sweep of his sleeves, he ordered the two leading Imperial Dragon Guards, "From today, you two are promoted to jailers, alternating on duty to guard the prison. Ensure all the inmates are secure, including this Inspector Zhang and the otherworldly Heavenly Demon!


    Remember, until it is confirmed that they have no involvement in the bloodshed case in Wang City, no one is to remove these two from the prison. If you two feel confident, you may also try interrogating them, but be gentle, don''t let them perish, or you will be held accountable by me."


    Lin Rui saw that both Imperial Dragon Guards had decent strength, both possessing third realm cultivation, sufficient to be promoted to jailers.


    In the future, with the addition of a fourth realm ''prison chief,'' the security of the jail would be ensured.


    As Lin Rui was reaching the end of his statement, his powerful perceptive abilities sharply noticed the ''otherworldly Heavenly Demon'' suddenly shivering, and a glint of sharpness appeared in her originally lifeless eyes.


    Lin Rui''s lips curved slightly upward, thinking she must have understood his words.


    In that region of Shazhou, with the Prefectural Governor in charge, it was truly a tiger''s den and a dragon''s pool; if the woman were to be escorted there, she would truly have no way out.


    Lin Rui shook his head, "I haven''t thought it through for the time being; let''s take one step at a time. Our immediate priorities are to get our hands on those goods, recruit people, and complete the Blood Refinement as soon as possible. Everything else is secondary."


    In fact, there was a fourth priority, and that was to amass as much money as possible.


    As for their fellow brethren, they would save them if possible; if not, then it couldn''t be helped.


    Lin Rui didn''t mind lending a hand when he was capable, but if it compromised their own safety, Lin Rui couldn''t care less about her life or death.


    Wang Sen nodded and stood up, "I''ll go disguise myself now and leave through the back later. I''ve checked earlier; our backyard is adjacent to a river channel, which is convenient and covert for entering and exiting. Of course, this also means others could come in, so we must be extra careful in the future, ensuring reliable personnel are watching over it."


    He needed to get to the different-kind management bureau''s branch as soon as possible to bring back those goods.


    Wang Sen was looking forward to the strength enhancers he had ordered on loan, anticipating that these potions could raise his strength by a significant margin.


    Blood Blade Ji would also see a substantial increase in combat power.


    Lin Rui had invested heavily in Ji Xueying, pouring in millions, not only getting her DNA tested but also purchasing several types of strength enhancers.


    She would be a Fourth Realm Sovereign enhanced by the federal biotech!


    Just then, Wen Tailai hurriedly walked in and called out at the door, "Sir, the Prefectural Governor of our province has come for a visit!"


    The Prefectural Governor?


    Lin Rui''s eyes narrowed, knowing that this governor must have come because of the inspection officer incident.


    According to Zhuang Mingyue, the Prefectural Governor of this province was surnamed Li, named Li Changguo, born of a distinguished family from the imperial line, with cultivation in the fifth realm, and possessing profound and unfathomable combat strength, more formidable than Zhu Tianmao.


    Before he could react further, a figure dressed in a crimson official robe appeared at the entrance of the inner court.


    In the system of the dynasty, the fifth and sixth ranks wore blue, while ranks from the fourth to the first wore crimson.


    And the rank of the Prefectural Governor of Wang City was indeed just below the fourth rank; he strode in like a dragon and a tiger, calling as he walked, "Where is Capital Commandant Lin? I, Li Changguo, am here on official business and have come for a visit."


    His voice was like a mighty bell, and it actually vibrated all the buildings in the inner court, causing dust to fall from above with a ''buzzing'' sound.


    Upon entering the courtyard, Li Changguo saw Lin Rui seated in the hall. A hint of a smirk flashed in his eyes as he took a step towards Lin Rui and reached for his shoulder.


    "I have heard that Capital Commandant Lin has arrested my subordinate Inspector Zhang. May I ask what''s the reason behind this?"


    Not only did he suppress Lin Rui''s Divine Sense with an overpowering one, but his palm also emitted a great absorbing force, immobilizing Lin Rui''s body!


    Being just a mere third realm, how dare he act so recklessly under his governance, with only a fourth realm Blood Blade Ji to rely on?


    It was at that moment, Li Changguo saw a cluster of thunderous light explode violently before him.


    And next to him, Blood Blade Ji also swung her blade fearlessly, aiming at his neck.


    Li Changguo''s pupils shrank slightly, revealing a trace of surprise, "Hmm?"


    ```

 Chapter 129 The Stubborn Prefectural Governor (Please Subscribe)

    Li Changguo''s attempt to grasp was met with emptiness, as Lin Rui turned into a bolt of lightning and vanished with a flicker of his Escape Skill.


    "Dual cultivation of magic and martial arts?"


    Li Changguo was astonished.


    It was not just the dual cultivation; Lin Rui''s speed using the Escape Skill was incredibly fast, and he had completed it in an instant despite the magnetic interference.


    This meant the man had mastered his Escape Skill and magic to a very high level.


    This was troublesome; he had thought he could capture Lin Rui directly, swiftly and decisively addressing the matter with Inspector Zhang Tianchang and forcing Lin Rui into submission, but now the man had slipped through his fingers.


    Li Changguo concentrated fully, trying to capture Lin Rui''s current location.


    This was the Wang City Government Office, where the emperor''s personal troops were stationed, not a place where one could fight at will. Yet Li Changguo didn''t want to leave with his tail between his legs; he still wanted to capture Lin Rui.


    But just as Li Changguo''s divine sense spread out, Blood Blade Ji Xueying had already slashed her blade towards him.


    The long blade she wielded not only shone like lightning but also raged like a tempest; in a flash, she had delivered more than thirty slashes at Li Changguo. The thunderous blade lights almost drowned him completely.


    However, in the next instant, Ji Xueying''s eyes also showed a hint of surprise.


    Li Changguo was practicing a Cultivation Technique of tough body training.


    Responding with bare hands, his palms seemed to be forged from fine steel, emitting a series of ''clang clang'' sounds when continuously struck by Blood Blade Ji, and sparks flew as if two pieces of metal were clashing.


    "He really is beyond the four realms!"


    Li Changguo''s eyes grew solemn, feeling he had been too hasty.


    When he first heard about this from the Dong Prefecture Magistrate, he was skeptical.


    What kind of existence is someone who is beyond the four realms? Is that something one can easily achieve?


    But now he felt that Blood Blade Ji here was likely a descendant of the Heavenly Demon bloodline.


    At this moment, he was in a difficult position. Li Changguo now had to focus most of his True Yuan in his hands, or a moment''s carelessness could lead to his skin being sliced open by Blood Blade Ji, even cutting into his flesh!


    The speed and sword skills of this woman were astonishing. With sword moves as unpredictable as a wandering dragon, Li Changguo tried to grasp her blade but failed repeatedly.


    Her strength was also formidable, forcing Li Changguo to persistently retreat, the raging thunder making his body go numb.


    And there was Lin Rui; he had thought that this Blood Blade''s master was a weak point, that by controlling this guy, Blood Blade Ji, however strong, would be helpless. Now it seemed he could not look down on him as just a simple three realms cultivator anymore.


    As this thought flashed through his mind, Lin Rui had already reappeared behind Blood Blade Ji. He drew the ''Lei Shen'' Blood Blade nurtured behind Ji Xueying and slashed down mightily like a celestial light from the nine heavens, aiming for the top of Li Changguo''s head.


    One of the most powerful secret techniques from the Purple Brilliance Thunder Blade¡ªthe Purple Brilliance Extreme Thunder!


    As Lin Rui fused the Purple Brilliance Thunder Blade with the Can Yang Blade into the ''Ascending Sun Extermination Blade,'' this secret technique underwent corresponding changes, incorporating light''s attributes, becoming even more domineering and swifter.


    Ji Xueying in perfect sync with her master, blasted her blade speed once more, increasing it by another thirty percent in an instant. She fully restrained Li Changguo''s hands and movements, leaving him unable to defend himself.


    "Clang!"


    Lin Rui''s blade actually struck the top of Li Changguo''s head, ringing out like the toll of a bell.


    The official hat on the top of Li Changguo''s head was cleaved into two by Lin Rui''s long blade.


    But Li Changguo''s head remained unharmed, with only some strands of hair floating down.


    Lin Rui was shocked at the sight, "What a tough head!"


    He hadn''t even managed to break the skin, let alone anticipate that this Prefectural Governor''s head was much tougher than Zhang Tianchang''s.


    But Li Changguo was left with his ears ringing, furiously exclaiming, "You actually dared to strike?"


    If his body hadn''t been trained indestructibly tough he would have had his skull cleaved by Lin Rui''s blade!


    No longer caring for the consequences, he violently lunged at Lin Rui with his hands grasping fiercely!


    This time Li Changguo put his full effort into his magnetic grasp, its force erupting to the extreme.


    I will soon draft a formal complaint to the Governor and the imperial court to impeach him, Li Changguo, for his disdain for the emperor, harm to his colleagues, and wanton violence!"


    Li Changguo''s brows furrowed slightly, regretting his impulsive behavior even more. Why had he not held back in time? Mainly because that guy was so damaging, nearly splitting open his head with a blade.


    This upstart''s strength was no trivial matter; no wonder the Sha State Commandant had recommended this mere Third Realm individual for the position of Defense Commander of Wang City.


    He was also extremely troubled, knowing that if Lin Rui filed a complaint against him, he would definitely not end up in a good position, as he was clearly in the wrong.


    Especially the charge of ''disdain for the emperor'' that Lin Rui was pinning on him made his scalp tingle.


    He knew Lin Rui would certainly succeed; he had flattened the entire rear government office of Wang City; the emperor could tolerate it, but the Imperial Guard certainly could not.


    If this complaint was filed, it wouldn''t just be a matter of losing his office and position.


    Even Governor Dong Linghui was beginning to regret it, as he had assumed that Governor Li Changguo would quickly deal with this Lin Rui.


    The protective demon of Lin Twelve, although powerful in battle, Lin Twelve himself had only attained the third realm. With Li Changguo''s fifth-realm reinforced dominant physique and magnetic levitation divine claw, wasn''t it easy to capture?


    Yet, after Li Changguo arrived, he suffered such a major setback.


    Dong Linghui and Li Changguo actually had a very poor relationship. However, as civil officials and the Imperial Guard were natural enemies, if Li Changguo could suppress the prestige of the defensive-officer Lin Twelve, Dong Linghui would be pleased to see it happen.


    Now he was worried that if the issue became a big deal, all the officials at their prefectural office might be held accountable by the imperial court.


    In this battle between the governor and the outer-domain Heavenly Demon, their civil officials had not been involved; instead, a few branches of the Imperial Guard had been bloodbathed by the Heavenly Demon.


    The current Protector of Sha State must be seething with nowhere to vent his anger.


    If this person seized on the handle, he would undoubtedly sweep them all overboard with a single blow.


    "Lord Lin, please calm your anger! Calm your anger! There''s no need for this, no need for this!"


    Dong Linghui hurriedly advised, "The Prefectural Governor acted impulsively this time, truly deceived by a cunning and evil person. We implore you, Lord Lin, to be magnanimous and not take it to heart. Wang City is currently in a challenging situation, and the Tianxiang River could potentially become blocked.


    We four need to work together to suppress the demonic energy and not let today''s events affect our comradeship or the administration and livelihood of Wang City."


    He knew that these empty words would not persuade Lin Rui, so he changed his tune, "Lord Lin, on behalf of the Prefectural Governor, I would like to apologize to you, and am willing to offer financial compensation from our government office. We will repair all the furniture and houses of Wang City Government Office within one day.


    In addition, the Prefectural Governor will compensate your personal property loss with 5,000 taels of demon silver. How about we consider today''s issue resolved with this?"


    Li Changguo''s complexion grew even darker. Although Dong Linghui was helping him settle the dispute, the words belittled him as a rash and impulsive man¡ªhow could this be reasonable?


    And a compensation of 5,000 taels? Such a presumptuous decision!


    However, when he opened his mouth, he found himself unable to utter a single word.


    Upon hearing Dong Linghui''s words, Lin Rui''s thoughts stirred, and a look of hesitation crossed his eyes.


    Indeed, some of his luggage had been smashed by Li Changguo, but the loss was at most 100 taels.


    This Eastern District Assistant Prefect sure knew how to be a man.


    At this moment, the Prefectural Chief Inspector Qin Xia also nodded gravely, "The demon energy in Wang City is rampant, with bandits gathering, and the demonic dragon''s revival is imminent. It is a time for tranquility rather than chaos. I ask you both to endure for the sake of the nation!"


    Seeing Qin Xia speak up, Lin Rui relented, "5,000 taels is not enough. My luggage contained many valuable items, at least 30,000 taels!"


    Upon hearing these words, everyone present couldn''t help but twitch their faces. Demon silver, 30,000 taels? This Lin Twelve really dared to ask for a high price!


    Li Changguo clenched his fists tightly, making a ''crackling'' noise, thinking it might be better to just fall out with them.


    "At most 8,000!" Dong Linghui offered with a wry smile. "Lord Lin, the Prefectural Governor is an honest official with limited wealth. And look at him, the Prefectural Governor himself has not come out of this unscathed."


    As he spoke, he couldn''t help but sneak a glance at Li Changguo''s head, his lips curling slightly.


    Not only was Li Changguo''s official hat sliced open, but his topknot was also cut, with a third of his fine hair missing. His appearance was utterly disheveled.


    Dong Linghui was very astute, usually able to keep his emotions from showing, but now he couldn''t hold back.


    Lin Rui inwardly ''tsked'', thinking that he had to accept the offer.


    It was regrettable not to have gathered all the funds for his sister''s body transformation in one go.

 Chapter 130 The Faster Death (Please subscribe)

    Li Changguo left without saying a word, no longer mentioning anything about Inspector Zhang. Read latest stories on empire


    He had no face to speak of it, and he knew it would be useless to do so.


    The newly-appointed defense officer of the Imperial Guard was stubborn as a mule, not giving a damn about him, the prefectural governor.


    If he could''ve subdued him today, he would''ve grabbed the young man by the neck and forced him to release the prisoners.


    Stubborn neck? Li would have flattened it without hesitation.


    But since he couldn''t overpower him, there was no point in humiliating himself.


    "I never thought that even the Prefectural Governor would be helpless against him. It seems that this Defense Officer Lin has some tricks up his sleeve. Despite his youth, he should not be underestimated."


    Deputy Prefect Dong Linghui shook his head and sighed, "I originally thought that the Garrison Commander sent him to take over Wang City as there was no one else available, just a stopgap measure. It seems that''s not the case."


    "Deputy Prefect, you''re overthinking it."


    Leading the way, Qin Xia spoke indifferently, "Wasn''t Zhu Tianmao from the Prince''s palace killed in Silver Coin County? The man who killed him is Lin Twelve. The Garrison Commander sending him here is a blessing for Wang City Prefecture."


    "Hmm?" Dong Linghui looked unconcerned, "Zhu Tianmao was favored by Prince Han, and his strength must have been considerable. To have encountered this fourth-realm transcendental emperor; it was simply his misfortune."


    With such a fourth-realm transcendental Heavenly Demon as his protector, wasn''t it easy for Lin Twelve to kill Zhu Tianmao?


    Dong Linghui mused if he had a Blood Blade Ji like Lin Twelve, he could be hammering down on Prefectural Governor Li Changguo, letting him be arrogant in front of me, undermining me¡ª


    Qin Xia stopped and glanced back at him, "At that time, he was merely a third-realm warrior, and the contract with Blood Blade Ji was signed temporarily. Not only was the contract with Blood Blade Ji tampered with, but Blood Blade Ji''s parents and siblings were also held under Zhu Tianmao''s control.


    However, he not only won that battle but also used the arrangement laid out by Zhu Tianmao''s uncle and nephew to elevate Blood Blade Ji''s bloodline from a fourth-realm transcendent king directly to an imperial rank."


    Continuing to walk, Qin Xia added, "I have subordinates who experienced that turmoil in Silver Coin County. The situation was extremely perilous, the city nearly engulfed by flames. He and several constables willingly went to their deaths at the most critical moment, and in the end, turned the tide, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.


    The Garrison Commander sending him to our prefecture shows that he values his courage and resourcefulness. If any of you dare to underestimate him, it will be to your great detriment."


    "Is that really the case?" Dong Linghui raised his eyebrows in surprise upon hearing this.


    The demonic catastrophe at Silver Coin County was directly taken over by the provincial authorities and the imperial court. The local prefecture did not get the detailed files of the case, so Dong Linghui was ignorant of the details.


    By now, the three of them had reached the entrance of the Wang City Government Office.


    The iron-scaled horse that Qin Xia rode earlier was outside; he mounted the horse and gave a bow to the two men, "As Deputy Prefect Dong just mentioned, the situation in Wang City is now extremely precarious.


    That Heavenly Demon dragon is challenging enough, and we still don''t know who is spreading rumors, drawing numerous martial heroes and magical entities to swarm here, their intentions remain unclear, unknown what they''re plotting.


    In these unstable times, the four of us must act with one heart and one mind, working together. Should our internal disputes provide an opportunity for the evil forces, it would be too late for regrets. I have said all there is to say, farewell!"


    After finishing his statement, he rode his horse out of the north city gate.


    He was a county magistrate, but recently had been leading two battalions of his troops stationed outside the city along the Tianxiang River for some reason.


    He had come in haste, rushing over twenty miles from outside the city upon receiving a call for help from Deputy Prefect Dong Linghui.


    This Deputy Prefect Dong was extraordinarily craven, waiting until he arrived before daring to intervene and stop the fight between Lin and Li.


    Dong Linghui watched Qin Xia depart and then turned to look at Li Changguo, "Prefectural Governor Li, he does make some sense, don''t you think?"


    Since we''re to cooperate fully, shouldn''t this fellow loosen his grip on some of the authority he holds?


    Today, he had, in a sense, pulled Li Changguo out of a dire situation, surely that merited some form of acknowledgment?


    Li Changguo, however, did not respond and instead harrumphed coldly before heading out the door and turning left towards the direction of the government office.


    At this time, his secretary was already waiting outside, his expression slightly anxious as he looked at Li Changguo''s head.


    Li Changguo''s face darkened, "I am unharmed! How could a mere third boundary novice trouble me?"


    "It''s not possible, Teacher!" Li Li''s face changed drastically, "In that battle earlier, the new Defensive Officer had a conflict with our Prefectural Governor and thus did not use his seal. Were it us, he would throw out his seal. With the seal, his and that Blood Blade Ji''s combat power would surely double. We''re no match for them!"


    They couldn''t risk their entire project team of brothers and sisters trying to save someone.


    "You''ve misunderstood me," Han Kedao shook his head, "Just now, when that man took office, he seemed dissatisfied with the constables from the Inspectorate Prosecutorate."


    Li Li listened, puzzled.


    The new Defensive Officer Lin indeed had shown dissatisfaction with the constables from the Inspectorate Prosecutorate.


    However, this seemed to be because the Inspectorate Prosecutorate had moved in without his approval as the chief official, which must have made the new Defensive Officer feel offended.


    The Sixth Rank Inspectorate Prosecutor Dou Ming was a cautious person and would surely find a way to appease the anger of Defensive Officer Lin.


    And no matter how dissatisfied Defensive Officer Lin was with the people from the Inspectorate Prosecutorate, he wouldn''t turn around and help them.


    Guarding against and hunting external Heavenly Demons is a major defensive measure in the Great Song officialdom.


    "What I mean is that this Defensive Officer Lin is not on the same side as the Inspectorate of the state. If their interests diverge, we could find a way to use that to our advantage."


    Han Kedao pondered, "Storming the prison is too dangerous. Without a powerful figure on our side, it''s out of the question. However, we might try the inside-outside collaboration strategy."


    "Inside-outside collaboration?" Li Li''s eyes lit up, "So, do you mean to have our people infiltrate it?"


    "Didn''t he say at the city gate? He''s planning to recruit people to fill the ranks of Wang City. When that happens, sneaking one or two people in won''t be difficult."


    Han Kedao stood with his hands behind his back, his voice cold, "The best scenario would be securing the position of the prison warden, or at least a squad leader. Even if it means offering a hefty bribe, we mustn''t spare any expense!"


    Li Li thought this plan was good, indeed the older, the wiser.


    He immediately began pondering, out of their group, who was the most suitable to make contact with Defensive Officer Lin? They must handle this matter without leaving a trace; they couldn''t let that Defensive Officer Lin detect anything amiss.


    It would be best if they could pretend to secure a future for a family member''s child or nephew.


    As for the ''hefty bribe'' the teacher mentioned, it was only to be expected. The Great Song had enjoyed sovereignty for 6,700 years, and its officialdom was extremely dark.


    To ask for help, how could money not be involved? That Li Changguo was known for being incorruptible, yet he readily accepted all kinds of gifts from merchants and gentry.


    So, they also had to gather a hefty sum as quickly as possible!


    Li Li suddenly remembered something, "Right, Teacher, didn''t you assign a task to Lin Rui and the others before? They''ve already sent over all the materials you listed on the inventory, even using a postal station."


    "Oh? That quickly?" Han Kedao was slightly surprised, then snorted lightly, "I underestimated them. With the backing of Sky Blue Corporation, such a task wouldn''t be difficult for them."


    Li Li also thought that either Fang Ranran or Yu Feicui had helped out.


    He thought back to his days just after graduation, when he was within the top 300 in the city''s extranormal assessments.


    He didn''t want to be controlled by a company, so he joined a public institution.


    But those public institutions, despite their freedom, couldn''t compare to the resources of those big corporations.


    When Li Li first arrived, he struggled hard to afford a low-grade soul stone worth five Silver Coins of demon silver every month. It took him a full three months to complete the First Boundary.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen, however, managed to obtain regulated goods worth over five hundred Silver Coins in a matter of days, then had them mailed to them through the official postal service of the Great Song.


    "But this shows that the two junior brothers have already found their footing."


    Li Li asked with a hint of probing, "Now that their identities are clear and they are outside the view of the Inspectorate Prosecutorate, should we¡ª"


    "No way!" Han Kedao shook his head without hesitation.


    He knew what Li Li meant, that Lin Rui and the others would be more appropriate than his other disciples to infiltrate the Imperial City Division''s Wang City.


    However, he couldn''t drag these two innocent children into this.


    The disaster today was caused by Han Kedao''s carelessness. He already felt guilty for involving his students; how could he involve the innocent?

 Chapter 131 Gene Completion (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    Late at night, Wang Sen finally returned from the river behind the government office.


    As he climbed over the wall, he was surprised to find that the interior compound, which had been a mess, had been mostly repaired.


    The debris from the buildings that Li Changguo had destroyed had been cleaned up, and nearly half of the collapsed houses had been rebuilt.


    Most of these houses did not yet have doors or windows, there was hardly any furniture inside, and they lacked the decorative beams and painted rafters, garden rockeries of the past, but they were barely habitable.


    The main house and the rooms on either side had been better restored and looked almost the same as before, with all the furniture still brand new.


    Lin Rui was currently in the main house, helping by Blood Blade Ji''s side, mixing various medicinal powders and applying them to some talismans he had made before.


    "It was the Eastern Prefectural Deputy," Lin Rui said with a slight smile, as he applied the powder, "This person is quite trustworthy. He went back and immediately dispatched two teams of Government Officials and several carpenters and masons. Wen Tailai also called a group of people, and they were busy here for nearly an hour."


    The people from the Tianshen Star were not only tall and robust but also practiced martial arts, so building houses for them was relatively easy.


    Continue your adventure at empire


    As for building materials, there was no need to fuss; they simply took what was needed directly from the government office''s storeroom.


    This was due to the material tax system of the Great Song, where if people couldn''t pay taxes in silver, they could use various kinds of materials instead.


    "So that''s it!"


    At these words, Wang Sen''s expression cleared, and he then placed a large parcel in front of Lin Rui with a wry smile, "I''ve brought back everything. I''ve checked it, and both the goods and the amount match. But you would never guess where their store is. I wandered around the city for over two hours¡ªit was quite a search!"


    Lin Rui began to open the parcel, intrigued, "Where? It''s not in a coffin shop again, is it?"


    He then waved his hand and said, "Speak freely! As long as there are no others within twenty steps inside the inner courtyard, there''s no need to worry about safety."


    He took the opportunity of the internal government office''s rebuilding to set up an Array there, embedding it within the walls of these houses.


    Even if a sixth realm expert came now, it would be very difficult to eavesdrop.


    Upon hearing this, Wang Sen relaxed, thinking this was excellent. He could relax his spiritual power a bit when he went back home.


    He accepted the cup of tea Ji Xueying handed him and guzzled it down, then said with a bitter smile, "It''s in the Changping Warehouse of Wang City, under two of the grain storage units that have been hollowed out."


    Lin Rui was momentarily speechless.


    Changping Warehouse was set up by the Great Song court to regulate grain prices, store emergency grain, and supply official and civilian needs.


    She thought, is this the gift her master is giving her? She really liked it.


    As a Blood Blade Ji, the stronger her strength, the better.


    However, next, she saw Lin Rui take out a pill and place it in front of her, "This is a limb restoration agent, capable of repairing human limbs. I had it specially made in the shape of a Tianji Star pill. You can swallow it directly. You can use the station to send it to your mother, do you like this gift?"


    Ji Xueying was slightly moved, gazing steadily at Lin Rui.


    Her eyes began to redden slightly.


    Her mother''s fingers, chopped off by Zhu Lingshi, had always been a knot in her heart, and she hadn''t expected her master to notice it too.


    Ji Xueying thought to herself that she had been quite unfortunate in life, but eventually things had turned for the better, meeting her current master was indeed the greatest fortune of her life.


    Lin Rui sensed a strong throbbing coming from the Ruyi Concord Knot, which actually made him feel a bit uneasy.


    "No need to be like this, this limb restoration agent is very cheap on our side, even when used by people from Tianji Star, it only costs 500,000 federal credits, equivalent to 500 Silver Taels. We can earn it back after subduing two demons together in the future."


    Lin Rui then took out the last seven syringes from inside his belt.


    These were all his own, totaling six Type 3 mutant bloodline enhancers and one blood training agent.


    Lin Rui had only used the spiritual power enhancer and the physical strength enhancer ten days ago, and he had to wait another twenty days before using them again.


    However, there was no timing restriction on the mutant bloodline enhancers; as long as his spirit and will could endure, he could inject them at any time.


    Lin Rui was quite confident in his spiritual and will power.


    Lin Rui planned to use these enhancers to awaken mutations like ''Blood Core Fury Sun,'' along with his Thunder Blood, Flame Blood, and so on, continuing injections until awakening occurred.


    As for the blood training agent, this thing could enhance his blood training progress by 10% at once. Lin Rui planned to use it during the most challenging segment of his blood training phase, to achieve a breakthrough with the help of this agent.


    Lin Rui directly injected a mutant bloodline enhancer into his neck, then, bearing the itch and pain, asked, "How do you feel about the current situation in the city? Is the demonic atmosphere really as severe as the Prefectural Chief and Deputy Chief say?"


    "There are quite a few Martial Cultivators in the city, but none dare to cause trouble. There is also no curfew, so it seems the Prefectural Governor and his team should be able to maintain control." Wang Sen frowned, "However, both the Prefectural Governor and Deputy went out once tonight, which shows that the demons are indeed rampant and required their personal intervention."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui''s expression relaxed, glad that the situation in the city was stable. He could now focus his energies on the tasks entrusted to him by Zhuang Mingyue.


    At that moment, Wang Sen recalled an odd occurrence, "Speaking of which! When I went to the Mutant Management Bureau outpost earlier, I saw someone there offering to buy silver. It was strange¡ªthey were offering 1400 federal credits for one Silver Tael and insisted on the local exchange of silver. Odd, isn''t it?"


    "Really? Lin Rui began to look forward to the money Li Changguo was supposed to send over, not wanting to miss such a good opportunity to make a profit."

 Chapter 132 Three Realms King Level (Subscribe Please)

    At 2 a.m., Lin Rui injected himself with the fifth Type-3 Heterogeneous Bloodline Enhancing Agent.


    At that moment, his spine finally underwent a change, emitting a lava-like high temperature¡ª a scorching warm current poured into his blood vessels, extending to his limbs and entire body.


    Lin Rui didn''t feel the heat scalding at all, but rather found it very comfortable, his whole body warm.


    His entire body also seemed to ignite like flames, radiating pieces of thunderlight.


    Lin Rui''s "Concealing Breath Skill," having been mastered to the level of Grandmaster, quickly contained the ethereal elements caused by these phenomena, otherwise, the disturbance he caused would have been ten times greater than it currently was.


    Lin Rui concentrated, sensing the changes within his body, his lips slightly curving upward.


    He had just injected the fifth Bloodline Enhancing Agent when he awakened an imperial-level bloodline talent¡ª"Blood Core Fury Sun."


    As soon as this talent awakened, his physical condition was enhanced along with it, his body''s positive True Qi also surged nearly twofold, beginning an endless cycle.


    Lin Rui had been a bit worried.


    The sale price of the Type-3 Heterogeneous Bloodline Enhancer was up to 1 million Federation currency per unit, totaling 6 million for six units.


    Had these six continuous injections failed to awaken his bloodline, it would have been a huge loss.


    The Bloodline Enhancer, a special genetic medicine, could be used consecutively to stack effects and push the threshold of bloodline genes to extreme mutations, aiding a person in ascending and refining their bloodline.


    However, if subsequent drugs weren''t maintained, the power inducing bloodline mutations would continue to decrease, rendering the previous doses useless.


    But now it seemed, the connection between him and his body was very tight and the integration effect of the xenogeneic was especially apparent; the fifth unit had just been injected, and he had already awakened the imperial-level bloodline talent.


    Lin Rui continued more vigorously, refining Light Blood and Flame Blood.


    This was an upper-level talent, much easier compared to "Blood Core Fury Sun."


    Lin Rui, experienced in refining Thunder Blood, and the effect of Type-3 drugs being five times that of Type-2 drugs,


    hadn''t even injected the sixth unit when he had already completed the refining of these two bloodlines, significantly enhancing his affinity and efficiency with the two ethereal elements of light and fire. Your next journey awaits at empire


    Lin Rui was satisfied.


    Lin Rui estimated that his bloodline power could definitely be considered at the third-stage king level!


    Together with his Grandmaster-level martial arts, his far superior physical condition, and spiritual power, as well as his mysterious and magical Escape Skill, his actual combat power could only be stronger.


    At this moment, Lin Rui''s body was covered in sweat.


    The tingling pain from injecting the Bloodline Enhancer was intensely stimulating, causing Lin Rui to sweat profusely all night.


    Although the flames on his body dried the sweat, the salt stuck to his skin was extremely uncomfortable.


    Lin Rui walked to the well in the courtyard and took a bath, feeling clean and refreshed. Just as he was preparing to return to his room to sleep, he suddenly sensed something, his gaze turning solemnly towards the courtyard outside.


    It seemed there were visitors in the government office¡ªa group of unwelcomed ones!


    Dou Ming''s subordinates, over twenty strong men, were with him, and the prison in Wang City was extremely fortified; as long as they could defend the prison gate, the assassins could do nothing to them.


    As for those from the Imperial Guard in the government office and the newly appointed Defense Officer Lin Rui¡ª


    Dou Ming''s gaze was mocking, yet also filled with anticipation.


    This person was actually a significant obstacle to their ongoing investigation into the Heavenly Demon case.


    This Wang City Government Office of the Imperial City''s department was actually a trap they had set for someone, but they had to change their plans temporarily due to the arrival of Lin Rui.


    So, it would be best if this young man died tonight.


    Lin Rui was unaware of the situation outside the government office and had never expected any.


    He poised one hand on his blade while talismans flew from his sleeve like little birds released, dispersing in all directions.


    These talismans contained some metal, allowing Lin Rui to directly control their flight without relying on flying needles.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui glanced doubtfully to the left towards the chamber where Blood Blade Ji resided.


    Wang Sen was one thing, but Blood Blade Ji''s perception was not inferior to his; why was there still no movement?


    Could it be that the gene-enhancing drug was too intense, causing Blood Blade Ji''s condition to deteriorate?


    No!


    Lin Rui frowned, finding that the Blood Covenant connection between him and Ji Xueying had been disrupted again.


    The last time this happened was in Silver Moon County, during that great battle with Zhu Lingshi at the county government office.


    Lin Rui already had a vague guess and made a decisive decision.


    Being heavily outnumbered, he had to strike first!


    In that instant, a mighty thunder exploded around him.


    Sixty Flash Thunder Talismans ignited all at once, creating a thunder net around Lin Rui within a five-meter radius.


    Lin Rui''s waist blade transformed into a trace of light that slashed into the night sky.


    This blade was the S+ secret blade¡ªThunderclap Absolute Slash!


    He had switched to a better side blade, although not as good as ''Thor''s Hammer''; it was a four-realm Yanling Blade seized from Zhu Lingshi.


    "Be careful!"


    "Not good!"


    From the front of the inner government office, a cry of alarm followed, then a spray of blood; three figures appeared in the darkness, sliced in two from twenty meters away by Lin Rui''s blade!


    Finally, Wang Sen realized the peril, holding a shield as he burst out from the neighboring chamber to position himself in front of Lin Rui.


    At the same time, countless flying needles and bolts shot towards them from the darkness.

 Chapter 133 Super King Secret Blade (Request for Subscription)

    Ji Xueying realized that her consciousness was within a dream.


    She was surrounded by black fog, unable to see any boundaries, and no matter how she ran, she couldn''t escape it.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ji Xueying was panic-stricken; she had long sensed dozens of dangerous auras approaching from the outside, her master was about to be in danger, yet she was stuck in this dream, unable to free herself.


    After running for a while, Ji Xueying stopped, realizing that continuing like this was futile.


    She began to focus her mind, sensing her two blades, and her Ruyi Heart-Knot.


    These were the things Ji Xueying was most familiar with, bound to her by her own blood.


    Ji Xueying prepared to use these three objects as anchors to pull her consciousness back into the real world.


    "Is this an Illusion Technique?"


    A harsh light flickered in Ji Xueying''s eyes.


    Someone was trying to use an Illusion Technique to deceive and graft her perception, to prevent her from connecting with her blades, making her believe that they were right behind her.


    But this was a dreamscape; everything here was illusory.


    It was at this moment that Ji Xueying saw a figure slowly emerging from the distant black fog.


    "It seems that not only has your bloodline evolved and improved, but even the strength of your spiritual power has increased significantly. I thought I could drag you into a deeper illusion, but I didn''t expect you to break through the first layer so quickly."


    The person chuckled lightly, his tone a mix of emotion and admonition, "But there''s no need to struggle. Without your help, that Lin Twelve is doomed. Come back, my Blood Blade Ji."


    Ji Xueying looked at this person, her pupils narrowing slightly: "Yuan Ji!"


    He was a man in his forties, of medium height and slightly thin build, with a high nose bridge and deep, sharp eyes. His aura was cutting and aggressive, emanating an oppressive presence.


    Ji Xueying had met this man every day for two months when she was in the capital, leaving her with a deep impression.


    She instantly realized where the problem lay and clenched her back teeth tightly: "Again, the Blood Covenant!"


    Ordinary Illusion Techniques couldn''t possibly affect her.


    This person was using the Blood Covenant to cast an Illusion Technique on her, bypassing her spiritual defense.


    Ji Xueying''s eyes were wide with rage as she glared at the other party: "It really was you tampering. From the start, you were prepared to control me, to kill Yuan Yi, weren''t you?"


    Although she didn''t feel much for Yuan Yi, her former master, she had no desire to kill him, nor any intention to turn on him.


    To be fair, aside from his lecherous nature, the young man''s true character wasn''t bad, and he had shown her respect.


    "How could that be possible? Dare I harbor any thought of harming him back then? It''s just that I saw my elder brother was not a man of loyalty, so I took precautions beforehand. Fortunately, a person of high status in the palace took an interest in some of the Yuan family''s properties, helping me out. Otherwise, I could not have managed it alone."


    Yuan Ji said with a slight smile, his tone tinged with sarcasm: "I didn''t expect this precaution would actually be needed. I built my empire in the south through hard work, yet he thought he could just take it away?"


    Furious at his words, Ji Xueying retorted, "So you deliberately used the ledger of Yin Yue County as bait, luring Yuan Yi to Yin Yue County, right?"


    "He was too hasty. I sold him a flaw, and the child rushed over in a hurry," said Yuan Ji, shaking his head with a touch of gloom in his eyes: "What a pity¡ª"


    What a pity the incapable Zhu uncle and nephew, despite having operated in Yin Yue County for many years, were defeated by a few novices.


    Everything that happened there was supposed to be eradicated by fire. Even if the Yuan family patriarch became suspicious of him, he would be helpless against Yuan Ji.


    With a Blood Blade Ji in hand, ranking as a peerless Super King, His Highness Prince Han would command even greater authority in court! His elder brother would have to tolerate whatever thoughts he had.


    But now, not only was the Prince Han''s household hit by a coalition of all the major factions in the court due to this case, but he himself would also face the cruel retaliation of the Yuan family in the capital.


    Yuan Ji then shook his head, looking at Ji Xueying with an appreciative gaze: "You think to use this conversation to distract me? It''s useless. Today, you will stay here and be able to do nothing."


    Lin Rui''s expression was unreadable, "The aether elements around here are not right; they must have brought a formation array, just waiting for me to use them. It''d be a mess if I did."


    It must have been the battle between him and the Prefectural Governor today that revealed his Escape Skill, leading the opponents to make such targeted arrangements.


    This was primarily because Lin Rui''s spiritual power wasn''t high, and his True Qi wasn''t strong enough to dispel the interference of the spells.


    As Lin Rui spoke, he unleashed his blade once more.


    With a multitude of Flash Thunder Talismans exploding, they triggered purple thunderbolts that pierced the void. Four black-clothed individuals, who were attempting to circle behind or climb onto rooftops to attack them, were cut down through the void. Three of them were of the third realm, and one was of the fourth realm - all were killed by a single stroke from Lin Rui.


    Even the mid-fourth realm Martial Cultivator couldn''t defend himself and was executed by a single slash that decapitated him.


    Wang Sen''s spirits lifted.


    ¡ª This was Lin Rui''s Thunderclap Absolute Slash! Within twenty meters, it directly pierces the void, ignoring distance and barriers.


    The key was that Lin Rui used it so frequently; just a few breaths ago, he had readied this extremely exhausting S+ grade secret blade technique for the second time!


    Hope began to blossom in Wang Sen''s heart; as long as he could block those concealed projectiles and flying darts for Lin Rui, perhaps there was a chance?


    He also received a hint from Lin Rui to flexibly use his Ice Wind Palm.


    He didn''t need a strong wind, just enough to blow the scattered talisman powder to the right place.


    "Roar!"


    Wang Sen fully unleashed his ''Xuanwu Blood,'' with faint snake scales appearing on his skin. His icy power was greatly strengthened, erupting to its limits, thickening the ice in front of the ironwood shield by a full half-inch, expanding in all directions like a massive icy turtle shell protecting them.


    "Such a powerful Super King Secret Blade, reaching the pinnacle! Paired with the assistance of talismans, the blade''s power is enhanced, achieving imperial-grade strength!"


    With these words, a figure dressed in white robes astonishingly appeared right next to Lin Rui and Wang Sen without any warning.


    An intense Sword Intent suddenly erupted, simultaneously suppressing the Primordial Spirits of both Lin Rui and Wang Sen.


    They couldn''t help but feel shocked.


    ¡ª This was actually a fifth realm powerhouse! Even under the suppression of the defensive official seal, this person''s Sword Intent was only slightly less imposing than that of the Eastern District''s Vice Prefect.


    He held a blood sword, slashing towards Lin Rui at a speed hard to detect, aiming for Lin Rui''s throat.


    "What a pity!"


    ¡ª Pity for this young martial arts prodigy, falling here today.


    Just as Lin Rui frowned deeply, preparing to unleash his final move, a red figure also extremely abruptly appeared beside Lin Rui.


    A six-foot-long red blade, bursting with powerful lightning, perfectly blocked the assailant''s blood sword.


    "Blood Blade Ji?"


    The White-clothed Swordsman''s complexion changed drastically in shock, wasn''t Yuan Ji supposed to have detained Blood Blade Ji?


    If it weren''t for Yuan Ji''s repeated assurances, coupled with instructions from the House of Prince Han, their Iron Killing Hall would not have acted rashly.


    The man in white then realized that the eyes of Blood Blade Ji, red as blood jade, lacked any luster.


    This demoness currently had no will of her own; she was merely instinctively wielding her blade to defend, to protect her master.


    "Bound by the heart? So that''s how it is!"


    The White-clothed Swordsman felt even more astounded internally, the bond between Blood Blade Ji and Lin Rui was this profound?


    However, if that was the case, they still had a great chance of victory tonight.

 Chapter 134 Our Bonds (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    "Come!"


    The White-clothed Swordsman thrust his Blood Blade repeatedly, continuously bombarding Ji Xueying with strikes.


    As Ji Xueying unconsciously fought back with all her might, the figure of the White-clothed Swordsman gradually retreated, luring Ji Xueying away, step by step, until they were ten meters apart.


    A force only driven by instinct at the level of Super King, the White-clothed Swordsman could just manage to cope with.


    "Kill him!"


    Following the command of the White-clothed Swordsman, over a dozen figures from the shadows rushed toward Lin Rui and another person from behind and from above the eaves.


    However, in the next instant, another violent, purple Thunder net exploded within the courtyard, spanning ten meters in every direction.


    "Pfft!"


    In the night sky, four individuals were severed at the waist, their blood spraying across the expanse!


    Among them, one had a cultivation reaching mid-fourth-realm! Despite being fully on guard, he still couldn''t defend against the knife light that pierced through the void, disregarding space itself.


    "Damn! That''s the Super King Secret Blade, too fierce! There''s no way to defend against it."


    "Don''t be afraid, he can''t use that secret technique continuously!"


    "Surround him, and slaughter him!"


    "People have already filled his tracks with their lives, kill!"


    Wang Sen saw those men in black still daringly rushing over, and he couldn''t help but feel a slight shock in his heart.


    Techniques like Thunderclap Absolute Slash, an S+ grade secret technique, were indeed troublesome to perform, not only requiring a buildup but also consuming a large amount of True Yuan.


    However, what followed was a blast of at least fifty Flash Thunder Talismans, exploding and unleashing a massive barrage of thunder.


    "Pchit!"


    Once more, a vast amount of blood sprayed into the night sky as three black-clothed men, who had closed to within five meters, were cut in two by Lin Rui''s purple thunder blade light.


    Another person was caught off guard, pierced through the heart by a swift, lightning-like golden flying sword, and fell from the eaves of the left wing building.


    Each time Lin Rui executed the Thunderclap Absolute Slash, he could deliver three to four strikes, leaving these assassins utterly powerless.


    Yet, more figures approached from the darkness.


    "Continue!"


    "I refuse to believe he can release the third form of the Super King Secret Blade continuously!"


    "Merely a third-realm warrior, how much True Yuan could he have?"


    "Slaughter him together!"


    At that moment, Lin Rui''s whole body burst into golden flames, surrounded by bursts of thunder flashing around him, his eyes turning into a crimson gold color.


    His entire being resembled a miniature sun, illuminating the surrounding night as if it were daylight.


    "Slaughter!"


    But he did not know whether this tactic would work, his voice strained, "Brother Twelve, if things go wrong, just leave first, don''t worry about me! Since we chose this line of work, fate dictates our lives, I''m resigned to it! Remember, Brother Twelve, absolutely do not force it!"


    Lin Rui glanced sideways at Wang Sen in front, then smiled and looked away.


    This was a brother he could entrust his life to, but now it was not yet that dire.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was gathering energy and raised his hand, grabbing a blood-red short blade in his hand.


    ¡ªThis was the Blood Covenant blade from Ji Xueying!


    Lin Rui thought about Ji Xueying''s problem, it must be related to the Blood Covenant.


    However, after the incident in Silver Moon County, he had repeatedly checked Ji Xueying''s body, using his own Great Grandmaster level foundational formation and Great Grandmaster level Magic Control Divine Technique, to eliminate all hidden threats.


    The foundation of the Blood Covenant within Ji Xueying''s body was no longer problematic.


    Lin Rui realized he was in a blind spot, perhaps the issue involved not only Ji Xueying''s body but also this "Blood Covenant blade!"


    Lin Rui pondered for a moment, then his lips curved slightly in a smile.


    He suddenly squeezed hard, causing hairline cracks to appear on the covenant blade.


    The distant white-clothed swordsman saw this scene and was momentarily stunned.


    "What are you doing?"


    The white-clothed swordsman then realized what was happening, his face turned ashen, "Think it through, once this covenant blade is broken, you will forever lose your Blood Blade Ji."


    Lin Rui laughed, "Ha," and continued to press hard until he shattered the covenant blade, also breaking the Blood Covenant between him and Ji Xueying!


    His eyes were as sharp as blades, filled with a hint of mockery as he looked at the white-clothed swordsman, "Why should I worry? I feel instead that our ''bond'' would only grow deeper! The ties between us are not bound by such a mere Blood Covenant."


    Meanwhile, in Ji Xueying''s dream.


    Yuan Ji had been coldly observing Ji Xueying, who was engulfed in burning blood flames, struggling madly.


    At this moment, the body of Blood Blade Ji in the dream was actually her Primordial Spirit transformed, so the blood flames were actually burning Ji Xueying''s Primordial Spirit.


    "Your struggle is futile! No matter how hard you try, it''s useless and will only cause you more pain."


    Yuan Ji shook his head slightly, showing a trace of impatience in his eyes.


    The people from the Iron Killing Hall outside, how have they not dealt with Lin Twelve yet? Is that boy really that troublesome? Is his blade really that sharp?


    It was at this moment that Yuan Ji''s expression subtly changed, a profound shock rising in his heart.


    "Could it be? How dare this guy? How dare he break the covenant blade?"


    The battling Ji Xueying also suddenly stilled as she felt all the constraints on her vanish.


    At the same time, she sensed the words Lin Rui said outside.


    "The bonds between us are not constrained by such a mere Blood Covenant¡ª"


    Ji Xueying slightly bowed her head, using her hair to cover her face, followed by an infinite surge of blood flames erupting from within her.


    "Kill!"


    At this moment, Ji Xueying''s murderous intent peaked, and her magic power also forcefully crossed a threshold, madly soaring!

 Chapter 135 Frenzy (Subscription Request)

    Yuan Ji felt a sense of foreboding the moment he discovered that the covenant blade was broken, as it was his last resort to control Blood Blade Ji.


    Unexpectedly, Lin Twelve was so decisive that he did not hesitate to dissolve the Blood Covenant with Blood Blade Ji in order to shatter the ''covenant blade''.


    "This bastard¡ª"


    Yuan Ji was extremely annoyed, yet powerless, he could only retreat frantically, trying to escape from the dreamscape of Blood Blade Ji.


    He soon realized that he simply could not do so, as at this moment, the entire dreamscape of Blood Blade Ji had turned into a sea of crimson flames, with no place of refuge.


    Blood Blade Ji glared at him with eyes like blood jade, exuding the aura of an ancient ferocious beast, choosing its prey.


    "No, not this!"


    Yuan Ji was utterly terrified, his consciousness entirely stagnating under the terrifying assault of the blade intent.


    Then, in the next instant, Yuan Ji found his body cleaved into two halves.


    The body in this dreamscape, being his soul, would not die even when split in two; however, right after the blade light swept past, waves of extremely fierce flames ignited from within, causing his soul to burn fiercely like a torch, with dazzling crimson thunder, obliterating all the remnants of his thoughts.


    Such extreme pain caused Yuan Ji to let out a scream of agony, sounding like the wails of ghosts and howls of wolves, as his soul dissipated into specks of spirit dust.


    Ji Xueying wished she could tear this man into thousands of pieces and burn his soul to ashes.


    However, at this moment, she was concerned about her master''s safety and unwilling to waste even a moment on Yuan Ji. Once she made her cut, ensuring that his Primordial Spirit would surely burn out, Ji Xueying''s consciousness withdrew from the dreamscape.


    The White-clothed Swordsman was extremely fierce, and instead of retreating after Lin Rui forcefully crushed the covenant blade, he launched himself fully towards Lin Rui.


    He wanted to bypass Ji Xueying''s defenses to kill this upstart!


    This was his last chance, otherwise, this operation would have been a total failure.


    They had already lost nearly 20 men, including four from the fourth realm, and had neither managed to retrieve Blood Blade Ji nor injured a single hair on Lin Twelve.


    However, when Ji Xueying regained consciousness, light returning to her eyes, her long blade ''Shocking Snow'' not only intercepted the sword light of the White-clothed Swordsman with incredible precision but also launched a ferocious counterattack, driving him back over six feet with her powerful strength and violent blade speed.


    The White-clothed Swordsman was forced to distance himself from Lin Rui, and his steps grew increasingly unsteady, overwhelmed by Ji Xueying''s immense strength and manic blade speed, scattering his footwork.


    The White-clothed Swordsman couldn''t believe his eyes: "Late-fourth realm?"


    Blood Blade Ji had actually broken through in this critical moment.


    No! It wasn''t just her Magic Power that had broken through to the late-fourth realm; it seemed that various aspects of her physical condition had also greatly improved.


    She was at least twenty percent stronger than the White-clothed Swordsman had estimated!


    How could she be so strong?


    "This is impossible!" The White-clothed Swordsman felt it was completely inconceivable, feeling increasingly overwhelmed.


    Lin Rui raised his hand, wanting to remind Ji Xueying to leave some sorcerers for him.


    Among these assassins from Iron Kill Hall, nearly 1/3 were sorcerers.


    He had just killed 6 and collected over two thousand points of Soul Power.


    But before he could speak, the black figures around had already been greatly reduced.


    Blood rained everywhere in the sky, various limbs and pieces of flesh falling to the ground as if it were raining.


    Lin Rui could only withdraw his hand, thinking to himself that it didn''t matter; he didn''t lack this bit of Soul Power, and letting Ji Xueying vent was also good.


    Just fifteen breaths later, Ji Xueying had already cleaned up all the assassins inside the inner rooms.


    Ji Xueying then turned her cold gaze towards the east.


    On the eaves of the roofs in that residential area stood two people who had been peeping here all along, making it hard for Ji Xueying to tell if these two were friends or foes.


    Although they used clever talismanic methods for concealment, they couldn''t escape Ji Xueying''s keen senses.


    "Ying''er, don''t bother with them."


    Lin Rui also looked in the direction where those two were standing, "They''re probably not enemies."


    He saw the two people on the distant roof also appearing very vigilant as if facing a great enemy.


    However, those two had actually not been here long, and really bore no malice.


    And for some reason, Lin Rui mysteriously felt a strange familiarity with these two, yet he didn''t know where this familiarity came from.


    Ji Xueying turned around upon his words, sheathing her blade, and at this moment her body bore not a single trace of blood.


    However, when she walked back to Lin Rui, her expression seemed somewhat unusual.


    She looked at Lin Rui, muttering as if wanting to speak, yet not knowing how to express herself rightly.


    Although the master''s words just now had touched her, the bond between them certainly did not need to rely on such a trivial Blood Covenant to restrain.


    However, Blood Blade Ji still needed a master; otherwise, she might eventually lose control, just like she did a month ago.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui smiled, "Why the rush? Tomorrow we''ll find a skilled blacksmith to forge a new covenant blade for us, pick the style you like, and then at that time we''ll re-establish the Blood Covenant with our blood!"


    Upon hearing this, Blood Blade Ji instantly felt reassured, and a bright smile even spread across her face.


    She began to think about what kind of covenant blade she would use tomorrow?


    It definitely has to look better than the last one, which was so ugly.


    Lin Rui''s expression turned serious, and he walked towards the front courtyard.

 Chapter 136 Youre Actually Colluding with the Heavenly Demon (Seeking Subscriptions)

    When Lin Rui stepped onto the steps in front of the main hall of the outer government office, the remaining three clerks of Wang City Government Office and twenty Dragon Guards all gathered around.


    They had different expressions on their faces, some were flushed with admiration, some were gritting their teeth due to their injuries, and some were pallid with guilt and fear.


    The constables from the Imperial Judicial Commissioner''s office also stood at a distance, their expressions obscure. Among them, the Judicial Commissioner Dou Ming had a look of regret that flickered uncertainly.


    He hadn''t expected people from the Iron Killing Hall to deploy such a grand force, using dozens of men and even a Fifth Realm expert, yet they still couldn''t deal with Lin the Twelfth.


    Weren''t the assassins of the Iron Killing Hall known for only acting after careful planning, guaranteeing success once they moved? This time they had all been defeated inside the Wang City Government Office.


    Dou Ming had just seen Lin the Twelfth unsheathe his blade.


    The strike of the Super King Secret Blade was truly sharp; Dou Ming felt that he might not be able to withstand it himself.@@@@


    Being undefeatable was one thing, but the key was its relentless continuity.


    No wonder dozens of assassins couldn''t get close to him.


    Now he was feeling a headache; his subordinates had all hidden in the jail cells on his orders, passively observing the battle outside.


    This was undoubtedly very unseemly, and he wondered how this Defense Envoy Lin would react?


    Lin Rui stood on the steps, smiling as he looked over the assembly of Dragon Guards.


    "Great merits for the two Prison Chiefs! Jiang Li and Wei Xiu are promoted to Platoon Leaders effective immediately, all those who participated in the battle are noted for their contributions, and every participant in the battle is rewarded with twenty Silver Coins, and three soulstones!


    And for the two who died in battle, according to the triple compensation standard of our Imperial City Division, ample pensions will be provided!"


    The four whom he had generously rewarded had all exerted themselves to the death tonight. Not only did they loudly alert their fellow officers in the outer government office, but they also fiercely engaged with those dressed in black, getting injured in the process, with one of them almost facing a dire situation.


    It was a pity that the cultivation of these two valiant Dragon Guards was a little weak, only at the mid-level of the Third Realm; otherwise, he would have been too lazy to recruit from the outside and would have directly promoted these two to Team Heads.


    It was even more regrettable for the two who had died in battle, as they were also brave and loyal men.


    Besides these few, the others had also participated in the battle.


    However, their methods of fighting were smarter, mostly hiding in concealed corners, greeting with all sorts of hidden weapons, doing everything possible to help him contain the numerous assassins in the inner government office, greatly reducing Lin Rui''s pressure.


    At least, these men had helped Lin Rui to contain 20 black-clothed assassins.


    "And the three who just hid inside and did not come out."


    Lin Rui''s gaze became cold, "According to the rules of the Dragon Guards, those who fear the enemy and show cowardice shall be beheaded on the spot, or given thirty severe lashings, followed by dismissal! However, since this official has just taken office today, I will make an exception.


    You three can go to the Clerk later to hand in your badges and receive ten Silver Coins of severance pay; from now on, you don''t need to come to the government office again."


    If these three were merely cowards, that would be one thing, but they were also foolish!


    Though a civil official, this person possessed the cultivation of the early Four Realms.


    Yet, at the moment of crisis, this person did not make a sound and hid with a group from the criminal investigation division in the prisons.


    This was also behaving cowardly in the face of the enemy!


    In the great Song dynasty where martial spirit was thriving, weren''t the Prefectural Governor and his deputies expected to personally deal with demons and evil spirits?


    It''s just that this person, as the head scribe of the government office, held an official rank of positive seventh grade, the same as Lin Rui''s, and it was improper for him, a mere acting defense envoy, to deal with the situation on the spot.


    Lin Rui was already prepared to report the details to the commander of the garrison post in Sha State after the fact, and let the commander deal with this person.


    It was only after hearing what Wen Tailai said that he realized the situation was not as he had imagined.


    Lin Rui''s eyes, sharp as blades and spears, coldly stared at Dou Ming, "Judicial Dou! At the moment of battle, why did you stop our Wang City head scribe and why did you knock him unconscious?"


    "Your Excellency, please allow me to explain!" Dou Ming, with clasped hands, had a pale face covered with beads of sweat the size of beans.


    He never expected his old friend Wen Tailai to pull such a move at this time, putting him in an extremely awkward and dangerous position.


    Dou Ming''s mind raced, searching for words to defend himself, but after several breaths, he couldn''t come up with an excuse to absolve himself.


    "Can''t come up with an answer, can you?" Lin Rui laughed coldly, "To me, there''s only one reason: you''re in cahoots with these Heavenly Demons from outside our domain, coordinating from inside and out, wanting to recreate the bloodbath that occurred in our Wang City a month ago!"


    Dou Ming realized something was wrong halfway through Lin Rui''s statement.


    As an experienced head constable in the government office, he had already faintly anticipated this terrifying outcome.


    But he truly hadn''t expected Lin Twelve to be so ruthless and bold, actually planning to lump him together with these assassins from the Iron Kill Hall!


    Today, they were merely onlookers from the sidelines. Was there a need to be so vicious towards a colleague?


    The moment Dou Ming became alert, he saw a vast expanse of purple thunder roaring and flashing ahead of him.


    Dou Ming''s pupils slightly contracted.


    This was the precursor to Lin Twelve''s just-performed ''Super King Secret Blade.'' This young man had been ready to strike all along, had begun to accumulate power ahead of time, scattering talismans.


    He had no time to defend himself before Lin Rui kicked him across a 20-meter distance, his chest caving in with a ''crack,'' and his entire body flew out like a cannonball, crashing into the ground ten meters away.


    Lin Rui had perfected ''Thunderclap Absolute Slash'' to the Great Grandmaster level, reaching pinnacle mastery. He was no longer restricted to using weapons; his feet worked just as well.


    Right as Lin Rui kicked Dou Ming away, a cry of alarm came from outside the government office, "Stop, be merciful, Grandmaster Lin!"


    Blood Blade Ji, standing behind Lin Rui, had her eyes flash fiercely as she suddenly turned into a swift red shadow, dashing into the air.


    With her blade slashing, the air rang out with a ''clang'' of metal thundering, sparks flying, and thunder exploding.

 Chapter 137 Jinggang City Shipping Office (Three more, subscribe please)

    ```


    The person who suddenly broke into the Wang City Government Office from outside was a middle-aged man with an average build, clad in blue armor and with a stern face.


    This man''s cultivation had also reached the early levels of the fifth realm, but he only managed to block a dozen or so strikes from Blood Blade Ji before feeling somewhat overwhelmed.


    Both were striking with extreme speed, exchanging dozens of blows in the blink of an eye in midair.


    However, the twin swords in the hands of the stern-faced middle-aged man were already pressed five feet in front of him by Blood Blade Ji, relegating him to a purely defensive stance.


    His eyes were filled with astonishment!


    How could this Blood Blade Ji be so strong? She was even more powerful than when he witnessed her grand battle with Prefectural Governor Li Changguo earlier that afternoon.


    It seemed she had already advanced to the late stages of the fourth realm; no wonder that leader of the Iron Assassin Hall was gruesomely slaughtered by this demoness!


    While he was struggling to hold her off, he bellowed, "Lord Lin, I am the Assistant Censor-In-Chief Zhang Zhili from the Office of Imperial Censors, and certainly no evildoer! Please have your guardian demon cease its attack at once, sir, as I have urgent matters to discuss with you! We are colleagues serving the same court, so there''s no need for this, no need for this at all!"


    He was an Assistant Censor-In-Chief, ranked below only the fifth grade, far higher than Lin Rui, but out of sheer urgency, he blurted out the term ''your subordinate''.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui merely smirked coldly, too indifferent to respond.


    So the Office of Imperial Censors actually had experts lurking outside the government office spying on them? And it was none other than the Assistant Censor-In-Chief, a master of the fifth realm!


    This was utterly detestable!


    These people clearly had the power to help Wang City repel the assassins from Iron Assassin Hall, yet they turned a blind eye to the attack aimed at him, standing idly by. What were they thinking? What was their intent?


    "All Imperial Dragons, heed my command!"


    Lin Rui, with his hands clasped behind his back, cast a cold glance at the constables from the Office of Imperial Censors in the courtyard, "Disarm these men and throw them into prison along with Dou Ming. Should they resist, they will be dealt with as accomplices of the Heavenly Demon and executed without mercy!"


    By this time, there were only 17 members left in the Imperial Dragons within the city, some of whom were injured.


    However, upon hearing the order, they didn''t hesitate to surround the men from the Office of Imperial Censors.


    Fury burned in their eyes. They had heard the words spoken by the Chief Clerk Wen Tailai and seen Dou Ming''s reaction, and with the sudden appearance of Assistant Censor-In-Chief Zhang Zhili, how could they not understand the situation?


    These people had spoken of camaraderie while seeking shelter, yet when their two brothers were slain by the men in black, these individuals remained silent, hiding inside the jail and watching them struggle against the assassins.


    This had already stirred their dissatisfaction. Was this their so-called camaraderie and brotherhood?


    The constables, on the other hand, appeared lost and confused.


    Acknowledging their own guilt and instinctively realizing that resisting was the worst option, they understood that even fleeing would be improper, as they could easily be accused of evading justice by the defense officer who was so quick to slander.


    Yet, they were unwilling to be captured without a fight, apprehensive about falling into the hands of the agents from the Imperial City Division.


    It was at this moment that Ji Xueying''s body suddenly erupted in a sky-high torrent of blood flames, spreading a vast and domineering aura of blade intent, which expanded in all directions for over 60 yards. This caused the constables'' movements to halt, their minds momentarily suppressed, rendering them helplessly immobile.


    Assistant Censor-In-Chief Zhang Zhili was struck fiercely by one of Ji Xueying''s blows, his body crashing onto the street outside like a falling star, sending up clouds of dust and debris.


    Lin Rui let out a cold sneer, "If they have the guts, let them leave now!"


    If they left, he would be even more pleased, exactly what he wished for.


    He then remembered something, "Right, the sword used by that person just now seemed to be a high-tier water-element fifth-realm sword. You take it and use it for now, or trade it for something more suitable if you''d like."


    It was a pity that his Blood Blade Ji''s strikes were too ruthless, nearly slicing that fifth-realm Martial Cultivator to pieces, and none of the several Magic Artifacts on his body were left intact, except for that sword. However, those assassins did leave quite a few Magic Artifacts and weapons behind, which could be exchanged for money.


    These people were unlike the destitute demon cultivators raised by Zhu Lingshi of the Silver Moon County; their possessions were quite substantial, and the quality of their Magic Artifacts was decent.


    Wang Sen heard this and smiled bitterly, but unceremoniously nodded.


    The sword wasn''t quite suitable for him. Wang Sen had already planned to exchange the sword for a Shield that suited his style, to continue fortifying his defensive capabilities and restraint power.


    At the same moment, outside the Wang City Government Office, Han Kedao and Li Li, who were hiding in the dark and peering into the government office, exchanged glances.


    From each other''s eyes, they both saw a hint of fear mixed with relief.


    It turned out that the people from the Circuit Intendant''s office really set an ambush nearby, and even Wang Tiandong had come¡ªthis person was close to reaching the King level in his bloodline, reportedly almost there.


    Luckily, they hadn''t rashly attempted a rescue. If their group had charged into that prison, they would have all been trapped by the ambush, and none would have escaped.


    At this moment, not far away in a residence, Yuan Ji awoke with a throbbing pain in his head.


    Just now, he had cast a spell from afar, attempting to control Ji Xueying''s dreams with an Illusion Technique and failed, as Ji Xueying had destroyed his Primordial Spirit with a slash.


    He should have died instantly, but because Yuan Ji had obtained a peculiar treasure years ago, a moment after his Primordial Spirit was destroyed, he was able to reassemble some fragments of his soul.


    "This is bad! Very bad!"


    Yuan Ji''s hand trembled as he pulled out a red pill bottle from his sleeve, poured all the pills into his mouth, and then, while enduring the intense pain, began to think.


    If he were Lin Twelve, he would undoubtedly use this as an excuse to make trouble.


    Thus, his business and ships at Jinggang''s docks were now in danger.


    No! He might even link this assassination case to an outside Heavenly Demon, and then escalate the situation indefinitely, crushing all his contacts and influence.


    They had imitated an outside Heavenly Demon''s operation because they were confident of their absolute control, but now that the operation had failed, they had given their enemy a handle to use against them.


    Lin Twelve''s blade might very well be pointed next at the "Jinggang Maritime Trade Office".


    Ever since the bloodbath at the imperial capital''s Wang City, under the instructions of Prince Han and using demon prevention as a pretext, the eunuch supervisors of Jinggang Maritime Trade Office had detained over two hundred merchant ships associated with the Sand State Defense Commander!


    The appointment of Lin Twelve as the head of Wang City by the Sand State Defense Commander was a move directed against them! And now, he had unknowingly provided Lin Twelve with the perfect excuse.


    Therefore, he must hurry back to Jinggang, to get there before Lin Twelve and prepare to respond!


    After taking the pills, Yuan Ji clenched his teeth and struggled to stand, stumbling towards Jinggang.


    He must not ruin Prince Han''s grand plans, and he must not allow those more than two hundred merchant ships to depart!

 Chapter 138 This is No Ordinary Dog (Please Subscribe)

    Within the prefectural governor''s office, Prefectural Governor Li Changguo stood on the tallest building within the office grounds, looking into the distance towards Wang City Government Office.


    "Not only did he annihilate everyone from the Iron Kill Hall, but he also took down those constables from the Criminal Investigation Department? This kid is impressive."


    He sensed something amiss in Wang City a quarter of an hour earlier.


    The Iron Kill Hall had set up a thorough Array that not only blocked sound, but also blocked the fluctuations of Yuan energy.


    Therefore, it was only after the great battle in Wang City had concluded that Li Changguo suddenly realized something was wrong.


    And it was only at this moment that he learned the specifics of the battle from those three Imperial Dragon Guards that Lin Twelve had dispersed.


    "His methods are quite ruthless and extremely decisive!"


    Deputy Prefect Dong Linghui had a premonition that those constables from the Criminal Investigation Department would either die or be skinned alive, shielding his eyes with his hand as he strained to see into the distance, "Defense Envoy Lin has already taken people to Jinggang, his momentum overwhelming. The Guardian Envoy will surely be overjoyed when he hears of this."


    But Li Changguo let out a sigh, turning around to instruct his strategist standing behind him, "Raise the borrowing limit tomorrow, we need 30,000 taels of demon silver."


    Since Lin Twelve had survived and was going to fight back against Yuan Ji, that money had to be repaid.


    His mind then shifted abruptly, "No, that''s not right!"


    Li Changguo blinked and then ordered sharply, "Summon people for me! Seal off all the trading companies that do business with Yuan Ji, arrest all those related to Yuan Ji, confiscate all their silver and goods, and lock down the entire city. The streets outside the city must be sealed as well, starting today enforce a strict inspection on all who come and go!"@@@@


    Deputy Prefect Dong Linghui, upon hearing this, reflected, "Prefectural Governor means to say... these people associated with Yuan Ji might also be harboring a Heavenly Demon?"


    He locked eyes with Li Changguo and they both saw a wolf-like gaze in each other''s eyes.


    Lately, their office had spent a great deal, almost more than they had taken in, to suppress the demons in the city.


    The 500 plus bounties for demons on the outside notice boards alone, along with the 400 plus wanted criminals, had put considerable financial pressure on the office.


    Dong Linghui looked hesitant, "However, Defense Envoy Lin has not yet obtained conclusive evidence, which is a hidden worry."


    Li Changguo glanced at him sideways.


    He thought that the deputy prefect had all the good qualities but lacked a bit of boldness.


    However, it was understandable that Dong Linghui was not aware of the details in Silver Moon County.


    "What is there to fear?" Li Changguo scoffed coldly, "That Blood Blade Ji of Lin Twelve was personally crafted by Yuan Ji in the past. When in Silver Moon County, the Zhu relatives used the underhand trick Yuan Ji left on the Blood Blade to manipulate her several times. Yuan Ji wasn''t on the scene in Silver Moon County and could barely absolve himself, but this time, he has no explanation."


    He flicked his sleeve disdainfully, "And when it comes to foreign demons, it''s better to make a mistake than let one go! When has the Imperial City''s enforcement ever cared about rules? As long as there is an explanation for those above, that''s all that matters!"


    Hearing this, Dong Linghui knew he had been overthinking things.


    Even if the case was overturned later, what then?


    By that time, they would have already consumed their fill and just needed to wipe their mouths clean; there would be no issues.


    The trading companies, anxious to avoid being implicated in the Heavenly Demon case, would obediently pay silver to the office.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Wen Tailai, the bookkeeper standing next to Wang Sen, was trembling slightly, his face deathly pale as he said, "My lord, I recognize this thing! It belongs to the Heavenly Demons, it seems to be something called an enhancement injection, a common tool of theirs."


    He hadn''t expected that Yuan Ji was really colluding with the Heavenly Demons from beyond their domain!


    The rest of the Imperial Dragon Guards, as well as several sergeants and corporals from the prefectural soldiers, all looked at these syringes with astonished eyes.


    Is this what the Heavenly Demon''s items are like?


    "It seems the evidence is indeed irrefutable!"


    Lin Rui nodded gravely, "Summon someone to take these, whatever injections, and send one each to the Prefectural Commandant and the Prefectural Governor for identification! The rest of the evidence will be your responsibility, Wang Twenty-seven, to deliver to the government office. I assign you four teams of prefectural soldiers; you must not fail.


    Also, this silver and wealth, Wen the bookkeeper, you take people to tally them quickly. Later, they will also be escorted by Wang Twenty-seven to my inner office for safekeeping, until the dust settles on this case. Then everyone, along with the prefectural soldiers'' brothers, according to the rules, will divide the money."


    As soon as he said this, the surrounding prefectural soldiers and Imperial Dragon Guards all looked exhilarated and burst into joyful smiles.


    They all began to look forward to the upcoming rewards.


    This place was just one of the many businesses operated by Yuan Ji; there were many more warehouses and Yuan Ji''s own residences yet to be searched.


    Although his residence had been surrounded by the prefectural soldiers, they had no time to search it yet.


    Moreover, this person was well-connected in Jinggang, with many fellow businessmen and officials supporting each other, like branches of the same tree.


    The prefectural soldiers and Imperial Dragon Guards now suspected those businessmen as well, thinking they might also be Heavenly Demons from beyond their domain.


    But at this moment, Lin Rui turned his head and gave Wang Sen a knowing look, making a gesture as if counting money with his fingers.


    Understanding the signal, Wang Sen briskly bowed, "Your subordinate obeys!"


    Although the basement was mostly filled with copper coins, there were also many medicines of unknown value.


    However, there were also about 13,000 taels of demon silver and roughly 50 taels of divine metal, which could be conveniently converted into money at the Misfit Management Bureau.


    According to the Imperial Dragon Guards'' rules, Lin Rui, as the investigator of this case, could directly take 10% from the dirty money.


    And this rare opportunity to make money at the Misfit Management Bureau was not to be missed, where one tael of demon silver could be exchanged for 1,400 federal dollars.


    Once Lin Rui cashed in his share of the gold and silver, it would amount to about 2.5 million federal dollars!


    And that was only the first sum of the evening¡ª


    Lin Rui then took the syringe he was holding and leaped out of the basement, heading in the direction of the Jinggang docks.


    He had just approached the docks, near the marine office of the Jinggang government office, when he saw a large group of prefectural soldiers in a standoff with the government officials.


    They all held weapons, and the atmosphere was incredibly tense.


    Lin Rui also heard a shrill voice inside the main hall of the marine office scolding loudly, "I think you are outrageously bold to dare encroach on the port and blockade the dock ¡ª have you eaten a leopard''s guts? Investigating demons, what evidence do you have? I think you''re seeking death. If you mess up our marine office''s tax records for the year, I''ll tear you apart! Where is your superior?


    That Lin the twelfth, that scoundrel, where is he? Let him come speak with me! If he can''t give me a satisfactory explanation today, I''ll make him kneel here until I''ve had enough!"


    Lin Rui''s brows lifted, then he hummed a tune cheerfully, holding the syringe wrapped in a square cloth in his hand, and walked into the marine office''s main hall, appearing calm and at ease.

 Chapter 139 Daring to Resist Desperately (Subscribe Please)

    Lin Rui entered the main hall and immediately saw a muscular, beardless eunuch in his thirties sitting above.


    He was only dressed in thin garments and was flushed with anger, berating those below him in a fierce voice.


    Lin Rui thought this must be Eunuch Wang Zhenli from the Maritime Bureau of Jingang City, whom the County Magistrate had specifically mentioned before his assignment.


    This person, despite holding a minor rank of the sixth grade, was a source of great headache for the Zhuang Mingyue family.


    Standing beside him were sixteen fully armed guards, all glaring with fierce and malevolent expressions.


    Beneath the platform were a group of county soldiers ordered to search the Maritime Bureau of Jingang City; several squads were present along with Qu Zhang.


    Though they seemed to be confronting the guards, they all bowed their heads, reprimanded like grandsons by the eunuch.


    To the side were over a dozen officials and clerks, likely all clerks working under the Maritime Bureau. They were either sitting or standing with varied expressions¡ªsome anxious, some curiously peeking, and others whispering in hushed tones.


    Beside the eunuch was a clean-faced civil official in a sixth-grade official robe, who looked curiously at Lin Rui as he entered.


    This person must be Li Dan, the supervisor of the Maritime Bureau, whom the County Magistrate had also specifically mentioned.


    An ally!


    Theoretically, the supervisor of the Maritime Bureau was supposed to be the chief official of Jingang City.


    However, since 2000 years ago, the Emperor of Great Song had been deploying a large number of palace eunuchs to major tax ports and maritime bureaus to oversee these key fiscal locations.


    With the Emperor''s and the inner court''s support, these eunuchs gradually invaded the official powers of the original chiefs and had become the de facto heads of these agencies, with the Maritime Bureau supervisors essentially becoming their deputies.


    Eunuch Wang Zhenli also saw Lin Rui, his narrow and sinister eyes glaring fiercely: "So you''re Lin twelve, the newly appointed Defense Commissioner of Wang City? Was it you who ordered the seal on the Maritime Bureau?"


    His anger was indeed flaring. Just last night, he had gone to sleep in the government office when a group of heavily armed county soldiers burst in, claiming that the merchant Yuan Ji had colluded with the Heavenly Demon to assassinate the newly appointed Defense Commissioner of Wang City.


    Acting on the new commissioner''s orders, they came to search the Maritime Bureau for any clues related to Yuan Ji and the foreign Heavenly Demon.


    Initially, Wang Zhenli was somewhat panicked, given his deep connections with Yuan Ji and many of their shady dealings.


    Luckily, he soon received a message from Yuan Ji.


    Yuan Ji did hire people from the Blood Blade Society to assassinate the new commissioner, but the evidence Lin Twelve captured was limited¡ªall indirect. As for the accusation of colluding with the Heavenly Demon, it was completely baseless.


    As long as he could stand firm under pressure tonight, there wouldn''t be much problem.


    Wang Zhenli pounded his fist onto the desk in front of him with a force that resounded like a thunderclap: "I think you''ve grown too bold! Who gave you the authority? Who gave you the audacity? So, you say it''s for demon inspection. Do you have solid evidence? You extend Heavenly Demon searches to our Maritime Bureau.


    Don''t you know that in a month it''s our tax day at the Maritime Bureau? If public duties are delayed, can you, a mere military officer, bear the responsibility?"


    As he rebuked, he walked down from the platform, pointing at Lin Rui''s nose: "Now either explain yourself and provide solid evidence, or kneel down here and apologize. Otherwise, I swear you won''t get away with it!"


    Lin Rui couldn''t be bothered to argue with the man and simply threw the syringe wrapped in the handkerchief onto the ground.


    The soldiers and guards in the hall didn''t recognize the item, but the officials and clerks of the Maritime Bureau were well-informed.


    They were all startled, quickly got to their feet, and stared at the syringe.


    This object had become somewhat common in the Great Song territory; even those who hadn''t seen it had heard about it.


    Yet, even these fourth-realm Martial Cultivators couldn''t withstand her strike; they couldn''t mount an effective defense and were left in dire straits with broken bones, bleeding from mouths and noses, some with their chests caved in, nearly on the brink of death.


    Upon seeing this, the supervising eunuch Wang Zhenli cried out in horror, "Lin Rui, how dare you! You are outrageously bold, I am a dignified sixth-grade internal supervising eunuch, under only the inner court''s jurisdiction, you have no authority over me!"


    Seeing the blood-jade-like eyes of Ji Xueying turn his way, he felt utterly terrified and instinctively leapt into the air, fleeing towards the back hall.


    "You scoundrel, framing and slandering, spouting lies! I''m going to the provincial city now, to plead with the chief supervising eunuch, I will definitely make you regret this¡ª"


    He thought he absolutely must not fall into Lin Rui''s hands, or he would surely die! Even the chief supervising eunuch or Prince Han might not be able to save him!


    At this moment, a hint of sheen appeared in Lin Rui''s eyes.


    He''s fleeing?


    Great! This clearly indicates an attempt to escape out of guilt!


    If this eunuch were not guilty and apprehensive, why would he flee?


    At that instant, the numerous Flash Thunder Talismans scattered around Lin Rui exploded simultaneously,


    "Dare to flee out of guilt and resist stubbornly?"


    Clang!


    Lin Rui''s long blade was unsheathed, transforming into an almost invisible purple blade light that pierced through twenty meters of void.


    However, this Thunderclap Absolute Slash somehow didn''t manage to kill the supervising eunuch Wang Zhenli outright.


    The man wore an extremely strong defensive armor; Lin Rui had to strike four consecutive times, barely breaking through the armor''s outer layer of defense and severing the eunuch Wang Zhenli''s feet.


    Wang Zhenli fell from the sky to the ground, emitting an agonizing wail, and cursing loudly, "Lin Rui, you bastard, you beast! How dare you lay hands on me, you''re courting death¡ª"


    He had only cursed halfway when a group of county soldiers pounced on him, pinning him to the ground, leaving him unable to speak further.


    At this moment, a county soldier and officer subtly reacted, rummaged inside Wang Zhenli''s bosom, and then pulled out two items, turning his head with a strange expression: "Defense officer, sir, this man also had possessions of the Heavenly Demon on him!"


    Lin Rui looked at the items in his hand, and couldn''t help but be momentarily stunned.


    Those were two unopened special enhancement injection syringes, apparently manufactured by ''Zhengguang Pharmaceutical Group,'' type 3 enhancement syringes.


    Lin Rui pondered whether this could be considered an accidental strike on the mark?


    He had not anticipated beforehand that Wang Zhenli would carry such items on him¡ª


    At this time, supervising eunuch Wang Zhenli''s face turned ashen, he had chosen to flee because of the two syringes related to the Heavenly Demon on him.


    He had worried earlier about being discovered by the county soldiers, so he had kept the syringes directly on his person. Wang Zhenli never expected Lin Rui not only to find evidence of his colluding with Yuan Ji, but also daring enough to lay hands on him personally, turning these two syringes into deadly evidence.


    Lin Rui lowered his head to carefully inspect the two syringes, then burst into laughter: "Indeed, in cahoots with extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons!"


    A sharp gleam shot through his eyes: "Search! Dig three feet into the ground, search for evidence of collusion with demons in the Market and Maritime Bureau!"


    At this time, most officials from the Market and Maritime Bureau inside the hall looked shocked and pale, except for the composed custodian of the bureau, Li Dan, whose eyes sparkled with surprise as he watched Lin Rui intently.


    Is this the person recommended by Miss Zhuang? Truly formidable! Incisive!

 Chapter 140 Who Are They Really? (Three more requests for subscriptions)

    Three hours later, the morning sunlight, like a myriad of sharp swords, cleaved through the black curtain of night, falling upon the roof of the market department''s main hall.


    At that moment, Lin Rui was seated inside the main hall, holding a cup of strong tea, sipping it indifferently.


    He gazed intently into the distance, looking through the grand doors towards the docks far away.


    From his vantage point, he could see the bustling Jing Port dock, where a multitude of merchant ships were lined up, waiting to set sail.


    "Master Li, by allowing these merchant ships to sail north from the port, can we alleviate the distress faced by the residence merchants of the Defense Commander?" Lin Rui spoke, his face flushed with a rosy glow, showing no signs of fatigue.


    Despite having been busy all of the previous night, his spirits were still extremely high, and he felt profoundly joyful.


    The main reason was the gifts he had received. Last night, Market Department Promoter Li Dan had introduced to him many merchants who had rushed to the market department overnight to pay their respects.


    Every one of these merchants was very enthusiastic, not only bringing him a generous gift but also insisting he accept them. To refuse was not an option, as it would have led to confrontation.


    Thus, the payoffs given by these people amounted to 13,000 ounces of magic silver last night alone, causing Lin Rui''s hands to go soft from counting money.


    Lin Rui had not expected that just one day after his arrival, he would nearly complete gathering the funds needed for his sister to create a different entity.


    "Is it merely a relief?"


    At that moment, Li Dan was sitting beside Lin Rui, also holding a cup of tea, his face bearing a bitter smile.


    "A month ago, the ''Divine Bureau'' placed orders at the Defense Commander''s family merchant, as well as at our Li family, Zhuang family, and other major merchant families, stipulating that within two months, we must deliver three hundred thousand stones of Divine Heart Tea, one hundred and thirty thousand stones of various medicinal materials, five thousand pieces of Tongguan kiln ceramics, along with numerous tribute items and imperial goods.


    This originally wasn''t a difficult task as our families pooled resources and could easily muster them. However, a month ago, Wang Zhenli under the guise of defending against demons, blocked all merchant ships in Jing Port from setting sail, striking us at our Achilles heel.


    Li Dan raised his teacup towards Lin Rui as a gesture of respect. "Honestly, the Defense Commander did not expect you could turn the situation around when you took over Wang City. We only hoped that after Lin Rui took office, he could get more than 200 ships at Jing Port unsealed and released, ensuring that subsequent business remained unaffected.


    I never thought that Lin Rui would be so decisive and forceful, taking down Yuan Ji and Wang Zhenli on his first day, offering us a glimmer of hope."


    Gratitude and admiration filled Li Dan''s eyes.


    Initially, when he heard that the Defense Commander had sent the young Lin Rui, a mere seventh-rank Capital Commandant and a Martial Cultivator of the third realm, he had been profoundly skeptical and had abandoned all hope.


    How could this Mister Lin, a simple seventh-rank Capital Commandant, three realms Martial Cultivator, possibly deal with the complex situation of Wang City?


    The problem was that in this vicinity, they had no one else available.


    Although the Imperial City had suffered a catastrophic blow in this disaster, losing nearly half its personnel, there were still quite a few experts with fifth realm combat power within their ranks.


    However, these individuals were either unreliable, incapable of managing the situation, or outright aligned with their adversaries.


    Yet, Lin Rui had surprised him right after taking office yesterday; his afternoon battle with the Prefectural Governor had shaken the entire city, giving Li Dan hope.


    That night, he had used an incident involving the Heavenly Demon assassination to directly deal with Yuan Ji and Wang Zhenli, swiftly resolving their predicament.


    Therefore, those merchants were genuinely grateful to Lin Rui, the Defense Commander.


    "So that''s how it is!" Lin Rui''s eyes cleared. "In doing so, I have also justified myself to Inspector Zhuang."


    Li Dan burst into laughter upon hearing this. "The losses Lin Rui recovered for us today are immense, not just millions. Many families involved in this business, some of which were nearly collapsing due to their weak finances, owe their lives to Mister Lin.


    The Defense Commander and the Divine Envoy would surely be overjoyed with today''s events, praising Zhuang for recommending such a worthy individual."

 Chapter 141 Lets Go Back and Talk (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Rui and Wang Sen stared at each other with both confusion and complexity in their eyes.


    Wang Sen caught Lin Rui''s signal through their gaze.


    He instantly understood Lin Rui''s intention, realizing that if these two individuals were indeed who they suspected, it would be difficult to keep their identities hidden from them. Stay tuned for updates on empire


    Not only did they know the exact location of their arrival but they also knew their professions, a bit of afterthought would reveal everything.


    Wang Sen pondered for a moment, then opened the private chat with Professor Han and sent a message through the quantum relay.


    Quirky Youngster (Wang Sen): Professor, are you currently in Jingang?


    It was hard for him not to make this association.


    The two individuals in front of them, one surnamed Han and the other Li, were almost certainly otherworldly travelers.


    One of them was also Professor Han, Dr. Han.


    Flames of War Across Cities (Han Kedao): Wang Sen, is there something you need? If it''s not urgent, find me later, I have some very important matters to attend to right now.


    Wang Sen gulped down his saliva and continued to send messages.


    Quirky Youngster (Wang Sen): Professor, are you currently inside the hall of the Jingang Ship Bureau?


    ''Han Tiantong'' beside him frowned deeply.


    Originally somewhat impatient, ''Han Tiantong'' was dealing with a critical matter concerning the life and death of his disciple.


    It was really not the time for Wang Sen to be sending messages.


    However, upon reading Wang Sen''s second message, his mood significantly darkened.


    How had his and Li Li''s whereabouts been leaked?


    ''Han Tiantong'' weighed the situation carefully before he replied.


    Flames of War Across Cities (Han Kedao): How did you know? Where are you now?


    Wang Sen, after reading the reply, couldn''t help but feel a headache coming on, thinking to himself that it really was Professor Han!


    His expression turned even more complex. After giving Lin Rui a nod, he couldn''t help but rub his face with his hand.


    Good Lord! Did he just take an introduction fee of 100 taels from Professor Han?


    Even though it was Professor Han and his group who offered it, how was he going to face others after this?


    Seeing this, Lin Rui felt incredibly fortunate.


    ¡ª¡ªIt really was Professor Han and Senior Brother Li!


    Fortunately, he had been wary and noticed the anomaly with the divine metal, thus not accepting the ''gifts''. Otherwise, how embarrassing would that have been?


    Neither of them would have had the nerve to meet Professor Han again.@@@@


    Lin Rui immediately thought of the gold and silver that Wang Sen had sold last night through the Otherworldly Management Bureau.


    Wang Sen had sold a full 14,000 taels last night!


    Lin Rui suddenly resolved that this matter must be kept to himself, and he must not let Professor Han find out that he was swindled by his own disciple for such a huge sum of money.


    Beacon Commandant (Han Kedao): Let''s talk when we get back, it''s not convenient here.


    By "getting back," he naturally meant returning to Base Nine.


    Whether it was in the great hall of the Market Administration or in the chat group, communicating was very inconvenient.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    In the early hours of the morning, in Suite 7 of Base Nine''s Martial Arts Society, Lin Xi removed her neural connector and then shook her head vigorously, allowing her hair that had been constrained by the connector to flow freely.


    She then looked at the deposit notification in her bank account, a satisfied smile surfacing in her eyes.


    Last night''s business deal had netted her a whopping 200,000 Federation dollars!


    This was an unprecedented income since she started hacking, a milestone worth commemorating!


    Since owning her own server¡ª the extremely powerful ''Heavenly Proliferation Model 9''¡ª Lin Xi''s hacking skills had improved by leaps and bounds.


    With sufficient computing power support, many techniques that she couldn''t use before were now at her disposal.


    So, some jobs that she would not have dared to accept in the past were now within her reach.


    "I wonder how much Divine Doctor Sima will charge me to create a heteromorphic body, he wouldn''t tell me¡ª"


    Lin Xi knew that Professor Sima had good intentions, and she didn''t plan on rejecting them.


    If she could stay alive, continue living in this world, which normal person would refuse?


    Yet, Lin Xi didn''t want to burden her brother alone with the effort, she had to find a way to earn more money as well.


    But just at that moment, Professor Sima sent her a message.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Lin Xi, come to the lab as soon as you see this. I need to do a genetic pairing for you. Your brother has already transferred the money to me, so now I can create a heteromorphic body for you.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): I am now sending you a link to the Heteromorphic Management Bureau. You can pick an identity to descend into, but your brother has already pre-selected the identities you can use. In the screenshot below, just choose one from inside.


    After reading it, Lin Xi was stunned for a while before she sprang to her feet and drew out the luggage she had brought from the closet in the dress room. From inside, she pulled out a red crystal.


    This was exactly one of the three crystals she had taken from her piggy bank initially.


    Lin Xi sent a message at the same time.


    Late Summer Thoughts (Lin Xi): Professor, didn''t my brother just take out a loan for tens of millions for prosthetic installations the day before yesterday? He just descended yesterday, and he already has the money? How much exactly is the production fee for my heteromorphic body?


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): 33 million Federation dollars! That guy actually managed to gather it all in just one day, impressive indeed. I don''t know what he''s been through down there, but he seems to be making money quite easily.


    Lin Xi felt as if she had been struck by lightning, overwhelmed with indescribable astonishment.


    33 million Federation dollars? The production fee for my heteromorphic body is so expensive?


    No, wait! My brother has already managed to gather that sum; what has he done? Did he rob a vault down there?


    What exactly is the situation with his heteromorphic body below?


    Late Summer Thoughts (Lin Xi): And my brother? Where is he now? I can''t contact him through messages.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): I''m not sure about that. After he transferred the money to me and sent these screenshots of the name list, there''s been no word from him.


    While Lin Xi was filled with confusion, Lin Rui was in a conference room exclusive to Professor Han, seated at Han''s lower hand, face-to-face with Li Li.

 Chapter 142 Heaven-sent Wealth (Please Subscribe)

    Professor Han''s conference room boasted an extremely high defense level, not only capable of severing all external communications, but also of preventing eavesdropping.


    Professor Han himself sat at the head of the room, with his hand on his forehead, still embarrassed by the recent misunderstanding.


    This was also because he faced obstacles in Wang City County and was even blockaded, leading to a not-so-smooth channel of communication; otherwise, he would have known earlier that the defense officer Lin Rui hailed from Silver Moon County and could possibly be his student.


    Lin Rui was smiling as he spoke to Li Li, "So last night, you were already prepared to act and save me?"


    At that time, he saw those two people approaching the wall of the inner yamen.


    "Exactly!" Li Li nodded, his eyes serious yet relieved, "But luckily, junior brother, you held on by yourself. We didn''t expect the Criminal and inquisition department to have prepared such a large force for us, with at least three martial cultivators at the fifth realm, including one whose strength was at least at the rank of Brigadier, enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with our mentor."


    At that moment, both of them had truly worried that the new inspector Lin Rui would be lost just like that, shattering their hopes of saving him.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui turned solemn, "Senior brother, when I first joined teacher''s team, I briefly looked over the information on several projects in his hands. I remember one of them involved the Limitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong and the Tempest Saber Lord Qin Yan. Is this incident related to that project? What''s the situation now?"


    Previously, he and Wang Sen had joined Professor Han''s team through backdoors, intending to idle under Professor Han''s name and coast through their academic careers.


    The core data of the team was not accessible to them, and Lin Rui and his partner weren''t interested, only briefly skimming some project information provided by Li Li, to deal with future inspections by the martial arts competition''s organizing committee.


    But now, the situation had changed, and it was essential for them to understand what was going on.


    Professor Han exchanged a glance with Li Li.


    "Let me explain!"


    Sitting upright with a serious demeanor, Professor Han began, "Indeed, it is related to this project. For the past ten years, I have been searching for the dragon corpse left by Du Zunlong, wanting to extract the ''Abyssal'' essence from within. Lin Rui, you know what ''Abyssal'' essence is, right?"


    Lin Rui did not know what ''Abyssal'' essence was, but he still nodded as if he did.


    Luckily, his good friend Wang Sen knew, and he showed slight emotion, "It''s said to be the very substance of the ''Abyss''! After martial cultivators enter the Dragon Transformation realm, their bodies metamorphose and produce ''Dragon Essence'', which reinforces the cultivator''s physical condition and significantly increases their lifespan.


    When ''Dragon Essence'' evolves to a certain degree, it becomes ''Abyssal'' essence. Professor, was the Limitless Saber Venerable really as close to the Abyss as the legends say?"


    Professor Han nodded, "Based on the results of my research over these years, the Limitless Saber Venerable had reached the tenth realm ''Longevity'', half a step into the Abyss, before he died. His dragon corpse must have produced a substantial amount of Abyssal essence. My team rushed to Wang City for the Tempest Saber Lord Qin Yan''s cave dwelling.


    According to some information I unearthed earlier, Qin Yan indeed possessed a piece of dragon corpse remnant left by the Limitless Saber Venerable. Moreover, the several Dragon Transformation Secret Techniques and Heaven-reaching Secret Techniques Qin Yan inherited from the Limitless Saber Venerable are also of great value.


    He might have found a way to preserve these techniques from his sect, and it''s possible he even saved some of the Limitless Saber Venerable''s Abyssal Secret Techniques."


    Lin Rui''s heart stirred upon hearing this.


    Zhuang Mingyue''s mentor, the Divine Envoy of the Imperial City, was also greatly interested in the Limitless Saber Venerable''s Heaven-reaching Secret Techniques and Abyssal Secret Techniques.


    Even those Dragon Transformation Secret Techniques were worth a fortune.


    Despite Lin Rui owning several Dragon-Rank martial techniques listed in the skills of his Number 2 Battle Spirit, and even Xue Bogao having a Dragon Transformation Secret Technique called "Radiant Thunder God Refining Technique," which Lin Rui could replicate once he had sufficient Soul Power and met the physical criteria, in the world of Tianji Star, Dragon Transformation Secret Techniques were extremely rare and precious.


    So, even after receiving the warning from Fei Yunlai, none of them took it to heart.


    ''If the Burning Saber Sect'' wants to extract primordial essence from the blood of martial experts at the fourth and fifth stages, how does that concern them?


    Now the situation has turned bad; not only has Sister Zhu been caught, but the real location of Qin Yan''s cave dwelling has probably been leaked as well."


    "The Burning Saber Sect?" Lin Rui frowned.


    He had heard of the ''Burning Saber Sect''. When he was in Silver Moon County, his colleagues had discussed why the County Magistrate had not sought help from the ''Burning Saber Sect''.


    This was a renowned martial arts sect near Wang City, a famous and upright sect locally. Yet Lin Rui had never thought that this sect could be involved in such bloody and filthy actions behind the scenes.


    "So, the current issue is how to rescue them?"


    Wang Sen furrowed his brow deeply, "Actually, rescuing them is easy, the problem is how to disentangle ourselves afterward. The Da Song dynasty investigates the Heavenly Demon''s case with strictness, deals with it severely, and presumes guilt; then there''s that inspector, since he''s fixated on the professor, I''m afraid he won''t let the matter rest easily."


    Wang Sen believed there were some things that Lin Rui might find inconvenient to say himself, so he had to make them clear on Lin Rui''s behalf.


    Even though the Heavenly Demon in that prison was their senior sister, they couldn''t risk Lin Rui''s bright future over this matter.


    Li Li and Professor Han''s expressions were solemn as they listened, pondering the very same issue.


    To rescue her was simple; they could create a clone of Zhu Meng that had not undergone mental synchronization to substitute in her place, pretending to be dead.


    The issue was how to carry out this affair without leaving a trace.


    Lin Rui, however, remained silent, delving into thought as he looked over the core data and intelligence from the team opened up by Professor Han.


    Suddenly, he asked curiously, "This deputy inspector was led away by a friend of the professor, right? How strong is he? When is he estimated to arrive in Wang City? And, about that major-general lurking in the shadows last night, who is that person, also from the Criminal and Inspectorate Office?"


    "Deputy Inspector Zhang Chen, like me, is half a step into the sixth realm, has royal bloodline, a major-general!"


    Professor Han felt a headache just thinking about this person: "I asked a friend to take him eastward towards Sha State, closer to Pingzhou territory. However, he can''t be restrained for long, and the exact time is difficult to ascertain.


    As for last night''s other major-general, I couldn''t investigate his identity clearly, I only sensed his presence vaguely, but I believe he does not belong to the Criminal and Inspectorate Office system."


    "I see."


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    At that moment, Lin Rui suddenly saw a picture among those files that made him tense up. He stood up abruptly from his seat with a ''whoosh'', exclaiming, "This elixir bottle! Was this thing photographed inside Qin Yan''s cave dwelling?"


    He directly activated the holographic projection to show the picture to everyone.


    Professor Han looked intently for a moment, "This is the footage captured by our drone that entered Qin Yan''s cave dwelling. However, there were very powerful demons guarding it, and it was quickly destroyed. Is there something wrong with it?"


    Lin Rui, stroking his chin, thought that this was interesting; it seemed like the heavens were about to hand him a fortune.


    His lips gradually curved into a smile, and a bold idea took root in his mind.

 Chapter 143 Youll Know Once You Come Down (Please Subscribe)

    About an hour later, Lin Rui and Wang Sen walked out of the meeting room, both with smiles on their faces.


    Wang Sen was happy because Professor Han promised to end his probation period early and raise his salary to the level of a captain.


    This meant that Wang Sen''s monthly salary could reach 120,000 Federal dollars.


    Of course, the fixed monthly salary was of no benefit to him; the advantage was that after the salary increase, he could unlock several million more in loan credit.


    Once he completely mastered the "Xuanwu Sacred Blood" and further increased his spiritual power strength, he could consider upgrading to an S+ grade exo-suit.


    Wang Sen was still planning to choose from the "Xuanwu Sacred Body" series, as this set of sacred body exo-suits was completed hundreds of years ago and had been continuously perfected ever since, making it very cost-effective and requiring relatively low spiritual power.


    Lin Rui was also very happy.


    Besides his salary increase to 180,000 Federal dollars a month, Professor Han also gifted him a box of "Xuan Liquid Divine Gold," calling it a belated welcome gift.


    Lin Rui felt quite embarrassed as the welcome gift was extremely valuable, worth 15,000 taels of demon silver.


    Taking into account that Professor Han had overpaid for the "Xuan Liquid Divine Gold" by purchasing demon silver at a premium in Wang City County, the actual price would only be higher.


    But Professor Han insisted on giving it.


    When Lin Rui tried to refuse, Professor Han became quite unhappy.


    Li Li put it bluntly; the funds to purchase the "Xuan Liquid Divine Gold" came from the project sponsors, not Professor Han''s personal money.


    This account had already been settled. Would they resell it afterward? What would the project sponsors think then? Would they suspect that the professor had embezzled funds?


    And although "Xuan Liquid Divine Gold" was precious, very few people could actually use it¡ªthe members of their team didn''t need it.


    Yet in Lin Rui''s hands, it would greatly enhance the combat abilities of both the Blood Blade and himself.


    The most crucial point was that for this rescue operation, Lin Rui would bear the greatest risk and pressure; the team had to compensate him.


    After much deliberation, Lin Rui accepted the "Xuan Liquid Divine Gold."


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    Just as Elder Brother Li said, after Blood Blade''s strength improved, it would greatly benefit their entire team.


    Upon leaving the meeting room, Lin Rui received a message from Lin Xi.


    Lin Xi (Summer''s Faint Thoughts): Brother, what have you been doing down there? You''ve made so much money all of a sudden. You didn''t really rob someone''s vault or a wealthy family, did you?


    She was concerned that the huge sum of money Lin Rui had earned would bring great troubles.


    In Tianji Star, robbing shops and banks was a crime that would have you hunted and killed by the authorities.


    Moreover, there were numerous "sword catchers," or Bounty Hunters, who took on the mission of capturing criminals for the court in exchange for money.


    They would relentlessly pursue their targets, leaving Lin Rui with no place to stand.


    Upon seeing the message, Lin Rui couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Nonsense! Your brother hasn''t stooped to being a violent thief. This money was given to me. All you need to do now is focus on one thing: learn as much as you can about Tianji Star''s knowledge and configure the exobody as soon as possible.


    Lin Xi (Summer''s Faint Thoughts): ??? Giving you money? 33 million?


    Lin Xi also sent an emoticon of a hammer hitting a head, thinking her brother was insulting her intelligence.


    Who would be rushing to give 33 million Federal dollars to Lin Rui, a foreign body walker who had just arrived?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): There''s no point explaining too much to you now. You''ll understand once you come down. Remember! You must choose your exobody identity from the options I''ve outlined for you, Professor Sima should have sent you the screenshots, right? Just don''t get it wrong.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Oh, and I am now officially employed by the Tianji Star Historical Research Institute at Mingde University, with the rank of captain. Professor Han has allocated me a teacher''s dormitory on campus, where family members can reside, right at this location. You can check it out when you have time, but I still think it''s safer to stay at the club for now.


    That''s it for now; I have to descend.


    After reading it, Professor Han paused, realizing that this Fang Ranran was quite different from her father.


    This girl knew how to maneuver and, like her father, was adept at using various resources, but after using yours, she was also willing to reciprocate.


    Professor Han''s impression of Fang Ranran had greatly improved.


    Flares Across Cities (Han Kedao): It''s okay now, Miss Fang, your money came just in the nick of time. There''s no need to worry about Wang City on your end; we should be able to handle it on our own.


    Flares Across Cities (Han Kedao): I must thank you, Miss Fang. You''ve brought me a good student.


    Another message came from Zhou Yunfei, a major general of the Federal Security Bureau.


    Zhou Yunfei: Old Han, I''ve contacted the military, and they can''t spare anyone, but I''ve pulled some sponsorship for you, approximately 80 million Federation credits worth, which should be enough to hire two true masters. The condition is that they need your guarantee that the excavation of Qin Yan''s dwelling will be successful and that they can share in the findings.


    After reading Zhou Yunfei''s reply, Professor Han felt a slight easing of the annoyance in his heart.


    After all, both sides were to blame for the recent incident.


    He had acted without considering Zhou Yunfei''s warning, but the promised support from the Federal Security Bureau hadn''t materialized in time either.


    His old classmate had always held himself to high standards; it must not have been easy for him to swallow his pride and pull sponsors for him.


    Flares Across Cities (Han Kedao): No need, I''ve encountered a benefactor who should help us to get through this disaster unscathed. However, your proposal can be a backup option, Old Zhou.


    As he replied, a thought struck him.


    Lin Rui was exactly the kind of talent Zhou Yunfei and the Federal Security Bureau desperately wanted, the sort they would carry on a palanquin with the highest honors to recruit.


    If Lin Rui could join the Federal Security Bureau, he could immediately relieve Zhou Yunfei''s current dilemma.


    Professor Han shook his head immediately; he wanted to help his old friend, but he couldn''t make such a decision on his own.


    This matter must be decided by Lin Rui himself.


    Joining the Security Bureau would indeed grant Lin Rui access to vast internal resources and astonishing power, but it was not without its drawbacks.


    Flares Across Cities (Han Kedao): I spent 21 million Federation credits of project funding yesterday on a rescue mission. Since it was for a special purpose, it''s a bit inconvenient to claim expenses. You might want to check.


    While Professor Han was sending the message, Zhou Yunfei was in his office dealing with official business.


    He didn''t pay much attention to Professor Han''s reply.


    The so-called "special purpose" typically implied bribery or something similar, a common occurrence in the Sky''s Limit region.


    Zhou Yunfei pondered if Old Han had connected with some relationship in Wang City that could actually help him withstand the censure of the Judiciary Ministry?


    He opened the project database to check the details.


    The Federal Security Bureau was the largest sponsor of Han Kedao''s project, so all information regarding the project was transparent to him.


    Zhou Yunfei paused slightly when he saw that Lin Rui was also part of the project team.


    Also, when Zhou Yunfei opened Lin Rui''s personal information, he found it encrypted and his access was insufficient to open it.


    Zhou Yunfei touched his nose in confusion. Years of experience on the security front made him feel that something was amiss.


    Was Han Kedao trying to conceal something?


    Meanwhile, Fang Ranran, who was practicing martial arts with the members of Mingde University''s Martial Arts Society, was also puzzled.


    Was she the one who sent a good student to Professor Han? Was it Lin Rui?


    She shook her head and continued to focus on her martial arts practice.


    With the challenges from Tianjing Martial University and Future Science and Technology University imminent, as a member of the Martial Arts Society, she had to prepare for the confrontation.


    The reserve teams of Tianjing Martial University and Future Science and Technology University were strong, but Fang Ranran believed her team would surely defend their home court.

 Chapter 144 Really Got Promoted (Please Subscribe)

    At the same time, by the banks of the Tianxiang River, sunlight pierced through the thin clouds, casting its rays upon the river''s surface, which glinted like countless golden shards leaping in the light. The river was wide and calm, and occasionally a gentle breeze would stir up ripples, as if nature itself were breathing.


    Yuan Ji gazed at the endless expanse of blue waves merging with the sky, a breathtaking scene that somehow filled him with intense irritation and burning rage.


    He was still brooding over last night''s events.


    Lin Rui had actually found syringes of a strengthening serum in the vault of his ''Dasheng Trading Company''!


    Not only had Lin Rui used the syringes as evidence to confirm his accusation of collusion with demons, but he had also captured the eunuch Wang Zhenli, the supervisory officer of the Maritime Trade Office!


    The more than two hundred merchant ships were also permitted to set sail this morning, carrying 300,000 dan of Divine Heart Tea northward to the capital.


    Yuan Ji was filled with regret and knew he had lost completely, lost to the point of not even having a fig leaf to cover himself.


    With the departure of those two hundred plus ships, the losses in demon silver for Prince Han and the others amounted to at least thirty million taels, a figure that would probably make His Highness want to flay his skin before long.


    Yuan Ji was also very curious as to who had framed him last night. Who was that beast?


    He had never suspected Lin Rui, who despite various suspicions, had passed the highest level ''Heavenly Demon Test'' and had been examined by the Great Song''s National Protector War Dragon.


    Yet, this scoundrel was also the chief culprit that led him to his current dire straits!


    As Yuan Ji''s thoughts wandered, the river before him suddenly became turbulent, and a gigantic demon suddenly burst forth from beneath the water.


    This demon''s entire body was enveloped in magic power that had materialized into a blood-red aura. It resembled a crocodile with irregular black scales covering its body and horns on its head, standing three zhang high and twelve zhang long.


    Its blue eyes mocked Yuan Ji as it spoke, "Isn''t this the great merchant Yuan Ji of Jinghai? I hear you''ve fallen on hard times, with your home ransacked by the authorities and you''re now a wanted man?"


    As it spoke, the demon coiled its body, displaying agility far surpassing that of a crocodile, "Tell me, what do you want? Let''s make it clear upfront: if you need my help, you must offer me satisfactory compensation."


    "Your insight is divine, Demon Lord!" Yuan Ji narrowed his eyes as he faced this mighty Six Realms demon: "I need you to help me deal with someone, the new Defense Envoy of Wang City, Lin Rui!"


    "Impossible!" the Six Realms demon scoffed: "I''m still injured, yet Prefectural Governor Li Changguo took back his armor early this morning. Ha! It seems your loyalty to Prince Han is quite limited. I thought you would want me to cause chaos on the river and block the waterway¡ª"@@@@


    Its speech faltered as the Six Realms demon saw Yuan Ji open a strangely shaped case he was holding, made of an unknown material.


    The crucial thing was that inside the case, there were two rows of transparent crystal tubes of various colors.


    "Are these enhancement serums from an otherworldly Heavenly Demon?"


    The Six Realms demon leaned in closer to inspect.


    It couldn''t tell what the serums were used for, but such Heavenly Demon artifacts were each extremely precious.


    The Six Realms demon laughed coldly at Yuan Ji: "The authorities say that Yuan Ji, the great merchant of Jinghai, colludes with otherworldly Heavenly Demons. But from what I see, you might very well be an infiltrating demon from another realm."


    It raised its head: "I cannot act personally, but I can have my subordinates assist you. What''s the plan and when do we move?"


    "We strike when he leaves the city!"


    Yuan Ji then took out another serum from his sleeve and injected it into his own neck.


    Thereafter, his body underwent shocking transformations, as all the muscles around his brain began to mutate out of control, entwining with one another. Eventually, Yuan Ji''s head swelled to three times its size, and he lost all facial features except for a huge eye, which occupied most of his face.


    The eye was bloodshot and horrifying to behold.


    Yuan Ji''s skin also turned purple and was dotted with tiny scales.


    "A near-Six Realms, super-king-tier Illusion Eye Demon!"


    The Six Realms demon assessed the mutated Yuan Ji, with even more mockery in its gaze: "Interesting. You chose to become a demon rather than remain human. Are you insane?"


    Lin Rui both surprised and pleased, said: "According to the analysis from the biological chip, Ji Xueying''s saber speed has increased by at least 72% compared to seven days ago, her strength by 45%, and the affinity and efficiency of the lightning and fire elements by more than 40%, and there''s still no sign of it reaching the limit."


    Simai Professor''s hand-prepared potion truly exceeded expectations in its effectiveness.


    Lin Rui suspected that the difference between now and reaching the emperor level for Blood Blade Ji was only a thin margin.


    The gene-fortifying potion basically lifted all aspects of Blood Blade Ji''s qualities, bringing them close to the upper limit of a Transcendent Emperor.


    Previously, her development as a Transcendent Emperor was at 76%, but now it had soared to 92%.


    The key was that the type-3 extraterrestrial strength enhancer and steel-bone potion still could not be used until now.


    The type-3 mental strength enhancer had been used, but the remaining two potions must wait until the effects of Ji Xueying''s gene-fortifying potion completely wore off.


    Lin Rui was eager to have another fight with Li Guochang and to shave off the skin from his scalp.


    Seven days ago, that bastard Prefectural Governor pre-emptively seized many of Yuan Ji''s related industries within the city, biting off a huge chunk of the money that should have belonged to him.


    Just at that moment, Lin Rui''s attention was drawn toward the direction of the outer office.


    Ji Xueying also paused her saber practice, her gaze sweeping in that direction.


    The place where the two of them were practicing martial arts used to be a garden inside the internal office, which, after being leveled by Li Changguo, Lin Rui couldn''t be bothered to restore and simply turned it into a martial training ground exclusively for their practice. Stay connected through empire


    Because it was enclosed on all sides by high walls, it was very private, with only this arched gate connecting it to the outside world.


    At this point, Wang Sen led a plainly dressed, astute and capable middle-aged scholar through the archway and into the area.


    "My lord!" Wang Sen saluted, "This gentleman claims to be the messenger of the Lord Defending Marshal of the Sand Province."


    "I am Bai Hao!" the middle-aged scholar saluted Lin Rui: "I hold the position of West Seat in the office of the Lord Defending Marshal of the Sand Province."


    "So it is Mister Bai, my apologies for the oversight!"


    Lin Rui''s expression became serious, and he saluted back formally, "It''s inconvenient to talk here. Please, Mister Bai, follow me to the main hall for tea¡ª"


    He hadn''t expected the envoy from the Lord Defending Marshal of the Sand Province to arrive so soon.


    He thought the person would arrive the next day, just as he would have broken through to the fourth realm.


    "No need!" Before Lin Rui could finish speaking, the middle-aged scholar shook his head solemnly: "I am here on the orders of the Lord Defending Marshal for two urgent matters. Once they are completed, I must rush back to report. There''s no need for such formalities, my lord."


    As he spoke, he took a document and a waist tag from his sleeve and handed them to Lin Rui: "The first matter is for this appointment document and waist tag.


    The Lord Defending Marshal has decreed that because Martial Cultivator Capital Commandant Lin Twelve has made meritorious deeds in demon annihilation, as of today, he is promoted to Sixth Rank Imperial City Si Colonel, officially appointed as the Defense Commander of Wang City!"


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but be overjoyed at this unexpected promotion!


    The rank of Sixth Rank Imperial City Si Colonel could be considered his military rank. With this rank, he could officially hold the position of Defense Commander of Wang City.


    The key was that it hadn''t been long since he became a Seventh Rank Martial Cultivator Capital Commandant. It seemed that everything he had done since taking office had pleased his superiors.


    Just as Lin Rui was accepting the appointment document, the middle-aged scholar concealed the surroundings with a spell and asked in a lowered voice: "The second matter is about the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill'' from Qin Yan''s dwelling. Is it true what that extraterrestrial demon captured said, that there is a ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill'' inside Qin Yan''s dwelling?


    Where is this extraterrestrial demon now?"


    "Mister Bai is mistaken, the demon wasn''t captured by me. It''s from seven days ago. I seized it from the people of the Supervisory Constabulary Office for Judiciary¡ª"


    Lin Rui tried to clarify, but seeing Bai Hao''s impatient and excited face, he chose to stop talking.


    "Mister Bai, that extraterrestrial demon is imprisoned in our Wang City''s jail. Today I am fortunate that you have come. Otherwise, I couldn''t have held out much longer. The Supervisory Constabulary Office for Judiciary has been pressuring me daily for that demon. Being of low rank and weak influence, I''ve been under great pressure."


    Upon hearing this, Bai Hao''s brows furrowed as he thought that the Supervisory Constabulary Office for Judiciary was also eyeing the demon. How dare they covet something that had caught the interest of the ''Divine Envoy''?

 Chapter 145 The Dragon Transformation Celestial Official (Please Subscribe)

    Bai Hao walked with Lin Rui towards the direction of the prison, while briefing him on the situation, "Without concealing the matter from the sir, Bai is actually here to pave the way. By delivering documents to the tribune, to confirm the matter of the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill''.


    Once the events described by the sir are proven beyond doubt, the Heavenly Official, Meng, will arrive here at the fastest speed."


    Sitting at the front, Lin Rui''s expression became grave, "Heavenly Official, Meng?"


    He knew that ''Heavenly Official'' was an imperial rank within the imperial inspector system, holding the fourth grade in the hierarchy, with immense authority, responsible for patrolling the various states, supervising officials, rectifying prisons, maintaining court rituals, suppressing demons, and so on, known as acting on behalf of the gods, with a power so immense it seemed boundless.


    Above the Heavenly Officials were the third-grade ''Great Heavenly Officials'', the second-grade ''Vice Divine Envoys'', and the first-grade ''Divine Envoy Candidates''.


    Bai Hao smiled and explained, "Heavenly Official Meng''s surname is Meng, and her given name is Weiyun. She holds the position of a fourth-grade Heavenly Official in the Imperial Inspectorate! She is the junior sister of our Sha State Garrison''s commandant and has reached the sixth realm of Dragon Transformation!


    Heavenly Official Meng is the most beloved disciple of the Divine Envoy. It is said that her bloodline has already surpassed the imperial rank, and even our commandant might not be her match in a fight. Just as it happens, she was nearby and, upon hearing the news, prepared to act personally to seize the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill'' for the Divine Envoy."


    "So that''s how it is," Lin Rui nodded in understanding.


    In his mind, he thought he had underestimated the Divine Envoy''s interest in the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill''.


    He had thought that from the Garrison''s side, at most they would send two or three martial cultivators at the peak of the fifth realm; instead, they had attracted a mighty dragon.


    The sixth realm surpassing the imperial rank?


    This was a serious matter! Even martial cultivators of the seventh realm''s upper rank or the king rank were no match for her.


    According to Professor Han, the main function of the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill'' is to help martial cultivators above the ninth realm purify the mind and concentrate the spirit.


    It is said that after martial cultivators from the Tianji Star reach the ninth realm''s ''Divine Illumination'', they need to maintain the purity and cleanliness of their spirit at all times, or else unpredictable dire consequences may occur.


    However, it couldn''t be important to such an extent that it would require the personal attention of a Heavenly Official, could it?


    Lin Rui also thought of those merchant ships laden with three hundred thousand stones of Divine Heart Tea that had set sail from Jing Harbour.


    Divine Heart Tea is an important raw material for refining ''Heart-Cleansing Divine Liquid'', and the efficacy of this liquid is similar to that of the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill''.


    Three hundred thousand stones of Divine Heart Tea could be refined into a thousand stones of ''Heart-Cleansing Divine Liquid''. If it was just for purifying the mind and concentrating the spirit, wouldn''t the ''Heart-Cleansing Divine Liquid'' be sufficient?


    "Heavenly Official Meng coming personally is also to take a firsthand look at Inspector Lin,"


    Full of admiration, Bai Hao remarked, "Defence Officer Lin has really made some big moves here. Just seven days ago, by capturing Yuan Ji and the eunuch who oversaw the Jing Harbour Shipping Office, he saved the families of the capital from losses amounting to over thirty million demon silver. Now he has also located the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill'' for the Divine Envoy.


    Our Garrison commander speaks very highly of you, sir, praising you as a youthful hero and saying that Inspector Zhuang has an eye for talent, having found a great asset for them."


    Bai Hao thought that Defence Officer Lin''s praise from the Garrison commander was not just mere words.


    A few days ago in the capital city, the ''Divine Envoy'' had inquired about the Garrison commander and specifically requested the files on the case from Silver Moon County, allowing the commander to send these files to the capital through the method of ''Thousand-Mile Flying Letters''.


    This meant that the ''Divine Envoy'' was already quite interested in Lin Twelfth.


    If this time Defence Officer Lin successfully secured the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill'' for the Divine Envoy, it was estimated that not long after, a great fate and wealth awaited him.


    This Defence Officer would likely address his own master as a brother.


    Therefore, as a trusted aide of the Garrison commander, he didn''t dare to act arrogantly in front of Lin Rui.


    Hearing this, Lin Rui, out of curiosity, inquired further, "Inspector Zhuang? Has Lord Zhuang been promoted?"


    Furthermore, the swarms of martial arts experts and Heavenly Demons that came one after another, along with the Burning Saber Sect with its inscrutable intentions, also put a lot of pressure on them.


    Now, it would be better to lure the tiger into the game and thoroughly stir up the waters.


    Bo Hao nodded his head and began to activate the Illusion Technique, leading "Zhu Huaimeng" into the dream state.


    He successfully saw the scenery of Qin Yan''s cave dwelling, although the perspective was quite strange.


    "Is this a seventh realm ''Heavenly Blood Locust''?"


    Bo Hao frowned deeply. This was an incredibly powerful blood locust tree that had undergone demonic transformation, guarding the entrance to Qin Yun''s dwelling.


    However, from the dreamscape, it seemed that this ''Heavenly Blood Locust'' was in a state of deep slumber.


    Such demonic trees indeed fall into sleep during certain special times and under particular conditions.


    He followed the dream imagery deeper, his expression remaining impassive.


    There were many treasures hidden within the dwelling, yet none sufficient to move him.


    There were also some powerful demons inside, all of them plant-based.


    The top experts of the current world liked to use plant-based demons to guard their abodes; the benefits being their minimal spirit intelligence, stubborn obedience, longevity, ease of care, and the fact that they did not wander about, making them the perfect choice for guardianship.


    Until he saw a pill bottle.


    Bo Hao''s pupils contracted: "Indeed, it is the Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill!"


    Such medicinal pills could only be preserved in these extremely unique bottles! Read new chapters at empire


    Bo Hao also didn''t know why the Divine Envoy needed this kind of pill.


    It was said that in her early years, she had acquired a bottle of the pills, and not long after, she was favored by "the divine" and became the contemporary Divine Envoy!


    Recently, the Divine Envoy had again distributed drawings and descriptions of the bottles to her disciples and confidants, entrusting them to search for it.


    Her disciples, including the Sha State Garrison Commander, all took this matter very seriously.


    Nowadays, outsiders are speculating that perhaps the Divine Envoy''s cultivation is defective and requires the unique effects of the Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill, or that her spirit has been severely tainted by demons, among other absurd rumours.


    However, the pill bottle in the imagery, although not entirely consistent with the Divine Envoy''s drawing, was remarkably similar.


    It truly was the Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill!


    A smile began to form on Bo Hao''s lips. Shortly thereafter, he saw another item.


    "This appears to be a True Intent chart with a relatively high degree of completeness? It seems related to the void and Yuan magnetism? A dragon-level secret martial art, the Heavenly Yuan Dragon Transformation Technique?"


    Bo Hao narrowed his eyes and pondered that Commander Lin truly possessed great fortune!


    As far as he knew, that dream official was looking everywhere for a dragon-level secret martial art compatible with her attributes.


    The dragon-level martial art she had learned before never quite matched her own bloodline powers.


    Bo Hao saw that this True Intent chart seemed to be quite suitable for that official.


    However, there was a major complication. The people from the Supervisory Office of Punishment and Inspection were also eyeing Qin Yan''s dwelling.

 Chapter 146 Highly Valued (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    After viewing the image of Qin Yan''s cave residence, Lin Rui wanted to continue expanding Zhu Huaimeng''s dream to see other things.


    However, Zhu Huaimeng''s willpower was very strong, and even though Lin Rui used a powerful Illusion Secret Technique, he gained nothing.


    Lin Rui could only end the dream, squinting at the female Heavenly Demon in front of him, "When does the Blood Blade Maple fall asleep? What conditions are needed?"


    This seventh realm Blood Blade Maple was extremely troublesome, with its combat power estimated to be at least beyond the seventh realm king rank, even possibly reaching the emperor rank.


    Lin Rui thought that Qin Yan, indeed worthy of being a disciple of the Limitless Saber Venerable, managed to find such a powerful Blood Blade Maple to protect the Protector.


    If they failed to find a way to deal with the seventh realm Blood Blade Maple, they would have to invite another seventh realm expert, which would be very troublesome.


    Zhu Huaimeng opened her eyes and sneered slightly, "I can tell you the time and method to make the Blood Blade Maple fall into a deep sleep, but there''s a condition, you must let me go."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui chuckled, this Heavenly Demon had been imprisoned in the Imperial Censor''s prison, yet still thought of escaping? It was utterly fanciful.


    His main purpose this time was to confirm the existence of the Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill, as for the method to enter the cave residence, it could wait until the Dream Divine Envoy arrived to study further.


    Although the seventh realm Blood Blade Maple was troublesome, with the capabilities of the Dream Divine Envoy, there was a way to deal with it.


    Thus, Lin Rui asked a second question directly, "You also confessed that you know the merchant Yuan Ji, saying that this person is an outer-realm Heavenly Demon and of the same kind as you?"


    Zhu Huaimeng lifted her head expressionlessly, her eyes meaningfully glanced at Lin Rui, "Yuan Ji is indeed an outer-realm Heavenly Demon!


    I''ve been in Wang City for most of the year, had several interactions with him, I guess his true identity could be a spy from some intelligence agency of the Earth Federation, the massacre in Wang City a month ago was likely orchestrated by him leading a group of Federation elites."


    This was instructed by her senior brother beforehand, Zhu Huaimeng didn''t understand the purpose, only knew that this matter seemed related to the new Capital Commandant of Wang City, key to gaining the person''s trust from her senior brother.


    Lin Rui smiled slightly, also turning his head significantly to glance at Lin Rui beside him.


    About Yuan Ji being an outer-realm Heavenly Demon, he was half-convinced.


    However, Lin Rui didn''t care to delve deeper, nor did he wish to.


    This was a good thing for them, with this outer-realm Heavenly Demon''s testimony, it would be possible to completely condemn the merchant Yuan Ji and the market superintendent eunuch Wang Zhenli, leaving them no chance to turn over.


    This Capital Defensive Envoy handled the matters beautifully, having both witness and physical evidence. Experience more content on empire


    Lin Rui then asked Zhu Huaimeng a few more things before stepping out of the cell.


    He hurriedly walked outside the prison, casting a golden ''Flying Letter'' using a magic spell.


    The ''Flying Letter'' in Tianji Star is a kind of mechanism Magic Artifact, looking like a book when inactive, but unfolding wings like a bird, flying at an extreme speed through the sky when activated.


    Although Zhuang Mingyue had also gravely instructed him before, Lin Rui had not expected the importance of this matter to be so high.


    About seven hundred miles separate Wang City from Sha State City. Lin Rui had delayed until last night to report Sister Zhu''s testimony, yet Mister Bai arrived today.


    However, this was actually good news for them.


    Lin Rui let out a light chuckle, "During this period, please take extra care of the prison security, Li Qu Zhang. I''ll find a suitable jail administrator to replace you."


    Li Li, performing his duties perfectly, bowed and said, "I dare not disappoint your direction, sir, as long as the jail stands, I stand!"


    Even if Lin Rui hadn''t mentioned it, he would have dedicated himself fully, needing to withstand the Pressing Inspector''s Office at all costs and certainly not let them take Sister Zhu away.


    For the next few days, it should be manageable, as the Pressing Inspector''s Office had detained dozens of their own under suspicion of collusion with demons, now unable to retaliate outright.


    "Moreover, we need to recruit more people. When you get back, inform the head scribe to release the recruitment message: a hundred Imperial Dragons, all must be at least in the second realm''s late stage; also, five Martial Virtue Capital Commandants, requiring fourth-realm king-tier or above, two of which can be rightful Qu Zhang and jail administrator, must be fifth-realm."


    Thinking of recruiting again, Lin Rui felt a headache approaching; previously, it had taken him lots of time and effort to recruit a hundred Imperial Dragons.


    He then mounted a nearby Ironscale Horse, "Let''s go, twenty-seven!"


    Wang Sen, invigorated, along with Ji Xueying, quickly mounted their horses, leading several horses meant for rotation, and rushed after Lin Rui towards the north of the city.


    Their plan for the day was originally to finish their piling exercises and then head out of the city to hunt a fifth-realm demon.


    Locals had reported at a valley near Tianyue County, seven hundred miles north of the city, that a cold-attribute fifth-realm demon had been wreaking havoc for months, and they pleaded for the government to swiftly eliminate it.


    It was said that the demon''s bloodline power might reach the king tier, aptly matching the attributes of wind, water, and ice, perfectly suitable for Wang Sen and the ''Xuanwu Sacred Body''.


    If not for Bai Hao''s visit, they would have left the city long ago.


    "Hmm?"


    While galloping, Ji Xueying suddenly felt uneasy, looking back.


    She sensed that a moment ago, a powerful Divine Sense had been spying on them.


    Ji Xueying''s intuition didn''t feel any danger, but the Divine Sense was strong, close to the sixth-realm and gave her a strange feeling¡ªfamiliar yet foreign and chaotic, very bizarre.


    Ji Xueying instinctively touched her blade, then with a cold laugh, continued to ride forward.


    She thought it necessary to inform her master about this.


    If someone truly dared to target them, Ji Xueying would use her newly modified Snow Shocking Blade to make them pay a bloody price!

 Chapter 147 Your Body Belongs to Me (Please Subscribe)

    After sprinting for about half a day, Lin Rui finally reached the target valley.


    He held the bounty order from the county yamen in one hand and compared it with the terrain in front of him, "This should be the place!"


    There was a hint of exhaustion in Lin Rui''s eyes, mixed with a trace of excitement.


    The Wang City county yamen had issued a bounty of 1,200 taels of demon silver for this cold-attributed, fifth-realm demonic creature.


    Lin Rui, as the Defense Envoy of Wang City, for the well-being of the people and also as a reward for the monster hunt, had offered a bounty of 1,000 taels of demon silver, rewarding those who contributed.


    He was still quite particular, keeping the bounty half a notch lower than that of the county yamen.


    Thus, this hunt was both for collecting materials for Wang Sen''s synthetic blood serum and for suppressing this demonic threat to ensure the safety of the local residents'' lives and property.


    "What a pity, the body of this Ice Claw Demon is too severely deformed, otherwise it could have been a suitable Guardian Demon for Twenty-Seven as well."


    According to the experience of predecessors, the closer a Guardian Demon is to the human form and the more aligned its elemental attributes are, the less mental strain there is on the demon handler.


    Lin Rui''s ''Blood Blade Ji'' was just such a case, a perfect Guardian Demon for him.


    Upon hearing this, Wang Sen could not help but laugh, "Let''s talk about that later, my spiritual power strength is not enough right now."


    Of course, he also wanted to become a demon handler, and if he could contract a Guardian Demon, it would not only enhance his combat ability but also provide conveniences in various aspects.


    The problem was his spirit truly could not withstand it. Experience tales at empire


    Wang Sen greatly admired Lin Rui, who currently not only bore the responsibility of a top-ranking, fourth-realm Guardian Demon but also had two top-ranking, fifth-realm bred-in artifacts and five advanced-stage bred-in artifacts implanted in his body, in addition to a full set of fourth-generation casting gear, and he still seemed quite at ease.


    Bred-in artifacts like these couldn''t just be implanted with money.


    Take Fang Ranran, for instance, her family was wealthy enough to afford any powerful bred-in artifact outright, yet currently, she was only an S+ ranked Major.


    This was quite outstanding among the wealthy second generation but could not compare to Lin Rui''s talent for bred-in artifacts.


    Brother Rui not only had a hall-of-fame level martial cultivation talent but also in terms of spiritual power, the combination of the two making him a top-tier talent for bred-in artifacts.


    The two of them did not rush into action but rather stopped at a larger village nearby to rest for a bit.


    Physically, they were far from matching Ji Xueying; the Blood Blade Ji was still bursting with energy after charging on a horse for half a day, showing no signs of fatigue.


    Lin Rui, however, felt as if his bones were about to be shattered by the iron-scale horse''s gallop.


    The mounts beneath them couldn''t take it either, and although the two of them alternated between two horses each, after a mad dash of seven hundred li, all six iron-scale horses were so exhausted that they were panting heavily, lying on the ground and sticking their tongues out.


    It had just turned night when they entered this village, which was dark and silent, with not a sound to be heard anywhere, a complete stillness.


    However, Lin Rui, with his powerful perception, clearly sensed that many people inside the surrounding houses were peering out.


    He also noticed a thin layer of ice covering the rooftops of the houses around him and the fields beside them.


    Lin Rui, after pondering the thin ice in the fields briefly, made his way to the most imposing blue-brick courtyard in the village.


    As expected, the owner of this blue-brick courtyard was the local village chief.


    The Song Dynasty had a Baojia system in place, where ten households formed a Jia and appointed a Jia head; Ten Jia formed a Bao, and appointed a Bao head, or village chief.


    When the village chief confirmed Lin Rui''s identity as a defense officer and learned that he had come for the fifth realm Ice Claw Demon, he respectfully invited them into the main house, provided food and water, and served their six Ironscale Horses with the best beans and grains.


    Not long after that, the deathly quiet village burst into a frenzy; hundreds of people gathered in front of the courtyard, all shedding grateful tears and prostrating themselves.


    Some of the better-off families even brought gifts they deemed presentable, including various precious furs and rare medicinal herbs.


    "Damn monster, I really want to fight it to the death!"


    The middle-aged security chief was standing outside the house, persuading the villagers to leave, but now he also turned pale. He react quickly, starting to organize the villagers to enter his own small courtyard and nearby houses for shelter.


    But the bone-chilling wind, the extreme cold, made all the villagers move sluggishly, and in the blink of an eye, a layer of white frost formed on their bodies.


    At this moment, Ji Xueying''s ice-jade-like eyes turned fiery red, and a crimson flame ignited on her body. She cast intense light in all directions, not only instantly restoring the surrounding temperature to normal but also warming the bodies of all the villagers.


    Her figure immediately turned into light and fled, flashing to a spot a hundred paces to the south in an instant, looking down at a large demon that was three Zhang tall.


    This demon had the body of a huge ape, but with horns on its head and a turtle shell on its back.


    Its pair of hands were exceptionally large, almost as big as its body, and the tips of its hands were claws that were one Chi long and extremely sharp.


    "Early Fifth Realm, with imperial bloodline?"


    Ji Xueying couldn''t help but narrow her eyes.


    It seems the intelligence provided by these villagers was inaccurate, but this was a stroke of luck for Wang Twenty-Seven.


    Previously, when facing an Ice Claw Demon of the Early Fifth Realm and imperial rank, Ji Xueying at best had a slight advantage, but now¡ª


    Ji Xueying swung her sword fiercely, her figure descending like a crimson thunder onto the head of the Ice Claw Demon.


    The Fifth Realm Ice Claw Demon also let out a ''gaga'' roar, swinging its claws to strike upward.


    It was confident in its claws, but when the demon and sword collided, the Ice Claw Demon''s right arm suddenly burst out a cluster of bright red blood.


    Not only were the ice claws forcibly chopped off by Ji Xueying, but that arm also got severed by the incredibly powerful and swift sword light she wielded!


    The corners of Ji Xueying''s lips curved up slightly.


    This was the ''Genetic Completion Serum'' that her master had injected into her! This was the enhanced warblade ''Astonishing Snow''!


    Together, they brought her combative power infinitely close to the ''Imperial rank''!


    After Ji Xueying left, Lin Rui also swiftly flew out, arriving outside the gate of the blue-brick courtyard.


    "Be careful!"


    Lin Rui squinted, his gaze solemn.


    Besides that Fifth Realm Ice Claw Demon, he sensed the presence of other demons nearby.


    Wang Sen''s expression was equally grave as he pulled out a sky-blue shield, positioning himself in front of Lin Rui, ready for battle.


    This was the ''Cold Blood Shield'' he had traded for with that Blood Blade, a superior Fifth Realm artifact!


    Normally, trading for a magic artifact was a cumbersome affair, but with the help of Professor Han and using the professor''s connections, Wang Sen had successfully acquired this artifact the day before.


    And while Lin Rui was observing the battle situation with Ji Xueying and remaining on guard,


    he felt a chill invade his body, accompanied by the sound of a cold, arrogant chuckle, "Your body belongs to me now!"


    At the same time, a message appeared in Lin Rui''s mind.


    Alert: Detected invasion by a Brigadier-level alien spiritual power. Your combat spirits No. 1 and No. 2 can help you absorb and refine the original essence of the alien spiritual power. Do you wish to host them?


    Lin Rui''s expression instantly became unusually strange.


    He chose yes¡ª

 Chapter 148 It Really Is the Heavenly Demon (Please Subscribe)

    Ji Xueying, when she chopped off the arm of the Ice Claw Demon, felt that something was wrong.


    Not only did she sense several powerful auras converging from all sides, but she also detected a strong force of Primordial Spirit near her master.


    Ji Xueying''s eyes turned fierce, her anger raging like wildfire.


    These scoundrels following them had indeed made their move, targeting none other than her master.


    And at that moment, from behind her, insane and rampant laughter broke out.


    "Look, this woman is actually a Fourth Realm Super Emperor!"


    "A human form with Super Emperor bloodline, the boss is going to be insanely jealous!"


    "Bring her back, bring her back! The Boss will definitely like you."


    "You want to save your master, don''t you? Impossible! You can''t make it over there."


    "Be careful, she is so strong, she chopped off the claw of the Ice Claw Demon with a single strike! That one seems to be a Super King class too, once fought against our Boss, who wanted to subjugate it."


    The thought processes of these demons were both simple and chaotic.


    Ji Xueying''s expression remained cold and unmoved.


    The reason she dared to move a hundred zhang away from her master was that she now possessed a powerful Escape Skill, which allowed her to instantly return to her master''s side by relying on the thunderous fires radiating from her master or the talismans.


    However, just as she was about to execute her Escape Skill, Ji Xueying perceived through the Ruyi Intimate Knot a Divine Sense thought transmitted from her master.


    "Is everything really okay on the master''s side?"


    With a worried look in her eyes towards Lin Rui''s direction, Ji Xueying still heeded her master''s command and steeled herself for battle against these demons.


    In an eruption of her blade''s powerful purple thunder, amid several jarring ''clangs,'' she forcibly severed another hand of the Ice Claw Demon!


    This Fifth Realm Super King class demon was actually very powerful, extremely so!


    It was by catching it off guard that Ji Xueying chopped off its most important right hand, heavily injuring it in the first exchange.


    She now had to go all out, using the fastest speed possible to kill it!


    ¡ª¡ªShe absolutely could not give it a chance to catch its breath and recover!


    The Ice Claw Demon gave a look of despair, suddenly exerting all of its strength to roar towards the front!


    It even spewed out a powerful cold tide breath, instantly dropping temperatures within a twenty-zhang radius to the extreme, freezing everything in sight!


    However, Ji Xueying was totally unaffected. Her body blazed with red flames, burning brightly like a torch; the Snow Shocking Blade in her hand, able to withstand the cold breath of the Ice Claw Demon, fiercely pierced through its skull.


    She had temporarily disrupted the brain matter and consciousness of the Ice Claw Demon, rendering it completely incapable of fighting, but she did not kill it outright.


    The master had previously instructed that the Ice Claw Demon''s body had to remain fresh in order to extract the freshest blood, to ensure the highest quality of synthetic blood serum and reduce the mental burden for Wang Twenty-Seven.


    Just as she crushed the Ice Claw Demon, those powerful demons surrounding her converged upon her.


    They were all Fifth Realm demons, two lower-tier, two upper-tier, and one King class. They all struck with full force, intent on killing her in one fell swoop.


    At that moment, Ji Xueying''s body suddenly transformed into a ray of golden light, and in an abrupt manner, she broke out of the encirclement of demons and appeared behind another demon.


    Yuan Ji understood in that instant, his Primordial Spirit as if struck by lightning.


    "Is this, soul refining?"


    Lin Twelve was actually prepared to refine and kill his Primordial Spirit! To reverse devour him!


    Yuan Ji immediately felt something was amiss, his Primordial Spirit trembled.


    "You are an otherworldly traveler, do you also come from the Earth Federation?"


    He had already sensed the biological chip implanted near Lin Rui''s brain.


    Yuan Ji began to struggle frantically, trying to escape from Lin Rui''s body.


    But by then it was too late; his Primordial Spirit was firmly suppressed by the red-dressed woman and he had to face the blockade and entanglement of Lin Rui and the middle-aged soldier.


    The raging thunder then roared down, and in just an instant, all of Yuan Ji''s spiritual power was blasted into powder!


    A ball of red flame followed immediately after!


    The fierce sea of fire, under the red-dressed woman''s manipulation, converged into one stream, burning and purifying all of Yuan Ji''s dispersed Soul Power. Surprisingly, this blazing red flame, despite its extreme heat, did not harm Lin Rui''s body at all.


    At the same time, the five demons who were locked in battle with the Blood Blade Ji showed expressions of shock and confusion.


    The reason being, the ''Illusory Eye Demon'' that was hiding even further away suddenly clutched its head, letting out a piercing scream. Its enormous eye cracked from the inside, spilling blood.


    Following that, the ''Illusory Eye Demon'' rolled on the ground in agony, its eyeballs further bursting.


    "What''s going on? Has it gone mad?"


    "I don''t know, but it seems like it has lost."


    "Can''t be, can it? That''s a Half-step Six Realm Illusory Eye Demon, with such a strong Primordial Spirit, could it lose to a Third Realm Martial Cultivator?"


    "Its eyes have exploded; that''s its main body."


    "Be careful!"


    At that instant, Blood Blade Ji''s eyes blazed like fire, her blade flashing as she struck one of the Five Realm ''Half-Spider Demons.''


    The fierce and domineering blade''s light instantly extinguished the life of the demon, which was half human torso and half spider legs, turning the severed body into a flaming torch.


    The remaining demons let out frightened roars, scrambling away at a flying speed, attempting to vanish into the night.


    This Blood Blade Ji was too terrifying!


    A late Fourth Realm being was actually able to suppress and swiftly kill one of them, five early Fifth Realm demons.


    This seemed not a super sovereign, but a legendary Emperor level! At least a quasi-Emperor!


    Yet the golden light formed by Blood Blade Ji hanged tenaciously behind them, relentlessly chasing them down!


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Damn! This Yuan Ji was actually a real Heavenly Demon from beyond this realm!


    ```

 Chapter 149 Commodore Level (three more for subscription)

    ```


    After refining the remnants of Yuan Ji''s soul essence, the No. 2 Battle Spirit Ji Shenyan only swallowed a small part.


    She might have scorned these soul essences for not being pure enough, leaving the rest for ''No. 1 Battle Spirit'' Xue Bogao.


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    Lin Rui himself also absorbed a bit of the purest essence, and at the same time, a flurry of information suddenly popped up in his mind.


    Alert: Killing a fifth realm demon, you have gained 3531 points of Soul Power.


    It might be because Lin Rui and the two battle spirits devoured most of it, but this demon of quasi-general rank provided only a mere 3000 plus points of Soul Power.@@@@


    Alert 2: The spiritual power level of the No. 1 Battle Spirit has broken through that of a major; his soul has reached a state of saturation, and spiritual impurities have reached the upper limit. He cannot absorb more soul power for a short time, but you can use Soul Power points to help him refine these spiritual impurities.


    Note: Due to the damage to the Battle Spirit Ring, the ability to refine spiritual impurities cannot be used.


    Alert 3: Changes have occurred in the skill lists of both the No. 1 and No. 2 Battle Spirits; you may check them in a timely manner.


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows, checking the skill lists of Xue Bogao and Ji Shenyan.


    The two skill slots of Ji Shenyan did not change much, with only two high-level Cultivation Techniques added to the learnable skills.


    The changes on Xue Bogao''s side were much more significant, with over forty new items.


    Things like Master-level Basic Illusion Technique, Genuine-level Great Dream Divine Technique, Proficient-level Intermediate Arrays, Proficient-level Intermediate Talismans, Grandmaster-level Pistol Usage, Accomplished-level Rifle Usage, Genuine-level Individual Combat Tactics, Accomplished-level Anti-tracking, and so on.


    "This Yuan Ji was also a mage, and seems to have been a very powerful illusionist? He was also proficient in various firearms and infantry tactics, and his anti-tracking ability was stronger than Xue Bogao''s, even replacing Xue Bogao''s genuine-level anti-tracking skills."


    Lin Rui was amazed, pondering what kind of person this Yuan Ji was, to have mastered such skills?


    Fragmented memories then surfaced in his mind.


    He was a retired special forces operative, currently employed by a certain special agency of the ''Western Alliance'', and was also a member of some ''Longevity Society''.


    Lin Rui blinked, his expression growing more bizarre.


    I seem to have eliminated a federal agent? Even though it was only an agent from some institution of an Earth Federation member.


    Soon after, Lin Rui calmed down, his mindset as stable as an old dog''s.


    It was no big deal for him now, given that he had already killed plenty of federation folks.


    Speaking of which, it was bad luck for that man. Despite such sophisticated illusion techniques, he was transformed into a Heavenly Eye Demon.


    It is said that the eyeballs of this kind of demon are extremely powerful, and those with weak wills would fall into an illusion just by looking into its eyes, becoming mentally unclear.


    Yet Yuan Ji didn''t use this ability on him, opting instead to start a soul-seizing process.


    Lin Rui called out to the spirit within the ring.


    "Ring Spirit, help me to replicate the Grandmaster-level ''Yuan Spirit Stakes'' and the Accomplished-level ''Spirit Illusion Stakes''."


    The girl was concerned that he had been possessed.


    Lin Rui then took out a bag from his sleeve and handed it to Ji Xueying, "Alright, go handle those demon corpses for me, don''t disturb the nearby civilians. Remember to keep Yuan Ji''s head for me. I need to take it back to the government office. There are also a couple of other demons that seem to have bounties on their heads, so leave some evidence."


    That guy''s head must contain a biological chip, with this evidence, the case could be thoroughly concluded.


    This is a real Heavenly Demon! Following this, the Divine Envoy can even take this case as a means to hold Prince Han and the Yuan family accountable.


    Ji Xueying pondered that while there was no issue with the Ruyi Heart-to-Heart Knot''s sensation, she had finally recognized that ''Illusion Eye Demon'' as Yuan Ji!


    This person was a skilled Illusion Technique master and had transformed into an ''Illusion Eye Demon'' proficient in illusions, with a cultivation just a half-step into Level Six. Ji Xueying had to be more cautious.


    If she had known earlier that this person was Yuan Ji, she would have not followed Lin Rui''s command. She would have returned to her master''s side first to ensure his safety.


    However, she had not expected such a strong spiritual power like Yuan Ji''s to be defeated so miserably.


    Without showing any emotion, Ji Xueying carefully observed and concluded that her master was indeed fine. She nodded silently and took the bag Lin Rui passed to her.


    She understood the hidden message in Lin Rui''s words. By not disturbing the civilians, it meant to avoid their gaze while extracting blood from the demons.


    She now knew that the blood of demons above Level Four could be sold for money, used to create synthetic serum, and also as a foundational blood element for cultivating heterotic practitioners.


    The bags Lin Rui gave her were made by the Heavenly Demons to store blood, ensuring it would not spoil for a year.


    It was said that materials for a superior king level synthetic serum could fetch as much as 6,000 taels of Demon Silver, and they were invaluable in the Heavenly Demon marketplace. A complete demon corpse could at least provide materials for three to four serums.


    Moreover, parts of demons that underwent transformation above Level Five were extremely valuable; according to her master, in the home of the Heavenly Demons, there were many weapons crafted using demon corpses as materials.


    As Ji Xueying turned to move towards the demon corpses, the ecstatic village head ran out from the room, knelt before Lin Rui, and said, "We thank the Great Master for slaying this Ice Claw Demon, saving us from dire straits! Who could have imagined the Great Master''s divine might, killing those powerful demons as if slaughtering pigs and dogs."


    The other villagers also rushed out, not minding the water melted on the ground, kneeling inside and outside the courtyard to thank Lin Rui.


    At the same time, these people looked at Lin Rui with a bit of peculiarity in their eyes while genuinely feeling grateful.


    They had just witnessed that, after the fight began, this official Lin stood motionless, and it was the beautiful demon who fought, effortlessly defeating the Ice Claw Demon and driving back the other demons.


    They couldn''t help but think to themselves that all of official Lin''s skills seemed to be embodied in this female demon.


    The village head thought the same, but being profound in his schemes, no trace of these thoughts showed on his face.


    He fervently kowtowed and said, "Please, Great Master, stay in our village for a few more days. Allow us to prepare a feast to treat you as a small token of our deep gratitude!"


    Unaware of these people''s thoughts, Lin Rui would''ve undoubtedly swallowed the whole bounty from the county office had he known.


    He shook his head and smiled. Now that the matter was resolved, why would he linger in this backward countryside?


    And why trouble the folks here? It''s quite troublesome and expensive to prepare a feast in the countryside.


    He would likely stay only until dawn.


    Lin Rui looked up at the sky, feeling increasingly urgent.


    In four more hours, dawn would break, and he could complete his blood refinement, stepping into the Golden Core realm of Level Four!

 Chapter 150 Advancing to the Fourth Realm (Please Subscribe)

    ```


    At the break of dawn, atop a hill by the Tianxiang river, Lin Rui practiced the "Rising Sun Stake" beneath the sunlight.


    He had mastered this self-created intermediate stake skill, and not long ago, he spent 2000 points of Soul Power to elevate it to the level of a Great Grandmaster.


    At this moment, Lin Rui''s limbs stretched out, light yet powerful, every movement flowing like clouds and water, drawing beautiful arcs in the air, effortlessly guiding the surrounding light, electricity, and heat.


    The air within a thirty-foot radius seemed to move with his breath, forming a subtle energy field, and his entire being seemed to merge with the surrounding sunshine, becoming one with nature.


    About half an hour later, right after Lin Rui finished practicing the stake skill for the fifth time, his spirit abruptly shuddered.


    "Success! The blood cultivation progress has reached 90.08%! I can now use the Blood Cultivation Elixir."


    This was the moment he had long anticipated¡ª


    Lin Rui immediately stopped practicing the stake skill and took out the "Blood Cultivation Elixir" from his sleeve, injecting it directly into his neck.


    Because it was injected into the carotid artery, the effects of this million Federation dollars'' worth elixir were particularly quick.


    The power of the medicine was extremely fierce and intense, flooding his body like a surging tide, and even with Lin Rui''s immense willpower, he frowned and felt the urge to sing.


    A thin layer of golden flame ignited all over his body, but at the same time, his blood rapidly transformed under the effect of the elixir.


    This transformation and intense pain lasted for about half an hour.


    When the pain in Lin Rui''s body subsided half an hour later, he discovered that the pale golden threads in his blood had fully turned to a crimson gold.


    Lin Rui took a deep breath, feeling an unprecedented surge in strength and True Yuan coursing through his body.


    He activated the monitoring module of his biochip and glanced at his bodily data, his pupils dilating in astonishment.


    Lin Rui''s eyes sparkled with excitement as, according to the biochip''s monitoring, his strength index had reached an impressive 750 points! His spiritual power index had even achieved an astonishing 860 points!


    All other bodily data had also improved explosively.


    While the biochip''s measurements indeed have significant errors and cannot be wholly trusted, the deviation would not exceed plus or minus 50 points.


    In the upcoming month, he would enter a rapid growth phase! All aspects of his qualities would reach the standard of a Fourth Realm Martial Cultivator, which is equivalent to the rank of a Major.


    However, the greatest enhancement was his affinity with the elements, as Lin Rui''s connection with the ether elements between heaven and earth had become much closer. If it seemed like there were at least three layers of separation before, now there was only one left.


    "This is what they call ''Blood Cultivation Completion''!"


    Lin Rui''s lips curved into a slight smile, and he resumed practicing the stake skill right where he had left off.@@@@


    He had only practiced for half an hour, there was still another half to go, his body could absorb even more ether elements, attempting to condense a Golden Core.


    As Lin Rui continued practicing the "Rising Sun Stake," with time passing, a tiny speck of crystal began to form at the Dantian located in the center of his chest and abdomen.


    The so-called "Golden Core" of the pole star was different from the Golden Core of ancient Chinese Daoism.


    This speck of crystalline structure was extremely tiny, not even half the size of a rice grain. Although the Core Formation progress was only a little over 0.03%, it caused Lin Rui''s True Qi, blood, and ether elements'' circulation speed and utilization efficiency to skyrocket.


    The effect of a nucleus was not the same as without.


    Additionally, his physical condition appeared to have been strengthened a lot more.


    Jade Heart (Yu Feicui): Lin Rui, have you completed the blood training for your alien body?


    What kind of pills has this guy been taking down there? His cultivation progress is so fast.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): It''s completed. The serum from my alien body was already sent up three days ago. Professor Si Ma''s team has already prepared the complete artificial blood serum for me.


    Yu Feicui''s eyebrows deeply furrowed as her gaze turned grave.


    Jade Heart (Yu Feicui): Isn''t that too fast? Lin Rui, shouldn''t you slow down a bit and enhance your spiritual power a little more? I don''t think there''s any rush, especially since the artificial blood serum you''re implanting is of the Four Realms Overlord level, SS+ grade! You do know the enormous burden such a serum places on one''s spiritual power, right?


    Yu Feicui had learned long ago from Professor Si Ma and Guan Biran that Lin Rui had brought back a Four Realms Overlord blood serum from Tianji Star.


    The creation of the serum required the assistance of many high-tech biological apparatuses from Tianlan Group and several departments, so there was no way she could have been kept in the dark about it.


    It was, after all, the Four Realms Overlord!


    It is known that there is no ''Emperor tier'' in the Core Formation Stage of the Four Realms. Even the most talented Martial Cultivators of Tianlan Star start from King tier bloodlines.


    As they enhance their spiritual power, they awaken their bloodline powers step by step.


    At the Four Realms level, the highest record ever was the Overlord tier, originating from records of ''Southern Abyss'' in the ancient history of Tianji Star.


    That means the Overlord tier represents the strongest bloodline power within the Four Realms!


    Yu Feicui didn''t know where Lin Rui had acquired such a high-tier serum, but she was very happy for him.


    A month ago, she and Fang Ranran had already been considering the matter of the serum for Lin Rui and had prepared a plan.


    They had planned to use the power of Tianlan Group to find at least an S+ grade serum for Lin Rui, otherwise they would feel they had let down Lin Rui''s hall-level talent.


    If Lin Rui himself had managed to find an Overlord blood serum, then that was more than ideal.


    The issue was that the burden of the serum on the spiritual power was truly immense! Astoundingly so.


    Meanwhile, in the laboratory, Lin Rui couldn''t help but touch his nose.


    He could sense Yu Feicui''s good intentions, but the serum, originating from his guardian demon, had the most suitable Yuan force properties for him, and it might require less than a third of the spiritual power compared to what others needed.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Don''t worry, Sister Feicui. I feel my spiritual power should be strong enough. Anyway, I am currently undergoing a pre-implantation checkup. If you come over, you''ll understand.


    Upon seeing the message, Yu Feicui didn''t hesitate to set aside what she was doing and hurriedly walked towards Professor Si Ma''s laboratory in her high heels.


    Lin Rui was the hall-level contender she had found in half a lifetime of fortune; if this Si Malin dared to be reckless and risk the blood serum implantation for Lin Rui, leading to irreversible consequences, Yu Feicui would surely tear him apart.


    Three minutes later, Yu Feicui arrived at the experimental building of the affiliated hospital.


    As she stood at the entrance of Professor Si Ma''s laboratory verifying her identity before pushing the door open, she just happened to hear a voice from inside.


    "¡ª Spirit power measurement complete, 910 points, almost at Marshal level! Starting physical fitness test."


    Lin Rui, standing in the checkup booth, was slightly surprised. Over the past few days, he had pushed his Core Formation progress to 0.21%, and his physical fitness had improved slightly.


    Yet, the spirit power value detected by these special instruments was much higher than what his biological chip measured, the discrepancy reaching as high as 50 points.


    At the same time, Yu Feicui was gaping, frozen in her tracks, her eyes filled with disbelief.


    She thought she was experiencing an auditory hallucination.

 Chapter 151 Exaggerated Numbers (Seeking Subscriptions)

    "Spiritual power measurement at 910? How could it be so high?"


    Yu Feicui strode into the room, peering through the observation room''s glass window.


    However, Professor Si Malin inside was focused on operating the equipment and did not pay attention to her.


    Yu Feicui''s gaze was solemn, yet filled with strong excitement and anticipation.


    The standard for a major general was 1,000 points of spiritual power.


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    With such a measurement, not to mention implanting a super emperor-class artificial serum, even an emperor-class would be no problem!


    Yu Feicui was even more curious about Lin Rui''s physical condition.


    If Lin Rui''s spiritual power was so high, what about his physical quality?


    About 10 minutes later, the machine inside reported the test results.


    "Strength measurement complete, 630 points, junior general level!"


    "Reaction measurement complete, 584 points, junior general level!"


    "Flexibility measurement complete, 581 points, junior general level!"


    "Sensitivity¡ª"


    "Endurance¡ª"


    "Impact resistance¡ª"


    "Total overall physical quality 589 points, junior general level! Beginning True Qi volume and strength testing¡ª"


    Momentarily, Wang Sen was heartstruck.


    His current loan capacity was already sufficient for him to buy another S+ grade implant. If he could boost his spiritual power by 50 points, his combat power could rise to another level.


    But he still shook his head, "Feicui, I really can''t say, the matter you''re asking about involves Brother Rui''s personal commercial secrets, and Professor Han has also issued a gag order. If I speak without their permission, it would be in violation of the ''Federal Exploration Law.''"


    The Federal Exploration Law originated from a tragedy.


    Eight hundred years ago, among those first-generation mutants, someone had a great harvest on Tianji Star.


    This, however, attracted the covetousness of many corporations and power brokers who forced the explorer to reveal his sources, leading to the destruction of his family and life.


    It was this tragedy that saddened all mutant explorers and led to a lull in the federation''s exploration of Tianji Star.


    It was only three years later that the federation enacted this law, providing all protections, including military, to mutant explorers.


    Yu Feicui chuckled, impressed by the young man''s loyalty to Lin Rui, even invoking the "Federal Exploration Law."


    "Fine! These True Concentration Serums were specially acquired by your little boss Fang for you all. They will be delivered tomorrow, one for each person, and none missing. But in the upcoming martial arts league, you''d better not let her down," she said, while pondering to herself that she still needed to find a way to figure out Lin Rui''s situation down there.


    While Wang Sen was overjoyed, the True Qi test for Lin Rui was also completed.


    "True Qi volume testing complete, 643 points, junior general level! True Qi strength testing complete, 662 points, junior general level! Overall measurement 652 points¡ª"


    Inside the life-support pod, Lin Rui, feeling somewhat disappointed, smacked his lips.


    It seemed that his physical quality at this end hadn''t kept up.


    His alternate self''s True Qi was nearly at 800 points, while it was just over 600 here.


    Indeed, this alternate assimilation effect was not omnipotent; without the artificial serum, Lin Rui''s original form was still just at the second realm of meridian opening, and his physical enhancement could not catch up to his alternate self''s.


    "You, my friend, always surprise me," Si Malin said, looking at his medical report, "Your quality in all aspects has improved too rapidly, Lin Rui. What do you say we make a slice now? I feel like your body is no ordinary one and is worth researching further."

 Chapter 152 Yang Pulling Slash (Three More for Monthly Ticket Quota)

    PS: Today''s explosive release is 11,000 words, asking for the guaranteed monthly tickets for tomorrow!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lin Xi was brimming with excitement after accepting the challenge.


    She had devoted a lot of thought to martial arts over the past month and felt exceptionally confident, having gradually refined skills like the Red Thunder Saber and Red Thunder Palm to the Great Achievement Realm. She estimated that few among her peers could rival her.


    In fact, within Mingde University''s Armed System with 8,000 students and the Alien Body System with over 1,000, not a single one could defeat her, not even the faculty members who stepped into the arena.


    Lin Xi had analyzed Lin Rui''s combat videos.


    She believed that if she could start with an aggressive attack strategy to seize the initiative, she could at least withstand 100 moves from her brother.


    If her brother hadn''t made any significant progress in martial arts this month, then she could last for 300 moves.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Have you been playing real combat these past few days? Have you learned the Tianji Xingyu language?


    Summer''s End Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): I have! I took an online simulation exam yesterday. My history and humanities scores were both B+ grade, only language was C, but I can already understand the dialect of Wang City, and I can engage in common conversation. Didn''t you say there''s no need to delve too deeply at this stage? So, I haven''t really studied the writing.


    Summer''s End Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Bro, how many Combat Equipment points do you want to use? Is 300 okay? Weapon points 50, let''s go with the human form.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Okay, as you wish.


    Lin Rui felt a bit withdrawn in his heart; this girl''s learning ability was too terrifying. Had she really reached this level in just a few weeks? She could study all sorts of knowledge about Tianji Star while still dominating the campus real combat network.


    He began to open the interface to select his Combat Equipment.


    To ensure fairness in network combat, various common Combat Equipments were given point ratings, like Lin Rui''s ''Blood Core Fury Sun,'' which was rated 99 points.


    The combatants would agree on total Combat Equipment points beforehand and then equip themselves accordingly.


    Soon after, the avatars set by both parties appeared in the virtual combat environment.


    At that moment, the audience was steadily entering the room, with well over 100 people, showing Lin Xi''s high popularity at school.


    ¡ª¡ªAre there any computer science gods here? Did that guy cheat?


    ¡ª¡ªIndescribable, that slash was as fast as light! With this speed, not to mention Queen Xi, even an S-class Captain~ No! Even a Colonel would likely not be able to react, and if they did, they probably couldn''t block it.


    ¡ª¡ªGu Ying Tiandao, who is this? Is it one of the Combat Generals? Why would a Combat General use such a cringy username?


    Lin Xi clenched her teeth, choosing to challenge again.


    She astutely reduced the Combat Equipment points to the lowest value of 100 for both sides, which would weaken Lin Rui''s hand speed and allow her to see his moves more clearly.


    Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    As the two appeared on the virtual battlefield again, Lin Xi''s eyes held a heavier weight, fixated on Lin Rui''s hands and his saber.


    Only now did Lin Xi realize that Lin Rui was using an Energy Storage Blade!


    Right after the countdown ended, Lin Xi didn''t rush forward rashly, but approached cautiously. Just as she drew within 10 meters¡ª¡ªClang!


    Lin Xi''s vision went dark again.


    "Combat over, your character has been killed!"


    This time, the comment section exploded even more fiercely.


    ¡ª¡ªDamn, I saw his sword technique clearly this time. It''s one thing for the sword speed to be fast, but the sword path is also so miraculous, it''s like antelope hanging horns, no way I could block it even after watching ten times!


    ¡ª¡ªNonsense, we''re only at the Lieutenant stage; even if we predicted it right, our reflexes couldn''t keep up.


    ¡ª¡ªDid you see it? Queen Xi''s eyes were red when she died this time. She''s completely broken, right?


    ¡ª¡ªUnbelievable, is this a sword technique possible at the Lieutenant stage? It''s way too twisted.


    ¡ª¡ªWho the hell is this person? With such high martial arts prowess, they must be at the General level; this is just bullying, isn''t it?


    ¡ª¡ªFound out, Gu Ying Tiandao! That''s Lin Rui, ranked 11th in the Alien Body combat assessments more than a month ago. He''s transferring to our Armed Systems this year and has already joined the school''s Martial Arts Club. It''s said that he''s the upcoming backbone of the club. Interestingly, this guy is Queen Xi''s brother!

 Chapter 153 Immovable Ming King (Vote for Monthly Ticket)

    When Zhang Jie and Shi Yan took the elevator to the ninth floor of the Mingde Martial Arts Club''s activity area, they were instantly dazzled by the luxurious club-like decor and the rows of brand-new training equipment that impressed them.


    Shi Yan couldn''t help but whistle, "Nice decoration! And all this equipment¡ªthe basic shaping machines and the micro-nanometer electromagnetic enhancement devices¡ªare all top-of-the-line models. Impressive!"


    She then saw several young men and women practicing with various pieces of equipment in the distance.


    Shi Yan casually glanced at them, and her gaze paused for a moment.


    Three Core Formations in Mingde University? Not bad at all.


    The corner of her lips curled up slightly with a hint of sarcasm, "Looks like there''s some strength here! I wonder how the fight the day after tomorrow will go? Let''s hope it isn''t all for show like the fancy decor of this martial arts club."


    Zhang Jie also stopped in his tracks, looking at the young man doing the bench press.


    This person had gold wavy hair, well-defined facial features, and was shirtless, showcasing his particularly muscular and strong physique.


    However, his temperament was very cold, and the glance he sent over was sharp and deep, as if filled with ice.


    Zhang Jie thought this person must be Zhao Yan, formerly the Deputy General of the Ninth Base Second City University, currently the strongest member of Mingde University''s Martial Arts Club.


    The other two Golden Cores were Fang Ranran, a wealthy and powerful second-generation, with an impressive background but unclear strength; and Nolan Wei, who used to be the Deputy General of the Second City University''s reserve team. It seemed he had also implanted an artificial Golden Core recently, probably within the last few days.


    Right then, they heard a cold snort, "You''ll know how strong we are after the fight the day after tomorrow."


    Shi Yan was startled and looked toward the source of the sound.


    The person was not far in front of them, a young man about her age, tall, with long hair.


    "Lu Fang?"


    Shi Yan happened to know him; he was also a highly touted young genius in the past. Rumor had it that he got an invitation to the ''Abyss Cup Youth Invitation Tournament'' at 17, but for some reason, he vanished from the public eye.


    Shi Yan smiled and continued to walk past Lu Fang with her hands clasped behind her head, looking nonchalant, "Let''s hope that''s the case."


    Lu Fang''s brows furrowed unconsciously. When Shi Yan had brushed past him just now, he clearly felt her malice surge for a moment.


    He instinctively remained alert, but nothing happened after all.


    Zhang Jie also moved past Lu Fang with his luggage, glancing at Lu Fang''s waist and kindly reminded, "Classmate, your belt is about to fall off."


    Lu Fang''s face changed slightly as he realized his belt had indeed come undone.


    When had she made her move?


    He turned sharply, looking at the girl who was walking into the indoor area with her head held high, and said with anger, "Shi Yan!"


    "The ancients say that to ''know thyself'' is to recognize one''s place."


    Shi Yan couldn''t be bothered to look back, "Before the lion, the jackals should learn to speak quietly, better yet not speak at all. Why bother barking impotently? It only serves to provoke the lion''s wrath."


    Lu Fang''s eyes widened in shock, his hands clenched tightly, veins bulging.


    Fang Ranran also frowned at a distance, watching Shi Yan''s receding figure.


    Zhang Jie frowned deeply, "Is the Armor Department of Mingde University really that bad?"


    He wanted to use virtual combat to hone his fighting skills, but the level of actual combat on this platform was of no help to him.


    Zhang Jie thought to himself that Shi Yan was right; the next few days would indeed be boring.


    Zhang Jie then opened up the leaderboards for the Lieutenant Colonel and Captain zones and let out a surprised "Huh".


    The top rank in the Captain zone was held by a girl with the username "End of Summer Shallow Thoughts," who had a combat record of 6 wins and no losses that day.


    The reason she could top the leaderboard with fewer battles was probably the same as Zhang Jie, who had defeated several high-quality opponents.


    What slightly piqued Zhang Jie''s interest was that this girl''s personal information showed she was only 16 years old.


    "She must be a student of the Alien Body College. To be able to reach the top of the captains at this age, even at this lousy school, is quite impressive. Let''s give it a try¡ª"


    With a ''let''s see'' attitude, Zhang Jie issued a challenge to "End of Summer Shallow Thoughts".


    After all, this campus platform had not a single opponent who interested him.


    Rather than wasting time seeking out mediocre talents, it was better to see what kind of standard this young prodigy of Mingde University was.


    "Immovable Ming King?"


    Just as Zhang Jie issued the challenge, Lin Xi emerged from the "little black room" she had been using on her own.


    Prior to this, Lin Xi had been focusing on practicing the "Red Thunder Nine Slashes" taught to her by Lin Rui.


    "Grand Brightness Stance" and "Red Sun Saber" were not techniques Lin Rui could teach casually; they had to wait until they were out of the operating room and could teach face-to-face, so that aspects like meridian and blood circulation, correct posture, and muscle changes could be demonstrated more accurately to Lin Xi.


    Lin Rui was also going to make her a complete instructional video.


    Although this computer-simulated world had a high degree of verisimilitude, it was still not the real world, and with something like stance practice, a tiny deviation could lead to a huge error.


    However, after that, Lin Rui gave her a half-hour tutorial on the techniques of the "Red Thunder Nine Slashes".


    Lin Xi had previously trained her "Red Thunder Nine Slashes" to 12 slashes.


    She currently had no assistive armor equipped; otherwise, reaching 15 slashes would have been effortless.


    To Lin Xi''s surprise, Lin Rui was now able to perform "Red Thunder Unlimited Slash" at a slightly slower speed, delivering 99 slashes or more at a very high frequency. He could even combine the "Red Thunder Nine Slashes" through "Red Thunder Twenty-One Slashes" into one, allowing for free combination according to the needs of actual combat¡ªthis was extremely badass, elevating the power of the Red Thunder Saber to another level entirely.


    Thus, finding it an invaluable treasure, Lin Xi shut off all communications and focused on learning after Lin Rui had finished instructing her in the technique.


    She had now basically mastered the essence of the technique and knew how to use it.


    So there was no point in continuing to practice, because practicing in a virtual world wouldn''t form muscle memory.


    It was right when she was ending her time in the little black room that she received the challenge invitation from "Immovable Ming King".


    Lin Xi accepted without a second thought. She had not seen this username before in the campus network, but it didn''t matter.


    Right now, she just wanted to find someone to test the power of the Lin Rui version of the "Red Thunder Nine Slashes".

 Chapter 154 The Encounter (Vote for Monthly Ticket)

    When Lin Xi entered the room, what she saw was a mixed-race Black youth, tall and muscular, like an iron tower.


    Is this the Immovable Ming King?


    She had previously thought it was a Buddhist, or someone from the South Asian Republic or the Southeastern Federation.


    Lin Xi paid it no mind and began to put on her combat suit, simultaneously selecting a suitable battle saber.


    They had already agreed beforehand that both parties would use 500 combat suit points, allowing them to equip an ultra-luxurious S+ grade combat suit for this battle.


    Lin Xi suffered from choice overload as she was momentarily dazzled by the options, but she still completed her selection within the one-minute preparation time and clicked to confirm she was ready.


    Once Lin Xi took her position, Blackstone Zhang Jie''s eyes lit up, realizing that the girl before him was indeed skilled.


    Not like those before, who didn''t even know how to stand properly.


    After the countdown ended, Lin Xi didn''t rashly approach; she seemed cautious in her movements, facing off against Blackstone Zhang Jie from a distance and slowly moving closer.


    Summer''s Shallow Thought: Which grade are you in, Ming King? How come I''ve never seen you before?


    Immovable Ming King: I''m not from your school.


    Summer''s Shallow Thought: If you''re not from our school, how did you log into the campus network?


    Zhang Jie felt that this girl talked too much. Why say so much during a fight?


    Just as he used his consciousness to edit his reply, he suddenly saw a streak of purple saber light slashing towards him.


    Zhang Jie''s heart tightened, and he hurriedly dodged, but Lin Xi''s attack was so abrupt that, caught off guard, he still didn''t manage to evade it completely.


    As the purple saber light swept past, his right arm unexpectedly became severed, hacked off.


    Zhang Jie looked at his wound, shocked for a moment; at the very beginning of the battle, he had lost his most important dominant hand.@@@@


    And that saber strike just now, which technique was it? It seemed to be a Thunderfire Cultivation Technique, with an attack range of up to seven meters, but it required some time to charge up.


    Plus, it was so fast! So domineering! It effortlessly sliced through his Golden Body Dominator defense.


    Zhang Jie instantly realized that the opposing party was using the Red Thunder Saber. So, this must be the ''Thunderclap Absolute Slash,'' a secret saber technique with the combined force of the nine slashes, an S-ranked force secret technique as evaluated by the Martial Arts Association!


    The issue here is that mastering such a technique with the Red Thunder Saber requires one to be at Great Grandmaster level, yet Summer''s Shallow Thought''s saber technique clearly wasn''t at that level yet.


    Zhang Jie thought to himself that this girl''s martial arts teacher must be incredibly powerful, someone who managed to simplify the Red Thunder Saber technique allowing Summer''s Shallow Thought to master this secret technique in advance, albeit with reduced power.


    Lin Xi then pounced like a ferocious bobcat, brandishing that saber right in front of him.


    The two engaged in fierce combat, with Lin Xi''s long saber continually leaving trails of blood on Zhang Jie''s body, even sparking bursts of fire.


    "Hardened Golden Body Dominator? Such a tough guy, who is this person?"


    Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire


    Lin Xi was taken aback; this person''s Golden Body Dominator seemed to have no weaknesses.


    They were in a Captain''s channel, equivalent to the late stage of the Third Realm Blood Practice. At this stage, it was impossible for Zhang Jie to achieve ''Golden Body without Flaws.''


    Yet Lin Xi''s saber light continued to strike all parts of this man''s body, unable to cause significant harm.


    This indicated that the opponent''s reaction capabilities were strong, with remarkable control over muscle, blood energy, True Qi, and consciousness, enhancing the defensive capacity of the force-bearing areas to the extreme in a split second.


    However, after the battle persisted for two minutes, it was still Lin Xi who came out on top.


    The man had lost his dominant hand and was at a huge disadvantage.


    Although Lin Xi couldn''t cut through him, she managed to make him bleed persistently, eventually grinding down her opponent to death.


    Right after the battle ended, Immovable Ming King sent another message.


    Immovable Ming King: You''re despicable! Just now, you used conversation as a cover for your attack.


    Seeing this, Lin Xi smiled wryly.


    This person could trample him?


    Zhang Jie couldn''t help but smile, a rare hint of fire emerging in his usually reserved and calm eyes.


    The network showed Gu Ying Tiandao was online, but his challenge was rejected, and the messages he sent were also refused.


    Zhang Jie could only come back to find Xia Mo Shallow Thoughts.


    Immovable Ming King: Xia Mo Shallow Thoughts, could you contact this person for me? He won''t accept my challenge, nor my messages. I can''t talk to him.


    Xia Mo Shallow Thoughts: Do you really want to challenge him? Actually, there''s no need; the day after tomorrow, you might face each other on the arena.


    Lin Xi shook her head disdainfully, thinking that this guy really was stubborn. Wouldn''t acknowledge the coffin until he was in it.


    Yet the corners of her lips curled up slightly, revealing an anticipatory smile.


    That expression was like that of a devil who had successfully schemed.


    Hopefully, this guy wouldn''t regret it¡ª


    At this moment, Lin Rui was locked in a small dark room, practicing his saber technique.


    A few days ago, he had thought about transforming the "Thunderclap Absolute Slash." He wanted to infuse it with light elements to match his Cultivation Technique.


    However, the prompt from the Battle Spirit Ring had been: Due to the lack of foundational saber moves and the absence of a similar secret saber as a reference, the derivation cannot be performed.


    Lin Rui judged that he had neither viable creativity nor a clear direction at that time; he was just wishful thinking.


    Previously, Lin Rui had been able to deduce the Yang Pulling Slash because he had thought of using True Yuan to simulate runes, rapidly building up heat within the saber sheath, and then unleashing it violently in an instant to achieve the extreme speed of drawing the saber.


    Having a complete plan, the Battle Spirit Ring only needed to help him perfect the details of this saber technique.


    Therefore, Lin Rui needed to find a starting point, a way to fuse light and the piercing force of thunder and fire.


    His thought was atomic transition, but that was too high-end.


    Lin Rui crammed for relevant knowledge and felt that the difficulty was indeed too high, and his cultivation wasn''t enough to accomplish it.


    Luckily, he had mastered Great Grandmaster-level Rune and Array studies and wanted to use a combination of runes to first create a "youth version" of the Jump Secret Blade.


    That was when he received a message from Lin Xi.


    Xia Mo Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Brother, help me deal with someone, a person named Immovable Ming King. It seems he''s a member of Future Science and Technology University. I was just trampled by him, literally hammered to death by him.


    "Immovable Ming King?"


    Rage instantly flashed in Lin Rui''s eyes¡ªwho was this thing, daring to bully his sister?


    Or even hammer her to death?


    Even though it was virtual combat, Lin Rui felt a bit annoyed.


    Without a second thought, he exited the small dark room, and at that moment, a challenge invitation from "Immovable Ming King" appeared before him, indicating the challenge was at the captain level.


    Lin Rui chose to accept and entered the pre-battle configuration interface.


    Immovable Ming King: Brother, 600 points for Armor Suit and 100 points for weapon, okay with you?


    He took Lin Rui seriously¡ª600 points were just enough to bring his real-life Armor Suit into play.


    Gu Ying Tiandao: Okay!


    Lin Rui was indifferent; his two kinds of Armor Suits in reality added up to less than 200 points, and even adding the soon-to-be-implanted SSS-grade Armor Suit "Blood Sun True Yuan," it was only just over 350 points.


    Soon after, both appeared on the arena at the same time.


    Lin Rui immediately recognized his opponent¡ªit was Zhang Jie from Future Science and Technology University, the Quasi-Hall level "Black Stone."


    Yu Feicui had sent all the intel on the participants from Future Science and Technology University to their inbox five days before.


    Zhang Jie''s avatar in the virtual world looked exactly like him in reality.


    This was a prospective student with a double ''S+'' rating in Armor Suit grading and combat technique from the Martial Arts Association. A nearly fourth-realm Super King!

 Chapter 155 Losing My Composure (Third Update, Seeking Monthly Pass)

    PS: Third update, seeking support! Continuing to strive in breaking new ground this month, until I can write no more, seeking monthly ticket support!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lin Rui thought it was just the right opportunity, an ideal moment to use Zhang Jie as a whetstone to test the combined power of "Blood Sun Tianyuan" and "Yang Pulling Slash."


    The reason he chose the SSS-grade "Blood Sun Tianyuan" prosthetic this time was partly due to compatibility with his own body and partly to maximize the prowess of "Yang Pulling Slash" to its limits.


    "Blood Sun Tianyuan" not only enhances physical attributes across the board, but also improves affinity with ether elements.


    It can be seen as an enhanced comprehensive version of other prosthetics like Divine Right, Thunder Blood, and Flame Blood.


    However, it has another important ability, which is to help charge and accumulate True Qi and ether elements in advance within the blood.


    It can shorten the charging time for secret moves or enhance the power of secret slashes, making this prosthetic particularly suited for Lin Rui''s self-created "Yang Pulling Slash."


    At this point, both parties had matched their prosthetics with their weapons and chose to ready themselves.


    This time, Zhang Jie also wore a set of fourth-tier competition-specific armor and a pair of gloves, exactly 100 weapon points worth.


    At this moment, several people entered the room one after another, including the likes of Xia Mo Qian Nian, Divine Doctor Sima, and the quirky youngster, among others.


    Lin Rui was slightly startled when he saw Divine Doctor Sima''s online name.


    He thought to himself, hey, Professor Sima, are you okay? You''re still performing a blood transfusion surgery on me, yet you have the leisure to watch a fight?


    Zhang Jie couldn''t be bothered to pay attention, as he didn''t know these people.


    Immovable Ming King: Zhang Jie, a senior student from the Alien Body College of Future Science and Technology University, pleased to meet you!


    Lin Rui thought this guy was quite polite, so he responded in kind.


    Gu Ying Tiandao: Lin Rui, a senior student from the Alien Body College of Mingde University.


    Zhang Jie thought to himself that the person opposite was indeed Lin Rui.


    Just as the countdown ended, Zhang Jie saw the figure opposite him suddenly flash and disappear from the spot like a ghost.


    Zhang Jie''s pupils dilated in shock.


    Such swift speed! Is he using an electrostatic field? This is an intermediate-level Thunder Escape of Grandmaster rank!


    And which direction is this guy flash escaping to?


    His reaction was extremely sharp, and in an instant, he caught Lin Rui''s position, just 6 meters to his left.


    But as Zhang Jie''s gaze moved there, he saw a streak of white light.


    "Hiss!"


    Zhang Jie''s eyes showed disbelief. His hands were only lifted halfway when his head slid off his neck.


    Then his vision darkened, and a digital prompt sounded in his ear.


    "Battle over, your character has died!"


    At this moment in the comment section, Lin Xi, Si Malin, and a few others were talking in astonishment.


    Quirky Youngster (Wang Sen): So fast! Faster than before, probably just 0.001 seconds, he completed drawing and sheathing the sword within a thousandth of a second!


    Wang Sen thought to himself that this must be the effect of combining "Blood Sun Tianyuan" with "Guang Ming''s Blood." These prosthetics, in conjunction with Lin Rui''s self-created "Yang Pulling Slash," were a match made in heaven!


    Who could possibly defend against such a rapid slash?


    Below the rank of major, Lin Rui might already be invincible.


    His brother Wei is really awesome; if he could awaken "Blood Sun Tianyuan" on Tianji Star, he could probably roam unchecked below the fifth realm.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Indeed very fast! I kind of understand now, no wonder he makes so much money.


    Si Malin''s eyes were filled with deep surprise.


    He had long known that Lin Rui''s combat talent was strong, and had also watched some of Lin Rui''s battle videos.


    But at this moment, Si Malin was still deeply shocked by Lin Rui''s slash.


    He felt that this guy''s combat skills could probably reach an SSS-grade rating at this stage!


    In terms of prosthetic grading, before this person advances to Golden Core, he would definitely be able to reach an SS-grade!


    This can''t be real, can it? How could Lin Cong produce such a clever kid? To have a son who is a third realm emperor?


    Immovable Ming King: Again!


    Zhang Jie clenched his teeth, his eyes filling with a profusion of bloodshot veins.


    But this time, his challenge was declined by Lin Rui.


    Zhang Jie opened the chat box somewhat irritably.


    Immovable Ming King (Zhang Jie): Why not accept?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): There''s no need to keep fighting. With your current state, no matter how many times we repeat this process, it''s of no benefit to you or me.


    Zhang Jie''s face flushed with a surge of color.


    He remembered the words Xia Mo Qian Nian had said, "You will be tortured. He can''t help you practice real combat ability."


    Indeed, such battles, no matter how many times they occurred, were of no help to him.


    But he still wanted to see Lin Rui''s sword-drawing process, to at least know how he was defeated.


    Zhang Jie knew his mentality had completely collapsed.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Don''t take it too seriously. Reality and the virtual world are different. For example, you definitely have strong physical attributes, but you can''t bring those to the virtual world. Also, I can tell that your body hardening technique is nearly at the ''Impenetrable Golden Body'' level. At that time, my swift blade might not be effective against you.


    Zhang Jie''s facial muscles twitched involuntarily, he used to console the defeated with similar words.


    Immovable Ming King (Zhang Jie): I want to know what secret sword technique you just used. I can''t find your sword technique in the Martial Arts Association.


    There were records of similar sword techniques in the Martial Arts Association, but none could achieve that kind of speed.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Self-developed. It''s not recorded at the Martial Arts Association. Alright, let''s chat another time. I hope to face you in the arena the day after tomorrow.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Late that night, when Shi Yan returned to Mingde University''s martial arts club carrying a bunch of shopping bags, she was surprised to learn from her senior that Zhang Jie had stayed in his suite and hadn''t even come out for dinner.


    Shi Yan was astonished. Could it be that this guy was still engaged in virtual combat?


    How strange! With Mingde University''s virtual combat platform standard, he should have been bored in half an hour.


    She knocked on Zhang Jie''s room door, and after a moment, Zhang Jie''s voice came from inside."


    "Shi Yan? Come in."


    Shi Yan entered and found that no lights were on inside; it was pitch dark.


    She found Zhang Jie in the study, just taking off his virtual reality helmet, his complexion looking somewhat pale for some reason. Under the fluorescent glow of the computer indicator lights, he looked like a ghost.


    "Turn on the lights!"


    Shi Yan looked at Zhang Jie with a surprised expression: "You were really in virtual combat? Were you addicted to beating up noobs?"


    Zhang Jie had a gloomy expression and remained silent.


    He thought, where was he having fun beating up noobs? He had been the one getting beaten!


    However, what Shi Yan said wasn''t wrong; afterwards, he did beat up noobs.


    After his battle with Lin Rui ended, he had been fighting someone called ''Weird Youngster''. That person had decent martial arts skills and a resilient mind, never giving up despite being beaten countless times, and kept improving.


    At this moment, Shi Yan suddenly looked thoughtful and walked towards the window.


    From here, she could see the front door of the martial arts club.


    A hoverbus was parked at the entrance, and two teenagers about eighteen years old were stepping out of it.


    In that instant, they also felt a connection and looked up to meet Shi Yan''s gaze. Even though they were dozens of meters apart, when their eyes collided, it was as if lightning struck.


    "Tianjing Martial Arts University''s ''Demon Sword'' Baili Wang and ''Demon Hand'' Zhen Xiaoxiao."


    Zhang Jie also came to Shi Yan''s side to look down, his eyes filled with confusion: "Why are there so many people? And they''re carrying holographic cameras; are those from Tian Yin Video Network? And Kuai Bo Video Network too, hmm?"


    Zhang Jie noticed not far away were three floating live broadcast vehicles, slowly descending from the sky: "Why have television crews also come?"


    "Didn''t you read the group chat? These video networks and TV stations were willing to band together to offer a high sponsorship to obtain the rights to broadcast this exchange battle. This should be the will of ''Sky Sword Prosthetic Company'' behind them, wanting to take this opportunity to test Baili Wang and me," said Shi Yan with crossed arms and a slight smile curling at the corner of her lips. "I agreed!"


    Zhang Jie frowned upon hearing this, thinking that the two renowned ''Triple Realm Imperial Grades'' were finally going to determine who was superior.


    But¡ª


    Zhang Jie thought of Lin Rui.


    The problem was, in this battleground where two tigers clashed, a prehistoric beast lay hidden.

 Chapter 156 Light Transition Slash (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

    At the same time, in the chairman''s office of the Tianlan Group, Fang Kongfang frowned deeply as he watched the bus in front of the martial arts society building and the TV station''s reporting van. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    His assistant, Guan Biran, also sat in front of the office desk, his face solemn.


    Projecting nearby were the video images of Fang Ranran and Yu Feicui.


    "Ranran, and Manager Yu."


    Fang Kongfang''s expression was somewhat helpless, "You two need to give me an explanation. A simple exchange match, why would you allow it to be broadcast live? Have you considered the consequences? Why make arbitrary decisions?"


    Yu Feicui also showed a face of helplessness upon hearing this.


    She merely invited the future science and technology university and Tianjing Martial Arts University to Mingde University for an exchange; she never envisioned the event would be live broadcast.


    "It was me who agreed; it has nothing to do with Sister Yu."


    In the video, Fang Ranran sat in an office chair, looking relaxed and retorted, "Uncle, do you really have so little confidence in our group''s prosthetics?"


    Fang Kongfang couldn''t help but frown even deeper, glaring at Fang Ranran, "Of course I''m confident, haven''t you seen what kind of reputation the Tianlan Biotech Group has in the market?"


    Since he took over the Tianlan Group, the prosthetics and medicines produced by their company had already earned the title of ''king of cost performance'' in the market, and now they were planning to target the high-end market.


    "Then what are you worried about, Uncle?"


    Fang Ranran crossed her arms, "The ''Demon Sword'' Baili Wang and ''Immortal Sword'' Shi Yan, Abyss Biological Group and Sky Sword Prosthetic Company, these two are at loggerheads right now. They have already hyped up the interest online, and during the event, it''s likely that more than fifty million viewers from all fourteen base cities will watch the live broadcast, with an influence covering hundreds of millions of people, if not more! Why would we want to miss such an excellent opportunity to piggyback on exposure and traffic?"


    Fang Kongfang rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache. He thought to himself, a clash between two top-tier financial groups, two halls of fame, was that something they could meddle in?


    He was even more concerned that the outcome of this exchange match would affect the reputation of Tianlan Group''s products and his business plans.


    "Chairman, I can understand the thinking of young Manager Fang."


    It was Guan Biran who interjected at this time, "Although our Tianlan Group has some reputation in the ninth base city, compared to the whole of Tianji Star''s fourteen base cities, we''re not in the same league as ''Abyss'' and ''Heavenly Sword'' at all."


    Guan Biran paused, "To put it bluntly, our Tianlan Group being compared alongside these two is a significant boost to our reputation, so there''s no need to worry."


    Upon hearing this, Fang Kongfang let out a ''hmm'' as he leaned back in his chair, his expression neither approving nor disapproving as he pinched his chin.


    He actually understood Fang Ranran''s thoughts; he just couldn''t bring himself to make a decision yet.


    Moreover, he was somewhat annoyed by Fang Ranran acting on her own initiative.


    "To put it simply, we don''t have much reputation to speak of, what does a barefooted person have to fear from the shoe-wearing one?"


    Fang Ranran lifted her chin slightly, and a rarely seen arrogance and intensity shone in her eyes, "Tianlan Group is still alright, but our Mingde University is really at rock bottom, so the audience won''t have any expectations for us in this exchange match."


    "Young Manager Fang makes a valid point," Guan Biran agreed, "On the contrary, if we can show even a little achievement, it will make consumers take our Tianlan Group seriously."


    Fang Ranran smiled slightly, "They will also realize that Mingde University''s Prosthetic Department isn''t as bad as they imagined. With one month left before the new term starts, those fresh graduates still have the chance to choose Mingde University."


    "You girl!"


    Fang Kongfang pointed at Fang Ranran and shook his head helplessly.


    He had watched Fang Ranran grow up, thinking that the girl who used to be unruly and sharp in her childhood had been smoothed over by her maternal grandfather. It now seemed that wasn''t the case; she had simply hidden her sharpness, but her essence was still that of Fang Ranran.


    The other dimension connected by Sky Extreme Star was truly miraculous, where "mind" determined everything.


    If you firmly believed in a principle, if you had a strong enough will, you would be able to twist the world, setting your own rules.


    The Sword Intent and other intents of Sky Extreme Star were just that.


    The Sword Intent of Blood Blade was essentially a product of polarized spiritual power.


    As long as your thought was strong enough, the world would change for you.


    However, it was strange that the more a martial technique of Sky Extreme Star conformed to the physical concepts recognized by the world, the higher its power ceiling.


    ¡ª¡ªEven if it was just seemingly plausible and done with serious aplomb.


    This was particularly evident within the fourteen bases of Sky Extreme Star.


    Right then, Lin Rui received a message from Si Malin; his blood serum implant was almost done, and he could log off now.


    Lin Rui was immediately invigorated¡ªhe had been waiting for this moment for two days.


    At that moment, Lin Rui suddenly let out a surprised ''hmm''.


    He realized that the knife in his hand seemed to thrust forward, cutting through a portion of the void, creating a visual effect similar to teleportation.


    "It actually worked!"


    Lin Rui thought that this was like hitting two birds with one stone.


    "Ring Spirit, follow this line of thinking and help me integrate the light element into the secret move ''Thunderclap Absolute Slash''!"


    Prompt: To integrate the light element into the secret move ''Thunderclap Absolute Slash'' and form a new and unknown-grade secret move (Beginner), 3000 Soul Power points are needed.


    Lin Rui chose yes, and once more, an explosion of information flooded his mind.


    But it wasn''t like having it forced into his mind; rather, his understanding and inspiration soared instantly, perfecting the blade technique at an astonishing speed.


    Lin Rui felt like his intelligence could even penetrate the most fundamental mysteries of the universe in that moment.


    So what exactly was this Skull Ring in his hand?


    After Lin Rui finished his extrapolation, the Ring Spirit prompted him to name this brand-new secret move.


    "Since it''s derived from the principles of thermal penetration and transition, let''s call it ''Light Transition Slash''."


    Lin Rui didn''t continue to ponder.


    It''s simply because even if he extrapolated it to the level of a Great Grandmaster, he currently had no time to practice.


    Lin Rui''s Soul Power points were limited, only slightly over 16,000, and he had to reserve some for emergencies.


    As he completed his blood training and his physical condition improved, he could exchange for some new skills.


    Like several body and spirit refinement techniques that one could only cultivate after reaching the Body Refinement realm.


    When Lin Rui exited the virtual world, he found that the tubes used for blood transfusions in his surgery pod had been removed, and Professor Si Ma was measuring his spiritual power.

 Chapter 157 Mahakala (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

    After the spiritual power test was completed, Lin Rui was momentarily stunned.


    "Spiritual power value at 989, nearly at the rank of Deputy General!"


    His spiritual power intensity and capacity were only a hair''s breadth away from reaching the Major level.


    Lin Rui was astonished, "Could the professor have made a mistake in the test? How could it have increased so much?"


    The increase in spiritual power for hybrid walkers like him was incredibly fast.


    They had two bodies and one soul.


    Breakthroughs in the realms of both bodies could lead to a transformative increase in their spiritual power.


    Of course, the latter transformations were nowhere near as significant as the earlier ones.


    Therefore, Lin Rui was extremely surprised that the artificial blood serum had brought him an increase of nearly 80 points in spiritual power.


    This shouldn''t be the case, as the refinement of spiritual power becomes harder as one progresses.


    "How could that be?" Si Malin let out an incredulous chuckle, "I am also quite astonished. It seems that the super royal blood serum is extremely compatible with your soul, and the match is extraordinarily high."


    Si Malin then turned to him and said, "Your Fang Ranran has sent you two True Qi Concentration serums. Do you want to inject them now or wait a little longer? Injecting now means you can enjoy the benefits sooner, while waiting has its own advantages. If you wait until you implant the artificial Golden Core, it can bring you a more substantial improvement."


    "Really?" Lin Rui turned to Si Malin, looking at him in utter surprise, "True Qi Concentration serum? Two vials?"


    "Two vials!" Si Malin pointed with his finger at two azure-colored serums nearby, "However, the committee of the university martial arts competition would never admit this when inquired by the media in the future. The Tianlan Corporation will only acknowledge they have provided you with two ordinary spiritual power serums. You must also keep quiet about it to avoid disqualification from the competition."


    Lin Rui understood it clearly in his heart.


    The rules of the university martial arts competition were odd. They did not prohibit students from using their own money to buy serums and implants to enhance their bodies, but they didn''t allow any financial support from commercial entities. So these two serums were things kept in the dark.


    That is why the media now quietly mocks the university martial arts competition as a playground for the children of rich people.


    However, the organizing committee was also quite aggrieved. If they allowed students to receive financial support from commercial entities, they would no longer fit into the category of non-profit organizations and would be heavily taxed by the tax bureau. Therefore, the committee was rather lenient in their inspection. They often turned a blind eye for the sake of the competition''s excitement.


    "Inject it now!"


    Such serums that enhanced one''s spiritual power were, of course, better used sooner rather than later.


    The threshold for implanting an artificial Golden Core in terms of spiritual power was as high as 1400. Facing various dangers on Tianji Star, one must utilize all available resources to strengthen oneself.


    Lin Rui could only take care of the present and could not manage what came after.


    Si Malin relaxed upon seeing this, as Lin Rui''s control over his power was extremely strong. Although the blade qi was very domineering, with anything within a meter being equivalent to an actual blade''s edge, the spreading Gang Qi extended even five meters further. Yet, it didn''t cause the slightest damage to any device in the laboratory.


    Si Malin then checked the laboratory''s surveillance footage, his pupils tightly contracting.


    "So fast!"


    Indeed, even without using the Energy Storage Blade, it was faster than in the virtual world.


    "Lin Rui, after you get dressed, wait a moment!"


    Si Malin stood up and hurried out of the laboratory. Shortly afterward, he came back carrying a beautifully decorated Tang-style long blade, which he tossed to Lin Rui.


    "Take this! It''s the premium, limited edition of the ''Dahetian'' Type 5 Energy Storage Compression Blade. The weapon score is around 100, you should be able to take it with you on stage."


    Lin Rui weighed the blade upon receiving it.


    The blade, made of some unknown material, was only three feet nine inches long, yet weighed over 80 pounds.


    He drew the blade and looked at it, his eyes lighting up, "Professor, how much for this blade?"


    The ''Dahetian'' was not only chillingly sharp, but its energy storage effect was also at least three times better than weapons in the virtual world.


    "It doesn''t cost anything. It was a gift from one of my old customers. It''s a waste in my hands. Now, you can borrow it for as long as you want," Si Malin gestured dismissively, his eyes filled with curiosity, "I''m not sure if you''ll get a chance to go on stage in this competition, but if you do, let me see that one slash of yours and how fast it can really be under utmost conditions?"


    Not being able to see Lin Rui''s limits made Si Malin itch with curiosity.


    Lin Rui nodded and left with the blade in hand.


    He quite liked the ''Dahetian''; although the martial arts club had many good blades, this ''Dahetian'' was more suitable for the Yang Pulling Slash''s characteristics.


    But achieving the utmost condition? That would require a set of talismanic formations¡ª


    The problem was he had no time to create talismans.


    Lin Rui then slapped his forehead, remembering this was the modern world.


    He quickly opened an online shopping platform and browsed as he walked.


    Soon after, he found an online store that sold talismans and without hesitation, he ordered thousands of various talismans. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    These talismans were all printed, shockingly cheap, with some mid-tier talismans costing only 1 yuan each.


    And with the modern world''s delivery speed, it would only take about fifteen minutes to arrive after ordering.


    Meanwhile, as Lin Rui headed towards the martial arts club, Yu Feicui was watching the intense competition on stage with a serious expression.

 Chapter 158 Dont Push Yourself Too Hard (Third update for monthly votes)

    The ones fiercely fighting on the stage were precisely "Black Stone" Zhang Jie and "Young Lu Bu" Lu Fang.


    Although Lu Fang had been humiliated by Shi Yan two days ago, he took that disgrace as motivation to fight even harder on the stage. He''d been entangled in a duel with "Black Stone" Zhang Jie for nearly seven minutes.


    This also had to do with the martial paths they practiced. Shi Yan''s speed was so fast that Lu Fang could hardly react, a feat Zhang Jie couldn''t achieve.


    However, Zhang Jie''s hard-trained dominant physique was extraordinary too, solid enough to clash directly against Lu Fang''s pair of fourth-stage short halberds without taking any damage.


    Not only were his boxing skills wildly fierce and powerful, but his strength was also astonishing, even surpassing many junior Martial Cultivators.


    This "Black Stone" was moving across the ring like an iron fortress, continuously shrinking Lu Fang''s maneuvering space.


    "It seems it''s no good, twenty seconds at most,"


    Fei Yunlai crossed his arms over his chest. "However, it''s quite impressive; being able to tangle with Zhang Jie for so long already makes him a qualified vanguard candidate."


    Lu Fang was fighting smartly. He appeared to be in a dire state, chased all over the ring, but he was constantly using his speed to make consecutive strikes at Zhang Jie, trying to deplete Zhang Jie''s True Qi and stamina.


    Yu Feicui, however, frowned without relaxation.


    Lu Fang was indeed excellent, she hadn''t misjudged him, but she had underestimated "Black Stone" Zhang Jie.


    The latest intelligence she had collected about Zhang Jie was from a month ago, yet in this past month, Zhang Jie''s improvement had far exceeded her expectations.


    Lu Fang had already implanted artificial serum, his family background was good, and he had three S+ grade cybernetic enhancements on him, yet he still couldn''t shake Zhang Jie''s impenetrable body.


    Moreover, Zhang Jie''s regenerative capabilities were incredibly strong. Lu Fang had fought for so long, yet he hadn''t drained much of Zhang Jie''s vitality at all.


    At this moment, Fei Yunlai redirected his gaze around the area and said with a smiling tone, "Where is your team captain? Why isn''t he seen now? Let him witness the gap between himself and the Quasi-Hall."


    Yu Feicui''s lips twitched momentarily, thinking her senior brother really was petty.


    Wasn''t it just that Lin Rui had given him a slight shock in terms of martial talent that day?


    At this time, a woman beside them interjected, "Speaking of which, I''m very curious. Who is Lin Rui, the captain from your school? My research shows he is 18 years old, a fourth-year student from Mingde University''s Alien Body College, and had once secured the 11th place in the Alien Body Assessment¡ªshould be a child with outstanding talent. But why would you arrange him into the position of team captain? Do you believe his strength surpasses that of your Deputy General, Zhao Yan? Or have you already given up on the captain''s battle?"


    Yu Feicui turned her head to look at the woman beside her.@@@@


    This was a lady around 25 years old, with exquisite features, dressed in a women''s short blazer and sporting a chic short haircut, exuding an exceptionally lively and spirited aura.


    She was Xie Qingtong, the host of the self-produced program "Debating Martial Arts" by ''Celestial Ring Video Network''.


    Next to her, three young people were operating a high-definition holographic camera, capturing the battle on the ring.


    Yu Feicui put on a smile, her demeanor pleasant, "I have nothing to disclose at the moment, but just keep watching and you''ll know," she said.


    In essence, they had given up, but she couldn''t admit that in front of Xie Qingtong.


    This exchange battle between them and Future Science University was really quiet.


    Although Fang Ranran had a good idea, wanting to ride on the popularity and traffic of the two star teams, none of the journalists from the large television stations of the first and second bases came today. Only some local TV stations from the ninth base attended, recording the event as a favor to Tianlan Corporation, and whether they would broadcast it depended on Tianlan Corporation''s advertising fees.


    The Abyss Group and Heavenly Sword Corporation knew Fang Ranran''s ploy very well and had no intention of letting her have her way.


    The several well-known video websites did come to record video materials, but the audience numbers in their live streaming rooms were mostly below 400,000, with a rather low level of popularity.


    The largest traffic among them belonged to the live room run by Xie Qingtong, which had 800,000 viewers, more than half of whom had come for Black Stone Zhang Jie.


    All media were looking forward to the exchange battle between Tianjing Martial University and Future Science University the day after tomorrow, and were preparing for it.


    They regarded this match as a preview of the Martial Arts League''s finals happening two years later.


    "Is that even a question? They''ve given up,"


    Fei Yunlai, hands clasped behind his back, chuckled audibly in the face of Yu Feicui''s dagger-like gaze. "I''m familiar with the kid Lin Rui. He has hall-level talent, but his current level is still lacking a bit."


    Nolan Wei pursed his lips, his smile at the corners fading away as his gaze became colder and more serious.


    If he couldn''t take down Zhang Jie after Lu Fang had gained him such a big advantage, then what face would he have to stay in the club?


    The referee stood between them, "Please pay attention to the electronic sound. The fight will start after the countdown."


    His expression was extremely serious, sensing that today''s fight between the two sides could be very intense.


    The two teams had started fighting fiercely right from the start, resorting to life-threatening tactics.


    If he had been a bit careless just now, Lu Fang might have lost his life.


    As soon as the countdown ended, Nolan Wei''s figure instantly appeared on Zhang Jie''s left side. Like a phantom, he stabbed at Zhang Jie''s injured shoulder.


    Zhang Jie reacted immediately, swinging his right fist powerfully while avoiding the sword light with the momentum of his punch.


    "Boom!"


    Zhang Jie''s punch actually grazed past Nolan Wei''s cheek, and the powerful force tore off a whole piece of flesh from his left cheek.


    Facing Zhang Jie''s punch, Nolan Wei only tilted his head to the side, his body not making any evasive maneuvers.


    His sole purpose was to accurately plunge his sword into the wound on Zhang Jie''s shoulder, further severing the connection between Zhang Jie''s shoulder, arm, tendons, and nerves!


    The ghastly sight caused everyone in the venue to turn solemn.


    At that moment below the stage, the two team leaders from the Future Science University glared fiercely at Shi Yan.


    They knew the reason. If Shi Yan hadn''t provoked them, Lu Fang probably wouldn''t have fought so decisively, and the subsequent battles wouldn''t have been so bloody and brutal.


    Shi Yan was watching the platform expressionlessly.


    There was a touch of interest in her eyes. Lu Fang was not as weak as she had imagined, and the overall strength of Mingde University''s martial arts team also pleasantly surprised her.


    Nolan Wei''s performance wasn''t bad either!


    Xie Qingtong''s expression was gradually becoming excited.


    As the fight between Zhang Jie and Nolan Wei began, the number of viewers in her live broadcast room increased significantly, now breaking through 900,000 and climbing toward 1 million.


    Originally, today''s match was expected to be a cakewalk for Future Science University, but looking at the current situation, Mingde University''s martial arts team was also quite impressive.


    Wang Sen, seated as a substitute player, had a slightly dim look in his eyes.


    While he was boiling with rage, he felt powerless.


    Today''s exchange match with Future Science University once again made him acutely aware of how far he still had to go.


    "Your teammates are all quite clever," Fei Yunlai commented with a glint in his eyes and a light praise.


    Although Nolan Wei fought fiercely on stage, he always paid attention to preserving his own combat power.


    At that moment, Fei Yunlai sensed something and, filled with anticipation, looked toward an elevator door to the side. "It''s Lin Rui, your Captain has finally arrived, huh? Has he completed his Blood Training?"


    As Fei Yunlai finished speaking, Lin Rui walked out from the open elevator doors.


    He joined Yu Feicui and the others, first observing Zhang Jie and Nolan Wei locked in intense combat on stage, then turned to look at Lu Fang, who still had a blurry face inside the nanite healing pod.


    Lin Rui was somewhat surprised. How had this mere exchange match become so fiercely contested?


    Nolan Wei on stage was close to completely dismembering Zhang Jie''s left arm, while his own body was bloodied, with several chunks of flesh blasted to a pulp.


    Lin Rui frowned slightly, finding it hard to watch. "Sister Feicui, please put me in the main position later. Let Nolan not fight so hard. I can handle that vanguard Shi Yan, and their main force as well."


    Upon his words, not only was Yu Feicui taken aback, but Fei Yunlai, Xie Qingtong, as well as Fang Ranran and Zhao Yan sitting in the distance, all stared at him in astonishment.

 Chapter 159 Exploded (Please Subscribe)

    Xie Qingtong found her livestream room had exploded.


    Her holographic camera was nearby, capturing Lin Rui''s statement.


    This caused an uproar in the livestream room, with tens of thousands of comments and barrages erupting.


    ¡ªWho is this guy, daring to say he''ll handle Shi Yan?


    ¡ªHaha, is he here to make us laugh? Does he even know who Shi Yan is?


    ¡ªIdiot! Just a trash, trying to hit above his weight by targeting our "Immortal Sword," just die already!


    ¡ªDon''t know him, is he also a member of the Mingde University martial arts club? Feels like trash.


    ¡ªI know Mingde University; their bionic engineering department is awful; what good can come out of it?


    ¡ªI had a totally improved impression of Mingde University after watching the first two fights, but now it''s all gone.


    ¡ªI''ve never in my life seen someone so confident.


    Xie Qingtong smiled and said a few words in her own livestream room.


    Deep Eye Warm Pupil: Let me introduce you all, this is also a member of Mingde University''s martial arts club, his name is Lin Rui, 18 years old, the same age as Shi Yan of the Immortal Sword, previously ranked 11th in the 9th city''s heterogenous combat assessment, as some of you might have heard, General Fei Yunlai has also rated his talent as ''hall of fame'' level.


    Deep Eye Warm Pupil: As you can see, he''s very confident in his own strength, and Mingde University''s martial arts club has also listed him as the main fighter, evidently having absolute faith in his combat abilities and talent.


    However, the audience in the livestream room was not buying it, and the comments became even more intense, full of attacks and trash talk.


    Fei Yunlai was surprised as he sized up Lin Rui: "Lin Rui, are you serious? You want to take down Shi Yan and their key player alone?"


    The key player of the future science and technology university''s reserve team was ''Electric Crane'' Qi Hongfei, who would be in his second year at Future Tech next semester, and had already implanted an artificial Core Formation.


    It was clear from the placement of this player behind Shi Yan what his combat level must be.


    Shi Yan had strong talents, but was not yet a match for these second-year fighters.


    Lin Rui looked intently at several Future Tech players opposite him, then calmly nodded: "No problem, the two of them are not my opponents."


    He thought that if these people''s combat power was only as described in the reports about Yu Feicui, then he should have no trouble cutting through the opposition alone.


    Even if their strength increased by another fifty or sixty percent, it was still manageable.


    However, Lin Rui felt that he should not be too arrogant, nor boast too much.@@@@


    Xie Qingtong was stunned, staring at Lin Rui; it was the first time she had seen someone so confident.


    Right then, her livestream room''s comment section exploded again, and correspondingly, more viewers entered her livestream room.


    Xie Qingtong thought to herself if Lin Rui''s intention was to make a splash, grab attention, and ride the wave of popularity, then his goal was achieved.


    "Lin Rui, what''s the rush?"


    Yu Feicui was extremely frustrated, thinking to herself that Lin Rui was usually a reliable kid, so why was he pulling this stunt today?


    However, she couldn''t outright criticize Lin Rui, especially not in front of Xie Qingtong''s live audience, she could only sternly say: "I have taken everything into consideration for the order of battle, I made you the main fighter for a reason, how can we just change that on a whim? Just wait below, it will soon be your turn."


    All of a sudden, Zhang Jie''s body burst out with a massive cloud of white mist, and simultaneously, Nolan Wei''s body began to show extensive metallization, and the metallic molecules inside his body were rapidly getting out of control.


    "Is this the S-rank secret move ''Metal Age'' from the Nine Turns Golden Body Art?"


    Fei Yunlai raised an eyebrow, "Good lad, he''s already started working on fixing his biggest weakness."


    Zhang Jie''s greatest weakness was his speed, which made it hard for him to quickly defeat opponents who were proficient in agility during a fight.


    Previously, Zhang Jie compensated with his explosive power and strength, but while that tactic was more useful at lower levels, it became less effective against opponents like Nolan Wei and Lu Fang at the higher realms.


    Zhang Jie''s method of compensating for his shortcomings was by using the S-rank secret move ''Metal Age,'' controlling metal to restrict his opponent.


    He gave Lin Rui a sly look, "You''ve got to keep up, little Lin Rui. Although your talent far exceeds mine, this kid is a specialist in dominating with robust physique, and the effort he puts in is several times that of others. His achievements will certainly not be inferior to any of you legends. You''re starting later than him, so don''t let him get too far ahead in the future. I''m counting on you!"


    This kid was extremely perceptive and had an unlimited future ahead!


    Fei Yunlai felt it was necessary to mold his correct perspectives. Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire


    To let him witness the strength of his peers, so he wouldn''t develop a hubristic attitude in the future.


    Lin Rui, upon hearing this, gave Fei Yunlai a speechless glance, then turned his attention back to the stage.


    At this moment, Nolan Wei''s escape speed had significantly decreased. Not only were the metallic molecules within his flesh and blood cells out of control, but even the nano subdermal armor beneath his skin was showing signs of malfunction.


    However, the popularity of nano subdermal armor was due to the fact it had no significant weaknesses anymore.


    After over eight hundred years of continuous improvements, this type of metallic implant had become highly effective in dealing with various interferences; it quickly generated a strange magnetic field in response, causing all the armor''s functionalities to reset to normal.


    "Bring it on!"


    Nolan Wei decisively stopped evading; knowing he couldn''t avoid it, he straightforwardly met Zhang Jie''s attack, launching his powerful sword move.


    That was his long-mastered S-rank secret sword technique, the Thousand Layered Sword!


    The overwhelming surge of sword light, endless and layer upon layer, bombarded Zhang Jie, almost drowning his figure.


    In the next instant, a series of blasts loud enough to shatter eardrums resonated between them.


    Zhang Jie''s right hand, punch after punch with ferocious force, shattered the central region of the myriad blade shadows!


    The tremendous momentum of the punches continued to pound Nolan Wei''s body! However, Zhang Jie''s one hand could only penetrate the central region of the Thousand Layered Sword, and his body was instantly pierced with numerous bloody wounds by Nolan Wei''s sword in that moment.


    Nolan Wei''s incredibly fast sword light was actually strong enough to forcefully break through Zhang Jie''s Golden Body Dominator and deeply penetrate his flesh!


    "Stop!"


    At that moment, a leading teacher from Future Technology University suddenly yelled stop, his face grim as he threw a white towel onto the stage, "I concede on behalf of Zhang Jie!"


    Zhang Jie frowned slightly but then regained his composure.


    Although naturally competitive to the core, he was also willing to admit defeat and wouldn''t cause unnecessary trouble.


    He had lost this fight, and there was nothing more to say.


    Zhang Jie estimated that if their fight had continued to the end, although he could have demolished Nolan Wei''s internal organs, Nolan Wei''s sword would have pierced his heart first!

 Chapter 160 Abyssal Will (Subscription Request)

    "How are you doing? Do you need to hold the fort?"


    The referee on the stage first took a long breath and then looked at Nolan Wei with a headache-ridden yet troubled gaze.


    On the surface, this guy looked intact, limbs all accounted for, suffering only flesh wounds; however, his internal organs had been seriously damaged during his final exchange with Zhang Jie.


    This made the referee both headachy and anxious¡ªas the animosity between the two sides seemed to be intensifying.


    It was just an exchange match; was it necessary to go this far?


    "Of course I''ll hold!" Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire


    Nolan Wei used his arm to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, gritting his teeth in pain, "This kid, just a junior colonel, yet so damn impressive! Really fucking awesome."


    He had almost been overpowered by this guy who had injured his hand, nearly getting knocked off the platform.


    Below the stage, Shi Yan was furrowing her brows, looking unhappily at Zhang Jie, "Have you lost your mind? He''s just an S-rank lieutenant colonel. I have plenty of ways to handle him easily. Did you really need to go to such lengths, disregard your own life?"


    "It''s not my mind that''s the problem; you''re underestimating our opponent."


    Zhang Jie had just injected a syringe into his neck after stepping down from the platform.


    While talking and healing, he said, "I mentioned two days ago that there''s a big shot on the other side, Mingde University''s main player, Lin Rui. You also saw the video from the virtual world the day before yesterday; he defeated me three times in a row, each time with just one strike. His saber speed is ridiculously fast, and his strength unfathomable¡ªGu Senior Brother might not be able to handle him alone."


    The main player of Future Science and Technology University was indeed ''Dragon Fist'' Gu Zhenrong.


    Upon hearing this, the man frowned and looked towards Zhang Jie, "Zhang Jie, are you okay? Didn''t we analyze your video? Both teachers hypothesized that guy was using a cheat; it''s logically impossible to have such fast slashing speed at a captain-level."


    What kind of martial arts level was Zhang Jie? Whether it was martial arts accomplishment or combat reaction and experience, even Zhang Jie, just a junior colonel, was not inferior to him.


    In the virtual battles, various combat techniques were even more crucial.


    Under normal circumstances, even their captain who was about to enter the fifth realm ''Dragon Transformation'', known as ''Legendary Talent'' close at hand, could not swiftly defeat Zhang Jie in the virtual world.


    But that slashing speed was utterly illogical; completing a slash in one-thousandth of a second, this was several times faster than the fastest record for a captain''s level.


    Zhang Jie, with a cool expression, walked towards the nano healing pod, "I don''t think so, he definitely wasn''t using a cheat, he''s the main player; Gu Senior Brother, if you take this lightly later, you''ll regret it."


    He later spoke with Xia Mo Qiannian and learned that the improved version of Red Thunder Nine Slashes was taught by Lin Rui.


    That indicated Lin Rui''s Red Thunder Saber had reached the Great Grandmaster level, elevating the technique beyond its original level.


    Zhang Jie himself had doubted it and analyzed those three videos for a long time; he believed that the ''rhyme'' in Lin Rui''s saber light when it slashed over was unmistakably genuine.


    Shi Yan furrowed her brows, glancing over to the youth on the opposite side wielding the saber.


    This Lin Rui, was the ''hall'' figure Fei Yunlai mentioned.


    Zhang Jie in the virtual world, couldn''t even block one strike from this person? A slashing speed reaching one thousandth of a second, was that even possible?@@@@


    Shi Yan felt it was absurd, yet her rationality told her that Zhang Jie''s words were likely true.


    The day before yesterday in Zhang Jie''s room, Shi Yan personally saw how dejected Zhang Jie''s mood had been, likely shaken by Lin Rui.


    This guy, who mingled on various virtual battle platforms year-round had plentiful experience, should be able to judge whether an opponent was using a cheat or not.


    ''Ancient deep abyss''?


    The current history that can be traced back on Celestial Pole Star reaches 500,000 years, during which many abysses had appeared.


    These existences, which should have been eternal at the top of Celestial Pole Star, have perished for various unknown reasons over the passing centuries.


    Surprisingly, the existing five ''abysses'' have always been erasing all inheritances left by the ancient abysses, even their traces in history, sparing no effort in doing so.


    Yet the remnants of these ancient abysses continue to robustly survive in various parts of Celestial Pole Star, constantly battling against the existing ''abysses.''


    However, what caused Lin Rui to fall into deep thought was the ''abyss will'' mentioned by Fei Yunlai.


    He remembered the feeling he had in the laboratory earlier when he executed the Yang Pulling Slash with his hand blade.


    At that time, his situation was somewhat similar to Shi Yan''s. He clearly felt that his swift strikes seemed to align with a certain rule of heaven and earth, receiving its enhancement, becoming faster and immeasurable.


    While Lin Rui was lost in thought, the battle on the stage ended abruptly.


    Nolan Wei failed to exhaust Shi Yan as planned. After less than 12 seconds of exchange, Nolan Wei''s sword was flung away by Shi Yan''s sword, pointing directly at his throat.


    When he walked down from the stage, he seemed somewhat dispirited.


    Nolan Wei thought he could at least wear down Shi Yan somewhat, but even with all his strength, he couldn''t touch her at all.


    A strong sense of frustration surged in his heart. He thought to himself, had he really practiced almost without sleep for nearly a year only to achieve this?


    How could he face his senior brother Zhao?


    At this moment, Fang Ranran had already approached below the stage and patted his shoulder, "It''s okay! It''s just a loss; it''s not the end of the world. You fought well just now; you''ve helped me understand her sword. I''ll ask Sister Yu to beef up your training!"


    She grabbed her weapon, agilely flipping onto the stage, and stood in front of Shi Yan.


    Shi Yan looked Fang Ranran up and down, a slight smile on her lips, "You''ve understood my sword? Hope it''s not just boasting."


    Fang Ranran''s expression remained calm, "We''ll know when we start fighting. Mr. Referee, please begin the countdown."


    Just then, a buzzing sound suddenly erupted from below the stage, causing the television and website staff to look toward elevator number 7, where a group of people was emerging.


    "It''s the Capital Martial Team; they''ve also arrived."


    "It''s ''Demon Sword'' Baili Wang and ''Demon Hand'' Zhen Xiaoxiao!"


    "What''s so strange? They didn''t come before probably because they thought Future Science and Technology University would easily defeat their opponents, seeing no value in watching. Now it seems that Mingde University is also quite capable!"


    "The previous two were quite good; it''s just not clear how strong Fang Ranran is, as I''ve never heard of this girl''s name before."


    "Ha! That just shows your ignorance. She might not be well-known in the martial arts world, but in the Ninth Base City''s elite circles, she''s quite famous."


    "Wow, the popularity of our live broadcast is skyrocketing, already breaking 800,000. How''s it going on your end?"


    As everyone discussed, the electronic countdown had already ended.


    In that instant, a loud clanging of metal erupted on the stage, sparks flying.


    Shi Yan''s expression tightened slightly as the sword light she slashed out was actually blocked by Fang Ranran.

 Chapter 161 Let Me See Your Swordsmanship (Three More for Subscription)

    Fang Ranran and Shi Yan''s battle had just begun when the arena was instantly filled with sparks flying in all directions. Within the three-meter distance between the two women, Sword Qi crisscrossed and blade lights rampaged, surrounded by piercingly sharp Wind Blades sweeping back and forth, and thick chain-like lightning coiled around them.


    Both of their attack speeds were very fast, and they both cultivated Thunder and Wind Cultivation Techniques. In an instant, they could unleash more than a dozen slashes and swords, facing each other with sharp confrontation and clashing blades.


    The scattered blade auras and the overflow of massive energy made the referee frown deeply.


    These two girls were somewhat beyond the norm, exceeding their age as well as the level their cultivation should have been at.


    The referee focused even more, trying to stand still without moving to avoid affecting the battle between the two women.


    The coverage area of the blade lights and Sword Qi became wider and wider because Fang Ranran and Shi Yan realized they couldn''t defeat each other with just their swords, and they started using every means at their disposal.


    Both women used highly sophisticated Escape Skills, combined with their swords, to try to unleash the greatest power.


    They fought around the referee as the center, engaging in a fierce battle within a ten-meter radius, leaving behind a trail of afterimages.


    Shi Yan became more surprised as the fight went on, and her eyes grew increasingly solemn.


    This Fang Ranran had a very strong implanted prosthesis, already reaching the super-king level, and her physical quality and spiritual power were also very strong, higher than the normal level of junior officers.


    But what was more surprising was her way of fighting.


    Fang Ranran used a half-way interception method to deal with her sword technique. Although not every attempt was successful, as long as Fang Ranran could intercept one third of them, she could maintain a balance with Shi Yan.


    Indeed, Shi Yan was actually at a disadvantage. Fang Ranran''s artificial serum was of the highest ''imperial class,'' or SS-grade, just like hers.


    But besides that, Fang Ranran also had a top-grade artificial Golden Core. With her stronger physical condition and more abundant True Yuan vitality, she could wear Shi Yan down to death!


    This woman''s prosthesis level had just reached the S+ standard, but her core prosthesis was of the highest grade.


    Her talent was also absolutely at the level of the top ten, coupled with extremely abundant wealth and rich combat experience, making her overall combat power terrifying.


    "Exactly!" Fang Ranran''s hair fluttered, her eyes sharp, "Your swordsmanship is magical, but each of your strikes needs to be completed more than forty percent before it can accelerate to the limit. As long as I can intercept you beforehand, I can make your magic no longer magical, and your Immortal Sword no longer immortal."


    So, hasn''t our martial arts club lived up to your expectations, Shi Yan?


    Shi Yan merely gave a cold smile without responding, but her movements sped up even further.


    Enjoy new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    At this moment, on the right side of the arena, ''Devil Sword'' Baili Wang and ''Devil Hand'' Zhen Xiaoxiao were also becoming more focused.


    Baili Wang, known as the Devil Sword, was a handsome young man with a gentle and soft temperament, full of scholarly grace.


    He was currently holding a portable supercomputer notebook, filming with the notebook''s camera, while using the software inside for analysis.@@@@


    "It seems we made the right choice coming here," Baili Wang said with utmost focus. "Just watching Shi Yan''s battle videos, one can''t tell the details, but now it''s clear. Our coach''s analysis was right: to defeat Shi Yan, one must do everything possible to intercept and prevent her from completing her sword movements."


    "However, it''s easier said than done to fight that way. This Sister Fang''s computing and analysis abilities are very strong, incredibly powerful."


    This sword light was like spring water falling from the realm of immortals, elegant and lofty, clear and pure, dreamlike and illusory, captivating the gaze of everyone present and then causing their expressions to change.


    These sword lights were so fast; they appeared light and without much speed or power, but in reality, they were shockingly fast, and their sword paths were elusive, difficult to predict.


    Before the crowd could react, the forefront of the sword light had already slashed to Fang Ranran''s face.


    "Impressive! Across a seven-meter distance, each sword stroke takes less than 0.007 seconds."


    ''Devil Sword'' Baili Wang, holding a supercomputer notebook, exclaimed, "The further it goes, the faster the sword speed becomes, hm?"


    At this moment, Fang Ranran drew her twin blades from her waist, confronting Shi Yan with an even more powerful Extreme Sword Intent.


    Heavenly Breaking Extreme Breaking All Slash!


    She exploded with a similarly dazzling and majestic blade light just before the approaching sword tide, not only forcibly breaking through the Sword Qi in front of her but also charging towards Shi Yan with a momentum that seemed to shatter heaven and earth.


    The two of them thus struck at each other with all their might, a seven-meter distance between them, sparing nothing. Layers of sword waterfalls and blade light continuously collided in the arena, and the ''clang clang clang'' of the explosive sounds nearly burst the eardrums of the audience, with countless scattered Qi waves sweeping in all directions.


    Their blade shadows and sword light even covered an area 10 meters away, as the two women cleverly incorporated military tactics into their ultimate secret techniques, using advanced and retreat, envelopment, blocking, and flanking maneuvers, among other skills.


    Shi Yan''s strength was far less than Fang Ranran''s; she began to retreat, to sustain injuries. Shi Yan''s body started to accumulate numerous wounds, blood stains bursting open, with large amounts of fresh blood spraying out.


    Some of the cuts were so deep that her bones could be seen, with even two blades chopping into her chest and lungs, yet Shi Yan still resisted the onslaught of Fang Ranran''s blade tide, refusing to retreat unless absolutely necessary!


    And then, about ten seconds later, the referee announced, "The victor has been decided, Shi Yan wins!"


    Fang Ranran stood outside the arena, looking slightly displeased.


    She had been forced out of the arena by Shi Yan''s sword tide ten seconds earlier.


    In those ten seconds, not only was she unable to return to the arena, but the reciprocal force of their ferocious exchange drove her further and further away from it.


    However, when she looked at Shi Yan on the stage, who had been cut to resemble a blood gourd yet was still stubbornly standing, sword in hand, her eyes held not anger, but a measure of respect and admiration.


    This woman, although very arrogant, indeed had the capital to be so.


    Was she really willing to be cut to a mangled state rather than retreat, all for the sake of victory?


    "We will not defend the arena!" At this moment, a teacher from the future science and technology university leaped onto the stage, intending to help Shi Yan, but was pushed away by her.


    Shi Yan stared steadfastly at Lin Rui, her eyes full of unwillingness.


    That Fang Ranran was actually so strong! She wasn''t able to break through Mingde University and force Lin Rui, the main fighter, into the field.


    But it didn''t matter anymore, this was just an exchange battle.


    "Lin Rui!" Shi Yan coughed up a trace of blood, her eyes burning like flames, "Zhang Jie said you''re strong! So strong that he couldn''t handle a single slash from you! I ask you, do you dare to fight me? Let me see your blade technique!"


    At that moment, the entire club venue fell silent as death. Everyone turned their heads, looking towards Lin Rui in great astonishment.


    In Xie Qingtong''s live broadcast room at this time, there was an uproar.

 Chapter 162 One Thousandth of a Second (Subscription Request)

    ''Tianhuan Video Network'' host, Xie Qingtong, didn''t catch on at first, puzzled about what Shi Yan was talking about. She was so injured she could barely stand, why hadn''t she stepped down to heal yet?


    A moment later, Xie Qingtong''s pupils contracted sharply.


    Did Shi Yan just say Lin Rui was very strong, so strong that Zhang Jie couldn''t catch his blade? So she wanted to challenge Lin Rui?


    She mentioned Lin Rui!


    This person, who had just made outrageous claims, turned out to be a ''True God'' that Shi Yan took so seriously!


    At this moment, her live broadcast room truly boiled over, with countless comments and barrage of texts filling everyone''s vision.


    ¡ª¡ªDamn, what did Xiao Yan just say? Did she get that wrong? Is that Lin Rui really that powerful? Really or not?


    ¡ª¡ªXiao Yan fought so tragically just now, and all she wanted was to challenge that Lin Rui and call out the main player from Mingde University?


    ¡ª¡ªThis is getting interesting, there must be a reason! Shi Yan wouldn''t say this for no reason.


    ¡ª¡ªTo defeat Heishi Zhang Jie in one stroke? He''s a widely recognized Quasi-Hall, isn''t that impossible? Did you see? Zhang Jie didn''t deny it, he kept watching that Lin Rui.


    ¡ª¡ªSo when that guy said he could handle Xiao Yan and the core members from Future Science and Technology University, was he telling the truth?


    ¡ª¡ªWhy hasn''t Xiao Yan gone to heal yet? She''s so injured and still wants to challenge, my heart hurts for her!


    ¡ª¡ªThat guy must be strong; otherwise, he wouldn''t be in the main player position. I didn''t expect Mingde University to have such a big Buddha hidden.


    Next to her, Fei Yunlai turned his head in an incredibly puzzled manner to look at Lin Rui.


    Could this guy really have defeated Heishi Zhang Jie with just one stroke? Really or not?


    He then turned his head unbelievingly to look at Yu Feicui.


    So Yu Feicui deploying Lin Rui as the main player wasn''t to avoid those ''Hall'' members but to have Lin Rui firmly anchor the team?


    Yu Feicui looked even more bewildered.


    Could Lin Rui defeat Zhang Jie with one stroke? Wasn''t this a pipe dream?


    Fang Ranran had already returned to her seat, equally disbelieving as her eyes widened.


    Being straightforward, she directly asked, "Lin Rui, can you really defeat Zhang Jie with one stroke? What exactly happened?"


    Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Lin Rui himself didn''t respond; he stood up slightly surprised, gazing at Shi Yan on the stage and met her gaze across the distance.


    Next to him, Wang Sen spoke for him, "That was the day before yesterday. Zhang Jie''s online name is supposed to be Immovable Ming King. The day before yesterday, when he was on the campus virtual reality combat platform, he was beaten by Brother Rui three times consecutively, each time with just one stroke."


    The few surrounding people, upon hearing this, immediately looked solemn, thinking there really was such a matter?


    That must be true then, that''s why Shi Yan was so concerned about Lin Rui.


    Fei Yunlai''s face twitched slightly; he still couldn''t believe this was true.


    So this time the Future Science and Technology University not only failed to shock Lin Rui with a ''Hall'' level challenge, but they were actually shocked by Lin Rui?


    He thought about his earlier advice to Lin Rui; his usually impenetrable face even flushed slightly.


    That was a bit awkward.


    At Yu Feicui''s intense gaze, Wang Sen said, "Wang Sen, was Lin Rui exceptionally fast at that time? Or was it his strength? Just how fast was it? How powerful?"


    "It was very fast!" After saying this, Wang Sen hesitated for a moment, then leaned in and whispered to Yu Feicui, "I did a reading for Brother Rui, a thousandth of a second per stroke!"


    Qi Hongfei also wanted to gauge the caliber of Mingde University''s team captain to see if he was, as Zhang Jie described, a prehistoric behemoth.


    It was simple, he just needed to take down Zhao Yan, the Deputy General!


    Zhao Yan nodded silently, his face expressionless, "Junior Qi has gained fame in these past two years. It''s also an honor for me to spar with you."


    Although he hadn''t noticed Qi Hongfei''s contempt, he could feel this junior''s determination to win at all costs.


    Just then, the countdown ended.


    Suddenly, behind Zhao Yan, there roared a sound akin to a savage ancient beast.


    Moreover, two mighty barbaric beast phantoms, one of a ''dragon'' and one of a ''tiger'', materialized behind him, exuding utmost ferocity.


    As ''Electric Crane'' Qi Hongfei originally swept in, enveloped in majestic thunder and lightning and his form striking as a nimble crane, planning a fatal strike with his ultimate move,


    with the roaring of the dragon and tiger phantoms, all surrounding thunder was scattered.


    Zhao Yan, merely with his powerful aura, had shattered these thunderous forces, and his form was as fierce and agile as a dragon and tiger. With both hands wielding the heavy hammers like swinging whips, striking with force concentrated at the tips, he managed in just one hammer blow to send ''Electric Crane'' Qi Hongfei staggering back, coughing up blood, forced to use his lightning escape technique to relieve the force.


    Qi Hongfei''s eyes were filled with disbelief. How could Zhao Yan be this strong?


    His implanted synthetic Golden Core must certainly be top-tier, having perfected his martial arts to a divine level!


    And regarding his auxiliary gear, Qi Hongfei couldn''t ascertain its specifics, but it certainly wasn''t inferior to Fang Ranran''s, at least possessing six types of S+ grade supportive gear, reaching an over-king tier!


    The problem was that although Zhao Yan was strong a year ago, his talent was at most mid-level among the top ten masters!


    "He has already mastered the True Meaning of Dragon and Tiger!" said Fei Yunlai, looking at Zhao Yan with a sense of wonder.


    Last time he advised Zhao Yan, the boy still lacked some experience. Little did he know that in such a short time, Zhao Yan had improved so much.


    Across the platform, ''Magic Sword'' Baili Wang shook his head slightly; "Qi Hongfei was careless, attacking the enemy''s strength with his weakness. That one hammer strike must have already injured his internal organs. He''s bound to lose."


    This person is nicknamed ''Electric Crane''. From the nickname alone, one can imagine his martial arts feature predominantly clever and quick movements.


    However, he just now accumulated power for a sword strike, aiming for a limit burst to suppress the front and defeat Zhao Yan with the fastest speed. Yet, he was taught a lesson by Zhao Yan.


    For Qi Hongfei to revert to his usual method of fighting now is already too late, especially since Zhao Yan''s ''Double Dragon and Tiger Form'' martial arts inherently possess great speed.


    "This Zhao Yan is stronger than our coaching team anticipated, ranking him among the top three of the ten masters. Even if Qi Hongfei hadn''t been careless, he most likely wouldn''t have stood a chance against Zhao Yan," he noted.


    Zhen Xiaoxiao shook her head, "It seems that Mingde University''s martial arts team is very strong! Although it doesn''t seem like much now, with strength only comparable to our reserve team, give them another year, and they might have a chance at competing for the championship. And that Lin Rui¡ª"


    She and Baili Wang exchanged glances.


    Both of their eyes brimmed with intense curiosity.


    Did this person truly defeat Zhang Jie with a single strike? How strong is his swordsmanship, and in what manner is it formidable?


    However, they should be able to see for themselves today.


    Zhao Yan was very strong, and even if he were to enter a school like theirs in Tianjing, he would still carve out a place for himself.


    However, his ''Dragon and Tiger Divine Form Hammer'' technique is famously draining!


    Although Qi Hongfei was not a match for Zhao Yan, he could still use his best movement technique to wear down Zhao Yan''s True Yuan!


    At that moment, they noticed the doors of several surrounding elevators opening, and a large group of people walked out.


    Some were dressed in business attire¡ªclearly people from ''Abyss'' and ''Heavenly Sword'' corporations. Others were carrying cameras, representing the major media outlets that had previously scorned this exchange battle.


    After entering, all of them looked solemn, scanning the entire venue, and subsequently, all eyes turned towards Lin Rui.

 Chapter 163 Yang Pulling Slash! (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Qi Hongfei and Zhao Yan''s battle lasted a full 19 minutes.


    When Qi Hongfei switched his fighting style, his movements became elusive, truly living up to his nickname "Electric Crane".


    Every action he took was light and agile, possessing both the elegance and grace of a crane and the speed and power of lightning.


    Qi Hongfei''s figure was like a celestial crane dancing amidst thunder, every turn, every leap filled with liveliness and ease, to the utmost degree of elegance.


    Zhao Yan''s hammer technique was incredibly forceful, his posture as nimble as a tiger, as swift as a dragon, yet he often needed three to five changes in footwork, combined with the blocking and pressing of his twin hammers, to catch a glimpse of Qi Hongfei.


    When Zhao Yan finally smashed Qi Hongfei out of the ring, Qi''s face was pale with internal injury, but Zhao Yan had also spent more than half of his physical strength and True Qi, sweat beading heavily on his forehead.


    As Zhao Yan caught his breath, he felt a sense of admiration.


    It''s no wonder that one of the traditional top four universities in the Martial Arts Federation, ''Future Science and Technology University'', would have a reserve of such strength.


    The man was a year junior to him, yet he could stand toe-to-toe with him, almost exhausting his strength.


    Shortly after Qi Hongfei''s fall outside the ring, a towering figure flipped onto the stage.


    "You must be here to defend the ring!"


    That was ''Savage Blade'' Tie Yan, standing nearly two meters tall, with two five-foot-long ghost-faced heavy swords, their spines nearly an inch thick. He looked excited and eager as he stood in front of Zhao Yan and announced, "I am ready, referee!"


    Tie Yan knocked the heavy swords together, producing a ''clang'', then he bent forward slightly, showcasing his incredibly thick neck that resembled a real bear.


    Fang Ranran nodded, "He can''t control it with his spiritual power yet, he''s been waiting."


    It was an SSS-grade piece of biogear, the core key to that type of Sacred Body, with very high requirements for one''s mental will.


    "¡ªBoth are power-type fighters, with Tie Yan''s strength, footwork, and speed not inferior to Zhao Yan''s. Their martial prowess is also not far apart. Moreover, we can clearly see Tie Yan is much more skilled in handling the details of the fight than Zhao Yan, thanks to the difference in coaching and practical experience. So, what follows should be a war of attrition. I predict the winner will be decided within 15 minutes," said Xie Qingtong, explaining in her live broadcast while glancing at the viewer numbers on the backstage display.


    ¡ªThe viewership had risen to 5 million, and that was just her channel alone.


    Several major video websites and television stations began to urgently record and even intercut the live broadcast.


    The excitement for the match had been thoroughly ignited by Shi Yan''s words.


    Everyone was drawn by the confrontation between Future Science and Technology University and Tianjing Martial University; no one expected Mingde University to be so strong, nor did they anticipate such twists in today''s event.


    Xie Qingtong glanced sideways at Lin Rui, anticipation shining in her eyes.


    The true strength of this young man would be revealed soon.


    Xie Qingtong had predicted that the battle would last about 15 minutes, yet Zhao Yan had held out for 21 minutes and was still fighting fiercely on the stage.


    He was quite perceptive; he had been learning from his opponent the entire time, especially Tie Yan''s methods of conserving True Qi and physical strength.


    Their fist-to-flesh, intensely heated battle kept the live broadcast audience growing instead of diminishing.


    "¡ªThat Zhao Yan is really something. The chase between him and Qi Hongfei was like a textbook on hit-and-run and counter hit-and-run tactics. He had exhausted so much earlier, and yet now he can still exchange blows with Tie Yan for so long. How come I''ve never heard of him before?"

 Chapter 164 The Unsolvable Knife (Three More Updates for Monthly Pass)

    Heavenly Sword Zhang Jie watched the scene on the stage, unable to help but clench his fist forcefully.


    It was this strike!


    In the virtual world, he had been severed by this sword technique three times in a row!


    No, the strike Lin Rui had just made seemed even faster than in the virtual world!


    What shocked Zhang Jie was that he still hadn''t seen the full extent of that strike.


    It was simply because the golden sword light exceeded the limits of his neural response.


    "Even the referee couldn''t block it!"


    Zhang Jie had just seen the referee, standing five meters away, make a move to block.


    But the reaction of the referee was still too slow, unable to block the sword for Tie Yan.


    ¡ª This was a seasoned referee, a colonel and well-known gold medal martial arts coach!


    Next to Zhang Jie, ''Dragon Fist'' Gu Zhenrong''s face was ashen.


    "Such quick sword-drawing technique!"


    So fast that he hadn''t been able to see it clearly just now!


    Zhang Jie was telling the truth, that man hadn''t used any cheats and was genuinely capable of unsheathing his sword in one-thousandth of a second.


    Their two lead teachers also looked extremely serious. One quickly ran up to the arena to check the situation of the students, and the other came up to their own holographic camera as soon as he saw that Tie Yan''s life was saved, reviewing the video footage from just now.


    At this moment, the whole arena was also in chaos, with a group of doctors and nurses rushing up with various instruments.


    "Inject the ''Life Sustaining Injection''! Faster, 10 milliliters in the head, inject through the carotid artery, and use an artificial blood pump! Inject 30 milliliters into the body, directly into the heart chamber!"


    "Prepare a professional operating room and surgical pod to perform head and neck suturing surgery. Does this martial arts club have it? Is it top-tier equipment? Okay, push him directly there. Professor Sima can perform the surgery."


    "Student Tie Yan, I know you can hear me now, don''t worry. Professor Sima is an associate member of the academy and a top prosthetic surgeon. Current biological technology is very advanced, we also have the best nano-surgical devices, and we can guarantee you won''t suffer any complications. Just sleep comfortably!"


    "Be mindful of those prosthetics inside his body, they might adversely impact the wound, we must find a way to stop their function¡ª"


    Fang Ranran watched Tie Yan, who was lying in a pool of blood on the stage, and her eyelids twitched: "So fast! Even faster than in the virtual world."


    What kind of monster had she actually attracted into the martial arts club?


    Fang Ranran felt that if she were on the stage facing this move, even if she were prepared, she would still struggle to defend against it.


    Unless the rules of the arena allowed one to bring equipment with over 1000 points of armor into the ring.


    Her lips curved slightly upward, knowing that revitalizing the Prosthetic Department of Mingde University within two years was assured!


    "Definitely more than one-thousandth of a second."


    Fei Yunlai squinted and murmured, "This is will from the abyss, conceptual martial arts! It''s when his sword speed touched a certain limit and triggered the abyss''s will, gaining the strength of a concept¡ªsuch a terrifying youngster."


    In short, it was about touching the concept defined by the will of the ''abyss,'' much stronger than Shi Yan''s ''Immortal Sword''.


    The Immortal Sword only aligned with the will of some ''abyss,'' but Lin Rui''s sword technique resonated with the ''way'' of the abyss''s will.


    It''s just unknown what kind of concept it was. It shouldn''t just be about speed, after all, in this world, there are countless levels like the fifth and sixth realms that have a reaction speed faster than one-thousandth of a second.


    Xie Qingtong''s consciousness was still a bit dazed up until this moment, momentarily forgetting to comment in the live stream.


    She hadn''t seen Lin Rui''s sword move at all, only seeing the process of Tie Yan''s head falling off.


    Gu Zhenrong was also rapidly watching the video of Lin Rui''s strike.


    He couldn''t discern the trajectory of that strike, but was now watching Lin Rui''s initial movements and the changes detected within a ten-meter radius of the arena by the specialized ''Ether Monitor.''


    "We at the Abyss Group can''t offer you any valuable advice; we still need some time to analyze and find a way to counter that strike," said a Corporate Communications Manager of the Abyss Group, his brows deeply furrowed. "The decision to fight or not is yours to make."


    This time around, the reputation of the ''Abyss'' Group was seriously damaged.


    However, if they chose to forfeit now, it would only be more humiliating and would severely damage the reputation of the ''Abyss'' Group. They did not need a coward to endorse their products.


    Nevertheless, as this was a matter that could endanger lives, the Corporate Communications Manager could not force it.


    Gu Zhenrong had already shifted his gaze away from the instruments.


    There was no need to observe further; only Lin Rui''s initial movement held some value, and perhaps one could deduce his blade path from the motion force of Lin Rui''s shoulders and arms. However, he doubted whether his eyes could capture it.


    Without hesitation, Gu Zhenrong moved toward the arena.


    "Brother Gu!" Zhang Jie called out involuntarily, but did not know what else to say.


    Gu Zhenrong did not look back, jumping directly onto the stage.


    He was a Prosthetic Martial Artist and a martial arts influencer followed by millions of people.


    So, retreating would be tantamount to commercial suicide.


    Gu Zhenrong would not allow himself to retreat and let this act of cowardice tarnish his pride.


    The referee, seeing this, felt a severe headache, then looked down to the audience: "General Fei! I can only trouble you now."


    Fei Yunlai raised his eyebrows, then leaped powerfully across several meters onto the stage.


    He stood on a pillar, arms crossed: "You shall continue to oversee the duel, I''ll be watching."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui relaxed slightly.


    He felt he had a bit of a grasp on his blade now, perhaps he could control it under the ''Will of the Abyss,'' but it was just a slight chance.


    The referee also relaxed slightly, but he still cautiously waited for another top medical team signed with the Martial Arts Association to arrive, along with another ''Heavenly Emperor'' injection.


    Meanwhile, people below the stage were busy bringing more high-tech measuring instruments, quickly installing them beneath the arena.


    Fang Ranran saw this and was very displeased, but instead of directly stopping it, she deployed some large-scale instruments equipped with strong radiation and electromagnetic waves, installing them in the venue primarily to interfere with each other and distort the data of these devices.


    This was Sky Blue Group''s turf; they could not possibly lose to these guests.


    Once everything was ready, the referee solemnly announced, "Please be ready, students. The combat will begin after the countdown!"


    "5! 4! 3! 2! 1¡ª¡ª"


    The moment the countdown ended, ''Dragon Fist'' Gu Zhenrong saw a beam of golden light.


    He had already burst forth with all his power, attempting to form a massive external force field around him to obstruct Lin Rui''s blade momentum.


    However, the golden light was unstoppable and slashed towards his face.


    At that moment, a hand clad in a black glove reached out next to him, firmly grasping the golden light.


    It was indeed Fei Yunlai, and the golden light he was holding faded gradually, reverting back to a long, narrow combat blade, ''Dark Heaven.''


    It was only then that ''Dragon Fist'' Gu Zhenrong heard the ''clang'' sound of the blade being drawn.


    The referee raised his right hand: "The duel is concluded, Lin Rui from Mingde University is the winner."

 Chapter 165 Public Opinion Explodes (Please Subscribe)

    PS: I have some words I want to share with you all at the end of this chapter, you may take a look.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Just as Lin Rui struck with his knife for the second time, Fang Kongfang was in his chairman''s office, staring absentmindedly at the twenty-some holographic video images displayed before him.


    He was watching the surveillance videos from various angles inside the Martial Arts Club.


    Ever since that emergency meeting two days ago, Fang Kongfang had ostensibly stopped paying attention to the exchange matches, entrusting Fang Ranran and Yu Feicui to take full charge; still, he had been closely following the changes in online public opinion.


    Today, as the exchange battle commenced and Fang Kongfang noticed an escalating fervor online, he immediately cloistered himself in his office using tiredness that demanded rest as an excuse, covertly ''peeking'' at the subsequent fights.


    This exchange battle took place on the ninth floor of the Martial Arts Club, at the outdoor activity area of the team club.


    There, numerous high-definition holographic cameras were already installed, along with various equipment such as near-infrared scanners and eunuch monitors, capable of capturing the venue from all angles.


    These apparatuses were originally set up to facilitate the team members'' cultivation, allowing them to check their own cultivation status at any time and make targeted improvements.


    At this moment, however, they provided convenience for Fang Kongfang. Using his chairman''s authority, he called upon these instruments to comprehensively observe the final few bouts of the exchange battle.


    "This kid, what fast knife skills!"


    Fang Kongfang, stroking his chin, murmured softly, "One thousandth of a second? No, it should be closer to eight ten-thousandths of a second. Too bad it wasn''t fully captured on camera, no, it''s better that it wasn''t. This is the abyss¡ª"


    At this point, his assistant Guan Biran sent him a message.


    Little Guan: Chairman, have you seen today''s battles in the exchange event? Lin Rui has consecutively defeated the Deputy General and Iron Yan from the Future Science and Technology University, as well as Dragon Fist Gu Zhenrong. They are talents within the top three of the ten prodigies, two S+ ranked Lieutenant Colonels. Lin Rui used only one slash, just one slash!


    Little Guan: Lin Rui has mastered a concept-level secret technique of swordsmanship. His slash speed has reached one thousandth of a second, but due to the integration with the will of the abyss, the speed cannot be accurately calculated at the moment.


    Guan Biran''s excitement and surprise could be inferred from his choice of words.


    Fang Kongfang chuckled, this Little Guan, still so impatient.


    Fang Kongfang: The will of the abyss, conceptual martial arts? Are you sure?


    Fang Kongfang had made the same judgment when he was watching, but after all, he was not at the scene.


    Little Guan: I''m certain! I''m currently at the venue, this is General Fei''s own statement.


    Guan Biran had rushed over before the main match had started; he never anticipated that such a change would occur in today''s exchange fight.


    Therefore, he only witnessed the final slash by Lin Rui.


    That single slash had left him thrilled and amazed up to the present moment.


    "There''s another method, this is a limit-charge burst technique that can only be used once. We don''t need to solve it, just make sure that he won''t die immediately after drawing his sword, like using secret techniques for avoiding death or substitution, or corresponding bio-enhancements, though this would be very costly."


    As these people chattered on, the members of Mingde University''s martial arts club had already retreated to Fang Ranran''s office.


    They were holding a review meeting after the match, discussing the recent battle, and evaluating their gains and losses.


    However, most of them were still fixated on Lin Rui''s strike, unable to contain their excitement.


    Even Fei Yunlai was somewhat distracted.


    But when he occasionally chimed in to point out the gains and losses of a few people in the battle, he always hit the nail on the head, providing them significant insight.


    Wang Sen had become virtually invisible, hiding in the corner and scrolling through various video websites on his smart terminal.


    ¡ª¡ªIt''s too exaggerated, isn''t that sword-drawing speed too incredible? This guy is at most of a preparatory colonel level, how could he possibly have such a fast sword-drawing speed?


    ¡ª¡ªIt''s not just fast. I heard that this strike has already touched upon concepts.


    ¡ª¡ªUnsolvable! Super unsolvable! The entire martial arts circle has exploded, I''ve never heard of this Lin Rui before, how did he suddenly emerge?


    ¡ª¡ªHe was discovered by Tianlan Group. It''s said that he didn''t come from much before, had no money for bio-enhancement, nor had a teacher''s guidance, otherwise, he wouldn''t have been studying at Mingde University''s Alien Body College.


    ¡ª¡ªI heard that during the initial Alien Body assessment, Lin Rui had a perfect victory record. Someone tampered with the matching algorithm to prevent him from ascending higher, otherwise he would have become the foremost among the top ten.


    ¡ª¡ªWow, there''s even such a person? A true commoner player, he looks so handsome, his features are not inferior to those genetically modified superstars.


    ¡ª¡ªThe Martial Arts Association has already updated Lin Rui''s data: bio-enhancement rating S; combat skills rating SSS+ (concept); overall rating SS+, super imperial class! Note there''s a bracket indicating that it indeed involves a concept, but the sword-drawing technique he used is not yet included in the records.


    Wang Sen checked the Martial Arts Association''s website and indeed found Lin Rui''s name in the database.


    He then proceeded to open the bio-enhancement channels of various major news websites.


    "Breaking! In today''s exchange battle between Mingde University and Future Science University, the young fighter Lin Rui displayed an unsolvable strike!"


    "Sword speed of eight ten-thousandths of a second, consecutively defeating two top-ranked majors!"


    "Today, an invincible champion descends upon the university martial arts league!"


    "The rise of Mingde University''s supernova! A seismic shift is imminent in the martial arts landscape of the ninth base''s universities."


    Wang Sen''s lips curled into a smile, his expression proud. Although the news was about Lin Rui, he felt vicariously honored.


    Just then, he heard Fang Ranran suddenly curse loudly.


    "Damn you, Tianjing Martial Arts University! Isn''t this too underhanded?"


    Hearing this, everybody in the office looked curiously in Fang Ranran''s direction, all wondering what had happened with Tianjing Martial Arts University to make ''little boss Fang'' so angry?

 Chapter 166 Roses on the Stone (Please Subscribe)

    At this moment, Yu Feicui''s video projection also appeared in the office.


    She hadn''t participated in the post-battle review meeting because she went with Guan Biran to negotiate with Lin Rui.


    The exchange battle had just ended when several streaming platforms couldn''t wait to express their desire to sign Lin Rui, inviting him to join their platforms exclusively.


    Currently, they were offering signing bonuses up to tens of millions of Federation dollars and were discussing the specific terms.


    The two, representing the talent agency, were tasked with securing the best terms for Lin Rui and also looking after the interests of Sky Blue Group.


    If it were just about money, Sky Blue Group could supply that to Lin Rui on their own; what they wanted was exposure, to advertise their products as widely as possible.


    "General Manager Fang, you saw the new lineup submission from Tianjing Martial Arts University, right?"


    "I saw it!" Fang Ranran ground her teeth, "A bunch of spineless cowards."


    "Oh?" Fei Yunlai was shocked, "Does Tianjing Martial Arts University dare to avoid battle? Aren''t they afraid of being blasted by their fans? Heavenly Sword Group wouldn''t allow them to do that either, would they?"


    At present, the members of Tianjing Martial Arts University each have millions of fans online; they can''t afford the cost of avoiding battle.


    Once a martial arts star is labeled a coward, they''re basically finished¡ªthey can''t mix in the martial arts scene anymore.


    It''s the same for Sky Sword Prosthetic Company; it would greatly impact the brand of Sky Sword Prosthetic.


    "They haven''t avoided battle, they''ve just changed the main and deputy general in their lineup, replacing them with two S-ranked seniors."


    Fang Ranran huffed, "They wish!"


    Fei Yunlai instantly understood what was going on; Tianjing Martial Arts University planned to use two unimportant team members to trick Lin Rui into drawing his sword!


    This had no impact on ''Devil Sword'' Baili Wang and ''Devil Hand'' Zhen Xiaoxiao, as they were in the secondary and leading positions.


    Given the strength displayed by Mingde University''s Martial Arts Society, they couldn''t reach Lin Rui.


    "Since they''ve changed their lineup, we''ll change ours too. Lin Rui won''t be competing tomorrow."


    Yu Feicui turned towards Wang Sen, "Wang Sen, didn''t you get an S+ prosthetic ''Xuanwu Marrow Crystal'' implanted by Professor Sima last night? Tomorrow you''ll step in as the vanguard."


    "Me?" Wang Sen was extremely surprised, pointing to his own nose.


    He had received two doses of True Condense potion the day before yesterday, which greatly enhanced his spiritual power, so he immediately got the ''Xuanwu Marrow Crystal'' implanted.


    This S+ prosthetic not only matched several intermediate martial skills he was learning, but also had a high compatibility with the super king serum he had newly obtained.


    The problem was that he was currently only a lieutenant, and his prosthetic was rated at A.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Making a backup is fine, but I''m worried about leaks. Also, I heard there is a reward, right?


    As he knew, the Martial Arts Association had a rule like this. To prevent powerful martial arts from being lost due to the death of their practitioners, the Martial Arts Association established the ''Divine Pivot'' five hundred years ago, inviting masters of these martial arts to make backups.


    The inheritance of backed-up martial arts is determined by wills and federal inheritance laws. The Martial Arts Association does not interfere; they simply preserve the treasures of human martial arts and ensure they are not lost due to individual factors.


    Lin Rui did not want his technique to be lost.


    He had a bit of self-awareness, knowing his situation was actually quite dangerous, and the slightest misstep could be fatal.


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): It''s impossible for there to be leaks. They prepare a separate safe for each backed-up martial art, accessible only by you and your heir. As for the security level of the ''Divine Pivot'', it is the highest in the entire Federation, an S9. The reward will be based on the level of your secret technique. I think your ''Yang Pulling Slash'' will definitely be rated SS+ or maybe even SSS, earning you the Purple Gold Diamond Badge. I don''t need to tell you its value; it will be of great help to you.


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): Also, you need to prepare some video material, including instruction for junior and intermediate martial arts, and some tips for increasing sword-drawing speed. I know you''re usually busy, so record more when you have time. Once we have a contract with the video network, we''ll organize a team to manage your account using these materials.


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): I anticipate that your popularity will continue to surge in the coming days. It''s an excellent opportunity for fanbase growth, so please put in a bit more effort these next few days.


    Instead of feeling troubled after reading the message, Lin Rui felt energized and full of fighting spirit.


    Shooting some videos to earn 35 million seemed much simpler and more relaxing than capturing demons.


    Besides, once he built up his fanbase, making money would be very easy. It''s a path paved with gold and bright prospects.


    At that moment, he received a message from his sister, Lin Xi.


    End of Summer''s Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Bro! Congratulations, I saw the news. Those two slashes were so sharp! I bet you could take down the entire Tianjing Martial University alone.


    End of Summer''s Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Also, my alternate body is ready. It will arrive at Tian Ji Star in half a day. Professor Sima said my case is special. He must customize it himself for the first descent, so I still have to stay in the sleep pod for now.


    She sent a crying emoji.


    End of Summer''s Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): I chose the identity of the young miss from the Zhou family in the eastern part of Wangcheng County, the one you marked as the most valuable. After I descend, I''ll adapt by myself first. Come find me when you guys are free.


    Reading this, Lin Rui''s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression becoming strange.


    The young miss from the Zhou family in the eastern part of the county? The value of this identity was indeed extremely high, but high rewards often mean high risks.


    Moreover, when he gave Lin Xi the advice, it was over ten days ago; the risks associated with this identity would only have increased by now.


    He hoped his sister could withstand this surprise¡ª


    Lin Rui also took the opportunity to clear out his private chat system. Since the battle ended, at least fifty people had messaged him in his address book, most of whom were his teachers and classmates. Additionally, over a hundred people had sent him friend requests.


    Lin Rui casually browsed through them and then ''hmm''¡ªhis eyebrows raised at one name.


    "Stone Rose?"


    What caught his attention was the username''s note¡ªFuture Sci-Tech University, Shi Yan!

 Chapter 167 The Secret of the Abyss (Three more chapters for monthly votes)

    "Breaking news, this afternoon the Mingde University Martial Arts Club defeated the incoming Future Science and Technology University Martial Arts Club in a sparring match. In this exchange, our city''s rising star in martial arts, Lin Rui, consecutively defeated the chief and deputy generals from the visiting team. The two matches took less than 2 milliseconds in total¡ª"


    "According to estimates by several renowned martial critics, Lin Rui''s sword-drawing speed has broken the record of the Martial Arts Association, being between ninety-thousandths and eighty-thousandths of a second, and he has already stepped into the conceptual domain! Multiple martial arts media outlets have updated the university martial cultivator power rankings, elevating Lin Rui to the top spot among competitors aged 18."


    This is the third practical training room of the Mingde University Martial Arts Club.


    Shi Yan stood in the center of the training room, which was 30 meters in length, width, and height, with her arms crossed over her chest. She raised her eyes to the three-dimensional projector in front of her, which was playing the news.


    Along with the newscaster''s voice, Lin Rui''s two battle videos were also shown.


    However, the image quality was very poor, and the moment when Tie Yan''s head was severed had been edited, with a three-dimensional mosaic applied.


    "Indeed, very fast!"


    In Shi Yan''s eyes, a glint of deep light flickered. "Eighty-thousandths of a second, the abyssal concept?"


    She then heard the holographic television continue to broadcast, "Some critics have also questioned the recent power rankings, considering them too arbitrary. They doubt the validity of Lin Rui''s battle records due to a small sample size. In the 18-year-old category, there are still several geniuses capable of contending with Lin Rui, such as the Demon Sword King of Baili. With appropriate targeted enhancements to his martial arts and armor, he could counter Lin Rui''s sword-drawing technique and withstand an attack that''s eighty-thousandths of a second fast!"


    "¡ªSome members of the media think that Immortal Sword Shi Yan is more famous than skilled. Since winning the ''Abyss Cup'' six months ago, her growth has been limited, and they say she no longer deserves her place in the hall of fame. They criticize the management strategy of Future Science and Technology University''s Martial Arts Club, arguing that the club has wasted too many resources on a few hall-of-fame-level members, leading to a weakening in strength and defeat at the hands of Mingde University."


    Upon hearing this, Shi Yan clenched her fists tighter and let out a cold laugh, "Idiots!"


    Because of this one defeat, she was being belittled to this degree, almost being trampled into the mire.


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    Behind her stood ''Black Stone'' Zhang Jie, the African-American young man who was touching his forehead with a look of helplessness. "You''re crazy, Shi Yan. I hope you understand what you''re doing. You''ve just recovered from your injuries. Do you want to end up in the medical pod again?


    At this stage, his sword-drawing technique is undefeatable not only at the lieutenant-colonel level but even at the major level. You, Shi Yan, are no exception. If you challenge him now, there''s only one outcome for you¡ªyou''ll end up in a life-support pod just like Tie Yan. Also! Don''t pay attention to what they say on TV. The Demon Sword King of Baili''s agency is just blowing smoke. He definitely can''t stop Lin Rui''s strike."


    "I know, I, of course, know."


    Shi Yan murmured, but the light in her eyes grew hotter, "Enough talk! Didn''t I tell you before coming here? He might be the key that helps me advance to the next level."


    Among all martial artists who have mastered conceptual martial arts, Lin Rui''s cultivation is the most similar to hers, and he is exactly at the threshold, which offers great reference value.


    The best would be to ''personally'' experience it¡ª


    Right then, the heavy door to the practical training room swung open with a clang.@@@@


    Shi Yan turned her head and saw Lin Rui and Fang Ranran walking in from outside the door; she also noticed a whole medical team and life-saving equipment outside.


    The corner of Shi Yan''s lips twitched slightly. Were they prepared to rescue her on short notice?


    "I''m sorry, General Fei is out on business and not at our university."


    Lin Rui walked in, curiously looking at Shi Yan, "Shi Yan, you must have seen the later fight videos, right? Do you really want another match with me?"


    Lin Rui had previously promised Shi Yan that he would show up.


    It wasn''t just a matter of the speed of the slice, Fang Ranran also felt the space around her being covered by a powerful will, and the physical laws nearby were distorted and replaced.


    Fang Ranran thought that unless she could master that mysterious technique, and at the same time implant an SSS-class artifact, there was no way to survive in front of this slice.


    However¡ª


    Fang Ranran looked toward Shi Yan, who was standing there unharmed despite Lin Rui''s slice.


    Shi Yan had only swung her sword halfway when she stopped mid-air, her eyes closed as she murmured, "So fast, indeed an unsolvable secret slice, is this the concept of the abyss? So that''s it, I understand a bit! Thanks, thanks¡ª"


    She actually started to laugh, an overwhelmingly satisfied, gratified, and unrestrained laugh.


    Zhang Jie was a little suspicious of whether this classmate was an M or had some mental issue.


    "I lost!"


    As she spoke, Shi Yan took out a straw figure from her sleeve and threw it out, "If it weren''t for this thing replacing me, you would have chopped off my chest, Lin classmate. That''s really rude, how can you slash at a girl''s area?"


    The straw figure fell to the ground and split into two pieces.


    Lin Rui looked at it with surprise in his eyes.


    A life-saving magic artifact? Shi Yan actually had such a thing? To use such a precious artifact in a minor Martial Arts sparring?


    He didn''t understand and, while sheathing his knife, he replied insincerely, "I''ll be careful next time."


    This was a fight; did he really have to care about where he was striking? A dead body left after a killing was no different; who would be interested in a corpse?


    The next moment, however, his heart congealed slightly.


    "I''m very grateful for that slice of yours; it made me comprehend some key things. As a reward, I''ll tell you a secret, one that only a very few people know," Shi Yan began, pointing to her brow, "I just saw that Lin classmate''s slice contains two concepts of the abyss, light and certainty of hitting. ''Light'' is because your slice is closest to the speed of light at this level, or perhaps it relates to your soul; as for certainty of hitting, it''s due to the ultimate speed and precision. You must have worked hard on precision when you created this slice, right? To ensure a guaranteed hit, both speed and precision are indispensable."


    "Light and certainty of hitting?" Lin Rui looked at his Heavenly Slash with half belief and half doubt.


    "Trust me! I have special equipment, so I can see it. Lin Rui, you can only harness these abyssal concepts and utilize their power when you understand them," Shi Yan said meaningfully.


    "You can only trigger it now but can''t control it; you can''t make good use of its strength, and thus the power enhancement to the secret slice is negligible. If you practice more, study more Martial Arts in the same vein as this slice technique, and come into contact with them more, you will truly master these abyssal concepts. But do you know why the existing abyss in the Extreme Heaven Star tries to erase the traces of past abysses as much as possible?"


    Without waiting for Lin Rui to answer, she continued, "Contact with the will of the abyss can make a Martial Cultivator stronger, but if you delve too deeply, the abyss might awaken inside you. Of course, if your mental willpower is strong enough, you might replace the abyss!"


    "Awakening the abyss? Replacing the abyss?" Upon hearing this, Fang Ranran frowned and asked, "Shi junior, what nonsense are you talking about?"


    "Have you forgotten, Sister Fang? My inheritance is from the abyss," Shi Yan replied, shaking her head slightly. "With your status and resources, a little investigation should make it clear. I almost forgot! Sister Fang, your technique is ''Heavenly Slash,'' and you''re not far from touching upon abyssal concepts. You can ask your teacher about it."


    At this moment, Lin Rui suddenly felt a stirring in his spirit and called out to his spiritual ring.


    "Battle Spirit Ring, can Soul Power help me master the abyssal concepts of light and certainty of hitting?"


    The feedback from the Battle Spirit Ring that flowed into his mind left Lin Rui in disbelief.

 Chapter 168 Can It Be Even Faster? (Please Subscribe)

    ```


    Hint: The integrity of the Battle Spirit Ring is insufficient; it can only initially integrate the host with the Abyss''s will and get a basic grasp of its concepts. To fuse 1% with the Light King of the Abyss requires 10,000 soul power points. To fuse 1% with the Master of Destiny from the Abyss requires 10,000 soul power points. To grasp 1% of the concept of ''Light Trace'' requires 3,000 soul power points, and to grasp 1% of the concept of ''Unerring'' requires 3,000 soul power points.


    Lin Rui experienced the hint from the Battle Spirit Ring and his eyes became strange, but in an instant, he was back to normal.


    He asked interestedly, "I heard from Shi Adana''s tone just now that she also came into contact with the Abyss''s concepts?"


    "Indeed!"


    Shi Yan casually swung her sword and produced a bright sword light filled with celestial qi in front of her.


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    This caused Fang Ranran''s pupils to shrink.


    The trajectory of the sword that Shi Yan displayed casually was crooked, yet it conveyed an elusive and profoundly mystical atmosphere, like a dream or illusion.


    What was crucial was that this woman''s sword speed was at least nearly twenty percent faster than during the day.


    "The Abyss inheritance I received comes from a distant past''s Abyss ''Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable.'' The concept of the Abyss I am now in contact with is ''Immortal,'' which is detached from the mundane, unrestrained by heaven and earth, surpassing mortal beings and things," said Shi Yan, sheathing her sword, her eyes filled with expectation. "It''s a pity that I still can''t block Lin Adana''s cut. I guess you didn''t use your full strength just now, did you? Your drawing speed could probably be even faster."


    Lin Rui, hearing this, had a puzzled look in his eyes. How did this woman figure it out?


    After the salute, Shi Yan walked towards the door.


    When she reached the door, she saw ''Black Stone'' Zhang Jie still standing there, motionless, so she turned back in resignation, pulling Zhang Jie with her as she walked outside.


    "Let''s go! What are you dazing out for?"


    She had brought Zhang Jie to observe, to let him experience the wonder of the Abyss, but his reaction was embarrassingly foolish, like a block of wood.


    Fang Ranran watched the two disappear at the door, her mouth twisting in displeasure: "That woman got chopped up by me like that today, and she''s still so arrogant."


    She turned to Lin Rui: "But what she said is not wrong. The finals of the university martial arts league really are something else. The deputy generals of those strong teams each have SS or higher gear ratings, and their combat technique ratings are generally above S+.


    Even for that woman, I estimate that she will likely merge with a Golden Core within a month, and in half a year''s time, she might become a key member of Future Science University. So, Lin Rui, you must not be complacent or arrogant. It''s a pity! You revealed your hand too early; by the time the finals come, they will surely think of ways to counter it."


    "I understand!" Lin Rui nodded. "Senior Fang, I''d like to stay here alone for a while. Emerald asked me to record some martial arts instructional videos for her to use."


    Fang Ranran suddenly felt that Lin Rui was quite impressive too, was he implying that she should leave?


    But it didn''t matter; he was now the darling of Mingde University and the Tianlan Group. Fang Ranran believed she should treat Lin Rui with the same regard as one would have for a top salesperson.


    "Sure!" Fang Ranran moved towards the door with a smile: "But it''s almost midnight now, and you haven''t had dinner since you got out of the life support pod, right? I''ll have someone send food over to you later. Also, our martial arts club has acquired some new electromagnetic therapy machines that can help relax muscles and spirit. Lin Rui, if you''re tired, you can try them out."


    ```

 Chapter 169 Unexpectedly Improved Again (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Rui stayed in the third combat training room for an entire night.


    On one hand, he was researching the will of the abyss and the concept of the abyss; on the other hand, he was recording martial arts teaching videos.


    As he had mastered numerous basic and intermediate martial arts techniques, he had a lot of video footage to record.


    Lin Rui felt that the videos he had recorded had the potential to become very popular.


    This was because all of his martial arts stance techniques had reached the level of Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster, which would enable him to include a lot of valuable information and many tips for cultivation in the video.


    Those who truly understood the material would be able to see the difference between him and those martial arts influencers clearly.


    Lin Rui thought of another Lin Rui and Wang Sen, who had wanted to find masters to learn from but couldn''t, gritted their teeth to buy martial arts videos, only to find out that the content was either superficial with few valuable insights or was so obscure and complex that it left them completely baffled, and thus he felt great empathy.


    On one hand, he tried to keep the videos as short as possible, and on the other hand, he strived to make the content straightforward and clear, to show a clear path for those who were truly dedicated to bio-enhanced martial arts.


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    He also took the opportunity to promote the products of the Tianlan Group in the videos and provided a purchase link; his fans could get discount coupons through him before going to the Tianlan Group''s official website to make a purchase.


    The various bio-enhancements and potions from the Tianlan Group were very cost-effective, and the discount provided by the Tianlan Group was also significant, so Lin Rui promoted their products with a clear conscience.


    Lin Rui even spent 1,000 soul power to specially derive a secret sword technique, "Yang Pulling Slash (Youth Edition)," that would greatly increase the drawing speed of swords and sabers for martial artists who primarily focused on light, thunder, and fire elements. It was suitable for all ranks below captain.


    The next morning, Lin Rui, full of energy, boarded the luxurious flying car sent by the Martial Cultivator Association and headed to the Martial Cultivator Association building next to the city hall.@@@@


    Lin Rui was able to enjoy the highest level of 6A-grade security, escorted personally by a bio-enhanced major general to the Martial Cultivator Association.


    Indeed, the security and defense capabilities of the Martial Cultivator Association were astounding.


    As Lin Rui walked in, he saw no less than eight Type-8 combat robots.


    These were the highest version among combat robots, with combat power close to that of Martial Cultivators at the eighth realm, and the cost of each was said to be several billion federal dollars.


    Along the way, Lin Rui also sensed dozens of incredibly strong qi and mental wills, all far surpassing the bio-enhanced major general who accompanied him.


    According to the bio-enhanced major general, below the ''Divine Pivot'' of the Martial Cultivator Association, there were four 9S-grade magical plants transplanted from the interior of Tianji Star, with combat power no less than that of the ninth realm God''s Gaze, so the security level here was truly 9S, even higher than that of the city hall.


    "That''s not sufficient evidence. Nearly all martial techniques can be strengthened with talisman formations."


    After a lengthy discussion, these Genetically Enhanced Generals eventually rated his ''Yang Pulling Slash'' as third realm SS+. Nevertheless, Lin Rui still received the ''Purple Gold Diamond Badge'' from the Martial Arts Association, signifying the association''s recognition of his significant contribution to the development of human martial arts.


    This was immensely beneficial to him, as Lin Rui could use this badge to obtain a 1% tax exemption when making purchases, as well as a 1% subsidy from the government, in addition to certain legal immunities, accommodation in a high-class villa arranged by the government, and so forth.


    The key was that Lin Rui could now append a ''Purple Gold Diamond Badge'' to his online alias.


    From then on, people would know at a glance that this martial arts star was different from other flamboyant characters.


    Besides, Lin Rui could also use this ''Purple Gold Diamond Badge'' to request the company of a Genetically Enhanced Major General from the Martial Arts Association as a free escort for a day.


    For someone at his level, the Purple Gold Diamond Badge was almost equivalent to a life-saving charm.


    Next, Lin Rui transcribed the cultivation method and all the profound mysteries of Yang Pulling Slash onto special writing materials provided by the Martial Arts Association. Then, under the escort of several Genetically Enhanced Generals, he placed it in a safe deep within the ''Divine Axis''.


    Upon seeing those four 9S-rated monstrous plants, Lin Rui felt a chill run down his spine.


    Although the monstrous plants were relatively tame by nature, they were still demonic creatures!


    He had no idea how the Martial Arts Association had managed to transplant them, or how they controlled these 9S-rated monstrous plants?


    A 9S rating was on par with a ninth realm ''Divine Illumination'' with royal lineage blood, a force to rival a four-star Marshal of the Human Federation. Should they lose control, the vicinity of the city government would surely turn into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, devoid of any vegetation.


    After emerging from the Divine Axis, Lin Rui began to enjoy the perks of the ''Purple Gold Diamond Badge''.


    He hired a luxurious President Winged Car from Ambola Shared Car Company to return to school, but the Ambola Company upgraded it to a ''Luxurious President Bulletproof Car.''


    As Lin Rui got into the car, he couldn''t help but reminisce about the time he and Lin Xi were in a car together.


    It was then that he suddenly remembered something¡ªwhere was his sister?


    According to the regulations of the Agency for Extra-Terrestrial Affairs, generally, after an ET is created, it can be delivered to the designated location within 6 hours. Even if there was a delay due to special circumstances, it wouldn''t exceed 8 hours.


    But it had been a full 14 hours since his sister, Lin Xi, had greeted him last night!


    During these 14 hours, could it be that Lin Xi hadn''t yet completed her descent?


    Lin Rui''s heart tightened with worry, pondering whether something had happened to his sister?

 Chapter 170 Everything Is Under Control (Please Subscribe)

    ```


    Lin Xi had descended onto Tianji Star 8 hours ago following the instructions of the Body Management Bureau.


    However, in the following 8 hours, her host body remained in a paralyzed state, intermittently injected with a small dose of anesthetic.


    Her vision was pitch black, her limbs immobile and it was very likely that someone had sealed her senses with True Qi.


    But Lin Xi''s spiritual power was exceptionally gifted; even in such a condition, she could still sense the situation outside.


    She sensed that there were two people speaking beside her.


    "What do we do now? It''s already so late, and she''s been here for 8 hours. I''ve temporarily sealed her consciousness, but we can''t keep it sealed for too long. She might complain to the Management Bureau."


    "Let her complain. We can''t do anything about this situation. The original host has already been eaten, and right now, just within this room and its surroundings, there are three demons. The Zhou family is practically a demon den. For now, we can only wait for the right opportunity to place her."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xi felt stunned. She guessed that these two were staff from the Body Management Bureau, responsible for settling her host body.


    But what did they mean by the original host being eaten? The woman she was supposed to replace had been eaten by a demon?


    Lin Xi felt a chill rise in her heart, her hair standing on end.


    "No! What I mean is, leaving her here like this, isn''t that a crime? She will definitely be eaten, with no chance of survival. This girl must have offended someone in the company; who knows who shoved her here, it''s too cruel, most likely sending her to her death on purpose."


    "This is none of our concern. Our only responsibility is to send people down to replace identities, and we''ve also issued a risk warning. Maybe someone else in the company needs this identity, thinking the risks here aren''t a big deal."


    Lin Xi''s spirits sank slightly.


    She had indeed seen the risk warning from the Body Management Bureau.


    For a Midshipman-level Martial Cultivator like herself, the environmental risk level around Wang City Prefecture was S-, but the risk index for her host identity was (unknown).


    Generally, ''unknown'' indicates that the Body Management Bureau, for some reason, cannot accurately investigate.


    The Body Management Bureau usually would not list such unclear risk identities in their database unless they are of particularly high value.


    Lin Rui had even highlighted this identity for her, leaving a special message that the risk was very low, but the benefits were extremely high.


    So, what exactly was going on with the Zhou family?


    If there are three demons inside and outside this room, then what is the situation with the entire Zhou family?


    At that moment, Lin Xi received a message from Lin Rui.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Sister, have you woken up?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I''ve had a rough understanding of your situation. It seems there was a minor issue when you descended. The girl you were supposed to replace has been eaten by a demon. The people from the Body Management Bureau, to prevent you from seeing their shapes and faces, which could lead to identity exposure, have given you a few shots of anesthetic. They said the dosage is very small and won''t affect your consciousness, so don''t panic, it''s not a big deal.


    ```


    Lin Xi, moved to the point of wanting to cry, saw her brother''s message.


    Lin Rui had finally thought of her.


    She had been anesthetized and was unable to effectively control the quantum communication chip; she hadn''t been able to send a message to her brother.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): "After you wake up, you may find that the situation at the Zhou family might be a bit off, but don''t worry, the risk there is actually very low. Rest assured and stay put after you see my message, everything will be fine."


    After reading this, Lin Xi was somewhat baffled. Did Lin Rui really understand the Zhou family?


    And what did he mean by not a big deal? The girl she was supposed to replace had already been eaten!


    And following that voice, an incredibly powerful and chaotic will locked onto her, crushing down on her, making it difficult for her to even think and temporarily losing control over her body.


    What followed was a dry and pale hand landing on her shoulder, "Go, go back!"


    Lin Xi turned deathly pale.


    The body she was in now, though it was only at the level of having opened its meridians and was a Warrant Officer class, Lin Xi''s spiritual power had already reached 600 points.


    As the memories sealed within her slowly awakened, the spiritual power hidden deep within her soul was rapidly recovering and growing day by day.


    Therefore, this creature, which was using its Primordial Spirit to suppress her thoughts and prevent her from controlling her body, had to be a monster above the fifth realm and might even possess a bloodline surpassing that of a king!


    Indeed, the Zhou family was nothing less than a den of demons.


    "Go back!" the hoarse and ancient male voice emphasized again, "Listen, listen and obey!"


    As he spoke these words, the man lifted the Primordial Spirit suppression, and Lin Xi felt her body relax, returning to normal.


    She turned her head and saw an old man in white standing beside her, looking to be in his eighties.


    His hair was completely white, his face covered in wrinkles, and his body hunched. Despite appearing frail and aged, the eyes that watched Lin Xi were a fierce crimson, not only brimming with malice but also sharp as blades.


    Lin Xi''s mood turned cold as ice, bordering on despair.


    But this was Yuan Ji star, and even if Lin Xi felt a surge of despair, it wouldn''t trigger her Dragon of Despair.


    Lin Xi struggled to keep her composure and bowed to the old man in white: "Granddaughter understands, I will return at once."


    The Bureau of Anomaly Management had provided her with some basic information; this old man in white should be her grandfather, named Zhou An.


    Her scalp tingling, she walked under Zhou An''s gaze towards her chamber.


    At that moment, the two maids also came over and steadied her from both sides.


    Not only did Lin Xi smell the blood on them, but she also saw the strands of flesh in their teeth, causing goosebumps all over her body.


    Summer''s Faint Thought (Lin Xi): Brother, are you sure you understand the Zhou family''s situation? Do you know that the Patriarch of the Zhou family is a fifth realm monster, and might even be of king-tier level? Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Yeah, I know. As I said, just stay calm. Your current situation is actually very safe. I assure you there''s nothing to worry about. Spend the next few days calmly practicing martial arts, try to enhance your cultivation as soon as possible. Oh, and when you see the opportunity, try to inquire about family ledgers, deeds, and land titles in the Zhou household, get your hands on those.


    Lin Xi felt a tightness in her chest, at a loss for what to say.


    Just as Lin Xi was being escorted to her chamber by the two maids,


    An aged crone, who also appeared to be in her eighties, suddenly appeared beside Zhou An, the old man in white.


    She carried a lantern, her eyes a striking red as she gazed at Lin Xi''s retreating figure, her voice also old and raspy: "No! We cannot allow, allow the granddaughter to go out, it''s not safe."


    "I, I know!"


    The old man in white answered stiffly, and then, with a glance, he suddenly flashed onto the top of the wall.


    The old man in white saw a group of armored soldiers coming down the distant street, carrying torches. There were about fifty of them, all strong-bodied, wearing helmets and armor, covered by battle robes adorned with fish and dragons.


    The leading man rode a robust iron-scaled horse, dressed in the battle robes of a Capital Commandant of the seventh rank in martial virtue.


    He rode to the outside of the Zhou family''s backyard wall, looked around, and then pointed to an inn next to them.


    "Clear out that inn, we are under orders and will need to be stationed here for the next month."


    The old man in white frowned slightly upon seeing this.


    He recognized the identity of these people; they were from the Imperial City, the Wang City Capital!

 Chapter 171 Demon Breeding Armor (Subscription Request)

    Lin Rui''s consciousness had returned to his celestial variant in Tianji Star not long after, and he found that Wang Sen had also arrived at Tianji Star.


    However, this guy looked totally dejected, displaying a downcast demeanor.


    Lin Rui looked at him curiously, "Finished the exchange battle? Did you perform poorly? How many moves did you withstand?"


    They were in the backyard of the Wang City Government Office, so they could talk freely.


    Wang Sen''s eyes were dull as he said despondently, "29."


    Lin Rui was taken aback and quickly accessed the club''s database, where he found Wang Sen''s battle video and exclaimed in surprise, "You fought with Zhen Xiaoxiao for so long? These results aren''t bad at all, there were 29 rounds. Why are you so discouraged and unhappy?"


    What kind of talent does Wang Sen have now? What level of cultivation? What kind of genetic enhancements? The fact that Zhen Xiaoxiao couldn''t quickly defeat Wang Sen is pretty awesome.


    It seems that Fei Yunlai''s old friend really did teach Wang Sen some genuine skills.


    Lin Rui specifically slowed down the video frames to analyze and found that the moves Wang Sen used were indeed very good, with strong power, quick charging, and sound tactics.


    "What do you mean ''so long''? It was only three seconds in total!"


    Wang Sen first gave him a glance, "Someone bet me that if I lasted more than 30 rounds, they would reward me with a Type-4 variant enhancer shot. I''m really regretting it now¡ªmy heart aches!"


    Unfortunately, he was just one move short when Zhen Xiaoxiao threw him off the platform.


    He then reacted, stared at Lin Rui, and said, "You downloaded my video? Damn, 1GB of data costs a thousand Federation credits, Rui bro, you really are rich."


    Lin Rui was indeed very rich.


    His signing bonus with Tianhuan Video Network was finally settled at 39 million Federation credits for an exclusive five years.


    Also, as his popularity had greatly increased, he gained a million followers the day he registered on Tianhuan Video Network and even received a ''Purple Gold Diamond Badge,'' so the banks were all very accommodating to him.


    The highest among them had already increased his credit limit to 150 million, although the interest rate of this bank was a bit high; still, the interest-free loans from Tianlan Group were more attractive.


    Not to mention that uploading those video materials would continue to generate income for him.


    "Oh, right!" Wang Sen''s tone shifted, "Rui bro, did you see the news before coming down? Yesterday, Shi Yan dissed Baili Wang in her livestream, and they both dragged you into it. The hype for the upcoming battle between Future Science University and Tianjing Martial University has blown up again. Should we go and see it tomorrow? It''s hard to say who will win when these two fight."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui recalled the sword Shi Yan swung last night.


    He estimated that Shi Yan probably had a better chance of winning.


    Lin Rui was originally indifferent to such matters, but as the saying goes, ''where you sit determines where you stand.'' Now that he had also become a martial arts influencer, the outcome of these two would also affect his income, so he began to be interested as well.@@@@


    Mainly because the management company of Baili Wang was really unprofessional, it genuinely disgusted Lin Rui.


    Unfortunately, the Federation strictly prohibited citizens and organizations from gambling on various martial arts competitions, and Lin Rui couldn''t find an underground betting service, otherwise, he might have been able to make a profit from this information gap.


    Lin Rui noticed that Ji Xueying next to him was completely lost and didn''t understand what they were talking about.


    Her icy, jade-like eyes also held a touch of curiosity.


    Lin Rui smiled and explained to her, "What we''re talking about is similar to the popular fighting competitions in the capital, nothing special."


    Lin Rui actually wanted to install an intelligent biochip in Ji Xueying so she could also browse the vast electronic network of the Earth Federation and communicate conveniently with each other.


    However, he had concerns; clearly, this would definitely violate the Federation laws.


    Moreover, Lin Rui worried about potential repercussions; he could not act recklessly and selfishly, putting the entire human world at risk.


    "Professor Sima said the same!" Lin Rui waved his hand nonchalantly: "He actually did a test on me; everything was normal."


    Lin Rui was actually very confident.


    He was ready to immediately go earn Soul Power points to copy three skills from War Spirit No.2: Great Grandmaster-level Acupuncture Healing Technique, Great Grandmaster-level Basic Medical Technique, and Great Grandmaster-level Intermediate Medical Technique.


    The ''Acupuncture Healing Technique'' of Tianji Star was miraculous, even more so than the surgical operations of the Earth Federation, enhancing his hands-on ability.


    Moreover, Acupuncture Healing Technique, like Basic and Intermediate Medical Techniques, required a deep understanding of Tianji Star people''s bodies.


    So, he was quite confident about this transplant surgery; there shouldn''t be any problems, truly¡ª


    If it really couldn''t be done, he could still store it in the fridge and decide later when he felt more confident.


    The small fridge that came with the ''Blood Core Madness'' had a nuclear battery inside, and it wouldn''t go bad for two or three years.


    Lin Rui, highly proactive, took Wang Sen and Ji Xueying that same night to the rooftops of the county town, flying around looking for demons.


    Wang Sen now had a huge debt, so he was very motivated.


    The intermediate martial arts he was learning now, ''Ice Blood Palm'' and ''Ice Blood Cold Wind Sword,'' had both reached a proficient state and were ready for real combat.


    These two martial arts techniques could manipulate the elemental trio of water, chilly wind, and ice, making them highly compatible with the team.


    With a distant clap of the Ice Blood Palm and a remote slash of the Ice Blood Cold Wind Sword, the blood and bodily fluids of humans and demons could be chilled or even frozen, thereby drastically reducing their speed and impairing their mobility.


    Ji Xueying and Lin Rui were both powerful fighters, so Wang Sen didn''t need to worry about True Qi consumption; he could unleash full power with every strike and also mastered a secret martial art that could reduce the speed of all demons within eighty meters by ten to forty percent.


    However, during their demon-slaying journey, Wang Sen noticed Lin Rui occasionally glancing in the direction of the Zhou family.


    His eyes filled with confusion, "Rui, are you interested in those demons from the Zhou family? Those people from the Zhou family are rather pitiful, but it can''t be helped; shall we just storm in and wipe them out?"


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly, pointing towards the backyard of the Zhou family: "Aren''t you curious where my sister descended? She''s in there! Why eliminate them when we haven''t even reaped the benefits yet?"


    If they wiped them out now, wouldn''t Lin Xi''s risks be in vain?


    The value of the Zhou family was not just in those land deeds and titles.


    Upon hearing this, Wang Sen almost fell off the rooftop, thinking that Rui really was no ordinary person.


    This was really cunning, even taking advantage of demons.


    He hoped Lin Xi wouldn''t be frightened.


    There were definitely benefits to be had, but they would have to endure being surrounded by demons for a while.


    They were busy until dawn, by which time Lin Rui had finally accumulated the 15,000 Soul Power points needed to copy the three skills.


    But just as he had copied them and confidently returned to the Wang City Government Office, ready to perform the surgery on Blood Blade Ji and install the Supreme Emperor-level implant, he heard a loud shout from outside the office.


    "May I ask if Defender Lin, the twelfth of Wang City, is present? I am Vice Inspector Feng Guang, here on official business and seeking an audience. Please, may I see Lord Lin?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui exchanged a glance with Wang Sen.


    Two Vice Inspectors had already come, one was Vice Inspector Zhang Zhili, and the other was Vice Inspector Wang Tiandong, both of whom had been outside the office every day requesting an audience, and now another one had come?


    Lin Rui unceremoniously waved his hand: "No audience! Wang Sen, you deal with him, tell him to get lost."


    But just as Lin Rui was setting up to distill high-purity alcohol in the backyard, he suddenly heard a loud bang from outside.


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows; the main gate of his Wang City Government Office had just been kicked to pieces.

 Chapter 172 Ferocious (Third update for monthly votes)

    The Wang City Government Office was no longer in the state it had been just over half a month ago, with only a few kittens around. Thanks to the support of Li Li and others, Lin Rui had replenished over half of the two hundred ''Imperial Dragon Guards''.


    Although these men had mostly been recruited in the past few days and were still adjusting to the rules of the Imperial City''s yamen, as soon as the grand doors of the Wang City Government Office burst open, instantly over a hundred people brandishing swords and blades charged out from the buildings.


    Li Li was very diligent in recruiting people. Even though these newcomers hadn''t received formal training and were as scattered as sand, their strength and cultivation were quite good, and not a single one was a coward.


    At the entrance, there erupted an intense clashing of weapons and roars of anger.


    "Audacious!"


    "Insolent!"


    That was the three newly recruited seventh-rank Capital Commandants of Wang City. They appeared at the yamen entrance at the first sign of trouble, and although they were sent flying backward by the people outside, they still managed to hold off three Investigative Censors and a large group of constables at the entrance.


    When Lin Rui walked out from the rear yamen, what he saw was this scene.


    Over a hundred Imperial Dragon Guards were furiously agitated, with wide-eyed stares facing off against more than seventy men from the Prefectural Governor''s office of the Central Judicial Commission, a situation as tense as the drawing of bows, ready to snap at any moment.


    "Who are these traitors who dare to attack the Imperial City of Wang? Are they trying to rebel?"


    As Lin Rui spoke, he looked at Wang Sen, who was getting up from the ground, holding a shield in one hand and rubbing his chest with the other, but seemingly not seriously hurt.


    However, his three newly recruited Capital Commandants under his command all had blood at the corners of their mouths, clearly injured internally.


    His gaze then moved to the entrance, where he saw Zhang Zhili and Wang Tiandong, both with grim faces, standing at the shattered doorway.


    There was also a new face, wearing the robe of an official of the fifth rank.


    This man was in his forties, thin, with a sallow complexion, but with unusually large knuckle joints in his hands, probably the Investigative Censor Feng Guang who had kicked open the door.


    He was holding a sword in both hands, half-closing his eyes, and saluting Lin Rui with a fist, "Lord Lin! We are the people of the Central Judicial Commission, coming under official orders about an urgent case for the Ministry of Justice. You have been refusing to meet us, what is the reason for this¡ª"


    Lin Rui did not wait for him to finish. He crossed his hands behind his back and let out a cold laugh, "What are you standing around for, gawking? Have you forgotten that you all are the emperor''s personal troops, the eyes and ears of the divine? Arrest all these traitors who dare attack Wang City at once! Kill them! Show no mercy to anyone who resists arrest!"


    Upon hearing this, Feng Guang''s complexion instantly changed. Before coming, he had heard Zhang Zhili and Wang Tiandong say that this Lin Rui had a tough and overbearing character, unrestrained and arrogant, considering no one else. If they took a hard stance against him, they feared it might backfire.


    Feng Guang had thought that these two colleagues of his were too soft. Three of them were fifth-rank Investigative Censors, six were sixth-rank Prosecutors, and they were accompanied by a large group of skilled personnel from the Central Judicial Commission who had been here for more than ten days without accomplishing anything.


    If this guy won''t respond to a softer approach, they thought, let''s be more forceful and push our way in, give Lin Rui a taste of his own medicine. How could he possibly give in without some pressure?


    He had never imagined that the Defender of Wang City would be so audacious!@@@@


    With Lin Rui''s order, it was clear they were headed for a confrontation with the Central Judicial Commission!


    It was completely outrageous! No! It was lawlessness, without any regard for consequences! What about official protocol?


    The over one hundred Imperial Dragon Guards in the courtyard, upon hearing the order, felt a surge of heat rush to their heads and roared in unison as they charged toward the entrance.


    Although they had not undergone strict training and lacked discipline in combat, each of them was fierce in their demeanor.


    Most of these men had been drawn to Wang City by recent turmoil, attracted by the loose requirements of the Imperial Dragon Guards'' recruitment. They had come willingly to apply for the job, and now they were responding with the instinctive rashness of the jianghu, ready to draw their swords at the slightest disagreement; on the one hand, they were the emperor''s personal troops, people of the Imperial City, so what were the officials from the Central Judicial Commission to them? To think they even dared to kick down their Wang City gates, the lawlessness was outrageous!


    Then, a beam of red light swiftly struck towards Feng Guang.


    "Stop!"


    Once he decided to use it, he would have to kill witnesses and leave no troubles behind.


    However, aside from "Yang Pulling Slash," Lin Rui mastered many other powerful blade techniques.


    And early on, when he had come out from the inner offices, he had already been holding a blade, poised and ready, quietly laying out hundreds of magical symbols around him.


    "How audacious!"


    The right hand holding Lin Rui''s blade suddenly lit up with thunder, and purple flames blazed fiercely, "Daring to assassinate me, death!"


    By the time he uttered the word "daring," the long blade had already left its sheath.


    It was the S+ grade secret blade technique¡ªThunderclap Absolute Slash!


    At this moment, 26 meters still separated Lin Rui and Feng Guang, when the purple blade light directly pierced through the space, targeting Feng Guang''s face.


    "Super King Secret Blade?"


    And it was a Super King Secret Blade technique perfected to the utmost level!


    Feng Guang''s face paled with shock. He hadn''t expected Lin the Twelfth''s attack range to be that wide or his blade speed to be that quick, and the force behind it so powerful!


    This man must have practiced the highest level of Concealing Breath Skill, masking any distinction between reality and camouflage.


    Now that they had crossed blades, Feng Guang was certain without a doubt; this man had completed his blood cultivation and begun stepping into the Fourth Realm! The gap between the two of them was not as wide as Feng Guang had originally thought.


    "Clang! Clang! Clang¡ª"


    Lin Rui unleashed five strikes of the Thunderclap Absolute Slash in succession, all of which Feng Guang managed to block, along with a golden sword Asura that flashed brightly.


    But just then, Blood Blade, with an unanticipated flash escape, appeared behind him, slashing from his back and cutting through to his chest and abdomen.


    Had it not been for the timely aid of Zhang Zhili and Wang Tiandong, forcing Blood Blade to withdraw her blade, Feng Guang''s body below the shoulders might have been sliced in half by Blood Blade.


    He turned pale, not hesitating to turn around and flee, "This bastard is troublesome; retreat!"


    The fight was no longer tenable; Feng Guang knew he had underestimated the opponent. Continuing the fight would either see him killed by Blood Blade or captured by the forces of Wang City.


    Seeing this, the various experts and constables from the office below also changed their expressions and fled in haste, escaping out of the gates of Wang City.


    At this time, the onlookers outside witnessed a bizarre spectacle.


    They saw a large group of constables in blue, affiliated with the office, and even several individuals in the robes of sixth or seventh rank officials, streaming out from the Wang City Government Office. They leapt across the crowd, jumping over the heads of the onlookers and then running wildly along the streets in a frantic escape.


    Following them was a fierce squadron of Imperial Dragon Guards, chasing after them with loud shouts, revealing a relentless and aggressive pursuit.


    Some of the constables failed to escape, either being chopped down to the ground, unconscious or surrendering, laying down their weapons, and raising their hands.


    Lin Rui signaled Blood Blade to pursue, preferably to inflict severe injuries on all three Deputies, so they could rest easy for the next dozen or so days.


    However, as he strode towards the entrance to inspect the damage to the door, a figure flew from afar.


    It was none other than the Prefectural Magistrate Dong Linghui!


    Seeing this person, Lin Rui scowled, wondering if he came again to mediate the situation, only to hear Dong Linghui call out from afar, "Magistrate Lin, the demonic dragon has recovered and is causing chaos downstream of the Tianxiang River, blocking the river. The Capital Commandant urgently requests your assistance; the Prefectural Governor has already gone ahead. I hope you can hurry to support us and together suppress this demon."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui''s spirit suddenly tensed. Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 173 Lawlessness (Please Subscribe)

    ```


    Lin Rui had known long ago that there was a demonic dragon in Wang City Prefecture, which was a severe thorn in the side for Wang City.


    It was said that this monster was as high as the sixth realm, possessing the royal bloodline, and had once ravaged the downstream areas of the Tianxiang River, causing floods, disrupting navigation, extorting tributes and blood meals from the riverside residents, and blackmailing merchants for their money and valuables.


    Until a few months ago, when the dragon was severely injured by the joined forces of the Prefectural Governor and others.


    Unfortunately, the dragon managed to escape and had been hiding without trace beneath the Tianxiang River.


    In order to prevent the dragon from retaliating, Wang City Prefecture had no choice but to station thousands of its soldiers on the river embankments, staying armed and vigilant day and night, forcing even the local Capital Commandant to patrol the riverbanks incessantly, not daring to leave his post.


    Had the dragon recovered so quickly?


    For Wang City Prefecture, this was truly disastrous news.


    A dragon transformed in the sixth realm was equivalent in strength to a federal brigadier general; placed in this small prefectural city, it was like a crocodile in a pond, an almost unsolvable presence.


    Nor could one know how the Prefectural Governor and the others managed to injure it months ago.


    Lin Rui felt fortunate that he had acted early. The merchant ships from Jingport had set north towards the capital with a large load of Divine Heart Tea more than a dozen days ago; otherwise, the situation would now be several times more complicated.


    With these merchant ships blocked in Wang City, the resident defender would surely be displeased, doubting his competence.


    Lin Rui bowed to Dong Linghui, the deputy mayor, "Deputy Mayor, rest assured, I have some troubles to deal with on my end, and need to make some preparations. At most within half an hour, Lin will definitely rush to assist."


    Dong Linghui''s expression relaxed upon hearing this, bowing back with a hint of gratitude, "The Defense Commissioner truly understands the bigger picture, indeed a blessing for the people of our Wang City!"


    In his view, the arrival of Lin, the Twelfth, was indeed a pleasant surprise.


    This newly appointed Defense Commissioner was much stronger than his predecessor, both in terms of power and ability.


    Which is why Wang City was fervently recruiting people in town, and the prefectural office was doing its best to cooperate.


    Although the prefectural office and Wang City have been at odds for many years, in the current time when hands were needed, and the demons within the city and martial artists became increasingly restless and rampant, the new recruitment of 200 Royal Dragon Guards and several Capital Commandants of the fourth realm had the effect of a stabilizing talisman.


    They, the Prefectural Governor, Capital Commandant, Deputy Mayor, and Defense Commissioner, were the four pillars of Wang City Prefecture; if they could not work together in harmony at this time, the situation would be dire.


    The scene of Blood Blade Ji battling alone against those three investigators from the Supervisory Office today excited and delighted Dong Linghui even more; the strength of this super-huang of the fourth realm seemed to have greatly increased!


    However, the conflict between Lin, the Twelfth, and the Supervisory Office also worried him.


    Wen Tailai, the chief scribe standing nearby, however, couldn''t help but feel a bit puzzled at these words.


    Is a Celestial Official really about to arrive in Wang City? Why would the boss mention this in public? Isn''t he afraid that the news will leak and the group from the Office of the Imperial Censors for Criminal Prosecution will find out?


    "Remember, whoever wants to take this demon away, cut him down for me. I''ll take responsibility!"


    Lin Rui looked over to Wen Tailai, "Chief scribe, write two detailed official reports about today''s events and send them quickly to the governor and the military commander of Shazhou! Also, preserve all the evidence, especially this door."


    Wen Tailai immediately collected his thoughts, his expression solemn as he saluted with a fist, "This subordinate understands! This subordinate will faithfully record the arrogant and presumptuous behaviors of Feng Guang and others, their utter disregard for the emperor and the law, and report to the governor and the military commander!"


    In short, it is the wicked who complain first, no! It is to preemptively complain to the authorities and pin the responsibility of stoking fire on the Office of the Imperial Censors for Criminal Prosecution.


    Lin Rui nodded, satisfied. As long as Wen Tailai wasn''t confused, he was quite easy to work with, "Also, have someone fix this door. Since it needs to be remade, let''s make two imposing ones, and repair the houses on both sides as well. Make the Office of the Imperial Censors for Criminal Prosecution pay for it, including our brothers'' medical expenses. You know what to do, right?"


    Wen Tailai understood implicitly.


    If the people from the Office of the Imperial Censors for Criminal Prosecution refused to compensate, then the constables from their prison could forget about having any good days ahead.


    Together with the constables led by Constable Dou Ming who had been previously locked up, there were already over thirty of them imprisoned.


    Lin Rui then returned to the inner office, donned the exclusive sixth-rank colonel''s standard battle armor of the Imperial Guard Bureau, and took more than ten bundles containing a thousand talismans from the storeroom, along with a bag of elemental stones to hang on his waist.


    Lin Rui hadn''t been drawing talismans much recently, but now as the Defense Commander of Wang City, he could freely utilize any of the resources in Wang City''s storehouse.


    Every year, the court would provide Wang City with a large amount of top-quality talismans, mid- and low-grade elemental stones, medicines, arrows, and so on. Lin Rui could use them as he wished, without much effort.


    As for the armor, it came from Shazhou a few days earlier.


    It was a fifth-tier upper-level full-body alloy armor that could be paired with his soft hedgehog armor. Its defense was extremely strong, although it was somewhat cumbersome to don. Even with Blood Blade Ji''s help, it took several minutes to put on.


    However, this time the opponent was a sixth-level monster, so Lin Rui was being extra cautious and did not mind the trouble at all.


    Speaking of bad timing, if it had been just a day later, he could have implanted ''Blood Core Frenzy'' in Blood Blade Ji to boost her combat power once again. Now, the procedure had to be postponed.


    Next, Lin Rui hurried to the stables, mounted an Ironscale Horse, and with Blood Blade Ji, galloped out of the city.


    The Prefectural Governor and Prefectural Commandant, among others, were at the battle site with the demonic dragon, located forty-some odd miles north of the city, not far from Jingang. The booming sounds of their clash were akin to thunderous roars, clearly audible even from over forty miles away.


    Lin Rui spurred his horse to a gallop, and as he neared the battlefield, he saw that the two banks of the river, covering three miles, had become a vast expanse of water.


    In the middle of the river, two divine beings clad in golden armor, each standing around twelve feet tall, were engaged in fierce battle with a monster that stood thirty feet tall and seventy-two feet in length, with horns on its head and irregular black scales covering its body, resembling a gigantic crocodile.

 Chapter 174 Steel Bones (Subscription Request)

    "That must be the Prefectural Governor and his deputy, both are using Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor!"


    Ji Xueying, already capable of brief levitation, floated behind Lin Rui after dismounting her horse, holding a blade defensively as she used a powerful and vast Blade Aura to protect both Lin Rui and his steed as they moved forward.


    The ''Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor'' originated from an outer realm Heavenly Demon. It was created 800 years ago by numerous master craftsmen who combined a so-called mobile armor technique of the Heavenly Demons with the Magic Artifact manufacturing techniques from Tianji Star.


    They fused this combat machinery from the Heavenly Demons with magical artificing techniques to create the powerful ''Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor,'' which surpassed ordinary Magic Artifacts in combat prowess.


    However, due to the difficult manufacturing process of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor and strict imperial control, currently, only high-ranking officials of the fifth rank or above could purchase it from Great Song''s artisanal bureau.


    The Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor varied in quality, and their prices varied accordingly.


    Those two ahead, their armors must have reached the fifth realm king level, combined their strength to just barely manage to contest with the demonic dragon.


    Ironically, her master''s armor was also of the fifth rank but only served as a means of protection, and even its defensive capabilities could not compare to the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor.


    At this moment, the two, relying on the might of the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, battled fiercely with the demonic dragon in the middle of the Tianxiang River, creating Sword and Fist Auras that swept across several miles around, causing Lin Rui''s iron-scaled horse to almost be blown away as it ran.


    Furthermore, countless powerful water droplets mixed with scattered Punch and Blade Auras propelled towards them, presenting great danger.


    Ji Xueying had no choice but to clear the way with her Blade Aura, protecting the two as they moved forward.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that these two must be really wealthy.


    From his recent inquiries, while these two Prefectural officers conducted themselves with considerable integrity, they could still afford such expensive ''Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor.''


    Especially the one who was tallest, unarmed, his battle armor was covered with a layer of crimson gold horizontal outer Qi, manifesting exceptional combat strength.


    By observing his martial prowess, Lin Rui knew he was the Prefectural Governor, Li Changguo.


    This man countered the demonic dragon with his Yuan Magnetic Fist technique head-on in mid-air, not retreating a single step, his aura fierce and domineering.


    When the demonic dragon''s claws occasionally landed on Li Changguo''s armor, they only managed to leave shallow pits.


    Lin Rui estimated that Li Changguo''s armor was worth at least 300,000 demonic silver or more. Prefect Qin Xia''s armor wouldn''t be worth much less.


    Previously, the County Magistrate mentioned that these two came from major clans, which Lin Rui hadn''t taken to heart.


    Now it seemed he had quite underestimated the weight behind the term ''major clan.''


    Lin Rui spurred his horse near the riverbank to quickly survey the surroundings, then headed towards a nearby hill.


    He dismounted at the summit of the hill, then took out the Yuan Stones and Dharma Seals from his pouch, setting up an Array with precise and swift movements.


    Next, Lin Rui signaled Ji Xueying to open her clothes, and he used a cinnabar pen to draw runes on the skin of Blood Blade Ji.


    He had only drawn part of the runes when a faint golden light appeared around Ji Xueying''s body.


    "The technique I''m using now is called ''Divine Altar Golden Body,'' which uses the power of this Divine Altar to enhance your strength and physical body. However, be very careful, you must protect yourself with spiritual power, and make sure these runes don''t get wet!"


    At that moment, Lin Rui emitted a surprised gasp.


    He saw a figure rising into the sky near the riverbank, joining the battle.


    That person was none other than the Prefect Dong Linghui. He held a war bow and stood on a disk-shaped Magic Artifact, shooting arrows at the demonic dragon from a thousand zhang away.


    The arrows in his hand, compared to the massive body of the demonic dragon, seemed like a child''s slingshot, but they were shot with astounding momentum.


    Whenever they hit, they could pierce through the demonic dragon''s scales and embed into its flesh.


    "Booming("


    Ji Xueying was flung away like a shooting star, savagely smashed into the water by the demon dragon''s tail-whip.


    Li Changguo and Prefectural Governor Qin Xia both sank in their hearts.


    They knew the strength of the demon dragon was ferocious, and Blood Blade Ji, having been struck by its tail, probably had all her bones shattered!


    But the next instant, they saw Blood Blade Ji burst out of the river, continuing to flash to the side of the demon dragon and fight it, significantly relieving their pressure by restraining the demon dragon.


    Though blood trickled from the corners of her mouth, her demonic resilience was extremely formidable; she recovered in an instant.


    "Is this Steel Bones?"


    Li Changguo''s eyes widened in surprise, unavoidably shouting out, "Good!"


    At this moment, not only had Blood Blade Ji''s combat power exceeded his expectations, being more than twice as strong as in the battle a dozen or so days ago, but she had also awakened the bloodline talent of ''Steel Bones,'' her skeleton as tough as fine steel!


    Steel Bones was only a royal-grade talent, but its actual utility was very strong and practical, allowing Blood Blade Ji to possess an incredibly high resistance to impacts.


    Additionally, the layer of golden light around Blood Blade Ji was likely a spell called ''Divine Altar Golden Body,'' greatly enhancing her defensive power and strength.


    Li Changguo''s spirits were immediately lifted, thinking that this way, the tide of battle between them and this demon dragon was about to turn!


    Although that Lin Defense Officer had caused him embarrassment before, today he was quite effective.


    The demon dragon also realized that the situation was not good.


    It could not focus all its power on Li Changguo, as the annoying red shadow continued to bleed it.


    "Are you that Blood Blade Ji?"


    The demon dragon again repeatedly bombed Ji Xueying with its tail.


    This was one of its innate bloodline talents, extremely powerful, but it required consuming a vast amount of blood energy.


    After several unsuccessful attempts to kill Blood Blade Ji, it roared in anger, its eyes glaring toward the hill next to the riverbank.


    It saw the man standing at the top of the hill, clad in heavy armor, his hands forming Dharma Seals.


    That must be Ji Xueying''s master, Lin Twelve.


    "Presumptuous!"


    The demon dragon was full of rage and hatred; it had long known from its subordinates that Yuan Ji had been killed by Lin Twelve.


    Yuan Ji was an extraterritorial Heavenly Demon it had not easily found, the channel through which it obtained Heavenly Demon potions, yet destroyed by Lin Twelve.


    This guy had also slain several of its fifth realm demonic lieutenants, significantly weakening its forces.


    At that time, it had just injected an enhancement potion provided by Yuan Ji, so its body wasn''t quite stable, and it didn''t take any action.


    Yet today, this presumptuous man kept appearing in front of it, continuously controlling the protective demon to inflict severe injuries on it.


    The demon dragon suddenly let out a furious roar, stirring the winds and clouds within several miles, "Go, kill him for me!"


    At this moment, hundreds of demons hidden under the water surged toward the hill where Lin Rui was.


    Seeing this, both Li Changguo and Qin Xia''s faces fell again, both thinking that the demon dragon indeed struck where it hurts.

 Chapter 175 Like the Abyss (Three more chapters for monthly votes)

    Lin Rui also saw the demons in the river.


    He had been prepared, standing ready for battle.


    By this time, Lin Rui had already raised his "Defense Envoy" official Dharma Seal high into the sky, and over 100 pale yellow talismans floated out from his sleeves, hovering around him.


    However, the first thing Lin Rui had to face was the hundreds of water arrows and Wind Blades stirred up from the river.


    Most of those demons were of the water type, stirring up winds and waves as their forte. At a distance of more than eighty zhang, unaffected by the suppression of the official seal, the water arrows shot towards him with force comparable to a high-pressure water gun, and the water contained a certain amount of toxin.


    The Wind Blades slashing through the air also possessed formidable power, relentlessly aiming at Lin Rui, whistling through the air, incredibly sharp.


    "These cursed beasts!" Lin Rui''s eyes showed helplessness as he had to recall those talismans and continued to form Dharma Seals with one hand while moving throughout the Array.


    Normally, Lin Rui would have used an Escape Skill to flee, never foolishly staying put to be their target.


    The issue was that the Array he was presiding over was the foundation of the Blood Blade warrioress''s "Divine Altar Golden Body."


    The moment Lin Rui left the Array, the magic would fail, greatly reducing Blood Blade''s combat capabilities.


    Therefore, he could only stay within the Array, shifting and dodging in a small range, and if he truly couldn''t avoid it, he would rely on his armor to bear the brunt.


    Fortunately, he had anticipated this scene well in advance, choosing a high terrain hill, and the side facing the river was also very steep, which halved the power of those water arrows and Wind Blades as they surged upward.


    The fifth-order heavy armor and fifth-order divine bristle armor worn by Lin Rui were also very powerful. Not only were the water arrows unable to shake him, but even the Wind Blades unleashed by those demons couldn''t break through the defenses of the two types of armor.


    Only the high-pressure washing of the water arrows posed a certain threat to the Array he had set up.


    The elemental stones Lin Rui had laid were embedded in the mud layer, but as the water flooded over them, the elemental stones began to loosen, and the various talismans within the Array started to fail one after another. Lin Rui had no choice but to move around while making repairs.


    Luckily, at this time, the temperature around him dropped sharply, reaching below freezing point in an instant.


    Not only did a layer of ice form on Lin Rui''s armor, but the ground also began to rapidly freeze over,


    Seeing this, Lin Rui couldn''t help but smile. The ice was forming perfectly, stabilizing his Array in an instant.


    His whole body ignited with crimson golden flames, combating the severe cold all around him.


    Lin Rui was also exceedingly careful not to melt the layer of ice beneath his feet.


    At that moment, he abruptly drew his blade and slashed continuously into the void, causing several bursts of blood light to explode in front of the hill!


    These were several Four-Realm demons that had stealthily approached near the Array, which Lin Rui decapitated from over twenty meters away with a single slash, killing them on the spot!@@@@


    Originally, there were also three Five-Realm demons that had stealthily approached the foot of the hill.


    Seeing this, they all frowned and temporarily stopped in their tracks.


    This Lin Defense Envoy''s combat power was a bit beyond their expectations.


    That ability to kill from a distance with the Super King Secret Blade chilled them to the bone, instilling fear and apprehension!


    This fellow was slaying those Four-Realm demons as effortlessly as slaughtering pigs and dogs.


    The demon dragon above the Tianxiang River saw this scene and was immediately filled with rage, "You bunch of idiots, go up there and kill him for me!"


    His ''Blood Core Fury Yang'' bloodline was also in an excited state, with a radiance of blazing fire illuminating the surroundings within a radius of one mile.


    This allowed Lin Rui''s True Qi and spiritual power to flow endlessly, sustaining his energy channels.


    "Bastard!"


    The demon dragon also felt a twinge of alarm, its gaze deep with dark intent. Judging by the battle situation on the hill, even if all its followers perished, they might still be unable to storm the hilltop.


    Had it known this earlier, it would have preferred to keep them in the water to spit together.


    However, such third-realm demonic creatures were very easy to cultivate, virtually available in whatever numbers it desired.


    If it weren''t for Magistrate Qin Xia leading his troops to clean up the riverbank and continually striking during its period of injury, the third-realm demonic creatures under its command could have easily exceeded a thousand by now.


    Therefore, the demon dragon didn''t care about the deaths and injuries of these third-realm demons; it only hated that it couldn''t slaughter that bastard surnamed Lin!


    It immediately let out another furious roar, "Wu Fei! Wu Jian! If you brothers don''t make a move now, believe it or not, I''ll eat you alive!"


    And right after the roar that shook the entire riverbank, a mist began to spread over the hilltop around Lin Rui.


    Seeing this, the distant government official Dong Linghui''s heart sank, "Not good!"


    These were the fifth-realm demonic creatures under the demon dragon''s command, making moves against Lin Rui.


    While these fifth-realm demons were weak in combat and couldn''t join the great battle between the demon dragon and the others, they posed a fatal threat to Lin Rui, who was only at the fourth realm.


    The main purpose of the mist was not to obscure Lin Rui''s perception, but to guide the purple lightning and divert the divine might of the thunder net.


    At this moment in the center of the dense fog, however, Lin Rui was slightly stunned.


    These demons were actually producing fog? Such a turn of good fortune?


    It was in that instant that Lin Rui sensed at least five powerful presences swiftly approaching the hilltop under the cover of the thick fog.


    Lin Rui didn''t hesitate to reach for the long blade at his waist.


    Yang Pulling Slash, strike!


    The moment he drew the blade from its sheath, he transformed into a burst of golden light!


    Although the weapon Lin Rui used now was far from comparable to ''Super King Secret Blade,'' his blade speed, aided by the surrounding thunder net, was so fast that it surpassed the limits of the naked eye and became challenging to capture.


    Puh!


    Accompanied by two splashes of blood in the fog, two powerful demonic creatures that had closed within seven meters of Lin Rui were instantly cut in half, their bodies burning like torches!


    Notification: Slaying the fifth-realm demon, you''ve gained 4592 points of Soul Power.


    Notification: Slaying the fifth-realm demon, you''ve gained 4321 points of Soul Power.


    The remaining three demons within the fog trembled in terror, overwhelmingly alarmed!


    It wasn''t the death of their comrades that scared them, but in that instant, they felt an immensely vast spiritual force enveloping the area, twisting the very fabric of the world.


    It seemed to be ¡ª an abyss!

 Chapter 176 Made a Fortune (Subscribe Please)

    A moment later, the Heavenly Demon Dragon saw its three fifth-level demonic minions retreat from the dense fog in utter disgrace.


    This scene also took the Prefectural Governor and others by surprise.


    "What happened?"


    The dragon''s vertical pupils widened in anger as fury boiled within.


    What were these three fools doing retreating?


    And what about the Wu brothers?


    The ''Divine Altar Golden Body'' was still on Blood Blade Ji, so that defensive officer Lin hadn''t died yet!


    In the fog, purple lightning snakes also lashed out, striking down any third-level demons daring to charge too close!


    The dragon couldn''t help but roar again, and with its psychic force, those three fifth-level demons just wouldn''t run back into the fog.


    One of them transmitted a message through the power of its bloodline, "Boss, that guy inside has abyssal strength. The Wu brothers are dead!"


    "Abyssal?"@@@@


    The dragon was taken aback, then swung its tail to whip up a fierce wind that scattered the mist.


    It saw Lin Rui standing perfectly fine in the middle of the formation, one hand holding a seal and the other clutching a knife, surrounded by hundreds of talismans and a formidable network of thunderbolts.


    Now, he was not dodging at all, just standing firm there.


    About ten meters to Lin Rui''s left and right lay two burning corpses.


    Those were Wu Fei and Wu Jian, their demon bodies resembling turtles, but their heads had been severed, chopped into pieces.


    The dragon''s gaze flickered, followed by a sinister laugh.


    "Arrogant!"


    Its dragon body suddenly expanded, unleashing a powerful force. Its tail swept around, and its claws struck fiercely, forcing Prefectural Governor Li Changguo and Deputy Governor Qin Xia to retreat several meters. Only Blood Blade Ji, with her agile and swift figure and versatile Escape Skills, avoided the dragon''s formidable power entirely.


    After Li Changguo and Qin Xia retreated, they immediately moved toward Lin Rui on the riverbank.


    The two were worried that the dragon was forcing them back to free up its energy to strike at Lin Rui.


    Today, Lin Rui had displayed martial skills and magic that greatly exceeded their expectations, not only holding off the dragon''s demonic minions but also managing to kill two upper fifth-level demons in an instant!


    Nevertheless, this defensive officer was still the weakest and most critical link among them, indispensable.


    But the next moment, the dragon they were facing had already dissolved into a massive pool of liquid and spread out.


    The true body of the dragon had already charged into the river, emitting a cold laugh, "That''s enough for today! I''m tired of fighting. We''ll battle again another time!"


    Today, it reckoned it had no chance of victory and thus grew weary of the fight.


    It had thought, after injecting an enhancing serum that fortified its strength, it could dominate the group of government officials, avenging the serious injury it had suffered a few months earlier in an ambush.


    Unexpectedly, after the previous defensive officer of Wang City had died, a stronger one had arrived.


    Thus, he turned a blind eye to the conflicts between the Provincial Surveillance Commission and Wang City''s officials, even covertly supporting Wang City''s officials.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui''s expression shifted, thinking this was another crime he could attribute to Wen Tailai later on.


    These individuals, members of the Provincial Surveillance Commission, neglected the demons plaguing the locality and caused conflicts with local colleagues instead, a clear dereliction of duty and violation of law!


    "But continuing like this is not a solution either!" Prefectural Chief Dong Linghui frowned deeply. "Just the Jinggang Dock alone has tens of thousands of laborers reliant on this river for livelihood, not to mention the tens of thousands of common folk along both sides of the river, who cannot go without food or drink."


    The truth was that the top-quality farmland within twenty li on either side of the river was all in the hands of local gentry, who were largely unconnected to the commoners.


    However, it was these very gentry and scholars who could exert tremendous pressure on the three of them, especially with the autumn harvest only a few months away.


    Li Changguo, his face grim, "Didn''t we confiscate over 200,000 bushels of grain after exterminating Yuan Ji''s associates? Let''s start using this batch of grain to keep things running, as long as the people have enough food, there shouldn''t be a large problem."


    He could never provide the Heavenly Demon with blood sacrifices, nor could he bow down to it!


    Lin Rui nodded subtly, thinking they could only bide their time.


    He planned to implant the ''Blood Core Fury Sun'' into Blood Blade Ji after returning.


    With this supreme emperor-rank auxiliary implant, not only would Blood Blade Ji''s combat prowess significantly increase, but her speed of accumulating Magic Power and blood essence would also accelerate greatly, allowing her to advance to the Fifth Realm within one or two months.


    Actually, Lin Rui had also acquired an enhancer called ''Iron Bone'' to reinforce her physical flexibility and the toughness of her fasciae and meridians, which combined with her existing ''Steel Bones'' would be termed ''Steel Muscle and Iron Bones''.


    Unfortunately, Ji Xueying had just been injected with the Steel Bone serum and needed to wait before another injection, otherwise, her power would undergo a significant transformation in a few days.


    Moreover, the fabled Dream Officer would also arrive soon, and with his help, the troublesome Heavenly Demon might be easily dealt with.


    Estimating his arrival, it should be within the next few days.


    Lin Rui then began tallying his gains from this adventure.


    Unfortunately, as today''s battle occurred in a very public setting, he couldn''t utilize these demon corpses.


    Just a moment ago, when the fog was thick, he managed to extract two packs of blood from two Fifth Realm demons before their bodies were completely consumed by fire, expecting to make about 2 million Federation Coins from it.


    The tortoise shells of the two Fifth Realm demons could also be exchanged for money as materials for Magic Artifacts.


    His greatest earning, however, was in Soul Power points, and indeed, he had earned a tremendous amount this time.


    In the strikes of thunder he had summoned earlier, he had killed over eighty Third Realm demons.


    He also slaughtered seven in the Fourth Realm, and two in the Fifth Realm.


    "In total, that''s 61234 points!"


    Lin Rui''s eyes gleamed with excitement.


    Just as he was about to open the skill lists of his two war spirits, he saw a streak of silver light flying towards him from afar.


    It turned out to be a ''Hundred Thousand Mile Flyer'', appearing just like a book opened wide, flapping its wings as it circled around him.


    This was Lin Rui''s first interaction with such a device, and he observed it with amazement.


    But who could this be from? Who in Wang City prefecture could afford such a thing?


    When he received the Flyer and took a glance at the enclosed letter, his expression abruptly changed, his mind beginning to race.

 Chapter 177 Unexpected Changes in the Sky (Subscription Requested)

    Lin Rui furrowed his brow deeply as soon as he finished reading the content of the letter. He clasped his hands towards the three people in front of him, "Gentlemen, Lin has an urgent matter to attend to and must take his leave first. Farewell!"


    Prefectural Governor Dong Linghui had already noticed the uneasy expression on his face and immediately replied, "Master Lin, please proceed with your affairs, leave the finishing up to us three."


    However, Prefectural Governor Li Changguo''s brow furrowed slightly, "Master Lin, regarding the security and defense of the city, I will hand it over to you tomorrow morning. I will try my best to accommodate the conditions you mentioned earlier."


    This was because he noticed that after Lin Rui mounted the iron-scale horse, he did not head towards Wang City, but instead dashed northwards towards Tianyue County.


    Lin Rui knew that Li Changguo was reminding him to prioritize the city''s security. Riding on the horse, he turned back smiling and clasped his fists, "Rest assured, Your Excellency. Lin has everything under control and will surely rush back to Wang City by noon tomorrow."


    Worried that the demon dragon might overhear, he used a spell to transmit his voice directly into Li Changguo''s ears.


    The three people behind him exchanged glances. In their eyes, young Lin Rui was somewhat astute, having remained calm and composed even when previously facing a siege by a horde of demons. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire


    Yet, after reading the letter, he had shown a look of horror.


    It was clear that something urgent had arisen, and it was unknown if this would impact Wang City.


    Lin Rui''s face turned pale as he spurred his horse into a mad dash northwards for hundreds of miles, then switched to another iron-scale horse provided by Ji Xueying.


    Ji Xueying stood behind him the entire time. She was light as drifting snow, standing on the saddle behind Lin Rui, exerting no pressure on her feet.


    Her expression questioned, "Master, what exactly has happened?"


    "A big disaster, a huge trouble!"


    Lin Rui sighed, "You''ll know when we get there. Indeed, one can only rely on oneself. Relying on the mountain, the mountain collapses; relying on people, people fall. None can be relied upon."


    After hearing this, Ji Xueying was confused, but she curbed her curiosity.


    He continued his frantic rush northwards, covering over 500 miles.


    By midnight, Lin Rui entered the territory of Tianyue County and arrived at the top of a hill, looking out in all directions.


    "Qu Luo County, one hundred thirty miles east of Taoyuan Township, a piece of forest, a small hill shaped like a crouching tiger¡ª"


    Lin Rui''s gaze immediately locked onto a small mountain about two hundred zhang high, astonishingly, the surrounding primeval forest looked as if it had been struck by a meteor.


    Not only were there large swathes of broken, fallen trees, but there also appeared several massive pits spanning several miles.


    Clearly, a fierce battle had taken place here, with both parties having cultivation levels of at least sixth realm, each possessing battle dragons, powerful enough to shoulder mountains and seas!


    By this time, the two iron-scale horses he brought were foaming at the mouth, so the two of them had to proceed on foot.


    However, with Ji Xueying leading the way, their speed was even faster.


    The location mentioned in the letter was nestled within a hollow in the southern foothills of Wo Hu Mountain.


    As Lin Rui approached, he sensed shouts emanating from within.


    "We''ve found someone. They are in this hollow."


    "Elders inside! We are from Burning Saber Sect, bearing no ill intentions. We came to check the situation as we heard the fierce fighting earlier!"


    "She seems to be injured, covered in blood!"


    "That''s her battle dragon next to her! It looks severely damaged and can''t move."@@@@


    "This is it! The woman is unconscious, and all this noise still hasn''t woken her. We might find a way to take her back to our sect."


    "Shut up! She might still hear us."


    When these sentences were uttered, they were laced with intense excitement.


    Lin Rui''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    Burning Saber Sect?


    She directly picked up the elixir bottles and poured all the pills into her mouth.


    "Lin Twelve, do you have any meat with you? I can smell the blood."


    Lin Rui signaled to Ji Xueying behind him, and she immediately nodded, her figure vanishing in a flash.


    Soon after, she returned carrying two iron scale horses and threw them in front of the battle dragon.


    These were brought by the people of the Burning Saber Sect, totaling twenty-four.


    The battle dragon then opened a pair of dark golden eyes, grabbed an iron scale horse, gutted it, and then threw it into its mouth to eat raw, making crunching noises.


    It swiftly devoured two horses, showing a look of unfulfilled craving.


    Blood Blade Ji then brought in two more iron scale horses and dropped them in front of the battle dragon.


    ''Battle dragons'' are essentially no different from demons.


    The only difference is that demons transform themselves, while battle dragons are demonic entities separated from a human body.


    Lin Rui, however, noticed that after the girl took the elixir, not only did her aura not improve, but her face turned even paler, covered in cold sweat.


    This was because the injuries that the girl had suppressed were now fully erupting.


    Lin Rui was secretly alarmed, thinking that this was not a good sign, hoping that the woman would not die in front of him.


    He hesitated, "Heavenly official, I have something that might help you recover some of your injuries; however, it originated from the Heavenly Demon and was previously owned by Yuan Ji. I''m not sure if you¡ª"


    It was a type 5 regenerative injection, indeed from Yuan Ji.


    It was that night Lin Rui had assimilated Yuan Ji''s Primordial Spirit and gained a part of his memories. Afterwards, he found it in a hidden cellar in this guy''s estate.


    There were six injections in total, and he had specifically shown them to the Prefectural Governor and others to prove his innocence.


    The girl''s eyes brightened upon hearing this, "Oh? A demon injection, is it? I have no qualms, let me see it!"


    Lin Rui no longer feigned ignorance and immediately took out an injection from his bosom and held it in his hand.


    After the girl took the injection and glanced at it, her face immediately lit up with joy, "A type 5 repair solution? Heaven has not abandoned me."


    Although the injection could not help her recover much, it could stop her condition from worsening.


    She skilfully injected the liquid from the syringe into her neck.


    "You really saved my life this time!"


    As soon as the injection entered, a flush appeared on the girl''s face, "I thought I was surely doomed this time, only hoping that my remains wouldn''t fall into others'' hands."


    She then became alert, her eyes sharply focused as she said, "Lin Twelve, now go quickly to the north, eighty li away, and search the area. The rogue who fought me earlier is also gravely injured, and his injuries won''t be much lighter than mine. He is very likely in a coma now!"


    Lin Rui was actually quite curious.


    As far as he knew, this Dream Heavenly Official was a Sixth Realm Super Emperor! Stronger than many in the Seventh Realm!


    What kind of opponent had he encountered today to be injured to such an extent, nearly dying?


    The girl''s next words, however, sent a huge shock through him, almost causing his face to drastically change.


    "If you find him, see if there''s a chance to kill him, but be very careful, prioritize your safety."


    The girl furrowed her brows and looked towards the north, "That rogue''s name is Fei Yunlai! He is an extremely ferocious extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, a notorious criminal listed on the Great Song Imperial List, so you must be cautious! Especially be wary of his protector demon, which might still have some mobility."


    Lin Rui''s mood at the moment was indescribable.


    He sighed inwardly, thinking that it was indeed a case of misfortune raining down upon him.


    The two powerful reinforcements he had long awaited, how did they end up here clashing and both being severely injured!

 Chapter 178 Nothing More (Three more chapters for monthly votes)

    While Lin Rui''s other body raced through the night, on Tianji Star''s Satellite No. 9, inside the Martial Arts Club of Mingde University at the Ninth Base City, a battle was about to take place that tens of millions of martial artists in exo-suits and martial arts enthusiasts were eagerly watching.@@@@


    Not only had over twenty well-known TV stations sent journalists, aiming various long and short holo-cameras at the platform, but there were also several dozen popular martial arts commentators and hosts gathered here.


    They were all waiting for the two individuals on the platform to engage, whispering and discussing fervently among themselves.


    "The underground betting odds from the Third City are out, ''Demon Sword'' King of Baili winning at 1 to 1.72, ''Immortal Sword'' Shi Yan winning at 1 to 2.75. It seems no one favors the former number one of the 18-year-olds."


    "That''s quite normal. We saw the limit of Shi Yan''s abilities the day before yesterday, but during King of Baili''s two battles with Mingde University''s Martial Arts Team yesterday, there was still a great deal left in reserve."


    "Fang Ranran has already exposed the weaknesses of Shi Yan''s martial arts. Moreover, with Lin Rui''s sudden rise, Shi Yan''s mindset must be affected; it''s said she once challenged Lin Rui in private."


    "She revealed it herself, said she was defeated with a single strike."


    "No wonder. Lin Rui''s sword drawing technique really is a bit overpowered, eight ten-thousandths of a second! That''s almost defying the heavens. The Martial Arts Association rated it SS+, a super emperor-level secret technique. But I think it''s more than that. The reason it didn''t hit SSS is that the old fogies in the association believe that there isn''t emperor-level bloodline power or secret techniques below the fifth realm."


    "King of Baili is very smart, never fighting a battle unprepared. Since he decided to fight Shi Yan to determine the victor, he must be extremely confident of winning."


    "Still, the two could hold out for a while. Shi Yan''s strength is there, and it shouldn''t be a problem for her to fight King of Baili for about ten minutes."


    At this moment, the noise of the discussions began to decrease, and the martial arts hall gradually quieted down.


    Simply because the countdown on the platform had started.


    The weapon used by the Demon Sword King of Baili was a spear-sword, a weapon that combined many high technologies, integrating both the spear and the sword. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    This was a weapon he had specially prepared for Shi Yan, shaped like an ancient lance with a long sword embedded in the rear shaft, though the blade was longer, combining the strengths of both spear and sword.


    His stance, optimized for thrusting with a long spear, was also advantageous for ''interception''.


    However, to his surprise, the woman opposite him not only appeared a bit distracted but also very relaxed in her posture.


    Standing there holding her sword in reverse, she seemed to be loose and relaxed, yet King of Baili dared not be the slightest bit careless; on the contrary, he became more serious.


    From Shi Yan, he saw a perfect balance of strength and physique, as well as unmatched calmness and confidence.


    Just two days apart, and this woman''s martial arts seemed to have advanced a bit further?


    Right after the countdown ended, King of Baili hesitated not a second before lunging his spear towards Shi Yan.


    Since her strength might exceed his expectations, King of Baili believed he couldn''t hold back at all. He must suppress Shi Yan''s momentum from the start and not give her any chance to execute her sword techniques.


    Fang Ranran was an excellent reference from two days ago. If you intercepted before Shi Yan completed her sword technique, you could reduce the power of her sword skills by more than half.


    But the next instant, King of Baili''s spear-sword was deflected by a whiplike streak of sword light.


    Yet another burst of sparks flew as Shi Yan''s sword forcefully cut into Baili Wang''s barrier of swords and tide of spears, flicking his short spear into the air: "You rely way too much on experience, data, and analysis. Those moves you prepared for me, haven''t you found them all useless today? As a Martial Artist without a shred of bloodlust, relying only on your so-called ''wisdom'', you won''t make it very far!"


    At this moment, the numerous reporters and martial critics below the stage all wore looks of disbelief.


    The battle unfolding on the stage had greatly exceeded their expectations.


    The ''Demon Sword'' King of Baili had always been considered by the media as a genius on par with Shi Yan, the two most outstanding talents of the fifty-eighth cohort of special students.


    Until today, Baili Wang had been the favorite of nearly all the media and martial critics.


    However, in today''s battle, Baili Wang was completely suppressed by Shi Yan, almost without any power to fight back.


    Now everyone could see that Baili Wang was headed for certain defeat, merely hanging on by a thread.


    ''Magic Hand'' Zhen Xiaoxiao, who was sitting below the stage watching the battle, also shook his head with a wry smile.


    This teammate of his had indeed been struck by the boomerang he himself had thrown.


    And at this moment, on the major video networks of Tianji Star, there was an uproar.


    "So fast, Shi Yan''s sword speed is incredibly quick!"


    "That sword is too divine, completely unpredictable."


    "What a pity! The picture is too blurred, you really need to be on site to enjoy it."


    "Fuck! Worthy of Little Yan, I was fooled by those martial critics, I really thought she was doomed."


    "Me too, I thought Little Yan''s weaknesses were already exposed, but it turns out this Baili Wang is nothing special."


    "It''s Little Yan that has become stronger, look at the magical sword speed and trajectory, she must have also touched upon the deep abyss concept!"


    "Speaking of which, just how strong is Lin Rui? Just the day before yesterday, Little Yan herself said she couldn''t block Lin Rui''s strike!"


    "Are you kidding? That''s a knife attack in one-eight thousandth of a second, rated as triple S+ level secret blade by the Martial Arts Association! By the way, have you guys followed Lin Rui''s account on Tianhuan video network? The martial arts teaching videos he released are full of practical content, and the fees are very reasonable."


    And just as the major video networks of Tianji Star were boiling over with the battle between Shi Yan and Baili Wang, Lin Rui, who was walking through the mountain forest of Tianyue County on Tianji Star, suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked towards a certain direction to his left.


    He had already sensed the location of Fei Yunlai, not far ahead, on a small island in the depths of Tianyue Lake, although the latter''s condition was very bad, not much better than that of the Dream Heaven Official.


    Fei Yunlai''s hiding spot was actually very concealed, and his aura was well contained.


    However, his biological chip was frantically sending out distress signals to all the contacts in Fei Yunlai''s communication book.


    And Lin Rui, just happened to be one of the friends in Fei Yunlai''s communication book.

 Chapter 179 No Big Deal (Subscribe Please)

    Before slipping into unconsciousness, Fei Yunlai thought he was certainly going to die!


    His condition was atrocious, not only had he sustained grievous injuries, his entire spine had been hacked into seventeen or eighteen segments, his battle dragon and protector demon were also critically injured and on the verge of death, with severed limbs and incomplete internal organs.


    The key issue was that more than half of his biological chip had been destroyed, and both quantum communication modules were damaged.


    That insane woman clearly knew about their foreign Heavenly Demons; she targeted their biological chips from the start, ensuring to smash that before fighting him to the death.


    Now, Fei Yunlai could neither transfer his Primordial Spirit back to the ninth base nor call for help from friends near Wangcheng County.


    Only one electromagnetic communication module was still functioning, with a signal range that could cover the surrounding two hundred miles.


    However, let''s not discuss whether within this range of two hundred miles there were any other alien wanderers.


    Even if there were, Fei Yunlai was very concerned about his future predicaments.


    In the eyes of the people from Tianji Star, all of these ''foreign Heavenly Demons'' were one and the same, but among themselves, many of their kin were to be guarded against with caution.


    If his alien body fell into the hands of some organizations and companies that were not so considerate in their methods, the result would be a fate worse than death.


    How had he, Fei Yunlai, become so unlucky to encounter Meng Weiyun, that insane woman?


    He hadn''t provoked her in any way, and he hadn''t committed any major crimes recently, yet that woman had been relentless, chasing him for over five hundred miles, determined to not give up until one of them was dead, resulting in both of them being badly injured.


    This woman was indeed a ''Heavenly Official'', charged with the pursuit of wanted criminals on the imperial list, but she was almost too dedicated to her duty, reckless to the point of courting death.


    It wasn''t until Fei Yunlai felt a needle stick in his neck and a chilly medicinal fluid injected into his body that he hazily opened his eyes to see a man dressed only in undergarments, with a masked face, sitting beside him.


    Fei Yunlai instantly became alert and instinctively tensed his body: "Who are you?"


    What was this person doing wearing only undergarments? What did he mean by this?


    "Shut your mouth!"


    With a buzz in his voice, Lin Rui scolded impatiently: "I''m setting your bones right now, don''t move!"


    He was in a very bad mood as well.


    Initially, Fei Yunlai was a reinforcement whom both he and Professor Han were eagerly anticipating, but now, he had ended up in such a state and would need their care.


    The reason he was in undergarments was naturally to prevent Fei Yunlai from guessing his identity.


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    Lin Rui had arrived wearing the official battle armor of a sixth-rank officer from the Wang City, with his officer''s uniform underneath. If Fei Yunlai were to see that, he would recognize Lin Rui''s identity as a sixth-rank officer from the Wang City at a glance.


    Lin Rui knew that he needed to keep his identity and official rank highly secretive, and they should not be exposed lightly.


    Even if the person was Fei Yunlai, it was the same.


    If it were not for Professor Han''s group possessing his initial information, Lin Rui would not have been willing to meet them using this identity.


    "Whoever you are, thank you!"


    Fei Yunlai relaxed slightly, sensing no malice in Lin Rui''s words. His thoughts stirred and his eyes lit up as he said, "You are Lin Rui? No! You must be Lin Rui! I never expected you to be my savior this time, I owe you my life."


    Lin Rui shook his head, he had only brought two vials with him this time, with him and Blood Blade Ji carrying one each.


    The injection that Fei Yunlai received was the one carried by Blood Blade Ji.


    Lin Rui then took another look at Fei Yunlai''s war dragon and the situation of his guardian Heavenly Demon.


    Fei Yunlai''s guardian Heavenly Demon was still in a state of unconsciousness, being a female ''Tengu'' with a super-king bloodline of the seventh realm.


    Tengu were also a type of combat creature with formidable strength, usually in human form, but able to transform into a combat mode resembling the mythological creature ''Tengu'' from ancient Japan.


    It is said that once such a demon is subdued, it will remain loyally devoted.


    No wonder this guy could wander around the ninth city every day even after being listed on the royal warrant.


    Fei Yunlai''s war dragon had also sustained severe injuries, nearly on the brink of death.


    But Blood Blade Ji had been catching big fish in the lake for it all this while.


    With the supply of flesh and energy replenished, its condition had greatly improved, regaining some strength.


    "Now that you''re able to move on your own, you shouldn''t stay here for long. Later you can rush to this location,"


    Lin Rui left Fei Yunlai with an address, a secluded manor just outside Wangcheng County, "I''ve already informed Professor Han. He''ll be waiting for you there with various medications."


    Having made his arrangements, Lin Rui hurriedly left amid Fei Yunlai''s astonished and skeptical gaze.


    He had already stayed here for quite a long time, and continuing to linger could likely arouse Meng Weiyun''s suspicion.


    As Lin Rui hastily made his way back to the ravine where Meng Weiyun was hiding, he discovered that Meng Weiyun had fainted again.


    However, Meng Weiyun''s war dragon was awake, vigilantly guarding in front of her.


    Lin Rui frowned deeply, restraining the urge to use the Acupuncture Healing Technique on Meng Weiyun,


    He actually could use acupuncture to alleviate her injuries, even help her resolve the remnants of Fei Yunlai''s ultimate technique.


    But he could not do so; it wouldn''t be reasonable for Lin Rui to suddenly learn the Acupuncture Healing Technique without explanation, as this wasn''t the information-rich Earth Federation, and he was merely a native of the Tianji Star with nowhere to acquire such knowledge.


    There must be a preceding step and buffer before that, continuing to reinforce his persona as an all-around genius.


    Lin Rui bowed to the war dragon, "Brother Dragon, I need to move Lord Meng to the vicinity of Jinggang near Wang City. Not only can better medications be purchased there, renowned physicians can be hired to treat Lord Meng, and it''ll be convenient for me to take care of her nearby. Lord Meng has instructed me not to disclose her condition, so I ask Brother Dragon to be mindful of our surroundings on the way."


    He didn''t know if the war dragon understood, but judging from Ji Shenyan''s Royal Flame War Dragon''s behavior, these unique creatures seemed to possess self-awareness.


    The war dragon''s gaze flickered before it actually picked up Meng Weiyun with one arm.


    Its right leg had not yet fully recovered, with only the bone regrown, but this did not hinder its movement.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui nodded slightly and, leading the way with Blood Blade Ji, sped towards Wang City.


    Conveniently, the two mounts they left dozens of miles away had partly recovered their strength. It was now midnight, and the weather was poor, with a thick, ink-like night enveloping the sky, almost obscuring all light.


    The war dragon following Lin Rui moved with incredible agility, making no noise whatsoever during its march, and not even leaving a single footprint behind.


    They raced through the thick night, moving silently through the forest.

 Chapter 180 Can it be like this? (Please subscribe)

    The following noon, Lin Rui, fully armed with Wang Sen, arrived in the prefectural city for the handover. The Prefectural Governor, Li Changguo, and the Vice Governor, Dong Linghui, noticed that Lin Rui seemed exhausted throughout the process, utterly listless.


    Dong Linghui looked puzzled, "Lord Lin seems very tired? Did something happen yesterday? I wonder if Dong can be of any help?"


    Lin Rui thought to himself, how could he not be tired?


    Last night, he had spent the entire night attending to two seriously injured men until he finally settled them down early this morning.


    Lin Rui then dared not delay any further and drank three large cups of rejuvenating Divine Heart Tea, before performing a transplant surgery on Ji Xueying.


    He couldn''t delay any longer given the dire circumstances. With both of his main supports nearly wiped out, all he could rely on now were himself and Blood Blade Ji.


    After the surgery, he still had to rush over to hand over duties related to defense and public security to the Governor and others.


    Lin Rui quietly felt a headache coming on, as ever since the end of the exchange battle, one issue had followed another, incessantly.


    "The ancients say unexpected storms come from clear skies, and indeed they do not deceive me."


    Lin Rui first sighed, then lifted his spirits, "But it''s nothing too serious, I can hold on. Governor, go ahead, don''t worry about the city."


    Li Changguo furrowed his brows, thinking that this young man''s words were truly baffling.


    He nodded, "Then I leave all the matters here to you, the Defense Envoy."


    Li Changguo had been waiting impatiently and directly soared into the sky, flying toward the outskirts of the city.


    The two rivers within Wang City were too long to defend with just the prefectural magistrate and the local army; Qin Xia, who was in charge of the Eastern bank, could not attend to the Western bank.


    Just last night, the demon dragon had orchestrated two bloody incidents along the river banks.


    This scourge was not only brutal but also proficient in several secret techniques, capable of forcing ordinary people with ancestral bloodlines to awaken into demons.


    Just over this one night, the demon had added more than 20 members to its demonic army.


    Lin Rui also gathered his spirits, bringing Blood Blade Ji, Wang Sen, and 30 Dragon Riders out to patrol the streets.


    The primary purpose of the patrol was to showcase his "Blood Blade Ji," to inform all the ghosts and spirits in the city that, although the Prefectural Governor was absent, there still remained forces within the city capable of keeping them in check.


    However, as soon as Lin Rui hit the streets with his team, he noticed a familiar face signaling him with eye gestures in the crowd.


    ¡ªIt was none other than Tang Wenlan, the High Priest of the Church of Light.


    She was staring at him intently with furrowed brows, her expression serious, her eyes and gestures indicating she wanted to meet him.


    Lin Rui didn''t need much thought to surmise that Tang Wenlan was here concerning the dockworkers at Jing Harbour.


    When he had arrived in Wang City, he had found that a significant portion of the workers and laborers at Jing Harbour Dock were followers of the Church of Light.


    This High Priest Tang had always been tactful, keeping her distance from him.


    Today, she must have been compelled to come due to the demon dragon blocking the river, concerned about the livelihood of the Jing Harbour dockworkers.


    Fortunately, Lin Rui was also keen on meeting the High Priest of the church.


    Indeed, it was so. When Lin Rui used 6000 points of Soul Power to complete the duplication, he just tried it and was immediately astonished.


    The enhancement to his physique and spiritual power brought about by the Divine Breath Technique was equivalent to that of a mid-level column skill.


    However, this technique also allowed one to integrate deeper into the abyss and increase the degree of integration with the abyss!


    The moment he duplicated it, Lin Rui felt his integration levels with entities such as the ''Light King'' and ''Lord of Life'' increase by at least 3%!


    Thus, this so-called ''Breath of the Gods'' was essentially the breath of the abyss.


    When he used the Divine Breath Technique, each inhalation and exhalation resonated and matched with the abyss.


    Lin Rui instantly realized the value of this Divine Breath Technique; not only could it be used when he implemented the abyss concept to enhance the power of the abyss concept,


    but daily usage of the Divine Breath Technique could also enhance his compatibility with a certain abyss.


    This secret technique could help him save a lot of Soul Power points, considering that Spirit Ring required 10000 points of Soul Power for each 1% of integration it helped achieve.


    At this moment, Professor Han stepped in from outside the door and looked at Lin Rui in surprise, "It seems that you have not only mastered the abyss concept, your talent for merging with the abyss is also remarkable. If I''m not mistaken, the breathing method you are using is related to the abyss, perhaps the Breath of the Gods?"


    Although he had been primarily focused on other matters recently, he had always been keeping an eye on the situation at Base Nine.


    Therefore, Professor Han was also well aware that his student was now extremely formidable; the storm this guy was stirring in the martial arts world was sweeping across all fourteen base cities of the Earth Federation.


    "Professor, please take a seat," Lin Rui said with a smile as he stood up to pour tea for Professor Han, "Listening to the professor''s words just now, it seems you also have some understanding of the abyss?"


    Professor Han laughed helplessly, "What I''m researching now is indeed the abyss. Even the thing I''m currently seeking is related to the abyss."


    Lin Rui thought to himself, that was right, what Professor Han was looking for was the essence of the abyss.


    "Considering your current situation, your abyss talent is astonishingly high. With just a bit of effort in this area, you can easily obtain extremely powerful forces."


    After sitting down, Professor Han continued to scrutinize Lin Rui and added a note of caution, "The problem is, while you are using the power of the abyss, the will of the abyss will also grow within you.


    There''s an old saying that can describe your current situation, you are interested in others'' interest, while others are interested in your principal. Therefore, Lin Rui, you must be careful to stop at the right measure on the road of the abyss. It may be a shortcut, but it can also lead you toward a true abyss."


    Lin Rui smiled wryly, "Professor, I understand, I will definitely be cautious."


    During this time, more than one person had issued a similar warning to him.


    "But there should be ways to guard against the will of the abyss, right? Professor, do you have any knowledge in this area?"


    The power of the abyss concept was too useful, causing all his martial arts powers to undergo a qualitative change, which was irresistibly appealing.


    "Heavenly Pole Star does have some secret techniques that can counter the will of the abyss. I can list some of them for you later. However, the simplest and most fundamental method is to cultivate your own martial concept intensely, strengthening your foundation."


    Suddenly, Professor Han''s expression shifted slightly, "Actually, there''s another way. If you can master the power of multiple abyss entities simultaneously, it might also help you counter the will of the abyss. To my knowledge, five thousand years ago, there was an incredibly talented individual in the Eastern Pole Continent who boldly tinkered with several abyss entities simultaneously. It''s said that his integration with the abyss reached as high as eighty percent, making him nearly equivalent to those incarnations of the abyss in the human world."


    "Oh?" Lin Rui was surprised, "There is such a person in the world? Professor, do you know where he is now? Was he successful?"


    "I''m not sure, he has been out of sight for a thousand years. However, there are rumors that he is still alive. I believe this path is feasible; after all, relying on this method, he has lived for more than 5000 years. Even if he failed, it''s not a problem with the path, but because he didn''t find enough backers or his martial concept wasn''t strong enough."


    Professor Han chuckled, "It''s like starting a company if your martial concept is strong enough, then you can hold more capital. The more backers you find, the more you dilute their shares, making it harder for these abyss entities to overpower you in controlling the company. However, to use this method, you must have a very strong abyss talent."


    As he said this, he suddenly felt amiss¡ªwasn''t this encouraging Lin Rui to engage more with the abyss?

 Chapter 181 Thus, Expanding Financing (Three More Updates for Monthly Tickets)

    "Hmm, more shareholders? Stronger equity?"


    Lin Rui pinched his chin as he fell into deep thought.


    He had already planned to further enhance his own abyss concept to increase his leverage in dealing with the perilous situation in Wang City Prefecture.


    Now he had even more reason not to hesitate.


    "Spirit, how many Soul Power points do I need to evolve ''Light Transition Slash'' to the realm of a Great Grandmaster? Can I access new abysses and new abyss concepts?"


    Prompt: Evolving ''Light Transition Slash'' to the Great Grandmaster realm requires a total of 4200 Soul Power points. You will access the abyss concept ''Destined Death'' from ''Infinite Heaven Venerate'' and ''Heavenly Foot''!


    Lin Rui thought to himself, indeed, the Light Transition Slash was a secret technique far superior to the Thunderclap Absolute Slash! There should also be a chance to contact abyss concepts.


    The good news is, the motion of deploying ''Light Transition Slash'' was almost the same as that of the Thunderclap Absolute Slash. With just a few days of practice, he could master it smoothly.


    "Spirit, to what extent can all the abyss concepts I currently access be enhanced? I mean, within the range my spiritual power can endure, and without investing more Soul Power points, continuing to integrate with the abyss.


    Prompt: You can enhance ''Light Scars'' to 3%, which requires 9000 Soul Power points; ''Inevitable Hit'' and ''Destined Death'' to 4%, which requires 21000 Soul Power points; ''Heavenly Foot'' to 3%, which requires 9000 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui was thrilled, wondering how he could enhance so much?


    By this calculation, the ''Divine Breath Technique'' he copied today had saved him at least ninety thousand Soul Power points!


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    Unfortunately! Unfortunately! The ten thousand Soul Power points previously used to enhance the concept of ''Infinite Heaven Venerate'' were clearly wasted.


    At this moment, the 61,234 Soul Power points he had earned from slaying demons were almost depleted, leaving just over 12,000 points.@@@@


    However, his current combat power had changed tremendously!


    But after the exchange, Lin Rui felt as if he heard several people whispering by his ear, like an auditory hallucination, making him irresistibly want to listen to what they were saying.


    Lin Rui instantly realized that his abyss concept had reached the limit that his spiritual power could bear, and he could no longer ''raise funds'' this way.


    Next, he needed to enhance his spiritual power, complete the ultimate polarization of his martial intent, and increase his equity.


    At this moment, Wang Sen sitting next to Lin Rui felt nothing, but Professor Han was momentarily lost in thought.


    He felt that in that instant, Lin Rui had erupted with an immensely rich abyss aura.


    Why did everyone have to doubt his surgical skills?


    Lin Rui felt compelled to emphasize, "The effect is really good! Have you forgotten General Fei''s spine? I was the one who reattached it."


    Ji Xueying, hearing this, cooperated by igniting a layer of platinum flames all over her body.


    Professor Han studied Ji Xueying closely, his eyes gradually brightening.


    The effects of ''Blood Core Fury'' seemed to be quite remarkable, and it was highly compatible with Ji Xueying.


    Professor Han thought that even the current Ji Xueying might be enough to confront the deputy inspector, Zhang Chen.


    Although Ji Xueying possessed the supreme imperial bloodline, her powerful inherent abilities had been sealed due to a lack of magic power.


    And judging by the aura of this protector demon, she seemed close to breaking through!


    Once Ji Xueying advanced to the fifth realm, her combat power would undergo an earth-shaking transformation.


    He recalculated the time, feeling increasingly that it was feasible.


    If they truly couldn''t wait, he could use the research funds to buy a more potent potion to help Ji Xueying force a breakthrough.


    After all, he was a lifetime professor at Mingde University, with a network that was no small matter, capable of acquiring many valuable items not available on the open market.


    "I understand what needs to be done next." Professor Han felt increasingly confident, his thoughts consolidating as he lifted his tea cup, "To get these two involved, we must manage properly and further provoke the inspector on that end¡ª"


    Just as Lin Rui heard this, he felt the badge on his belt warming slightly.


    Someone from the official system was contacting him.


    When Lin Rui answered the call, he found it was from a chief constable at the prefecture, seeking his help.


    The Prefectural Governor Li Changguo had left Wang City less than half a day ago, and someone had already become impatient, wanting to cause trouble in the city.


    One of the parties involved was exactly one of those they had just discussed.


    The constables at the prefecture felt overwhelmed, hence they contacted him first for help.


    "Burning Saber Sect?"


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but chuckle coldly, it seemed that to some in the Burning Saber Sect, his and Ji Xueying''s deterrent power was far less than that of Governor Li Changguo who possessed the ''Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor''.


    The critical point was that the place where these people were causing trouble was right near the Zhou residence, which was where his sister, Lin Xi was staying, in that demon den.

 Chapter 182 Coercion (Subscribe Requested)

    At noon, Lin Xi, originally bored and counting the Zhou family''s property ledgers, realized that the entire Zhou estate had suddenly become tense like drawn swords and bows.


    All the demonic creatures inside the estate were gathering towards the front courtyard.


    However, the rear courtyard remained heavily guarded.


    Lin Xi''s two maidservants were ''Ten-Eyed Demons'' at the mid-fourth realm. They usually looked like ordinary people, but in times of emotional turmoil, ten eyes would grow on their faces, making them exceptionally eerie and terrifying.


    Lin Xi also had a nanny who, just like the two masters of the estate, was a fifth realm ''Hundred-Eyed Demon'' evolved from ''Ten-Eyed Demons.''


    Seeing this nanny, Lin Xi understood why that night, the Bureau of Paranormal Management kept delaying until the nanny left before daring to shove her into this attic.


    The Hundred-Eyed Demon was not only very powerful in combat but also had incredibly strong perception.


    Beyond this, the rear courtyard also housed over a dozen Protectors and maids, all being strong demons of the fourth realm.


    Out of the more than 100 people in the entire Zhou estate, it seemed she was the only normal living person.


    For some unknown reason, the grandparents of Zhou Yun Xi and everyone in the estate had turned demonic.


    The government should have been aware of the Zhou family''s circumstances, but they ignored this den of demons, except for the Imperial City Division who sent a team to station themselves in a tavern across the street from the rear courtyard, monitoring the Zhou estate.


    However, from what Lin Xi had observed over the past two days, these demons of the Zhou family had strong self-control, always staying within the estate and ignoring the outside world.


    As for why the previous Zhou Yun Xi had been devoured, it was very likely because that Zhou Yun Xi had already died.


    In the cognition of these demons, the young lady was only the young lady while she was alive; once dead, she was merely a delicious piece of meat¡ª


    So, just as her brother Lin Rui had said, although she seemed to be in a den of demons, surrounded by a horde of them, in fact, it wasn''t safe at all, but as long as she was careful not to provoke their emotions, she could survive for now.


    There was also another matter concerning Lin Xi; she discovered that none of the estate''s demons were weak.


    Transforming into a demon depended on one''s bloodline; it wasn''t as simple as wishing to transform into a certain realm.


    According to the research done by federal scientists, it generally depended on the emotional state of the person at the time and the concentration of their bloodline''s power.


    In addition, if there was a living demon of the seventh realm or higher within three degrees of kinship, their probability of transforming into a demon increased substantially.


    Conversely, if there was a living Martial Cultivator of the seventh realm or higher within three degrees of kinship, the chances of transformation diminished significantly.


    Lin Xi was surprised that not only was no one in the Zhou family below the fourth realm, but their bloodline power was also quite impressive!


    For example, this Hundred-Eyed Demon nanny was a fifth realm royal!


    For some unknown reason, all the demons inside the estate were converging towards the front courtyard at this moment.


    Several strong elemental tides had also erupted there, suggesting that a conflict was occurring between people inside the Zhou estate and outsiders.


    After a brief contemplation, Lin Xi closed the ledger, turned to the Hundred-Eyed Demon nanny standing beside her, and said, "Nanny, I want to go to the front courtyard to see what''s happening; something seems to have happened, and I''m a bit worried."


    The Hundred-Eyed Demon nanny''s gaze shifted slightly; she turned her rigid and cold face to Lin Xi, her eyes ashen as she said, "Miss, you cannot go."


    Her speech was also dry and hoarse, lacking smoothness.


    These demons normally wouldn''t harm her, but once their emotions got out of control, it was hard to say.


    She swallowed her saliva and quietly moved to stand behind her grandfather, Zhou An, because she realized that his emotions were the most stable among the group of demons.


    However, as the bloody scent from outside grew stronger, Lin Xi became more certain that the people outside were attempting to use the blood qi of a living person to induce the Zhou family demons to lose control!


    Just as Lin Xi felt terrified, she heard a cold snort, "What kind of brigands dare to kill people openly in my Wang City?"


    In that instant, a man and a woman suddenly swept through the air, landing in front of the first placard in front of the Zhou residence.


    Lin Xi looked stunned when she saw these two people.


    The man was wearing a radiant full suit of armor, and a seal character emblem of the "Imperial City Office" was posted on the right chest side of his armor; he also had several official seals at his waist.


    He was very young, not even twenty years old, but his presence was compelling. When he looked down from high towards the direction of the Zhou family''s main hall, all the demons inside momentarily held their breath.


    However, what interested Lin Xi even more was the red-robed young girl standing behind the young man.


    She seemed to be a ''Blood Blade Maiden'' Protector demon, also radiating an extremely powerful aura.


    Upon her arrival, she assertively interrupted the spiritual confrontation between the Zhou''s elders and several high-ranking practitioners outside.


    For some reason, Lin Xi suddenly felt an extremely close connection with the red-robed girl, as if their bloodlines were responding to each other.


    She immediately realized that this young girl in red might be one of her bloodline origins.


    Lin Xi''s hybrid body had four bloodline sources: one was the three drops of mysterious blood left by their father Lin Cong; one was the super-emperor blood of the fourth realm brought back by Lin Rui; one was her own human origin; and one was from the real Yun Xi.


    The Federation''s hybrid cultivation technology involved taking some of the superficial genes of the people of the Sky Extreme Star for camouflage, thus completing the replacement from inside out.


    This was also why these demons from the Zhou family identified her as Yun Xi without any doubt.


    Lin Xi pondered whether this red-robed girl was her bloodline source, then who was the young man in the full suit of armor?


    Could it be her brother, Lin Rui?


    Lin Xi immediately shook her head, thinking it impossible.


    That man obviously held a high position and status, wearing a sixth-rank official seal, so how could he possibly be her brother?


    At that moment, her "grandfather" Zhou An''s murmuring voice confirmed her judgment, "Wang City Defense Commander Lin Twelve?"


    Lin Xi''s pupils shrank, pondering that this was one of the four pillars of the prefectural government, a figure who could contend with the Prefectural Governor and Prefect in Wang City?


    After the young man''s arrival, he looked down briefly and then placed his hand on his sword while coldly observing Zhou An and his wife with a mocking tone, "Mr. Zhou, are you preparing to receive guests? These restless ones, what do they want to do? Are they hungry and want something to eat? You''ve been fairly honest till now; could it be you can''t hold back today?"


    As he spoke, an incredibly powerful and grand spiritual power enveloped the area, with the potential to distort heaven and earth.


    Zhou An and his wife twitched slightly, raising their heads to meet the eyes of Wang City Defense Commander Lin Twelve.


    Both expressions were extremely solemn, "Is this, the abyss?"


    At that moment, the many fourth-realm demons in the hall all showed fear in their eyes and trembled.

 Chapter 183 The Power of Concept (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Xi was astonished to find that although the stench of blood outside was still strong, all the servants and Protectors of the Zhou household were standing obediently, expressionless, and their bodies had ceased their bizarre transformations.


    Even her grandparents were acting with utmost caution.


    Under the oppressive gaze of that young man, they were restraining their Demonic Qi and divine senses with all their might.


    The Abyss?


    Lin Xi thought, could it be that the youngster outside has mastered an extremely powerful abyssal force?@@@@


    As far as she knew, any force from the Abyss had a strong suppressing effect on all demons and monsters.


    It was said that the official seals of the Great Song Dynasty above the fourth rank were infused with a trace of abyssal aura.


    "Lord Lin!"


    Zhou An was clenching the armrests of his seat with both hands, his voice strained as he tried his hardest to speak clearly, "Our Zhou family only wishes to protect itself and has no intention of causing trouble! It is someone else who wants to destroy our Zhou family''s name, leaving us no choice but to fight to the bitter end!"


    Lin Rui looked Zhou An up and down and then scoffed coldly, "Fight to the bitter end? What makes you think you have the right to do that?"


    He also took a special look at Lin Xi and saw that his sister''s complexion seemed rather good.


    This girl had only come down for two days and had already reached the second realm of channel opening, and had opened at least three meridians.


    Lin Xi was extremely talented; she had already had meridians implanted on her back in Tianji Star.


    The Zhou family was affluent, with family wealth in the millions, and had access to elixirs and all the resources necessary for cultivation.


    He estimated that in a few more days, his sister would be able to start cultivating blood.


    "Mr. Zhou, suppressing bandits and wicked demons alike is the duty of this official. In this clear and bright world, there''s no place for criminals to run amok, nor for demons to be rampant! If you consider yourselves a decent household, then stay put and don''t cause any trouble!"


    Seeing that the Zhou couple had fallen silent and were thus subdued, Lin Rui withdrew his gaze from inside the Zhou residence and looked down at the crowd under the archway with a stern eye: "And you lot, where are you thugs from? How dare you resort to violence and murder here in Wang City?"


    Right in front of the Zhou residence''s gate, there stood over eighty Martial Cultivators wearing red garments, carrying swords, and some even clad in armor.


    Without exception, the skin they had exposed bore a tattoo in the shape of a flaming longsword, varying only in position and size.


    Three of them were of the fifth realm in their cultivation, combating Ji Xueying''s blade intent with their robust vital energy and formidable martial intentions.


    In front of them were more than twenty disheveled roaming martial artists, who stood barehanded at the gateway of the Zhou residence, all of them pale-faced and fearful.


    On the ground lay a dozen people, all severely injured and unconscious; the blood flowing from their bodies had already formed a pool on the ground.


    The breath of three of them was particularly faint, evidently not far from death.


    "Lord Lin is taking things too seriously!"


    That was one of the three fifth-level Martial Cultivators, a man in his forties with a rugged face and broad nose, his skin tanned.


    With half-closed eyes and a somewhat careless demeanor, he said to Lin Rui, bowing slightly, "We are not thieves but people from the Ba Mountain Burning Saber Sect. My name is Du Li, an inner elder of the Sect. Our fighting in the city is to chase after a traitor of our sect and to purge our ranks, which has nothing to do with the officials!"


    The surrounded wanderers had regained their senses by that time, and many of them knelt down, fervently pleading their innocence towards Lin Rui: "Sir, we''ve been wronged! They are slandering us; we are people from afar and have no association with their Burning Saber Sect! On the contrary, it''s the Burning Saber Sect who set a trap to lure us, intending to take us to Ba Mountain and slaughter us."


    "Your Honor, please hear me out! I am a commoner from Changzhou, dealing in the escort business. I was lured and recruited into the Burning Saber Sect ten days ago to become an outer sect disciple; I had no connection with them before this."


    Observing this Protector Lin''s way of handling matters, it was exactly as the rumors depicted, extremely fierce and domineering.


    He was not only unaffected by the mutation of the demonic dragon, but he also seemed completely unconcerned about the conflict between him and the Law Enforcement Office, showing no regard for the prestige of their Burning Saber Sect.


    This was another unexpected point for them.


    Therefore, the balding middle-aged man wanted to soothe things over, seeing no need to confront this powerful Protector who was as unbridled as a wild boar head-on.


    However, as soon as his words fell, his heart sank.


    Because at several nearby intersections, dozens of fully armored Imperial Dragon Guards had poured in, sealing off the nearby streets entirely.


    Lin Rui''s hand was on his sword as the corners of his lips slightly curled up.


    He no longer needed to stall for time and couldn''t be bothered to waste words any longer, "To cleanse your sect, you decided to fight and kill in the streets? Is the government just for show? Where in the imperial laws does it say this is allowed? Take away their weapons! Bring them to Wang City''s governmental office. All those involved in the brawl and causing injuries or deaths will be dealt with according to the law!"


    These scoundrels, did they think he was unaware of the series of dire consequences following the Zhou family''s rebellion?


    This Burning Saber Sect would push the Zhou family demons to lose control and then simply walk away, while the chaotic situation triggered by these hundreds of crazed demons killing people would fall on him and the government to bear.


    And his sister Lin Xi, she almost lost her life!


    Upon hearing these words, Du Li''s pupils dilated, and the rage he had been suppressing burst forth.


    "How dare you!"


    He was a dignified fifth-stage expert, an inner sect elder of the Burning Saber Sect! Even the Prefectural Governor Li Changguo had to speak to him with politeness.


    Who did this Lin think he was, to be so presumptuous before him?


    Du Li suddenly drew his sword from its sheath, his body ablaze with radiant light as he thundered, "Let''s see who dares!"


    At that moment, he saw that Blood Blade Ji, positioned ahead of him, also suddenly drew her sword, slashing straight towards him.


    Clang!!!


    With that heavy and sharp metallic roar, Du Li managed to block Ji Xueying''s strike at the last moment, just a foot away from his face.


    The ferocious and brutal force of the blade made Du Li stagger backwards.


    Just then, Du Li''s pupils abruptly widened.


    He felt an icy chill sweep across his neck, and his head was sliding off from his neck.


    It was that Lin Xi! Earlier, that person, along with Blood Blade Ji, had drawn their swords almost simultaneously, striking at the same time!


    Du Li was no longer able to control his neck and head. He could only watch, in disbelief with the corner of his eyes, as Lin Xi''s blade had apparently been a concept imbued with an incredibly powerful Abyssal force!


    The other members of the Burning Saber Sect standing nearby were all rooted to the spot, almost doubting their own eyes.


    Those two fifth-stage experts, in particular, had actually tried to save him with all their might, but they were still too slow, their gazes dull, unable to accept the scene before them at any cost.


    This Protector Lin, not only did he lay hands on them, but he also killed their brother Du?


    And this guy, his blade was so fast! Impossibly fast!

 Chapter 184 The Speed of Light Trace (Subscription Requested)

    Lin Rui had never imagined his blade speed could be so fast!


    He didn''t use the "Yang Pulling Slash," just a general drawing technique from "Yang Ascending Saber Slaughter," which could at best be considered an A+ level move.


    Lin Rui was indeed confident he could kill Du Li with one strike! But just to be perfectly sure, Lin Rui had also integrated 3% of the "Light Trace" concept into his strike.


    And it was this 3% "Light Trace" that made his blade speed match the limit of the "Yang Pulling Slash"!


    So, even without Ji Xueying''s suppression, Du Li would have found it hard to completely defend against this strike and would definitely have been wounded! Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire


    "¡ªIs this the concept?"


    Lin Rui was deeply amazed by the mighty power of the Abyssal concept!


    Just 3% "Light Trace" and his blade speed became so fast?


    That strike just now absolutely broke through to within one-thousandth of a second!


    The only downside of conceptual power is that it consumes a lot of True Yuan.


    If it''s with techniques like "Yang Pulling Slash" and "Light Transfer Slash," which can naturally utilize the Abyssal concept, it''s not too bad; however, forcing their use on other ordinary saber techniques doubles the consumption of True Qi.


    Lin Rui quickly collected his thoughts and raised his eyebrows to look ahead.


    At this moment, over a dozen disciples of the Burning Saber Sect suddenly let out a roar and swung their swords and sabers at Lin Rui.


    The two fifth-level elders from the Burning Saber Sect also drew their sabers, initially only to assist Du Li, but now they seized the moment to engage with Blood Blade Ji Xueying.


    In an instant between the two and the demon, a sharp cacophony of clashing weapons burst forth, and the glinting blades and saber shadows sparkled, casting blinding sparks.


    "Hm? You dare to resist the law with force, stubbornly resisting? How audacious!"@@@@


    Lin Rui''s eyes flashed with ''anger'' as he coldly watched the two fifth-level elders fiercely battling Blood Blade Ji Xueying.


    Instead of retreating, he faced these Burning Saber Sect members and went straight into the crowd.


    Facing these martial cultivators who were at most in the late fourth stage, Lin Rui, with his Great Grandmaster-level "Yang Ascending Saber Slaughter," was like a tiger in a flock of sheep, simply unstoppable.


    He didn''t use the power of the concept again, however, with the 3% Light Trace, his blade speed, even without using the Light Trace, had greatly increased.


    The saber light, swift and shadowy, was like the traces of light! In an instant, streams of blood sprayed and heads flew.


    In just less than a tenth of a breath, five men were decapitated.


    However, Lin Rui''s target wasn''t these ordinary members of the Burning Saber Sect, but the other fifth-level elder fighting fiercely with Blood Blade Ji Xueying!


    According to the intelligence Lin Rui had recently obtained, this person should be called Lu Shan, a high-ranking fifth stage fighter, whose strength was just below that of Du Li.


    This man also sensed Lin Rui''s approach and suddenly shivered, his eyes filled with horror.


    Lu Shan was deeply impressed by the strike Lin Rui had used to kill Du Li, filled with immense dread and terror!


    If Lin Rui came near and teamed up with Blood Blade Ji Xueying, he would surely die!


    Let alone the terrifying speed of the previous strike, even the current speed at which Lin Rui was slaughtering several Burning Saber Sect disciples was too much for him to bear.


    The other fifth-level elder named Gu Lai, the bald middle-aged man who had spoken earlier, turned as pale as paper, his expression a mix of shock and rage, "My lord, please stop! Consider the consequences, this means fighting with our Burning Saber Sect to the death¡ª"


    However, before Gu Lai could finish, he heard a ''pong''.


    It was Ji Xueying''s blade speed explosively bursting forth in that instant, breaking through Lu Shan''s defensive curtain and directly chopping off Lu Shan''s head, splashing a spray of fresh blood.


    Gu Lai''s heart nearly stopped beating in that instant.


    What were they planning to do?


    "You¡ª"


    Gu Lai had just opened his mouth when Lin Rui kicked him in the face, not only shattering his cheekbone but also severely damaging his tongue, leaving him unable to speak any further.


    Lin Rui also carefully observed these ''people'' and noted that they indeed only moved the bodies and ignored the seriously injured martial artists on the ground, which reassured him enough to divert his attention elsewhere.


    According to what Lin Rui knew, ever since the Zhou family was forced by the Burning Saber Sect into demonic transformation, they hadn''t harmed any civilians nearby.


    But these monsters weren''t vegetarians.


    Even with Blood Blade Ji''s strong will, after not consuming blood for over ten consecutive days, sanity would begin to fade, let alone the ordinary monsters in the Zhou estate!


    Lin Rui did not know by what means they suppressed their instincts, but he was certain it couldn''t last.


    This matter involved the life and safety of Lin Xi, and Lin Rui did not dare to take it lightly.


    He anticipated that the corpses of the two fifth-tier elders of the Burning Saber Sect would at least keep the Zhou family quiet for a while, which was certainly better than letting the Zhou family run amok and harm the local populace.


    These two were the chief culprits of the Zhou family''s demonic transformation, and now they had received their just desserts.


    Lin Rui watched as his subordinates from the Imperial Dragon squad tied up all the Burning Saber Sect disciples and escorted them to the Wang City Government Office; afterwards, he stood with his hands behind his back and coldly swept a glance at the onlookers surrounding them.


    At this time, those still daring to stay nearby and watch the commotion were none of them ordinary folks.


    Hence, not only was Lin Rui''s gaze piercing and exceptionally icy, but he also condensed a peerlessly sharp martial intent, oppressing the distant crowd.


    His words also contained a warning, "Listen well! I have been requested by the Prefectural Governor to take charge of the city''s public order. From this day forward, whether human or demon, god or ghost, anyone daring to violate the royal law and harm the populace will be severely punished¡ª with their crimes increased by three degrees!"


    The crowd around him first buzzed with commotion, but after just a moment, it calmed down; none dared meet Lin Rui''s gaze, either lowering their heads or averting their eyes.


    They knew that this defense officer could indeed do as he said, for this man would kill even the people of the Burning Saber Sect on a whim; how much more so them?


    Just then, another ''person'' walked out from within the gates of the Zhou residence.


    It was indeed the head of the Zhou household, ''Zhou An'', whose face was rigid, but his actions were respectfully presenting a beautifully decorated sheathed longsword to Lin Rui.


    "Great, Great Sir, today you first provided protection, then killed our enemies of the Zhou family. My entire household is profoundly grateful. Zhou has no way to repay you, except with this heirloom saber which might be of use to you."


    Zhou An initially struggled to speak, but gradually became more fluent.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui slightly raised his eyebrows and unapologetically took the sword in his hand. Upon drawing the blade, his eyes lit up.


    "A fine blade!"


    This blade, named ''Sky Gleam'', was a fifth-tier super king class treasure saber! Moreover, its attributes matched his perfectly, being a blend of light, thunder, and fire elements.


    Although this saber''s potential was not as high as the ''Thunder God'' saber that Blood Blade Ji Xueying was nurturing, at this stage, its power far surpassed that of ''Thunder God'' and was not inferior to his own ''Great Dark Heaven''.


    With this saber in hand, Lin Rui''s combat strength could increase by another thirty percent.


    "Then, thank you, Mr. Zhou."


    Lin Rui immediately swapped out his waist blade and, with a hint of implication, asked, "However, Mr. Zhou, continuing this way isn''t a solution. How much longer can you hold out, ten days or half a month? I cannot tolerate this indefinitely, so what are your thoughts now?"


    He knew that one major reason the Prefectural Governor and others had not exterminated the Zhou family was out of concern for public opinion from the Zhou family''s old colleagues and disciples; secondly, out of shame for failing to protect their colleagues'' family; and lastly, out of fear of not having enough manpower to encircle such a large household and provoking further trouble.


    Lin Rui, however, had no such concerns and now had sufficient strength to besiege the Zhou family, limiting the battle to the Zhou residence and not affecting the surroundings.


    The cunning Prefectural Governor, before leaving, hadn''t mentioned a word about the Zhou family''s affairs, clearly intending to offload this hot potato onto him.


    Upon hearing these words, Zhou An was slightly stunned, then raised his head, looking at Lin Rui with a pair of dull yellow pupils mixed with crimson.

 Chapter 185 Descendants of the Loyal and Good (Please Subscribe)

    Zhou An stared at Lin Rui for quite a while before he actually bent down and kowtowed, "As for the affairs of my family, I myself do not know how to bring them to an end. All we seek is merely to ensure that our family lineage does not extinguish, that our ancestral line does not sever; yet the Burning Saber Sect is overwhelmingly aggressive, pressing us relentlessly, and my Zhou family is left with but a sole daughter. Without our protection, her fate would be as precarious as a mantis trapped in a charred kettle¡ªa disaster looming.


    We are filled with daily worries, constantly seeking ways to resolve our dilemmas, but we have been sorely lacking effective strategies. I, Zhou An, am naive and untutored. I humbly ask you for guidance, Sir. Should there be any way for us to achieve our wishes, I am willing to willingly embrace death and will rest in peace!"


    Lin Rui thought to himself, what lone daughter remains? The real Zhou Yunxi has already been covertly murdered by people from the Burning Saber Sect, devoured by you!


    Nonetheless, the Zhou family''s fate is indeed tragic. For generations, the Zhou family has been loyal to the state, dedicating their intelligence and loyalty without reserve; it is merely because they were implicated in court power struggles, offering blunt advice, that they incurred the Emperor''s wrath, which led to the downfall of the entire family.


    At this moment, the Zhou family appears to be oppressed by the Burning Saber Sect, but there are indeed others pulling strings behind the scenes.


    Lin Rui was filled with emotions internally, but his facade remained unaltered, and he responded with a carefree smile, "What could I possibly teach you? You know your own family''s affairs best, and those people will not let you off the hook. So I advise you to settle whatever matters need settling, to let go of what needs to be released, lest you are caught off guard when the time comes. After all, ''children and grandchildren will have their own blessings''; without you, your granddaughter might not necessarily be unable to survive."


    He stroked the ''Celestial Shimmer'' blade at his waist, hesitated for a moment, and still spoke with profound earnestness, "Although the person your family has offended holds high office and is protected by the Emperor, there are still a few within the Great Song dynasty capable of contending with him. Moreover, your ancestors have a reputation for honesty and justice, governing with benevolence and forgiveness; your public reputation is excellent. Your son has died for the people, offering blunt advice and wrongly suffering the Emperor''s displeasure. Hence, there are many within the court and common folk who sympathize with you. As long as you carefully plan and find the right person, willing to pay the price, it is still possible to gain a glimmer of hope for survival for your family."


    While speaking, Lin Rui remembered something, "By the way! Does your family have any pills that can treat internal injuries and restore vital energy? I want those above the sixth realm, the highest grade of efficacy. Do not bother bringing me ordinary pills."


    Zhou An did not think twice; he gestured to someone behind him. Soon after, a steward came forward holding a pill bottle and presented it to Lin Rui.


    "Sir, this is a precious bottle of sixth realm ''Divine Yang Great Returning Pill'' from our family''s collection. I wonder if it meets your requirements?"


    After receiving the pill bottle and opening it to take a look, Lin Rui''s eyes immediately brightened.


    His intermediate-level knowledge in pill medicine was of Great Grandmaster rank, allowing him to discern the value of the pill merely by scent.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that the Dream Heaven official was fortunate; he hadn''t expected to find such an item in the small Wang City Prefecture.


    "Excellent!"


    Lin Rui tucked the pill bottle in his bosom and then firmly patted Zhou An on the shoulder, "For the sake of this pill, if your family encounters misfortune in the future, I will lend you a hand or two. But remember, you must be honest and continue to be a good person. Do not let your son and your ancestors feel ashamed, understand?"@@@@


    When Zhou An saw Lin Rui''s hand heading towards him, his heart skipped a beat.


    The caution in his heart and his demonic instincts compelled him to retreat several steps and swiftly change his form, preparing to evade the unexpected slap.


    Yet, Lin Rui''s hand, quite unreasonably, landed right on his shoulder.


    Despite Zhou An''s retreat being as fast as lightning, it was fated that he would be struck on the shoulder by Lin Rui.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lin Rui was unaware that his words had further advanced his sister on the path of inheriting the Zhou family estate.


    In fact, he didn''t know what exactly was hidden in the Zhou residence, nor did he particularly care.


    In Lin Rui''s eyes, the real inheritance of the Zhou family lay in the three archways that represented scholars, symbolizing the Zhou family''s legacy of integrity and undivided loyalty through three generations!


    This was, in fact, tantamount to a minor prestigious family with a profound foundation.


    Although the Zhou family was now in decline and most of the Zhou ancestors'' colleagues had been implicated and either demoted or exiled, this group of principled officials still held high esteem across the land and had the potential for a comeback at any moment.


    Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire


    Furthermore, many within the imperial court and bureaucracy still harbored sympathetic attitudes toward the Zhou family; while they dared not directly intervene under the Emperor''s pressure, they did not mind extending a helping hand to the Zhou family within their prerogative¡ªwhich was precisely what the local prefectural chief official and his deputy were doing, both overtly and covertly thwarting the Burning Saber Sect.


    Therefore, as long as his sister could reach a certain height, the Zhou family''s three generations of reputation and connections could offer Lin Xi tremendous aid.


    Lin Rui, overseeing personally, had numerous culprits of the Burning Saber Sect escorted back to the dungeon of Wang City Government Office. Afterward, he discreetly slipped out the back of the inner office courtyard and made his way, hiding and revealing himself, towards a certain estate outside the city.


    He estimated that having made an example of the Burning Saber Sect, those malevolent beings within the city should stay in line for a while, leaving him with no need to worry about deteriorating public security for the time being.


    It was now the Divine Envoy outside the city that was causing Lin Rui more concern.


    At that very moment, his bio-chip alerted him to a new message.


    Curiously, Lin Rui opened the message interface.


    Communication systems for extraterrestrial travelers were highly restricted, and with the exorbitant cost of quantum communications, they would establish a permitted contact list during their stay at Tianji Star, only receiving messages from approved friends.


    The message was unexpectedly from Yu Feicui.


    Heart of Emerald (Yu Feicui): Lin Rui, you''ve gone viral! You have no idea how wildly popular you are right now.


    Heart of Emerald (Yu Feicui): Lin Rui, if you have time recently, you should come up and take a look. Record some videos or do a livestream. Also, you might want to check your bank account¡ªit will definitely give you a shock!


    Seeing this, Lin Rui''s curiosity piqued, wondering just how much he had earned to evoke such exaggerated and excited words from Yu Feicui?

 Chapter 186 "God" and "Emperor" (Three more chapters for monthly tickets)

    Lin Rui immediately opened his bank account to check.


    He had accounts at three banks, but only the account at ''First Republic Bank'' was linked to his video account.


    After entering his password, his pupils shrank as he looked at the amount in disbelief.


    Balance¡ª123443219


    It was a nine-digit number, amounting to over one hundred and twenty-three million!


    Was his earning capability really this strong?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Sister Feicui, how can there be so much money? What happened these past two days?


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): Didn''t I tell you? You''re famous now, extremely famous. Since you used Yang Pulling Slash to defeat ''Dragon Fist'' Gu Zhenrong and ''Savage Blade'' Tie Yan, you''ve been a hot topic. Yesterday, after Shi Yan defeated Baili Wang, your popularity soared even more. After winning, Shi Yan spoke highly of you in the media, belittling Baili Wang but praising you greatly. She said you''re not only immensely talented but also full of martial virtue, so now Tianhuan Video Network has over 12 million fans following you.


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): Most of the money comes from video subscription revenues. Some martial critics and professional hosts subscribed to your instructional videos these past few days and rated them highly. As a result, the subscription numbers for your teaching videos are quite impressive, especially for your ''Yang Pulling Slash Youth Edition,'' which alone brought in over thirty million.


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): Then there''s your income from product endorsements. The Tianlan Corporation has received a down payment said to be over three hundred million federation coins, totaling more than 7000 units. However, the gene enhancement is quite complex, requiring the completion of genetic enhancement surgery to finalize the deals, so commissions from this will take some time to be credited. Also, there''s some income from tips, currently amounting to over five million but due to the federation''s relevant laws, this too will take a month before the video network disburses it.


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): The feedback from Tianhuan Video Network has been very positive, and they''re currently channeling more traffic to boost your popularity. However, they need more video content from you. The instructional videos you previously recorded are too few, only 22, which isn''t enough.


    After reading this, Lin Rui was secretly astonished, thinking that making money was also too easy.


    He also felt that he should record more videos to take advantage of this wave of popularity and earn more money.


    However, ever since his arrival, one trouble had followed another, leaving him no respite, and the situation around him was becoming increasingly perilous. Relying solely on the artificial intelligence system was definitely not enough.


    He could only wait and see how things unfolded in the coming days to find a suitable opportunity to return.


    The issue with extraterrestrial travelers was just this troublesome. Once their extraterrestrial forms died, their original bodies'' souls also suffered greatly, leading at best to vegetative states and at worst to brain death.


    That''s why extraterrestrial travelers were popular for breeding demonic creatures, like the humanoid Protector Demons such as Blood Blade Ji, whose combat strength and intelligence were far greater than any artificial intelligence system.


    Lin Rui immediately opened the official store of the Extraterrestrial Management Bureau and bought himself 10 ''Type 4 Bloodline Enhancement Elixirs''.


    This was in preparation for awakening his emperor-level talent ''Blood Sun Heavenly Origin.''


    Lin Rui had only just awakened the ''Blood Core Fury Sun'' using a Bloodline Enhancement Elixir a few days ago. Ordinarily, he should have waited a while for his genes to stabilize before attempting to awaken a new talent.


    However, Lin Rui, after enhancing a few Abyss concepts in the morning, found that the bloodline power in his body was very stable under the suppression of the ''Abyss'' aura.


    Lin Rui briefly checked some relevant material and found that the power of the ''Abyss'' indeed helped stabilize genes and bloodlines.


    He immediately threw caution to the wind and decided to awaken his new talent in the next few days.


    Fortunately, he had just earned a significant amount of money. The ''Type 4 Bloodline Enhancement Elixir,'' costing one million each, was something Lin Rui didn''t even blink before buying 10 of them, aiming to succeed in one go.


    In fact, this one hundred and twenty-three million wasn''t much, considering a complete ''Blood Core Fury Sun'' cost over eighty million.


    By comparison, the Dragon-Rank secret martial skill ''Heavenly Origin Dragon Transformation Law'' seemed less crucial.


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but scoff internally, since the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill'' is so crucial, why did you fight so desperately yesterday, ending up severely injured in a futile duel with Fei Yunlai?


    Meng Weiyun noticed his thought and explained with a wry smile, "Fei Yunlai might be involved in a conspiracy case with the Sha State governor. I needed to capture him to interrogate for evidence. This matter is as important to my master as the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill''. I didn''t expect Fei Yunlai to be so strong; he had concealed his strength, and his bloodline power was nearly at the imperial level. Neither of us could back down during the fight, nor dared to."


    Lin Rui, however, looked puzzled as he heard this, "Sha State governor, plotting a rebellion?"


    Wasn''t the Sha State governor a loyal confidant of the emperor? Or an old servant from the emperor''s hidden residence, what rebellion was he scheming?


    Lin Rui''s eyes then slightly narrowed.


    The Sha State governor''s rebellion was likely not against the emperor but that divine being¡ªthe East Abyss!


    This was a significant matter!


    The Great Song promoted ''God and Emperor as One,'' and now there was discord between ''God'' and ''Emperor.''


    "We suspect the Sha State governor might be in contact with a high-ranking official from the Beyond Heaven Demons; they are colluding to purge dissidents. Fei Yunlai might have key evidence, but unfortunately, we couldn''t capture him."


    Meng Weiyun looked helpless, "According to our judgment, Fei Yunlai is likely from an institution called the Federal Security Agency, similar in authority to our Imperial City Division. Ever since my master became a Divine Envoy a hundred years ago, he has been trying to understand and possibly establish contact with some people from this institution, but without success."


    Lin Rui privately shook his head, thinking you are really overthinking it; old Fei could not possibly be from the Federal Security Agency.


    He, a prominently notorious wanted criminal, what use would the Federal Security Agency have for him?


    However, he could later inquire on behalf of Meng Weiyun what evidence Fei Yunlai actually possessed that made it necessary for her to fight him to the death?


    Lin Rui''s expression, however, furrowed in displeasure, "The Federal Security Agency? My lord, that is the Beyond Heaven Demons, how could we possibly associate with demons and seek a tiger''s skin?"


    "You will understand with more exposure, not every Beyond Heaven Demon is evil. Inside the Beyond Heaven Demons, there are many factions, some of which originate from something called the Eastern Republic. They tend to act more kindly and prefer engaging in various businesses."


    Seeing Lin Twelve frown deeper and express reluctance, Meng Weiyun slightly shook her head, thinking that his understanding was limited by his background, and explaining further at this moment would be useless.


    Perhaps she shouldn''t have said it.


    Subconsciously, she must have regarded this young man before her as a junior brother who could be trusted to join her master''s sect, hence her unguarded revelations about the deep secrets of the Imperial City Division in front of Lin Twelve. Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    Meng Weiyun''s tone shifted, "Regarding the Qin Yan cave mansion affair, it is indeed my fault. However, we must find a way to obtain that bottle of ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill''. Lin Twelve, Sister Zhuang said you have a steadfast mind and extraordinary capabilities, fit for a great responsibility. Do you have any good strategies to help us turn the situation around?"


    Lin Rui indeed had some ideas, but it was pointless to share them with Meng Weiyun.


    A severely injured invalid, what help could you offer?


    Just then, he received a message from his sister, Lin Xi.


    Summer Late Shallow Thought (Lin Xi): Brother, I got the treasure of the Zhou family, you would never guess what it is! So grateful to you, brother!


    Lin Xi even sent a kiss emoji, showing how excited she was.

 Chapter 187 Abyssal Essence (Subscribe Requested)

    About an hour ago, just as Lin Rui had gone to meet Meng Weiyun, Lin Xi followed Zhou An and the Wang couple into a cavern beneath the main residence of the Zhou family.


    To Lin Xi''s astonishment, she discovered that the cavern was built with iron-hard stones, each with a width of ten feet and a length of thirty feet. Moreover, embedded within the interior walls was a layer of Yuan-suppressing stones.


    Given the specifications of the cavern, it could easily serve as a top-grade prison, and it was even more secure than the jails of large cities.


    If they, as beings of different races, were imprisoned here, their cries would go unanswered by the heavens and unheeded by the earth.


    However, the air inside the cavern was very fresh, perhaps due to good ventilation or some other reasons, and it was not at all damp or muggy.


    Yet, a chill lingered in Lin Xi''s heart, knowing that the two ''grandparents'' in front of her were demons, and both were beings beyond the realm of a fifth-level Martial Cultivator.


    They could lose control at any moment and devour her.


    These demons had already devoured Zhou Yunxi.


    In their eyes, the deceased Zhou Yunxi was just a piece of flesh, not their granddaughter, which showed what state of mind they were in.


    "Our Zhou family possesses two heritage artifacts, one of which is called the ''Blood Refining Mirror.'' It is a fifth-level Magic Artifact that exceeds the imperial tier, and it is also the origin of our Zhou family," Zhou An explained as he brought Lin Xi towards the first room while unlocking the heavy door. "Though this artifact is of lower rank, it possesses immense utility! It can be used to reflect upon oneself, aiding in the refinement of bloodline powers, and it can also disrupt the enemy''s bloodlines during combat, causing their strength to drastically decline.


    However, you should avoid using it in battle, for the primary purpose of the ''Blood Refining Mirror'' is to refine one''s bloodline. The reason our Zhou family has risen from merchant status to having three generations of imperial scholars is all thanks to this artifact."


    He had already opened the room, which was a small space about twenty feet in length, with only a rosewood stand inside.


    Atop the rosewood stand was a mirror about the size of three adult palms, a dark golden color all over, with its edges engraved with numerous blood-red patterns.


    Lin Xi''s pupils slightly constricted as she thought to herself, does the Zhou family really own such a divine object?


    Aiding in the refinement of bloodline powers¡ªisn''t that equivalent to the effects of a bloodline-strengthening serum used by those with different races? And it can be used an infinite number of times.


    No wonder the Zhou family rose rapidly, with three of its four generations reaching the ranks of the imperial scholars.


    Although this artifact is only of the fifth level, its value is definitely beyond that of a seventh-level Magic Artifact!


    Not using it in battle is the right choice¡ªwho would be willing to use such a treasure for fighting?


    At this moment, Mrs. Wang''s eyes were cold as she let out a light snort, "To possess such a treasure and yet fall into the brink of danger, husband, you are useless."@@@@


    Zhou An didn''t argue back. Looking at the mirror, his eyes were filled with pain, regret, and helplessness.


    The Zhou family had such a treasure at hand, and yet Zhou An''s cultivation was only at the late stage of the fourth level. In the end, he was forced to rely on the mirror and undergo demonic transformation, truly a disgrace to his ancestors!


    This was all because his Primordial Spirit talent was too poor and his will too weak to withstand the pain of bloodline refining. Otherwise, how could the Zhou family have fallen to its current state?


    Zhou An walked up to the stand, took out an oddly-made dark red pouch from his sleeve, and placed the mirror inside it.


    "This is the very foundation of our Zhou family, from now on, you will carry this item on your person and keep it with you at all times!"


    Strangely enough, the ''Blood Mirror'' originally exhibited strong fluctuations of vital energy, but as soon as Zhou An placed the precious mirror into the bag, no more aether elements leaked out.


    "Next is the second heirloom of our Zhou family."


    Zhou An then led the way, taking Lin Xi to the door of the second room, his eyes growing more complex, "This was once the object upon which generations of my family pinned their hopes, expecting to rely on it to establish an everlasting noble house. Unfortunately, now its value has diminished, and it can no longer be used. How you choose to deal with it in the future, well, that''s up to you¡ª"


    Lin Xi''s eyes expressed confusion and intense curiosity.


    Not until Zhou An unlocked the complex door and pushed it open did Lin Xi''s pupils slightly dilate, "Is this, a War Dragon?"


    She had thought there would be a small room behind the door, but when it opened, Lin Xi saw a gigantic crimson ''War Dragon'' skull within.


    "This is our family''s inherited War Dragon, the ''Undying Heart Dragon''."


    The Zhou family had supported the ''Undying Heart Dragon'' for generations, essentially sacrificing themselves with the hope of raising it to a nation-protecting war dragon with great strength and spirituality.


    However, for her, awakening herself seemed more profitable, with greater potential, without having to persist with the ''Undying Heart Dragon'' like the Zhou family predecessors.


    And after all, even if this dragon was saved, its power would drop to the sixth realm and be worthless.


    However¡ª¡ª


    Lin Xi suddenly clenched her fist, concealing the unusual luster that appeared in her eyes.


    To ordinary people, giving up this war dragon was the best option, but she was different.


    Having one war dragon already, she couldn''t undergo dragon transformation again.


    As for the burden¡ª¡ª


    Lin Xi looked at her hand, gazing at the blue veins that emerged on her fair skin.


    Being imbued with the source essence, she should be able to bear it, right?


    This was just a super emperor war dragon that had declined to the sixth realm, nothing compared to her own dragon which was truly deadly.


    As her cultivation improved, Lin Xi had unlocked more and more memories recently.


    She knew that since she had returned to the path of Martial Cultivator, she was doomed to die in the next few years anyway, so the life span loss of a few days from bearing this war dragon did not make much difference.


    On the contrary, possessing this dragon might better help her uncover the truth behind her brother''s ''death'', or protect her brother so he could reach greater heights and survive on his own.


    Lin Xi suddenly ran down from the stone steps next to her and came before the statue of the ''Undying Heart Dragon''.


    "Xi''er!" Zhou An initially didn''t understand what Lin Xi was about to do until he saw her suddenly force her wrist open with her fingertips and splatter her blood onto the ''Undying Heart Dragon''.


    That blood was instantly absorbed by the body of the ''Undying Heart Dragon'', vanishing without a trace.


    Zhou An frowned slightly, then returned to calm.


    Lin Xi''s actions were reckless, but there was no need to worry.


    Refining a war dragon left by predecessors was not a simple matter, it would take at least several months of consistent effort.


    The ''Undying Heart Dragon'' inheritance of the Zhou family, in particular, required a complete set of Secret Techniques to work together.


    Lin Xi''s bit of blood was nowhere near awakening the consciousness of the ''Undying Heart Dragon''.


    "Let''s go!" Wang''s family, carrying a lantern, turned around, "We''ll go to the next room." Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire


    Although the Zhou family only had two heirloom artifacts, there were still other treasures stored away.


    Their family had only become a family of officials four generations ago, but they had gone through seven generations of management before that, and their accumulated wealth was substantial.


    Lin Xi looked up at the colossal war dragon for a moment, then obediently followed behind the Zhou elders, leaving the room.


    She already had the key and could come over at any time in the future. There was no rush for the moment.


    It was not long after the door closed behind them with a heavy ''clang'', that the ''Undying Heart Dragon'' slumped on the stone chair started to gather a hint of azure luster in its pupils.


    It let out a low moan, both abrupt and surprised.


    If its three deceased masters were to be resurrected at this moment, they would be able to discern the meaning of its moaning.


    "Abyssal source essence¡ª¡ª"

 Chapter 188 All Things Return to One (Please Subscribe)

    "So that''s how it is!"


    Located fifty miles west of the county town in a mountain estate, Meng Weiyun furrowed her brow after hearing part of Lin Rui''s plan, her mind seemingly deep in thought, "So, you mean, all I need to do now is stay here and try to bluff? Lin Twelve, you''re not trying to imply that I''m in the way, thinking I''m just a burden now and cannot help, and you want me to just stay put and not mess things up, right?"


    Lin Rui blinked, thinking that this official Meng really understood perfectly, for that was exactly his intention.


    With Meng Weiyun''s current state, not only would she not be of help, but she would also distract him with her care.


    He only needed Meng Weiyun''s war dragon to go out from time to time, stroll around, and occasionally leave a footprint or two.


    "Why would you think that, my lord?" Lin Rui, with a solemn face, solemnly bowed, "In fact, just having the distinguished official stationed here, making the Inspector keep his guard up, is a great help!"


    Upon hearing this, Meng Weiyun gave a cold laugh, seeing right through Lin Twelve''s intentions.


    This fellow kept speaking so, yet refused to divulge half a sentence of his detailed action plan to her.


    Meng Weiyun sighed silently in her heart, wondering what good would understanding do?


    If she didn''t have Lin Twelve to look after her now, she couldn''t even take care of herself.


    Upon reflection, this was all her own fault; she couldn''t blame Lin Twelve.


    Meng Weiyun immediately buoyed her spirit.


    She believed that she must still play some constructive role, otherwise what would she say when her master asked later?


    Merely relying on Lin Twelve''s brilliant courage? What use then would he have for this foolish girl?


    If Lin Twelve failed, she would have even less face to meet her master.


    The best way to increase Lin Twelve''s chances of winning now was to enhance his ability as much as possible.


    Meng Weiyun first glanced at Ji Xueying, who stood silently behind Lin Twelve.


    This guardian demon was very strong and perfect!


    Her physical quality, Primordial Spirit power, bloodline talent, and so on, all developed to the limit, in a prime state. Among all transcendent class bloodline demons, Ji Xueying was definitely the most perfect!


    This Lin Twelve indeed had a grand fate, to actually bind such a perfect demon.


    Her only flaw now was that her martial arts Cultivation Technique didn''t quite match.


    However, Meng Weiyun was unable to help with this, especially since she lacked understanding of demons.


    Meng Weiyun then shifted her gaze to Lin Twelve, "Twelve, you''ve begun Core Formation, right? Are you condensing Martial Intent?"


    "Exactly!" Lin Rui nodded nonchalantly, "The officer is indeed condensing Blade Intent!"


    Martial Cultivators, with their spiritual power approximately around a thousand points, could attempt to condense Martial Intent.


    He was already trying to visualize his own Blade Intent, solidifying his spirit, so his spiritual power was somewhat abnormal, but Meng Weiyun actually noticed this, indicating that her perceptivity was also extremely strong.


    "All things return to one, one gives birth to all things?"


    Meng Weiyun narrowed her eyes, "This is somewhat similar to what the Heavenly Demon from beyond realms said, ''The Dao produces one, one produces two, two produce three, three produce all things'', directly pointing to the origin of all things. Lin Rui, your prowess is indeed extraordinary."


    Sitting behind Lin Rui, Blood Blade Ji was also looking at her master with admiring eyes.


    Lin Rui hadn''t thought so much. He just wanted to truly condense his power and those abyssal concepts together.


    No matter what it is, all must honestly submit to my ''One''! The most focused, the purest, the simplest ''One''!


    Meng Weiyun then fell into deep contemplation.


    She did not initially understand how Lin Rui came into contact with so many abyssal wills and concepts and why he would take the risk to self-condense martial intent.


    Meng Weiyun had intended to give Lin Rui the sternest warning to make him aware of the terror of the Abyss, to realize the danger of self-condensing martial intent,


    but when Meng Weiyun saw Lin Rui''s blade intent, she shelved that thought because she then understood why Lin Rui wanted to condense such martial intent. Indeed, only such martial intent was suitable for him.


    This guy wanted the power of the Abyss to serve him, to integrate these Abyssal forces, rather than to submit to the Abyss.


    His spiritual power talent was also strong, and his martial path was on the right track. As long as Lin Rui could stabilize his foundation and grasp the extent to which he used the Abyssal power, there would probably be no big issues.


    Meng Weiyun now fell into hesitation, her face slightly flushed.


    She suddenly remembered that just earlier, Lin Rui had helped her to the restroom. There was nothing to be embarrassed about anymore, so she gritted her teeth, "Come over here, sit in front of me. I have a secret technique that can help you quickly form your martial intent. It may take as little as a few days or at most ten days."


    Lin Rui''s eyes brightened at her words, and he walked over without hesitation, sitting in front of Meng Weiyun.


    Typically, for a martial cultivator to condense martial intent, even with great talent, it would take three to five months, and for those less talented, it might even take more than ten years.


    However, there are also special cases like Blood Blade Ji, whose talent in spiritual power is especially good and when experiencing extreme emotions, can also rapidly condense martial intent.


    But such martial intent is often beyond one''s control, what it forms into is entirely up to luck.


    Lin Rui''s martial intent was very simple and pure. Coupled with his strong talent in spiritual power, the condensing process was relatively fast, but he estimated that even if he practiced every day non-stop, it would still take five months to take shape.


    Meng Weiyun could actually help him form martial intent within a few days? What kind of powerful secret technique is this?


    "Come sit closer!"


    Meng Weiyun''s breathing was a bit rapid, her cheeks more evidently flushed, she pointed a spot one foot in front of her, "Sit here!"


    Lin Rui blinked, thinking "damn," wondering if this Heavenly Official Meng was thinking of dual cultivation with him? Was she intending to use some legendary dual cultivation method to help him condense martial intent?


    Lin Rui pondered what excuse he should use to refuse, if that was indeed the case.


    But when he shifted his buttocks over, Meng Weiyun merely leaned her head forward, resting her forehead against his.


    "Focus your mind and spirit! Next, I will use my bloodline power combined with a spiritual secret technique to guide you in rapidly forming your blade intent¡ª"


    Lin Rui then relaxed, contemplating that it was just this?


    This woman really, it''s just touching foreheads, and yet she made such a shy exhibition, he was so nervous a moment ago.

 Chapter 189 The Invincible Bull (Three More for Monthly Passes)

    About three hours later, Lin Rui emerged from the mountain estate feeling refreshed and invigorated.


    On the way back, Lin Rui occasionally swung his blade in practice gestures.


    "Is this what they call martial intent?"


    His martial arts enlightenment was still half-baked, but it was enough to scare the wild animals within several miles into a frenzy, sending them running in all directions. The tiny creatures like ''field mice'' of the Heavenly Extremes Star fainted outright.


    Meng Weiyun''s bloodline ability was extremely powerful, able to gather and strengthen any material, including the human soul.


    With her spiritual Secret Technique to guide him, Meng Weiyun not only helped him rapidly condense his martial intent but also started off by strengthening it to a higher level, saving him months of training.


    Meng Weiyun could even bolster his physical condition and Golden Core, but it required Lin Rui''s own stance training to perform, and the effect was far less potent than the enhancement of martial intent.


    It is said that this single day''s enhancement could equal ten days'' worth of his usual Golden Core consolidation, and the price Meng Weiyun paid was merely a bit of mental exhaustion each day.


    Lin Rui was actually startled after learning the principle behind it.


    Aggregation and strengthening of the soul? Was he still himself then?


    However, judging from the outcome, Meng Weiyun''s bloodline ability did not involve memory or thought processes.


    If one had to describe it, it was as if the soul had been compressed, turned from a gaseous state into liquid, and it had formed a core, which was his enlightenment of ''one''.


    Lin Rui enthusiastically practiced releasing his saber intent, causing chaos amidst the mountains with animals scattering helter-skelter, as the intelligent assistance system alerted him of a new message.


    Lin Rui initially thought it was from Yu Feicui, but after checking, he found out it was from Invincible Bull.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Lin Rui, where are you? When can you come over?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Old Fei, you can send messages now? Is your biotech chip fixed?


    Meanwhile, Fei Yunlai, hidden in another estate, couldn''t help but touch his chin in resignation.


    This guy had downgraded him to ''Old Fei'', which meant his dignity and prestige in that fellow''s eyes had utterly collapsed.


    But there was no helping it, now that someone had already handled his spine and heart, he couldn''t bring himself to be assertive.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): No, I''ve only restored the quantum communications module for now. The quantum descension module is beyond repair, and I''ve asked Professor Han to make a new biotech chip for me. It''ll arrive in a few days, but the problem is how to implant it.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Do you need my help with that?


    Fei Yunlai instantly sent a bowing emoji.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): I can only rely on the honor of being a disciple of Professor Sima! As the saying goes, one shouldn''t trouble two masters for the same cause, so since I already owe you my life, there''s no need to be indebted to someone else further.@@@@


    Lin Rui silently snickered, thinking how shameless this guy was.


    But his expression gradually turned solemn.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Damn, that crazy woman isn''t going to stop at nothing to get me because of this, is she?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Brother, thank you for the reminder. This information is too important to me.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ??? What exactly is the situation? Can you explain in detail, Old Fei?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): It''s quite complicated. I can''t explain it clearly in a short time. I''ve got to deal with some stuff here, put some evidence together, and I will contact you later. If you have some channels in the Imperial City then, maybe you can help me deliver some things, haha! Perhaps it could even help you get a promotion, maybe an Instructor or something.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): But brother, if you really are going to the Imperial City, just play along superficially, and don''t get too involved. Now the Heavenly Beings'' ''Heavenly Demon Test'' is becoming increasingly perfected, almost without flaws. If your identity is exposed, you''ll only be able to wander the world like me, drifting and uncertain.


    After sending this message, Fei Yunlai did not contact him again.


    Lin Rui sent a message in return but received no reply.


    He shook his head slightly, closed the communication system, and then hurried back to the Wang City Government Office.


    In the following days, Lin Rui''s life began to fall into a routine.


    During the day, he''d roam the city with Wang Sen hunting monsters, accumulating Soul Power while earning some money on the side; while at the government office, he made meticulous arrangements, keeping his subordinates on high alert, ready to deal with any emergencies;


    At night, Lin Rui would sneak out of the city and, with the help of Meng Weiyun, focused on condensing the martial arts extremes and cultivating his Golden Core.


    In the pre-dawn hours of the third day, while Lin Rui was forehead to forehead with Meng Weiyun, cultivating martial intent, he suddenly heard a loud explosion from the direction of the city.


    "Master!" It was Blood Blade, keeping watch on the rooftop, who sent the message, "It''s our Wang City Government Office, something''s happened there!"


    Lin Rui was startled and immediately ceased his cultivation, appearing outside the door in a flash.


    Looking towards Wang City, he first saw a burst of flames shooting up into the sky, followed by a blinding firework rising slowly.


    ¡ªThat was the distress signal released by Li Li.


    Lin Rui''s gaze turned slightly fierce.


    It must be the judicial officials attempting to break out their cohorts and the ''Heavenly Demon'' locked up inside.


    This was what Lin Rui had been anticipating. He had waited three whole days, releasing various messages and even orchestrating ruses with Meng Weiyun''s war dragon, all to induce these people to make a move.


    Today, these fellows had finally come.


    Lin Rui had also considered in advance the methods the judicial officials might employ for the jailbreak.


    Yet they chose the most lawless, the most domineering approach¡ªthey dared to directly attack the Wang City Government Office and forcibly enter the prison!


    Lin Rui knew this was the judicial officials'' response to the several humiliations he had inflicted on them. They wanted to walk over the face of Wang City, to destroy the recently established prestige of the place.

 Chapter 190 Migration of Light (Please Subscribe)

    ""My lord, there is trouble at the Wang City Government Office; I must go ahead."


    Lin Rui bowed towards the room, and his figure instantly flashed to a pre-arranged magical array in the front courtyard, where he stood still alongside Ji Xueying.


    At this moment, Meng Weiyun also came out from the room, "Lin Twelve! These bandits are so bold, they must be very confident. You must be careful on your way. If it''s too hard to handle, consider stepping back. Rest assured! This is not your fault. It''s already quite an achievement that you have held these bandits off for this long."


    A trace of shock and anger appeared in her eyes.


    The people from the Criminal Investigation Department actually dared to jailbreak from the Imperial City Department in such a brazen manner, showing complete disregard for them!


    Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Such wild ambition, utterly treasonous!


    What worried her was whether Lin Rui, despite his rapid progress in martial arts mastery, had not fully developed his skills for actual combat yet.


    Given tonight''s situation, could Lin Rui handle it?


    "This subordinate understands! But it should not be a big problem!" Lin Rui formed hand seals, and took one last look in the direction of Wang City.


    In the next instant, Lin Rui and Ji Xueying became a streak of light and vanished into the night sky.


    Lin Rui had anticipated that the people from the Criminal Investigation Department would take action while he was away from the office, so he had taken precautions.


    Between this villa and Wang City Government Office, he had set up a ''Flash Thunder Talisman'' at every sixty zhang distance, at some concealed spots.


    As for the magical array he had just used, its purpose was to help reduce the consumption of his spiritual power.


    After all, it was a significant consumption to use the thunder method to travel fifty li at a time.


    Even if they could rush back to Wang City Government Office in time, he and Ji Xueying would be exhausted. It would not be a rescue but rather delivering themselves into peril.


    Lin Rui sneered coldly, his eyes flashing with shock and anger.


    He recognized several acquaintances from these people''s stature and the weapons they held.


    It was not easy for this group to change into different clothes and cover their faces.


    Feeling his True Qi fully restored, Lin Rui pressed a hand on his ''Heaven''s Edge Saber'' at his waist, gathering momentum while extending his other hand, "Ying''er."


    Understanding his intent, Ji Xueying''s Demonic Qi vibrated, causing the Thunder God Saber to unsheathe and fall into Lin Rui''s hand.


    After grasping the saber with his left hand, Lin Rui immediately floated forward.


    "Let''s go down!"


    He, like a gigantic hawk, slid down from the top of the city wall and then with agile leaps, arrived outside the main gates of the prison.


    The people from the Criminal Investigation Department were already alert, waiting for him in a tight formation.


    Three powerful martial energies firmly locked onto him.


    Two of them could likely be the magistrates Feng Guang and Wang Tiandong.


    The third person was unfamiliar to Lin Rui, but his martial energy was the most powerful among the three, sharp and domineering, equally matched with Ji Xueying''s, causing surrounding air currents to whirl chaotically.


    As for the other high-level expert from the Criminal Investigation Department, magistrate Zhang Zhili, he was probably leading the team deep into the prison to capture their targets and was not in the office.


    Once Lin Rui landed in front of the prison, the people from the Criminal Investigation Department immediately shot various sleeve-arrows and darts toward him.


    Lin Rui paid no mind, his body exploding into flames and moving three zhang away, landing on a torch stuck in the wall.


    At this moment, a dense flurry of arrows shot out from the inner office direction.


    The Imperial Dragon Guards hidden within the watchtowers were uncontrollable with rage; these scoundrels still had the audacity to divide their attention to shoot at their Defense Officer. The nerve!

 Chapter 191 Spitting Blood in Rage (Please Subscribe)

    Just as the prison gate of Wang City''s grand prison was blown open, Gu Lai was idly deducing in the second layer of the jail, considering how to counter Lin Twelve''s swift sword-draw after his release.


    He had already thought of thirteen methods, either using unique magic artifacts and talismans or relying on his bloodline power.


    In his mind, Lin Twelve had already been slain by him two hundred and thirty-one times.


    Yet the Blood Blade maiden was quite troublesome, one they could only wait for the Grand Elder to arrive and personally deal with that demon.


    The Grand Elder was a near-sixth-realm of the Imperial bloodline, and it would be effortless for him to slaughter the Blood Blade maiden.


    He must avenge his two fellow disciples and allow them to rest in peace beneath the nine springs.


    Just as Gu Lai was mentally killing Lin Twelve for the 232nd time, he heard the sound of an explosion from outside.


    "Hmm?"


    Gu Lai''s eyes immediately sharpened as he listened intently.


    Who could be attempting a jailbreak? To directly attack the grand prison of the Hua?ngche?ng office with such audacity.


    Gu Lai hoped it wasn''t his own Burning Saber Sect.


    He was aware of the might of the Hua?ngche?ng office, and although Gu Lai wished nothing more than to slaughter Lin Twelve, he only ever considered acting secretly, leaving no evidence behind.


    At this moment, the entire second layer of the jail was buzzing with activity. All the prisoners confined there gathered near the prison gates, listening intently.


    But that was all they could do ¨C listen.


    The Wang City authorities were extremely strict in their supervision; even a first-realm Martial Cultivator would be restrained through the lute bone and nailed with a Zhenyuan Nail.


    "Brother Gu!"


    At this time, from a cell opposite Gu Lai''s, a fat, middle-aged man with a merchant''s air clasped his hands towards Gu Lai: "The ones breaking in from outside, could they be from your Burning Saber Sect? Could you possibly¡ª"


    "Shut up!" Gu Lai hummed softly, glancing at him coldly: "It can''t be our Burning Saber Sect, you''re thinking too much." Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire


    This man was called Di Dao and was a grain merchant. He was imprisoned here because the Hua?ngche?ng office suspected him of colluding with demons ¨C specifically the dragon outside the city.


    In the past few days, several merchants like Di Dao had been brought in, all accused of colluding with the dragon.


    Since their arrival, they had been cursing and claiming innocence, criticizing Wang City for indiscriminately arresting the innocent and treating lives as grass.


    Gu Lai had been somewhat skeptical before, but now he was certain that Di Dao must have had dealings with that dragon.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have chosen to escape, forsaking his vast assets in Wang City and becoming a wanted criminal by the authorities.


    Gu Lai disdained to be associated with someone who would soon be a rat crossing the street.


    The crimes of those from the Burning Saber Sect were currently only participating in brawls and resisting law enforcement violently. As long as the Sect Master and the Grand Elder used their connections, they could still get them out.


    However, these fools who colluded with the dragon had no future hope.


    Di Dao also sensed the disdain in Gu Lai''s eyes, and his complexion turned slightly pale.


    Just then, another round of booming explosions could be heard from outside, and the second layer of the jail where they were shook lightly. Countless bits of mud and sand fell from the ceiling.


    When the loud booming noise subsided, and their ringing ears recovered, the prisoners started to chatter amongst themselves.


    "The ''inner gate'' of the layer above has been blown open as well?"


    "Listen to me! The Inspector of Shazhou and the Governor have conspired together. They collude with the high ranks of our Earth Federation''s military, deliberately creating conflicts under the guise of purging Heavenly Demons, but in reality to eliminate dissidents and plot rebellion, intending to help your emperor commit deicide! Their bold move to storm the imperial Wang City Government Office today is to capture me to silence me, I have evidence¡ª"


    When Gu Lai heard this, his complexion changed drastically.


    At that moment, he wished he could stuff his own ears so as not to hear this woman''s words.


    But obviously, that wouldn''t work. Would it be useful to say he hadn''t heard anything? The people in black would not risk it.


    Was this the reason these people in black forced their way into the imperial jail?


    Gu Lai suddenly realized why the conflict between the imperial authorities and the Criminal Tribunal was so intense.


    It turned out that the constables from the Criminal Tribunal dared to ignore the law and directly seize the prison!


    Without any hesitation, Gu Lai quickly unlocked the handcuffs and shackles on his body and pulled out the Spiritual Nails from his body.


    Next were the hooks inserted under his clavicle, which were more troublesome; Gu Lai could only endure the pain and slowly pull them out.


    He was the quickest to react. Among the many prisoners in the cell, many smart ones also started to free themselves from their fetters as quickly as possible.


    He didn''t know whether the woman''s words were true or false, but he dare not bet on it. The priority was to regain his combat ability first.


    "The Inspector of Shazhou also wants to know the whereabouts of Qin Yan''s cave residence! Qin Yan''s cave is in Wang City County, located one hundred and thirty-seven miles north of Wang City County, in the foothills of Luotian Mountain, and it will open in ten days. We have already found out that there is a Dragon Blood Destiny Pill within, personally concocted by Du Zunlong, which can extend life by one hundred and twenty years! The Inspector''s father is nearing the end of his lifespan and desperately needs this to prolong his life."


    "It''s said that this pill can even assist in transforming into a dragon, and even if the transformation fails and one is forced into demonic form, taking this pill can enable one to transform into a dragon again, returning to human form!"


    "Inside, there are various treasures, Spirit Pills, and even the True Intent diagrams of complete dragon-grade secret martial arts!"


    Gu Lai''s pupils dilated slightly, his eyes showing an expression of disbelief.


    Dragon Blood Destiny Pill?


    Qin Yan''s cave is in Wang City County? Could it be that such a thing really exists in that cave residence?


    His gaze was as hot as molten lava.


    Why was their great elder so desperate to transform into a dragon, even using almost demonic methods to ensure success, if not because their Sect Master was approaching the end of his life and would perish within ten years?


    Gu Lai took a deep look at the door on the third floor and the people in black, then without hesitation, he punched and shattered the cell door, rushing out like a fierce wind.


    He had to escape from this place, to bring this news back as quickly as possible, to inform the Sect Master and the great elder.


    The group of people in the surrounding cells also rushed out of the doors one after another.


    Instinctively, they believed that staying here any longer could mean getting silenced, putting their lives at risk.


    Among them, the merchant Di Dao''s eyes shifted. A pill that could make someone who failed dragon transformation succeed again?


    Then, this piece of information would be very useful for that demonic dragon, potentially serving as a basis for his allegiance.


    Meanwhile, among the group of people in black, the mind of Zhang Zhili, the Associate Inspector, was a blank.


    His eyes were wide with fury as he glared at the iron door in front of him.


    ¡ª That outer realm Heavenly Demon was spouting utter nonsense, full of lies!


    The situation had taken an unexpected twist, causing Zhang Zhili to be momentarily unsure of what action to take.


    This cursed jail, with its dense array of spirit-dampeners, was completely isolating internal and external communication, making it impossible for him to relay the message in time to the outside authorities.


    So, should he silence them or not?

 Chapter 192 Absolutely Crazy (Three more for subscription)

    Zhang Zhili had no idea that outside the prison, Deputy Inspector Zhang Chen''s face was pale with shock and anger at that moment.


    He was locked in fierce battle with Lin Twelve''s Blood Blade Ji, and the swordstorm they set off had already swept across all the buildings within thirty feet, slashing and leveling them to the ground.


    This was a tough situation for the many black-clad men around them. They had lost their cover and suffered heavy casualties under the oppressive crossbow fire of the Imperial Dragon Guards.


    They had no choice but to beat a hasty retreat, taking shelter in farther houses.


    What alarmed Deputy Inspector Zhang Chen was the formidable combat power of Blood Blade Ji. Aside from her strength and physical toughness, her spiritual power, speed, and reflexes, among other qualities, were all on par with his!


    Their long swords clashed and thundered. They had been fighting for nearly twenty-three breaths but remained evenly matched, equally strong!


    Zhang Chen found it unbelievable. How could Blood Blade Ji be so strong?


    This woman was at most at the peak of the fourth realm. How could she confront him, who was nearly at the sixth realm?


    "Clang!"


    That was Zhang Chen unleashing an extreme move with all his might, yet it was still blocked by Blood Blade Ji. She merely slid back thirty feet before dissipating his sword''s force, then swept a golden-red sword glow across the void, firmly blocking Zhang Chen''s path toward Lin Twelve.


    This woman was completely different from the intelligence they had gathered beforehand. Her martial traits had also undergone significant changes.


    Previously, she practiced the "Blood Thunder Demon Breaking Saber," a martial art that primarily used lightning combined with the power of blood. Now, she had switched to an unfamiliar intermediate level martial technique Zhang Chen had never seen or heard of before, focusing on light as the main element and thunderfire as support.


    Blood Blade Ji had not yet mastered it fluently and was only practicing it to the point where she could barely use it in battle.


    However, this sword technique was clearly more suitable for her current True Yuan nature, enabling her to maximize her power.


    And as the battle progressed, Blood Blade Ji''s sword moves grew increasingly skilled and sophisticated. It was evident she was gradually grasping the true essence of this sword technique through combat!


    This demoness had just been driven back thirty feet before she was back in the fray.


    A six-foot-long saber shimmered like light, tracing interweaving streaks of glow in the surrounding void.


    Her blade was so swift it was unimaginable, forcing Zhang Chen to rely on his movements to dodge and retreat, unable to defend fully.


    What shocked Zhang Chen was that this woman, with just the body of a peak fourth realm, dared to fight him head-on. Her body seemed to be made of steel and iron bones; despite being hammered by his immense power, she remained unharmed, sustaining her peak combat strength.


    Steel and iron bones?


    Zhang Chen''s pupils and facial muscles twitched slightly. "You actually possess steel and iron bones?"


    Wasn''t she just a Blood Blade Ji? The bloodline abilities of a demon should be fixed, so why did she possess the abilities of steel bones and iron tendons?


    However, Blood Blade Ji didn''t care about this. She had asked Lin Rui about her bloodline abilities.


    Lin Rui, with eyes wide open, had replied, "I''m not your first master, and you''ve been through a secret ceremony in Silver Moon County. Who knows how you''ve gained these abilities?


    "I''m puzzled too. If you ask me, who do I ask?"


    Blood Blade Ji felt this made sense. In the future, if anyone asked, she would just blame it on her previous master, Yuan Yi, and the Zhu family''s uncle and nephew.


    Dead men tell no tales.


    ¡ªAnd regarding that Prince Han, it was unlikely anyone would question him about it.


    Zhang Chen, on the other hand, felt an immense headache and vexation.@@@@


    What was more frightening was that her blade intent had reached a peak; every clash of their martial intents caused tremors in Zhang Chen''s soul.


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    She could also pinpoint the flaws and deficiencies in his sword technique, now striking at the most uncomfortable spots for him, almost directly targeting his vitals.


    At this time, Ji Xueying was furious to the extreme.


    She would never want to use ''Ghost Blood Red Eyes'' unless absolutely necessary, as this form would greatly increase her combat strength but make her appearance unspeakably grotesque.


    Therefore, since her battle with Zhu Tianmao, Ji Xueying had never used ''Ghost Blood Red Eyes''.


    But today, under Zhang Chen''s pressure, she was forced to unleash it, compelled to let her master see her ghost-like ugly appearance.


    Now Ji Xueying''s killing intent almost matched the day she battled Zhu Tianmao.


    Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!


    She began to lash out at Zhang Chen without reserve, slashing wildly.


    The Blood Blade, catalyzed by her emotions, flowed with extreme smoothness, coming forth effortlessly! The bright traces she left began to stir even the aura of the abyss.


    As Zhang Chen struggled to resist, his gaze became more and more perplexed, more and more incredulous.


    Because Ji Xueying''s entire body was, at that moment, ablaze with a layer of crimson gold flames, illuminating everything around her like a fiery torch.


    Zhang Chen felt a tingling in his scalp. Could this woman also possess ''Blood Core Frenzied Yang''?


    From the beginning of their battle until now, Ji the Blood Blade had been striking with all her might.


    Yet her True Qi remained in a peak state, seemingly without any depletion. The ceaseless flow of lightning, fire, and elemental True Yuan powered her relentless slashes, requiring no adjustment, no rest.


    With time passing, Zhang Chen became increasingly certain.


    Only a bloodline power like this or the advanced capability of ''Blood Core Frenzied Yang'', named ''Blood Core Constant Yang'', could endow Ji the Blood Blade with such a terrifying recovery ability.


    The problem was that such bloodline powers outside of a Blood Blade''s physique could only come from an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon!


    "How is this possible?"


    Zhang Chen''s pupils dilated with fury, his gaze fixed on Ji Xueying: "You actually have Blood Core Frenzied Yang! Where did you get such a power, from Zhu Tianmao or the Yuan family?"


    He instinctively excluded Lin Twelve.


    Zhang Chen hadn''t dismissed the idea that the young man colluded with a Heavenly Demon, but for Ji Xueying to awaken the above-imperial ability ''Blood Core Constant Yang'' or to receive related implants would cost at least 400,000 demonic silver. That was the current market price in Luo Jing''s black market, virtually equivalent to the most basic set of Heavenly Demon armor, and professional physicians had to be involved.


    How could such a young man of humble origins afford to lavish such wealth on Ji the Blood Blade?


    It was unlikely the Yuan family, more likely Zhu Tianmao, King Han, and Yuan Ji, the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon!


    They were insane, investing so much into this Four Realms Blood Blade! And then to simply hand over this expensively crafted demonic protector to Lin Twelve! What absolute imbeciles!


    Ji Xueying remained silent, responding to Zhang Chen with even more ferocious slashes!


    Zhang Chen''s heart felt as cold as ice.


    A Ji Xueying with ''Blood Core Frenzied Yang'' could sustain explosive slashing indefinitely.


    Zhang Chen had to be fully on guard to resist, but his spiritual power couldn''t maintain such a heightened level of mental alertness for long.

 Chapter 193 Removing Yang (Please Subscribe)

    Inside the prison, Zhang Zhili''s mind was blank.


    He looked back at the fleeing prisoners, his eyes bloodshot, and his intent to kill boiling.


    "Kill them!"


    Zhang Zhili did not know whether the information about ''Qin Yan''s cave dwelling'' mentioned by the female Heavenly Demon was true or false; he only knew that it was of great importance to their Lord of Inspection, admitting no failure.


    Since these people had learned about Qin Yan''s dwelling, they must not be allowed to live and walk out.


    However, as soon as Zhang Zhili gave the order instinctively, he felt something was wrong.


    In acting this way, weren''t they proving that they were indeed the people of the judicial inspection agency? Proving that their Lord of Inspection indeed intended to rebel, wanting to silence others by killing them, even intending to assassinate gods?@@@@


    The key issue was that they couldn''t stop them.


    The prisoners included not only Gu Lai, an inner sect elder of the Burning Saber Sect, but also seven or eight other powerful martial cultivators of the fourth realm. The rest were mostly disciples of the Burning Saber Sect, along with captured martial artists from the rivers and lakes, totaling over a hundred people, all not lacking in combat strength.


    In addition, these people had likely taken some stimulant, their spirits were highly aroused, displaying vigorous health and formidable energy.


    These prisoners, though they had just had their restraints and chains removed, fought with the vitality of dragons and tigers.


    Zhang Zhili himself took action along with another colleague of the fifth realm, but they failed to keep Gu Lai.


    After thirty or so prisoners died, the remaining seventy-odd people soon violently broke through the prison doors and ran out.


    Zhang Zhili watched these escaping prisoners, clenched his teeth fiercely with anger and frustration in his heart, "Speed up, open the gate quickly!"


    He knew he had mishandled the situation, clearly being unable to silence them through death yet making such a foolish move.


    This time on his return, he was certain to face severe punishment from above.


    Just then, two black-clothed men hurried down from above: "Where is Yimu? Jia Mu has ordered you to go up immediately for reinforcement, send another twenty people up, quickly!"


    Zhang Zhili was taken aback by the words. Yimu was another judicial assistant who came with the deputy Lord of Inspection, Hao Pingyi.


    Before they started their operation, they had thoroughly learned about the conditions inside the prison, even bribing two prison guards to map out the entire defense system.


    Thus, even though the area was shrouded in thick smoke, Zhang Zhili could still roughly determine the location of Zhu Huaimeng''s cell.


    However, when Zhang Zhili walked over, opened the bars with a single palm strike, and entered the cell, he froze again.


    There was only Zhu Huaimeng''s corpse, her face blue-purple as she lay on the bed, stabbed dozens of times, devoid of any life both inside and out.


    The woman was dead?


    Zhang Zhili frowned deeply.


    Judging by the fresh blood from the wounds and the remaining warmth of the woman''s body, she must have just been brutally stabbed to death!


    At that moment, he heard a loud shout through the fog.


    "Zhu Huaimeng is dead! That extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon was stabbed to death by these traitors."


    "They didn''t come to free someone, they came to silence by killing!"


    At this time, Zhang Zhili only wanted to curse loudly, thinking, damn your silence by killing?


    They were still figuring out how to deal with this Heavenly Demon, trying to track down Professor Han and others, talking about killing whom and silencing whom?


    He immediately felt dizzy and a chill spread throughout his body.


    Zhang Zhili had realized they had likely walked into a trap, perhaps Lin Twelve had long prepared and was waiting for them to arrive!


    The question was Lin Twelve''s motives.


    This man, passing the strictest Heavenly Demon Test and having been verified by the protectorate war dragons, must surely be a pure celestial from the Extreme Polar Star.


    Given his age and background, it was unlikely for him to collude with extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons. Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Did this youth really need to go to such lengths? To be irreconcilably opposed with their Lord of Inspection?

 Chapter 194 Arrival (Please Subscribe)

    Wang Tiandong watched, with eyes wide open, as Hao Pingyi was dismembered by Lin Twelve''s consecutive slashes.


    He initially felt an extreme terror, followed by a surge of intense rage and hatred.


    "Roar!"


    Wang Tiandong let out a roar like a wild beast, his eyes cracking open at the corners as he did so, causing trickles of fresh blood to spill down.


    He knew that Hao Pingyi had taken the blows for him.


    If Hao Pingyi hadn''t come just now, the one to be killed by Lin Twelve''s blade would have been him.


    Wang Tiandong couldn''t understand what sword technique Lin Twelve used to kill Hao Pingyi in the instant the light shone.


    How could such a terrifying secret blade exist in this world?


    This kid wasn''t from any major clan, so where did he learn such a fearsome blade technique?


    Wang Tiandong couldn''t be bothered to think any longer; like a frenzied beast, he swung his mace at Lin Twelve in sheer instinct.


    Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!


    All he wanted was to smash that beast to death with the heavy maces in his hands!


    A frown creased Lin Rui''s brow ever so slightly.


    At this moment, Wang Tiandong looked in his eyes like a wild boar, although injured and nearly drained of strength, still charging recklessly and dangerously.


    Lin Rui tried to keep his distance and used his Escape Skill more cautiously, moving and dodging with even greater care, meanwhile commanding his ''Little Guang Ming Holy Sword'' to fight a mobile battle against Wang Tiandong.


    This flying sword only possessed Upper Fourth Realm power, which was somewhat lacking now, but it sufficed to harass and contain him.


    Lin Rui was like a seasoned, cunning hunter, patiently waiting for an opportunity.


    It was at this moment that Zhang Zhili rushed up from the lower levels of the prison with a large group of men.


    He was stunned by the scene before him.


    Especially the corpse of Hao Pingyi, which sent tremors through his mind and made his scalp tingle.


    Even Xiao Hao had died under Lin Twelve''s blade?


    This defense envoy of the Imperial City, merely at the Fourth Realm, possessed such terrifying combat prowess?


    Zhang Zhili quickly composed himself, his face turning a purplish hue as he said, "Commander Jia Mu, the plan has failed! When I entered the third layer, I only saw the corpse of Zhu Huaimeng. She was stabbed to death by chaotic blades, but I am not sure if she truly died. Moreover, on the third layer, there were two Imperial-rank Fourth Realm heavenly demons from beyond the domain; I am no match for them!"


    As he spoke, he joined the battle against Lin Twelve along with two experts from the inspector''s office.


    Zhang Zhili could tell Wang Tiandong was running out of strength and without external intervention, his colleague was close to death.@@@@


    "Also! Before Zhu Huaimeng died, she said that the inspector of Sha Province was conspiring with the governor. She had important evidence, and we came here to kill her to silence her."


    Zhang Zhili never expected that the outside battle situation was so grim too, so he had to be as clear and concise as possible.


    His eyes were murky with fury and hatred as he spoke.


    Now that he thought about it, there were too many doubts in today''s prison break.


    For instance, the issue with the transmission of sound. The third layer of the prison clearly had such thick Absolute Yuan stone, yet when Zhu Huaimeng shouted loudly, her voice could clearly pass through to the second layer, audible to everyone.


    Zhang Chen felt his scalp tingle as he processed this information, wondering if that was why the prisoners had fled for their lives earlier.


    So this was undoubtedly a trap!


    "Everyone, retreat, I''ll cover the rear!"


    Retreating was now the only option, as the guards of the Internal Office were pressing in from all sides with various crossbows, suppressing them to the point of being unable to raise their heads.


    The over fifty prison guards and royal guards inside the prison were counterattacking upwards, and an additional twenty or so royal guards that had been patrolling the streets were rushing back. They had formed an encirclement around the outside of Wang City Government Office.


    Indeed, the seventy or so members of the Imperial Dragon Guard from the inner yamen commanded by Wang Sen fought splendidly.


    In addition to inflicting heavy casualties on those in black, their own losses were minimal. In the entire battle, only six members of the Imperial Dragon Guard on the ground died and twelve were injured.


    Wang Sen, however, just smiled bitterly upon hearing this. He thought it best for Lin Rui not to commend him, as he had no confidence in passing the ''Heavenly Demon Test''.


    "Your subordinate obeys!" The scribe, Wen Tailai, accepted the command, but his face showed concern, "My lord, does this mean that the Supervising Censorate won''t let this incident go easily?"


    Not just easily let it go? Wen Tailai suspected that the Supervising Censor would want to devour Lin Rui alive!


    Today, Lin Rui had killed so many from the Supervising Censorate that the situation had spiraled beyond control.


    Wen Tailai pondered that if he were in the Supervising Censor''s shoes, he would have disregarded all rules of officialdom by now and directly sought to take Lin Rui''s life.


    The Supervising Censor was a Martial Cultivator in the late stages of the Sixth Realm of Transforming Dragon and a high-ranking fourth-grade official affiliated with the Ministry of Punishment.


    As long as he handled things cleanly, even if the Imperial City hall wanted to take him down, it would be rather troublesome.


    Lin Rui let out a scoff upon hearing this, "It''s good that he can''t let it go, for I have no intention of letting him off either! Write a few more banners for me. They should say that the Imperial Inspector of Shazhou colluded with the Governor, plotting a rebellion and intending to kill a deity. Hence, today they have stormed into Wang City with the aim of slaying key witnesses!"


    "This man''s treacherous actions have been exposed. In order to prevent the Imperial Inspector from silencing people by killing them, I shall use these banners to proclaim to the world! If henceforth I die an unnatural death, or perish at the hands of a Heavenly Demon beyond the borders, it must be the doing of the Imperial Inspector and the Governor. The larger these characters are written, the better. Hang them at the city gates for all to see, and also¡ª"


    Lin Rui then pointed to Wang Tiandong lying on the ground, "Take this subordinate judicial official of the Imperial Inspector and hang his body, along with those of the other corpses left by the office of the Imperial Inspector and Judge, on the city walls as evidence."


    Upon hearing this, Wen Tailai''s scalp tingled.


    His lord, the Defensive Officer, really wasn''t worried about creating a big scene.


    After a moment of contemplation, Wen Tailai began to sympathize with the headache that the Imperial Inspector would soon face.


    Once these banners were hung up, it wouldn''t just be the Imperial Inspector who would be furious; even the esteemed Governor of Shazhou would be so angry that he''d be blowing smoke from his seven orifices!


    Consequently, both men would undoubtedly be caught in a quagmire of suspicion, creating a big trouble indeed!


    Meanwhile, around 200 paces away from a wine shop''s eaves, the clerk from the Bureau of Militia, Lu Xinran, had already quietly returned to his teacher, Han Kedao, with Zhu Meng in tow.


    "Professor!" Lu Xinran greeted Han with a smile and a cupped-hand salute, "We have successfully completed our mission without disgrace. The plan by Brother Li has gone more smoothly than we anticipated."


    He was unaware of Lin Rui''s identity, assuming all the night''s events were orchestrated by Li Li.


    Zhu Meng also spoke, her expression a mix of embarrassment and gratitude, "Thank you, teacher! It was all due to my careless actions this time, truly causing everyone trouble."


    She was previously imprisoned and had thought her life was surely at an end.


    Professor Han shook his head slightly, thinking that it was actually another person Zhu Meng should be thanking. As a teacher, he hadn''t really contributed much.


    Following Professor Han''s gaze, Lu Xinran raised his eyebrows, "Does Brother Li plan to continue following that Lin Twelve? It''s indeed a good path to tread. Lin Twelve is a natural talent with exceptional aptitude, accompanied by such a powerful Heavenly Demon guardian. His prospects are boundless and certainly, he will become a prominent figure of the Tianji Star in the future!"


    Shaking his head in admiration, Lu Xinran exclaimed, "This is the first time I''ve seen someone from the Tianji Star so formidable, capable of slaying a fifth-level with just fourth-level cultivation! If Brother Li sticks with him, he is bound to encounter great opportunities."


    Professor Han could only laugh helplessly and nod, "Indeed, his future is boundless!"


    At the same time, in a villa nestled within the mountains 50 miles away, Meng Weiyun smiled faintly, her demeanor relaxed as she walked back into the room.


    Through the vision of her battle dragon, she had already observed the situation at the Wang City Government Office.


    Meng Weiyun had initially thought if Lin Twelve were in a dire situation, she would need to step in to save his life, even at the cost of further depleting her own vital energy.


    However, the young man proved to be much stronger than she had imagined.


    Especially that Super Emperor Secret Blade, which was a sight to behold.


    She had never come across such a secret blade technique before, nor had she ever read about it in any martial arts texts.


    Based on her recent understanding of Lin Twelve, it was highly possible that he had created it himself.


    Just like Lin Twelve''s ''Ascending Sun Devastation Blade'', which was a fusion of several martial arts skills he had created.


    If that was indeed the case, the boy''s martial arts talent was terrifyingly high¡ª

 Chapter 195 The Limit of Heart Origin (Three More for Subscription)

    Duan Pengxuan, the Imperial Inspector from Shazhou, arrived at Wang City the next day.


    The distance between Shazhou and Wang City was not far, and having set out at the second watch after midnight upon receiving the news, Duan Pengxuan arrived at the gates of Wang City mere three hours later.


    This gentleman deliberately entered from the northern gate of Wang City and then saw the bodies of Wang Tiandong and many others hanging on the city walls, along with several large white banners with characters as big as buckets.


    "The Governor-General of Shazhou and the Imperial Inspector are in collusion with the Heavenly Demon from beyond our domain, using the Heavenly Demon''s power to eliminate dissent, and plotting rebellion!


    "The two culprits attempted to cover up the truth and brazenly attacked our Wang City prison last night, plotting against the witness¡ª"


    "¡ªHe who may kill me in the future must be the Governor-General and Imperial Inspector of Shazhou!"


    These banners attracted a large crowd of townsfolk, who gathered at the city gate, whispering and chattering amongst themselves.


    Duan Pengxuan felt a sharp pain in his head and involuntarily raised his hand to rub his temple: "Where is Lin Rui? Have him come see me."


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    Zhang Chen, the Deputy Imperial Inspector standing at Duan Pengxuan''s side, said with a pale face, "Sir, Lin Rui is arrogant and overconfident, lawless and unrestrained, brutally greedy and cunning, I fear he will not obey orders."


    In other words, he wouldn''t give them any respect.


    Duan Pengxuan frowned slightly then immediately dismissed the idea of meeting with Lin Rui.


    Given Lin Rui''s character, it was unlikely that a meeting would be of any use.


    The chances of the young man bowing his head to them were slim to none.


    Moreover, the situation had escalated to such a point that there was little room for negotiation between the two sides.


    It was estimated that the memorials from the Shazhou Defense Commander and the Shazhou Government Office for impeachment had already flown into the capital by now, and were known to the court officials.


    Therefore, even if he could convince Lin Rui to take down those banners, it wouldn''t hold much significance.


    Afterward, Duan Pengxuan coldly looked at Zhang Chen and Zhang Zhili: "What made you think of attacking the Imperial Prison, have you gone mad? Do you think we aren''t in enough trouble?"


    Zhang Chen''s face was flushed with embarrassment as he explained helplessly, "We received inside information that the ''Demon Blood Locust Tree'' of the seventh realm will be dormant within two days, and the Heavenly Demon team led by Professor Han is about to enter Qin Yan''s cave. Once they get what they want, they will leave. It now seems that our mole has been exposed; the false news was deliberately spread by the Heavenly Demon team to force us to rush to the Wang City prison."


    Their bought inside information about the Heavenly Demons didn''t come from Professor Han''s team, but was gained through limited external intelligence.


    The intelligence from the opposing party was clearly problematic this time.


    Duan Pengxuan heard the explanation but was not convinced.


    Nevertheless, there was no need to attack the Wang City prison to rescue anyone.


    The crux of the matter was his deputy''s overconfidence, who had underestimated both Lin Rui and Professor Han''s Heavenly Demon team.


    They had not anticipated these two forces joining together to set this trap.


    And then there was Zhang Zhili, whose on-the-spot decision underneath the prison was the height of idiocy!


    Could they kill more than a hundred men? Since it''s impossible to wipe them all out, why kill anyone to silence them?


    Lin Rui had come here to practice martial arts to the extreme and to strengthen his Golden Core.


    Yesterday, he was only a hair away from forming his martial intent when he had to interrupt it abruptly due to the upheaval in Wang City Government Office.


    After handling the various affairs within the government office, Lin Rui couldn''t wait to rush back here.


    Lin Rui, after butting foreheads with Meng Weiyun for an hour, finally completed his martial arts extreme intent, capable of truly applying it in real combat.


    He no longer needed to build up momentum like before when using martial arts extreme intent. Now, as soon as the thought arose, he could use and summon it at any time and place.


    The only issue was that the level of martial arts extreme intent seemed a bit too high. Although it was very powerful, it also consumed a lot of spiritual power.


    Lin Rui found that he could only use it for a maximum of ninety seconds. After ninety seconds, he would suffer a severe headache, as if his head was about to explode, and it would take half an hour to recover.


    This meant he needed to allocate its use wisely during combat.


    And just when Lin Rui was itching to use his martial intent in the courtyard, Meng Weiyun approached him, offering to teach him a secret technique passed down in her sect, the "Emperor-Level Secret Move"!


    Lin Rui didn''t think twice, wondering, could there be such good fortune?


    He was eager for anything that could enhance his combat abilities.


    Emperor-Level Secret Moves were not something he could simply learn whenever he wanted, even with the help of his Battle Spirit Ring, he could not deduce it without any foundation.


    However, after Meng Weiyun demonstrated it twice and explained the method of cultivation in detail, Lin Rui frowned slightly, "So this secret move can only be executed with the help of the Emperor-Level bloodline ability ''Ultimate Heart Source''?"


    The problem was, he didn''t have ''Ultimate Heart Source''.


    "That''s right!" Meng Weiyun nodded, "However, correspondingly, as long as you can truly understand the mystery of this ''Ultimate Slash,'' it can also help you awaken this Emperor-Level talent rapidly!"


    Meng Weiyun then swung her accompanying Immortal Sword ''Burial Sun'': "Although this secret move doesn''t have the same destructive power as your Light Transition Slash, it can enhance all your martial arts moves for a period of time. And ''Ultimate Heart Source'' is one of the bloodline abilities that allows me to gather and strengthen any substance."


    She looked at Lin Rui expectantly, "With your talent, you should be able to grasp its essence quickly. Is there anything you don''t understand? I can explain it to you now."


    "So that''s how it is~"


    Lin Rui had already sensed something was off. This woman was clearly suspicious of him, using this move to test his intelligence.


    Lin Rui chuckled to himself, "There''s no need for further explanation, I roughly understand what this secret move is all about."


    He actually only understood a little and still couldn''t fully comprehend it.


    But¡ª


    "Ring Spirit, help me deduce this ''Ultimate Slash'' to the level of proficiency¡ª"


    After careful consideration, Lin Rui thought it best to be more conservative.


    Even if he wanted to maintain the image of a genius, he couldn''t display an abnormal level of talent. Mastering proficiency would be enough.


    Upon hearing this, Meng Weiyun''s pupils contracted sharply.


    She was half-convinced, half-doubtful. Could this child really grasp the mystery of the Emperor-Level Secret Move after hearing her explanation twice? Impossible!

 Chapter 196 Awakening (Please Subscribe)

    The Soul Reminder indicated that to deduce "Ultimate Slash" to the proficiency level would require 2000 points of Soul Power, which was significantly more than what Lin Rui needed for deducing "Thunderclap Absolute Slash" previously.


    Lin Rui chose to agree.


    He had been hunting monsters with Wang Sen these past few days and had some gains.


    Although he hadn''t earned much money, his Soul Power points had recovered to 31,403, giving him ample capital to show off.


    "I don''t have the ''Ultimate Heart Source,'' so it might not be quite right." After Lin Rui exchanged, he drew his sword: "I guess this is the feeling, right? Can you take a look for me?"@@@@


    "Then let''s give it a try!" Meng Weiyun smiled wryly upon hearing this, "It''s okay if you didn''t comprehend it at once. It took me several days just to get started¡ª"


    Her expression suddenly stiffened, and her voice came to an abrupt halt.


    Lin Rui had suddenly used "Ultimate Slash," causing the sword''s aura to undergo visible enhancement, emitting a layer of red light.


    Lin Rui also swung his "Heavenly Brilliance" sword and said, "It''s quite simple, do you think I did it right, my Lord? Is it like this?"


    Meng Weiyun stared at the gold and red aura on the sword in a daze, feeling bewildered.


    Lin Rui had indeed managed to perform it, even without awakening the ''Ultimate Heart Source.''


    This meant that Lin Rui''s understanding of the mysteries of "Ultimate Slash" had reached a profoundly deep level.


    "Quite simple, is it?" Meng Weiyun first gave a hollow laugh without emotion, and then walked expressionlessly into the room: "Lin Rui, you should head back today. I feel a bit tired and need to rest. Come back tomorrow."


    As Meng Weiyun walked away, feeling dispirited, she remembered the past moments when her teachers always praised her with "Weiyun, your talent is among the rarest I''ve seen," but now her mouth was filled with an unspeakably bitter taste.


    Perhaps the teachers had never encountered a true genius. And to think she had been complacent all this time.


    However, just before entering the room, Meng Weiyun suddenly remembered the most critical question she forgot to ask Lin Rui. She turned back and said, "Lin Rui, what was the Heavenly Demon''s final words yesterday about? Is it true that the Governor-General of Sha State is colluding with the Lord of Inspection to stage a rebellion? Did that Heavenly Demon actually have evidence?"


    Lin Rui bowed his hands in respect: "I am not clear on this matter, Sir. Before yesterday, that Heavenly Demon had not provided any information about this aspect. Moreover, that Heavenly Demon was stabbed to death by a trusted person under my orders to prevent the news about the elixirs from leaking."


    "Oh?" Meng Weiyun''s expression relaxed, she had suspected that Heavenly Demon was dealt with by Lin Rui herself.


    "I''m more suspicious that the Heavenly Demon''s words could be out of spite, sensationalist to the end, making my current situation very awkward, somewhat caught in a dilemma."


    Lin Rui frowned: "However, what is strange is that our prison warden also died in battle last night. Afterward, I asked the prison guards, they were all hiding in the corner of the third level of the dungeon at that time, surrounded by dense fog, only hearing a brief fight in the distance."


    Meng Weiyun fell into deep thought.


    She sneered inwardly, thinking that the Heavenly Demon might not have been spouting nonsense, and how did she know that the Governor might be collaborating with the Heavenly Demon army, planning to slay gods?


    Indeed, there were too many suspicious points in this matter, and Lin Rui might very well be used by someone as a pawn in their scheme.


    But that didn''t matter. Looking at the current situation, it might actually be for the best.


    Meng Weiyun again reminded in a serious tone, "Lin Rui, since you have managed to cultivate ''Ultimate Slash,'' you should awaken the ''Ultimate Heart Source'' as soon as possible. With such talent, whether it''s for polarizing your blood talents in the future or for the ''Dragon Transformation,'' it will be very useful."


    After she said this, she closed the door with a ''click.''


    Lin Rui touched his nose, activated his quantum communication module, and started to look up information on "Ultimate Heart Source".


    In his original plan, "Ultimate Heart Source" was not included.


    Blood talents are not necessarily better in greater numbers. The more blood talents one has, the greater the burden on one''s spiritual power.


    Lin Rui sneered and gestured a throat-slitting motion towards Duan Pengxuan, then turned around and walked in the direction of Wang City Government Office.


    He was very annoyed by Duan Pengxuan''s spiritual pressure but since he wasn''t at a disadvantage now, he let it go.


    After all, with such a big gap in power between them, he had to admit defeat when necessary.


    He needed time now; he had to wait for Blood Blade to break through to the fifth realm and also convert all the money in his account into his own strength.


    Meanwhile, on the third floor of the inn, Duan Pengxuan frowned deeply: "This whelp is very bold."


    At the same time, he was also quietly astonished.


    The mere early-stage of the fourth realm, and yet he was able to resist his martial intent pressure¡ªsuch strong Primordial Spirit talent.


    Lord of Inspection Zhang Chen smiled wryly and saluted: "It is precisely because this youngster is unruly and unyielding that we were forced to resort to this strategy."


    Of course, it was also because they could not suppress the anger in their hearts and had underestimated that Lin Twelve.


    Duan Pengxuan remained noncommittal, with his hands clasped behind his back deep in thought.


    He thought to himself that it was still necessary to dispose of this whelp sooner rather than later.


    Although he couldn''t take action directly, he could still manipulate others to do his bidding.


    He had to give Lin Rui an unquestionable death with a process so clear, that no one could doubt it!


    He wondered if, in ten days'' time, this whelp would enter Qin Yan''s dungeon or not?


    Upon returning to the government office, Lin Rui looked at the extensive damage before him and couldn''t help but sigh to himself.


    It was indeed bitter; ever since he took over as the defense commander of Wang City, the government office had been intact only a few days at a time, constantly needing major repairs.


    Fortunately, the inner office was intact this time. After returning to his main residence, Lin Rui sat cross-legged on the ground and injected himself with a dose of "Type-4 Bloodline Enhancement Elixir."


    Lin Rui had actually been able to inject this thing for a while now, but for safety, he had specially waited until he consolidated his martial intent.


    This way was safer, the awakening would be faster, and the burden on his spiritual power would be lighter.


    Indeed, as soon as Lin Rui injected the fourth "Type-4 Bloodline Enhancement Elixir," he successfully awakened the Emperor-class talent "Blood Sun Primordial Element"!


    With this talent awakened, Lin Rui could now accumulate Primordial Qi in his bloodline. Moreover, his sword-drawing speed would increase by at least 50%, and both sword speed and sword force would improve by about 20%.


    If Lin Rui from last night were replaced with the Lin Rui of now, he wouldn''t need to take the risk of using the "Yang Pulling Slash."


    He would have a much easier time handling the situation. The preparatory movements for the "Light Transition Slash" would be shorter and subtler, making it harder for others to interrupt. Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    At this moment, Lin Rui made some surprised exclamations. He discovered that along with awakening the "Blood Sun Primordial Element," another bloodline power related to his feet and movement techniques was stirring.


    Lin Rui didn''t continue with the bloodline enhancement injections.


    This was different from the assimilation effect brought by bionic suits. Inherent talents from the foreign body had to be awakened slowly on their own and couldn''t be hastened by elixirs.


    According to the experience of his predecessors, forcing it would only backfire. If he initially should awaken an Emperor-class talent but the drugs turned it into an upper-class one, wouldn''t that be a huge loss?


    Lin Rui then made some adjustments to the behavior mode of the assistant AI in the biological smart chip and returned to the Ninth Base Martial Arts Club. Taking advantage of the time before Qin Yan''s dungeon opened, he would make a large purchase aboveground, making his final preparations.


    Fortunately, his current situation was very safe. Apart from the two hours a day he spent meeting with Meng Weiyun, he could move around the Ninth Base City without worry.


    After waking up in the sleep pod, Lin Rui immediately opened his bank account to check the balance.

 Chapter 197 War God Model 5

    ```


    Balance: 281,459,942.


    Lin Rui marveled inwardly, being a martial arts internet celebrity sure was lucrative.


    It had only been a few days, yet he had nearly 300 million.


    Of that, only about 20 million was earned by him from catching demons himself; the rest came from video subscriptions and income from promotions.


    Although these were his peak popularity days, the speed at which an internet celebrity could rake in money was thus evident.


    Just then, Lin Rui received another notification of funds being credited to his account.


    It was the school''s finance department, transferring 17 million regulated funds to him.


    The so-called ''regulated'' meant that he had to explain the purpose before using it and obtain permission from the school''s finance department.


    Lin Rui was surprised, wondering where this money had come from? Was it Fang Ranran?


    But according to the rules of the university martial arts competition committee, he couldn''t accept financial aid from the school.


    Suddenly, a thought struck Lin Rui, and he opened the chat interface with his senior, Li Li.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Senior, I have received 17 million federation dollars from the school finance department. Does this have anything to do with the professor?


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): Yes, it''s some project funds the teacher applied for you guys; they''ve been gradually approved. Don''t worry, this money comes from official channels and won''t affect your participation in the martial arts competition.


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): ''Tian Dao'' Elite Ettin Cultivator Foundation, 4 million; Ettin Cultivator Care Foundation, 3 million; Tianji Star Humanities Research Foundation, 2 million; Ettin Cultivator Health Charity Fund, 1 million. Our teacher is the standing vice-chairman of these foundations, and he started applying for you half a month ago, it''s only just been approved. Oh, and Wang Sen has about 5 million in development funds, which are a bit slower to approve since he isn''t as well-known as you.


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): He also applied for two research projects for you, Tianji Star Soil Research Project, 2 million; Tianji Star Production Relations Survey Project, 5 million. The latter project is relatively simple; you just need to deliver data like the household registry and the land records from Wang City''s county office, and write a paper, and that should be enough. If it''s really difficult, I can ghostwrite for you.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): !!! The professor is awesome!


    He sent a prostrating emoji.@@@@


    Li Li couldn''t help but chuckle upon seeing this.


    Professor Han was indeed amazing. Although not as financially powerful or as well-connected as Miss Fang, he was more than capable of looking after the members of their group.


    Li Li was not born into wealth, so how did his bloodline power reach the rank of a four-realm emperor? It''s because the professor could occasionally secure project funding and sponsorships for them.


    In fact, the funds had been prepared long ago.


    Professor Han''s original plan was to recruit two combat-capable ettin cultivators into the group, and then use these funds to further enhance their martial strength to add to the team''s martial security.


    Now, using it on Lin Rui and Wang Sen was also not bad.


    Especially for Lin Rui, who had given them a huge surprise.


    But for junior brother Lin, already a martial arts flow star, this sum of money probably seemed like mere scraps, hardly worth mentioning, right?


    Fei Yunlai had implanted a set, and if not for the "War God" Model 7 nanotechnology combat enhancement device on him, he would have already been killed by Meng Weiyun.


    However, this enhancement device had been destroyed, and it would cost a lot of money for Fei Yunlai to get a new one implanted.


    The implantation surgery for this type of device was extremely precise, and Lin Rui was prepared to charge him a surgery fee.


    Furthermore, "War God" Model 5 and "Heavenly Armor" Model 5 were products from the same company and could connect with each other to produce a synergistic effect.


    What made Lin Rui even more interested was that "War God" Model 5 could be stored outside the body and he could also take out the "Heavenly Armor" Model 5 subcutaneous nano-armor he had, forming an arm-guard-like object to wear on his body.


    If he didn''t want to use it in the future, he could expel these nano-robots from his body.


    If anyone wanted to use the Heavenly Demon Test on him again in the future, he could still cope with it.


    The problem was that the price quoted by the Special Entity Management Bureau for this piece of gear was 100 million federal dollars, and two sets would be 200 million.


    On the Federation''s side, it was much cheaper, only costing 30 million¡ªthe shipping fee from the Special Entity Management Bureau was actually 70 million!


    Lin Rui felt the impulse to turn to the black market traders instead, as Professor Han and his associates should have such channels.


    He immediately shook his head, thinking that he still had to wait. With 10 days left, he should be able to earn this amount of money.


    Although the Special Entity Management Bureau charged a lot, their products were regulated and reliable, which provided more peace of mind.


    Then, he started to enter into an intense working mode, recording over thirty videos with the help of the Tianlan Talent Agency team.


    Lin Rui also held a live stream, explaining how to practice and use the Red Thunder Saber, as a bonus for his fans.


    The live stream was free to watch but was in a view-and-discard mode, with no recording allowed.


    The Earth Federation valued martial arts intellectual property rights very highly, and to expect to learn real martial arts from the internet without paying was just dreaming!


    The popularity of the live stream was unexpectedly high, with the viewership reaching up to 12 million people at its peak.


    However, many fans'' focus wasn''t on his martial arts explanation.


    Lin Rui saw the screen filled with comments like "The host is so handsome," "The host has a great body," and "Stop streaming, I''ll support you," leaving Lin Rui not knowing how to respond.


    To his surprise, the amount of tipping after the live stream ended totaled over 30 million federal dollars.


    Lin Rui regretted that this money would take a month to be credited, and there would be a split with the video platform. Otherwise, he would just need to do more live streams to earn back the money for the "War God Model 5" implant.


    He had also sold a batch of goods, a total of over 1200 implants, worth over a hundred million, which allowed for a share of the proceeds.


    The sale volume was slightly touching; with 12 million viewers, only so many sales were made. Those girls who said they''d support him, all were all talk and no action.


    Not long after the live stream ended, Lin Rui received a new message.


    ¡ª¡ªThe person sending the message was named "Lin Da."


    After seeing it, Lin Rui''s brow slightly furrowed, a hint of suspicion appearing deep in his pupils.

 Chapter 198 The Fifth Realm (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Rui opened his sister Lin Xi''s chat window.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Lin Xi, do you have any time to come up recently? Our uncle wants us to have a meal together.


    Lin Rui''s family had relatives, and in his address book, there was a group labeled ''Blood Relations.''


    Initially, Lin Rui didn''t understand its meaning but after checking, he realized it contained all the relatives from the Lin family.


    On his father''s side, Lin Rui had an uncle, two male cousins, and a grandfather; his mother''s side also had some relatives, though they hadn''t been in contact for a long time.


    For instance, this uncle, Lin Da, the earliest record of communication was from a year and a half ago, which seemed to indicate that the siblings didn''t have a good relationship with these relatives.


    Today, however, this uncle suddenly sent a message, saying he wanted to meet them to discuss something important.


    Lin Rui wondered whether it could be the cliche? situation of ''no inquiries in poverty in the city, distant relatives when wealth is in the mountains''?


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): Lin Da? What does he want with you? I won''t go! If you want to go, go by yourself.


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): Don''t go either, it''s definitely not going to be anything good!


    She was very busy at the moment, refining her bloodline during the day and at night, integrating with the War Dragon. She had no time to meet with that uncle.


    After reading his sister''s messages, Lin Rui shrugged his shoulders and replied to Lin Da.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Hello, I am currently very busy with something and won''t be available until 11 days later, at which time I can meet with you.


    He actually wasn''t keen on interacting with the relatives from the Lin family but after some contemplation, Lin Rui had decided to meet with them.


    If he was going to use this body, he should accept its responsibilities.


    Moreover, he was curious about the Lin family''s situation, which he couldn''t figure out due to limited information.


    Lin Rui had tried to look up information on his parents but, oddly, there were no records of them at all.


    Yet both of his parents had very high incomes; from Lin Rui''s old videos, it was evident that both had high-level cybernetic enhancements. They could afford a villa and likely held high social status.


    Lin Rui''s father Lin Cong was a classmate of Professor Sima, who from the way he spoke, held Lin Cong''s abilities in high regard.


    So meeting with them could also help to gather some information.


    But not now. Before settling the matter with Qin Yan''s stronghold, Lin Rui wasn''t in the mood to meet with the ''uncle'' he hadn''t heard from in so long.


    Lin Da: I said it''s urgent! Get out here now.


    Lin Rui furrowed his brow; this uncle''s choice of words was quite rude.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I already said I''m busy with something important! If you have an urgent matter, you can tell me now, it''s the same over the internet.


    Lin Da on the other end probably sensed something off in Lin Rui''s tone and fell silent for a moment.


    Lin Da: Fine! Then 11 days later in the evening, bring Lin Xi with you to Olin Club. Contact me when you arrive, and I''ll give you a temporary guest pass.


    Lin Rui looked at the chat history, his brow knotted.


    His sister probably guessed right; it doesn''t seem like anything good.


    Just as he was thinking about his sister, Lin Xi sent another message.


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): Brother, when shall we meet? I''ve got everything from the Zhou family, including a mirror called the Blood Refining Mirror, a Divine Artifact beyond the imperial level that has great uses. It can be used to reflect on oneself, helping the user condense and awaken bloodline powers.


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): In the past few days, I''ve used this Magic Artifact to awaken a super imperial rank bloodline power ''Bright Blood.'' We can take turns using it after we meet.


    "Oh?" Lin Rui''s heart trembled at the thought, musing that the Zhou family actually possessed such a treasure? No wonder they had bred so many successful scholars over generations.


    The Blood Refining Mirror?


    For him and his sister, this item was nothing short of a Divine Artifact.


    Lin Rui''s expression was relaxed, even leisurely humming nursery rhymes, his eyes showing interest as he cut open his own body to perform the implant surgery.


    The problem was that Lin Rui wasn''t using anesthesia in order to stay alert.


    Li Li couldn''t help thinking: What in the world is junior brother Lin''s head made of? Such temperament and willpower were truly terrifying.


    To Li Li, it was as if Lin Rui was subjecting himself to a drawn-out torment.


    "Not too bad, as long as I keep my mind focused, it actually doesn''t hurt much," Lin Rui replied with a calm demeanor and focused gaze. "The problematic implants will involve the brain marrow, I''ll have to find a way to let my brain operate in segmented regions."


    Li Li had no words, only shaking his head and saying, "Junior brother, your achievements are indeed no fluke."


    He was greatly shaken inside and thought that in the future, he could genuinely ask Lin Rui to perform some cybernetic surgeries on him.


    If this guy could implant such complex devices into himself, there probably weren''t any implant surgeries that could stump him.


    At that moment, Lin Rui received a message from Fei Yunlai.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Are you guys done over there? What''s with the mystery? Why do you need to be so secretive about your identity?


    He was really feeling irritable, as today Professor Han demanded he leave with the protector, disregarding their former master-disciple relationship.


    Just what kind of identity did this kid have that required such a tight cover?


    Lin Rui was performing surgery on himself while still amiably responding.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): It''s going to be several more hours, don''t disturb! I''m in the middle of performing surgery on myself. I''ll notify you once it''s finished.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): !!! Are you serious? You''re self-implanting the ''War God'' model 5?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Is that even a question? In a couple of days, I can show you my skills. Don''t worry, old Fei, I guarantee that I can implant a complete set of War God model 7 into you. Charging you 50 million Federation dollars for the implantation surgery is absolutely a conscience price.


    Fei Yunlai couldn''t help but click his tongue, replying reluctantly¡ªYes! Yes! That''s very conscientious.


    In fact, even if he had gone to Professor Sima for surgery at the ninth base city, the fee would have been at most 20 million.


    The problem was that they were now on Tianji Star, where people capable of such delicate surgeries were rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.


    A charge of 50 million was truly conscientious when considering his biotic aid chip, still being re-fabricated, for which Lin Rui dared to charge 3 million Federation dollars for implantation, which was also very conscientious.


    Fei Yunlai didn''t dare to haggle over the price, Lin Rui''s skills were secondary, but his reliability was priceless.


    How did this young rascal Lin Rui learn such powerful surgical skills? Could talent truly be this terrifying?


    At that moment, Lin Rui curiously inquired.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Speaking of which, old Fei, what about the evidence you mentioned before? How did you get involved in the Governor''s rebellion case? What exactly is going on?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): I was framed. About half a year ago, I was hired to kill someone. On the night of the operation, I realized something was wrong and backed out, but the target still ended up dead, and somehow that got pinned on me.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Fortunately, I uploaded the video footage of that night to Tianji Star for safekeeping, and afterwards, I did some digging and got hold of some evidence. I''ve stored a part of it at the ninth base and another part with a friend. The part with my friend will be delivered after some time; but the evidence and footage stored at the ninth base will only be accessible after I''ve had my biotic chip re-implanted.


    After reading it, Lin Rui thought to himself, so that''s how it is.


    He knew that after Fei Yunlai became a top-ranked fugitive, he simply adopted a desperate approach, dabbling in business as a hitman, a bandit, a mercenary¡ªwithout disdain for any grim task¡ªresulting in this major trouble this time.


    Just then, he heard an electronic voice from outside: "Identity confirmed, welcome home, Mr. Han Kedao."


    Upon hearing this, Li Li''s face relaxed, and his hand left the hilt of the knife at his waist.


    He had actually seen Professor Han through the external surveillance earlier, but Li Li was still not complacent.


    He was on high alert, responsible for standing guard and protecting Lin Rui.


    After a moment, Professor Han entered with a parcel. He was taken aback for a moment upon seeing Lin Rui performing surgery on himself.


    However, his gaze soon shifted to Blood Blade Ji in a nearby sleep pod, and his pupils slightly brightened: "Has she advanced already? When did it happen?"


    Professor Han sensed Blood Blade Ji''s aura, which had clearly reached the fifth realm!

 Chapter 199 Dragon Armor (Please Subscribe)

    Blood Blade Princess had indeed advanced to the fifth realm. The moment she fully implanted the ultimate version of the "Blood Sun Primordial Core," her demonic core entered a complete state under the stimulation of the newly born powerful bloodline primordial force and Guang Ming elements, beginning to generate "Dragon Armor."


    At this time, she was lying in the sleep chamber, using the "High-Concentration Ether Nutrient Fluid" that Lin Rui had brought from the ninth city base to grow her Dragon Armor and stabilize her condition.


    As Martial Cultivators advanced to the fifth realm, the Golden Core inside their hearts would transform and produce Dragon Armor.


    The Dragon Armor would grow from the heart, first covering the chest and abdomen, then the back, followed by the limbs, until it covered the entire body to form a complete "Dragon Armor."


    Demons differed from humans; their "Dragon Armor" usually grew inside their bodies.


    However, there were exceptions. For demi-demons like Blood Blade Princess, the Dragon Armor also covered the outside of the body.


    According to the experiences of predecessors, the moment of the Golden Core''s transformation was extremely important for both humans and demons.


    If there was sufficient primordial energy at this time, then the Golden Core could transform into a larger area of Dragon Armor, thus saving months or even years of cultivation effort!


    And this part of the bone armor would be much harder than the normally generated one and could store more strength.


    Lin Rui had spent over half of that 60 million funds on these "High-Concentration Ether Nutrient Fluids."


    They were specially formulated for Ji Xueying by Professor Sima''s team for the best enhancement effects.


    Though Ji Xueying was clothed, everyone could sense that the left side of her chest was almost completely covered by a layer of golden-yellow bone armor.


    "What a relief!" Professor Han''s expression loosened, "With this, we can indeed match that imperial censor in combat."


    Once Ji Xueying advanced to the fifth realm, they would indeed have some confidence in this expedition to Qin Yan''s cave dwelling.


    "More than matching in combat? Lin Rui also performed implantation surgery on her."


    Li Li''s eyes showed unusual excitement, clicking his tongue and saying, "The ultimate version of Blood Sun Primordial Core, plus a set of War God Model 5, tsk tsk! This is simply the top-configured version of Blood Blade Princess. I wonder what Prince Han would think if he knew about this?"


    He would probably be moved by Yuan Ji''s dedication to him, willing to invest such a large sum. Then he would likely detest the incompetence of the Zhu family''s uncle and nephew, wouldn''t he?


    Li Li then looked at the package in Professor Han''s hands, "Professor, is that the injection prepared for her?"


    Professor Han was also shocked to hear what Li Li said.@@@@


    The items Lin Rui had implanted for Ji Xueying were all nine-figure toys, while the annual funds that Professor Han''s team could fight for were currently in that range.


    He then thought of Lin Rui''s current popularity on the internet and understood it all.


    Professor Han was secretly grateful, as Lin Rui had undoubtedly spent a fortune this time.


    Professor Han smiled wryly and shook the package in his hand, "It''s an experimental product that I got from a friend at the East Asia Science Academy, called the ''Core Formation Promoter.'' It was originally intended to help stimulate her demonic core to advance before the opening of the cave dwelling tomorrow.


    However, as it happens, this drug was actually a failed experiment, only capable of increasing the Core Formation progress by three percent. Its cost was astonishingly high for such poor results, but it could comprehensively improve physical fitness and increase the spiritual power by approximately 80 to 200 points. The effect is comparable to a fifth-realm imperial-grade Spirit Pill from Tianji Star, albeit much more expensive."


    He hesitantly glanced at Ji Xueying in the sleep chamber, "This substance has undergone rigorous drug trials. Many wealthy and aspiring Ether-drifters have used it to enhance their spiritual power. Theoretically, it could accelerate the condensation of the bone armor."


    However, Blood Blade Princess was a demon, and he was unsure whether Ji Xueying could withstand such strong medicinal properties.


    Ji Xueying in the sleep chamber suddenly opened her eyes, "Professor, please inject me now, I''ll be fine."


    Zhou An and the Wang family were still alive only because that person wanted to force them to transform, to reveal their demonic forms!


    "''Flame God''s Fury'' Zhou Changgong!"


    Lin Xi clenched her fists tightly, flames of anger flickering in her eyes.


    She had always viewed the demons of the Zhou family as tools to be used, living in constant fear while spending every day with the old granny.


    Yet now, when the old granny died, Lin Xi instinctively felt angry and grieved for her.


    The old granny was indeed a demon, a Hundred-Eyes Demon, but she had never harmed anyone. In her mind, she had but a single consciousness ¨C to protect Zhou Yun Xi at all costs, the last bloodline of the Zhou family.


    Lin Xi only regretted that she had not yet managed to refine the battle dragon or heal its wounds, unable to stop that bastard.


    Therefore, Lin Xi did not plan to call her brother for help. Lin Rui''s cultivation level was at most Level 4, and his presence would be useless in stopping Zhou Changgong.


    What Lin Xi could do now was to try to preserve herself as much as possible and to take revenge for these people of the Zhou family at some point in the future.


    At this moment, in the front courtyard, ''Flame God''s Fury'' Zhou Changgong, who was as huge as a giant, had just crushed the skull of the head Protector of the Zhou family with his palm!


    This head Protector had transformed into a Blood Wing Demon with the strength of a mid-level 5th Territory combatant, second only to Mr. and Mrs. Zhou among all the demons of the house, and was skilled in Escape Skills, extremely fast and agile.


    Yet, even in what he was best at, speed, he had lost to Zhou Changgong, and after less than ten breaths of chase, was caught by ''Flame God''s Fury'' Zhou Changgong and had his head crushed.


    Zhou Changgong then looked with interest at Zhou An and Mrs. Wang in front of him.


    The two were expressionless, seemingly unaware that the head Protector was dead, numbly and mechanically applying their martial arts skills from before their transformation, viciously attacking him.


    It was all in vain, though; their full-strength sword strikes could barely penetrate Zhou Changgong''s outer aura and didn''t faze the ''Heavenly Demon''s Armor'' on his body.


    "Still unwilling to transform into your demonic bodies? What a pity, both the Lamp Genie and Sword Bone Demons are very powerful, but now you can''t even utilize half of your strength," Zhou Changgong said with his hands behind his back, tilting his head leisurely towards the direction of the main house, "I heard that your granddaughter is still alive? Is she the only one in your Zhou family who hasn''t transformed?"


    He noticed Zhou An and Mrs. Wang stiffened slightly, their skin trembling.


    Zhou Changgong smiled lightly, his figure floating into the air, easily avoiding Zhou An and Mrs. Wang''s interception using advanced Escape Skills.


    But just as he was about to reach the main house, Zhou Changgong''s expression subtely changed.


    First, a flying seal appeared, landing in front of him, followed by a tall, slender figure clad in black armor, emerging in front of him amidst a burst of thunder and lightning.


    What followed was an incredibly sharp and powerful blade light!


    "Clang!"


    Zhou Changgong blocked the blade, but his giant form retreated half a step.


    The sword which took the lead, swift like a flash of lightning, unbelievably fast, a continuous barrage of more than twenty strikes, relentless, preventing Zhou Changgong from counterattacking for a moment.


    It was only after the Zhou family couple caught up that this person was forcefully blasted away by a fierce punch from Zhou Changgong.


    "Abyss will, indeed it is the Guang Ming technique," Zhou Changgong narrowed his eyes, looking at the young man in front of him wearing the heavy armor of a capital city commandant, "Are you Lin the Twelfth, the Defense Envoy of the capital city?"


    The man who killed two of our Burning Saber Sect''s inner elders!


    This fellow, far stronger than he had anticipated, was no kept man.

 Chapter 200 The Indestructible Divine Sun (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Rui was also sizing up the Grand Elder of the Burning Saber Sect before him.


    Zhou Changgong appeared to be about thirty, with facial contours as clear as if sculpted, exuding a calm yet forceful demeanor.


    Because he was clad in Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, his frame approached three zhang in height, suggesting that his actual stature was also extraordinarily tall.


    Lin Rui felt a deep solemnity in his heart.


    He had already used his military officer seal to suppress half of Zhou Changgong''s cultivation level.


    However, his charged strike had not affected the "Red Fire Heavenly Burn" much, but rather made his own arm go numb.


    This fellow actually had a set of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor too. Where did it come from?


    "Who are you?"


    Lin Rui, knowing full well who the man was, pretended ignorance, his expression casual, "To dare commit murder within the city walls is utterly lawless!"


    As he spoke, he noticed the girl Lin Xi poking her head out through the window again.


    The corners of Lin Rui''s mouth twitched slightly, and he glared fiercely at Lin Xi.@@@@


    This foolish girl still hasn''t fled? What is she doing standing there?


    Yet, Lin Xi''s face was as pale as paper, her gaze fixed steadily on Lin Rui.


    She should have escaped through the underground passage, but she turned back because she sensed the blood resonance in her body.


    She had felt the resonance once about ten days ago, but at that time she thought it was the Blood Blade Ji!


    Since the blood basis for breeding the heteromorphic body came from that four-realm super-emperor monster, the Blood Blade Ji gave her a more distinct feeling.


    However, today, Lin Xi also felt a thin resonance of bloodlines from this young defense officer.


    ¡ªThis must originate from the three drops of blood left by her father, each of their heteromorphic bodies containing a drop of unidentified blood!


    If Lin Xi couldn''t figure out that Lin twelve was Lin Rui, her own brother, then she was an idiot!


    Lin Xi felt she was going crazy, surely this must be a dream!


    Zhou Changgong stood before her as one of the four great heads of Wang City''s defensive forces¡ªthe head of the imperial city''s authorities who paraded around the province with a four-realm super emperor monster as protector!


    No wonder¡ª


    Lin Xi had figured it all out, but now she was even more worried about her brother''s situation!


    Lin Rui''s opponent was a nearly sixth-realm imperial-class master, possessing a set of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor!


    Also, why hadn''t her brother brought his protector demon this time?


    Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire


    "The ones I killed were monsters, when have I ever committed murder?"


    Fortunately, Lin Xi wasn''t foolish enough to stay around. She had peeked out her head and then ran away.


    This girl must have realized that without her as a burden, it would be easy for Lin Rui to escape.


    Nevertheless, Lin Rui still needed to tie down Zhou Changgong for a while to give Lin Xi more chances to escape.


    At that moment, the void suddenly turned into a blazing white color.


    ¡ªThat was Lin Rui''s sixty-four flying needles distributed around him, which all exploded into intense bright light at the same time, making the surrounding area within thirty yards white as a sea of milk.


    Zhou Changgong couldn''t help but squint, almost unable to see anything. His pupils then slightly contracted, and a chill broke out all over his body.


    In that instant, he sensed at least three different abyssal wills descending around him. Their powers distorted the rules, twisted space and time, and made Zhou Changgong''s external Divine Sense retreat back into his body like a mouse seeing a cat.


    What was even more terrifying was that an extremely abrupt, extremely fast, extremely hot, and extremely sharp blade light shone through.


    Zhou Changgong was too late to draw his sword to fight back; he could only extend his left hand in front of his chest to block.


    "Clang!"


    Following a sharp metallic explosion, the blade light actually split Zhou Changgong''s Heavenly Demon armor like a bamboo shoot and cut into his flesh.


    The reason it did not sever Zhou Changgong''s hand was because Zhou Changgong''s right hand drew his sword and swung it repeatedly toward Lin Rui!


    A series of crimson blade Gang Qi pursued Lin Rui''s figure.


    Zhou Changgong, furious to the extreme, chased after Lin Rui from behind, striking no less than one hundred fifty times in a single breath!


    A series of terrifying blade Gang Qi, sweeping across twenty yards, leveled all the surrounding houses to the ground.


    Zhou An and the Wang faction tried three times to break Zhou Changgong''s blade momentum and support Lin Rui but were smashed dozens of yards away by Zhou Changgong''s fierce blade light, bleeding profusely with bones exposed from their wounds.


    Lin Rui''s expression was grave.


    He dodged when he could, and when he could not, he forcefully blocked. Intermittent blinding sparks and ear-piercing clangs exploded between the two.


    Only after a full seven hundred fifty strikes did Zhou Changgong''s frenzied slashing come to a halt.


    His expression was cold, and while recovering his breath, he looked coldly at Lin Rui.


    He was utterly astonished internally that his super king-level secret move had failed to kill this man, to kill a mere Fourth Realm fighter!


    Lin Rui was also panting heavily, forcing himself to stand.


    At that moment, not only was he exhausted and bleeding from the corner of his mouth, but his internal organs were also churning tumultuously.


    Lin Rui was exceedingly fortunate; had it not been for the implantation of War God Type 5, he would have been chopped to death by his opponent by now.


    But at this time, not only did he hold on, but his internal injuries were also quite minor, all thanks to those nanomachines that were continuously stabilizing and repairing his internal injuries.


    More than anything, Lin Rui was astonished because he felt that the bloodline power already showing signs of awakening within him had fully awakened under Zhou Changgong''s ferocious pressure!


    At the first opportunity, Lin Rui learned the name of this bloodline talent¡ªit was the Imperial talent, Indestructible Solar God!


    At this moment, his bloodline power had also entered the Imperial Realm!

 Chapter 201 Disposal (Please Subscribe)

    The power of the Indestructible Solar God was like a reinforced version of steel muscles and iron bones.@@@@


    Not only did it allow Lin Rui to possess stronger and more indestructible bones, fasciae, and even internal organs and flesh, but it also endowed him with extremely powerful self-healing abilities.


    While Lin Rui was breathing, a large amount of light, fire, and thunder elemental forces inside his body were turning into particles of light, repairing the damaged areas within.


    The power of "Blood Core Wild Sun" could continuously supply him, enabling a rapid recovery of various elemental forces inside his body.


    Therefore, his current condition was far better than it appeared on the outside.


    The bloodline powers Lin Rui now possessed, though only Imperial level "Indestructible Solar God" and "Blood Sun Celestial Element", Super Emperor level "Light of Blood" and "Blood Core Wild Sun", along with the Superior level "Heaven Speed", were all of high quality, and indeed, he had stepped into the realm of emperors.


    Of course, this was no match for the Blood Blade Ji, as Ji Xueying now, without considering her progeny equipment, also possessed two Imperial levels and four Super Emperor talents.


    So Ji Xueying was a Super Emperor, whereas Lin Rui was only of Emperor level.


    Lin Rui was overly delighted, not expecting such a reward tonight.


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    He stood up straight, a hint of scornful smile appearing on his lips, "It seems your so-called common man''s rage is just like this!"


    With the "Indestructible Solar God", he was now confident enough to withstand another bout with Zhou Changgong.


    He definitely couldn''t win in a fight, but stalling for a while was no problem.


    It would be hard for the person opposite to take him down in a short time.


    Zhou Changgong then gazed coldly at his left hand.


    Though the sword wound could heal quickly, the troubling issue was the damage to the "Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor", which couldn''t be repaired in a short amount of time.


    Zhou Changgong was even more annoyed by his own underestimation and carelessness.


    He actually hadn''t intended to seriously harm Lin Twelve.


    This person had killed two of their inner sect elders, deserving death! The problem was this man was cloaked in the tiger skin of the Imperial City Division, which was very tricky.


    Zhou Changgong couldn''t kill an official in front of a crowd, especially not a defense envoy from the Imperial City Division!


    The irritating part was this man''s predecessor had just died, and combined with the jailbreak incident in Wang City ten days ago, the situation was extremely sensitive.


    Moreover, according to his knowledge, a Divine Envoy in the Capital had already received 300,000 stone of divine core tea; the crisis was resolved, and he now had the spare capacity to consider him.


    The Burning Saber Sect now couldn''t afford the wrath of the Divine Envoy of the Imperial City Division.


    Even if he were to kill, he needed to find another venue, to choose the right moment.


    Zhou Changgong today merely wanted to teach Lin Twelve a profound lesson, intending to crush every bone in this Lin Twelve''s body to make him pay for his arrogance!


    As a result, the cat playing with the mouse was instead bitten by the mouse.


    Zhou Changgong took a deep breath, "You are courting death!"


    Flames furiously blazed throughout his body, the extreme temperatures burning to the extent that even the void twisted.


    The temperature around Lin Rui''s body also increased correspondingly.


    But he had already prepared for this, directly transferring the fiery power to his own sword.


    Lin Rui had just used the high temperatures, both internal and external, to strike back at Zhou Changgong with the Heavenly Blade.


    When it came to controlling fire, he wasn''t much inferior to the one opposite with the "Red Fire Heaven Burn".


    "Blustering!" Lin Rui swung his long sword, causing flames to blaze on the Heavenly Blade, "Zhou Changgong! You have committed crimes of slaughtering the populace, violently resisting the law, and assaulting an official! To think you wielded your cultivation to harm a court officer, it is a blatant disregard for the law! I advise you to surrender peacefully and come with me to the office, or else you will find no place in this world to shelter you!"


    He would hang this man''s wanted poster tomorrow, and the reward would be twenty thousand taels, dead or alive! He would also hold the Burning Saber Sect accountable for their lax discipline.


    Zhou Changgong was surprised, sensing the battle intent from both Li Changguo and Qin Xia was particularly strong.


    This was not just intimidation, but a real intention to join forces with Lin Zhishier to annihilate him here!


    This group of people¡ª


    Zhou Changgong felt confused in his heart, sensing he might have miscalculated something.


    He frowned slightly, then with a light snort said, "Fine! Fine! Fine! You actually dare to falsely accuse, confusing right and wrong, but just with the three of you, trying to cover the sky with one hand in Wang City County, I''m afraid you won''t be able to do it."


    Just as he finished speaking, Zhou Changgong''s body burst into flames and he disappeared on the spot, instantly escaping miles away.


    "I will appeal to the governor and Shazhou Supreme Procuratorate about this matter, and see how the governor and the court will handle you all!"


    Li Changguo furrowed his brows deeply, soaring to where the flames had burned, then looked around him immediately.


    His eyes darkened, "This idiot!"


    The Burning Saber Sect was truly seeking their own death! If the governor knew the details about the Zhou family, he would probably wish he could slap Zhou Changgong to death.


    The backer of the Burning Saber Sect would definitely take decisive action, resolutely and decisively cutting ties with the Burning Saber Sect to avoid provoking public anger from the court officials.


    These reckless men of the jianghu, thinking themselves clever, were actually doing things as foolish as carrying fuel to quench fire, trying to stop boiling water by splashing it.


    However, Wang City County was now in trouble, with the disaster of the demonic dragon unresolved, adding the calamity of the Burning Saber Sect.


    This wasn''t correct either; the door of Sect is in Tianyue County, not in Wang City County.


    However, Li Changguo thought about the Zhou family''s demonic transformation being widely known because of this fool''s clamor, and couldn''t help but feel a headache.


    He and the assistant prefectural governors had been trying to handle the matter of the Zhou family quietly, and had been suppressing this matter for several months, but today it had to be known by the court''s officials?


    Lin Rui, however, calmly sheathed his sword, "Gentlemen! Please leave for now and let me handle the aftermath, shall we?"


    "Hmm?" Li Changguo involuntarily looked down at Lin Zhishier.


    Lin Zhishier''s actions today had greatly surprised him, first for facing Zhou Changgong courageously, and second for being able to withstand Zhou Changgong''s Super King Secret Blade unscathed despite only being at the fourth realm.


    His injuries seemed very minor.


    Li Changguo realized he had underestimated this pretty boy!


    This fellow wasn''t just a pretty face, the blade in his hand was of considerable weight!


    Especially his escape skill, which was very troublesome.


    Li Changguo completely dispelled any thoughts of regaining face for himself.


    He knew that his own martial power was much inferior to Zhou Changgong''s, and since even Zhou Changgong couldn''t do anything to Lin Zhishier, he was even less capable.


    Prefectural Governor Qin Xia''s expression shifted slightly, "Do you know what to do, Defense Officer Lin?"


    The Zhou family''s matter was actually troubling them a lot, uncertain of how to deal with it.


    The handling they were most looking forward to was for the Imperial Guard to step in and eradicate the Zhou family.


    However, the previous Defense Officer of Wang City didn''t have the strength nor was willing to take on the responsibility, and the current one had also been dragging his feet.


    Lin Rui looked at Zhou An and the Wang couple in the distance and said word by word, "The sect of Burning Saber took advantage of the three lords dealing with the demonic dragon to intimidate and persecute the Zhou family, even slaughtering the Zhou house''s servants, the head of the family, Zhou An, unable to endure the humiliation, left behind a blood-written accusation before setting himself and the mansion on fire along with everyone inside!"


    As he spoke, the bodies of prefectural Governor Li Changguo and Prefectural Governor Qin Xia trembled slightly.


    They first looked shocked, realizing that Lin Zhishier was clearly putting the Burning Saber Sect in a deadly situation!


    Zhou An and the Wang couple initially looked towards Lin Rui with a vacant gaze, but gradually, their eyes began to sparkle more and more brightly.


    At this moment, Lin Xi had run back, having seen that the battle had calmed down and her brother seemed unharmed, hurried back.


    Lin Xi had only just entered when she heard Lin Rui''s statement. Her delicate body also shivered slightly as she looked toward Lin Rui and her ''grandparents''.

 Chapter 202 Green Blood Venerate (Three more chapters, please subscribe)

    The Prefectural Governor Li Changguo and the Deputy Governor Qin Xia, after their initial shock, calmed down.


    They realized this was the best solution.


    Lin Twelve truly was ruthless, wanting to drive the Burning Saber Sect into dead end.


    However, for the two of them, this was a satisfactory outcome.


    At the same time, both harbored a deep caution, this fellow was genuinely not to be trifled with; just look at the fate of the Burning Saber Sect?


    The current issue was, would Zhou An and the Wang family accept it?


    They looked towards those two demons and immediately understood.


    They both could see the resolve on the faces of Zhou An and the Wang family.


    Being able to protect the Zhou family''s honor and also revenge against the Burning Saber Sect was indeed the ideal outcome for these two demons.


    Li Changguo, with a grave expression, bowed respectfully, "Then, we entrust this to the Lord Protector."


    He secretly sighed in his heart, today he had owed Lin Twelve another favor.


    It looked like his hope for revenge had been completely extinguished.


    After he and Qin Xia departed by air, Zhou An and the Wang family took a long look at Lin Xi, then turned to glance at Lin Rui.


    Zhou An said with difficulty, "Sir, my grandson, Zhou Yunxi¡ª"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui smiled and gestured to Lin Xi, "Come here!"


    After waiting for Lin Xi to approach, he vigorously rubbed her head, "If you are worried, leave her in my care. I will adopt her as a sister and treat her as my own."


    In the past, Lin Xi would mostly have slapped his hand away, but now her expression was silent, docile like a kitten.


    Zhou An thought, what else could they worry about at this time? They had no other choice.


    He and the Wang family bowed deeply to Lin Rui, "Then, we entrust her to you, sir!"


    After Zhou An bowed, he then solemnly said to Lin Xi, "Xi, my child, the Zhou family still has many treasures and valuables. You must support Lord Lin with all your effort, from now on he is the pillar you rely on in this world, do not be stingy!"


    Though he had become a demon and his mind wasn''t very clear, he knew that the stronger Lin Twelve''s capabilities, the safer his granddaughter would be.


    Lin Xi opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she could not utter a single word.


    Her eyes were slightly red.


    The real Zhou Yunxi had already died! She felt unworthy of Zhou An and his wife''s emotions.


    The drastic change in the Zhou family had already drawn the attention of the nearby residents. Now, even more people from the city opened their windows or stood on high places to look over.


    The fire column burned for about a quarter of an hour before it slowly extinguished.


    Lin Rui focused his senses and discovered that there were no longer any demonic presences inside, and he finally turned with relief to walk out of the gate.


    "Let''s go, we can''t live here for the time being. From now on, you''ll stay with me at the Wang City Government Office."


    As Lin Rui spoke, his expression suddenly changed and he looked back.


    He sensed a violent fluctuation of soul consciousness around him, like countless thoughts merging at the Zhou residence, resonating in emotions and thoughts.


    At the same time, a strange and powerful abyssal will suddenly descended upon the place.


    In that instant, a new surge of Demonic Qi appeared within the flames, and its presence was strong, on the level of the fifth realm!


    However, this Demonic Qi was very restrained, very mild, somewhat similar to the Blood Blade Ji.


    Lin Rui''s expression grew solemn, and he gripped his blade.


    By now, hundreds of Imperial Dragon Guards had arrived at the Zhou residence; they drew their weapons and stood prepared.


    The next instant, they saw a figure engulfed in flames, walking out from the pile of ruins.


    His body was ablaze with flames as he stepped outside, his gaze fixed steadily on Lin Xi.


    "Is that Zhou An? No!"


    The person Lin Rui saw was indeed Zhou An, yet it was not Zhou An.


    Zhou An had died; it was more like a demonic entity that had taken over Zhou An''s body, born from a spirit will.


    Was it because of that abyssal will?


    "What is this?" Lin Rui''s eyes filled with confusion, wondering what exactly was happening.


    City on Fire (Han Kedao): This is the Green Blood Sword Bone Demon!


    It was clearly Professor Han, who had likely come over because he was worried, now standing nearby and observing. He directly sent a message.


    City on Fire (Han Kedao): Have that little girl sprinkle blood over it; it''s just one step away from fully forming! Hurry, this demon is based on the Sword Bone Demon fused with abyssal power, related to the ancient ''Green Blood Venerate''. It''s extremely rare and valuable, and its bloodline rank is very high.


    City on Fire (Han Kedao): The Zhou family has probably worshipped ''Green Blood Venerate'' for generations, and this Zhou An had worshipped for a long time. Along with the sympathy of the city''s residents for the Zhou family, a strong spiritual resonance was triggered, thus attracting the abyssal will of the ''Green Blood Venerate''.


    City on Fire (Han Kedao): This demon exists to protect that little girl, so no Blood Covenant is needed, just sprinkle the blood over it.


    Lin Xi didn''t need Lin Rui to remind her; she understood the situation as soon as she caught the gaze of the ''Green Blood Sword Bone Demon''.


    Without hesitation, Lin Xi leapt in front of the demon, sprinkling the blood from her wrist onto the flaming skin of the Green Blood Sword Bone Demon.

 Chapter 203 So Big (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Xi''s emotions fluctuated violently throughout the entire evening until she calmed down after returning to the Wang City Government Office with Lin Rui.


    She looked around and then at Lin Rui, her face full of disbelief, "Are you really my brother?"


    Lin Xi had heard Zhou An and his wife discuss Lin Twelve.


    They all said that this young man who was appointed as the Defense Envoy of Wang City and had an ultra-imperial Blood Blade Ji for protection must have a profound background.


    The two speculated that Lin Twelve was most likely the esteemed disciple of some big shot in the Imperial Court or the offspring of a major family, and he was part of the same faction as the Defender General of Sha Prefecture.


    The former was more likely since the name Lin Twelve suggests a commoner''s origin.


    However, at that time, the Zhou family''s channels of information were actually cut off.


    Zhou An and his wife were just making guesses based on their experience, and their minds were no longer clear.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was also in a state of bewilderment.


    He was thinking about something, that both times his bloodline awakened were when he had a strong desire to protect certain things in his heart, could his unique Sacred Body be related to this?


    However, his sister had also awakened the "Blood of Guang Ming"; he wondered what her situation was? He could ask her later.


    It wasn''t until Lin Xi impatiently tugged at Lin Rui''s sleeve that he snapped out of it, and with a chuckle said, "Could there be any doubt?"


    He reached out to pinch Lin Xi''s cheek, but she slapped his hand away.


    Lin Rui instantly knew the girl was back to normal, "If I weren''t the Defense Envoy of Wang City, how would I dare to let you enter the Zhou residence?"


    He spoke without regard for the ''Green Blood Sword Bone Demon.''


    According to Professor Han, it was a monster born from the longing and reluctance of Zhou An and his wife towards Zhou Yun Xi, as well as their desire to pass on the will of the Zhou family, inspired by the ''Green Blood Venerate'' and the collective will of sentient beings in the abyss.


    Although it was born inside Zhou An''s body, it was essentially unrelated to Zhou An.


    This monster''s current thoughts were purely simple; its birth was to protect the current ''Zhou Yun Xi.''


    The demonic changes of Tianji Star are mostly related to emotions, and the ''Green Blood Sword Bone Demon'' is no exception, though more complex and higher-end.


    Lin Xi, rubbing her forehead, still found it hard to believe, "But brother, you''ve only descended on Tianji Star for a little more than two months! How did you pass the Heavenly Demon Test?"


    Strictly speaking, Lin Rui actually took just over a month to become a sixth-grade official of the Imperial Court.


    And he was the Defense Envoy for a major prefecture!


    There are many sixth-grade military tribunes in the Imperial Court, but the position of Defense Envoy is one per slot.


    Speaking of this, Lin Rui was also perplexed, he stroked his chin, "Speaking of which, I find it strange too. Initially, I was just coming down to earn a salary, how did I end up becoming a Defense Envoy of the Imperial Court?"


    He remembered when he had first arrived, he sincerely intended to just ''get by,'' believing he shouldn''t disappoint those two employers.


    Unexpectedly, he somehow ended up in his current position, and it''s a role he can''t stop yearning for¡ªthe more he serves as an official of the Imperial Court, the more addictive it becomes.


    Lin Rui thought carefully and blamed it all on Zhang Tianchang.


    Everything started from the moment Zhang Tianchang suddenly jumped into his courtyard.


    Speaking of which, old Zhang had gone to take the patrol envoy test half a month ago, what''s his situation now?


    Lin Rui snapped out of his reverie, "The Heavenly Demon Test is actually simple, just follow the steps on this post, and you can pass the highest difficulty of the Heavenly Demon Test. Under the watchful eye of the National Dragon Guard, I skimmed through in one glance," he remarked.


    He even went as far as to send Lin Xi a link to the post with a serious expression.


    After taking a look, Lin Xi gasped in shock, "Cultivate to the Grandmaster level of Yi Jin Bone Refinement before age 25?"


    Suddenly, Lin Rui had drawn his sword and had it pressed lightning-fast against her throat.


    The ''Green Blood Sword Bone Demon'' instinctively moved a few steps closer but still couldn''t prevent it.


    Lin Xi was shocked; she had seen Lin Rui drawing his sword before, his speed was so fast that it was enough to contend with Zhou Changgong.


    Now, feeling it first-hand, it seemed even faster than when they sparred in the virtual world.


    "Don''t be naive. I only used half of my sword''s speed just now, but it was fast enough that you and your protector demon couldn''t react," said Lin Rui, shaking his head. "Facing those Fifth or Sixth Realm experts, they could kill you in the blink of an eye."


    Wang Sen smiled faintly, "That''s right, Little Xi. Even I could kill you before the ''Green Blood Sword Bone Demon'' can react."


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    Having broken through to the Fourth Realm Golden Core, he was capable of freezing Lin Xi''s blood in an instant.


    "Don''t worry, it''s enough for Wang Sen and me to go in¡ª"


    Lin Rui looked toward the door of the hall, "Besides, I have her."


    He had prepared a trump card for the censor and many Sixth Realm experts; he would surely give them a surprise this time.


    Just then, a fiery red figure appeared at the doorway.


    After walking in, she glanced at the ''Green Blood Sword Bone Demon.''


    That glance made Green Blood Sword Bone Demon frown deeply, and his body hair stood on end.


    He grasped his longsword, showing a defensive stance.


    The will of the Green Blood Abyss began to coalesce in this void.


    But at the same time, a strong saber intent burst forth from the red-clothed woman, also invoking the will of the abyss.


    The Green Blood Sword Bone Demon frowned even deeper and took three steps back.


    Lin Xi was secretly alarmed; she had just researched ''Green Blood Venerate'' and knew of his powerful will and spiritual strength.


    Her Green Blood Sword Bone Demon, born from the summoning of the ''Green Blood Venerate'' and the gathering of the will of beings, actually couldn''t withstand the spiritual pressure from a demon of the same realm?


    Impossible!


    Unless Blood Blade Ji''s lineage power had broken through to the imperial rank.


    But if it hadn''t reached the imperial rank, how did Blood Blade Ji''s demonic body carry the power of the abyss?


    One should know that all intents and concepts of the abyss are extremely oppressive to demons.


    That''s why her ''Green Blood Sword Bone Demon'' is extra rare and precious.


    "Be at ease, An Lao!" Lin Xi gestured to her Green Blood Sword Bone Demon, "She''s one of us."


    Ji Xueying didn''t pay any mind to the Green Blood Sword Bone Demon, walking straight to Lin Rui and kneeling before him, "My lord, you should have awakened me sooner. Your safety is the most important thing.


    "Zhou Changgong alone doesn''t warrant using a cleaver to kill a chicken."


    Lin Rui laughed nonchalantly and then pointed at Ji Xueying''s chest, "How big are you now?"


    "This big!"


    Ji Xueying drew a circle in front of her chest, "Would you like to see now, my lord?"


    Lin Xi''s face darkened upon hearing this, wondering what on earth these two were talking about?

 Chapter 204 Take it Easy with Her (Please Subscribe)

    The next morning, at dawn, about 20 miles from Luotian Mountain, Lin Rui and Meng Weiyun stood shoulder to shoulder, while Blood Blade Ji stood behind them with an indifferent expression.


    They were concealing their figures thanks to Lin Rui''s Escape Technique, while gazing in the direction of a dense forest at the foot of Luotian Mountain.


    That dense forest was part of the Seven Realms ''Heavenly Demon Blood Acacia''.


    The camouflage ability of this mystical plant was breathtaking. The dense forest seemed like a perfectly normal bloodthorn woods, with more than twenty thousand trees stretching for dozens of miles, providing lush shade.


    Previously, there were even several villages and many hunters nearby.


    However, if one were to delve deeper underground, they would find that all the bloodthorn trees shared the same root system, originating from the same ''Heavenly Demon Blood Acacia''.


    Qin Yan''s cave dwelling was hidden within, surrounded by this dense forest.


    At this moment, a large number of martial cultivators from the jianghu could be seen surrounding the forest, including that Heavenly Demon dragon, as well as ''Crimson Fire Heavenly Incinerator'' Zhou Changgong.


    Even the Imperial Censor Duan Pengxuan was perched on a small hill one mile away from the forest, sitting under a huge parasol, drinking tea, and waiting.


    Accompanying him were several Fifth Realm experts including Deputy Imperial Censor Zhang Chen. One man, clad in Heavenly Demon battle armor that completely wrapped around his body, caught Lin Rui''s extra attention.


    Lin Rui also noticed Duan Pengxuan''s war dragon, about six zhang tall, with silvery-white skin and pale golden lines along the edges. Its arms were adorned with elongated bony sabers, and it boasted a rectangular-shaped horn atop its head, looking both splendid and dangerous.


    This was a royal-grade war dragon named ''Titanium Saber Dragon''.


    Lin Rui also saw a war dragon standing behind Zhou Changgong, which was seven zhang tall and entirely crimson, with pale golden lines along its body.


    It was engulfed in flames that never seemed to die out, resembling a giant made of fire.


    That was likely not Zhou Changgong''s war dragon, but the ''Blazing Blood Incinerator Dragon'' belonging to the current Sect Master of the Burning Saber Sect.


    All these individuals stayed respectfully outside the forest, not daring to take a step over the boundary.


    This was a testament to the power of the Heavenly Demon Blood Acacia.


    Although the mystical plant could not move, any martial cultivator below the Seventh Realm who recklessly entered this expanse spanning dozens of miles would face the risk of death.


    Lin Rui felt extremely stifled, silently mourning the powerful hand of cards he once held.


    Although the Seventh Realm Heavenly Demon Blood Acacia possessed a royal bloodline and was a large creature with a combat rating of 7SS, extremely terrifying in its might, both Marshal Fei Yunlai with his mecha suit and the celestial official Meng Weiyun could have easily escorted him through this dense forest.


    Yet, now one of them was lying in Professor Han''s secret base, bored and playing single-player games to pass the time, while the other could do nothing but stand beside him and watch helplessly.


    "Did that Heavenly Demon named Zhu Huaimeng ever reveal when this Heavenly Demon Blood Acacia falls asleep, and for what reason?"


    Meng Weiyun, unaware that Lin Rui was inwardly criticizing her, stood with her hands behind her back, her expression curious, "This Heavenly Demon Blood Acacia seems quite lively, doesn''t it?"


    This was another source of resentment for Lin Rui.


    Because ''Zhu Huaimeng'' only mentioned that it would open today without specifying an exact time, everyone from the Imperial Censor''s office had rushed to wait outside the forest since early before dawn.


    No wonder that guy was hemming and hawing about the surgery costs, always avoiding giving a clear answer about when the surgery could take place; it turns out he was broke.


    As Meng Weiyun pressed the button, strips of metal instantly spread across Lin Rui''s body, especially around the joints, covering them in a layer of metal and forming a set of exoskeleton devices.


    "It actually works?" Meng Weiyun''s eyes first lit up with joy, then she shook her head regretfully, "Sadly, this ''Mechanical God Temple'' decoding chip probably can''t unlock its full potential. You need to be careful when you use it, avoid any significant vibrations, and it''s best not to be seen by others. Even though it was seized fair and square, it would still be troublesome if spotted¡ª"


    Lin Rui was also secretly astounded.


    The scientific and technological prowess of the people of Tianjixing had reached such heights? They could actually forcibly hack the Federation''s quantum encryption technology!


    However, when he checked the status of the ''Shockwave'' Type 5 through the biometric chip system, he found indeed some features weren''t unlocked, and the ''exoskeleton strength enhancer'' itself was not fully restored.


    But Lin Rui had a solution. While re-dressing in his outer garments and battle armor, he sent a message to Fei Yunlai.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Old Fei, what''s the secret key for that ''Shockwave'' Type 5? Meng Weiyun gave me her spoils of war.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Holy shit, what exactly is your identity now, and what''s your relation with her?


    He felt a twinge of regret inside. That belt was still intact, huh? He should have spent more time looking for it in recent days.


    But his biometric chip was damaged and couldn''t pinpoint the location; he had no idea where Meng Weiyun had thrown it.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): By the way, where''s that lady? She should still be in Wang City, right? Tell me her location.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): !!! Old Fei you''re amazing, recovering your combat abilities so quickly? How about I get her to come to you, and you let me earn some credit. But don''t say I didn''t warn you, she brought quite a few elixirs with her thousand-mile messenger the other day, and she seems to be recovering well.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): !!!


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): You can tell her to take it easy. Internal injuries need proper healing; make sure she doesn''t suffer any lingering effects that might be an issue when we fight, so she can''t say I took advantage of her.


    Fei Yunlai then sent over a secret key made up of numbers and letters and went silent.


    Right as Lin Rui completely unlocked the equipment, a figure flew in from a distance.


    It was the Deputy Imperial Inspector Zhang Chen, who soared through the sky and fiercely slashed with his saber toward the mountain top.


    "Who is the expert hiding here, skulking around like this?"


    He was drawn to investigate the site by the ''thousand-mile messenger'' that had just crashed down.


    Not everyone can afford such a magic artifact for communication, and his superior, Duan Pengxuan, wasn''t entirely at ease.


    Meng Weiyun''s eyebrows furrowed slightly at the sight, and just as she was about to grasp her sword, Lin Rui stepped forward proactively, also unleashing a blade of light that shattered Deputy Inspector Zhang Chen''s saber glow.


    With a saber in hand and a sardonic smile in his eyes, he looked at Zhang Chen, "Isn''t this the Deputy Inspector Zhang? Are you here to kill me and silence me?"


    Tianjixing''s people generally refer to an Imperial Inspector as an Inspector General and a Deputy Inspector as a Deputy General, of course, these are the translated terms.


    Zhang Chen, seeing Lin Twelve emerge from the obscured area, suddenly darkened in complexion.


    Meanwhile, down the mountain, not far away, various martial artists, along with ''Red Fire Tian Fen'' Zhou Changgong and that demon dragon, all turned their gazes towards Lin Rui.

 Chapter 205 Ruthless and Cunning (Three updates for monthly pass votes)

    "Lin Twelve?"


    Zhang Chen, the Deputy Investigating Censor, felt his face darken and was hit with a headache, thinking, why is it this guy?


    He snorted coldly and retraced his steps back the way he had come.


    Zhang Chen had come here solely to confirm the identity of the person in hiding, with no intention of engaging in a life-or-death battle just yet.


    Moreover, the person in question was Lin Twelve, a savage and shameless butcher.


    Due to the previous prison break, the Investigating Censorate was currently unable to do much about this man.


    Untouchable and unbeatable in a quarrel, he was like a hedgehog.


    At the same time, Zhang Chen felt a secret alarm.


    Lin Twelve had the "Hundred Thousand Li Flying Letter"?


    How could that be possible?


    According to their investigations, this man used to be just a constable who gained the favor of the Zhuang family''s young mistress. After repeatedly defeating the men under Prince Han, he caught the eye of the Sand Isles Protector and rose rapidly in status.


    Where did this guy get the Hundred Thousand Li Flying Letter?


    The Heavenly Demon in the distance and ''Fiery Skies'' Zhou Changgong, upon witnessing this scene, both showed a hint of disappointment.


    Each of them held no small grudge against Lin Rui, especially Zhou Changgong, who was incensed to realize his clan''s self-immolation and the joint warrant issued by the county yamen and the Imperial Clan Court.


    Zhou Changgong, now slow as he was, noticed that things were looking grim.


    The collection of corrupt officials in Wang City were despicable to the core, plotting to conspire against him and doom him!


    Therefore, he longed for the Investigating Censorate to clash with Lin Twelve and hoped at best that they could directly slaughter him.


    Unfortunately, that Zhang Chen was a coward who retreated back without uttering a word.


    At this moment, Lin Rui no longer hid himself, and rose into the air alongside Blood Blade Ji Xueying, landing before the dense forest.


    Blood Blade Ji Xueying took charge of levitating while holding onto his shoulder armor, while Lin Rui, with his hands poised and bearing an air of casual grace, descended.


    The numerous Cultivators from the Jianghu gathered here all cast envious looks upon his skill.


    They whispered among themselves in hushed tones.


    "Is this the legendary Empress-level Blood Blade Ji Xueying? Levitating for more than ten miles, she must be close to the Fifth Realm, right?"


    "Don''t know, but she looks so powerful, inscrutable!"


    "My spiritual senses tell me that Blood Blade Ji Xueying''s presence feels like the sun; could it be that she has already made a breakthrough?"


    "Impossible, right? The intelligence stated that Blood Blade Ji Xueying lost control a few months ago when she was only at the early stage of the Fourth Realm; how could she advance so quickly? However, that dog official is quite lucky!"


    "Is this the man who rose to Wang City''s Defensive Envoy by using a Protector Heavenly Demon?"


    Lin Rui already possessed keen hearing, not to mention these people were discussing openly, wanting him to hear.


    He had only intended to show Lin Twelve a lesson, yet the latter was after his life!


    The stocky middle-aged man swung his sword with all his might, trying to fend off the sharp aura that seemed to slash from beyond the heavens.


    But he was still a step too slow.


    "Clang!"


    Accompanied by a piercing, shrill sound, a swath of the same dazzling blade light swept across his body.


    By then, the white light around had gradually faded, and many people began to regain their sight.


    They saw Lin Twelve standing in front of the stocky middle-aged man, sheathing his sword with an unruffled and composed demeanor.


    However, the stocky middle-aged man stared with bulging eyes, bursting veins in his eyes as he fixedly glared at Lin Twelve, "What the, what secret¡ª"


    He wanted to ask what it was? How could the secret blade be so fast?


    But in the next instant, a line of blood appeared at the center of his body, bursting with copious blood, and in that moment, his entire body split in two.


    Lin Rui naturally wouldn''t answer a dead man''s question; he continued to rest his hand on the sword, storing up energy while scanning the surroundings.


    He was looking forward to the next challenger appearing, but when Lin Rui''s gaze swept over, the martial cultivators in the area either avoided his gaze or were solemn-faced with wary eyes.


    The two companions of the stocky middle-aged man had turned pale and dared not make eye contact with Lin Rui.


    "Idiots!" scoffed the demon dragon, its expression disdainful.


    Its gaze, however, was somewhat solemn; how had this youngster grown so strong in just a few days?


    The abyssal force Lin Twelve had unleashed just now had put much pressure on the demon dragon.


    For a split second, it felt its own bloodline being severely suppressed, proving this youngster was by no means simply in contact with the abyss.


    However, in today''s struggle for Qin Yan''s abode, the most significant and dangerous enemy was still that imperial inspector, Duan Pengxuan!


    Zhou Changgong''s gaze also sharpened slightly, soon followed by a sneer as he withdrew his eyes.


    The stocky middle-aged man, seemingly a Martial Cultivator from outside, was not only out of the loop but also didn''t take Zhou Changgong seriously enough.


    Lin Twelve being able to slice through his Heavenly Demon dragon armor and nearly sever his arm, his combat power had long transcended his cultivation and bloodline.


    How could an armor covering just half of a mere fifth realm king-grade body withstand Lin Twelve''s blade?


    However, Duan Pengxuan appeared contemplative.


    Lin Twelve''s sword draw was extremely fierce, but during the draw, bright light was exposed.


    Although the reason was unknown, this seemed to be an opportunity.


    Others might not see his sword draw and naturally wouldn''t see the cause of his death¡ª


    Just at that moment, Duan Pengxuan''s expression suddenly shifted, and he intently stared ahead.


    In that instant, he clearly felt the ''Demon Blood Locust Tree'' in front of him was dormant.

 Chapter 206 Im Good at Cheating (Subscribe Please)

    All the martial cultivators above the fifth realm present felt the change in the aura of the "Blood Blade."


    The Blood Blade was well-disguised, and if it wasn''t for the Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain mentioning its presence, these fifth-realm martial cultivators wouldn''t have noticed anything amiss even if they passed by it while walking through the forest.


    However, when they focused and attuned their senses, they were still able to sense some minor aura emissions from the Blood Blade.


    They realized the soul consciousness fluctuations of this seventh-realm magical plant were getting increasingly faint and soothing, eventually fading away completely.


    Clearly, the Blood Blade was forced into a dormant state due to some irresistible factors.


    "It seems that Zhu Huaimeng wasn''t lying!"


    Duan Pengxuan put down the tea cup in his hand and said with a cold gaze, "It must be related to the mating season of the Blood Blade. These Heavenly Demons have thoroughly studied it and might have even injected it with some substance to induce its blooming period. Everyone, be prepared, in at most a quarter of an hour, this Blood Blade will enter dormancy."


    At this moment, he noticed Lin Twelve gazing at him with a look of suspicious, cautious alarm from a distance.


    At first, Duan Pengxuan didn''t understand what this man meant until a moment later when it suddenly dawned on him, causing his eyes to bulge slightly with anger.


    Just because that Heavenly Demon spoke a bit of truth, does it mean all the slanders from that wretched woman might also be true?


    This defiant child, Duan himself would be mad to collude with the Governor of Shazhou! Why would my benefactor want to help the Emperor to kill gods? Where would I get the resources to collude with the Heavenly Demon military?


    Duan Pengxuan took a deep breath to calm his emotions and asked, "Mr. Du, have you found any trace of Professor Han?"


    "Not yet!"


    This was the man next to Duan Pengxuan covered in Heavenly Demon dragon armor, his voice as resolute as iron, yet his tone indifferent, "There are about twenty fifth-realm masters here today, but I''m not sure which one is Professor Han."


    Duan Pengxuan frowned slightly, thinking that this Mr. Du was also a useless fool.


    This man had been lurking in Wang City for the past two months trying to locate Professor Han but had accomplished nothing and had simply watched as those otherworldly Heavenly Demons set traps inside the big prison of Wang City.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was speaking with Prefectural Governor Qin Xia, who had just arrived at his side.


    With curious eyes, Lin Rui asked, "Aren''t you and the Governor going inside to take a look? It is said that Qin Yan''s cave dwelling has many treasures left behind. Aren''t you two interested at all?" Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire


    "We''re not going in," Qin Xia replied with a wry smile. "Qin Yan was a top disciple of the Limitless Saber Venerable, and he might have entered the eighth realm before his death. Who wouldn''t be interested in the heavenly path left by such a high-realm martial cultivator? The problem is, our responsibilities lie here with the governor, and we dare not leave our post."


    Although all the high masters from the fourth and fifth realms in the prefecture were gathered here, there were still many demons and dangerous martial artists lurking in the city, and it could not be without powerful figures to suppress them.


    Qin Xia had come here today worried that so many martial artists gathered in one place could lead to trouble.


    "However¡ª" Qin Xia paused, his gaze turning cold as he looked towards that dragon, "Once the Defense Commander goes inside, keep an eye on that malevolent dragon."


    Lin Rui nodded, "I understand!"


    As long as the state of that dragon was not good, the four giants of Wang City could join forces to eliminate it.


    "Right! Be careful with the Guang Ming Sacred Sect. I heard they also have a formidable person coming,"


    Professor Han''s team was highly secretive; only a few of them, like Zhu Meng and Professor Han himself, were publicly known to have extraordinary identities.


    People like Li Li and Lu Xinran, however, were kept secret, known only to a few.


    And now, they were all gathered here, skillfully operating the exoskeletal engineering armors for construction work.


    In addition to this, at the mouth of the cave was a twenty-meter diameter cylindrical machine, emitting a faint humming noise.


    That was the machine''s huge blade disc inside, grinding the soil and rocks in front into dust!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lin Rui had just entered the cave entrance when he saw the Heavenly Demon''s tail smashing towards him.


    "Get out of my way!"


    Lin Rui furrowed his brow, swinging his saber to block.


    "Thud!"


    He was swept aside by a massive force, crashing into an inconspicuous side passage.


    Yet, a look of joy appeared on Lin Rui''s face. After steadying himself from the force, he didn''t fly out of the side passage. Instead, he ran deeper along with Blood Blade.


    The Heavenly Demon initially intended to follow the widest cave tunnel but, after running a few steps, felt something was amiss. It turned around and stuck its head into the side passage, thinking something was off - why run into a side passage instead of the main path?


    Behind them, a group of Martial Cultivators also let out a shout.


    "Follow him! That Lin guy locked up that Heavenly Demon for a month, he must know what''s inside here."


    "Exactly, he might even have the complete map of Qin Yan''s cave."


    "I know there''s an illusion technique in the government office that can directly dream up and see someone else''s memories."


    The more these people talked, the faster Lin Rui and Blood Blade ran, bursting ahead like lightning.


    The Heavenly Demon''s eyes hardened, and it swiftly slithered towards Lin Rui.


    Duan Pengxuan had also planned to advance directly to the main hall, but just then, he heard Mr. Dou grunt softly, "My lord, I saw someone operate the Heavenly Demon''s power mecha coming in. It must be that Han guy, and he''s also chasing that Lin Twelve."


    Duan Pengxuan''s spirit tensed, and he immediately changed direction, diving into the side passage.


    If it were just Lin Twelve alone, that would be one thing. But why was that Han guy also running in this direction?


    Behind, Zhou Changgong furrowed his brows tightly, blinked, and suddenly his entire body burst into flames. He unexpectedly used a fire escape technique, suddenly appearing in front of a Martial Cultivator from the four realms.


    This martial artist from the pugilistic world spontaneously combusted, turning into a torch burning brightly, serving as the anchor for Zhou Changgong''s fire escape.


    Zhou Changgong eyed the rapidly fleeing figure of Lin Twelve, pondering what inside information this guy knew to be running in this particular direction.


    Could it be that the ''Dragon Blood Destiny Pill'' was in this direction?

 Chapter 207 Mingya (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Lin Rui and Blood Blade Ji were sprinting all the way, still having to deal with the slashing blade energy and Sword Qi from behind.


    However, Qin Yan''s dungeon truly wasn''t large, and they had only run along the branch path for three miles before they saw a bronze door on the front left side.


    Although Qin Yan was a figure from 3,000 years ago, his dungeon was still well-preserved. The air inside was fresh, the tunnels wide and tidy, and stone lamps made of luminescent stones hung on the sides, illuminating the interior as if it were daylight.


    Lin Rui clearly saw a signboard hanging above that door with the words ''Guang Ji Hall.''


    The group of Martial Cultivators from the martial arts world looked at this signboard from a distance, their emotions stirring even more intensely.


    The name ''Guang Ji Hall'' clearly indicated it was the name of a warehouse.


    Lin Rui and Blood Blade Ji struck the door lock repeatedly with their blades, trying to break the lock and enter before the others.


    However, the Heavenly Demon arrived first, swinging its tail and smashing it towards them.


    "Get lost!"


    Lin Rui''s face was an iron blue, and he could only lead Blood Blade Ji to escape from the spot and steer clear from afar.


    Behind him, Blood Blade Ji''s eyes hardened, and the veins on her hand holding the blade bulged.


    This monster, does it think it''s still twenty days ago? Without Lin Rui''s help, she was confident in facing down the Heavenly Demon herself.


    Time and again, did they regard them as made of clay?


    But just as Blood Blade Ji was about to strike, Lin Rui held her back with one hand. He locked the Heavenly Demon with a fierce intent of the blade, pretending to grit his teeth as he made a crunching sound, "Heavenly Demon! It seems you''re asking for a beating."


    The Heavenly Demon, hearing this, ''cackled'' with laughter, "Just with you?"


    Witnessing Lin Rui''s posture, it felt extremely comfortable inside.


    Asking for a beating? Who could beat it? Just with this lad and that Blood Blade Ji?


    However, the blade intents of this master and servant were indeed strong. The Heavenly Demon acknowledged that the fellow''s strength had indeed improved greatly compared to twenty days ago, but it was still insufficient in its presence.


    While guarding against this human and demon, it swung its palm violently forward, smashing the almost breached door lock with a slap, and as the door swung open, the Heavenly Demon''s entire body ''thudded'', as if hit by a meteor, violently flying backward.


    Behind that door was a large expanse of black vines, netted at the doorway like webs. They flung dozens of long tendrils, smashing them on the Heavenly Demon''s body like whips, sending its massive body flying dozens of meters back and crashing into the stone wall behind.


    It almost smashed a deep pit into the stone wall, blood plasma flowing from its mouth, sprawled across the wall.


    The Heavenly Demon knew it had been tricked, silently cursing the lad for being too cunning. These two had distracted its attention with their blade intent, allowing it to overlook the dangers behind the door.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui laughed. He had already warned it, but the creature didn''t listen.


    A series of exclamations sounded from the crowd at that moment.


    "Be careful, these are Sixth Realm Devil Vines! Their lineage is at least close to a king level."


    "Impressive, there might be two, no! At least three of them, do not get caught by them."


    "Everyone, charge! There must be good stuff inside."


    More people, however, were retreating, with those at the Fifth Realm backing away to several dozen meters immediately.


    The rest of the numerous Fourth Realm Martial Cultivators also turned pale, fleeing in all directions.


    It looked around and noticed that the so-called ''Guangji Hall'' mostly contained weapon racks and medicine cabinets.


    There were also several small rooms nearby, piled with large amounts of food and condiments.


    Indeed, it was a warehouse, but they hadn''t discovered the Dragon Blood Destiny Pill yet.


    "Of course it''s for this thing!"


    Lin Rui slashed his finger, smearing the blood on the flying sword.


    The name of this flying sword was ''Mingya'', and although it only had the attributes of light and thunder, its level reached beyond the sixth realm of kings! It was the best flying sword in the warehouse.


    Although its attributes were not entirely suitable for him, its power was much greater than his previous fourth realm flying sword.


    Besides, if he ever had the chance to go to Luojing later, he could easily trade this sword for one that was truly suited to him.


    Lin Rui smiled slightly, "There are so many fine weapons here, over two hundred in total, the lowest being of the fourth realm, and there are also more than a dozen of the sixth realm. Demon Dragon, you can pick one too."


    He was not greedy; he just wanted the best one, and to take two good ones for Wang Sen and Lin Xi, the rest he did not mind leaving behind.


    Lin Rui had no intention of becoming a target.


    By now, those who had poured into the warehouse were fiercely fighting over the items; they were either battling around those weapon racks or searching through the medicine cabinets.


    However, these people dared not approach Lin Rui, wisely keeping their distance.


    Everyone had witnessed the ferocity of this Defense Enforcer; they knew that although he was only of the fourth realm, he could easily slay those of the fifth realm. His combat strength was exceptionally high and not to be provoked.


    As long as the Defense Enforcer wasn''t excessive, they were unwilling to risk fighting over what he had.


    A weapon of the sixth realm king rank was precious, but not worth risking their lives over.


    Even Duan Pengxuan and Zhou Changgong, among others, picked up a few blades; they similarly did not want to provoke the crowd over these weapons, entangling with the Martial Cultivators of the rivers and lakes.


    The demon dragon was frustrated at this revelation, thinking, if only you had said so sooner! It wouldn''t have been in such a rush to fight, taking those few lashes.


    It then looked down at its two claws, a hint of helplessness in its eyes.


    Though the weapons were fine, they were of no use to it.


    Yet the demon dragon still grabbed a sixth realm royal sword and tucked it into the pouch hanging at its waist, thinking perhaps it could eventually transform into a dragon if it got that pill.


    "Where is that Dragon Blood Destiny Pill?" Zhou Changgong''s gaze was as sharp as a knife, pressing Lin Rui, "Where in the cave is this pill bottle?"


    "How would I know where this thing is? I don''t need it."


    Lin Rui, looking calm and composed, wielded the ''Mingya Sword'' in front of him, making various movements.


    He was getting familiar with this sixth realm flying sword: "Isn''t there a lot of medicine cabinets over there? Maybe it''s hidden inside."


    Duan Pengxuan and Zhou Changgong, among others, had been keeping an eye on those medicine cabinets.


    The rivers and lakes Martial Cultivators'' fighting grew increasingly fierce, overturning all the medicine cabinets, causing a large amount of medicine bottles and herbs to spill out everywhere.


    Just then, Duan Pengxuan saw that ''Professor Han'' suddenly made a move, reaching out toward one of the medicine cabinets.


    "Hmm?" Duan Pengxuan''s eyes widened immediately, his gaze sharp.

 Chapter 208 Fifth Realm Emperor Level (Three More for Monthly Pass)

    Duan Pengxuan wondered what was inside the medical cabinet that Professor Han cared so much about.


    He also raised his hand and, with a mighty burst of energy, reached toward the direction of the medical cabinet.


    However, there were others besides him who were paying close attention to ''Professor Han''.@@@@


    After all, among the many people present, only ''Professor Han'' was wearing a set of Heavenly Demon Mecha, making him exceedingly conspicuous.


    The one who had leaked the news of Qin Yan''s cave dwelling was none other than an outer realm Heavenly Demon!


    That demon dragon and Zhou Changgong also made their moves against the cabinet at the same time.


    The powers of several people clashed in the air and instantly shattered the medical cabinet and the various spirit pill bottles within into tiny pieces, scattering countless powders all around.


    "What a pity!" Professor Han, perhaps worried about being attacked from all sides, immediately retreated fifty meters away and said with regret, "Such a fine cabinet of Four Realms Nourishing Spirit Powder, and now more than half of it is wasted."


    Upon hearing this, Duan Pengxuan''s brow furrowed slightly.


    Caution was his nature; he didn''t dare to let his sense of smell loose, but judging from the scattered powder, it didn''t seem to be anything particularly valuable.


    But this was only relative to high-level Martial Cultivators like them.


    The Four Realms Nourishing Spirit Powder, made from superior soul stones, was extremely effective in enhancing Divine Sense.


    Moreover, all the numerous medical cabinets here were Magic Artifacts with excellent sealing effects, preserving these powders with abundant Spiritual Power for 3000 years.


    This attracted a great crowd of Martial Cultivators who were now frantically lunging over, scrambling for these powders.


    At this moment, however, Duan Pengxuan was in a standoff with Zhou Changgong and the demon dragon.


    They all felt that the two formidable enemies in front of them were quite difficult to handle.


    Among these two enemies, Duan Pengxuan had the highest cultivation, not only was he in the late stages of the Sixth Realm, but he also possessed a king-grade bloodline, the Titanium Golden Saber Dragon!


    ''Red Fire Burning Sky'' Zhou Changgong was also very powerful, a quasi-Sixth Realm cultivator with an imperial-grade bloodline, wearing Heavenly Demon battle armor valued at at least 500,000 taels, and possessing a Seventh Realm ''Burning Blood Flame Dragon''.


    In theory, his strength was the strongest, but the ''Burning Blood Flame Dragon'' was not his own.


    Since this battle dragon had not developed self-awareness, it not only took orders less nimbly but also couldn''t exert its full combat power.


    Even the weakest demon dragon should not be underestimated, this king-grade demon dragon had for some reason increased in strength significantly, already possessing a super king-grade bloodline, making its strength extra domineering. Coupled with its strong recovery power as a dragon-formed demon, its combat power was very considerable.


    Just as the two men and one demon were in a standoff, Duan Pengxuan''s attendant, Master Du, quietly dispelled the Dharma Seal he had formed with his hands and whispered, "My lord, there are no high-level Spirit Pills here, and I''ve already placed a mark on that Professor Han, he won''t be able to escape."


    Upon hearing this, Duan Pengxuan nodded slightly and immediately turned to walk out of ''Guangji Hall''.


    What he desired was never the pills or Magic Artifacts, but the method to enter Limitless Saber Venerable''s cave dwelling, ''Cloud Palace'', and the disciple token in Qin Yan''s possession¡ªthe ''Cloud Palace Jade Plaque''.


    If there really were divine items like the ''Dragon Blood Destiny Pill'' here, it might be worth a fight. But since there were none, it was unnecessary to waste any more time.


    The demon dragon and Zhou Changgong had the same idea; they followed closely behind Duan Pengxuan, escaping in the direction deeper into the cave dwelling.


    Lin Rui watched their retreating figures, the corners of his lips slightly upturned, "Let''s go as well."


    After he and Blood Blade left ''Guangji Hall'', they didn''t follow the same path as Duan Pengxuan and the demon dragon; instead, they headed towards another tunnel opposite the door.


    Qin Yan''s cave dwelling was circular overall, with two interconnecting passages in the middle, resembling a circle wrapped around a cross, forming a ''field'' shape.


    The path that Lin Rui was taking was the horizontal line in the middle of the cross.


    There were quite a few treasures here; Lin Rui found more than a dozen complete high-level martial arts True Intent diagrams.


    There were various sabers and swords among the Magic Artifacts, with most of them from the fourth realm and some from the fifth realm. However, Lin Rui and Blood Blade couldn''t carry so much, so they only chose two of the best to take with them.


    There were also some Spirit Pills, but these had not been stored in specialized medicine cabinets and had already lost their effectiveness, so they were not worth noticing.


    The caves toward the north were increasingly spacious, with more exquisite decorations inside, likely the residences of high-ranking disciples.


    Originally, small Arrays protected the outside of these caves, but after 3,000 years of the passage of time, these Arrays had already disintegrated.


    Lin Rui walked into a cave with a doorplate reading "Inner Door Disciple Su Zhi".


    As he entered, he saw a brownish-yellow scroll placed on a desk.


    That was the Dragon Order secret martial skill ''Heavenly Origin Dragon Transformation'' True Intent diagram that Bai Hao saw in Zhu Meng''s dream!


    The corners of Lin Rui''s mouth lifted slightly, and he went over to collect the True Intent diagram.


    This True Intent diagram had aged significantly; if Lin Rui had arrived a few hundred years later, it might have disintegrated completely.


    The desk beneath the True Intent diagram could no longer hold it up; just as Lin Rui picked up the diagram, the desk crumbled into dust and scattered away.


    At that moment, a wave of black fog spread silently through the air, quickly covering both inside and outside the cave in the blink of an eye.


    Lin Rui tensed, rapidly turning around while his hand went to his saber, as he looked towards a patch of crimson flames and a colossal figure standing outside the cave, so tall at six or seven Zhang that it could only fit outside.


    "Red Fire Burning Sky Zhou Changgong? No¡ª"


    Lin Rui squinted, "You''re not Zhou Changgong, you''re the Inspector Duan Pengxuan!"


    "You may consider me Zhou Changgong!"


    Duan Pengxuan, with an indifferent look on his face, emerged from the thick fog. His entire body was also engulfed in crimson flames, almost identical to Zhou Changgong.


    Lin Rui looked at the string of fire beads worn on Duan Pengxuan''s right hand.


    It was a very powerful Magic Artifact, and this man was apparently ready to use these fire beads to imitate Zhou Changgong''s method of killing people.


    Yet, with a subtly raised corner of his mouth and a meaningful smile, Lin Rui said, "It seems that what the extraterritorial Heavenly Demon said wasn''t wrong, you indeed have a problem, Duan Pengxuan. Are you planning to silence me to death as if by Zhou Changgong''s hand?"


    Duan Pengxuan couldn''t be bothered with Lin Rui''s words; in his eyes, the Defense Envoy of Wang City was already a dead man.


    This young upstart had not only caused heavy casualties among his troops but also forced him to kill!


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    He reached out his hand to grab Lin Rui, causing the temperature around Lin Rui to skyrocket instantly, nearly self-igniting¡ªthis was exactly the effect of Zhou Changgong''s ''Burning Blood Divine Palm''.


    But in that instant, Blood Blade, who had been standing emotionlessly behind Lin Rui, suddenly drew her blade.


    In that moment, a bright light as scorching as the sun shone in the space, forcing Duan Pengxuan''s eyes to squint slightly.


    He also sensed an incomparably strong will descending upon this place, twisting the heavens and the earth, and altering the rules.


    Could it be the Abyss?


    Just as Duan Pengxuan''s consciousness wavered, he saw a saber light like a streak of silk slashing towards him.


    In that moment, Duan Pengxuan''s heart felt as cold as an ice cellar.


    He realized that this Blood Blade beside Lin Rui was not only in the fifth realm but was¡ªin terms of ranking¡ªan Emperor!

 Chapter 209 Everyones Here (Please Subscribe)

    Duan Pengxuan''s mind was a void of confusion, the fact that Blood Blade Ji had advanced to the fifth realm was one thing; her talent was inherently high, otherwise, she wouldn''t have been chosen by King Han and the others.


    But why a royal rank?


    Looking across the whole world, there were not a few who possessed royal bloodlines, but what kind of beings were they? Almost all were experts above the seventh realm of Divine Skills!


    Even among Martial Cultivators with exceptional talent, one had to ascend to the seventh realm before their bloodline power could elevate to the royal rank.


    As these thoughts flashed through Duan Pengxuan''s mind, he instinctively swung his sword in defense.


    His current situation was extremely dangerous.


    The deadly blade light he had to resist was not one, but two.


    "Clang!"


    Just as Blood Blade Ji executed her Sword Draw Slash, that Lin Twelve had already Flash Escaped to his rear and drew his sword.


    In this miasma, a reddish-gold brilliance shone, leaving everything white and dim.


    At the same time, an extremely swift and sharp blade light slashed toward the back of Duan Pengxuan''s head.


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    That blade was so fast! Even faster than Blood Blade Ji of the royal rank!


    "Impudent child!"


    Evading was almost pointless now, nor could he perform any Escape Skill.


    All because both of their swords were faster than his speed of Escape Skill!


    Furthermore, Lin Twelve still possessed a flying sword ''Ming Yao'' ready to transform.


    Duan Pengxuan simply ignored the blade light at his back, concentrating all his effort to resist the blade light from Blood Blade Ji.


    Surprisingly, a layer of ''Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor'' covered inside his clothes, shielding his head and neck.


    At the same time, Duan Pengxuan also activated his own king-rank secret technique ''Vigorous Body'', enveloping his entire body with metal element True Yuan.


    Clang!


    Lin Rui''s long sword ''Heavenly Brightness'' fiercely chopped at the back of Duan Pengxuan''s head, then continued downward.@@@@


    His sword could not fully penetrate, creating blinding sparks on Duan Pengxuan''s Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor and emitting a grating metallic scraping noise.


    Although Lin Rui''s sword had pierced through the armor and Duan Pengxuan''s external energy, it entered the flesh at most half an inch deep.


    It had cleaved from the back of Duan Pengxuan''s head all the way to his buttocks, but they were all superficial wounds.


    Lin Rui''s eyes momentarily gauged in astonishment; he hadn''t expected this man to stand his ground proudly, absorbing the blows with his body and battle armor. How much did they underestimate him?


    Duan Pengxuan had already exchanged a flurry of three strikes with Ji Xueying, driving back the Blood Blade Ji.


    At the same time, the Titanium Golden Blade Dragon surged forward, its massive body having crashed into the front section of the cave walls on both sides, reducing them to powder, before landing a blow behind Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui instantly transformed into a bundle of lightning and fled the spot, reappearing about twenty yards away in an open space.


    He cast an unusual look at Duan Pengxuan, "Lord of Inspection had no idea right? How formidable is my subordinate Blood Blade Ji in combat?"


    He also took out a stone and waved it in the direction of Duan Pengxuan, "I''ve been guarding against you! This ''Shadow Float Stone'', bought at a high price, was prepared for you. As for the events of today, I will report everything to our Divine Envoy!"


    The Shadow Float Stone was quite miraculous, although one could only see blurry images, it was enough to implicate Duan Pengxuan, prompting the Imperial City Division to initiate an investigation.


    This Fourth Rank Lord of Inspection held significant authority, bolstered by a profound background.


    However, with this evidence, even the Imperial City Division''s Commander and the other two Divine Envoys would have nothing to argue.


    Whether Duan Pengxuan had taken part in plotting a rebellion or not, the mere act of attacking an Imperial City Division defense officer was intolerable to any high-ranking official.


    After clashing swords with Blood Blade Ji for more than twenty times, Duan Pengxuan actively withdrew from inside the cave.


    The problem was how to escape? The potency of the poison was extremely heavy and rapid. That Lin Twelve would certainly not let him go and was bound to pursue to the death.


    It was at this moment that Duan Pengxuan sensed two powerful auras entering this area shrouded in black fog.


    One aura was particularly sharp and domineering, filled with golden elemental force¡ªmuch like Duan Pengxuan; the other was wildly turbulent and chaotic, brimming with a sense of power, very reminiscent of that demonic dragon.


    After these two forces drew near, they also sensed each other, as well as the presence of Duan Pengxuan and Lin Twelve in the depths of the dense fog. They all stopped in their tracks at that moment, not advancing any further.


    Duan Pengxuan''s face turned slightly dark. The force he sensed that was more sharp and domineering, much like his own, turned out to be that demonic dragon!


    As for the other, which was wildly turbulent and chaotic like the demonic dragon, it was none other than ''Red Fire Burning Sky'' Zhou Changgong!


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, couldn''t help but smile, "How interesting!"


    All three parties clearly wanted to kill the Defense Minister, yet none of them wanted to get into trouble.


    Just as the four parties faced each other, the atmosphere growing colder and more awkward by the moment, the demonic dragon, looking impatient, raised its hand and with a swipe, it summoned a powerful force, dispelling the surrounding black fog with a whirlwind.


    The demonic dragon then squinted at ''Red Fire Burning Sky'' Zhou Changgong across from it with eyes full of rage, "That''s not very nice of you, Zhou Changgong!"


    The demonic dragon had refrained from impersonating Zhou Changgong due to several previous collaborations with the Burning Saber Sect.


    Mainly because its bloodline powers lay in wind and water elements, forcibly imitating them would not be convincing.


    It had not anticipated that while it meant no harm, Zhou intended to cause injury.


    Zhou Changgong too looked coldly at Lord of Inspection Duan Pengxuan, his eyes filled with shock and anger, thinking what a move by Lord Duan!


    Seeing Duan Pengxuan''s body ablaze with flames, he understood the intentions of the Lord of Inspection.


    Ironically, he did not want to offend this high official from Shazhou, so he went to great lengths to impersonate the demonic dragon, yet Duan Pengxuan wanted to pin this big black pot on him.


    These damned officials truly are more shameless than the next!


    At the same time, both man and demon harbored deep suspicions as they both spotted the wound on Duan Pengxuan''s back.


    The wound was not deep, but the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor had been severely damaged, and furthermore, Duan Pengxuan''s aura was incredibly weak.


    This left both man and demon dumbfounded¡ªhow had Lin Twelve managed to wound Duan Pengxuan, even with his Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor?


    Was this guy''s combat prowess so formidable?


    Duan Pengxuan squinted, his voice hoarse, "I did not expect that both of you had the intention of eliminating Lin Twelve. How about we join forces? I, Duan, will take the responsibility."


    Lin Rui, upon hearing this, smiled calmly and slowly replied, "Lord Duan is poisoned. If we let him escape, in no more than a quarter of an hour, he will have completely expelled the toxins from his body, and his strength will return to its peak. Both of you should think it through before you act."


    Zhou Changgong and the demonic dragon had already been tempted.


    If Duan Pengxuan was willing to take on the blame for the assassination attempt on the Defense Minister of the imperial city, they were of course happy to lend a hand.


    But Lin Rui''s words shone a new light on the situation, and both man and demon''s eyes gleamed sharply, their gazes becoming like predators eyeing Duan Pengxuan.


    After all, besides having reached the sixth realm in cultivation, this Mr. Duan was also secretly equipped with Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor of an upper sixth-realm level!


    He came with several powerful subordinates, his strength formidable.


    If they wanted to obtain the Dragon Blood Destiny Pill, they had to first get rid of this Lord of Inspection!


    As for Duan Pengxuan, his heart was as cold as ice. Without hesitation, he burst into a Flash Escape, sprinting towards the main hall.


    At that moment, four metallic flying shuttles rapidly attacked from a distance.


    Han Kedao (Signal Beacon): Lin Rui retreat quickly, that''s a tactical nuke, 30 tons TNT equivalent.


    Lin Rui instantly recognized those objects as miniature missiles launched by Professor Han.


    After reading the message from Professor Han, his face paled drastically, and taking Blood Blade Ji, he turned and dashed madly.


    Lin Rui thought the professor was crazy for using a tactical nuclear weapon in such a confined space!


    Yet this professor''s connections were formidable, actually able to get his hands on such a device from the military.

 Chapter 210 Do Not Mislead Yourself (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Lin Rui thought that Professor Han was crazy, but when several sixth-realm powerhouses started fighting, the impact was just as immense as those miniature tactical nuclear bombs.


    Especially the two battle dragons fiercely clashing with the massive body of the demonic dragon, entwining and rolling together, almost coiling into a twisted braid.


    As they fought along the narrow passage, they unleashed thunderous booms, and the surging force was enough to shatter the innards of any fourth-realm Martial Cultivator.


    Along the way, Lin Rui saw several unfortunate souls who were directly shaken to death by their power.


    Luckily, Lin Rui had the powerful innate ability "Imperishable Solar Body," and wore two layers of battle armor. Inside his body, he had implanted one set of "Heavenly Armour" type 5 and one set of "War God" type 5, which enabled him to withstand the formidable residual waves of the battle.


    He had only formed his Golden Core over a month ago, and his physical qualities were still rapidly improving, but he was still some distance from the 1000-point standard of a Lesser Major rank, though of course, stronger than many fourth-realm Martial Cultivators from Tiaji Star.


    The Lesser Major rank of the Earth Federation was measured with the physical fitness after the full implantation of a Golden Core, different from the Martial Cultivators of Tiaji Star.


    According to Earth standards, the physical fitness of the majority of Tiaji Star''s fourth-realm Martial Cultivators was only around seven to eight hundred points.


    Lin Rui carefully dodged those especially powerful forces and, along with Blood Blade Ji, patiently looked for an opportunity to strike with his blade.


    The demonic dragon was there helping the Yanyue Burning Dragon fight against the Titanium Golden Blade Dragon.


    Despite their joint efforts, they could only gain a slight advantage.


    Mainly because the Yanyue Burning Dragon lacked self-awareness, and Zhou Changgong could not command it precisely, so they could only rely on instinct in battle.


    The blades of the Titanium Golden Blade Dragon were extremely sharp, swinging swiftly and fiercely which seemed capable of slicing through anything, with an extra edge of sharpness.


    However, Lin Rui estimated that the demonic dragon was holding back, and holding back quite a bit.


    He had just unexpectedly thrust with a ''Light Transition Slash,'' hoping to impale the demonic dragon and the Titanium Golden Blade Dragon together, but the demonic dragon adeptly dodged all vital spots and was only pierced through a chunk of flesh under the right rib by Lin Rui''s blade, inflicting a very minor injury.


    This guy also immediately blasted open the flesh in his body that had come into contact with the Tianmang Blade, ejecting it outward to avoid repeating the same mistake as Duan Pengxuan.


    Afterward, the demonic dragon could not help but turn around and curse profusely, starting from Lin Rui''s ancestors three generations back and going up to the eighteenth generation.


    Lin Rui was quite annoyed, considering this clone also carried part of Lin Rui''s genetic makeup.


    However, the demonic dragon was very alert afterward, always keeping an eye on him with a predatory gaze.


    In order to maintain the overall strategy of ''joint resistance against Duan,'' Lin Rui could only endure it slightly.


    He did his utmost. In this six-mile long corridor, he used ''Light Transition Slash'' to stab the Titanium Golden Blade Dragon four times from twenty zhang away, mistakenly stabbed the Yanyue Burning Dragon twice, and also seized the opportunity to stab Duan Pengxuan once.


    His main concern was that these people would lose control and rush at him desperately, not caring for their lives; otherwise, Lin Rui could have stabbed a few more times.


    It is worth mentioning that the Yanyue Burning Dragon seemed not to know how to detoxify, but this dragon was not only wrapped in external flames, its inner body also surged with flame currents.@@@@


    The anesthetic Lin Rui had prepared did not work well on it.


    At this moment, Duan Pengxuan was being attacked by Zhou Changgong and Professor Han.


    The anesthetic had already seeped deep into his brain and spinal cord, constantly unable to be fully expelled, his thoughts were groggy, and he was sleepy. Then he was directly hit by Professor Han''s four 30-ton TNT equivalent warheads, resulting in a dire and miserable condition.


    Duan Pengxuan''s Heavenly Demon battle armor had been nearly shredded to pieces by the two of them, his body was covered in blood, with dozens of deep wounds exposing the bone.


    Just now, Lin Rui had also unexpectedly stabbed him, sending the blade deep into his organs.


    Fifth imperial rank?


    Could the power of this Blood Blade''s bloodline be so strong?


    This is impossible! Just half a month ago, he had battled with the Blood Blade, and at that time, she was only of superior royal bloodline; how could she have ascended to the imperial rank? Risking life for promotion?


    Lin Rui then pulled out the Floating Shadow Stone from his sleeve, shook it meaningfully, and looked at Zhang Chen, "Deputy Inspector Zhang, the entire process of Duan Pengxuan trying to kill me was recorded on this Floating Shadow Stone. His collusion with the Governor of Sha Province and his plot to rebel and assassinate the deity are already conclusively evidenced. The Imperial Justice Department will soon launch an investigation. Do you really intend to follow this traitor to the end? I know that those below you might be unaware, but if you want to rid yourself of this crime, you must pull back from the brink now, do not fool yourself."


    Zhang Chen''s heart trembled slightly.


    Whether the Inspectorate had colluded with the Governor of Sha Province or had thoughts of rebelling against the deity, Zhang Chen was well aware.


    However, with the previous case of jailbreak and silencing witnesses, and now with the Lord of Inspection attacking Lin Rui, this case had turned into a complete mess.


    If the Imperial Justice Department initiates an investigation, regardless of the outcome, his superior''s fate would be sealed ¡ª either Duan Pengxuan would be bound hand and foot, at the mercy of others, or he would resign his commission and flee, living as a fugitive in the martial world, with no third option.


    As for their group, it seemed their time of death was near.


    If the person responsible for this case were unscrupulous enough to implicate the Governor of Sha Province in treason, those in the court who supported them would also be implicated.


    Duan Pengxuan then caught a bottle of pills tossed over by Lord Zhou Changgong, and without even looking at it, threw the entire bottle into his mouth and crunched it down.


    His situation was still very bad; on one hand, his injuries were indeed severe, as Prof. Han and Zhou Changgong had both taken harsh actions while he was dazed; on the other hand, the antidote given by Lord Zhou Changgong was not specifically targeted, resulting in negligible effects.


    Duan Pengxuan then looked behind him, "What''s the situation at the main hall now?"


    Zhang Chen looked at the group of people in front of him with a very ugly expression, "There are two seventh-realm superior demons guarding over there. Lord Zhou Changgong managed to drive them away with poison about half a moment ago, it should almost be over¡ª"


    Those two seventh-realm superior demons were about to be driven underground, but from the current situation, it seemed they were merely preparing someone else''s wedding gown.


    Zhang Chen felt inwardly frustrated; initially, when they entered, they were highly confident, with their overall strength sufficient to suppress all contenders. How had it come to this?


    Beyond that, there was another matter he hadn''t mentioned.


    Zhang Chen had just felt that there seemed to be some abnormal noises inside the main hall.


    But this could very well be his illusion as the intense battle between Duan Pengxuan and the group had caused a series of roaring tremors, with shockwaves rampaging through the narrow tunnels, the continuous thunderous noises made Zhang Chen''s eardrums ache.


    Lin Rui looked pensively at Lord Zhou Changgong, thinking that this fellow also was skilled in using poison, which warranted caution.


    He then exchanged glances with Duan Pengxuan again.


    Lin Rui realized that this man was probably ready to break the pot if it came to it, to give up on himself.


    Duan Pengxuan most likely wanted to drag him into death together or to kill him and then flee far away. In any case, Lin Rui must be wary.


    So Lin Rui had not let the Blood Blade take action just to guard against this man''s desperate moves.


    His figure then flashed as he flew towards the main hall.


    At this time, the demon dragon and Zhou Changgong also rushed forward, competing to reach the front.


    Just now, they simultaneously sensed that the aura of the two demon plants ahead was extremely weak, retreating into the ground.


    The door to Qin Yan''s main hall now lay open for them.

 Chapter 211 Where is my elixir? (Please subscribe)

    The battle that erupted between the Heavenly Demon and Zhou Changgong was even more intense than their recent fight with Duan Pengxuan.


    Both parties went all out, eager to enter the main hall before the others to gain a slight advantage. Their punches and saber strikes caused the entire tunnel to tremble nonstop, with rocks and debris falling everywhere.


    Fortunately, Qin Yan had reinforced this cave mansion very solidly with iron-hard stones, otherwise it would have collapsed dozens of times by now.


    Lin Rui ran with them for a while but soon had to fall back voluntarily.


    This man and demon specifically targeted him, holding nothing back and striking viciously.


    Not only were their moves extremely vicious, but they also coordinated seamlessly, aiming to kill him.@@@@


    Lin Rui had no choice but to retreat and follow from a hundred meters away.


    He maintained a calm and indifferent demeanor, appearing as if it would be great to get his hands on the treasures, but no big deal if he couldn''t.


    Duan Pengxuan also hung back, maintaining a distance of 100 meters.


    However, his "Titanium Gold Dragon Sabre" was engaged in the fight, helping the Heavenly Demon contain the "Flame Blood Burning Dragon." On one hand, it balanced the two sides, and on the other, it did everything possible to delay the pace of this man and demon.


    He was fully focused on ridding his body of toxins while recovering from injuries, aiming to heal himself before entering the great hall.


    Professor Han did manage to follow in the first group, but none of the parties took him seriously. Only when Professor Han attempted to overtake them did he encounter a combined assault from several sides.


    "Boom!"


    As the main gate of the grand hall was smashed into rubble by the Heavenly Demon''s palm, everyone''s view suddenly widened.


    This was an extremely spacious underground hall, measuring two li in length and width, and made entirely of incredibly sturdy Black Turtle Iron Rock.


    Shockingly, in the center of this square stood a seven-zhang-tall war dragon skeleton.


    This war dragon had no head, or its size would have been even larger, likely exceeding eight zhang.


    In front of the war dragon skeleton were hundreds of ghostly white human skeletons, all seated in a cross-legged position. The one in the center was made entirely of ruddy gold, as if it were cast from gold.


    However, all of them, without exception, were headless, but pieces of bone fragments could be seen scattered around the ground.


    Lin Rui had already seen this scene through footage recorded by a drone.


    Professor Han had also speculated that this golden skeleton was very likely Qin Yan''s.


    This Lord of the Crazy Heaven Saber and his many disciples most probably died in a spirit confrontation, their heads blown off remotely.


    Based on the lingering abyssal aura here, those who killed the Lord of the Crazy Heaven Saber were likely the several Level 10 ''Longevity'' from that era.


    It was even possible it was the divine being from the Great Song Dynasty, the "East Abyss!"


    As for why this perpetrator did not take the treasures from the cave, Professor Han had no idea.


    It was very likely that this person had never discovered the location of this cave from the start.


    That extraterritorial Heavenly Demon probably wanted to take advantage of their fierce battle to heavily injure both it and Zhou Changgong, but it didn''t expect Zhou Changgong to suddenly unleash a level-six supreme king secret move, invoking the concept of the Fire Deity from the Abyss, managing to heavily injure it with a single strike.


    Zhou Changgong, seeing these eight miniature tactical nuclear missiles, laughed loudly, thinking this was truly divine assistance!


    He casually sent out a blade energy towards those eight miniature missiles, detonating them in midair.


    At that moment, eight incredibly hot and dazzling miniature suns exploded behind him, bursting forth with immense heat and light, destroying and sweeping everything around.


    Yet, all of this had nothing to do with Zhou Changgong anymore. The tactical nuclear missiles fired by the extraterritorial Heavenly Demon had now become his perfect cover, isolating Duan Pengxuan and the demon dragon behind him.


    Zhou Changgong, swift as a shadow, dashed deep into the cave.


    The shockwave and tongues of fire behind him were terrifying, searing Zhou Changgong''s lungs, fortunately, this cave was not only deep but also sloped upwards.


    When Zhou Changgong arrived in front of an iron door, he deliberately waited for the shockwave to subside before using his sword to cut it open.


    However, just as Zhou Changgong stepped into this spacious room, which was over a hundred feet wide, his expression slightly froze.


    He looked around dazedly at the empty iron shelves.


    Where''s my Dragon Blood Destiny Pill?


    On those shelves, there were indeed clear labels.


    Labels like ''Dragon Blood Destiny Pill,'' ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill,'' ''Cloud Palace Token,'' ''Nine Heavens Mystical Steel,'' etc., names that were intimidating and made it clear that top-quality pills and various treasures were once placed here.


    The problem was, although the labels were present, the pills and treasures on the iron shelves had vanished.


    What shocked Zhou Changgong even more was that the moment he broke through the door, the clear and strong spiritual power fluctuations here vanished instantaneously, leaving only some residual medicinal fragrance.


    This sent Zhou Changgong''s mood plummeting into an ice cave, realizing he might have fallen into a trap, the kind that once stepped into, one could never climb out of.


    Meanwhile, the demon dragon and Lin Rui were frantically running outside, dodging the nuclear explosion''s shockwave and endless heat.


    It wasn''t until they ran out of the hall and had the walls as barriers that they felt slightly better.


    After recovering, the demon dragon immediately attacked that ''Blazing Blood Burning Dragon'' fiercely.


    Duan Pengxuan also had a pale face, controlling his titanium gold battle dragon to crazily slash at the Blazing Blood Burning Dragon.


    He hadn''t expected that after all his painstaking scheming and immense sacrifice, it would ultimately be Zhou Changgong of the Burning Saber Sect who benefited!


    Even the great Mr. Du was furious and alarmed. He had always been vigilant against Lin Twelve and Professor Han, but had not expected Zhou Changgong to come out on top in the end.


    Lin Rui also took this opportunity to thrust his sword several times at the ''Blazing Blood Burning Dragon'' from a distance of over twenty feet.


    As the intense glare and heat in the hall gradually subsided, they immediately ran back, coming to the entrance of the cave that had been devastated by the nuclear blast.


    The demon dragon was frantically digging inside with its claws.


    However, the demon dragon hadn''t yet managed to break through to the storage room inside when they saw Zhou Changgong escaping from the door.


    He was using a fire escape technique, quickly shifting and flickering outwards.

 Chapter 212 Bright Great Flame God (Please Subscribe)

    "You will not escape, get back here!"


    Duan Pengxuan''s killing intent was profound, as he put all his strength into stopping Zhou Changgong and that ''Flame Blood Burning Dragon'' from fleeing.


    At that moment he was still in a critically injured state, his vital energy greatly depleted, but Duan Pengxuan still exhausted all his power to stop them.


    He was not sure whether the Cloud Palace Command Token was hidden in the closet, but he absolutely could not allow Zhou Changgong to leave easily.


    If he let Zhou Changgong take those items away, then all his efforts would have been in vain, paying such a heavy price for nothing in the end.


    Duan Pengxuan fully sealed off the palace doors, with sharp and domineering blade lights chasing after the figure of Zhou Changgong.


    Zhang Chen and several rank-five officials from the Inspection Department stood behind Duan Pengxuan, helping him seal any leaks.


    Duan Pengxuan''s titanium-golden dragon was also outside the hall, fully engaged in entangling the ''Flame Blood Burning Dragon'', constantly preventing this seventh-level battle dragon from approaching within twenty-five zhang of the palace door, stopping Zhou Changgong from using this fire battle dragon as a pivot to perform a fire escape technique and move outside the palace.


    The ''Flame Blood Burning Dragon'', with the strength of the seventh realm, was unstoppable when it fully unleashed its power, even just fighting on instinct.


    And Duan Pengxuan''s titanium-golden dragon had been stabbed with four blades by someone, all in vital areas.


    However, Professor Han was also helping, stopping the ''Flame Blood Burning Dragon'' from approaching the palace doors.


    Lin Rui and his servants were outside as well; from twenty zhang away, he occasionally used the ''Light Transition Slash'' to poke at the fire battle dragon.


    Duan Pengxuan deeply detested Lin Twelve''s Super Emperor Secret Blade.


    He had just been stabbed by Lin Twelve from a distance, and his titanium-golden dragon had been heavily damaged as a result.


    At this moment, however, he could only wish for Lin Twelve''s ''Light Transition Slash'' to poke more and more, best if it could poke that ''Flame Blood Burning Dragon'' to death.


    Master Du at this time also deployed a powerful fire-type spell, gathering all the flames and light-heat inside the palace, forming a four-zhang-tall flame giant.


    Not only did this provide Master Du with a powerful flame puppet, but it also restrained Zhou Changgong''s fire escape ability.


    Just then, the demonic dragon let out a roar full of unwillingness and fury.


    "Zhou Changgong!"


    It had already dug through the hole and reached the ''closet'' inside, seeing a storage room of more than a hundred zhang in radius, yet completely empty.


    The demonic dragon twitched its nose, detecting a faint medicinal scent lingering in the place.


    Engulfed by furious resentment, it bellowed, "Where is the Dragon Blood Destiny Pill? Where is that bottle of Dragon Blood Destiny Pill?"


    Duan Pengxuan also glanced inside the room, his pupils contracting slightly.


    The Cloud Palace Command Token?


    Duan Pengxuan clearly saw a label for the ''Cloud Palace Command Token'' on a wooden rack inside.


    However, the label was totally empty.


    The demonic dragon roared as it turned back, lunging towards Zhou Changgong to strike.


    Its water magic power actually conjured up massive amounts of water vapor within this burning-hot palace hall, attacking all the flames except for Master Du''s ''fire puppet''.


    This made Zhou Changgong even more uncomfortable, as he was forced to reveal himself at the back of the hall, looking coldly at the crowd, "What Dragon Blood Destiny Pill? I swear I haven''t taken anything, there was nothing in there!"


    Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Demon Dragon let out a sinister laugh, and its massive body pounced over Zhou Changgong, and with a fierce swipe, it slammed down, "If you haven''t taken anything, then why did you run?"


    Its claw struck nothing but air, only smashing a deep hole in the ground paved with Xuanwu iron rock.


    Zhou Changgong thought to himself that even if he didn''t run, would that allow him to explain everything?


    "When I entered, that ''storage room'' was completely empty! That extradimensional Heavenly Demon was clearly venting its anger in its dying words, its claims might not be true, or perhaps it was just a trap!"


    While speaking, Zhou Changgong was rapidly evading, making use of the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor to sprint and dodge within the hall.


    He not only had to avoid the Heavenly Demon Dragon''s pursuit but also had to guard against Duan Pengxuan''s sword aura and the continuous slashing of fire and wind blades from Master Du.


    At the same time, Zhou Changgong looked coldly towards Duan Pengxuan and Lin Rui outside, "Also, Heavenly Demon Dragon, don''t forget that before I entered, someone else had already reached this place first!"


    Did that Master Du and Zhang Chen really enter the main hall only after they arrived? Not necessarily, right?


    Duan Pengxuan knew he couldn''t stop Zhou Changgong unless he was willing to sacrifice his life.


    However, as he stepped aside, Duan Pengxuan still fiercely slashed with his saber.


    That saber light soared through the sky, astonishingly turning into a silver-white saber disk that struck Zhou Changgong''s side as he soared with his blade.


    Duan Pengxuan, due to the anesthetics, had been groggy all along, unable to fully commit to the battle and to execute his most powerful moves.


    Yet the slash Duan Pengxuan made at this moment was one he had been charging up for nearly a breath, and it was an extremely skilled king-grade secret blade technique of his, the "Titanium Golden Blade Wheel," which was powerful and boasted incredible cutting ability.


    The silver-white blade disk collided with Zhou Changgong''s crimson blade light, instantly scattering an abundance of metallic sparks, and the harsh ''clang'' noises reverberated incessantly, shocking everyone''s eardrums.


    Zhou Changgong''s blade force remained exceedingly powerful, managing to fling the silver-white blade disk aside in the blink of an eye.


    And now before him stood only Lin Rui and his servants, and Professor Han.


    When he saw Lin Rui in front and Blood Blade Ji behind him, his gaze instantly turned blood-red!


    "Kill!"


    Zhou Changgong gathered all the remaining momentum of the "Bright Great Flame God" technique and furiously slashed towards Lin Rui.


    Before escaping from this underground palace, he intended to kill this whelp!


    Zhou Changgong wasn''t certain whether the empty ''storeroom'' was Lin Rui''s doing, but he instinctively suspected it.


    And just for the wanted notice the whelp issued, along with the several stabs at the Flaming Blood Flame Dragon, there was already a reason for his demise!


    Zhou Changgong had almost become reckless and resolute in wanting to kill Lin Rui!


    The battle in this underground palace had brought heavy losses to him and the Flaming Blood Flame Dragon, with the future of the Burning Saber Sect growing increasingly dim.


    If the Burning Saber Sect was doomed to destruction, then there must be someone to accompany it in death!


    That person, would be the one before his eyes, the Defense Commander of Wang City¡ªa creature with extraordinary talent whose future should have been boundless!


    Duan Pengxuan, turning back to this scene, also held a look of expectation.


    If "Red Fire Heaven-Scorcher" Zhou Changgong could successfully kill the whelp in one fell swoop, it would be the best outcome, and the perilous situation he faced would dissolve as a result.


    Lin Rui, meanwhile, held his saber in one hand, his eyes coldly fixed on the increasingly close Zhou Changgong.


    In that very instant, all sixty-four of his Golden Needles that were dispersed outside simultaneously burst into a strong golden light.


    That glow was so bright it cast the fifty-zhang radius into a vast expanse of white.


    Lin Rui''s Tianmang Saber also turned into a streak of white light in that instant.


    This was the third-realm Super Emperor Secret Blade¡ªYang Pulling Slash!


    "Clang!"


    Zhou Changgong actually blocked the slash, having had a prior experience. The same technique couldn''t possibly be effective against him a second time.


    The first time he was caught off guard, but this second time he was fully confident in parrying the attack and killing Lin Rui!


    But at that moment, Zhou Changgong sensed another saber transformed into a streak of light slashing towards him!


    It was the same Super Emperor Secret Blade, yet it came from another person¡ªBlood Blade Ji!


    This woman''s execution of the Super Emperor Secret Blade was far less proficient and fluid than Lin Rui''s, appearing stiff and unrefined, but it was faster, more ferocious, and extremely powerful!


    Beyond that, there were also powerful abyssal wills twisting the rules around them!


    "Clang!"


    Following that sharp sound, Zhou Changgong''s Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor was pierced open from the shoulder down to the abdomen by the incomparably sharp blade light.


    Zhou Changgong''s entire body split into two in that moment!


    Zhou Changgong''s pupils also drastically constricted at that moment.


    Duan Pengxuan hadn''t lied; this Blood Blade Ji was indeed of the fifth-realm emperor grade!

 Chapter 213 Desperate (Three more for subscription)

    Zhou Changgong''s consciousness did not last long, for as soon as Blood Blade Ji severed his head with a single stroke, Lin Rui''s second blade followed through the air immediately, piercing through Zhou Changgong''s eye and into his head, pulverizing both his brain and the Primordial Spirit into dust.


    With Zhou Changgong''s death, the ''Flame Blood Burning Dragon'' looked over at Zhou Changgong''s body with a vacant gaze.


    It only glanced at Zhou Changgong before transforming into a streak of firelight and flashing away.


    This battle dragon had no self-awareness, and it had come here following the instructions of its master to accompany Zhou Changgong.


    Once Zhou Changgong died, the battle dragon instinctively returned to its original master.


    The titanium-gold battle dragon beside it did not stop it.


    Duan Pengxuan''s six-realm battle dragon was covered in wounds after a lengthy fight with the Flame Blood Burning Dragon, its body burned and not a spot left unscathed.


    Moreover, it now had a new enemy.


    Under the control of its master, the battle dragon lowered its body, staring coldly at Lin Twelve and Professor Han, like a cheetah ready to pounce before a hunt.@@@@


    At that moment, the Heavenly Demon dragon also darted out of the palace, rummaging through Zhou Changgong''s corpse.


    "Not here? Not here!"


    The Heavenly Demon''s gaze wandered aimlessly, looking around.


    There were no high-grade Spirit Pills on Zhou Changgong''s body, so where had the things in the ''storage'' gone?


    Where was the Dragon Blood Destiny Pill?


    Duan Pengxuan''s brow furrowed deeply. Had that Zhou Changgong really not taken anything from within?


    He then looked coldly towards Professor Han and Lin Twelve, "Professor Han, and Lin Twelve, did those things inside fall into your hands?"


    Hearing this, the Heavenly Demon shuddered, recalling the two men scampering around inside the underground palace, starting to harbor suspicions.


    Professor Han stood 80 meters away, the two observation holes on his faceplate flickering with a faint light, his voice tinged with some resentment, "Duan Pengxuan, are you trying to shift the blame? I entered the main hall with you, and at that time, I didn''t even dare to move.


    Prior to that, I had already given up, only hoping to salvage something in there to offset my losses. Ridiculous that my team spent two years in exploration and preparation, nearly 4 billion in expenditure, only to fail because of you, sewing wedding dresses for others!"


    Lin Rui also furrowed his brow deeply, "If you want to provoke this stupid dragon to fight against me, just say it! How could Lin be deceitful under the watchful eyes of everyone here? I''m here to retrieve the True Intent of the ''Heavenly Primal Dragon Transformation'' for my senior sister Meng Weiyun, to help her ascend to the seventh realm!"


    While speaking, he took out a scroll and shook it in front of everyone.


    Lin Rui then let out a slight cold laugh, looking about, "I just heard Zhou Changgong say that someone had reached this place before we arrived. I didn''t believe his words then, but now, it''s hard to tell."


    The Heavenly Demon felt puzzled upon hearing these words, thinking that Lin Twelve''s speech also made sense.


    It had also felt earlier that if Duan Pengxuan and the others had taken the items from the ''storage,'' they would have had no reason to intercept Zhou Changgong.


    Now, thinking that Duan Pengxuan might have had other intentions was also possible.


    Meanwhile, the Heavenly Demon also sensed a bone-chilling coldness. It noticed that Blood Blade Ji standing behind Lin Twelve was staring at it with icy eyes.


    The Heavenly Demon couldn''t help but ''gulp'' and swallowed hard, remembering the two tails it had slapped on Lin Twelve just before.


    It wouldn''t have cared in the past, but now it felt a chill run through its body.


    The next moment, a golden light flew from a distant cave, spiraling around Lin Rui.


    At this moment, everyone in the cave narrowed their eyes slightly.


    That was the very same message Magic Artifact they had seen before¡ªthe ''Hundred Thousand Mile Flying Scroll''!


    Lin Rui took the book-shaped Magic Artifact in his hand, "I forgot to tell you that my Dream Sister is currently within the borders of the Sand State, less than a day''s journey from here. I have already informed her of everything that has happened here in full detail, and no doubt she will soon arrive in the Sand State to deal with your case of rebellion¡ª"


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    Duan Pengxuan, watching Lin Rui open the mechanism inside the Hundred Thousand Mile Flying Scroll, preparing to place the ''Floating Shadow Stone'' inside it, could no longer contain himself.


    His eyes wide open and veins bulging all over his body, he burst into a dark red blood flame, "Lin Rui! You are courting death!"


    However, Duan Pengxuan''s voice abruptly ceased, as Zhang Chen suddenly stabbed Duan Pengxuan in the back.


    Zhang Chen''s stab was sudden yet long-awaited, delivering the sixth realm king-level secret blade ''Wind Dragon Fang'' from the least expected angle, treacherously precise at Duan Pengxuan''s most unguarded spot.


    Just as Duan Pengxuan was beginning to feel alarmed, the blade broke through his external energy and plunged into his body, piercing his liver and lungs.


    He let out a roar, furiously slashing behind him, but Zhang Chen had already retreated a step ahead, pulling back dozens of steps away.


    Zhang Chen''s expression was cool as he said coldly, "Defense Officer, I, Zhang Chen, am willing to testify! Duan Pengxuan indeed colluded with the governor of Sand State and harbored rebellious intentions! When we attacked Wang City jail, it was under the orders of Duan Pengxuan; the rest of us in the Imperial Censorate were unaware of his scheme!"


    The other fifth-realm experts from the Imperial Censorate were initially confused and at a loss.


    But after Zhang Chen spoke, they did not hesitate to teleport away, distancing themselves from Duan Pengxuan.


    Zhang Zhili was among them, his face as white as paper. He thought of the attack on the Imperial City Censorate''s Wang City prison¡ªwasn''t it Zhang Chen''s and their idea?


    And what face did they have to see their colleagues who had died in that attack?


    However, Zhang Zhili quickly sighed, thinking that even if Duan Pengxuan killed Lin Rui now, what difference would it make?


    Zhang Chen was right, at this point, no matter what happened to Lin Rui, the imperial executioner''s blade could sweep through the entire Sand State officialdom.


    He also retreated about thirty meters back, "I, Zhang Zhili, am also willing to testify that Duan Pengxuan colluded with the governor of Sand State, plotting treachery."


    Duan Pengxuan''s eyes conveyed disbelief, filled with infinite fury as he turned back, his voice sharp and emphatic, "Zhang Chen!"


    He was seething with the desire to pounce and devour the man who had been his right-hand man!


    Then, he turned his gaze back to Lin Rui in front of him.


    It was this insufferable youth who was the root of all his disasters.


    "Interesting, now with both human and physical evidence complete, it appears that the outer domain Heavenly Demon wasn''t lying."


    Lin Rui noticed that Duan Pengxuan''s gaze had turned ashen, clearly filled with the intent to fight to the death!


    He released the Hundred Thousand Mile Flying Scroll in his hold while firmly gripping the blade at his waist, poised alongside Blood Blade Ji, ready for battle.


    The Imperial Censor in front of him was clearly prepared to fight to the death.


    This was a true cornered beast''s struggle!


    And in that instant, both Duan Pengxuan and the titanium-gold blade dragon lunged at Lin Rui like crazed tigers.

 Chapter 214 Ultimate Slash (Please Subscribe)

    Just as Duan Pengxuan lunged forward, Lin Rui''s figure also moved, retreating like thunder and lightning with Blood Blade Ji in tow!


    At the same time, Professor Han, standing in the distance, suddenly opened his left shoulder armor and extended a three-barreled high-speed electromagnetic cannon from inside, blasting fiercely toward the titanium gold knife dragon.


    The cannon''s rate of fire was astonishing; flames spurted from the barrel. In an instant, the magazine was emptied, sending a full 400 rounds of 20mm caliber shells bombarding the titanium gold knife dragon, emitting a roar that was deafening.


    The titanium gold knife dragon''s blade speed and agility were incredibly sharp, reaching the extreme!


    It ran swiftly, dodging the cannon''s strafing shots with incredibly nimble movements, and at the same time, it swung its blade rapidly, parrying and slashing at the incoming shells, causing sparks to fly and continuous explosive booming around it.


    However, under the barrage of these shells, the titanium gold knife dragon''s charge was inevitably slowed, falling behind by more than a dozen lengths from Duan Pengxuan.


    Duan Pengxuan couldn''t stop, either. In his quest to make a successful strike, he had already built up his blade momentum and unleashed all his energy, like an arrow drawn on a bowstring, he had to release!


    Duan Pengxuan was also worried that if he stopped, Lin Twelve would simply escape.


    Although the man''s cultivation was only at the fourth realm, his escape skill was extremely variable and unpredictably strange, and he possessed exceptionally high speed abilities.


    There was also Blood Blade Ji, who was an emperor-class demon of the Guang Ming faction!


    Her escape speed would only surpass that of Duan Pengxuan!


    Once these two got out of the reach of his blade''s intent, neither Duan Pengxuan nor his titanium gold knife dragon were confident they could catch up.


    So if this strike was not successful, then it would be his end!


    "Kill!"


    Large amounts of blood surged from Duan Pengxuan''s nostrils and mouth, and his figure suddenly accelerated, lunging forward a full sixty feet, arriving in front of Lin Rui.


    He swung his blade continuously, creating brilliant silver-white circles of blade light that ferociously slashed towards the duo in front of him.


    This was his most powerful technique of the sixth realm, the Super King Secret Blade ''Divine Wheel Endless Slash'' - a knife technique both extremely rigid and powerful, exerting all his strength, sparing no effort, and hence being indestructible and an unstoppable force!


    Zhou Changgong had his own ultimate method of desperate combat; as a mighty sixth realm inspector, how could Duan Pengxuan not have his own technique of dying together with his enemy?


    "You wish, break for me!" Blood Blade Ji responded incredibly calmly. Her Snow Shocking Blade was also fully powered, turning into a light that was almost invisible to the naked eye, blocking, shattering, and extinguishing all the incoming circles of titanium gold blade wheels!


    All those rays of light converged, unexpectedly forming an indestructible, unbreakable golden light screen. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire


    As the two began to clash, a symphony of ''ding ding dang dang'' rang out, vibrating the eardrums of everyone present. Hundreds of thousands of shattered blade energies erupted from their point of contact, sweeping around and slicing countless pits into the cave walls on both sides.


    At this moment, Ji Xueying''s body was covered in bulging veins, and her eyes had turned blood-red and bulged slightly outward.


    She knew her current form was ugly, like a hideous demon unfit to be seen, but she was even less willing to let her master be harmed.


    Ji Xueying had sworn an oath that unless she died, no one could harm Lin Rui, no one could injure her lord in front of her!


    Even if she turned into a demon, she would never allow Duan Pengxuan to break through her blade screen''s blockade! She would never allow Duan Pengxuan to touch a hair on her master''s head.


    However, Duan Pengxuan''s titanium gold blade wheels were not only like ferocious waves and overwhelming seas but also endless, as if they could never be exhausted.


    Lin Rui did not participate in the fight.


    "Get lost!"


    Duan Pengxuan''s seven orifices spewed black blood once more, and his blade''s momentum and presence were elevated to another apex.


    The weave of white light from Blood Blade Ji''s blade screen was finally completely cleaved apart by him, and her war blade ''Snow Shocking'' nearly flew out of her hand.


    Duan Pengxuan also channeled the last of his energy into a series of titanium gold knife wheels, directing them at Lin Rui!


    Death!


    By killing Lin the Twelfth and perishing together with this insolent brat, he could put an end to everything and prevent his benefactor from being implicated.


    But at that very moment, Duan Pengxuan''s pupils slightly widened.


    Blood Blade Ji unexpectedly used her body to shield Lin the Twelfth, enduring his knife wheels head-on.


    Her ''Snow Shocking'' blade had already been flung far away by Duan Pengxuan, so she simply used her own hands as blades to continue to confront Duan Pengxuan!


    To Duan Pengxuan''s surprise, Blood Blade Ji''s hands were incredibly tough and solid, almost as if truly made of steel! Not only was her defensive power extremely strong, comparable to the Heavenly Demon''s dragon armor, but she could also recover rapidly, restoring herself in an instant.


    After continuously taking nine of Duan Pengxuan''s blows, Blood Blade Ji''s hands had not been cut off,


    "Is it steel bone and iron limb? No¡ª"


    Duan Pengxuan thought to himself that even steel bone and iron limb couldn''t recover so swiftly.


    His two strongest blows had almost reduced Blood Blade Ji''s hands to a single layer of bone, yet the next time they crossed blades, her arms were again restored to their original state.


    After another strike, Duan Pengxuan incredulously glanced over Blood Blade Ji''s hands.


    His gaze narrowed slightly!


    Duan Pengxuan recognized what it was¡ªthat was the ''nanoskin armor'' and ''nano combat enhancement device'' from the extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons, equivalent to a half suit of Heavenly Demon battle armor and a device with significant regenerative powers!


    Duan Pengxuan felt a chill in his heart, pondering whether this was something that Han Wang or Yuan Ji had implanted in Blood Blade Ji?


    And it was at that moment, he saw Lin the Twelfth swing his blade.


    It was not the drawing blade technique Duan Pengxuan was on guard for, but the ''Light Transition Slash'' from the Super Emperor Secret Blade, a skill that could slash through the air!


    "No!"


    Duan Pengxuan exhausted all his strength to defend, but couldn''t cover up the fatal flaw exposed by directing all his force in his attack on Blood Blade Ji.


    He looked at Lin the Twelfth with a complex gaze; the power and speed displayed by the other party had already surpassed the time when his spine was cut through!


    This guy was actually even faster!


    It seemed that in addition to the original secret blade, another secret technique called ''Ultimate Slash'' had been stacked, further strengthening his capabilities; just that Lin the Twelfth, not having an awakened bloodline, couldn''t unleash all the divine might of the Ultimate Slash.


    Nevertheless, this technique had indeed increased the speed of Lin Rui''s blade slightly.


    This guy''s background, he really was the Third Divine Envoy!


    Lin Rui''s Tian Mang blade fiercely penetrated Duan Pengxuan''s glabella, piercing through his brain, and then without the slightest mercy, the blade light stirred, shattering Duan Pengxuan''s flesh, blood, and soul into tiny fragments.

 Chapter 215 Send Them All to My Room (Subscription Please)

    Lin Rui stabbed Duan Pengxuan to death with two slashes but still did not stop, continuing to hack his body into seventeen or eighteen pieces.


    This was not because he was cruel but because high-level martial cultivators have exceptionally monstrous regenerative abilities, and if Duan Pengxuan had mastered some incredible secret technique, he might come back to life the next moment.


    He then looked up at the titanium-gold war dragon and found that the war dragon was standing motionless in its original place.


    Once Duan Pengxuan was dead, this titanium-gold war dragon, which hadn''t developed self-awareness, although still ''alive,'' might as well have been dead.


    A complete titanium-gold war dragon was of immense value; its body could be extracted for ''Dragon''s Source Essence,'' an important raw material used by the Earth Federation to cultivate ''Armored War Dragons.''


    Lin Rui then turned his head and looked menacingly in the direction of the demonic dragon.


    He was always one to eradicate evil; now that Duan Pengxuan was dead, it was time for this demonic dragon to meet its end as well.


    However, when he looked over, the demonic dragon had already escaped without a trace through another fork in the path.


    Mr. Du and Professor Han had also left. Both of them were quasi-Sixth Realm experts, with escape skills as swift as the wind and lightning, disappearing thousands of yards away in an instant.


    Only Zhang Chen and a few people from the Wang City Government Office were left at the scene, their expressions somewhat awkward as they looked towards him.


    Lin Rui then looked at Blood Blade Ji next to him. Although Ji Xueying''s face was still somewhat pale, the blood vessels and tendons in her eyes had not completely receded, and her vital energy and True Yuan were recovering quickly.


    This was the effect of Blood Core Frenzy, boosting Ji Xueying''s recovery and endurance to at least six times that of a normal Blood Blade.


    Just now, Duan Pengxuan managed to break through Ji Xueying''s blade curtain by using his Sixth Realm Super King Secret Blade to unleash rapid consecutive slashes, temporarily exceeding the recovery ability of Blood Core Frenzy.


    Ultimately, it was still a matter of insufficient cultivation. If Ji Xueying had been in the late stages of the Fifth Realm, Duan Pengxuan would have had no way to break through her blade defense.


    However, Lin Rui still suppressed the thought of having Ji Xueying pursue the attack.


    Lin Rui had his reasons for wanting to eliminate Duan Pengxuan, repeatedly provoking him with words, forcing Duan Pengxuan to take action.


    The first objective was to resolve the threat for people like Professor Han; Duan Pengxuan had been targeting them for a long time, and who knows what evidence and information he still held. It was best to kill him now to avoid any future complications.


    The second objective was to firmly seal the case of Duan Pengxuan''s assassination and rebellion.


    The case was actually very troublesome to investigate, and delving too deep might backfire, as everything they had done in the dungeons of Wang City could not be guaranteed to leave no trace.@@@@


    Lin Rui turned his head, looking towards the direction where Professor Han had departed, his eyes filled with a chilling resolve: "There''s something very wrong with these demons from beyond our realm, I must investigate and eliminate them thoroughly!"


    "This subordinate obeys!" Zhang Chen responded without hesitation, bowing, "When I return, I''ll immediately send all the files pertaining to the Heavenly Demon case to Wang City Government Office!"


    He felt that this case was now a hot potato, and the Inspecting Censor''s office of their Sha State might not be able to spare the manpower or resources to investigate it thoroughly in the short term.


    Lin Rui nodded in satisfaction, "This Titanium Gold Blade Dragon is also evidence, as well as the Magic Artifacts on Qin Yan and his apprentices, are important pieces of evidence. I would also trouble you to send them to the rear office of Wang City Government Office."


    He then re-entered the hall with Blood Blade Ji, feigning a thorough inspection of the surroundings.


    His brows furrowed deeper, his eyes reflecting profound confusion, as if wondering who had taken the items from this hall?


    Was it the fleeing demon dragon? Or that Professor Han? Or perhaps the deceased Duan Pengxuan and Zhou Changgong?


    After a while, he walked into the "storage room", caressing the wall with his hand as he moved along it, attentively sensing.


    At that moment, Lin Rui''s figure suddenly halted, his eyes widening, his face turning ashen with rage as he bellowed, "These demons from beyond our realm, dare to scheme against Lin?!"


    He whirled around, with Blood Blade Ji beside him, they sprinted rapidly out of the underground palace, their forms swift as the wind, dashing out several miles in an instant.


    Zhang Chen and the others were in the process of packaging the Titanium Gold Blade Dragon, intending to bind the battle dragon with ropes and drag it to Wang City Government Office. Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    They heard Lin Rui''s roar and saw the figure of the Defense Official darting far away, all showing bewildered expressions.


    After a brief contemplation, Zhang Chen also returned to the "storage room" on the left side of the hall and began to scrutinize the walls closely.


    Shortly after, his expression subtly changed as he thought to himself, so that''s how it is.


    "What''s the matter?" At that moment, Zhang Zhili also came inside from outside, his eyes showing confusion, "Why is Lord Lin so alarmed and angry?"


    "This wall seems to have been built recently, the disguise is quite convincing."


    Zhang Chen struck the wall forcefully with a hammer, and cracks appeared upon the surface.


    He let out a wry smile, "It seems that those Heavenly Demons from outside our domain must have dug a tunnel from the outside, taking everything here with them. We, as well as Lord Duan and Lord Lin the Defense Official, have all fallen for their malicious plot."


    Zhang Zhili''s complexion fluctuated between shades of pale and flushed, then he let out a sigh.


    He turned his head towards the outside, guessing that Lin Rui must have gone after Professor Han, and after such a delay, he wondered if he could still catch up?

 Chapter 216 BOSS (Asking for monthly passes, third update)

    Lin Rui had just flown out of the underground palace and his expression shifted slightly as he thoughtfully looked back.


    He felt he was being tailed.


    The person must be one of the many Fifth Realm masters who had entered the underground palace, and because these people had been watching from afar without approaching, Lin Rui hadn''t paid much attention.


    However, after he came out, this person followed him for more than ten miles.


    Lin Rui turned his head and looked at Blood Blade Ji with an inquisitive gaze, seeing Ji Xueying holding the blade and nodding slightly.


    He immediately knew his intuition was correct.


    Now this became interesting, how could this person dare to follow him after seeing him kill Duan Pengxuan and Zhou Changgong?


    Lin Rui opened the chat window with Fei Yunlai.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Old Fei, how well have you recovered now? Are you confident enough to deal with Sixth Realm power? That person should be stronger than that demon dragon but definitely weaker than Duan Pengxuan.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Can''t beat them, if I could handle the Sixth Realm, I would have gone to Qin Yan''s underground palace to take a look. There should still be some good stuff in there, mainly because the vital energy is too depleted to keep up with the consumption.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): So you mean you can have a go. Right, since you dared to settle scores with Meng Weiyun, you must have regained some combat power. I remember that Professor Han''s base is hiding two "Ferocious Blood 6 combat stimulants." Have your Magic Beast Protector and Battle Dragon inject them and come to help.


    This was something he had seen in the fridge at the base during surgery last time.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Hey, are you trying to get me to risk my life? This kind of stimulant consumes a lot of vital energy. After using that stuff, my Magic Beast Protector and Battle Dragon will have to delay for over a month.


    Professor Han had scanned a red dot situated fourteen miles away, remaining stationary there without intending to come closer.


    He admired Lin Rui''s sense of perception; despite the great distance, Lin Rui could still sense the person''s presence.


    Professor Han immediately threw a bag to Lin Rui.


    Beacon of War (Han Kedao): This is the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill'' you wanted, plus two ''Cloud Palace Jade Medallions'', including the one I have, as well as some other things related to Du Zunlong and Cloud Palace.


    He didn''t speak out loud but used quantum communication instead, to avoid leaving any trace in case the stalker had a way to monitor their conversation.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Cloud Palace Jade Medallion? Why are you giving me this? Professor, aren''t you interested in Du Zunlong''s Cloud Palace?


    Beacon of War (Han Kedao): I''m very interested, but I know my limits. My disciples and I are not qualified to touch those abyssal treasures; we might die just by touching them.


    Beacon of War (Han Kedao): Based on the examination of the dragon corpse left by Du Zunlong just now, it''s likely he had entered the abyss. He wasn''t defeated but was killed by someone, so these two ''Cloud Palace Jade Medallions'' are too hot for us to handle. Just obtaining some parts of Du Zunlong''s dragon relics and abyssal essence, we are already satisfied.


    Lin Rui instantly understood, Professor Han wanted to pass the trouble to someone else, which was undoubtedly a wise choice.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Alright, I''ll take care of these things.


    Professor Han curiously wondered how Lin Rui would later explain and justify things to Meng Weiyun.


    But his disciple was audacious and shrewd, and since the entire plan was his own making, there was probably no need to worry at that moment.


    Beacon of War (Han Kedao): Besides that, there are various things from the ''storehouse'', beyond the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pills,'' there are also six bottles of Seventh Realm spirit pills, preserved in the best pill bottles, with intact effects and incalculable value, and there are four Seventh Realm level Magic Artifacts, a King Grade Spirit Sword of the Eighth Realm, though it''s unusable now and must be repaired by a weapon-refining expert.


    Beacon of War (Han Kedao): There are also various other items, worth at least 200 million federal dollars in total. I''ve discussed it with Li Li and the others, and all of these items belong to you. I just don''t know how you plan to handle them? Will you ship them back to the Ninth Base, or keep them on Tianji Star?

 Chapter 217 Senior Sister (Please Subscribe)

    An hour and a half later, at the mountain villa where Meng Weiyun was temporarily staying.


    When Lin Rui returned here with the head of the young man in white, his mind was still unsettled and his soul seemed unanchored.


    He was thinking about the time when he killed the young man in white, the ball of electric light and white fire that burst out from the young man''s neck.


    After that flash of electric light and white fire, it all poured into his body, making the ''Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire'' mark on his chest even hotter.


    Lin Rui clearly felt that this thing gave an even greater boost to his Guang Ming-based physical martial arts.


    The ironic thing was that shortly after Lin Rui''s awakening of the ''Indestructible Divine Sun'', his body began to brew another bloodline talent, taking shape.


    From his feeling, awakening this talent seemed very near, at most three to five months¡ª


    But what exactly was the reason for all this?


    And the silver-white mirror that belonged to the young man in white, capable of observing and recording from fourteen li away, Lin Rui studied it for a while, but found it completely unusable.


    This Magic Artifact probably needed to be used in conjunction with a specific Secret Technique or a particular bloodline power. Lin Rui had already asked Professor Han to help him look up relevant information.


    The mirror''s usage remained a mystery, but Professor Han had already discovered the identity of the man, who was the fifth Saint Heir of Guang Ming, Xu Zhe!@@@@


    He had actually killed the fifth Saint Heir of Guang Ming.


    "It really is the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill''!"


    Meng Weiyun had finished appraising the pills Lin Rui brought back, her voice full of surprise, "Number Twelve, you''re truly remarkable. You were even able to get this bottle of ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill'' under such circumstances."


    What delighted her was that Lin Twelve not only brought back the pills her master needed but also the True Intent of ''Heavenly Origin Dragon Transformation Art.''


    It was precisely the martial body Meng Weiyun most desired, and if she switched to cultivating it successfully, her combat strength could increase by at least twenty percent.


    And in the future, whether it was reaching the Seventh Realm or attaining Imperial-grade bloodlines, it all became very hopeful.


    To be honest, before this, Meng Weiyun had been ready to give up, as long as Lin Twelve returned safely.


    She never expected that Lin Twelve would manage to bring back everything she needed.


    At this moment, Meng Weiyun finally noticed that something was off with Lin Rui''s expression, and she asked with a hint of confusion, "Number Twelve, what''s wrong with you? Why do you seem so out of sorts, and your complexion isn''t very good?"


    "My lord," Lin Rui returned to his senses upon hearing this and then gave a wry smile, "This has to do with my experience in the underground palace. You have no idea how I got this bottle of pills."


    He began to recount the entire ordeal of Qin Yan''s dungeon, not leaving out a single detail to Meng Weiyun.


    "Yes! You are perceptive, my lord." Lin Rui''s face became solemn, his expression filled with extreme indignation, "That Han indeed said some things to me, mentioning the purchase of that titanium gold knife dragon that I took down, and also mentioned that I could buy some Heavenly Demon items from him if needed. If I was willing to work for them, there would be additional rewards and so on. I have firmly rejected! Such nonsensical babble simply dirtied my ears, I wished I could have killed him right then and there."


    "Oh?"


    Upon hearing this, Meng Weiyun''s chin lifted slightly, intrigued, "He really said that? Junior brother, I know you abhor evil and guard yourself against the Heavenly Demons, but there''s a saying, ''Master the demons to control the demons.'' If he contacts you again, you might as well interact with him a bit¡ª"


    She had only gotten halfway through her sentence when she saw Lin Twelve staring at her with wide eyes, an incredulous look on his face. Meng Weiyun couldn''t help but let out a light laugh, "Of course, it''s unacceptable for us to work for the Heavenly Demons, but they do have some good items in their hands that we don''t have in the Great Song, like the mecha piloted by Professor Han. If we could trade for it, it would greatly benefit us. Also, their potions, which are different from our pills, could greatly aid in our martial cultivation. Consider this a task I''m entrusting to you, junior brother."


    If Lin Twelve could secure this channel, perhaps in the future, she would have items that she needed Lin Twelve to purchase on her behalf.


    Meng Weiyun also had channels to buy items from the Heavenly Demons, but they were neither stable nor reliable, not to mention the heart-wrenching prices.


    One wonders what sort of person Professor Han really is?


    As a Sky Official of the Imperial City, Meng Weiyun had frequent contact with extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons and knew that not all Heavenly Demons were the same.


    Lin Rui frowned deeply, looking reluctant yet compelled, "Understood, I obey the command!"


    Then he paused, "What did you call me just now, junior brother?"


    Meng Weiyun''s gaze turned teasing, "Didn''t you call me senior sister back in the underground palace? Why are you shy about it now?"


    Lin Rui looks embarrassed; back then, he was just borrowing tiger''s might, intending to intimidate Duan Pengxuan''s subordinates and the demonic dragon, making sure that nobody interfered in his fight with Duan Pengxuan.


    Meng Weiyun then chuckled lightly, "Over ten days ago, I had already recommended you to our master, asking her to take you into our sect. Presumably, there will be news before long."


    As she spoke, she deliberately glanced at the bottle of pills in front of her.


    Meng Weiyun had indeed sent a letter back to the capital thirteen days ago to recommend Lin Twelve to her master.


    Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire


    She had been very confident before, and now with that bottle of ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill,'' the matter was almost certain.


    "By the way," Meng Weiyun then pointed to two metal tokens next to her, "What are these things? Also from Qin Yan''s cave dwelling?"


    "These are called ''Cloud Palace Jade Tokens,''" Lin Rui spoke without much concern, "given to me by Professor Han as well. They''re said to be tokens for the disciples of Limitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong, granting the holder entry into Du Zunlong''s dwelling, the Cloud Palace."


    Lin Rui spoke as if he wasn''t very interested, "Professor Han stated that he has confirmed Du Zunlong entered the ''Abyss'' before his death, and holding these two Cloud Palace Jade Tokens is too hot to handle. So he asked me to pass them on to you. He also mentioned that the person backing Duan Pengxuan might already know the location of the Cloud Palace."


    "What?" Meng Weiyun''s delicate frame shook slightly at the word ''Abyss,'' and she turned pale, "Junior brother, why didn''t you speak of this earlier?"


    These two Cloud Palace Jade Tokens were far more valuable than the bottle of Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill.

 Chapter 218 Another Promotion? (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Rui then went on to explain the matter of Zhang Chen and others switching allegiances, but now it was Meng Weiyun''s turn to be somewhat distracted.


    She was unable to handle this matter personally and could only notify her senior brother, who served as the defense envoy of Sha Zhou, to take over.


    This was because Meng Weiyun''s internal injuries were severe, preventing her from seeing anyone.


    In her years as a Heavenly Official, she had made countless enemies among the court and countryside. Once it became known that she was gravely injured and her vitality greatly reduced, her fighting power significantly weakened, there would be endless overt attacks and covert shots directed at her, thus staying out of the public eye was the best option for the time being.


    However, Meng Weiyun personally wrote a letter, stamped with her official seal, not only addressing Lin Rui as her junior brother in the letter but also speaking of Zhang Chen and others with many words of consolation.


    With this letter, Lin Rui could pacify and rally Zhang Chen and Zhang Zhili, preventing them from panicking and making foolish decisions.


    "Junior brother, since the matter with Qin Yan''s manor has been resolved, you won''t be able to stay in Wang City Prefecture much longer."


    Meng Weiyun''s lips slightly curved upwards, "Spend the next few months cultivating diligently, perform well in your duties as the defense envoy, and wait for the news from the capital. I predict that within a few months, junior brother will certainly be promoted and enter the capital!"


    Now that Lin Rui had entered under his master''s tutelage, he was certain to be transferred to the capital for personal instruction and guidance.


    And at a time when her master desperately needed people, how could he let such a capable and extraordinarily talented individual like Lin Rui linger idle here?


    This was an incomparably sharp and unparalleled treasured blade, which needed to be used in the right place to show its value.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui exclaimed in surprise, thinking, being promoted again?


    He was both surprised and reluctant.


    Isn''t it said that it''s very difficult to get promoted within the imperial guards? He hadn''t even warmed his seat as the defense envoy of Wang City.


    Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.


    As one of the four major leaders of the prefectural city, within thousands of miles, apart from the Prefectural Governor, it was his words that carried weight.


    Moreover, the security situation in Wang City Prefecture had begun to stabilize, the matter with Qin Yan''s manor had been resolved, the demon dragon was no longer a threat, and the troubles with the Zhou family had been resolved too; the days ahead couldn''t get any more comfortable.


    All he needed to do now was to eliminate demons and exorcise evil spirits, and collect his share of the profits every month from Jing Port; life couldn''t be more comfortable and leisurely.


    Lin Rui had just started to enjoy the pleasures of being an official when Meng Weiyun suddenly spoke of a promotion?


    Lin Rui had a good attitude, their primary goal was to rescue Zhu Meng from her predicament, which was already accomplished, whatever came next was left to fate, they had done all they could.


    "What a pity," Lin Rui immediately sighed deeply, "Ying''er, you must have heard what my senior sister said just now? I need to seriously cultivate these next few months, and gather some strength before going to the capital."


    He needed to get back the ''Demon Blood Refining Pill'' he had placed with Professor Han as soon as he turned around, so that Blood Blade could take it soon.


    This kind of pill was for protective demons, not only could it condense demon blood and strengthen the Primordial Spirit, but it also allowed protective demons to further connect with the ''divine,'' which is the abyssal will.


    There were a total of seven pills; he wondered if they could help Blood Blade awaken another bloodline talent?


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    He himself too needed to strengthen as much as possible.


    The imperial capital was beneath the Son of Heaven''s feet, a land of divine fortune, full of masters.


    Lin Rui and his servant''s strength could dominate in Wang City and even be ranked among the top ten across the entire region of Shazhou.


    But if they went to the imperial capital, they wouldn''t be much stronger than ants at the feet of a herd.


    It was only after Lin Rui returned to the city that he learned that the Prefectural Governor and his deputies had failed again in their encirclement of the demon dragon.


    The good news was that the dragon was again seriously injured and couldn''t cause trouble for a while; the bad news was that the demon dragon had made a long escape and its whereabouts were unknown.


    Lin Rui was actually quite pleased when he heard that the dragon had escaped; he felt the reward of fifty thousand taels of demon silver calling out to him; but when he learned that the dragon had fled recklessly, not daring to even stay by the Tianxiang River and had vanished without a trace, he couldn''t help feeling frustrated.


    He sensed that he wouldn''t be able to complete the bounty on the dragon anytime soon.


    What a pity¡ª


    Lin Xi was very pleased to see their master and servant return safely.


    She had already communicated with Lin Rui through messages, but seeing him in person still made her feel more grounded and assured.


    That very night, after the matter of Qin Yan''s mansion was concluded, Lin Rui''s consciousness returned to the ninth base city.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was unaware that deep beneath the sea, thirty-seven thousand miles from Wang City, in the grand temple of Guang Ming in the sea''s depths, countless followers were stirring due to the changes in the ''Holy Thunder Calamity Fire''.

 Chapter 219 The Fourth Saint Heir (Three more for subscription)

    At the time of the incident, the High Priest Yin Qianqiu was away on urgent business.


    However, when he sensed the change, he did not hesitate to put aside the matters at hand and returned to the headquarters.


    When Yin Qianqiu descended to the altar in the rear courtyard of the headquarters, used to worship the "Holy Thunderfire," he saw the altar, shaped like a pyramid, grand and majestic, emitting vast and overwhelming light and heat from its top.


    The "Holy Thunderfire," radiating boundless bright light and shaped like a lotus flower, had once again entered an extremely violent state.@@@@


    Not only were the light, thunder, and fire elements incredibly dense, but there was also an immensely powerful abyssal force converging there.


    The rules of heaven and earth around it were twisted beyond recognition, with numerous powerful thunderclaps and light fires, as well as beams of blazing red rays emanating from the "Holy Thunderfire," obliterating any material they touched into slag.


    Below the altar, the thousands of Guang Ming Holy Church followers who were here to worship and contemplate, all wore faces of confusion and panic.


    The High Priests and Chief Priests stationed here were also pale and solemn.


    The Guang Ming Holy Church had Fourth Realm practitioners as High Priests, Fifth Realm as Chief Priests, Sixth Realm as Great Chief Priests, Seventh Realm as Arch Chief Priests, and Eighth Realm as Cardinal Priests.


    There were also "Three Pillars, Five Envoys, Seven Kings," all of whom were beings surpassing the Eighth Realm, each ruling over a territory.


    When the followers and Chief Priests below the altar saw the radiant figure of Yin Qianqiu, they all placed their hands on their shoulders and bowed down in worship.


    "We greet the High Priest, may your Highness'' bright light shine on the world, with boundless Holy Thunders and infinite Calamitous Fires, to cleave the earth and open the heavens!"


    Yin Qianqiu paid no attention to the worship of the followers below; he suspended himself in the air beside the "Holy Thunderfire," trying his best to soothe it while concentrating and sensing.


    He then raised his head with a look of astonishment, "How could such a thing happen?"


    "High Priest!"


    It was a Seventh Realm Arch Chief Priest in his eighties, furrowing his brows in worry, "The Fifth Saint Heir Xu Zhe is dead, and just as Xu Zhe died, the Seventh Saint Heir was promoted to the Fourth. I have reason to suspect that it was the Seventh Saint Heir who killed Xu Zhe and devoured his origin."


    At this moment, the three thousand followers below the altar couldn''t help but be in an uproar, exchanging looks of dismay.


    They knew only that the "Holy Thunderfire" had undergone a change because it sensed something but were unaware of the details.


    Now, hearing the words of the Arch Chief Priest, their spirits were even more shaken.


    The Fifth Saint Heir Xu Zhe was actually dead? And possibly killed by the enigmatic Seventh Saint Heir?


    "This is only our speculation; if the truth is indeed so, please, High Priest, expel this Fourth Saint Heir from the ranks of the Saint Heirs!"


    Another Arch Chief Priest bowed down, his expression filled with anger, sorrow, and pain, "This is fratricide, something that Guang Ming cannot tolerate, we must not set such a wicked precedent!"


    However, at his side, another younger Arch Chief Priest let out a cold laugh, "Ridiculous, the Holy Thunderfire is our church''s supreme Holy Artifact, highly perceptive, capable of discerning good from evil. If it were indeed fratricide, the Holy Thunderfire would have expelled the Seventh Saint Heir long ago, how could it allow his promotion to the Fourth Saint Heir? What ''cannot be tolerated by Guang Ming''? I think you''re just resentful because someone related to you died, hence these absurd remarks."


    "High Priest, may I report!"


    Amongst all the Arch Chief Priests, the eldest with a solemn expression spoke up, "The Seventh Saint Heir is different from the others; our church''s Saint Heirs gain their title by dripping blood onto the altar and receiving approval from the Holy Thunderfire through our Secret Technique. However, the Seventh Saint Heir was actively sought out by the ''Holy Thunderfire'' itself."


    This Arch Chief Priest, with white hair and an extremely advanced age and seniority, therefore spoke quite bluntly, "I vividly remember the day the Seventh Saint Heir was promoted; the reaction from the supreme Holy Artifact was particularly intense, suggesting he might be someone truly worthy of bearing the ''Holy Thunderfire''! Today is the same, which shows the ''Holy Thunderfire''s'' desire for him; thus, today''s matters require you, High Priest, to discern the cause and handle it appropriately."


    High Priest Yin Qianqiu frowned deeply, "I understand."


    The Ninth Base is a jointly-managed city, and the tax laws of the Earth Federation apply here. The taxes on the wealthy seem heavy, but in reality, there are too many ways to avoid them, so it is actually the middle and lower classes of society who bear the brunt of the tax burden.


    The rich in the East Asia Republic were in a bad situation, without any means of tax avoidance, which is why the wealthy there were all trying to move away, especially to the two jointly-managed cities.


    After Lin Rui had paid the deposit, he received a message from Tianlan Biological Corporation.


    Tianlan Biological Corporation: Greetings, esteemed Diamond VIP member. Our company has received your deposit of 50 million federal currency. Your cybernetic implant ''Immortal Suntian'' has entered the manufacturing process. It is expected to be completed within 5 days. Please follow our corporation''s official account to stay updated on the progress of your implant''s production.


    Next, Lin Rui transferred 20 million to Wang Sen, who promptly replied to the message.


    Eccentric Youngster (Wang Sen): Brother Rui, what''s this money for?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): What else could it be? You put in effort during the Qin Yan crypt excursion too, this is a red envelope for you.


    All of Professor Han''s students reaped benefits from the action at Qin Yan''s crypt, gaining both fame and fortune, except for Wang Sen, who got a pittance.


    Eccentric Youngster (Wang Sen): Brother Rui, this isn''t right. I just did a bit of digging and didn''t take any risks or exert much effort. How could I face taking a red envelope? I''ve already refunded the money to you.


    Seeing the 20 million transferred back, Lin Rui ''tsked'' in annoyance; this little fatty was really quite stubborn.


    The problem was that if he was to enter the capital next, he needed to take Wang Sen with him.


    A reliable and capable aide like Wang Sen was not easy to find.


    For example, regarding the security affairs of Wang City county, Lin Rui could not possibly supervise everything daily. Blood Blade Ji, due to her demon identity, couldn''t help him command the numerous subordinates in Wang City.


    Having Wang Sen''s help at this time would make things much easier.


    However, Wang Sen''s strength was insufficient at the moment. Even Lin Rui would find it tough to operate in that area, let alone Wang Sen.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Keep it! Raise your spiritual power and cybernetic implant as soon as possible, and find a way to hunt demons to repay me. It''s better to borrow from me than to take out a loan; at least mine is interest-free.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): From the hints in Meng Weiyun''s words just now, it seems almost certain that I will become a disciple of the Third Divine Envoy, and within at most three to five months, I''ll be promoted and take up an official position in Luojing. When that happens, you''ll come with me.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Wang Sen, you''d best pass the Heavenly Demon Test within half a year. The path you''re on requires a lot of money. If it''s not enough, ask me again.


    Only if Wang Sen passed the Heavenly Demon Test could Lin Rui arrange a good position for him,


    This time after returning the money, Wang Sen didn''t talk about giving it back anymore.


    Eccentric Youngster (Wang Sen): Holy shit!!!!!!!!


    Wang Sen sent a screen full of exclamation marks, thinking to himself that Brother Rui was too amazing¡ªwas he about to be promoted to a fifth-rank Lower Mingwei Colonel?


    Although it was still a colonel rank, it now included the prestigious ''Mingwei'', indicating the fifth rank from the bottom, officially entering the high-ranking officialdom of the Great Song court.


    In the East Asia Republic, this was the difference between middle-level and provincial-level officials.


    And to become a direct disciple of the Third Divine Envoy!


    That was akin to being a limb of a god, a direct line from the abyss!


    Needless to say, once Brother Rui entered the capital, his authority would certainly not be small.

 Chapter 220 Plot to Assassinate (Subscribe Requested)

    After Lin Rui had transferred the money to Wang Sen, he started to clean up his chat system, quickly responding to those who deserved replies and blocking all the advertisements.


    Lin Rui noticed that Fei Yunlai had sent him another message.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Lin Rui, my biochip is ready. When are you free to implant it for me?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): How about tomorrow? Aren''t you looking to re-implant a Type-7 nano-combat enhancement system? If there are other implants you need, let''s do them all at once to avoid any hassle.


    Though his public duties had lessened in the coming months, he still needed to be frugal with his time.


    Lin Rui planned to intensely train himself before heading to the capital.


    His counterpart on Tianji Star no longer faced any imminent crises, and the external environment had improved - it was time to solidify his foundation!


    He had to rigorously train his fundamental martial arts and physical conditioning to the point of perfection so he could sleep soundly at night.


    The chat messages that particularly concerned Lin Rui also included those from his ''uncle'', who had started messaging from noon with a series of messages, the last one sent at 20:00.


    Lin Da: Where are you? Why aren''t you responding? When are you coming over? It''s already 8 p.m.; how long do you want me to wait?


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but smack his forehead.


    He had been busy all day with matters related to Qin Yan''s retreat and subsequent issues, completely forgetting about this matter.


    It was due to his oversight, for he should have realized sooner that he wouldn''t be free today.


    Lin Da was not in his extraterrestrial quantum communication system''s address book, so on Tianji Star, Lin Da''s messages weren''t received.


    Lin Rui glanced outside at the late hour; it was already 10 p.m.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Sorry, uncle, I''ve really been too busy these last few days. How about the day after tomorrow? I''ll definitely come over then.


    Lin Da: Can''t it be tomorrow?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I have plans tomorrow; I''ve already promised someone else, and I can''t break that commitment.


    Lin Rui replied sheepishly, regretting having opened Fei Yunlai''s chat window first.


    However, Lin Da might have been worn out by him, showing no particular reaction upon seeing his message.


    Lin Da: Fine! Then it''s settled for noon the day after tomorrow. You had better not miss it again.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Definitely.


    His eyes grew colder as he mentally went through the list of his students while he asked, in a chilled voice, "Are you just guessing? Moreover, why does an important division chief from the Security Bureau want to meet him? What could the Security Bureau possibly need from a local defense envoy?"


    "Don''t underestimate him." Zhou Yunfei''s expression became serious, "Old friend, you should know about the Imperial City''s Bureau of Stabbing Traitors, right? The command envoy of that bureau has been vacant for several months, and the various factions within the Great Song''s imperial court have been disputing endlessly, yet to settle on a suitable candidate."


    "The Bureau of Stabbing Traitors?"


    Han Kedao certainly knew about the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors.


    Originally established 800 years ago within the Imperial City''s office specifically for investigating cases related to Heavenly Demons abroad, its authority gradually widened. Now, it also took on responsibilities like monitoring the emperor''s subjects for the ''divine'', guarding against treason, heresies, and major evil deeds, essentially acting as the Imperial City within the Imperial City.


    However, the command envoy of the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors, usually held by a fifth-rank or higher imperial direct martial officer, had a modest rank but significant authority.


    But what did this have to do with Lin Rui?


    Zhou Yunfei''s expression was unusual, "The Bureau of Stabbing Traitors is specifically set up for dealing with alien practitioners. All our branches in the Security Bureau place great importance on this division and watch it closely.


    The first division''s data analysis department even built a large model specifically for this matter, expending a lot of manpower and resources to collect a wide range of information and data, and using the top-tier super quantum computer clusters for analysis to identify potential candidates to take over as the command envoy of the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors.


    And just this afternoon, Lin Da suddenly appeared at the top of this list with an 87% probability of taking over the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors in three to five months!"


    Upon hearing this, Han Kedao''s eyes went wide.


    Lin Rui was about to take over the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors? Was the Great Song dynasty planning to use a Heavenly Demon to guard against Heavenly Demons?


    This was getting interesting¡ª


    He couldn''t help but swallow his saliva, "Old Zhou, that''s just your model''s analysis; it might not come to pass."


    "But he has a high probability! The large model we use has always been very accurate in predicting personnel changes within the Great Song''s court."


    Zhou Yunfei emphasized, then sincerely added, "Old Han, you have to help me this time! Our infiltration plan in the Imperial City failed previously because we were betrayed by a mole in our ninth division. I''ve been trying to uncover this mole but to no avail.


    The most convenient way now is to check the file stored in the archives of the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors! This case was handled by them, and their files must have recorded all the detailed causatives before and after the event. The problem is that this file has a very high secrecy level, only their command envoy and three deputies have access."


    Zhou Yunfei clasped his hands tightly.


    The three deputy commanders of the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors, either fiercely hostile towards the alien practitioners of the East Asian Republic or steadfast and unshakeable in heart.


    But that future command envoy gave him hope.


    Since Lin Da could cooperate with Han Kedao, maybe he would also be willing to make a deal with their Security Bureau¡ª


    And his old classmate Han Kedao was the key person.


    Yet he didn''t notice that the emotions in Professor Han''s eyes, visible on the video, were incredibly rich.

 Chapter 221 Congratulations (Please Subscribe)

    Fei Yunlai woke up from the anesthetic effects of the surgery and received a message from Lin Rui that had been sent five hours earlier.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui), "Congratulations, you''ve become a cute girl now."


    Fei Yunlai instinctively reached towards his groin, then let out a sigh of relief.


    It''s still there!


    The surgery this time was rather complex, involving the brain, so it was done under general anesthesia, and he was unconscious throughout the procedure.


    Fei Yunlai''s face darkened immediately, and he sent Lin Rui a picture of a middle finger.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui), "Awake? You can sense the condition inside your body. If there''s any discomfort or anything wrong, you need to tell me. Also, here are a few prescriptions you can fill yourself at a pharmacy in Wang City. These are unique traditional Chinese herbs from Tianji Star, with no side effects, and they can reduce your rejection reaction."


    He actually prescribed medical advice to Fei Yunlai in earnest.


    Fei Yunlai focused and sensed his condition for a moment, finding it much better than he had anticipated.


    There was indeed a slight rejection reaction, but it was minimal and within his tolerance.


    This wasn''t a result of the surgery, as any cybernetic implantation would cause a certain degree of rejection reaction, and for Fei Yunlai, undergoing a second implantation, it was inevitable.


    Therefore, Lin Rui''s surgical skill was truly impressive, having minimized the rejection reaction inside his body to the extreme.


    How exactly did this guy learn his surgical skills?


    Is a true genius really that amazing? To master it after just two simulation surgeries?


    Fei Yunlai then examined the prescriptions Lin Rui wrote for him, skeptical in his heart.


    This was actually native Chinese herbal medicine from Tianji Star, not the common injections or formulated drugs used by the Earth Federation. The question was, did this guy understand? Were these prescriptions even useful?


    After some thought, Fei Yunlai decided to have his ''Heavenly Dog Demon'' buy some of the medicine for him.


    Not going to Wang City, but to the Gold County to the south.


    Fei Yunlai knew that woman must still be in Wang City, so he didn''t dare let his Heavenly Dog expose his whereabouts there. Going to the Gold County to the south was relatively safer.


    Next, Fei Yunlai couldn''t wait to return to normalcy using his newly implanted biochip.


    After Lin Rui dealt with Duan Pengxuan, Professor Han''s underground base had become extremely safe.


    Now, in addition to Fei Yunlai''s own War Dragon, Professor Han''s mecha was also on guard outside. Along with a surveillance system that covered a 50-kilometer radius and various situation-sensing devices, Fei Yunlai could rest assured about his safety inside.


    Fei Yunlai now only wanted to return to Base Nine as quickly as possible, retrieve the evidence he had stored there, and then find a way to make some money on the side in the Federation.


    When Fei Yunlai awoke in the room arranged for him by Yu Feicui in the Mingde Martial Arts Society, he couldn''t help but let out a long sigh.


    And the vast majority of Martial Cultivators choose to attain it by referencing the intents of others because it''s safe and convenient.


    The same goes for Sky Extreme Star, where a high-level True Intent chart for studying martial intents can sell for astronomical prices.


    But that''s not right either, even if it was martial intent graded A or B, Lin Rui couldn''t have condensed it so quickly.


    And having had the previous two experiences, Yu Feicui was no longer daring to jump to conclusions so hastily.


    The kid Lin Rui was different from the ordinary geniuses.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): You''ve already condensed it? How so quickly? When are you free for me to see it?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): That''s possible, I''m free these days, just set a time.


    Yu Feicui''s heart itched; she wanted to drag Lin Rui to the Martial Arts Club right now to see what level his martial intent was.


    At this moment, Yu Feicui also received a message from the security department of Tianlan Group, causing her eyebrows to furrow.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): Lin Rui, are you going out?


    Lin Rui had just reached the school gates, and after reading Yu Feicui''s message, he was slightly taken aback and then looked up thoughtfully at the holographic surveillance device hanging on the school gate.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): I''m not monitoring you; it''s just that the security department sent me a message just now.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): Recently, the boss of Tianlan Group elevated your security level to 5A, so the security department specifically sent someone to strengthen the protections of the Martial Arts Club''s intranet. They found that several school servers had been breached by unidentified hackers recently, who sifted through a lot of information about you and your sister.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): This is a very skilled hacker, at least A+ grade; if Tianlan Group hadn''t just recruited a top computer expert, the school''s internal network monitoring would not have noticed. Additionally, there have been Blood Lizard Gang members frequenting the venues near the school, with unclear intentions, so the security department is particularly vigilant.


    Lin Rui blinked in surprise.


    He knew what the 5A security level of a big company entailed¡ªroughly three to five A-graded mecha-clad colonels or lieutenant colonels in command, leading a combat team of ten to fifteen members responsible for protection, with an indeterminate number of support personnel, all of whom were A-graded mecha-clad.


    Then his expression became thoughtful, thinking again the Blood Lizard Gang? Was this never going to end?


    He had killed so many of them, and they still wouldn''t back down?


    That ''Iron Fist King'' incurred such substantial losses yet was still able to keep up appearances? Was he an unkillable cockroach?


    And who was this A+ hacker? Was he also hired by the Iron Fist King?


    Just then, Xue Lingxue also sent him a message.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Where are you going? Get back here! Don''t go out these days.


    After reading the message, Lin Rui couldn''t help but twitch the corner of his mouth, thinking just because you said I can''t go out, do I have to obediently stay put?


    But his mood gradually grew colder.


    Both sides were sending warnings at the same time; it seemed the outside security situation was indeed not good.

 Chapter 222 Found (Seeking Subscriptions)

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    Yu Feicui was still sending messages to Lin Rui.@@@@


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): If you must go out for something important, you can first head to the school''s security department''s equipment vault and get a set of Type 5 exoskeleton armor for self-defense. Do you know how to use a gun? If you do, you can also take a couple with you. In addition, the leader of your security detail will contact you shortly, and they will provide protection for you along the way.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): Rest assured, this situation won''t last long. Guan Biran has already put a lot of pressure on the Eastern District Police Station. This is a provocation against the entire Tianlan Group; we will not allow the Iron Fist King faction to continue to exist.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): Guan Biran is addressing the issue using means within the federal laws. If standard methods fail to solve it, the group has backup plans.


    These words were not supposed to be said, but Yu Feicui regarded Lin Rui highly.


    The martial arts tournament hadn''t started yet, and Lin Rui had already brought significant profit to the group.


    Just the merchandise brought by Lin Rui was already worth over six hundred million.


    Additionally, according to what Yu Feicui knew, the traffic that Lin Rui had directed to the group''s proprietary website had reached 7 million visits.


    These people were merely browsing without placing orders, yet they were potential customers.


    As long as Lin Rui''s reputation in the exoskeleton martial arts world climbed, and his popularity stabilized, these people would eventually convert into Tianlan Group''s customers.


    Therefore, she had to make Lin Rui feel secure and maintain his confidence in the group''s strength.


    After reading Yu Feicui''s messages, Lin Rui didn''t hesitate at all and went straight to the school''s security department.


    Since both the Federal Security Bureau and the Group Security Department had issued warnings, he had to treat the situation with caution.


    Better safe than sorry, they say¡ªin this age of advanced martial arts, you can''t be too careful.


    Wang Cheng: Hello Mr. Lin, I am Wang Cheng, responsible for providing your security. I will take care of your travel safety from now on. Could you please use the map navigation software provided by the city hall during your travel? Please follow my directions to enter this quantum encrypted channel, and then share your location with us.


    Wang Cheng: Mr. Lin, the red dots you see on the map right now are the positions of our team members. Please rest assured, during the escort period, we will do our utmost not to interfere with your activities and let you be unaware of our presence.


    Wang Cheng: If you encounter an attack, please move as quickly as possible toward these two large red dots. Those are our two armored battle vehicles disguised as cargo trucks, each equipped with two Type 6 defensive robots. They will follow your position and keep a distance not exceeding three miles.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Understood!


    Lin Rui was secretly troubled.


    He had never imagined that just going out for an appointment and having a meal would require such a massive show of forces.


    If it were not for the fact that he had already arranged a meeting with Lin Da and had failed to show up once before, he would have chosen to stay in his room and not go out at all.


    Lin Rui also became more careful himself, partly because, for some unknown reason, his blood suddenly raced, and he felt an inexplicable thumping in his heart.


    He started to head toward the direction of the martial arts society.


    Lin Rui had originally planned to ride in Ambola Shared Car Company''s ''Luxury Presidential Bulletproof Car'' to the meeting.


    The Ambola Company''s presidential bulletproof car had given him a great experience, both in terms of comfort and defensive capabilities, at the highest level.


    But now he was preparing to switch to the ''Shen Wing 520'' given to him by Fang Ranran for his use.


    Lin Rui had originally thought this limited edition supercar was too flashy and too conspicuous, but now he had changed his mind.


    It should be noted that the cost of the ''Shen Wing 520'' was equivalent to a federal frigate.


    In terms of defensive capabilities alone, even the top-of-the-line bulletproof car from Ambola Company could not compare to this supercar.

 Chapter 223 Draw the Sword (Please Subscribe)

    At that moment, the warning beep ''beep beep'' began to sound inside the orbit car.


    "Passengers at the door, please step away from the door now and do not obstruct the doors from closing¡ª"


    The two mechanical patrol officers on the platform also noticed the situation here and were moving closer, while the passengers inside the carriage, amidst the mental confrontation of the two men, realized something was wrong and began to run towards the doors on both sides.


    However, the two men confronting each other from a distance paid no attention.


    "So you recognized me, was it when I passed by you just now?"


    Just as Horn, known as ''Dead Eye,'' began to speak, a suit of silver-white battle armor began to cover his entire body.


    This was also a type 5 exoskeleton battle armor, but it was concealable, hiding under clothes when not in use, fitting to the body like skin.


    He slowly rose from his seat: "It seems your sensory abilities are strong, no, your spiritual power is also strong, I''ve underestimated you a bit."


    The guy opposite him, under the pressure of his martial intent, remained composed and unmoving.


    This guy might have achieved the ultimate martial concept, just keeping it contained and not showing it.


    This was a smart move. In the face of a large gap in spiritual power, there was no need to rashly display martial intent and waste energy unnecessarily.


    At this moment, Horn looked again at Lin Rui''s hand holding the Grand Black Heaven.


    He had seen Lin Rui''s martial arts videos before. This guy''s sword-drawing speed was extremely fast, as quick as eight ten-thousandths of a second.


    Just now, when he stood up and began covering himself with armor, it should have been the best opportunity for Lin Rui to draw his sword, a strong individual like Horn would have felt threatened.


    Yet the opponent kept his hand on his sword without drawing it.


    "Why didn''t you draw your sword?" Horn looked puzzled. "Are you trying to buy time until your guards arrive?"


    "Of course, I''m not confident." Lin Rui replied calmly and frankly, "I had a premonition that this stroke might not be able to kill you." Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire


    He simply didn''t want to hurt innocents.


    Horn glanced at the fleeing crowd around him and suddenly realized.


    The more one worked as an assassin, the more accustomed one became to not seeing people as people.


    At this moment, Katya sent a message over: Stop chattering, finish the target quickly, and leave! I''ve already taken control of the subway station''s security system, but I can only delay them for half a minute at most. Those colonels from the Sky Blue Corporation are formidable, and the subway''s defense systems and mechanical patrol officers can''t stop them.


    Dead Eye: Try using the surrounding crowd to delay.


    Katya: Hostages, right? I know!


    In that instant, intense gunfire erupted outside the subway station, and even the booming sound of laser cannons sweeping through could be heard.


    This made the crowd inside and outside the train even more panicked as they crazily fled, searching for cover everywhere.


    "You have great self-awareness, but unfortunately¡ª"


    Horn shook his head slightly: "Too foolish!"


    Before, Lin Rui posed a slight threat to him, but now¡ª


    This guy appeared in his eyes as a lamb to be slaughtered.


    Horn suddenly drew his gun, his hand moving as fast as a phantom.


    Lin Rui drew his sword at the same time, unleashing a net of thunder and lightning!


    Lin Rui, leveraging talismans and flying needles to deploy the Lightning Fire Escape Skill, was unpredictable, and Horn''s Escape Skill was equally magical, like a sprite dancing in the darkness, able to move through any shadow.


    Less than three seconds into the fight, Horn was utterly shocked; Lin Rui''s gunfighting was also extremely precise!


    Every bullet he fired could accurately pursue Horn''s figure.


    If he was slightly careless or slow in his movements, he would be hit!


    This was simply Grandmaster level! No! It was Grandmaster level pistol combat!


    The opponent had perfectly integrated his gunfighting into his martial path, occasionally enforcing it with the abyssal concepts of ''Inevitable Hit'' and ''Predestined Death''!


    Whenever this happened, Horn could not dodge at all and had to rely on his external skeletal armor to withstand the hits.


    He was now only glad that the opponent''s gun was not of the highest quality; it was a military model, unmodified and not heavily inscribed with runes, and although its power was considerable, its firing rate was slow.


    The opponent''s ''Smart Dragon'' Model 5 exoskeleton armor was also a military model, and aside from adequate defensive capabilities, it had only basic features.


    Luckily for him, the opponent''s Primordial Spirit power and True Qi were not enough to use the abyssal concepts for a long time.


    Katyusha: What''s the matter? Why haven''t you taken him down yet? The people from Sky Blue Corporation are almost here! Damn it, they even have two ''Imperial Guard'' Model 6 defense robots; this wasn''t in the intel I collected!


    Horn felt a bitter taste in his mouth.


    Shadow''s Eye: You should take a look at the video of me fighting this guy on the platform! Our intelligence was severely distorted, Katyusha!


    Just then, Horn tensed, sensing a flash of golden sword light suddenly slicing in from behind him.


    It was a Model 5 Light Element Flying Sword!


    This sword must have been lurking nearby motionlessly until he moved here and then suddenly burst forth.


    Clang!


    Although Horn dodged just in time, his exoskeleton armor was still cleaved open by the flying sword, leaving a bloody gash on his back!


    What terrified him was the numbness beginning to spread from his wound.


    His exoskeleton armor also emitted a red warning.


    "Warning! Warning! Due to unknown reasons, a widespread numbness is occurring in your body¡ª"


    Horn was secretly shocked. What kind of poison was this that even his top-tier exoskeleton armor couldn''t detect?


    This bastard!


    Horn''s gaze was extremely annoyed; he was being pushed to this extent by a mere lieutenant colonel!


    Just then, a multitude of red bullets suddenly sprayed towards him.


    After the bullet spray came the roaring blast of the Gatling gun''s firing.


    At the same time, a hearty laugh came through: "Horn, it''s rare to see you in such a mess!"


    Lin Rui frowned deeply, was forced to retreat at full force, shooting while dodging the machine gun bullets.


    When Horn glanced over, his expression relaxed.


    It was another member of his team¡ª''Battle Axe'' Lu Hong!


    This person was maneuvering a 6-meter-tall Model 4 power Mecha, standing at the entrance of the wholly transparent tube through which the railcar shuttled, firing vigorously in Lin Rui''s direction.

 Chapter 224 The Bankrupt Bull (Please Subscribe)

    As a battle unfolded at Mingde University''s second city rail station, Fei Yunlai had just happened to drive his luxury car out from the school.


    He heard the explosions below and looked down through the car window in utter surprise.


    "Who''s so damn bold to cause such chaos at the entrance of Mingde University? Don''t they know that Mingde University has two heavy-armored militia units?"


    Fei Yunlai glanced down briefly before withdrawing his gaze, shaking his head as he continued to fly toward the location of the used car dealership he was navigating to.


    Looking at the situation at the entrance to the subway station, it seemed to be under control.


    Two teams of well-equipped 5A grade elite action groups, along with two ''Imperial Guard'' Type-6 defense robots, had already stormed into the interior of the subway station.


    Unless the enemies inside were of the Major General rank, there was only suppression waiting for them.


    However, Fei Yunlai didn''t sense the aura of the ''dragon.''


    At that moment, the sound of a woman crying ''yi yi'' could be heard from inside his car.


    "Master, are you really going to sell me?"


    Upon hearing this, Fei Yunlai grimaced: "I''m not selling you! You''re my AI housekeeper; why would I sell you? No one would want you! I''m going to sell our mansion, all the stocks, all the assets. I need to collect a sum of money as soon as possible.


    Right! I also need to sell the cars in my garage at the used car dealership; there''s no other way, Diamond Bracelet. My body at Tianji Star is in a really bad situation. I''ve just managed to find a reliable mechanical augmentation doctor down there, and I need to implant several more powerful augments to strengthen my combat power as much as possible."


    Fei Yunlai sighed, "Don''t worry, I''ll find a server to house you for a while, a maximum of one to three years. I''ll see to it that you have a new home."


    Diamond Bracelet: "But Master, even selling everything won''t fetch much money, and you haven''t even finished paying off your mortgage. I''ve calculated it, and I estimate it''ll only fetch a little over six billion."


    Fei Yunlai''s face darkened even more: "Shut up! Just hurry up and liquidate it all. Also, help me inquire with various banks; I need to raise some funds."


    Diamond Bracelet: "Understood, Master. The problem is, what about your implanted combat dragon? Without that mansion, without the life support unit in the basement''s cold storage, it will be difficult for your implanted combat dragon to maintain its peak combat strength."


    Fei Yunlai rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. After pondering for a moment, he decided to contact his junior sister, Yu Feicui.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Junior sister, does your school have any spare combat dragon life support units?


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): We do, but what do you need it for?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): I want to send my implanted combat dragon to be preserved at the school for about three to five months.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): !!!


    Yu Feicui found the idea inconceivable. While the school did have spare combat dragon life support units, they were nowhere near as good as the setup at Fei''s elder brother''s home.


    What in the world had happened to Elder Brother Fei?


    Yu Feicui had heard some rumors; lately, Elder Brother Fei''s situation at Tianji Star seemed to be not so promising. Could it be true?


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): I can talk to Fang Ranran about it. However, it can''t be for free. After all, the electricity bill for the combat dragon life support unit is over a million a month unless you''re willing to owe her a favor.


    Fei Yunlai''s face turned gloomy at the thought, not wanting to owe that girl any favors.


    Fang Ranran''s father was a ruthless man, and she was likely cut from the same cloth.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): How about this, I can arrange for you to be a visiting professor at the university and also act as the head coach for our martial arts club. It would be a real position, not just in name! In this way, you can use all the resources of our martial arts club free of charge.


    Having read this, Fei Yunlai couldn''t help but touch his nose.


    Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire


    In an instant, Jiang Dong launched all six tactical missiles from the launcher and detonated them all 200 meters away.


    Lin Rui, seeing what was happening from a distance, was slightly startled. He hid himself under the rail, using the concrete wall in front of him and the energy shield of his own exoskeleton armor to resist the blast''s impact and shrapnel.


    Luckily, those missiles were only loaded with high-explosive incendiary ammunition, but the bad news was that these bombs were embedded with the runic technology of the Tianji Star.


    Although Lin Rui endured the explosion, the shoulder and leg parts of his exoskeleton armor were nearly wrecked by the flying shrapnel.


    In the aftermath of the blast wave, Lin Rui immediately took to the air and positioned himself over the gate, which was still wide open.


    Looking down at the channel that appeared like a bottomless abyss, approximately three meters in diameter, he frowned deeply.


    Lin Rui knew that this channel was supposed to lead to the so-called ''Lower District.''


    That was originally the first base of Mingde University.


    The forebears of the East Asia Republic didn''t have the resources or conditions to build a massive base city like the ''Upper District'' when they first settled on Tianji Star''s ninth satellite.


    Initially, they carved out thousands of small caverns within areas of the ninth satellite''s interior.


    It wasn''t until five hundred years ago that the ''Upper District'' of Mingde University''s base city was completed, and all the population was relocated there.


    However, over the past few centuries, as the population boomed and a large influx of external migrants arrived, the Lower District was reactivated 300 years ago, with its population ever-increasing and its extent continuously expanding.


    However, there was no artificial sun down there, the pipes were in utter chaos, and the life support system was already overwhelmed, creating a harsh environment.


    That place was the true slums, teeming with various gang forces and hundreds of times more chaotic than the Upper District.


    If Lin Rui had failed the xenotypy assessment before, the government would have arranged for him to live and work in the Lower District until the day he had enough social status or money.


    "Lin Rui, have you lost your mind!"


    At this time, Xue Lingxue flew to his side and slapped him on the shoulder, her voice fiercely saying, "Do you know who they are? They''re the top assassin team of Mingde University''s base city. Lin Rui, do you have a death wish? Or is there something wrong with your mind? I think you really need a mental assessment!"


    Xue Lingxue wished she could grab Lin Rui''s ear.


    Although her father initially engaged with the Lin family on a mission from the Security Bureau and with a purpose, Xue Lingxue had been unaware at the time.


    In the first two years of her contact with Lin Rui, she genuinely treated him as a younger brother.


    She had been terrified when she saw Lin Rui chasing after the enemy alone, her heart nearly stopping.


    This guy was just too crazy, taking too many risks.


    Yet the combat power he displayed during the fight also left her in awe.


    At this time, Wang Cheng also flew over.


    He was rather helpless and annoyed by Lin Rui''s reckless actions. However, seeing Xue Lingxue''s rage, he frowned and said, "Inspector Xue! Mr. Lin is an important figure in our Sky Blue Corporation. Please maintain your decorum."


    Xue Lingxue gave him a cold look and then let out a sarcastic laugh, "Your Mr. Lin has violated federal regulations and is suspected of endangering public safety, illegal use of firearms, intentional harm to others, and severe damage to public property. I am now going to take him to the police station for questioning!"


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but pinch the bridge of his nose. He couldn''t tell Xue Lingxue that ''Dead Eye'' Horn was the one who had killed the other Lin Rui in the past.


    It was at this moment that he received a message from Professor Han.


    Beacon of War (Han Kedao): Lin Rui, would you be interested in joining the Federal Security Bureau? If you are willing, you could start directly from the military rank of a brigadier general in the Security Bureau without training. I can fully support you in gaining real power within the bureau, at least over a 3S-grade special action department, commanding 3 to 5 5A-level action groups.


    After reading the message, Lin Rui was momentarily taken aback, wondering why Professor Han would ask him such a question?

 Chapter 225 Top Secret Mission (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Rui was astonished, thinking to himself, Could Professor Han actually have such connections?


    The so-called "starting with the rank and treatment of a brigadier general at the Security Bureau" must mean that his abilities hadn''t reached the rank of brigadier general, but he could still receive the rank and treatment of one at the Security Bureau? Or actually control a department with a top-secret clearance of a 3S level?


    Could this be true?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, what exactly is the situation? The Federal Security Bureau wouldn''t recruit me without any reason.


    Feng Huo Lian Cheng (Han Kedao): I''m not sure how to explain it since it''s quite complicated. Take a look at this video recording, it''s meant to be seen and then destroyed.


    Professor Han immediately sent a video over, and after watching it, Lin Rui''s brows gradually furrowed.


    At the moment, he was being escorted by Xue Lingxue toward a distant armored police car, but Lin Rui was entirely lost in thought, causing great confusion for Xue Lingxue beside him.


    She could tell that Lin Rui was communicating with someone, but had no idea what could be so distracting to make him so absent-minded.


    It seemed like he didn''t care at all that he had been handcuffed and was about to be detained at the police station.


    Xue Lingxue thought about it and decided not to disable the communication function of Lin Rui''s personal smart terminal.


    Her intention was just to scare the guy, not to really do anything to him.


    The trouble this time was too big; the entire orbital station and a vacuum rail tube were severely damaged, and an orbital train was badly damaged as well.


    Fortunately, none of the more than 30 injured people in the incident died, thanks to timely treatment, or else the situation would have been even more problematic.


    Feng Huo Lian Cheng (Han Kedao): The person in the video is an old classmate of mine named Zhou Yunfei, a prosthesis general of the Security Bureau, currently serving as the director of the Security Bureau''s Ninth Division.


    Feng Huo Lian Cheng (Han Kedao): Just watch the video, and make sure not to let out any information. I didn''t get his permission for this video, and though what he says is almost common knowledge among the upper echelons of the Ninth City base, leaks could still lead to some trouble.


    After watching, Lin Rui thought to himself that this was truly problematic.


    The bother wasn''t Zhou Yunfei wanting to see the dossier, but rather his identity as an alien walker.


    If he really could become a commander of the Divine Envoy, then he could easily sort this out.


    The problem was that after this contact with the Security Bureau, there would definitely be more trouble in the future.


    If there is one time, there will be a second time. Could the Security Bureau encounter an issue and not think of him, a "traitor" from within the Tianji Star people?


    On the other hand, could he really assume the position of a commander of the Divine Envoy? To be in charge of such an important department as the Imperial City Division?


    Is this grand model''s prediction accurate?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, if I refuse, will they take further action? If I agree to cooperate, then the chances of exposing my identity are also quite high, right?


    Admiration appeared in Professor Han''s eyes. This kid was indeed smart, catching on to the key point immediately.


    Feng Huo Lian Cheng (Han Kedao): From what I know of Old Zhou, that guy is already desperate. He''s like a drowning man clutching at every straw he can use. If we refuse, he will surely investigate our relationship further and try every means to persuade you, getting you to agree to cooperate.


    Feng Huo Lian Cheng (Han Kedao): Once you agree, the likelihood of exposing your identity rises significantly. However, from the moment you become a commander of the Divine Envoy, there''s a very high chance of being exposed anyway.


    Feng Huo Lian Cheng (Han Kedao): You might not imagine how much the Federal Security Bureau values this department. In the fourteen divisions of the Security Bureau on Tianji Star, each has a dedicated department closely monitoring the Divine Envoy''s every move. Once you are in charge, your every action will be scrutinized and analyzed under a magnifying glass, and they will even create AI models to simulate your thinking; the problem is, you can''t possibly not show a single flaw.


    Lin Rui''s headache intensified, thinking that his promotion had actually led to trouble.


    He understood Professor Han''s meaning; since exposure was inevitable sooner or later, it was better to deal openly and secure the best treatment while he was most needed by the other party.


    Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui), "I understand, Professor. But I can''t make a decision in such a short time. Please help me stall for a few days, and if that''s not possible, I can start by making contact on Tianji Star. I need to see his sincerity."


    Such a significant matter required Lin Rui to carefully analyze the pros and cons and think it through before making a decision.


    When Lin Rui turned off the chat system, he saw Xue Lingxue''s face, which could easily switch between joy and annoyance.


    "Done talking?" Xue Lingxue''s eyes, distinct in black and white, glared at Lin Rui, "Do you realize how serious this is, Lin Rui? I know you''re very confident in your own strength, but what if they''ve set a trap specifically to lure and ambush you¡ª"


    Lin Rui was about to respond when he received another call request.


    The label in the address book read ''Junior Partner Radford Comming from Purple Gold Flower Law Firm.''


    Lin Rui immediately answered the call.


    His smart terminal also projected Radford Comming''s video image.


    "Mr. Lin, I have familiarized myself with your situation."


    Attorney Kang Mingkai''s expression was solemn, with a hint of warning as he looked at Xue Lingxue, "From the video at the scene, there was nothing inappropriate in your actions. The first to attack was ''Death Gaze'' Horn, a well-known assassin from Base City No. 9 and an SS-ranked fugitive wanted by the entire Federation! Any reactive actions you took in that situation were justified, and everything you did was in self-defense. I''ve already protested to the police, and they will release you immediately!"


    Lin Rui''s lips curved slightly, thinking this was the advantage of hiring a top law firm.


    The one million Federation dollars he spent on attorney fees each month weren''t wasted.


    Originally, he hired Attorney Kang Mingkai as his legal advisor to prevent legal disputes during live broadcasts, but he hadn''t expected to first see the value of this top lawyer in this aspect.


    Xue Lingxue''s complexion turned ashen. She had already received orders from her superiors.


    Yet Xue Lingxue was reluctant, her eyes, clear in black and white, moving slightly.


    Although the police had no right to detain Lin Rui, she was also a Lieutenant Colonel in the Security Bureau!


    She could still take Lin Rui in, citing public safety concerns, to teach him a lesson.


    As Xue Lingxue hesitated, she received a message from her superior.


    Zhou Yunfei, "Lieutenant Colonel Xue, I recall you''re from the abhuman special agents, right?"


    Xue Lingxue''s mind tensed, and she was puzzled.


    Xue Lingxue, "Yes, General. I used to work in the abhuman department, but after being transferred to Base City No. 9, my abhuman identity has been sealed."


    The Federation Security Bureau''s abhuman special agents ceased activities on Tianji Star, and their abhuman aspects were stored in designated places to prevent any damage that might affect the primary body.


    Zhou Yunfei, "Reactivate it! I need your abhuman to head to Shazhou to meet someone for me. This task has a confidentiality level of SSS+, and you must not disclose it to anyone. I will arrange for someone to prepare a workplace for you and a quantum descent apparatus."


    Xue Lingxue''s gaze grew even more puzzled.


    The minister was going to prepare a quantum descent apparatus specifically for her?


    Even the cheapest model of the "quantum descent apparatus" on the market cost fifty million Federation dollars.


    This device consumed three hundred thousand Federation dollars in electric charges per day, but it could support the conscience descent of fifty abhuman walkers onto Tianji Star at the same time.


    For companies, the cost could be justified, but for personal use, it was a resource-devouring beast.


    Why was the minister willing to use such resources, and what kind of mission was he assigning to her?


    Xue Lingxue looked at Lin Rui coldly, then with a snort, unlocked his handcuffs.

 Chapter 226 Foodie (Please Subscribe)

    Twenty minutes later, Lin Rui arrived at the Olin Club driving Fang Ranran''s Shen Wing 520.


    He was still nearly 20 minutes late, but it didn''t matter anymore. Lin Da must have gotten used to it.


    A moment ago, Lin Da had only sent a couple of messages in private chat to hurry him. When Lin Rui replied that he was on the way, his uncle stopped contacting him.


    After Lin Rui arrived, he initially planned to get out and use his temporary personal access, but as soon as his Shen Wing 520 arrived, the splendid golden door in front of him automatically opened.


    At that time, a message was sent to his personal smart terminal.


    Olin Club: Dear VIP senior member, welcome to our Olin Club. Since there is a natural ecological park nearby which is a restricted and no-fly zone, please follow our navigation to enter the club.


    Lin Rui wondered, when did I become a member here?


    He opened his personal electronic wallet to check and then discovered the source of the senior membership.


    It was a gift from Fang Ranran, and similar membership cards were quite numerous. With a single thought, Lin Rui scrolled down and saw over thirty various VIP cards slide in front of him.


    There were cards for high-end hotels, five-star restaurants, shopping supermarkets, Mecha clubs, and interstellar yacht clubs¡ªan eye-catching variety.


    Lin Rui sent a private message to Fang Ranran and learned that these membership cards were given to her by the organizers of various banquets and events she attended.


    Since she did not use them herself, she gifted them to Lin Rui and linked them to his identity when entering the information.


    And it was not just Lin Rui; Yu Feicui and Zhao Yan also received many.


    "Damn~"


    In his mind, Lin Rui thought this wasn''t great. It made him feel like he was being kept by a woman.


    Lin Rui continued driving further inside, looking out the car window at the surrounding green mountains and rivers. He shook his head slightly, thinking about those damn capitalists.


    In the upper district of Ninth Base City, land was worth its weight in gold, yet half of the citizens still didn''t have a house to live in, having to reside in the harsh environment of the lower district; meanwhile, the city government still managed to carve out several large ecological parks in the limited space of the upper district.


    The problem was that most areas of these ecological parks were not open to the general public. Instead, commercial establishments like the Olin Club that catered exclusively to the elite could occupy large tracts of land within the parks.


    Olin Club: Dear VIP senior member, your security team has already been in contact with the club. From now, your security will be managed by our club. You can enjoy 5A-level security treatment. All your personal equipment has been approved for entry into the club.


    Lin Rui thought that this security team must be the group from Wang Cheng.@@@@


    His car soon drove into a large area featuring palatial buildings integrating Chinese and Western architectural styles.


    Once Lin Rui parked the car in the garage, several attendants were already respectfully waiting for him outside.


    When Lin Rui reported the private room number given by Lin Da, they courteously escorted him there with an internal transport vehicle.


    There were also two female attendants at the door of the room, smiling as they opened the door for him.


    In his mind, Lin Rui thought that Lin Da''s status was no ordinary one; he was definitely from a wealthy family, and a very wealthy one at that.


    From the looks of today''s private room, Lin Da''s assets wouldn''t be less than 3 billion.


    Lin Rui''s expression darkened slightly, reluctantly handing over control of his body to War Spirit No. 2.


    He could now confirm that War Spirit No. 2 was undoubtedly a foodie; the way to satisfy her obsession was through eating.


    However, this woman was quite picky, only the finest dishes could satisfy her.


    Based on his previous experiences, as long as he didn''t interfere with War Spirit No. 2''s eating, he could still control his own body to a certain extent.


    Lin Rui could also share in the taste of the dishes, thinking no wonder War Spirit No. 2 could lose control.


    The chefs at the Olin Club were indeed very skilled, particularly because the ingredients were very fresh, some were even imported from Earth, like the frog legs.


    Lin Da was slightly taken aback by Lin Rui''s behavior, thinking to himself, how is my nephew behaving like a starving ghost reborn?


    Although his actions were elegant, possessing a bit of aristocratic flair, they were executed with great quickness, as if he wished to put all the delicious dishes into his bowl, and his face expressed pure bliss, a high compliment to the meal. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    The problem was, how could this guy still consume food at such a time?


    "Uncle, go ahead, I am listening," Lin Rui said, taking the opportunity when his mouth was empty to urge, "Just say what you need to."


    Lin Da frowned and then sighed, "Let''s be straightforward then. I saw those martial arts videos of yours not long ago. You''re really impressive, especially your sword-drawing technique, unrivaled at the age of 18, truly her child."


    As he said this, he poured himself a drink with a bitter expression, "The problem is, you and your sister restarting the cultivation of armed martial arts will bring you, and everyone around you, a lot of trouble, especially now that you''re so famous, having become a greatly known internet celebrity of the Ninth base city."


    Lin Rui looked puzzledly at Lin Da, waiting until War Spirit No. 2 paused in her eating to ask, "What kind of trouble exactly? Does uncle not want us to practice armed martial arts?"


    "Indeed, I don''t want you to follow that path."


    Lin Da shook his head slightly, drinking his drink sullenly, "But I also know I can''t stop you; I could see your character even when you were a child, just like Lin Cong. Once you set your mind to something, not even ten oxen could pull you back.


    All these years, I haven''t helped you, nor have I set any obstacles; I just wanted to see you fail. Unexpectedly, your talent was so great. It seems these last two years you have been holding back, only revealing your talent after graduation. Have you sensed something? Are you guarding against those people, and even me, fearing that I will stop you from continuing with armed martial arts?"


    Lin Rui thought to himself, what have I sensed! I''m still utterly clueless about the Lin family matters.


    Watching those videos left by ''Lin Rui'', it seems this guy knows something, but those videos didn''t leave any particularly useful clues.


    Even now, Lin Rui still didn''t know much about his close relatives.


    He thought for a moment, then steered the conversation back to the main topic, "Uncle, who are these people you mentioned? Are the troubles related to them?"


    "There are many people! All were troubles caused by your father. However, you need to be especially cautious of an organization called ''Longevity''. Your parents were once members of this organization, their power is immense, extremely dangerous. You must be careful.


    There are also other forces; they are also very powerful, so much so that they could crush you with a single finger. Next, they will gather around you and your sister like sharks that smell blood, trying every possible way to devour you, leaving no trace."


    Lin Da''s gaze was intense, word by word he said, "Since you have embarked on the path of armed martial arts, from now on, you must consider everything carefully! Every action of yours now affects not only your own safety but also impacts us."


    "Also, regarding Lin Xi, I originally wanted to warn her not to engage in it, but since she did not want to come, let it be. I can only remind you to watch her situation, your father once told me, I must prevent that child from cultivating, or she will lose her life."


    Lin Rui startled upon hearing this, he instantly remembered Professor Sima''s words.


    What exactly is wrong with my sister''s body?


    And what in the world is this ''Longevity''?

 Chapter 227 Heavenly Fire (three more, please subscribe)

    Lin Rui forcefully controlled his body, raised his head, and looked at Lin Da coldly, "Uncle, you should know the reason, right? Why are those organizations and powers targeting us siblings, and why did Lin Xi die? And what is this Longevity organization?"


    Speaking of which, Ren Yuanji, whom he had killed before, was a member of the Longevity organization. At that time, Lin Rui didn''t pay much attention and didn''t delve deeper.


    "I know a bit from what your father told me, but I can''t say."


    Lin Da made a gesture like a pistol, pressing it against his forehead, "I could end up dead, and my whole family might not survive."


    Lin Rui frowned slightly, then his expression returned to normal.


    At that moment, he lost control of his body again.


    Lin Da had originally come with anger burning inside him.


    But seeing Lin Rui gobble up food in such a manner extinguished the fire in his heart, replaced by a sense of reluctant sympathy and guilt.


    What children lack when they are young, they often desire more as adults.


    How miserable were the lives of Lin Rui and his sister over these years to develop such a habit of binge eating and drinking?


    But today, the important matters still had to be clarified.@@@@


    He sighed, got up, sat beside Lin Rui, and, picking up a new pair of chopsticks, began serving him food, "I can tell you about the Longevity organization. From what your grandfather and I know so far, it''s an extremely large power, spanning fourteen base cities and involving hundreds of companies and consortia, with immense military strength.


    "You probably don''t know, but a few years ago when the incident occurred, your grandfather was already a military research major general inside the military investigation bureau, wielding significant power. However, his position was abruptly halted. Had it not been for his superior fighting to keep him, he would have been forced into retirement."


    Seeing Lin Da serve him food, Lin Rui couldn''t help but feel speechless; he wasn''t actually a gluttonous person.


    However, since his body was out of control, the Battle Spirit No. 2 was thoroughly enjoying the meal.


    Lin Rui was secretly amazed inside, no wonder he couldn''t find any information about his grandfather.


    The Military Investigation Bureau was responsible for internal military discipline and criminal investigations, as well as collecting military intelligence and counterintelligence. It is a confidentiality agency of the federation, keeping all member information secret.


    This shows that the ''Longevity'' organization''s power was truly vast, having even infiltrated the upper echelons of the military, controlling the life and death power over a military research major general.


    But this Lin family is really not simple, Lin Rui''s grandfather was a military research major general in the Military Investigation Bureau?


    Does he himself also have a bit of a background?


    Lin Da continued, "So you must be more cautious and prudential in the future, think over everything thoroughly before acting, be mindful of what you say and do, look after your safety, and avoid rashly getting involved with people or matters you shouldn''t."


    "You''ve also made a name for yourself; I see your online traffic and popularity. Maybe streaming for a month could surpass our company''s annual net profits. However, compared to Longevity, it''s nothing, and your family''s enemies are only going to be more formidable than you imagine. I know you are now relying on Tianlan Group, but if Longevity were to take action fully, Tianlan Group and the Fang family couldn''t protect you."


    Lin Rui didn''t feel any disturbance in his heart upon hearing these words; he had long anticipated that the Lin family''s matters were not simple.


    Ever since he found out Colonel Xue was monitoring his home day and night, Lin Rui had a clear understanding of their siblings'' situation.


    Speaking of which, Colonel Xue was also a person from the Federal Security Bureau. Did the Security Bureau have any intelligence on their siblings and parents inside? And what about Colonel Xue''s mission data? Why was the Security Bureau monitoring their siblings?


    Lin Da instinctively wanted to refuse, but seeing the look in Lin Rui''s eyes and thinking about the girl''s plight, he felt a spontaneous surge of pity in his heart.


    That Suffering Heavenly Girl¡ª


    "She''s still alive, but in a very difficult and painful situation. Since you, Lin Rui, have embarked on the path of the Martial Artist and possess such high talent, move forward quickly, and reach the heights¡ªperhaps Lin Yi might yet¡ª"


    Lin Da had just spoken when he suddenly stopped mid-sentence.


    He felt waves of scorching flame magic sweeping over his body, eventually emerging from his pores.


    Initially startled, Lin Da''s heart soon turned icy cold.


    He wondered if it was that person. When exactly had this top-tier Flame Magic been implanted inside him?


    Despite being so cautious, he was still targeted, and they had planted such a means inside his body.


    Lin Da was shocked and then filled with despair.


    He knew he was doomed unless there was a seasoned expert of Level Six or higher present, no one could save him.


    He would never see his family again, nor his wife, disobedient son, and beloved daughter.


    Lin Rui was also slightly shocked, having immediately recognized that the technique erupting from Lin Da was a 7S level secret technique "Lotus of Karmic Fire"!


    It could be pre-embedded in a person''s body, with specific trigger conditions set, an exceedingly malicious method.


    Although Lin Rui knew, he was powerless to help Lin Da neutralize it.


    Lin Rui possessed top-level Guang Ming talent and Great Grandmaster level intermediate techniques, but this was indeed beyond him.


    However, at that moment, War Spirit Number 2 used his body to look towards Lin Da.


    She was also frowning, clearly annoyed and displeased that this sudden incident had disturbed her meal.


    Thereafter, War Spirit Number 2 manipulated Lin Rui''s body and stretched out a hand toward Lin Da. In an instant, numerous crimson flames emerged from Lin Da''s body and transformed into a red lotus of fire in Lin Rui''s hand.


    Lin Da, initially overwhelmed with extreme fear, was now slightly startled, watching this astonishing scene unfold before him.


    This 7S-level fire secret technique "Lotus of Karmic Fire", had been effortlessly neutralized by his nephew who had been indulging in food and drink all this while.


    This was a 7S level! Furthermore, from the hands of an incredibly powerful S+ level Martial General!


    Just then, the door burst open with a loud bang. It was a security team from inside the Olin Club, who had sensed the intense fluctuations of etheric force inside the booth and had forcibly entered.


    Upon their arrival, they aimed their guns at Lin Da.


    Their protective target was Lin Rui, while Mr. Lin Da was merely a mid-level member of the Olin Club.


    Then they saw Lin Rui gently blowing on the intensely heated crimson lotus of fire, causing it to dissipate into specks of red light.

 Chapter 228 Heard You Were Short on Cash (Please Subscribe)

    The group of security guards, seeing that everything was safe inside the private room, quickly apologized and exited.


    After the private room regained its peace, the atmosphere became heavy and solemn.


    Lin Da was surprised; Lin Rui was actually a senior member of the Olin Club?


    But when he thought about Fang Ranran, he came to an understanding.


    The things that ordinary people dream of, someone of Fang Ranran''s elite heritage wouldn''t even need to reach out for¡ªothers would proactively stuff them into their pockets.


    At this moment, Lin Da also felt a lingering fear. His face was as white as paper and he no longer dared to say much in front of Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui didn''t continue eating or drinking either. The recent unexpected event seemed to have dampened the spirit of Battle Spirit No. 2; Ji Shenyan, having dispersed the fire lotus, handed back control of the body.


    Seeing Lin Da''s expression, Lin Rui knew the topic of his sister and the Longevity would have to be dropped there. No more could be asked from him.


    He casually chatted with Lin Da about family matters, inquiring about Lin Da''s family situation and guided Lin Da to recall his parents from a few years ago, as well as the daily life and past of the two younger sisters and "Lin Rui."


    After the shock, this uncle seemed to have lost his soul. As long as it wasn''t about the Longevity or those hidden powers, touching upon Lin Da''s psychological defenses, he would answer whatever was asked.


    From the information revealed by the uncle, it seemed that their two families had grown apart a few years before the death of Lin Rui''s mother, so he didn''t know much about the three siblings, only that they were very close before.


    As for Lin Rui''s parents, Lin Da knew quite a bit and spoke nonstop about them. He expressed his pity for Lin Rui''s mother, asking how such an outstanding woman could have married the restless Lin Cong. She should have been the dazzling pearl of the world, yet due to a misguided trust, she perished so young.


    Lin Rui listened with great interest, but an hour later, Lin Da received a phone call and hastily left after making his excuses.


    Before leaving, he also seriously pleaded with Lin Rui to be careful and cautious.


    Lin Rui replied solemnly as well.


    Having seen Lin Da engulfed in flames just now, Lin Rui couldn''t help but take it seriously.


    What Lin Rui didn''t know was that as both were driving away from the Olin Club, Lin Da opened a video communication call in his own car.


    The figure in the video projection turned out to be an elderly man with white hair and features somewhat resembling Lin Da and Lin Rui.


    He was dressed in a major general''s uniform, exuding an air of solemn authority as he spoke sharply, "So you mean to say, you did nothing? Said nothing? You neither persuaded them to give up the augmentations nor took any action?"


    "The problem is we couldn''t possibly convince him to give them up."


    Lin Da replied with a wry smile from the car seat, "Father, you know Lin Xi and the kid''s temperaments. He has been tirelessly devoted to martial arts, persisted for so long, and now that he''s finally achieved his current success, his monthly income probably exceeds my annual salary. Plus, he''s gotten close to Tianlan Group and the Fang family. How could he let us manipulate him? And¡ª"


    Before he could finish speaking, a ''thud'' resonated from the other side of the video.


    The old man on the other end pounded the desk with a fist, his voice and expression fierce, "Then forcibly remove his augmentations and prevent him from continuing his cultivation! Don''t tell me you can''t do it? Do you understand that by letting him go on like this, you''re leading him down a path to death? Without the augmentations, or even if he''s less outstanding after augmentation, he would still be able to live well. But now he''s only heading down the same doomed road as his parents.


    What''s more, what if he''s got the backing of the Fang family? I am Lin Rui''s grandfather; I can decide his future too. The Fang family won''t turn against me for his sake. You''re just overly cautious, indecisive!"


    Lin Da frowned slightly and then replied emotionlessly, "Father, Yu Wen Chitian implanted the 7S-grade fire secret technique ''Karmic Fire Body Lotus'' inside me. It was triggered when I met with Lin Rui just now."


    "What? He dared?" The old man initially looked shocked and furious, his eyes nearly splitting, then he asked doubtfully, "How did you survive?"


    "It was Lin Rui. He broke the ''Karmic Fire Body Lotus,'' which is as high as 7S-grade!"


    Lin Da''s eyes revealed incredulity, "I know it''s hard to believe, but I recorded a video. You can take a look." Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Just looking at the sword light, one could tell that after piercing through the carriage, it even reached as far as 7 meters!


    The problem was that this guy still hadn''t implanted a Golden Core.


    "So fast!" At this moment, Fang Ranran was also in Yu Feicui''s office watching the video, and she couldn''t help but exclaim, "I really want to have a fight with him now, just to see the end of this one stroke."


    Yu Feicui turned her head and shot a sidelong glance at Fang Ranran.


    Fang Ranran noticed the scorn in her eyes and immediately felt both embarrassed and annoyed.


    She guessed what Yu Feicui meant by that look was that she overestimated herself and wished death upon herself!


    At this time, Lin Rui was in the car, shaking his head and opening up the chat box of Fei Yunlai.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Old Fei, I heard you''ve been short on cash lately?


    Fei Yunlai was looking through the mercenary website.


    Unfortunately, there weren''t many truly lucrative tasks available.


    Fei Yunlai didn''t want others to know that he was starting to do mercenary jobs within the federation and didn''t want to use his real name, so his current reputation level was zero.


    A newcomer would not be able to get good assignments.


    He hesitated for a moment, then opened an underground network.


    However, Fei Yunlai hadn''t had the chance to browse before his smart housekeeper issued a warning, "Master! The martial arts association of the federation values the career record of its members highly, and their intelligence capability is very strong. Once you touch the darknet, you could lose your position as an executive of the martial arts association within a year."


    Fei Yunlai''s face twitched as he closed the underground network again.


    The position as an executive of the martial arts association was very important to him.


    When he saw the message from Lin Rui, he was startled and became angry.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): What do you want?


    Fei Yunlai''s tone was stilted.


    Fei Yunlai knew Lin Rui must have noticed his predicament, but the kid should not be so rude as to rip open someone else''s wounds like this. It was utterly impolite.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Are you interested in doing a job with me? A dirty one.


    Fei Yunlai raised his eyebrows, his irritation growing.


    Dirty? As in a shady deal?


    This brat! Did he really see him as so lowly?


    He was Fei Yunlai, a dignified mech-armored admiral! How could he consider doing such low-class work?


    Then he saw another message from the other party.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): The target is the Iron Fist King of the Blood Lizard Gang. You have two options: one is to share the spoils with me after the job; the other is the old way, I give you 50 million. Are you in or out?


    After seeing this, Fei Yunlai was stunned for a moment.

 Chapter 229 Fatal (Please Subscribe)

    An hour later, in the underground garage of a building on Han City Street in the eastern district, Fei Yunlai, clad in black and wearing a mask, was watching Lin Rui prepare drugs.


    For the sake of money, Fei Yunlai decided to come and take a look.


    The price Lin Rui offered was quite stingy. In the end, Fei Yunlai only negotiated a deal for 80 million, but at least that was much better than what those mercenary sites offered.


    Fei Yunlai did not guarantee that he could kill ''Iron Fist King'' Wang Li, he only promised to do his best without revealing his identity.


    According to the information Fei Yunlai had gathered, although Wang Li was only a colonel-level Martial Artist equipped with augmented gear, for some unknown reason, he had obtained four ''Red Spider'' Type 6 military defense robots, which always followed Wang Li''s movements.


    Wang Li himself also had very powerful equipment, not only did his augmented gear score reach S+, he even possessed a set of Type 7 exoskeleton armor, arming himself to the teeth.


    The defenses inside his stronghold ''Iron Fist Entertainment Company'' were especially strong, not only boasting various models of robots but also housing over a hundred augmented Martial Cultivators. Among them were more than twenty at the lieutenant colonel level; the whole entertainment company was like a military fortification.


    Fei Yunlai could sweep through this ''Iron Fist Entertainment Company'' in three minutes. The problem was that Han City Street is the commercial hub of the eastern city, with many renowned companies gathered there, and a police station was just a mile away. Just a little bit of noise during the battle could attract a massive police presence.


    There was another method, which involved using ''Augmented Combat Dragon''.


    But this would not be cost-effective. Once the Augmented Combat Dragon was deployed, it would definitely leave traces.


    The reason Fei Yunlai was willing to take on Lin Rui''s job was precisely because he did not want others to know he was short on money and starting to take on mercenary work.@@@@


    Otherwise, for someone like him, just taking on a single 7S-ranked solo mission on the dark web would bring an income of a billion or two.


    "Are these drugs you''re concocting any good?"


    As Fei Yunlai watched Lin Rui fiddle with those bottles and jars, he expressed his skepticism, "They seem to be of no use at all."


    Fei Yunlai also had a top-tier set of Type 7 exoskeleton armor.


    Despite now being bankrupt, back when he had not yet made it onto the imperial hit list of the Great Song, he was very formidable, and his personal equipment was also top-notch.


    This set of exoskeleton armor boasted a top-grade air filter system, capable of distinguishing and filtering out almost all known and unknown toxins in the air.


    But so far, his exoskeleton armor had not issued any danger alerts, and Fei Yunlai himself had not felt anything unusual.


    "Moreover, looking at their company''s central air conditioning and ventilation system defenses, as well as the water supply equipment, these places have been specially fortified. You probably will have a hard time poisoning them. "


    Fei Yunlai felt that Iron Fist King placed a peculiar emphasis on this aspect, to the point of installing six concealed Type 5 ''Gatling Bodhisattva'' turrets near the central air conditioning and water supply equipment.


    They were even using independent computers and fire control radars, not connected to networks¡ªthis was simply insane!


    Fei Yunlai speculated that Iron Fist King must have suffered in this regard before, which is why he was paying such close attention now.


    Lin Rui had already shaped his drugs into more than 200 small pills and handed them over to Fei Yunlai, "This time we don''t need to poison through the central air conditioning. Old Fei, you are responsible for sneaking in and scattering these pills inside, remember to drop one in every floor, every room, every corner. Pay special attention to the president''s office; you can crush them for use."


    After taking them, Fei Yunlai frowned and looked puzzled, "What are these for? They don''t seem to be toxic."


    With a slightly more powerful hacker, those automatic defense weapons could be easily neutralized.


    Lin Rui glanced indifferently at the clock, "Actually, it''s about time. In five minutes, the drug will take full effect. You continue to poison; vaporize this bottle of my concoction and spread it across all floors. I''ll take care of hacking into their monitoring room and equipment room. As for those Type-6 defense robots, that''s your problem, I spent a full 80 million federal dollars!"


    If it wasn''t for the problem with those Type-6 defense robots, he wouldn''t have needed to call Fei Yunlai over for help.


    Fei Yunlai''s breath caught, and then he touched his chin thoughtfully, "I feel like you, Lin Rui, are very familiar with the art of poisoning and killing. Iron Fist King spent so much on the ventilation system, could it be to guard against you?"


    The more he looked at Lin Rui, the more complex he appeared.


    This wasn''t just an exceptionally talented college student, but also an experienced assassin and spy.


    Lin Rui smiled, but didn''t speak. As soon as 5 minutes were up, Lin Rui donned the Type-5 exoskeleton armor ''Thunder Dragon'' he obtained from Xue Da School, picked up his Level-4 battle saber ''Truth Type-4'', and headed toward the elevator.


    "Where did you get this Thunder Dragon armor from? It should be an internal trial model from the security bureau, very powerful, not inferior to some Type-6 models," Fei Yunlai asked curiously as he followed.


    How did this guy get his hands on such a powerful experimental model of armor? Lin Rui seemed shrouded in mystery.


    What surprised him even more was that Lin Rui suddenly activated an electro-magnetic field around him, perfectly masking his presence from all monitoring systems and tactical sensory equipment of Iron Fist Entertainment Company, just like him.


    However, after entering the 10th floor, they had to split up; one would go to the monitoring room and the equipment room on the 12th floor, while the other took care of spreading the poison.


    Fei Yunlai moved rapidly and efficiently, evaporating all the liquid from the bottle in less than 30 seconds and dispersing it to every corner of the six floors of Iron Fist Entertainment Company.


    At the same time, he heard a faint vibration. It was the sound of various devices being destroyed in the direction of the monitoring room and equipment room. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Immediately afterward, Fei Yunlai sensed a large swarm of flying needles emerge from the monitoring room.


    They swarmed into the corridor, killing indiscriminately! They penetrated the heads and hearts of all the augmented Martial Artists, sending them to their deaths.


    Among these Martial Artists were several with great strength, even colonels, yet now they were all dazed and paralyzed, without any ability to resist.


    "This guy¡ª"


    Fei Yunlai was secretly shocked by Lin Rui''s ruthlessness.


    Was this guy really a student? He seemed to have no regard for human life.


    In just over ten seconds, Lin Rui killed hundreds of Martial Artists from the Blood Lizard Gang, each with a lethal strike from the flying needles.


    He even heard from the 11th floor a children''s song singing ''digging oh digging,'' in Lin Rui''s voice, filled with utter delight.


    At that moment, Fei Yunlai turned his head towards the direction of Iron Fist Entertainment Company''s CEO office.


    With a thunderous explosion, two figures, one tall and one slender, suddenly burst out of the office, shattering the luxurious door to pieces.


    One of them was Wang Li, the ''Iron Fist King''. Behind them followed four ''Red Spider'' Type-6 military defense robots.


    Possibly attracted by Lin Rui on the 11th floor, they failed to notice Fei Yunlai hiding in a corner. They all quickly ran along the corridor toward the 11th floor.

 Chapter 230 Harvest (Three More for Monthly Passes)

    ''Iron Fist King'' Wang Li burst out of the CEO''s office without fully understanding what was happening.


    Sitting in the office handling official business, he suddenly felt his consciousness sink into dizziness.


    Wang Li immediately covered himself with his external exoskeleton armor, cutting off the outside air, but it was already too late.


    His brain tissue and a large number of nerves stopped functioning, entering a state of paralysis, and he was almost losing consciousness.


    At this moment, several powerful security guards stationed in the room next to him had fallen into a coma, only ''Iron Snake'' Ba Qi Man, whom he had recently hired for a high salary at a 6A level, remained alert.


    Both of them simultaneously pounced toward the direction of the 11th-floor surveillance room.


    On one hand, they fully resisted the unknown anesthetic; on the other, they ran as fast as they could.


    They both had the same idea, rather than waiting to be completely anesthetized and helpless in the face of death, they''d rather fight with all their might and kill the unknown assassin first!


    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    ''Iron Fist King'' Wang Li had already called the police, so long as nothing happened to him within three minutes, the police would arrive!


    His ''Iron Fist Entertainment Company'' was now clean internally, the worst issue being overly sophisticated defense mechanisms.


    So long as they could take care of this assassin, there was a high chance he could survive.


    During the run, ''Iron Snake'' Ba Qi Man was cursing Wang Li through their communication system.


    "Iron Fist King, you idiot, who did you provoke to summon such a terrifying assassin? My tactical team is done for!"


    Five of his seven mercenary teammates were dead, and the remaining two were probably not going to make it!


    Wang Li''s face was ashen, "Shut up, Iron Snake! As long as I survive, I''ll compensate you. The members of your team, I can recruit as many as I want from the lower city district!"


    Wang Li, too, wanted to know who he had provoked.


    Previously, both his Fabric Night Club and Night Wolf Bar had been slaughtered by the same assassin, using the same method.


    First poisoning to disable his men''s combat abilities, then launching a strong attack.


    Therefore, Wang Li specifically modified and strengthened the company''s air and water supply systems, even adding an advanced air filter system.


    He had assumed that after these improvements, everything was foolproof, yet he had still underestimated the assassin''s abilities.


    Wang Li couldn''t fathom how the assassin had managed to poison everyone, causing all his subordinates to fall to the ground within seconds.


    Even he himself had unknowingly inhaled a large amount of the anesthetic, while his expensively purchased Type 7 exoskeleton armor didn''t react at all.


    Their only hope now was to quickly eliminate the assassin!


    Wang Li had previously hired a top private detective to investigate the crime scenes, and although to date, they had not determined the assassin''s identity, it could be concluded that the assassin''s own implant level did not exceed the rank of lieutenant colonel.


    In less than two seconds, he reached the 11th floor and saw the assassin.


    The person''s invisibility ability was extremely strong, but it could not fool the fully powered situational awareness device inside Wang Li''s exoskeleton armor.


    The opponent was standing brazenly in the corridor ahead, a knife in hand, body slightly crouched, waiting for him.


    Wang Li''s eyes were blood-red, "Kill!"@@@@


    He had already issued commands to his four ''Red Spider'' Type 6 military defense robots to tear the bastard to pieces with their firepower!


    Yet, in the next instant, Wang Li heard several clanging and clashing sounds, and the four ''Red Spiders'' burst into blinding currents and sparks, collapsing paralyzed onto the corridor floor without warning.


    He held a "Zhi Long" Model 4 smart pistol and pressed it against the wound on Wang Li''s neck, firing forcefully and diagonally upwards, ultimately blowing Wang Li''s head and brains to pieces!


    Prompt: For slaying a fifth realm demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you have gained 5563 Soul Power points.


    At the same time, 50 meters away, Fei Yunlai chopped off the head of "Iron Snake" Ba Qi Man!


    This 6A-grade mercenary had a powerful life-saving trick up his sleeve. Once he realized Fei Yunlai''s presence, he focused solely on escaping, which made it rather difficult for Fei Yunlai.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Three minutes later, the two took a ride back to the eastern district in an Ambola ''Luxury Presidential Bulletproof Car'' summoned by Lin Rui.


    While checking his spoils of war, Lin Rui casually asked, "That ''Iron Snake'' Ba Qi Man was a fake 6A without a War Dragon, right?"


    Fei Yunlai knew Lin Rui was mocking him.


    It took so long to deal with a fake 6A without a War Dragon.


    Many Martial Cultivators from Earth Federation couldn''t afford to cultivate an ''Exo-Suit War Dragon,'' but they also didn''t need to complete a dragon transformation to break through realms, unlike the Tian Ji Star inhabitants.


    The Earth Federation developed special exo-suits that provide ''Dragon Essence,'' allowing Martial Cultivators to enter the sixth realm without an ''Exo-Suit War Dragon.'' These Martial Cultivators are generally called fake sixth realm.


    With a light snort of disdain, he said, "One of that guy''s exo-suits was ''Shadow of Nothingness,'' whose fleeing ability is top-notch. If it were someone else, they might not have been able to kill him before he fainted."


    Besides, when he charged his slash, he destroyed four ''Red Spider'' Model 6 military defense robots in an instant, causing a temporary shortage of Qi and blood in his body.


    These were military defense robots, and the ''Red Spider'' models were notoriously tough, with particularly thick armor. Even a seventh realm Martial Cultivator would have to exert some effort to destroy their central systems in an instant.


    At that moment, Fei Yunlai curiously looked at a card Lin Rui was holding and asked, "How much money could be in this card?"


    Since Wang Li had already called the police by then, they didn''t have time to loot the entertainment company.


    The two had only destroyed some traces at the scene and taken a bit of equipment from the bodies of Wang Li and Ba Qi Man before leaving.


    The bank black card Lin Rui was holding had been found on Wang Li.


    "How could I know how much money is in it without the password? We''ll have to wait for a hacker to crack it later," said Lin Rui as he shrugged his shoulders and asked with a playful smile, "Old Fei, you still have time to change your mind."


    Upon hearing this, Fei Yunlai ''tsked'' with a smile, his expression dismissive, "At most, it''s no more than ten million!"


    It was impossible for Wang Li to carry too much cash on him.


    It was a pity they didn''t have enough time; otherwise, they could have tried to crack Wang Li''s safe, which might have yielded a big haul.


    Lin Rui thought that even if there were only ten million in it, it would still be very worthwhile.


    The three firearms he had taken from Wang Li and ''Iron Snake'' Ba Qi Man were all Model 6, and all had been remodeled and enhanced by skilled gunsmiths.


    The two sabers were of 6S+ grade and extremely powerful; their total value exceeded one hundred million federal coins.


    But Lin Rui couldn''t use them yet; he had to wait until he could implant a Golden Core to have enough True Qi to wield these powerful firearms and sabers.


    Apart from this, he had one key source of income ¡ª Soul Power points!


    "Spirit Ring, how many Soul Power points do I have now?"


    There were too many prompts about gaining Soul Power points just now, with over 150 messages flashing by in an instant.


    Lin Rui''s brain hadn''t caught up when those prompts had already passed, so he couldn''t calculate accurately and had to inquire with the Spirit Ring afterward.


    ```

 Chapter 231 Sister is a Hacker? (Subscription Requested)

    Reminder: You now have a total of 182,430 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui couldn''t help but curl the corners of his mouth upon receiving the reminder from the battle spirit.


    This was the first time his Soul Power points had exceeded one hundred thousand, but not all of these points came from the recent "Iron Fist Entertainment Company" debacle¡ªthey also included the tens of thousands of points he had accumulated in the past dozen days while slaying monsters with Wang Sen.


    Lin Rui remembered the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon of the Heavenly Pole Star and clicked his tongue unwillingly.


    How spectacular it would be if he could bring this seventh-realm emperor-rank battle dragon to the capital?


    The problem was it would take a total of 1.1 million Soul Power points to refine the "Emperor Flame Battle Dragon", and he was far from reaching that amount.


    Lin Rui would need to stomp and eradicate at least ten underworld forces like the "Iron Fist Entertainment Company" before he could gather enough Soul Power points to refine the battle dragon.


    However, he knew that such a thing was impossible.


    Reality wasn''t a game. With Wang Li of Iron Fist dead, it was likely that other underworld forces would become more vigilant.


    Lin Rui put away his wild thoughts, "Old Fei, do you know about ''Dead Eye'' Horn?"


    "Dead Eye? I''ve heard a bit, but don''t know much¡ªapparently, he''s currently the third-ranked ace assassin among the majors. He has a six-person team and has taken on many S-rank missions, with a very low failure record," Fei Yunlai answered casually. "Why do you ask?"


    "I have a grudge with this Dead Eye," Lin Rui, holding the Type 6 battle saber he snatched from Wang Li, said with a sly smile: "I was thinking of finding an opportunity to kill this Dead Eye. Can''t you find them? As long as there''s reliable information, we can negotiate the price."


    Fei Yunlai furrowed his brows, wondering how a student like Lin Rui could possibly have a vendetta against someone like Dead Eye Horn?


    However, the mention of ''price'' piqued his interest as there was money to be made.


    The problem was that he used to work as an X-Body Runner first for a company and then set up a studio to act as a solo agent after gaining his freedom, which meant he had little contact with the underground world of the base city¡ª


    "This is troublesome. These assassins usually use the lower district as their base of operations, exploiting its vast network of underground tunnels to move unpredictably. Even the government can''t do anything to them," Fei Yunlai shook his head. "I''ll reach out to some contacts and try to gather some information for you, but don''t get your hopes up."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui narrowed his eyes, realizing the second problem was going to be difficult to solve.


    At this moment, he received a message from Xue Lingxue.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Lin Rui, just a moment ago, "Iron Fist Entertainment Company" was slaughtered. Besides some company staff, all the Martial Cultivators in prosthetic gear were killed. Did you do this?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ?? Don''t talk nonsense about things without evidence, or I''ll sue you for defamation! Besides, could I even do it? Wang Li had four ''Red Spider'' Type 6 military defense robots by his side and a set of Type 7 exoskeleton armor. There''re so many automatic defense weapons in the company¡ªI don''t have the ability to kill him, alright!


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): You think I''d believe you? Your modus operandi this time is identical to before! Let me tell you, the entire East District police station is in chaos now. The higher-ups consider this serial killing case to be extremely heinous, and a special task force has already been organized to deal with these crimes you''ve committed as major criminal cases of the year!


    Lin Rui scoffed disdainfully, thinking, who is she trying to scare? There were so many major criminal cases in the East District, and he had yet to see them resolved properly.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Talking nonsense, what are these cases of mine? As if I had committed crimes before. Sister Xue, I''m a clean and innocent college student¡ªI can''t be defamed like this. Keep it up, and I''ll have Zijinflower Law Firm send you a legal notice.


    Xue Lingxue''s face turned slightly pale, almost feeling an impulse to go right up to Lin Rui, handcuff him, and bring him back to the Security Bureau, to tell him that lawyers weren''t omnipotent.


    But this guy was indeed very suspicious.


    From his responses, it was clear he at least had insight into "Iron Fist Entertainment Company''s" security details.


    Lin Rui felt puzzled but still resolutely pushed the door and entered.


    The lights inside were bright, and as Lin Rui approached the doorway to his study, he saw Lin Xi sitting in his office chair, watching the three-dimensional projected TV news.


    "¡ªThis is a special update concerning the gas explosion that occurred at the second urban rail station of Mingde University. The police have made a new breakthrough. They have now confirmed that the gas leak at the second urban rail station is related to the web tunnels of the lower district¡ª"


    At that moment, Lin Xi turned off the news and looked at Lin Rui with an unusual expression, "Brother, tell me the truth, is the explosion at the second urban rail station related to you?"


    Lin Rui''s brows furrowed slightly, his expression puzzled, "How could it be related to me? Didn''t I tell you, I went to see our uncle at noon."


    According to what Xue Lingxue said, to prevent panic among the surrounding citizens and to quell the impact, the case had been publicized as a gas explosion.


    Mingde University also made it clear that they did not wish to escalate the situation just before the start of the new school year.


    Therefore, all videos related to the case had already been encrypted and taken away by the Security Bureau, not to be leaked.


    So, how did Lin Xi know about it?


    And how did this girl get into his room?


    While Lin Rui had given Lin Xi access, she could only enter when he himself was present.


    Without a word, Lin Xi began operating the Tianyan Model 9 Quantum Computer in the study, projecting more than a dozen video images in succession.


    After looking at them, Lin Rui was stunned.


    They clearly showed Lin Rui carrying ''Great Black Sky'', hurrying toward the urban rail station, including the fifteen holographic surveillance videos between the Martial Cultivator Club and the station.


    Additionally, there were two frames of Lin Rui inside the vacuum rail tube, fighting against Dead Eye Horn and his men.


    The footage was most likely captured by distant surveillance cameras, making the image somewhat blurry.


    However, upon closer inspection, one could vaguely make out Lin Rui''s figure.


    "These are the video images I hacked from the school''s surveillance system," Lin Xi said, staring steadily at Lin Rui, "I checked, and the time you arrived at the urban rail station coincided exactly with the gas explosion."


    After regaining consciousness, she discovered that the school''s internal network had been reinforced and had heard about the explosion at the urban rail station. Driven by curiosity, she investigated and unexpectedly found out that it was related to Lin Rui.


    "I hacked into Mingde University''s surveillance system and these two surveillance probes three kilometers away to find this footage," Lin Xi explained.


    Lin Xi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then resolutely said, "I''ve been hiding it from you all these years, but I''ve actually self-taught quite a bit about hacker knowledge. I think I''m pretty good at hacking by now."


    Lin Rui blinked, looking incredulously at Lin Xi.


    If what Lin Xi said was true, her hacker skills were more than just pretty good.


    The internal network of Mingde University had been fortified by the expert network team from Tianlan Corporation.


    Even Dead Eye Horn''s hacker accomplice, who supposedly had an A+ capability rating, couldn''t retrieve data from inside Mingde University without leaving traces, yet Lin Xi could do it.


    Lin Rui then had a thought and pulled out a black card from his bosom, "You say you''re a hacker, and you''re pretty good at it. Then help me check this anonymous bank card issued by the underground bank, see how much money is inside, and whether it can be withdrawn."


    Lin Xi raised her eyebrows, but still unhesitatingly took the black card and headed towards her room.

 Chapter 232 Heart-Wrenching Pain (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Xi didn''t rashly insert the black card she held into the built-in card slot of the Tianyan quantum computer.


    She first checked online for a while, then raised her eyebrows and said, "I thought so."@@@@


    Lin Rui looked at her, puzzled, "What''s going on?"


    "This card contains a special chip made by an underground bank; it requires a custom card reader to access, or the associated account will be frozen."


    Lin Xi opened an online shopping site and ordered some tools and parts.


    Three minutes later, when the delivery arrived, Lin Xi, with skillful hands, began assembling the parts.


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, "Are you making a card reader yourself? You''re quite adept."


    Lin Xi didn''t answer.


    A brilliant hacker must also have a thorough understanding of various hardware components.


    The hacking equipment she had used in the past was assembled from discarded parts found in trash piles, under the guidance of "Fei Yan."


    Although her craftsmanship wasn''t comparable to those mechanics who could manually assemble combat robots, making a card reader was not a problem for her.


    About ten minutes later, Lin Xi inserted the card into her homemade card reader and began operating on her Tianyan Model 9 quantum computer.


    Her gaze was focused, giving her all.


    Lin Xi had chosen today to confront the issues because she realized that the young man in white clothes Lin Rui had been tracking was very likely the person who had killed "Lin Rui" a few months ago.


    They had battled fiercely at the Second City Rail Station. The young man in white was almost killed by Lin Rui, but he eventually escaped with the help of several companions.


    Beyond that, her brother Lin Rui also hid very well!


    Where had Lin Rui gone tonight?


    Lin Xi used her hacking skills to track him down, even taking over the police station''s monitoring apparatus, yet she hadn''t found Lin Rui''s whereabouts.


    However, she knew Lin Rui trusted Ambola Shared Company and subsequently found two taxi records there.


    What alarmed her even more was the discovery of a massacre at the "Iron Fist Entertainment Company" owned by the Blood Lizard Gang near Lin Rui''s taxi spot. The incident resulted in 157 deaths, including Wang Li, the big leader of the Blood Lizard Gang.


    Lin Xi then broke into the police archives and was shocked to discover that the Blood Lizard Gang had been hit multiple times recently, with almost identical methods used each time.


    From the black bank card Lin Rui had shown her, Lin Xi had already guessed some of the truth.


    Lin Xi realized she needed to join Lin Rui''s team, which might help her understand the whole truth.


    She felt she also had a responsibility, as a sister, not to let Lin Rui wreak havoc unchecked.


    There needed to be a plan to ensure safety.


    Therefore, not only was this a confrontation, but it was also her time to prove her capabilities.


    Just 7 minutes later, Lin Xi''s pupils slightly constricted, her expression one of extreme shock.


    She turned her head to look firmly at Lin Rui, her face blank and bewildered.


    "Did it fail? No worries, although I don''t understand, I feel your hacking skills are probably quite good," said Lin Rui, seemingly unconcerned, as a failure would only result in a loss of millions, which he guessed was about the amount on the card.


    At least it confirmed that Lin Xi had potential in this area.


    "No, this is an unregistered black card from Han Ji, the largest underground bank in the lower district. As for the amount¡ª" Lin Xi gulped,then turned to show a video screen to Lin Rui, "See for yourself."


    Lin Rui frowned and said nothing, opening Divine Doctor Sima''s chat window instead.


    At this time, he didn''t care that it was deep into the night.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Little Rui, I can''t say much about the specifics due to certain reasons, but I can tell you Lin Xi''s condition is indeed dire. The more she uses implants, the faster she moves toward death. I wanted you to learn medicine from me so that you could find the answers yourself, especially in internal medicine, concerning implants and biotechnology.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Also, becoming an Exotic Body Walker is indeed a way out. You need to strengthen her spiritual power quickly, as it can effectively delay and ease her condition. Moreover, there might be a real solution within Tianji Star that could save her, but that depends on your luck.


    After reading the message, Lin Rui felt extremely heavy-hearted.


    Even Professor Sima thinks Lin Xi is doomed?


    In this age of highly advanced technology, where even cancer has been conquered, are there still incurable diseases?


    Lin Rui called out to his Battle Spirit Ring in his mind.


    "Battle Spirit Ring, help me copy advanced-level medical skills!"


    Lin Rui already possessed Great Grandmaster-level basic and intermediate medical skills, and now he was copying advanced medical skills.


    However, the level 2 Battle Spirit''s advanced medical skills only reached the level of True Essence.


    Notification: To exchange for advanced medical skills (True Essence), you need 8000 Soul Points.


    Lin Rui thought to himself how expensive these high-level skills were!


    Nevertheless, he didn''t hesitate to do the exchange and additionally spent 12000 Soul Points to raise the skill level to Great Grandmaster.


    The medical skills he exchanged from Ji Shenyan were specialized for the people of Tianji Star.


    However, Lin Rui thought that since both are carbon-based life-forms, their medical principles should have something in common.


    He felt that the medicine of Tianji Star, similar to the traditional Chinese medicine of the East Asian Republic, if delved into deeply, might suggest a shared lineage.


    "Battle Spirit Ring, what level are my internal and surgical skills? Can they be deduced?"


    Notification: You have limited knowledge of internal and surgical disciplines; no related skills.


    Notification: Battle Spirit Ring can perform related deductions. Would you like to use 3000 Soul Points to acquire basic internal medicine (beginner level), or 3000 Soul Points to acquire basic surgery (beginner level)?


    Notification: Increasing the completeness of the Battle Spirit Ring can reduce the Soul Points needed for deduction.


    Without hesitation, Lin Rui used 20000 Soul Points to increase the completeness of the Battle Spirit Ring by 30%.


    He found that the cost of mastering ''basic internal medicine (beginner level)'' had been reduced to 2000 points.


    It still seemed like a rip-off! If he could directly copy from the Battle Spirit, probably 200 points could exchange for a beginner-level basic skill.


    Yet, Lin Rui still exchanged for basic internal medicine and basic surgery and spent another 10000 points to raise these two skills to the level of Great Grandmaster.


    This time, he spent a lot of Soul Points, but his sister''s life was more important, so he couldn''t care less.


    These two basic skills allowed him to gain some fundamental understanding of the human body.


    To Lin Rui''s surprise, as his intelligence and insight were maximally elevated by the Battle Spirit Ring and he began deducing, the advanced medical skills of Tianji Star he mastered indeed sparked off numerous revelations with the basic internal and surgical skills he was deducing, and with the pharmacological knowledge he knew.


    Lin Rui closed his eyes and sat for a while, then extended his hand towards Lin Xi: "Give me your hand, and stick out your tongue for me to see."


    Lin Xi looked suspicious but still passed her small hand over.


    Lin Rui held Lin Xi''s wrist pulse, carefully sensing and discerning, and after a while, his eyes tightened.

 Chapter 233 Sister, You Are Crazy (Three More Updates, Requesting Monthly Pass)

    Half an hour later, Lin Rui''s eyebrows were deeply furrowed.


    He had not only used the medical techniques of Tianji Star, similar to the traditional Chinese Medicine methods of inspection, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation on Lin Xi but had also employed many detection devices within the club.


    Lin Rui discovered that there were indeed significant issues with Lin Xi''s body.


    He found that Lin Xi''s vital energy was incredibly strong, even exceeding many senior exosuit officers!


    Her physical condition was also quite robust, though not as evident as her vital energy, it still far surpassed her exosuit level!


    The reason Lin Xi couldn''t usually demonstrate these physical advantages was that there was an unknown substance in her blood causing her body to endure great stress, continuously corroding and damaging Lin Xi''s body!


    At the same time, these ''unknown substances'' were also the reason why Lin Xi''s physical condition was so strong.


    The ''unknown substances'' were also continuously strengthening Lin Xi''s physique, but the rate of enhancement was far slower than the damage they inflicted.


    What was terrifying was that the stronger Lin Xi''s physical condition became, the more unknown substance her body produced.


    Although exosuits could enhance Lin Xi''s physical condition, they would also stimulate the creation of more unknown substances.


    Besides, her Primordial Spirit was also under severe strain!


    One could imagine, a normal human spirit having to bear the body of an elephant; Lin Xi''s spirit would eventually collapse.


    Lin Rui also understood why Professor Sima was so anxious to create an alternate body for Lin Xi.


    Lin Xi''s main consciousness stayed inside the alternate body in Tianji Star, which relatively lessened the burden on her spirit, plus, alternate bodies have a significant advantage in the growth of spiritual power.


    However, this method was merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause.


    Unfortunately, Lin Rui was unable to identify what exactly the ''unknown substances'' were; this might require specialized equipment for detection.


    The reason he could perceive it was entirely due to the Great Grandmaster level high-level medical skills he possessed.


    After examining Lin Xi, Lin Rui furrowed his brow and pondered deeply, "Your current physical state is a bit troublesome. From the examination results, it looks like you''ve gone mad, Lin Xi!"


    With a lift of her eyebrows, Lin Xi unapologetically responded, "You''re the one who''s gone mad!"


    She had thought that Lin Rui''s serious fiddling around might reveal something significant.


    Is this all?


    At this moment, however, Lin Rui looked steadily at her, "Lin Xi, have you been occasionally harboring thoughts of despair lately, like wanting to end it all, no longer wanting to live, or even to just destroy the world or something? Also, are there parts of your brain where memory cells are inactive, as if someone has sealed some of your memories?"


    Lin Xi was momentarily stunned, her mind slightly trembling.


    How could Lin Rui know? Was this also something he had discovered?


    That''s impossible! Even Professor Sima with his brilliant medical skills couldn''t possibly sense her thoughts.


    She immediately denied it, "No, I''ve never thought about ending my life."


    Lin Rui looked at her steadily, then using the chat system, he sent Lin Xi a prescription.


    "You can try this prescription. The main ingredient is ''Shenxin Tea'' along with some unique herbs from Tianji Star, combining them with Fluoxetine Hydrochloride from Western medicine, brewed into tea for consumption. It should significantly alleviate your burden¡ª"


    Lin Xi looked at it with a flat response.


    Professor Sima had also prescribed her medication, which Lin Xi was currently using.


    Although Professor Sima was a surgeon, he definitely had stronger pharmaceutical knowledge than her brother.


    Seeing her expression, Lin Rui knew what the girl was thinking. He then opened the online marketplace of Sky Blue Pharmaceutical Company and ordered some medicines.


    Lin Xi''s spirits lifted, knowing that Lin Rui had agreed to let her join his team.


    Lin Xi unhesitatingly replied, "Top-tier equipment is beyond our purchase capability. I can''t even use something that advanced right now. The most suitable quantum supercomputer on the market for me is the Shenyan-9, a sister model of the Tianyan, valued at 200 million Federation coins. I need two: one for use and one as a backup. Together with all sorts of miscellaneous equipment, the total cost is over 500 million. It might be even pricier on the black market. Besides, adding a stable power supply and unrestricted high-speed network might require a base."


    She knew that hacker; his hacking skills were probably only grade A+, but it was just his superior equipment that made him look impressive.


    If she could get a Shenyan-9, she could easily suppress him.


    She could also leverage her hacking abilities to help Lin Rui locate those people.


    "Then let''s set a budget of 600 million!"


    Lin Rui continued to scroll through webpages; he had found the page in the darknet that sold various combat robots: "You''ll be responsible for finding this base. It not only has to be safe and hidden but also spacious enough for modifications and must come with permanent property rights to avoid troubles.


    Besides, we''ll need a robust security system, including situation awareness devices, automatic weapons, combat robots, and so forth."


    When Lin Xi is contending with hackers online, she won''t be able to take care of herself.


    She and this base, both required a powerful protective system.


    So, Lin Rui first needed to get a short-range quad-band passive radar with strong concealment capabilities and an ether element detection radar.


    ''Red Spider'' Model 6 protective robots had always had good reviews, not only could they provide protection for the base, but they could also assist Lin Rui in fighting under certain special circumstances.


    However, even a second-hand ''Red Spider'' Model 6 cost between 3 to 4 billion on the darknet.


    Another option was to buy second-hand parts sold on the darknet and assemble them himself; this method was more cost-effective, costing around 100 million to put together a ''Red Spider'' Model 6.


    But this required strong mechanical skills, plus one would have to program the combat AI of the robot themselves¡ª the performance of the protective robots wouldn''t possibly match the original.


    Of course, some particularly skilled mechanics could modify the ''Red Spider'' Model 6 to possess even greater combat capabilities.


    Lin Rui suspected that Wang Li''s four ''Red Spider'' robots were assembled from scrapped parts, simply because their combat AI seemed quite subpar, appearing rather stupid.


    Lin Rui knew nothing about mechanics; he could only buy readymade ones.


    He scratched his head in frustration, pondering that the 28 billion Federation coins might not be enough after all.


    This budget could only afford six second-hand ''Red Spider'' Model 6s, which severely lacked in giving Lin Rui a sense of security.


    At this moment, what Lin Rui did not know was that, not far from him in another suite, Fei Yunlai watched a message from a certain friend with a grave expression.


    He had found out who was behind Wang Li, likely a high-ranking official from the military''s logistics department.


    This Iron Fist King was not only involved in the drug trade but was also involved in various military supplies.


    At present, at least ten percent of the goods in the underground military part markets of the Ninth Base came from the Iron Fist King.


    So, the money in Wang Li''s account was likely meant to be turned over to this high official.


    Coincidentally, this individual had close ties with a certain three-star general in the Federation military.


    Fei Yunlai turned off the projection on his personal smart device and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out.


    He hadn''t expected that he would inadvertently come into conflict with that man''s forces again today.


    Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire


    But¡ª


    Fei Yunlai clenched his fists tightly, his eyes flashing sharply.


    This was exactly to his liking!

 Chapter 234 I Know Her (Please Subscribe)

    At midnight, Horn awoke from his coma.


    His condition was far from good; the effects of the anesthesia that had seeped into his body from the knife wound on his back were yet to fade, and with his eyes bandaged, he had no choice but to rely on the vision assistance system of his intelligent terminal to see.


    This was a result of using the "Time Black Holy Pupil" seven times in a row, which his body could hardly bear.


    Horn barely managed to have the SSS+ augmentation fitted, and each use caused damage to both his soul and body.


    Bearing the pain, he looked around and found himself in a newly established secret base run by their team, with several of his teammates gathered around him.


    From left to right, there was the hacker Katusha! Mecha master ''Battle Axe'' Lu Hong! Sniper ''Death''s Pronouncement'' Jiang Dong! Assault operative Broly! Fire-support specialist Dalong! And Mechanic Beros!


    "First time seeing you in such a sorry state, boss," Mechanic Beros chuckled, "How are you feeling? My medical skills are just passable and we don''t have a proper surgery pod here, so you''ll have to endure it as long as your eyes are generally okay."


    "I''m fine!" Horn groaned, covering his eyes, "Katusha, have you finalized things with our employer?"


    While Horn was grappling with the excruciating pain in his eyes, a volcanic rage surged through his heart.


    As Beros had pointed out, he had never been so wretched, nor had anyone made him suffer like this. Lin Rui had nearly pushed him into a corner.@@@@


    He swore to himself that he would slaughter that bastard, chop Lin Rui into pieces at the fastest speed and feed him to the dogs to see how he would come back to life then!


    "It''s settled, the amount for this mission has been increased to twenty times the original offer, making it a total of 600 million Federation dollars! It seems our employer really wants him dead at any cost," Katusha said, clearly sensing the breaths of her companions growing more rapid around her.


    The price of 600 million Federation dollars was more than double that of a 6SS-tier mission on the dark web!


    She, however, frowned, feeling that there was something very abnormal about the situation and that their employer was problematic.


    After Horn was injured, Katusha had actually turned down the employer''s offers several times, but it was the person who had actively raised the commission to 600 million Federation dollars!


    The question was, why seek them out specifically when the price could hire two or three 6S+ class Martial Cultivators on the dark web? Aside from his status as a martial arts star, what about Lin Rui warranted such a high bounty from the employer?


    Speaking of which, the initial assassination attempt already had a very high bounty of 30 million, taking into account Lin''s family and the supervision by a semi-5A team from the Federal Security Bureau at that time.


    Suppressing her inner turmoil and unease, Katusha said, "However, the difficulty of this mission has increased again. Not only are the police and security bureau searching for us, but the Tianlan Corporation has also enhanced its security for him. Their security squad has just added five new members; the ''Divine Guard'' Type-6 defense robots accompanying Lin Rui have also increased to four, boss¡ª"


    Horn waved his hand to cut her off.


    He knew what his comrade wanted to say but didn''t want to listen!


    No matter the risks this time, Horn was determined to kill that bastard! And indeed, the money was substantial. After completing this mission, his entire team''s strength would greatly increase.


    "So, do we have a concrete plan?"


    Horn stood up from the surgical chair and walked over to the tactical board, asking, "Don''t tell me you guys have done nothing during this time!"


    "We''ve discussed two plans!" ''Death''s Pronouncement'' Jiang Dong crossed his arms, filled with anticipation, "According to the information Katusha found, there are two possible moments where we have the best chance to kill Lin Rui: one is during a class reunion meal, where Lin Rui is likely to show up; another is the Mingde University opening ceremony, where Lin Rui, being the most outstanding among the freshmen, is sure to be chosen to speak as a representative."


    Horn turned on the electronic tactical board, grimacing with pain in his eyes as he started to read through the information provided by Katusha.


    After a moment of contemplation, he tapped on the tactical board, "Then, the opening ceremony it is!"


    When receiving the goods, she checked them inside and out, detecting the abnormality.


    Fei Yunlai, the Mech General, also had quite a bit of clout, immediately lodging a complaint on the dark web.


    After the dark web intermediaries learned of it, they were furiously thunderous. They not only forced the seller to replace the goods but also sent eight original model 6 ''Gatling Bodhisattvas'' as a gift.


    However, after the incident, Fei Yunlai was very pessimistic and issued a warning to Lin Rui, "You guys need to be careful from now on, it''s best to get a proper defense license soon. Otherwise, the police will come to check within a month at most.


    I bet the sellers of these ''Red Spider'' model 6 have already reported to the police that someone is illegally purchasing and installing powerful lethal weapons."


    Lin Rui also felt that the seller was unreliable; reporting them right after the transaction was a highly probable scenario.


    But there was no rush with this matter. Their receiving location was several blocks away, so neither the seller nor the dark web knew their address - it would take the police some time to track them down.


    The abilities of Lin Xi the hacker were not to be underestimated either.


    Next, Lin Rui also brought Wang Sen to attend their heteromorphic class''s farewell dinner.


    This class reunion was supposed to be held after the semester ended, but Lin Rui, busy with affairs, hadn''t planned to attend.


    However, the problem arose with that exchange competition, where Lin Rui, with astonishing speed with the knife, became a highly popular martial arts influencer at Base Nine.


    Although the classmates regretted Lin Rui''s absence, they didn''t care too much. But after Lin Rui''s rapid rise to fame with two strikes, the farewell dinner couldn''t proceed. They postponed it again and again, waiting for Lin Rui to have the time.


    Everyone felt that without Lin Rui, the farewell dinner wouldn''t mean much.


    Lin Rui himself felt quite embarrassed.


    Yet he had been busy preparing for the matter concerning Qin Yan''s cave dwelling and truly couldn''t spare the time until he was finally free, so he took the initiative to organize the event.


    Once the farewell dinner was over, Lin Rui felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.


    With that matter resolved, he only had two things left to deal with at Base Nine - investigating Horn and his group and the recruitment from the Security Bureau.


    In some ways, these two matters were actually one¡ª


    The very next day, on the afternoon Lin Rui was to have the ''Undying Sun'' implanted in his body, he sensed a message from his heteromorphic self.


    A rivers and lakes individual named ''Feng Xueying'' took the initiative to make contact, saying she wanted to meet with him.


    Lin Rui was looking forward to this. Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    It''s because Professor Han told him four days ago that an agent named ''Feng Xueying'' from the heteromorphs would soon arrive in Wang City to make contact with him.


    This was a female, with a cultivation of the fourth realm and royal-grade bloodline!


    That evening, through telepathic projection, Lin Rui arrived at Tianji Star and met ''Feng Xueying'' in a private room of a restaurant in Wang City.


    When Lin Rui saw the heteromorphic agent, his eyes immediately took on a very strange expression.


    It seemed he recognized this woman¡ª

 Chapter 235 Conditions (Please Subscribe)

    The appearance and facial features of a heteromorphic walker''s alternate form and original form usually have great differences.


    This is firstly to adapt their alternate identity, necessitating adjustments in appearance, and secondly for safety, to ensure that their true identity remains unknown to others.


    Ever since the Earth Federation discovered that the people from Tianji Star were starting to infiltrate in reverse, they have been very attentive to this matter, especially the security departments, which place great importance on it.


    Lin Rui recognized the other because of Feng Xueying''s bloodline talent¡ªthe pale blue eyes that seemed to contain thunder and snowflakes, "Ice Thunder Snow Eyes."


    He had encountered this ability in his battle with Xue Lingxue before and had suffered a bit for it.


    This mixing of ice and thunder in an SSS-grade powerful prosthesis is extremely rare.


    Thinking of the woman across from him also coming from the security bureau, and her name containing the word ''Xue,'' Lin Rui wondered if it could really be such a coincidence?


    Xue Lingxue is an SSS-ranked colonel in the prosthesis evaluation, and her strength is also at the level of a four-realm emperor.


    Lin Rui sipped his tea, deep in thought.


    Across from him, Feng Xueying, with a very earnest expression, took out a rosewood box and said sincerely, "Lord Lin! This is a meeting gift my superior asked me to bring to you. I believe you will like it."


    Feng Xueying was very excited, as long as Lin, the Defense Envoy, was willing to meet with them. It was a good start, indicating that Lin, the Defense Envoy, was not averse to making contact with them.


    Lin Rui opened the rosewood box with an indifferent expression, only to let out a sound of surprise.


    Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    Inside were two Heavenly Lotus Essence Needles.


    They were made from the essence of the Kunshan Heavenly Lotus and could significantly enhance spiritual power.


    The Tianjian Biotech Group improved upon a nativeTianji Star formula, adding other substances, thus further strengthening the medical efficacy of the Kunshan Heavenly Lotus.


    Lin Rui had been intending to purchase it, as it could boost his spiritual power by around 100.


    It was quite expensive, selling for 30 million each at Base Nine and 100 million if shipped to Tianji Star. This showed that General Zhou indeed had great sincerity.


    Two needle doses were just right¡ªone for Blood Blade Ji and the other for the Bone Sword Demon, while he and Lin Xi could buy cheaper injections at that base''s metropolitan area.


    Spiritual power-related drugs were the same regardless of where they were injected.


    Lin Rui handed the box directly to Blood Blade Ji next to him, continuing to sip his tea, "Miss Feng, someone told me that your original form in the Ninth Heavenly Demon homeland is surnamed Xue, called Xue Lingxue?"


    Xue Lingxue''s Divine Sense trembled violently, and a storm raged in her heart.


    She was Xue Lingxue, but how did Lin Twelve know?


    The Ninth Heavenly Demon homeland was what the people from Tianji Star called it, referring to Base Nine''s metropolitan area.


    Had their contact been betrayed? No, according to Minister Zhou''s words, that contact did not know her original name.


    So who leaked her identity? Or had the infiltration of their Security Bureau by the Imperial City division already reached this extent?


    However, she noticed that Lin Twelve had accepted her gift box.


    "I don''t understand what you''re talking about."


    But before Xue Lingxue could argue, Lin Rui had already lifted his teacup, "Let''s end today''s meeting here, please leave!"


    The Blood Blade Ji at his side received his Divine Sense signal and instantly unsheathed the Snow Shocking Blade a fraction, pressing down on Xue Lingxue with an overwhelmingly strong blade aura.


    Xue Lingxue frowned deeply, wanting to speak, but she was rendered speechless under the oppressive will of Blood Blade Ji''s sword intent.


    She sensed that this Blood Blade Ji was truly powerful!


    Even though she had just recently entered the fifth realm, her spiritual power and sword intent were enough to crush her completely.


    Xue Lingxue could only stand up with an expressionless face and bow in farewell.


    It wasn''t until Xue Lingxue retreated to the door of the private room that she felt the pressure from the sword intent relent.


    She turned back and looked at Lin Rui coldly, "I will convey all of Sir Lin''s words to my minister. I had heard of Sir Lin''s exploits, and I originally thought you were a hero. I did not expect the lord to be such a despicable person."


    Lin Rui almost laughed out loud, "If I were to agree to cooperate with you, that would be treachery from someone on my side, wouldn''t it? What kind of hero would that make me?"


    He brushed his sleeve impatiently, signaling for Xue Lingxue to leave quickly.


    After Xue Lingxue left, Ji Xueying looked at Lin Rui with suspicion, "Sir, do you truly fancy this woman? If you really want her, I can tie her up and bring her back for you to deal with as you please."


    When she was in the capital following Yuan Yi, she had often seen such affairs. The many high-ranking individuals Ji Xueying had encountered were all corruption personified, using their power and might to do as they pleased.


    As a Protector Demon, the ideas she was instilled with were to fulfill her master''s needs by any means necessary.


    However, if the master actually did that, she would feel somewhat disappointed.


    Lin Rui almost spit out the tea in his mouth when he heard this, "How could I take a fancy to her?"


    The personality of Xue Lingxue was obviously that of a nagging homemaker; she would make a good wife and mother if brought home.


    That''s why ''Lin Rui'' with a sister complex would like her.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, didn''t like being controlled; she wasn''t his type.


    "I was only speaking hypothetically, to see what kind of person General Zhou is," Lin Rui shook his head. "But her personality is quite suitable for a secretary."


    Lin Rui said this offhandedly, but then suddenly had a thought.


    It seemed like a good idea, Colonel Xue told him to take care of his daughter, didn''t he? Transferring Xue Lingxue under his command to work for him would ensure she was well looked after.


    And judging from the information he currently had, Xue Lingxue seemed to be more reliable than the others.


    He wondered how General Zhou would respond next?


    This would allow him to see clearly what kind of person Professor Han, his old classmate, was, and would also decide his next moves.


    At that moment, Lin Rui received a prompt from the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Prompt: Battle Spirit No. 1 thinks you''ve bullied his daughter and has developed some resentment towards you.


    Lin Rui''s face darkened after receiving the prompt from the ring spirit. He had not intended to bully Xue Lingxue; it just so happened that she was the one who contacted him.


    If the Security Bureau had sent anyone else to liaison, he would have made similar demands with more or less the same outcome.

 Chapter 236 Disciple Accepted into the Inner Circle (Third Update, Asking for Monthly Votes)

    Lin Rui didn''t know if it was just a psychological illusion, but after receiving the prompt from the Battle Spirit Ring, he felt a chill run down his spine.


    Nevertheless, he suppressed his emotions and received his next visitor in the private room of the inn, Tang Wenlan, the High Priest of the Guang Ming Holy Church.


    This person had wanted to meet with him several days ago, but Lin Rui had been too busy to make time.


    It wasn''t until today, when Lin Rui had gone out to meet with Xue Lingxue, that he decided to take the opportunity to meet with the leader of the Guang Ming Holy Church as well.


    Tang Wenlan had also brought him a generous gift: a total of three lotus seeds of the Bright Holy Lotus, capable of strengthening the Yuan force of the Bright series and enhancing physical quality.


    This gift was Tang Wenlan''s way of expressing gratitude for Lin Rui''s care for the countless poor citizens and dockworkers of Jinggang since his appointment. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire


    When the demonic dragon had blocked the river, Lin Rui had, with the assistance of the Guang Ming Holy Church, released two months'' worth of grain from the county government''s granary to relieve the people of Jinggang.


    Although his intention was to stabilize public sentiment, the fact was that the demonic dragon, which had caused havoc for only half a month, was driven away.


    The Guang Ming Holy Church had not lifted a finger throughout the ordeal, yet it ended up gaining even more followers.


    In addition, since taking office, Lin Rui had successively taken down the market supervisor eunuch Wang Zhenli and the demonic dragon, thereby restoring the smooth operation of Jinggang''s water transport, to the benefit of all its people.


    Lin Rui gladly accepted the gift with a smile, for the three lotus seeds could increase the physical quality and True Qi index of his foreign body by about 30 points each, saving him a great deal of time.


    However, the next matter Tang Wenlan mentioned made Lin Rui''s heart tighten.


    "There is another matter I must ask of you, sir," Tang Wenlan said with a solemn expression, "Recently, an edict from our headquarters has informed us that Xu Zhe, the fifth Saint Heir of our Guang Ming Holy Church, has perished in the district of Nanhu Festival Town.


    The headquarters is taking this matter very seriously. They have dispatched a ''Metropolitan High Priest'' to investigate and have ordered all our local branches to fully investigate the fifth Saint Heir''s whereabouts and determine the cause of his death."


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes and asked without revealing anything on his face, "Such a matter has occurred? But what does it have to do with me?"


    The ''Metropolitan High Priest'' of the Guang Ming Holy Church were all masters of the Seventh Realm, immediately making him feel the pressure.


    Nevertheless, the district under the jurisdiction of Nanhu Festival Town was vast, encompassing seven states including the sandbanks and covering an area of 2.3 million square kilometers.


    With such an extensive range, the Guang Ming Holy Church should not be able to trace the matter to him for the time being.


    Tang Wenlan forced a wry smile, "We hope to ask for your help in utilizing the internal resources of the Imperial City Department to assist in locating this Saint Heir''s whereabouts and his last known position."


    "This¡ª"


    Lin Rui frowned deeply, "Your Guang Ming Holy Church is officially designated as a heretical church. My private dealings with you are already a violation of imperial law."


    The key was, he couldn''t afford to reveal his own identity.


    However, in the next instant, he saw a flash of golden light.


    Tang Wenlan had actually taken five bright golden ingots from within his sleeve.


    Judging by their weight, they were 50 taels of divine gold each, totaling 250 taels.


    On Tianji Star, there was no superstition about the number ''250,'' so there was no need to avoid this particular number.


    "Please do us this favor!"


    Tang Wenlan pleaded with his hands clasped together, his expression sincere, "The Imperial City Department should have records of the whereabouts of important figures in our church. All your Excellency needs to do is to extract the records concerning Xu Zhe for us. Rest assured, as a Sanctified one of our church, we will not break the rules and disclose a single word to the outside world."


    Lin Rui ''hmm''d thoughtfully, gesturing for Blood Blade at his side to take the gold, his face the very picture of righteousness, "This matter does not go against my conscience nor does it undermine my duties. I will arrange to pull the records as soon as possible. However, this will take some time. Please be patient, High Priest Tang, and wait for my news."


    250 taels of divine gold, which was 25,000 taels of demon silver and, when converted to Federation currency, amounted to 25 million. This showed that the Guang Ming Holy Church was very sincere.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that with such a sum, he could buy the information from any defense officer in the district of Nanhu Festival Town.


    The businesses in Jing Port were all related to river transportation, but here in Wang City, there were other trades like rice merchants, ivory traders, transportation services, and taverns.


    Beyond that, Lin Rui met with several local wealthy gentry and altogether added another ten thousand taels of magic silver to his coffers.


    Along with his earlier gains, Lin Rui had amassed almost 100,000 taels of magic silver, plus two ''Heavenly Lotus Essence Needles'' worth a billion each.


    This was exactly why Lin Rui dared to invest a whopping 2.8 billion federal coins to build that base.


    For someone like Old Fei, a fugitive on the emperor''s wanted list, making money was somewhat difficult, but for him, the Imperial City Division Defence Envoy, wanting money was just a matter of speaking a word.


    If he desired, he could even make a fortune in a single day.


    But just then, Lin Rui received a ''Hundred Thousand Li Flying Letter'' sent by Meng Weiyun.


    Along with the flying letter came a piece of paper bearing a message and a jade token engraved with the seal script character for ''dragon''.


    After reading the contents of the message, his brows slightly furrowed, a mix of joy and regret filling him.


    "Sister, you are leaving so soon?"


    The intention in Meng Weiyun''s letter was that she had received an urgent mission from above and must leave immediately. Thus, she wouldn''t meet him to say farewell. She sincerely conveyed her gratitude to him, thanking Lin Rui for the care he''d shown her over the past twenty days.


    At the same time, Meng Weiyun also mentioned her mentor, the Third Divine Envoy, who had already received the ''Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill'' and was very pleased with Lin Rui.


    The Third Divine Envoy thought him a promising pupil and had decided to formally take Lin Rui as a disciple.


    The token that was sent along with the letter was indeed the seal of his discipleship.


    Therefore, they could now officially refer to each other as brother and sister. Meng Weiyun specially reminded him that he should henceforth avoid contact with any other sects'' teachings.


    Lin Rui now only needed an official ceremony to become a disciple, and he must ensure nothing went wrong before that.


    Moreover, Meng Weiyun hinted that the mentor was working hard to secure opportunities for him. It was very likely that upon entering the capital, Lin Rui would take charge of an important department within the Imperial City Division. He must make every effort to improve himself before entering the capital and be prepared.


    Lin Rui felt a strong sense of reluctance about Meng Weiyun''s departure.


    After Qin Yan''s mansion, Meng Weiyun had been helping him to condense his martial intent, insisting on touching foreheads with him every day, which allowed him to make rapid progress in the understanding of martial arts.


    And now, just a few days later, Meng Weiyun was leaving?


    He thought about it ¡ª her injuries should not have fully healed yet, right? Now, could she ensure her safety on her own against a Sixth Realm expert?


    Lin Rui then looked at the words of the letter again, falling into contemplation.


    I am about to take charge of an important department in the Imperial City Division? Since the Third Divine Envoy had revealed this in the letter to Meng Weiyun, there must be a great deal of certainty, mustn''t there?


    Could it be that the grand model''s predictive results of the Security Bureau might actually come to pass, and I am about to become the Commanding Envoy of the Assassination Bureau?


    Now that he''d come to think of it, Xue Lingxue should have already sought instructions from that General Zhou, hadn''t she?


    Just sending a message using a quantum relay device, why were there still no results?


    He didn''t know that at this very moment, just a block away, Xue Lingxue was waiting anxiously with a pale face for General Zhou''s reply.


    She had hesitated and wasn''t sure for a long time after leaving the tavern before deciding to convey Lin Twelve''s words accurately to General Zhou.


    Feeling heartbroken and on the verge of tears, she wondered if General Zhou would agree to such an absurd matter. If General Zhou agreed, what was she supposed to do?


    She gritted her teeth in irritation, feeling that this Lin fellow was just too bullying.


    Just then, she saw the reply from Zhou Yunfei.

 Chapter 237 Congratulations (Seeking Guaranteed Monthly Votes)

    Upon receiving the message from Meng Weiyun, Lin Rui immediately grew disinterested.@@@@


    He had several guests to meet, but now he was in no mood to entertain anyone and could only delegate this to Wang Sen.


    Those were not particularly important guests, it was fine to meet or not to meet them.


    However, as Lin Rui was about to leave the restaurant, he saw Xue Lingxue.


    There she stood at the entrance of the restaurant, clasping her hands towards him, "Lord Lin, may I have the opportunity to speak with you again?"


    "Oh?"


    Lin Rui originally wanted to wear a ''wicked smile'', but remembering that No.1 Battle Spirit had already grown resentful of him, he became stern, "Speak again? Speak about what? Could your group possibly grant my wish?"


    Since they were at the entrance of the restaurant with a crowd around, Lin Rui used rather ambiguous language.


    Xue Lingxue''s eyebrows furrowed as she checked the chat records in her biological chip with General Zhou.


    Zhou Yunfei: The plan is terminated, stop contact. Sorry, Xiaoxue, my research here was insufficient, I didn''t expect this Lin Twelve to have such a character.


    Xue Lingxue took a deep breath, her eyes refocused when looking at Lin Rui, "That''s impossible, but we can provide Lord much more than that. Aside from this condition, whatever you desire, we can negotiate."


    She knew this mission was very important to their Ninth Division and General Zhou, and still wanted to salvage it.


    Xue Lingxue thought to herself that Lin Twelve''s lecherous nature proved he could be subverted and won over.


    Upon hearing her words, Lin Rui let out a slight snicker, flicked his sleeves disdainfully as he walked past Xue Lingxue, "I''ve always conducted myself as an official with integrity, purity of aspiration, and self-disciplined frugality. How could I be swayed by wealth or beauty? I''m just teasing you."


    However, he thought to himself that it seemed General Zhou hadn''t agreed, and it was time to formally engage with this general.


    Xue Lingxue, watching Lin Twelve leave, couldn''t help but grind her teeth in frustration.


    His demeanor and actions inexplicably reminded her of Lin Rui.


    Unconsciously, Xue Lingxue''s fists clenched tightly, feeling an impulse to rush up and beat someone.


    Meanwhile, Professor Han received a message from Lin Rui, which invigorated him.


    It appeared his old classmate had passed Lin Rui''s test.


    He smiled slightly and opened the chat channel with Zhou Yunfei.


    Han Kedao: Congratulations, Old Zhou!


    Zhou Yunfei was regretting at the moment, he had truly not expected Lin Twelve, despite being a young hero, to have such a vile character, feeling offended.


    He felt he might have made a mistake in his arrangements, only considering the most reliable candidate from the Ninth Division to be Xue Lingxue, without realizing her outstanding appearance and temperament would trigger Lin Twelve''s perverse thoughts.


    If he had known beforehand, he would''ve sent a plain-looking male agent instead; perhaps the outcome would have been different.


    But it was too late for regrets.


    He was acutely aware of his connection with the three Abyssal Wills in the void strengthening further, especially with the ''Sovereign of Fate.''


    However, Lin Rui still felt that his mind was very relaxed, indicating that his training in the martial intent had been remarkably effective.


    The ultimate realization of martial arts greatly enhanced his mental condensation and carrying capacity.


    "Spirit Ring, can you help me increase ''Light Trace'' and ''Heavenly Foot'' by another 1%?"


    Notice: Enhancing ''Light Trace'' and ''Heavenly Foot'' to 5% requires a total of 6,000 Soul Power points.


    Notice: Please be aware that your spirit has reached its carrying limit, and continuing to enhance Abyssal concepts may lead to unpredictable consequences.


    Lin Rui furrowed his brows upon perceiving this information.


    How strange! The Spirit Ring warned him that he had reached his limit, yet he felt no pressure on his spirit whatsoever.


    Could it be that these Abyssal Wills were deliberately trying to deceive him, to make him lower his guard?


    Lin Rui''s mood grew heavy. He glanced at the sky and then continued to call upon the Spirit Ring.


    "Spirit Ring, help me replicate Battle Spirit No. 1''s Truth-Level ''Divine Gates Eighteen Stances''!"


    Notice: Replicating the Divine Gates Eighteen Stances (Truth-Level) requires 11,000 Soul Power points, but due to Battle Spirit No. 1''s resentment towards you, the cost is increased to 12,000 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui''s face darkened slightly, thinking that after offending a battle spirit, even the price to replicate a skill would increase?


    With no other option, Lin Rui pinched his nose and proceeded with the replication.


    The Divine Gates Eighteen Stances was a high-level Body Refinement technique mastered by Xue Bogao.


    It had been over twenty days since Lin Rui replicated the ''Divine Breath Technique,'' and he had fully absorbed the strengthening effects of this body and spirit refinement Secret Technique. As the effects dwindled, it was time to exchange for new physical techniques and Secret Techniques.


    Lin Rui chose Xue Bogao because, although the ''Divine Gates Eighteen Stances'' primarily focused on Body Refinement, it also had a certain effect on mental tempering.


    He now solely wished to quickly meet the standards for Golden Core implantation, to advance his true body swiftly into the Fourth Realm.


    Lin Rui estimated that after completing this replication, along with the seeds of three Bright Holy Lotus, plus one injection of the ''Heavenly Lotus Essence Needle,'' only ten to fifteen days would remain.


    Once he adapted to the enhancements and changes brought about by the Divine Gates Eighteen Stances, his main consciousness returned to the urban environment of Base Nine.


    Lin Rui emerged from the sleeping pod and checked the time, finding it was only 5 p.m.


    Nevertheless, he left early, heading to the Olin Club for his appointment.


    At this time, the benefits of having a hacker sister became apparent. Under Lin Xi''s cover, Lin Rui easily deceived his own 5A-level security team and left Mingde University.


    When he arrived at the Olin Club half an hour early, the attendant informed him that his two guests had also arrived ahead of schedule.


    Lin Rui felt a bit surprised and immediately quickened his pace to the Shanhai private room.


    Upon pushing the door open, he indeed saw Professor Han and an unfamiliar middle-aged man in military uniform chatting in the living room of the private room.


    At that moment, the man in military uniform looked up in surprise and turned his gaze toward him.

 Chapter 238 A Perfect Match (Please Subscribe)

    "Minister Zhou!" Lin Rui quickened his pace, took the initiative to go up and shook hands with Zhou Yunfei, not expecting that Zhou Yunfei would actually come forward to meet him.


    "Lin, my boy!" Zhou Yunfei grasped Lin Rui''s hand with considerable strength, "So, it means that the Lin the Defense Envoy is none other than Lin himself? Old Han, that guy, really kept me in the dark."


    "I am Lin Twelve." Lin Rui said apologetically, "For the offense I had to commit previously, I hope you can forgive me, Minister."


    "I understand, I understand!"


    Inside, Zhou Yunfei''s heart was still violently fluctuating. Lin Twelve, the Defense Envoy of Wang City, the rising star of the secret police who was about to take charge, was actually Lin Rui!


    So, his previous contact with Xue Lingxue was actually to probe his character? This indicates that what Lin Rui values most is safety.@@@@


    Zhou Yunfei''s expression became even more sincere, "That''s how it should be, young Rui. When you work in our security department in the future, you will need this kind of caution all the more. Rest assured! Zhou always believes that integrity is the foundation of being human, and astuteness is essential for success.


    "Our security forces in the East Asian Republic have always followed traditions of prioritizing safety, secrecy, discipline, caution, and credibility. We will do everything possible to protect our agents. We believe that in the security department, betrayal and deception cannot last long. We can''t let our brothers and comrades feel disheartened."


    Lin Rui wouldn''t easily believe what others said.


    However, Minister Zhou''s instruction to Xue Lingxue to reject him showed that the minister wasn''t just offering lip service.


    Lin Rui offered such significant benefits, yet Zhou Yunfei still unequivocally refused, which shows that the minister''s character can be trusted.


    Despite the significant trouble surrounding Lin Rui, Zhou Yunfei didn''t care at all.


    He was determined to protect this child, as from both a standpoint of principle and interest, he was someone Zhou could naturally trust.


    Zhou Yunfei was promoted to his current position by the East Asian Republic with the intention of purging the security agency''s ninth division and figuring out what kind of monsters and demons were hidden in the ninth base.


    Zhou Yunfei, pulling Lin Rui toward the dining room, said, "This matter isn''t urgent. Come, let''s sit down and talk. I''m very curious. How did you become the Defense Envoy of the imperial secret police, Rui? How did you get through the highly challenging Heavenly Demon Test? I''m completely baffled right now. The Heavenly Demon Test has troubled us for many years. Although some have passed, no one has ever managed to deceive their Guardian War Dragons, so I never considered this possibility¡ª"


    Lin Rui was very open and told Zhou Yunfei about everything since his arrival in great detail.


    There was nothing to hide, and even the irrational parts could be explained by his extraordinary talents.


    After listening, Zhou Yunfei was secretly astonished. This guy managed to master the ''Transforming Muscles and Bones'' to a great degree within just a few days? Was that even possible for a human?


    However, it wasn''t just his talent that had brought this child so far. Aside from his gift for cultivation, Lin Rui''s courage, wisdom, and adaptability were indispensable.


    The Olin Club served their dishes promptly at 6:00, and the atmosphere at the banquet became even more congenial. One side was eager to woo and showed heartfelt sincerity; the other was inclined to rely on the other and was open and honest, with Professor Han there to guide the conversation and harmonize the mood, resulting in a happy gathering of host and guest.


    Finally, when it came to Lin Rui''s treatment, Zhou Yunfei was straightforward. He waved his hand generously, "Here''s what we''ll do: I will personally recruit Lin Rui into the security bureau, granting him the military rank of Major General in the security bureau. All of his benefits and responsibilities will be the same as those of our combat-ready Major Generals.


    "I will establish a 3S level Third Special Operations Department within the ''Secretariat'' directly under my control, with Lin Rui as the head of the department. Its main duty will be to ensure Lin Rui''s safety on Tianji Star, investigate, and handle any affairs that affect the safety of Lin Twelve''s mission on Tianji Star. In addition, this department will have all the rights and responsibilities of the Secretariat."

 Chapter 239 Gathering Clouds (Three more updates, seeking monthly passes)

    Xue Lingxue crawled out of the sleeping pod, her whole body icy cold.


    Her Celestial Polar Star extraterrestrial body had waited outside the yamen in Wang City until the small hours of the night.


    Xue Lingxue still wanted to try to persuade Lin Twelve, asking him for another chance to meet, but she had not succeeded.


    Although Xue Lingxue had bribed the gatekeeper heavily twice to deliver her message, there had been no results.


    Instead, the gatekeeper was scolded by someone inside the yamen and afterwards, dared not speak to her again.


    She could only terminate the mission, place her extraterrestrial body at a safe location, and then her main consciousness returned to the Celestial Polar Star.@@@@


    Upon returning, Xue Lingxue''s eyes were red, and she felt like crying from being wronged.


    Even though she was covered in sticky nutrient fluid, she had no desire to bathe, instead squatting next to the sleeping pod, curling her delicate body into a ball.


    Xue Lingxue also believed that it was her own fault that the mission had failed.


    If another extraterrestrial agent had gone to contact Lin Twelve, the situation would definitely have been different.


    This mission had been very important to Minister Zhou, yet she had botched it.


    Moreover, her experiences over the past months had greatly disheartened her.


    Three months ago, when Xue Lingxue learned of the tragic death of her entire family, she nearly collapsed.


    It was only the thought of revenge that kept her going, yet in the three months since her reassignment, Xue Lingxue''s work and life had been far from smooth.


    She was alienated by her colleagues at the East District Police and experienced problems in her surveillance of the Lin family, repeatedly being made a fool of by that scoundrel Lin Rui.


    She also made no progress in avenging them; her attempts to investigate the Blood Lizard Gang and the Wicked Pirates were repeatedly thwarted by senior officials at the East District Police, never bearing fruit.


    Thinking of her parents and the two brothers who died alongside them, Xue Lingxue felt an ever-growing chill enveloping her, a mix of indescribable solitude and guilt surrounding her.


    It was then that Xue Lingxue received a message from Zhou Yunfei.


    Zhou Yunfei: Lingxue, given the change in the situation, the task of monitoring the Lin family and Despair Heavenly Girl is officially over. You do not need to go to the police station tomorrow. Effective immediately, you are reassigned to the Third Special Operations Branch of the Confidential Department to serve as the assistant to the head of department.


    Upon reading the message, Xue Lingxue hastily wiped her tears and responded.


    Xue Lingxue: Understood, Minister!


    Simultaneously, doubts arose in Xue Lingxue''s mind.


    Had Minister Zhou given up on monitoring Lin Rui and Despair Heavenly Girl?


    Upon opening the email, his expression gradually turned into one of surprise.


    "Reassigned to the Ninth Base City? To serve as the deputy head of the Third Special Operations Department and the leader of the First Action Group?"


    Soon after, his assistant, Fei Aibi, hurried over: "Did you see the email that just came? Our action group has been entirely relocated from the security bureau headquarters to the Ninth Division."


    "I''m looking at it now," Zhang Long replied, sipping his coffee while flipping through the information on the Third Special Operations Department, his surprise becoming more evident.


    "I really don''t know what the higher-ups are thinking." Fei Aibi spoke up on behalf of Zhang Long: "Group leader, having been promoted to a sixth-level dragon shifter with your accomplishments, you totally deserve a higher-ranking position at our Special Service Center. Why the sudden transfer to this Third Special Operations Department of the Ninth Division?"


    "Don''t rush," Zhang Long replied with a slight smile: "Take a close look at the information on the Third Special Operations Department. It''s very interesting."


    Although puzzled, Fei Aibi still opened the department''s information to take a look.


    A look of astonishment appeared in his eyes: "Such high authority, such powerful equipment! They even have three J-7 Dragon annihilators. General, I checked¡ªthe decision to establish the Third Special Operations Department was issued by the second commander-in-chief. But the second commander-in-chief is in hibernation. Could it be the work of General Zhou? Has he gone mad?"


    "Yes, I even suspect Zhou Yunfei has gone mad, or is cornered like a desperate dog. Undertaking such an action, isn''t he afraid the chief will completely disavow him once he awakens?"


    As he spoke, Zhang Long put down his coffee cup, stood up from his seat, and said, "You get ready too. I''ve already contacted the logistics office to arrange a transport ship. We will be leaving for the Ninth Base City in an hour!"


    Although Zhang Long was not satisfied with the level of the Third Special Operations Department, he was very interested in the department''s strength and authority.


    In terms of actual power, this was much stronger than his current position as the leader of the 6A action group under the headquarters'' Special Service Center.


    Moreover, in the Ninth Base, there was a case that had occupied his attention for a long time.


    Three months ago, the extermination of the Xue family had just begun to be investigated by Zhang Long when he was suddenly transferred by a document order.


    Zhang Long speculated that someone higher up did not want him to dig deeper, but unfortunately, he was not affiliated with the Ninth Division at the time, and his objections led nowhere.


    But now, he could go examine what really happened in that case.


    Zhang Long estimated that the department might not last long, and Zhou Yunfei was bound to meet his end eventually, but by then, he would have to return to the Special Service Center. However, this period was already enough for him to deal with the case.


    Meanwhile, in the office of a deputy minister at the security bureau''s Ninth Division, a white-haired old man with the rank of general also saw the directive issued by the second commander-in-chief.


    "Establishing the Third Special Operations Department? Mobilizing so much power, is he trying to make a desperate move?"


    The white-haired old man lay back in his office chair with a disdainful expression, casually watching the night scene of the Ninth Base City through the floor-to-ceiling window.


    "The second commander-in-chief will wake up in five months. I''m curious how you''re going to explain this to him then. What authority do you have to establish the Third Special Operations Department? And under what pretense? When your commander-in-chief awakens, how will you face the interrogation of the National Security Committee? Are you going to admit he granted his powers privately to his old acquaintances? Interesting."


    The white-haired old man twisted his neck, causing a series of ''cracking'' sounds: "But, speaking of my personality, it has its flaws¡ªno patience at all¡ª"


    Curious as the white-haired old man was, he had no interest in waiting five more months.


    The security bureau''s Ninth Division was his in the past, it was his now, and it would still be his in the future!

 Chapter 240 Iron Fist (Please Subscribe)

    The next morning at dawn, Xue Lingxue got up early, made herself neat and tidy, and put on a crisply ironed lieutenant colonel''s uniform before heading out the door.


    When she arrived at her destination by taxi, she first observed the eight-story building in front of her, as well as the surrounding environment.


    This was a very old office building, located right across from the east back gate of Mingde University.


    As Mingde University held a leading position in the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine, a large number of pharmaceutical and chemical companies had gathered near the university, creating a bustling and prosperous industrial cluster and business district.


    However, this old office building had not benefited from this development.


    One reason was that this area used to be an industrial zone before Mingde University expanded and turned it into a business district. The facilities inside the building were not only outdated but also lacked specialization.


    Secondly, the location was rather far from any of the four urban rail stations near Mingde University, so despite its proximity to the university, the office building had never been favored by pharmaceutical companies.


    Even real estate developers hadn''t shown any interest in this 18,000-square-meter office building.


    Due to considerations such as floor-area ratio, lighting, transportation, and various pipelines, it was not feasible to construct buildings over 28 meters tall in this area. Moreover, the chemical substances and radiation levels in the surrounding area had always exceeded standards, rendering any renovation plans unprofitable.


    And just yesterday, Zhou Yunfei had signed off on funding to acquire ownership of this office building, which would serve as the headquarters of the Third Special Action Section.


    After taking a look around, Xue Lingxue rode the elevator to the sixth floor of the office building.


    All the other floors of the office building were rented out, with only the sixth floor still vacant.


    Xue Lingxue thought about the tenants inside the building and couldn''t help feeling a headache coming on, suspecting that the troublesome task of clearing out the tenants would mostly likely fall to her.


    Moreover, why had the minister chosen to locate the headquarters of the Third Special Action Section near Mingde University?


    Considering all factors such as safety, transportation, networking, lodging, and more in the surrounding area, this location wasn''t bad, but it wasn''t the best either.


    As she pondered, she walked deeper into the building.


    This floor used to house a pharmaceutical company, which had vacated two months prior, moving out all their office furniture, though their renovations remained.


    When Xue Lingxue entered, her gaze was one of astonishment, for she sensed a very familiar presence inside.


    "Lin Rui?"


    Xue Lingxue immediately walked towards the office''s largest room and pushed the door open, indeed seeing Lin Rui''s tall figure standing in front of the glass curtain wall inside.


    Xue Lingxue was utterly perplexed, wondering what Lin Rui was doing there.


    The key point was that besides Lin Rui, there was no one else inside this floor.


    She approached Lin Rui with a skeptical expression, "Lin Rui, what are you doing here? Is there something going on?"


    This guy couldn''t just be wandering around and end up here, right?


    Lin Rui, wearing sunglasses, glanced back at Xue Lingxue, "Sister Xue, you''re here. We''ll talk later; we''re still waiting for someone."


    Upon hearing this, Xue Lingxue became even more bewildered, wondering what Lin Rui meant by that. Did he know she was coming? Was he waiting for her?


    The problem was, the person she was supposed to meet today was her future immediate superior, the chief of the Third Special Action Section, a major general from the Security Bureau!


    "You¡ª"


    Xue Lingxue had just opened her mouth when she heard footsteps coming from outside. Judging by the sound, the steps were firm and powerful, rhythmic, somewhat reminiscent of her father.


    As Xue Lingxue was thinking that perhaps this person might be the major general from the Security Bureau, she saw Zhang Long push the door and enter.


    "Uncle Zhang?"


    However, seeing Xue Lingxue''s reaction, he believed she must know the truth. Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Xue Lingxue had now come to her senses, her gaze at Lin Rui sharp as blades and spears!


    Now how could she not understand what happened yesterday, she was clearly played by this man, used by Lin Rui as a medium to test General Zhou.


    At this moment, Xue Lingxue wished she could charge forward and hammer this guy fiercely!


    However, Xue Lingxue, considering Lin Rui had already become her direct superior, and that she might not be able to defeat him now, could only suppress the rage in her heart, "According to the large model prediction of the First Division''s Intelligence Analysis Section, it is very likely that Lin Twelve, the defense envoy of Wang City, will be appointed as the Commander of the Golden Core Espionage Bureau today. This probability has risen to 92%. Additionally, according to intelligence, Lin Twelve has already caught the favor of the Third Divine Envoy and is about to become his personal disciple."


    Xue Lingxue thought this was unbearably infuriating; she would go home in the next few days to make a voodoo doll of Lin Rui, and stick it with a thousand needles first!


    Unaware of Xue Lingxue''s murderous gaze, Lin Rui, grinning, corrected, "Your intelligence is outdated, I''ve already received the amulet and seal impression from my master. Now, there''s only the official discipleship ceremony left."


    "Espionage Bureau Commander?"


    Zhang Long''s bear-like frame also shuddered slightly, his eyes brimming with extreme shock and awe.


    The Espionage Bureau? The one within the Imperial City? This young man before him is about to be appointed the Commander of the Espionage Bureau?


    And since this was a recent recruitment, that meant Lin Rui had not previously received any support from the Security Bureau and had reached this stage through his own abilities.


    Zhang Long had come to understand why Zhou Yunfei had taken such actions and had the courage to do so.


    What sort of luck did that guy have?


    He was already pushed to this point by his three deputies, yet at this moment he stumbled upon Lin Rui, an invaluable treasure, inadvertently securing a heaven-sent opportunity to turn the tides of a desperate situation.


    "That is to say, the purpose of Zhou Yunfei establishing the Third Special Operations Division was to support and ensure the safety of your main body and alter ego during your operations in Star Extreme, right?"


    While speaking, Zhang Long felt a headache creeping in, sensing a mountainous pressure bearing down on him.


    Therefore, going forward, Lin Rui couldn''t possibly reveal his identity in front of others, nor did he have much time to deal with the department''s daily affairs, and would have to rely on his help in the future.


    Zhou Yunfei transferred him over here with the intention of making him a nanny to safeguard this newly appointed Security Major General?


    The problem is his new superior is about to become the ''Espionage Bureau Commander of the Imperial City''!


    Should anything happen to this young man before him, the Commander-in-Chief, upon learning of it, might tear him to pieces and swallow him whole.


    "In name, yes, but beyond that, the minister must have other considerations. Considering the power and authority of our division, it is very strong and extensive."


    As Lin Rui spoke, his expression suddenly changed, and he opened the chat box of Lin Xi on his smart terminal.


    Just then, his sister Lin Xi had called several times in quick succession, evidently something urgent had come up.


    In front of Xue Lingxue and Zhang Long, it was inconvenient for him to take the call, so he used the chat system to inquire.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): What''s the matter, Xi?


    Late Summer Thoughts (Lin Xi): The Security Bureau access you gave me has been very useful. I''ve located the whereabouts of those Dead Eye people, and I''ve even found the supercomputer location used by their hacker, Katusha. Judging by their movements these past few days, they seem to be planning to assassinate you during the opening ceremony.


    Lin Rui''s spirits lifted upon seeing Lin Xi''s response.


    He had finally tracked them down, and it seemed that this ''Dead Eye'' Horn was intent on a mutual confrontation.


    Lin Rui''s hand stroked his chin as he began to anticipate with eager eyes.


    The situation was different from a few days before; he would now show Horn that the authority of the Federal Government and the Security Bureau was inviolable!


    As a Major General of the Federal Security Bureau, it was his duty to deliver a righteous iron fist to these scoundrels riddled with crimes!

 Chapter 241 Rough Paths (Seeking Subscriptions)

    In the evening, Horn, the sniper ''Death Sentence'' Jiang Dong, and Dead Eye were rushing back to their temporary base in the lower district with the results they had observed near Mingde University.


    As soon as Horn entered the base, he couldn''t wait to tear off the bionic mask from his face.


    His Disguise Technique was extremely sophisticated, combined with his unique Cultivation Technique, it could fool various high-tech holographic cameras into not recognizing whether he was disguised.


    However, wearing this type of bionic mask was indeed very uncomfortable since, to counteract the cameras'' scanning, it was quite suffocating.


    "Where''s Katya?" Dead Eye Horn glanced inside the room, "Still in deep dive state?"


    The deep dive state was a term unique to the hacker world, where, with the help of specific drugs and a nutrient pod, a hacker''s mind could enter an undistracted state of focus, thus significantly increasing computational power.


    "She''s still diving. She''s trying to hack into Sky Blue Company''s ''Divine Guards'' and ''Imperial Guard'' combat robots," someone replied, "even if it could slightly hinder their actions it would be good, but her supercomputer ''Wanderer'', though portable and mountable on a vehicle, is just average in computational power."


    Mechanic Beros pulled out a tactical board: "How about it, did you guys find anything? Any chance?"


    Without a word, Death Sentence Jiang Dong walked up to the tactical board and began drawing, "As shown here, this is the best sniping position, if Lin Rui''s abilities haven''t changed, then as long as he delivers his speech that day and Horn can lure away the nearby defensive robots as planned, I have a 70% chance of assassinating him. However, my sniper rifle''s firing speed and power are not sufficient, I need to add some gun accessories, about seventeen million federal coins."


    Hearing this, Beros shrugged, as the sniper rifle accessories, with precision requirements at the micron level, were not something he could manufacture by hand.


    "Also, the escape. There are no passages to the lower world within 800 meters of this sniping spot. I need you to help carve out a pathway and set up some smart machinery to block any pursuit," Jiang Dong continued.


    "That''s no problem!"


    They say some powerful hackers can directly interfere with a person''s brain cells and spinal nerves through a neural connector.


    "How is this possible?" Mechanic Beros was extremely shocked.


    The nutrient pod Katya was using for her deep dive was under his surveillance; if anything happened to the pod, it should have triggered an alarm.


    Beros looked at the two holographic cameras nearby and several internal defense weapons in the room, his face slightly pale.


    He realized that these cameras and the four small fully automated turrets had most likely been hacked.


    "Such a formidable person!"


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    Beros was inwardly alarmed. His defense systems were not connected to the external network; the only connection in this temporary base was Katya''s deep dive nutrient pod.


    This meant the hacker had bypassed Katya, infiltrated unnoticed, first taken over all the defense systems of the temporary base, and then targeted Katya.


    Beros wanted to go to his workshop to check the situation on the server side but was dragged outside by Horn, "This place has been compromised, we need to retreat¡ª"


    While speaking, Horn activated his walkie-talkie. For security reasons, they had temporarily disabled the network functions of their smart terminals upon entering the temporary base.


    However, he had only just reached the base''s main door when he heard a barrage of gunfire outside.

 Chapter 241 Rough Paths (Please Subscribe) - Part 2

    Meanwhile, they heard the shouts of Mecha Pilot ''Axe'' Lu Hong from the intercom, "Horn, Broly is dead! It''s the people from the Security Bureau! Ask what''s going on! Outside there''s an entire heavy-armed company of armed police, 20 type 4 heavy military Mechas, 20 combat robots, and the two exits on the east side have already been blocked off. Ask what''s going on with Sanye."


    The voice of the gunner, Daron, also came through, "We''re in trouble, my situation here is almost the same, there''s also a heavy-armed company, all three exits have been blocked, and the defense system that Bolosi had set up with Katyusha didn''t issue any warning at all. I can''t hold on anymore, I must retreat now, Horn¡ª"


    Just at that moment, another burst of intense gunfire sounded outside, the intercom crackled, and then Daron''s voice was heard no more.


    Horn knew Daron had died, and his face involuntarily paled.


    As he sprinted rapidly, he didn''t hesitate to activate the quantum communication system on his smart terminal to contact the Sanye mentioned by ''Axe'' Lu Hong.


    This was their current protector, one of the big bosses of the Loyalty Gang, one of the most powerful underworld leaders of the lower district, not only commanding several thousand implanted Martial Artists but also possessing many powerful weapons, essentially a warlord of the underground world.


    Theoretically, these armed police should have passed through Sanye''s territory regardless of which direction they came from but today, there had been no warning from Sanye''s side at all.


    However, when Horn got through to Sanye, the response was a torrent of curses, "What warning, what sign? I also wish someone had warned me! A madman has come from the Security Bureau, seems to be some kind of Major General, too crazy."


    Just now, they first took control of all our holographic cameras and motion-sensing devices on Xinglong Street, then wiped out all our brothers at the Xinglong Hall! More than 170 people, all wiped out, understand? I don''t have the capacity to worry about you right now. There was no warning at all."


    Horn''s heart sank upon hearing this.


    The so-called Xinglong Street was actually a group of caves, dug out inside a satellite by the early Earth Federation, equipped with life-support systems, forming an underground street.


    ''Sanye'' had a division there, with over 200 people, nearly all were lower-ranking and mid-ranking implanted Martial Artists.


    They controlled this Xinglong Street, making its population of over forty thousand people dependent on them.


    From Sanye''s words, it seemed that more than half of these 200 people had just died.


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    "What''s against the rules about it?"


    As Lin Rui spoke, he took a bottle of soda from the fridge and guzzled it down, looking utterly content.


    He then asked in bewilderment, "Weren''t they violently resisting the law? Weren''t they attacking the police with arms? More than a hundred people shooting at us like mad, it was practically an armed rebellion! We just found a massive amount of drugs and firearms inside¡ªover several tons of a new type of drug, more than 400 illegally modified firearms, and also human trafficking involved. If judged by the laws of the East Asian Republic, even condemning them to death a hundred times would not be enough."


    Xue Lingxue was left speechless, yet she knew Lin Rui must have employed some other methods.


    It likely involved an unknown drug, stimulating these mentally unstable Armor-Wearing Martial Artists, making all of them fall into a frenzied state, losing their reason.


    Thus, the Federal Security Bureau had just surrounded the area, and before they could obtain a search warrant, these Martial Artists from Xinglong Hall started firing crazily at them, and the Security Bureau along with the armed police were forced to retaliate.


    However, Xue Lingxue couldn''t say that, as she had discreetly taken blood samples from those Armor-Wearing Martial Artists for testing, and found no issues.


    At least the exoskeleton armor she was wearing didn''t detect anything.


    Since last time she was framed by Lin Rui, Xue Lingxue had sold her armor and scraped together money for a new suit from Abyss Corporation, reputed for its strong anti-toxin capability, but her armor couldn''t detect what drug Lin Rui had used.


    If it couldn''t be detected, then this operation had no issues, and even if there were issues, it might be due to the criminals using a new type of drug or something else, but it was unrelated to them.


    Xue Lingxue, although a bit guilty about Lin Rui''s unconventional methods of handling cases, was by no means a fool; she knew such matters must not be mentioned.


    Xue Lingxue had also fought in the battle earlier and thought the Armor-Wearing Martial Cultivators of Xinglong Hall deserved their grim fate, better off dead.


    At that moment, Lin Rui made a video call and got in touch with Zhang Long.


    "General Zhang, how are things on your end? Have the Dead-eye Horn and his men been subdued?"


    Though Lin Rui took the operation to encircle Horn very seriously, he felt the 100 plus Armor-Wearing Martial Artists from ''Xinglong Hall'' were a juicier target, hence he had assigned the task of capturing Dead-eye Horn to Major General Zhang Long.

 Chapter 242 Sky Net (Three more updates for monthly passes)

    When Zhang Long watched Lin Rui in the video, his gaze was also very complicated.


    Since Lin Rui couldn''t publicly reveal his identity, Zhang Long had to be the nominal commander-in-chief of this operation.


    Thus, Zhang Long also had the corresponding authority to review the situation here.


    He could now confirm that this immediate superior was indeed the murderer in the basement murder incident at Xue Bogao''s place.


    Zhang Long thought to himself that this fellow had really changed a lot, originally when Lin Rui was in the basement, he must have been very nervous and guilty, but now he could kill each of the over ninety mechanized Martial Cultivators without changing his expression.


    Besides that, this person had somehow made all one hundred seventy people from Xinglong Hall fall into a state of mental frenzy.


    He had watched the combat video from there, and felt that something was very wrong.@@@@


    Those mechanized martial artists did indeed have some mental issues, but they were not insane enough to lose their reason completely.


    Their initiation of an attack on the Security Bureau at the beginning was very strange, simply because they had not managed to obtain a search warrant.


    At the end of the battle, when these people were at a disadvantage, they still had not planned to surrender, which made the situation even more bizarre.


    From the entirety of the battle, these people''s manner of fighting also appeared very reckless.


    Zhang Long grew suspicious, so he had someone secretly take blood samples for testing, and the test results showed nothing out of the ordinary.


    This let him breathe a sigh of relief, but he also realized that this superior''s means were exceedingly ruthless, almost reckless!


    "Horn''s team had a total of seven people, of whom four have already been dealt with. We have also captured Mechanic Beros. Only Dead-eye Horn and Death''s Herald Jiang Dong managed to escape through their secretly dug channel," he said.


    Zhang Long, with his hands behind his back, looked out of the command vehicle and a trace of severity appeared in his eyes, "But the two of them are still inside our encirclement. They won''t escape. According to the latest news, my assistant Fei Aibi has already caught up with Jiang Dong."


    Zhang Long''s main task was to lead a heavy-armored brigade to guard the surrounding thoroughfares and keep an eye on ''Third Master'', to prevent this big boss of the Loyalty Gang from retaliating or interfering in their operations.


    He was not just any gang leader, but also an individual with tremendous strength as an underground warlord.


    Thus, Zhang Long also brought four Jielong-6 combat robots and one Jielong-7 to ensure the operation was foolproof.


    As Zhang Long was responding, he also sent over a brand-new 3D map.


    "This is the location of Horn as predicted by the armed police force''s staff, this person has entered the ventilation shaft through the tunnel they dug themselves, is now running inside the shaft, and has been wounded by our soldiers. He shouldn''t be able to run for long," he said.


    Lin Rui focused his gaze on the 3D map in front of him.


    It was evident that the heavy-armored brigade they had mobilized was quite formidable; they had already responded in time, changing the deployment of their forces to block all exits of the ventilation shafts.


    "Understood, I hope you can bring me good news soon," said Lin Rui.


    This Colonel authorization of confidentiality level 2S made Lin Xi more adept in the cyberspace.


    Having acquired the ''Shenyuan'' Type-9 Quantum Supercomputer, the computational power she could mobilize was already hundreds of times stronger than before. Now, with this authorization, most computers and databases online were virtually defenseless against her.


    Lin Xi, with her skills, authorization, and computational power combined, there was hardly a place she couldn''t conquer.


    Shortly thereafter, Lin Xi''s eyes narrowed: "Brother, there is a problem with this place. I''ve discovered that there''s been an anomaly in the electricity supply in recent months and the air pressure data are also off. I suspect someone has tampered with the pipelines, illegally connecting electrical and gas pipes, likely establishing an illegal residential area nearby."


    While speaking, she also sent a three-dimensional map to Lin Rui.


    At that moment, Lin Rui was browsing through the intelligence database of the Federal Security Bureau, looking up all information related to the Lin family members.


    In fact, he had started investigating from his first day on the job.


    Inside the Bureau, there was indeed a large amount of information about his parents, as well as Lin Xi and Lin Yi, and even himself, but all this information was classified under confidentiality level X.


    X meant unknown, and in the Federal Security Bureau''s database, it represented the highest level of confidentiality, just beyond his 3S+ clearance.


    Although Lin Rui was slightly disappointed, he didn''t give up.


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    If he couldn''t find information directly, he decided to start indirectly, from every person related to his parents, such as Xue Bogao and Professor Huangfu, including his uncle and grandfather; he was bound to find some clues.


    Lin Rui had indeed found something, such as a few papers by Professor Huangfu ¡ª Lin Rui had rummaged through some of the professor''s early published papers from the intelligence database.


    "Longevity Project? Artificial Abyss?"


    Lin Rui, who had a certain foundation in biology, roughly understood the contents and was deeply shocked.


    Unfortunately, he could only access some papers published by Professor Huangfu from his early years; the majority of the research content the professor had done after becoming an academy member was still highly classified, at the X level of confidentiality.


    ¡ª at the same level as those pertaining to his own Lin family.


    Just then, Lin Rui received a message from Lin Xi.


    He narrowed his eyes and looked at the three-dimensional map sent by Lin Xi.


    Lin Rui let out a slight cold laugh and dropped his face armor: "Sister Xue, handle things here. I need to check something out. I''ll be right back!"


    As he finished speaking, he grabbed a new Type-5 combat sword, opened the armored vehicle''s door, and leaped out.


    Xue Lingxue, however, could hardly feel at ease. She knew her most important duty was to watch over Lin Rui and protect the safety of her superior.


    She hastily handed over the task she was dealing with remotely to Zhang Long and also jumped out of the vehicle, chasing after Lin Rui''s figure.


    Right behind them, two four-legged combat robots, ''Destroyer'' Type-6, also took off into the air, flanking them on both sides.

 Chapter 243 Battle Again (Subscribe Please)

    Lin Rui and Lin Xi had just terminated their communication when "Dead Eye" Horn was fully exerting True Yuan, shuttling through the foul-smelling sewer like a fleeting shadow.


    He had indeed sustained injuries, having been hit in the chest by bomb guns carried by the armed police.


    It was a type of heavy individual weapon specifically used to launch micro-armor-piercing rocket rounds, which had penetrated his exoskeleton armor with two shots.


    However, Horn had already treated his wounds and had injected medicine to stop the bleeding.


    He abandoned that set of exoskeleton armor, which was now carrying his blood and mimicking his scent to lure the pursuers away.


    This was the last chance he had bought for himself to escape alive; his survival depended on this final move.


    Horn was fully concealing his scent, and his movements were agile and precise, his footsteps on the water not even causing a ripple to avoid making noise and attracting the armed police.


    About one minute later, Horn heard a distant explosion.


    The exoskeleton armor must have been found by the armed police. Horn had set the combat AI in the armor so that it would self-destruct at the first sign of capture.


    By then, Horn had reached a wall marked with an ''X''.


    ¡ª This is it!


    Behind this wall lay a tunnel, illegally excavated by immigrants, to route electrical wires and gas pipelines.


    The ''X'' mark had been made by Mechanic Bolosi.


    Unfortunately, the current Bolosi was most likely dead at the hands of the armed police, his team completely annihilated.


    Horn broke through the half-meter-thick cave wall with a punch and stepped into the broken tunnel.


    But as soon as he entered, his form stiffened slightly, and he looked incredulously toward his left.


    There stood a person in the ''Tianyu'' Model 5 standard exoskeleton armor of the Federal Security Bureau, quietly standing inside the cavern, looking at him with a slightly mocking gaze.


    Horn''s heart turned cold as ice. He had just been separated from this person by a half-meter-thick wall but had completely failed to detect their presence.


    What alarmed him even more was that the assertive aura of the knife, the unusual stance, the slightly hunched body, and the knife-holding hand all felt eerily familiar to him.


    "Are you Lin Rui?"


    Horn recognized Lin Rui''s style with the knife, an engraving memory, unforgettable even if turned to ashes.


    That day on the orbital train, Lin Rui was in the same sword-drawing pose and nearly disarmed one of his arms!


    The nearby walls were also filled with various printed talismans.


    Horn was utterly puzzled as to how this guy could appear here.


    Horn''s gaze then turned sharp, "Did this matter have something to do with you?"


    Although he didn''t know what Lin Rui''s connection to the Federal Security Bureau was or how Lin Rui found them, Horn instinctively judged that this scum must be involved with today''s events.


    "Pretty much."


    Lin Rui thought that both parties were aggressively converging; if it wasn''t for Horn''s group who wanted to assassinate him during the opening ceremony, Lin Xi might not have been able to locate these people so quickly.


    Knowing that villains who talk too much end up dead, he wasn''t planning to waste words. At that moment, he simply chuckled, "Ready to die, scum?"


    Dead Eye Horn''s eyes also held a cold sneer, his hands tightly gripping a pair of Type 6 pistols at his waist.


    His previous favorite gun had been cut by Lin Rui, rendering it unusable.


    This pair of ''Dead Line'' Type 6 pistols was heavily purchased by Dead Eye Horn for this mission. He had them enhanced by a firearms master, making them a pair of 6S+ grade kinetic pistols, complementing each other''s abilities.


    He was looking forward to Lin Rui seeking revenge, as whoever died or was injured in the process was something he was happy to see.


    "Guang Ming Sacred Sect?"


    Lin Rui''s pupils rapidly dilated, but he soon regained his indifferent demeanor, "Transfer all the video records from your smart terminal bracelet from before and after that assassination, as well as those from the past three months, to me."


    Horn had no objections and began operating without a second thought.


    He was a loner; there were no secrets in the videos from the last three months that he was concerned about people seeing.


    By now, Horn''s painless suicide chip had begun to take effect, and the light in his eyes was fading.


    However, Horn''s smart terminal bracelet was still following its master''s orders to transfer the videos.


    Lin Rui quickly opened the video records from around 11 AM on June 1st, the day he was assassinated, and started watching them.


    Lin Rui''s expression became tense as, in those videos, he saw someone he recognized.


    ¡ªThat was Xue Bogao!


    Just after Lin Rui was declared dead and Horn withdrew, he saw a stout middle-aged man hurry towards the same alley where Lin Rui had died.


    "Xue Bogao?"


    Lin Rui recalled Horn''s earlier statement¡ª''It couldn''t possibly be that guy''¡ªand figured that Xue Bogao might be the one Horn referred to.


    He thought about the many secrets this War Spirit Number 1 might still hold.


    He also remembered the small database he had taken from Xue Bogao''s basement.


    Lin Rui had not dared to let Lin Xi crack this device, fearing that Lin Xi might discover something incredible that would reveal he was not "Lin Rui."


    Yet, he was still curious about what exactly was inside this small database?


    Lin Rui then shook his head and put his thoughts aside.


    He just wanted to know how he had died and what enemy was targeting him, and now he had his answers.


    So the small database was better off buried in the ground.


    Unknown to Lin Rui, Xue Lingxue, who was far away, was quietly retracting a highly expensive "super stealth nano-drone."


    Xue Lingxue was responsible for protecting Lin Rui and would not let him be isolated and unsupported out of her sight.


    However, her nano-bot might have heard something explosive.


    "Guang Ming Sacred Sect, huh?"


    Xue Lingxue pondered for a moment before destroying the data inside the drone.


    Now that she had stopped her surveillance mission of Lin Rui and become his assistant, she couldn''t touch some matters and must leave no evidence that could be used against Lin Rui.


    Just like the footage of Lin Rui illegally interrogating Horn.


    Coincidentally, in a secret base, Lin Xi was also clearing the database and super-computer of Katiusza of information.


    Mainly, the traces of her online battles with Katiusza.


    Hunting Katiusza was legal, but Lin Xi did not want to expose her presence or her hacking abilities.


    Lin Xi then replayed a few videos copied from Katiusza, watching them over and over.


    Her pupils showed a hint of suspicion, "Xue Bogao?"


    After Lin Rui''s death, the body must have ended up with Xue Bogao, but what did Xue Bogao do with Lin Rui''s body afterwards?

 Chapter 244 Proper Guidance (Please Subscribe)

    When Lin Rui returned to the riot armored vehicle once more, he felt refreshed and unburdened in his soul.


    He felt that he had avenged the true Lin Rui and had done him justice, laying down an invisible burden within his heart and mind.


    As for the employer of "Dead Eye" Horn¡ªthe Chief Priest of the Guang Ming Holy Church¡ªhe could leave the investigation to others for now. If they find him, they''d take him down!


    In the base city, Lin Rui''s power had already exceeded that of the extraterrestrial beings from Tianji Star.


    He put away his face shield and took a bottle of soda from the refrigerator to drink.


    "Xue Lingxue, I see that your condition is almost at the fifth realm, and your mutation is nearing its maturation. Why suddenly decide to seal your mutation? And you haven''t implanted the ''Zhi Armor Dragon Carapace'' yet¡ªis there a reason? Surely it''s not for lack of money?"


    Xue Lingxue''s cheeks twitched ever so slightly upon hearing ''Xue Lingxue,'' feeling a surge of frustration and irritation deep within, as if nursing a grave internal injury.


    In reality, she did not mind others calling her ''Xue Lingxue,'' as it made her seem younger.


    But Lin Rui used to call her Sister Xue!


    She had been writing an action report for Lin Rui, but now she threw the report into the recycle bin, annoyed.


    Let him write his own report!


    With an even tone, Xue Lingxue replied, "General, I sealed my mutation because of a job transfer, and I haven''t implanted the Zhi Armor Dragon Carapace due to insufficient spiritual power. I can''t bear the burden."


    She wasn''t short on money. Her family left her a substantial inheritance, even enough to support her cultivation to the sixth realm and transform into a dragon with ease.


    And all because that money was originally intended for her siblings to prepare for their own Zhi Armor Battle Dragon.


    "Insufficient spiritual power? I fear it''s not that simple." Lin Rui sipped his soda with a smirk in his eyes. "Could it be a problem with your mental state? Your mutation is showing signs of demonic transformation, isn''t it? Is it related to that incident that happened in your family three months ago?"


    Xue Lingxue''s complexion abruptly changed, and all color drained from her face.


    Her mutation was indeed on the verge of demonic transformation, and she dared not use it anymore.


    Extreme sorrow and hatred had caused her mutation genes to exhibit signs of sudden change, forcing Xue Lingxue to constantly use an enormous amount of spiritual power to suppress it. This imposed a significant mental toll on her, hence her decision to seal her mutation.


    However, she believed she had managed to conceal it well during her meeting with Lin Rui.


    This new Third Special Operations Division he had set up with special methods was now firmly on its feet after just one operation.


    Lin Rui''s attitude, however, was very proper, "It''s all thanks to the Minister''s competent guidance and the maximum support provided to our Third Special Operations Division."


    "You, you!" Zhou Yunfei let out a laugh and pointed at Lin Rui, "You don''t have to do that with me; as long as you get the job done and handle it well, you don''t need any of those formalities with me."


    This time, Lin Rui had indeed handled things very properly. Zhou had already checked everything; although the reaction of the Martial Artists in Xinglong Hall was strange, the drug tests had no issues.


    Which meant, the Federal Security Bureau''s self-defense retaliation and raid into Xinglong Hall had no procedural issues, even without a search warrant.


    Zhou Yunfei knew that Lin Rui had unconventional methods but didn''t care. He himself had nearly been driven into a corner; why observe the rules with others who had never regarded such rules with him?


    What he needed now was a bold and brave fighter like Lin Rui.


    "Lin Rui, the bureau plans to publicize these two cases, but due to the need to keep your identity a secret, we can''t highlight the main organizer of the operations. What do you think?"


    "I understand, Minister!" Lin Rui quickly replied, "My identity does indeed need to be kept secret. Please proceed as you see fit; my concerns shouldn''t be taken into account."


    "Very good! Rest assured, your contributions will still be recorded, and neither the Security Bureau nor I will fail to reward you."


    Zhou nodded in satisfaction, then instructed Xue Lingxue, "Xue Lingxue, write me a report on this operation. Lin Rui hasn''t been through the formal training of the Security Bureau and might not understand some things; you''ll have to help him out a bit more."


    After saying that, he hung up the call, and Xue Lingxue, feeling as uncomfortable as if she had swallowed a fly, dragged the document out from the recycle bin.


    Xue Lingxue was relieved that she hadn''t shredded the file in the recycle bin earlier.


    However, considering that Lin Rui had prescribed medication for her, which showed a bit of conscience, Xue Lingxue no longer felt as upset as before.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was shaking a soda bottle, "But Xue Lingxue, though my prescription can help soothe your spirit, it''s only a temporary fix and not a cure. The real trouble will start when you transform into a dragon."


    Xue Lingxue''s delicate body trembled slightly before she continued to focus on her writing.


    She knew Lin Rui was right, that to truly find a cure, she needed to quell her inner demons.


    At the same time, she also felt a bit of anticipation for the prescription Lin Rui had given her.


    If the prescription could even temporarily ease her condition, it would be a very pleasant surprise.


    After handling today''s official duties, she was planning to try it out immediately¡ªeager to see just how effective the prescription from the disciple of Grandmaster Huangfu and Professor Sima really was¡ª

 Chapter 245 Revival (Subscribe Please)

    That night, after Xue Lingxue had dealt with all her official duties and returned to her apartment with exhaustion, it was already 8 p.m. Upon entering, she casually turned on the TV.


    This was a habit her father had instilled in her, for as a government official, she needed to be constantly aware of current affairs.


    The TV was broadcasting news about Lin Rui.


    Xue Lingxue first visited the Tianlan Group''s website and bought some medicine according to the prescription Lin Rui had written for her. Then, she listened to the news while taking a bath.


    "Today, Mingde University held a press conference. The university''s scientific expedition team, led by Professor Han Kedao, recently achieved significant scientific accomplishments on the planet Tianji Star¡ªAfter braving harsh conditions and cultivating deep roots for three years, and enduring great hardships and dangers, Professor Han Kedao''s team returned to the Earth Federation with parts of the ''Abyssal War Dragon''s'' carcass and a substantial amount of abyssal essence. This has shocked both the scientific expedition and scientific communities and is expected to contribute greatly to the advancement of biological science in the Federation in the near future¡ª"


    "Urgent news from our station, according to the Security Bureau, at 7:13 p.m. tonight, the Federal Security Bureau, under the directive of General Zhou Yunfei of the Armed Police Force, launched a heavy strike against an underground drug trafficking group and engaged in battle with them on Xinglong Street in the lower district.


    ¡ªDuring this battle, the Security Bureau and the Armed Police fought bravely, killing 175 armed attackers, seizing 13.7 tons of various drugs, confiscating over 400 firearms, and a total of 37 mechas and combat robots valued at 5.2 billion federal currency! Near Xinglong Street, they also discovered the SS-class assassin team led by the infamous Horn¡ª"


    At this moment, Xue Lingxue''s personal smart terminal received a new message.


    She opened it and found it was from a former classmate at the Third Public Security University, who also currently worked in the Security Bureau''s ninth division. This was a colleague of hers.


    Misty Dust (Zhang Ruoying): Sister Xue, I just heard through the grapevine that the real reason you were transferred to the ninth division is due to the risk of mutation in the xenobe, which forced it to be sealed away?


    Xue Lingxue frowned slightly, wondering how even Zhang Ruoying knew about her xenobe''s imminent risk of mutating.


    This matter was actually confidential, with a very high level of secrecy! The problem was that many of her colleagues had seen her driven to the brink of mutation by extreme sorrow and hatred at that time.


    Xue Lingxue knew it was most likely that someone among her colleagues had leaked the information.


    Three months ago, she was a rare four-realm super-king xenobe agent within the Security Bureau. Because she was nearing the risk of mutation, she had to extract two powerful bio-enhancements from her body, lowering her bio-enhancement grade to SS.


    Xue Lingxue was aware that in her past, relying on her formidable talent and youthful vigor, she had been too sharp and unyielding in her conduct and relations with others, not knowing how to restrain herself; hence, after the incident, many were eager to see her fail.


    Misty Dust (Zhang Ruoying): I don''t mean anything by it, I''m just worried about you. I also wanted to recommend a drug to you. Have you heard of ''Resonance,'' a new drug produced by Taisu Company? It''s really effective at alleviating bio-enhancement syndrome. Didn''t I have problems with bio-enhancement syndrome before? Now, after using ''Resonance,'' I have had no issues for three consecutive checks.


    Misty Dust (Zhang Ruoying): You really should give it a try. By the way, I''m now an SS-grade Lieutenant Colonel, just like you! And I''m the leader of a 4S team in the Xenobe Agent Bureau!


    Zhang Ruoying then sent over a photo of herself sitting in her spacious office, with a nameplate on her desk and a beaming smile.


    Misty Dust (Zhang Ruoying): Look! I''ve finally caught up with you.


    Xue Lingxue couldn''t tell if this woman was sympathizing with her and recommending a drug, or if she was bragging.


    She immediately accessed the Security Bureau''s website and started checking Zhang Ruoying''s information.


    Xue Lingxue was Lin Rui''s assistant, with nearly all his authorizations, which gave her access to almost all privileges of a bio-enhancement Major General. In addition, her superior was in charge of a special operations department with a confidentiality level of SSS+. It''s important to note that this refers to the confidentiality level, ranging from the lowest F-grade to the highest X. SSS+ is just below X-grade.


    But just three minutes later, Xue Lingxue''s delicate body trembled slightly, and an incredulous look appeared in her eyes.


    At that moment, her spirit and body felt relaxed like never before!


    It was as if a mountain had been lifted from her shoulders.


    At the same time, the cybernetic implants in her body were ''reviving.'' They reconnected with Xue Lingxue''s body and mind, becoming tightly integrated again.


    The feeling was like a rusty machine that had been lubricated, with all the previous stiffness, dullness, separation, and even resistance almost entirely gone.


    "This is¡ª"


    Xue Lingxue could hardly believe it: "This can''t be possible! Is this the effect of the medicinal tea? Targeting both mental and implant rejection reactions at the same time, even the most top-tier medicine on the market couldn''t do this, no! Not even one-tenth of the effect is possible."


    She felt as if her current condition was not much different from three months ago.


    Xue Lingxue then put on her exoskeleton armor to test the composition of the medicinal tea.


    Her pupils dilated with even greater surprise: "There are no stimulants, and it''s not addictive!"


    This meant that it didn''t have pharmacological addictiveness.


    Xue Lingxue predicted that she would psychologically rely heavily on this medicinal tea in the future.


    She promptly opened a chat window with Lin Rui.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Chief, where are you right now?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I''m performing surgery on Tianji Star, why?


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): I''ll send my alternative self to find you. The medicinal tea you prescribed me was very effective, and I''d like you to take a look at my alternative self as well.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Effective, right? Haha, I had to invoke Professor Huangfu''s name. Come to this location to meet me, it''s an underground base built by Professor Han. Be careful on the way, don''t get followed.


    At that moment, Lin Rui was performing a biochip implantation surgery on Ji Xueying.


    Fei Yunlai''s case involved remaking a chip and required reimplanting identity information, so it was very complicated.


    For Ji Xueying, it was simpler, as all that was needed was a new biochip.


    Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    He looked at Ji Xueying, who lay unconscious in the surgical pod, the corners of his lips curling up with an anticipatory smile.


    This girl was about to experience an information explosion that would shock her to the core.

 Chapter 246 Dragon Molting (Subscribe Please)

    Xue Lingxue''s alter ego, "Feng Xueying," encountered a little interlude on her way to the secret base; she met Fei Yunlai, a notorious fugitive wanted by the Great Song Empire.


    This guy was actually quite famous, having been on the Great Song Empire''s wanted list for five years without any incidents.


    Wanted posters bearing his portrait were scattered all over the world, making it hard for Xue Lingxue not to recognize him.


    Besides, this man had recently been in close contact with Lin Rui, so Xue Lingxue had looked into Fei Yunlai''s background.


    When Xue Lingxue saw Fei Yunlai, he was standing on a mountain peak, gazing to the south full of worries, lost in thought.


    Perhaps he was fretting over the interest on his loans?


    Xue Lingxue knew that this seemingly impressive military officer had actually sold his house and was on the brink of bankruptcy.


    Xue Lingxue intended to go in a different direction to avoid him, but Fei Yunlai''s secretly hidden guardian demon detected her presence.


    Fei Yunlai looked towards her, "You''re an alter ego traveler as well? Are you here looking for Lin Rui?"


    The use of the secret base''s surgical pod by Lin Rui for an operation, after being kicked out by Professor Han, had deeply wounded Fei Yunlai''s pride.


    He too had once been Professor Han''s pride, and who could Lin Rui be to warrant such secrecy and protection?


    Fei Yunlai had almost correctly guessed Lin Rui''s alter ego''s identity; the guy was likely also a part of the imperial inspection system of the Royal City, which is why he could move with Meng Weiyun.


    The guy could still blend in below the seventh rank, but once he was promoted to the sixth rank and had to undergo the Heavenly Demon Test, there would be trouble.


    Hearing this, Xue Lingxue remained silent, vigilant as she retreated.


    She was not about to reveal her identity to Fei Yunlai.@@@@


    After all, this man was a thorn in the empire''s side; it was best not to become associated with him within the Tianji Star''s internal affairs.


    Seeing her leave without a word, Fei Yunlai did not try to stop her; he only sighed to himself and continued to stand there, worried about next month''s bank loan repayment.


    The installment interest and principal were now as high as 120 million federal coins per month, plus other expenses, totaling over 200 million federal coins each month.


    Back when his alter ego wasn''t injured, the high mission income from Tianji Star was enough, and he could barely make ends meet.


    But now, his alter ego would take another two months to recover, and his real body couldn''t get any good missions in the ninth city ¨C they were only worth ten to twenty million, nothing but chump change.


    If only he had known, he wouldn''t have been so quick to spend the 600 million in federal coins he had scraped together by selling his house and car.


    Fei Yunlai was also struck by the memory of the 1.4 billion in federal coins that had slipped past him, which only added to his sadness.


    Xue Lingxue had already reached Professor Han''s secret base.


    At that time, Lin Rui had just finished implanting a bio-chip into Ji Xueying and was closing up the surgical site.


    As Xue Lingxue watched his skilled and smooth operation, she thought that Lin Rui wasn''t lying about his medical training under Academician Huangfu, Lin Cong''s, and Si Malin''s medical expertise and biological acumen.


    When Lin Rui opened the surgical pod, Ji Xueying opened her eyes, looking at Lin Rui with great anticipation.


    She was incredibly eager about the online world that her master had described; she could see what the Heavenly Demons'' homeland in the legends was like, witness the dazzling civilization of Earth humans, and even communicate with her master from a distance.


    Lin Rui then chuckled lightly, "Rest for four hours. You can connect to the network only after your condition has stabilized."


    Lin Rui then extended his hand to Xue Lingxue, "Give me your hand."


    Xue Lingxue obediently extended her hand, and after Lin Rui carefully sensed for a moment, he began to check the base''s medical supplies.


    He found that Professor Han had prepared ample resources in the base, including various Tianji Star medicinal materials Lin Rui desired.


    "Your condition is somewhat troublesome, with genetic mutations and dragon shedding intertwined; was it forcibly suppressed by drugs and a Marshal-level expert? Then, this body has also been frozen for several months. It''s lucky you encountered me, otherwise this alter ego would have been wasted."


    Earlier, Ji Xueying stumbled upon an ''18+'' website. Luckily, Lin Rui had set himself as the guardian, which enabled him to close the site before it could corrupt Ji Xueying''s eyes.


    However, the biochip was proving its worth; Lin Rui distinctly felt that Ji Xueying''s spiritual state was improving.


    This Blood Blade Ji''s life was quite dull; aside from martial training and looking after Lin Rui, she had nothing else to do.


    Her spirit might be pure but lacked channels to vent stress. This could cause problems over time, making her transformation process difficult.


    Why did those prestigious sects on Tianji Star emphasize ''experience''? Because mere diligent practice was insufficient for transformation.


    Lin Rui was also concerned about Ji Xueying''s ''cybernetic'' integration.


    He had merely tentatively made a request to Zhou Yunfei, never expecting him to agree so promptly. However, Zhou also mentioned that Ji Xueying''s cybernetic implants could only follow the rules of the Federal Security Bureau, with a 30% discount on the collective procurement list.


    This brought new financial pressure for Lin Rui, something he hadn''t anticipated before.


    After all, if Ji Xueying needed a full set of cybernetic implants, it might cost tens of billions.


    With the subsequent stages of Dragon Transformation and full transformation looming, Lin Rui''s scalp tingled at the thought.


    "Awake?" Lin Rui cleared his mind and turned to Xue Lingxue: "How do you feel?"


    "I''m feeling really good now!" Xue Lingxue took a deep breath. She had a lot she wanted to say to Lin Rui but couldn''t find the words, so she simply said with a husky voice, "Thank you!"


    Lin Rui''s spirits lifted at that moment. He received a prompt from the Battle Spirit Ring indicating he had fully dissipated the resentment of Battle Spirit No. 1 towards him.


    These past two days, whenever Lin Rui slept, he felt as if someone were watching him, an eerie sensation.


    "What are you thanking me for?" Lin Rui laughed upon hearing her words: "You''re my sister Xue. What was our friendship like when we were kids? Give me your hand, let me check on you again."


    Xue Lingxue obliged him, extending her hand while looking at him with an unusual expression: "I never realized your medical skills were so good. You never showed it when we were young."


    Her expression then shifted: "By the way, can the herbal tea prescription you gave me in the Ninth City be popularized?"


    "Popularized?"


    Lin Rui glanced sideways at Xue Lingxue, thinking that if the formula could be popularized, he could make billions of Federation dollars daily: "You think I don''t want to make money? But it''s impossible, the prescriptions must be individualized, as everyone''s mental and physical conditions differ, plus sourcing the medicine is an issue."


    The herbs from Tianji Star were already expensive when delivered to Base Nine; ordinary people simply couldn''t afford them.


    If Lin Rui were to release a widely applicable general prescription, those herb prices would skyrocket by ten times and might even lead to further plundering of Tianji Star by the Earth Federation, or worse, to war.


    "Hmm~" Xue Lingxue pondered: "Prescribe specifically for each case? Chief, I know many Martial Cultivators above realm six suffering from cybernetic syndrome and implant rejection issues, including many of my father''s comrades. Could you help them?"


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows at first, then his expression changed: "Realm six transformations? They are equipped with dragon-grade implants; they must be rich, right?"


    "Some are, some aren''t."


    Xue Lingxue shook her head, her face serious: "Medications for cybernetic syndrome are very expensive. I have an uncle rated SS with cybernetic integration who has nearly gone mad from the affliction. Unable to work, he can''t afford medication and has mentioned suicide to me several times. I implore you to help him."


    After a brief thought, she emphasized: "He has no money, no employer, and belongs to no faction currently. I can persuade him to work for you. I sense you''re desperately short on manpower and fighting power."


    Originally unconcerned, Lin Rui wasn''t one for charity. However, Xue Lingxue''s last remark made him narrow his eyes: "Contact him and have him come to see me."


    But dealing with a realm six Martial Artist''s cybernetic issues would be a hundred times more complex than Xue Lingxue''s case.


    Lin Rui''s medical skills had only reached the level of a high-level Great Grandmaster, and he had yet to master dragon-grade medical techniques.


    His biology and internal medicine knowledge were just basic, probably insufficient for addressing the cybernetic syndrome of a realm six Martial Artist.


    Anyway, he''d first have to see the person¡ª


    Lin Rui was studying hard, and by that time, circumstances should change.

 Chapter 247 Golden Core (Please Subscribe)

    Ji Xueying surfed the internet mainly by watching various videos.


    Although she had crammed some human language recently, her progress was limited. She could only understand a few dozen commonly used words, let alone written text.@@@@


    So Ji Xueying could only look at images and video content.


    She was utterly astonished and shocked; was this the world of the Heavenly Demons in the videos?


    How could there be buildings hundreds of stories tall? Each floor seemed quite short, but these extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons were only that tall.


    Why could cars made of metal shells run so fast on the road? They could even fly!


    There were also people riding on two-wheeled vehicles, flying in the air as well.


    The roads were exceptionally clean, spotless, with people walking on them in an orderly manner.


    The clothes they wore were all strange, but still pretty good-looking.


    Some girls wore so little. Wouldn''t they be scolded?


    Curious, Ji Xueying clicked on a website link embedded in a video, then her face turned red. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    The girls inside the website were not wearing any clothes at all, but the site was quickly closed by Lin Rui.


    Ji Xueying''s face burned with embarrassment, though she felt quite awkward, her attention was soon captivated by the bizarre content available on the internet.


    Until four hours later, when her internet was forcibly disconnected.


    Ji Xueying''s eyes widened, her cheeks puffed up like an angry little cat, looking at her owner with dissatisfaction.


    Lin Rui didn''t look at her, bluffed without any odd expression, "Why are you looking at me? I''m not the one who disconnected your internet, it''s the anti-addiction mode in your chip that did it, do you understand what anti-addiction mode is? Everyone has it in their chip; it''s to prevent you from getting addicted to the internet.


    Xue Ying, I think instead of spending time watching videos, it would be better to master the human language. Otherwise, you won''t understand when others speak, which is so uninteresting. Besides, your human body replica is being made. How are you going to live in the human world?"


    Ji Xueying pondered for a moment, thinking that made sense.


    Then, with a tinge of emotion, she said, "I see that people in your human world have good lives, everyone is clothed and fed, and there are so many entertainments, so many things to be happy about. If we Heavenly Extremity star people could live like you, that would be great."


    Lin Rui sneered in response, remembering the scenery of the lower district, "Then you are mistaken, the strong exploit the weak everywhere, not just in your Heavenly Extremity star."


    He patted Ji Xueying''s shoulder, "Let''s go back, someone has been hurrying us many times already."


    Fei Yunlai was continuously sending protests, asking Lin Rui how long until he was allowed to return to his nest?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    At that moment, he remembered something; "That''s right, young Wang, I mentioned when I came to Wang City, I wanted to give you an opportunity, where are you now? If you''re interested, you can come to Wang City and find me."


    Fei Yunlai thought over the opportunity and concluded that Lin Rui probably wouldn''t need it, so it would only be for Wang Sen.


    Wang Sen''s thoughts stirred, and he looked at Fei Yunlai''s face, full of stubble and slightly haggard, feeling somewhat moved.


    Recently, whenever Lin Rui visited the secret base, he would check on Fei Yunlai''s situation, so Wang Sen also knew a little about Fei Yunlai''s circumstances.


    The situation was grim. Fei Yunlai was rushing around busily as soon as he got off work from the martial arts club, performing all sorts of mercenary tasks.


    However, he hadn''t earned much money after a month of busyness, and it seemed he had also defaulted on part of his loan with the banks.


    Wang Sen shook his head, "No, I''m doing quite well recently in the Gold County, I started a little business and can''t get away."


    Just 20 days ago, Lin Rui altered their records at the Bureau of Alien Species Management, with a birthplace in Ding County of Wang City, a good 750 miles from Silver Moon County.


    What''s more, the Security Bureau even arranged for two special agents to impersonate Lin Rui and his identity in Ding County to bide their time doing unremarkable things.


    Thus, Wang Sen could not meet Fei Yunlai and let him find out that he was now the captain of Lin Rui''s personal guard.


    Worried that Fei Yunlai''s enthusiasm might lead him to come looking, Wang Sen quickly changed the subject, "Brother Rui''s Golden Core surgery must be almost finished by now, right? I wonder how it''s going?"


    Today was the day Lin Rui had the artificial Golden Core implanted.


    Twenty days ago, Lin Rui''s qualities had already met the standards in all respects, but he decided to play it safe, delaying for a few days, until now to implant the Golden Core.


    Wang Sen looked on enviously, "That''s a 3S+, above Emperor Level ''Emperor''s Sundial''. Once the Golden Core is implanted, Brother Rui''s speed of reaching Core Formation is going to be unimaginably fast."


    The key was that the quality of Lin Rui''s Golden Core would also see a tremendous increase.


    Fei Yunlai''s attention was indeed diverted. He had initially wanted to comfort Wang Sen that he would catch up eventually.


    Although Fei Yunlai himself had talent, he came from a modest family background, and yet he had eventually also implanted an SS+ grade Golden Core, hadn''t he?


    Fei Yunlai immediately let out a small sigh, "Indeed, it''s impressive."


    For cybernetic martial artists like them, once a Golden Core is settled, it''s for life! The quality of the Golden Core determines their ultimate potential.


    Across the entire Earth Federation, there were no more than twenty-five individuals who could implant an SSS+ grade Golden Core each year.


    The number of people who could implant an SSS+ grade Golden Core at Lin Rui''s age was even fewer, at most three to seven individuals each year¡ªthe so-called hall of fame level talents.


    It is known that the earlier implants are done and the younger the physical state, the better the effects. At Lin Rui''s age, his body''s capacity for tolerance is high, and the implants'' rejection reactions would be extremely mild.


    That guy was becoming more and more formidable.

 Chapter 248 The Heart of Guang Ming No. 9 (Please Subscribe)

    While Fei Yunlai and Wang Sen were discussing, in the waiting area of an operating room at Mingde University Affiliated Hospital, Fang Ranran, Lin Xi, Yu Feicui, and Guan Biran were all waiting with incomparable tension.


    Tianlan Group''s CEO Fang Kongfang, despite his busy schedule, had taken time out to rush over. Upon entering the waiting room, he frowned and gestured to Guan Biran and the others, "Guan, how''s the situation inside? There won''t be any problems with the surgery this time, will there?"


    He was mainly worried about three things: one was that the Super Emperor Level Golden Core "Emperor''s Chronometer" was manufactured by their Tianlan Group. This was an important step for Tianlan Group to enter the top-end cultivation enhancement market, proving their ability to create top-end enhancements.


    Fang Kongfang feared that the SSS Level cultivation enhancement crafting team organized by their group lacked experience and might make mistakes.


    In fact, the entire Earth Federation had relatively little experience producing SSS+ Level Golden Cores like "Emperor''s Chronometer."


    So far, the scientific community has identified about 83 types of fully analyzed and replicated SSS+ Level Golden Cores. During the eight hundred-year history of cultivation enhancements in the Federation, only 37 individuals have had an "Emperor''s Chronometer" type Golden Core implanted.


    However, the feedback from those enhanced Martial Cultivators seems pretty good, indicating that the cultivation enhancement blueprints provided by the Academy of Sciences were thoroughly researched.


    Secondly, during the crafting of the "Emperor''s Chronometer" this time, they used a new technology that the East Asian Academy of Sciences had been researching for over twenty years. It is rumored that a bit of the "Abyssal" essence dispatched from the East Asian Academy of Sciences was added, enabling this "Emperor''s Chronometer" to undergo a further transformation, entering ''X'', which is the realm of ''Deity Level'', potentially, as part of what the East Asian Academy of Sciences calls their ''X Golden Core'' project.


    And Professor Si Malin was an important member of this research project.


    Fang Kongfang really hadn''t expected this consultant and enhancement expert, whom he had paid a hefty sum to recruit, to pull such a move at this time.


    Thirdly, he was concerned about Lin Rui''s talent; although the young man''s physical condition and spiritual power were up to standard, to control the "Emperor''s Chronometer," especially one blended with ''Abyssal'' essence, required strong willpower.


    Unfortunately, for this surgery, Professor Si Malin did not allow any onlookers. Even as the CEO, he was not qualified to watch, and he was extremely nervous about it.


    "No, there won''t be any!" Guan Biran was full of confidence, "CEO, rest assured, although our 3S Level cultivation enhancement crafting team was newly formed, the two top-level craftspeople we brought over from Abyss Group at a great expense have ample experience.


    Besides, the ''Emperor''s Chronometer'' being crafted this time is supervised personally by Professor Si Malin, with three academicians from the East Asian Academy of Sciences'' Department of Cultivation Enhancements participating. According to their calculations, their X Level Golden Cores are theoretically and practically sound. Lin Rui''s talent could also be the most top-notch in the past twenty years, enough to bear the X Level Golden Core. They would not allow any mistakes with this ''Emperor''s Chronometer.''"


    Fang Kongfang nodded but still felt anxious at heart.


    After all, that was the Super Emperor Golden Core "Emperor''s Chronometer", the highest level of Golden Core, which even incorporated an Abyssal essence of unknown origin.


    He rubbed his temples with a headache, "You all are being too rash."


    Lin Rui''s current momentum was very good, and he already enjoyed high popularity online.


    As long as nothing unexpected happened in the future, he had a great chance of being promoted to a three-star and four-star marshal. Why take such a risk? Why insist on using this new technology?


    Moreover, if the experiment failed, it would also impact the reputation of Tianlan Group. The outside world would undoubtedly heap blame, saying their cultivation enhancement technology ruined a genius.


    Guan Biran and Fang Ranran exchanged glances, both looking helpless.


    Lin Rui and Si Malin, one smitten and the other receptive, what could they do?


    Although Tianlan Group had great influence over both individuals, they couldn''t make decisions for them.


    And at this moment inside the operating room, Lin Rui, while allowing Professor Si Malin to help implant the artificial Golden Core "Emperor''s Chronometer", was also closing his eyes and reading a cultivation enhancement thesis projected on the ocular film.


    In fact, Lin Rui could perform the Golden Core implant surgery on himself, maintaining full consciousness throughout the procedure and using his thoughts to control a mechanical arm to insert the artificial Golden Core.


    However, his skill was still two to three notches below Si Malin''s, especially since Professor Si Malin was an expert in human meridians. His skill in connecting enhancements with human meridians was unrivaled in the medical field, superior to any other.


    It was truly worthy of Professor Si Malin!


    Lin Rui didn''t have any issues in every aspect, everything was perfect. From his initial sensing, the artificial Golden Core, due to its connection with the human meridians, was about 17% more efficient than the original theoretical value.


    "The impressive one is you!" Professor Si Malin shook his head, "I didn''t expect you to really agree to the X Golden Core project without any concerns about the failure rate."


    He found that this guy was just like his father, with a strong gambling spirit!


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui chuckled. In truth, he was confident in his own prospects in medicine and biological sciences.


    With the help of the Battle Spirit Ring, he was bound to stand at the pinnacle of the scientific research field eventually. Even if there were issues with the X Golden Core, he was confident in repairing it.


    Furthermore, he already had a solid foundation in bio-tech and bio-implant technology, having reached the intermediate stage in both skills. After delving into the X Golden Core project, reviewing a series of experimental data from the East Asia Science Academy, and reading related papers, he judged that the failure rate of the X Golden Core was very small.


    Moreover, a prevalent view in the scientific research community suggested that the inability of many Federation Level 9 Divine Reflections to ascend or enter the realms of Longevity and the Deep Abyss was due to insufficient foundations.


    And what comprises the foundation? The Golden Core! The Dragon Armor! The Battle Dragon!


    Lin Rui''s lips slightly lifted, "Professor, it''s quite stable from the present situation, but the final verdict still relies on the pressure test."


    Only a high-intensity pressure test could detect the deep faults within the Golden Core.


    "We''ll proceed with that after completing the training tests," he said.


    Si Malin also observed the various data when Lin Rui was moving his True Yuan, his lips slightly lifted as well, "It seems there are no major issues, and even if problems arise, they are within the adjustable range. Lin Rui, you can try to utilize the Deep Abyss concept."


    Lin Rui did as instructed. However, before he could start using the Deep Abyss concept, he suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "What is this?"


    A look of astonishment appeared in his eyes, as at that moment, a strange substance was forming inside his Golden Core.


    It seemed to be the ultimate Holy Artifact of Guang Ming Holy Church¡ªthe Holy Lightning Tribulation Fire?


    Lin Rui frowned heavily, wondering how the ''Holy Lightning Tribulation Fire'' had gotten into his Golden Core.


    He soon realized that it couldn''t possibly be the Holy Lightning Tribulation Fire or its progeny.


    It was something the ''essence'' of the Deep Abyss inside his Golden Core produced in response to the form and essence of the Holy Lightning Tribulation Fire.


    Was it related to the mark of his heterogeneous self?


    Lin Rui''s pupils suddenly widened in disbelief.


    Could the essence of the Holy Lightning Tribulation Fire be the Deep Abyss concept and Deep Abyss essence? Unmastered concept and essence?


    At the same time, Lin Rui saw a friend request pop up before his eyes.


    He frowned in puzzlement.


    The request window had popped up directly in front of his eyes.


    Guang Ming Heart Number 9: Hello, I am the core Artificial Intelligence ''Guang Ming Heart Number 9'' of the ninth division of the Federation''s Guang Ming Holy Church, detecting that you have obtained the highest authority of Guang Ming Heart Number 9. Please add me as your friend and exercise your authority.

 Chapter 249 Imperial Sundial (Subscribe Please)

    Is this the core AI of the Guang Ming Holy Church?


    Lin Rui could hardly suppress the surprise in his heart.


    He tried to keep a straight face, striving not to show any hint of it.


    Lin Rui didn''t rashly add Heart of Light No. 9 as a friend; he planned first to use the resources of the Federal Security Bureau to investigate.


    Continuing to follow Si Malin''s instructions, Lin Rui mobilized the abyss concept he controlled, and his eyebrows raised immediately.


    It wasn''t that there was a problem with his artificial Golden Core, but as he used the abyss concept, Lin Rui found something within his Golden Core responding, enhancing the abyss will and the power of the concept that he leveraged significantly.


    Previously, a compatibility of 5% meant only 5% power, but now it could exert up to 8% of divine might.


    "Professor Si Ma, the source quality you helped me integrate, it''s really just pseudo-abyssal source quality, not related to the Light King or the Lord of Destiny?"


    These ''pseudo-abyssal source qualities'' were produced by the East Asian Science Academy based on the research results of Academician Huangfu.


    According to Academician Huangfu''s theory, any Dragon Source Quality above the purity of 3S has the potential to evolve into ''abyssal source quality.''


    Based on his paper, the East Asian Science Academy conducted research and made some achievements; this kind of pseudo ''abyssal source quality'' has already been applied to several four-star marshals, significantly improving their combat capabilities.


    "How could it be the real abyssal source quality?"


    Si Malin had already seen the data when Lin Rui used the abyss concept; he exchanged looks with several scientists in white coats around him, excitement flickering in their eyes.


    Si Malin explained with a smile, "The Light King and the Lord of Destiny might have been dead for hundreds of thousands of years; where would we get their abyssal source quality from? However, in the past 20 years, the East Asian Science Academy has indeed made significant progress in the research of pseudo-abyssal source quality.


    This is also the first time we apply this technology to an artificial Golden Core. The East Asian Science Academy has been researching how to combine Golden Core technology with pseudo-abyssal technology but lacked a suitable experimental subject. Rest assured! We have conducted countless experiments and deductions, and we are quite confident."


    Si Malin pushed up his glasses, thinking that someone like Lin Rui, who could resist the will of the abyss and whose mind was as steady as rock with such quality of spiritual power, was indeed hard to find.


    Si Malin then pointed at Lin Rui''s chest: "Your artificial Golden Core can actually be called a pseudo ''X,'' but remember, the pseudo-abyssal source quality implanted in you, it has no attributes. The more you come into contact with any abyss concept, the more likely your Golden Core is to be dyed by an abyss entity, becoming its vessel for resurrection."


    Lin Rui quickly understood that Si Malin was also implying he should find multiple investors.@@@@


    At this moment, he was even more looking forward to his other self. Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    According to the assimilation effect of the alternative self, his other self would also undergo synchronous changes before long.


    Would the Golden Core of his other self produce ''pseudo-abyssal source quality''?


    If so, that would be terrific, as the Golden Core is the basis for dragon armor transformation.


    Lin Rui''s future dragon armor will also be based on ''pseudo-abyssal source quality.''


    This was after the ''Dead Eye'' assassination group was taken down and, somehow, the video of Lin Rui''s fight with Dead Eye Horn was leaked online, which has kept his popularity high up to this point.


    Nolan Wei clicked his tongue, knowing full well he was no match for Lin Rui, but he hadn''t expected the gap to be so vast after Lin Rui implanted a Golden Core.


    Zhao Yan could only offer a bitter smile, "This is an SSS+ level Golden Core? Truly impressive!"


    He didn''t know about the faux Abyssal Source Essence within Lin Rui''s Golden Core and mistook it for an ordinary ''Emperor''s sundial,'' but he was still thoroughly astonished.


    Zhao Yan''s strength far exceeded Lin Rui''s, yet Lin Rui''s speed was maddeningly fast.


    He never took Zhao Yan''s heavy hammer blows head-on but used his dual sabers to strike where they must, deciding that before your hammer could land, he would have already taken you down.


    Therefore, although Zhao Yan had the force of both dragon and tiger, he could never force Lin Rui to take his hammer blows directly.


    Zhao Yan knew that Lin Rui''s physical condition and spiritual power would continue to grow rapidly under the influence of the dual Golden Cores, alien and native, shrinking the gap in their strength even further, while the disparity in speed would only increase.


    As Zhao Yan jumped down from the stage both excited and disappointed, Lin Rui called out to him curiously, "Senior Zhao, could you tell me what was the reason you left the martial arts club of the Second City University?"


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan was taken aback but soon shook his head with a self-deprecating smile, "It''s all in the past, nothing worth mentioning."


    Lin Rui frowned slightly, then changed the subject, "Then, how do you think my current strength compares with the current chief competitor from the Second City University?"


    The Martial Arts League was set to start in a little over a month, which was crucial for his popularity and income.


    Zhao Yan''s expression became serious, "The Second City University''s chief competitor, Divine Wing Saber Jin Tianchen, is also at the hall-of-fame level."


    Of course, given Lin Rui''s talent now on display, it might not just be about reaching the hall-of-fame level, but a ''legendary'' level!


    "If you were given another year, no! Even just eight months, you would have a very good chance to win. However¡ª"


    Zhao Yan shook his head, "Right now, you''re probably not his match, especially since I''ve heard rumors that he has also implanted two ''Time-Black Holy Pupils'' recently."


    "Oh?" Lin Rui narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.


    He had witnessed the power of the Time-Black Holy Pupil; it was indeed a tremendously strong enhancement.


    Dead Eye Horn lacked sufficient spiritual power to wield it properly, and it had been a struggle for him. In the hands of Divine Wing Saber Jin Tianchen, its power was likely several times greater than Horn''s.


    Zhao Yan, thinking Lin Rui was feeling pressured, patted his shoulder with a laugh, "We just have to make it into the top four of the Ninth City Martial Arts League to get into the playoffs, so just do your best. Losing a match or two is no big deal."


    Lin Rui heard this and smiled wryly, thinking that the outcome between him and Jin Tianchen was something that could only be determined after they fought.


    He then waved his hand and walked towards Si Malin.


    During the recent live-combat stress test, a couple of negligible flaws had emerged, and Si Malin needed to do a final tune-up for him.

 Chapter 250 Opportunity (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Rui followed Professor Sima out of the martial arts society and deliberately looked back at Fei Yunlai.@@@@


    General Fei''s haggard appearance with his beard in disarray was hard to stomach.


    But he should have endured enough by now, and General Fei currently should have no bottom line when it comes to making money.


    It seemed that the opportunity for deep cooperation had arrived.


    Fang Ranran, who was walking beside him, thought Lin Rui was looking at Zhao Yan and asked with a strange look in her eyes, "I heard you asking about Zhao Yan just now, do you want to know their business?"


    Lin Rui figured he could simply use the resources of the Federal Security Bureau to check up on Zhao Yan''s business.


    However, since the boss had personally inquired, Lin Rui of course had to cooperate, "Yes, I''ve always been quite curious."


    "I know about this matter. It started a year ago when a female member of the Second City University martial arts society was violated by some members of their competition team," said Fang Ranran, squinting her eyes, a sharp gleam emerging: "Nolan Wei happened to see it, he disapproved and intervened, but he couldn''t beat them and was injured by their team leader, the Divine Wing Saber Jin Tianchen, who broke his hands and feet and nearly destroyed his meridians."


    Lin Rui was taken aback and turned to look at Nolan Wei.


    He thought that although this guy was impulsive and a bit simple-minded, he had the backbone of a true tough guy.


    Lin Rui''s strong intelligence analysis ability quickly deduced the truth from Fang Ranran''s words.


    Her family had always wanted to expand the Ninth Base City.


    The Tianlan Group, which primarily dealt in agricultural production, had built many agricultural bases within the Ninth Satellite, surrounding the Ninth Base City.


    No matter if the Ninth City was to expand or build a satellite city, Tianlan Group could gain tremendous benefits from it.


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    However, Fang Ranran''s desire to expand the Ninth Base City wasn''t purely for profit; she knew the situation in the lower district was dire.


    Lin Rui, hearing this, remained indifferent as the complications of the lower district and the city expansion were not his concern. Only this Jin Tianchen somewhat irritated him.


    However, Fang Ranran''s mention of Jinhao Real Estate Group made him think of a gang called the ''Sixth Street Gang'' which he had recently come across.


    Just then, Xue Lingxue messaged him: BOSS, the hidden passage I prepared for you is ready. You can use this secret passage to enter and exit your office at any time.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Also, everyone is currently trying to gather information on you as the deputy director of the Security Bureau, especially our two deputy ministers who both said they want to come inspect our work. We might need to discuss a strategy.


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows after reading it.


    Lonely Shadow Saber (Lin Rui): Reject them all; we are directly under Minister Zhou and don''t need to mind them.

 Chapter 251 Big Problem (Subscribe Please)

    Two hours later, Fei Yunlai, with the posture of a defeated figure, knelt in an underground warehouse full of corpses, his expression one of pain and confusion.


    This was a hidden warehouse located at the southern outskirts of the ninth base city, not recorded on any map.


    Above this location was a seemingly normal elderly care center, but underneath lay a tunnel leading directly to a massive warehouse in the lower district.


    The entire warehouse consisted of seven cavern groups, covering approximately 170,000 square meters, filled with various goods including medicinal herbs, food, clothing, various models of machine tools, processed metal ingots, and even a large number of weapons, impressively stacked inside the warehouse.


    Originally, there were more than 430 Martial Cultivators guarded in special suits, but they had all been taken care of.


    Lin Rui''s combat plan hadn''t changed, still first using poison to incapacitate the people, then swiftly concluding the fight.


    The method was old-fashioned, but very effective.


    Moreover, now he had a capable assistant. With the help of the hacker Lin Xi, they had paralyzed the warehouse''s intelligent defense system before the fight began.


    Lin Rui no longer needed to carefully avoid those posture-sensing devices because they had been shut down in advance by Lin Xi.


    Due to the vast size of these cavern groups, the spread of Lin Rui''s anesthetic couldn''t cover everyone completely.


    However, it was enough, the few remaining were no match for him and Fei Yunlai.


    After implanting the Golden Core, Lin Rui''s knife work had ascended to a whole new level, incredibly fast, now even a normal slash could enter the realm of one two-thousandth to one thousandth.


    His movement techniques had also become quicker and more unpredictable.


    Of course, the main force in the battle was still Fei Yunlai, who, worried about exposing his identity, unleashed his full firepower from the start, sparing no effort.


    The pair had managed to resolve the battle in just over two minutes, much smoother than expected.


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, wondering how after killing more than 380 Martial Cultivators with his flying needles, he had earned only so few Soul Power points.


    He sighed inwardly, thinking that the path to exchanging for the Level 7 Imperial Flame Battle Dragon was still long and arduous.


    At that moment, Lin Xi posted a message in the combat group.


    Summer End Shallow Thought (Lin Xi): Bro, I''ve cracked this database and am copying the data. I found their ledger inside, and there''s a special case¡ªthe smuggling warehouse is involved with at least half of its goods with the Dreaded Pirate Gang.


    "Huh?" Lin Rui looked surprised upon hearing this.


    A month earlier, Lin Rui had tasked Lin Xi with finding places with a high occurrence of suit psychosis, preferably illegal ones like the Blood Lizard Gang, deeply entrenched in crime, and if he could make some money along the way, all the better.


    After all, hiring Fei Yunlai even once started at eighty million Federation coins.


    Lin Xi had quickly identified the elderly care center.


    She discovered that the care center ordered many psychoactive drugs related to suit syndrome every month and then uncovered unusual electricity usage nearby.


    After infiltrating this elderly care center, not only did Lin Xi discover a warehouse filled with a large amount of drugs, but she also found many mentally disturbed Martial Cultivators in suits there.


    Lin Rui had never expected that this underground warehouse would also be related to the Dreaded Pirate Gang.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): So, did you find their smuggling route? How do they transport the goods to the star port?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): The passageway is on my side, different from what you expected, this passage doesn''t go to the star port but directly to the surface of the satellite.


    While sending the message, Fei Yunlai also uploaded a video to the group, which showed the scene he saw after opening the triple gates.


    In front of Fei Yunlai was a pitch-dark tunnel, its end not visible to the eye.

 Chapter 252 Time Flies Like an Arrow (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Just as Lin Rui and Fei Yunlai abandoned their car and fled near the subway station, Ignatius, the leader of the Sixth Street Gang, was donned in "Emperor" Type 8 exoskeleton armor, shuttling through the streets under the guidance of a family hacker consultant, striving to catch up with the enemy in the shortest amount of time.


    His towering 18-meter combat exoskeleton dragon "Dark Gold Spear" was also rushing behind him, emitting a heavy ''thud thud'' sound as it ran through the streets.


    Following close were seven modified civilian-looking retired high-speed armored vehicles, carrying a super-sized 6A elite combat squad and another 5A elite combat squad.


    The Sixth Street Gang was formed by gang members from six streets on the east side of Star Port, which originally started with small businesses to support themselves, but in the past year, they gradually gained strong financial and armed forces by cooperating with external powers.


    And Ignatius Adelard was one of the legion commanders of the Sixth Street Gang.


    Their organizational structure was a bit like the mafia from Earth''s era, with over a dozen families forming the gang in a partnership. Under these partners, there were several ''legion commanders'' responsible for leading between 200 to 800 ''soldiers'' and two to five 5A level or above elite combat squads.


    The "Adelard Family" was currently the most powerful family within the Sixth Street Gang, holding the reins of power in the gang, and they were the main force leading the rise of the gang, with a very fierce momentum of growth.


    Ignatius, as the eldest son of the Adelard family, not only controlled the most important smuggling business of the family but also held the largest combat force in the clan.


    Today, however, his legion suffered an unprecedented heavy blow! More than 400 soldiers and three 4A level tactical squads were completely annihilated.


    The losses themselves were not significant, as there were plenty of young and strong individuals eager to rise to prominence through exoskeletons in the lower districts, and with money in hand, he could recruit as many as he wanted.


    What was critical were the goods worth six billion federal coins and their smuggling channels that had just been established for two years.


    Now they must be exposed, with those two maniacs killing so many of his men and then even daring to report to the police, drawing so many of them towards the senior care center.


    Every time Ignatius thought about the consequences of the exposure of this smuggling channel, he felt a tingling on his scalp and an extreme hatred towards those two maniacs.


    Who exactly were they and what was their purpose? Were they enemies of the Adelard family?


    However, no matter what, Ignatius was determined to slaughter them today! He wanted to chop these scumbags into pieces and feed them to the dogs!@@@@


    At this moment, his hacker consultant "Golden Eye" issued a warning.


    Golden Eye: Legion Commander, they''ve entered the lower district''s C Zone through the C4551 pipeline. I don''t have many resources I can use in that area. I suggest you terminate the pursuit. There''s a strong hacker obstructing me, and I''m unable to provide support.


    Ignatius: Understood! You don''t have to worry about the battle. Just mark their location for me, and focus on catching their hacker!


    By this time, he and his combat exoskeleton dragon had entered the underground passageway.


    The C4551 pipeline was relatively narrow, unsuitable for the combat exoskeleton dragon and the high-speed armored vehicles, so they had to take the nearby C4341 passage.


    Meanwhile, Ignatius began to leverage his connections, contacting several underworld bosses in the lower C Zone.


    Through his smuggling business, he had close ties with many underworld forces, helping them transport contraband, including two relatively powerful underground gangs in C Zone.


    Ignatius thought these fools were courting death by entering the lower district!


    But, as they charged into a passageway ahead following Golden Eye''s instructions, Ignatius saw missiles launched from four directions, all reaching speeds close to the extreme, instantly reaching 30 times the speed of sound.


    Now he was even more confident¡ªin the shortest time possible, he would kill this man.


    As Fei Yunlai and Ignatius were engaged in fierce combat, Lin Rui, with the protection of those red spider combat robots, approached the crashed high-speed armored vehicles like a ghost.


    By now, the eight Gatling Buddhas had emptied their ammo stores, and the red spider robots were running low on bullets as well.


    Correspondingly, all seven high-speed armored vehicles were destroyed. The numerous combat robots they carried blew up with the vehicles, engulfed in flames, while only a few fifth realm Martial Cultivators in implant armor managed to escape before the explosion and were barely clinging to life, taking cover behind the wreckage.


    The four red spiders were firing plasma ray guns at them, picking their shots carefully.


    Lin Rui, wielding a pair of "Dead Line" model 6 pistols, was keeping them pinned down. Just a moment ago, two men tried to leave cover to shoot at Lin Rui and had their heads blown off by the twin "Dead Line" model 6 pistols.


    However, as Lin Rui approached step by step, these men lost their cover and two more were exposed to Lin Rui''s angle of fire; he fired five shots and killed them each in turn.


    The lethal light traces were a sure hit; the concept of "inevitable death" and the abyss of "Heavenly Foot" were applied to his bullets. These men could at most block one shot, but they couldn''t stop his second shot.


    The remaining six knew that hiding any longer meant only death, so they rushed out towards Lin Rui.


    But this played right into the hands of the four red spiders and their fire net. They poured out the last of their bullets, and the ''boom, boom, boom'' sounds shook the tunnel once more.


    Lin Rui leapt and dodged continuously, firing his gun, and finally from a distance of 70 meters, he shot the last man dead.


    Just when he thought he had resolved the fight, Lin Rui saw Fei Yunlai signaling a warning amidst the battle group: "Lin Rui, be careful!"


    Ignatius, unbeknownst to them, gathered the last of his strength and blood energy and transformed into a Dark Gold Spear-like bolt of lightning, slashing down towards Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes, and his entire being swiftly flitted away like light.


    This was the super emperor-class secret technique "Light of Time and Thunderbolt Arrow"!


    During the past month, apart from rigorous study and training, he also spent a considerable amount of Soul Power to copy two high-level Escape Skills from battle spirits after his various body metrics reached 1000. He integrated and transformed his own Escape Skill into a high-level Escape Skill that was compatible with light, thunder, and fire, creating the "Brilliant Thunder Aurora Escape," from which the super emperor secret technique "Light of Time and Thunderbolt Arrow" was derived.


    When Lin Rui used "Light of Time and Thunderbolt Arrow" back on the Heavens Extreme Star, it was already powerful. Now, armed with the Super Emperor Golden Core within his body, it was even faster beyond belief.


    His figure was now like a beam of light unfathomable and uncatchable, evading Ignatius''s deadly strike.


    The situation was similar to that with Duan Pengxuan. However, unlike that time, Lin Rui didn''t have Blood Blade standing in front of him, and this Ignatius was stronger in combat, furnished with various equipment, reaching at least 6SS+.


    Fei Yunlai, however, was close behind Ignatius, narrowing the distance between them.


    After chasing each other inside the caves for about half a minute, Ignatius could not catch up, while Fei Yunlai approached within less than 6 meters of him, his consciousness growing more and more dim.


    With a roar full of defiance, Ignatius lashed back at Fei Yunlai.


    But at that moment, Lin Rui made his move; he had been gaining momentum for a while and thrust a knife from 35 meters away, directly into Ignatius''s back through the wound Fei Yunlai previously made.


    Fei Yunlai quickly followed up and slashed at Ignatius''s eye socket, turning his brain into mush.

 Chapter 253 Conflict (Please Subscribe)

    About 14 minutes later, Zhou Yunfei arrived at the gates of the Tianyang Elderly Care Center in an armored explosion-proof vehicle.


    From above, a large number of armed police forces could be seen gathering, encircling the care center.


    These were the armed police forces summoned by Zhou Yunfei, who took the situation very seriously and immediately deployed two heavy-armored regiments from nearby stations after hearing the news.


    Currently, only a portion had arrived; the rest of the troops were still en route.


    However, these armed police forces were stopped outside the care center''s gates by the personnel from the Security Bureau.


    "Breach it!"


    Zhou Yunfei''s eyes were cold as he ordered his driver and head of security.


    The armored explosion-proof vehicle then braved the many fire control radars shining up from below and broke into the airspace above the care center.


    Zhou Yunfei didn''t wait for the vehicle to stop before jumping out and rushing towards the underground tunnel.


    Along the way, two 6A tactical squads from the sub-branch ''Special Duty Center'' attempted to block him, but they were intimidated by Zhou Yunfei''s overwhelming martial intent and the imposing presence of the seventh-level battle dragon following close behind him.


    "Step aside! Are you trying to start a rebellion?"


    Zhou Yunfei, unable to contain his anger, enveloped in immense gang force, rammed straight into the tunnel''s entrance.


    In the end, the members of the Special Service Bureau''s 6A tactical squads dared not engage Zhou Yunfei and had to make way, allowing the Ninth Division''s Chief and his armed entourage to burst into the underground passageway.


    When Zhou Yunfei made his way through the lengthy, spacious tunnel and reached the underground warehouse, he saw two groups of people in a standoff, separated by a distance.


    One side was led by Zhang Long from the Third Special Operations Department, consisting of 80 people. Despite Zhang Long being the only 6SS-class expert, they had nine ''Jianlong'' Mark 6 combat robots and three Mark 7s.


    Zhang Long had brought all the military forces of the Third Special Operations Department to this place, and they had secured some defensive weapons inside the warehouse, such as the 40 ''Gatling Bodhisattva'' guns, and established positions in advantageous locations beforehand.


    The opposing group was composed of personnel from the ''Special Duty Center'' and the ''Anti-Terrorism Department,'' which were the two most powerful departments within the Ninth Division, with a portion being from the Security Bureau''s ''Smuggling Suppression Department.''@@@@


    They had a stronger force, consisting of over 200 people, including four sixth-level experts, but they were far inferior in terms of battle robots.


    Aside from some melee combatants armed with swords, the rest were aiming their firearms, creating a tension-filled atmosphere.


    "What are you doing?" Zhou Yunfei shouted angrily, "All of you, put down your weapons!"


    It was at this moment that another figure darted down the tunnel and arrived at the scene.


    He was an elderly man with a high nose bridge, wearing the uniform of a Security Bureau admiral, his hair gray with age.


    His face, nearly seventy years old, was marked with many deep wrinkles, and his demeanor exuded an aura of calm authority, his eyes sharp and penetrating, as if seeing through the essence of the world.


    Upon entering, the old man furrowed his brows then regained his composure, "Lower your weapons."


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    When Zhou Yunfei had scolded them earlier, the people from the ''Special Duty Center'' and ''Anti-Terrorism Department'' remained unmoved. However, as soon as the old man with white hair spoke, they all promptly put away their firearms.


    The question was, how did these destroyer-class smuggling ships manage to slip through the double defense nets of the base defense force and the interstellar navy and enter Satellite 9?


    "There''s such a large dock?" Zhou Yunfei said with a serious expression upon hearing this.


    He was dispatched to the ninth division precisely because the East Asian Republic felt something was amiss here.


    Yet, Zhou Yunfei had not anticipated that the situation would be so dire.


    No wonder the strength of the notorious pirate syndicate had grown so rapidly of late. It was said that these scoundrels were even preparing to build their own high-speed cruisers, indicating their plentiful supplies and financial resources.


    Zhou Yunfei quickly collected his thoughts and again, with a smile, gave Xue Lingxue a thumbs up, "Xiaoxue, you''ve done well too. We owe a lot to your intelligence analysis this time; otherwise, we probably wouldn''t have been able to snatch up this case."


    Xue Lingxue, upon hearing his words, smiled broadly and heartily, "I was just lucky, and it was thanks to Minister your high regard that all of our combat robots were dispatched here."


    She felt quite embarrassed and tried hard to hide her guilty conscience.


    But Zhang Long knitted his brows by her side, a glint of something different flashing in his eyes.


    It was Xue Lingxue who had notified him and Zhou Yunfei the moment she received the alarm.


    Xue Lingxue''s reason for notifying them was that she had been closely tracking various clues related to the notorious pirate syndicate, especially the major sources of the syndicate''s everyday necessities.


    She had noticed, through the flow of goods in the underground market, the ''Tianyang Elderly Care Center'' controlled by the Six Streets Gang.


    Judging by the traffic and power usage of the center''s vehicles and the substantial psychotropic drugs they had recently purchased, this place was clearly a covert distribution center for supplies and was likely a smuggling den connected to the notorious pirate syndicate.


    After their arrival, it was also Xue Lingxue who alerted him to the medium-sized database that hadn''t been connected to the network.


    Zhang Long knew that since Xue Lingxue had been transferred to Ninth Base, she had indeed been closely monitoring the notorious pirate syndicate, so the reasons she provided barely held water.


    However, he soon realized after examining the scene that this place was related to the series of murders committed by the Blood Lizard Gang and that it was highly likely to be the doing of their direct superior, Lin Rui.


    Zhang Long was an experienced detective; even though he had no concrete evidence, he could identify Lin Rui as a suspect just by indirect clues such as Lin Rui living in the same complex as Xue Bogao, the conflict of Lin Xi with the Blood Lizard Gang, and the battle traces in the Xue family''s basement.


    If he were leading the investigation of this series of murders, he would definitely focus on Lin Rui as the main direction for inquiry.


    But the present issue was that the position for which Lin Twelve was about to be appointed was very important to the entire Earth Federation, and Zhang Long truly had no evidence.


    That guy''s crimes were getting more skilled and experienced, leaving no legally effective evidence behind.


    Zhang Long felt conflicted, thinking he could only wait and see for now. If Lin Rui left behind any blatant evidence, he would bring him to justice!


    At that moment, Zhou Yunfei''s expression slightly shifted as he looked at a message that appeared on his retinal display.


    His pupils dilated slightly, barely able to contain the excitement within him, his face flushed with emotion.


    He had received reliable news from a friend at the First Division''s Intelligence Analysis Department.


    The Great Song Imperial Court''s debates regarding the next Commandant of the Assassination Department had been settled; the next Commandant would be Lin Twelve, who was currently serving as the Wang City Defense Commander!


    Zhou Yunfei thought that today was truly a double celebration!

 Chapter 254 Strike (Please Subscribe)

    After unloading the cargo, Wang Sen returned to the secret base''s operation research room.


    Upon entering, he saw Fei Yunlai sitting in a chair on the far left of the room, lost in thought, who didn''t react at all even when he saw Wang Sen come in.


    Wang Sen noticed that Fei Yunlai''s eyes had no focus, and curiously turned his head to ask Lin Rui, "What''s up with the coach? He seems off."


    "Might be a bit shocked?"


    Lin Rui replied with a slight smile, playing with an opulent gold-colored bank card in his hand, "You don''t know, in that last fight, our coach, a Seventh Realm against a Sixth Realm, almost slipped up and performed below standard¡ª"


    "Nonsense!"


    Fei Yunlai, unable to tolerate Lin Rui shattering his tall image in Wang Sen''s eyes, glared at Lin Rui with wide-open eyes: "That was Ignatius, decked out with top-tier equipment, with the combat strength comparable to many in the Seventh Realm."


    As he spoke, he couldn''t help but glance again at the opulent gold-colored bank card spinning at Lin Rui''s fingertips.


    Lin Xi had already hacked into this unregistered bank card earlier, and the amount of funds inside was¡ª1,353,342,148!


    Although it didn''t match the card that Wang Li had before, it completely shattered his composure.


    This isn''t right! In his memory, the gangs of the Sixth Street were just a bunch of poor devils, scraping by with handouts from the big corporations¡ªhow did they suddenly become so wealthy?


    The key was that he learned the identity of the deceased afterward.


    During the fight, he couldn''t see the person''s face; after peeling off his armor, he recognized him.


    It was Ignatius Adelard¡ªthe eldest son of the Adelard family from the Sixth Street Gang.


    This future leader of the Sixth Street Gang had died at his hands.


    For a mere fifty million, he killed the son of the leader of the Sixth Street Gang, which had 8,000 official members.


    Fei Yunlai now seriously wondered if Lin Rui had withheld some crucial information from him before the battle.


    Otherwise, why would that guy have specifically arranged for him to bring out the ''Implanted Combat Dragon'' and set up an ambush at that location?


    However, Fei Yunlai kept in mind that Lin Rui was just an average student, and Lin Xi was just a budding hacker with no reliable intelligence resources, so he temporarily suppressed his suspicions.


    "Fine! You''re the boss," he conceded.


    Lin Rui shrugged nonchalantly, "Now onto the next target, Taifeng Building Materials Processing Plant in the eastern district, another factory controlled by the Sixth Street Gang. I''ll send you the map of Taifeng Building Materials Processing Plant and the related intelligence that Xiao Xi has gathered."


    The Sixth Street Gang was not originally among his first wave of targets. However, Lin Rui happened to know that this gang was deeply involved with Jinhao Real Estate Group and often participated in their demolition cases. Hence, he decided to kill two birds with one stone.


    Fei Yunlai was shocked and stared wide-eyed, "You aren''t satisfied with one time, you want to hit them a second time?"


    Yu Feicui even felt a sense of schadenfreude at the deaths of these gang members.


    She knew about the Six Street Gang, and although their style wasn''t as bloody as the Blood Lizard Gang, they were also notorious for doing nothing but evil and were a cancer in Xinggang.


    When Yu Feicui finished washing up and came to the activities area of the club, she was startled by Fei Yunlai.


    She saw her senior brother''s face set in stone, extremely unsightly with a sallow complexion, and his dead fish eyes seemed to say that everyone owed him 10 billion Federal Dollars.


    Yu Feicui wondered if her senior brother Fei had defaulted on his debts again.


    But that didn''t seem right. Senior brother Fei''s monthly account day was supposed to be on the 15th, and last month he had borrowed 17 million from her to pay off his debts.


    She turned her head to Lin Rui, who was practicing his blade technique nearby, "Xiao Rui, what kind of blow did you deliver to him this time?"


    Yu Feicui thought that only Lin Rui could occasionally give Fei Yunlai the frustration of feeling crushed by superior talent.


    "Uh¡ª"


    Lin Rui thought Yu Feicui''s question was spot on, but he really didn''t know how to answer it.


    Poor old Fei, he seemed to be plagued with bad luck.


    The night before, they had struck two of the Six Street Gang''s strongholds in succession, and the guy had chosen profit-sharing, but the total income didn''t exceed 40 million.


    Lin Rui figured that next time Fei Yunlai chose ''profit-sharing'' for a target, he might as well not go because there wouldn''t be much income.


    At that moment, Lin Rui felt a premonition¡ªit was the artificial intelligence from the Xeno-body getting in touch with him.


    Blood Blade Ji had also sent him a message.


    Blood Blade Sky Saber (Ji Xueying): Master, you have a message over a long distance.


    Lin Rui found Ji Xueying''s chosen user name hard to look at directly, then hurried back to his room to use the Quantum Descending Device to project himself to Tian Ji Star.


    The long-distance message was from Meng Weiyun, and after reading the contents, Lin Rui was astounded.


    Had he really been appointed as the Commandant of the Spy Killer Bureau?


    The letter said that in no more than twenty days, the imperial orders would arrive at Wang City, and he should prepare to enter the capital.


    Lin Rui sighed lightly, knowing that his plan to exchange for the ''Emperor Flame War Dragon'' before entering the capital was utterly ruined.


    The only plan now was to use the resources of the Security Bureau and have Xue Lingxue and the others help to transport the ''Emperor Flame War Dragon'' to the capital to await orders.


    Furthermore, the letter mentioned two other matters.


    One was that Meng Weiyun promised to deliver the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, which he had agreed to forge, to Wang City in twenty days; the other matter concerned the Governor of the Sand Region.

 Chapter 255 Reselling (Third update, please subscribe)

    "So the Governor of Shazhou has been brought down just like that?"


    Lin Rui was alarmed.


    The Governor of Shazhou had been in office for less than half a year; not long after his appointment, he sank several starships of the federal military and destroyed their quantum communication relays. At that time, he was vigorous and formidable, and his momentum was astounding. And now he was overthrown?


    Meng Weiyun said this person was suspected of ''defying the gods'' and ordered for his arrest and questioning in the capital. Once convicted of such a charge, his death was certain, and not only would he be doomed, but so too his family.


    Even if he managed to escape by luck and cleared his name, this fellow would still be stripped bare. He would never again be able to hold any senior position in the court of the Great Song.


    Lin Rui wondered if it could be because of him?


    All he did was throw a bit of dirt on this man, enough to bring down the mighty Governor of Shazhou? That''s impossible¡ª


    Meng Weiyun didn''t explain the details in her letter. Her meaning was that the reaction of the Governor of Shazhou next was unpredictable, and he might not be willing to obediently comply. As the newly appointed Chief of Judicial Watch, he needed to be prepared. If the Governor of Shazhou showed any intent of rebellion, he would have to respond accordingly and deal with him with thunderous methods.


    After reading the letter, Lin Rui frowned deeply, sensing a great trouble.


    The Governor of Shazhou was a great master with cultivation at the eighth realm, holding a second-rank official title. Lin Rui had just achieved Core Formation; how was he to strike such a heavy-hitter with thunderous methods?


    However, the court had not yet finalized the charges against the Governor of Shazhou, simply stating that he would be taken to the capital for interrogation. Surely he wouldn''t react too violently, would he?


    Lin Rui continued to read the contents of the letter.


    He discovered that Meng Weiyun also hinted in the letter, asking whether the trade with the Heavenly Demons from beyond the realm had been completed, and if this connection was reliable? Could he help her buy some items?


    This senior sister was probably worried that her Civilian Umbrella may be intercepted and could leave written evidence, so she was very cryptic with her words. Anyone not paying careful attention might not even notice it.


    Lin Rui immediately replied to Meng Weiyun with a letter, which was carried away by her Civilian Umbrella.


    He himself was a Heavenly Demon from beyond the realm, so this connection was certainly reliable, and there was no way he would scam his own senior sister.


    But in this letter, Lin Rui not only used cryptic language but also appeared extremely troubled, self-blaming, and guilt-ridden. In short, in the name of resisting demons, he was forced to make a deal with the Heavenly Demons, which tainted his pure soul.


    Lin Rui also mentioned that the Heavenly Demons he was in contact with were rather trustworthy, supposedly from the Republic of East Asia.


    Their Type 5 bloodline enhancement drug was priced at 3,500 taels of demon silver, but he was unsure of the market and whether it was genuine.


    Currently, the government agency in charge of external organisms priced a Type 5 bloodline enhancement drug at 3 million federal dollars, which was equivalent to 3,000 taels of demon silver.


    However, as a Major General in the Federal Security Bureau, he could use internal channels and didn''t need to pay the extra money to purchase from the government agency in charge.


    He could buy it in the ninth base city for 1 million federal dollars, and then have it delivered by the Security Bureau''s starship at no extra shipping cost.


    Special agents of the Federal Security Bureau''s External Organisms Division had a certain exemption for shipping each year.


    As a Major General in the Security Bureau, Lin Rui could waive about 200 kilograms of shipping weight a year. If he went over that number, he only had to pay half of what the government agency in charge would charge.


    Lin Rui wondered whether he was being too outrageous with his pricing?


    Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    In the following ten days or so, Lin Rui not only intensified his martial arts practice but also increased the harvesting of Soul Power points at the Ninth Base City.


    Unfortunately, during these ten days, Lin Rui only harvested six times, and the quantity was far less than that of the old-age care center incident, with at most just over 100 people, bringing his Soul Power points up to 553,211.


    The gangs in both the upper and lower districts had become vigilant, investing heavily at their strongholds to enhance the ventilation systems and the installation of posture sensing equipment. They avoided gathering unnecessarily, making it difficult for Lin Rui to find a suitable opportunity to strike.


    Lin Rui could hardly understand how a gang called the Tiger Teeth Gang even installed a Type 7 Ether Radar above their toilets, along with a high-powered ventilation machine worth 500,000 federal coins. It was simply madness!


    They even reinforced their network, causing the cyber security companies of the Ninth Base City to be in high demand lately.


    It''s worth mentioning that during this period, he received another dividend from the Jinggang merchants and the filial respects of the Wang City business community and elders, totaling nearly 130,000 two of demon silver.


    Lin Rui did not favor the officialdom ethos of the Heavenly Pole Star; he had only done things within his official responsibility, so how could he rightly accept money from the locals?


    Nevertheless, these elders were incredibly enthusiastic, saying that since he took over as the defense officer, he had not only dredged the rivers but also cleared the many demons and monsters within the city, making both the city and the surrounding rivers clean.


    What the situation was like before Lin Rui''s arrival, and the transformation after, was something all residents had witnessed.


    The Prefectural Governor, the Prefectural Commander, and the Prefectural Chief were all ineffective, unable to secure the situation in Wang City. It was Lin Rui who arrived and turned the tide, restoring peace to the people of Wang City.


    They had some source of news indicating that Lin Rui was about to be transferred to the capital city. The local elders were very reluctant to see him go but also happy for the Defense Officer. They were in the process of making a Civilian Umbrella to give to Lin Rui as a farewell gift.


    Lin Rui was overwhelmed with happiness because of their praise and reluctantly accepted the filial silver they offered.


    The elders'' enthusiasm made it impossible for him to decline.


    Not long after this, Fei Yunlai mentioned that his heteromorphic body had almost fully recovered and he was also preparing to leave Wang City Prefecture.


    At this time, Fei Yunlai was spirited and glowing with health, a far cry from his despondency a month ago.


    Not only had his injuries healed to about seventy percent, but his heteromorphic body''s overall strength had greatly improved.


    After following Lin Rui on a few missions, Fei Yunlai not only managed to gather the interest for this month''s loan but also had Lin Rui help him equip his heteromorphic body''s war dragon with a full-coverage subdermal nano armor.


    This not only enhanced the war dragon''s defensive capabilities but also increased its strength and speed somewhat.


    Fei Yunlai was brimming with confidence, believing that his heteromorphic body taking on mercenary tasks within the Heavenly Pole Star would be easy and would put his life back on track.


    This month had been tough for him. Going around with Lin Rui and slaughtering drug traffickers and gang members, he feared that one day he might expose his identity and end up on the Earth Federation''s wanted list.


    What he could not bear was that every time he chose a commission, Lin Rui would always make a small profit. Now this guy must have at least 3.8 billion federal coins of illicit money in his hands.


    But if he chose profit-sharing, he would inevitably end up at a loss.


    Fei Yunlai surmised that his own body might be facing unlucky times and that he could only place his hopes on his heteromorphic body.


    Seeing Fei Yunlai''s triumphant demeanor, Lin Rui secretly felt regretful, thinking that the penniless bull was indeed about to fly away¡ª

 Chapter 256 Collision (Please Subscribe)

    Although Lin Rui was reluctant to let his ace enforcer, Fei Yunlai, leave, he personally escorted him to the exit of the underground base when Fei bid his farewell.


    He looked at Fei Yunlai''s face with some concern and then at the ''Tengu Demon'' by his side, "Old Fei, won''t you stay a bit longer? I see your injuries haven''t fully healed yet, only about sixty to seventy percent recovered."


    The protective demon and battle dragons under this guy did seem to recover quite well.


    The regenerative ability of demons is naturally strong, and it is now about seventy to eighty percent restored, but their vital energy is still significantly depleted.


    "Sixty to seventy percent is already quite good."


    Fei Yunlai chuckled bitterly, his expression hearty, "These are internal injuries. As the saying goes, illnesses leave as slowly as silk is drawn out. Who knows how long it will truly take to fully recuperate? Being at this level now is already decent, and it doesn''t affect my fighting ability."


    He thought to himself, how else would I support my large and small family if I don''t leave now?


    With loans amounting to 120 million a month, including principal and interest, and the cost of maintaining a protective demon and two combat dragons at over 80 million, he needs to make at least 200,000 taels of demon silver each month just to cover these expenses.


    Following Lin Rui, he could indeed make some money, but constantly following him in committing arson and murder was not a long-term solution.


    In just over ten days, he had already accompanied Lin Rui in offending all the big and small gangs within the base, exposing his identity could be disastrous. These grudges were the kind where they wouldn''t rest until one party was dead.


    Fei Yunlai patted Lin Rui on the shoulder, "I truly owe you a lot this time, Classmate Lin! Otherwise, I would have been dead for sure. As I''ve said before, if you ever need anything, just call on me. I''ll be there whenever you need."


    This time he wouldn''t take any money, considering it a repayment for the life-saving grace from before. Debts of gratitude were best repaid sooner rather than later.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui felt slightly unhappy as he pursed his lips, feeling that Old Fei was being very practical.


    Lately, Fei Yunlai had been calling him BOSS, and now that he no longer cared about his money, he reverted to calling him Classmate Lin.


    Despite this, Lin Rui still nonchalantly passed him a government-issued bulletin.


    The bulletin, also known as a court manuscript, was a type of document used by the court specifically for publishing divine decrees and the emperor''s edicts, orders from the cabinet, councilor deliberations, state affairs, and disaster reports from various provinces.


    "A bulletin? Why show me this?"


    Fei Yunlai''s pupils contracted upon seeing a corner of the bulletin circled in vermilion ink by Lin Rui.


    It was news regarding the Burning Saber Sect. Roughly twenty days ago, Heavenly Official Meng Weiyun mobilized eight thousand imperial naval forces to surround Mount Daba, annihilating over two thousand members of the Burning Saber Sect!


    The only survivor from the entire sect was the Sect Master, who escaped with severe injuries and was pursued by Meng Weiyun.


    Fei Yunlai''s eyelids twitched, wondering how this woman had recovered so quickly?


    From the text of the bulletin, it seemed that Meng Weiyun had not called upon other imperial experts to join the battle.


    The Sect Master of the Burning Saber Sect is also a combatant at the 7S+ level.@@@@


    Fei Yunlai then chuckled and calmly crushed the bulletin into powder, "Why are you showing me this? I know my limits. I won''t actively seek her out until my injuries are completely healed, but she better not let me run into her, or I will make sure she pays for it! Right. I''ve stored those pieces of evidence in the base, buried 800 meters under in a safe. I will give you the combination later. After I leave, you can find a way to hand it over to the Imperial City Bureau."


    At the same time, Fei Yunlai''s Heavenly Demon had locked onto the master of that Sword Qi, breaking its stealth and unleashing a storm of blades.


    "Clang! Clang! Clang!"


    Fei Yunlai still took two hits, the pain forcing him to grit his teeth and wince.


    What was more troublesome was that with the two strikes of Sword Qi, Fei Yunlai''s body was engulfed in holy white flames from the inside out, the scorching flames burning his organs.


    "Bright Holy Church?"


    Fei Yunlai looked behind with an extremely ugly expression, facing the white figure who was dealing with the slashes of the Heavenly Demon''s sword light, "Are you the High Priest of the Bright Holy Church? Why?"


    "Why?" The man in white was around sixty years old; he looked at Fei Yunlai with eyes filled with pain and coldness: "You killed the fifth Saint Heir of our church, and you have the nerve to ask me why?"


    He had discovered the scene where the fifth Saint Heir, Xu Zhe, died. By using the top-level Time Secret Technique, he retraced the three streaks of Sword Intent that killed Xu Zhe.


    One of them originated from the guy before his eyes.


    Fei Yunlai was taken aback upon hearing this, then cursed under his breath, "Damn it."


    He suddenly realized that this area seemed to be near Qin Yan''s dwelling place.


    Previously, his guardian demon had helped Lin Rui kill a member of the Bright Holy Church in this vicinity.


    Fei Yunlai knew he was in a dire situation. It seemed that this High Priest of the seventh realm from the Bright Holy Church wanted to settle matters of life and death with him?


    Fei Yunlai tried hard to suppress the Saint Flame within him, taking a deep breath, "I think you''re courting death!"


    He was a man who honored righteousness; although he had taken the blow for Lin Rui, he had also accepted Lin Rui''s money.


    At the same time, Fei Yunlai felt extreme indignation towards this person!


    He had barely managed to heal his injuries, ready to earn money to support himself, but then this fellow ambushed him, landing two strikes that wounded his lungs.


    Fei Yunlai couldn''t understand, when would his streak of bad luck ever end?


    The infinite rage in his heart, combined with his Sword Intent, burst forth, colliding with the formidable Sword Intent of the High Priest from the opposite side. In an instant, an invisible shockwave spread in all directions from the center.


    "Courting death, huh?"


    The pain in the eyes of the man in white deepened.


    The deceased fifth Saint Heir, Xu Zhe, was his biological nephew and the hope of their family, yet he died at the hands of this scoundrel.


    His figure then turned into a flash of light that was hard to catch with the naked eye, darting towards Fei Yunlai once more.


    Their saber energy and Sword Qi clashed violently in the mountains and fields.

 Chapter 257 Saving Lives (Please Subscribe)

    After Fei Yunlai left, Lin Rui dug out the safe from beneath the base.


    "This guy hid it pretty deep, treating it like a treasure."


    Lin Rui thought to himself that if it weren''t for the sight of that imperial report today sparking fear of Meng Weiyun in Fei Yunlai, he probably would still be hiding it, unwilling to take it out.


    What exactly was the treasure inside?


    After opening the safe, he found it included some Heavenly Extreme Star scrolls and a portion of video materials.


    Lin Rui glanced through them and his expression gradually became solemn; for a moment, he felt the items in his hands were somewhat hot to the touch.


    The numerous pieces of evidence inside were enough to trigger a major case!


    And it wasn''t just within the great Song Dynasty of the Heavenly Extreme Star, but a huge storm would also rise within the Earth Federation.


    Lin Rui estimated that his current small stature might not be able to withstand it.


    However, if he could withstand it, his future would certainly be as bright as brocade.@@@@


    Fei Yunlai didn''t speak falsely; he indeed gave him a ladder to promotion.


    Lin Rui composed himself and thought, then put the evidence back and carried the safe toward the direction of the county seat.


    After returning to the inner offices of Wang City, Lin Rui first found a place to hide the safe, then went to the backyard.


    Ji Xueying was sitting near a pond, using Lin Xi''s "Blood Refining Mirror" to shine upon herself and refine her bloodline with the help of this item.


    The bloodline talent of the Blood Blade Ji theoretically could rise to the level beyond imperial, but to this day, none had managed to achieve this.


    However, Ji Xueying had ample potential, her talent had already been impressive before, and after undergoing secret technique refinement in Silver Moon County, both her bloodline potential and spiritual power talent surpassed most of the Blood Blade Ji.


    Now, after over two months of continuous exposure to the "Blood Refining Mirror," Ji Xueying''s new talent was almost ripe for the picking.


    Her strength had also increased rapidly in the past two months, with bone armor further extending to her abdomen, providing complete protection for frontal combat.


    In addition, Lin Rui injected her with a gene completion serum to further complement her genetics, followed by two injections of spiritual enhancers and two injections of bloodline enhancers.


    Although Ji Xueying''s talent had not yet awakened, her overall combat ability was nearly 35% higher than two months ago; even in the ranks of 5SSS level, she was considered among the stronger.


    Lin Xi was practicing pile training nearby.


    The technique she was practicing was the "Yang Pulled Out Stance."


    The middle-tier stance technique "self-created" by Lin Rui might not appear exceptional, but whether it was the efficiency in expanding the meridians, accumulating True Qi, or the speed of Golden Core formation, it was comparable to high-tier stances and even had some advantages in certain aspects.


    Under Lin Rui''s guidance, Lin Xi had mastered the essence of this stance technique and was estimated to enter the Golden Core stage in another day or two.


    Lin Xi''s Sword Bone Demon, on the other hand, was in combat with Wang Sen.


    Wang Sen sought to hone his martial arts ultimate understanding through the Sword Bone Demon''s Sword Intent pressure, while the Sword Bone Demon needed plenty of actual combat experience to enhance its combat prowess; thus, the two were mutually benefiting.


    Lin Xi wanted to check on her own War Dragon''s condition. Just a few days ago, the ''Indomitable Heart Dragon'' seemed to have signs of awakening and was even able to communicate with her through consciousness, its vitality progressively growing stronger.


    To Lin Xi''s astonishment, although the ''Indomitable Heart Dragon''s'' power had dropped to the sixth realm, its bloodline force had actually become strengthened, potentially breaking through to the super emperor tier.


    Lin Rui watched her speed away, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.


    He knew that in the past two months, Lin Xi visited the Zhou family daily because of the War Dragon hidden underneath their grounds.


    However, when Lin Rui checked more than two months ago, that War Dragon was gravely injured, at that time he couldn''t feel the dragon''s consciousness, probably beyond saving.


    This girl still hasn''t given up?


    At this moment, he received a message sent by Fei Yunlai.


    Invincible Ox (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, help me!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): !!!???


    Lin Rui thought, what happened to this guy, it''s been less than an hour since he left, and he is already crying for help?


    Invincible Ox (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, come quickly with some healing medicine, I''ve encountered a High Priest from the Guang Ming Holy Sect, another lunatic! Save me first, then go to this location, you must find a way to take out that bastard, otherwise, we''re in big trouble!


    Lin Rui''s expression turned solemn. He immediately ran into the room to grab three Type 5 life-restoring medicine syringes and then rode out of the city at top speed.


    Anticipating great peril on this mission, he had Ji Xueying follow closely behind him.


    Ji Xueying possessed an extremely powerful stealth ability, surpassing even that of Fei Yunlai''s Celestial Hound in this aspect.


    About 20 minutes later, Lin Rui located the area that Fei Yunlai mentioned.


    Looking at Fei Yunlai who lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious, Lin Rui was momentarily lost for words.


    Right now, Fei Yunlai''s condition was only slightly better than after his battle with Meng Weiyun.


    Fortunately, his War Dragon was still intact, though it was unable to heal the several gaping wounds on its body, at least it was still conscious.


    That Celestial Hound Demon was also not too bad, resting under a nearby boulder, panting.


    Lin Rui then looked up scanning the forest about twenty miles away, filled with craters and total disarray, reflecting on how, although the battle was brief, its intensity was no less than the battle between Fei Yunlai and Meng Weiyun.


    Next, he administered a shot of the Type 5 life-restoring medicine to each of them¡ªstabilizing the state of this man, demon, and dragon¡ªbefore heading towards another coordinate that Fei Yunlai had reported.


    Lin Rui found a middle-aged man in white, also unconscious and covered in blood, nearby, along with a severely damaged War Dragon.


    This War Dragon, still lucid, was vigilantly guarding its master without moving an inch.


    Lin Rui knew this man was without a doubt the High Priest, one of the seven High Priests of the Holy Sect, mentioned by Tang Wenlan!


    He guiltily glanced towards Jingang Port, then surveyed the surroundings, realizing that no one else was there.


    The battle between Fei Yunlai and the High Priest had attracted a large crowd of martial artists from the area, but after the fight, both had retreated far from the scene, hiding in the distant forest. Their location had yet to be discovered.


    Lin Rui immediately directed Ji Xueying to momentarily restrain the seventh-realm War Dragon while his figure flickered, twisting the High Priest''s head and with a ''snap'', plucked it off.

 Chapter 258 All For You (Third update, please subscribe)

    Fei Yunlai was quite lucky; the battlefield where he and the Grand Priest of the Holy Church fought was only a bit over sixty miles from the secret base in Wang City.


    There was a complete surgery cabin there, facilitating Lin Rui to perform more precise surgeries to help old Fei recover faster without leaving any hidden injuries.


    However, when Lin Rui tried to place Fei Yunlai into the surgery cabin, Fei Yunlai tightly clutched his hand, refusing to let go.


    Lin Rui pondered for a long while, then realized, "Don''t worry, the seventh realm battle dragon counts as yours, and the thirty thousand silver notes on the Grand Priest, as well as his belongings, are also yours."


    Sure enough, upon hearing this, Fei Yunlai released his hand.


    Lin Rui didn''t plan to take advantage of old Fei; neither did he have the heart to. Considering that Fei Yunlai had indeed taken a hit for him, he decided not to charge old Fei''s surgery and medicine fees.


    The problem was that the items on the Grand Priest added up still fell short of covering Fei Yunlai''s expenses for two months, and considering his compounded injuries, it was estimated he wouldn''t recover for two or three months.


    Lin Rui also felt conflicted, unsure whether to feel happy or worried, as the kite that had flown away had somehow come back.@@@@


    While Lin Rui was performing surgery on Fei Yunlai, Lin Xi was in the Zhou family''s basement, her eyes full of expectation as she gazed at the ''Danxin Indestructible Dragon'' in front of her.


    Although the tier of this battle dragon had decreased, its body was still an impressive seventy feet tall.


    Its severely damaged heart and most of its organs had healed, and the hole in its forehead was gone, but its body was still incomplete, having only one arm and one leg.


    This was because the battle dragon''s energy was insufficient, allowing it to only prioritize the restoration of more critical parts within its body.


    It was surprising that this originally all-red dragon, edged with dark gold, now had dark golden patterns on its breastplate as well, resembling runes¡ªmysterious, wonderful, cool, and magnificent.


    ¡ªThis was indeed a characteristic of a battle dragon entering the super-emperor stage.


    At the emperor stage, these dark golden patterns would only wrap around the edges and corners, but entering the super-emperor stage, these patterns could spread all over the body.


    Lin Xi''s face turned slightly pale, due to the excessive amount of blood she had just spilled.


    Each time she fed the battle dragon with her blood over the past few days for the sacrificial refining, its consciousness had fiercely tried to awaken, yet it had not succeeded.


    Lin Xi knew it was just short of the final step for a complete awakening, so today she had invested heavily.


    With Lin Rui''s imminent entry into the capital and the upcoming dangerous confrontations, she had to make sure this battle dragon recovered as soon as possible before her brother set out.


    To Lin Xi''s disappointment, she had been waiting here for 30 minutes, and the battle dragon remained motionless.


    Its consciousness was active, erratically transmitting messages to Lin Xi, yet it was still unable to wake.


    "Still unable to awaken?"


    Lin Xi sighed silently, turning to look at her Swordbone Daemon.


    "An Lao, that''s enough for now, the remaining few, let''s kill them tomorrow."


    The Swordbone Daemon was helping her slaughter the Tianji Star cows and transport the meat into storage.


    Lin Xi had received the battle dragon''s intense hunger consciousness more than once, so in the past two days, she had continuously bought over forty Tianji Star cows, slaughtered them, and stored their meat in this basement for the battle dragon''s consumption upon awakening.


    The Tianji Star cows were much larger than Earth cows, and just those thirty-seven cows nearly filled up this underground space that was thirty feet in length and width.


    Lin Xi figured that since the battle dragon was not waking anytime soon, she should take it easy.


    After all, it was the blazing summer, and even if the meat was stored in a cellar, it would still decompose rather quickly.


    But just as Lin Xi turned around, the Swordbone Daemon''s eyes flickered with ghostly fire, looking towards her back.


    "Hmm?"


    Lin Xi suddenly looked back and saw that within the pupil of the ''Danxin Indestructible Dragon'' behind her, a blue gleam had formed.


    Zhang Long had been deeply involved in the smuggling investigation, with the Special Operations Department continuously interrogating suspects, making the lower floors of the office building brightly lit.


    His progress seemed substantial, evident from these arrest warrants, which implicated many leaders of the Six Streets Gang, customs officials, base defense forces, and even naval officers, including two federal commodores serving as destroyer captains.


    All these arrest warrants required Lin Rui''s signature before they could be submitted to the courts and prosecutors for approval.


    Xue Lingxue had already established good personal contacts with several judges and prosecutors under the care of General Zhou, all of whom were sympathetic to the East Asian Republic. So long as the arrest requests submitted by the Third Special Operations Department weren''t too outrageous, they were generally approved promptly.


    Just then, Xue Lingxue''s supervisor also sent her a message.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Xiao Xue, I''m assigning you a task. Look over these pieces of intelligence. If you were the "Nursery Rhyme Killer," where would you say is the easiest spot to strike? How could you take control of that place in the shortest time without alerting the parties involved?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): You should be familiar with the style of the Nursery Rhyme Killer, who leaves no survivors. We need to use this person as a hypothetical adversary and be prepared.


    After reading this, Xue Lingxue''s expression darkened.


    Recently, the notoriety of the "Nursery Rhyme Killer" had been rampant in the base city.


    It was said that many gang strongholds were massacred by a killer who liked to sing nursery rhymes.


    This person was not only adept at using poison but also had the assistance of a master trained up to the seventh realm.


    This was currently the most troublesome case for the entire federal security bureau.


    Mainly because too many were killed, by now, there were already more than 2,000 victims, a truly staggering number.


    Although the government tried to guide public opinion and minimize impact, it still alarmed various parties.


    Not long ago, the mayor and city council had summoned the police and security bureau chiefs for questioning. General Zhou Yunfei had managed to keep his hands clean, as he was not in charge of the major crimes investigation department or the special service center, but including him, several top officials within the security bureau were severely reprimanded.


    As the serial killings continued, several deputy ministers were under tremendous pressure.


    The special service center, major crimes investigation department, and anti-terrorism department were reportedly extremely busy recently, searching everywhere for clues about the Nursery Rhyme Killer.


    The deputy ministers also had no time to deal with the Third Special Operations Department or the ongoing smuggling investigation, suddenly smoothing out conflicts among various departments.


    However, Xue Lingxue knew who this Nursery Rhyme Killer, sought by all sides, truly was¡ªit was none other than Major General Lin Rui of their own Third Special Operations Department!


    After sighing, she first sent the several arrest warrant requests she deemed approvable to Lin Rui for his signature, then opened the documents Lin Rui had provided and began to examine them carefully.


    Xue Lingxue studied them intently, occasionally accessing the internal intelligence database of the security bureau to confirm details.


    In fact, she had already planned three operational schemes for Lin Rui.


    With all parties intensifying their investigations and search, Xue Lingxue had to ensure that every aspect of their operations was flawless.


    Xue Lingxue knew that she and Lin Rui were tied together, and she absolutely did not want anything to happen to him.


    What gave her some relief was that Lin Rui had recently shifted his focus to the lower district.


    The guy adopted a method of tackling the more difficult tasks first, clearing the upper district''s scum and then moving on to the lower district, which was more enclosed and less monitored.


    In the underworld, although the various gang forces were formidable, government power was relatively weak.


    The extensive network of underground tunnels also provided Lin Rui with space to maneuver.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was requesting leave for Fei Yunlai, who wouldn''t be up and about for two or three days and temporarily unfit to serve as a martial arts society coach.


    After performing surgery on them, Lin Rui also had to notify Yu Feicui to not rely on old Fei in the next couple of days.


    Just then, Lin Rui uttered a startled cry¡ªit was because the imperial transfer order had finally reached Wang City.


    To Lin Rui''s surprise, the person who had brought him the transfer order was an acquaintance and benefactor¡ªthe current Deputy Supervisor of the Imperial City''s Sixth Division, Zhuang Mingyue.

 Chapter 259 Achievements in Governance (Please Subscribe)

    Zhuang Mingyue and Zhang Tianchang had just entered Wang City Prefecture on an official boat when they felt a stark difference in the atmosphere compared to several months ago.


    There were many more merchant ships on the Tianxiang River than before, and crucially, these ships were not only sailing alone but also daring to navigate at night.


    As everyone knows, in any part of the Great Song Dynasty, sailing at night was considered quite dangerous, with a high chance of encountering demons.


    Even if one had to navigate at night, it was usual to gather dozens of merchant ships and hire specialized agencies guarding the waterways to escort them.


    However, in Wang City Prefecture, these local shipping merchants were very bold, speeding on the water at night, leaving the many boatmen and captains on their ship stunned.


    When they arrived at Jing Port, they learned that ever since Lord Lin of the Capital Commandant''s office in Wang City took charge, he had vigorously eradicated demons; he not only exterminated all the demons within the Prefecture but also extended his efforts to the Tianxiang River.


    For a while, Lord Lin patrolled the river daily on a boat, executing any demon or demon cultivator on sight.


    Lord Lin was also fierce against those who committed evil. A while ago, he single-handedly obliterated three nearby bandit dens, slaughtering over a hundred demon cultivators.


    It was said that Lord Lin had excellent perceptive abilities and very strong combat skills. It was rumored that demons and demon cultivators now shuddered at the mention of Wang City, with those undergoing demonic transformations fleeing the region at the first opportunity, so the entire prefecture under his governance was very peaceful.


    "I''ve always felt that the lad Twelve is no ordinary person, and indeed it is so,"


    Zhang Tianchang stood on the dock and glanced around: "He has only been in charge for a few months? Actually, when I came here on official business half a year ago, the demon dragon was still around, and the entire vicinity of Wang City was very desolate, with almost no pedestrians on the roads. Only this port area was somewhat bustling, with just a bit of liveliness, but it couldn''t compare to the thriving prosperity and booming trades we see now."


    Zhuang Mingyue also observed the endless stream of people and carriages on the dock and then looked at the distant Walls of Wang City, a slight smile curling at her lips: "Not bad at all! It''s worth my recommendation,"


    As they walked outside Jing Port, Zhuang Mingyue, with her keen senses, overheard the workers on the dock discussing Lin Twelve.


    "Have you heard? Our Prefectural Governor, Lord Li, and Capital Commandant, Lord Lin are supposedly getting transferred to serve in the capital."@@@@


    "I know, the higher-ups are talking about making Civilian Umbrellas for both gentlemen. I''m puzzled why though. Prefect Li has been governing our prefecture for a year, and him being transferred is understandable, but why Lord Lin too?"


    "What else could it be? His outstanding achievements, look at what Wang City has become now?"


    "It''s a shame, if Lord Lin could have stayed in our Wang City for a longer period, such a good official is hard to come by. Previously, it was thanks to him distributing grains from the storage that my family had a much better year. He also worked day and night, patrolling the city rivers, slaying demons, which made our dock''s business several times better than in previous years. The next Capital Commandant who takes over might not match up."


    This was similar to how he, in Qin Yan''s cave residence, wielded Meng Tian Official''s name to bolster his influence.


    And according to the rules of the Great Song Dynasty, once Zhuang Ming Yue truly joins the Divine Envoy''s sect, she would still have to call him senior brother.


    Lin Rui then laughed and clasped his hands, "Sister Zhuang has exceptional talent and virtue. Sooner or later, you will be accepted into our master''s sect. Each of us speaks for our own."


    Zhuang Ming Yue still felt awkward. The once junior constable had now become not only her superior but would also become her senior brother in the future.


    Thinking of the word ''superior,'' Zhuang Ming Yue''s face became solemn, and she took out a scroll of official documents from her sleeve: "Director Lin! We are here by imperial decree to deliver the transfer documents to you!


    Decided by the Commandant of the Imperial Guard and the three Divine Envoys, Lin Rui''s current position as a fifth-grade Lower Mingwei Colonel is upgraded, his position as the Defense Commander of Wang City is removed, and he is appointed as the Spying Bureau Commandant. Furthermore, by the order of the Third Divine Envoy, please head to the capital as soon as you receive the documents to take up your new post!"


    The two of them were entering the capital to participate in the promotion exam and were preparing to return to Sha State when their master entrusted them with this task.


    Normally, these documents should have been distributed through the Bureau of Communication channels, but the Third Divine Envoy, fearing delays and negligence from the Bureau of Communication, had them deliver this transfer document on their way back to Sha State.


    Lin Rui''s expression also grew solemn as he took the documents in hand.


    He glanced through quickly, noting that it consisted mostly of the standard bureaucratic jargon, basically proclaiming that the defense official, Lin Rui, was a talented individual, not only exceptionally gifted but also virtuous and clean, whose tenure had accumulated numerous meritorious deeds, and whose achievements were remarkable, making him a capable and moral official. Hence, he was promoted to Colonel Mingwei and appointed as the Spying Bureau Commandant.


    Lin Rui, far away in Sha State, realized that the person who wrote the document lacked a thorough understanding of him; the achievements listed were somewhat embellished, and many details did not align.


    However, the document bore the seals of the Imperial Guard Commandant and the three Divine Envoys. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire


    Lin Rui had always been puzzled about why the Imperial Guard would appoint him as the Spying Bureau Commandant and was deeply curious. He found no clues in the document.


    At that moment, Zhuang Ming Yue signaled to several robust men in Imperial Dragon Capital Commandant garb to bring forward a huge black box, two zhang high.


    "Rui, take a look at this," Zhuang Ming Yue said with a smile as she unveiled the wooden box: "This is something Senior Sister Meng asked me to bring for you. You might guess what it is, but Senior Sister Meng still said it would surprise you."


    Lin Rui''s expression brightened, knowing it must be the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor crafted on Meng Weiyun''s behalf!


    However, when those Imperial Dragon Capital Commandants opened the black box, Lin Rui''s eyes still narrowed slightly.

 Chapter 260 Mother and Child Dragon Armor (Please Subscribe)

    "Isn''t this a Heavenly Demon Mecha? No, wait, are these two sets?"


    Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    At first glance, Lin Rui thought the item in the box was a mech manufactured by humans, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was not.


    This mecha''s design was very similar to human-made mechas, and one could even recognize traces of the ''Sacred Body'' model 7 parent and child mecha in its form.


    However, many of its parts had been replaced with ''fish scale armor'', which was made of metal threads woven into ropes that linked individual armor plates together.


    This was because the casting technology on Tianji Star was not up to par, unable to produce large metal armor pieces.


    But don''t underestimate this fish scale armor; the plates were painstakingly crafted by skilled artisans and combined with Tianji Star''s unique runic crafting technique, its defense was actually extremely powerful, far surpassing the Federation''s die-casting technology and metal printing techniques.


    This method of casting was too dependent on an individual''s technical ability and could not be mass-produced and popularized.


    However, what truly surprised him was that there were not one but two sets of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armors inside!


    ¡ªBehind the taller dragon armor ahead was another set of dragon armor, smaller in size.


    "This is actually a set of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, combining the skeletal remains and some armor left by a Heavenly Demon mecha, crafted into a parent and child suit."


    Zhuang Mingyue saw the surprised expression on Lin Rui''s face and couldn''t help but curve her lips slightly, "Meng Sister once killed a fifth realm Heavenly Demon from beyond our domain. Though his combat power was not impressive, he had a powerful protective demon, as well as a seven-realm standard parent and child mecha.


    After Meng Sister killed them, she seized most of the mecha''s body, and this time she asked an exceptional mechanic from the ''Mechanical God Temple'' to help, using the body of the parent and child mecha as a base and combining it with the materials you sent, to craft this set of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor for you."


    As Zhuang Mingyue spoke, she gave Lin Rui''s companion Blood Blade Lady a sidelong glance, "You might not have heard of a parent and child mecha before, and I don''t quite understand it myself; it seems to be a special type of mecha that shares the same engine and such.@@@@


    I heard from Sister that the power system of the parent and child mecha she confiscated was complete, which is the strongest part of the dragon armor. You see, the Heavenly Demons'' mechas are generally stronger than ours; even though made of metal, they commonly possess a powerful self-healing ability, but even more impressive is their propulsion system, the precision of which is awe-inspiring."


    Zhuang Mingyue spoke with a somewhat unusual tone; she had never imagined Meng Weiyun would value Lin Rui to such an extent. To enhance the combat capability of Lin Rui and his servant, she had even gone out of her way to ask the Mechanical God Temple to make this set of parent and child dragon armor for Lin Rui.


    ¡ªThat was the Mechanical God Temple! A force that was decades ahead of the Great Song in mechanical technology, proclaiming to be able to craft the ''Abyss of Machinery''!


    "So it''s like that, there are mechas like this among the Heavenly Demons?" Lin Rui nodded slightly as if he grasped the gravity of the situation, though his mind was clear as a mirror.


    He didn''t know much about the ''Sacred Body'' model 7 parent and child mecha, but he was aware of its characteristics.


    It was a mecha developed by the Federal ''Knights of the Holy Order'' specifically for those aberrant walkers with protective demons, both parent and child mechas sharing a nuclear fusion engine, with energy transmitted through quantum leap technology.


    Before the Earth Federation imposed controls on mecha technology, this model of parent and child mecha was very popular.


    This was because ''Sacred Body'' was very cost-effective! It only needed a little more money on top of one set of mecha to exchange for the combat power of two.


    Furthermore, most demons were of low intelligence and had trouble adapting to such technological weapons. In such cases, aberrant walkers could also assist from the parent mecha side, helping these demons control the mecha in battle.


    Indeed, Lin Rui had not anticipated Meng Weiyun making such a pair for him; he was both shocked and delighted.


    At this moment, Zhuang Mingyue threw a jade token to Lin Rui, "This is the command token for the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor. You just need to drop your blood essence into the token and slightly refine it to use it, but unfortunately¡ª"


    Wang Sen realized that this woman still suspected him of being an outsider Heavenly Demon, perhaps even considering when to administer a Heavenly Demon Test on him.


    With a deep breath, Wang Sen knew all he needed was for his true form to integrate two more components, and he could complete the initial form of the Black Tortoise Suit,


    Under the effect of heteromorph assimilation, his heteromorph could also possess a primary Black Tortoise Sacred Body.


    Lin Rui had also said that he would slightly slow down the trip to the capital to support him fully during this time.


    Wang Sen originally did not want to take any more money from Lin Rui, but now he had no choice. He must pass the Heavenly Demon Test before entering the capital.


    As long as he had the primary Black Tortoise Sacred Body and the cooperation of a high-level spellcaster from afar, he stood a good chance of passing the imperial court''s Heavenly Demon Test, providing he did not encounter a National Guardian Dragon.


    Meanwhile, in the upstairs private room, Zhuang Mingyue respectfully raised her glass to Lin Xi, who was attending the banquet with her, "It turns out that my younger sister is the orphaned daughter of the Zhou family, my apologies!"


    She actually took the initiative to pick up her cup and toast Lin Xi, "The affairs of the Zhou family have also reached my ears in the capital. Three generations of loyal and good Zhou family members have been praised by everyone; Imperial Censor Zhou even died arguing for the people and became famous throughout the land! It is unthinkable that after the death of Imperial Censor Zhou, the Zhou family was bullied to this extent by a group of villains. When the officials in the capital heard of this matter, all were indignant. I, too, was filled with righteous indignation, only regretting that I was not in Wang City at the time; otherwise, I would never have allowed those thieves from the Burning Saber Sect to behave so outrageously!"


    Her words made Li Changguo and the others visibly uncomfortable.


    At that time, they were all troubled by the magic dragon and were reluctant to deal with the matter, even less willing to offend the figure behind the Burning Saber Sect. In the end, no one expected the Burning Saber Sect to act so ruthlessly.


    Li Changguo also touched his nose, knowing that his demotion was due to dissatisfaction from above with the incident.


    Although he had managed to join the ranks of the Imperial Censors through his family''s efforts, his political resources had actually been exhausted, especially since the people at the Censorate would likely look at him unfavorably, anticipating a difficult path ahead for him.


    Lin Xi also lifted her cup with a grateful expression, "How dare I? Envoy Zhuang is known for her righteous and courageous heart. If Envoy Zhuang had been there at the time, would the Burning Saber Sect have dared to offend my Zhou family?"


    She did not show a friendly face to the three officials, and her words were laden with barbs and obvious mockery.


    As time passed, Lin Xi became more and more aware of the weight of the identity arranged for her by Lin Rui.


    Wang Sen, now a powerful expert of the Four Realms, could only stay downstairs with Zhang Tianchang and the others, while she, a woman who had just nearly reached the threshold of the Four Realms, had become a valued guest of these high officials from the court.


    Zhuang Mingyue grew more fond of this ''Zhou Yunxi'', lamenting internally that it was a pity the Zhou family''s unceasing dragon legacy had been destroyed; otherwise, with this girl''s background, she could have easily joined the Imperial City Division as an official. Either their own Zhuang family or Lin XII could have recommended her.


    The First Divine Envoy was particularly fond of those with backgrounds like Zhou Yunxi''s.


    After three generations of loyalty and integrity, they had suffered wrongs and lost everything due to the emperor''s wanton actions.


    For the First Divine Envoy to bring Zhou Yunxi into the imperial court and make use of her would be the greatest satire of the emperor.


    While the guests at Lanyue Building enjoyed their cups amidst the din, exchanging toasts and reveling in merriment, the Sect Master of the Burning Saber Sect, ''Xuanhuo Saber'' Qi Yan, was swiftly traveling over the water tens of miles away on the Tianxiang River.


    Upon reaching the river near Jinggang, he looked upstream and saw a government boat at the dock.


    At the bow of the boat sat an old man with white hair in a ruddy coat.


    His face was gaunt, his skin sun-darkened, his features well-defined, and his white brows swept across like a broom. He sat behind a writing table, pouring drinks for himself, with an imposing and solemn demeanor. His gaze was as sharp and piercing as a blade, and he looked towards Qi Yan as well.


    Qi Yan recognized him¡ªit was the former Governor of Shazhou, Yuan Chengkai.

 Chapter 261 Qi Yan (Third update, please subscribe)

    "The ''Xuanhuo Saber'' Qi Yan?"


    Yuan Chengkai had already recognized Qi Yan''s identity and chuckled at himself, "It seems my luck is not very good today, to have encountered a fallen dog of a household."


    "Indeed, but you are hardly one to talk!" Qi Yan huffed lightly, flying to the mast of the official ship and coming to a stop.


    At the same time, a cluster of flames gathered at the rear deck of this ship, gradually solidifying into his Seventh Realm combat dragon, the ''Flame Blood Burning Dragon''."


    Yuan Chengkai did not stop him, but looked at Qi Yan''s chest and abdomen sword wound with a peculiar expression: "Was this cut by Meng Weiyun? It seems this woman has indeed made great progress in the martial path, nearing the Seventh Realm. It must be quite uncomfortable for you now?"


    "Burning agony within! Fortunately, I do not have to endure it much longer."


    Qi Yan replied succinctly.


    And just these few words caused a large amount of fresh blood to continuously spill from his mouth.


    The state of Qi Yan''s ''Flame Blood Burning Dragon'' was also poor, with seventeen or eighteen wounds over its body, the blood seeping out kindling upon contact with the air.


    Qi Yan took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and poured all of its liquid contents into his mouth: "Many thanks!"


    This was not only because Yuan Chengkai allowed him to find refuge on the ship but also because this Governor of Sha State extended his powerful divine consciousness, helping to shield Qi Yan''s vital energy, allowing him time to rest and recover from his injuries before taking action.


    He had chosen the water route precisely to conceal the fiery aura that permeated his being.


    Even so, both man and dragon had to constantly evaporate water vapor to cloak their bodies.


    This was greatly draining, but now they could catch their breath.


    Qi Yan couldn''t help but ask out of curiosity, "However, I heard that you place the utmost importance on rules and regulations. Aren''t you afraid that your battle dragon will reject you for acting this way?"


    Governor Yuan Chengkai''s battle dragon was the ''Heaven Rein Battle Dragon'', refined through seven generations of Yuan''s family rites.


    What is meant by Rein? It signifies law and order!


    This battle dragon was cultivated step by step by generations of the Yuan family, worshipping the ''Divine Law Venerable'' and basing itself on legalism.


    Yuan Chengkai''s ascension to the Eighth Realm and his attainment were deeply indebted to the power of this familial battle dragon.


    However, if his entire cultivation was dependent on this dragon, he was also restricted by it and had to adhere to the rules left by his ancestors, unable to do as he pleased.


    The downside of familial battle dragons was that, while their combat power was extremely strong, almost universally at the imperial rank or even above with bloodline powers and the augmentation of abyssal concepts, they also possessed the sentience of an adult.


    However, correspondingly, these battle dragons act on their own will, abiding by the laws of the abyss, and must not stray.


    Even someone as powerful as the Governor of Sha State would suffer backlash and pay a heavy price if they went against the will of their battle dragon.


    So despite the fact that this man has used various means to eliminate opposition since taking office, everything has actually been within the rules of the court.


    "I am no longer the Governor, nor a court official; I''m just a criminal official who has been dismissed and detained by the court."


    Yuan Chengkai raised his wine cup, toying with it before his eyes.


    But the ice would eventually melt, especially since he was a Martial Cultivator of fire techniques, which would accelerate the melting.


    "Let the leader set sail now," said Yuan Chengkai, the governor of Shazhou, with a calm look. He did not even bother to look back at Qi Yan, "Let''s leave this place as soon as possible."


    The woman in blue narrowed her eyes at him, "Don''t you want to take a look at that Lin Rui?"


    Yuan Chengkai shook his head slightly, "Qi Yan can live for at least an hour, and this new commander of the Assassination Bureau is bound to die. Not worth watching! What''s more, the reason why I fell to this state today is that I was too eager and stood out too much, so that even the Emperor dared not come forward to protect me. Lin Rui is at most just a trigger, and not worth too much regard."


    Before those ice needles melt, Qi Yan will definitely be able to kill Lin Rui.


    So there was no need for him to stay here any longer; he should leave far behind to avoid getting involved in the mess.


    Meanwhile, at the same time, Xue Lingxue, who had led the Imperial Flame War Dragon to Tianxiang River, also saw the two red lights swooping across the sky.


    "What is that?"


    Xue Lingxue, in order to ensure Lin Rui''s safety, had researched all the information about this Defense Commandant, including his enemies!


    Her pupils suddenly contracted slightly, "Is that the Sect Master of Burning Saber Sect, ''Xuanhuo Saber'' Qi Yan?"


    Xue Lingxue didn''t hesitate to send a message to Lin Rui.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): BOSS, Xuanhuo Saber Qi Yan is here, outside the city.


    At the same time, she immediately covered herself with a nanomechanical armor and drew a war bow.


    The power of the nanomechanical armor, compared to external exoskeleton armor, Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, and Mecha, was not much different, but its price was several times higher.


    However, this item was superior in being simple and lightweight, making it difficult for others to detect.


    The war bow in her hand was even a 6S+ grade Magic Artifact, the ''Dragon Tongue Bow''!


    Xue Lingxue, with the support of her father and two older brothers, was equipped with top-level gear.


    She drew the bow with a speed barely visible to the naked eye, and in an instant, seven arrow shadows flew like shooting stars toward Qi Yan''s direction.


    When these seven arrows were shot out, Xue Lingxue also drained all her qi and blood.


    Just as she had told Lin Rui, her strongest ability was actually archery! Close combat came second.


    When Xue Lingxue was at the fourth realm of cultivation, she was the strongest sniper among all lieutenant colonels at the third base of the Federal Security Bureau, possessing incomparable explosive power. Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui in Lanyue Building, after seeing the message from Xue Lingxue, couldn''t help but feel his scalp tingle.


    The first thought that crossed his mind was why had Xuanhuo Saber Qi Yan come here? Why hadn''t his senior sister given him an advance notice?


    His second thought was that combat must not break out within the city; having taken so much money from his fellow townspeople, how could he in good conscience let them fall into a firestorm because of his own issues?


    The third thought was that he must change to another battlefield more advantageous to him, as there were too many wooden buildings inside the city!


    "Let''s go!"


    Without a second thought, Lin Rui, together with Blood Blade, abruptly smashed through the wooden wall behind them, and like a bolt of lightning, flew swiftly towards the distant Tianxiang River, leaving everyone at the banquet, who were drinking and talking, utterly dumbfounded.

 Chapter 262 Not Just a Foodie (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Xi was also in the battle group, and she saw the message sent by Xue Lingxue.


    Her spirit trembled, and she immediately broke through the window and ran toward the direction of Zhou family''s mansion.


    Lin Xi realized she was too weak in cultivation, and she only had a fighting chance by entering the "Indomitable Heart Dragon" and commanding this battle dragon.


    Wang Sen''s face turned ashen as he rushed out of the restaurant.


    At that moment, seven booming sounds exploded in the air consecutively.


    Those were the arrows from Xue Lingxue, arriving through the sky, catching up with Qi Yan of Xuanhuo Saber and his "Flame Blood Burning Dragon," making ''thud thud thud thud'' sounds, with formidable and vast power, the force shaking the void and completely collapsing the rooftops within half a mile below.


    But even more deadly was the massive amount of ice True Yuan and the grand thunder that the arrows carried.


    "Good shot!"


    After Qi Yan slashed through those seven arrows, he felt a tremor in his internal organs.


    The seven arrows, coming from merely a Fifth Realm hand, unleashed via a secret move, displayed the divine might of the peak of the Sixth Realm.


    Even Qi Yan felt a slight tremor in his organs, and a loosening tendency of the ice needles within him.


    He and the Flame Blood Burning Dragon were forced to pause for a moment.


    At this moment, Qi Yan felt that the circulation of blood and energy in his body was somewhat impaired.


    It was the chubby young man in front of a restaurant in the distance, employing the supreme secret move of "Ice Blood Palm" ¡ª Ice Blood Limitless!


    "Seeking death!"


    Outraged, Qi Yan raised his hand and pointed at the chubby young man, unleashing a massive blade of flame, slashing towards him.


    At this time, the people inside the restaurant were also greatly alarmed.


    Zhang Tianchang even ran in front of Wang Sen, his whole body swelling to nearly twice its size in an instant, standing like a giant metallic figure in front of the restaurant.


    However, the actual dispersing of the blade spirit was accomplished by Zhuang Mingyue, Prefectural Governor Li Changguo, Prefectural Commander Qin Xia, and Deputy Prefect Dong Linghui, four fifth realm practitioners acting together to scatter that Flame Saber.


    Regrettably, since they did not carry their Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor to the banquet, they couldn''t completely pulverize the saber spirit. The restaurant they were under not only instantly crumbled but also turned into a sea of flames.


    The corners of their lips all bled at the same time.


    Qi Yan''s single strike had simultaneously heavily injured those four.


    That was within the expectations of Wang Sen, who had to go all out to buy Lin Rui time.


    The several experts inside the restaurant were very likely not to just stand by, even if these people chose to do nothing, he still had to make a move!


    Wang Sen did not stop there; he continued to use Ice Blood Limitless from a distance of seventy yards to freeze the blood of Qi Yan.


    Although his current cultivation was only in the early stages of the Fourth Realm, various aspects of his physical attributes had explosively increased to around 700 points.


    The key was that Lin Xi, after inheriting from the Zhou family, had found him a Sixth Realm King-level Magic Artifact ''Ice Wind Hand'' in the Zhou family treasure vault; it was a pair of metal gloves, when worn, they could drastically enhance the power of Ice Blood Palm.


    Although for Qi Yan, it was still like an ant gnawing on a tree, even if it only attracted a little bit of Qi Yan''s attention, it was enough.


    At that moment, another trail of bloody sword light soared into the sky slashing fiercely towards Qi Yan.


    That was indeed Lin Xi''s Green Blood Sword Demon!


    Her bloodline talent was extremely powerful, existing at a 5SSS level.


    Although Ji Xueying''s control over fire could not compare to Qi Yan of the Xuanhuo Saber, it was merely due to insufficient cultivation level.


    Around her body, Ji Xueying could sufficiently suppress Qi Yan''s firepower.


    "Boom!"


    Amidst the massive flames, Qi Yan, utilizing Lin Rui''s clothes, shifted above the water surface.


    But by then, Lin Rui had already used Flash Escape to reposition himself eighty yards away on the river, vastly increasing the distance.


    Meanwhile, Blood Blade Ji drew her saber and slashed rapidly in front of him!


    Seeing this scene, Qi Yan''s pupils also slightly constricted.


    Two thoughts simultaneously flashed through his mind.


    This youngster has a strong Escape Skill!


    This Blood Blade Ji has a fast slashing speed!


    Qi Yan, a high-ranking figure of the seventh realm, recognized that Lin Rui had perfected his Escape Skill to the peak, utilizing every bit of his True Yuan to its fullest!


    This meant that Lin Rui''s every use of Flash Escape consumed minimal True Yuan, and the scope of his Escape Skill was very broad, possibly reaching more than a hundred yards at its maximum.


    This guy seemed to also possess two powerful bloodline powers, "Indestructible Solar Yang" and "Blood Core Fury Yang", with a very strong ability to endure.


    However, what was even more frightening was that Blood Blade Ji!


    This was not just any imperial class bloodline demon, but her overall physical attributes had reached the early stages of the fifth realm, the limits of an imperial class bloodline!


    The speed of that saber draw made Qi Yan''s scalp tingle.


    This strike was considerably stronger than those seven arrows, and even if Qi Yan was in his prime, he had to seriously face this incredibly fast saber light.


    "Boom!"


    Qi Yan couldn''t manage to block in time and could only dodge using his Escape Skill, transforming his entire being into a completely weightless fire cloud, letting Blood Blade Ji''s saber light slash through his fiery form.


    At this moment, his ''Blood Flame Dragon Slash'' also swung down, its three-yard long giant saber, along with immense mighty force, slammed Blood Blade Ji out like swatting a fly.


    Qi Yan then reverted from his fire cloud back to his normal body and turned back to coldly gaze at Lin Rui.


    He didn''t try to pursue, as it would''ve been futile, following Lin Rui would only result in the futile depletion of True Yuan.


    However, this didn''t mean he had no way to deal with Lin Rui.


    As Qi Yan reached forward toward Lin Rui, instantly numerous Flame Saber Qi took form in the void, swarming like a tidal wave towards Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui also felt the temperature within his body continue to rise.


    Just as he prepared to use his Escape Skill for a swift shift, he received notification messages from the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Alert 1: Battle Spirit No. 2 is very interested in an object within your enemy''s body, she dismisses this flame martial cultivator''s martial path, wanting to teach your opponent what true fire martial art is, hoping you would accept her possession request.


    Alert 2: Since it''s a voluntary request from Battle Spirit No. 2, the cost of possession is halved.


    Upon seeing these alerts, Lin Rui was slightly taken aback.


    It turned out that this No. 2 Battle Spirit was not just fond of food.

 Chapter 263 Possession (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Rui did not choose to attach his spirit to a body, but continued to use high-speed Flash Escape, doing his best to deal with Qi Yan.


    The opponent in front of him was a level seven super king, clearly out of Lin Rui''s league.


    Qi Yan was indeed seriously injured, especially the sword wound on his chest and abdomen that was deep enough to see bone, but for some reason, his combat strength didn''t seem to be affected much.


    Even with the help of the defensive official seal, Lin Rui''s cultivation could only be raised to the pinnacle of level four, and he had no advantage in terms of innate talent.


    Now, his only hope was to delay, to wait for changes!


    The problem was that Lin Rui was somewhat unable to withstand Qi Yan''s first move.


    Not only did the man bombard him from a distance with the Flame Saber rain, but he also dispersed his overwhelming flame power in all directions, melting Lin Rui''s scattered silver needles.


    This was a direct hit to Lin Rui''s weak spot.


    Once these silver needles melted, no matter how skillful Lin Rui''s Escape Skill was, it would be very difficult for him to escape Qi Yan''s pursuit, and his consumption of True Yuan would increase tenfold!


    Lin Rui could only submerge all his silver needles into the water, only flying them out when needed.


    The high temperature emitted by these silver needles made the surrounding river water boil.


    The runes on the surface of the silver needles were gradually losing their efficacy under the influence of the high temperature and boiling water.


    Currently, these silver needles could hold on for a while, but at most, they could only last for another ten to fifteen minutes.


    Although Lin Rui was resilient in character, he was not the kind who was oblivious to the danger of death.


    If he saw not even a glimmer of hope, he would definitely have the "Heaven''s Proxy" take care of it.


    From the skill list of the second-ranked battle spirit, this person''s martial arts accomplishments were extremely high, and according to the Martial Arts Association''s grading criteria, they might even reach SSS! Otherwise, the second-ranked battle spirit wouldn''t have been able to tear through several level six and seven generals in the Great Song army after turning into a demonized form.


    The problem was that Lin Rui saw the Xuanbing Needles in Qi Yan''s wounds, as well as the possibility of victory!


    Being a third-generation traditional Chinese medicine doctor, Lin Rui recognized at a glance what those ice needles were used for.


    The crux of the matter ¡ª Lin Rui was unwilling to leave the outcome of his life-and-death battle in the hands of others!


    As long as there was a sliver of possibility, Lin Rui would go all out to fight, all out to struggle!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Ying''er, pay attention to the ice needles in his body, he won''t live long!


    Sharpness flashed in Lin Rui''s eyes as he resisted the sky-full of flying Flame Sabers while fully engaged in Flash Escape.


    Those Flame Sabers were not only immensely powerful and heavy but also carried the brutal force of flames that burned everything.


    Lin Rui gritted his teeth and struggled to block them while desperately circulating his True Yuan, doing everything he could to direct the heat inside his body to the outside.


    Ji Xueying was fully engaged in holding off the ''Blood Flame Burning Dragon''.


    With SSS-grade innate strength and the ''Steel Bones'' talent, she was only slightly inferior in defense and endurance to the Demonic Sword Bone.


    Though her body was being smashed into the water repeatedly by the ''Blood Flame Burning Dragon,'' she was able to rally quickly each time, ensuring that the ''Blood Flame Burning Dragon'' could not afford to be distracted.


    After seeing the message in the battle group, Ji Xueying also glanced in Qi Yan''s direction.


    Her eyes suddenly brightened.


    Blood Blade Sky Saber (Ji Xueying): Understood!


    Due to Lin Rui''s intense battle with the ''Xuanhuo Saber'' Qi Yan, a vast amount of water vapor from the Tianxiang River had evaporated, and a huge mist had started to cover more than twenty li around the battlefield.


    In the center of the battlefield, the violent wind and waves allowed for clear visibility, but the surrounding areas became hazy.


    However, Zhuang Mingyue still vaguely saw a giant battle dragon, about seven and a half zhang tall and crimson all over, stumbling towards the direction of the city wall on the street behind it.


    "Is this¡ª"


    Zhuang Mingyue''s eyes first showed confusion, then her pupils dilated in disbelief, "Dan Xin Bu Mie Dragon!"


    The Zhou family''s battle dragon was still alive?


    Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    The problem was, this giant dragon shouldn''t have developed its independent spiritual source yet, and it had been half a year since Zhou Rang''s death. Given the dragon''s injuries, how could it possibly have survived until now?


    Who else in the Zhou family could afford to take care of this battle dragon?


    Moreover, looking at the state of the ''Dan Xin Bu Mie Dragon,'' it might have already advanced to a super-royal bloodline!


    However, the ''Dan Xin Bu Mie Dragon''s'' vitality was severely depleted, and it seemed to struggle even to stand.


    "Is it that orphaned girl from the Zhou family, Zhou Yun Xi?"


    Zhuang Mingyue''s thoughts raced, and she teleported closer.


    Meanwhile, thirty li away on the river, Yuan Chengkai, the Governor of the former sandbank, had a face as dark as iron.


    The woman in blue beside him couldn''t help but exclaim, "What a formidable lad, you thought he was as good as dead, but it seems that may not be the case now. Both the Prefectural Governor and Prefect are wearing Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, and Qi Yan is about to be in trouble next!"


    In fact, at this time, the water mist on the river was already very severe, especially the water vapor around dozens of li outside the battlefield was getting thicker and thicker, and ordinary people couldn''t see in this environment.


    However, the two could still see the scenery thirty li away.


    "He wants to melt those Xuanbing Needles." Yuan Chengkai hesitated for a moment, then emphasized, "Tianqing!"


    The woman in blue smiled upon hearing this, "You call me that because you want me to secretly help Qi Yan? The problem is, everyone knows about your relationship with me. Aren''t you afraid of being exposed afterwards and getting into trouble?"


    Yuan Chengkai did not respond.


    If the matter was exposed, it would indeed lead to endless troubles, but the situation was still better than Lin Twelve coming to the capital to take up the position of ''Anti-Traitor Bureau Commander.''


    However, he believed more in his confidante, who could do so without leaving any trace.


    The woman in blue knew Yuan Chengkai was sensitive about the will of his battle dragon and wouldn''t answer her question.


    She could tell what he was thinking simply from Yuan Chengkai''s demeanor.


    Her pupils slightly changed, revealing a hint of purple, and it seemed as if thunder and lightning flickered in the depths of her eyes.


    At this moment, Lin Rui, who was going all out to evade and block those Flame Saber Qis, suddenly felt a dizzy spell.


    Notice: Detection of Major General rank foreign spiritual power invasion. Currently, possessing either War Spirit 1 or War Spirit 2 can help you absorb and refine the spiritual source of the foreign spiritual power. Which will you possess?


    Lin Rui''s pupils widened sharply, realizing there must be a high-level figure secretly acting against him.


    He didn''t hesitate, "Possess! War Spirit 2, take over the fight."


    ```

 Chapter 264 Fire Control (Third update, please subscribe)

    As Lin Rui''s psychic consciousness endured the heavy blow, the assault from the Flame Sabers did not cease. They rushed down upon him continuously, like a blanket of heaven covering earth.


    Barely had Lin Rui''s figure come to a halt when the dense rain of sabers completely engulfed him.


    The spot on the river where he stood was cleaved into a huge ravine, with massive waves surging up from both sides, and a vast red inferno formed a giant cloud of fire above the surface.


    At that moment, almost everyone both on and off the battlefield was shaken and shocked by what was unfolding on the river.


    "Little Rui?" Xue Lingxue''s face turned as pale as paper, her hands hardly able to hold her bow.


    ¡ªOnce again, she had failed her mission.


    The last person in the world she cared about had also died before her eyes.


    What on earth was wrong with this world? No matter what she wanted to protect, it seemed she could neither safeguard it nor keep it safe.


    "Brother!" Inside the Undying Dragon of the Danxin, Lin Xi too, through the dragon''s incredibly powerful and advanced visual system, saw the scene unfolding miles away, and her eyes instantly turned blood-red.


    ¡ªOnce again, she witnessed her brother die before her eyes!


    Driven insane by despair, Lin Xi piloted the Undying Dragon of the Danxin toward the surface of the river, her iris gradually turning from red to a dead grey.


    Meanwhile, hidden from everyone''s perception, within the lower levels of Base City Nine, a colossal being that had been slumbering was rapidly awakening.


    "Big bro Rui!" Wang Sen''s face drained of all color as he clenched his fists tightly.


    In that instant, Wang Sen felt an unprecedented hatred for his own powerlessness and incompetence.


    But just then, a new message popped up in their combat group chat.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): "Xueying, what are you doing? I''m not dead yet."


    Even while possessed, Lin Rui was still able to control his biological chip to speak in the group chat.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): "Holy shit, is that you Lin Xi? The Undying Dragon of the Danxin, the Zhou family''s dragon actually didn''t die?"


    Lin Rui was shocked beyond belief; his sister had quietly given him such a huge surprise.


    It was through the blood bond between them that he sensed Lin Xi''s presence.


    Out of concern, he specially commanded his biological chip to intercept the second Battle Spirit''s vision, analyzing and restoring the image of Lin Xi''s location.


    He was taken aback when he saw through the fog, a dragon''s silhouette faintly standing there.


    Due to the thick fog, Lin Rui could only make out the outline of this dragon, which was unmistakably the Zhou family''s underground Undying Dragon of the Danxin.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Get back right now, your dragon can''t even stand firmly."


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): "Go back! Listen to me, I won''t die."


    In their combat group chat, aside from Ji Xueying, who was in the midst of a fierce battle with the Xuanhuo Saber, Qi Yan, everyone else was stunned.


    Lin Rui was actually alive? He survived the onslaught of hundreds of Flame Saber strikes?


    This guy even had the leisure to chat with them in their combat group?


    Xue Lingxue''s spirits lifted, and she took another syringe from her backpack, injecting it into the artery on her neck.


    It was a stimulant, capable of driving her True Yuan, which was beginning to deplete, to explode to its limits once more!


    Lin Xi hesitated with uncertainty in her gaze.


    She didn''t know whether she should obey her brother''s command or not.


    Nearby the Undying Dragon of the Danxin, Zhuang Mingyue also gazed toward the river''s surface.


    She had come to check on the status of the dragon.


    He had realized the issue; it was the fire elemental force mixed within the Saber Gang Qi that was being interfered with.


    And it was severe interference that directly caused those flames'' elemental force to explode uncontrollably!


    This also fundamentally undermined the Flame Saber Gang Qi, causing an internal imbalance and disintegration.


    The question was, how could this fellow''s control of fire be so exquisite?


    Qi Yan was indeed experiencing issues himself; due to internal injuries and those ice needles, his inherent flame elemental force was in a state of severe imbalance and disorder, which the other party took advantage of.


    But even with his condition, it wasn''t something that any ordinary martial cultivator could exploit if they wanted to, not even Qin Xia who is also a peak Fifth Realm fire martial cultivator with the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor and yet unable to withstand his casual Flame Saber Gang Qis.


    Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    There is a saying among the people about using minimal strength to move heavy weights, but if one does not possess even that minimal strength, how can they move a heavy weight?


    "You''re using the ''Purifying Flames of the World,'' a secret technique from the Burning God Sect that dates back 8,000 years ago,"


    Ji Shenyan, controlling Lin Rui''s body, looked at Qi Yan with mocking eyes, "It''s a pity you learned it incompletely and your control over fire is extremely poor, merely relying on bloodline power to force it through. With such inadequate skills, how dare you act so arrogantly in front of me?"


    Of course, even with his current state, Qi Yan at his peak was not someone Lin Rui and his servant could compare with.


    Even with Ji Shenyan controlling Lin Rui''s body, they could only manage to preserve Lin Rui''s life and were unable to confront such an expert beyond the Seventh Realm.


    However, Qi Yan was currently in chaos and imbalance internally, his ability to control fire likely not even one-tenth of what it was at his peak.


    "Clang! Clang! Clang!"


    Qi Yan''s Flame Saber Gang Qi continued to burst and surge forth, growing more and more violent, yet he still couldn''t reach within two yards around Lin Rui.


    No matter how powerful or fierce those Saber Gang Qis were, they would disperse and shatter before Lin Rui.


    Seeing Lin Twelve approaching over the water, now just five yards in front of him, Qi Yan couldn''t help but roar in anger.


    He initially wanted to summon his ''Flame Blood Burning Dragon'' to strike at Lin Twelve, but discovered that his battle dragon had been entangled by the Sword Bone Demon, along with Qin Xia and Li Changguo in their Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor.


    Blood Blade Ji also managed to unleash even greater speed with her saber strikes, continuously slicing towards Qi Yan, forcing him to block and defend with all his might.


    At that moment, Lin Twelve suddenly raised his hand and pointed a finger towards Qi Yan''s forehead.


    Ji Shenyan, contemptuous of the Seventh Realm martial cultivator before her, kept her gaze on the lower abdomen area of Qi Yan.


    ¡ªInside there was something she wanted!


    Qi Yan felt a tingling sensation on his scalp. Seeing that finger from Lin Twelve pointing towards him, his mind rang alarm bells, sensing an extreme crisis.


    He didn''t understand what the matter with Lin Twelve was, how could his martial way of controlling fire be so powerful? Even he, a Seventh Realm master, could not reach such a level.


    And Lin Twelve''s finger that seemed so ordinary¡ªwhy did it cause him to shiver, filled with extreme fear?


    "Die!"


    Qi Yan''s True Yuan suddenly exploded with full power, forming a six-zhang-tall flame giant on the outside of his body.


    At the same time, the will and concept of the ancient and profound ''Fire Deity'' began to cover a ten-mile radius around him.


    Qi Yan first slashed fiercely with his saber, sending Ji Xueying flying with a powerful blow, then he raised his blade to split mountains and boil seas, and slashed towards Lin Twelve''s head!


    "Die!"


    Lin Twelve, seeing this, curled the corner of his lips, revealing a triumphant smile.


    In that instant, Qi Yan discovered that all the will and concept of the abyss he had summoned with all his strength had actually been stolen and controlled by the youth opposite him.


    At the same time, all the flames that Qi Yan had unleashed were reversing and rolling back, surging like a tide into his body.


    And at that very moment, all the Xuanbing Needles inside Qi Yan completely melted!

 Chapter 265 The Guilty Officer (Please Subscribe)

    "The ''Xuanhuo Saber'' Qi Yan is dead."


    Inside and outside the battlefield, everyone looked on in utter astonishment as Qi Yan''s body intensely combusted, and then turned into flames that dissipated inch by inch.


    The Sect Master of the Burning Saber Sect, wishing to avenge his disciples, sought to drag Lin Xi down with him, but Lin Xi dealt with him with ease.


    Qi Yan''s seventh realm War Dragon ''Flaming Blood Incinerating Dragon'' also fell into the depths of the river thereafter.


    This war dragon, having neither self-awareness nor a formed core, ceased to exist upon the death of its master.


    Including Prefectural Governor Yuan Chengkai, everyone was incredibly shocked, their eyes filled with confusion and disbelief at the scene before them.


    They found it magical and unthinkable how Lin Xi killed Qi Yan, casually walking up to the overwhelmed Qi Yan under the pressure of his supreme secret technique ''Purge the World with Flames,'' and with a single finger, killed Qi Yan, whose cultivation reached the seventh realm.


    The scene was as casual as a breeze, graceful and unhurried, hardly like a clash between someone at the fourth realm and the seventh realm. It rather looked like a great grandmaster of martial arts facing off against a child who had just started practicing martial arts.


    Yuan Chengkai couldn''t help but narrow his eyes, "Interesting."


    This guy, such strong control over fire! His understanding and control of fire are comparable to those of a seventh realm Emperor level martial cultivator! Even in the eighth realm, he could be ranked among the sovereigns, making even Yuan Chengkai feel somewhat inferior.


    The problem is, how could such powerful control over fire appear in a fourth realm martial cultivator?


    But what Yuan Chengkai was more concerned about was the second primordial spirit of ''Heavenly Incline.'' Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    How had the other party defended against the spiritual secret technique of ''Heavenly Incline''? And how did he shatter her second primordial spirit and take the seventh realm supreme imperial treasure ''Thunder Soul Pearl''?


    Within Wang City, Zhuang Mingyue, suspended in mid-air, murmured, "This is impossible, could it be Ji Shenyan?"


    She knew that Lin Xi could not possibly possess such strong control over fire; he must have borrowed some external power.


    After considering, the only possibility Zhuang Mingyue could think of was Ji Shenyan.


    Several months ago, Lin Xi had contact with this person.


    Could the great general from the Zhou dynasty, who was proficient in fire arts and once transformed into a seventh realm Emperor-level Blood Blade, not have completely died over six thousand years ago? Instead, could he have found a way to reside within Lin Xi''s body?


    It wasn''t impossible, given that there were various incredible and mysterious techniques in this world, such as the Thunder Soul Pearl that floated beside Lin Xi earlier, which could house a second primordial spirit.


    It could also be that something went wrong with the secret ritual of the Zhu siblings who transformed the Blood Blade Maiden¡ªthat ritual intended to fuse part of Ji Shenyan''s primordial spirit with Ji Xueying''s soul, with the aim of creating a seventh realm supreme Blood Blade Maiden.


    She then gathered her thoughts and landed in front of Lin Xi''s ''Indestructible Heart Dragon.''


    "You''re Yun Xi? Your brother should be fine now, get back quickly, take advantage while this fog hasn''t yet lifted, and the former Prefectural Governor hasn''t sensed you. You must find a hiding place for this war dragon as soon as possible, or the consequences will be dire."


    Zhuang Mingyue had some knowledge about the situation of the Prefectural Governor.


    Yuan Chengkai was restricted by the ''Heavenly Mandate War Dragon,'' an heirloom of the Yuan family, and could not act against the rules and laws.


    The problem was that he no longer held an official position, which meant the restrictions on him were significantly lessened.


    After thanking these individuals, Lin Rui immediately turned his attention to the official ship downstream on the Tianxiang River, moored thirty li away.


    Lin Rui sneered, reached out to grab the seventh-realm Imperial Secret Treasure Thunder Soul Pearl beside him, and walked on air towards the direction of that official ship.


    Using those talismanic silver needles as a medium, he performed a Flash Escape of more than a hundred zhang in distance. In just under half a breath, he arrived in front of that official ship and, stepping onto those silver needles, hovered thirty zhang above the Sky, looking down upon Yuan Chengkai, the former Governor-General of Shazhou.


    Yuan Chengkai''s face was livid, knowing that ''Tianqing''s'' underhanded interference in the battle had been perceived by Lin Xi.


    For Lin Xi to come at this moment meant he was likely here to settle scores after the autumn harvest.


    But Yuan Chengkai did not interfere, nor did he make any move, simply allowing Lin Xi to come before him.


    "Are you the criminal Yuan Chengkai?"


    Lin Rui observed that Yuan Chengkai''s body suddenly showed bulging veins, but paid it no mind and turned his gaze to the blue-robed woman beside him, "This woman just now attempted to assassinate me. Was she acting on your orders?"


    Yuan Chengkai watched Lin Rui impassively, neither admitting nor denying it.


    He had indeed hinted for Tianqing to take action. He could not, nor did he wish to disassociate himself at this moment, nor could he speak words of admission.


    Lin Rui waited for a moment, seeing that Yuan Chengkai remained silent, he chuckled, "Unwilling to admit it? This woman participated in the assassination attempt against me, and is suspected of being involved with the Heavenly Demon from beyond our realm. She must be captured for interrogation!"


    He actually reached out his hand and condensed his power, attempting to grab towards the blue-robed woman.


    Lin Rui had already received the official documents for his transfer to the position of commander of the Spy Elimination Bureau. Though he had not yet taken office, he was already legitimately the chief official of the Spy Elimination Bureau.


    Attributing the woman''s crimes to a Heavenly Demon from beyond our realm was justifiable and well-founded.


    However, before Lin Rui''s power could reach the blue-robed woman, it was twisted and crushed by a mere thought from Yuan Chengkai.


    At that moment, an enormous and ethereal battle dragon manifested above the official ship.


    It looked down coldly at Lin Rui, as well as at Yuan Chengkai.


    A trace of blood actually spilled from Yuan Chengkai''s mouth as he laughed, not angrily but mockingly, at Lin Rui, "As rumored, you truly have a great deal of nerve."


    But this was within his expectations. If this individual did not have great nerve, how would he dare to smear him, an eminent Governor-General, with such outrageous accusations, with merely a cultivation of the fourth realm and the low rank of a sixth-grade official?


    Lin Rui, having failed to capture the woman, did not insist further.


    "Criminal Yuan Chengkai, today you first hinted at this woman to attempt an assassination on me, and now you protect her and resist arrest."


    He looked at Yuan Chengkai with a mocking gaze, "I will make a detailed report to the court about everything that transpired today."


    Yuan Chengkai, holding the blue-robed woman, sat on the deck expressionlessly and responded, "Do as you see fit!"


    Yet his heart was as cold as ice, chilling to the bone.


    He even felt a reckless urge to twist off the head of this Lin Xi.

 Chapter 266 Harvest (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Rui was still very afraid of death, he saw that Yuan Chengkai was on the verge of losing his temper and dared not to continue provoking this eighth-realm expert.


    Although the cultivation and bloodline of this person were only of the eighth-realm super-king level, his Heavenly Gang Battle Dragon had reached the quasi-emperor level.


    If Yuan Chengkai were to disregard everything and act recklessly, even the number 2 battle spirit wouldn''t be able to save his life.


    Today, Lin Rui had mustered the courage to frame Yuan Chengkai with an accusation of intending to assassinate a court official and sheltering a criminal with resistance to arrest, and he was quite satisfied with that.


    Yuan Chengkai himself already had the suspicion of ''defying the gods,'' and now it was even harder for him to shake off this accusation, making his future prospects even bleaker.


    Lin Rui didn''t need to rush for revenge; once he entered the capital to take up his post as the Commandant of the Anti-Treachery Bureau, there would be plenty of ways to deal with Yuan Chengkai.


    And the position of ''Commandant of the Anti-Treachery Bureau'' wasn''t just about holding power and influence.


    To combat the Heavenly Demons from outside the domain, one must also possess strength¡ªan ordinary Martial Cultivator of the fifth realm simply couldn''t bear the responsibility of guarding against Heavenly Demons from beyond the domain.


    Therefore, after his official appointment, he would obtain tremendous power, even strong enough to confront an eighth-realm expert like Yuan Chengkai!


    When Lin Rui returned, he received messages from Professor Han and Li Li, asking how he was doing now.


    They were preparing to descend urgently during an academic presentation when they received the notification from Wang Sen.


    Lin Rui immediately replied to the messages, telling them there was no need for them to come.


    By this time, most of Professor Han''s team had already evacuated Wang City, leaving only Li Li under his command, who would also accompany him to the capital.


    This Brother Li had already decided to follow his lead.


    After all, with no new project in sight for Professor Han, following Lin Rui, the future high official of the Imperial City''s offices, obviously held more promise.


    And even if Professor Han had a new project in the future, he would still need the care of the Commandant of the Anti-Treachery Bureau, Lin Rui.


    However, the academic standing established by the Qin Yan Mansion project was also very important to Li Li, as it was his foundation, allowing him to obtain a large amount of funding.


    So, in recent times, Li Li had focused his attention on the ninth base city.


    Later, Lin Rui hosted a banquet for Li Changguo, Qin Xia, and others as a way to express his thanks and to soothe the shock for Zhuang Mingyue and Zhang Tianchang among others.


    These two had just arrived in Wang City and encountered such a perilous incident, making Lin Rui, the landowner, feel rather embarrassed.


    During the banquet, he also received a message from Meng Weiyun sent from ten thousand miles away.@@@@


    Meng Weiyun might have received the news from Zhuang Mingyue and wrote to Lin Rui expressing her apologies, saying that due to her negligence, Lin Rui had faced a mortal danger. She felt deeply ashamed and promised to compensate her junior brother the next time they met, hoping he wouldn''t blame her.


    How could Lin Rui blame her? In life, it''s inevitable to have oversights and to make mistakes.


    Considering the state of "Xuanhuo Saber" Qi Yan, it was clear that a highly skilled healer had interfered.


    In addition, there were various alchemy and Sword Control Techniques, among others. Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire


    "Ring Spirit, help me copy the Advanced Technique of a Great Grandmaster."


    Alert: Copying Advanced Technique (Great Grandmaster) requires 15,000 points of Soul Power.


    Lin Rui did not hesitate and exchanged it right away.


    He now had over 500,000 points of Soul Power amassed, which was quite ample.


    And Qi Yan, who was killed by battle spirit number 2 today, also granted him 34,122 points of Soul Power.


    Dong Linghui called this person a Martial Cultivator with demonic tendencies for a reason.


    Indeed, that Sect Master of the Burning Saber Sect was showing signs of demonic transformation, albeit very mild ones.


    In Tianji Star, the higher the cultivation of Martial Cultivators, the less prone they were to demonic transformation, which could only occur if the Primordial Spirit was unstable and subjected to extreme emotional stimulus.


    It seems that the destruction of the Burning Saber Sect dealt a great mental shock to its Sect Master.


    Lin Rui then copied the Great Grandmaster-level Basic Alchemy and the Great Achievement-level Intermediate Alchemy.


    These two skills were already present in battle spirit number 2, but only up to the Proficient and Beginner levels.


    He also copied the Proficient-level Advanced Alchemy.


    "Hmm?" At this moment, Lin Rui''s mind stirred as these Alchemy skills he had exchanged triggered several inspirations in conjunction with his knowledge of advanced medical techniques, poison formulation, pharmacology, and biology.


    Lin Rui fell into deep thought. After carefully sorting his thoughts, he copied another set of skills¡ªthe Sky Thunder Sword, Thunder Arc Light Sword Technique, and Heavenly Mysterious Thunder Breaking Sword Technique!


    Essentially, it was Sword Control Technique progressing from elementary to advanced levels.


    Finally, Lin Rui had learned a proper, professional Sword Control Technique, and not just the Sword Control skills that were derived solely from his lightning-based foundational exercises as before.


    This time his flying sword ''Mingyue'' had not exhibited even a hint of its capabilities.


    His Sword Control skills, in front of an expert, were laughable.


    Although this set of three sword techniques was lightning-based Sword Control Technique, Lin Rui was ready to use them as a foundation to invest a tremendous amount of Soul Power to deduce an advanced Sword Control Technique that truly suited him.


    However, copying these skills had reduced his quantity of Soul Power points to 493,221.


    Lin Rui inwardly sighed, feeling as if there were never enough Soul Power points.


    He then turned his attention to the two other gains from today''s battle.


    The seven-realm surpassing imperial secret treasure ''Thunder Soul Pearl'' and the item that battle spirit number 2 had snatched from Xuanhuo Saber Qi Yan.

 Chapter 267 Thunder Soul (Please Subscribe)

    The number 2 Battle Spirit had seized a Thunder Soul Pearl for Lin Rui, about the size of a fist, resembling a pearl emitting a faint white glow.


    However, when Lin Rui infused it with True Yuan, streaks of purple thunder plasma would form inside.


    If it were filled with thunder-type True Yuan, the Thunder Soul Pearl would transform completely into a deep purple color.


    That very night, Lin Rui refined the Thunder Soul Pearl, and it took him nearly 10 hours, until the next morning, to fully charge it.


    He was incredibly delighted in his heart, for this was the first secret treasure he had obtained that had the killing power of a level 7 realm and moreover, it surpassed the level of a level 7 emperor.


    When Lin Rui fully activated this treasure, he could unleash three bolts of lightning equivalent to the full power strike of a level 7 emperor master every hundred breaths.


    If the power was reduced to the level of a level 7 super king, then he could launch ten bolts.


    In addition, it could enhance the divine might of all his thunder-based spells and martial techniques, with an increase of about 150%.


    With this item, Lin Rui''s ability to protect himself had significantly increased.


    The Thunder Soul Pearl also had the function of harboring a second Primordial Spirit.


    However, to host a Primordial Spirit in the Thunder Soul Pearl, one must specialize in thunder techniques and maintain a high degree of compatibility between one''s cultivation body and the Thunder Soul Pearl.


    Lin Rui cultivated three systems¡ªthunder, fire, and light¡ªand his Primordial Spirit was not compatible with the Thunder Soul Pearl, so he could not use this ability.


    Then, Lin Rui picked up the item that number 2 Battle Spirit had snatched and fell into deep thought.


    It was undoubtedly a treasure, but its value was far less compared to the Thunder Soul Pearl in his possession.


    However, Ji Shenyan seemed quite concerned about it; could there be a reason?


    Lin Rui really wanted to communicate with the number 2 Battle Spirit, but the Battle Spirit Ring did not provide him with a way to communicate further with the Battle Spirit.


    Lin Rui asked but got no response, so he had to store the item in the safe, along with the evidence Fei Yunlai had given him, and hide it away.@@@@


    In the future, he believed he could find a way to communicate with Battle Spirits, for example, by asking Ji Shenyan directly during her possession, or by speaking directly with her.


    The next day was also busy. Lin Rui was called over by Zhuang Mingyue, who was staying at the inn, to inquire in detail about both the Capital Commandant''s Office and the turbulence at Qin Yan''s cave dwelling.


    Zhuang Mingyue''s visit to Wang City was to pave the way for a level 3 ''Grand Heavenly Official'' from the Imperial Guard. She was not only tasked to gather evidence related to the Wang City Governor''s case of defying the gods, but also to investigate all the illegal matters committed by the Wang City Governor and his party during their tenure.


    In his past, Lin Rui was the one who hung up the white banner on the city wall stating ''The Wang City Governor and the Wang City Capital Commandant collude with the Heavenly Demons from beyond the realm, using the Heavenly Demons to eliminate dissenters and plotting to rebel''¡ªthus he was the very first to reveal the ''Wang City Governor''s defiance of the gods,'' making him a very important witness.


    Under the watchful eyes of Zhuang Mingyue, Zhang Tianchang, and several Martial Cultivator Capital Commandants, Lin Rui gave his testimony.


    About the Wang City Governor''s defiance of the gods, Lin Rui actually had no concrete evidence; everything originated from the confession of a Heavenly Demon from beyond the realm, who was then silenced by the Capital Commandant''s Office.


    Lin Rui suspected that he had been used by some Heavenly Demons from beyond the realm and had doubts about the truth of the matter.


    Moreover, the reason he hung up the banner that day was out of self-preservation, a last resort prompted by the pressure of the Capital Commandant''s Office.


    Zhuang Mingyue and those Martial Cultivator Capital Commandants nodded in agreement after listening, for they too deduced before coming here that Lin Xi had no solid evidence and that those banners hung up on the city walls were all speculative words from Lin Xi, forced by extreme pressure from the Capital Commandant''s Office.


    It appears that this new commander of the Anti-Treachery Division is of excellent character, upright, and honest, making his testimony very objective and cautious. He has not framed or kicked someone down the well due to the plot against him by the Wang City Governor the previous day.


    But why would the Wang City Governor arrange for his beloved to attempt to assassinate Lin Xi? And why did Duan Pengxuan from the Capital Commandant''s Office make repeated attempts against Lin Xi if not out of a guilty conscience?


    The twenty or so dishes before his eyes were all East Asian cuisines, ingredients transported from Earth and meticulously cooked by the chefs, combining color, aroma, and flavor to perfection.


    After seeing this, Fei Yunlai also found his mouth watering and started to eat the synthetic beef on his plate.


    The dishes in front of Lin Rui were tasty indeed but didn''t offer much nutrition, which wasn''t healthy for a martial cultivator.


    Unlike the synthetic beef he had chosen, which was artificially made but incorporated certain Ether elements, allowing even a high-ranked martial cultivator like him to nourish his qi, blood, and spirit¡ªand it truly was delicious.


    Lin Rui was currently dealing with the aftermath of being possessed by the number 2 Battle Spirit.


    Ever since being possessed by the Battle Spirit once, he had felt a chilly sensation throughout his body and was eager to get rid of the lingering yin-evil within him.


    Lin Rui had long realized that foods which could interest Ji Shenyan and dissolve her grievances were either uniquely crafted dishes made with sincerity like those by Lin Xi, or something novel and intriguing.


    Lin Rui lacked the time to dine in fancy restaurants, but the chefs in Mingde University''s staff cafeteria were actually quite skilled; given quality ingredients, they could deliver dishes on par with three to four-star chefs, enough to please Ji Shenyan.


    At the moment, the number 2 Battle Spirit was indulging in a binge, almost leaving Lin Rui with no chance to respond to Fei Yunlai''s words.


    Fei Yunlai didn''t mind and continued to eat his meat while talking, "Speaking of which, BOSS, you''ve been quite popular online lately, must''ve brought in quite a haul, right?"


    The martial arts league had yet to begin, but Lin Rui''s popularity was already soaring.


    Fei Yunlai had done some research and found that Lin Rui''s numerous martial arts teaching videos were gaining more favor with fans after standing the test of time. His fans spontaneously advertised for him on various martial arts forums, thus driving up his popularity.


    This martial arts influencer was not only highly accomplished in martial arts but also very sincere.


    Fei Yunlai estimated that Lin Rui had made four to five hundred million federal dollars this month just from live selling.


    He looked somewhat melancholy, thinking how incomparable people could be; as a mighty seventh realm cultivator himself, he was struggling daily with loans and living expenses, whilst Lin Rui, a mere fourth realm cultivator, earned money as easily as eating and drinking.


    Lin Rui finally found a moment to speak, "Old Fei, I''ve received an urgent order to leave that place; the secret base will be yours from now on."


    In fact, he had already set off, traveling on a government ship downriver toward the capital.


    However, the ship was slow; the enormous vessel bore too much cargo and was exceedingly heavy. These past few days, Lin Rui was constantly fearful that the ship might capsize.


    He had clearly told the locals to forgo all the needless ceremony, yet they still loaded box after box onto the ship. Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire


    Lin Rui thought, what does this look like? If people saw this, they would think Lin Shi''er was some greedy official who scrounges every penny.


    "You''re being reassigned?" Fei Yunlai was initially taken aback, then sighed, suddenly feeling a bit lonely and desolate.


    Professor Han and the others had already left Wang City, so he was going to be alone at that base?


    It was just as well that Lin Rui left; from now on, no one would drive him out of the base.


    At this moment, Fei Yunlai''s expression changed slightly.


    He heard a group of people in white lab coats at the next table talking about the two of them.


    "A big data model to predict the nursery rhyme killer? Is it a project from the Security Bureau? Any results? Who exactly are those two people?"


    Fei Yunlai''s mind instantly tensed. He recognized the group eating at the next table as several bigwigs from the Computer Science and Technology Department of Mingde University''s School of Engineering.


    Mingde University''s big data computing was very famous throughout the Federation, and they had close cooperation with police and security agencies. Over the centuries, they had helped the government solve many mysterious and violent cases.

 Chapter 268 The One That Got Away (Subscription Request)

    Fei Yunlai''s heart tightened instinctively as he perked up his ears.


    This was the reason he no longer wanted to collaborate with Lin Rui.


    The Earth Federation had far too much advanced technology, and even if you could perfectly erase all traces, the Security Bureau and the powers of the Federation could still find them through various means.


    Big data extrapolation was one of these methods.


    This method couldn''t convict them, but what do crime gangs need evidence for? As long as they find the person, they would retaliate.


    His and Lin Rui''s characteristics were also very distinctive, one at level 4 and the other at level 7.


    Others, by studying their martial arts characteristics and some minor clues, could figure out who they were.@@@@


    Fei Yunlai specifically glanced at Lin Rui, who was still eating and drinking as if he wasn''t worried at all.


    This guy''s psychological quality was truly extraordinary.


    "It''s not just the Security Bureau, now several crime syndicates from the ninth base are looking for him too, the underground bounty has reached 10 billion Federation dollars, they pay as soon as they find a suspect."


    "A bounty that high? If this project succeeds, your department won''t worry about funds for years to come. So, have you found them? The ''Bao Xiren Big Model'' your team developed has been updated to the seventh generation, right? How''s it working?"


    "That''s the problem, the big model found a few targets, but after detailed analysis, they realized it was wrong, we''ve been very troubled recently, the extrapolations keep being incorrect, it''s like looking for a ghost."


    "But other universities are the same, we aren''t the only ones working on this project, they haven''t figured out what''s actually going on either."


    At this point, Fei Yunlai felt a wave of relief wash over him, he took a deep breath.


    Lin Rui, however, had been indifferent from the start.


    Big data models are useful, but their effectiveness predicates on having enough data.


    You need to know everyone''s age, residential address, family background, martial arts characteristics, social relationships, and so on.


    The problem is, the currently available government database contains classified information about him, Lin Xi, and others, rated SSS+, one as X.


    Lin Rui even used his access to encrypt Fei Yunlai''s information to SS+.


    The big data models from these universities and the Security Bureau are all based on information from the government''s internal data banks.


    However, due to access restrictions, these big data models, when encountering related information about them, videos, and so on, would automatically skip them.


    It was like fishing with a net full of huge holes¡ªnot catching any fish would be no surprise!


    Fei Yunlai looked at Lin Rui with a skeptical expression, "So, you''re saying that I''m the only one doing this task?"


    "Someone will coordinate with you." Lin Rui smiled faintly, pointing to his nose, "As for me, I need to do a live stream. Tianhuan Video Network has set up an event for me, quite a big one."


    While the Nursery Rhyme Killer was acting, Lin Rui was live broadcasting in front of 20 million people. So, what connection did this Nursery Rhyme Killer have with him, a martial arts star?


    The virtual AI technology in this world was very developed, capable of perfectly simulating real people.


    However, martial arts live streaming was different; it couldn''t be done by virtual AI. Moreover, there were people from Tianhuan Video Network at the live-streaming site who could testify for him.


    Lin Rui thought that if Ji Xueying''s alternate could be completed sooner, that would be great; her martial attributes and characteristics were very similar to his.


    Actually, his sister was more like him, but Lin Xi was not suitable.


    Fei Yunlai was momentarily stunned and then understood Lin Rui''s intention.


    He was pleased with this, as others couldn''t find the real culprit behind the Nursery Rhyme Killer, so he himself was also safe.


    "Okay, I''ll take this mission," Fei Yunlai agreed straightforwardly, "But BOSS, when will this end if you keep going like this, even thinking about doing it for two or three years? You''re bound to go bust sooner or later, BOSS."


    As this was a cafeteria with its many prying ears, even though Fei Yunlai moderated his voice so that only Lin Rui could hear, his words were still quite veiled.


    "That''s none of your concern now," Lin Rui smiled slightly, "But wouldn''t you consider it, Fei Yunlai? It''s just signing for a few years after all. Your bloodline power should be close to SS rank, right?


    Think about it this way. Even if I do go bust, by that time, you''d be of the Emperor class in bloodlines, maybe even breaking into the eighth realm with that money. What consequences would you need to worry about then? Others should be worried about you."


    It was actually quite rare for someone like Fei Yunlai.


    Most gene-enhanced Martial Cultivators decrease their gene enhancements step by step, thereby reducing their mental burden to advance to higher ranks.


    But Fei Yunlai was climbing up step by step, almost entering the Emperor rank now, truly a late bloomer.


    Fei Yunlai was surprised by Lin Rui''s words and suddenly felt there was much sense in them.


    However, that is if they manage to stay unexposed during these years, and he can earn enough money in this period.


    After finishing his meal, Lin Rui left and took a cab to an address in the lower C4 zone of the city.


    When he told Fei Yunlai that he had found a 6SS level assistant, he wasn''t just talking.


    The comrade of Xue Bogao whom Xue Lingxue had mentioned to him had already arrived at the Ninth City Base, waiting to meet with him.


    This person initially might not have believed Xue Lingxue''s words and dragged his feet until he had no other choice but to come to the Ninth City Base with a mind-set that it''s worth a shot in his desperate situation. Find more adventures on My Virtual Library Empire


    Due to this individual suffering from severe Gene Enhancement Syndrome, he couldn''t enter the Ninth Base City through normal channels and had to smuggle in, so he could only hide in the lower zone.

 Chapter 269 Seize the Blade (Third update, please subscribe)

    Below District C4323''s pipelines, Lin Rui and Xue Lingxue walked in a small alley where sewage flowed freely.


    The draft fans and ventilators here, due to years of neglect, kept buzzing noisily; the entire underground passageway was damp and cold, the air murky, filled with the smell of rot and stench.


    In reality, most parts of the lower district were tolerable, and Base City Number Nine allocated enough funds each year to maintain various facilities.


    However, some areas were under such powerful gang control and had such severe collusion between officials and businessmen that some funds vanished without trace.


    Moreover, these areas were inhabited by illegal immigrants without lawful residency rights, and very few in Base City Number Nine cared about their well-being.


    Although the fourteen base cities of Tianji Star were built on its satellites, due to Earth Federation''s priority investment, their living standards were better than most of the Earth Federation''s colonies.


    In addition, because they concentrated a large amount of bio-augmentation technology and arms companies, the per capita income here was the highest within the entire Earth Federation, which attracted a large number of immigrants each year, most of whom came through illegal channels.


    As Lin Rui and Xue Lingxue moved along the passage into an illegally excavated den, the air inside surprisingly became fresh.


    Lin Rui''s expression shifted slightly as he looked toward the left side of the cave where there was a large pit built with high-strength epoxy resin cement, measuring 25 meters long and 8 meters wide.


    It was actually a makeshift giant freezer; the water inside was frozen, and one could see a bio-augmented combat dragon lying within.


    However, the combat dragon was in poor condition, its massive body covered with several pustules and more than a dozen wounds.


    These wounds were not caused by external injuries, but had split open from within.


    Lin Rui, having started to study bio-augmentation biology, knew that the combat dragon was in a very dangerous state; its genetic chains were on the verge of disintegration.


    Although it was frozen, the temperature of the makeshift freezer was not low enough, and the disintegration was still occurring slowly.


    Just then, he heard a faint ''click'' sound¡ªthe noise of a firearm''s safety being released.


    A figure clad entirely in black stood at the doorway of the adjacent cavern, aiming a set of Type 7 pistols at them.


    Lin Rui''s eyebrows rose slightly. According to what Xue Lingxue said, her uncle was broke, but the man''s equipment was very fine, even better than Fei Yunlai''s by a lot.


    The Type 7 pistols were covered in numerous golden runes, looking splendid and obviously modified.


    The man''s bio-augmentation grade was still SS.


    It appeared that he was quite formidable before falling victim to the bio-augmentation syndrome.


    "It''s me, Uncle Gong," Xue Lingxue said as she lifted her face shield. After the man in black lowered his pistols, she introduced the two men: "This is Gong Hengdao, my father''s old comrade-in-arms; and this is my childhood friend Lin Rui, whose father was the most brilliant biologist of the Federation ten years ago, a disciple of Academician Huangfu. His current teacher is Academician Candidate Si Malin. I had some issues with my spiritual power before, and it was Lin Rui who healed me."


    She knew Gong Hengdao was skeptical about Lin Rui''s abilities, so she reported the lineage of Lin Rui''s mentorship in full.


    "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Gong!" Lin Rui said with a smile, shaking hands with Gong Hengdao.


    But could this person really solve his problem? Gong Hengdao was skeptical.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, became a bit interested. Since Gong Hengdao''s cybernetic implant mental disorder wasn''t caused by his own reckless implantation and he was still able to maintain rationality, that made this 6SS-ranked individual even more valuable.


    "To be honest, your disorder is very troublesome, much more difficult to deal with than the average cybernetic implant disorder."


    Lin Rui turned on his personal smart terminal, "My current capability in the medical field is limited, and I''m unable to cure this kind of condition."


    Gong Hengdao heard this and couldn''t help but let out a self-mocking laugh, thinking ''as expected'', but then he heard the next sentence.


    "Right now, I can only prevent your condition from worsening, and even make significant improvements, allowing you to live like a normal person without any issues."


    Gong Hengdao''s pupils narrowed slightly, looking at Lin Rui in amazement, "Improvement? Mr. Lin, do you realize what you''re saying? Even Lin Zhaoguo was unable to help with my disorder, and he''s a fellow of the Southeast Federation Academy of Biological Sciences."


    Could this guy be bluffing him?


    Xue Lingxue was beside herself with joy; Lin Rui actually seemed to have a way.


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly, "I''m not aware of that. I can only say that I indeed have a way to stabilize your condition, but¡ª"


    He paused, "Even just to stabilize your cybernetic implant disorder, it will require a lot of money. Especially the medication I''m going to prepare for you next, the majority of which comes from Tianshu Star. Each dose starts at a million."


    Gong Hengdao took a deep breath, unable to suppress the excitement within him.


    He had been running around for years trying to solve his cybernetic implant disorder, experiencing many hopes and disappointments. Yet, at this moment, he found it hard to be indifferent.


    "Let me think about it," said Gong Hengdao as he picked up a spray bottle from the table beside him and aimed the nozzle at his nostrils.


    He sprayed three times, and his mind gradually calmed down.


    At this moment, Lin Rui''s nose twitched slightly, and then he frowned, "Mr. Gong, could you let me see the spray bottle in your hand?"


    Although Gong Hengdao didn''t understand the reason, he handed over the spray bottle as requested.


    Lin Rui took a look at it in his hand, "Spirit Essence? Taisu Pharmaceutical Company?"


    "It''s a drug developed specifically to alleviate cybernetic implant disorder," Xue Lingxue also looked at the spray bottle in his hand, "This drug is quite popular now, and it''s said to be quite effective. Many people in our security bureau use it, too."


    Gong Hengdao nodded, "Indeed, the drug is quite effective. This was recommended to me by Xue''s father."


    On hearing this, Xue Lingxue was startled; her father had recommended ''Spirit Essence'' to Gong Hengdao? She didn''t know about this.


    Lin Rui pressed the nozzle of the spray bottle and released a mist.


    He sniffed deeply, and after a moment, his expression grew solemn.

 Chapter 270 A Turn of Events (Please Subscribe)

    Lin Rui looked at the spray bottle again, carefully examining the ingredient list on the packaging, "Is this spray really that popular? How popular is it?"@@@@


    Xue Lingxue felt Lin Rui''s tone was off and cautiously answered, "This medicine started being distributed half a year ago, but it only really got popular in the past two months. Many people in the patient groups I used to join recommended it, and some people around me use it."


    Lin Rui''s furrowed brows finally relaxed a little.


    Only gained popularity in the past two months? Then the situation isn''t so bad.


    Gong Hengdao also said, "It was in the middle of May this year when old Xue recommended this Lingyun spray to us. He''s the standing director of the ''Heavenly Soldier Brigade Veterans Association,'' and has always been very caring towards us comrades who suffer from Prosthesis Syndrome. However, at the end of May, he sent a message in the group saying that the medicine might have some side effects and to stop using it for the time being. But I feel that this medicine is really helpful for me, and I can''t stop."


    Lin Rui had heard of the ''Heavenly Soldier Brigade,'' the most powerful special response force of the Earth Federation, mainly composed of East Asians and full of elite Martial Cultivators with prosthesis.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that Xue Bogao originally had such a background? It seemed that his abilities weren''t solely from the Security Bureau.


    Xue Bogao could become the standing director of the veterans association, which showed his comrades'' high trust and esteem for him,


    The Heavenly Soldier Brigade Veterans Association was no ordinary organization; it had countless high-ranking prosthesis users.


    "I understand," Lin Rui said as he tossed the spray bottle in his hand directly into the trash can, "You shouldn''t use this medicine anymore. It''s nothing good. Using it for more than six months is very troublesome. Also, Mr. Gong, regarding the question from before, you know what I mean, right?"


    Gong Hengdao looked at the spray bottle with startled suspicion, then nodded his head, "I understand, Lingxue mentioned it to me when she asked me to come here, about signing a contract with your Heteromorphic Studio, right? As long as you are confident you can improve my condition, I can accept it. I don''t have money, and it''s only right to work for you. But I must have the proper benefits. My martial arts rating is 6SS+, firearms rating SSS, I''m proficient in sniping and close combat, and you won''t be disappointed by my combat abilities,


    "Lingxue also told me that I might have to do some dirty work for you in the future, which is no problem. As long as it''s not too much against conscience, I can do any dirty work."


    He had been bankrupt for three years, always lingering in the underground mercenary world, having seen every kind of darkness.


    And the friend of Lingxue, no matter how dark, couldn''t be that bad.


    Lin Rui was very satisfied and gestured to Xue Lingxue to project a document, "Mr. Gong, rest assured. You are an SS-rated Major General expert, our studio will definitely offer you the corresponding treatment. I will also provide you with medicine and treatment costs at cost price. Your salary should still have surplus. This is the employment contract we have prepared for you. You can take a look."


    Gong Hengdao, after receiving the electronic employment contract, looked quite surprised, thinking that this future boss was very confident in his medical skills to have prepared the employment contract in advance.


    He glanced over it briefly and found that this boss was quite generous. The salary and benefits were much better than other companies, and there was a commission for every mission. Of course, it couldn''t compare with those on the dark web, nor those mercenary websites.


    The strength of this employment contract lay in its stability, and there was hope of staying alive.


    Gong Hengdao did not hesitate to sign the electronic contract.


    Gong Hengdao was not at all worried that Lin Rui would cheat him as he was not far from death and had nothing to lose anyway.


    If Lin Rui couldn''t keep him alive, then the only thing signed today would be for a dead man, meaningless.


    Gong Hengdao felt hopeful, could this young man really keep him alive?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When they returned, it was also by a taxi from Ambola Company.


    "Lingxue, arrange a better underground clinic immediately, get Gong Hengdao a full body checkup. I need more detailed data on his body, the more detailed the better, it''s more convenient for adjusting medication,"


    Zhang Long didn''t look down upon Lin Rui, as someone who could climb to the position of Commander of the Spy Agency in just a few months was definitely not to be underestimated.


    He reported thoroughly, "We''ve only caught some small fry, these people are just scapegoats, they confessed readily, cleaning the real big fish completely. However, we''re not in a hurry to close the case, we''ll drag it out as long as we can. I''ve asked Elder Zhou, he''s not in a hurry either."


    Lin Rui nodded slightly; as long as the case was not closed, they could use it to effectively restrain certain people in the Ninth Base City.


    "Then let''s put this smuggling case aside, play for time, and don''t worry about pressure from above."


    In the meeting room, Lin Rui projected the packaging of "Soul Charm Spray": "Let''s shift our investigative focus. Regarding Xue Bogao''s assassination case, I''ve found a new direction for the investigation."


    Sitting in the taxi driver''s seat, Xue Lingxue couldn''t help but tremble.


    Could this Soul Charm Spray be related to her father?


    If it weren''t for the auto-driving system''s timely intervention, the luxury business flyer vehicle they were riding in would have almost lost control and crashed into the wall.


    Zhang Long also looked surprised, "Soul Charm? I''ve seen people using it recently. Is there something wrong with this drug?"


    "The problem is significant. There is a drug ingredient called ''Heartbreak Grass'' in this spray."


    Seeing the puzzled looks on Xue Lingxue and Zhang Long''s faces, Lin Rui explained further, "This is a plant from Tianji Star, which was used as a medication to suppress demonic transformations 7,000 years ago. With ''Heartbreak Grass'' as the main ingredient, the prescription was once popular. However, as the people of Tianji Star later discovered, the drug was highly addictive and risked further demonic transformations of the mind and flesh, so its use was gradually discontinued.


    This drug is very obscure, and not many people on Tianji Star know about it now. Only some ancient sects and elites hold the secret formulas, using it to control demonic cultivators and demons. I''ve encountered it before; when I was in Silvermoon County, the Zhu family cousins used this drug to control a large number of demonic cultivators. I don''t know how this drug passed the review to go on the market, but it is clearly problematic."


    The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became tense, and even Lin Xi showed a look of surprise in her eyes.


    Zhang Long''s expression changed slightly, "Colonel, are you sure? Do you also have expertise in drugs?"


    Xue Lingxue clenched her fists tightly, making a ''crackling'' sound, "Uncle Zhang, the BOSS is a disciple of his father and Professor Sima, his medical skills are very sophisticated. Also, my father had recommended ''Soul Charm'' to many old comrades-in-arms in May this year. He notified them at the end of May that there was a problem with the medicine. Additionally, five days before the incident, my father had visited Calron Pharmaceutical Testing Co., Ltd."


    Xue Lingxue could recite all her father''s activities and whereabouts before the incident from memory.


    Zhang Long pondered, "After I restarted the investigation of this case, I also checked out Calron Company. The company went bankrupt four months ago, and the owner emigrated to Xianju 5 Star. I didn''t think much of it at the time."


    Lin Rui''s demeanor remained calm, "I just did a quick check on our security bureau''s internal intelligence database. Three drug inspectors from Calron Pharmaceutical Testing Co., Ltd. were hired to participate in an internal investigation commission for the security bureau the day before Xue Bogao''s incident. They died during the mission, and because it involved the security bureau, this information was encrypted to SS-level clearance, which coincidentally is something you, Elder Zhang, can''t see."


    Zhang Long''s eyes gradually heated up, realizing there must be a problem.


    "Anyway, start by checking it out, and at the same time, secretly commission two to three authoritative professional organizations to identify the drug components."


    Lin Rui''s expression remained neutral, "Even if this matter is unrelated to Xue Bogao, it''s still a major case threatening social stability and the lives of citizens."


    Zhang Long was just about to speak when his expression suddenly changed, his body jerked backward, and a sharp gunshot rang out in the virtual meeting room.


    The expressions of several people participating in the virtual meeting changed.


    Xue Lingxue leaned forward slightly, "Uncle Zhang, how are you now?"


    "I''m fine!" Zhang Long''s body was once again projected into the virtual meeting room, "It was a sniper, very powerful. If not for my implanted ''Divine Metal Skull,'' I would have almost been killed this time. It seems that someone is very unhappy with the cases we are investigating."


    As he spoke, he pointed to his forehead, where there was a bullet dent.

 Chapter 271 Elixir (Request for Subscription)

    Zhang Long''s attack had incited Zhou Yunfei''s fury.


    He believed that it was not solely about the Six Streets Party smuggling case or the assassination attempt on Xue Bogao, it was perhaps more about an effort to clip his wings.


    Since the undercover incident at Wang Cheng, Zhou Yunfei had only a handful of trusted subordinates in Division Nine, and Zhang Long was the most conspicuous among them.


    The Special Operations Section Three was the most powerful and heart-stopping weapon in Zhou Yunfei''s arsenal.


    Those people, unaware of the Special Operations Section Three director''s identity, directly targeted Zhang Long, who was responsible for investigating the Six Streets Party''s smuggling case, attempting to eliminate this capable general under Zhou Yunfei.


    If Zhang Long died, even if Zhou Yunfei wanted to continue investigating Xue Bogao''s death or delve deeper into the smuggling case, he would be powerless.


    Thus, Zhou Yunfei, both shocked and angry, personally took all his key staff to the scene.


    However, despite mobilizing a large force and cordoning off the scene for investigation, they unearthed nothing substantial.


    The sniper had fired from nine kilometers away, using a 7SS-grade+ kinetic sniper rifle to hit the bulletproof armored vehicle that Zhang Long was riding in.


    It is worth mentioning that this armored vehicle was traveling at a speed of 2000 kilometers per hour on a freeway, surrounded by heavy traffic.


    The sniper not only precisely hit the armored vehicle but also pierced its armor in an instant, hitting Zhang Long in the center of the brow.


    If it were not for the specially reinforced defensive capabilities of this modified armored vehicle and the "Divine Gold Skull" implant Zhang Long had, he would have been killed instantly by the shot.


    It was evident that the sniper indeed possessed top-tier long-range sniping skills.


    The security bureau located the sniper''s shooting position but could not find any clues.


    The sniper rifle used was apparently brand-new, as its ballistics had no existing records in the security bureau. Moreover, the surrounding holographic surveillance systems had been hacked, leading to an hour''s loss of video content.


    Following this incident, Zhou Yunfei once again exercised his supreme authority to temporarily transfer two 6A-level action teams from Divisions Two and Three to reinforce the Special Operations Section Three.


    Zhou Yunfei also established a secret tactical squad led by Xue Lingxue, classified as 5S-level, to covertly protect Lin Rui''s safety.


    This overstaffed 20-person tactical squad not only had all members at 5S combat level, with some reaching 5SS, but also possessed two Jielong-7 types and four Jielong-6 type combat robots.


    The assassination attempt on Zhang Long served as an alarm for Zhou Yunfei, prompting him to further prioritize Lin Rui''s safety.


    Upon learning of this internal transfer order, Zhang Long couldn''t help but mockingly comment in the work group chat.


    Today it was he, Zhang Long, who faced the assassination, yet it was Lin Rui''s protection level that was being enhanced.


    Zhou Yunfei, thick-skinned as a city wall, ignored Zhang Long''s remarks.


    He knew that as long as Lin Rui was safe, his position within the security bureau would be as solid as Mount Tai, and sooner or later, he would turn around the situation in Division Nine.


    But if something happened to Lin Rui, his situation would definitely worsen.


    Moreover, he had also assigned two 6A action teams to Zhang Long; they were essentially still under Zhang Long''s command and deployment.


    Lin Rui was also very concerned about this matter, but having learned that the information from the scene investigation was extremely limited, he knew they couldn''t catch the assassin who targeted Zhang Long anytime soon.


    Rather than wasting energy on this aspect, he preferred to continue working hard on the Xue Bogao case and the smuggling case, since he had struck where the enemy hurt, he would continue to strike.


    Furthermore, he had other plans to keep certain people busy.


    Two hours after Zhang Long''s assassination, Xue Lingxue arranged for Gong Hengdao to complete a physical examination.


    Simply because Fang Ranran had seen what he used to be like, back when he knew nothing about medical and biological sciences.


    However, this turned out to be an opportunity, as Lin Rui had some projects in mind and wanted to find a chance to collaborate with Fang Ranran.


    Fang Ranran''s eyes grew even more suspicious as she scrutinized Lin Rui.


    This was the first time she had heard that this fellow had such a background.


    Fang Ranran was thinking about sending a message to Professor Sima to confirm when Lin Rui smiled at her, "I am currently refining the ''Dragon Shedding Pill,'' which is a pill recipe I improved based on Professor Huangfu''s manuscript. It''s super effective at the Golden Core stage and can be used on both humans and mutated beings, Ranran, do you want to try? I''m currently missing a few key ingredients, they are very expensive, and I''m reluctant to buy them."


    Lin Rui was currently working on just the auxiliary medicines, planning to bring them to Tianji Star to continue refining after buying the main ingredients from the recipe.


    It couldn''t be helped, as buying Tianji Star medicinal ingredients in the Ninth Base City cost several times more.


    "Professor Huangfu''s recipe?" Fang Ranran''s expression became pensive, "Send me the list of those medicines you''re missing."


    She was still somewhat skeptical, but after checking the list of medicinal ingredients and their amounts privately sent by Lin Rui, estimating the cost to be about 50 million, she boldly placed the order.


    Since it involved Professor Huangfu, whether true or not, Fang Ranran was willing to spend the money to verify.


    Moreover, Lin Rui had given her an impression of being sincere and trustworthy, a man of his word, so he likely wouldn''t make empty promises.


    Fang Ranran used the accounts of several medical research funds, not using her own money, so she was very generous.


    Having recently become a school director at Mingde University, Fang Ranran now also held high positions in over a dozen medical and biological foundations.


    Other wealthy heirs threw their money around, and while she didn''t squander money, she could afford to be extravagant as well.


    Not long after, a drone delivered the required medicinal ingredients to them.


    Lin Rui then became silent and focused solely on refining the medicinal pills.


    Unfortunately, both the first and the second furnaces failed, but he had anticipated this and had not put too many ingredients in the first two furnaces. Only on the third furnace, confident enough, did he bet all the remaining materials, continuing the alchemy under Fang Ranran''s skeptical gaze.


    Had it been anyone else, suffering two consecutive failures might have left them feeling awkward and deflated, but Lin Rui continued as if nothing happened,


    This time, he was more fortunate. Half an hour later, when Lin Rui opened the alchemy furnace, the room was instantly filled with fragrance. Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    "What is this?"


    Fang Ranran looked at the golden pills inside the furnace, convinced that Lin Rui was definitely fooling her.


    She had used Dragon Shedding Pills before, which were almost all white or green; how could they possibly be this gilded color?


    However, the appearance of these pills was indeed very appealing, clearly showing a large amount of condensed pure ether.


    Fang Ranran immediately took one and started chewing it.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui was astonished; the pills had yet to be verified for success, potential toxicity, or medicinal properties.


    Fang Ranran was confident, equipped with special bio-gear; her metabolism was exceptionally strong, and her exoskeletal armor was of the highest 6SSS+ grade, both in terms of life-sustaining and poison-resisting capabilities.


    Let alone a defective pill, even if it were genuinely toxic, it wouldn''t affect her at all.


    Right after Fang Ranran chewed and swallowed the pill, her eyes began to brighten.


    Wow~ this pill really works!

 Chapter 272 No Flattery, No Slander (Please Subscribe)

    "This effect is really good!"


    Fang Ranran was amazed. Lin Rui actually mastered the Alchemy of the Extreme Celestial Star, and at least at a high level!


    The efficacy of the potion wasn''t as strong as Lin Rui had claimed, but it was indeed useful for the human body!


    This potion had reached the high rank of the fourth realm. Given Lin Rui''s current age, he definitely couldn''t have developed it himself. Could it really be the work of Academician Huangfu, or perhaps left behind by his father, Lin Cong?


    Fang Ranran''s eyes shone brightly as she looked at Lin Rui. "Can this potion be mass-produced? Can it be sold to Tianlan Group?"


    Lin Rui smiled slightly, "Mass production is definitely not possible, but small-scale alchemy is doable. The production process only requires the participation of three to five high-level Pharmacists and could drive a team of over a hundred Pharmacists. As for selling the potion formula, it''s difficult to set a price. I feel it''s better to start a company through a partnership.


    "I have several other formulas left by Academician Huangfu, mainly for health and beauty. I can contribute these as technical shares. Your Tianlan Group could provide the Pharmacists and production equipment, and the potions we create would be sold through your channels."@@@@


    The potion formulas he possessed that could be applied to the human world all required Pharmacists of a certain standard to be able to brew them.


    However, Pharmacists of this caliber were mostly controlled by large companies and scientific research institutions. Very few worked on their own; recruiting them was troublesome and unreliable.


    Lin Rui had neither the time nor the financial resources to cultivate his own Pharmacists, and he had no energy to manage and run a business either.


    So the best way was to cooperate with Fang Ranran and utilize Tianlan Group''s resources.


    "Beauty?" Fang Ranran''s eyes lit up. Out of Lin Rui''s lengthy speech, these were the only words she caught: "Which aspects? Create some for me to try."


    Lin Rui was taken aback as he looked at Fang Ranran''s face, smooth as a peeled egg, and thought to himself, Miss Fang is so beautiful, yet she still wants beauty products?


    "Mainly for skincare, one is for moisturizing, and the other for whitening and anti-aging. The effects should be quite good."


    Fang Ranran became enthusiastic at his words. "What ingredients are needed? I''ll buy them right now."


    Lin Rui had no choice but to disclose two potion formulas to Fang Ranran.


    He wasn''t worried about the formulas being leaked. Besides the ingredients, the techniques and steps of Alchemy were also crucial. Missing even a single step could greatly change the effects.


    About 40 minutes later, Fang Ranran, following Lin Rui''s instructions, mixed two of his concocted potions with water in a certain ratio and applied them to her face.


    She touched her face in surprise, and after checking the mirror, she felt her skin was fresh and dewy.


    The full effects of moisturizing and anti-aging would take time to be evident, but the hydration and whitening benefits were immediately visible.


    Fang Ranran found that her skin had become much whiter, not the colorless white, but a healthy milky complexion.


    There were three bottles of elixirs, along with three types of anti-anxiety medications and sedatives available commercially, and an automatic acupuncture machine equipped with a life support capsule.


    Besides these, Lin Rui had also asked Xue Lingxue to bring him ten tubes of ''High-Concentration War Dragon Nutrient'', specifically for nurturing implanted war dragons.


    The best way to take care of implanted war dragons was to keep them in specialized war dragon life support units, which could maintain their vigor and make them fully battle-ready.


    However, Gong Hengdao lacked such amenities at the moment and had to rely on these war dragon nutrients, which were significantly less effective than the life support units.


    These ten tubes of injection were certainly a godsend for Gong Hengdao. It had been 10 days since his war dragon last received a nutrient injection and was in a dire state, extremely weak and barely clinging to life through cryogenic preservation.


    The ''High-Concentration War Dragon Nutrient'' was exorbitantly priced, and Xue Lingxue mentioned that this expense would be deducted from his future wages.


    Gong Hengdao did not care at all; he felt invigorated, like molten lava, upon seeing these medicines.


    What mattered to him was that the young man was actually willing to spend that much money on him.


    ¡ªHe was really willing to invest in him, to be confident in making him survive!


    Without hesitation, Gong Hengdao first took out three tubes of ''High-Concentration War Dragon Nutrient'' and went out to inject his implanted war dragon with them.


    Following that, he took the medicines as prescribed by Lin Rui and lay down in the automatic acupuncture machine.


    As the medicine started to work, the machine began inserting the Golden Needles into Gong Hengdao''s body. He gradually fell into a deep sleep.


    Xue Lingxue had heard from Lin Rui that Gong Hengdao might sleep for about four hours after taking the medicine for the first time.


    She did not feel completely at ease, so she stayed to watch over him in the cave.


    After all, it was the lower district where security was chaotic, and the implanted war dragon was currently too weak to fight. Xue Lingxue couldn''t afford to be inattentive.


    About three hours in, Xue Lingxue let out a surprised exclamation and looked toward a projection screen next to her.


    It was an old psychic detector that Gong Hengdao had bought from the black market. Xue Lingxue noticed that the several dotted lines representing Gong Hengdao''s psychic state on the screen began to stabilize.


    These dotted lines were drawing almost straight trajectories, in stark contrast to the previously volatile status.


    Xue Lingxue couldn''t help but clench her fists with renewed spirits.


    Lin Rui really had a way to save Uncle Gong''s life!


    No! Judging from the psychic detector''s charts, the effects of the elixirs and acupuncture far exceeded her expectations.


    Lin Rui, the disciple of Academician Huangfu, was truly no fluke¡ª

 Chapter 273 Financial Prospects (Request for Subscription)

    In the following period, although Lin Rui''s other body was on the ship, he became even busier, with live streaming, practicing martial arts, and finding time to capture the "Nursery Rhyme Killer."


    This guy was growing increasingly bold. Despite being wanted across the city, he had not ceased his actions, committing two more crimes within seven days concentrated in the lower district area, resulting in over 300 victims in total.


    Xue Lingxue''s case deductions were very accurate in predicting the killer''s movements; however, this did not help them in apprehending the murderer.


    This was because the main focus of the Third Special Operations Department was not on the Nursery Rhyme Killer, but rather on investigating the "Spirit Rhythm Spray."


    Zhang Long had already entrusted several authoritative testing companies to re-identify the ingredients of the "Spirit Rhythm Spray."


    They also discovered that eight days before the incident, Xue Bogao had visited Taisu Pharmaceutical Company, and apparently had a big argument with someone in the reception room there.


    ¡ªThis information should have been recorded in the investigative files, yet it was erased.


    Moreover, on the same day following the argument, Xue Bogao informed his comrades to temporarily stop using "Spirit Rhythm."


    Xue Bogao''s family car also had two pieces of data erased by hackers; Xue Bogao had driven to Wuhu Mountain Villa twice to meet someone.


    That was a location similar to the Olin Club, and Xue Bogao''s guest was the Vice Director of Research and Development at Taisu Pharmaceutical Company.


    Shockingly, this Research and Development Vice Director also died in an accident on the day of Xue Bogao''s death. Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire


    Apart from this, 500 meters away from Xue''s residence in their neighborhood, there was a Security Bureau armored vehicle parked, containing two Jielong 6 models, a type 8 4-band phased array mini radar, and a type 8 ether detector¡ªZhang Long guessed that this might be one of the reasons for Xue Bogao''s lack of caution.


    At the time of the incident, the armored vehicle and its equipment had stopped operating, and afterwards, the armored vehicle and the personnel inside were transferred away.


    The upper district of the Ninth Base City only has a diameter of two thousand five hundred kilometers. Even with the speeds of vehicles in this era, it could still take an hour to return to Mingde University in some places.


    If there were any issues with their counterparts on Tianji Star during their matches, they wouldn''t make it back in time.


    Other schools rented luxury hotels near the competition venues that had divine descent devices. Ranran, however, directly procured a luxurious magnetic levitation yacht, which was safe and comfortable, and did not reveal any information about superhumans.


    However, Lin Rui, being the main fighter, participated in three competitions without getting a chance to act, only watching from below the stage.


    Zhao Yan and Fang Ranran, the two Deputy Generals, were very strong. The three teams they faced couldn''t get past to confront Lin Rui, the main fighter.


    However, Coach Fei Yunlai was not in a good mood, seeming gloomy and sullen.


    He glanced at Lin Rui several times, hesitating to speak before finally bursting out, "So you really found a 6SS-level expert?"


    The "Nursery Rhyme Killer" did not involve Fei Yunlai in the last two crimes.


    Fei Yunlai could not understand why a 6SS-level, and an armored dragon warrior at that, would accept anything other than Lin Rui''s employment?


    Not only was the pay worse than the dark web, but the risk was also so high!


    "Hmm~," Lin Rui responded absent-mindedly, propping his chin in his hand as he focused on the fight on the stage, "What else? I''m physically too feeble to handle this kind of job alone."


    Fei Yunlai furrowed his brows in annoyance, feeling that Lin Rui''s attitude was somewhat dismissive.


    "Where did you find this person? A rookie? How much is the commission? Is it reliable? You better be careful, your affair would implicate me as well."

 Chapter 274 The Committee (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    Just when Lin Rui was awkwardly contemplating Fang Ranran''s promotional strategies.


    Within the Security Bureau''s 9th Division building, a high-level inquiry meeting was being convened.


    In this expansive 500 square meter conference room, there were only four deputy and assistant ministers, including Zhou Yunfei and You Ming.


    However, in the wide space opposite them, fourteen seats were projected.


    Of the fourteen seats, only the one to the left of the center was vacant, the rest were occupied.


    The shocking part was that among these thirteen individuals, three were dressed in marshal uniforms, adorned with either four or three stars on their epaulettes.


    ¡ªThis was none other than the Homeland Security Committee!


    It was authorized by the Earth Federation Congress to ensure the safety and defense of the frontier cities on Tianji Star.


    Apart from the four active chiefs of the Security Bureau, the remaining ten were senior members of the Earth Federation Congress.


    At this moment, the majority of these thirteen individuals were solemnly listening as the first chief inquired about the deputy and assistant ministers of the 9th Division.


    "¡ªSo, you say this ''Child Song Killer'' is still unresolved in the short term, huh? Do you know how the mayor of the 9th Base City recently asked me? He inquired where the hundreds of billions of funds allocated annually to the Federal Security Bureau by the 9th Base City are actually spent?"


    Zhou Yunfei was respectfully alert, eyes on his nose, nose on his heart.


    He discerned that the first chief''s tone was light, yet unmistakably furious.


    However, this matter had little to do with him. He had only been in office for slightly over half a year, and powerful and resourceful institutions like the Special Service Center, Mobile Response Force, Counter-Terrorism Department, and Major Case Investigation Department were not under his control, while the local police also resisted him, both overtly and covertly.


    The members of the committee should have been aware of these circumstances.


    You Ming, along with the second deputy minister Hayden Smith and third deputy minister Lei Yu, all had slightly pale complexions.


    "Chief, gentlemen of the committee, all of us at the Security Bureau are cooperating fully and doing our utmost."


    You Ming''s gaze was icy, his voice resolute: "We assure you that we will bring him to justice in the shortest possible time!"


    Second deputy minister Hayden Smith was equally solemn: "Generals, members of the committee, we have fully mobilized and are collaborating with the police to maintain control across the entire city, while deploying more holographic surveillance devices and defense robots to ensure the safety of the citizens."


    "I hope you all realize the seriousness of this matter."


    This voice came from the second position to the right of the first chief.


    When he spoke these words, everyone''s gaze fell on Zhou Yunfei.


    You Ming also narrowed his eyes, eager to see how Zhou Yunfei would respond.


    He did not expect that after Zhang Long''s assassination, Zhou Yunfei would intensify his efforts by drawing even more resources from other divisions.


    Zhou Yunfei maintained his composure and faced the scrutinizing gaze of the First Commander, "This is indeed based on the preset instructions of the Second Commander. I am carrying out a special task assigned to me by the Second Commander, which is of great importance. I must mobilize sufficient resources to ensure the success of the mission."


    At this time, it was already set in stone that Lin Rui would soon take charge of the Espionage Bureau, and Zhou Yunfei felt even more confident.


    The First Commander narrowed his eyes and then nodded slightly expressionlessly, "Our Second Commander will wake up within five months, and then I will inquire about this matter with him."


    Fang Xianzheng also smiled slightly, "We, the members of the council, are also very curious about the Third Special Actions Department established by the Second Commander. We will jointly initiate an inquiry at that time."


    The inquiry meeting lasted for 30 minutes, and after it concluded, the ministers and vice ministers of the ninth division left the meeting room without making any eye contact.


    After returning to his office, You Ming took out a smart terminal that resembled a mobile phone from thousands of years ago.


    He made a phone call, "Pause the plan, change the mission, and verify the identity of the head of the Third Special Actions Department with all our might."


    "Change?" The voice of a middle-aged man on the phone sounded very surprised, "Are you sure? If our original plan is successfully completed, we can definitely kick Zhou Yunfei out."


    "Kicking him out is useless."


    You Ming, standing with his hands behind him, looked out through the floor-to-ceiling window, where he could faintly see the skyscraper of the Tianlan Corporation.


    "Today during the inquiry meeting, Fang Xianzheng questioned my abilities over the Nursery Rhyme Killer case."


    The middle-aged man instantly understood.


    In such a scenario, even if they managed to kick Zhou Yunfei out, it would only benefit others.


    You Ming couldn''t deal with the Nursery Rhyme Killer, so naturally, he also couldn''t take on the responsibility of ensuring the security of the ninth base city.


    "I understand, but your immediate priority is still to find that Nursery Rhyme Killer, right?"


    "You don''t need to worry about that. I will find a way to capture and kill that Nursery Rhyme Killer myself," You Ming said as he recalled the calm and unwavering demeanor of Zhou Yunfei during the meeting, who seemed unfazed by the upcoming inquiry initiated by Fang Xianzheng.


    Where did that guy get his confidence from?


    You Ming narrowed his eyes, "No matter what methods you use, you must confirm this person''s identity in the shortest possible time!"

 Chapter 275 Meeting (Request for Subscription)

    Just the day after Fang Ranran borrowed Lin Rui''s traffic to promote her products, the comments in Lin Rui''s livestream began to digress.


    "Host, is that genius pretty boy really you?"


    "Didn''t expect the host to be so delicate and smooth-skinned, and still get involved in this kind of thing?"


    "The host is too much, he could totally live off his looks, yet he still went ahead and invented some hydrating cream, making me spend money."


    "Have you used Rui Fang''s moisturizing hydrating cream and toner? How do they feel?"


    "Rui Fang? Moisturizing hydrating cream? Toner? What are you all talking about?"


    "I feel like I can finally sponsor this host."


    Lin Rui, looking at these comments, almost couldn''t manage his expression and black-listed a bunch of people with a stern face.


    Lin Rui also issued a warning, "Everyone, please be aware, this is a serious Armored Martial Arts livestream. The host is explaining the fourth stage of Thunder Extreme Divine Shine Technique. Please mind your comments and do not disrupt others from watching the livestream¡ªthose interested in Martial Arts, feel free to like and bookmark our stream."


    However, Lin Rui''s attempt to control the situation didn''t calm the atmosphere in the comment section; instead, the viewers became even more excited.


    "Serious? How serious is the host?"


    "The host did this kind of thing, and we can''t even talk about it?"


    Lin Rui, unwillingly accepting the situation, persisted with the livestream until 7 PM, then ended the livestream utterly exhausted.


    However, when the livestream ended, he looked at the backstage reward and sales data and smiled again.@@@@


    Today alone, the donation amount reached over 30 million, and the sales income was also over 200 million, Lin Rui was set to earn more than 20 million in commissions, and the revenue from recorded videos was even more delightful at nearly 38 million.


    Since the Martial Arts contest started, his viewership had been increasing.


    Although Lin Rui hadn''t had a chance to participate, this only made his popularity surge even higher.


    Lin Rui thought if this situation continued, making hundreds of millions a day wasn''t a dream.


    The caveat was he couldn''t lose, even losing a single match on the platform would significantly impact his income.


    Humans always admire the strong, regardless of gender. Just look at '' Devil Sword'' Baili Wang; since he lost to '' Immortal Sword'' Shi Yan, Baili Wang''s income and popularity had plummeted.


    Lin Rui counted the wealth he had at his disposal again.


    At this point, he had almost used up all his ''black'' money; two 7S-grade Red Spider defense robots cost him 5 billion federal coins, he also set up a super-computing array for Lin Xi, now only just over 100 million was left.


    There was quite a bit of money in the bank account¡ªjust over 2 billion federal coins, plus 230,000 troy ounces of demon silver and 1,000 troy ounces of divine gold, as well as various local specialties given by folks back home that he hadn''t sold.


    However, Lin Rui not only signed Gong Hengdao but also Fei Yunlai. His monthly expenses had reached 400 million federal coins.


    What Fei Yunlai regretted most was that his talents had shown too late; he couldn''t become a martial arts star like Lin Rui, and now he was exhausted from trying to make money.


    However, looking at Wang Sen''s situation, he probably wouldn''t follow in his footsteps.


    This chubby guy just needed to compete a few times to build up some popularity and then, with Lin Rui''s support, he could start his live broadcasting career.


    "He is more talented than you. Once he implants a Golden Core, he could replace any of us in the martial arts club, or even take on the role of a vanguard."


    Yu Feicui looked somewhat helpless as she spoke, "You''re being too biased, Lu Fang''s talent is not bad either."


    As she spoke, she also kept an eye on her senior brother.


    Just yesterday he was in disarray, clothes unkempt and beard shaggy, but today he had a completely refreshed demeanor, not only wearing a crisp white suit but also sporting a slicked-back hairstyle, looking energetic and spirited.


    Had her senior brother managed to get out of his financial crisis? She wondered which tycoon or power he had taken up with?


    It wasn''t that Yu Feicui underestimated her senior brother, but that Fei Yunlai couldn''t support himself unless he took jobs from the dark web.


    Upon hearing this, Fei Yunlai chuckled and touched his nose.


    He actually did not want to show such overt favoritism, but a month ago, the BOSS had specifically instructed him to give more guidance to Wang Sen.


    He had taken someone else''s money; naturally, he couldn''t stand firm independently.


    Now, it was even less likely to be fair to everyone.


    While Lin Rui was deeply engrossed in the match, he received three consecutive messages.


    Zhang Long: General, Bai Kang Drug Inspection Company and Zhongsen Pharmaceutical Research Institute have come up with the results first. As you predicted, ''Spiritual Mist Spray'' has a severe problem - it indeed contains ''Heartbreak Grass.'' Not only is it highly addictive, but it also accelerates mental mutations and could lead to major social security risks.


    Zhang Long: According to Ms. Zhongsen Jingxiang, head of Zhongsen Pharmaceutical Research Institute, this kind of drug might even enable people to control certain implanted martial cultivators with it. She doesn''t understand how this drug got its marketing approval.


    Zhang Long: Also, I have received accurate information that ''Skull Killer'' Yun Yu from the ''Extreme Evil Pirate Group'' entered the Ninth Base City four days ago. He has been promoted to Major General, with a comprehensive combat score of S+.


    After reading these, Lin Rui''s pupils narrowed slightly, then he turned and walked toward his room.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Meeting!


    He convened another virtual meeting, this time in the Public Security Bureau Work Group 1, pulling Zhou Yunfei into the meeting as well.


    When Zhou Yunfei''s projection appeared in the virtual meeting room, his expression was full of confusion: "Is there something wrong, Rui? What''s the urgency?"


    Zhou Yunfei was originally having dinner with the mayor, but had been urged repeatedly by Lin Rui through pop-up messages, forcing him to hide in the bathroom to attend this virtual meeting.


    However, as Zhang Long reported the situation, Zhou Yunfei''s expression grew increasingly grave.


    Zhou Yunfei looked at Lin Rui in surprise, thinking that it was Rui who had detected the clues to this matter. This was indeed his good fortune.


    If not for Lin Rui, Zhou Yunfei would still be unaware of such a massive threat buried within the Ninth Base City.

 Chapter 276 Timing (Please Subscribe)

    Zhou Yunfei had lost all interest in dining with the mayor after hearing Zhang Long''s case report.


    "Zhang Long, forward all the case materials to me, and get ready," Zhou Yunfei instructed. "I need to report to the Supreme Commander now. Once the order from above comes through, your Third Special Operations Department must arrest and detain all suspects in Metro Base Nine as quickly as possible!"


    The Soul Rhythm Spray was sold in all fourteen metro bases, and this matter was not something that Metro Division Nine could handle alone.


    Moreover, the forces under Zhou Yunfei''s command were too weak.


    He anticipated that the arrest operation would require the mobilization of all five heavy armored divisions of the armed police forces in Metro Base Nine.


    The impact would be too great, which meant Zhou Yunfei had to report to the Supreme Commander.


    Zhou Yunfei couldn''t help but add with praise, "On behalf of all citizens of Metro Base Nine, I want to thank your Third Special Operations Department. Thanks to your excellent work, you''ve resolved a significant security crisis for the Earth Federation! Especially Lin Rui, you have remarkable abilities!"


    After being questioned by the Homeland Security Committee, he was also worried about the Nursery Rhyme Killer case.


    You Ming and his bunch of fools were quite competent at infighting, yet they couldn''t even catch the Nursery Rhyme Killer.


    If there was no progress in two months, once Fang Xianzheng made his move, the heads of the Security Bureau Division Nine were likely in for trouble.


    After the meeting was dismissed, Lin Rui pulled Lin Xi, Xue Lingxue, Fei Yunlai, Gong Hengdao, and Wang Sen into a new battle group and initiated another virtual meeting.


    As soon as Fei Yunlai joined the group, he saw the screen name ''Gong Hengdao.''


    He thought to himself, "Damn."


    This guy was Gong Hengdao? Could it be true?


    Gong Hengdao was well-known in the dark web world as a top gunman and sniper, and he was also quite skilled in close combat.


    This man had earned three ''Dark Glory Medals'' from the dark web, and it was said that his comprehensive firearms rating reached SSS.


    So what Lin Rui said was true, he wasn''t being deceived?


    The question was, how did Lin Rui manage to win over this person?


    Xue Lingxue frowned deeply, "BOSS, given the recent situation in Metro Base Nine, this doesn''t seem like a good time to make a move. Those dozen or so significant targets could very well be traps set by the enemy, trying to lure us into action. I think it''s better for the BOSS to hold back for the next few days."


    When Lin Rui heard the words ''hold back,'' the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. Hold back? Did Xue Lingxue really take him for a killing machine?


    "Calm down, Little Snow, and listen to me first," he said with an expressionless face.


    "Our target this time isn''t a criminal stronghold, but military bases like the ones near Star Harbor," Lin Rui stated as he projected all the mission details in front of everyone.


    She didn''t want to go through the legal process.


    The Ninth Base City employed federal law, which included the death penalty, but it required many years of legal battles.


    If this Skeleton Assassin could afford a good lawyer, he might very well save his own life.


    Xue Lingxue scrutinized the terrain map of the logistics base projected by Lin Rui with a serious expression, "BOSS, the defensive capabilities of the 9412 logistics base are very strong, with a fully staffed company, a large number of defense robots, and automated weapons, and the nearby spaceport is even more heavily guarded."


    "I know, but I''ve received reliable information that there will soon be a major operation by the Federal Security Bureau. The armed police force''s five heavy-armored divisions might all move out, and I believe that by then, the military and police nearby should not be able to provide effective support for the 9412 logistics base," Lin Rui said with a smile, winking at Xue Lingxue.


    "We will utilize all our strength this time, leaving two Red Spider Model 6s to guard the base while two Red Spider Model 7s and eight Red Spider Model 6s will participate in the operation. Fortunately, they have not made targeted enhancements in terms of ventilation and poison defense."


    Xue Lingxue realized.


    She anticipated that the operation authorization Minister Zhou had gotten would be very high.


    The way these five heavy-armored divisions of the armed police force would operate actually depended on them.


    The surrounding military and police could also preemptively interfere with orders.


    Therefore, the operational plan she was to develop had to include not only the 9412 logistics base but also parts of the Federal Security Bureau.


    This indeed was the best time to act.


    In a way, it could be considered using their own methods against them.


    After a moment of contemplation, Xue Lingxue said decisively, "Understood, I''ll develop a corresponding plan, but I have a special request."


    She then sent a message directly to Lin Rui.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): I want to personally kill Yun Yu!


    Lone Shadow Blade (Lin Rui): No problem, as long as your plan is successful.


    However, Fei Yunlai''s mind brimmed with suspicion. What kind of operation did the Federal Security Bureau have that would involve all five heavy-armored divisions of the armed police, yet ensure that the surrounding military and police could not intervene in time? Were the intelligence from these two reliable?


    Gong Hengdao squinted his eyes, looking at the numerous pieces of intelligence Lin Rui projected before them.


    With his rich mercenary experience, he was well-versed in the underworld.


    Gong Hengdao had noticed that all the images and material information before him were in the proprietary format of the Security Bureau.


    He wondered, Xue Lingxue was a colonel in the Security Bureau, her position unknown, so what was BOSS''s identity then?@@@@

 Chapter 277 Armored Composite Brigade (Subscribe Please)

    At the 9412 logistics base, Yun Yu stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling window on the top floor of the warehouse, keenly observing the street scene outside.


    This area near the star port was especially bustling, and even in the deep of night, the outer streets were still aglow with colorful lights and busy nightlife.


    The location Yun Yu was looking at housed a red-light district where he had once had a genuinely good experience.


    Still, the internal areas of these base cities were more fun than the few cramped, filthy, and chaotic dens operated by his gang, the Vile Pirate Gang, shrouded in dark and poisonous air.


    Although they brought back women every year by various means to relieve the stress of the gang members, it was still not as enjoyable as places outside.@@@@


    Yet now was not the time, ever since Yun Yu had entered the ninth city base through smuggling, he felt like he was being watched.


    Yun Yu could smell the scent of those vicious dogs from the security bureau¡ª


    Just then, Yun Yu heard a shrill voice from behind him.


    "Yun Yu, we need to get ready to move!"


    Yun Yu turned around and saw a middle-aged Caucasian man with a watermelon haircut and a stocky build behind him.


    That was his temporary superior¡ª''Illusion Melon'' Baroque.


    This was a 6S+ class illusionist whose illusion technique was so powerful that it could deceive Xue Bogao''s senses from 100 meters away without leaving any trace. It is said that the special investigation team from the security bureau on the Xue Bogao case still has no knowledge of this person''s existence.


    And just like last time, Baroque was in charge of this mission.


    When Yun Yu followed Baroque into a small conference room converted from a loft in the warehouse, he saw four fully armed men of varying appearances.


    These were ''Serpent Spear'' Casa, ''Firefox'' Chang Xin, ''Assault Bear'' Mitcha, and ''Double Guns'' Xiong Si¡ª not only were all four members of the Vile Pirate Gang, but they were also majors with pseudo 6A grade combat gear evaluations, and Casa in particular, was a pseudo 6S class sniper in overall ratings.


    At that moment, Yun Yu frowned slightly, displeasure apparent in his eyes.


    He noticed that all four men had somewhat vacant expressions and abnormal flushes on their faces, clear signs of being high on drugs.


    Yun Yu knew that all four men suffered from various degrees of implant syndrome, and needed drugs to relax their minds, but during a mission, couldn''t they refrain a little?


    Baroque apparently ignored this, as he turned on the video projector.


    Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    "This person is Zhang Long, deputy head of the Third Special Operations Department and leader of the First Action Group, a 6SS class master, and also the team leader of the Xue Bogao case. About 5 days ago, our partners learned that he had commissioned the New City Pharmaceutical Inspection Company under the name of the security bureau to test the medicinal ingredients of the Ling Yun spray¡ª"


    He had not finished speaking when ''Serpent Spear'' Casa interjected, "What''s the problem with this Ling Yun spray anyway? I''ve been using it lately."


    "Breaking news from our station, today the Security Bureau has launched a major operation, dispatching a large number of personnel and police forces at 8 PM to seal off Taisu Pharmaceutical Company, the City Drug Administration, the Public Health Bureau, and the Chemical Engineering Safety Department of the Security Bureau."


    "It is heard that an hour ago, the armed police forces had already received orders to mobilize fully and block the urban rail stations and major transport routes, now moving to seal off the starport. The Security Bureau has also issued a notice advising citizens not to go out unless in emergencies, and all flights at the starport will be subjected to inspection by the Security Bureau¡ª"


    "¡ªIt is rumored that this incident is related to the ''Spirit Rhythm Spray'' released by Taisu Pharmaceutical Company in the past six months. This drug might cause further mental mutation in patients with Transplant Syndrome and is highly addictive, potentially endangering society. All major pharmaceutical stores have already pulled the drug from their shelves."


    "Ah, damn," ''Snake Spear'' Kasa muttered upon hearing this, "It looks like our mission has failed before it even began."


    The expressions on Baroque and Yun Yu''s faces were extremely grim.


    This Spirit Rhythm Spray was tied to crucial schemes above, and according to their original plans, this drug needed to be publicly distributed on the market for at least a year to achieve the expected goals.


    Although the column of the heavily equipped synthetic brigade was massive and moved quickly, it still took a full five minutes to drive past the street near the 9412 logistical base.


    Just as Baroque and the others were relaxing and preparing to stand, they felt their consciousness blur and almost couldn''t stand steady,


    The four pseudo-level 6 assumed they were too intoxicated from drugs, causing their minds to be unclear, so they didn''t pay much attention.


    Baroque and Yun Yu, however, had their pupils slightly contract¡ªstartled to the extreme¡ªthey didn''t hesitate to take out the stimulants they carried and inserted them into the backs of their necks.


    Right then, beneath their warehouse, Wang Sen, dressed in a maintenance sergeant''s uniform, was opening the control core of the last Type 5 Hawk Falcon combat robot, inserting a black data disk into the slot.


    Quirky Youngster (Wang Sen): "Bro Rui, I''ve finished here. 36 Type 6 Gatling Bodhisattvas, 16 Type 4 Hawk Falcons, and 8 Type 5 Hawk Falcons are all infected with the virus program, and they haven''t detected any anomalies."


    Wang Sen glanced sideways at several soldiers standing nearby who, though still conscious, were dazed and unresponsive.


    His cover should have been blown by now, as these soldiers should have noticed something odd long ago, but the drug used by Lin Rui this time was indeed miraculous.


    These soldiers, clearly still awake, had temporarily lost their ability to think, unable to react to their surroundings.


    As for these machines, with Wang Sen having maintenance sergeant privileges, they could not react either.


    Fei Yunlai was standing in the basement of the first warehouse, looking at two giant maintenance devices stretching 25 meters long and the two transplant battle dragons slumbering inside.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): "I''m good on this end too! I''ve injected the boss''s drug into the life support chambers. That little Xue is really something, he managed to pinpoint the location of these two battle dragons just from the structure of this building."


    Lin Rui was standing at the ventilation duct on the top floor of the warehouse, looking at the attic and smiling slightly.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): "Let''s get this operation started! They must have noticed me by now."


    "Pop!"


    With that soft gunshot, Gong Hengdao, stationed at a sniper post 7 kilometers away and holding a silenced sniper rifle, fired the first shot.


    Meanwhile, from a warehouse 13 kilometers south of him, Gong Hengdao''s transplant battle dragon, holding a Godslayer Type 7 sniper cannon in its hands, also locked target on 9412 logistical base, ready to suppress any unplanned disturbances.

 Chapter 278 Thunderbolt (Request for Subscription)

    "Bastards!"


    After Yun Yu injected himself with a stimulant, it still took a whole 10 seconds before he felt his body roughly return to normal.


    The unknown toxins he had ingested were still eroding his body, but he could maintain full combat strength for two to three minutes without any problem.


    What shocked Yun Yu was that his implant armor War Dragon had no response at all, and he couldn''t establish a connection with his Divine Sense.


    Yun Yu''s eyes turned blood red, and just as he was about to pounce in Lin Rui''s direction, the adjacent wall burst apart, sending rocks flying.


    "Bang!"


    A bullet pierced through the nearly half-meter-thick wall of the warehouse and its armored steel interior, hitting ''Illusion Melon'' Baroque''s body directly.


    The bullet''s tremendous kinetic energy not only shattered the Type 8 exoskeleton armor on Baroque but also blew his head to pieces!


    "It''s a sniper, at least level 6SS!"


    Yun Yu''s eyes were filled with horror. ''Illusion Melon'' Baroque, was he really dead?


    An S+ grade major general, an Illusion Technique master, died just like that?


    Without any hesitation, Yun Yu kicked open the door and shot out like a phantom, leaping down to the first level of the warehouse.


    The others also reacted swiftly. Staying there meant being the sniper''s live targets.


    "Bang!"


    With another bullet tearing through the wall, ''Double Guns'' Xiong Si''s head was blown apart by the shot.


    By this time, the remaining four had already jumped down from the rooftop of the warehouse.


    Below, in the armored vehicle warehouse, they could use these vehicles as cover, effectively defending against the sniper.


    However, before Yun Yu could relax, a scream rang out.


    It was ''Assault Bear'' Mitch, who was stabbed in the back with a knife by a man in black and then dismembered and had his soul shattered.


    "Damn it!"


    Yun Yu roared angrily, firing his assault rifle towards the man in black.


    But the man in black was like a phantom, disappearing instantly behind the armored vehicles.


    The remaining ''Serpent Lance'' Kasa and ''Fire Fox'' Chang Xin were experienced mercenaries. They didn''t give chase but instead found a place to hide, setting up a crossfire network with Yun Yu.


    Chang Xin had completely regained consciousness, sweating profusely, "Yun Yu, did you notify Director Wei of the situation? What did he say?"


    Inwardly, Yun Yu thought that if he were in the Security Department official''s shoes, he might also hope for them to die quickly.


    Meanwhile, just 100 meters away, behind another armored vehicle, Lin Rui was leisurely watching the time.


    For this operation, Lin Rui had originally planned to go all out and deploy the 50 billion-purchased Red Spider Type 7 for a brute force attack. However, Xue Lingxue had simply added the words ''stay vigilant'' to the orders she issued to the 4321st Heavy Armor Brigade, allowing them to effortlessly take down the base.


    This woman, a brilliant graduate from the Third Public Security University, was very professional in special operations planning and understood the various mechanisms of the military and the Security Bureau.


    And Gong Hengdao, with his formidable long-range sniping capability, also made Lin Rui''s scalp tingle.


    At that moment, Fei Yunlai was asking questions in the combat group.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Is it almost time?


    The nine smoke grenades they had just thrown in weren''t meant to further poison Yun Yu and the others but to force the three inside into a ''closed-circuit'' state.


    Exoskeleton armor in ''closed-circuit'' mode can''t assist its wearer in high-intensity metabolism.


    This meant that Yun Yu and company couldn''t expel the toxins during this process. Once the effects of the stimulants wore off, the three''s combat ability would still be severely diminished.


    Fei Yunlai actually felt it was unnecessary. Even though he didn''t bring his War Dragon this time, he was confident he could take down the three men.


    However, Lin Rui''s requirement was to capture Yun Yu alive, and that would take some effort.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Wait another 5 seconds, then proceed with the plan as arranged. 4, 3, 2, 1!


    Both men plunged into the thick fog almost simultaneously.


    Lin Rui moved like a phantom, swiftly advancing in an S-shaped trajectory.


    His target was ''Snake Spear'' Kasar and ''Fire Fox'' Chang Xin!


    Both were skilled with firearms, but under the influence of Lin Rui''s toxin, they were already disoriented. Most of the bullets they fired at Lin Rui missed by a wide margin, and even the occasional hits only sparked off Lin Rui''s external armor.


    The exoskeleton armor Lin Rui wore was from Wang Li, with strong defense. As long as it wasn''t hit continuously by the two men''s Type 6 guns, there was no danger of injury.


    Moments later, Lin Rui rushed up to ''Snake Spear'' Kasar and suddenly drew his sword.


    The fierce and sharp blade light severed Kasar''s head with one stroke.


    The man, heavily affected by the toxin, could no longer make precise judgments in combat, rendering his considerable strength almost useless.


    After that, Lin Rui and ''Fire Fox'' Chang Xin exchanged a burst of fire and a sharp ''clang'' of metal on metal.


    After seven exchanges, Lin Rui circled behind Chang Xin and stabbed him in the back.


    By then, Fei Yunlai had already efficiently taken down ''Skull Killer'' Yun Yu. He swung his long sword, severing Yun Yu''s limbs and reducing him to a mere stump.

 Chapter 279 Addressing the Root Cause (Third Release, Please Subscribe)

    After the battle had ended, Wang Sen also came over from the monitoring center: "Rui, the database is all set."


    His assignment was to wire up Lin Xi to facilitate faster scanning of the data, erasing traces, and cleaning up the surveillance.


    At the same time, he had to inject comatose federal soldiers with a drug to prevent them from dying.


    At this moment he seemed calm, but he was actually trembling all over.


    This was the first time Wang Sen had experienced such a thing, so he was inevitably nervous.


    At the same time, Wang Sen also felt a sense of novelty and excitement.


    Wang Sen had volunteered to take part in the operation; he didn''t want to be left out of Lin Rui''s circle of friends.


    But after this mission was completed, Wang Sen thought it was incredibly cool and thrilling! The pressure he originally felt from taking on the infiltration was greatly alleviated.


    Lin Xi too sent a message in the combat group.


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): "Bro, my side is all cleaned up and I''ve found some interesting stuff. I think we should hand it over to the Security Bureau. Just the videos of these fugitives hiding in the 9412 logistics base for a few days alone will give the Star Navy''s logistical department a hard time, not to mention the evidence of them declaring battle robots and various military parts in good condition as scrap and selling them illegally."


    Lin Rui was looking to cause more trouble for his enemies.


    He thought about it for a moment, then decided to change the way he issued the alert.


    Lin Rui first had a private chat with Xue Lingxue.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): "Xue, I am going to detonate a bomb inside the base. After the explosion occurs, immediately dispatch a heavily-armed battalion from the starport to lock down the scene."


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): "Understood!"


    Xue Lingxue was now also fearful that the situation wasn''t grave enough.


    If the commotion was big enough, neither the government nor the military could seal off and suppress it.


    Lin Rui then informed Gong Hengdao: "Hengdao, prevent other forces from approaching the 9412 logistics base before the armed police arrive."


    Gong Hengdao: "Understood!"


    Lin Rui issued commands while setting up a simple bomb.


    He had replicated Yuan Ji''s special combat skills to a high level of proficiency, and with the help of Wang Sen and Fei Yunlai, making a simple bomb was a breeze. Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    Just as Lin Rui had buried the bomb, Fei Yunlai dragged ''the Skull Killer'' Yun Yu out like a dead dog.


    The trio first arrived at a heavy truck at the rear of the 9412 logistics base.


    Inside the truck, the high-powered sonic disruptor was still operating at full power, which Wang Sen turned off before quickly driving the truck away.


    About two hours later, Xue Lingxue entered the secret base wearing a black coat.


    Due to the third special operation department''s action against Taisu Corporation and the sudden incident at the 9412 logistics base, Xue Lingxue had been busy at the security bureau''s command center and had just found time to come to this secret base.


    Her eyes, normally pale blue due to the ''Ice Thunder Snow Eyes'' implant, were now tinged with a hint of crimson. "BOSS, where is Yun Yu?"


    Lin Rui drank his juice and pointed to the surveillance video in front of him. "In the interrogation room, we''ve gotten all we could out of him. He''s very weak now and probably won''t last much longer. You can take it from here. Oh, and there''s an adrenaline shot on the table that can keep him alive a bit longer."


    Turns out, this skull assassin actually had a tough mouth. Both Old Fei and Old Gong took turns and still couldn''t break him.


    Especially Gong Hengdao, who used all the common torture methods of the dark world on the skull assassin, Yun Yu.


    However, Yun Yu couldn''t endure Lin Rui''s ''truth serum'' and spilled everything Lin Rui wanted to know.


    What was the point of Old Fei and Old Gong''s interrogation then? Just to let Yun Yu suffer torture and endure pain worse than death by a thousand cuts.


    Xue Lingxue silently walked into the interrogation room and saw Yun Yu, mangled and laying on a surgical chair with severed hands and feet.


    She initially wanted to pull out her own knife, but she noticed a variety of surgical instruments on the medical tray beside her, some still stained with blood.


    Xue Lingxue immediately walked over and picked up a small hammer.


    "Who exactly are you!" Yun Yu looked at Xue Lingxue, his eyes filled with fear, his voice hoarse.


    Ever since Lin Rui injected him with the truth serum, and he confessed everything he wanted to and didn''t want to confess, his psychological defenses completely collapsed.


    Yun Yu suddenly remembered a photo he saw at Xue''s residence. His pupils dilated, his eyes filled with disbelief: "You are the daughter of Xue Bogao."


    Xue Lingxue felt both relieved and relaxed at that moment.


    Relieved because Yun Yu actually recognized her, and relaxed because the vengeance for her parents and brothers could finally be partly alleviated today.


    This is probably what that guy meant by a radical cure¡ª


    Twenty minutes after Xue Lingxue entered the interrogation room, she still hadn''t come out.


    Lin Xi, curious, leaned her face close to the surveillance video, but Lin Rui covered her eyes.


    Lin Rui felt the footage in the video was too gory. It was better for Lin Xi not to watch.


    Who would have thought that Xue Lingxue, who usually followed the rules and bore the demeanor of a capable policewoman, could have such a crazy moment?


    Three minutes after this, Lin Rui received a prompt from the spirit guard.


    Spirit Guard: "Spirit No. 1''s obsession and resentment has been eliminated, entering ''harmless'' state."


    Lin Rui blinked, wondering what this ''harmless'' state meant. Could it mean copying or possession anytime he wanted?

 Chapter 280 Awards (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Zhou Yunfei had not expected to face another inquiry from the National Security Committee so soon.


    However, this time none of the other deputy directors from Division Nine were involved, leaving him alone in the conference room with 13 members of the ''National Security Committee,'' excluding the Second Commander-in-Chief.


    The First Commander-in-Chief was perusing the case files submitted by Zhou Yunfei, his expression as dark as water.


    The expressions of the others were no better, all extremely solemn and serious.


    "It''s shocking to the core!"


    Fang Xianzheng was the first to finish reading the materials, his eyes filled with trepidation, "We can confirm that this is a conspiracy to subvert the federal government, if discovered any later, the consequences would be unimaginable!"


    He looked at Zhou Yunfei with a sense of relief in his eyes, "Director Zhou, from the current situation, your Division Nine of the Security Bureau has made a significant contribution to national stability and public safety."


    Zhou Yunfei felt a surge of pleasure at these words.


    As long as he had the approval of the National Security Committee, especially that of Fang Xianzheng, his position as division director was as solid as Mount Tai.


    Fang Xianzheng then turned his gaze to the First Commander-in-Chief, "Mr. First Commander-in-Chief, according to the investigation results of the Third Special Operations Department, many suspects from the Ninth City''s Drug Administration Bureau and Public Health Bureau have signs of being hypnotized or even having distorted mind consciousness. Professional tests show that the hypnosis occurred between January and March this year. What do you think, is there any illusionist in the world who can do this? Could it be the handiwork of ''that one''?"


    The First Commander-in-Chief closed the file projected in front of him and said succinctly, "There''s no need to doubt, it must be the work of the Vice President of the ''Divine Skills Society,'' Ling Huan, no doubt. His timing would have been those drug regulation meetings organized by the Ministry of Health in February. It was an oversight on the part of our Security Bureau that gave him an opportunity."


    His statement caused an uproar among the numerous committee members present in the projection.


    The expressions of the two three-star marshals present were slightly strange.


    When Zhou Yunfei heard the words ''Divine Skills Society,'' his gaze also briefly became sharp.


    Zhou Yunfei took on the role of director of Division Nine, carrying a special mission for the Republic of East Asia.


    In addition to purging security flaws in Division Nine''s base, he also bore the heavy task of investigating the ''Longevity Society.''


    From what he currently knew, the ''Longevity Society'' was originally the ''Divine Skills Society.''


    It was an organization that once had nearly a hundred level-nine Divine Skills masters as core members and had almost overthrown the global federal system of government.


    The three commanders-in-chief in front of Zhou Yunfei, as well as his former superior, the Second Commander-in-Chief, had all once been members of this organization.


    While humanity on Earth delved deeply into the martial arts of the Heavenly Extreme Star and embarked on the path of biological evolution, their social structures also faced massive upheaval.


    About two hundred years ago, a group of top-tier Martial Artists grew dissatisfied with the government''s control, precaution and restrictions against them, and began to conspire to overthrow the federal government and replace it to rule the human world.


    According to the chairman of the Divine Skills Society, why should such powerful titans be controlled by ants?


    Zhou Yunfei then changed his tone, "Moreover, we encountered a special situation during the operation. An explosion suddenly occurred at the 9412 Logistics Base. When our armed police forces rushed to the scene, they discovered evidence of intense combat within, and four bodies of members from a notorious pirate gang were left behind. Our forensic experts, based on the traces on-site, believe that it might be related to the Nursery Rhyme Killer. However, the key lies in these videos and data we found in the database of the logistics base¡ª"


    As Zhou Yunfei submitted a batch of new materials and several videos, many of the elected congress members, led by Fang Xianzheng, showed expressions of shock and dismay.


    The three commanders also furrowed their brows deeply, and after exchanging glances, they could see the gravity reflected in each other''s eyes.


    "This is indeed a very serious situation!" Fang Xianzheng chuckled grimly. "It seems I must visit the Defense Committee to discuss this matter with several marshals from the military."


    He was not only the vice-chairman of the Homeland Security Committee but also a senior member of the Defense Committee.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    After completing the inquiry meeting, Zhou Yunfei found out that someone in the ''Internal Group 1'' he had established was mentioning him.


    You Ming: Minister Zhou, regarding the Lingyun drug situation, shouldn''t you have briefed us before taking action? Your approach leaves your colleagues at a disadvantage, making it difficult for us to carry out many future tasks.


    Smith: Minister, isn''t this conduct a bit out of line? We at the Security Bureau value unity and mutual trust. Your actions might further sour the internal atmosphere. If this leads to any issues, you''ll have to take full responsibility.


    Another vice-minister, Lei Yu, hadn''t sent a message, his stance more neutral and, up to this point, had not openly clashed with Zhou Yunfei.


    Zhou Yunfei read the implied threats in their words but merely chuckled, knowing that both men had already had a falling out with him and were still resorting to such tactics.


    Zhou Yunfei: Here''s a notice, starting tomorrow, all officers in our department must report to the Third Special Operations Division within half a month for a comprehensive examination regarding ''Prosthesis Syndrome.'' The tests will be conducted by the Mingde University Affiliated Hospital, who will dispatch a team of experts.


    Zhou Yunfei: Additionally, to ensure the integrity of the military and security forces, the Homeland Security Committee has authorized the Third Special Operations Division. Over the next year, they will investigate all Security Bureau personnel''s mental health, financial circumstances, and social connections, among other things.


    After sending the message, he waited expectantly for the two vice-ministers to respond while browsing various news platforms.


    Zhou Yunfei switched through several channels, noting that the majority of news outlets spoke positively, suggesting that if it weren''t for the Security Bureau''s decisive actions in sealing off Lingyun and Taizu, the consequences would have been unimaginable.


    However, Zhou Yunfei waited a good while but did not receive any response from the vice-ministers.


    At that moment, Zhou Yunfei received another private message, one that his intelligent AI had flagged as urgent.


    Zhao Changxing (West District Police Chief): Minister Zhou, I''m not sure if you have time lately, but could we meet?


    Upon reading the message, the corners of Zhou Yunfei''s lips lifted slightly.


    Zhao Changxing was one of the few senior police officers that Zhou Yunfei was vying to win over in the police system.


    Regrettably, ever since his power had been undermined by You Ming and others, these senior police officers had been keeping their distance.


    And now, this Chief Zhao was finally drawing closer to him.

 Chapter 9: 8: Despair Heavenly Girl_2

    Chapter 9: Chapter 8: Despair Heavenly Girl_2


    ¡°`


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    An hour later, in classroom 3321 at Mingde University, Lin Rui opened the leaderboard with a regretful gaze.


    ¡°The combat assessment has concluded. Congratulations, your final ranking is eleventh.¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head, somewhat helplessly taking off his deep dive helmet.@@@@


    After defeating Wei De, Lin Rui had been confident he could break into the top three; the ¡®Top Ten¡¯ might be strong, but his Grandmaster-level Red Thunder Saber and Red Thunder Palm could surmount them!


    ...


    Regrettably, for some reason, Lin Rui had not matched against any top ten opponents afterwards.


    Thus in the end, Wei De, who lost to him, remained in fourth place, while Lin Rui only ascended to eleventh.


    When Lin Rui took off his helmet, he saw Wang Linna gazing steadily at him: ¡°What¡¯s your rank? Did you make it into the top hundred?¡±


    With Wang Linna¡¯s words, the surrounding classmates all looked over, eyes filled with curiosity.


    They were quite concerned about the performance of the two top students in the class.


    A girl with a ponytail in the distance let out a light chuckle: ¡°Top hundred? Impossible, Lin Rui¡¯s grades are indeed good, but in our school, he¡¯s just top twenty in the grade, not quite at the level of the top hundred for the whole city, right?¡±


    Wang Linna, however, swept a cold glance over: ¡°I encountered him in the combat assessment just now. He defeated me with just seven moves, having quietly mastered the complete ¡®Red Thunder Nine Slashes¡¯. Not to mention breaking into the top hundred, even the top fifty is possible.¡±


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    Lin Rui¡¯s best buddy Wang Sen was walking over, and after hearing this he couldn¡¯t help but exclaim ¡°Holy sh*t,¡± completely astounded as he turned his head to look at Lin Rui.


    ¡°Rui, is this for real? You¡¯ve mastered the Red Thunder Nine Slashes?¡±


    ¡°I have.¡± Lin Rui nodded affirmatively, while opening the class counselor¡¯s list on his personal terminal.


    Lin Rui was now most concerned about when the rewards from the school board of directors would be issued.


    Meanwhile, in a luxury sedan that was driving away from the Education Center, the assistant to the chairman of the Sky Blue Biotech Group, Guan Biran, turned to look at his boss, Fang Kongfang, ¡°Chairman, I¡¯ve taken care of the matter for Lin Rui as you instructed, and I have already had someone deliver those items to him.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Fang Kongfang murmured in a lukewarm tone as he wiped his face with a wet towel, ¡°Lucky for me, or I would¡¯ve been drowned in saliva today by that fellow surnamed Li. From now on, help me keep an eye on the boy. Oh, and isn¡¯t Ranran trying to poach talents for her Martial Arts Club? If she still can¡¯t find a suitable person in the next few days, you could recommend Lin Rui to her. He¡¯s a good seedling that could serve as the mainstay in university league competitions.¡±


    Guan Biran let out an amused chuckle, then sent another message to Lin Rui: No need to thank me; this is what you deserve. If you run into any trouble at school, you can always come to me.


    He sent the message with a tone of regret, ¡°This really was an unexpected piece of good luck. That Director Li is extremely domineering, irrefutable. If it weren¡¯t for Lin Rui, Mingde University¡¯s budget would definitely have been slashed heavily next year.


    It¡¯s just a pity that Lin Rui¡¯s ranking could have been even higher; it seems someone tampered with the algorithm, preventing him from encountering those so-called ¡®Ten Elites¡¯ again, thus lowering his combat score rating,¡±


    Fang Kongfang snorted coldly.


    He had long realized that someone was manipulating the algorithm of the Exotic Body practical evaluation system.


    The status of ¡®Exotic Walkers¡¯ was revered in the Earth Federation, and only those with the most outstanding martial talents could obtain the Exotic Body license.


    Thus, the top ten Exotic Body students can be said to be the strongest augmented Martial Artists of their age in the Ninth Base City, enjoying a status akin to celebrities among the city¡¯s youth.


    The videos of their battles garnered millions of views online, yielding enormous profits.


    Behind these Ten Elites stood powerful talent agencies, entangled in many people¡¯s interests, with some even running underground betting rings on the rankings of the Exotic Body evaluation.


    After watching the battle video between Lin Rui and Wade, how could they dare let the Ten Elites face Lin Rui again?


    Fang Kongfang had not anticipated this and had made no preparations; otherwise, he would never have let these individuals succeed.


    But for Lin Rui, this was actually a good thing; an unsupported poor student didn¡¯t need to be so conspicuous.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see it, Director Li¡¯s face went completely dark, and then he went on about educational reform? If he truly wanted fair education, he should start by cleaning out the rats at the Bureau of Education,¡±


    With a scoff, Fang Kongfang then threw his wet towel into the trash with a grim look: ¡°Later, contact Director Li and buy up all of his shares in Mingde University, just as he requested, at a 50% premium. I¡¯m really fed up!¡±


    Although Sky Blue Biotech Group had taken charge of Mingde University, they had not achieved absolute control, leaving Fang Kongfang restrained by many shareholders in the boardroom.


    This was exactly why they hadn¡¯t managed to improve the educational standards of Mingde University despite having acquired it over half a year ago.


    Originally, Fang Kongfang had planned to wait, but the events of the day had forced him to seek change proactively.

 Chapter 10: 9: Divine Thunder and Heavenly Flame

    Chapter 10: Chapter 9: Divine Thunder and Heavenly Flame


    Lin Rui was looking forward to Guan Biran¡¯s ¡°little surprise¡± with great anticipation, yet when he arrived at the school¡¯s service center to collect his reward, he was puzzled.


    There was no surprise at all; everything Lin Rui received was what he was entitled to: a scholarship of thirty thousand federal dollars, plus a refund of twenty-seven thousand federal dollars for tuition and fees for the year, all of which were directly deposited into his account.


    Next, he was given a set of artificial meridians of the highest quality and three gene-enhancing potions, which were handed to him in a very high-end portable mini-refrigerator.


    Just as Lin Rui was feeling slightly disappointed, the smiling manager of the service center told him that Assistant Guan had specifically instructed that Tianlan Biological Company had already arranged a surgery for him at the affiliated hospital of the school.


    The company had not only hired a top-tier surgical professor to perform the operation but had also covered the surgical costs and asked him to proceed as soon as possible.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui was slightly pleased, thinking that this could barely count as a ¡°surprise.¡±


    ...


    Implanting artificial meridians required a full-body operation, which demanded much experience and skill from the doctor, and the quality of the meridians varied with different doctors¡¯ standards.


    Those doctors, who were highly skilled and experienced, charged particularly high fees.


    Although Mingde University was quite weak in the areas of xenotransplantation and biological enhancements in martial arts, its medical school was the top among the many universities in Base Nine.


    The surgical professors at their affiliated hospital were also top-notch throughout Base Nine; the fee for a meridian implant surgery likely started at twenty thousand.


    Lin Rui immediately took the portable refrigerator and hurriedly went to the affiliated hospital, where he found Professor Sima.


    This surgical professor was around thirty years old, with delicate features and a scholarly appearance.


    Professor Sima conducted a thorough examination of Lin Rui, then opened the portable refrigerator.


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    Upon seeing the contents, his expression briefly showed surprise: ¡°It¡¯s Sky Blue Company¡¯s ¡®Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame¡¯? No wonder¡ª¡±


    A look of realization appeared in Professor Sima¡¯s eyes as he thought to himself why Sky Blue Company would spare no expense to arrange for him to perform the meridian implant surgery for Lin Rui.


    Since becoming a doctoral advisor, he had not personally conducted such basic biological enhancement surgeries for a long time.


    Lin Rui had already been sterilized and was lying in a specialized enhancement tuning pod.


    Upon hearing the last sentence, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but twitch the corners of his mouth.


    Currently, a set of top-level spiritual vessels on the market costs only one hundred thousand federal coins. Three hundred thousand federal coins was equivalent to six years¡¯ total salary for a mid-level blue-collar worker in this era.


    Lin Rui then said firmly, ¡°I understand!¡±


    Such top-tier artificial meridians were not something he could normally come into contact with; he absolutely could not miss this opportunity.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The meridian implantation surgery lasted for an hour, and when Lin Rui woke up, there were no wounds on his body.


    Federal biomedical technology was highly developed, already capable of using medications and devices to rapidly heal human cells. Consequently, hospitals of this era only had intensive care units and no inpatient departments.


    The moment Lin Rui woke up, he sensed changes within his body.


    The feeling was indescribable,¡ªif he had to describe it, it was incredibly smooth.


    If his previous level-two artificial meridians were compared to a two-lane country road, now it was like a two-way five-lane highway.


    And now, the connection between his artificial meridians and his artificial Dantian was very firm and tightly integrated with his body.


    Lin Rui had always felt as if there was a film separating his meridians from his Dantian, but that sensation was no longer there; it felt as if these enhancements were naturally parts of his body.


    After carefully sensing for a moment, Lin Rui suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Professor, I feel like this inner core and the meridians seem to have many more branches.¡±


    His eyes showed confusion, wondering where these branches came from.


    Professor Sima smiled, ¡°Those branches are the twelve regular meridians and the extraordinary vessels in your body, which are part of the natural meridian system humans originally have¡ªquite amazing, right? This is very similar to the meridian system of the beings from Sky Pole Star. In fact, there has long been a scientific suspicion that Sky Pole Star visitors may have come to Earth early on and had contact with humankind, even that human beings have Sky Pole Star bloodlines from interbreeding that occurred long ago.


    The medical community has also been researching how to utilize the human meridian system to aid Martial Artists in their cultivation. I was fortunate to join a project that developed a technique to connect artificial meridians with the twelve regular meridians within the human body, which could improve efficiency of various artificial meridians by about twenty percent, unfortunately¡ª¡±


    He did not continue, instead, he started editing medical suggestions on his personal office tablet: ¡°I¡¯ve prescribed some medications for you, to help reduce rejection reactions and stabilize your spiritual power, all included in the cost of this implantation. You can go directly to the prescription window to pick them up later.


    Also, the next four hours is the adaptation period. Do not engage in intense physical activities. After four hours, you can try practicing martial arts. I saw that you still have three doses of gene enhancement liquid in your portable fridge. You can inject one during practice to increase the intensity. Let me know immediately if anything feels wrong, and I can continue adjusting for you.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes showed anticipatory excitement.


    He was eager to see what was so special about this set of ¡®Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame¡¯ implanted in him?

 Chapter 11: 10: Mysterious Blood Drop

    Chapter 11: Chapter 10: Mysterious Blood Drop


    Lin Rui returned to his residential area at six in the evening.


    The sky inside the base had turned completely dark, the artificial sun had gone out, and had been replaced by an artificial moon, which caused the temperature throughout the entire base city to drop suddenly.


    Just as Lin Rui was driving the rented shared hover motorcycle into the entrance of the neighborhood, his sister Lin Xi sent another message.


    Summer¡¯s Shallow Thought (Lin Xi): Didn¡¯t you say you would be back around six? I have made the food already, why don¡¯t I see you?


    Summer¡¯s Shallow Thought (Lin Xi): Brother, did you really take the 11th place in the combat assessment? You¡¯re not lying to me, right?@@@@


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but chuckle; he had told Lin Xi about his assessment results at noon, but she still found his scores unbelievable.


    ...


    He was just about to reply when the corner of his eye caught sight of General Xue¡¯s villa ahead.


    Lin Rui¡¯s brows slightly furrowed.


    The feeling he had when he passed by this villa this morning came again, rising within him out of nowhere a boundless desire to kill and malevolence.


    He desperately suppressed his emotions while stopping the vehicle, staring intently at the three-story villa still under yellow police tape.


    Through the reflections on the glass curtain walls that made up the exterior of the villa, Lin Rui noticed that his eyes were completely blood-red.


    Lin Rui felt a chill in his heart.


    This was definitely the influence of the combat spirit¡¯s obsessions; the repercussions of this replication skill were beyond his imagination.


    Go to novgo.co


    Was there any way to resolve it?


    Just then, another piece of information appeared in Lin Rui¡¯s mind.


    Instruction 4: Enhancing the strength of one¡¯s soul can resist the influence of the combat spirit¡¯s obsessions.


    Instruction 5: Helping the combat spirit fulfill its obsessions can weaken the intensity of its obsessions, ultimately neutralizing the combat spirit.


    Lin Rui, sensing the text in his mind, displayed a thoughtful expression.


    He concluded that enhancing his own soul strength could only provide temporary relief; the real cure would be helping the combat spirit fulfill its obsessions.


    Just yesterday, he had taken pride in replicating three master-level martial arts skills from Xue Bogao, yet he hadn¡¯t realized that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.


    At that moment, another piece of information popped up in Lin Rui¡¯s mind.


    Mission: Combat Spirit Number One has issued you a mission; he wants you to help him check the crime scene and look for clues about the murderer. After completing this task, you can copy a skill from Combat Spirit Number One¡¯s skill list at no cost.


    Lin Rui was momentarily stunned by surprise that the combat spirit could issue him a mission.


    To take a look at the crime scene and be able to exchange for a skill for free?


    Lin Rui used his thoughts to open Xue Bogao¡¯s skill list and found that there was an additional skill available for copying.


    He guessed it was related to the enhancements in his spiritual power and physical fitness after implanting new meridians.


    Lin Rui looked around once more.


    It was the evening rush hour now, the neighborhood¡¯s internal streets bustling with people and vehicles. Lin Rui also spotted two patrol officers nearby and a security team patrolling the streets.


    This sister also made his heart ache; Lin Xi clearly had a higher martial talent than her brother, yet she consistently refused to implant an artificial Dantian.


    She not only gave all opportunities to Lin Rui but had supported him unconditionally over the years, striving to keep their home intact.


    Lin Rui was somewhat envious of his predecessor for having such a good sister.


    Through Lin Xi¡¯s bangs, Lin Rui saw her eyes slightly reddened, and he couldn¡¯t help but ruffle her head again, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as soon as the Alien License is obtained, our family¡¯s situation will get better and better, and that¡¯s settled then, first thing Saturday morning we proceed with the implantation; I have already made the prepayment.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he picked up the chopsticks and reached for the bowl of braised pork in front of him.


    This was his favorite dish before he time-traveled and his tastes hadn¡¯t changed; Lin Xi must have noticed his preference and had deliberately placed this bowl in front of him.


    But as Lin Rui¡¯s chopsticks nearly reached it, Lin Xi snatched the bowl away first.


    Lin Rui slightly startled, asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°The dish has gotten cold, I¡¯m going to heat it up.¡±


    Lin Xi hurriedly walked into the kitchen with the bowl.


    She hesitated slightly, then dumped the braised pork into the trash can.


    Lin Xi still couldn¡¯t confirm that the Lin Rui in front of her was her own brother.


    The issue was, other than the brother who had stuck by her side through thick and thin, who else would be so good to her? To just have obtained his Alien License and then unreservedly use all his money for her implantation?


    After all, had Mrs. Qing not said so? There are many reasons for fluctuations in the brain¡¯s electromagnetic field, such as severe emotional swings, suffering heavy injuries, or a large increase in spiritual power; and Lin Rui had just been heavily injured.


    She couldn¡¯t be so rash and hasty, nor did she want to do anything that would harm their sibling relationship.


    Lin Xi immediately opened the cupboard, took out a packet of instant braised pork and put it into the warmer.


    The majority of today¡¯s dishes on the dining table were instant meals she had bought; they weren¡¯t made with care.


    Thinking about it now, Lin Xi felt quite guilty for just using ready-made meals on her brother¡¯s big day.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xi reopened her personal terminal to watch the video of Lin Rui being shot.


    This time, she watched the video to the end, to the part where the gunman in black shot towards the direction of the holographic monitor, and then everything turned dark.


    Lin Xi¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, anger flaming inside her like magma¡ªwho exactly were these people, and were they targeting her? Were they trying to force her awakening?


    She must find out what exactly happened after the shooting. Her brother was supposedly dead, his head shattered by a bullet, yet how could he just casually walk back into her life? She also needed to uncover the identity of the gunman, and then¡ªslaughter them!


    If her brother had indeed been revived by some sort of biotechnology, that would be one thing, but if he was truly dead, then what meaning was there to continue living in this world?


    ¡°Oh, right!¡±


    Lin Xi suddenly remembered something, hurried back to her room, and grabbed a small pig-shaped piggy bank before rushing out.


    She smashed the piggy bank fiercely, and inside it, there were a bunch of coins and three blood-red crystals.


    Lin Xi threw one of the crystals to Lin Rui, ¡°Take this, once your Alien License is down, you¡¯ll need to cultivate an alien form. Dad instructed repeatedly years ago, when you cultivate your alien form, you must integrate the drop of blood inside this crystal.¡±


    Lin Rui picked up the crystal, his eyes suspicious as he examined and toyed with it.


    He noticed the crystal was hollow, and its material wasn¡¯t actually blood-red; it was colored by the blood stored inside.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes flashed with astonishment, wondering what kind of creature¡¯s blood it was. Was it from an alien from Tianji Star?

 Chapter 12: 11 Best Reinforcement

    Chapter 12: Chapter 11 Best Reinforcement


    By nine o¡¯clock in the evening, Lin Rui arrived in his backyard carrying a saber, once again practicing the ¡°Red Thunder Blade Technique.¡±


    Ever since the meridian replacement surgery concluded, Lin Rui had been looking forward to this moment.


    He wanted to see how powerful his newly installed meridians were and where their magic lay.


    The moment Lin Rui began to practice, joy burgeoned in his heart.


    Today, his saber technique bore a drastically different demeanor from the practice of just yesterday.


    Lin Rui¡¯s footsteps were as smooth as drifting clouds and flowing water; his movements brisk and powerful. Wrapped around the blade was a double serpent of Lei Huo, tracing sharp trajectories through the air, stirring up slight bursts of wind and the sounds of a tempest.


    ...


    His breathing was steady and ordered, his True Qi incomparably smooth, harmonizing with the rhythm of the saber technique as if his flesh and the saber in his hands were one. The True Qi even reached the tip of the saber, where rhythm and power neared perfection.


    Employing the Grandmaster level Red Thunder Saber, the power of each strike was now at least three times greater than the day before!


    He could generate more thunder and red flames during his slashes, and his speed was also faster, having increased by at least sixty percent. Correspondingly, the consumption of Lin Rui¡¯s True Qi and spiritual power had decreased, now less than a third of what it used to be.


    He also felt a significant increase in his spiritual power, though he did not know the exact figure. When he had the money, he planned to undergo another spiritual power assessment.


    ¡°Is this the special-grade meridian ¡®Divine Thunder Flame¡¯?¡±@@@@


    A flush of excitement appeared on Lin Rui¡¯s face, ¡°Truly formidable! Worthy of the government¡¯s classified status. The collateral channels Professor Sima helped me develop also had an effect, enhancing the capabilities of the Divine Thunder Flame by about twenty percent. I feel that now, without using any moves, I can conjure up thunder and flame with just a thought.¡±


    Lin Rui then retreated to the entrance of the backyard and took a deep breath. After a brief preparation, he slashed forward with a series of saber lights.


    Go to novgo.co


    This was the secret chain move of the Red Thunder Blade Technique, the Red Thunder Nine Slashes, but it was not just that.


    Xue Bogao had honed the Red Thunder Blade Technique to the Grandmaster realm, elevating its divine might beyond the bounds of basic martial arts.


    He optimized and improved the Red Thunder Nine Slashes to execute up to twelve consecutive slashes, but this placed extremely high demands on the quality of the artificial meridians. During the execution of the technique, the True Qi inside his body needed to maintain a period of high-speed, high-pressure circulation.


    The second-grade meridians Lin Rui used before couldn¡¯t handle this burden, attempting to use it would cause them to burst outright.


    Now, with the aid of the special-grade meridian ¡®Divine Thunder Flame,¡¯ Lin Rui could use it with ease.


    After the twelve consecutive slashes, Lin Rui moved his mind, feeling he still had ample energy left within his body.


    He then managed to slash out two more times in succession!


    At this point, Lin Rui still felt at ease, certain he could strike out another slash. However, remembering Professor Sima¡¯s instructions that he should not engage in high-intensity combat within four hours after implanting the meridians, he decisively stopped.


    Even though more than four hours had already passed, Lin Rui still dared not overuse these meridians.


    He was brimming with excitement, utterly thrilled.


    Only then did she realize that Lin Rui had actually destroyed a lieutenant-level dummy!


    Two months ago, the siblings had bitten the bullet and purchased the ¡°Heavy-Armored¡± Type 2 dummy from Jinshan Armor Company, hoping it would be a long-term investment.


    This dummy, covered with high-strength alloy, could withstand the fierce blows of a real lieutenant-level Martial Cultivator¡¯s cybernetic enhancements for up to ten minutes. Yet now, Lin Rui had smashed it to pieces!


    The problem was that Lin Rui hadn¡¯t even implanted any ¡°artificial lun veins¡±!


    In just these short ten days, Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts progress had been so great, no wonder he managed to rank in the top ten in the city for the foreign body assessment!


    Lin Xi looked at Lin Rui, not knowing whether to be happy or worried. She then abruptly pulled down the window with a ¡®clang¡¯ and said, ¡°Fine, you¡¯re the mainstay of the family now. It¡¯s your money you¡¯re spending, so as long as you¡¯re happy, that¡¯s good enough.¡±


    After a moment of wincing over the loss, Lin Rui¡¯s mood was still jubilant.


    The power of his Red Thunder Snake Hand palm strike had far exceeded his expectations.


    As he executed the move just now, the twin snakes of thunder and fire that condensed around him were even thicker than they had been in the virtual environment during the live combat assessment, reaching the thickness of two fingers.


    You should know that the foreign body he used at the time not only had meridians, but also a complete set of lun veins.


    The compatibility of this ¡°Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame¡± with the Red Thunder Blade Technique and Red Thunder Palm was terrifyingly high, achieving an effect of 1+1=10.


    He immediately opened the communication interface with Professor Sima.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, I¡¯ve tested it out, there are no problems at all; the circulation of Qi through the meridians is simply perfect. Your technique is too good, Professor, thank you so much!


    He also sent an emoticon of kowtowing in worship, truly grateful to the professor, as the effects of the surgery were simply perfect.


    Seeing the screen name ¡°Gu Ying Tiandao,¡± Lin Rui began to feel embarrassed and developed a headache until he read Professor Sima¡¯s reply, which alleviated his embarrassment somewhat.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Hmm! When you were practicing, Lin Rui, you didn¡¯t experience any hallucinations, did you? No feelings of irritability or significant emotional fluctuations?


    Lin Rui hesitated slightly, thinking back to the severe emotional turbulence he had felt when he passed by Major General Xue¡¯s villa, although this should have nothing to do with the set of meridians he had implanted; the issue was with his battle spirit.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): No, I feel very good.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): That¡¯s good then. Just to be safe, you should still observe your mental state when using the meridians over the next few days. If there¡¯s anything abnormal, come to the affiliated hospital at any time. Additionally, if you wish to implant higher-level cybernetic enhancements in the future, you can come to me; I can offer you a 20 percent discount.


    Lin Rui had just paid the surgery deposit for Lin Xi, and he had seen the hospital¡¯s fee schedule; even with a 20 percent discount, Professor Sima¡¯s surgery fees were very costly.


    However, he felt very pleased. This was a doctoral supervisor from Mingde University Medical College! It was not easy for others to even get a chance with Professor Sima.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was keen to practice the Thunder Fire Stance a few more times.


    He felt he was in excellent shape, and practicing the Thunder Fire Stance now would be doubly effective,


    But next, Lin Rui had something even more important to do.


    His gaze shifted towards Major General Xue¡¯s villa, two hundred meters to the north.


    It was now 12 o¡¯clock midnight, with no pedestrians on the streets, and only a few lights on in the neighborhood homes. The security guards and patrol officers on the street were also tired; it was the perfect time to infiltrate Xue Bogao¡¯s villa.

 Chapter 13: 12 The Shocking Change at the Xue Family

    Chapter 13: Chapter 12 The Shocking Change at the Xue Family


    Before taking action, Lin Rui specifically found a piece of synthetic silk at home to cover his face. He also changed into a form-fitting diving suit and wore optical glasses for diving, wrapping himself up tightly.


    The synthetic silk of this era is very smooth, capable of reflecting light, and can withstand some basic optical scans.


    The diving suit, left by Lin Rui¡¯s father, could wrap his entire body tightly, preventing him from leaving fingerprints or any body waste that could lead to his DNA being detected.


    Moreover, this suit itself possesses various high-tech features resistant to water pressure, allowing one to dive up to two hundred meters deep. Therefore, the suit did not hinder his movements and also provided a certain level of defense.


    Although what Lin Rui was about to do was not illegal, being discovered would still lead to significant trouble and could even attract the attention of the assassin who killed Colonel Xue¡¯s family. Thus, he had to be extremely cautious and leave no traces as much as possible.


    However, these were just backup measures; Lin Rui himself didn¡¯t know if these methods would be effective. They were just for peace of mind. What he really relied on was his Grandmaster-level Red Thunder Palm.


    ...


    Just as Lin Rui stepped out of his yard, a spherical thunderbolt suddenly appeared in his palm. At the same time, all nearby surveillance devices failed to capture his image. In the footage recorded by these cameras, everything around was normal, except for the area where Lin Rui stood¡ªthere was merely a blank space.


    This was one of the Grandmaster-level application techniques of the ¡°Red Thunder Palm¡± that Lin Rui had copied from Xue Bogao.


    In the hands of ordinary martial artists, this basic martial art was just a technique for fighting and foundation building in martial arts. However, characters like Xue Bogao could bring out the full potential of ¡°Red Thunder Palm.¡±


    From this, Lin Rui deduced that Xue Bogao was likely from some special forces unit within the federation¡¯s military.


    Though these techniques seemed simple for him to use, only requiring the powerful control of electromagnetic fields to distort light for optical invisibility, the principles involved optics simulation and electronic signals, making the mechanism very complex. It would undoubtedly be very difficult for a beginner and require a lot of time and effort.


    Such technologies would likely be banned by the government, and apart from some special forces, ordinary soldiers would not spend a lot of time learning them.


    Lin Rui then carefully snuck into the backyard of Xue Bogao¡¯s villa.


    Go to novgo.co


    He placed his hand on the electronic lock of the back door and, with a crackling flash of electricity, the door opened from the inside.


    This too was a complex technique involving computer programming and hacking. Aside from powerful thunder capabilities and control, it also required a high IQ to master.


    Astonished, Lin Rui also felt a chill internally.


    What seemed like secure electronic locks were practically useless in front of someone like Xue Bogao.


    Lin Rui then gathered a ball of lightning near his eyes and glanced in every direction.


    When practiced to the Great Achievement Realm, Red Thunder Palm and Red Thunder Saber could stimulate the nerves in the eyes with minor electrical currents, granting powerful night vision abilities and even a certain degree of infrared vision.


    Although the villa was dark and devoid of light at this moment, Lin Rui could still see everything inside clearly.


    He first looked at the kitchen on the first floor, which was one of the murder scenes. Not only was there a small amount of blood left, but the police had also drawn the outlines of the corpses with white chalk.


    However, Lin Rui had been just a student before transmigrating and had limited knowledge of criminal investigation. After looking around for a long time, he couldn¡¯t find any useful clues.


    Lin Rui really wanted to ask Xue Bogao¡¯s war spirit whether it had found anything and if it was satisfied. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t communicate with the war spirit.


    He then used his smart device to take several photos, meticulously capturing all details.


    He had already figured out the approximate location of the basement, but it still took him a while to find the entrance to the hidden chamber behind a workbench in the rear of the garage.


    To Lin Rui¡¯s delight, the entrance switch was an electronic lock. After unlocking it, he entered and walked down eighty steps before finally seeing the full view of the chamber.


    The first thing he saw was the wall opposite, covered with various monitors, as many as twenty-four, most of which were still on and connected to numerous holographic surveillance cameras.


    The chamber was approximately forty square meters, with a desk in the middle littered with files, a pen holder, cigarettes, an ashtray, empty liquor bottles, and miscellaneous items creating a disordered appearance.


    To Lin Rui¡¯s left was a bed, messily made, suggesting that Xue Bogao likely lived here and had poor private habits, which was rare among the strictly disciplined federal soldiers.


    To his right were three bookshelves filled with thick volumes, a complete set of the military-standard ¡°Xuanwu¡± model exoskeleton armors, and a small database for storing data.


    ¡°Strange, there are no signs of police entry. Didn¡¯t they discover it? That¡¯s impossible, even a rookie like me found that pinhole camera!¡±


    Lin Rui glanced around uncertainly and then focused on the monitors.


    He needed to identify which of the monitors was connected to the camera in Xue Bogao¡¯s study.


    Weirdly, was Xue Bogao a voyeur? Why would he install so many cameras?


    One of these monitors simultaneously displayed images from eight cameras, twenty-four times eight, a total of 192 cameras!


    From these images, these cameras were distributed throughout the entire compound, and their locations were very concealed.


    Although Xue Bogao was responsible for the security of the neighborhood, this seemed rather excessive, considering that the neighborhood¡¯s security department itself had a very comprehensive monitoring system.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression suddenly changed dramatically, his eyes turning sharp as if he were a fierce wolf, staring at the holographic monitors in the middle.


    Because the surveillance cameras in the images were pointed directly at Lin Rui¡¯s siblings¡¯ home!


    A total of forty-five holographic cameras covered their terraced villa from all angles without any blind spots, plus an additional twenty cameras covered the front and back streets and the entrances and exits of their house.


    This meant that everything that happened at their home was under Xue Bogao¡¯s supervision.


    What was terrifying was that he and his sister had yet to notice these monitors.


    Lin Rui¡¯s mind was tumultuously overturning, struggling to calm down.


    Was the main purpose of Xue Bogao¡¯s surveillance to monitor their house? Who exactly was he? And what purpose did he have in watching their home?


    As Lin Rui¡¯s thoughts roiled, he heard a series of footsteps outside the staircase,


    ¡°Someone¡¯s coming! The footsteps are light and there¡¯s more than one person; they¡¯re probably martial artists in exoskeletons,¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, and he quickly ducked behind a bookshelf on the right side of the secret room, using the Xuanwu armor to tightly hide his figure.


    He was now extremely grateful that he had cautiously locked the secret room¡¯s door after entering, which prevented the newcomers from finding him and the secret room immediately.


    But what should he do next? If the newcomers find the secret room and enter, what consequences will unfold?


    Just as this thought flashed through Lin Rui¡¯s mind, he heard the secret room door slowly open with a ¡®clicking¡¯ sound, causing his eyebrows to furrow deeply, and his heart raced.

 Chapter 14: 13 Consecutive Strikes

    Chapter 14: Chapter 13 Consecutive Strikes


    As the door of the hidden room opened, Lin Rui also heard voices from outside.


    A loud voice said, ¡°The entrance to the hidden room is actually here, quite secretive. If that person hadn¡¯t told us the location in advance, I guess we¡¯d still be spending time searching for it. But it¡¯s strange, didn¡¯t the police find it? They can¡¯t be that incompetent, right? If it were me, I¡¯d have used those detection instruments to search throughout.¡±


    At this moment, another slightly shrill voice rang out, ¡°Of course they could find it. As for why they didn¡¯t, you figure it out.¡±


    The loud voice clearly gasped, ¡°You mean there¡¯s someone inside the police department involved? That would be difficult, right? The person inside must have the power to cover the sky with one hand.¡±


    ¡°Not that exaggerated,¡± the shrill voice laughed dismissively, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t ask so many questions. This isn¡¯t something you should know. We can¡¯t stay here much longer, let¡¯s quickly take the surveillance data and leave.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s heart gradually grew cold as ice.


    ...


    From this conversation, it was obvious that these two were connected to the murderer who killed Major Xue, and were colluding with some high-level insider within the police department!


    But what did they want with the surveillance data here? Did that tiny camera catch a glimpse of the murderer?


    And what if these two discovered it? The consequences would be unimaginable.


    Whether it was that killer or the high-level police insider mentioned by these two, either could easily crush him to death.


    Lin Rui looked down at his waist where the Xuanwu armor was fastened, notably equipped with a battle saber.


    He immediately grasped the hilt of the saber, silently drawing the blade slightly, the veins on his hand bulging.


    At that moment, another piece of information appeared in his mind.


    Go to novgo.co


    Prompt: War Spirit No. 1 is very concerned about your current situation and feels guilty. He has decided to gift you a Grandmaster-level ¡°Concealing Breath Skill¡± and an unconditionally free ¡®Possession¡¯ opportunity for one minute. You can choose whether to accept and use it with a thought.


    Concealing Breath Skill and Possession?


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, and he unhesitatingly chose to accept the gift of the Grandmaster-level ¡°Concealing Breath Skill.¡±


    As a stream of information formed in his mind, Lin Rui instantly understood the function of the Concealing Breath Skill.


    It was a unique secret technique that could converge blood energy, divine awareness, and breath to deceive other people¡¯s senses and spiritual perception.


    Lin Rui grew increasingly curious. Exactly which military unit did Major Xue belong to, or was there another origin?


    Just as Lin Rui was using the Concealing Breath Skill to regulate his breath and blood flow, making his presence nearly imperceptible, the two had already walked down the stairs.


    They were extremely cautious and vigilant, constantly looking around as they searched the area.


    One of them, a tall and thin man around thirty, even went specifically to the center of the hidden room and glanced behind the Xuanwu armor.


    When Lin Rui felt the man¡¯s gaze, he instinctively wanted to swing his saber, then remembered he was in a state of optical invisibility, and the man might not be able to see him, so he restrained his impulse.


    Lin Rui realized something was off with his emotions.


    Not only did he feel no fear or apprehension, but his mind was instead filled with murderous intent and malice, a strong urge to kill these two men.


    This was undoubtedly influenced by the war spirit¡¯s obsession.


    The tall and thin man indeed didn¡¯t notice Lin Rui. After a brief glance, he turned away and began to operate a small database, soon frowning deeply, using the shrill voice, ¡°The data is encrypted, can¡¯t be accessed. It¡¯s the federal security bureau¡¯s encryption system, very complex. It needs not just a password but Xue Bogao¡¯s personal fingerprint and iris, ha, and even genetic recognition.¡±


    Meanwhile, the other stout young man also approached, his voice loud, ¡°Can you break it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s troublesome, a slight mistake and it automatically destroys the data. Probably only a top-level hacker could manage it,¡± the tall thin man shook his head, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. Our original purpose was to destroy the data. Just to be safe, you¡¯ll have to carry this database away, can¡¯t leave it for the police.¡±


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    ¡°This is the Red Thunder Nine Slashes!¡±


    The tall and thin man recognized Lin Rui¡¯s saber technique and desperately defended. With each slash he received, he stepped back, and after just four slashes, he was forced back against the wall with no room to retreat.


    He then fiercely bit down on his tongue, ¡°Blood Secret Treasure!¡±


    The tall and thin man suddenly activated the energy stored in his blood, boosting his strength and speed once again.


    His gaze was as cold as a blade as he stared at Lin Rui.


    The tall and thin man had already assessed this masked person¡¯s true capabilities.


    This person¡¯s strength, speed, spiritual power, and other physical qualities all reached the lieutenant level, with some even touching the threshold of a captain, yet he had no implanted artificial meridians. He was only able to compete because of his highly skilled foundational martial arts and a technologically advanced saber.


    ¡®Red Thunder Nine Slashes¡¯ had exactly nine slashes, and if he could withstand them, it would be his turn to counterattack the masked person.


    But just as he withstood the nine slashes and was preparing to counterattack, Lin Rui struck again with a seamlessly flowing, additional slash.


    ¡°What?¡±


    The tall and thin man was taken aback, thinking, how is this possible?


    This guy¡¯s Red Thunder Nine Slashes could actually execute a tenth slash!


    It was said that some extremely rare geniuses and Martial Cultivators with great prowess could indeed elevate the power of Red Thunder Saber to a higher level after mastering it to perfection.


    Was this black-clothed person who hadn¡¯t implanted artificial meridians one such genius?


    The tall and thin man gritted his teeth, his eyes bulging with blood vessels as he let out a beast-like roar.


    ¡°You wish! I want to see just how many slashes you can execute!¡±


    He pushed himself to the limit, continuing to activate the energy in his blood.


    The eleventh and twelfth slashes, the tall and thin man managed to guard against, but Lin Rui¡¯s thirteenth slash followed closely.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    With that sharp sound, the tall and thin man¡¯s long sword actually snapped.


    His face instantly turned pale as if he were a corpse.


    The opposing saber was incredibly sharp and resilient, and after thirteen consecutive slashes, it forcefully broke his sword!


    In the next instant, Lin Rui¡¯s long saber fiercely descended, cleanly severing the tall and thin man¡¯s neck!


    After succeeding, Lin Rui began to breathe heavily, easing his nearly exploding lungs and the sudden onset of weakness and fatigue in his limbs.


    However, the scent of blood that Lin Rui breathed in, along with the sight of the two gruesomely deceased bodies in front of him, made him realize he had killed people!


    Lin Rui quickly covered his mouth, forcefully using his True Yuan to suppress his churning stomach.


    He absolutely could not vomit here, leaving behind any remnants.


    Yet, what troubled Lin Rui even more at this moment were the scene of the fight and the two bodies.


    If he could not manage them properly, he and his sister would face enormous trouble ahead.


    He had thought that investigating the crime scene would be an easy task, yet he had almost lost his life in the process.

 Chapter 15: 14 Handling (Thanks to 0景天0 for the reward)

    Chapter 15: Chapter 14 Handling (Thanks to 0¾°Ìì0 for the reward)


    PS: Thank you to the reader 0¾°Ìì0 for the reward, (? ?) ??).


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lin Rui took a full minute to steady his breathing, two more minutes to calm his mind, and also his surging blood vessels.


    He found his mental fortitude to be exceptional, regaining composure just minutes after killing, able to think and act with clarity.


    Lin Rui first returned to the secret room¡¯s entrance to close the outer door, then he came back to examine the two bodies.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity, I could have held back a bit with the last strike¡ª¡±


    ...


    This way, he could have kept a live captive.


    But that was easier said than done.


    In the fight, restraining himself even slightly would have been irresponsible to his own life.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t afford to hold back, sorely lacking experience in life-and-death combat, unable to accurately assess an opponent¡¯s strength and condition during battle, knowing only to hack forward with all his might.


    Besides, he also was affected by the battle spirit¡¯s obsession; his thoughts turned fierce, his killing intent strong, nearly beyond his control.


    In the end, Lin Rui only found two kinetic pistols on the bodies, the commonly seen ¡°Shocker model 4102¡± of the last decades, characterized by their low cost and not insignificant power, capable of threatening sergeant-level implant wearers. Their drawback was the need for a charging time, and the initial bullet firing speed was slow, which likely was why the two didn¡¯t opt to draw their guns.


    Beyond the pistols, there was nothing else¡ªsuch was the downside of the technological era, with many life functions integrated into smart terminals.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui¡¯s Grandmaster level Red Thunder Palm had some hacking abilities, but he couldn¡¯t hack into the terminals worn on the wrists of the two men, so he didn¡¯t bother trying.


    Fortunately, the underground chamber built by Xue Bogao perhaps intended to avoid detection by powerful Martial Cultivators, was lined with special materials, blocking the public network of the Ninth Base.@@@@


    Otherwise, the smart terminals of the two men would have alerted the medical center and police station of the base city at the instant of their deaths.


    ¡°Hmm? This looks like a gang tattoo?¡±


    Lin Rui noticed a teal tattoo on the right side of each man¡¯s neck, shaped like a lizard, encircled with the words ¡°Loyalty and brotherhood, share glory and shame, unite and assist, dare to act and bear.¡±


    He photographed the tattoos of both men, planning to search for them online later. Their faces, too, if circumstances allowed, could be a lead to their identities.


    As soon as he finished the photography, information formed in his mind.


    Notification: You have fulfilled wish number 1 of the battle spirit¡¯s crime scene investigation, and the battle spirit is very satisfied with your findings. You may now reproduce any ability from his replicable abilities column without any cost.


    Lin Rui opened Xue Bogao¡¯s ability list.


    In both of Xue Bogao¡¯s ability columns, there was an ability named ¡°Cleaner (Expert)¡±.


    ¡°Where else would I be if not at school? Didn¡¯t we agree to come to the internship company¡¯s presentation today?¡±


    The chubby boy complained, ¡°I came over early in the morning, but you were nowhere to be seen.¡±


    Lin Rui did have an appointment with Wang Sen the day before, so hearing this he gave an embarrassed smile, ¡°My bad, Wang Sen, just wait a bit, I¡¯ll be right over, and I¡¯ll treat you to a big meal at noon.¡±


    Wang Sen wasn¡¯t really angry. He huffed and crossed his arms, ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Hurry up and come over. Next is Blade Exploration Company¡¯s presentation. It¡¯s the top Alien Exploration Company at Base Nine, best not to miss it.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Lin Rui ate the beef steak while opening his personal terminal system¡¯s email inbox, where he found a pile of emails, one of which was from the Base Nine Urban Affairs Center.


    Urban Affairs Center: Congratulations, Mr. Lin, for passing the Alien Creature Assessment and obtaining the government-issued Alien Creature License. Please visit the ¡®Alien Cultivation Center¡¯ within one month to cultivate your alien creature. We wish Mr. Lin smooth sailing and a bright future in your upcoming career.


    ¡ªClick the link to view your assessment scores.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised. The alien license was approved so quickly?


    He opened the certificate folder in his terminal, and indeed there was an Alien Creature License.


    Lin Rui also clicked on the link in the email.


    His written exam scores were 32nd in the city, including subjects like the history, language, and geography of the Polestar planet, all of which the previous Lin Rui had studied, and had nothing to do with him.


    Lin Rui was clueless about these subjects and didn¡¯t know the Polestar language at all.


    His practical assessment scores were 11th in the city, and he ranked 14th overall.


    Lin Rui immediately took a screenshot of his scores and the Alien Creature License and forwarded it to his sister.


    Summer¡¯s Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Shocked!!!! It¡¯s actually true, brother, you¡¯re amazing!


    Lin Rui could almost picture Lin Xi with her eyes wide open, utterly shocked.


    He smiled slightly and began browsing through the other emails.


    Most of these emails were from various Alien Exploration Companies and government agencies, inviting Lin Rui to visit their facilities for an internship. Even the Federal Military had sent him an invitation, hoping he would join the army.


    And there were banks, insurance companies, cybernetic hospitals, car dealerships, etc., promoting various loan services. When he was still an alien trainee, these financial institutions had barely paid him any attention, but now they were sending him a bunch of spam.


    The Housing Management Center also sent an email, reminding him that next month he would turn eighteen and become an adult. From then on, he would need to pay for the townhouse. If he couldn¡¯t afford it, the Housing Management Center would arrange a new place for him in the lower-city district.


    What Lin Rui focused on were the invitations from the Alien Exploration Companies.


    The main business of these companies was trading aliens, acquiring various resources from within Polestar, as well as undertaking exploration and scientific research missions issued by the government, military, and other social institutions, with relatively high remuneration. Some of the larger companies even offered generous salaries during the internship period.


    Right now, Lin Rui only wanted money, the faster the better, the more the better.


    He looked for a moment before shaking his head and closing his inbox, then hurried out the door with a fried dough stick in his mouth.


    The invitations from these companies were mostly the same, with little to differentiate them, so it was better to attend their presentations and visit the companies in person.

 Chapter 16: 15: Senior Sister

    Chapter 16: Chapter 15: Senior Sister


    Just two hours after Lin Rui rushed to school, several armored police vehicles flew in and arrived at Xue Bogao¡¯s villa.


    The car had not yet come to a complete stop when a middle-aged man, with prominent brow bones and wearing a crisp military uniform, jumped directly out of the vehicle.


    ¡ªThis was Zhang Long, a senior colonel of the Federal Homeland Security Bureau.


    After Zhang Long entered the villa, he put on a pair of plastic gloves and meticulously investigated several areas with his subordinates, paying close attention to every detail.


    His frown deepened until he reached the door of Xue Bogao¡¯s study on the second floor. Suddenly, he flashed into the corner of the room, bent over to examine the pinhole camera hidden there.


    Zhang Long¡¯s eyes were cold, ¡°This is the top model ZS4319 camera released by Divine Shield Security Company fifteen years ago, its end connected to the basement. Why isn¡¯t it mentioned in the police report provided by the precinct? Who was in charge at that time?¡±


    ...


    ¡°It was the head of the Homicide Unit on Longzidong Road, Major Police Inspector Thomson Jacob.¡±


    The person who answered was Zhang Long¡¯s assistant, Major Detective Fei Aibi, a mixed-race man in his thirties, with blond hair and robust features. He was carefully reviewing related documents projected on a holographic screen from his wrist terminal.


    ¡°Besides the field investigation report, he also left a remark stating that he had just entered the scene when he received an order from the Homeland Security Bureau, indicating that this case involved confidential secrets of the bureau. He was instructed to withdraw his team and hand over the case to the Homeland Security Bureau.¡±


    ¡°Major Police Inspector Thomson?¡± Zhang Long involuntarily pressed his brow.


    Military ranks are also linked to the federal police department.


    A Major Police Inspector is equivalent to a major in the Federal Military, and only those of major rank who are Martial Cultivators could be promoted, as their sensing capabilities are already quite strong.


    However, his being forced to halt the investigation upon just entering the scene made sense.


    Go to novgo.co


    The ZS4319 model camera, with a completely closed circuit design, emits no electromagnetic waves and does not reflect any light from its lens, making it highly concealed. Even Zhang Long, a colonel-ranked Martial Cultivator, did not notice the pinhole camera until he was at the door of the study.


    Although wireless technology in this era is well-developed, if one wants to make their presence undetectable to Martial Artists, they still need to use closed-circuit cameras.


    ¡°So which department from our Security Bureau issued that order? Who took over this case afterwards? Why can I not find any corresponding records in the internal data bank of the Security Bureau?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, there are no records. It¡¯s very strange. All the action units of the Ninth Base Security Subdivision have not received any orders to take over the investigation of the Xue Bogao case. Thus, for the past two days, no one has inquired about this case, which is absurd. I¡¯ll check the source of that order¡ª¡±


    Fei Aibi¡¯s expression grew solemn as he waved his hands rapidly through the air, creating a blur of afterimages: ¡°It was issued from the office of the Deputy Director of the Third Division of the Ninth Base Security Subdivision. Interestingly, this deputy director is currently on vacation. He should be on Hailan Star with his family at a hot spring hotel on Hailan Star.¡±


    Zhang Long¡¯s expression turned colder, and he sneered, rising to walk towards the garage, having sensed the secret room inside earlier.@@@@


    Upon entering the secret room, Zhang Long first glanced at the several screens that had been turned off, then swept his gaze around the room.


    ¡°A mini database for storing video has been taken here, and there are traces of a fight on the north wall.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t yet learned the ¡®Hailan Star language,¡¯ let alone the history and geography of Hailan Star.


    During these ten days, Lin Rui had focused most of his time and energy on three basic martial arts, only now finding time to learn these.


    After all, it wouldn¡¯t do to land on Hailan Star and not understand what the people were saying.


    While he could use the implanted smart neural chip for translation, the response time would definitely be slower.


    This might lead to exposure, revealing his identity as an ¡®Alien Visitor.¡¯


    It was said that Hailan Star citizens dealt with Alien Visitors very cruelly, extracting souls and seizing spirits intensely, making even the thought of death difficult.


    Just as Lin Rui was feeling bothered by this, he felt his foot being kicked by Wang Sen.


    Lin Rui looked at Wang Sen with puzzled eyes. The plump boy was excitedly winking and gesturing with his eyes repeatedly toward the side.


    Only then did he notice that two women had seated themselves next to their table at some unknown time.


    One was a lady in her mid-twenties, in a crisp, simple women¡¯s suit, sporting black-rimmed smart glasses, and possessing a competent aura, with a fierceness in her brows.


    The other was only eighteen or nineteen, wearing a Mingde University women¡¯s uniform. She should have been a vibrant, alluring young beauty but sat listlessly and languidly at the other side of the table.


    Lin Rui thought, who is this? Our school really had such a stunning beauty?


    He quickly opened the video library to search, and scanned the school¡¯s forum. Only then did he discover the identity of the girl.


    The young woman was a first-year student from Mingde University¡¯s Martial Cultivator Academy, with the surname Fang, named Fang Ranran, recently a prominent figure in their school.


    Mingde University had eight major faculties: Mathematics, Engineering, Martial Cultivation, Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, Alien Study, and Historical Humanities.


    Alien Visitors, due to age requirements, started attending the Alien Studies faculty quite early, typically around fifteen, and it was more akin to a vocational school, equivalent to a high school level.


    Hence, Lin Rui, nearing graduation, was still half a year younger than Fang Ranran.


    Lin Rui¡¯s predecessor not only recorded videos when Fang Ranran first enrolled but also saved several accidental encounters. Notably, these recordings had more than twenty views each.


    The senior¡¯s demeanor and appearance were indeed exceptional within their school, and Lin Rui was equally astonished.


    Moreover, according to the information from the school forums, Fang Ranran was more than just a pretty face. Her martial prowess ranked in the top three of the Martial Cultivator Academy, and within less than two months of enrolling, she had defeated almost all the experts in various disciplines of the academy.


    She had also taken over the school¡¯s martial arts club, secured huge sponsorship, and prepared to showcase her ambitious plans in the college union competitions.


    Lin Rui felt as if Fang Ranran¡¯s face had a black hole-like suction, fiercely capturing his gaze.


    It took immense willpower for him to shift his focus back to the table in front of him.


    However, in the next moment, Lin Rui heard the two women mentioning his name.

 Chapter 17: 16 Do We Also Have the Ten Outstanding?

    Chapter 17: Chapter 16 Do We Also Have the Ten Outstanding?


    Fang Ranran had already noticed that two boys next to her were sneaking glances at her, but she didn¡¯t care much.


    Having been the center of attention from boys since she was young due to her excessive attractiveness, she had long become desensitized.


    Fang Ranran was checking her personal email: ¡°Zhuang Xiao¡¯ai didn¡¯t agree.¡±


    She looked dejected, resting her chin in her hand as she spoke weakly, ¡°She was quite enthusiastic when I invited her to dinner. I thought there was a chance, but then she turned around and sent me an email apologizing. What should we do now, Emerald Sister? All the ¡®Top Ten¡¯ freshmen have refused. It¡¯s one thing that the Martial Arts Society couldn¡¯t recruit upperclassmen, but to think that not even the new talent from this year¡¯s freshmen could be persuaded¡ªeven with the conditions we offered?


    Full scholarships, the best training equipment, the top coaches, and professors from the entire Medical and Biological Sciences departments of Mingde University serving as advisors for our Martial Arts Society¡ªare there any other university martial arts clubs that could compete with our offers?¡±


    The lady in professional attire across the table was unmoved, emotionlessly picking up some food: ¡°The problem is they aren¡¯t lacking money, nor are they lacking good coaches or training and medical resources. What they lack are honors, powerful and reliable teammates, and a platform that can give them more visibility and exposure¡ªnone of which we have. Mingde University indeed has a weak reputation in armed martial arts.¡±


    ...


    Fang Ranran was left speechless by her blunt words; all she could do was sigh, ¡°You¡¯re right. But, Emerald Sister, isn¡¯t there really anything we can do? Now that we can¡¯t count on those upperclassmen, and although the few we poached from other schools are decent, they can¡¯t bear the main burden. No matter how much we train them, they cannot confront the main competitors from other schools. I guess we¡¯ll be at the bottom for the next two years. If this new generation doesn¡¯t rise up, we¡¯ll just have to wait for the new freshmen in two years¡ªand by then, I¡¯ll be a junior¡ª¡±


    The lady in professional attire shook her head: ¡°I¡¯ve always said that with Mingde University¡¯s conditions, it¡¯s unrealistic to think about poaching. If you want to improve the Martial Arts Society¡¯s performance, you¡¯re only going to have to invest heavily and find a few talented prospects in high school to train.¡±


    As she spoke, she noticed that Fang Ranran¡¯s face was filled with disappointment.


    She paused, then smiled slyly. ¡°However, there has been a new development. Today, when I invited Wei De, we had a chat. He told me something¡ªthat your Mingde University already has a Top Ten level champion within its ranks, so why seek others?¡±


    Fang Ranran was startled, her eyes widening in disbelief: ¡°Our Mingde University has a Top Ten level player? Where? How do I not know about this?¡±


    ¡°This person is named Lin Rui.¡±


    The lady in professional attire picked up a shiny piece of braised pork and elegantly stuffed it into her mouth: ¡°He¡¯s a student at your university¡¯s Alien Body College. Wei De said that during yesterday¡¯s practical assessment for alien bodies, Lin Rui fought him fiercely for two minutes using ¡®Red Thunder Snake Hand¡¯ and defeated him, ranking eleventh city-wide. Wei De also mentioned that Lin Rui¡¯s practical abilities could definitely make the top three in the city. The reason Lin Rui didn¡¯t push higher was that someone tampered with the matching algorithm and he never encountered another Top Ten level competitor.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°His ability can reach the top three in the city?¡± Fang Ranran looked incredulous: ¡°Red Thunder Snake Hand requires mastering both Red Thunder Palm and Thunder Fire Stance to the Great Achievement Realm, right? Do we really have such a person at Mingde University? Why haven¡¯t I heard about him before?¡±


    ¡°He suddenly emerged during this practical assessment; he was probably concealing his skills before. Most of the students from your university¡¯s Alien Body College come from the outer city areas, and for a commoner without connections, standing out too much might not be a blessing.¡±


    The lady in professional attire picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth: ¡°I plan to go to the Student Affairs Center to request his details. Do you want to come too?¡±


    ¡°Why go to the Student Affairs Center? I can check right now.¡± As Fang Ranran spoke, she noticed the two boys were still watching her.


    She turned her head somewhat annoyed: ¡°Gentlemen, staring at someone like that is very rude!¡±


    ¡°Lin fellow student!¡± Fang Ranran promptly dragged her chair over to Lin Rui, her eyes full of expectation, ¡°You heard our conversation just now, didn¡¯t you? Could I ask if you are familiar with our school¡¯s Martial Arms Association and the university martial arts league?¡±


    Lin Rui had no choice but to put down his chopsticks and politely replied, ¡°The university martial arts league is widely renowned, its popularity far surpassing that of the professional martial arts league. It would be hard to find someone who doesn¡¯t know about it in these times. As for our school¡¯s Martial Arms Association, I only learned about it when Sister took over the martial arts club and was elected as the president in her freshman year. I think our club ranked eighteenth at Base Nine last year?¡±


    Base Nine only has nineteen universities in total.


    Lin Rui continued, his voice slightly hesitant, ¡°I also heard that the atmosphere in the martial arts club isn¡¯t very good, especially in the last few years, where several serious incidents have occurred.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the performance of our school¡¯s martial arts club hasn¡¯t been very good, but now that I¡¯m in charge, it¡¯s no longer the same as before.¡±


    Fang Ranran spoke with sincere earnestness, ¡°Lin fellow student, since you are aware of the university martial arts league, you must understand the immense influence it has among the people. Achieving good results in the league would greatly benefit both the school and your own future prospects.¡±


    Seeing Lin Rui nod, she continued, ¡°Therefore, since Celestial Blue Corporation acquired Mingde University, there has been a significant focus on revitalizing the school¡¯s Martial Arms College. There has been substantial investment into the martial arts club. Our club now has abundant resources and finances, whether it¡¯s instructors or equipment, all are top-notch. Everything is ready now except for a favorable east wind, what¡¯s missing is the talent that can help us achieve good results.


    Lin fellow student, you were able to defeat Wei De and secure the city¡¯s eleventh spot, which shows your strong martial arts talent, certainly at the level of the ten elites. I would like to invite you to join our martial arts club and compete together in the university martial arts league. With your talent, I¡¯m confident that within two years, we can make it to the Tianjixing University championship at the end of the season, and perhaps even into the final rounds.¡±


    Whether it was an illusion or not, although Fang Ranran spoke with sincerity and earnestness, Lin Rui always felt like her look was that of a fox eyeing its prey.


    However, Lin Rui knew this Sister Fang had significant influence, so he patiently listened to her finish speaking before responding with an impeccable smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister, I have no plans to advance to the Martial Arms College, nor do I wish to waste time and energy in the martial arts club or the university martial arts league.¡±


    Fang Ranran¡¯s spirits dropped slightly; she heard the firm resolve in Lin Rui¡¯s tone.


    Just as Fang Ranran prepared to speak again, the professionally dressed beauty approached and whispered behind her, ¡°Lin fellow student, may I know the reason? I noticed you just said you don¡¯t want to waste time and energy, not that you aren¡¯t interested.¡±


    Lin Rui looked up at her and then nodded in acknowledgment, ¡°As far as I know, the Martial Arms Association doesn¡¯t offer a salary, right? It seems that the league¡¯s committee not only prohibits students from taking advertisements but also doesn¡¯t allow students to receive any kind of external financial sponsorships.¡±


    What he needed now was money, not only to support Lin Xi¡¯s transfer to a private school but also to save money to buy an artificial meridian for himself.


    Lin Rui was actually very interested in the university martial arts league; if he could make it to the final rounds as Fang Ranran mentioned, he would definitely become a martial arts star, with a bright and wealthy future.


    But that was merely a pie in the sky, unable to solve Lin Rui¡¯s current dilemma.


    Lin Rui wasn¡¯t like the ¡®ten elites,¡¯ who already had significant fame and followership, able to earn money through live streaming and short videos while studying.


    It¡¯s not like he could generate power just from passion, right?


    Fang Ranran lifted the corners of her lips slightly and exchanged a glance with the professionally dressed beauty.


    Both saw a hint of delight in each other¡¯s eyes; since it was a matter of money, it would be easier to handle.

 Chapter 18: 17 Martial Arts Club

    Chapter 18: Chapter 17 Martial Arts Club


    Half an hour later, Fang Ranran was piloting a limited edition super-wing coupe flying through the interior airways of Mingde University.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen were both seated in the back seats of the flying car, each holding a promotional brochure for the Mingde University Martial Arts Society.


    They were there at the invitation of Fang Ranran to visit the Martial Arts Society of Mingde University together.


    Wang Sen looked at the contents of the promotional brochure, clicking his tongue in amazement, ¡°Impressive, as long as one could become an official team member, in the first year one could receive a Type 1 gene enhancement solution every month, a Type 1 spiritual power enhancement solution, ten body-strengthening pills, and thirty vials of spirit-nourishing oral solution. Does that mean you could take one vial every day? And you could also get all sorts of implants at cost price from the Tianlan Biological Group; is this for real? When did our school¡¯s Martial Arts Society start offering such good benefits?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± replied the professionally dressed beauty with a laugh, looking back at them: ¡°The Tianlan Group has a huge determination to revitalize the Implant Department, and they also want to use the university martial arts tournament as a platform to promote all sorts of basic implants under Tianlan Group. The resources they provide for the Martial Arts Society are comprehensive.¡±


    Her gaze fell on Lin Rui, ¡°To maintain the tax-exempt status of the ¡®University Martial Arts League¡¯ as a non-profit organization, the competition committee does not allow schools to give participating team members any form of monetary awards on top of salaries or regular scholarships. However, various materials for cultivation are not included in this, and all sorts of implants are also allowed to provide to the school in the form of a loan.


    ...


    ¡°With a talent like you, Lin Rui, you will inevitably be our school¡¯s main team member, or even the team captain in the future. We will spare no effort in supporting you, whether it¡¯s gene enhancement solutions, body-strengthening pills, or spirit-nourishing oral solutions. As long as the competition rules allow, we can provide all sorts of drugs for free. We hope that you can grow within a year and become the pillar of the Martial Arts Society. We will also offer you an interest-free loan to help you implant an artificial meridian.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded. This was one of the benefits of joining the Implant Martial Arts Society, the ability to freely access many cultivation resources.


    The problem was, if he could become an Alien Body Cultivator, he would receive even more.@@@@


    A Type 1 gene enhancement solution was priced at a maximum of three thousand Federation dollars. If he could join that pioneer exploration company, just the internship salary would be fifty thousand Federation dollars a month, which would double after becoming a permanent staff member; in addition, many companies also have some free drugs distribution internally.


    As for the interest-free loan mentioned by the professional beauty, Lin Rui did not take it to heart either. Loans don¡¯t have to be repaid?


    After joining an Alien Body company in the future, the pioneer exploration company promised him a subsidy of one hundred thousand Federation dollars. Just a few months¡¯ salaries would be enough to purchase it.


    If it really came down to it, he could also take out a loan from the government, which had a lower interest rate than outside.


    Go to novgo.co


    However, Fang Ranran had just said that she had a way to have the best of both worlds, allowing Lin Rui to join the Martial Arts Society as well as earn enough money.


    This was exactly why Lin Rui had agreed to come for the visit.


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡±


    Fang Ranran piloted the super-wing coupe to hover in front of the entrance of a skyscraper, smiling and gesturing a welcome: ¡°I invite both of you to visit our Martial Arts Society.¡±


    Lin Rui gave her a glance, and for some reason, he increasingly felt that this girl was like a fox, a beautiful white fox with a snow-white body, always with a smile on her face.


    It was estimated that just the decor here had cost a lot of money, with a style that was starkly minimalist, understated luxury, pleasing to the eye.


    At this moment, in this vast training area, two people were sparring on the ring, fiercely exchanging blows.


    When Fang Ranran and Lin Rui¡¯s party of four exited the elevator, both the combatants stopped their hands simultaneously.


    One of them was shirtless, his muscles exceptionally well-defined and strong.


    He had golden wavy curly hair, sculpted features, yet a very cold demeanor, his eyes sharp and piercing as if filled with ice.


    The other was slim, his face lean, cheekbones slightly prominent, yet possessing a sunny disposition, his face wearing a clean and cheerful smile.


    ¡°Manager Yu, what brings you and the President here today?¡±


    The cheerful young man glanced at the four of them, then fixed his gaze on Lin Rui and Wang Sen with curiosity, ¡°Are these the new people you¡¯ve brought?¡±


    Wang Sen hurriedly waved his hands and took a step back, standing behind Lin Rui.


    The professional beauty smiled slightly and introduced each side, ¡°They are students from our school¡¯s Alien Body College, Lin Rui and Wang Sen, with excellent performance at the college; the well-built one on the stage is Zhao Yan, the main Captain of our Martial Arts Society. He was previously the Deputy President of the Second City University¡¯s Martial Arts Society and transferred here this year; the slim one is Nolan Wei, the Deputy General of our Martial Arts Society, the backbone of our school and also from Second City University.¡±


    When she mentioned this, she noticed a hint of skepticism cross the faces of Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei.


    The professional beauty quickly understood the reason; the reputation of Mingde University¡¯s Alien Body College wasn¡¯t great, often at the bottom of the rankings.


    Besides, the two likely noticed that Lin Rui hadn¡¯t yet implanted his meridians.


    So she added another sentence with emphasis, ¡°Lin Rui is one of the top eleven in this session¡¯s Alien Body Combat Assessment and has defeated Wei De during the assessment.¡±


    Upon hearing this, a spark of interest erupted in the eyes of Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei.


    Nolan Wei even leaped off the sparring ring, ¡°You defeated Wei De in the actual combat assessment?¡±


    He looked at Lin Rui up and down with immense surprise, ¡°Man, you haven¡¯t even implanted your meridians; could it be that Wei De deliberately took it easy on you? Would you be interested in sparring with me to let me see your level?¡±


    Fang Ranran and the professional beauty both frowned upon hearing this.


    They were trying their best to recruit Lin Rui to the Martial Arts Society and didn¡¯t want any complications.


    If Nolan Wei¡¯s challenge caused Lin Rui displeasure, it would be rather unfortunate.


    Regarding Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts level and talent, both women had no doubts at all.

 Chapter 19: 18 The Quality is Indeed High

    Chapter 19: Chapter 18 The Quality is Indeed High


    ¡°Stop messing around!¡±


    Fang Ranran directly slapped the shoulder of Nolan Wei, ¡°I¡¯m here to show Lin Rui around the martial arts club. If you, Nolan, want to exchange pointers, you can wait until Lin Rui has joined our martial arts club. There will be plenty of chances then.¡±


    The blond man Zhao Yan also spoke in a cold voice, ¡°Nolan!¡±


    Nolan Wei momentarily stared blankly before realizing that his behavior was inappropriate. He gave Lin Rui an embarrassed smile, ¡°Then forget it, brother, no offense. I was just curious about what kind of person can defeat Wei De, one of the top ten figures from this batch of the Alien Body College. And to think he comes from a dump like Mingde Alien Body College¡ª¡±


    Having said that, Nolan Wei consciously covered his mouth.


    Fang Ranran and the lady in professional attire stared at him fiercely, their gazes intense.


    ...


    If you can¡¯t speak properly, then speak less!


    The blond man Zhao Yan also facepalmed, looking helpless.


    The chubby Wang Sen also glared at Nolan Wei indignantly.


    How could this guy speak like that? Granted, Mingde Alien Body College was indeed terrible, but it was his alma mater.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Lin Rui saw that this guy in front of him, despite his lack of tact, didn¡¯t seem to have bad intentions.


    He shook his head and then looked around, ¡°Where do we practice? How do we practice? Virtual combat or real combat? I¡¯m also keen to see the skill level of our club¡¯s Deputy General.¡±


    Fang Ranran and the lady in professional attire were slightly stunned by his words, their expressions one of surprise.


    Go to novgo.co


    Nolan Wei¡¯s eyes lit up, excited, ¡°Let¡¯s have a real fight! With Sister Yu here as a great expert to keep an eye on us, there¡¯s no fear of accidents.¡±


    He caught hold of the rope at the edge of the ring and agilely flipped onto the platform, ¡°You haven¡¯t implanted spiral veins, nor have you injected artificial serum, so I won¡¯t either. I¡¯ll just use my dantian and meridians to fight you. What weapon will you use, Lin Rui?¡±


    Lin Rui felt his clothes being tugged by Wang Sen.


    Wang Sen looked at him with urgent eyes, whispering, ¡°Why did you agree to him? That guy has undergone blood replacement and his strength is at least that of a major!¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡± Lin Rui smiled and patted Wang Sen on the shoulder, then he too flipped up onto the platform, ¡°I¡¯m accustomed to using the Yanling Blade from the thunder-fire series!¡±


    Nolan Wei¡¯s strength far surpassed his, exerting great pressure that could easily send Lin Rui¡¯s blade flying if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    Despite appearing a bit disheveled at this point, he still managed to neutralize each of Nolan Wei¡¯s attacks.


    ¡°The standard is really high!¡±


    The blonde Zhao Yan watched the two on the stage: ¡°Nolan Wei¡¯s first sword strike used only twenty percent of his power. However, right now, among those so-called ten elites, I estimate that only four could block it. His Red Thunder Saber has reached the Grandmaster level, definitely at the elite ten¡¯s level. No wonder he could defeat Wade, it¡¯s a pity his physical conditioning is a bit lacking.¡±


    Fang Ranran¡¯s lips curved slightly upwards: ¡°I¡¯ve checked his records for buying genetic enhancement fluids. Guess what? He¡¯s only purchased Type 1 enhancement fluid twice in three years, and it wasn¡¯t until yesterday when he made it to the top eleven in actual combat, that he received an award of three doses from the college! Also, the way he defeated Wade was with the Red Thunder Snake Hand.¡±


    After hearing this, although Zhao Yan¡¯s face remained calm, his heart was surging.


    Just three doses of genetic enhancement fluids and he has trained his body and spiritual power to this extent?


    And ¡®Red Thunder Snake Hand¡¯, employing this technique requires one to achieve Great Achievement Realm in both Red Thunder Palm and Thunder Fire Stance simultaneously!


    He nodded: ¡°That indeed shows limitless potential. His blade speed is almost half the speed of Nolan Wei¡¯s, but the efficiency is nearly as good. This is the hallmark of a top-tier talent. It seems the mainstay of the martial arts society is already in place for the future.¡±


    Each stroke of Lin Rui¡¯s blade served a purpose, unlike Nolan Wei, whose sword, though fast, had nearly half of its movements without any effect ¨C that was where the difference in their efficiency lay.


    ¡°The deal isn¡¯t sealed yet. His family situation is probably quite bad, he¡¯s eager for money, and now he¡¯s more inclined toward alien body companies.¡±


    Fang Ranran shook her head slightly: ¡°And as you said, Lin Rui¡¯s physical condition is quite poor and does not meet the standards for participating in the martial arts competition. In the next two years, the martial arts club will still have to rely on Senior Zhao to carry the load.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts realm might be high, but honestly, both his spiritual power and physical condition weren¡¯t really that impressive.


    Those ¡®elite ten¡¯, each one of them has been nurtured with top-grade drugs from a young age, terrifying in all aspects of their physical qualities.


    Don¡¯t be deceived by Wade¡¯s loss to Lin Rui; that was in a virtual combat environment where both their physical conditions were the same.


    In a real environment, Wade could use his higher speed and greater strength to defeat Lin Rui, and college martial arts league matches are all about real combat with real weapons in the real world.


    Besides, the standard of martial arts in college differs from high school. The mainstream levels are that of captain and major, and some exceptional talents could even reach the levels of lieutenant colonel and colonel during their college years!


    Lin Rui has not yet implanted any artificial vascular networks. Strictly speaking, he is still at the rank of warrant officer in conditioned martial arts. How could he compete against those experts?


    It was just as Fang Ranran¡¯s words fell that the situation on the ring suddenly changed.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 20: 19: CEO Xiao Fang

    Chapter 20: Chapter 19: CEO Xiao Fang


    Although Nolan Wei was far more powerful than Lin Rui, his attitude in combat was very serious.


    He didn¡¯t use his meridians or serum, but in every other aspect, he gave it his all, trying his best to break through Lin Rui¡¯s defense.


    Perhaps he was too anxious. Just as Nolan Wei kept using secret techniques, aiming to corner Lin Rui in the southeast corner of the arena to trap him completely, he exposed a flaw that Lin Rui seized, leading to his opponent¡¯s first counterattack.


    When Nolan Wei saw the dark red saber light that sliced towards him, like a ribbon, he actually revealed a smile, his lips curving slightly upward with amusement in his eyes.


    He had a nickname in the university martial arts league: ¡®Abandon-Horse Wei¡¯, and his greatest skill was the ¡®abandon horse¡¯ tactic, deliberately exposing flaws to lure his opponent into a trap of his own making.


    Nolan Wei felt sure of his victory.


    ...


    Indeed, Lin Rui¡¯s Red Thunder Saber was of Grandmaster class; he used the primarily offensive saber technique to defend his domain without a single leak.


    However, if he were to go on the offensive, it might not hold up as well.


    But after only the first saber strike, Nolan Wei sensed something was off.


    Lin Rui, one after another, launched a series of slashing strikes that were not only faster than lightning but also seamless and flowing like clouds and water.


    Nolan Wei had to take a step back after blocking three strikes.


    On the one hand, the speed of Lin Rui¡¯s saber was so fast that his Instant Shadow Sword could hardly keep up; on the other hand, were the electric currents and flames wrapped around Lin Rui¡¯s saber.


    The electric currents were numbing Nolan Wei¡¯s right hand, while the flames caused his weapon to heat up rapidly, becoming hot to the touch.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang¡ª¡ª¡±


    After defending against eight strikes, Nolan Wei was forced to retreat five steps.


    He laughed out of sheer anger. To think that he, someone who never had meridians implanted, was forced into a continuous retreat by a junior. If his former classmates were to find out, wouldn¡¯t they laugh their heads off?


    Nolan Wei was already looking forward to the end of Lin Rui¡¯s ninth strike, the moment he could launch his counterattack.


    It would be like a tidal wave, crushing this junior ashore in one fell swoop!


    But he quickly realized something was wrong. After Lin Rui¡¯s ninth strike, there was no space or opportunity for him to counterattack, the following slashes still raining down like thunder.


    The tenth strike! The eleventh! The twelfth! The thirteenth!


    There was an appointment notice¡ªFor the strategic development needs of Mingde University¡¯s operations, the board of directors has resolved to appoint Ms. Fang Ranran as a member of the school¡¯s board.


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips twitched slightly, and his gaze grew solemn.


    The pleasant and genial senior sister who had accompanied him on the tour of the martial arts club¡ªNo, not a senior sister, but Little Miss Fang¡ªshe was actually a member of the school¡¯s board!


    While Nolan Wei was whispering, the blond man Zhao Yan watched Lin Rui intently from below the stage.


    ¡°What an excellent sword technique, what talent!¡± He sighed complexly, ¡°What a pity, such a pity!¡±


    Zhao Yan then turned around and walked towards the indoor activity area, and for some reason, his silhouette seemed forlorn.


    Fang Ranran was somewhat puzzled by his reaction; she scratched her head and shifted her gaze back to Lin Rui.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s mouth was practically watering, and her already bright eyes shone with excitement.


    The fight just now had given her another pleasant surprise from Lin Rui.


    This was clearly an uncut gem.


    She had to get her hands on this dazzling gemstone no matter what!


    But the smartly dressed beauty on the stage was looking at Zhao Yan, her eyes filled with a mix of sympathy and helplessness.


    She understood why Zhao Yan was feeling so downcast.


    Fang Ranran had found the future pillar of the martial arts club and would no longer need to spend money and effort on recruiting others.


    This meant that for the next two years, the martial arts club wouldn¡¯t have any strong reinforcements joining, and Zhao Yan, who was already a third-year, was bound to become a sacrificial piece.


    Lin Rui¡¯s talent was strong, terrifyingly so!


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s foundation was too weak, and by the time he truly rose to power and could contend with the main forces of the major school teams, it would be at least two years later.


    Earlier in the cafeteria, Fang Ranran had blown her own trumpet, claiming that as long as Lin Rui joined, they could enter the final championship tournament within two years, but the professionally dressed beauty couldn¡¯t be as optimistic.


    According to the intelligence she had, the martial arts clubs of the major universities on Tianji Star had seen a surge of talents lately, far surpassing those from a few years back.


    So, the real time for their martial arts club to exert their strength was two years later, by which time Zhao Yan would have already graduated, and whatever glory they achieved would be irrelevant to him.


    ¡°What secrets are you two sharing? Are you talking behind my back?¡±


    Fang Ranran had already leaped onto the stage, forcing Nolan Wei back with a hand chop, and then said to Lin Rui with a beaming smile, ¡°This is the outdoor activity area; let me take you to see our indoor activity area. I guarantee that even the largest mutant companies don¡¯t have the facilities our martial arts club does.¡±


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow; he was keen to see just what this competition team¡¯s exclusive activity area, which had cost a staggering 430 million Federal dollars, looked like.

 Chapter 21: 20: Divine Sleep Model 3

    Chapter 21: Chapter 20: Divine Sleep Model 3


    Lin Rui¡¯s visit to the indoor activity area felt like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, a real eye-opener.


    There was even a fully-equipped bio-enhancement surgery room here, where members could undergo bio-enhancement just by arranging for a doctor to visit their martial arts club.


    Finally, Fang Ranran led Lin Rui into the interior of a suite and pointed to a transparent, octagonal column-shaped sleep pod: ¡°This is the ¡®Divine Sleep Model 3,¡¯ the most advanced sleep-based cultivation enhancement pod recently developed by the Sky Blue Group. Are you familiar with it, Lin?¡±


    Lin Rui, having only crossed over for twelve days, naturally hadn¡¯t heard of it.


    As he opened the search bar on his smart terminal to look up related information, the nearby Wang Sen raised his hand, ¡°I know, this is a device that helps bio-enhanced martial artists operate their cultivation techniques in their sleep, thus comprehensively strengthening their physique, spiritual power, and True Qi.¡±@@@@


    Fang Ranran nodded, ¡°The ¡®Divine Sleep Model 3¡¯ is currently the most advanced and high-end model among similar products. It hasn¡¯t hit the market yet. It covers a total of twenty-nine basic cultivation techniques, fifty-two advanced techniques, and one hundred thirty-seven high-level techniques, nineteen of which can attain a perfect training efficiency, with the rest also achieving over 90% efficiency.


    ...


    It is actually designed for the wealthy and Alien Body practitioners. Previously, Alien Body practitioners controlling their alien bodies within the planet Tianji rarely had time to concurrently cultivate their own bodies, until the recent appearance of the sleep-based cultivation enhancement pods which changed this trend.¡±


    Her eyes filled with expectation, she looked at Lin Rui: ¡°If you decide to join the Martial Arts Club, I can arrange for the Sky Blue Group to customize a model for you that is tailor-made for Thunderfire techniques and subsequent cultivation, allowing you to control your Alien Body without neglecting your own cultivation. Such terms are not something other Alien Body companies can offer, they would never provide such high-end sleep pods for an intern.¡±


    This was her trump card to convince Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui had found information and various promotional articles about the Divine Sleep Model 3 online, where Sky Blue Group had praised it to the skies.


    Since the Divine Sleep Model 3 was not yet on sale, Lin Rui only found the official price of the Model 2¡ª3,999,999, and that was just for the basic model.


    He instantly felt a whiff of the tycoon¡¯s atmosphere hit him in the face.


    As Nolan Wei said, this Miss Fang was a bit too extravagant.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui was already very tempted, but his face showed no hint of emotion: ¡°As good as this thing is, the problem is that if I join the Martial Arts Club, the sleep pod will have limited use for me.¡±


    The cultivation technique operated within the sleep pod couldn¡¯t possibly compare to the efficacy of his Grandmaster level techniques.


    ¡°It will be useful,¡± the professional woman pushed her glasses up: ¡°Lin, according to the competition rules, our Martial Arts Club can¡¯t pay you a salary. However, Mingde University¡¯s Arts and Sciences College and Biology College support more than a dozen Alien Body exploration teams. We can arrange for you to join one of them, earning the team¡¯s salary. It will be a bit lower than outside the university, about thirty thousand or so for internships, and the official salary is seventy-five thousand.¡±


    Lin Rui suddenly realized that this was Fang Ranran¡¯s idea of having the best of both worlds.


    University competition committees don¡¯t allow students to accept any external financial support, but if the money is earned by the student themselves, it¡¯s a different story. This is exploiting a loophole in the rules.


    Although the salary of the school¡¯s alien exploration team was a bit low, the other benefits were something companies did not offer. If they included the supplements for the martial arts club, the monthly income would already be quite high. Wang Sen had just calculated for Lin Rui that with all factors combined, it would be close to seventy-thousand during the internship period and estimated to be around one hundred and twenty-thousand after becoming a regular.


    But the problem was that they were interested in Lin Rui, not him. What did that have to do with Wang Sen?


    Still, Wang Sen was quite happy in his heart; his close friend was making it big.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui nodded and thought to himself that it was good to have the will. He then said to Fang Ranran and her companion, ¡°I am very satisfied with the conditions of the martial arts club. It would be even better if the salary could be a little higher. Besides that, I would like to bring someone else in.¡±


    Lin Rui pointed at the chubby boy beside him: ¡°My classmate here ranked two hundred and thirteen in the alien practical combat assessment. I wonder if that qualifies him to join the martial arts club and the school¡¯s exploration team?¡±


    Wang Sen was taken aback and looked at Lin Rui in enormous surprise.


    Lin Rui¡¯s face remained expressionless.


    He had seen that Wang Sen was quite envious of the treatment Fang Ranran had offered him.


    Lin Rui also happened to need a reliable helper.


    He knew that the early stages of alien arrival were very dangerous, and pulling together as a group in this phase was an effective way to improve the chances of survival.


    In Lin Rui¡¯s view, this chubby boy by his side had a very reliable character.


    Although Wang Sen¡¯s family was just a regular middle-class household and could not afford many Type 1 genetic potions, he was willing to share one with Lin Rui before the exam.


    Trouble reveals true friendship, and this friendship was worth maintaining.


    Importantly, Wang Sen himself was quite capable, achieving full marks in subjects like Tia?nji? Star language, history, and geography.


    ¡°Two hundred and thirteen?¡±


    Fang Ranran looked at Wang Sen in surprise.


    She hadn¡¯t expected this chubby boy to be extraordinary either.


    Though the Alien Body College at Mingde University was not great, any top students who managed to stand out from this college should not be underestimated, especially those from ordinary family backgrounds.


    As long as they were given sufficient resources and teaching, their performance often improved significantly.


    Ranking two hundred and thirteen in the city¡¯s alien practical combat assessment was enough to serve as an alternate member in their martial arts club.


    Fang Ranran then smiled and extended her hand towards Lin Rui and his companion: ¡°Definitely enough! So, welcome to both of you to the Mingde University martial arts club.¡±

 Chapter 22: 21 Higher Demon Blood

    Chapter 22: Chapter 21 Higher Demon Blood


    Fang Ranran was rather impulsive, and as soon as Lin Rui agreed, she couldn¡¯t wait to drag the two to handle all sorts of procedures.


    She knew Lin Rui was highly sought-after and many companies wanted to poach him, so she feared that the piece of meat that was almost in her mouth would slip away again. She wouldn¡¯t be at ease until everything was settled.


    The first stop was the Prosthetic College. Since the college entrance exams at all the major bases and cities of Tianji Star were over, Fang Ranran, acting on behalf of the school¡¯s admissions office, specially recruited both of them to start school next semester.


    Next was arranging for Lin Rui and the others to join an Alien Exploration team. The school¡¯s exploration teams were generally led by professors, and the team members were also the professors¡¯ students.


    So Fang Ranran used her authority as a director to place Lin Rui and another person under a professor named ¡®Han Kedao¡¯ to do a combined bachelor¡¯s and doctorate program.


    However, when Fang Ranran took Lin Rui and his companion to find this professor, Lin Rui noticed that the professor, who appeared to be about forty years old, wearing gold-rimmed smart glasses and emanating a scholarly aura, looked extremely displeased, his eyes burning with fire.


    ...


    He first asked Lin Rui and the others to step outside, then discussed the matter behind closed doors with Fang Ranran. Lin Rui heard the sound of a desk being banged ¡®thud thud¡¯ as if there was a fight, and faintly heard the roars of ¡®quota¡¯, ¡®immediate combat power¡¯, ¡®why should¡¯, ¡®funding¡¯, ¡®sponsorship¡¯.@@@@


    After hearing this, Lin Rui and Wang Sen looked anxiously at the officer in professional attire.


    This Professor Han would be their doctoral supervisor for the next eight years and also their team leader; would they be given a hard time in the future?


    The officer in professional attire noticed their concern and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nominally you two will follow Professor Han, but you¡¯ll mainly be undertaking activities with the Martial Arts Society. The ¡®Quantum Incarnation Device¡¯ you¡¯ll be using will also be kept at our Martial Arts Society. However, to pass the inspections of the competition committee, it¡¯s essential to take part in the alien activities, at least every few months, to join one or two missions with Professor Han, otherwise, it won¡¯t look good.¡±


    She paused for a moment, emphasizing her tone, ¡°Speaking of which, I must remind you that your activities and missions on Tianji Star must ensure personal safety and avoid any danger as much as possible.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded his head.


    He understood the meaning of the officer in professional attire, which was basically to do as little as possible on the ground, just get by, but to insist on signing in and clocking in to leave the competition committee with nothing to say.


    Go to novgo.co


    Wang Sen also intuited the message, ¡°Understood, Sister Yu, all my actions down there will prioritize Rui¡¯s safety.¡±


    He already knew that the professional woman¡¯s last name was Yu, named Yu Feicui, who Fang Ranran had brought in to manage the Martial Arts Society as its manager.


    She was also a high-ranking Martial Artist and had obtained a Level One Martial Arts coaching certificate.


    The blood of the seventh realm¡¯s high-class demon, although it couldn¡¯t compare in price to ¡°Divine Sleep No. 3,¡± Ranran would still need to call in favors to get it.


    She then laughed at herself and swiftly nudged Yu Feicui¡¯s shoulder with her elbow, ¡°Sure thing, Feicui sis. You¡¯re in such a hurry to secure benefits for your team members? Alright, I¡¯ll call and ask them for it now.¡±


    Wang Sen was immediately overjoyed; ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, President, and you too, Sister Yu!¡±


    According to federal law, the government would subsidize the cultivation of exotic bodies for exotic practitioners.


    However, the exotic bodies cultivated in this way usually have average talents, just on par with the standard Tianji Star people.


    Some wealthy and resourceful individuals would invest additional money and various divine items from Tianji Star, or the blood of top-level powerhouses, to cultivate exotic bodies with stronger talents.


    This was somewhat similar to the current online games, where wealthy players could get better initial talents when creating their characters.


    Wang Sen¡¯s family was merely average middle-class; what good resources could they have? Therefore, he was extremely thrilled at the moment.


    Lin Xi originally felt a tinge of dread.


    Now to cultivate an exotic body? There was no need to rush this, right? It wouldn¡¯t be too late until after he¡¯d learned the Tianji Star language.


    However, when he heard about the blood of a high-class demon from the seventh realm, his heart leapt with excitement.


    Demons from the seventh realm were equivalent to Deputy Generals and Generals in the federal armed with prosthetic enhancements. Blood from a demon of this level was not something ordinary people could obtain; even a single drop of ordinary seventh realm blood started at a price of at least 200,000, and if it came from a high-class demon, it might be impossible to buy even if one had the money.


    This opportunity was too good to miss.


    Lin Xi then felt a slight stirring in his heart, reached into his pocket, and clenched tightly the blood-red crystal that Lin Xi had given him.


    Ever since he got this blood-red crystal, he suspected it had an extraordinary origin and that it could potentially enhance exotic body talents.


    This had to do with his parents¡¯ previous occupation, who, just a few years ago, were chief researchers at a well-known institute on Tianji Star.


    Given their position at the time, they could have acquired some exceptional items.


    The question now was whether the blood in that crystal was compatible with the blood of the seventh realm¡¯s high-class demon.

 Chapter 23: 22 Identity

    Chapter 23: Chapter 22 Identity


    In the pristine operating room, Professor Si Malin was examining Lin Rui¡¯s brand-new medical report.


    ¡°It seems that the ¡®Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame¡¯ has greatly improved you. In just one day, your physical condition has improved so much, some indicators are already close to the level of a lieutenant, especially the spiritual power value, which has shown a significant increase, reaching 203, crossing the threshold for a lieutenant.¡±


    Lin Rui lay within the transparent surgery capsule, listening to Si Malin speak.


    He hadn¡¯t expected to meet with Professor Si Malin so soon. Coincidentally, it was in the same operating room.


    Not only was Si Malin a consultant for the development of Tianlan Corporation¡¯s ¡®Divine Sleep Type 3¡¯, but he was also one of the partners for the product¡¯s CRO.


    ¡°Given your current condition, I estimate you could consider the implantation of a Meridian Wheel in about twenty days. After the ¡®Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame¡¯ is implanted, the subsequent Meridian Wheel implantation demands are very high, requiring at least a spiritual power value of 260. However, this won¡¯t be a problem for you. I¡¯ll have a student send you an email later, with the models of the Meridian Wheels that can be implanted later on. You can compare the pros and cons yourself, and choose the one that suits you best.¡±


    ...


    Lin Rui¡¯s spirit was lifted. He wanted to implant a Meridian Wheel as soon as possible to elevate his Zhi Zhuang Martial Arts level.


    The levels in Zhi Zhuang Martial Arts were not classified according to physical condition and spiritual power, but rather by comparing them to the martial realms of Tianji Star, based on the implanted Zhi Zhuangs.


    For example, the first realm of Tianji Star¡¯s martial arts, called ¡®Channel Opening,¡¯ is equivalent to a four-star officer and a warrant officer in the Federation, requiring the implantation of ¡®Artificial Meridians¡¯.


    The second realm of Tianji Star¡¯s martial arts, called ¡®Vein Expansion,¡¯ corresponds to a lieutenant and a mid-lieutenant in the Federation, demanding the implantation of ¡®Artificial Meridian Wheels¡¯.


    The third realm of Tianji Star¡¯s martial arts, called ¡®Blood Refining,¡¯ corresponds to a captain and a major in the Federation, and requires the implantation of ¡®Artificial Blood Serum¡¯.


    Although Lin Rui¡¯s physical condition was close to that of a lieutenant, because he had not yet implanted a Meridian Wheel, he was still at the rank of a warrant officer.


    Professor Si Malin continued, ¡°And your custom-made Divine Sleep Type 3, I have already made adjustments according to your condition. It can reach 95% of the efficiency of your Grandmaster level Thunderfire Stance. However, after you implant the Meridian Wheel, you should consider switching to an advanced Stance. Lin Rui, do you have any thoughts? I can help you adjust everything in one go.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui used his thoughts to open up Xue Bogao¡¯s replicable skills tab again.


    Inside was a set of ¡®Lightning Extreme God Shine Stance (Grandmaster)¡¯, the same stance that had been added to the replicable skills tab yesterday.


    ¡°Professor Si Malin, for the subsequent Stance, I choose the Lightning Extreme God Shine Stance!¡±


    The Lightning Extreme God Shine Stance was one of the advanced practices of Thunderfire Stance, known for its extreme power and difficulty in practice.


    Not many civilian martial artists practiced it, yet it had a high rate of adoption in the military.@@@@


    Any service member with the opportunity would choose this technique, as its power was truly formidable, well-suited for the battlefield, and fitting for both solo and group combat.


    Being able to learn and replicate the Grandmaster level Lightning Extreme God Shine Stance, Lin Rui naturally saw no reason to choose any other Stance.


    The Lightning Extreme God Shine Stance was also compatible with the Red Thunder Saber and Red Thunder Hand. Once mastered, it could enhance these two basic martial arts with greater power and more variations.


    Constables?


    These were two constables who were going to die from internal injuries in three days.


    Just yesterday, these two had been ordered by the county office to participate in the encirclement and killing of a demon at the fourth level of cultivation. During the fight, they were hit by a cut of spiritual power from the demon from afar. Fortunately, they were far enough away at the time, or else they would have died on the spot.


    After the battle, both men, due to the severity of their internal injuries, passed out and were sent home to recuperate; it was expected that in three days, both would die violent deaths one after the other. That would be the time for them to take their place.


    Lin Rui quickly saw the advantages of these two identities. First, the family relationships were simple; one of them even had both parents deceased and no wife or children, which would make it convenient for them to blend in.


    Second, the identity was very suitable for their development within Tianji Star, as being part of the government sector made for good cultivation conditions; the treatment and status within the Six Fans Gate of Tianji Star were quite good.


    Finally, for specters, being inside a government office was relatively safe.


    As long as they behaved themselves, the chances of encountering danger were slim.


    Constables like those two who were killed by the demon were extremely rare.


    Secondly, since many others were injured at the time, it wouldn¡¯t be conspicuous for the two of them to blend in.


    Finally, there was a point that suited Lin Rui well.


    Recuperating would require some time, which would give Lin Rui the perfect opportunity to learn the language of Tianji Star.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Let¡¯s choose this one. I¡¯ll pick the one called Lin Twelve; he also practices the ¡®Red Thunder Pole Skill¡¯.


    The Red Thunder Pole Skill was a cultivation technique originating from Tianji Star and was widely circulated within it.


    Lin Rui then input the physique and appearance data of Lin Twelve in the specter birth interface, which had to be operated by himself and could not be done by doctors.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll start now.¡±


    Si Malin¡¯s fingers flew like butterflies as he operated outside the surgery pod.


    He first had to extract a somatic cell from Lin Rui¡¯s body, and after combining it with a DNA fragment from Tianji Star, he would cultivate an embryo.


    Only after the embryo had been cultivated to a certain extent could it be fused with that drop of blood.


    Considering the balance, the DNA portion belonging to humans needed to be extra enhanced.


    A look of anticipation was also present in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes.


    As far as he knew, growing a specter typically needed forty-eight hours, plus an additional twenty-four hours for a recuperation and stabilization period.


    At most in three days, which is next Monday, he would be able to see his own specter.


    He wondered what his specter would look like?

 Chapter 24: 23: Power Supply (Thanks to Alliance Hierarch Fei Ningjing Wuyi Zhiyuan)

    Chapter 24: Chapter 23: Power Supply (Thanks to Alliance Hierarch Fei Ningjing Wuyi Zhiyuan)


    PS: Thanks to the book friend ¡°Tranquility Leads to Far-Reaching Brothers¡± for the reward, the first Alliance Hierarch of the book, let¡¯s commemorate it.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When Lin Rui and Wang Sen had left the school, it was nearly 10 pm, and they had nearly missed the last urban rail train.


    ¡°Rui Brother, I really owe you big time this time,¡± Wang Sen said emotionally, sitting next to Lin Rui. Today¡¯s experience felt like a dream to him. He had simply followed Lin Rui around and not only joined the university martial arts club with excellent benefits, obtaining a high salary of nearly seventy thousand federation dollars a month, but he had also gotten a body with exceptionally good initial talent.


    ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a fancy dinner later, don¡¯t worry, not the cafeteria kind, it must be upscale, three stars or above!¡±


    Inviting someone to eat in the cafeteria was something he, Wang Sen, would never do.


    ...


    Lin Rui gave a nonchalant smile, ¡°That sounds good. I would also like to try what high-end restaurants taste like. Can I bring my sister along?¡±


    He was reading a message that Lin Xi had sent him not long ago.


    Summer¡¯s Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Brother, I¡¯m already home. There¡¯s a police car at the door, and two officers along with someone who claims to be a junior major of the Federal Security Agency have been waiting at our door. They say it¡¯s for routine questioning for Colonel Xue¡¯s case, to take a statement.


    Summer¡¯s Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): It¡¯s so strange, this junior major investigator asked about our family¡¯s relationship with the Xue family in great detail, over and over, it didn¡¯t seem like routine questioning at all.


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart sank when he saw this message.


    Could it be that the violent crime he committed at the Xue family had been discovered? Did Xue Bogao fail to clean up the scene properly, leaving traces behind?


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s psychological qualities were truly strong, as he swiftly calmed down, showing no change of expression on his face.


    Go to novgo.co


    He immediately thought of the surveillance equipment in the Xue family¡¯s basement.


    The police and the Federal Security Agency personnel must have discovered Xue Bogao was monitoring his family and wanted to investigate exactly what was going on.@@@@


    Lin Rui himself was also very curious as to why Xue Bogao would do such a thing?


    Lin Rui speculated that Colonel Xue might not have truly retired and must have other official identities.


    Considering the professions of Lin Rui¡¯s parents and the situation at home, the family he had transmigrated into was not simple at all and might be hiding a significant secret.


    Moreover, Lin Rui had already found out the identities of those two individuals.


    Last night, he had found the source of the tattoo online; it belonged to a gang called ¡®Blood Lizard Gang.¡¯


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Lin Rui suddenly furrowed his brow, looking at the half-eaten roujiamo in his hand.


    The roujiamo Lin Xi had made this time was incredibly delicious, and Lin Rui felt his taste buds explode.


    It was nothing like the roujiamo he had eaten six days ago.


    Had this girl secretly changed places with someone else? How could she have improved so much in just a few days?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    What Lin Rui didn¡¯t know was that, just as he was on his way home, at Mingde University Affiliated Hospital¡¯s research building behind it, lights on various floors suddenly flickered.


    Si Malin, who was reviewing student papers, received a call from the Logistics and General Services Department.


    A moment later, Si Malin raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°An overload caused a power trip, so emergency backup circuits were activated, and backup power was started? Are you sure it¡¯s my lab?¡±


    ¡°Yes! According to our findings, the source seems to be in Professor Si Malin¡¯s lab. Starting from five minutes ago, your lab¡¯s power consumption suddenly increased, repeatedly exceeding the power limit of the cables. May I ask if Professor Si Malin knows what might have caused this?¡±


    ¡°Hold on a moment!¡± Si Malin noticed the lights were still flickering, so he immediately donned his white lab coat and strode into his laboratory.


    His gaze turned to the two vertical culture tanks on the left side of the lab.


    The culture tanks were fully transparent, revealing two embryonic entities being cultivated within.


    They were still in the shape of infants, with eyes tightly closed, limbs curled up, resembling fetuses in the womb.


    Si Malin¡¯s attention was fixed on the culture tank to the left, primarily because he saw two red indicator lights lit up on the outside of this tank.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lin Rui¡¯s entity¡ª¡±


    Si Malin walked over quickly and pulled up the data interface.


    ¡°The temperature of the culture solution is abnormally high, genetic fragments are undergoing unknown mutations, and there¡¯s an abnormal electricity consumption.¡±


    Si Malin¡¯s pupils dilated slightly, a hint of excitement in his eyes as he leaned in to observe: ¡°It¡¯s interesting, this entity seems to consume several dozen joules of electricity for every cell it creates.¡±


    Si Malin knew these changes must be due to the drop of blood Lin Rui had provided.


    And so, he called the Logistics and General Services Department back: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the experiment I¡¯m conducting has undergone some unexpected changes that I hadn¡¯t anticipated. I need to apply for the use of our building¡¯s DS30 ectopic modulation chamber, and we also need higher power cables, as soon as possible! Over the next three days, we might consume a large amount of electricity, so I hope your department ensures an uninterrupted power supply to my lab. This will determine the success or failure of my experiment. Yes! It would be best if you could pull two more backup circuits.¡±


    He looked at the entity in the culture tank, thinking that this kid named Lin Rui was becoming more and more interesting.

 Chapter 25: 24 Induction

    Chapter 25: Chapter 24 Induction


    After securing his job, Lin Rui spent the next few days staying at home, behaving himself.


    He was very curious about the secrets his family was hiding, and was eager to help Xue Dajiang complete her obsession in exchange for more abilities, but Lin Rui valued his life even more.


    Curiosity killed the cat, as the saying goes, but a cat supposedly has nine lives. With his meager strength, he couldn¡¯t afford to take risks.


    Aside from his daily stance training exercises, Lin Rui spent the remainder of his time shut in his room, furiously studying the Tianji Star language.


    Even his meals were delivered directly to his room by his sister.


    Lin Xi found his behavior quite puzzling. Why was he constantly chattering away in the Tianji Star language inside his room? And why did his tones sound so strange?


    ...


    After all, ever since his first year at Alien Body College, Lin Rui¡¯s grades in the Tianji Star language had been A+.


    Lin Rui had his excuse ready, claiming that he needed to learn the dialect of Wang City in the Tianji Star region, which had significant differences from the official language of Tianji Star. He had to strengthen his studies before his descent.


    According to what he knew, besides the official language, there were indeed thousands of dialects within Tianji Star, just like the ancient China of the Earth Federation, some of which were so different from the official language that they were like completely different tongues.


    With a dawning understanding, Lin Xi left and went to the backyard to practice her martial arts.


    On the afternoon of Friday, Lin Xi had already gone to the affiliated hospital to have artificial Dantians and meridians implanted.


    For the next two days, Lin Xi was extremely excited. Not only did she buy an expensive captain-level dummy, but she also commandeered the practice field in the backyard, which used to be Lin Rui¡¯s exclusive training area. She would head to the backyard early in the morning to train, hitting the dummy with a ¡®thumping¡¯ sound.


    This brings us to Lin Xi¡¯s martial arts talent.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui had gone to check on her once during a break, intending to give some pointers on her martial arts practice, but after just a half moment, he felt discouraged and returned to his room to continue his arduous study of the Tianji Star language.


    Lin Rui felt that Lin Xi¡¯s martial arts talent was truly exceptional, at least as high as the clouds in the sky.


    In Lin Rui¡¯s recorded video library, there were almost no clips of Lin Xi practicing martial arts, but her skills in the Red Thunder Palm and Red Thunder Saber had already reached a proficient level, and her mastery of the thunder and fire stance was nearing true understanding.


    Lin Xi likely practiced by mimicking videos of Xue Dajiang from before. She was only an audient before, yet now, she had thoroughly grasped the essence.


    Lin Rui thought that the siblings were completely misguided in their efforts¡ªit should be him who was fully supporting his sister.@@@@


    If Lin Xi had had her Dantians and meridians implanted three years ago and started martial cultivation, she might have already reached the stature of the first of the ten prodigies by now.


    With Lin Xi¡¯s martial arts talent and her delicate, sweet, and pure beauty, she could have become a highly paid influencer star. Why should they have had to live in such straits as they had before?


    What concerned Lin Rui more was his sister¡¯s cooking skills.


    Lin Rui was now almost certain that the changes in his sister¡¯s cooking were related to her mood.


    The food that Lin Xi cooked in the two days before and after the implantation of her Dantians and meridians was especially delicious, supremely so.


    However, by the third day, the quality of Lin Xi¡¯s cooking had returned to its original state.


    Lin Rui, filled with uncertainty, looked at Wang Sen who had just met up with him, ¡°Wang Sen, can you sense your alien body right now?¡±


    Lin Rui suspected that the thing calling to him was his alien body.


    Simply because Lin Rui¡¯s alien body was being cultivated right there in the experimental building of the attached hospital.


    Wang Sen, upon hearing this, looked blank and clueless, ¡°No? Brother Rui, can you really sense your alien body from so far away?¡±


    According to the knowledge they had learned, this was an ability of high-ranking alien body practitioners, or those who had achieved unity of spirit and flesh with their alien bodies and could sense them from a distance.


    Lin Rui frowned slightly and shook his head.


    At that moment, he received a message from Si Malin.


    Divine Doctor Si Malin (Si Malin): Lin Rui, have you arrived at school? Have you felt anything unusual?


    Lin Rui was slightly startled and immediately replied to the message.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Wang Sen and I are at the school gate. Professor, is there something wrong with my alien body?


    Divine Doctor Si Malin (Si Malin): There has been a little mishap, but it¡¯s a good thing for you. You¡¯ll understand the specifics when you come over, Lin Rui. Come straight to the experimental building later. I¡¯ve spoken to the security department, and they¡¯ve granted you access.


    Lin Rui was about to respond when he suddenly frowned and looked behind him.


    Just then, Lin Rui felt as if a distant thought was pressing down upon him from afar, peering into him.


    The feeling was vague and ephemeral, especially since it disappeared when he looked back.


    Lin Rui did not know whether it was an illusion or not, so he scanned the area behind him and found nothing. He then shook his head and continued towards the experimental building of the attached hospital.


    Meanwhile, not far behind Lin Rui at the corner of the street, a middle-aged man with a Caucasian face and sparse hair, appearing to be in his forties, emerged from around the corner.


    He watched Lin Rui¡¯s retreating figure with a troubled and uncertain look.


    Was it just a coincidence, or was this fellow acutely aware of his presence?


    The Caucasian middle-aged man then looked towards the attached hospital¡¯s experimental building, his expression showing some helplessness.


    He had come on a mission to seek out Lin Rui¡¯s soul and search for certain information in his memories.


    However, Lin Rui never gave him a proper chance to act.


    Seeking the soul required a safe and stable environment, but in recent days, Lin Rui was either at school or holed up at home, and unfortunately, the nearby police and security presence had increased due to a terrible incident in that civil servant residential area.


    Lin Rui¡¯s alien body was about to form, and he would begin his descent on Tianji Star with their Martial Arts Society.


    This was even more troublesome; Mingde University already had a very secure defense system, and the security in that Martial Arts Society was even more outrageous.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man had explored the Martial Arts Society the day before and couldn¡¯t understand why a university society would have eight 5th-order combat robots?


    It caused the middle-aged Caucasian man an immense headache.


    Now, he could only wait for Lin Rui¡¯s soul to return from Tianji Star, but it was uncertain when it would happen. His superiors had become impatient with increasing pressure over the past few days.

 Chapter 26: 25 Complete Form

    Chapter 26: Chapter 25 Complete Form


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen¡¯s extraterrestrial spiritual synchronization work was carried out separately.


    Professor Si Malin personally took charge of Lin Rui¡¯s part, munching on the cookies Lin Xi had prepared while reading Lin Rui¡¯s newly issued medical report. He clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Your spiritual power value is now 372, which is at the level of a captain, having almost doubled.¡±


    Lin Rui listened, his eyes blank.


    He hadn¡¯t done anything special these past few days. He had practiced the Red Thunder Stance every day without fail but certainly couldn¡¯t have increased his spiritual power level to 372 in just a few days.


    With a speculative look, he gazed at Si Malin, ¡°Professor, could this be related to my extraterrestrial body?¡±


    ¡°You guessed it right, it is indeed the extraterrestrial body.¡±


    ...


    Si Malin closed the medical report and looked at Lin Rui, ¡°You must be familiar with the theory of the people from Tianji Star. They believe that the universe is an ocean, the physical body a ship, and the soul nurtured within it. The more robust and powerful the ship, the stronger the soul it nourishes.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded; such theories also existed in ancient China.


    Other ancient civilizations within the Earth Federation had similar beliefs.


    ¡°The so-called extraterrestrial body is essentially another physical form of yours, akin to the ancient concept of an external incarnation. Your current extraterrestrial form is extraordinarily powerful, hence it can nurture back your soul, significantly increasing your spiritual strength and even enhancing your control over thunder and fire. This is quite common among those with extraterrestrial bodies, nearly all of whom possess a far superior spiritual power than average bioengineered martial artists.¡±


    After saying this, Si Malin opened a door nearby, ¡°Come on in, and see what your extraterrestrial body looks like.¡±


    Lin Rui had long been anxious for this moment.


    Eagerly following Si Malin, he then saw a vertical incubation tank positioned in the center of the room.


    Go to novgo.co


    Inside the tank stood a ¡®Tianji Star person,¡¯ two meters four in height, well-proportioned, with a handsome face, high nose, ears reminiscent of legendary elves, and short hair floating in the nutrient solution like seaweed.


    By human standards, this Tianji Star person¡¯s features were very handsome, although Tianji Star people¡¯s aesthetic standards differed from humans¡¯.


    Upon seeing this Tianji Star person for the first time, Lin Rui felt a profound connection of blood and flesh.


    ¡ªThis must be his extraterrestrial body!


    Lin Rui felt as if he and this body were one!


    Lin Rui then noticed that this Tianji Star person¡¯s skin was strikingly covered with scales reminiscent of dragon armor.


    ¡°These dragon scales can be retracted and hidden under the skin. Their defensive capability is very strong, equivalent to the latest model of third-tier exoskeletal armor. If you ever attain the Dragon Transformation Realm, your transformative armor should be incredibly powerful,¡± Si Malin said while sending Lin Rui a report via an online chat interface, ¡°You can have a look at your extraterrestrial body¡¯s medical report.¡±


    Lin Rui opened it and glanced through, his body trembling.


    The Tianji Star identity ¡®Lin Twelve¡¯ chosen by Lin Rui was a first realm martial artist, already in the later stage of ¡®Channel Opening¡¯, equivalent to a Warrant Officer in the Earth Federation.


    Hence, the cultivation standard of Lin Rui¡¯s extraterrestrial body was set accordingly.


    The current bioengineering technology of the Earth Federation was indeed capable of directly cultivating bodies fit for colonel-level bioengineered martial artists.


    However, considering the issue of soul-body synchronization and spiritual power, extraterrestrial walkers generally started at the levels between four-star non-commissioned officers and warrant officers, growing in synchronization with their extraterrestrial bodies.


    Lin Rui took the document and found it was a permission agreement, which would allow Si Malin to extract some data from his ¡®variant body intelligent auxiliary biological chip.¡¯


    Variant operators still have to live; they can¡¯t control the variant incessantly.


    That¡¯s when the ¡®variant body intelligent auxiliary biological chip¡¯ is needed to help. In the absence of the variant operator, it takes over according to programmed behaviors, much like an automobile¡¯s autopilot system, capable of handling daily activities and simple tasks for the variant.


    Lin Rui noted that the permission agreement Si Malin offered was very rigorously worded. Si Malin was allowed to access data only on Lin Rui¡¯s variant body¡¯s physical condition, and the term was set for 20 years.


    After careful thought, Lin Rui decisively signed the agreement.


    He knew someone like Si Malin, a top-level medical professor, had many ways to take advantage of or harm him if he wished to.


    Si Malin didn¡¯t need a permission agreement to meddle; he could have tampered with his body during the cultivation of the variant body.


    Lin Rui knew without Si Malin¡¯s help, with the electronic consumption of his variant body at the time of cultivation, he likely wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to complete it.


    This was a blessing in disguise.


    Looking at the worst-case scenario, Si Malin could directly report the situation to the company and federal government, forcing him into experiments.


    ¡°Here¡¯s to a fruitful collaboration.¡±


    Si Malin¡¯s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he took back the agreement, thinking that this kid was truly smart.


    There was definitely something wrong with that drop of Lin Rui¡¯s blood; it probably related to the calamities that befell the Lin family years ago. However, Si Malin had no intention to probe deeper or to announce it publicly. He just wanted to research the data of Lin Rui¡¯s variant body, which could help him develop a new model of enhanced control implants, a more powerful version.


    That old classmate of his had left him a significant surprise.


    Si Malin was even willing to use his formidable connections to offer some protection to the kid: ¡°Given your body¡¯s condition, you don¡¯t need to wait another month. Based on past experience, your variant body and original body will have a synchronized reaction; the stronger your variant in Tianji Star, the stronger your original body will become as a result.


    After one round on Tianji Star and taking one type of gene enhancement fluid, you can implant the wheel veins. I recommend the ¡®Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame¡¯ wheel vein version, which fits your channels inherited from the Sacred Body. However, it¡¯s very expensive, 450,000 Federation Coins, and you¡¯ll need to replace your Dantian too, which will cost another 50,000 Federation Coins.


    Your current Dantian is top-grade, but it can¡¯t bring out the full power of ¡®Divine Thunder Heavenly Flame.¡¯ You should prepare a loan; at that time, based on the condition of your variant body, I still plan to make special adjustments to ensure uniformity between your physical body and variant body. If you¡¯re not reassured, you can actually consider enrolling in my integrated bachelor-master program in medicine, which would help you better understand your body.¡±


    Lin Rui frowned slightly.


    Wasn¡¯t the gene enhancement fluid only usable once a month? Otherwise, his spirit and body wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.


    He soon realized that this was advice based on his particular body condition provided by Si Malin.


    This was one of the benefits of signing the permission agreement with Si Malin.


    As for Si Malin¡¯s suggestion about studying medicine with him, Lin Rui was actually quite tempted.


    If he could master certain medical knowledge, it would prevent others from deceiving him.


    He trusted the current Si Malin and had no choice but to trust him, but who knew what the future might hold?


    Lin Rui heaved a quiet sigh; where would he find the time and energy to study now?


    ¡°By the way! Who made these pastries? Your sister?¡± Si Malin picked up the gift box in his hand and shook it in front of Lin Rui, ¡°Bring me some more next time you have the chance.¡±


    These cookies and sweet osmanthus cakes are delicious!

 Chapter 27: 26: The Descent

    Chapter 27: Chapter 26: The Descent


    ¡°`


    Psychic synchronization with an alien body is the final procedure in the cultivation of alien bodies, ensuring that the soul of the alien body practitioner is one hundred percent harmonized with the alien body.


    After synchronization is completed, the Alien Body Management Bureau will use a starship to deliver the cultivated alien bodies into the atmosphere of Tianji Star, to designated locations, a journey that takes about three to five hours. During this period, all expenses are covered by the government.


    When Lin Rui walked out of Si Malin¡¯s laboratory, he found Wang Sen already waiting outside, the young man¡¯s face flush with excitement.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°It seems, Wang Sen, that the talent you¡¯ve awakened is quite impressive?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s incredible! Both the Divine Authority and Sky Speed bloodlines!¡±


    ...


    Wang Sen laughed so hard he almost couldn¡¯t close his mouth: ¡°As expected from a high-ranking demon of the Seventh Realm! The alien body cultivated has directly awakened two top-tier bloodline talents.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded slightly, for his own alien body had awakened these two bloodline talents as well, in addition to the unawakened mutated version of the Sacred Body.


    The Divine Authority bloodline boasts immense strength and physical resilience, while the Sky Speed bloodline significantly enhances speed and reflexes, extraordinarily powerful.


    Many companies within the Federation have developed numerous assistive prosthetic gears specifically tailored for these, priced extremely high.


    So-called assistive prosthetic gear refers to devices that do not relate to the cultivation process of prosthetic martial cultivation but can enhance combat ability nonetheless.


    ¡°What talent did you awaken?¡± Wang Sen asked, both worried and curious, ¡°You seemed a bit distracted when you approached earlier. Did the alien body cultivation not go well?¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head, a complex expression on his face: ¡°The alien body Professor Si Malin cultivated for me is fine, it¡¯s just¡ªhow should I put it? Never mind, let¡¯s go report to Professor Han.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui had never expected such a turn of events with his alien body.


    So much so that his head was still a bit muddled.


    If Professor Si Malin¡¯s judgment was correct, then the bloodline talents currently possessed by his alien body were frighteningly powerful¡ªa complete Sacred Body coupled with two superior bloodline talents.


    This was a good thing for him, but given his family situation and the circumstances with Xue Bogao, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    Lin Rui really wanted to ask Lin Xi what the situation was with that drop of blood. Did Lin Xi know the origin of that blood?


    However, after opening Lin Xi¡¯s chat interface, he closed it again.


    What if the original owner was aware of all these circumstances?


    Wouldn¡¯t asking such questions be tipping his hand and exposing his own identity?


    The two of them then hurried to Professor Han¡¯s office, only to be turned away.


    Both the main and deputy leaders of the club were absent today, and Fang Ranran along with Yu Feicui were also out, leaving the atmosphere within the martial arts club particularly somber.


    However, Tianlan Group¡¯s custom-made ¡®Shenmian Type 3¡¯ had already been delivered to the martial arts club and placed in Lin Rui and Wang Sen¡¯s private resting room. Fang Ranran even hired a cute-looking and charismatically caring nurse, at a considerable cost, to assist with their initial alien body descent and take care of their physical bodies during their alien form¡¯s descent.


    Lin Rui was lying quietly in the octagonal column-shaped Shenmian Type 3 life pod.


    Various infusion tubes within were ¡®gurgling¡¯ as they pumped life-sustaining fluid in, completely submerging Lin Rui and wrapping around his body from all sides.


    Lin Rui felt very warm, as if he had returned to the womb.


    Wang Xiaofang, the nurse, stood by the ¡®Quantum Spirit Control Device¡¯ control panel, making various adjustments.


    Wang Sen¡¯s descent time was a bit later than Lin Rui¡¯s, and he was in another room, chatting with Lin Rui.


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): It¡¯s bad; these next eight years are going to be rough. Professor Han doesn¡¯t just have a problem with us; he utterly despises us.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): How can you tell?


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): Brother Rui, can¡¯t you see? Look at the work group chat, not a single senior is speaking; it¡¯s too quiet. I bet that¡¯s not their real work group, just one to appease us. I¡¯ve tried private messaging them, and not one has responded.


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): Also, I¡¯ve done some digging, and it seems Professor Han is working on a project and has been scouring the world for free alien body users with strong combat power. His recruitment requirement is at least the rank of Captain, meaning all our seniors are at least Captains, possibly even Major ranked alien body users.


    Lin Rui thought the same and frowned slightly as he looked at Professor Han¡¯s work group chat.


    Right then, Yu Feicui sent a message to the group.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): You¡¯re about to descend, right? Remember, safety comes first. Did you receive the notification from the Alien Body Administration? The relay is damaged, and communication is temporarily unavailable. Be extra cautious while it¡¯s being repaired.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Understood!


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): Got it!


    At that moment, the nurse named Wang Xiaofang spoke up, ¡°Lin Rui, the Alien Body Administration has sent a message; your alien body has reached the designated location. However, the administration has issued a warning that there have been abnormal environmental changes in the counties around Wang City over the past three days, elevating the risk level for Warrant Officer ranked Martial Cultivators to S level.¡±


    ¡°Heart rate normal, blood pressure normal, electroencephalogram normal, oxygen supply normal, organ responses good¡ª¡±


    ¡°The life pod is functioning normally, the quantum network is stable, and the Quantum Spirit Control Device is in good condition. Ready to proceed with the soul attachment. Shall we descend now?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s brow furrowed tighter. What¡¯s happening? Why has the risk level suddenly increased so much?


    He then composed himself, ¡°Descend now!¡±


    Now that the arrow was on the string, he had no choice but to shoot. Lin Rui was actually looking forward to his first journey to Tianji Star.


    Despite the fact that Lin Rui would have to focus primarily on the martial arts club for the coming years, he felt some anticipation for his soon-to-begin alien body career, the Tianji Star civilization, and the powerfully martial people of Tianji Star.


    ¡ªAfter all, that was an alien civilization, rare and intriguing!

 Chapter 28: 27: Breaking Through

    Chapter 28: Chapter 27: Breaking Through


    Nurse Wang Xiaofang cast a sidelong glance at Lin Rui in the life support pod and then pressed the ¡®Consciousness Connection¡¯ button.


    ¡°Initiating consciousness connection, descending into the alien body!¡±


    Boom!


    A loud explosion resounded in Lin Rui¡¯s mind.


    Everything before his eyes turned black for a moment, then his vision slowly returned.


    What lay before Lin Rui was no longer the bright and spacious rest room of the martial arts club; instead, he found himself in an old room made of blue bricks.


    ...


    The air was filled with the scent of earth, wood, and medicine. The walls were blotched with blue bricks, sunlight poured through the wooden window lattices, casting mottled shadows on the floor tiles inside the room.


    The room contained only a few pieces of simple furniture, a bed, two chairs, and a wardrobe that were rough and solid in design. In the corner on the east side sat a small stove, from which sounds gurgled above, and the aroma of the medicine was rich.


    Lin Rui realized that his soul had descended upon Tianji Star.


    Using quantum entanglement technology developed by the Earth Federation, Lin Rui¡¯s soul crossed several hundred thousand kilometers, bypassing Tianji Star¡¯s danger-laden atmosphere that even a few Four-Star Marshals of the Federation feared, and descended directly into his ¡®alien body¡¯.


    Lin Rui sat up from the bed, looking down at his own body.


    It was the same as what he had seen in the cultivation tank previously, except he was dressed, and his chest and abdomen were wrapped with thick bandages, which seemed to be smeared with medicinal paste, giving off a strong medicinal smell.


    He even felt a slight pain in his chest, which must have been a wound that cracked his sternum.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui silently admired the Federation Alien Body Administration¡¯s extensive capabilities and thoroughness in their work.


    The real Lin Twelve must have had the same external injuries, but as for where this Lin Twelve went, Lin Rui had no idea.


    He might have died, his body disposed of by the Federation Alien Body Administration.


    Now Lin Rui was Lin Twelve; even his facial features, physique, and voice were modeled after the real Lin Twelve with no discrepancies.


    At this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s pupils contracted slightly as he discovered the Skull Ring on his finger!


    But how could that be possible? The Skull Ring was clearly on his real body, back in the rest room of the martial arts club at Mingde University.


    Another piece of information then appeared in his mind.


    Instruction 6: The Battle Spirit Ring is bound to your soul.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but curl the corners of his lips, thinking that was fine, this thing too had vast capabilities, and there seemed to be no need to delve into it.


    Mainly because it was an enigma beyond his understanding. Who the heck knows what was going on.


    He then got up, pushed open the door, and walked out.


    Outside was a small courtyard of about sixty square meters, with two wing rooms on the left and right, all of which were closed with windows and doors, and even reinforced with wooden bars on the outside.


    According to the intelligence Lin Rui read beforehand, Lin Twelve¡¯s parents had passed away, and he was the only one living in this yard with five rooms.


    Looking beyond the courtyard walls, one could see a majestic city wall two kilometers away, made of bluish-gray bricks and stones, twelve meters high, entwined with vines and lush with greenery, exuding an air of time-worn vicissitudes.


    Lin Rui thought to himself, is this Tianji Star? It¡¯s almost identical to ancient China.


    ¡°This body¡¯s talent is freakish. I just practiced a little and the ¡®Ether Elements¡¯ surged towards me like the tide. My perception of the ¡®Ether Elements¡¯ has never been so clear. Of course, this is also related to my Grandmaster-level Red Thunder Stance. The accumulation speed of True Qi is very fast, and its use efficiency is also very high. Is this still before awakening? What will happen after awakening?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not just talent and Grandmaster-level stance, the internal environment of Tianji Star also plays a role. The ether inside Tianji Star is much denser than that at Base Nine, more suited for martial cultivation.¡±


    The so-called ¡®Ether Elements¡¯, called Heaven and Earth Qi by Tianji star people, are the source of True Qi, the foundation of cultivation, and remain unfathomable and unexplained by human scientists to this day.


    Lin Rui practiced the Red Thunder Stance six times and became more and more skilled at it, fluid as the wind over water.


    During this process, he even noticed some inadequacies in his own Grandmaster-level Red Thunder Stance.


    This was because Lin Rui now had a complete set of meridians and chakras, better suited to this technique, which allowed him to sense its wonders while practicing the stance.


    Lin Rui almost managed to forcefully clear one of the eight chakras during the stance practice, and in the process, accumulated a large amount of True Qi, with his spiritual power growing in tandem.


    After practicing the Red Thunder Stance for an hour, Lin Rui switched to the Red Thunder Saber.


    It is known that the human body has resistance to ether, so the longer the stance practice doesn¡¯t necessarily mean the better. Any time over an hour a day, the body¡¯s efficiency in absorbing Ether Elements drastically decreases.


    Like when practicing the Red Thunder Stance, Lin Rui clearly sensed the surrounding ¡®Ether Elements¡¯ and gained even more insights into the Red Thunder Saber.


    Besides that, he felt the powers of ¡®Divine Authority¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Speed¡¯ within his body.


    Lin Rui pondered that with his current body¡¯s talent, he could probably execute ¡®Red Thunder Nine Slashes¡¯ seventeen times in a row.


    But just as he was practicing the Red Thunder Saber for the third round, Lin Rui suddenly sensed something.


    Someone was coming, and they were quickly approaching from the nearby courtyard walls and rooftops!


    By then, he didn¡¯t have enough time to retreat inside his house; he only slightly held back some strength while practicing the saber.


    Shortly after, Lin Rui heard applause from outside the door.


    ¡°What a good move, Red Thunder, well executed!¡±


    Lin Rui turned toward the door and saw a young man with a high-bridged nose, yellowish complexion, and a stately aura, standing on top of his wooden door, looking down at him.


    This person was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, dressed in the attire of an arrest officer, with a bandage wrapped around his left shoulder and dried blood stains visible on it.


    Lin Rui¡¯s mood sank, recalling the information provided to him by the Federation Alien Body Administration.


    This was his superior, Zhang Tianchang, the arrest officer of Yinyue County.


    Then another person came running over the wall, panting, and stood behind Zhang Tianchang.


    He was two meters and twenty centimeters tall, robust in stature, with a round face and a pair of shiny black eyes that were signaling to him.


    ¡ª That was the Alien Body that Wang Sen had manifested, identified as Wang Twenty-seven.


    In Tianji Star, ordinary citizens did not have names. They were named based on the ranking among siblings, the sum of their parents¡¯ ages, or their birth date.


    Lin Rui was born on March twelfth, hence he was called Lin Twelve, and Wang Sen¡¯s Alien Body was born on the twenty-seventh.


    Only people with status like Zhang Tianchang could have proper names.


    Lin Rui immediately clasped his fists in greeting, ¡°Officer Tian Chang, good health to you!¡±


    He was a bit worried that after seeing him practicing martial arts, Zhang Tianchang might suspect something.


    Lin Rui also found it strange ¨C wasn¡¯t he on sick leave? What did Zhang Tianchang want with him?

 Chapter 29: 28: Soul Power

    Chapter 29: Chapter 28: Soul Power


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected that your swordsmanship had reached such a level, that one strike of ¡®Red Thunder¡¯ already possesses the essence of sword techniques. It seems you have also entered the second realm of Martial Cultivation, the Vein Opening Phase, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Zhang Tianchang leaped down from the wall and landed in front of Lin Rui.


    He looked down at Lin Rui¡¯s chest, ¡°How is your injury now? Can you move?¡±


    Lin Rui really wanted to say that he was actually critically injured and needed to continue resting in bed for a while, but he had already been seen by Zhang Tianchang practicing his swordsmanship vigorously, so it wasn¡¯t good to lie to his face.


    Lin Rui could only helplessly clasp his hands together, ¡°My bone fractures and external injuries are still quite serious, but they should be no trouble.¡±


    ¡°Why do you sound so reluctant?¡±


    ...


    Zhang Tianchang laughed dryly, and then sighed, ¡°You and Number Twenty-Seven are good kids, more honest than the others.¡±


    His tone, for some reason, carried a bit of relief.


    He then turned around and opened the door, ¡°If it¡¯s nothing serious, come with me. Today there is a task to be handled, and afterward, we need to go to Zuihua House. The County Magistrate has ordered all on-duty Government Officials to report to Zuihua House in one hour! Number Twelve, no need to change clothes, just bring your sword, this case is urgent.¡±


    Lin Rui, completely bewildered, could only follow behind Zhang Tianchang with his sword in hand.


    At this time, Wang Sen also jumped down from the wall and walked alongside Lin Rui.


    He looked quite helpless, ¡°Bad luck, I was also seen by the arrest officer while practicing with my sword.¡±


    After his arrival in a different body, Wang Sen also couldn¡¯t wait to adapt to his new form.


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    As a result, while Wang Sen was practicing with his sword, Zhang Tianchang suddenly descended from the sky, landing directly in his yard.


    At that time, his situation was even worse than Lin Rui¡¯s; he was completely unprepared.


    Lin Rui recalled the information provided by the Alien Management Bureau in his mind and gradually understood the reason.


    He massaged his temples with great headache, ¡°It seems we¡¯ve been drafted for labor; this might be troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Wang Sen also sighed.


    The battle with the fourth realm demon three days ago had left more than just the two of them injured.


    At the time, eighty constables from the county office had participated in the battle, and seventy-three of them were wounded and had subsequently taken leave to recover at home.


    However, according to the information from the Alien Management Bureau, of these seventy-three constables, only seven were truly severely injured; the others were either feigning injuries or had only sustained minor scratches.


    The reasons behind this were complex; it could be because the escaped demon was too powerful, making the situation in the county office too dangerous, or it could be related to the power struggles within the county office. Their County Magistrate was an outsider and very assertive, not getting along well with several local influential Government Officials.


    That¡¯s why Zhang Tianchang had said they were good kids.


    People like them were rare in the county office.


    Both remembered the risk alerts issued by the Alien Management Bureau before their descent, and they felt a gloom settling in their hearts.


    ¡°She¡¯s lunging at Lin Twelve.¡±


    ¡°Lin Twelve, be careful, this demon is tricky! She¡¯s third stage, watch out for her hair strands, don¡¯t let her touch you, or she¡¯ll drain your essence blood.¡±


    At this moment, the old grandmother was using her hair like feet, moving with the speed of a six-legged spider, and pounced towards the beams with the speed of lightning.


    From a distance, Wang Sen¡¯s mind tightened, but he quickly calmed down again.


    Martial Cultivator third stage blood refinement early phase, equivalent to a captain in the Earth Federation.


    Although the demon was severely injured by Zhang Tianchang just now, she still retained at least thirty to fifty percent of her strength.


    However, Lin Rui, who could withstand Nolan Wei, a top-tier captain among Martial Cultivators, should have no problem handling a seriously injured third-stage demon.


    Zhang Tianchang was slightly alarmed and worried. Before coming here, he hadn¡¯t expected that this old grandmother, who had never practiced martial arts before, would reach the third realm directly after turning demonic!


    Zhang Tianchang had just seen Lin Twelve¡¯s use of Red Thunder, and the level was indeed very high, much to his surprise.


    However, Lin Twelve was only at the initial stage of the second realm and might not be sufficient to cope with this third-stage demon.


    He immediately soared into the air, chasing after the silhouette of the third-stage demon. At the same time, several flying knives shot out from his sleeves, pursuing like shooting stars.


    However, even though the Thousand Silk Demon was severely injured, her agility remained exceptional. Her figure shifted left and right, managing to only get hit by one knife.


    Her gaze, fierce and wild, stared at Lin Rui, a mad and ferocious smile appearing on her face.


    If she could devour his essence blood, this small constable, the weakest among the surrounding constables, her injuries would instantly recover by half.


    Lin Rui, watching the old grandmother pounce towards him, felt rather helpless. Why was he so unlucky? Right from the start on Tianji Star, his luck was terrible. It¡¯s said that one should be a layabout.


    After a brief contemplation, he decided to strike with all his might.


    Lin Rui, from a higher position, fiercely chopped downwards from the rooftop, bringing forth thunder and lightning snakes!


    This was exactly the move ¡®Red Thunder¡¯ that Zhang Tianchang had seen!


    At this point, there was no time for holding back. Being hesitant now would only raise suspicions.


    He could conceal his true strength for a while, but it would inevitably cause future trouble.


    Thus, without any hesitation, his blade was sharp and decisive, pushing his divine right and celestial speed bloodlines to their limits. Both his blade force and speed were like thunder!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a booming explosion, the old grandmother¡¯s body was blasted into the courtyard like a cannonball, her whole body burning with white flames as she let out a desperate wail.


    Her wailing abruptly ended, however, as Lin Rui leaped down from the roof and directly beheaded the old grandmother with one slash.


    Just then, new information appeared in Lin Rui¡¯s mind.


    Notification: Slaying a third-stage demon, gained 532 Soul Power.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes momentarily flickered.

 Chapter 30: 29 Zuihua House

    Chapter 30: Chapter 29 Zuihua House


    In the kitchen filled with the aroma of meat, Tian Chang lifted the lid off a pot only to find several severed hands and feet and two human heads, one male and one female.


    The scent of the meat soup in the kitchen grew even richer, yet the several constables around him fled outside on the spot, vomiting profusely as they cast sideways glances at Lin Rui with a look of surprise. It seemed he had been on the job for only a few months, yet he was so strong? The thunderous strike from Lin twelve a moment ago had left everyone in shock.


    At this point, Wang Sen also walked in, ¡°Arrest officer, the two kids from this household are still alive, tied up in the woodshed.¡±


    He never should have glanced towards the cooking pot.


    Wang Sen too quickly ran to the side, throwing up as if his guts were churning.


    Poor him, having just descended and still not having eaten anything.


    ...


    Lin Rui watched this scene with an expressionless face, showing no reaction.


    He was examining the information that appeared in his mind.


    Instruction 7: Holding the Battle Spirit Ring and slaying any demon or transformed Martial Cultivator, allows one to extract their Soul Power.


    Tip: Soul Power points can be used to repair the Battle Spirit Ring, copy skills from the battle spirit, deduce martial arts, enhance the efficiency of stake techniques, and temporarily boost the power of your moves and spiritual power during combat.


    Instruction 8: The current integrity of the Battle Spirit Ring is 12.15%. Once the integrity reaches 20%, the second battle spirit slot will unlock, capturing stronger battle spirits.


    Upon discovering this, Lin Rui¡¯s interest piqued; was the Battle Spirit Ring currently in a damaged state?


    Killing demons and Martial Cultivators yielded Soul Power points to repair the Battle Spirit Ring?


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    Lin Rui thought to himself, hearing this just kept him awake.


    Achieving 20% integrity would allow capturing stronger battle spirits? How strong? A Brigadier General, Major General, or Marshal?


    Even Xue Bogao¡¯s battle spirit was impressive enough to teach him Grandmaster-level martial techniques, so what of Brigadier Generals, Major Generals, or even Marshal-level battle spirits?


    Beyond that, the uses mentioned in the tip were quite enticing¡ªSoul Power points could enhance stake technique efficiency as well? To what extent? And they could also trade skills, how many Soul Power points were needed to exchange?


    In short, killing demons = getting stronger?


    Lin Rui reflected, what kind of luck was this? Wang Sen¡¯s suggestion to become a constable really hit the mark given the current best option.


    Fang Ranran and Yu Feicui both wanted him to just relax and coast along, but given the current circumstances, he was afraid he couldn¡¯t fulfill their wishes.


    Whether it was the pole star or the Earth Federation, it was a world where the strong were revered. Now that there was a chance to become stronger, of course, he would blindly charge forward!


    At that moment, Tian Chang looked over at him with a trace of astonishment, ¡°Lin twelve, you¡¯re still new here, right? I remember you¡¯ve been at the government office for only three months?¡±


    He felt surprised, this guy didn¡¯t find the stew disgusting? That was rare among the newcomers.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui recalled the sight of Xue Bogao turning into a corpse. He had seen worse; this scene was nothing in comparison.


    ¡°Chief Zhang, it¡¯s precisely three months since I joined!¡±


    After bowing in response, Lin Rui pointed to Nurse Zhang outside, who was still burning vigorously: ¡°Chief Zhang, do you know what exactly the Thousand String Demon is all about? The two people in this pot, they should be her son and daughter-in-law, right?¡±


    Aside from using their silver to help out, there was little more they could do.


    Soon after, they arrived at Zuihua House with Zhang Tianchang.


    This was a famous brothel located in ¡®Hanhua Alley¡¯ in the south of Silver Moon County, a benchmark on the local brothel street.


    However, when they arrived, the street, usually bustling with crowds and traffic and filled with the sounds of joy, was now unusually quiet.


    Not only were there no pedestrians on the street, but all the doors and windows on both sides were also tightly closed, creating a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere with not a trace of human life.


    Lin Rui also noticed many dried bloodstains on the street¡¯s bluestone tiles and the walls on both sides.


    The entire street was deserted with only the main door of Zuihua House open. Lin Rui followed Zhang Tianchang inside, went up to the second floor of Zuihua House, and found that in this huge hall, there stood about forty people, scattered around.


    They all seemed to be in poor shape, some looking confused, some pale-faced, some with a gloomy look in their eyes, some even with bandaged heads and swollen faces; overall, their spirits were very low.


    The other six arrest officers from the county yamen were sitting quietly around a square table, waiting.


    Although Silver Moon County was quite far from the county seat of Wang City jurisdiction, it was on a major traffic route. To the north was the region known as the ¡®land of fish and rice,¡¯ Tianyue County, right next to Tianyue Lake, and to the south, it led directly to the capital of Shazhou, making it a populous county with abundant money and grain. The county yamen had enough funds to sustain eight squads of constables, with eight arrest officers.


    At the head of the table sat a middle-aged man around his forties, his face like a red jujube, who was none other than the local historian Jiang Hanzhang.


    Lin Rui took a special look at this person.


    The governmental system of Tianji Star¡¯s Great Song dynasty was similar to ancient China¡¯s Song and Ming dynasties. The historian was responsible for assisting the county magistrate, handling arrests, and prisons. Although his official rank was not high, his authority was substantial, ranked just below the county magistrate, the county¡¯s deputy, and the county captain.


    Of course, in the language of Tianji Star people, he was not actually called a historian, but was translated as such due to the similarity in job titles.


    Lin Rui noticed that this historian, Jiang Hanzhang, had looked coldly at Zhang Tianchang as soon as they ascended the building. His gaze was as sharp as a knife or spear, extremely stern. Then he looked at Lin Rui and the others with a gaze so cold it seemed it could freeze someone,


    Lin Rui instantly realized that his superior might not get along well with the historian, and he too was caught in the crossfire.


    As Lin Rui was observing the scene, a strong and robust voice from downstairs announced, ¡°The County Magistrate has arrived!¡±


    Following that shout, a young man about 2.4 meters tall, dressed in loosely-fitting magistrate clothes and with handsome features, ascended the stairs of Zuihua House¡¯s second-floor hall, accompanied by an old man.


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze shifted to the stairway entrance, inwardly marveling, ¡°No wonder this Tianji Star civilization resembles ancient China, even their official robes are hardly different.¡±


    At that moment, all the constables inside the hall bowed and said, ¡°We greet the County Magistrate!¡±


    ¡°Dispense with the formalities!¡±


    The County Magistrate walked over to his seat and slouched down, sitting boldly more like a bandit than a scholar, brimming with roguishness.


    He picked up the teacup from the table and asked casually, ¡°Do you know why I have summoned you here today?¡±


    All the government officials present made listening gestures, with Lin Rui and Wang Sen being particularly attentive.


    The arrest officers and the historian seated at the table were silent, faces grim.


    Only Zhang Tianchang stood up and said, ¡°My lord, have you come concerning the Blood Blade witch who has been wreaking havoc in the southern part of the city?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s mind stirred upon hearing this.


    Four days ago, Lin Shier had been struck by a remote sword attack from that very Blood Blade witch, suffering severe internal injuries, which eventually led to his death.

 Chapter 31: 30: Blood Blade Princess

    Chapter 31: Chapter 30: Blood Blade Princess


    ¡°Four days ago, a ¡®Blood Blade¡¯ rampaged through Hanhua Alley, murdering indiscriminately,¡± said arrest officer Tian Chang as he continued, ¡°My colleagues and I rushed to the scene and tried to encircle her for the kill, but the effort fell apart. The Blood Blade broke through our encirclement and escaped. This battle cost us one arrest officer and three deputy arrest officers from our precinct, and over thirty innocent civilians lost their lives. I too was seriously injured and had to return home to recuperate, and I am not aware of the events that followed.¡±


    ¡°What happened afterward? The Blood Blade wreaked havoc in the city! In four days, she killed thirty-seven people. Look at Hanhua Alley! She attacked so many brothels that the customers dare not visit and all the courtesans have fled!¡±


    The County Magistrate¡¯s face was stern, his eyes filled with sorrow, ¡°The death of Lin, the arrest officer, and several deputies has indeed caused me great distress. However, what pains and worries me even more is that this Blood Blade is now lurking within the city, harming our people daily, consuming the vital essence of young men and women, causing panic and fear among all citizens. This has become the greatest threat in our Silver Moon County!¡±


    His voice suddenly grew louder, resounding through the air: ¡°This case has shocked the provincial city! This morning, the prefect sent a dispatch to our county, ordering that we eradicate this demonic calamity within three days. As the local official, I absolutely cannot sit idly by while our people suffer from this demon¡¯s torment!¡±


    The impassioned sound caused Lin Rui¡¯s eardrums to tingle and ache slightly.


    He realized that this local County Magistrate also possessed an extraordinary cultivation, likely having reached the fourth realm of ¡®Core Formation,¡¯ comparable to the rank of a federal Major or Lieutenant Colonel.


    ...


    Lin Rui was straining to understand what the County Magistrate was saying, finding it quite difficult to comprehend without guessing and relying on the translations provided by the biological chip behind him.


    The County Magistrate was not a local, speaking in the official language of the Great Song dynasty.


    Yet his Mandarin bore a heavy South State accent.


    If one must describe it, it would be like a Guangdong version of Mandarin¡ªevery country has its national anthem.


    The County Magistrate turned his head to look at Government Official Jiang Hanzhang, his words laced with frost, ¡°Capturing criminals, overseeing public order, suppressing demons, these are the responsibilities of a Government Official. May I ask, Official Jiang, have you investigated the origins of this Blood Blade? Where does she come from? Why has she brought calamity here? And presently, where is she hiding? You and the other officers, why have you not yet been able to kill or capture her?¡±


    Jiang Hanzhang was not at all intimidated by the County Magistrate¡¯s authority, and he responded calmly with a bow: ¡°Sir, I have found that the Blood Blade came from the capital, originally a guard of a major merchant¡¯s heir. It is not clear why she lost control and betrayed her master.


    This demon was originally at the late third realm, and she possesses several superior bloodline talents, making her extremely powerful in battle. After betraying her master, she began to kill indiscriminately in Hanhua Alley, and after consuming a large amount of the essence of young, healthy individuals, she broke through to the fourth realm during combat. Even I am not capable of subduing her alone.¡±


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    The County Magistrate sneered upon hearing this, ¡°So you¡¯ve chosen to ignore the Blood Blade, fearing involvement? Have you even instructed your staff to feign injuries and take leave, resulting in an increased number of unchecked demons in the city? Jiang Hanzhang, are you worthy of your official robe? Of the trust that the court has placed in you? Of the support the people have provided for your nourishment?¡±


    The government officials present lowered their heads even further upon hearing this.


    The atmosphere within the building was icy and tense, like a drawn sword.


    The twin swords on her back emitted a strange glow as if they could devour all life.


    Lin Rui wondered who this girl was. Beautiful and yet, quite eerie.


    However, strangely enough, why were all the formidable people inside the building ignoring this girl in red? Did they not see her, or did they all recognize her?


    While Lin Rui¡¯s attention was diverted to the girl in red, the County Magistrate inside was tossing a ledger directly in front of Jiang Hanzhang, ¡°Clerk Jiang, I¡¯m giving you another chance. Think it over carefully before you answer me.¡±


    Jiang Hanzhang furrowed his brows and flipped through the ledger briefly.


    His complexion changed slightly and gradually paled. Nevertheless, he later took a deep breath and said, ¡°It¡¯s really true that when you want to condemn someone, any excuse will do. I don¡¯t know where the County Magistrate came up with this ledger, intending to sentence Jiang to death. But, sir, if you think that this forged ledger can constrain m, then you are underestimating people.¡±


    He then removed his official seal from his waist and placed it on the table, ¡°Sir, in the matter of eliminating Blood Blade, more than thirty of my subordinates have died or been injured. Over these four days, we have done our best to maintain the safety of the southern city on behalf of the Silver Moon County¡¯s citizens. If the County Magistrate insists on sending us to our deaths, then please allow me to resign from my position and return my seal!¡±


    The six arrest officers sitting below him also stood up at this point, three of them nonetheless, slapping their tokens on the table with a sneer.


    ¡°Please also allow us to retire, sir! This suicidal mission is not worth undertaking!¡±


    At this moment, Jiang Hanzhang felt slightly surprised as he looked at the three unmoved arrest officers with a dark and stern gaze.


    Under his glare, these three had complex expressions but remained seated, utterly motionless.


    Jiang Hanzhang couldn¡¯t help but scoff, ¡°Very good!¡±


    He abruptly swept his robes and turned directly toward the staircase.


    This scene left all the constables pale faced, caught in a dilemma, but then, nearly half of them followed Jiang Hanzhang down the stairs loudly.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen exchanged glances, pondering whether to stay at the tavern or to follow the Clerk.


    It felt more sensible to leave with the Clerk, after all, they were just there to collect a paycheck.


    However, given today¡¯s situation, the County Magistrate clearly had the upper hand, having won over four out of the seven arrest officers.


    At that moment, Tian Chang, whose gaze was sharp as a knife, swept over them, making them suppress the chaotic thoughts in their minds.


    The saying goes that the official present outweighs the one who is not, and they were under Tian Chang¡¯s control.

 Chapter 32: 31: Promotion and Wealth

    Chapter 32: Chapter 31: Promotion and Wealth


    The young County Magistrate sat motionless in his seat, coldly watching as the recordkeeper Jiang Hanzhang and a group of arrest officers and constables strutted down the stairs.


    He then regained his smile, looking at Zhang Tianchang, ¡°Tian Chang, your ability to manage your subordinates is quite commendable.¡±@@@@


    Out of the remaining sixteen constables in the house, five were under Zhang Tianchang¡¯s command.


    Zhang Tianchang, however, replied with a wry smile and a clasped hand, ¡°I am ashamed!¡±


    Out of his total squad of twenty-eight men, he had only brought five.


    Zhang Tianchang actually wanted to ask the County Magistrate what should be done next. Now that most of the constables had left with the recordkeeper, the city¡¯s rats and monsters, unrestrained, would likely wreak havoc.


    ...


    Still, he held back, seeing the County Magistrate¡¯s confident appearance, assuming there must be a plan to cope with the situation.


    However, the three arrest officers sitting on the other side all looked worried, with one of them standing up as if wanting to speak but hesitating.


    ¡°Are you worried about the law and order in the city, Chief Zhuang?¡±


    The young County Magistrate raised his hand to signal them to calm down and let out a disdainful snort, ¡°Rest assured, I have already requested three hundred county soldiers from the prefectural city to take over the duties of the yamen patrol. They will soon be arriving outside the east city gate, and the Imperial City Division has already sent people to lurk in the city. Recordkeeper Jiang¡¯s attempt to coerce by taking the constabulary with him and threatening to resign has been a miscalculation.¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone was first surprised, but then they calmed down.


    A few even showed relief on their faces, for with the County Magistrate having summoned the county soldiers, Recordkeeper Jiang¡¯s actions today were likely to land him in defeat.


    Just then, the young County Magistrate abruptly said, ¡°Duo li La Zha, Tuo Yi Lai A Ti Bu Chi.¡±


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    Lin Rui, not understanding the meaning, wondered if the County Magistrate intended for them to strip. However, when he saw the subsequent translations from the biological intelligence chip, his heart immediately tightened.


    The County Magistrate had also spoken in official language, but this time it was in the refined accent of the capital from the official language, akin to Beijing Mandarin during the Ming and Qing dynasties, which meant ¡®Everyone go back, and focus on doing your jobs well.¡¯


    This biological chip, though it appeared to be a lump of normal brain tissue and could effectively avoid detection by masters from Tian Ji Star, had computing power that didn¡¯t even come close to those of quantum chips.


    To prevent the chip from developing a self-awareness, its interior was also subjected to various restrictive measures, resulting in a reaction and thinking speed far inferior to that of a real person.


    The chip had to link the context together to complete the translation and then relay the result into Lin Rui¡¯s consciousness, which made the response even slower by half a beat.


    Lin Rui¡¯s resignation stemmed from the fact that everyone present had understood the message and had turned toward the staircase to leave, while he was the only one who had reacted a beat too slow.


    Wang Sen, too, had understood the message. Not only had he learned the official language of Tian Ji Star at the Alien Body College, but he had also mastered the seventeen main dialects of the south.


    Wang Sen, puzzled and with a troubled expression, walked outside, giving his sworn friend beside him a bewildered look. Lin Rui usually had language grades on par with his, or even better¡ªwhy had he not reacted just now?


    Lin Rui remained as calm as ever, nonchalantly turning around to follow the others out.


    However, no sooner had he taken a step than the County Magistrate spoke, ¡°Tian Chang and Lin Twelve, stay behind.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s scalp tingled, yet there was not a hint of change in his expression; he calmly halted his steps.


    On the other hand, Wang Sen, who had already started descending, looked subtly alarmed.


    Advisor Du was holding a mirror, facing it towards Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that the County Magistrate was indeed thorough in his actions.


    Expressionless, he exerted all his effort to activate the ¡®Concealing Breath Skill¡¯.


    Once the Concealing Breath Skill reached the Grandmaster level, it had a particular benefit: one could conceal what they wished to the extreme, and what they did not wish to hide could continue as normal.


    Lin Rui firmly believed that such a small place as Yinyue County surely lacked professional artifacts to detect external Heavenly Demons; otherwise, the Alien Body travelers of the Earth Federation would not have grown to their current scale.


    The mirror that Advisor Du held must be a mere ¡®Demon Mirror¡¯, capable of dealing with some newly descended Alien Body travelers, certainly not enough to trouble him who had mastered the Grandmaster-level Concealing Breath Skill.


    Indeed, after Advisor Du had held the mirror towards him for a while, he put the mirror away and nodded at the young County Magistrate.


    Zhang Tianchang, who was standing beside them, visibly relaxed his muscles, feeling somewhat ashamed that he had come to suspect this subordinate who came from a pitiful background.


    Lin Rui¡¯s father was also a constable, who had died in the line of duty a year ago, and Lin Rui had taken his father¡¯s position.


    Zhang Tianchang bowed and said, ¡°Sir, Little Twelve¡¯s father was also a public servant, who died while capturing demons a year ago. His natural talents are extraordinary; with only three months on the job, his cultivation had already reached the Meridian Opening Realm! Furthermore, he possesses divine authority and the Blood of Swiftness, along with a fire-type talent, with combat power close to a third realm Martial Cultivator, so he is indeed qualified for the black belt position!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    The young County Magistrate looked at Lin Rui with surprise. He originally intended to find one or two reliable people in the office to run errands, send messages, and the like. He hadn¡¯t expected Lin Rui to not only have a clear background but also possess quite remarkable martial arts talent.


    As a precaution against demons, most people start their cultivation after the sutures in their skull have closed at eighteen years old. This meant that Lin Rui had only recently started cultivating. And as a black-belt constable, he could already serve as the backbone of the office staff.


    His lips curled into a smile as he walked to the window, ¡°That¡¯s truly excellent. I am currently in need of help; the entire office is almost empty. Lin Rui, I hereby appoint you as a black-clad constable, acting as deputy arrest officer, tasked with all matters of theft and demon suppression in Hanhua Alley and the seven streets east of it. Do you have the courage to take on this responsibility?¡±


    He looked at Lin Rui with a gaze that weighed him up and down.


    Merely possessing a high martial talent wasn¡¯t enough, one must also have the courage, only then could they be considered truly useful talent!


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Rui¡¯s gaze sharpened, and without hesitation, he gave a respectful bow, ¡°I thank the County Magistrate for his recognition!¡±


    Not everyone had the qualifications to call themselves a subordinate in front of the County Magistrate, and the deputy arrest officer was certainly qualified.


    Lin Rui thought to himself, what was there to fear about a mere Hanhua Alley?


    The wealth laid before him was not something to be refused.


    ¡°Very good!¡± the young County Magistrate smiled even more broadly, ¡°Zhang Tianchang, take him to the office now to get his uniform, badge, and seal! Then go to my study and choose one of the three suits of third-order Divine Porcupine Armor for him. Hmm, and let the apothecary give him three Soul Stones ahead of time.¡±


    Zhang Tianchang immediately carried out the order, signaling Lin Rui to follow.


    As Lin Rui followed Zhang Tianchang downstairs, he saw Wang Sen looking at him a bit nervously.


    He gave Wang Sen a look, signaling that he was fine.


    However, as Lin Rui walked out of the Zuihua House¡¯s main entrance, his body tensed slightly. He saw several wanted posters opposite the door.


    One of them was certainly for ¡®Blood Blade Ji¡¯, and although the portrait was not exactly the same as the red-clothed girl he had seen earlier, it bore a striking resemblance.


    Lin Rui quickly looked up, only to find that the ¡®Blood Blade Ji¡¯ who had been standing on the eaves of the second-floor balcony had already vanished without a trace.

 Chapter 33: 32: Soul Stone

    Chapter 33: Chapter 32: Soul Stone


    ¡°`


    ¡°It seems the boat has capsized,¡±


    On the second floor of Zuihua House, the young County Magistrate still stood by the window, watching Zhang Tianchang and Lin Rui below, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re right, this official has acted rashly. I should have been more patient.¡±


    The advisor standing behind him bowed slightly to the young County Magistrate, ¡°It¡¯s due to Your Honor¡¯s benevolence. You were unwilling to let the townspeople continue to suffer at the hands of corrupt officials and demonic beings, and thus your actions were a bit hasty. However, I didn¡¯t expect the connection between Historian Jiang and the County Magistrate to run so deep.¡±


    Just now, when our County Magistrate passed over that account book, it already implied a reluctance to further investigate Historian Jiang¡¯s transgressions. Yet, contrary to expectations, Historian Jiang still resolutely chose to flip the table and sided with the County Magistrate.


    That is quite rare elsewhere, after all, historians generally have conflicts of power with the County Magistrate and are naturally the arm and right-hand helpers of their own County Magistrate.


    ...


    However, ever since taking office, our County Magistrate used several strategies to sow discord but failed to divide and rule the historian and the County Magistrate.


    This indicated a much larger issue at hand.


    ¡°There¡¯s certainly something strange about this. To my knowledge, Historian Jiang has no kinship ties with the County Magistrate. When the County Magistrate first took up his post, they even had some conflicts. Why would Historian Jiang cling so tenaciously to the County Magistrate¡¯s coattails?¡±


    The County Magistrate shook his head with a wry smile, ¡°Discussing this now is pointless. We need to swiftly deal with that Blood Blade servant.¡±


    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be too difficult,¡± the advisor said with indifference, ¡°Now, with three hundred county soldiers about to enter the city, the daily security of the city should be no issue. Once the imperial envoys arrive, it will take just a day or two to capture that Blood Blade servant¡ª¡±


    But before he could finish his sentence, he heard the young County Magistrate¡¯s lightly floating voice say, ¡°There is no more imperial envoy.¡±


    The advisor was startled and looked intently at the County Magistrate, ¡°Your Honor, what do you mean by this?¡±@@@@


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    ¡°News from the county town: the imperial envoy¡¯s ¡®Wang City Corps¡¯ suffered severe damage a few days ago. Almost the whole ¡®Imperial Dragon Squad¡¯ was wiped out in one fell swoop. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t rely on the imperial envoy for the next month or two.¡±


    The young County Magistrate handed a letter to the advisor, ¡°As for the county soldiers from the county town, they can¡¯t stay here long either. In at most a month, they will have to return to the county town.¡±


    The advisor opened the letter and skimmed through, then his face was covered in dark lines, thinking with this kind of situation, you still dare to confront Historian Jiang?


    He quickly realized that the County Magistrate¡¯s actions must have been a last resort.


    The news of the Wang City Corps¡¯ heavy loss would soon spread. Once Historian Jiang learned of this, he would be even less likely to compromise, and even the three arrest officers leaning toward the County Magistrate might turn on him.


    Today¡¯s move was actually a way to force them to take sides.


    ¡°So from now on, we can only rely on ourselves.¡±


    The young County Magistrate looked toward the government office, ¡°Sir, do you think that those victims who died one after another in the past four days, truly died at the hands of the Blood Blade servant?¡±


    ¡°I went to the scene myself. Whether it¡¯s the traces on the site or the wounds left behind, it¡¯s undoubtedly the work of the Blood Blade servant, especially since those corpses were all drained dry,¡±


    Lin Rui then followed Zhang Tianchang to the back courtyard where the County Magistrate lived and received a set of third-grade armor and three low-grade soul stones.


    Soul stones were a special product of Tianji Star, capable of strengthening spiritual power, and their effects far surpassed the ¡®spiritual power enhancers¡¯ developed by the Federation.


    The effect of a single low-grade soul stone was equivalent to three doses of spiritual enhancer, and it had no adverse side effects.


    The official Federation purchase price was five thousand Federation coins per stone, and the offers from mutant companies were even more lavish.


    The third-grade armor was even more precious. It was a set of full-body Divine Porcupine Armor, whose defensive capabilities were on par with the exoskeleton armor worn by a Federation Major, incredibly sturdy with the ability to inflict retaliatory damage.


    Armor of this level was rare in the entire yamen. Not even the arrest officers of the third realm had it, and the companies¡¯ purchase price could go as high as over one hundred thousand Federation coins.


    Thus, the character of the County Magistrate was quite magnanimous.


    As Zhang Tianchang led him around, he introduced Lin Rui to the many colleagues in the yamen and explained the importance of the role of the deputy arrest officer.


    ¡°You know how to use the badge, right?¡±


    Zhang Tianchang had a grave look and a hint of worry in his eyes as he said this, ¡°You must be careful these days. If you encounter any emergency, do not hesitate, just use your badge to notify me.


    As for manpower, according to the regulations of our county yamen, a deputy arrest officer is assigned one black-belt and three green-belts. Hanhua Alley is rich and, in principle, should have increased allocation, but as you saw in Zuihua House just now, the yamen doesn¡¯t have any extra manpower. I saw that you¡¯re quite close to Wang Twenty-Seven, so I¡¯ve simply assigned him to you. For the remaining three, I¡¯ll supplement them for you once the yamen recruits more people these next few days.¡±


    Lin Rui had not had a positive impression of Zhang Tianchang originally.


    He had not forgotten how Zhang Tianchang had conscripted men forcefully this morning, and just now in Zuihua House, how tense his muscles had been.


    Had the County Magistrate given the order, Zhang Tianchang would have struck his head with a palm, shattering his skull.


    However, after accompanying Zhang Tianchang around, Lin Rui had already lost much of his resentment.


    Lin Rui cupped his hands together, ¡°Arrest officer, you seem deeply concerned. Do you feel that the situation is ominous?¡±


    Zhang Tianchang smiled wryly in response, ¡°The current situation seems like a storm is coming. I actually regret recommending you to the County Magistrate a bit. I didn¡¯t expect him to appoint you as the deputy arrest officer directly. It might put you in the eye of the storm.¡±


    He immediately perked up, patting Lin Rui¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Anyway, be careful these next few days. Do what you can in Hanhua Alley, and if you truly can¡¯t cope, I will speak for you with the County Magistrate. There¡¯s no need to be too concerned. The County Magistrate is exceptionally astute and has everything under control. He will surely have a solution to this crisis.¡±


    Having said this, he rested his hand on his waist knife and strode out the door with determination.


    Lin Rui watched his resolute figure and pondered, is the situation in the county really so perilous?


    He then thought about the management bureau¡¯s warning and, while contemplating, stuffed a low-grade soul stone into his mouth and crunched it to pieces with a ¡®crack¡¯.


    The correct way to use soul stones was to grind them into powder, mix with water, and swallow. If that wasn¡¯t possible, crushing them with teeth also worked.


    Shortly after the powder entered his mouth, Lin Rui felt a refreshing coolness inside his mind.


    The digestion of a soul stone by the human body was a long-term process. For the next three days, he would remain in this state until the soul stone was completely absorbed.

 Chapter 34: 33: Follow

    Chapter 34: Chapter 33: Follow


    When Lin Rui emerged from the government office¡¯s storeroom, holding a set of armor, he unexpectedly encountered Wang Sen.


    Wang Sen¡¯s eyes widened as he looked Lin Rui up and down, dressed in his brocaded garb.


    The brocaded clothes, stretched taut by the soft armor underneath, appeared imposing and grand.


    ¡°Brother Twelve, how did you become an acting arrest officer?¡±


    Wang Sen, wary of the busy surroundings, refrained from using Lin Rui¡¯s real name, his face filled with disbelief, ¡°I thought we might be in trouble this time.¡±


    Just now, Wang Sen had been ready to fight to the death under Zuihua House. Once the battle began, he planned to catch several constables off guard and then thrust a sword upwards toward the spot where the County Magistrate was standing.


    ...


    Instead, Lin Rui had come downstairs unscathed and had even taken on a middle management role in the county government.


    ¡°What acting arrest officer? I¡¯m merely a constable acting in that capacity,¡± Lin Rui said as he tossed a set of armor to Wang Sen, ¡°You arrived just in time. Put this on¡ªThe County Magistrate has put me in charge of Hanhua Alley and the seven streets to the east. I asked Officer Zhang for some men, but he said he was short-staffed and could only assign you, Wang Twenty-seven, to me. Also, this inferior soul stone was an advance from the storehouse by the County Magistrate¡¯s orders. You¡¯ll have to pay me back once you¡¯ve made some money.¡±


    The armor Lin Rui displayed was that reserved for a deputy arrest officer within the premises of the government office.


    It happened because the County Magistrate had bestowed upon him a set of third-tier battle armor, which made the previous one available for Wang Sen¡¯s use.


    Additionally, Lin Rui had also secured a second-tier ¡®Demon Steel Shield,¡¯ knowing that Wang Sen specialized in the technique of sword and shield with a focus on defensive counters.


    Hanhua Alley had felt deadly and filled with an eerie demonic aura¡ªit was clearly very dangerous.


    Although Lin Rui himself was somehow excited and eager about this street of brothels in Yinyue County, he could not ignore the danger to Wang Sen¡¯s life.


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    Wang Sen, without any hesitation, crushed the soul stone, his words muffled, ¡°Acting deputy? That¡¯s hardly any different from the real deputy.¡±


    Now, with the chief clerk absent, Officer Zhang was the highest authority in the office, followed by Lin Rui.


    The office had previously two deputy arrest officers, both killed by the Blood Blade Ji.


    It wasn¡¯t until Wang Sen swallowed the soul stone that he noticed the phrase ¡®Hanhua¡¯ in Lin Rui¡¯s words. Instantly, he exclaimed, ¡°Both of us in charge of Hanhua Alley? Just the two of us?¡±


    His astonishment was such that even his voice distorted, drawing sidelong glances from two clerks passing by.


    These two were initially stunned, then looked at them with sympathy-filled eyes.


    Wang Sen felt a chill down his spine, wondering what the current state of Hanhua Alley was¡ªhadn¡¯t Lin Rui seen it?


    All the women had fled; not only them, but the brothel owners and protectors had also clean escaped, leaving it a dead street.


    Wang Sen glanced around and then leaned close to Lin Rui, lowering his voice, ¡°Brother Twelve, Sister Feicui¡¯s intention is for us to prioritize safety.¡±


    ¡°I too wish for safety,¡± Lin Rui clicked his tongue, ¡°But now that I am the acting arrest officer, the district is under my jurisdiction, and the soul stone is consumed, what do you propose we do?¡±


    Wang Sen inwardly disagreed with Lin Rui¡¯s strategy, feeling it was somewhat risky, but he kept his opinion to himself.


    Seeing Wang Sen¡¯s expression, Lin Rui knew he was only one step away from successfully convincing him.


    He pulled out a stack of wanted notices from his pocket, slapping them in Wang Sen¡¯s arms, ¡°Take another look at the reward amounts on these wanted notices.¡±


    He had obtained these during his frequent visits to the clerk office with Zhang Wen, from the clerk assistant who was in charge of such matters.


    The demons and criminals listed in these wanted notices had all committed crimes near Hanhua Alley, and Lin Rui felt a connection with them.


    Just then, Lin Rui¡¯s body suddenly stiffened, frozen in place.


    He saw her again, that ¡°Blood Blade Lady.¡±


    She was standing on the opposite wall, coldly observing him.


    Lin Rui also noticed that the eyes of this red-dressed young girl were different from before; they were a striking red, which looked rather eerie.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, I didn¡¯t notice before. Our Silver Moon County is so wealthy? An offering of fifty taels for a second realm demon, and a low-grade spirit stone as well?¡±


    As Wang Sen flipped through the wanted notices in front of him, his eyes gleamed.


    Fifty taels of demonic silver, worth sixty thousand yuan in the market, and since they had not signed an exclusive agreement with the company, they only needed to pay 10% tax to the government.


    Additionally, there was a low-grade spirit stone; combined, they could trade for a prime-grade meridian.


    It was at this moment he realized something was amiss, looking suspiciously at Lin Rui, ¡°Brother, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Lin Rui felt a dryness in his mouth, wanting to shout that the ¡°Blood Blade Lady¡± was right here, in the magistrate¡¯s office!


    But when he thought that the County Magistrate had not returned, neither the county officer nor the clerk were there, and only a county provost who Tian Chang mentioned didn¡¯t really care about affairs was present, he suppressed the urge.


    There wasn¡¯t a single fourth realm expert capable of fighting in the magistrate¡¯s office; what use was there in shouting?


    After ten seconds of eye contact between the man and the demon, the red-dressed young girl finally withdrew her gaze, looking away.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong; just remembered something,¡± Lin Rui took a deep breath, nonchalantly folded the wanted notices handed back to him by Wang Sen, and slipped them into his sleeve.


    Internally, however, he felt a chill, puzzled.


    What does this Blood Blade Lady want? Why was she looking at him? She surely wasn¡¯t thinking of killing him, was she?


    Lin Rui then shook his head, nonchalantly walking toward the entrance of the magistrate¡¯s office.


    This Blood Blade Lady was not only a high-tier demon at the early fourth realm, she also possessed an exceptional Escape Skill, able to move in and out of the magistrate¡¯s office at will.


    If this woman truly wanted to kill him, fearing wouldn¡¯t help; he could only wait for death.


    So he brushed off his fears and carried on!


    But the thing that made Lin Rui¡¯s scalp tingle again was that the Blood Blade Lady actually followed, floating behind him like a ghost.

 Chapter 35: 34: Kill

    Chapter 35: Chapter 34: Kill


    Lin Rui did not know that, as he once again left the County Magistrate¡¯s office, someone in a nearby tavern indeed harbored a murderous intent towards him.


    It was a middle-aged man around thirty years old, dressed in the attire of an arrest officer.


    He stood behind a window in a private room on the third floor of the tavern, peering outside. His nose, sharp like an eagle¡¯s beak, appeared sinister and harsh under the sunlight filtering through the window lattice: ¡°That¡¯s Lin Twelve, a small constable under Zhang Tianchang who has been on the job for only three months. That man just stayed on the second floor of Zuihua House with Zhang Tianchang for a short while before coming downstairs.¡±


    He smirked with a hint of mockery, ¡°It seems the County Magistrate has no one else to rely on. Not only did he promote him to deputy arrest officer, but he also put him in charge of Hanhua Alley.¡±


    Surprisingly, though he had left Zuihua House with Jiang Hanzhang earlier, he knew all the County Magistrate¡¯s arrangements and movements.


    At this moment, Government Official Jiang Hanzhang was sitting in the corner of the room, enveloped in shadows.


    ...


    He poured himself a drink and pondered with the cup at his lips, ¡°So, does this imply that this man has the County Magistrate¡¯s trust? How strong is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fit to be a dark yellow-belted constable.¡± The eagle-nosed arrest officer shook his head slightly, thinking how cautious their Government Official was: ¡°He¡¯s said to have quite a talent for martial arts, having entered the Meridian Opening realm. This morning, he killed a third-realm demonic creature that was seriously injured. However, in my estimation, he must have just entered the Meridian Opening realm not long ago. The Thousand Thread devil he killed had previously been struck by a punch from Zhang Tianchang and was already close to death.¡±


    Jiang Hanzhang then narrowed his eyes, ¡°Then let¡¯s send him on his way.¡±


    His tone was casual, as though he was simply instructing someone to take out the trash.


    The eagle-nosed arrest officer turned around with a sly smile, ¡°Thinking of killing a chicken to warn the monkeys now might be too late. I¡¯ve said before that Constable Zhuang and the others are unreliable, and that County Magistrate is a tricky figure to deal with.¡±


    Jiang Hanzhang¡¯s face turned cold. The betrayal of the three major arrest officers indeed caught him off guard and dealt him a heavy blow.


    He snorted, ¡°Officer Li, just do your job. There¡¯s no need for so many words.¡±


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    ¡°I can do the job.¡± The eagle-nosed arrest officer fixed his gaze on Jiang Hanzhang, ¡°As far as I know, the County Magistrate will be stationed at Zuihua House in the next few days.¡±


    Zuihua House was at the entrance to Hanhua Alley, so acting against Lin Twelve at this time was extremely risky.


    Since the County Magistrate appointed Lin Twelve as deputy arrest officer in charge of Hanhua Alley, he probably also intended to provide oversight.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that even better?¡± Jiang Hanzhang sneered coldly, draining the wine in his cup, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the County Magistrate; when the time comes, someone will naturally keep an eye on him.¡±@@@@


    This was exactly the effect he wanted to see.


    In Yinyue County, he and the County Magistrate were the heavens!


    Even the County Magistrate of the same county, if he became their enemy, could only watch helplessly as his confidants perished.


    The eagle-nosed arrest officer fell into thought, then smiled, ¡°Perfect, I have someone to deal with today, I might as well take him along. But I suspect he won¡¯t live that long¡ªthose demons around Hanhua Alley don¡¯t subsist on veggies.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    As evening approached, at the tail end of the street in Hanhua Alley, in the wine cellar of a tavern¡¯s backyard, with over a dozen wine jars suddenly exploding, a booming sound erupted, and streams of black wine merged in mid-air, forming a four-meter tall water giant.


    He was muscular, ugly, and fierce-looking, with eyes that were dark and muddy, bellowing with rage at Lin Rui, ¡°You damned scoundrel, why prevent me from drinking? I haven¡¯t troubled you¡ª¡±


    The two exchanged a glance in midair, then ran out like madmen, and just as they barely escaped the wine cellar, another earth-shattering boom occurred behind them, the sheer force of it blasting the dome of the wine cellar clean off.


    Lin Rui was once again thrown to the ground by the blast wave, and only after the surrounding dirt rain had fallen did he climb to his feet.


    Lin Rui, annoyed, wiped his face: ¡°Damn it, I forgot that the vile wine ghosts have the ability to purify liquor, capable of distilling high-proof alcohol.¡±


    ¡°How much high-proof liquor would that take?¡± Wang Sen was also shaken, his face pale as he pondered in bewilderment: ¡°Vile wine ghosts are obsessed with liquor; why wouldn¡¯t it drink all this liquor rather than go to the trouble of purifying it to such a high degree?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.


    He then brushed aside his thoughts, putting a chunk of frozen ice into the pouch around his waist.


    This was a piece of the vile wine ghost¡¯s body frozen by Wang Sen, which they could take to the Government Office to exchange for money.


    About seven days ago, a group of brothel and tavern owners had urgently implored the county government to kill this vile wine ghost, offering a bounty of seventy taels of demon silver.


    Although due to Blood Blade Ji¡¯s affairs, one of the owners had died and the rest had gone into hiding, the bounty they offered for the vile wine ghost had already been paid in advance.


    The vile wine ghost¡¯s combat strength wasn¡¯t strong, but it possessed keen sensing abilities and a certain degree of water escape ability, so the constables previously assigned to Hanhua Alley had been unable to catch it.


    Lin Rui, fortunately, had a Grandmaster level Concealing Breath Skill, and his derivation of the Red Thunder Palm into electromagnetic sensing was incredibly refined.


    The Ice Wind Palm and Red Thunder Palm they¡¯d learned were particularly restrictive to the vile wine ghost, making it quite easy for them to find and slay it.


    As for why the vile wine ghost wanted to distill so much high-proof liquor, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t figure it out and didn¡¯t bother to think about it.


    Afterward, he pulled out the stack of arrest warrants from his sleeve, flipping through them by the last glimmers of daylight.


    Wang Sen watched this scene, his gaze filled with genuine admiration.


    Before the vile wine ghost, by leveraging Lin Rui¡¯s exceptional sensory abilities, they had together hunted down a ¡®Faceless Ghost,¡¯ a ¡®Demon Wing Ghost,¡¯ and that morning¡¯s ¡®Thousand Silk Demon.¡¯ This was already the fourth demon.


    Looking at Lin Rui¡¯s manner, it seemed he was still ready to press on.


    No wonder he was called Brother Rui, his perseverance was terrifying indeed.


    Wang Sen was also focusing on regulating his breath, fortifying his energy and spirit.


    According to the three-to-seven split agreed upon with Lin Rui, Wang Sen had already earned eighty-five taels of demon silver, which left him eager for more, hoping to earn another fortune.


    Wang Sen hadn¡¯t forgotten the instructions given by Yu Feicui before their descent.


    Every so often, Wang Sen would look through the group chat history and the word ¡®understood¡¯ that he said before descending.


    This made him feel deeply ashamed and conflicted; he was constantly struggling internally.


    The problem was that money was coming too easily. With Brother Rui¡¯s powerful electromagnetic sensing, they easily located hidden demons.


    Moreover, this couldn¡¯t really be considered dangerous for them, right?


    Together, the two of them easily handled second-realm demons with neither strain nor danger.


    It was clear that the risks were still within a controllable range! He shouldn¡¯t have let down Feicui¡¯s trust.

 Chapter 36: 35 Demons and Purgatory

    Chapter 36: Chapter 35 Demons and Purgatory


    While Lin Rui examined the yet-to-be-resolved sea arrest warrants in his hands, he stole glances at the red-clothed girl a few dozen meters away.


    The Blood Blade girl was still following him, her face expressionless.


    But just now, during the explosion in the wine cellar, Lin Rui thought he saw this woman smiling, her smile laced with sarcasm and schadenfreude.


    Lin Rui wondered what the woman wanted to do. If you want to kill, then kill. If you want to skin someone, just do it. If you want to get on with it, then get on. Don¡¯t dawdle, or I, Lin, will frown and take your surname!


    He had long adopted a devil-may-care attitude and simply redirected his attention, ¡°Speaking of which, each of these demons is quite pitiful and their lives are not easy. Look at this Consumptive Demon. Just because she contracted tuberculosis, she was driven out of the brothel, and she had to sell all the money she had saved over ten years. In just a few months, she gambled it all away in pawnshops and spent it in drugstores. In the end, she coughed herself nearly to death in the cold wind under the bridge.¡±


    Wang Sen didn¡¯t give it much thought and agreed, Right, isn¡¯t it?


    ...


    He had also seen this sea arrest warrant and felt that the people the Consumptive Demon killed all deserved to die.


    However, this is a characteristic of Tianji Star. The vast majority of demons are transformed from living humans. They all possess hidden, powerful bloodline talents. Some transform due to intense desires, some due to extreme hatred, and some are martial cultivators who lose control of their minds, causing their bodies to mutate and become ¡®demons¡¯.


    Therefore, a large portion of these demons had suffered tragic fates before their transformations.


    The forms of demonic mutations vary greatly, with most focusing on a particular part of the body.


    For instance, the Thousand-Tendril Demon transformed with its hair as the main focus, whereas the Consumptive Demon¡¯s mutation concentrated on the lungs.


    These demons are a disaster and nightmare for the ordinary people of Tianji Star but a stroke of luck for the Earth Federation.


    Because of the existence of demons, most of the martial force of Tianji Star people is firmly restrained within the atmosphere, leaving them no time to look outward.


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    For the Tianji Star people, the most significant threats have always been the ¡®demons,¡¯ ¡®purgatory,¡¯ and themselves.


    Lin Rui flipped through the sea arrest warrants to the last one and abruptly stood up, ¡°Next up is this Consumptive Demon. The current bounty is one hundred and eighty silver taels. Same rules as always, we¡¯ll go have a look. If we can¡¯t beat her, we run; if we can, we send her to salvation. Considering her condition, she probably doesn¡¯t want to harm anyone else and is enduring great pain. We should let her rest in peace sooner rather than later.¡±


    He had acquired a total of nine sea arrest warrants for demons from the scribe.


    All of the second realm ones had been dealt with, and what remained were all of the third realm, which were a bit tricky.


    However, based on their encounter with the Evil Wine Ghost, Lin Rui felt that they could take a chance.


    The combat power of Wang Sen gave him much confidence, worthy of being ranked 213th in the abnormals¡¯ practical combat assessment. Wang Sen¡¯s combat power had also reached the peak of the second realm, always managing with aplomb.


    Moreover, there were Soul Power points. This was Lin Rui¡¯s biggest confidence booster. The results of his recent trial use of the Soul Power points had left him pleasantly surprised.


    Lin Rui also had the trump card of being possessed by General Xue, believing that even if he faced an upper-level third realm demon, he should have the power to protect himself.


    ¡ªAlthough he had not yet attempted possession up to this point.


    Upon hearing this, Wang Sen felt somewhat nervous, as the Consumptive Demon was an early third realm demon.


    This was a good thing!


    Lin Rui felt an increased fondness for the young County Magistrate; it seemed the man had no intention of throwing him into the fire.


    ¡°This child, I really don¡¯t know what to say to you.¡±


    Zhang Tianchang sighed, ¡°You¡¯ve just started your job; it would be best to take it easy and remember to act within your capabilities!¡±


    Zhang Tianchang felt a mix of happiness, gratification, and worry over Lin Twelve¡¯s achievements.


    This subordinate¡¯s ability to take action was extraordinary, capturing three level-two demonic creatures in less than half a day since starting his post. However, the situation within the city was turbulent, and Lin Twelve¡¯s high profile could easily lead him to a downfall in this tumult.


    ¡°Your subordinate understands.¡± Lin Rui withdrew his gaze from the Zuihua House. ¡°Did the arrest officer seek me out for another matter?¡±


    ¡°You guessed it.¡±


    Zhang Tianchang replied with a hearty smile, ¡°One of Zhao Yuanwai¡¯s family members reported to the yamen that a level-two demonic creature is causing havoc in their household at the southern corner of Willow Alley, resulting in two human deaths. I¡¯ve dispatched two squads of county soldiers to surround Zhao¡¯s residence. If you are currently available, head over and assess the situation.¡±


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows at these words.


    A level-two demonic creature?


    He lacked interest, yet promptly replied, ¡°Your subordinate understands. We will head there now.¡±


    A mosquito may be small, but it is still meat.


    ¡°When you arrive, ensure you are mindful of your demeanor. Zhao Yuanwai makes annual donations to the yamen, so try not to make things difficult for the County Magistrate,¡± Zhang Tianchang continued to instruct, ¡°Zhao Yuanwai is easy to deal with, very particular about manners, and very generous. You will realize when you get there, but still act within your means. If you can handle it, do so; if you can¡¯t, withdraw temporarily and advise Zhao Yuanwai¡¯s family to find another place to stay. After all, they are wealthy with several properties in the city; there¡¯s no shortage of places for them to live.¡±


    Zhang Tianchang figured Lin Rui should be able to handle a single level-two demonic creature.


    Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    The more excellent Lin Twelve performed, the more Zhang Tianchang appreciated, cherished, and wished for his safety.


    Lin Rui, however, found this arrest officer to be tediously verbose. He patiently listened until the communication with Zhang Tianchang ended, then hung the token back at his waist and patted the dust off his clothes, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It seems we must first make a trip to Willow Alley.¡±


    Wang Sen was initially shaking his head, scoffing to himself¡ªthis is what gentry are like.


    Had it been a commoner, with the current state of the yamen, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have had the time to bother.


    It was only for a wealthy gentry like Zhao Yuanwai that the County Magistrate would dispatch two squads of county soldiers at such a time.


    Even Earth Federation these days is just the same; despite highly advanced technology, the vast majority of social resources are held by the wealthy and the politicians.


    But when Wang Sen heard the last few sentences from Zhang Tianchang, his spirits lifted.


    He understood the hint in Zhang Tianchang¡¯s words¡ªthere should be a red envelope waiting, and a significant amount at that.


    This was certainly safer than provoking a level-three demonic creature.

 Chapter 37: 36: The Chosen Constable

    Chapter 37: Chapter 36: The Chosen Constable


    Lin Rui and his companion tidied up slightly and then walked out the door, heading in the direction of Zhao¡¯s home along the street.


    By this time, the sun had quietly set, the glow in the sky gradually faded, leaving behind a deep blue expanse.


    The twelve moons of varying sizes of the planet Tianji Star also outlined themselves in the sky.


    The planet they were on had a diameter of 1.17 million kilometers, just slightly smaller than the sun of the solar system.


    Given the massive mass of Tianji Star, it should have triggered a nuclear fusion reaction and become a dazzling sun, yet due to unknown reasons, its environment was not much different from that of Earth.


    Due to its astonishing mass, its rotation speed should also have been very fast, but it was restrained by the tidal forces of the giant sun of this solar system and its twelve large moons, making a day here a bit longer than on Earth, about 25 hours.


    ...


    This was like a strong man dragging a group of children in a turn, naturally unable to move quickly.


    Also, due to the presence of a mysterious power-filled underworld called ¡®Purgatory¡¯ within Tianji Star, both the gravity and attraction of the planet were far lower than those of normal planets.


    This phenomenon was inexplicable scientifically but had indeed occurred; some scientists suspected that it was a meeting point of different space-time dimensions, yet this could not be proven.


    Just as the two of them looked up, admiring this unique view inside Tianji Star, Lin Rui felt a sudden drop in the temperature around him.


    At this moment, they had just walked into an intersection, Lin Rui sensed a warning sign, and electric light burst simultaneously from both sides of his temples, a strong electromagnetic induction instantly covering a ten-meter radius around him.


    Lin Rui then saw a familiar blood-red figure, floating twenty yards in front of him and stopping.


    Blood Blade?


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    Lin Rui frowned, Blood Blade Ji, who had been following behind, had run to his front again, blocking the road.


    What was wrong with this Blood Blade Ji now? Was she preparing to kill him? Was she overcome by a bloodlust, wanting to devour them?


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Wang Sen couldn¡¯t see the figure of Blood Blade Ji.


    Yet he didn¡¯t hesitate to position the magic steel shield in front of Lin Rui, using the shield to protect the shapes of the two of them.


    Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts capability was definitely stronger than his, but when it came to defense, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t be better than the shield in his hands!


    He had promised Sister Jade, bearing the responsibility to guard Lin Rui safely!


    Seeing Wang Sen¡¯s actions, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help feeling warmed inside, thinking that his predecessor had indeed made a good brother, this little chubby guy was truly dependable in crisis.


    At this point, Lin Rui¡¯s mood had relaxed a bit.


    He noticed that Blood Blade Ji opposite him seemed to bear no intent to kill, only standing there motionless, quietly watching him with her bright red eyes.


    However, Lin Rui felt a strong and sharp telekinesis pressing towards him, causing a stinging sensation at the center of his forehead and his mind.


    Sparks flew in all directions amidst the clashing ¡®clang¡¯ sounds between the two.


    After a few exchanges, however, Blood Blade Ji let out a surprised cry.


    ¡°Grandmaster level Thunder Fire Stance?¡±


    The red figure suddenly retreated, standing thirty yards away as she fixed her gaze on him anew, her pupils seemingly flickering with surprise and severity.


    She then floated up, sheathed her sword, and moved aside, standing atop a nearby Zuihua House.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui¡¯s mind briefly relaxed, and then, frowning, he looked puzzledly at the red-clothed girl.


    So Blood Blade Ji could speak? And her voice was quite pleasant. He had previously thought she was mute.


    Lin Rui cupped his hands towards Blood Blade Ji, ¡°May I ask what your intentions truly are?¡±


    If she had any intentions, why not just speak to him directly instead of making him guess wildly?


    However, what annoyed Lin Rui was that Blood Blade Ji¡¯s expression turned cold again, and she remained silent.


    What he failed to notice was that deep within Blood Blade Ji¡¯s eyes, there lurked a hint of anticipation. Her hands concealed in her sleeves were even trembling slightly, with a few sparks flickering about.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The view from the fifth floor of Zuihua House was very open, so when Lin Rui and his companion were attacked, the young County Magistrate saw it immediately.


    At first, he couldn¡¯t see Blood Blade Ji, but when this fourth realm demon put forth all her effort to deploy her telekinesis, attempting to overpower Lin Rui, the young County Magistrate finally spotted the bloody red figure in the middle of the street.


    It was Blood Blade Ji!


    The County Magistrate¡¯s mind instantly tensed, and his hands tightly gripped the window railing.


    Could it be that Blood Blade Ji had developed a ¡®blood addiction¡¯ and wished to kill Lin Rui?


    That wouldn¡¯t do!


    When the County Magistrate decided to promote Lin Rui, he hadn¡¯t held much hope, merely seeing a young man with some martial arts talent, hoping to cultivate a talent to safeguard the peace of the local people in Yinyue County.


    But then he was incredibly surprised. After Lin Rui took the position of assistant arrest officer, he had resolved three second realm demons in the vicinity of Hanhua Alley in just one afternoon!


    This was the first time the County Magistrate had encountered such an effective subordinate. Lin Rui was even more diligent and committed than Tian Chang, with enormous potential in the martial path and extraordinarily strong sensory abilities, truly a chosen material for a constable!


    More importantly, this child had passed his test and was trustworthy.


    Such a useful subordinate couldn¡¯t just be lost, especially when most of the county government was vacant; a person like Lin Rui was even more precious.


    The problem was that at such a distance, he couldn¡¯t save him even if he wanted to.


    Had it been another fourth realm demon, he might have been able to make it in time.


    But with Blood Blade Ji, if she wanted to kill someone, the County Magistrate had not the slightest confidence in protecting Lin Rui.


    What gave the County Magistrate a slight relief was that although Blood Blade Ji had made a move against the two from afar, she hadn¡¯t used her full strength. After a brief contact with Lin Rui, she stepped back and vanished into thin air.

 Chapter 38: 37: What is Blood Blade

    Chapter 38: Chapter 37: What is Blood Blade


    ¡°This Blood Blade dame has such incredible techniques of concealment, she¡¯s like a ghost, completely unpredictable,¡±


    The moment the incident occurred, Grandmaster Du was also on the fifth floor of the Zuihua House, witnessing the same scene from afar.


    His eyebrows deeply furrowed, his eyes full of dread, ¡°Fortunately, this demon had no intention to kill; otherwise, these two would undoubtedly be dead.¡±


    The young County Magistrate had already relaxed, nodding slightly, ¡°This must be a kind of bloodline power; this ability is indeed terrifying. If she wanted to assassinate any of our people, except for me, I¡¯m afraid no one in the office could defend against her. However, this also precisely proves that the recent murders near Hanhua Alley are likely unrelated to her.¡±


    The County Magistrate spoke up to here and then slightly doubted as he propped his fan against his chin, ¡°Looking at her, she doesn¡¯t seem to be suffering from a blood addiction. Grandmaster Du, what do you think her intentions are?¡±


    Speaking of which, the few exchanges between Lin Rui and Blood Blade just now were also very powerful, possibly already at the Grandmaster level!


    ...


    If he hadn¡¯t already verified it, he would almost suspect Lin Rui was a Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain.


    But now, it seems this child is merely extremely talented, truly a great surprise to him.


    The County Magistrate was even more puzzled by Blood Blade¡¯s intentions.


    By acting this way, could it be that there is some trait on Lin Twelve that attracts the Blood Blade? Does she intend to form a bond with Lin Rui?


    If it really could be so, the young County Magistrate would actually be pleased to see it happen. It¡¯s not a solution for the Blood Blade to continue like this; if the demon doesn¡¯t consume blood, she will be tormented painfully by bloodlust, eventually leading to loss of control. However, if she starts to prey, she will completely succumb to her instincts, becoming no different from a beast. The only way to avoid this is to find a demon tamer, from whom she can obtain high-quality primal blood.


    The problem is Lin Twelve¡¯s cultivation is not sufficient, a normal demon tamer must have a third realm cultivation, entering the blood training phase. Like Blood Blade¡¯s previous master, that was a special case, not a countable example. Under the current situation, it¡¯s more likely that Lin Twelve will keep being followed by her and end up being eaten by her¡ªunless, Lin Twelve can step into the third realm within a few days.


    Grandmaster Du also fell into contemplation upon hearing this.


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    ¡°Speaking of which, this Lin Twelve has indeed given us a surprise. Seeing him confront Blood Blade, both his telekinesis and blade technique are quite extraordinary.¡±


    Grandmaster Du said this, suddenly his thought shifted, ¡°My lord, could she be signaling a warning? Trying to stop Lin Twelve from going to Zhao¡¯s family?¡±@@@@


    The young County Magistrate¡¯s expression changed drastically and he looked in the direction of Zhao¡¯s home.


    It was located on the eastern side of Hanhua Street, separated by seven streets, exactly at the edge of Lin Twelve¡¯s jurisdiction, and five miles away from the Zuihua House where he was.


    ¡°There¡¯s trouble at the Zhao¡¯s, it¡¯s probably a trap!¡±


    He lifted a hand, taking off the jade pendant from his waist.


    Just as the County Magistrate was about to use this jade pendant to communicate with Lin Twelve, calling this potential major asset back, he discovered that the jade pendant emitted a ¡®sizzling¡¯ sound.


    At that moment, he couldn¡¯t contact Lin Twelve, nor could he reach Zhang Tianchang and the others.


    The young County Magistrate furrowed his brows and prepared to leap from the fifth floor of the Zuihua House, but saw countless black threads shooting out from underneath the Zuihua House.


    These black threads interwove like a spider web, and in an instant, it seemed like a giant birdcage enveloped the entire Zuihua House.


    The young County Magistrate¡¯s pupils shrank slightly.


    ¡°Fourth realm, Thousand Thread Demon!¡±


    It was not just one late fourth realm Thousand Thread Demon. The young County Magistrate also sensed two more fourth realm presences lurking around.


    The County Magistrate then took out the official seal hanging from his waist, tossing it downstairs, his expression extremely grim as he looked toward a shadow-covered alley below.


    Only women with imperial lineage could be transformed into ¡®Blood Blade Maidens.¡¯


    This man-made demon not only had extremely powerful combat prowess but could also be used to nurture blades, with their bodies and royal blood fostering powerful demonic blades.


    Their potential was also exceptional, not only as upper-level demons but also having the credentials to be promoted to ¡®King.¡¯


    The Blood Blade Maidens were once a power exclusive to the royal family of the Great Zhou Nation until the country¡¯s downfall, after which the secret technique of transforming Blood Blade Maidens gradually spread.


    From then on, people came to know the necessary conditions for transforming a Blood Blade Maiden, which not only required imperial lineage but also their willing consent.


    Since then, women of royal descent had become highly coveted.


    Although the current dynasty¡¯s royal women were untouchable, there were many female descendants from previous dynasties who were suitable candidates.


    ¡°The wisdom of Blood Blade Maidens is very high, and even after mastering their masters, their spiritual intelligence won¡¯t be affected. As long as their blood diet is assured, their actions are no different from ordinary people. However, their blood addiction will also become increasingly severe¡ª¡±Lin Rui listened intently to Wang Sen¡¯s explanation about Blood Blade Maidens while falling into deep thought.


    He wondered whether the Blood Blade Maiden had stopped them earlier with good or ill intentions?


    It¡¯s likely more out of goodwill?¡± he surmised.


    If the Blood Blade Maiden had come with malicious intent, why bother with complications?


    A straight blade strike would have sufficed.


    However, regardless of the situation, Zhao Yuanwai¡¯s house might pose a great danger, perhaps even a dragon¡¯s lair or a tiger¡¯s den.


    Who else wanted to harm him? Was it Historian Jiang? Was it because he became the deputy arrest officer and a confidant of the County Magistrate, thus triggering a crisis?


    Lin Rui hesitated only briefly before continuing forward with resolute steps.


    He decided to take the risk. No matter what dangers lay hidden in Zhao¡¯s house, the enemy couldn¡¯t possibly know the full extent of his and Wang Sen¡¯s strengths at this time.


    It was worth taking a look, and if the situation turned dire, they could think of ways to escape later.


    Lin Rui had endured the torment of advanced-stage blood cancer and the despair of having no cure, which had tempered his will.


    At the initial diagnosis, Lin Rui felt as if the sky had fallen, overwhelmed with weakness and fear daily, following medical advice that led to a rapid deterioration of his condition.


    Later, he completely let go and began to face death calmly, living stubbornly and optimistically. He ended up living three years longer than the doctors had predicted, though it was still torturous for him.


    If fate decreed that he was to die here, there was no need to be overly cautious.


    If this was indeed a plot by the historian, then it was crucial to seize the opportunity while the fog of war still lingered between the two parties and collect some heads first.


    Only by weakening the enemy¡¯s strength as much as possible could he enhance his own chances and vitality.


    Besides, they needed to investigate the Blood Blade Maiden thoroughly as soon as possible, clarifying her background and origin.


    Lin Rui thought to himself, if the Blood Blade Maiden willingly chose to transform into a demon, then why did she devour her master? If she stopped them from going to Zhao¡¯s house out of goodwill, were the bloody incidents in Hanhua Alley also her doing?


    And why did she keep following him? She could speak, yet she was as silent as a mute, not responding to any questions.


    Lin Rui felt it was necessary to look into this thoroughly.


    Unfortunately, Lin Rui hadn¡¯t even mastered the language of Tianji Star, let alone its writing and reading.


    This matter could only be entrusted to the chubby boy beside him after dealing with Zhao¡¯s house.

 Chapter 39: 38: Goodbye, Snake Hand

    Chapter 39: Chapter 38: Goodbye, Snake Hand


    Zhao Yuanwai¡¯s residence was extremely spacious, occupying half of the street with its five-section grand mansion.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen arrived there to find a large crowd gathered at the entrance of the Zhao family home.


    They formed small groups, whispering among themselves while occasionally standing on tiptoes to peek inside the courtyard.


    When Lin Rui and the other approached, the crowd parted to either side, as if fearful to obstruct their path.


    ¡°The constables are here, make way!¡±


    ¡°How strange, this is an arrest officer? Why haven¡¯t we seen him before?¡±


    ...


    ¡°So young, barely grown into his features, can he handle this?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze had already pierced through the crowd and landed on Zhao Yuanwai.


    This was a man in his forties, plump and wealthy-looking, dressed in a celestial variant of the Yuanwai attire, standing conspicuously at the gate.


    At the moment, Zhao Yuanwai was clutching the doorframe, peeking inside with the escort of several Protectors and a group of county soldiers.


    Next to him stood a butler, tall and thin, with a sallow complexion.


    Noticing Lin Rui and Wang Sen approaching, the butler frowned deeply: ¡°Where is Zhang Tianchang? Why did he only send the two of you here?¡±


    The butler looked Lin Rui up and down with a skeptical expression: ¡°You are an arrest officer? As far as I know, there¡¯s no one like you in the county yamen.¡±


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    Lin Rui did not answer. He took out his waist plaque and shook it in front of the butler, then stood firm in the center of the gate: ¡°What exactly is the situation? It¡¯s just a second-realm demon; can¡¯t you handle it yourselves?¡±


    The Zhao family was clearly wealthy; the eight Protectors around Zhao Yuanwai were all formidable, muscular, and well-equipped.


    The leader of the Protectors even had cultivation in the third realm, ¡®Blood Replacement¡¯. Lin Rui could sense the powerful spiritual energy emanating from them from a distance.


    Moreover, twenty county soldiers had arrived, all first-realm Martial Cultivators, with two being in the second realm.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t understand. Did they really need to be so frightened of a second-realm demon?


    Listening to the conversations outside the courtyard gate, he knew that most of these people were Zhao Yuanwai¡¯s household members and servants.


    This entire family had retreated outside the courtyard.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t handle it, but that we can¡¯t find it!¡±


    The head Protector bowed helplessly: ¡°This demon is skilled in concealing itself, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. We¡¯ve searched the entire courtyard and can¡¯t find any trace of it, yet it managed to harm another person. Hong is ashamed. I can¡¯t even determine its species. To prevent further incidents, I suggested that Yuanwai evacuate everyone from the residence.¡±


    He glanced sideways at the group of county soldiers; ¡°Just now, two officers led people inside to search, to no avail.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui nodded slightly, recognizing that this Protector head was not only diligent but also rational.


    He then asked in a focused voice, ¡°Since you¡¯ve all never seen it, how can you be sure it¡¯s a second-realm demon?¡±


    ¡°When it killed, I sensed its aura. Additionally, Arrest Officer Lord will understand once he sees the corpse of the deceased.¡±


    This was because, after reaching the third level, demonic entities would drain nearly all of a victim¡¯s vital blood, leaving the body dry like drained wood.


    ¡°Brother Twelve, did you notice anything?¡± Wang Sen quietly inquired, ¡°The conjugation skill is extremely sophisticated, and claws are used, it feels somewhat like the Hidden Claw Demon, but it doesn¡¯t quite explain why a level three Martial Cultivator couldn¡¯t trace it.¡±


    He knew that Lin Rui¡¯s perceptive abilities were very strong, far surpassing his own.


    The earlier evil spirit was discovered by Lin Rui, and even when the Blood Blade attacked, Lin Rui was able to react in advance, while Wang Sen had not sensed any aberrations.


    ¡°Not quite.¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head, responding quietly, ¡°It feels more like a beastly demon, possibly a cat demon. Its perception is very sharp and it¡¯s extremely agile, be careful.¡±


    At that moment, his gaze toward the butler ahead was unusual, as he gathered strength under the cover of the Concealing Breath Skill within his body.


    Lin Rui had already realized that his sensory abilities were quite strong. The traces of the Blood Blade that others couldn¡¯t detect, he could see.


    His eyes could see things unnoticed by others, his spiritual power could even project outward up to three meters¡ªthese talents might originate from his unawakened unknown Sacred Body.


    Just now, Lin Rui had noticed near the murder scene, there were tracks resembling cat paw prints.


    The paw prints were very faint, imperceivable to ordinary people, but not to his eyes.


    In Tianji Star, there weren¡¯t cats, but there were creatures similar in shape and habit, which the federation¡¯s biologists, out of laziness, directly named ¡®Tianji Star Cats,¡¯ classified under the cat family, subfamily of Tianji Star cats.


    At this moment, they happened to be passing by a storage room, and Lin Rui¡¯s expression shifted as he stood still.


    ¡°Is that barrels of oil over there? Butler, why is there so much oil here? Can¡¯t it fit inside the storage room?¡±


    On both sides of the storage room were piled more than a hundred large wooden barrels, their exteriors sleek and shiny.


    The butler turned his head to look and responded indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s vegetable oil. Don¡¯t you know? Our master is the biggest oil merchant in the county. Our household produces hundreds of thousands of liters of oil each year. This is freshly pressed from this year¡¯s harvest and hasn¡¯t been sent to the provincial city yet.¡±


    Upon hearing about the oil, Wang Sen glared fiercely at Lin Rui.


    With so much oil, let¡¯s not burn it again.


    At this moment, the butler had already walked up to the archway ahead, ¡°This side is the back garden; you¡¯d better keep up, it¡¯s quite winding inside. Don¡¯t blame me if you get lost.¡±


    The butler led the way and Wang Sen followed closely behind.


    He walked in front of Lin Rui, shield in hand, looking cautious, guarding against the level two demonic entity.


    The moment Wang Sen stepped in, he tensed up, looked up, and saw a shadow swooping down from the top of the archway.


    ¡ªIt really was a cat demon!


    In Tianji Star, any beast transformed by magic is a demon!


    As Wang Sen instinctively threw the torch and raised his shield to defend against the cat demon, the butler walking ahead slightly raised the corners of his lips, a gleam of triumph in his eyes, thinking the end was near for the two men behind him.


    But just as he turned around, confident and flashing his sleeve sword, ready to pierce through Wang Sen¡¯s neck, his expression froze slightly as he saw a hand wrapped in thunder and flame abruptly appear in front of his eyes.


    The butler was incredulous.


    Was that the Red Thunder Snake Hand? Was it that Lin Twelve? But how was that possible?

 Chapter 40: 39: Fifteen Consecutive Kills

    Chapter 40: Chapter 39: Fifteen Consecutive Kills


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    When Lin Rui¡¯s palm struck the butler¡¯s chest, a deafening explosion immediately occurred, and a massive amount of blood and flesh splattered from behind the butler, splashing up to twenty meters away.


    Lin Rui¡¯s palm had actually pierced straight through the butler¡¯s chest and abdomen.


    Because of the penetration through his chest and abdomen, the butler¡¯s body lost force; he staggered back a few steps, then collapsed on the ground, his eyes wide in disbelief as he looked at Lin Rui, his voice strained, ¡°Why, why do you want to kill me?¡±


    How, how on earth did he find out?


    Considering the timing of Lin Rui¡¯s attack, it must have been before that cat demon pounced.


    ...


    The butler thought his acting was perfect, revealing no flaws. However, he couldn¡¯t wait for an answer, as Lin Rui¡¯s palm had already shattered his internal organs and severed his spine, cutting off his lifeline.


    Barely managing to speak these words, the butler lost consciousness as darkness enveloped him.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer the butler.


    In his eyes, the Demonic Qi hidden within the butler was as conspicuous as fireflies in the night.@@@@


    After the palm strike, Lin Rui immediately stepped back, drew his saber, and covered Wang Sen¡¯s flank, generating a series of ¡®clangs¡¯ from beside them.


    Wang Sen was also surprised at Lin Rui¡¯s palm strike towards the butler.


    He didn¡¯t have time to ponder, his gaze fixed on the black cat.


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    Wang Sen responded swiftly and decisively; he simply blocked with his shield, used his Cold True Qi to slow the cat demon¡¯s speed, and then slashed off the black cat¡¯s head with his sword.


    This move was clean and swift, ending the battle in the blink of an eye.


    However, if it were Wang Sen¡¯s own body, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it.


    But his current clone, possessing the ¡°Divine Right¡± and ¡°Celestial Speed¡± bloodlines, had True Qi, strength, reaction, and speed far superior to ordinary Martial Cultivators.


    Wang Sen¡¯s Ice True Qi also penetrated the cat demon¡¯s brain, completely freezing its lifeforce.


    Since demons with mutated flesh have strong regenerative capabilities and are difficult to kill, Wang Sen spared no effort.


    Right after dealing with the cat demon, Wang Sen forcefully smashed his shield to the side.


    Following a loud explosion, the two figures fiercely battling Lin Rui were finally forced to retreat.


    By now, Lin Rui was heaving, breath ragged, and his arms were trembling slightly.


    The two enemies he had confronted were very strong, both being Martial Artists of the third realm with robust saber skills, and they pressured him immensely.


    Lin Rui had to use both hands wielding his saber, fully invoking his Divine Right bloodline to cope, yet in that brief time, the two opponents nearly made him lose grip of his long saber.


    After they retreated, Lin Rui got a clear view of their figures, his pupils slightly constricting, ¡°Demon Cultivators?¡±


    However, this battle was about to end¡ª


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    Until Lin Rui¡¯s twelfth saber strike, the long-haired demonic cultivator showed no change in expression.


    Not until Lin Rui¡¯s thirteenth strike did the long-haired demonic cultivator¡¯s composure begin to waver slightly.


    A second-level Martial Cultivator, even with superior physical quality or top bloodline, could only perform twelve slashes.


    Lin Rui¡¯s ability to execute the thirteenth slash had only one possibility.


    The guy¡¯s Red Thunder Saber technique had already reached the Grandmaster level!


    This young man must not yet be 19 years old, his skull just closed, and less than a year into his cultivative journey, what immense martial talent!


    The long-haired demonic cultivator coldly smiled, still poised and composed.


    His right hand bone armor quickly spread and extended, in an instant covering his entire shoulder and right hand, and its length also increased by three inches.


    This gave him another significant boost in strength, not only firmly blocking Lin Rui¡¯s saber but even managing to rebound Lin Rui¡¯s saber momentum!


    Lin Rui saw this and slightly furrowed his brow.


    He knew that even if he executed the remaining three slashes, he likely couldn¡¯t overcome this demonic cultivator.


    This was the first opponent that his Nine Slashes of Red Thunder couldn¡¯t resolve.


    No wonder he was a third-level demonic cultivator. Although nowhere near Nolan Wei, he was definitely not someone Lin Rui could currently confront.


    But from the probing just now, there seemed no need to use possession.


    Using Soul Power would suffice¡ª


    Just as he executed his fifteenth slash, Lin Rui, with a thought, injected thirty Soul Power points into his flesh and soul.


    For safety, he used thirty Soul Power points at once to ensure no failures!


    Lin Rui actually wanted to use more, but from the amplitude increase last time, over-investing could damage his body due to his inability to withstand it.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    In that instant, two lightning-fire snakes as thick as fingers explosively emerged from Lin Rui¡¯s body, and his saber in that instant turned into a blur!


    The long-haired demonic cultivator¡¯s pupils dilated in shock, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Because Lin Rui¡¯s saber speed suddenly erupted, catching the long-haired demonic cultivator off guard, his defensive slash failed to block Lin Rui¡¯s saber light as he had anticipated.


    ¡°Shriek!¡±


    Amidst the thunderous explosions, Lin Rui¡¯s saber swiftly swept across the long-haired demonic cultivator¡¯s neck, drawing a streak of bright red blood through the lightning.


    The long-haired demonic cultivator¡¯s head dropped, his eyes vacant.


    What happened? Could Lin Rui¡¯s saber speed burst like this at such a moment? How did he manage that?

 Chapter 41: 40 Restraint

    Chapter 41: Chapter 40 Restraint


    Lin Rui decapitated the long-haired demon cultivator, causing another one to lose his color in shock. He didn¡¯t hesitate to jump back, trying to escape from Wang Sen and withdraw from the battle.


    Lin Rui immediately roared, ¡°Wang Twenty-Seven!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Wang Sen took advantage of the demon cultivator being confined by the terrain, preparing to jump over the garden wall, and charged out enveloped in a fierce wind.


    ¡ªThis was the secret technique ¡°Ice Follows the Wind¡± from the ¡°Ice Wind Sword¡±!


    Originally fast, being a nimble little chubby fellow, now amplified by the Speed Blood Vein, Wang Sen¡¯s presence became even more domineering like a cannonball ferociously striking the demon cultivator who was trying to flee.


    ...


    His sword, although it did not injure the demon cultivator, broke the opponent¡¯s leaping momentum and cornered him against the wall.


    Just a moment later, in a flash of thunder and lightning, Lin Rui rushed over.


    This time he gathered his strength and used the Red Thunder Snake Hand!


    In this Red Thunder Snake Hand, Lin Rui had added a full thirty points of Soul Power!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The man was unable to block Lin Rui¡¯s palm and could only rely on the second-tier armor on his chest and the bone armor spreading quickly from his shoulder to bear the brunt.


    This tyrannical and ferocious force of the palm hammered him so hard that blood spilled from his mouth and nose, and he smashed through the wall, rolling over backwards several times.


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    As he struggled to stabilize his tumbling vital energy and stand up, Lin Rui had already charged in front of him once again.


    This time, Lin Rui switched to the ¡°Nine Cuts of Red Thunder¡±.


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang¡ª¡±


    Their weapons clashed like forging iron, continuously without end.


    The demon cultivator struggled to hold on, and just as he managed to withstand until the seventh strike, he noticed Wang Sen was also on the pursuit.


    The chubby fellow didn¡¯t join in but instead took out three throwing knives from a distance of three meters, aiming in his direction and poised to throw.


    As the demon cultivator was fully on guard, Lin Rui¡¯s body lit up with thunder and fire snakes once again, his blade speed suddenly increased, forcibly breaking through the demon cultivator¡¯s defense and striking his forehead.


    The ferocious blade force nearly split his head in two.


    Tip: By killing the third-stage demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you¡¯ve obtained 388 points of Soul Power.


    Tip: By killing the third-stage demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you¡¯ve obtained 438 points of Soul Power.


    Tip: By killing the third-stage demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you¡¯ve obtained 463 points of Soul Power.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to the notifications in his mind, he was taking deep breaths, easing the surging vital energy within his body, quickly restoring his True Qi.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that indeed these demon-transformed Martial Cultivators were much tougher than the two he had encountered in the basement of Xue¡¯s School, very difficult to kill.


    However, the Soul Power was unexpectedly minimal, none comparing to the ¡®Thousand Thread Demon¡¯ he faced in the morning.


    Although the fighting ability of the Thousand Thread Demon was lower than these three demon-transformed Martial Cultivators, it offered as much as 532 points of Soul Power.


    That butler, not even breaking the 400 barrier this time, was truly a disgrace among demon cultivators.


    He had previously guessed that the constabulary had run out of people, which was why these two beardless young arrest officers were sent.


    It turned out this person was incredibly powerful!


    At this moment, Zhao Yuanwai had also figured out the situation, his heart jumped and he took several steps back.


    Then, trembling, he waved his hand, ¡°Someone, go and bring me silver, 300 taels of demon silver! Also, from my storeroom, bring two middle-grade Soul Stones and two Dragon-Tiger Meridian Pills, and prepare a banquet! Make it the best wine and dishes, I want to properly host these two heroes!¡±


    He did not know that the three demonic cultivators were specifically targeting Lin Rui, and at this moment, he felt genuine gratitude.


    The thought that his own steward had been a demonic cultivator all along, secretly lurking by his side, made him shiver with fear.


    The crowd behind them was abuzz with murmurs,


    ¡°Killed three third realm demonic cultivators? Is that real or fake?¡±


    ¡°Could it be fake? Didn¡¯t you hear the commotion just now? Didn¡¯t Instructor Hong just confirm it himself? You know what kind of person Instructor Hong is; he wouldn¡¯t speak recklessly.¡±


    ¡°Impressive! I thought this Deputy Constable Lin was too young, inexperienced, and unreliable, but who knew his abilities were so robust.¡±


    ¡°Who would have thought that we have such a powerful person in our county office!¡±


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen exchanged glances and both smirked.


    It seems they could make a good profit from this incident.


    Just as Lin Rui was about to ask Zhao Yuanwai which delicacies to prepare, Lin Rui¡¯s waist token suddenly began to heat up.


    He took the waist token and pressed the beast head button, and the voice of the County Magistrate came out from it.


    ¡°You two return to the county office immediately, be sure to be cautious on the way, I have arranged rooms for you. For the next month, you are to stay within the county office, and try not to go home at night.¡±


    Lin Rui was startled by these words, then he silently sighed.


    It seemed he wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy Zhao Yuanwai¡¯s banquet today, a pity! He was actually very curious about the food from Tiantai Star.


    He then instinctively glanced in the direction of Zuihua House.


    Lin Rui was slightly stunned; he discovered that Zuihua House was on fire, blazing brightly, and particularly noticeable in the night.


    Lin Rui also saw a girl in red standing on a nearby wall, looking at him with an unusual gaze.


    Lin Rui glared back fiercely¡ªmind your own business!


    Wait until I reach the fourth realm, let¡¯s see if you dare to look then.


    Meanwhile, at Zuihua House, the young County Magistrate was pleasanterly extending his hand, suppressing the fire behind Zuihua House with his strong True Yuan.


    He had just seen the situation at Zhao Yuanwai¡¯s house.


    Lin Twelve and Wang Twenty-Seven had both survived; they had been trapped in such a perilous situation yet emerged unscathed and even counter-killed three third realm demonic cultivators.


    The powerful combat abilities displayed by these two young men truly surprised him.


    Instructor Du was wrong; this idle move he played turned out to be a sharp and piercing knife.


    The child had actually cultivated the Thunder Fire Pillar Technique to the Grandmaster level, which greatly repressed demons and demonic cultivators. Their strong regenerative abilities were useless in front of Lin Twelve.


    The young County Magistrate also knew why the Blood Blade Lady was following Lin Twelve now, and his eyes showed a hint of anticipation and excitement.


    Reaching the third realm within a few days would not be very difficult for this child, would it?

 Chapter 42: 41: Leveling Up to Become Stronger

    Chapter 42: Chapter 41: Leveling Up to Become Stronger


    Three days later, in the early morning, within a small courtyard behind the county government office.


    Lin Rui was practicing the Thunder Fire Stance work as early as dawn.@@@@


    His hands were wrapped in thunder and fire, with soft yet forceful movements and light and agile steps, akin to controlling a pair of thunder and fire snakes, dancing together under the early morning sunlight.


    Lin Rui¡¯s breathing was almost perfectly synchronized with his movements, each breath accompanied by the rise and fall of his body and the flow of energy. His posture was sometimes as gentle as flowing water and sometimes as swift as the wind, with each move filled with rhythm.


    His body and mind were deeply relaxed and unfolded to their greatest extent, as if blending with the universe, while a continuous popping sound like frying soybeans came from deep within him.


    With the aid of this grandmaster-level Thunder Fire Stance work, Lin Rui¡¯s second meridian channel was being forcefully penetrated like sections of bamboo.


    ...


    ¡°Not bad! The efficiency of meridian opening through the grandmaster-level Thunder Fire Stance work is already perfect. All stance forms have been adjusted to their optimal state, fully adapted to this body. After adding ten points of Soul Power improvement, the growth in True Qi and spiritual power is quite astonishing. Although I lack specialized equipment to measure it, it should be a 100% increase, where one point of Soul Power boosts by ten percent,¡±


    ¡°However, this seems slightly uneconomical. Practicing daily like this, wouldn¡¯t the consumption of Soul Power points be massive? Besides, the current highest increase is 100%. If I aim higher, the efficiency dramatically drops, with only seven percent improvement per one point of Soul Power.¡±


    ¡°The efficiency of meridian opening hasn¡¯t changed much, about 20% faster than before. But as my True Qi increases and my spiritual power strengthens, the speed of piercing through the meridian channels will also elevate correspondingly.¡±


    After practicing a full round, Lin Rui sat down quietly to regulate his breath.


    Once he felt his spirit and energy were restored to their optimal state, Lin Rui took out a green porcelain bottle and poured out a red pill the size of half a fist.


    This was the ¡®Dragon Tiger Meridian Pill¡¯ gifted by Zhao, the wealthy merchant, on that night. It was one of the best pills for meridian opening in Tianjixing, and it was said that even martial artists with the poorest aptitude could use this to forcibly open two meridian channels.


    Outworld practitioners could exchange for this item through the official interface of the Outworld Management Bureau, with the price being one hundred thousand Federation dollars or a hundred taels of demon silver.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui had not taken it because he wanted to understand the best way to use ¡®Soul Power points¡¯ and at the same time perfect his Thunder Fire Stance work, making it perfectly compatible with his physique.


    Only today did Lin Rui finally feel confident enough to maximize the effects of the Dragon Tiger Meridian Pill, benefiting from it to the greatest extent.


    He put the pill in his mouth, crushed it with his teeth, then swallowed. Afterward, he waited silently.


    When his whole body began to heat up, and his internal energy gradually swelled and began to boil and surge, Lin Rui stood up once again to perform the Thunder Fire Stance work.


    This time the scene was different. The thunder and fire snakes coiled around his body were even more ferocious and domineering, swelling in size, and Lin Rui¡¯s movements became even more vigorous and agile.


    The popping noises inside Lin Rui¡¯s body had shifted from frying soybeans to popping popcorn, creating a constant ¡®pitter-patter¡¯ sound that never ceased.


    ¡°I¡¯ve opened six!¡± Lin Rui looked Wang Sen up and down, ¡°And you, Twenty-seventh, how many now?¡±


    It might seem like Wang Sen had left early in the morning, but in fact, he had already completed his stance training.


    His training was in ¡®Wind-Chi Stance¡¯, consisting of static and dynamic parts, each requiring half an hour of practice at midnight.


    So when Lin Rui had fallen asleep last night, Wang Sen had already done his stance training.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, practiced at dawn when the sun rose, as that was the best time for him.


    Back in the ninth base, without a real sun, any time was fine for training, but inside Tianji Star, one must align with the right timing.


    ¡°I also took the ¡®Dragon-Tiger Meridian Pill¡¯ yesterday and opened three meridians; the fourth was almost open but missed by a hair. So in total, I have about 4.9 meridians open now,¡± Wang Sen said.


    Wang Sen was amazed, ¡°Truly worthy of being Twelfth Brother; to have opened six all at once is too impressive.¡±


    The body he had taken over was actually older than Lin Rui by two months, and he had been cultivating for a little longer, so at the beginning of his descent, he had 11.9 out of 12 meridians opened.


    Now, he found himself behind Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui gave a slight nod upon hearing this.


    Wang Sen¡¯s talent was actually pretty awesome, worthy of someone who managed to rise to rank 213 in practical assessments even in the backwater of Mingde School.


    His mastery of stances could be said to be second only to the original Lin Rui, so he was also able to fully absorb the effects of the ¡®Dragon-Tiger Meridian Pill¡¯.


    In Lin Rui¡¯s view, if Wang Sen had enough resources and the guidance of a Grandmaster, his overall strength could actually enter the top 20 in the city.


    It should be known that Wang Sen¡¯s family situation wasn¡¯t much better than Lin Rui¡¯s declining family fortunes, and he didn¡¯t have the luxury of childhood guidance from a powerful Martial Cultivator like Instructor Xue teaching him stances and martial arts closely.


    Wang Sen¡¯s achievements were all due to his own understanding.


    Lin Rui then cast a sidelong glance at the red shadow standing on the wall, before a powerful magnetic field erupted from his palm, enveloping the surrounding ten meters.


    Although he had now adapted and treated the presence of Blood Blade with indifference, he still needed to take precautions.


    After activating the silencing field, Lin Rui spoke in a lowered voice, ¡°Did you find the office of the Exotic Management Bureau? How much federal currency did you exchange?¡±


    This was what he was most concerned about at the moment.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 43: 42: The Prestige of Deputy Arrest Officer Lin

    Chapter 43: Chapter 42: The Prestige of Deputy Arrest Officer Lin


    ¡°I found it¡ªyou¡¯d never guess their branch¡¯s location; it¡¯s hidden inside a coffin shop at the southern city gate, and it¡¯s an old brand that¡¯s been in business for 50 years.¡±


    Wang Sen snickered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I disguised myself during my visit, and I even added twenty centimeters to my height. I was very careful the whole time, ensuring that my identity would not be exposed. In total, eight hundred taels of demon silver were exchanged for 800,000 federal dollars, minus taxes I received 720,000, which has already been distributed into our two accounts using a three-seven split.¡±


    Wang Sen was very confident in his makeup skills and anti-tracking abilities.


    Although it was just an elective course at Alien Body College, Wang Sen had achieved an ¡®A¡¯ grade across the board.


    He then said regretfully, ¡°What a pity, we could have earned an extra 200,000 if we had sold to those companies and institutions.¡±


    Lin Rui remained unconvinced.


    ...


    Selling demon silver as an alien body walker was somewhat like selling game currency in an online game.


    Although selling to companies and institutions earned more, the transactions were also more troublesome and had no guarantees.


    First, they had to contact the buyer online, agree on a price, and then meet up to hand over the silver. The whole process was fraught with tremendous risks.


    Encountering some unscrupulous companies could even lead to murder and robbery, or their alien body identities being sold out to others, even to the officials of Tianji Star.


    Unlike the Alien Body Management Bureau, although the prices were rather exorbitant, they were reliable and swift.


    The Alien Body Management Bureau had very strict management and confidentiality measures internally. Even if a branch was exposed, it rarely implicated the alien body walkers within its jurisdiction. In six hundred years, they had never leaked any alien body walker¡¯s information.


    Fang Ranran had mentioned that if they had any earnings, they could sell to the Tianlan Group, but such a small business of a few hundred thousand federal dollars was probably not appealing to them, and contacting them was a hassle too.


    Go to novgo.co


    Thinking of the money already transferred into his account, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    The eight hundred taels of demon silver Wang Sen had exchanged were the result of their continuous hard work over three days.


    The two had slain seven demons in seven days, and including their gains at Zhao Yuanwai¡¯s house, they had acquired a total of eleven hundred taels of demon silver.


    They kept three hundred taels and exchanged the rest for money.


    70% of 720,000 is 504,000. Lin Rui already had plans for the money required for the ¡®Divine Thunder Sunflame¡¯ meridian edition and his Dantian.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that being an alien body walker indeed made good money; it was truly the best way for federal commoners to obtain wealth and climb up in class.


    Before Lin Rui and his companion¡¯s arrival, they had never imagined amassing a fortune of 800,000 federal dollars in just three days, several times more than their own salaries.


    However, thinking back to the fierce battle at Zhao Yuanwai¡¯s house three days ago, Lin Rui realized that this money was earned with their lives.


    A demonic cultivator at the third realm, equal in strength to a captain in Mass Armor, was only worth 200,000 federal dollars after all.


    The two were certainly exceptions among their peers.


    Nowadays, everyone in this Government Office knew of the deputy arrest officer Lin¡¯s reputation.


    Three days ago, the County Magistrate promoted him as deputy arrest officer, responsible for the security of Hanhua Alley and the surrounding seven streets. Many people wanted to see Lin Rui make a fool of himself at that time.


    However, just half a day after taking office, he consecutively slain three demons, and later was ambushed at the home of Mr. Zhao, surrounded by three third-realm demonic cultivators.


    The outcome surprised everyone, as Lin Rui, together with Wang Sen, reversed the situation by killing all of those third-realm demonic cultivators and also slew a second-realm cat demon.


    That day, when Lin Rui returned from Mr. Zhao¡¯s home, the incident shocked everyone in the Government Official¡¯s office and then stirred the whole city.


    Everyone in Silver Moon County knew that the Government Office now had another fearsome figure not to be provoked.


    The County Magistrate recognized his merits that same night, officially appointing Lin Rui as the deputy arrest officer and promoting his staff member Wang Sen to a black belt.


    Lin Rui achieved an increase of two ranks in just one day, and Wang Sen was promoted to black belt, but now there was not a single person in the office who doubted them.


    Over the next two days, Lin Rui not only continuously killed three third-realm and one second-realm demons, but his actions also resulted in two continuous days without any homicides near Hanhua Alley.


    This made everyone who had doubted Lin Rui¡¯s achievements at the Zhao residence stop their suspicions altogether.


    When the two arrived at the checkpoint called ¡®Gather Classics,¡¯ there were already many people waiting, but the crowd parted ways spontaneously upon seeing their arrival, clearing a path for them.


    It was at this moment that a roaring sound like thunder came from the north, ¡°Scram! All of you, scram!¡±


    Someone else bellowed, ¡°Anyone who dares to block our way, dies!¡±


    Lin Rui was momentarily startled, the noise coming from the direction of the prison.


    Following the sound, he saw three robust figures bursting out from a corridor in the northeast.


    The trio¡¯s aura was fierce like wolves, using the iron chains locked on their hands as weapons.


    These iron chains were tremendously powerful, smashing nearby walls and wooden pillars to debris, and forcing back several prison guards and Government Officials trying to block them.


    ¡°They are third-realm Martial Cultivators, and two of them show signs of demonic possession.¡±


    Wang Sen looked surprised and whispered to Lin Rui, ¡°It¡¯s strange, why don¡¯t they have stabilization nails in them?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. After scanning the surroundings, he realized that none of the deputy arrest officers or arrest officers were present.


    He immediately realized that today¡¯s scenario was aimed at them.


    Lin Rui smiled coldly, confidently walked to the doorway, and blocked the must-pass path of the three men.


    As the trio rushed forward, they were about thirty to forty meters away and suddenly widened their pupils in surprise and bloodthirsty fierceness.


    Although one was a deputy arrest officer and the other a black belt, they were only just over eighteen years old; how much cultivation could they have?


    These young lads, how dare they block their path?

 Chapter 44: 43: Killing with a Bang

    Chapter 44: Chapter 43: Killing with a Bang


    Just as the three escaped convicts were fleeing from the county jail, the crowd gathered for roll call at the assembly point scattered in alarm, some hiding in corners of the courtyard, others standing against the wall.


    Even the assembly organizer himself went ¡®bang¡¯ and shut the door of his government office.


    Although he also possessed the strength of the Third Realm, he was not skilled in combat. Having served as a civil officer for decades, his martial arts abilities had long grown rusty.


    In the courtyard, only a few constables drew their weapons and feigned readiness, posing as if they were about to fight.


    Not daring to confront them head-on, they kept a distance of a dozen steps, shouting loudly and fiercely.


    In fact, there were not many constables remaining inside the county government office, as the majority were civil officials, all with terrified expressions.


    ...


    ¡°How did these three escape? Are all the prison guards dead?¡±


    ¡°How else could they have escaped? Didn¡¯t you see that the Town Yuan nails in their bodies have been pulled out? They are also brimming with vitality, obviously well-fed before the jailbreak.¡±


    ¡°Could it be Jiang Dianshi? That¡¯s outrageous. If we¡¯re unlucky, someone could get killed.¡±


    ¡°Silence! Is this something we can discuss? Right now, we don¡¯t even know if Lin, the arrest officer, can stop them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Although Lin the arrest officer killed three demon cultivators at the Zhao residence three days ago and displayed exceptional combat prowess, as far as I know, he defeated them one after another. Today¡¯s situation is different, and don¡¯t forget he¡¯s only of the Second Realm.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! These three are joining forces and taking desperate measures, fighting with the ferocity of trapped beasts.¡±


    At this moment, everyone inside the courtyard was watching Lin Rui, eager to see if he could stop the three escaped convicts.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui stood still, his hand resting on his saber, gathering momentum.


    Without waiting for the three to reach him, he suddenly drew his blade, and a burst of thunderous red fire erupted around him!


    Immobile as a mountain when still, he was like a thunderbolt when he moved.


    With a flash, he appeared before the man in the center of the trio.


    Lin Rui targeted the strongest among them, aiming to break their momentum with a direct strike!


    The man appeared to be in his thirties with muscles coiled like dragons, and on both sides of his forehead were budding horns yet to fully form.


    Caught off guard by Lin Rui¡¯s direct attack, the man was surprised and unprepared.


    What a fast blade!


    The horned martial cultivator never expected Lin Rui to act so fiercely and swiftly when he made his move!


    He let out an angry grunt and his arms swelled rapidly, exerting all his strength to slam the chains in his hands toward his opponent.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking for death!¡±


    Unable to intercept, he resolutely chose to trade blow for blow! As long as he could force the other side to divert the saber strike, each of them swinging a chain could smash this fellow into pieces!


    But the next instant, he saw a surge of thunder and lightning erupt from Lin Rui¡¯s arm and the blade.


    Lin Rui¡¯s saber speed suddenly increased!


    ¡°A sight to behold, truly a sight to behold! These three were unfortunate to cross paths with Arrest Officer Lin¡¯s saber today.¡±


    ¡°So sharp! With Arrest Officer Lin¡¯s Red Thunder Saber, even the Imperial City Division should be well within reach.¡±


    Zhang Tianchang entered right at that moment.


    After receiving the alert, he hurried to the government office as fast as he could, only to arrive a step too late.


    Fortunately, the outcome was not as bad as he had feared in his worst-case scenario.


    Glancing around, Zhang Tianchang could roughly deduce what had happened just by looking at the two corpses.


    Afterward, his gaze towards Lin Rui was somewhat complex.


    That night, Zhang Tianchang had been shocked to the core when he learned that Lin Rui had slain three third-realm demon cultivators at the Zhao residence, it seemed inconceivable.


    How could Lin Rui¡¯s combat power be so strong?


    If even Zhang Tianchang found those three third-realm demon cultivators somewhat tricky to handle, yet they were killed by Lin Rui and his companion working together.


    Today¡¯s scene was even more startling to him.


    Lin Rui¡¯s strength had grown even more formidable.


    Zhang Tianchang felt it very peculiar.


    Lin Rui was like a small sapling he picked casually by the roadside without much thought, but the next day, the sapling had turned into a towering tree, reaching the same height as himself.


    ¡°Lin Rui¡¯s aura is very restrained and doesn¡¯t show much, but he must have taken the Dragon-Tiger Path-Opening Pill, having opened more than five meridians,¡± Zhang Tianchang thought.


    Zhang Tianchang possessed a unique spiritual vision talent, yet he could not discern the depth of Lin Rui¡¯s actual strength, only Wang Sen¡¯s vigorous vital energy was visible to him.


    It must be the residual of practicing stake skills until reaching the peak of vital energy.


    Zhang Tianchang knew that Zhao Yuanwai had given Lin Rui and Wang Sen two Dragon-Tiger Path-Opening Pills and two mid-grade Soul Stones.


    They should have used those items by now, having opened several meridian channels and made significant advancements in their cultivation.


    Zhang Tianchang was very pleased, as their strengths should be even greater now, able to stand on their own.


    Lin Rui also saw Zhang Tianchang at this time. His spirits lifted, and he walked over with a beaming face: ¡°Chief Arrest Officer!¡±


    Seeing him approaching, Zhang Tianchang, as if seeing a fifth-realm evil spirit, quickened his pace in a hurry and dashed towards the main gate.


    Even with Lin Rui shouting ¡°Chief Arrest Officer, Chief Arrest Officer¡± behind him, Zhang Tianchang pretended not to hear, without slowing down his steps, in fact, going even faster.


    He waved his hand backwards, laughing: ¡°It¡¯s fine! We are all brothers, no need for formalities. What¡¯s that? I didn¡¯t catch that, I have some matters to attend to, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s team lacks several members, especially since Hanhua Alley is an important area for the county¡¯s revenue and usually required additional personnel.


    The problem is, there are only about sixty constables in the entire government office at the moment; the rest have either resigned or are on leave at home.


    Although the government office has been recruiting these past few days, the County Magistrate has given specific instructions to favor quality over quantity. The new recruits must not only have a clean personal and family background, be honest and reliable, but also possess strong martial abilities, and so only six people have been recruited in total.


    With staff shortages all over the county city, where would Zhang Tianchang find extra people to allot to Lin Rui?


    That¡¯s why he felt a headache whenever he saw Lin Rui.

 Chapter 45: 44 Three Days

    Chapter 45: Chapter 44 Three Days


    After Lin Rui left the government office, he did not continue the chase.


    Zhang Tianchang was such an ignoble character, despite being the chief arrest officer, he actually jumped onto the roof beams and with a few leaps, he disappeared without a trace, making Lin Rui sigh in frustration.


    Wang Sen also caught up from behind, and upon seeing this, he let out a chuckle, ¡°It seems Chief Zhang still doesn¡¯t provide us with any backup.¡±


    Because the archivist position was vacant, the County Magistrate appointed Zhang Tianchang as the chief arrest officer a few days ago to temporarily carry out the archivist duties.


    In Yinyue County, the position of chief arrest officer is not permanent and is only established under special circumstances.


    Lin Rui was grinding his teeth in irritation.


    ...


    The reason they had only managed to kill four demons these last few days was due to a lack of manpower, preventing them from properly setting up a control perimeter for the demons.


    Once those demons sensed danger, they would flee at once and escape far away.


    This Zhang Tianchang, not only hindered him from making money but also from gaining soul power points, was utterly detestable.


    He shook his head and turned to look at the thick dossier Wang Sen was holding, ¡°Is this the file on Blood Blade Ji?¡±


    That day, after returning to the government office from Zhao the wealthy merchant¡¯s house, Lin Rui requested to view the case file on Blood Blade Ji.


    Blood Blade Ji was from the capital and a foreigner here; no one locally knew her origin or background. Hence, Lin Rui wanted to look at her case file to see if the archivist Jiang and his people had discovered anything.


    However, this file had always been kept by Archivist Jiang, and the government office had also been requesting it from Jiang, who had resigned and was at home.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°Exactly! The archivist finally managed to get this dossier,¡± Wang Sen glanced around and then walked towards a nearby noodle shop, swallowing salivatively, ¡°Let¡¯s go there to eat and review it. I heard that this noodle shop is also quite good, no less delicious than the pastry shop we visited yesterday.¡±


    The first thing Wang Sen did after waking up in the government office the day before yesterday was to subtly inquire from his colleagues about the gourmet delicacies in Yinyue County.@@@@


    This was one of the original motivations for Wang Sen to become a being with an extraordinary physique.


    Since he was a child, he had wished to taste the food of the people from Tianji Star.


    Although the ingredients used by the people of Tianji Star were different from those in the Federation, their culinary culture was very similar to that of ancient China.


    The County Magistrate¡¯s steward was visiting homes of the gentry, asking them to dispatch their family guards and martial masters to help maintain public order at the county government office. It was said the first words he spoke upon visiting those gentry were, ¡°I wonder if you have heard about the tragic incident at Zhao Yuanwai¡¯s home a few days ago?¡±


    In addition, the government office¡¯s highly publicized recruitment drive had unsettled some of the ¡°recuperating¡± government officials. Lin Rui¡¯s rapid promotion to deputy arrest officer within a few days had sparked many people¡¯s ambitions.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I let Ge Jiu and Wang Zhongba out, intending to use them to test Lin Rui¡¯s current strength.¡±


    The arrest officer fell into deep thought. ¡°I still have five third-realm individuals at my disposal, which might be worth a try. However, I¡¯m not entirely confident. Both of them stay in the county government office at night, only leaving during the day. During the day, when the sunlight is shining, all demons¡¯ combat power decreases by more than thirty percent. Our Thousand Threads Demon and Hundred Blades Demon are already seriously injured and significantly weakened, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re not enough to restrain the County Magistrate.¡±


    Three days ago, these two fourth-realm demons had joined forces to fight the County Magistrate, injuring each other, and their wounds were not yet healed.


    In contrast, the County Magistrate himself was unharmed. These past few nights, the County Magistrate had been on duty alone, collaborating with the county soldiers to suppress the entire city, preventing all demons from making a move, which also made them highly apprehensive.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not sure, then we shouldn¡¯t try. There¡¯s no need to add fuel to the fire,¡± Jiang Hanzhang shook his head. ¡°Wait a bit longer. Let him live for another three days. After three days, once those demons have recovered, we can take care of him without rush.¡±


    ¡°Three days later?¡± The arrest officer instinctively felt something was wrong, ¡°Won¡¯t it be too late by then? How about letting the Blood Blade Chi take action? It would be a matter of a single strike.¡±


    ¡°No, we can only control the Blood Blade Chi a limited number of times. There¡¯s no need to use a cleaver to kill a chicken. The Blood Blade Chi is of great use to the County Magistrate, and we can¡¯t spoil his big plans.¡±


    At this, Jiang Hanzhang gave a slight smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! News from the city says that a few days ago Wang City was wiped out by someone, two hundred people died tragically, and the culprit is still unknown. Now the Imperial Guards and Burning Saber Sect have no time to care about Silver Moon County. We have plenty of time to deal with the County Magistrate.¡±


    The arrest officer¡¯s spirits lifted upon hearing this, his eyes showing a trace of joy.


    Wang City had been annihilated? This was excellent news for them.


    Meanwhile, in the noodle shop eighty meters away, Lin Rui¡¯s expression was solemn as he put away the clump of electromagnetism in his palm.


    He had recognized one of the voices from just now¡ªit was that official, Jiang Hanzhang!


    Lin Rui had not expected the two men to be so unguarded, allowing him to overhear such an important conversation, and it made him shiver with apprehension.


    According to Jiang Hanzhang, he and Wang Sen would only live for another three days.


    The good news was that they were safe for these three days, and he and Wang Sen could safely return to the Ninth Base of Tianji Star.


    The bad news was that after three days, they would face another life-and-death crisis.


    And this time, the enemy would come prepared, certainly not as easy to deal with as they were three days ago.


    What¡¯s more alarming to Lin Rui was that the two in the restaurant were colluding with demons and even had the power to control the Blood Blade Chi!

 Chapter 46: 45 Return (Please follow and read)

    Chapter 46: Chapter 45 Return (Please follow and read)


    PS: The editor said that there are requirements on Sanjiang now, the continued readership of a work must be good, so I¡¯m asking for everyone¡¯s help! If you all think this book is still worth a read, please help support the scene.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¡°Delicious! Delicious! The texture is chewy, and the flavor is fresh and fragrant, not bad at all. It truly lives up to its reputation as a decades-old establishment!¡±


    As Wang Sen relished his bowl of noodle soup, he flipped through Blood Blade Ji¡¯s dossier.


    His main attention was on the bowl, and he couldn¡¯t help but inwardly exclaim.


    So this is the wheat and noodles of Tianji Star? Indeed, it has a different flavor, chewier than the noodles on Earth Federation, less mushy and soft.


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished reading. The house of Blood Blade Ji¡¯s master has the surname Yuan, they¡¯re major merchants from the capital. Her master¡¯s name is Yuan Yi, the legitimate eldest son of the Yuan family, currently 12 years old. He came over to learn how to collect medicinal materials from his uncle, and ended up being beheaded by Blood Blade Ji in his sleep at Zuihua House. After the incident that day, the magistrate Jiang immediately arrested Yuan¡¯s servants for interrogation, hence the details about Blood Blade Ji¡¯s background came to light¡ª¡±


    As Wang Sen spoke, he pushed the dossier towards Lin Rui, ¡°Take a look as well, Brother Twelve.¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes.


    I¡¯m illiterate now, how could I possibly understand?


    All he could do was to feign understanding as he opened the dossier, pretending to read seriously while waiting for the translation from the smart assist system.


    At this moment, a sudden flash of red appeared beside him, expressionlessly looking at the words on the dossier.


    Wang Sen continued, ¡°Blood Blade Ji¡¯s original surname is Ji, her name is Ji Xueying, she is a descendant of the former Great Zhou royal family. It is said that she is the direct descendant of the last Emperor Zhou of the Great Zhou dynasty. The girl was born physically weak and plagued with illnesses since birth, which led to her family¡¯s dire straits. All six members struggled to survive.


    Go to novgo.co


    About three years ago, her family was embroiled in a lawsuit. Not only was Ji Xueying gravely ill and near death, but her father was also arrested and imprisoned by the authorities. They were forced to leave their hometown, leading a life of hardship and starvation. It was at this time that Yuan¡¯s people approached them. Yuan¡¯s family was willing to pay for their settlement and buy them a thousand acres of land. They were also willing to pull some strings to get her father out of prison, all in exchange for Ji Xueying to transform into Blood Blade Ji and protect her master for life.¡±


    After finishing his explanation, he ¡®tsked¡¯ in amazement. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder the magistrate Jiang didn¡¯t dare to round up Blood Blade Ji. If what Yuan¡¯s servant told is true, Blood Blade Ji might not be just an ordinary demon, but a king-level one! She¡¯s the direct descendant of Emperor Zhou.¡±


    Lin Rui felt his scalp tingle once again.


    So his cautiousness over the past few days was indeed correct.


    A king-level demon of the fourth realm... I¡¯m afraid even the County Magistrate can¡¯t subdue her.


    And with the County Magistrate and magistrate Jiang in possession of such a trump card, how is the County Magistrate supposed to compete with them?


    At the same time, doubt surfaced in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes as he thought about what these two were really after.


    It seemed that their goal wasn¡¯t simply to vie for power with the County Magistrate.


    Lin Rui closed the dossier and fell into deep thought, ¡°So Blood Blade Ji doesn¡¯t hold any grudge against her master¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t, and she might even feel grateful,¡± Wang Sen slurped his noodles. ¡°After all, she was on her deathbed at that time. It must have seemed like a good deal to exchange her worthless life for the wealth and comfort of the family that had taken care of her for so long. A big merchant family like Yuan¡¯s definitely handles things properly, and they wouldn¡¯t leave any loose ends.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also say in the dossier that when the incident happened, there was no conflict between Yuan Yi and Blood Blade Ji. Although that kid was up to no good, staying in brothels at the age of 12, he never had designs on Blood Blade Ji. How should I put it? Yuan Yi didn¡¯t fancy her because he thought Blood Blade Ji was rather plain-looking and too short.¡±


    Lin Rui was taken aback when he heard this, and glanced over at the red figure beside him.


    Blood Blade Ji is plain? She¡¯s so beautiful.


    He then realized that this girl probably didn¡¯t fit the aesthetics of the people of Tianji Star, unlike himself, Lin Twelve, who was considered handsome by both standards.


    The expedition to Tianji Star 800 years ago was led by other member states within the Federation. The East Asian Republic, due to its history of colonization, abhorred this colonial war and thus avoided the disaster, preserving its national power intact.


    Today, of the 12 satellites and 14 base cities on Tianji Star, 7 satellites and 7 of the cities¡¯ ownership belong to the East Asian Republic. Four are exclusively managed, and three are co-managed with the Federation government, including the ninth base city which is one of the co-managed cities.


    If other member states of the Earth Federation hadn¡¯t protested at the time, the East Asian Republic had the financial resources to cover all 12 satellites of Tianji Star.


    ¡ªAccording to the leader of the East Asian Republic at the time, the moment the Earth Federation launched the colonial war against Tianji Star, the Republic was inevitably drawn into it.


    As part of humanity, they¡¯ve been dug into this pit and, willing or not, they¡¯ll be seen as enemies by the people of Tianji Star.


    Lin Rui very much agrees with the leader¡¯s philosophy.


    Coexistence has its conditions; to live with lions, one must possess power equal to the lions¡¯, and thus they cannot escape.


    The East Asian Republic wants to consolidate the opinions within humanity, and that requires a necessary condition¡ªoverwhelming power! The strength to silence everyone!


    ¡°This is not something we should worry about,¡± Lin Rui quickened his pace, ¡°Come on, we should go back!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Wang Sen¡¯s eyebrows perked up, his eyes filled with anticipation.


    That very evening, the two returned to the small courtyard where they lived and directly selected the option to return in the smart assistance system.


    When Lin Rui woke up in the resting room of Mingde University¡¯s Martial Arts Club, he could feel that his body had undergone some changes.


    His qi and blood seemed more abundant and powerful, much stronger than before!


    Was it the effect of the Type 3 Godsleep? But could the sleep pod be that powerful? According to the instructions, the pod could only assist with the circulation of his main body¡¯s energy while his consciousness was occupying another body, without affecting his daily cultivation.


    No, it¡¯s more than that, it¡¯s also due to the ¡®Symbiotic Assimilation Effect¡¯.


    While an Exobodied Walker manipulates an exobody, their main body will also undergo changes in tandem with the exobody, which is what the textbooks refer to as the ¡®Symbiotic Assimilation Effect¡¯.


    Lin Rui feels that his benefits are particularly evident and guesses it¡¯s related to that unknown perfect Sacred Body.


    He subsequently found that his communication system had many unread messages.


    However, Lin Rui didn¡¯t check them right away but directly opened Professor Sima¡¯s chat box instead.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, I¡¯m back. I wonder if you¡¯re free and able to help me with the implantation of the wheel meridians soon?


    Professor Sima responded immediately.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Alright, wait for me! I¡¯m on my way.


    His tone sounded somewhat impatient.


    Meanwhile, in an underground garage 2500 meters away, a middle-aged Caucasian man hidden inside a hovercar perked up.


    He sensed the mark he left with a psychic Secret Technique; Lin Rui had returned from Tianji Star.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man smiled faintly, started the engine of the hovercar, and sent a message to someone.


    ¡°Director, he¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°Good, move fast. Tell me the result before midnight.¡±


    As the middle-aged man read the response, he shook his head helplessly. It seemed that the director had completely lost his patience.


    Fortunately, the security forces in the civil servant residential area had been significantly reduced, and he had rented a house near Lin Rui¡¯s home, which would allow him to use that Secret Technique to probe Lin Rui¡¯s soul in peace.

 Chapter 47: 46 Tyranny (Please follow)

    Chapter 47: Chapter 46 Tyranny (Please follow)


    As Silvermoon County slipped into the depths of night, the artificial sun at Sky Extreme Star¡¯s Ninth Base had long been extinguished.


    Enshrouded by darkness, Lin Xi was hiding in a secluded corner of the library at Longze Girls¡¯ High School, connecting the library¡¯s medium-sized supercomputer to her personal terminal with a data cable.


    She had already seized control of this medium-sized supercomputer, and with its formidable computing power coupled with her adept hacking skills, she was surfing the vast network sea of the Ninth Base city.


    Lin Xi had never told her brother that she was actually a highly skilled hacker.


    Although her age and lack of foundation prevented her from entering the top-tier circle of the hacking world, the alias ¡®Trackfinder¡¯ that she used online had already gained some reputation.


    The so-called ¡®part-time work¡¯ Lin Xi recently did mostly involved using her hacking skills to take on jobs online, conducting various grey-area businesses.


    ...


    Lin Xi didn¡¯t own her own supercomputer, yet the smart terminal she was using was the ¡®Night God series¡¯ near top-end model, ¡®Night God 320¡¯.


    This was one of the best terminals for hackers, not only offering impressive computing power but also able to rapidly transform her thoughts into various data streams, while providing the best signal and largest network bandwidth.


    At this moment, a soft voice filled with admiration came through the headset Lin Xi was wearing, ¡°You¡¯ve hacked into the city government¡¯s database? It took 24 minutes and 05 seconds, you¡¯re truly incredible. Your skills have improved yet again, and they probably haven¡¯t noticed.¡±


    That was ¡®Swallow,¡¯ the mentor who introduced Lin Xi to the trade and her current partner.


    Their two-person team had been unbeatable on the net of late.


    Lin Xi, expressionless, was rapidly skimming through the city government¡¯s database with her superior reading abilities. ¡°I found it. June 1st, 11:00 AM, the video near Longze East Road, Shajie Lane.¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s gaze grew increasingly solemn, ¡°The city government¡¯s backup surveillance videos have also had parts erased. Dozens of cameras around the crime scene have about a minute of footage missing, to be precise, replaced.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Xi wanted to investigate the whereabouts of her brother¡¯s body after his death.


    How did Lin Rui¡¯s head become intact again, and how did he make it back home? There had to be a process.


    However, she had risked hacking into the East District Police Station and the Police Headquarters in the past two days and discovered that the surveillance videos near the scene of Lin Rui being shot all had a period of blank footage.


    Today, she had penetrated the city government database to check the backup video materials, and the result was the same.


    ¡°As expected,¡± Swallow scoffed coldly, ¡°If a person can clean the surveillance videos from the Police Headquarters, they can surely do the same with the city government¡¯s videos. I suggest you give up this lead. The only ones who might still have the surveillance footage are the Federal Security Bureau and the Central Intelligence Agency.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xi¡¯s brows knitted together in thought.


    Swallow warned in a grave tone, then exclaimed, ¡°Trackfinder, you¡¯re not really thinking about targeting the Federal Security Bureau, are you? Don¡¯t be crazy ¨C just in the Ninth Base alone, there are dozens of top-tier hackers recruited by the Security Bureau and Intelligence Agency. That¡¯s not something we can touch! Unless we had a large supercomputer of our own, I absolutely disagree with attempting to hack them.¡±


    Just as Swallow¡¯s voice trailed off, she gasped with surprise, ¡°Trackfinder, I think I may have found the person who sent that video to your email. You¡¯ll never guess who it is.¡±


    Lin Xi had already seen the information sent by Swallow.


    ¡°Interested in hanging out with us? You gotta relax a bit after studying, right? Follow our big brother here, and we guarantee you¡¯ll have a blast.¡±


    Lin Xi frowned at their words.


    This was a situation she had never encountered before. With a thought, she touched her face.


    Lin Xi cursed inwardly, it was already 9:00 PM, and she had forgotten to put on makeup when she left school.


    What was worse, she noticed the tattoos on their necks.


    It was a blood lizard surrounded by the words ¡®Loyalty and righteousness, share glory and disgrace, unity and mutual aid, dare to act and take responsibility.¡¯


    These youths were actually peripheral members of the Blood Lizard Gang.


    Someone¡¯s hand had already reached her shoulder when Lin Xi slapped it away fiercely and stared coldly at them: ¡°Get lost! Or I won¡¯t be polite.¡±


    The several youths exchanged glances, smirking and showing excitement as if they were about to catch their prey. They each pulled out a Gauss short knife, and one with a nose ring said with a smile, ¡°Beauty, be good. I don¡¯t want to be rough with you, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t plan to do anything to you, just want to have a chat.¡±


    The others let out mocking laughter: ¡°Yeah, just a heart-to-heart talk with our big brother.¡±


    Lin Xi took a deep breath and then suddenly leaned back, striking the chin of a youth with green hair behind her with her head.


    With a ¡®crack¡¯, the youth immediately passed out without a sound.


    Lin Xi looked at the remaining few with a murderous look in her eyes.


    Her hands instantly glowed with a pair of lightning fire snakes, and her body sprang forward like a cheetah.


    Perhaps it was ¡®Flying Swallow¡¯s¡¯ words that made Lin Xi especially irritable at the moment.


    The previous collision was like flipping a switch, providing her an outlet for release.


    If Lin Rui were present, he would be astonished to find that Lin Xi was using the Red Thunder Palm, the highest-level technique ¡®Red Thunder Snake Hand¡¯ from that skill set!


    ¡ªThis was a technique that could be performed only when both the Lightning Fire Stance and Red Thunder Palm were mastered!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a burst of flames and lightning, a blond youth tumbled out like a broken sack.


    The arm holding the knife was limp, evidently broken!


    The fight ended in just a minute. Lin Xi stood in place, looking bewilderedly at the young men lying on the ground and wailing in pain.


    Could this really be her doing? Why was she so impulsive? Lin Xi furrowed her brows, touching her heart, wondering if her sanity had been affected again.


    Just then, a piercing alarm sounded in the distance, and several police cars descended from the sky. A dozen officers rushed out of the vehicles, pointing their pistols at Lin Xi.

 Chapter 48: 47 Spiritual Power 500 (Asking for Follow-up Reads Part 3)

    Chapter 48: Chapter 47 Spiritual Power 500 (Asking for Follow-up Reads Part 3)


    PS: This book will need a lot of catching up from Wednesday through next Monday, so please help out by browsing through a few more chapters and spend some more time on each section. To honor pioneering readers, three updates to start with, thank you all!


    ***


    When Lin Rui woke up inside the surgical pod, he saw Si Malin sitting nearby, intently reviewing some data.


    Noticing Lin Rui¡¯s movements, Si Malin glanced sideways at Lin Rui inside the surgical pod, ¡°Awake? How do you feel?¡±


    Lin Rui was closing his eyes and sensing his surroundings, trying out the circulation of True Qi.


    By then, he had received the ¡°Divine Thunder Flame¡± wheel vein implant and had also replaced his Dantian with the ¡°Divine Thunder Flame¡±, making himself a complete set of military Classified Models and officially becoming a Martial Artist with the rank of lieutenant.


    ...


    In addition to that, before the surgery, Lin Rui also received a type 1 gene enhancement injection, which elevated his spiritual power and overall physical condition to that of a lieutenant¡¯s level, so he skipped the second lieutenant rank directly.


    One good thing about the Federation¡¯s implanted enhancement circuits is that they are unobstructed upon insertion and offer the widest possible bandwidth, eliminating the need for the process of breaking through and widening.


    Lin Rui also heeded the advice of Si Malin and couldn¡¯t resist taking a loan of nine hundred thousand Federal dollars to get the auxiliary implants ¡°Divine Authority¡±, ¡°Celestial Speed¡±, and another called ¡°Thunderblood¡± all implanted into his body.


    This was just the basic version suitable for the rank of officers, from warrant officer to captain. It could barely be used at the rank of major and lieutenant colonel, but it would only have eighty percent of its power, and at the rank of colonel, it would not even reach thirty percent of its power.


    Yet, even this basic version of the auxiliary implants cost three hundred thousand Federal dollars¡ªthis was the cost price Lin Rui got from the Tianlan Group. If he had bought it on the market, it would be at least five hundred thousand to start.


    Of course, if Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual power met the standards and he had enough money, he could have directly gotten the complete versions of ¡°Divine Authority¡± and ¡°Celestial Speed¡±, but the complete version of Divine Authority alone cost a staggering eight million!


    That¡¯s why the earnings of physically enhanced individuals and those with implanted Martial Cultivator enhancements are genuinely substantial, but the vast majority of them are deeply in debt.


    Go to novgo.co


    The government is also happy to provide loans to Martial Cultivators, even if it leads to bad debt, they spare no effort, the stronger their abilities, the better.


    There are conspiracy theories on the internet, claiming that the government and the financial elite desire to control the physically enhanced individuals and those with Martial Cultivator implants through loans.


    Originally, Lin Rui had no intention of switching, but Si Malin said that the prices of all implants have been rising recently. As Lin Rui had joined the Martial Way Society, he would have to buy them sooner or later, so it was better to do it sooner and enjoy the benefits earlier.@@@@


    Plus, Lin Rui¡¯s mental strength was not only robust but his mental state was also excellent, which could withstand a large amount of implanted enhancements.


    At this moment, with a slight exertion of force, Lin Rui felt the difference.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re in trouble,¡±


    Si Malin, who had heard Lin Rui¡¯s phone conversation, had been quietly waiting until Lin Rui hung up the phone before he manipulated the interface and opened the surgical pod, ¡°According to the current testing data, your implantation was very perfect, ha! Truly worthy of my work. But still, old rules, no strenuous physical activity within four hours.¡±


    He watched Lin Rui get out of the surgical pod, hurriedly put on his clothes, and kindly offered advice, ¡°Lin Rui, I suggest that before you go to the Longze Road Subdivision Police Station, it would be best to get in touch with Fang Ranran. How should I put it? I¡¯ve heard that the police department in the east city doesn¡¯t have a great reputation, and it¡¯s been quite corrupted by the federal forces.¡±


    ¡°Fang Ranran?¡± Lin Rui pondered, wondering whether it would be useful.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate her; her influence in the military and political spheres far exceeds your imagination. She is the legitimate eldest princess of the Fang family of the Ninth Base.¡±


    Si Malin smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t know what situation your sister is in, but if you seek Fang Ranran¡¯s help, at least you can ensure her case is dealt with fairly and justly.


    Don¡¯t feel burdened, sometimes owing a favor isn¡¯t a bad thing, particularly with someone like Fang Ranran. Although she puts great effort into learning from her father, she hasn¡¯t quite mastered it yet, being inherently tender-hearted and protective, and that trait is unlikely to change anytime soon. Alright, next, Wang Sen, you can come in now.¡±


    Wang Sen immediately pushed the door and entered from outside.


    He looked at Lin Rui with a puzzled look, but Lin Rui had no time for him at the moment, putting on his coat and rushing out the door.


    Wang Sen was somewhat curious and wanted to ask what was going on, but Lin Rui had already left without a trace.


    By this time, the surgical pod had already completed its cleaning and sterilization procedure, and Wang Sen obediently lay down inside it.


    ¡°Professor, do you think you could help me implant all the selected enhancements?¡±


    Si Malin looked at the list of implants selected by Wang Sen and immediately raised an eyebrow.


    Although they were all basic implants, there were quite a lot of them. The number of implants was the same as Lin Rui¡¯s, totaling a set of ¡®Xuanwu Type 3¡¯ circulation channels, one initial level Divine Authority, initial level Heavenly Speed, and initial level Ice Blood.


    This young man not only had great ambition but also a lot of guts; so young, yet he dared to take on so much debt?


    It remained to be seen whether his spiritual power could withstand it.


    Si Malin began operating the surgical pod, performing various tests on Wang Sen.


    The surgical pod provided by Fang Ranran for the Martial Arts Club was the most expensive model, integrating numerous functions, and some tests could be done within the pod itself.


    ¡°Spiritual power at 224, not bad at all, young man!¡±


    This value barely met the standard for implanting these enhancements.


    Because of Wang Sen¡¯s unique constitution, which already possessed the Divine Authority and Heavenly Speed bloodlines, the standards could be lowered.

 Chapter 49: 48: Above All Beings

    Chapter 49: Chapter 48: Above All Beings


    Lin Rui stepped out of the operating room and first sent a message to Lin Xi to inquire about the situation, but he didn¡¯t get a response. He figured his sister must have been locked in police detention without internet access.


    After weighing his options, he decided to open Fang Ranran¡¯s chat.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Sister Fang, I need your help with something. My sister is currently detained at Longze Road Subdivision Police Station. The police say she assaulted someone with malice, but I don¡¯t know the specifics. I might need some assistance.


    Knowing that Fang Ranran was usually busy, he didn¡¯t waste words and got straight to the point.


    About three minutes passed without a response from Fang Ranran. Just as Lin Rui hesitated over whether to call her, a message appeared in the chat box.


    Yu Luoxinchen (Fang Ranran): I¡¯ve already had someone check. Your sister acted in self-defense, there was no malicious assault. However, this case might be interfered with and pressured by others. I¡¯m busy right now and can¡¯t come over, but I¡¯ve parked a car in the garage outside our team¡¯s activity area. I¡¯ve given you the authorization. Lin Rui, you can take my car to the police station. My lawyer is on the way there. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a minor issue.


    ...


    After reading the message, Lin Rui¡¯s mind immediately relaxed, filled with both shock and joy.


    He was glad that Lin Xi had only acted in self-defense and hadn¡¯t committed a crime. However, he was shocked that, as he suspected, someone was indeed trying to meddle with his sister¡¯s case.


    At the same time, Lin Rui was also amazed by Fang Ranran¡¯s influence¡ªhad she really managed to investigate the whole situation in just three minutes?


    Si Malin had not deceived him; the background of their Society President Fang was truly unfathomable.@@@@


    Lin Rui originally planned to take the elevator to the floor below but changed his route after seeing Fang Ranran¡¯s reply.


    Fang Ranran had built a small garage in the corner of the team activity area, with two winged sports cars parked inside. This allowed her to come and go from the martial arts society on the ninth floor of the building without having to enter the underground garage.


    When he arrived at the martial arts society¡¯s activity area, he found that today both Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei were present, and there was also an unfamiliar long-haired youth.


    Go to novgo.co


    Nolan Wei was sparring with the long-haired youth on a fighting platform, while Zhao Yan, with golden hair, stood with his arms crossed, watching from below.


    ¡°Lin Rui!¡±


    Upon seeing Lin Rui, Nolan Wei immediately greeted him warmly, tilting his head.


    His martial prowess clearly outmatched that of the opposite long-haired youth by a wide margin, and even while distracted, he effortlessly parried the youth¡¯s attacks.


    Zhao Yan also looked towards Lin Rui and nodded kindly in his direction.


    Lin Rui also wanted to build good relationships with these two teammates. He temporarily suppressed the anxiety in his heart and responded with a smile, ¡°Senior Zhao, Nolan!¡±


    After all, the saying goes, ¡°Take the king¡¯s shilling and do the king¡¯s bidding.¡± Now that he was relying on the benefits provided by Fang Ranran, it was natural for him to commit wholeheartedly to the martial arts society.


    Moreover, he owed a favor to Fang Ranran this time.


    The long-haired youth had already stopped fighting on the platform and looked at Lin Rui: ¡°Are you Lin Rui?¡±


    He jumped down from the platform and extended his hand to Lin Rui: ¡°My name is Lu Fang, a new member of the martial arts society. I came with Sister Yu Feicui. I will be enrolling next year. Sister Feicui mentioned you, saying you¡¯re a martial arts genius of the top three among the ten elites, maybe even surpassing them!¡±


    Lin Xi sat on the designated interrogation chair, limbs shackled with chains, her head hanging low, her face completely hidden by her hair.


    A police officer in his thirties, with a lean and stern face wearing the rank of Captain, sat opposite her, looking at Lin Xi with a helpless expression.


    His voice was sincere and earnest, ¡°Young lady, I advise you to plead guilty yourself, it¡¯s better for you, for me, and even for your family.¡±


    ¡°Five victims, four seriously injured by your hand, two in the ICU, still unconscious. Your martial arts are indeed powerful, but have you thought about the consequences? Do you realize what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    ¡°Your only choice now is to plead guilty, rest assured, you¡¯re a minor, and I will try my best to plead your case with the prosecutor. Just pay some money to pacify the victims, sincerely apologize, and get their forgiveness. The court won¡¯t impose a heavy sentence, at most you¡¯ll spend a year or two in a juvenile prison. You could even apply to serve your sentence in a different base city and avoid the Blood Lizard Gang.¡±


    Finally, Lin Xi lifted her head, her gaze defiant, looking into the bright light across from her at the police officer who claimed to be ¡®Tao Baize¡¯: ¡°Why should I plead guilty? They were the ones who threatened me with knives first. There were two holographic cameras nearby, which should have captured the situation at the time. I don¡¯t believe the court and prosecutor would be so blind.¡±


    Tao Baize frowned greatly, his gaze turning stern.


    This girl didn¡¯t grasp the situation.


    The people she injured were peripheral members of the Blood Lizard Gang, one of whom was the brother-in-law of a high-ranking member of the gang.


    That was the notoriously vicious Blood Lizard Gang! With many armored martial artists, they were beyond the reach of the law.


    If he let this girl walk out of their subdivision police station unharmed today, not only would she be doomed to be retaliated against by the Blood Lizard Gang, but he would also be complained about by the gang for taking money without doing the job.


    At that moment, a female deputy police chief with a peculiar expression walked in: ¡°Captain, Lin Xi¡¯s brother has arrived.¡±


    Tao Baize let out a cold snort and stood up from his seat.


    If he couldn¡¯t reason with this girl, then he would have to talk to her guardian.


    There was surveillance in this interrogation room. Many things and principles he couldn¡¯t afford to speak too plainly about, but it was okay to discuss them with Lin Xi¡¯s family outside.


    Tao Baize had already checked this family¡¯s household registration through the system. The girl¡¯s brother had some status, an aberrant practitioner, but he had just started his job, and should be easy to handle.


    The aberrant company Lin Rui joined might not be willing to stand up for him.


    Today, he had to make these siblings plead guilty at all costs.


    Before leaving, Tao Baize knocked heavily on the table, making a thumping sound, his tone unapologetic: ¡°I¡¯ve already said everything I need to say to you, think about it! Think it through!¡±


    Lin Xi also looked towards the door at this time.


    Has Lin Rui arrived?


    At this moment, her feelings were very complicated. On one hand, she regretted her impulsive actions, unable to control her emotions; on the other hand, she wondered what her brother would do. Would he come later to persuade her to plead guilty?


    Lin Xi felt very bitter inside.


    She admitted to herself that pleading guilty might be the only way to avoid retaliation from the Blood Lizard Gang.


    Lin Rui had only just become an aberrant practitioner, with a promising future ahead of him. He shouldn¡¯t be targeted by a gang like the Blood Lizard Gang at this time.


    Moreover, whether he really was her brother still remained uncertain¡ª

 Chapter 50: 49: The Untouchable Lin Rui

    Chapter 50: Chapter 49: The Untouchable Lin Rui


    ¡°`


    Tao Baize had just stepped out of the interrogation room when the female police officer with the title of deputy chief came over and whispered in his ear, ¡°Chief, her brother came in a flying wing supercar, and it landed on the rooftop. I checked the model; it¡¯s a Divine Wing 520, valued at 95 million federal dollars. I couldn¡¯t find any information on the car¡¯s owner; it must be encrypted.¡±


    Tao Baize¡¯s face stiffened slightly, and his eyes filled with added gravity.


    The ¡®Divine Wing 520¡¯ supercar was a limited edition from Divine Wing Company, with no more than 500 units across the entire Earth Federation. Such supercars weren¡¯t simply a matter of money but required Divine Wing Company to consider the buyer¡¯s identity and social status.


    The fact that the car could land directly on the rooftop added greatly to his sense of pressure.@@@@


    The parking lot atop their district police headquarters wasn¡¯t somewhere just anyone could park.


    ...


    Even the family members of their district police chief wouldn¡¯t dream of parking on the rooftop.


    Tao Baize had originally thought that Lin Xi¡¯s brother was just an average Alien Body Cultivator fresh out of school, someone he could easily deal with.


    But now it seemed that Lin Rui¡¯s background was far from ordinary.


    Tao Baize regretted the words he had just said to Lin Xi.


    At that moment, he also received a message from the chief: ¡°Tao Baize, what¡¯s the deal with the case you¡¯re handling? Do you not want to work anymore? If you don¡¯t want to work, then get lost!¡±


    ¡°Deal with this case properly, then come to my office. Be mindful of the way you handle it; it must be fair and just, and you must ensure satisfaction for the victim and their family!¡±


    Tao Baize¡¯s scalp tingled. After replying to the chief¡¯s message, he took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Where is Mr. Lin right now?¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    The deputy chief officer¡¯s expression was also very solemn: ¡°In reception room number 5.¡±


    Tao Baize turned and glared fiercely at the female officer.


    He thought, if Mr. Lin came in a Divine Wing 520 and parked it on the rooftop, how could they bring Mr. Lin to reception room number 5, and let him run into that guy? Wasn¡¯t that asking for trouble?


    Hastening his steps, Tao Baize rushed to reception room number 5.


    He had just barely opened the door when he heard a cold laugh from inside: ¡°Boy, your sister is very bold. Her martial arts are quite impressive too¡ªfive grown men couldn¡¯t handle one little girl, and she left them in this state.


    Now, my sister-in-law has taken quite an interest, wanting to know who was brazen enough to send her brother to the ICU, from which he still hasn¡¯t emerged. So, I advise you to be smart. If you don¡¯t want to die, you¡¯d better admit what needs to be admitted, pay what needs to be paid, and find a way to appease my sister-in-law and her brother until this fire is put out. Only then will this matter be considered settled.¡±


    Tao Baize saw that in the reception room, two people were seated facing each other at a long table.


    One was a familiar member of the Blood Lizard Gang, ¡®Blood Dagger¡¯ Bet Aiken, who was sporting a lascivious grin; the other was an eighteen-year-old in the uniform of Mingde Alien Body College, with handsome features and a somber expression. This must be Lin Rui.


    Upon seeing him enter, Blood Dagger Aiken laughed and tossed a cigarette at Tao Baize.


    ¡°Busy as ever, Tao? Haven¡¯t seen you much lately. This is our new stuff; big bro asked me to give it to you to try out.¡±


    The Blood Dagger Aiken didn¡¯t wait for him to finish and slammed his hands down on the table with a ¡®bang.¡¯


    He suddenly stood up, his gaze dark and menacing as he looked down at Lin Rui, ¡°You cur, think before you speak! Your sister left our man in this state, and you¡¯re calling it self-defense?¡±


    He deliberately opened his suit to reveal the Blood Lizard tattoo on his neck and chest.


    ¡°Furthermore, Brother Tao, if you can¡¯t handle this properly, the Blood Lizard Gang won¡¯t let this go.¡±


    Tao Baize, hearing this, rolled his eyes inwardly, thinking whether this was something he could intervene in.


    The man who could park his car on the rooftop could effortlessly make him lose his job.


    As long as he wore the tiger skin of a Major Police Chief, he could get a hefty sum of money from the Blood Lizard Gang every month. Without that, would the Blood Lizard Gang take him seriously?


    Just as Tao Baize was about to say something, the door to the reception room was pushed open, and a white middle-aged man with a suit as sharp as his high nose bridge ¨C exuding an imposing aura ¨C walked in.


    He glanced at the few people inside, then went straight to Lin Rui and extended his hand, ¡°Mr. Lin, hello, my name is Radford Comming, from the Purple Gold Flower Law Firm, a junior partner.¡±


    Tao Baize and the Blood Dagger Aiken changed their expressions slightly upon hearing this.


    Purple Gold Flower Law Firm is currently the top law firm in the Ninth Base City, serving the wealthy and noble, and also responsible for the legal affairs of several companies worth hundreds of billions.


    Even the Blood Dagger Aiken had heard of the renowned ¡°Purple Gold Flower.¡±


    And a junior partner of Purple Gold Flower, that¡¯s a top-notch lawyer for sure!


    Lin Rui also quickly got up and shook hands with Lawyer Comming.


    Lawyer Comming flashed a slight smile, ¡°Mr. Lin, I have already watched your sister¡¯s video, and it is absolutely self-defense. Your sister should be released immediately!


    Moreover, you can sue these five members of the Blood Lizard Gang for committing the crimes of indecency, provocation, and attempted rape against your sister. I noticed that your sister¡¯s arm is injured, which constitutes intentional injury! Moreover, your sister has been mistreated by the Longze Road police substation; you are entitled to compensation.¡±


    Tao Baize felt his scalp tingle upon hearing this, looking toward Lin Rui with anxious eyes.


    After a moment of thought, Lin Rui nodded decisively, ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡±


    How could he accept his sister being treated with such indignity without protest?


    Seeing this scene, the Blood Dagger Aiken couldn¡¯t help but look extremely troubled.


    The reputation of Purple Gold Flower Law Firm was impressive, indeed.


    He realized that his gang¡¯s big brother¡¯s brother-in-law had bit off more than he could chew, and now not only would they fail to get compensation or justice, but they might also end up behind bars.


    The Blood Dagger Aiken looked at Lin Rui with an even more ferocious and chilling gaze, mixed with some confusion.


    Did this Lin Rui not know how to write the word ¡®death¡¯? Did he think the Blood Lizard Gang was made of mud to be sculpted at will, daring to counter-sue them?


    And what was this guy¡¯s background? How come he could make Tao Baize change his attitude so suddenly?

 Chapter 51: 50: Grandmaster Level Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance

    Chapter 51: Chapter 50: Grandmaster Level Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance


    Lin Xi was still a bit dazed as she walked out of the police station under the escort of several officers.


    She didn¡¯t understand why Tao Baize, who had been so aggressive, suddenly became servile, politely sending her out of the station and speaking in soft tones, subtly pleading them not to file a complaint. His point was that while they could claim against the police station, they should try not to involve the individuals.


    Lin Rui held Lin Xi tightly in his arms, ruffling her hair, ¡°It¡¯s alright now, we¡¯re going home.¡±


    He then turned to speak to attorney Kang Mingkai, ¡°Mr. Kang Mingkai, the rest is up to you.¡±


    ¡°No trouble at all, the case has clear evidence, and it¡¯s easy to handle,¡±


    Kang Mingkai, the lawyer, replied with a smile, ¡°However, the upcoming lawsuit might require your sister to testify in court. I¡¯ll notify you in advance.¡±


    ...


    For him, this indeed was a minor case and didn¡¯t even require his personal attention¡ªhe could just delegate it to a junior lawyer.


    ¡°You should still be cautious in the next few days. The Blood Lizard Gang is the most violent gang in the eastern district, not only unpredictable but also harboring a pack of desperados who are reckless about their lives. Since you live around here, you must be careful about your safety. Although Miss Fang¡¯s family has extremely powerful influence, the top members of the Blood Lizard Gang are a bunch of hyperthymesia syndrome sufferers who are irrational lunatics with mental issues, plus¡ª¡±


    Lawyer Kang Mingkai operated his smartphone terminal and transmitted an electronic business card to Lin Rui, ¡°This is my contact information, Mr. Lin can reach out to me for any legal matters in the future.¡±@@@@


    Although he had come to the police station on Fang Ranran¡¯s request, after investigating Lin Rui¡¯s situation, he had taken a great interest in Lin Rui.


    If someone was entrusted with great expectations by Fang Ranran and Yu Feicui and considered to be the future mainstay of Mingde University¡¯s martial arts society, then his martial arts talent was beyond doubt.


    Once Mingde University¡¯s martial arts society managed to achieve results in the university league, Lin Rui would definitely become a martial arts star in the limelight.


    The alumni of Mingde University, reaching as many as five million members, eagerly anticipated each year for Mingde to make a splash in the martial arts league. When that happened, most of them would become Lin Rui¡¯s loyal fans.


    Go to novgo.co


    This meant that the young man in front of him was his potential client for the future.


    Lin Rui also exchanged his electronic business card and then fell into contemplation.


    As Kang Mingkai had said, they really did need to be careful about their safety.


    After the incident that night, Lin Rui had looked into the Blood Lizard Gang and knew that their methods were very bloody, their actions insane, and that they were highly unscrupulous.


    Their leaders were not only ambitious but also had many mentally unstable lunatics due to their breeding equipment.


    And there was Aiken, the blood dagger who had been driven out of the station by Officer Tao, whose eyes at the time were extremely cold, like a venomous snake.


    Lin Rui first browsed through the newly acquired information and the profound mysteries of the cultivation technique within his mind, then he tried to utilize the ¡®Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance¡¯ to mobilize the blood and energy throughout his body.


    ¡°Worthy of the Grandmaster-level ¡®Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance!¡¯ Whether it¡¯s the efficiency of the True Qi or its strength, they are much stronger than before. A rough estimate would be at least a 150% increase, which is unfortunate¡ª¡±


    Unfortunately, the ¡®Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance¡¯ is an intermediate-level technique of the Sky Extreme Star, created thousands of years ago by a Great Grandmaster of the martial path specifically for the third realm of refining blood and the fourth realm of Core Formation.


    In the absence of implanted artificial blood serum and the artificial Golden Core within Lin Rui¡¯s body, this ¡®Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance¡¯ could improve the efficiency and strength of his True Qi and speed up the accumulation of his True Qi but couldn¡¯t unleash all its power.


    ¡°Just like the last time I copied the ¡®Thunder Fire Stance,¡¯ after copying the ¡®Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance,¡¯ my total amount of True Qi has also increased correspondingly, by about thirty percent, and my spiritual power should have improved as well.¡±


    At this moment, Lin Rui came across a passage about the profound mysteries of the ¡®Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance¡¯ in his mind, and his eyes immediately lit up.


    Lin Rui raised his hand, and a ball of lightning flashed in his palm, drawing all the metallic particles within the car to congregate and coalesce into a metal ball the size of a grain of rice in his palm.


    With the ¡®Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance,¡¯ Lin Rui¡¯s control over electromagnetism had greatly increased, and he could now manipulate metal on a small scale.


    Lin Rui immediately opened the virtual shopping platform on his smart terminal and found a martial arts equipment store, ordering two sets of the ¡®Yuan Magnetic Flying Needles,¡¯ totaling 108 needles, and one ¡®Smart Flying Sword.¡¯


    Principal Xue had mastered a technique utilizing the ¡®Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance¡¯ that could control Yuan Magnetic Flying Needles and even small flying swords in combat, which was extremely powerful.


    This technique, coupled with Lin Rui¡¯s complete set of ¡®Divine Thunder Inferno¡¯ and high spiritual power of 500 points, could enable a transformative increase in his combat abilities, elevating him several levels.


    Lin Rui was extremely excited, not only because this method of commanding flying needles and swords was immensely powerful, but also because he could use it on Sky Extreme Star in the future.


    His foreign body could soon open up all meridian wheels, making use of the ¡®Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance¡¯.


    Once again, a thought arose in Lin Rui¡¯s mind: ¡°Ring Spirit, can I use Soul Points to help me copy the ¡®Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill (Grandmaster)¡¯?¡±


    He wanted to carry on swiftly and exchange for the Escape Skill as well.


    With the Escape Skill, all aspects of his speed would greatly increase, and his martial prowess would rise significantly. Of course, this was predicated on having sufficient True Qi and spiritual power.


    However, a section of information immediately appeared in Lin Rui¡¯s mind.


    ¡ªInsufficient Soul Points detected. Copying the ¡®Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill (Grandmaster)¡¯ requires 5000 Soul Points.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but shake his head slightly, he only had 2123 Soul Points, far from enough.


    At this moment, he finally noticed that his sister, Lin Xi, was watching him intently.


    Just as the shared flying-wing car they were in arrived at its destination and descended slowly in front of their adjoining villas.

 Chapter 52: 51: The Express Delivery Arrives

    Chapter 52: Chapter 51: The Express Delivery Arrives


    When the shared wing car came to a halt, Lin Rui, while pushing the door open to get out, jokingly asked, ¡°Lin Xi, why are you staring at me like that? Do you think your brother looks exceptionally handsome today?¡±


    At that moment, his actions slightly paused as he started to survey his surroundings.


    Lin Rui sensed a faint presence, observing them.


    It felt exactly like when he last went to Mingde Affiliated Hospital to receive Alien Body at the school¡¯s gate.


    However, even when Lin Rui concentrated and even released a magnetic field in his palm, he still found nothing.


    ¡°Vain!¡± Lin Xi got out of the car from the other side, her gaze skeptical, ¡°Brother, what was that just now? I felt your Qi suddenly become very strong.¡±


    ...


    ¡ª It wasn¡¯t just strong; it also gave her a great sense of oppression.


    Lin Xi even faintly sensed that the ether elements of the surrounding void and their fiery nature fluctuated with Lin Rui¡¯s breathing tides.


    It was strange because Lin Xi, a newly implanted Lieutenant Martial Artist, shouldn¡¯t be able to sense these ether elements.


    But during Lin Rui¡¯s bursting energy just now, Lin Xi clearly felt it.


    The method Lin Rui used afterward with the metallic particles inside the car impressed Lin Xi even more.


    Lin Rui returned his gaze and smiled slightly, ¡°I have already implanted an Array Plate, and changed my Dantian as well, it¡¯s a complete ¡®Divine Thunder Inferno,¡¯ something I mentioned before that couldn¡¯t be found online, a military confidential model.¡±


    At these words, Lin Xi¡¯s spirit lifted, instinctively feeling joy for Lin Rui.


    Go to novgo.co


    But Lin Rui¡¯s next words made her face stiffen again, ¡°However, I now owe Tianlan Finance and Credit Company 900,000 Federation dollars, but don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s an interest-free loan with no right of recourse, they can¡¯t trace it back to you.¡±


    Including his recent purchase of flying swords and needles, he actually spent over 1 million, almost reaching his maximum credit limit.


    Lin Xi took a deep breath and calmed her feelings, ¡°It¡¯s okay, this is normal.¡±


    After all, how many Martial Cultivator and Alien Body practitioners don¡¯t owe money?


    Their parents, while primarily researchers, had also spent a lot on implantation.


    It¡¯s very rare in the world of Martial Cultivators that their parents could still leave some savings for them.


    Lin Rui only owed 900,000¡ª


    Lin Xi felt annoyed internally, silently cursing the Blood Lizard Gang.


    She wondered if in the future, the siblings wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to stay here anymore.


    It turned out her brother was quite the tough cookie, well aware of the Blood Lizard Gang¡¯s influence in East City yet still insisting on filing a lawsuit.


    Lin Xi felt very pleased; those people from the Blood Lizard Gang were all bastards, and keeping quiet didn¡¯t help at all.


    Just at that moment, an electronic sound came from outside the door.


    ¡°Your courier has arrived.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart skipped a beat, knowing the ¡°Yuan Magnet Flying Needles¡± and ¡°Smart Flying Sword¡± he had ordered had arrived.


    Courier services in this era were that fast, reaching anywhere within the same city in just minutes.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    As Lin Rui and the other took a shared flying-wing car back to their own doorstep, in a terraced villa on the opposite side, a middle-aged Caucasian with thinning hair pulled down the curtain, not daring to peek toward Lin Rui¡¯s side any longer.


    He realized Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual awareness was indeed very sharp. Last time at the entrance of Mingde University, Lin Rui almost spotted him.


    Today was even more impressive than before; Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual power seemed to have grown stronger, and his sensing range had become much broader.


    The question was, to what extent had this guy¡¯s spiritual power reached now? Was it 200? Or 240? Surely not 300? It had only been a few days since Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual power broke through 150.


    Now, the most recent intelligence they could review was the data from Lin Rui¡¯s physical examination during an exam.


    Since then, all of Lin Rui¡¯s physiological data had been taken over by Si Malin, encrypted by this candidate academician of the East Asian Republic.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man frowned deeply, feeling that the matter of soul-searching could not be delayed any longer.


    The higher Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual power grew, the more difficult soul-searching would be.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man then hurriedly walked to the basement of this terraced villa.


    Inside, this space originally used for storage was astonishingly arranged into a simple array altar.


    The altar was assembled from twenty-four array plates, each one meter in length and width, made by a carbon fiber 3D printer, and within the altar, 108 candles were burning.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man sat down at the center of the altar, first taking three mouthfuls of blood drawn from a child, then forming a magic gesture and began to meditate deeply.


    Suddenly, a whirl of chill wind started in the basement, blew through the open door, and rushed towards the direction of Lin Rui¡¯s house.

 Chapter 53: 52 First Possession (Please follow and read)

    Chapter 53: Chapter 52 First Possession (Please follow and read)


    After receiving the parcel, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t wait to head to the backyard of the townhouse.


    Controlling a flying sword is a dream of every fan of fantasy and martial arts fiction.


    Lin Rui had spent many hours devouring such books in the past, admiring the depicted sword immortals immensely, and was now excited to get the chance to experience it for himself.


    First up were the flying needles, which Lin Rui controlled to whirl around his body, darting up and down in various maneuvers.


    He then pointed towards the newly purchased major-ranked dummy, ¡°Armored Type 3,¡± belonging to Lin Xi, directing the flying needles to strike it and causing a series of ¡°ding ding¡± noises as they hit the dummy¡¯s chest.


    The power of these flying needles was terrifying, managing to dent the Armor Type 3¡¯s chest plate with indentations the size of a pinky finger.


    ...


    It¡¯s worth noting that, although Armor Type 3 was ranked as a major, its defensive capability was far superior to the flesh and blood of the same rank, indicating the massive destructive power of these needles.


    This was why Xue Bogao only mastered several firearms skills to a level of proficiency.


    For Xue Bogao, firearms were nowhere near as useful as flying swords and needles.


    In this era, gunpowder weapons were obsolete, only kinetic firearms exceeding three or even five times the speed of sound, along with various beam guns, posed a threat to major-ranked martial artists.


    The nerve responses of major-ranked martial artists were greatly enhanced, making it difficult to hit them with bullets traveling slower than three times the speed of sound.


    Lin Rui now could block bullets.


    He then activated the auxiliary armors ¡°Divine Authority¡± and ¡°Thunder Blood.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    The dummy¡¯s armor plates began to emit a crystalline ringing, ¡°ding ding ding,¡± as his controlled flying needles pierced through!


    At this sight, Lin Rui was slightly alarmed, quickly glancing up towards the window of his younger sister¡¯s room.


    This ¡°Armored Type 3¡± had been purchased by Lin Xi with her own savings, and damaging it would require a difficult explanation.


    However, possibly because the sound of the needles piercing the armor was faint, or because Lin Xi was absorbed in sorting her belongings and did not notice the noise outside, there was no indication that the window upstairs had been opened.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui was relieved. They were moving to the school dormitories tomorrow, and Lin Xi wouldn¡¯t see the dummy for a while.


    He would replace it when he had enough money.


    ¡°Amazing! Are ¡®Divine Authority¡¯ and ¡®Thunder Blood¡¯ really this powerful when combined?¡±


    Lin Rui was very satisfied with the ¡®Thunder Blood¡¯ he had implanted.


    Indeed, as several online implant review experts had mentioned, the combination of Divine Authority, Heavenly Speed, and Thunder Blood could greatly enhance their power, achieving an effect of 1+1+1 equals 5.


    Implanting two specific auxiliary armors later could even form a relatively powerful low-grade Sacred Body.


    Yet what surprised him more were the God Thunder Heavenly Flame and Thunder Extreme God Brilliance Stance.


    ¡°The power of this set of God Thunder Heavenly Flame is really exaggerated, much stronger than the military version Xue Bogao has, and my physical state has also been clearly enhanced a level, likely due to the Grandmaster-level Thunder Extreme God Brilliance Stance. I remember last time when I duplicated the Thunder Fire Stance, my True Qi and physical state were greatly improved.¡±@@@@


    ¡°Hmm~ since duplicating stances enhances physical state, what would happen if I duplicated several stances? Ah, forget it, Xue Bogao only has four stances, two of which I can¡¯t duplicate until I am promoted to lieutenant colonel¡ª¡±


    ¡°Such a shame, I can currently only control up to twelve flying needles at once. Any more, and I can¡¯t manage precise control; it must be due to insufficient spiritual power. Moreover, my amount of True Qi is a bit low; managing twelve flying needles in combat can only last for five minutes. Thankfully, my set of God Thunder Heavenly Flame has an ultra-fast Qi recovery rate.¡±


    At first, it was very difficult, but after resisting for three minutes, Lin Rui finally stabilized his position. Without hesitation, he fought back, trying with all his might to reclaim lost ground.


    At that moment, he noticed a message that had been present in his mind for a while.


    Alert: Foreign spiritual power detected, possession by Host Spirit #1 now available, which can help you absorb and refine the core of the foreign spiritual power. Would you like to possess it?


    Lin Rui was puzzled, wondering, what is a ¡®spiritual core¡¯?


    Alert: The spiritual core is the foundation of spirit, the root of soul power, which can enhance your spiritual aptitude comprehensively.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes lit up, saying without hesitation, ¡°Possess!¡±


    He had always been wary of the ¡®possession¡¯ ability, especially after copying three basic martial arts and being heavily influenced by Xue Bogao¡¯s obsession. Lin Rui feared that this ¡®possession¡¯ might have severe drawbacks, so much so that he dared not use it during the battle at the Zhao household.


    But now, he was intrigued. Since the spirit guardian offered advice at such a crucial moment, it indicated that Xue Bogao¡¯s possession must have a way to help him absorb and refine the foreign spiritual power.


    It was worth a try¡ª


    At this time, the one invading Lin Rui¡¯s mind was that middle-aged Caucasian with thinning hair.


    His consciousness was both alarmed and anxious.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man had never expected Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual power to be so strong!


    Lin Rui had managed to withstand his mental suppression without collapsing, and was even counterattacking in some areas!


    This guy¡¯s spiritual power must be over 400, and might already have broken through 500! Otherwise, the current situation could not be explained.


    The problem is, this guy is only 18 years old and seems to have just implanted his meridians.


    As a lieutenant colonel and a Martial Cultivator specializing in souls, the Caucasian middle-aged man¡¯s spiritual power had only just approached 3000.


    The situation was getting worse, and while the Caucasian middle-aged man¡¯s spiritual power could still overpower Lin Rui, the problem was that their battlefield was inside Lin Rui¡¯s body¡ªit was Lin Rui¡¯s home ground.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Primordial Spirit had an abundant supply of vital energy, providing endless stamina, while the Caucasian middle-aged man was running low on energy, depleting with every bit he used.


    What was more troublesome was that during his sudden rush earlier, his Primordial Spirit had been slashed by Lin Rui¡¯s sword.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man had been hiding in the basement just before, not seeing Lin Rui¡¯s sword and needle practice, and thus was caught off guard when he made his move.


    Lin Rui¡¯s resistance was extremely resolute, so resolute that it made him hesitant to withdraw from Lin Rui¡¯s body.


    This guy¡¯s will was also exceptionally robust, indomitably steadfast, allowing Lin Rui¡¯s 500 points of spiritual power to perform like 1000. No matter how many times he was shattered, he could regroup in a very short time.


    In a full-on mental struggle between them, a hasty retreat by the Caucasian middle-aged man would surely result in a disastrous defeat!


    His Primordial Spirit would definitely be shaken to pieces by Lin Rui, and most likely, it would disintegrate while trying to return to his body, completely dissipating.


    Even if he managed a lucky return, his Primordial Spirit would still suffer significant damage, a cost the Caucasian middle-aged man could not afford.


    ¡°Damn it! Why won¡¯t this guy back down just a little? Even a slight relaxation would help.¡±


    The Caucasian middle-aged man no longer wanted to continue the soul-searching, only wishing to retreat safely.


    One misstep had led him into a massive pitfall.


    It was then that he sensed another powerful Martial Artist¡¯s Primordial Spirit emerging within Lin Rui¡¯s body.

 Chapter 54: 53: Meat Buns and a Dog (Asking for Follow-Up Reads)

    Chapter 54: Chapter 53: Meat Buns and a Dog (Asking for Follow-Up Reads)


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who are you?¡±


    The Caucasian middle-aged man was terrified, wondering whose Primordial Spirit this was.


    Could there be a second person exerting Soul Secret Technique on Lin Rui today? Had he collided with someone else?


    The Martial Artist¡¯s Primordial Spirit not only possessed incredibly strong spiritual power but was also extremely violent, brimming with aggressiveness, shattering the Caucasian middle-aged man¡¯s soul into pieces upon entry.


    The Caucasian middle-aged man sensed that this person¡¯s spiritual power might be at the level of a major, at least twice as strong as his! It was even possible that it was at the general level, leaving him completely unable to resist.


    Fortunately, although the Martial Artist¡¯s Primordial Spirit was strong, it only knew how to mindlessly attack and rampage within Lin Rui¡¯s body, its reactions far less agile than his.


    ...


    The Caucasian middle-aged man could adopt a guerrilla fighting style, engaging in hit-and-run tactics with the Martial Artist¡¯s Primordial Spirit, avoiding direct confrontation.@@@@


    The problem was that there was also Lin Rui, the ¡°local snake¡± in this body.


    Lin Rui¡¯s thoughts were also blocking all sides, attacking, biting, cooperating with that powerful Martial Artist¡¯s Primordial Spirit, entangling with all their might!


    The Caucasian middle-aged man had realized that this Martial Artist¡¯s Primordial Spirit was likely Lin Rui¡¯s ally, and they were teaming up to strangle him!


    ¡°You want to kill me? That¡¯s impossible, don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    The Caucasian middle-aged man was both furious and terrified.


    At that moment, his body in the basement of another townhouse suddenly spat out blood and a layer of ethereal crimson flames ignited all over him.


    Go to novgo.co


    This caused the spiritual power of the Caucasian middle-aged man to surge suddenly, elevating more than sixty percent in an instant, temporarily stepping into the level of a colonel!


    In that moment, he distinctly sensed part of the situation inside and outside of Lin Rui¡¯s body.


    He saw a middle-aged soul shadow of about forty years old, wearing a major¡¯s uniform, with a tall and sturdy figure, masculine features, and a commanding presence, currently attached to Lin Rui¡¯s body.


    Lin Rui himself had his hands clasped in a seal, with crimson thunder snakes coiling around his palms and continuous flashes of crimson lightning within three meters around his body.


    ¡°Who is this person? A major, but how could he have such a solid soul body?¡±


    The Caucasian middle-aged man was first puzzled, then his eyes widened in horrified despair, ¡°Not good, this is the Thunder Engine Realm!¡±


    This was an extremely powerful lightning technique, the Demonic Suppression Secret Martial Art of Tianji Star, especially effective against Primordial Spirits!


    From the looks of it outside, Lin Rui had already completed the preliminary steps of this Secret Technique.


    Lin Rui felt sheepish, but his face remained expressionless, and he stood with his hands behind his back like a master, ¡°What else could I be doing? Practicing martial arts, Lin Xi. Your dummy is too weak to withstand my power. Don¡¯t worry! When I get my salary, I will reimburse you. You don¡¯t have to worry about not having a dummy for practice. The Martial Arts Society alone has dozens of Combat Gear Type 4s, all intelligent sparring robots. Their combat capabilities are nearly as good as a real school-level Martial Cultivator, much stronger than your Heavy Armor Type 3.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xi scoffed coldly and then ¡®slammed¡¯ the window shut.


    She still needed to pack her luggage and had no time to argue with Lin Rui.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui reluctantly touched his nose, at the same time sensing the thoughts in his mind.


    Tip: By slaying a fourth-realm demonic Martial Cultivator, you have obtained 561 Soul Power points.


    Tip: With the help of Battle Spirit Number One, you have completely refined and absorbed part of the demonic Martial Cultivator¡¯s spiritual essence, slightly enhancing your spiritual power.


    Tip: Battle Spirit Number One has devoured part of the demonic Martial Cultivator¡¯s spiritual essence, advancing its spiritual power and altering its skill list accordingly.


    Lin Rui was first surprised; his guardian spirit actually treated this soul, brimming with malicious intent trying to possess him as a demonic Martial Cultivator?


    Could this person actually be from the Celestial Poles Star?


    Lin Rui thought this was very likely; however, why did slaying a fourth-realm demonic Martial Cultivator only yield 561 Soul Power points?


    A fourth-realm Martial Cultivator was equivalent to the major and lieutenant colonel rank Mechanical SUit Martial Cultivators, and their spiritual power strength started at least at 1000.


    Lin Rui scanned the last two tips and then realized his oversight.


    The Soul Power of this fourth-realm demonic Martial Cultivator must have been divided between him and Xue Bogao.


    Both his and Xue Bogao¡¯s battle spirits had obtained a portion of the so-called ¡°spiritual essence.¡±


    Xue Bogao¡¯s battle spirit likely took the larger share, and it seemed to have undergone some changes after devouring the spiritual essence.


    Lin Rui reflected on the recent possession.


    It did not feel as bad as he had initially imagined; it was somewhat similar to when Lin Rui learned the battle spirit skills, although the battle spirit¡¯s control over his body was much stronger.


    If Lin Rui did not have a strong wish to end the possession, the battle spirit¡¯s control over his body would take priority over Lin Rui¡¯s own consciousness.


    Also, during the possession, the Yin energy produced inside Lin Rui¡¯s body was several times stronger than when learning battle spirit skills, and his consciousness was also more deeply affected by the battle spirit¡¯s malevolence and fixation.


    The reason Lin Rui had been relentless, fiercely attacking the foreign spiritual power within his body, was influenced by the battle spirit.


    Lin Rui then activated a thought.


    ¡°Guardian spirit, show me Battle Spirit Number One¡¯s skill list.¡±


    As information surfaced in Lin Rui¡¯s mind, his pupils suddenly constricted, revealing a hint of surprise.

 Chapter 55: 54 Evolution (Please follow for more)

    Chapter 55: Chapter 54 Evolution (Please follow for more)


    Battle Spirit No. 1: Xue Bogao (can be possessed)


    51 skills available to learn: Handgun Use (Proficient), Purple Glow Thunder Blade (Grandmaster), Purple Glow Thunder Palm (Grandmaster), Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill (Grandmaster), Spiritual Rejuvenation Stake (Great Success), Magic Control Divine Technique (True Meaning), Formation Basics (Proficient)... and others not listed here


    20 skills available to copy: Handgun Use (Proficient), Purple Glow Thunder Blade (Grandmaster), Purple Glow Thunder Palm (Grandmaster), Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill (Grandmaster), Spiritual Rejuvenation Stake (Great Success), Magic Control Divine Technique (True Meaning), Formation Basics (Proficient)... and others not listed here


    Lin Rui carefully reviewed both skill lists.


    Battle Spirit No. 1 had 7 more copyable skills, and 9 more learnable skills than mentioned, all of which were related to magic and spiritual power.


    They must have been abilities Xue Bogao acquired after devouring the spiritual essence of the demonized Martial Cultivator.@@@@


    ...


    Furthermore, as Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual power focused on Xue Bogao¡¯s name in the list, another piece of information appeared in his mind¡ªBrigadier-level Battle Spirit.


    What is a Brigadier? Above a Senior Colonel, yet not quite a Major General.


    While the official ranks don¡¯t include this echelon, it¡¯s a term used among the people.


    This phase is called Half-step ¡®Dragon Transformation¡¯ on Tianji Star.


    Lin Rui was astonished, could a Battle Spirit actually level up? He wondered if it could reach the rank of Major General.


    However, this seemed to have little benefit for him.


    His need for the Battle Spirit primarily lay in learning and copying various skills.


    Go to novgo.co


    Then again, if he faced a situation like the recent possession, or needed to compete in spiritual power, having a Battle Spirit with greater spiritual strength would be of use.


    Lin Rui then glanced around at his neighbors without showing any reaction.


    The soul of that demonized Martial Cultivator couldn¡¯t have possibly drifted over from outside the residential area.


    A mere Senior Colonel-ranked Martial Artist wouldn¡¯t meet the requirements for a Primordial Spirit to travel far from the body.


    The person must have another body nearby.


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze quickly locked onto two of the row houses in the vicinity.


    The roar of the thunder just now was so immense that, had it not been for the good quality glass of this era, all glass within a 200-meter radius would have likely shattered.


    All the neighbors in the vicinity were startled, either turning on their lights or walking to the windows to peek out, some even cursing. Yet the row houses Lin Rui was particularly vigilant about showed no signs of life, no light shone from within.


    Housing at Base Nine was always in short supply, so occupancy rates in this public servants¡¯ residential area were very high; any vacancy would be filled immediately.


    Therefore, these two houses were the most suspicious.


    Lin Rui then without any apparent concern, went back inside his own house.


    Were these patients with ¡®Cybernetic Implantation Syndrome¡¯ also considered demonized Martial Cultivators by the Battle Spirit Ring?


    But if this person just had Cybernetic Implantation Syndrome, what was his purpose?


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t be sure, so he began searching for personal items on the body.


    This time, his loot was much better than the previous time in the basement of General Xue¡¯s home.


    In addition to a smart wristband terminal, Lin Rui also found a fourth-tier smart pistol, a fourth-tier battle sabre, a set of fourth-tier half-body armor, an anonymous savings black card, and six magazines filled with 30 bullets each, two of which contained expensive smart bullets.


    The smart pistol, named ¡®Smart Dragon¡¯ Model 4, was an electromagnetically powered firearm, not only fast to charge but its bullets could also reach eight times the speed of sound and could fire smart guided bullets. The drawback was that its firing rate was slightly slow, at only 80 rounds per minute, providing somewhat insufficient suppression against cybernetically enhanced warriors.


    The fourth-tier battle sabre, ¡®Truth¡¯ Model 4, was shaped like a Tang sword and integrated with the electromagnetic energy storage technology from Sky Extreme Star¡¯s runic studies. The blade was extremely sturdy and resilient, enhancing the user¡¯s sabre speed and strength, and could also store energy in the scabbard, greatly increasing its power when drawn!


    The half-body armor, on the other hand, was a very ordinary set of Level 4 bulletproof armor, its advantages being agility and lightness, capable of being worn under clothes.


    Lin Rui was overjoyed.


    This pistol and sabre were much better than those he had seized from General Xue¡¯s place.


    In General Xue¡¯s basement, although he had also obtained a fifth-tier battle sabre and a set of fifth-tier full-body armor, which he hid in a secret location, Lin Rui could neither fully leverage their power nor dared to use them.


    In contrast, the weapons he had acquired from the white middle-aged man might be useful in the future.


    In the following days, Lin Rui paid particular attention to this villa and the information released by the police.


    He suspected that the white middle-aged man¡¯s identity was shady, and he might even be undocumented, as his smart terminal showed obvious signs of tampering and was not a common model on the market.


    This person must have entered the community in a very secretive manner, known to few.


    If the police hadn¡¯t listed the white middle-aged man as missing, it would indicate that the authorities were completely unaware of his death.


    Lin Rui felt joyful yet regretful.


    It was a pity he didn¡¯t have hacking abilities; otherwise, he could have hacked into this guy¡¯s smart terminal and traced his origins.


    He could also try to extract the funds from the savings black card.


    This was an anonymous savings card issued by an underground bank. Although it wasn¡¯t tied to an identity, one must know the password to withdraw money.


    No sooner had this thought formed than a string of numbers, interspersed with a few English letters, appeared in his mind.


    ¡°Could this be the savings card¡¯s password? I absorbed and refined this person¡¯s spiritual essence, obtaining some of his key memories, similar to Xue Bogao, who gained so many new skills.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes lit up with surprise, and he hurriedly inserted the savings card into his wristband terminal, entering the password into the prompt box.


    However, the result was slightly disappointing, as there were only 70,321 federal dollars in the savings black card.


    Yet, it was still an unexpected delight. Lin Rui then shook his head and opened up the list of skills learnable from Xue Bogao.


    As Lin Rui¡¯s intention locked onto the Cleaner skill, he began to learn, and his eyes gradually took on a cold indifference.

 Chapter 56: 55: Fearless (Please Follow)

    Chapter 56: Chapter 55: Fearless (Please Follow)


    The next morning, Lin Rui used the AI terminal to call for a shared winged car, which stopped right at their home¡¯s doorstep.


    For safety¡¯s sake, the car Lin Rui called for was still the luxury business model.


    Just the night before, Lin Rui had heard the sound of motorcycle engines roaring outside the community more than once.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t know if those were Blood Lizard Gang members, but he couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility, given that the security in the Ninth Base had never been good. After all, this was an era where individual combat capabilities were off the charts. The government of the Ninth Base could barely ensure the common people could live and work in peace, so Lin Rui had to be a bit cautious.


    Lin Xi obediently carried a few bags of luggage and got into the luxury business winged car with Lin Rui.


    Last night, she had hacked the cameras outside the community and had seen the situation, knowing all too well how dangerous it was.


    ...


    Indeed, there were some Blood Lizard Gang members surveilling the neighborhood.


    As the car took off into the air and merged into a transparent ring highway tubing under the control of the automated driving system, Lin Rui turned his head and asked, ¡°Lin Xi, what do you think about the matter we discussed yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Of course I agreed,¡± she said.


    Lin Xi was in a bad mood. She felt unwilling and said glumly, ¡°We¡¯re now depending on others for our needs, not to mention that they helped us so much yesterday. How could we possibly refuse at this time? Besides, Miss Emerald¡¯s offer is quite generous. I talked to her last night; she is truly sincere.¡±


    Lin Xi was actually quite excited, because if she transferred to Mingde Alien Body College, she wouldn¡¯t have to be a burden to her brother.


    In the future, her scholarships and body augmentations would no longer pose problems, which would save the family a great deal of money.


    Lin Xi herself was very interested in martial arts, especially after the incident the night before.


    Go to novgo.co


    At that moment, Lin Xi¡¯s face subtly changed, and she intently peered out the car window, ¡°Brother, something is not right.¡±@@@@


    Lin Rui had already noticed something amiss. There were suddenly nineteen floating motorcycles chasing from behind, zooming beside their luxury business winged car.


    Several other vehicles had already positioned themselves in front, preventing the business winged car from accelerating.


    The engines of these floating motorcycles were clearly modified, emitting piercing buzzing noises as they spewed out crimson flames.


    The riders on the motorcycles were all dressed in cyberpunk style, sporting multicolored hair, studded leather jackets, strange face paints, and various metal rings.


    Lin Rui also noticed that these people had Blood Lizard Gang lizard tattoos on their necks and arms.


    This made him frown, as his return to Tianji Star had been incessant with troubles; as soon as one wave settled, another arose.


    ¡°Passengers, please be aware! Ambola has detected a total of 14 secondary threats and 5 tertiary threats outside the vehicle, with 12 individuals having serious criminal records. Ambola has activated the security protection system and reported to the nearby police station. Please ensure your personal safety,¡± announced the voice of Ambola, the AI system of the car sharing company.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t wait for the electronic voice to finish, he emphasized, ¡°I am aware of the consequences, open the sunroof immediately!¡±


    Following his command, the vehicle¡¯s roof window slowly opened up.


    Lin Rui then unbuckled his seat belt, ¡°Ambola, once I¡¯m out, you must close the sunroof immediately. I¡¯m the main passenger, that¡¯s my order. Lin Xi, wait for me inside the car, be good and obey, don¡¯t try to be brave!¡±


    When he said this last sentence, his voice intensified, stern and forceful.


    At that very moment, like a spring, Lin Rui¡¯s figure leaped out of the sunroof.


    The Blood Lizard Gang riders outside were first stunned upon seeing this, then burst into harsh laughter, with a few drawing their handguns and aiming at Lin Rui.


    ¡°Ha, this guy¡¯s got guts! He actually dared to come out?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got shit for brains, the idiot.¡±


    ¡°Yo-ho, just watch, I¡¯m gonna blow his head off!¡±


    ¡°Shoot! Shoot!¡±


    Lin Rui, expressionless, stepped on the roof of the business winged car, wrapped in a thunderous flash of electricity, and landed on top of a nearby floating vehicle, chopping down ferociously.


    The green-haired rider on this vehicle was designated by the vehicle¡¯s smart-driving system as a level three threat¡ªa captain-class Martial Cultivator enhanced with synthetic serum.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for death!¡±


    The green-haired rider looked up, eyes wide with a cold stare at Lin Rui, unexpectedly counterattacking instead of defending, abruptly pulling out a roughly four-foot-long, third-tier ¡®mono-molecular combat knife¡¯ from the motorcycle¡¯s storage and slashing towards Lin Rui.


    He found it amusing¡ªthis fool on top must not have any implanted energy vessels and yet dared to launch an attack from the car, choosing him imbued with synthetic serum as the first target.


    But just as their blades were about to clash, a blood hole suddenly appeared in the center of the green-haired rider¡¯s forehead.


    What¡¯s going on?


    As this thought barely emerged in the green-haired rider¡¯s mind, he lost all consciousness, his swung blade faltered, passing by the falling Lin Rui without contact.


    Lin Rui cleanly decapitated his head and grabbed the mono-molecular combat knife, then with a swift kick, pushed the green-haired rider¡¯s corpse off the motorcycle.


    He then swung the long blade and took control of the floating motorcycle, steering it to the side.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    With a flash of thunder, blood mist sprayed, and another rider fell from their motorcycle, which, due to engine failure, uncontrollably smashed into the high-speed freeway¡¯s surrounding transparent glass walls, producing a booming echo followed by a glaring burst of flame.


    At this moment, streaks of silver filaments were whizzing by Lin Rui¡¯s body.

 Chapter 57: 56 The Might of Sword Control (Seeking Follow-Up Reads)

    Chapter 57: Chapter 56 The Might of Sword Control (Seeking Follow-Up Reads)


    The consecutive deaths of two knights brought a chilling silence to the Blood Lizard Gang riders who had previously been screaming and howling.


    Messages began to flood their combat group chat.


    ¡°He killed Ravend?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Ravend was a Captain; how could he be slain with a single strike?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, how did Ravend suddenly die? What method did this guy use to kill him?¡±


    ¡°Miao Bin is dead too, he used the Red Thunder Saber and probably had Thunder Blood implanted, the power of lightning is extremely strong!¡±


    ...


    ¡°A Bin! He killed A Bin, A Bin is dead too.¡±


    While they were puzzled and uncertain, Lin Rui had already swung his sword again, cutting down two more riders from their motorcycles, his monomolecular combat knife being sharper, faster, and more dangerous than the practice knife he had originally used.


    This drove all the Blood Lizard Gang riders into a furious rage.


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    ¡°Get closer! Speed up, speed up!¡±


    In an instant, over a dozen hover motorcycles abandoned the chase of the business-wing car and instead veered in the direction of Lin Rui to encircle him.


    Sitting inside the wing car, Lin Xi¡¯s heart almost stopped, she pressed against the window looking at Lin Rui, for some reason, the cabin kept sounding alarms: ¡°Please note, abnormal air pressure inside the cabin! Please note, abnormal air pressure inside the cabin!¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    It was at this moment that the engines of the two modified wing cars in front suddenly exploded, countless pieces of metal shrapnel blasted out, and both cars lost control, tumbling violently ahead.


    Lin Xi¡¯s pupils brightened, her heart finally relaxed, feeling confident that Lin Rui could indeed handle these bastards.


    Those were flying needles! The flying needles Lin Rui purchased yesterday had, under his control, lodged directly into the engines of the two wing cars.


    Shortly after the explosion, three more motorcycle riders inexplicably fell off their bikes.


    A blood hole appeared in the center of their foreheads, their eyes filled with disbelief and confusion.


    Those modified hover motorcycles crashed into the glass curtain walls of the high-speed pipeline, exploding into three scorching fireballs, with metallic shrapnel scattering in all directions.


    Sparks burst continuously around Lin Rui, producing a ringing clangour.


    Several guns were firing at him at the moment, luckily none of the Blood Lizard Gang members had high-powered submachine guns in their hands, and the velocity of the pistol bullets was only thrice the speed of sound.


    Gold-Tooth Jack gritted his teeth fiercely and let out a roar like a wounded beast. He tossed aside his pistol and leaped from the vehicle into the air, pouncing in Lin Rui¡¯s direction.


    However, Lin Rui had already taken off from that motorcycle one step earlier and arrived above another vehicle. With a flash of his ¡®monomolecular combat knife,¡¯ he cut off the head of a knight along with a good portion of their shoulder.


    Next, his figure darted about like a nimble monkey. With every leap, every slash of the knife, he would claim a life. His monomolecular combat knife, combined with the flying needles he controlled, was simply unstoppable. None of the Blood Lizard Gang members could withstand a single blow from him.


    Gold-Tooth Jack kept chasing from behind but was always one step too slow, fueling the furious rage in his heart to a burn.


    That bastard could even use electromagnetic force to control the engine, slowing down the floating motorcycle he was driving.


    He could only wave his chain saw sword frantically, crying out in angry desperation, ¡°I¡¯ll slaughter you! If you get caught by me, I swear I¡¯ll slaughter you, I¡¯ll chop you into pieces!¡±


    However, after Lin Rui killed four men, the remaining few Blood Lizard Gang riders had already fallen apart, one by one, creating distance and even driving into the on-ramps that appeared ahead.


    At that moment, Gold-Tooth Jack¡¯s floating motorcycle suddenly accelerated, finally catching up to Lin Rui.


    Gold-Tooth Jack realized in an instant that Lin Rui had done this deliberately, relinquishing his control over the engine. This guy was intent on settling the score with him, with Gold-Tooth Jack!


    He let out a burst of crazed laughter, his eyes revealing a look of bloodthirsty madness, ¡°You want to kill me? Then come on!¡±


    He was Gold-Tooth Jack! He was nothing like those captain-level losers Lin Rui had killed before.


    Not only was his spiritual power intact, but every aspect of his physical constitution had also reached the level of a major. His implanted meridian system was even the ¡®Hunter¡¯ model regulated by the federal government¡ªa complete set of cybernetic implants!


    Moreover, the synthetic serum he¡¯d been injected with was derived from a high-ranking demon on the planet Tianji Star!


    Just as the two motorcycles were about to collide, a harsh metallic clang and a series of dazzling sparks erupted between them.


    The chain saw sword and the monomolecular combat knife collided fiercely, spewing forth a stream of blinding sparks.


    Lin Rui was clearly outmatched. Not only was his blade speed much slower than Gold-Tooth Jack¡¯s, but his strength was also far inferior. After only two strikes, he was almost unable to stand, and even the floating motorcycle he was on wobbled unstably.


    This motorcycle had been heavily modified, and although the power was exceedingly strong, the automatic driving system and the vehicle¡¯s stability system were as crappy as shit.


    Gold-Tooth Jack laughed maniacally, his facial muscles contorting into a ferocious look, ¡°You son of a bitch, go to hell, die!¡±


    With just two more strikes, he could chop this man up alive.


    But at that moment, Gold-Tooth Jack suddenly saw a streak of sword light flash towards his neck.


    ¡°Sword Control Technique?¡±


    This guy could even wield Sword Control!


    Gold-Tooth Jack felt a chill rush to his skull, causing goosebumps all over his body.


    He managed to dodge the fatal strike to his neck at the last moment, but his left shoulder and arm were sliced off by the sword light, spraying a fountain of fresh blood and eliciting a scream of agony from Gold-Tooth Jack.

 Chapter 58: 57: Hall of Fame (seeking follow-up reading)

    Chapter 58: Chapter 57: Hall of Fame (seeking follow-up reading)


    Educational Charity Center of Base 9, Yu Feicui hurriedly walked into the auction hall and found Fang Ranran talking with several business tycoons.


    When Fang Ranran saw her approaching, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit surprised.


    She excused herself from the people nearby, and with curious eyes, she went up to Yu Feicui, ¡°Is there something you need, Sister Feicui?¡±


    Although both of them were attending the charity auction today, they had their reasons.


    Fang Ranran was there to fundraise for the education charity foundation she operated.


    Yu Feicui, on the other hand, was accompanying General Fei Yunlai, a newly risen star of the military, at this charity auction.


    ...


    She and General Fei Yunlai were like siblings, sharing a very close relationship.


    ¡°There¡¯s a video spreading online, Ranran, you should take a look.¡±


    Yu Feicui directly sent a video link to Fang Ranran through a private chat interface.


    Fang Ranran opened the video with a skeptical look, but after watching for a moment, her eyes lit up, ¡°Is that Lin Rui?¡±


    She then frowned, turning to Yu Feicui, ¡°How are they doing right now? Why didn¡¯t they inform me immediately?¡±


    ¡°By the time I saw this video, they had already escaped danger.¡±


    Yu Feicui shook her head, her lips slightly curving up, radiating pleasure, ¡°Keep watching the video.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Fang Ranran then settled down to continue watching the video, her eyes widening in amazement, almost incredulous at the content, ¡°He can actually command flying needles and swords? How is that possible?¡±


    Fang Ranran knew that Lin Rui had implanted a complete set of ¡®Divine Thunder Flame Armor¡¯, truly becoming a Lieutenant-level martial artist, greatly enhancing his strength, but it still shouldn¡¯t be so exaggerated, should it?


    Watching the battle footage in the video, Lin Rui slaughtering Captain-level martial artists looked like slicing through melons and vegetables.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it when I saw it either, but it is indeed true. My senior brother Fei also saw this video, he said Lin Rui might have cultivated the ¡®Extreme Divine Thunder Pillar¡¯, or a similar intermediate-level cultivation technique to a very high level, possibly to perfection!¡±


    Yu Feicui shook her head, speaking in a tone filled with wonder, ¡°Lin Rui¡¯s talent is very high, higher than we previously thought, possibly above the level of the top ten, reaching hall-grade! He might have already mastered the Extreme Divine Thunder Pillar, but just hadn¡¯t shown it due to not having implanted his meridian points.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°His sister is also quite impressive, at sixteen, right after implanting meridians, she could use the Red Thunder Snake Hand, she too will rank among the top three of the top ten in the future. This sibling duo is truly remarkable.¡±


    Fang Ranran wondered where Lin Rui had learned the Extreme Divine Thunder Pillar from?@@@@


    She soon thought of Lin Rui¡¯s parents¡¯ background and understood; with their positions in the research institutions, they could obtain most of the government-regulated advanced cultivation techniques.


    Fang Ranran also agreed with Yu Feicui¡¯s judgment, thinking to herself that Lin Rui¡¯s talent was indeed frighteningly strong! If Lin Rui could make a name for himself in the upcoming martial arts league, then her uncle would have found a treasure.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lin Rui was fighting a life-and-death battle with Jack Goldtooth.


    After having an arm severed by Lin Rui, Jack Goldtooth regained his composure and rode his hover-motorcycle at full speed trying to escape.


    However, this motorcycle wasn¡¯t his original one, and Lin Rui¡¯s electromagnetic interference had greatly reduced its speed, making it unable to shake off Lin Rui.


    The two pursued each other on motorcycles in the high-speed pipeline, constantly clashing swords.


    Jack Goldtooth¡¯s face gradually turned pale, and the strength in his sword weakened with every collision.


    The stump on his left arm had actually stopped bleeding, but during the minutes-long chase, Jack Goldtooth was stabbed several times by Lin Rui¡¯s flying sword.


    Jack Goldtooth had a foreboding feeling.


    Was he going to die here, in the hands of this youthful nobody?


    He felt unwilling and angry.


    This nobody was outright monstrous. How could someone so young, just over 18, be so strong? He wasn¡¯t even among the top ten warriors.


    Moreover, this guy¡¯s disposition was extremely venomous.


    He had already opted to flee, yet this nobody still relentlessly chased him down, intent on completely annihilating him.


    Jack Goldtooth¡¯s thoughts were a chaotic mess, even giving rise to various hallucinations.


    It was then that he noticed Lin Rui¡¯s hover-vehicle suddenly slowing down.


    Jack Goldtooth felt a surge of joy, thinking Lin Rui had given up the chase.


    But then he spotted about a dozen police cars and armored vehicles blocking the way ahead, with over twenty kinetic assault rifles and particle beam rifles aiming at him from afar.


    ¡°Warning! Warning! Please pull over immediately and drop your weapon! Please pull over immediately and drop your weapon!¡±


    Jack Goldtooth¡¯s expression darkened, knowing he was ultimately going to be caught today.


    But just as he was about to slow down and pull over, the hover-motorcycle beneath him suddenly accelerated, charging toward the police cars.


    ¡°Warnings unsuccessful, open fire!¡±


    At that moment, several dozen kinetic rifles fired simultaneously, instantly riddling Jack Goldtooth¡¯s body with numerous bloody holes.


    Lin Rui stopped his vehicle 150 meters away, watching the scene from a distance.


    A look of surprise flashed in his eyes.


    Because among the group of police, Lin Rui saw a familiar face ¡ª the only surviving daughter of the Xue family.

 Chapter 59: 58 Xue Lingxue (Third update, sincerely asking for follow-up reads!)

    Chapter 59: Chapter 58 Xue Lingxue (Third update, sincerely asking for follow-up reads!)


    PS: Today is very important for breaking new ground, a large amount of catch-up reading is needed. I ask everyone to please help read this book, especially today¡¯s chapter. Just read at your normal pace! Starting off with three chapters as thanks!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Ten minutes later, traffic in the high-speed tube had returned to normal.@@@@


    Lin Rui parked his car on the side of the high-speed tube and leisurely drank the hot beverage provided by the police.


    Lin Xi was holding a pack of wet wipes, cleaning the blood off Lin Rui.


    Most of the blood belonged to the knights from the Blood Lizard Gang, though Lin Rui had also sustained some injuries himself, with his shoulders and waist being grazed by bullets.


    ...


    Lin Xi treated his wounds, her eyes turning slightly red.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just lie down in the automatic surgery capsule when we get back, and it¡¯ll heal in a minute,¡± Lin Rui said, not overly concerned about his injuries. In this era, as long as one didn¡¯t die on the spot, wounds could basically heal within ten minutes, without even leaving a scar.


    He began to look through the information sent to him by his Battle Spirit Ring in his mind.


    Notification: For slaying a second realm demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you have gained 261 points of Soul Power.


    Notification: For slaying a third realm demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you have gained 348 points of Soul Power.


    Notification: For slaying a third realm demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you have gained 358 points of Soul Power.


    Notification: For slaying a third realm demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you have gained 363 points of Soul Power.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui had killed a total of 15 people, yet there were 13 notifications, providing him with over 2900 points of Soul Power.


    Lin Rui was a bit stunned. Could it be that the Battle Spirit Ring actually considered these Martial Cultivators, who were suffering from ¡®cybernetic implant syndrome¡¯, as demon-transformed Martial Cultivators?


    Thinking about it, weren¡¯t the three thousand cybernetically-enhanced Martial Cultivators of the Blood Lizard Gang just a huge packet of experience?


    It truly was madness for members of the Blood Lizard Gang to implant so many things inside their bodies with such low spiritual power.


    Take Jack with the gold teeth, for example, he had at least five assistive cybernetic implants in his body, and he even used a higher-grade artificial serum despite his insufficient spiritual power. No wonder he contracted ¡®cybernetic implant syndrome¡¯; it¡¯s a miracle they haven¡¯t all gone completely mad.


    Another piece of information lingered in Lin Rui¡¯s mind.


    At that moment, a strong force was exerting pressure on both the police and the prosecutor¡¯s office.


    The death of a bunch of drug-trafficking vermin was not a significant matter at all; the lives of these people combined were not worth as much as a single finger of this rising star of the Tianlan Corporation.


    If the Blood Lizard Gang refused to abide by the government¡¯s rules, others naturally could employ forces outside the rules against the Blood Lizard Gang.


    Lin Rui immediately thought of Fang Ranran.


    Apart from their family¡¯s club president, he guessed no one else would go to such lengths to help him.


    Lin Rui felt immensely grateful and promptly stood up, saying, ¡°Then we¡¯ll be going now. If the police need to ask us anything, feel free to contact me at any time.¡±


    At this moment, a luxurious Ambola shared rental car, a President¡¯s Wing model, slowly pulled up beside them.


    Lin Rui now had a lot of trust in this company¡¯s business car brand.


    It was a pity that earlier, he didn¡¯t have the determination to spend more to hire the luxurious President¡¯s version; otherwise, Jack with the golden teeth and his group wouldn¡¯t have managed to lay a finger on his siblings.


    Of course, if it weren¡¯t for the battle that day, he wouldn¡¯t have known that the Battle Spirit Ring actually mistook the spiritually ill for transformed Martial Cultivators.


    Before getting into the car, Lin Rui looked solemnly at Xue Lingxue, ¡°Sister Xue, take care of yourself, and my condolences!¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened, and she fought back tears while nodding, ¡°I know, you guys go.¡±


    She watched as the siblings boarded the luxurious Ambola business Wing car, which then took to the sky and disappeared from sight. She immediately made a phone call.


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s eyes were still filled with sadness, but her expression had resumed its usual cool composure, ¡°General, I have made contact with Lin Rui and Lin Xi, the siblings.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it,¡± a hoarse male voice came through the terminal wristband¡¯s microphone, ¡°So, how do you feel about it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s an illusion, but I feel that the siblings are quite guarded against me,¡± Xue Lingxue frowned slightly, ¡°And Lin Rui, judging from this battle, his talent is unfathomably high¡ªit was not apparent when he was younger.¡±


    ¡°They are guarded against you?¡± The hoarse male voice seemed somewhat surprised. He then said sternly, ¡°Lin Rui¡¯s martial talent is indeed alarmingly high. He¡¯s just undergone the vein implantation surgery, and he¡¯s already able to exercise Sword Control and needle control. However, from the information we have, whether he really is Lin Rui is not yet certain. Be observant.¡±


    He then shifted his tone, ¡°Since they are wary of you, then do not approach them for the time being. Lingxue, make the most of your current identity, prioritize observation, and pay close attention to Lin Xi! From the recent intelligence, more than one party wants to force the Despair Heavenly Girl to awaken. We must not let them succeed; it was your father¡¯s unfinished mission. And as for Lin Rui, you must clarify his situation. But be very careful not to let Lin Xi notice.¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡± Xue Lingxue nodded, ¡°We can¡¯t let Lin Xi know that her brother might have already died. So, we also need to ensure this Lin Rui¡¯s safety, correct?¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± the hoarse male voice seemed very satisfied and ended the communication.


    Xue Lingxue then stood there, deep in thought. She wondered if her family¡¯s tragic deaths had anything to do with Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®death¡¯?

 Chapter 60: 59: Physical Index

    Chapter 60: Chapter 59: Physical Index


    As the luxurious business flying car took off, Lin Xi crossed her arms and sneered, ¡°Brother, you should stay away from that Xue Lingxue from now on, their family is not good people.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui turned to look at Lin Xi with a skeptical look in his eyes.@@@@


    Just a few days ago, Lin Xi was still filled with righteous indignation for the demise of Colonel Xue¡¯s family, yet today she was saying there were no good people in the Xue family.


    The saying goes, ¡°The gods are watching over us from a mere three feet above.¡±


    Colonel Xue¡¯s war spirit might still be lingering and could even be listening in right now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Lin Rui shook his head thoughtfully and looked out the window at the increasingly distant Xue Lingxue, ¡°It¡¯s odd, didn¡¯t Sister Xue used to work at the second research base? Why has she suddenly returned to the ninth base city and even become a lieutenant colonel of police? That¡¯s enough to enter the middle and upper ranks of the East District Police Department. Could it be that she wants to avenge her father and investigate his case?¡±


    ...


    Lin Xi chuckled coldly at his words.


    She had keenly sensed that when Xue Lingxue spoke to them, she had an abnormal interest in them as siblings.


    Lin Xi now understood why their parents had fallen out with the Xue family years ago.


    Their parents broke off relations with Xue Bogao, and no longer allowed him to teach Lin Rui martial arts, surely because they had noticed something.


    About 3 minutes later, the luxurious business flying car arrived at Mingde University, and slowly came to a stop in front of the Martial Arts Society.


    Lin Rui was somewhat astonished to see both Fang Ranran and Yu Feicui waiting outside the Martial Arts Society¡¯s gate.


    Lin Rui approached them proactively and said gratefully, ¡°This time, the situation with us siblings has really troubled the president. I cannot thank you enough; Lin Rui will keep this in mind.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Yu Feicui laughed at this, ¡°Why so formal? Don¡¯t mention it. This matter was a small thing for Ranran. As long as you, Lin Rui, can make a name for yourself in the Martial Arts Society and get into the finals, that will be the best way to repay her.¡±


    She then took Lin Xi¡¯s hand, ¡°I¡¯m here for Lin Xi, you two talk,¡± she said.


    Lin Xi glanced at Lin Rui, hesitated a bit but still followed Yu Feicui into the Martial Arts Society.


    After the two women left, Fang Ranran stared steadily at Lin Rui.


    Her gaze was focused, examining him from head to toe, making Lin Rui feel uncomfortable.


    Back on Tianji Star, the Blood Blade lady often looked at him the same way.


    You should know that the higher the spiritual power value, the harder it is to increase.


    A regular cybernetic martial cultivator would need several years to improve their spiritual power by 77 points, even with ample medication; even those with exceptional spiritual power who undergo heterografting would need about half a year or even around a year.


    Yet Lin Rui had improved so much in just one night.


    Furthermore, there was a remarkable 50-point increase in both Lin Rui¡¯s physical quality and True Qi amount.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Fang Ranran looked at the two men expectantly, ¡°Is there any way to implant an artificial Golden Core in Lin Rui within six months?¡±


    Guan Biran, looking at Lin Rui¡¯s test data with excitement, then shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible! His spiritual power talent is very high, already at 569, nearly reaching the cadet stage. We at Tianlan Group can fully open our cybernetic arsenal and medical supplies to him, we can even build a team to help him adjust the cultivation efficiency of the sleeping chamber, but implanting an artificial Golden Core within half a year is too much of a stretch.


    With his current physical index at 341 and True Qi index at 384, it would take at least a year¡¯s training before he could implant an artificial Golden Core. Moreover, if he wants to possess greater combat power by that time, he¡¯ll have to implant one of those regulated models of Golden Cores, which have even higher requirements for the physique and spiritual power.¡±


    Cybernetic warriors at the rank of major and lieutenant colonel correspond to the fourth realm of Core Formation in Tianji Star.


    To implant an artificial Golden Core, the minimum requirement is to have a spiritual power, physique, and True Qi index all reach 800.


    Even stronger, regulated-model Golden Cores require a spiritual power of at least 1400.


    So between the ranks of captain and major, there¡¯s an intermediate stage called ¡®cadet stage¡¯. On Tianji Star, it¡¯s referred to as a half-step Golden Core, a term used to describe people who haven¡¯t achieved Golden Core but whose combat abilities far exceed those of cultivators in the third realm.


    Fang Ranran felt a bit disappointed upon hearing this.


    Guan Biran, her uncle Fang Kongfang¡¯s assistant and a Ph.D. in Biology, had a profound knowledge of biotechnology. He was also very familiar with the various cybernetic products and medications on the market.


    If he also concluded that Lin Rui couldn¡¯t implant a Golden Core within half a year, that must be the case.


    Shaking his head with a look of helplessness, Guan Biran said to Fang Ranran, ¡°Ranran, what¡¯s the rush? Lin Rui¡¯s talent is indeed at a hall of fame level! He will definitely be able to implant a Golden Core within a year, and at that time, in the whole Base Nine, less than ten people will be able to match him in battle. As long as the deputy general and the core members of your Martial Arts Club can hold out, there should be no issue for you to reach into the university championship. By the time he¡¯s a junior, he will surely enter the finals.¡±


    He was very excited inside. This was the first cybernetic warrior with hall of fame level talent that they had encountered since the chairman established Tianlan Biotech Group, and he had been implanted with their group¡¯s cybernetic augmentations from the very beginning.


    Si Malin, sitting by the surgery pod, once again looked at Lin Rui inside the pod with an unusual expression.


    Unable to implant a Golden Core within half a year?


    If this guy could keep increasing at this rate every day, who would need half a year?


    Si Malin then shook his head and did not speak out to contradict Guan Biran¡¯s assessment.


    The changes in Lin Rui were likely due to the implantation of the wheel veins, combined with his mastery of the high-level Thunder Extreme Shining Stance, which led to the explosive increase in his body¡¯s indices. It couldn¡¯t be considered normal.


    Si Malin thought to himself that he would need to continue observing.

 Chapter 61: 60 The Capital Is Quite Substantial

    Chapter 61: Chapter 60 The Capital Is Quite Substantial


    After Si Malin and Guan Biran had taken Lin Rui¡¯s medical examination data and left, Lin Rui looked out at Fang Ranran and asked, ¡°President, do you have any other matters?¡±


    He was actually hinting to this young Miss Fang that she could leave now, as he was about to come out of the surgical pod and the situation might get a bit awkward.


    Fang Ranran didn¡¯t catch on and, with her arms crossed, looked at Lin Rui¡¯s perfectly proportioned body and sighed repeatedly, ¡°What a pity, what a pity.¡±


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, curious, and asked, ¡°President, you seem very concerned about advancing to the finals of the university league. Is there some other reason?¡±


    It seemed that young Miss Fang¡¯s aim was not just to revitalize the school martial arts club and promote her Tianlan Corporation¡¯s products.


    Fang Ranran scratched her head and sighed again, ¡°It¡¯s my grandfather, he is about to pass away. He told me he had one last wish, to see our school¡¯s zhi-zhuang martial arts department rank within the top ten of Base Nine before he goes. I thought it would be better to fulfill his wish sooner rather than let it become a dying wish.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Grandfather? Is he your maternal grandfather?¡± Lin Rui looked skeptical.


    He knew that in the Earth era in Sichuan, some regions called the maternal grandfather ¡®grandfather,¡¯ but why would Fang Ranran¡¯s maternal grandfather have such an odd wish?


    Fang Ranran smiled, ¡°It means my maternal grandfather. My maternal grandfather¡¯s name is Linghu Mingde.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui suddenly understood. Linghu Mingde was the founder of Mingde University. His statue was even standing at the entrance of the school.


    ¡°My grandfather¡¯s greatest regret in life,¡± she continued, ¡°was that during his tenure as the principal, he didn¡¯t manage the heterogeneous and the zhi-zhuang departments well. Later on, these two departments at Mingde University became even worse, notorious and a laughingstock among many of his old friends.¡±


    Fang Ranran clicked her tongue, looking displeased, ¡°Originally, he wanted me to manage the university and take over its operations step by step after I graduated, but I don¡¯t have the patience to teach students.


    The truth is, the zhi-zhuang department in Mingde University struggles because it lacks fame and results. The subsidies from the education bureau are minimal, and the teachers are subpar. Once I lead Mingde University to a good position in the martial arts league, our zhi-zhuang department¡¯s reputation will be enhanced. With my uncle¡¯s management skills, it will certainly rise quickly.¡±@@@@


    Go to novgo.co


    Fang Ranran then laughed and patted the surgical pod, ¡°Guan Biran was right, I am indeed impatient. So don¡¯t take my words to heart, Lin Rui you have already been very impressive, super amazing, far beyond my expectations!


    I initially thought it would take at least three years to reach the stage of the martial arts championship. Now with you, I estimate it could be achieved within two years. That¡¯s all for today. Knowing you want to come out, I¡¯ll leave first. Tsk! What are you, a big man, still embarrassed about?¡±


    Lin Rui watched her push the door open and leave, then finally pressed the button inside the surgical pod and stepped out.


    The very conditions for these two contracts to take effect demonstrated Tianlan Group¡¯s sincerity.


    The brokerage of Tianlan Group had to provide a signing bonus of 25 million Federal dollars after their graduation for the letter of intent contract to be legally binding.


    Of course, there was also a penalty for breach of contract; for the two siblings, one penalty was 150 million and the other was 380 million, while the brokerage¡¯s penalty was much less¡ªif they failed to provide the signing bonus, paying 2.5 million would suffice to dissolve the agreement.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Guan Biran smiled and glanced at the electronic contract¡¯s signatures, then ended the video projection, ¡°Congratulations to you both on joining our Tianlan Group. It is our honor.¡±


    Yu Feicui also stood up saying, ¡°I will go to the administration office at the school right now to handle Lin Xi¡¯s transfer procedures, and Lin Xi¡¯s room will be next to yours, Lin Rui. Please take her there. If you¡¯re missing anything, you can call the logistics department directly, and they will arrange everything as soon as possible. Your meals will be handled by the logistics department as well, I suggest not going to the cafeteria. To achieve the optimal training effect, diet must also be managed.¡±


    In addition, we will arrange for a top gold-medal martial arts instructor for Lin Xi as soon as possible, and she can also use all the training equipment in our martial arts club.¡±


    At that moment, Lin Xi suddenly interjected, ¡°Sister Feicui, can I have a small home computer? Preferably the Tianyan Model Three that can play large virtual games.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yu Feicui casually made a call, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have them arrange it. We don¡¯t have the Tianyan Model Three, only the Tianyan Model Nine. But I must warn you, Lin Xi, do not let this disrupt your martial arts practice, or else I might have to confiscate it.¡±


    The computing power of the Tianyan Model Nine was very high, comparable to the standard of a mid-sized home supercomputer, beloved by many gaming enthusiasts.


    In fact, even if Lin Xi hadn¡¯t mentioned it, the martial arts club had already reserved a mid-sized home supercomputer for each of the team member¡¯s rooms, which Fang Ranran had already sponsored nine units of.


    The computational power of the mid-sized home supercomputer, combined with the practical virtual terminals, was meant to provide excellent training effects in virtual actual combat settings.


    Lin Rui felt a bit puzzled, as Lin Xi was actually interested in large virtual games?


    He soon realized that since they had never had the financial means to own a home supercomputer, Lin Xi, despite her interest, wouldn¡¯t have shown it before.


    He then took Lin Xi from Yu Feicui¡¯s office to tour the martial arts club¡¯s competition team club.


    All along the way, Lin Xi looked around curiously like a little explorer. She had heard that Fang Ranran had spent over two hundred million Federal dollars on these four floors alone, and she was equally astonished.


    Lin Xi had heard from Lin Rui about the luxury of Mingde University¡¯s martial arts club before, but seeing it in person truly surpassed hearsay.


    Just as Lin Rui was leading Lin Xi towards the indoor activity area, a long-haired young man came out.


    It was the new member of the martial arts club, Lu Fang, who brightened up upon seeing Lin Rui, ¡°Lin Rui, you came just in time. You¡¯ve implanted the meridian wheels, right? Dare you have a bout with me?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help frowning.

 Chapter 62: 61: Indeed a Pervert (Requesting Monthly Pass)

    Chapter 62: Chapter 61: Indeed a Pervert (Requesting Monthly Pass)


    Lin Xi looked at the long-haired youth opposite her and similarly furrowed her brows.


    She leaned close to Lin Rui¡¯s ear and asked, ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°His name is Lu Fang, also known as ¡®Little Lu Bu.¡¯ He¡¯s a member of our martial arts club¡¯s competing team and will be my classmate later.¡±


    Lin Rui, rubbing his temple with some distress, said to Lu Fang, ¡°Lu Fang, how about we change the day? Today is not convenient for me.¡±


    He needed to take his sister to her room and familiarize her with the martial arts club and the environment of Mingde University¡ªit was quite busy.


    ¡°Not convenient?¡± Lu Fang¡¯s expression turned cold. He looked Lin Rui up and down, his words containing defiance and persistence, ¡°Lin Rui, you couldn¡¯t be scared, could you? Scared to lose to me? How about this, I¡¯ll only use 20% of my strength.¡±


    ...


    He had just seen Lin Rui entering the operating room with Fang Ranran.


    It was clear that the president had come today for Lin Rui, showing that Fang Ranran placed much more importance on Lin Rui than on him, Lu Fang.


    The two of them were both fifth-eight term heteromorphic students, but his own past reputation far exceeded that of Lin Rui.


    Lu Fang wondered what was so special about this guy, to be so highly regarded by Fang Ranran, and why Nolan Wei thought he, Lu Fang, was far less than Lin Rui?


    Lin Xi¡¯s gaze immediately turned sharp, her cheeks puffing up slightly in displeasure.


    Lu Fang¡¯s words irritated her. Who was this guy to look down on her brother? Some ¡®Little Lu Bu¡¯¡ªLin Xi had never heard this name in the top ten of the fifth-eight term.


    Lin Rui felt a bit resigned, thought for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Since you insist, let¡¯s have a spar here without making a fuss of going to the arena. Just a few moves right here should be fine.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui thought that it wouldn¡¯t take much time anyway and should be quickly resolved.


    ¡°Good!¡±


    Lu Fang, spirited, took down the weapon bag he was carrying on his back, pulled out some parts and assembled them into two short halberds, each 1.2 meters long.


    Then, looking puzzled, he asked Lin Rui, ¡°Aren¡¯t you using a weapon?¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head. ¡°No need.¡±


    Lin Rui had left his second-class training knife on the road, and the single molecule combat knife he had taken was seized by the police as evidence.


    But using his palms was the same for him.


    Lin Rui wasn¡¯t being careless or underestimating his opponent; rather, he had gauged Lu Fang¡¯s physical condition and spiritual power strength quite accurately through electromagnetic induction.


    Although Lu Fang was stronger than Lin Rui in every aspect, the margin was limited, and in terms of combat skills alone, the opponent couldn¡¯t match him no matter what.


    However, Lu Fang¡¯s pupils suddenly sharpened. Did this guy dare to underestimate him like this?


    Lu Fang¡¯s pupils contracted again, caught off guard by Lin Rui¡¯s strike.


    His pair of halberds were spread like wings, utterly unable to defend.


    Nevertheless, he managed to change the magnetic properties twice in a very short time, but still couldn¡¯t succeed, as Lin Rui predicted his moves accurately.


    Lu Fang, left with no choice, eventually had to abandon his halberds and crossed his arms in front of his chest to brace for Lin Rui¡¯s strike.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With that loud crash, the ground within 10 meters around them trembled slightly.


    Lu Fang¡¯s body had been blasted away by Lin Rui¡¯s palm, smashing into the wall behind him.


    The high-strength alloy wall even had two shallow pits dented by Lu Fang¡¯s body.


    Although Lu Fang managed to stabilize himself against the wall, a trace of blood spilled from his mouth.


    His arms drooped powerlessly to his sides, his face looking extremely grim as he faced Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui¡¯s strike had fractured both of his arms!


    What made Lu Fang even more uncomfortable was that he had only managed to use one move in front of Lin Rui!


    Lu Fang stared at Lin Rui as if seeing his teammate anew, his voice strained, ¡°I lost!¡±


    Lin Rui had already retracted his stance, ¡°You gave way!¡±


    He looked at Lu Fang with a slight apology, ¡°Sorry about that, your strength is great; I couldn¡¯t hold back. Do you need me to accompany you to the surgery room?¡±


    ¡°No need, I can manage on my own!¡± Lu Fang replied coldly and turned, heading toward the direction of the surgery room.


    Lu Fang¡¯s expression was peculiar; Lin Rui saying he was strong, and hinting that he had to go all out to defeat him quickly, lightened his mood a bit.


    But this guy¡¯s strength is truly overpowering!


    With such power, why hadn¡¯t he entered the top ten competitors?


    No wonder President Fang values him so highly, and Nolan Wei also admitted he is not his equal, mentioning how fortunate Mingde University was to have him, potentially going far with Lin Rui in the Sixty-Four Champion Tournament.


    Lu Fang had been displeased before, but now he was utterly convinced.


    Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts talent was indeed freakish!


    Lin Xi saw this scene, her lips curling into a slight smile.


    She knew Lin Rui was still considering the face of Lu Fang, his teammate.


    If Lin Rui had used a sword, or combined it with his Sword Control and Needle Control techniques, Lu Fang might not have been able to make a single move.

 Chapter 63: 62: The Gentlest in History (Requesting Monthly Votes)

    Chapter 63: Chapter 62: The Gentlest in History (Requesting Monthly Votes)


    Lin Rui originally planned to give Lin Xi a thorough tour of the campus.


    However, once Lin Xi stepped into the room arranged for her by Yu Feicui, she couldn¡¯t move any further.


    Lin Xi really liked this suite; it was a three-bedroom, one-living room apartment that not only had a spacious and bright lounge but also a gym equipped with more than a dozen training devices, and just the bathroom alone was 30 square meters in size, almost larger than Lin Xi¡¯s previous room.


    The key was that in the study, a brand-new ¡°Tianyan Jiuxing¡± had already been set up.


    This mid-sized domestic supercomputer, worth 1.2 million Federal coins, which had once made Lin Xi enviously drool, was now sitting in her study, hers to use as she pleased.


    On the spot, she pushed Lin Rui out the door, saying she was tired and needed to rest.


    ...


    Lin Rui felt inexplicably puzzled; just earlier, when he accompanied Lin Xi around the Martial Arts Club, she seemed quite excited about Mingde University¡¯s campus environment.


    Nevertheless, it was also good timing for Lin Rui, as he wanted to check on the condition of his heterograft.


    The intelligence support system of the heterograft was a bit like using bots to auto-play in online games before.


    The key was that this bot was too new, its behavior patterns had not yet been tested, and Lin Rui was somewhat uneasy about it.


    He hurried into his own room and approached the quantum transmigration instrument to retrieve various data about his heterograft.


    A moment later, Lin Rui¡¯s expression relaxed.


    When the soul of the heterograft wanderer had not yet descended into the heterograft, the main quantum communication module in their biological chip could be freed up to maintain two-way contact with the quantum transmigration instrument.


    Go to novgo.co


    When the heterograft encountered danger or judged that the surrounding environment was deteriorating beyond its ability to cope, it would send out a warning to the original body through the quantum transmigration instrument, urging the original body to descend as soon as possible.


    Lin Rui was also able to check on the condition of his heterograft through the quantum transmigration instrument.


    He had already reviewed the body data and video footage sent back by the intelligence support system.


    Currently, everything was normal, with no special circumstances occurring.


    The heterograft was following the behavior patterns he had set, pretending to study case files with Wang Twenty-Seven in the yamen office, essentially slacking off in this manner.


    Lin Rui thought this was just fine; he opened the sleep capsule, lay down inside, and once again descended in spirit to Tianji Star.


    However, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    After the turmoil of the past two days, he had developed a bit of paranoia.


    Gentlest in History (Wang Xiaofang): What¡¯s all this trouble, no trouble? This is my profession, Lin. Avatar descent involves the soul. A slight carelessness can lead to unpredictable consequences. You must not be the least bit negligent! Also, Manager Yu has already had me amend the contract; moving the employment contract from the Martial Arts Society to Tianlan Corporation. For the next four years, I will be in charge of looking after your body, along with Wang Sen.


    Gentlest in History (Wang Xiaofang): In the future, my family and I will undergo surveillance by Tianlan Corporation¡¯s security department. You can be at ease. Assistant Guan and Tianlan Corporation highly value you and take your safety very seriously. Tomorrow, a Level 6 Security Defense System will be installed inside and outside your room, and there will also be two Type 5 Defender Combat Robots positioned in the corridor. They will take you as a key defense object.


    Upon reading this, Lin Rui suddenly felt embarrassed.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if Wang Xiaofang had intuited his thoughts and therefore went out of her way to explain.


    Now, Lin Rui did feel a lot more at ease.


    When he descended to Tianji Star in the future, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the safety of his original body anymore.


    A Level 6 Security Defense System was capable of withstanding a short assault from a colonel-level martial cultivator, while the combat capability of Type 5 Defender Combat Robots was on par with lieutenant colonels and colonels among martial cultivators.


    Yet, the special attention from Tianlan Corporation made him feel unexpectedly cherished.


    Lin Rui hadn¡¯t expected Tianlan Corporation to invest so many resources in him, and up until now, he had not given anything back to Tianlan Corporation or Fang Ranran.


    After some thought, Lin Rui opened the chat interface with Si Malin.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, I want to ask if it¡¯s really impossible for me to implant an artificial Golden Core within half a year?


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Why are you suddenly asking this? I get it, is it because you¡¯ve taken so much from others that it¡¯s burning your hands, and you¡¯re feeling uneasy?


    That was exactly what Lin Rui was thinking, but Professor Sima was scornful of the idea.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): If they¡¯ve given it to you, then take it with ease. It¡¯s a fair trade. You signed a contract; the penalty fee is a whopping 380 million, the sort of figure associated with a third-tier martial star! Don¡¯t think you owe them anything. If Tianlan Corporation is willing to invest so much in you, they must expect to get a sufficient return from you in the future. They¡¯re capitalists! Why should you, a worker, share any sentiment with them?


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but touch his nose, left speechless.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, mainly I want to understand which way I should proceed from here.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Alright, no need to explain. That kind of attitude you have is problematic; you¡¯ll be eaten alive in the professional world.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): With your current bodily condition, it is indeed very difficult to implant an artificial Golden Core within half a year, unless you can awaken your full Sacred Body within six months. Under the effect of the avatar assimilation, your body¡¯s various qualities will quickly strengthen.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Oh, there¡¯s also another method, which is to train in Blood! Avatar users have a great advantage in the field of artificial blood serum. If Lin Rui, your avatar, could quickly complete the blood training and successfully capture a king-class monster of the fourth realm or above, extracting its demonic blood, and using your avatar¡¯s blood and the king-class demon blood as materials to create blood serum, then the rate of improvement for your original body would be unimaginably quick. It might not be possible in six months, but giving yourself eight months, there is a definite possibility, precisely in time for the championship.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): However, it¡¯s also very challenging. The artificial Golden Core that best suits your complete Sacred Body demands a spiritual power quality of 1400 and a physical strength of 1100, both surpassing the rank of a major!

 Chapter 64: 63 The Secret of the Silver Moon (Seeking Monthly Pass)

    Chapter 64: Chapter 63 The Secret of the Silver Moon (Seeking Monthly Pass)


    Lin Rui, upon seeing Si Malin¡¯s reply, couldn¡¯t help but shake his head slightly in resignation.


    Producing artificial blood serum with the demonic blood of a monarch level above the fourth realm? Wasn¡¯t that something only those super-scale alien corporations, or the top-tier alien families of the Federation, could manage?


    The ¡®artificial blood serum¡¯ for the enhanced Martial Cultivators was made from extracting the marrow and refined blood of the demonic creatures from Celestial Star.


    In short, human bodies cannot produce blood refined with a large amount of Ether elements, so biologists extract the marrow and refined blood from the demonic creatures of Celestial Star to create ¡®artificial blood serum¡¯ as a substitute, allowing the enhanced Martial Cultivators to complete the third realm of blood cultivation.


    The East Asia Republic is a bit more particular, allowing only the extraction of marrow from demonic creatures.


    Other member states of the Earth Federation have no such scruples; they even include the Martial Cultivators of Celestial Star.


    ...


    The marrow extracted from Martial Cultivators can also be used to produce artificial blood serum.


    Therefore, the price of artificial blood serum is extremely high, starting at a million Federation coins! Many of the Federation¡¯s enhanced Martial Cultivators are stuck at this bottleneck, unable to advance beyond the rank of Lieutenant for their entire lives.


    Alien walkers have an advantage in this respect because their alien bodies can autonomously complete blood cultivation.


    Cultivating ¡®artificial blood serum¡¯ based on their own blood, the compatibility with their original body would undoubtedly be much stronger than the marrow from demonic creatures of Celestial Star.


    Some alien walkers with the means would capture powerful demonic creatures with strong bloodline powers and extract their marrow to enhance the quality and potential of their own ¡®artificial blood serum.¡¯


    Lin Rui also wanted to do the same, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the conditions to do so.


    Where could he find a monarch-level demonic creature above the fourth realm to harvest its marrow?


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui opened a few internal trading sites exclusive to alien walkers and casually searched for materials for artificial blood serum.


    He found that not only was there no monarch-level demonic creature¡¯s marrow on the network, but there wasn¡¯t even any from higher demonic creatures above the fourth realm.


    Lin Rui had initially wanted to do everything in his power to improve his cultivation level, to see if he could help Fang Ranran, but now it seemed he was being too hasty.


    He shook his head and prepared to push the door and leave the sleep pod.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s hand had just touched the switch when it retracted back.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Wang Sen, do you suspect that the kerosene we came across is related to the fire from 6,700 years ago?


    Eccentric Youth (Wang Sen): I don¡¯t know, but there are just too many flammable materials in our city. Aside from the high-proof alcohol and vegetable oil we encountered on the first day, there is also wood. Rui, you have no idea. I visited an Abnormality Management Bureau branch located at the coffin street at South City Gate, where I saw lots of wood piled up, especially the highly flammable olive trees. It can¡¯t be a coincidence.


    Eccentric Youth (Wang Sen): Moreover, I found a thesis on the Blood Blade, can you believe it? This paper was written by our supervisor, Professor Han, when he was young. Based on its content, we can preliminarily determine the reason for the Blood Blade¡¯s loss of control, as well as a method to briefly control it. You might want to take a look, it costs 100 Federation Dollars.


    Eccentric Youth (Wang Sen): Rui, based on the content of the paper, I suspect the Blood Blade might be controlled by those behind the scenes with the flammable materials. Coincidentally, Ji Shenyan from 6,700 years ago was also from the Great Zhou royal lineage, but I feel like I might be overthinking it.


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly. Overthinking? It¡¯s better to overthink!


    Wang Sen was unaware that the Blood Blade had been controlled by the County Magistrate and those people, so he didn¡¯t grasp the severity of the situation and was clueless about the calamity they would face in two days.


    Lin Rui wondered what the County Magistrate was trying to achieve?


    And the County Magistrate, did he know about these actions of the County Magistrate? Was he aware of the danger of the situation?


    After opening the paper and reading for a while, his eyes suddenly lit up.


    At that moment, Wang Sen sent another link.


    Eccentric Youth (Wang Sen): Rui, take a look at this news from Tianji Star. Holy shit, Wang City of the Imperial Si was completely leveled, over 200 people dead. No wonder Master Duo is visiting those local gentry everywhere, asking them to provide support. The situation in Silver Moon County is super tricky right now.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I got it. When you have time, help me look up more related information.


    Lin Rui was also researching on his own. He even accessed the Abnormality Management Bureau¡¯s database, paying to look up the Blood Blade¡¯s original house, Jing Luo Yuan, as well as the current status and family trees of the Great Zhou royal descendants, and even checked the information on their own County Magistrate.


    Not long after, Lin Rui frowned deeply.


    He had pierced through some of Silver Moon County¡¯s mysteries and was shocked by what he found, especially regarding the County Magistrate. What was going on? Just over two months ago, hadn¡¯t a County Magistrate died in Silver Moon County? The Abnormality Management Bureau had provided the relevant information, and it was recorded in the biological chip, so why hadn¡¯t he noticed it while he was operating below?


    Lin Rui then returned to carefully read Professor Han¡¯s paper, his heart beginning to pound ¡®thump thump¡¯.


    He now knew why the Blood Blade had followed him and had found a way to counteract the Blood Blade.


    Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual power was very strong now. According to the method described in Professor Han¡¯s paper, he had a good chance of success.


    However, to execute this plan, he needed enough Soul Power points and had to master certain arcane abilities.


    Lin Rui reviewed Xue Bogao¡¯s skills list in his mind and looked at his Soul Power points that had just reached 5,600, his gaze gradually becoming stern.


    He had some scores to settle with someone.

 Chapter 65: 64: Courageous Outburst (Request for Monthly Votes)

    Chapter 65: Chapter 64: Courageous Outburst (Request for Monthly Votes)


    As night fell, on Longze East Road, Fallen Street.


    About forty hoverbuses, filled with sex workers, drug dealers, and addicts, were whisked away under the escort of numerous police and armored vehicles.


    The sudden severe crackdown by the police caught the ten or so bars and nightclubs on this street off guard; nearly every venue had a large number of people handcuffed and taken away by the police. The remaining patrons, too, dared not stay any longer and scattered in a swarm, turning this once brightly lit and bustling street eerily quiet.


    As those police cars sped away, Lin Rui was standing on top of a twelve-story building, looking down at the street below.


    He was wearing a fourth-level half-body armor under a long coat he bought from a street stall, and a fourth-level combat knife ¡®Truth 4¡¯ slung on his back.


    As for that ¡®Zhilong¡¯ 4 smart pistol, it was hidden inside his long coat.


    ...


    While observing a nine-story building adorned with neon lights next door, Lin Rui opened up an electromagnetic field in the palm of his hand.


    At this moment, Lin Rui could not only achieve optical invisibility but also accurately sense all electromagnetic fields within a radius of 70 meters, and even emit ultrasonic waves to probe the interior of the building.@@@@


    This was the advantage brought by the Grandmaster-level Thunder Extreme God Shine Pillar; Lin Rui had higher control over electromagnetism and had learned new electromagnetism techniques.


    As time passed, Lin Rui¡¯s brows gradually furrowed.


    ¡°There are quite a few people down there¡ª¡±


    The nine-story building opposite was a large nightclub, called Fabric Nightclub.


    It had just been raided by the police. All the patrons had fled, but there were still more than 200 people inside the nightclub.


    Go to novgo.co


    About 71 of them were martial artists equipped with implants, while the rest had very weak magnetic fields, probably waiters and sex workers who had luckily avoided capture.


    Clearly, this nightclub was not just a nightclub, but also a stronghold of a faction within the Blood Lizard Gang.


    ¡°I sensed 20 warrant officers, probably the peripheral members of the Blood Lizard Gang. This gang has high criteria; one must reach the rank of a junior officer to become an official member. There are also a total of 39 junior and middle officers, plus 12 captains and majors. I wonder which one is Tiana Higgins, but the blade Aiken is on the third floor.


    I must not have mistaken it; Blade Aiken is Tiana Higgins¡¯s lieutenant. From this, it¡¯s clear that this nightclub indeed belongs to Tiana. Tsk, I¡¯m really crazy. In a situation like this, I¡¯m not only unafraid, but I also refuse to give up. My mentality must be messed up, definitely influenced by Xue Bogao, that crazy Colonel Xue.¡±


    Lin Rui touched his nose, feeling his mindset was very dangerous.


    He definitely couldn¡¯t handle these 71 martial artists with implants alone, let alone be sure they were all the enemies inside.


    His electromagnetic sensing was not omnipotent.


    Inside the building where Lin Rui stood, there were lots of metal components. In places dense with these components, there were blind spots that Lin Rui couldn¡¯t sense.


    Moreover, some powerful martial cultivators could conceal their aura, even sense his electromagnetic waves and react accordingly.


    Luckily, thanks to the police¡¯s recent massive raid, the security system of this nightclub had significant loopholes.


    Lin Rui thought for a moment, then called to the Ring Spirit with his consciousness.


    ¡°Ring Spirit, I want to use Soul Power points to copy Master-level Pistol Usage and Major-level Qi Nourishing Stance!¡±


    Reminder: Copying ¡°Pistol Usage (Master)¡± requires 300 Soul Power points, copying ¡°Qi Nourishing Stance (Major)¡± requires 1000 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui had a Level 4 pistol, the ¡°Zhilong¡± Mark 4, but he knew nothing about using firearms.


    With Master-level skill in pistol usage, his shooting would not be inferior to elite soldiers in the military. Combined with smart guided bullets, the killing power of the ¡°Zhilong¡± Mark 4 in his hands was very considerable.


    The Qi Nourishing Stance he copied should be the basic Cultivation Technique of that Caucasian middle-aged man.


    This technique primarily cultivates spiritual power, and only secondary cultivates True Qi and various aspects of physical constitution.


    After this replication, the pain throughout Lin Rui¡¯s body was much less intense.


    He focused his senses intensely, and a trace of an unusual gleam appeared in his eyes.


    ¡°This stance technique can indeed be stacked; copying more stance techniques later will also enhance my physical constitution correspondingly. My current physical index might be close to 360, a pity this Qi Nourishing Stance is only a basic stance technique, its body-enhancing effect is far from that of an intermediate level technique like the Thunder Extreme God Glow Stance.¡±


    Lin Rui then brushed aside these thoughts and jumped across to the building opposite. After a few leaps, he entered a narrow alley where he found a small pharmacy and bought a large quantity of medication,


    Throughout, he was shrouded in a long coat, wearing sunglasses, and his face covered, paying with a black savings card when it was time to check out.


    Far from being surprised, the pharmacy owner found it quite normal; the guy had bought a bunch of painkillers, clearly a drug addict.


    Lin Rui then went to a nearby aquatics market.


    It was just shortly after nightfall, and the aquatics market had not yet closed; here, Lin Rui managed to purchase six ¡®Red Puffers¡¯.


    Sourced from Earth¡¯s puffer fish, some unscrupulous traders at Base Nine bred them in radioactive water, causing genetic mutations in the fish.


    As a rare fresh food item, and indeed delicious, Red Puffers had a good market among the lower classes of Base Nine.


    The Red Puffers themselves were no longer poisonous, but their livers contained a key ingredient needed by Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui then found a secluded, deserted location and skillfully mixed these medications with the livers of the Red Puffers to produce five large bottles of red medicine.


    In the end, he returned to the nightclub¡¯s top floor to administer the poison, his mood inexplicably buoyant for some unknown reason.


    As he poured the medicine into the direct drinking water machine on the rooftop and the central air conditioner¡¯s humidifier, he leisurely hummed a song.


    ¡°I planted a seed in my heart, diddle-diddle-dee, it can fulfill small wishes with magical powers, I heard every child wants to own it, get ready¡ªwow, let¡¯s explore together¡ªOk go, come on, unleash your bravery.¡±


    This was a habit from his previous life; whenever his leukemia flared up and his body was in severe pain, he would sing loudly to fight it. Later, whether he felt sad or joyful, he would always sing this kind of simple, easy-to-remember children¡¯s song.


    Lin Rui thought that if the poisoning was successful, he would find a suitable moment to attack, and if not, he would decisively withdraw.


    It turned out the skills possessed by Colonel Xue were quite formidable, perfect for home travel, for killing and silencing. It was unclear who would be capable of swiftly assassinating someone as powerful as Colonel Xue.

 Chapter 66: 65: Digging and Digging (Requesting Monthly Votes)

    Chapter 66: Chapter 65: Digging and Digging (Requesting Monthly Votes)


    On the third floor of ¡°Fabric Nightclub,¡±, when ¡°Blood Dagger¡± Bet Aiken entered the Presidential Suite, he felt extremely lousy.


    Cursing inwardly, Aiken thought, ¡°Damn Jack! Damn Lin Rui! Damn Tiana! Damn, damn, they all tmd deserve to die!¡±


    Tiana was his sister-in-law, the wife of ¡°Iron Fist King¡± Wang Li.


    That very morning, the foolish Tiana had actually ordered ¡°Gold Tooth¡± Jack to attack the siblings Lin Rui and Lin Xi on the ring expressway.


    This foolish, reckless, and arrogant act brought great disaster and loss to their Blood Lizard Gang.


    The Ninth Base City government classified the incident as a terrorist attack, and tonight the chief of the East District Police Station called in twenty federal operation teams, three regular federal marine corps, and two battalions of the armed police from the East Asian Republic, sweeping through the entire eastern district¡¯s streets and alleys under the guise of a gang-crackdown and anti-terrorism operation in collaboration with the military and the police.


    ...


    All the businesses under the Blood Lizard Gang became prime targets of the military and police¡¯s crackdown.


    This action caught them completely off guard; before the event, the gang¡¯s top brass hadn¡¯t received any intelligence, and the networks the Blood Lizard Gang operated through all failed them.


    As a result, the Blood Lizard Gang suffered heavy losses; during the military and police search, they not only lost a large amount of money and materials, but also had more than 180 people shot dead by the military and police, and over 600 taken away in handcuffs, nearly half of whom may end up convicted and imprisoned.


    What infuriated ¡°Blood Dagger¡± Aiken even more was that the two drug storage warehouses he managed on behalf of the Iron Fist King were also swept by the police, with the lost goods valued at 90 million federal coins.


    ¡°Blood Dagger¡± Aiken was sure there was a rat within their ranks, so as soon as the police finished their sweep, he summoned all the personnel who had access to the two drug storage warehouses, attempting to root out the traitor. Unfortunately, he has yet to find the bastard who betrayed the gang and was covertly serving others.


    And all of this stemmed from that reckless, damned move by sister-in-law Tiana and ¡°Gold Tooth¡± Jack on the ring expressway this morning.


    If ¡°Gold Tooth¡± Jack had managed to kill those siblings, it would have at least demonstrated their Blood Lizard Gang¡¯s might. Instead, they suffered a brutal defeat, with Jack and his men nearly completely wiped out, and ¡°Gold Tooth¡± Jack himself dying under police gunfire.


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    ¡°Blood Dagger¡± Aiken felt a hint of regret; he really should have persuaded his sister-in-law otherwise.


    If he had given her a stern warning yesterday, today¡¯s events might not have happened.


    When he returned yesterday, he also couldn¡¯t accurately judge the severity of the situation.


    At that time, Aiken only felt that Lin Rui might be troublesome, as the people of Longze Road police substation didn¡¯t hesitate to side with the Lin siblings, even forcibly driving him out of the police station, which suggested that this person had an extraordinary background.


    However, he never imagined that the power behind Lin Rui was so strong that it could prompt the Ninth Base¡¯s government leadership to join forces with the military for such a massive anti-gang anti-terrorism operation on behalf of the Lin siblings.


    Clearly, this power had connections that reached the skies!


    As Aiken looked at Tiana¡¯s body, his heart felt icy cold.


    The reason Aiken was able to kill Tiana was not that his shooting was exceptional just now, but because Tiana Higgins herself had issues. Her gait was staggering and unstable, unable to execute any effective block or dodge.


    Tiana was also a Captain-level Martial Artist. Although her combat capabilities were not great, she was not so easy to kill.


    Aiken clenched his teeth.


    He was certain he had been poisoned, likely by an extremely potent anesthetic. The issue was when he had been poisoned because he hadn¡¯t perceived anything out of the ordinary before that.


    He immediately opened the gang¡¯s chat group, only to find that the internal network of the nightclub was down.


    Just then, Aiken heard a burst of gunfire from outside the suite, which made his pupils contract to pinpoints.


    And just two minutes before the gunfire, a sleek black figure forcefully burst through the window of the eighth floor of the building.


    This was Police Superintendent Xue Lingxue, who was now wearing an extremely form-fitting black exoskeleton battle armor, her head covered with a closed tactical helmet.


    However, when she stood alert with twin blades in hand, her expression became slightly startled.


    Xue Lingxue noticed that the door to the surveillance room was wide open, with several members of the Blood Lizard Gang sprawled inside¡ªeither throats slit or necks completely severed, all killed with a single blade.


    The various equipment inside the surveillance room was also destroyed, unable to function properly.


    Xue Lingxue narrowed her willow eyebrows and continued walking forward.


    She then encountered several more bodies, their death similar to the previous ones. Judging from the wounds, the killer¡¯s knife skills were profound, and the killing strikes were swift and decisive.


    There were also some servers and fashionably dressed women, all cowering in corners, shivering with fear.


    Xue Lingxue noticed a notification inside her tactical helmet. Her battle armor detected the presence of a synthetic anesthetic in the air.


    It contained elements of propofol, lidocaine, and carfentanil, mixed with liver oil from the red pufferfish, making the anesthetic nearly colorless and odorless when diluted to a certain extent. It formed a unique aerosol that blended into the air, making it more readily absorbed by the human body.


    Thus, the members of the Blood Lizard Gang inside the building were basically all affected, their senses and reactions dulled, losing most of their combat ability. Judging from the combat traces, they were also incapable of mounting a proper resistance.


    Right then, Xue Lingxue heard a burst of gunfire. With a grave look in her eyes, she quickened her pace following the sound to the hallway of the fourth floor of the building.


    As Xue Lingxue descended the steps, she heard a clear voice singing a nursery rhyme, ¡°Digging in the tiny garden, dig and dig and dig, planting tiny seeds to bloom little flowers; in the big garden digging, dig and dig and dig¡ª¡±


    Xue Lingxue narrowed her eyes, pondering that the person singing must be the killer who used the anesthetic. Who could this person be?

 Chapter 67: 66: A Particularly Large Garden (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

    Chapter 67: Chapter 66: A Particularly Large Garden (Requesting Monthly Tickets)@@@@


    As Xue Lingxue descended the stairs, she felt a special frequency of electromagnetic waves sweep across the nearby area.


    Her heart gave a slight start, and she instinctively took a step back.


    ¡°This person has a strong electromagnetic field and soundwave detection ability, and can become optically invisible!¡±


    With the help of her exoskeleton armor, Xue Lingxue carefully concealed her own qi and magnetic field, while she released three tiny drones, the size of fingernails, from her arm into the fourth-floor corridor.


    Before long, she saw the images from the corridor ahead through the imaging system inside her helmet.


    The opponent was cautious, using optical invisibility even during combat. It was only through AI image reconstruction that Xue Lingxue saw a man in a long coat, tall and slender, engaging in wanton slaughter in the corridor.


    ...


    The man moved through the corridor, fighting the members of the Blood Lizard Gang who had been alarmed by the gunshots and had come one after another. His figure was swift like a leopard, ferocious like a tiger, his long blade enveloped in crimson fire and thunder, his momentum utterly fierce.


    He killed with effortless ease, singing a nursery rhyme as he did so: ¡°Digging in the great forest, planting huge seeds, blossoming huge flowers.¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s gaze became puzzled; she felt this person¡¯s figure was somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him before.


    Not just the figure, but even the sword technique he used was extremely familiar to Xue Lingxue, so familiar it made her heart tremble. However, the song he hummed was strange to Xue Lingxue; it was clearly a nursery rhyme, yet it was a melody she had never heard before. When Xue Lingxue searched for the lyrics on the internet, she only found a few links, and upon opening them, discovered the web pages were defunct, remnants of an age unknown.


    Xue Lingxue frowned tightly, lost in thought.


    After a moment, her eyes suddenly widened.


    ¡ª¡ªIt¡¯s the Purple Glow Thunder Blade! Father¡¯s Purple Glow Thunder Blade!


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    The Purple Glow Thunder Blade wielded by this person was identical to her father¡¯s, as if it had been cast from the same mold!


    Just as Xue Lingxue found it unbelievable and began to closely observe the coat-clad man¡¯s blade work, Lin Rui had already cleared the entire floor.


    He moved to the other side of the corridor, to the fire exit stairs leading to the third floor.


    The elevators in this nightclub had been sabotaged by him and were inoperable, so all he had to do was to keep killing his way down floor by floor.


    ¡°But there are quite a number of people below¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui sensed that in the stairway below, as well as in the corridors to the left and right, several dozen people were hiding.


    The Blood Lizard Gang members who had been in a meeting on the second floor had nearly all gathered here.


    Lin Rui was slightly surprised. Why weren¡¯t these Blood Lizard Gang members trying to escape? Why insist on standing their ground there? Was there a reason?


    These people were close to the nightclub¡¯s main door, they could preserve their lives just by running out.


    Could it be out of self-confidence? Did they believe that in their partially anesthetized state, they still had the capability to withstand his attack?


    Or was it due to their gang rule, something about loyalty and valor, shared glory and shame, solidarity and mutual assistance, the courage to act and to accept responsibility?


    Of course, they could just be insane, afflicted with Combat Gear Syndrome, or their brains rotted by drugs.


    Lin Rui recognized the last person¡ªit was the Blood Lizard Gang officer he had met yesterday at the police station.


    This was a highly skilled captain-level enhanced soldier.


    Despite being heavily under the influence of anesthetics, the man¡¯s sharpshooting still resulted in three bullets hitting Lin Rui.


    Had it not been for the fourth-tier half-body armor Lin Rui wore, he would now have three gaping bullet wounds on his body.


    ¡°Digging in a particularly large garden, planting particularly large seeds to blossom into particularly large flowers¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils dilated, his face flushed with excitement as he lunged forward, blade in hand.


    Sparks flew in front of him as he used his blade to slice through the incoming bullets.


    A moment later, Lin Rui¡¯s blade sent Blood Dagger Aiken¡¯s arm flying and kicked the man 7 meters away into a wall.


    He continued to fire, hitting Blood Dagger Aiken in the arms and legs until he was certain that the man no longer posed a threat, and then glanced left and right.


    He saw inside the suite a female corpse in her twenties, of Caucasian descent, with a beautiful appearance but eyes wide open, filled with unwillingness.


    That was Tiana Higgins!


    Lin Rui had seen her photo online; she was his secondary target for this mission.


    Today, Lin Rui¡¯s main goal was to gain experience, no, Soul Power points.


    He also intended to take advantage of the chaos in Fallen Street to eliminate this threat to Lin Xi¡¯s life.


    As long as he tidied up loose ends and used the capabilities of Grandmaster Xue to stage the scene as a gang conflict or vendetta, his sister would be safe.


    However, it seemed Tiana had been killed before his arrival.


    Lin Rui also noticed about twenty briefcases placed in a corner of the suite.


    Lin Rui walked over and used his sword to slice open a briefcase, looked inside, and his eyes flashed with understanding.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    No wonder those people had been so desperate to defend this area.


    All these briefcases were filled with drugs, likely moved here by the Blood Lizard Gang not long ago.


    The gang¡¯s logic was that since this nightclub had already been searched by the police, it was temporarily safe, unaware that someone as audacious as him would burst in.


    Lin Rui then approached Blood Dagger Aiken and pulled a syringe from his trench coat pocket. He injected a homemade truth serum into Blood Dagger Aiken¡¯s neck.


    Lin Rui watched the time and, after about 30 seconds, asked coldly, ¡°Who exactly killed Xue Bogao?¡±


    Xue Lingxue was standing at the corner of the wall 50 meters away, observing the situation through a miniature drone.


    When she heard that sentence, her delicate body trembled.


    Why was this person asking who killed her father?

 Chapter 68: 67: Inspector Xue (Vote for Monthly Ticket)

    Chapter 68: Chapter 67: Inspector Xue (Vote for Monthly Ticket)


    ¡°Xue Bogao?¡±


    The Blood Dagger Aiken¡¯s head was already dizzy, and after being injected with the truth serum, it became even more muddled.


    His eyes appeared somewhat bewildered, ¡°The person who killed Xue Bogao was ¡®The Extreme Evil Pirate Group¡¯s¡¯ Skull Assassin Yun Yu.¡±


    ¡°The Extreme Evil Pirate Group?¡± Lin Rui¡¯s gaze was skeptical.


    He had not heard of The Extreme Evil Pirate Group, nor did he know who Skull Assassin Yun Yu was.


    He instinctively opened the search interface on his smart terminal to look for information, only to discover that the network was down in the vicinity.


    ...


    Lin Rui found it odd; he had not disrupted the network systems nearby.


    Lin Rui¡¯s alter ego had just arrived not long ago, and its intelligent assistive behavior pattern had not undergone testing. Considering the especially complex situation in Silver Moon County, the alter ego might seek assistance from his original self at any time.


    At this time of year, how could Lin Rui dare to disconnect the network?


    Furthermore, his True Qi was insufficient, limiting his electromagnetic force, preventing him from disrupting the network over a wide area.


    Something was not right¡ª


    Lin Rui simply narrowed his eyes and fired two shots, shattering the windows.


    Afterward, while intently observing his surroundings, he carefully retreated to the side of the window, simultaneously pressing on, ¡°So, where is this Skull Assassin Yun Yu? What is your relationship with him?¡±


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    ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is. I only know that he approached our boss not long ago, asking us to send people to help.¡±


    The Blood Dagger Aiken felt an excruciating headache, and his gaze grew increasingly scattered, ¡°Our Blood Lizard Gang and The Extreme Evil Pirate Group are in a cooperative relationship. They control the smuggling channels, and most of our drug production materials come from them¡ª¡±


    Just then, Lin Rui raised his hand and fired three shots, using smart guided bullets to shatter three nail-sized drones in the distance.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes were filled with a cold intensity as he stared in the direction of the doorway, ¡°Who is there? Show yourself!¡±


    He then saw a figure in a black exoskeleton suit of armor standing at the doorway to the presidential suite.


    The full-coverage exoskeleton armor was certainly designed for females, presenting a dashing style and a graceful figure.


    Upon seeing this person, Lin Rui felt a chill in his heart.


    ¡ªThis woman cloaked in black armor was definitely a college-level Martial Artist!


    His instinct was to jump out the window and flee the scene, but the words spoken by the woman in black armor halted his actions.


    ¡°Are you Lin Rui?¡±


    Lin Rui was startled and touched his own face.


    Not only was he constantly disrupting light with electromagnetic interference, but his face was also covered with several thick layers of stockings, sunglasses, and a windbreaker that concealed him completely, with cotton padded in certain areas under his clothes.


    Lin Rui estimated that even Lin Xi wouldn¡¯t recognize him now, so how could this woman in black armor identify him?@@@@


    That¡¯s right! Lin Rui¡¯s Thunder Blade Technique was identical to her father¡¯s style.


    The few unique moves Lin Rui had performed earlier were also unique skills developed by her father himself.


    So, in these past few years, even though it seemed that the Xues and the Lins had cut ties, Xue Bogao had actually been secretly teaching Lin Rui martial arts, even imparting him the skills of poison-making.


    It was for this very reason that Lin Rui had decided to act against the Blood Lizard Gang today, in search of the murderer who killed his father.


    Xue Lingxue felt a sting in her nose and eyes.


    It turned out that apart from herself and General Zhang, there was someone else in the world who cared about her father, someone who wanted to avenge him.


    Even though she felt that what Lin Rui did might have been incidental, it still moved her.


    Furthermore, if her guess was right, then Lin Rui could be the real Lin Rui!


    ¡°Lin Rui, you¡¯re really too reckless!¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s tone was cold and stern, containing a warning, ¡°What level of cultivation have you reached now? A mere cybernetic lieutenant, having learned a bit of poison-making, you dare to act rashly and attack Fabrik Nightclub, the biggest Blood Lizard Gang stronghold in the Eastern District¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head, interrupting her, ¡°Inspector Xue, there¡¯s a problem with what you¡¯re saying. Just because one is weak doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t try to resist. Take Lin Rui you just mentioned, he¡¯s behaved and does nothing now, will the Blood Lizard Gang spare him then?¡±


    Xue Lingxue was taken aback by his words and fell silent.


    Blood Dagger Aiken had just said that the Iron Fist King had already asked the Evil Seas Pirate Crew to take action to kill the siblings.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about safety¡ª¡±


    Xue Lingxue had just started to say when her expression suddenly changed, ¡°The police are already on their way here. You should go, leave in the eastern direction, I will clean up everything here for you.¡±


    Lin Rui hesitated only slightly before decisively jumping out of the window.


    He was a bit worried about Xue Lingxue¡¯s ¡®skills¡¯ and whether she could be trusted or not.


    But at this point, there was no time for him to clean up the scene, so he had to leave it to Xue Lingxue.


    This should be fine, as Lin Rui had been very careful throughout, leaving no trace behind. As long as the police couldn¡¯t prove anything against him, that would suffice. As for the Blood Lizard Gang, they would probably have to face each other openly sooner or later, to the death. So, whether the Blood Lizard Gang knew or not didn¡¯t matter.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui also felt fortunate.


    The truth was, Xue Lingxue¡¯s advice was correct; his actions today were too risky.


    This world was full of masters, as numerous as the sea.


    There were more than thirty cybernetic experts of school rank within the Blood Lizard Gang alone, and if any one of them had been present, the outcome would have been unimaginable.


    Today he was lucky to escape unharmed, but next time may not be the same. So, it was all the fault of Major Xue, that madman, for making him so impulsive.


    Lin Rui silently blamed Major Xue¡¯s Battle Spirit, yet had a clear understanding in his heart.


    Even if given another chance, he would still choose to take action; he had no choice. If he didn¡¯t want to end up on the dinner table, he had to become the hunter.


    Lin Rui then called out in his mind, ¡°Ring Spirit, I want to know how many Soul Power points I have now?¡±


    Notification: You currently have 14,041 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui perceived the information that appeared in his mind and the corners of his lips turned upwards ever so slightly.

 Chapter 69: 68: Great Harvest, Great Improvement (Requesting Monthly Votes)

    Chapter 69: Chapter 68: Great Harvest, Great Improvement (Requesting Monthly Votes)


    ¡°`


    Lin Rui killed a total of 64 Martial Artists with enhancements at the Fabric Nightclub and received 59 notifications of having killed demonically transformed Martial Cultivators.


    Among them, five individuals did not suffer from enhancement syndrome and were mentally normal.


    But they were far from innocent, as the Blood Lizard Gang monopolized the drug trafficking business in the entire eastern district and also dealt in usury, with each member deserving the death penalty.


    Lin Rui only regretted that there were seven who got away during this operation.


    These few were too far out of reach, and Lin Rui did not go out of his way to find them.


    ...


    At that time, Lin Rui was uncertain when the police would arrive, and he was also unsure when the Blood Lizard Gang reinforcements would get there; he had to complete the maximum amount of killing in the shortest time possible, so he couldn¡¯t attend to those on the peripherals.


    Fortunately, he successfully completed this efficient harvest.


    The Soul Power accumulated by these 59 demonically transformed Martial Cultivators reached a staggering 14,041 points!


    Lin Rui now had two choices. One was to use the Soul Power points to repair his Battle Spirit Ring to 20%.


    With just another 7,000 Soul Power points, the Battle Spirit Ring could capture a second Battle Spirit.


    However, even if he captured a second Battle Spirit now, Lin Rui would still not have enough Soul Power points to replicate skills.


    What¡¯s more, he hadn¡¯t even fully learned the skills of Colonel Xue.


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    His second option was to strengthen his martial power and survival abilities as much as possible, which was undoubtedly the best choice.


    Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Rui decisively called out to the Ring Spirit, ¡°Ring Spirit, help me replicate the Grandmaster-level Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill!¡±


    Notification: Replicating Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill (Grandmaster) requires 5,000 Soul Power points.


    After Lin Rui replicated it, his muscles began to ache violently again.


    As he was running swiftly on the rooftop, he almost couldn¡¯t bear it and nearly fell off the rooftop.


    But once Lin Rui got used to it, his running speed on the rooftop began to increase exponentially.


    Not only were his muscles stimulated by faint threads of lightning, Lin Rui¡¯s footsteps also flashed with streaks of thunder, with powerful electromagnetic forces carrying his body at high speeds through the air.


    Using his smart terminal bracelet to help calculate his speed, Lin Rui found that if he didn¡¯t care about the drain, and ran at full force, he could actually reach an extreme speed of 350 kilometers per hour.


    Even if he scaled back a bit, using a more energy-efficient economy mode, he could still reach 200 kilometers per hour.


    His running was as unpredictable as lightning, swiftly changing from east to west, making it impossible for anyone to accurately judge.


    Besides, Lin Rui could interfere with his opponents using high-temperature flames and lightning, and even move anywhere at will with the aid of surrounding flames and lightning.


    If the Caucasian middle-aged man had chosen to take on Lin Rui in person instead of a spiritual attack, Lin Rui might not have been able to withstand even a single move.


    Yet, the man chose spiritual possession and was refined and killed by the combined efforts of Lin Rui and Xue Bogao¡¯s Battle Spirit Ring, which could be considered extremely unlucky.


    Once the painful sensation within Lin Rui subsided, he clearly felt that the range of his Spiritual Sense had extended by about one meter.


    In addition, both his physical fitness and the amount of True Qi had been somewhat enhanced.


    After carefully sensing for a moment, Lin Rui felt a bit of regret in his heart, ¡°It¡¯s a pity, even though I¡¯ve exchanged for the True Origin Stacking Skill and the Magic Control Divine Technique, I don¡¯t have the magic-casting auxiliary device, so I can¡¯t use them.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªThese two skills were actually copied for his alternative body.


    At this time, Lin Rui took an interest in the ¡®Purple Glow Thunder Palm (Grandmaster)¡¯ from Xue Bogao¡¯s skill list.


    After copying these skills, Lin Rui¡¯s Soul Power points were just depleted, leaving only a mere 441 points.


    However, after experiencing the slaughter at the Fabric Nightclub, he distinctly felt that Xue Bogao¡¯s obsession had less of an influence on him, especially the chilling energy that had accumulated in his brain, which had almost dissipated completely.


    This was probably because he killed those 60+ members of the Blood Lizard Gang and found out the identity of the murderer, satisfying some of Xue Bogao¡¯s obsession.


    Lin Rui estimated that his spiritual power was strong enough to forcibly copy a ¡®Purple Glow Thunder Palm (Grandmaster)¡¯ while withstanding the impact of Xue Bogao¡¯s obsession.


    However, after pondering for a moment, he still gave up the idea.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to learn slowly with Grandmaster Xue. Even if I copy another Purple Glow Thunder Palm, it won¡¯t greatly improve my combat power.¡±


    The Purple Glow Thunder Palm and the Purple Glow Thunder Blade have the same origin, and their martial mysteries are almost identical.


    Lin Rui had already mastered the Grandmaster level Purple Glow Thunder Blade, so it would be easy for him to learn the Purple Glow Thunder Palm.


    The only significance of exchanging the Purple Glow Thunder Palm now was the slight body enhancement it offered.


    At this time, Lin Rui arrived at a large street, where he summoned a shared business flying vehicle at the roadside and headed towards Mingde University.


    The distance from Lin Rui¡¯s location to Mingde University was a full 50 kilometers. If he really relied on his own legs to get there, it might take Lin Rui half an hour and all his True Qi, so it was more time-efficient and less strenuous to take a vehicle.


    Taking the shared flying vehicle would expose his whereabouts, but Lin Rui didn¡¯t care.


    Simply because his personal intelligent terminal had left traces of network positioning while he was in Fallen Street.


    1700 years ago, in order to promote intelligent personal terminals and alleviate citizens¡¯ concerns about personal privacy, the Earth Confederation enacted the stringent ¡®Intelligent Terminal Act¡¯.


    The law stipulated that all citizens¡¯ personal positioning trajectories are private information, and except for counter-terrorism needs, all government departments do not have the right to investigate or use it as corroborative evidence in various cases.


    So, Lin Rui just had to ensure that the police did not have strong, direct evidence against him.


    Even if the police obtained some circumstantial evidence, there were lawyers to help him cope.


    The security in the Ninth Base City was far from comparable to the directly managed First to Fourth Base Cities of the East Asian Republic; however, the equipped Martial Artists thrived even more in the Ninth Base City, including Lin Rui himself.


    It has been a common truth since ancient times: scholars confuse the law with words, while heroes violate prohibitions with martial force.

 Chapter 70: 69: Lieutenant General of the Breeding Corps (Request for Monthly Tickets)

    Chapter 70: Chapter 69: Lieutenant General of the Breeding Corps (Request for Monthly Tickets)


    Lin Rui returned to Mingde University around 10 PM.


    He had planned to sneak in quietly, trying not to disturb anyone, but when he got back, he found not only were the lights of the Martial Cultivator Club ablaze, but all its members were gathered in the outdoor activity area as well.


    Lu Fang and Nolan Wei were doing strength training in a corner, while Wang Sen and Zhao Yan each occupied a platform, practicing martial arts on them.


    Even Lin Xi was there.


    She had previously stayed in her rest room, busy with something on her Tianyan Model 9.


    Lin Rui had even delivered dinner to her that evening.


    ...


    Now, Lin Xi was standing under Wang Sen¡¯s platform, watching him practice martial arts.


    Lin Rui was puzzled, wondering what was wrong with these people. Why were they lifting weights in the activity area in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Did they have too much energy to burn off?


    After exchanging greetings with Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei, he noticed that both seemed somewhat distracted, both excited and tense, as if they were waiting for something.


    Lin Rui walked over to Lin Xi and asked curiously, ¡°Lin Xi, how come you decided to come out? What¡¯s going on today?¡±@@@@


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the message from Sister Yu in the group?¡± Lin Xi looked back at Lin Rui with a puzzled expression, ¡°She will bring a colonel named Fei Yunlai later to visit our Martial Cultivator Club. He will also give us some guidance on martial arts, so we are waiting here.¡±


    Lin Rui hurriedly opened the group chat and saw that it was indeed the case.


    Earlier, he had been focused on fighting, had disabled message notifications, and had been busy analyzing the skills he had copied on the road, hence he missed the message in the group.


    Go to novgo.co


    A colonel in armor, huh? That¡¯s equivalent to a Martial Cultivator at the ¡®Divine Skills¡¯ phase of the seventh realm in Tianji Star, nearly at the pinnacle of armoured martial arts, no wonder Zhao Yan and the others had such expressions.


    Lin Rui then searched the internet for information about Fei Yunlai and found that he is actually an exogenous practitioner who had been conscripted by the military and granted the rank of reserve colonel.


    At that moment, Lin Xi was again looking toward the platform above, her expression thoughtful. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Brother Sen¡¯s martial arts to be so remarkable.¡±


    Initially, based on what Lin Rui had told her about Wang Sen, she had thought of Wang Sen only as a little follower around Lin Rui, but she had not expected Wang Sen¡¯s strength to be so formidable.


    Lin Rui followed her gaze.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui took advantage of General Xue¡¯s absence and went with his sister to the indoor activity area.


    He wanted Lin Xi¡¯s help to use various testing instruments in the Martial Arts Club to measure his various physical qualities.


    After the tests were completed, Lin Xi immediately gasped, ¡°Spiritual power index 589, physical index 375, True Qi index 404¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s physical qualities were now higher than many captain-rank Martial Cultivators!


    Especially the True Qi, which had already broken through 400 points.


    No wonder yesterday on the expressway, he found it as easy as slicing melons and chopping vegetables to slay those captain-ranked Martial Cultivators.


    Lin Rui was also secretly amazed. He was worried that people like Yu Feicui and Professor Sima would be frightened, so he decisively deleted this data after the tests.


    These figures were indeed frightening. Compared to yesterday¡¯s comprehensive testing, all his physical attributes had increased by over 30 points.


    The values that Lin Xi detected might not be as precise as those of Professor Sima, but they wouldn¡¯t be far off.


    Lin Rui was concerned that if this medical data were to leak, there might be a risk that Professor Sima would want to take his samples.


    Therefore, he couldn¡¯t undergo any more physical tests in the next few days. He must take it slow, and by then he could use the ¡°Heterogenous Assimilation Effect¡± as an excuse.


    After the tests, Yu Feicui and General Fei were still not seen, so Lin Rui opened several news websites to check.


    To his surprise, not only did the major news websites not have any reports on ¡°Fabric Nightclub,¡± but those video sites also had no related videos circulating.


    Lin Rui also turned on the TV to watch the news channels, only to find that they were heavily reporting the anti-gang operation in the eastern district and none mentioned ¡°Fabric Nightclub.¡±


    Lin Rui was astounded by this. The Fabric Nightclub was quite famous in the eastern district, and today, over sixty people died there with intense gunfire and explosions at the scene. When he left, he saw people filming; how come it didn¡¯t make any splash online?


    Was it that the news agencies of the Ninth Base City were unaware of this case and did not take it seriously, or was it suppressed by someone?


    Lin Rui thought of Xue Lingxue, feeling that her influence was immensely deep and untraceable.


    Unfortunately, he now lacked a reliable information channel and didn¡¯t have hacking skills; otherwise, he could have hacked into the police internal system to see whether the police had filed a case and whether they were in a state of outward relaxation but internal tension.


    Just then, Yu Feicui sent a message in the team group.


    Heart of Jadeite (Yu Feicui): Attention, General Fei has arrived; meet at elevator 4.

 Chapter 71: 70: Indeed a Hall of Fame (Requesting Monthly Pass)

    Chapter 71: Chapter 70: Indeed a Hall of Fame (Requesting Monthly Pass)


    After receiving the message, Lin Rui and his group hurriedly found elevator No. 4 and lined up in a row.


    About a minute later, the elevator doors opened, and two young men and women came out.


    The woman was none other than Yu Feicui, still in her sharp and capable business attire, exuding an elegant and composed demeanor; the man appeared to be seventeen or eighteen, dressed casually, with delicate features like a woman¡¯s, slightly effeminate, looking like an average student from the outside, showing no sign that he was an incredibly powerful genetically enhanced general.


    Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei led with a military salute, their voices loud and clear, ¡°Good day, General Fei, welcome to the martial arts club of Mingde University!¡±


    Lin Rui also raised his hand.


    He was respectful on the surface, but inside he was thinking how good General Fei was at keeping himself young.


    ...


    Lin Rui had already checked online, Fei Yunlai was nearly 50 years old, yet he still had the appearance of a youth.


    It was unclear whether this was due to Fei Yunlai¡¯s cultivation for maintaining health, or a genetic modification that made his face eternally youthful.@@@@


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    Although Fei Yunlai had a gentle and effeminate face, he spoke with a hearty voice, smiling as he waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m just a reservist general, a rank foisted on me by the federal government, not a real soldier, so no need for a military salute to me.¡±


    He then walked directly to a fighting platform ahead, ¡°Your manager invited me to come over to help take a look at your martial arts, to see if there¡¯s anything that needs improvement or enhancement. However, I¡¯m quite busy today and can¡¯t stay here too long, so I can only do my best to help you out, so let¡¯s not waste time, shall we start right away? Who¡¯s first to come up?¡±


    Zhao Yan¡¯s eyes lit up, without any hesitation he followed him and jumped onto the platform, ¡°Let me be the first, General Fei!¡±


    Fei Yunlai looked him up and down, ¡°Are you practicing the Dragon and Tiger True Skill? Nice stance.¡±


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    He put one hand behind his back and gestured with the other, ¡°Come on, show me your best martial arts!¡±


    Hearing this, Zhao Yan didn¡¯t hold back; his body stretched wide, emitting roars like a dragon and tiger, then, with speed almost like teleportation, he moved ten meters away and hammered a punch towards Fei Yunlai¡¯s face.


    Fei Yunlai didn¡¯t move an inch, his True Qi surged out, turning into protective energy, taking Fei Yunlai¡¯s place to counter Zhao Yan¡¯s fierce attacks as if it were a real person.


    Lin Rui watched Zhao Yan¡¯s boxing closely; the moves were expansive and powerful, like a drawn bow, explosive like thunder, each fist like a heavy hammer, with grand and intense power, incomparably fierce!


    Yet his punches couldn¡¯t come within three feet of Fei Yunlai. Not only did Fei Yunlai remain immobile, but even his hair didn¡¯t flutter in the slightest.


    ¡°Additionally, your hands are somewhat short, and your joints aren¡¯t flexible and relaxed enough, which makes several of your whip-hammer moves lack power. I suggest you also practice the ¡®Leopard Fetus Bone Softening Technique¡¯ to compensate for these weaknesses. Also, you lack practical combat experience. If you can¡¯t find a match within the club, then play around in virtual combat platforms like ¡®Fighting City¡¯ and ¡®White Jade Capital¡¯.¡±


    Having said that, Fei Yunlai looked down at the contenders below, ¡°Next!¡±


    Nolan Wei had been eagerly waiting and without hesitation, he leaped onto the stage, ¡°Me!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t wait for Zhao Yan to jump off the stage before charging with his practice sword, creating a series of afterimages in the eyes of the audience.


    Fei Yunlai still stood motionless, but his expression was very serious, as he managed and observed the situation.


    He gave everyone 10 minutes, and his advice afterwards was always substantial and to the point, benefiting each of the competitors immensely, leaving them overjoyed.


    Although they had waited for Fei Yunlai for several hours today, it was well worth it.


    Especially Wang Sen, to whom Fei Yunlai had spent extra time explaining, breaking down the ¡®Ice Wind Sword¡¯ technique for him.


    Following Yu Feicui¡¯s gesture, Lin Rui was the last one to step onto the stage.


    At that moment, Fei Yunlai¡¯s lips curved into a smile, examining Lin Rui with interest.


    He knew that the main reason Yu Feicui had invited him was for this hall-of-fame martial arts prodigy.


    Fei Yunlai was also very interested in this kid.


    He had seen Lin Rui¡¯s battle videos before and was quite impressed.


    However, after Lin Rui demonstrated a set of ¡®Red Thunder Saber¡¯ and ¡®Red Thunder Palm¡¯, Fei Yunlai pondered and said, ¡°Do it again!¡±


    Not understanding his intent, Lin Rui performed another set of the complete ¡®Red Thunder¡¯ techniques for Fei Yunlai.


    After finishing the last punch, Fei Yunlai squinted his eyes and asked, ¡°Lin Rui, have you already partially mastered the ¡®Purple Lightning Saber¡¯ and the ¡®Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill¡¯?¡±


    This kid was truly hall-of-fame material!


    The entire indoor activity area became silent at once, as Yu Feicui¡¯s eyes sparkled with keen interest, and the others exchanged surprised glances.


    Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei, especially, were taken aback.


    They were already surprised that Lin Rui had mastered the ¡®Thunder Extreme Radiance Stance¡¯, and now he was even starting to delve into the ¡®Purple Lightning Saber¡¯ and ¡®Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill¡¯.


    Wang Sen¡¯s eyes were also filled with shock; Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts had grown to such an extent?

 Chapter 72: 71: Hes Bragging (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

    Chapter 72: Chapter 71: He¡¯s Bragging (Requesting Monthly Tickets)


    ¡°`


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart trembled upon hearing those words, for after he had mastered the Grandmaster-level Purple Gleaming Thunder Saber and Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill, he began unconsciously applying some of the techniques into the Red Thunder Saber and Red Thunder Palm.


    He hadn¡¯t noticed it himself, but Fei Yunlai had.


    Feeling a bit guilty, Lin Rui nodded, ¡°I have indeed been studying the Purple Gleaming Thunder Saber and Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill, and I have gained some insights.¡±


    In reality, he had already reached the Grandmaster level in these two martial arts.


    Yu Feicui, who was below the stage, couldn¡¯t help but light up with joy, ¡°Lin Rui, since you¡¯ve learned it, then show it, let Brother Fei see.¡±


    ...


    However, Fei Yunlai shook his head after hearing this, ¡°Forget it, we¡¯re almost out of time. It would take at least ten minutes for him to use that set. Since he didn¡¯t use it earlier, it¡¯s clear that he doesn¡¯t have confidence in these two martial arts. He might as well practice some more, and when I¡¯m free later on, I¡¯ll come back to check on him.


    But, this kid¡¯s Red Thunder Saber and Red Thunder Palm are near perfect, and I barely have anything to teach him. The techniques from the Purple Gleaming Thunder Saber and Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill are also applied correctly, just right.¡±


    Folding his arms in front of his chest, he pondered while speaking, and at that moment, his expression suddenly changed, fixing his eyes on Lin Rui, ¡°Lin Rui, you should know the advantages of combining fire and thunder, right?¡±@@@@


    Lin Rui nodded again, ¡°I do, it¡¯s thermal puncturing.¡±


    Here, we have to mention ¡®dielectric breakdown,¡¯ especially ¡®solid dielectric breakdown.¡¯


    Under the action of a strong electric field or high temperature, solid dielectrics can lose their electrical insulation and abruptly change from an insulating to a conducting state.


    Solid dielectric breakdown is divided into three types: electrical puncture, thermal puncture, and electrochemical puncture.


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    Electrical puncture usually occurs under normal temperature conditions when the electric field strength exceeds the endurance range of the insulating material.


    The so-called ¡®thermal puncture¡¯ occurs in high-temperature environments. It¡¯s caused by the internal accumulation of heat in the medium, leading to excessive temperatures and the loss of insulating ability.


    Under normal circumstances, when the temperature rises, the resistance of most conductors also increases.


    After the resistance increases, if high voltage continues to be supplied, the temperature will rise until it reaches a level that causes melting, burning, and thermal puncture.


    Apart from solid dielectric breakdown, there is also liquid and gas dielectric breakdown, both of which are influenced by high temperatures to some extent.


    After that, Fei Yunlai dissipated his True Qi, his eyes filled with expectation as he looked at Lin Rui. ¡°I don¡¯t have much in the way of Thunder True Yuan, so I could only show you these three slashes. What do you think, did you see them clearly? Understand any of it?¡±


    Everyone present could hear a hint of testing in Fei Yunlai¡¯s words.


    The armored admiral clearly wanted to gauge just how high Lin Rui¡¯s comprehension was.


    Lin Rui had heard it too, and he felt a headache coming on.


    Fei Yunlai might be overestimating him a bit. Lin Rui now had a clear understanding of his own comprehension¡ªit was at most similar to that of the Lin Rui from before, slightly stronger than Wang Sen but only to a limited extent.


    He guessed he was above the common crowd but hanging at the tail end of the top ten.


    Lin Rui had indeed grasped some things just now, but he was far from touching the essence of that slash.


    Nevertheless, this was the price he had to pay for establishing a genius persona.


    Lin Rui wanted others to see him as a genius to dispel any doubts about the swift progress of his martial arts, which meant he had to face these tests.


    Just as Lin Rui was about to make an excuse, his expression suddenly changed and he called out to his soul ring spirit in his mind.


    ¡°Spirit of the ring, can I use my Soul Power points to deduce the essence of the Thunderclap Absolute Slash?¡±


    He remembered that the spirit had previously mentioned Soul Power points could be used to deduce various martial arts.


    The prompt read: ¡®Thunderclap Absolute Slash¡¯ is a mid-tier saber technique secret move, given an overall S+ rating by the Federation Martial Arts Association for its immensely powerful force. To deduce the Thunderclap Absolute Slash to basic proficiency, 200 Soul Power points are needed; to reach beginner level, 400 Soul Power points are required¡ª


    Without hesitation, Lin Rui said: ¡°Deduce to beginner level!¡±


    He only had 400 Soul Power points left, enough only to deduce the ¡®Thunderclap Absolute Slash¡¯ to beginner level.


    At that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s consciousness experienced a change.


    Unlike the previous occasions when he had copied skills, Lin Rui found his thought processes working at high speed under the influence of a mysterious force, with various thoughts and inspirations continuously popping up in his mind¡ªlike replaying a movie, it repeatedly showed high-definition frames of Fei Yunlai executing ¡®Thunderclap Absolute Slash¡¯.


    A moment later, Lin Rui opened his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen it clearly now, but I can only comprehend about ten percent of its mysteries.¡±


    Hearing this, Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t help but feel a ripple inside, exchanging a glance with Yu Feicui.


    This young fellow could understand his three slashes, which was quite impressive, but to learn them? Pure boasting without a draft.

 Chapter 73: 72: Thunderclap Absolute Slash (Seeking Monthly Votes)

    Chapter 73: Chapter 72: Thunderclap Absolute Slash (Seeking Monthly Votes)


    ¡°A grasp of one-tenth?¡± Fei Yunlai placed his hands behind his back, his interest intensifying, ¡°Then can you actually perform it?¡±


    He thought Lin Rui was boasting beyond his capabilities.


    Initially, when his cultivation had reached the rank of a middle officer in the martial armor, it took him four hours just to grasp the basics of this move.


    Lin Rui understood it after only seeing three slashes? Impossible!


    ¡°Should I give it a try?¡± Lin Rui gripped the saber at his waist, lost in thought.


    He carefully reviewed what he had just comprehended, integrating the insights, pondering over the path and release of this saber technique.


    ...


    A moment later, the crowd saw a dazzling display of purple light before them.


    These purple lights all originated from the thunderous slash Lin Rui unleashed with his saber, which was also fleeting, vanishing without a trace in an instant.


    However, in the next moment, the pillar at the southeast corner of the platform, about ten meters in front of Lin Rui, suddenly had a deep saber mark slashed into it, a full foot in depth.


    This corner pillar of the platform was built to withstand the battles of middle officer level martial cultivators; its material was incredibly sturdy, yet now it had been silently slashed by Lin Rui to a depth of one foot.


    ¡°Thunderclap Absolute Slash!¡± Yu Feicui exclaimed in shock.


    Lin Rui had indeed performed it!


    The expressions of the others below the platform varied.


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    Wang Sen felt simple admiration, while Lin Xi¡¯s eyes were filled with bewilderment.


    Lin Rui had always been talented, but never to such an extent.


    Lin Xi couldn¡¯t help but wonder, what exactly had happened to her brother after his head was smashed?


    ¡°Impressive!¡± Nolan Wei uttered a light praise, his eyes full of mockery as he glanced at Lu Fang beside him, ¡°If you¡¯re not convinced, you can go challenge him.¡±


    This guy was lucky to have witnessed Lin Rui¡¯s slash, otherwise, he would have been severely discouraged.


    Lu Fang remained silent.


    He had already challenged Lin Rui once before, yet the slash Lin Rui displayed today indeed shook his courage to challenge him again.


    Zhao Yan, standing nearby, clenched his fists tightly, his face flushing.


    What a Thunderclap Absolute Slash!


    This junior of his possessed hall-of-fame level talent!


    Then there was still hope for him, Zhao Yan, to enter the final rounds of the university martial arts league!


    It was probably not possible this year, but next year, before his graduation, Mingde University had great chances of achieving results!


    Seeing Lin Rui hesitantly nodding, Fei Yunlai continued, ¡°I suppose you have a special way of contacting your teacher? I need you to pass on a message to Professor Han as soon as possible. Eight characters ¨C ¡®The situation is wrong, plans on hold!¡¯ You can also add that it¡¯s a trap.¡±


    Yu Feicui looked startled, ¡°For just this matter, you can¡¯t directly inform Professor Han?¡±


    She knew that Fei Yunlai was seeking out Lin Rui for a reason, but she didn¡¯t know what it was.


    ¡°No can do,¡± Fei Yunlai said with a wry smile. ¡°Professor Han and his students are all in their alternate selves right now, unable to see my messages. And then there¡¯s the issue that the quantum communication relay in Sha State has been destroyed. Oh, another thing¡ª¡±


    He clicked his tongue and lamented, ¡°It¡¯s quite lively over there in Sha State. Just in these last few days, the governor of Sha State destroyed three of the military¡¯s starships and killed over sixty of the military¡¯s alternate reality travelers. The military, unable to tolerate it anymore, retaliated by flattening the royal cities of three jurisdictions in Sha State, serving as a ruthless payback.


    Now both sides are seeing red, and it looks like a full-scale war is imminent. Many companies¡¯ alternate reality teams have also been forcibly conscripted by the military under the guise of reservists, ready to be deployed into battle at any time.¡±


    On hearing this, Lin Rui raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    Wang City of the Royal Administration, actually flattened by the federal military? The governor of Sha State has destroyed three of their starships and killed more than sixty alternate reality travelers? Both parties have now crossed each other¡¯s red lines, indeed signaling the brink of a major war.


    As for passing on the message that Fei Yunlai requested, Lin Rui felt it was fairly straightforward.


    Brother Li Li had given them several methods to contact Han¡¯s team, and the simplest of them was merely to leave a message on the wall across from the Yunlai Inn in their county town.


    Yu Feicui, however, wore a grave expression, ¡°Is what you speak of really true, Senior Brother? Is the situation over there so dangerous?¡±


    The jurisdiction of Wang City where Lin Rui and the others were situated wasn¡¯t far from Sha State City.


    ¡°Extremely dangerous, a great war is on the verge of breaking out.¡±


    Fei Yunlai noticed Yu Feicui¡¯s concern and understood her intent. He smiled casually, ¡°Are you worried about Lin Rui and the rest? They should be fine. They¡¯ve only just arrived in their alternate selves. As long as they haven¡¯t exposed their identities and stay out of trouble, there shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. The government of the Great Song won¡¯t bother to expend so much effort to look for them, and the military won¡¯t expect much from these rookies. Besides, I will be heading to Wang City myself soon to meet with Professor Han. If there¡¯s a chance, I might even give his and Wang Sen¡¯s alternates a little opportunity.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yu Feicui finally relaxed.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression, on the other hand, was somewhat odd.


    He was now a deputy arrest officer and couldn¡¯t exactly stay out of trouble.


    No, that¡¯s not right. He was only executing demons and banishing evils, upholding local security¡ªduties of a deputy arrest officer. This should still be within the realm of ¡®keeping out of trouble,¡¯ right?


    However, in the next few days, it was time for him to focus all his time and energy on the alternates in Tianji Star.


    As for the opportunity that Fei Yunlai had mentioned, Lin Rui didn¡¯t take it to heart. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn¡¯t reveal his alternate identity to anyone.


    It was at this moment that Lin Rui received a message from Yu Feicui in the group.


    Emerald Heart (Yu Feicui): Just pass on the message to him. There¡¯s no need to meet him in Tianji Star. His alternate is a top-wanted fugitive on the imperial list, getting involved with him is seeking death.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen immediately regarded Fei Yunlai with newfound respect. This honorary marshal was listed on the imperial wanted chart and was still able to return lively to his original body.


    Unaware of their private conversation, Fei Yunlai said, ¡°I¡¯ve already made contact, the coaches from Tianjing Martial University and Future Science and Technology University have agreed. They will bring their teams to stay for a few days. You, Yu Feicui, will arrange the details with them.¡±


    Then, with a smile, he patted Lin Rui¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Give it your all, Lin Rui. There are a couple of prodigious talents in the team this time, and two of them are about your age but have already advanced to refining their blood. They are very interested in you, so don¡¯t lose too badly when the time comes.¡±


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s tone was somewhat schadenfreude.


    Lin Rui had somewhat caught him off guard earlier, but there were plenty of geniuses in the world with illogical talents who were also going to give Lin Rui a taste of what a true hall-level shock was.

 Chapter 74: 73: Cultivating Blood in Three Realms (Seeking Followers and Monthly Tickets)

    Chapter 74: Chapter 73: Cultivating Blood in Three Realms (Seeking Followers and Monthly Tickets)


    Two days later, at the county government office of Yinyue County under the Sky Extreme Star.


    In the early morning sunlight, Lin Rui¡¯s entire body suddenly crackled like popping soybeans, as a surge of True Qi erupted from within him, generating a breeze around him.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression brightened, and a trace of joy appeared on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally made it through!¡±


    He had indeed managed, within three days, to open up the last meridian channel, clearing all eight meridian channels!


    Without hesitation, Lin Rui then began to perform the ¡®Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance.¡¯


    ...


    As he moved and posed, Lin Rui¡¯s blood, in conjunction with his own meridians, swirled like mercury in his veins, drawing in massive amounts of ether elements from the surroundings, gradually compressing and refining them into his blood.


    At this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s body ignited with a faint layer of flames, with streaks of lightning crackling through.


    ¡ªThis was the third realm of blood cultivation!


    While performing the stance, various cells in Lin Rui¡¯s blood would gradually transform in a high-density ether environment.


    In particular, a type of ¡®Ether Cell¡¯ in the blood, unique to the bodies of Sky Extreme Star denizens.


    Normally, these cells had little function, but upon absorbing massive amounts of ether elements, they could mutate into ¡®Prime Cells.¡¯


    In the future, these cells would not only be fundamental to the source of his vital energy but would also further assist in transforming and strengthening his bone marrow and physical body!


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    Prime Cells were also the main component of synthetic serum, which would mingle into the serum upon coagulation.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes gradually lit up with excitement.


    He had not expected the ¡®Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance¡¯ to be so effective.


    Lin Rui had mastered the Grandmaster-level ¡®Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance¡¯ three days ago, but apart from combat, this stance had not found its use.


    At the Ninth Base, his main body had no blood to cultivate, and his alter-body didn¡¯t need such an advanced stance.@@@@


    It wasn¡¯t until now, with all the meridian channels in his alter-body unblocked, that the ¡®Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance¡¯ had a place to shine its tremendous effects.


    Lin Rui could be certain that his blood cultivation efficiency was among the highest in the alter-body practitioners.


    He had only lightly tried it and already felt his blood rapidly transforming.


    ¡°No, the efficiency of the Grandmaster-level ¡®Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance¡¯ is indeed strong but should not be to this extent. According to publicly available data on the Internet, the fastest known blood cultivation efficiency among alter-body practitioners is a 0.3% increase per complete stance cycle, 3% in an hour with 10 stance cycles, and yet I¡¯m achieving at least 0.4% per cycle now!


    This is even without taking any blood cultivation drugs. Could it be related to that unawakened complete Sacred Body? It¡¯s incredible! What exactly is the blood Lin Xi gave me?¡±


    Unfortunately, to open up his channels, Lin Rui had already spent a good half hour practicing the Lightning Fire Stance earlier.


    After that, he only managed two more cycles of the ¡®Thunder Extreme Divine Radiance Stance¡¯ before his body reached its limit and began rejecting the ether elements.


    Lin Rui then switched to practicing the ¡®Purple Blaze Thunder Palm.¡¯


    Lin Rui did not flinch; he countered with a distant stare, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, I mean you no harm. I see you¡¯re in pain, you¡ªwant to die!¡±


    The girl in red remained indifferent.


    She of course wanted to die, for death would bring her release.


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes and continued to inquire, ¡°But you dare not die, what exactly are you worried about?¡±


    The girl in red¡¯s blade intent surged nearly double in an instant, and her entire body ignited with tangible flames.


    This caused Lin Rui to frown slightly, halting his words; this woman¡¯s blade intent and spiritual power were excessively strong, beyond his expectations.


    Just as the two were locked in a mental power clash, Lin Rui felt his badge on his waist growing hot.


    Could it be the County Magistrate?


    Lin Rui, unable to move initially, soon realized the Blood Blade had withdrawn some of her blade intent. He didn¡¯t dare delay and pressed the beast head button on the badge.


    Sure enough, the next moment, the County Magistrate¡¯s voice came from within the badge, ¡°Deputy Arrest Officer Lin, please come to my study at once, I have a task for you.¡±


    Lin Rui found this slightly surprising.


    As the County Magistrate was required to be stationed at Zuihua House nightly to suppress the city¡¯s demons, he had been spending the days sleeping inside the government office and only appeared in the afternoon.


    Lin Rui was instinctively wary of the County Magistrate; he believed that the Magistrate was a person of extraordinary capabilities, unfathomable and not to be underestimated.


    However, he had now reached the Third Realm, possessed several mid-tier Grandmaster level martial arts techniques, and had a certain ability to protect himself.


    Lin Rui¡¯s thoughts raced as he quickly responded, ¡°I follow the order. I¡¯ll just change my clothes and be there.¡±


    As he communicated with the County Magistrate, the girl in red took it upon herself to withdraw her blade intent.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t be bothered with her anymore, hurriedly returned to his room to change into a fresh official uniform, and attached his waist saber.


    Just as Lin Rui was about to leave, he saw Wang Sen enter through the door.


    ¡°Are you heading out? Where are you planning to go?¡± He asked, while handing Lin Rui a bag with a skeptical look, ¡°This is the hundred refined steel needles you requested, along with nine hundred top-grade yellow talismans and cinnabar, thirty-six low-grade Yuan stones; the question is, do you know how to use these things? Don¡¯t waste money.¡±


    Wang Sen had gone out early in the day just to gather these items for Lin Rui.


    The bag also included eight needle-equipped blood bags from the coffin shop and some drugs from the Federation, which Wang Sen found it inappropriate to mention directly as they were at the government office.


    These were all acquired at great cost from a Federation agency site.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t know, I can learn,¡± Lin Rui grinned, slipping the bag into his sleeve.


    His expression then shifted, and he stared at Wang Sen with a look of surprise, ¡°Look at you, your aura¡¯s not bad, you¡¯re almost ready to open your Six Meridians!¡±


    Wang Sen could only respond with a bitter smile.


    He had received instructions from the gold medal martial arts coach and Fei Yunlai, which had improved his stance, thus greatly increasing his meridian opening efficiency in recent days.


    However, it all depended on who he was compared to; compared to Lin Rui¡¯s training speed, he was as slow as a snail.


    Wang Sen knew Lin Rui was about to breakthrough today.


    They had just arrived in this foreign body a few days ago, and this guy had already started training his blood, which was awesome to the max.

 Chapter 75: 74: Another Promotion

    Chapter 75: Chapter 74: Another Promotion


    Lin Rui entered the inner courtyard where the County Magistrate resided and saw that the door to the study on the left was wide open.


    He had just approached the doorway when he heard the young County Magistrate¡¯s voice come out, ¡°Is that Deputy Arrest Officer Lin? Come in.¡±


    Lin Rui stepped into the room and saw the young County Magistrate seated behind a desk, his back to the window on the eastern side, looking at a document in his hands.


    Possibly due to consecutive nights without sleep, the dark circles under the County Magistrate¡¯s eyes were noticeable.


    Lin Rui also noticed a screen placed in the northeast corner of the study.


    A hint of suspicion flashed in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes; he had accompanied Zhang Tianchang to the County Magistrate¡¯s study once before to retrieve a set of divine armors treasured by the Magistrate. Lin Rui remembered that there had been no screen in the study at that time.


    ...


    Crucially, Lin Rui¡¯s Spiritual Sense detected that the screen had a unique Formation structure within it that could block the sensing of Spiritual Sense.


    Lin Rui pondered whether there could be 500 axemen ambushed behind the screen.


    He then gathered his thoughts and bowed to the young County Magistrate, ¡°This subordinate pays respects to the County Magistrate! May I know what matters you have summoned me for?¡±


    ¡°There are some matters I wish to inquire about,¡± the young County Magistrate made a gesture for Lin Rui to sit down, ¡°Please sit, let¡¯s talk over tea. Someone, bring tea!¡±


    Once Lin Rui was seated, a servant came in and served them tea. The young County Magistrate then turned towards him, holding the document and raised it towards Lin Rui, ¡°Deputy Arrest Officer Lin, I wish to know who wrote this document?¡±


    Only then did Lin Rui realize that the young County Magistrate was looking at the record document about the evil drunkard, which he himself had submitted.


    He tensed up internally but appeared calm and collected on the surface, ¡°Replying to your honor, this document was written by my subordinate Wang 27, although I signed at the end.¡±


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    ¡°Indeed so,¡± the young County Magistrate smiled upon hearing this, pointing at Lin Rui¡¯s signature ¡°Lin 12¡±, ¡°Looking at your signature, Deputy Arrest Officer Lin¡¯s characters are truly like dragons flying and phoenixes dancing, towering and striking.¡±


    He then fixed his gaze on Lin Rui, his eyes intense, ¡°Now let¡¯s discuss important matters. Just now, I sensed a surge of vital energy within the courthouse, exactly at the residence where you, the deputy arrest officer, live. If I am not mistaken, you must have advanced to the third realm of Blood Refining, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Lin Rui answered without hesitation, his voice resounding, while vital energy surged throughout his body, ¡°With the support of my lord¡¯s medicinal pills, I have opened all spirit channels and begun refining blood!¡±


    However, he secretly thought to himself, as expected, the County Magistrate had never fully trusted him.


    The reason he was asked to live within the courthouse was for protection as well as close supervision, keeping an eye on him!


    The young County Magistrate was very pleased to hear this, ¡°Very good, your martial arts talent is indeed one in a million. The timing of your breakthrough is also perfect, a blessing for our county indeed. A Martial Cultivator of the third realm in our courthouse can stand on his own now, not to mention your combat power is already high, more than enough to fulfill the duties of an arrest officer and ensure the peace of the locals. From today onward, Lin, you will act as the arrest officer, taking my place at the Zuihua House, assisting Chief Arrest Officer Zhang Tianchang in guarding against surrounding demons and monsters!¡±


    While speaking, he got up and fetched a locked iron box from the bookshelf beside him.


    The young County Magistrate fiddled with it for a moment, then took out a bottle of pills and two red lucky knots, reluctantly handing them over to Lin Rui, ¡°I won¡¯t hide it from you, overseeing Zuihua House is highly risky, possibly life-threatening, so I won¡¯t let you go unrewarded. These are ten Blood Refining Divine Sense Pills that I had leftover from my own blood refining; they can help you rapidly refine your blood and also enhance your divine sense, awakening the power of your bloodline, each worth fifty taels of demon silver;


    As for these lucky knots, they are a type of precious demon-suppressing item. I won¡¯t disclose their use for now. If you¡¯re destined to know, you will naturally discover in the future. If not, knowing it wouldn¡¯t be beneficial. You must carry them with you at all times while overseeing Zuihua House, never leave them behind. Trust me! I won¡¯t harm you.¡±


    These items were exceedingly precious; if the young County Magistrate could not be sure of Lin Rui¡¯s reliability, he truly wouldn¡¯t want to give these items to him, nor would he dare to let him handle such a powerful monster.


    Lin Rui slightly arched his brows, a hint of doubt appearing in his eyes.


    He took the two lucky knots in hand, only to discover that they were carved out of red jade.


    Lin Rui sensed runes and strong aether elements within them, yet he couldn¡¯t ascertain their function.


    He had now mastered a greatly advanced foundational magic technique, an expert level of formation basics, and the genuine Magic Control Divine Technique, yet he still didn¡¯t recognize what these were.


    Just then, Lin Rui heard a ¡®crack¡¯ sound from the screen beside him.


    Turning his head, he saw that the screen suddenly bore a sword mark, almost splitting in half, dividing into two.


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils constricted, realizing the person who had struck the screen was none other than Blood Blade Ji!

 Chapter 76: 75: Close to Death?

    Chapter 76: Chapter 75: Close to Death?


    Lin Rui glanced outside the study, the courtyard was calm as if nothing had happened at all.


    It seemed that Lady Blood Blade had no intention to continue with her actions.


    He then tilted his head to adjust his angle and peered through the slash marks on the screen, noticing a figure seemed to be standing behind it.


    Could it be Master Du inside there?


    The young County Magistrate noticed Lin Rui¡¯s movements and couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit embarrassed. He picked up the teacup from the table, blew on it and said, ¡°Stop looking, I had the arrest officer come over today exactly for this matter. I wonder what your thoughts are, arrest officer?¡±


    ¡°My lord¡¯s command, how could I, a humble official, decline? Besides, protecting the common people and suppressing demons is my inherent duty!¡±


    ...


    Lin Rui stood up, his expression solemn as he bowed, but then his tone changed, ¡°However, my lord, as far as I know, the Zuihua House has been attacked several times by a fourth-order demon, and even experienced a major fire not long ago.


    I fear that my own abilities may not suffice, and I might fail to ensure absolute safety, hence I¡¯d like to bring Wang Twenty-Seven as an assistant. However, Wang Twenty-Seven has only recently reached the Sixth Meridian, his strength is somewhat lacking, and I¡¯m a bit concerned about that.¡±


    The young County Magistrate chuckled upon hearing this, seeing that Lin Rui was beating around the bush, apparently trying to secure some benefits for his effective aid.


    However, he was a bit unsure about Wang Twenty-Seven.


    Looking at the several official documents written by Wang Twenty-Seven, his handwriting was not particularly beautiful, but it was clean and tidy, and the use of words and phrases was quite appropriate, surpassing many seasoned clerks.


    Wang Twenty-Seven had studied in a private school for five years, but the County Magistrate was more than clear about the general standards of private school students.


    His gaze hesitant, he weighed his options and smiled as he took out two mid-grade soul stones from the iron box and tossed them to Lin Rui, ¡°Twenty-Seven has already used a Dragon-Tiger Meridian Opening Pill, and he can¡¯t use other meridian opening pills for a while, but I saw a technique for rapidly opening meridians through standing meditation when I was in the academy. Twenty-Seven¡¯s stance skill is precisely ¡®Cyclone Dragon Stance,¡¯ half of which involves standing meditation, and it fits perfectly.


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    These are two mid-grade soul stones, have him take them while practicing his stance, and also apply ¡®Dragon-Tiger Body Cementing Oil¡¯ on his body. It might help him increase his meridian opening speed a little, and also enhance his spiritual power.¡±


    The young County Magistrate considered the lesser of two evils, as Wang Twenty-Seven had recently exerted a lot of effort following Lin Twelve in hunting demons, indeed providing reliable assistance to Lin Twelve.


    Lin Twelve was indeed in a dangerous situation and needed an assistant.


    Lin Rui did not know how many thoughts passed through the County Magistrate¡¯s mind in that instant. He joyfully accepted the soul stones.


    What Wang Sen needed the most now was spiritual power, so these two mid-grade soul stones were actually a bigger help to him.


    However, Lin Rui was not satisfied and hesitated, ¡°My lord, I fear two mid-grade soul stones might not be enough. Wang Twenty-Seven is exceptionally gifted, and his progress in cultivation is almost comparable to mine. With sufficient medicinal support, he could break through his limit within ten days, providing one more skilled hand for our county office.¡±@@@@


    He was certain that the County Magistrate needed his help, and considering the recent revelation through the screen, the County Magistrate was certainly feeling somewhat guilty and embarrassed, so Lin Rui took the opportunity to open his mouth wide and heavily demanded benefits.


    The young County Magistrate¡¯s face darkened, and he took out another mid-grade soul stone from the iron box and tossed it over, ¡°This is the last one I have left, that¡¯s all I can help with. Now go, please.¡±


    Fortunately now, Lin Twelve has broken through to the third realm, which might prevent him from being devoured by Blood Blade who was enduring her limit.


    Unfortunately, Blood Blade poses a significant risk, and Lin Twelve, being such a young and talented child, is still not far from death.


    ¡°My lord, there¡¯s no need for concern, Lin Twelve has broken through to the third realm, meeting the requirements of a ¡®Demon Controller¡¯, and with the extraordinary item you granted him, at least there¡¯s a glimmer of hope for him to survive.¡±


    The arrest officer actually preferred Lin Twelve to face the calamity that was Blood Blade.


    Although he also admired Lin Twelve¡¯s talent, currently it was the County Magistrate who supported his livelihood, and Blood Blade clearly had issues which even the County Magistrate might not suppress.


    He bowed slightly, ¡°Lin Twelve is young and handsome, his appearance excellent, and he is full of vigor ¡ª just the type Blood Blade likes. His fortunes are also good; he will surely be able to avert disasters and thrive amidst adversity!¡±


    The young County Magistrate shot the arrest officer an irritated glance.


    Just three days ago, the arrest officer had chastised him for speaking such nonsense.


    ¡°Well, I am now helpless, and what comes next is up to him alone.¡±


    The young County Magistrate shook his head and walked over to the window to look out at the yard, ¡°Lin Twelve is right, those inflammable items could just be a diversion. I am now more worried about Fire Ruins Town.¡±


    A shadow crossed the eyes of the young County Magistrate: ¡°We still need to deceive our eyes and escape to the sea, and hurry over there to have a look.¡±


    Fire Ruins Town is about ten miles from the county town. It is rumored that in the distant past, that place was the county town of Silver Moon County, but was burned to ruins due to warfare.


    Also, it is said that 3000 years ago, that area was barren until the population of Silver Moon County gradually prospered, after which people began to live there, forming a small-sized town.


    Since it was built on ruins, the town was named Fire Ruins Town.


    Just three days ago, a great fire occurred within Fire Ruins Town, burning nearly a third of the town, and the surrounding areas were enveloped in a crimson fog.


    The local ¡®village head¡¯ and ¡®patrolling officer¡¯ surveyed the site and found traces of a demon¡¯s mischief at the center of the fire, and thus they asked for help from the county town.


    The young County Magistrate was stretched too thin and had yet to find the time to go there.


    In the last two days, Fire Ruins Town had even lost contact with the county town. Although they are only ten miles apart, no messages came through, nor did anyone come from that direction.


    This reminded the young County Magistrate of an ancient legend circulating in Silver Moon County, filling him with extreme unease.


    He suspected that what the mastermind truly aimed at was Fire Ruins Town, ten miles away, and he wanted to go there himself to see.


    But given the current situation in Silver Moon County, the young County Magistrate dared not stray far.


    Beyond that, the young County Magistrate also wondered, what exactly did the mastermind intend to do with Blood Blade?


    His instinct told him that this fourth-realm king-class demon played a very important role in that person¡¯s schemes.

 Chapter 77: 76 The Holy Church of Light (Three more requests for monthly votes)

    Chapter 77: Chapter 76 The Holy Church of Light (Three more requests for monthly votes)


    PS: It¡¯s the last day for double monthly tickets, so I¡¯m asking for your votes one last time! Additionally, I¡¯ve been notified that the book will launch at 12pm on the 12th. As a way to give back to the readers, we will release three chapters per day for the next few days, and I hope everyone can help by subscribing as soon as it¡¯s available.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    After leaving the County Magistrate¡¯s study, Lin Rui first went back to his own courtyard to call for Wang Sen.


    Considering that for the next while, they would have to stay frequently overnight at Zuihua House, the two of them also needed to bring bedding and various daily necessities.


    When Wang Sen left his house, not only did he carry his own bedding on his back, but he also took the initiative to carry both of their pots and pans.


    His face bloomed with joy, ¡°Nightly nestled with fragrant beauties in the brothel, crimson canopy above shining on silver candles, I never thought I, Wang Twenty-Seven, would become a man who calls the brothel home.¡±


    ...


    Just now, Lin Rui had given him three medium-grade soul stones.


    This made Wang Sen overjoyed, thinking to himself that Brother Rui truly deserved to be his good brother, helping him greatly once again.


    What Wang Sen now lacked was spiritual power.


    Previously, carrying so many things was actually an overstretch for him.


    Therefore, in the past two days, Wang Sen occasionally felt aches and pains all over his body.


    This was because his spiritual power was unable to control the implants, resulting in a rejection reaction. Many martial artists with implants relied on medication to solve the problem, but Wang Sen relied on his own willpower to endure.


    Now, with these three medium-grade soul stones, his spiritual power could increase by at least 70 points, which would be enough to solve his current problems.


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    Moreover, the Secret Technique that Lin Rui had requested from the County Magistrate could help him open his meridians.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui let out a snort of laughter, ¡°Nesting nightly with fragrant beauties? What fragrant beauties do you have to nestle with? Haven¡¯t you seen the current state of Zuihua House? What awaits us is a cabin where the wind and rain prevail, accompanied nightly only by a lonely lamp.¡±


    While the two were laughing and talking, they saw a group of people entering the gate of the county office ahead.


    One person in front left a deep impression on them.


    This was a stocky middle-aged man in crimson armor, with coarse, straight, short hair and a beard like tangled javelins. With short legs and a thick neck, and a body shaped like a barrel, he was much rounder than Wang Sen.


    Behind this person, there were forty county soldiers dressed in leather armor and holding long weapons. The entourage was quite imposing, and their presence was intimidating.


    One of them wore the standard black iron armor of the military and had a burly figure, standing behind the stocky man like an iron pillar. Judging from his attire, he seemed to be a figure of ¡®Capital Commandant¡¯ status in the military.@@@@


    As the stocky man entered, almost all the clerks and Government Officials in the county office stopped what they were doing and came over to greet him, addressing him as ¡®County Magistrate¡¯.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui¡¯s expression turned solemn as he stared intently at the stocky middle-aged man.


    He recognized that this man was none other than the ¡®County Magistrate¡¯ Zhu Lingshi. Lin Rui had seen a three-dimensional drawing of this man in the materials provided by the extraterrestrial management bureau, but this was his first face-to-face encounter.


    As for the iron-armored Capital Commandant, he must be ¡®Iron Halberd¡¯ Ying Yuan.


    According to Lin Rui¡¯s understanding, although this man wasn¡¯t particularly intelligent, he possessed a powerful bloodline. Although his cultivation was just at the beginning of the fourth realm, his martial power surpassed many advanced masters in the late stages of the fourth realm and was considered Zhu Lingshi¡¯s right-hand man.


    Ho ho, in fact, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to let her acknowledge a new master again. I¡¯m quite looking forward to it; I really want to see her expression when she kills her master for the second time.¡±


    He had thought it would be the County Magistrate falling into this trap, but unexpectedly, it was a mere arrest officer who got involved.


    What a pity, what a pity¡ª


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    At this moment, Lin Rui and his companion were utterly bewildered.


    After they left the government office, they had intended to go to a noodle shop at the corner of the street for breakfast.


    That was a new discovery made by Wang Sen ¨C the beef noodles there were even tastier than the one opposite the government office.


    However, just as they had reached the spot, they saw a large group of people dressed in white clothes coming from the opposite side of the street.


    It was a grand ceremonial procession. At the front was a golden palanquin carried by 32 people. Atop the palanquin was a golden altar with nothing on it except for a ball of crimson-gold flame, around which thunder and lightning occasionally exploded.


    Behind the altar was a dense crowd, swarming and filling the street, so broad that it stretched three fathoms wide, with no end in sight.


    All these people crossed their hands and placed them on their shoulders, singing devoutly, ¡°Holy lightning brilliant, sacred light resplendent, pity our mortal kind, fraught with distress¡ªLife¡¯s trials manifold, demons¡¯ dust within us folds; multitude of disasters bold, myriad illnesses unfold; thus joy in living is untold, and death brings no distress.


    Majestic sacred lightning, cleanse my waning frame; enlighten my clear heart, revive my lucid spirit; to do good and shun evil, for Guang Ming¡¯s sake alone; joy and sorrow, grief and glee, all return to dust will be¡ª¡±


    ¡°It seems to be the¡ªGuang Ming Sacred Church!¡± Wang Sen quickly pulled Lin Rui aside, watching the procession with a look of surprise.


    ¡°I never expected the Guang Ming Sacred Church to have so many followers in Silver Moon County; this is exceedingly brazen. They even dare to march in the streets in broad daylight. I saw Liu Ergou; that guy is actually a follower of the Guang Ming Sacred Church. He¡¯s even donned white robes, a formal member of the church.¡±


    Liu Ergou owned a steamed bun shop, where Wang Sen had bought buns before.


    Lin Rui, too, was astonished and checked the relevant information in his intelligence assistance system.


    His expression grew even stranger.


    The Guang Ming Sacred Church mentioned by Wang Sen was a sect founded 1800 years ago by a group of dock workers on the planet Tianji Star, originally worshipping thunder and flame to an extreme degree.


    They believed the world to be dim and the living to suffer and that only thunder could split open the night to summon a catastrophic blaze, purifying all filth between heaven and earth to bring light to the people, saving them from the bitter sea.


    Originally a minor sect spreading among sailors and laborers on Tianji Star, it reached its zenith under the seventh leader, extending its influence across four continents and twenty-seven islands with countless followers and even their own army to protect the church, becoming one of the top forces on Tianji Star.


    However, the golden age of the Guang Ming Sacred Church lasted only 50 years. Due to its teachings, the four great empires and noble families of Tianji Star deemed it a dire threat. The church was labeled as a demonic cult, and over the ensuing centuries, they were relentlessly persecuted and suppressed in a joint effort.


    As Lin Rui read this, the golden palanquin just happened to pass in front of them.


    In that moment, the ball of golden fire on the palanquin¡¯s altar suddenly blazed fiercely, leaping from about three feet to an explosive thirty feet in height, as a wild streak of lightning cracked forth.


    The ends of those golden electric currents struck the followers around them, causing pained expressions to spread across their faces.


    Just then, a woman dressed in a white robe and wearing a hat, with four groups of golden fires and four golden lightning bolts embroidered on her clothes, walked out from the crowd.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Her stern command halted the entire procession. Then, she scanned the area, searched for a moment, and finally, her gaze settled on Lin Rui¡¯s face.

 Chapter 78: 77: Charm Still Remains

    Chapter 78: Chapter 77: Charm Still Remains


    Just as the white-robed woman was eyeing Lin Rui with a serious expression, Lin Rui also looked at the woman suspiciously.


    From her attire, she appeared to be a fourth-order High Priest from the Light Church.


    The question was, why was she looking at him like that?


    Even though the white-robed woman wore a conical hat draped with light gauze, which concealed her face, Lin Rui still felt her gaze sharp and resolute, as if it could pierce through all pretense and disguise, pushing directly to the deepest secrets of the heart.


    Could it be because of the anomalous event with the sacred thunder fire on the altar just now? But that had nothing to do with him; he had been perusing data in a biological chip at the time, doing nothing else.


    Just as Lin Rui was beginning to feel uneasy and Wang Sen was likewise perplexed, the white-robed woman¡¯s gaze softened, and she clasped her hands in salute towards Lin Rui.


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s unexpected to encounter a Fateful of our church here.¡±


    ¡°A Fateful?¡± Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help frowning, thinking to himself, what on earth is that?


    ¡°Just now, the sacred thunder fire of our church burned for you, indicating that you are fated with our church.¡±


    The white-robed woman smiled, took out an object from her bosom, and held it out in front of Lin Rui: ¡°Please, Fateful, accept this.¡±


    It was a fist-sized red jade stone, its surface carved with sacred thunder and divine fire.@@@@


    Lin Rui frowned deeply at this.


    He did not want any connections with the Light Church.


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    Although the Light Church was still one of the top powers within the interior of Heavenly Pole Star, with numerous strong members including the ¡®Three Columns, Five Envoys, Seven Kings,¡¯ and hundreds of millions of followers, its influence had significantly waned.


    Now all four great dynasties and major sect families within Heavenly Pole Star were tirelessly hunting it down, and while the lower ranks of the Light Church were still stable, its leaders were in a state of being hunted by everyone.


    Lin Rui certainly did not want to become a target of public criticism.


    Wang Sen¡¯s expression changed and he leaned in to whisper to Lin Rui, ¡°This is the Light Church¡¯s Fourth Realm Sacred Emblem!¡±


    This was indeed a minor Magic Artifact that could slightly enhance the power of the Thunder and Fire Martial Paths. Its real value lay in its emblematic identity.


    In the future, as long as Lin Rui held this emblem, he could receive high treatment at any branch of the Light Church, and if he wished to join the Light Church, he could even directly become a Third Realm Priest.


    Wang Sen was inwardly amazed; this white-robed woman placed such great importance on Lin Rui, was it because of the explosive burst of the sacred thunder fire earlier?


    Lin Rui became even more reluctant to touch this thing after hearing this.


    Now it was in front of a large crowd. If he accepted this object in full view, he would later be unable to disassociate himself from the demon cult.


    Should the government inquire into it later, losing his official position would be the least of his concerns.


    He didn¡¯t want to accept that forced good fortune, so it was foist upon him, was it?


    At that moment, Wang Sen came up with a bunch of meat buns he had casually bought along the way, looking perplexed at Lin Rui, ¡°Brother Twelve, what¡¯s with the hurry?¡±


    Lin Rui was taken aback, his chest still open; the mark was so obvious, yet Wang Sen couldn¡¯t see it?


    He concentrated again for a moment and then felt slightly better.


    This mark of the sacred lightning fire was indeed mysterious, invisible to ordinary people.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been plotted against, and I¡¯m furious!¡± Lin Rui took the pile of buns from Wang Sen and gobbled one after another, grinding them fiercely in his mouth.


    He even walked over to the window, staring aggressively toward the white parade procession in the west part of the town, hand on his knife, ¡°That damned witch from the Light Church, she better not come looking for me.¡±


    Wang Sen, confused, wondered to himself what exactly had that High Priest of the Light Church done to offend Brother Rui?


    Lin Rui fumed in silence for a good while before managing to calm his mood.


    Next, he started running up and down, scrutinizing the structure of Zuihua House, using electromagnetic induction to figure out the geopathic stresses of the building, before returning to the top floor and beginning to prepare talismans using cinnabar a brush, with materials Wang Sen had purchased.


    Wang Sen, bored, watched with disbelief.


    Lin Rui had only checked out books on basic magic techniques, Formation, and Magic Control Divine Technique from the government office¡¯s library the day before yesterday. Could he have mastered them by today?


    In Wang Sen¡¯s view, this was just a waste of money.


    As expected, the talismans Lin Rui produced were all crooked and twisted like a child¡¯s scribblings, completely unsightly.


    When Lin Rui reached the seventh talisman, his eyes lit up, ¡°Yes! Finally, one has succeeded!¡±


    Wang Sen couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°What ¡®yes¡¯? What success? Look at this mess¡ªjust like a ghost drew it. If this thing works, I¡¯ll eat this table!¡±


    Lin Rui chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll remember your words. Messy handwriting doesn¡¯t necessarily mean ineffectiveness. You know, in creating talismans, it¡¯s not about the quality of writing, but the spirit within.¡±


    Lin Rui actually felt quite helpless inside. Although he now possessed advanced knowledge in magic techniques, Formation, and talismanic arts,


    the problem was that the Caucasian middle-aged man simply didn¡¯t know how to draw talismans. Whether it was drawing talismans or setting up formations, he always relied on various three-dimensional talisman-printing machines.


    These days, which mage in the federation would bother writing talismans by hand when they could use a 3D printer that was faster and more convenient?


    Just as Wang Sen was scoffing, the air in that floor suddenly turned cold.


    Lin Rui¡¯s spirit tensed, and he suddenly looked up, only to find the Blood Blade girl standing in front of him at an alarmingly close distance.


    The girl in red drew out a six-foot-long slender battle saber and pointed it coldly at him, ¡°Make your choice now. Become my demon minion or get lost! Leave Silvermoon County now, the further away, the better; otherwise, I will kill you!¡±


    Lin Rui looked at her, surprised to see that the young girl¡¯s hair had grayed halfway, her eyes were blood-red, her body flared with demonic fire, and blue veins bulged against her pale skin.


    The Blood Blade girl used to be beautiful, but now she possessed a strange, demonic allure¡ªlike that ethereal beauty lingering beyond the mortal realm.

 Chapter 79: 78 Demon Enchanter

    Chapter 79: Chapter 78 Demon Enchanter


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with Brother Twelve?¡±


    Although Wang Sen could not see Blood Blade Ji, he could sense the change in the aura inside the house.


    He immediately took out his sword and shield, standing by Lin Rui¡¯s side with a wary look, watching in all directions.


    Lin Rui pressed a hand on Wang Sen, forcibly withstanding the powerful blade intent coming from the opponent, and calmly met the red-dressed girl¡¯s gaze, ¡°I choose the Blood Covenant, but there¡¯s no need to rush, how about you wait for half a day? I need some time to prepare, once I¡¯m ready, we can proceed with the Blood Covenant.¡±


    Blood Blade Ji frowned slightly, then sheathed her sword and retreated, stepping back beyond the eaves, ¡°Fine! Half a day it is.¡±


    Bearing the bloodlust was extremely painful, but she believed she could endure it.


    ...


    It was only half a day after all; she could wait.


    Blood Blade Ji actually hoped Lin Rui would run far away, leave Yin Yue County, but this guy made the worst decision imaginable.


    As Blood Blade Ji exited the building, the atmosphere inside returned to normal.


    Wang Sen put away his sword and shield, looking at Lin Rui with a puzzled and uncertain expression, ¡°Brother Twelve, who were you talking to just now? What Blood Covenant?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the Blood Covenant used by demon enchanters.¡± Lin Rui, while dipping his brush into cinnabar ink and continuing to draw talismans, explained, ¡°There¡¯s a powerful fourth realm demon who wants to sign a Blood Covenant with me, to become my protective fiend.¡±


    Lin Rui dared not mention the three words ¡°Blood Blade Ji¡±; he was afraid Wang Sen might go mad.


    Wang Sen¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing this, ¡°A fourth realm demon? That¡¯s great news! What kind is it? What¡¯s its rank?¡±


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    To his knowledge, many hybrid practitioners were demon enchanters.


    Signing a Blood Covenant with a demon required bearing its frenzied spiritual consciousness, which greatly increased the burden on one¡¯s spiritual power. For hybrid practitioners who have more enhancements, this was an extremely heavy burden.


    However, the benefits of becoming a demon enchanter were even greater. Firstly, it could significantly strengthen their overall combat power, and secondly, these protective fiends possessed all sorts of miraculous innate abilities that could grant hybrid practitioners stronger survival skills.


    Additionally, when hybrid practitioners¡¯ consciousness returned to their main bodies, the protective fiends could take on the duty of guarding their masters, helping to look after their hybrids.


    Wang Sen surmised that General Fei Yunlai was very likely a demon enchanter, having a powerful demon guarding his hybrid.


    Otherwise, how would he, a royal-list level fugitive, dare to withdraw his consciousness to the ninth base and stroll around everywhere?


    If Lin Rui could sign a fourth realm demon, it was undoubtedly excellent news for them.


    A fourth realm Golden Core was equivalent to the rank of major to lieutenant colonel in the Federation, possessing extremely powerful strength.


    As long as they signed one, they could strut around in Yin Yue County.


    Judging from the fact that the demon could hide from his five senses and spiritual sense, its rank was likely at the upper echelons.


    Wang Sen knew Lin Rui had strong spiritual power and a high talent for it, possibly even higher than his martial arts talent; he should be able to bear it.


    ¡°Type, huh?¡± Lin Rui smiled with a profound look, ¡°Let¡¯s keep that a secret for now. You¡¯ll find out at noon.¡±


    Wang Sen felt somewhat displeased at this response, his curiosity scratching at him like a cat¡¯s claws.


    This guy was actually playing coy with him¡ª


    Afterwards, Lin Rui sensed the Tuberculosis Demon several times, but it always managed to escape in advance.


    However, the bounty for this Tuberculosis Demon kept rising and had reached 170 taels of magic silver, most of which came from her colleagues before her demonic transformation and the brothel owner.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen¡¯s cultivation had greatly improved, and even without using Escape Techniques, their speed was twice as fast as before. In just one minute, they arrived under a stone bridge at the end of Hanhua Alley, where they found the third-realm Tuberculosis Demon.


    This time they had learned their lesson and had taken a Lung-Clearing and Cough-Suppressing Pill in advance, which would help suppress coughing during combat.


    Tactically, they had also adapted: Lin Rui alone would approach, while Wang Sen stayed at a distance using Ice Wind Palm to exert pressure and to encapsulate and block off escape routes.


    Unexpectedly, as Lin Rui approached with his long sword to within 5 meters of the Tuberculosis Demon, the monster neither fled nor resisted but simply stood there quietly, staring at the river under the bridge without moving.


    Lin Rui looked at her pus-covered, extremely ugly face, at first puzzled.


    It wasn¡¯t until his Spiritual Sense felt a corpse under the murky river water next to him.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes widened, and he realized, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    He sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll send you on your way now. You have taken your revenge, and may you rest in peace.¡±


    With a flash of the blade, the head of the Tuberculosis Demon fell instantly, rolling several times on the grass.


    Tip: For slaying a third-realm demon, you have obtained 521 points of Soul Power.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Wang Sen flew in and asked with a puzzled look, ¡°She didn¡¯t resist?¡±


    Lin Rui responded with a wry smile, pointing to the water below, ¡°There¡¯s a body at the bottom of the river, around sixty years old. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it should be the doctor who, at the request of that old brothel keeper three years ago, performed the forced abortion on her. The people she hated the most were probably that man and the old brothel keeper. Having taken her revenge, her wish has been fulfilled, and she no longer wished to live.¡±


    ¡°That explains it,¡± said Wang Sen, his expression easing after hearing this, ¡°It seems that when she fled last time, she had found the trace of this doctor.¡±


    Wang Sen had found it odd at the time; from their understanding, the woman should still have been rational and not wanting to harm others.


    However, demons trying to suppress their urges to kill and feed on blood suffer greatly; it¡¯s said that bloodlust is several times worse than suffering from drug addiction, imposing a torture she must have been eager to escape from.


    Thus, when they found the Tuberculosis Demon last time, she didn¡¯t hesitate to flee.


    Wang Sen then remarked, ¡°I bet that old brothel keeper and the pharmacy owner regret their actions. If they had known earlier about such a powerful bloodline talent within her, they would never have dared to go too far.¡±


    Lin Rui cynically chuckled upon hearing this, his eyes full of irony, ¡°That may not necessarily be the case!¡±


    He reached out his hand and took a sachet from the waist of the Tuberculosis Demon as proof for closing the case.


    As for the body, he would inform the county yamen to take care of it later.


    But at that moment, Lin Rui sensed several powerful auras rapidly approaching from around him.


    Beneath the river beside him, an extremely dangerous presence burst out from the muddy river sands.


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes, ¡°Be alert, we¡¯re ambushed!¡±


    With one hand on his sword ready to strike and the other grabbing Wang Sen, he rapidly retreated away from under the bridge. A mocking smile played at the corner of his lips.


    The opposition had resorted to the same tactic again, almost identical to the ambush from Zhao Yuanwai¡¯s family that time.


    These people couldn¡¯t even wait for nightfall¡ª


    ¡°`

 Chapter 80: 79: It Can Actually Be Used (Three More Updates)

    Chapter 80: Chapter 79: It Can Actually Be Used (Three More Updates)


    Lin Rui¡¯s body erupted with thunder as he moved like a specter, quickly retreating under the bridge with Wang Sen, distancing themselves ten meters away from the water-dwelling demon.


    This move greatly surprised the enemies around them; they had never anticipated that Lin Rui could move so fast while dragging another person along, causing a collective gasp of shock.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Escape Skill! Has he actually mastered the Escape Skill?¡±


    ¡°Bastard, this guy is like a demonized rabbit!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the Thunder Fire Escape! He has entered the third realm, stop him, don¡¯t let him escape!¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t escape!¡±


    ...


    At that moment, the three black figures closest to Lin Rui and Wang Sen exploded with blood energy, doubling their speed in an instant, and surged towards Lin Rui¡¯s back.


    ¡°Escape?¡±


    Lin Rui let out a slight cold chuckle, his long sword charged and slashed out like thunder and lightning towards the left, creating a sharp, dazzling red blade light.


    Red Thunder Saber¡¤Red Thunder Wan Jun!


    The person in front of the blade light tried to resist, but Lin Rui¡¯s strike was so fast that the third-rank demon cultivator could hardly catch it with his eyes.


    ¡°So fast, how is this possible?¡±


    That person looked ahead with eyes full of despair and disbelief. Being in the same third realm, why was this person¡¯s blade so fast?


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    He could have exploded with blood energy to defend himself, but the rapid acceleration had already drained a great deal of his strength.


    Now he could only desperately swing his sword in defense, yet he was still too slow to respond.


    Mid-way, Lin Rui changed his attack from a vertical slash to a horizontal cleave, striking into his chest and abdomen with the force of a great weight.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    With a splash of blood, the third-rank demon cultivator¡¯s chest and abdomen were blasted into pieces by Lin Rui¡¯s fierce blade force, sending his body flying backward.


    Lin Rui then turned around, ditching his sword as his hands suddenly burst into a purple flame electrical current, hammering towards another figure behind.


    Accompanied by a deep thunderous roar shaking the eardrum, Lin Rui¡¯s hands erupted with crimson purple flame thunder instantly, blazing like wild fire and tearing the sky like lightning.


    When his hands collided with a long staff-shaped weapon, it immediately caused a thunderous ¡°boom¡±, making the surrounding air tremble.


    Then, this thundering boom continued one after another.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s hands, wrapped in purple flame thunder, were ferociously fierce as they passed through the air, which seemed to tear apart, emitting an extremely sharp whistling sound.


    His opponent was a third-rank demon cultivator, whose mutation was in a pair of leg bones, thus he was exceptionally fast and had a particularly stable stance.@@@@


    This person was originally more powerful than Lin Rui, yet just after one strike, he couldn¡¯t use his full strength.


    Lin Rui glanced back; they were now increasingly further from the small river. After the Blackwater Demon moved away from the river water, its power was continuously weakening.


    The three three-realm demon cultivators were also falling further behind. They were slower than the Blackwater Demon.


    In Lin Rui¡¯s right hand, the Red Thunder Saber burned fiercely with flames and thunder, its power accumulating to a peak.


    No one else was around; Hanhua Alley was usually desolate, and now only two brothels were open. Lin Rui deliberately lured the Blackwater Demon to a deserted area.


    Just then, Lin Rui saw the Blood Blade Maiden nearby.


    The girl in red floated beside Lin Rui, her ethereal form not touching the ground, watching him with a pair of crimson eyes.


    Lin Rui suddenly understood that if he died now, the Blood Blade Maiden would rush to consume his flesh and blood the moment he perished.


    This is a demon¡ª


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t care too much; if he didn¡¯t have reservations today, afraid to use the Grandmaster-level ¡®Purple Glow Thunder Saber,¡¯ even the ¡®Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill¡¯ had to be restrained by eighty percent.


    A demon just entering the four realms, he had the odds to win in a frontal confrontation.


    Especially since escaping was actually very easy for them now.


    Lin Rui shook his head, ¡°Twenty-Seven, interested in taking a risk for a fortune? I¡¯m completely confident we can make at least 500 taels!¡±


    Wang Sen¡¯s eyes immediately showed conflict.


    Jade Sister repeatedly, repeatedly cautioned to be careful.


    But since Lin Rui mentioned complete confidence, there probably wasn¡¯t any danger, right?


    He suddenly clenched his teeth, ¡°Then let¡¯s gamble!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils flashed fiercely. ¡°Then watch out!¡±


    He actually hurled Wang Sen, holding him like a bowling ball towards the enemy while his figure suddenly transformed into a burst of thunder and lightning and vanished.


    When Lin Rui appeared again, he was surprisingly behind the Blackwater Demon.


    This was facilitated by a ¡®Thunder Summoning Talisman¡¯ he had preemptively placed on the rooftop while retreating, immediately using Flash Escape to move behind the Blackwater Demon.


    Seeing this, Wang Sen¡¯s eyes bulged, astonished not only by Lin Rui tossing him like a ball towards the enemy but also by Lin Rui¡¯s use of the talisman for Flash Escape.


    ¡ª¡ªHis eccentrically drawn talisman could actually work?


    He quickly got over his initial shock, roaring fiercely like a mad tiger, charging at the Blackwater Demon, and fervently freezing the black water around the demon.


    Meanwhile, behind the Blackwater Demon, Lin Rui swung his saber emotionlessly, enveloping it with boundless thunder and fire, slashing at the demon¡¯s back!


    Red Thunder Saber¡¤Red Thunder Wan Jun!


    While the Blackwater Demon¡¯s tentacles were all drawn to Wang Sen, Lin Rui unleashed ten slashes with a speed invisible to the naked eye, severing all ten tentacles.


    Following this, he slashed eight more times, dissecting the Blackwater Demon¡¯s body like butchering a bull.


    That moment not only stunned the Blood Blade Maiden but also left the three distant demon cultivators utterly shocked and bewildered.

 Chapter 81: 80: Forming Connections

    Chapter 81: Chapter 80: Forming Connections


    Bloody Blade Hime stared fixedly at Lin Rui, until two breaths had passed, her eyes still unable to believe.


    This guy, he actually slew a fourth realm blackwater demon! He moved with a clean and decisive strike, swift as thunder!


    It was only when Lin Rui and Wang Sen began to clean up the blackwater demon¡¯s corpse that Bloody Blade Hime came back to her senses.


    In an instant, her figure turned into a flash of lightning, appearing behind the three third-order demonic cultivators. As Bloody Blade Hime pulled out a six-foot-long narrow battle saber from behind and chopped down, all three were cleaved into two by her single strike!


    Bloody Blade Hime then looked towards a direction in the east. Her entire being turned into a red streak, dashing towards the direction she had been gazing at moments before.


    Now, twenty zhang away on a three-story building, a man dressed in arrest officer¡¯s attire, with a nose sharp as an eagle¡¯s beak and a sinister and harsh face, was frantically running downstairs, his complexion pale.


    ...


    That was precisely the arrest officer Li, his eyes filled with panic, horror, and disbelief!


    That Lin Twelve, had actually killed the blackwater demon they had spent a significant amount of resources to cultivate!


    But the problem was, it was too absurd, impossible! How could Lin Twelve possibly do that?


    Arrest Officer Li couldn¡¯t believe that the arrangement he thought was foolproof had been so easily torn apart by Lin Twelve. The seemingly invincible fourth realm blackwater demon had also been cleanly killed by Lin Twelve.


    It must be known that just a few days ago, this young man was only a second realm Martial Cultivator!


    However, what panicked him into frantic escape now was none other than Bloody Blade Hime.


    When he saw his three third realm demonic cultivator subordinates unexplainably split in half, he knew it was Bloody Blade Hime.


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    ¡ªIt was that wretched woman¡¯s doing! She clearly had made up her mind to use Lin Twelve¡¯s power to resist the County Magistrate¡¯s authority!


    Just as Arrest Officer Li was rushing down the stairs, a red figure appeared before him. She stood three zhang away, holding her saber slanted, blocking Arrest Officer Li¡¯s path.


    ¡°You dare strike at me?¡± Arrest Officer Li staggered back, his expression a mix of sarcasm and despair as he met the eyes of the red-dressed girl.


    ¡°Think it through, if I die, you¡¯ll also pay the price. Do you think that by associating with Lin Twelve, you can resist the County Magistrate? You¡¯re dreaming¡ª¡±


    The red-dressed girl didn¡¯t wait for him to finish. With a swing of her saber, she decapitated Arrest Officer Li.


    She thought this Li surname really overestimated himself. Would the County Magistrate named Zhu care about wasting valuable chips over such a trivial underling?


    By the time Bloody Blade Hime had taken care of all loose ends and returned to the fourth floor of Zuihua House, she found that Lin Twelve and Wang Twenty-seven had already brought back the corpse of the blackwater demon.


    That chubby fellow named Wang Twenty-seven was busy hanging up the demon¡¯s severed legs and torso pieces, trying his best to squeeze out the fresh blood from these chunks into several pots and pans beneath.


    Lin Twelve stood by, mixing medicine. Strangely enough, as he dripped a few drops of the liquid into the pots, the blood of the demonic beast showed no signs of coagulating.


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curved slightly at her words, amused that this woman was actually asking him to give up?


    How could he possibly give up the chance to subdue a King rank or even higher than King rank demon?


    Besides, could he survive by running away? Would the County Magistrate and the arrest officer let him go? What if the County Magistrate ordered Blood Blade Ji to hunt him down? Wouldn¡¯t he be dead anyway?


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart began to thrill with excitement, his blood surged, and his heart pounded!


    This venture was indeed fraught with great risk, but great risk also meant great rewards.


    Lin Rui thought that his mentality had been a bit off lately, slightly crazed.


    It¡¯s all Instructor Xue¡¯s fault. That number one battle spirit is crazy! Perhaps Xue Bogao was already suffering from armor syndrome before his death.


    It seems he will have to kill more members of the Blood Lizard Gang in the future in order to resolve Instructor Xue¡¯s hostility and weaken his influence upon him.


    Lin Rui did not respond, instead directly cutting his wrist with a blade.


    When Blood Blade Ji saw the fresh red blood dripping from the wound and smelled the blood¡¯s scent, her blood-red pupils instantly constricted to pinpoints.


    Her rationality rapidly faded, yet she still struggled to control her urges, her voice hoarse: ¡°Where is the Ruyi Knot the County Magistrate gave you? Give me one!¡±


    Lin Rui was startled by her words, wondering if the Ruyi Knot was meant to be used for the Blood Covenant?


    That implied that the County Magistrate might have foreseen the events of today.


    He was decisive, taking out two Ruyi Knots and tossing one to the red-clad girl.


    The girl swallowed it right away and then looked steadily at Lin Rui, her gaze filled with anticipation. The thing was called the Ruyi Symbiotic Knot, which she had used with her previous master as well, but regrettably, Yuan Yi¡¯s divine consciousness was too weak, and his will, too frail, so the Ruyi Symbiotic Knot could not exert its expected effect.


    Lin Rui immediately understood, thinking that this item was used in this manner? So he too placed a Ruyi Knot in his mouth and swallowed it.


    In the next instant, the red-clad girl suddenly appeared in front of him.


    She produced a bright red short blade from nowhere, stabbing it diagonally into Lin Rui¡¯s back, piercing both their bodies to connect the Ruyi Knots they had ingested.


    However, Lin Rui was not injured; the bright red short blade seemed like an illusion, and he felt nothing as it entered his body.


    This must be Blood Blade Ji¡¯s ¡®Covenant Blade,¡¯ the object used for forming the pact.


    Meanwhile, Wang Sen, who was watching from the side, suddenly changed color and drew a sharp breath.


    When he had heard Lin Rui speaking earlier, he had been quite curious: who was this fellow talking to? Could it possibly be that fourth realm demon who was to form a Blood Covenant with him?


    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that Wang Sen finally saw the silhouette of this demon.


    ¡ª It was Blood Blade Ji! The very one with a bounty of 2000 magic silver coins issued by the officials!

 Chapter 82: 81: The Real Dog

    Chapter 82: Chapter 81: The Real Dog


    Wang Sen watched the man and woman embracing each other before him and carefully recognized the appearance of the girl in red, then covered his face with his hand, his head aching immensely.


    Was the demonic entity from the four realms that Lin Rui mentioned actually this Blood Blade Ji?


    He should have realized it, should have known!


    The problem was that he did not know Lin Rui was so bold, daring to provoke a demonic entity like the Blood Blade who had devoured its master before.


    This guy was definitely insane, absolutely crazy; he might even be suffering from Capgras syndrome!


    If Wang Sen had known earlier, he would have tried his best to stop it, but looking at the master and demon now, it seemed they had already completed the Blood Covenant, and it was a done deal!


    ...


    At that moment, the girl in red suddenly grabbed Lin Rui¡¯s arm and violently sucked the blood from his wound.


    The reason why the pact between demonic entities and their handlers is called a ¡®Blood Covenant¡¯ is precisely because it is founded on blood.


    Once the covenant is made, the handler must feed the demonic entity with their own blood.


    According to research by federal scientists, demonic entities can not only obtain a large amount of pure aether from their master¡¯s blood, but can also absorb certain blood factors they can¡¯t produce themselves, thus eliminating their own blood cravings.


    After only three sips of blood, the crimson glow in the girl¡¯s eyes noticeably receded, and the blue veins on her body gradually faded.


    Still unsatisfied, she sucked ten mouthfuls until Lin Rui¡¯s face began to pale, and then the girl in red reluctantly released Lin Rui¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Forgive this servant¡¯s rudeness,¡± the girl in red said, wiping her crimson lips with her sleeve, her eyes somewhat ashamed. ¡°This servant has been craving blood for a long time, so I consumed a bit more. With the master¡¯s current cultivation, one sip of blood a day is enough for this servant. If you complete your blood training, then one sip every month, no! One sip every three months would suffice.¡±


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    She found Lin Rui¡¯s blood tasted absolutely wonderful, worthy of a Martial Cultivator who had mastered the Thunder Extreme Divine Shine Stance!


    Blood rich with intense thunder and fire energy naturally possessed powers to ward off demons and evil.


    If only Lin Rui¡¯s cultivation were higher, the thunder and fire energy in his blood was still not concentrated enough.


    The girl in red then thought this was actually meaningless; the only reason she established a Blood Covenant with Lin Rui was to fight against the blood cravings, to resist that person¡¯s control.


    Their calamity could come at any moment, and whether they could survive until tomorrow was a question.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s mind stirred, and he looked at her with an unusual gaze, ¡°You haven¡¯t killed anyone in these 10 days, haven¡¯t consumed any blood food?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The girl in red, possibly feeling they were too close, stepped back two meters, a blush appearing on her icy jade-like face. ¡°The first few days I didn¡¯t want to commit more killings, and I¡¯ve been following you in the latter days, not thinking about blood food.¡±


    Lin Rui signing the Blood Covenant with Ji Xueying was like stepping into a pit. This Blood Blade warrior was bound to turn on her master again, and what would Lin Rui use to withstand her?


    ¡°I see,¡± Lin Rui was also very troubled. This Blood Blade seemed completely ignorant; it seemed that aside from her talent in martial arts, she had no other merits.


    Had she done nothing in the past few days except watch him?


    Lin Rui shook his head and continued asking, ¡°Then, who in the Yuan family was responsible for transforming you into a Blood Blade warrior?¡±


    After the fall of the great Zhou dynasty, the method of creating Blood Blade warriors had been perfected by sorcerers; otherwise, no one would dare use them.


    So, Lin Rui deduced that Ji Xueying¡¯s Blood Covenant had been tampered with from the very beginning.


    ¡°You suspect it was an inside job by the Yuan family?¡± Ji Xueying furrowed her brows, feeling inexplicably dizzy and forcing herself to respond, ¡°That¡¯s very likely. Back then, the Yuan family hired a Sixth Realm sorcerer they trusted to transform me into a Blood Blade warrior.


    Additionally, this time Yuan Yi went down to Yinyue County ostensibly to learn business from his uncle Yuan Ji, but in reality, it was to work with the managers who accompanied him to scrutinize the account books for the southern medicine and tea business.¡±


    Lin Rui immediately noted down the name ¡®Yuan Yi¡¯ in his biochip.


    Just as he was about to continue the conversation, the Blood Blade warrior suddenly lurched forward, her forehead hitting the table with a ¡®thud.¡¯


    She had lost consciousness and fallen into a faint.


    Wang Sen looked puzzled, ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    ¡°I drugged her,¡± Lin Rui pointed to the medicine bottle he had emptied beside him, ¡°I mixed a tranquilizer that can lurk in my bloodstream. The more of my blood she drinks, the faster she falls.¡±


    At that moment, he swallowed another type of medicine.


    The tranquilizer Lin Rui mixed needed to first mix with his blood and then react with the air to take effect, sort of a mixed poison.


    However, if he couldn¡¯t expel the drugs in his blood in time, it would still greatly damage his body.


    Surely, Colonel Xue was formidable, mastering various methods of mixing poison.


    Wang Sen was surprised upon hearing this, Lin Rui actually knew how to mix poison?


    He then saw Lin Rui grabbing Ji Xueying¡¯s hand, ¡°Nianqi, bring a blood bag over.¡±


    Wang Sen immediately suppressed his thoughts, showing his admiration with a thumbs up to Lin Rui, ¡°So that¡¯s it, Brother Twelve, you are really sharp!¡±


    As he spoke, he took out a blood bag, ready to collect the Blood Blade warrior¡¯s blood.


    He had been worried about Lin Rui¡¯s safety before, but apparently, Rui had already prepared for this, aiming to obtain the demonic blood of this fourth realm royal demon.


    This was a complete Blood Blade warrior, and the blood drawn could at least create four artificial royal class blood serums; they had struck it rich this time!

 Chapter 83: 82: Not Human (Third Update)

    Chapter 83: Chapter 82: Not Human (Third Update)


    The blood bag Wang Sen handed to Lin Rui had a syringe attached.


    The blood bag itself was also a high-tech product, capable of sealing and freezing blood to ensure that the blood inside would not spoil for a year.


    However, Lin Rui only drew a little bit before stopping.


    Seeing this, Wang Sen was once again bewildered, ¡°Keep drawing, how is that little bit enough?¡±


    Lin Rui first appeared puzzled, then realized what was happening, and cursed with a laugh, ¡°This is my protector demon, why would I draw her blood? If her vital energy is hurt, will you compensate me?¡±


    Especially at this time, Lin Rui only wished for Ji Xueying¡¯s combat strength to be as high as possible.


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Wang Sen said, his forehead lined with black, ¡°Brother Twelve, do you really plan to keep her? Didn¡¯t you hear her parents and siblings are in someone else¡¯s hands? How will you fight with others?¡±


    ¡°I have my own ways.¡±


    Lin Rui then pulled out a blood-colored longsword from behind Ji Xueying.


    This Blood Blade Ji had a total of three swords, one to carry the Blood Covenant, one was her personal combat blade called ¡®Jingxue¡¯, and the last one was the Blood Blade nurtured for her master, which was the one Lin Rui had drawn out.


    Judging from the inscriptions on the hilt, the name of this Blood Blade should be ¡®Leishen¡¯. Seeing the material of the blade, Lin Rui knew it must be a valuable creation of the Yuan family. Although its current grade wasn¡¯t high, the blade itself was incredibly strong, with endless potential!


    Theoretically, any Blood Blade had the potential to grow to the ninth rank. The better the initial material of the blade, the faster it would grow, and the greater its potential. However, this blade was currently only at the fourth rank.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes looked enigmatically as he closely examined the blade and the symbols on the Blood Blade, ¡°Have you forgotten what Professor Han mentioned in his paper about a theory that could use the characteristics of Blood Blade Ji to rapidly enhance and strengthen a demon¡¯s body? I think this method could logically prevent it from devouring its master.¡±


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    ¡°But that theory is pure fantasy!¡±


    Wang Sen instinctively retorted, then paused mid-sentence as if struck by a thought, ¡°No, that theory when applied to Body Refinement is wishful thinking, but to prevent devouring, it actually has great potential. It¡¯s quite complex though, as you must possess a certain level of Array ability. Besides, you need an extremely high tolerance in your body. Damn, Brother Twelve, you actually came up with this method.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curled up slightly, thinking that it was Professor Han who was truly impressive.@@@@


    That was why he had taken the risk to decimate the Blood Lizard Gang¡¯s nighttime headquarters, exchanging for the magical skills of Xue Bogao.


    At this moment, the badge at his waist grew warm.


    ¡°Zhang Tianchang?¡±


    Lin Rui hesitated for a moment, but then set aside the Blood Blade Leishen to accept Zhang Tianchang¡¯s communication request, ¡°Brother Tian, looking for me?¡±


    Zhang Tianchang was stationed five miles away, and upon hearing Lin Rui¡¯s words, he tightened his eyebrows.


    Just two days ago, Lin Rui had warmly referred to him as ¡®Arrest Officer Zhang¡¯, but now it had become ¡®Brother Tian¡¯.


    But never mind that; the man was already serving as an acting arrest officer and was on his way to being an equal.


    Ji Xueying judged that she must have entered the mid-stage of the Fourth Realm.


    Ji Xueying initially didn¡¯t think much of it; her talents were extraordinarily high anyway. The reason she had lingered in the Third Realm before losing control was because her former master, Yuan Yi, was not yet of age, his fontanelle hadn¡¯t opened, and he couldn¡¯t cultivate, thus unable to provide her with his vital blood.


    In the past, the Yuan family had provided various medicinal herbs as substitutes to help quell her blood craving, but this method also restricted her and prevented her from growing.


    So a few days ago, after Ji Xueying had killed Yuan Yi, her own shackles were released, and her power and physical condition began to increase with each passing day.


    However, Ji Xueying then felt that something was off. Her demonic blood, which was originally very cold, like uncomfortable cold water in the dead of winter, now not only returned to normal temperature but even had a scorching sensation, leaving her body feeling warm.


    ¡°Is this¡ª¡ª¡±


    While sensing inwardly and pondering, Ji Xueying¡¯s pupils dilated.


    This must be the vital blood she had sucked from her master! This blood likely contained unknown and strange powers.


    Ji Xueying concluded that this was probably an unawakened Sacred Body, and most likely one of the top-tier Sacred Body embryos.


    Ji Xueying then realized that this was probably why Lin Twelve was able to quickly perfect the Thunder Extreme Divine Posture, wasn¡¯t it?


    Besides the unusual blood, there was nothing else abnormal in her body.


    Ji Xueying frowned slightly and walked out of the room.


    She saw Lin Twelve sitting in the outer hall, drawing symbols by the light of a lamp.


    He was fully concentrated and seemed unaware of Ji Xueying¡¯s arrival.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s eyes held suspicion as she scrutinized Lin Rui. She hesitated for a moment but still bowed and asked, ¡°My lord! May I ask what caused me to faint just now?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s body trembled, apparently startled into failing his symbol drawing, and turned to look at Ji Xueying with a mix of annoyance and helplessness: ¡°Why you fainted, don¡¯t you know yourself? I was about to ask you, why did you suddenly faint!¡±


    At his words, Ji Xueying was taken aback, as she originally suspected that Lin Rui had done something to her.


    Now she began to doubt herself instead. Could her fainting have been due to her own reasons? And what could they be?


    ¡°You¡¯ve woken up just in time. Come take a look at this.¡± At this moment, Lin Rui took out a thick stack of wanted posters and beckoned to her, ¡°These are demons that were once active in my territory. Now go help me locate their positions. I don¡¯t need you to take action, just make sure they can¡¯t escape once you find them.¡±


    He was worried that Ji Xueying would steal his kills and was unsure if the Soul Power points from demons slain by Ji Xueying could be harvested by his Battle Spirit Ring. He needed to experiment.


    Wang Sen, who was nearby, perked up at these words.


    Lin Rui had just told him that for the demons Ji Xueying located, the rewards would be split eighty-two with Wang Sen.


    If Ji Xueying were to participate directly, it would be a ninety-one split.


    Although the share was less than before, the quantity was substantial!


    Wang Sen knew this was Lin Rui¡¯s way of helping him, and he had no intention of being polite with Lin Rui.


    He indeed needed money to enhance himself and would work hard to repay Lin Rui¡¯s investment.

 Chapter 84: 83: Unreasonable

    Chapter 84: Chapter 83: Unreasonable


    Six days later, in the morning, Wang Sen lay in his sleep pod, browsing through the self-operated goods interface of the Heteromorphic Administration.


    He was looking at a ¡®Type 1 Heteromorphic Bloodline Enhancer¡¯ produced by Tianlan Corporation, his eyes wavering indecisively.


    ¡°The selling price is 100,000 Federal dollars a dose? Tsk, why don¡¯t they just rob people?¡±


    As Wang Sen grumbled, he opened up his bank account.


    The balance was 1,231,113 Federal dollars, all earned from six days of demonic exterminations led by Lin Rui.


    Wang Sen clenched his teeth and tapped the number below the product icon to ¡®3¡¯ and chose to pay.


    ...


    Three doses of Type 1 Heteromorphic Bloodline Enhancer would be enough to help him awaken the ¡®Ice Blood¡¯ at its initial extreme.


    It was irritating that this potion was only priced at 9,999 Federal dollars on Tianlan Corporation¡¯s official website, yet it skyrocketed to 100,000 when sold through the Heteromorphic Administration.


    However, there was no choice. The atmosphere of Tianji Star was extremely dangerous. In addition to the winds of 5000 kilometers per hour, the lethal gases, the powerful thunderstorms and ionizing radiation that could tear apart a Martial Cultivator of the ninth realm, there were also numerous dangerous gravitational distortions and spatial rifts, rendering many of the Earth Federation¡¯s star-destroying weapons ineffective against it.


    Currently, only starships equipped with ¡®Quantum Jump¡¯ devices can enter the interior of Tianji Star.


    The construction of each of these starships is expensive, and they require cloaking devices to evade the perception of the strong beings of Tianji Star.


    Even so, the Earth Federation still loses forty to fifty starships each year¡ªsome are destroyed by the people of Tianji Star, others are plundered by interstellar pirates¡ªso the high cost of courier services to Tianji Star is justified.


    Indeed, there are many organizations that own cloaked starships, such as the military, pharmaceutical companies, mining companies, and the Federal Security Bureau, as well as some wealthy families and large companies that purchase their starships.


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    However, these organizations either do not operate publicly, or they have too few outlets, unlike the Heteromorphic Administration which not only has nearly a thousand cloaked starships for entering and exiting the atmosphere of Tianji Star but also has a vast network of outlets distributed across all the counties of Tianji Star.


    Wang Sen placed an order with the Heteromorphic Administration, estimating he could pick up his order at the coffin shop in 12 hours. With other organizations, it was uncertain when he would receive his goods.


    He then spent 300,000 to buy three more doses of Type 1 Heteromorphic Enhancer to strengthen the physique of his heteromorphic body.


    The enhancement technology for heteromorphs developed by the Federation starts at the genetic level, distinct from the drug enhancement of Tianji Star; the best method of cultivation is to utilize both in conjunction.


    He also used the discount card given by Fang Ranran to purchase a dose of Type 3 Spiritual Power Enhancer from Tianlan Corporation¡¯s official website at cost price of 300,000, preparing to inject it directly into his main body in two days to further enhance his spiritual power.


    Wang Sen had no immediate plans to pay back his previous loans. He had a broad perspective; which of the will-class heteromorphic travelers didn¡¯t have debts amounting to three to five hundred million?


    Wang Sen¡¯s family did not need his help either. His parents, although from a lower-middle class, were more than capable of supporting themselves. On the contrary, they were looking forward to Wang Sen¡¯s cultivation improving rapidly, which could benefit the entire family.


    Wang Sen believed that the money in his hands was all earned through Lin Rui¡¯s guidance, so it was best invested in himself to keep up with Lin Rui¡¯s pace and provide him with support.


    Wang Sen left only 300,000 Federal dollars in his account, reserved for future expenses in making ¡®artificial serum¡¯.


    Lin Rui was right; with their strength, there was no need to buy artificial serum. They could simply find demon beasts with matching attributes to kill, extract their blood, and send it back to Ninth Base City to produce the serum.


    After placing the order, Wang Sen cleaned up his personal communications and replied to a few messages from his family.


    Wang Sen noticed people in their class group were mentioning him and Lin Rui; opening the conversation, he found that a bunch of those who passed the heteromorphic exam wanted to organize a meal to gather and exchange ideas.


    Wang Sen, now a third-realm Martial Cultivator with a spiritual power value of 320, had gained some ability to impose his spiritual presence. As his gaze swept across them, the crowd momentarily lost their momentum.


    However, Lin Rui remained indifferent, sipping his tea, his eyes lifelessly fixed on the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought.


    Only when the crowd grew tired of cursing at his unbothered demeanor did he set down his teacup and spoke gravely, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I understand the pain of losing loved ones, and your desire to see the murderer brought to justice. I truly empathize. However, the Zuihua House case is not as it seems. The County Magistrate has determined there is another true culprit, and Ji Xueying of the Blood Blade was manipulated and influenced by others, acting against her will.


    ¡°As for the subsequent murders, the yamen has confirmed they were not committed by the Blood Blade. The County Magistrate is currently in search of the real murderer. Once the facts are clear, the yamen will surely give you an explanation.¡±


    But his words only served to further infuriate the crowd.


    ¡°Ji Xueying of the Blood Blade is the murderer; how can she not be the culprit?¡±


    ¡°She killed them and drained their vitality; the murderer must die!¡±


    ¡°I say you¡¯re all in cahoots, protecting the demoness!¡±


    ¡°Manipulated by someone else? Don¡¯t be fooled by him; who could control Ji Xueying over her own master?¡±


    Lin Rui, unfazed by their remarks, waited until the people had exhausted their anger and settled down before he sighed, ¡°My friends, as I¡¯ve said, there is someone else behind this case. The Blood Blade is just a knife being controlled by someone. What crime does a knife have? It¡¯s merely a little too sharp.¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°This case has nothing to do with me. If you must have an explanation from me, then I¡¯m sorry. How about this¡ªI¡¯ll now break the Blood Covenant with her, and you all can settle your own scores. Take your revenge or air your grievances as you see fit.¡±


    As Lin Rui spoke, he gestured and took a blood-colored short blade into his hand.


    That was Ji Xueying¡¯s ¡®Covenant Blade,¡¯ which had come into Lin Rui¡¯s possession after forming the pact, normally kept on his person and nurtured by vital essence.


    Seeing this, Ji Xueying¡¯s face changed, her eyes suddenly turning crimson, her body ablaze with demonic fire.


    She surveyed the crowd with a look that sent a shiver down everyone¡¯s spine, their hearts squeezing tight as if grasped in someone¡¯s fist.


    Xueying then reached out for the Covenant Blade.


    At that moment, a portly, richly dressed middle-aged man suddenly raised his hand and said, ¡°Wait!¡±


    Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he turned to the crowd and spoke, ¡°Everyone, since the County Magistrate has determined that there is another true culprit in this case, why don¡¯t we wait and see, let the yamen uncover the truth?¡±


    A wave of agreeing voices arose from the crowd.


    The merchants and gentlemen, especially, turned pale.


    What was Lin Rui thinking, being so unreasonable? Could the Blood Covenant with the Blood Blade even be so simply broken?


    The demoness was rumoured to be a formidable fourth-realm Wang rank. How terrifying was her combat power? With Lin Rui in control, she was restrained from causing harm. But once Lin Rui released the Blood Blade, who could predict what the demoness might do?


    They were all people of substance; there was no need to risk their lives testing the ferocity of the Blood Blade.


    The recent peace in Hanhua Alley, under the control of the arrest officer, had been hard-won; there was no need to disrupt it again.


    As these businessmen and gentlemen, with their hired Protectors, left, the commoners¡¯ momentum waned, and they scattered reluctantly.


    Grumbling as they left, they criticized Lin Rui, an arrest officer fed from the public coffer, who couldn¡¯t protect the people and conspired with a demoness, utterly heartless and beastly.


    At that moment, Wang Sen, narrowing his eyes, watched the departing figures and said, ¡°Brother Lin, it seems someone with ulterior motives has incited these people to come here today.¡±

 Chapter 85: 84: Dark World

    Chapter 85: Chapter 84: Dark World


    ¡°Quite likely,¡± Lin Rui, unconcerned, slightly shook his head and casually spilled the hot tea on the ground, ¡°But it does no harm to me, no need to worry about it.¡±


    If he truly took it seriously, he would be playing right into their hands and falling into their rhythm.


    Blood Blade Ji maintained a cold demeanor, her hands clasped behind her back, silent and unspoken.


    Seeing this, Wang Sen understood, thinking that if the mastermind behind this drama intended to coerce Lin Rui by swaying public opinion, they were sorely mistaken.


    Like him, Lin Rui was an outer-domain Heavenly Demon, indifferent to fame and even less concerned about the opinions of the Tianji Star¡¯s populace.@@@@


    They hunted demons for money, to cultivate and elevate themselves, to implant stronger enhancements, possess greater power, and achieve a higher social status.


    ...


    They might possess a bit of chivalrous spirit¡ªseeing the plight of those around them, they offered protection whenever possible.


    But that chivalrous spirit was really not abundant.


    As for Blood Blade Ji¡ª Wang Sen, observing her since the recent days, felt that she was purely demonic.


    Xue Ying, perhaps due to her voluntary transformation in the past, had a clear sense of self-identity and no longer regarded herself as human.


    The soul power of Blood Blade Ji was extremely strong; she did not care for human lives. The reason she restrained herself from killing and feeding on blood during those ten days was simply because she did not want to lose her sanity, succumb to her instincts, and fall completely into a bestial state.


    Thus, she also could not possibly feel guilty about the Zuihua House case concerning those people.


    Suddenly, Lin Rui¡¯s gaze sharpened, turning towards the direction of the doorway.


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    Outside, the crowd was dispersing, revealing three figures on the street, one adult and two children.


    The adult, in her forties, dressed in white, had an ordinary appearance but exuded a gentle and soft temperament, radiating a calm and profound aura.


    The two children, a boy and a girl, both under 10 years old, wore plain clothes, skinny and weak-looking, each carrying a vegetable basket.


    Lin Rui instantly recognized that middle-aged woman, who was none other than the High Priest of the Guang Ming Sacred Church!


    Today, the woman had not worn her hat and veil, yet Lin Rui recognized her at first glance.


    He also found the two children very familiar, though he could not recall immediately.


    Lin Rui was taken aback and looked at the little girl, not even ten years old.


    In her eyes, he saw innocence and admiration.


    Lin Rui, feeling somewhat guilty, averted his gaze and thought to himself that he wasn¡¯t really protecting these people of Heavenly Extreme Star. He was just harvesting Soul Power points and the bounty offered by the government office.


    Lin Rui looked up at Li Qiufeng, ¡°What¡¯s the situation with these two children?¡±


    ¡°Their parents were followers of our sect.¡± Li Qiufeng caressed the children¡¯s heads with a tender and compassionate look, ¡°Having lost their parents, it is only right that our sect takes care of them. I plan to bring them to our sect¡¯s Wang City branch. There, they should have a better life. Today, hearing that I was going to visit the constable, they also wanted to come and thank you and constable Wang for saving their lives and for the silver you gave that day.¡±


    These children actually had some cousins, but they were from poor families that could not afford to support them.


    Moreover, with what had happened in their family, living here would inevitably lead to being pointed at and talked about. It would be better for them to go with her to Wang City and start anew.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui sneered inwardly, suspecting that the High Priest had taken an interest in the children¡¯s talents.


    People affected by demonic transformations all possess strong lineage talents, especially since the children¡¯s grandmother, with no martial arts foundation, had transformed into a third-realm Thousand-Thread Demon, indicating a strong family bloodline heritage.


    Being careful of the children¡¯s presence, Lin Rui spoke with sarcasm, ¡°Your Guang Ming Holy Sect indeed has a lot of followers in Yin Yue County.¡±


    ¡°When have we ever enticed anyone?¡± Li Qiufeng¡¯s gaze suddenly turned sharp, ¡°In today¡¯s world, where jackals and demons run rampant, the common folk not only have to bear excessive taxation and exploitation by the government but also suffer from the scourge of demons, making their lives precarious.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°Constable Lin, coming from a family of government officials and living comfortably, likely cannot fathom the suffering of the common people. Take these Zhou children, do you really think their father did not want to support their grandparents?


    They were simply struggling to survive. Before the incident, their family of five had already been without food for three days. Do you know how heavy the commercial taxes are in Yin Yue County? They¡¯ve reached one and a half out of ten for commerce and one and a third for agriculture, not to mention the various harsh local levies. It is precisely because the people have lost hope in the government and see no way out that they flock to join our Guang Ming Holy Sect, seeking our protection.¡±


    Lin Rui, rendered speechless, exchanged glances with Wang Sen beside him.


    As Li Qiufeng spoke the last few sentences, her voice softened. She smiled again, ¡°Constable Lin misunderstands our sect too deeply; more words now are useless. When the time is right, Constable Lin will naturally come to understand the profound truth of our sect¡¯s great will.¡±


    ¡°Constable Lin, although you carry the blood of Guang Ming, it¡¯s regrettable that you haven¡¯t awakened your bloodline. However, just keep a heart of Guang Ming, and you will eventually have a day of great radiance.¡±


    After giving a bow with her arms crossed, she led the two children out the door.


    Lin Rui watched Li Qiufeng¡¯s figure disappear at the street corner outside the door and frowned in deep thought for a long time before clearing up the chaotic thoughts in his mind, ¡°How absurd!¡±


    Lin Rui then stood up and strode out the door, ¡°Twenty-seven, let¡¯s go make some money! Xue Ying has already located that fourth-realm Thousand-Thread Demon.¡±


    At this, Wang Sen¡¯s spirits lifted, setting aside Li Qiufeng¡¯s earlier words.


    The fourth-realm Thousand-Thread Demon currently had a bounty of 500 taels in the government office, and its blood could also be sold for money.

 Chapter 86: 85: Surprisingly, He Can Also Command Needles (Third Update)

    Chapter 86: Chapter 85: Surprisingly, He Can Also Command Needles (Third Update)


    Lin Rui and his two companions left Zuihua House and jumped onto the rooftops, sprinting along the ridges.


    Many people along the way spotted their figures, all turning their eyes towards the trio, with some even raising their hands to greet them.


    ¡°Arrest Officer Lin, are you going to slay demons again? Don¡¯t damage my rooftop, okay?¡±


    ¡°Officer Lin is mighty, haven¡¯t seen you stop these past few days!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard, Officer. Come drink at my place when you¡¯re back; I¡¯ll prepare the feast now. Please, slay more demons¡ªthe more, the better!¡±


    ¡°Damn you, Officer Lin, my husband¡¯s been hanging around Hanhua Alley these days again.¡±


    ...


    While running across the rooftops, Lin Rui connected to Zhang Tianchang using his waist token communicator.


    ¡°Old Zhang, my protector demon has located that Fourth-Realm Thousand-Thread Demon¡¯s trace. It¡¯s at the Ning family ancestral hall to the west of the city. I¡¯m headed in that direction now. Send two teams over first. Yes, no need to explain the situation to them for now. You will also need to keep an eye out for me; if things go south, come to support me.¡±


    He was actually very cautious and careful.


    Even though his overall combat power could crush that Fourth-Realm Thousand-Thread Demon, he would still make full preparations.


    Lin Rui feared that the Fourth-Realm Thousand-Thread Demon might have other accomplices, or even interference from the person behind the scenes, so he made sure to give Zhang Tianchang a heads-up in advance.


    However, Zhang Tianchang remained silent for a few breaths before responding in a faint voice, ¡°Sure! ¡®Old Zhang¡¯ will keep an eye on you and be ready to assist.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just be ready to assist, Old Zhang,¡± Lin Rui said with dissatisfaction. ¡°What about the people you promised me? I¡¯m now a respectable arrest officer, and besides Twenty-Seven, I don¡¯t have a single person under my command¡ª¡±


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    The waist token suddenly emitted a ¡®beep beep¡¯ sound, indicating that Zhang Tianchang had actively cut off the communication.


    Lin Rui cursed in his heart, ¡®Damn it,¡¯ thinking how dare Old Zhang hang up on him¡ªdidn¡¯t he have any shame?


    Since the day the County Magistrate and the archivist fell out, over twenty new government officials had been recruited, yet not a single one had been assigned to him.


    Zhang Tianchang always claimed that other places needed people more urgently, and that the routine patrols of Hanhua Alley were assisted by army soldiers, so there was no immediate need for more people, hence his reluctance to allocate anyone to Lin Rui.


    Indeed, office politics were all the same, whether among the people of Planet Tianji or the Earth Federation.


    The harder you work and the better you handle your tasks, the fewer resources you get from above. This was the so-called maxim of the more capable getting more work.@@@@


    Lin Rui had pretty much cleared the area near Hanhua Alley of demons, and naturally, Zhang Tianchang was unwilling to allocate precious manpower to him.


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression shifted slightly, ¡°Be careful, Twenty-Seven! There are two fourth-realm, three-legged Mud Demons beneath us!¡±


    ¡ªThis was yet another ambush!


    Lin Rui thought this really never ended.


    The setup this time was quite clever, with two fourth-realm mud demons hidden deep underground, eluding not only the Blood Blade but also Lin Rui.


    But these mere three fourth-realm entities, who were they looking down on?


    Lin Rui, being mid-air, was no longer able to change his move.


    But he pushed his blood energy to the extreme, drawing in more thunderous flames and released all twenty flying needles he had hidden up his sleeve!


    The Thousand Thread Demon that pretended to flee also stopped, its lips curving into a smug smile; all its hair was launched towards Lin Rui like an arsenal of blade and spear, slashing and stabbing at him.


    It thought this person was certainly dead!


    Lin Rui¡¯s lightning-fire double serpents met the hair first, exploding with a thunderous boom!


    The immense lightning fire instantly burned away nearly eighty percent of the Thousand Thread Demon¡¯s hair!


    At this moment, the two fourth-realm mud demons had already burrowed out of the ground, each stretching out a huge hand, ready to seize Lin Rui.


    Standing at a distance, Ji Xueying of the Blood Blade also leapt into the air simultaneously.


    However, just as she was ready to swing her blade, a piercing pain shot through her head, forcing Ji Xueying to moan involuntarily and fall from the sky.


    Delighted by the sight, the Thousand Thread Demon cackled maliciously and swung its sickle-bearing hair-whip at Lin Rui while simultaneously growing more hair from its head.


    At that moment, the Thousand Thread Demon felt a sharp pain at all its vital points simultaneously.


    Those were twenty steel needles, penetrating its eyes, ears, and mouth¡ªthe weak spots, wreaking havoc in its flesh, even piercing into its heart and brain!


    Not only did this cause the aim of the Thousand Thread Demon¡¯s sickle to deviate, but it also drained much of its strength.


    ¡°Could this be Needle Control?¡±


    The demon felt a wave of confusion and despair.


    ¡ª This guy, a mere third-realm Martial Cultivator, could actually wield the art of Needle Control?


    Once again in midair, Lin Rui¡¯s long blade erupted with two imposing lightning-fire double serpents, ferociously slashing into the brow of the Thousand Thread Demon with a ¡®pong¡¯ sound of explosion.


    This slash from Lin Rui took off half of the Thousand Thread Demon¡¯s head, and the fierce lightning fire pursued the demon¡¯s brain tissue, intent on burning it to ashes!

 Chapter 87: 86: Domineering

    Chapter 87: Chapter 86: Domineering


    After severely injuring the Thousand-Threads Demon, Lin Rui swept a glance at Ji Xueying with the corner of his eye.


    Seeing Ji Xueying¡¯s condition, his heart sank slightly, knowing that someone was trying to control her, and Ji Xueying was desperately resisting.


    From the expression of the Blood Blade Ji, she seemed to be in extreme pain, her pupils turned blood-red, and veins popped out all over her skin.


    Her intense pain even spilled over to Lin Rui, her master, causing a throbbing ache at his temples, like needle pricks.


    However, Ji Xueying should have no problem protecting herself, although she was in too much pain to stand up, her blade Qi chaotically surged around her, crazily slicing back and forth within a range of one zhang, shattering anything it touched.


    Even those two colossal three-legged mud demons didn¡¯t dare challenge its edge. Their giant hands stretched out from the ground, one to the left and one to the right, reaching near him, those hands blotting out the sky, leaving hardly any gaps.


    ...


    Lin Rui remained unfazed upon witnessing this. If he were an ordinary martial artist, the only option now would be to fight head-on, but he was now both a martial and magic cultivator, a cultivator of immortality!


    He formed a hand seal with one hand, and his entire being turned into a bolt of thunder, then he used Flash Escape to appear above the Thousand-Threads Demon that had escaped five zhang away.


    The demon, while fleeing, was desperately trying to heal its wounds.


    Its remaining limited intelligence was overwhelmed with terror, wondering what on earth was happening. Wasn¡¯t that Lin Rui a martial cultivator who had just entered the third realm? How could his blade technique be so sharp? And he could even control needles?


    The mission of the Thousand-Threads Demon was to lure the enemy, then coordinate with the two fourth-realm three-legged mud demons to ambush and kill Lin Rui. But its role as bait almost led to its own death by his blade.


    When it saw Lin Rui appearing above it again, it gazed blankly.


    What¡¯s going on with this guy? How did he catch up? Are those two three-legged mud demons useless? Just decorations? They actually let Lin Rui catch up!


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    The key issue was that the twenty steel needles were still wreaking havoc inside its body, draining it of the strength to resist.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With the explosion of two purple-red fiery thunder serpents, the upper body of the Thousand-Threads Demon burst apart.


    Its life force depleted, it could no longer withstand Lin Rui¡¯s fiery thunderblade power, and its flesh and blood quickly disintegrated.


    After delivering that slash, Lin Rui turned his attention to Ji Xueying, ¡°Xue Ying, open your heart, if you can¡¯t bear it alone, don¡¯t shoulder it alone.¡±


    In the midst of excruciating pain, Ji Xueying heard these words, hesitantly holding her head as she looked at Lin Rui with puzzlement and astonishment.


    Just over a dozen days ago at Zuihua House, she had experienced a similar situation. Her former master, Yuan Yi, refused to endure any pain, and he scolded her harshly, ordering her not to transfer the pain to him, but at the time, she had tried her utmost to refrain from affecting her master.


    Lin Rui had already started cooperating with Wang Sen, fighting against the two three-legged mud demons.


    At that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s pupils burst forth with a dazzling light.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    As this thunderous noise resonated, a mighty torrent of thunder and a fierce blaze erupted within ten meters around him.


    These were no fewer than fifty Flash Thunder Talismans and Blazing Fire Talismans, all detonating at once.


    Lin Rui¡¯s figure flashed, appearing behind the three-legged Mud Demon like a ghost.


    Wrapped in the double serpents of thunder and fire, he slashed over forty times in an instant, each strike cutting at least five feet deep into the demon¡¯s body.


    The Mud Demon was unable to track Lin Rui¡¯s movements, its giant hands flailing helplessly.


    This was the terrifying synergy of a Grandmaster-level Purple Gleam Thunder Blade and the Grandmaster-level Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill.


    The tyrannical blade technique coupled with the versatile Escape Skill created an unstoppable force, unleashing horrifying destructive power.


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang, clang, clang¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui delivered forty-six slashes in succession before stepping back as he ran out of strength.


    By then, over half of his True Qi had been depleted, and he gasped for breath like a broken bellows.


    However, the three-legged Mud Demon stood still, and after a short while, its massive body suddenly exploded, blasting debris in all directions and leaving the surrounding buildings within a forty-five-foot radius riddled with holes, all collapsing.


    Lin Rui¡¯s spirits lifted as he continued to breathe deeply, striving to recover his strength. However, in the next instant, he saw Ji Xueying stand up from the ground with great difficulty, her body swaying from the pain.


    Lin Rui immediately sensed trouble. He had tried a few days earlier; the demons that Ji Xueying killed didn¡¯t yield any Soul Power points.


    ¡°Xue Ying, don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    But Ji Xueying had already swung her blade at another Mud Demon.


    She couldn¡¯t bear to be so useless. Their master had taken on nearly forty percent of her pain and pressure but was still able to wield a blade and fight, slaying demons.


    As her protective demon, she couldn¡¯t just lie on the ground like a lump of useless mud, could she?


    As her blade flashed, the Mud Demon, defenseless, was slashed in two.


    The constables watching from a distance all shifted their expressions, their eyes trembling with excitement.


    Looking at each other again, they all thought that Constable Lin was more than just capable.


    Being able to slay a Mud Demon known for its strong defenses, coupled with his protective demon, there were probably very few in Silver Moon County who could match him.

 Chapter 88: 87 Great Grandmaster Level Thunderclap Absolute Slash

    Chapter 88: Chapter 87 Great Grandmaster Level Thunderclap Absolute Slash


    ¡°`


    About 100 meters away from the Ning family ancestral hall to the west of the city stood a tavern. While Lin Rui and his companions battled the Thousand Silk Demon, County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi and the registrar Jiang Hanzhang were sitting leisurely on the top floor of this tavern, casually sipping their wine.


    The Capital Commandant Tie Jie Ying Yuan was standing by the window railing, admiring the distant battle.


    Not until they saw the Thousand Silk Demon grievously wounded by Lin Rui did the expressions of all three men simultaneously darken, their eyes filled with surprise.


    And when the two three-legged mud demons were also slain by Lin Rui and his companions, registrar Jiang Hanzhang, holding his cup of wine, found he could no longer swallow another sip.


    ¡°This young man¡ª¡±


    ...


    Jiang Hanzhang¡¯s eyes showed panic: ¡°Such a fierce sabre technique!¡±


    Not only was the sabre technique fierce, but Lin Rui also demonstrated strength and speed that were quite remarkable, and his affinity with the lightning and fire elements was also startling.


    Jiang Hanzhang estimated that this youth¡¯s Blood Covenant progress was at least forty percent.


    Even if he were to face this Lin Rui now, he couldn¡¯t guarantee a sure victory.


    The key was the ¡®Blood Blade Ji¡¯, whom the County Magistrate had failed to control successfully, allowing her to go on a rampage and lose control.


    This made Jiang Hanzhang¡¯s heart flutter with trepidation, feeling as if there were needles on his seat, making it hard for him to sit still.


    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi¡¯s face was also as dark as iron: ¡°Ying Yuan, what do you think?¡±


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    ¡°Truly fierce!¡± Tie Jie Ying Yuan, standing by the window railing, frowned: ¡°I thought he was just a pretty face, but it turns out this fellow actually has some talent. His mastery of the Red Thunder Saber aside, he can even use magic skills.¡±


    He took down a short halberd from behind and weighed it in his hand: ¡°But I should have no difficulty slaughtering him. The problem is that Blood Blade Ji, I¡¯m no match for her.¡±


    Jiang Hanzhang also set down his wine cup, his face pale: ¡°County Magistrate, this cannot go on. In recent days, this youth, along with the Blood Blade Ji, has roamed the city, eradicating nearly one-fifth of the demons we cultivated. Moreover, five of the Fourth Realm have died by their hands! And if that Blood Blade Ji completely loses control, I fear the time of our deaths will come.¡±


    Six days have passed, and not only has their combined strength not increased, but it has also weakened compared to before the Zuihua House incident. If not for the Wang City troops from the Imperial City having been utterly annihilated, they would have had to consider giving up their plan.


    What Jiang Hanzhang was even more concerned about was the Blood Blade Ji.


    He knew some inside information about how terrifying the Blood Blade Ji was.


    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi also narrowed his eyes, setting down his wine cup: ¡°While you worry about the Blood Blade Ji, I¡¯m starting to fear this Lin Rui a bit. Do you not find the rate at which this youth¡¯s strength has increased to be simply terrifying?¡±


    He felt a mix of shock and caution inside, suspecting that this youth was very likely a Heavenly Demon from beyond their realm.


    This Lin Rui, everything about him seemed suspect.


    And who could fathom what the County Magistrate was thinking, for actually promoting him to arrest officer and providing him with so many cultivation resources, even allowing Lin Rui to form a connection with the Blood Blade Ji.


    Zhu Lingshi shook his head: ¡°However, registrar, there¡¯s no need to worry. I have received a message; my uncle has already arrived at Tianyue County, only a day¡¯s journey from here.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Jiang Hanzhang¡¯s spirits lifted.


    The County Magistrate¡¯s uncle had entered the palace as a youth and now served in the Han King Palace as a sixth-rank eunuch, deeply trusted by Prince Han.


    The price of a Type-2 Exotic Bloodline Strengthener and Exotic Strengthener was as high as 500,000 each.


    However, a single Type-2 Exotic Bloodline Strengthener would be enough to allow him to condense the ¡®Iceblood¡¯ bloodline in his body.


    He then nodded heavily and turned to walk in the direction of the north of the city.


    The coffin shop was located at the south city gate, but before heading there, Wang Sen had to disguise himself to ensure no one followed him.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was calling to the Battle Spirit Ring in his mind to check his Soul Power points.


    Prompt: You have 17,341 points of Soul Power.


    This was the result of six days of him and people like Wang Sen killing a total of 54 demons. Unfortunately, some of those kills were stolen by Wang Sen and Blood Blade Ji.


    Now, his only regret was that his companions were working too hard.


    Lin Rui had originally planned to reserve these Soul Power points for his next Battle Spirit.


    But today¡¯s battle made him feel a fear of insufficient firepower once again.


    Lin Rui, after some contemplation, said, ¡°Battle Spirit, help me deduce Thunderclap Absolute Slash to a Great Grandmaster level!¡±


    After careful consideration, he believed that there was nothing better for increasing his combat power at the moment than ¡®Thunderclap Absolute Slash,¡¯ a move that held an S+ comprehensive rating.


    Prompt: Deduction of ¡®Thunderclap Absolute Slash¡¯ to the Great Grandmaster realm will require a total of 4,000 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui frowned, wondering how a mere secret technique could cost so much? How did the Battle Spirit calculate this?


    Then another prompt appeared, showing the required Soul Power points for each level increase of Thunderclap Absolute Slash. From Truth to just before Grand Truth only 200 points needed, but over Grand Truth it required 1,000 points.


    He hesitated for a moment before agreeing.


    ¡°Battle Spirit, help me raise Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill to Great Grandmaster!¡±


    Stance skills are foundational for a Martial Artist, and Lin Rui had also discovered that his stance skills were indeed quite effective against demons. Just now, Blood Blade Ji borrowed some of his thunder fire True Yuan to suppress her spirit.


    Prompt: Deduction of Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill to the Great Grandmaster realm will need 2,000 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui furrowed his brows and gritted his teeth as he proceeded.


    He didn¡¯t expect that bringing Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill to the level of Great Grandmaster would cost so much Soul Power.


    However, after Lin Rui endured the information explosion in his mind, he felt it was worth it.


    The True Qi in his body actually changed, both in strength and volume, and even the yuan cells in his blood that had been converted were slightly altered.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s because my stance skill has improved, so the utilization rate of True Qi accordingly has also increased. I can now extract even more Qi from both inside my body and blood, and the purity of the True Qi is higher as well. It¡¯s unfortunate due to the lack of practice, this change is not very stable¡ª¡±


    At this point, he still had 11,341 points of Soul Power.


    Lin Rui, narrowing his eyes, asked, ¡°Battle Spirit, how much Soul Power would I need to raise Thunder Fire Stance Technique, Red Thunder Saber, and Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill to the Great Grandmaster level?¡±


    Prompt: To deduce Thunder Fire Stance Technique to the Great Grandmaster realm, 1,000 Soul Power points are needed; to deduce Red Thunder Saber to the Great Grandmaster realm, 500 Soul Power points are needed; to raise Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill to the Great Grandmaster realm, 2,000 Soul Power points are needed.


    Lin Rui, with a lift of his brows, thought that this was perfect, with 7,841 points of Soul Power left for backup. He could use these points to repair the Battle Spirit Ring, or for other contingencies.


    Lin Rui then reviewed the stance techniques, escape skills, and saber techniques that had unfolded in his mind. He discovered that the saber techniques and secret moves he possessed had a lot of room for enhancement and could even be elevated to another level.

 Chapter 89: 88 Excess Qi and Blood (Three Updates)

    Chapter 89: Chapter 88 Excess Qi and Blood (Three Updates)


    Ten li east of Silver Moon County, a red mist wrapped around the desolation of Huoxu Village.


    When the young County Magistrate arrived at this place, he found that this small township was completely deserted.


    This sent a shiver down his spine, for although Huoxu Village had a small population of just over 300 households, now there was not a single person to be found, only several dozen charred corpses within those houses.


    It was surprising that although these people had been burned to death, most of their houses were undamaged.


    ¡°Self-combustion? Very strange, it seems like the fire started from within their organs, flesh, and marrow. What could have caused this?¡±


    After examining several bodies, the young County Magistrate made his way to the center of Huoxu Village and stared at a huge pit there.


    ...


    He glanced down and his expression subtly changed.


    The pit was very deep, at least 80 zhang, and one could barely see the bottom.


    What surprised the young County Magistrate were the structures on the walls of the pit, clearly visible twenty zhang down was a coal seam that went forty zhang deep, and beneath the coal seam, there was a large amount of purple-red Crystal Stones.


    These Crystal Stones were mixed with coal chunks and extended all the way to the deep end of the pit.


    The young County Magistrate was amazed to find that beneath Huoxu Village lay a not-so-small mine of Zi Yao Yuan Crystals, together with the coal mine.


    At the same time, he heard faint crying and yelling from the depths of the cave, as if there were many women and children crying below, and he also sensed a whiff of demonic aura, all too familiar to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s that guy¡¯s scent¡ª¡±


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    The young County Magistrate frowned and turned to take a look at Silver Moon County, hesitated for a moment, and then jumped into the pit.@@@@


    His body moved like a crane, pushing off the walls of the pit, lightly landing at the bottom.


    Beneath was a rather spacious area, with the surrounding rock walls also peppered with large and small Zi Yao Yuan Crystals.


    There were four passages in total, leading into the depths of the cave, unfathomably deep and with unknown destinations; the young County Magistrate could only track the direction based on the wind and followed the cries toward the eastern tunnel.


    The young County Magistrate lit a fire stick and continued observing as he walked.


    ¡°Looking at the marks on the walls of these tunnels, they are clearly man-made, yet very ancient, and they don¡¯t seem like mining tunnels. I wonder who could be behind this?¡±


    The path was winding and deep, with many branches along the way.


    About a hundred breaths later, the young County Magistrate entered a cave that was quite spacious, at least one hundred zhang wide and over five zhang high.


    He also saw a group of weeping women and children, who were placed on a stone platform ahead, bound together with chains.


    In addition to the women and children, there were also several men on the platform, all looking disheartened, even quietly weeping.


    They were all drawn to the light of the fire in the County Magistrate¡¯s hand and looked up.


    Lin Rui finished practicing Thunderclap Absolute Slash ten times, which took exactly one hour.


    At this time, blood suddenly gushed from under his nose.


    Lin Rui, while holding a handkerchief to his nose, looked at Ji Xueying standing atop the wall.


    The rapid improvement of his physical qualities was also due to her, Blood Blade Ji.


    Lin Rui¡¯s body was currently being nourished by her, the problem was that she was providing far too much, leading to an excess of vital energy.


    Ji Xueying, feeling somewhat puzzled, stared at Lin Rui with wide eyes, wondering why her master was looking at her that way.


    Lin Rui smiled at her, and after he finished wiping his nose, he began practicing with his blade again.


    Lin Rui¡¯s blade practice today was different from before; he only practiced the Thunderclap Absolute Slash.


    Although he had already deduced this blade technique to the level of a Grandmaster, it still felt somewhat unfamiliar when he used it.


    Lin Rui had been practicing from yesterday noon straight into the evening and still wasn¡¯t satisfied.


    He hadn¡¯t yet formed muscle memory, couldn¡¯t deploy it as easily as moving his arm or pointing his finger, but he had become very fast with the blade, able to complete a stroke from drawing to sheathing it in a flash, too quick for Blood Blade Ji to react.


    However, he still needed to practice more; the power of a Grandmaster¡¯s Thunderclap Absolute Slash was far from just this.


    Lin Rui had only been practicing for half an hour when his waist badge began to heat up.


    Lin Rui picked up the waist badge and sensed something, his expression turning slightly puzzled.


    Was it Cun Dian? What was this clay Bodhisattva from the government office contacting him for?


    He pressed the beast head button and heard Cun Dian¡¯s voice from inside: ¡°Arrest Officer Lin, today the County Magistrate is assuming the County Magistrate¡¯s duties in court and summoning all officials with black belts and above to present themselves within two quarters of an hour. Please hurry back to the government office, Arrest Officer Lin.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes grew more puzzled.


    The County Magistrate was assuming the County Magistrate¡¯s duties in court? Could it be that the County Magistrate wasn¡¯t in the government office today?


    What was the intention of County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi in summoning them?


    Instinctively on alert, Lin Rui turned and shouted loudly, ¡°Twenty-seven, Xue Ying, the County Magistrate is ascending to the hall today, calling us to the government office. There may be something amiss with this situation; bring everything you need.¡±


    He also went back to the fourth floor and put on the God Wen armor under his clothes, adding another layer of third-tier military leather armor outside that did not hinder movement.


    Lin Rui then gathered all the talismans he had drawn and several vials of medicine, placing half in a bag and the other half in his sleeves and on his belt¡ªlocations that were close to his body and easily accessible.


    After preparing everything, Lin Rui set off for the government office in the company of Wang Sen and Ji Xueying.


    As he entered the gates of the government office, he saw Zhang Tianchang and his several capable subordinates, along with Arrest Officer Cao Jun and other officials with black belts and subordinate arrest officers from the office, being blocked by a group of government soldiers at the entrance of the main hall.


    Ying Yuan stood with his hands folded on his back, looking down coldly from the steps above, ¡°The County Magistrate has ordered that no one is allowed to carry weapons into the hall for today¡¯s discussion. Everyone must remove their personal swords and blades!¡±


    Upon hearing Ying Yuan¡¯s command, Lin Rui¡¯s gaze turned sharply intense.

 Chapter 90: 89 The astonishing truth

    Chapter 90: Chapter 89 The astonishing truth


    ¡°Our county government doesn¡¯t have a rule that prohibits carrying weapons into the hall.¡±


    Lin Rui, hand on the hilt of his waist blade, walked up the county government steps from behind the crowd, instantly attracting the attention of everyone around.


    Tie Ji Ying Yuan, Zhang Tianchang, and Cao Jun among others, all fixed their gaze on him.


    Lin Rui walked steadily, exuding an air of composure and confidence, ¡°What exactly does the County Magistrate intend to do? If he wants to discuss matters, let us in. If not, forget it. What¡¯s with this nonsense? I don¡¯t have time to serve him.¡±


    Tie Ji Ying Yuan¡¯s eyes bulged instantly, looking at Lin Rui with a cannibalistic stare, ¡°How dare you show such disrespect to the County Magistrate?¡±


    Lin Rui laughed lightly, his gaze falling on the pair of iron halberds in Ying Yuan¡¯s hands, as well as his bulging, veiny hands.


    ...


    ¡°What? You want to take me on?¡±


    Lin Rui slightly drew his battle blade at his waist, lips curling into a cold smirk, his aura sharp, ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯ll quit being arrest officer today and slaughter you first?¡±


    Clang!


    Standing behind Lin Rui, Ji Xueying also abruptly drew her sword, raising the six-foot-long narrow battle sword ¡®Surprise Snow¡¯ at an angle in her hand.


    She looked steadfastly at Tie Ji Ying Yuan, her eyes like icy rocks revealing a tinge of blood, her intent to kill chilling and grim.


    With just one word from Lin Rui, she would behead this man.


    Ying Yuan couldn¡¯t help but stiffen in the face, the corners of his mouth twitching madly, cursing in his heart about this pretty-faced, good-for-nothing bum, how dare he strut around with the Blood Blade Ji in front of him!


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    Had he the guts, he should leave Blood Blade Ji behind and fight him one on one!


    Just a mere Third Realm, I could slaughter this lad single-handedly!


    Just then, the voice of the County Magistrate came from within the hall, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Ying Capital Commandant, let them in.¡±


    Tie Ji Ying Yuan¡¯s face turned extremely ugly, his cold gaze flickering across the faces of Lin Rui and Ji Xueying like a venomous snake¡¯s tongue.


    A moment later, Tie Ji Ying Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and thought to himself, let this disgusting couple live a little longer. There¡¯ll be time to settle accounts with them later.


    He let out a cold snort and walked into the hall, carrying his iron halberd.


    Seeing this, the county soldiers standing on the platform could only step aside.


    Zhang Tianchang smiled faintly, giving Lin Rui a thumbs-up as a sign of admiration.


    Lin Rui responded with a sneer.


    If one is too rule-bound, one risks being manipulated. Facing people like the County Magistrate and Ying Yuan, one must not act the gentleman.


    He was the trusted confidant of the County Magistrate; it was appropriate for him to be a bit arrogant.


    He also gestured to Zhang Tianchang and pointed inside.


    Zhang Tianchang nodded slightly, also sensing that today¡¯s County Magistrate was up to no good.


    Lin Rui then handed a large stack of Flash Thunder Talismans and Blazing Fire Talismans from his pocket to Blood Blade Ji, ¡°Xue Ying, stick these talismans around everywhere, don¡¯t miss inside or outside, and those places out of sight like beams, corners, and behind walls¡ªstick a few there as well.¡±


    He had been drawing talismans these past few days, and with plenty of silver coins at hand, he had stockpiled over 800 Flash Thunder Talismans alone.


    Blood Blade Ji¡¯s art of concealment was rare in the world; if she didn¡¯t want to be seen, not even the County Magistrate could sense her presence.


    Ji Xueying nodded and immediately vanished from sight.


    Her movements were swift, flickering from place to place, first sticking over a hundred talismans outside the main hall, then moving inside to stick, stick, stick, even sticking one or two on the backs of the constables and county soldiers standing at the corners of the hall.


    County Magistrate, you could also invite a superior official from the provincial city to lead the investigation into this case. Once everything is conclusively proven, then it will not be too late to convict us! However, for now, Lin has been slaying demons and vanquishing evil without breaking any of the king¡¯s laws or regulations. I consider myself innocent before the officials and the people. Now whoever dares to take me¡ª¡±


    His eyes widened, the light within fierce and piercing, ¡°Lin will chop them down! I don¡¯t care what County Magistrate or historiographer you are!¡±


    Zhang Tianchang secretly marveled inwardly, thinking this youngster indeed had guts!


    Of course, Lin the Twelfth¡¯s backbone was also quite stiff. Having Blood Blade Ji Xueying alone was enough to oppose the County Magistrate and historiographer. Lin the Twelfth himself was also quite strong, capable of killing fourth-stage demons. If he wished to flip the table and tackle this head-on, the County Magistrate and others would definitely not be able to suppress him.


    At this moment, Zhang Tianchang felt a heavy weight on his mind, pondering what exactly was the matter with that County Magistrate?


    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi squinted, eyeing Lin Rui and after a moment, let out a rueful laugh.


    When Lin Rui came in, he knew that official means would probably be ineffective in restraining the young man.


    Zhu Lingshi¡¯s gaze then shifted to Blood Blade Ji Xueying, his eyes deep, ¡°You brat, relying on a Blood Blade Ji so recklessly, but do you really think she belongs to you?¡±


    Ji Xueying immediately furrowed her brows, feeling a sudden change within her blood marrow, reminiscent of that night in Zuihua House about a dozen days ago.


    Her entire body¡¯s blood boiled, her mind spawning countless violent and chaotic thoughts, and she also remembered the image of her killing Yuan Yi.


    At the same time, a powerful intention seeped into her mind, attempting to control her and make her limbs move involuntarily.


    She resisted mightily but instantly triggered a backlash from the depths of her soul and bloodline, causing her whole body to suffer excruciating pain. She even let out an involuntary groan.


    Having experienced this once before, Ji Xueying immediately transferred her pain to Lin Rui through the As-You-Will Unity Knot without hesitation.


    This was something her master had instructed beforehand, so she did not hesitate.


    Seeing the expression on Ji Xueying¡¯s face gradually calming down, the record keeper Jiang Hanzhang and the halberd-bearer Yuan Yi felt an unsettling emptiness within.


    If the County Magistrate couldn¡¯t subdue the Blood Blade Ji, today could turn into a bloodbath, and it was uncertain who would purge whom.


    Yet, County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi casually pulled out a fist-sized golden seal and a porcelain vial from his sleeve.


    As Zhu Lingshi opened the vial and poured the blood onto the seal, the golden seal suddenly flared with a blood-colored flame.


    Lin Rui¡¯s brows furrowed deeply; he had first felt a surge of intense pain, which then abruptly vanished without a trace.


    Lin Rui instantly realized that the Blood Covenant he shared with Ji Xueying had been temporarily severed by someone.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s face contorted, her pupils gradually reddening as green veins crawled over her delicate white skin.


    In her heart, she thought no, it cannot be this way! She absolutely could not lose control again.


    However, her consciousness and reason were still gradually slipping away beyond her control.


    Seeing this, County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi barely concealed a smile, as his prediction was accurate¡ªJi Xueying still couldn¡¯t withstand her father¡¯s blood.


    He pointed distantly towards Lin Rui and commanded, ¡°Kill him, immediately!¡±


    Hope shone in Zhu Lingshi¡¯s eyes; this would be the second instance of the Blood Blade Ji slaying her master.


    Although he was slightly disappointed by the absence of the Mingde University official, Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts talent might even surpass that official! This might bring him even greater surprises.


    In the hall, Zhang Tianchang, Cao Jun, and the others could not help but their expressions drastically change as they stared in the direction of Ji Xueying.


    The Blood Blade Ji was clearly beginning to lose control, and this County Magistrate actually possessed a method to bypass the Blood Covenant and control the Blood Blade Ji.


    This reminded them of the massacre at Zuihua House from ten days before.


    Zhang Tianchang had personally witnessed that bloodbath; he remembered Ji Xueying in that very state, killing her former master Yuan Yi! Afterwards, she went on a rampage near Zuihua House, slaying more than twenty people, including his deputy and several of his fellow officers.


    Could it be that today would replay the events of that day?


    At this moment, Ji Xueying also turned around, her blood-red eyes locking onto Lin Rui behind her.


    In her hand, she held the battle blade ¡®Jing Xue,¡¯ which burned with blood flames.

 Chapter 91: 90: Slay the Demon! (Subscribe Please)

    Chapter 91: Chapter 90: Slay the Demon! (Subscribe Please)


    When Zhang Tianchang saw Ji Xueying turn around, his heartbeat almost stopped.


    However, in the next moment, he saw Ji Xueying glance at Lin Rui before turning back with a blank expression.


    Her face was still filled with pain, yet she stood still, knife in hand, without moving an inch!


    Zhu Lingshi also felt slightly surprised upon seeing this, puzzled and frowning deeply.


    He subconsciously thought that the blood he had splashed on the golden seal was not enough, and he poured all the remaining blood in the bottle onto it.


    Behind Ji Xueying, Lin Rui and Wang Sen both had slight smiles on their lips, each revealing a hint of amusement.


    ...


    Wang Sen, holding his sword and shield at Lin Rui¡¯s side, thought to himself that although the County Magistrate was cunning and sly, how could he match Brother Rui¡¯s brilliant and martial prowess?


    Why didn¡¯t the Blood Blade Ji turn on her master? Simply because the current Lin Rui was not only the master of Blood Blade Ji but also the sword nurtured by her!


    How could Blood Blade Ji possibly harm the sword she nurtured? This was the meaning of her being called Blood Blade Ji, and it was fundamental.


    So, his Brother Rui was indeed very clever and had also paid a significant price. In recent days, Lin Rui had to take three cold baths every day, and Wang Sen even suspected that Rui had used his golden left hand, although there was no evidence.


    Three breaths later, County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi saw that Ji Xueying still did not make a move, his face slightly changed.


    Why didn¡¯t Blood Blade Ji swing her knife at Lin Rui?


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking action?¡±


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    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi suddenly stood up from his seat, holding the golden seal and coldly looking down at Ji Xueying, ¡°I command you to kill him now!¡±


    Ji Xueying still did not respond; she not only did not swing her knife but also gradually regained focus in her pupils, slowly recovering some consciousness.


    She was originally extremely scared, worried that after regaining consciousness, she would see her blood-stained knife and Lin Rui¡¯s corpse.


    However, in the next instant, she sensed Lin Rui¡¯s presence through the ¡°Mutual Heart Knot.¡±


    Although their Blood Covenant was interrupted, the Mutual Heart Knot still worked between them.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, filled with joy and disbelief.


    Her master was still alive? He hadn¡¯t died by her knife!


    What was going on?


    She had clearly lost control, so why didn¡¯t she follow County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi¡¯s order to turn on her master?


    This question, County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi also couldn¡¯t understand. He involuntarily stepped back, his eyes filled with doubt as he looked at Lin Rui.


    ¡ªWhat on earth had Lin Rui done to Ji Xueying?


    Fortunately, the only thing he could be thankful for was that, though the seal in his hand couldn¡¯t control Ji Xueying or force her to turn on her master, it was still able to suppress her, temporarily preventing her from acting.


    ¡°County Magistrate, you might as well save your effort.¡± Lin Rui shook his head lightly, extending his hand toward Ji Xueying, ¡°Xue Ying, hand me your Blood Blade ¡®Thunder God¡¯.¡±


    Ji Xueying, without any hesitation, marshaled all her strength. Briefly breaking free from the internal prohibition, she violently flung her sleeves, and the six-foot-long Blood Blade ¡®Thunder God¡¯ came flying out of its sheath, spinning towards Lin Rui.


    Although he could not control Blood Blade Ji, those large wooden boxes contained no less than six four-realm demons and ten three-realm demons, along with twenty-four three-realm demon cultivators nurtured for Prince Han.


    Their collective power was enough to completely annihilate Lin Rui and all the constables in the hall within 100 breaths!


    Today, no one in this hall would survive!


    But in the next moment, he saw a flash of purple thunder fire before his eyes.


    The purple light suddenly burst forth, almost filling Zhu Lingshi¡¯s entire field of vision.


    Zhu Lingshi only felt a hint of heat in front of him, and then his robust arm was suddenly severed from the shoulder, with copious amounts of blood spurting from the wound.


    He was initially stunned, then let out a heart-wrenching roar.


    This was both due to the pain from the thunder fire dragons entwined around the wound, gnawing at his flesh, and due to fear.


    Zhu Lingshi¡¯s eyes held disbelief. How did Lin Rui make that slash, and how had he managed to sever his arm?


    What was even more terrifying was that with the loss of his left arm, the golden seal also slipped beyond his control.


    This meant that Blood Blade Ji¡ªthe super king-tier four-realm artificial demon¡ªwould also regain her ability to move freely!


    Beside him, Ying Yuan looked bewildered. How had the County Magistrate¡¯s hand been severed?


    He hadn¡¯t seen clearly what had happened, only witnessing the purple thunder fire flash and explode, and Lin Rui severing the County Magistrate¡¯s arm.


    The question lingered, what sword technique had Lin Rui used? It was so fast that he couldn¡¯t even discern the trajectory of Lin Rui¡¯s blade.


    In the hall, Zhang Tianchang also promptly launched an attack.


    While using his fists to remotely strike at the back of Government Official Jiang Hanzhang, he was mindful of his surroundings, watching over the numerous constables behind him.


    Although Cao Jun and the dozen deputy arrest officers were also highly capable, they were only at the three-realm level, which was significantly inferior to those four-realm demons. The only one who could truly stand their ground in this entire hall was he, Zhang Tianchang.


    What worried Zhang Tianchang even more were Lin Rui and Wang Sen.


    Wang Sen, this kid, actually charged at Jiang Hanzhang with a shield while Lin Rui was even more reckless, rushing forward to the desk to slash at Zhu Lingshi.


    Bumping against Ying Yuan and Zhu Lingshi, both four-realm figures, with his current three-realm cultivation was practically synonymous with suicide.


    But just as a purple light dazzled near the desk, Zhang Tianchang was similarly stunned, utterly astonished.


    What had just happened?


    What martial arts had Lin Rui used to sever County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi¡¯s arm?


    It must have been some kind of secret sword technique, that slash was incredibly fast! So fast that it eluded his vision!


    While Zhu Lingshi roared, his other hand desperately reached for the golden seal!


    He needed to regain control of that seal as quickly as possible.


    But just as his fingers were about to touch the seal, he saw a white, slender hand, smooth as if carved from cream, snatch the golden seal just before him.


    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi jerked his head up to see Blood Blade Ji standing just a yard in front of him, her crimson eyes like blood jade, staring intently at him.


    The bone-chilling murderous intent and the extreme fury made Zhu Lingshi tremble, his whole body breaking out in goosebumps.

 Chapter 92: 91: Great Grandmaster Level Red Thunder Saber (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 92: Chapter 91: Great Grandmaster Level Red Thunder Saber (Please Subscribe)


    When Zhu Lingshi saw the Blood Blade Ji so frighteningly close, although his heart nearly stopped beating, his response was incredibly swift.


    ¡°Fuck your ancestors!¡±


    Zhu Lingshi immediately utilized a secret technique at the first opportunity, detonating his broken left hand.


    This thick arm then exploded violently, triggering a tremendously powerful shockwave of force, followed by countless fragments of flesh that sprayed like marbles in all directions, blasting countless holes in the roof and surrounding walls.


    The explosive power of the flesh was tremendously formidable and terrifying enough to instantly kill some Fourth Realm Martial Cultivators.


    However, Ji Xueying stood her ground, unwavering. Suddenly, her whole body burst into blood flames, the grandiose Demonic Qi almost breaking through the roof.


    ...


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With this thunderous noise, a grand, domineering intent of the saber swept across the entire hall, and from Ji Xueying, sharp and peerless saber energies burst forth, sweeping all around, smashing and leveling everything!


    The several Third Realm demon cultivators within a five-yard radius who attempted to rush over and help were unable to even utter a sound before being knocked unconscious by her saber intent, their bodies slashed with dozens of bloody wounds.


    The shockwave from the explosion seemed to meet an iron-wall, as none of the force or flesh droplets could move even a single hair on her.


    At that moment, Ji Xueying¡¯s figure flashed, and in an instant, she crossed five yards to appear behind Zhu Lingshi, her six-foot battle saber ¡®Shocking Snow¡¯ mercilessly swung down, cutting through the air with a sinister arc of bloody light.


    Zhu Lingshi had already sensed the deadly saber light behind him, his face twisted in rage, eyes wide with bloodshot veins.


    He knew Ji Xueying was strong, exceptionally strong among peer demons!@@@@


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    But having experienced it firsthand, Zhu Lingshi realized he had still underestimated the Blood Blade Ji.


    Is this what a supreme king-level demon is? She¡¯s actually this powerful? Zhu Lingshi felt that even those imperial-level demons were nothing in comparison.


    Fortunately, at that moment, he had already taken out two white jade talismans from his sleeve and crushed them to activate.


    The next instant, there was a ¡®bang¡¯ sound of detonation from behind him, a layer of golden light had just enveloped his body when it was mercilessly shattered by Ji Xueying¡¯s strike, unstoppable and devastating.


    Moreover, Zhu Lingshi¡¯s torso burst into a spray of blood, a massive wound opening up.


    The aftermath of Ji Xueying¡¯s strike almost split his bulky body in two, instantly killing him!


    However, right after this strike, the other jade talisman Zhu Lingshi had crushed began to take effect.


    Zhu Lingshi¡¯s entire body was enveloped in a layer of purple-gold lightning, resembling a rolling meatball crashing through the walls behind him, fleeing towards the back of the county government.


    Zhu Lingshi violently spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes full of disbelief.


    He had just used a fifth-order Vajra Talisman! Crafted by a Fifth Realm sorcerer with dedicated effort, it couldn¡¯t even withstand one strike from Ji Xueying.


    All he could do was grit his teeth and madly flee forward, knowing that his only chance of survival was to quickly get to that place, to his uncle¡¯s side.


    Presently in the entire Silver Moon County, only his uncle could save his life!


    Meanwhile, from behind Zhu Lingshi, two enormous demons suddenly emerged from the ground.


    ¡ªThey were two Fourth Realm, three-legged mud demons that fiercely leapt from under the earth, wielding their giant hands to block Ji Xueying¡¯s path.


    Ji Xueying slightly frowned upon seeing this.


    However, now that they had clashed, the fight was evenly matched, making it difficult to determine a winner.


    While Tie Jie Ying Yuan¡¯s physical strength and power were far superior to Lin Rui¡¯s, Lin Rui¡¯s saber speed was slightly faster than his, and the Blood Blade ¡®Thor¡¯ he wielded was far superior to the divine weapons in his hands, crucially, this saber was six feet long, wrapped in thundering flames, giving him a broad range of attack.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Escape Skill was also unpredictable, like a sprite dancing through thunder and flames, dreamlike and illusory.


    This guy combined his saber skills and Escape Skill nearly perfectly, each strike clean and ingenious, not only tricky in angle but as unpredictable in movement and method as an antelope hanging its horns, without a trace.


    He never confronted Tie Jie Ying Yuan head-on, equally matching him with that miraculous Escape Skill and divine saber technique.


    Tie Jie Ying Yuan¡¯s spiritual perception could hardly track Lin Rui¡¯s saber path; if it weren¡¯t for his extremely strong reaction ability to respond at the last moment when the saber light reached him, he would have been definitely killed by this Lin Twelve.


    ¡°Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill and Red Thunder Saber?¡±


    ¡ªEspecially the Red Thunder Saber!


    Tie Jie Ying Yuan could hardly believe it; this guy actually managed to elevate a basic saber technique to this level! It was absolutely on par with the intermediate saber techniques that Ying Yuan had practiced for many years.


    And this was merely a third-realm Martial Cultivator, barely 18 years old, perhaps only five months since the closure of his fontanelle!


    However, he felt that the current situation was still within his control.


    A fierce smile appeared on Tie Jie Ying Yuan¡¯s face, ¡°This must be the Grandmaster-level Red Thunder Saber, right? If you said it was Great Grandmaster level I would believe it. This Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill is also tremendous. You¡¯ve already perfected it, but unfortunately, your True Qi is insufficient to fully unleash this Escape Skill¡¯s power, otherwise I would be dead by now. The County Magistrate was right, your talent is terrifying!¡±


    His body slightly stooped, he resembled a cheetah about to pounce, ¡°But what a pity, such a pity that a talent like yours won¡¯t see tomorrow¡¯s sun!¡±


    Lin Rui also wanted to finish the battle quickly.


    The situation in the main hall was not good; the few slashes from Blood Blade Ji before she left only temporarily eased their peril.


    The problem was that there were simply too many demons in the hall.


    Lin Rui had already seen a black-belted colleague being cut into the chest by a scythe demon, nearly killed.


    The four nearly dead fourth-realm demons also had to be resolved quickly, without giving them a chance to recover.


    Hearing Tie Jie Ying Yuan¡¯s words, his gaze also grew sharp.


    After fighting for two minutes, Lin Rui had roughly figured out the level of Tie Jie Ying Yuan and knew the boundaries of his own combat strength.


    He felt secretly fortunate, grateful for the significant enhancement provided by the Great Grandmaster realm Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill and Red Thunder Saber.


    Lin Rui took a deep breath, then with a slightly provocative smile, said, ¡°What? Is Capital Commandant preparing for a decisive strike? Fortunately, I have also completed my buildup.¡±


    Tie Jie Ying Yuan glanced sidelong at Lin Rui¡¯s left hand, which was holding the unsheathed waist saber, the palm and blade accumulating immensely powerful thunder and fire energy.


    Ying Yuan smirked disdainfully; so what if this guy completed his secret technique buildup? Hadn¡¯t he completed his as well?


    Could the might of a mere third-realm¡¯s secret technique surpass his?


    But the next instant, Tie Jie Ying Yuan thought of the slash Lin Rui used to sever the County Magistrate¡¯s arm, and a sudden jolt went through him.


    Then he heard Lin Twelve say in an eerie voice, ¡°Capital Commandant, have you ever seen the Red Thunder 21 Consecutive Slashes?¡±


    Tie Jie Ying Yuan didn¡¯t really listen, his body lunging forward like a mad tiger.


    He decided to strike first, not giving Lin Twelve a chance to make a move.


    However, next, he saw Lin Rui¡¯s body explode with thunder, his figure disappearing right before his eyes.

 Chapter 93: 92 The Speedy Knife (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 93: Chapter 92 The Speedy Knife (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°On my right rear side!¡±


    Tie Ji Ying Yuan had been guarding against Lin Rui¡¯s Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill¡¯s lightning escape, his pupils dilated as he miraculously switched positions at an incredible speed, and his pair of halberds ferociously chopped towards the position behind him, with the momentum of splitting mountains and cracking rocks!


    At the same time, he also saw Lin Rui¡¯s left-hand waist saber swinging toward his throat.


    Tie Ji Ying Yuan couldn¡¯t help but let out a sinister laugh; he had already foreseen the image of this supremely talented youth being dismembered by the great halberd in his hands.


    What Red Thunder 21-slashes? It must be a variation based on the Red Thunder Nine-slashes, right?


    But today, it wouldn¡¯t matter if it were 21-slashes or even 100-slashes, this Lin Rui, he¡¯s a dead man!


    ...


    At that instant, Tie Ji Ying Yuan saw the sky filled with lightning and fire.


    Behind Lin Rui, at least a hundred Flash Thunder Talismans and Blazing Fire Talismans exploded simultaneously, forming a 10-meter radius network of thunder and fire.


    The waist saber in Lin Rui¡¯s hand also burst into a ball of purple-red flames and lightning.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    The saber in his hand slashed forward at an unbelievable speed, unstoppable in its momentum, invincible in its path, and it sliced through the center of Tie Ji Ying Yuan¡¯s pair of great halberds like cutting through butter, also splitting Ying Yuan¡¯s brow.


    Tie Ji Ying Yuan¡¯s body immediately stiffened on the spot, motionless.


    His heart was filled with astonishment; he actually lost? Killed by a mere third-realm individual!


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    Ying Yuan then wondered why Lin Rui¡¯s saber could explode with such speed? Lin Rui¡¯s slash was just as extraordinary as the one that had cut off the County Magistrate¡¯s arm!


    Afterward, Tie Ji Ying Yuan¡¯s mind stirred, realizing this was the ¡®Red Thunder 21-slashes¡¯ Lin Rui had mentioned!


    This damn brat had actually stacked the True Yuan of the Red Thunder 21-slashes together, combining them into one slash!


    For a moment, Tie Ji Ying Yuan felt an immense darkness and despair before his eyes.


    Just how far had Lin Rui refined this basic saber technique, the Red Thunder Saber?


    He thought this brat¡¯s talent might even be more terrifying than that of Blood Blade Ji Xueying!


    It must be beyond the super king-rank! Even the emperor-rank was possible.


    However, he no longer had the chance to ponder further; as a mass of blood burst from his brow and the back of his head, Tie Ji Ying Yuan¡¯s body fell backward, losing all consciousness.


    After slaying Tie Ji Ying Yuan, Lin Rui first scanned his surroundings.


    His primary target, naturally, were the four fourth-realm demons that had been severely injured and on the brink of death by Blood Blade Ji.


    Zhang Tianchang and the numerous constables inside the hall were in a dire situation; four were already critically wounded and down, unable to get up, while the others were embroiled in a tough battle, incapable of dealing with them.


    As a result, these four fourth-realm demons were vigorously recovering, their wounds healing rapidly.


    Lin Rui did not intend to give them a chance to catch their breath; amidst a burst of purple lightning, he annihilated each of the critically wounded demons in turn.


    Next, he turned his attention to Government Official Jiang Hanzhang!


    Jiang Hanzhang had already made a run for it, escaping with two arrest officers, sneaking out through a hole in the back of the grand hall.@@@@


    At that moment, the situation in the main hall had been forcefully reversed by his relentless assaults.


    The group led by Cao Jun was overjoyed, cheering uncontrollably.


    ¡°Lin Rui, you did great!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m convinced, Lin Rui, even Ying Yuan is no match for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Lin Rui! If not for that strike of yours, I would have been dead for sure.¡±


    ¡°Rest for now, Lin Rui, leave the rest to us.¡±


    After observing for a while and seeing that the people below were no longer in mortal danger, Lin Rui began to tightly focus on Zhang Tianchang.


    As he relaxed, his thoughts turned to Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui¡¯s total Soul Power points had now surged to 15,745.


    This was calculated by Lin Rui himself; the spirit in his ring didn¡¯t have this function, and it would only give notifications when asked directly.


    This was the first time he had been so wealthy, enough to cause another qualitative transformation in his martial path.


    But he was never satisfied with Soul Power points and wanted even more.


    Lin Rui could see that the fourth-realm two-headed demon below had been pounded by the arrest officer Tian Chang¡¯s fists to the point of a shredded lung and stomach, on the brink of death.


    Tian Chang had probably reached the fourth realm not long ago, but his external hardening cultivation technique was exceptionally tough. Combined with a set of fourth-level ¡®Heavenly Bull Armor¡¯ he wore, he was virtually invulnerable to sword and spear.


    His Divine Power Vajra Skill was also extremely fierce and domineering, with a powerful and majestic force.


    It was only in group battles that he was slightly weaker, and his killing power and explosiveness were also somewhat insufficient, unable to hold the scene today and take care of his numerous subordinates.


    In another situation, if it weren¡¯t for the presence of the black-belt constables, Tian Chang alone could have withstood the onslaught from these demons and demon cultivators, surviving without dying for a good half amount of time.


    His overall strength was definitely not weaker than that of Tie Jie Ying Yuan.


    And just as the fourth-realm two-headed demon, with two heads and four arms, was bleeding from its nose and mouth, stumbling and unstable, Lin Rui suddenly leaped down from above.


    In his hand, the Blood Blade ¡®Thor¡¯ created two massive Thunderfire snakes in mid-air, splitting the body of the two-headed demon into two halves with a single stroke!


    Notification: For slaying a fourth-realm demon, you have gained 1,263 points of Soul Power.


    Tian Chang, watching from behind, immediately furrowed his brows in confusion.


    The two-headed demon had already been pounded to the brink of death by his fists. While it seemed intact on the outside, its insides were completely destroyed. Even if left unattended, the demon¡¯s life force would have ceased, so Lin Rui¡¯s additional slash seemed entirely unnecessary.


    But the man was indeed formidable; whether it was chopping off the County Magistrate¡¯s arm or the killing strike on Ying Yuan, both had profoundly shocked Tian Chang.


    Tian Chang even doubted if his own ¡®Divine Power Vajra Skill¡¯ could withstand those attacks.


    Afterward, Lin Rui cleared the field, demonstrating his incredibly powerful burst and killing power, simply unmatched in his realm!


    Tian Chang then shook his head slightly and turned his attention elsewhere.


    All of a sudden, his expression subtly changed as he looked towards the entrance of the county office, where an unexpected purple light was shining in.


    Tian Chang furrowed his brows and flashed outside the county office to look around, only to discover that the entire sky was tinged purple-red by the vast amounts of purple crystal dust drifting in from all directions.


    At the same time, Tian Chang felt a slight burning sensation in his organs.

 Chapter 94: 93 Ziyao Yuan Crystal (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 94: Chapter 93 Ziyao Yuan Crystal (Please Subscribe)


    Outside the main hall of the county government office, there were originally many clerks hidden in various corners, secretly watching the commotion inside the hall. At this moment, they were all looking around and at the sky, with expressions of shock and suspicion.


    ¡°What is this thing?¡±


    ¡°So bright! The whole sky has turned purple.¡±


    ¡°It seems like some kind of mineral powder, it¡¯s everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Right, do you all feel extraordinarily hot inside your body, as if it¡¯s burning up?¡±


    Zhang Tianchang also reached out his hand, attempting to grab those purple crystal dust particles.


    ...


    It was only then that he realized that this purple crystal dust was actually extremely fine, like mustard seed particles, barely noticeable.


    It was only because they were particularly bright at the moment that Zhang Tianchang could see them.


    Zhang Tianchang was furrowing his brow, pondering what exactly this substance was, when he heard a familiar voice say, ¡°This should be crystal dust attracted by the True Yuan Gem.¡±


    Zhang Tianchang, shocked, looked towards the direction of the voice, ¡°Clerk Du?¡±


    He found that Clerk Du was standing forty meters away, at the entrance of the county government office.


    Zhang Tianchang knitted his eyebrows and immediately bowed towards Clerk Du, his voice not the least bit courteous, ¡°Clerk Du, may I ask where the County Magistrate is? Also, just now County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi mentioned that the imperial court has not yet appointed a new County Magistrate to Silver Moon County. Our current County Magistrate is supposedly disguised by a demon. May I ask whether this is true or false?¡±


    His eyes were filled with astonishment and anger.


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    In Zhang Tianchang¡¯s memory, the previous County Magistrate had indeed died two months ago.


    Logically speaking, it would be indeed unlikely for the Ministry of Personnel to appoint a new County Magistrate in such a short time.


    However, before County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi revealed this matter, he had not harbored any suspicion towards the County Magistrate, nor had he noticed anything amiss.


    Clerk Du heard this and gave a wry smile, pacing forward, ¡°Chief Arrest Officer Zhang, my master is not a demon but the Capital Commandant¡¯s Seventh Rank Inspection Envoy, surnamed Zhuang, called Zhuang Mingyue!


    Originally my master came here in pursuit of the Black List fugitive Blood Rain Miao Shi. As Blood Rain Miao Shi colluded with local forces and his tracks were hard to find near Silver Moon County, and seeing that for some reason demonic transformations frequently occurred within Silver Moon County with numerous demonic cultivators hiding, therefore my master used his Divine Skills to deceive everyone¡¯s perception and temporarily took on the role of Silver Moon County Magistrate. On the one hand, he investigated the whereabouts of Blood Rain Miao Shi, and on the other hand, he protected the safety of the locals, probing into the cause of the demonic transformations among the people.¡±


    Zhang Tianchang was taken aback upon hearing this.


    That was the reason he chose to flee.


    Simply because once the County Magistrate and the others took action, all the townsfolk were doomed!


    Unless they could flee to a place fifty miles away, far from the range of the Purple Gleam True Crystal mine.


    Even Zhang Tianchang and his fellow arrest officers were no exception.


    These people, native and long-lived in Silver Moon County, had too much Purple Gleam crystalline dust in their bodies, and no matter how high their cultivation, they were bound to combust and die. There was utterly no need for salvation.


    It was also fortunate that the County Magistrate had cleared the entire county town of flammable materials and stored them outside the city. Otherwise, with fires breaking out everywhere, the people inside the city would only die faster.


    Zhang Tianchang was both alarmed and even more puzzled, his complexion pale: ¡°Then what is the County Magistrate¡¯s purpose?¡±


    The County Magistrate wouldn¡¯t commit such heinous crimes in Silver Moon County without a purpose. That man wasn¡¯t a madman, nor had he transformed into a demon. Surely, he wouldn¡¯t harm so many people for no reason.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what my master wants to find out.¡±


    Master Du shook his head slightly: ¡°We previously discovered that County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi was a partisan of His Majesty¡¯s sixth son, Prince Han. Moreover, when my master took over as County Magistrate, he found that the county annals of Silver Moon County were destroyed in a fire several years ago, and even the copy in the prefecture city mysteriously disappeared without a trace.


    The County Magistrate had to pull some strings to get the copy from the state city, and it wasn¡¯t until recently that he got his hands on the copy of the county annals. He suspects the County Magistrate¡¯s plot might be related to a fire disaster from thousands of years ago, and a member of the Great Zhou royal family.¡±


    That¡¯s why his master had fallen into the County Magistrate¡¯s trap and had left the town to go to the Fire Ruins Manor.


    There was no mention of the Purple Gleam True Crystal mine in the county annals, nor was it mentioned that the mining area covered such a wide range. Master Du only discovered the cause using his unique Talent Master¡¯s abilities when the incident broke out.


    While they were discussing this, Lin Rui in the hall had already chopped off the head of the four-realm, three-eyed demon.


    His own combat strength was superior to that of the three-eyed demon, and with the assistance of Wang Sen, Cao Jun, and others, even without the help of charm runes and flying needles, without unleashing True Yuan, he managed to end the battle quickly and efficiently in just eighteen or nineteen moves.


    Tip: For slaying a fourth-realm demon, you gain 1321 points of Soul Power.


    This three-eyed demon¡¯s overall strength was weaker than the four-realm, two-headed demon they had just fought, but its Soul Power was stronger.


    At this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s total Soul Power points had reached 19329.


    Lin Rui then picked up the ¡®Thunder God¡¯ Blood Blade in his hand and frowned as he looked towards the big hole at the back of the hall, which had been smashed open by the County Magistrate and Blood Blade.


    It had been nearly half an hour since Blood Blade had chased after the County Magistrate, but there was still no sign of them, which made him somewhat uneasy.


    He didn¡¯t know where Blood Blade had gone, and Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Ruyi Heartfelt Knot¡¯ inside him could no longer sense her whereabouts.

 Chapter 95: 94: Major Generals Battle Spirit (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 95: Chapter 94: Major General¡¯s Battle Spirit (Please Subscribe)


    After the battle in the hall ended, everyone, including several arrest officers, collapsed on the ground without regard for their appearance


    They lay or sat amongst the piles of corpses, each gasping for breath and resting.


    Although the battle was brief, only lasting a moment, it almost exhausted their vital energies.


    Wang Sen took only a short break before he moved close to Lin Rui¡¯s ear and whispered solemnly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be a problem with the True Yuan crystal vein below, given the astonishing amount of radiation.¡±


    When his consciousness returned to the ninth base, he had checked many materials about Silver Moon County and knew early on that there was a large purple True Yuan crystal vein beneath this county town.


    A federal mineral resources exploration team came here three hundred years ago and discovered this True Yuan crystal vein that spans over twenty kilometers.


    ...


    However, purple True Yuan crystals are very common and not an urgently needed resource for the Earth Federation; thus, although the reserves here are impressive, no mining company has shown interest in this place.


    Wang Sen had seen the purple crystal dust outside and realized the terrible consequences.


    Lin Rui frowned deeply. During the battle, he had been distracted, listening to the County Magistrate¡¯s conversation, and knew the County Magistrate had gone to Huoxu Villa.


    Lin Rui felt a headache coming on. He had already subtly reminded the County Magistrate, yet problems still arose.


    It must have been that the ¡®hints¡¯ he gave were not informative enough.


    But he had no choice; he could not possibly tell the County Magistrate directly that there was a large purple True Yuan crystal vein beneath the county town.


    ¡°It seems the situation is not good,¡± Wang Sen glanced around, looking at the demon corpses in the hall, the unconscious county soldiers, and many colleagues.


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    He noticed that several of the county soldiers, who had been knocked unconscious by the aura of Ji Xueying¡¯s Blood Blade, were now unconsciously frowning.


    These county soldiers were weaker in cultivation, most of them only at the first realm ¡°Tongjing,¡± and had already been affected by the purple crystal dust.


    Wang Sen also heard groans coming from a few civil officials outside the hall.


    With a troubled look, Wang Sen asked, ¡°Brother Twelve, what do we do next? Should I send a message to my family?¡±


    What he meant by this was for his consciousness to return to the ninth base and seek help from Fang Ranran and the Tian Lan Corporation.


    Although Wang Sen used his wind-based True Yuan to keep his voice low, he was still afraid of being overheard, speaking very cryptically and with great caution.


    He was now in a dilemma.


    At first, Wang Sen also had the impulse to simply leave, which was undoubtedly the best response plan.


    He and Lin Rui¡¯s altered bodies were only perfected half a month ago; they hadn¡¯t breathed in too much purple crystal dust and were not affected by the dust, so if they left the county town now, they should be fine.


    But they were going to fight for their lives now! If they didn¡¯t fight, they would die!


    The burning sensation from the purple Yuan crystal dust was getting stronger and if they didn¡¯t fight to the death to carve out a path to survival, not only would they themselves be doomed, but the family members back in Silver Moon County would also die from spontaneous combustion.


    Seeing this, Cao Jun¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and he assumed the authority of a seasoned arrest officer, ¡°Those above the third realm can follow, the rest stay above and try to maintain order in the city.¡±


    He knew that most of these black-belted men were at the end of their tether. The demon cultivators and fourth-realm monsters lying in ambush in the main hall were a real handful.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Ji Xueying¡¯s timely slashing with her eight blades, they might have lost several people.


    For these eight slashes alone, Cao Jun could let go of his hatred for that Blood Blade Ji.


    Lin Rui had already used his magical power to make the blood butterfly fly up high, following Ji Xueying¡¯s scent.


    Master Du was inwardly amazed when he saw this. Lin Rui¡¯s display of magic was seamless and exquisite!


    Was this guy really just learning magic?


    Master Du was also a mage about to enter the fourth realm, but his Blood Attraction Technique was not as slick as Lin Rui¡¯s.


    He then looked at the Flash Thunder Talismans and Blazing Fire Talismans plastered all over the main hall and outside.


    The talismans drawn by Lin Rui were extremely ugly, almost too painful to look at, yet the man had a good grasp of the true meaning of talismanic magic, and each talisman was well crafted, potent in power.


    It turned out that Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts were also formidable. Just now, Master Du had seen Lin Rui¡¯s Red Thunder Saber and Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill and was utterly mesmerized by their marvelous intricacy.


    Master Du shook his head, attributing these miraculous phenomena to Lin Rui¡¯s great insight and talent.


    After all, geniuses were beyond the understanding of ordinary people.


    What¡¯s key was that to his knowledge, there was no such individual among the Heavenly Demons from other domains.


    Everyone followed behind Lin Rui and the blood butterfly, rapidly running across the rooftops.


    Their expressions became more and more solemn. Along the way, they saw some people lying on the streets, motionless. Some were directly passed out, while others were rolling on the ground, moaning in pain.


    The rest of the people also sensed that something was wrong and were bravely enduring the pain, rushing towards their homes.


    After running swiftly for about fifty breaths, they saw the blood butterfly suddenly stop, circling a deep pit that seemed bottomless.


    Everyone quickly leaped forward, landing beside the pit.


    Cao Jun looked around and his expression changed slightly, ¡°I¡¯ve been here before; this was a pond in the County Magistrate¡¯s villa.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes also flickered slightly as a piece of information emerged in his mind at that moment.


    Prompt: A war spirit of the rank of lieutenant general has been discovered. Would you like to capture it?

 Chapter 96: 95: Transforming into a Dragon (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    Chapter 96: Chapter 95: Transforming into a Dragon (Three more updates, please subscribe)


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes lit up, astonished to find that Silver Moon County, such a small place, also possessed a Battle Spirit.


    Moreover, it was of a general rank, equivalent to the ¡®Dragon Transformation¡¯ later stage of the sixth realm of martial arts in Tianji Star, already possessing its own ¡®Dragon¡¯!


    Lin Rui did not rashly attempt to capture it, but instead asked in his mind.


    ¡°Spirit Ring, is it possible for me to know the orientation of this Battle Spirit¡¯s Cultivation Technique?¡±


    If the captured Battle Spirit¡¯s nature didn¡¯t match his own Cultivation Technique, wouldn¡¯t that be a loss?


    Another piece of information then appeared in his mind.


    ...


    Notice: Insufficient power in the Battle Spirit Ring, identification failed.


    Lin Rui immediately realized that this was the Spirit Ring reminding him to recharge.


    ¡°Spirit Ring, help me use 5850 Soul Power points to repair the Battle Spirit Ring and continue to search for the orientation of that Battle Spirit¡¯s Cultivation Technique.¡±


    The completeness of the Battle Spirit Ring was previously at 14.15%; adding 5850 points would just restore it to 20%.


    As Lin Rui willed it, the Battle Spirit Ring briefly warmed up, and the ring¡¯s surface emitted a faint eerie red light, especially at the eye sockets of the skull which were particularly chilling.


    Lin Rui knew others couldn¡¯t see the Skull Ring on his hand, yet he still subconsciously tucked his hand into his sleeve, hiding his fingers.


    Then, two more pieces of information entered his mind.


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    Notice: Identification successful, this Battle Spirit possesses Dragon rank fire attribute martial arts, Dragon rank light attribute martial arts, high rank thunder attribute martial arts, high rank Body Refining Techniques.


    Notice: Battle Spirit Ring repair entering stage three, needs 30000 Soul Power points, to repair up to 30%.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but squint his eyes.


    Dragon rank fire attribute and high rank thunder attribute? And it even includes Body Refinement methods and a light attribute? It seems that this Battle Spirit is just barely usable.


    However, the next repair stage of the Battle Spirit Ring requires 30000 Soul Power points? That doesn¡¯t seem like a lot, cleaning up two to three Blood Lizard Gang strongholds should suffice.


    No sooner had this thought surfaced in Lin Rui¡¯s mind than he quickly shook his head.


    He thought that he must have been corrupted by the number one Battle Spirit to even consider such a terrifying idea, hoping that the upcoming number two Battle Spirit wouldn¡¯t be as manic as Xue Bogao.


    ¡°Spirit Ring, help me capture that Battle Spirit.¡±


    Notice: Battle Spirit capture failed, insufficient power in the Battle Spirit Ring, your distance is too far, the Battle Spirit is 1.3 kilometers below you, and there is intense radiation interference, please move within 500 meters, clear the radiation, and then attempt the capture.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but frown and looked toward the pit in front of him.


    Lin Rui raised his hand and said, ¡°Mr. Du, let¡¯s hear what Priest Li has to say first.¡±


    Lin Rui judged that it was unlikely for the High Priest to collude with the county magistrate, as there was no benefit for the Guang Ming Holy Sect to sacrifice thousands of its followers. What did they stand to gain?


    The key was his extraordinary perceptiveness; he sensed some residual battle traces on Li Qiufeng.


    This woman had been through an intense battle before rushing out of the pit.


    He looked at Li Qiufeng. ¡°Priest Li, I want to know what the situation is below now. Have you seen my Blood Blade Ji?¡±


    ¡°I just met your Blood Blade Ji briefly; her situation is quite awkward now. Her parents and siblings are being controlled by the magistrate, held as hostages. She dares neither fight nor flee, only able to scurry about below, waiting for an opportunity.¡±


    Li Qiufeng gave a bitter laugh, ¡°As for the specific condition below, I¡¯ll just project it for you to see.¡±


    She raised her hand and formed a spell, using her mana to distort the surrounding light, projecting several illusory images around her. ¡°Pay attention, these are the scenes I saw when I entered the deepest part of the mine a hundred breaths ago. The images show many demons and demon cultivators present, and that¡¯s just what I could see. Your county¡¯s scholar Jiang Hanzhang and that magistrate are both there, but this man is key.¡±


    Li Qiufeng pointed at the center of one illusory image. ¡°If my senses are correct, this sixth-rank eunuch should be a fifth-realm expert!¡±


    Hearing this, everyone present changed their expressions drastically and simultaneously looked toward the man Li Qiufeng was pointing at.


    The man appeared to be around thirty, dressed in a sixth-rank palace attendant¡¯s official robe, with a jaded belt around his waist, without a beard, clean eyebrows, and handsome features. His waist was naturally bent, possibly due to habit.


    Zhang Tianchang¡¯s complexion turned even paler, the fifth realm ¡®Dragon Molt¡¯ was an overwhelmingly dominant presence in their Silver Moon County.


    Priest Du also spoke hoarsely: ¡°This person should be named Zhu Tianmao, the uncle of the magistrate, who entered the palace at a young age and is now a trusted eunuch of Prince Han.¡±


    Seeing this person, he already knew there was no hope for the Silver Moon County right now.


    It was unexpected for this Master Zhu to personally come to this place.


    This meant that they had utterly no hope of turning the situation around, meaning everyone in Silver Moon County was doomed¡ª


    Lin Rui inwardly grew anxious, but then he noticed that in front of the sixth-rank eunuch, there was a coffin made entirely of Purple Radiance crystals.


    Inside the crystal coffin lay a young woman dressed in a bright red robe, covered with bone armor, and bore some likeness to Blood Blade Ji.


    ¡°Who is this woman?¡± Zhang Tianchang also noticed the woman and pointed to the purple crystal coffin, asking sternly, ¡°Looking at this woman¡¯s appearance, could she also be a Blood Blade Ji?¡±


    Lin Rui turned his head and exchanged a glance with Wang Sen beside him.


    Both of their minds raced with a guess¡ªthis woman could very likely be the great general named Ji Shenyan, who triggered the great fire in Silver Moon County 6700 years ago.


    According to historical materials collected by the Earth Federation from the Sands State, it was ninety percent likely that Ji Shenyan was female, and her cultivation level was at the peak of the sixth realm before her death!


    To protect Silver Moon County, she willingly transformed into a formidable demon, but the history texts did not mention her species, only speculating that she ultimately transformed into a seventh-realm fire demon, thereby causing a great fire in Silver Moon County.


    Lin Rui instantly understood the origin of the battle spirit sensed by the Battle Spirit Ring.


    The peak of the sixth realm, wasn¡¯t that precisely the rank of a federal lieutenant general? This battle spirit was most likely Ji Shenyan!


    However, for her battle spirit to exist for 6700 years was unusually long, wasn¡¯t it?

 Chapter 97: 96: The Scaled Dragon (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 97: Chapter 96: The Scaled Dragon (Please Subscribe)


    Li Qiufeng also looked towards the crystal coffin in the image, her voice containing a trace of trepidation, ¡°This should be a Seventh Realm Blood Blade Ji, and she possesses a special bloodline. Look at the Purple Glow Prime Crystal next to her; the colossal creature inside might very well be her ¡®dragon,¡¯ a being of flesh and scales, clearly a dragon of the Seventh Realm!


    From what I sensed at that time, she¡¯s very likely dead, or in a state of self-sealing. Her aura is deathly still, yet very powerful!¡±


    Lin Rui followed the direction of her pointing finger and looked over, his expression unusual.


    Inside this enormous twenty-zhang-high Purple Glow Prime Crystal, which was like a small mountain, he saw a giant figure approximately seven zhang tall. It had a humanoid shape but was covered in golden scales from head to toe, with barbs at the joints, presenting an extremely majestic and domineering image.


    ¡ªThat was what Tianji Star called a ¡®dragon,¡¯ something the Earth Federation referred to as a ¡®Zhi Zhuang Battle Dragon.¡¯@@@@


    Only those who had reached the Sixth Realm and entered the Dragon Transformation Realm could possess a ¡®dragon.¡¯


    ...


    Upon hearing this, Du Shiye frowned, ¡°A deathly still aura, yet very powerful? Isn¡¯t that contradictory?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t seen it.¡±


    Li Qiufeng gave Du Shiye a sidelong glance, ¡°The images I¡¯ve projected cannot fully convey how terrifying she is. Her aura is extremely powerful, beyond what words can describe. Her body seems to be connected to the entire Purple Glow Prime Crystal vein around her, and it resonates with the crystals, like a scorching sun, capable of melting everything!


    She is the source of the anomaly within the Prime Crystal vein. Today, all the Purple Glow Prime Crystals here shine because of her, and all the Yang Fire Elemental Energy flourishes on account of her. However, her aura is indeed that of the deceased. I didn¡¯t sense any vitality; she must have been dead for a long time. Due to the Purple Glow Prime Crystals, her body is very well preserved.¡±


    Her voice paused as she said this, ¡°My guess is that County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi¡¯s and Zhu Tianmao¡¯s arrangements in Silver Moon County, all their actions, are likely for this Blood Blade Ji.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s expression turned solemn. Seeing this, how could they not guess what Zhu Lingshi and Zhu Tianmao were planning?


    This insignificant Silver Moon County could only attract the likes of Eunuch Zhu because of the Blood Blade Ji within the Prime Crystal vein.


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    A Seventh Realm Blood Blade Ji would be a great asset even for personages like Prince Han.


    Moreover, the bloodline power of this Blood Blade Ji must be extremely strong.


    Only Du Shiye looked uncertain and shocked.


    Could Eunuch Zhu be planning to resurrect the Blood Blade Ji? But is there any method of resurrection in this world?


    If people could truly be resurrected from death, then all those emperors and generals who died in the past, as well as those Ninth Realm experts, would be climbing out of their coffins one by one.


    Furthermore, looking at County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi¡¯s arrangements, there¡¯s likely a hidden motive, but he couldn¡¯t figure it out at the moment.


    At this time, Lin Rui pointed at the four corners of the image, ¡°There are many more crystal coffins around, about seventy or eighty of them, and they seem to have people inside, though some of the images are very blurred.¡±


    ¡°Arrest Officer Lin, these are images I¡¯ve condensed with the ¡®Heart Image Technique,¡¯ the reflections of the impressions in my heart. My attention at the time was drawn to the Blood Blade Ji and her dragon, so I only quickly glanced at those areas without carefully observing. My attainment in Formation is also lacking, not enough to ascertain their true nature.¡±


    Li Qiufeng held Lin Rui in high esteem and answered all his questions, ¡°Those inside should all be living people, and if I¡¯m not wrong, they are all descendants of the Great Zhou Imperial family. If you look closely, you¡¯ll see that there are blood channels under these crystal coffins, connected to the Seventh Realm Blood Blade Ji¡¯s coffin, and together with the elemental stones they¡¯ve arranged, they form an altar. It is very likely that the Zhu uncle and nephew need the blood of these people.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s gaze returned to the Seventh Realm Blood Blade Ji, his eyes squinting as he pondered, ¡°I see there is also an empty coffin here, positioned directly opposite to Blood Blade Ji¡¯s coffin. According to my knowledge of formations, these two points exactly correspond to the Yin and Yang opposition, where movement and stillness, substance and void intersect. Why is this?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Du Shiye?¡¯s mind stirred, ¡°I know what they want to do now, it must be for refinement. They plan to use the divine soul of your Blood Blade Ji, Lin Twelve, along with the physical body of this Seventh Realm Blood Blade Ji as the main subject, to create a new demon.¡±


    His voice sounded somewhat distraught, ¡°Look at the formation beneath the vein, it¡¯s clearly the work of a master. They intend to burn thirty thousand inhabitants of Silver Moon County and all livestock, extracting the essence of their primordial spirits, refining and purifying it, thereby elevating the soul and bloodline strength of this man-made demon to the pinnacle in one fell swoop! Once they succeed, they will have an extremely powerful new Blood Blade Ji at their disposal!¡±


    ¡°Creating a new demon?¡± Lin Rui crossed his arms, deep in thought, ¡°Since it¡¯s based on my Blood Blade Ji¡¯s soul, can I still control her?¡±


    Cao Jun¡¯s eyes bulged as he snorted angrily, ¡°Leave? Leave my ass! My family has over twenty people; how many can the Priest take with them?¡±


    The other arrest officers showed no joy either, grinding their teeth fiercely, their eyes full of bloodshot veins.


    Lin Rui remained silent, looking at the image reflected by Li Qiufeng, and thought about how many Soul Power points there would be with so many demons beneath this cave. It would be enough to repair his Battle Spirit Ring to the third stage.


    Lin Rui squinted at the body of the Seventh Realm Blood Blade warrior, then thought of his own Fourth Realm Blood Blade warrior, and the Sixth Realm Battle Spirit sensed by the Battle Spirit Ring.


    The cost of giving up now was simply too high, besides, there should still be a chance¡ª


    Lin Rui indeed saw an opportunity. His proficient basic knowledge of Formation and Magic Control Divine Technique, allowed him to perceive some flaws in the Formation depicted in the image.


    It was not due to the Formation itself, but the extremely harsh environment beneath the ore vein.


    Of course, the skill level of the Formation caster was not very good either, seeming like someone who was copying from someone else¡¯s Formation diagram without true understanding.


    He wasn¡¯t sure of his judgment, so he called to the ring spirit in his mind, ¡°Ring Spirit, help me elevate my basic Formation knowledge and Magic Control Divine Technique to Great Grandmaster level!¡±


    Tip: To deduce the basic Formation to Great Grandmaster realm, you need 1000 Soul Power points; to deduce the Magic Control Divine Technique to Great Grandmaster realm, you need 3000 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui¡¯s mind rapidly deduced at an unimaginable speed, assimilating the essential mysteries of both the basic Formation and the Magic Control Divine Technique.


    His eyes grew brighter and more confident in his judgment, but this was still very risky, risking his own life¡ª


    At this moment, Lin Rui saw a red shadow in the image.


    It must have been a scene briefly viewed by Li Qiufeng, her impression was blurry, hence the reflected image was also vague.


    However, Lin Rui recognized it at first glance: it was none other than his Blood Blade warrior, Ji Xueying.


    The woman was not only in tattered clothes but had also acquired several wounds on her body. The key was her eyes, filled with anger, hatred, despair, and unwillingness.


    ¡ªThis foolish girl is quite pitiful and silly. She got bullied to this degree the moment she lost her master.


    Lin Rui began to think that the risk wasn¡¯t that great; he had at least a ten percent chance¡ªno, a fifty percent chance of success.


    No sooner had this thought arisen than he took a deep breath and cursed Xue Bogao fiercely in his heart.


    He, a student known for being steady and of pure heart, had been influenced by this Xue Bogao to this extent! A fifty percent chance, was he comforting himself?


    He still had a sister at home to take care of; how could he be so crazy? No, absolutely not, he couldn¡¯t be so stupid¡ª


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression, however, was impassive: ¡°I think there¡¯s still a chance. No matter what, I want to go down and give it a try!¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Lin Rui in utter astonishment.


    Lin Rui unceremoniously extended his hand towards them: ¡°But I need a large number of lightning and fire talismans. Priest Li, you practice both martial arts and magic, right? And magistrate, I would like to ask you to give me all the Thunder Fire Talismans you have!¡±


    Li Qiufeng was moved, her chest heaving with emotion.


    She stared at Lin Rui as the ¡®Sacred Thunder Fire¡¯ in her hand blazed and spluttered, the lightning flickering.


    Li Qiufeng sighed, her expression one of admiration: ¡°Worthy of being a Fate¡¯s Chosen, you truly have a ¡®Heart of Light¡¯ within you!¡±


    She thought no wonder the Great Bright Saint King valued Lin Rui so much.

 Chapter 98: 97: Heart of Guang Ming (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Chapter 98: Chapter 97: Heart of Guang Ming (Seeking Subscriptions)


    ¡°The Heart of Guang Ming?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui scoffed to himself. Where did this ¡®Heart of Guang Ming¡¯ come from?


    He was merely reluctant to part with his Level 4 Blood Blade Ji and the Major Battle Spirit.


    And now, the situation in Silver Moon County had become irredeemable.


    Even if he somehow succeeded, only a small portion of the thirty thousand residents could be saved.


    Next, Li Qiufeng handed him a large stack of talismans, totaling over four hundred fifty, along with a small flying sword, two feet long.


    ...


    Lin Rui found that the quality of these talismans was very high, much better than the Flash Thunder Talismans and Blazing Fire Talismans he had drawn himself.


    But what surprised him even more was the small flying sword that glinted silver and was dazzlingly white.


    He held the flying sword in his hand and looked at it in amazement, ¡°Is this a Level 4 flying sword?¡±


    Although the sword was small, only two feet long and two fingers wide, it contained an astonishing amount of thunder and fire elemental power.


    ¡°This is the ¡®Little Guang Ming Holy Sword¡¯ that I personally forged. Its power is quite decent, and its elemental attributes are very suitable for an arrest officer.¡±


    Li Qiufeng explained with a slight smile, speaking very rapidly, ¡°Yesterday, I saw Officer Lin fighting that Thousand Silks Demon using flying needles. Hence, you must be able to use this flying sword as well, which is much more powerful than the needles. Perhaps it could grant you a bit more of a chance.¡±


    Lin Rui was indeed now capable of controlling a flying sword.


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    Back at Base Nine, when he had just exchanged for the ¡®Lightning Extreme Divine Pillar¡¯, Sword Control felt a bit forced and he had to rely on an intelligent flying sword.


    But now, he had exchanged several other Pillars, including the Spirit Nourishing Pillar and the True Source Pillar, which were cultivation techniques specifically for enhancing spiritual power, and he had even advanced the ¡®Lightning Extreme Divine Pillar¡¯ to Great Grandmaster level, significantly increasing his spiritual power and control over electromagnetic forces.


    His current limit state could simultaneously control thirty-five flying needles, managing this two-foot flying sword would be no problem at all.


    Moreover, the spiritual nature of this Level 4 flying sword was extremely strong.


    Li Qiufeng continued, ¡°Additionally, after Officer Lin enters the cave, I can try to buy Silver Moon County¡¯s people half a moment more time, I assure you, I¡¯ll keep my word!¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Li Qiufeng once again with astonished expressions.


    A glint flashed in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes, and a silver flying sword by his side briefly shimmered, piercing directly through the brow of one of the three-realm demons. The powerful thunderous flames contained in the ¡®Little Guang Ming Holy Sword¡¯ instantly incinerated the demon¡¯s brain and spine.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but slightly curve his lips upward at this scene.


    The power of the ¡®Little Guang Ming Holy Sword¡¯ was indeed remarkable; he speculated that his spiritual power rating had likely surpassed 650!


    Simultaneously, Zhang Tianchang also leaped down from the cave¡¯s roof.


    A moment ago, he was breathing fiery hot air, his body burning fiercely, but as he leaped down, Zhang Tianchang¡¯s body temperature returned to normal.


    This was because Zhang Tianchang had directly slit his wrist, letting blood drip out and using this method to release the fiery heat from his body.


    Following Zhang Tianchang, Wang Sen also jumped into the pit, a bitter smile on his face.


    It was he who had led Lin Rui into this pit in Yinyue County, and he had made quite a sum thanks to Rui.


    Since Rui was determined to look into the pit, how could he just stand by and watch?


    Following Wang Sen, the ice method practicing arrest officer Ximen Shou, with Cao Jun and the other three arrest officers also fiercely bit their teeth and jumped in one after another.


    They, like Zhang Tianchang, slit open a wound on their bodies, using bloodletting as a method to release heat, and they each also took a tranquility and focus pill.


    Given their situation, they couldn¡¯t possibly sit idly above ground, even if it meant risking their lives, even if they could contribute only a meager effort, they had to fight.


    The priest watched this scene and was slightly moved.


    However, he soon turned around and headed towards Gui Xu Town.


    He was a retainer of Zhuang Mingyue, and his most pressing task was to find his lord and learn of Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s whereabouts and safety, rather than descending into a deadly battle with these doomed people.


    ¡°These six are all heroes with brave hearts, each possessing a heart of light!¡± Li Qiufeng said emotionally, ¡°The world is fraught with mistrials and the demon dust dulls; countless ordeals and diseases rapidly develop; thus, what joy is there in living, and what pain in dying? There must be sacred lightning, shining holiness, promoting good and eradicating evil, cleansing my frail body, enlightening my clear mind, and awakening my bright nature¡ª¡±


    She chanted the hymn of the Church of Guang Ming while her body unexpectedly ascended into the air, holding the Divine Thunder Fire in her hands, which began to emit intense light, and Li Qiufeng¡¯s entire body also began to burn with white flames.


    In that instant, the purple light covering the sky was distorted by a strange force, converging towards the Divine Thunder Fire in Li Qiufeng¡¯s hands.


    The priest immediately turned his head back, looking at Li Qiufeng in surprise.


    He had not expected the demonic cult priest to use this method to delay the spontaneous combustion of the town¡¯s citizens.


    But was it worth it for her to do so?

 Chapter 99: 98: Bone Armor Dragon (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    Chapter 99: Chapter 98: Bone Armor Dragon (Three more updates, please subscribe)


    Beneath the cavern, Ji Xueying was frantically escaping.


    She was surrounded by fiend demons and demonic cultivators, all intent on capturing her.


    The demon types created by Zhu Lingshi seemed utterly fearless.


    Since entering the cavern, Ji Xueying had slain seventeen demonic cultivators and twenty-five fiend demons, including five from the fourth realm. Yet these demonic cultivators and demons still charged forward fearlessly, desperately blocking her path.


    The County Magistrate may have used some forbidden techniques or drugs on these fiends, turning the inherently fierce creatures into obedient servants.@@@@


    They often disregarded their lives, seeking only to delay Ji Xueying for a moment.


    ...


    Under normal circumstances, Ji Xueying wouldn¡¯t have been afraid.


    As long as Zhu Lingshi couldn¡¯t control her with the golden seal, Ji Xueying could annihilate these demons one by one with minimal cost.


    The complex environment below the cavern actually suited her combat style perfectly.


    The problem was her current condition was dire, especially with two horrific penetrating wounds in her chest and abdomen that left her internal organs exposed.


    Odd powers twisted around her wounds, making recovery extremely difficult for Ji Xueying¡¯s physique.


    The injuries were sustained during a fight with Zhu Lingshi¡¯s uncle Zhu Tianmao.


    Unbelievably, Silver Moon County had attracted a dual cultivator of the fifth realm in both mechanical techniques and martial skills. Ji Xueying barely managed a hundred moves against him before escaping with severe injuries.


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    The County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi¡¯s cold, sinister voice then drifted from behind, as if coming from the deepest hells, ¡°Still running? How long can you run? Where can you possibly go?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care about your mother¡¯s life anymore? Look, she¡¯s not even 40 yet, skin soft and tender, quite the beauty too. What a pity it would be for her to die.¡±


    Just then, a painful wail escaped from behind.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s face turned pale as she recognized her mother¡¯s voice.


    It belonged to her mother, who had cared for her tirelessly and without complaint while she was bedridden for several years.


    What had that beast Zhu Lingshi done to her mother to cause her such pain?


    Ji Xueying was heartbroken, but she did not slow down her desperate run.


    She knew that stopping would be playing right into the enemy¡¯s hands.


    As long as she was alive, her family would not be killed, but if she were captured, then her parents and siblings would surely be doomed!


    These beasts wanted to use her parents¡¯ blood to create demons.


    Her war blade, ¡®Shock Frost¡¯, easily cut through the bone armor. However, in the next instant, a metallic sound emanated from the bone-armored dragon¡¯s left shoulder.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s expression shifted slightly: ¡°Steel bones?¡±


    The skeleton of this bone-armored dragon was made of extremely strong metal.


    Her war blade, ¡®Shock Frost¡¯, forged by the Yuan family with a hefty price, was made of material not inferior to her nurtured ¡®Thunder God¡¯ blade, which was also a fourth-realm divine weapon, yet it could only make a tiny breach in the iron bones of the bone-armored dragon.


    Having failed to inflict a significant injury with her strike, Ji Xueying realized the gravity of the situation. Just as she prepared to retreat, the bone-armored dragon swung its hammers furiously at her, striking back with the ferocity of a prehistoric tyrannosaur.


    As Jiang Hanzhang, hiding behind the bone-armored dragon, also charged out at this moment, wielding a pair of iron maces furiously pounding down on Ji Xueying.


    He took advantage of Ji Xueying¡¯s distraction while she battled the bone-armored dragon. With two consecutive strikes, he hit her right hand and shoulder, causing her flesh to fly and her blood to spray.


    Even the arrest officers took this chance to attack Ji Xueying; although they didn¡¯t hurt her, they made her position increasingly dire.


    At this moment, more demons and demonic cultivators charged at her, surrounding Ji Xueying completely and causing new wounds to emerge across her body.


    She gritted her teeth, appearing ragged as she defended and parried, but her eyes smoldered with intense fury.


    It was just three breaths later when she nearly had her thigh muscle crushed by the bone-armored dragon¡¯s spike-headed hammer. She was forced to stagger backwards once again. Just then, the figure of County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi finally appeared behind Ji Xueying.


    He had changed into clean clothes, and his injuries had largely healed, though his left sleeve was still empty and fluttering.


    Zhu Lingshi was still cautious, his right hand holding a sword as he stood on the outskirts, looking for an opportunity to strike, his face twisted into a cruel sneer. ¡°What a pity. I just wanted to take off your mother¡¯s hand, and now I can¡¯t? I thought you would last longer¡ª¡±


    Just at that moment, as he saw Jiang Hanzhang¡¯s iron mace hit Ji Xueying for the third time, causing flesh to fly, Zhu Lingshi¡¯s speech abruptly halted, his figure suddenly darting into the fray to slash at Blood Blade Ji¡¯s back.


    Hate and rage filled his eyes. That cut he had received in the courthouse from Ji Xueying had really hurt!


    But in the moment he neared her, sudden demonic fire blazed violently around Ji Xueying, and countless red lightning bolts exploded from beside her.


    ¡°Slice!¡±


    Ji Xueying swung her blade fiercely, her war blade Shock Frost tracing a brilliant arc of red light.


    This stroke not only decapitated a fourth-realm demon besieging her but also severed a limb of the bone-armored dragon! Shockingly, with an unstoppable force, she cleanly sliced through the metal bones of the bone-armored dragon.


    Clerk Jiang Hanzhang was startled and swiftly pulled his head back, but in the process, his hat and hair were caught and sliced off, his scalp bombing with blood from the red lightning.


    Luckily for him, Ji Xueying¡¯s true target was not him or the nearby bone-armored dragon, but the eunuch Zhu Lingshi standing behind.


    The dazzling arc of blood light continued, slicing down and severing Zhu Lingshi¡¯s left leg.


    Then, Ji Xueying swung her blade a second time, despair, rage, and a will to die glowing in her blood-red eyes.


    She knew she had no way out now; she only wanted to take one person down with her.


    Even if it meant death, she was determined to make Zhu Lingshi, the mastermind behind her misery, pay!

 Chapter 100: 99: Emperor Flame Battles the Dragon (Four updates, please subscribe)

    Chapter 100: Chapter 99: Emperor Flame Battles the Dragon (Four updates, please subscribe)


    Zhu Lingshi caught sight of the crimson blade light slashed by Ji Xueying and felt a chilling horror surge through him, a coldness striking directly at his crown.


    He couldn¡¯t even care about the pain of his broken leg as he let out a terrified scream.


    He knew he was definitely going to die!


    Zhu Lingshi tried desperately to resist, but he was so weak that he couldn¡¯t even stand, and could only watch as the war blade descended toward his face.


    At that moment, a middle-aged man with a pale face dressed in the attire of a sixth-rank palace servant appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Uncle?¡±


    ...


    Zhu Lingshi saw the figure before him and couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of incredulous joy.


    His uncle, Zhu Tianmao, had finally taken action!


    The pale-faced middle-aged man, highly skilled, merely waved his sword and diverted the blade light that Ji Xueying had slashed with all her might to the side.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s mouth corner was already brimming with blood froth, and the despair in her eyes deepened.


    Yet, she didn¡¯t hesitate at all. Summoning all her strength, she fiercely slashed her blade toward her opponent!


    ¡°Not a bad blade technique, pity it¡¯s the last of your strength!¡±


    Zhu Tianmao scoffed coldly, his long sword entangled and twisted, flicking off the war blade in Ji Xueying¡¯s hand.


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    The sword style then changed, coordinating with the ¡®Bone Mail Dragon¡¯ behind him, and within three to five strokes, Ji Xueying could not respond. The back of the sword fiercely struck her forehead, knocking her unconscious.


    ¡°You fool!¡±


    Zhu Tianmao grunted lightly, looking back at Zhu Lingshi dissatisfied, ¡°Did you not see that she was all this while accumulating strength, preparing to go all out for one last strike?¡±


    ¡°Uncle!¡± Zhu Lingshi¡¯s face was as pale as paper, enduring the intense pain, he managed to stand by leaning against the wall, ¡°I am ashamed, if not for uncle¡¯s intervention, I would be dead by now.¡±


    Zhu Tianmao, however, was looking at Zhu Lingshi¡¯s crotch: ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡ª¡±


    Pity that Ji¡¯s blade was off by just a bit, otherwise this boy could also have had the fortune to enter the palace and serve alongside him under Prince Han.


    ¡°Never mind, the Blood Blade Ji you picked has excellent talent, not only is she truly a super king rank, but she also has the potential to go even further, making her an excellent material. However, handling a fish with spines is bound to prick the hands.¡±


    Zhu Tianmao then walked towards another tunnel direction, his demeanor calm and collected.


    ¡°I am now set to complete the final step in forging the ¡®Imperial Flame Blood Blade Ji,¡¯ take care of your injuries on your own. Don¡¯t worry about your disabilities, Prince Han has obtained some medicinal potions from an extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon that can restore limbs. After today¡¯s matters conclude, I¡¯ll return to the capital and secure a portion for you.¡±


    At that time, the ¡®Bone Mail Dragon¡¯ also dragged Ji Xueying by one foot, following behind Zhu Tianmao.


    To the left and right of the giant Purple Gleam Primordial Crystal were correspondingly placed two crystal coffins, one of which already contained a Blood Blade Ji.


    Jiang Hanzhang also saw that ¡®Bone Armor Dragon¡¯ pick up Ji Xueying and throw her into the empty crystal coffin, then locking her up with the chains inside the coffin.


    Zhu Tianmao had already walked to the front of the giant Purple Gleam Primordial Crystal and stood, watching the ¡®dragon¡¯ inside with great interest.


    ¡°What a pity! Such a powerful Imperial Flame Battle Dragon, since its birth, has only been able to lie dormant within the Purple Gleam Primordial Crystal, unable to display its splendor.¡±


    After a sigh, he formed hand seals, his eyes flickering with a ghostly light, ¡°Today, Zhu will let you awaken, given new life by His Highness Prince Han!¡±


    At that instant, streams of blood flowed out from the surrounding crystal coffins, converging towards where Zhu Tianmao was standing.


    The surrounding Purple Gleam Primordial Crystals also emitted a strong purple gleam in that instant, releasing even more violent Purple Gleam Yang Energy.


    At that same instant, Ji Xueying woke up from her unconsciousness.


    She instinctively started to struggle, but she found not only her hands and feet shackled, but her bones also broken, and she couldn¡¯t move at all for the time being.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s face turned pale; on one hand, she used her powerful recovery ability to mend her bones; on the other, she gathered Blade Qi, attempting to cut open the surrounding crystal coffin.


    But just then, strands of fresh blood flowed beneath her crystal coffin.


    Ji Xueying let out a heart-wrenching scream; not only did her whole body burn, but she also felt an extremely fierce and tyrannical purple flame scorching her Primordial Spirit¡¯s soul.


    This extreme pain almost shattered her will and heart, causing her gathered Blade Qi to directly dissipate.


    Is this where it ends? Am I so incapable that I still can¡¯t make the enemies who harmed my family pay the price¡ª


    Ji Xueying¡¯s heart was filled with despair, sorrow, helplessness, and resentment.


    With her last strength, she turned her head, her gaze passing through the crystal, looking in the direction where her father and siblings were.


    They too were trapped in crystal coffins, their expressions full of immense pain.


    Ji Xueying also saw her mother, who was thrown aside like a torn sack, weeping softly in a corner.


    Indeed, her mother¡¯s right thumb and pinky were also cut off.


    Ji Xueying gave a bitter smile, weakly closed her eyes, and silently endured the agony, perhaps a hundred times more painful than being slowly tortured to death.


    At the next instant, Ji Xueying suddenly opened her eyes wide, disbelieving.


    She could sense her Master again!


    Her master, Lin Twelve, had also entered the cavern!


    Ji Xueying wondered if her master had lost his mind. Why hadn¡¯t he fled under such circumstances but had instead willingly jumped into this pit?


    Was he unaware of ¡®Zhu Tianmao¡¯s existence, or that a powerful dual cultivator of martial arts and magic, a Fifth Realm expert, had come to Silver Moon County?

 Chapter 101: 100: Unstoppable (Five Updates for Subscription)

    Chapter 101: Chapter 100: Unstoppable (Five Updates for Subscription)


    PS: Gone all out to break new ground, five updates today, seeking subscriptions! Seeking monthly votes!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    As Lin Rui fell to the bottom of the pit, he stumbled and nearly lost his footing.


    With one hand supporting his head, he let out a pained moan.


    This was because the Blood Covenant had spontaneously resonated with the Ruyi Synchronization Knot, reestablishing contact with Blood Blade Ji.


    As their minds reconnected, an intense throbbing pain burst in Lin Rui¡¯s temples.


    ...


    The pain was extremely severe, several times stronger than the previous two instances, as if flames were furiously burning within his brain, threatening to turn all of his marrow to ashes.


    ¡°Tsk! That dumb girl, caught just like that?¡±


    Lin Rui deduced that not only had Blood Blade Ji been captured, but she was also being subjected to soul burning and spirit refining, by piecing together the further outbursts from the nearby purple crystals.


    The agony of soul burning and spirit refining was so excruciating that Blood Blade Ji couldn¡¯t contain her mind, letting the pain wash over like an overwhelming tide.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but rub his temples and wryly smile.


    He had anticipated that his Blood Blade Ji would be caught.


    With Ji Xueying¡¯s weakness in the enemy¡¯s grasp, and the presence of a high-ranking dual cultivator of magic and martial arts, Ji Xueying would eventually fall into enemy hands.


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    However, encountering such a setback as soon as he arrived was somewhat of a blow.


    ¡°That dumb girl, if you can¡¯t beat them, then run, run for your life! Even if you ultimately can¡¯t escape, you could have caused some trouble for County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi and gained some time.¡±@@@@


    Ji Xueying couldn¡¯t bear to see her blood relatives tortured, and now her whole family was in peril, all together.


    Lin Rui quickly pulled himself together and looked around.


    ¡°However, it¡¯s also good. Once Zhu Tianmao initiates the refining process, he won¡¯t be able to easily leave the altar. But now, I must hurry.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªSince there¡¯s no turning back after descending, he must stake everything, doing everything in his power to accelerate his pace.


    Lin Rui used his heightened spiritual senses to survey the area and then proceeded down a side tunnel.


    At this moment, his face appeared calm, with even a hint of a smile on his lips, but on close inspection, one would notice his facial muscles twitching slightly.


    Lin Rui could voluntarily close the door of his mind, shutting out the soul burning pain washing over from Ji Xueying¡¯s side, but he chose not to.


    Ji Xueying must be in an extremely vulnerable state right now, and Lin Rui worried that if he shut the door to his mind, it could plunge that foolish girl into despair and cause her to give up resisting.


    If Ji Xueying¡¯s consciousness was truly wiped clean, it would mean trouble, signaling that Zhu Tianmao was close to completing that terrifying Seventh Realm demon, and it would also mean that all of them would die here.


    Besides, he could bear it¡ª


    Lin Rui instinctively hummed a nursery rhyme, using a habit formed in his past life to combat the soul burning agony.


    ¡°Your smile is so lovely, like the flowers in spring, it blows away all the worries and sorrows¡ª¡±


    That was unmistakably a four-realm Fire Scythe Demon, possibly even in the mid-four-realm! Its body was two zhang tall, strong as a bull, covered in red scales, wielding a massive flame scythe.


    Lin Rui had sensed it early on; among the demons around, this was the most troublesome and strongest one!


    But Lin Rui didn¡¯t defend, nor did he dodge; he remained resolutely in place, saber in hand, gathering momentum.


    Sure enough, in the next instant, a figure covered in bronze color, with a gale force, rushed to his front from behind.


    That was Zhang Tianchang, who, despite being unarmed, fearlessly threw a fierce punch forward.


    ¡°Thud!¡±


    When the fiery scythe collided with Zhang Tianchang¡¯s fist, a thunderous roar erupted, shaking the entire cave thrice, and a myriad of broken rocks and dust cascaded down.


    The strength of the four-realm Fire Scythe Demon was no match for Zhang Tianchang, who forced it to retreat half a step with the impact.


    And at that moment, the Thunder God Saber in Lin Rui¡¯s hand flashed again amidst exploding lightning and fire.


    This slash seemed unremarkable, its might far from the previous one, yet the body of the Fire Scythe Demon was instantly chopped into eight pieces!


    Tip: Slaying a four-realm demon, obtained 1653 points of Soul Power.


    Zhang Tianchang¡¯s eyes widened slightly; Lin Twelve¡¯s saber was so fast! It even seemed quicker than during the fight at the county yamen!


    They had watched Lin Twelve fight these demons on their way over, and he felt the speed of Lin Twelve¡¯s sabre was unbelievably fast.


    Now, witnessing it from a close distance, Zhang Tianchang was even more shocked.


    Zhang Tianchang immediately set aside his thoughts and let out a roar, ¡°Lin Twelve! I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re thinking, as long as you can stop those two beasts, as long as you can ensure all the people in this city survive, then just focus on doing that!¡±


    Although he had followed Lin Twelve down here, he had no idea what Lin Twelve actually wanted to do.


    But that didn¡¯t matter, he had already been in despair, only wishing to fight those two beasts to the death.


    Now that Lin Twelve had given him a glimmer of hope, he was even more determined to fight!


    Cao Jun and the others quickly followed, swiftly positioning themselves in front of Lin Rui to shield him on both sides. Gritting their teeth, they fought to the death with the demon cultivators and demons, determined not to let those scoundrels in front interfere with Lin Rui¡¯s symbol-attaching.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t respond; he couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted. He needed to fully concentrate on opposing the burning pain of soul and keep sensing the ether elements around him with his Spiritual Sense, discerning the status of those Purple Brilliance Crystals.


    His eyes grew brighter and brighter. The magistrate and Li Qiufeng together gave him more than 900 symbols, and with his own Flash Thunder Talismans and Blazing Fire Talismans totaling 2400, he had already attached nearly a third.


    ¡ªAlready quick!


    That eunuch Zhu should soon sense that his ¡°eggs¡± were already in my grip!


    No, that¡¯s wrong! Being a eunuch, he should not have those.


    Next, it would be interesting to see what skill Zhu Tianmao had in array tactics and how he would respond.


    What the extremely focused Lin Rui didn¡¯t know was that, at that moment, just a li away in the vast Purple Brilliance Crystal Hall, County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi stood on one leg at the edge of the altar, listening to a subordinate¡¯s whispering report.


    His eyebrows rose at first, then he sneered, a look of anticipation and ridicule in his eyes.


    The scum Lin Twelve actually came down here! He isn¡¯t burnt to death yet!


    This bastard has actually given him the chance for personal revenge!

 Chapter 102: 101: What Happened? (Please subscribe)

    Chapter 102: Chapter 101: What Happened? (Please subscribe)


    The County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi¡¯s unusual expression caught the attention of Zhu Tianmao on the altar.


    Zhu Tianmao clasped his hands together, and turning his head, he asked, ¡°What has happened?¡±


    ¡°A minor issue!¡± Zhu Lingshi replied nonchalantly, bowing toward Zhu Tianmao, ¡°Just that a few fierce rats have made their way in; they¡¯ve already broken through the team I had stationed in the south.¡±


    Zhu Lingshi then looked back and said, ¡°Jiang Hanzhang, I¡¯m giving you four fourth-realm demonic beasts, along with three teams of demonic beasts and three teams of demonic cultivators. Please take your men and deal with those rats quickly, remember! That Lin Twelve, I want him alive, try to bring him to me unharmed.¡±


    Actually, Zhu Lingshi wasn¡¯t very confident in Jiang Hanzhang, but with his current critical injuries preventing him from fighting and his most trusted Blood Blade Yi Yuan having been slain by Lin Twelve, he had no choice but to rely on Jiang.


    Jiang Hanzhang immediately bowed in response. He signaled the two arrest officers behind him to follow, and with a pair of iron maces in hand, he walked toward the southern cave entrance with a dragon and tiger¡¯s stride.


    ...


    Jiang Hanzhang also surmised that the enemies were those constables, with both Lin Twelve and Zhang Tianchang being tough to handle.


    However, the four fourth-realm demonic beasts given to him by Zhu Lingshi were all vigorous and lively.


    In addition, there were three squads of third-realm demonic beasts and three squads of third-realm demonic cultivators, each team consisting of ten members. The overall strength surpassed that of the average third-realm Martial Cultivator.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Blood Blade Ji Xueying severing four of the six fourth-realm demonic beasts to near death right before leaving during the previous battle at the county government, they would have slaughtered Lin Twelve and his group of constables long ago.


    In Jiang Hanzhang¡¯s view, they could simply overpower the group with sheer numbers.


    Upon seeing this, Zhu Tianmao seemed unconcerned. He had previously learned about Silver Moon County¡¯s situation and knew aside from the County Magistrate, there was no one of concern.


    He then thoughtfully turned his head to look at the crystal coffin on his left side. He contemplated the Ji Xueying inside the coffin.


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    A moment later, Zhu Tianmao¡¯s eyes turned profound, and the corners of his lips curled up, ¡°This is getting interesting!¡±


    At that moment in another crystal coffin, the body of the seventh-realm Blood Blade Ji had begun to decompose, transforming into fine blood mist that merged into the array altar, blending with the blood of other Da Zhou dynastic members.


    But on this side, the primary consciousness of this Blood Blade Ji was still intact.


    Ji Xueying was putting up a strong resistance, and her willpower was far stronger than he had anticipated.


    Zhu Tianmao had concentrated countless Purple Glow Primordial Crystals into Purple Glow Primordial Flames via the Array, and up to now, he had still not burned through Ji Xueying¡¯s superficial psyche.


    She still possessed endless fighting spirit and was unwilling to give up.


    Was it because of the group of rats that had just come in? According to Zhu Lingshi, the person who had made a Blood Covenant and shared a psyche with Ji Xueying was one of the constables.


    Even the giant twenty-zhang Purple Sun Crystal at the very center of the Array podium also developed some cracks.


    Zhu Tianmao, standing in front of this gigantic Purple Sun Crystal, also halted his hand signs in that instant, his expression extremely ugly as he looked ahead.


    Zhu Lingshi sensed that the operation of the Array was nearly at a standstill, feeling both alarmed and perplexed, ¡°Uncle, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see?¡±


    Zhu Tianmao clenched his fists tightly, his arms emitting a ¡®crack crack¡¯ sound, his eyes piercing like knives: ¡°The ley line under my feet has been tampered with. The Purple Sun Crystals in the south are excessively fierce, causing the Array to lose balance and hard to stabilize.


    I didn¡¯t expect that in Yinmoon County there would still be such a proficient artificer. Just talking about the basics of Arrays, he is even more skilled than me.¡±


    He is far more skilled! This person must be a very orthodox artificer, with extremely high proficiency in Array paths, unlike me, who dual cultivates both arts and martial skills, limited by time and energy, inevitably having some inadequacies in cultivation¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is it those rats?¡± Zhu Lingshi¡¯s pupils constricted as he considered whether this artificer might be that Master Du. No, that person should not have such high skills.


    He frowned deeply, ¡°I¡¯ll call on a few more teams right away!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough!¡± Zhu Tianmao stared deadly at the giant Purple Sun Crystal in front of him.


    During their short conversation, the cracks had continued to widen, and that person was destroying the natural network of the crystal mine, damaging the perfection of this Array.


    Zhu Tianmao¡¯s voice was chilling, ¡°Lingshi, you go personally and take my Dragon Puppet! Find that artificer and kill him.¡±


    Zhu Lingshi, upon hearing this, hesitated, thinking how he could fight others with his arms and legs cut off?


    Just then, he saw that the wounds on his shoulder and leg began to ¡®sprout.¡¯


    In just a moment, Zhu Lingshi had grown arms and a left leg composed completely of branches and vines.


    Zhu Lingshi blinked, then, without any hesitation, headed toward the southern cave entrance, his gaze fierce: ¡°Everyone, follow me!¡±


    With his command, the remaining demons and demonic cultivators, all crowded behind Zhu Lingshi.


    These demons had forbidden techniques within them, all controlled by him, while the demonic cultivators were daily refined by his medicines, most of them with a dull expression.


    Zhu Lingshi understood his uncle¡¯s intent, that even in hunting a rabbit, the lion uses all its might; they must capture and kill these rats with the fastest speed and greatest power!


    At that moment, Zhu Lingshi¡¯s expression shifted, and he snatched Ji Xueying¡¯s mother from the hands of a Four Territory Fire Scythe Demon, then continued forward with a cold laugh.


    This woman was a useful tool; later, when facing Lin Twelve, she might also come in handy.


    Inside the crystal coffin, Ji Xueying endured the immense pain while observing the outside.


    She felt both anger and amazement; anger at Zhu Lingshi¡¯s actions and amazement at the situation outside. What exactly was happening that could cause Zhu Tianmao to be so furious?

 Chapter 103: 102 Collapse (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 103: Chapter 102 Collapse (Please Subscribe)


    Inside the tunnel, Zhang Tianchang and his companions were on full alert, guarding against every rustle of wind and movement of grass.


    After the battle they had just fought, they followed Lin Rui¡¯s flying sword through the underground tunnels at high speed.


    The structure of these tunnels was extremely complex, reminiscent of a labyrinth.


    From the traces inside the tunnels, it was evident that a small part of them were ancient mines, while the rest had been excavated more recently, within the last few years.


    They were most likely the work of the County Magistrate, who, unbeknownst to anyone including the County Magistrate himself, had bred numerous demons and demonic cultivators and hidden them under the ground.


    The group initially proceeded with great caution, but soon discovered that Lin Rui¡¯s sensing abilities were abnormally strong.


    ...


    The tunnels Lin Rui¡¯s flying sword chose for their route were definitely intentional.


    They could hear intense footsteps and curses around them, clearly indicating that a large troop was encircling and attempting to trap and annihilate them.


    They even heard the archivist Jiang Hanzhang barking orders and curses.


    Yet, Lin Rui often managed to strike at their weaknesses and leap out of the enemy¡¯s encirclement, taking paths where demons were less frequent. They encountered no more than five demons at a time, all of which they could quickly dispatch.


    The group weaved through these tunnels, striking the enemy down like slicing a sausage.


    Each cut was minor, but their efforts accumulated. In just under a hundred breaths, they had slain at least twelve demons and nine demonic cultivators.


    However, the urgency in their hearts grew because they knew time was running out.


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    In just these short hundred breaths, who knew how many civilians from Silver Moon County had perished in self-immolation.


    Only Lin Rui¡¯s demeanor became increasingly composed; he continued to affix talismans while humming a tune.


    His singing was leisurely and pleasant to the ear, but in the heat of the subterranean tunnels, surrounded by enemies, it seemed out of place to everyone else.


    One of the four arrest officers named Zhu Fang couldn¡¯t contain his impatience and wore a look of confusion and helplessness as he turned to Wang Sen, ¡°Twenty-Seven, is your boss always like this?¡±


    Wang Sen was walking right in the middle of their group.


    He and Ximen Shou took turns using the Cold Ice Palm to cool down Zhang Tianchang and the others.


    They only needed to gather cold energy in their palms and slap it against the others¡¯ chests and abdomens to noticeably relieve their distress.@@@@


    This method was quite damaging to one¡¯s True Yuan, and they would definitely be seriously ill afterward, but the current situation left no room for consideration¡ªthey had to drink poison to quench their thirst.


    As Wang Sen struck, he looked back and said, ¡°Pretty much. Brother Twelve sings when he¡¯s in a good mood, and he sings when he¡¯s not.¡±


    He suspected that Lin Rui might have a bit of pseudologia fantastica.


    Occasionally, he saw expressions on Lin Rui¡¯s face that seemed slightly neurotic.


    But this seemed unlikely, as Lin Rui had an excellent talent for spiritual power, a high value for spiritual power, and his body hadn¡¯t been implanted with any excessive equips, so there was no reason for him to be psychotic.


    Just as Wang Sen looked back, Lin Rui suddenly warned, ¡°Careful, to the left!¡±


    Having fought their way here through the cave and killed dozens of enemies was already beyond his expectations. What followed was nothing but a fight to the death, to drag more people down to hell with them.


    Wang Sen, however, was holding his shield, high in fighting spirit; he had unconditional trust in Lin Rui, convinced that the talismans arranged by him were targeted with purpose.


    Lin Rui would not have ventured into the caves without some measure of confidence.


    Wang Sen also saw Lin Rui¡¯s bright white flying sword quietly poking at the nearby cave wall, doing something unclear.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Officer Lin and Officer Zhang? I didn¡¯t expect to meet so soon.¡±


    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi caressed the wound at his severed hand, his eyes filled with an extremely malevolent look, ¡°It¡¯s marvelous indeed, I just happen to have a score to settle with you.¡±


    Zhu Lingshi surveyed each of them while speaking, trying to determine which one was the high-level sorcerer mentioned by his uncle.


    Zhu Lingshi¡¯s words came to an abrupt halt because, in that instant, he saw Lin Rui scatter around eighty talismans into the surroundings, manipulating them with the power of thunder magnetism to float in mid-air.


    At the same time, Lin Rui¡¯s hands formed seals, as if casting a spell.


    By the look of those seals, it seemed like a spell called ¡®Soul Summoning Technique¡¯ that could guide the spirits of heaven and earth and also remotely detonate talismans.


    The key point was that this man was full of wits and currently resonating with the surrounding Ziyao Yuan Crystals, as the Ziyao Yang Yuan within those crystals was becoming volatile.


    Zhu Lingshi¡¯s face changed, instinctively sensing danger, ¡°What are you doing? Stop at once!¡±


    Lin Rui paid no mind to him, not wanting to waste precious time engaging in pointless talk. Instead, he continued to chant nursery rhymes while forming seals.


    He had completed the final seal, causing all eighty-one talismans around him to explode. Lin Rui then teleported behind Zhang Tianchang, ¡°Old Zhang, it¡¯s all up to you now!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s Little Guang Ming Holy Sword had already pre-emptively cut a niche in the wall beside Zhang Tianchang, just big enough to hold six people.


    Zhang Tianchang was initially puzzled but then heard an earth-shattering explosion that nearly deafened him, and saw intense purple light appear in the tunnel ahead and behind him.


    The purple light gathered together, forming a torrential stream of purple luminescence, sweeping through the cave like a tidal wave, unstoppable, burning everything in its wake!


    ¡°Ziyao Yuan Crystals?¡±


    Zhang Tianchang instantly realized what was happening; those talismans Lin Twelve had placed must have triggered the surrounding Ziyao Yuan Crystals to release a more violent Yang flame energy. The extreme heat caused everything touched by them to ignite instantly.


    Even the Ziyao Yuan Crystals themselves were no exception, all starting to burn fiercely!


    This caused the demon cultivators and demons to catch fire all over, emitting heartbreaking screams as they howled in agony and struggled.


    Wang Sen and Cao Jun, along with the others, reacted very swiftly, all dodging into the hole dug out by Lin Rui.


    Zhang Tianchang let out a fierce roar, pushing his Divine Power Vajra Skill to the extreme.


    His body swelling instantly by a fifth, he seemed encased in metal, like a wall, shielding the others in front of him.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Wang Sen looked surprised; he felt that Zhang Tianchang¡¯s bloodline power seemed to have undergone a tremendous transformation in that instant.


    With no time to ponder, he used his shield to seal any gaps and exerted his full strength to deploy his Cold Ice Palm True Yuan, cooling down the few beside him.


    In the next instant, Wang Sen saw the surrounding purple light fill his vision.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 104: 103: Burning and Killing (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 104: Chapter 103: Burning and Killing (Please Subscribe)


    As the dazzling purple light unfolded and enveloped the tunnel they were in, the few hiding behind Zhang Tianchang, including Cao Jun, also let out agonizing groans.


    The temperature inside the tunnel rose rapidly, with violent and chaotic purple solar essence rampaging throughout, even melting some of the tunnel walls¡¯ surfaces.


    The spot they were in was, under Lin Rui¡¯s manipulative guidance, where the purple solar essence was least concentrated¡ªits temperature much lower than elsewhere, only about twenty to thirty percent of it. Although they were shielded by Zhang Tianchang¡¯s body, everyone¡¯s body temperature was still rising swiftly, nearing spontaneous combustion.


    Consciousness began to blur in their minds due to the heat, and breathing became difficult, almost to the point of suffocation, yet they all fiercely clenched their teeth and used their bodies to cover the innermost Lin Rui, keeping him away from the purple light.


    They all knew that whether the people of Silver Moon County could survive now depended on Lin Twelve!


    Zhang Tianchang let out an animalistic growl, his body continued to expand, the metallic color on his skin darkened further, and even short, sharp bone spurs grew out of his finger joints, as if he were wearing a set of knuckledusters.


    ...


    His eyes were filled with hopeful luster.


    That guy Lin Twelve, he hadn¡¯t lied! He was about to incinerate all the demons underground!


    So he must hold on! He must protect Lin Twelve at all costs!


    It didn¡¯t matter if they died today; Lin Twelve must not be harmed!


    Lin Rui silently watched the few before him.


    He didn¡¯t need protection; his body had been refined not long ago and lacked much of the purple solar dust within.


    The radiation and high temperature from outside were entirely bearable for him.


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    Lin Rui looked at their faces, twisted in agony yet unwavering, his gaze becoming tender and complex.


    He began to sing again, singing ¡°Your smile is so beautiful.¡±


    But Lin Rui had barely sung a few words when he was interrupted. From afar came the furious cursing of the County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi, ¡°Lin Twelve, I curse your ancestors for eighteen generations! Singing? Sing to your grandmother, to your ancestors, you bastard, you lunatic!¡±


    The surge of purple light came quickly and receded just as fast, fading after barely twenty breaths.


    All the Third Realm demons in the tunnel had turned into fireballs, lying motionless on the ground, presumably dead, yet their bodies were still ablaze.


    Only a few Third Realm demon cultivators were struggling, howling like ghosts and wolves, rolling on the ground in agony. However, judging by their state, they weren¡¯t far from death either.


    This could be confirmed by the continuous stream of notifications in his mind.


    Notification: Slay a Third Realm demon cultivator, obtain 434 points of Soul Power.


    Notification: Slay a Third Realm demon cultivator, obtain 394 points of Soul Power.


    Notification: Slay a Third Realm demon cultivator, obtain 394 points of Soul Power.


    Tip: Slain a Fourth Realm demon cultivator, obtained 1423 points of Soul Power.


    Afterward, Lin Rui¡¯s sword moves were incredibly straightforward and fast, working in conjunction with the Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill, his figure flickering like a phantom among the several demons, while the Mini Guang Ming Holy Sword harassed and restrained them with its quick thrusts.


    In just a few changes of movement, Lin Rui had left two of the Fourth Realm demons at a loss, no longer capable of capturing Lin Rui¡¯s figure and sword light.


    They became aware of the danger, emitting angry and fearful roars, their bodies swelling continuously under the stress of the crisis,


    ¡°Kill! Kill! Roar!¡±


    Yet Lin Rui¡¯s figure unbelievably appeared behind one of the Fourth Realm tiger-shaped demons, the ¡®Thunder God¡¯ sword wrapped in lightning and fire serpents, chopping down fiercely.


    Boom!


    The ferocious sword light instantly blasted the Fourth Realm tiger-shaped demon, splitting its body open and turning its flesh into mush.


    Tip: Slain a Fourth Realm demon cultivator, obtained 1398 points of Soul Power.


    At the same time, another Fourth Realm demon nearby was also pierced through the brow by his Mini Guang Ming Holy Sword.


    This fire scythe demon had an extremely strong vitality and it wasn¡¯t dead even after its brain was pierced, but Lin Rui¡¯s hand was already reaching out and he actually grabbed the fire scythe demon¡¯s spine, forcibly pulling out the seven-foot-long vertebral column from the demon¡¯s body and then crushing it with one hand!


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Wang Sen, who was behind assisting Cao Jun and others with cooling down, saw this scene, and his eyes almost popped out.


    Lin Rui¡¯s move was simply brutally extreme!


    Wang Sen knew Lin Rui¡¯s combat strength was very high, and the battle at the county hall had been an eye-opener for him.


    However, the fights he¡¯d seen before were nowhere near as shocking as what he had witnessed today.


    While Wang Sen was still surprised, Lin Rui looked up and glanced at both sides of the cave.


    The County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi had been cursing fiercely before, but once the violet light in the vicinity had completely retreated, this person had already fled without a trace.


    And that archivist Jiang Hanzhang had also disappeared, although two of his arrest officers had been burned to death alive.


    County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi must have had some method that allowed Jiang Hanzhang and others to avoid self-combustion under the illumination of the violet sun crystals.


    However, these two arrest officers still couldn¡¯t withstand the continuous high temperatures and intense radiation inside this tunnel for 20 seconds, peaking at at least 1,800 degrees Celsius.


    Lin Rui¡¯s figure then exploded forward like thunder once again, driving his sword into the neck of a Fourth Realm Thousand Threads demon, not only decapitating it but also using violent thunder and fierce fire to completely eradicate its brain.


    Tip: Slain a Fourth Realm demon cultivator, obtained 1313 points of Soul Power.


    Lin Rui held nothing back, pushing his combat strength to its limit, determined to end the fight in the shortest time possible!


    In just a few breaths, Lin Rui had slain the last demon, and on Tian Chang¡¯s side, the steel armor at the chest of the bone armored dragon had also been forcefully blasted apart, tearing out a red crystal embedded inside, causing currents to stream chaotically throughout the body of the bone armored dragon, rendering it immobile afterwards.


    After the battle ended, Lin Rui showed no sign of joy.


    He held the ¡®Thunder God¡¯ sword in one hand, gazing at the mutated parts of Cao Jun and the others, his expression solemn and silent.

 Chapter 105: 104: Seeing Shocking Thunder Again (Request for Subscription)

    Chapter 105: Chapter 104: Seeing Shocking Thunder Again (Request for Subscription)


    Just as Lin Rui and Zhang Tianchang silently watched several arrest officers, Cao Jun also lowered his head and looked at his transformed body.


    ¡°I¡¯ve become a demon,¡± Cao Jun let out a bitter laugh, ¡°Old Cao has killed at least twenty demons and five demon cultivators in his lifetime, and yet, I turned into a demon myself.¡±


    As he spoke, he leaned against the wall, exhausted and helpless, and slid down.@@@@


    Although Cao Jun had just resisted the four-realm, three-legged mud demon by transforming, the vital energy he consumed was astonishingly great.


    Previously, he was holding on by sheer determination, but now that he relaxed completely, he felt utterly drained.


    Yet Cao Jun¡¯s eyes were fixed on Lin Rui, ¡°Does Arrest Officer Lin truly have a way to stop him, stop that eunuch?¡±


    ...


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t speak, but nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Then go quickly!¡± Cao Jun¡¯s eyes shone, ¡°Promise me, you must stop him, at least prevent him from burning all the people of our Silver Moon County to death! If you can do that, even in death, I will feel it was worth it.¡±


    He had already harbored a determination to die, and planned to take his own life with his sword after Lin Rui left.


    How could Cao Jun, who had been an arrest officer all his life, bear to end up as a demon whom the people would dread and the imperial court would zealously exterminate?


    ¡°Arrest Officer Lin!¡± Zhu Fang, another officer beside him, who also looked defeated, bowed respectfully to Lin Rui: ¡°We are exhausted and can¡¯t accompany you till the end, it¡¯s all up to you now, Arrest Officer Lin!¡±


    Another officer who had undergone a demonic transformation, Tao Bin, laughed loudly, ¡°Arrest Officer Lin, please go quickly, don¡¯t mind us. Time is pressing, don¡¯t waste it on us.¡±


    Lin Rui was indeed in a rush, as he sensed that Ji Xueying¡¯s will was on the verge of collapse.


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    The eunuch not only had no intention of stopping, but on the contrary, he spared no expense to increase the intensity of the soul-burning and spirit-refining, attempting to crush Ji Xueying¡¯s will in the shortest time possible.


    This person even fused some of the souls of the self-combusted villagers after refining them, forcibly merging them with Ji Xueying. This approach could strengthen Ji Xueying¡¯s spirit, and at the same time, it could reduce her control over her own spirit.


    The pain from the soul burning and spirit refining was so intense that Lin Rui could hardly bear it.


    Lin Rui closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and his expression returned to calm, ¡°Arrest Officer Ximen, Tian 27, stay here to look after them.¡±


    Ximen Shou was silent, though he had not transformed into a demon, he too was drained of vital energy, almost too weak to move.


    Wang Sen clenched his fists tightly, his face grim.


    He knew Lin Rui thought his strength was not enough to face the Fifth Realm eunuch.


    A sense of urgency arose in Wang Sen¡¯s mind, thinking that he must quickly level up and bolster his combat power.


    He concentrated on sensing inside his body, perhaps due to the so-called sustained exposure to ¡°Purple Lustrous Solar Essence,¡± Wang Sen felt a new bloodline power awakening within him.


    Lin Rui, holding the Thunder God Saber, with lightning exploding beneath his feet, sprinted out of the cave entrance. ¡°The entire world, all its moments, beautiful as a scroll of paintings, longing to visit the distant mountains and rivers¡ª¡±


    Zhang Tianchang immediately followed him, his expression a bit helpless, ¡°What song are you singing, Number 12? Can you stop singing? If not, change the song.¡±


    He had only half finished his sentence when he realized that Lin twelve had no intention of stopping. Instead, he was hastening with the Thunder God Saber in hand.


    Zhu Lingshi¡¯s pupils dilated as he pressed the blade into the hostage¡¯s neck, bellowing angrily, ¡°Stop!¡±


    In that instant, Zhu Lingshi saw a familiar purple glow.


    Just like during the previous battle at the county government office, when Lin twelve sliced off his arm, the style of drawing the sword was exactly the same.


    This is bad¡ª


    Before Zhu Lingshi could react, he heard a ¡®puff¡¯ sound.


    His hands then slid off his body and fell to the ground.


    With a look of shock and perplexity, Lin twelve had, in that instant, made two strikes, severing both of his hands!


    The problem was, how did this guy make the cuts? How could he be so fast? He hadn¡¯t even seen it! Moreover, he covered at least a distance of twelve meters in the air, with the sword light directly piercing the void!


    Zhu Lingshi quickly realized this, violently smashing his head toward the middle-aged woman before him. He knew he was undoubtedly doomed, but he wanted Lin twelve to pay a price.


    This was Ji Xueying¡¯s mother, the most important person to Blood Blade. Since Lin twelve had come down for Ji Xueying, it showed he treasured Blood Blade highly.


    But in the next moment, Lin Rui had already reached him, and with a punch smashed into Zhu Lingshi¡¯s face, sending him flying three meters away.


    He had held back, not killing the man with a single punch.


    Lin Rui surmised that his Blood Blade would very much like to deal with this County Magistrate personally, probably having much to say to this scoundrel.


    Zhang Tianchang then caught up to him, his expression one of astonishment, ¡°Twelve, what kind of swordsmanship did you just use?¡±


    He had seen this type of blade work once before in the county office, but Lin twelve¡¯s drawing of the blade just now seemed even faster, almost invisible beforehand.


    ¡°It evolved from the Purple Radiance Thunder Blade!¡± Lin Rui said, while swiftly stripping the County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi of a set of armor and tossing it to Zhang Tianchang, ¡°Put on this armor, and remember to return it after you¡¯re done.¡±


    This was a set of Fourth Realm half-armor, its name unknown, covered entirely in metallic fluorescence, completely undamaged.


    Lin Rui could tell at a glance that this item was extraordinary, estimating that this armor must be rated at least S+ by the Martial Arts Association.


    The reason Zhu Lingshi survived the intense heat and radiation just then was largely due to this armor.


    ¡°Nice piece, this is Zhu Lingshi¡¯s set of Night Light Armor, said to be crafted by top craftsmen using expensive sixth-realm materials. On the day the armor was finished, he even invited people from the government office for drinks,¡±


    Zhang Tianchang unapologetically donned the set of Night Light Armor.


    Understanding his responsibility, he knew that next, this Master Zhu would be his burden to bear!


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui took advantage of the time Zhang Tianchang spent donning the armor to feed the middle-aged woman a few pills and hastily bandaged her wounds.


    At this moment, his expression shifted.


    Alert: Entered the range for capturing Major General level Battle Spirits. Proceed with capture?

 Chapter 106: 105: The Blood of Guang Ming (Fifth Climactic Release, Subscribe Please!)

    Chapter 106: Chapter 105: The Blood of Guang Ming (Fifth Climactic Release, Subscribe Please!)


    PS: Once again, five chapters in a row, consecutive climax chapters, the pioneering effort is genuinely strenuous, please subscribe, please vote for monthly tickets!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lin Rui sensed the information that appeared in his mind without the slightest hesitation.


    ¡°Ring Spirit, help me capture the battle spirit now!¡±


    As Lin Rui willed it, the Skull Ring in his hand suddenly emitted a black-red fluorescence, and a small vortex formed in the hollow mouth, creating a force of attraction that was difficult for ordinary people to detect.


    Next, Lin Rui dimly saw a red shadow drifting over from a distance.


    ...


    The red shadow moved swiftly, and Lin Rui could vaguely make out that it was a woman who not only resembled the seventh realm ¡®Blood Blade¡¯ in the crystal coffin but also bore a slight resemblance to Ji Xueying.


    He only had time to glance at her before the red shadow was sucked into the Skull Ring.


    Notification: Successful capture of a mid-rank battle spirit. You can now view the ability list of No.2 battle spirit.


    Task: No.2 battle spirit has issued a task. Please do your best to save her kin. After completing the task, you can copy one advanced skill from No.2 battle spirit¡¯s skill list without paying any cost.


    Without hesitation, Lin Rui opened the ability list of No.2 battle spirit.


    No.2 battle spirit: Ji Shenyan (capable of possession)


    Learnable skills 115 items: Shaoyang Palm (Great Grandmaster), Shaoyang Saber (Great Grandmaster), Shaoyang Stance (Great Grandmaster), Tianji Star Language (proficient), Basic Medical Skills (Great Grandmaster), Acupuncture Healing Technique (Great Grandmaster), Divine Breath Technique (Great Grandmaster) ... the rest are omitted


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    Copyable skills 41 items: Shaoyang Palm (Great Grandmaster), Shaoyang Saber (Great Grandmaster), Shaoyang Stance (Great Grandmaster), Tianji Star Language (proficient), Basic Medical Skills (Great Grandmaster), Acupuncture Healing Technique (Great Grandmaster), Divine Breath Technique (Great Grandmaster) ... The rest are omitted


    Gift-able item: Imperial Flame War Dragon (seventh realm)


    Lin Rui perceived the information in his mind and couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows slightly.


    This No.2 battle spirit, indeed, was Ji Shenyan!


    This woman, worthy of being a peak sixth realm great expert, possessed a staggering number of skills.


    Not only was she well-versed in various martial arts and techniques, but the list also included a series of ¡®Great Grandmaster level¡¯ skills.


    Beyond that, what surprised him the most was that Ji Shenyan had an extra item in the gift-able column compared to Xue Bogao.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes suddenly blazed with divine light, ¡°Ring Spirit, I want the seventh realm Imperial Flame War Dragon from No.2 battle spirit!¡±


    If he could exchange it now, that would be awesome.


    From the projection cast by Li Qiufeng, this Imperial Flame War Dragon of the seventh realm was definitely not an ordinary ¡®dragon¡¯; its combat capabilities must be extremely powerful.


    The seventh realm ¡®Divine Skills¡¯ of Tianji Star correspond to the rank of Admiral and Grand Admiral in the Federation.


    By then, why would he need to worry about that Zhu Eunuch? In the future, he could swagger across the entire Sha State.


    The next moment, Lin Rui felt a trace of disappointment.


    Notification: You need to pay 100,000 Soul Power points for No.2 battle spirit to agree to the gift, and another 1 million Soul Power points to refine the Imperial Flame War Dragon. In addition, the strength of your spiritual power is not yet sufficient to bear the Imperial Flame War Dragon (seventh realm).


    Lin Rui did some quick calculations of his Soul Power points. After having continuously slain several fourth realm demons, his total Soul Power points were only 35,210.


    He thought this was simply too much; no matter how many Blood Lizard Gang strongholds he cleansed, it wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    Lin Rui suddenly remembered something, pulling a cloth bag given by his teacher out of his sleeve and took out the item inside.


    It was a pitch-black token, made from an unknown material, smooth to the touch like jade, its surface engraved with gilded characters ¡ª ¡®Capital Commandant of Martial Virtue¡¯.


    In the lower-left corner of these four characters were also the words ¡®Imperial City Division, Imperial Dragon Guard¡¯.


    ¡°Is this the Capital Commandant of Martial Virtue¡¯s token of the Imperial City Division?¡± Zhang Tianchang had been watching his actions all along, and he couldn¡¯t help but be surprised upon seeing the token.


    It appeared to be a commander¡¯s token without an owner.


    Zhang Tianchang wondered where had their County Magistrate, Zhuang Mingyue, acquired such an item.


    A Capital Commandant of Martial Virtue was an official of the seventh rank in the Great Song Dynasty and could command 300 men in the forbidden and border armies. In the local military system, he could oversee more than a thousand men.


    ¡®Imperial Dragon Guard¡¯ of the Imperial City Division was different as well: originally an army designation within the forbidden army, it represented the direct retinue most trusted by the Great Ancestor of the Great Song. Later, the Emperor Taizong of the Great Song used ¡®Imperial Dragon Guard¡¯ as a foundation to establish the Imperial City Division while retaining its military designation. Therefore, members of the Imperial City Division were also members of the forbidden army.


    The Imperial City Division was responsible for part of the emperor¡¯s palace guards, as well as the spying intelligence, supervising officials, suppressing demons, and investigating illegal activities; its authority was significantly large, making the position of Capital Commandant of Martial Virtue extraordinarily prestigious.


    Zhang Tianchang was utterly confused. County Magistrate Zhuang Mingyue was just a seventh-rank inspection envoy and did not have the right to appoint a Capital Commandant of Martial Virtue. Giving this token to Lin Rui was against the rules, wasn¡¯t it?


    Lin Rui¡¯s mind raced with thoughts.


    Recently, he had been spending an hour every day reading the history and books of Tianji Star.


    Lin Rui was using this method to cram the language of Tianji Star while deepening his understanding of the world.


    As far as he knew, this ¡®Capital Commandant of Martial Virtue¡¯ token not only symbolized the identity of the Imperial City Division, but it was also a tier-three Magic Artifact which could comprehensively enhance the bearer¡¯s physical quality, True Yuan, and spiritual power, potentially boosting a third-tier Martial Cultivator by at least half a tier.


    Moreover, while the token could bring him authority and power, it would also bring immense crisis and trouble.


    If Fang Ranran and Yu Feicui were to find out, they would probably be very troubled. The two women had sent him to Tianji Star to live an ordinary life.


    Lin Rui did not hesitate for too long, he made his decision in an instant; he bit his finger and dripped his blood onto the token.


    He would soon face an enemy of the fifth tier!


    He had to strengthen his power as much as possible now to have more chances of victory and increase his chances of survival. How could he afford to think about the future?


    At the moment the blood touched the ¡®Capital Commandant of Martial Virtue¡¯ token, Lin Rui felt a warm flow emanate from within the token, spreading over his entire body.


    Lin Rui also felt the pain in his mind intensify further, as Ji Xueying reached her limit, with collapse merely a thread away.


    Fortunately¡ª


    ¡°I have arrived!¡± he declared.


    Lin Rui lifted his foot and stepped into the hall ahead.


    ¡°The dark sky hangs low, accompanied by the bright stars, bugs are flying, bugs are flying, whom are you longing for¡ª¡±


    At this moment, Lin Rui, who was focusing all his effort to resist the pain of soul burning and refining, did not notice at all. The moment he lifted his foot, his entire body burst into a bright white flame.


    Zhang Tianchang¡¯s body trembled slightly, his eyes disbelieving as he watched Lin Rui¡¯s silhouette.


    ¡°Is this? So that¡¯s how it is, so that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    No longer doubting the continuous surge of Yuan power from Lin Rui, Zhang Tianchang realized that Lin Rui must have been in the prelude to a bloodline awakening.


    But what kind of bloodline power could ignite the lightning, fire, and light elements between heaven and earth?


    Meanwhile, the High Priest Li Qiufeng, who was suspended above the County Magistrate¡¯s private residence, absorbing the purple light from the city, also sensed something and suddenly opened her eyes wide.


    ¡°Indeed, it is the blood of Guang Ming!¡±

 Chapter 107: 106: Beyond Emperor Level (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 107: Chapter 106: Beyond Emperor Level (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°`@@@@


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    Li Qiufeng lowered her head, looking at the fiercely burning ¡®Sacred Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ on her chest, her gaze filled with relief, surprise, and also regret.


    ¡°Is this why you took interest in him? The blood of Guang Ming, this is the foundation of the ¡®Radiant Thunder Sacred Body¡¯s¡¯ bloodline, and his blood of Guang Ming is especially powerful. Having just awakened, it can distort all light within a radius of one li, indicating it must be from a powerful branch of the Radiant Thunder Sacred Body. I wonder from whom he inherits it.


    His bloodline, his talent, his heart of Guang Ming are all sufficient to bear you, to bear a supreme Holy Artifact like you. He is more suitable than the others, it¡¯s just a pity¡ª¡±


    Unfortunately, her current state rendered her incapable of passing the news of Zhang Tianchang to the main hall of the Guang Ming Holy Church.


    ...


    However, the higher-ups of the Holy Church should be able to find him, right? They must be able to find him!


    The main body of the ¡®Sacred Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ must have sensed something by now; it must react.


    ¨CThe seventh eligible candidate for the current generation¡¯s ¡®Sacred Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ who may be the most suitable successor, is right here, in Silver Moon County of Wang City, in the Shazhou Region!


    As Li Qiufeng muttered to herself, deep under the sea thirty-seven thousand miles from Silver Moon County, there lay a vast palace hidden beneath the ocean depths.


    Deep within this palace was an altar covering a hundred zhang squared, shaped like a pyramid, majestic and imposing, exuding a grand aura.


    In the center of the altar was a lotus-shaped flame of reddish-gold, emanating boundless bright light. If one¡¯s eyes were cultivated to the extent that they weren¡¯t affected by the brilliance, one could see golden lightning continuously flashing within the flame.


    Below the altar sat a thousand followers of the Guang Ming Holy Church, all facing the reddish-gold flame.


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    Their expressions were serious, chanting scriptures, practicing their Cultivation Techniques with the aid of the ¡®Sacred Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯s¡¯ fierce sunlight-like brightness.


    However, in that moment, all of them looked up in astonishment at the reddish-gold flame at the top of the altar.


    They sensed that the Holy Church¡¯s supreme Holy Artifact was suddenly bursting with powerful energy.


    As time went on, the light, thunder, and fire energies grew increasingly twisted and violent, and not only did they explode into intense thunderous bright flames, but they also created several rays, sweeping around, pulverizing anything they touched into nothing.


    This alarmed some of the followers below, turning their faces pale with fright.


    Fortunately, the ¡®Sacred Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ seemed to possess intelligence; despite the wildness of its energy, it never harmed anyone.


    Just a few breaths later, a robust, middle-aged man with a towering physique appeared at the highest point of the altar.


    He was at least twelve zhang tall, draped in red and clad in radiant armor, his temples and jawline sharp as blades, his features tough as iron.


    This man, floating in mid-air with a stern face, reached out and gently pressed towards the flame, calming the lotus-shaped reddish-gold flame.


    At that moment, the multitude of followers below all placed their hands on their shoulders and bowed deeply in worship.


    ¡°We greet the Bright King, may Your Highness¡¯s light illuminate the heavens and earth, with boundless Sacred Thunder, infinite Tribulation Fire, to split the ground and open the skies!¡±


    Zhang Tianchang certainly had higher cultivation and was more composed, capable of standing on his own, but Lin Twelve had even more courage than Tian Chang.


    It was her gamble, and its success or failure was still unknown.


    ¡°Lin Twelve actually didn¡¯t assimilate the Commandant¡¯s waist badge until now? What on earth is Dharma Master Doo doing? Did he take matters into his own hands again? Why are the people my uncle assigned me so unreliable? Or, has the County Magistrate and his men not made their move yet?¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue, massaging her forehead in deep thought, fretted: ¡°But this could also be considered good news, at least Lin Twelve is still alive, and he has not been backlashed by the Blood Blade Ji. Just what is the current situation in Silver Moon County?¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue then looked up at Miao Shi, who stood outside the Array.


    She was in a tricky situation, although Miao Shi couldn¡¯t harm her, she was firmly trapped by him here.


    The Array he had set up, named ¡°Six Luminaries Divine Yang Array,¡± was not only powerful in strength but also adapted to the environment, connected to a large area of Purple Glow Elemental Crystals nearby. It could instantly melt and refine a fourth-level expert within moments.


    Fortunately, Zhuang Mingyue was also skilled in Arrays and Array formations and immediately suppressed a few critical points within the Array, preventing it from unleashing its full force. However, Zhuang Mingyue had to remain in this corner within the Array, unable to move.


    Furthermore, the surviving residents of Fire Ruins Manor also became the hostages Miao Shi used to control her.


    However, this was no long-term solution; she needed to escape as soon as possible and return to Silver Moon County.


    Zhuang Mingyue suppressed her anxiety, and with swift mental calculations, contemplated a breaking strategy when she heard Miao Shi, known as ¡°Blood Rain,¡± let out a mocking laugh: ¡°Inspector Zhuang must be very curious about how the cave underneath Fire Ruins Manor came to be, right? What about the scheming of the County Magistrate Zhu Lingshi and me in Silver Moon County?¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue, with an ironic tone, replied, ¡°Is that even a question? It¡¯s because of the demon-suppressing General Ji Shenyan from 6700 years ago, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    If she had not been able to deduce their intentions, she would have been foolish.


    ¡°As expected of Inspector Zhuang,¡± Blood Rain Miao Shi nodded, still smiling. ¡°Do you know what truly happened during the Silver Moon County fire disaster 6700 years ago? General Ji Shenyan had clearly won, so why did he vanish without a trace after the war? According to the county annals, Ji Shenyan turned himself and his subordinates into demons to defend Silver Moon County, burning the Great Song¡¯s seventy thousand troops and also the entire city¡¯s populace.


    However, that¡¯s not the truth. The truth is the Great Song¡¯s military repeatedly failed to conquer Silver Moon County, which led to the triggering of the underground Purple Glow Elemental Crystal veins, incinerating the entire city¡¯s population of Silver Moon County.


    Look at these caves; they are the evidence. Back then, the Great Song army dug from the Purple Glow Elemental Crystal mines ten miles away up to here, setting up an Array underground that caused the Purple Glow Elemental Crystal veins to emit endless Purple Light Yang Essence and set the whole city ablaze.


    But what they didn¡¯t expect was the combination of the resentment of Silver Moon County¡¯s citizens and Ji Shenyan¡¯s defiance, which ultimately gave birth to a terrifying existence. In that battle, Ji Shenyan¡¯s Imperial Flame Battle Dragon not only eradicated numerous experts from the Great Song but also burned the entire seventy thousand army of the Great Song¡¯s imperial court alive¡ª¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue finally looked intently at Miao Shi, known as ¡°Blood Rain,¡± her complexion even paler.


    Miao Shi¡¯s revelations were things Zhuang Mingyue had already deduced from hints and innuendos in the county annals.


    Before, when Zhuang Mingyue read that passage, she did not realize it, but after entering the cave under Fire Ruins Manor and piecing together the clues, she had nearly figured out the whole truth.


    These madmen who regarded human life as worthless clearly wanted to create another Ji Shenyan!


    They were willing to burn the tens of thousands of citizens of Silver Moon County just to recreate a ¡°Blood Blade Ji¡± with Imperial Flame war capabilities¡ªa Blood Blade Ji with beyond-Imperial level strength and in the seventh realm!


    No! Zhuang Mingyue had also recently looked into Ji Xueying¡¯s family and found that not only had Ji Xueying¡¯s parents and siblings gone missing half a year ago but a portion of the descendants of the Great Zhou imperial family had disappeared as well.


    So even ¡®beyond-Imperial level¡¯ was not enough to satisfy these lunatics!


    Thus Zhuang Mingyue was ready to escape at any cost. The County Magistrate and others had been plotting for several years, surely making thorough preparations.


    In such a situation, Lin Twelve alone could not possibly suppress everything.

 Chapter 108: 107: Awakening (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 108: Chapter 107: Awakening (Please Subscribe)


    When Lin Rui dragged Zhu Lingshi by the hair into the underground hall paved with purple luminescent crystals, he felt another piercing pain in his head, as if it was being crushed by a huge rock.


    It was an extremely powerful Sword Intent that struck from afar, even more formidable than Ji Xueying¡¯s, not only suppressing his consciousness but also piercing his soul with countless wounds.


    He tilted his head slightly, a somewhat neurotic smile appearing on his lips, bravely withstanding the oppression of the Sword Intent as he looked at Zhu Tianmao in the center of the Array.


    This Zhu was also standing with his hands behind his back, looking down at him from a height.


    ¡°So you are that Lin Twelve!¡±


    Zhu Tianmao¡¯s gaze was predatory, mixed with disbelief and delight, ¡°Interesting, a mere local arrest officer, and yet you possess the Blood of Guang Ming!¡±


    ...


    He felt a change occurring again inside the crystal coffin beside him.


    The moment Ji Xueying of the Blood Blade saw Lin Rui, not only did her will to resist intensify to the limit, dragging her back from the brink of collapse, but her bloodline also underwent drastic changes due to this Lin Twelve.


    The Blood Covenant between the two of them meant they could influence each other.


    Originally, the ritual to forge the ¡°Imperial Flame Blood Blade Ji¡± had been imperfect. The crystal riot that occurred in the south had nearly caused the southeastern corner of the Array to collapse.


    This left Zhu Tianmao both annoyed and disappointed, merely finishing the ritual out of necessity, but now he saw a chance for redemption.


    ¡°Blood of Guang Ming?¡±


    Lin Rui was initially confused but soon noticed the silver-white flames burning on his body.


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    He distinctly felt that his control over the elemental powers of light, thunder, and fire had greatly strengthened.@@@@


    The mark of the ¡°Sacred Thunderfire¡± on his chest was also emitting a slight heat.


    A flash of delight passed through Lin Rui¡¯s eyes as he thought, so this is the mutated ¡°Radiant Thunder Sacred Body¡± Professor Sima talked about?


    Unexpectedly, he had awakened it just at the crucial moment before the battle.


    Although this was just the foundation of the Radiant Thunder Sacred Body, it could further enhance his strength, significantly increasing his chances of victory.


    Lin Rui glanced at the ¡°Imperial Flame War Dragon¡± behind Zhu Tianmao and then slightly curved the corners of his lips, tossing Zhu Lingshi aside like a worn-out sack.


    At the same time, the last few hundred Flash Thunder Talismans and Blazing Fire Talismans in his hand were scattered like flowers cast from the heavens.


    Lin Rui held a charm in one hand and hummed a song as he walked towards Zhu Tianmao: ¡°No matter how much wind and rain there are, having you is enough. I like to see the corners of your mouth, I like to watch your brow¡ª¡±


    Zhu Tianmao frowned slightly at this sight, What is this guy singing? He seems like a madman.


    These chains were made of fine gold and Ji Xueying couldn¡¯t break them, but cracks were starting to appear in the stone layer tied beneath the chains.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite determined!¡±


    Zhu Lingshi couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration, his eyes filled with regret, ¡°What a pity; if someone like you served under Prince Han, you would have surely had a grand future.¡±


    Just then, Zhu Lingshi noticed the blood flames erupting from Ji Xueying¡¯s body had turned into a golden-red color.


    Zhu Lingshi¡¯s lips curled slightly, ¡®Success!¡¯


    With such excellent material, the upcoming Array ritual could reach the heights he had envisioned, even with its flaws.


    So it was time for Lin Rui to die!


    He waved his sleeve, flinging out several talismans to enhance himself with spells, and then his figure abruptly flickered, escaping the Array altar as swiftly as the wind, so fast that only a blurred shadow could be seen.


    Zhang Tianchang had been closely monitoring every move of Zhu Lingshi, but he only reacted when Zhu Lingshi was almost upon him.


    He suddenly roared in anger, lunging towards Zhu Lingshi.


    Zhang Tianchang exerted all his strength, squeezing out all the vital energy within his body to maximize his power, speed, and sensory abilities to their limits.


    He was fully focused on capturing the movements of Zhu Lingshi, continuously pounding with relentless punches.


    The incredibly powerful punches created a forceful explosion of qi within a six-foot radius.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!¡±


    The sounds of his punches were like drumbeats, the powerful bombastic qi sweeping across all directions.


    Even so, Zhang Tianchang couldn¡¯t completely block Zhu Lingshi¡¯s sword light.


    Zhu Lingshi¡¯s figure and sword continuously pursued Lin Rui, each step seeming to communicate mysteriously with the earth, steady yet rhythmic. His sword moves flowed like a cloud of mist, light and agile, yet like a fluttering ribbon, elegant and powerful.


    Lin Rui responded with the Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill, continuously dodging and shifting positions, his movements as explosive and elusive as lightning, also utilizing talismans to directly change positions.


    He was not afraid of the sword light thrusting towards him from Zhu Lingshi, seizing every opportunity to counterattack.


    Each strike from Lin Rui¡¯s Thunder God Saber was direct and swift to the extreme.


    He generally avoided direct confrontations with Zhu Lingshi, and when he couldn¡¯t dodge, he did not flee.


    The two of them fought intensely around Zhang Tianchang, emitting continuous ¡®clang clang¡¯ sounds, sparking flashes of light.


    Every clash with Zhu Lingshi¡¯s sword caused Lin Rui to spit out a mouthful of blood and his body to be repelled violently by Zhu Lingshi¡¯s sword energy.


    Even though Lin Rui¡¯s abilities had undergone exaggerated improvements just before the fight, when compared to Zhu Lingshi, who was at the fifth level of cultivation, he was still significantly outmatched.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s Escape Skill, even in the worst situations, could still be used; he took advantage of Zhang Tianchang¡¯s cover, repeatedly dodging Zhu Lingshi¡¯s lethal sword light, time after time dispelling the fearsome sword energy of Zhu Lingshi.

 Chapter 109: 108: Blood Profit (Climax, Three More, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 109: Chapter 108: Blood Profit (Climax, Three More, Please Subscribe)


    ¡°Grandmaster-level Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill?¡±


    Zhu Tianmao furrowed his brows, his gaze serious, ¡°Damn!¡±


    He had discerned that Lin Rui¡¯s Escape Skill had reached the pinnacle of mastery, transforming to a new level, no less than those higher-level Escape Skills. Combined with the power of ¡®Guang Ming¡¯s Blood,¡¯ it had become even more diverse, possessing a hint of being as fast as light and electricity.


    Zhu Tianmao even suspected that this fellow might have cultivated this skill to the Great Grandmaster level.


    And it was not just the Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill; the Blade Technique used by Lin Rui was also refined to the utmost simplicity, divinely inspired, and wonderfully mysterious!


    The problem was this guy was just over eighteen years old, and at 18 he had mastered two intermediate Cultivation Techniques to Grandmaster level?


    ...


    Such talent was unprecedented to Zhu Tianmao.


    Zhu Tianmao had originally thought that he could resolve Lin Rui within three to five strikes.


    But now, after a full ten breaths, Zhu Tianmao still had not managed to seriously injure Lin Rui.


    This made him feel that he had misjudged; had he known earlier, he would have simply waited for Lin Rui to approach him, and then he wouldn¡¯t need to be in the current situation where the Array had been unattended for a full ten breaths, already falling into a state of disorder.


    However, at that moment, Zhu Tianmao inexplicably felt a sense of crisis and wanted to kill Lin Rui as quickly as possible.


    Now, the sense of crisis in Zhu Tianmao¡¯s heart had not only not disappeared, but had become even stronger, pricking his heart like needles.


    At that moment, Zhu Tianmao suddenly had an inspiration and looked toward Lin Rui¡¯s left hand.


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    The fellow had been forming signs with one hand the entire time, using the hand signs of the Soul Summoning Technique, but Zhu Tianmao did not know what he intended to do.


    And forming signs with one hand was something only possible when one had mastered the technique to the pinnacle.


    Zhu Tianmao squinted his eyes, directly asking, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What am I doing?¡±


    This time, Lin Rui did not sing; his eyes mocking as he said, ¡°Your Demon Refining Array is clever, but sadly it lacks adaptability. I guess your Array was probably set up by some other expert on your behalf.¡±


    Zhu Tianmao was slightly disturbed by these words.


    The Array here was indeed not his handiwork.


    Zhu Tianmao had only arrived in Wang City yesterday; how could he have had the time?


    It was Blood Blade Miao Shi who had set up this Array, as he was currently at Firescar Mansion restraining the Capital Commandant¡¯s seventh-rank Inspector, Zhuang Mingyue.


    But what did that have to do with his level of proficiency in Arrays?


    Zhu Tianmao seemed enlightened: ¡°Are you the sorcerer from earlier?¡±


    That is, the one who had destroyed the southeastern corner of this Demon Refining Array while simultaneously hunting down over a hundred demonic cultivators under his nephew¡¯s command.


    For a moment, Zhu Tianmao¡¯s heart tightened, yet he quickly calmed down.


    Such a method, Lin Rui definitely could not replicate it a second time; it required time.


    ¡°Of course, it was me. You think you¡¯re the only one proficient in both martial and magical arts?¡± Lin Rui scoffed, ¡°Weren¡¯t you wondering what I was up to? Now, you can take a look behind you.¡±


    Zhu Tianmao immediately turned around, then shockingly discovered that the 20-zhang tall Purple Brilliance Yuan Crystal behind him had suddenly developed dense cracks, and he could continuously hear a ¡®crackling¡¯ sound coming from within the crystal.


    Zhu Tianmao suddenly thought of something, his complexion instantly drastically changing.


    ¡°When I was outside earlier, I thought, isn¡¯t the Imperial Flame Battle Dragon still alive? It has always been here guarding its master.¡±


    Zhang Tianchang¡¯s punch had shattered nearly half of the entire array, and the other half, after a brief pause, was backlashed by the violent True Yuan, tearing all the runes and elemental stones to pieces!


    ¡°How dare you?¡±


    Zhu Tianmao had long anticipated this scene, but still closed his eyes in pain, feeling a boundless fury growing inside him.


    Then he saw an even more terrifying sight, Ji Xueying¡¯s crystal coffin was cracking inch by inch.


    Zhu Tianmao¡¯s pupils dilated, thinking that this Fourth Realm Blood Blade Ji could actually break free by herself? Had she awakened some additional bloodline? Her strength was so formidable!


    Not good!


    Zhu Tianmao didn¡¯t hesitate to flash away from his spot, escaping towards an exterior tunnel.


    He had to leave this place as quickly as possible, or else the consequences were unimaginable.


    But in that instant, Ji Xueying¡¯s crystal coffin suddenly exploded open, a dazzling red shadow burst out and pursued at an unimaginable speed!


    She actually got ahead of Zhu Tianmao, intercepting him right at the tunnel entrance, her hands and feet swinging the fine metal chains, furiously smashing them down at Zhu Tianmao.


    At that moment, she needed no martial arts, merely using her instincts to fight, channeling her power through pure, extreme hatred and intent to kill. She wanted to slaughter the eunuch regardless of the cost¡ªslaughter this beast!


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    The dense shadows of the chains had hammered Zhu Tianmao into a retreating stagger, even causing blood to seep out from the grip of his sword.


    As someone of a superior level, nearing the power of a King-level warrior, he had been hammered into disarray by a mere fourth-level fighter.


    His strength and speed were all three parts inferior to this Blood Blade Ji!


    The chains wielded by Ji Xueying moved like beams of light, startlingly fast, such that even someone as strong as Zhu Tianmao often couldn¡¯t react in time.


    Moreover, the violent thunder that accompanied the chains continuously shattered his Protective Gang Qi, occasionally paralyzing him and disrupting his movements, while endless flames scorched his body.


    Zhu Tianmao couldn¡¯t help but taste bitterness in his mouth.


    This was the Imperial Flame Blood Blade Ji¡ªno! It was a new variant, combining the powers of fire, thunder, and light!


    This was an entirely new species, and undoubtedly, her bloodline level was now beyond imperial, and her spiritual power talent was terrifyingly high.


    Damn it! All his efforts had unexpectedly turned into a wedding gown for Lin Rui, cultivating a beyond-imperial-level monster with his own hands!


    He suddenly looked back, gazing coldly at Lin Rui: ¡°Lin Rui, she¡¯s your protective demon, isn¡¯t she? Do you even know what you¡¯re doing? I am the chief of the inner service in Prince Han¡¯s residence, a sixth-rank eunuch. You dare to harbor a monster, attack court officials¡ªare you seeking death?¡±


    Lin Rui smirked with mockery in his eyes, turning back to look at Zhu Tianmao, ¡°According to the laws of the Great Song Dynasty¡¯s founder, anyone who colludes with demons and drives them to create havoc shall be captured immediately, and whoever dares to resist shall be killed without mercy! So, are you going to surrender now, or continue to resist arrest?¡±


    Without anyone noticing, he had also formed a single-handed seal, held in front of his chest, precisely the Soul Summoning Technique!


    Zhang Tianchang also very much wanted to kill Zhu Tianmao; he didn¡¯t care who this person was! He wasn¡¯t concerned about any Prince Han either; he just wanted this prime culprit to pay the price.


    But as he watched their two-person fight from a distance, he felt he couldn¡¯t even get involved.


    Zhang Tianchang simply walked over to Lin Rui, guarding him with his body, and while watching the battle, he commented with a sense of amazement, ¡°Amazing, merely a mid-fourth level, not even using her favorite weapon, yet she¡¯s suppressing a near King-level fifth boundary peak.¡±


    This must be a beyond-imperial-level Blood Blade Ji!


    Lin Rui had really hit the jackpot by subduing Ji Xueying!


    After this turmoil is over, the bond between this man and demon will certainly reach its peak, and there will no longer be any risk of the demon turning on its master.


    With this protective demon helping him, Lin Rui would even be a leading figure throughout Wang City County.


    Lin Rui also felt he had made a huge gain, his face brimming with smiles.


    Today he had staked 200 times, and then he won!


    Just then, the twenty-zhang tall giant purple luminescent crystal emitted a crisp ¡®crack¡¯ sound, and the Imperial Flame Battle Dragon inside suddenly opened its eyes, revealing a pair of sky-blue pupils.

 Chapter 110: 109: The Dragon Seed (Request for Subscription)

    Chapter 110: Chapter 109: The Dragon Seed (Request for Subscription)


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    Despite the relentless onslaught from Blood Blade Ji, Zhu Tianmao kept observing his surroundings, seeking a chance to escape.


    When he noticed that the Purple Dawn Crystal further cracked and the ¡®Imperial Flame Battle Dragon¡¯ inside opened its eyes, he was shocked to the extreme and felt utter despair.


    Zhu Tianmao had studied many historical records and knew just how powerful that battle dragon was.


    6700 years ago on that very night, the battle dragon had torn apart two of the Great Song¡¯s Seventh Realm famous generals alive during an assault by numerous experts, dealing a severe blow to the Great Song¡¯s southern expedition forces!


    ¡°I will kill you!¡±


    ...


    Zhu Tianmao¡¯s eyes red, he turned and charged towards Lin Rui, his body suddenly bursting into flames of blood while releasing astonishing Sword Qi.


    If this guy wanted him dead, then he would go to hell with him!


    Ji Xueying hadn¡¯t expected him to turn against Lin Rui, but her reaction was not slow¡ªthe red light of her figure darted towards her master.


    ¡°Blade, come!¡±


    As Ji Xueying extended her hand towards the south, the six-foot-long blade ¡®Startling Snow¡¯ that had been thrown far away flew into her hand, captured by her Qi.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    With a sharp, ear-piercing clatter of metal followed by an explosion of thunder and fire.


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    Ji Xueying¡¯s long blade, at a distance of three feet from Lin Rui¡¯s eyes, harshly severed Zhu Tianmao¡¯s sword and flung him three feet away with an unmatched blade force.


    Her eyes, red as blood jade, blazed with golden thunderous light, staring intensely at Zhu Tianmao.


    Nobody could harm her master in front of her; she had sworn that much already!


    Whoever could save her and her family, Ji Xueying was determined to dedicate her life, her everything, to repay his kindness.


    And her master had done so!


    Lin Rui not only rescued them, ending the calamity in Silver Moon County, but also gave her the chance for personal revenge!


    ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!¡±


    With increasing murderous intent in her heart, Ji Xueying fought even more calmly, her thoughts cold as ice.@@@@


    Her blade strokes became swifter and more dangerous. She no longer fought like a wild beast but anticipated the enemy¡¯s movements in advance.


    ¡ªIt was Lin Rui himself who would come back.


    How could he possibly neglect such a powerful seventh realm battle dragon?


    Someday, he would gather one million soul power points and come back to refine this Emperor Flame Battle Dragon.


    Yet one thing concerned him, and he had to clarify it.


    ¡°Guardian Spirit, will I also have my own ¡®dragon¡¯ in the future? If I refine the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon, will there be any conflict or overlap?¡±


    The information that subsequently entered his mind brightened Lin Rui¡¯s eyes once more.


    Instruction 9: After the battle dragon is refined, it can act as a protector spirit. You can personally enter the battle dragon¡¯s body to control it, or have the War Spirit possess it.


    Lin Rui thought to himself, could it really be like this? The explanations about refining battle dragons from the Guardian Spirit were even better than he imagined, but what did possessing mean?


    He asked the Guardian Spirit again, but this time he received no response.


    The Emperor Flame Battle Dragon watched Lin Rui intently with its sky-blue eyes as if to confirm the truth.


    Just moments later, it shifted its gaze toward Ji Xueying.


    While the group was uncertain and wondering what it intended to do, the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon suddenly plunged its hand into its chest and pulled out a blood-red crystal the size of a fingertip.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Lin Rui looked at the red crystal with astonishment in his eyes, sensing that he had seen this object before?


    Lin Rui quickly searched through his biological chip¡¯s database.


    Before he could find the answer, Zhang Tianchang exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Is this perhaps a Dragon Seed?¡±


    He understood what the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon intended to do.


    It was known that regular demons could not transform into ¡®dragons¡¯, even those with supremely regal bloodlines like Ji Xueying¡¯s.


    Cases like Ji Shenyan were exceptions; she had already transformed into her own dragon before becoming a demon as she was a sixth realm Martial Cultivator.


    Moreover, after reaching the ¡®Transforming Dragon¡¯ stage in the sixth realm of Martial Cultivation, the possibility of turning into a demon was exceedingly rare, so Ji Shenyan¡¯s situation was quite unusual.


    There was also another special case, the ¡®Dragon Seed,¡¯ given by high-level Martial Cultivators who controlled battle dragons to allow demons to also transform into their dragons.


    Indeed, in the next instant, he saw the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon suddenly thrust the blood-red crystal violently into Ji Xueying¡¯s chest.


    Its form was seven zhang high, approximately 21 meters, and its movements were incredibly swift. Its large hand was also remarkably agile. Ji Xueying had no time to react before she was gutted.


    However, it had no malicious intent and simply inserted the blood-red crystal into Ji Xueying¡¯s body before withdrawing its hand. It then walked to the center of this underground palace, closed its eyes again, and its aura became increasingly tranquil.

 Chapter 111: 110: Harvest (Asking for Subscriptions, Second Update)

    Chapter 111: Chapter 110: Harvest (Asking for Subscriptions, Second Update)


    ¡°A Dragon War breed?¡±


    Lin Rui walked up to Ji Xueying, full of curiosity.


    Unfortunately, Ji Xueying¡¯s wound had already healed, and he saw nothing but a swath of blinding whiteness.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but admire the magnificent mountains and rivers that lay before his eyes, then he hastily extended his hand to block Zhang Tianchang, who also tried to look from the front, ¡°Old Zhang, have you never heard the saying ¡®do not peek when it¡¯s impolite¡¯? I didn¡¯t expect you, with your thick brows and big eyes, to be that kind of person.¡±


    Zhang Tianchang was speechless upon hearing this.


    He stopped in his tracks and then his legs gave way, leaving him sitting on the ground.


    ...


    He had been holding back, only thinking about fighting to the death against the County Magistrate and others.


    Latter, having realized that Lin Twelve was not lying and that the young man indeed had a way to turn the tide, Zhang Tianchang clenched his teeth, his will to fight flaring up as he exerted all his strength, doing his utmost to provide support for Lin Twelve.


    Now that the crisis in Silver Moon County had been resolved, one of the Zhu nephews, the main culprits, was dead, and the other was unconscious, the pent-up frustration in his heart relaxed, and he felt completely deflated.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s face flushed, and she covered her chest with her hands. After a moment, her clothes returned to normal.


    The red robe she was wearing was actually a Three Realms Magic Artifact with the ability to repair itself.


    Ji Xueying then turned serious, and half-knelt before Lin Rui, ¡°My Lord!¡±


    She looked up at Lin Rui, her eyes still like blood jade, shining with red spiritual light, ¡°My Lord has abided by the Blood Covenant, treating me kindly for having pledged myself to you, granting me what I deserve, and saving me in my time of need. Henceforth, I vow to be loyal, to follow the will of my master, to love what he loves, and to despise what he despises, with no betrayal! Please, my lord, consider me as your weapon, no matter when and where, no matter the dangers and trials, no matter how time flies, I shall never shrink back, and will spare no effort!¡±


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    Lin Rui was pleased to see this, as this was actually a part of the Blood Covenant that had been missing. Although it was just a symbolic ceremony, it did not affect the efficacy of the Blood Covenant.


    He also grew solemn and placed the Thunder God Saber he had been holding into Ji Xueying¡¯s hands, ¡°Take good care of this saber for me!¡±@@@@


    Lin Rui had already dispelled the saber-training runes that had been transferred to himself.


    They were just too intense; he couldn¡¯t hold up, not at all!


    Professor Han must have been out of his mind when he was younger to have such an absurd and impractical idea.


    He then smiled slightly, ¡°Your mother is still alive; she¡¯s right there in that tunnel. I¡¯ve already given her medicine, so she should not be in mortal danger. As for Zhu Lingshi, I haven¡¯t killed him. I suppose you have quite a few words to say to him.¡±


    Ji Xueying¡¯s eyes lit up, and she instantly ran like mad in the direction Lin Rui pointed.


    But after only a few steps, she returned like a whirlwind, bowing solemnly to Lin Rui once more.


    At that moment, no words could express the gratitude in Ji Xueying¡¯s heart.


    Zhu Tianmao¡¯s shoes were also a Four Realm Magic Artifact, but their rank was only lower-grade, and their Yuan energy attributes did not match Lin Rui¡¯s.


    Lin Rui, disliking the man¡¯s smelly feet, pinched his nose, peeled off the shoes and wrapped them in a piece of torn cloth.


    He planned to directly toss these to the Alien Management Bureau, which should also fetch about five hundred taels.


    Last was Zhu Tianmao¡¯s pouch and wallet.


    In total, there were twenty taels of fragmented silver, along with over three hundred taels in silver notes, which deeply disappointed Lin Rui.


    This was a Sixth Rank eunuch, as well as a trusted aide of His Highness Prince Han; how could he possess so little?


    However, he then pulled out over a dozen pill bottles from the dead eunuch¡¯s pouch.


    The problem was that they were not labeled, so Lin Rui could not identify them with the help of a biometric chip either.


    The pill shapes of Tianji Star are random, with no uniform standards.


    Those Pill Masters also have quite the personality; even though they made the same pill, the shapes they produced were all different.


    Lin Rui pondered for a moment and called out to his Ring Spirit in his mind.


    ¡°Ring Spirit, help me copy Advanced-Level Medicinal Studies No. 2 Battle Spirit, Advanced-Level Herbal Studies, Proficient-Level Basic Alchemy, and Beginner-Level Intermediate Alchemy.¡±


    This No. 2 Battle Spirit seemed to be proficient in medical arts, possessing many medical skills, but unfortunately, she only dabbled in Alchemy.


    Reminder: Copying ¡°Tianji Star Medicinal Studies (Advanced)¡± requires 1000 Soul Power points, copying ¡°Tianji Star Herbal Studies (Advanced)¡± requires 1000 Soul Power points, copying ¡°Basic Alchemy (Proficient)¡± requires 500 Soul Power points, and copying ¡°Intermediate Alchemy (Beginner)¡± requires 1000 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui frowned, thinking that these skills were expensive, roughly the same as those basic martial arts skills.


    But after some thought, he still made the exchange. Lin Rui had 24,710 Soul Power points on hand, which was quite a sum, and these skills were relatively practical.


    Lin Rui¡¯s head started to ache again; he realized he had been rash, as the volume of information from these skills exceeded that of the basic martial arts by at least twenty times!


    After about fifty breaths, Lin Rui¡¯s headache subsided slightly.


    He then opened each pill bottle in turn, identifying the components and effects of these pills by the smell that wafted from them.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help showing delight in his eyes again; the pills Zhu Tianmao carried with him were all excellent, mostly Spirit Pills above the Second Realm, very precious.


    Among them were even sixty Nourishing Marrow Pills, which could be used for Blood Cultivation, and also to further strengthen the bone marrow after Blood Cultivation.


    It looked like he didn¡¯t need to worry about his subsequent Blood Cultivation medicinal needs, and even Wang Sen¡¯s Blood Cultivation was now covered.


    Lin Rui opened the last pill bottle with anticipation.


    When he saw what was inside the bottle, his pupils instantly widened, and his eyes were filled with astonishment.

 Chapter 112: 111: Seeing Through (Three more for subscription)

    Chapter 112: Chapter 111: Seeing Through (Three more for subscription)


    Inside the bottle, there was actually a golden pill.


    ¡°This seems to be an ¡®artificial Golden Core¡¯. Could the grade be really high? Insane, looking at this image comparison, could it be a royal-ranked Divine Flame Golden Core?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes opened wide in amazement as he accessed the biotech database in his biochip and found that this was indeed an artificial Golden Core.


    However, this type of Golden Core was not meant for human Martial Cultivators, but for alien practitioners and people from the Tianji Star.


    In the early years, when the Federation had just started to make contact with the people of Tianji Star, the overall quality of the alien practitioners was inconsistent, with some unable to achieve Core Formation successfully and began to seek help from the Federation¡¯s biotechnology.


    They created an artificial Golden Core specifically for aliens.


    ...


    As is known to all, the entire structure of the aliens was no different from that of the people of Tianji Star, so since the Golden Core was suitable for ¡®aliens,¡¯ it naturally suited the Tianji Star people as well.


    Later on, the Federation established a strict selection system for aliens, and all selected alien practitioners possessed extremely high spiritual power and martial talents.


    After that, in the ranks of the alien practitioners, aside from those tycoons who paid their own way to descend to Tianji Star, not a single one failed at Core Formation.


    Therefore, this artificial Golden Core became an important bargaining chip for the Federation to curry favor with and corrupt the nobility of Tianji Star.


    ¡°So it seems that this Zhu Tianmao, and even the Han King behind him, may have ties with some powerful force within the Earth Federation, but Zhu Tianmao has already reached the fifth realm of the Dragon Transformation, so this Golden Core is likely meant for someone else.¡±


    Lin Rui, not paying too much attention to it, solemnly tucked the artificial Golden Core into his sleeve.


    He certainly didn¡¯t need an artificial Golden Core, but if the item was truly a royal-ranked Divine Flame Golden Core, then its value would exceed the combined value of Zhu Tianmao¡¯s sword and shoes.


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    As long as he could find the right buyer, he could easily sell it for tens of thousands of demon silvers, that is, ten million Federation credits, which would allow him to get rich overnight and join the ranks of the wealthy!


    After putting away these items, Lin Rui gestured towards Zhang Tianchang with a beckoning hand.


    Zhang Tianchang shook his head helplessly and decisively took off the luminous armor he was wearing and tossed it to Lin Rui.


    By then, he had regained some strength, got up, and walked over to the crystal coffins to check the physical state of those inside.


    These imperial descendants of the Great Zhou were both victims and key witnesses and couldn¡¯t be allowed to die like this.


    There was still a surge of anger unresolved in Zhang Tianchang¡¯s heart.


    Though Zhu Tianmao had been executed today, there was still one mastermind left to deal with, the ¡®Han King¡¯ in the capital!


    That inhuman bastard of a prince dared to treat the tens of thousands of people in Silver Moon County like grass!


    Zhang Tianchang knew that as a mere constable, he had no clout over a noble like the ¡®Han King¡¯, but he hoped to use these descendants of Great Zhou to make the ¡®Han King¡¯ pay a certain price.


    In the old days, the Great Song dynasty had replaced the Great Zhou through abdication, hence officially the dynasty held the imperial descendants of Great Zhou in great respect.


    If today¡¯s case were to be made public, the imperial court would certainly punish the ¡®Han King¡¯ severely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already sensed it; their condition is still good. The Zhu family uncles and nephews must have given them some medicine in advance to slow down their death, let more blood flow. Now that the Array is destroyed and no longer drawing blood from their bodies, their lives are safe,¡±


    Meanwhile, in the subterranean caves beneath the Fire Ruins Manor.


    Zhuang Mingyue had finally escaped the ¡°Six Luminaries Divine Yang Array¡± and was now hurtling through the caves, chasing after the ¡°Blood Rain¡± Miao Shi ahead of her.


    In the dim and narrow underground environment, the two moved with changing steps and clashed fiercely, occasionally emitting ground-shaking booms and sparks from their swordfights.


    ¡°Blood Rain¡± Miao Shi, who was a demon-transformed fifth-realm Martial Cultivator and a realm higher than Zhuang Mingyue, was now being pursued relentlessly and could only desperately flee ahead.


    Despite being at the mid-stage of the fourth realm, Zhuang Mingyue possessed the power of a Bloodline of royal rank.


    Crucially, she was also in possession of the ¡°Suppressing Demon Seal,¡± a powerful Magic Artifact unique to the imperial bureau.


    The Suppressing Demon Seal could not only suppress the strength of all kinds of demonic beings but also raise the martial prowess of a third-realm Martial Cultivator by half a realm, even surpassing the badges of the Capital Commandants.


    At critical moments, Zhuang Mingyue could also push the ¡°Suppressing Demon Seal¡± to its limits, forcibly elevating her bloodline power by an entire level by consuming her life essence!


    Hence, her actual combat strength was, in fact, superior to his.


    This woman was actually long overdue for a promotion. Had she not been delayed by the pursuit of him, she would already be the Deputy Supervisor of Supervision, a sixth-rank official of the imperial bureau.


    Moreover, there was a Degree Master following behind, assisting Zhuang Mingyue from the shadows.


    The reason Zhuang Mingyue had been able to escape was that the Degree Master, surnamed Du, had managed to disrupt the Array.


    The two of them, one in pursuit and the other fleeing, gradually left the underground veins and emerged onto the surface.


    The moment Zhuang Mingyue set foot on the ground, her attention was divided as she glanced in the direction of Silver Moon County.


    She was very worried about the situation in Silver Moon County; from the few words that the Degree Master had said to her underground, it seemed that the situation there was quite dire.


    The presence of Zhu Tianmao made Zhuang Mingyue even more uneasy.


    However, when she focused on the county, she found no abnormalities in the sky above, nor any signs of purple gleaming crystal dust.


    At this time, ¡°Blood Rain¡± Miao Shi was even more shocked. While sprinting at full speed, he also turned to look toward Silver Moon County, his gaze blank and puzzled.


    Not only was the air above Silver Moon County free from purple light, but Miao Shi was also unable to contact Zhu Lingshi and Zhu Tianmao using his communication Magic Artifact.


    What could be the reason? Had the bloodline transformation ritual of the Princess of the Blazing Flame Blood Blade failed? How exactly had it failed? Were the Zhu cousins dead or alive?


    The Degree Master emerging from behind could not believe the scene before him.


    He thought that Silver Moon County was beyond salvation, and the events of 6700 years past were bound to repeat themselves.


    But when he looked now, he saw that the county had somehow managed to switch from danger to safety.


    Was it Lin Rui? Had he truly succeeded?


    First surprised and delighted, Zhuang Mingyue continued to pursue Miao Shi while taking out the Suppressing Demon Seal to try and contact Lin Rui.


    The Suppressing Demon Seal had the function of long-distance communication, its range extending beyond the badges of the arrest officers and deputy arrest officers in the county.


    Zhuang Mingyue urgently wanted to know, what exactly had happened in the county?


    What had Lin Rui done to avert the catastrophe in Silver Moon County?

 Chapter 113: 112 Heavenly Demon Test (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 113: Chapter 112 Heavenly Demon Test (Please Subscribe)


    Seven nights later, the streets of Silver Moon County were deserted.


    The tens of thousands of citizens had mostly gathered seven miles east of the city at the foot of Thousand Tomb Ridge, to attend the funeral of the three fallen arrest officers and four black-belt constables.


    The citizens, each holding a torch, crowded together in layers, standing solemnly and heavily in the open field at the foot of Thousand Tomb Ridge, with eyes filled with mourning and sorrow.


    They had personally experienced the excruciating pain of spontaneous combustion from the purple crystal dust and had heard the cause of the disaster that day. Knowing the deeds of these fallen government officials, they felt a deep respect and gratitude.


    At this moment, Lin Rui stood at the mid-slope of Thousand Tomb Ridge, with a tall platform built of pine in front of him, neatly arranged with seven wooden coffins.


    Surrounding the platform, a large amount of dry wood had been stacked, and it was doused with quite a bit of fire oil.


    ...


    When the County Magistrate Zhuang Mingyue stepped forward with a torch to light the woodpile, the flames spread rapidly, shooting up into the sky and illuminating the entire night sky.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen watched the roaring blaze, their expressions extremely complex.


    Lin Rui was somewhat better off. When he emerged from the underground hall, arrest officer Cao and the others were already dead.


    Wang Sen, however, had witnessed the three men taking their own lives, which deeply moved him, leaving him with emotions he couldn¡¯t let go of to this day.


    By the time the entire cremation ceremony ended, and the relatives of the deceased gathered the ashes of arrest officer Cao and others to be interred once more, it was already the wee hours of the night.


    Before, Silver Moon County was the territory of the Chi-li tribe, whose custom was to cremate their people.


    However, after being influenced by the royal culture of the imperial court, the people of Silver Moon County had mostly adopted burial, except for the Chi-li who lived deep in the mountains and still held to their traditions.


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    The reason the County Magistrate revived the practice of cremation was to conceal the evidence of demonic transformation in the three arrest officers.


    The County Magistrate was equally keen on pinning everything on Prince Han and was said to have called on the judicial departments of the imperial court, the Ministry of Punishments, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate in Shazhou to send special agents to re-examine the case.


    To avoid being criticized and questioned by the Prince Han¡¯s mansion during the trial, which could result in the case being overturned, they had to destroy the bodies of the three fallen arrest officers.


    This also made it easier for the County Magistrate to seek compensation and rewards for the families of the fallen officers.


    Otherwise, if the officials responsible for the review came down and saw that the three fallen arrest officers had actually undergone demonic transformation, who would be willing to give money?


    So Lin Rui¡¯s view of the County Magistrate had been getting better; this was a superior who was clear about right and wrong and had a humane touch.


    Regrettably, he still did not know what this seventh-rank patrol inspector looked like, only that this County Magistrate was probably a woman named Zhuang Mingyue and was incredibly young.


    At a distance, County Magistrate Zhuang Mingyue was watching Lin Rui.


    Her gaze was a mix of admiration, satisfaction, respect, and envy.


    Zhuang Mingyue still remembered the shock she felt seven days ago when she pursued ¡®Blood Rain¡¯ Miao Shi to the surface and communicated with Lin Tianda.


    Mentor Du clasped his hands together in admiration, ¡°Sir Mi also praised Lin Twelve endlessly, saying that this young hero has been appointed appropriately with the document, and he urged you to treat Lin Twelve well and not to chill the heart of a hero.¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s lips curled up slightly; this was indeed the wisest decision she had made since entering the capital¡¯s division, one she could boast about for a lifetime.


    At that moment, her expression suddenly changed, and with a wave of her hand, she grasped a white paper bird-shaped flying message from the air.


    To her surprise, it was a flying message system exclusive to their division, sent from hundreds of miles away, and targeted her waist token known as the ¡®Heavenly Demon Seal.¡¯


    Upon opening the message, Ming Yue¡¯s brows lifted, ¡°Interesting! The Capital Commandant from the Sand Province has already sent someone to Silver Moon County, with the purpose of re-examining this case and conducting the ¡®Heavenly Demon Test¡¯ on Lin Twelve to assess his Divine Sense and flesh. This person is already in Wang City prefecture and will arrive in our county tomorrow.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mentor Du was momentarily stunned, ¡°They¡¯re going to conduct the Heavenly Demon Test on Lin Twelve? So soon?¡±


    Due to the heavy responsibilities of the capital¡¯s division, the Great Song court¡¯s scrutiny was extremely strict.


    The problem was that Lin Twelve currently held an idle position as a Martial Virtue Commander without actual authority, which would not attract much attention from higher-ups.


    Ming Yue scoffed, ¡°This person is named Lin Tianda, a sixth-grade Imperial Censor. I happen to know him; he is the mentor of Historian Jiang Hanzhang. Moreover, he has certain connections with Yuan Ji.¡±


    Yuan Ji was the previous master of the Blood Blade Concubine, the uncle of Yuan Yi, who controlled all the medicine and tea businesses of the Yuan family in the south.


    Ming Yue had already found out that this person was closely associated with Prince Han¡¯s mansion, likely leveraging the Yuan family¡¯s business channels to amass wealth for the mansion, and at the same time, embezzling the Yuan family¡¯s assets.


    ¡°I see!¡± Mentor Du suddenly realized, ¡°It seems this has been instigated by Prince Han¡¯s mansion. Do they suspect Lin Twelve is a Heavenly Demon from outside our realm? Your Excellency, do you not plan to intervene?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ming Yue couldn¡¯t help laughing. Why should she intervene?


    She crossed her arms, looking confident and composed, ¡°This matter is also somewhat related to me. Recently, I¡¯ve submitted a memorial, requesting that Lin Twelve be appointed as the acting defense envoy for Wang City.¡±


    ¡°The Defense Envoy for Wang City?¡± Mentor Du took a sharp breath, his eyes widening in shock as he looked at Ming Yue: ¡°Your Excellency, such a move shows extraordinary boldness.¡±


    Within the Great Song¡¯s various prefectures, the capital¡¯s division established a ¡®Royal Dragon Direct¡¯ division, with a sixth-grade Royal Dragon Direct school captain serving as the defense envoy, responsible for suppressing local unrest, monitoring officials, and quelling demonic threats, among other duties.


    The position was so high that it could rival that of the local prefectural governor.


    Was her Excellency really planning on pushing Lin Twelve to such a prominent position?


    ¡°It is only a temporary assignment. Lin Twelve will soon complete his blood cultivation and enter the fourth realm of martial arts. With a Super Emperor tier Fourth Realm guardian beast by his side, he will soon have no match in the entire Wang City region. He has single-handedly resolved the demonic disaster of Silver Moon County, and his achievements are sufficient. Since the capital¡¯s division cannot dispatch anyone for the time being, it¡¯s fitting for Lin Twelve to take on the role and stabilize the situation first,¡± said Ming Yue with a slight smile.


    ¡°Therefore, it¡¯s not bad to conduct the test.¡±


    While Ming Yue was bold and decisive in her actions, she could also be extremely cautious when necessary, especially regarding the matter of Heavenly Demons from outside their realm, where Ming Yue wouldn¡¯t rely solely on her judgment.


    The position of the Defense Envoy for Wang City was now very important not only for her mentor but also for her family.


    Ming Yue was willing to use her connections, even seeking help from her uncle and mentor to support Lin Twelve.


    However, at the same time, she had to ensure that this candidate was extremely reliable and wouldn¡¯t bring trouble to her uncle and mentor because of this matter.


    So Lin Tianda¡¯s arrival was quite timely; if Lin Twelve passed this test, then he was truly trustworthy.


    Ming Yue believed that there wouldn¡¯t be a problem; how could Lin Twelve possibly be a Heavenly Demon from another realm?

 Chapter 114: 113: Beyond Emperor Blood Serum (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 114: Chapter 113: Beyond Emperor Blood Serum (Please Subscribe)


    The next day, Lin Rui and Wang Sen attended another grand funeral. However, it was the common people of Silver Moon County who organized an official funeral for the High Priest of the Light Church, Li Qiufeng. The location was at Thousand Tomb Ridge, seven miles away.


    True to his word, Priest Li indeed delayed the self-immolation time of thirty thousand citizens of Silver Moon County by half a moment, a sacrifice which cost him his vital energy, ultimately reducing him to ash and returning to the heavens and earth.@@@@


    Lin Rui learned of this after emerging from the underground cavern and felt deeply moved.


    The reason Cao, the arrest officer, and his colleagues were willing to follow Lin Rui into a life-or-death battle was due to their roots in Silver Moon County¡ªout of affection for their homeland, a sense of duty, and for the sake of their own lives and the lives of their families.


    Li Qiufeng had no reason to risk her life, yet she generously sacrificed herself for the thousands of disciples of the Light Church.


    Lin Rui felt a rare sense of shame and even now, he remained unsettled.


    ...


    In the past, his attitude towards Priest Li had been far too contemptuous, judging a noble heart with the pettiness of a scoundrel¡¯s mind.


    Priest Li had said he had a heart of light, but in Lin Rui¡¯s view, it was Priest Li who truly possessed the heart of light.


    After the funeral, Wang Sen also couldn¡¯t help feeling deeply moved, and said gloomily, ¡°This must be what our ancestors meant by choosing righteousness over life. It seems the Light Church does have some substance after all. A High Priest of her stature willing to go to such lengths for the people, she can¡¯t simply be dismissed as the leader of a heretical cult.¡±


    Lin Rui strongly agreed. Based on what he now understood, the current doctrine of the Light Church was very pure, and they didn¡¯t seem to exploit the ignorant masses for their hard-earned money, though that might also be related to the fact that the people were too poor to be exploited.


    Within the church, there was indeed a group of individuals with firm convictions, true believers of the ¡°Holy Thunder Fire¡±, who wanted to cleanse the world according to the teachings of the Light Church, bringing true light to mankind, ensuring the people could live peacefully and happily without worries about food and clothing, free from the troubles of demons.


    Lin Rui had been quite worried about the Zhou siblings of Wang City, but when he saw another High Priest from Wang City showing kindness and care towards the siblings, he was reassured.


    It turns out that the Light Church had many female members. Not only were the two High Priests he had met women, but about seventy percent of the priests were also female.


    Go to novgo.co


    According to his understanding, women seemed to have an advantage when cultivating the basic and advanced techniques of the Light Church.


    Lin Rui also met with this High Priest, whose name was Tang Wenlan. Like Li Qiufeng, she was a calm and gentle woman of elegance and grace, welcoming Lin Rui, the one touched by holy fate, with warmth.


    Lin Rui¡¯s attitude towards Tang Wenlan was much better than towards Li Qiufeng, always treating her with respect, though he did try to keep his distance in their conversations.


    He was now a seventh rank ¡®Capital Commandant of Martial Virtue¡¯ and couldn¡¯t risk his future for the Light Church.


    This was a position in the Imperial Guard of the capital!


    In the first few days after his arrival, he had seen a news story about how the Federal Security Bureau spent three hundred million Federal Credits and had over eighty pathwalkers assist in an attempt to plant someone in the Imperial Guard system of the Great Song. The mission failed, resulting in significant casualties and a bureau chief resigning in accountability.


    The incident had caused a huge stir and was all over the news, so Lin Rui remembered it vividly.


    ¡°Enough of this, our relationship with the Light Church doesn¡¯t matter. In the future, we should try to avoid any entanglement with them.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªHowever, for Li Qiufeng¡¯s sake, he would turn a blind eye to certain matters.


    Seeing her, Lin Rui also brightened, smiling at her, ¡°Is everything settled with your family?¡±


    Ji Xueying had been absent these past few days for the purpose of settling her family.


    Ji Xueying didn¡¯t want her parents to be dragged into the struggle with Han and Wang, and her family wanted to find somewhere to live incognito, quietly for the rest of their lives.


    ¡°Everything has been arranged; the household registration and all that is in order,¡± Ji Xueying said gratefully with a bow, ¡°My parents asked me to thank you for the Silver Coin provided by Your Highness, which is enough for them to re-establish their household and live comfortably for a lifetime. They truly cannot thank you enough, and my father especially asked me to convey the message that they will live quietly and not cause you any trouble.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Rui thought that the matter might still be troublesome.


    Lin Rui had met Ji Xueying¡¯s parents, both of whom were upright and honest people, and Ji Xueying¡¯s three siblings were also capable of living decently.


    Even if they weren¡¯t previously, after surviving a dangerous encounter, they would likely become more settled.


    Lin Rui had also given them a generous amount of Silver Tael.


    After the battle, he and a group of constables, along with the magisterial offices¡¯ clerks and officers, had confiscated the County Magistrate¡¯s and the registrar¡¯s properties under the pretext of searching for demons, accumulating 19,000 Silver Tael of magical currency, in addition to various lands, buildings, and shops.


    They had given half of their spoils to their superiors, used some for hush money for the other clerks in the office, and covered the expenses for altering land and building registrations in the county and provincial cities; the rest was divided among themselves.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t want land or property, so he took a full 5,000 Silver Tael and passed 3,000 of it to Ji Xueying¡¯s family.


    It was money for settling down, and he couldn¡¯t be stingy.


    The Ji family¡¯s problem was with their household registration, as this world¡¯s registration system was very strict and could easily expose one¡¯s background.


    Lin Rui had asked a professor of law to help arrange the Ji family¡¯s household registration.


    Possibly feeling guilty for having hesitated during the battle, the professor had immediately agreed to help and given Lin Rui a letter of introduction, saying that presenting this letter to a certain officer in charge of household registration in the neighboring county would get the Ji family registered.


    However, this solution could only alleviate an immediate issue, and there were still potential risks in the long term, so they would have to find a more permanent solution when the opportunity arose.


    ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s this.¡±


    Ji Xueying took out two porcelain bottles the size of an arm and looked at Lin Rui with her icy jade-like eyes, ¡°These are two bottles of fourth-realm emperor-grade blood. I don¡¯t know where they came from, but I guessed they might be useful to you, my lord.¡±


    Lin Rui was initially surprised but quickly realized that Ji Xueying must have guessed his identity as an outsider Heavenly Demon.


    But it was something that would have been revealed sooner or later, and he smiled casually and took them without hesitation, ¡°Thanks, Ying¡¯er, this blood is indeed crucial for me!¡±


    Lin Rui was close to completing his blood cultivation, and at this stage, there was no better blood serum material than Ji Xueying¡¯s blood.


    It was the bloodline quality, not the level of cultivation, that mattered for the serum material, and Ji Xueying¡¯s fourth-realm emperor-grade blood held boundless potential, making it the best choice currently available.


    The key elemental power also matched well; Ji Xueying once had a pure thunder attribute, and now her blood carried thunder, fire, and light.


    Originally, Lin Rui was wondering how to ask for blood from Ji Xueying since he needed a greater quantity this time, including some marrow blood, which couldn¡¯t be simply brushed off like last time; unexpectedly, Ji Xueying had already prepared it for him.

 Chapter 115: 114 Muscle-Tendon Transformation, Bone Forging (Third update, please subscribe)

    Chapter 115: Chapter 114 Muscle-Tendon Transformation, Bone Forging (Third update, please subscribe)


    At the same time, nearly 125 miles away in Wang City County.


    Teacher Han Kedao was sitting at the top floor of a teahouse, furrowing his brows as he looked at the county government office diagonally across from the teahouse.@@@@


    His student Li Li was smiling as he poured tea for him, ¡°Teacher, you say one thing and do another. You keep saying to let them fend for themselves, yet you still sent so much demon silver to the junior brothers. But, isn¡¯t this first mission too difficult? The special beings have only just arrived a few months ago; it would be good enough if they could simply gain a firm foothold.¡±


    Han Kedao snorted upon hearing this, ¡°They are all geniuses in the top 300 before the special beings assessment, merely black belts. What¡¯s so difficult about that? Isn¡¯t Silver Moon County short of many constables? How could they not rise to the occasion?¡±


    He paused for a moment and then casually added, ¡°Let¡¯s give them two months. If it really doesn¡¯t work out, have little Lu go there and take a look.¡±


    Li Li laughed upon hearing this. Little Lu was Lu Xinran, also a student of Han Kedao¡¯s and had already infiltrated the county government, serving as an official responsible for the county¡¯s finance and population registers.


    ...


    As long as Lu Xinran put in a word, even the Silver Moon County Magistrate would have to give him face.


    In fact, they did not know the names or detailed information of the special beings Lin Rui and Wang Sen; Li Li only knew that the two junior brothers chose the identity of constables when they descended.


    This was information that had to be reported to the project team; otherwise, they would not be able to carry out their work.


    As long as they knew the identities of these two, it would be easy to handle. Lu Xinran just had to check according to their ages, and he could easily figure out who the two of them were.


    Previously, a major case occurred in Silver Moon County. It was said that a County Magistrate had cultivated many demons and wanted to burn the entire Silver Moon County down, resulting in the death of thousands of civilians and several government officials.


    After learning of this, Li Li was quite worried for his two junior brothers and specifically returned to Base Nine to check on the situation. Upon discovering that Lin Rui and Wang Sen¡¯s true bodies were fine, he was able to let go of his worry.


    These two junior brothers descended in Silver Moon County to bide their time and wouldn¡¯t seek trouble. Besides, with their current cultivation status, they were not eligible to be involved.


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    Han Kedao continued to gaze in the direction of the county government, his brows deeply knit, ¡°Little Li, regarding Fei Yunlai¡¯s warning, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think we should treat it seriously and take a temporary pause, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Li Li¡¯s expression also became solemn, ¡°Moreover, the situation within Wang City County is getting messier, and taking into account the whole situation in the Shazhou region, it¡¯s somewhat incomprehensible to me. So to be on the safe side, let¡¯s wait until the winds die down a bit before making any moves.¡±


    Not long ago, Wang City was bloodily purged by the federal military, and all 200 of the ¡®Imperial Dragon Guards¡¯ from the Royal City Division were slaughtered.


    This affected not only Silver Moon County but also plunged the entire Wang City County into turmoil. The city was in a state of unrest, with dangerous and tumultuous situations developing.


    Additionally, one matter was of great concern to Li Li.


    The newly appointed governor of the Shazhou region was fully committed to eradicating the so-called ¡®Heavenly Demons¡¯ within the area, and the federal military was also fighting back fiercely. The conflict was escalating, with the scale of casualties on both sides growing larger and larger.


    However, strangely, since the conflict had started, those loyal to the governor of Shazhou had not encountered any trouble. In contrast, the branches of the Royal City Division in various counties had suffered heavy losses.


    ¡°The situation in Shazhou is indeed very strange, but it doesn¡¯t have much to do with our project team. It¡¯s baffling,¡± Han Kedao said, tapping his fingers on the table, his gaze filled with a bit of helplessness and impatience.


    He had been preparing for this project for many years, and it was supposed to enter a phase of reaping rewards in these few months. However, the warning from Fei Yunlai had forced them to temporarily stop their operations.


    Li Li poured himself a cup of tea, ¡°But, Professor, you still called a halt, which shows you trust General Fei greatly.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui and Wang Sen both had a shiver run down their spine and exchanged a glance.


    Wang Sen¡¯s scalp tingled. When he first learned of Lin Rui¡¯s appointment as Capital Commandant of Martial Virtue, he had anticipated trouble would follow, but he had never imagined it would come so soon.


    They had returned to their senses several times these days, all the while seeking ways to eliminate future problems.


    The two had already made some headway and found several methods that could help Lin Rui pass the Heavenly Demon Test.


    Yet before they could act, the Capital Commandant¡¯s envoy from Shazhou had already sent someone to examine Lin Rui¡¯s physical body and Divine Sense.


    Standing outside the main hall of the county government office, Ji Xueying was equally shocked. Instinctively, she clenched her fist, ready to draw her sword at any moment.


    Lin Rui showed no expression, showing no sign of emotion as he opened the abilities list of War Spirit No. 2, eyeing the skills available for copying.


    He sighed inwardly, thinking that he would have to pay a hefty price for this skill but it was a necessary loss.


    Lin Rui then called out to his Spirit.


    ¡°Spirit, help me exchange for Grandmaster-level Sinew Transforming Bone Refinement.¡±


    Notification: Sinew Transforming Bone Refinement (Grandmaster) is an advanced skill, requiring 15,000 Soul Power points or one free advanced skill exchange opportunity.


    By then, Lin Rui¡¯s Concealing Breath Skill had been enhanced, but what was lacking was proficiency in controlling the blood, flesh, and bones within his body. Sinew Transforming Bone Refinement was one of the more famous types of techniques for this purpose.


    In his heart, Lin Rui prayed that those generals with different forms had not misled people on the forum.


    That was a discussion he found on a forum for those of different forms when searching for information on the entrance test for the Capital City Division.


    A few high-ranking military figures among those with different forms discussed what methods would allow them to infiltrate the Capital City Division and other dynasties¡¯ spy agencies, and one suggested that mastering Sinew Transforming Bone Refinement could help one pass the physical examination.


    This comment was unanimously approved by two other high-ranking officers, with over 20 people liking it; however, they considered the method to be unrealistic, as Sinew Transforming Bone Refinement was a high-level Body Refinement Secret Technique. Practitioners from different backgrounds would need to have reached at least the rank of a minor general, or even a middle general, to fully master it.


    The Capital City Division wasn¡¯t foolish; they would recruit only those under 25 as core members. Although they would recruit older individuals, they could only mix in the peripheral positions, not penetrating the core circle of power.


    Coincidentally, Ji Shenyan¡¯s skill list contained the Grandmaster-level Sinew Transforming Bone Refinement. The problem was that this was merely a Body Refinement technique, not a Cultivation Technique, and aside from helping him with the test, it wouldn¡¯t be of much other use to Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui chose the free exchange amidst the pain, and in the next instant, a tidal wave of information burst into his mind, causing some odd changes in the flesh and bones of his body.


    Fortunately, Lin Rui had advanced his Concealing Breath Skill to the level of Great Grandmaster beforehand, maintaining the subtle nuances of his energy throughout the process.


    Lin Rui felt a sense of surprise: ¡°Turns out it¡¯s not only Cultivation Techniques that can strengthen the physical body; these high-level Body Refinement techniques can actually enhance my physical attributes too.¡±


    It was at this moment that Lin Rui saw two people enter through the doorway.


    The person in the lead was clothed in the robes of a sixth-rank Imperial Censor, with a square face and pronounced, well-defined features¡ªpresumably the sixth-rank Imperial Censor Lin Tianda.


    The other, cloaked in a black cloak, had an indistinct appearance.


    However, Lin Rui still recognized from this person¡¯s figure that he was likely the record keeper Jiang Hanzhang, who had escaped seven days ago.


    This individual, revealing only a pair of eyes, watched him with an exceptionally venomous and severe gaze.

 Chapter 116: 115: Wang Citys Defense Commander (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 116: Chapter 115: Wang City¡¯s Defense Commander (Please Subscribe)


    As the Sixth-Rank Imperial Censor Lin Tianda entered, Zhuang Mingyue didn¡¯t even plan to rise. She merely sat there and cupped one hand in the other before her as a gesture of respect, considering her courtesy done.


    Lin Rui had initially intended to stand up, but with a sidelong glance from Zhuang Mingyue, he realized he did not need to be too courteous to this Imperial Censor Lin and thus remained seated without moving.


    He was now a member of the royal city¡¯s authority, holding the title of Seventh-Rank Martial Virtue Capital Commandant; he was an official, with a status on par with Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s, the Seventh-Rank Circuit Inspector.


    Lin Rui inwardly sighed in admiration; they say that those from the Great Song¡¯s royal city¡¯s authority are exceptionally arrogant, even more so than crabs on land, and indeed, they were extraordinary upon first meeting.


    This Lin Tianda was an esteemed Sixth-Rank Imperial Censor, a ¡®pure stream¡¯ within the court, with a status far higher than that of an average Sixth-Rank official, yet Zhuang Mingyue treated him with such disregard.


    Lin Tianda then coldly fixed Zhuang Mingyue with a stare and looked over at Lin Rui, who was sitting to Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s left. Without bothering with courtesies, he bluntly asked, ¡°You are Lin the Twelfth, the newly appointed Martial Virtue Capital Commandant?¡±


    ...


    Seeing Lin Rui cup his hands in acknowledgment, Lin Tianda swept his robe sleeve aside, ¡°I am here under the command of the superiors. Firstly, to reconduct the investigation into the Zhu relatives¡¯ case of abducting former royal heirs, concocting demons, and slaughtering civilians; and secondly, to perform the ¡®Heavenly Demon Test¡¯ on Lin the Twelfth, to determine whether this person is a Heavenly Demon from beyond our domain. Since you are here, let¡¯s proceed now.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush!¡± Zhuang Mingyue said with a slight smile, picking up a teacup and nonchalantly blowing on the tea leaves, ¡°Before Imperial Censor Lin uses the Heavenly Demon Test, you need to set up an array, right? Conveniently, our Wang City¡¯s Magistrate Jiang and the Prefectural Governor¡¯s Capital Punishment Investigator Wang have also arrived. I have already sent someone to invite them. They will join us shortly to witness the test for Capital Commandant Lin.¡±


    This arrangement would be conclusive. With a group of officials as witnesses, not only would they avoid future trouble, but it would also prevent Lin Tianda from making excuses or tampering with the test on the spot.


    She then lifted her gaze and looked at the man in black behind Lin Tianda, ¡°May I ask who is the person behind Imperial Censor Lin? He looks somewhat familiar.¡±


    Lin Tianda expressionlessly ripped the cloak off the man in black, revealing his face and expressions to everyone present.


    ¡°Jiang Hanzhang!¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue squinted her eyes, examining the former chief clerk up and down, then her lips curled into a meaningful smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the chief clerk would end up looking like this. To think that just over ten days ago, we were sharing drinks and working shoulder to shoulder, it really is thought-provoking.¡±


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    Jiang Hanzhang, although still maintaining a human form, had undergone demonic transformation, his skin turned to resemble ancient tree bark covering his entire body, and his hands were locked tightly with iron chains.


    He twitched the corners of his mouth upon hearing her words, clenching his teeth tightly.


    How could Jiang Hanzhang not perceive Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s mockery?


    Reflecting on the past ten days or so, he had been a highly respected chief clerk, calling the shots in Silver Moon County, making Zhuang Mingyue defer to him; yet, in just ten days, he had become a figure neither human nor ghost.


    And all of this was because of that Lin the Twelfth beside him!


    ¡°Imperial Censor Lin!¡± Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s tone turned cold, ¡°Are you not aware that this Jiang Hanzhang is also one of the masterminds behind the Zhu relatives¡¯ case, a wanted criminal by the royal city¡¯s authority?¡±


    ¡°How could I not know?¡± Lin Tianda¡¯s expression was cold and composed, upholding justice with resolve, ¡°This man is also my student. Upon learning of this beast¡¯s involvement in the Zhu relatives¡¯ case, I immediately captured him and personally delivered him here to serve as living evidence, and to face the law and receive punishment!¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue immediately came to an understanding upon hearing this.


    This Jiang Hanzhang must have been sent over by the Prince¡¯s Mansion as a scapegoat.


    She deduced that Jiang Hanzhang would likely take on the role of one of the masterminds and push most of the blame onto the Zhu relatives to facilitate the Prince¡¯s acquittal, as the dead could not speak.


    Zhuang Mingyue, however, was unconcerned and sneered disdainfully.


    This case involved over a hundred of the Great Zhou royal heirs and the thirty thousand civilians of Silver Moon County; how could the Prince expect to so easily deceive his way out?


    In the last hundred years, all the Heavenly Demons captured by the court had been proficient in the court¡¯s official language and script.


    As for the point about the progression of cultivation not conforming to that of a normal person, that, on the contrary, cleared Lin No.12 of suspicions.


    Those foreign Heavenly Demons, when they first descended, even if they cultivated rapidly, would always conceal this fact and not dare to expose themselves for fear of attracting attention.


    So the likelihood of Lin No.12 being a foreign Heavenly Demon was very slim.


    Lin Tianda then shook his head and formed a Dharma Seal with his hands.


    The decision to perform the Heavenly Demon Test on Lin No.12 came at the behest of someone from the Prince of Han¡¯s residence, and Jiang Hanzhang, using some pretext, had persuaded that person to spend a large sum to procure his services.


    Since Lin Tianda had taken the silver coin, and promised that person, he must handle this matter properly, leaving no grounds for criticism.


    A moment later, Lin Tianda was enveloped in a blaze of blood flames. As he formed a complex Array with his hands, a huge phantom gradually appeared beneath the steps outside the county office¡¯s main hall.


    This figure was nine zhang tall with a humanoid shape, covered in golden armor, three dragon-shaped heads, and six arms, resembling the three-headed and six-armed deities from ancient Chinese mythology.


    ¡°The Guardian War Dragon!¡±


    Adjacent to him, both the chapter¡¯s presiding official and the chief prosecutor were visibly moved upon seeing the phantom of the war dragon.


    Lin Rui, too, was taken aback. Lin Tianda had actually gone so far as to use the final step of the Heavenly Demon Test.


    Summoning the Divine Sense of the Guardian War Dragon was a costly act that drained a lot of vital energy and life force, so normally, no one would use this method in a ¡®Heavenly Demon Test.¡¯


    He inwardly felt uneasy, worrying that his Transformative Bone Technique and Concealing Breath Skill might be exposed. None of the upper echelons had mentioned such a scenario in their instructions.


    However, after the three-headed war dragon opened its vertical eye in its forehead and scrutinized Lin Rui for a moment, it let out a ¡®pchht¡¯ sound and dissipated into green smoke.


    The blood flames on Lin Tianda also vanished, leaving him pale and weak as he said with difficulty, ¡°After examination by the Heavenly Demon Strategy Technique, Lin No.12 is not a foreign Heavenly Demon!¡±


    Hearing this, Jiang Hanzhang collapsed to the ground, his face filled with despair and confusion: ¡°No, how can this be? How is this possible? There must be something wrong.¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue, seeing this, smiled with satisfaction, knowing Lin No.12 was indeed not a ¡®foreign Heavenly Demon¡¯: ¡°You fool, take this demon cultivator away.¡±


    She stood up from her seat, pulling out an official document from her sleeve: ¡°Lin No.12, take orders! The Commander-in-Chief of Sha State has decreed that Wu De, the Capital Commandant Lin No.12, is to immediately proceed to Wang City County to take up the post of Deputy Defence Commander of Wang City, and also to temporarily assume the role of Defence Commander of Wang City!¡±


    As Zhuang Mingyue made this declaration, not only was Lin Rui¡¯s face filled with surprise, but Wang Sen¡¯s heart was also struck with tumultuous waves.


    What did the County Magistrate just say? Lin Rui was to go to Wang City County to take up the post of Deputy Defence Commander of Wang City, and also to temporarily assume the role of Defence Commander of Wang City?


    Although the official rank of Defence Commander of Wang City was low, only sixth-rank, its authority was significant, enough to stand on equal terms with the local Prefectural Governor!


    Lin Rui had only been here for a few days and was already ascending to such a high official position?


    No, the most crucial point was that his Brother Rui had actually infiltrated the core reserves of the Imperial Secret Service!


    Since Lin Rui could be entrusted with such an important task by the upper echelons of the Imperial Secret Service, it meant that he was being considered one of their own by a significant faction within, and deemed worthy of substantial grooming!


    Even the chapter¡¯s presiding official and the chief prosecutor changed their expressions, looking at Lin Rui with eyes and smiles that became much warmer and more sincere.


    Although they ranked higher than Lin No.12 officially, on the grounds of Wang City County, they both would have to defer to this Lin Defence Commander.

 Chapter 117: 116 Limitless Saber Venerable (Requesting Subscriptions)

    Chapter 117: Chapter 116 Limitless Saber Venerable (Requesting Subscriptions)


    Lin Rui felt incredibly surprised and utterly confused.


    Wasn¡¯t this County Magistrate being overly generous with him?


    He speculated that his appointment must be related to Zhuang Mingyue.


    Without the power of this deep and unmeasurable County Magistrate, how could that high-ranking protector of the region even think of letting him, a newly appointed ¡®Martial Cultivist Capital Commandant¡¯ with no background, take over Wang City?@@@@


    Since his arrival just over twenty days ago, Zhuang Mingyue had promoted him several ranks in quick succession, not only appointing him as a seventh-grade Martial Cultivist Capital Commandant but also temporarily placing him as the deputy defender of Wang City, and even the acting defender.


    The question was, why did Zhuang Mingyue favor him so much? On what basis?


    ...


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s gaze had shown no signs of strangeness, Lin Rui might even suspect that the County Magistrate had taken a liking to him.


    However, he showed a face of shocked gratitude, his voice full of emotional vigor, ¡°Your subordinate obeys the command! I am deeply grateful for your mentorship, heavier than a mountain, and as deep as the sea, beyond words. I am profoundly grateful and shall engrave this in my heart every single day!¡±


    This County Magistrate could be considered his patron, the old leader who promoted him, and he must make her feel the emotional value.


    After receiving the official document from Zhuang Mingyue, Lin Rui quickly scanned it. The content was as Zhuang Mingyue had stated, the regional protector instructed him to promptly go to the county city to suppress the local demons and martial forces to prevent the law and order in Wang City county from further deterioration, and also to monitor whether the officials in Wang City had engaged in any unlawful activities during its destruction.


    The regional protector, a fourth-rank official under the Imperial City Division, was the head of all ¡®Imperial Dragon Guards¡¯ in the region, and also Lin Rui¡¯s future immediate superior.


    This official also authorized him to recruit a hundred Imperial Dragon Guards after taking office, to rebuild the structure of Wang City.


    Lin Rui felt very conflicted, musing that he had initially come to slack off and steal a salary, yet in less than a month, he ended up as a high official of the great Song Dynasty.


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    If Manager Yu and others asked him how he was doing here, Lin Rui really didn¡¯t know what to answer.


    Zhuang Mingyue was very satisfied with Lin Rui¡¯s reaction. She smiled and swept her sleeve gently, ¡°Why thank me? It¡¯s all because of your own efforts, impressively managing the case of Zhu cousins, earning the regional protector¡¯s favor. If you really want to thank me, just do your duties well and don¡¯t disgrace me.¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue then turned to the Imperial Censor, Lin Tianda, ¡°Lord Lin, our county office also has a young hero, who stepped into the third realm only after a few months of cultivation, nearly reaching two-tenths proficiency in blood control, and is both intelligent and brave; Zhuang also intends to recruit him into the Imperial City Division for key training. Today just happens to be a good opportunity; why not test him as well?¡±


    Lin Rui was not a true native of the Sky Extreme Islands and held no lofty ideals of suffering for his country or undying loyalty to the royal court.


    As long as Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s requests did not contradict his conscience, Lin Rui would do his best to fulfill them.


    A smile flickered across Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s eyes, thinking to herself that he indeed was the person she had valued, ¡°To be honest, the Governor of Shazhou is my senior brother. This time he appointed you to take over Wang City because he had no other choice. My sect operates some businesses in the Wang City County, which require supervision. Moreover, it relates to a matter that occurred recently. My senior brother must have a person strong in martial arts and reliable in character to help him manage Wang City.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s spirit was stirred.


    The County Magistrate¡¯s senior brother was the Governor of Shazhou?


    His guess was correct, Zhuang Mingyue indeed came from a powerful faction within the imperial department.


    Lin Rui then listened to Zhuang Mingyue saying, ¡°Twelve, have you ever heard of the Mad Saber Gentleman Qin Yan?¡±


    ¡°Mad Saber Gentleman Qin Yan?¡± Lin Rui looked puzzled.


    He only had a vague understanding of the martial folklore of the Sky Extreme Islands, though he found the name very familiar; where had he heard it before?


    Before Lin Rui could even start to search online, Zhuang Mingyue laughed softly, thinking it was normal for Twelve of his age and experience to not have heard of him.


    She continued, ¡°This person was a seventh realm Martial Cultivator from three thousand years ago, once listed within the top thirty on our Great Song¡¯s imperial wanted list. That¡¯s not too impressive itself, but what¡¯s crucial is his other identity; he was the direct disciple of Du Zunlong.¡±


    ¡°Du Zunlong? The Limitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong?¡± Lin Rui finally remembered, his pupils dilating as he thought, isn¡¯t that the project that Professor Han and his team are working on?


    ¡°Exactly, the Limitless Saber Venerable! You¡¯ve actually heard of his title!¡± Zhuang Mingyue felt a bit surprised, then nodded, ¡°Du Zunlong was the undisputed number one master known beneath ¡®The Abyss¡¯ at the time, in his later years he was infinitely close to The Abyss, and was the most likely entity to break through The Abyss in the last ten thousand years.


    He ultimately failed and perished in the Sky Extreme Islands overseas. Afterward, the fragments of his war dragon were divided among the ten disciples he had taken during his lifetime. Mad Saber Gentleman Qin Yan was one of them. Half a year ago, there were rumors suddenly on the rivers and lakes that Qin Yan might have lived in Wang City County for the last 100 years of his life, and his hideout was near Wang City County.


    This news created an uproar at the time, drawing many masters to Wang City, turning the county upside down until it calmed down two months ago. However, recently Wang City stirred up again, as new clues about the hideout of Mad Saber Gentleman Qin Yan were discovered¡ª¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Rui squinted his eyes.


    He remembered the message Fei Yunlai had them relay to Professor Han.


    ¡ªThe situation is not right; pause the plan; it¡¯s a trap!

 Chapter 118: 117: Simply Absurd (Subscription Request)

    Chapter 118: Chapter 117: Simply Absurd (Subscription Request)


    Lin Rui walked out of the County Office¡¯s inner courtyard looking somber, devoid of any joy.


    Wang Sen and Blood Blade Ji had been waiting outside, and both were slightly surprised when they saw Lin Rui¡¯s expression.


    Today, Lin Rui had not only passed the Imperial Censor¡¯s ¡°Heavenly Demon Test,¡± but had also been appointed as the Deputy Commander for the defense of Wang City¡ªa cause for great celebration. So why did he still look so troubled?


    Knowing they were curious, Lin Rui signaled to them with his eyes as he came out, ¡°Let¡¯s talk when we get back!¡±


    As the three of them reached the gate of the office, Lin Rui ran into Zhang Tianchang, who was just coming out from the other side.


    This man must have been working overtime on a case in the County Office and only now had he finished his shift.


    ...


    Lin Rui felt a surge of thoughts and greeted Zhang Tianchang with a beaming smile, ¡°What a coincidence, Brother Tianchang! You haven¡¯t finished your shift yet?¡±


    Zhang Tianchang furrowed his brow and, holding his sword, bowed expressionlessly, ¡°Zhang has seen the Capital Commandant!¡±


    He wondered why this guy suddenly started addressing him as Brother Tianchang so enthusiastically again.


    Recently, Lin had always called him Old Zhang, and Zhang Tianchang had gotten used to it.


    As long as he didn¡¯t call him Little Zhang, Zhang Tianchang would not bother arguing with this fellow.


    ¡°What are you up to, Brother Tianchang?¡± Lin Rui approached warmly, clapping Zhang Tianchang on the shoulder forcefully, ¡°Just the other day, we weathered hardships and faced death together. It wouldn¡¯t be too much to say we are as close as brothers, right? Why so formal?¡±


    He then lowered his voice, sounding utterly sincere and persuasively gentle, ¡°Brother Tianchang, I recently received a great opportunity. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d be interested? Just today, the County Magistrate secured for me the position of Deputy Commander for the defense of Wang City, and the Commander of Sha State City has even allowed me to recruit a hundred strong men to join the Royal Guard of Wang City.


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    ¡°This is an Imperial Guard role! A very rare opportunity. If Brother Tianchang is willing to come with me, Lin would willingly offer you the rank of team leader, bearing the title of Capital Commandant. What do you say?¡±


    Zhang Tianchang was momentarily startled upon hearing this, Lin Rui had been appointed as the Deputy Commander for the defense of Wang City?


    He had thought Lin¡¯s first step into the Imperial Guard would begin as an officer in the Royal Guard, maybe as a team leader commanding fifty men, or a Qu Zhang commanding a hundred men, or perhaps as a deputy commander in a small county on the frontier. He had never expected Lin to start at such a high position.


    Everyone knew Wang City was a major county! Located next to Sha State City, it had always been a critical location for the court¡¯s grain and silver supplies.


    And the Commander even allowed him to recruit his own troops?


    He knew that several higher officers had come today from the county and the state, and Lin, as the Martial Virtue Capital Commandant, had also been there to accompany them. He hadn¡¯t realized Lin had achieved such an impressive future prospect.


    Zhang Tianchang felt slightly moved, thinking that Lin was indeed quite loyal.


    The position of a team leader in the Imperial Guard was no low affair, significantly stronger than his current role as a temporary chief arrest officer.


    In the army, a team leader could only command two groups, which is about fifty men. However, in the Imperial Guard, the rank of team leader was particularly prestigious, usually held by an officially appointed eighth-rank Capital Commandant, and sometimes even a seventh-rank Martial Virtue Capital Commandant like Lin.


    Yet he simply smiled and shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll pass. I¡¯ve already promised the County Magistrate to stay in Silver Moon County for three more months, to stabilize the situation here before the new County Magistrate and the new arrest officer take over. After three months, he will recommend me for the Imperial Guard¡¯s Inspector assessment. By then, if I pass, we might still have the chance to work together. If not, I¡¯ll come and seek a position from you.¡±


    Lin Rui was also taken aback upon hearing this, just then realizing Zhang Tianchang¡¯s future might even exceed his own.


    The Imperial Guard¡¯s Inspector and the Royal Guard belonged to different branches, the Royal Guard being akin to local military and patrol units, whereas Inspectors were more like special forces and major case departments¡ªnot only wielding greater authority but also covering a wider jurisdiction and receiving more attention from higher-ups.


    As soon as he opened his eyes, he received a message from Professor Sima.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Sima Lin): Back already? I saw the thing you sent over through the Heteromorphic Management Bureau, man oh man! It¡¯s actually blood from a four-realm super emperor! How did you manage it? Did you kill a four-realm super emperor demon?


    Lin Rui chuckled lightly after reading it.


    If Sima Lin knew that he had also brought three tubes of blood from a seven-realm royal class demon suitable for cultivating heteromorphic beings, what would his reaction be?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, I captured a Blood Blade Ji, a four-realm super emperor!


    Divine Doctor Sima (Sima Lin): !!!!!!! Really? Are you joking with me, Lin Rui?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): It¡¯s true, I¡¯m not lying to you. I want you to personally make a serum for me with this super emperor blood. Are you interested, Professor?


    Lin Rui¡¯s synthetic serum could only be completed after his heteromorphic blood cultivation was perfected.


    However, the preliminary preparations could already begin. Lin Rui¡¯s progress in cultivating heteromorphic blood was swift, already reaching 78%.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Also, after removing the serum portion from this blood, there should still be a considerable amount left. I¡¯d like to run a genetic test on my protective demon as soon as possible, equip her with some specialized strengthening potions, and a top-grade subdermal nano-armor, ideally all within a week.


    These strengthening potions and subdermal nano-armor should be able to boost Ji Xueying¡¯s combat power to the extreme.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Sima Lin): No problem, as long as it¡¯s cybernetic equipment, it¡¯s within my field of research, but I and my team charge a lot. You need it done especially quickly, so expect the fee to be no less than 2 million Federation coins, with a 500,000 deposit, not including the nano-armor. You¡¯ll need to buy that yourself.


    Lin Rui immediately transferred the amount. He glanced at his bank account, which still had 17.21 million remaining after the transaction.


    ¡ª¡ªThis was the reward from the great battle eight days ago; even after dividing 3,000 magic silver with the Ji family and paying taxes to the Heteromorphic Management Bureau, Lin Rui still obtained a massive amount of 17.71 million.


    This did not even include the three tubes of seven-realm royal class demon blood he held.


    The battles at the County Magistrate¡¯s office and the dungeon that day accounted for a total of 25 bounty demons and 11 bounty demon cultivators, so just from the official bounties, Lin Rui obtained over 5,000 somethings. Additionally, the weapons gathered from those demon cultivators sold for over 300 somethings; most of these cultivators were very poor, lacking any decent Magic Artifacts, only a couple of weapons left by burnt arrest officers were of some value.


    That upper-level four-realm sword and a royal class synthetic Golden Core, Lin Rui also sold to the Heteromorphic Management Bureau, despite the fact that the price was a loss. However, it was fast and hassle-free.


    Moreover, he instructed Blood Blade Ji to use her divine hiding ability to extract some blood from those deceased four-realm demons before their blood congealed, which also sold for over 2 million.


    However, all these funds combined did not match the value of the divine hedgehog armor on Lin Rui¡¯s body, which could be sold for at least 50 million Federation coins. It¡¯s likely all the eunuch¡¯s belongings were invested in this armor set.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, I might need your help with some cybernetic equipment in the next few days.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Sima Lin): Received! Looks like you made a fortune down there, but you need to create synthetic serum and other cybernetic equipment, so you better come to the affiliated hospital for a comprehensive physical examination. Let¡¯s see the redundancy of your body today; you should have some free time, right? Conveniently, your sister is also here; hm~ call Wang Sen over as well, and have him tested too.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Okay, Professor, I¡¯m on my way.


    In fact, these past few days, Sima Lin had already urged him several times about the physical examination. Lin Rui had been making excuses about being busy to push back the body check until today.


    Just as Lin Rui replied, located in the affiliated hospital¡¯s Laboratory Building 3, sitting in a pristine white lab, Sima Lin suddenly furrowed his brows.


    Lin Xi¡¯s physical examination report had already come out, and Sima Lin was reviewing her medical report form.


    His gaze was puzzled: ¡°Strange, aren¡¯t they siblings? Why do their DNA sequences not have even a bit of similarity?¡±


    Moments later, Sima Lin abruptly rose from his seat, his gaze incredulously glued to Lin Xi¡¯s DNA structure model: ¡°How is this possible? This is absurd, utterly inconceivable¡ª¡±

 Chapter 119: 118: Longevity Association (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 119: Chapter 118: Longevity Association (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°Spiritual power index 729, physical index 485, True Qi index 524, hiss¡ª¡±


    Half an hour later, Si Malin looked at Lin Rui¡¯s test report and couldn¡¯t help but gasp.


    What top-tier delicacy did this guy eat on Tianji Star? The indices of his body have improved so fast, he¡¯s almost surpassing the standards of a capital commandant completely.


    And that¡¯s without any artificial serum implanted.


    At this rate, why would Lin Rui even need to wait half a year? In five to six months, this guy could get the top-grade artificial Golden Core implanted.


    Si Malin pulled up Lin Rui¡¯s alternate body data.


    ...


    He discovered that Lin Rui¡¯s alternate body¡¯s physical condition was much stronger than his original body.


    There weren¡¯t detailed testing tools for the alternate body side, so it was roughly estimated by the biological chip. In the rank of an officer, the variance is usually around 50 points.


    ¡°Bright Divine Blood, indeed, you have awakened the foundational bloodline of the Dazzling Thunder Sacred Body, a super emperor-grade talent¡ª¡±


    Si Malin still felt it was unbelievable how quickly both bodies of Lin Rui were advancing in strength.


    Was it because Lin Rui¡¯s alternate body¡¯s quality was too strong, and under the effect of alternate body assimilation, it caused the original body¡¯s power to improve simultaneously?


    This little guy is getting more and more interesting, not even slightly less outstanding than his sister.


    He looked at Lin Rui lying in the medical pod, ¡°Lin Rui, what implantation equipment are you planning on getting?¡±@@@@


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui was currently exploring the website of Tianlan Group.


    He had previously made a plan, but after taking up the post of vice defense envoy of Wang City, Lin Rui felt he had been too conservative.


    The proverb goes, ¡°Three years as a county magistrate earns one hundred thousand taels of snowflakes silver.¡±


    The circumstances on Tianji Star were different from ancient China, where magical silver was even more valuable.


    The defense envoy of Wang City could stand on par with the local prefectural governor. With such authority, even without exploiting the citizens, earning twenty to thirty thousand taels of magical silver a year would not be a problem.


    The salary for Lin Rui¡¯s official rank of seventh-grade Martial Virtue Capital Commandant, along with various allowances from his position, also amounted to about two to three thousand taels a year.


    In addition, just the dividends promised by Zhuang Mingyue were as high as five thousand taels per year.


    Zhuang Mingyue had already promised that as long as he handled things properly, secured a strong foothold in Wang City, and raised his cultivation to the fourth realm of Golden Core, then the position of defense envoy of Wang City would be his.


    So he must give it his all to satisfy his superior.


    ¡°¡ª¡¯Celestial Armor¡¯ Type 5 growth-type subdermal nanotech armor, three sets, one for the original body, one for Ji Xueying, and one for my alternate body needing injection.¡±


    That¡¯s a total of 6 million federation dollars.


    Subdermal nanotech armor involves microrobots that are fused with the user¡¯s DNA. Once injected into the body, they settle beneath the skin and remain inactive. In critical moments, they can gather and form an extremely powerful defensive armor under the skin.


    Its utility isn¡¯t limited to defense¡ªit also helps in wound cleaning, healing, detoxification, and can somewhat enhance the muscle structure, increasing strength and more.


    ¡®Celestial Armor¡¯ Type 5 corresponds to a fifth realm dragon-transformation Martial Cultivator and is the top model in this tier. A growth-type subdermal nano-armor can even actively absorb etheric metals from the host¡¯s body to fortify its structure.


    This nanotechnology is relatively inexpensive, yet very practical, making it a great value for the price.


    This kind of implantation equipment might expose his alternate body walker identity, but Lin Rui has already passed the highest level ¡®Heavenly Demon Test¡¯ in the presence of group officials, so naturally, he is undeterred.


    Now, he is the most orthodox and genuinely pure resident of Tianji Star! No one could question him, not even Zhuang Mingyue.


    ¡°Intermediate ¡®Blood Core Fury Sun¡¯, 800 million federation dollars.¡±


    ¡°Intermediate ¡®Bright Divine Blood¡¯, 800 million federation dollars.¡±


    But when he saw the message sent by Wang Sen, his face twitched slightly.


    Quirky Youngster (Wang Sen): Professor, I want to implant a set of mid-tier ¡®Xuanwu Divine Blood¡¯, not sure if I meet the conditions now?


    Si Malin could firmly confirm that these two definitely had robbed someone¡¯s vault below.


    ¡®Xuanwu Divine Blood¡¯ was an S+ tier bloodline implant, with a mid-tier price of 4 million.


    He carefully looked at Wang Sen¡¯s body data and then frowned.


    It was just barely sufficient, ¡®Xuanwu Divine Blood¡¯ was only an auxiliary implant, not a core implant, so the burden on spiritual power was comparatively lesser.


    However, this guy was walking on the edge of madness.


    Si Malin felt that he had to perform the surgery himself, otherwise this kid was sure to succumb to implant syndrome.


    ¡°Oh, right, Professor.¡± Lin Rui remembered Lin Xi waiting outside the examination room, ¡°How¡¯s my sister¡¯s physical data, any progress these days?¡±


    He wanted to use Lin Xi¡¯s physical data to determine if her martial arts training had fallen behind.


    Si Malin looked up and through the transparent glass window at Lin Xi out in the family waiting area.


    The young girl was staring at him with wide eyes, her eyes containing a mix of anxiety, hope, and pleading.


    Did this child not want Lin Rui to know that their DNA had nothing in common, or did she not want her brother to know about her condition?


    Si Malin smiled, ¡°Her progress is good, your sister¡¯s talent is actually much stronger than yours.¡±


    However, Lin Xi¡¯s abnormal body data were ingrained in Si Malin¡¯s mind.


    Just then, Si Malin noticed a message alert on his smart terminal.


    ¡°Hold on!¡±


    Si Malin¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he quickly walked over to the changing room, projecting a virtual screen in front of him.


    With Si Malin¡¯s thought, the screen displayed a website filled with a mysterious aura, bearing the ¡®Longevity Association¡¯ LOGO.


    Someone had sent him a message through this website.


    Grand Priest[Chen Long]: Noon Horse, were you looking for me, what is the matter?


    Si Malin¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and he immediately responded.


    He maintained another username and identity on this website.


    Priest[Noon Horse]: Chen Long, I want to know, is it possible for humans to have an extremely high concentration of ¡®Dragon¡¯ essence in their blood without undergoing implantation?


    Grand Priest[Chen Long]: Extremely high concentration of ¡®Dragon¡¯ essence? I see, you have made contact with Despair Heavenly Girl and seen her medical report, right?


    Si Malin paused slightly when he saw this message.


    Despair Heavenly Girl, was he referring to Lin Xi? Was the Longevity Association always monitoring them?


    He immediately opened the Longevity Association¡¯s data archive to look for information on ¡®Despair Heavenly Girl¡¯.


    However, the website soon popped up a message¡ªYour confidentiality level is insufficient to view all top-secret information related to this entry.


    Priest[Noon Horse]: Chen Long, what do you mean by Despair Heavenly Girl?


    Grand Priest[Chen Long]: Oh, right, your level isn¡¯t yet high enough to view her research materials, let me think.


    Grand Priest[Chen Long]: Noon Horse, considering the information about Despair Heavenly Girl has been broadly leaked and you will be often in contact with Despair Heavenly Girl recently, I can make an exception and tell you part of the situation. Noon Horse, you know our creed at the Longevity Association, right?


    Priest[Noon Horse]: Of course, it¡¯s to achieve immortality! For the Abyss!


    Grand Priest[Chen Long]: Mainly the Abyss, until now, our Earth Federation has yet to produce an Abyss! This is the biggest bottleneck for the federation¡¯s implant martial arts, and Despair Heavenly Girl was once part of our ¡®Abyss Program¡¯.

 Chapter 120: 119 Heavenly Maiden Plan (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 120: Chapter 119 Heavenly Maiden Plan (Please Subscribe)


    Divine Doctor Sima looked at the message Chief High Priest Chen Long had sent, his pupils contracting ever so slightly.


    Could it be that Lin Xi was one of the ¡®Deep Abyss Project¡¯ from the Longevity Organization?


    The Longevity Organization was established by certain high-ranking members of the federation for the purpose of creating the ¡®Abyss.¡¯ It boasted not only a large number of federal elites, over three hundred banking and financial institutions, but also thousands of genius scientists and possessed an incredibly powerful armed force.


    This organization, with an overwhelming presence, always lurked in darkness, outside the awareness of the federal citizens, attempting to break through the ¡®Abyss¡¯ by any means necessary, both legal and illegal, so that certain people within it could gain ¡®eternity¡¯ and a power capable of confronting the five great ¡®Abysses¡¯ of Tianji Star.


    They were ruthless, with a notorious reputation in the underground world of the federation.@@@@


    High Priest Martial Cultivator: Since you used ¡®once,¡¯ does it mean the project has failed?


    ...


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: How should I put it? The project did fail, but ¡®Twin Goddesses¡¯ were in fact the closest to success among all the Abyss projects in the last hundred years. It¡¯s said they almost touched the brink of the Abyss during the final stage, but I¡¯m not clear on the details.


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: Although this project failed to break through the Abyss, its core components, ¡®Despair¡¯ Heavenly Girl and ¡®Suffering¡¯ Heavenly Girl, remain the strongest biological weapons of this century, the pinnacles of Earth Federation¡¯s biotechnology.


    High Priest Martial Cultivator: The Twin Goddess Project? Besides the ¡®Despair¡¯ Heavenly Girl, there¡¯s also a ¡®Suffering¡¯ Heavenly Girl?


    Divine Doctor Sima thought back to the family information of Lin Rui that he had investigated not long ago, his eyes narrowing slightly, his thoughts growing heavy.


    High Priest Martial Cultivator: Does this mean the Twin Goddesses are still valuable? Why did our Longevity Organization give up on the project?


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: The reasons are complex. The primary one is that they have defects. You have conducted a body examination report on her, so you should understand, right? The stronger her power, the shorter her lifespan. Once she awakens her ¡®Despair Battle Dragon,¡¯ she won¡¯t live much longer. Second, they are uncontrollable; their mental states are problematic. It is said that during the Twin Goddesses¡¯ experiment phase, an accident occurred that resulted in a large number of personnel fatalities.


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: Finally, we lost the experimental data. The person in charge of the project at the time destroyed all the experimental data, as well as all the data collected during the experimental phase. Since the Twin Goddesses harbor great hatred towards the Longevity Organization, the project not only ceased progress but instead became a heavy burden for the organization. The higher-ups finally decided to seal the project.


    Go to novgo.co


    High Priest Martial Cultivator: Chen Long, is the project leader Lin Cong? Is the Longevity Organization¡¯s intention to pursue him related to the Twin Goddess Project?


    As Divine Doctor Sima sent messages, he wondered about his old classmate Lin Cong. What exactly had he done? Why would he adopt someone like Lin Xi?


    Could this be the reason why Lin Cong disappeared?


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: How could that be? The ¡®Twin Goddesses¡¯ project ended thirteen years ago. Lin Cong did participate in the project, and he was among the most brilliant biological scientists in recent decades, but back then, he was still green. The reason the Longevity Organization is pursuing him is another matter entirely.


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: Enough Martial Cultivator, stop asking. I¡¯ve told you all that I can.


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: You might have to interact with the Despair Heavenly Girl frequently in the future, so help us keep an eye on her. The battle power of the Despair Heavenly Girl is formidable. Once awakened, even for our Longevity Organization, she poses a great threat, especially in her ¡®Twin Goddesses¡¯ form. Therefore, some organizations are now watching her, trying to provoke her into awakening on her own.


    High Priest Martial Cultivator: The ¡®Twin Goddesses¡¯ form? So the Suffering Heavenly Girl is still alive. Where is she?


    Chief High Priest Chen Long: I told you not to ask! You¡¯re not of sufficient rank, and this information is not for you to know.


    Divine Doctor Sima did not give up and sent two more messages, but the Chief High Priest responded no more.


    He stared at the chat history, his brows deeply furrowed in thought.


    The professor¡¯s surgical skills were, as always, exceptional.


    Si Malin connected all the assistive cybernetic enhancements closely to his meridian system and spinal nerves, thereby minimizing the physical and mental burden while maximizing the power of the enhancements.


    After waking up, Lin Rui received a message from a stranger.


    White Summer: Do not go out in the near future, the Vile Pirate Group has arrived.


    Lin Rui was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Is this Sister Xue?


    He had been so busy lately that he almost forgot about the beautiful Miss Xue.


    He was ashamed that the No. 1 Spirit Warrior had issued a mission for him to take care of his daughter.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): In any case, be careful. Be extra cautious when you go out. Their people have already scouted Mingde University, they might have given up on finding an opportunity, but you still can¡¯t be careless. The people sent by the Vile Pirate Group are very strong, all of them are at least of Major and Lieutenant Colonel ranks, with cybernetic enhancements rated at least grade B.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Have many people come? How many?


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): I currently know of seven. What do you need their numbers for? What¡¯s your cultivation level now? You want to confront them? Just stay put and don¡¯t go out. Don¡¯t worry! I will ensure your safety.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Understood!


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes, letting out a cold chuckle.


    He thought he¡¯d have a month or two, but they found him so quickly? That was fast!


    Next, he hummed the nursery rhyme ¡®The Big Garden¡¯ while sensing the changes brought by the cybernetic enhancements.


    Lin Rui noticed that his spine was different from before; he could clearly feel a continuous warmth being generated inside his vertebrae.


    This was ¡®Blood Core Fury Sun¡¯!


    In the Earth Federation, ¡®Blood Core Fury Sun¡¯ was an SS+ graded cybernetic enhancement implanted into the spine; on Tianji Star, ¡®Blood Core Fury Sun¡¯ was a super-royal-tier bloodline talent!


    According to the standards issued by the Martial Cultivators Association, with the four realms of Martial Cultivators as the benchmark, as long as a person¡¯s core enhancement is of full special grade, and they can implant six pieces of SS+ grade, or assistive enhancements with similar overall combat effectiveness, their enhancement rating can reach SS+, which is equivalent to Tianji Star¡¯s super-royal-tier.


    It must be mentioned here that the so-called top ten talents, the rankings of the hall and legendary talent evaluations of the Earth Federation, are not the same thing as Tianji Star¡¯s ¡®Royal Tier¡¯ and ¡®Imperial Tier¡¯.


    The so-called hall-level talent only means that in the future there is hope to implant imperial-tier enhancements and achieve imperial-tier strength.


    Whereas on Tianji Star, the imperial tier represents a realized talent that has already reached this level.


    Lin Rui was eager to test the power of his two SS+ grade cybernetic enhancements.


    However, he still followed Divine Doctor Sima¡¯s medical advice, patiently studying the knowledge of Tianji Star, until four hours later.


    When testing the cybernetic enhancements, Lin Rui did not go to the public activity area of the club but did so in the practice room of his own room.


    When Lin Rui wielded his sword with all his might, he saw a flash of light before his eyes.

 Chapter 121: 120: Blood Core Frenzy Sun (Subscription Request)

    Chapter 121: Chapter 120: Blood Core Frenzy Sun (Subscription Request)


    After two slashes and three cuts, Lin Rui halted his actions and thoughtfully looked at the practice blade in his hand.


    The SS+ combat gear ¡°Guang Ming Divine Blood,¡± also known as ¡°Blood of Guang Ming,¡± is based on the ¡°Radiant Thunder Sacred Body.¡± It greatly enhances the affinity and utilization efficiency with light, thunder, fire, and all other Guang Ming elements, significantly boosting True Qi strength and physical condition.


    According to tests conducted after Lin Rui¡¯s surgery, his affinity with the three elemental series had increased by about 33% each.


    The utilization efficiency had increased by 24%, True Qi strength by 23%, and physical condition by 21%.


    However, the real power of this combat gear lay in speed and response time.


    The speed of Lin Rui¡¯s three slashes had just increased by nearly 120%!


    ...


    What does that mean? Previously, Lin Rui could slash at most 15 times per second, but now he could slash 33 times, surpassing the firing rate of many firearms!


    This enhancement significantly boosted his combat effectiveness. Opponents who were previously on par with Lin Rui might not react quickly enough to the second slash and get killed by him.


    The speed of movements and reaction time had not yet been tested, but the outcome would not be disappointing.


    Lin Rui¡¯s variant had awakened the ¡°Blood of Guang Ming¡± eight days ago and had already experienced this innate ability.


    The reason Lin Rui was able to withstand that eunuch Zhu in the underground palace was due to his greatly increased blade speed and agility.


    The problem was that activating the ¡°Guang Ming Divine Blood¡± consumed too much energy.


    Lin Rui had only fought Zhu Tianmao for a dozen seconds, and he had already used up more than half of his True Qi.


    Go to novgo.co


    Therefore, he exchanged for the SS+ combat gear ¡°Blood Core Fury Sun.¡±


    This piece of gear was implanted in his spine and worked like carrying a miniature nuclear battery.


    It not only increased the power of light, thunder, and fire among other Guang Ming attributes but also continuously generated Guang Ming energy and ether elements, filling his meridians and blood and providing him with a steady supply of True Qi.


    Besides, it could activate its ¡°Fury Sun¡± mode, doubling the capabilities of the ¡°Blood Core Fury Sun¡± and enabling Lin Rui¡¯s strength and speed to burst to their limits.


    Lin Rui believed that the combination of these two combat gears could yield an effect of at least 1+1=5.


    Indeed, as Lin Rui had predicted, the ¡°Blood of Guang Ming¡± and the ¡°Blood Core Fury Sun¡± astonishingly enhanced his combat power.


    ¡°Worthy of being a super Emperor-level combat gear! I really hope my variant can awaken this gift soon, but this level might still be insufficient to handle seven B-ranked combat gears appraised at four realms,¡± he said.


    It was unfortunate that his Blood Blade Ji was not present, or else things wouldn¡¯t have been so troublesome¡ªhe could have just gone straight in for the kill.


    ¡°From my feeling, my speed could be faster, the Blood of Guang Ming hasn¡¯t reached its limit, and the Blood Core Fury Sun¡¯s recovery ability can also be stronger¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui felt that he had not fully utilized the capabilities of these two SS+ auxiliary combat gears.


    The issue lay in the Cultivation Techniques and martial arts he was learning; they were either solely focused on light or a combination of thunder and fire, or just the two systems of light and fire.


    The key issue was that both his battle spirits had not mastered martial arts skills encompassing all three elemental systems.


    Ji Shenyan did have a potent dragon-tier martial art, integrating the powers of thunder, light, and fire, but the current Lin Rui was far from reaching it.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s awakening of the ¡°Blood of Guang Ming¡± over these eight days had not been in vain.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that it was very good, based on statistics, a Lieutenant Colonel ranked with a B-level implant usually achieves around 30 strikes, spending so much money on implanting two types of supreme royal implants and the Soul Power points used to deduce martial arts was still worth it!


    ¡°Ring Spirit, help me elevate the poison concoction skill to Great Grandmaster level!¡±


    Reminder: Elevating poison concoction to Great Grandmaster level requires 2,000 Soul Power points.


    This deduction was a bit different from before, triggering a link with the Extreme Star Herbology that Lin Rui had previously studied, he came up with dozens of entirely new poison and medicinal formulas, and also improved the two hundred formulas he already mastered.


    Afterwards, Lin Rui threw himself into the sleep chamber, starting the deep sleep mode.


    This continuous four-time deduction depleted his mental energy to the extreme, leaving his consciousness completely numb, almost like a walking corpse.


    Lin Rui slept through turmoil until a message from his younger sister Lin Xi woke him up.


    Lin Xi: ¡°Bro, what are you up to? I¡¯ve finished cooking. Why haven¡¯t you come over yet? Professor Si is already here.¡±


    Only then did Lin Rui remember that this morning Lin Xi mentioned she would cook dinner tonight to host Professor Si and several members from the club.


    He quickly got up, hurried through his washing, changed into clean clothes, and went to Lin Xi¡¯s suite next door.


    The dining room in the large suite was bustling, not only was Si Malin there, but Yu Feicui was also present, along with Zhao Yan, Wang Sen, Nolan Wei, and even Lu Fang had the cheek to show up.


    Lin Rui immediately smelled the aroma of the food, his appetite surging.


    Yu Feicui, sitting at the dining table, turned her head to look at him, eyes showing a strange gleam.


    She had already learned from Si Malin that Lin Rui had implanted two types of supreme royal implants, significantly advancing his martial arts.


    Yu Feicui wondered curiously, where did this kid get the money?


    Originally according to their plan, Lin Rui would systematically advance to the Fourth Realm Golden Core, by which time his bank loan limit could reach 50 million, with Fang Ranran¡¯s interest-free loan guarantee, it would be enough to fully enhance Lin Rui¡¯s capabilities.


    But now, Lin Rui had already implanted two types of supreme royal implants at this stage!


    She wanted to probe Wang Sen for information. However, the chubby young man was indeed very clever, keeping tight-lipped and leak-proof, maintaining that it was Lin Rui¡¯s personal privacy, and he couldn¡¯t disclose it.


    In the past, Yu Feicui might have felt a bit annoyed.


    But now Wang Sen¡¯s overall quality had broken through to the Captain level, and he had also implanted the S+ level Guang Ming Divine Blood! In her eyes, his value was no less than Lu Fang¡¯s.


    She couldn¡¯t pressure Wang Sen to talk.


    However, this was indeed good news for the Minde Martial Arts Club.


    Yu Feicui initially thought she had only nabbed a big trump card, but what she actually got was a royal flush.


    Zhao Yan raised his eyebrows, a sharp gleam appearing in his eyes, ¡°Lin Rui, Professor Si said your physical qualities have surpassed the Captain level, are you interested in sparring with me?¡±


    He wanted to see if Lin Rui could implant the Golden Core in half a year, could he carry the club¡¯s main responsibility?


    Appointing Lin Rui as the main team leader in half a year might still be a bit of a stretch, but as long as Lin Rui implants the Golden Core, he could definitely be promoted to Deputy General.


    Lin Rui smiled at the words and took a seat at the dining table.


    He picked up a pair of chopsticks, ¡°Aren¡¯t you just curious about my current level of martial arts, why don¡¯t we use these to test a few moves?¡±


    Zhao Yan, unhesitatingly, also picked up a pair of chopsticks, ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s test a few moves!¡±@@@@

 Chapter 122: 121: Still Need to Shock Him (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 122: Chapter 121: Still Need to Shock Him (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui knew that Zhao Yan¡¯s martial arts standard was far superior to his own, with a chasm-like gap between them.


    Not only had Zhao Yan implanted a special-grade Dragon and Tiger Golden Core, but he likely also had several S-grade or higher auxiliary cybernetic enhancements.


    So, Lin Rui didn¡¯t hold back. As soon as he saw Zhao Yan pick up his chopsticks, he made his move directly, jabbing with his own chopsticks and creating a blur of afterimages beside the dining table.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Nolan Wei, who was by his side, almost dropped his jaw in shock. ¡°That¡¯s fast!¡±


    Such a fast strike! This guy didn¡¯t even have synthetic blood serum implanted, and yet his speed was already catching up to Nolan¡¯s!


    Was this the power of SS+ grade auxiliary cybernetic enhancements? Was the enhancement that significant?


    ...


    No! The martial arts Lin Rui demonstrated with the chopsticks were also very powerful, and they were highly compatible with his enhancements¡ªa style Nolan had never seen before.


    He immediately captured the footage and used video matching to search, but he couldn¡¯t find any videos with similar movements on the network.


    Lu Fang¡¯s complexion had paled slightly too.


    He had come to the banquet today with the intention of challenging Lin Rui.@@@@


    Recently, Lu Fang had implanted his first piece of S+ grade auxiliary cybernetic enhancement and had made progress in his martial arts, which boosted his confidence.


    But after watching Lin Rui engage with Zhao Yan, he realized that instead of closing the gap between them, it had widened even more.


    ¡°Tap! Tap! Tap, tap, tap¡ª¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    The two¡¯s exchange of moves was extremely fast, delivering over thirty strikes in an instant.


    Lin Rui initially used the advantage of the initiative to suppress Zhao Yan¡¯s chopsticks in front of his face, but Zhao Yan quickly recovered and started to counterattack.


    Seeing a good point to stop, Lin Rui decisively retreated his chopsticks, ¡°Stop! I won¡¯t fight anymore; my current level is about this.¡±


    There was no need to continue; he had already showcased the advantages of his martial arts to the fullest¡ªthat was extreme speed and variation.


    Lin Rui felt inwardly shaken, pondering that Zhao Yan must have implanted at least four S+ grade enhancements! His combat power rating was definitely above S+ grade, on par with the former Blood Blade Ji.


    He now hadn¡¯t implanted synthetic blood serum, and his strength was far from that of his variant body, so he was completely overwhelmed by Zhao Yan.


    Was this the level of a Deputy General from the Second City University? Then, what level was the Main General?


    And had Zhao Yan lost his position as a Deputy General at the Second City University?


    Zhao Yan¡¯s own heart was also churning, struggling to settle down.


    A good two breaths later, Zhao Yan finally spoke up, ¡°Lin Rui, did you create your own Cultivation Technique and martial arts to match your enhancements? You wield chopsticks like a knife, and the technique seems unfamiliar.¡±


    Lin Rui smiled slightly, ¡°You noticed, Zhao? I felt that my previous martial arts were not sufficient to bring out the potential of the enhancements, so I made some slight improvements on top of my original martial arts base. Indeed, I¡¯m not familiar with it yet, and I need more practice.¡±


    His statement sent shockwaves through the minds of the others present.


    This guy had truly created his own martial arts stance work? And it seemed quite impressive.


    Si Malin was squinting as he savored each bite, experiencing the ultimate pleasure on both his taste buds and in his spirit.


    He then raised an eyebrow, having spotted a rival at the table.


    It was Lin Rui. For some reason, this guy¡¯s pace in picking up dishes had suddenly quickened, yet his movements remained elegant, with a touch of nobility.


    Si Malin glanced sideways at Lin Xi and then opened the chat with Lin Rui.


    Divine Doctor Si Malin (Si Malin): Lin Rui, starting tomorrow, study biology, internal medicine, and prosthetic surgery with me. I¡¯ll send you a few book lists later, along with some teaching videos. I¡¯ll check your homework bi-weekly. If your results during summer break satisfy me, I¡¯ll give you a chance to directly pursue a Ph.D. without exams.


    This little girl didn¡¯t want him to tell her brother the truth, and the Longevity Association had also warned him, but Si Malin truly did not want to see this top-notch little chef meet her end.


    He couldn¡¯t outright tell the truth, but he could lead Lin Rui to perceive it on his own.


    After receiving the message, Lin Rui looked puzzled and glanced toward Si Malin.


    Though he was currently in a possessed state, Spirit #2 was only interested in the food and did not interfere with his operation of the smart bracelet.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Okay! Thank you for the recognition, Professor, I¡¯ll study diligently.


    If it had been before, Lin Rui would have worried about not having enough time, but now he had learned of Soul Power Points, a method to quickly study.


    Si Malin was slightly surprised that Lin Rui¡¯s pace of eating was not affected at all.


    He then spoke up directly, ¡°Also, you need to gather some money to create an artificial body for Lin Xi, to summon her to the extreme boundary star.¡±


    The moment Si Malin spoke, everyone at the table froze, turning towards him in utter astonishment.


    Without taking his eyes off Si Malin, Lin Rui forcefully controlled his gaze.


    Yu Feicui was puzzled, ¡°Professor, Lin Xi is only 16 years old. Even if she descends upon the extreme boundary star, she wouldn¡¯t be able to start cultivating, right? Besides, she doesn¡¯t have a license for an artificial body.¡±


    Considering the ¡®spirit-flesh convergence¡¯ issue, artificial body warriors typically choose someone of the same age when creating artificial bodies.


    Why do artificial body warriors descend upon the extreme boundary star only at 18? It¡¯s simply because the fontanelle usually closes around that age.


    ¡°That¡¯s why he needs to raise some money,¡± Si Malin said, taking advantage of the pause in the meal to heap his bowl full, ¡°Without a license for an artificial body, he¡¯ll have to self-fund it. People on the extreme boundary star generally start martial cultivation at 18, but there are many exceptions. I have a way to make her artificial body¡¯s fontanelle close earlier, and as it happens, Lin Rui has top-tier blood essence at his disposal.¡±


    The amount of four-realm imperial blood that Lin Rui had brought, which remained after producing synthetic blood serum, was more than adequate for creating top-tier blood essence.


    Lin Xi¡¯s chances of survival probably couldn¡¯t be aided by the Federation¡¯s biotech, or else the Longevity Association wouldn¡¯t have easily given up on her ¨C a top biological weapon known as the Despair Heavenly Girl.


    Lin Xi¡¯s only chance to live lay on the extreme boundary star, that world existing at the convergence point of two spacetime dimensions, filled with countless wonders.


    Lin Xi¡¯s eyes shone at the mention of this.


    She wasn¡¯t thinking too much, just genuinely intrigued and curious about the extreme boundary star, knowing that artificial body warriors could enhance their combat abilities much faster than conventional prosthetic martial artists.


    Their martial arts society, including Yu Feicui, all possessed their own artificial bodies.


    But such a self-funded artificial body would cost much, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Many in Base Nine chose to self-fund their artificial bodies, all of whom were multi-millionaires and elite figures.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, was contemplative. Why did Si Malin suddenly take him as a student today and urge him to finance an artificial body for Lin Xi? What was his ulterior motive?

 Chapter 123: 122: Top Poison Master (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    Chapter 123: Chapter 122: Top Poison Master (Three more updates, please subscribe)


    As night fell, the Night Wolf Bar located in Taiping Street in the eastern district shimmered early with neon lights.


    When ¡®Wild Wolf¡¯ Nai Ke entered the bar with a few subordinates, he was immediately hit by a mixed scent of alcohol, perfume, and drugs.


    The dim, red lighting inside created a hazy atmosphere; the colorful cocktails on the bar shimmered enticingly under the lights, while the music throbbed rhythmically and deeply.


    However, a quick scan revealed that there were not many guests.


    The recent government crackdown against terror and gang influence had affected business up to that point, with the Night Wolf Bar having reopened just five days earlier, yet the flow of customers was less than a quarter of what it had been at its peak.


    This was partly because his regulars were still nervous and cautious; second, their Blood Lizard Gang didn¡¯t have much good stuff left.


    ...


    That night, the Fabric Club was flattened by a mysterious force, and the last batch of goods hidden by the Blood Lizard Gang there was burnt, causing many customers to drift to other gangs¡¯ territories.


    The Blood Lizard Gang, which had once controlled the drug trade in the eastern district, was forced to purchase drugs from other forces, a disgrace indeed.


    ¡°Damn Tiana, what did she and her brother have to provoke that bastard for?¡±,


    ¡®Wild Wolf¡¯ Nai Ke, hugely irritated, tugged at the gold chain around his neck, ¡°Fuck his grandma, I really don¡¯t know what the boss was thinking, hooking up with such a crazy woman.¡±


    What was even worse was that Iron Fist King actually wanted revenge, hired a whole action group from the Extreme Evil Pirate Gang, and made Nai Ke responsible for their logistics.


    ¡®Wild Wolf¡¯ Nai Ke shuddered at the thought of the consequences if this matter were uncovered.


    He knew what Iron Fist King was thinking.


    Go to novgo.co


    It had only been a few weeks since the last incident, and striking now, in this very sensitive period, could actually serve to prove Iron Fist King¡¯s ¡°innocence¡± to some extent.


    The problem is, why would such a powerful entity, capable of marshalling military and security forces, care about the innocence of an ant like him?


    If they got angry, they wouldn¡¯t care whether he was involved or not; they¡¯d just flatten him.


    Yet ¡®Wild Wolf¡¯ Nai Ke dared not resist.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of Iron Fist King, but he dreaded the ¡®Extreme Evil Pirate Gang¡¯, a force that could frustrate the Federal Space Army, ten times more bloody and brutal than the Blood Lizard Gang.


    If his boss had brought in another force or another assassin, ¡®Wild Wolf¡¯ Nai Ke would have written a letter denouncing his boss by now, but at this moment he could only trust his boss¡¯s promise that if things went south, he could escape through the channels of the ¡®Extreme Evil Pirate Gang¡¯ and become a pirate leader.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that there are few customers; why are there so few of our people as well? Are they all slacking off? Fuck, send a message in the group chat, telling them to get their asses back here! If I don¡¯t see anyone by 8:00, they¡¯re out of a job.¡±


    Nai Ke, worried and annoyed, walked up to the third floor of the bar and pushed open his manager¡¯s office.


    Something felt off at that moment; his pupils dilated as he stared intently at the corner where the surveillance monitors were.


    ¡®Wild Wolf¡¯ Nai Ke had installed several surveillance monitors in his office to keep an eye on both the inside and outside of the bar, facilitating management.


    Yet, he now saw in the monitors, in the sneaky corners of the second and third floors of the bar, thirty-something people lying there.


    They were motionless, utterly silent!


    ¡ª Had they died?


    No! If they had died, their smart bracelets would have automatically alerted the authorities.


    They must have been knocked out and hidden in these secluded corners.


    So there must also be something wrong with the control room!


    No wonder he hadn¡¯t seen anyone on his way up.


    He also conveniently destroyed the database in the surveillance room, the flying needles emitting bursts of lightning, using extreme heat to obliterate the database.


    At this time, numerous notifications of demon cultivators being slaughtered popped up in Lin Rui¡¯s mind.


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curled up in pleasure.


    This time, though the Soul Power points he gained were not as high as during the underground mine battle, the total reached 8324 points.


    Lin Rui then carried ¡®Wild Wolf¡¯ Nai Ke and jumped out the window, swiftly running across the rooftops outside.


    Not until three minutes later, when Lin Rui could no longer hear the siren, did he put ¡®Wild Wolf¡¯ Nai Ke down.


    Lin Rui looked at him emotionlessly, ¡°Where are the people sent by the Vile Pirate Gang?¡±


    ¡®Wild Wolf¡¯ Nai Ke, with a dazed look, vaguely answered, ¡°They are on Longze West Road, Longze Youth Hotel, rooms 5321 and 5322 on the fifth floor, both presidential suites, can accommodate 3 to 4 people each.¡±


    While checking the map on his smart terminal, Lin Rui inquired, ¡°Who are they? What¡¯s their combat strength? What weapons do they use?¡±


    ¡°Captain Acheson, B-rank lieutenant colonel! Mechanic Cha Ya, C-rank major! Sniper Yan Zhuo, B-rank major¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui patiently listened to all the information from ¡®Wild Wolf¡¯ Nai Ke and continued to ask, ¡°What are the passwords for the two bank cards you carry? Which bank issued them?¡±


    ¡®Wild Wolf¡¯ Nai Ke instinctively felt something was wrong. He knew he shouldn¡¯t divulge it, for saying it would seal his fate.


    Besides, the money in those two bank cards was what he had worked hard to earn this year.


    Yet, he couldn¡¯t help himself and blurted out the names of two underground banks, along with a combination of numbers and letters for the passwords.


    Lin Rui took the two cards and confirmed the passwords.


    Balance: 3345621¡ª


    Balance: 4563124¡ª


    As he looked at the balance figures on the cards, his eyebrows arched slightly. This guy was quite rich indeed, deserving of being a mid-level leader in the Blood Lizard Gang.


    Too bad it was all unprocessed black money, not usable openly.


    But he could consider using this money to exchange for some private equipment, like a set of rune flying needles.


    With the rune flying needles, Lin Rui wouldn¡¯t need to stick symbols everywhere when he fought.


    He could also buy a four-boundary flying sword. His current spiritual power was quite strong, and he could afford to buy a better one to greatly enhance his combat strength.


    Lin Rui then swiftly drew his knife and plunged it into ¡®Wild Wolf¡¯ Nai Ke¡¯s forehead, harvesting his Soul Power points.


    Next, his figure flickered, and he dashed toward Longze West Road, heading to the Longze Youth Hotel.


    It was at this moment he received a message from Xue Lingxue.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Lin Rui, were you just at the Night Wolf Bar? Did you attack someone from the Blood Lizard Gang again? Have you lost your mind? What were you thinking?


    Lin Rui blinked and replied immediately.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): What¡¯s the Night Wolf Bar? I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m in the sleep chamber right now.


    Just then, he saw a dark figure in the night sky, shooting toward him like a meteor, slashing with a knife.


    Lin Rui¡¯s mind sharpened, and he instantly changed his stance, retreating 20 meters to create distance between them.


    He looked at the familiar figure in front of him, clad in black full-coverage exoskeleton armor, and couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache.


    ¡ªIt was indeed Xue Lingxue the police commissioner, and his lie had been exposed.

 Chapter 124: 123 This Bad Guy (Request for Subscription)

    Chapter 124: Chapter 123 This Bad Guy (Request for Subscription)


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Lin Rui looked menacingly at the figure opposite him and asked in a muffled voice, ¡°Why did you suddenly attack me just now? Attacking a federal citizen for no reason is a crime, you know that?¡±


    He was not only cloaked tightly in his clothes but had also used the Great Grandmaster-level ¡®Muscle and Bone Refinement¡¯ to alter his skeletal appearance.


    This skill was very useful; apart from deceiving the Heavenly Demon Test and Body Refinement, it had many other ingenious uses.


    Lin Rui was curious, how did this woman find him?


    ¡°Stop pretending!¡± Xue Lingxue coldly snorted, holding a long saber and pointed it at Lin Rui, ¡°I have your terminal chip location and have checked your chip¡¯s trajectory. You were just at the Night Wolf Bar, stayed for 12 minutes.¡±


    ...


    Xue Lingxue said this with a pain in her chest.@@@@


    Previously at the Fabric Nightclub, Xue Lingxue had risked a lot using her authority to suppress the incident involving nearly a hundred casualties.


    She thought Lin Rui would stay low-key after that, but today, this guy reappeared and killed more than 50 people at the Night Wolf Bar, creating a shocking, dreadful crime scene!


    It was laughable; she had even warned him during the day to stay put, but not only did he not listen, he went and wiped out an entire division of the Blood Lizard Gang.


    However, at the same time, a hint of confusion flashed deep within Xue Lingxue¡¯s eyes.


    The person in front of her, hooded with stockings, dressed in black, did not really look like Lin Rui. He was taller and slimmer, and his arms, wielding the sword, were longer.


    However, Xue Lingxue had pinpointed Lin Rui¡¯s terminal chip¡¯s location to be this very person through the security bureau¡¯s system!


    Go to novgo.co


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui was momentarily stunned.


    He had suspected that Xue Lingxue might be, like his father, a member of the Federal Security Bureau.


    But according to federal law, the Federal Security Bureau could only locate a federal citizen¡¯s chip for anti-terrorism purposes.


    Lin Rui had many questions in his mind¡ªwhy was No. 1 Battle Spirit Xue Bogao monitoring them? Was Xue Lingxue taking over her father¡¯s job?


    Did this Xue sister really need to use anti-terrorism permissions for the two of them? Who allowed her to use this authority?


    Yet, his face showed no sign of disturbance as he continued to feign ignorance, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I haven¡¯t been to the Night Wolf Bar, and what does where I go have to do with you? Are you a cop? Tell me your badge number, I want to file a complaint!¡±


    According to federal law, locating a terminal chip could not be used as evidence in court; as long as he was not captured by surveillance devices or seen by eyewitnesses, Xue Lingxue couldn¡¯t do anything to him.


    Xue Lingxue was extremely frustrated; this guy had disguised himself like this, hooded with stockings, looking like a gangster, and he still had the gall to complain?


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s gaze turned even more icy, ¡°Still pretending? The method you used in this crime is exactly the same as the one you used at the Fabric Nightclub earlier. You¡¯ve left behind too many traces. Do you really think Iron Fist King won¡¯t find out the truth, won¡¯t find you? Lin Rui, you¡¯re dancing on the edge of a knife, do you think you¡¯re not dying fast enough?¡±


    Her vision darkened, and she felt an immense sense of fatigue growing within her, starting to feel drowsy.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s thoughts were slightly disturbed as she realized her plight, ¡°Is it poison? Did you poison me?¡±


    She concentrated fiercely, unable to comprehend as she looked up at Lin Rui, ¡°When?¡±


    Her issue was that her exoskeletal armor had a poison defense function; its respiratory system could filter out 99% of all known toxins.


    Xue Lingxue couldn¡¯t understand why she was poisoned or how.


    At this moment, Lin Rui did not advance but retreated, maintaining a 30-meter distance, cautiously observing Xue Lingxue.


    He was concerned that Xue Lingxue might have some tricks up her sleeve, a desperate last stand that could turn the tables on him at this stage would be too unfair.


    But judging by how Sister Xue on the ground seemed unable to hold on much longer, it didn¡¯t look like she was pretending.


    Lin Rui crossed his arms, smiling slightly, ¡°It¡¯s the talismans. I developed this anesthetic myself. Your mask¡¯s respiratory system probably couldn¡¯t block it.¡±


    When those talismans exploded, the anesthetic was also released.


    Others might think he was employing a technique, when in fact, he was using it as a chance to disperse poison.


    This was a new tactic Lin Rui had come up with, and it seemed quite effective.


    He felt that investing 2000 points of Soul Power into refining the ¡®poison composition¡¯ skill offered a far better cost-performance ratio than advancing his martial arts stances and techniques.


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s eyes widened in realization.


    So that¡¯s it; she had fallen into this guy¡¯s trap from the very start. That¡¯s why he specifically jumped down and fought her in the alley¡ªbecause the air here was stagnant and it facilitated the dispersal of his anesthetic.


    Seeing Lin Rui standing far away, not daring to come closer, she gnashed her teeth in hatred.


    This villain! Had she known earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have been merciful just now. She should have used her firearms to deal with this guy at maximum speed.


    Xue Lingxue regretted deeply but was helpless.


    She indeed had a last resort that could win in an instant, but Lin Rui never gave her a chance.


    And after a brief moment, Xue Lingxue no longer even had the strength to clench her teeth; everything before her eyes turned completely black, and then she lost consciousness.


    It wasn¡¯t until three seconds after Xue Lingxue had passed out that Lin Rui flashed next to her.


    With a stab of his knife, he precisely opened the nuclear-powered backpack of her exoskeletal armor, rendering its automatic defense system useless.


    At this moment, Lin Rui felt very pleased and unconsciously started singing a song, singing ¡°I am an ugly duckling, yah yah yo yee¡ª¡±

 Chapter 125: 124: Goodbye (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 125: Chapter 124: Goodbye (Please Subscribe)


    Longze West Road, Longze Youth Hotel.


    Yan Zhuo, wearing a temporarily purchased medical mask, lay on a high platform on the hotel¡¯s rooftop with the best view, observing the surroundings through the high-definition holographic scope of a ¡°Heaven¡¯s Wrath Type 3¡± sniper rifle in his hands.


    They had already received the news that more than fifty members of the Blood Lizard Gang from the Night Wolf Bar had been slaughtered by unidentified individuals, and ¡°Wild Wolf¡± Nai Ke had also been killed.


    Although there was no evidence to prove that the unidentified individual was targeting their group, they still instinctively became alert and entered a wartime readiness state.


    In fact, the best course of action at this time would be to leave the Longze Youth Hotel.


    The trouble was that they were not familiar with Base Nine, did not possess legal citizen smart bracelets, and their contact from the Blood Lizard Gang, ¡°Wild Wolf¡± Nai Ke, had been killed.


    ...


    After careful consideration, the captain decided to stay, remain alert, and adapt to changes.


    After that operation to fight against criminal gangs and terrorism, the security in Base Nine¡¯s Eastern Urban District was still very strict, especially since two battalions from the East Asian Republic¡¯s armed police were still stationed in the eastern suburbs, and their riot control vehicles could be seen patrolling the main streets daily.


    If they, a group without identities, were to act on their own without the protection of the Blood Lizard Gang, they were likely to expose their whereabouts.


    Their employer¡¯s demands were very strict, requiring them to leave no trace in this assassination mission.


    Yan Zhuo heard Captain Acheson¡¯s voice coming through his earpiece: ¡°Yan Zhuo, how is it on your end? Any abnormalities?¡±


    ¡°No, everything is normal here.¡±


    Yan Zhuo aimed the scope at a hotel across the street, his high-definition holographic scope allowing him to see into a room where a man and a woman were engaged in a fierce battle.


    Go to novgo.co


    Licking the corner of his lips, Yan Zhuo hoped for the mission to end soon: ¡°Boss, it¡¯s been two hours already, should we end the alert status? I think that person isn¡¯t targeting us.¡±


    Yan Zhuo didn¡¯t find anything terrifying about the mysterious person.


    From what they now knew, this person had relied on the widespread dispersion of anesthetics in advance to quickly take down the Night Wolf Bar.


    Assessing this person¡¯s combat ability, it certainly wouldn¡¯t exceed that of a lieutenant colonel.


    With the overall strength of their action team, as long as they took proper anti-poison precautions, there really was no need to be concerned about this person.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit longer, we can¡¯t be careless,¡± Captain Acheson spoke gravely: ¡°Brothers, bear with it a little longer. In half an hour, Iron Fist King will send someone to take us to another hiding place.¡±


    Yan Zhuo shook his head, his expression somewhat dissatisfied: ¡°Alright! Moving around like rats, but the question is, how long do we have to stay here? Dammit, being cooped up in a room every day without being able to do anything is driving me mad.¡±


    In this forsaken place, he couldn¡¯t even enjoy himself properly, and Yan Zhuo felt that his combat syndrome would sooner or later flare up.@@@@


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    Captain Acheson sympathetically replied with a tone of helplessness: ¡°I¡¯m absolutely sick of it. If it weren¡¯t for Iron Fist King¡¯s sincere payment, I would have told him to shove it a long time ago.


    Old Yan, let¡¯s wait another five days. If that Lin Rui doesn¡¯t want to show up, then we will only target Lin Xi. The girl went out to buy groceries today, to the supermarket inside the university. It¡¯s very easy to take her down.¡±


    Yan Zhuo was surprised: ¡°Not that easy, right? That¡¯s insider Mingde University, heavily guarded. Killing her is no problem, but I¡¯m worried about the extraction.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Captain Acheson sneered: ¡°We don¡¯t need to take action ourselves. The mechanic, didn¡¯t he get a bunch of scrapped parts from Iron Fist King that belonged to the federal naval marines? He has assembled two fourth-tier combat robots today and is currently adjusting the combat AI. By the day after tomorrow, he should be able to assemble a third one. What we need to do is get these three robots into the campus.¡±


    But in the end, Lin Rui had still taken him out!


    Relying on his Great Grandmaster level Concealing Breath Skill, coupled with Great Grandmaster level tendons and bones refining skills, along with electromagnetic-optical invisibility, Lin Rui could move around almost at will right under these people¡¯s noses, so long as he didn¡¯t run in front of their detection equipment.


    Lin Rui wiped his twin blades on the body of the sniper and then, humming a song, descended from the rooftop.


    He arrived at room 5321 of Longze Youth Hotel, then kicked the door open with a single foot.


    There were a total of four people in the room, three of whom were already unconscious.


    Only team leader Acheson was still conscious, desperately guzzling water in the bathroom to try and mitigate the effect of the anaesthetic.


    However, his senses were very blurred. There were several cuts on his thigh, presumably self-inflicted to stay alert through pain.


    When Lin Rui kicked the door open, Acheson was slow to react. He only turned his head to shoot at Lin Rui after a brief delay.


    But his reactions were too sluggish, too slow. Acheson had fired only a few bullets when Lin Rui had already dashed in front of him and sliced his head in two with a single strike.


    Tip: Assassinate a fourth stage demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, gain 2137 points of Soul Power.


    As expected of the captain among the seven, he provided quite a lot of Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui dealt with the remaining three people in the room and then proceeded to the adjacent room, 5322.


    As soon as he kicked the door and stepped inside, rapid gunfire erupted, ¡®da da da¡¯ filling the room.


    Two combat robots placed in the corner began firing at Lin Rui with shoulder-mounted heavy-duty power guns.


    ¡°The Charger Type 4 combat robot?¡±


    Lin Rui was taken aback, recognizing the standard auxiliary combat robot of the federal military. How did these guys even have this thing with them?


    Fortunately, he never let down his guard. Before entering the room, he had scattered a dozen Flash Thunder Talismans outside.


    With a thunderous explosion, Lin Rui vanished from the door, reappearing 10 meters away in the corridor.


    He noticed that the two Charger Type 4 combat robots had flawed combat logic; they chased after him and continued firing.


    With this, the situation became much simpler. Lin Rui dodged while using a flying needle inscribed with talismans to shuttle back into room 5322.


    As soon as Lin Rui¡¯s body exploded with lightning once more, he reappeared in room 5322.


    The living room of the suite was empty. Quickly sensing with his Divine Sense, Lin Rui broke into the far-left room.


    This hotel room had apparently been transformed into a workshop, filled with various tools and parts, and in the center stood a temporary workbench.


    Behind the workbench, a middle-aged man wearing work glasses and slightly plump in stature, lay limp in his chair, his eyes wide with terror as he looked at Lin Rui.


    ¡°Goodbye!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes were ice-cold as he swung his blade, slicing the mechanic in half, then into quarters.


    Then, before the two Charger Type 4 combat robots could return to the room, Lin Rui exploded into a burst of thunder once more, flash-stepping 20 meters away to the outside of the window.


    He spread out his arms, unravelled his cloak, and like a bat in the dark, glided into the shadows.


    All that was left in the night was a leisurely hum of a nursery rhyme.

 Chapter 126: 125: Grinding Teeth in Hatred (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    Chapter 126: Chapter 125: Grinding Teeth in Hatred (Three more updates, please subscribe)


    When Xue Lingxue regained consciousness, she found herself lying on the rooftop of a tall building.


    She was still wearing her exoskeleton armor, but the power pack had been disconnected, rendering many of its functions unusable.


    ¡°Lin Rui!¡±


    The mere thought of this name made Xue Lingxue involuntarily grit her teeth in hatred.


    Since graduating from college and joining the Federal Security Bureau, she had never faced such a setback¡ªit was a complete humiliation!


    She suddenly started, wondering how long she had been unconscious. What had Lin Rui been doing while she was out?


    ...


    At this moment, Xue Lingxue¡¯s mind was still somewhat groggy as she forced herself to stand up and look around in all directions.


    Xue Lingxue immediately noticed an old-looking hotel across the street, her pupils tightening slightly.


    The neon sign on the hotel¡ªLongze Youth Hotel.


    Wasn¡¯t that the hideout for the battle group of the notorious pirate gang? She had been monitoring this hotel recently.


    Crucially, there were numerous police cars and armored vehicles below, with many officers entering and exiting.


    Xue Lingxue checked the time: 10:25 am, meaning she had been unconscious for two hours and twenty minutes.


    Had that guy knocked her out and then attacked the group from the pirate gang at this location? Had he succeeded? Was he hurt?


    Go to novgo.co


    Xue Lingxue felt a chill run down her spine.


    In her memory, Lin Rui was always so pure and kind.


    She remembered how a few teasing words would make him blush and leave him tongue-tied, adorable beyond words. How had he become so harsh and ruthless as he grew up?


    He seemed like a lone, malevolent tiger, brutally handling each of his enemies.


    Just then, someone called her smart device.


    Seeing the name displayed in the phone book, Xue Lingxue instantly tensed up and hurriedly answered the call, ¡°General!¡±


    She also noticed that there had been seven missed calls within 10 minutes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on over there?¡± the voice from the smart ring¡¯s microphone carried a trace of displeasure, ¡°It¡¯s been nearly two and a half hours since you last contacted the operations center!¡±


    Xue Lingxue was at a loss for words.


    Should she tell the General that she had been ambushed by the person she was monitoring, and had been unconscious for over an hour?


    At that moment, the man¡¯s slightly hoarse voice deepened, ¡°Did you take action against the people from the pirate gang to avenge your father?¡±


    ¡°How could that be possible?¡± Xue Lingxue¡¯s voice amplified as if she were a cat whose tail had been stepped on, ¡°General! I wouldn¡¯t ignore mission discipline! And even if I wanted revenge, I wouldn¡¯t choose this method.¡±


    It was too dangerous to act against these people inside the base city since it could potentially harm the innocent.@@@@


    She had been prepared to act as soon as they moved away from the base, to annihilate this gang of pirates in outer space and simultaneously uncover their smuggling methods.


    The swordsmanship and movement techniques used by Lin Rui indeed followed the lineage of Xue Bogao.


    The middle-aged man then thought about the video of Lin Rui being shot, wondering whether the current Lin Rui was truly Lin Rui.


    There was also a possibility that he was resurrected using biotechnology after a great trauma, which changed his personality and even caused mental issues.


    Consider that the kid¡¯s head was blown to pieces; it would be strange if his mental state remained unaffected.


    Now, the bureau¡¯s expert group generally believed that Lin Rui might have a ¡°soul backup.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s father, Lin Cong, precisely mastered this technology, uploading a person¡¯s soul and some critical memories to a large quantum computer for backup.


    According to the current understanding, people revived in this manner usually exhibited extreme emotions, tendencies toward violence, delusional disorders, and other symptoms.


    The middle-aged man rubbed his temples, giving up on further contemplation.


    He still had many other matters to attend to and could not afford to worry about this issue.


    The current situation in the Ninth Branch of the Security Bureau was severely problematic. About three months earlier, the Eastern Asia Republic discovered that the Ninth Branch had been infiltrated and corrupt by several internal factions of the Federation, almost to the point of losing control. Hence, they had called him, a decorated officer, to take over the position with high expectations.


    However, since his appointment months ago, there had been little improvement in the internal governance of the bureau.


    Not long ago, there even was a severe incident where no one cared for several days after the death of Xue Bogao, showing just how dire the situation in the Ninth Branch was.


    ¡°Longevity Club!¡±


    The middle-aged man looked at the three words he had written on his office desk, his gaze as sharp as an eagle¡¯s.


    He replied to Xue Lingxue: This time, record a major demerit! Continue monitoring; I will assign a few more people to you later, pay attention to strengthening surveillance on Lin Rui and enhance protection for him and his siblings.


    Right then, the middle-aged man received a message.


    Han Kedao: Old Zhou, is there really no way on your end? This is our project in cooperation with the Security Bureau, are you just going to watch?


    The middle-aged man chuckled bitterly upon seeing this, thinking it was another troublesome matter.


    Zhou Yunfei: What¡¯s the situation on your end now?


    Han Kedao: It¡¯s very bad. Although I managed to stop those people from the Imperial Prosecution Bureau this time, they immediately retreated to their base in Wang City, locking up the people in the Wang City dungeons. They¡¯re mobilizing manpower and are expected to try again soon to transport Zhu Meng to the state city. By then, not only will my students be in danger, we¡¯ll also have wasted all our efforts.


    Han Kedao: We need time right now, just over a month, and Fei Yunlai will come over.


    Zhou Yunfei: Old classmate, if there¡¯s anything I can do to help, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d just stand by. You know that, from the previous undercover incident, not only were more than a dozen of our people infiltrating the outer ring of the Imperial Bureau wiped out, but also 80 biomechanical agents were eradicated by the Imperial Bureau, with over 100 people wanted by the Imperial Bureau.


    This incident led to the resignation of many seniors in the Ninth Branch, and Zhou Yunfei himself got implicated.


    This time¡¯s incident was indeed triggered by their rash attempt to infiltrate the Imperial Bureau through the Heavenly Demon Test and was also caused by an internal power struggle within the Ninth Security Bureau.


    Some took advantage of the situation to betray the grassroots biomechanical agents, flushing down Zhou Yunfei¡¯s three months of efforts.


    So he had advised Han Kedao to wait a bit longer for the Ninth Branch to reestablish its intelligence network, but Han Kedao was already impatient.


    Zhou Yunfei: Our current strength is very low. The federal military is also in conflict with the Governor of Sahara, and we simply do not have the manpower, old classmate.


    Han Kedao: Is that so? Understood, I¡¯ll look for someone else.


    Zhou Yunfei looked at Han Kedao¡¯s response, chuckling bitterly. He heard the strong resentment from his old classmate, but the problem was that he was now like a skilled woman unable to cook without rice.


    Nevertheless, he then opened his contact book, thinking about who else in his network could help.

 Chapter 127: 126: Supreme Emperor of the Four Realms? (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 127: Chapter 126: Supreme Emperor of the Four Realms? (Please Subscribe)


    At the same time, Lin Rui was lying in the Divine Sleep Chamber, flipping through the budget sheet that Si Malin had sent over.


    Lin Rui¡¯s face was a bit dark.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Professor, how come it adds up to over 30 million? Why would Lin Xi¡¯s alternate body cost so much?¡±


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): ¡°Don¡¯t forget that your alternate body also cost over 5 million, and that doesn¡¯t include the part that the government reimbursed.¡±


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): ¡°Her situation is a little more complicated. You¡¯ll understand the specifics when you take my master¡¯s course. Don¡¯t worry, for little Xi¡¯s sake, I won¡¯t scam you. Of course, if you really can¡¯t come up with the money then forget it, but if you decide to go through with it, it¡¯s best to act quickly so you won¡¯t have regrets later.¡±


    In the lab, Si Malin looked disdainful. To create an alternate body for ¡®Despair Heavenly Girl,¡¯ could the expenses be any less?


    ...


    Just the Dragon Origin Quality alone was very difficult to deal with.


    The quote of over 30 million was already the result of repeated reductions. Si Malin planned to stuff all electricity and nutrient fluid costs into several other research projects of his. As for the usage fees of various top-tier instruments, none were included in the calculation.


    After seeing the message, Lin Rui ¡®tsked¡¯ and grew even more suspicious that Si Malin was hiding something from him about Lin Xi.


    He pondered for a moment, then sent a message to Lin Xi.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Start getting ready now. Learn some knowledge about Tianji Star. In at most a month, I will create an alternate body for you.¡±


    To make 30 million within a month, Lin Rui felt a bit of pressure.


    But he always saw Lin Xi as his responsibility.@@@@


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui reviewed the video of his journey and discovered that they had been ambushed by a group of demons and demon cultivators while traveling at night the day before.


    There were seven of the second realm, two of the third realm, and they were likely the fish that slipped through Zhu Lingshi¡¯s net, or perhaps mutations induced by the Ziyao Yuan Crystal radiation.


    The intelligent life chip did not sense a threat to life, so it chose to handle it autonomously and did not inform his main body.


    ¡°They were just a group of lowly demons; it¡¯s nothing,¡± Ji Xueying said with an indifferent expression. ¡°I noticed my lord seems to especially despise demons and demon cultivators, so I cut off their limbs and left it for you to finish them personally.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s face darkened as he watched the video to the end.


    It was indeed as Ji Xueying had said; Blood Blade Ji had chopped off the limbs of these demons and lined them up beside the official road for ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ to execute personally.


    Lin Rui considered his own obsession with harvesting demon lives; had even Ji Xueying clearly perceived it?


    Unfortunately, the killings carried out by the intelligent life chip did not yield any Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui shook his head: ¡°There¡¯s no need for this in the future. In such situations, prioritize our safety and clear out the enemies quickly.¡±


    Having Blood Blade Ji for protection offered him an undeniable sense of security.


    Lin Rui¡¯s intelligent life chip could also fight, possessing a certain level of combat ability, and could autonomously learn Lin Rui¡¯s battle habits.


    However, even if he were to fine-tune the combat AI of the life chip to perfection in the future, its combat power could never match that of his main body; being at 2/3 the strength would be extremely fortunate.


    The Earth Federation was capable of producing better life chips, but if a life chip became too smart, it could lead to unpredictable accidents.


    Before coming to Tianji Star, the Federation had experienced a robot rebellion that affected several colonies.


    Although the rebellion was quickly suppressed, the impact was profound. Since then, the Federation has maintained strict limitations and requirements for all types of AI.

 Chapter 128: 126: Supreme Emperor of the Four Realms? (Please Subscribe)_2

    Chapter 128: Chapter 126: Supreme Emperor of the Four Realms? (Please Subscribe)_2


    ¡°We are fortunate to have your protection along this journey,¡± Lin Rui said with immense gratitude, ¡°Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have dared to leave our divine senses unguarded for so long.¡±


    The corners of Ji Xueying¡¯s lips couldn¡¯t help but turn upwards slightly.


    She had felt a little disappointed in her heart, thinking she would be able to help Lin Rui and receive praise from her master.


    Now, hearing Lin Rui¡¯s words, her mood improved once again.


    At this moment, Wang Sen¡¯s consciousness also descended into the other body, and he asked impatiently, ¡°Have we arrived yet?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± Lin Rui gazed ahead and saw the outline of a city fortress unfolding in the soft glow of the early morning sun.


    ...


    Wang City County held a strategic position, guarding the north of Sha State City; hence, the city¡¯s walls were built of iron-hard stone following the fortress standards of the Great Song dynasty at the founding of the country, standing twelve zhang high and stretching for more than forty li in circumference. Despite over six thousand years, they remained as immovable as a rock.


    Lin Rui also noticed a vast residential area to the north of the city walls, stretching for several li, all the way to the banks of the Tianxiang River.


    He could vaguely make out a sizable wharf over there, with a forest of sails lined up.


    That must be ¡®Jinggang,¡¯ not only the largest wharf on the Tianxiang River but also the largest rice market in Sha State, the largest salt market, the largest pottery marketplace, and home of numerous medicinal herb and tea merchants. It was truly a gathering place for merchants, serving as the number one booming market town within the territory.


    This also showed the significant financial importance of Wang City County within Sha State. Zhuang Mingyue and her senior brother actually arranged for him to take over in Wang City; this was like a pie falling from the sky.


    Lin Rui, looking at the bustling scene ahead, felt a happiness akin to a mouse that had fallen into a rice barrel.


    The two and the demon all sped up, arriving at the north gate of Wang City.


    Go to novgo.co


    They could see the side gates on either side packed with common people and various vehicles, making them congested to the point of being impassable, while the central main gate remained closed.


    Upon arriving, the two did not rush into the city but went to the front of the city gate to first check the various notices posted by the Wang City County.


    Lin Rui merely glanced over them briefly before his eyes lit up.


    He turned to face Wang Sen, and both saw a touch of surprise on each other¡¯s faces.


    They actually had as many as over 500 wanted posters for demons and monsters posted here!@@@@


    And the bounties were even higher than in Yin Yue County!


    There was great potential in Wang City County!


    Judging by his cultivation level, he seemed not to have entered the Fourth Realm yet?


    How interesting. The Great Song Dynasty really puzzled him; a mere youth could become a capital commandant of the Imperial City Division.


    ¡°You all wait here!¡±


    Inspector Zhang, expressionless, put the tablet into his sleeve, ¡°Recently our county has been infiltrated by many demons and monsters, causing unrest and a surge of thieves in the city. I am ordered by the Prefectural Governor to guard this gate and cannot be careless. I need to take this tablet to the Prefectural Government Office for verification.¡±


    Witnessing this, Lin Rui¡¯s eyes became fierce.


    This old thief clearly intended to exploit his young age and weak cultivation level! If he let this old thief take his tablet away, he could forget about being the Defense Commander of Wang City.


    Within a day, the whole of Wang City would know that the newly appointed Defense Commander was a pushover.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s face was expressionless, ¡°Take him down!¡±


    Upon hearing the command to take him down, Inspector Zhang¡¯s heart chilled.


    What was this brat intending to do?


    He then saw a red shadow flash before him, followed by a fierce punch landing on his chest and abdomen.


    The speed was so fast that he couldn¡¯t react, and the ferocious punch caused his chest and stomach to churn violently, scattered all his True Yuan, and then everything went black as he fainted on the spot.


    The squad captain nearby was slightly startled upon seeing this: ¡°Capital Commandant Lin, what is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your concern,¡± Lin Rui said with a smile as he turned to look at him, ¡°This man obstructed my entry into the city and taking command of Wang City, which is highly suspicious. He may be involved in the recent bloody case of Wang City¡¯s Government Office. I need to take him back to Wang City¡¯s Government Office for detailed interrogation¡ª¡±


    But before he finished speaking, an angry roar came from inside the city, ¡°Who is the demon causing trouble at the city gate? How audacious!¡±


    With that shout, a figure soared from a distance through the air.


    The man was dressed in a green official¡¯s robe, his frame rather thin, standing only about 2.2 meters tall, yet his presence was startling.


    He fell from the sky as if a meteorite.


    Ji Xueying, who had already captured Inspector Zhang, narrowed her eyes; then a massive and magnificent aura of blade intent erupted to its limits, booming toward the green meteor above like a rainbow piercing the sun.


    In that instant, the entire vicinity of the north city gate was overwhelmed by a surge of overwhelming energy and sweeping airwaves, causing many of the commoners lining up to enter the city to stagger backward, unable to withstand the blast.


    The green-robed civil official originally planned to descend directly and capture the demon below, but now, struck by Ji Xueying¡¯s blade intent, he found himself unable to fall and had to hover in the air above the gate.


    He looked down at the red-clothed girl below, his pupils contracting violently, his face ashen, almost spitting out each word, ¡°Fourth Realm Beyond Emperor!¡±

 Chapter 129: 127: The Countys Defense Commander! (Subscribe please)

    Chapter 129: Chapter 127: The County¡¯s Defense Commander! (Subscribe please)


    The green-robed civil official looked at Ji Xueying below him with a mix of shock and suspicion, as well as the inspection certificate in her hand.


    He wasn¡¯t certain whether this Blood Blade Ji was beyond the supreme sovereign of the Four Territories, only that the intent of the woman¡¯s blade was terrifyingly strong, sending an instinctive warning through his soul and leaving him feeling extreme danger.


    Therefore, even as a formidable Fifth Realm official, he was likely no match for this Blood Blade Ji.


    The green-robed civil official then turned his gaze to Lin Rui and the group of county soldiers.


    He saw the Capital Commandant¡¯s badge that Lin Rui took back and played with in his hand.


    The demeanor of the green-robed civil official eased somewhat, ¡°Who are you? What has happened here? Why did you conflict with Inspector Zhang and knock him out?¡±


    ...


    This young lad is so young, perhaps just turned 18, and yet he is already a Seventh Rank Martial Virtue Capital Commandant?


    That Blood Blade Ji must be his protective demon, right?


    I truly have no idea what his background is, for someone so young to possess such a powerful demonic protector.


    At this moment, the county soldiers all reveled in their schadenfreude, smiling broadly with delight.


    That Inspector Zhang always acted high and mighty in front of them, but today someone managed to hold him down; it seemed he was about to suffer a significant loss.


    The team leader smiled wryly and gave a brief explanation, ¡°Prefectural Governor, this is Capital Commandant Lin Rui, Lord Lin. Just as Lord Lin was entering the city, Inspector Zhang was disrespectful and clashed with him. He might also be implicated in last month¡¯s murder case of Wang City officials, which is why Lord Lin ordered his protective demon to capture him.¡±


    The green-robed civil official couldn¡¯t help but frown deeply.


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    He thought to himself that this Martial Virtue Capital Commandant was perhaps too ruthless. Even if Inspector Zhang was arrogant and had offended him, there was no need to forcefully link him to the blood case of Wang City Government Office.


    Who doesn¡¯t know that it was the doing of the Heavenly Demon from beyond the realm? It was a major case caused by the full-scale war between the Governor of Shazhou and the Heavenly Demon.


    He was about to ask Lin Rui if he had any evidence when he saw Lin Rui below, with an indifferent demeanor, salute him, ¡°Prefectural Governor Dong, I am Lin Twelve, humbly serving as a Seventh Rank Martial Virtue Capital Commandant, sent to Wang City Prefecture by the order of the Shazhou Defense Envoy to take up the post of Deputy Defense Envoy of Wang City, as well as to act as the Defense Envoy of Wang City! Seeing this man obstructing my entry into the city and acting suspiciously, I wanted to arrest him and interrogate him in prison, to see if this wretch is colluding with the outer demons.¡±


    Prior to his arrival, Lin Rui had roughly understood the officialdom of Wang City Prefecture and knew that the civil official in the green robe, named Dong Linghui, was the Prefectural Governor of the prefecture.


    His tone of voice suddenly became harsh, his eyes fierce and threatening, ¡°The northern city gate and Wang City Government Office are just a stone¡¯s throw away. When the massacre in Wang City occurred, this man, as the gate inspector, was highly suspicious. Where was he at the time of the incident? Why didn¡¯t he detect and warn? Did he let the murderer into the city? These are all things that I want to investigate clearly!¡±


    The heart of the green-robed civil official jolted, and he promptly withdrew the words that were on the tip of his tongue.


    Not only was this youth a Martial Virtue Capital Commandant, but he was also about to take charge of the defense of Wang City? What exactly was his background?


    ¡°`


    Furthermore, although this young man is using the Wang City disaster as an excuse for retribution, his arguments do sound quite reasonable, and cannot be considered as making unfounded accusations.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    The green-robed civil officer leapt down from the city gate tower, cupped his fists in return, and said, ¡°I sensed a powerful Demonic Qi here just now, and thought a fiend was causing trouble, so I hurried over. Since it¡¯s Lin Rui¡¯s protective demon, then there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    He then didn¡¯t even mention the matter involving Inspector Zhang, but with a polite smile said, ¡°It just so happens that your arrival, Sir Lin, is most timely. In light of the calamity that struck Wang City a month ago, our prefecture is currently in complete disarray. The lowly demons within the city are all restless. The citizens here are longing for an official like you as they long for rain. Would you care to accompany me to the prefectural office? I can introduce you to some colleagues and also hold a welcome banquet in your honor.¡±


    However, Lin Rui shook his head without hesitation, ¡°Thank you for your kind offer, Eastern Prefectural Chief, but the Capital Commandant entrusted me with a decree upon my appointment to take control of Wang City. He ordered me to immediately set things in order and exercise my Capital City Division authority to oversee this prefecture on behalf of the Emperor. With such a heavy responsibility, I dare not delay. Once I¡¯ve dealt with the affairs within the office, it won¡¯t be too late to pay a visit to the prefectural office.¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue had instructed him before his departure that there was no need to interact too much with local officials at the start of his tenure. He was to first establish his authority and secure his position. Afterwards, it would be easier to deal with these local officials.


    Although they hadn¡¯t been present to witness it, they had heard the accounts of the prefectural soldiers and had felt the disturbance at the city gates, so they dared not underestimate Lin Rui because of his young age.


    This person, at such a young age, had become the Defense Officer and was accompanied by a demonic beast surpassing the king realm. Not only was his strength formidable, but his background must also be extremely profound.


    Lin Rui smiled and slightly nodded: ¡°Rise! I am new here and am ignorant of the local situation. Our Wang City has just experienced great hardship and is short of manpower. You must take up the responsibilities and give much support to me, so we can uphold the face of the Imperial City Division.¡±


    Feeling something was amiss, he turned to look at a group of warriors in green standing behind the door, his expression puzzled: ¡°Who are you people?¡±


    These warriors in green were definitely not from Wang City; their attire and demeanor were all wrong.


    ¡°My lord, please allow me to report!¡± This was one of the three surviving clerks, named Wen Tailai and holding the position of chief scribe at Wang City.


    He explained with a smile: ¡°These gentlemen are from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Inspectorate. They recently captured a Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain and intended to transfer it to the state city. However, they were intercepted by numerous Heavenly Demons en route and were forced to retreat into the city, temporarily residing in our office and borrowing the iron prison of Wang City to detain the foreign demon.¡±


    At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed in heavy armor stepped out from the group of warriors in green and saluted: ¡°My lord, I am Dou Ming from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Inspectorate. Pressured by the Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain, we had no choice but to take refuge here, borrowing the iron prison of Wang City to detain the external demon. I ask for your understanding and leniency!¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but exchange a glance with Wang Sen.


    Both of their eyes held a strange expression.


    A Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain? One of their own kind was caught by these people?


    ¡°Take refuge temporarily? There is no such rule, is there? Can¡¯t they stay at the post station?¡±


    Lin Rui did not show a friendly face to Dou Ming; he had previously dealt with the head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Inspectorate, Wang Judge, and had a decent impression of him. However, this Judge Dou was breaking the rules of the Imperial City Division.


    This person was a sixth-rank official, and his cultivation was not weak either, already at the peak of the Four Realms, with extremely strong vital energy.


    Yet Lin Rui only glanced at him coldly before turning his gaze to Wen Tailai, sternly questioning, ¡°Since when did the mighty Wang City Government Office of the Imperial City Division become a post station? Did this chief scribe take it upon himself to decide this, or did these constables take advantage of the fact there¡¯s no one in Wang City? What audacity.¡±


    He huffed softly: ¡°It¡¯s quite a coincidence though! One of the tasks assigned to me by the Lord Commandant is to investigate the massacre that happened in Wang City a month ago, to avenge our fallen brethren. Bring someone to lead the way to the prison for me; I want to see what this Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain looks like and whether it¡¯s related to that tragic case in our office.¡±


    The people in front of the office looked at each other upon hearing this.


    By now, two quick-witted Imperial Dragon Guards had already taken the initiative to lead the way, guiding Lin Rui inside the office.


    Seeing this, Judge Dou Ming hesitated slightly but still swallowed the words that had reached his lips.


    After all, the other man was the esteemed Defense Officer who had no reason to be stopped from visiting his own prison.


    Moreover, he couldn¡¯t stop him. Standing right behind the Lin Commandant was the Ice Jade-eyed Blood Blade Ji, who was staring at them with a cold gaze.


    Even a slightly superior king realm would be considered equivalent to someone from the fifth realm, let alone someone surpassing the emperor realm?


    He exchanged glances with Wen Tailai, both thinking that this new Defense Officer didn¡¯t seem easy to fool.


    The Wang City prison was built in the northeastern corner of the office. As Lin Rui entered, a damp and decayed smell hit him.


    Lin Rui was unfazed, following the two Imperial Dragon Guards briskly further inside.


    The prison was extremely large, not only covering an area of five acres but also extending deep underground, with three layers of underground chambers dug out.


    The Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain captured by the Criminal Investigation Department was being held in the bottom layer.


    When Lin Rui and Wang Sen saw the Heavenly Demon, they both paused, surprise showing in their eyes.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 130: 128: Heavenly Demon Imprisons the Heavenly Demon (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 130: Chapter 128: Heavenly Demon Imprisons the Heavenly Demon (Third Update, Please Subscribe)


    ¡°`


    From the figure of that otherworldly Heavenly Demon, she appeared to be a woman, about two meters tall, bound to a cross.


    Her hair covered her face, making it difficult to see her features, yet her figure was graceful. The clothes on her body were torn and stained with large patches of blood. She had been tortured until her body was covered with wounds, and her clothing barely covered her.


    The key is that after they stepped into this prison cell, their biological chips all started frantically signaling an alarm to them.


    This was indeed their kinswoman; the woman¡¯s biological chip was instinctively emitting an emergency SOS signal to the surrounding extraterrestrial travelers, calling for help.


    Lin Rui, with hands clasped behind his back, glanced over the woman, then surveyed the surroundings, ¡°Has this prison been fitted with Nullifying Stones?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Indeed!¡± At this time, Wen Tailai, the chief clerk from Wang City, hurried over and explained with a bow, ¡°Sir, this prison was constructed at the founding of the nation. It is surrounded by walls ten feet thick made of Ironclad Stone, strong and unbreakable, and clenched within is a layer of Nullifying Stone, along with a complete suppression Array. Speaking solely of defensive capability, it is unique within Wang City Prefecture.¡±


    Lin Rui thought it was no wonder they hadn¡¯t received the SOS signal from their compatriot outside the prison cell; it had been disrupted by the Nullifying Stone.


    Nullifying Stone is a material unique to the extremity star, capable not only of blocking electromagnetic signals but also of disrupting quantum communications.


    Such a material is extremely expensive, and the Earth Federation considers it a strategic resource.@@@@


    It would be quite impressive for a prison to have a few pieces of Nullifying Stone, yet the walls of this prison were inlaid with an entire layer of it.


    Only during the prosperous early years of the Great Song dynasty could such a construction be afforded.


    It made sense for the officials from the Torture and Inspection Division to place the Heavenly Demon here.


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    Torture Master Dou Ming also followed down, with a face full of smiles, handing over his waist badge, ¡°Capital Commandant, may I ask you to step outside the prison to speak? Our inspection deputy envoy would like to pass a message to you.¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± Lin Rui thought that this was just a higher-up making a call, and he had no wish to take it.


    Communicating would only bring trouble; the inspection envoy was a high-ranking third-grade official, overseeing criminal justice in a province, responsible for quelling rebellion and calming disputes, redressing grievances, wielding significant authority.


    One couldn¡¯t withstand such pressure from a lofty official.


    With a slight sweep of his sleeves, he ordered the two leading Imperial Dragon Guards, ¡°From today, you two are promoted to jailers, alternating on duty to guard the prison. Ensure all the inmates are secure, including this Inspector Zhang and the otherworldly Heavenly Demon!


    Remember, until it is confirmed that they have no involvement in the bloodshed case in Wang City, no one is to remove these two from the prison. If you two feel confident, you may also try interrogating them, but be gentle, don¡¯t let them perish, or you will be held accountable by me.¡±


    Lin Rui saw that both Imperial Dragon Guards had decent strength, both possessing third realm cultivation, sufficient to be promoted to jailers.


    In the future, with the addition of a fourth realm ¡®prison chief,¡¯ the security of the jail would be ensured.


    As Lin Rui was reaching the end of his statement, his powerful perceptive abilities sharply noticed the ¡®otherworldly Heavenly Demon¡¯ suddenly shivering, and a glint of sharpness appeared in her originally lifeless eyes.


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curved slightly upward, thinking she must have understood his words.


    Lin Rui shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought it through for the time being; let¡¯s take one step at a time. Our immediate priorities are to get our hands on those goods, recruit people, and complete the Blood Refinement as soon as possible. Everything else is secondary.¡±


    In fact, there was a fourth priority, and that was to amass as much money as possible.


    As for their fellow brethren, they would save them if possible; if not, then it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t mind lending a hand when he was capable, but if it compromised their own safety, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t care less about her life or death.


    Wang Sen nodded and stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll go disguise myself now and leave through the back later. I¡¯ve checked earlier; our backyard is adjacent to a river channel, which is convenient and covert for entering and exiting. Of course, this also means others could come in, so we must be extra careful in the future, ensuring reliable personnel are watching over it.¡±


    He needed to get to the different-kind management bureau¡¯s branch as soon as possible to bring back those goods.


    Wang Sen was looking forward to the strength enhancers he had ordered on loan, anticipating that these potions could raise his strength by a significant margin.


    Blood Blade Ji would also see a substantial increase in combat power.


    Lin Rui had invested heavily in Ji Xueying, pouring in millions, not only getting her DNA tested but also purchasing several types of strength enhancers.


    She would be a Fourth Realm Sovereign enhanced by the federal biotech!


    Just then, Wen Tailai hurriedly walked in and called out at the door, ¡°Sir, the Prefectural Governor of our province has come for a visit!¡±


    The Prefectural Governor?


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes narrowed, knowing that this governor must have come because of the inspection officer incident.


    According to Zhuang Mingyue, the Prefectural Governor of this province was surnamed Li, named Li Changguo, born of a distinguished family from the imperial line, with cultivation in the fifth realm, and possessing profound and unfathomable combat strength, more formidable than Zhu Tianmao.


    Before he could react further, a figure dressed in a crimson official robe appeared at the entrance of the inner court.


    In the system of the dynasty, the fifth and sixth ranks wore blue, while ranks from the fourth to the first wore crimson.


    And the rank of the Prefectural Governor of Wang City was indeed just below the fourth rank; he strode in like a dragon and a tiger, calling as he walked, ¡°Where is Capital Commandant Lin? I, Li Changguo, am here on official business and have come for a visit.¡±


    His voice was like a mighty bell, and it actually vibrated all the buildings in the inner court, causing dust to fall from above with a ¡®buzzing¡¯ sound.


    Upon entering the courtyard, Li Changguo saw Lin Rui seated in the hall. A hint of a smirk flashed in his eyes as he took a step towards Lin Rui and reached for his shoulder.


    ¡°I have heard that Capital Commandant Lin has arrested my subordinate Inspector Zhang. May I ask what¡¯s the reason behind this?¡±


    Not only did he suppress Lin Rui¡¯s Divine Sense with an overpowering one, but his palm also emitted a great absorbing force, immobilizing Lin Rui¡¯s body!


    Being just a mere third realm, how dare he act so recklessly under his governance, with only a fourth realm Blood Blade Ji to rely on?


    It was at that moment, Li Changguo saw a cluster of thunderous light explode violently before him.


    And next to him, Blood Blade Ji also swung her blade fearlessly, aiming at his neck.


    Li Changguo¡¯s pupils shrank slightly, revealing a trace of surprise, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 131: 129: The Stubborn Prefectural Governor (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 131: Chapter 129: The Stubborn Prefectural Governor (Please Subscribe)


    Li Changguo¡¯s attempt to grasp was met with emptiness, as Lin Rui turned into a bolt of lightning and vanished with a flicker of his Escape Skill.


    ¡°Dual cultivation of magic and martial arts?¡±


    Li Changguo was astonished.


    It was not just the dual cultivation; Lin Rui¡¯s speed using the Escape Skill was incredibly fast, and he had completed it in an instant despite the magnetic interference.@@@@


    This meant the man had mastered his Escape Skill and magic to a very high level.


    This was troublesome; he had thought he could capture Lin Rui directly, swiftly and decisively addressing the matter with Inspector Zhang Tianchang and forcing Lin Rui into submission, but now the man had slipped through his fingers.


    ...


    Li Changguo concentrated fully, trying to capture Lin Rui¡¯s current location.


    This was the Wang City Government Office, where the emperor¡¯s personal troops were stationed, not a place where one could fight at will. Yet Li Changguo didn¡¯t want to leave with his tail between his legs; he still wanted to capture Lin Rui.


    But just as Li Changguo¡¯s divine sense spread out, Blood Blade Ji Xueying had already slashed her blade towards him.


    The long blade she wielded not only shone like lightning but also raged like a tempest; in a flash, she had delivered more than thirty slashes at Li Changguo. The thunderous blade lights almost drowned him completely.


    However, in the next instant, Ji Xueying¡¯s eyes also showed a hint of surprise.


    Li Changguo was practicing a Cultivation Technique of tough body training.


    Responding with bare hands, his palms seemed to be forged from fine steel, emitting a series of ¡®clang clang¡¯ sounds when continuously struck by Blood Blade Ji, and sparks flew as if two pieces of metal were clashing.


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    ¡°He really is beyond the four realms!¡±


    Li Changguo¡¯s eyes grew solemn, feeling he had been too hasty.


    When he first heard about this from the Dong Prefecture Magistrate, he was skeptical.


    What kind of existence is someone who is beyond the four realms? Is that something one can easily achieve?


    But now he felt that Blood Blade Ji here was likely a descendant of the Heavenly Demon bloodline.


    At this moment, he was in a difficult position. Li Changguo now had to focus most of his True Yuan in his hands, or a moment¡¯s carelessness could lead to his skin being sliced open by Blood Blade Ji, even cutting into his flesh!


    The speed and sword skills of this woman were astonishing. With sword moves as unpredictable as a wandering dragon, Li Changguo tried to grasp her blade but failed repeatedly.


    Her strength was also formidable, forcing Li Changguo to persistently retreat, the raging thunder making his body go numb.


    And there was Lin Rui; he had thought that this Blood Blade¡¯s master was a weak point, that by controlling this guy, Blood Blade Ji, however strong, would be helpless. Now it seemed he could not look down on him as just a simple three realms cultivator anymore.


    As this thought flashed through his mind, Lin Rui had already reappeared behind Blood Blade Ji. He drew the ¡®Lei Shen¡¯ Blood Blade nurtured behind Ji Xueying and slashed down mightily like a celestial light from the nine heavens, aiming for the top of Li Changguo¡¯s head.


    One of the most powerful secret techniques from the Purple Brilliance Thunder Blade¡ªthe Purple Brilliance Extreme Thunder!


    As Lin Rui fused the Purple Brilliance Thunder Blade with the Can Yang Blade into the ¡®Ascending Sun Extermination Blade,¡¯ this secret technique underwent corresponding changes, incorporating light¡¯s attributes, becoming even more domineering and swifter.


    Ji Xueying in perfect sync with her master, blasted her blade speed once more, increasing it by another thirty percent in an instant. She fully restrained Li Changguo¡¯s hands and movements, leaving him unable to defend himself.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s blade actually struck the top of Li Changguo¡¯s head, ringing out like the toll of a bell.


    The official hat on the top of Li Changguo¡¯s head was cleaved into two by Lin Rui¡¯s long blade.


    But Li Changguo¡¯s head remained unharmed, with only some strands of hair floating down.


    Lin Rui was shocked at the sight, ¡°What a tough head!¡±


    He hadn¡¯t even managed to break the skin, let alone anticipate that this Prefectural Governor¡¯s head was much tougher than Zhang Tianchang¡¯s.


    But Li Changguo was left with his ears ringing, furiously exclaiming, ¡°You actually dared to strike?¡±


    Lin Rui had to give him that respect.


    Although he had stopped, he glared with his eyes wide open, confronting Li Changguo, ¡°I ask you both to bear witness! Today, this Prefectural Governor came to my door unprovoked, committing violence and destruction. His unreasonable behavior damaged my official residence and, disregarding the lives of civilians, destroyed dozens of surrounding homes, and injured dozens of people. I will soon draft a formal complaint to the Governor and the imperial court to impeach him, Li Changguo, for his disdain for the emperor, harm to his colleagues, and wanton violence!¡±


    Li Changguo¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, regretting his impulsive behavior even more. Why had he not held back in time? Mainly because that guy was so damaging, nearly splitting open his head with a blade.


    This upstart¡¯s strength was no trivial matter; no wonder the Sha State Commandant had recommended this mere Third Realm individual for the position of Defense Commander of Wang City.


    He was also extremely troubled, knowing that if Lin Rui filed a complaint against him, he would definitely not end up in a good position, as he was clearly in the wrong.


    Especially the charge of ¡®disdain for the emperor¡¯ that Lin Rui was pinning on him made his scalp tingle.


    He knew Lin Rui would certainly succeed; he had flattened the entire rear government office of Wang City; the emperor could tolerate it, but the Imperial Guard certainly could not.


    If this complaint was filed, it wouldn¡¯t just be a matter of losing his office and position.


    Even Governor Dong Linghui was beginning to regret it, as he had assumed that Governor Li Changguo would quickly deal with this Lin Rui.


    The protective demon of Lin Twelve, although powerful in battle, Lin Twelve himself had only attained the third realm. With Li Changguo¡¯s fifth-realm reinforced dominant physique and magnetic levitation divine claw, wasn¡¯t it easy to capture?


    Yet, after Li Changguo arrived, he suffered such a major setback.


    Dong Linghui and Li Changguo actually had a very poor relationship. However, as civil officials and the Imperial Guard were natural enemies, if Li Changguo could suppress the prestige of the defensive-officer Lin Twelve, Dong Linghui would be pleased to see it happen.


    Now he was worried that if the issue became a big deal, all the officials at their prefectural office might be held accountable by the imperial court.


    In this battle between the governor and the outer-domain Heavenly Demon, their civil officials had not been involved; instead, a few branches of the Imperial Guard had been bloodbathed by the Heavenly Demon.


    The current Protector of Sha State must be seething with nowhere to vent his anger.


    If this person seized on the handle, he would undoubtedly sweep them all overboard with a single blow.


    ¡°Lord Lin, please calm your anger! Calm your anger! There¡¯s no need for this, no need for this!¡±


    Dong Linghui hurriedly advised, ¡°The Prefectural Governor acted impulsively this time, truly deceived by a cunning and evil person. We implore you, Lord Lin, to be magnanimous and not take it to heart. Wang City is currently in a challenging situation, and the Tianxiang River could potentially become blocked. We four need to work together to suppress the demonic energy and not let today¡¯s events affect our comradeship or the administration and livelihood of Wang City.¡±


    He knew that these empty words would not persuade Lin Rui, so he changed his tune, ¡°Lord Lin, on behalf of the Prefectural Governor, I would like to apologize to you, and am willing to offer financial compensation from our government office. We will repair all the furniture and houses of Wang City Government Office within one day. In addition, the Prefectural Governor will compensate your personal property loss with 5,000 taels of demon silver. How about we consider today¡¯s issue resolved with this?¡±


    Li Changguo¡¯s complexion grew even darker. Although Dong Linghui was helping him settle the dispute, the words belittled him as a rash and impulsive man¡ªhow could this be reasonable?


    And a compensation of 5,000 taels? Such a presumptuous decision!


    However, when he opened his mouth, he found himself unable to utter a single word.


    Upon hearing Dong Linghui¡¯s words, Lin Rui¡¯s thoughts stirred, and a look of hesitation crossed his eyes.


    Indeed, some of his luggage had been smashed by Li Changguo, but the loss was at most 100 taels.


    This Eastern District Assistant Prefect sure knew how to be a man.


    At this moment, the Prefectural Chief Inspector Qin Xia also nodded gravely, ¡°The demon energy in Wang City is rampant, with bandits gathering, and the demonic dragon¡¯s revival is imminent. It is a time for tranquility rather than chaos. I ask you both to endure for the sake of the nation!¡±


    Seeing Qin Xia speak up, Lin Rui relented, ¡°5,000 taels is not enough. My luggage contained many valuable items, at least 30,000 taels!¡±


    Upon hearing these words, everyone present couldn¡¯t help but twitch their faces. Demon silver, 30,000 taels? This Lin Twelve really dared to ask for a high price!


    Li Changguo clenched his fists tightly, making a ¡®crackling¡¯ noise, thinking it might be better to just fall out with them.


    ¡°At most 8,000!¡± Dong Linghui offered with a wry smile. ¡°Lord Lin, the Prefectural Governor is an honest official with limited wealth. And look at him, the Prefectural Governor himself has not come out of this unscathed.¡±


    As he spoke, he couldn¡¯t help but sneak a glance at Li Changguo¡¯s head, his lips curling slightly.


    Not only was Li Changguo¡¯s official hat sliced open, but his topknot was also cut, with a third of his fine hair missing. His appearance was utterly disheveled.


    Dong Linghui was very astute, usually able to keep his emotions from showing, but now he couldn¡¯t hold back.


    Lin Rui inwardly ¡®tsked¡¯, thinking that he had to accept the offer.


    It was regrettable not to have gathered all the funds for his sister¡¯s body transformation in one go.

 Chapter 132: 130: The Faster Death (Please subscribe)

    Chapter 132: Chapter 130: The Faster Death (Please subscribe)


    Li Changguo left without saying a word, no longer mentioning anything about Inspector Zhang.


    He had no face to speak of it, and he knew it would be useless to do so.


    The newly-appointed defense officer of the Imperial Guard was stubborn as a mule, not giving a damn about him, the prefectural governor.


    If he could¡¯ve subdued him today, he would¡¯ve grabbed the young man by the neck and forced him to release the prisoners.


    Stubborn neck? Li would have flattened it without hesitation.


    But since he couldn¡¯t overpower him, there was no point in humiliating himself.


    ...


    ¡°I never thought that even the Prefectural Governor would be helpless against him. It seems that this Defense Officer Lin has some tricks up his sleeve. Despite his youth, he should not be underestimated.¡±


    Deputy Prefect Dong Linghui shook his head and sighed, ¡°I originally thought that the Garrison Commander sent him to take over Wang City as there was no one else available, just a stopgap measure. It seems that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    ¡°Deputy Prefect, you¡¯re overthinking it.¡±


    Leading the way, Qin Xia spoke indifferently, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Zhu Tianmao from the Prince¡¯s palace killed in Silver Coin County? The man who killed him is Lin Twelve. The Garrison Commander sending him here is a blessing for Wang City Prefecture.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Dong Linghui looked unconcerned, ¡°Zhu Tianmao was favored by Prince Han, and his strength must have been considerable. To have encountered this fourth-realm transcendental emperor; it was simply his misfortune.¡±


    With such a fourth-realm transcendental Heavenly Demon as his protector, wasn¡¯t it easy for Lin Twelve to kill Zhu Tianmao?@@@@


    Dong Linghui mused if he had a Blood Blade Ji like Lin Twelve, he could be hammering down on Prefectural Governor Li Changguo, letting him be arrogant in front of me, undermining me¡ª


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    Qin Xia stopped and glanced back at him, ¡°At that time, he was merely a third-realm warrior, and the contract with Blood Blade Ji was signed temporarily. Not only was the contract with Blood Blade Ji tampered with, but Blood Blade Ji¡¯s parents and siblings were also held under Zhu Tianmao¡¯s control. However, he not only won that battle but also used the arrangement laid out by Zhu Tianmao¡¯s uncle and nephew to elevate Blood Blade Ji¡¯s bloodline from a fourth-realm transcendent king directly to an imperial rank.¡±


    Continuing to walk, Qin Xia added, ¡°I have subordinates who experienced that turmoil in Silver Coin County. The situation was extremely perilous, the city nearly engulfed by flames. He and several constables willingly went to their deaths at the most critical moment, and in the end, turned the tide, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. The Garrison Commander sending him to our prefecture shows that he values his courage and resourcefulness. If any of you dare to underestimate him, it will be to your great detriment.¡±


    ¡°Is that really the case?¡± Dong Linghui raised his eyebrows in surprise upon hearing this.


    The demonic catastrophe at Silver Coin County was directly taken over by the provincial authorities and the imperial court. The local prefecture did not get the detailed files of the case, so Dong Linghui was ignorant of the details.


    By now, the three of them had reached the entrance of the Wang City Government Office.


    The iron-scaled horse that Qin Xia rode earlier was outside; he mounted the horse and gave a bow to the two men, ¡°As Deputy Prefect Dong just mentioned, the situation in Wang City is now extremely precarious. That Heavenly Demon dragon is challenging enough, and we still don¡¯t know who is spreading rumors, drawing numerous martial heroes and magical entities to swarm here, their intentions remain unclear, unknown what they¡¯re plotting.


    In these unstable times, the four of us must act with one heart and one mind, working together. Should our internal disputes provide an opportunity for the evil forces, it would be too late for regrets. I have said all there is to say, farewell!¡±


    After finishing his statement, he rode his horse out of the north city gate.


    He was a county magistrate, but recently had been leading two battalions of his troops stationed outside the city along the Tianxiang River for some reason.


    He had come in haste, rushing over twenty miles from outside the city upon receiving a call for help from Deputy Prefect Dong Linghui.


    This Deputy Prefect Dong was extraordinarily craven, waiting until he arrived before daring to intervene and stop the fight between Lin and Li.


    Dong Linghui watched Qin Xia depart and then turned to look at Li Changguo, ¡°Prefectural Governor Li, he does make some sense, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Since we¡¯re to cooperate fully, shouldn¡¯t this fellow loosen his grip on some of the authority he holds?


    Today, he had, in a sense, pulled Li Changguo out of a dire situation, surely that merited some form of acknowledgment?


    Li Changguo, however, did not respond and instead harrumphed coldly before heading out the door and turning left towards the direction of the government office.


    At this time, his secretary was already waiting outside, his expression slightly anxious as he looked at Li Changguo¡¯s head.


    Li Changguo¡¯s face darkened, ¡°I am unharmed! How could a mere third boundary novice trouble me?¡±


    He snatched a hat from a servant nearby and placed it atop his head, simultaneously asking, ¡°When will my suit of armor be repaired?¡±


    They couldn¡¯t risk their entire project team of brothers and sisters trying to save someone.


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me,¡± Han Kedao shook his head, ¡°Just now, when that man took office, he seemed dissatisfied with the constables from the Inspectorate Prosecutorate.¡±


    Li Li listened, puzzled.


    The new Defensive Officer Lin indeed had shown dissatisfaction with the constables from the Inspectorate Prosecutorate.


    However, this seemed to be because the Inspectorate Prosecutorate had moved in without his approval as the chief official, which must have made the new Defensive Officer feel offended.


    The Sixth Rank Inspectorate Prosecutor Dou Ming was a cautious person and would surely find a way to appease the anger of Defensive Officer Lin.


    And no matter how dissatisfied Defensive Officer Lin was with the people from the Inspectorate Prosecutorate, he wouldn¡¯t turn around and help them.


    Guarding against and hunting external Heavenly Demons is a major defensive measure in the Great Song officialdom.


    ¡°What I mean is that this Defensive Officer Lin is not on the same side as the Inspectorate of the state. If their interests diverge, we could find a way to use that to our advantage.¡±


    Han Kedao pondered, ¡°Storming the prison is too dangerous. Without a powerful figure on our side, it¡¯s out of the question. However, we might try the inside-outside collaboration strategy.¡±


    ¡°Inside-outside collaboration?¡± Li Li¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°So, do you mean to have our people infiltrate it?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he say at the city gate? He¡¯s planning to recruit people to fill the ranks of Wang City. When that happens, sneaking one or two people in won¡¯t be difficult.¡±


    Han Kedao stood with his hands behind his back, his voice cold, ¡°The best scenario would be securing the position of the prison warden, or at least a squad leader. Even if it means offering a hefty bribe, we mustn¡¯t spare any expense!¡±


    Li Li thought this plan was good, indeed the older, the wiser.


    He immediately began pondering, out of their group, who was the most suitable to make contact with Defensive Officer Lin? They must handle this matter without leaving a trace; they couldn¡¯t let that Defensive Officer Lin detect anything amiss.


    It would be best if they could pretend to secure a future for a family member¡¯s child or nephew.


    As for the ¡®hefty bribe¡¯ the teacher mentioned, it was only to be expected. The Great Song had enjoyed sovereignty for 6,700 years, and its officialdom was extremely dark.


    To ask for help, how could money not be involved? That Li Changguo was known for being incorruptible, yet he readily accepted all kinds of gifts from merchants and gentry.


    So, they also had to gather a hefty sum as quickly as possible!


    Li Li suddenly remembered something, ¡°Right, Teacher, didn¡¯t you assign a task to Lin Rui and the others before? They¡¯ve already sent over all the materials you listed on the inventory, even using a postal station.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That quickly?¡± Han Kedao was slightly surprised, then snorted lightly, ¡°I underestimated them. With the backing of Sky Blue Corporation, such a task wouldn¡¯t be difficult for them.¡±


    Li Li also thought that either Fang Ranran or Yu Feicui had helped out.


    He thought back to his days just after graduation, when he was within the top 300 in the city¡¯s extranormal assessments.


    He didn¡¯t want to be controlled by a company, so he joined a public institution.


    But those public institutions, despite their freedom, couldn¡¯t compare to the resources of those big corporations.


    When Li Li first arrived, he struggled hard to afford a low-grade soul stone worth five Silver Coins of demon silver every month. It took him a full three months to complete the First Boundary.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen, however, managed to obtain regulated goods worth over five hundred Silver Coins in a matter of days, then had them mailed to them through the official postal service of the Great Song.


    ¡°But this shows that the two junior brothers have already found their footing.¡±


    Li Li asked with a hint of probing, ¡°Now that their identities are clear and they are outside the view of the Inspectorate Prosecutorate, should we¡ª¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Han Kedao shook his head without hesitation.


    He knew what Li Li meant, that Lin Rui and the others would be more appropriate than his other disciples to infiltrate the Imperial City Division¡¯s Wang City.


    However, he couldn¡¯t drag these two innocent children into this.


    The disaster today was caused by Han Kedao¡¯s carelessness. He already felt guilty for involving his students; how could he involve the innocent?

 Chapter 133: 131: Gene Completion (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    Chapter 133: Chapter 131: Gene Completion (Three more updates, please subscribe)


    Late at night, Wang Sen finally returned from the river behind the government office.


    As he climbed over the wall, he was surprised to find that the interior compound, which had been a mess, had been mostly repaired.


    The debris from the buildings that Li Changguo had destroyed had been cleaned up, and nearly half of the collapsed houses had been rebuilt.


    Most of these houses did not yet have doors or windows, there was hardly any furniture inside, and they lacked the decorative beams and painted rafters, garden rockeries of the past, but they were barely habitable.


    The main house and the rooms on either side had been better restored and looked almost the same as before, with all the furniture still brand new.


    Lin Rui was currently in the main house, helping by Blood Blade Ji¡¯s side, mixing various medicinal powders and applying them to some talismans he had made before.@@@@


    ...


    ¡°It was the Eastern Prefectural Deputy,¡± Lin Rui said with a slight smile, as he applied the powder, ¡°This person is quite trustworthy. He went back and immediately dispatched two teams of Government Officials and several carpenters and masons. Wen Tailai also called a group of people, and they were busy here for nearly an hour.¡±


    The people from the Tianshen Star were not only tall and robust but also practiced martial arts, so building houses for them was relatively easy.


    As for building materials, there was no need to fuss; they simply took what was needed directly from the government office¡¯s storeroom.


    This was due to the material tax system of the Great Song, where if people couldn¡¯t pay taxes in silver, they could use various kinds of materials instead.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it!¡±


    At these words, Wang Sen¡¯s expression cleared, and he then placed a large parcel in front of Lin Rui with a wry smile, ¡°I¡¯ve brought back everything. I¡¯ve checked it, and both the goods and the amount match. But you would never guess where their store is. I wandered around the city for over two hours¡ªit was quite a search!¡±


    Lin Rui began to open the parcel, intrigued, ¡°Where? It¡¯s not in a coffin shop again, is it?¡±


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    He then waved his hand and said, ¡°Speak freely! As long as there are no others within twenty steps inside the inner courtyard, there¡¯s no need to worry about safety.¡±


    He took the opportunity of the internal government office¡¯s rebuilding to set up an Array there, embedding it within the walls of these houses.


    Even if a sixth realm expert came now, it would be very difficult to eavesdrop.


    Upon hearing this, Wang Sen relaxed, thinking this was excellent. He could relax his spiritual power a bit when he went back home.


    He accepted the cup of tea Ji Xueying handed him and guzzled it down, then said with a bitter smile, ¡°It¡¯s in the Changping Warehouse of Wang City, under two of the grain storage units that have been hollowed out.¡±


    She thought, is this the gift her master is giving her? She really liked it.


    As a Blood Blade Ji, the stronger her strength, the better.


    However, next, she saw Lin Rui take out a pill and place it in front of her, ¡°This is a limb restoration agent, capable of repairing human limbs. I had it specially made in the shape of a Tianji Star pill. You can swallow it directly. You can use the station to send it to your mother, do you like this gift?¡±


    Ji Xueying was slightly moved, gazing steadily at Lin Rui.


    Her eyes began to redden slightly.


    Her mother¡¯s fingers, chopped off by Zhu Lingshi, had always been a knot in her heart, and she hadn¡¯t expected her master to notice it too.


    Ji Xueying thought to herself that she had been quite unfortunate in life, but eventually things had turned for the better, meeting her current master was indeed the greatest fortune of her life.


    Lin Rui sensed a strong throbbing coming from the Ruyi Concord Knot, which actually made him feel a bit uneasy.


    ¡°No need to be like this, this limb restoration agent is very cheap on our side, even when used by people from Tianji Star, it only costs 500,000 federal credits, equivalent to 500 Silver Taels. We can earn it back after subduing two demons together in the future.¡±


    Lin Rui then took out the last seven syringes from inside his belt.


    These were all his own, totaling six Type 3 mutant bloodline enhancers and one blood training agent.


    Lin Rui had only used the spiritual power enhancer and the physical strength enhancer ten days ago, and he had to wait another twenty days before using them again.


    However, there was no timing restriction on the mutant bloodline enhancers; as long as his spirit and will could endure, he could inject them at any time.


    Lin Rui was quite confident in his spiritual and will power.


    Lin Rui planned to use these enhancers to awaken mutations like ¡®Blood Core Fury Sun,¡¯ along with his Thunder Blood, Flame Blood, and so on, continuing injections until awakening occurred.


    As for the blood training agent, this thing could enhance his blood training progress by 10% at once. Lin Rui planned to use it during the most challenging segment of his blood training phase, to achieve a breakthrough with the help of this agent.


    Lin Rui directly injected a mutant bloodline enhancer into his neck, then, bearing the itch and pain, asked, ¡°How do you feel about the current situation in the city? Is the demonic atmosphere really as severe as the Prefectural Chief and Deputy Chief say?¡±


    ¡°There are quite a few Martial Cultivators in the city, but none dare to cause trouble. There is also no curfew, so it seems the Prefectural Governor and his team should be able to maintain control.¡± Wang Sen frowned, ¡°However, both the Prefectural Governor and Deputy went out once tonight, which shows that the demons are indeed rampant and required their personal intervention.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s expression relaxed, glad that the situation in the city was stable. He could now focus his energies on the tasks entrusted to him by Zhuang Mingyue.


    At that moment, Wang Sen recalled an odd occurrence, ¡°Speaking of which! When I went to the Mutant Management Bureau outpost earlier, I saw someone there offering to buy silver. It was strange¡ªthey were offering 1400 federal credits for one Silver Tael and insisted on the local exchange of silver. Odd, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Really? Lin Rui began to look forward to the money Li Changguo was supposed to send over, not wanting to miss such a good opportunity to make a profit.¡±

 Chapter 134: 132: Three Realms King Level (Subscribe Please)

    Chapter 134: Chapter 132: Three Realms King Level (Subscribe Please)


    At 2 a.m., Lin Rui injected himself with the fifth Type-3 Heterogeneous Bloodline Enhancing Agent.


    At that moment, his spine finally underwent a change, emitting a lava-like high temperature¡ª a scorching warm current poured into his blood vessels, extending to his limbs and entire body.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t feel the heat scalding at all, but rather found it very comfortable, his whole body warm.


    His entire body also seemed to ignite like flames, radiating pieces of thunderlight.


    Lin Rui¡¯s ¡°Concealing Breath Skill,¡± having been mastered to the level of Grandmaster, quickly contained the ethereal elements caused by these phenomena, otherwise, the disturbance he caused would have been ten times greater than it currently was.


    Lin Rui concentrated, sensing the changes within his body, his lips slightly curving upward.


    ...


    He had just injected the fifth Bloodline Enhancing Agent when he awakened an imperial-level bloodline talent¡ª¡±Blood Core Fury Sun.¡±


    As soon as this talent awakened, his physical condition was enhanced along with it, his body¡¯s positive True Qi also surged nearly twofold, beginning an endless cycle.


    Lin Rui had been a bit worried.


    The sale price of the Type-3 Heterogeneous Bloodline Enhancer was up to 1 million Federation currency per unit, totaling 6 million for six units.


    Had these six continuous injections failed to awaken his bloodline, it would have been a huge loss.


    The Bloodline Enhancer, a special genetic medicine, could be used consecutively to stack effects and push the threshold of bloodline genes to extreme mutations, aiding a person in ascending and refining their bloodline.


    However, if subsequent drugs weren¡¯t maintained, the power inducing bloodline mutations would continue to decrease, rendering the previous doses useless.


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    But now it seemed, the connection between him and his body was very tight and the integration effect of the xenogeneic was especially apparent; the fifth unit had just been injected, and he had already awakened the imperial-level bloodline talent.


    Lin Rui continued more vigorously, refining Light Blood and Flame Blood.


    This was an upper-level talent, much easier compared to ¡°Blood Core Fury Sun.¡±


    Lin Rui, experienced in refining Thunder Blood, and the effect of Type-3 drugs being five times that of Type-2 drugs,


    hadn¡¯t even injected the sixth unit when he had already completed the refining of these two bloodlines, significantly enhancing his affinity and efficiency with the two ethereal elements of light and fire.


    Lin Rui was satisfied.


    Lin Rui estimated that his bloodline power could definitely be considered at the third-stage king level!


    Together with his Grandmaster-level martial arts, his far superior physical condition, and spiritual power, as well as his mysterious and magical Escape Skill, his actual combat power could only be stronger.


    At this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s body was covered in sweat.


    The tingling pain from injecting the Bloodline Enhancer was intensely stimulating, causing Lin Rui to sweat profusely all night.


    Although the flames on his body dried the sweat, the salt stuck to his skin was extremely uncomfortable.


    Lin Rui walked to the well in the courtyard and took a bath, feeling clean and refreshed. Just as he was preparing to return to his room to sleep, he suddenly sensed something, his gaze turning solemnly towards the courtyard outside.


    Dou Ming¡¯s subordinates, over twenty strong men, were with him, and the prison in Wang City was extremely fortified; as long as they could defend the prison gate, the assassins could do nothing to them.


    As for those from the Imperial Guard in the government office and the newly appointed Defense Officer Lin Rui¡ª


    Dou Ming¡¯s gaze was mocking, yet also filled with anticipation.


    This person was actually a significant obstacle to their ongoing investigation into the Heavenly Demon case.


    This Wang City Government Office of the Imperial City¡¯s department was actually a trap they had set for someone, but they had to change their plans temporarily due to the arrival of Lin Rui.


    So, it would be best if this young man died tonight.


    Lin Rui was unaware of the situation outside the government office and had never expected any.


    He poised one hand on his blade while talismans flew from his sleeve like little birds released, dispersing in all directions.


    These talismans contained some metal, allowing Lin Rui to directly control their flight without relying on flying needles.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui glanced doubtfully to the left towards the chamber where Blood Blade Ji resided.


    Wang Sen was one thing, but Blood Blade Ji¡¯s perception was not inferior to his; why was there still no movement?


    Could it be that the gene-enhancing drug was too intense, causing Blood Blade Ji¡¯s condition to deteriorate?


    No!


    Lin Rui frowned, finding that the Blood Covenant connection between him and Ji Xueying had been disrupted again.


    The last time this happened was in Silver Moon County, during that great battle with Zhu Lingshi at the county government office.


    Lin Rui already had a vague guess and made a decisive decision.


    Being heavily outnumbered, he had to strike first!


    In that instant, a mighty thunder exploded around him.


    Sixty Flash Thunder Talismans ignited all at once, creating a thunder net around Lin Rui within a five-meter radius.


    Lin Rui¡¯s waist blade transformed into a trace of light that slashed into the night sky.


    This blade was the S+ secret blade¡ªThunderclap Absolute Slash!


    He had switched to a better side blade, although not as good as ¡®Thor¡¯s Hammer¡¯; it was a four-realm Yanling Blade seized from Zhu Lingshi.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    ¡°Not good!¡±


    From the front of the inner government office, a cry of alarm followed, then a spray of blood; three figures appeared in the darkness, sliced in two from twenty meters away by Lin Rui¡¯s blade!


    Finally, Wang Sen realized the peril, holding a shield as he burst out from the neighboring chamber to position himself in front of Lin Rui.


    At the same time, countless flying needles and bolts shot towards them from the darkness.

 Chapter 135

    ?Chapter 135: Chapter 133: Super King Secret Blade (Request for Subscription) Chapter 135: Chapter 133: Super King Secret Blade (Request for Subscription) Ji Xueying realized that her consciousness was within a dream.


    She was surrounded by black fog, unable to see any boundaries, and no matter how she ran, she couldn¡¯t escape it.


    Ji Xueying was panic-stricken; she had long sensed dozens of dangerous auras approaching from the outside, her master was about to be in danger, yet she was stuck in this dream, unable to free herself.


    After running for a while, Ji Xueying stopped, realizing that continuing like this was futile.


    She began to focus her mind, sensing her two blades, and her Ruyi Heart-Knot.


    These were the things Ji Xueying was most familiar with, bound to her by her own blood.


    Ji Xueying prepared to use these three objects as anchors to pull her consciousness back into the real world.


    ...


    ¡°Is this an Illusion Technique?¡±


    A harsh light flickered in Ji Xueying¡¯s eyes.


    novgo.co


    Someone was trying to use an Illusion Technique to deceive and graft her perception, to prevent her from connecting with her blades, making her believe that they were right behind her.


    But this was a dreamscape; everything here was illusory.


    It was at this moment that Ji Xueying saw a figure slowly emerging from the distant black fog.


    ¡°It seems that not only has your bloodline evolved and improved, but even the strength of your spiritual power has increased significantly.


    Go to novgo.co


    I thought I could drag you into a deeper illusion, but I didn¡¯t expect you to break through the first layer so quickly.¡±


    The person chuckled lightly, his tone a mix of emotion and admonition, ¡°But there¡¯s no need to struggle.


    Without your help, that Lin Twelve is doomed.


    Come back, my Blood Blade Ji.¡±


    Ji Xueying looked at this person, her pupils narrowing slightly: ¡°Yuan Ji!¡±


    He was a man in his forties, of medium height and slightly thin build, with a high nose bridge and deep, sharp eyes.


    His aura was cutting and aggressive, emanating an oppressive presence.


    Ji Xueying had met this man every day for two months when she was in the capital, leaving her with a deep impression.


    She instantly realized where the problem lay and clenched her back teeth tightly: ¡°Again, the Blood Covenant!¡±@@@@


    Ordinary Illusion Techniques couldn¡¯t possibly affect her.


    This person was using the Blood Covenant to cast an Illusion Technique on her, bypassing her spiritual defense.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s eyes were wide with rage as she glared at the other party: ¡°It really was you tampering.


    From the start, you were prepared to control me, to kill Yuan Yi, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t feel much for Yuan Yi, her former master, she had no desire to kill him, nor any intention to turn on him.


    To be fair, aside from his lecherous nature, the young man¡¯s true character wasn¡¯t bad, and he had shown her respect.


    ¡°How could that be possible?


    Dare I harbor any thought of harming him back then?


    It¡¯s just that I saw my elder brother was not a man of loyalty, so I took precautions beforehand.


    Fortunately, a person of high status in the palace took an interest in some of the Yuan family¡¯s properties, helping me out.


    Otherwise, I could not have managed it alone.¡±


    Yuan Ji said with a slight smile, his tone tinged with sarcasm: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this precaution would actually be needed.


    I built my empire in the south through hard work, yet he thought he could just take it away?¡±


    Furious at his words, Ji Xueying retorted, ¡°So you deliberately used the ledger of Yin Yue County as bait, luring Yuan Yi to Yin Yue County, right?¡±


    ¡°He was too hasty.


    I sold him a flaw, and the child rushed over in a hurry,¡± said Yuan Ji, shaking his head with a touch of gloom in his eyes: ¡°What a pitya?€¡±¡±


    What a pity the incapable Zhu uncle and nephew, despite having operated in Yin Yue County for many years, were defeated by a few novices.


    Everything that happened there was supposed to be eradicated by fire.


    He was concerned that this day might spell their doom and curiously asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you stick so many talismans inside the house?


    Why not use them?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression was unreadable, ¡°The aether elements around here are not right; they must have brought a formation array, just waiting for me to use them.


    It¡¯d be a mess if I did.¡±


    It must have been the battle between him and the Prefectural Governor today that revealed his Escape Skill, leading the opponents to make such targeted arrangements.


    This was primarily because Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual power wasn¡¯t high, and his True Qi wasn¡¯t strong enough to dispel the interference of the spells.


    As Lin Rui spoke, he unleashed his blade once more.


    With a multitude of Flash Thunder Talismans exploding, they triggered purple thunderbolts that pierced the void.


    Four black-clothed individuals, who were attempting to circle behind or climb onto rooftops to attack them, were cut down through the void.


    Three of them were of the third realm, and one was of the fourth realm ¨C all were killed by a single stroke from Lin Rui.


    Even the mid-fourth realm Martial Cultivator couldn¡¯t defend himself and was executed by a single slash that decapitated him.


    Wang Sen¡¯s spirits lifted.


    a?€¡± This was Lin Rui¡¯s Thunderclap Absolute Slash!


    Within twenty meters, it directly pierces the void, ignoring distance and barriers.


    The key was that Lin Rui used it so frequently; just a few breaths ago, he had readied this extremely exhausting S+ grade secret blade technique for the second time!


    Hope began to blossom in Wang Sen¡¯s heart; as long as he could block those concealed projectiles and flying darts for Lin Rui, perhaps there was a chance?


    He also received a hint from Lin Rui to flexibly use his Ice Wind Palm.


    He didn¡¯t need a strong wind, just enough to blow the scattered talisman powder to the right place.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    Wang Sen fully unleashed his ¡®Xuanwu Blood,¡¯ with faint snake scales appearing on his skin.


    His icy power was greatly strengthened, erupting to its limits, thickening the ice in front of the ironwood shield by a full half-inch, expanding in all directions like a massive icy turtle shell protecting them.


    ¡°Such a powerful Super King Secret Blade, reaching the pinnacle!


    Paired with the assistance of talismans, the blade¡¯s power is enhanced, achieving imperial-grade strength!¡±


    With these words, a figure dressed in white robes astonishingly appeared right next to Lin Rui and Wang Sen without any warning.


    An intense Sword Intent suddenly erupted, simultaneously suppressing the Primordial Spirits of both Lin Rui and Wang Sen.


    They couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked.


    a?€¡± This was actually a fifth realm powerhouse!


    Even under the suppression of the defensive official seal, this person¡¯s Sword Intent was only slightly less imposing than that of the Eastern District¡¯s Vice Prefect.


    He held a blood sword, slashing towards Lin Rui at a speed hard to detect, aiming for Lin Rui¡¯s throat.


    ¡°What a pity!¡±


    a?€¡± Pity for this young martial arts prodigy, falling here today.


    Just as Lin Rui frowned deeply, preparing to unleash his final move, a red figure also extremely abruptly appeared beside Lin Rui.


    A six-foot-long red blade, bursting with powerful lightning, perfectly blocked the assailant¡¯s blood sword.


    ¡°Blood Blade Ji?¡±


    The White-clothed Swordsman¡¯s complexion changed drastically in shock, wasn¡¯t Yuan Ji supposed to have detained Blood Blade Ji?


    If it weren¡¯t for Yuan Ji¡¯s repeated assurances, coupled with instructions from the House of Prince Han, their Iron Killing Hall would not have acted rashly.


    The man in white then realized that the eyes of Blood Blade Ji, red as blood jade, lacked any luster.


    This demoness currently had no will of her own; she was merely instinctively wielding her blade to defend, to protect her master.


    ¡°Bound by the heart?


    So that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    The White-clothed Swordsman felt even more astounded internally, the bond between Blood Blade Ji and Lin Rui was this profound?


    However, if that was the case, they still had a great chance of victory tonight.

 Chapter 136

    ?Chapter 136: Chapter 134 Our Bonds (Three more updates, please subscribe) Chapter 136: Chapter 134 Our Bonds (Three more updates, please subscribe) ¡°Come!¡±


    The White-clothed Swordsman thrust his Blood Blade repeatedly, continuously bombarding Ji Xueying with strikes.


    As Ji Xueying unconsciously fought back with all her might, the figure of the White-clothed Swordsman gradually retreated, luring Ji Xueying away, step by step, until they were ten meters apart.


    A force only driven by instinct at the level of Super King, the White-clothed Swordsman could just manage to cope with.


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    Following the command of the White-clothed Swordsman, over a dozen figures from the shadows rushed toward Lin Rui and another person from behind and from above the eaves.


    However, in the next instant, another violent, purple Thunder net exploded within the courtyard, spanning ten meters in every direction.


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    In the night sky, four individuals were severed at the waist, their blood spraying across the expanse!


    Among them, one had a cultivation reaching mid-fourth-realm!


    ...


    Despite being fully on guard, he still couldn¡¯t defend against the knife light that pierced through the void, disregarding space itself.


    ¡°Damn!


    That¡¯s the Super King Secret Blade, too fierce!


    There¡¯s no way to defend against it.¡±


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    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, he can¡¯t use that secret technique continuously!¡±


    ¡°Surround him, and slaughter him!¡±


    ¡°People have already filled his tracks with their lives, kill!¡±


    Wang Sen saw those men in black still daringly rushing over, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight shock in his heart.


    Techniques like Thunderclap Absolute Slash, an S+ grade secret technique, were indeed troublesome to perform, not only requiring a buildup but also consuming a large amount of True Yuan.


    However, what followed was a blast of at least fifty Flash Thunder Talismans, exploding and unleashing a massive barrage of thunder.


    ¡°Pchit!¡±


    Once more, a vast amount of blood sprayed into the night sky as three black-clothed men, who had closed to within five meters, were cut in two by Lin Rui¡¯s purple thunder blade light.


    Another person was caught off guard, pierced through the heart by a swift, lightning-like golden flying sword, and fell from the eaves of the left wing building.


    Each time Lin Rui executed the Thunderclap Absolute Slash, he could deliver three to four strikes, leaving these assassins utterly powerless.


    Yet, more figures approached from the darkness.


    ¡°Continue!¡±@@@@


    ¡°I refuse to believe he can release the third form of the Super King Secret Blade continuously!¡±


    ¡°Merely a third-realm warrior, how much True Yuan could he have?¡±


    ¡°Slaughter him together!¡±


    At that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s whole body burst into golden flames, surrounded by bursts of thunder flashing around him, his eyes turning into a crimson gold color.


    His entire being resembled a miniature sun, illuminating the surrounding night as if it were daylight.


    ¡°Slaughter!¡±


    This was the third execution of Thunderclap Absolute Slash within two breaths, instantly releasing four strikes, resulting in four bursts of blood plasma in the night sky.


    The spattering blood landed in front of Wang Sen¡¯s ice shield, instantly turning into ice, making the shield even thicker and more solid.


    This round of Thunderclap Absolute Slash finally chilled the hearts of those in black, all the assassins scrambled back in panic, retreating into the darkness, even the White-clothed Swordsman, who was fiercely fighting Ji Xueying, looked towards Lin Rui in utter surprise.


    Lin Rui glanced sideways at Wang Sen in front, then smiled and looked away.


    This was a brother he could entrust his life to, but now it was not yet that dire.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was gathering energy and raised his hand, grabbing a blood-red short blade in his hand.


    a?€¡±This was the Blood Covenant blade from Ji Xueying!


    Lin Rui thought about Ji Xueying¡¯s problem, it must be related to the Blood Covenant.


    However, after the incident in Silver Moon County, he had repeatedly checked Ji Xueying¡¯s body, using his own Great Grandmaster level foundational formation and Great Grandmaster level Magic Control Divine Technique, to eliminate all hidden threats.


    The foundation of the Blood Covenant within Ji Xueying¡¯s body was no longer problematic.


    Lin Rui realized he was in a blind spot, perhaps the issue involved not only Ji Xueying¡¯s body but also this ¡°Blood Covenant blade!¡±


    Lin Rui pondered for a moment, then his lips curved slightly in a smile.


    He suddenly squeezed hard, causing hairline cracks to appear on the covenant blade.


    The distant white-clothed swordsman saw this scene and was momentarily stunned.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The white-clothed swordsman then realized what was happening, his face turned ashen, ¡°Think it through, once this covenant blade is broken, you will forever lose your Blood Blade Ji.¡±


    Lin Rui laughed, ¡°Ha,¡± and continued to press hard until he shattered the covenant blade, also breaking the Blood Covenant between him and Ji Xueying!


    His eyes were as sharp as blades, filled with a hint of mockery as he looked at the white-clothed swordsman, ¡°Why should I worry?


    I feel instead that our ¡®bond¡¯ would only grow deeper!


    The ties between us are not bound by such a mere Blood Covenant.¡±


    Meanwhile, in Ji Xueying¡¯s dream.


    Yuan Ji had been coldly observing Ji Xueying, who was engulfed in burning blood flames, struggling madly.


    At this moment, the body of Blood Blade Ji in the dream was actually her Primordial Spirit transformed, so the blood flames were actually burning Ji Xueying¡¯s Primordial Spirit.


    ¡°Your struggle is futile!


    No matter how hard you try, it¡¯s useless and will only cause you more pain.¡±


    Yuan Ji shook his head slightly, showing a trace of impatience in his eyes.


    The people from the Iron Killing Hall outside, how have they not dealt with Lin Twelve yet?


    Is that boy really that troublesome?


    Is his blade really that sharp?


    It was at this moment that Yuan Ji¡¯s expression subtly changed, a profound shock rising in his heart.


    ¡°Could it be?


    How dare this guy?


    How dare he break the covenant blade?¡±


    The battling Ji Xueying also suddenly stilled as she felt all the constraints on her vanish.


    At the same time, she sensed the words Lin Rui said outside.


    ¡°The bonds between us are not constrained by such a mere Blood Covenanta?€¡±¡±


    Ji Xueying slightly bowed her head, using her hair to cover her face, followed by an infinite surge of blood flames erupting from within her.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    At this moment, Ji Xueying¡¯s murderous intent peaked, and her magic power also forcefully crossed a threshold, madly soaring!

 Chapter 137

    ?Chapter 137: Chapter 135: Frenzy (Subscription Request) Chapter 137: Chapter 135: Frenzy (Subscription Request) Yuan Ji felt a sense of foreboding the moment he discovered that the covenant blade was broken, as it was his last resort to control Blood Blade Ji.


    Unexpectedly, Lin Twelve was so decisive that he did not hesitate to dissolve the Blood Covenant with Blood Blade Ji in order to shatter the ¡®covenant blade¡¯.


    ¡°This bastarda?€¡±¡±


    Yuan Ji was extremely annoyed, yet powerless, he could only retreat frantically, trying to escape from the dreamscape of Blood Blade Ji.


    He soon realized that he simply could not do so, as at this moment, the entire dreamscape of Blood Blade Ji had turned into a sea of crimson flames, with no place of refuge.


    Blood Blade Ji glared at him with eyes like blood jade, exuding the aura of an ancient ferocious beast, choosing its prey.


    ¡°No, not this!¡±


    Yuan Ji was utterly terrified, his consciousness entirely stagnating under the terrifying assault of the blade intent.


    Then, in the next instant, Yuan Ji found his body cleaved into two halves.


    ...


    The body in this dreamscape, being his soul, would not die even when split in two; however, right after the blade light swept past, waves of extremely fierce flames ignited from within, causing his soul to burn fiercely like a torch, with dazzling crimson thunder, obliterating all the remnants of his thoughts.


    Such extreme pain caused Yuan Ji to let out a scream of agony, sounding like the wails of ghosts and howls of wolves, as his soul dissipated into specks of spirit dust.


    Ji Xueying wished she could tear this man into thousands of pieces and burn his soul to ashes.


    However, at this moment, she was concerned about her master¡¯s safety and unwilling to waste even a moment on Yuan Ji.


    Once she made her cut, ensuring that his Primordial Spirit would surely burn out, Ji Xueying¡¯s consciousness withdrew from the dreamscape.


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    The White-clothed Swordsman was extremely fierce, and instead of retreating after Lin Rui forcefully crushed the covenant blade, he launched himself fully towards Lin Rui.


    He wanted to bypass Ji Xueying¡¯s defenses to kill this upstart!


    novgo.co


    This was his last chance, otherwise, this operation would have been a total failure.


    They had already lost nearly 20 men, including four from the fourth realm, and had neither managed to retrieve Blood Blade Ji nor injured a single hair on Lin Twelve.


    However, when Ji Xueying regained consciousness, light returning to her eyes, her long blade ¡®Shocking Snow¡¯ not only intercepted the sword light of the White-clothed Swordsman with incredible precision but also launched a ferocious counterattack, driving him back over six feet with her powerful strength and violent blade speed.


    The White-clothed Swordsman was forced to distance himself from Lin Rui, and his steps grew increasingly unsteady, overwhelmed by Ji Xueying¡¯s immense strength and manic blade speed, scattering his footwork.


    The White-clothed Swordsman couldn¡¯t believe his eyes: ¡°Late-fourth realm?¡±


    Blood Blade Ji had actually broken through in this critical moment.


    No!


    It wasn¡¯t just her Magic Power that had broken through to the late-fourth realm; it seemed that various aspects of her physical condition had also greatly improved.


    She was at least twenty percent stronger than the White-clothed Swordsman had estimated!


    ¡°Err~¡±


    Lin Rui raised his hand, wanting to remind Ji Xueying to leave some sorcerers for him.


    Among these assassins from Iron Kill Hall, nearly 1/3 were sorcerers.


    He had just killed 6 and collected over two thousand points of Soul Power.


    But before he could speak, the black figures around had already been greatly reduced.


    Blood rained everywhere in the sky, various limbs and pieces of flesh falling to the ground as if it were raining.


    Lin Rui could only withdraw his hand, thinking to himself that it didn¡¯t matter; he didn¡¯t lack this bit of Soul Power, and letting Ji Xueying vent was also good.


    Just fifteen breaths later, Ji Xueying had already cleaned up all the assassins inside the inner rooms.


    Ji Xueying then turned her cold gaze towards the east.


    On the eaves of the roofs in that residential area stood two people who had been peeping here all along, making it hard for Ji Xueying to tell if these two were friends or foes.


    Although they used clever talismanic methods for concealment, they couldn¡¯t escape Ji Xueying¡¯s keen senses.


    ¡°Ying¡¯er, don¡¯t bother with them.¡±


    Lin Rui also looked in the direction where those two were standing, ¡°They¡¯re probably not enemies.¡±


    He saw the two people on the distant roof also appearing very vigilant as if facing a great enemy.


    However, those two had actually not been here long, and really bore no malice.


    And for some reason, Lin Rui mysteriously felt a strange familiarity with these two, yet he didn¡¯t know where this familiarity came from.


    Ji Xueying turned around upon his words, sheathing her blade, and at this moment her body bore not a single trace of blood.


    However, when she walked back to Lin Rui, her expression seemed somewhat unusual.


    She looked at Lin Rui, muttering as if wanting to speak, yet not knowing how to express herself rightly.


    Although the master¡¯s words just now had touched her, the bond between them certainly did not need to rely on such a trivial Blood Covenant to restrain.


    However, Blood Blade Ji still needed a master; otherwise, she might eventually lose control, just like she did a month ago.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui smiled, ¡°Why the rush?


    Tomorrow we¡¯ll find a skilled blacksmith to forge a new covenant blade for us, pick the style you like, and then at that time we¡¯ll re-establish the Blood Covenant with our blood!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Blood Blade Ji instantly felt reassured, and a bright smile even spread across her face.


    She began to think about what kind of covenant blade she would use tomorrow?


    It definitely has to look better than the last one, which was so ugly.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression turned serious, and he walked towards the front courtyard.

 Chapter 138

    ?Chapter 138: Chapter 136: You¡¯re Actually Colluding with the Heavenly Demon (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 138: Chapter 136: You¡¯re Actually Colluding with the Heavenly Demon (Seeking Subscriptions) When Lin Rui stepped onto the steps in front of the main hall of the outer government office, the remaining three clerks of Wang City Government Office and twenty Dragon Guards all gathered around.


    They had different expressions on their faces, some were flushed with admiration, some were gritting their teeth due to their injuries, and some were pallid with guilt and fear.


    The constables from the Imperial Judicial Commissioner¡¯s office also stood at a distance, their expressions obscure.


    Among them, the Judicial Commissioner Dou Ming had a look of regret that flickered uncertainly.


    He hadn¡¯t expected people from the Iron Killing Hall to deploy such a grand force, using dozens of men and even a Fifth Realm expert, yet they still couldn¡¯t deal with Lin the Twelfth.


    Weren¡¯t the assassins of the Iron Killing Hall known for only acting after careful planning, guaranteeing success once they moved?


    This time they had all been defeated inside the Wang City Government Office.


    ...


    Dou Ming had just seen Lin the Twelfth unsheathe his blade.


    The strike of the Super King Secret Blade was truly sharp; Dou Ming felt that he might not be able to withstand it himself.


    Being undefeatable was one thing, but the key was its relentless continuity.


    No wonder dozens of assassins couldn¡¯t get close to him.


    Now he was feeling a headache; his subordinates had all hidden in the jail cells on his orders, passively observing the battle outside.


    This was undoubtedly very unseemly, and he wondered how this Defense Envoy Lin would react?


    Lin Rui stood on the steps, smiling as he looked over the assembly of Dragon Guards.


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    ¡°Great merits for the two Prison Chiefs!


    Jiang Li and Wei Xiu are promoted to Platoon Leaders effective immediately, all those who participated in the battle are noted for their contributions, and every participant in the battle is rewarded with twenty Silver Coins, and three soulstones!


    And for the two who died in battle, according to the triple compensation standard of our Imperial City Division, ample pensions will be provided!¡±


    The four whom he had generously rewarded had all exerted themselves to the death tonight.


    Not only did they loudly alert their fellow officers in the outer government office, but they also fiercely engaged with those dressed in black, getting injured in the process, with one of them almost facing a dire situation.


    It was a pity that the cultivation of these two valiant Dragon Guards was a little weak, only at the mid-level of the Third Realm; otherwise, he would have been too lazy to recruit from the outside and would have directly promoted these two to Team Heads.


    It was even more regrettable for the two who had died in battle, as they were also brave and loyal men.


    Besides these few, the others had also participated in the battle.


    However, their methods of fighting were smarter, mostly hiding in concealed corners, greeting with all sorts of hidden weapons, doing everything possible to help him contain the numerous assassins in the inner government office, greatly reducing Lin Rui¡¯s pressure.


    At least, these men had helped Lin Rui to contain 20 black-clothed assassins.


    ¡°And the three who just hid inside and did not come out.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze became cold, ¡°According to the rules of the Dragon Guards, those who fear the enemy and show cowardice shall be beheaded on the spot, or given thirty severe lashings, followed by dismissal!


    However, since this official has just taken office today, I will make an exception.


    You three can go to the Clerk later to hand in your badges and receive ten Silver Coins of severance pay; from now on, you don¡¯t need to come to the government office again.¡±


    If these three were merely cowards, that would be one thing, but they were also foolish!


    Today, more than 80 people from Iron Killing Hall came, intending to emulate the Heavenly Demons from beyond the territories, aiming to annihilate everyone.


    They wanted to kill not just him, the Defense Envoy, but also, no one in this government office was expected to survive.


    This was something he hadn¡¯t been aware of before.


    Lin Rui¡¯s perception was extremely powerful, but it was impossible for him to be distracted by every rustle of wind and grass a hundred meters away while he was fighting those assassins.


    He only had a general sense of the situation outside the government office and made some reasonable conjectures.


    Therefore, Lin Rui was very dissatisfied with this scribe.


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    Though a civil official, this person possessed the cultivation of the early Four Realms.


    Yet, at the moment of crisis, this person did not make a sound and hid with a group from the criminal investigation division in the prisons.


    This was also behaving cowardly in the face of the enemy!


    In the great Song dynasty where martial spirit was thriving, weren¡¯t the Prefectural Governor and his deputies expected to personally deal with demons and evil spirits?


    It¡¯s just that this person, as the head scribe of the government office, held an official rank of positive seventh grade, the same as Lin Rui¡¯s, and it was improper for him, a mere acting defense envoy, to deal with the situation on the spot.


    Lin Rui was already prepared to report the details to the commander of the garrison post in Sha State after the fact, and let the commander deal with this person.


    It was only after hearing what Wen Tailai said that he realized the situation was not as he had imagined.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes, sharp as blades and spears, coldly stared at Dou Ming, ¡°Judicial Dou!


    At the moment of battle, why did you stop our Wang City head scribe and why did you knock him unconscious?¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency, please allow me to explain!¡± Dou Ming, with clasped hands, had a pale face covered with beads of sweat the size of beans.


    He never expected his old friend Wen Tailai to pull such a move at this time, putting him in an extremely awkward and dangerous position.


    Dou Ming¡¯s mind raced, searching for words to defend himself, but after several breaths, he couldn¡¯t come up with an excuse to absolve himself.


    ¡°Can¡¯t come up with an answer, can you?¡± Lin Rui laughed coldly, ¡°To me, there¡¯s only one reason: you¡¯re in cahoots with these Heavenly Demons from outside our domain, coordinating from inside and out, wanting to recreate the bloodbath that occurred in our Wang City a month ago!¡±


    Dou Ming realized something was wrong halfway through Lin Rui¡¯s statement.


    As an experienced head constable in the government office, he had already faintly anticipated this terrifying outcome.


    But he truly hadn¡¯t expected Lin Twelve to be so ruthless and bold, actually planning to lump him together with these assassins from the Iron Kill Hall!


    Today, they were merely onlookers from the sidelines.


    Was there a need to be so vicious towards a colleague?


    The moment Dou Ming became alert, he saw a vast expanse of purple thunder roaring and flashing ahead of him.


    Dou Ming¡¯s pupils slightly contracted.


    This was the precursor to Lin Twelve¡¯s just-performed ¡®Super King Secret Blade.¡¯ This young man had been ready to strike all along, had begun to accumulate power ahead of time, scattering talismans.


    He had no time to defend himself before Lin Rui kicked him across a 20-meter distance, his chest caving in with a ¡®crack,¡¯ and his entire body flew out like a cannonball, crashing into the ground ten meters away.


    Lin Rui had perfected ¡®Thunderclap Absolute Slash¡¯ to the Great Grandmaster level, reaching pinnacle mastery.


    He was no longer restricted to using weapons; his feet worked just as well.


    Right as Lin Rui kicked Dou Ming away, a cry of alarm came from outside the government office, ¡°Stop, be merciful, Grandmaster Lin!¡±


    Blood Blade Ji, standing behind Lin Rui, had her eyes flash fiercely as she suddenly turned into a swift red shadow, dashing into the air.


    With her blade slashing, the air rang out with a ¡®clang¡¯ of metal thundering, sparks flying, and thunder exploding.

 Chapter 139

    ?Chapter 139: Chapter 137 Jinggang City Shipping Office (Three more, subscribe please) Chapter 139: Chapter 137 Jinggang City Shipping Office (Three more, subscribe please) ¡°`


    The person who suddenly broke into the Wang City Government Office from outside was a middle-aged man with an average build, clad in blue armor and with a stern face.


    This man¡¯s cultivation had also reached the early levels of the fifth realm, but he only managed to block a dozen or so strikes from Blood Blade Ji before feeling somewhat overwhelmed.


    Both were striking with extreme speed, exchanging dozens of blows in the blink of an eye in midair.


    However, the twin swords in the hands of the stern-faced middle-aged man were already pressed five feet in front of him by Blood Blade Ji, relegating him to a purely defensive stance.


    His eyes were filled with astonishment!


    How could this Blood Blade Ji be so strong?


    She was even more powerful than when he witnessed her grand battle with Prefectural Governor Li Changguo earlier that afternoon.


    ...


    It seemed she had already advanced to the late stages of the fourth realm; no wonder that leader of the Iron Assassin Hall was gruesomely slaughtered by this demoness!


    While he was struggling to hold her off, he bellowed, ¡°Lord Lin, I am the Assistant Censor-In-Chief Zhang Zhili from the Office of Imperial Censors, and certainly no evildoer!


    Please have your guardian demon cease its attack at once, sir, as I have urgent matters to discuss with you!


    We are colleagues serving the same court, so there¡¯s no need for this, no need for this at all!¡±


    He was an Assistant Censor-In-Chief, ranked below only the fifth grade, far higher than Lin Rui, but out of sheer urgency, he blurted out the term ¡®your subordinate¡¯.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui merely smirked coldly, too indifferent to respond.


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    So the Office of Imperial Censors actually had experts lurking outside the government office spying on them?


    And it was none other than the Assistant Censor-In-Chief, a master of the fifth realm!


    This was utterly detestable!


    These people clearly had the power to help Wang City repel the assassins from Iron Assassin Hall, yet they turned a blind eye to the attack aimed at him, standing idly by.


    What were they thinking?


    What was their intent?


    ¡°All Imperial Dragons, heed my command!¡±


    Lin Rui, with his hands clasped behind his back, cast a cold glance at the constables from the Office of Imperial Censors in the courtyard, ¡°Disarm these men and throw them into prison along with Dou Ming.


    Should they resist, they will be dealt with as accomplices of the Heavenly Demon and executed without mercy!¡±


    By this time, there were only 17 members left in the Imperial Dragons within the city, some of whom were injured.


    However, upon hearing the order, they didn¡¯t hesitate to surround the men from the Office of Imperial Censors.


    Fury burned in their eyes.


    They had heard the words spoken by the Chief Clerk Wen Tailai and seen Dou Ming¡¯s reaction, and with the sudden appearance of Assistant Censor-In-Chief Zhang Zhili, how could they not understand the situation?@@@@


    These people had spoken of camaraderie while seeking shelter, yet when their two brothers were slain by the men in black, these individuals remained silent, hiding inside the jail and watching them struggle against the assassins.


    This had already stirred their dissatisfaction.


    Was this their so-called camaraderie and brotherhood?


    The constables, on the other hand, appeared lost and confused.


    Acknowledging their own guilt and instinctively realizing that resisting was the worst option, they understood that even fleeing would be improper, as they could easily be accused of evading justice by the defense officer who was so quick to slander.


    Yet, they were unwilling to be captured without a fight, apprehensive about falling into the hands of the agents from the Imperial City Division.


    Lin Rui let out a cold sneer, ¡°If they have the guts, let them leave now!¡±


    If they left, he would be even more pleased, exactly what he wished for.


    He then remembered something, ¡°Right, the sword used by that person just now seemed to be a high-tier water-element fifth-realm sword.


    You take it and use it for now, or trade it for something more suitable if you¡¯d like.¡±


    It was a pity that his Blood Blade Ji¡¯s strikes were too ruthless, nearly slicing that fifth-realm Martial Cultivator to pieces, and none of the several Magic Artifacts on his body were left intact, except for that sword.


    However, those assassins did leave quite a few Magic Artifacts and weapons behind, which could be exchanged for money.


    These people were unlike the destitute demon cultivators raised by Zhu Lingshi of the Silver Moon County; their possessions were quite substantial, and the quality of their Magic Artifacts was decent.


    Wang Sen heard this and smiled bitterly, but unceremoniously nodded.


    The sword wasn¡¯t quite suitable for him.


    Wang Sen had already planned to exchange the sword for a Shield that suited his style, to continue fortifying his defensive capabilities and restraint power.


    At the same moment, outside the Wang City Government Office, Han Kedao and Li Li, who were hiding in the dark and peering into the government office, exchanged glances.


    From each other¡¯s eyes, they both saw a hint of fear mixed with relief.


    It turned out that the people from the Circuit Intendant¡¯s office really set an ambush nearby, and even Wang Tiandong had comea?€¡±this person was close to reaching the King level in his bloodline, reportedly almost there.


    Luckily, they hadn¡¯t rashly attempted a rescue.


    If their group had charged into that prison, they would have all been trapped by the ambush, and none would have escaped.


    At this moment, not far away in a residence, Yuan Ji awoke with a throbbing pain in his head.


    Just now, he had cast a spell from afar, attempting to control Ji Xueying¡¯s dreams with an Illusion Technique and failed, as Ji Xueying had destroyed his Primordial Spirit with a slash.


    He should have died instantly, but because Yuan Ji had obtained a peculiar treasure years ago, a moment after his Primordial Spirit was destroyed, he was able to reassemble some fragments of his soul.


    ¡°This is bad!


    Very bad!¡±


    Yuan Ji¡¯s hand trembled as he pulled out a red pill bottle from his sleeve, poured all the pills into his mouth, and then, while enduring the intense pain, began to think.


    If he were Lin Twelve, he would undoubtedly use this as an excuse to make trouble.


    Thus, his business and ships at Jinggang¡¯s docks were now in danger.


    No!


    He might even link this assassination case to an outside Heavenly Demon, and then escalate the situation indefinitely, crushing all his contacts and influence.


    They had imitated an outside Heavenly Demon¡¯s operation because they were confident of their absolute control, but now that the operation had failed, they had given their enemy a handle to use against them.


    Lin Twelve¡¯s blade might very well be pointed next at the ¡°Jinggang Maritime Trade Office¡±.


    Ever since the bloodbath at the imperial capital¡¯s Wang City, under the instructions of Prince Han and using demon prevention as a pretext, the eunuch supervisors of Jinggang Maritime Trade Office had detained over two hundred merchant ships associated with the Sand State Defense Commander!


    The appointment of Lin Twelve as the head of Wang City by the Sand State Defense Commander was a move directed against them!


    And now, he had unknowingly provided Lin Twelve with the perfect excuse.


    Therefore, he must hurry back to Jinggang, to get there before Lin Twelve and prepare to respond!


    After taking the pills, Yuan Ji clenched his teeth and struggled to stand, stumbling towards Jinggang.


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    He must not ruin Prince Han¡¯s grand plans, and he must not allow those more than two hundred merchant ships to depart!

 Chapter 140

    ?Chapter 140: Chapter 138: This is No Ordinary Dog (Please Subscribe) Chapter 140: Chapter 138: This is No Ordinary Dog (Please Subscribe) Within the prefectural governor¡¯s office, Prefectural Governor Li Changguo stood on the tallest building within the office grounds, looking into the distance towards Wang City Government Office.


    ¡°Not only did he annihilate everyone from the Iron Kill Hall, but he also took down those constables from the Criminal Investigation Department?


    This kid is impressive.¡±


    He sensed something amiss in Wang City a quarter of an hour earlier.


    The Iron Kill Hall had set up a thorough Array that not only blocked sound, but also blocked the fluctuations of Yuan energy.


    Therefore, it was only after the great battle in Wang City had concluded that Li Changguo suddenly realized something was wrong.


    And it was only at this moment that he learned the specifics of the battle from those three Imperial Dragon Guards that Lin Twelve had dispersed.


    ¡°His methods are quite ruthless and extremely decisive!¡±


    Deputy Prefect Dong Linghui had a premonition that those constables from the Criminal Investigation Department would either die or be skinned alive, shielding his eyes with his hand as he strained to see into the distance, ¡°Defense Envoy Lin has already taken people to Jinggang, his momentum overwhelming.


    ...


    The Guardian Envoy will surely be overjoyed when he hears of this.¡±


    But Li Changguo let out a sigh, turning around to instruct his strategist standing behind him, ¡°Raise the borrowing limit tomorrow, we need 30,000 taels of demon silver.¡±


    Since Lin Twelve had survived and was going to fight back against Yuan Ji, that money had to be repaid.


    His mind then shifted abruptly, ¡°No, that¡¯s not right!¡±


    Li Changguo blinked and then ordered sharply, ¡°Summon people for me!


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    Seal off all the trading companies that do business with Yuan Ji, arrest all those related to Yuan Ji, confiscate all their silver and goods, and lock down the entire city.


    The streets outside the city must be sealed as well, starting today enforce a strict inspection on all who come and go!¡±


    Deputy Prefect Dong Linghui, upon hearing this, reflected, ¡°Prefectural Governor means to say...


    these people associated with Yuan Ji might also be harboring a Heavenly Demon?¡±


    He locked eyes with Li Changguo and they both saw a wolf-like gaze in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Lately, their office had spent a great deal, almost more than they had taken in, to suppress the demons in the city.


    The 500 plus bounties for demons on the outside notice boards alone, along with the 400 plus wanted criminals, had put considerable financial pressure on the office.


    Dong Linghui looked hesitant, ¡°However, Defense Envoy Lin has not yet obtained conclusive evidence, which is a hidden worry.¡±


    Li Changguo glanced at him sideways.


    He thought that the deputy prefect had all the good qualities but lacked a bit of boldness.


    However, it was understandable that Dong Linghui was not aware of the details in Silver Moon County.


    ¡°What is there to fear?¡± Li Changguo scoffed coldly, ¡°That Blood Blade Ji of Lin Twelve was personally crafted by Yuan Ji in the past.


    When in Silver Moon County, the Zhu relatives used the underhand trick Yuan Ji left on the Blood Blade to manipulate her several times.


    Yuan Ji wasn¡¯t on the scene in Silver Moon County and could barely absolve himself, but this time, he has no explanation.¡±


    He flicked his sleeve disdainfully, ¡°And when it comes to foreign demons, it¡¯s better to make a mistake than let one go!


    When has the Imperial City¡¯s enforcement ever cared about rules?


    As long as there is an explanation for those above, that¡¯s all that matters!¡±


    Hearing this, Dong Linghui knew he had been overthinking things.


    Even if the case was overturned later, what then?


    By that time, they would have already consumed their fill and just needed to wipe their mouths clean; there would be no issues.


    The rest of the Imperial Dragon Guards, as well as several sergeants and corporals from the prefectural soldiers, all looked at these syringes with astonished eyes.


    Is this what the Heavenly Demon¡¯s items are like?


    ¡°It seems the evidence is indeed irrefutable!¡±


    Lin Rui nodded gravely, ¡°Summon someone to take these, whatever injections, and send one each to the Prefectural Commandant and the Prefectural Governor for identification!


    The rest of the evidence will be your responsibility, Wang Twenty-seven, to deliver to the government office.


    I assign you four teams of prefectural soldiers; you must not fail.


    Also, this silver and wealth, Wen the bookkeeper, you take people to tally them quickly.


    Later, they will also be escorted by Wang Twenty-seven to my inner office for safekeeping, until the dust settles on this case.


    Then everyone, along with the prefectural soldiers¡¯ brothers, according to the rules, will divide the money.¡±


    As soon as he said this, the surrounding prefectural soldiers and Imperial Dragon Guards all looked exhilarated and burst into joyful smiles.


    They all began to look forward to the upcoming rewards.


    This place was just one of the many businesses operated by Yuan Ji; there were many more warehouses and Yuan Ji¡¯s own residences yet to be searched.


    Although his residence had been surrounded by the prefectural soldiers, they had no time to search it yet.


    Moreover, this person was well-connected in Jinggang, with many fellow businessmen and officials supporting each other, like branches of the same tree.


    The prefectural soldiers and Imperial Dragon Guards now suspected those businessmen as well, thinking they might also be Heavenly Demons from beyond their domain.


    But at this moment, Lin Rui turned his head and gave Wang Sen a knowing look, making a gesture as if counting money with his fingers.


    Understanding the signal, Wang Sen briskly bowed, ¡°Your subordinate obeys!¡±


    Although the basement was mostly filled with copper coins, there were also many medicines of unknown value.


    However, there were also about 13,000 taels of demon silver and roughly 50 taels of divine metal, which could be conveniently converted into money at the Misfit Management Bureau.


    According to the Imperial Dragon Guards¡¯ rules, Lin Rui, as the investigator of this case, could directly take 10% from the dirty money.


    And this rare opportunity to make money at the Misfit Management Bureau was not to be missed, where one tael of demon silver could be exchanged for 1,400 federal dollars.


    Once Lin Rui cashed in his share of the gold and silver, it would amount to about 2.5 million federal dollars!


    And that was only the first sum of the eveninga?€¡±


    Lin Rui then took the syringe he was holding and leaped out of the basement, heading in the direction of the Jinggang docks.


    He had just approached the docks, near the marine office of the Jinggang government office, when he saw a large group of prefectural soldiers in a standoff with the government officials.


    They all held weapons, and the atmosphere was incredibly tense.


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    Lin Rui also heard a shrill voice inside the main hall of the marine office scolding loudly, ¡°I think you are outrageously bold to dare encroach on the port and blockade the dock a?€¡± have you eaten a leopard¡¯s guts?


    Investigating demons, what evidence do you have?


    I think you¡¯re seeking death.


    If you mess up our marine office¡¯s tax records for the year, I¡¯ll tear you apart!


    Where is your superior?


    That Lin the twelfth, that scoundrel, where is he?


    Let him come speak with me!


    If he can¡¯t give me a satisfactory explanation today, I¡¯ll make him kneel here until I¡¯ve had enough!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s brows lifted, then he hummed a tune cheerfully, holding the syringe wrapped in a square cloth in his hand, and walked into the marine office¡¯s main hall, appearing calm and at ease.

 Chapter 141

    ?Chapter 141: Chapter 139: Daring to Resist Desperately (Subscribe Please) Chapter 141: Chapter 139: Daring to Resist Desperately (Subscribe Please) Lin Rui entered the main hall and immediately saw a muscular, beardless eunuch in his thirties sitting above.


    He was only dressed in thin garments and was flushed with anger, berating those below him in a fierce voice.


    Lin Rui thought this must be Eunuch Wang Zhenli from the Maritime Bureau of Jingang City, whom the County Magistrate had specifically mentioned before his assignment.


    This person, despite holding a minor rank of the sixth grade, was a source of great headache for the Zhuang Mingyue family.


    Standing beside him were sixteen fully armed guards, all glaring with fierce and malevolent expressions.


    Beneath the platform were a group of county soldiers ordered to search the Maritime Bureau of Jingang City; several squads were present along with Qu Zhang.


    Though they seemed to be confronting the guards, they all bowed their heads, reprimanded like grandsons by the eunuch.


    ...


    To the side were over a dozen officials and clerks, likely all clerks working under the Maritime Bureau.


    They were either sitting or standing with varied expressionsa?€¡±some anxious, some curiously peeking, and others whispering in hushed tones.


    Beside the eunuch was a clean-faced civil official in a sixth-grade official robe, who looked curiously at Lin Rui as he entered.


    This person must be Li Dan, the supervisor of the Maritime Bureau, whom the County Magistrate had also specifically mentioned.


    An ally!


    Theoretically, the supervisor of the Maritime Bureau was supposed to be the chief official of Jingang City.


    However, since 2000 years ago, the Emperor of Great Song had been deploying a large number of palace eunuchs to major tax ports and maritime bureaus to oversee these key fiscal locations.


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    With the Emperor¡¯s and the inner court¡¯s support, these eunuchs gradually invaded the official powers of the original chiefs and had become the de facto heads of these agencies, with the Maritime Bureau supervisors essentially becoming their deputies.


    Eunuch Wang Zhenli also saw Lin Rui, his narrow and sinister eyes glaring fiercely: ¡°So you¡¯re Lin twelve, the newly appointed Defense Commissioner of Wang City?


    Was it you who ordered the seal on the Maritime Bureau?¡±


    His anger was indeed flaring.


    Just last night, he had gone to sleep in the government office when a group of heavily armed county soldiers burst in, claiming that the merchant Yuan Ji had colluded with the Heavenly Demon to assassinate the newly appointed Defense Commissioner of Wang City.


    Acting on the new commissioner¡¯s orders, they came to search the Maritime Bureau for any clues related to Yuan Ji and the foreign Heavenly Demon.


    Initially, Wang Zhenli was somewhat panicked, given his deep connections with Yuan Ji and many of their shady dealings.


    Luckily, he soon received a message from Yuan Ji.


    Yuan Ji did hire people from the Blood Blade Society to assassinate the new commissioner, but the evidence Lin Twelve captured was limiteda?€¡±all indirect.


    As for the accusation of colluding with the Heavenly Demon, it was completely baseless.


    As long as he could stand firm under pressure tonight, there wouldn¡¯t be much problem.


    Wang Zhenli pounded his fist onto the desk in front of him with a force that resounded like a thunderclap: ¡°I think you¡¯ve grown too bold!


    Who gave you the authority?


    Who gave you the audacity?


    So, you say it¡¯s for demon inspection.


    Do you have solid evidence?


    You extend Heavenly Demon searches to our Maritime Bureau.


    Don¡¯t you know that in a month it¡¯s our tax day at the Maritime Bureau?


    If public duties are delayed, can you, a mere military officer, bear the responsibility?¡±


    As he rebuked, he walked down from the platform, pointing at Lin Rui¡¯s nose: ¡°Now either explain yourself and provide solid evidence, or kneel down here and apologize.


    Otherwise, I swear you won¡¯t get away with it!¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with the man and simply threw the syringe wrapped in the handkerchief onto the ground.


    The soldiers and guards in the hall didn¡¯t recognize the item, but the officials and clerks of the Maritime Bureau were well-informed.


    Ji Xueying, having received a hint from Lin Rui, had still shown mercy by using the back of her blade.


    Yet, even these fourth-realm Martial Cultivators couldn¡¯t withstand her strike; they couldn¡¯t mount an effective defense and were left in dire straits with broken bones, bleeding from mouths and noses, some with their chests caved in, nearly on the brink of death.


    Upon seeing this, the supervising eunuch Wang Zhenli cried out in horror, ¡°Lin Rui, how dare you!


    You are outrageously bold, I am a dignified sixth-grade internal supervising eunuch, under only the inner court¡¯s jurisdiction, you have no authority over me!¡±


    Seeing the blood-jade-like eyes of Ji Xueying turn his way, he felt utterly terrified and instinctively leapt into the air, fleeing towards the back hall.


    ¡°You scoundrel, framing and slandering, spouting lies!


    I¡¯m going to the provincial city now, to plead with the chief supervising eunuch, I will definitely make you regret thisa?€¡±¡±


    He thought he absolutely must not fall into Lin Rui¡¯s hands, or he would surely die!


    Even the chief supervising eunuch or Prince Han might not be able to save him!


    At this moment, a hint of sheen appeared in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes.


    He¡¯s fleeing?


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    Great!


    This clearly indicates an attempt to escape out of guilt!


    If this eunuch were not guilty and apprehensive, why would he flee?


    At that instant, the numerous Flash Thunder Talismans scattered around Lin Rui exploded simultaneously,


    ¡°Dare to flee out of guilt and resist stubbornly?¡±


    Clang!


    Lin Rui¡¯s long blade was unsheathed, transforming into an almost invisible purple blade light that pierced through twenty meters of void.


    However, this Thunderclap Absolute Slash somehow didn¡¯t manage to kill the supervising eunuch Wang Zhenli outright.


    The man wore an extremely strong defensive armor; Lin Rui had to strike four consecutive times, barely breaking through the armor¡¯s outer layer of defense and severing the eunuch Wang Zhenli¡¯s feet.


    Wang Zhenli fell from the sky to the ground, emitting an agonizing wail, and cursing loudly, ¡°Lin Rui, you bastard, you beast!


    How dare you lay hands on me, you¡¯re courting deatha?€¡±¡±


    He had only cursed halfway when a group of county soldiers pounced on him, pinning him to the ground, leaving him unable to speak further.


    At this moment, a county soldier and officer subtly reacted, rummaged inside Wang Zhenli¡¯s bosom, and then pulled out two items, turning his head with a strange expression: ¡°Defense officer, sir, this man also had possessions of the Heavenly Demon on him!¡±


    Lin Rui looked at the items in his hand, and couldn¡¯t help but be momentarily stunned.


    Those were two unopened special enhancement injection syringes, apparently manufactured by ¡®Zhengguang Pharmaceutical Group,¡¯ type 3 enhancement syringes.


    Lin Rui pondered whether this could be considered an accidental strike on the mark?


    He had not anticipated beforehand that Wang Zhenli would carry such items on hima?€¡±


    At this time, supervising eunuch Wang Zhenli¡¯s face turned ashen, he had chosen to flee because of the two syringes related to the Heavenly Demon on him.


    He had worried earlier about being discovered by the county soldiers, so he had kept the syringes directly on his person.


    Wang Zhenli never expected Lin Rui not only to find evidence of his colluding with Yuan Ji, but also daring enough to lay hands on him personally, turning these two syringes into deadly evidence.


    Lin Rui lowered his head to carefully inspect the two syringes, then burst into laughter: ¡°Indeed, in cahoots with extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons!¡±


    A sharp gleam shot through his eyes: ¡°Search!


    Dig three feet into the ground, search for evidence of collusion with demons in the Market and Maritime Bureau!¡±


    At this time, most officials from the Market and Maritime Bureau inside the hall looked shocked and pale, except for the composed custodian of the bureau, Li Dan, whose eyes sparkled with surprise as he watched Lin Rui intently.


    Is this the person recommended by Miss Zhuang?


    Truly formidable!


    Incisive!

 Chapter 142

    ?Chapter 142: Chapter 140 Who Are They Really?


    (Three more requests for subscriptions) Chapter 142: Chapter 140 Who Are They Really?


    (Three more requests for subscriptions) Three hours later, the morning sunlight, like a myriad of sharp swords, cleaved through the black curtain of night, falling upon the roof of the market department¡¯s main hall.


    At that moment, Lin Rui was seated inside the main hall, holding a cup of strong tea, sipping it indifferently.


    He gazed intently into the distance, looking through the grand doors towards the docks far away.


    From his vantage point, he could see the bustling Jing Port dock, where a multitude of merchant ships were lined up, waiting to set sail.


    ¡°Master Li, by allowing these merchant ships to sail north from the port, can we alleviate the distress faced by the residence merchants of the Defense Commander?¡± Lin Rui spoke, his face flushed with a rosy glow, showing no signs of fatigue.


    ...


    Despite having been busy all of the previous night, his spirits were still extremely high, and he felt profoundly joyful.


    The main reason was the gifts he had received.


    Last night, Market Department Promoter Li Dan had introduced to him many merchants who had rushed to the market department overnight to pay their respects.


    Every one of these merchants was very enthusiastic, not only bringing him a generous gift but also insisting he accept them.


    To refuse was not an option, as it would have led to confrontation.


    Thus, the payoffs given by these people amounted to 13,000 ounces of magic silver last night alone, causing Lin Rui¡¯s hands to go soft from counting money.


    Lin Rui had not expected that just one day after his arrival, he would nearly complete gathering the funds needed for his sister to create a different entity.


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    ¡°Is it merely a relief?¡±


    At that moment, Li Dan was sitting beside Lin Rui, also holding a cup of tea, his face bearing a bitter smile.


    ¡°A month ago, the ¡®Divine Bureau¡¯ placed orders at the Defense Commander¡¯s family merchant, as well as at our Li family, Zhuang family, and other major merchant families, stipulating that within two months, we must deliver three hundred thousand stones of Divine Heart Tea, one hundred and thirty thousand stones of various medicinal materials, five thousand pieces of Tongguan kiln ceramics, along with numerous tribute items and imperial goods.


    This originally wasn¡¯t a difficult task as our families pooled resources and could easily muster them.


    However, a month ago, Wang Zhenli under the guise of defending against demons, blocked all merchant ships in Jing Port from setting sail, striking us at our Achilles heel.


    Especially the three hundred thousand stones of Divine Heart Tea, which is crucial for refining ¡®Purification Divine Liquid.¡¯ Had we failed because of our faults, it would certainly have enraged the supreme deity.¡±


    Li Dan raised his teacup towards Lin Rui as a gesture of respect.


    ¡°Honestly, the Defense Commander did not expect you could turn the situation around when you took over Wang City.


    We only hoped that after Lin Rui took office, he could get more than 200 ships at Jing Port unsealed and released, ensuring that subsequent business remained unaffected.


    I never thought that Lin Rui would be so decisive and forceful, taking down Yuan Ji and Wang Zhenli on his first day, offering us a glimmer of hope.¡±


    Gratitude and admiration filled Li Dan¡¯s eyes.


    Initially, when he heard that the Defense Commander had sent the young Lin Rui, a mere seventh-rank Capital Commandant and a Martial Cultivator of the third realm, he had been profoundly skeptical and had abandoned all hope.


    How could this Mister Lin, a simple seventh-rank Capital Commandant, three realms Martial Cultivator, possibly deal with the complex situation of Wang City?


    The problem was that in this vicinity, they had no one else available.


    Although the Imperial City had suffered a catastrophic blow in this disaster, losing nearly half its personnel, there were still quite a few experts with fifth realm combat power within their ranks.


    However, these individuals were either unreliable, incapable of managing the situation, or outright aligned with their adversaries.


    Yet, Lin Rui had surprised him right after taking office yesterday; his afternoon battle with the Prefectural Governor had shaken the entire city, giving Li Dan hope.


    That night, he had used an incident involving the Heavenly Demon assassination to directly deal with Yuan Ji and Wang Zhenli, swiftly resolving their predicament.


    Therefore, those merchants were genuinely grateful to Lin Rui, the Defense Commander.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s eyes cleared.


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    ¡°In doing so, I have also justified myself to Inspector Zhuang.¡±


    Li Dan burst into laughter upon hearing this.


    ¡°The losses Lin Rui recovered for us today are immense, not just millions.


    Many families involved in this business, some of which were nearly collapsing due to their weak finances, owe their lives to Mister Lin.


    The Defense Commander and the Divine Envoy would surely be overjoyed with today¡¯s events, praising Zhuang for recommending such a worthy individual.¡±

 Chapter 143

    ?Chapter 143: Chapter 140 Who Are They Exactly (Three More for Subscription)_2 Chapter 143: Chapter 140 Who Are They Exactly (Three More for Subscription)_2 Li Dan also planned to send a letter later, informing the Garrison Commander and the Divine Envoy of the details here.


    In a few days, you should receive your official appointment as a Defense Envoy.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Li Dan¡¯s mention of ¡°saving lives.¡±


    The leader of the Imperial City sector is a ¡®Divine Envoy¡¯!


    How could they be so easily defeated?


    Even if they lost money this time, it would only slightly injure their vitality.


    However, he did like the idea of being promoted.@@@@


    He hoped that Li Dan¡¯s words would come true, but at the very least, his actions today might earn him some recognition from his superiors, right?


    ...


    Just as Lin Rui was about to modestly deflect, he suddenly felt a movement in his heart and glanced suspiciously toward the door.


    He saw Wang Sen entering with two people.


    The one in the front was dressed as a scholar, around forty years old, tall and slim, exuding a gentle and scholarly aura.


    The other one was younger, not yet thirty, also dressed as a scholar, but he was at least 2.5 meters tall, his robust muscles making his scholar¡¯s robe bulge outward.


    Lin Rui felt a bit puzzled as he recognized these two men.


    They were the strong Martial Cultivators who had spied on the magistrate¡¯s office from the rooftop of a nearby civilian house during the attack last night.


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    As the three men walked in, Lin Rui asked with a puzzled look, ¡°Wang Twenty-seven, who are these people?¡±


    ¡°My lord,¡± Wang Sen said with a smile as he introduced them to Lin Rui, ¡°This gentleman is Han Tiantong, the Former Hanlin Academic and Professor at the Imperial Academy.


    Next to him is his cousin, Li Guli, a late-stage Martial Cultivator who was quite famous in the Yue Province area.


    They said they have something important to discuss with you.¡±


    As he spoke, he made a discreet money-counting gesture with his left hand and flashed a ¡®1¡¯ sign, indicating he had received 100 taels of magic silver as an introduction fee.


    Lin Rui¡¯s smile immediately turned genuine, thinking it was another wealthy client.


    He stood up and bowed, ¡°So it is Master Han.


    May I know what matters you wish to discuss with me?¡±


    Li Dan, hearing this, also became solemn and stood up to greet them.


    Though a Hanlin Academic and Professor at the Imperial Academy were but seventh-rank officials, only those with extensive knowledge and understanding of both ancient and modern learning could hold these positions.


    Each of them was renowned for their extensive knowledge and scholarly achievements, and some outstanding ones could even serve as teachers to the Emperor; none of them were to be underestimated.


    Lin Rui realized that this was no ordinary item and quickly looked it up in the data bank of his intelligent biological chip; he was slightly moved.


    The two knives on Ji Xueying, ¡°Snowshock¡± and ¡°Thunder God,¡± indeed no longer matched their attributes.


    And Mysterious Liquid Divine Gold was the perfect solution to this issue.


    The key was that this stuff was expensive.


    According to the introduction in the data bank, the current market rate was a thousand taels of demon silver for one tael of Mysterious Liquid Divine Gold.


    And the amount of Mysterious Liquid Divine Gold in this box, could it be around fifteen taels?


    Not to mention those thirty ingots of divine gold, also worth 3000 taels of demon silver.


    Lin Rui swallowed a gulp of saliva with a ¡®gulp¡¯ and walked over to pick up the gold-red metal block, ¡°Dr.


    Han, this Mysterious Liquid Divine Gold is quite valuable, are you sure you¡¯re only interested in securing a seventh-grade official position?¡±


    The motives of these two were somewhat suspiciousa?€¡±


    Han Tiantong and Li Guli looked at each other and smiled, then he bowed again, ¡°Sir Lin, a seventh-grade martial position at the Imperial City Division is certainly extremely precious and extraordinary.


    However, my cousin¡¯s aim in seeking a position under Sir Lin is more about following in your distinguished footsteps and securing a brilliant future for himself.¡±


    A peculiar gleam appeared in his eyes, ¡°Mr.


    Han has some understanding of the situation in the capital; today, Sir has resolved a crisis for the Divine Envoy.


    Your future in the Imperial City Division is bound to be promising and soaring to great heights!¡±


    At that moment, Lin Rui was momentarily stunned.


    He had just caught a glimpse of those gold ingots from the corner of his eye, then his face froze, unable to look away.


    Stood beside him, Wang Sen, not knowing why, thought to himself why Brother Rui was so stunned?


    He should just accept the benefits that had come knocking at his door.


    This Li Guli was not weak and should likely be competent for the position.


    His eyes filled with confusion as he followed Lin Rui¡¯s gaze and then his body also stiffened slightly.


    Wasn¡¯t part of these gold ingots what he had sold last night?


    Last night, he had exchanged the demon silver he brought, and the divine gold had also been exchanged because it was easier to carry, and the buyer liked it very much.


    But now, this gold was displayed right in front of him.


    Last night at Yuan Ji¡¯s shop, these gold ingots had scattered on the floor due to the explosion of a spell formation, leaving some marks on the edges, and Wang Sen recognized all of them.


    So, who exactly were these two people in front of him?

 Chapter 144

    ?Chapter 144: Chapter 141 Let¡¯s Go Back and Talk (Please Subscribe) Chapter 144: Chapter 141 Let¡¯s Go Back and Talk (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui and Wang Sen stared at each other with both confusion and complexity in their eyes.


    Wang Sen caught Lin Rui¡¯s signal through their gaze.


    He instantly understood Lin Rui¡¯s intention, realizing that if these two individuals were indeed who they suspected, it would be difficult to keep their identities hidden from them.


    Not only did they know the exact location of their arrival but they also knew their professions, a bit of afterthought would reveal everything.


    Wang Sen pondered for a moment, then opened the private chat with Professor Han and sent a message through the quantum relay.


    Quirky Youngster (Wang Sen): Professor, are you currently in Jingang?


    It was hard for him not to make this association.


    ...


    The two individuals in front of them, one surnamed Han and the other Li, were almost certainly otherworldly travelers.


    One of them was also Professor Han, Dr.


    Han.


    Flames of War Across Cities (Han Kedao): Wang Sen, is there something you need?


    If it¡¯s not urgent, find me later, I have some very important matters to attend to right now.


    Wang Sen gulped down his saliva and continued to send messages.


    Quirky Youngster (Wang Sen): Professor, are you currently inside the hall of the Jingang Ship Bureau?


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡®Han Tiantong¡¯ beside him frowned deeply.


    Originally somewhat impatient, ¡®Han Tiantong¡¯ was dealing with a critical matter concerning the life and death of his disciple.@@@@


    It was really not the time for Wang Sen to be sending messages.


    However, upon reading Wang Sen¡¯s second message, his mood significantly darkened.


    How had his and Li Li¡¯s whereabouts been leaked?


    ¡®Han Tiantong¡¯ weighed the situation carefully before he replied.


    Flames of War Across Cities (Han Kedao): How did you know?


    Where are you now?


    Wang Sen, after reading the reply, couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache coming on, thinking to himself that it really was Professor Han!


    His expression turned even more complex.


    After giving Lin Rui a nod, he couldn¡¯t help but rub his face with his hand.


    Good Lord!


    Did he just take an introduction fee of 100 taels from Professor Han?


    Even though it was Professor Han and his group who offered it, how was he going to face others after this?


    Seeing this, Lin Rui felt incredibly fortunate.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±It really was Professor Han and Senior Brother Li!


    Fortunately, he had been wary and noticed the anomaly with the divine metal, thus not accepting the ¡®gifts¡¯.


    Otherwise, how embarrassing would that have been?


    Neither of them would have had the nerve to meet Professor Han again.


    Lin Rui immediately thought of the gold and silver that Wang Sen had sold last night through the Otherworldly Management Bureau.


    Wang Sen had sold a full 14,000 taels last night!


    Lin Rui suddenly resolved that this matter must be kept to himself, and he must not let Professor Han find out that he was swindled by his own disciple for such a huge sum of money.


    ¡®Li Guli¡¯, unaware of all this, thought that this Lin, the Defense Envoy, was too young and inexperienced in the ways of the officialdom to accept the money without feeling embarrassed.


    He smiled broadly, bowing to Lin Rui: ¡°Lord Lin, the humble one¡¯s desire to serve you is like that of a traveler in the desert longing for water!


    This was an unprecedented income since she started hacking, a milestone worth commemorating!


    Since owning her own servera?€¡± the extremely powerful ¡®Heavenly Proliferation Model 9¡¯a?€¡± Lin Xi¡¯s hacking skills had improved by leaps and bounds.


    With sufficient computing power support, many techniques that she couldn¡¯t use before were now at her disposal.


    So, some jobs that she would not have dared to accept in the past were now within her reach.


    ¡°I wonder how much Divine Doctor Sima will charge me to create a heteromorphic body, he wouldn¡¯t tell mea?€¡±¡±


    Lin Xi knew that Professor Sima had good intentions, and she didn¡¯t plan on rejecting them.


    If she could stay alive, continue living in this world, which normal person would refuse?


    Yet, Lin Xi didn¡¯t want to burden her brother alone with the effort, she had to find a way to earn more money as well.


    But just at that moment, Professor Sima sent her a message.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Lin Xi, come to the lab as soon as you see this.


    I need to do a genetic pairing for you.


    Your brother has already transferred the money to me, so now I can create a heteromorphic body for you.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): I am now sending you a link to the Heteromorphic Management Bureau.


    You can pick an identity to descend into, but your brother has already pre-selected the identities you can use.


    In the screenshot below, just choose one from inside.


    After reading it, Lin Xi was stunned for a while before she sprang to her feet and drew out the luggage she had brought from the closet in the dress room.


    From inside, she pulled out a red crystal.


    This was exactly one of the three crystals she had taken from her piggy bank initially.


    Lin Xi sent a message at the same time.


    Late Summer Thoughts (Lin Xi): Professor, didn¡¯t my brother just take out a loan for tens of millions for prosthetic installations the day before yesterday?


    He just descended yesterday, and he already has the money?


    How much exactly is the production fee for my heteromorphic body?


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): 33 million Federation dollars!


    That guy actually managed to gather it all in just one day, impressive indeed.


    I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s been through down there, but he seems to be making money quite easily.


    Lin Xi felt as if she had been struck by lightning, overwhelmed with indescribable astonishment.


    33 million Federation dollars?


    The production fee for my heteromorphic body is so expensive?


    No, wait!


    novgo.co


    My brother has already managed to gather that sum; what has he done?


    Did he rob a vault down there?


    What exactly is the situation with his heteromorphic body below?


    Late Summer Thoughts (Lin Xi): And my brother?


    Where is he now?


    I can¡¯t contact him through messages.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): I¡¯m not sure about that.


    After he transferred the money to me and sent these screenshots of the name list, there¡¯s been no word from him.


    While Lin Xi was filled with confusion, Lin Rui was in a conference room exclusive to Professor Han, seated at Han¡¯s lower hand, face-to-face with Li Li.

 Chapter 145

    ?Chapter 145: Chapter 142: Heaven-sent Wealth (Please Subscribe) Chapter 145: Chapter 142: Heaven-sent Wealth (Please Subscribe) Professor Han¡¯s conference room boasted an extremely high defense level, not only capable of severing all external communications, but also of preventing eavesdropping.


    Professor Han himself sat at the head of the room, with his hand on his forehead, still embarrassed by the recent misunderstanding.


    This was also because he faced obstacles in Wang City County and was even blockaded, leading to a not-so-smooth channel of communication; otherwise, he would have known earlier that the defense officer Lin Rui hailed from Silver Moon County and could possibly be his student.


    Lin Rui was smiling as he spoke to Li Li, ¡°So last night, you were already prepared to act and save me?¡±


    At that time, he saw those two people approaching the wall of the inner yamen.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Li Li nodded, his eyes serious yet relieved, ¡°But luckily, junior brother, you held on by yourself.


    We didn¡¯t expect the Criminal and inquisition department to have prepared such a large force for us, with at least three martial cultivators at the fifth realm, including one whose strength was at least at the rank of Brigadier, enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with our mentor.¡±


    At that moment, both of them had truly worried that the new inspector Lin Rui would be lost just like that, shattering their hopes of saving him.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui turned solemn, ¡°Senior brother, when I first joined teacher¡¯s team, I briefly looked over the information on several projects in his hands.


    ...


    I remember one of them involved the Limitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong and the Tempest Saber Lord Qin Yan.


    Is this incident related to that project?


    What¡¯s the situation now?¡±


    Previously, he and Wang Sen had joined Professor Han¡¯s team through backdoors, intending to idle under Professor Han¡¯s name and coast through their academic careers.


    The core data of the team was not accessible to them, and Lin Rui and his partner weren¡¯t interested, only briefly skimming some project information provided by Li Li, to deal with future inspections by the martial arts competition¡¯s organizing committee.


    Go to novgo.co


    But now, the situation had changed, and it was essential for them to understand what was going on.


    Professor Han exchanged a glance with Li Li.


    ¡°Let me explain!¡±


    Sitting upright with a serious demeanor, Professor Han began, ¡°Indeed, it is related to this project.


    For the past ten years, I have been searching for the dragon corpse left by Du Zunlong, wanting to extract the ¡®Abyssal¡¯ essence from within.


    Lin Rui, you know what ¡®Abyssal¡¯ essence is, right?¡±


    Lin Rui did not know what ¡®Abyssal¡¯ essence was, but he still nodded as if he did.


    Luckily, his good friend Wang Sen knew, and he showed slight emotion, ¡°It¡¯s said to be the very substance of the ¡®Abyss¡¯!


    After martial cultivators enter the Dragon Transformation realm, their bodies metamorphose and produce ¡®Dragon Essence¡¯, which reinforces the cultivator¡¯s physical condition and significantly increases their lifespan.


    When ¡®Dragon Essence¡¯ evolves to a certain degree, it becomes ¡®Abyssal¡¯ essence.


    Professor, was the Limitless Saber Venerable really as close to the Abyss as the legends say?¡±


    Professor Han nodded, ¡°Based on the results of my research over these years, the Limitless Saber Venerable had reached the tenth realm ¡®Longevity¡¯, half a step into the Abyss, before he died.


    His dragon corpse must have produced a substantial amount of Abyssal essence.


    My team rushed to Wang City for the Tempest Saber Lord Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling.


    According to some information I unearthed earlier, Qin Yan indeed possessed a piece of dragon corpse remnant left by the Limitless Saber Venerable.


    Moreover, the several Dragon Transformation Secret Techniques and Heaven-reaching Secret Techniques Qin Yan inherited from the Limitless Saber Venerable are also of great value.


    He might have found a way to preserve these techniques from his sect, and it¡¯s possible he even saved some of the Limitless Saber Venerable¡¯s Abyssal Secret Techniques.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart stirred upon hearing this.


    Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s mentor, the Divine Envoy of the Imperial City, was also greatly interested in the Limitless Saber Venerable¡¯s Heaven-reaching Secret Techniques and Abyssal Secret Techniques.


    ¡®If the Burning Saber Sect¡¯ wants to extract primordial essence from the blood of martial experts at the fourth and fifth stages, how does that concern them?


    Now the situation has turned bad; not only has Sister Zhu been caught, but the real location of Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling has probably been leaked as well.¡±


    ¡°The Burning Saber Sect?¡± Lin Rui frowned.


    He had heard of the ¡®Burning Saber Sect¡¯.


    When he was in Silver Moon County, his colleagues had discussed why the County Magistrate had not sought help from the ¡®Burning Saber Sect¡¯.


    This was a renowned martial arts sect near Wang City, a famous and upright sect locally.


    Yet Lin Rui had never thought that this sect could be involved in such bloody and filthy actions behind the scenes.


    ¡°So, the current issue is how to rescue them?¡±


    Wang Sen furrowed his brow deeply, ¡°Actually, rescuing them is easy, the problem is how to disentangle ourselves afterward.


    The Da Song dynasty investigates the Heavenly Demon¡¯s case with strictness, deals with it severely, and presumes guilt; then there¡¯s that inspector, since he¡¯s fixated on the professor, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t let the matter rest easily.¡±


    Wang Sen believed there were some things that Lin Rui might find inconvenient to say himself, so he had to make them clear on Lin Rui¡¯s behalf.


    Even though the Heavenly Demon in that prison was their senior sister, they couldn¡¯t risk Lin Rui¡¯s bright future over this matter.


    Li Li and Professor Han¡¯s expressions were solemn as they listened, pondering the very same issue.


    To rescue her was simple; they could create a clone of Zhu Meng that had not undergone mental synchronization to substitute in her place, pretending to be dead.


    The issue was how to carry out this affair without leaving a trace.


    Lin Rui, however, remained silent, delving into thought as he looked over the core data and intelligence from the team opened up by Professor Han.


    Suddenly, he asked curiously, ¡°This deputy inspector was led away by a friend of the professor, right?


    How strong is he?


    When is he estimated to arrive in Wang City?


    And, about that major-general lurking in the shadows last night, who is that person, also from the Criminal and Inspectorate Office?¡±


    ¡°Deputy Inspector Zhang Chen, like me, is half a step into the sixth realm, has royal bloodline, a major-general!¡±


    Professor Han felt a headache just thinking about this person: ¡°I asked a friend to take him eastward towards Sha State, closer to Pingzhou territory.


    However, he can¡¯t be restrained for long, and the exact time is difficult to ascertain.


    As for last night¡¯s other major-general, I couldn¡¯t investigate his identity clearly, I only sensed his presence vaguely, but I believe he does not belong to the Criminal and Inspectorate Office system.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    At that moment, Lin Rui suddenly saw a picture among those files that made him tense up.


    He stood up abruptly from his seat with a ¡®whoosh¡¯, exclaiming, ¡°This elixir bottle!


    Was this thing photographed inside Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling?¡±


    He directly activated the holographic projection to show the picture to everyone.


    Professor Han looked intently for a moment, ¡°This is the footage captured by our drone that entered Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling.


    However, there were very powerful demons guarding it, and it was quickly destroyed.


    Is there something wrong with it?¡±


    Lin Rui, stroking his chin, thought that this was interesting; it seemed like the heavens were about to hand him a fortune.


    His lips gradually curved into a smile, and a bold idea took root in his mind.

 Chapter 146

    ?Chapter 146: Chapter 143: You¡¯ll Know Once You Come Down (Please Subscribe) Chapter 146: Chapter 143: You¡¯ll Know Once You Come Down (Please Subscribe) About an hour later, Lin Rui and Wang Sen walked out of the meeting room, both with smiles on their faces.


    Wang Sen was happy because Professor Han promised to end his probation period early and raise his salary to the level of a captain.


    This meant that Wang Sen¡¯s monthly salary could reach 120,000 Federal dollars.


    Of course, the fixed monthly salary was of no benefit to him; the advantage was that after the salary increase, he could unlock several million more in loan credit.


    Once he completely mastered the ¡°Xuanwu Sacred Blood¡± and further increased his spiritual power strength, he could consider upgrading to an S+ grade exo-suit.


    Wang Sen was still planning to choose from the ¡°Xuanwu Sacred Body¡± series, as this set of sacred body exo-suits was completed hundreds of years ago and had been continuously perfected ever since, making it very cost-effective and requiring relatively low spiritual power.@@@@


    Lin Rui was also very happy.


    ...


    Besides his salary increase to 180,000 Federal dollars a month, Professor Han also gifted him a box of ¡°Xuan Liquid Divine Gold,¡± calling it a belated welcome gift.


    Lin Rui felt quite embarrassed as the welcome gift was extremely valuable, worth 15,000 taels of demon silver.


    Taking into account that Professor Han had overpaid for the ¡°Xuan Liquid Divine Gold¡± by purchasing demon silver at a premium in Wang City County, the actual price would only be higher.


    But Professor Han insisted on giving it.


    When Lin Rui tried to refuse, Professor Han became quite unhappy.


    Li Li put it bluntly; the funds to purchase the ¡°Xuan Liquid Divine Gold¡± came from the project sponsors, not Professor Han¡¯s personal money.


    This account had already been settled.


    Go to novgo.co


    Would they resell it afterward?


    What would the project sponsors think then?


    Would they suspect that the professor had embezzled funds?


    And although ¡°Xuan Liquid Divine Gold¡± was precious, very few people could actually use ita?€¡±the members of their team didn¡¯t need it.


    Yet in Lin Rui¡¯s hands, it would greatly enhance the combat abilities of both the Blood Blade and himself.


    The most crucial point was that for this rescue operation, Lin Rui would bear the greatest risk and pressure; the team had to compensate him.


    After much deliberation, Lin Rui accepted the ¡°Xuan Liquid Divine Gold.¡±


    Just as Elder Brother Li said, after Blood Blade¡¯s strength improved, it would greatly benefit their entire team.


    Upon leaving the meeting room, Lin Rui received a message from Lin Xi.


    Lin Xi (Summer¡¯s Faint Thoughts): Brother, what have you been doing down there?


    You¡¯ve made so much money all of a sudden.


    You didn¡¯t really rob someone¡¯s vault or a wealthy family, did you?


    She was concerned that the huge sum of money Lin Rui had earned would bring great troubles.


    In Tianji Star, robbing shops and banks was a crime that would have you hunted and killed by the authorities.


    Moreover, there were numerous ¡°sword catchers,¡± or Bounty Hunters, who took on the mission of capturing criminals for the court in exchange for money.


    They would relentlessly pursue their targets, leaving Lin Rui with no place to stand.


    Upon seeing the message, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Nonsense!


    Your brother hasn¡¯t stooped to being a violent thief.


    This money was given to me.


    All you need to do now is focus on one thing: learn as much as you can about Tianji Star¡¯s knowledge and configure the exobody as soon as possible.


    Lin Xi (Summer¡¯s Faint Thoughts): ???


    novgo.co


    Giving you money?


    33 million?


    Lin Xi also sent an emoticon of a hammer hitting a head, thinking her brother was insulting her intelligence.


    Who would be rushing to give 33 million Federal dollars to Lin Rui, a foreign body walker who had just arrived?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): There¡¯s no point explaining too much to you now.


    You¡¯ll understand once you come down.


    Remember!


    You must choose your exobody identity from the options I¡¯ve outlined for you, Professor Sima should have sent you the screenshots, right?


    Just don¡¯t get it wrong.


    Please check your account.


    Also, the university¡¯s board of directors will grant you one more direct Ph.D.


    spot, but I can¡¯t do anything about the expert you requesteda?€¡±the Tianlan Corporation¡¯s abnormality team is currently conscripted by the military.


    Rain of Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): I don¡¯t know how urgent it is on your side?


    If it¡¯s very urgent, I can make a personal contribution to help you hire a fifth-realm master.


    After reading it, Professor Han paused, realizing that this Fang Ranran was quite different from her father.


    This girl knew how to maneuver and, like her father, was adept at using various resources, but after using yours, she was also willing to reciprocate.


    Professor Han¡¯s impression of Fang Ranran had greatly improved.


    Flares Across Cities (Han Kedao): It¡¯s okay now, Miss Fang, your money came just in the nick of time.


    There¡¯s no need to worry about Wang City on your end; we should be able to handle it on our own.


    Flares Across Cities (Han Kedao): I must thank you, Miss Fang.


    You¡¯ve brought me a good student.


    Another message came from Zhou Yunfei, a major general of the Federal Security Bureau.


    Zhou Yunfei: Old Han, I¡¯ve contacted the military, and they can¡¯t spare anyone, but I¡¯ve pulled some sponsorship for you, approximately 80 million Federation credits worth, which should be enough to hire two true masters.


    The condition is that they need your guarantee that the excavation of Qin Yan¡¯s dwelling will be successful and that they can share in the findings.


    After reading Zhou Yunfei¡¯s reply, Professor Han felt a slight easing of the annoyance in his heart.


    After all, both sides were to blame for the recent incident.


    He had acted without considering Zhou Yunfei¡¯s warning, but the promised support from the Federal Security Bureau hadn¡¯t materialized in time either.


    His old classmate had always held himself to high standards; it must not have been easy for him to swallow his pride and pull sponsors for him.


    Flares Across Cities (Han Kedao): No need, I¡¯ve encountered a benefactor who should help us to get through this disaster unscathed.


    However, your proposal can be a backup option, Old Zhou.


    As he replied, a thought struck him.


    Lin Rui was exactly the kind of talent Zhou Yunfei and the Federal Security Bureau desperately wanted, the sort they would carry on a palanquin with the highest honors to recruit.


    If Lin Rui could join the Federal Security Bureau, he could immediately relieve Zhou Yunfei¡¯s current dilemma.


    Professor Han shook his head immediately; he wanted to help his old friend, but he couldn¡¯t make such a decision on his own.


    This matter must be decided by Lin Rui himself.


    Joining the Security Bureau would indeed grant Lin Rui access to vast internal resources and astonishing power, but it was not without its drawbacks.


    Flares Across Cities (Han Kedao): I spent 21 million Federation credits of project funding yesterday on a rescue mission.


    Since it was for a special purpose, it¡¯s a bit inconvenient to claim expenses.


    You might want to check.


    While Professor Han was sending the message, Zhou Yunfei was in his office dealing with official business.


    He didn¡¯t pay much attention to Professor Han¡¯s reply.


    The so-called ¡°special purpose¡± typically implied bribery or something similar, a common occurrence in the Sky¡¯s Limit region.


    Zhou Yunfei pondered if Old Han had connected with some relationship in Wang City that could actually help him withstand the censure of the Judiciary Ministry?


    He opened the project database to check the details.


    The Federal Security Bureau was the largest sponsor of Han Kedao¡¯s project, so all information regarding the project was transparent to him.


    Zhou Yunfei paused slightly when he saw that Lin Rui was also part of the project team.


    Also, when Zhou Yunfei opened Lin Rui¡¯s personal information, he found it encrypted and his access was insufficient to open it.


    Zhou Yunfei touched his nose in confusion.


    Years of experience on the security front made him feel that something was amiss.


    Was Han Kedao trying to conceal something?


    Meanwhile, Fang Ranran, who was practicing martial arts with the members of Mingde University¡¯s Martial Arts Society, was also puzzled.


    Was she the one who sent a good student to Professor Han?


    Was it Lin Rui?


    She shook her head and continued to focus on her martial arts practice.


    With the challenges from Tianjing Martial University and Future Science and Technology University imminent, as a member of the Martial Arts Society, she had to prepare for the confrontation.


    The reserve teams of Tianjing Martial University and Future Science and Technology University were strong, but Fang Ranran believed her team would surely defend their home court.

 Chapter 147

    ?Chapter 147: Chapter 144: Really Got Promoted (Please Subscribe) Chapter 147: Chapter 144: Really Got Promoted (Please Subscribe) At the same time, by the banks of the Tianxiang River, sunlight pierced through the thin clouds, casting its rays upon the river¡¯s surface, which glinted like countless golden shards leaping in the light.


    The river was wide and calm, and occasionally a gentle breeze would stir up ripples, as if nature itself were breathing.


    Yuan Ji gazed at the endless expanse of blue waves merging with the sky, a breathtaking scene that somehow filled him with intense irritation and burning rage.


    He was still brooding over last night¡¯s events.


    Lin Rui had actually found syringes of a strengthening serum in the vault of his ¡®Dasheng Trading Company¡¯!


    Not only had Lin Rui used the syringes as evidence to confirm his accusation of collusion with demons, but he had also captured the eunuch Wang Zhenli, the supervisory officer of the Maritime Trade Office!


    The more than two hundred merchant ships were also permitted to set sail this morning, carrying 300,000 dan of Divine Heart Tea northward to the capital.


    ...


    Yuan Ji was filled with regret and knew he had lost completely, lost to the point of not even having a fig leaf to cover himself.


    With the departure of those two hundred plus ships, the losses in demon silver for Prince Han and the others amounted to at least thirty million taels, a figure that would probably make His Highness want to flay his skin before long.


    novgo.co


    Yuan Ji was also very curious as to who had framed him last night.


    Who was that beast?


    He had never suspected Lin Rui, who despite various suspicions, had passed the highest level ¡®Heavenly Demon Test¡¯ and had been examined by the Great Song¡¯s National Protector War Dragon.


    Yet, this scoundrel was also the chief culprit that led him to his current dire straits!


    Go to novgo.co


    As Yuan Ji¡¯s thoughts wandered, the river before him suddenly became turbulent, and a gigantic demon suddenly burst forth from beneath the water.


    This demon¡¯s entire body was enveloped in magic power that had materialized into a blood-red aura.


    It resembled a crocodile with irregular black scales covering its body and horns on its head, standing three zhang high and twelve zhang long.


    Its blue eyes mocked Yuan Ji as it spoke, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the great merchant Yuan Ji of Jinghai?


    I hear you¡¯ve fallen on hard times, with your home ransacked by the authorities and you¡¯re now a wanted man?¡±


    As it spoke, the demon coiled its body, displaying agility far surpassing that of a crocodile, ¡°Tell me, what do you want?


    Let¡¯s make it clear upfront: if you need my help, you must offer me satisfactory compensation.¡±


    ¡°Your insight is divine, Demon Lord!¡± Yuan Ji narrowed his eyes as he faced this mighty Six Realms demon: ¡°I need you to help me deal with someone, the new Defense Envoy of Wang City, Lin Rui!¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± the Six Realms demon scoffed: ¡°I¡¯m still injured, yet Prefectural Governor Li Changguo took back his armor early this morning.


    Ha!


    It seems your loyalty to Prince Han is quite limited.


    I thought you would want me to cause chaos on the river and block the waterwaya?€¡±¡±


    Its speech faltered as the Six Realms demon saw Yuan Ji open a strangely shaped case he was holding, made of an unknown material.


    The crucial thing was that inside the case, there were two rows of transparent crystal tubes of various colors.


    ¡°Are these enhancement serums from an otherworldly Heavenly Demon?¡±


    The Six Realms demon leaned in closer to inspect.


    It couldn¡¯t tell what the serums were used for, but such Heavenly Demon artifacts were each extremely precious.


    The Six Realms demon laughed coldly at Yuan Ji: ¡°The authorities say that Yuan Ji, the great merchant of Jinghai, colludes with otherworldly Heavenly Demons.@@@@


    But from what I see, you might very well be an infiltrating demon from another realm.¡±


    It raised its head: ¡°I cannot act personally, but I can have my subordinates assist you.


    What¡¯s the plan and when do we move?¡±


    ¡°We strike when he leaves the city!¡±


    Yuan Ji then took out another serum from his sleeve and injected it into his own neck.


    Thereafter, his body underwent shocking transformations, as all the muscles around his brain began to mutate out of control, entwining with one another.


    Eventually, Yuan Ji¡¯s head swelled to three times its size, and he lost all facial features except for a huge eye, which occupied most of his face.


    The eye was bloodshot and horrifying to behold.


    Yuan Ji¡¯s skin also turned purple and was dotted with tiny scales.


    ¡°A near-Six Realms, super-king-tier Illusion Eye Demon!¡±


    Lin Rui suspected that the difference between now and reaching the emperor level for Blood Blade Ji was only a thin margin.


    The gene-fortifying potion basically lifted all aspects of Blood Blade Ji¡¯s qualities, bringing them close to the upper limit of a Transcendent Emperor.


    Previously, her development as a Transcendent Emperor was at 76%, but now it had soared to 92%.


    The key was that the type-3 extraterrestrial strength enhancer and steel-bone potion still could not be used until now.


    The type-3 mental strength enhancer had been used, but the remaining two potions must wait until the effects of Ji Xueying¡¯s gene-fortifying potion completely wore off.


    Lin Rui was eager to have another fight with Li Guochang and to shave off the skin from his scalp.


    Seven days ago, that bastard Prefectural Governor pre-emptively seized many of Yuan Ji¡¯s related industries within the city, biting off a huge chunk of the money that should have belonged to him.


    Just at that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s attention was drawn toward the direction of the outer office.


    Ji Xueying also paused her saber practice, her gaze sweeping in that direction.


    The place where the two of them were practicing martial arts used to be a garden inside the internal office, which, after being leveled by Li Changguo, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t be bothered to restore and simply turned it into a martial training ground exclusively for their practice.


    Because it was enclosed on all sides by high walls, it was very private, with only this arched gate connecting it to the outside world.


    At this point, Wang Sen led a plainly dressed, astute and capable middle-aged scholar through the archway and into the area.


    ¡°My lord!¡± Wang Sen saluted, ¡°This gentleman claims to be the messenger of the Lord Defending Marshal of the Sand Province.¡±


    ¡°I am Bai Hao!¡± the middle-aged scholar saluted Lin Rui: ¡°I hold the position of West Seat in the office of the Lord Defending Marshal of the Sand Province.¡±


    ¡°So it is Mister Bai, my apologies for the oversight!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression became serious, and he saluted back formally, ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient to talk here.


    Please, Mister Bai, follow me to the main hall for teaa?€¡±¡±


    He hadn¡¯t expected the envoy from the Lord Defending Marshal of the Sand Province to arrive so soon.


    He thought the person would arrive the next day, just as he would have broken through to the fourth realm.


    ¡°No need!¡± Before Lin Rui could finish speaking, the middle-aged scholar shook his head solemnly: ¡°I am here on the orders of the Lord Defending Marshal for two urgent matters.


    Once they are completed, I must rush back to report.


    There¡¯s no need for such formalities, my lord.¡±


    As he spoke, he took a document and a waist tag from his sleeve and handed them to Lin Rui: ¡°The first matter is for this appointment document and waist tag.


    The Lord Defending Marshal has decreed that because Martial Cultivator Capital Commandant Lin Twelve has made meritorious deeds in demon annihilation, as of today, he is promoted to Sixth Rank Imperial City Si Colonel, officially appointed as the Defense Commander of Wang City!¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but be overjoyed at this unexpected promotion!


    The rank of Sixth Rank Imperial City Si Colonel could be considered his military rank.


    With this rank, he could officially hold the position of Defense Commander of Wang City.


    The key was that it hadn¡¯t been long since he became a Seventh Rank Martial Cultivator Capital Commandant.


    It seemed that everything he had done since taking office had pleased his superiors.


    Just as Lin Rui was accepting the appointment document, the middle-aged scholar concealed the surroundings with a spell and asked in a lowered voice: ¡°The second matter is about the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯ from Qin Yan¡¯s dwelling.


    Is it true what that extraterrestrial demon captured said, that there is a ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯ inside Qin Yan¡¯s dwelling?


    Where is this extraterrestrial demon now?¡±


    ¡°Mister Bai is mistaken, the demon wasn¡¯t captured by me.


    It¡¯s from seven days ago.


    I seized it from the people of the Supervisory Constabulary Office for Judiciarya?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui tried to clarify, but seeing Bai Hao¡¯s impatient and excited face, he chose to stop talking.


    ¡°Mister Bai, that extraterrestrial demon is imprisoned in our Wang City¡¯s jail.


    Today I am fortunate that you have come.


    Otherwise, I couldn¡¯t have held out much longer.


    The Supervisory Constabulary Office for Judiciary has been pressuring me daily for that demon.


    Being of low rank and weak influence, I¡¯ve been under great pressure.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bai Hao¡¯s brows furrowed as he thought that the Supervisory Constabulary Office for Judiciary was also eyeing the demon.


    How dare they covet something that had caught the interest of the ¡®Divine Envoy¡¯?

 Chapter 148

    ?Chapter 148: Chapter 145: The Dragon Transformation Celestial Official (Please Subscribe) Chapter 148: Chapter 145: The Dragon Transformation Celestial Official (Please Subscribe) Bai Hao walked with Lin Rui towards the direction of the prison, while briefing him on the situation, ¡°Without concealing the matter from the sir, Bai is actually here to pave the way.


    By delivering documents to the tribune, to confirm the matter of the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯.


    Once the events described by the sir are proven beyond doubt, the Heavenly Official, Meng, will arrive here at the fastest speed.¡±


    Sitting at the front, Lin Rui¡¯s expression became grave, ¡°Heavenly Official, Meng?¡±


    He knew that ¡®Heavenly Official¡¯ was an imperial rank within the imperial inspector system, holding the fourth grade in the hierarchy, with immense authority, responsible for patrolling the various states, supervising officials, rectifying prisons, maintaining court rituals, suppressing demons, and so on, known as acting on behalf of the gods, with a power so immense it seemed boundless.


    Above the Heavenly Officials were the third-grade ¡®Great Heavenly Officials¡¯, the second-grade ¡®Vice Divine Envoys¡¯, and the first-grade ¡®Divine Envoy Candidates¡¯.


    Bai Hao smiled and explained, ¡°Heavenly Official Meng¡¯s surname is Meng, and her given name is Weiyun.


    She holds the position of a fourth-grade Heavenly Official in the Imperial Inspectorate!


    She is the junior sister of our Sha State Garrison¡¯s commandant and has reached the sixth realm of Dragon Transformation!


    ...


    Heavenly Official Meng is the most beloved disciple of the Divine Envoy.


    It is said that her bloodline has already surpassed the imperial rank, and even our commandant might not be her match in a fight.


    Just as it happens, she was nearby and, upon hearing the news, prepared to act personally to seize the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯ for the Divine Envoy.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± Lin Rui nodded in understanding.


    In his mind, he thought he had underestimated the Divine Envoy¡¯s interest in the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯.


    Go to novgo.co


    He had thought that from the Garrison¡¯s side, at most they would send two or three martial cultivators at the peak of the fifth realm; instead, they had attracted a mighty dragon.


    The sixth realm surpassing the imperial rank?


    This was a serious matter!


    Even martial cultivators of the seventh realm¡¯s upper rank or the king rank were no match for her.


    According to Professor Han, the main function of the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯ is to help martial cultivators above the ninth realm purify the mind and concentrate the spirit.


    It is said that after martial cultivators from the Tianji Star reach the ninth realm¡¯s ¡®Divine Illumination¡¯, they need to maintain the purity and cleanliness of their spirit at all times, or else unpredictable dire consequences may occur.


    However, it couldn¡¯t be important to such an extent that it would require the personal attention of a Heavenly Official, could it?


    Lin Rui also thought of those merchant ships laden with three hundred thousand stones of Divine Heart Tea that had set sail from Jing Harbour.


    Divine Heart Tea is an important raw material for refining ¡®Heart-Cleansing Divine Liquid¡¯, and the efficacy of this liquid is similar to that of the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯.


    Three hundred thousand stones of Divine Heart Tea could be refined into a thousand stones of ¡®Heart-Cleansing Divine Liquid¡¯.


    If it was just for purifying the mind and concentrating the spirit, wouldn¡¯t the ¡®Heart-Cleansing Divine Liquid¡¯ be sufficient?


    ¡°Heavenly Official Meng coming personally is also to take a firsthand look at Inspector Lin,¡±


    Full of admiration, Bai Hao remarked, ¡°Defence Officer Lin has really made some big moves here.


    Just seven days ago, by capturing Yuan Ji and the eunuch who oversaw the Jing Harbour Shipping Office, he saved the families of the capital from losses amounting to over thirty million demon silver.


    Now he has also located the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯ for the Divine Envoy.


    Our Garrison commander speaks very highly of you, sir, praising you as a youthful hero and saying that Inspector Zhuang has an eye for talent, having found a great asset for them.¡±


    Bai Hao thought that Defence Officer Lin¡¯s praise from the Garrison commander was not just mere words.


    A few days ago in the capital city, the ¡®Divine Envoy¡¯ had inquired about the Garrison commander and specifically requested the files on the case from Silver Moon County, allowing the commander to send these files to the capital through the method of ¡®Thousand-Mile Flying Letters¡¯.


    This meant that the ¡®Divine Envoy¡¯ was already quite interested in Lin Twelfth.


    If this time Defence Officer Lin successfully secured the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯ for the Divine Envoy, it was estimated that not long after, a great fate and wealth awaited him.


    This Defence Officer would likely address his own master as a brother.


    Therefore, as a trusted aide of the Garrison commander, he didn¡¯t dare to act arrogantly in front of Lin Rui.


    Hearing this, Lin Rui, out of curiosity, inquired further, ¡°Inspector Zhuang?


    Has Lord Zhuang been promoted?¡±


    ¡°Indeed!


    It was our drone that entered Qin Yan¡¯s dwelling.


    You can think of it as a mechanical puppet, through which we could see the inside.¡±


    Senior Brother Li had already instructed her beforehand to cooperate.


    According to ¡°Zhu Huaimeng¡¯s¡± own guesses, her senior brother and their teacher probably intended to use a strategy of luring the tiger to devour the wolf.


    Under normal circumstances, this group of people would definitely not be able to obtain that cave dwelling of Qin Yan.


    The power of the supervisory envoy was extremely strong, and many experts from the supervisory office had firmly set their sights on their team.


    Furthermore, the swarms of martial arts experts and Heavenly Demons that came one after another, along with the Burning Saber Sect with its inscrutable intentions, also put a lot of pressure on them.


    Now, it would be better to lure the tiger into the game and thoroughly stir up the waters.


    Bo Hao nodded his head and began to activate the Illusion Technique, leading ¡°Zhu Huaimeng¡± into the dream state.


    He successfully saw the scenery of Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling, although the perspective was quite strange.


    ¡°Is this a seventh realm ¡®Heavenly Blood Locust¡¯?¡±


    Bo Hao frowned deeply.


    This was an incredibly powerful blood locust tree that had undergone demonic transformation, guarding the entrance to Qin Yun¡¯s dwelling.


    However, from the dreamscape, it seemed that this ¡®Heavenly Blood Locust¡¯ was in a state of deep slumber.


    Such demonic trees indeed fall into sleep during certain special times and under particular conditions.


    He followed the dream imagery deeper, his expression remaining impassive.


    There were many treasures hidden within the dwelling, yet none sufficient to move him.


    There were also some powerful demons inside, all of them plant-based.


    The top experts of the current world liked to use plant-based demons to guard their abodes; the benefits being their minimal spirit intelligence, stubborn obedience, longevity, ease of care, and the fact that they did not wander about, making them the perfect choice for guardianship.


    Until he saw a pill bottle.


    Bo Hao¡¯s pupils contracted: ¡°Indeed, it is the Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill!¡±


    Such medicinal pills could only be preserved in these extremely unique bottles!


    Bo Hao also didn¡¯t know why the Divine Envoy needed this kind of pill.


    It was said that in her early years, she had acquired a bottle of the pills, and not long after, she was favored by ¡°the divine¡± and became the contemporary Divine Envoy!


    Recently, the Divine Envoy had again distributed drawings and descriptions of the bottles to her disciples and confidants, entrusting them to search for it.


    Her disciples, including the Sha State Garrison Commander, all took this matter very seriously.


    Nowadays, outsiders are speculating that perhaps the Divine Envoy¡¯s cultivation is defective and requires the unique effects of the Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill, or that her spirit has been severely tainted by demons, among other absurd rumours.


    However, the pill bottle in the imagery, although not entirely consistent with the Divine Envoy¡¯s drawing, was remarkably similar.


    It truly was the Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill!


    A smile began to form on Bo Hao¡¯s lips.


    Shortly thereafter, he saw another item.


    ¡°This appears to be a True Intent chart with a relatively high degree of completeness?


    It seems related to the void and Yuan magnetism?


    A dragon-level secret martial art, the Heavenly Yuan Dragon Transformation Technique?¡±


    Bo Hao narrowed his eyes and pondered that Commander Lin truly possessed great fortune!


    As far as he knew, that dream official was looking everywhere for a dragon-level secret martial art compatible with her attributes.


    The dragon-level martial art she had learned before never quite matched her own bloodline powers.


    Bo Hao saw that this True Intent chart seemed to be quite suitable for that official.


    However, there was a major complication.


    The people from the Supervisory Office of Punishment and Inspection were also eyeing Qin Yan¡¯s dwelling.

 Chapter 149

    ?Chapter 149: Chapter 146 Highly Valued (Three more updates, please subscribe) Chapter 149: Chapter 146 Highly Valued (Three more updates, please subscribe) After viewing the image of Qin Yan¡¯s cave residence, Lin Rui wanted to continue expanding Zhu Huaimeng¡¯s dream to see other things.


    However, Zhu Huaimeng¡¯s willpower was very strong, and even though Lin Rui used a powerful Illusion Secret Technique, he gained nothing.


    Lin Rui could only end the dream, squinting at the female Heavenly Demon in front of him, ¡°When does the Blood Blade Maple fall asleep?


    What conditions are needed?¡±


    This seventh realm Blood Blade Maple was extremely troublesome, with its combat power estimated to be at least beyond the seventh realm king rank, even possibly reaching the emperor rank.


    Lin Rui thought that Qin Yan, indeed worthy of being a disciple of the Limitless Saber Venerable, managed to find such a powerful Blood Blade Maple to protect the Protector.


    If they failed to find a way to deal with the seventh realm Blood Blade Maple, they would have to invite another seventh realm expert, which would be very troublesome.


    Zhu Huaimeng opened her eyes and sneered slightly, ¡°I can tell you the time and method to make the Blood Blade Maple fall into a deep sleep, but there¡¯s a condition, you must let me go.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui chuckled, this Heavenly Demon had been imprisoned in the Imperial Censor¡¯s prison, yet still thought of escaping?


    ...


    It was utterly fanciful.


    His main purpose this time was to confirm the existence of the Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill, as for the method to enter the cave residence, it could wait until the Dream Divine Envoy arrived to study further.


    Although the seventh realm Blood Blade Maple was troublesome, with the capabilities of the Dream Divine Envoy, there was a way to deal with it.


    Thus, Lin Rui asked a second question directly, ¡°You also confessed that you know the merchant Yuan Ji, saying that this person is an outer-realm Heavenly Demon and of the same kind as you?¡±


    Zhu Huaimeng lifted her head expressionlessly, her eyes meaningfully glanced at Lin Rui, ¡°Yuan Ji is indeed an outer-realm Heavenly Demon!


    Go to novgo.co


    I¡¯ve been in Wang City for most of the year, had several interactions with him, I guess his true identity could be a spy from some intelligence agency of the Earth Federation, the massacre in Wang City a month ago was likely orchestrated by him leading a group of Federation elites.¡±


    This was instructed by her senior brother beforehand, Zhu Huaimeng didn¡¯t understand the purpose, only knew that this matter seemed related to the new Capital Commandant of Wang City, key to gaining the person¡¯s trust from her senior brother.


    Lin Rui smiled slightly, also turning his head significantly to glance at Lin Rui beside him.


    About Yuan Ji being an outer-realm Heavenly Demon, he was half-convinced.


    However, Lin Rui didn¡¯t care to delve deeper, nor did he wish to.


    This was a good thing for them, with this outer-realm Heavenly Demon¡¯s testimony, it would be possible to completely condemn the merchant Yuan Ji and the market superintendent eunuch Wang Zhenli, leaving them no chance to turn over.


    This Capital Defensive Envoy handled the matters beautifully, having both witness and physical evidence.


    Lin Rui then asked Zhu Huaimeng a few more things before stepping out of the cell.


    He hurriedly walked outside the prison, casting a golden ¡®Flying Letter¡¯ using a magic spell.


    The ¡®Flying Letter¡¯ in Tianji Star is a kind of mechanism Magic Artifact, looking like a book when inactive, but unfolding wings like a bird, flying at an extreme speed through the sky when activated.


    Lin Rui used the ¡®Hundred Thousand Li Flying Letter,¡¯ the highest specification.


    Lin Rui then called Lin Rui aside, waving his hand to have Wang Sen, Blood Blade Ji, and others completely withdraw.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it seems that this item is even more vital to the Divine Envoy than you and I can imagine.¡±


    Although Zhuang Mingyue had also gravely instructed him before, Lin Rui had not expected the importance of this matter to be so high.


    About seven hundred miles separate Wang City from Sha State City.


    Lin Rui had delayed until last night to report Sister Zhu¡¯s testimony, yet Mister Bai arrived today.


    However, this was actually good news for them.


    Lin Rui let out a light chuckle, ¡°During this period, please take extra care of the prison security, Li Qu Zhang.


    I¡¯ll find a suitable jail administrator to replace you.¡±


    Li Li, performing his duties perfectly, bowed and said, ¡°I dare not disappoint your direction, sir, as long as the jail stands, I stand!¡±


    Even if Lin Rui hadn¡¯t mentioned it, he would have dedicated himself fully, needing to withstand the Pressing Inspector¡¯s Office at all costs and certainly not let them take Sister Zhu away.


    For the next few days, it should be manageable, as the Pressing Inspector¡¯s Office had detained dozens of their own under suspicion of collusion with demons, now unable to retaliate outright.


    ¡°Moreover, we need to recruit more people.


    When you get back, inform the head scribe to release the recruitment message: a hundred Imperial Dragons, all must be at least in the second realm¡¯s late stage; also, five Martial Virtue Capital Commandants, requiring fourth-realm king-tier or above, two of which can be rightful Qu Zhang and jail administrator, must be fifth-realm.¡±


    Thinking of recruiting again, Lin Rui felt a headache approaching; previously, it had taken him lots of time and effort to recruit a hundred Imperial Dragons.


    He then mounted a nearby Ironscale Horse, ¡°Let¡¯s go, twenty-seven!¡±


    Wang Sen, invigorated, along with Ji Xueying, quickly mounted their horses, leading several horses meant for rotation, and rushed after Lin Rui towards the north of the city.


    Their plan for the day was originally to finish their piling exercises and then head out of the city to hunt a fifth-realm demon.


    novgo.co


    Locals had reported at a valley near Tianyue County, seven hundred miles north of the city, that a cold-attribute fifth-realm demon had been wreaking havoc for months, and they pleaded for the government to swiftly eliminate it.


    It was said that the demon¡¯s bloodline power might reach the king tier, aptly matching the attributes of wind, water, and ice, perfectly suitable for Wang Sen and the ¡®Xuanwu Sacred Body¡¯.


    If not for Bai Hao¡¯s visit, they would have left the city long ago.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    While galloping, Ji Xueying suddenly felt uneasy, looking back.


    She sensed that a moment ago, a powerful Divine Sense had been spying on them.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s intuition didn¡¯t feel any danger, but the Divine Sense was strong, close to the sixth-realm and gave her a strange feelinga?€¡±familiar yet foreign and chaotic, very bizarre.


    Ji Xueying instinctively touched her blade, then with a cold laugh, continued to ride forward.


    She thought it necessary to inform her master about this.


    If someone truly dared to target them, Ji Xueying would use her newly modified Snow Shocking Blade to make them pay a bloody price!

 Chapter 150

    ?Chapter 150: Chapter 147 Your Body Belongs to Me (Please Subscribe) Chapter 150: Chapter 147 Your Body Belongs to Me (Please Subscribe) After sprinting for about half a day, Lin Rui finally reached the target valley.


    He held the bounty order from the county yamen in one hand and compared it with the terrain in front of him, ¡°This should be the place!¡±


    There was a hint of exhaustion in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes, mixed with a trace of excitement.


    The Wang City county yamen had issued a bounty of 1,200 taels of demon silver for this cold-attributed, fifth-realm demonic creature.


    Lin Rui, as the Defense Envoy of Wang City, for the well-being of the people and also as a reward for the monster hunt, had offered a bounty of 1,000 taels of demon silver, rewarding those who contributed.


    He was still quite particular, keeping the bounty half a notch lower than that of the county yamen.


    Thus, this hunt was both for collecting materials for Wang Sen¡¯s synthetic blood serum and for suppressing this demonic threat to ensure the safety of the local residents¡¯ lives and property.


    ¡°What a pity, the body of this Ice Claw Demon is too severely deformed, otherwise it could have been a suitable Guardian Demon for Twenty-Seven as well.¡±


    According to the experience of predecessors, the closer a Guardian Demon is to the human form and the more aligned its elemental attributes are, the less mental strain there is on the demon handler.


    ...


    Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Blood Blade Ji¡¯ was just such a case, a perfect Guardian Demon for him.


    Upon hearing this, Wang Sen could not help but laugh, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about that later, my spiritual power strength is not enough right now.¡±


    Of course, he also wanted to become a demon handler, and if he could contract a Guardian Demon, it would not only enhance his combat ability but also provide conveniences in various aspects.


    The problem was his spirit truly could not withstand it.


    Wang Sen greatly admired Lin Rui, who currently not only bore the responsibility of a top-ranking, fourth-realm Guardian Demon but also had two top-ranking, fifth-realm bred-in artifacts and five advanced-stage bred-in artifacts implanted in his body, in addition to a full set of fourth-generation casting gear, and he still seemed quite at ease.


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    Bred-in artifacts like these couldn¡¯t just be implanted with money.


    Take Fang Ranran, for instance, her family was wealthy enough to afford any powerful bred-in artifact outright, yet currently, she was only an S+ ranked Major.


    This was quite outstanding among the wealthy second generation but could not compare to Lin Rui¡¯s talent for bred-in artifacts.


    Brother Rui not only had a hall-of-fame level martial cultivation talent but also in terms of spiritual power, the combination of the two making him a top-tier talent for bred-in artifacts.


    The two of them did not rush into action but rather stopped at a larger village nearby to rest for a bit.


    Physically, they were far from matching Ji Xueying; the Blood Blade Ji was still bursting with energy after charging on a horse for half a day, showing no signs of fatigue.


    Lin Rui, however, felt as if his bones were about to be shattered by the iron-scale horse¡¯s gallop.


    The mounts beneath them couldn¡¯t take it either, and although the two of them alternated between two horses each, after a mad dash of seven hundred li, all six iron-scale horses were so exhausted that they were panting heavily, lying on the ground and sticking their tongues out.


    It had just turned night when they entered this village, which was dark and silent, with not a sound to be heard anywhere, a complete stillness.


    However, Lin Rui, with his powerful perception, clearly sensed that many people inside the surrounding houses were peering out.


    He also noticed a thin layer of ice covering the rooftops of the houses around him and the fields beside them.


    Lin Rui, after pondering the thin ice in the fields briefly, made his way to the most imposing blue-brick courtyard in the village.


    As expected, the owner of this blue-brick courtyard was the local village chief.


    The Song Dynasty had a Baojia system in place, where ten households formed a Jia and appointed a Jia head; Ten Jia formed a Bao, and appointed a Bao head, or village chief.


    When the village chief confirmed Lin Rui¡¯s identity as a defense officer and learned that he had come for the fifth realm Ice Claw Demon, he respectfully invited them into the main house, provided food and water, and served their six Ironscale Horses with the best beans and grains.


    Not long after that, the deathly quiet village burst into a frenzy; hundreds of people gathered in front of the courtyard, all shedding grateful tears and prostrating themselves.


    Some of the better-off families even brought gifts they deemed presentable, including various precious furs and rare medicinal herbs.


    Yet most of the villagers were sallow, emaciated, and skin and bones.


    Lin Rui glanced outside and saw that the vast majority of them were scarcely clothed, with even some women and children naked.


    The village chief was also terribly thin; a man of merely forty looked like he was in his sixties.


    With joy, he described the situation, ¡°Sir, that Ice Claw Demon appeared in March, and after we reported it to the authorities, no one came to deal with it.


    Although the government issued a reward, it only attracted some demon hunters who were no match for the Ice Claw Demon.


    They either fled far away or were fed to the demon.


    I feel like my blood is frozen solid.¡±


    ¡°Damn monster, I really want to fight it to the death!¡±


    The middle-aged security chief was standing outside the house, persuading the villagers to leave, but now he also turned pale.


    He react quickly, starting to organize the villagers to enter his own small courtyard and nearby houses for shelter.


    But the bone-chilling wind, the extreme cold, made all the villagers move sluggishly, and in the blink of an eye, a layer of white frost formed on their bodies.


    At this moment, Ji Xueying¡¯s ice-jade-like eyes turned fiery red, and a crimson flame ignited on her body.


    She cast intense light in all directions, not only instantly restoring the surrounding temperature to normal but also warming the bodies of all the villagers.


    Her figure immediately turned into light and fled, flashing to a spot a hundred paces to the south in an instant, looking down at a large demon that was three Zhang tall.


    This demon had the body of a huge ape, but with horns on its head and a turtle shell on its back.


    Its pair of hands were exceptionally large, almost as big as its body, and the tips of its hands were claws that were one Chi long and extremely sharp.


    ¡°Early Fifth Realm, with imperial bloodline?¡±


    Ji Xueying couldn¡¯t help but narrow her eyes.


    It seems the intelligence provided by these villagers was inaccurate, but this was a stroke of luck for Wang Twenty-Seven.


    Previously, when facing an Ice Claw Demon of the Early Fifth Realm and imperial rank, Ji Xueying at best had a slight advantage, but nowa?€¡±


    Ji Xueying swung her sword fiercely, her figure descending like a crimson thunder onto the head of the Ice Claw Demon.


    The Fifth Realm Ice Claw Demon also let out a ¡®gaga¡¯ roar, swinging its claws to strike upward.


    It was confident in its claws, but when the demon and sword collided, the Ice Claw Demon¡¯s right arm suddenly burst out a cluster of bright red blood.


    Not only were the ice claws forcibly chopped off by Ji Xueying, but that arm also got severed by the incredibly powerful and swift sword light she wielded!


    The corners of Ji Xueying¡¯s lips curved up slightly.


    This was the ¡®Genetic Completion Serum¡¯ that her master had injected into her!


    This was the enhanced warblade ¡®Astonishing Snow¡¯!


    Together, they brought her combative power infinitely close to the ¡®Imperial rank¡¯!


    After Ji Xueying left, Lin Rui also swiftly flew out, arriving outside the gate of the blue-brick courtyard.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Lin Rui squinted, his gaze solemn.


    Besides that Fifth Realm Ice Claw Demon, he sensed the presence of other demons nearby.


    Wang Sen¡¯s expression was equally grave as he pulled out a sky-blue shield, positioning himself in front of Lin Rui, ready for battle.


    This was the ¡®Cold Blood Shield¡¯ he had traded for with that Blood Blade, a superior Fifth Realm artifact!


    Normally, trading for a magic artifact was a cumbersome affair, but with the help of Professor Han and using the professor¡¯s connections, Wang Sen had successfully acquired this artifact the day before.


    And while Lin Rui was observing the battle situation with Ji Xueying and remaining on guard,


    he felt a chill invade his body, accompanied by the sound of a cold, arrogant chuckle, ¡°Your body belongs to me now!¡±


    At the same time, a message appeared in Lin Rui¡¯s mind.


    Alert: Detected invasion by a Brigadier-level alien spiritual power.


    Your combat spirits No.


    1 and No.


    2 can help you absorb and refine the original essence of the alien spiritual power.


    Do you wish to host them?


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression instantly became unusually strange.


    He chose yesa?€¡±

 Chapter 151

    ?Chapter 151: Chapter 148: It Really Is the Heavenly Demon (Please Subscribe) Chapter 151: Chapter 148: It Really Is the Heavenly Demon (Please Subscribe) Ji Xueying, when she chopped off the arm of the Ice Claw Demon, felt that something was wrong.


    Not only did she sense several powerful auras converging from all sides, but she also detected a strong force of Primordial Spirit near her master.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s eyes turned fierce, her anger raging like wildfire.


    These scoundrels following them had indeed made their move, targeting none other than her master.


    novgo.co


    And at that moment, from behind her, insane and rampant laughter broke out.


    ¡°Look, this woman is actually a Fourth Realm Super Emperor!¡±


    ¡°A human form with Super Emperor bloodline, the boss is going to be insanely jealous!¡±


    ¡°Bring her back, bring her back!


    ...


    The Boss will definitely like you.¡±


    ¡°You want to save your master, don¡¯t you?


    Impossible!


    You can¡¯t make it over there.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, she is so strong, she chopped off the claw of the Ice Claw Demon with a single strike!


    Go to novgo.co


    That one seems to be a Super King class too, once fought against our Boss, who wanted to subjugate it.¡±


    The thought processes of these demons were both simple and chaotic.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s expression remained cold and unmoved.


    The reason she dared to move a hundred zhang away from her master was that she now possessed a powerful Escape Skill, which allowed her to instantly return to her master¡¯s side by relying on the thunderous fires radiating from her master or the talismans.


    However, just as she was about to execute her Escape Skill, Ji Xueying perceived through the Ruyi Intimate Knot a Divine Sense thought transmitted from her master.


    ¡°Is everything really okay on the master¡¯s side?¡±


    With a worried look in her eyes towards Lin Rui¡¯s direction, Ji Xueying still heeded her master¡¯s command and steeled herself for battle against these demons.


    In an eruption of her blade¡¯s powerful purple thunder, amid several jarring ¡®clangs,¡¯ she forcibly severed another hand of the Ice Claw Demon!


    This Fifth Realm Super King class demon was actually very powerful, extremely so!


    It was by catching it off guard that Ji Xueying chopped off its most important right hand, heavily injuring it in the first exchange.


    She now had to go all out, using the fastest speed possible to kill it!


    a?€¡±a?€¡±She absolutely could not give it a chance to catch its breath and recover!


    The Ice Claw Demon gave a look of despair, suddenly exerting all of its strength to roar towards the front!


    It even spewed out a powerful cold tide breath, instantly dropping temperatures within a twenty-zhang radius to the extreme, freezing everything in sight!


    However, Ji Xueying was totally unaffected.


    Her body blazed with red flames, burning brightly like a torch; the Snow Shocking Blade in her hand, able to withstand the cold breath of the Ice Claw Demon, fiercely pierced through its skull.


    She had temporarily disrupted the brain matter and consciousness of the Ice Claw Demon, rendering it completely incapable of fighting, but she did not kill it outright.


    The master had previously instructed that the Ice Claw Demon¡¯s body had to remain fresh in order to extract the freshest blood, to ensure the highest quality of synthetic blood serum and reduce the mental burden for Wang Twenty-Seven.


    Just as she crushed the Ice Claw Demon, those powerful demons surrounding her converged upon her.


    They were all Fifth Realm demons, two lower-tier, two upper-tier, and one King class.


    They all struck with full force, intent on killing her in one fell swoop.


    Yuan Ji understood in that instant, his Primordial Spirit as if struck by lightning.


    ¡°Is this, soul refining?¡±


    Lin Twelve was actually prepared to refine and kill his Primordial Spirit!


    To reverse devour him!


    Yuan Ji immediately felt something was amiss, his Primordial Spirit trembled.


    ¡°You are an otherworldly traveler, do you also come from the Earth Federation?¡±


    He had already sensed the biological chip implanted near Lin Rui¡¯s brain.


    Yuan Ji began to struggle frantically, trying to escape from Lin Rui¡¯s body.


    But by then it was too late; his Primordial Spirit was firmly suppressed by the red-dressed woman and he had to face the blockade and entanglement of Lin Rui and the middle-aged soldier.


    The raging thunder then roared down, and in just an instant, all of Yuan Ji¡¯s spiritual power was blasted into powder!


    A ball of red flame followed immediately after!


    The fierce sea of fire, under the red-dressed woman¡¯s manipulation, converged into one stream, burning and purifying all of Yuan Ji¡¯s dispersed Soul Power.


    Surprisingly, this blazing red flame, despite its extreme heat, did not harm Lin Rui¡¯s body at all.


    At the same time, the five demons who were locked in battle with the Blood Blade Ji showed expressions of shock and confusion.


    The reason being, the ¡®Illusory Eye Demon¡¯ that was hiding even further away suddenly clutched its head, letting out a piercing scream.


    Its enormous eye cracked from the inside, spilling blood.


    Following that, the ¡®Illusory Eye Demon¡¯ rolled on the ground in agony, its eyeballs further bursting.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?


    Has it gone mad?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it seems like it has lost.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be, can it?


    That¡¯s a Half-step Six Realm Illusory Eye Demon, with such a strong Primordial Spirit, could it lose to a Third Realm Martial Cultivator?¡±


    ¡°Its eyes have exploded; that¡¯s its main body.¡±


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    At that instant, Blood Blade Ji¡¯s eyes blazed like fire, her blade flashing as she struck one of the Five Realm ¡®Half-Spider Demons.¡¯


    The fierce and domineering blade¡¯s light instantly extinguished the life of the demon, which was half human torso and half spider legs, turning the severed body into a flaming torch.


    The remaining demons let out frightened roars, scrambling away at a flying speed, attempting to vanish into the night.


    This Blood Blade Ji was too terrifying!


    A late Fourth Realm being was actually able to suppress and swiftly kill one of them, five early Fifth Realm demons.


    This seemed not a super sovereign, but a legendary Emperor level!


    At least a quasi-Emperor!


    Yet the golden light formed by Blood Blade Ji hanged tenaciously behind them, relentlessly chasing them down!


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Damn!


    This Yuan Ji was actually a real Heavenly Demon from beyond this realm!


    ¡°`

 Chapter 152

    ?Chapter 152: Chapter 149: Commodore Level (three more for subscription) Chapter 152: Chapter 149: Commodore Level (three more for subscription) ¡°`


    After refining the remnants of Yuan Ji¡¯s soul essence, the No.


    2 Battle Spirit Ji Shenyan only swallowed a small part.


    She might have scorned these soul essences for not being pure enough, leaving the rest for ¡®No.


    1 Battle Spirit¡¯ Xue Bogao.


    Lin Rui himself also absorbed a bit of the purest essence, and at the same time, a flurry of information suddenly popped up in his mind.


    Alert: Killing a fifth realm demon, you have gained 3531 points of Soul Power.


    It might be because Lin Rui and the two battle spirits devoured most of it, but this demon of quasi-general rank provided only a mere 3000 plus points of Soul Power.


    ...


    Alert 2: The spiritual power level of the No.


    1 Battle Spirit has broken through that of a major; his soul has reached a state of saturation, and spiritual impurities have reached the upper limit.


    He cannot absorb more soul power for a short time, but you can use Soul Power points to help him refine these spiritual impurities.


    Note: Due to the damage to the Battle Spirit Ring, the ability to refine spiritual impurities cannot be used.


    Alert 3: Changes have occurred in the skill lists of both the No.


    1 and No.


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    2 Battle Spirits; you may check them in a timely manner.


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows, checking the skill lists of Xue Bogao and Ji Shenyan.


    The two skill slots of Ji Shenyan did not change much, with only two high-level Cultivation Techniques added to the learnable skills.


    The changes on Xue Bogao¡¯s side were much more significant, with over forty new items.


    Things like Master-level Basic Illusion Technique, Genuine-level Great Dream Divine Technique, Proficient-level Intermediate Arrays, Proficient-level Intermediate Talismans, Grandmaster-level Pistol Usage, Accomplished-level Rifle Usage, Genuine-level Individual Combat Tactics, Accomplished-level Anti-tracking, and so on.


    ¡°This Yuan Ji was also a mage, and seems to have been a very powerful illusionist?


    He was also proficient in various firearms and infantry tactics, and his anti-tracking ability was stronger than Xue Bogao¡¯s, even replacing Xue Bogao¡¯s genuine-level anti-tracking skills.¡±


    Lin Rui was amazed, pondering what kind of person this Yuan Ji was, to have mastered such skills?


    Fragmented memories then surfaced in his mind.


    He was a retired special forces operative, currently employed by a certain special agency of the ¡®Western Alliance¡¯, and was also a member of some ¡®Longevity Society¡¯.


    Lin Rui blinked, his expression growing more bizarre.


    I seem to have eliminated a federal agent?


    Even though it was only an agent from some institution of an Earth Federation member.@@@@


    Soon after, Lin Rui calmed down, his mindset as stable as an old dog¡¯s.


    It was no big deal for him now, given that he had already killed plenty of federation folks.


    Speaking of which, it was bad luck for that man.


    Despite such sophisticated illusion techniques, he was transformed into a Heavenly Eye Demon.


    It is said that the eyeballs of this kind of demon are extremely powerful, and those with weak wills would fall into an illusion just by looking into its eyes, becoming mentally unclear.


    Yet Yuan Ji didn¡¯t use this ability on him, opting instead to start a soul-seizing process.


    Lin Rui called out to the spirit within the ring.


    ¡°Ring Spirit, help me to replicate the Grandmaster-level ¡®Yuan Spirit Stakes¡¯ and the Accomplished-level ¡®Spirit Illusion Stakes¡¯.¡±


    Alert: Replicating Yuan Spirit Stakes (Grandmaster) requires 1000 points of Soul Power; replicating Spirit Illusion Stakes (Accomplished) requires 4000 points of Soul Power.


    Both these stake techniques belonged to mages and were mainly focused on increasing spiritual power.


    Remember to keep Yuan Ji¡¯s head for me.


    I need to take it back to the government office.


    There are also a couple of other demons that seem to have bounties on their heads, so leave some evidence.¡±


    That guy¡¯s head must contain a biological chip, with this evidence, the case could be thoroughly concluded.


    This is a real Heavenly Demon!


    Following this, the Divine Envoy can even take this case as a means to hold Prince Han and the Yuan family accountable.


    Ji Xueying pondered that while there was no issue with the Ruyi Heart-to-Heart Knot¡¯s sensation, she had finally recognized that ¡®Illusion Eye Demon¡¯ as Yuan Ji!


    This person was a skilled Illusion Technique master and had transformed into an ¡®Illusion Eye Demon¡¯ proficient in illusions, with a cultivation just a half-step into Level Six.


    Ji Xueying had to be more cautious.


    If she had known earlier that this person was Yuan Ji, she would have not followed Lin Rui¡¯s command.


    She would have returned to her master¡¯s side first to ensure his safety.


    However, she had not expected such a strong spiritual power like Yuan Ji¡¯s to be defeated so miserably.


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    Without showing any emotion, Ji Xueying carefully observed and concluded that her master was indeed fine.


    She nodded silently and took the bag Lin Rui passed to her.


    She understood the hidden message in Lin Rui¡¯s words.


    By not disturbing the civilians, it meant to avoid their gaze while extracting blood from the demons.


    She now knew that the blood of demons above Level Four could be sold for money, used to create synthetic serum, and also as a foundational blood element for cultivating heterotic practitioners.


    The bags Lin Rui gave her were made by the Heavenly Demons to store blood, ensuring it would not spoil for a year.


    It was said that materials for a superior king level synthetic serum could fetch as much as 6,000 taels of Demon Silver, and they were invaluable in the Heavenly Demon marketplace.


    A complete demon corpse could at least provide materials for three to four serums.


    Moreover, parts of demons that underwent transformation above Level Five were extremely valuable; according to her master, in the home of the Heavenly Demons, there were many weapons crafted using demon corpses as materials.


    As Ji Xueying turned to move towards the demon corpses, the ecstatic village head ran out from the room, knelt before Lin Rui, and said, ¡°We thank the Great Master for slaying this Ice Claw Demon, saving us from dire straits!


    Who could have imagined the Great Master¡¯s divine might, killing those powerful demons as if slaughtering pigs and dogs.¡±


    The other villagers also rushed out, not minding the water melted on the ground, kneeling inside and outside the courtyard to thank Lin Rui.


    At the same time, these people looked at Lin Rui with a bit of peculiarity in their eyes while genuinely feeling grateful.


    They had just witnessed that, after the fight began, this official Lin stood motionless, and it was the beautiful demon who fought, effortlessly defeating the Ice Claw Demon and driving back the other demons.


    They couldn¡¯t help but think to themselves that all of official Lin¡¯s skills seemed to be embodied in this female demon.


    The village head thought the same, but being profound in his schemes, no trace of these thoughts showed on his face.


    He fervently kowtowed and said, ¡°Please, Great Master, stay in our village for a few more days.


    Allow us to prepare a feast to treat you as a small token of our deep gratitude!¡±


    Unaware of these people¡¯s thoughts, Lin Rui would¡¯ve undoubtedly swallowed the whole bounty from the county office had he known.


    He shook his head and smiled.


    Now that the matter was resolved, why would he linger in this backward countryside?


    And why trouble the folks here?


    It¡¯s quite troublesome and expensive to prepare a feast in the countryside.


    He would likely stay only until dawn.


    Lin Rui looked up at the sky, feeling increasingly urgent.


    In four more hours, dawn would break, and he could complete his blood refinement, stepping into the Golden Core realm of Level Four!

 Chapter 153

    ?Chapter 153: Chapter 150: Advancing to the Fourth Realm (Please Subscribe) Chapter 153: Chapter 150: Advancing to the Fourth Realm (Please Subscribe) ¡°`


    At the break of dawn, atop a hill by the Tianxiang river, Lin Rui practiced the ¡°Rising Sun Stake¡± beneath the sunlight.


    He had mastered this self-created intermediate stake skill, and not long ago, he spent 2000 points of Soul Power to elevate it to the level of a Great Grandmaster.


    At this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s limbs stretched out, light yet powerful, every movement flowing like clouds and water, drawing beautiful arcs in the air, effortlessly guiding the surrounding light, electricity, and heat.


    The air within a thirty-foot radius seemed to move with his breath, forming a subtle energy field, and his entire being seemed to merge with the surrounding sunshine, becoming one with nature.


    About half an hour later, right after Lin Rui finished practicing the stake skill for the fifth time, his spirit abruptly shuddered.


    ¡°Success!


    The blood cultivation progress has reached 90.08%!


    ...


    I can now use the Blood Cultivation Elixir.¡±


    This was the moment he had long anticipateda?€¡±


    Lin Rui immediately stopped practicing the stake skill and took out the ¡°Blood Cultivation Elixir¡± from his sleeve, injecting it directly into his neck.


    Because it was injected into the carotid artery, the effects of this million Federation dollars¡¯ worth elixir were particularly quick.


    The power of the medicine was extremely fierce and intense, flooding his body like a surging tide, and even with Lin Rui¡¯s immense willpower, he frowned and felt the urge to sing.


    A thin layer of golden flame ignited all over his body, but at the same time, his blood rapidly transformed under the effect of the elixir.


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    This transformation and intense pain lasted for about half an hour.


    When the pain in Lin Rui¡¯s body subsided half an hour later, he discovered that the pale golden threads in his blood had fully turned to a crimson gold.


    Lin Rui took a deep breath, feeling an unprecedented surge in strength and True Yuan coursing through his body.


    He activated the monitoring module of his biochip and glanced at his bodily data, his pupils dilating in astonishment.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as, according to the biochip¡¯s monitoring, his strength index had reached an impressive 750 points!


    His spiritual power index had even achieved an astonishing 860 points!


    All other bodily data had also improved explosively.


    While the biochip¡¯s measurements indeed have significant errors and cannot be wholly trusted, the deviation would not exceed plus or minus 50 points.


    In the upcoming month, he would enter a rapid growth phase!


    All aspects of his qualities would reach the standard of a Fourth Realm Martial Cultivator, which is equivalent to the rank of a Major.


    However, the greatest enhancement was his affinity with the elements, as Lin Rui¡¯s connection with the ether elements between heaven and earth had become much closer.


    If it seemed like there were at least three layers of separation before, now there was only one left.


    ¡°This is what they call ¡®Blood Cultivation Completion¡¯!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curved into a slight smile, and he resumed practicing the stake skill right where he had left off.


    He had only practiced for half an hour, there was still another half to go, his body could absorb even more ether elements, attempting to condense a Golden Core.


    As Lin Rui continued practicing the ¡°Rising Sun Stake,¡± with time passing, a tiny speck of crystal began to form at the Dantian located in the center of his chest and abdomen.


    The so-called ¡°Golden Core¡± of the pole star was different from the Golden Core of ancient Chinese Daoism.


    This speck of crystalline structure was extremely tiny, not even half the size of a rice grain.


    Although the Core Formation progress was only a little over 0.03%, it caused Lin Rui¡¯s True Qi, blood, and ether elements¡¯ circulation speed and utilization efficiency to skyrocket.


    The effect of a nucleus was not the same as without.


    Additionally, his physical condition appeared to have been strengthened a lot more.


    By now, Lin Rui¡¯s body had gradually started to show a rejection reaction, and he had to stop, much to his regret.


    ¡°Swallow a Golden Core into the belly, only then do I realize that my fate is not dictated by heaven!¡± Wang Sen had been watching all along, and he said with envy, ¡°Congratulations, Twelfth Brother, on entering the Fourth Realm Golden Core Stage!¡±


    The serum from my alien body was already sent up three days ago.


    Professor Si Ma¡¯s team has already prepared the complete artificial blood serum for me.


    Yu Feicui¡¯s eyebrows deeply furrowed as her gaze turned grave.


    Jade Heart (Yu Feicui): Isn¡¯t that too fast?


    Lin Rui, shouldn¡¯t you slow down a bit and enhance your spiritual power a little more?


    I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any rush, especially since the artificial blood serum you¡¯re implanting is of the Four Realms Overlord level, SS+ grade!


    You do know the enormous burden such a serum places on one¡¯s spiritual power, right?


    Yu Feicui had learned long ago from Professor Si Ma and Guan Biran that Lin Rui had brought back a Four Realms Overlord blood serum from Tianji Star.


    The creation of the serum required the assistance of many high-tech biological apparatuses from Tianlan Group and several departments, so there was no way she could have been kept in the dark about it.


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    It was, after all, the Four Realms Overlord!


    It is known that there is no ¡®Emperor tier¡¯ in the Core Formation Stage of the Four Realms.


    Even the most talented Martial Cultivators of Tianlan Star start from King tier bloodlines.


    As they enhance their spiritual power, they awaken their bloodline powers step by step.


    At the Four Realms level, the highest record ever was the Overlord tier, originating from records of ¡®Southern Abyss¡¯ in the ancient history of Tianji Star.


    That means the Overlord tier represents the strongest bloodline power within the Four Realms!


    Yu Feicui didn¡¯t know where Lin Rui had acquired such a high-tier serum, but she was very happy for him.


    A month ago, she and Fang Ranran had already been considering the matter of the serum for Lin Rui and had prepared a plan.


    They had planned to use the power of Tianlan Group to find at least an S+ grade serum for Lin Rui, otherwise they would feel they had let down Lin Rui¡¯s hall-level talent.


    If Lin Rui himself had managed to find an Overlord blood serum, then that was more than ideal.


    The issue was that the burden of the serum on the spiritual power was truly immense!


    Astoundingly so.


    Meanwhile, in the laboratory, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but touch his nose.


    He could sense Yu Feicui¡¯s good intentions, but the serum, originating from his guardian demon, had the most suitable Yuan force properties for him, and it might require less than a third of the spiritual power compared to what others needed.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Don¡¯t worry, Sister Feicui.


    I feel my spiritual power should be strong enough.


    Anyway, I am currently undergoing a pre-implantation checkup.


    If you come over, you¡¯ll understand.


    Upon seeing the message, Yu Feicui didn¡¯t hesitate to set aside what she was doing and hurriedly walked towards Professor Si Ma¡¯s laboratory in her high heels.


    Lin Rui was the hall-level contender she had found in half a lifetime of fortune; if this Si Malin dared to be reckless and risk the blood serum implantation for Lin Rui, leading to irreversible consequences, Yu Feicui would surely tear him apart.


    Three minutes later, Yu Feicui arrived at the experimental building of the affiliated hospital.


    As she stood at the entrance of Professor Si Ma¡¯s laboratory verifying her identity before pushing the door open, she just happened to hear a voice from inside.


    ¡°a?€¡± Spirit power measurement complete, 910 points, almost at Marshal level!


    Starting physical fitness test.¡±


    Lin Rui, standing in the checkup booth, was slightly surprised.


    Over the past few days, he had pushed his Core Formation progress to 0.21%, and his physical fitness had improved slightly.


    Yet, the spirit power value detected by these special instruments was much higher than what his biological chip measured, the discrepancy reaching as high as 50 points.


    At the same time, Yu Feicui was gaping, frozen in her tracks, her eyes filled with disbelief.


    She thought she was experiencing an auditory hallucination.

 Chapter 154

    ?Chapter 154: Chapter 151 Exaggerated Numbers (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 154: Chapter 151 Exaggerated Numbers (Seeking Subscriptions) ¡°Spiritual power measurement at 910?


    How could it be so high?¡±


    Yu Feicui strode into the room, peering through the observation room¡¯s glass window.


    However, Professor Si Malin inside was focused on operating the equipment and did not pay attention to her.@@@@


    Yu Feicui¡¯s gaze was solemn, yet filled with strong excitement and anticipation.


    The standard for a major general was 1,000 points of spiritual power.


    With such a measurement, not to mention implanting a super emperor-class artificial serum, even an emperor-class would be no problem!


    Yu Feicui was even more curious about Lin Rui¡¯s physical condition.


    ...


    If Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual power was so high, what about his physical quality?


    About 10 minutes later, the machine inside reported the test results.


    ¡°Strength measurement complete, 630 points, junior general level!¡±


    ¡°Reaction measurement complete, 584 points, junior general level!¡±


    ¡°Flexibility measurement complete, 581 points, junior general level!¡±


    ¡°Sensitivitya?€¡±¡±


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    ¡°Endurancea?€¡±¡±


    ¡°Impact resistancea?€¡±¡±


    ¡°Total overall physical quality 589 points, junior general level!


    Beginning True Qi volume and strength testinga?€¡±¡±


    Yu Feicui clenched her fist tightly!


    She thought this was too exaggerated, as Lin Rui had only had the artificial meridian implanted for just over a month!


    He had not even implanted any artificial serum yet, and his physical quality had already reached such heights.


    Once implanted with the super emperor artificial serum, how much stronger could his body become?


    But he still shook his head, ¡°Feicui, I really can¡¯t say, the matter you¡¯re asking about involves Brother Rui¡¯s personal commercial secrets, and Professor Han has also issued a gag order.


    If I speak without their permission, it would be in violation of the ¡®Federal Exploration Law.''¡±


    The Federal Exploration Law originated from a tragedy.


    Eight hundred years ago, among those first-generation mutants, someone had a great harvest on Tianji Star.


    This, however, attracted the covetousness of many corporations and power brokers who forced the explorer to reveal his sources, leading to the destruction of his family and life.


    It was this tragedy that saddened all mutant explorers and led to a lull in the federation¡¯s exploration of Tianji Star.


    It was only three years later that the federation enacted this law, providing all protections, including military, to mutant explorers.


    Yu Feicui chuckled, impressed by the young man¡¯s loyalty to Lin Rui, even invoking the ¡°Federal Exploration Law.¡±


    ¡°Fine!


    These True Concentration Serums were specially acquired by your little boss Fang for you all.


    They will be delivered tomorrow, one for each person, and none missing.


    But in the upcoming martial arts league, you¡¯d better not let her down,¡± she said, while pondering to herself that she still needed to find a way to figure out Lin Rui¡¯s situation down there.


    While Wang Sen was overjoyed, the True Qi test for Lin Rui was also completed.


    ¡°True Qi volume testing complete, 643 points, junior general level!


    True Qi strength testing complete, 662 points, junior general level!


    Overall measurement 652 pointsa?€¡±¡±


    Inside the life-support pod, Lin Rui, feeling somewhat disappointed, smacked his lips.


    It seemed that his physical quality at this end hadn¡¯t kept up.


    His alternate self¡¯s True Qi was nearly at 800 points, while it was just over 600 here.


    Indeed, this alternate assimilation effect was not omnipotent; without the artificial serum, Lin Rui¡¯s original form was still just at the second realm of meridian opening, and his physical enhancement could not catch up to his alternate self¡¯s.


    ¡°You, my friend, always surprise me,¡± Si Malin said, looking at his medical report, ¡°Your quality in all aspects has improved too rapidly, Lin Rui.


    What do you say we make a slice now?


    I feel like your body is no ordinary one and is worth researching further.¡±

 Chapter 155

    ?Chapter 155: Chapter 151 Exaggerated Numbers (Subscribe Please)_2 Chapter 155: Chapter 151 Exaggerated Numbers (Subscribe Please)_2 Lin Rui¡¯s face turned slightly dark, his eyes filled with a trace of murderous intent.


    ¡°Joking!¡± Si Malin chuckled lightly, pushing up his glasses, ¡°According to the test results, it would be quite easy for you to implant the super royal serum.


    I will help you fine-tune it to achieve a perfect match.


    However, with your spiritual power¡¯s intensity, you could also consider implanting one or two blood form auxiliary cybernetics along with your super royal serum to maximize the cybernetic effects.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking.¡± Lin Rui opened his shopping cart interface to show Si Malin, ¡°I want to implant this!¡±@@@@


    Si Malin glanced at it and then narrowed his eyes, ¡°SSS-ranked auxiliary cybernetica?€¡±Blood Sun Yuan Ji!¡±


    He thought Lin Rui¡¯s cybernetic plan was very clear.


    This was another powerful cybernetic that could work well with the ¡®Radiant Thunder Sacred Body¡¯!


    The key was that Lin Rui already had the basics: divine authority, light blood, thunder blood, and flame blood were all components of ¡®Blood Sun Yuan Ji¡¯, with only sky speed not being one of them.


    ¡°The cybernetic is very good, very suitable for you, and it can greatly enhance your combat ability.


    ...


    The question is, do you have that much money?¡± he asked skeptically, ¡°You may have four components, but the remaining six are the costly ones.


    If you want to implant, you can only implant medium-grade versions or above, which will cost 22 million Federal dollars.¡±


    Before Si Malin finished speaking, Lin Rui had clicked to make the payment.


    Si Malin was momentarily choked up, wondering if the xenogeneic industry was now so profitable?


    Go to novgo.co


    Just over ten days ago, Lin Rui had just paid him 33 million, and now he was going to implant the ¡®super royal serum¡¯ and ¡®Blood Sun Yuan Ji¡¯, with a total expenditure of over 26 million.


    Yu Feicui outside widened her eyes and again fixed her gaze on Wang Sen.


    Wang Sen scratched his face with his finger, ¡°How should I put it?


    Due to special reasons, Rui brother is indeed making money quite easily now, but this is his personal business secret, so I still can¡¯t tell.¡±


    Lin Rui and Blood Blade Ji had very strong perception abilities; they could sense the traces of demons from a great distance.


    Coupled with their own combat power and escape skills, they could easily track down and hunt various demons.


    However, during the recent dozen days or so, Lin Rui¡¯s main income was not from bounties but from the various tributes of the gentry and merchants of Wang City.


    The Yuan Ji demonic case had frightened these people terribly, especially after Lin Rui brought back Yuan Ji¡¯s head in the past few days; Yuan Ji¡¯s business associates were afraid of being implicated.


    They moved mountains of silver to the Wang City Government Office to ensure Lin Rui would favor them.


    ¡°Interesting!¡± Si Malin¡¯s lips curled up slightly, ¡°Then once your cybernetic arrives, we¡¯ll start the implantation.


    The blood replacement process for synthetic serum takes a long time, with a minimum duration of 48 hours up to 56 hours.


    I will prepare a temporary incarnation device for you.


    If your xenogeneic has any issues, you can inform me.


    Yu Feicui, with a look of great regret, turned off the campus combat network.


    She had to hurry over to the starport to meet the team members and coaches from the Future Science and Technology University¡¯s martial arts team.


    Yu Feicui then thought about the tactics she and Fang Ranran had developed for the exchange tournament and rubbed her temples with a wry smile.


    Their original strategy was to have Lin Rui serve as the backbone.


    At that time, Yu Feicui wanted Lin Rui to experience a trial of the hall level, so this position was just right.


    Yu Feicui did not expect Lin Rui to complete the ¡®blood training¡¯ so quickly; now, it seemed better to let him serve as the chief.


    She shook her head and opened the chat box with Fang Ranran.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): Ranran, I plan to change the battle order and put Lin Rui in the last position, as the chief.


    Rain Falling on Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): ???


    Why, weren¡¯t you trying to let Lin Rui recognize his limits and give up on creating his own martial arts?


    And wouldn¡¯t he be unable to play any role in the chief position?


    By the time it¡¯s his turn, we¡¯ll have lost.


    Rain Falling on Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): I get it, you want him to avoid those three ¡®halls¡¯?


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): Ranran, Lin Rui began implanting artificial blood serum today, the super-king blood serum!


    His spiritual power index is 910 points.


    The trouble is, the roster we submitted can¡¯t be changed back and forth.


    Rain Falling on Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): Damn!


    910 points, that high?


    And he¡¯s implanted with super-king blood serum?


    I understand, there¡¯s no need to let him take a hit at this time.


    Geniuses always have privileges.


    I¡¯ll do my best to take down an extra one in this exchange tournament, no big problem.


    After reading Fang Ranran¡¯s reply, Yu Feicui couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly.


    If she had known Lin Rui could have implanted the serum so quickly, she would not have let him compete.


    Is it just creating his own martial arts?


    novgo.co


    The Tian Lan Corporation could completely pay to form a commander-level armament martial artist team to help him deduce and perfect it, filling in any gaps.


    He¡¯s already implanted with the super-king blood serum; this term he can achieve Golden Core, of course, he needs a Cultivation Technique that completely matches his armament!

 Chapter 156

    ?Chapter 156: Chapter 152: Yang Pulling Slash (Three More for Monthly Ticket Quota) Chapter 156: Chapter 152: Yang Pulling Slash (Three More for Monthly Ticket Quota) PS: Today¡¯s explosive release is 11,000 words, asking for the guaranteed monthly tickets for tomorrow!


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Lin Xi was brimming with excitement after accepting the challenge.


    She had devoted a lot of thought to martial arts over the past month and felt exceptionally confident, having gradually refined skills like the Red Thunder Saber and Red Thunder Palm to the Great Achievement Realm.


    She estimated that few among her peers could rival her.


    In fact, within Mingde University¡¯s Armed System with 8,000 students and the Alien Body System with over 1,000, not a single one could defeat her, not even the faculty members who stepped into the arena.


    Lin Xi had analyzed Lin Rui¡¯s combat videos.


    She believed that if she could start with an aggressive attack strategy to seize the initiative, she could at least withstand 100 moves from her brother.


    ...


    If her brother hadn¡¯t made any significant progress in martial arts this month, then she could last for 300 moves.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Have you been playing real combat these past few days?


    Have you learned the Tianji Xingyu language?


    Summer¡¯s End Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): I have!


    I took an online simulation exam yesterday.


    My history and humanities scores were both B+ grade, only language was C, but I can already understand the dialect of Wang City, and I can engage in common conversation.


    Go to novgo.co


    Didn¡¯t you say there¡¯s no need to delve too deeply at this stage?


    So, I haven¡¯t really studied the writing.


    Summer¡¯s End Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Bro, how many Combat Equipment points do you want to use?


    Is 300 okay?


    Weapon points 50, let¡¯s go with the human form.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Okay, as you wish.


    Lin Rui felt a bit withdrawn in his heart; this girl¡¯s learning ability was too terrifying.


    Had she really reached this level in just a few weeks?


    She could study all sorts of knowledge about Tianji Star while still dominating the campus real combat network.


    He began to open the interface to select his Combat Equipment.


    To ensure fairness in network combat, various common Combat Equipments were given point ratings, like Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Blood Core Fury Sun,¡¯ which was rated 99 points.


    The combatants would agree on total Combat Equipment points beforehand and then equip themselves accordingly.@@@@


    Soon after, the avatars set by both parties appeared in the virtual combat environment.


    At that moment, the audience was steadily entering the room, with well over 100 people, showing Lin Xi¡¯s high popularity at school.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Wow, who is this?


    Did that guy cheat?


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Indescribable, that slash was as fast as light!


    With this speed, not to mention Queen Xi, even an S-class Captain~ No!


    Even a Colonel would likely not be able to react, and if they did, they probably couldn¡¯t block it.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Gu Ying Tiandao, who is this?


    Is it one of the Combat Generals?


    Why would a Combat General use such a cringy username?


    Lin Xi clenched her teeth, choosing to challenge again.


    She astutely reduced the Combat Equipment points to the lowest value of 100 for both sides, which would weaken Lin Rui¡¯s hand speed and allow her to see his moves more clearly.


    As the two appeared on the virtual battlefield again, Lin Xi¡¯s eyes held a heavier weight, fixated on Lin Rui¡¯s hands and his saber.


    Only now did Lin Xi realize that Lin Rui was using an Energy Storage Blade!


    Right after the countdown ended, Lin Xi didn¡¯t rush forward rashly, but approached cautiously.


    Just as she drew within 10 metersa?€¡±a?€¡±Clang!


    Lin Xi¡¯s vision went dark again.


    ¡°Combat over, your character has been killed!¡±


    This time, the comment section exploded even more fiercely.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Damn, I saw his sword technique clearly this time.


    It¡¯s one thing for the sword speed to be fast, but the sword path is also so miraculous, it¡¯s like antelope hanging horns, no way I could block it even after watching ten times!


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Nonsense, we¡¯re only at the Lieutenant stage; even if we predicted it right, our reflexes couldn¡¯t keep up.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Did you see it?


    Queen Xi¡¯s eyes were red when she died this time.


    She¡¯s completely broken, right?


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Unbelievable, is this a sword technique possible at the Lieutenant stage?


    It¡¯s way too twisted.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Who the hell is this person?


    With such high martial arts prowess, they must be at the General level; this is just bullying, isn¡¯t it?


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Found out, Gu Ying Tiandao!


    That¡¯s Lin Rui, ranked 11th in the Alien Body combat assessments more than a month ago.


    He¡¯s transferring to our Armed Systems this year and has already joined the school¡¯s Martial Arts Club.


    It¡¯s said that he¡¯s the upcoming backbone of the club.


    Interestingly, this guy is Queen Xi¡¯s brother!

 Chapter 157

    ?Chapter 157: Chapter 152: Yang Pulling Slash (Second of Three for Monthly Ticket Quota) Chapter 157: Chapter 152: Yang Pulling Slash (Second of Three for Monthly Ticket Quota) a?€¡±a?€¡±Interesting, so it¡¯s a sibling rivalry, how cool is that!


    Both siblings have such strong martial arts talent.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Tsk!


    Tsk!


    As expected, experience trumps youth, I didn¡¯t expect Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts to be of such a high standard, it looks like we might have some hope in this year¡¯s martial arts competition.


    Lin Xi quickly lost her temper, as she was defeated instantly in all seventeen challenges.


    The best she did was to block Lin Rui¡¯s first strike, but that was just luck, a result of flailing defense.


    ...


    Lin Xi could see how Lin Rui drew his saber, but she couldn¡¯t at all discern the path of his strikes.


    Every stroke of Lin Rui¡¯s was incomparably mystical, as if conjured out of thin air!


    She didn¡¯t challenge him again, feeling that this technique was simply unbreakable, and that no number of attempts would make any difference.


    Lin Xi (Lin Xi): What kind of saber technique is this, brother?


    I haven¡¯t seen it before.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Yang Pulling Slash!


    It¡¯s a variant of the ¡®waist strike¡¯ style.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡®Waist strike¡¯ is an ancient Chinese term, it¡¯s more popularly known as ¡®sword drawing art¡¯ and ¡®Iaido Slash¡¯.


    Lin Xi immediately opened the martial arts association interface; she thought such a secretive technique would definitely be rated SS or even SS+.


    novgo.co


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Stop looking, I created it myself, the martial arts association hasn¡¯t recorded it.


    Ten days ago, he merged the base martial arts ¡®Shaoyang Saber¡¯ he copied from the No.2 combat spirit with ¡®Red Thunder Saber¡¯, deriving the new basic saber technique ¡®Red Sun Saber¡¯.


    Then, his Great Grandmaster level ¡®Great Ming Stance¡¯ clashed with ¡®Red Sun Saber¡¯, mid-level runes, and mid-level rune arrays to create a remarkable spark.


    In that instant, Lin Rui had a burst of inspiration, based on features of light, thunder, and thermal energy, along with several unique runes from the heavenly extreme stars, he conceived the initial form of the secretive technique ¡®Yang Pulling Slash¡¯, which he then perfected using Soul Power, elevating it to the Great Grandmaster level.


    Lin Xi (Lin Xi): Teach me!


    Lin Xi decided to adopt her brother¡¯s advanced techniques to counter him; mastering this move, understanding it thoroughly, then she would know how to block it.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): You can¡¯t learn it, this ¡®Yang Pulling Slash¡¯ requires the True Yuan of the three systems of thunder, fire, and light.


    Your current stance training is unsuitable, and this technique also requires some specific knowledge of runes.


    Just as Lin Xi was feeling disappointed, Lin Rui sent a new message.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I can first teach you the basics of ¡®Great Ming Stance¡¯ and ¡®Red Sun Saber¡¯, although these are the basic martial arts I created and have not been tested, do you still want to learn it?


    The other, ¡®Blackstone¡¯ Zhang Jie¡¯s talent also nearly reached hall of fame level, a young man who had perfected his dominant physical training to an extreme.


    Some said that if ¡®Blackstone¡¯ Zhang Jie concentrated his energy solely on refining his dominant body technique and made enough effort, his future achievements would not be inferior to a hall of fame level.


    Currently, these two were just reserve team members of Future Science and Technology University, but as their cultivation deepened, they would soon be shouldering major responsibilities.


    If Mingde Martial Arts Club was to break into the finals, these two were the formidable opponents they needed to beat.


    While Yu Feicui was staring at them, Shi Yan was smiling and asking Zhang Jie, ¡°I¡¯m planning to go out for a walk later, do you want to come?¡±


    Zhang Jie, hearing this, looked at Shi Yan with a puzzled and blank expression, wondering what was there to explore outside.


    ¡°I¡¯m going shopping, to shop!¡± Shi Yan rubbed her temples helplessly, ¡°I heard the malls in the ninth base city are quite unique, and I want to check them out.¡±


    ¡°Then be careful on the way,¡± Zhang Jie nodded expressionlessly, ¡°This place is a joint-administration city, I¡¯ve heard that the public safety isn¡¯t that great.¡±


    ¡°Hey!


    Hey!


    I¡¯m at least deputy school level, plus I¡¯m not going to the suburbs.¡±


    Shi Yan laughed out loud, ¡°What about you?


    What are you doing for the next two days?


    You¡¯re not going to just sulk in the room playing virtual battle, are you?¡±


    Zhang Jie nodded again and succinctly said, ¡°Virtual battle!


    Practice martial arts!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hopeless, a complete martial arts fanatic,¡± Shi Yan shook her head in disapproval, ¡°But don¡¯t bother, the ¡®battle cities¡¯ and ¡®Bai Yujing¡¯ here require identity verification, it¡¯s troublesome for us outsiders to log in.¡±


    Zhang Jie frowned upon hearing this, then searched online and discovered it was indeed troublesome to log into those two battle platforms, although the virtual combat platform within Mingde University was unrestricted.


    ¡°If you¡¯re thinking about going to Mingde University¡¯s campus network, then it¡¯s even more unnecessary, their prosthetic department is terribly poor, not a single decent expert there.¡±


    At this moment, Shi Yan, with her hands behind her neck and a look of utter boredom on her face, walked forward, ¡°So boring, that Fei Yunlai is really annoying, and the school too, why should they give him face?¡±


    Zhang Jie turned his head to look at her, ¡°Weren¡¯t you interested in that guy named Lin Rui?


    He is hall of fame level.¡±


    Shi Yan just ¡®heh¡¯ chuckled, but did not reply.


    That was just in the group seeing Fei Yunlai¡¯s face, pretending to be interested.


    Just because Fei Yunlai said that guy is hall of fame level, is that really so?


    Even if he really is hall of fame level, staying in a quagmire like Mingde University, how strong can his combat abilities be?


    The only thing that truly excited her about coming to the ninth base city was the exchange battle with Tianjing Martial University.


    Shi Yan never had the opportunity to face the two hall of fame levels from Tianjing Martial University, and she hoped they wouldn¡¯t disappoint her.

 Chapter 158

    ?Chapter 158: Chapter 153: Immovable Ming King (Vote for Monthly Ticket) Chapter 158: Chapter 153: Immovable Ming King (Vote for Monthly Ticket) When Zhang Jie and Shi Yan took the elevator to the ninth floor of the Mingde Martial Arts Club¡¯s activity area, they were instantly dazzled by the luxurious club-like decor and the rows of brand-new training equipment that impressed them.


    Shi Yan couldn¡¯t help but whistle, ¡°Nice decoration!


    And all this equipmenta?€¡±the basic shaping machines and the micro-nanometer electromagnetic enhancement devicesa?€¡±are all top-of-the-line models.


    Impressive!¡±


    She then saw several young men and women practicing with various pieces of equipment in the distance.


    Shi Yan casually glanced at them, and her gaze paused for a moment.


    Three Core Formations in Mingde University?


    Not bad at all.


    ...


    The corner of her lips curled up slightly with a hint of sarcasm, ¡°Looks like there¡¯s some strength here!


    I wonder how the fight the day after tomorrow will go?


    Let¡¯s hope it isn¡¯t all for show like the fancy decor of this martial arts club.¡±


    Zhang Jie also stopped in his tracks, looking at the young man doing the bench press.


    This person had gold wavy hair, well-defined facial features, and was shirtless, showcasing his particularly muscular and strong physique.


    However, his temperament was very cold, and the glance he sent over was sharp and deep, as if filled with ice.


    Go to novgo.co


    Zhang Jie thought this person must be Zhao Yan, formerly the Deputy General of the Ninth Base Second City University, currently the strongest member of Mingde University¡¯s Martial Arts Club.


    The other two Golden Cores were Fang Ranran, a wealthy and powerful second-generation, with an impressive background but unclear strength; and Nolan Wei, who used to be the Deputy General of the Second City University¡¯s reserve team.


    It seemed he had also implanted an artificial Golden Core recently, probably within the last few days.


    Right then, they heard a cold snort, ¡°You¡¯ll know how strong we are after the fight the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Shi Yan was startled and looked toward the source of the sound.


    The person was not far in front of them, a young man about her age, tall, with long hair.


    ¡°Lu Fang?¡±


    Shi Yan happened to know him; he was also a highly touted young genius in the past.


    Rumor had it that he got an invitation to the ¡®Abyss Cup Youth Invitation Tournament¡¯ at 17, but for some reason, he vanished from the public eye.


    Shi Yan smiled and continued to walk past Lu Fang with her hands clasped behind her head, looking nonchalant, ¡°Let¡¯s hope that¡¯s the case.¡±


    Lu Fang¡¯s brows furrowed unconsciously.


    When Shi Yan had brushed past him just now, he clearly felt her malice surge for a moment.


    He instinctively remained alert, but nothing happened after all.


    Zhang Jie also moved past Lu Fang with his luggage, glancing at Lu Fang¡¯s waist and kindly reminded, ¡°Classmate, your belt is about to fall off.¡±


    Lu Fang¡¯s face changed slightly as he realized his belt had indeed come undone.


    When had she made her move?


    He turned sharply, looking at the girl who was walking into the indoor area with her head held high, and said with anger, ¡°Shi Yan!¡±


    ¡°The ancients say that to ¡®know thyself¡¯ is to recognize one¡¯s place.¡±


    Shi Yan couldn¡¯t be bothered to look back, ¡°Before the lion, the jackals should learn to speak quietly, better yet not speak at all.


    He then opened the points leaderboard again and challenged the rest from high to low.


    The situation only deepened his disappointment; these people were even weaker than the one at the top of the leaderboard, allowing him to easily climb to the top of the day¡¯s points leaderboard.


    Zhang Jie frowned deeply, ¡°Is the Armor Department of Mingde University really that bad?¡±


    He wanted to use virtual combat to hone his fighting skills, but the level of actual combat on this platform was of no help to him.


    Zhang Jie thought to himself that Shi Yan was right; the next few days would indeed be boring.


    Zhang Jie then opened up the leaderboards for the Lieutenant Colonel and Captain zones and let out a surprised ¡°Huh¡±.


    The top rank in the Captain zone was held by a girl with the username ¡°End of Summer Shallow Thoughts,¡± who had a combat record of 6 wins and no losses that day.


    The reason she could top the leaderboard with fewer battles was probably the same as Zhang Jie, who had defeated several high-quality opponents.


    What slightly piqued Zhang Jie¡¯s interest was that this girl¡¯s personal information showed she was only 16 years old.


    ¡°She must be a student of the Alien Body College.


    To be able to reach the top of the captains at this age, even at this lousy school, is quite impressive.


    Let¡¯s give it a trya?€¡±¡±


    With a ¡®let¡¯s see¡¯ attitude, Zhang Jie issued a challenge to ¡°End of Summer Shallow Thoughts¡±.


    After all, this campus platform had not a single opponent who interested him.


    Rather than wasting time seeking out mediocre talents, it was better to see what kind of standard this young prodigy of Mingde University was.


    ¡°Immovable Ming King?¡±


    Just as Zhang Jie issued the challenge, Lin Xi emerged from the ¡°little black room¡± she had been using on her own.


    Prior to this, Lin Xi had been focusing on practicing the ¡°Red Thunder Nine Slashes¡± taught to her by Lin Rui.


    ¡°Grand Brightness Stance¡± and ¡°Red Sun Saber¡± were not techniques Lin Rui could teach casually; they had to wait until they were out of the operating room and could teach face-to-face, so that aspects like meridian and blood circulation, correct posture, and muscle changes could be demonstrated more accurately to Lin Xi.


    Lin Rui was also going to make her a complete instructional video.


    Although this computer-simulated world had a high degree of verisimilitude, it was still not the real world, and with something like stance practice, a tiny deviation could lead to a huge error.


    However, after that, Lin Rui gave her a half-hour tutorial on the techniques of the ¡°Red Thunder Nine Slashes¡±.


    Lin Xi had previously trained her ¡°Red Thunder Nine Slashes¡± to 12 slashes.


    She currently had no assistive armor equipped; otherwise, reaching 15 slashes would have been effortless.


    To Lin Xi¡¯s surprise, Lin Rui was now able to perform ¡°Red Thunder Unlimited Slash¡± at a slightly slower speed, delivering 99 slashes or more at a very high frequency.


    He could even combine the ¡°Red Thunder Nine Slashes¡± through ¡°Red Thunder Twenty-One Slashes¡± into one, allowing for free combination according to the needs of actual combata?€¡±this was extremely badass, elevating the power of the Red Thunder Saber to another level entirely.


    Thus, finding it an invaluable treasure, Lin Xi shut off all communications and focused on learning after Lin Rui had finished instructing her in the technique.


    She had now basically mastered the essence of the technique and knew how to use it.


    novgo.co


    So there was no point in continuing to practice, because practicing in a virtual world wouldn¡¯t form muscle memory.


    It was right when she was ending her time in the little black room that she received the challenge invitation from ¡°Immovable Ming King¡±.


    Lin Xi accepted without a second thought.


    She had not seen this username before in the campus network, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    Right now, she just wanted to find someone to test the power of the Lin Rui version of the ¡°Red Thunder Nine Slashes¡±.

 Chapter 159

    ?Chapter 159: Chapter 154: The Encounter (Vote for Monthly Ticket) Chapter 159: Chapter 154: The Encounter (Vote for Monthly Ticket) When Lin Xi entered the room, what she saw was a mixed-race Black youth, tall and muscular, like an iron tower.


    Is this the Immovable Ming King?


    She had previously thought it was a Buddhist, or someone from the South Asian Republic or the Southeastern Federation.


    Lin Xi paid it no mind and began to put on her combat suit, simultaneously selecting a suitable battle saber.


    They had already agreed beforehand that both parties would use 500 combat suit points, allowing them to equip an ultra-luxurious S+ grade combat suit for this battle.


    Lin Xi suffered from choice overload as she was momentarily dazzled by the options, but she still completed her selection within the one-minute preparation time and clicked to confirm she was ready.


    Once Lin Xi took her position, Blackstone Zhang Jie¡¯s eyes lit up, realizing that the girl before him was indeed skilled.


    ...


    Not like those before, who didn¡¯t even know how to stand properly.


    After the countdown ended, Lin Xi didn¡¯t rashly approach; she seemed cautious in her movements, facing off against Blackstone Zhang Jie from a distance and slowly moving closer.


    Summer¡¯s Shallow Thought: Which grade are you in, Ming King?


    How come I¡¯ve never seen you before?


    novgo.co


    Immovable Ming King: I¡¯m not from your school.


    Summer¡¯s Shallow Thought: If you¡¯re not from our school, how did you log into the campus network?


    Go to novgo.co


    Zhang Jie felt that this girl talked too much.


    Why say so much during a fight?


    Just as he used his consciousness to edit his reply, he suddenly saw a streak of purple saber light slashing towards him.


    Zhang Jie¡¯s heart tightened, and he hurriedly dodged, but Lin Xi¡¯s attack was so abrupt that, caught off guard, he still didn¡¯t manage to evade it completely.


    As the purple saber light swept past, his right arm unexpectedly became severed, hacked off.


    Zhang Jie looked at his wound, shocked for a moment; at the very beginning of the battle, he had lost his most important dominant hand.


    And that saber strike just now, which technique was it?


    It seemed to be a Thunderfire Cultivation Technique, with an attack range of up to seven meters, but it required some time to charge up.


    Plus, it was so fast!


    So domineering!


    It effortlessly sliced through his Golden Body Dominator defense.


    Zhang Jie instantly realized that the opposing party was using the Red Thunder Saber.


    So, this must be the ¡®Thunderclap Absolute Slash,¡¯ a secret saber technique with the combined force of the nine slashes, an S-ranked force secret technique as evaluated by the Martial Arts Association!


    The issue here is that mastering such a technique with the Red Thunder Saber requires one to be at Great Grandmaster level, yet Summer¡¯s Shallow Thought¡¯s saber technique clearly wasn¡¯t at that level yet.


    Zhang Jie thought to himself that this girl¡¯s martial arts teacher must be incredibly powerful, someone who managed to simplify the Red Thunder Saber technique allowing Summer¡¯s Shallow Thought to master this secret technique in advance, albeit with reduced power.


    Lin Xi then pounced like a ferocious bobcat, brandishing that saber right in front of him.


    The two engaged in fierce combat, with Lin Xi¡¯s long saber continually leaving trails of blood on Zhang Jie¡¯s body, even sparking bursts of fire.


    ¡°Hardened Golden Body Dominator?


    Such a tough guy, who is this person?¡±


    Lin Xi was taken aback; this person¡¯s Golden Body Dominator seemed to have no weaknesses.


    They were in a Captain¡¯s channel, equivalent to the late stage of the Third Realm Blood Practice.


    At this stage, it was impossible for Zhang Jie to achieve ¡®Golden Body without Flaws.¡¯


    Yet Lin Xi¡¯s saber light continued to strike all parts of this man¡¯s body, unable to cause significant harm.


    This indicated that the opponent¡¯s reaction capabilities were strong, with remarkable control over muscle, blood energy, True Qi, and consciousness, enhancing the defensive capacity of the force-bearing areas to the extreme in a split second.


    However, after the battle persisted for two minutes, it was still Lin Xi who came out on top.


    The man had lost his dominant hand and was at a huge disadvantage.


    Although Lin Xi couldn¡¯t cut through him, she managed to make him bleed persistently, eventually grinding down her opponent to death.


    Right after the battle ended, Immovable Ming King sent another message.


    Immovable Ming King: You¡¯re despicable!


    Just now, you used conversation as a cover for your attack.


    This person, like him, had to wait until the school year began to formally transfer into the first year of the Armor Suit Department.


    This person could trample him?


    Zhang Jie couldn¡¯t help but smile, a rare hint of fire emerging in his usually reserved and calm eyes.


    The network showed Gu Ying Tiandao was online, but his challenge was rejected, and the messages he sent were also refused.


    Zhang Jie could only come back to find Xia Mo Shallow Thoughts.


    Immovable Ming King: Xia Mo Shallow Thoughts, could you contact this person for me?


    He won¡¯t accept my challenge, nor my messages.


    I can¡¯t talk to him.


    Xia Mo Shallow Thoughts: Do you really want to challenge him?


    Actually, there¡¯s no need; the day after tomorrow, you might face each other on the arena.


    Lin Xi shook her head disdainfully, thinking that this guy really was stubborn.


    Wouldn¡¯t acknowledge the coffin until he was in it.


    Yet the corners of her lips curled up slightly, revealing an anticipatory smile.


    That expression was like that of a devil who had successfully schemed.


    Hopefully, this guy wouldn¡¯t regret ita?€¡±


    At this moment, Lin Rui was locked in a small dark room, practicing his saber technique.


    A few days ago, he had thought about transforming the ¡°Thunderclap Absolute Slash.¡± He wanted to infuse it with light elements to match his Cultivation Technique.


    However, the prompt from the Battle Spirit Ring had been: Due to the lack of foundational saber moves and the absence of a similar secret saber as a reference, the derivation cannot be performed.


    Lin Rui judged that he had neither viable creativity nor a clear direction at that time; he was just wishful thinking.


    Previously, Lin Rui had been able to deduce the Yang Pulling Slash because he had thought of using True Yuan to simulate runes, rapidly building up heat within the saber sheath, and then unleashing it violently in an instant to achieve the extreme speed of drawing the saber.


    Having a complete plan, the Battle Spirit Ring only needed to help him perfect the details of this saber technique.


    Therefore, Lin Rui needed to find a starting point, a way to fuse light and the piercing force of thunder and fire.


    His thought was atomic transition, but that was too high-end.


    Lin Rui crammed for relevant knowledge and felt that the difficulty was indeed too high, and his cultivation wasn¡¯t enough to accomplish it.


    Luckily, he had mastered Great Grandmaster-level Rune and Array studies and wanted to use a combination of runes to first create a ¡°youth version¡± of the Jump Secret Blade.


    That was when he received a message from Lin Xi.


    Xia Mo Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Brother, help me deal with someone, a person named Immovable Ming King.


    It seems he¡¯s a member of Future Science and Technology University.


    I was just trampled by him, literally hammered to death by him.


    ¡°Immovable Ming King?¡±


    Rage instantly flashed in Lin Rui¡¯s eyesa?€¡±who was this thing, daring to bully his sister?


    Or even hammer her to death?


    Even though it was virtual combat, Lin Rui felt a bit annoyed.


    Without a second thought, he exited the small dark room, and at that moment, a challenge invitation from ¡°Immovable Ming King¡± appeared before him, indicating the challenge was at the captain level.


    Lin Rui chose to accept and entered the pre-battle configuration interface.


    Immovable Ming King: Brother, 600 points for Armor Suit and 100 points for weapon, okay with you?


    He took Lin Rui seriouslya?€¡±600 points were just enough to bring his real-life Armor Suit into play.


    Gu Ying Tiandao: Okay!


    Lin Rui was indifferent; his two kinds of Armor Suits in reality added up to less than 200 points, and even adding the soon-to-be-implanted SSS-grade Armor Suit ¡°Blood Sun True Yuan,¡± it was only just over 350 points.


    Soon after, both appeared on the arena at the same time.


    Lin Rui immediately recognized his opponenta?€¡±it was Zhang Jie from Future Science and Technology University, the Quasi-Hall level ¡°Black Stone.¡±


    Yu Feicui had sent all the intel on the participants from Future Science and Technology University to their inbox five days before.


    Zhang Jie¡¯s avatar in the virtual world looked exactly like him in reality.


    This was a prospective student with a double ¡®S+¡¯ rating in Armor Suit grading and combat technique from the Martial Arts Association.


    A nearly fourth-realm Super King!

 Chapter 160

    ?Chapter 160: Chapter 155: Losing My Composure (Third Update, Seeking Monthly Pass) Chapter 160: Chapter 155: Losing My Composure (Third Update, Seeking Monthly Pass) PS: Third update, seeking support!


    Continuing to strive in breaking new ground this month, until I can write no more, seeking monthly ticket support!


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Lin Rui thought it was just the right opportunity, an ideal moment to use Zhang Jie as a whetstone to test the combined power of ¡°Blood Sun Tianyuan¡± and ¡°Yang Pulling Slash.¡±


    The reason he chose the SSS-grade ¡°Blood Sun Tianyuan¡± prosthetic this time was partly due to compatibility with his own body and partly to maximize the prowess of ¡°Yang Pulling Slash¡± to its limits.


    ¡°Blood Sun Tianyuan¡± not only enhances physical attributes across the board, but also improves affinity with ether elements.


    It can be seen as an enhanced comprehensive version of other prosthetics like Divine Right, Thunder Blood, and Flame Blood.


    However, it has another important ability, which is to help charge and accumulate True Qi and ether elements in advance within the blood.


    It can shorten the charging time for secret moves or enhance the power of secret slashes, making this prosthetic particularly suited for Lin Rui¡¯s self-created ¡°Yang Pulling Slash.¡±


    At this point, both parties had matched their prosthetics with their weapons and chose to ready themselves.


    ...


    This time, Zhang Jie also wore a set of fourth-tier competition-specific armor and a pair of gloves, exactly 100 weapon points worth.


    At this moment, several people entered the room one after another, including the likes of Xia Mo Qian Nian, Divine Doctor Sima, and the quirky youngster, among others.


    Lin Rui was slightly startled when he saw Divine Doctor Sima¡¯s online name.


    He thought to himself, hey, Professor Sima, are you okay?


    Go to novgo.co


    You¡¯re still performing a blood transfusion surgery on me, yet you have the leisure to watch a fight?


    Zhang Jie couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention, as he didn¡¯t know these people.


    Immovable Ming King: Zhang Jie, a senior student from the Alien Body College of Future Science and Technology University, pleased to meet you!


    Lin Rui thought this guy was quite polite, so he responded in kind.


    Gu Ying Tiandao: Lin Rui, a senior student from the Alien Body College of Mingde University.


    Zhang Jie thought to himself that the person opposite was indeed Lin Rui.


    Just as the countdown ended, Zhang Jie saw the figure opposite him suddenly flash and disappear from the spot like a ghost.


    Zhang Jie¡¯s pupils dilated in shock.


    Such swift speed!


    Is he using an electrostatic field?


    This is an intermediate-level Thunder Escape of Grandmaster rank!


    And which direction is this guy flash escaping to?


    His reaction was extremely sharp, and in an instant, he caught Lin Rui¡¯s position, just 6 meters to his left.


    But as Zhang Jie¡¯s gaze moved there, he saw a streak of white light.


    ¡°Hiss!¡±


    Zhang Jie¡¯s eyes showed disbelief.


    His hands were only lifted halfway when his head slid off his neck.


    Then his vision darkened, and a digital prompt sounded in his ear.


    ¡°Battle over, your character has died!¡±


    At this moment in the comment section, Lin Xi, Si Malin, and a few others were talking in astonishment.


    Quirky Youngster (Wang Sen): So fast!


    Faster than before, probably just 0.001 seconds, he completed drawing and sheathing the sword within a thousandth of a second!


    Wang Sen thought to himself that this must be the effect of combining ¡°Blood Sun Tianyuan¡± with ¡°Guang Ming¡¯s Blood.¡± These prosthetics, in conjunction with Lin Rui¡¯s self-created ¡°Yang Pulling Slash,¡± were a match made in heaven!


    Who could possibly defend against such a rapid slash?


    Below the rank of major, Lin Rui might already be invincible.


    His brother Wei is really awesome; if he could awaken ¡°Blood Sun Tianyuan¡± on Tianji Star, he could probably roam unchecked below the fifth realm.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Indeed very fast!


    I kind of understand now, no wonder he makes so much money.


    Si Malin¡¯s eyes were filled with deep surprise.


    He had long known that Lin Rui¡¯s combat talent was strong, and had also watched some of Lin Rui¡¯s battle videos.


    But at this moment, Si Malin was still deeply shocked by Lin Rui¡¯s slash.


    He felt that this guy¡¯s combat skills could probably reach an SSS-grade rating at this stage!


    In terms of prosthetic grading, before this person advances to Golden Core, he would definitely be able to reach an SS-grade!


    This can¡¯t be real, can it?


    How could Lin Cong produce such a clever kid?


    To have a son who is a third realm emperor?@@@@


    Impossible!


    This is absolutely impossible!


    Even the genetic modulation technology that¡¯s currently popular among the wealthy elite, optimizing genes during embryonic stages, can¡¯t achieve this effect.


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): Such fast godspeed, so my brother¡¯s Escape Skill is also this good.


    Lin Xi gritted her teeth, thinking that when Lin Rui sparred with her before, he indeed didn¡¯t go all out.


    Indeed, such battles, no matter how many times they occurred, were of no help to him.


    But he still wanted to see Lin Rui¡¯s sword-drawing process, to at least know how he was defeated.


    Zhang Jie knew his mentality had completely collapsed.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Don¡¯t take it too seriously.


    Reality and the virtual world are different.


    For example, you definitely have strong physical attributes, but you can¡¯t bring those to the virtual world.


    Also, I can tell that your body hardening technique is nearly at the ¡®Impenetrable Golden Body¡¯ level.


    At that time, my swift blade might not be effective against you.


    Zhang Jie¡¯s facial muscles twitched involuntarily, he used to console the defeated with similar words.


    Immovable Ming King (Zhang Jie): I want to know what secret sword technique you just used.


    novgo.co


    I can¡¯t find your sword technique in the Martial Arts Association.


    There were records of similar sword techniques in the Martial Arts Association, but none could achieve that kind of speed.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Self-developed.


    It¡¯s not recorded at the Martial Arts Association.


    Alright, let¡¯s chat another time.


    I hope to face you in the arena the day after tomorrow.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Late that night, when Shi Yan returned to Mingde University¡¯s martial arts club carrying a bunch of shopping bags, she was surprised to learn from her senior that Zhang Jie had stayed in his suite and hadn¡¯t even come out for dinner.


    Shi Yan was astonished.


    Could it be that this guy was still engaged in virtual combat?


    How strange!


    With Mingde University¡¯s virtual combat platform standard, he should have been bored in half an hour.


    She knocked on Zhang Jie¡¯s room door, and after a moment, Zhang Jie¡¯s voice came from inside.¡±


    ¡°Shi Yan?


    Come in.¡±


    Shi Yan entered and found that no lights were on inside; it was pitch dark.


    She found Zhang Jie in the study, just taking off his virtual reality helmet, his complexion looking somewhat pale for some reason.


    Under the fluorescent glow of the computer indicator lights, he looked like a ghost.


    ¡°Turn on the lights!¡±


    Shi Yan looked at Zhang Jie with a surprised expression: ¡°You were really in virtual combat?


    Were you addicted to beating up noobs?¡±


    Zhang Jie had a gloomy expression and remained silent.


    He thought, where was he having fun beating up noobs?


    He had been the one getting beaten!


    However, what Shi Yan said wasn¡¯t wrong; afterwards, he did beat up noobs.


    After his battle with Lin Rui ended, he had been fighting someone called ¡®Weird Youngster¡¯.


    That person had decent martial arts skills and a resilient mind, never giving up despite being beaten countless times, and kept improving.


    At this moment, Shi Yan suddenly looked thoughtful and walked towards the window.


    From here, she could see the front door of the martial arts club.


    A hoverbus was parked at the entrance, and two teenagers about eighteen years old were stepping out of it.


    In that instant, they also felt a connection and looked up to meet Shi Yan¡¯s gaze.


    Even though they were dozens of meters apart, when their eyes collided, it was as if lightning struck.


    ¡°Tianjing Martial Arts University¡¯s ¡®Demon Sword¡¯ Baili Wang and ¡®Demon Hand¡¯ Zhen Xiaoxiao.¡±


    Zhang Jie also came to Shi Yan¡¯s side to look down, his eyes filled with confusion: ¡°Why are there so many people?


    And they¡¯re carrying holographic cameras; are those from Tian Yin Video Network?


    And Kuai Bo Video Network too, hmm?¡±


    Zhang Jie noticed not far away were three floating live broadcast vehicles, slowly descending from the sky: ¡°Why have television crews also come?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the group chat?


    These video networks and TV stations were willing to band together to offer a high sponsorship to obtain the rights to broadcast this exchange battle.


    This should be the will of ¡®Sky Sword Prosthetic Company¡¯ behind them, wanting to take this opportunity to test Baili Wang and me,¡± said Shi Yan with crossed arms and a slight smile curling at the corner of her lips.


    ¡°I agreed!¡±


    Zhang Jie frowned upon hearing this, thinking that the two renowned ¡®Triple Realm Imperial Grades¡¯ were finally going to determine who was superior.


    Buta?€¡±


    Zhang Jie thought of Lin Rui.


    The problem was, in this battleground where two tigers clashed, a prehistoric beast lay hidden.

 Chapter 161

    ?Chapter 161: Chapter 156: Light Transition Slash (Seeking Monthly Tickets) Chapter 161: Chapter 156: Light Transition Slash (Seeking Monthly Tickets) At the same time, in the chairman¡¯s office of the Tianlan Group, Fang Kongfang frowned deeply as he watched the bus in front of the martial arts society building and the TV station¡¯s reporting van.


    His assistant, Guan Biran, also sat in front of the office desk, his face solemn.


    Projecting nearby were the video images of Fang Ranran and Yu Feicui.


    ¡°Ranran, and Manager Yu.¡±


    Fang Kongfang¡¯s expression was somewhat helpless, ¡°You two need to give me an explanation.


    A simple exchange match, why would you allow it to be broadcast live?


    Have you considered the consequences?


    Why make arbitrary decisions?¡±


    Yu Feicui also showed a face of helplessness upon hearing this.


    ...


    She merely invited the future science and technology university and Tianjing Martial Arts University to Mingde University for an exchange; she never envisioned the event would be live broadcast.


    ¡°It was me who agreed; it has nothing to do with Sister Yu.¡±


    In the video, Fang Ranran sat in an office chair, looking relaxed and retorted, ¡°Uncle, do you really have so little confidence in our group¡¯s prosthetics?¡±


    Fang Kongfang couldn¡¯t help but frown even deeper, glaring at Fang Ranran, ¡°Of course I¡¯m confident, haven¡¯t you seen what kind of reputation the Tianlan Biotech Group has in the market?¡±


    Since he took over the Tianlan Group, the prosthetics and medicines produced by their company had already earned the title of ¡®king of cost performance¡¯ in the market, and now they were planning to target the high-end market.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°Then what are you worried about, Uncle?¡±


    Fang Ranran crossed her arms, ¡°The ¡®Demon Sword¡¯ Baili Wang and ¡®Immortal Sword¡¯ Shi Yan, Abyss Biological Group and Sky Sword Prosthetic Company, these two are at loggerheads right now.


    They have already hyped up the interest online, and during the event, it¡¯s likely that more than fifty million viewers from all fourteen base cities will watch the live broadcast, with an influence covering hundreds of millions of people, if not more!


    Why would we want to miss such an excellent opportunity to piggyback on exposure and traffic?¡±


    Fang Kongfang rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache.


    He thought to himself, a clash between two top-tier financial groups, two halls of fame, was that something they could meddle in?


    He was even more concerned that the outcome of this exchange match would affect the reputation of Tianlan Group¡¯s products and his business plans.


    ¡°Chairman, I can understand the thinking of young Manager Fang.¡±


    It was Guan Biran who interjected at this time, ¡°Although our Tianlan Group has some reputation in the ninth base city, compared to the whole of Tianji Star¡¯s fourteen base cities, we¡¯re not in the same league as ¡®Abyss¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Sword¡¯ at all.¡±@@@@


    Guan Biran paused, ¡°To put it bluntly, our Tianlan Group being compared alongside these two is a significant boost to our reputation, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fang Kongfang let out a ¡®hmm¡¯ as he leaned back in his chair, his expression neither approving nor disapproving as he pinched his chin.


    He actually understood Fang Ranran¡¯s thoughts; he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to make a decision yet.


    Moreover, he was somewhat annoyed by Fang Ranran acting on her own initiative.


    ¡°To put it simply, we don¡¯t have much reputation to speak of, what does a barefooted person have to fear from the shoe-wearing one?¡±


    Fang Ranran lifted her chin slightly, and a rarely seen arrogance and intensity shone in her eyes, ¡°Tianlan Group is still alright, but our Mingde University is really at rock bottom, so the audience won¡¯t have any expectations for us in this exchange match.¡±


    ¡°Young Manager Fang makes a valid point,¡± Guan Biran agreed, ¡°On the contrary, if we can show even a little achievement, it will make consumers take our Tianlan Group seriously.¡±


    Fang Ranran smiled slightly, ¡°They will also realize that Mingde University¡¯s Prosthetic Department isn¡¯t as bad as they imagined.


    With one month left before the new term starts, those fresh graduates still have the chance to choose Mingde University.¡±


    ¡°You girl!¡±


    Fang Kongfang pointed at Fang Ranran and shook his head helplessly.


    He had watched Fang Ranran grow up, thinking that the girl who used to be unruly and sharp in her childhood had been smoothed over by her maternal grandfather.


    Was this guy coming to see Lin Rui being overwhelmed by the real hall of shock?


    Did he want to see how Lin Rui would react to the stunning truth?


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Two days later, Lin Rui was in a small dark room he opened in the campus virtual combat platform, deep in thought and slashing with a knife, producing slices of purple thunder.


    He was still trying to perfect his Thunderclap Absolute Slash.


    There were several forms of atomic transitions, and he was using stimulated transitions from atoms absorbing photons.


    He now had some promising directions and was researching how to use the power of runes to trigger the transition of the blade.


    In reality, the various miraculous martial arts of Sky Extreme Star didn¡¯t need to be this complex, and they went against modern physics.


    The other dimension connected by Sky Extreme Star was truly miraculous, where ¡°mind¡± determined everything.


    If you firmly believed in a principle, if you had a strong enough will, you would be able to twist the world, setting your own rules.


    The Sword Intent and other intents of Sky Extreme Star were just that.


    The Sword Intent of Blood Blade was essentially a product of polarized spiritual power.


    As long as your thought was strong enough, the world would change for you.


    However, it was strange that the more a martial technique of Sky Extreme Star conformed to the physical concepts recognized by the world, the higher its power ceiling.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Even if it was just seemingly plausible and done with serious aplomb.


    This was particularly evident within the fourteen bases of Sky Extreme Star.


    Right then, Lin Rui received a message from Si Malin; his blood serum implant was almost done, and he could log off now.


    Lin Rui was immediately invigorateda?€¡±he had been waiting for this moment for two days.


    At that moment, Lin Rui suddenly let out a surprised ¡®hmm¡¯.


    He realized that the knife in his hand seemed to thrust forward, cutting through a portion of the void, creating a visual effect similar to teleportation.


    novgo.co


    ¡°It actually worked!¡±


    Lin Rui thought that this was like hitting two birds with one stone.


    ¡°Ring Spirit, follow this line of thinking and help me integrate the light element into the secret move ¡®Thunderclap Absolute Slash¡¯!¡±


    Prompt: To integrate the light element into the secret move ¡®Thunderclap Absolute Slash¡¯ and form a new and unknown-grade secret move (Beginner), 3000 Soul Power points are needed.


    Lin Rui chose yes, and once more, an explosion of information flooded his mind.


    But it wasn¡¯t like having it forced into his mind; rather, his understanding and inspiration soared instantly, perfecting the blade technique at an astonishing speed.


    Lin Rui felt like his intelligence could even penetrate the most fundamental mysteries of the universe in that moment.


    So what exactly was this Skull Ring in his hand?


    After Lin Rui finished his extrapolation, the Ring Spirit prompted him to name this brand-new secret move.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s derived from the principles of thermal penetration and transition, let¡¯s call it ¡®Light Transition Slash¡¯.¡±


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t continue to ponder.


    It¡¯s simply because even if he extrapolated it to the level of a Great Grandmaster, he currently had no time to practice.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Soul Power points were limited, only slightly over 16,000, and he had to reserve some for emergencies.


    As he completed his blood training and his physical condition improved, he could exchange for some new skills.


    Like several body and spirit refinement techniques that one could only cultivate after reaching the Body Refinement realm.


    When Lin Rui exited the virtual world, he found that the tubes used for blood transfusions in his surgery pod had been removed, and Professor Si Ma was measuring his spiritual power.

 Chapter 162

    ?Chapter 162: Chapter 157: Mahakala (Seeking Monthly Tickets) Chapter 162: Chapter 157: Mahakala (Seeking Monthly Tickets) After the spiritual power test was completed, Lin Rui was momentarily stunned.


    ¡°Spiritual power value at 989, nearly at the rank of Deputy General!¡±


    His spiritual power intensity and capacity were only a hair¡¯s breadth away from reaching the Major level.


    Lin Rui was astonished, ¡°Could the professor have made a mistake in the test?


    How could it have increased so much?¡±


    The increase in spiritual power for hybrid walkers like him was incredibly fast.


    They had two bodies and one soul.


    Breakthroughs in the realms of both bodies could lead to a transformative increase in their spiritual power.


    Of course, the latter transformations were nowhere near as significant as the earlier ones.


    ...


    Therefore, Lin Rui was extremely surprised that the artificial blood serum had brought him an increase of nearly 80 points in spiritual power.


    This shouldn¡¯t be the case, as the refinement of spiritual power becomes harder as one progresses.


    ¡°How could that be?¡± Si Malin let out an incredulous chuckle, ¡°I am also quite astonished.


    It seems that the super royal blood serum is extremely compatible with your soul, and the match is extraordinarily high.¡±


    Si Malin then turned to him and said, ¡°Your Fang Ranran has sent you two True Qi Concentration serums.@@@@


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    Do you want to inject them now or wait a little longer?


    Injecting now means you can enjoy the benefits sooner, while waiting has its own advantages.


    If you wait until you implant the artificial Golden Core, it can bring you a more substantial improvement.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lin Rui turned to Si Malin, looking at him in utter surprise, ¡°True Qi Concentration serum?


    Two vials?¡±


    ¡°Two vials!¡± Si Malin pointed with his finger at two azure-colored serums nearby, ¡°However, the committee of the university martial arts competition would never admit this when inquired by the media in the future.


    The Tianlan Corporation will only acknowledge they have provided you with two ordinary spiritual power serums.


    You must also keep quiet about it to avoid disqualification from the competition.¡±


    Lin Rui understood it clearly in his heart.


    The rules of the university martial arts competition were odd.


    They did not prohibit students from using their own money to buy serums and implants to enhance their bodies, but they didn¡¯t allow any financial support from commercial entities.


    So these two serums were things kept in the dark.


    That is why the media now quietly mocks the university martial arts competition as a playground for the children of rich people.


    However, the organizing committee was also quite aggrieved.


    If they allowed students to receive financial support from commercial entities, they would no longer fit into the category of non-profit organizations and would be heavily taxed by the tax bureau.


    Therefore, the committee was rather lenient in their inspection.


    They often turned a blind eye for the sake of the competition¡¯s excitement.


    ¡°Inject it now!¡±


    Such serums that enhanced one¡¯s spiritual power were, of course, better used sooner rather than later.


    The threshold for implanting an artificial Golden Core in terms of spiritual power was as high as 1400.


    But Lin Rui raised the corners of his mouth, satisfied; with his spiritual power breaking past 1000, he had been able to condense blade intent.


    With the Emperor¡¯s serum, he could initially activate the blade¡¯s edge.


    This attack would extend further.


    Si Malin relaxed upon seeing this, as Lin Rui¡¯s control over his power was extremely strong.


    Although the blade qi was very domineering, with anything within a meter being equivalent to an actual blade¡¯s edge, the spreading Gang Qi extended even five meters further.


    Yet, it didn¡¯t cause the slightest damage to any device in the laboratory.


    Si Malin then checked the laboratory¡¯s surveillance footage, his pupils tightly contracting.


    ¡°So fast!¡±


    Indeed, even without using the Energy Storage Blade, it was faster than in the virtual world.


    ¡°Lin Rui, after you get dressed, wait a moment!¡±


    Si Malin stood up and hurried out of the laboratory.


    Shortly afterward, he came back carrying a beautifully decorated Tang-style long blade, which he tossed to Lin Rui.


    ¡°Take this!


    It¡¯s the premium, limited edition of the ¡®Dahetian¡¯ Type 5 Energy Storage Compression Blade.


    The weapon score is around 100, you should be able to take it with you on stage.¡±


    Lin Rui weighed the blade upon receiving it.


    The blade, made of some unknown material, was only three feet nine inches long, yet weighed over 80 pounds.


    He drew the blade and looked at it, his eyes lighting up, ¡°Professor, how much for this blade?¡±


    The ¡®Dahetian¡¯ was not only chillingly sharp, but its energy storage effect was also at least three times better than weapons in the virtual world.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t cost anything.


    It was a gift from one of my old customers.


    It¡¯s a waste in my hands.


    Now, you can borrow it for as long as you want,¡± Si Malin gestured dismissively, his eyes filled with curiosity, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll get a chance to go on stage in this competition, but if you do, let me see that one slash of yours and how fast it can really be under utmost conditions?¡±


    Not being able to see Lin Rui¡¯s limits made Si Malin itch with curiosity.


    Lin Rui nodded and left with the blade in hand.


    He quite liked the ¡®Dahetian¡¯; although the martial arts club had many good blades, this ¡®Dahetian¡¯ was more suitable for the Yang Pulling Slash¡¯s characteristics.


    But achieving the utmost condition?


    That would require a set of talismanic formationsa?€¡±


    The problem was he had no time to create talismans.


    Lin Rui then slapped his forehead, remembering this was the modern world.


    He quickly opened an online shopping platform and browsed as he walked.


    Soon after, he found an online store that sold talismans and without hesitation, he ordered thousands of various talismans.


    These talismans were all printed, shockingly cheap, with some mid-tier talismans costing only 1 yuan each.


    And with the modern world¡¯s delivery speed, it would only take about fifteen minutes to arrive after ordering.


    Meanwhile, as Lin Rui headed towards the martial arts club, Yu Feicui was watching the intense competition on stage with a serious expression.

 Chapter 163

    ?Chapter 163: Chapter 158 Don¡¯t Push Yourself Too Hard (Third update for monthly votes) Chapter 163: Chapter 158 Don¡¯t Push Yourself Too Hard (Third update for monthly votes) The ones fiercely fighting on the stage were precisely ¡°Black Stone¡± Zhang Jie and ¡°Young Lu Bu¡± Lu Fang.


    Although Lu Fang had been humiliated by Shi Yan two days ago, he took that disgrace as motivation to fight even harder on the stage.


    He¡¯d been entangled in a duel with ¡°Black Stone¡± Zhang Jie for nearly seven minutes.


    This also had to do with the martial paths they practiced.


    Shi Yan¡¯s speed was so fast that Lu Fang could hardly react, a feat Zhang Jie couldn¡¯t achieve.


    However, Zhang Jie¡¯s hard-trained dominant physique was extraordinary too, solid enough to clash directly against Lu Fang¡¯s pair of fourth-stage short halberds without taking any damage.


    Not only were his boxing skills wildly fierce and powerful, but his strength was also astonishing, even surpassing many junior Martial Cultivators.


    ...


    This ¡°Black Stone¡± was moving across the ring like an iron fortress, continuously shrinking Lu Fang¡¯s maneuvering space.


    ¡°It seems it¡¯s no good, twenty seconds at most,¡±


    Fei Yunlai crossed his arms over his chest.


    ¡°However, it¡¯s quite impressive; being able to tangle with Zhang Jie for so long already makes him a qualified vanguard candidate.¡±


    Lu Fang was fighting smartly.


    He appeared to be in a dire state, chased all over the ring, but he was constantly using his speed to make consecutive strikes at Zhang Jie, trying to deplete Zhang Jie¡¯s True Qi and stamina.


    Yu Feicui, however, frowned without relaxation.


    Go to novgo.co


    novgo.co


    Lu Fang was indeed excellent, she hadn¡¯t misjudged him, but she had underestimated ¡°Black Stone¡± Zhang Jie.


    The latest intelligence she had collected about Zhang Jie was from a month ago, yet in this past month, Zhang Jie¡¯s improvement had far exceeded her expectations.


    Lu Fang had already implanted artificial serum, his family background was good, and he had three S+ grade cybernetic enhancements on him, yet he still couldn¡¯t shake Zhang Jie¡¯s impenetrable body.


    Moreover, Zhang Jie¡¯s regenerative capabilities were incredibly strong.


    Lu Fang had fought for so long, yet he hadn¡¯t drained much of Zhang Jie¡¯s vitality at all.


    At this moment, Fei Yunlai redirected his gaze around the area and said with a smiling tone, ¡°Where is your team captain?


    Why isn¡¯t he seen now?


    Let him witness the gap between himself and the Quasi-Hall.¡±


    Yu Feicui¡¯s lips twitched momentarily, thinking her senior brother really was petty.


    Wasn¡¯t it just that Lin Rui had given him a slight shock in terms of martial talent that day?


    At this time, a woman beside them interjected, ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m very curious.


    Who is Lin Rui, the captain from your school?


    My research shows he is 18 years old, a fourth-year student from Mingde University¡¯s Alien Body College, and had once secured the 11th place in the Alien Body Assessmenta?€¡±should be a child with outstanding talent.


    But why would you arrange him into the position of team captain?


    Do you believe his strength surpasses that of your Deputy General, Zhao Yan?


    Or have you already given up on the captain¡¯s battle?¡±


    Yu Feicui turned her head to look at the woman beside her.


    This was a lady around 25 years old, with exquisite features, dressed in a women¡¯s short blazer and sporting a chic short haircut, exuding an exceptionally lively and spirited aura.


    She was Xie Qingtong, the host of the self-produced program ¡°Debating Martial Arts¡± by ¡®Celestial Ring Video Network¡¯.


    Next to her, three young people were operating a high-definition holographic camera, capturing the battle on the ring.


    Yu Feicui put on a smile, her demeanor pleasant, ¡°I have nothing to disclose at the moment, but just keep watching and you¡¯ll know,¡± she said.


    In essence, they had given up, but she couldn¡¯t admit that in front of Xie Qingtong.


    This exchange battle between them and Future Science University was really quiet.


    Although Fang Ranran had a good idea, wanting to ride on the popularity and traffic of the two star teams, none of the journalists from the large television stations of the first and second bases came today.


    Only some local TV stations from the ninth base attended, recording the event as a favor to Tianlan Corporation, and whether they would broadcast it depended on Tianlan Corporation¡¯s advertising fees.


    The Abyss Group and Heavenly Sword Corporation knew Fang Ranran¡¯s ploy very well and had no intention of letting her have her way.


    The several well-known video websites did come to record video materials, but the audience numbers in their live streaming rooms were mostly below 400,000, with a rather low level of popularity.


    The largest traffic among them belonged to the live room run by Xie Qingtong, which had 800,000 viewers, more than half of whom had come for Black Stone Zhang Jie.


    All media were looking forward to the exchange battle between Tianjing Martial University and Future Science University the day after tomorrow, and were preparing for it.


    Was this guy¡¯s Golden Body cultivation so strong?


    A mere Quasi-Hall, yet so powerful in the Blood Training realm?


    Nolan Wei pursed his lips, his smile at the corners fading away as his gaze became colder and more serious.


    If he couldn¡¯t take down Zhang Jie after Lu Fang had gained him such a big advantage, then what face would he have to stay in the club?


    The referee stood between them, ¡°Please pay attention to the electronic sound.


    The fight will start after the countdown.¡±


    His expression was extremely serious, sensing that today¡¯s fight between the two sides could be very intense.


    The two teams had started fighting fiercely right from the start, resorting to life-threatening tactics.


    If he had been a bit careless just now, Lu Fang might have lost his life.


    As soon as the countdown ended, Nolan Wei¡¯s figure instantly appeared on Zhang Jie¡¯s left side.


    Like a phantom, he stabbed at Zhang Jie¡¯s injured shoulder.


    Zhang Jie reacted immediately, swinging his right fist powerfully while avoiding the sword light with the momentum of his punch.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Zhang Jie¡¯s punch actually grazed past Nolan Wei¡¯s cheek, and the powerful force tore off a whole piece of flesh from his left cheek.


    Facing Zhang Jie¡¯s punch, Nolan Wei only tilted his head to the side, his body not making any evasive maneuvers.


    His sole purpose was to accurately plunge his sword into the wound on Zhang Jie¡¯s shoulder, further severing the connection between Zhang Jie¡¯s shoulder, arm, tendons, and nerves!


    The ghastly sight caused everyone in the venue to turn solemn.


    At that moment below the stage, the two team leaders from the Future Science University glared fiercely at Shi Yan.


    They knew the reason.


    If Shi Yan hadn¡¯t provoked them, Lu Fang probably wouldn¡¯t have fought so decisively, and the subsequent battles wouldn¡¯t have been so bloody and brutal.


    Shi Yan was watching the platform expressionlessly.


    There was a touch of interest in her eyes.


    Lu Fang was not as weak as she had imagined, and the overall strength of Mingde University¡¯s martial arts team also pleasantly surprised her.


    Nolan Wei¡¯s performance wasn¡¯t bad either!


    Xie Qingtong¡¯s expression was gradually becoming excited.


    As the fight between Zhang Jie and Nolan Wei began, the number of viewers in her live broadcast room increased significantly, now breaking through 900,000 and climbing toward 1 million.


    Originally, today¡¯s match was expected to be a cakewalk for Future Science University, but looking at the current situation, Mingde University¡¯s martial arts team was also quite impressive.


    Wang Sen, seated as a substitute player, had a slightly dim look in his eyes.


    While he was boiling with rage, he felt powerless.


    Today¡¯s exchange match with Future Science University once again made him acutely aware of how far he still had to go.


    ¡°Your teammates are all quite clever,¡± Fei Yunlai commented with a glint in his eyes and a light praise.


    Although Nolan Wei fought fiercely on stage, he always paid attention to preserving his own combat power.


    At that moment, Fei Yunlai sensed something and, filled with anticipation, looked toward an elevator door to the side.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lin Rui, your Captain has finally arrived, huh?


    Has he completed his Blood Training?¡±


    As Fei Yunlai finished speaking, Lin Rui walked out from the open elevator doors.


    He joined Yu Feicui and the others, first observing Zhang Jie and Nolan Wei locked in intense combat on stage, then turned to look at Lu Fang, who still had a blurry face inside the nanite healing pod.


    Lin Rui was somewhat surprised.


    How had this mere exchange match become so fiercely contested?


    Nolan Wei on stage was close to completely dismembering Zhang Jie¡¯s left arm, while his own body was bloodied, with several chunks of flesh blasted to a pulp.


    Lin Rui frowned slightly, finding it hard to watch.


    ¡°Sister Feicui, please put me in the main position later.


    Let Nolan not fight so hard.


    I can handle that vanguard Shi Yan, and their main force as well.¡±


    Upon his words, not only was Yu Feicui taken aback, but Fei Yunlai, Xie Qingtong, as well as Fang Ranran and Zhao Yan sitting in the distance, all stared at him in astonishment.

 Chapter 164

    ?Chapter 164: Chapter 159: Exploded (Please Subscribe) Chapter 164: Chapter 159: Exploded (Please Subscribe) Xie Qingtong found her livestream room had exploded.


    Her holographic camera was nearby, capturing Lin Rui¡¯s statement.


    This caused an uproar in the livestream room, with tens of thousands of comments and barrages erupting.


    a?€¡±Who is this guy, daring to say he¡¯ll handle Shi Yan?


    a?€¡±Haha, is he here to make us laugh?


    Does he even know who Shi Yan is?


    a?€¡±Idiot!


    ...


    Just a trash, trying to hit above his weight by targeting our ¡°Immortal Sword,¡± just die already!


    a?€¡±Don¡¯t know him, is he also a member of the Mingde University martial arts club?


    Feels like trash.


    a?€¡±I know Mingde University; their bionic engineering department is awful; what good can come out of it?


    a?€¡±I had a totally improved impression of Mingde University after watching the first two fights, but now it¡¯s all gone.


    a?€¡±I¡¯ve never in my life seen someone so confident.


    Xie Qingtong smiled and said a few words in her own livestream room.


    Go to novgo.co


    Deep Eye Warm Pupil: Let me introduce you all, this is also a member of Mingde University¡¯s martial arts club, his name is Lin Rui, 18 years old, the same age as Shi Yan of the Immortal Sword, previously ranked 11th in the 9th city¡¯s heterogenous combat assessment, as some of you might have heard, General Fei Yunlai has also rated his talent as ¡®hall of fame¡¯ level.


    Deep Eye Warm Pupil: As you can see, he¡¯s very confident in his own strength, and Mingde University¡¯s martial arts club has also listed him as the main fighter, evidently having absolute faith in his combat abilities and talent.


    However, the audience in the livestream room was not buying it, and the comments became even more intense, full of attacks and trash talk.


    Fei Yunlai was surprised as he sized up Lin Rui: ¡°Lin Rui, are you serious?


    You want to take down Shi Yan and their key player alone?¡±


    The key player of the future science and technology university¡¯s reserve team was ¡®Electric Crane¡¯ Qi Hongfei, who would be in his second year at Future Tech next semester, and had already implanted an artificial Core Formation.


    It was clear from the placement of this player behind Shi Yan what his combat level must be.


    Shi Yan had strong talents, but was not yet a match for these second-year fighters.


    Lin Rui looked intently at several Future Tech players opposite him, then calmly nodded: ¡°No problem, the two of them are not my opponents.¡±


    He thought that if these people¡¯s combat power was only as described in the reports about Yu Feicui, then he should have no trouble cutting through the opposition alone.


    Even if their strength increased by another fifty or sixty percent, it was still manageable.


    However, Lin Rui felt that he should not be too arrogant, nor boast too much.


    Xie Qingtong was stunned, staring at Lin Rui; it was the first time she had seen someone so confident.


    Right then, her livestream room¡¯s comment section exploded again, and correspondingly, more viewers entered her livestream room.@@@@


    Xie Qingtong thought to herself if Lin Rui¡¯s intention was to make a splash, grab attention, and ride the wave of popularity, then his goal was achieved.


    ¡°Lin Rui, what¡¯s the rush?¡±


    Yu Feicui was extremely frustrated, thinking to herself that Lin Rui was usually a reliable kid, so why was he pulling this stunt today?


    However, she couldn¡¯t outright criticize Lin Rui, especially not in front of Xie Qingtong¡¯s live audience, she could only sternly say: ¡°I have taken everything into consideration for the order of battle, I made you the main fighter for a reason, how can we just change that on a whim?


    All of a sudden, Zhang Jie¡¯s body burst out with a massive cloud of white mist, and simultaneously, Nolan Wei¡¯s body began to show extensive metallization, and the metallic molecules inside his body were rapidly getting out of control.


    ¡°Is this the S-rank secret move ¡®Metal Age¡¯ from the Nine Turns Golden Body Art?¡±


    Fei Yunlai raised an eyebrow, ¡°Good lad, he¡¯s already started working on fixing his biggest weakness.¡±


    Zhang Jie¡¯s greatest weakness was his speed, which made it hard for him to quickly defeat opponents who were proficient in agility during a fight.


    Previously, Zhang Jie compensated with his explosive power and strength, but while that tactic was more useful at lower levels, it became less effective against opponents like Nolan Wei and Lu Fang at the higher realms.


    Zhang Jie¡¯s method of compensating for his shortcomings was by using the S-rank secret move ¡®Metal Age,¡¯ controlling metal to restrict his opponent.


    He gave Lin Rui a sly look, ¡°You¡¯ve got to keep up, little Lin Rui.


    Although your talent far exceeds mine, this kid is a specialist in dominating with robust physique, and the effort he puts in is several times that of others.


    His achievements will certainly not be inferior to any of you legends.


    You¡¯re starting later than him, so don¡¯t let him get too far ahead in the future.


    I¡¯m counting on you!¡±


    This kid was extremely perceptive and had an unlimited future ahead!


    Fei Yunlai felt it was necessary to mold his correct perspectives.


    To let him witness the strength of his peers, so he wouldn¡¯t develop a hubristic attitude in the future.


    Lin Rui, upon hearing this, gave Fei Yunlai a speechless glance, then turned his attention back to the stage.


    At this moment, Nolan Wei¡¯s escape speed had significantly decreased.


    Not only were the metallic molecules within his flesh and blood cells out of control, but even the nano subdermal armor beneath his skin was showing signs of malfunction.


    However, the popularity of nano subdermal armor was due to the fact it had no significant weaknesses anymore.


    After over eight hundred years of continuous improvements, this type of metallic implant had become highly effective in dealing with various interferences; it quickly generated a strange magnetic field in response, causing all the armor¡¯s functionalities to reset to normal.


    ¡°Bring it on!¡±


    Nolan Wei decisively stopped evading; knowing he couldn¡¯t avoid it, he straightforwardly met Zhang Jie¡¯s attack, launching his powerful sword move.


    That was his long-mastered S-rank secret sword technique, the Thousand Layered Sword!


    The overwhelming surge of sword light, endless and layer upon layer, bombarded Zhang Jie, almost drowning his figure.


    In the next instant, a series of blasts loud enough to shatter eardrums resonated between them.


    Zhang Jie¡¯s right hand, punch after punch with ferocious force, shattered the central region of the myriad blade shadows!


    The tremendous momentum of the punches continued to pound Nolan Wei¡¯s body!


    However, Zhang Jie¡¯s one hand could only penetrate the central region of the Thousand Layered Sword, and his body was instantly pierced with numerous bloody wounds by Nolan Wei¡¯s sword in that moment.


    Nolan Wei¡¯s incredibly fast sword light was actually strong enough to forcefully break through Zhang Jie¡¯s Golden Body Dominator and deeply penetrate his flesh!


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    At that moment, a leading teacher from Future Technology University suddenly yelled stop, his face grim as he threw a white towel onto the stage, ¡°I concede on behalf of Zhang Jie!¡±


    Zhang Jie frowned slightly but then regained his composure.


    Although naturally competitive to the core, he was also willing to admit defeat and wouldn¡¯t cause unnecessary trouble.


    He had lost this fight, and there was nothing more to say.


    Zhang Jie estimated that if their fight had continued to the end, although he could have demolished Nolan Wei¡¯s internal organs, Nolan Wei¡¯s sword would have pierced his heart first!

 Chapter 165

    ?Chapter 165: Chapter 160: Abyssal Will (Subscription Request) Chapter 165: Chapter 160: Abyssal Will (Subscription Request) ¡°How are you doing?


    Do you need to hold the fort?¡±


    The referee on the stage first took a long breath and then looked at Nolan Wei with a headache-ridden yet troubled gaze.


    On the surface, this guy looked intact, limbs all accounted for, suffering only flesh wounds; however, his internal organs had been seriously damaged during his final exchange with Zhang Jie.


    This made the referee both headachy and anxiousa?€¡±as the animosity between the two sides seemed to be intensifying.


    It was just an exchange match; was it necessary to go this far?


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll hold!¡±


    Nolan Wei used his arm to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, gritting his teeth in pain, ¡°This kid, just a junior colonel, yet so damn impressive!


    Really fucking awesome.¡±


    He had almost been overpowered by this guy who had injured his hand, nearly getting knocked off the platform.


    ...


    Below the stage, Shi Yan was furrowing her brows, looking unhappily at Zhang Jie, ¡°Have you lost your mind?


    He¡¯s just an S-rank lieutenant colonel.


    I have plenty of ways to handle him easily.


    Did you really need to go to such lengths, disregard your own life?¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°It¡¯s not my mind that¡¯s the problem; you¡¯re underestimating our opponent.¡±


    Zhang Jie had just injected a syringe into his neck after stepping down from the platform.


    While talking and healing, he said, ¡°I mentioned two days ago that there¡¯s a big shot on the other side, Mingde University¡¯s main player, Lin Rui.


    You also saw the video from the virtual world the day before yesterday; he defeated me three times in a row, each time with just one strike.


    His saber speed is ridiculously fast, and his strength unfathomablea?€¡±Gu Senior Brother might not be able to handle him alone.¡±


    The main player of Future Science and Technology University was indeed ¡®Dragon Fist¡¯ Gu Zhenrong.


    Upon hearing this, the man frowned and looked towards Zhang Jie, ¡°Zhang Jie, are you okay?


    Didn¡¯t we analyze your video?


    Both teachers hypothesized that guy was using a cheat; it¡¯s logically impossible to have such fast slashing speed at a captain-level.¡±


    What kind of martial arts level was Zhang Jie?


    Whether it was martial arts accomplishment or combat reaction and experience, even Zhang Jie, just a junior colonel, was not inferior to him.


    In the virtual battles, various combat techniques were even more crucial.


    Under normal circumstances, even their captain who was about to enter the fifth realm ¡®Dragon Transformation¡¯, known as ¡®Legendary Talent¡¯ close at hand, could not swiftly defeat Zhang Jie in the virtual world.


    But that slashing speed was utterly illogical; completing a slash in one-thousandth of a second, this was several times faster than the fastest record for a captain¡¯s level.


    Zhang Jie, with a cool expression, walked towards the nano healing pod, ¡°I don¡¯t think so, he definitely wasn¡¯t using a cheat, he¡¯s the main player; Gu Senior Brother, if you take this lightly later, you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    He later spoke with Xia Mo Qiannian and learned that the improved version of Red Thunder Nine Slashes was taught by Lin Rui.


    That indicated Lin Rui¡¯s Red Thunder Saber had reached the Great Grandmaster level, elevating the technique beyond its original level.


    Zhang Jie himself had doubted it and analyzed those three videos for a long time; he believed that the ¡®rhyme¡¯ in Lin Rui¡¯s saber light when it slashed over was unmistakably genuine.


    Shi Yan furrowed her brows, glancing over to the youth on the opposite side wielding the saber.


    This Lin Rui, was the ¡®hall¡¯ figure Fei Yunlai mentioned.


    Zhang Jie in the virtual world, couldn¡¯t even block one strike from this person?


    A slashing speed reaching one thousandth of a second, was that even possible?


    Shi Yan felt it was absurd, yet her rationality told her that Zhang Jie¡¯s words were likely true.


    Yet the remnants of these ancient abysses continue to robustly survive in various parts of Celestial Pole Star, constantly battling against the existing ¡®abysses.¡¯


    However, what caused Lin Rui to fall into deep thought was the ¡®abyss will¡¯ mentioned by Fei Yunlai.


    He remembered the feeling he had in the laboratory earlier when he executed the Yang Pulling Slash with his hand blade.


    At that time, his situation was somewhat similar to Shi Yan¡¯s.


    He clearly felt that his swift strikes seemed to align with a certain rule of heaven and earth, receiving its enhancement, becoming faster and immeasurable.


    While Lin Rui was lost in thought, the battle on the stage ended abruptly.


    Nolan Wei failed to exhaust Shi Yan as planned.


    After less than 12 seconds of exchange, Nolan Wei¡¯s sword was flung away by Shi Yan¡¯s sword, pointing directly at his throat.


    When he walked down from the stage, he seemed somewhat dispirited.


    Nolan Wei thought he could at least wear down Shi Yan somewhat, but even with all his strength, he couldn¡¯t touch her at all.


    A strong sense of frustration surged in his heart.


    He thought to himself, had he really practiced almost without sleep for nearly a year only to achieve this?


    How could he face his senior brother Zhao?


    At this moment, Fang Ranran had already approached below the stage and patted his shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s okay!


    It¡¯s just a loss; it¡¯s not the end of the world.


    You fought well just now; you¡¯ve helped me understand her sword.


    I¡¯ll ask Sister Yu to beef up your training!¡±


    She grabbed her weapon, agilely flipping onto the stage, and stood in front of Shi Yan.


    Shi Yan looked Fang Ranran up and down, a slight smile on her lips, ¡°You¡¯ve understood my sword?


    Hope it¡¯s not just boasting.¡±


    Fang Ranran¡¯s expression remained calm, ¡°We¡¯ll know when we start fighting.


    Mr.


    Referee, please begin the countdown.¡±


    Just then, a buzzing sound suddenly erupted from below the stage, causing the television and website staff to look toward elevator number 7, where a group of people was emerging.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Capital Martial Team; they¡¯ve also arrived.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Demon Sword¡¯ Baili Wang and ¡®Demon Hand¡¯ Zhen Xiaoxiao!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so strange?


    They didn¡¯t come before probably because they thought Future Science and Technology University would easily defeat their opponents, seeing no value in watching.


    Now it seems that Mingde University is also quite capable!¡±


    ¡°The previous two were quite good; it¡¯s just not clear how strong Fang Ranran is, as I¡¯ve never heard of this girl¡¯s name before.¡±


    ¡°Ha!


    That just shows your ignorance.


    She might not be well-known in the martial arts world, but in the Ninth Base City¡¯s elite circles, she¡¯s quite famous.¡±


    ¡°Wow, the popularity of our live broadcast is skyrocketing, already breaking 800,000.


    How¡¯s it going on your end?¡±


    As everyone discussed, the electronic countdown had already ended.


    In that instant, a loud clanging of metal erupted on the stage, sparks flying.


    Shi Yan¡¯s expression tightened slightly as the sword light she slashed out was actually blocked by Fang Ranran.

 Chapter 166

    ?Chapter 166: Chapter 161: Let Me See Your Swordsmanship (Three More for Subscription) Chapter 166: Chapter 161: Let Me See Your Swordsmanship (Three More for Subscription) Fang Ranran and Shi Yan¡¯s battle had just begun when the arena was instantly filled with sparks flying in all directions.


    Within the three-meter distance between the two women, Sword Qi crisscrossed and blade lights rampaged, surrounded by piercingly sharp Wind Blades sweeping back and forth, and thick chain-like lightning coiled around them.


    Both of their attack speeds were very fast, and they both cultivated Thunder and Wind Cultivation Techniques.


    In an instant, they could unleash more than a dozen slashes and swords, facing each other with sharp confrontation and clashing blades.


    The scattered blade auras and the overflow of massive energy made the referee frown deeply.


    These two girls were somewhat beyond the norm, exceeding their age as well as the level their cultivation should have been at.


    The referee focused even more, trying to stand still without moving to avoid affecting the battle between the two women.


    ...


    The coverage area of the blade lights and Sword Qi became wider and wider because Fang Ranran and Shi Yan realized they couldn¡¯t defeat each other with just their swords, and they started using every means at their disposal.


    Both women used highly sophisticated Escape Skills, combined with their swords, to try to unleash the greatest power.


    They fought around the referee as the center, engaging in a fierce battle within a ten-meter radius, leaving behind a trail of afterimages.


    Shi Yan became more surprised as the fight went on, and her eyes grew increasingly solemn.


    This Fang Ranran had a very strong implanted prosthesis, already reaching the super-king level, and her physical quality and spiritual power were also very strong, higher than the normal level of junior officers.


    But what was more surprising was her way of fighting.


    Fang Ranran used a half-way interception method to deal with her sword technique.


    Go to novgo.co


    Although not every attempt was successful, as long as Fang Ranran could intercept one third of them, she could maintain a balance with Shi Yan.


    Indeed, Shi Yan was actually at a disadvantage.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s artificial serum was of the highest ¡®imperial class,¡¯ or SS-grade, just like hers.


    But besides that, Fang Ranran also had a top-grade artificial Golden Core.


    With her stronger physical condition and more abundant True Yuan vitality, she could wear Shi Yan down to death!


    This woman¡¯s prosthesis level had just reached the S+ standard, but her core prosthesis was of the highest grade.


    Her talent was also absolutely at the level of the top ten, coupled with extremely abundant wealth and rich combat experience, making her overall combat power terrifying.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Fang Ranran¡¯s hair fluttered, her eyes sharp, ¡°Your swordsmanship is magical, but each of your strikes needs to be completed more than forty percent before it can accelerate to the limit.


    As long as I can intercept you beforehand, I can make your magic no longer magical, and your Immortal Sword no longer immortal.¡±


    So, hasn¡¯t our martial arts club lived up to your expectations, Shi Yan?


    Shi Yan merely gave a cold smile without responding, but her movements sped up even further.


    At this moment, on the right side of the arena, ¡®Devil Sword¡¯ Baili Wang and ¡®Devil Hand¡¯ Zhen Xiaoxiao were also becoming more focused.


    Baili Wang, known as the Devil Sword, was a handsome young man with a gentle and soft temperament, full of scholarly grace.


    He was currently holding a portable supercomputer notebook, filming with the notebook¡¯s camera, while using the software inside for analysis.


    ¡°It seems we made the right choice coming here,¡± Baili Wang said with utmost focus.


    ¡°Just watching Shi Yan¡¯s battle videos, one can¡¯t tell the details, but now it¡¯s clear.


    Our coach¡¯s analysis was right: to defeat Shi Yan, one must do everything possible to intercept and prevent her from completing her sword movements.¡±


    ¡°However, it¡¯s easier said than done to fight that way.


    This Sister Fang¡¯s computing and analysis abilities are very strong, incredibly powerful.¡±


    This was Zhen Xiaoxiao speaking from the side, a tall figure with sharp facial features and wine-red hair cascading down in loose curls, giving him a somewhat lethargic and rebellious look.


    His gaze had been fixed on Fang Ranran all along, filled with admiration, ¡°Her blade technique is very straightforward and sharp, devoid of any frivolousness, and has a clear military academy style where every move can be lethal.


    In addition, it reminds me of Jeet Kune Do from ancient China.¡±


    Baili Wang thoughtfully responded, ¡°As far as I know, there is a martial art from the Abyss on Tianji Star called ¡®Heavenly Slash.¡¯ It¡¯s quite widespread.


    Fang Ranran felt she had been taught a lesson.


    Could the arena battle really be fought this way?


    It couldn¡¯t be said that Shi Yan was despicable, only that this woman was able to make reasonable use of the rules.


    Indeed, in the next instant, an unfathomable and mystical Sword Intent suddenly burst forth from Shi Yan.


    At the same time, brilliant sword light soared, slashing towards Fang Ranran.


    This sword light was like spring water falling from the realm of immortals, elegant and lofty, clear and pure, dreamlike and illusory, captivating the gaze of everyone present and then causing their expressions to change.


    These sword lights were so fast; they appeared light and without much speed or power, but in reality, they were shockingly fast, and their sword paths were elusive, difficult to predict.


    Before the crowd could react, the forefront of the sword light had already slashed to Fang Ranran¡¯s face.


    ¡°Impressive!


    Across a seven-meter distance, each sword stroke takes less than 0.007 seconds.¡±


    ¡®Devil Sword¡¯ Baili Wang, holding a supercomputer notebook, exclaimed, ¡°The further it goes, the faster the sword speed becomes, hm?¡±


    At this moment, Fang Ranran drew her twin blades from her waist, confronting Shi Yan with an even more powerful Extreme Sword Intent.


    Heavenly Breaking Extreme Breaking All Slash!


    She exploded with a similarly dazzling and majestic blade light just before the approaching sword tide, not only forcibly breaking through the Sword Qi in front of her but also charging towards Shi Yan with a momentum that seemed to shatter heaven and earth.


    The two of them thus struck at each other with all their might, a seven-meter distance between them, sparing nothing.


    Layers of sword waterfalls and blade light continuously collided in the arena, and the ¡®clang clang clang¡¯ of the explosive sounds nearly burst the eardrums of the audience, with countless scattered Qi waves sweeping in all directions.


    Their blade shadows and sword light even covered an area 10 meters away, as the two women cleverly incorporated military tactics into their ultimate secret techniques, using advanced and retreat, envelopment, blocking, and flanking maneuvers, among other skills.


    Shi Yan¡¯s strength was far less than Fang Ranran¡¯s; she began to retreat, to sustain injuries.


    Shi Yan¡¯s body started to accumulate numerous wounds, blood stains bursting open, with large amounts of fresh blood spraying out.


    Some of the cuts were so deep that her bones could be seen, with even two blades chopping into her chest and lungs, yet Shi Yan still resisted the onslaught of Fang Ranran¡¯s blade tide, refusing to retreat unless absolutely necessary!


    And then, about ten seconds later, the referee announced, ¡°The victor has been decided, Shi Yan wins!¡±


    Fang Ranran stood outside the arena, looking slightly displeased.


    She had been forced out of the arena by Shi Yan¡¯s sword tide ten seconds earlier.


    In those ten seconds, not only was she unable to return to the arena, but the reciprocal force of their ferocious exchange drove her further and further away from it.


    However, when she looked at Shi Yan on the stage, who had been cut to resemble a blood gourd yet was still stubbornly standing, sword in hand, her eyes held not anger, but a measure of respect and admiration.


    This woman, although very arrogant, indeed had the capital to be so.


    Was she really willing to be cut to a mangled state rather than retreat, all for the sake of victory?


    ¡°We will not defend the arena!¡± At this moment, a teacher from the future science and technology university leaped onto the stage, intending to help Shi Yan, but was pushed away by her.


    Shi Yan stared steadfastly at Lin Rui, her eyes full of unwillingness.


    That Fang Ranran was actually so strong!


    She wasn¡¯t able to break through Mingde University and force Lin Rui, the main fighter, into the field.


    But it didn¡¯t matter anymore, this was just an exchange battle.


    ¡°Lin Rui!¡± Shi Yan coughed up a trace of blood, her eyes burning like flames, ¡°Zhang Jie said you¡¯re strong!


    So strong that he couldn¡¯t handle a single slash from you!


    I ask you, do you dare to fight me?


    Let me see your blade technique!¡±


    At that moment, the entire club venue fell silent as death.


    Everyone turned their heads, looking towards Lin Rui in great astonishment.


    In Xie Qingtong¡¯s live broadcast room at this time, there was an uproar.@@@@

 Chapter 167

    ?Chapter 167: Chapter 162: One Thousandth of a Second (Subscription Request) Chapter 167: Chapter 162: One Thousandth of a Second (Subscription Request) ¡®Tianhuan Video Network¡¯ host, Xie Qingtong, didn¡¯t catch on at first, puzzled about what Shi Yan was talking about.


    She was so injured she could barely stand, why hadn¡¯t she stepped down to heal yet?


    A moment later, Xie Qingtong¡¯s pupils contracted sharply.


    Did Shi Yan just say Lin Rui was very strong, so strong that Zhang Jie couldn¡¯t catch his blade?


    So she wanted to challenge Lin Rui?


    She mentioned Lin Rui!


    This person, who had just made outrageous claims, turned out to be a ¡®True God¡¯ that Shi Yan took so seriously!


    ...


    At this moment, her live broadcast room truly boiled over, with countless comments and barrage of texts filling everyone¡¯s vision.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Damn, what did Xiao Yan just say?


    Did she get that wrong?


    Is that Lin Rui really that powerful?


    Really or not?


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Xiao Yan fought so tragically just now, and all she wanted was to challenge that Lin Rui and call out the main player from Mingde University?


    a?€¡±a?€¡±This is getting interesting, there must be a reason!


    Go to novgo.co


    Shi Yan wouldn¡¯t say this for no reason.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±To defeat Heishi Zhang Jie in one stroke?


    He¡¯s a widely recognized Quasi-Hall, isn¡¯t that impossible?


    Did you see?


    Zhang Jie didn¡¯t deny it, he kept watching that Lin Rui.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±So when that guy said he could handle Xiao Yan and the core members from Future Science and Technology University, was he telling the truth?


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Why hasn¡¯t Xiao Yan gone to heal yet?


    She¡¯s so injured and still wants to challenge, my heart hurts for her!


    a?€¡±a?€¡±That guy must be strong; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be in the main player position.


    I didn¡¯t expect Mingde University to have such a big Buddha hidden.


    Next to her, Fei Yunlai turned his head in an incredibly puzzled manner to look at Lin Rui.


    Could this guy really have defeated Heishi Zhang Jie with just one stroke?@@@@


    Really or not?


    He then turned his head unbelievingly to look at Yu Feicui.


    So Yu Feicui deploying Lin Rui as the main player wasn¡¯t to avoid those ¡®Hall¡¯ members but to have Lin Rui firmly anchor the team?


    Yu Feicui looked even more bewildered.


    Could Lin Rui defeat Zhang Jie with one stroke?


    Wasn¡¯t this a pipe dream?


    Fang Ranran had already returned to her seat, equally disbelieving as her eyes widened.


    Being straightforward, she directly asked, ¡°Lin Rui, can you really defeat Zhang Jie with one stroke?


    What exactly happened?¡±


    Lin Rui himself didn¡¯t respond; he stood up slightly surprised, gazing at Shi Yan on the stage and met her gaze across the distance.


    Next to him, Wang Sen spoke for him, ¡°That was the day before yesterday.


    Zhang Jie¡¯s online name is supposed to be Immovable Ming King.


    The day before yesterday, when he was on the campus virtual reality combat platform, he was beaten by Brother Rui three times consecutively, each time with just one stroke.¡±


    The few surrounding people, upon hearing this, immediately looked solemn, thinking there really was such a matter?


    That must be true then, that¡¯s why Shi Yan was so concerned about Lin Rui.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s face twitched slightly; he still couldn¡¯t believe this was true.


    So this time the Future Science and Technology University not only failed to shock Lin Rui with a ¡®Hall¡¯ level challenge, but they were actually shocked by Lin Rui?


    He thought about his earlier advice to Lin Rui; his usually impenetrable face even flushed slightly.


    That was a bit awkward.


    Even if Zhao Yan had grown in martial arts and had implanted a synthetic Golden Core, advancing from a quasi-major to a minor-major rank, he was likely nothing to be feared.


    Qi Hongfei also wanted to gauge the caliber of Mingde University¡¯s team captain to see if he was, as Zhang Jie described, a prehistoric behemoth.


    It was simple, he just needed to take down Zhao Yan, the Deputy General!


    Zhao Yan nodded silently, his face expressionless, ¡°Junior Qi has gained fame in these past two years.


    It¡¯s also an honor for me to spar with you.¡±


    Although he hadn¡¯t noticed Qi Hongfei¡¯s contempt, he could feel this junior¡¯s determination to win at all costs.


    Just then, the countdown ended.


    Suddenly, behind Zhao Yan, there roared a sound akin to a savage ancient beast.


    Moreover, two mighty barbaric beast phantoms, one of a ¡®dragon¡¯ and one of a ¡®tiger¡¯, materialized behind him, exuding utmost ferocity.


    As ¡®Electric Crane¡¯ Qi Hongfei originally swept in, enveloped in majestic thunder and lightning and his form striking as a nimble crane, planning a fatal strike with his ultimate move,


    with the roaring of the dragon and tiger phantoms, all surrounding thunder was scattered.


    Zhao Yan, merely with his powerful aura, had shattered these thunderous forces, and his form was as fierce and agile as a dragon and tiger.


    With both hands wielding the heavy hammers like swinging whips, striking with force concentrated at the tips, he managed in just one hammer blow to send ¡®Electric Crane¡¯ Qi Hongfei staggering back, coughing up blood, forced to use his lightning escape technique to relieve the force.


    Qi Hongfei¡¯s eyes were filled with disbelief.


    How could Zhao Yan be this strong?


    His implanted synthetic Golden Core must certainly be top-tier, having perfected his martial arts to a divine level!


    And regarding his auxiliary gear, Qi Hongfei couldn¡¯t ascertain its specifics, but it certainly wasn¡¯t inferior to Fang Ranran¡¯s, at least possessing six types of S+ grade supportive gear, reaching an over-king tier!


    The problem was that although Zhao Yan was strong a year ago, his talent was at most mid-level among the top ten masters!


    ¡°He has already mastered the True Meaning of Dragon and Tiger!¡± said Fei Yunlai, looking at Zhao Yan with a sense of wonder.


    Last time he advised Zhao Yan, the boy still lacked some experience.


    Little did he know that in such a short time, Zhao Yan had improved so much.


    Across the platform, ¡®Magic Sword¡¯ Baili Wang shook his head slightly; ¡°Qi Hongfei was careless, attacking the enemy¡¯s strength with his weakness.


    That one hammer strike must have already injured his internal organs.


    He¡¯s bound to lose.¡±


    This person is nicknamed ¡®Electric Crane¡¯.


    From the nickname alone, one can imagine his martial arts feature predominantly clever and quick movements.


    However, he just now accumulated power for a sword strike, aiming for a limit burst to suppress the front and defeat Zhao Yan with the fastest speed.


    Yet, he was taught a lesson by Zhao Yan.


    For Qi Hongfei to revert to his usual method of fighting now is already too late, especially since Zhao Yan¡¯s ¡®Double Dragon and Tiger Form¡¯ martial arts inherently possess great speed.


    ¡°This Zhao Yan is stronger than our coaching team anticipated, ranking him among the top three of the ten masters.


    Even if Qi Hongfei hadn¡¯t been careless, he most likely wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance against Zhao Yan,¡± he noted.


    Zhen Xiaoxiao shook her head, ¡°It seems that Mingde University¡¯s martial arts team is very strong!


    Although it doesn¡¯t seem like much now, with strength only comparable to our reserve team, give them another year, and they might have a chance at competing for the championship.


    And that Lin Ruia?€¡±¡±


    She and Baili Wang exchanged glances.


    Both of their eyes brimmed with intense curiosity.


    Did this person truly defeat Zhang Jie with a single strike?


    How strong is his swordsmanship, and in what manner is it formidable?


    However, they should be able to see for themselves today.


    Zhao Yan was very strong, and even if he were to enter a school like theirs in Tianjing, he would still carve out a place for himself.


    However, his ¡®Dragon and Tiger Divine Form Hammer¡¯ technique is famously draining!


    Although Qi Hongfei was not a match for Zhao Yan, he could still use his best movement technique to wear down Zhao Yan¡¯s True Yuan!


    At that moment, they noticed the doors of several surrounding elevators opening, and a large group of people walked out.


    Some were dressed in business attirea?€¡±clearly people from ¡®Abyss¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Sword¡¯ corporations.


    Others were carrying cameras, representing the major media outlets that had previously scorned this exchange battle.


    After entering, all of them looked solemn, scanning the entire venue, and subsequently, all eyes turned towards Lin Rui.

 Chapter 168

    ?Chapter 168: Chapter 163: Yang Pulling Slash!


    (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 168: Chapter 163: Yang Pulling Slash!


    (Seeking Subscriptions) Qi Hongfei and Zhao Yan¡¯s battle lasted a full 19 minutes.


    When Qi Hongfei switched his fighting style, his movements became elusive, truly living up to his nickname ¡°Electric Crane¡±.


    Every action he took was light and agile, possessing both the elegance and grace of a crane and the speed and power of lightning.


    Qi Hongfei¡¯s figure was like a celestial crane dancing amidst thunder, every turn, every leap filled with liveliness and ease, to the utmost degree of elegance.


    Zhao Yan¡¯s hammer technique was incredibly forceful, his posture as nimble as a tiger, as swift as a dragon, yet he often needed three to five changes in footwork, combined with the blocking and pressing of his twin hammers, to catch a glimpse of Qi Hongfei.


    ...


    When Zhao Yan finally smashed Qi Hongfei out of the ring, Qi¡¯s face was pale with internal injury, but Zhao Yan had also spent more than half of his physical strength and True Qi, sweat beading heavily on his forehead.


    As Zhao Yan caught his breath, he felt a sense of admiration.


    It¡¯s no wonder that one of the traditional top four universities in the Martial Arts Federation, ¡®Future Science and Technology University¡¯, would have a reserve of such strength.


    The man was a year junior to him, yet he could stand toe-to-toe with him, almost exhausting his strength.


    Shortly after Qi Hongfei¡¯s fall outside the ring, a towering figure flipped onto the stage.


    ¡°You must be here to defend the ring!¡±


    That was ¡®Savage Blade¡¯ Tie Yan, standing nearly two meters tall, with two five-foot-long ghost-faced heavy swords, their spines nearly an inch thick.


    Go to novgo.co


    He looked excited and eager as he stood in front of Zhao Yan and announced, ¡°I am ready, referee!¡±


    Tie Yan knocked the heavy swords together, producing a ¡®clang¡¯, then he bent forward slightly, showcasing his incredibly thick neck that resembled a real bear.


    ¡°Dragon-Tiger Form Hammer and Dragon-Tiger True Technique?


    I have wanted to experience this martial art for a long time, but unfortunatelya?€¡±¡±


    ¡°a?€¡±Both are power-type fighters, with Tie Yan¡¯s strength, footwork, and speed not inferior to Zhao Yan¡¯s.


    Their martial prowess is also not far apart.


    Moreover, we can clearly see Tie Yan is much more skilled in handling the details of the fight than Zhao Yan, thanks to the difference in coaching and practical experience.


    So, what follows should be a war of attrition.


    I predict the winner will be decided within 15 minutes,¡± said Xie Qingtong, explaining in her live broadcast while glancing at the viewer numbers on the backstage display.


    a?€¡±The viewership had risen to 5 million, and that was just her channel alone.


    Several major video websites and television stations began to urgently record and even intercut the live broadcast.


    The excitement for the match had been thoroughly ignited by Shi Yan¡¯s words.


    Everyone was drawn by the confrontation between Future Science and Technology University and Tianjing Martial University; no one expected Mingde University to be so strong, nor did they anticipate such twists in today¡¯s event.


    Xie Qingtong glanced sideways at Lin Rui, anticipation shining in her eyes.


    The true strength of this young man would be revealed soon.


    Xie Qingtong had predicted that the battle would last about 15 minutes, yet Zhao Yan had held out for 21 minutes and was still fighting fiercely on the stage.


    He was quite perceptive; he had been learning from his opponent the entire time, especially Tie Yan¡¯s methods of conserving True Qi and physical strength.


    Their fist-to-flesh, intensely heated battle kept the live broadcast audience growing instead of diminishing.


    ¡°a?€¡±That Zhao Yan is really something.


    The chase between him and Qi Hongfei was like a textbook on hit-and-run and counter hit-and-run tactics.


    novgo.co


    He had exhausted so much earlier, and yet now he can still exchange blows with Tie Yan for so long.


    How come I¡¯ve never heard of him before?¡±

 Chapter 169

    ?Chapter 169: Chapter 163: Yang Pulling Slash!


    (Seeking Subscriptions) _2 Chapter 169: Chapter 163: Yang Pulling Slash!


    (Seeking Subscriptions) _2 a?€¡±That¡¯s where you¡¯re uninformed, Zhao Yan was previously a Deputy General at the Second City University, and he was already quite famous.


    Somehow, he had a falling out with the school.


    Everyone thought he was ruining his future, but unexpectedly, he moved to Mingde University.


    a?€¡±His equipment is amazing!


    The intensity of their battle is terrifying, but his gear has been holding up this long without any signs of overload.


    ...


    The quality is great, and especially the ¡°Dragon Roar, Tiger Howl¡± suit; I saw him use it 19 times in a minute without a hitch.


    a?€¡±Zhao Yan is using the ¡°Dragon-Tiger Dual Form¡± set from Tianlan Group, only missing one core piece.


    Nowadays, Tianlan Group¡¯s various equipment truly rules Ninth City in terms of cost performance, as everyone who has used it says it¡¯s good.


    a?€¡±It¡¯s not just Zhao Yan, the entire Martial Cultivator team at Mingde University uses Tianlan Group¡¯s equipment, including Fang Ranran, who also uses products from their own company.


    a?€¡±He¡¯s coming down, Zhao Yan was knocked down!@@@@


    Look quickly.


    Zhao Yan finally ran out of strength and was slashed off the platform by Tie Yan, which made the live broadcast audience fall silent.


    Go to novgo.co


    At that moment, Zhao Yan¡¯s hands were trembling slightly, and his body felt as if ants were biting all over him.


    He wanted to gather his strength again and return to the platform, but his body wouldn¡¯t cooperate, while Tie Yan stood with his sword drawn, coldly watching him.


    ¡°We concede!¡±


    Yu Feicui took the initiative to step forward and threw a white towel into the ring.


    If Zhao Yan kept fighting, it would deplete his vital energy, and it would take a long time to recover.


    Although modern medical technology is highly advanced, it is not omnipotent.


    Upon seeing this, Tie Yan immediately let out a sigh of relief.


    Zhao Yan¡¯s willpower was unusually strong, almost like an indestructible iron man; it really made Tie Yan a bit afraid that he would come back up and continue the draining fight.


    Then, Tie Yan promptly raised the ghost-headed greatsword in his right hand, looming high and pointing it down at Lin Rui, with a disdainful look: ¡°Come on up!¡±


    What the hell?


    The Life Sustaining Injection, also known as the ¡°Emperor¡¯s Injection,¡± was said to be able to bring someone back even if they were severely injured and nearly claimed by death.


    Lin Rui was completely confident in controlling his own slash, but if he compounded it with the abyssal will, he then wasn¡¯t sure what would happen.


    He had originally planned to use talisman arrays to further increase the speed of his slash, but now he dared not use them.


    ¡°Barbarian Blade¡± Tie Yan¡¯s pupils shrank slightly, shocked by Lin Rui.


    The Emperor¡¯s Injection?


    Was this guy serious?


    He then frowned unhappily and let out a cold laugh, ¡°Is this for yourself?¡±


    The referee looked thoughtfully at Lin Rui, then with a large wave of his hand declared, ¡°Do as he says!¡±


    The referee actually felt a bit offended, being questioned by a student and thinking he might not be able to control the situation.


    However, recalling Shi Yan¡¯s words, he decided to be cautious and be prepared for any outcome.


    The nearby hospital affiliated with Mingde University was the top-ranked hospital in the Ninth City and was very convenient for preparing.


    Just moments later, several middle-aged doctors wearing white coats and carrying suitcases with a red ¡®cross¡¯ symbol hurried in, Si Malin among them, curiously watching the platform.


    ¡°All set!¡± The referee looked left and right at the two competitors, ¡°Please pay attention to the electronic tone, the fight will start after the countdown.¡±


    Barbarian Blade Tie Yan still crouched low like a bear stalking its prey, but his starting stance was strange, his pair of ghost-headed heavy swords shielding the sides of his body like two shields.


    Outwardly, he scorned, not believing Lin Rui could make such a fast slash, but inwardly, he took it very seriously.


    The moment the referee¡¯s countdown ended, Barbarian Blade Tie Yan suddenly let out a roar that shook the entire venue, charging toward Lin Rui like a fierce bull with surging vigor.


    Against Lin Rui, who was only at Deputy General level and whose strength and speed were far inferior, using brute force to crush was the most appropriate tactic.


    However, before Barbarian Blade Tie Yan could even step forward, he saw a flash of golden light in front of him.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Tie Yan first felt a chill sweep across his body, and only then did he hear the sharp sound of drawing a sword.


    What just happened?


    While Tie Yan was puzzled, he took a step forward, then his complexion subtly changed.


    He realized he had lost control of his body, his head uncontrollably tilting to the left and backward.


    Tie Yan quickly realized somethinga?€¡±his head was severed!


    At that moment, the entire venue erupted in noise, and everyone seated involuntarily stood up.

 Chapter 170

    ?Chapter 170: Chapter 164: The Unsolvable Knife (Three More Updates for Monthly Pass) Chapter 170: Chapter 164: The Unsolvable Knife (Three More Updates for Monthly Pass) Heavenly Sword Zhang Jie watched the scene on the stage, unable to help but clench his fist forcefully.


    It was this strike!


    In the virtual world, he had been severed by this sword technique three times in a row!


    No, the strike Lin Rui had just made seemed even faster than in the virtual world!


    novgo.co


    What shocked Zhang Jie was that he still hadn¡¯t seen the full extent of that strike.


    It was simply because the golden sword light exceeded the limits of his neural response.


    ...


    ¡°Even the referee couldn¡¯t block it!¡±


    Zhang Jie had just seen the referee, standing five meters away, make a move to block.


    But the reaction of the referee was still too slow, unable to block the sword for Tie Yan.


    a?€¡± This was a seasoned referee, a colonel and well-known gold medal martial arts coach!


    Next to Zhang Jie, ¡®Dragon Fist¡¯ Gu Zhenrong¡¯s face was ashen.


    ¡°Such quick sword-drawing technique!¡±


    So fast that he hadn¡¯t been able to see it clearly just now!


    Go to novgo.co


    Zhang Jie was telling the truth, that man hadn¡¯t used any cheats and was genuinely capable of unsheathing his sword in one-thousandth of a second.


    Their two lead teachers also looked extremely serious.


    One quickly ran up to the arena to check the situation of the students, and the other came up to their own holographic camera as soon as he saw that Tie Yan¡¯s life was saved, reviewing the video footage from just now.


    At this moment, the whole arena was also in chaos, with a group of doctors and nurses rushing up with various instruments.


    ¡°Inject the ¡®Life Sustaining Injection¡¯!


    Faster, 10 milliliters in the head, inject through the carotid artery, and use an artificial blood pump!


    Inject 30 milliliters into the body, directly into the heart chamber!¡±


    ¡°Prepare a professional operating room and surgical pod to perform head and neck suturing surgery.@@@@


    Does this martial arts club have it?


    Is it top-tier equipment?


    Okay, push him directly there.


    Professor Sima can perform the surgery.¡±


    ¡°Student Tie Yan, I know you can hear me now, don¡¯t worry.


    Professor Sima is an associate member of the academy and a top prosthetic surgeon.


    Current biological technology is very advanced, we also have the best nano-surgical devices, and we can guarantee you won¡¯t suffer any complications.


    Just sleep comfortably!¡±


    ¡°Be mindful of those prosthetics inside his body, they might adversely impact the wound, we must find a way to stop their functiona?€¡±¡±


    Fang Ranran watched Tie Yan, who was lying in a pool of blood on the stage, and her eyelids twitched: ¡°So fast!


    Even faster than in the virtual world.¡±


    What kind of monster had she actually attracted into the martial arts club?


    Fang Ranran felt that if she were on the stage facing this move, even if she were prepared, she would still struggle to defend against it.


    Unless the rules of the arena allowed one to bring equipment with over 1000 points of armor into the ring.


    Her lips curved slightly upward, knowing that revitalizing the Prosthetic Department of Mingde University within two years was assured!


    ¡°Definitely more than one-thousandth of a second.¡±


    Fei Yunlai squinted and murmured, ¡°This is will from the abyss, conceptual martial arts!


    It¡¯s when his sword speed touched a certain limit and triggered the abyss¡¯s will, gaining the strength of a concepta?€¡±such a terrifying youngster.¡±


    In short, it was about touching the concept defined by the will of the ¡®abyss,¡¯ much stronger than Shi Yan¡¯s ¡®Immortal Sword¡¯.


    The Immortal Sword only aligned with the will of some ¡®abyss,¡¯ but Lin Rui¡¯s sword technique resonated with the ¡®way¡¯ of the abyss¡¯s will.


    It¡¯s just unknown what kind of concept it was.


    Lin Rui¡¯s strike was definitely conceptual!


    Even if the referee was fully prepared, he might not be successful in blocking Lin Rui¡¯s second strike.


    The expression of the team leader was hideously grim as he turned his head to look at ¡®Dragon Fist¡¯ Gu Zhenrong.


    Gu Zhenrong was also rapidly watching the video of Lin Rui¡¯s strike.


    He couldn¡¯t discern the trajectory of that strike, but was now watching Lin Rui¡¯s initial movements and the changes detected within a ten-meter radius of the arena by the specialized ¡®Ether Monitor.¡¯


    ¡°We at the Abyss Group can¡¯t offer you any valuable advice; we still need some time to analyze and find a way to counter that strike,¡± said a Corporate Communications Manager of the Abyss Group, his brows deeply furrowed.


    ¡°The decision to fight or not is yours to make.¡±


    This time around, the reputation of the ¡®Abyss¡¯ Group was seriously damaged.


    However, if they chose to forfeit now, it would only be more humiliating and would severely damage the reputation of the ¡®Abyss¡¯ Group.


    They did not need a coward to endorse their products.


    Nevertheless, as this was a matter that could endanger lives, the Corporate Communications Manager could not force it.


    Gu Zhenrong had already shifted his gaze away from the instruments.


    There was no need to observe further; only Lin Rui¡¯s initial movement held some value, and perhaps one could deduce his blade path from the motion force of Lin Rui¡¯s shoulders and arms.


    However, he doubted whether his eyes could capture it.


    Without hesitation, Gu Zhenrong moved toward the arena.


    ¡°Brother Gu!¡± Zhang Jie called out involuntarily, but did not know what else to say.


    Gu Zhenrong did not look back, jumping directly onto the stage.


    He was a Prosthetic Martial Artist and a martial arts influencer followed by millions of people.


    So, retreating would be tantamount to commercial suicide.


    Gu Zhenrong would not allow himself to retreat and let this act of cowardice tarnish his pride.


    The referee, seeing this, felt a severe headache, then looked down to the audience: ¡°General Fei!


    I can only trouble you now.¡±


    Fei Yunlai raised his eyebrows, then leaped powerfully across several meters onto the stage.


    He stood on a pillar, arms crossed: ¡°You shall continue to oversee the duel, I¡¯ll be watching.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui relaxed slightly.


    He felt he had a bit of a grasp on his blade now, perhaps he could control it under the ¡®Will of the Abyss,¡¯ but it was just a slight chance.


    The referee also relaxed slightly, but he still cautiously waited for another top medical team signed with the Martial Arts Association to arrive, along with another ¡®Heavenly Emperor¡¯ injection.


    Meanwhile, people below the stage were busy bringing more high-tech measuring instruments, quickly installing them beneath the arena.


    Fang Ranran saw this and was very displeased, but instead of directly stopping it, she deployed some large-scale instruments equipped with strong radiation and electromagnetic waves, installing them in the venue primarily to interfere with each other and distort the data of these devices.


    This was Sky Blue Group¡¯s turf; they could not possibly lose to these guests.


    Once everything was ready, the referee solemnly announced, ¡°Please be ready, students.


    The combat will begin after the countdown!¡±


    ¡°5!


    4!


    3!


    2!


    1a?€¡±a?€¡±¡±


    The moment the countdown ended, ¡®Dragon Fist¡¯ Gu Zhenrong saw a beam of golden light.


    He had already burst forth with all his power, attempting to form a massive external force field around him to obstruct Lin Rui¡¯s blade momentum.


    However, the golden light was unstoppable and slashed towards his face.


    At that moment, a hand clad in a black glove reached out next to him, firmly grasping the golden light.


    It was indeed Fei Yunlai, and the golden light he was holding faded gradually, reverting back to a long, narrow combat blade, ¡®Dark Heaven.¡¯


    It was only then that ¡®Dragon Fist¡¯ Gu Zhenrong heard the ¡®clang¡¯ sound of the blade being drawn.


    The referee raised his right hand: ¡°The duel is concluded, Lin Rui from Mingde University is the winner.¡±

 Chapter 171

    ?Chapter 171: Chapter 165: Public Opinion Explodes (Please Subscribe) Chapter 171: Chapter 165: Public Opinion Explodes (Please Subscribe) PS: I have some words I want to share with you all at the end of this chapter, you may take a look.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Just as Lin Rui struck with his knife for the second time, Fang Kongfang was in his chairman¡¯s office, staring absentmindedly at the twenty-some holographic video images displayed before him.


    He was watching the surveillance videos from various angles inside the Martial Arts Club.


    Ever since that emergency meeting two days ago, Fang Kongfang had ostensibly stopped paying attention to the exchange matches, entrusting Fang Ranran and Yu Feicui to take full charge; still, he had been closely following the changes in online public opinion.


    Today, as the exchange battle commenced and Fang Kongfang noticed an escalating fervor online, he immediately cloistered himself in his office using tiredness that demanded rest as an excuse, covertly ¡®peeking¡¯ at the subsequent fights.


    This exchange battle took place on the ninth floor of the Martial Arts Club, at the outdoor activity area of the team club.


    There, numerous high-definition holographic cameras were already installed, along with various equipment such as near-infrared scanners and eunuch monitors, capable of capturing the venue from all angles.


    ...


    These apparatuses were originally set up to facilitate the team members¡¯ cultivation, allowing them to check their own cultivation status at any time and make targeted improvements.


    At this moment, however, they provided convenience for Fang Kongfang.


    Using his chairman¡¯s authority, he called upon these instruments to comprehensively observe the final few bouts of the exchange battle.


    ¡°This kid, what fast knife skills!¡±


    Fang Kongfang, stroking his chin, murmured softly, ¡°One thousandth of a second?


    No, it should be closer to eight ten-thousandths of a second.


    Go to novgo.co


    Too bad it wasn¡¯t fully captured on camera, no, it¡¯s better that it wasn¡¯t.


    This is the abyssa?€¡±¡±


    At this point, his assistant Guan Biran sent him a message.


    Little Guan: Chairman, have you seen today¡¯s battles in the exchange event?@@@@


    Lin Rui has consecutively defeated the Deputy General and Iron Yan from the Future Science and Technology University, as well as Dragon Fist Gu Zhenrong.


    They are talents within the top three of the ten prodigies, two S+ ranked Lieutenant Colonels.


    Lin Rui used only one slash, just one slash!


    Little Guan: Lin Rui has mastered a concept-level secret technique of swordsmanship.


    His slash speed has reached one thousandth of a second, but due to the integration with the will of the abyss, the speed cannot be accurately calculated at the moment.


    Guan Biran¡¯s excitement and surprise could be inferred from his choice of words.


    Fang Kongfang chuckled, this Little Guan, still so impatient.


    Fang Kongfang: The will of the abyss, conceptual martial arts?


    Are you sure?


    Fang Kongfang had made the same judgment when he was watching, but after all, he was not at the scene.


    Little Guan: I¡¯m certain!


    I¡¯m currently at the venue, this is General Fei¡¯s own statement.


    Guan Biran had rushed over before the main match had started; he never anticipated that such a change would occur in today¡¯s exchange fight.


    Therefore, he only witnessed the final slash by Lin Rui.


    That single slash had left him thrilled and amazed up to the present moment.


    Little Guan: Chairman, the buzz online is tremendous this time.


    Tianhuan Video Network hit a peak viewership record of 11 million; other video sites also have over 7 million viewers.


    Our ninth city¡¯s Wanxun TV network¡¯s Prosthetics Channel, during the live broadcast of the last two fights just now, reached a 2.3 rating with a coverage of 13 million people.


    Little Guan: Yu Feicui and I believe that we can now harness the company¡¯s resources, try to promote Lin Rui, and continue to boost the buzz.


    There are still four months left, which is ample time.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another method, this is a limit-charge burst technique that can only be used once.


    We don¡¯t need to solve it, just make sure that he won¡¯t die immediately after drawing his sword, like using secret techniques for avoiding death or substitution, or corresponding bio-enhancements, though this would be very costly.¡±


    As these people chattered on, the members of Mingde University¡¯s martial arts club had already retreated to Fang Ranran¡¯s office.


    They were holding a review meeting after the match, discussing the recent battle, and evaluating their gains and losses.


    However, most of them were still fixated on Lin Rui¡¯s strike, unable to contain their excitement.


    Even Fei Yunlai was somewhat distracted.


    But when he occasionally chimed in to point out the gains and losses of a few people in the battle, he always hit the nail on the head, providing them significant insight.


    Wang Sen had become virtually invisible, hiding in the corner and scrolling through various video websites on his smart terminal.


    novgo.co


    a?€¡±a?€¡±It¡¯s too exaggerated, isn¡¯t that sword-drawing speed too incredible?


    This guy is at most of a preparatory colonel level, how could he possibly have such a fast sword-drawing speed?


    a?€¡±a?€¡±It¡¯s not just fast.


    I heard that this strike has already touched upon concepts.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Unsolvable!


    Super unsolvable!


    The entire martial arts circle has exploded, I¡¯ve never heard of this Lin Rui before, how did he suddenly emerge?


    a?€¡±a?€¡±He was discovered by Tianlan Group.


    It¡¯s said that he didn¡¯t come from much before, had no money for bio-enhancement, nor had a teacher¡¯s guidance, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been studying at Mingde University¡¯s Alien Body College.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±I heard that during the initial Alien Body assessment, Lin Rui had a perfect victory record.


    Someone tampered with the matching algorithm to prevent him from ascending higher, otherwise he would have become the foremost among the top ten.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Wow, there¡¯s even such a person?


    A true commoner player, he looks so handsome, his features are not inferior to those genetically modified superstars.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±The Martial Arts Association has already updated Lin Rui¡¯s data: bio-enhancement rating S; combat skills rating SSSi?1?4? (concept); overall rating SSi?1?4?, super imperial class!


    Note there¡¯s a bracket indicating that it indeed involves a concept, but the sword-drawing technique he used is not yet included in the records.


    Wang Sen checked the Martial Arts Association¡¯s website and indeed found Lin Rui¡¯s name in the database.


    He then proceeded to open the bio-enhancement channels of various major news websites.


    ¡°Breaking!


    In today¡¯s exchange battle between Mingde University and Future Science University, the young fighter Lin Rui displayed an unsolvable strike!¡±


    ¡°Sword speed of eight ten-thousandths of a second, consecutively defeating two top-ranked majors!¡±


    ¡°Today, an invincible champion descends upon the university martial arts league!¡±


    ¡°The rise of Mingde University¡¯s supernova!


    A seismic shift is imminent in the martial arts landscape of the ninth base¡¯s universities.¡±


    Wang Sen¡¯s lips curled into a smile, his expression proud.


    Although the news was about Lin Rui, he felt vicariously honored.


    Just then, he heard Fang Ranran suddenly curse loudly.


    ¡°Damn you, Tianjing Martial Arts University!


    Isn¡¯t this too underhanded?¡±


    Hearing this, everybody in the office looked curiously in Fang Ranran¡¯s direction, all wondering what had happened with Tianjing Martial Arts University to make ¡®little boss Fang¡¯ so angry?

 Chapter 172

    ?Chapter 172: Chapter 166: Roses on the Stone (Please Subscribe) Chapter 172: Chapter 166: Roses on the Stone (Please Subscribe) At this moment, Yu Feicui¡¯s video projection also appeared in the office.


    She hadn¡¯t participated in the post-battle review meeting because she went with Guan Biran to negotiate with Lin Rui.


    The exchange battle had just ended when several streaming platforms couldn¡¯t wait to express their desire to sign Lin Rui, inviting him to join their platforms exclusively.


    Currently, they were offering signing bonuses up to tens of millions of Federation dollars and were discussing the specific terms.


    The two, representing the talent agency, were tasked with securing the best terms for Lin Rui and also looking after the interests of Sky Blue Group.


    If it were just about money, Sky Blue Group could supply that to Lin Rui on their own; what they wanted was exposure, to advertise their products as widely as possible.


    ¡°General Manager Fang, you saw the new lineup submission from Tianjing Martial Arts University, right?¡±


    ¡°I saw it!¡± Fang Ranran ground her teeth, ¡°A bunch of spineless cowards.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Fei Yunlai was shocked, ¡°Does Tianjing Martial Arts University dare to avoid battle?


    ...


    Aren¡¯t they afraid of being blasted by their fans?


    Heavenly Sword Group wouldn¡¯t allow them to do that either, would they?¡±


    At present, the members of Tianjing Martial Arts University each have millions of fans online; they can¡¯t afford the cost of avoiding battle.


    Once a martial arts star is labeled a coward, they¡¯re basically finisheda?€¡±they can¡¯t mix in the martial arts scene anymore.


    It¡¯s the same for Sky Sword Prosthetic Company; it would greatly impact the brand of Sky Sword Prosthetic.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°They haven¡¯t avoided battle, they¡¯ve just changed the main and deputy general in their lineup, replacing them with two S-ranked seniors.¡±


    Fang Ranran huffed, ¡°They wish!¡±


    Fei Yunlai instantly understood what was going on; Tianjing Martial Arts University planned to use two unimportant team members to trick Lin Rui into drawing his sword!


    This had no impact on ¡®Devil Sword¡¯ Baili Wang and ¡®Devil Hand¡¯ Zhen Xiaoxiao, as they were in the secondary and leading positions.


    Given the strength displayed by Mingde University¡¯s Martial Arts Society, they couldn¡¯t reach Lin Rui.


    ¡°Since they¡¯ve changed their lineup, we¡¯ll change ours too.


    Lin Rui won¡¯t be competing tomorrow.¡±


    Yu Feicui turned towards Wang Sen, ¡°Wang Sen, didn¡¯t you get an S+ prosthetic ¡®Xuanwu Marrow Crystal¡¯ implanted by Professor Sima last night?


    Tomorrow you¡¯ll step in as the vanguard.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Wang Sen was extremely surprised, pointing to his own nose.


    He had received two doses of True Condense potion the day before yesterday, which greatly enhanced his spiritual power, so he immediately got the ¡®Xuanwu Marrow Crystal¡¯ implanted.


    This S+ prosthetic not only matched several intermediate martial skills he was learning, but also had a high compatibility with the super king serum he had newly obtained.


    The problem was that he was currently only a lieutenant, and his prosthetic was rated at A.


    Wang Sen scratched his head, ¡°I can fight, buta?€¡±¡±


    He just feared embarrassing the Martial Arts Society by getting beaten in one move.


    Yu Feicui stayed silent, simply looking at Fei Yunlai.


    Seeing this, Fei Yunlai touched his nose and said, ¡°You¡¯re learning the Ice Blood Palm and the Ice Blood Cold Wind Sword, right?


    I know a master in this area.


    Alright, leave it to me; holding out for 20 bouts against ¡®Devil Hand¡¯ Zhen Xiaoxiao tomorrow shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.¡±


    He patted Wang Sen¡¯s shoulder, signaling the husky boy to follow him out.


    Lin Rui watched the two leave and was thinking that he didn¡¯t need to compete tomorrow, so he might as well return to the sleep chamber to descend upon Tianji Star, when suddenly Yu Feicui sent him another private message.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): Lin Rui, I¡¯ve been in touch with several video platforms, and their current offers all seem genuine.


    However, there are some differences in the specific contract terms.


    Here are their preliminary proposals.


    Take a look and see which terms you find most satisfying, and I¡¯ll negotiate with them in more detail.


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): It¡¯s impossible for there to be leaks.


    They prepare a separate safe for each backed-up martial art, accessible only by you and your heir.


    As for the security level of the ¡®Divine Pivot¡¯, it is the highest in the entire Federation, an S9.


    The reward will be based on the level of your secret technique.


    I think your ¡®Yang Pulling Slash¡¯ will definitely be rated SS+ or maybe even SSS, earning you the Purple Gold Diamond Badge.


    I don¡¯t need to tell you its value; it will be of great help to you.


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): Also, you need to prepare some video material, including instruction for junior and intermediate martial arts, and some tips for increasing sword-drawing speed.


    novgo.co


    I know you¡¯re usually busy, so record more when you have time.


    Once we have a contract with the video network, we¡¯ll organize a team to manage your account using these materials.


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): I anticipate that your popularity will continue to surge in the coming days.


    It¡¯s an excellent opportunity for fanbase growth, so please put in a bit more effort these next few days.


    Instead of feeling troubled after reading the message, Lin Rui felt energized and full of fighting spirit.


    Shooting some videos to earn 35 million seemed much simpler and more relaxing than capturing demons.


    Besides, once he built up his fanbase, making money would be very easy.


    It¡¯s a path paved with gold and bright prospects.


    At that moment, he received a message from his sister, Lin Xi.


    End of Summer¡¯s Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Bro!


    Congratulations, I saw the news.


    Those two slashes were so sharp!


    I bet you could take down the entire Tianjing Martial University alone.


    End of Summer¡¯s Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Also, my alternate body is ready.


    It will arrive at Tian Ji Star in half a day.


    Professor Sima said my case is special.


    He must customize it himself for the first descent, so I still have to stay in the sleep pod for now.


    She sent a crying emoji.


    End of Summer¡¯s Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): I chose the identity of the young miss from the Zhou family in the eastern part of Wangcheng County, the one you marked as the most valuable.


    After I descend, I¡¯ll adapt by myself first.


    Come find me when you guys are free.


    Reading this, Lin Rui¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression becoming strange.


    The young miss from the Zhou family in the eastern part of the county?


    The value of this identity was indeed extremely high, but high rewards often mean high risks.


    Moreover, when he gave Lin Xi the advice, it was over ten days ago; the risks associated with this identity would only have increased by now.


    He hoped his sister could withstand this surprisea?€¡±


    Lin Rui also took the opportunity to clear out his private chat system.


    Since the battle ended, at least fifty people had messaged him in his address book, most of whom were his teachers and classmates.


    Additionally, over a hundred people had sent him friend requests.


    Lin Rui casually browsed through them and then ¡®hmm¡¯a?€¡±his eyebrows raised at one name.


    ¡°Stone Rose?¡±


    What caught his attention was the username¡¯s notea?€¡±Future Sci-Tech University, Shi Yan!

 Chapter 173

    ?Chapter 173: Chapter 167: The Secret of the Abyss (Three more chapters for monthly votes) Chapter 173: Chapter 167: The Secret of the Abyss (Three more chapters for monthly votes) ¡°Breaking news, this afternoon the Mingde University Martial Arts Club defeated the incoming Future Science and Technology University Martial Arts Club in a sparring match.


    In this exchange, our city¡¯s rising star in martial arts, Lin Rui, consecutively defeated the chief and deputy generals from the visiting team.


    novgo.co


    The two matches took less than 2 milliseconds in totala?€¡±¡±


    ¡°According to estimates by several renowned martial critics, Lin Rui¡¯s sword-drawing speed has broken the record of the Martial Arts Association, being between ninety-thousandths and eighty-thousandths of a second, and he has already stepped into the conceptual domain!


    Multiple martial arts media outlets have updated the university martial cultivator power rankings, elevating Lin Rui to the top spot among competitors aged 18.¡±


    This is the third practical training room of the Mingde University Martial Arts Club.


    Shi Yan stood in the center of the training room, which was 30 meters in length, width, and height, with her arms crossed over her chest.


    She raised her eyes to the three-dimensional projector in front of her, which was playing the news.


    ...


    Along with the newscaster¡¯s voice, Lin Rui¡¯s two battle videos were also shown.


    However, the image quality was very poor, and the moment when Tie Yan¡¯s head was severed had been edited, with a three-dimensional mosaic applied.


    ¡°Indeed, very fast!¡±


    In Shi Yan¡¯s eyes, a glint of deep light flickered.


    ¡°Eighty-thousandths of a second, the abyssal concept?¡±


    Go to novgo.co@@@@


    She then heard the holographic television continue to broadcast, ¡°Some critics have also questioned the recent power rankings, considering them too arbitrary.


    They doubt the validity of Lin Rui¡¯s battle records due to a small sample size.


    In the 18-year-old category, there are still several geniuses capable of contending with Lin Rui, such as the Demon Sword King of Baili.


    With appropriate targeted enhancements to his martial arts and armor, he could counter Lin Rui¡¯s sword-drawing technique and withstand an attack that¡¯s eighty-thousandths of a second fast!¡±


    ¡°a?€¡±Some members of the media think that Immortal Sword Shi Yan is more famous than skilled.


    Since winning the ¡®Abyss Cup¡¯ six months ago, her growth has been limited, and they say she no longer deserves her place in the hall of fame.


    They criticize the management strategy of Future Science and Technology University¡¯s Martial Arts Club, arguing that the club has wasted too many resources on a few hall-of-fame-level members, leading to a weakening in strength and defeat at the hands of Mingde University.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shi Yan clenched her fists tighter and let out a cold laugh, ¡°Idiots!¡±


    Because of this one defeat, she was being belittled to this degree, almost being trampled into the mire.


    Behind her stood ¡®Black Stone¡¯ Zhang Jie, the African-American young man who was touching his forehead with a look of helplessness.


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy, Shi Yan.


    I hope you understand what you¡¯re doing.


    You¡¯ve just recovered from your injuries.


    Do you want to end up in the medical pod again?


    At this stage, his sword-drawing technique is undefeatable not only at the lieutenant-colonel level but even at the major level.


    You, Shi Yan, are no exception.


    If you challenge him now, there¡¯s only one outcome for youa?€¡±you¡¯ll end up in a life-support pod just like Tie Yan.


    Also!


    Don¡¯t pay attention to what they say on TV.


    The Demon Sword King of Baili¡¯s agency is just blowing smoke.


    He definitely can¡¯t stop Lin Rui¡¯s strike.¡±


    ¡°I know, I, of course, know.¡±


    Shi Yan murmured, but the light in her eyes grew hotter, ¡°Enough talk!


    Didn¡¯t I tell you before coming here?


    He might be the key that helps me advance to the next level.¡±


    Among all martial artists who have mastered conceptual martial arts, Lin Rui¡¯s cultivation is the most similar to hers, and he is exactly at the threshold, which offers great reference value.


    The best would be to ¡®personally¡¯ experience ita?€¡±


    Right then, the heavy door to the practical training room swung open with a clang.


    Shi Yan turned her head and saw Lin Rui and Fang Ranran walking in from outside the door; she also noticed a whole medical team and life-saving equipment outside.


    The corner of Shi Yan¡¯s lips twitched slightly.


    Howevera?€¡±


    Fang Ranran looked toward Shi Yan, who was standing there unharmed despite Lin Rui¡¯s slice.


    Shi Yan had only swung her sword halfway when she stopped mid-air, her eyes closed as she murmured, ¡°So fast, indeed an unsolvable secret slice, is this the concept of the abyss?


    So that¡¯s it, I understand a bit!


    Thanks, thanksa?€¡±¡±


    She actually started to laugh, an overwhelmingly satisfied, gratified, and unrestrained laugh.


    Zhang Jie was a little suspicious of whether this classmate was an M or had some mental issue.


    ¡°I lost!¡±


    As she spoke, Shi Yan took out a straw figure from her sleeve and threw it out, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for this thing replacing me, you would have chopped off my chest, Lin classmate.


    That¡¯s really rude, how can you slash at a girl¡¯s area?¡±


    The straw figure fell to the ground and split into two pieces.


    Lin Rui looked at it with surprise in his eyes.


    A life-saving magic artifact?


    Shi Yan actually had such a thing?


    To use such a precious artifact in a minor Martial Arts sparring?


    He didn¡¯t understand and, while sheathing his knife, he replied insincerely, ¡°I¡¯ll be careful next time.¡±


    This was a fight; did he really have to care about where he was striking?


    A dead body left after a killing was no different; who would be interested in a corpse?


    The next moment, however, his heart congealed slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for that slice of yours; it made me comprehend some key things.


    As a reward, I¡¯ll tell you a secret, one that only a very few people know,¡± Shi Yan began, pointing to her brow, ¡°I just saw that Lin classmate¡¯s slice contains two concepts of the abyss, light and certainty of hitting.


    ¡®Light¡¯ is because your slice is closest to the speed of light at this level, or perhaps it relates to your soul; as for certainty of hitting, it¡¯s due to the ultimate speed and precision.


    You must have worked hard on precision when you created this slice, right?


    To ensure a guaranteed hit, both speed and precision are indispensable.¡±


    ¡°Light and certainty of hitting?¡± Lin Rui looked at his Heavenly Slash with half belief and half doubt.


    ¡°Trust me!


    I have special equipment, so I can see it.


    Lin Rui, you can only harness these abyssal concepts and utilize their power when you understand them,¡± Shi Yan said meaningfully.


    ¡°You can only trigger it now but can¡¯t control it; you can¡¯t make good use of its strength, and thus the power enhancement to the secret slice is negligible.


    If you practice more, study more Martial Arts in the same vein as this slice technique, and come into contact with them more, you will truly master these abyssal concepts.


    But do you know why the existing abyss in the Extreme Heaven Star tries to erase the traces of past abysses as much as possible?¡±


    Without waiting for Lin Rui to answer, she continued, ¡°Contact with the will of the abyss can make a Martial Cultivator stronger, but if you delve too deeply, the abyss might awaken inside you.


    Of course, if your mental willpower is strong enough, you might replace the abyss!¡±


    ¡°Awakening the abyss?


    Replacing the abyss?¡± Upon hearing this, Fang Ranran frowned and asked, ¡°Shi junior, what nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten, Sister Fang?


    My inheritance is from the abyss,¡± Shi Yan replied, shaking her head slightly.


    ¡°With your status and resources, a little investigation should make it clear.


    I almost forgot!


    Sister Fang, your technique is ¡®Heavenly Slash,¡¯ and you¡¯re not far from touching upon abyssal concepts.


    You can ask your teacher about it.¡±


    At this moment, Lin Rui suddenly felt a stirring in his spirit and called out to his spiritual ring.


    ¡°Battle Spirit Ring, can Soul Power help me master the abyssal concepts of light and certainty of hitting?¡±


    The feedback from the Battle Spirit Ring that flowed into his mind left Lin Rui in disbelief.

 Chapter 174

    ?Chapter 174: Chapter 168: Can It Be Even Faster?


    (Please Subscribe) Chapter 174: Chapter 168: Can It Be Even Faster?


    (Please Subscribe) ¡°`


    Hint: The integrity of the Battle Spirit Ring is insufficient; it can only initially integrate the host with the Abyss¡¯s will and get a basic grasp of its concepts.


    To fuse 1% with the Light King of the Abyss requires 10,000 soul power points.


    To fuse 1% with the Master of Destiny from the Abyss requires 10,000 soul power points.


    To grasp 1% of the concept of ¡®Light Trace¡¯ requires 3,000 soul power points, and to grasp 1% of the concept of ¡®Unerring¡¯ requires 3,000 soul power points.


    Lin Rui experienced the hint from the Battle Spirit Ring and his eyes became strange, but in an instant, he was back to normal.


    ...


    He asked interestedly, ¡°I heard from Shi Adana¡¯s tone just now that she also came into contact with the Abyss¡¯s concepts?¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡±


    Shi Yan casually swung her sword and produced a bright sword light filled with celestial qi in front of her.


    This caused Fang Ranran¡¯s pupils to shrink.


    The trajectory of the sword that Shi Yan displayed casually was crooked, yet it conveyed an elusive and profoundly mystical atmosphere, like a dream or illusion.


    What was crucial was that this woman¡¯s sword speed was at least nearly twenty percent faster than during the day.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°The Abyss inheritance I received comes from a distant past¡¯s Abyss ¡®Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable.¡¯ The concept of the Abyss I am now in contact with is ¡®Immortal,¡¯ which is detached from the mundane, unrestrained by heaven and earth, surpassing mortal beings and things,¡± said Shi Yan, sheathing her sword, her eyes filled with expectation.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I still can¡¯t block Lin Adana¡¯s cut.


    I guess you didn¡¯t use your full strength just now, did you?


    Your drawing speed could probably be even faster.¡±


    Lin Rui, hearing this, had a puzzled look in his eyes.


    How did this woman figure it out?


    Fang Ranran and Zhang Jie couldn¡¯t believe it, thinking, how could it be possible?


    Could Lin Rui¡¯s sword-drawing speed get any faster?


    ¡°Here!@@@@


    My outfit allows me to see many things others can¡¯t, like your casting suit and the numerous charms you¡¯re carrying,¡± said Shi Yan, pointing again to her glabella.


    ¡°With the power of the talismanic array, your sword technique could probably speed up again; I wonder by how much?


    Ten percent?¡±


    As long as it¡¯s within my capability, I will do it.


    Farewell!¡±


    After the salute, Shi Yan walked towards the door.


    When she reached the door, she saw ¡®Black Stone¡¯ Zhang Jie still standing there, motionless, so she turned back in resignation, pulling Zhang Jie with her as she walked outside.


    novgo.co


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!


    What are you dazing out for?¡±


    She had brought Zhang Jie to observe, to let him experience the wonder of the Abyss, but his reaction was embarrassingly foolish, like a block of wood.


    Fang Ranran watched the two disappear at the door, her mouth twisting in displeasure: ¡°That woman got chopped up by me like that today, and she¡¯s still so arrogant.¡±


    She turned to Lin Rui: ¡°But what she said is not wrong.


    The finals of the university martial arts league really are something else.


    The deputy generals of those strong teams each have SS or higher gear ratings, and their combat technique ratings are generally above S+.


    Even for that woman, I estimate that she will likely merge with a Golden Core within a month, and in half a year¡¯s time, she might become a key member of Future Science University.


    So, Lin Rui, you must not be complacent or arrogant.


    It¡¯s a pity!


    You revealed your hand too early; by the time the finals come, they will surely think of ways to counter it.¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡± Lin Rui nodded.


    ¡°Senior Fang, I¡¯d like to stay here alone for a while.


    Emerald asked me to record some martial arts instructional videos for her to use.¡±


    Fang Ranran suddenly felt that Lin Rui was quite impressive too, was he implying that she should leave?


    But it didn¡¯t matter; he was now the darling of Mingde University and the Tianlan Group.


    Fang Ranran believed she should treat Lin Rui with the same regard as one would have for a top salesperson.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Fang Ranran moved towards the door with a smile: ¡°But it¡¯s almost midnight now, and you haven¡¯t had dinner since you got out of the life support pod, right?


    I¡¯ll have someone send food over to you later.


    Also, our martial arts club has acquired some new electromagnetic therapy machines that can help relax muscles and spirit.


    Lin Rui, if you¡¯re tired, you can try them out.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 175

    ?Chapter 175: Chapter 168: Can It Be Even Faster?


    (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 175: Chapter 168: Can It Be Even Faster?


    novgo.co


    (Please Subscribe)_2 Lin Rui had his eyes half-closed, lost in thought.


    Fang Ranran was right; the essence of martial arts was still the ultimate meaning of martial arts.


    Beyond that, there was one¡¯s own True Yuan, soul, physical quality, martial arts attainment, and so on.@@@@


    In fact, Lin Rui had always felt that his improvement through the power of the ¡®Battle Spirit Ring¡¯ was too unsteady, like floating duckweed without roots.


    ...


    However, what he needed to address first was the problem of survival; only by staying alive could he then find the time to consider the issue of foundations.


    Right now, Lin Rui¡¯s desire for immediate combat power far outweighed the importance of foundations and potential.


    ¡°Ring Spirit: Help me grasp 1% of the ¡®inevitable hit¡¯ concept.¡±


    Hint: Integrating 1% of the Abyss¡¯s ¡®Lord of Life¡¯ requires 10,000 Soul Power points, and grasping 1% of the ¡®inevitable hit¡¯ concept requires 3,000 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui pondered; it seemed that the prerequisite for grasping these concepts was to further merge with the Abyss.


    He currently had 16,300 Soul Power points at hand, which he had originally planned to use to replicate several Body Refinement and mental secret techniques.


    But now he decided to experience what this ¡®Abyssal Will¡¯ and ¡®concepts¡¯ were really about.


    Go to novgo.co


    As soon as Lin Rui chose ¡®Yes,¡¯ he felt a slight change in his spirit and a faint yet stable connection with a powerful spiritual will in the void.


    This spiritual will was entrenched in Tianji Star, possessing boundless power, limitless spirit, unfathomable depth.


    ¡°So this is the ¡®Abyss¡¯?


    Then, what exactly are its concepts like?¡±


    Lin Rui contacted the staff at the martial arts club and had the club¡¯s only sixth-order sparring robot sent up.


    He first used ¡®Yang Pulling Slash¡¯ on the robot, then his heart skipped a beat.


    It actually hit!


    This sparring robot, designed for Deputy Generals and Generals, not only had a super-fast dodging speed but also an astonishing blocking capability.


    It was very hard to hit, even in a thousandth, let alone a ten-thousandth of a second.


    By all theories, Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Yang Pulling Slash¡¯ should have had no chance of hitting, but he had just landed a hit.


    Lin Rui¡¯s blade had actually broken through the robot¡¯s defense, barely grazing its shoulder.


    ¡°Is this the concept?


    Directly warping physical rules, completely unreasonable.¡±


    Now this Lin Rui has become an obstacle Baili Wang couldn¡¯t circumvent, a stepping stone he must tread upon.


    At this moment, Zhen Xiaoxiao¡¯s expression subtly shifted: ¡°I think what you need to worry about now is something else.¡±


    He activated the new projection device on his terminal bracelet: ¡°You¡¯re in trouble, Baili.


    I¡¯ve told you the promotional strategy of your agency is problematic, overhyping your implant gear martial arts and belittling Lin Rui and Shi Yan.


    Look, the boomerang is coming back.¡±


    ¡°Boomerang?¡± Baili Wang looked puzzled at the holographic projection, then his eyes narrowed: ¡°Shi Yan?¡±


    It was Shi Yan¡¯s live streaming room, and Baili Wang saw this madwoman smiling at the camera.


    ¡°Huh?


    Baili Wang?


    What¡¯s Baili Wang?¡±


    ¡°I just fought with Lin Rui and lost in one strike.


    Baili Wang is not even my match, how can he compare with Lin Rui?¡±


    ¡°You fans really overestimate your idol, saying Lin Rui is nothing special, and hasn¡¯t met Baili Wang?


    That¡¯s hilarious.


    Do you think his concept sword and SSS+ combat skill rating are fake?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to explain to you.


    In the battle the day after tomorrow, I will show you the gap between Baili Wang and me.


    He thinks he has a chance of winning, does he?


    Then bring it on.¡±


    Baili Wang, seeing this, furrowed his brows deeply.


    After briefly understanding the situation, he learned that his fan group had recently flooded Shi Yan¡¯s live streaming room, mocking the fact that Future Science and Technology University lost to Mingde University.


    This was indeed the boomerang effect of the agency¡¯s promotional strategy.


    To maintain his popularity, the company created a stir on various forums and martial review sites, questioning Lin Rui and the main and deputy generals of Future Science & Tech University while highly praising his implant gear and martial arts, claiming they could counter Lin Rui, which led to this scene.


    Baili Wang shook his head and signaled Zhen Xiaoxiao with a smirk to turn off the live stream.


    ¡°No need to take her seriously.


    After the fight the day after tomorrow, the difference between me and her will naturally be clear.¡±


    This man always planned first and acted only when he was sure of victory.


    The reason he had agreed to participate in this exchange battle was that Baili Wang reckoned he had seen through Shi Yan¡¯s reality, giving him an eighty percent chance of winning.

 Chapter 176

    ?Chapter 176: Chapter 169: Unexpectedly Improved Again (Please Subscribe) Chapter 176: Chapter 169: Unexpectedly Improved Again (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui stayed in the third combat training room for an entire night.


    On one hand, he was researching the will of the abyss and the concept of the abyss; on the other hand, he was recording martial arts teaching videos.


    As he had mastered numerous basic and intermediate martial arts techniques, he had a lot of video footage to record.


    Lin Rui felt that the videos he had recorded had the potential to become very popular.


    This was because all of his martial arts stance techniques had reached the level of Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster, which would enable him to include a lot of valuable information and many tips for cultivation in the video.


    Those who truly understood the material would be able to see the difference between him and those martial arts influencers clearly.


    Lin Rui thought of another Lin Rui and Wang Sen, who had wanted to find masters to learn from but couldn¡¯t, gritted their teeth to buy martial arts videos, only to find out that the content was either superficial with few valuable insights or was so obscure and complex that it left them completely baffled, and thus he felt great empathy.


    ...


    On one hand, he tried to keep the videos as short as possible, and on the other hand, he strived to make the content straightforward and clear, to show a clear path for those who were truly dedicated to bio-enhanced martial arts.


    He also took the opportunity to promote the products of the Tianlan Group in the videos and provided a purchase link; his fans could get discount coupons through him before going to the Tianlan Group¡¯s official website to make a purchase.


    The various bio-enhancements and potions from the Tianlan Group were very cost-effective, and the discount provided by the Tianlan Group was also significant, so Lin Rui promoted their products with a clear conscience.


    Lin Rui even spent 1,000 soul power to specially derive a secret sword technique, ¡°Yang Pulling Slash (Youth Edition),¡± that would greatly increase the drawing speed of swords and sabers for martial artists who primarily focused on light, thunder, and fire elements.


    It was suitable for all ranks below captain.


    The next morning, Lin Rui, full of energy, boarded the luxurious flying car sent by the Martial Cultivator Association and headed to the Martial Cultivator Association building next to the city hall.


    Lin Rui was able to enjoy the highest level of 6A-grade security, escorted personally by a bio-enhanced major general to the Martial Cultivator Association.


    Go to novgo.co


    Indeed, the security and defense capabilities of the Martial Cultivator Association were astounding.


    As Lin Rui walked in, he saw no less than eight Type-8 combat robots.


    These were the highest version among combat robots, with combat power close to that of Martial Cultivators at the eighth realm, and the cost of each was said to be several billion federal dollars.


    novgo.co


    Along the way, Lin Rui also sensed dozens of incredibly strong qi and mental wills, all far surpassing the bio-enhanced major general who accompanied him.@@@@


    According to the bio-enhanced major general, below the ¡®Divine Pivot¡¯ of the Martial Cultivator Association, there were four 9S-grade magical plants transplanted from the interior of Tianji Star, with combat power no less than that of the ninth realm God¡¯s Gaze, so the security level here was truly 9S, even higher than that of the city hall.


    The Martial Cultivator Association first assessed the level of Lin Rui¡¯s ¡°Yang Pulling Slash.¡±


    They invited six bio-enhanced generals to observe on-site and score Lin Rui.


    What surprised Lin Rui was that Fei Yunlai was also among these six, smiling and waving at him.


    Lin Rui was slightly curious, wasn¡¯t this guy supposed to take Wang Sen to visit a friend, to seek guidance in martial arts from that friend?


    Why did he turn up here?


    ¡°Did you all not notice the talisman inside his sleeve?


    The power of that slash can clearly still be amplified.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not sufficient evidence.


    Nearly all martial techniques can be strengthened with talisman formations.¡±


    After a lengthy discussion, these Genetically Enhanced Generals eventually rated his ¡®Yang Pulling Slash¡¯ as third realm SS+.


    Nevertheless, Lin Rui still received the ¡®Purple Gold Diamond Badge¡¯ from the Martial Arts Association, signifying the association¡¯s recognition of his significant contribution to the development of human martial arts.


    This was immensely beneficial to him, as Lin Rui could use this badge to obtain a 1% tax exemption when making purchases, as well as a 1% subsidy from the government, in addition to certain legal immunities, accommodation in a high-class villa arranged by the government, and so forth.


    The key was that Lin Rui could now append a ¡®Purple Gold Diamond Badge¡¯ to his online alias.


    From then on, people would know at a glance that this martial arts star was different from other flamboyant characters.


    Besides, Lin Rui could also use this ¡®Purple Gold Diamond Badge¡¯ to request the company of a Genetically Enhanced Major General from the Martial Arts Association as a free escort for a day.


    For someone at his level, the Purple Gold Diamond Badge was almost equivalent to a life-saving charm.


    Next, Lin Rui transcribed the cultivation method and all the profound mysteries of Yang Pulling Slash onto special writing materials provided by the Martial Arts Association.


    Then, under the escort of several Genetically Enhanced Generals, he placed it in a safe deep within the ¡®Divine Axis¡¯.


    Upon seeing those four 9S-rated monstrous plants, Lin Rui felt a chill run down his spine.


    Although the monstrous plants were relatively tame by nature, they were still demonic creatures!


    He had no idea how the Martial Arts Association had managed to transplant them, or how they controlled these 9S-rated monstrous plants?


    A 9S rating was on par with a ninth realm ¡®Divine Illumination¡¯ with royal lineage blood, a force to rival a four-star Marshal of the Human Federation.


    Should they lose control, the vicinity of the city government would surely turn into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, devoid of any vegetation.


    After emerging from the Divine Axis, Lin Rui began to enjoy the perks of the ¡®Purple Gold Diamond Badge¡¯.


    He hired a luxurious President Winged Car from Ambola Shared Car Company to return to school, but the Ambola Company upgraded it to a ¡®Luxurious President Bulletproof Car.¡¯


    As Lin Rui got into the car, he couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about the time he and Lin Xi were in a car together.


    It was then that he suddenly remembered somethinga?€¡±where was his sister?


    According to the regulations of the Agency for Extra-Terrestrial Affairs, generally, after an ET is created, it can be delivered to the designated location within 6 hours.


    Even if there was a delay due to special circumstances, it wouldn¡¯t exceed 8 hours.


    But it had been a full 14 hours since his sister, Lin Xi, had greeted him last night!


    During these 14 hours, could it be that Lin Xi hadn¡¯t yet completed her descent?


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart tightened with worry, pondering whether something had happened to his sister?

 Chapter 177

    ?Chapter 177: Chapter 170: Everything Is Under Control (Please Subscribe) Chapter 177: Chapter 170: Everything Is Under Control (Please Subscribe) ¡°`


    Lin Xi had descended onto Tianji Star 8 hours ago following the instructions of the Body Management Bureau.


    However, in the following 8 hours, her host body remained in a paralyzed state, intermittently injected with a small dose of anesthetic.


    Her vision was pitch black, her limbs immobile and it was very likely that someone had sealed her senses with True Qi.


    But Lin Xi¡¯s spiritual power was exceptionally gifted; even in such a condition, she could still sense the situation outside.


    She sensed that there were two people speaking beside her.


    ¡°What do we do now?


    It¡¯s already so late, and she¡¯s been here for 8 hours.


    ...


    I¡¯ve temporarily sealed her consciousness, but we can¡¯t keep it sealed for too long.


    She might complain to the Management Bureau.¡±


    ¡°Let her complain.


    We can¡¯t do anything about this situation.


    The original host has already been eaten, and right now, just within this room and its surroundings, there are three demons.


    The Zhou family is practically a demon den.


    Go to novgo.co


    For now, we can only wait for the right opportunity to place her.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xi felt stunned.


    She guessed that these two were staff from the Body Management Bureau, responsible for settling her host body.


    But what did they mean by the original host being eaten?


    The woman she was supposed to replace had been eaten by a demon?


    Lin Xi felt a chill rise in her heart, her hair standing on end.


    ¡°No!


    What I mean is, leaving her here like this, isn¡¯t that a crime?


    She will definitely be eaten, with no chance of survival.


    This girl must have offended someone in the company; who knows who shoved her here, it¡¯s too cruel, most likely sending her to her death on purpose.¡±


    ¡°This is none of our concern.


    Our only responsibility is to send people down to replace identities, and we¡¯ve also issued a risk warning.


    Maybe someone else in the company needs this identity, thinking the risks here aren¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s spirits sank slightly.


    She had indeed seen the risk warning from the Body Management Bureau.


    For a Midshipman-level Martial Cultivator like herself, the environmental risk level around Wang City Prefecture was S-, but the risk index for her host identity was (unknown).


    Generally, ¡®unknown¡¯ indicates that the Body Management Bureau, for some reason, cannot accurately investigate.


    The Body Management Bureau usually would not list such unclear risk identities in their database unless they are of particularly high value.


    Lin Rui had even highlighted this identity for her, leaving a special message that the risk was very low, but the benefits were extremely high.


    So, what exactly was going on with the Zhou family?


    If there are three demons inside and outside this room, then what is the situation with the entire Zhou family?


    At that moment, Lin Xi received a message from Lin Rui.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Sister, have you woken up?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I¡¯ve had a rough understanding of your situation.


    novgo.co


    It seems there was a minor issue when you descended.


    The girl you were supposed to replace has been eaten by a demon.


    The people from the Body Management Bureau, to prevent you from seeing their shapes and faces, which could lead to identity exposure, have given you a few shots of anesthetic.


    They said the dosage is very small and won¡¯t affect your consciousness, so don¡¯t panic, it¡¯s not a big deal.


    ¡°`


    Lin Xi, moved to the point of wanting to cry, saw her brother¡¯s message.


    Lin Rui had finally thought of her.


    She had been anesthetized and was unable to effectively control the quantum communication chip; she hadn¡¯t been able to send a message to her brother.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°After you wake up, you may find that the situation at the Zhou family might be a bit off, but don¡¯t worry, the risk there is actually very low.


    Rest assured and stay put after you see my message, everything will be fine.¡±


    After reading this, Lin Xi was somewhat baffled.


    If it weren¡¯t for Lin Rui having spent tens of millions on her anomaly and now possessing immense martial skills, able to slay her with a single strike, Lin Xi might have suspected that Lin Rui was really possessed by a Yuan Ji star person, deliberately setting her up.


    Lin Xi didn¡¯t dare to stay there any longer.


    When she had jumped out of the window, she had quickly assessed the surroundings and unhesitatingly headed north.


    To the north was a courtyard wall about ten feet high; if she could climb over it, she would be on main street.


    Only there would she have a chance to save her life.


    At this moment, the two maids pushed open the door from behind and asked, ¡°Miss, where are you going?¡±


    Lin Xi felt the two girls speak in a very stiff and awkward manner, pausing after every word, as if it took a great deal of effort to speak.


    Without looking back, she increased her pace even more.


    But just as Lin Xi was approaching the courtyard wall, she heard a hoarse and aged male voice: ¡°Yun, Yun Xi, where do you plan to go?¡±


    The identity that Lin Xi replaced for the being from Yuan Ji star was called Zhou Yunxi!


    And following that voice, an incredibly powerful and chaotic will locked onto her, crushing down on her, making it difficult for her to even think and temporarily losing control over her body.


    What followed was a dry and pale hand landing on her shoulder, ¡°Go, go back!¡±


    Lin Xi turned deathly pale.


    The body she was in now, though it was only at the level of having opened its meridians and was a Warrant Officer class, Lin Xi¡¯s spiritual power had already reached 600 points.


    As the memories sealed within her slowly awakened, the spiritual power hidden deep within her soul was rapidly recovering and growing day by day.


    Therefore, this creature, which was using its Primordial Spirit to suppress her thoughts and prevent her from controlling her body, had to be a monster above the fifth realm and might even possess a bloodline surpassing that of a king!


    Indeed, the Zhou family was nothing less than a den of demons.


    ¡°Go back!¡± the hoarse and ancient male voice emphasized again, ¡°Listen, listen and obey!¡±


    As he spoke these words, the man lifted the Primordial Spirit suppression, and Lin Xi felt her body relax, returning to normal.


    She turned her head and saw an old man in white standing beside her, looking to be in his eighties.


    His hair was completely white, his face covered in wrinkles, and his body hunched.


    Despite appearing frail and aged, the eyes that watched Lin Xi were a fierce crimson, not only brimming with malice but also sharp as blades.


    Lin Xi¡¯s mood turned cold as ice, bordering on despair.


    But this was Yuan Ji star, and even if Lin Xi felt a surge of despair, it wouldn¡¯t trigger her Dragon of Despair.


    Lin Xi struggled to keep her composure and bowed to the old man in white: ¡°Granddaughter understands, I will return at once.¡±


    The Bureau of Anomaly Management had provided her with some basic information; this old man in white should be her grandfather, named Zhou An.


    Her scalp tingling, she walked under Zhou An¡¯s gaze towards her chamber.


    At that moment, the two maids also came over and steadied her from both sides.


    Not only did Lin Xi smell the blood on them, but she also saw the strands of flesh in their teeth, causing goosebumps all over her body.


    Summer¡¯s Faint Thought (Lin Xi): Brother, are you sure you understand the Zhou family¡¯s situation?


    Do you know that the Patriarch of the Zhou family is a fifth realm monster, and might even be of king-tier level?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Yeah, I know.


    As I said, just stay calm.


    Your current situation is actually very safe.


    I assure you there¡¯s nothing to worry about.


    Spend the next few days calmly practicing martial arts, try to enhance your cultivation as soon as possible.


    Oh, and when you see the opportunity, try to inquire about family ledgers, deeds, and land titles in the Zhou household, get your hands on those.


    Lin Xi felt a tightness in her chest, at a loss for what to say.


    Just as Lin Xi was being escorted to her chamber by the two maids,


    An aged crone, who also appeared to be in her eighties, suddenly appeared beside Zhou An, the old man in white.


    She carried a lantern, her eyes a striking red as she gazed at Lin Xi¡¯s retreating figure, her voice also old and raspy: ¡°No!


    We cannot allow, allow the granddaughter to go out, it¡¯s not safe.¡±


    ¡°I, I know!¡±


    The old man in white answered stiffly, and then, with a glance, he suddenly flashed onto the top of the wall.


    The old man in white saw a group of armored soldiers coming down the distant street, carrying torches.


    There were about fifty of them, all strong-bodied, wearing helmets and armor, covered by battle robes adorned with fish and dragons.


    The leading man rode a robust iron-scaled horse, dressed in the battle robes of a Capital Commandant of the seventh rank in martial virtue.


    He rode to the outside of the Zhou family¡¯s backyard wall, looked around, and then pointed to an inn next to them.


    ¡°Clear out that inn, we are under orders and will need to be stationed here for the next month.¡±


    The old man in white frowned slightly upon seeing this.


    He recognized the identity of these people; they were from the Imperial City, the Wang City Capital!

 Chapter 178

    ?Chapter 178: Chapter 171: Demon Breeding Armor (Subscription Request) Chapter 178: Chapter 171: Demon Breeding Armor (Subscription Request) Lin Rui¡¯s consciousness had returned to his celestial variant in Tianji Star not long after, and he found that Wang Sen had also arrived at Tianji Star.


    However, this guy looked totally dejected, displaying a downcast demeanor.


    Lin Rui looked at him curiously, ¡°Finished the exchange battle?


    Did you perform poorly?


    How many moves did you withstand?¡±


    They were in the backyard of the Wang City Government Office, so they could talk freely.


    Wang Sen¡¯s eyes were dull as he said despondently, ¡°29.¡±


    Lin Rui was taken aback and quickly accessed the club¡¯s database, where he found Wang Sen¡¯s battle video and exclaimed in surprise, ¡°You fought with Zhen Xiaoxiao for so long?


    These results aren¡¯t bad at all, there were 29 rounds.


    ...


    Why are you so discouraged and unhappy?¡±


    What kind of talent does Wang Sen have now?


    What level of cultivation?


    What kind of genetic enhancements?


    The fact that Zhen Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t quickly defeat Wang Sen is pretty awesome.


    Go to novgo.co


    It seems that Fei Yunlai¡¯s old friend really did teach Wang Sen some genuine skills.


    Lin Rui specifically slowed down the video frames to analyze and found that the moves Wang Sen used were indeed very good, with strong power, quick charging, and sound tactics.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®so long¡¯?


    It was only three seconds in total!¡±


    Wang Sen first gave him a glance, ¡°Someone bet me that if I lasted more than 30 rounds, they would reward me with a Type-4 variant enhancer shot.


    I¡¯m really regretting it nowa?€¡±my heart aches!¡±


    Unfortunately, he was just one move short when Zhen Xiaoxiao threw him off the platform.


    He then reacted, stared at Lin Rui, and said, ¡°You downloaded my video?


    Damn, 1GB of data costs a thousand Federation credits, Rui bro, you really are rich.¡±


    Lin Rui was indeed very rich.


    His signing bonus with Tianhuan Video Network was finally settled at 39 million Federation credits for an exclusive five years.


    Also, as his popularity had greatly increased, he gained a million followers the day he registered on Tianhuan Video Network and even received a ¡®Purple Gold Diamond Badge,¡¯ so the banks were all very accommodating to him.


    The highest among them had already increased his credit limit to 150 million, although the interest rate of this bank was a bit high; still, the interest-free loans from Tianlan Group were more attractive.


    Not to mention that uploading those video materials would continue to generate income for him.


    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Wang Sen¡¯s tone shifted, ¡°Rui bro, did you see the news before coming down?


    Yesterday, Shi Yan dissed Baili Wang in her livestream, and they both dragged you into it.


    The hype for the upcoming battle between Future Science University and Tianjing Martial University has blown up again.@@@@


    Should we go and see it tomorrow?


    It¡¯s hard to say who will win when these two fight.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui recalled the sword Shi Yan swung last night.


    He estimated that Shi Yan probably had a better chance of winning.


    Lin Rui was originally indifferent to such matters, but as the saying goes, ¡®where you sit determines where you stand.¡¯ Now that he had also become a martial arts influencer, the outcome of these two would also affect his income, so he began to be interested as well.


    Mainly because the management company of Baili Wang was really unprofessional, it genuinely disgusted Lin Rui.


    Unfortunately, the Federation strictly prohibited citizens and organizations from gambling on various martial arts competitions, and Lin Rui couldn¡¯t find an underground betting service, otherwise, he might have been able to make a profit from this information gap.


    Lin Rui noticed that Ji Xueying next to him was completely lost and didn¡¯t understand what they were talking about.


    With only last-minute skills, was Lin Rui qualified to perform transplant surgery on a Supreme Emperor-class demon of Tianji Star?


    Why then were there so few truly proficient transplant surgeons in the Earth Federation?


    ¡°Professor Sima said the same!¡± Lin Rui waved his hand nonchalantly: ¡°He actually did a test on me; everything was normal.¡±


    Lin Rui was actually very confident.


    He was ready to immediately go earn Soul Power points to copy three skills from War Spirit No.2: Great Grandmaster-level Acupuncture Healing Technique, Great Grandmaster-level Basic Medical Technique, and Great Grandmaster-level Intermediate Medical Technique.


    The ¡®Acupuncture Healing Technique¡¯ of Tianji Star was miraculous, even more so than the surgical operations of the Earth Federation, enhancing his hands-on ability.


    Moreover, Acupuncture Healing Technique, like Basic and Intermediate Medical Techniques, required a deep understanding of Tianji Star people¡¯s bodies.


    So, he was quite confident about this transplant surgery; there shouldn¡¯t be any problems, trulya?€¡±


    If it really couldn¡¯t be done, he could still store it in the fridge and decide later when he felt more confident.


    The small fridge that came with the ¡®Blood Core Madness¡¯ had a nuclear battery inside, and it wouldn¡¯t go bad for two or three years.


    Lin Rui, highly proactive, took Wang Sen and Ji Xueying that same night to the rooftops of the county town, flying around looking for demons.


    Wang Sen now had a huge debt, so he was very motivated.


    The intermediate martial arts he was learning now, ¡®Ice Blood Palm¡¯ and ¡®Ice Blood Cold Wind Sword,¡¯ had both reached a proficient state and were ready for real combat.


    novgo.co


    These two martial arts techniques could manipulate the elemental trio of water, chilly wind, and ice, making them highly compatible with the team.


    With a distant clap of the Ice Blood Palm and a remote slash of the Ice Blood Cold Wind Sword, the blood and bodily fluids of humans and demons could be chilled or even frozen, thereby drastically reducing their speed and impairing their mobility.


    Ji Xueying and Lin Rui were both powerful fighters, so Wang Sen didn¡¯t need to worry about True Qi consumption; he could unleash full power with every strike and also mastered a secret martial art that could reduce the speed of all demons within eighty meters by ten to forty percent.


    However, during their demon-slaying journey, Wang Sen noticed Lin Rui occasionally glancing in the direction of the Zhou family.


    His eyes filled with confusion, ¡°Rui, are you interested in those demons from the Zhou family?


    Those people from the Zhou family are rather pitiful, but it can¡¯t be helped; shall we just storm in and wipe them out?¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly, pointing towards the backyard of the Zhou family: ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious where my sister descended?


    She¡¯s in there!


    Why eliminate them when we haven¡¯t even reaped the benefits yet?¡±


    If they wiped them out now, wouldn¡¯t Lin Xi¡¯s risks be in vain?


    The value of the Zhou family was not just in those land deeds and titles.


    Upon hearing this, Wang Sen almost fell off the rooftop, thinking that Rui really was no ordinary person.


    This was really cunning, even taking advantage of demons.


    He hoped Lin Xi wouldn¡¯t be frightened.


    There were definitely benefits to be had, but they would have to endure being surrounded by demons for a while.


    They were busy until dawn, by which time Lin Rui had finally accumulated the 15,000 Soul Power points needed to copy the three skills.


    But just as he had copied them and confidently returned to the Wang City Government Office, ready to perform the surgery on Blood Blade Ji and install the Supreme Emperor-level implant, he heard a loud shout from outside the office.


    ¡°May I ask if Defender Lin, the twelfth of Wang City, is present?


    I am Vice Inspector Feng Guang, here on official business and seeking an audience.


    Please, may I see Lord Lin?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui exchanged a glance with Wang Sen.


    Two Vice Inspectors had already come, one was Vice Inspector Zhang Zhili, and the other was Vice Inspector Wang Tiandong, both of whom had been outside the office every day requesting an audience, and now another one had come?


    Lin Rui unceremoniously waved his hand: ¡°No audience!


    Wang Sen, you deal with him, tell him to get lost.¡±


    But just as Lin Rui was setting up to distill high-purity alcohol in the backyard, he suddenly heard a loud bang from outside.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows; the main gate of his Wang City Government Office had just been kicked to pieces.

 Chapter 179

    ?Chapter 179: Chapter 172: Ferocious (Third update for monthly votes) Chapter 179: Chapter 172: Ferocious (Third update for monthly votes) The Wang City Government Office was no longer in the state it had been just over half a month ago, with only a few kittens around.


    Thanks to the support of Li Li and others, Lin Rui had replenished over half of the two hundred ¡®Imperial Dragon Guards¡¯.


    Although these men had mostly been recruited in the past few days and were still adjusting to the rules of the Imperial City¡¯s yamen, as soon as the grand doors of the Wang City Government Office burst open, instantly over a hundred people brandishing swords and blades charged out from the buildings.


    Li Li was very diligent in recruiting people.


    Even though these newcomers hadn¡¯t received formal training and were as scattered as sand, their strength and cultivation were quite good, and not a single one was a coward.


    At the entrance, there erupted an intense clashing of weapons and roars of anger.


    ¡°Audacious!¡±


    ¡°Insolent!¡±


    That was the three newly recruited seventh-rank Capital Commandants of Wang City.


    ...


    They appeared at the yamen entrance at the first sign of trouble, and although they were sent flying backward by the people outside, they still managed to hold off three Investigative Censors and a large group of constables at the entrance.


    When Lin Rui walked out from the rear yamen, what he saw was this scene.


    Over a hundred Imperial Dragon Guards were furiously agitated, with wide-eyed stares facing off against more than seventy men from the Prefectural Governor¡¯s office of the Central Judicial Commission, a situation as tense as the drawing of bows, ready to snap at any moment.


    ¡°Who are these traitors who dare to attack the Imperial City of Wang?


    Are they trying to rebel?¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    As Lin Rui spoke, he looked at Wang Sen, who was getting up from the ground, holding a shield in one hand and rubbing his chest with the other, but seemingly not seriously hurt.


    However, his three newly recruited Capital Commandants under his command all had blood at the corners of their mouths, clearly injured internally.


    His gaze then moved to the entrance, where he saw Zhang Zhili and Wang Tiandong, both with grim faces, standing at the shattered doorway.


    There was also a new face, wearing the robe of an official of the fifth rank.


    This man was in his forties, thin, with a sallow complexion, but with unusually large knuckle joints in his hands, probably the Investigative Censor Feng Guang who had kicked open the door.


    He was holding a sword in both hands, half-closing his eyes, and saluting Lin Rui with a fist, ¡°Lord Lin!


    We are the people of the Central Judicial Commission, coming under official orders about an urgent case for the Ministry of Justice.


    You have been refusing to meet us, what is the reason for thisa?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui did not wait for him to finish.


    He crossed his hands behind his back and let out a cold laugh, ¡°What are you standing around for, gawking?


    Have you forgotten that you all are the emperor¡¯s personal troops, the eyes and ears of the divine?


    Arrest all these traitors who dare attack Wang City at once!


    Kill them!


    Show no mercy to anyone who resists arrest!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Feng Guang¡¯s complexion instantly changed.


    Before coming, he had heard Zhang Zhili and Wang Tiandong say that this Lin Rui had a tough and overbearing character, unrestrained and arrogant, considering no one else.


    If they took a hard stance against him, they feared it might backfire.


    Feng Guang had thought that these two colleagues of his were too soft.


    Three of them were fifth-rank Investigative Censors, six were sixth-rank Prosecutors, and they were accompanied by a large group of skilled personnel from the Central Judicial Commission who had been here for more than ten days without accomplishing anything.


    If this guy won¡¯t respond to a softer approach, they thought, let¡¯s be more forceful and push our way in, give Lin Rui a taste of his own medicine.


    How could he possibly give in without some pressure?


    He had never imagined that the Defender of Wang City would be so audacious!


    With Lin Rui¡¯s order, it was clear they were headed for a confrontation with the Central Judicial Commission!


    It was completely outrageous!


    No!


    However, it was not an option.


    ¡°Yang Pulling Slash¡± was his unique secret blade technique, and since he had used it at the Ninth Base, which had exploded into public discussion and become known by many, for safety¡¯s sake, he couldn¡¯t use this move on Tianji Star at will.


    Especially not in front of a large crowd!


    Once he decided to use it, he would have to kill witnesses and leave no troubles behind.


    However, aside from ¡°Yang Pulling Slash,¡± Lin Rui mastered many other powerful blade techniques.


    And early on, when he had come out from the inner offices, he had already been holding a blade, poised and ready, quietly laying out hundreds of magical symbols around him.


    ¡°How audacious!¡±


    The right hand holding Lin Rui¡¯s blade suddenly lit up with thunder, and purple flames blazed fiercely, ¡°Daring to assassinate me, death!¡±


    By the time he uttered the word ¡°daring,¡± the long blade had already left its sheath.


    It was the S+ grade secret blade techniquea?€¡±Thunderclap Absolute Slash!


    At this moment, 26 meters still separated Lin Rui and Feng Guang, when the purple blade light directly pierced through the space, targeting Feng Guang¡¯s face.


    ¡°Super King Secret Blade?¡±


    And it was a Super King Secret Blade technique perfected to the utmost level!


    Feng Guang¡¯s face paled with shock.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Lin the Twelfth¡¯s attack range to be that wide or his blade speed to be that quick, and the force behind it so powerful!


    This man must have practiced the highest level of Concealing Breath Skill, masking any distinction between reality and camouflage.


    Now that they had crossed blades, Feng Guang was certain without a doubt; this man had completed his blood cultivation and begun stepping into the Fourth Realm!


    The gap between the two of them was not as wide as Feng Guang had originally thought.


    ¡°Clang!


    Clang!


    Clanga?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui unleashed five strikes of the Thunderclap Absolute Slash in succession, all of which Feng Guang managed to block, along with a golden sword Asura that flashed brightly.


    But just then, Blood Blade, with an unanticipated flash escape, appeared behind him, slashing from his back and cutting through to his chest and abdomen.


    Had it not been for the timely aid of Zhang Zhili and Wang Tiandong, forcing Blood Blade to withdraw her blade, Feng Guang¡¯s body below the shoulders might have been sliced in half by Blood Blade.


    He turned pale, not hesitating to turn around and flee, ¡°This bastard is troublesome; retreat!¡±


    The fight was no longer tenable; Feng Guang knew he had underestimated the opponent.


    Continuing the fight would either see him killed by Blood Blade or captured by the forces of Wang City.


    Seeing this, the various experts and constables from the office below also changed their expressions and fled in haste, escaping out of the gates of Wang City.


    At this time, the onlookers outside witnessed a bizarre spectacle.


    They saw a large group of constables in blue, affiliated with the office, and even several individuals in the robes of sixth or seventh rank officials, streaming out from the Wang City Government Office.


    They leapt across the crowd, jumping over the heads of the onlookers and then running wildly along the streets in a frantic escape.


    Following them was a fierce squadron of Imperial Dragon Guards, chasing after them with loud shouts, revealing a relentless and aggressive pursuit.


    Some of the constables failed to escape, either being chopped down to the ground, unconscious or surrendering, laying down their weapons, and raising their hands.


    Lin Rui signaled Blood Blade to pursue, preferably to inflict severe injuries on all three Deputies, so they could rest easy for the next dozen or so days.


    However, as he strode towards the entrance to inspect the damage to the door, a figure flew from afar.


    It was none other than the Prefectural Magistrate Dong Linghui!


    Seeing this person, Lin Rui scowled, wondering if he came again to mediate the situation, only to hear Dong Linghui call out from afar, ¡°Magistrate Lin, the demonic dragon has recovered and is causing chaos downstream of the Tianxiang River, blocking the river.


    The Capital Commandant urgently requests your assistance; the Prefectural Governor has already gone ahead.


    I hope you can hurry to support us and together suppress this demon.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s spirit suddenly tensed.

 Chapter 180

    ?Chapter 180: Chapter 173 Lawlessness (Please Subscribe) Chapter 180: Chapter 173 Lawlessness (Please Subscribe) ¡°`


    Lin Rui had known long ago that there was a demonic dragon in Wang City Prefecture, which was a severe thorn in the side for Wang City.


    It was said that this monster was as high as the sixth realm, possessing the royal bloodline, and had once ravaged the downstream areas of the Tianxiang River, causing floods, disrupting navigation, extorting tributes and blood meals from the riverside residents, and blackmailing merchants for their money and valuables.


    Until a few months ago, when the dragon was severely injured by the joined forces of the Prefectural Governor and others.


    Unfortunately, the dragon managed to escape and had been hiding without trace beneath the Tianxiang River.@@@@


    In order to prevent the dragon from retaliating, Wang City Prefecture had no choice but to station thousands of its soldiers on the river embankments, staying armed and vigilant day and night, forcing even the local Capital Commandant to patrol the riverbanks incessantly, not daring to leave his post.


    Had the dragon recovered so quickly?


    For Wang City Prefecture, this was truly disastrous news.


    ...


    A dragon transformed in the sixth realm was equivalent in strength to a federal brigadier general; placed in this small prefectural city, it was like a crocodile in a pond, an almost unsolvable presence.


    Nor could one know how the Prefectural Governor and the others managed to injure it months ago.


    Lin Rui felt fortunate that he had acted early.


    The merchant ships from Jingport had set north towards the capital with a large load of Divine Heart Tea more than a dozen days ago; otherwise, the situation would now be several times more complicated.


    With these merchant ships blocked in Wang City, the resident defender would surely be displeased, doubting his competence.


    Lin Rui bowed to Dong Linghui, the deputy mayor, ¡°Deputy Mayor, rest assured, I have some troubles to deal with on my end, and need to make some preparations.


    Go to novgo.co


    At most within half an hour, Lin will definitely rush to assist.¡±


    Dong Linghui¡¯s expression relaxed upon hearing this, bowing back with a hint of gratitude, ¡°The Defense Commissioner truly understands the bigger picture, indeed a blessing for the people of our Wang City!¡±


    In his view, the arrival of Lin, the Twelfth, was indeed a pleasant surprise.


    This newly appointed Defense Commissioner was much stronger than his predecessor, both in terms of power and ability.


    Which is why Wang City was fervently recruiting people in town, and the prefectural office was doing its best to cooperate.


    Although the prefectural office and Wang City have been at odds for many years, in the current time when hands were needed, and the demons within the city and martial artists became increasingly restless and rampant, the new recruitment of 200 Royal Dragon Guards and several Capital Commandants of the fourth realm had the effect of a stabilizing talisman.


    They, the Prefectural Governor, Capital Commandant, Deputy Mayor, and Defense Commissioner, were the four pillars of Wang City Prefecture; if they could not work together in harmony at this time, the situation would be dire.


    The scene of Blood Blade Ji battling alone against those three investigators from the Supervisory Office today excited and delighted Dong Linghui even more; the strength of this super-huang of the fourth realm seemed to have greatly increased!


    However, the conflict between Lin, the Twelfth, and the Supervisory Office also worried him.


    This Defense Commissioner was too fierce, daring not only to detain people from the Supervisory Office but to stand tough against the three fifth-rank investigators for over ten days, and today, he even drew his blade under the broad daylight at the bustling northern city gate, directly igniting a fiery conflict with the Supervisory Office.


    Yet after a brief hesitation, he wisely held his tongue and turned into a black streak of light, flying toward the outer city embankment.


    This Lin, the Twelfth, obviously had an unruly nature, impervious to reason and persuasion; moreover, Dong Linghui did not understand the root of the conflict between the two parties and it was unrelated to him, so there was no need to get involved.


    Now, Dong Linghui was more worried about the Prefectural Governor and the Capital Commandant, fearing that they could not hold out.


    At this moment, Li Li, Wang Sen, and others had also returned to the office building one after another.


    Also, preserve all the evidence, especially this door.¡±


    Wen Tailai immediately collected his thoughts, his expression solemn as he saluted with a fist, ¡°This subordinate understands!


    This subordinate will faithfully record the arrogant and presumptuous behaviors of Feng Guang and others, their utter disregard for the emperor and the law, and report to the governor and the military commander!¡±


    In short, it is the wicked who complain first, no!


    It is to preemptively complain to the authorities and pin the responsibility of stoking fire on the Office of the Imperial Censors for Criminal Prosecution.


    Lin Rui nodded, satisfied.


    As long as Wen Tailai wasn¡¯t confused, he was quite easy to work with, ¡°Also, have someone fix this door.


    Since it needs to be remade, let¡¯s make two imposing ones, and repair the houses on both sides as well.


    Make the Office of the Imperial Censors for Criminal Prosecution pay for it, including our brothers¡¯ medical expenses.


    You know what to do, right?¡±


    Wen Tailai understood implicitly.


    If the people from the Office of the Imperial Censors for Criminal Prosecution refused to compensate, then the constables from their prison could forget about having any good days ahead.


    Together with the constables led by Constable Dou Ming who had been previously locked up, there were already over thirty of them imprisoned.


    Lin Rui then returned to the inner office, donned the exclusive sixth-rank colonel¡¯s standard battle armor of the Imperial Guard Bureau, and took more than ten bundles containing a thousand talismans from the storeroom, along with a bag of elemental stones to hang on his waist.


    Lin Rui hadn¡¯t been drawing talismans much recently, but now as the Defense Commander of Wang City, he could freely utilize any of the resources in Wang City¡¯s storehouse.


    Every year, the court would provide Wang City with a large amount of top-quality talismans, mid- and low-grade elemental stones, medicines, arrows, and so on.


    Lin Rui could use them as he wished, without much effort.


    As for the armor, it came from Shazhou a few days earlier.


    It was a fifth-tier upper-level full-body alloy armor that could be paired with his soft hedgehog armor.


    Its defense was extremely strong, although it was somewhat cumbersome to don.


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    Even with Blood Blade Ji¡¯s help, it took several minutes to put on.


    However, this time the opponent was a sixth-level monster, so Lin Rui was being extra cautious and did not mind the trouble at all.


    Speaking of bad timing, if it had been just a day later, he could have implanted ¡®Blood Core Frenzy¡¯ in Blood Blade Ji to boost her combat power once again.


    Now, the procedure had to be postponed.


    Next, Lin Rui hurried to the stables, mounted an Ironscale Horse, and with Blood Blade Ji, galloped out of the city.


    The Prefectural Governor and Prefectural Commandant, among others, were at the battle site with the demonic dragon, located forty-some odd miles north of the city, not far from Jingang.


    The booming sounds of their clash were akin to thunderous roars, clearly audible even from over forty miles away.


    Lin Rui spurred his horse to a gallop, and as he neared the battlefield, he saw that the two banks of the river, covering three miles, had become a vast expanse of water.


    In the middle of the river, two divine beings clad in golden armor, each standing around twelve feet tall, were engaged in fierce battle with a monster that stood thirty feet tall and seventy-two feet in length, with horns on its head and irregular black scales covering its body, resembling a gigantic crocodile.

 Chapter 181

    ?Chapter 181: Chapter 174: Steel Bones (Subscription Request) Chapter 181: Chapter 174: Steel Bones (Subscription Request) ¡°That must be the Prefectural Governor and his deputy, both are using Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor!¡±


    Ji Xueying, already capable of brief levitation, floated behind Lin Rui after dismounting her horse, holding a blade defensively as she used a powerful and vast Blade Aura to protect both Lin Rui and his steed as they moved forward.


    The ¡®Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor¡¯ originated from an outer realm Heavenly Demon.


    It was created 800 years ago by numerous master craftsmen who combined a so-called mobile armor technique of the Heavenly Demons with the Magic Artifact manufacturing techniques from Tianji Star.


    They fused this combat machinery from the Heavenly Demons with magical artificing techniques to create the powerful ¡®Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor,¡¯ which surpassed ordinary Magic Artifacts in combat prowess.


    However, due to the difficult manufacturing process of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor and strict imperial control, currently, only high-ranking officials of the fifth rank or above could purchase it from Great Song¡¯s artisanal bureau.


    The Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor varied in quality, and their prices varied accordingly.


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    ...


    Those two ahead, their armors must have reached the fifth realm king level, combined their strength to just barely manage to contest with the demonic dragon.


    Ironically, her master¡¯s armor was also of the fifth rank but only served as a means of protection, and even its defensive capabilities could not compare to the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor.


    At this moment, the two, relying on the might of the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, battled fiercely with the demonic dragon in the middle of the Tianxiang River, creating Sword and Fist Auras that swept across several miles around, causing Lin Rui¡¯s iron-scaled horse to almost be blown away as it ran.


    Furthermore, countless powerful water droplets mixed with scattered Punch and Blade Auras propelled towards them, presenting great danger.


    Ji Xueying had no choice but to clear the way with her Blade Aura, protecting the two as they moved forward.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that these two must be really wealthy.


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    From his recent inquiries, while these two Prefectural officers conducted themselves with considerable integrity, they could still afford such expensive ¡®Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor.¡¯


    Especially the one who was tallest, unarmed, his battle armor was covered with a layer of crimson gold horizontal outer Qi, manifesting exceptional combat strength.


    By observing his martial prowess, Lin Rui knew he was the Prefectural Governor, Li Changguo.


    This man countered the demonic dragon with his Yuan Magnetic Fist technique head-on in mid-air, not retreating a single step, his aura fierce and domineering.


    When the demonic dragon¡¯s claws occasionally landed on Li Changguo¡¯s armor, they only managed to leave shallow pits.


    Lin Rui estimated that Li Changguo¡¯s armor was worth at least 300,000 demonic silver or more.


    Prefect Qin Xia¡¯s armor wouldn¡¯t be worth much less.


    Previously, the County Magistrate mentioned that these two came from major clans, which Lin Rui hadn¡¯t taken to heart.


    Now it seemed he had quite underestimated the weight behind the term ¡®major clan.¡¯


    Lin Rui spurred his horse near the riverbank to quickly survey the surroundings, then headed towards a nearby hill.


    He dismounted at the summit of the hill, then took out the Yuan Stones and Dharma Seals from his pouch, setting up an Array with precise and swift movements.


    Next, Lin Rui signaled Ji Xueying to open her clothes, and he used a cinnabar pen to draw runes on the skin of Blood Blade Ji.


    He had only drawn part of the runes when a faint golden light appeared around Ji Xueying¡¯s body.


    ¡°The technique I¡¯m using now is called ¡®Divine Altar Golden Body,¡¯ which uses the power of this Divine Altar to enhance your strength and physical body.


    However, be very careful, you must protect yourself with spiritual power, and make sure these runes don¡¯t get wet!¡±


    At that moment, Lin Rui emitted a surprised gasp.


    He saw a figure rising into the sky near the riverbank, joining the battle.


    That person was none other than the Prefect Dong Linghui.


    He held a war bow and stood on a disk-shaped Magic Artifact, shooting arrows at the demonic dragon from a thousand zhang away.


    The arrows in his hand, compared to the massive body of the demonic dragon, seemed like a child¡¯s slingshot, but they were shot with astounding momentum.


    Whenever they hit, they could pierce through the demonic dragon¡¯s scales and embed into its flesh.


    Although it couldn¡¯t grievously wound the demon dragon in one blow, the slashes it made were nearly five feet deep into the flesh, causing the demon dragon not only immense pain but also rapid blood loss.


    The demon dragon swiped at the red silhouette over twenty times, but failed to catch it, and subsequently went into a rage.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    It furiously swung its tail, smashing it towards the red silhouette like a long whip.


    This time Ji Xueying couldn¡¯t completely avoid it, simply because as the long whip came crashing down, the surrounding void compressed and cracked, causing her Escape Skill to temporarily fail.


    Ji Xueying was forced to use her longsword, Jing Xue, to block in front of her.


    ¡°Booming(¡±


    Ji Xueying was flung away like a shooting star, savagely smashed into the water by the demon dragon¡¯s tail-whip.


    Li Changguo and Prefectural Governor Qin Xia both sank in their hearts.


    They knew the strength of the demon dragon was ferocious, and Blood Blade Ji, having been struck by its tail, probably had all her bones shattered!


    But the next instant, they saw Blood Blade Ji burst out of the river, continuing to flash to the side of the demon dragon and fight it, significantly relieving their pressure by restraining the demon dragon.


    Though blood trickled from the corners of her mouth, her demonic resilience was extremely formidable; she recovered in an instant.


    ¡°Is this Steel Bones?¡±


    Li Changguo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, unavoidably shouting out, ¡°Good!¡±


    At this moment, not only had Blood Blade Ji¡¯s combat power exceeded his expectations, being more than twice as strong as in the battle a dozen or so days ago, but she had also awakened the bloodline talent of ¡®Steel Bones,¡¯ her skeleton as tough as fine steel!


    Steel Bones was only a royal-grade talent, but its actual utility was very strong and practical, allowing Blood Blade Ji to possess an incredibly high resistance to impacts.


    Additionally, the layer of golden light around Blood Blade Ji was likely a spell called ¡®Divine Altar Golden Body,¡¯ greatly enhancing her defensive power and strength.


    Li Changguo¡¯s spirits were immediately lifted, thinking that this way, the tide of battle between them and this demon dragon was about to turn!


    Although that Lin Defense Officer had caused him embarrassment before, today he was quite effective.


    The demon dragon also realized that the situation was not good.


    It could not focus all its power on Li Changguo, as the annoying red shadow continued to bleed it.


    ¡°Are you that Blood Blade Ji?¡±


    The demon dragon again repeatedly bombed Ji Xueying with its tail.


    This was one of its innate bloodline talents, extremely powerful, but it required consuming a vast amount of blood energy.


    After several unsuccessful attempts to kill Blood Blade Ji, it roared in anger, its eyes glaring toward the hill next to the riverbank.


    It saw the man standing at the top of the hill, clad in heavy armor, his hands forming Dharma Seals.


    That must be Ji Xueying¡¯s master, Lin Twelve.


    ¡°Presumptuous!¡±


    The demon dragon was full of rage and hatred; it had long known from its subordinates that Yuan Ji had been killed by Lin Twelve.


    Yuan Ji was an extraterritorial Heavenly Demon it had not easily found, the channel through which it obtained Heavenly Demon potions, yet destroyed by Lin Twelve.


    This guy had also slain several of its fifth realm demonic lieutenants, significantly weakening its forces.


    At that time, it had just injected an enhancement potion provided by Yuan Ji, so its body wasn¡¯t quite stable, and it didn¡¯t take any action.


    Yet today, this presumptuous man kept appearing in front of it, continuously controlling the protective demon to inflict severe injuries on it.


    The demon dragon suddenly let out a furious roar, stirring the winds and clouds within several miles, ¡°Go, kill him for me!¡±


    At this moment, hundreds of demons hidden under the water surged toward the hill where Lin Rui was.


    Seeing this, both Li Changguo and Qin Xia¡¯s faces fell again, both thinking that the demon dragon indeed struck where it hurts.

 Chapter 182

    ?Chapter 182: Chapter 175: Like the Abyss (Three more chapters for monthly votes) Chapter 182: Chapter 175: Like the Abyss (Three more chapters for monthly votes) Lin Rui also saw the demons in the river.


    He had been prepared, standing ready for battle.


    By this time, Lin Rui had already raised his ¡°Defense Envoy¡± official Dharma Seal high into the sky, and over 100 pale yellow talismans floated out from his sleeves, hovering around him.


    However, the first thing Lin Rui had to face was the hundreds of water arrows and Wind Blades stirred up from the river.


    Most of those demons were of the water type, stirring up winds and waves as their forte.


    At a distance of more than eighty zhang, unaffected by the suppression of the official seal, the water arrows shot towards him with force comparable to a high-pressure water gun, and the water contained a certain amount of toxin.


    The Wind Blades slashing through the air also possessed formidable power, relentlessly aiming at Lin Rui, whistling through the air, incredibly sharp.


    ...


    ¡°These cursed beasts!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s eyes showed helplessness as he had to recall those talismans and continued to form Dharma Seals with one hand while moving throughout the Array.


    Normally, Lin Rui would have used an Escape Skill to flee, never foolishly staying put to be their target.


    The issue was that the Array he was presiding over was the foundation of the Blood Blade warrioress¡¯s ¡°Divine Altar Golden Body.¡±


    The moment Lin Rui left the Array, the magic would fail, greatly reducing Blood Blade¡¯s combat capabilities.


    Therefore, he could only stay within the Array, shifting and dodging in a small range, and if he truly couldn¡¯t avoid it, he would rely on his armor to bear the brunt.


    Fortunately, he had anticipated this scene well in advance, choosing a high terrain hill, and the side facing the river was also very steep, which halved the power of those water arrows and Wind Blades as they surged upward.


    The fifth-order heavy armor and fifth-order divine bristle armor worn by Lin Rui were also very powerful.


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    Not only were the water arrows unable to shake him, but even the Wind Blades unleashed by those demons couldn¡¯t break through the defenses of the two types of armor.


    Only the high-pressure washing of the water arrows posed a certain threat to the Array he had set up.


    The elemental stones Lin Rui had laid were embedded in the mud layer, but as the water flooded over them, the elemental stones began to loosen, and the various talismans within the Array started to fail one after another.


    Lin Rui had no choice but to move around while making repairs.@@@@


    Luckily, at this time, the temperature around him dropped sharply, reaching below freezing point in an instant.


    Not only did a layer of ice form on Lin Rui¡¯s armor, but the ground also began to rapidly freeze over,


    Seeing this, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    The ice was forming perfectly, stabilizing his Array in an instant.


    His whole body ignited with crimson golden flames, combating the severe cold all around him.


    Lin Rui was also exceedingly careful not to melt the layer of ice beneath his feet.


    At that moment, he abruptly drew his blade and slashed continuously into the void, causing several bursts of blood light to explode in front of the hill!


    These were several Four-Realm demons that had stealthily approached near the Array, which Lin Rui decapitated from over twenty meters away with a single slash, killing them on the spot!


    Originally, there were also three Five-Realm demons that had stealthily approached the foot of the hill.


    Seeing this, they all frowned and temporarily stopped in their tracks.


    This Lin Defense Envoy¡¯s combat power was a bit beyond their expectations.


    That ability to kill from a distance with the Super King Secret Blade chilled them to the bone, instilling fear and apprehension!


    This fellow was slaying those Four-Realm demons as effortlessly as slaughtering pigs and dogs.


    The demon dragon above the Tianxiang River saw this scene and was immediately filled with rage, ¡°You bunch of idiots, go up there and kill him for me!¡±


    Yet Lin Rui spared no expense, as if he had an inexhaustible supply.


    His ¡®Blood Core Fury Yang¡¯ bloodline was also in an excited state, with a radiance of blazing fire illuminating the surroundings within a radius of one mile.


    This allowed Lin Rui¡¯s True Qi and spiritual power to flow endlessly, sustaining his energy channels.


    ¡°Bastard!¡±


    The demon dragon also felt a twinge of alarm, its gaze deep with dark intent.


    Judging by the battle situation on the hill, even if all its followers perished, they might still be unable to storm the hilltop.


    Had it known this earlier, it would have preferred to keep them in the water to spit together.


    However, such third-realm demonic creatures were very easy to cultivate, virtually available in whatever numbers it desired.


    If it weren¡¯t for Magistrate Qin Xia leading his troops to clean up the riverbank and continually striking during its period of injury, the third-realm demonic creatures under its command could have easily exceeded a thousand by now.


    Therefore, the demon dragon didn¡¯t care about the deaths and injuries of these third-realm demons; it only hated that it couldn¡¯t slaughter that bastard surnamed Lin!


    It immediately let out another furious roar, ¡°Wu Fei!


    Wu Jian!


    If you brothers don¡¯t make a move now, believe it or not, I¡¯ll eat you alive!¡±


    And right after the roar that shook the entire riverbank, a mist began to spread over the hilltop around Lin Rui.


    Seeing this, the distant government official Dong Linghui¡¯s heart sank, ¡°Not good!¡±


    These were the fifth-realm demonic creatures under the demon dragon¡¯s command, making moves against Lin Rui.


    While these fifth-realm demons were weak in combat and couldn¡¯t join the great battle between the demon dragon and the others, they posed a fatal threat to Lin Rui, who was only at the fourth realm.


    The main purpose of the mist was not to obscure Lin Rui¡¯s perception, but to guide the purple lightning and divert the divine might of the thunder net.


    At this moment in the center of the dense fog, however, Lin Rui was slightly stunned.


    These demons were actually producing fog?


    Such a turn of good fortune?


    It was in that instant that Lin Rui sensed at least five powerful presences swiftly approaching the hilltop under the cover of the thick fog.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t hesitate to reach for the long blade at his waist.


    Yang Pulling Slash, strike!


    The moment he drew the blade from its sheath, he transformed into a burst of golden light!


    Although the weapon Lin Rui used now was far from comparable to ¡®Super King Secret Blade,¡¯ his blade speed, aided by the surrounding thunder net, was so fast that it surpassed the limits of the naked eye and became challenging to capture.


    Puh!


    Accompanied by two splashes of blood in the fog, two powerful demonic creatures that had closed within seven meters of Lin Rui were instantly cut in half, their bodies burning like torches!


    Notification: Slaying the fifth-realm demon, you¡¯ve gained 4592 points of Soul Power.


    Notification: Slaying the fifth-realm demon, you¡¯ve gained 4321 points of Soul Power.


    The remaining three demons within the fog trembled in terror, overwhelmingly alarmed!


    It wasn¡¯t the death of their comrades that scared them, but in that instant, they felt an immensely vast spiritual force enveloping the area, twisting the very fabric of the world.


    It seemed to be a?€¡± an abyss!

 Chapter 183

    ?Chapter 183: Chapter 176: Made a Fortune (Subscribe Please) Chapter 183: Chapter 176: Made a Fortune (Subscribe Please) A moment later, the Heavenly Demon Dragon saw its three fifth-level demonic minions retreat from the dense fog in utter disgrace.


    This scene also took the Prefectural Governor and others by surprise.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    The dragon¡¯s vertical pupils widened in anger as fury boiled within.


    What were these three fools doing retreating?


    And what about the Wu brothers?


    The ¡®Divine Altar Golden Body¡¯ was still on Blood Blade Ji, so that defensive officer Lin hadn¡¯t died yet!


    In the fog, purple lightning snakes also lashed out, striking down any third-level demons daring to charge too close!


    ...


    The dragon couldn¡¯t help but roar again, and with its psychic force, those three fifth-level demons just wouldn¡¯t run back into the fog.


    One of them transmitted a message through the power of its bloodline, ¡°Boss, that guy inside has abyssal strength.


    The Wu brothers are dead!¡±


    ¡°Abyssal?¡±


    The dragon was taken aback, then swung its tail to whip up a fierce wind that scattered the mist.


    It saw Lin Rui standing perfectly fine in the middle of the formation, one hand holding a seal and the other clutching a knife, surrounded by hundreds of talismans and a formidable network of thunderbolts.


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    Now, he was not dodging at all, just standing firm there.


    About ten meters to Lin Rui¡¯s left and right lay two burning corpses.


    Those were Wu Fei and Wu Jian, their demon bodies resembling turtles, but their heads had been severed, chopped into pieces.


    The dragon¡¯s gaze flickered, followed by a sinister laugh.


    ¡°Arrogant!¡±


    Its dragon body suddenly expanded, unleashing a powerful force.@@@@


    Its tail swept around, and its claws struck fiercely, forcing Prefectural Governor Li Changguo and Deputy Governor Qin Xia to retreat several meters.


    Only Blood Blade Ji, with her agile and swift figure and versatile Escape Skills, avoided the dragon¡¯s formidable power entirely.


    After Li Changguo and Qin Xia retreated, they immediately moved toward Lin Rui on the riverbank.


    The two were worried that the dragon was forcing them back to free up its energy to strike at Lin Rui.


    Today, Lin Rui had displayed martial skills and magic that greatly exceeded their expectations, not only holding off the dragon¡¯s demonic minions but also managing to kill two upper fifth-level demons in an instant!


    Nevertheless, this defensive officer was still the weakest and most critical link among them, indispensable.


    But the next moment, the dragon they were facing had already dissolved into a massive pool of liquid and spread out.


    The true body of the dragon had already charged into the river, emitting a cold laugh, ¡°That¡¯s enough for today!


    I¡¯m tired of fighting.


    We¡¯ll battle again another time!¡±


    Today, it reckoned it had no chance of victory and thus grew weary of the fight.


    It had thought, after injecting an enhancing serum that fortified its strength, it could dominate the group of government officials, avenging the serious injury it had suffered a few months earlier in an ambush.


    Unexpectedly, after the previous defensive officer of Wang City had died, a stronger one had arrived.


    Although this person was only at the early stages of the fourth realm and his bloodline reached only the king realm, his bodyguard demon and dual cultivation in techniques and martial skills were quite tricky to deal with.


    Among them are three of the Fifth Realm, and quite a few skilled fighters!¡±


    Li Changguo replied with a cold expression, ¡°Do you think I am unaware?


    I have already asked them to lend support but this group has other intentions in Wang City and has been feigning ignorance.¡±


    Thus, he turned a blind eye to the conflicts between the Provincial Surveillance Commission and Wang City¡¯s officials, even covertly supporting Wang City¡¯s officials.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s expression shifted, thinking this was another crime he could attribute to Wen Tailai later on.


    These individuals, members of the Provincial Surveillance Commission, neglected the demons plaguing the locality and caused conflicts with local colleagues instead, a clear dereliction of duty and violation of law!


    ¡°But continuing like this is not a solution either!¡± Prefectural Chief Dong Linghui frowned deeply.


    ¡°Just the Jinggang Dock alone has tens of thousands of laborers reliant on this river for livelihood, not to mention the tens of thousands of common folk along both sides of the river, who cannot go without food or drink.¡±


    The truth was that the top-quality farmland within twenty li on either side of the river was all in the hands of local gentry, who were largely unconnected to the commoners.


    However, it was these very gentry and scholars who could exert tremendous pressure on the three of them, especially with the autumn harvest only a few months away.


    Li Changguo, his face grim, ¡°Didn¡¯t we confiscate over 200,000 bushels of grain after exterminating Yuan Ji¡¯s associates?


    Let¡¯s start using this batch of grain to keep things running, as long as the people have enough food, there shouldn¡¯t be a large problem.¡±


    He could never provide the Heavenly Demon with blood sacrifices, nor could he bow down to it!


    Lin Rui nodded subtly, thinking they could only bide their time.


    He planned to implant the ¡®Blood Core Fury Sun¡¯ into Blood Blade Ji after returning.


    With this supreme emperor-rank auxiliary implant, not only would Blood Blade Ji¡¯s combat prowess significantly increase, but her speed of accumulating Magic Power and blood essence would also accelerate greatly, allowing her to advance to the Fifth Realm within one or two months.


    Actually, Lin Rui had also acquired an enhancer called ¡®Iron Bone¡¯ to reinforce her physical flexibility and the toughness of her fasciae and meridians, which combined with her existing ¡®Steel Bones¡¯ would be termed ¡®Steel Muscle and Iron Bones¡¯.


    Unfortunately, Ji Xueying had just been injected with the Steel Bone serum and needed to wait before another injection, otherwise, her power would undergo a significant transformation in a few days.


    Moreover, the fabled Dream Officer would also arrive soon, and with his help, the troublesome Heavenly Demon might be easily dealt with.


    Estimating his arrival, it should be within the next few days.


    Lin Rui then began tallying his gains from this adventure.


    Unfortunately, as today¡¯s battle occurred in a very public setting, he couldn¡¯t utilize these demon corpses.


    Just a moment ago, when the fog was thick, he managed to extract two packs of blood from two Fifth Realm demons before their bodies were completely consumed by fire, expecting to make about 2 million Federation Coins from it.


    The tortoise shells of the two Fifth Realm demons could also be exchanged for money as materials for Magic Artifacts.


    His greatest earning, however, was in Soul Power points, and indeed, he had earned a tremendous amount this time.


    In the strikes of thunder he had summoned earlier, he had killed over eighty Third Realm demons.


    He also slaughtered seven in the Fourth Realm, and two in the Fifth Realm.


    ¡°In total, that¡¯s 61234 points!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement.


    Just as he was about to open the skill lists of his two war spirits, he saw a streak of silver light flying towards him from afar.


    It turned out to be a ¡®Hundred Thousand Mile Flyer¡¯, appearing just like a book opened wide, flapping its wings as it circled around him.


    This was Lin Rui¡¯s first interaction with such a device, and he observed it with amazement.


    But who could this be from?


    Who in Wang City prefecture could afford such a thing?


    When he received the Flyer and took a glance at the enclosed letter, his expression abruptly changed, his mind beginning to race.

 Chapter 184

    ?Chapter 184: Chapter 177: Unexpected Changes in the Sky (Subscription Requested) Chapter 184: Chapter 177: Unexpected Changes in the Sky (Subscription Requested) Lin Rui furrowed his brow deeply as soon as he finished reading the content of the letter.


    He clasped his hands towards the three people in front of him, ¡°Gentlemen, Lin has an urgent matter to attend to and must take his leave first.


    Farewell!¡±


    Prefectural Governor Dong Linghui had already noticed the uneasy expression on his face and immediately replied, ¡°Master Lin, please proceed with your affairs, leave the finishing up to us three.¡±


    However, Prefectural Governor Li Changguo¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, ¡°Master Lin, regarding the security and defense of the city, I will hand it over to you tomorrow morning.


    I will try my best to accommodate the conditions you mentioned earlier.¡±


    This was because he noticed that after Lin Rui mounted the iron-scale horse, he did not head towards Wang City, but instead dashed northwards towards Tianyue County.


    Lin Rui knew that Li Changguo was reminding him to prioritize the city¡¯s security.


    Riding on the horse, he turned back smiling and clasped his fists, ¡°Rest assured, Your Excellency.


    Lin has everything under control and will surely rush back to Wang City by noon tomorrow.¡±


    Worried that the demon dragon might overhear, he used a spell to transmit his voice directly into Li Changguo¡¯s ears.


    ...


    The three people behind him exchanged glances.


    In their eyes, young Lin Rui was somewhat astute, having remained calm and composed even when previously facing a siege by a horde of demons.


    Yet, after reading the letter, he had shown a look of horror.


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    It was clear that something urgent had arisen, and it was unknown if this would impact Wang City.


    Lin Rui¡¯s face turned pale as he spurred his horse into a mad dash northwards for hundreds of miles, then switched to another iron-scale horse provided by Ji Xueying.


    Ji Xueying stood behind him the entire time.


    She was light as drifting snow, standing on the saddle behind Lin Rui, exerting no pressure on her feet.


    Her expression questioned, ¡°Master, what exactly has happened?¡±


    ¡°A big disaster, a huge trouble!¡±


    Lin Rui sighed, ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there.


    Indeed, one can only rely on oneself.


    Relying on the mountain, the mountain collapses; relying on people, people fall.


    None can be relied upon.¡±


    After hearing this, Ji Xueying was confused, but she curbed her curiosity.


    He continued his frantic rush northwards, covering over 500 miles.


    By midnight, Lin Rui entered the territory of Tianyue County and arrived at the top of a hill, looking out in all directions.


    ¡°Qu Luo County, one hundred thirty miles east of Taoyuan Township, a piece of forest, a small hill shaped like a crouching tigera?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze immediately locked onto a small mountain about two hundred zhang high, astonishingly, the surrounding primeval forest looked as if it had been struck by a meteor.


    Not only were there large swathes of broken, fallen trees, but there also appeared several massive pits spanning several miles.


    Clearly, a fierce battle had taken place here, with both parties having cultivation levels of at least sixth realm, each possessing battle dragons, powerful enough to shoulder mountains and seas!


    By this time, the two iron-scale horses he brought were foaming at the mouth, so the two of them had to proceed on foot.


    However, with Ji Xueying leading the way, their speed was even faster.


    The location mentioned in the letter was nestled within a hollow in the southern foothills of Wo Hu Mountain.


    As Lin Rui approached, he sensed shouts emanating from within.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found someone.


    They are in this hollow.¡±


    ¡°Elders inside!


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    We are from Burning Saber Sect, bearing no ill intentions.


    We came to check the situation as we heard the fierce fighting earlier!¡±


    ¡°She seems to be injured, covered in blood!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s her battle dragon next to her!


    It looks severely damaged and can¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°This is it!


    The girl was extremely disappointed, as these healing elixirs were of little use to her.


    But then again, having them was better than nothing.


    She directly picked up the elixir bottles and poured all the pills into her mouth.


    ¡°Lin Twelve, do you have any meat with you?


    I can smell the blood.¡±


    Lin Rui signaled to Ji Xueying behind him, and she immediately nodded, her figure vanishing in a flash.


    Soon after, she returned carrying two iron scale horses and threw them in front of the battle dragon.


    These were brought by the people of the Burning Saber Sect, totaling twenty-four.


    The battle dragon then opened a pair of dark golden eyes, grabbed an iron scale horse, gutted it, and then threw it into its mouth to eat raw, making crunching noises.


    It swiftly devoured two horses, showing a look of unfulfilled craving.


    Blood Blade Ji then brought in two more iron scale horses and dropped them in front of the battle dragon.


    ¡®Battle dragons¡¯ are essentially no different from demons.


    The only difference is that demons transform themselves, while battle dragons are demonic entities separated from a human body.


    Lin Rui, however, noticed that after the girl took the elixir, not only did her aura not improve, but her face turned even paler, covered in cold sweat.


    This was because the injuries that the girl had suppressed were now fully erupting.


    Lin Rui was secretly alarmed, thinking that this was not a good sign, hoping that the woman would not die in front of him.


    He hesitated, ¡°Heavenly official, I have something that might help you recover some of your injuries; however, it originated from the Heavenly Demon and was previously owned by Yuan Ji.


    I¡¯m not sure if youa?€¡±¡±


    It was a type 5 regenerative injection, indeed from Yuan Ji.


    It was that night Lin Rui had assimilated Yuan Ji¡¯s Primordial Spirit and gained a part of his memories.


    Afterwards, he found it in a hidden cellar in this guy¡¯s estate.


    There were six injections in total, and he had specifically shown them to the Prefectural Governor and others to prove his innocence.


    The girl¡¯s eyes brightened upon hearing this, ¡°Oh?


    A demon injection, is it?


    I have no qualms, let me see it!¡±


    Lin Rui no longer feigned ignorance and immediately took out an injection from his bosom and held it in his hand.


    After the girl took the injection and glanced at it, her face immediately lit up with joy, ¡°A type 5 repair solution?


    Heaven has not abandoned me.¡±


    Although the injection could not help her recover much, it could stop her condition from worsening.


    She skilfully injected the liquid from the syringe into her neck.


    ¡°You really saved my life this time!¡±


    As soon as the injection entered, a flush appeared on the girl¡¯s face, ¡°I thought I was surely doomed this time, only hoping that my remains wouldn¡¯t fall into others¡¯ hands.¡±


    She then became alert, her eyes sharply focused as she said, ¡°Lin Twelve, now go quickly to the north, eighty li away, and search the area.


    The rogue who fought me earlier is also gravely injured, and his injuries won¡¯t be much lighter than mine.


    He is very likely in a coma now!¡±


    Lin Rui was actually quite curious.


    As far as he knew, this Dream Heavenly Official was a Sixth Realm Super Emperor!


    Stronger than many in the Seventh Realm!


    What kind of opponent had he encountered today to be injured to such an extent, nearly dying?


    The girl¡¯s next words, however, sent a huge shock through him, almost causing his face to drastically change.


    ¡°If you find him, see if there¡¯s a chance to kill him, but be very careful, prioritize your safety.¡±


    The girl furrowed her brows and looked towards the north, ¡°That rogue¡¯s name is Fei Yunlai!


    He is an extremely ferocious extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, a notorious criminal listed on the Great Song Imperial List, so you must be cautious!


    Especially be wary of his protector demon, which might still have some mobility.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s mood at the moment was indescribable.


    He sighed inwardly, thinking that it was indeed a case of misfortune raining down upon him.


    The two powerful reinforcements he had long awaited, how did they end up here clashing and both being severely injured!

 Chapter 185

    ?Chapter 185: Chapter 178: Nothing More (Three more chapters for monthly votes) Chapter 185: Chapter 178: Nothing More (Three more chapters for monthly votes) While Lin Rui¡¯s other body raced through the night, on Tianji Star¡¯s Satellite No.


    9, inside the Martial Arts Club of Mingde University at the Ninth Base City, a battle was about to take place that tens of millions of martial artists in exo-suits and martial arts enthusiasts were eagerly watching.


    Not only had over twenty well-known TV stations sent journalists, aiming various long and short holo-cameras at the platform, but there were also several dozen popular martial arts commentators and hosts gathered here.


    They were all waiting for the two individuals on the platform to engage, whispering and discussing fervently among themselves.


    ¡°The underground betting odds from the Third City are out, ¡®Demon Sword¡¯ King of Baili winning at 1 to 1.72, ¡®Immortal Sword¡¯ Shi Yan winning at 1 to 2.75.


    It seems no one favors the former number one of the 18-year-olds.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite normal.


    We saw the limit of Shi Yan¡¯s abilities the day before yesterday, but during King of Baili¡¯s two battles with Mingde University¡¯s Martial Arts Team yesterday, there was still a great deal left in reserve.¡±


    ¡°Fang Ranran has already exposed the weaknesses of Shi Yan¡¯s martial arts.


    ...


    Moreover, with Lin Rui¡¯s sudden rise, Shi Yan¡¯s mindset must be affected; it¡¯s said she once challenged Lin Rui in private.¡±


    ¡°She revealed it herself, said she was defeated with a single strike.¡±@@@@


    ¡°No wonder.


    Lin Rui¡¯s sword drawing technique really is a bit overpowered, eight ten-thousandths of a second!


    That¡¯s almost defying the heavens.


    Go to novgo.co


    The Martial Arts Association rated it SS+, a super emperor-level secret technique.


    But I think it¡¯s more than that.


    The reason it didn¡¯t hit SSS is that the old fogies in the association believe that there isn¡¯t emperor-level bloodline power or secret techniques below the fifth realm.¡±


    ¡°King of Baili is very smart, never fighting a battle unprepared.


    Since he decided to fight Shi Yan to determine the victor, he must be extremely confident of winning.¡±


    ¡°Still, the two could hold out for a while.


    Shi Yan¡¯s strength is there, and it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to fight King of Baili for about ten minutes.¡±


    At this moment, the noise of the discussions began to decrease, and the martial arts hall gradually quieted down.


    Simply because the countdown on the platform had started.


    The weapon used by the Demon Sword King of Baili was a spear-sword, a weapon that combined many high technologies, integrating both the spear and the sword.


    This was a weapon he had specially prepared for Shi Yan, shaped like an ancient lance with a long sword embedded in the rear shaft, though the blade was longer, combining the strengths of both spear and sword.


    His stance, optimized for thrusting with a long spear, was also advantageous for ¡®interception¡¯.


    However, to his surprise, the woman opposite him not only appeared a bit distracted but also very relaxed in her posture.


    Standing there holding her sword in reverse, she seemed to be loose and relaxed, yet King of Baili dared not be the slightest bit careless; on the contrary, he became more serious.


    From Shi Yan, he saw a perfect balance of strength and physique, as well as unmatched calmness and confidence.


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    Just two days apart, and this woman¡¯s martial arts seemed to have advanced a bit further?


    Right after the countdown ended, King of Baili hesitated not a second before lunging his spear towards Shi Yan.


    Anda?€¡±¡±


    Clang!


    Yet another burst of sparks flew as Shi Yan¡¯s sword forcefully cut into Baili Wang¡¯s barrier of swords and tide of spears, flicking his short spear into the air: ¡°You rely way too much on experience, data, and analysis.


    Those moves you prepared for me, haven¡¯t you found them all useless today?


    As a Martial Artist without a shred of bloodlust, relying only on your so-called ¡®wisdom¡¯, you won¡¯t make it very far!¡±


    At this moment, the numerous reporters and martial critics below the stage all wore looks of disbelief.


    The battle unfolding on the stage had greatly exceeded their expectations.


    The ¡®Demon Sword¡¯ King of Baili had always been considered by the media as a genius on par with Shi Yan, the two most outstanding talents of the fifty-eighth cohort of special students.


    Until today, Baili Wang had been the favorite of nearly all the media and martial critics.


    However, in today¡¯s battle, Baili Wang was completely suppressed by Shi Yan, almost without any power to fight back.


    Now everyone could see that Baili Wang was headed for certain defeat, merely hanging on by a thread.


    ¡®Magic Hand¡¯ Zhen Xiaoxiao, who was sitting below the stage watching the battle, also shook his head with a wry smile.


    This teammate of his had indeed been struck by the boomerang he himself had thrown.


    And at this moment, on the major video networks of Tianji Star, there was an uproar.


    ¡°So fast, Shi Yan¡¯s sword speed is incredibly quick!¡±


    ¡°That sword is too divine, completely unpredictable.¡±


    ¡°What a pity!


    The picture is too blurred, you really need to be on site to enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Fuck!


    Worthy of Little Yan, I was fooled by those martial critics, I really thought she was doomed.¡±


    ¡°Me too, I thought Little Yan¡¯s weaknesses were already exposed, but it turns out this Baili Wang is nothing special.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Little Yan that has become stronger, look at the magical sword speed and trajectory, she must have also touched upon the deep abyss concept!¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, just how strong is Lin Rui?


    Just the day before yesterday, Little Yan herself said she couldn¡¯t block Lin Rui¡¯s strike!¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?


    That¡¯s a knife attack in one-eight thousandth of a second, rated as triple S+ level secret blade by the Martial Arts Association!


    By the way, have you guys followed Lin Rui¡¯s account on Tianhuan video network?


    The martial arts teaching videos he released are full of practical content, and the fees are very reasonable.¡±


    And just as the major video networks of Tianji Star were boiling over with the battle between Shi Yan and Baili Wang, Lin Rui, who was walking through the mountain forest of Tianyue County on Tianji Star, suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked towards a certain direction to his left.


    He had already sensed the location of Fei Yunlai, not far ahead, on a small island in the depths of Tianyue Lake, although the latter¡¯s condition was very bad, not much better than that of the Dream Heaven Official.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s hiding spot was actually very concealed, and his aura was well contained.


    However, his biological chip was frantically sending out distress signals to all the contacts in Fei Yunlai¡¯s communication book.


    And Lin Rui, just happened to be one of the friends in Fei Yunlai¡¯s communication book.

 Chapter 186

    ?Chapter 186: Chapter 179: No Big Deal (Subscribe Please) Chapter 186: Chapter 179: No Big Deal (Subscribe Please) Before slipping into unconsciousness, Fei Yunlai thought he was certainly going to die!


    His condition was atrocious, not only had he sustained grievous injuries, his entire spine had been hacked into seventeen or eighteen segments, his battle dragon and protector demon were also critically injured and on the verge of death, with severed limbs and incomplete internal organs.


    The key issue was that more than half of his biological chip had been destroyed, and both quantum communication modules were damaged.


    That insane woman clearly knew about their foreign Heavenly Demons; she targeted their biological chips from the start, ensuring to smash that before fighting him to the death.


    Now, Fei Yunlai could neither transfer his Primordial Spirit back to the ninth base nor call for help from friends near Wangcheng County.


    Only one electromagnetic communication module was still functioning, with a signal range that could cover the surrounding two hundred miles.


    However, let¡¯s not discuss whether within this range of two hundred miles there were any other alien wanderers.


    ...


    Even if there were, Fei Yunlai was very concerned about his future predicaments.


    In the eyes of the people from Tianji Star, all of these ¡®foreign Heavenly Demons¡¯ were one and the same, but among themselves, many of their kin were to be guarded against with caution.


    If his alien body fell into the hands of some organizations and companies that were not so considerate in their methods, the result would be a fate worse than death.


    How had he, Fei Yunlai, become so unlucky to encounter Meng Weiyun, that insane woman?


    He hadn¡¯t provoked her in any way, and he hadn¡¯t committed any major crimes recently, yet that woman had been relentless, chasing him for over five hundred miles, determined to not give up until one of them was dead, resulting in both of them being badly injured.


    This woman was indeed a ¡®Heavenly Official¡¯, charged with the pursuit of wanted criminals on the imperial list, but she was almost too dedicated to her duty, reckless to the point of courting death.


    It wasn¡¯t until Fei Yunlai felt a needle stick in his neck and a chilly medicinal fluid injected into his body that he hazily opened his eyes to see a man dressed only in undergarments, with a masked face, sitting beside him.


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    Fei Yunlai instantly became alert and instinctively tensed his body: ¡°Who are you?¡±


    What was this person doing wearing only undergarments?


    What did he mean by this?


    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡±


    With a buzz in his voice, Lin Rui scolded impatiently: ¡°I¡¯m setting your bones right now, don¡¯t move!¡±


    He was in a very bad mood as well.


    Initially, Fei Yunlai was a reinforcement whom both he and Professor Han were eagerly anticipating, but now, he had ended up in such a state and would need their care.


    The reason he was in undergarments was naturally to prevent Fei Yunlai from guessing his identity.


    Lin Rui had arrived wearing the official battle armor of a sixth-rank officer from the Wang City, with his officer¡¯s uniform underneath.@@@@


    If Fei Yunlai were to see that, he would recognize Lin Rui¡¯s identity as a sixth-rank officer from the Wang City at a glance.


    Lin Rui knew that he needed to keep his identity and official rank highly secretive, and they should not be exposed lightly.


    Even if the person was Fei Yunlai, it was the same.


    If it were not for Professor Han¡¯s group possessing his initial information, Lin Rui would not have been willing to meet them using this identity.


    ¡°Whoever you are, thank you!¡±


    Fei Yunlai relaxed slightly, sensing no malice in Lin Rui¡¯s words.


    His thoughts stirred and his eyes lit up as he said, ¡°You are Lin Rui?


    No!


    You must be Lin Rui!


    I never expected you to be my savior this time, I owe you my life.¡±


    As he said the latter part, Fei Yunlai spoke with certainty.


    On one hand, he was relieved that since it was an acquaintance with whom he was familiar, there would be no issues; on the other hand, he wanted to cover his face with his hands, as he was thoroughly embarrassed this time.


    ¡°No!


    And even if I did, it¡¯d be of no use to you right now.


    What you lack is blood and primordial energy, not a recovery agent.


    One dose of that medicine is enough, taking more would be wasteful and would only deplete your blood essence.¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head, he had only brought two vials with him this time, with him and Blood Blade Ji carrying one each.


    The injection that Fei Yunlai received was the one carried by Blood Blade Ji.


    Lin Rui then took another look at Fei Yunlai¡¯s war dragon and the situation of his guardian Heavenly Demon.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s guardian Heavenly Demon was still in a state of unconsciousness, being a female ¡®Tengu¡¯ with a super-king bloodline of the seventh realm.


    Tengu were also a type of combat creature with formidable strength, usually in human form, but able to transform into a combat mode resembling the mythological creature ¡®Tengu¡¯ from ancient Japan.


    It is said that once such a demon is subdued, it will remain loyally devoted.


    No wonder this guy could wander around the ninth city every day even after being listed on the royal warrant.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s war dragon had also sustained severe injuries, nearly on the brink of death.


    But Blood Blade Ji had been catching big fish in the lake for it all this while.


    With the supply of flesh and energy replenished, its condition had greatly improved, regaining some strength.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re able to move on your own, you shouldn¡¯t stay here for long.


    Later you can rush to this location,¡±


    Lin Rui left Fei Yunlai with an address, a secluded manor just outside Wangcheng County, ¡°I¡¯ve already informed Professor Han.


    He¡¯ll be waiting for you there with various medications.¡±


    Having made his arrangements, Lin Rui hurriedly left amid Fei Yunlai¡¯s astonished and skeptical gaze.


    He had already stayed here for quite a long time, and continuing to linger could likely arouse Meng Weiyun¡¯s suspicion.


    As Lin Rui hastily made his way back to the ravine where Meng Weiyun was hiding, he discovered that Meng Weiyun had fainted again.


    However, Meng Weiyun¡¯s war dragon was awake, vigilantly guarding in front of her.


    Lin Rui frowned deeply, restraining the urge to use the Acupuncture Healing Technique on Meng Weiyun,


    He actually could use acupuncture to alleviate her injuries, even help her resolve the remnants of Fei Yunlai¡¯s ultimate technique.


    But he could not do so; it wouldn¡¯t be reasonable for Lin Rui to suddenly learn the Acupuncture Healing Technique without explanation, as this wasn¡¯t the information-rich Earth Federation, and he was merely a native of the Tianji Star with nowhere to acquire such knowledge.


    There must be a preceding step and buffer before that, continuing to reinforce his persona as an all-around genius.


    Lin Rui bowed to the war dragon, ¡°Brother Dragon, I need to move Lord Meng to the vicinity of Jinggang near Wang City.


    Not only can better medications be purchased there, renowned physicians can be hired to treat Lord Meng, and it¡¯ll be convenient for me to take care of her nearby.


    Lord Meng has instructed me not to disclose her condition, so I ask Brother Dragon to be mindful of our surroundings on the way.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know if the war dragon understood, but judging from Ji Shenyan¡¯s Royal Flame War Dragon¡¯s behavior, these unique creatures seemed to possess self-awareness.


    The war dragon¡¯s gaze flickered before it actually picked up Meng Weiyun with one arm.


    Its right leg had not yet fully recovered, with only the bone regrown, but this did not hinder its movement.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui nodded slightly and, leading the way with Blood Blade Ji, sped towards Wang City.


    Conveniently, the two mounts they left dozens of miles away had partly recovered their strength.


    It was now midnight, and the weather was poor, with a thick, ink-like night enveloping the sky, almost obscuring all light.


    The war dragon following Lin Rui moved with incredible agility, making no noise whatsoever during its march, and not even leaving a single footprint behind.


    They raced through the thick night, moving silently through the forest.

 Chapter 187

    ?Chapter 187: Chapter 180: Can it be like this?


    (Please subscribe) Chapter 187: Chapter 180: Can it be like this?


    (Please subscribe) The following noon, Lin Rui, fully armed with Wang Sen, arrived in the prefectural city for the handover.


    The Prefectural Governor, Li Changguo, and the Vice Governor, Dong Linghui, noticed that Lin Rui seemed exhausted throughout the process, utterly listless.


    Dong Linghui looked puzzled, ¡°Lord Lin seems very tired?


    Did something happen yesterday?


    I wonder if Dong can be of any help?¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself, how could he not be tired?


    ...


    Last night, he had spent the entire night attending to two seriously injured men until he finally settled them down early this morning.


    Lin Rui then dared not delay any further and drank three large cups of rejuvenating Divine Heart Tea, before performing a transplant surgery on Ji Xueying.


    He couldn¡¯t delay any longer given the dire circumstances.


    With both of his main supports nearly wiped out, all he could rely on now were himself and Blood Blade Ji.


    After the surgery, he still had to rush over to hand over duties related to defense and public security to the Governor and others.


    Lin Rui quietly felt a headache coming on, as ever since the end of the exchange battle, one issue had followed another, incessantly.


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    ¡°The ancients say unexpected storms come from clear skies, and indeed they do not deceive me.¡±


    Lin Rui first sighed, then lifted his spirits, ¡°But it¡¯s nothing too serious, I can hold on.


    Governor, go ahead, don¡¯t worry about the city.¡±


    Li Changguo furrowed his brows, thinking that this young man¡¯s words were truly baffling.


    He nodded, ¡°Then I leave all the matters here to you, the Defense Envoy.¡±


    Li Changguo had been waiting impatiently and directly soared into the sky, flying toward the outskirts of the city.


    The two rivers within Wang City were too long to defend with just the prefectural magistrate and the local army; Qin Xia, who was in charge of the Eastern bank, could not attend to the Western bank.


    Just last night, the demon dragon had orchestrated two bloody incidents along the river banks.


    This scourge was not only brutal but also proficient in several secret techniques, capable of forcing ordinary people with ancestral bloodlines to awaken into demons.


    Just over this one night, the demon had added more than 20 members to its demonic army.


    Lin Rui also gathered his spirits, bringing Blood Blade Ji, Wang Sen, and 30 Dragon Riders out to patrol the streets.


    The primary purpose of the patrol was to showcase his ¡°Blood Blade Ji,¡± to inform all the ghosts and spirits in the city that, although the Prefectural Governor was absent, there still remained forces within the city capable of keeping them in check.


    However, as soon as Lin Rui hit the streets with his team, he noticed a familiar face signaling him with eye gestures in the crowd.


    a?€¡±It was none other than Tang Wenlan, the High Priest of the Church of Light.


    She was staring at him intently with furrowed brows, her expression serious, her eyes and gestures indicating she wanted to meet him.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t need much thought to surmise that Tang Wenlan was here concerning the dockworkers at Jing Harbour.


    When he had arrived in Wang City, he had found that a significant portion of the workers and laborers at Jing Harbour Dock were followers of the Church of Light.


    This High Priest Tang had always been tactful, keeping her distance from him.


    Today, she must have been compelled to come due to the demon dragon blocking the river, concerned about the livelihood of the Jing Harbour dockworkers.


    Fortunately, Lin Rui was also keen on meeting the High Priest of the church.


    Li Changguo, considering that he had purged Jing Harbour¡¯s Naval Trade Department, leaving it under the control of Lin Twelve¡¯s associate, Naval Trade Commissioner Li Dan, had simply assigned him the task of pacifying and providing relief to the people of Jing Harbour.


    Lin Rui believed that with the involvement of people from the Church of Light, the task could be done more efficiently.


    At this moment, Lin Rui received another message.


    Fire Beacon Han Kedao: Lin Rui, I¡¯ve settled Fei Yunlai already.


    Where are you now?


    Lin Rui instantly realized the value of this Divine Breath Technique; not only could it be used when he implemented the abyss concept to enhance the power of the abyss concept,


    but daily usage of the Divine Breath Technique could also enhance his compatibility with a certain abyss.


    This secret technique could help him save a lot of Soul Power points, considering that Spirit Ring required 10000 points of Soul Power for each 1% of integration it helped achieve.


    At this moment, Professor Han stepped in from outside the door and looked at Lin Rui in surprise, ¡°It seems that you have not only mastered the abyss concept, your talent for merging with the abyss is also remarkable.


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, the breathing method you are using is related to the abyss, perhaps the Breath of the Gods?¡±


    Although he had been primarily focused on other matters recently, he had always been keeping an eye on the situation at Base Nine.


    Therefore, Professor Han was also well aware that his student was now extremely formidable; the storm this guy was stirring in the martial arts world was sweeping across all fourteen base cities of the Earth Federation.


    ¡°Professor, please take a seat,¡± Lin Rui said with a smile as he stood up to pour tea for Professor Han, ¡°Listening to the professor¡¯s words just now, it seems you also have some understanding of the abyss?¡±


    Professor Han laughed helplessly, ¡°What I¡¯m researching now is indeed the abyss.


    Even the thing I¡¯m currently seeking is related to the abyss.¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself, that was right, what Professor Han was looking for was the essence of the abyss.


    ¡°Considering your current situation, your abyss talent is astonishingly high.


    With just a bit of effort in this area, you can easily obtain extremely powerful forces.¡±


    After sitting down, Professor Han continued to scrutinize Lin Rui and added a note of caution, ¡°The problem is, while you are using the power of the abyss, the will of the abyss will also grow within you.


    There¡¯s an old saying that can describe your current situation, you are interested in others¡¯ interest, while others are interested in your principal.


    Therefore, Lin Rui, you must be careful to stop at the right measure on the road of the abyss.


    It may be a shortcut, but it can also lead you toward a true abyss.¡±


    Lin Rui smiled wryly, ¡°Professor, I understand, I will definitely be cautious.¡±


    During this time, more than one person had issued a similar warning to him.


    ¡°But there should be ways to guard against the will of the abyss, right?


    Professor, do you have any knowledge in this area?¡±


    The power of the abyss concept was too useful, causing all his martial arts powers to undergo a qualitative change, which was irresistibly appealing.


    ¡°Heavenly Pole Star does have some secret techniques that can counter the will of the abyss.


    I can list some of them for you later.


    However, the simplest and most fundamental method is to cultivate your own martial concept intensely, strengthening your foundation.¡±


    Suddenly, Professor Han¡¯s expression shifted slightly, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s another way.


    If you can master the power of multiple abyss entities simultaneously, it might also help you counter the will of the abyss.


    To my knowledge, five thousand years ago, there was an incredibly talented individual in the Eastern Pole Continent who boldly tinkered with several abyss entities simultaneously.


    It¡¯s said that his integration with the abyss reached as high as eighty percent, making him nearly equivalent to those incarnations of the abyss in the human world.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Lin Rui was surprised, ¡°There is such a person in the world?


    Professor, do you know where he is now?


    Was he successful?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, he has been out of sight for a thousand years.


    However, there are rumors that he is still alive.


    I believe this path is feasible; after all, relying on this method, he has lived for more than 5000 years.


    Even if he failed, it¡¯s not a problem with the path, but because he didn¡¯t find enough backers or his martial concept wasn¡¯t strong enough.¡±


    Professor Han chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s like starting a company if your martial concept is strong enough, then you can hold more capital.


    The more backers you find, the more you dilute their shares, making it harder for these abyss entities to overpower you in controlling the company.


    However, to use this method, you must have a very strong abyss talent.¡±


    As he said this, he suddenly felt amissa?€¡±wasn¡¯t this encouraging Lin Rui to engage more with the abyss?

 Chapter 188

    ?Chapter 188: Chapter 181: Thus, Expanding Financing (Three More Updates for Monthly Tickets) Chapter 188: Chapter 181: Thus, Expanding Financing (Three More Updates for Monthly Tickets) ¡°Hmm, more shareholders?


    Stronger equity?¡±


    Lin Rui pinched his chin as he fell into deep thought.


    He had already planned to further enhance his own abyss concept to increase his leverage in dealing with the perilous situation in Wang City Prefecture.


    Now he had even more reason not to hesitate.


    ¡°Spirit, how many Soul Power points do I need to evolve ¡®Light Transition Slash¡¯ to the realm of a Great Grandmaster?


    Can I access new abysses and new abyss concepts?¡±


    Prompt: Evolving ¡®Light Transition Slash¡¯ to the Great Grandmaster realm requires a total of 4200 Soul Power points.


    You will access the abyss concept ¡®Destined Death¡¯ from ¡®Infinite Heaven Venerate¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Foot¡¯!


    ...


    Lin Rui thought to himself, indeed, the Light Transition Slash was a secret technique far superior to the Thunderclap Absolute Slash!


    There should also be a chance to contact abyss concepts.


    The good news is, the motion of deploying ¡®Light Transition Slash¡¯ was almost the same as that of the Thunderclap Absolute Slash.


    With just a few days of practice, he could master it smoothly.


    ¡°Spirit, to what extent can all the abyss concepts I currently access be enhanced?


    Go to novgo.co


    I mean, within the range my spiritual power can endure, and without investing more Soul Power points, continuing to integrate with the abyss.


    Prompt: You can enhance ¡®Light Scars¡¯ to 3%, which requires 9000 Soul Power points; ¡®Inevitable Hit¡¯ and ¡®Destined Death¡¯ to 4%, which requires 21000 Soul Power points; ¡®Heavenly Foot¡¯ to 3%, which requires 9000 Soul Power points.@@@@


    Lin Rui was thrilled, wondering how he could enhance so much?


    By this calculation, the ¡®Divine Breath Technique¡¯ he copied today had saved him at least ninety thousand Soul Power points!


    Unfortunately!


    Unfortunately!


    The ten thousand Soul Power points previously used to enhance the concept of ¡®Infinite Heaven Venerate¡¯ were clearly wasted.


    At this moment, the 61,234 Soul Power points he had earned from slaying demons were almost depleted, leaving just over 12,000 points.


    However, his current combat power had changed tremendously!


    But after the exchange, Lin Rui felt as if he heard several people whispering by his ear, like an auditory hallucination, making him irresistibly want to listen to what they were saying.


    Lin Rui instantly realized that his abyss concept had reached the limit that his spiritual power could bear, and he could no longer ¡®raise funds¡¯ this way.


    Next, he needed to enhance his spiritual power, complete the ultimate polarization of his martial intent, and increase his equity.


    At this moment, Wang Sen sitting next to Lin Rui felt nothing, but Professor Han was momentarily lost in thought.


    He felt that in that instant, Lin Rui had erupted with an immensely rich abyss aura.


    They might expect the Heavenly Demon and the Burning Saber Sect to help create chaos, but they couldn¡¯t naively hope these two would both be severely damaged in a clash with the inspector.


    ¡°Who says we don¡¯t have ballast stones?¡±


    Lin Rui burst into a wry smile and pointed toward Ji Xueying beside him, ¡°Isn¡¯t our ballast stone right here?


    I¡¯ve implanted the ultimate version of ¡®Blood Core Fury¡¯ into Ying¡¯er, and it seems to be working quite well.¡±


    Lin Rui saw Professor Han¡¯s facial muscles twitch slightly, his expression one of restraint, and sighed quietly to himself.


    Why did everyone have to doubt his surgical skills?


    Lin Rui felt compelled to emphasize, ¡°The effect is really good!


    Have you forgotten General Fei¡¯s spine?


    I was the one who reattached it.¡±


    Ji Xueying, hearing this, cooperated by igniting a layer of platinum flames all over her body.


    Professor Han studied Ji Xueying closely, his eyes gradually brightening.


    The effects of ¡®Blood Core Fury¡¯ seemed to be quite remarkable, and it was highly compatible with Ji Xueying.


    Professor Han thought that even the current Ji Xueying might be enough to confront the deputy inspector, Zhang Chen.


    Although Ji Xueying possessed the supreme imperial bloodline, her powerful inherent abilities had been sealed due to a lack of magic power.


    And judging by the aura of this protector demon, she seemed close to breaking through!


    Once Ji Xueying advanced to the fifth realm, her combat power would undergo an earth-shaking transformation.


    He recalculated the time, feeling increasingly that it was feasible.


    If they truly couldn¡¯t wait, he could use the research funds to buy a more potent potion to help Ji Xueying force a breakthrough.


    After all, he was a lifetime professor at Mingde University, with a network that was no small matter, capable of acquiring many valuable items not available on the open market.


    ¡°I understand what needs to be done next.¡± Professor Han felt increasingly confident, his thoughts consolidating as he lifted his tea cup, ¡°To get these two involved, we must manage properly and further provoke the inspector on that enda?€¡±¡±


    Just as Lin Rui heard this, he felt the badge on his belt warming slightly.


    Someone from the official system was contacting him.


    When Lin Rui answered the call, he found it was from a chief constable at the prefecture, seeking his help.


    The Prefectural Governor Li Changguo had left Wang City less than half a day ago, and someone had already become impatient, wanting to cause trouble in the city.


    One of the parties involved was exactly one of those they had just discussed.


    The constables at the prefecture felt overwhelmed, hence they contacted him first for help.


    ¡°Burning Saber Sect?¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but chuckle coldly, it seemed that to some in the Burning Saber Sect, his and Ji Xueying¡¯s deterrent power was far less than that of Governor Li Changguo who possessed the ¡®Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor¡¯.


    The critical point was that the place where these people were causing trouble was right near the Zhou residence, which was where his sister, Lin Xi was staying, in that demon den.

 Chapter 189

    ?Chapter 189: Chapter 182: Coercion (Subscribe Requested) Chapter 189: Chapter 182: Coercion (Subscribe Requested) At noon, Lin Xi, originally bored and counting the Zhou family¡¯s property ledgers, realized that the entire Zhou estate had suddenly become tense like drawn swords and bows.


    All the demonic creatures inside the estate were gathering towards the front courtyard.


    However, the rear courtyard remained heavily guarded.


    Lin Xi¡¯s two maidservants were ¡®Ten-Eyed Demons¡¯ at the mid-fourth realm.


    They usually looked like ordinary people, but in times of emotional turmoil, ten eyes would grow on their faces, making them exceptionally eerie and terrifying.


    Lin Xi also had a nanny who, just like the two masters of the estate, was a fifth realm ¡®Hundred-Eyed Demon¡¯ evolved from ¡®Ten-Eyed Demons.¡¯


    Seeing this nanny, Lin Xi understood why that night, the Bureau of Paranormal Management kept delaying until the nanny left before daring to shove her into this attic.


    The Hundred-Eyed Demon was not only very powerful in combat but also had incredibly strong perception.


    ...


    Beyond this, the rear courtyard also housed over a dozen Protectors and maids, all being strong demons of the fourth realm.


    Out of the more than 100 people in the entire Zhou estate, it seemed she was the only normal living person.


    For some unknown reason, the grandparents of Zhou Yun Xi and everyone in the estate had turned demonic.


    The government should have been aware of the Zhou family¡¯s circumstances, but they ignored this den of demons, except for the Imperial City Division who sent a team to station themselves in a tavern across the street from the rear courtyard, monitoring the Zhou estate.


    However, from what Lin Xi had observed over the past two days, these demons of the Zhou family had strong self-control, always staying within the estate and ignoring the outside world.


    As for why the previous Zhou Yun Xi had been devoured, it was very likely because that Zhou Yun Xi had already died.


    Go to novgo.co


    In the cognition of these demons, the young lady was only the young lady while she was alive; once dead, she was merely a delicious piece of meata?€¡±


    So, just as her brother Lin Rui had said, although she seemed to be in a den of demons, surrounded by a horde of them, in fact, it wasn¡¯t safe at all, but as long as she was careful not to provoke their emotions, she could survive for now.


    There was also another matter concerning Lin Xi; she discovered that none of the estate¡¯s demons were weak.


    Transforming into a demon depended on one¡¯s bloodline; it wasn¡¯t as simple as wishing to transform into a certain realm.


    According to the research done by federal scientists, it generally depended on the emotional state of the person at the time and the concentration of their bloodline¡¯s power.


    In addition, if there was a living demon of the seventh realm or higher within three degrees of kinship, their probability of transforming into a demon increased substantially.


    Conversely, if there was a living Martial Cultivator of the seventh realm or higher within three degrees of kinship, the chances of transformation diminished significantly.


    Lin Xi was surprised that not only was no one in the Zhou family below the fourth realm, but their bloodline power was also quite impressive!


    For example, this Hundred-Eyed Demon nanny was a fifth realm royal!


    For some unknown reason, all the demons inside the estate were converging towards the front courtyard at this moment.


    Several strong elemental tides had also erupted there, suggesting that a conflict was occurring between people inside the Zhou estate and outsiders.@@@@


    After a brief contemplation, Lin Xi closed the ledger, turned to the Hundred-Eyed Demon nanny standing beside her, and said, ¡°Nanny, I want to go to the front courtyard to see what¡¯s happening; something seems to have happened, and I¡¯m a bit worried.¡±


    The Hundred-Eyed Demon nanny¡¯s gaze shifted slightly; she turned her rigid and cold face to Lin Xi, her eyes ashen as she said, ¡°Miss, you cannot go.¡±


    Her speech was also dry and hoarse, lacking smoothness.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to look, not leave the estate,¡± Lin Xi smiled gently and kindly at the nanny.


    ¡°I am the master of the Zhou estate, and sooner or later I will take charge of it.


    I need to understand what is happening and learn to deal with such situations.


    She swallowed her saliva and quietly moved to stand behind her grandfather, Zhou An, because she realized that his emotions were the most stable among the group of demons.


    However, as the bloody scent from outside grew stronger, Lin Xi became more certain that the people outside were attempting to use the blood qi of a living person to induce the Zhou family demons to lose control!


    Just as Lin Xi felt terrified, she heard a cold snort, ¡°What kind of brigands dare to kill people openly in my Wang City?¡±


    In that instant, a man and a woman suddenly swept through the air, landing in front of the first placard in front of the Zhou residence.


    Lin Xi looked stunned when she saw these two people.


    The man was wearing a radiant full suit of armor, and a seal character emblem of the ¡°Imperial City Office¡± was posted on the right chest side of his armor; he also had several official seals at his waist.


    He was very young, not even twenty years old, but his presence was compelling.


    When he looked down from high towards the direction of the Zhou family¡¯s main hall, all the demons inside momentarily held their breath.


    However, what interested Lin Xi even more was the red-robed young girl standing behind the young man.


    She seemed to be a ¡®Blood Blade Maiden¡¯ Protector demon, also radiating an extremely powerful aura.


    novgo.co


    Upon her arrival, she assertively interrupted the spiritual confrontation between the Zhou¡¯s elders and several high-ranking practitioners outside.


    For some reason, Lin Xi suddenly felt an extremely close connection with the red-robed girl, as if their bloodlines were responding to each other.


    She immediately realized that this young girl in red might be one of her bloodline origins.


    Lin Xi¡¯s hybrid body had four bloodline sources: one was the three drops of mysterious blood left by their father Lin Cong; one was the super-emperor blood of the fourth realm brought back by Lin Rui; one was her own human origin; and one was from the real Yun Xi.


    The Federation¡¯s hybrid cultivation technology involved taking some of the superficial genes of the people of the Sky Extreme Star for camouflage, thus completing the replacement from inside out.


    This was also why these demons from the Zhou family identified her as Yun Xi without any doubt.


    Lin Xi pondered whether this red-robed girl was her bloodline source, then who was the young man in the full suit of armor?


    Could it be her brother, Lin Rui?


    Lin Xi immediately shook her head, thinking it impossible.


    That man obviously held a high position and status, wearing a sixth-rank official seal, so how could he possibly be her brother?


    At that moment, her ¡°grandfather¡± Zhou An¡¯s murmuring voice confirmed her judgment, ¡°Wang City Defense Commander Lin Twelve?¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s pupils shrank, pondering that this was one of the four pillars of the prefectural government, a figure who could contend with the Prefectural Governor and Prefect in Wang City?


    After the young man¡¯s arrival, he looked down briefly and then placed his hand on his sword while coldly observing Zhou An and his wife with a mocking tone, ¡°Mr.


    Zhou, are you preparing to receive guests?


    These restless ones, what do they want to do?


    Are they hungry and want something to eat?


    You¡¯ve been fairly honest till now; could it be you can¡¯t hold back today?¡±


    As he spoke, an incredibly powerful and grand spiritual power enveloped the area, with the potential to distort heaven and earth.


    Zhou An and his wife twitched slightly, raising their heads to meet the eyes of Wang City Defense Commander Lin Twelve.


    Both expressions were extremely solemn, ¡°Is this, the abyss?¡±


    At that moment, the many fourth-realm demons in the hall all showed fear in their eyes and trembled.

 Chapter 190

    ?Chapter 190: Chapter 183: The Power of Concept (Please Subscribe) Chapter 190: Chapter 183: The Power of Concept (Please Subscribe) Lin Xi was astonished to find that although the stench of blood outside was still strong, all the servants and Protectors of the Zhou household were standing obediently, expressionless, and their bodies had ceased their bizarre transformations.


    Even her grandparents were acting with utmost caution.


    Under the oppressive gaze of that young man, they were restraining their Demonic Qi and divine senses with all their might.


    The Abyss?


    Lin Xi thought, could it be that the youngster outside has mastered an extremely powerful abyssal force?


    As far as she knew, any force from the Abyss had a strong suppressing effect on all demons and monsters.


    It was said that the official seals of the Great Song Dynasty above the fourth rank were infused with a trace of abyssal aura.


    ...


    ¡°Lord Lin!¡±


    Zhou An was clenching the armrests of his seat with both hands, his voice strained as he tried his hardest to speak clearly, ¡°Our Zhou family only wishes to protect itself and has no intention of causing trouble!


    It is someone else who wants to destroy our Zhou family¡¯s name, leaving us no choice but to fight to the bitter end!¡±


    Lin Rui looked Zhou An up and down and then scoffed coldly, ¡°Fight to the bitter end?


    What makes you think you have the right to do that?¡±


    He also took a special look at Lin Xi and saw that his sister¡¯s complexion seemed rather good.


    This girl had only come down for two days and had already reached the second realm of channel opening, and had opened at least three meridians.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Xi was extremely talented; she had already had meridians implanted on her back in Tianji Star.


    The Zhou family was affluent, with family wealth in the millions, and had access to elixirs and all the resources necessary for cultivation.


    He estimated that in a few more days, his sister would be able to start cultivating blood.


    ¡°Mr.


    Zhou, suppressing bandits and wicked demons alike is the duty of this official.


    In this clear and bright world, there¡¯s no place for criminals to run amok, nor for demons to be rampant!


    If you consider yourselves a decent household, then stay put and don¡¯t cause any trouble!¡±


    Seeing that the Zhou couple had fallen silent and were thus subdued, Lin Rui withdrew his gaze from inside the Zhou residence and looked down at the crowd under the archway with a stern eye: ¡°And you lot, where are you thugs from?


    How dare you resort to violence and murder here in Wang City?¡±


    Right in front of the Zhou residence¡¯s gate, there stood over eighty Martial Cultivators wearing red garments, carrying swords, and some even clad in armor.


    Without exception, the skin they had exposed bore a tattoo in the shape of a flaming longsword, varying only in position and size.


    Three of them were of the fifth realm in their cultivation, combating Ji Xueying¡¯s blade intent with their robust vital energy and formidable martial intentions.


    In front of them were more than twenty disheveled roaming martial artists, who stood barehanded at the gateway of the Zhou residence, all of them pale-faced and fearful.


    On the ground lay a dozen people, all severely injured and unconscious; the blood flowing from their bodies had already formed a pool on the ground.


    The breath of three of them was particularly faint, evidently not far from death.


    ¡°Lord Lin is taking things too seriously!¡±


    That was one of the three fifth-level Martial Cultivators, a man in his forties with a rugged face and broad nose, his skin tanned.


    With half-closed eyes and a somewhat careless demeanor, he said to Lin Rui, bowing slightly, ¡°We are not thieves but people from the Ba Mountain Burning Saber Sect.


    My name is Du Li, an inner elder of the Sect.


    Our fighting in the city is to chase after a traitor of our sect and to purge our ranks, which has nothing to do with the officials!¡±


    The surrounded wanderers had regained their senses by that time, and many of them knelt down, fervently pleading their innocence towards Lin Rui: ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve been wronged!


    They are slandering us; we are people from afar and have no association with their Burning Saber Sect!


    On the contrary, it¡¯s the Burning Saber Sect who set a trap to lure us, intending to take us to Ba Mountain and slaughter us.¡±


    ¡°Your Honor, please hear me out!


    I am a commoner from Changzhou, dealing in the escort business.


    I was lured and recruited into the Burning Saber Sect ten days ago to become an outer sect disciple; I had no connection with them before this.¡±


    ¡°Lord Protector, the Burning Saber Sect is fabricating rumors and committing rampant violence and deception to aid their grand elder in becoming a dragon.


    Later, our sect will definitely present a generous gift to provide Master Lin with a satisfactory explanation!¡±


    The balding middle-aged man could tell from today¡¯s situation that they would not get what they desired.


    The key was that both Lin Xi and that Blood Blade Ji were far stronger than they had thought, by a large margin!


    Just with her blade intent, Blood Blade Ji was able to make them feel a heavy pressure, while that Lin Protector even possessed some ¡®Abyssal¡¯ powers.


    The horde of demons from the Zhou family was clearly subdued by Lin Xi and had gone silent.


    Observing this Protector Lin¡¯s way of handling matters, it was exactly as the rumors depicted, extremely fierce and domineering.


    He was not only unaffected by the mutation of the demonic dragon, but he also seemed completely unconcerned about the conflict between him and the Law Enforcement Office, showing no regard for the prestige of their Burning Saber Sect.


    This was another unexpected point for them.


    Therefore, the balding middle-aged man wanted to soothe things over, seeing no need to confront this powerful Protector who was as unbridled as a wild boar head-on.


    However, as soon as his words fell, his heart sank.


    Because at several nearby intersections, dozens of fully armored Imperial Dragon Guards had poured in, sealing off the nearby streets entirely.


    Lin Rui¡¯s hand was on his sword as the corners of his lips slightly curled up.


    He no longer needed to stall for time and couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste words any longer, ¡°To cleanse your sect, you decided to fight and kill in the streets?


    Is the government just for show?


    Where in the imperial laws does it say this is allowed?


    Take away their weapons!


    Bring them to Wang City¡¯s governmental office.


    All those involved in the brawl and causing injuries or deaths will be dealt with according to the law!¡±


    These scoundrels, did they think he was unaware of the series of dire consequences following the Zhou family¡¯s rebellion?


    This Burning Saber Sect would push the Zhou family demons to lose control and then simply walk away, while the chaotic situation triggered by these hundreds of crazed demons killing people would fall on him and the government to bear.


    And his sister Lin Xi, she almost lost her life!


    Upon hearing these words, Du Li¡¯s pupils dilated, and the rage he had been suppressing burst forth.


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    He was a dignified fifth-stage expert, an inner sect elder of the Burning Saber Sect!


    Even the Prefectural Governor Li Changguo had to speak to him with politeness.


    Who did this Lin think he was, to be so presumptuous before him?


    Du Li suddenly drew his sword from its sheath, his body ablaze with radiant light as he thundered, ¡°Let¡¯s see who dares!¡±


    At that moment, he saw that Blood Blade Ji, positioned ahead of him, also suddenly drew her sword, slashing straight towards him.


    Clang!!!


    With that heavy and sharp metallic roar, Du Li managed to block Ji Xueying¡¯s strike at the last moment, just a foot away from his face.


    The ferocious and brutal force of the blade made Du Li stagger backwards.


    Just then, Du Li¡¯s pupils abruptly widened.


    He felt an icy chill sweep across his neck, and his head was sliding off from his neck.


    It was that Lin Xi!


    Earlier, that person, along with Blood Blade Ji, had drawn their swords almost simultaneously, striking at the same time!


    Du Li was no longer able to control his neck and head.


    He could only watch, in disbelief with the corner of his eyes, as Lin Xi¡¯s blade had apparently been a concept imbued with an incredibly powerful Abyssal force!


    The other members of the Burning Saber Sect standing nearby were all rooted to the spot, almost doubting their own eyes.


    Those two fifth-stage experts, in particular, had actually tried to save him with all their might, but they were still too slow, their gazes dull, unable to accept the scene before them at any cost.


    This Protector Lin, not only did he lay hands on them, but he also killed their brother Du?


    And this guy, his blade was so fast!


    Impossibly fast!

 Chapter 191

    ?Chapter 191: Chapter 184: The Speed of Light Trace (Subscription Requested) Chapter 191: Chapter 184: The Speed of Light Trace (Subscription Requested) Lin Rui had never imagined his blade speed could be so fast!


    He didn¡¯t use the ¡°Yang Pulling Slash,¡± just a general drawing technique from ¡°Yang Ascending Saber Slaughter,¡± which could at best be considered an A+ level move.


    Lin Rui was indeed confident he could kill Du Li with one strike!


    But just to be perfectly sure, Lin Rui had also integrated 3% of the ¡°Light Trace¡± concept into his strike.


    And it was this 3% ¡°Light Trace¡± that made his blade speed match the limit of the ¡°Yang Pulling Slash¡±!


    So, even without Ji Xueying¡¯s suppression, Du Li would have found it hard to completely defend against this strike and would definitely have been wounded!


    ¡°a?€¡±Is this the concept?¡±


    Lin Rui was deeply amazed by the mighty power of the Abyssal concept!


    ...


    Just 3% ¡°Light Trace¡± and his blade speed became so fast?


    That strike just now absolutely broke through to within one-thousandth of a second!


    The only downside of conceptual power is that it consumes a lot of True Yuan.


    If it¡¯s with techniques like ¡°Yang Pulling Slash¡± and ¡°Light Transfer Slash,¡± which can naturally utilize the Abyssal concept, it¡¯s not too bad; however, forcing their use on other ordinary saber techniques doubles the consumption of True Qi.


    Lin Rui quickly collected his thoughts and raised his eyebrows to look ahead.


    At this moment, over a dozen disciples of the Burning Saber Sect suddenly let out a roar and swung their swords and sabers at Lin Rui.


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    The two fifth-level elders from the Burning Saber Sect also drew their sabers, initially only to assist Du Li, but now they seized the moment to engage with Blood Blade Ji Xueying.


    In an instant between the two and the demon, a sharp cacophony of clashing weapons burst forth, and the glinting blades and saber shadows sparkled, casting blinding sparks.


    ¡°Hm?


    You dare to resist the law with force, stubbornly resisting?


    How audacious!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes flashed with ¡®anger¡¯ as he coldly watched the two fifth-level elders fiercely battling Blood Blade Ji Xueying.


    Instead of retreating, he faced these Burning Saber Sect members and went straight into the crowd.@@@@


    Facing these martial cultivators who were at most in the late fourth stage, Lin Rui, with his Great Grandmaster-level ¡°Yang Ascending Saber Slaughter,¡± was like a tiger in a flock of sheep, simply unstoppable.


    He didn¡¯t use the power of the concept again, however, with the 3% Light Trace, his blade speed, even without using the Light Trace, had greatly increased.


    The saber light, swift and shadowy, was like the traces of light!


    In an instant, streams of blood sprayed and heads flew.


    In just less than a tenth of a breath, five men were decapitated.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s target wasn¡¯t these ordinary members of the Burning Saber Sect, but the other fifth-level elder fighting fiercely with Blood Blade Ji Xueying!


    According to the intelligence Lin Rui had recently obtained, this person should be called Lu Shan, a high-ranking fifth stage fighter, whose strength was just below that of Du Li.


    This man also sensed Lin Rui¡¯s approach and suddenly shivered, his eyes filled with horror.


    Lu Shan was deeply impressed by the strike Lin Rui had used to kill Du Li, filled with immense dread and terror!


    If Lin Rui came near and teamed up with Blood Blade Ji Xueying, he would surely die!


    Let alone the terrifying speed of the previous strike, even the current speed at which Lin Rui was slaughtering several Burning Saber Sect disciples was too much for him to bear.


    The other fifth-level elder named Gu Lai, the bald middle-aged man who had spoken earlier, turned as pale as paper, his expression a mix of shock and rage, ¡°My lord, please stop!


    Consider the consequences, this means fighting with our Burning Saber Sect to the deatha?€¡±¡±


    However, before Gu Lai could finish, he heard a ¡®pong¡¯.


    It was Ji Xueying¡¯s blade speed explosively bursting forth in that instant, breaking through Lu Shan¡¯s defensive curtain and directly chopping off Lu Shan¡¯s head, splashing a spray of fresh blood.


    Gu Lai¡¯s heart nearly stopped beating in that instant.


    He then realized that among the man and demon before him, the most terrifying was still this super-kingly level fourth-stage Blood Blade Ji Xueying!


    Even without Lin Rui, just the power of Blood Blade Ji Xueying alone was enough to contend with the three of them, even to suppress and defeat them!


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui also carefully observed these ¡®people¡¯ and noted that they indeed only moved the bodies and ignored the seriously injured martial artists on the ground, which reassured him enough to divert his attention elsewhere.


    According to what Lin Rui knew, ever since the Zhou family was forced by the Burning Saber Sect into demonic transformation, they hadn¡¯t harmed any civilians nearby.


    But these monsters weren¡¯t vegetarians.


    Even with Blood Blade Ji¡¯s strong will, after not consuming blood for over ten consecutive days, sanity would begin to fade, let alone the ordinary monsters in the Zhou estate!


    Lin Rui did not know by what means they suppressed their instincts, but he was certain it couldn¡¯t last.


    This matter involved the life and safety of Lin Xi, and Lin Rui did not dare to take it lightly.


    He anticipated that the corpses of the two fifth-tier elders of the Burning Saber Sect would at least keep the Zhou family quiet for a while, which was certainly better than letting the Zhou family run amok and harm the local populace.


    These two were the chief culprits of the Zhou family¡¯s demonic transformation, and now they had received their just desserts.


    Lin Rui watched as his subordinates from the Imperial Dragon squad tied up all the Burning Saber Sect disciples and escorted them to the Wang City Government Office; afterwards, he stood with his hands behind his back and coldly swept a glance at the onlookers surrounding them.


    At this time, those still daring to stay nearby and watch the commotion were none of them ordinary folks.


    Hence, not only was Lin Rui¡¯s gaze piercing and exceptionally icy, but he also condensed a peerlessly sharp martial intent, oppressing the distant crowd.


    His words also contained a warning, ¡°Listen well!


    I have been requested by the Prefectural Governor to take charge of the city¡¯s public order.


    From this day forward, whether human or demon, god or ghost, anyone daring to violate the royal law and harm the populace will be severely punisheda?€¡± with their crimes increased by three degrees!¡±


    The crowd around him first buzzed with commotion, but after just a moment, it calmed down; none dared meet Lin Rui¡¯s gaze, either lowering their heads or averting their eyes.


    They knew that this defense officer could indeed do as he said, for this man would kill even the people of the Burning Saber Sect on a whim; how much more so them?


    Just then, another ¡®person¡¯ walked out from within the gates of the Zhou residence.


    It was indeed the head of the Zhou household, ¡®Zhou An¡¯, whose face was rigid, but his actions were respectfully presenting a beautifully decorated sheathed longsword to Lin Rui.


    ¡°Great, Great Sir, today you first provided protection, then killed our enemies of the Zhou family.


    My entire household is profoundly grateful.


    Zhou has no way to repay you, except with this heirloom saber which might be of use to you.¡±


    Zhou An initially struggled to speak, but gradually became more fluent.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui slightly raised his eyebrows and unapologetically took the sword in his hand.


    Upon drawing the blade, his eyes lit up.


    ¡°A fine blade!¡±


    This blade, named ¡®Sky Gleam¡¯, was a fifth-tier super king class treasure saber!


    Moreover, its attributes matched his perfectly, being a blend of light, thunder, and fire elements.


    Although this saber¡¯s potential was not as high as the ¡®Thunder God¡¯ saber that Blood Blade Ji Xueying was nurturing, at this stage, its power far surpassed that of ¡®Thunder God¡¯ and was not inferior to his own ¡®Great Dark Heaven¡¯.


    With this saber in hand, Lin Rui¡¯s combat strength could increase by another thirty percent.


    ¡°Then, thank you, Mr.


    Zhou.¡±


    Lin Rui immediately swapped out his waist blade and, with a hint of implication, asked, ¡°However, Mr.


    Zhou, continuing this way isn¡¯t a solution.


    How much longer can you hold out, ten days or half a month?


    I cannot tolerate this indefinitely, so what are your thoughts now?¡±


    He knew that one major reason the Prefectural Governor and others had not exterminated the Zhou family was out of concern for public opinion from the Zhou family¡¯s old colleagues and disciples; secondly, out of shame for failing to protect their colleagues¡¯ family; and lastly, out of fear of not having enough manpower to encircle such a large household and provoking further trouble.


    Lin Rui, however, had no such concerns and now had sufficient strength to besiege the Zhou family, limiting the battle to the Zhou residence and not affecting the surroundings.


    The cunning Prefectural Governor, before leaving, hadn¡¯t mentioned a word about the Zhou family¡¯s affairs, clearly intending to offload this hot potato onto him.


    Upon hearing these words, Zhou An was slightly stunned, then raised his head, looking at Lin Rui with a pair of dull yellow pupils mixed with crimson.

 Chapter 192

    ?Chapter 192: Chapter 185: Descendants of the Loyal and Good (Please Subscribe) Chapter 192: Chapter 185: Descendants of the Loyal and Good (Please Subscribe) Zhou An stared at Lin Rui for quite a while before he actually bent down and kowtowed, ¡°As for the affairs of my family, I myself do not know how to bring them to an end.


    All we seek is merely to ensure that our family lineage does not extinguish, that our ancestral line does not sever; yet the Burning Saber Sect is overwhelmingly aggressive, pressing us relentlessly, and my Zhou family is left with but a sole daughter.


    Without our protection, her fate would be as precarious as a mantis trapped in a charred kettlea?€¡±a disaster looming.


    We are filled with daily worries, constantly seeking ways to resolve our dilemmas, but we have been sorely lacking effective strategies.


    I, Zhou An, am naive and untutored.


    I humbly ask you for guidance, Sir.


    Should there be any way for us to achieve our wishes, I am willing to willingly embrace death and will rest in peace!¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself, what lone daughter remains?


    ...


    The real Zhou Yunxi has already been covertly murdered by people from the Burning Saber Sect, devoured by you!


    Nonetheless, the Zhou family¡¯s fate is indeed tragic.


    For generations, the Zhou family has been loyal to the state, dedicating their intelligence and loyalty without reserve; it is merely because they were implicated in court power struggles, offering blunt advice, that they incurred the Emperor¡¯s wrath, which led to the downfall of the entire family.


    At this moment, the Zhou family appears to be oppressed by the Burning Saber Sect, but there are indeed others pulling strings behind the scenes.


    Lin Rui was filled with emotions internally, but his facade remained unaltered, and he responded with a carefree smile, ¡°What could I possibly teach you?


    You know your own family¡¯s affairs best, and those people will not let you off the hook.


    Go to novgo.co


    So I advise you to settle whatever matters need settling, to let go of what needs to be released, lest you are caught off guard when the time comes.


    After all, ¡®children and grandchildren will have their own blessings¡¯; without you, your granddaughter might not necessarily be unable to survive.¡±


    He stroked the ¡®Celestial Shimmer¡¯ blade at his waist, hesitated for a moment, and still spoke with profound earnestness, ¡°Although the person your family has offended holds high office and is protected by the Emperor, there are still a few within the Great Song dynasty capable of contending with him.


    Moreover, your ancestors have a reputation for honesty and justice, governing with benevolence and forgiveness; your public reputation is excellent.


    Your son has died for the people, offering blunt advice and wrongly suffering the Emperor¡¯s displeasure.


    Hence, there are many within the court and common folk who sympathize with you.


    As long as you carefully plan and find the right person, willing to pay the price, it is still possible to gain a glimmer of hope for survival for your family.¡±


    While speaking, Lin Rui remembered something, ¡°By the way!


    Does your family have any pills that can treat internal injuries and restore vital energy?


    I want those above the sixth realm, the highest grade of efficacy.


    Do not bother bringing me ordinary pills.¡±


    Zhou An did not think twice; he gestured to someone behind him.


    Soon after, a steward came forward holding a pill bottle and presented it to Lin Rui.


    ¡°Sir, this is a precious bottle of sixth realm ¡®Divine Yang Great Returning Pill¡¯ from our family¡¯s collection.


    I wonder if it meets your requirements?¡±


    But this Lin, the Defense Commissioner, not only disregarded the Burning Saber Sect¡¯s men but also used ruthless and merciless methods!


    The Zhou family had no reason to resent Li Changguo, yet they must feel profoundly grateful towards the Defense Commissioner.


    ¡°I know, we still need to watch, we must not act rashly!¡±


    Zhou An stiffly turned his head again, looking towards Lin Xi who stood behind Mrs.


    Wang, ¡°But he¡¯s right, we must clarify what needs to be explained, we can¡¯t be caught off guard when the time comes!


    We must hand over our family¡¯s heirloom to her now.¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, realizing that what her grandfather was about to entrust her with was the genuinely most valuable possession of the Zhou family!


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Lin Rui was unaware that his words had further advanced his sister on the path of inheriting the Zhou family estate.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t know what exactly was hidden in the Zhou residence, nor did he particularly care.


    In Lin Rui¡¯s eyes, the real inheritance of the Zhou family lay in the three archways that represented scholars, symbolizing the Zhou family¡¯s legacy of integrity and undivided loyalty through three generations!


    This was, in fact, tantamount to a minor prestigious family with a profound foundation.


    Although the Zhou family was now in decline and most of the Zhou ancestors¡¯ colleagues had been implicated and either demoted or exiled, this group of principled officials still held high esteem across the land and had the potential for a comeback at any moment.


    Furthermore, many within the imperial court and bureaucracy still harbored sympathetic attitudes toward the Zhou family; while they dared not directly intervene under the Emperor¡¯s pressure, they did not mind extending a helping hand to the Zhou family within their prerogativea?€¡±which was precisely what the local prefectural chief official and his deputy were doing, both overtly and covertly thwarting the Burning Saber Sect.


    novgo.co


    Therefore, as long as his sister could reach a certain height, the Zhou family¡¯s three generations of reputation and connections could offer Lin Xi tremendous aid.


    Lin Rui, overseeing personally, had numerous culprits of the Burning Saber Sect escorted back to the dungeon of Wang City Government Office.


    Afterward, he discreetly slipped out the back of the inner office courtyard and made his way, hiding and revealing himself, towards a certain estate outside the city.


    He estimated that having made an example of the Burning Saber Sect, those malevolent beings within the city should stay in line for a while, leaving him with no need to worry about deteriorating public security for the time being.


    It was now the Divine Envoy outside the city that was causing Lin Rui more concern.


    At that very moment, his bio-chip alerted him to a new message.


    Curiously, Lin Rui opened the message interface.


    Communication systems for extraterrestrial travelers were highly restricted, and with the exorbitant cost of quantum communications, they would establish a permitted contact list during their stay at Tianji Star, only receiving messages from approved friends.


    The message was unexpectedly from Yu Feicui.


    Heart of Emerald (Yu Feicui): Lin Rui, you¡¯ve gone viral!


    You have no idea how wildly popular you are right now.


    Heart of Emerald (Yu Feicui): Lin Rui, if you have time recently, you should come up and take a look.


    Record some videos or do a livestream.


    Also, you might want to check your bank accounta?€¡±it will definitely give you a shock!


    Seeing this, Lin Rui¡¯s curiosity piqued, wondering just how much he had earned to evoke such exaggerated and excited words from Yu Feicui?

 Chapter 193

    ?Chapter 193: Chapter 186 ¡°God¡± and ¡°Emperor¡± (Three more chapters for monthly tickets) Chapter 193: Chapter 186 ¡°God¡± and ¡°Emperor¡± (Three more chapters for monthly tickets) Lin Rui immediately opened his bank account to check.


    He had accounts at three banks, but only the account at ¡®First Republic Bank¡¯ was linked to his video account.


    After entering his password, his pupils shrank as he looked at the amount in disbelief.


    Balancea?€¡±123443219


    It was a nine-digit number, amounting to over one hundred and twenty-three million!


    Was his earning capability really this strong?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Sister Feicui, how can there be so much money?@@@@


    What happened these past two days?


    ...


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): Didn¡¯t I tell you?


    You¡¯re famous now, extremely famous.


    Since you used Yang Pulling Slash to defeat ¡®Dragon Fist¡¯ Gu Zhenrong and ¡®Savage Blade¡¯ Tie Yan, you¡¯ve been a hot topic.


    Yesterday, after Shi Yan defeated Baili Wang, your popularity soared even more.


    After winning, Shi Yan spoke highly of you in the media, belittling Baili Wang but praising you greatly.


    She said you¡¯re not only immensely talented but also full of martial virtue, so now Tianhuan Video Network has over 12 million fans following you.


    Go to novgo.co


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): Most of the money comes from video subscription revenues.


    Some martial critics and professional hosts subscribed to your instructional videos these past few days and rated them highly.


    As a result, the subscription numbers for your teaching videos are quite impressive, especially for your ¡®Yang Pulling Slash Youth Edition,¡¯ which alone brought in over thirty million.


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): Then there¡¯s your income from product endorsements.


    The Tianlan Corporation has received a down payment said to be over three hundred million federation coins, totaling more than 7000 units.


    However, the gene enhancement is quite complex, requiring the completion of genetic enhancement surgery to finalize the deals, so commissions from this will take some time to be credited.


    Also, there¡¯s some income from tips, currently amounting to over five million but due to the federation¡¯s relevant laws, this too will take a month before the video network disburses it.


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): The feedback from Tianhuan Video Network has been very positive, and they¡¯re currently channeling more traffic to boost your popularity.


    However, they need more video content from you.


    The instructional videos you previously recorded are too few, only 22, which isn¡¯t enough.


    After reading this, Lin Rui was secretly astonished, thinking that making money was also too easy.


    He also felt that he should record more videos to take advantage of this wave of popularity and earn more money.


    However, ever since his arrival, one trouble had followed another, leaving him no respite, and the situation around him was becoming increasingly perilous.


    Relying solely on the artificial intelligence system was definitely not enough.


    He could only wait and see how things unfolded in the coming days to find a suitable opportunity to return.


    The issue with extraterrestrial travelers was just this troublesome.


    Once their extraterrestrial forms died, their original bodies¡¯ souls also suffered greatly, leading at best to vegetative states and at worst to brain death.


    That¡¯s why extraterrestrial travelers were popular for breeding demonic creatures, like the humanoid Protector Demons such as Blood Blade Ji, whose combat strength and intelligence were far greater than any artificial intelligence system.


    Lin Rui immediately opened the official store of the Extraterrestrial Management Bureau and bought himself 10 ¡®Type 4 Bloodline Enhancement Elixirs¡¯.


    novgo.co


    This was in preparation for awakening his emperor-level talent ¡®Blood Sun Heavenly Origin.¡¯


    Lin Rui had only just awakened the ¡®Blood Core Fury Sun¡¯ using a Bloodline Enhancement Elixir a few days ago.


    Ordinarily, he should have waited a while for his genes to stabilize before attempting to awaken a new talent.


    However, Lin Rui, after enhancing a few Abyss concepts in the morning, found that the bloodline power in his body was very stable under the suppression of the ¡®Abyss¡¯ aura.


    Lin Rui briefly checked some relevant material and found that the power of the ¡®Abyss¡¯ indeed helped stabilize genes and bloodlines.


    Now that you are heavily injured and unable to recover, and with the magistrate¡¯s office being so powerful and aggressive, we might no longer have a chance.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Meng Weiyun frowned deeply, ¡°That bottle of ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯ is very important to my master, we must obtain it.¡±


    By comparison, the Dragon-Rank secret martial skill ¡®Heavenly Origin Dragon Transformation Law¡¯ seemed less crucial.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but scoff internally, since the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯ is so crucial, why did you fight so desperately yesterday, ending up severely injured in a futile duel with Fei Yunlai?


    Meng Weiyun noticed his thought and explained with a wry smile, ¡°Fei Yunlai might be involved in a conspiracy case with the Sha State governor.


    I needed to capture him to interrogate for evidence.


    This matter is as important to my master as the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯.


    I didn¡¯t expect Fei Yunlai to be so strong; he had concealed his strength, and his bloodline power was nearly at the imperial level.


    Neither of us could back down during the fight, nor dared to.¡±


    Lin Rui, however, looked puzzled as he heard this, ¡°Sha State governor, plotting a rebellion?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t the Sha State governor a loyal confidant of the emperor?


    Or an old servant from the emperor¡¯s hidden residence, what rebellion was he scheming?


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes then slightly narrowed.


    The Sha State governor¡¯s rebellion was likely not against the emperor but that divine beinga?€¡±the East Abyss!


    This was a significant matter!


    The Great Song promoted ¡®God and Emperor as One,¡¯ and now there was discord between ¡®God¡¯ and ¡®Emperor.¡¯


    ¡°We suspect the Sha State governor might be in contact with a high-ranking official from the Beyond Heaven Demons; they are colluding to purge dissidents.


    Fei Yunlai might have key evidence, but unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t capture him.¡±


    Meng Weiyun looked helpless, ¡°According to our judgment, Fei Yunlai is likely from an institution called the Federal Security Agency, similar in authority to our Imperial City Division.


    Ever since my master became a Divine Envoy a hundred years ago, he has been trying to understand and possibly establish contact with some people from this institution, but without success.¡±


    Lin Rui privately shook his head, thinking you are really overthinking it; old Fei could not possibly be from the Federal Security Agency.


    He, a prominently notorious wanted criminal, what use would the Federal Security Agency have for him?


    However, he could later inquire on behalf of Meng Weiyun what evidence Fei Yunlai actually possessed that made it necessary for her to fight him to the death?


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression, however, furrowed in displeasure, ¡°The Federal Security Agency?


    My lord, that is the Beyond Heaven Demons, how could we possibly associate with demons and seek a tiger¡¯s skin?¡±


    ¡°You will understand with more exposure, not every Beyond Heaven Demon is evil.


    Inside the Beyond Heaven Demons, there are many factions, some of which originate from something called the Eastern Republic.


    They tend to act more kindly and prefer engaging in various businesses.¡±


    Seeing Lin Twelve frown deeper and express reluctance, Meng Weiyun slightly shook her head, thinking that his understanding was limited by his background, and explaining further at this moment would be useless.


    Perhaps she shouldn¡¯t have said it.


    Subconsciously, she must have regarded this young man before her as a junior brother who could be trusted to join her master¡¯s sect, hence her unguarded revelations about the deep secrets of the Imperial City Division in front of Lin Twelve.


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s tone shifted, ¡°Regarding the Qin Yan cave mansion affair, it is indeed my fault.


    However, we must find a way to obtain that bottle of ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯.


    Lin Twelve, Sister Zhuang said you have a steadfast mind and extraordinary capabilities, fit for a great responsibility.


    Do you have any good strategies to help us turn the situation around?¡±


    Lin Rui indeed had some ideas, but it was pointless to share them with Meng Weiyun.


    A severely injured invalid, what help could you offer?


    Just then, he received a message from his sister, Lin Xi.


    Summer Late Shallow Thought (Lin Xi): Brother, I got the treasure of the Zhou family, you would never guess what it is!


    So grateful to you, brother!


    Lin Xi even sent a kiss emoji, showing how excited she was.

 Chapter 194

    ?Chapter 194: Chapter 187: Abyssal Essence (Subscribe Requested) Chapter 194: Chapter 187: Abyssal Essence (Subscribe Requested) About an hour ago, just as Lin Rui had gone to meet Meng Weiyun, Lin Xi followed Zhou An and the Wang couple into a cavern beneath the main residence of the Zhou family.


    To Lin Xi¡¯s astonishment, she discovered that the cavern was built with iron-hard stones, each with a width of ten feet and a length of thirty feet.


    Moreover, embedded within the interior walls was a layer of Yuan-suppressing stones.


    Given the specifications of the cavern, it could easily serve as a top-grade prison, and it was even more secure than the jails of large cities.


    If they, as beings of different races, were imprisoned here, their cries would go unanswered by the heavens and unheeded by the earth.


    However, the air inside the cavern was very fresh, perhaps due to good ventilation or some other reasons, and it was not at all damp or muggy.


    Yet, a chill lingered in Lin Xi¡¯s heart, knowing that the two ¡®grandparents¡¯ in front of her were demons, and both were beings beyond the realm of a fifth-level Martial Cultivator.


    ...


    They could lose control at any moment and devour her.


    These demons had already devoured Zhou Yunxi.


    In their eyes, the deceased Zhou Yunxi was just a piece of flesh, not their granddaughter, which showed what state of mind they were in.


    ¡°Our Zhou family possesses two heritage artifacts, one of which is called the ¡®Blood Refining Mirror.¡¯ It is a fifth-level Magic Artifact that exceeds the imperial tier, and it is also the origin of our Zhou family,¡± Zhou An explained as he brought Lin Xi towards the first room while unlocking the heavy door.


    ¡°Though this artifact is of lower rank, it possesses immense utility!


    It can be used to reflect upon oneself, aiding in the refinement of bloodline powers, and it can also disrupt the enemy¡¯s bloodlines during combat, causing their strength to drastically decline.


    However, you should avoid using it in battle, for the primary purpose of the ¡®Blood Refining Mirror¡¯ is to refine one¡¯s bloodline.


    Go to novgo.co


    The reason our Zhou family has risen from merchant status to having three generations of imperial scholars is all thanks to this artifact.¡±


    He had already opened the room, which was a small space about twenty feet in length, with only a rosewood stand inside.


    Atop the rosewood stand was a mirror about the size of three adult palms, a dark golden color all over, with its edges engraved with numerous blood-red patterns.


    Lin Xi¡¯s pupils slightly constricted as she thought to herself, does the Zhou family really own such a divine object?


    Aiding in the refinement of bloodline powersa?€¡±isn¡¯t that equivalent to the effects of a bloodline-strengthening serum used by those with different races?


    And it can be used an infinite number of times.


    No wonder the Zhou family rose rapidly, with three of its four generations reaching the ranks of the imperial scholars.


    Although this artifact is only of the fifth level, its value is definitely beyond that of a seventh-level Magic Artifact!


    Not using it in battle is the right choicea?€¡±who would be willing to use such a treasure for fighting?


    At this moment, Mrs.


    Wang¡¯s eyes were cold as she let out a light snort, ¡°To possess such a treasure and yet fall into the brink of danger, husband, you are useless.¡±


    Zhou An didn¡¯t argue back.


    Looking at the mirror, his eyes were filled with pain, regret, and helplessness.


    The Zhou family had such a treasure at hand, and yet Zhou An¡¯s cultivation was only at the late stage of the fourth level.


    In the end, he was forced to rely on the mirror and undergo demonic transformation, truly a disgrace to his ancestors!


    This was all because his Primordial Spirit talent was too poor and his will too weak to withstand the pain of bloodline refining.


    Otherwise, how could the Zhou family have fallen to its current state?


    Zhou An walked up to the stand, took out an oddly-made dark red pouch from his sleeve, and placed the mirror inside it.


    ¡°This is the very foundation of our Zhou family, from now on, you will carry this item on your person and keep it with you at all times!¡±@@@@


    Strangely enough, the ¡®Blood Mirror¡¯ originally exhibited strong fluctuations of vital energy, but as soon as Zhou An placed the precious mirror into the bag, no more aether elements leaked out.


    ¡°Next is the second heirloom of our Zhou family.¡±


    Zhou An then led the way, taking Lin Xi to the door of the second room, his eyes growing more complex, ¡°This was once the object upon which generations of my family pinned their hopes, expecting to rely on it to establish an everlasting noble house.


    Unfortunately, now its value has diminished, and it can no longer be used.


    How you choose to deal with it in the future, well, that¡¯s up to youa?€¡±¡±


    Zhou An then placed the key in Lin Xi¡¯s hand, ¡°You have the ¡®Blood Refining Mirror¡¯ with you.


    If you survive in the future, you can undergo dragon transformation by yourself.


    As for this ¡®Undying Heart Dragon¡¯, you can deal with it as you see fit, just don¡¯t let it fall into the hands of the Burning Saber Sect.


    They want its dragon source essence.


    The ¡®Undying Heart Dragon¡¯ has been with our family for 200 years, we should give it a proper end.¡±


    Lin Xi understood Zhou An¡¯s meaning.


    The Zhou family had supported the ¡®Undying Heart Dragon¡¯ for generations, essentially sacrificing themselves with the hope of raising it to a nation-protecting war dragon with great strength and spirituality.


    However, for her, awakening herself seemed more profitable, with greater potential, without having to persist with the ¡®Undying Heart Dragon¡¯ like the Zhou family predecessors.


    And after all, even if this dragon was saved, its power would drop to the sixth realm and be worthless.


    Howevera?€¡±a?€¡±


    Lin Xi suddenly clenched her fist, concealing the unusual luster that appeared in her eyes.


    To ordinary people, giving up this war dragon was the best option, but she was different.


    Having one war dragon already, she couldn¡¯t undergo dragon transformation again.


    As for the burdena?€¡±a?€¡±


    Lin Xi looked at her hand, gazing at the blue veins that emerged on her fair skin.


    Being imbued with the source essence, she should be able to bear it, right?


    This was just a super emperor war dragon that had declined to the sixth realm, nothing compared to her own dragon which was truly deadly.


    As her cultivation improved, Lin Xi had unlocked more and more memories recently.


    She knew that since she had returned to the path of Martial Cultivator, she was doomed to die in the next few years anyway, so the life span loss of a few days from bearing this war dragon did not make much difference.


    On the contrary, possessing this dragon might better help her uncover the truth behind her brother¡¯s ¡®death¡¯, or protect her brother so he could reach greater heights and survive on his own.


    Lin Xi suddenly ran down from the stone steps next to her and came before the statue of the ¡®Undying Heart Dragon¡¯.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er!¡± Zhou An initially didn¡¯t understand what Lin Xi was about to do until he saw her suddenly force her wrist open with her fingertips and splatter her blood onto the ¡®Undying Heart Dragon¡¯.


    That blood was instantly absorbed by the body of the ¡®Undying Heart Dragon¡¯, vanishing without a trace.


    Zhou An frowned slightly, then returned to calm.


    Lin Xi¡¯s actions were reckless, but there was no need to worry.


    Refining a war dragon left by predecessors was not a simple matter, it would take at least several months of consistent effort.


    The ¡®Undying Heart Dragon¡¯ inheritance of the Zhou family, in particular, required a complete set of Secret Techniques to work together.


    Lin Xi¡¯s bit of blood was nowhere near awakening the consciousness of the ¡®Undying Heart Dragon¡¯.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Wang¡¯s family, carrying a lantern, turned around, ¡°We¡¯ll go to the next room.¡±


    Although the Zhou family only had two heirloom artifacts, there were still other treasures stored away.


    Their family had only become a family of officials four generations ago, but they had gone through seven generations of management before that, and their accumulated wealth was substantial.


    Lin Xi looked up at the colossal war dragon for a moment, then obediently followed behind the Zhou elders, leaving the room.


    She already had the key and could come over at any time in the future.


    There was no rush for the moment.


    It was not long after the door closed behind them with a heavy ¡®clang¡¯, that the ¡®Undying Heart Dragon¡¯ slumped on the stone chair started to gather a hint of azure luster in its pupils.


    novgo.co


    It let out a low moan, both abrupt and surprised.


    If its three deceased masters were to be resurrected at this moment, they would be able to discern the meaning of its moaning.


    ¡°Abyssal source essencea?€¡±a?€¡±¡±

 Chapter 195

    ?Chapter 195: Chapter 188: All Things Return to One (Please Subscribe) Chapter 195: Chapter 188: All Things Return to One (Please Subscribe) ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    Located fifty miles west of the county town in a mountain estate, Meng Weiyun furrowed her brow after hearing part of Lin Rui¡¯s plan, her mind seemingly deep in thought, ¡°So, you mean, all I need to do now is stay here and try to bluff?


    Lin Twelve, you¡¯re not trying to imply that I¡¯m in the way, thinking I¡¯m just a burden now and cannot help, and you want me to just stay put and not mess things up, right?¡±


    Lin Rui blinked, thinking that this official Meng really understood perfectly, for that was exactly his intention.


    With Meng Weiyun¡¯s current state, not only would she not be of help, but she would also distract him with her care.


    He only needed Meng Weiyun¡¯s war dragon to go out from time to time, stroll around, and occasionally leave a footprint or two.


    ¡°Why would you think that, my lord?¡± Lin Rui, with a solemn face, solemnly bowed, ¡°In fact, just having the distinguished official stationed here, making the Inspector keep his guard up, is a great help!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Meng Weiyun gave a cold laugh, seeing right through Lin Twelve¡¯s intentions.


    This fellow kept speaking so, yet refused to divulge half a sentence of his detailed action plan to her.


    Meng Weiyun sighed silently in her heart, wondering what good would understanding do?


    ...


    If she didn¡¯t have Lin Twelve to look after her now, she couldn¡¯t even take care of herself.


    Upon reflection, this was all her own fault; she couldn¡¯t blame Lin Twelve.


    Meng Weiyun immediately buoyed her spirit.


    She believed that she must still play some constructive role, otherwise what would she say when her master asked later?


    Go to novgo.co


    Merely relying on Lin Twelve¡¯s brilliant courage?


    What use then would he have for this foolish girl?


    If Lin Twelve failed, she would have even less face to meet her master.


    The best way to increase Lin Twelve¡¯s chances of winning now was to enhance his ability as much as possible.


    Meng Weiyun first glanced at Ji Xueying, who stood silently behind Lin Twelve.


    This guardian demon was very strong and perfect!


    Her physical quality, Primordial Spirit power, bloodline talent, and so on, all developed to the limit, in a prime state.


    Among all transcendent class bloodline demons, Ji Xueying was definitely the most perfect!


    This Lin Twelve indeed had a grand fate, to actually bind such a perfect demon.


    Her only flaw now was that her martial arts Cultivation Technique didn¡¯t quite match.


    However, Meng Weiyun was unable to help with this, especially since she lacked understanding of demons.


    Meng Weiyun then shifted her gaze to Lin Twelve, ¡°Twelve, you¡¯ve begun Core Formation, right?


    Are you condensing Martial Intent?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Lin Rui nodded nonchalantly, ¡°The officer is indeed condensing Blade Intent!¡±


    Martial Cultivators, with their spiritual power approximately around a thousand points, could attempt to condense Martial Intent.


    He was already trying to visualize his own Blade Intent, solidifying his spirit, so his spiritual power was somewhat abnormal, but Meng Weiyun actually noticed this, indicating that her perceptivity was also extremely strong.


    Meng Weiyun slightly furrowed her brow, thinking that Martial Intent was not so easy to condense; most Martial Cultivators reference the Martial Intent of predecessors for visualization, and self-creating Martial Intent risks a great danger, which might destroy one¡¯s martial foundation.


    She nodded subtly, maintaining her composure, ¡°I feel a strong Abyssal presence in your Primordial Spirit.


    Is your Blade Intent related to the Abyss?


    No matter what it is, all must honestly submit to my ¡®One¡¯!


    The most focused, the purest, the simplest ¡®One¡¯!


    Meng Weiyun then fell into deep contemplation.


    She did not initially understand how Lin Rui came into contact with so many abyssal wills and concepts and why he would take the risk to self-condense martial intent.


    Meng Weiyun had intended to give Lin Rui the sternest warning to make him aware of the terror of the Abyss, to realize the danger of self-condensing martial intent,


    but when Meng Weiyun saw Lin Rui¡¯s blade intent, she shelved that thought because she then understood why Lin Rui wanted to condense such martial intent.


    Indeed, only such martial intent was suitable for him.


    This guy wanted the power of the Abyss to serve him, to integrate these Abyssal forces, rather than to submit to the Abyss.


    His spiritual power talent was also strong, and his martial path was on the right track.


    As long as Lin Rui could stabilize his foundation and grasp the extent to which he used the Abyssal power, there would probably be no big issues.


    Meng Weiyun now fell into hesitation, her face slightly flushed.


    She suddenly remembered that just earlier, Lin Rui had helped her to the restroom.


    There was nothing to be embarrassed about anymore, so she gritted her teeth, ¡°Come over here, sit in front of me.


    I have a secret technique that can help you quickly form your martial intent.


    It may take as little as a few days or at most ten days.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes brightened at her words, and he walked over without hesitation, sitting in front of Meng Weiyun.


    Typically, for a martial cultivator to condense martial intent, even with great talent, it would take three to five months, and for those less talented, it might even take more than ten years.


    However, there are also special cases like Blood Blade Ji, whose talent in spiritual power is especially good and when experiencing extreme emotions, can also rapidly condense martial intent.


    But such martial intent is often beyond one¡¯s control, what it forms into is entirely up to luck.


    Lin Rui¡¯s martial intent was very simple and pure.


    Coupled with his strong talent in spiritual power, the condensing process was relatively fast, but he estimated that even if he practiced every day non-stop, it would still take five months to take shape.


    Meng Weiyun could actually help him form martial intent within a few days?


    What kind of powerful secret technique is this?


    ¡°Come sit closer!¡±


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s breathing was a bit rapid, her cheeks more evidently flushed, she pointed a spot one foot in front of her, ¡°Sit here!¡±


    Lin Rui blinked, thinking ¡°damn,¡± wondering if this Heavenly Official Meng was thinking of dual cultivation with him?


    novgo.co


    Was she intending to use some legendary dual cultivation method to help him condense martial intent?


    Lin Rui pondered what excuse he should use to refuse, if that was indeed the case.


    But when he shifted his buttocks over, Meng Weiyun merely leaned her head forward, resting her forehead against his.


    ¡°Focus your mind and spirit!


    Next, I will use my bloodline power combined with a spiritual secret technique to guide you in rapidly forming your blade intenta?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui then relaxed, contemplating that it was just this?


    This woman really, it¡¯s just touching foreheads, and yet she made such a shy exhibition, he was so nervous a moment ago.

 Chapter 196

    ?Chapter 196: Chapter 189: The Invincible Bull (Three More for Monthly Passes) Chapter 196: Chapter 189: The Invincible Bull (Three More for Monthly Passes) About three hours later, Lin Rui emerged from the mountain estate feeling refreshed and invigorated.


    On the way back, Lin Rui occasionally swung his blade in practice gestures.


    ¡°Is this what they call martial intent?¡±


    His martial arts enlightenment was still half-baked, but it was enough to scare the wild animals within several miles into a frenzy, sending them running in all directions.


    The tiny creatures like ¡®field mice¡¯ of the Heavenly Extremes Star fainted outright.


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s bloodline ability was extremely powerful, able to gather and strengthen any material, including the human soul.


    With her spiritual Secret Technique to guide him, Meng Weiyun not only helped him rapidly condense his martial intent but also started off by strengthening it to a higher level, saving him months of training.


    Meng Weiyun could even bolster his physical condition and Golden Core, but it required Lin Rui¡¯s own stance training to perform, and the effect was far less potent than the enhancement of martial intent.


    ...


    It is said that this single day¡¯s enhancement could equal ten days¡¯ worth of his usual Golden Core consolidation, and the price Meng Weiyun paid was merely a bit of mental exhaustion each day.


    Lin Rui was actually startled after learning the principle behind it.


    Aggregation and strengthening of the soul?


    Was he still himself then?


    However, judging from the outcome, Meng Weiyun¡¯s bloodline ability did not involve memory or thought processes.


    If one had to describe it, it was as if the soul had been compressed, turned from a gaseous state into liquid, and it had formed a core, which was his enlightenment of ¡®one¡¯.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui enthusiastically practiced releasing his saber intent, causing chaos amidst the mountains with animals scattering helter-skelter, as the intelligent assistance system alerted him of a new message.


    Lin Rui initially thought it was from Yu Feicui, but after checking, he found out it was from Invincible Bull.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Lin Rui, where are you?


    When can you come over?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Old Fei, you can send messages now?


    Is your biotech chip fixed?


    Meanwhile, Fei Yunlai, hidden in another estate, couldn¡¯t help but touch his chin in resignation.


    This guy had downgraded him to ¡®Old Fei¡¯, which meant his dignity and prestige in that fellow¡¯s eyes had utterly collapsed.


    But there was no helping it, now that someone had already handled his spine and heart, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to be assertive.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): No, I¡¯ve only restored the quantum communications module for now.


    The quantum descension module is beyond repair, and I¡¯ve asked Professor Han to make a new biotech chip for me.


    It¡¯ll arrive in a few days, but the problem is how to implant it.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Do you need my help with that?


    Fei Yunlai instantly sent a bowing emoji.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): I can only rely on the honor of being a disciple of Professor Sima!


    As the saying goes, one shouldn¡¯t trouble two masters for the same cause, so since I already owe you my life, there¡¯s no need to be indebted to someone else further.


    Lin Rui silently snickered, thinking how shameless this guy was.


    Yet, he still agreed quite readily.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Fine!


    I¡¯ll conduct a couple of simulation surgeries when I have time.


    Is there any truth to this?


    After reading the message, Fei Yunlai first felt it was absurd, thinking what kind of ludicrous intelligence is this?


    But his expression gradually turned solemn.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Damn, that crazy woman isn¡¯t going to stop at nothing to get me because of this, is she?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Brother, thank you for the reminder.


    This information is too important to me.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ???


    What exactly is the situation?


    Can you explain in detail, Old Fei?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): It¡¯s quite complicated.


    I can¡¯t explain it clearly in a short time.


    I¡¯ve got to deal with some stuff here, put some evidence together, and I will contact you later.


    If you have some channels in the Imperial City then, maybe you can help me deliver some things, haha!


    Perhaps it could even help you get a promotion, maybe an Instructor or something.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): But brother, if you really are going to the Imperial City, just play along superficially, and don¡¯t get too involved.


    Now the Heavenly Beings¡¯ ¡®Heavenly Demon Test¡¯ is becoming increasingly perfected, almost without flaws.


    If your identity is exposed, you¡¯ll only be able to wander the world like me, drifting and uncertain.


    After sending this message, Fei Yunlai did not contact him again.


    Lin Rui sent a message in return but received no reply.


    He shook his head slightly, closed the communication system, and then hurried back to the Wang City Government Office.


    In the following days, Lin Rui¡¯s life began to fall into a routine.


    During the day, he¡¯d roam the city with Wang Sen hunting monsters, accumulating Soul Power while earning some money on the side; while at the government office, he made meticulous arrangements, keeping his subordinates on high alert, ready to deal with any emergencies;


    At night, Lin Rui would sneak out of the city and, with the help of Meng Weiyun, focused on condensing the martial arts extremes and cultivating his Golden Core.


    In the pre-dawn hours of the third day, while Lin Rui was forehead to forehead with Meng Weiyun, cultivating martial intent, he suddenly heard a loud explosion from the direction of the city.


    ¡°Master!¡± It was Blood Blade, keeping watch on the rooftop, who sent the message, ¡°It¡¯s our Wang City Government Office, something¡¯s happened there!¡±


    Lin Rui was startled and immediately ceased his cultivation, appearing outside the door in a flash.


    Looking towards Wang City, he first saw a burst of flames shooting up into the sky, followed by a blinding firework rising slowly.


    a?€¡±That was the distress signal released by Li Li.


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze turned slightly fierce.


    It must be the judicial officials attempting to break out their cohorts and the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ locked up inside.


    This was what Lin Rui had been anticipating.


    He had waited three whole days, releasing various messages and even orchestrating ruses with Meng Weiyun¡¯s war dragon, all to induce these people to make a move.


    Today, these fellows had finally come.


    Lin Rui had also considered in advance the methods the judicial officials might employ for the jailbreak.


    Yet they chose the most lawless, the most domineering approacha?€¡±they dared to directly attack the Wang City Government Office and forcibly enter the prison!


    Lin Rui knew this was the judicial officials¡¯ response to the several humiliations he had inflicted on them.


    They wanted to walk over the face of Wang City, to destroy the recently established prestige of the place.

 Chapter 197

    ?Chapter 197: Chapter 190 Migration of Light (Please Subscribe) Chapter 197: Chapter 190 Migration of Light (Please Subscribe) ¡°¡±My lord, there is trouble at the Wang City Government Office; I must go ahead.¡±


    Lin Rui bowed towards the room, and his figure instantly flashed to a pre-arranged magical array in the front courtyard, where he stood still alongside Ji Xueying.


    At this moment, Meng Weiyun also came out from the room, ¡°Lin Twelve!


    These bandits are so bold, they must be very confident.@@@@


    You must be careful on your way.


    If it¡¯s too hard to handle, consider stepping back.


    Rest assured!


    This is not your fault.


    ...


    It¡¯s already quite an achievement that you have held these bandits off for this long.¡±


    A trace of shock and anger appeared in her eyes.


    The people from the Criminal Investigation Department actually dared to jailbreak from the Imperial City Department in such a brazen manner, showing complete disregard for them!


    Such wild ambition, utterly treasonous!


    What worried her was whether Lin Rui, despite his rapid progress in martial arts mastery, had not fully developed his skills for actual combat yet.


    Given tonight¡¯s situation, could Lin Rui handle it?


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°This subordinate understands!


    But it should not be a big problem!¡± Lin Rui formed hand seals, and took one last look in the direction of Wang City.


    In the next instant, Lin Rui and Ji Xueying became a streak of light and vanished into the night sky.


    Lin Rui had anticipated that the people from the Criminal Investigation Department would take action while he was away from the office, so he had taken precautions.


    Between this villa and Wang City Government Office, he had set up a ¡®Flash Thunder Talisman¡¯ at every sixty zhang distance, at some concealed spots.


    In addition, there were over forty people clad in black night clothes, faces covered and armors on, standing firm at the crater, exchanging fire with the Imperial Dragon Guards from the inner office direction.


    Their task seemed to be to cover the retreat for those who had already broken into the dungeon.


    ¡°It really is the Criminal Investigation Department!¡±


    Lin Rui sneered coldly, his eyes flashing with shock and anger.


    He recognized several acquaintances from these people¡¯s stature and the weapons they held.


    It was not easy for this group to change into different clothes and cover their faces.


    Feeling his True Qi fully restored, Lin Rui pressed a hand on his ¡®Heaven¡¯s Edge Saber¡¯ at his waist, gathering momentum while extending his other hand, ¡°Ying¡¯er.¡±


    Understanding his intent, Ji Xueying¡¯s Demonic Qi vibrated, causing the Thunder God Saber to unsheathe and fall into Lin Rui¡¯s hand.


    After grasping the saber with his left hand, Lin Rui immediately floated forward.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down!¡±


    He, like a gigantic hawk, slid down from the top of the city wall and then with agile leaps, arrived outside the main gates of the prison.


    The people from the Criminal Investigation Department were already alert, waiting for him in a tight formation.


    Three powerful martial energies firmly locked onto him.


    Two of them could likely be the magistrates Feng Guang and Wang Tiandong.


    The third person was unfamiliar to Lin Rui, but his martial energy was the most powerful among the three, sharp and domineering, equally matched with Ji Xueying¡¯s, causing surrounding air currents to whirl chaotically.


    As for the other high-level expert from the Criminal Investigation Department, magistrate Zhang Zhili, he was probably leading the team deep into the prison to capture their targets and was not in the office.


    Once Lin Rui landed in front of the prison, the people from the Criminal Investigation Department immediately shot various sleeve-arrows and darts toward him.


    Lin Rui paid no mind, his body exploding into flames and moving three zhang away, landing on a torch stuck in the wall.


    At this moment, a dense flurry of arrows shot out from the inner office direction.


    The Imperial Dragon Guards hidden within the watchtowers were uncontrollable with rage; these scoundrels still had the audacity to divide their attention to shoot at their Defense Officer.


    The nerve!

 Chapter 198

    ?Chapter 198: Chapter 190 Migration of Light (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 198: Chapter 190 Migration of Light (Please Subscribe)_2 The devices they held in their hands were inherently sharper and more powerful than those carried by the constables of the Office of the Provincial Surveillance Commission.


    Wang City was equipped with fifty three-tier Heavenly Bull Crossbows and twenty four-tier Divine Rhino Crossbows, all military standard, greatly surpassing the strength of the darts and arrows held by the group of constables.


    Lin Rui had even moved down eight ¡®Thousand Bull Crossbow Carts¡¯ from the city walls, placing them at the top of the arrow towers.


    novgo.co


    Previously, they had focused most of their arrows on those few fifth-tier masters.


    Only a few, with fourth-tier cultivation and royal bloodline captains, could withstand these fifth-tier masters, barely managing a few moves.


    They had to keep an eye on these fifth-tier individuals at all times, unable to let them get close; otherwise, everyone would be doomed.


    ...


    Although these riffraff from the Office of the Provincial Surveillance Commission probably didn¡¯t have the guts to massacre the entirety of Wang City Government Office, they couldn¡¯t be unguarded.


    Now, this group from the Imperial Dragon Guards didn¡¯t have these scruples anymore, and suddenly a barrage of arrows came killing over, pinning the more than forty men in black in the room, unable to raise their heads.


    Even Feng Guang and Wang Tiandong had no choice but to hide in the dead angle of the house, not daring to directly challenge the sharpness of the eight ¡®Thousand Bull Crossbow Carts.¡¯


    Wang Tiandong looked helpless, pressed his voice low, and said, ¡°Lord Lin!


    We have come here today merely to take some people away.


    If you are wise, then we can all part amicably.


    But if you act unreasonably, then today it must end badly, and I fear it might result in both sides being destroyed, blood splattering Wang City.


    Go to novgo.co@@@@


    He actually opposed this operation from the bottom of his heart, feeling it was a bit over the line.


    Although Wang City Government Office had severely insulted them twice, even injuring and imprisoning many of their people, after all, both sides were officials under the same government, colleagues to each other.


    Currently, the situation in Wang County was concerning, and the Imperial Secretariat was making great efforts to maintain local public order and suppress demons, essential supports for Wang County.


    However, both the more senior Feng Guang and the newly appointed Deputy Supervisor felt there was no need to grovel to that Lin the Twelfth.


    They both advocated a tough response, to forcefully attack and abduct the people, to show this ignorant upstart, Lin Rui, a tough lesson.


    This man was impenetrable, resistant to both persuasion and force, and soft words were useless; it was better to use fists and swords to teach him sense.


    Wang Tiandong, of humble origins, had been promoted repeatedly during his tenure at the Office of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, leading to his current rank as a fifth-grade official with a promising future.


    At that moment, he could only submit to their will, unable to resist.


    He knew that his benefactor was hell-bent on capturing Heavenly Demon Han and his group at any cost.


    Nevertheless, unless absolutely necessary, Wang Tiandong still did not want both sides to escalate to a do-or-die situation.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Escape Skill was extremely sophisticated; however, being a realm below Feng Guang, who also possessed the Fifth Realm sovereign blood power, Feng Guang held nothing back, rapidly closing the distance between them.


    Just then, he saw Lin Twelve suddenly draw his sworda?€¡±it was the one in his right hand, the one always sheathed, poised for action!


    Feng Guang couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised, as there was a full fifteen zhang (approximately fifty meters) between them.


    Had this guy been building up his sword energy only to strike from such a distance, effectively wasting his buildup?


    Nevertheless, Feng Guang instinctively became vigilant, cautiously guarding himself with a pair of phoenix-headed short spears.


    In that instant, he felt two immensely powerful spiritual intentions descend upon the space, not only causing his soul to shudder but also distorting the rules of the world around them.


    ¡°Wrong!


    Is this the abyss?


    And at least two kinds of abyss conceptsa?€¡±¡±


    Before the thought had even fully formed in Feng Guang¡¯s mind, he felt an extremely cold and overbearing force cleaving into his brow.


    It was the sword in Lin Twelve¡¯s right hand, striking his head from a distance of fifteen zhang.


    Feng Guang¡¯s pupils dilated, his gaze becoming empty and unbelieving.


    The lingering consciousness in his mind wondered what kind of swordsmanship this was?


    How could it strike from fifteen zhang away and be so swift and unexpected, leaving no chance for defense?


    Feng Guang¡¯s body was soon split in two by Lin Rui¡¯s sword momentum!


    Wang Tiandong following behind was also stunned, eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the bloody scene before him.


    A chill pierced through his heart in an instant, spreading through every inch of his flesh, making his skin crawl.


    Wang Tiandong had recognized one of the abyss concepts Lin Twelve used.


    It was the ¡®Master of Fate¡¯s¡¯ abyss concepta?€¡±death fated by destiny!


    And Lin Twelve¡¯s secret sword technique was undoubtedly beyond a Fourth Realm Emperor!


    No!


    It might have even broken through the boundaries of the Fourth Realm, reaching the Emperor Level!


    Wang Tiandong then let out a wild roar, lunging at Lin Twelve like a mad tiger.


    He knew he had to push forward, absolutely not allowing Lin Twelve another chance to draw his sword.


    Otherwise, he too would die, perish right here in Wang City Government Office!

 Chapter 199

    ?Chapter 199: Chapter 191: Spitting Blood in Rage (Please Subscribe) Chapter 199: Chapter 191: Spitting Blood in Rage (Please Subscribe) Just as the prison gate of Wang City¡¯s grand prison was blown open, Gu Lai was idly deducing in the second layer of the jail, considering how to counter Lin Twelve¡¯s swift sword-draw after his release.


    He had already thought of thirteen methods, either using unique magic artifacts and talismans or relying on his bloodline power.


    In his mind, Lin Twelve had already been slain by him two hundred and thirty-one times.


    Yet the Blood Blade maiden was quite troublesome, one they could only wait for the Grand Elder to arrive and personally deal with that demon.


    The Grand Elder was a near-sixth-realm of the Imperial bloodline, and it would be effortless for him to slaughter the Blood Blade maiden.


    He must avenge his two fellow disciples and allow them to rest in peace beneath the nine springs.


    Just as Gu Lai was mentally killing Lin Twelve for the 232nd time, he heard the sound of an explosion from outside.


    ...


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    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Gu Lai¡¯s eyes immediately sharpened as he listened intently.


    Who could be attempting a jailbreak?


    To directly attack the grand prison of the HuA??ngchA??ng office with such audacity.


    Gu Lai hoped it wasn¡¯t his own Burning Saber Sect.


    He was aware of the might of the HuA??ngchA??ng office, and although Gu Lai wished nothing more than to slaughter Lin Twelve, he only ever considered acting secretly, leaving no evidence behind.


    Go to novgo.co


    At this moment, the entire second layer of the jail was buzzing with activity.


    All the prisoners confined there gathered near the prison gates, listening intently.


    But that was all they could do a?€¡° listen.


    The Wang City authorities were extremely strict in their supervision; even a first-realm Martial Cultivator would be restrained through the lute bone and nailed with a Zhenyuan Nail.


    ¡°Brother Gu!¡±


    At this time, from a cell opposite Gu Lai¡¯s, a fat, middle-aged man with a merchant¡¯s air clasped his hands towards Gu Lai: ¡°The ones breaking in from outside, could they be from your Burning Saber Sect?


    Could you possiblya?€¡±¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Gu Lai hummed softly, glancing at him coldly: ¡°It can¡¯t be our Burning Saber Sect, you¡¯re thinking too much.¡±


    This man was called Di Dao and was a grain merchant.


    He was imprisoned here because the HuA??ngchA??ng office suspected him of colluding with demons a?€¡° specifically the dragon outside the city.


    In the past few days, several merchants like Di Dao had been brought in, all accused of colluding with the dragon.


    Since their arrival, they had been cursing and claiming innocence, criticizing Wang City for indiscriminately arresting the innocent and treating lives as grass.


    Gu Lai had been somewhat skeptical before, but now he was certain that Di Dao must have had dealings with that dragon.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have chosen to escape, forsaking his vast assets in Wang City and becoming a wanted criminal by the authorities.


    Gu Lai disdained to be associated with someone who would soon be a rat crossing the street.


    The crimes of those from the Burning Saber Sect were currently only participating in brawls and resisting law enforcement violently.


    As long as the Sect Master and the Grand Elder used their connections, they could still get them out.


    However, these fools who colluded with the dragon had no future hope.


    Di Dao also sensed the disdain in Gu Lai¡¯s eyes, and his complexion turned slightly pale.


    Just then, another round of booming explosions could be heard from outside, and the second layer of the jail where they were shook lightly.


    Countless bits of mud and sand fell from the ceiling.


    When the loud booming noise subsided, and their ringing ears recovered, the prisoners started to chatter amongst themselves.


    ¡°The ¡®inner gate¡¯ of the layer above has been blown open as well?¡±


    ¡°So powerful, what method are they using?


    I saw it when I came in; both the inner and outer gates on the first layer are three feet thick and entirely made of refined steel.¡±


    ¡°They must have used explosive charms!


    The Inspector of Shazhou and the Governor have conspired together.


    They collude with the high ranks of our Earth Federation¡¯s military, deliberately creating conflicts under the guise of purging Heavenly Demons, but in reality to eliminate dissidents and plot rebellion, intending to help your emperor commit deicide!


    Their bold move to storm the imperial Wang City Government Office today is to capture me to silence me, I have evidencea?€¡±¡±


    When Gu Lai heard this, his complexion changed drastically.


    At that moment, he wished he could stuff his own ears so as not to hear this woman¡¯s words.


    But obviously, that wouldn¡¯t work.


    Would it be useful to say he hadn¡¯t heard anything?


    The people in black would not risk it.


    Was this the reason these people in black forced their way into the imperial jail?


    Gu Lai suddenly realized why the conflict between the imperial authorities and the Criminal Tribunal was so intense.


    It turned out that the constables from the Criminal Tribunal dared to ignore the law and directly seize the prison!


    Without any hesitation, Gu Lai quickly unlocked the handcuffs and shackles on his body and pulled out the Spiritual Nails from his body.


    Next were the hooks inserted under his clavicle, which were more troublesome; Gu Lai could only endure the pain and slowly pull them out.


    He was the quickest to react.


    Among the many prisoners in the cell, many smart ones also started to free themselves from their fetters as quickly as possible.


    He didn¡¯t know whether the woman¡¯s words were true or false, but he dare not bet on it.


    The priority was to regain his combat ability first.


    ¡°The Inspector of Shazhou also wants to know the whereabouts of Qin Yan¡¯s cave residence!


    Qin Yan¡¯s cave is in Wang City County, located one hundred and thirty-seven miles north of Wang City County, in the foothills of Luotian Mountain, and it will open in ten days.


    We have already found out that there is a Dragon Blood Destiny Pill within, personally concocted by Du Zunlong, which can extend life by one hundred and twenty years!


    The Inspector¡¯s father is nearing the end of his lifespan and desperately needs this to prolong his life.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that this pill can even assist in transforming into a dragon, and even if the transformation fails and one is forced into demonic form, taking this pill can enable one to transform into a dragon again, returning to human form!¡±


    ¡°Inside, there are various treasures, Spirit Pills, and even the True Intent diagrams of complete dragon-grade secret martial arts!¡±


    Gu Lai¡¯s pupils dilated slightly, his eyes showing an expression of disbelief.


    Dragon Blood Destiny Pill?


    Qin Yan¡¯s cave is in Wang City County?


    Could it be that such a thing really exists in that cave residence?


    His gaze was as hot as molten lava.


    Why was their great elder so desperate to transform into a dragon, even using almost demonic methods to ensure success, if not because their Sect Master was approaching the end of his life and would perish within ten years?


    Gu Lai took a deep look at the door on the third floor and the people in black, then without hesitation, he punched and shattered the cell door, rushing out like a fierce wind.


    He had to escape from this place, to bring this news back as quickly as possible, to inform the Sect Master and the great elder.


    The group of people in the surrounding cells also rushed out of the doors one after another.


    Instinctively, they believed that staying here any longer could mean getting silenced, putting their lives at risk.


    Among them, the merchant Di Dao¡¯s eyes shifted.


    A pill that could make someone who failed dragon transformation succeed again?


    Then, this piece of information would be very useful for that demonic dragon, potentially serving as a basis for his allegiance.


    Meanwhile, among the group of people in black, the mind of Zhang Zhili, the Associate Inspector, was a blank.


    His eyes were wide with fury as he glared at the iron door in front of him.


    a?€¡± That outer realm Heavenly Demon was spouting utter nonsense, full of lies!


    The situation had taken an unexpected twist, causing Zhang Zhili to be momentarily unsure of what action to take.


    This cursed jail, with its dense array of spirit-dampeners, was completely isolating internal and external communication, making it impossible for him to relay the message in time to the outside authorities.


    So, should he silence them or not?

 Chapter 200

    ?Chapter 200: Chapter 192 Absolutely Crazy (Three more for subscription) Chapter 200: Chapter 192 Absolutely Crazy (Three more for subscription) Zhang Zhili had no idea that outside the prison, Deputy Inspector Zhang Chen¡¯s face was pale with shock and anger at that moment.


    He was locked in fierce battle with Lin Twelve¡¯s Blood Blade Ji, and the swordstorm they set off had already swept across all the buildings within thirty feet, slashing and leveling them to the ground.


    This was a tough situation for the many black-clad men around them.


    They had lost their cover and suffered heavy casualties under the oppressive crossbow fire of the Imperial Dragon Guards.


    They had no choice but to beat a hasty retreat, taking shelter in farther houses.


    What alarmed Deputy Inspector Zhang Chen was the formidable combat power of Blood Blade Ji.


    Aside from her strength and physical toughness, her spiritual power, speed, and reflexes, among other qualities, were all on par with his!


    ...


    Their long swords clashed and thundered.


    They had been fighting for nearly twenty-three breaths but remained evenly matched, equally strong!


    Zhang Chen found it unbelievable.


    How could Blood Blade Ji be so strong?


    This woman was at most at the peak of the fourth realm.


    How could she confront him, who was nearly at the sixth realm?


    ¡°Clang!¡±


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    That was Zhang Chen unleashing an extreme move with all his might, yet it was still blocked by Blood Blade Ji.


    She merely slid back thirty feet before dissipating his sword¡¯s force, then swept a golden-red sword glow across the void, firmly blocking Zhang Chen¡¯s path toward Lin Twelve.


    This woman was completely different from the intelligence they had gathered beforehand.


    Her martial traits had also undergone significant changes.@@@@


    Previously, she practiced the ¡°Blood Thunder Demon Breaking Saber,¡± a martial art that primarily used lightning combined with the power of blood.


    Now, she had switched to an unfamiliar intermediate level martial technique Zhang Chen had never seen or heard of before, focusing on light as the main element and thunderfire as support.


    Blood Blade Ji had not yet mastered it fluently and was only practicing it to the point where she could barely use it in battle.


    However, this sword technique was clearly more suitable for her current True Yuan nature, enabling her to maximize her power.


    And as the battle progressed, Blood Blade Ji¡¯s sword moves grew increasingly skilled and sophisticated.


    It was evident she was gradually grasping the true essence of this sword technique through combat!


    This demoness had just been driven back thirty feet before she was back in the fray.


    A six-foot-long saber shimmered like light, tracing interweaving streaks of glow in the surrounding void.


    Her blade was so swift it was unimaginable, forcing Zhang Chen to rely on his movements to dodge and retreat, unable to defend fully.


    What shocked Zhang Chen was that this woman, with just the body of a peak fourth realm, dared to fight him head-on.


    Her body seemed to be made of steel and iron bones; despite being hammered by his immense power, she remained unharmed, sustaining her peak combat strength.


    Steel and iron bones?


    Zhang Chen¡¯s pupils and facial muscles twitched slightly.


    ¡°You actually possess steel and iron bones?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t she just a Blood Blade Ji?


    The bloodline abilities of a demon should be fixed, so why did she possess the abilities of steel bones and iron tendons?


    However, Blood Blade Ji didn¡¯t care about this.


    She had asked Lin Rui about her bloodline abilities.


    Lin Rui, with eyes wide open, had replied, ¡°I¡¯m not your first master, and you¡¯ve been through a secret ceremony in Silver Moon County.


    Who knows how you¡¯ve gained these abilities?


    ¡°I¡¯m puzzled too.


    If you ask me, who do I ask?¡±


    What was more frightening was that her blade intent had reached a peak; every clash of their martial intents caused tremors in Zhang Chen¡¯s soul.


    She could also pinpoint the flaws and deficiencies in his sword technique, now striking at the most uncomfortable spots for him, almost directly targeting his vitals.


    At this time, Ji Xueying was furious to the extreme.


    She would never want to use ¡®Ghost Blood Red Eyes¡¯ unless absolutely necessary, as this form would greatly increase her combat strength but make her appearance unspeakably grotesque.


    novgo.co


    Therefore, since her battle with Zhu Tianmao, Ji Xueying had never used ¡®Ghost Blood Red Eyes¡¯.


    But today, under Zhang Chen¡¯s pressure, she was forced to unleash it, compelled to let her master see her ghost-like ugly appearance.


    Now Ji Xueying¡¯s killing intent almost matched the day she battled Zhu Tianmao.


    Kill!


    Kill!


    Kill!


    Kill!


    She began to lash out at Zhang Chen without reserve, slashing wildly.


    The Blood Blade, catalyzed by her emotions, flowed with extreme smoothness, coming forth effortlessly!


    The bright traces she left began to stir even the aura of the abyss.


    As Zhang Chen struggled to resist, his gaze became more and more perplexed, more and more incredulous.


    Because Ji Xueying¡¯s entire body was, at that moment, ablaze with a layer of crimson gold flames, illuminating everything around her like a fiery torch.


    Zhang Chen felt a tingling in his scalp.


    Could this woman also possess ¡®Blood Core Frenzied Yang¡¯?


    From the beginning of their battle until now, Ji the Blood Blade had been striking with all her might.


    Yet her True Qi remained in a peak state, seemingly without any depletion.


    The ceaseless flow of lightning, fire, and elemental True Yuan powered her relentless slashes, requiring no adjustment, no rest.


    With time passing, Zhang Chen became increasingly certain.


    Only a bloodline power like this or the advanced capability of ¡®Blood Core Frenzied Yang¡¯, named ¡®Blood Core Constant Yang¡¯, could endow Ji the Blood Blade with such a terrifying recovery ability.


    The problem was that such bloodline powers outside of a Blood Blade¡¯s physique could only come from an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon!


    ¡°How is this possible?¡±


    Zhang Chen¡¯s pupils dilated with fury, his gaze fixed on Ji Xueying: ¡°You actually have Blood Core Frenzied Yang!


    Where did you get such a power, from Zhu Tianmao or the Yuan family?¡±


    He instinctively excluded Lin Twelve.


    Zhang Chen hadn¡¯t dismissed the idea that the young man colluded with a Heavenly Demon, but for Ji Xueying to awaken the above-imperial ability ¡®Blood Core Constant Yang¡¯ or to receive related implants would cost at least 400,000 demonic silver.


    That was the current market price in Luo Jing¡¯s black market, virtually equivalent to the most basic set of Heavenly Demon armor, and professional physicians had to be involved.


    How could such a young man of humble origins afford to lavish such wealth on Ji the Blood Blade?


    It was unlikely the Yuan family, more likely Zhu Tianmao, King Han, and Yuan Ji, the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon!


    They were insane, investing so much into this Four Realms Blood Blade!


    And then to simply hand over this expensively crafted demonic protector to Lin Twelve!


    What absolute imbeciles!


    Ji Xueying remained silent, responding to Zhang Chen with even more ferocious slashes!


    Zhang Chen¡¯s heart felt as cold as ice.


    A Ji Xueying with ¡®Blood Core Frenzied Yang¡¯ could sustain explosive slashing indefinitely.


    Zhang Chen had to be fully on guard to resist, but his spiritual power couldn¡¯t maintain such a heightened level of mental alertness for long.

 Chapter 201

    ?Chapter 201: Chapter 193 Removing Yang (Please Subscribe) Chapter 201: Chapter 193 Removing Yang (Please Subscribe) Inside the prison, Zhang Zhili¡¯s mind was blank.


    He looked back at the fleeing prisoners, his eyes bloodshot, and his intent to kill boiling.


    ¡°Kill them!¡±


    Zhang Zhili did not know whether the information about ¡®Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling¡¯ mentioned by the female Heavenly Demon was true or false; he only knew that it was of great importance to their Lord of Inspection, admitting no failure.


    Since these people had learned about Qin Yan¡¯s dwelling, they must not be allowed to live and walk out.


    However, as soon as Zhang Zhili gave the order instinctively, he felt something was wrong.


    In acting this way, weren¡¯t they proving that they were indeed the people of the judicial inspection agency?


    Proving that their Lord of Inspection indeed intended to rebel, wanting to silence others by killing them, even intending to assassinate gods?


    ...


    The key issue was that they couldn¡¯t stop them.


    The prisoners included not only Gu Lai, an inner sect elder of the Burning Saber Sect, but also seven or eight other powerful martial cultivators of the fourth realm.


    The rest were mostly disciples of the Burning Saber Sect, along with captured martial artists from the rivers and lakes, totaling over a hundred people, all not lacking in combat strength.


    In addition, these people had likely taken some stimulant, their spirits were highly aroused, displaying vigorous health and formidable energy.


    These prisoners, though they had just had their restraints and chains removed, fought with the vitality of dragons and tigers.


    Zhang Zhili himself took action along with another colleague of the fifth realm, but they failed to keep Gu Lai.


    Go to novgo.co


    After thirty or so prisoners died, the remaining seventy-odd people soon violently broke through the prison doors and ran out.


    Zhang Zhili watched these escaping prisoners, clenched his teeth fiercely with anger and frustration in his heart, ¡°Speed up, open the gate quickly!¡±


    He knew he had mishandled the situation, clearly being unable to silence them through death yet making such a foolish move.@@@@


    This time on his return, he was certain to face severe punishment from above.


    Just then, two black-clothed men hurried down from above: ¡°Where is Yimu?


    Jia Mu has ordered you to go up immediately for reinforcement, send another twenty people up, quickly!¡±


    Zhang Zhili was taken aback by the words.


    He saw thick smoke everywhere, completely obscuring the sight of the prison guards and Imperial Guards.


    Thereupon, Zhang Zhili quickly strode toward the cell of Zhu Huaimeng.


    Before they started their operation, they had thoroughly learned about the conditions inside the prison, even bribing two prison guards to map out the entire defense system.


    novgo.co


    Thus, even though the area was shrouded in thick smoke, Zhang Zhili could still roughly determine the location of Zhu Huaimeng¡¯s cell.


    However, when Zhang Zhili walked over, opened the bars with a single palm strike, and entered the cell, he froze again.


    There was only Zhu Huaimeng¡¯s corpse, her face blue-purple as she lay on the bed, stabbed dozens of times, devoid of any life both inside and out.


    The woman was dead?


    Zhang Zhili frowned deeply.


    Judging by the fresh blood from the wounds and the remaining warmth of the woman¡¯s body, she must have just been brutally stabbed to death!


    At that moment, he heard a loud shout through the fog.


    ¡°Zhu Huaimeng is dead!


    That extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon was stabbed to death by these traitors.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t come to free someone, they came to silence by killing!¡±


    At this time, Zhang Zhili only wanted to curse loudly, thinking, damn your silence by killing?


    They were still figuring out how to deal with this Heavenly Demon, trying to track down Professor Han and others, talking about killing whom and silencing whom?


    He immediately felt dizzy and a chill spread throughout his body.


    Zhang Zhili had realized they had likely walked into a trap, perhaps Lin Twelve had long prepared and was waiting for them to arrive!


    The question was Lin Twelve¡¯s motives.


    This man, passing the strictest Heavenly Demon Test and having been verified by the protectorate war dragons, must surely be a pure celestial from the Extreme Polar Star.


    Given his age and background, it was unlikely for him to collude with extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons.


    Did this youth really need to go to such lengths?


    To be irreconcilably opposed with their Lord of Inspection?

 Chapter 202

    ?Chapter 202: Chapter 193: Plucking the Yang (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 202: Chapter 193: Plucking the Yang (Please Subscribe)_2 ¡°`


    Could it bea?€¡±was it the Divine Envoy¡¯s initiative, or the instruction of the governor of Shazhou?


    What were their objectives?


    Were they, like the inspector, after the heirlooms of Limitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong, or were they involved in a dynastic struggle, harbouring other designs?


    Besides, Zhang Zhili¡¯s mind brimmed with countless other questions.


    How did Lin Twelve manage to convince an extraterritorial Heavenly Demon to cooperate, and how did he anticipate their prison break?


    For a time, myriad thoughts arose chaotically in his mind, muddling his ability to understand.


    Zhang Zhili immediately suppressed these thoughts and turned his gaze sharply around: ¡°Find those bastards from Wang City for me!


    ...


    We need to capture a few alive.¡±


    Zhang Zhili had to figure out exactly how Zhu Huaimeng died!


    Was it a true death or a feigned one?


    They couldn¡¯t just withdraw in confusion.


    To prevent any mishap, they needed to hold a few witnesses to prove that the monster wasn¡¯t killed by their hands.


    It would be best to capture Qu Zhang Li Guli and the prison warden.


    Go to novgo.co


    However, at this moment, Zhang Zhili heard a clear voice beside his ear: ¡°Is it just you, a Fifth Realm, who descended here this time?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhili¡¯s pupils dilated slightly, then his gaze hardened as he looked toward the source of the voice: ¡°Who are you?¡±


    In that instant, a thunderous boom resounded like roaring thunder from within the dense fog, and a figure pounced toward him like a furious dragon: ¡°Then you can forget about capturing anyone alive.¡±


    Zhang Zhili swung his saber in defense but felt numbness in his wrist, forcing him to retreat several steps.


    ¡°Is it the Sky-Rattling Thunder Method?¡±


    He already knew who it was; this person must be the second-most powerful fighter among that group of extraterritorial Heavenly Demons led by Professor Han, an Imperial-level expert at the pinnacle of the Fourth Realm!


    This person¡¯s primary martial art was precisely the Sky-Rattling Thunder Method!


    What shocked Zhang Zhili even more was another aura that faintly emerged within the dense fog.


    ¡°A Fourth Realm Imperial-class?¡±


    Zhang Zhili¡¯s heart nearly stopped, in utter disbelief.


    Hao Pingyi¡¯s eyebrows tightened, then without any hesitation, he dashed forward toward Lin Rui¡¯s back, launching a sudden attack.


    Once he entered the fight, he cooperated with Wang Tiandong extremely tacitly.


    Wang Tiandong¡¯s mind relaxed slightly, and he immediately spoke out to warn, ¡°Be careful, Brother Hao, this guy has been building up his power all along.


    I¡¯m incapable and can¡¯t stop him, I reckon he¡¯s already halfway through.¡±


    Hao Pingyi, with an expressionless face, performed his exquisite Escape Skill to rapidly approach Lin Rui.


    He had learned about the situation of Lin Twelve¡¯s Super Emperor Secret Blade from the mouth of a constable in green, so he was resolute.


    At that time, Lin Twelve had used the blade fifteen yards away, it was incredibly fast, piercing through time and space, and killed Feng Guang with a single strike.


    However, before the boy made his move, there was an obvious precursor action, probably because his current strength wasn¡¯t sufficient and his explosive power was lacking.


    This precursor action lasted only a moment, hard for ordinary people to catch, but it wasn¡¯t a problem for him.


    To deal with this kind of blade technique, one must get as close as possible; the closer the distance, the easier it is to interrupt!


    Conversely, a greater distance brought more trouble because the blade disregarded distance and space!


    Without this secret blade, the boy would pose no feara?€¡±


    At this moment, the corners of Lin Rui¡¯s lips lifted slightly.


    Just as Hao Pingyi closed to a distance of two yards, Lin Rui¡¯s left hand suddenly abandoned the blade, forming a hand seal.


    In that instant, all one hundred and thirty-seven Flash Thunder Talismans and Bright Light Talismans surrounding the area were simultaneously ignited.


    The dazzling strong light caused everyone nearby to squint involuntarily and be blinded for a short duration.


    ¡°Thunk!¡±


    The few people nearby only heard an almost imperceptible sound of a blade swinging but couldn¡¯t see anything.


    When their vision recovered, they saw a large splash of blood erupting from the chest and abdomen of the assistant investigator Hao Pingyi.


    A colossal gash suddenly appeared from his right shoulder to the lower left side of his abdomen, and then the upper half of his body on that side quickly slid off.


    Witnessing this scene, Wang Tiandong¡¯s eyes nearly split apart with rage.


    In the instant of the blinding light, Lin Twelve somehow used some sort of blade technique and split Hao Pingyi in two!


    Lin Rui then waved his blade again, bringing a streak of light through the void, splitting Hao Pingyi¡¯s head in two halves as well, completely severing the man¡¯s lifeforce.


    It wasn¡¯t the ¡®Light Transition Slash¡¯ he had been charging up just now, but another Super Emperor Secret Blade technique that was easier to charge, the ¡®Yang Pulling Slash¡¯!


    The dense fog created by those devil dragon subordinates had inspired him; since the Yang Pulling Slash couldn¡¯t be performed openly, he would simply prevent others from seeing it.


    Lin Rui¡¯s lightning technique could obscure the sight of others just as well!

 Chapter 203

    ?Chapter 203: Chapter 194: Arrival (Please Subscribe) Chapter 203: Chapter 194: Arrival (Please Subscribe) Wang Tiandong watched, with eyes wide open, as Hao Pingyi was dismembered by Lin Twelve¡¯s consecutive slashes.


    He initially felt an extreme terror, followed by a surge of intense rage and hatred.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    Wang Tiandong let out a roar like a wild beast, his eyes cracking open at the corners as he did so, causing trickles of fresh blood to spill down.


    He knew that Hao Pingyi had taken the blows for him.


    If Hao Pingyi hadn¡¯t come just now, the one to be killed by Lin Twelve¡¯s blade would have been him.


    Wang Tiandong couldn¡¯t understand what sword technique Lin Twelve used to kill Hao Pingyi in the instant the light shone.


    How could such a terrifying secret blade exist in this world?@@@@


    ...


    This kid wasn¡¯t from any major clan, so where did he learn such a fearsome blade technique?


    Wang Tiandong couldn¡¯t be bothered to think any longer; like a frenzied beast, he swung his mace at Lin Twelve in sheer instinct.


    Kill!


    Kill!


    Kill!


    Kill!


    Go to novgo.co


    All he wanted was to smash that beast to death with the heavy maces in his hands!


    A frown creased Lin Rui¡¯s brow ever so slightly.


    At this moment, Wang Tiandong looked in his eyes like a wild boar, although injured and nearly drained of strength, still charging recklessly and dangerously.


    Lin Rui tried to keep his distance and used his Escape Skill more cautiously, moving and dodging with even greater care, meanwhile commanding his ¡®Little Guang Ming Holy Sword¡¯ to fight a mobile battle against Wang Tiandong.


    This flying sword only possessed Upper Fourth Realm power, which was somewhat lacking now, but it sufficed to harass and contain him.


    Lin Rui was like a seasoned, cunning hunter, patiently waiting for an opportunity.


    It was at this moment that Zhang Zhili rushed up from the lower levels of the prison with a large group of men.


    He was stunned by the scene before him.


    Especially the corpse of Hao Pingyi, which sent tremors through his mind and made his scalp tingle.


    Even Xiao Hao had died under Lin Twelve¡¯s blade?


    This defense envoy of the Imperial City, merely at the Fourth Realm, possessed such terrifying combat prowess?


    Zhang Zhili quickly composed himself, his face turning a purplish hue as he said, ¡°Commander Jia Mu, the plan has failed!


    When I entered the third layer, I only saw the corpse of Zhu Huaimeng.


    She was stabbed to death by chaotic blades, but I am not sure if she truly died.


    Moreover, on the third layer, there were two Imperial-rank Fourth Realm heavenly demons from beyond the domain; I am no match for them!¡±


    As he spoke, he joined the battle against Lin Twelve along with two experts from the inspector¡¯s office.


    Zhang Zhili could tell Wang Tiandong was running out of strength and without external intervention, his colleague was close to death.


    ¡°Also!


    Before Zhu Huaimeng died, she said that the inspector of Sha Province was conspiring with the governor.


    She had important evidence, and we came here to kill her to silence her.¡±


    Zhang Zhili never expected that the outside battle situation was so grim too, so he had to be as clear and concise as possible.


    His eyes were murky with fury and hatred as he spoke.


    Now that he thought about it, there were too many doubts in today¡¯s prison break.


    For instance, the issue with the transmission of sound.


    The third layer of the prison clearly had such thick Absolute Yuan stone, yet when Zhu Huaimeng shouted loudly, her voice could clearly pass through to the second layer, audible to everyone.


    Zhang Chen felt his scalp tingle as he processed this information, wondering if that was why the prisoners had fled for their lives earlier.


    So this was undoubtedly a trap!


    ¡°Everyone, retreat, I¡¯ll cover the rear!¡±


    Retreating was now the only option, as the guards of the Internal Office were pressing in from all sides with various crossbows, suppressing them to the point of being unable to raise their heads.


    The over fifty prison guards and royal guards inside the prison were counterattacking upwards, and an additional twenty or so royal guards that had been patrolling the streets were rushing back.


    They had formed an encirclement around the outside of Wang City Government Office.


    They greeted them with various secret weapons, posing a significant threat.


    ¡°Your subordinate obeys!¡± The scribe, Wen Tailai, accepted the command, but his face showed concern, ¡°My lord, does this mean that the Supervising Censorate won¡¯t let this incident go easily?¡±


    Not just easily let it go?


    Wen Tailai suspected that the Supervising Censor would want to devour Lin Rui alive!


    Today, Lin Rui had killed so many from the Supervising Censorate that the situation had spiraled beyond control.


    Wen Tailai pondered that if he were in the Supervising Censor¡¯s shoes, he would have disregarded all rules of officialdom by now and directly sought to take Lin Rui¡¯s life.


    The Supervising Censor was a Martial Cultivator in the late stages of the Sixth Realm of Transforming Dragon and a high-ranking fourth-grade official affiliated with the Ministry of Punishment.


    As long as he handled things cleanly, even if the Imperial City hall wanted to take him down, it would be rather troublesome.


    Lin Rui let out a scoff upon hearing this, ¡°It¡¯s good that he can¡¯t let it go, for I have no intention of letting him off either!


    Write a few more banners for me.


    They should say that the Imperial Inspector of Shazhou colluded with the Governor, plotting a rebellion and intending to kill a deity.


    Hence, today they have stormed into Wang City with the aim of slaying key witnesses!¡±


    ¡°This man¡¯s treacherous actions have been exposed.


    In order to prevent the Imperial Inspector from silencing people by killing them, I shall use these banners to proclaim to the world!


    If henceforth I die an unnatural death, or perish at the hands of a Heavenly Demon beyond the borders, it must be the doing of the Imperial Inspector and the Governor.


    The larger these characters are written, the better.


    Hang them at the city gates for all to see, and alsoa?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui then pointed to Wang Tiandong lying on the ground, ¡°Take this subordinate judicial official of the Imperial Inspector and hang his body, along with those of the other corpses left by the office of the Imperial Inspector and Judge, on the city walls as evidence.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Wen Tailai¡¯s scalp tingled.


    His lord, the Defensive Officer, really wasn¡¯t worried about creating a big scene.


    After a moment of contemplation, Wen Tailai began to sympathize with the headache that the Imperial Inspector would soon face.


    Once these banners were hung up, it wouldn¡¯t just be the Imperial Inspector who would be furious; even the esteemed Governor of Shazhou would be so angry that he¡¯d be blowing smoke from his seven orifices!


    Consequently, both men would undoubtedly be caught in a quagmire of suspicion, creating a big trouble indeed!


    Meanwhile, around 200 paces away from a wine shop¡¯s eaves, the clerk from the Bureau of Militia, Lu Xinran, had already quietly returned to his teacher, Han Kedao, with Zhu Meng in tow.


    ¡°Professor!¡± Lu Xinran greeted Han with a smile and a cupped-hand salute, ¡°We have successfully completed our mission without disgrace.


    The plan by Brother Li has gone more smoothly than we anticipated.¡±


    He was unaware of Lin Rui¡¯s identity, assuming all the night¡¯s events were orchestrated by Li Li.


    Zhu Meng also spoke, her expression a mix of embarrassment and gratitude, ¡°Thank you, teacher!


    It was all due to my careless actions this time, truly causing everyone trouble.¡±


    She was previously imprisoned and had thought her life was surely at an end.


    Professor Han shook his head slightly, thinking that it was actually another person Zhu Meng should be thanking.


    As a teacher, he hadn¡¯t really contributed much.


    Following Professor Han¡¯s gaze, Lu Xinran raised his eyebrows, ¡°Does Brother Li plan to continue following that Lin Twelve?


    It¡¯s indeed a good path to tread.


    Lin Twelve is a natural talent with exceptional aptitude, accompanied by such a powerful Heavenly Demon guardian.


    His prospects are boundless and certainly, he will become a prominent figure of the Tianji Star in the future!¡±


    Shaking his head in admiration, Lu Xinran exclaimed, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone from the Tianji Star so formidable, capable of slaying a fifth-level with just fourth-level cultivation!


    If Brother Li sticks with him, he is bound to encounter great opportunities.¡±


    Professor Han could only laugh helplessly and nod, ¡°Indeed, his future is boundless!¡±


    At the same time, in a villa nestled within the mountains 50 miles away, Meng Weiyun smiled faintly, her demeanor relaxed as she walked back into the room.


    Through the vision of her battle dragon, she had already observed the situation at the Wang City Government Office.


    Meng Weiyun had initially thought if Lin Twelve were in a dire situation, she would need to step in to save his life, even at the cost of further depleting her own vital energy.


    However, the young man proved to be much stronger than she had imagined.


    Especially that Super Emperor Secret Blade, which was a sight to behold.


    She had never come across such a secret blade technique before, nor had she ever read about it in any martial arts texts.


    Based on her recent understanding of Lin Twelve, it was highly possible that he had created it himself.


    Just like Lin Twelve¡¯s ¡®Ascending Sun Devastation Blade¡¯, which was a fusion of several martial arts skills he had created.


    If that was indeed the case, the boy¡¯s martial arts talent was terrifyingly higha?€¡±

 Chapter 204

    ?Chapter 204: Chapter 195: The Limit of Heart Origin (Three More for Subscription) Chapter 204: Chapter 195: The Limit of Heart Origin (Three More for Subscription) Duan Pengxuan, the Imperial Inspector from Shazhou, arrived at Wang City the next day.


    The distance between Shazhou and Wang City was not far, and having set out at the second watch after midnight upon receiving the news, Duan Pengxuan arrived at the gates of Wang City mere three hours later.


    This gentleman deliberately entered from the northern gate of Wang City and then saw the bodies of Wang Tiandong and many others hanging on the city walls, along with several large white banners with characters as big as buckets.


    ¡°The Governor-General of Shazhou and the Imperial Inspector are in collusion with the Heavenly Demon from beyond our domain, using the Heavenly Demon¡¯s power to eliminate dissent, and plotting rebellion!


    ¡°The two culprits attempted to cover up the truth and brazenly attacked our Wang City prison last night, plotting against the witnessa?€¡±¡±


    ¡°a?€¡±He who may kill me in the future must be the Governor-General and Imperial Inspector of Shazhou!¡±


    These banners attracted a large crowd of townsfolk, who gathered at the city gate, whispering and chattering amongst themselves.


    Duan Pengxuan felt a sharp pain in his head and involuntarily raised his hand to rub his temple: ¡°Where is Lin Rui?


    Have him come see me.¡±


    Zhang Chen, the Deputy Imperial Inspector standing at Duan Pengxuan¡¯s side, said with a pale face, ¡°Sir, Lin Rui is arrogant and overconfident, lawless and unrestrained, brutally greedy and cunning, I fear he will not obey orders.¡±


    In other words, he wouldn¡¯t give them any respect.


    ...


    Duan Pengxuan frowned slightly then immediately dismissed the idea of meeting with Lin Rui.


    Given Lin Rui¡¯s character, it was unlikely that a meeting would be of any use.


    The chances of the young man bowing his head to them were slim to none.


    Go to novgo.co


    Moreover, the situation had escalated to such a point that there was little room for negotiation between the two sides.


    It was estimated that the memorials from the Shazhou Defense Commander and the Shazhou Government Office for impeachment had already flown into the capital by now, and were known to the court officials.


    Therefore, even if he could convince Lin Rui to take down those banners, it wouldn¡¯t hold much significance.


    Afterward, Duan Pengxuan coldly looked at Zhang Chen and Zhang Zhili: ¡°What made you think of attacking the Imperial Prison, have you gone mad?


    Do you think we aren¡¯t in enough trouble?¡±


    Zhang Chen¡¯s face was flushed with embarrassment as he explained helplessly, ¡°We received inside information that the ¡®Demon Blood Locust Tree¡¯ of the seventh realm will be dormant within two days, and the Heavenly Demon team led by Professor Han is about to enter Qin Yan¡¯s cave.


    Once they get what they want, they will leave.


    It now seems that our mole has been exposed; the false news was deliberately spread by the Heavenly Demon team to force us to rush to the Wang City prison.¡±


    Their bought inside information about the Heavenly Demons didn¡¯t come from Professor Han¡¯s team, but was gained through limited external intelligence.


    The intelligence from the opposing party was clearly problematic this time.


    Duan Pengxuan heard the explanation but was not convinced.


    Nevertheless, there was no need to attack the Wang City prison to rescue anyone.


    The crux of the matter was his deputy¡¯s overconfidence, who had underestimated both Lin Rui and Professor Han¡¯s Heavenly Demon team.


    They had not anticipated these two forces joining together to set this trap.


    And then there was Zhang Zhili, whose on-the-spot decision underneath the prison was the height of idiocy!


    Could they kill more than a hundred men?


    Since it¡¯s impossible to wipe them all out, why kill anyone to silence them?


    Duan Pengxuan involuntarily placed his hand on the hilt of his saber: ¡°So does this Lin Rui really have an issue, or not?¡±


    ¡°The man has passed the ¡®Heavenly Demon Test¡¯ at the highest level,¡± Zhang Chen squinted, speculating, ¡°However, we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that this individual is colluding with the Heavenly Demon from beyond our domain.


    Besides, there¡¯s something worth noting: Wang City is proclaiming that their prison warden died in battle, but last night, Zhang Zhili didn¡¯t kill any of the fourth realm.¡±


    After handling the various affairs within the government office, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t wait to rush back here.


    Lin Rui, after butting foreheads with Meng Weiyun for an hour, finally completed his martial arts extreme intent, capable of truly applying it in real combat.


    He no longer needed to build up momentum like before when using martial arts extreme intent.


    Now, as soon as the thought arose, he could use and summon it at any time and place.


    The only issue was that the level of martial arts extreme intent seemed a bit too high.


    Although it was very powerful, it also consumed a lot of spiritual power.


    Lin Rui found that he could only use it for a maximum of ninety seconds.


    After ninety seconds, he would suffer a severe headache, as if his head was about to explode, and it would take half an hour to recover.


    This meant he needed to allocate its use wisely during combat.


    And just when Lin Rui was itching to use his martial intent in the courtyard, Meng Weiyun approached him, offering to teach him a secret technique passed down in her sect, the ¡°Emperor-Level Secret Move¡±!


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t think twice, wondering, could there be such good fortune?


    He was eager for anything that could enhance his combat abilities.


    Emperor-Level Secret Moves were not something he could simply learn whenever he wanted, even with the help of his Battle Spirit Ring, he could not deduce it without any foundation.


    However, after Meng Weiyun demonstrated it twice and explained the method of cultivation in detail, Lin Rui frowned slightly, ¡°So this secret move can only be executed with the help of the Emperor-Level bloodline ability ¡®Ultimate Heart Source¡¯?¡±


    The problem was, he didn¡¯t have ¡®Ultimate Heart Source¡¯.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Meng Weiyun nodded, ¡°However, correspondingly, as long as you can truly understand the mystery of this ¡®Ultimate Slash,¡¯ it can also help you awaken this Emperor-Level talent rapidly!¡±


    Meng Weiyun then swung her accompanying Immortal Sword ¡®Burial Sun¡¯: ¡°Although this secret move doesn¡¯t have the same destructive power as your Light Transition Slash, it can enhance all your martial arts moves for a period of time.


    And ¡®Ultimate Heart Source¡¯ is one of the bloodline abilities that allows me to gather and strengthen any substance.¡±


    She looked at Lin Rui expectantly, ¡°With your talent, you should be able to grasp its essence quickly.


    Is there anything you don¡¯t understand?


    I can explain it to you now.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is~¡±


    Lin Rui had already sensed something was off.


    This woman was clearly suspicious of him, using this move to test his intelligence.


    Lin Rui chuckled to himself, ¡°There¡¯s no need for further explanation, I roughly understand what this secret move is all about.¡±


    He actually only understood a little and still couldn¡¯t fully comprehend it.


    Buta?€¡±


    ¡°Ring Spirit, help me deduce this ¡®Ultimate Slash¡¯ to the level of proficiencya?€¡±¡±


    After careful consideration, Lin Rui thought it best to be more conservative.


    Even if he wanted to maintain the image of a genius, he couldn¡¯t display an abnormal level of talent.


    Mastering proficiency would be enough.


    Upon hearing this, Meng Weiyun¡¯s pupils contracted sharply.


    She was half-convinced, half-doubtful.


    Could this child really grasp the mystery of the Emperor-Level Secret Move after hearing her explanation twice?


    Impossible!

 Chapter 205

    ?Chapter 205: Chapter 196: Awakening (Please Subscribe) Chapter 205: Chapter 196: Awakening (Please Subscribe) The Soul Reminder indicated that to deduce ¡°Ultimate Slash¡± to the proficiency level would require 2000 points of Soul Power, which was significantly more than what Lin Rui needed for deducing ¡°Thunderclap Absolute Slash¡± previously.


    Lin Rui chose to agree.


    He had been hunting monsters with Wang Sen these past few days and had some gains.


    Although he hadn¡¯t earned much money, his Soul Power points had recovered to 31,403, giving him ample capital to show off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the ¡®Ultimate Heart Source,¡¯ so it might not be quite right.¡± After Lin Rui exchanged, he drew his sword: ¡°I guess this is the feeling, right?


    Can you take a look for me?¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s give it a try!¡± Meng Weiyun smiled wryly upon hearing this, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you didn¡¯t comprehend it at once.


    It took me several days just to get starteda?€¡±¡±


    Her expression suddenly stiffened, and her voice came to an abrupt halt.


    ...


    Lin Rui had suddenly used ¡°Ultimate Slash,¡± causing the sword¡¯s aura to undergo visible enhancement, emitting a layer of red light.


    Lin Rui also swung his ¡°Heavenly Brilliance¡± sword and said, ¡°It¡¯s quite simple, do you think I did it right, my Lord?


    Is it like this?¡±


    Meng Weiyun stared at the gold and red aura on the sword in a daze, feeling bewildered.


    Lin Rui had indeed managed to perform it, even without awakening the ¡®Ultimate Heart Source.¡¯


    Go to novgo.co


    This meant that Lin Rui¡¯s understanding of the mysteries of ¡°Ultimate Slash¡± had reached a profoundly deep level.


    ¡°Quite simple, is it?¡± Meng Weiyun first gave a hollow laugh without emotion, and then walked expressionlessly into the room: ¡°Lin Rui, you should head back today.


    I feel a bit tired and need to rest.


    Come back tomorrow.¡±


    As Meng Weiyun walked away, feeling dispirited, she remembered the past moments when her teachers always praised her with ¡°Weiyun, your talent is among the rarest I¡¯ve seen,¡± but now her mouth was filled with an unspeakably bitter taste.


    Perhaps the teachers had never encountered a true genius.


    And to think she had been complacent all this time.


    However, just before entering the room, Meng Weiyun suddenly remembered the most critical question she forgot to ask Lin Rui.


    She turned back and said, ¡°Lin Rui, what was the Heavenly Demon¡¯s final words yesterday about?


    Is it true that the Governor-General of Sha State is colluding with the Lord of Inspection to stage a rebellion?


    Did that Heavenly Demon actually have evidence?¡±


    Lin Rui bowed his hands in respect: ¡°I am not clear on this matter, Sir.


    Before yesterday, that Heavenly Demon had not provided any information about this aspect.


    Moreover, that Heavenly Demon was stabbed to death by a trusted person under my orders to prevent the news about the elixirs from leaking.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Meng Weiyun¡¯s expression relaxed, she had suspected that Heavenly Demon was dealt with by Lin Rui herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m more suspicious that the Heavenly Demon¡¯s words could be out of spite, sensationalist to the end, making my current situation very awkward, somewhat caught in a dilemma.¡±


    Lin Rui frowned: ¡°However, what is strange is that our prison warden also died in battle last night.


    Afterward, I asked the prison guards, they were all hiding in the corner of the third level of the dungeon at that time, surrounded by dense fog, only hearing a brief fight in the distance.¡±


    Meng Weiyun fell into deep thought.


    She sneered inwardly, thinking that the Heavenly Demon might not have been spouting nonsense, and how did she know that the Governor might be collaborating with the Heavenly Demon army, planning to slay gods?


    Indeed, there were too many suspicious points in this matter, and Lin Rui might very well be used by someone as a pawn in their scheme.@@@@


    But that didn¡¯t matter.


    Looking at the current situation, it might actually be for the best.


    Meng Weiyun again reminded in a serious tone, ¡°Lin Rui, since you have managed to cultivate ¡®Ultimate Slash,¡¯ you should awaken the ¡®Ultimate Heart Source¡¯ as soon as possible.


    With such talent, whether it¡¯s for polarizing your blood talents in the future or for the ¡®Dragon Transformation,¡¯ it will be very useful.¡±


    Lin Rui sneered and gestured a throat-slitting motion towards Duan Pengxuan, then turned around and walked in the direction of Wang City Government Office.


    He was very annoyed by Duan Pengxuan¡¯s spiritual pressure but since he wasn¡¯t at a disadvantage now, he let it go.


    After all, with such a big gap in power between them, he had to admit defeat when necessary.


    He needed time now; he had to wait for Blood Blade to break through to the fifth realm and also convert all the money in his account into his own strength.


    Meanwhile, on the third floor of the inn, Duan Pengxuan frowned deeply: ¡°This whelp is very bold.¡±


    At the same time, he was also quietly astonished.


    The mere early-stage of the fourth realm, and yet he was able to resist his martial intent pressurea?€¡±such strong Primordial Spirit talent.


    Lord of Inspection Zhang Chen smiled wryly and saluted: ¡°It is precisely because this youngster is unruly and unyielding that we were forced to resort to this strategy.¡±


    Of course, it was also because they could not suppress the anger in their hearts and had underestimated that Lin Twelve.


    Duan Pengxuan remained noncommittal, with his hands clasped behind his back deep in thought.


    He thought to himself that it was still necessary to dispose of this whelp sooner rather than later.


    Although he couldn¡¯t take action directly, he could still manipulate others to do his bidding.


    He had to give Lin Rui an unquestionable death with a process so clear, that no one could doubt it!


    He wondered if, in ten days¡¯ time, this whelp would enter Qin Yan¡¯s dungeon or not?


    Upon returning to the government office, Lin Rui looked at the extensive damage before him and couldn¡¯t help but sigh to himself.


    It was indeed bitter; ever since he took over as the defense commander of Wang City, the government office had been intact only a few days at a time, constantly needing major repairs.


    Fortunately, the inner office was intact this time.


    After returning to his main residence, Lin Rui sat cross-legged on the ground and injected himself with a dose of ¡°Type-4 Bloodline Enhancement Elixir.¡±


    Lin Rui had actually been able to inject this thing for a while now, but for safety, he had specially waited until he consolidated his martial intent.


    This way was safer, the awakening would be faster, and the burden on his spiritual power would be lighter.


    Indeed, as soon as Lin Rui injected the fourth ¡°Type-4 Bloodline Enhancement Elixir,¡± he successfully awakened the Emperor-class talent ¡°Blood Sun Primordial Element¡±!


    With this talent awakened, Lin Rui could now accumulate Primordial Qi in his bloodline.


    Moreover, his sword-drawing speed would increase by at least 50%, and both sword speed and sword force would improve by about 20%.


    If Lin Rui from last night were replaced with the Lin Rui of now, he wouldn¡¯t need to take the risk of using the ¡°Yang Pulling Slash.¡±


    He would have a much easier time handling the situation.


    The preparatory movements for the ¡°Light Transition Slash¡± would be shorter and subtler, making it harder for others to interrupt.


    At this moment, Lin Rui made some surprised exclamations.


    He discovered that along with awakening the ¡°Blood Sun Primordial Element,¡± another bloodline power related to his feet and movement techniques was stirring.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t continue with the bloodline enhancement injections.


    This was different from the assimilation effect brought by bionic suits.


    Inherent talents from the foreign body had to be awakened slowly on their own and couldn¡¯t be hastened by elixirs.


    According to the experience of his predecessors, forcing it would only backfire.


    If he initially should awaken an Emperor-class talent but the drugs turned it into an upper-class one, wouldn¡¯t that be a huge loss?


    Lin Rui then made some adjustments to the behavior mode of the assistant AI in the biological smart chip and returned to the Ninth Base Martial Arts Club.


    novgo.co


    Taking advantage of the time before Qin Yan¡¯s dungeon opened, he would make a large purchase aboveground, making his final preparations.


    Fortunately, his current situation was very safe.


    Apart from the two hours a day he spent meeting with Meng Weiyun, he could move around the Ninth Base City without worry.


    After waking up in the sleep pod, Lin Rui immediately opened his bank account to check the balance.

 Chapter 206

    ?Chapter 206: Chapter 197: War God Model 5 Chapter 206: Chapter 197: War God Model 5 ¡°`


    Balance: 281,459,942.


    Lin Rui marveled inwardly, being a martial arts internet celebrity sure was lucrative.


    It had only been a few days, yet he had nearly 300 million.


    Of that, only about 20 million was earned by him from catching demons himself; the rest came from video subscriptions and income from promotions.


    Although these were his peak popularity days, the speed at which an internet celebrity could rake in money was thus evident.


    Just then, Lin Rui received another notification of funds being credited to his account.


    It was the school¡¯s finance department, transferring 17 million regulated funds to him.


    ...


    The so-called ¡®regulated¡¯ meant that he had to explain the purpose before using it and obtain permission from the school¡¯s finance department.


    Lin Rui was surprised, wondering where this money had come from?


    Was it Fang Ranran?


    But according to the rules of the university martial arts competition committee, he couldn¡¯t accept financial aid from the school.


    Suddenly, a thought struck Lin Rui, and he opened the chat interface with his senior, Li Li.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Senior, I have received 17 million federation dollars from the school finance department.


    Go to novgo.co


    Does this have anything to do with the professor?


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): Yes, it¡¯s some project funds the teacher applied for you guys; they¡¯ve been gradually approved.


    Don¡¯t worry, this money comes from official channels and won¡¯t affect your participation in the martial arts competition.


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): ¡®Tian Dao¡¯ Elite Ettin Cultivator Foundation, 4 million; Ettin Cultivator Care Foundation, 3 million; Tianji Star Humanities Research Foundation, 2 million; Ettin Cultivator Health Charity Fund, 1 million.@@@@


    Our teacher is the standing vice-chairman of these foundations, and he started applying for you half a month ago, it¡¯s only just been approved.


    Oh, and Wang Sen has about 5 million in development funds, which are a bit slower to approve since he isn¡¯t as well-known as you.


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): He also applied for two research projects for you, Tianji Star Soil Research Project, 2 million; Tianji Star Production Relations Survey Project, 5 million.


    The latter project is relatively simple; you just need to deliver data like the household registry and the land records from Wang City¡¯s county office, and write a paper, and that should be enough.


    If it¡¯s really difficult, I can ghostwrite for you.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): !!!


    The professor is awesome!


    He sent a prostrating emoji.


    Li Li couldn¡¯t help but chuckle upon seeing this.


    Professor Han was indeed amazing.


    Although not as financially powerful or as well-connected as Miss Fang, he was more than capable of looking after the members of their group.


    novgo.co


    Li Li was not born into wealth, so how did his bloodline power reach the rank of a four-realm emperor?


    It¡¯s because the professor could occasionally secure project funding and sponsorships for them.


    It could provide all-around bodily enhancements at the cellular level when combat occurreda?€¡±including the strength of bones and flesh, internal organ durability, power, speed, and reflexes, among others, which made it much more expensive.


    The effect of a single set of ¡°War God¡± Model 5 was almost equivalent to half a set of ¡°Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor¡± from Tianji Star.


    The difference was that this device was implanted in the human body.


    In addition, it also had powerful medical capabilities, which could help humans repair various injuries and maintain life.


    Fei Yunlai had implanted a set, and if not for the ¡°War God¡± Model 7 nanotechnology combat enhancement device on him, he would have already been killed by Meng Weiyun.


    However, this enhancement device had been destroyed, and it would cost a lot of money for Fei Yunlai to get a new one implanted.


    The implantation surgery for this type of device was extremely precise, and Lin Rui was prepared to charge him a surgery fee.


    Furthermore, ¡°War God¡± Model 5 and ¡°Heavenly Armor¡± Model 5 were products from the same company and could connect with each other to produce a synergistic effect.


    What made Lin Rui even more interested was that ¡°War God¡± Model 5 could be stored outside the body and he could also take out the ¡°Heavenly Armor¡± Model 5 subcutaneous nano-armor he had, forming an arm-guard-like object to wear on his body.


    If he didn¡¯t want to use it in the future, he could expel these nano-robots from his body.


    If anyone wanted to use the Heavenly Demon Test on him again in the future, he could still cope with it.


    The problem was that the price quoted by the Special Entity Management Bureau for this piece of gear was 100 million federal dollars, and two sets would be 200 million.


    On the Federation¡¯s side, it was much cheaper, only costing 30 milliona?€¡±the shipping fee from the Special Entity Management Bureau was actually 70 million!


    Lin Rui felt the impulse to turn to the black market traders instead, as Professor Han and his associates should have such channels.


    He immediately shook his head, thinking that he still had to wait.


    With 10 days left, he should be able to earn this amount of money.


    Although the Special Entity Management Bureau charged a lot, their products were regulated and reliable, which provided more peace of mind.


    Then, he started to enter into an intense working mode, recording over thirty videos with the help of the Tianlan Talent Agency team.


    Lin Rui also held a live stream, explaining how to practice and use the Red Thunder Saber, as a bonus for his fans.


    The live stream was free to watch but was in a view-and-discard mode, with no recording allowed.


    The Earth Federation valued martial arts intellectual property rights very highly, and to expect to learn real martial arts from the internet without paying was just dreaming!


    The popularity of the live stream was unexpectedly high, with the viewership reaching up to 12 million people at its peak.


    However, many fans¡¯ focus wasn¡¯t on his martial arts explanation.


    Lin Rui saw the screen filled with comments like ¡°The host is so handsome,¡± ¡°The host has a great body,¡± and ¡°Stop streaming, I¡¯ll support you,¡± leaving Lin Rui not knowing how to respond.


    To his surprise, the amount of tipping after the live stream ended totaled over 30 million federal dollars.


    Lin Rui regretted that this money would take a month to be credited, and there would be a split with the video platform.


    Otherwise, he would just need to do more live streams to earn back the money for the ¡°War God Model 5¡± implant.


    He had also sold a batch of goods, a total of over 1200 implants, worth over a hundred million, which allowed for a share of the proceeds.


    The sale volume was slightly touching; with 12 million viewers, only so many sales were made.


    Those girls who said they¡¯d support him, all were all talk and no action.


    Not long after the live stream ended, Lin Rui received a new message.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±The person sending the message was named ¡°Lin Da.¡±


    After seeing it, Lin Rui¡¯s brow slightly furrowed, a hint of suspicion appearing deep in his pupils.

 Chapter 207

    ?Chapter 207: Chapter 198: The Fifth Realm (Please Subscribe) Chapter 207: Chapter 198: The Fifth Realm (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui opened his sister Lin Xi¡¯s chat window.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Lin Xi, do you have any time to come up recently?


    Our uncle wants us to have a meal together.


    Lin Rui¡¯s family had relatives, and in his address book, there was a group labeled ¡®Blood Relations.¡¯


    Initially, Lin Rui didn¡¯t understand its meaning but after checking, he realized it contained all the relatives from the Lin family.


    On his father¡¯s side, Lin Rui had an uncle, two male cousins, and a grandfather; his mother¡¯s side also had some relatives, though they hadn¡¯t been in contact for a long time.


    For instance, this uncle, Lin Da, the earliest record of communication was from a year and a half ago, which seemed to indicate that the siblings didn¡¯t have a good relationship with these relatives.


    Today, however, this uncle suddenly sent a message, saying he wanted to meet them to discuss something important.


    ...


    Lin Rui wondered whether it could be the clichA?? situation of ¡®no inquiries in poverty in the city, distant relatives when wealth is in the mountains¡¯?


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): Lin Da?


    What does he want with you?


    I won¡¯t go!


    If you want to go, go by yourself.


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): Don¡¯t go either, it¡¯s definitely not going to be anything good!


    Go to novgo.co


    She was very busy at the moment, refining her bloodline during the day and at night, integrating with the War Dragon.


    She had no time to meet with that uncle.


    After reading his sister¡¯s messages, Lin Rui shrugged his shoulders and replied to Lin Da.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Hello, I am currently very busy with something and won¡¯t be available until 11 days later, at which time I can meet with you.


    He actually wasn¡¯t keen on interacting with the relatives from the Lin family but after some contemplation, Lin Rui had decided to meet with them.


    If he was going to use this body, he should accept its responsibilities.


    Moreover, he was curious about the Lin family¡¯s situation, which he couldn¡¯t figure out due to limited information.


    Lin Rui had tried to look up information on his parents but, oddly, there were no records of them at all.


    Yet both of his parents had very high incomes; from Lin Rui¡¯s old videos, it was evident that both had high-level cybernetic enhancements.


    They could afford a villa and likely held high social status.


    Lin Rui¡¯s father Lin Cong was a classmate of Professor Sima, who from the way he spoke, held Lin Cong¡¯s abilities in high regard.


    So meeting with them could also help to gather some information.


    But not now.


    Before settling the matter with Qin Yan¡¯s stronghold, Lin Rui wasn¡¯t in the mood to meet with the ¡®uncle¡¯ he hadn¡¯t heard from in so long.


    Lin Da: I said it¡¯s urgent!


    Get out here now.


    Lin Rui furrowed his brow; this uncle¡¯s choice of words was quite rude.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I already said I¡¯m busy with something important!@@@@


    If you have an urgent matter, you can tell me now, it¡¯s the same over the internet.


    Lin Da on the other end probably sensed something off in Lin Rui¡¯s tone and fell silent for a moment.


    Lin Da: Fine!


    Then 11 days later in the evening, bring Lin Xi with you to Olin Club.


    Contact me when you arrive, and I¡¯ll give you a temporary guest pass.


    Lin Rui looked at the chat history, his brow knotted.


    His sister probably guessed right; it doesn¡¯t seem like anything good.


    Just as he was thinking about his sister, Lin Xi sent another message.


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): Brother, when shall we meet?


    I¡¯ve got everything from the Zhou family, including a mirror called the Blood Refining Mirror, a Divine Artifact beyond the imperial level that has great uses.


    It can be used to reflect on oneself, helping the user condense and awaken bloodline powers.


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): In the past few days, I¡¯ve used this Magic Artifact to awaken a super imperial rank bloodline power ¡®Bright Blood.¡¯ We can take turns using it after we meet.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Lin Rui¡¯s heart trembled at the thought, musing that the Zhou family actually possessed such a treasure?


    No wonder they had bred so many successful scholars over generations.


    The Blood Refining Mirror?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Are you guys done over there?


    What¡¯s with the mystery?


    Why do you need to be so secretive about your identity?


    He was really feeling irritable, as today Professor Han demanded he leave with the protector, disregarding their former master-disciple relationship.


    Just what kind of identity did this kid have that required such a tight cover?


    Lin Rui was performing surgery on himself while still amiably responding.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): It¡¯s going to be several more hours, don¡¯t disturb!


    I¡¯m in the middle of performing surgery on myself.


    I¡¯ll notify you once it¡¯s finished.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): !!!


    Are you serious?


    You¡¯re self-implanting the ¡®War God¡¯ model 5?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Is that even a question?


    In a couple of days, I can show you my skills.


    Don¡¯t worry, old Fei, I guarantee that I can implant a complete set of War God model 7 into you.


    Charging you 50 million Federation dollars for the implantation surgery is absolutely a conscience price.


    Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue, replying reluctantlya?€¡±Yes!


    Yes!


    That¡¯s very conscientious.


    In fact, even if he had gone to Professor Sima for surgery at the ninth base city, the fee would have been at most 20 million.


    The problem was that they were now on Tianji Star, where people capable of such delicate surgeries were rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.


    A charge of 50 million was truly conscientious when considering his biotic aid chip, still being re-fabricated, for which Lin Rui dared to charge 3 million Federation dollars for implantation, which was also very conscientious.


    Fei Yunlai didn¡¯t dare to haggle over the price, Lin Rui¡¯s skills were secondary, but his reliability was priceless.


    How did this young rascal Lin Rui learn such powerful surgical skills?


    Could talent truly be this terrifying?


    At that moment, Lin Rui curiously inquired.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Speaking of which, old Fei, what about the evidence you mentioned before?


    How did you get involved in the Governor¡¯s rebellion case?


    What exactly is going on?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): I was framed.


    About half a year ago, I was hired to kill someone.


    On the night of the operation, I realized something was wrong and backed out, but the target still ended up dead, and somehow that got pinned on me.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Fortunately, I uploaded the video footage of that night to Tianji Star for safekeeping, and afterwards, I did some digging and got hold of some evidence.


    novgo.co


    I¡¯ve stored a part of it at the ninth base and another part with a friend.


    The part with my friend will be delivered after some time; but the evidence and footage stored at the ninth base will only be accessible after I¡¯ve had my biotic chip re-implanted.


    After reading it, Lin Rui thought to himself, so that¡¯s how it is.


    He knew that after Fei Yunlai became a top-ranked fugitive, he simply adopted a desperate approach, dabbling in business as a hitman, a bandit, a mercenarya?€¡±without disdain for any grim taska?€¡±resulting in this major trouble this time.


    Just then, he heard an electronic voice from outside: ¡°Identity confirmed, welcome home, Mr.


    Han Kedao.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Li Li¡¯s face relaxed, and his hand left the hilt of the knife at his waist.


    He had actually seen Professor Han through the external surveillance earlier, but Li Li was still not complacent.


    He was on high alert, responsible for standing guard and protecting Lin Rui.


    After a moment, Professor Han entered with a parcel.


    He was taken aback for a moment upon seeing Lin Rui performing surgery on himself.


    However, his gaze soon shifted to Blood Blade Ji in a nearby sleep pod, and his pupils slightly brightened: ¡°Has she advanced already?


    When did it happen?¡±


    Professor Han sensed Blood Blade Ji¡¯s aura, which had clearly reached the fifth realm!

 Chapter 208

    ?Chapter 208: Chapter 199: Dragon Armor (Please Subscribe) Chapter 208: Chapter 199: Dragon Armor (Please Subscribe) Blood Blade Princess had indeed advanced to the fifth realm.


    The moment she fully implanted the ultimate version of the ¡°Blood Sun Primordial Core,¡± her demonic core entered a complete state under the stimulation of the newly born powerful bloodline primordial force and Guang Ming elements, beginning to generate ¡°Dragon Armor.¡±


    At this time, she was lying in the sleep chamber, using the ¡°High-Concentration Ether Nutrient Fluid¡± that Lin Rui had brought from the ninth city base to grow her Dragon Armor and stabilize her condition.


    As Martial Cultivators advanced to the fifth realm, the Golden Core inside their hearts would transform and produce Dragon Armor.


    The Dragon Armor would grow from the heart, first covering the chest and abdomen, then the back, followed by the limbs, until it covered the entire body to form a complete ¡°Dragon Armor.¡±


    Demons differed from humans; their ¡°Dragon Armor¡± usually grew inside their bodies.


    However, there were exceptions.


    For demi-demons like Blood Blade Princess, the Dragon Armor also covered the outside of the body.


    According to the experiences of predecessors, the moment of the Golden Core¡¯s transformation was extremely important for both humans and demons.


    ...


    If there was sufficient primordial energy at this time, then the Golden Core could transform into a larger area of Dragon Armor, thus saving months or even years of cultivation effort!


    And this part of the bone armor would be much harder than the normally generated one and could store more strength.


    Lin Rui had spent over half of that 60 million funds on these ¡°High-Concentration Ether Nutrient Fluids.¡±


    They were specially formulated for Ji Xueying by Professor Sima¡¯s team for the best enhancement effects.


    Though Ji Xueying was clothed, everyone could sense that the left side of her chest was almost completely covered by a layer of golden-yellow bone armor.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°What a relief!¡± Professor Han¡¯s expression loosened, ¡°With this, we can indeed match that imperial censor in combat.¡±


    Once Ji Xueying advanced to the fifth realm, they would indeed have some confidence in this expedition to Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling.


    ¡°More than matching in combat?


    Lin Rui also performed implantation surgery on her.¡±


    Li Li¡¯s eyes showed unusual excitement, clicking his tongue and saying, ¡°The ultimate version of Blood Sun Primordial Core, plus a set of War God Model 5, tsk tsk!


    This is simply the top-configured version of Blood Blade Princess.


    I wonder what Prince Han would think if he knew about this?¡±


    He would probably be moved by Yuan Ji¡¯s dedication to him, willing to invest such a large sum.


    Then he would likely detest the incompetence of the Zhu family¡¯s uncle and nephew, wouldn¡¯t he?


    Li Li then looked at the package in Professor Han¡¯s hands, ¡°Professor, is that the injection prepared for her?¡±


    Professor Han was also shocked to hear what Li Li said.


    The items Lin Rui had implanted for Ji Xueying were all nine-figure toys, while the annual funds that Professor Han¡¯s team could fight for were currently in that range.


    He then thought of Lin Rui¡¯s current popularity on the internet and understood it all.


    Professor Han was secretly grateful, as Lin Rui had undoubtedly spent a fortune this time.


    Professor Han smiled wryly and shook the package in his hand, ¡°It¡¯s an experimental product that I got from a friend at the East Asia Science Academy, called the ¡®Core Formation Promoter.¡¯ It was originally intended to help stimulate her demonic core to advance before the opening of the cave dwelling tomorrow.


    However, as it happens, this drug was actually a failed experiment, only capable of increasing the Core Formation progress by three percent.


    Its cost was astonishingly high for such poor results, but it could comprehensively improve physical fitness and increase the spiritual power by approximately 80 to 200 points.


    The effect is comparable to a fifth-realm imperial-grade Spirit Pill from Tianji Star, albeit much more expensive.¡±


    He hesitantly glanced at Ji Xueying in the sleep chamber, ¡°This substance has undergone rigorous drug trials.


    Many wealthy and aspiring Ether-drifters have used it to enhance their spiritual power.


    ¡°¡®Flame God¡¯s Fury¡¯ Zhou Changgong!¡±


    Lin Xi clenched her fists tightly, flames of anger flickering in her eyes.


    She had always viewed the demons of the Zhou family as tools to be used, living in constant fear while spending every day with the old granny.


    Yet now, when the old granny died, Lin Xi instinctively felt angry and grieved for her.


    The old granny was indeed a demon, a Hundred-Eyes Demon, but she had never harmed anyone.


    In her mind, she had but a single consciousness a?€¡° to protect Zhou Yun Xi at all costs, the last bloodline of the Zhou family.


    Lin Xi only regretted that she had not yet managed to refine the battle dragon or heal its wounds, unable to stop that bastard.


    Therefore, Lin Xi did not plan to call her brother for help.


    Lin Rui¡¯s cultivation level was at most Level 4, and his presence would be useless in stopping Zhou Changgong.


    What Lin Xi could do now was to try to preserve herself as much as possible and to take revenge for these people of the Zhou family at some point in the future.


    At this moment, in the front courtyard, ¡®Flame God¡¯s Fury¡¯ Zhou Changgong, who was as huge as a giant, had just crushed the skull of the head Protector of the Zhou family with his palm!


    This head Protector had transformed into a Blood Wing Demon with the strength of a mid-level 5th Territory combatant, second only to Mr.


    and Mrs.


    Zhou among all the demons of the house, and was skilled in Escape Skills, extremely fast and agile.


    Yet, even in what he was best at, speed, he had lost to Zhou Changgong, and after less than ten breaths of chase, was caught by ¡®Flame God¡¯s Fury¡¯ Zhou Changgong and had his head crushed.


    Zhou Changgong then looked with interest at Zhou An and Mrs.


    Wang in front of him.


    The two were expressionless, seemingly unaware that the head Protector was dead, numbly and mechanically applying their martial arts skills from before their transformation, viciously attacking him.


    It was all in vain, though; their full-strength sword strikes could barely penetrate Zhou Changgong¡¯s outer aura and didn¡¯t faze the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯s Armor¡¯ on his body.


    ¡°Still unwilling to transform into your demonic bodies?


    What a pity, both the Lamp Genie and Sword Bone Demons are very powerful, but now you can¡¯t even utilize half of your strength,¡± Zhou Changgong said with his hands behind his back, tilting his head leisurely towards the direction of the main house, ¡°I heard that your granddaughter is still alive?


    Is she the only one in your Zhou family who hasn¡¯t transformed?¡±


    He noticed Zhou An and Mrs.


    Wang stiffened slightly, their skin trembling.


    Zhou Changgong smiled lightly, his figure floating into the air, easily avoiding Zhou An and Mrs.


    Wang¡¯s interception using advanced Escape Skills.


    But just as he was about to reach the main house, Zhou Changgong¡¯s expression subtely changed.


    First, a flying seal appeared, landing in front of him, followed by a tall, slender figure clad in black armor, emerging in front of him amidst a burst of thunder and lightning.


    What followed was an incredibly sharp and powerful blade light!


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Zhou Changgong blocked the blade, but his giant form retreated half a step.


    The sword which took the lead, swift like a flash of lightning, unbelievably fast, a continuous barrage of more than twenty strikes, relentless, preventing Zhou Changgong from counterattacking for a moment.


    It was only after the Zhou family couple caught up that this person was forcefully blasted away by a fierce punch from Zhou Changgong.


    ¡°Abyss will, indeed it is the Guang Ming technique,¡± Zhou Changgong narrowed his eyes, looking at the young man in front of him wearing the heavy armor of a capital city commandant, ¡°Are you Lin the Twelfth, the Defense Envoy of the capital city?¡±


    The man who killed two of our Burning Saber Sect¡¯s inner elders!


    This fellow, far stronger than he had anticipated, was no kept man.

 Chapter 209

    ?Chapter 209: Chapter 200: The Indestructible Divine Sun (Please Subscribe) Chapter 209: Chapter 200: The Indestructible Divine Sun (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui was also sizing up the Grand Elder of the Burning Saber Sect before him.


    Zhou Changgong appeared to be about thirty, with facial contours as clear as if sculpted, exuding a calm yet forceful demeanor.


    Because he was clad in Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, his frame approached three zhang in height, suggesting that his actual stature was also extraordinarily tall.


    Lin Rui felt a deep solemnity in his heart.


    He had already used his military officer seal to suppress half of Zhou Changgong¡¯s cultivation level.


    However, his charged strike had not affected the ¡°Red Fire Heavenly Burn¡± much, but rather made his own arm go numb.


    This fellow actually had a set of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor too.


    ...


    Where did it come from?


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Lin Rui, knowing full well who the man was, pretended ignorance, his expression casual, ¡°To dare commit murder within the city walls is utterly lawless!¡±


    As he spoke, he noticed the girl Lin Xi poking her head out through the window again.


    The corners of Lin Rui¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, and he glared fiercely at Lin Xi.


    This foolish girl still hasn¡¯t fled?


    What is she doing standing there?


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    Yet, Lin Xi¡¯s face was as pale as paper, her gaze fixed steadily on Lin Rui.


    She should have escaped through the underground passage, but she turned back because she sensed the blood resonance in her body.


    She had felt the resonance once about ten days ago, but at that time she thought it was the Blood Blade Ji!


    Since the blood basis for breeding the heteromorphic body came from that four-realm super-emperor monster, the Blood Blade Ji gave her a more distinct feeling.


    However, today, Lin Xi also felt a thin resonance of bloodlines from this young defense officer.


    a?€¡±This must originate from the three drops of blood left by her father, each of their heteromorphic bodies containing a drop of unidentified blood!


    If Lin Xi couldn¡¯t figure out that Lin twelve was Lin Rui, her own brother, then she was an idiot!


    Lin Xi felt she was going crazy, surely this must be a dream!


    Zhou Changgong stood before her as one of the four great heads of Wang City¡¯s defensive forcesa?€¡±the head of the imperial city¡¯s authorities who paraded around the province with a four-realm super emperor monster as protector!


    No wondera?€¡±


    Lin Xi had figured it all out, but now she was even more worried about her brother¡¯s situation!


    Lin Rui¡¯s opponent was a nearly sixth-realm imperial-class master, possessing a set of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor!


    Also, why hadn¡¯t her brother brought his protector demon this time?


    ¡°The ones I killed were monsters, when have I ever committed murder?¡±


    Zhou Changgong waved his hand abruptly, using his immense punch strength to smash the Zhou siblings and Duke Wang¡¯s family members who were attacking him, directly sending them flying out.


    He squinted his eyes and looked at Lin Rui with a disdainful gaze, ¡°I too am a court official, bearing the provisional title of Defending Distant General of the fifth rank, a rank above yours.


    You¡¯re just a mere sixth-rank military officera?€¡±how dare you question me?


    What a joke!¡±


    Fortunately, Lin Xi wasn¡¯t foolish enough to stay around.


    She had peeked out her head and then ran away.


    This girl must have realized that without her as a burden, it would be easy for Lin Rui to escape.


    Nevertheless, Lin Rui still needed to tie down Zhou Changgong for a while to give Lin Xi more chances to escape.


    At that moment, the void suddenly turned into a blazing white color.


    a?€¡±That was Lin Rui¡¯s sixty-four flying needles distributed around him, which all exploded into intense bright light at the same time, making the surrounding area within thirty yards white as a sea of milk.


    Zhou Changgong couldn¡¯t help but squint, almost unable to see anything.


    His pupils then slightly contracted, and a chill broke out all over his body.


    In that instant, he sensed at least three different abyssal wills descending around him.


    Their powers distorted the rules, twisted space and time, and made Zhou Changgong¡¯s external Divine Sense retreat back into his body like a mouse seeing a cat.


    What was even more terrifying was that an extremely abrupt, extremely fast, extremely hot, and extremely sharp blade light shone through.


    Zhou Changgong was too late to draw his sword to fight back; he could only extend his left hand in front of his chest to block.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Following a sharp metallic explosion, the blade light actually split Zhou Changgong¡¯s Heavenly Demon armor like a bamboo shoot and cut into his flesh.


    The reason it did not sever Zhou Changgong¡¯s hand was because Zhou Changgong¡¯s right hand drew his sword and swung it repeatedly toward Lin Rui!


    A series of crimson blade Gang Qi pursued Lin Rui¡¯s figure.


    Zhou Changgong, furious to the extreme, chased after Lin Rui from behind, striking no less than one hundred fifty times in a single breath!


    A series of terrifying blade Gang Qi, sweeping across twenty yards, leveled all the surrounding houses to the ground.


    Zhou An and the Wang faction tried three times to break Zhou Changgong¡¯s blade momentum and support Lin Rui but were smashed dozens of yards away by Zhou Changgong¡¯s fierce blade light, bleeding profusely with bones exposed from their wounds.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression was grave.


    novgo.co


    He dodged when he could, and when he could not, he forcefully blocked.


    Intermittent blinding sparks and ear-piercing clangs exploded between the two.


    Only after a full seven hundred fifty strikes did Zhou Changgong¡¯s frenzied slashing come to a halt.


    His expression was cold, and while recovering his breath, he looked coldly at Lin Rui.


    He was utterly astonished internally that his super king-level secret move had failed to kill this man, to kill a mere Fourth Realm fighter!


    Lin Rui was also panting heavily, forcing himself to stand.


    At that moment, not only was he exhausted and bleeding from the corner of his mouth, but his internal organs were also churning tumultuously.


    Lin Rui was exceedingly fortunate; had it not been for the implantation of War God Type 5, he would have been chopped to death by his opponent by now.


    But at this time, not only did he hold on, but his internal injuries were also quite minor, all thanks to those nanomachines that were continuously stabilizing and repairing his internal injuries.


    More than anything, Lin Rui was astonished because he felt that the bloodline power already showing signs of awakening within him had fully awakened under Zhou Changgong¡¯s ferocious pressure!


    At the first opportunity, Lin Rui learned the name of this bloodline talenta?€¡±it was the Imperial talent, Indestructible Solar God!


    At this moment, his bloodline power had also entered the Imperial Realm!

 Chapter 210

    ?Chapter 210: Chapter 201 Disposal (Please Subscribe) Chapter 210: Chapter 201 Disposal (Please Subscribe) The power of the Indestructible Solar God was like a reinforced version of steel muscles and iron bones.


    Not only did it allow Lin Rui to possess stronger and more indestructible bones, fasciae, and even internal organs and flesh, but it also endowed him with extremely powerful self-healing abilities.


    While Lin Rui was breathing, a large amount of light, fire, and thunder elemental forces inside his body were turning into particles of light, repairing the damaged areas within.


    The power of ¡°Blood Core Wild Sun¡± could continuously supply him, enabling a rapid recovery of various elemental forces inside his body.


    Therefore, his current condition was far better than it appeared on the outside.


    The bloodline powers Lin Rui now possessed, though only Imperial level ¡°Indestructible Solar God¡± and ¡°Blood Sun Celestial Element¡±, Super Emperor level ¡°Light of Blood¡± and ¡°Blood Core Wild Sun¡±, along with the Superior level ¡°Heaven Speed¡±, were all of high quality, and indeed, he had stepped into the realm of emperors.


    Of course, this was no match for the Blood Blade Ji, as Ji Xueying now, without considering her progeny equipment, also possessed two Imperial levels and four Super Emperor talents.


    ...


    So Ji Xueying was a Super Emperor, whereas Lin Rui was only of Emperor level.


    Lin Rui was overly delighted, not expecting such a reward tonight.


    He stood up straight, a hint of scornful smile appearing on his lips, ¡°It seems your so-called common man¡¯s rage is just like this!¡±


    With the ¡°Indestructible Solar God¡±, he was now confident enough to withstand another bout with Zhou Changgong.


    He definitely couldn¡¯t win in a fight, but stalling for a while was no problem.


    It would be hard for the person opposite to take him down in a short time.


    Zhou Changgong then gazed coldly at his left hand.


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    Though the sword wound could heal quickly, the troubling issue was the damage to the ¡°Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor¡±, which couldn¡¯t be repaired in a short amount of time.


    Zhou Changgong was even more annoyed by his own underestimation and carelessness.


    He actually hadn¡¯t intended to seriously harm Lin Twelve.


    This person had killed two of their inner sect elders, deserving death!


    The problem was this man was cloaked in the tiger skin of the Imperial City Division, which was very tricky.


    novgo.co


    Zhou Changgong couldn¡¯t kill an official in front of a crowd, especially not a defense envoy from the Imperial City Division!


    The irritating part was this man¡¯s predecessor had just died, and combined with the jailbreak incident in Wang City ten days ago, the situation was extremely sensitive.


    Moreover, according to his knowledge, a Divine Envoy in the Capital had already received 300,000 stone of divine core tea; the crisis was resolved, and he now had the spare capacity to consider him.


    The Burning Saber Sect now couldn¡¯t afford the wrath of the Divine Envoy of the Imperial City Division.


    Even if he were to kill, he needed to find another venue, to choose the right moment.


    Zhou Changgong today merely wanted to teach Lin Twelve a profound lesson, intending to crush every bone in this Lin Twelve¡¯s body to make him pay for his arrogance!


    As a result, the cat playing with the mouse was instead bitten by the mouse.


    Zhou Changgong took a deep breath, ¡°You are courting death!¡±


    Flames furiously blazed throughout his body, the extreme temperatures burning to the extent that even the void twisted.


    The temperature around Lin Rui¡¯s body also increased correspondingly.


    But he had already prepared for this, directly transferring the fiery power to his own sword.


    Lin Rui had just used the high temperatures, both internal and external, to strike back at Zhou Changgong with the Heavenly Blade.


    When it came to controlling fire, he wasn¡¯t much inferior to the one opposite with the ¡°Red Fire Heaven Burn¡±.


    ¡°Blustering!¡± Lin Rui swung his long sword, causing flames to blaze on the Heavenly Blade, ¡°Zhou Changgong!


    You have committed crimes of slaughtering the populace, violently resisting the law, and assaulting an official!


    To think you wielded your cultivation to harm a court officer, it is a blatant disregard for the law!


    I advise you to surrender peacefully and come with me to the office, or else you will find no place in this world to shelter you!¡±


    He would hang this man¡¯s wanted poster tomorrow, and the reward would be twenty thousand taels, dead or alive!


    He would also hold the Burning Saber Sect accountable for their lax discipline.


    Lin Rui wasn¡¯t worried about offending the Burning Saber Sect at all.


    Zhou Changgong was surprised, sensing the battle intent from both Li Changguo and Qin Xia was particularly strong.


    This was not just intimidation, but a real intention to join forces with Lin Zhishier to annihilate him here!


    This group of peoplea?€¡±


    Zhou Changgong felt confused in his heart, sensing he might have miscalculated something.


    He frowned slightly, then with a light snort said, ¡°Fine!


    Fine!


    Fine!


    You actually dare to falsely accuse, confusing right and wrong, but just with the three of you, trying to cover the sky with one hand in Wang City County, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to do it.¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, Zhou Changgong¡¯s body burst into flames and he disappeared on the spot, instantly escaping miles away.


    ¡°I will appeal to the governor and Shazhou Supreme Procuratorate about this matter, and see how the governor and the court will handle you all!¡±


    Li Changguo furrowed his brows deeply, soaring to where the flames had burned, then looked around him immediately.


    His eyes darkened, ¡°This idiot!¡±


    The Burning Saber Sect was truly seeking their own death!


    If the governor knew the details about the Zhou family, he would probably wish he could slap Zhou Changgong to death.


    The backer of the Burning Saber Sect would definitely take decisive action, resolutely and decisively cutting ties with the Burning Saber Sect to avoid provoking public anger from the court officials.


    These reckless men of the jianghu, thinking themselves clever, were actually doing things as foolish as carrying fuel to quench fire, trying to stop boiling water by splashing it.


    However, Wang City County was now in trouble, with the disaster of the demonic dragon unresolved, adding the calamity of the Burning Saber Sect.


    This wasn¡¯t correct either; the door of Sect is in Tianyue County, not in Wang City County.


    However, Li Changguo thought about the Zhou family¡¯s demonic transformation being widely known because of this fool¡¯s clamor, and couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache.


    He and the assistant prefectural governors had been trying to handle the matter of the Zhou family quietly, and had been suppressing this matter for several months, but today it had to be known by the court¡¯s officials?


    Lin Rui, however, calmly sheathed his sword, ¡°Gentlemen!


    Please leave for now and let me handle the aftermath, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Li Changguo involuntarily looked down at Lin Zhishier.


    Lin Zhishier¡¯s actions today had greatly surprised him, first for facing Zhou Changgong courageously, and second for being able to withstand Zhou Changgong¡¯s Super King Secret Blade unscathed despite only being at the fourth realm.


    His injuries seemed very minor.


    Li Changguo realized he had underestimated this pretty boy!


    This fellow wasn¡¯t just a pretty face, the blade in his hand was of considerable weight!


    Especially his escape skill, which was very troublesome.


    Li Changguo completely dispelled any thoughts of regaining face for himself.


    He knew that his own martial power was much inferior to Zhou Changgong¡¯s, and since even Zhou Changgong couldn¡¯t do anything to Lin Zhishier, he was even less capable.


    Prefectural Governor Qin Xia¡¯s expression shifted slightly, ¡°Do you know what to do, Defense Officer Lin?¡±


    The Zhou family¡¯s matter was actually troubling them a lot, uncertain of how to deal with it.


    The handling they were most looking forward to was for the Imperial Guard to step in and eradicate the Zhou family.


    However, the previous Defense Officer of Wang City didn¡¯t have the strength nor was willing to take on the responsibility, and the current one had also been dragging his feet.


    Lin Rui looked at Zhou An and the Wang couple in the distance and said word by word, ¡°The sect of Burning Saber took advantage of the three lords dealing with the demonic dragon to intimidate and persecute the Zhou family, even slaughtering the Zhou house¡¯s servants, the head of the family, Zhou An, unable to endure the humiliation, left behind a blood-written accusation before setting himself and the mansion on fire along with everyone inside!¡±


    As he spoke, the bodies of prefectural Governor Li Changguo and Prefectural Governor Qin Xia trembled slightly.


    They first looked shocked, realizing that Lin Zhishier was clearly putting the Burning Saber Sect in a deadly situation!


    Zhou An and the Wang couple initially looked towards Lin Rui with a vacant gaze, but gradually, their eyes began to sparkle more and more brightly.


    At this moment, Lin Xi had run back, having seen that the battle had calmed down and her brother seemed unharmed, hurried back.


    Lin Xi had only just entered when she heard Lin Rui¡¯s statement.


    Her delicate body also shivered slightly as she looked toward Lin Rui and her ¡®grandparents¡¯.

 Chapter 211

    ?Chapter 211: Chapter 202 Green Blood Venerate (Three more chapters, please subscribe) Chapter 211: Chapter 202 Green Blood Venerate (Three more chapters, please subscribe) The Prefectural Governor Li Changguo and the Deputy Governor Qin Xia, after their initial shock, calmed down.


    They realized this was the best solution.


    Lin Twelve truly was ruthless, wanting to drive the Burning Saber Sect into dead end.


    However, for the two of them, this was a satisfactory outcome.


    At the same time, both harbored a deep caution, this fellow was genuinely not to be trifled with; just look at the fate of the Burning Saber Sect?


    The current issue was, would Zhou An and the Wang family accept it?


    They looked towards those two demons and immediately understood.


    ...


    They both could see the resolve on the faces of Zhou An and the Wang family.


    Being able to protect the Zhou family¡¯s honor and also revenge against the Burning Saber Sect was indeed the ideal outcome for these two demons.


    Li Changguo, with a grave expression, bowed respectfully, ¡°Then, we entrust this to the Lord Protector.¡±


    He secretly sighed in his heart, today he had owed Lin Twelve another favor.


    It looked like his hope for revenge had been completely extinguished.


    After he and Qin Xia departed by air, Zhou An and the Wang family took a long look at Lin Xi, then turned to glance at Lin Rui.


    Zhou An said with difficulty, ¡°Sir, my grandson, Zhou Yunxia?€¡±¡±


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    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui smiled and gestured to Lin Xi, ¡°Come here!¡±


    After waiting for Lin Xi to approach, he vigorously rubbed her head, ¡°If you are worried, leave her in my care.


    I will adopt her as a sister and treat her as my own.¡±


    In the past, Lin Xi would mostly have slapped his hand away, but now her expression was silent, docile like a kitten.


    Zhou An thought, what else could they worry about at this time?


    They had no other choice.


    He and the Wang family bowed deeply to Lin Rui, ¡°Then, we entrust her to you, sir!¡±


    After Zhou An bowed, he then solemnly said to Lin Xi, ¡°Xi, my child, the Zhou family still has many treasures and valuables.


    You must support Lord Lin with all your effort, from now on he is the pillar you rely on in this world, do not be stingy!¡±


    Though he had become a demon and his mind wasn¡¯t very clear, he knew that the stronger Lin Twelve¡¯s capabilities, the safer his granddaughter would be.


    Lin Xi opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she could not utter a single word.


    Her eyes were slightly red.


    The real Zhou Yunxi had already died!


    She felt unworthy of Zhou An and his wife¡¯s emotions.


    Lin Rui focused his senses and discovered that there were no longer any demonic presences inside, and he finally turned with relief to walk out of the gate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we can¡¯t live here for the time being.


    From now on, you¡¯ll stay with me at the Wang City Government Office.¡±


    As Lin Rui spoke, his expression suddenly changed and he looked back.


    He sensed a violent fluctuation of soul consciousness around him, like countless thoughts merging at the Zhou residence, resonating in emotions and thoughts.


    At the same time, a strange and powerful abyssal will suddenly descended upon the place.


    In that instant, a new surge of Demonic Qi appeared within the flames, and its presence was strong, on the level of the fifth realm!


    However, this Demonic Qi was very restrained, very mild, somewhat similar to the Blood Blade Ji.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression grew solemn, and he gripped his blade.


    By now, hundreds of Imperial Dragon Guards had arrived at the Zhou residence; they drew their weapons and stood prepared.


    The next instant, they saw a figure engulfed in flames, walking out from the pile of ruins.


    His body was ablaze with flames as he stepped outside, his gaze fixed steadily on Lin Xi.


    ¡°Is that Zhou An?


    No!¡±


    The person Lin Rui saw was indeed Zhou An, yet it was not Zhou An.


    Zhou An had died; it was more like a demonic entity that had taken over Zhou An¡¯s body, born from a spirit will.


    Was it because of that abyssal will?


    ¡°What is this?¡± Lin Rui¡¯s eyes filled with confusion, wondering what exactly was happening.


    City on Fire (Han Kedao): This is the Green Blood Sword Bone Demon!


    It was clearly Professor Han, who had likely come over because he was worried, now standing nearby and observing.


    He directly sent a message.


    City on Fire (Han Kedao): Have that little girl sprinkle blood over it; it¡¯s just one step away from fully forming!


    Hurry, this demon is based on the Sword Bone Demon fused with abyssal power, related to the ancient ¡®Green Blood Venerate¡¯.


    It¡¯s extremely rare and valuable, and its bloodline rank is very high.


    City on Fire (Han Kedao): The Zhou family has probably worshipped ¡®Green Blood Venerate¡¯ for generations, and this Zhou An had worshipped for a long time.


    Along with the sympathy of the city¡¯s residents for the Zhou family, a strong spiritual resonance was triggered, thus attracting the abyssal will of the ¡®Green Blood Venerate¡¯.


    City on Fire (Han Kedao): This demon exists to protect that little girl, so no Blood Covenant is needed, just sprinkle the blood over it.


    Lin Xi didn¡¯t need Lin Rui to remind her; she understood the situation as soon as she caught the gaze of the ¡®Green Blood Sword Bone Demon¡¯.


    Without hesitation, Lin Xi leapt in front of the demon, sprinkling the blood from her wrist onto the flaming skin of the Green Blood Sword Bone Demon.

 Chapter 212

    ?Chapter 212: Chapter 203: So Big (Please Subscribe) Chapter 212: Chapter 203: So Big (Please Subscribe) Lin Xi¡¯s emotions fluctuated violently throughout the entire evening until she calmed down after returning to the Wang City Government Office with Lin Rui.


    She looked around and then at Lin Rui, her face full of disbelief, ¡°Are you really my brother?¡±


    Lin Xi had heard Zhou An and his wife discuss Lin Twelve.


    They all said that this young man who was appointed as the Defense Envoy of Wang City and had an ultra-imperial Blood Blade Ji for protection must have a profound background.


    The two speculated that Lin Twelve was most likely the esteemed disciple of some big shot in the Imperial Court or the offspring of a major family, and he was part of the same faction as the Defender General of Sha Prefecture.


    The former was more likely since the name Lin Twelve suggests a commoner¡¯s origin.


    However, at that time, the Zhou family¡¯s channels of information were actually cut off.


    Zhou An and his wife were just making guesses based on their experience, and their minds were no longer clear.


    ...


    At this moment, Lin Rui was also in a state of bewilderment.


    He was thinking about something, that both times his bloodline awakened were when he had a strong desire to protect certain things in his heart, could his unique Sacred Body be related to this?


    However, his sister had also awakened the ¡°Blood of Guang Ming¡±; he wondered what her situation was?


    He could ask her later.


    It wasn¡¯t until Lin Xi impatiently tugged at Lin Rui¡¯s sleeve that he snapped out of it, and with a chuckle said, ¡°Could there be any doubt?¡±


    He reached out to pinch Lin Xi¡¯s cheek, but she slapped his hand away.


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    Lin Rui instantly knew the girl was back to normal, ¡°If I weren¡¯t the Defense Envoy of Wang City, how would I dare to let you enter the Zhou residence?¡±


    He spoke without regard for the ¡®Green Blood Sword Bone Demon.¡¯


    According to Professor Han, it was a monster born from the longing and reluctance of Zhou An and his wife towards Zhou Yun Xi, as well as their desire to pass on the will of the Zhou family, inspired by the ¡®Green Blood Venerate¡¯ and the collective will of sentient beings in the abyss.


    Although it was born inside Zhou An¡¯s body, it was essentially unrelated to Zhou An.


    This monster¡¯s current thoughts were purely simple; its birth was to protect the current ¡®Zhou Yun Xi.¡¯


    The demonic changes of Tianji Star are mostly related to emotions, and the ¡®Green Blood Sword Bone Demon¡¯ is no exception, though more complex and higher-end.


    Lin Xi, rubbing her forehead, still found it hard to believe, ¡°But brother, you¡¯ve only descended on Tianji Star for a little more than two months!


    How did you pass the Heavenly Demon Test?¡±


    Strictly speaking, Lin Rui actually took just over a month to become a sixth-grade official of the Imperial Court.


    And he was the Defense Envoy for a major prefecture!


    There are many sixth-grade military tribunes in the Imperial Court, but the position of Defense Envoy is one per slot.


    Speaking of this, Lin Rui was also perplexed, he stroked his chin, ¡°Speaking of which, I find it strange too.


    Initially, I was just coming down to earn a salary, how did I end up becoming a Defense Envoy of the Imperial Court?¡±


    He remembered when he had first arrived, he sincerely intended to just ¡®get by,¡¯ believing he shouldn¡¯t disappoint those two employers.


    Unexpectedly, he somehow ended up in his current position, and it¡¯s a role he can¡¯t stop yearning fora?€¡±the more he serves as an official of the Imperial Court, the more addictive it becomes.


    Lin Rui thought carefully and blamed it all on Zhang Tianchang.


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    Everything started from the moment Zhang Tianchang suddenly jumped into his courtyard.


    Speaking of which, old Zhang had gone to take the patrol envoy test half a month ago, what¡¯s his situation now?


    Lin Rui snapped out of his reverie, ¡°The Heavenly Demon Test is actually simple, just follow the steps on this post, and you can pass the highest difficulty of the Heavenly Demon Test.


    Under the watchful eye of the National Dragon Guard, I skimmed through in one glance,¡± he remarked.


    He even went as far as to send Lin Xi a link to the post with a serious expression.


    After taking a look, Lin Xi gasped in shock, ¡°Cultivate to the Grandmaster level of Yi Jin Bone Refinement before age 25?¡±


    She wondered if such a feat was possible for a human.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    Without any courtesy, Lin Rui scolded her, ¡°Your protector demon is pure white and hasn¡¯t even practiced martial arts.


    How can you help me?


    Besides, your hybrid physique is too weak, just a mere Third Realm, how can you help me?¡±


    Lin Xi wanted to retort, but then she heard the clanging sound.


    Suddenly, Lin Rui had drawn his sword and had it pressed lightning-fast against her throat.


    The ¡®Green Blood Sword Bone Demon¡¯ instinctively moved a few steps closer but still couldn¡¯t prevent it.


    Lin Xi was shocked; she had seen Lin Rui drawing his sword before, his speed was so fast that it was enough to contend with Zhou Changgong.


    Now, feeling it first-hand, it seemed even faster than when they sparred in the virtual world.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be naive.


    I only used half of my sword¡¯s speed just now, but it was fast enough that you and your protector demon couldn¡¯t react,¡± said Lin Rui, shaking his head.


    ¡°Facing those Fifth or Sixth Realm experts, they could kill you in the blink of an eye.¡±


    Wang Sen smiled faintly, ¡°That¡¯s right, Little Xi.


    Even I could kill you before the ¡®Green Blood Sword Bone Demon¡¯ can react.¡±


    Having broken through to the Fourth Realm Golden Core, he was capable of freezing Lin Xi¡¯s blood in an instant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s enough for Wang Sen and me to go ina?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui looked toward the door of the hall, ¡°Besides, I have her.¡±


    He had prepared a trump card for the censor and many Sixth Realm experts; he would surely give them a surprise this time.


    Just then, a fiery red figure appeared at the doorway.


    After walking in, she glanced at the ¡®Green Blood Sword Bone Demon.¡¯


    That glance made Green Blood Sword Bone Demon frown deeply, and his body hair stood on end.


    He grasped his longsword, showing a defensive stance.


    The will of the Green Blood Abyss began to coalesce in this void.


    But at the same time, a strong saber intent burst forth from the red-clothed woman, also invoking the will of the abyss.


    The Green Blood Sword Bone Demon frowned even deeper and took three steps back.


    Lin Xi was secretly alarmed; she had just researched ¡®Green Blood Venerate¡¯ and knew of his powerful will and spiritual strength.


    Her Green Blood Sword Bone Demon, born from the summoning of the ¡®Green Blood Venerate¡¯ and the gathering of the will of beings, actually couldn¡¯t withstand the spiritual pressure from a demon of the same realm?


    Impossible!


    Unless Blood Blade Ji¡¯s lineage power had broken through to the imperial rank.


    But if it hadn¡¯t reached the imperial rank, how did Blood Blade Ji¡¯s demonic body carry the power of the abyss?


    One should know that all intents and concepts of the abyss are extremely oppressive to demons.


    That¡¯s why her ¡®Green Blood Sword Bone Demon¡¯ is extra rare and precious.


    ¡°Be at ease, An Lao!¡± Lin Xi gestured to her Green Blood Sword Bone Demon, ¡°She¡¯s one of us.¡±


    Ji Xueying didn¡¯t pay any mind to the Green Blood Sword Bone Demon, walking straight to Lin Rui and kneeling before him, ¡°My lord, you should have awakened me sooner.


    Your safety is the most important thing.


    ¡°Zhou Changgong alone doesn¡¯t warrant using a cleaver to kill a chicken.¡±


    Lin Rui laughed nonchalantly and then pointed at Ji Xueying¡¯s chest, ¡°How big are you now?¡±


    ¡°This big!¡±


    Ji Xueying drew a circle in front of her chest, ¡°Would you like to see now, my lord?¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s face darkened upon hearing this, wondering what on earth these two were talking about?

 Chapter 213

    ?Chapter 213: Chapter 204: Take it Easy with Her (Please Subscribe) Chapter 213: Chapter 204: Take it Easy with Her (Please Subscribe) The next morning, at dawn, about 20 miles from Luotian Mountain, Lin Rui and Meng Weiyun stood shoulder to shoulder, while Blood Blade Ji stood behind them with an indifferent expression.


    They were concealing their figures thanks to Lin Rui¡¯s Escape Technique, while gazing in the direction of a dense forest at the foot of Luotian Mountain.


    That dense forest was part of the Seven Realms ¡®Heavenly Demon Blood Acacia¡¯.


    The camouflage ability of this mystical plant was breathtaking.


    The dense forest seemed like a perfectly normal bloodthorn woods, with more than twenty thousand trees stretching for dozens of miles, providing lush shade.


    Previously, there were even several villages and many hunters nearby.


    However, if one were to delve deeper underground, they would find that all the bloodthorn trees shared the same root system, originating from the same ¡®Heavenly Demon Blood Acacia¡¯.


    ...


    Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling was hidden within, surrounded by this dense forest.


    At this moment, a large number of martial cultivators from the jianghu could be seen surrounding the forest, including that Heavenly Demon dragon, as well as ¡®Crimson Fire Heavenly Incinerator¡¯ Zhou Changgong.


    Even the Imperial Censor Duan Pengxuan was perched on a small hill one mile away from the forest, sitting under a huge parasol, drinking tea, and waiting.


    Accompanying him were several Fifth Realm experts including Deputy Imperial Censor Zhang Chen.


    One man, clad in Heavenly Demon battle armor that completely wrapped around his body, caught Lin Rui¡¯s extra attention.


    Lin Rui also noticed Duan Pengxuan¡¯s war dragon, about six zhang tall, with silvery-white skin and pale golden lines along the edges.


    Its arms were adorned with elongated bony sabers, and it boasted a rectangular-shaped horn atop its head, looking both splendid and dangerous.


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    This was a royal-grade war dragon named ¡®Titanium Saber Dragon¡¯.


    Lin Rui also saw a war dragon standing behind Zhou Changgong, which was seven zhang tall and entirely crimson, with pale golden lines along its body.


    It was engulfed in flames that never seemed to die out, resembling a giant made of fire.


    That was likely not Zhou Changgong¡¯s war dragon, but the ¡®Blazing Blood Incinerator Dragon¡¯ belonging to the current Sect Master of the Burning Saber Sect.


    All these individuals stayed respectfully outside the forest, not daring to take a step over the boundary.


    This was a testament to the power of the Heavenly Demon Blood Acacia.


    Although the mystical plant could not move, any martial cultivator below the Seventh Realm who recklessly entered this expanse spanning dozens of miles would face the risk of death.


    Lin Rui felt extremely stifled, silently mourning the powerful hand of cards he once held.


    Although the Seventh Realm Heavenly Demon Blood Acacia possessed a royal bloodline and was a large creature with a combat rating of 7SS, extremely terrifying in its might, both Marshal Fei Yunlai with his mecha suit and the celestial official Meng Weiyun could have easily escorted him through this dense forest.


    Yet, now one of them was lying in Professor Han¡¯s secret base, bored and playing single-player games to pass the time, while the other could do nothing but stand beside him and watch helplessly.


    ¡°Did that Heavenly Demon named Zhu Huaimeng ever reveal when this Heavenly Demon Blood Acacia falls asleep, and for what reason?¡±


    Meng Weiyun, unaware that Lin Rui was inwardly criticizing her, stood with her hands behind her back, her expression curious, ¡°This Heavenly Demon Blood Acacia seems quite lively, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    This was another source of resentment for Lin Rui.


    Because ¡®Zhu Huaimeng¡¯ only mentioned that it would open today without specifying an exact time, everyone from the Imperial Censor¡¯s office had rushed to wait outside the forest since early before dawn.


    Lin Rui, who had been sleeping soundly to conserve his strength for the fight the next day, had only just fallen asleep when he was awoken by a message from Meng Weiyun, summoning him from his bed.


    ¡°No,¡± Lin Rui shook his head, ¡°She always used that information as a bargaining chip, trying to get me to let her go.


    I couldn¡¯t agree to her terms, nor could I force it out of her.¡±


    Meng Weiyun slightly nodded in response, thinking it made sense a?€¡° that was the only survival bargaining chip the Heavenly Demon had left; she wouldn¡¯t reveal it easily.


    She looked up at the sky, contemplative, ¡°If she really wanted to take revenge on the Imperial Censor¡¯s office, she must have told the truth.


    Otherwise, no one would believe her words.


    It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know the exact time.


    It would be nice if it could open after noon.¡±


    You need to be careful when you use it, avoid any significant vibrations, and it¡¯s best not to be seen by others.


    Even though it was seized fair and square, it would still be troublesome if spotteda?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui was also secretly astounded.


    The scientific and technological prowess of the people of Tianjixing had reached such heights?


    They could actually forcibly hack the Federation¡¯s quantum encryption technology!


    However, when he checked the status of the ¡®Shockwave¡¯ Type 5 through the biometric chip system, he found indeed some features weren¡¯t unlocked, and the ¡®exoskeleton strength enhancer¡¯ itself was not fully restored.


    But Lin Rui had a solution.


    While re-dressing in his outer garments and battle armor, he sent a message to Fei Yunlai.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Old Fei, what¡¯s the secret key for that ¡®Shockwave¡¯ Type 5?


    Meng Weiyun gave me her spoils of war.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Holy shit, what exactly is your identity now, and what¡¯s your relation with her?


    He felt a twinge of regret inside.


    That belt was still intact, huh?


    He should have spent more time looking for it in recent days.


    But his biometric chip was damaged and couldn¡¯t pinpoint the location; he had no idea where Meng Weiyun had thrown it.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): By the way, where¡¯s that lady?


    She should still be in Wang City, right?


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    Tell me her location.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): !!!


    Old Fei you¡¯re amazing, recovering your combat abilities so quickly?


    How about I get her to come to you, and you let me earn some credit.


    But don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, she brought quite a few elixirs with her thousand-mile messenger the other day, and she seems to be recovering well.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): !!!


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): You can tell her to take it easy.


    Internal injuries need proper healing; make sure she doesn¡¯t suffer any lingering effects that might be an issue when we fight, so she can¡¯t say I took advantage of her.


    Fei Yunlai then sent over a secret key made up of numbers and letters and went silent.


    Right as Lin Rui completely unlocked the equipment, a figure flew in from a distance.


    It was the Deputy Imperial Inspector Zhang Chen, who soared through the sky and fiercely slashed with his saber toward the mountain top.


    ¡°Who is the expert hiding here, skulking around like this?¡±


    He was drawn to investigate the site by the ¡®thousand-mile messenger¡¯ that had just crashed down.


    Not everyone can afford such a magic artifact for communication, and his superior, Duan Pengxuan, wasn¡¯t entirely at ease.


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly at the sight, and just as she was about to grasp her sword, Lin Rui stepped forward proactively, also unleashing a blade of light that shattered Deputy Inspector Zhang Chen¡¯s saber glow.


    With a saber in hand and a sardonic smile in his eyes, he looked at Zhang Chen, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Deputy Inspector Zhang?


    Are you here to kill me and silence me?¡±


    Tianjixing¡¯s people generally refer to an Imperial Inspector as an Inspector General and a Deputy Inspector as a Deputy General, of course, these are the translated terms.


    Zhang Chen, seeing Lin Twelve emerge from the obscured area, suddenly darkened in complexion.


    Meanwhile, down the mountain, not far away, various martial artists, along with ¡®Red Fire Tian Fen¡¯ Zhou Changgong and that demon dragon, all turned their gazes towards Lin Rui.@@@@

 Chapter 214

    ?Chapter 214: Chapter 205: Ruthless and Cunning (Three updates for monthly pass votes) Chapter 214: Chapter 205: Ruthless and Cunning (Three updates for monthly pass votes) ¡°Lin Twelve?¡±


    Zhang Chen, the Deputy Investigating Censor, felt his face darken and was hit with a headache, thinking, why is it this guy?


    He snorted coldly and retraced his steps back the way he had come.


    Zhang Chen had come here solely to confirm the identity of the person in hiding, with no intention of engaging in a life-or-death battle just yet.


    Moreover, the person in question was Lin Twelve, a savage and shameless butcher.


    Due to the previous prison break, the Investigating Censorate was currently unable to do much about this man.


    Untouchable and unbeatable in a quarrel, he was like a hedgehog.


    At the same time, Zhang Chen felt a secret alarm.


    ...


    Lin Twelve had the ¡°Hundred Thousand Li Flying Letter¡±?


    How could that be possible?


    According to their investigations, this man used to be just a constable who gained the favor of the Zhuang family¡¯s young mistress.


    After repeatedly defeating the men under Prince Han, he caught the eye of the Sand Isles Protector and rose rapidly in status.


    Where did this guy get the Hundred Thousand Li Flying Letter?


    The Heavenly Demon in the distance and ¡®Fiery Skies¡¯ Zhou Changgong, upon witnessing this scene, both showed a hint of disappointment.


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    Each of them held no small grudge against Lin Rui, especially Zhou Changgong, who was incensed to realize his clan¡¯s self-immolation and the joint warrant issued by the county yamen and the Imperial Clan Court.


    Zhou Changgong, now slow as he was, noticed that things were looking grim.


    The collection of corrupt officials in Wang City were despicable to the core, plotting to conspire against him and doom him!


    Therefore, he longed for the Investigating Censorate to clash with Lin Twelve and hoped at best that they could directly slaughter him.


    Unfortunately, that Zhang Chen was a coward who retreated back without uttering a word.


    At this moment, Lin Rui no longer hid himself, and rose into the air alongside Blood Blade Ji Xueying, landing before the dense forest.


    Blood Blade Ji Xueying took charge of levitating while holding onto his shoulder armor, while Lin Rui, with his hands poised and bearing an air of casual grace, descended.


    The numerous Cultivators from the Jianghu gathered here all cast envious looks upon his skill.


    They whispered among themselves in hushed tones.


    ¡°Is this the legendary Empress-level Blood Blade Ji Xueying?


    Levitating for more than ten miles, she must be close to the Fifth Realm, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, but she looks so powerful, inscrutable!¡±


    ¡°My spiritual senses tell me that Blood Blade Ji Xueying¡¯s presence feels like the sun; could it be that she has already made a breakthrough?¡±


    ¡°Impossible, right?


    The intelligence stated that Blood Blade Ji Xueying lost control a few months ago when she was only at the early stage of the Fourth Realm; how could she advance so quickly?


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    He immediately sensed a figure hurtling toward him at a startling speed.


    At the same time, several streams of abyssal power descended upon this void.


    A chill crept over the stocky middle-aged man, sensing danger.


    He had only intended to show Lin Twelve a lesson, yet the latter was after his life!


    The stocky middle-aged man swung his sword with all his might, trying to fend off the sharp aura that seemed to slash from beyond the heavens.


    But he was still a step too slow.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Accompanied by a piercing, shrill sound, a swath of the same dazzling blade light swept across his body.


    By then, the white light around had gradually faded, and many people began to regain their sight.


    They saw Lin Twelve standing in front of the stocky middle-aged man, sheathing his sword with an unruffled and composed demeanor.


    However, the stocky middle-aged man stared with bulging eyes, bursting veins in his eyes as he fixedly glared at Lin Twelve, ¡°What the, what secreta?€¡±¡±


    He wanted to ask what it was?


    How could the secret blade be so fast?


    But in the next instant, a line of blood appeared at the center of his body, bursting with copious blood, and in that moment, his entire body split in two.


    Lin Rui naturally wouldn¡¯t answer a dead man¡¯s question; he continued to rest his hand on the sword, storing up energy while scanning the surroundings.


    He was looking forward to the next challenger appearing, but when Lin Rui¡¯s gaze swept over, the martial cultivators in the area either avoided his gaze or were solemn-faced with wary eyes.


    The two companions of the stocky middle-aged man had turned pale and dared not make eye contact with Lin Rui.


    ¡°Idiots!¡± scoffed the demon dragon, its expression disdainful.


    Its gaze, however, was somewhat solemn; how had this youngster grown so strong in just a few days?


    The abyssal force Lin Twelve had unleashed just now had put much pressure on the demon dragon.


    For a split second, it felt its own bloodline being severely suppressed, proving this youngster was by no means simply in contact with the abyss.


    However, in today¡¯s struggle for Qin Yan¡¯s abode, the most significant and dangerous enemy was still that imperial inspector, Duan Pengxuan!


    Zhou Changgong¡¯s gaze also sharpened slightly, soon followed by a sneer as he withdrew his eyes.


    The stocky middle-aged man, seemingly a Martial Cultivator from outside, was not only out of the loop but also didn¡¯t take Zhou Changgong seriously enough.


    Lin Twelve being able to slice through his Heavenly Demon dragon armor and nearly sever his arm, his combat power had long transcended his cultivation and bloodline.


    How could an armor covering just half of a mere fifth realm king-grade body withstand Lin Twelve¡¯s blade?


    However, Duan Pengxuan appeared contemplative.


    Lin Twelve¡¯s sword draw was extremely fierce, but during the draw, bright light was exposed.


    Although the reason was unknown, this seemed to be an opportunity.


    Others might not see his sword draw and naturally wouldn¡¯t see the cause of his deatha?€¡±


    Just at that moment, Duan Pengxuan¡¯s expression suddenly shifted, and he intently stared ahead.


    In that instant, he clearly felt the ¡®Demon Blood Locust Tree¡¯ in front of him was dormant.

 Chapter 215

    ?Chapter 215: Chapter 206: I¡¯m Good at Cheating (Subscribe Please) Chapter 215: Chapter 206: I¡¯m Good at Cheating (Subscribe Please) All the martial cultivators above the fifth realm present felt the change in the aura of the ¡°Blood Blade.¡±


    The Blood Blade was well-disguised, and if it wasn¡¯t for the Heavenly Demon from beyond the domain mentioning its presence, these fifth-realm martial cultivators wouldn¡¯t have noticed anything amiss even if they passed by it while walking through the forest.


    However, when they focused and attuned their senses, they were still able to sense some minor aura emissions from the Blood Blade.


    They realized the soul consciousness fluctuations of this seventh-realm magical plant were getting increasingly faint and soothing, eventually fading away completely.


    Clearly, the Blood Blade was forced into a dormant state due to some irresistible factors.


    ¡°It seems that Zhu Huaimeng wasn¡¯t lying!¡±


    Duan Pengxuan put down the tea cup in his hand and said with a cold gaze, ¡°It must be related to the mating season of the Blood Blade.


    These Heavenly Demons have thoroughly studied it and might have even injected it with some substance to induce its blooming period.


    Everyone, be prepared, in at most a quarter of an hour, this Blood Blade will enter dormancy.¡±


    At this moment, he noticed Lin Twelve gazing at him with a look of suspicious, cautious alarm from a distance.


    ...


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    At first, Duan Pengxuan didn¡¯t understand what this man meant until a moment later when it suddenly dawned on him, causing his eyes to bulge slightly with anger.


    Just because that Heavenly Demon spoke a bit of truth, does it mean all the slanders from that wretched woman might also be true?


    This defiant child, Duan himself would be mad to collude with the Governor of Shazhou!


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    Why would my benefactor want to help the Emperor to kill gods?


    Where would I get the resources to collude with the Heavenly Demon military?


    Duan Pengxuan took a deep breath to calm his emotions and asked, ¡°Mr.


    Du, have you found any trace of Professor Han?¡±


    ¡°Not yet!¡±


    This was the man next to Duan Pengxuan covered in Heavenly Demon dragon armor, his voice as resolute as iron, yet his tone indifferent, ¡°There are about twenty fifth-realm masters here today, but I¡¯m not sure which one is Professor Han.¡±


    Duan Pengxuan frowned slightly, thinking that this Mr.


    Du was also a useless fool.


    This man had been lurking in Wang City for the past two months trying to locate Professor Han but had accomplished nothing and had simply watched as those otherworldly Heavenly Demons set traps inside the big prison of Wang City.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was speaking with Prefectural Governor Qin Xia, who had just arrived at his side.


    With curious eyes, Lin Rui asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you and the Governor going inside to take a look?


    It is said that Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling has many treasures left behind.


    Aren¡¯t you two interested at all?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going in,¡± Qin Xia replied with a wry smile.


    ¡°Qin Yan was a top disciple of the Limitless Saber Venerable, and he might have entered the eighth realm before his death.


    Who wouldn¡¯t be interested in the heavenly path left by such a high-realm martial cultivator?


    The problem is, our responsibilities lie here with the governor, and we dare not leave our post.¡±


    Although all the high masters from the fourth and fifth realms in the prefecture were gathered here, there were still many demons and dangerous martial artists lurking in the city, and it could not be without powerful figures to suppress them.


    Qin Xia had come here today worried that so many martial artists gathered in one place could lead to trouble.


    At that entrance, another twelve people were also clad in ¡®engineering armor,¡¯ fully covered from head to toe.


    Professor Han¡¯s team was highly secretive; only a few of them, like Zhu Meng and Professor Han himself, were publicly known to have extraordinary identities.


    People like Li Li and Lu Xinran, however, were kept secret, known only to a few.


    And now, they were all gathered here, skillfully operating the exoskeletal engineering armors for construction work.


    In addition to this, at the mouth of the cave was a twenty-meter diameter cylindrical machine, emitting a faint humming noise.


    That was the machine¡¯s huge blade disc inside, grinding the soil and rocks in front into dust!


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Lin Rui had just entered the cave entrance when he saw the Heavenly Demon¡¯s tail smashing towards him.


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡±


    Lin Rui furrowed his brow, swinging his saber to block.


    ¡°Thud!¡±


    He was swept aside by a massive force, crashing into an inconspicuous side passage.


    Yet, a look of joy appeared on Lin Rui¡¯s face.


    After steadying himself from the force, he didn¡¯t fly out of the side passage.


    Instead, he ran deeper along with Blood Blade.


    The Heavenly Demon initially intended to follow the widest cave tunnel but, after running a few steps, felt something was amiss.


    It turned around and stuck its head into the side passage, thinking something was off ¨C why run into a side passage instead of the main path?


    Behind them, a group of Martial Cultivators also let out a shout.


    ¡°Follow him!


    That Lin guy locked up that Heavenly Demon for a month, he must know what¡¯s inside here.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, he might even have the complete map of Qin Yan¡¯s cave.¡±


    ¡°I know there¡¯s an illusion technique in the government office that can directly dream up and see someone else¡¯s memories.¡±


    The more these people talked, the faster Lin Rui and Blood Blade ran, bursting ahead like lightning.


    The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes hardened, and it swiftly slithered towards Lin Rui.


    Duan Pengxuan had also planned to advance directly to the main hall, but just then, he heard Mr.


    Dou grunt softly, ¡°My lord, I saw someone operate the Heavenly Demon¡¯s power mecha coming in.


    It must be that Han guy, and he¡¯s also chasing that Lin Twelve.¡±


    Duan Pengxuan¡¯s spirit tensed, and he immediately changed direction, diving into the side passage.


    If it were just Lin Twelve alone, that would be one thing.


    But why was that Han guy also running in this direction?


    Behind, Zhou Changgong furrowed his brows tightly, blinked, and suddenly his entire body burst into flames.


    He unexpectedly used a fire escape technique, suddenly appearing in front of a Martial Cultivator from the four realms.


    This martial artist from the pugilistic world spontaneously combusted, turning into a torch burning brightly, serving as the anchor for Zhou Changgong¡¯s fire escape.


    Zhou Changgong eyed the rapidly fleeing figure of Lin Twelve, pondering what inside information this guy knew to be running in this particular direction.


    Could it be that the ¡®Dragon Blood Destiny Pill¡¯ was in this direction?

 Chapter 216

    ?Chapter 216: Chapter 207: Mingya (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 216: Chapter 207: Mingya (Seeking Subscriptions) Lin Rui and Blood Blade Ji were sprinting all the way, still having to deal with the slashing blade energy and Sword Qi from behind.


    However, Qin Yan¡¯s dungeon truly wasn¡¯t large, and they had only run along the branch path for three miles before they saw a bronze door on the front left side.


    Although Qin Yan was a figure from 3,000 years ago, his dungeon was still well-preserved.


    The air inside was fresh, the tunnels wide and tidy, and stone lamps made of luminescent stones hung on the sides, illuminating the interior as if it were daylight.


    Lin Rui clearly saw a signboard hanging above that door with the words ¡®Guang Ji Hall.¡¯


    The group of Martial Cultivators from the martial arts world looked at this signboard from a distance, their emotions stirring even more intensely.


    The name ¡®Guang Ji Hall¡¯ clearly indicated it was the name of a warehouse.


    Lin Rui and Blood Blade Ji struck the door lock repeatedly with their blades, trying to break the lock and enter before the others.


    ...


    However, the Heavenly Demon arrived first, swinging its tail and smashing it towards them.


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s face was an iron blue, and he could only lead Blood Blade Ji to escape from the spot and steer clear from afar.


    Behind him, Blood Blade Ji¡¯s eyes hardened, and the veins on her hand holding the blade bulged.


    This monster, does it think it¡¯s still twenty days ago?


    Without Lin Rui¡¯s help, she was confident in facing down the Heavenly Demon herself.


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    Time and again, did they regard them as made of clay?


    But just as Blood Blade Ji was about to strike, Lin Rui held her back with one hand.


    He locked the Heavenly Demon with a fierce intent of the blade, pretending to grit his teeth as he made a crunching sound, ¡°Heavenly Demon!


    It seems you¡¯re asking for a beating.¡±


    The Heavenly Demon, hearing this, ¡®cackled¡¯ with laughter, ¡°Just with you?¡±


    Witnessing Lin Rui¡¯s posture, it felt extremely comfortable inside.


    Asking for a beating?


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    Who could beat it?


    Just with this lad and that Blood Blade Ji?


    However, the blade intents of this master and servant were indeed strong.


    The Heavenly Demon acknowledged that the fellow¡¯s strength had indeed improved greatly compared to twenty days ago, but it was still insufficient in its presence.


    While guarding against this human and demon, it swung its palm violently forward, smashing the almost breached door lock with a slap, and as the door swung open, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s entire body ¡®thudded¡¯, as if hit by a meteor, violently flying backward.


    Behind that door was a large expanse of black vines, netted at the doorway like webs.


    They flung dozens of long tendrils, smashing them on the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body like whips, sending its massive body flying dozens of meters back and crashing into the stone wall behind.


    It almost smashed a deep pit into the stone wall, blood plasma flowing from its mouth, sprawled across the wall.


    The Heavenly Demon knew it had been tricked, silently cursing the lad for being too cunning.


    These two had distracted its attention with their blade intent, allowing it to overlook the dangers behind the door.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui laughed.


    He had already warned it, but the creature didn¡¯t listen.


    A series of exclamations sounded from the crowd at that moment.


    ¡°Be careful, these are Sixth Realm Devil Vines!


    Joy filled Lin Rui¡¯s eyes.


    The demon dragon was slightly taken aback and looked confused, ¡°Lin Rui, did you rush here just for this thing?¡±


    It looked around and noticed that the so-called ¡®Guangji Hall¡¯ mostly contained weapon racks and medicine cabinets.


    There were also several small rooms nearby, piled with large amounts of food and condiments.


    Indeed, it was a warehouse, but they hadn¡¯t discovered the Dragon Blood Destiny Pill yet.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s for this thing!¡±


    Lin Rui slashed his finger, smearing the blood on the flying sword.


    The name of this flying sword was ¡®Mingya¡¯, and although it only had the attributes of light and thunder, its level reached beyond the sixth realm of kings!


    It was the best flying sword in the warehouse.


    Although its attributes were not entirely suitable for him, its power was much greater than his previous fourth realm flying sword.


    Besides, if he ever had the chance to go to Luojing later, he could easily trade this sword for one that was truly suited to him.


    Lin Rui smiled slightly, ¡°There are so many fine weapons here, over two hundred in total, the lowest being of the fourth realm, and there are also more than a dozen of the sixth realm.


    Demon Dragon, you can pick one too.¡±


    He was not greedy; he just wanted the best one, and to take two good ones for Wang Sen and Lin Xi, the rest he did not mind leaving behind.


    Lin Rui had no intention of becoming a target.


    By now, those who had poured into the warehouse were fiercely fighting over the items; they were either battling around those weapon racks or searching through the medicine cabinets.


    However, these people dared not approach Lin Rui, wisely keeping their distance.


    Everyone had witnessed the ferocity of this Defense Enforcer; they knew that although he was only of the fourth realm, he could easily slay those of the fifth realm.


    His combat strength was exceptionally high and not to be provoked.


    As long as the Defense Enforcer wasn¡¯t excessive, they were unwilling to risk fighting over what he had.


    A weapon of the sixth realm king rank was precious, but not worth risking their lives over.


    Even Duan Pengxuan and Zhou Changgong, among others, picked up a few blades; they similarly did not want to provoke the crowd over these weapons, entangling with the Martial Cultivators of the rivers and lakes.


    The demon dragon was frustrated at this revelation, thinking, if only you had said so sooner!


    It wouldn¡¯t have been in such a rush to fight, taking those few lashes.


    It then looked down at its two claws, a hint of helplessness in its eyes.


    Though the weapons were fine, they were of no use to it.


    Yet the demon dragon still grabbed a sixth realm royal sword and tucked it into the pouch hanging at its waist, thinking perhaps it could eventually transform into a dragon if it got that pill.


    ¡°Where is that Dragon Blood Destiny Pill?¡± Zhou Changgong¡¯s gaze was as sharp as a knife, pressing Lin Rui, ¡°Where in the cave is this pill bottle?¡±


    ¡°How would I know where this thing is?


    I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Lin Rui, looking calm and composed, wielded the ¡®Mingya Sword¡¯ in front of him, making various movements.


    He was getting familiar with this sixth realm flying sword: ¡°Isn¡¯t there a lot of medicine cabinets over there?


    Maybe it¡¯s hidden inside.¡±


    Duan Pengxuan and Zhou Changgong, among others, had been keeping an eye on those medicine cabinets.


    The rivers and lakes Martial Cultivators¡¯ fighting grew increasingly fierce, overturning all the medicine cabinets, causing a large amount of medicine bottles and herbs to spill out everywhere.


    Just then, Duan Pengxuan saw that ¡®Professor Han¡¯ suddenly made a move, reaching out toward one of the medicine cabinets.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Duan Pengxuan¡¯s eyes widened immediately, his gaze sharp.

 Chapter 217

    ?Chapter 217: Chapter 208: Fifth Realm Emperor Level (Three More for Monthly Pass) Chapter 217: Chapter 208: Fifth Realm Emperor Level (Three More for Monthly Pass) Duan Pengxuan wondered what was inside the medical cabinet that Professor Han cared so much about.


    He also raised his hand and, with a mighty burst of energy, reached toward the direction of the medical cabinet.


    However, there were others besides him who were paying close attention to ¡®Professor Han¡¯.


    After all, among the many people present, only ¡®Professor Han¡¯ was wearing a set of Heavenly Demon Mecha, making him exceedingly conspicuous.


    The one who had leaked the news of Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling was none other than an outer realm Heavenly Demon!


    That demon dragon and Zhou Changgong also made their moves against the cabinet at the same time.


    The powers of several people clashed in the air and instantly shattered the medical cabinet and the various spirit pill bottles within into tiny pieces, scattering countless powders all around.


    ...


    ¡°What a pity!¡± Professor Han, perhaps worried about being attacked from all sides, immediately retreated fifty meters away and said with regret, ¡°Such a fine cabinet of Four Realms Nourishing Spirit Powder, and now more than half of it is wasted.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Duan Pengxuan¡¯s brow furrowed slightly.


    Caution was his nature; he didn¡¯t dare to let his sense of smell loose, but judging from the scattered powder, it didn¡¯t seem to be anything particularly valuable.


    But this was only relative to high-level Martial Cultivators like them.


    The Four Realms Nourishing Spirit Powder, made from superior soul stones, was extremely effective in enhancing Divine Sense.


    Moreover, all the numerous medical cabinets here were Magic Artifacts with excellent sealing effects, preserving these powders with abundant Spiritual Power for 3000 years.


    This attracted a great crowd of Martial Cultivators who were now frantically lunging over, scrambling for these powders.@@@@


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    At this moment, however, Duan Pengxuan was in a standoff with Zhou Changgong and the demon dragon.


    They all felt that the two formidable enemies in front of them were quite difficult to handle.


    Among these two enemies, Duan Pengxuan had the highest cultivation, not only was he in the late stages of the Sixth Realm, but he also possessed a king-grade bloodline, the Titanium Golden Saber Dragon!


    ¡®Red Fire Burning Sky¡¯ Zhou Changgong was also very powerful, a quasi-Sixth Realm cultivator with an imperial-grade bloodline, wearing Heavenly Demon battle armor valued at at least 500,000 taels, and possessing a Seventh Realm ¡®Burning Blood Flame Dragon¡¯.


    In theory, his strength was the strongest, but the ¡®Burning Blood Flame Dragon¡¯ was not his own.


    Since this battle dragon had not developed self-awareness, it not only took orders less nimbly but also couldn¡¯t exert its full combat power.


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    Even the weakest demon dragon should not be underestimated, this king-grade demon dragon had for some reason increased in strength significantly, already possessing a super king-grade bloodline, making its strength extra domineering.


    Coupled with its strong recovery power as a dragon-formed demon, its combat power was very considerable.


    Just as the two men and one demon were in a standoff, Duan Pengxuan¡¯s attendant, Master Du, quietly dispelled the Dharma Seal he had formed with his hands and whispered, ¡°My lord, there are no high-level Spirit Pills here, and I¡¯ve already placed a mark on that Professor Han, he won¡¯t be able to escape.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Duan Pengxuan nodded slightly and immediately turned to walk out of ¡®Guangji Hall¡¯.


    What he desired was never the pills or Magic Artifacts, but the method to enter Limitless Saber Venerable¡¯s cave dwelling, ¡®Cloud Palace¡¯, and the disciple token in Qin Yan¡¯s possessiona?€¡±the ¡®Cloud Palace Jade Plaque¡¯.


    If there really were divine items like the ¡®Dragon Blood Destiny Pill¡¯ here, it might be worth a fight.


    But since there were none, it was unnecessary to waste any more time.


    The demon dragon and Zhou Changgong had the same idea; they followed closely behind Duan Pengxuan, escaping in the direction deeper into the cave dwelling.


    Lin Rui watched their retreating figures, the corners of his lips slightly upturned, ¡°Let¡¯s go as well.¡±


    After he and Blood Blade left ¡®Guangji Hall¡¯, they didn¡¯t follow the same path as Duan Pengxuan and the demon dragon; instead, they headed towards another tunnel opposite the door.


    Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling was circular overall, with two interconnecting passages in the middle, resembling a circle wrapped around a cross, forming a ¡®field¡¯ shape.


    The path that Lin Rui was taking was the horizontal line in the middle of the cross.


    His destination was opposite ¡®Guangji Hall¡¯.


    Lin Rui concentrated on searching within this disciples¡¯ residence.


    There were quite a few treasures here; Lin Rui found more than a dozen complete high-level martial arts True Intent diagrams.


    There were various sabers and swords among the Magic Artifacts, with most of them from the fourth realm and some from the fifth realm.


    However, Lin Rui and Blood Blade couldn¡¯t carry so much, so they only chose two of the best to take with them.


    There were also some Spirit Pills, but these had not been stored in specialized medicine cabinets and had already lost their effectiveness, so they were not worth noticing.


    The caves toward the north were increasingly spacious, with more exquisite decorations inside, likely the residences of high-ranking disciples.


    Originally, small Arrays protected the outside of these caves, but after 3,000 years of the passage of time, these Arrays had already disintegrated.


    Lin Rui walked into a cave with a doorplate reading ¡°Inner Door Disciple Su Zhi¡±.


    As he entered, he saw a brownish-yellow scroll placed on a desk.


    That was the Dragon Order secret martial skill ¡®Heavenly Origin Dragon Transformation¡¯ True Intent diagram that Bai Hao saw in Zhu Meng¡¯s dream!


    The corners of Lin Rui¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, and he went over to collect the True Intent diagram.


    This True Intent diagram had aged significantly; if Lin Rui had arrived a few hundred years later, it might have disintegrated completely.


    The desk beneath the True Intent diagram could no longer hold it up; just as Lin Rui picked up the diagram, the desk crumbled into dust and scattered away.


    At that moment, a wave of black fog spread silently through the air, quickly covering both inside and outside the cave in the blink of an eye.


    Lin Rui tensed, rapidly turning around while his hand went to his saber, as he looked towards a patch of crimson flames and a colossal figure standing outside the cave, so tall at six or seven Zhang that it could only fit outside.


    ¡°Red Fire Burning Sky Zhou Changgong?


    Noa?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui squinted, ¡°You¡¯re not Zhou Changgong, you¡¯re the Inspector Duan Pengxuan!¡±


    ¡°You may consider me Zhou Changgong!¡±


    Duan Pengxuan, with an indifferent look on his face, emerged from the thick fog.


    His entire body was also engulfed in crimson flames, almost identical to Zhou Changgong.


    Lin Rui looked at the string of fire beads worn on Duan Pengxuan¡¯s right hand.


    It was a very powerful Magic Artifact, and this man was apparently ready to use these fire beads to imitate Zhou Changgong¡¯s method of killing people.


    Yet, with a subtly raised corner of his mouth and a meaningful smile, Lin Rui said, ¡°It seems that what the extraterritorial Heavenly Demon said wasn¡¯t wrong, you indeed have a problem, Duan Pengxuan.


    Are you planning to silence me to death as if by Zhou Changgong¡¯s hand?¡±


    Duan Pengxuan couldn¡¯t be bothered with Lin Rui¡¯s words; in his eyes, the Defense Envoy of Wang City was already a dead man.


    This young upstart had not only caused heavy casualties among his troops but also forced him to kill!


    He reached out his hand to grab Lin Rui, causing the temperature around Lin Rui to skyrocket instantly, nearly self-ignitinga?€¡±this was exactly the effect of Zhou Changgong¡¯s ¡®Burning Blood Divine Palm¡¯.


    But in that instant, Blood Blade, who had been standing emotionlessly behind Lin Rui, suddenly drew her blade.


    In that moment, a bright light as scorching as the sun shone in the space, forcing Duan Pengxuan¡¯s eyes to squint slightly.


    He also sensed an incomparably strong will descending upon this place, twisting the heavens and the earth, and altering the rules.


    Could it be the Abyss?


    Just as Duan Pengxuan¡¯s consciousness wavered, he saw a saber light like a streak of silk slashing towards him.


    In that moment, Duan Pengxuan¡¯s heart felt as cold as an ice cellar.


    He realized that this Blood Blade beside Lin Rui was not only in the fifth realm but wasa?€¡±in terms of rankinga?€¡±an Emperor!

 Chapter 218

    ?Chapter 218: Chapter 209: Everyone¡¯s Here (Please Subscribe) Chapter 218: Chapter 209: Everyone¡¯s Here (Please Subscribe) Duan Pengxuan¡¯s mind was a void of confusion, the fact that Blood Blade Ji had advanced to the fifth realm was one thing; her talent was inherently high, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been chosen by King Han and the others.


    But why a royal rank?


    Looking across the whole world, there were not a few who possessed royal bloodlines, but what kind of beings were they?


    Almost all were experts above the seventh realm of Divine Skills!


    Even among Martial Cultivators with exceptional talent, one had to ascend to the seventh realm before their bloodline power could elevate to the royal rank.


    As these thoughts flashed through Duan Pengxuan¡¯s mind, he instinctively swung his sword in defense.


    His current situation was extremely dangerous.


    ...


    The deadly blade light he had to resist was not one, but two.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Just as Blood Blade Ji executed her Sword Draw Slash, that Lin Twelve had already Flash Escaped to his rear and drew his sword.


    In this miasma, a reddish-gold brilliance shone, leaving everything white and dim.


    At the same time, an extremely swift and sharp blade light slashed toward the back of Duan Pengxuan¡¯s head.


    That blade was so fast!


    Even faster than Blood Blade Ji of the royal rank!


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    ¡°Impudent child!¡±


    Evading was almost pointless now, nor could he perform any Escape Skill.


    All because both of their swords were faster than his speed of Escape Skill!


    Furthermore, Lin Twelve still possessed a flying sword ¡®Ming Yao¡¯ ready to transform.


    Duan Pengxuan simply ignored the blade light at his back, concentrating all his effort to resist the blade light from Blood Blade Ji.


    Surprisingly, a layer of ¡®Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor¡¯ covered inside his clothes, shielding his head and neck.


    At the same time, Duan Pengxuan also activated his own king-rank secret technique ¡®Vigorous Body¡¯, enveloping his entire body with metal element True Yuan.


    Clang!


    Lin Rui¡¯s long sword ¡®Heavenly Brightness¡¯ fiercely chopped at the back of Duan Pengxuan¡¯s head, then continued downward.


    His sword could not fully penetrate, creating blinding sparks on Duan Pengxuan¡¯s Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor and emitting a grating metallic scraping noise.


    Although Lin Rui¡¯s sword had pierced through the armor and Duan Pengxuan¡¯s external energy, it entered the flesh at most half an inch deep.


    It had cleaved from the back of Duan Pengxuan¡¯s head all the way to his buttocks, but they were all superficial wounds.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes momentarily gauged in astonishment; he hadn¡¯t expected this man to stand his ground proudly, absorbing the blows with his body and battle armor.


    How much did they underestimate him?


    Duan Pengxuan had already exchanged a flurry of three strikes with Ji Xueying, driving back the Blood Blade Ji.


    At the same time, the Titanium Golden Blade Dragon surged forward, its massive body having crashed into the front section of the cave walls on both sides, reducing them to powder, before landing a blow behind Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui instantly transformed into a bundle of lightning and fled the spot, reappearing about twenty yards away in an open space.


    He cast an unusual look at Duan Pengxuan, ¡°Lord of Inspection had no idea right?


    How formidable is my subordinate Blood Blade Ji in combat?¡±


    He also took out a stone and waved it in the direction of Duan Pengxuan, ¡°I¡¯ve been guarding against you!


    This ¡®Shadow Float Stone¡¯, bought at a high price, was prepared for you.


    As for the events of today, I will report everything to our Divine Envoy!¡±


    The Shadow Float Stone was quite miraculous, although one could only see blurry images, it was enough to implicate Duan Pengxuan, prompting the Imperial City Division to initiate an investigation.


    This Fourth Rank Lord of Inspection held significant authority, bolstered by a profound background.


    However, with this evidence, even the Imperial City Division¡¯s Commander and the other two Divine Envoys would have nothing to argue.


    Whether Duan Pengxuan had taken part in plotting a rebellion or not, the mere act of attacking an Imperial City Division defense officer was intolerable to any high-ranking official.


    After clashing swords with Blood Blade Ji for more than twenty times, Duan Pengxuan actively withdrew from inside the cave.


    In that narrow space, it was unsuitable for the deployment of both his Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor and his combat dragon.


    One aura was particularly sharp and domineering, filled with golden elemental forcea?€¡±much like Duan Pengxuan; the other was wildly turbulent and chaotic, brimming with a sense of power, very reminiscent of that demonic dragon.


    After these two forces drew near, they also sensed each other, as well as the presence of Duan Pengxuan and Lin Twelve in the depths of the dense fog.


    They all stopped in their tracks at that moment, not advancing any further.


    Duan Pengxuan¡¯s face turned slightly dark.


    The force he sensed that was more sharp and domineering, much like his own, turned out to be that demonic dragon!


    As for the other, which was wildly turbulent and chaotic like the demonic dragon, it was none other than ¡®Red Fire Burning Sky¡¯ Zhou Changgong!


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°How interesting!¡±


    All three parties clearly wanted to kill the Defense Minister, yet none of them wanted to get into trouble.


    Just as the four parties faced each other, the atmosphere growing colder and more awkward by the moment, the demonic dragon, looking impatient, raised its hand and with a swipe, it summoned a powerful force, dispelling the surrounding black fog with a whirlwind.


    The demonic dragon then squinted at ¡®Red Fire Burning Sky¡¯ Zhou Changgong across from it with eyes full of rage, ¡°That¡¯s not very nice of you, Zhou Changgong!¡±


    The demonic dragon had refrained from impersonating Zhou Changgong due to several previous collaborations with the Burning Saber Sect.


    Mainly because its bloodline powers lay in wind and water elements, forcibly imitating them would not be convincing.


    It had not anticipated that while it meant no harm, Zhou intended to cause injury.


    Zhou Changgong too looked coldly at Lord of Inspection Duan Pengxuan, his eyes filled with shock and anger, thinking what a move by Lord Duan!


    Seeing Duan Pengxuan¡¯s body ablaze with flames, he understood the intentions of the Lord of Inspection.


    Ironically, he did not want to offend this high official from Shazhou, so he went to great lengths to impersonate the demonic dragon, yet Duan Pengxuan wanted to pin this big black pot on him.


    These damned officials truly are more shameless than the next!


    At the same time, both man and demon harbored deep suspicions as they both spotted the wound on Duan Pengxuan¡¯s back.


    The wound was not deep, but the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor had been severely damaged, and furthermore, Duan Pengxuan¡¯s aura was incredibly weak.


    This left both man and demon dumbfoundeda?€¡±how had Lin Twelve managed to wound Duan Pengxuan, even with his Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor?


    Was this guy¡¯s combat prowess so formidable?


    Duan Pengxuan squinted, his voice hoarse, ¡°I did not expect that both of you had the intention of eliminating Lin Twelve.


    How about we join forces?


    I, Duan, will take the responsibility.¡±


    Lin Rui, upon hearing this, smiled calmly and slowly replied, ¡°Lord Duan is poisoned.


    If we let him escape, in no more than a quarter of an hour, he will have completely expelled the toxins from his body, and his strength will return to its peak.


    Both of you should think it through before you act.¡±


    Zhou Changgong and the demonic dragon had already been tempted.


    If Duan Pengxuan was willing to take on the blame for the assassination attempt on the Defense Minister of the imperial city, they were of course happy to lend a hand.


    But Lin Rui¡¯s words shone a new light on the situation, and both man and demon¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply, their gazes becoming like predators eyeing Duan Pengxuan.


    After all, besides having reached the sixth realm in cultivation, this Mr.


    Duan was also secretly equipped with Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor of an upper sixth-realm level!


    He came with several powerful subordinates, his strength formidable.


    If they wanted to obtain the Dragon Blood Destiny Pill, they had to first get rid of this Lord of Inspection!


    As for Duan Pengxuan, his heart was as cold as ice.


    Without hesitation, he burst into a Flash Escape, sprinting towards the main hall.


    At that moment, four metallic flying shuttles rapidly attacked from a distance.


    novgo.co


    Han Kedao (Signal Beacon): Lin Rui retreat quickly, that¡¯s a tactical nuke, 30 tons TNT equivalent.


    Lin Rui instantly recognized those objects as miniature missiles launched by Professor Han.


    After reading the message from Professor Han, his face paled drastically, and taking Blood Blade Ji, he turned and dashed madly.


    Lin Rui thought the professor was crazy for using a tactical nuclear weapon in such a confined space!


    Yet this professor¡¯s connections were formidable, actually able to get his hands on such a device from the military.

 Chapter 219

    ?Chapter 219: Chapter 210 Do Not Mislead Yourself (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 219: Chapter 210 Do Not Mislead Yourself (Seeking Subscriptions) Lin Rui thought that Professor Han was crazy, but when several sixth-realm powerhouses started fighting, the impact was just as immense as those miniature tactical nuclear bombs.


    Especially the two battle dragons fiercely clashing with the massive body of the demonic dragon, entwining and rolling together, almost coiling into a twisted braid.


    As they fought along the narrow passage, they unleashed thunderous booms, and the surging force was enough to shatter the innards of any fourth-realm Martial Cultivator.


    Along the way, Lin Rui saw several unfortunate souls who were directly shaken to death by their power.


    Luckily, Lin Rui had the powerful innate ability ¡°Imperishable Solar Body,¡± and wore two layers of battle armor.


    Inside his body, he had implanted one set of ¡°Heavenly Armour¡± type 5 and one set of ¡°War God¡± type 5, which enabled him to withstand the formidable residual waves of the battle.


    He had only formed his Golden Core over a month ago, and his physical qualities were still rapidly improving, but he was still some distance from the 1000-point standard of a Lesser Major rank, though of course, stronger than many fourth-realm Martial Cultivators from Tiaji Star.


    ...


    The Lesser Major rank of the Earth Federation was measured with the physical fitness after the full implantation of a Golden Core, different from the Martial Cultivators of Tiaji Star.


    According to Earth standards, the physical fitness of the majority of Tiaji Star¡¯s fourth-realm Martial Cultivators was only around seven to eight hundred points.


    Lin Rui carefully dodged those especially powerful forces and, along with Blood Blade Ji, patiently looked for an opportunity to strike with his blade.


    The demonic dragon was there helping the Yanyue Burning Dragon fight against the Titanium Golden Blade Dragon.


    Despite their joint efforts, they could only gain a slight advantage.


    Mainly because the Yanyue Burning Dragon lacked self-awareness, and Zhou Changgong could not command it precisely, so they could only rely on instinct in battle.


    The blades of the Titanium Golden Blade Dragon were extremely sharp, swinging swiftly and fiercely which seemed capable of slicing through anything, with an extra edge of sharpness.


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    However, Lin Rui estimated that the demonic dragon was holding back, and holding back quite a bit.


    He had just unexpectedly thrust with a ¡®Light Transition Slash,¡¯ hoping to impale the demonic dragon and the Titanium Golden Blade Dragon together, but the demonic dragon adeptly dodged all vital spots and was only pierced through a chunk of flesh under the right rib by Lin Rui¡¯s blade, inflicting a very minor injury.


    This guy also immediately blasted open the flesh in his body that had come into contact with the Tianmang Blade, ejecting it outward to avoid repeating the same mistake as Duan Pengxuan.


    Afterward, the demonic dragon could not help but turn around and curse profusely, starting from Lin Rui¡¯s ancestors three generations back and going up to the eighteenth generation.


    Lin Rui was quite annoyed, considering this clone also carried part of Lin Rui¡¯s genetic makeup.


    However, the demonic dragon was very alert afterward, always keeping an eye on him with a predatory gaze.


    In order to maintain the overall strategy of ¡®joint resistance against Duan,¡¯ Lin Rui could only endure it slightly.


    He did his utmost.


    In this six-mile long corridor, he used ¡®Light Transition Slash¡¯ to stab the Titanium Golden Blade Dragon four times from twenty zhang away, mistakenly stabbed the Yanyue Burning Dragon twice, and also seized the opportunity to stab Duan Pengxuan once.


    His main concern was that these people would lose control and rush at him desperately, not caring for their lives; otherwise, Lin Rui could have stabbed a few more times.


    It is worth mentioning that the Yanyue Burning Dragon seemed not to know how to detoxify, but this dragon was not only wrapped in external flames, its inner body also surged with flame currents.


    The anesthetic Lin Rui had prepared did not work well on it.


    At this moment, Duan Pengxuan was being attacked by Zhou Changgong and Professor Han.


    The anesthetic had already seeped deep into his brain and spinal cord, constantly unable to be fully expelled, his thoughts were groggy, and he was sleepy.


    Then he was directly hit by Professor Han¡¯s four 30-ton TNT equivalent warheads, resulting in a dire and miserable condition.


    Duan Pengxuan¡¯s Heavenly Demon battle armor had been nearly shredded to pieces by the two of them, his body was covered in blood, with dozens of deep wounds exposing the bone.


    Just now, Lin Rui had also unexpectedly stabbed him, sending the blade deep into his organs.


    Risking life for promotion?


    Lin Rui then pulled out the Floating Shadow Stone from his sleeve, shook it meaningfully, and looked at Zhang Chen, ¡°Deputy Inspector Zhang, the entire process of Duan Pengxuan trying to kill me was recorded on this Floating Shadow Stone.


    His collusion with the Governor of Sha Province and his plot to rebel and assassinate the deity are already conclusively evidenced.


    The Imperial Justice Department will soon launch an investigation.


    Do you really intend to follow this traitor to the end?


    I know that those below you might be unaware, but if you want to rid yourself of this crime, you must pull back from the brink now, do not fool yourself.¡±


    Zhang Chen¡¯s heart trembled slightly.


    Whether the Inspectorate had colluded with the Governor of Sha Province or had thoughts of rebelling against the deity, Zhang Chen was well aware.


    However, with the previous case of jailbreak and silencing witnesses, and now with the Lord of Inspection attacking Lin Rui, this case had turned into a complete mess.


    If the Imperial Justice Department initiates an investigation, regardless of the outcome, his superior¡¯s fate would be sealed a?€¡± either Duan Pengxuan would be bound hand and foot, at the mercy of others, or he would resign his commission and flee, living as a fugitive in the martial world, with no third option.


    As for their group, it seemed their time of death was near.


    If the person responsible for this case were unscrupulous enough to implicate the Governor of Sha Province in treason, those in the court who supported them would also be implicated.


    Duan Pengxuan then caught a bottle of pills tossed over by Lord Zhou Changgong, and without even looking at it, threw the entire bottle into his mouth and crunched it down.


    novgo.co


    His situation was still very bad; on one hand, his injuries were indeed severe, as Prof.


    Han and Zhou Changgong had both taken harsh actions while he was dazed; on the other hand, the antidote given by Lord Zhou Changgong was not specifically targeted, resulting in negligible effects.


    Duan Pengxuan then looked behind him, ¡°What¡¯s the situation at the main hall now?¡±


    Zhang Chen looked at the group of people in front of him with a very ugly expression, ¡°There are two seventh-realm superior demons guarding over there.


    Lord Zhou Changgong managed to drive them away with poison about half a moment ago, it should almost be overa?€¡±¡±


    Those two seventh-realm superior demons were about to be driven underground, but from the current situation, it seemed they were merely preparing someone else¡¯s wedding gown.


    Zhang Chen felt inwardly frustrated; initially, when they entered, they were highly confident, with their overall strength sufficient to suppress all contenders.


    How had it come to this?


    Beyond that, there was another matter he hadn¡¯t mentioned.


    Zhang Chen had just felt that there seemed to be some abnormal noises inside the main hall.


    But this could very well be his illusion as the intense battle between Duan Pengxuan and the group had caused a series of roaring tremors, with shockwaves rampaging through the narrow tunnels, the continuous thunderous noises made Zhang Chen¡¯s eardrums ache.


    Lin Rui looked pensively at Lord Zhou Changgong, thinking that this fellow also was skilled in using poison, which warranted caution.


    He then exchanged glances with Duan Pengxuan again.


    Lin Rui realized that this man was probably ready to break the pot if it came to it, to give up on himself.


    Duan Pengxuan most likely wanted to drag him into death together or to kill him and then flee far away.


    In any case, Lin Rui must be wary.


    So Lin Rui had not let the Blood Blade take action just to guard against this man¡¯s desperate moves.


    His figure then flashed as he flew towards the main hall.


    At this time, the demon dragon and Zhou Changgong also rushed forward, competing to reach the front.


    Just now, they simultaneously sensed that the aura of the two demon plants ahead was extremely weak, retreating into the ground.


    The door to Qin Yan¡¯s main hall now lay open for them.

 Chapter 220

    ?Chapter 220: Chapter 211 Where is my elixir?


    (Please subscribe) Chapter 220: Chapter 211 Where is my elixir?


    (Please subscribe) The battle that erupted between the Heavenly Demon and Zhou Changgong was even more intense than their recent fight with Duan Pengxuan.


    Both parties went all out, eager to enter the main hall before the others to gain a slight advantage.


    Their punches and saber strikes caused the entire tunnel to tremble nonstop, with rocks and debris falling everywhere.


    Fortunately, Qin Yan had reinforced this cave mansion very solidly with iron-hard stones, otherwise it would have collapsed dozens of times by now.


    Lin Rui ran with them for a while but soon had to fall back voluntarily.


    ...


    This man and demon specifically targeted him, holding nothing back and striking viciously.


    Not only were their moves extremely vicious, but they also coordinated seamlessly, aiming to kill him.


    Lin Rui had no choice but to retreat and follow from a hundred meters away.


    He maintained a calm and indifferent demeanor, appearing as if it would be great to get his hands on the treasures, but no big deal if he couldn¡¯t.


    Duan Pengxuan also hung back, maintaining a distance of 100 meters.


    However, his ¡°Titanium Gold Dragon Sabre¡± was engaged in the fight, helping the Heavenly Demon contain the ¡°Flame Blood Burning Dragon.¡± On one hand, it balanced the two sides, and on the other, it did everything possible to delay the pace of this man and demon.


    He was fully focused on ridding his body of toxins while recovering from injuries, aiming to heal himself before entering the great hall.


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    Professor Han did manage to follow in the first group, but none of the parties took him seriously.


    Only when Professor Han attempted to overtake them did he encounter a combined assault from several sides.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    As the main gate of the grand hall was smashed into rubble by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s palm, everyone¡¯s view suddenly widened.


    This was an extremely spacious underground hall, measuring two li in length and width, and made entirely of incredibly sturdy Black Turtle Iron Rock.


    Shockingly, in the center of this square stood a seven-zhang-tall war dragon skeleton.


    This war dragon had no head, or its size would have been even larger, likely exceeding eight zhang.


    In front of the war dragon skeleton were hundreds of ghostly white human skeletons, all seated in a cross-legged position.@@@@


    The one in the center was made entirely of ruddy gold, as if it were cast from gold.


    However, all of them, without exception, were headless, but pieces of bone fragments could be seen scattered around the ground.


    Lin Rui had already seen this scene through footage recorded by a drone.


    Professor Han had also speculated that this golden skeleton was very likely Qin Yan¡¯s.


    This Lord of the Crazy Heaven Saber and his many disciples most probably died in a spirit confrontation, their heads blown off remotely.


    Based on the lingering abyssal aura here, those who killed the Lord of the Crazy Heaven Saber were likely the several Level 10 ¡®Longevity¡¯ from that era.


    It was even possible it was the divine being from the Great Song Dynasty, the ¡°East Abyss!¡±


    As for why this perpetrator did not take the treasures from the cave, Professor Han had no idea.


    The demon dragon hastily retreated, cursing Professor Han¡¯s ancestors for eighteen generations.


    That extraterritorial Heavenly Demon probably wanted to take advantage of their fierce battle to heavily injure both it and Zhou Changgong, but it didn¡¯t expect Zhou Changgong to suddenly unleash a level-six supreme king secret move, invoking the concept of the Fire Deity from the Abyss, managing to heavily injure it with a single strike.


    Zhou Changgong, seeing these eight miniature tactical nuclear missiles, laughed loudly, thinking this was truly divine assistance!


    He casually sent out a blade energy towards those eight miniature missiles, detonating them in midair.


    At that moment, eight incredibly hot and dazzling miniature suns exploded behind him, bursting forth with immense heat and light, destroying and sweeping everything around.


    Yet, all of this had nothing to do with Zhou Changgong anymore.


    The tactical nuclear missiles fired by the extraterritorial Heavenly Demon had now become his perfect cover, isolating Duan Pengxuan and the demon dragon behind him.


    Zhou Changgong, swift as a shadow, dashed deep into the cave.


    The shockwave and tongues of fire behind him were terrifying, searing Zhou Changgong¡¯s lungs, fortunately, this cave was not only deep but also sloped upwards.


    When Zhou Changgong arrived in front of an iron door, he deliberately waited for the shockwave to subside before using his sword to cut it open.


    However, just as Zhou Changgong stepped into this spacious room, which was over a hundred feet wide, his expression slightly froze.


    He looked around dazedly at the empty iron shelves.


    Where¡¯s my Dragon Blood Destiny Pill?


    On those shelves, there were indeed clear labels.


    Labels like ¡®Dragon Blood Destiny Pill,¡¯ ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill,¡¯ ¡®Cloud Palace Token,¡¯ ¡®Nine Heavens Mystical Steel,¡¯ etc., names that were intimidating and made it clear that top-quality pills and various treasures were once placed here.


    The problem was, although the labels were present, the pills and treasures on the iron shelves had vanished.


    What shocked Zhou Changgong even more was that the moment he broke through the door, the clear and strong spiritual power fluctuations here vanished instantaneously, leaving only some residual medicinal fragrance.


    This sent Zhou Changgong¡¯s mood plummeting into an ice cave, realizing he might have fallen into a trap, the kind that once stepped into, one could never climb out of.


    Meanwhile, the demon dragon and Lin Rui were frantically running outside, dodging the nuclear explosion¡¯s shockwave and endless heat.


    It wasn¡¯t until they ran out of the hall and had the walls as barriers that they felt slightly better.


    After recovering, the demon dragon immediately attacked that ¡®Blazing Blood Burning Dragon¡¯ fiercely.


    Duan Pengxuan also had a pale face, controlling his titanium gold battle dragon to crazily slash at the Blazing Blood Burning Dragon.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that after all his painstaking scheming and immense sacrifice, it would ultimately be Zhou Changgong of the Burning Saber Sect who benefited!


    Even the great Mr.


    Du was furious and alarmed.


    He had always been vigilant against Lin Twelve and Professor Han, but had not expected Zhou Changgong to come out on top in the end.


    Lin Rui also took this opportunity to thrust his sword several times at the ¡®Blazing Blood Burning Dragon¡¯ from a distance of over twenty feet.


    As the intense glare and heat in the hall gradually subsided, they immediately ran back, coming to the entrance of the cave that had been devastated by the nuclear blast.


    The demon dragon was frantically digging inside with its claws.


    However, the demon dragon hadn¡¯t yet managed to break through to the storage room inside when they saw Zhou Changgong escaping from the door.


    He was using a fire escape technique, quickly shifting and flickering outwards.

 Chapter 221

    ?Chapter 221: Chapter 212: Bright Great Flame God (Please Subscribe) Chapter 221: Chapter 212: Bright Great Flame God (Please Subscribe) ¡°You will not escape, get back here!¡±


    Duan Pengxuan¡¯s killing intent was profound, as he put all his strength into stopping Zhou Changgong and that ¡®Flame Blood Burning Dragon¡¯ from fleeing.


    At that moment he was still in a critically injured state, his vital energy greatly depleted, but Duan Pengxuan still exhausted all his power to stop them.


    He was not sure whether the Cloud Palace Command Token was hidden in the closet, but he absolutely could not allow Zhou Changgong to leave easily.


    If he let Zhou Changgong take those items away, then all his efforts would have been in vain, paying such a heavy price for nothing in the end.


    Duan Pengxuan fully sealed off the palace doors, with sharp and domineering blade lights chasing after the figure of Zhou Changgong.


    Zhang Chen and several rank-five officials from the Inspection Department stood behind Duan Pengxuan, helping him seal any leaks.


    Duan Pengxuan¡¯s titanium-golden dragon was also outside the hall, fully engaged in entangling the ¡®Flame Blood Burning Dragon¡¯, constantly preventing this seventh-level battle dragon from approaching within twenty-five zhang of the palace door, stopping Zhou Changgong from using this fire battle dragon as a pivot to perform a fire escape technique and move outside the palace.


    ...


    The ¡®Flame Blood Burning Dragon¡¯, with the strength of the seventh realm, was unstoppable when it fully unleashed its power, even just fighting on instinct.


    And Duan Pengxuan¡¯s titanium-golden dragon had been stabbed with four blades by someone, all in vital areas.


    However, Professor Han was also helping, stopping the ¡®Flame Blood Burning Dragon¡¯ from approaching the palace doors.


    Lin Rui and his servants were outside as well; from twenty zhang away, he occasionally used the ¡®Light Transition Slash¡¯ to poke at the fire battle dragon.


    Duan Pengxuan deeply detested Lin Twelve¡¯s Super Emperor Secret Blade.


    He had just been stabbed by Lin Twelve from a distance, and his titanium-golden dragon had been heavily damaged as a result.


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    At this moment, however, he could only wish for Lin Twelve¡¯s ¡®Light Transition Slash¡¯ to poke more and more, best if it could poke that ¡®Flame Blood Burning Dragon¡¯ to death.


    Master Du at this time also deployed a powerful fire-type spell, gathering all the flames and light-heat inside the palace, forming a four-zhang-tall flame giant.


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    Not only did this provide Master Du with a powerful flame puppet, but it also restrained Zhou Changgong¡¯s fire escape ability.


    Just then, the demonic dragon let out a roar full of unwillingness and fury.


    ¡°Zhou Changgong!¡±


    It had already dug through the hole and reached the ¡®closet¡¯ inside, seeing a storage room of more than a hundred zhang in radius, yet completely empty.


    The demonic dragon twitched its nose, detecting a faint medicinal scent lingering in the place.


    Engulfed by furious resentment, it bellowed, ¡°Where is the Dragon Blood Destiny Pill?


    Where is that bottle of Dragon Blood Destiny Pill?¡±


    Duan Pengxuan also glanced inside the room, his pupils contracting slightly.


    The Cloud Palace Command Token?


    Duan Pengxuan clearly saw a label for the ¡®Cloud Palace Command Token¡¯ on a wooden rack inside.


    However, the label was totally empty.


    The demonic dragon roared as it turned back, lunging towards Zhou Changgong to strike.


    Its water magic power actually conjured up massive amounts of water vapor within this burning-hot palace hall, attacking all the flames except for Master Du¡¯s ¡®fire puppet¡¯.


    This made Zhou Changgong even more uncomfortable, as he was forced to reveal himself at the back of the hall, looking coldly at the crowd, ¡°What Dragon Blood Destiny Pill?


    I swear I haven¡¯t taken anything, there was nothing in there!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Demon Dragon let out a sinister laugh, and its massive body pounced over Zhou Changgong, and with a fierce swipe, it slammed down, ¡°If you haven¡¯t taken anything, then why did you run?¡±


    Its claw struck nothing but air, only smashing a deep hole in the ground paved with Xuanwu iron rock.


    Zhou Changgong thought to himself that even if he didn¡¯t run, would that allow him to explain everything?


    ¡°When I entered, that ¡®storage room¡¯ was completely empty!


    That extradimensional Heavenly Demon was clearly venting its anger in its dying words, its claims might not be true, or perhaps it was just a trap!¡±


    While speaking, Zhou Changgong was rapidly evading, making use of the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor to sprint and dodge within the hall.


    He not only had to avoid the Heavenly Demon Dragon¡¯s pursuit but also had to guard against Duan Pengxuan¡¯s sword aura and the continuous slashing of fire and wind blades from Master Du.


    At the same time, Zhou Changgong looked coldly towards Duan Pengxuan and Lin Rui outside, ¡°Also, Heavenly Demon Dragon, don¡¯t forget that before I entered, someone else had already reached this place first!¡±


    Did that Master Du and Zhang Chen really enter the main hall only after they arrived?


    Especially since he had already used this blade earlier, forcefully initiating it again this time resulted in even more severe damage.


    Zhou Changgong was reluctant to use it when he initially escaped since he didn¡¯t want to pay such a heavy price.


    Duan Pengxuan watched the figure fused with the blade slashing towards him with an ashen face.


    After a slight hesitation, he nevertheless stepped aside from the front of the temple gate.


    Duan Pengxuan knew he couldn¡¯t stop Zhou Changgong unless he was willing to sacrifice his life.


    However, as he stepped aside, Duan Pengxuan still fiercely slashed with his saber.


    That saber light soared through the sky, astonishingly turning into a silver-white saber disk that struck Zhou Changgong¡¯s side as he soared with his blade.


    Duan Pengxuan, due to the anesthetics, had been groggy all along, unable to fully commit to the battle and to execute his most powerful moves.


    Yet the slash Duan Pengxuan made at this moment was one he had been charging up for nearly a breath, and it was an extremely skilled king-grade secret blade technique of his, the ¡°Titanium Golden Blade Wheel,¡± which was powerful and boasted incredible cutting ability.


    The silver-white blade disk collided with Zhou Changgong¡¯s crimson blade light, instantly scattering an abundance of metallic sparks, and the harsh ¡®clang¡¯ noises reverberated incessantly, shocking everyone¡¯s eardrums.


    Zhou Changgong¡¯s blade force remained exceedingly powerful, managing to fling the silver-white blade disk aside in the blink of an eye.


    And now before him stood only Lin Rui and his servants, and Professor Han.


    When he saw Lin Rui in front and Blood Blade Ji behind him, his gaze instantly turned blood-red!


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    Zhou Changgong gathered all the remaining momentum of the ¡°Bright Great Flame God¡± technique and furiously slashed towards Lin Rui.


    Before escaping from this underground palace, he intended to kill this whelp!


    Zhou Changgong wasn¡¯t certain whether the empty ¡®storeroom¡¯ was Lin Rui¡¯s doing, but he instinctively suspected it.


    And just for the wanted notice the whelp issued, along with the several stabs at the Flaming Blood Flame Dragon, there was already a reason for his demise!


    Zhou Changgong had almost become reckless and resolute in wanting to kill Lin Rui!


    The battle in this underground palace had brought heavy losses to him and the Flaming Blood Flame Dragon, with the future of the Burning Saber Sect growing increasingly dim.


    If the Burning Saber Sect was doomed to destruction, then there must be someone to accompany it in death!


    That person, would be the one before his eyes, the Defense Commander of Wang Citya?€¡±a creature with extraordinary talent whose future should have been boundless!


    Duan Pengxuan, turning back to this scene, also held a look of expectation.


    If ¡°Red Fire Heaven-Scorcher¡± Zhou Changgong could successfully kill the whelp in one fell swoop, it would be the best outcome, and the perilous situation he faced would dissolve as a result.


    Lin Rui, meanwhile, held his saber in one hand, his eyes coldly fixed on the increasingly close Zhou Changgong.


    In that very instant, all sixty-four of his Golden Needles that were dispersed outside simultaneously burst into a strong golden light.


    That glow was so bright it cast the fifty-zhang radius into a vast expanse of white.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Tianmang Saber also turned into a streak of white light in that instant.


    This was the third-realm Super Emperor Secret Bladea?€¡±Yang Pulling Slash!


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Zhou Changgong actually blocked the slash, having had a prior experience.


    The same technique couldn¡¯t possibly be effective against him a second time.


    The first time he was caught off guard, but this second time he was fully confident in parrying the attack and killing Lin Rui!


    But at that moment, Zhou Changgong sensed another saber transformed into a streak of light slashing towards him!


    It was the same Super Emperor Secret Blade, yet it came from another persona?€¡±Blood Blade Ji!


    This woman¡¯s execution of the Super Emperor Secret Blade was far less proficient and fluid than Lin Rui¡¯s, appearing stiff and unrefined, but it was faster, more ferocious, and extremely powerful!


    Beyond that, there were also powerful abyssal wills twisting the rules around them!


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Following that sharp sound, Zhou Changgong¡¯s Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor was pierced open from the shoulder down to the abdomen by the incomparably sharp blade light.


    Zhou Changgong¡¯s entire body split into two in that moment!


    Zhou Changgong¡¯s pupils also drastically constricted at that moment.


    Duan Pengxuan hadn¡¯t lied; this Blood Blade Ji was indeed of the fifth-realm emperor grade!

 Chapter 222

    ?Chapter 222: Chapter 213: Desperate (Three more for subscription) Chapter 222: Chapter 213: Desperate (Three more for subscription) Zhou Changgong¡¯s consciousness did not last long, for as soon as Blood Blade Ji severed his head with a single stroke, Lin Rui¡¯s second blade followed through the air immediately, piercing through Zhou Changgong¡¯s eye and into his head, pulverizing both his brain and the Primordial Spirit into dust.


    With Zhou Changgong¡¯s death, the ¡®Flame Blood Burning Dragon¡¯ looked over at Zhou Changgong¡¯s body with a vacant gaze.


    It only glanced at Zhou Changgong before transforming into a streak of firelight and flashing away.


    This battle dragon had no self-awareness, and it had come here following the instructions of its master to accompany Zhou Changgong.


    Once Zhou Changgong died, the battle dragon instinctively returned to its original master.


    The titanium-gold battle dragon beside it did not stop it.


    Duan Pengxuan¡¯s six-realm battle dragon was covered in wounds after a lengthy fight with the Flame Blood Burning Dragon, its body burned and not a spot left unscathed.


    ...


    Moreover, it now had a new enemy.


    Under the control of its master, the battle dragon lowered its body, staring coldly at Lin Twelve and Professor Han, like a cheetah ready to pounce before a hunt.


    At that moment, the Heavenly Demon dragon also darted out of the palace, rummaging through Zhou Changgong¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°Not here?


    Not here!¡±


    The Heavenly Demon¡¯s gaze wandered aimlessly, looking around.


    There were no high-grade Spirit Pills on Zhou Changgong¡¯s body, so where had the things in the ¡®storage¡¯ gone?


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    Where was the Dragon Blood Destiny Pill?


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    Duan Pengxuan¡¯s brow furrowed deeply.


    Had that Zhou Changgong really not taken anything from within?


    He then looked coldly towards Professor Han and Lin Twelve, ¡°Professor Han, and Lin Twelve, did those things inside fall into your hands?¡±


    Hearing this, the Heavenly Demon shuddered, recalling the two men scampering around inside the underground palace, starting to harbor suspicions.


    Professor Han stood 80 meters away, the two observation holes on his faceplate flickering with a faint light, his voice tinged with some resentment, ¡°Duan Pengxuan, are you trying to shift the blame?


    I entered the main hall with you, and at that time, I didn¡¯t even dare to move.


    Prior to that, I had already given up, only hoping to salvage something in there to offset my losses.


    Ridiculous that my team spent two years in exploration and preparation, nearly 4 billion in expenditure, only to fail because of you, sewing wedding dresses for others!¡±


    Lin Rui also furrowed his brow deeply, ¡°If you want to provoke this stupid dragon to fight against me, just say it!


    How could Lin be deceitful under the watchful eyes of everyone here?


    I¡¯m here to retrieve the True Intent of the ¡®Heavenly Primal Dragon Transformation¡¯ for my senior sister Meng Weiyun, to help her ascend to the seventh realm!¡±@@@@


    While speaking, he took out a scroll and shook it in front of everyone.


    Lin Rui then let out a slight cold laugh, looking about, ¡°I just heard Zhou Changgong say that someone had reached this place before we arrived.


    I didn¡¯t believe his words then, but now, it¡¯s hard to tell.¡±


    The Heavenly Demon felt puzzled upon hearing these words, thinking that Lin Twelve¡¯s speech also made sense.


    It had also felt earlier that if Duan Pengxuan and the others had taken the items from the ¡®storage,¡¯ they would have had no reason to intercept Zhou Changgong.


    Now, thinking that Duan Pengxuan might have had other intentions was also possible.


    Meanwhile, the Heavenly Demon also sensed a bone-chilling coldness.


    Although Duan Pengxuan was heavily injured, his overall combat power was actually greater than when he had fled from his residence.


    Lin Rui sneered and gestured forward with his hand.


    The next moment, a golden light flew from a distant cave, spiraling around Lin Rui.


    At this moment, everyone in the cave narrowed their eyes slightly.


    That was the very same message Magic Artifact they had seen beforea?€¡±the ¡®Hundred Thousand Mile Flying Scroll¡¯!


    Lin Rui took the book-shaped Magic Artifact in his hand, ¡°I forgot to tell you that my Dream Sister is currently within the borders of the Sand State, less than a day¡¯s journey from here.


    I have already informed her of everything that has happened here in full detail, and no doubt she will soon arrive in the Sand State to deal with your case of rebelliona?€¡±¡±


    Duan Pengxuan, watching Lin Rui open the mechanism inside the Hundred Thousand Mile Flying Scroll, preparing to place the ¡®Floating Shadow Stone¡¯ inside it, could no longer contain himself.


    His eyes wide open and veins bulging all over his body, he burst into a dark red blood flame, ¡°Lin Rui!


    You are courting death!¡±


    However, Duan Pengxuan¡¯s voice abruptly ceased, as Zhang Chen suddenly stabbed Duan Pengxuan in the back.


    Zhang Chen¡¯s stab was sudden yet long-awaited, delivering the sixth realm king-level secret blade ¡®Wind Dragon Fang¡¯ from the least expected angle, treacherously precise at Duan Pengxuan¡¯s most unguarded spot.


    Just as Duan Pengxuan was beginning to feel alarmed, the blade broke through his external energy and plunged into his body, piercing his liver and lungs.


    He let out a roar, furiously slashing behind him, but Zhang Chen had already retreated a step ahead, pulling back dozens of steps away.


    Zhang Chen¡¯s expression was cool as he said coldly, ¡°Defense Officer, I, Zhang Chen, am willing to testify!


    Duan Pengxuan indeed colluded with the governor of Sand State and harbored rebellious intentions!


    When we attacked Wang City jail, it was under the orders of Duan Pengxuan; the rest of us in the Imperial Censorate were unaware of his scheme!¡±


    The other fifth-realm experts from the Imperial Censorate were initially confused and at a loss.


    But after Zhang Chen spoke, they did not hesitate to teleport away, distancing themselves from Duan Pengxuan.


    Zhang Zhili was among them, his face as white as paper.


    He thought of the attack on the Imperial City Censorate¡¯s Wang City prisona?€¡±wasn¡¯t it Zhang Chen¡¯s and their idea?


    And what face did they have to see their colleagues who had died in that attack?


    However, Zhang Zhili quickly sighed, thinking that even if Duan Pengxuan killed Lin Rui now, what difference would it make?


    Zhang Chen was right, at this point, no matter what happened to Lin Rui, the imperial executioner¡¯s blade could sweep through the entire Sand State officialdom.


    He also retreated about thirty meters back, ¡°I, Zhang Zhili, am also willing to testify that Duan Pengxuan colluded with the governor of Sand State, plotting treachery.¡±


    Duan Pengxuan¡¯s eyes conveyed disbelief, filled with infinite fury as he turned back, his voice sharp and emphatic, ¡°Zhang Chen!¡±


    He was seething with the desire to pounce and devour the man who had been his right-hand man!


    Then, he turned his gaze back to Lin Rui in front of him.


    It was this insufferable youth who was the root of all his disasters.


    ¡°Interesting, now with both human and physical evidence complete, it appears that the outer domain Heavenly Demon wasn¡¯t lying.¡±


    Lin Rui noticed that Duan Pengxuan¡¯s gaze had turned ashen, clearly filled with the intent to fight to the death!


    He released the Hundred Thousand Mile Flying Scroll in his hold while firmly gripping the blade at his waist, poised alongside Blood Blade Ji, ready for battle.


    The Imperial Censor in front of him was clearly prepared to fight to the death.


    This was a true cornered beast¡¯s struggle!


    And in that instant, both Duan Pengxuan and the titanium-gold blade dragon lunged at Lin Rui like crazed tigers.

 Chapter 223

    ?Chapter 223: Chapter 214: Ultimate Slash (Please Subscribe) Chapter 223: Chapter 214: Ultimate Slash (Please Subscribe) Just as Duan Pengxuan lunged forward, Lin Rui¡¯s figure also moved, retreating like thunder and lightning with Blood Blade Ji in tow!


    At the same time, Professor Han, standing in the distance, suddenly opened his left shoulder armor and extended a three-barreled high-speed electromagnetic cannon from inside, blasting fiercely toward the titanium gold knife dragon.


    The cannon¡¯s rate of fire was astonishing; flames spurted from the barrel.


    In an instant, the magazine was emptied, sending a full 400 rounds of 20mm caliber shells bombarding the titanium gold knife dragon, emitting a roar that was deafening.


    The titanium gold knife dragon¡¯s blade speed and agility were incredibly sharp, reaching the extreme!


    It ran swiftly, dodging the cannon¡¯s strafing shots with incredibly nimble movements, and at the same time, it swung its blade rapidly, parrying and slashing at the incoming shells, causing sparks to fly and continuous explosive booming around it.


    However, under the barrage of these shells, the titanium gold knife dragon¡¯s charge was inevitably slowed, falling behind by more than a dozen lengths from Duan Pengxuan.


    ...


    Duan Pengxuan couldn¡¯t stop, either.


    In his quest to make a successful strike, he had already built up his blade momentum and unleashed all his energy, like an arrow drawn on a bowstring, he had to release!


    Duan Pengxuan was also worried that if he stopped, Lin Twelve would simply escape.


    Although the man¡¯s cultivation was only at the fourth realm, his escape skill was extremely variable and unpredictably strange, and he possessed exceptionally high speed abilities.


    There was also Blood Blade Ji, who was an emperor-class demon of the Guang Ming faction!


    Her escape speed would only surpass that of Duan Pengxuan!


    Once these two got out of the reach of his blade¡¯s intent, neither Duan Pengxuan nor his titanium gold knife dragon were confident they could catch up.


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    So if this strike was not successful, then it would be his end!


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    Large amounts of blood surged from Duan Pengxuan¡¯s nostrils and mouth, and his figure suddenly accelerated, lunging forward a full sixty feet, arriving in front of Lin Rui.


    He swung his blade continuously, creating brilliant silver-white circles of blade light that ferociously slashed towards the duo in front of him.


    This was his most powerful technique of the sixth realm, the Super King Secret Blade ¡®Divine Wheel Endless Slash¡¯ ¨C a knife technique both extremely rigid and powerful, exerting all his strength, sparing no effort, and hence being indestructible and an unstoppable force!


    Zhou Changgong had his own ultimate method of desperate combat; as a mighty sixth realm inspector, how could Duan Pengxuan not have his own technique of dying together with his enemy?


    ¡°You wish, break for me!¡± Blood Blade Ji responded incredibly calmly.


    Her Snow Shocking Blade was also fully powered, turning into a light that was almost invisible to the naked eye, blocking, shattering, and extinguishing all the incoming circles of titanium gold blade wheels!


    All those rays of light converged, unexpectedly forming an indestructible, unbreakable golden light screen.


    As the two began to clash, a symphony of ¡®ding ding dang dang¡¯ rang out, vibrating the eardrums of everyone present.@@@@


    Hundreds of thousands of shattered blade energies erupted from their point of contact, sweeping around and slicing countless pits into the cave walls on both sides.


    At this moment, Ji Xueying¡¯s body was covered in bulging veins, and her eyes had turned blood-red and bulged slightly outward.


    She knew her current form was ugly, like a hideous demon unfit to be seen, but she was even less willing to let her master be harmed.


    Ji Xueying had sworn an oath that unless she died, no one could harm Lin Rui, no one could injure her lord in front of her!


    Even if she turned into a demon, she would never allow Duan Pengxuan to break through her blade screen¡¯s blockade!


    She would never allow Duan Pengxuan to touch a hair on her master¡¯s head.


    However, Duan Pengxuan¡¯s titanium gold blade wheels were not only like ferocious waves and overwhelming seas but also endless, as if they could never be exhausted.


    A few fifth-level masters were still able to save themselves and escape from the ferocious blade qi, but among the fourth-level martial cultivators, apart from a few with strong bloodlines and exceptional strength, the rest were killed on the spot.


    They could neither dodge and escape, nor could they resist those sharp and domineering scattered blade qia?€¡±as soon as they were swept by it, their flesh and blood would fly.


    Moreover, inside the cavern, there were the shockwaves from several nuclear detonations and the destruction from the ultimate light and heat.


    Duan Pengxuan¡¯s eyes grew brighter; he sensed that the strength of the Blood Blade Ji on the opposite side was reaching its limit.


    After a lengthy battle that lasted for several breaths, Duan Pengxuan finally laughed last.


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Duan Pengxuan¡¯s seven orifices spewed black blood once more, and his blade¡¯s momentum and presence were elevated to another apex.


    The weave of white light from Blood Blade Ji¡¯s blade screen was finally completely cleaved apart by him, and her war blade ¡®Snow Shocking¡¯ nearly flew out of her hand.


    Duan Pengxuan also channeled the last of his energy into a series of titanium gold knife wheels, directing them at Lin Rui!


    Death!


    By killing Lin the Twelfth and perishing together with this insolent brat, he could put an end to everything and prevent his benefactor from being implicated.


    But at that very moment, Duan Pengxuan¡¯s pupils slightly widened.


    Blood Blade Ji unexpectedly used her body to shield Lin the Twelfth, enduring his knife wheels head-on.


    Her ¡®Snow Shocking¡¯ blade had already been flung far away by Duan Pengxuan, so she simply used her own hands as blades to continue to confront Duan Pengxuan!


    To Duan Pengxuan¡¯s surprise, Blood Blade Ji¡¯s hands were incredibly tough and solid, almost as if truly made of steel!


    Not only was her defensive power extremely strong, comparable to the Heavenly Demon¡¯s dragon armor, but she could also recover rapidly, restoring herself in an instant.


    After continuously taking nine of Duan Pengxuan¡¯s blows, Blood Blade Ji¡¯s hands had not been cut off,


    ¡°Is it steel bone and iron limb?


    Noa?€¡±¡±


    Duan Pengxuan thought to himself that even steel bone and iron limb couldn¡¯t recover so swiftly.


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    His two strongest blows had almost reduced Blood Blade Ji¡¯s hands to a single layer of bone, yet the next time they crossed blades, her arms were again restored to their original state.


    After another strike, Duan Pengxuan incredulously glanced over Blood Blade Ji¡¯s hands.


    His gaze narrowed slightly!


    Duan Pengxuan recognized what it wasa?€¡±that was the ¡®nanoskin armor¡¯ and ¡®nano combat enhancement device¡¯ from the extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons, equivalent to a half suit of Heavenly Demon battle armor and a device with significant regenerative powers!


    Duan Pengxuan felt a chill in his heart, pondering whether this was something that Han Wang or Yuan Ji had implanted in Blood Blade Ji?


    And it was at that moment, he saw Lin the Twelfth swing his blade.


    It was not the drawing blade technique Duan Pengxuan was on guard for, but the ¡®Light Transition Slash¡¯ from the Super Emperor Secret Blade, a skill that could slash through the air!


    ¡°No!¡±


    Duan Pengxuan exhausted all his strength to defend, but couldn¡¯t cover up the fatal flaw exposed by directing all his force in his attack on Blood Blade Ji.


    He looked at Lin the Twelfth with a complex gaze; the power and speed displayed by the other party had already surpassed the time when his spine was cut through!


    This guy was actually even faster!


    It seemed that in addition to the original secret blade, another secret technique called ¡®Ultimate Slash¡¯ had been stacked, further strengthening his capabilities; just that Lin the Twelfth, not having an awakened bloodline, couldn¡¯t unleash all the divine might of the Ultimate Slash.


    Nevertheless, this technique had indeed increased the speed of Lin Rui¡¯s blade slightly.


    This guy¡¯s background, he really was the Third Divine Envoy!


    Lin Rui¡¯s Tian Mang blade fiercely penetrated Duan Pengxuan¡¯s glabella, piercing through his brain, and then without the slightest mercy, the blade light stirred, shattering Duan Pengxuan¡¯s flesh, blood, and soul into tiny fragments.

 Chapter 224

    ?Chapter 224: Chapter 215 Send Them All to My Room (Subscription Please) Chapter 224: Chapter 215 Send Them All to My Room (Subscription Please) Lin Rui stabbed Duan Pengxuan to death with two slashes but still did not stop, continuing to hack his body into seventeen or eighteen pieces.


    This was not because he was cruel but because high-level martial cultivators have exceptionally monstrous regenerative abilities, and if Duan Pengxuan had mastered some incredible secret technique, he might come back to life the next moment.


    He then looked up at the titanium-gold war dragon and found that the war dragon was standing motionless in its original place.


    Once Duan Pengxuan was dead, this titanium-gold war dragon, which hadn¡¯t developed self-awareness, although still ¡®alive,¡¯ might as well have been dead.


    A complete titanium-gold war dragon was of immense value; its body could be extracted for ¡®Dragon¡¯s Source Essence,¡¯ an important raw material used by the Earth Federation to cultivate ¡®Armored War Dragons.¡¯


    Lin Rui then turned his head and looked menacingly in the direction of the demonic dragon.


    He was always one to eradicate evil; now that Duan Pengxuan was dead, it was time for this demonic dragon to meet its end as well.


    However, when he looked over, the demonic dragon had already escaped without a trace through another fork in the path.


    ...


    Mr.


    Du and Professor Han had also left.


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    Both of them were quasi-Sixth Realm experts, with escape skills as swift as the wind and lightning, disappearing thousands of yards away in an instant.


    Only Zhang Chen and a few people from the Wang City Government Office were left at the scene, their expressions somewhat awkward as they looked towards him.


    Lin Rui then looked at Blood Blade Ji next to him.


    Go to Novgo.co@@@@


    Although Ji Xueying¡¯s face was still somewhat pale, the blood vessels and tendons in her eyes had not completely receded, and her vital energy and True Yuan were recovering quickly.


    This was the effect of Blood Core Frenzy, boosting Ji Xueying¡¯s recovery and endurance to at least six times that of a normal Blood Blade.


    Just now, Duan Pengxuan managed to break through Ji Xueying¡¯s blade curtain by using his Sixth Realm Super King Secret Blade to unleash rapid consecutive slashes, temporarily exceeding the recovery ability of Blood Core Frenzy.


    Ultimately, it was still a matter of insufficient cultivation.


    If Ji Xueying had been in the late stages of the Fifth Realm, Duan Pengxuan would have had no way to break through her blade defense.


    However, Lin Rui still suppressed the thought of having Ji Xueying pursue the attack.


    Lin Rui had his reasons for wanting to eliminate Duan Pengxuan, repeatedly provoking him with words, forcing Duan Pengxuan to take action.


    The first objective was to resolve the threat for people like Professor Han; Duan Pengxuan had been targeting them for a long time, and who knows what evidence and information he still held.


    It was best to kill him now to avoid any future complications.


    The second objective was to firmly seal the case of Duan Pengxuan¡¯s assassination and rebellion.


    The case was actually very troublesome to investigate, and delving too deep might backfire, as everything they had done in the dungeons of Wang City could not be guaranteed to leave no trace.


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen seemed to have an epiphany, and turned his head to exchange a look with Zhang Zhili beside him.


    He understood Lin Rui¡¯s hint, only by nailing Duan Pengxuan¡¯s case could they be exonerated; only by implicating their so-called ¡®benefactor¡¯ and the Chief Commander could they get them to acquiesce, leaving them no power to seek revenge.


    ¡°a?€¡±a?€¡±Additionally, regarding all information and evidence about that team of Heavenly Demons led by Professor Han from outside our domain, you must also deliver it to our Wang City Government Office as soon as possible.¡±


    Lin Rui turned his head, looking towards the direction where Professor Han had departed, his eyes filled with a chilling resolve: ¡°There¡¯s something very wrong with these demons from beyond our realm, I must investigate and eliminate them thoroughly!¡±


    ¡°This subordinate obeys!¡± Zhang Chen responded without hesitation, bowing, ¡°When I return, I¡¯ll immediately send all the files pertaining to the Heavenly Demon case to Wang City Government Office!¡±


    He felt that this case was now a hot potato, and the Inspecting Censor¡¯s office of their Sha State might not be able to spare the manpower or resources to investigate it thoroughly in the short term.


    Lin Rui nodded in satisfaction, ¡°This Titanium Gold Blade Dragon is also evidence, as well as the Magic Artifacts on Qin Yan and his apprentices, are important pieces of evidence.


    I would also trouble you to send them to the rear office of Wang City Government Office.¡±


    He then re-entered the hall with Blood Blade Ji, feigning a thorough inspection of the surroundings.


    His brows furrowed deeper, his eyes reflecting profound confusion, as if wondering who had taken the items from this hall?


    Was it the fleeing demon dragon?


    Or that Professor Han?


    Or perhaps the deceased Duan Pengxuan and Zhou Changgong?


    After a while, he walked into the ¡°storage room¡±, caressing the wall with his hand as he moved along it, attentively sensing.


    At that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s figure suddenly halted, his eyes widening, his face turning ashen with rage as he bellowed, ¡°These demons from beyond our realm, dare to scheme against Lin?!¡±


    He whirled around, with Blood Blade Ji beside him, they sprinted rapidly out of the underground palace, their forms swift as the wind, dashing out several miles in an instant.


    Zhang Chen and the others were in the process of packaging the Titanium Gold Blade Dragon, intending to bind the battle dragon with ropes and drag it to Wang City Government Office.


    They heard Lin Rui¡¯s roar and saw the figure of the Defense Official darting far away, all showing bewildered expressions.


    After a brief contemplation, Zhang Chen also returned to the ¡°storage room¡± on the left side of the hall and began to scrutinize the walls closely.


    Shortly after, his expression subtly changed as he thought to himself, so that¡¯s how it is.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± At that moment, Zhang Zhili also came inside from outside, his eyes showing confusion, ¡°Why is Lord Lin so alarmed and angry?¡±


    ¡°This wall seems to have been built recently, the disguise is quite convincing.¡±


    Zhang Chen struck the wall forcefully with a hammer, and cracks appeared upon the surface.


    He let out a wry smile, ¡°It seems that those Heavenly Demons from outside our domain must have dug a tunnel from the outside, taking everything here with them.


    We, as well as Lord Duan and Lord Lin the Defense Official, have all fallen for their malicious plot.¡±


    Zhang Zhili¡¯s complexion fluctuated between shades of pale and flushed, then he let out a sigh.


    He turned his head towards the outside, guessing that Lin Rui must have gone after Professor Han, and after such a delay, he wondered if he could still catch up?

 Chapter 225

    ?Chapter 225: Chapter 216 BOSS (Asking for monthly passes, third update) Chapter 225: Chapter 216 BOSS (Asking for monthly passes, third update) Lin Rui had just flown out of the underground palace and his expression shifted slightly as he thoughtfully looked back.


    He felt he was being tailed.


    The person must be one of the many Fifth Realm masters who had entered the underground palace, and because these people had been watching from afar without approaching, Lin Rui hadn¡¯t paid much attention.


    However, after he came out, this person followed him for more than ten miles.


    Lin Rui turned his head and looked at Blood Blade Ji with an inquisitive gaze, seeing Ji Xueying holding the blade and nodding slightly.


    He immediately knew his intuition was correct.


    Now this became interesting, how could this person dare to follow him after seeing him kill Duan Pengxuan and Zhou Changgong?


    ...


    Lin Rui opened the chat window with Fei Yunlai.


    novgo.co


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Old Fei, how well have you recovered now?


    Are you confident enough to deal with Sixth Realm power?


    That person should be stronger than that demon dragon but definitely weaker than Duan Pengxuan.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Can¡¯t beat them, if I could handle the Sixth Realm, I would have gone to Qin Yan¡¯s underground palace to take a look.@@@@


    There should still be some good stuff in there, mainly because the vital energy is too depleted to keep up with the consumption.


    Go to novgo.co


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): So you mean you can have a go.


    Right, since you dared to settle scores with Meng Weiyun, you must have regained some combat power.


    I remember that Professor Han¡¯s base is hiding two ¡°Ferocious Blood 6 combat stimulants.¡± Have your Magic Beast Protector and Battle Dragon inject them and come to help.


    This was something he had seen in the fridge at the base during surgery last time.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Hey, are you trying to get me to risk my life?


    He admired Lin Rui¡¯s sense of perception; despite the great distance, Lin Rui could still sense the person¡¯s presence.


    Professor Han immediately threw a bag to Lin Rui.


    Beacon of War (Han Kedao): This is the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯ you wanted, plus two ¡®Cloud Palace Jade Medallions¡¯, including the one I have, as well as some other things related to Du Zunlong and Cloud Palace.


    He didn¡¯t speak out loud but used quantum communication instead, to avoid leaving any trace in case the stalker had a way to monitor their conversation.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Cloud Palace Jade Medallion?


    Why are you giving me this?


    Professor, aren¡¯t you interested in Du Zunlong¡¯s Cloud Palace?


    Beacon of War (Han Kedao): I¡¯m very interested, but I know my limits.


    My disciples and I are not qualified to touch those abyssal treasures; we might die just by touching them.


    Beacon of War (Han Kedao): Based on the examination of the dragon corpse left by Du Zunlong just now, it¡¯s likely he had entered the abyss.


    He wasn¡¯t defeated but was killed by someone, so these two ¡®Cloud Palace Jade Medallions¡¯ are too hot for us to handle.


    Just obtaining some parts of Du Zunlong¡¯s dragon relics and abyssal essence, we are already satisfied.


    Lin Rui instantly understood, Professor Han wanted to pass the trouble to someone else, which was undoubtedly a wise choice.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Alright, I¡¯ll take care of these things.


    Professor Han curiously wondered how Lin Rui would later explain and justify things to Meng Weiyun.


    But his disciple was audacious and shrewd, and since the entire plan was his own making, there was probably no need to worry at that moment.


    Beacon of War (Han Kedao): Besides that, there are various things from the ¡®storehouse¡¯, beyond the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pills,¡¯ there are also six bottles of Seventh Realm spirit pills, preserved in the best pill bottles, with intact effects and incalculable value, and there are four Seventh Realm level Magic Artifacts, a King Grade Spirit Sword of the Eighth Realm, though it¡¯s unusable now and must be repaired by a weapon-refining expert.


    Beacon of War (Han Kedao): There are also various other items, worth at least 200 million federal dollars in total.


    I¡¯ve discussed it with Li Li and the others, and all of these items belong to you.


    I just don¡¯t know how you plan to handle them?


    Will you ship them back to the Ninth Base, or keep them on Tianji Star?

 Chapter 226

    ?Chapter 226: Chapter 216: BOSS (Third Update, Asking for Monthly Pass)_2 Chapter 226: Chapter 216: BOSS (Third Update, Asking for Monthly Pass)_2 Lin Rui raised his eyebrows after reading the message.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Isn¡¯t this inappropriate?


    Do the seniors have no objections?¡±


    Originally, they should have agreed on the distribution ratio of the earnings before the action took place.


    The problem was that Lin Rui couldn¡¯t reveal his identity, and those seniors didn¡¯t know the extent of his efforts, so it was difficult to discuss the spoils of war.


    He had been prepared to take a loss on this matter as long as he could get his hands on the Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Professor Han to give him all these gains.


    Guang Ming (Han Kedao): ¡°What objections could they have?


    ...


    They didn¡¯t take any risks throughout the mission, they merely dug some dirt.


    I told them beforehand that I had heavily bribed a high-ranking figure from the Tianji Star to help us secure Du Zunlong¡¯s battle dragon corpse.


    The items in this tomb are the payment, to be given to this big shot afterward.¡±


    Guang Ming (Han Kedao): ¡°The value of the Abyssal Origin Substance is immeasurable, and when calculated, we are still the ones coming out ahead.


    Don¡¯t worry, they all signed contracts with me, so there won¡¯t be any objections.¡±


    Professor Han was very confident in his students, as from his years of acquaintance, he found that children led by Li Li had very good moral character.


    Go to novgo.co


    Besides, he was the one who had brought in the funding and offered the academic positions.


    His students should be satisfied with such great honor.


    After all, just publishing a paper about reaching the top of the Abyss would bring endless benefits for them, not to mention the value of the Abyssal Origin Substance itself.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, thinking that Professor Han was indeed magnanimous.


    novgo.co


    It was no wonder that Li Li held Professor Han in such high admiration and respect.


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Rui sent back a message: ¡°Could I trouble the professor to help me liquidate these items?


    Except for the ¡®Demon Blood Refining Pill,¡¯ I have no use for the others.


    I would prefer to have them converted to cash as soon as possible.¡±


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t have the proper channels to deal with these items on Tianji Star, nor did he want to attract the attention of the Jingcheng Si or other Tianji Star intelligence agencies because of it.


    He had even fewer options at the Ninth Base.


    He could sell those spirit pills to the Tianlan Group, but after checking, he found that these Seventh Realm pills were not particularly rare.


    The Earth Federation had long since mastered the pill recipes, so he couldn¡¯t sell them for a high price at the Tianlan Group.


    Professor Han nodded slightly and replied briskly: ¡°I can do that.


    The white-robed youth¡¯s lips curled slightly, his eyes filled with irony, ¡°You¡¯ve always been very careful, not showing the slightest flaw, but if I were to hand these images over to your superiors, or to the Governor of Sha State, I wonder what they would think?¡±


    Especially the scene from just now, where Lin Twelve traded with the so-called ¡®Professor Han¡¯, a Heavenly Demon from beyond their domain, was enough to confirm collusion between the two.


    It could even be further inferred that the prison break ten days ago was also highly suspicious.


    Yet Lin Rui¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and he shook his head slightly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what they would think, I just know that you, a cultist, deserve to be executed by everyone!¡±


    Before Lin Rui¡¯s words had fallen, the white-robed youth saw a dazzling burst of white light flash before his eyes.


    He instantly realized that the man in front of him intended to kill him to silence the witness.


    Inwardly, the white-robed youth found it rather amusing.


    He¡¯d been following Lin Twelve for an hour and knew the strength of Lin Twelve and his servant like the back of his hand.


    Did this fellow think he was Zhou Changgong?


    But it was just as well, only by first delivering a deep and unforgettable setback to Lin Twelve could he make the man obey submissively.


    As long as this person was willing to bow down and do even one thing for him, he could step by step tame and subdue him, making this promising defender of the Imperial City obediently serve him like a dog.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The white-robed youth¡¯s speed in drawing his sword was also as fast as lightning and thunder, equally invoking a concept of the abyss.


    He easily blocked Lin Rui¡¯s Sword Draw Slash.


    However, just as the white-robed youth remained composed, ready to face the second slash from Blood Blade Ji, he sensed from above an extremely sharp aura rushing towards him.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Filled with dread, the white-robed youth, however, did not dare to be distracted by the formidable blade light of Blood Blade Ji.


    Her sword was very fast, and also very heavy!


    Her concept of the abyss with Lin Twelve had twisted the surrounding light, making any Escape Skill slower than their Sword Draw Slash.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Putting forth all his effort, the white-robed youth just managed to block the slash from Blood Blade Ji.


    Just as he was about to sidestep and dodge, a snake-like gleam of the sword stabbed into his neck, slanting in and shattering his spine, piercing into his chest cavity.


    The white-robed youth let out a wild roar like a dying beast, using his mind to control his body and Magic Artifact to deploy an Escape Skill, and suddenly transformed into a light, escaping twenty feet away.


    But there, he saw a giant hand reaching out to smash him.


    ¡°Is that a seventh realm battle dragon?¡±


    The white-robed youth¡¯s pupils contracted, utterly unable to defend himself.


    His body was struck, instantly smashed back, with blood flowing from his seven orifices, and his innards completely shattered.


    By now, Lin Rui had already flashed in front of him, once again swinging his sword.


    He effortlessly decapitated the white-robed youth!

 Chapter 227

    ?Chapter 227: Chapter 217: Senior Sister (Please Subscribe) Chapter 227: Chapter 217: Senior Sister (Please Subscribe) An hour and a half later, at the mountain villa where Meng Weiyun was temporarily staying.


    When Lin Rui returned here with the head of the young man in white, his mind was still unsettled and his soul seemed unanchored.


    He was thinking about the time when he killed the young man in white, the ball of electric light and white fire that burst out from the young man¡¯s neck.


    After that flash of electric light and white fire, it all poured into his body, making the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ mark on his chest even hotter.


    Lin Rui clearly felt that this thing gave an even greater boost to his Guang Ming-based physical martial arts.


    The ironic thing was that shortly after Lin Rui¡¯s awakening of the ¡®Indestructible Divine Sun¡¯, his body began to brew another bloodline talent, taking shape.


    From his feeling, awakening this talent seemed very near, at most three to five monthsa?€¡±


    But what exactly was the reason for all this?


    ...


    And the silver-white mirror that belonged to the young man in white, capable of observing and recording from fourteen li away, Lin Rui studied it for a while, but found it completely unusable.


    This Magic Artifact probably needed to be used in conjunction with a specific Secret Technique or a particular bloodline power.


    Lin Rui had already asked Professor Han to help him look up relevant information.


    The mirror¡¯s usage remained a mystery, but Professor Han had already discovered the identity of the man, who was the fifth Saint Heir of Guang Ming, Xu Zhe!


    He had actually killed the fifth Saint Heir of Guang Ming.


    ¡°It really is the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯!¡±


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    Meng Weiyun had finished appraising the pills Lin Rui brought back, her voice full of surprise, ¡°Number Twelve, you¡¯re truly remarkable.


    You were even able to get this bottle of ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯ under such circumstances.¡±


    What delighted her was that Lin Twelve not only brought back the pills her master needed but also the True Intent of ¡®Heavenly Origin Dragon Transformation Art.¡¯


    It was precisely the martial body Meng Weiyun most desired, and if she switched to cultivating it successfully, her combat strength could increase by at least twenty percent.


    And in the future, whether it was reaching the Seventh Realm or attaining Imperial-grade bloodlines, it all became very hopeful.


    To be honest, before this, Meng Weiyun had been ready to give up, as long as Lin Twelve returned safely.


    She never expected that Lin Twelve would manage to bring back everything she needed.


    At this moment, Meng Weiyun finally noticed that something was off with Lin Rui¡¯s expression, and she asked with a hint of confusion, ¡°Number Twelve, what¡¯s wrong with you?


    Why do you seem so out of sorts, and your complexion isn¡¯t very good?¡±


    ¡°My lord,¡± Lin Rui returned to his senses upon hearing this and then gave a wry smile, ¡°This has to do with my experience in the underground palace.


    You have no idea how I got this bottle of pills.¡±


    He began to recount the entire ordeal of Qin Yan¡¯s dungeon, not leaving out a single detail to Meng Weiyun.


    A moment later, Meng Weiyun narrowed her eyes, ¡°So you¡¯re saying this bottle of ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯ was given to you voluntarily by that Professor Han?


    And this Guang Ming Saint Heir who followed you, was also killed in cooperation with Fei Yunlai?¡±


    She pointed her finger at the severed head that Lin Rui had brought back.


    novgo.co


    With a humiliated expression, Lin Rui bowed deeply, full of shame, ¡°I am incompetent.


    I was calculated and toyed with by these external Heavenly Demons, brought to such humiliation, and have disgraced you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to fret about?¡± Meng Weiyun laughed it off unconcernedly, ¡°In the end, you did get the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯!


    I have firmly rejected!


    Such nonsensical babble simply dirtied my ears, I wished I could have killed him right then and there.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Meng Weiyun¡¯s chin lifted slightly, intrigued, ¡°He really said that?


    Junior brother, I know you abhor evil and guard yourself against the Heavenly Demons, but there¡¯s a saying, ¡®Master the demons to control the demons.¡¯ If he contacts you again, you might as well interact with him a bita?€¡±¡±


    She had only gotten halfway through her sentence when she saw Lin Twelve staring at her with wide eyes, an incredulous look on his face.


    Meng Weiyun couldn¡¯t help but let out a light laugh, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s unacceptable for us to work for the Heavenly Demons, but they do have some good items in their hands that we don¡¯t have in the Great Song, like the mecha piloted by Professor Han.


    If we could trade for it, it would greatly benefit us.


    Also, their potions, which are different from our pills, could greatly aid in our martial cultivation.


    Consider this a task I¡¯m entrusting to you, junior brother.¡±


    If Lin Twelve could secure this channel, perhaps in the future, she would have items that she needed Lin Twelve to purchase on her behalf.


    Meng Weiyun also had channels to buy items from the Heavenly Demons, but they were neither stable nor reliable, not to mention the heart-wrenching prices.


    One wonders what sort of person Professor Han really is?


    As a Sky Official of the Imperial City, Meng Weiyun had frequent contact with extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons and knew that not all Heavenly Demons were the same.


    Lin Rui frowned deeply, looking reluctant yet compelled, ¡°Understood, I obey the command!¡±


    Then he paused, ¡°What did you call me just now, junior brother?¡±


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s gaze turned teasing, ¡°Didn¡¯t you call me senior sister back in the underground palace?


    Why are you shy about it now?¡±


    Lin Rui looks embarrassed; back then, he was just borrowing tiger¡¯s might, intending to intimidate Duan Pengxuan¡¯s subordinates and the demonic dragon, making sure that nobody interfered in his fight with Duan Pengxuan.


    Meng Weiyun then chuckled lightly, ¡°Over ten days ago, I had already recommended you to our master, asking her to take you into our sect.


    Presumably, there will be news before long.¡±


    As she spoke, she deliberately glanced at the bottle of pills in front of her.


    Meng Weiyun had indeed sent a letter back to the capital thirteen days ago to recommend Lin Twelve to her master.


    She had been very confident before, and now with that bottle of ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill,¡¯ the matter was almost certain.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Meng Weiyun then pointed to two metal tokens next to her, ¡°What are these things?


    Also from Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling?¡±


    ¡°These are called ¡®Cloud Palace Jade Tokens,''¡± Lin Rui spoke without much concern, ¡°given to me by Professor Han as well.


    They¡¯re said to be tokens for the disciples of Limitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong, granting the holder entry into Du Zunlong¡¯s dwelling, the Cloud Palace.¡±


    Lin Rui spoke as if he wasn¡¯t very interested, ¡°Professor Han stated that he has confirmed Du Zunlong entered the ¡®Abyss¡¯ before his death, and holding these two Cloud Palace Jade Tokens is too hot to handle.


    So he asked me to pass them on to you.


    He also mentioned that the person backing Duan Pengxuan might already know the location of the Cloud Palace.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Meng Weiyun¡¯s delicate frame shook slightly at the word ¡®Abyss,¡¯ and she turned pale, ¡°Junior brother, why didn¡¯t you speak of this earlier?¡±


    These two Cloud Palace Jade Tokens were far more valuable than the bottle of Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill.

 Chapter 228

    ?Chapter 228: Chapter 218: Another Promotion?


    (Please Subscribe) Chapter 228: Chapter 218: Another Promotion?


    (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui then went on to explain the matter of Zhang Chen and others switching allegiances, but now it was Meng Weiyun¡¯s turn to be somewhat distracted.


    She was unable to handle this matter personally and could only notify her senior brother, who served as the defense envoy of Sha Zhou, to take over.


    This was because Meng Weiyun¡¯s internal injuries were severe, preventing her from seeing anyone.


    In her years as a Heavenly Official, she had made countless enemies among the court and countryside.


    Once it became known that she was gravely injured and her vitality greatly reduced, her fighting power significantly weakened, there would be endless overt attacks and covert shots directed at her, thus staying out of the public eye was the best option for the time being.


    ...


    However, Meng Weiyun personally wrote a letter, stamped with her official seal, not only addressing Lin Rui as her junior brother in the letter but also speaking of Zhang Chen and others with many words of consolation.


    With this letter, Lin Rui could pacify and rally Zhang Chen and Zhang Zhili, preventing them from panicking and making foolish decisions.


    ¡°Junior brother, since the matter with Qin Yan¡¯s manor has been resolved, you won¡¯t be able to stay in Wang City Prefecture much longer.¡±


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s lips slightly curved upwards, ¡°Spend the next few months cultivating diligently, perform well in your duties as the defense envoy, and wait for the news from the capital.


    I predict that within a few months, junior brother will certainly be promoted and enter the capital!¡±


    Now that Lin Rui had entered under his master¡¯s tutelage, he was certain to be transferred to the capital for personal instruction and guidance.


    And at a time when her master desperately needed people, how could he let such a capable and extraordinarily talented individual like Lin Rui linger idle here?


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    This was an incomparably sharp and unparalleled treasured blade, which needed to be used in the right place to show its value.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui exclaimed in surprise, thinking, being promoted again?


    He was both surprised and reluctant.


    Isn¡¯t it said that it¡¯s very difficult to get promoted within the imperial guards?


    He hadn¡¯t even warmed his seat as the defense envoy of Wang City.


    Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.@@@@


    As one of the four major leaders of the prefectural city, within thousands of miles, apart from the Prefectural Governor, it was his words that carried weight.


    Moreover, the security situation in Wang City Prefecture had begun to stabilize, the matter with Qin Yan¡¯s manor had been resolved, the demon dragon was no longer a threat, and the troubles with the Zhou family had been resolved too; the days ahead couldn¡¯t get any more comfortable.


    All he needed to do now was to eliminate demons and exorcise evil spirits, and collect his share of the profits every month from Jing Port; life couldn¡¯t be more comfortable and leisurely.


    And in this matter of Qin Yan¡¯s mansion, everyone was overjoyed, except for Duan Pengxuan and Zhou Changgong, and of course, that dragona?€¡±


    Lin Rui chuckled and said, ¡°What¡¯s so great about what I did?


    This time it was really just luck, a slight mistake in any part, and it could have all been lost, I was just lucky.¡±


    Even if he did mess up, it would have just meant not getting the things in the mansion.


    Lin Rui had a good attitude, their primary goal was to rescue Zhu Meng from her predicament, which was already accomplished, whatever came next was left to fate, they had done all they could.


    ¡°What a pity,¡± Lin Rui immediately sighed deeply, ¡°Ying¡¯er, you must have heard what my senior sister said just now?


    I need to seriously cultivate these next few months, and gather some strength before going to the capital.¡±


    He needed to get back the ¡®Demon Blood Refining Pill¡¯ he had placed with Professor Han as soon as he turned around, so that Blood Blade could take it soon.


    This kind of pill was for protective demons, not only could it condense demon blood and strengthen the Primordial Spirit, but it also allowed protective demons to further connect with the ¡®divine,¡¯ which is the abyssal will.


    There were a total of seven pills; he wondered if they could help Blood Blade awaken another bloodline talent?


    He himself too needed to strengthen as much as possible.


    The imperial capital was beneath the Son of Heaven¡¯s feet, a land of divine fortune, full of masters.


    Lin Rui and his servant¡¯s strength could dominate in Wang City and even be ranked among the top ten across the entire region of Shazhou.


    But if they went to the imperial capital, they wouldn¡¯t be much stronger than ants at the feet of a herd.


    It was only after Lin Rui returned to the city that he learned that the Prefectural Governor and his deputies had failed again in their encirclement of the demon dragon.


    The good news was that the dragon was again seriously injured and couldn¡¯t cause trouble for a while; the bad news was that the demon dragon had made a long escape and its whereabouts were unknown.


    Lin Rui was actually quite pleased when he heard that the dragon had escaped; he felt the reward of fifty thousand taels of demon silver calling out to him; but when he learned that the dragon had fled recklessly, not daring to even stay by the Tianxiang River and had vanished without a trace, he couldn¡¯t help feeling frustrated.


    He sensed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to complete the bounty on the dragon anytime soon.


    What a pitya?€¡±


    Lin Xi was very pleased to see their master and servant return safely.


    She had already communicated with Lin Rui through messages, but seeing him in person still made her feel more grounded and assured.


    novgo.co


    That very night, after the matter of Qin Yan¡¯s mansion was concluded, Lin Rui¡¯s consciousness returned to the ninth base city.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was unaware that deep beneath the sea, thirty-seven thousand miles from Wang City, in the grand temple of Guang Ming in the sea¡¯s depths, countless followers were stirring due to the changes in the ¡®Holy Thunder Calamity Fire¡¯.

 Chapter 229

    ?Chapter 229: Chapter 219: The Fourth Saint Heir (Three more for subscription) Chapter 229: Chapter 219: The Fourth Saint Heir (Three more for subscription) At the time of the incident, the High Priest Yin Qianqiu was away on urgent business.


    However, when he sensed the change, he did not hesitate to put aside the matters at hand and returned to the headquarters.


    When Yin Qianqiu descended to the altar in the rear courtyard of the headquarters, used to worship the ¡°Holy Thunderfire,¡± he saw the altar, shaped like a pyramid, grand and majestic, emitting vast and overwhelming light and heat from its top.


    The ¡°Holy Thunderfire,¡± radiating boundless bright light and shaped like a lotus flower, had once again entered an extremely violent state.


    Not only were the light, thunder, and fire elements incredibly dense, but there was also an immensely powerful abyssal force converging there.


    The rules of heaven and earth around it were twisted beyond recognition, with numerous powerful thunderclaps and light fires, as well as beams of blazing red rays emanating from the ¡°Holy Thunderfire,¡± obliterating any material they touched into slag.


    Below the altar, the thousands of Guang Ming Holy Church followers who were here to worship and contemplate, all wore faces of confusion and panic.


    ...


    The High Priests and Chief Priests stationed here were also pale and solemn.


    The Guang Ming Holy Church had Fourth Realm practitioners as High Priests, Fifth Realm as Chief Priests, Sixth Realm as Great Chief Priests, Seventh Realm as Arch Chief Priests, and Eighth Realm as Cardinal Priests.


    There were also ¡°Three Pillars, Five Envoys, Seven Kings,¡± all of whom were beings surpassing the Eighth Realm, each ruling over a territory.


    When the followers and Chief Priests below the altar saw the radiant figure of Yin Qianqiu, they all placed their hands on their shoulders and bowed down in worship.


    ¡°We greet the High Priest, may your Highness¡¯ bright light shine on the world, with boundless Holy Thunders and infinite Calamitous Fires, to cleave the earth and open the heavens!¡±


    Yin Qianqiu paid no attention to the worship of the followers below; he suspended himself in the air beside the ¡°Holy Thunderfire,¡± trying his best to soothe it while concentrating and sensing.


    He then raised his head with a look of astonishment, ¡°How could such a thing happen?¡±


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    ¡°High Priest!¡±


    It was a Seventh Realm Arch Chief Priest in his eighties, furrowing his brows in worry, ¡°The Fifth Saint Heir Xu Zhe is dead, and just as Xu Zhe died, the Seventh Saint Heir was promoted to the Fourth.


    I have reason to suspect that it was the Seventh Saint Heir who killed Xu Zhe and devoured his origin.¡±


    At this moment, the three thousand followers below the altar couldn¡¯t help but be in an uproar, exchanging looks of dismay.


    They knew only that the ¡°Holy Thunderfire¡± had undergone a change because it sensed something but were unaware of the details.


    Now, hearing the words of the Arch Chief Priest, their spirits were even more shaken.@@@@


    The Fifth Saint Heir Xu Zhe was actually dead?


    And possibly killed by the enigmatic Seventh Saint Heir?


    ¡°This is only our speculation; if the truth is indeed so, please, High Priest, expel this Fourth Saint Heir from the ranks of the Saint Heirs!¡±


    Another Arch Chief Priest bowed down, his expression filled with anger, sorrow, and pain, ¡°This is fratricide, something that Guang Ming cannot tolerate, we must not set such a wicked precedent!¡±


    However, at his side, another younger Arch Chief Priest let out a cold laugh, ¡°Ridiculous, the Holy Thunderfire is our church¡¯s supreme Holy Artifact, highly perceptive, capable of discerning good from evil.


    If it were indeed fratricide, the Holy Thunderfire would have expelled the Seventh Saint Heir long ago, how could it allow his promotion to the Fourth Saint Heir?


    What ¡®cannot be tolerated by Guang Ming¡¯?


    I think you¡¯re just resentful because someone related to you died, hence these absurd remarks.¡±


    ¡°High Priest, may I report!¡±


    Amongst all the Arch Chief Priests, the eldest with a solemn expression spoke up, ¡°The Seventh Saint Heir is different from the others; our church¡¯s Saint Heirs gain their title by dripping blood onto the altar and receiving approval from the Holy Thunderfire through our Secret Technique.


    However, the Seventh Saint Heir was actively sought out by the ¡®Holy Thunderfire¡¯ itself.¡±


    This Arch Chief Priest, with white hair and an extremely advanced age and seniority, therefore spoke quite bluntly, ¡°I vividly remember the day the Seventh Saint Heir was promoted; the reaction from the supreme Holy Artifact was particularly intense, suggesting he might be someone truly worthy of bearing the ¡®Holy Thunderfire¡¯!


    Today is the same, which shows the ¡®Holy Thunderfire¡¯s¡¯ desire for him; thus, today¡¯s matters require you, High Priest, to discern the cause and handle it appropriately.¡±


    High Priest Yin Qianqiu frowned deeply, ¡°I understand.¡±


    With his hands behind his back, he looked in the southeast direction, ¡°The urgent task at hand is to investigate the matter thoroughly!


    We need to check the identity of the Seventha?€¡±no!


    The Fourth Saint Heir, as well as Xu Zhe¡¯s whereabouts, where he had been before, and where he went before his death.¡±


    Perhaps by tracing Xu Zhe¡¯s last movements, we can identify the identity and location of the Fourth Saint Heir.


    Our company has received your deposit of 50 million federal currency.


    Your cybernetic implant ¡®Immortal Suntian¡¯ has entered the manufacturing process.


    It is expected to be completed within 5 days.


    Please follow our corporation¡¯s official account to stay updated on the progress of your implant¡¯s production.


    Next, Lin Rui transferred 20 million to Wang Sen, who promptly replied to the message.


    Eccentric Youngster (Wang Sen): Brother Rui, what¡¯s this money for?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): What else could it be?


    You put in effort during the Qin Yan crypt excursion too, this is a red envelope for you.


    All of Professor Han¡¯s students reaped benefits from the action at Qin Yan¡¯s crypt, gaining both fame and fortune, except for Wang Sen, who got a pittance.


    Eccentric Youngster (Wang Sen): Brother Rui, this isn¡¯t right.


    I just did a bit of digging and didn¡¯t take any risks or exert much effort.


    How could I face taking a red envelope?


    I¡¯ve already refunded the money to you.


    Seeing the 20 million transferred back, Lin Rui ¡®tsked¡¯ in annoyance; this little fatty was really quite stubborn.


    The problem was that if he was to enter the capital next, he needed to take Wang Sen with him.


    A reliable and capable aide like Wang Sen was not easy to find.


    For example, regarding the security affairs of Wang City county, Lin Rui could not possibly supervise everything daily.


    Blood Blade Ji, due to her demon identity, couldn¡¯t help him command the numerous subordinates in Wang City.


    Having Wang Sen¡¯s help at this time would make things much easier.


    However, Wang Sen¡¯s strength was insufficient at the moment.


    Even Lin Rui would find it tough to operate in that area, let alone Wang Sen.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Keep it!


    Raise your spiritual power and cybernetic implant as soon as possible, and find a way to hunt demons to repay me.


    It¡¯s better to borrow from me than to take out a loan; at least mine is interest-free.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): From the hints in Meng Weiyun¡¯s words just now, it seems almost certain that I will become a disciple of the Third Divine Envoy, and within at most three to five months, I¡¯ll be promoted and take up an official position in Luojing.


    When that happens, you¡¯ll come with me.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Wang Sen, you¡¯d best pass the Heavenly Demon Test within half a year.


    The path you¡¯re on requires a lot of money.


    If it¡¯s not enough, ask me again.


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    Only if Wang Sen passed the Heavenly Demon Test could Lin Rui arrange a good position for him,


    This time after returning the money, Wang Sen didn¡¯t talk about giving it back anymore.


    Eccentric Youngster (Wang Sen): Holy shit!!!!!!!!


    Wang Sen sent a screen full of exclamation marks, thinking to himself that Brother Rui was too amazinga?€¡±was he about to be promoted to a fifth-rank Lower Mingwei Colonel?


    Although it was still a colonel rank, it now included the prestigious ¡®Mingwei¡¯, indicating the fifth rank from the bottom, officially entering the high-ranking officialdom of the Great Song court.


    In the East Asia Republic, this was the difference between middle-level and provincial-level officials.


    And to become a direct disciple of the Third Divine Envoy!


    That was akin to being a limb of a god, a direct line from the abyss!


    Needless to say, once Brother Rui entered the capital, his authority would certainly not be small.

 Chapter 230

    ?Chapter 230: Chapter 220 Plot to Assassinate (Subscribe Requested) Chapter 230: Chapter 220 Plot to Assassinate (Subscribe Requested) After Lin Rui had transferred the money to Wang Sen, he started to clean up his chat system, quickly responding to those who deserved replies and blocking all the advertisements.


    Lin Rui noticed that Fei Yunlai had sent him another message.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Lin Rui, my biochip is ready.


    When are you free to implant it for me?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): How about tomorrow?


    Aren¡¯t you looking to re-implant a Type-7 nano-combat enhancement system?


    If there are other implants you need, let¡¯s do them all at once to avoid any hassle.


    ...


    Though his public duties had lessened in the coming months, he still needed to be frugal with his time.


    Lin Rui planned to intensely train himself before heading to the capital.


    His counterpart on Tianji Star no longer faced any imminent crises, and the external environment had improved ¨C it was time to solidify his foundation!


    He had to rigorously train his fundamental martial arts and physical conditioning to the point of perfection so he could sleep soundly at night.


    The chat messages that particularly concerned Lin Rui also included those from his ¡®uncle¡¯, who had started messaging from noon with a series of messages, the last one sent at 20:00.


    Lin Da: Where are you?


    Why aren¡¯t you responding?


    Go to novgo.co


    When are you coming over?


    It¡¯s already 8 p.m.; how long do you want me to wait?


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but smack his forehead.


    He had been busy all day with matters related to Qin Yan¡¯s retreat and subsequent issues, completely forgetting about this matter.


    It was due to his oversight, for he should have realized sooner that he wouldn¡¯t be free today.


    Lin Da was not in his extraterrestrial quantum communication system¡¯s address book, so on Tianji Star, Lin Da¡¯s messages weren¡¯t received.


    Lin Rui glanced outside at the late hour; it was already 10 p.m.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Sorry, uncle, I¡¯ve really been too busy these last few days.


    How about the day after tomorrow?


    I¡¯ll definitely come over then.


    Lin Da: Can¡¯t it be tomorrow?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I have plans tomorrow; I¡¯ve already promised someone else, and I can¡¯t break that commitment.


    Lin Rui replied sheepishly, regretting having opened Fei Yunlai¡¯s chat window first.


    However, Lin Da might have been worn out by him, showing no particular reaction upon seeing his message.


    Lin Da: Fine!


    Then it¡¯s settled for noon the day after tomorrow.


    You had better not miss it again.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Definitely.


    Lin Rui then picked up his practice saber, whistled, and walked out the door.


    His eyes grew colder as he mentally went through the list of his students while he asked, in a chilled voice, ¡°Are you just guessing?


    Moreover, why does an important division chief from the Security Bureau want to meet him?


    What could the Security Bureau possibly need from a local defense envoy?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him.¡± Zhou Yunfei¡¯s expression became serious, ¡°Old friend, you should know about the Imperial City¡¯s Bureau of Stabbing Traitors, right?


    The command envoy of that bureau has been vacant for several months, and the various factions within the Great Song¡¯s imperial court have been disputing endlessly, yet to settle on a suitable candidate.¡±


    ¡°The Bureau of Stabbing Traitors?¡±


    Han Kedao certainly knew about the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors.


    Originally established 800 years ago within the Imperial City¡¯s office specifically for investigating cases related to Heavenly Demons abroad, its authority gradually widened.


    Now, it also took on responsibilities like monitoring the emperor¡¯s subjects for the ¡®divine¡¯, guarding against treason, heresies, and major evil deeds, essentially acting as the Imperial City within the Imperial City.


    However, the command envoy of the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors, usually held by a fifth-rank or higher imperial direct martial officer, had a modest rank but significant authority.


    But what did this have to do with Lin Rui?


    Zhou Yunfei¡¯s expression was unusual, ¡°The Bureau of Stabbing Traitors is specifically set up for dealing with alien practitioners.


    All our branches in the Security Bureau place great importance on this division and watch it closely.


    The first division¡¯s data analysis department even built a large model specifically for this matter, expending a lot of manpower and resources to collect a wide range of information and data, and using the top-tier super quantum computer clusters for analysis to identify potential candidates to take over as the command envoy of the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors.


    And just this afternoon, Lin Da suddenly appeared at the top of this list with an 87% probability of taking over the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors in three to five months!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Han Kedao¡¯s eyes went wide.


    Lin Rui was about to take over the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors?


    Was the Great Song dynasty planning to use a Heavenly Demon to guard against Heavenly Demons?


    This was getting interestinga?€¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva, ¡°Old Zhou, that¡¯s just your model¡¯s analysis; it might not come to pass.¡±


    ¡°But he has a high probability!


    The large model we use has always been very accurate in predicting personnel changes within the Great Song¡¯s court.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei emphasized, then sincerely added, ¡°Old Han, you have to help me this time!


    Our infiltration plan in the Imperial City failed previously because we were betrayed by a mole in our ninth division.


    I¡¯ve been trying to uncover this mole but to no avail.


    The most convenient way now is to check the file stored in the archives of the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors!


    This case was handled by them, and their files must have recorded all the detailed causatives before and after the event.


    The problem is that this file has a very high secrecy level, only their command envoy and three deputies have access.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei clasped his hands tightly.


    The three deputy commanders of the Bureau of Stabbing Traitors, either fiercely hostile towards the alien practitioners of the East Asian Republic or steadfast and unshakeable in heart.


    But that future command envoy gave him hope.


    Since Lin Da could cooperate with Han Kedao, maybe he would also be willing to make a deal with their Security Bureaua?€¡±


    And his old classmate Han Kedao was the key person.


    Yet he didn¡¯t notice that the emotions in Professor Han¡¯s eyes, visible on the video, were incredibly rich.

 Chapter 231

    ?Chapter 231: Chapter 221 Congratulations (Please Subscribe) Chapter 231: Chapter 221 Congratulations (Please Subscribe) Fei Yunlai woke up from the anesthetic effects of the surgery and received a message from Lin Rui that had been sent five hours earlier.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui), ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve become a cute girl now.¡±


    Fei Yunlai instinctively reached towards his groin, then let out a sigh of relief.


    It¡¯s still there!


    The surgery this time was rather complex, involving the brain, so it was done under general anesthesia, and he was unconscious throughout the procedure.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s face darkened immediately, and he sent Lin Rui a picture of a middle finger.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui), ¡°Awake?


    You can sense the condition inside your body.


    ...


    If there¡¯s any discomfort or anything wrong, you need to tell me.


    Also, here are a few prescriptions you can fill yourself at a pharmacy in Wang City.


    These are unique traditional Chinese herbs from Tianji Star, with no side effects, and they can reduce your rejection reaction.¡±


    He actually prescribed medical advice to Fei Yunlai in earnest.


    Fei Yunlai focused and sensed his condition for a moment, finding it much better than he had anticipated.


    There was indeed a slight rejection reaction, but it was minimal and within his tolerance.


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    This wasn¡¯t a result of the surgery, as any cybernetic implantation would cause a certain degree of rejection reaction, and for Fei Yunlai, undergoing a second implantation, it was inevitable.


    Therefore, Lin Rui¡¯s surgical skill was truly impressive, having minimized the rejection reaction inside his body to the extreme.


    How exactly did this guy learn his surgical skills?


    Is a true genius really that amazing?


    To master it after just two simulation surgeries?


    novgo.co


    Fei Yunlai then examined the prescriptions Lin Rui wrote for him, skeptical in his heart.


    This was actually native Chinese herbal medicine from Tianji Star, not the common injections or formulated drugs used by the Earth Federation.


    The question was, did this guy understand?


    Were these prescriptions even useful?@@@@


    After some thought, Fei Yunlai decided to have his ¡®Heavenly Dog Demon¡¯ buy some of the medicine for him.


    Not going to Wang City, but to the Gold County to the south.


    Fei Yunlai knew that woman must still be in Wang City, so he didn¡¯t dare let his Heavenly Dog expose his whereabouts there.


    Going to the Gold County to the south was relatively safer.


    Next, Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t wait to return to normalcy using his newly implanted biochip.


    After Lin Rui dealt with Duan Pengxuan, Professor Han¡¯s underground base had become extremely safe.


    Now, in addition to Fei Yunlai¡¯s own War Dragon, Professor Han¡¯s mecha was also on guard outside.


    Along with a surveillance system that covered a 50-kilometer radius and various situation-sensing devices, Fei Yunlai could rest assured about his safety inside.


    Fei Yunlai now only wanted to return to Base Nine as quickly as possible, retrieve the evidence he had stored there, and then find a way to make some money on the side in the Federation.


    When Fei Yunlai awoke in the room arranged for him by Yu Feicui in the Mingde Martial Arts Society, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a long sigh.


    Martial intent is not something that Martial Cultivators can condense just because they want to; many Martial Cultivators in the Earth Federation won¡¯t be able to condense martial intent in their entire lives.


    And the vast majority of Martial Cultivators choose to attain it by referencing the intents of others because it¡¯s safe and convenient.


    The same goes for Sky Extreme Star, where a high-level True Intent chart for studying martial intents can sell for astronomical prices.


    But that¡¯s not right either, even if it was martial intent graded A or B, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t have condensed it so quickly.


    And having had the previous two experiences, Yu Feicui was no longer daring to jump to conclusions so hastily.


    The kid Lin Rui was different from the ordinary geniuses.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): You¡¯ve already condensed it?


    How so quickly?


    When are you free for me to see it?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): That¡¯s possible, I¡¯m free these days, just set a time.


    Yu Feicui¡¯s heart itched; she wanted to drag Lin Rui to the Martial Arts Club right now to see what level his martial intent was.


    At this moment, Yu Feicui also received a message from the security department of Tianlan Group, causing her eyebrows to furrow.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): Lin Rui, are you going out?


    Lin Rui had just reached the school gates, and after reading Yu Feicui¡¯s message, he was slightly taken aback and then looked up thoughtfully at the holographic surveillance device hanging on the school gate.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): I¡¯m not monitoring you; it¡¯s just that the security department sent me a message just now.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): Recently, the boss of Tianlan Group elevated your security level to 5A, so the security department specifically sent someone to strengthen the protections of the Martial Arts Club¡¯s intranet.


    They found that several school servers had been breached by unidentified hackers recently, who sifted through a lot of information about you and your sister.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): This is a very skilled hacker, at least A+ grade; if Tianlan Group hadn¡¯t just recruited a top computer expert, the school¡¯s internal network monitoring would not have noticed.


    Additionally, there have been Blood Lizard Gang members frequenting the venues near the school, with unclear intentions, so the security department is particularly vigilant.


    Lin Rui blinked in surprise.


    He knew what the 5A security level of a big company entaileda?€¡±roughly three to five A-graded mecha-clad colonels or lieutenant colonels in command, leading a combat team of ten to fifteen members responsible for protection, with an indeterminate number of support personnel, all of whom were A-graded mecha-clad.


    Then his expression became thoughtful, thinking again the Blood Lizard Gang?


    Was this never going to end?


    He had killed so many of them, and they still wouldn¡¯t back down?


    That ¡®Iron Fist King¡¯ incurred such substantial losses yet was still able to keep up appearances?


    Was he an unkillable cockroach?


    And who was this A+ hacker?


    Was he also hired by the Iron Fist King?


    Just then, Xue Lingxue also sent him a message.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Where are you going?


    Get back here!


    Don¡¯t go out these days.


    After reading the message, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but twitch the corner of his mouth, thinking just because you said I can¡¯t go out, do I have to obediently stay put?


    But his mood gradually grew colder.


    Both sides were sending warnings at the same time; it seemed the outside security situation was indeed not good.

 Chapter 232

    ?Chapter 232: Chapter 222 Found (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 232: Chapter 222 Found (Seeking Subscriptions) Yu Feicui was still sending messages to Lin Rui.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): If you must go out for something important, you can first head to the school¡¯s security department¡¯s equipment vault and get a set of Type 5 exoskeleton armor for self-defense.


    Do you know how to use a gun?


    If you do, you can also take a couple with you.


    In addition, the leader of your security detail will contact you shortly, and they will provide protection for you along the way.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): Rest assured, this situation won¡¯t last long.


    Guan Biran has already put a lot of pressure on the Eastern District Police Station.


    ...


    This is a provocation against the entire Tianlan Group; we will not allow the Iron Fist King faction to continue to exist.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): Guan Biran is addressing the issue using means within the federal laws.


    If standard methods fail to solve it, the group has backup plans.


    These words were not supposed to be said, but Yu Feicui regarded Lin Rui highly.


    The martial arts tournament hadn¡¯t started yet, and Lin Rui had already brought significant profit to the group.


    Just the merchandise brought by Lin Rui was already worth over six hundred million.


    Additionally, according to what Yu Feicui knew, the traffic that Lin Rui had directed to the group¡¯s proprietary website had reached 7 million visits.


    Go to novgo.co


    These people were merely browsing without placing orders, yet they were potential customers.


    As long as Lin Rui¡¯s reputation in the exoskeleton martial arts world climbed, and his popularity stabilized, these people would eventually convert into Tianlan Group¡¯s customers.


    Therefore, she had to make Lin Rui feel secure and maintain his confidence in the group¡¯s strength.


    After reading Yu Feicui¡¯s messages, Lin Rui didn¡¯t hesitate at all and went straight to the school¡¯s security department.


    Since both the Federal Security Bureau and the Group Security Department had issued warnings, he had to treat the situation with caution.


    Better safe than sorry, they saya?€¡±in this age of advanced martial arts, you can¡¯t be too careful.@@@@


    Lin, I am Wang Cheng, responsible for providing your security.


    I will take care of your travel safety from now on.


    Could you please use the map navigation software provided by the city hall during your travel?


    Please follow my directions to enter this quantum encrypted channel, and then share your location with us.


    Wang Cheng: Mr.


    Lin, the red dots you see on the map right now are the positions of our team members.


    Please rest assured, during the escort period, we will do our utmost not to interfere with your activities and let you be unaware of our presence.


    Wang Cheng: If you encounter an attack, please move as quickly as possible toward these two large red dots.


    Those are our two armored battle vehicles disguised as cargo trucks, each equipped with two Type 6 defensive robots.


    They will follow your position and keep a distance not exceeding three miles.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Understood!


    Lin Rui was secretly troubled.


    He had never imagined that just going out for an appointment and having a meal would require such a massive show of forces.


    If it were not for the fact that he had already arranged a meeting with Lin Da and had failed to show up once before, he would have chosen to stay in his room and not go out at all.


    Lin Rui also became more careful himself, partly because, for some unknown reason, his blood suddenly raced, and he felt an inexplicable thumping in his heart.


    He started to head toward the direction of the martial arts society.


    Lin Rui had originally planned to ride in Ambola Shared Car Company¡¯s ¡®Luxury Presidential Bulletproof Car¡¯ to the meeting.


    The Ambola Company¡¯s presidential bulletproof car had given him a great experience, both in terms of comfort and defensive capabilities, at the highest level.


    But now he was preparing to switch to the ¡®Shen Wing 520¡¯ given to him by Fang Ranran for his use.


    Lin Rui had originally thought this limited edition supercar was too flashy and too conspicuous, but now he had changed his mind.


    It should be noted that the cost of the ¡®Shen Wing 520¡¯ was equivalent to a federal frigate.


    In terms of defensive capabilities alone, even the top-of-the-line bulletproof car from Ambola Company could not compare to this supercar.

 Chapter 233

    ?Chapter 233: Chapter 222 Found (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 233: Chapter 222 Found (Please Subscribe)_2 Just as Lin Rui stepped on one of the shared balance transportation vehicles within the school and returned to the front of the Martial Cultivator Club¡¯s gate, a young man with long white hair, delicate features, and a ring pierced through his nose passed by him.


    This person seemed like an ordinary student who had arrived at school early, carrying a backpack, his hands tucked in his pockets, and wearing a personal terminal shaped like over-the-ear headphones.


    He appeared to be listening to music, his demeanor casual and carefree, his eyes filled with rapturea?€¡±until the moment they brushed past each other, at which point the man glanced at him casually.


    Initially, Lin Rui did not pay much attention.


    It wasn¡¯t until he stepped through the gates of the Martial Cultivator Club that his strides abruptly halted.


    Something was wrong!


    The person he had just encountered must be very strong!


    ...


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    Although the white-haired youth had tried hard to conceal his Divine Sense and Spiritual Sense, pretending to be an ordinary student, there were many discrepancies.


    Ordinary Martial Cultivators might not notice, but Lin Rui¡¯s sensory abilities were exceptionally powerful!


    Moreover, the way that white-haired youth had looked at him was quite unsettling!


    Lin Rui began to search through the video footage recorded by his ¡°Smart Dragon¡± Model 5 exoskeleton armor.


    Lin Rui noticed that the white-haired youth¡¯s pupils were focused correctly, showing that he was actually observing him carefully.


    His gaze was very strange, like a fox eyeing its prey with interest.


    Go to ?ovgo.co


    Besides, Lin Rui felt that the man¡¯s facial features seemed unnatural, and his aura felt somewhat familiar and instinctively repulsive to him.


    He then opened his personal terminal¡¯s video library to search with the facial features of the man.


    However, Lin Rui did not find anything; the man was not in the video library.


    Then he suddenly remembered something and opened the last video in the library.


    His complexion immediately turned a slight shade paler.


    This white-haired youth was the very person who had killed another ¡°Lin Rui¡± more than two months ago!


    This guy must have worn a bionic mask and dyed his hair white, making him completely unrecognizable on the outside.


    But when Lin Rui compared their pupils side by side, they were exactly the same!


    He had found the murderer who had killed him!


    Lin Rui strode abruptly out from the door, only to find that the white-haired youth had disappeared without a trace.


    However, one of the shared balance transportation vehicles parked at the entrance was now missing.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    By this time, the white-haired youth had left the university and was standing on the platform of Mingde University¡¯s second urban rail station.


    While waiting, the white-haired youth was smiling faintly and having a video chat with someone.


    ¡°It¡¯s so strange.


    I shot him three times, his head exploded like a watermelon, and his brain splattered like mud; how could he possibly have come back to life?


    After finishing speaking, the silver-haired youth turned off the communication and then opened Lin Rui¡¯s file folder on his personal terminal.


    ¡°Attention passengers, the doors are closing.


    The next stop is Tianheng East Stationa?€¡±¡±


    As the silver-haired youth was engrossed in Lin Rui¡¯s information, he received a message from his companion.


    Katusha: Horn, something¡¯s not right.


    The 5A action team from Tianlan Group is on the move, and so are the people from the Security Bureau.


    They¡¯re closing in on the subway station.


    Your identity might have been compromised.


    Katusha: I¡¯m now cutting off the surrounding passages to stop them from getting close.


    You need to escape immediately, following the route I¡¯ve indicated.


    At that moment, the silver-haired youth tensed his mind and looked up ahead.


    Just as the doors were about to close, an armored hand suddenly reached through, preventing the doors from shutting.


    When the doors opened again, a young man wearing exoskeleton armor strode in.


    He was holding a knife, head down, his eyes ferociously glaring over: ¡°You, are the assassin from a few months back, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The silver-haired youth was also surprised, his pupils even constricting slightly, ¡°Lin Rui?¡±


    He was all too familiar with that face.


    Projected onto his retina by his personal terminal was a three-dimensional photo of Lin Rui.


    What surprised him was that this guy had actually followed him!


    The silver-haired youth then laughed, his eyes fierce and delighted.


    He was thinking about how to shatter the guy¡¯s outer shell, not expecting that his prey would come right to him.


    At the same moment, Lin Rui received another message from Xue Lingxue.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Lin Rui, are you an idiot?


    I told you to wait!


    I¡¯ve already found his information.


    That¡¯s ¡®Dead Eye¡¯ Horn, with a martial arts comprehensive score of 4SS, and he¡¯s equipped with very powerful gear.


    Wang Cheng: Mr.


    Lin, please be extremely cautious!


    The person in front of you is very dangerous, a top-ranked assassin from the dark world.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that he was well aware, as he was facing a peak colonel with an SS rank in exoskeleton evaluation!


    At that moment, he was extremely grateful that Yu Feicui had made him wear the exoskeleton armor he had on.


    This suit of exoskeleton armor could compensate for the lack of strength and True Qi since his body still didn¡¯t have a Golden Core and was only at the quasi-school level!


    In the instant that this thought flickered through Lin Rui¡¯s mind, the Divine Sense and Telekinesis of both figures violently collided within the train car, causing all the surrounding windows to ¡®crack¡¯!

 Chapter 234

    ?Chapter 234: Chapter 223 Draw the Sword (Please Subscribe) Chapter 234: Chapter 223 Draw the Sword (Please Subscribe) At that moment, the warning beep ¡®beep beep¡¯ began to sound inside the orbit car.


    ¡°Passengers at the door, please step away from the door now and do not obstruct the doors from closinga?€¡±¡±


    The two mechanical patrol officers on the platform also noticed the situation here and were moving closer, while the passengers inside the carriage, amidst the mental confrontation of the two men, realized something was wrong and began to run towards the doors on both sides.


    However, the two men confronting each other from a distance paid no attention.


    ¡°So you recognized me, was it when I passed by you just now?¡±


    Just as Horn, known as ¡®Dead Eye,¡¯ began to speak, a suit of silver-white battle armor began to cover his entire body.


    This was also a type 5 exoskeleton battle armor, but it was concealable, hiding under clothes when not in use, fitting to the body like skin.


    He slowly rose from his seat: ¡°It seems your sensory abilities are strong, no, your spiritual power is also strong, I¡¯ve underestimated you a bit.¡±


    The guy opposite him, under the pressure of his martial intent, remained composed and unmoving.


    This guy might have achieved the ultimate martial concept, just keeping it contained and not showing it.


    ...


    This was a smart move.


    In the face of a large gap in spiritual power, there was no need to rashly display martial intent and waste energy unnecessarily.


    At this moment, Horn looked again at Lin Rui¡¯s hand holding the Grand Black Heaven.


    He had seen Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts videos before.


    Go to novgo.co


    This guy¡¯s sword-drawing speed was extremely fast, as quick as eight ten-thousandths of a second.


    Just now, when he stood up and began covering himself with armor, it should have been the best opportunity for Lin Rui to draw his sword, a strong individual like Horn would have felt threatened.


    Yet the opponent kept his hand on his sword without drawing it.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you draw your sword?¡± Horn looked puzzled.


    ¡°Are you trying to buy time until your guards arrive?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not confident.¡± Lin Rui replied calmly and frankly, ¡°I had a premonition that this stroke might not be able to kill you.¡±


    He simply didn¡¯t want to hurt innocents.


    Horn glanced at the fleeing crowd around him and suddenly realized.


    The more one worked as an assassin, the more accustomed one became to not seeing people as people.


    At this moment, Katya sent a message over: Stop chattering, finish the target quickly, and leave!


    I¡¯ve already taken control of the subway station¡¯s security system, but I can only delay them for half a minute at most.


    Those colonels from the Sky Blue Corporation are formidable, and the subway¡¯s defense systems and mechanical patrol officers can¡¯t stop them.


    Dead Eye: Try using the surrounding crowd to delay.


    Katya: Hostages, right?


    I know!


    In that instant, intense gunfire erupted outside the subway station, and even the booming sound of laser cannons sweeping through could be heard.


    This made the crowd inside and outside the train even more panicked as they crazily fled, searching for cover everywhere.


    ¡°You have great self-awareness, but unfortunatelya?€¡±¡±


    Horn shook his head slightly: ¡°Too foolish!¡±


    Before, Lin Rui posed a slight threat to him, but nowa?€¡±


    This guy appeared in his eyes as a lamb to be slaughtered.


    Horn suddenly drew his gun, his hand moving as fast as a phantom.


    Lin Rui drew his sword at the same time, unleashing a net of thunder and lightning!


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    And in that instant, hundreds of talismans that Lin Rui had quietly set up outside the train exploded simultaneously.


    Less than three seconds into the fight, Horn was utterly shocked; Lin Rui¡¯s gunfighting was also extremely precise!


    Every bullet he fired could accurately pursue Horn¡¯s figure.


    If he was slightly careless or slow in his movements, he would be hit!


    This was simply Grandmaster level!


    No!


    It was Grandmaster level pistol combat!


    The opponent had perfectly integrated his gunfighting into his martial path, occasionally enforcing it with the abyssal concepts of ¡®Inevitable Hit¡¯ and ¡®Predestined Death¡¯!


    Whenever this happened, Horn could not dodge at all and had to rely on his external skeletal armor to withstand the hits.


    He was now only glad that the opponent¡¯s gun was not of the highest quality; it was a military model, unmodified and not heavily inscribed with runes, and although its power was considerable, its firing rate was slow.


    The opponent¡¯s ¡®Smart Dragon¡¯ Model 5 exoskeleton armor was also a military model, and aside from adequate defensive capabilities, it had only basic features.


    Luckily for him, the opponent¡¯s Primordial Spirit power and True Qi were not enough to use the abyssal concepts for a long time.


    Katyusha: What¡¯s the matter?


    Why haven¡¯t you taken him down yet?


    The people from Sky Blue Corporation are almost here!


    Damn it, they even have two ¡®Imperial Guard¡¯ Model 6 defense robots; this wasn¡¯t in the intel I collected!


    Horn felt a bitter taste in his mouth.


    Shadow¡¯s Eye: You should take a look at the video of me fighting this guy on the platform!


    Our intelligence was severely distorted, Katyusha!


    novgo.co


    Just then, Horn tensed, sensing a flash of golden sword light suddenly slicing in from behind him.


    It was a Model 5 Light Element Flying Sword!


    This sword must have been lurking nearby motionlessly until he moved here and then suddenly burst forth.


    Clang!


    Although Horn dodged just in time, his exoskeleton armor was still cleaved open by the flying sword, leaving a bloody gash on his back!


    What terrified him was the numbness beginning to spread from his wound.


    His exoskeleton armor also emitted a red warning.


    ¡°Warning!


    Warning!


    Due to unknown reasons, a widespread numbness is occurring in your bodya?€¡±¡±


    Horn was secretly shocked.


    What kind of poison was this that even his top-tier exoskeleton armor couldn¡¯t detect?


    This bastard!


    Horn¡¯s gaze was extremely annoyed; he was being pushed to this extent by a mere lieutenant colonel!


    Just then, a multitude of red bullets suddenly sprayed towards him.


    After the bullet spray came the roaring blast of the Gatling gun¡¯s firing.


    At the same time, a hearty laugh came through: ¡°Horn, it¡¯s rare to see you in such a mess!¡±


    Lin Rui frowned deeply, was forced to retreat at full force, shooting while dodging the machine gun bullets.


    When Horn glanced over, his expression relaxed.


    It was another member of his teama?€¡±¡¯Battle Axe¡¯ Lu Hong!


    This person was maneuvering a 6-meter-tall Model 4 power Mecha, standing at the entrance of the wholly transparent tube through which the railcar shuttled, firing vigorously in Lin Rui¡¯s direction.

 Chapter 235

    ?Chapter 235: Chapter 224: The Bankrupt Bull (Please Subscribe) Chapter 235: Chapter 224: The Bankrupt Bull (Please Subscribe) As a battle unfolded at Mingde University¡¯s second city rail station, Fei Yunlai had just happened to drive his luxury car out from the school.


    He heard the explosions below and looked down through the car window in utter surprise.


    ¡°Who¡¯s so damn bold to cause such chaos at the entrance of Mingde University?


    Don¡¯t they know that Mingde University has two heavy-armored militia units?¡±


    Fei Yunlai glanced down briefly before withdrawing his gaze, shaking his head as he continued to fly toward the location of the used car dealership he was navigating to.


    Looking at the situation at the entrance to the subway station, it seemed to be under control.


    Two teams of well-equipped 5A grade elite action groups, along with two ¡®Imperial Guard¡¯ Type-6 defense robots, had already stormed into the interior of the subway station.


    Unless the enemies inside were of the Major General rank, there was only suppression waiting for them.


    ...


    However, Fei Yunlai didn¡¯t sense the aura of the ¡®dragon.¡¯


    At that moment, the sound of a woman crying ¡®yi yi¡¯ could be heard from inside his car.


    ¡°Master, are you really going to sell me?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fei Yunlai grimaced: ¡°I¡¯m not selling you!


    You¡¯re my AI housekeeper; why would I sell you?


    No one would want you!


    Go to novgo.co


    I¡¯m going to sell our mansion, all the stocks, all the assets.


    I need to collect a sum of money as soon as possible.


    Right!


    I also need to sell the cars in my garage at the used car dealership; there¡¯s no other way, Diamond Bracelet.


    My body at Tianji Star is in a really bad situation.


    I¡¯ve just managed to find a reliable mechanical augmentation doctor down there, and I need to implant several more powerful augments to strengthen my combat power as much as possible.¡±


    Fei Yunlai sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find a server to house you for a while, a maximum of one to three years.


    I¡¯ll see to it that you have a new home.¡±


    Diamond Bracelet: ¡°But Master, even selling everything won¡¯t fetch much money, and you haven¡¯t even finished paying off your mortgage.


    I¡¯ve calculated it, and I estimate it¡¯ll only fetch a little over six billion.¡±


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s face darkened even more: ¡°Shut up!


    novgo.co


    Just hurry up and liquidate it all.


    Also, help me inquire with various banks; I need to raise some funds.¡±


    Diamond Bracelet: ¡°Understood, Master.@@@@


    The problem is, what about your implanted combat dragon?


    Without that mansion, without the life support unit in the basement¡¯s cold storage, it will be difficult for your implanted combat dragon to maintain its peak combat strength.¡±


    Fei Yunlai rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.


    After pondering for a moment, he decided to contact his junior sister, Yu Feicui.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Junior sister, does your school have any spare combat dragon life support units?


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): We do, but what do you need it for?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): I want to send my implanted combat dragon to be preserved at the school for about three to five months.


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): !!!


    Yu Feicui found the idea inconceivable.


    While the school did have spare combat dragon life support units, they were nowhere near as good as the setup at Fei¡¯s elder brother¡¯s home.


    What in the world had happened to Elder Brother Fei?


    Yu Feicui had heard some rumors; lately, Elder Brother Fei¡¯s situation at Tianji Star seemed to be not so promising.


    Could it be true?


    Heart of Jade (Yu Feicui): I can talk to Fang Ranran about it.


    However, it can¡¯t be for free.


    After all, the electricity bill for the combat dragon life support unit is over a million a month unless you¡¯re willing to owe her a favor.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s face turned gloomy at the thought, not wanting to owe that girl any favors.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s father was a ruthless man, and she was likely cut from the same cloth.


    If things continued this way, both of them were indeed going to die here.


    Fortunately, at this moment, a gate on the ground eighty meters ahead suddenly burst open, and out jumped a person carrying a single-soldier missile launcher resembling a pack of cigarettes with six tubes.


    Death¡¯s Announcement: Get moving!


    Speed up.


    Horn¡¯s spirits were lifted; that was their snipera?€¡±¡¯Death¡¯s Announcement¡¯ Jiang Dong!


    In an instant, Jiang Dong launched all six tactical missiles from the launcher and detonated them all 200 meters away.


    Lin Rui, seeing what was happening from a distance, was slightly startled.


    He hid himself under the rail, using the concrete wall in front of him and the energy shield of his own exoskeleton armor to resist the blast¡¯s impact and shrapnel.


    Luckily, those missiles were only loaded with high-explosive incendiary ammunition, but the bad news was that these bombs were embedded with the runic technology of the Tianji Star.


    Although Lin Rui endured the explosion, the shoulder and leg parts of his exoskeleton armor were nearly wrecked by the flying shrapnel.


    In the aftermath of the blast wave, Lin Rui immediately took to the air and positioned himself over the gate, which was still wide open.


    Looking down at the channel that appeared like a bottomless abyss, approximately three meters in diameter, he frowned deeply.


    Lin Rui knew that this channel was supposed to lead to the so-called ¡®Lower District.¡¯


    That was originally the first base of Mingde University.


    The forebears of the East Asia Republic didn¡¯t have the resources or conditions to build a massive base city like the ¡®Upper District¡¯ when they first settled on Tianji Star¡¯s ninth satellite.


    Initially, they carved out thousands of small caverns within areas of the ninth satellite¡¯s interior.


    It wasn¡¯t until five hundred years ago that the ¡®Upper District¡¯ of Mingde University¡¯s base city was completed, and all the population was relocated there.


    However, over the past few centuries, as the population boomed and a large influx of external migrants arrived, the Lower District was reactivated 300 years ago, with its population ever-increasing and its extent continuously expanding.


    However, there was no artificial sun down there, the pipes were in utter chaos, and the life support system was already overwhelmed, creating a harsh environment.


    That place was the true slums, teeming with various gang forces and hundreds of times more chaotic than the Upper District.


    If Lin Rui had failed the xenotypy assessment before, the government would have arranged for him to live and work in the Lower District until the day he had enough social status or money.


    ¡°Lin Rui, have you lost your mind!¡±


    At this time, Xue Lingxue flew to his side and slapped him on the shoulder, her voice fiercely saying, ¡°Do you know who they are?


    They¡¯re the top assassin team of Mingde University¡¯s base city.


    Lin Rui, do you have a death wish?


    Or is there something wrong with your mind?


    I think you really need a mental assessment!¡±


    Xue Lingxue wished she could grab Lin Rui¡¯s ear.


    Although her father initially engaged with the Lin family on a mission from the Security Bureau and with a purpose, Xue Lingxue had been unaware at the time.


    In the first two years of her contact with Lin Rui, she genuinely treated him as a younger brother.


    She had been terrified when she saw Lin Rui chasing after the enemy alone, her heart nearly stopping.


    This guy was just too crazy, taking too many risks.


    Yet the combat power he displayed during the fight also left her in awe.


    At this time, Wang Cheng also flew over.


    He was rather helpless and annoyed by Lin Rui¡¯s reckless actions.


    However, seeing Xue Lingxue¡¯s rage, he frowned and said, ¡°Inspector Xue!


    Mr.


    Lin is an important figure in our Sky Blue Corporation.


    Please maintain your decorum.¡±


    Xue Lingxue gave him a cold look and then let out a sarcastic laugh, ¡°Your Mr.


    Lin has violated federal regulations and is suspected of endangering public safety, illegal use of firearms, intentional harm to others, and severe damage to public property.


    I am now going to take him to the police station for questioning!¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but pinch the bridge of his nose.


    He couldn¡¯t tell Xue Lingxue that ¡®Dead Eye¡¯ Horn was the one who had killed the other Lin Rui in the past.


    It was at this moment that he received a message from Professor Han.


    Beacon of War (Han Kedao): Lin Rui, would you be interested in joining the Federal Security Bureau?


    If you are willing, you could start directly from the military rank of a brigadier general in the Security Bureau without training.


    I can fully support you in gaining real power within the bureau, at least over a 3S-grade special action department, commanding 3 to 5 5A-level action groups.


    After reading the message, Lin Rui was momentarily taken aback, wondering why Professor Han would ask him such a question?

 Chapter 236

    ?Chapter 236: Chapter 225: Top Secret Mission (Please Subscribe) Chapter 236: Chapter 225: Top Secret Mission (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui was astonished, thinking to himself, Could Professor Han actually have such connections?


    The so-called ¡°starting with the rank and treatment of a brigadier general at the Security Bureau¡± must mean that his abilities hadn¡¯t reached the rank of brigadier general, but he could still receive the rank and treatment of one at the Security Bureau?


    Or actually control a department with a top-secret clearance of a 3S level?


    Could this be true?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, what exactly is the situation?


    The Federal Security Bureau wouldn¡¯t recruit me without any reason.


    Feng Huo Lian Cheng (Han Kedao): I¡¯m not sure how to explain it since it¡¯s quite complicated.


    ...


    Take a look at this video recording, it¡¯s meant to be seen and then destroyed.


    Professor Han immediately sent a video over, and after watching it, Lin Rui¡¯s brows gradually furrowed.


    At the moment, he was being escorted by Xue Lingxue toward a distant armored police car, but Lin Rui was entirely lost in thought, causing great confusion for Xue Lingxue beside him.


    She could tell that Lin Rui was communicating with someone, but had no idea what could be so distracting to make him so absent-minded.


    It seemed like he didn¡¯t care at all that he had been handcuffed and was about to be detained at the police station.


    Xue Lingxue thought about it and decided not to disable the communication function of Lin Rui¡¯s personal smart terminal.


    Her intention was just to scare the guy, not to really do anything to him.


    Go to novgo.co


    The trouble this time was too big; the entire orbital station and a vacuum rail tube were severely damaged, and an orbital train was badly damaged as well.


    Fortunately, none of the more than 30 injured people in the incident died, thanks to timely treatment, or else the situation would have been even more problematic.


    Feng Huo Lian Cheng (Han Kedao): The person in the video is an old classmate of mine named Zhou Yunfei, a prosthesis general of the Security Bureau, currently serving as the director of the Security Bureau¡¯s Ninth Division.


    Feng Huo Lian Cheng (Han Kedao): Just watch the video, and make sure not to let out any information.


    I didn¡¯t get his permission for this video, and though what he says is almost common knowledge among the upper echelons of the Ninth City base, leaks could still lead to some trouble.


    After watching, Lin Rui thought to himself that this was truly problematic.


    The bother wasn¡¯t Zhou Yunfei wanting to see the dossier, but rather his identity as an alien walker.


    If he really could become a commander of the Divine Envoy, then he could easily sort this out.


    The problem was that after this contact with the Security Bureau, there would definitely be more trouble in the future.


    If there is one time, there will be a second time.


    Could the Security Bureau encounter an issue and not think of him, a ¡°traitor¡± from within the Tianji Star people?


    On the other hand, could he really assume the position of a commander of the Divine Envoy?


    To be in charge of such an important department as the Imperial City Division?


    Is this grand model¡¯s prediction accurate?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, if I refuse, will they take further action?


    If I agree to cooperate, then the chances of exposing my identity are also quite high, right?


    Admiration appeared in Professor Han¡¯s eyes.


    This kid was indeed smart, catching on to the key point immediately.


    Feng Huo Lian Cheng (Han Kedao): From what I know of Old Zhou, that guy is already desperate.


    He¡¯s like a drowning man clutching at every straw he can use.


    If we refuse, he will surely investigate our relationship further and try every means to persuade you, getting you to agree to cooperate.


    Feng Huo Lian Cheng (Han Kedao): Once you agree, the likelihood of exposing your identity rises significantly.


    However, from the moment you become a commander of the Divine Envoy, there¡¯s a very high chance of being exposed anyway.


    Feng Huo Lian Cheng (Han Kedao): You might not imagine how much the Federal Security Bureau values this department.


    In the fourteen divisions of the Security Bureau on Tianji Star, each has a dedicated department closely monitoring the Divine Envoy¡¯s every move.


    Once you are in charge, your every action will be scrutinized and analyzed under a magnifying glass, and they will even create AI models to simulate your thinking; the problem is, you can¡¯t possibly not show a single flaw.


    Lin Rui¡¯s headache intensified, thinking that his promotion had actually led to trouble.


    He understood Professor Han¡¯s meaning; since exposure was inevitable sooner or later, it was better to deal openly and secure the best treatment while he was most needed by the other party.


    But I can¡¯t make a decision in such a short time.


    Please help me stall for a few days, and if that¡¯s not possible, I can start by making contact on Tianji Star.


    I need to see his sincerity.¡±


    Such a significant matter required Lin Rui to carefully analyze the pros and cons and think it through before making a decision.


    When Lin Rui turned off the chat system, he saw Xue Lingxue¡¯s face, which could easily switch between joy and annoyance.


    ¡°Done talking?¡± Xue Lingxue¡¯s eyes, distinct in black and white, glared at Lin Rui, ¡°Do you realize how serious this is, Lin Rui?


    I know you¡¯re very confident in your own strength, but what if they¡¯ve set a trap specifically to lure and ambush youa?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui was about to respond when he received another call request.


    The label in the address book read ¡®Junior Partner Radford Comming from Purple Gold Flower Law Firm.¡¯


    Lin Rui immediately answered the call.


    His smart terminal also projected Radford Comming¡¯s video image.


    ¡°Mr.


    Lin, I have familiarized myself with your situation.¡±


    Attorney Kang Mingkai¡¯s expression was solemn, with a hint of warning as he looked at Xue Lingxue, ¡°From the video at the scene, there was nothing inappropriate in your actions.


    The first to attack was ¡®Death Gaze¡¯ Horn, a well-known assassin from Base City No.


    9 and an SS-ranked fugitive wanted by the entire Federation!


    Any reactive actions you took in that situation were justified, and everything you did was in self-defense.


    I¡¯ve already protested to the police, and they will release you immediately!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curved slightly, thinking this was the advantage of hiring a top law firm.


    The one million Federation dollars he spent on attorney fees each month weren¡¯t wasted.


    Originally, he hired Attorney Kang Mingkai as his legal advisor to prevent legal disputes during live broadcasts, but he hadn¡¯t expected to first see the value of this top lawyer in this aspect.


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s complexion turned ashen.


    She had already received orders from her superiors.


    Yet Xue Lingxue was reluctant, her eyes, clear in black and white, moving slightly.


    Although the police had no right to detain Lin Rui, she was also a Lieutenant Colonel in the Security Bureau!


    She could still take Lin Rui in, citing public safety concerns, to teach him a lesson.


    As Xue Lingxue hesitated, she received a message from her superior.


    Zhou Yunfei, ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Xue, I recall you¡¯re from the abhuman special agents, right?¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s mind tensed, and she was puzzled.


    Xue Lingxue, ¡°Yes, General.


    I used to work in the abhuman department, but after being transferred to Base City No.


    9, my abhuman identity has been sealed.¡±


    The Federation Security Bureau¡¯s abhuman special agents ceased activities on Tianji Star, and their abhuman aspects were stored in designated places to prevent any damage that might affect the primary body.


    Zhou Yunfei, ¡°Reactivate it!


    I need your abhuman to head to Shazhou to meet someone for me.


    This task has a confidentiality level of SSS+, and you must not disclose it to anyone.


    I will arrange for someone to prepare a workplace for you and a quantum descent apparatus.¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s gaze grew even more puzzled.


    The minister was going to prepare a quantum descent apparatus specifically for her?


    Even the cheapest model of the ¡°quantum descent apparatus¡± on the market cost fifty million Federation dollars.


    This device consumed three hundred thousand Federation dollars in electric charges per day, but it could support the conscience descent of fifty abhuman walkers onto Tianji Star at the same time.


    For companies, the cost could be justified, but for personal use, it was a resource-devouring beast.


    Why was the minister willing to use such resources, and what kind of mission was he assigning to her?


    Xue Lingxue looked at Lin Rui coldly, then with a snort, unlocked his handcuffs.

 Chapter 237

    ?Chapter 237: Chapter 226: Foodie (Please Subscribe) Chapter 237: Chapter 226: Foodie (Please Subscribe) Twenty minutes later, Lin Rui arrived at the Olin Club driving Fang Ranran¡¯s Shen Wing 520.


    He was still nearly 20 minutes late, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    Lin Da must have gotten used to it.


    A moment ago, Lin Da had only sent a couple of messages in private chat to hurry him.


    When Lin Rui replied that he was on the way, his uncle stopped contacting him.


    After Lin Rui arrived, he initially planned to get out and use his temporary personal access, but as soon as his Shen Wing 520 arrived, the splendid golden door in front of him automatically opened.


    At that time, a message was sent to his personal smart terminal.


    ...


    Olin Club: Dear VIP senior member, welcome to our Olin Club.


    Since there is a natural ecological park nearby which is a restricted and no-fly zone, please follow our navigation to enter the club.


    Lin Rui wondered, when did I become a member here?


    He opened his personal electronic wallet to check and then discovered the source of the senior membership.


    It was a gift from Fang Ranran, and similar membership cards were quite numerous.


    With a single thought, Lin Rui scrolled down and saw over thirty various VIP cards slide in front of him.


    There were cards for high-end hotels, five-star restaurants, shopping supermarkets, Mecha clubs, and interstellar yacht clubsa?€¡±an eye-catching variety.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui sent a private message to Fang Ranran and learned that these membership cards were given to her by the organizers of various banquets and events she attended.


    Since she did not use them herself, she gifted them to Lin Rui and linked them to his identity when entering the information.


    And it was not just Lin Rui; Yu Feicui and Zhao Yan also received many.


    ¡°Damn~¡±


    In his mind, Lin Rui thought this wasn¡¯t great.


    It made him feel like he was being kept by a woman.


    Lin Rui continued driving further inside, looking out the car window at the surrounding green mountains and rivers.


    He shook his head slightly, thinking about those damn capitalists.


    In the upper district of Ninth Base City, land was worth its weight in gold, yet half of the citizens still didn¡¯t have a house to live in, having to reside in the harsh environment of the lower district; meanwhile, the city government still managed to carve out several large ecological parks in the limited space of the upper district.


    The problem was that most areas of these ecological parks were not open to the general public.


    Instead, commercial establishments like the Olin Club that catered exclusively to the elite could occupy large tracts of land within the parks.


    Olin Club: Dear VIP senior member, your security team has already been in contact with the club.


    From now, your security will be managed by our club.


    You can enjoy 5A-level security treatment.


    All your personal equipment has been approved for entry into the club.


    Lin Rui thought that this security team must be the group from Wang Cheng.


    His car soon drove into a large area featuring palatial buildings integrating Chinese and Western architectural styles.


    Once Lin Rui parked the car in the garage, several attendants were already respectfully waiting for him outside.


    When Lin Rui reported the private room number given by Lin Da, they courteously escorted him there with an internal transport vehicle.


    There were also two female attendants at the door of the room, smiling as they opened the door for him.


    In his mind, Lin Rui thought that Lin Da¡¯s status was no ordinary one; he was definitely from a wealthy family, and a very wealthy one at that.


    From the looks of today¡¯s private room, Lin Da¡¯s assets wouldn¡¯t be less than 3 billion.


    This didn¡¯t seem to fit the pattern of a rich relative hidden in deep mountains, as such wealthy people wouldn¡¯t be interested in Lin Rui¡¯s modest achievements.


    Lin Rui had researched Lin Da online before coming.


    His uncle¡¯s public information listed him as the chairman of Yongrong Logistics Support Co., Ltd., whose business was to provide various logistic services and materials to the military.


    However, Lin Rui was unclear about the actual scale of the company¡¯s business and how much in assets it truly had.


    Besides, their families¡¯ relationship didn¡¯t seem very good; otherwise, this uncle wouldn¡¯t have ignored Lin Rui and his siblings.


    Lin Rui could also share in the taste of the dishes, thinking no wonder War Spirit No.


    2 could lose control.


    The chefs at the Olin Club were indeed very skilled, particularly because the ingredients were very fresh, some were even imported from Earth, like the frog legs.


    Lin Da was slightly taken aback by Lin Rui¡¯s behavior, thinking to himself, how is my nephew behaving like a starving ghost reborn?


    Although his actions were elegant, possessing a bit of aristocratic flair, they were executed with great quickness, as if he wished to put all the delicious dishes into his bowl, and his face expressed pure bliss, a high compliment to the meal.


    The problem was, how could this guy still consume food at such a time?


    ¡°Uncle, go ahead, I am listening,¡± Lin Rui said, taking the opportunity when his mouth was empty to urge, ¡°Just say what you need to.¡±


    Lin Da frowned and then sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s be straightforward then.


    I saw those martial arts videos of yours not long ago.


    You¡¯re really impressive, especially your sword-drawing technique, unrivaled at the age of 18, truly her child.¡±


    As he said this, he poured himself a drink with a bitter expression, ¡°The problem is, you and your sister restarting the cultivation of armed martial arts will bring you, and everyone around you, a lot of trouble, especially now that you¡¯re so famous, having become a greatly known internet celebrity of the Ninth base city.¡±


    Lin Rui looked puzzledly at Lin Da, waiting until War Spirit No.


    2 paused in her eating to ask, ¡°What kind of trouble exactly?


    Does uncle not want us to practice armed martial arts?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I don¡¯t want you to follow that path.¡±


    Lin Da shook his head slightly, drinking his drink sullenly, ¡°But I also know I can¡¯t stop you; I could see your character even when you were a child, just like Lin Cong.


    Once you set your mind to something, not even ten oxen could pull you back.


    All these years, I haven¡¯t helped you, nor have I set any obstacles; I just wanted to see you fail.


    Unexpectedly, your talent was so great.


    It seems these last two years you have been holding back, only revealing your talent after graduation.


    Have you sensed something?


    Are you guarding against those people, and even me, fearing that I will stop you from continuing with armed martial arts?¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself, what have I sensed!


    I¡¯m still utterly clueless about the Lin family matters.


    Watching those videos left by ¡®Lin Rui¡¯, it seems this guy knows something, but those videos didn¡¯t leave any particularly useful clues.


    Even now, Lin Rui still didn¡¯t know much about his close relatives.


    He thought for a moment, then steered the conversation back to the main topic, ¡°Uncle, who are these people you mentioned?


    Are the troubles related to them?¡±


    ¡°There are many people!


    All were troubles caused by your father.


    However, you need to be especially cautious of an organization called ¡®Longevity¡¯.


    Your parents were once members of this organization, their power is immense, extremely dangerous.


    You must be careful.


    There are also other forces; they are also very powerful, so much so that they could crush you with a single finger.


    Next, they will gather around you and your sister like sharks that smell blood, trying every possible way to devour you, leaving no trace.¡±


    Lin Da¡¯s gaze was intense, word by word he said, ¡°Since you have embarked on the path of armed martial arts, from now on, you must consider everything carefully!


    Every action of yours now affects not only your own safety but also impacts us.¡±


    ¡°Also, regarding Lin Xi, I originally wanted to warn her not to engage in it, but since she did not want to come, let it be.


    I can only remind you to watch her situation, your father once told me, I must prevent that child from cultivating, or she will lose her life.¡±


    Lin Rui startled upon hearing this, he instantly remembered Professor Sima¡¯s words.


    What exactly is wrong with my sister¡¯s body?


    And what in the world is this ¡®Longevity¡¯?

 Chapter 238

    ?Chapter 238: Chapter 227 Heavenly Fire (three more, please subscribe) Chapter 238: Chapter 227 Heavenly Fire (three more, please subscribe) Lin Rui forcefully controlled his body, raised his head, and looked at Lin Da coldly, ¡°Uncle, you should know the reason, right?


    Why are those organizations and powers targeting us siblings, and why did Lin Xi die?


    And what is this Longevity organization?¡±


    Speaking of which, Ren Yuanji, whom he had killed before, was a member of the Longevity organization.


    At that time, Lin Rui didn¡¯t pay much attention and didn¡¯t delve deeper.


    ¡°I know a bit from what your father told me, but I can¡¯t say.¡±


    Lin Da made a gesture like a pistol, pressing it against his forehead, ¡°I could end up dead, and my whole family might not survive.¡±


    Lin Rui frowned slightly, then his expression returned to normal.


    At that moment, he lost control of his body again.


    Lin Da had originally come with anger burning inside him.


    ...


    But seeing Lin Rui gobble up food in such a manner extinguished the fire in his heart, replaced by a sense of reluctant sympathy and guilt.


    What children lack when they are young, they often desire more as adults.


    How miserable were the lives of Lin Rui and his sister over these years to develop such a habit of binge eating and drinking?


    But today, the important matters still had to be clarified.


    Go to novgo.co


    He sighed, got up, sat beside Lin Rui, and, picking up a new pair of chopsticks, began serving him food, ¡°I can tell you about the Longevity organization.


    From what your grandfather and I know so far, it¡¯s an extremely large power, spanning fourteen base cities and involving hundreds of companies and consortia, with immense military strength.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know, but a few years ago when the incident occurred, your grandfather was already a military research major general inside the military investigation bureau, wielding significant power.


    However, his position was abruptly halted.


    Had it not been for his superior fighting to keep him, he would have been forced into retirement.¡±


    Seeing Lin Da serve him food, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but feel speechless; he wasn¡¯t actually a gluttonous person.


    However, since his body was out of control, the Battle Spirit No.


    2 was thoroughly enjoying the meal.


    Lin Rui was secretly amazed inside, no wonder he couldn¡¯t find any information about his grandfather.


    The Military Investigation Bureau was responsible for internal military discipline and criminal investigations, as well as collecting military intelligence and counterintelligence.


    It is a confidentiality agency of the federation, keeping all member information secret.


    This shows that the ¡®Longevity¡¯ organization¡¯s power was truly vast, having even infiltrated the upper echelons of the military, controlling the life and death power over a military research major general.


    But this Lin family is really not simple, Lin Rui¡¯s grandfather was a military research major general in the Military Investigation Bureau?


    Does he himself also have a bit of a background?


    Lin Da continued, ¡°So you must be more cautious and prudential in the future, think over everything thoroughly before acting, be mindful of what you say and do, look after your safety, and avoid rashly getting involved with people or matters you shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve also made a name for yourself; I see your online traffic and popularity.


    Maybe streaming for a month could surpass our company¡¯s annual net profits.


    However, compared to Longevity, it¡¯s nothing, and your family¡¯s enemies are only going to be more formidable than you imagine.


    I know you are now relying on Tianlan Group, but if Longevity were to take action fully, Tianlan Group and the Fang family couldn¡¯t protect you.¡±


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t feel any disturbance in his heart upon hearing these words; he had long anticipated that the Lin family¡¯s matters were not simple.


    Ever since he found out Colonel Xue was monitoring his home day and night, Lin Rui had a clear understanding of their siblings¡¯ situation.


    Speaking of which, Colonel Xue was also a person from the Federal Security Bureau.


    Did the Security Bureau have any intelligence on their siblings and parents inside?


    Since my grandfather is around, I don¡¯t believe he hasn¡¯t done anything.


    novgo.co


    What else have you found?


    Isn¡¯t there anything else you can tell me?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Da hesitated briefly before shaking his head firmly, ¡°No!


    There are some things I will tell you when the time is right, but not now.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes flickered, and he continued to ask, ¡°Then at least you can tell me about my younger sister Lin Yi, right?


    Where is she now, is she still alive?¡±


    Lin Da instinctively wanted to refuse, but seeing the look in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes and thinking about the girl¡¯s plight, he felt a spontaneous surge of pity in his heart.


    That Suffering Heavenly Girla?€¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still alive, but in a very difficult and painful situation.


    Since you, Lin Rui, have embarked on the path of the Martial Artist and possess such high talent, move forward quickly, and reach the heightsa?€¡±perhaps Lin Yi might yeta?€¡±¡±


    Lin Da had just spoken when he suddenly stopped mid-sentence.


    He felt waves of scorching flame magic sweeping over his body, eventually emerging from his pores.


    Initially startled, Lin Da¡¯s heart soon turned icy cold.


    He wondered if it was that person.


    When exactly had this top-tier Flame Magic been implanted inside him?


    Despite being so cautious, he was still targeted, and they had planted such a means inside his body.


    Lin Da was shocked and then filled with despair.


    He knew he was doomed unless there was a seasoned expert of Level Six or higher present, no one could save him.


    He would never see his family again, nor his wife, disobedient son, and beloved daughter.


    Lin Rui was also slightly shocked, having immediately recognized that the technique erupting from Lin Da was a 7S level secret technique ¡°Lotus of Karmic Fire¡±!


    It could be pre-embedded in a person¡¯s body, with specific trigger conditions set, an exceedingly malicious method.


    Although Lin Rui knew, he was powerless to help Lin Da neutralize it.


    Lin Rui possessed top-level Guang Ming talent and Great Grandmaster level intermediate techniques, but this was indeed beyond him.


    However, at that moment, War Spirit Number 2 used his body to look towards Lin Da.


    She was also frowning, clearly annoyed and displeased that this sudden incident had disturbed her meal.


    Thereafter, War Spirit Number 2 manipulated Lin Rui¡¯s body and stretched out a hand toward Lin Da.


    In an instant, numerous crimson flames emerged from Lin Da¡¯s body and transformed into a red lotus of fire in Lin Rui¡¯s hand.


    Lin Da, initially overwhelmed with extreme fear, was now slightly startled, watching this astonishing scene unfold before him.


    This 7S-level fire secret technique ¡°Lotus of Karmic Fire¡±, had been effortlessly neutralized by his nephew who had been indulging in food and drink all this while.


    This was a 7S level!


    Furthermore, from the hands of an incredibly powerful S+ level Martial General!


    Just then, the door burst open with a loud bang.


    It was a security team from inside the Olin Club, who had sensed the intense fluctuations of etheric force inside the booth and had forcibly entered.


    Upon their arrival, they aimed their guns at Lin Da.


    Their protective target was Lin Rui, while Mr.


    Lin Da was merely a mid-level member of the Olin Club.


    Then they saw Lin Rui gently blowing on the intensely heated crimson lotus of fire, causing it to dissipate into specks of red light.

 Chapter 239

    ?Chapter 239: Chapter 228: Heard You Were Short on Cash (Please Subscribe) Chapter 239: Chapter 228: Heard You Were Short on Cash (Please Subscribe) The group of security guards, seeing that everything was safe inside the private room, quickly apologized and exited.


    After the private room regained its peace, the atmosphere became heavy and solemn.


    Lin Da was surprised; Lin Rui was actually a senior member of the Olin Club?


    But when he thought about Fang Ranran, he came to an understanding.


    The things that ordinary people dream of, someone of Fang Ranran¡¯s elite heritage wouldn¡¯t even need to reach out fora?€¡±others would proactively stuff them into their pockets.


    At this moment, Lin Da also felt a lingering fear.


    His face was as white as paper and he no longer dared to say much in front of Lin Rui.


    ...


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t continue eating or drinking either.


    The recent unexpected event seemed to have dampened the spirit of Battle Spirit No.


    2; Ji Shenyan, having dispersed the fire lotus, handed back control of the body.


    Seeing Lin Da¡¯s expression, Lin Rui knew the topic of his sister and the Longevity would have to be dropped there.


    No more could be asked from him.


    He casually chatted with Lin Da about family matters, inquiring about Lin Da¡¯s family situation and guided Lin Da to recall his parents from a few years ago, as well as the daily life and past of the two younger sisters and ¡°Lin Rui.¡±


    After the shock, this uncle seemed to have lost his soul.


    Go to novgo.co


    As long as it wasn¡¯t about the Longevity or those hidden powers, touching upon Lin Da¡¯s psychological defenses, he would answer whatever was asked.


    From the information revealed by the uncle, it seemed that their two families had grown apart a few years before the death of Lin Rui¡¯s mother, so he didn¡¯t know much about the three siblings, only that they were very close before.


    As for Lin Rui¡¯s parents, Lin Da knew quite a bit and spoke nonstop about them.


    He expressed his pity for Lin Rui¡¯s mother, asking how such an outstanding woman could have married the restless Lin Cong.


    She should have been the dazzling pearl of the world, yet due to a misguided trust, she perished so young.


    Lin Rui listened with great interest, but an hour later, Lin Da received a phone call and hastily left after making his excuses.


    Before leaving, he also seriously pleaded with Lin Rui to be careful and cautious.


    Lin Rui replied solemnly as well.


    Having seen Lin Da engulfed in flames just now, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but take it seriously.


    What Lin Rui didn¡¯t know was that as both were driving away from the Olin Club, Lin Da opened a video communication call in his own car.


    The figure in the video projection turned out to be an elderly man with white hair and features somewhat resembling Lin Da and Lin Rui.


    He was dressed in a major general¡¯s uniform, exuding an air of solemn authority as he spoke sharply, ¡°So you mean to say, you did nothing?


    Said nothing?


    You neither persuaded them to give up the augmentations nor took any action?¡±


    ¡°The problem is we couldn¡¯t possibly convince him to give them up.¡±


    Lin Da replied with a wry smile from the car seat, ¡°Father, you know Lin Xi and the kid¡¯s temperaments.


    He has been tirelessly devoted to martial arts, persisted for so long, and now that he¡¯s finally achieved his current success, his monthly income probably exceeds my annual salary.


    Plus, he¡¯s gotten close to Tianlan Group and the Fang family.


    How could he let us manipulate him?


    Anda?€¡±¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, a ¡®thud¡¯ resonated from the other side of the video.


    The old man on the other end pounded the desk with a fist, his voice and expression fierce, ¡°Then forcibly remove his augmentations and prevent him from continuing his cultivation!


    Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t do it?


    Do you understand that by letting him go on like this, you¡¯re leading him down a path to death?


    Without the augmentations, or even if he¡¯s less outstanding after augmentation, he would still be able to live well.


    But now he¡¯s only heading down the same doomed road as his parents.


    What¡¯s more, what if he¡¯s got the backing of the Fang family?


    I am Lin Rui¡¯s grandfather; I can decide his future too.


    The Fang family won¡¯t turn against me for his sake.


    You¡¯re just overly cautious, indecisive!¡±


    Lin Da frowned slightly and then replied emotionlessly, ¡°Father, Yu Wen Chitian implanted the 7S-grade fire secret technique ¡®Karmic Fire Body Lotus¡¯ inside me.@@@@


    It was triggered when I met with Lin Rui just now.¡±


    Why don¡¯t I show it to you now?


    Heart of Feicui (Yu Feicui): No need, Little Rui, go about your business.


    Lin Rui looked puzzled.


    Sister Feicui had been very concerned about his martial arts extreme intent not long ago; why had she lost interest all of a sudden?


    What Lin Rui didn¡¯t know was that, at this moment, Yu Feicui was in her office, watching a combat video of Lin Rui at the orbital station, feeling her scalp tingle and goosebumps all over!


    The footage was severely distorted, but Yu Feicui could roughly guess the situation when Lin Rui drew his sword, through the surrounding conditions.


    This guy¡¯s sword speed was even faster, and his strength was even stronger!


    Moreover, he had indeed cultivated the martial arts extreme intent!


    And it was a very powerful one, extremely sharp, extremely simple, and exceptionally extreme!


    Just looking at the sword light, one could tell that after piercing through the carriage, it even reached as far as 7 meters!


    The problem was that this guy still hadn¡¯t implanted a Golden Core.


    ¡°So fast!¡± At this moment, Fang Ranran was also in Yu Feicui¡¯s office watching the video, and she couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°I really want to have a fight with him now, just to see the end of this one stroke.¡±


    Yu Feicui turned her head and shot a sidelong glance at Fang Ranran.


    Fang Ranran noticed the scorn in her eyes and immediately felt both embarrassed and annoyed.


    She guessed what Yu Feicui meant by that look was that she overestimated herself and wished death upon herself!


    At this time, Lin Rui was in the car, shaking his head and opening up the chat box of Fei Yunlai.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Old Fei, I heard you¡¯ve been short on cash lately?


    Fei Yunlai was looking through the mercenary website.


    Unfortunately, there weren¡¯t many truly lucrative tasks available.


    Fei Yunlai didn¡¯t want others to know that he was starting to do mercenary jobs within the federation and didn¡¯t want to use his real name, so his current reputation level was zero.


    A newcomer would not be able to get good assignments.


    He hesitated for a moment, then opened an underground network.


    However, Fei Yunlai hadn¡¯t had the chance to browse before his smart housekeeper issued a warning, ¡°Master!


    The martial arts association of the federation values the career record of its members highly, and their intelligence capability is very strong.


    Once you touch the darknet, you could lose your position as an executive of the martial arts association within a year.¡±


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s face twitched as he closed the underground network again.


    The position as an executive of the martial arts association was very important to him.


    When he saw the message from Lin Rui, he was startled and became angry.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): What do you want?


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s tone was stilted.


    Fei Yunlai knew Lin Rui must have noticed his predicament, but the kid should not be so rude as to rip open someone else¡¯s wounds like this.


    It was utterly impolite.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Are you interested in doing a job with me?


    A dirty one.


    Fei Yunlai raised his eyebrows, his irritation growing.


    Dirty?


    As in a shady deal?


    This brat!


    Did he really see him as so lowly?


    He was Fei Yunlai, a dignified mech-armored admiral!


    How could he consider doing such low-class work?


    Then he saw another message from the other party.


    novgo.co


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): The target is the Iron Fist King of the Blood Lizard Gang.


    You have two options: one is to share the spoils with me after the job; the other is the old way, I give you 50 million.


    Are you in or out?


    After seeing this, Fei Yunlai was stunned for a moment.

 Chapter 240

    ?Chapter 240: Chapter 229: Fatal (Please Subscribe) Chapter 240: Chapter 229: Fatal (Please Subscribe) An hour later, in the underground garage of a building on Han City Street in the eastern district, Fei Yunlai, clad in black and wearing a mask, was watching Lin Rui prepare drugs.


    For the sake of money, Fei Yunlai decided to come and take a look.


    The price Lin Rui offered was quite stingy.


    In the end, Fei Yunlai only negotiated a deal for 80 million, but at least that was much better than what those mercenary sites offered.


    Fei Yunlai did not guarantee that he could kill ¡®Iron Fist King¡¯ Wang Li, he only promised to do his best without revealing his identity.


    According to the information Fei Yunlai had gathered, although Wang Li was only a colonel-level Martial Artist equipped with augmented gear, for some unknown reason, he had obtained four ¡®Red Spider¡¯ Type 6 military defense robots, which always followed Wang Li¡¯s movements.


    Wang Li himself also had very powerful equipment, not only did his augmented gear score reach S+, he even possessed a set of Type 7 exoskeleton armor, arming himself to the teeth.


    ...


    The defenses inside his stronghold ¡®Iron Fist Entertainment Company¡¯ were especially strong, not only boasting various models of robots but also housing over a hundred augmented Martial Cultivators.


    Among them were more than twenty at the lieutenant colonel level; the whole entertainment company was like a military fortification.


    Fei Yunlai could sweep through this ¡®Iron Fist Entertainment Company¡¯ in three minutes.


    The problem was that Han City Street is the commercial hub of the eastern city, with many renowned companies gathered there, and a police station was just a mile away.


    Just a little bit of noise during the battle could attract a massive police presence.


    There was another method, which involved using ¡®Augmented Combat Dragon¡¯.


    But this would not be cost-effective.


    Go to novgo.co


    Once the Augmented Combat Dragon was deployed, it would definitely leave traces.


    The reason Fei Yunlai was willing to take on Lin Rui¡¯s job was precisely because he did not want others to know he was short on money and starting to take on mercenary work.


    Otherwise, for someone like him, just taking on a single 7S-ranked solo mission on the dark web would bring an income of a billion or two.


    ¡°Are these drugs you¡¯re concocting any good?¡±


    As Fei Yunlai watched Lin Rui fiddle with those bottles and jars, he expressed his skepticism, ¡°They seem to be of no use at all.¡±


    Fei Yunlai also had a top-tier set of Type 7 exoskeleton armor.


    Despite now being bankrupt, back when he had not yet made it onto the imperial hit list of the Great Song, he was very formidable, and his personal equipment was also top-notch.


    This set of exoskeleton armor boasted a top-grade air filter system, capable of distinguishing and filtering out almost all known and unknown toxins in the air.


    But so far, his exoskeleton armor had not issued any danger alerts, and Fei Yunlai himself had not felt anything unusual.


    ¡°Moreover, looking at their company¡¯s central air conditioning and ventilation system defenses, as well as the water supply equipment, these places have been specially fortified.


    You probably will have a hard time poisoning them.


    ¡±


    Fei Yunlai felt that Iron Fist King placed a peculiar emphasis on this aspect, to the point of installing six concealed Type 5 ¡®Gatling Bodhisattva¡¯ turrets near the central air conditioning and water supply equipment.


    They were even using independent computers and fire control radars, not connected to networksa?€¡±this was simply insane!


    Fei Yunlai speculated that Iron Fist King must have suffered in this regard before, which is why he was paying such close attention now.


    Lin Rui had already shaped his drugs into more than 200 small pills and handed them over to Fei Yunlai, ¡°This time we don¡¯t need to poison through the central air conditioning.


    Old Fei, you are responsible for sneaking in and scattering these pills inside, remember to drop one in every floor, every room, every corner.


    Pay special attention to the president¡¯s office; you can crush them for use.¡±


    After taking them, Fei Yunlai frowned and looked puzzled, ¡°What are these for?


    They don¡¯t seem to be toxic.¡±


    He even took a deliberate sniff.


    You continue to poison; vaporize this bottle of my concoction and spread it across all floors.


    I¡¯ll take care of hacking into their monitoring room and equipment room.


    As for those Type-6 defense robots, that¡¯s your problem, I spent a full 80 million federal dollars!¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for the problem with those Type-6 defense robots, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to call Fei Yunlai over for help.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s breath caught, and then he touched his chin thoughtfully, ¡°I feel like you, Lin Rui, are very familiar with the art of poisoning and killing.


    Iron Fist King spent so much on the ventilation system, could it be to guard against you?¡±


    The more he looked at Lin Rui, the more complex he appeared.


    novgo.co


    This wasn¡¯t just an exceptionally talented college student, but also an experienced assassin and spy.


    Lin Rui smiled, but didn¡¯t speak.


    As soon as 5 minutes were up, Lin Rui donned the Type-5 exoskeleton armor ¡®Thunder Dragon¡¯ he obtained from Xue Da School, picked up his Level-4 battle saber ¡®Truth Type-4¡¯, and headed toward the elevator.


    ¡°Where did you get this Thunder Dragon armor from?


    It should be an internal trial model from the security bureau, very powerful, not inferior to some Type-6 models,¡± Fei Yunlai asked curiously as he followed.


    How did this guy get his hands on such a powerful experimental model of armor?


    Lin Rui seemed shrouded in mystery.


    What surprised him even more was that Lin Rui suddenly activated an electro-magnetic field around him, perfectly masking his presence from all monitoring systems and tactical sensory equipment of Iron Fist Entertainment Company, just like him.


    However, after entering the 10th floor, they had to split up; one would go to the monitoring room and the equipment room on the 12th floor, while the other took care of spreading the poison.


    Fei Yunlai moved rapidly and efficiently, evaporating all the liquid from the bottle in less than 30 seconds and dispersing it to every corner of the six floors of Iron Fist Entertainment Company.


    At the same time, he heard a faint vibration.


    It was the sound of various devices being destroyed in the direction of the monitoring room and equipment room.


    Immediately afterward, Fei Yunlai sensed a large swarm of flying needles emerge from the monitoring room.


    They swarmed into the corridor, killing indiscriminately!


    They penetrated the heads and hearts of all the augmented Martial Artists, sending them to their deaths.


    Among these Martial Artists were several with great strength, even colonels, yet now they were all dazed and paralyzed, without any ability to resist.


    ¡°This guya?€¡±¡±


    Fei Yunlai was secretly shocked by Lin Rui¡¯s ruthlessness.


    Was this guy really a student?


    He seemed to have no regard for human life.


    In just over ten seconds, Lin Rui killed hundreds of Martial Artists from the Blood Lizard Gang, each with a lethal strike from the flying needles.


    He even heard from the 11th floor a children¡¯s song singing ¡®digging oh digging,¡¯ in Lin Rui¡¯s voice, filled with utter delight.


    At that moment, Fei Yunlai turned his head towards the direction of Iron Fist Entertainment Company¡¯s CEO office.


    With a thunderous explosion, two figures, one tall and one slender, suddenly burst out of the office, shattering the luxurious door to pieces.


    One of them was Wang Li, the ¡®Iron Fist King¡¯.


    Behind them followed four ¡®Red Spider¡¯ Type-6 military defense robots.


    Possibly attracted by Lin Rui on the 11th floor, they failed to notice Fei Yunlai hiding in a corner.


    They all quickly ran along the corridor toward the 11th floor.

 Chapter 241

    ?Chapter 241: Chapter 230: Harvest (Three More for Monthly Passes) Chapter 241: Chapter 230: Harvest (Three More for Monthly Passes) ¡®Iron Fist King¡¯ Wang Li burst out of the CEO¡¯s office without fully understanding what was happening.


    Sitting in the office handling official business, he suddenly felt his consciousness sink into dizziness.


    Wang Li immediately covered himself with his external exoskeleton armor, cutting off the outside air, but it was already too late.


    His brain tissue and a large number of nerves stopped functioning, entering a state of paralysis, and he was almost losing consciousness.


    At this moment, several powerful security guards stationed in the room next to him had fallen into a coma, only ¡®Iron Snake¡¯ Ba Qi Man, whom he had recently hired for a high salary at a 6A level, remained alert.


    Both of them simultaneously pounced toward the direction of the 11th-floor surveillance room.


    On one hand, they fully resisted the unknown anesthetic; on the other, they ran as fast as they could.


    ...


    They both had the same idea, rather than waiting to be completely anesthetized and helpless in the face of death, they¡¯d rather fight with all their might and kill the unknown assassin first!


    ¡®Iron Fist King¡¯ Wang Li had already called the police, so long as nothing happened to him within three minutes, the police would arrive!


    His ¡®Iron Fist Entertainment Company¡¯ was now clean internally, the worst issue being overly sophisticated defense mechanisms.


    So long as they could take care of this assassin, there was a high chance he could survive.


    During the run, ¡®Iron Snake¡¯ Ba Qi Man was cursing Wang Li through their communication system.


    ¡°Iron Fist King, you idiot, who did you provoke to summon such a terrifying assassin?


    My tactical team is done for!¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Five of his seven mercenary teammates were dead, and the remaining two were probably not going to make it!


    Wang Li¡¯s face was ashen, ¡°Shut up, Iron Snake!


    As long as I survive, I¡¯ll compensate you.


    The members of your team, I can recruit as many as I want from the lower city district!¡±


    Wang Li, too, wanted to know who he had provoked.


    Previously, both his Fabric Night Club and Night Wolf Bar had been slaughtered by the same assassin, using the same method.


    First poisoning to disable his men¡¯s combat abilities, then launching a strong attack.


    Therefore, Wang Li specifically modified and strengthened the company¡¯s air and water supply systems, even adding an advanced air filter system.


    He had assumed that after these improvements, everything was foolproof, yet he had still underestimated the assassin¡¯s abilities.


    Wang Li couldn¡¯t fathom how the assassin had managed to poison everyone, causing all his subordinates to fall to the ground within seconds.


    Even he himself had unknowingly inhaled a large amount of the anesthetic, while his expensively purchased Type 7 exoskeleton armor didn¡¯t react at all.


    Their only hope now was to quickly eliminate the assassin!@@@@


    Wang Li had previously hired a top private detective to investigate the crime scenes, and although to date, they had not determined the assassin¡¯s identity, it could be concluded that the assassin¡¯s own implant level did not exceed the rank of lieutenant colonel.


    In less than two seconds, he reached the 11th floor and saw the assassin.


    The person¡¯s invisibility ability was extremely strong, but it could not fool the fully powered situational awareness device inside Wang Li¡¯s exoskeleton armor.


    The opponent was standing brazenly in the corridor ahead, a knife in hand, body slightly crouched, waiting for him.


    Wang Li¡¯s eyes were blood-red, ¡°Kill!¡±


    He had already issued commands to his four ¡®Red Spider¡¯ Type 6 military defense robots to tear the bastard to pieces with their firepower!


    Yet, in the next instant, Wang Li heard several clanging and clashing sounds, and the four ¡®Red Spiders¡¯ burst into blinding currents and sparks, collapsing paralyzed onto the corridor floor without warning.


    Running in front, ¡®Iron Snake¡¯ Ba Qi Man instantly felt his scalp tingle and a chill swept through him.


    Prompt: For slaying a fifth realm demon-transformed Martial Cultivator, you have gained 5563 Soul Power points.


    At the same time, 50 meters away, Fei Yunlai chopped off the head of ¡°Iron Snake¡± Ba Qi Man!


    This 6A-grade mercenary had a powerful life-saving trick up his sleeve.


    Once he realized Fei Yunlai¡¯s presence, he focused solely on escaping, which made it rather difficult for Fei Yunlai.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Three minutes later, the two took a ride back to the eastern district in an Ambola ¡®Luxury Presidential Bulletproof Car¡¯ summoned by Lin Rui.


    While checking his spoils of war, Lin Rui casually asked, ¡°That ¡®Iron Snake¡¯ Ba Qi Man was a fake 6A without a War Dragon, right?¡±


    Fei Yunlai knew Lin Rui was mocking him.


    It took so long to deal with a fake 6A without a War Dragon.


    Many Martial Cultivators from Earth Federation couldn¡¯t afford to cultivate an ¡®Exo-Suit War Dragon,¡¯ but they also didn¡¯t need to complete a dragon transformation to break through realms, unlike the Tian Ji Star inhabitants.


    The Earth Federation developed special exo-suits that provide ¡®Dragon Essence,¡¯ allowing Martial Cultivators to enter the sixth realm without an ¡®Exo-Suit War Dragon.¡¯ These Martial Cultivators are generally called fake sixth realm.


    With a light snort of disdain, he said, ¡°One of that guy¡¯s exo-suits was ¡®Shadow of Nothingness,¡¯ whose fleeing ability is top-notch.


    If it were someone else, they might not have been able to kill him before he fainted.¡±


    Besides, when he charged his slash, he destroyed four ¡®Red Spider¡¯ Model 6 military defense robots in an instant, causing a temporary shortage of Qi and blood in his body.


    These were military defense robots, and the ¡®Red Spider¡¯ models were notoriously tough, with particularly thick armor.


    Even a seventh realm Martial Cultivator would have to exert some effort to destroy their central systems in an instant.


    At that moment, Fei Yunlai curiously looked at a card Lin Rui was holding and asked, ¡°How much money could be in this card?¡±


    Since Wang Li had already called the police by then, they didn¡¯t have time to loot the entertainment company.


    The two had only destroyed some traces at the scene and taken a bit of equipment from the bodies of Wang Li and Ba Qi Man before leaving.


    The bank black card Lin Rui was holding had been found on Wang Li.


    ¡°How could I know how much money is in it without the password?


    We¡¯ll have to wait for a hacker to crack it later,¡± said Lin Rui as he shrugged his shoulders and asked with a playful smile, ¡°Old Fei, you still have time to change your mind.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fei Yunlai ¡®tsked¡¯ with a smile, his expression dismissive, ¡°At most, it¡¯s no more than ten million!¡±


    It was impossible for Wang Li to carry too much cash on him.


    It was a pity they didn¡¯t have enough time; otherwise, they could have tried to crack Wang Li¡¯s safe, which might have yielded a big haul.


    Lin Rui thought that even if there were only ten million in it, it would still be very worthwhile.


    The three firearms he had taken from Wang Li and ¡®Iron Snake¡¯ Ba Qi Man were all Model 6, and all had been remodeled and enhanced by skilled gunsmiths.


    The two sabers were of 6S+ grade and extremely powerful; their total value exceeded one hundred million federal coins.


    But Lin Rui couldn¡¯t use them yet; he had to wait until he could implant a Golden Core to have enough True Qi to wield these powerful firearms and sabers.


    Apart from this, he had one key source of income a?€¡± Soul Power points!


    ¡°Spirit Ring, how many Soul Power points do I have now?¡±


    There were too many prompts about gaining Soul Power points just now, with over 150 messages flashing by in an instant.


    Lin Rui¡¯s brain hadn¡¯t caught up when those prompts had already passed, so he couldn¡¯t calculate accurately and had to inquire with the Spirit Ring afterward.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 242

    ?Chapter 242: Chapter 231: Sister is a Hacker?


    (Subscription Requested) Chapter 242: Chapter 231: Sister is a Hacker?


    (Subscription Requested) Reminder: You now have a total of 182,430 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but curl the corners of his mouth upon receiving the reminder from the battle spirit.


    This was the first time his Soul Power points had exceeded one hundred thousand, but not all of these points came from the recent ¡°Iron Fist Entertainment Company¡± debaclea?€¡±they also included the tens of thousands of points he had accumulated in the past dozen days while slaying monsters with Wang Sen.


    Lin Rui remembered the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon of the Heavenly Pole Star and clicked his tongue unwillingly.


    How spectacular it would be if he could bring this seventh-realm emperor-rank battle dragon to the capital?


    ...


    The problem was it would take a total of 1.1 million Soul Power points to refine the ¡°Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡±, and he was far from reaching that amount.


    Lin Rui would need to stomp and eradicate at least ten underworld forces like the ¡°Iron Fist Entertainment Company¡± before he could gather enough Soul Power points to refine the battle dragon.


    However, he knew that such a thing was impossible.


    Reality wasn¡¯t a game.


    With Wang Li of Iron Fist dead, it was likely that other underworld forces would become more vigilant.


    Lin Rui put away his wild thoughts, ¡°Old Fei, do you know about ¡®Dead Eye¡¯ Horn?¡±


    ¡°Dead Eye?


    Go to Novgo.co


    I¡¯ve heard a bit, but don¡¯t know mucha?€¡±apparently, he¡¯s currently the third-ranked ace assassin among the majors.


    He has a six-person team and has taken on many S-rank missions, with a very low failure record,¡± Fei Yunlai answered casually.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I have a grudge with this Dead Eye,¡± Lin Rui, holding the Type 6 battle saber he snatched from Wang Li, said with a sly smile: ¡°I was thinking of finding an opportunity to kill this Dead Eye.


    Can¡¯t you find them?


    As long as there¡¯s reliable information, we can negotiate the price.¡±


    Fei Yunlai furrowed his brows, wondering how a student like Lin Rui could possibly have a vendetta against someone like Dead Eye Horn?


    However, the mention of ¡®price¡¯ piqued his interest as there was money to be made.


    The problem was that he used to work as an X-Body Runner first for a company and then set up a studio to act as a solo agent after gaining his freedom, which meant he had little contact with the underground world of the base citya?€¡±


    ¡°This is troublesome.


    These assassins usually use the lower district as their base of operations, exploiting its vast network of underground tunnels to move unpredictably.


    Even the government can¡¯t do anything to them,¡± Fei Yunlai shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll reach out to some contacts and try to gather some information for you, but don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui narrowed his eyes, realizing the second problem was going to be difficult to solve.


    At this moment, he received a message from Xue Lingxue.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Lin Rui, just a moment ago, ¡°Iron Fist Entertainment Company¡± was slaughtered.


    Besides some company staff, all the Martial Cultivators in prosthetic gear were killed.


    Did you do this?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ??


    Don¡¯t talk nonsense about things without evidence, or I¡¯ll sue you for defamation!


    Besides, could I even do it?


    Wang Li had four ¡®Red Spider¡¯ Type 6 military defense robots by his side and a set of Type 7 exoskeleton armor.


    There¡¯re so many automatic defense weapons in the companya?€¡±I don¡¯t have the ability to kill him, alright!


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): You think I¡¯d believe you?


    Five minutes later, Lin Rui had returned to Mingde University.


    With his electromagnetic invisibility technique and Fei Yunlai¡¯s cover, Lin Rui returned to the Martial Cultivator Club without a sound.


    This was because Wang Cheng¡¯s 5A protection team had been protecting him all along.


    Although Lin Rui had strong stealth abilities, without Fei Yunlai¡¯s help, he couldn¡¯t escape the eyes of Wang Cheng¡¯s team.


    This was because Wang Cheng¡¯s team adopted a ¡°non-perceptual¡± protection scheme; if these people were constantly underfoot, even Fei Yunlai would be powerless.


    However, when Lin Rui touched the doorknob, he frowned slightly, feeling that someone was in the room, but it was the person he was most familiar with and closest to.


    Lin Rui felt puzzled but still resolutely pushed the door and entered.


    The lights inside were bright, and as Lin Rui approached the doorway to his study, he saw Lin Xi sitting in his office chair, watching the three-dimensional projected TV news.


    ¡°a?€¡±This is a special update concerning the gas explosion that occurred at the second urban rail station of Mingde University.


    The police have made a new breakthrough.


    They have now confirmed that the gas leak at the second urban rail station is related to the web tunnels of the lower districta?€¡±¡±


    At that moment, Lin Xi turned off the news and looked at Lin Rui with an unusual expression, ¡°Brother, tell me the truth, is the explosion at the second urban rail station related to you?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, his expression puzzled, ¡°How could it be related to me?


    Didn¡¯t I tell you, I went to see our uncle at noon.¡±


    According to what Xue Lingxue said, to prevent panic among the surrounding citizens and to quell the impact, the case had been publicized as a gas explosion.


    Mingde University also made it clear that they did not wish to escalate the situation just before the start of the new school year.


    Therefore, all videos related to the case had already been encrypted and taken away by the Security Bureau, not to be leaked.


    So, how did Lin Xi know about it?


    And how did this girl get into his room?


    While Lin Rui had given Lin Xi access, she could only enter when he himself was present.


    Without a word, Lin Xi began operating the Tianyan Model 9 Quantum Computer in the study, projecting more than a dozen video images in succession.


    After looking at them, Lin Rui was stunned.


    They clearly showed Lin Rui carrying ¡®Great Black Sky¡¯, hurrying toward the urban rail station, including the fifteen holographic surveillance videos between the Martial Cultivator Club and the station.


    Additionally, there were two frames of Lin Rui inside the vacuum rail tube, fighting against Dead Eye Horn and his men.


    The footage was most likely captured by distant surveillance cameras, making the image somewhat blurry.


    novgo.co


    However, upon closer inspection, one could vaguely make out Lin Rui¡¯s figure.


    ¡°These are the video images I hacked from the school¡¯s surveillance system,¡± Lin Xi said, staring steadily at Lin Rui, ¡°I checked, and the time you arrived at the urban rail station coincided exactly with the gas explosion.¡±


    After regaining consciousness, she discovered that the school¡¯s internal network had been reinforced and had heard about the explosion at the urban rail station.


    Driven by curiosity, she investigated and unexpectedly found out that it was related to Lin Rui.


    ¡°I hacked into Mingde University¡¯s surveillance system and these two surveillance probes three kilometers away to find this footage,¡± Lin Xi explained.


    Lin Xi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then resolutely said, ¡°I¡¯ve been hiding it from you all these years, but I¡¯ve actually self-taught quite a bit about hacker knowledge.


    I think I¡¯m pretty good at hacking by now.¡±


    Lin Rui blinked, looking incredulously at Lin Xi.


    If what Lin Xi said was true, her hacker skills were more than just pretty good.


    The internal network of Mingde University had been fortified by the expert network team from Tianlan Corporation.


    Even Dead Eye Horn¡¯s hacker accomplice, who supposedly had an A+ capability rating, couldn¡¯t retrieve data from inside Mingde University without leaving traces, yet Lin Xi could do it.


    Lin Rui then had a thought and pulled out a black card from his bosom, ¡°You say you¡¯re a hacker, and you¡¯re pretty good at it.


    Then help me check this anonymous bank card issued by the underground bank, see how much money is inside, and whether it can be withdrawn.¡±


    Lin Xi raised her eyebrows, but still unhesitatingly took the black card and headed towards her room.

 Chapter 243

    ?Chapter 243: Chapter 232: Heart-Wrenching Pain (Please Subscribe) Chapter 243: Chapter 232: Heart-Wrenching Pain (Please Subscribe) Lin Xi didn¡¯t rashly insert the black card she held into the built-in card slot of the Tianyan quantum computer.


    She first checked online for a while, then raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°I thought so.¡±


    Lin Rui looked at her, puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°This card contains a special chip made by an underground bank; it requires a custom card reader to access, or the associated account will be frozen.¡±


    Lin Xi opened an online shopping site and ordered some tools and parts.


    Three minutes later, when the delivery arrived, Lin Xi, with skillful hands, began assembling the parts.


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you making a card reader yourself?


    You¡¯re quite adept.¡±


    Lin Xi didn¡¯t answer.


    A brilliant hacker must also have a thorough understanding of various hardware components.


    The hacking equipment she had used in the past was assembled from discarded parts found in trash piles, under the guidance of ¡°Fei Yan.¡±


    Although her craftsmanship wasn¡¯t comparable to those mechanics who could manually assemble combat robots, making a card reader was not a problem for her.


    ...


    About ten minutes later, Lin Xi inserted the card into her homemade card reader and began operating on her Tianyan Model 9 quantum computer.


    Her gaze was focused, giving her all.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Xi had chosen today to confront the issues because she realized that the young man in white clothes Lin Rui had been tracking was very likely the person who had killed ¡°Lin Rui¡± a few months ago.


    novgo.co


    They had battled fiercely at the Second City Rail Station.


    The young man in white was almost killed by Lin Rui, but he eventually escaped with the help of several companions.


    Beyond that, her brother Lin Rui also hid very well!


    Where had Lin Rui gone tonight?


    Lin Xi used her hacking skills to track him down, even taking over the police station¡¯s monitoring apparatus, yet she hadn¡¯t found Lin Rui¡¯s whereabouts.


    However, she knew Lin Rui trusted Ambola Shared Company and subsequently found two taxi records there.


    What alarmed her even more was the discovery of a massacre at the ¡°Iron Fist Entertainment Company¡± owned by the Blood Lizard Gang near Lin Rui¡¯s taxi spot.


    The incident resulted in 157 deaths, including Wang Li, the big leader of the Blood Lizard Gang.


    Lin Xi then broke into the police archives and was shocked to discover that the Blood Lizard Gang had been hit multiple times recently, with almost identical methods used each time.


    From the black bank card Lin Rui had shown her, Lin Xi had already guessed some of the truth.


    Lin Xi realized she needed to join Lin Rui¡¯s team, which might help her understand the whole truth.


    She felt she also had a responsibility, as a sister, not to let Lin Rui wreak havoc unchecked.


    There needed to be a plan to ensure safety.


    Therefore, not only was this a confrontation, but it was also her time to prove her capabilities.


    Just 7 minutes later, Lin Xi¡¯s pupils slightly constricted, her expression one of extreme shock.


    She turned her head to look firmly at Lin Rui, her face blank and bewildered.@@@@


    ¡°Did it fail?


    No worries, although I don¡¯t understand, I feel your hacking skills are probably quite good,¡± said Lin Rui, seemingly unconcerned, as a failure would only result in a loss of millions, which he guessed was about the amount on the card.


    At least it confirmed that Lin Xi had potential in this area.


    ¡°No, this is an unregistered black card from Han Ji, the largest underground bank in the lower district.


    As for the amounta?€¡±¡± Lin Xi gulped,then turned to show a video screen to Lin Rui, ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    Was this black bank card really the one Lin Rui had snatched from Wang Li?


    Lin Rui hadn¡¯t cared at first, but after a glance, he was also stunned.


    But Lin Xi didn¡¯t dare to ask; she was genuinely afraid of the answer Lin Rui might give and didn¡¯t want him to know that she had already seen the footage of him being shot in the head.


    She wanted to investigate it herself, and judging from her brother¡¯s actions, he seemed to be investigating as well?


    Lin Rui frowned and said nothing, opening Divine Doctor Sima¡¯s chat window instead.


    At this time, he didn¡¯t care that it was deep into the night.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Little Rui, I can¡¯t say much about the specifics due to certain reasons, but I can tell you Lin Xi¡¯s condition is indeed dire.


    The more she uses implants, the faster she moves toward death.


    I wanted you to learn medicine from me so that you could find the answers yourself, especially in internal medicine, concerning implants and biotechnology.


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Also, becoming an Exotic Body Walker is indeed a way out.


    You need to strengthen her spiritual power quickly, as it can effectively delay and ease her condition.


    Moreover, there might be a real solution within Tianji Star that could save her, but that depends on your luck.


    After reading the message, Lin Rui felt extremely heavy-hearted.


    Even Professor Sima thinks Lin Xi is doomed?


    In this age of highly advanced technology, where even cancer has been conquered, are there still incurable diseases?


    Lin Rui called out to his Battle Spirit Ring in his mind.


    ¡°Battle Spirit Ring, help me copy advanced-level medical skills!¡±


    Lin Rui already possessed Great Grandmaster-level basic and intermediate medical skills, and now he was copying advanced medical skills.


    However, the level 2 Battle Spirit¡¯s advanced medical skills only reached the level of True Essence.


    Notification: To exchange for advanced medical skills (True Essence), you need 8000 Soul Points.


    Lin Rui thought to himself how expensive these high-level skills were!


    Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t hesitate to do the exchange and additionally spent 12000 Soul Points to raise the skill level to Great Grandmaster.


    The medical skills he exchanged from Ji Shenyan were specialized for the people of Tianji Star.


    However, Lin Rui thought that since both are carbon-based life-forms, their medical principles should have something in common.


    He felt that the medicine of Tianji Star, similar to the traditional Chinese medicine of the East Asian Republic, if delved into deeply, might suggest a shared lineage.


    ¡°Battle Spirit Ring, what level are my internal and surgical skills?


    Can they be deduced?¡±


    Notification: You have limited knowledge of internal and surgical disciplines; no related skills.


    Notification: Battle Spirit Ring can perform related deductions.


    Would you like to use 3000 Soul Points to acquire basic internal medicine (beginner level), or 3000 Soul Points to acquire basic surgery (beginner level)?


    Notification: Increasing the completeness of the Battle Spirit Ring can reduce the Soul Points needed for deduction.


    Without hesitation, Lin Rui used 20000 Soul Points to increase the completeness of the Battle Spirit Ring by 30%.


    He found that the cost of mastering ¡®basic internal medicine (beginner level)¡¯ had been reduced to 2000 points.


    It still seemed like a rip-off!


    If he could directly copy from the Battle Spirit, probably 200 points could exchange for a beginner-level basic skill.


    Yet, Lin Rui still exchanged for basic internal medicine and basic surgery and spent another 10000 points to raise these two skills to the level of Great Grandmaster.


    This time, he spent a lot of Soul Points, but his sister¡¯s life was more important, so he couldn¡¯t care less.


    These two basic skills allowed him to gain some fundamental understanding of the human body.


    To Lin Rui¡¯s surprise, as his intelligence and insight were maximally elevated by the Battle Spirit Ring and he began deducing, the advanced medical skills of Tianji Star he mastered indeed sparked off numerous revelations with the basic internal and surgical skills he was deducing, and with the pharmacological knowledge he knew.


    Lin Rui closed his eyes and sat for a while, then extended his hand towards Lin Xi: ¡°Give me your hand, and stick out your tongue for me to see.¡±


    Lin Xi looked suspicious but still passed her small hand over.


    Lin Rui held Lin Xi¡¯s wrist pulse, carefully sensing and discerning, and after a while, his eyes tightened.

 Chapter 244

    ?Chapter 244: Chapter 233 Sister, You Are Crazy (Three More Updates, Requesting Monthly Pass) Chapter 244: Chapter 233 Sister, You Are Crazy (Three More Updates, Requesting Monthly Pass) Half an hour later, Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows were deeply furrowed.


    He had not only used the medical techniques of Tianji Star, similar to the traditional Chinese Medicine methods of inspection, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation on Lin Xi but had also employed many detection devices within the club.


    Lin Rui discovered that there were indeed significant issues with Lin Xi¡¯s body.


    He found that Lin Xi¡¯s vital energy was incredibly strong, even exceeding many senior exosuit officers!


    Her physical condition was also quite robust, though not as evident as her vital energy, it still far surpassed her exosuit level!


    The reason Lin Xi couldn¡¯t usually demonstrate these physical advantages was that there was an unknown substance in her blood causing her body to endure great stress, continuously corroding and damaging Lin Xi¡¯s body!


    At the same time, these ¡®unknown substances¡¯ were also the reason why Lin Xi¡¯s physical condition was so strong.


    ...


    The ¡®unknown substances¡¯ were also continuously strengthening Lin Xi¡¯s physique, but the rate of enhancement was far slower than the damage they inflicted.


    What was terrifying was that the stronger Lin Xi¡¯s physical condition became, the more unknown substance her body produced.


    Although exosuits could enhance Lin Xi¡¯s physical condition, they would also stimulate the creation of more unknown substances.


    Besides, her Primordial Spirit was also under severe strain!


    One could imagine, a normal human spirit having to bear the body of an elephant; Lin Xi¡¯s spirit would eventually collapse.


    Lin Rui also understood why Professor Sima was so anxious to create an alternate body for Lin Xi.


    Lin Xi¡¯s main consciousness stayed inside the alternate body in Tianji Star, which relatively lessened the burden on her spirit, plus, alternate bodies have a significant advantage in the growth of spiritual power.


    Go to novgo.co


    However, this method was merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause.


    Unfortunately, Lin Rui was unable to identify what exactly the ¡®unknown substances¡¯ were; this might require specialized equipment for detection.


    The reason he could perceive it was entirely due to the Great Grandmaster level high-level medical skills he possessed.


    After examining Lin Xi, Lin Rui furrowed his brow and pondered deeply, ¡°Your current physical state is a bit troublesome.


    From the examination results, it looks like you¡¯ve gone mad, Lin Xi!¡±


    With a lift of her eyebrows, Lin Xi unapologetically responded, ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s gone mad!¡±


    She had thought that Lin Rui¡¯s serious fiddling around might reveal something significant.


    Is this all?


    At this moment, however, Lin Rui looked steadily at her, ¡°Lin Xi, have you been occasionally harboring thoughts of despair lately, like wanting to end it all, no longer wanting to live, or even to just destroy the world or something?


    Also, are there parts of your brain where memory cells are inactive, as if someone has sealed some of your memories?¡±


    Lin Xi was momentarily stunned, her mind slightly trembling.


    How could Lin Rui know?


    Was this also something he had discovered?


    That¡¯s impossible!


    Even Professor Sima with his brilliant medical skills couldn¡¯t possibly sense her thoughts.


    novgo.co


    She immediately denied it, ¡°No, I¡¯ve never thought about ending my life.¡±@@@@


    Lin Rui looked at her steadily, then using the chat system, he sent Lin Xi a prescription.


    ¡°You can try this prescription.


    The main ingredient is ¡®Shenxin Tea¡¯ along with some unique herbs from Tianji Star, combining them with Fluoxetine Hydrochloride from Western medicine, brewed into tea for consumption.


    It should significantly alleviate your burdena?€¡±¡±


    Lin Xi looked at it with a flat response.


    Professor Sima had also prescribed her medication, which Lin Xi was currently using.


    Although Professor Sima was a surgeon, he definitely had stronger pharmaceutical knowledge than her brother.


    I need you to help me suppress this person.¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s spirits lifted, knowing that Lin Rui had agreed to let her join his team.


    Lin Xi unhesitatingly replied, ¡°Top-tier equipment is beyond our purchase capability.


    I can¡¯t even use something that advanced right now.


    The most suitable quantum supercomputer on the market for me is the Shenyan-9, a sister model of the Tianyan, valued at 200 million Federation coins.


    I need two: one for use and one as a backup.


    Together with all sorts of miscellaneous equipment, the total cost is over 500 million.


    It might be even pricier on the black market.


    Besides, adding a stable power supply and unrestricted high-speed network might require a base.¡±


    She knew that hacker; his hacking skills were probably only grade A+, but it was just his superior equipment that made him look impressive.


    If she could get a Shenyan-9, she could easily suppress him.


    She could also leverage her hacking abilities to help Lin Rui locate those people.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s set a budget of 600 million!¡±


    Lin Rui continued to scroll through webpages; he had found the page in the darknet that sold various combat robots: ¡°You¡¯ll be responsible for finding this base.


    It not only has to be safe and hidden but also spacious enough for modifications and must come with permanent property rights to avoid troubles.


    Besides, we¡¯ll need a robust security system, including situation awareness devices, automatic weapons, combat robots, and so forth.¡±


    When Lin Xi is contending with hackers online, she won¡¯t be able to take care of herself.


    She and this base, both required a powerful protective system.


    So, Lin Rui first needed to get a short-range quad-band passive radar with strong concealment capabilities and an ether element detection radar.


    ¡®Red Spider¡¯ Model 6 protective robots had always had good reviews, not only could they provide protection for the base, but they could also assist Lin Rui in fighting under certain special circumstances.


    However, even a second-hand ¡®Red Spider¡¯ Model 6 cost between 3 to 4 billion on the darknet.


    Another option was to buy second-hand parts sold on the darknet and assemble them himself; this method was more cost-effective, costing around 100 million to put together a ¡®Red Spider¡¯ Model 6.


    But this required strong mechanical skills, plus one would have to program the combat AI of the robot themselvesa?€¡± the performance of the protective robots wouldn¡¯t possibly match the original.


    Of course, some particularly skilled mechanics could modify the ¡®Red Spider¡¯ Model 6 to possess even greater combat capabilities.


    Lin Rui suspected that Wang Li¡¯s four ¡®Red Spider¡¯ robots were assembled from scrapped parts, simply because their combat AI seemed quite subpar, appearing rather stupid.


    Lin Rui knew nothing about mechanics; he could only buy readymade ones.


    He scratched his head in frustration, pondering that the 28 billion Federation coins might not be enough after all.


    This budget could only afford six second-hand ¡®Red Spider¡¯ Model 6s, which severely lacked in giving Lin Rui a sense of security.


    At this moment, what Lin Rui did not know was that, not far from him in another suite, Fei Yunlai watched a message from a certain friend with a grave expression.


    He had found out who was behind Wang Li, likely a high-ranking official from the military¡¯s logistics department.


    This Iron Fist King was not only involved in the drug trade but was also involved in various military supplies.


    At present, at least ten percent of the goods in the underground military part markets of the Ninth Base came from the Iron Fist King.


    So, the money in Wang Li¡¯s account was likely meant to be turned over to this high official.


    Coincidentally, this individual had close ties with a certain three-star general in the Federation military.


    Fei Yunlai turned off the projection on his personal smart device and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that he would inadvertently come into conflict with that man¡¯s forces again today.


    Buta?€¡±


    Fei Yunlai clenched his fists tightly, his eyes flashing sharply.


    This was exactly to his liking!

 Chapter 245

    ?Chapter 245: Chapter 234 I Know Her (Please Subscribe) Chapter 245: Chapter 234 I Know Her (Please Subscribe) At midnight, Horn awoke from his coma.


    His condition was far from good; the effects of the anesthesia that had seeped into his body from the knife wound on his back were yet to fade, and with his eyes bandaged, he had no choice but to rely on the vision assistance system of his intelligent terminal to see.


    This was a result of using the ¡°Time Black Holy Pupil¡± seven times in a row, which his body could hardly bear.


    Horn barely managed to have the SSS+ augmentation fitted, and each use caused damage to both his soul and body.


    Bearing the pain, he looked around and found himself in a newly established secret base run by their team, with several of his teammates gathered around him.


    From left to right, there was the hacker Katusha!


    Mecha master ¡®Battle Axe¡¯ Lu Hong!


    ...


    Sniper ¡®Death¡¯s Pronouncement¡¯ Jiang Dong!


    Assault operative Broly!


    Fire-support specialist Dalong!


    And Mechanic Beros!


    ¡°First time seeing you in such a sorry state, boss,¡± Mechanic Beros chuckled, ¡°How are you feeling?


    My medical skills are just passable and we don¡¯t have a proper surgery pod here, so you¡¯ll have to endure it as long as your eyes are generally okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Horn groaned, covering his eyes, ¡°Katusha, have you finalized things with our employer?¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    While Horn was grappling with the excruciating pain in his eyes, a volcanic rage surged through his heart.


    As Beros had pointed out, he had never been so wretched, nor had anyone made him suffer like this.


    Lin Rui had nearly pushed him into a corner.


    He swore to himself that he would slaughter that bastard, chop Lin Rui into pieces at the fastest speed and feed him to the dogs to see how he would come back to life then!


    ¡°It¡¯s settled, the amount for this mission has been increased to twenty times the original offer, making it a total of 600 million Federation dollars!@@@@


    It seems our employer really wants him dead at any cost,¡± Katusha said, clearly sensing the breaths of her companions growing more rapid around her.


    The price of 600 million Federation dollars was more than double that of a 6SS-tier mission on the dark web!


    She, however, frowned, feeling that there was something very abnormal about the situation and that their employer was problematic.


    After Horn was injured, Katusha had actually turned down the employer¡¯s offers several times, but it was the person who had actively raised the commission to 600 million Federation dollars!


    The question was, why seek them out specifically when the price could hire two or three 6S+ class Martial Cultivators on the dark web?


    Aside from his status as a martial arts star, what about Lin Rui warranted such a high bounty from the employer?


    Speaking of which, the initial assassination attempt already had a very high bounty of 30 million, taking into account Lin¡¯s family and the supervision by a semi-5A team from the Federal Security Bureau at that time.


    Suppressing her inner turmoil and unease, Katusha said, ¡°However, the difficulty of this mission has increased again.


    Not only are the police and security bureau searching for us, but the Tianlan Corporation has also enhanced its security for him.


    Their security squad has just added five new members; the ¡®Divine Guard¡¯ Type-6 defense robots accompanying Lin Rui have also increased to four, bossa?€¡±¡±


    Horn waved his hand to cut her off.


    He knew what his comrade wanted to say but didn¡¯t want to listen!


    No matter the risks this time, Horn was determined to kill that bastard!


    And indeed, the money was substantial.


    After completing this mission, his entire team¡¯s strength would greatly increase.


    ¡°So, do we have a concrete plan?¡±


    There was a little incident when purchasing the ¡®Red Spider¡¯ model 6, they were almost scammed.


    The original combat AIs of these Red Spiders were not fully cracked, leaving backdoors; their chest armor and engines were also not original, and a control chip was hidden inside the system.


    Luckily, Lin Xi was very skilled in software programming and had also crammed some mechanical knowledge at the last minute.


    When receiving the goods, she checked them inside and out, detecting the abnormality.


    Fei Yunlai, the Mech General, also had quite a bit of clout, immediately lodging a complaint on the dark web.


    After the dark web intermediaries learned of it, they were furiously thunderous.


    They not only forced the seller to replace the goods but also sent eight original model 6 ¡®Gatling Bodhisattvas¡¯ as a gift.


    However, after the incident, Fei Yunlai was very pessimistic and issued a warning to Lin Rui, ¡°You guys need to be careful from now on, it¡¯s best to get a proper defense license soon.


    Otherwise, the police will come to check within a month at most.


    I bet the sellers of these ¡®Red Spider¡¯ model 6 have already reported to the police that someone is illegally purchasing and installing powerful lethal weapons.¡±


    Lin Rui also felt that the seller was unreliable; reporting them right after the transaction was a highly probable scenario.


    But there was no rush with this matter.


    Their receiving location was several blocks away, so neither the seller nor the dark web knew their address ¨C it would take the police some time to track them down.


    The abilities of Lin Xi the hacker were not to be underestimated either.


    Next, Lin Rui also brought Wang Sen to attend their heteromorphic class¡¯s farewell dinner.


    novgo.co


    This class reunion was supposed to be held after the semester ended, but Lin Rui, busy with affairs, hadn¡¯t planned to attend.


    However, the problem arose with that exchange competition, where Lin Rui, with astonishing speed with the knife, became a highly popular martial arts influencer at Base Nine.


    Although the classmates regretted Lin Rui¡¯s absence, they didn¡¯t care too much.


    But after Lin Rui¡¯s rapid rise to fame with two strikes, the farewell dinner couldn¡¯t proceed.


    They postponed it again and again, waiting for Lin Rui to have the time.


    Everyone felt that without Lin Rui, the farewell dinner wouldn¡¯t mean much.


    Lin Rui himself felt quite embarrassed.


    Yet he had been busy preparing for the matter concerning Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling and truly couldn¡¯t spare the time until he was finally free, so he took the initiative to organize the event.


    Once the farewell dinner was over, Lin Rui felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.


    With that matter resolved, he only had two things left to deal with at Base Nine ¨C investigating Horn and his group and the recruitment from the Security Bureau.


    In some ways, these two matters were actually onea?€¡±


    The very next day, on the afternoon Lin Rui was to have the ¡®Undying Sun¡¯ implanted in his body, he sensed a message from his heteromorphic self.


    A rivers and lakes individual named ¡®Feng Xueying¡¯ took the initiative to make contact, saying she wanted to meet with him.


    Lin Rui was looking forward to this.


    It¡¯s because Professor Han told him four days ago that an agent named ¡®Feng Xueying¡¯ from the heteromorphs would soon arrive in Wang City to make contact with him.


    This was a female, with a cultivation of the fourth realm and royal-grade bloodline!


    That evening, through telepathic projection, Lin Rui arrived at Tianji Star and met ¡®Feng Xueying¡¯ in a private room of a restaurant in Wang City.


    When Lin Rui saw the heteromorphic agent, his eyes immediately took on a very strange expression.


    It seemed he recognized this womana?€¡±

 Chapter 246

    ?Chapter 246: Chapter 235 Conditions (Please Subscribe) Chapter 246: Chapter 235 Conditions (Please Subscribe) The appearance and facial features of a heteromorphic walker¡¯s alternate form and original form usually have great differences.


    This is firstly to adapt their alternate identity, necessitating adjustments in appearance, and secondly for safety, to ensure that their true identity remains unknown to others.


    Ever since the Earth Federation discovered that the people from Tianji Star were starting to infiltrate in reverse, they have been very attentive to this matter, especially the security departments, which place great importance on it.


    Lin Rui recognized the other because of Feng Xueying¡¯s bloodline talenta?€¡±the pale blue eyes that seemed to contain thunder and snowflakes, ¡°Ice Thunder Snow Eyes.¡±


    He had encountered this ability in his battle with Xue Lingxue before and had suffered a bit for it.


    This mixing of ice and thunder in an SSS-grade powerful prosthesis is extremely rare.


    Thinking of the woman across from him also coming from the security bureau, and her name containing the word ¡®Xue,¡¯ Lin Rui wondered if it could really be such a coincidence?


    Xue Lingxue is an SSS-ranked colonel in the prosthesis evaluation, and her strength is also at the level of a four-realm emperor.


    ...


    Lin Rui sipped his tea, deep in thought.


    Across from him, Feng Xueying, with a very earnest expression, took out a rosewood box and said sincerely, ¡°Lord Lin!


    This is a meeting gift my superior asked me to bring to you.


    I believe you will like it.¡±


    Feng Xueying was very excited, as long as Lin, the Defense Envoy, was willing to meet with them.


    It was a good start, indicating that Lin, the Defense Envoy, was not averse to making contact with them.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui opened the rosewood box with an indifferent expression, only to let out a sound of surprise.


    Inside were two Heavenly Lotus Essence Needles.


    They were made from the essence of the Kunshan Heavenly Lotus and could significantly enhance spiritual power.


    The Tianjian Biotech Group improved upon a nativeTianji Star formula, adding other substances, thus further strengthening the medical efficacy of the Kunshan Heavenly Lotus.


    Lin Rui had been intending to purchase it, as it could boost his spiritual power by around 100.


    It was quite expensive, selling for 30 million each at Base Nine and 100 million if shipped to Tianji Star.


    This showed that General Zhou indeed had great sincerity.


    Two needle doses were just righta?€¡±one for Blood Blade Ji and the other for the Bone Sword Demon, while he and Lin Xi could buy cheaper injections at that base¡¯s metropolitan area.


    Spiritual power-related drugs were the same regardless of where they were injected.


    Lin Rui handed the box directly to Blood Blade Ji next to him, continuing to sip his tea, ¡°Miss Feng, someone told me that your original form in the Ninth Heavenly Demon homeland is surnamed Xue, called Xue Lingxue?¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s Divine Sense trembled violently, and a storm raged in her heart.


    She was Xue Lingxue, but how did Lin Twelve know?


    The Ninth Heavenly Demon homeland was what the people from Tianji Star called it, referring to Base Nine¡¯s metropolitan area.


    Had their contact been betrayed?


    No, according to Minister Zhou¡¯s words, that contact did not know her original name.


    So who leaked her identity?


    Or had the infiltration of their Security Bureau by the Imperial City division already reached this extent?


    However, she noticed that Lin Twelve had accepted her gift box.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s professional composure allowed her to control her facial expression, still full of sincerity, ¡°Lord Lin, we really have great sincerity.


    Whatever conditions you want, just ask.


    Drugs, prostheses, dragon armor, whatever you need, we can get it for you, only asking that once you take office, we can have a look at that dossier.¡±


    Even though he knew her identity, it didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t turn him.


    She followed Minister Zhou¡¯s orders to spare no expense; as long as Lin Twelve was willing to make his demand, they would try their best to fulfill it.


    Turning a person from Tianji Star is most difficult the first time.


    Once the first time is successful, it¡¯s like a breached dikea?€¡±it¡¯s hard to stop thereafter.


    As long as he is willing to hand you over to me, then I will agree to cooperate with him.


    When that happens, it won¡¯t just be about the dossier, any matters he wants to cooperate on can be discussed.


    If I don¡¯t get you, then there¡¯s nothing to talk about!¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± Xue Lingxue¡¯s hands tensed and her light blue eyes nearly shot out flames.


    But before Xue Lingxue could argue, Lin Rui had already lifted his teacup, ¡°Let¡¯s end today¡¯s meeting here, please leave!¡±


    The Blood Blade Ji at his side received his Divine Sense signal and instantly unsheathed the Snow Shocking Blade a fraction, pressing down on Xue Lingxue with an overwhelmingly strong blade aura.


    Xue Lingxue frowned deeply, wanting to speak, but she was rendered speechless under the oppressive will of Blood Blade Ji¡¯s sword intent.


    She sensed that this Blood Blade Ji was truly powerful!


    Even though she had just recently entered the fifth realm, her spiritual power and sword intent were enough to crush her completely.


    Xue Lingxue could only stand up with an expressionless face and bow in farewell.


    It wasn¡¯t until Xue Lingxue retreated to the door of the private room that she felt the pressure from the sword intent relent.


    She turned back and looked at Lin Rui coldly, ¡°I will convey all of Sir Lin¡¯s words to my minister.


    I had heard of Sir Lin¡¯s exploits, and I originally thought you were a hero.


    I did not expect the lord to be such a despicable person.¡±


    Lin Rui almost laughed out loud, ¡°If I were to agree to cooperate with you, that would be treachery from someone on my side, wouldn¡¯t it?


    What kind of hero would that make me?¡±


    He brushed his sleeve impatiently, signaling for Xue Lingxue to leave quickly.


    After Xue Lingxue left, Ji Xueying looked at Lin Rui with suspicion, ¡°Sir, do you truly fancy this woman?


    If you really want her, I can tie her up and bring her back for you to deal with as you please.¡±


    When she was in the capital following Yuan Yi, she had often seen such affairs.


    The many high-ranking individuals Ji Xueying had encountered were all corruption personified, using their power and might to do as they pleased.


    As a Protector Demon, the ideas she was instilled with were to fulfill her master¡¯s needs by any means necessary.


    However, if the master actually did that, she would feel somewhat disappointed.


    Lin Rui almost spit out the tea in his mouth when he heard this, ¡°How could I take a fancy to her?¡±


    The personality of Xue Lingxue was obviously that of a nagging homemaker; she would make a good wife and mother if brought home.


    That¡¯s why ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ with a sister complex would like her.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, didn¡¯t like being controlled; she wasn¡¯t his type.


    ¡°I was only speaking hypothetically, to see what kind of person General Zhou is,¡± Lin Rui shook his head.


    ¡°But her personality is quite suitable for a secretary.¡±


    Lin Rui said this offhandedly, but then suddenly had a thought.


    It seemed like a good idea, Colonel Xue told him to take care of his daughter, didn¡¯t he?


    Transferring Xue Lingxue under his command to work for him would ensure she was well looked after.


    And judging from the information he currently had, Xue Lingxue seemed to be more reliable than the others.


    novgo.co


    He wondered how General Zhou would respond next?


    This would allow him to see clearly what kind of person Professor Han, his old classmate, was, and would also decide his next moves.


    At that moment, Lin Rui received a prompt from the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Prompt: Battle Spirit No.


    1 thinks you¡¯ve bullied his daughter and has developed some resentment towards you.


    Lin Rui¡¯s face darkened after receiving the prompt from the ring spirit.


    He had not intended to bully Xue Lingxue; it just so happened that she was the one who contacted him.


    If the Security Bureau had sent anyone else to liaison, he would have made similar demands with more or less the same outcome.

 Chapter 247

    ?Chapter 247: Chapter 236: Disciple Accepted into the Inner Circle (Third Update, Asking for Monthly Votes) Chapter 247: Chapter 236: Disciple Accepted into the Inner Circle (Third Update, Asking for Monthly Votes) Lin Rui didn¡¯t know if it was just a psychological illusion, but after receiving the prompt from the Battle Spirit Ring, he felt a chill run down his spine.


    Nevertheless, he suppressed his emotions and received his next visitor in the private room of the inn, Tang Wenlan, the High Priest of the Guang Ming Holy Church.


    This person had wanted to meet with him several days ago, but Lin Rui had been too busy to make time.


    It wasn¡¯t until today, when Lin Rui had gone out to meet with Xue Lingxue, that he decided to take the opportunity to meet with the leader of the Guang Ming Holy Church as well.


    Tang Wenlan had also brought him a generous gift: a total of three lotus seeds of the Bright Holy Lotus, capable of strengthening the Yuan force of the Bright series and enhancing physical quality.


    This gift was Tang Wenlan¡¯s way of expressing gratitude for Lin Rui¡¯s care for the countless poor citizens and dockworkers of Jinggang since his appointment.


    When the demonic dragon had blocked the river, Lin Rui had, with the assistance of the Guang Ming Holy Church, released two months¡¯ worth of grain from the county government¡¯s granary to relieve the people of Jinggang.


    ...


    Although his intention was to stabilize public sentiment, the fact was that the demonic dragon, which had caused havoc for only half a month, was driven away.


    The Guang Ming Holy Church had not lifted a finger throughout the ordeal, yet it ended up gaining even more followers.


    In addition, since taking office, Lin Rui had successively taken down the market supervisor eunuch Wang Zhenli and the demonic dragon, thereby restoring the smooth operation of Jinggang¡¯s water transport, to the benefit of all its people.


    Lin Rui gladly accepted the gift with a smile, for the three lotus seeds could increase the physical quality and True Qi index of his foreign body by about 30 points each, saving him a great deal of time.


    However, the next matter Tang Wenlan mentioned made Lin Rui¡¯s heart tighten.


    ¡°There is another matter I must ask of you, sir,¡± Tang Wenlan said with a solemn expression, ¡°Recently, an edict from our headquarters has informed us that Xu Zhe, the fifth Saint Heir of our Guang Ming Holy Church, has perished in the district of Nanhu Festival Town.


    The headquarters is taking this matter very seriously.


    Go to novgo.co


    They have dispatched a ¡®Metropolitan High Priest¡¯ to investigate and have ordered all our local branches to fully investigate the fifth Saint Heir¡¯s whereabouts and determine the cause of his death.¡±


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes and asked without revealing anything on his face, ¡°Such a matter has occurred?


    But what does it have to do with me?¡±


    The ¡®Metropolitan High Priest¡¯ of the Guang Ming Holy Church were all masters of the Seventh Realm, immediately making him feel the pressure.


    Nevertheless, the district under the jurisdiction of Nanhu Festival Town was vast, encompassing seven states including the sandbanks and covering an area of 2.3 million square kilometers.


    With such an extensive range, the Guang Ming Holy Church should not be able to trace the matter to him for the time being.


    Tang Wenlan forced a wry smile, ¡°We hope to ask for your help in utilizing the internal resources of the Imperial City Department to assist in locating this Saint Heir¡¯s whereabouts and his last known position.¡±


    ¡°Thisa?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui frowned deeply, ¡°Your Guang Ming Holy Church is officially designated as a heretical church.


    My private dealings with you are already a violation of imperial law.¡±


    The key was, he couldn¡¯t afford to reveal his own identity.


    However, in the next instant, he saw a flash of golden light.


    Tang Wenlan had actually taken five bright golden ingots from within his sleeve.


    Judging by their weight, they were 50 taels of divine gold each, totaling 250 taels.


    On Tianji Star, there was no superstition about the number ¡®250,¡¯ so there was no need to avoid this particular number.


    ¡°Please do us this favor!¡±


    Tang Wenlan pleaded with his hands clasped together, his expression sincere, ¡°The Imperial City Department should have records of the whereabouts of important figures in our church.


    All your Excellency needs to do is to extract the records concerning Xu Zhe for us.


    Rest assured, as a Sanctified one of our church, we will not break the rules and disclose a single word to the outside world.¡±


    Lin Rui ¡®hmm¡¯d thoughtfully, gesturing for Blood Blade at his side to take the gold, his face the very picture of righteousness, ¡°This matter does not go against my conscience nor does it undermine my duties.


    I will arrange to pull the records as soon as possible.@@@@


    However, this will take some time.


    Please be patient, High Priest Tang, and wait for my news.¡±


    250 taels of divine gold, which was 25,000 taels of demon silver and, when converted to Federation currency, amounted to 25 million.


    Beyond that, Lin Rui met with several local wealthy gentry and altogether added another ten thousand taels of magic silver to his coffers.


    Along with his earlier gains, Lin Rui had amassed almost 100,000 taels of magic silver, plus two ¡®Heavenly Lotus Essence Needles¡¯ worth a billion each.


    This was exactly why Lin Rui dared to invest a whopping 2.8 billion federal coins to build that base.


    For someone like Old Fei, a fugitive on the emperor¡¯s wanted list, making money was somewhat difficult, but for him, the Imperial City Division Defence Envoy, wanting money was just a matter of speaking a word.


    If he desired, he could even make a fortune in a single day.


    But just then, Lin Rui received a ¡®Hundred Thousand Li Flying Letter¡¯ sent by Meng Weiyun.


    Along with the flying letter came a piece of paper bearing a message and a jade token engraved with the seal script character for ¡®dragon¡¯.


    After reading the contents of the message, his brows slightly furrowed, a mix of joy and regret filling him.


    ¡°Sister, you are leaving so soon?¡±


    The intention in Meng Weiyun¡¯s letter was that she had received an urgent mission from above and must leave immediately.


    Thus, she wouldn¡¯t meet him to say farewell.


    She sincerely conveyed her gratitude to him, thanking Lin Rui for the care he¡¯d shown her over the past twenty days.


    At the same time, Meng Weiyun also mentioned her mentor, the Third Divine Envoy, who had already received the ¡®Divine Heart Clearing Spirit Pill¡¯ and was very pleased with Lin Rui.


    The Third Divine Envoy thought him a promising pupil and had decided to formally take Lin Rui as a disciple.


    The token that was sent along with the letter was indeed the seal of his discipleship.


    Therefore, they could now officially refer to each other as brother and sister.


    Meng Weiyun specially reminded him that he should henceforth avoid contact with any other sects¡¯ teachings.


    Lin Rui now only needed an official ceremony to become a disciple, and he must ensure nothing went wrong before that.


    Moreover, Meng Weiyun hinted that the mentor was working hard to secure opportunities for him.


    It was very likely that upon entering the capital, Lin Rui would take charge of an important department within the Imperial City Division.


    He must make every effort to improve himself before entering the capital and be prepared.


    Lin Rui felt a strong sense of reluctance about Meng Weiyun¡¯s departure.


    novgo.co


    After Qin Yan¡¯s mansion, Meng Weiyun had been helping him to condense his martial intent, insisting on touching foreheads with him every day, which allowed him to make rapid progress in the understanding of martial arts.


    And now, just a few days later, Meng Weiyun was leaving?


    He thought about it a?€¡± her injuries should not have fully healed yet, right?


    Now, could she ensure her safety on her own against a Sixth Realm expert?


    Lin Rui then looked at the words of the letter again, falling into contemplation.


    I am about to take charge of an important department in the Imperial City Division?


    Since the Third Divine Envoy had revealed this in the letter to Meng Weiyun, there must be a great deal of certainty, mustn¡¯t there?


    Could it be that the grand model¡¯s predictive results of the Security Bureau might actually come to pass, and I am about to become the Commanding Envoy of the Assassination Bureau?


    Now that he¡¯d come to think of it, Xue Lingxue should have already sought instructions from that General Zhou, hadn¡¯t she?


    Just sending a message using a quantum relay device, why were there still no results?


    He didn¡¯t know that at this very moment, just a block away, Xue Lingxue was waiting anxiously with a pale face for General Zhou¡¯s reply.


    She had hesitated and wasn¡¯t sure for a long time after leaving the tavern before deciding to convey Lin Twelve¡¯s words accurately to General Zhou.


    Feeling heartbroken and on the verge of tears, she wondered if General Zhou would agree to such an absurd matter.


    If General Zhou agreed, what was she supposed to do?


    She gritted her teeth in irritation, feeling that this Lin fellow was just too bullying.


    Just then, she saw the reply from Zhou Yunfei.

 Chapter 248

    ?Chapter 248: Chapter 237 Congratulations (Seeking Guaranteed Monthly Votes) Chapter 248: Chapter 237 Congratulations (Seeking Guaranteed Monthly Votes) Upon receiving the message from Meng Weiyun, Lin Rui immediately grew disinterested.


    He had several guests to meet, but now he was in no mood to entertain anyone and could only delegate this to Wang Sen.


    Those were not particularly important guests, it was fine to meet or not to meet them.


    However, as Lin Rui was about to leave the restaurant, he saw Xue Lingxue.


    There she stood at the entrance of the restaurant, clasping her hands towards him, ¡°Lord Lin, may I have the opportunity to speak with you again?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Lin Rui originally wanted to wear a ¡®wicked smile¡¯, but remembering that No.1 Battle Spirit had already grown resentful of him, he became stern, ¡°Speak again?


    Speak about what?


    Could your group possibly grant my wish?¡±


    Since they were at the entrance of the restaurant with a crowd around, Lin Rui used rather ambiguous language.


    ...


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as she checked the chat records in her biological chip with General Zhou.


    Zhou Yunfei: The plan is terminated, stop contact.


    Sorry, Xiaoxue, my research here was insufficient, I didn¡¯t expect this Lin Twelve to have such a character.


    Xue Lingxue took a deep breath, her eyes refocused when looking at Lin Rui, ¡°That¡¯s impossible, but we can provide Lord much more than that.


    Go to novgo.co


    Aside from this condition, whatever you desire, we can negotiate.¡±


    She knew this mission was very important to their Ninth Division and General Zhou, and still wanted to salvage it.


    Xue Lingxue thought to herself that Lin Twelve¡¯s lecherous nature proved he could be subverted and won over.


    Upon hearing her words, Lin Rui let out a slight snicker, flicked his sleeves disdainfully as he walked past Xue Lingxue, ¡°I¡¯ve always conducted myself as an official with integrity, purity of aspiration, and self-disciplined frugality.@@@@


    How could I be swayed by wealth or beauty?


    I¡¯m just teasing you.¡±


    However, he thought to himself that it seemed General Zhou hadn¡¯t agreed, and it was time to formally engage with this general.


    Xue Lingxue, watching Lin Twelve leave, couldn¡¯t help but grind her teeth in frustration.


    His demeanor and actions inexplicably reminded her of Lin Rui.


    Unconsciously, Xue Lingxue¡¯s fists clenched tightly, feeling an impulse to rush up and beat someone.


    Meanwhile, Professor Han received a message from Lin Rui, which invigorated him.


    It appeared his old classmate had passed Lin Rui¡¯s test.


    He smiled slightly and opened the chat channel with Zhou Yunfei.


    Han Kedao: Congratulations, Old Zhou!


    Zhou Yunfei was regretting at the moment, he had truly not expected Lin Twelve, despite being a young hero, to have such a vile character, feeling offended.


    He felt he might have made a mistake in his arrangements, only considering the most reliable candidate from the Ninth Division to be Xue Lingxue, without realizing her outstanding appearance and temperament would trigger Lin Twelve¡¯s perverse thoughts.


    If he had known beforehand, he would¡¯ve sent a plain-looking male agent instead; perhaps the outcome would have been different.


    But it was too late for regrets.


    Zhou Yunfei was already contemplating giving this insolent boy a lesson and venting some anger on behalf of his comrade¡¯s descendant, Xue Lingxue.


    After Lin Rui chose to agree, he immediately felt the descent of the Abyssal power.


    He was acutely aware of his connection with the three Abyssal Wills in the void strengthening further, especially with the ¡®Sovereign of Fate.¡¯


    However, Lin Rui still felt that his mind was very relaxed, indicating that his training in the martial intent had been remarkably effective.


    The ultimate realization of martial arts greatly enhanced his mental condensation and carrying capacity.


    ¡°Spirit Ring, can you help me increase ¡®Light Trace¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Foot¡¯ by another 1%?¡±


    Notice: Enhancing ¡®Light Trace¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Foot¡¯ to 5% requires a total of 6,000 Soul Power points.


    Notice: Please be aware that your spirit has reached its carrying limit, and continuing to enhance Abyssal concepts may lead to unpredictable consequences.


    Lin Rui furrowed his brows upon perceiving this information.


    How strange!


    The Spirit Ring warned him that he had reached his limit, yet he felt no pressure on his spirit whatsoever.


    Could it be that these Abyssal Wills were deliberately trying to deceive him, to make him lower his guard?


    Lin Rui¡¯s mood grew heavy.


    He glanced at the sky and then continued to call upon the Spirit Ring.


    ¡°Spirit Ring, help me replicate Battle Spirit No.


    1¡¯s Truth-Level ¡®Divine Gates Eighteen Stances¡¯!¡±


    Notice: Replicating the Divine Gates Eighteen Stances (Truth-Level) requires 11,000 Soul Power points, but due to Battle Spirit No.


    1¡¯s resentment towards you, the cost is increased to 12,000 Soul Power points.


    Lin Rui¡¯s face darkened slightly, thinking that after offending a battle spirit, even the price to replicate a skill would increase?


    With no other option, Lin Rui pinched his nose and proceeded with the replication.


    The Divine Gates Eighteen Stances was a high-level Body Refinement technique mastered by Xue Bogao.


    It had been over twenty days since Lin Rui replicated the ¡®Divine Breath Technique,¡¯ and he had fully absorbed the strengthening effects of this body and spirit refinement Secret Technique.


    As the effects dwindled, it was time to exchange for new physical techniques and Secret Techniques.


    Lin Rui chose Xue Bogao because, although the ¡®Divine Gates Eighteen Stances¡¯ primarily focused on Body Refinement, it also had a certain effect on mental tempering.


    He now solely wished to quickly meet the standards for Golden Core implantation, to advance his true body swiftly into the Fourth Realm.


    Lin Rui estimated that after completing this replication, along with the seeds of three Bright Holy Lotus, plus one injection of the ¡®Heavenly Lotus Essence Needle,¡¯ only ten to fifteen days would remain.


    Once he adapted to the enhancements and changes brought about by the Divine Gates Eighteen Stances, his main consciousness returned to the urban environment of Base Nine.


    Lin Rui emerged from the sleeping pod and checked the time, finding it was only 5 p.m.


    Nevertheless, he left early, heading to the Olin Club for his appointment.


    At this time, the benefits of having a hacker sister became apparent.


    Under Lin Xi¡¯s cover, Lin Rui easily deceived his own 5A-level security team and left Mingde University.


    When he arrived at the Olin Club half an hour early, the attendant informed him that his two guests had also arrived ahead of schedule.


    Lin Rui felt a bit surprised and immediately quickened his pace to the Shanhai private room.


    Upon pushing the door open, he indeed saw Professor Han and an unfamiliar middle-aged man in military uniform chatting in the living room of the private room.


    At that moment, the man in military uniform looked up in surprise and turned his gaze toward him.

 Chapter 249

    ?Chapter 249: Chapter 238: A Perfect Match (Please Subscribe) Chapter 249: Chapter 238: A Perfect Match (Please Subscribe) ¡°Minister Zhou!¡± Lin Rui quickened his pace, took the initiative to go up and shook hands with Zhou Yunfei, not expecting that Zhou Yunfei would actually come forward to meet him.@@@@


    ¡°Lin, my boy!¡± Zhou Yunfei grasped Lin Rui¡¯s hand with considerable strength, ¡°So, it means that the Lin the Defense Envoy is none other than Lin himself?


    Old Han, that guy, really kept me in the dark.¡±


    ¡°I am Lin Twelve.¡± Lin Rui said apologetically, ¡°For the offense I had to commit previously, I hope you can forgive me, Minister.¡±


    ¡°I understand, I understand!¡±


    Inside, Zhou Yunfei¡¯s heart was still violently fluctuating.


    Lin Twelve, the Defense Envoy of Wang City, the rising star of the secret police who was about to take charge, was actually Lin Rui!


    So, his previous contact with Xue Lingxue was actually to probe his character?


    This indicates that what Lin Rui values most is safety.


    Zhou Yunfei¡¯s expression became even more sincere, ¡°That¡¯s how it should be, young Rui.


    ...


    When you work in our security department in the future, you will need this kind of caution all the more.


    Rest assured!


    Zhou always believes that integrity is the foundation of being human, and astuteness is essential for success.


    ¡°Our security forces in the East Asian Republic have always followed traditions of prioritizing safety, secrecy, discipline, caution, and credibility.


    Go to novgo.co


    We will do everything possible to protect our agents.


    We believe that in the security department, betrayal and deception cannot last long.


    We can¡¯t let our brothers and comrades feel disheartened.¡±


    Lin Rui wouldn¡¯t easily believe what others said.


    However, Minister Zhou¡¯s instruction to Xue Lingxue to reject him showed that the minister wasn¡¯t just offering lip service.


    Lin Rui offered such significant benefits, yet Zhou Yunfei still unequivocally refused, which shows that the minister¡¯s character can be trusted.


    Come, let¡¯s sit down and talk.


    I¡¯m very curious.


    How did you become the Defense Envoy of the imperial secret police, Rui?


    How did you get through the highly challenging Heavenly Demon Test?


    I¡¯m completely baffled right now.


    The Heavenly Demon Test has troubled us for many years.


    Although some have passed, no one has ever managed to deceive their Guardian War Dragons, so I never considered this possibilitya?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui was very open and told Zhou Yunfei about everything since his arrival in great detail.


    There was nothing to hide, and even the irrational parts could be explained by his extraordinary talents.


    After listening, Zhou Yunfei was secretly astonished.


    This guy managed to master the ¡®Transforming Muscles and Bones¡¯ to a great degree within just a few days?


    Was that even possible for a human?


    However, it wasn¡¯t just his talent that had brought this child so far.


    Aside from his gift for cultivation, Lin Rui¡¯s courage, wisdom, and adaptability were indispensable.


    The Olin Club served their dishes promptly at 6:00, and the atmosphere at the banquet became even more congenial.


    One side was eager to woo and showed heartfelt sincerity; the other was inclined to rely on the other and was open and honest, with Professor Han there to guide the conversation and harmonize the mood, resulting in a happy gathering of host and guest.


    Finally, when it came to Lin Rui¡¯s treatment, Zhou Yunfei was straightforward.


    He waved his hand generously, ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do: I will personally recruit Lin Rui into the security bureau, granting him the military rank of Major General in the security bureau.


    All of his benefits and responsibilities will be the same as those of our combat-ready Major Generals.


    ¡°I will establish a 3S level Third Special Operations Department within the ¡®Secretariat¡¯ directly under my control, with Lin Rui as the head of the department.


    Its main duty will be to ensure Lin Rui¡¯s safety on Tianji Star, investigate, and handle any affairs that affect the safety of Lin Twelve¡¯s mission on Tianji Star.


    In addition, this department will have all the rights and responsibilities of the Secretariat.¡±

 Chapter 250

    ?Chapter 250: Chapter 238: A Perfect Match (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 250: Chapter 238: A Perfect Match (Please Subscribe)_2 Lin Rui and Professor Han looked at each other in utter surprise upon hearing these words.


    Especially Professor Han, who was particularly astonished.


    In fact, before Lin Rui¡¯s arrival, he had already hinted to his old classmate.


    He had not expected Zhou Yunfei to offer half a rank higher treatment on this basis.


    And the responsibilities of this key position were significant.


    In theory, after obtaining authorization from Zhou Yunfei, they could intervene in all matters related to the Ninth Base City.


    Professor Han looked at Zhou Yunfei with a doubtful expression, ¡°Directly granting the military rank of Major General in the Security Bureau?


    ...


    Can this be done?¡±


    It was known that Zhou Yunfei himself was only a Brigadier General, and his position within the Ninth Division was not very stable.


    In his opinion, it would have been quite impressive if Zhou Yunfei could secure the rank of Brigadier General for Lin Rui.


    ¡°This is not a matter to be decided by me alone,¡± Zhou Yunfei glanced at Professor Han, ¡°If we want to ensure that Lin Twelve¡¯s matters are completely fail-safe, the chief¡¯s war dragon must take action.


    Do you think all those astrologers of the Great Song Dynasty are just for show?


    Only a Ninth Realm Divine Illuminator can suppress fate for him.¡±


    Did his old friend really think that passing the Heavenly Demon Test would settle everything?


    Go to novgo.co@@@@


    In fact, even a Ninth Realm Divine Illuminator might not be safe, for once they saw Lin Twelve¡¯s chaotic fate, they would know there was an issue.


    However, Lin Rui also had an advantage since he was connected with three abyssal entities and was proficient in four abyssal concepts.


    With the interference of abyssal will, it was normal for astrologers not to see the traces of his fate.


    Professor Han¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed, realizing he had forgotten about those astrologers of the Great Song Dynasty, whose abilities were no less than the various grand models of forecast used by the Federation.


    Now that Lin Rui had reached the high position of Commander of the Assassination Bureau, not only would various major institutions including the Security Bureau within the Federation be closely monitoring him, but the native forces of the Polar Extreme Star would also be observing every single move of Lin Twelve.


    In due course, astrologers would definitely act on behalf of Lin Twelve to observe the traces of his fate.


    Once they saw something, the situation would become complicated.


    Professor Han looked puzzled, ¡°Isn¡¯t your chief already in slumber?


    I heard he was cooperating with the East Asian Science Academy on an experiment to see if he could break through to the Tenth Realm of Longevity.


    Isn¡¯t it bad to awaken him now?¡±


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s allocate 5 billion Federation dollars for this year, start by transferring 500 million Federation dollars to your Third Special Operations Division account, and you can apply to me for subsequent use.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei figured that allocating this money in Lin Rui¡¯s name, even if the boss found out afterward, he probably would not be too angry.


    novgo.co


    ¡°To ensure that Lin Twelve¡¯s identity is completely secure, I think it¡¯s necessary to draw a 6A action team from the Second Base into the Third Special Operations Division, along with four 5A action teams and two 5A Variant Agent teams.


    What do you think?


    To ensure safety, the Third Special Operations Division needs to apply for nine ¡®Jianlong¡¯ Type-6 combat robots, plus three ¡®Jianlong¡¯ Type-7sa?€¡±¡±


    Seeing Lin Rui nodding vaguely, Zhou Yunfei smiled and said a lot more, then entered information into his personal smart terminal, ¡°There we go, this is you accepting our Security Bureau¡¯s recruitment terms, right?


    I can make the decision on behalf of the boss and say yes!


    Lin Rui, is there anything else you need?


    Feel free to ask.¡±


    Lin Rui pondered, where do I have so many requests?


    Even if I had any, I wouldn¡¯t dare to make them.


    A newcomer like me, making such requests without fearing that the superiors would find him insatiable?


    But he gradually caught on and kept silent.


    Lin Rui realized that these resources and funds, though nominally belonging to his Third Special Operations Division, were actually in Zhou Yunfei¡¯s hands.


    They were not given for him.


    Professor Han silently watched his old classmate, thinking this old Zhou was indeed bold.


    From this, it was apparent that he had indeed suffered significant losses a few months ago.


    Not until Zhou Yunfei¡¯s voice trailed off did Lin Rui speak up, ¡°Uncle Zhou, I¡¯d like some recruitment authority for lieutenant colonels in the Security Bureau, the higher the security clearance, the better.


    Also, would you let Xue Lingxue be my assistant?¡±


    Now he needed to attend to several fronts and surely didn¡¯t have much time to focus on this Third Special Operations Division, and at times like this, a trustworthy assistant was needed.


    Zhou Yunfei¡¯s lips curved slightly at the words, thinking this suited him well, ¡°Alright!


    I¡¯ll have her come to you tomorrow.¡±


    He had previously decisively rejected Lin Twelve¡¯s condition to acquire Xue Lingxue, but now he agreed without hesitation.


    With Xue Lingxue overseeing this Third Special Operations Division, Zhou Yunfei felt very reassured.


    Lin Rui willingly asking to take little Xue over was a great thing.

 Chapter 251

    ?Chapter 251: Chapter 239: Gathering Clouds (Three more updates, seeking monthly passes) Chapter 251: Chapter 239: Gathering Clouds (Three more updates, seeking monthly passes) Xue Lingxue crawled out of the sleeping pod, her whole body icy cold.


    Her Celestial Polar Star extraterrestrial body had waited outside the yamen in Wang City until the small hours of the night.


    novgo.co


    Xue Lingxue still wanted to try to persuade Lin Twelve, asking him for another chance to meet, but she had not succeeded.


    Although Xue Lingxue had bribed the gatekeeper heavily twice to deliver her message, there had been no results.


    Instead, the gatekeeper was scolded by someone inside the yamen and afterwards, dared not speak to her again.


    She could only terminate the mission, place her extraterrestrial body at a safe location, and then her main consciousness returned to the Celestial Polar Star.


    ...


    Upon returning, Xue Lingxue¡¯s eyes were red, and she felt like crying from being wronged.


    Even though she was covered in sticky nutrient fluid, she had no desire to bathe, instead squatting next to the sleeping pod, curling her delicate body into a ball.


    Xue Lingxue also believed that it was her own fault that the mission had failed.


    If another extraterrestrial agent had gone to contact Lin Twelve, the situation would definitely have been different.


    This mission had been very important to Minister Zhou, yet she had botched it.


    Moreover, her experiences over the past months had greatly disheartened her.


    Three months ago, when Xue Lingxue learned of the tragic death of her entire family, she nearly collapsed.


    Go to novgo.co


    It was only the thought of revenge that kept her going, yet in the three months since her reassignment, Xue Lingxue¡¯s work and life had been far from smooth.


    She was alienated by her colleagues at the East District Police and experienced problems in her surveillance of the Lin family, repeatedly being made a fool of by that scoundrel Lin Rui.@@@@


    She also made no progress in avenging them; her attempts to investigate the Blood Lizard Gang and the Wicked Pirates were repeatedly thwarted by senior officials at the East District Police, never bearing fruit.


    Thinking of her parents and the two brothers who died alongside them, Xue Lingxue felt an ever-growing chill enveloping her, a mix of indescribable solitude and guilt surrounding her.


    It was then that Xue Lingxue received a message from Zhou Yunfei.


    Zhou Yunfei: Lingxue, given the change in the situation, the task of monitoring the Lin family and Despair Heavenly Girl is officially over.


    You do not need to go to the police station tomorrow.


    Effective immediately, you are reassigned to the Third Special Operations Branch of the Confidential Department to serve as the assistant to the head of department.


    Upon reading the message, Xue Lingxue hastily wiped her tears and responded.


    Xue Lingxue: Understood, Minister!


    Simultaneously, doubts arose in Xue Lingxue¡¯s mind.


    Had Minister Zhou given up on monitoring Lin Rui and Despair Heavenly Girl?


    Also, wasn¡¯t there no Third Special Operations Branch in the Confidential Department?


    As far as she knew, the minister-controlled Confidential Department had only two Special Operations Branches and three Operations Branches; there was no Third Special Operations Branch.


    Zhou Yunfei: The Third Special Operations Branch is a new division created by the Ninth Division, the head of department is personally recruited by me, and he is an old friend of yours.


    Prepare yourself and go to this location to meet your head of department tomorrow.


    Your task will be to fully assist him in building up the Third Special Operations Branch in the shortest possible time.


    Zhou Yunfei also sent a location to her.


    A look of astonishment appeared in his eyes: ¡°Such high authority, such powerful equipment!


    They even have three J-7 Dragon annihilators.


    General, I checkeda?€¡±the decision to establish the Third Special Operations Department was issued by the second commander-in-chief.


    But the second commander-in-chief is in hibernation.


    Could it be the work of General Zhou?


    Has he gone mad?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I even suspect Zhou Yunfei has gone mad, or is cornered like a desperate dog.


    Undertaking such an action, isn¡¯t he afraid the chief will completely disavow him once he awakens?¡±


    As he spoke, Zhang Long put down his coffee cup, stood up from his seat, and said, ¡°You get ready too.


    I¡¯ve already contacted the logistics office to arrange a transport ship.


    We will be leaving for the Ninth Base City in an hour!¡±


    Although Zhang Long was not satisfied with the level of the Third Special Operations Department, he was very interested in the department¡¯s strength and authority.


    In terms of actual power, this was much stronger than his current position as the leader of the 6A action group under the headquarters¡¯ Special Service Center.


    Moreover, in the Ninth Base, there was a case that had occupied his attention for a long time.


    Three months ago, the extermination of the Xue family had just begun to be investigated by Zhang Long when he was suddenly transferred by a document order.


    Zhang Long speculated that someone higher up did not want him to dig deeper, but unfortunately, he was not affiliated with the Ninth Division at the time, and his objections led nowhere.


    But now, he could go examine what really happened in that case.


    Zhang Long estimated that the department might not last long, and Zhou Yunfei was bound to meet his end eventually, but by then, he would have to return to the Special Service Center.


    However, this period was already enough for him to deal with the case.


    Meanwhile, in the office of a deputy minister at the security bureau¡¯s Ninth Division, a white-haired old man with the rank of general also saw the directive issued by the second commander-in-chief.


    ¡°Establishing the Third Special Operations Department?


    Mobilizing so much power, is he trying to make a desperate move?¡±


    The white-haired old man lay back in his office chair with a disdainful expression, casually watching the night scene of the Ninth Base City through the floor-to-ceiling window.


    ¡°The second commander-in-chief will wake up in five months.


    I¡¯m curious how you¡¯re going to explain this to him then.


    What authority do you have to establish the Third Special Operations Department?


    And under what pretense?


    When your commander-in-chief awakens, how will you face the interrogation of the National Security Committee?


    Are you going to admit he granted his powers privately to his old acquaintances?


    Interesting.¡±


    The white-haired old man twisted his neck, causing a series of ¡®cracking¡¯ sounds: ¡°But, speaking of my personality, it has its flawsa?€¡±no patience at alla?€¡±¡±


    Curious as the white-haired old man was, he had no interest in waiting five more months.


    The security bureau¡¯s Ninth Division was his in the past, it was his now, and it would still be his in the future!

 Chapter 252

    ?Chapter 252: Chapter 240 Iron Fist (Please Subscribe) Chapter 252: Chapter 240 Iron Fist (Please Subscribe) The next morning at dawn, Xue Lingxue got up early, made herself neat and tidy, and put on a crisply ironed lieutenant colonel¡¯s uniform before heading out the door.


    When she arrived at her destination by taxi, she first observed the eight-story building in front of her, as well as the surrounding environment.


    This was a very old office building, located right across from the east back gate of Mingde University.@@@@


    As Mingde University held a leading position in the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine, a large number of pharmaceutical and chemical companies had gathered near the university, creating a bustling and prosperous industrial cluster and business district.


    However, this old office building had not benefited from this development.


    One reason was that this area used to be an industrial zone before Mingde University expanded and turned it into a business district.


    The facilities inside the building were not only outdated but also lacked specialization.


    ...


    Secondly, the location was rather far from any of the four urban rail stations near Mingde University, so despite its proximity to the university, the office building had never been favored by pharmaceutical companies.


    Even real estate developers hadn¡¯t shown any interest in this 18,000-square-meter office building.


    Due to considerations such as floor-area ratio, lighting, transportation, and various pipelines, it was not feasible to construct buildings over 28 meters tall in this area.


    Moreover, the chemical substances and radiation levels in the surrounding area had always exceeded standards, rendering any renovation plans unprofitable.


    And just yesterday, Zhou Yunfei had signed off on funding to acquire ownership of this office building, which would serve as the headquarters of the Third Special Action Section.


    After taking a look around, Xue Lingxue rode the elevator to the sixth floor of the office building.


    All the other floors of the office building were rented out, with only the sixth floor still vacant.


    Go to novgo.co


    Xue Lingxue thought about the tenants inside the building and couldn¡¯t help feeling a headache coming on, suspecting that the troublesome task of clearing out the tenants would mostly likely fall to her.


    Moreover, why had the minister chosen to locate the headquarters of the Third Special Action Section near Mingde University?


    Considering all factors such as safety, transportation, networking, lodging, and more in the surrounding area, this location wasn¡¯t bad, but it wasn¡¯t the best either.


    As she pondered, she walked deeper into the building.


    This floor used to house a pharmaceutical company, which had vacated two months prior, moving out all their office furniture, though their renovations remained.


    When Xue Lingxue entered, her gaze was one of astonishment, for she sensed a very familiar presence inside.


    ¡°Lin Rui?¡±


    Xue Lingxue immediately walked towards the office¡¯s largest room and pushed the door open, indeed seeing Lin Rui¡¯s tall figure standing in front of the glass curtain wall inside.


    Xue Lingxue was utterly perplexed, wondering what Lin Rui was doing there.


    The key point was that besides Lin Rui, there was no one else inside this floor.


    She approached Lin Rui with a skeptical expression, ¡°Lin Rui, what are you doing here?


    Is there something going on?¡±


    This guy couldn¡¯t just be wandering around and end up here, right?


    Lin Rui, wearing sunglasses, glanced back at Xue Lingxue, ¡°Sister Xue, you¡¯re here.


    We¡¯ll talk later; we¡¯re still waiting for someone.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xue Lingxue became even more bewildered, wondering what Lin Rui meant by that.


    Did he know she was coming?


    Was he waiting for her?


    The problem was, the person she was supposed to meet today was her future immediate superior, the chief of the Third Special Action Section, a major general from the Security Bureau!


    ¡°Youa?€¡±¡±


    Xue Lingxue had just opened her mouth when she heard footsteps coming from outside.


    Judging by the sound, the steps were firm and powerful, rhythmic, somewhat reminiscent of her father.


    novgo.co


    As Xue Lingxue was thinking that perhaps this person might be the major general from the Security Bureau, she saw Zhang Long push the door and enter.


    But this wasn¡¯t enough to make this Lin Rui skyrocket to the rank of a Security Bureau Major General; Zhou Yunfei surely hadn¡¯t gone mad!


    However, seeing Xue Lingxue¡¯s reaction, he believed she must know the truth.


    Xue Lingxue had now come to her senses, her gaze at Lin Rui sharp as blades and spears!


    Now how could she not understand what happened yesterday, she was clearly played by this man, used by Lin Rui as a medium to test General Zhou.


    At this moment, Xue Lingxue wished she could charge forward and hammer this guy fiercely!


    However, Xue Lingxue, considering Lin Rui had already become her direct superior, and that she might not be able to defeat him now, could only suppress the rage in her heart, ¡°According to the large model prediction of the First Division¡¯s Intelligence Analysis Section, it is very likely that Lin Twelve, the defense envoy of Wang City, will be appointed as the Commander of the Golden Core Espionage Bureau today.


    This probability has risen to 92%.


    Additionally, according to intelligence, Lin Twelve has already caught the favor of the Third Divine Envoy and is about to become his personal disciple.¡±


    Xue Lingxue thought this was unbearably infuriating; she would go home in the next few days to make a voodoo doll of Lin Rui, and stick it with a thousand needles first!


    Unaware of Xue Lingxue¡¯s murderous gaze, Lin Rui, grinning, corrected, ¡°Your intelligence is outdated, I¡¯ve already received the amulet and seal impression from my master.


    Now, there¡¯s only the official discipleship ceremony left.¡±


    ¡°Espionage Bureau Commander?¡±


    Zhang Long¡¯s bear-like frame also shuddered slightly, his eyes brimming with extreme shock and awe.


    The Espionage Bureau?


    The one within the Imperial City?


    This young man before him is about to be appointed the Commander of the Espionage Bureau?


    And since this was a recent recruitment, that meant Lin Rui had not previously received any support from the Security Bureau and had reached this stage through his own abilities.


    Zhang Long had come to understand why Zhou Yunfei had taken such actions and had the courage to do so.


    What sort of luck did that guy have?


    He was already pushed to this point by his three deputies, yet at this moment he stumbled upon Lin Rui, an invaluable treasure, inadvertently securing a heaven-sent opportunity to turn the tides of a desperate situation.


    ¡°That is to say, the purpose of Zhou Yunfei establishing the Third Special Operations Division was to support and ensure the safety of your main body and alter ego during your operations in Star Extreme, right?¡±


    While speaking, Zhang Long felt a headache creeping in, sensing a mountainous pressure bearing down on him.


    Therefore, going forward, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t possibly reveal his identity in front of others, nor did he have much time to deal with the department¡¯s daily affairs, and would have to rely on his help in the future.


    Zhou Yunfei transferred him over here with the intention of making him a nanny to safeguard this newly appointed Security Major General?


    The problem is his new superior is about to become the ¡®Espionage Bureau Commander of the Imperial City¡¯!


    Should anything happen to this young man before him, the Commander-in-Chief, upon learning of it, might tear him to pieces and swallow him whole.


    ¡°In name, yes, but beyond that, the minister must have other considerations.


    Considering the power and authority of our division, it is very strong and extensive.¡±


    As Lin Rui spoke, his expression suddenly changed, and he opened the chat box of Lin Xi on his smart terminal.


    Just then, his sister Lin Xi had called several times in quick succession, evidently something urgent had come up.


    In front of Xue Lingxue and Zhang Long, it was inconvenient for him to take the call, so he used the chat system to inquire.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): What¡¯s the matter, Xi?


    Late Summer Thoughts (Lin Xi): The Security Bureau access you gave me has been very useful.


    I¡¯ve located the whereabouts of those Dead Eye people, and I¡¯ve even found the supercomputer location used by their hacker, Katusha.


    Judging by their movements these past few days, they seem to be planning to assassinate you during the opening ceremony.


    Lin Rui¡¯s spirits lifted upon seeing Lin Xi¡¯s response.


    He had finally tracked them down, and it seemed that this ¡®Dead Eye¡¯ Horn was intent on a mutual confrontation.


    Lin Rui¡¯s hand stroked his chin as he began to anticipate with eager eyes.


    The situation was different from a few days before; he would now show Horn that the authority of the Federal Government and the Security Bureau was inviolable!


    As a Major General of the Federal Security Bureau, it was his duty to deliver a righteous iron fist to these scoundrels riddled with crimes!

 Chapter 253

    ?Chapter 253: Chapter 241: Rough Paths (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 253: Chapter 241: Rough Paths (Seeking Subscriptions) In the evening, Horn, the sniper ¡®Death Sentence¡¯ Jiang Dong, and Dead Eye were rushing back to their temporary base in the lower district with the results they had observed near Mingde University.


    As soon as Horn entered the base, he couldn¡¯t wait to tear off the bionic mask from his face.


    His Disguise Technique was extremely sophisticated, combined with his unique Cultivation Technique, it could fool various high-tech holographic cameras into not recognizing whether he was disguised.


    However, wearing this type of bionic mask was indeed very uncomfortable since, to counteract the cameras¡¯ scanning, it was quite suffocating.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Katya?¡± Dead Eye Horn glanced inside the room, ¡°Still in deep dive state?¡±@@@@


    The deep dive state was a term unique to the hacker world, where, with the help of specific drugs and a nutrient pod, a hacker¡¯s mind could enter an undistracted state of focus, thus significantly increasing computational power.


    ¡°She¡¯s still diving.


    She¡¯s trying to hack into Sky Blue Company¡¯s ¡®Divine Guards¡¯ and ¡®Imperial Guard¡¯ combat robots,¡± someone replied, ¡°even if it could slightly hinder their actions it would be good, but her supercomputer ¡®Wanderer¡¯, though portable and mountable on a vehicle, is just average in computational power.¡±


    Mechanic Beros pulled out a tactical board: ¡°How about it, did you guys find anything?


    ...


    Any chance?¡±


    Without a word, Death Sentence Jiang Dong walked up to the tactical board and began drawing, ¡°As shown here, this is the best sniping position, if Lin Rui¡¯s abilities haven¡¯t changed, then as long as he delivers his speech that day and Horn can lure away the nearby defensive robots as planned, I have a 70% chance of assassinating him.


    However, my sniper rifle¡¯s firing speed and power are not sufficient, I need to add some gun accessories, about seventeen million federal coins.¡±


    Hearing this, Beros shrugged, as the sniper rifle accessories, with precision requirements at the micron level, were not something he could manufacture by hand.


    ¡°Also, the escape.


    Go to novgo.co


    There are no passages to the lower world within 800 meters of this sniping spot.


    Horn hurriedly forced open the lid of the nutrient pod and carried Katya out.


    But as he touched Katya¡¯s body, his heart sank as he sensed that there was no vitality left in her body.


    It was likely that her brain was fried in the cyberspace.


    They say some powerful hackers can directly interfere with a person¡¯s brain cells and spinal nerves through a neural connector.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Mechanic Beros was extremely shocked.


    The nutrient pod Katya was using for her deep dive was under his surveillance; if anything happened to the pod, it should have triggered an alarm.


    Beros looked at the two holographic cameras nearby and several internal defense weapons in the room, his face slightly pale.


    He realized that these cameras and the four small fully automated turrets had most likely been hacked.


    ¡°Such a formidable person!¡±


    Beros was inwardly alarmed.


    His defense systems were not connected to the external network; the only connection in this temporary base was Katya¡¯s deep dive nutrient pod.


    This meant the hacker had bypassed Katya, infiltrated unnoticed, first taken over all the defense systems of the temporary base, and then targeted Katya.


    Beros wanted to go to his workshop to check the situation on the server side but was dragged outside by Horn, ¡°This place has been compromised, we need to retreata?€¡±¡±


    While speaking, Horn activated his walkie-talkie.


    For security reasons, they had temporarily disabled the network functions of their smart terminals upon entering the temporary base.


    However, he had only just reached the base¡¯s main door when he heard a barrage of gunfire outside.

 Chapter 254

    ?Chapter 254: Chapter 241: Rough Paths (Please Subscribe) ¨C Part 2 Chapter 254: Chapter 241: Rough Paths (Please Subscribe) ¨C Part 2 Meanwhile, they heard the shouts of Mecha Pilot ¡®Axe¡¯ Lu Hong from the intercom, ¡°Horn, Broly is dead!


    It¡¯s the people from the Security Bureau!


    Ask what¡¯s going on!


    Outside there¡¯s an entire heavy-armed company of armed police, 20 type 4 heavy military Mechas, 20 combat robots, and the two exits on the east side have already been blocked off.


    Ask what¡¯s going on with Sanye.¡±


    The voice of the gunner, Daron, also came through, ¡°We¡¯re in trouble, my situation here is almost the same, there¡¯s also a heavy-armed company, all three exits have been blocked, and the defense system that Bolosi had set up with Katyusha didn¡¯t issue any warning at all.


    I can¡¯t hold on anymore, I must retreat now, Horna?€¡±¡±


    Just at that moment, another burst of intense gunfire sounded outside, the intercom crackled, and then Daron¡¯s voice was heard no more.


    Horn knew Daron had died, and his face involuntarily paled.


    ...


    As he sprinted rapidly, he didn¡¯t hesitate to activate the quantum communication system on his smart terminal to contact the Sanye mentioned by ¡®Axe¡¯ Lu Hong.


    This was their current protector, one of the big bosses of the Loyalty Gang, one of the most powerful underworld leaders of the lower district, not only commanding several thousand implanted Martial Artists but also possessing many powerful weapons, essentially a warlord of the underground world.


    Theoretically, these armed police should have passed through Sanye¡¯s territory regardless of which direction they came from but today, there had been no warning from Sanye¡¯s side at all.


    However, when Horn got through to Sanye, the response was a torrent of curses, ¡°What warning, what sign?


    I also wish someone had warned me!


    Go to novgo.co


    A madman has come from the Security Bureau, seems to be some kind of Major General, too crazy.¡±


    Just now, they first took control of all our holographic cameras and motion-sensing devices on Xinglong Street, then wiped out all our brothers at the Xinglong Hall!


    More than 170 people, all wiped out, understand?


    I don¡¯t have the capacity to worry about you right now.


    There was no warning at all.¡±


    Horn¡¯s heart sank upon hearing this.


    Xue Lingxue thought to herself that she indeed was looking at a madman, suspecting that Lin Rui had developed Armor Integration Syndrome.


    However, she immediately gathered her thoughts and said, ¡°Lin Rui, what you¡¯re doing is actually against the rules.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s against the rules about it?¡±


    As Lin Rui spoke, he took a bottle of soda from the fridge and guzzled it down, looking utterly content.


    He then asked in bewilderment, ¡°Weren¡¯t they violently resisting the law?


    Weren¡¯t they attacking the police with arms?


    More than a hundred people shooting at us like mad, it was practically an armed rebellion!


    We just found a massive amount of drugs and firearms insidea?€¡±over several tons of a new type of drug, more than 400 illegally modified firearms, and also human trafficking involved.


    If judged by the laws of the East Asian Republic, even condemning them to death a hundred times would not be enough.¡±


    Xue Lingxue was left speechless, yet she knew Lin Rui must have employed some other methods.


    It likely involved an unknown drug, stimulating these mentally unstable Armor-Wearing Martial Artists, making all of them fall into a frenzied state, losing their reason.


    Thus, the Federal Security Bureau had just surrounded the area, and before they could obtain a search warrant, these Martial Artists from Xinglong Hall started firing crazily at them, and the Security Bureau along with the armed police were forced to retaliate.


    However, Xue Lingxue couldn¡¯t say that, as she had discreetly taken blood samples from those Armor-Wearing Martial Artists for testing, and found no issues.


    At least the exoskeleton armor she was wearing didn¡¯t detect anything.


    Since last time she was framed by Lin Rui, Xue Lingxue had sold her armor and scraped together money for a new suit from Abyss Corporation, reputed for its strong anti-toxin capability, but her armor couldn¡¯t detect what drug Lin Rui had used.


    If it couldn¡¯t be detected, then this operation had no issues, and even if there were issues, it might be due to the criminals using a new type of drug or something else, but it was unrelated to them.


    Xue Lingxue, although a bit guilty about Lin Rui¡¯s unconventional methods of handling cases, was by no means a fool; she knew such matters must not be mentioned.


    Xue Lingxue had also fought in the battle earlier and thought the Armor-Wearing Martial Cultivators of Xinglong Hall deserved their grim fate, better off dead.


    At that moment, Lin Rui made a video call and got in touch with Zhang Long.


    ¡°General Zhang, how are things on your end?


    Have the Dead-eye Horn and his men been subdued?¡±


    Though Lin Rui took the operation to encircle Horn very seriously, he felt the 100 plus Armor-Wearing Martial Artists from ¡®Xinglong Hall¡¯ were a juicier target, hence he had assigned the task of capturing Dead-eye Horn to Major General Zhang Long.

 Chapter 255

    ?Chapter 255: Chapter 242 Sky Net (Three more updates for monthly passes) Chapter 255: Chapter 242 Sky Net (Three more updates for monthly passes) When Zhang Long watched Lin Rui in the video, his gaze was also very complicated.


    Since Lin Rui couldn¡¯t publicly reveal his identity, Zhang Long had to be the nominal commander-in-chief of this operation.


    Thus, Zhang Long also had the corresponding authority to review the situation here.


    He could now confirm that this immediate superior was indeed the murderer in the basement murder incident at Xue Bogao¡¯s place.


    Zhang Long thought to himself that this fellow had really changed a lot, originally when Lin Rui was in the basement, he must have been very nervous and guilty, but now he could kill each of the over ninety mechanized Martial Cultivators without changing his expression.


    Besides that, this person had somehow made all one hundred seventy people from Xinglong Hall fall into a state of mental frenzy.


    He had watched the combat video from there, and felt that something was very wrong.


    ...


    Those mechanized martial artists did indeed have some mental issues, but they were not insane enough to lose their reason completely.


    Their initiation of an attack on the Security Bureau at the beginning was very strange, simply because they had not managed to obtain a search warrant.


    At the end of the battle, when these people were at a disadvantage, they still had not planned to surrender, which made the situation even more bizarre.


    From the entirety of the battle, these people¡¯s manner of fighting also appeared very reckless.


    Zhang Long grew suspicious, so he had someone secretly take blood samples for testing, and the test results showed nothing out of the ordinary.


    This let him breathe a sigh of relief, but he also realized that this superior¡¯s means were exceedingly ruthless, almost reckless!


    ¡°Horn¡¯s team had a total of seven people, of whom four have already been dealt with.


    Go to novgo.co


    We have also captured Mechanic Beros.


    Only Dead-eye Horn and Death¡¯s Herald Jiang Dong managed to escape through their secretly dug channel,¡± he said.


    Zhang Long, with his hands behind his back, looked out of the command vehicle and a trace of severity appeared in his eyes, ¡°But the two of them are still inside our encirclement.


    They won¡¯t escape.


    According to the latest news, my assistant Fei Aibi has already caught up with Jiang Dong.¡±


    Zhang Long¡¯s main task was to lead a heavy-armored brigade to guard the surrounding thoroughfares and keep an eye on ¡®Third Master¡¯, to prevent this big boss of the Loyalty Gang from retaliating or interfering in their operations.


    He was not just any gang leader, but also an individual with tremendous strength as an underground warlord.


    Thus, Zhang Long also brought four Jielong-6 combat robots and one Jielong-7 to ensure the operation was foolproof.


    As Zhang Long was responding, he also sent over a brand-new 3D map.


    ¡°This is the location of Horn as predicted by the armed police force¡¯s staff, this person has entered the ventilation shaft through the tunnel they dug themselves, is now running inside the shaft, and has been wounded by our soldiers.


    He shouldn¡¯t be able to run for long,¡± he said.


    Lin Rui focused his gaze on the 3D map in front of him.


    It was evident that the heavy-armored brigade they had mobilized was quite formidable; they had already responded in time, changing the deployment of their forces to block all exits of the ventilation shafts.


    ¡°Understood, I hope you can bring me good news soon,¡± said Lin Rui.


    Now, with this authorization, most computers and databases online were virtually defenseless against her.


    Lin Xi, with her skills, authorization, and computational power combined, there was hardly a place she couldn¡¯t conquer.


    Shortly thereafter, Lin Xi¡¯s eyes narrowed: ¡°Brother, there is a problem with this place.


    I¡¯ve discovered that there¡¯s been an anomaly in the electricity supply in recent months and the air pressure data are also off.


    I suspect someone has tampered with the pipelines, illegally connecting electrical and gas pipes, likely establishing an illegal residential area nearby.¡±


    While speaking, she also sent a three-dimensional map to Lin Rui.


    At that moment, Lin Rui was browsing through the intelligence database of the Federal Security Bureau, looking up all information related to the Lin family members.


    In fact, he had started investigating from his first day on the job.


    Inside the Bureau, there was indeed a large amount of information about his parents, as well as Lin Xi and Lin Yi, and even himself, but all this information was classified under confidentiality level X.


    X meant unknown, and in the Federal Security Bureau¡¯s database, it represented the highest level of confidentiality, just beyond his 3S+ clearance.


    Although Lin Rui was slightly disappointed, he didn¡¯t give up.


    If he couldn¡¯t find information directly, he decided to start indirectly, from every person related to his parents, such as Xue Bogao and Professor Huangfu, including his uncle and grandfather; he was bound to find some clues.


    Lin Rui had indeed found something, such as a few papers by Professor Huangfu a?€¡± Lin Rui had rummaged through some of the professor¡¯s early published papers from the intelligence database.


    ¡°Longevity Project?


    Artificial Abyss?¡±


    Lin Rui, who had a certain foundation in biology, roughly understood the contents and was deeply shocked.


    Unfortunately, he could only access some papers published by Professor Huangfu from his early years; the majority of the research content the professor had done after becoming an academy member was still highly classified, at the X level of confidentiality.


    a?€¡± at the same level as those pertaining to his own Lin family.


    Just then, Lin Rui received a message from Lin Xi.


    He narrowed his eyes and looked at the three-dimensional map sent by Lin Xi.


    Lin Rui let out a slight cold laugh and dropped his face armor: ¡°Sister Xue, handle things here.


    I need to check something out.


    I¡¯ll be right back!¡±


    As he finished speaking, he grabbed a new Type-5 combat sword, opened the armored vehicle¡¯s door, and leaped out.


    Xue Lingxue, however, could hardly feel at ease.


    She knew her most important duty was to watch over Lin Rui and protect the safety of her superior.


    She hastily handed over the task she was dealing with remotely to Zhang Long and also jumped out of the vehicle, chasing after Lin Rui¡¯s figure.


    novgo.co


    Right behind them, two four-legged combat robots, ¡®Destroyer¡¯ Type-6, also took off into the air, flanking them on both sides.

 Chapter 256

    ?Chapter 256: Chapter 243: Battle Again (Subscribe Please) Chapter 256: Chapter 243: Battle Again (Subscribe Please) Lin Rui and Lin Xi had just terminated their communication when ¡°Dead Eye¡± Horn was fully exerting True Yuan, shuttling through the foul-smelling sewer like a fleeting shadow.


    He had indeed sustained injuries, having been hit in the chest by bomb guns carried by the armed police.


    It was a type of heavy individual weapon specifically used to launch micro-armor-piercing rocket rounds, which had penetrated his exoskeleton armor with two shots.


    However, Horn had already treated his wounds and had injected medicine to stop the bleeding.


    He abandoned that set of exoskeleton armor, which was now carrying his blood and mimicking his scent to lure the pursuers away.


    This was the last chance he had bought for himself to escape alive; his survival depended on this final move.


    Horn was fully concealing his scent, and his movements were agile and precise, his footsteps on the water not even causing a ripple to avoid making noise and attracting the armed police.


    ...


    About one minute later, Horn heard a distant explosion.@@@@


    The exoskeleton armor must have been found by the armed police.


    Horn had set the combat AI in the armor so that it would self-destruct at the first sign of capture.


    By then, Horn had reached a wall marked with an ¡®X¡¯.


    a?€¡± This is it!


    Behind this wall lay a tunnel, illegally excavated by immigrants, to route electrical wires and gas pipelines.


    The ¡®X¡¯ mark had been made by Mechanic Bolosi.


    Go to novgo.co


    Unfortunately, the current Bolosi was most likely dead at the hands of the armed police, his team completely annihilated.


    Horn broke through the half-meter-thick cave wall with a punch and stepped into the broken tunnel.


    But as soon as he entered, his form stiffened slightly, and he looked incredulously toward his left.


    There stood a person in the ¡®Tianyu¡¯ Model 5 standard exoskeleton armor of the Federal Security Bureau, quietly standing inside the cavern, looking at him with a slightly mocking gaze.


    Horn¡¯s heart turned cold as ice.


    He had just been separated from this person by a half-meter-thick wall but had completely failed to detect their presence.


    What alarmed him even more was that the assertive aura of the knife, the unusual stance, the slightly hunched body, and the knife-holding hand all felt eerily familiar to him.


    ¡°Are you Lin Rui?¡±


    Horn recognized Lin Rui¡¯s style with the knife, an engraving memory, unforgettable even if turned to ashes.


    That day on the orbital train, Lin Rui was in the same sword-drawing pose and nearly disarmed one of his arms!


    The nearby walls were also filled with various printed talismans.


    Horn was utterly puzzled as to how this guy could appear here.


    Horn¡¯s gaze then turned sharp, ¡°Did this matter have something to do with you?¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t know what Lin Rui¡¯s connection to the Federal Security Bureau was or how Lin Rui found them, Horn instinctively judged that this scum must be involved with today¡¯s events.


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    Lin Rui thought that both parties were aggressively converging; if it wasn¡¯t for Horn¡¯s group who wanted to assassinate him during the opening ceremony, Lin Xi might not have been able to locate these people so quickly.


    Knowing that villains who talk too much end up dead, he wasn¡¯t planning to waste words.


    At that moment, he simply chuckled, ¡°Ready to die, scum?¡±


    Dead Eye Horn¡¯s eyes also held a cold sneer, his hands tightly gripping a pair of Type 6 pistols at his waist.


    novgo.co


    His previous favorite gun had been cut by Lin Rui, rendering it unusable.


    This pair of ¡®Dead Line¡¯ Type 6 pistols was heavily purchased by Dead Eye Horn for this mission.


    Horn looked at Lin Rui with extremely resentful eyes, and only when he felt Lin Rui¡¯s knife stop inside him did he finally speak, ¡°During our employer¡¯s transfer, Katiusza was closely monitoring the financial flows of various underground banks, and she noticed that our employer¡¯s funds came from the ¡®Maternal and Child Healthcare Fund,¡¯ which I had encountered before and happened to know the background of.¡±


    With a cold laugh, he said almost word for word, ¡°My employer is likely a high priest of the Guang Ming Sacred Sect!¡±


    Horn wasn¡¯t interested in keeping secrets for his employer and even looked forward to conflict between the two sides.


    The Federal Guang Ming Sacred Sect originated from within Tianji Star and is a human branch of the Guang Ming Sacred Sect of Tianji Star.


    After 200 years of development, it now has a significant number of followers and considerable influence in fourteen base cities of the Federation.


    He was looking forward to Lin Rui seeking revenge, as whoever died or was injured in the process was something he was happy to see.


    ¡°Guang Ming Sacred Sect?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils rapidly dilated, but he soon regained his indifferent demeanor, ¡°Transfer all the video records from your smart terminal bracelet from before and after that assassination, as well as those from the past three months, to me.¡±


    Horn had no objections and began operating without a second thought.


    He was a loner; there were no secrets in the videos from the last three months that he was concerned about people seeing.


    By now, Horn¡¯s painless suicide chip had begun to take effect, and the light in his eyes was fading.


    However, Horn¡¯s smart terminal bracelet was still following its master¡¯s orders to transfer the videos.


    Lin Rui quickly opened the video records from around 11 AM on June 1st, the day he was assassinated, and started watching them.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression became tense as, in those videos, he saw someone he recognized.


    a?€¡±That was Xue Bogao!


    Just after Lin Rui was declared dead and Horn withdrew, he saw a stout middle-aged man hurry towards the same alley where Lin Rui had died.


    ¡°Xue Bogao?¡±


    Lin Rui recalled Horn¡¯s earlier statementa?€¡±¡¯It couldn¡¯t possibly be that guy¡¯a?€¡±and figured that Xue Bogao might be the one Horn referred to.


    He thought about the many secrets this War Spirit Number 1 might still hold.


    He also remembered the small database he had taken from Xue Bogao¡¯s basement.


    Lin Rui had not dared to let Lin Xi crack this device, fearing that Lin Xi might discover something incredible that would reveal he was not ¡°Lin Rui.¡±


    Yet, he was still curious about what exactly was inside this small database?


    Lin Rui then shook his head and put his thoughts aside.


    He just wanted to know how he had died and what enemy was targeting him, and now he had his answers.


    So the small database was better off buried in the ground.


    Unknown to Lin Rui, Xue Lingxue, who was far away, was quietly retracting a highly expensive ¡°super stealth nano-drone.¡±


    Xue Lingxue was responsible for protecting Lin Rui and would not let him be isolated and unsupported out of her sight.


    However, her nano-bot might have heard something explosive.


    ¡°Guang Ming Sacred Sect, huh?¡±


    Xue Lingxue pondered for a moment before destroying the data inside the drone.


    Now that she had stopped her surveillance mission of Lin Rui and become his assistant, she couldn¡¯t touch some matters and must leave no evidence that could be used against Lin Rui.


    Just like the footage of Lin Rui illegally interrogating Horn.


    Coincidentally, in a secret base, Lin Xi was also clearing the database and super-computer of Katiusza of information.


    Mainly, the traces of her online battles with Katiusza.


    Hunting Katiusza was legal, but Lin Xi did not want to expose her presence or her hacking abilities.


    Lin Xi then replayed a few videos copied from Katiusza, watching them over and over.


    Her pupils showed a hint of suspicion, ¡°Xue Bogao?¡±


    After Lin Rui¡¯s death, the body must have ended up with Xue Bogao, but what did Xue Bogao do with Lin Rui¡¯s body afterwards?

 Chapter 257

    ?Chapter 257: Chapter 244 Proper Guidance (Please Subscribe) Chapter 257: Chapter 244 Proper Guidance (Please Subscribe) When Lin Rui returned to the riot armored vehicle once more, he felt refreshed and unburdened in his soul.


    He felt that he had avenged the true Lin Rui and had done him justice, laying down an invisible burden within his heart and mind.


    As for the employer of ¡°Dead Eye¡± Horna?€¡±the Chief Priest of the Guang Ming Holy Churcha?€¡±he could leave the investigation to others for now.


    If they find him, they¡¯d take him down!


    In the base city, Lin Rui¡¯s power had already exceeded that of the extraterrestrial beings from Tianji Star.


    He put away his face shield and took a bottle of soda from the refrigerator to drink.


    ¡°Xue Lingxue, I see that your condition is almost at the fifth realm, and your mutation is nearing its maturation.


    ...


    Why suddenly decide to seal your mutation?


    And you haven¡¯t implanted the ¡®Zhi Armor Dragon Carapace¡¯ yeta?€¡±is there a reason?


    Surely it¡¯s not for lack of money?¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s cheeks twitched ever so slightly upon hearing ¡®Xue Lingxue,¡¯ feeling a surge of frustration and irritation deep within, as if nursing a grave internal injury.


    In reality, she did not mind others calling her ¡®Xue Lingxue,¡¯ as it made her seem younger.


    But Lin Rui used to call her Sister Xue!


    She had been writing an action report for Lin Rui, but now she threw the report into the recycle bin, annoyed.


    Go to novgo.co


    Let him write his own report!


    With an even tone, Xue Lingxue replied, ¡°General, I sealed my mutation because of a job transfer, and I haven¡¯t implanted the Zhi Armor Dragon Carapace due to insufficient spiritual power.


    I can¡¯t bear the burden.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t short on money.


    Her family left her a substantial inheritance, even enough to support her cultivation to the sixth realm and transform into a dragon with ease.


    And all because that money was originally intended for her siblings to prepare for their own Zhi Armor Battle Dragon.


    ¡°Insufficient spiritual power?


    I fear it¡¯s not that simple.¡± Lin Rui sipped his soda with a smirk in his eyes.


    ¡°Could it be a problem with your mental state?


    Your mutation is showing signs of demonic transformation, isn¡¯t it?


    Is it related to that incident that happened in your family three months ago?¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s complexion abruptly changed, and all color drained from her face.


    Her mutation was indeed on the verge of demonic transformation, and she dared not use it anymore.


    Extreme sorrow and hatred had caused her mutation genes to exhibit signs of sudden change, forcing Xue Lingxue to constantly use an enormous amount of spiritual power to suppress it.


    In particular, the entire thirteen tons of narcotics and over 100 missing girls found in Xinglong Hall could significantly ease the public pressure faced by him and the Security Bureau.


    This new Third Special Operations Division he had set up with special methods was now firmly on its feet after just one operation.


    Lin Rui¡¯s attitude, however, was very proper, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the Minister¡¯s competent guidance and the maximum support provided to our Third Special Operations Division.¡±


    ¡°You, you!¡± Zhou Yunfei let out a laugh and pointed at Lin Rui, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that with me; as long as you get the job done and handle it well, you don¡¯t need any of those formalities with me.¡±


    This time, Lin Rui had indeed handled things very properly.


    Zhou had already checked everything; although the reaction of the Martial Artists in Xinglong Hall was strange, the drug tests had no issues.


    Which meant, the Federal Security Bureau¡¯s self-defense retaliation and raid into Xinglong Hall had no procedural issues, even without a search warrant.


    Zhou Yunfei knew that Lin Rui had unconventional methods but didn¡¯t care.


    He himself had nearly been driven into a corner; why observe the rules with others who had never regarded such rules with him?


    What he needed now was a bold and brave fighter like Lin Rui.


    ¡°Lin Rui, the bureau plans to publicize these two cases, but due to the need to keep your identity a secret, we can¡¯t highlight the main organizer of the operations.


    What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I understand, Minister!¡± Lin Rui quickly replied, ¡°My identity does indeed need to be kept secret.


    Please proceed as you see fit; my concerns shouldn¡¯t be taken into account.¡±


    ¡°Very good!


    novgo.co


    Rest assured, your contributions will still be recorded, and neither the Security Bureau nor I will fail to reward you.¡±


    Zhou nodded in satisfaction, then instructed Xue Lingxue, ¡°Xue Lingxue, write me a report on this operation.


    Lin Rui hasn¡¯t been through the formal training of the Security Bureau and might not understand some things; you¡¯ll have to help him out a bit more.¡±


    After saying that, he hung up the call, and Xue Lingxue, feeling as uncomfortable as if she had swallowed a fly, dragged the document out from the recycle bin.


    Xue Lingxue was relieved that she hadn¡¯t shredded the file in the recycle bin earlier.


    However, considering that Lin Rui had prescribed medication for her, which showed a bit of conscience, Xue Lingxue no longer felt as upset as before.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was shaking a soda bottle, ¡°But Xue Lingxue, though my prescription can help soothe your spirit, it¡¯s only a temporary fix and not a cure.


    The real trouble will start when you transform into a dragon.¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s delicate body trembled slightly before she continued to focus on her writing.


    She knew Lin Rui was right, that to truly find a cure, she needed to quell her inner demons.


    At the same time, she also felt a bit of anticipation for the prescription Lin Rui had given her.


    If the prescription could even temporarily ease her condition, it would be a very pleasant surprise.


    After handling today¡¯s official duties, she was planning to try it out immediatelya?€¡±eager to see just how effective the prescription from the disciple of Grandmaster Huangfu and Professor Sima really wasa?€¡±

 Chapter 258

    ?Chapter 258: Chapter 245: Revival (Subscribe Please) Chapter 258: Chapter 245: Revival (Subscribe Please) That night, after Xue Lingxue had dealt with all her official duties and returned to her apartment with exhaustion, it was already 8 p.m.


    Upon entering, she casually turned on the TV.


    This was a habit her father had instilled in her, for as a government official, she needed to be constantly aware of current affairs.


    The TV was broadcasting news about Lin Rui.


    Xue Lingxue first visited the Tianlan Group¡¯s website and bought some medicine according to the prescription Lin Rui had written for her.


    Then, she listened to the news while taking a bath.


    ¡°Today, Mingde University held a press conference.


    ...


    The university¡¯s scientific expedition team, led by Professor Han Kedao, recently achieved significant scientific accomplishments on the planet Tianji Stara?€¡±After braving harsh conditions and cultivating deep roots for three years, and enduring great hardships and dangers, Professor Han Kedao¡¯s team returned to the Earth Federation with parts of the ¡®Abyssal War Dragon¡¯s¡¯ carcass and a substantial amount of abyssal essence.


    This has shocked both the scientific expedition and scientific communities and is expected to contribute greatly to the advancement of biological science in the Federation in the near futurea?€¡±¡±


    ¡°Urgent news from our station, according to the Security Bureau, at 7:13 p.m.


    tonight, the Federal Security Bureau, under the directive of General Zhou Yunfei of the Armed Police Force, launched a heavy strike against an underground drug trafficking group and engaged in battle with them on Xinglong Street in the lower district.


    a?€¡±During this battle, the Security Bureau and the Armed Police fought bravely, killing 175 armed attackers, seizing 13.7 tons of various drugs, confiscating over 400 firearms, and a total of 37 mechas and combat robots valued at 5.2 billion federal currency!


    Near Xinglong Street, they also discovered the SS-class assassin team led by the infamous Horna?€¡±¡±


    At this moment, Xue Lingxue¡¯s personal smart terminal received a new message.


    Go to novgo.co


    She opened it and found it was from a former classmate at the Third Public Security University, who also currently worked in the Security Bureau¡¯s ninth division.


    This was a colleague of hers.


    Misty Dust (Zhang Ruoying): Sister Xue, I just heard through the grapevine that the real reason you were transferred to the ninth division is due to the risk of mutation in the xenobe, which forced it to be sealed away?


    Xue Lingxue frowned slightly, wondering how even Zhang Ruoying knew about her xenobe¡¯s imminent risk of mutating.


    This matter was actually confidential, with a very high level of secrecy!


    The problem was that many of her colleagues had seen her driven to the brink of mutation by extreme sorrow and hatred at that time.


    Xue Lingxue knew it was most likely that someone among her colleagues had leaked the information.


    Three months ago, she was a rare four-realm super-king xenobe agent within the Security Bureau.


    Because she was nearing the risk of mutation, she had to extract two powerful bio-enhancements from her body, lowering her bio-enhancement grade to SS.


    Xue Lingxue was aware that in her past, relying on her formidable talent and youthful vigor, she had been too sharp and unyielding in her conduct and relations with others, not knowing how to restrain herself; hence, after the incident, many were eager to see her fail.


    Misty Dust (Zhang Ruoying): I don¡¯t mean anything by it, I¡¯m just worried about you.


    I also wanted to recommend a drug to you.


    Have you heard of ¡®Resonance,¡¯ a new drug produced by Taisu Company?


    It¡¯s really effective at alleviating bio-enhancement syndrome.


    Didn¡¯t I have problems with bio-enhancement syndrome before?


    Now, after using ¡®Resonance,¡¯ I have had no issues for three consecutive checks.


    Misty Dust (Zhang Ruoying): You really should give it a try.


    By the way, I¡¯m now an SS-grade Lieutenant Colonel, just like you!


    And I¡¯m the leader of a 4S team in the Xenobe Agent Bureau!


    Xue Lingxue then sat on the sofa and continued to study the personnel files of ranks below Major General on the Security Bureau¡¯s website.


    Uncle Zhang was right, the Third Special Operations Department really did need a large number of firm and reliable hands.


    Not long after, her medicinal tea was ready.


    Xue Lingxue poured a cup for herself and drank it somewhat absentmindedly.


    But just three minutes later, Xue Lingxue¡¯s delicate body trembled slightly, and an incredulous look appeared in her eyes.


    At that moment, her spirit and body felt relaxed like never before!


    It was as if a mountain had been lifted from her shoulders.


    At the same time, the cybernetic implants in her body were ¡®reviving.¡¯ They reconnected with Xue Lingxue¡¯s body and mind, becoming tightly integrated again.


    The feeling was like a rusty machine that had been lubricated, with all the previous stiffness, dullness, separation, and even resistance almost entirely gone.


    ¡°This isa?€¡±¡±


    Xue Lingxue could hardly believe it: ¡°This can¡¯t be possible!


    Is this the effect of the medicinal tea?


    Targeting both mental and implant rejection reactions at the same time, even the most top-tier medicine on the market couldn¡¯t do this, no!


    Not even one-tenth of the effect is possible.¡±


    She felt as if her current condition was not much different from three months ago.


    Xue Lingxue then put on her exoskeleton armor to test the composition of the medicinal tea.


    Her pupils dilated with even greater surprise: ¡°There are no stimulants, and it¡¯s not addictive!¡±


    This meant that it didn¡¯t have pharmacological addictiveness.


    Xue Lingxue predicted that she would psychologically rely heavily on this medicinal tea in the future.


    She promptly opened a chat window with Lin Rui.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Chief, where are you right now?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I¡¯m performing surgery on Tianji Star, why?


    novgo.co


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): I¡¯ll send my alternative self to find you.


    The medicinal tea you prescribed me was very effective, and I¡¯d like you to take a look at my alternative self as well.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Effective, right?


    Haha, I had to invoke Professor Huangfu¡¯s name.


    Come to this location to meet me, it¡¯s an underground base built by Professor Han.


    Be careful on the way, don¡¯t get followed.


    At that moment, Lin Rui was performing a biochip implantation surgery on Ji Xueying.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s case involved remaking a chip and required reimplanting identity information, so it was very complicated.


    For Ji Xueying, it was simpler, as all that was needed was a new biochip.


    He looked at Ji Xueying, who lay unconscious in the surgical pod, the corners of his lips curling up with an anticipatory smile.


    This girl was about to experience an information explosion that would shock her to the core.

 Chapter 259

    ?Chapter 259: Chapter 246: Dragon Molting (Subscribe Please) Chapter 259: Chapter 246: Dragon Molting (Subscribe Please) Xue Lingxue¡¯s alter ego, ¡°Feng Xueying,¡± encountered a little interlude on her way to the secret base; she met Fei Yunlai, a notorious fugitive wanted by the Great Song Empire.


    This guy was actually quite famous, having been on the Great Song Empire¡¯s wanted list for five years without any incidents.


    Wanted posters bearing his portrait were scattered all over the world, making it hard for Xue Lingxue not to recognize him.


    Besides, this man had recently been in close contact with Lin Rui, so Xue Lingxue had looked into Fei Yunlai¡¯s background.


    When Xue Lingxue saw Fei Yunlai, he was standing on a mountain peak, gazing to the south full of worries, lost in thought.


    Perhaps he was fretting over the interest on his loans?


    Xue Lingxue knew that this seemingly impressive military officer had actually sold his house and was on the brink of bankruptcy.


    ...


    Xue Lingxue intended to go in a different direction to avoid him, but Fei Yunlai¡¯s secretly hidden guardian demon detected her presence.


    Fei Yunlai looked towards her, ¡°You¡¯re an alter ego traveler as well?


    Are you here looking for Lin Rui?¡±


    The use of the secret base¡¯s surgical pod by Lin Rui for an operation, after being kicked out by Professor Han, had deeply wounded Fei Yunlai¡¯s pride.


    He too had once been Professor Han¡¯s pride, and who could Lin Rui be to warrant such secrecy and protection?


    Fei Yunlai had almost correctly guessed Lin Rui¡¯s alter ego¡¯s identity; the guy was likely also a part of the imperial inspection system of the Royal City, which is why he could move with Meng Weiyun.


    The guy could still blend in below the seventh rank, but once he was promoted to the sixth rank and had to undergo the Heavenly Demon Test, there would be trouble.


    Go to novgo.co


    Hearing this, Xue Lingxue remained silent, vigilant as she retreated.


    She was not about to reveal her identity to Fei Yunlai.


    After all, this man was a thorn in the empire¡¯s side; it was best not to become associated with him within the Tianji Star¡¯s internal affairs.


    Seeing her leave without a word, Fei Yunlai did not try to stop her; he only sighed to himself and continued to stand there, worried about next month¡¯s bank loan repayment.


    The installment interest and principal were now as high as 120 million federal coins per month, plus other expenses, totaling over 200 million federal coins each month.


    Back when his alter ego wasn¡¯t injured, the high mission income from Tianji Star was enough, and he could barely make ends meet.


    But now, his alter ego would take another two months to recover, and his real body couldn¡¯t get any good missions in the ninth city a?€¡° they were only worth ten to twenty million, nothing but chump change.


    If only he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have been so quick to spend the 600 million in federal coins he had scraped together by selling his house and car.


    Fei Yunlai was also struck by the memory of the 1.4 billion in federal coins that had slipped past him, which only added to his sadness.


    Xue Lingxue had already reached Professor Han¡¯s secret base.


    At that time, Lin Rui had just finished implanting a bio-chip into Ji Xueying and was closing up the surgical site.


    As Xue Lingxue watched his skilled and smooth operation, she thought that Lin Rui wasn¡¯t lying about his medical training under Academician Huangfu, Lin Cong¡¯s, and Si Malin¡¯s medical expertise and biological acumen.


    When Lin Rui opened the surgical pod, Ji Xueying opened her eyes, looking at Lin Rui with great anticipation.@@@@


    She was incredibly eager about the online world that her master had described; she could see what the Heavenly Demons¡¯ homeland in the legends was like, witness the dazzling civilization of Earth humans, and even communicate with her master from a distance.


    Lin Rui then chuckled lightly, ¡°Rest for four hours.


    You can connect to the network only after your condition has stabilized.¡±


    Lin Rui then extended his hand to Xue Lingxue, ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    Xue Lingxue obediently extended her hand, and after Lin Rui carefully sensed for a moment, he began to check the base¡¯s medical supplies.


    He found that Professor Han had prepared ample resources in the base, including various Tianji Star medicinal materials Lin Rui desired.


    ¡°Your condition is somewhat troublesome, with genetic mutations and dragon shedding intertwined; was it forcibly suppressed by drugs and a Marshal-level expert?


    Then, this body has also been frozen for several months.


    It¡¯s lucky you encountered me, otherwise this alter ego would have been wasted.¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s pupils dilated slightly; Lin Rui¡¯s assessment was spot on!


    The medical experts of the Security Bureau¡¯s system had also said her alter ego was beyond saving.


    This mission, too, relied entirely on medication for maintenance.


    Upon hearing Lin Rui¡¯s subsequent words, however, Xue Lingxue saw a glimmer of hope, ¡°Does that mean there¡¯s a possibility to save my alter ego, Chief Lin?


    What should I do next?¡±


    ¡°We need to perform surgery.¡±


    As Lin Rui spoke, he began concocting medication.


    Lin Rui was also concerned about Ji Xueying¡¯s ¡®cybernetic¡¯ integration.


    He had merely tentatively made a request to Zhou Yunfei, never expecting him to agree so promptly.


    However, Zhou also mentioned that Ji Xueying¡¯s cybernetic implants could only follow the rules of the Federal Security Bureau, with a 30% discount on the collective procurement list.


    This brought new financial pressure for Lin Rui, something he hadn¡¯t anticipated before.


    After all, if Ji Xueying needed a full set of cybernetic implants, it might cost tens of billions.


    With the subsequent stages of Dragon Transformation and full transformation looming, Lin Rui¡¯s scalp tingled at the thought.


    ¡°Awake?¡± Lin Rui cleared his mind and turned to Xue Lingxue: ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling really good now!¡± Xue Lingxue took a deep breath.


    She had a lot she wanted to say to Lin Rui but couldn¡¯t find the words, so she simply said with a husky voice, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s spirits lifted at that moment.


    He received a prompt from the Battle Spirit Ring indicating he had fully dissipated the resentment of Battle Spirit No.


    1 towards him.


    These past two days, whenever Lin Rui slept, he felt as if someone were watching him, an eerie sensation.


    ¡°What are you thanking me for?¡± Lin Rui laughed upon hearing her words: ¡°You¡¯re my sister Xue.


    What was our friendship like when we were kids?


    Give me your hand, let me check on you again.¡±


    Xue Lingxue obliged him, extending her hand while looking at him with an unusual expression: ¡°I never realized your medical skills were so good.


    You never showed it when we were young.¡±


    Her expression then shifted: ¡°By the way, can the herbal tea prescription you gave me in the Ninth City be popularized?¡±


    ¡°Popularized?¡±


    Lin Rui glanced sideways at Xue Lingxue, thinking that if the formula could be popularized, he could make billions of Federation dollars daily: ¡°You think I don¡¯t want to make money?


    But it¡¯s impossible, the prescriptions must be individualized, as everyone¡¯s mental and physical conditions differ, plus sourcing the medicine is an issue.¡±


    The herbs from Tianji Star were already expensive when delivered to Base Nine; ordinary people simply couldn¡¯t afford them.


    If Lin Rui were to release a widely applicable general prescription, those herb prices would skyrocket by ten times and might even lead to further plundering of Tianji Star by the Earth Federation, or worse, to war.


    ¡°Hmm~¡± Xue Lingxue pondered: ¡°Prescribe specifically for each case?


    Chief, I know many Martial Cultivators above realm six suffering from cybernetic syndrome and implant rejection issues, including many of my father¡¯s comrades.


    Could you help them?¡±


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows at first, then his expression changed: ¡°Realm six transformations?


    They are equipped with dragon-grade implants; they must be rich, right?¡±


    ¡°Some are, some aren¡¯t.¡±


    Xue Lingxue shook her head, her face serious: ¡°Medications for cybernetic syndrome are very expensive.


    I have an uncle rated SS with cybernetic integration who has nearly gone mad from the affliction.


    Unable to work, he can¡¯t afford medication and has mentioned suicide to me several times.


    I implore you to help him.¡±


    After a brief thought, she emphasized: ¡°He has no money, no employer, and belongs to no faction currently.


    I can persuade him to work for you.


    I sense you¡¯re desperately short on manpower and fighting power.¡±


    Originally unconcerned, Lin Rui wasn¡¯t one for charity.


    However, Xue Lingxue¡¯s last remark made him narrow his eyes: ¡°Contact him and have him come to see me.¡±


    But dealing with a realm six Martial Artist¡¯s cybernetic issues would be a hundred times more complex than Xue Lingxue¡¯s case.


    Lin Rui¡¯s medical skills had only reached the level of a high-level Great Grandmaster, and he had yet to master dragon-grade medical techniques.


    His biology and internal medicine knowledge were just basic, probably insufficient for addressing the cybernetic syndrome of a realm six Martial Artist.


    Anyway, he¡¯d first have to see the persona?€¡±


    Lin Rui was studying hard, and by that time, circumstances should change.

 Chapter 260

    ?Chapter 260: Chapter 247: Golden Core (Please Subscribe) Chapter 260: Chapter 247: Golden Core (Please Subscribe) Ji Xueying surfed the internet mainly by watching various videos.


    Although she had crammed some human language recently, her progress was limited.


    She could only understand a few dozen commonly used words, let alone written text.


    novgo.co


    So Ji Xueying could only look at images and video content.


    She was utterly astonished and shocked; was this the world of the Heavenly Demons in the videos?


    How could there be buildings hundreds of stories tall?


    ...


    Each floor seemed quite short, but these extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons were only that tall.


    Why could cars made of metal shells run so fast on the road?


    They could even fly!


    There were also people riding on two-wheeled vehicles, flying in the air as well.


    The roads were exceptionally clean, spotless, with people walking on them in an orderly manner.


    The clothes they wore were all strange, but still pretty good-looking.


    Some girls wore so little.


    Go to novgo.co


    Wouldn¡¯t they be scolded?


    Curious, Ji Xueying clicked on a website link embedded in a video, then her face turned red.


    The girls inside the website were not wearing any clothes at all, but the site was quickly closed by Lin Rui.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s face burned with embarrassment, though she felt quite awkward, her attention was soon captivated by the bizarre content available on the internet.


    Until four hours later, when her internet was forcibly disconnected.@@@@


    Ji Xueying¡¯s eyes widened, her cheeks puffed up like an angry little cat, looking at her owner with dissatisfaction.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t look at her, bluffed without any odd expression, ¡°Why are you looking at me?


    I¡¯m not the one who disconnected your internet, it¡¯s the anti-addiction mode in your chip that did it, do you understand what anti-addiction mode is?


    Everyone has it in their chip; it¡¯s to prevent you from getting addicted to the internet.


    Xue Ying, I think instead of spending time watching videos, it would be better to master the human language.


    Otherwise, you won¡¯t understand when others speak, which is so uninteresting.


    Besides, your human body replica is being made.


    How are you going to live in the human world?¡±


    Ji Xueying pondered for a moment, thinking that made sense.


    Then, with a tinge of emotion, she said, ¡°I see that people in your human world have good lives, everyone is clothed and fed, and there are so many entertainments, so many things to be happy about.


    If we Heavenly Extremity star people could live like you, that would be great.¡±


    Lin Rui sneered in response, remembering the scenery of the lower district, ¡°Then you are mistaken, the strong exploit the weak everywhere, not just in your Heavenly Extremity star.¡±


    He patted Ji Xueying¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s go back, someone has been hurrying us many times already.¡±


    He had to implant a complete set of SS-grade ¡®Xuanwu Suit¡¯ in the shortest time possible.


    According to the information Wang Sen gathered, if one had a complete SS-grade ¡®Xuanwu Suit¡¯, there was a certain probability of passing the ¡®National Guardian Dragon¡¯ aside from the Heavenly Demon Test; if he could get assistance from an expert proficient in techniques, charms, illusion techniques, or thunder techniques above the seventh realm, the probability of passing could rise to seventy to ninety percent.


    ¡°You,¡± Fei Yunlai shook his head with a sigh as he looked at Wang Sen, as if seeing his younger self.


    He thought this young man had no idea about the severity of things.


    At that moment, he remembered something; ¡°That¡¯s right, young Wang, I mentioned when I came to Wang City, I wanted to give you an opportunity, where are you now?


    If you¡¯re interested, you can come to Wang City and find me.¡±


    Fei Yunlai thought over the opportunity and concluded that Lin Rui probably wouldn¡¯t need it, so it would only be for Wang Sen.


    Wang Sen¡¯s thoughts stirred, and he looked at Fei Yunlai¡¯s face, full of stubble and slightly haggard, feeling somewhat moved.


    Recently, whenever Lin Rui visited the secret base, he would check on Fei Yunlai¡¯s situation, so Wang Sen also knew a little about Fei Yunlai¡¯s circumstances.


    The situation was grim.


    Fei Yunlai was rushing around busily as soon as he got off work from the martial arts club, performing all sorts of mercenary tasks.


    However, he hadn¡¯t earned much money after a month of busyness, and it seemed he had also defaulted on part of his loan with the banks.


    Wang Sen shook his head, ¡°No, I¡¯m doing quite well recently in the Gold County, I started a little business and can¡¯t get away.¡±


    Just 20 days ago, Lin Rui altered their records at the Bureau of Alien Species Management, with a birthplace in Ding County of Wang City, a good 750 miles from Silver Moon County.


    What¡¯s more, the Security Bureau even arranged for two special agents to impersonate Lin Rui and his identity in Ding County to bide their time doing unremarkable things.


    Thus, Wang Sen could not meet Fei Yunlai and let him find out that he was now the captain of Lin Rui¡¯s personal guard.


    Worried that Fei Yunlai¡¯s enthusiasm might lead him to come looking, Wang Sen quickly changed the subject, ¡°Brother Rui¡¯s Golden Core surgery must be almost finished by now, right?


    I wonder how it¡¯s going?¡±


    Today was the day Lin Rui had the artificial Golden Core implanted.


    Twenty days ago, Lin Rui¡¯s qualities had already met the standards in all respects, but he decided to play it safe, delaying for a few days, until now to implant the Golden Core.


    Wang Sen looked on enviously, ¡°That¡¯s a 3S+, above Emperor Level ¡®Emperor¡¯s Sundial¡¯.


    Once the Golden Core is implanted, Brother Rui¡¯s speed of reaching Core Formation is going to be unimaginably fast.¡±


    The key was that the quality of Lin Rui¡¯s Golden Core would also see a tremendous increase.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s attention was indeed diverted.


    He had initially wanted to comfort Wang Sen that he would catch up eventually.


    Although Fei Yunlai himself had talent, he came from a modest family background, and yet he had eventually also implanted an SS+ grade Golden Core, hadn¡¯t he?


    Fei Yunlai immediately let out a small sigh, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s impressive.¡±


    For cybernetic martial artists like them, once a Golden Core is settled, it¡¯s for life!


    The quality of the Golden Core determines their ultimate potential.


    Across the entire Earth Federation, there were no more than twenty-five individuals who could implant an SSS+ grade Golden Core each year.


    The number of people who could implant an SSS+ grade Golden Core at Lin Rui¡¯s age was even fewer, at most three to seven individuals each yeara?€¡±the so-called hall of fame level talents.


    It is known that the earlier implants are done and the younger the physical state, the better the effects.


    At Lin Rui¡¯s age, his body¡¯s capacity for tolerance is high, and the implants¡¯ rejection reactions would be extremely mild.


    That guy was becoming more and more formidable.

 Chapter 261

    ?Chapter 261: Chapter 248: The Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9 (Please Subscribe) Chapter 261: Chapter 248: The Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9 (Please Subscribe) While Fei Yunlai and Wang Sen were discussing, in the waiting area of an operating room at Mingde University Affiliated Hospital, Fang Ranran, Lin Xi, Yu Feicui, and Guan Biran were all waiting with incomparable tension.


    Tianlan Group¡¯s CEO Fang Kongfang, despite his busy schedule, had taken time out to rush over.


    Upon entering the waiting room, he frowned and gestured to Guan Biran and the others, ¡°Guan, how¡¯s the situation inside?


    There won¡¯t be any problems with the surgery this time, will there?¡±


    He was mainly worried about three things: one was that the Super Emperor Level Golden Core ¡°Emperor¡¯s Chronometer¡± was manufactured by their Tianlan Group.


    This was an important step for Tianlan Group to enter the top-end cultivation enhancement market, proving their ability to create top-end enhancements.


    ...


    Fang Kongfang feared that the SSS Level cultivation enhancement crafting team organized by their group lacked experience and might make mistakes.


    In fact, the entire Earth Federation had relatively little experience producing SSS+ Level Golden Cores like ¡°Emperor¡¯s Chronometer.¡±


    So far, the scientific community has identified about 83 types of fully analyzed and replicated SSS+ Level Golden Cores.


    During the eight hundred-year history of cultivation enhancements in the Federation, only 37 individuals have had an ¡°Emperor¡¯s Chronometer¡± type Golden Core implanted.


    However, the feedback from those enhanced Martial Cultivators seems pretty good, indicating that the cultivation enhancement blueprints provided by the Academy of Sciences were thoroughly researched.@@@@


    Secondly, during the crafting of the ¡°Emperor¡¯s Chronometer¡± this time, they used a new technology that the East Asian Academy of Sciences had been researching for over twenty years.


    Go to novgo.co


    It is rumored that a bit of the ¡°Abyssal¡± essence dispatched from the East Asian Academy of Sciences was added, enabling this ¡°Emperor¡¯s Chronometer¡± to undergo a further transformation, entering ¡®X¡¯, which is the realm of ¡®Deity Level¡¯, potentially, as part of what the East Asian Academy of Sciences calls their ¡®X Golden Core¡¯ project.


    And Professor Si Malin was an important member of this research project.


    Fang Kongfang really hadn¡¯t expected this consultant and enhancement expert, whom he had paid a hefty sum to recruit, to pull such a move at this time.


    Thirdly, he was concerned about Lin Rui¡¯s talent; although the young man¡¯s physical condition and spiritual power were up to standard, to control the ¡°Emperor¡¯s Chronometer,¡± especially one blended with ¡®Abyssal¡¯ essence, required strong willpower.


    Unfortunately, for this surgery, Professor Si Malin did not allow any onlookers.


    Even as the CEO, he was not qualified to watch, and he was extremely nervous about it.


    ¡°No, there won¡¯t be any!¡± Guan Biran was full of confidence, ¡°CEO, rest assured, although our 3S Level cultivation enhancement crafting team was newly formed, the two top-level craftspeople we brought over from Abyss Group at a great expense have ample experience.


    Besides, the ¡®Emperor¡¯s Chronometer¡¯ being crafted this time is supervised personally by Professor Si Malin, with three academicians from the East Asian Academy of Sciences¡¯ Department of Cultivation Enhancements participating.


    According to their calculations, their X Level Golden Cores are theoretically and practically sound.


    Lin Rui¡¯s talent could also be the most top-notch in the past twenty years, enough to bear the X Level Golden Core.


    They would not allow any mistakes with this ¡®Emperor¡¯s Chronometer.''¡±


    Fang Kongfang nodded but still felt anxious at heart.


    After all, that was the Super Emperor Golden Core ¡°Emperor¡¯s Chronometer¡±, the highest level of Golden Core, which even incorporated an Abyssal essence of unknown origin.


    He rubbed his temples with a headache, ¡°You all are being too rash.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s current momentum was very good, and he already enjoyed high popularity online.


    As long as nothing unexpected happened in the future, he had a great chance of being promoted to a three-star and four-star marshal.


    Why take such a risk?


    Why insist on using this new technology?


    Moreover, if the experiment failed, it would also impact the reputation of Tianlan Group.


    The outside world would undoubtedly heap blame, saying their cultivation enhancement technology ruined a genius.


    Guan Biran and Fang Ranran exchanged glances, both looking helpless.


    Lin Rui and Si Malin, one smitten and the other receptive, what could they do?


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t have any issues in every aspect, everything was perfect.


    From his initial sensing, the artificial Golden Core, due to its connection with the human meridians, was about 17% more efficient than the original theoretical value.


    ¡°The impressive one is you!¡± Professor Si Malin shook his head, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to really agree to the X Golden Core project without any concerns about the failure rate.¡±


    He found that this guy was just like his father, with a strong gambling spirit!


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui chuckled.


    In truth, he was confident in his own prospects in medicine and biological sciences.


    With the help of the Battle Spirit Ring, he was bound to stand at the pinnacle of the scientific research field eventually.


    Even if there were issues with the X Golden Core, he was confident in repairing it.


    Furthermore, he already had a solid foundation in bio-tech and bio-implant technology, having reached the intermediate stage in both skills.


    After delving into the X Golden Core project, reviewing a series of experimental data from the East Asia Science Academy, and reading related papers, he judged that the failure rate of the X Golden Core was very small.


    Moreover, a prevalent view in the scientific research community suggested that the inability of many Federation Level 9 Divine Reflections to ascend or enter the realms of Longevity and the Deep Abyss was due to insufficient foundations.


    And what comprises the foundation?


    The Golden Core!


    The Dragon Armor!


    The Battle Dragon!


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips slightly lifted, ¡°Professor, it¡¯s quite stable from the present situation, but the final verdict still relies on the pressure test.¡±


    Only a high-intensity pressure test could detect the deep faults within the Golden Core.


    ¡°We¡¯ll proceed with that after completing the training tests,¡± he said.


    Si Malin also observed the various data when Lin Rui was moving his True Yuan, his lips slightly lifted as well, ¡°It seems there are no major issues, and even if problems arise, they are within the adjustable range.


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui, you can try to utilize the Deep Abyss concept.¡±


    Lin Rui did as instructed.


    However, before he could start using the Deep Abyss concept, he suddenly exclaimed in surprise, ¡°What is this?¡±


    A look of astonishment appeared in his eyes, as at that moment, a strange substance was forming inside his Golden Core.


    It seemed to be the ultimate Holy Artifact of Guang Ming Holy Churcha?€¡±the Holy Lightning Tribulation Fire?


    Lin Rui frowned heavily, wondering how the ¡®Holy Lightning Tribulation Fire¡¯ had gotten into his Golden Core.


    He soon realized that it couldn¡¯t possibly be the Holy Lightning Tribulation Fire or its progeny.


    It was something the ¡®essence¡¯ of the Deep Abyss inside his Golden Core produced in response to the form and essence of the Holy Lightning Tribulation Fire.


    Was it related to the mark of his heterogeneous self?


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils suddenly widened in disbelief.


    Could the essence of the Holy Lightning Tribulation Fire be the Deep Abyss concept and Deep Abyss essence?


    Unmastered concept and essence?


    At the same time, Lin Rui saw a friend request pop up before his eyes.


    He frowned in puzzlement.


    The request window had popped up directly in front of his eyes.


    Guang Ming Heart Number 9: Hello, I am the core Artificial Intelligence ¡®Guang Ming Heart Number 9¡¯ of the ninth division of the Federation¡¯s Guang Ming Holy Church, detecting that you have obtained the highest authority of Guang Ming Heart Number 9.


    Please add me as your friend and exercise your authority.

 Chapter 262

    ?Chapter 262: Chapter 249: Imperial Sundial (Subscribe Please) Chapter 262: Chapter 249: Imperial Sundial (Subscribe Please) Is this the core AI of the Guang Ming Holy Church?


    Lin Rui could hardly suppress the surprise in his heart.


    He tried to keep a straight face, striving not to show any hint of it.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t rashly add Heart of Light No.


    9 as a friend; he planned first to use the resources of the Federal Security Bureau to investigate.


    Continuing to follow Si Malin¡¯s instructions, Lin Rui mobilized the abyss concept he controlled, and his eyebrows raised immediately.


    It wasn¡¯t that there was a problem with his artificial Golden Core, but as he used the abyss concept, Lin Rui found something within his Golden Core responding, enhancing the abyss will and the power of the concept that he leveraged significantly.


    ...


    Previously, a compatibility of 5% meant only 5% power, but now it could exert up to 8% of divine might.


    ¡°Professor Si Ma, the source quality you helped me integrate, it¡¯s really just pseudo-abyssal source quality, not related to the Light King or the Lord of Destiny?¡±


    These ¡®pseudo-abyssal source qualities¡¯ were produced by the East Asian Science Academy based on the research results of Academician Huangfu.


    According to Academician Huangfu¡¯s theory, any Dragon Source Quality above the purity of 3S has the potential to evolve into ¡®abyssal source quality.¡¯


    Based on his paper, the East Asian Science Academy conducted research and made some achievements; this kind of pseudo ¡®abyssal source quality¡¯ has already been applied to several four-star marshals, significantly improving their combat capabilities.


    ¡°How could it be the real abyssal source quality?¡±


    Si Malin had already seen the data when Lin Rui used the abyss concept; he exchanged looks with several scientists in white coats around him, excitement flickering in their eyes.


    Go to novgo.co


    Si Malin explained with a smile, ¡°The Light King and the Lord of Destiny might have been dead for hundreds of thousands of years; where would we get their abyssal source quality from?


    However, in the past 20 years, the East Asian Science Academy has indeed made significant progress in the research of pseudo-abyssal source quality.


    This is also the first time we apply this technology to an artificial Golden Core.


    The East Asian Science Academy has been researching how to combine Golden Core technology with pseudo-abyssal technology but lacked a suitable experimental subject.


    Rest assured!


    We have conducted countless experiments and deductions, and we are quite confident.¡±


    Si Malin pushed up his glasses, thinking that someone like Lin Rui, who could resist the will of the abyss and whose mind was as steady as rock with such quality of spiritual power, was indeed hard to find.


    Si Malin then pointed at Lin Rui¡¯s chest: ¡°Your artificial Golden Core can actually be called a pseudo ¡®X,¡¯ but remember, the pseudo-abyssal source quality implanted in you, it has no attributes.


    The more you come into contact with any abyss concept, the more likely your Golden Core is to be dyed by an abyss entity, becoming its vessel for resurrection.¡±


    Lin Rui quickly understood that Si Malin was also implying he should find multiple investors.


    At this moment, he was even more looking forward to his other self.


    According to the assimilation effect of the alternative self, his other self would also undergo synchronous changes before long.


    Would the Golden Core of his other self produce ¡®pseudo-abyssal source quality¡¯?


    It¡¯s worth noting that Fang Ranran held shares in Tianlan Corporation, accounting for thirteen percent, second only to her father and uncle.


    This was after the ¡®Dead Eye¡¯ assassination group was taken down and, somehow, the video of Lin Rui¡¯s fight with Dead Eye Horn was leaked online, which has kept his popularity high up to this point.


    Nolan Wei clicked his tongue, knowing full well he was no match for Lin Rui, but he hadn¡¯t expected the gap to be so vast after Lin Rui implanted a Golden Core.


    Zhao Yan could only offer a bitter smile, ¡°This is an SSS+ level Golden Core?


    Truly impressive!¡±


    He didn¡¯t know about the faux Abyssal Source Essence within Lin Rui¡¯s Golden Core and mistook it for an ordinary ¡®Emperor¡¯s sundial,¡¯ but he was still thoroughly astonished.


    Zhao Yan¡¯s strength far exceeded Lin Rui¡¯s, yet Lin Rui¡¯s speed was maddeningly fast.


    He never took Zhao Yan¡¯s heavy hammer blows head-on but used his dual sabers to strike where they must, deciding that before your hammer could land, he would have already taken you down.


    Therefore, although Zhao Yan had the force of both dragon and tiger, he could never force Lin Rui to take his hammer blows directly.


    Zhao Yan knew that Lin Rui¡¯s physical condition and spiritual power would continue to grow rapidly under the influence of the dual Golden Cores, alien and native, shrinking the gap in their strength even further, while the disparity in speed would only increase.


    As Zhao Yan jumped down from the stage both excited and disappointed, Lin Rui called out to him curiously, ¡°Senior Zhao, could you tell me what was the reason you left the martial arts club of the Second City University?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan was taken aback but soon shook his head with a self-deprecating smile, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past, nothing worth mentioning.¡±


    Lin Rui frowned slightly, then changed the subject, ¡°Then, how do you think my current strength compares with the current chief competitor from the Second City University?¡±


    The Martial Arts League was set to start in a little over a month, which was crucial for his popularity and income.


    Zhao Yan¡¯s expression became serious, ¡°The Second City University¡¯s chief competitor, Divine Wing Saber Jin Tianchen, is also at the hall-of-fame level.¡±


    Of course, given Lin Rui¡¯s talent now on display, it might not just be about reaching the hall-of-fame level, but a ¡®legendary¡¯ level!


    ¡°If you were given another year, no!


    Even just eight months, you would have a very good chance to win.


    Howevera?€¡±¡±


    Zhao Yan shook his head, ¡°Right now, you¡¯re probably not his match, especially since I¡¯ve heard rumors that he has also implanted two ¡®Time-Black Holy Pupils¡¯ recently.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Lin Rui narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.


    He had witnessed the power of the Time-Black Holy Pupil; it was indeed a tremendously strong enhancement.


    Dead Eye Horn lacked sufficient spiritual power to wield it properly, and it had been a struggle for him.


    In the hands of Divine Wing Saber Jin Tianchen, its power was likely several times greater than Horn¡¯s.


    Zhao Yan, thinking Lin Rui was feeling pressured, patted his shoulder with a laugh, ¡°We just have to make it into the top four of the Ninth City Martial Arts League to get into the playoffs, so just do your best.


    Losing a match or two is no big deal.¡±


    Lin Rui heard this and smiled wryly, thinking that the outcome between him and Jin Tianchen was something that could only be determined after they fought.


    He then waved his hand and walked towards Si Malin.


    During the recent live-combat stress test, a couple of negligible flaws had emerged, and Si Malin needed to do a final tune-up for him.

 Chapter 263

    ?Chapter 263: Chapter 250 Opportunity (Please Subscribe) Chapter 263: Chapter 250 Opportunity (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui followed Professor Sima out of the martial arts society and deliberately looked back at Fei Yunlai.


    General Fei¡¯s haggard appearance with his beard in disarray was hard to stomach.


    But he should have endured enough by now, and General Fei currently should have no bottom line when it comes to making money.


    It seemed that the opportunity for deep cooperation had arrived.


    Fang Ranran, who was walking beside him, thought Lin Rui was looking at Zhao Yan and asked with a strange look in her eyes, ¡°I heard you asking about Zhao Yan just now, do you want to know their business?¡±


    Lin Rui figured he could simply use the resources of the Federal Security Bureau to check up on Zhao Yan¡¯s business.


    However, since the boss had personally inquired, Lin Rui of course had to cooperate, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve always been quite curious.¡±


    ¡°I know about this matter.@@@@


    It started a year ago when a female member of the Second City University martial arts society was violated by some members of their competition team,¡± said Fang Ranran, squinting her eyes, a sharp gleam emerging: ¡°Nolan Wei happened to see it, he disapproved and intervened, but he couldn¡¯t beat them and was injured by their team leader, the Divine Wing Saber Jin Tianchen, who broke his hands and feet and nearly destroyed his meridians.¡±


    Lin Rui was taken aback and turned to look at Nolan Wei.


    ...


    He thought that although this guy was impulsive and a bit simple-minded, he had the backbone of a true tough guy.


    Lin Rui¡¯s strong intelligence analysis ability quickly deduced the truth from Fang Ranran¡¯s words.


    Nolan Wei, who was only a freshman at the time, definitely couldn¡¯t be a match for Divine Wing Saber Jin Tianchen, a third-year student with a ¡®Hall of Fame¡¯ level talent.


    Besides Jin Tianchen, there were several other members of the Second City University martial arts society around, and Nolan Wei faced multiple opponents but still chose to intervene.


    Go to novgo.co


    Fang Ranran then sighed, ¡°Although my family isn¡¯t exactly full of good people, continuing like this really isn¡¯t the solution for the Ninth Base City.¡±


    Her family had always wanted to expand the Ninth Base City.


    The Tianlan Group, which primarily dealt in agricultural production, had built many agricultural bases within the Ninth Satellite, surrounding the Ninth Base City.


    No matter if the Ninth City was to expand or build a satellite city, Tianlan Group could gain tremendous benefits from it.


    However, Fang Ranran¡¯s desire to expand the Ninth Base City wasn¡¯t purely for profit; she knew the situation in the lower district was dire.


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui, hearing this, remained indifferent as the complications of the lower district and the city expansion were not his concern.


    Only this Jin Tianchen somewhat irritated him.


    However, Fang Ranran¡¯s mention of Jinhao Real Estate Group made him think of a gang called the ¡®Sixth Street Gang¡¯ which he had recently come across.


    Just then, Xue Lingxue messaged him: BOSS, the hidden passage I prepared for you is ready.


    You can use this secret passage to enter and exit your office at any time.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Also, everyone is currently trying to gather information on you as the deputy director of the Security Bureau, especially our two deputy ministers who both said they want to come inspect our work.


    We might need to discuss a strategy.


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows after reading it.


    Lonely Shadow Saber (Lin Rui): Reject them all; we are directly under Minister Zhou and don¡¯t need to mind them.

 Chapter 264

    ?Chapter 264: Chapter 250: Opportunity (Subscribe Please)_2 Chapter 264: Chapter 250: Opportunity (Subscribe Please)_2 Lin Rui, although responded this way, thought that he still had to find something for these people to do, to keep them from being too idle.


    Next, Professor Sima and others took nearly two hours to make the third adjustment to him.


    The final real-combat stress test was jointly conducted by Yu Feicui and Guan Biran, both colonels in the armed forces.


    The resulting data from the test was nearly perfect!


    After this test, Fang Kongfang and several academicians left in succession, looking pleased, and Professor Sima also locked himself in the laboratory.


    The implantation of the pseudo ¡°Golden Core X¡± provided him with a lot of valuable data that was beneficial to his research into the abyss.


    At this time, Lin Rui also released the suppression inside the Golden Core.


    ...


    A mark of ¡°Holy Thunder Fire¡± instantly ignited on his chest, identical to that of his alter ego.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Half an hour later, Lin Rui and Wang Sen arrived at the secret base next to the school.


    This secret base, modified from a factory building, was not far from the Third Special Operations Division¡¯s office building, only a distance of 180 meters.


    Lin Rui had also had a cable laid underground, allowing Lin Xi to directly connect to the internal network of the Third Special Operations Division and the quantum supercomputer ¡°Shen Guang¡± Model 7 provided by Zhou Yunfei for the Division.


    At that time, Lin Xi, following Lin Rui¡¯s instructions, was investigating the status of ¡°Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9¡±.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Xi, with arms crossed, watched with great interest the numerous documents she had found.


    ¡°The core AI of the Guang Ming Sect in the ninth base city is indeed the Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9.


    In the past, the disputes over doctrine among the first-generation missionaries of the Federal Guang Ming Sect led them, after debating scripture, to believe that no one could represent the will of the ¡®Light Saint King.¡¯ Therefore, in the fourteen cities of the Earth Federation, they established 14 clusters of supercomputers, creating 14 super AIs ¡®Heart of Guang Ming.''¡±


    ¡°It is said that these Hearts of Guang Ming can contact the enigmatic ¡®Light Saint King¡¯ and ¡®Supreme Holy Artifact¡¯ to arbitrate doctrinal disputes.


    Later on, as the ¡®Heart of Guang Ming¡¯ also showed outstanding capabilities in managing the sect and opposing the government, the Federal Guang Ming Sect became increasingly dependent on these ¡®Hearts of Guang Ming¡¯, believing these 14 super AIs to be the incarnations of the Light Saint King and the Supreme Holy Artifact.


    Because of this, the senior clergy of the Guang Ming Sect had to go through the ¡®Heart of Guang Ming¡¯ when exercising their powers; otherwise, their actions were considered irregular and not in compliance with the doctrine.


    Interestingly, out of these 14 Hearts of Guang Ming, five have been destroyed by the federal government, and the remaining nine appear to be in competition with each other.¡±


    She had actually been investigating the Guang Ming Sect lately, especially the whereabouts of the elusive Pontiff.


    Lin Rui was also looking at the documents Lin Xi had found.


    Now it was just right.


    The capabilities of this exoskeleton armor were stronger than those of the Type 6, its situational awareness was maintained at the level of Type 7, and its defense had not decreased by much, except for a weak spot at the neck joint.


    Next were two ¡°Lifeline¡± Type 6s.


    Lin Rui had several Type 6 firearms, all modified by experts, but after comparison, he found Horn¡¯s ¡°Lifeline¡± Type 6 to be more effective.


    Luckily, Horn hadn¡¯t used these two guns when he was being hunted, so neither the Federal Security Bureau nor the police had ballistic records of them.


    For the combat knife, he chose Wang Li¡¯s ¡°Bright King¡± Type 6 knife, a guy more skilled in boxing yet possessing an excellent blade of the Light series.


    Lin Rui also replaced two sets of powerful Type 6 rune flying needles.


    Aside from lacking a good flying sword, he had completely changed his equipment.


    He was still very cautious about his life, and this month of restraint was for the sake of implanting the Golden Core and wearing this set of equipment.


    After Fei Yunlai arrived, he glanced at Lin Xi and Wang Sen beside him, then began to review the mission data Lin Xi had sent him.


    After finishing, he was very anxious, ¡°How should I put it, your mission is indeed very shady!¡±


    The expected course of the mission was even ¡®darker¡¯ than those on the dark web.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui laughed as he continued practicing with his knife to find the right feel, ¡°We¡¯re dealing directly, so we won¡¯t leave any traces on the dark web.


    If you choose a commission, I can directly pay you the magic silver on Tianji Star for your alter ego, saving you the hassle of laundering the money.


    By the way, are you choosing a commission this time, or a split?¡±


    Fei Yunlai hesitated upon hearing this, then suddenly gritted his teeth, ¡°Commission!¡±


    Those several hundred gang members, all suffering from Prosthetic Syndrome and involved in heavy capital smuggling business, how much cash could they possibly have in their hands?


    No, he hadn¡¯t even agreed to take on this mission yet!


    Fei Yunlai frowned deeply, ¡°The problem is the nearby armed police force, about 500 meters away, there¡¯s a battalion of armed police, a heavy battalion at that.


    The mission plan you¡¯ve devised is impossible to execute.¡±


    Lin Rui smiled and exchanged glances with Wang Sen and Lin Xi.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.


    It¡¯s unlikely they will alert the police!¡± Lin Rui looked at the backend of the Federal Security Bureau¡¯s webpage, ¡°Besides, this afternoon at 5 PM, this battalion of armed police will move to the Xingang District to change guard with another troop there.


    The only thing we need to worry about are the gangs from the surrounding Sixth Street, who are much stronger than the Blood Lizard Gang, much stronger indeed.¡±


    Fei Yunlai was greatly shaken, wondering where Lin Rui had gotten his information from.

 Chapter 265

    ?Chapter 265: Chapter 251 Big Problem (Subscribe Please) Chapter 265: Chapter 251 Big Problem (Subscribe Please) Two hours later, Fei Yunlai, with the posture of a defeated figure, knelt in an underground warehouse full of corpses, his expression one of pain and confusion.


    This was a hidden warehouse located at the southern outskirts of the ninth base city, not recorded on any map.


    Above this location was a seemingly normal elderly care center, but underneath lay a tunnel leading directly to a massive warehouse in the lower district.


    The entire warehouse consisted of seven cavern groups, covering approximately 170,000 square meters, filled with various goods including medicinal herbs, food, clothing, various models of machine tools, processed metal ingots, and even a large number of weapons, impressively stacked inside the warehouse.


    Originally, there were more than 430 Martial Cultivators guarded in special suits, but they had all been taken care of.


    Lin Rui¡¯s combat plan hadn¡¯t changed, still first using poison to incapacitate the people, then swiftly concluding the fight.


    The method was old-fashioned, but very effective.


    ...


    Moreover, now he had a capable assistant.


    With the help of the hacker Lin Xi, they had paralyzed the warehouse¡¯s intelligent defense system before the fight began.


    Lin Rui no longer needed to carefully avoid those posture-sensing devices because they had been shut down in advance by Lin Xi.


    Due to the vast size of these cavern groups, the spread of Lin Rui¡¯s anesthetic couldn¡¯t cover everyone completely.


    However, it was enough, the few remaining were no match for him and Fei Yunlai.


    After implanting the Golden Core, Lin Rui¡¯s knife work had ascended to a whole new level, incredibly fast, now even a normal slash could enter the realm of one two-thousandth to one thousandth.


    His movement techniques had also become quicker and more unpredictable.


    Go to novgo.co


    Of course, the main force in the battle was still Fei Yunlai, who, worried about exposing his identity, unleashed his full firepower from the start, sparing no effort.


    At that moment, Lin Xi posted a message in the combat group.


    Summer End Shallow Thought (Lin Xi): Bro, I¡¯ve cracked this database and am copying the data.


    I found their ledger inside, and there¡¯s a special casea?€¡±the smuggling warehouse is involved with at least half of its goods with the Dreaded Pirate Gang.


    novgo.co


    ¡°Huh?¡± Lin Rui looked surprised upon hearing this.


    A month earlier, Lin Rui had tasked Lin Xi with finding places with a high occurrence of suit psychosis, preferably illegal ones like the Blood Lizard Gang, deeply entrenched in crime, and if he could make some money along the way, all the better.


    After all, hiring Fei Yunlai even once started at eighty million Federation coins.


    Lin Xi had quickly identified the elderly care center.


    She discovered that the care center ordered many psychoactive drugs related to suit syndrome every month and then uncovered unusual electricity usage nearby.


    After infiltrating this elderly care center, not only did Lin Xi discover a warehouse filled with a large amount of drugs, but she also found many mentally disturbed Martial Cultivators in suits there.


    Lin Rui had never expected that this underground warehouse would also be related to the Dreaded Pirate Gang.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): So, did you find their smuggling route?


    How do they transport the goods to the star port?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): The passageway is on my side, different from what you expected, this passage doesn¡¯t go to the star port but directly to the surface of the satellite.


    While sending the message, Fei Yunlai also uploaded a video to the group, which showed the scene he saw after opening the triple gates.


    In front of Fei Yunlai was a pitch-dark tunnel, its end not visible to the eye.

 Chapter 266

    ?Chapter 266: Chapter 251: Big Problem (Subscribe Please)_2 Chapter 266: Chapter 251: Big Problem (Subscribe Please)_2 ¡°`


    A track was laid out inside the tunnel, likely for the transportation of goods.


    The critical issue was that as soon as the triple gates opened, the gas inside the warehouse leaked out rapidly, and numerous fragmented items were sucked outward.


    Fei Yunlai even took a screenshot of the pressure values displayed inside his exoskeleton armor.


    After watching the video, Lin Rui¡¯s gaze became exceptionally solemn as he thought that the outer defense system of the ninth base city must have encountered a serious problem.


    Eccentric Youngster (Wang Sen): Rui, all the cargo is loaded, and I¡¯ve now left the Elderly Care Center by car.


    It feels like you guys can withdraw too.


    I saw seven armored vehicles approaching from the south; they must be theirs.


    ...


    Late Summer Musings (Lin Xi): We can indeed withdraw, brother.


    I¡¯ve noticed that the members of the Six Streets Gang around us have started to respond.


    Just now, as Lin Xi hacked into the database, she was also responsible for operating the intelligent forklifts in the warehouse, sending the valuable goods inside to the surface.


    Wang Sen was in charge of driving a heavy-duty cargo truck, waiting above to transport the goods.


    He had not yet implanted a Golden Core and could currently only undertake this task.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui didn¡¯t hesitate.


    Go to novgo.co@@@@


    After giving Fei Yunlai a nod, he decisively withdrew from the warehouse.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Lin Xi, try to alert the police now, report to all the police stations and security agencies around, including the Third Special Operations Division.


    Say that there has been a massacre here, and send a few photos over.


    At the same time, he sent a message to Xue Lingxue: Lingxue, pay attention to the situation at the ¡®Tianyang Elderly Care Center¡¯ in the southern suburbs.


    After receiving the police alert, remind Zhang Long and Zhou Yunfei to get involved in this case as soon as possible and to take it seriously.


    There¡¯s a warehouse underneath that¡¯s related to the Evil Pirate Group.


    Make sure to get hold of the medium-sized database inside, as it contains crucial evidence.


    Xue Lingxue was at the Third Special Operations Division, helping Lin Rui with official duties.


    At that moment, the Third Special Operations Division was in its nascent stages and was extremely busy.


    Tasks like office supplies, internal network deployment, various security bureau policing equipment, accommodation arrangements, and liaisons with other departments were in full swing.


    When Xue Lingxue saw the message from Lin Rui, she was initially startled.


    She immediately reviewed the surveillance video around Tianyang Elderly Care Center, saw the alert information displayed on the web, and the photographs of bodies scattered everywhere, which made her scalp tingle.


    novgo.co


    Xue Lingxue guessed that her superior, Major General Lin Rui, head of the Third Special Operations Division, had once again instigated a tragedy.


    This guy, it¡¯s as if he treated the law as nothing, and yet he wielded tremendous power within the Security Bureau.


    He¡¯s tracking your car, and his skills are very strong.


    Right after Lin Xi¡¯s message, Lin Rui saw a second popup from Guang Ming Heart No.


    9.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression became serious as he entered active control mode, steering the car towards the nearby subway station.


    ¡°Old Fei, we¡¯re going with plan 2, abandon the car and take the underground passages.


    Someone is coming after us; get ready for combat,¡± Lin Rui instructed.


    Fei Yunlai, sitting in the passenger seat, frowned deeply, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen at level five, twenty at level four, along with some combat robots a?€¡° Lin Xi and I will handle these,¡± Lin Rui read the information from Guang Ming Heart No.


    9: ¡°Additionally, there¡¯s a 6S with a Zhi Zhuang battle dragon.


    We¡¯re up against a 6A-level elite combat team.¡±


    Fei Yunlai, however, was not alarmed but rather delighted, ¡°Since I¡¯m going to deploy my battle dragon, according to our agreement, we¡¯ll have to add 50 million Federation dollars to this mission.¡±


    Plan 2 essentially was to lure the enemy into their ambush site.


    There, not only were there four Type 6 defense robots purchased by Lin Rui, but also eight pre-embedded Type 6 ¡®Gatling Bodhisattvas¡¯, six launchers of 12-tubed 30-times sonic speed miniature high-explosive missiles, and Fei Yunlai¡¯s Zhi Zhuang battle dragon.


    This guy at his side was very shrewd and had laid out a proper evacuation plan in advance.


    Lin Rui then saw the third popup from Guang Ming Heart No.


    9.


    Guang Ming Heart No.


    9: Supreme One, do you require No.


    9¡¯s participation in combat?


    Within five minutes, No.


    9 can mobilize four Type 6 Jielong combat robots belonging to the Guang Ming Holy Church in the vicinity.


    After thinking it over, Lin Rui closed the popup, knowing that to reply ¡®needed¡¯ to No.


    9, he would have to accept No.


    9¡¯s friend request.


    Besides, by the time five minutes passed, the opportunity would be gone.


    Lin Rui turned with a smile to Fei Yunlai: ¡°Still choosing a commission?


    You could have chosen a share of the loot this time.¡±


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s eyes immediately showed hesitation.


    With a sudden resolution, he snapped, ¡°Commission!¡±


    Fei Yunlai didn¡¯t believe that a 6A combat team could carry that much money with them!


    In an era with various intelligent terminals, who would carry bank cards and cash anymore?

 Chapter 267

    ?Chapter 267: Chapter 252: Time Flies Like an Arrow (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 267: Chapter 252: Time Flies Like an Arrow (Seeking Subscriptions) Just as Lin Rui and Fei Yunlai abandoned their car and fled near the subway station, Ignatius, the leader of the Sixth Street Gang, was donned in ¡°Emperor¡± Type 8 exoskeleton armor, shuttling through the streets under the guidance of a family hacker consultant, striving to catch up with the enemy in the shortest amount of time.


    His towering 18-meter combat exoskeleton dragon ¡°Dark Gold Spear¡± was also rushing behind him, emitting a heavy ¡®thud thud¡¯ sound as it ran through the streets.


    Following close were seven modified civilian-looking retired high-speed armored vehicles, carrying a super-sized 6A elite combat squad and another 5A elite combat squad.


    The Sixth Street Gang was formed by gang members from six streets on the east side of Star Port, which originally started with small businesses to support themselves, but in the past year, they gradually gained strong financial and armed forces by cooperating with external powers.


    And Ignatius Adelard was one of the legion commanders of the Sixth Street Gang.


    Their organizational structure was a bit like the mafia from Earth¡¯s era, with over a dozen families forming the gang in a partnership.


    Under these partners, there were several ¡®legion commanders¡¯ responsible for leading between 200 to 800 ¡®soldiers¡¯ and two to five 5A level or above elite combat squads.


    ...


    The ¡°Adelard Family¡± was currently the most powerful family within the Sixth Street Gang, holding the reins of power in the gang, and they were the main force leading the rise of the gang, with a very fierce momentum of growth.


    Ignatius, as the eldest son of the Adelard family, not only controlled the most important smuggling business of the family but also held the largest combat force in the clan.


    Today, however, his legion suffered an unprecedented heavy blow!


    More than 400 soldiers and three 4A level tactical squads were completely annihilated.


    The losses themselves were not significant, as there were plenty of young and strong individuals eager to rise to prominence through exoskeletons in the lower districts, and with money in hand, he could recruit as many as he wanted.


    What was critical were the goods worth six billion federal coins and their smuggling channels that had just been established for two years.


    Now they must be exposed, with those two maniacs killing so many of his men and then even daring to report to the police, drawing so many of them towards the senior care center.


    Go to novgo.co


    Every time Ignatius thought about the consequences of the exposure of this smuggling channel, he felt a tingling on his scalp and an extreme hatred towards those two maniacs.


    Who exactly were they and what was their purpose?


    Were they enemies of the Adelard family?


    However, no matter what, Ignatius was determined to slaughter them today!


    He wanted to chop these scumbags into pieces and feed them to the dogs!


    At this moment, his hacker consultant ¡°Golden Eye¡± issued a warning.


    Golden Eye: Legion Commander, they¡¯ve entered the lower district¡¯s C Zone through the C4551 pipeline.


    I don¡¯t have many resources I can use in that area.


    I suggest you terminate the pursuit.


    There¡¯s a strong hacker obstructing me, and I¡¯m unable to provide support.


    Ignatius: Understood!


    You don¡¯t have to worry about the battle.


    Just mark their location for me, and focus on catching their hacker!


    By this time, he and his combat exoskeleton dragon had entered the underground passageway.


    The C4551 pipeline was relatively narrow, unsuitable for the combat exoskeleton dragon and the high-speed armored vehicles, so they had to take the nearby C4341 passage.


    Meanwhile, Ignatius began to leverage his connections, contacting several underworld bosses in the lower C Zone.


    Now he was even more confidenta?€¡±in the shortest time possible, he would kill this man.


    As Fei Yunlai and Ignatius were engaged in fierce combat, Lin Rui, with the protection of those red spider combat robots, approached the crashed high-speed armored vehicles like a ghost.


    By now, the eight Gatling Buddhas had emptied their ammo stores, and the red spider robots were running low on bullets as well.


    Correspondingly, all seven high-speed armored vehicles were destroyed.


    The numerous combat robots they carried blew up with the vehicles, engulfed in flames, while only a few fifth realm Martial Cultivators in implant armor managed to escape before the explosion and were barely clinging to life, taking cover behind the wreckage.


    The four red spiders were firing plasma ray guns at them, picking their shots carefully.


    Lin Rui, wielding a pair of ¡°Dead Line¡± model 6 pistols, was keeping them pinned down.


    Just a moment ago, two men tried to leave cover to shoot at Lin Rui and had their heads blown off by the twin ¡°Dead Line¡± model 6 pistols.


    However, as Lin Rui approached step by step, these men lost their cover and two more were exposed to Lin Rui¡¯s angle of fire; he fired five shots and killed them each in turn.


    The lethal light traces were a sure hit; the concept of ¡°inevitable death¡± and the abyss of ¡°Heavenly Foot¡± were applied to his bullets.


    These men could at most block one shot, but they couldn¡¯t stop his second shot.


    The remaining six knew that hiding any longer meant only death, so they rushed out towards Lin Rui.


    But this played right into the hands of the four red spiders and their fire net.


    They poured out the last of their bullets, and the ¡®boom, boom, boom¡¯ sounds shook the tunnel once more.


    Lin Rui leapt and dodged continuously, firing his gun, and finally from a distance of 70 meters, he shot the last man dead.


    Just when he thought he had resolved the fight, Lin Rui saw Fei Yunlai signaling a warning amidst the battle group: ¡°Lin Rui, be careful!¡±


    Ignatius, unbeknownst to them, gathered the last of his strength and blood energy and transformed into a Dark Gold Spear-like bolt of lightning, slashing down towards Lin Rui.


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes, and his entire being swiftly flitted away like light.


    This was the super emperor-class secret technique ¡°Light of Time and Thunderbolt Arrow¡±!


    During the past month, apart from rigorous study and training, he also spent a considerable amount of Soul Power to copy two high-level Escape Skills from battle spirits after his various body metrics reached 1000.


    He integrated and transformed his own Escape Skill into a high-level Escape Skill that was compatible with light, thunder, and fire, creating the ¡°Brilliant Thunder Aurora Escape,¡± from which the super emperor secret technique ¡°Light of Time and Thunderbolt Arrow¡± was derived.


    When Lin Rui used ¡°Light of Time and Thunderbolt Arrow¡± back on the Heavens Extreme Star, it was already powerful.


    Now, armed with the Super Emperor Golden Core within his body, it was even faster beyond belief.


    His figure was now like a beam of light unfathomable and uncatchable, evading Ignatius¡¯s deadly strike.


    The situation was similar to that with Duan Pengxuan.


    However, unlike that time, Lin Rui didn¡¯t have Blood Blade standing in front of him, and this Ignatius was stronger in combat, furnished with various equipment, reaching at least 6SS+.


    Fei Yunlai, however, was close behind Ignatius, narrowing the distance between them.


    After chasing each other inside the caves for about half a minute, Ignatius could not catch up, while Fei Yunlai approached within less than 6 meters of him, his consciousness growing more and more dim.


    With a roar full of defiance, Ignatius lashed back at Fei Yunlai.


    But at that moment, Lin Rui made his move; he had been gaining momentum for a while and thrust a knife from 35 meters away, directly into Ignatius¡¯s back through the wound Fei Yunlai previously made.


    Fei Yunlai quickly followed up and slashed at Ignatius¡¯s eye socket, turning his brain into mush.

 Chapter 268

    ?Chapter 268: Chapter 253: Conflict (Please Subscribe) Chapter 268: Chapter 253: Conflict (Please Subscribe) About 14 minutes later, Zhou Yunfei arrived at the gates of the Tianyang Elderly Care Center in an armored explosion-proof vehicle.


    From above, a large number of armed police forces could be seen gathering, encircling the care center.


    These were the armed police forces summoned by Zhou Yunfei, who took the situation very seriously and immediately deployed two heavy-armored regiments from nearby stations after hearing the news.


    Currently, only a portion had arrived; the rest of the troops were still en route.


    However, these armed police forces were stopped outside the care center¡¯s gates by the personnel from the Security Bureau.


    ¡°Breach it!¡±


    Zhou Yunfei¡¯s eyes were cold as he ordered his driver and head of security.


    The armored explosion-proof vehicle then braved the many fire control radars shining up from below and broke into the airspace above the care center.


    ...


    Zhou Yunfei didn¡¯t wait for the vehicle to stop before jumping out and rushing towards the underground tunnel.


    Along the way, two 6A tactical squads from the sub-branch ¡®Special Duty Center¡¯ attempted to block him, but they were intimidated by Zhou Yunfei¡¯s overwhelming martial intent and the imposing presence of the seventh-level battle dragon following close behind him.


    ¡°Step aside!


    Are you trying to start a rebellion?¡±


    Zhou Yunfei, unable to contain his anger, enveloped in immense gang force, rammed straight into the tunnel¡¯s entrance.


    In the end, the members of the Special Service Bureau¡¯s 6A tactical squads dared not engage Zhou Yunfei and had to make way, allowing the Ninth Division¡¯s Chief and his armed entourage to burst into the underground passageway.


    Go to novgo.co


    When Zhou Yunfei made his way through the lengthy, spacious tunnel and reached the underground warehouse, he saw two groups of people in a standoff, separated by a distance.


    One side was led by Zhang Long from the Third Special Operations Department, consisting of 80 people.


    Despite Zhang Long being the only 6SS-class expert, they had nine ¡®Jianlong¡¯ Mark 6 combat robots and three Mark 7s.


    novgo.co


    Zhang Long had brought all the military forces of the Third Special Operations Department to this place, and they had secured some defensive weapons inside the warehouse, such as the 40 ¡®Gatling Bodhisattva¡¯ guns, and established positions in advantageous locations beforehand.


    The opposing group was composed of personnel from the ¡®Special Duty Center¡¯ and the ¡®Anti-Terrorism Department,¡¯ which were the two most powerful departments within the Ninth Division, with a portion being from the Security Bureau¡¯s ¡®Smuggling Suppression Department.¡¯


    They had a stronger force, consisting of over 200 people, including four sixth-level experts, but they were far inferior in terms of battle robots.


    Aside from some melee combatants armed with swords, the rest were aiming their firearms, creating a tension-filled atmosphere.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zhou Yunfei shouted angrily, ¡°All of you, put down your weapons!¡±


    It was at this moment that another figure darted down the tunnel and arrived at the scene.


    He was an elderly man with a high nose bridge, wearing the uniform of a Security Bureau admiral, his hair gray with age.


    His face, nearly seventy years old, was marked with many deep wrinkles, and his demeanor exuded an aura of calm authority, his eyes sharp and penetrating, as if seeing through the essence of the world.


    Upon entering, the old man furrowed his brows then regained his composure, ¡°Lower your weapons.¡±


    When Zhou Yunfei had scolded them earlier, the people from the ¡®Special Duty Center¡¯ and ¡®Anti-Terrorism Department¡¯ remained unmoved.


    However, as soon as the old man with white hair spoke, they all promptly put away their firearms.


    Zhou Yunfei¡¯s expression darkened as he turned to glance at the elderly man behind him, ¡°Vice Minister You is quite imposing.


    What are you trying to do, prepare for a rebellion?


    Isn¡¯t my direct order taken seriously anymore?¡±


    The man in question, named You Ming, was the First Vice Minister of the Security Bureau¡¯s Ninth Division and was currently Zhou Yunfei¡¯s greatest rival within the bureau.


    ¡°Rebellion?


    At the moment, several people from the third bureau under their ninth division had been forced to take leave, undergoing investigation, and two senior colonels from the Eastern District Police had been arrested.


    Zhang Long hadn¡¯t found direct evidence of their involvement in the Xue Bogao case, but he dealt with them one by one on various charges of corruption, bribery, malfeasance, and the like.


    a?€¡±This was exactly what Zhou Yunfei wanted to see.


    Zhang Long didn¡¯t give him a warm reception, turning aside to dodge Zhou Yunfei¡¯s hand, ¡°I think you¡¯d better hurry to the smuggling route and take a look.


    There¡¯s indeed a major issue with the base defense force and the interstellar navy.


    The end of that route is a hidden dock that can accommodate three destroyers.¡±


    The question was, how did these destroyer-class smuggling ships manage to slip through the double defense nets of the base defense force and the interstellar navy and enter Satellite 9?


    ¡°There¡¯s such a large dock?¡± Zhou Yunfei said with a serious expression upon hearing this.


    He was dispatched to the ninth division precisely because the East Asian Republic felt something was amiss here.


    Yet, Zhou Yunfei had not anticipated that the situation would be so dire.


    No wonder the strength of the notorious pirate syndicate had grown so rapidly of late.


    It was said that these scoundrels were even preparing to build their own high-speed cruisers, indicating their plentiful supplies and financial resources.


    Zhou Yunfei quickly collected his thoughts and again, with a smile, gave Xue Lingxue a thumbs up, ¡°Xiaoxue, you¡¯ve done well too.


    We owe a lot to your intelligence analysis this time; otherwise, we probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to snatch up this case.¡±


    Xue Lingxue, upon hearing his words, smiled broadly and heartily, ¡°I was just lucky, and it was thanks to Minister your high regard that all of our combat robots were dispatched here.¡±


    She felt quite embarrassed and tried hard to hide her guilty conscience.


    But Zhang Long knitted his brows by her side, a glint of something different flashing in his eyes.


    It was Xue Lingxue who had notified him and Zhou Yunfei the moment she received the alarm.


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s reason for notifying them was that she had been closely tracking various clues related to the notorious pirate syndicate, especially the major sources of the syndicate¡¯s everyday necessities.


    She had noticed, through the flow of goods in the underground market, the ¡®Tianyang Elderly Care Center¡¯ controlled by the Six Streets Gang.


    Judging by the traffic and power usage of the center¡¯s vehicles and the substantial psychotropic drugs they had recently purchased, this place was clearly a covert distribution center for supplies and was likely a smuggling den connected to the notorious pirate syndicate.


    After their arrival, it was also Xue Lingxue who alerted him to the medium-sized database that hadn¡¯t been connected to the network.


    Zhang Long knew that since Xue Lingxue had been transferred to Ninth Base, she had indeed been closely monitoring the notorious pirate syndicate, so the reasons she provided barely held water.


    However, he soon realized after examining the scene that this place was related to the series of murders committed by the Blood Lizard Gang and that it was highly likely to be the doing of their direct superior, Lin Rui.


    Zhang Long was an experienced detective; even though he had no concrete evidence, he could identify Lin Rui as a suspect just by indirect clues such as Lin Rui living in the same complex as Xue Bogao, the conflict of Lin Xi with the Blood Lizard Gang, and the battle traces in the Xue family¡¯s basement.


    If he were leading the investigation of this series of murders, he would definitely focus on Lin Rui as the main direction for inquiry.


    But the present issue was that the position for which Lin Twelve was about to be appointed was very important to the entire Earth Federation, and Zhang Long truly had no evidence.


    That guy¡¯s crimes were getting more skilled and experienced, leaving no legally effective evidence behind.


    Zhang Long felt conflicted, thinking he could only wait and see for now.


    If Lin Rui left behind any blatant evidence, he would bring him to justice!


    At that moment, Zhou Yunfei¡¯s expression slightly shifted as he looked at a message that appeared on his retinal display.


    His pupils dilated slightly, barely able to contain the excitement within him, his face flushed with emotion.


    He had received reliable news from a friend at the First Division¡¯s Intelligence Analysis Department.


    The Great Song Imperial Court¡¯s debates regarding the next Commandant of the Assassination Department had been settled; the next Commandant would be Lin Twelve, who was currently serving as the Wang City Defense Commander!


    Zhou Yunfei thought that today was truly a double celebration!

 Chapter 269

    ?Chapter 269: Chapter 254: Strike (Please Subscribe) Chapter 269: Chapter 254: Strike (Please Subscribe) After unloading the cargo, Wang Sen returned to the secret base¡¯s operation research room.


    Upon entering, he saw Fei Yunlai sitting in a chair on the far left of the room, lost in thought, who didn¡¯t react at all even when he saw Wang Sen come in.


    Wang Sen noticed that Fei Yunlai¡¯s eyes had no focus, and curiously turned his head to ask Lin Rui, ¡°What¡¯s up with the coach?


    He seems off.¡±


    ¡°Might be a bit shocked?¡±


    Lin Rui replied with a slight smile, playing with an opulent gold-colored bank card in his hand, ¡°You don¡¯t know, in that last fight, our coach, a Seventh Realm against a Sixth Realm, almost slipped up and performed below standarda?€¡±¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    Fei Yunlai, unable to tolerate Lin Rui shattering his tall image in Wang Sen¡¯s eyes, glared at Lin Rui with wide-open eyes: ¡°That was Ignatius, decked out with top-tier equipment, with the combat strength comparable to many in the Seventh Realm.¡±


    As he spoke, he couldn¡¯t help but glance again at the opulent gold-colored bank card spinning at Lin Rui¡¯s fingertips.


    Lin Xi had already hacked into this unregistered bank card earlier, and the amount of funds inside wasa?€¡±1,353,342,148!@@@@


    Although it didn¡¯t match the card that Wang Li had before, it completely shattered his composure.


    This isn¡¯t right!


    ...


    In his memory, the gangs of the Sixth Street were just a bunch of poor devils, scraping by with handouts from the big corporationsa?€¡±how did they suddenly become so wealthy?


    The key was that he learned the identity of the deceased afterward.


    Go to novgo.co


    During the fight, he couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s face; after peeling off his armor, he recognized him.


    It was Ignatius Adelarda?€¡±the eldest son of the Adelard family from the Sixth Street Gang.


    This future leader of the Sixth Street Gang had died at his hands.


    For a mere fifty million, he killed the son of the leader of the Sixth Street Gang, which had 8,000 official members.


    Fei Yunlai now seriously wondered if Lin Rui had withheld some crucial information from him before the battle.


    Otherwise, why would that guy have specifically arranged for him to bring out the ¡®Implanted Combat Dragon¡¯ and set up an ambush at that location?


    However, Fei Yunlai kept in mind that Lin Rui was just an average student, and Lin Xi was just a budding hacker with no reliable intelligence resources, so he temporarily suppressed his suspicions.


    ¡°Fine!


    You¡¯re the boss,¡± he conceded.


    Lin Rui shrugged nonchalantly, ¡°Now onto the next target, Taifeng Building Materials Processing Plant in the eastern district, another factory controlled by the Sixth Street Gang.


    novgo.co


    I¡¯ll send you the map of Taifeng Building Materials Processing Plant and the related intelligence that Xiao Xi has gathered.¡±


    The Sixth Street Gang was not originally among his first wave of targets.


    That very night, Yu Feicui, who also was staying at the martial arts club, heard the alarm sound outside for the entire night.


    The next morning when she woke up, she heard in the news that there had been three major murder cases, with many deaths totaling over 700 people.


    According to the police¡¯s speculation, these cases might be related to gang vendettas, internal gang strife, and they urged citizens not to panic.


    Yu Feicui was not afraid; she was under the protection of Tianlan Group and the Fang family, so such matters would not find their way to her.


    Yu Feicui even felt a sense of schadenfreude at the deaths of these gang members.


    She knew about the Six Street Gang, and although their style wasn¡¯t as bloody as the Blood Lizard Gang, they were also notorious for doing nothing but evil and were a cancer in Xinggang.


    When Yu Feicui finished washing up and came to the activities area of the club, she was startled by Fei Yunlai.


    She saw her senior brother¡¯s face set in stone, extremely unsightly with a sallow complexion, and his dead fish eyes seemed to say that everyone owed him 10 billion Federal Dollars.


    Yu Feicui wondered if her senior brother Fei had defaulted on his debts again.


    But that didn¡¯t seem right.


    Senior brother Fei¡¯s monthly account day was supposed to be on the 15th, and last month he had borrowed 17 million from her to pay off his debts.


    She turned her head to Lin Rui, who was practicing his blade technique nearby, ¡°Xiao Rui, what kind of blow did you deliver to him this time?¡±


    Yu Feicui thought that only Lin Rui could occasionally give Fei Yunlai the frustration of feeling crushed by superior talent.


    ¡°Uha?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui thought Yu Feicui¡¯s question was spot on, but he really didn¡¯t know how to answer it.


    Poor old Fei, he seemed to be plagued with bad luck.


    The night before, they had struck two of the Six Street Gang¡¯s strongholds in succession, and the guy had chosen profit-sharing, but the total income didn¡¯t exceed 40 million.


    Lin Rui figured that next time Fei Yunlai chose ¡®profit-sharing¡¯ for a target, he might as well not go because there wouldn¡¯t be much income.


    At that moment, Lin Rui felt a premonitiona?€¡±it was the artificial intelligence from the Xeno-body getting in touch with him.


    Blood Blade Ji had also sent him a message.


    Blood Blade Sky Saber (Ji Xueying): Master, you have a message over a long distance.


    Lin Rui found Ji Xueying¡¯s chosen user name hard to look at directly, then hurried back to his room to use the Quantum Descending Device to project himself to Tian Ji Star.


    The long-distance message was from Meng Weiyun, and after reading the contents, Lin Rui was astounded.


    Had he really been appointed as the Commandant of the Spy Killer Bureau?


    The letter said that in no more than twenty days, the imperial orders would arrive at Wang City, and he should prepare to enter the capital.


    Lin Rui sighed lightly, knowing that his plan to exchange for the ¡®Emperor Flame War Dragon¡¯ before entering the capital was utterly ruined.


    The only plan now was to use the resources of the Security Bureau and have Xue Lingxue and the others help to transport the ¡®Emperor Flame War Dragon¡¯ to the capital to await orders.


    Furthermore, the letter mentioned two other matters.


    One was that Meng Weiyun promised to deliver the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, which he had agreed to forge, to Wang City in twenty days; the other matter concerned the Governor of the Sand Region.

 Chapter 270

    ?Chapter 270: Chapter 255: Reselling (Third update, please subscribe) Chapter 270: Chapter 255: Reselling (Third update, please subscribe) ¡°So the Governor of Shazhou has been brought down just like that?¡±


    Lin Rui was alarmed.


    The Governor of Shazhou had been in office for less than half a year; not long after his appointment, he sank several starships of the federal military and destroyed their quantum communication relays.


    At that time, he was vigorous and formidable, and his momentum was astounding.


    And now he was overthrown?


    Meng Weiyun said this person was suspected of ¡®defying the gods¡¯ and ordered for his arrest and questioning in the capital.


    Once convicted of such a charge, his death was certain, and not only would he be doomed, but so too his family.@@@@


    Even if he managed to escape by luck and cleared his name, this fellow would still be stripped bare.


    ...


    He would never again be able to hold any senior position in the court of the Great Song.


    Lin Rui wondered if it could be because of him?


    All he did was throw a bit of dirt on this man, enough to bring down the mighty Governor of Shazhou?


    That¡¯s impossiblea?€¡±


    Meng Weiyun didn¡¯t explain the details in her letter.


    Her meaning was that the reaction of the Governor of Shazhou next was unpredictable, and he might not be willing to obediently comply.


    Go to novgo.co


    As the newly appointed Chief of Judicial Watch, he needed to be prepared.


    If the Governor of Shazhou showed any intent of rebellion, he would have to respond accordingly and deal with him with thunderous methods.


    After reading the letter, Lin Rui frowned deeply, sensing a great trouble.


    The Governor of Shazhou was a great master with cultivation at the eighth realm, holding a second-rank official title.


    Lin Rui had just achieved Core Formation; how was he to strike such a heavy-hitter with thunderous methods?


    However, the court had not yet finalized the charges against the Governor of Shazhou, simply stating that he would be taken to the capital for interrogation.


    Surely he wouldn¡¯t react too violently, would he?


    Lin Rui continued to read the contents of the letter.


    He discovered that Meng Weiyun also hinted in the letter, asking whether the trade with the Heavenly Demons from beyond the realm had been completed, and if this connection was reliable?


    Could he help her buy some items?


    This senior sister was probably worried that her Civilian Umbrella may be intercepted and could leave written evidence, so she was very cryptic with her words.


    Anyone not paying careful attention might not even notice it.


    Lin Rui immediately replied to Meng Weiyun with a letter, which was carried away by her Civilian Umbrella.


    He himself was a Heavenly Demon from beyond the realm, so this connection was certainly reliable, and there was no way he would scam his own senior sister.


    But in this letter, Lin Rui not only used cryptic language but also appeared extremely troubled, self-blaming, and guilt-ridden.


    In short, in the name of resisting demons, he was forced to make a deal with the Heavenly Demons, which tainted his pure soul.


    Lin Rui also mentioned that the Heavenly Demons he was in contact with were rather trustworthy, supposedly from the Republic of East Asia.


    Their Type 5 bloodline enhancement drug was priced at 3,500 taels of demon silver, but he was unsure of the market and whether it was genuine.


    Currently, the government agency in charge of external organisms priced a Type 5 bloodline enhancement drug at 3 million federal dollars, which was equivalent to 3,000 taels of demon silver.


    But once Sister Meng switched her Cultivation Technique and injected herself with the concoctions he had purchased on her behalf, Old Fei might not stand a chance against her next time.


    In the following ten days or so, Lin Rui not only intensified his martial arts practice but also increased the harvesting of Soul Power points at the Ninth Base City.


    Unfortunately, during these ten days, Lin Rui only harvested six times, and the quantity was far less than that of the old-age care center incident, with at most just over 100 people, bringing his Soul Power points up to 553,211.


    The gangs in both the upper and lower districts had become vigilant, investing heavily at their strongholds to enhance the ventilation systems and the installation of posture sensing equipment.


    They avoided gathering unnecessarily, making it difficult for Lin Rui to find a suitable opportunity to strike.


    Lin Rui could hardly understand how a gang called the Tiger Teeth Gang even installed a Type 7 Ether Radar above their toilets, along with a high-powered ventilation machine worth 500,000 federal coins.


    It was simply madness!


    They even reinforced their network, causing the cyber security companies of the Ninth Base City to be in high demand lately.


    It¡¯s worth mentioning that during this period, he received another dividend from the Jinggang merchants and the filial respects of the Wang City business community and elders, totaling nearly 130,000 two of demon silver.


    Lin Rui did not favor the officialdom ethos of the Heavenly Pole Star; he had only done things within his official responsibility, so how could he rightly accept money from the locals?


    Nevertheless, these elders were incredibly enthusiastic, saying that since he took over as the defense officer, he had not only dredged the rivers but also cleared the many demons and monsters within the city, making both the city and the surrounding rivers clean.


    What the situation was like before Lin Rui¡¯s arrival, and the transformation after, was something all residents had witnessed.


    novgo.co


    The Prefectural Governor, the Prefectural Commander, and the Prefectural Chief were all ineffective, unable to secure the situation in Wang City.


    It was Lin Rui who arrived and turned the tide, restoring peace to the people of Wang City.


    They had some source of news indicating that Lin Rui was about to be transferred to the capital city.


    The local elders were very reluctant to see him go but also happy for the Defense Officer.


    They were in the process of making a Civilian Umbrella to give to Lin Rui as a farewell gift.


    Lin Rui was overwhelmed with happiness because of their praise and reluctantly accepted the filial silver they offered.


    The elders¡¯ enthusiasm made it impossible for him to decline.


    Not long after this, Fei Yunlai mentioned that his heteromorphic body had almost fully recovered and he was also preparing to leave Wang City Prefecture.


    At this time, Fei Yunlai was spirited and glowing with health, a far cry from his despondency a month ago.


    Not only had his injuries healed to about seventy percent, but his heteromorphic body¡¯s overall strength had greatly improved.


    After following Lin Rui on a few missions, Fei Yunlai not only managed to gather the interest for this month¡¯s loan but also had Lin Rui help him equip his heteromorphic body¡¯s war dragon with a full-coverage subdermal nano armor.


    This not only enhanced the war dragon¡¯s defensive capabilities but also increased its strength and speed somewhat.


    Fei Yunlai was brimming with confidence, believing that his heteromorphic body taking on mercenary tasks within the Heavenly Pole Star would be easy and would put his life back on track.


    This month had been tough for him.


    Going around with Lin Rui and slaughtering drug traffickers and gang members, he feared that one day he might expose his identity and end up on the Earth Federation¡¯s wanted list.


    What he could not bear was that every time he chose a commission, Lin Rui would always make a small profit.


    Now this guy must have at least 3.8 billion federal coins of illicit money in his hands.


    But if he chose profit-sharing, he would inevitably end up at a loss.


    Fei Yunlai surmised that his own body might be facing unlucky times and that he could only place his hopes on his heteromorphic body.


    Seeing Fei Yunlai¡¯s triumphant demeanor, Lin Rui secretly felt regretful, thinking that the penniless bull was indeed about to fly awaya?€¡±

 Chapter 271

    ?Chapter 271: Chapter 256 Collision (Please Subscribe) Chapter 271: Chapter 256 Collision (Please Subscribe) Although Lin Rui was reluctant to let his ace enforcer, Fei Yunlai, leave, he personally escorted him to the exit of the underground base when Fei bid his farewell.


    He looked at Fei Yunlai¡¯s face with some concern and then at the ¡®Tengu Demon¡¯ by his side, ¡°Old Fei, won¡¯t you stay a bit longer?


    I see your injuries haven¡¯t fully healed yet, only about sixty to seventy percent recovered.¡±


    The protective demon and battle dragons under this guy did seem to recover quite well.


    The regenerative ability of demons is naturally strong, and it is now about seventy to eighty percent restored, but their vital energy is still significantly depleted.


    ¡°Sixty to seventy percent is already quite good.¡±


    Fei Yunlai chuckled bitterly, his expression hearty, ¡°These are internal injuries.


    As the saying goes, illnesses leave as slowly as silk is drawn out.


    Who knows how long it will truly take to fully recuperate?


    ...


    Being at this level now is already decent, and it doesn¡¯t affect my fighting ability.¡±


    He thought to himself, how else would I support my large and small family if I don¡¯t leave now?


    With loans amounting to 120 million a month, including principal and interest, and the cost of maintaining a protective demon and two combat dragons at over 80 million, he needs to make at least 200,000 taels of demon silver each month just to cover these expenses.


    Following Lin Rui, he could indeed make some money, but constantly following him in committing arson and murder was not a long-term solution.


    In just over ten days, he had already accompanied Lin Rui in offending all the big and small gangs within the base, exposing his identity could be disastrous.


    Go to novgo.co


    These grudges were the kind where they wouldn¡¯t rest until one party was dead.


    Fei Yunlai patted Lin Rui on the shoulder, ¡°I truly owe you a lot this time, Classmate Lin!


    Otherwise, I would have been dead for sure.


    As I¡¯ve said before, if you ever need anything, just call on me.


    I¡¯ll be there whenever you need.¡±


    This time he wouldn¡¯t take any money, considering it a repayment for the life-saving grace from before.


    Debts of gratitude were best repaid sooner rather than later.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui felt slightly unhappy as he pursed his lips, feeling that Old Fei was being very practical.


    Lately, Fei Yunlai had been calling him BOSS, and now that he no longer cared about his money, he reverted to calling him Classmate Lin.


    Despite this, Lin Rui still nonchalantly passed him a government-issued bulletin.


    The bulletin, also known as a court manuscript, was a type of document used by the court specifically for publishing divine decrees and the emperor¡¯s edicts, orders from the cabinet, councilor deliberations, state affairs, and disaster reports from various provinces.


    ¡°A bulletin?


    Why show me this?¡±


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s pupils contracted upon seeing a corner of the bulletin circled in vermilion ink by Lin Rui.


    It was news regarding the Burning Saber Sect.


    Roughly twenty days ago, Heavenly Official Meng Weiyun mobilized eight thousand imperial naval forces to surround Mount Daba, annihilating over two thousand members of the Burning Saber Sect!


    The only survivor from the entire sect was the Sect Master, who escaped with severe injuries and was pursued by Meng Weiyun.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s eyelids twitched, wondering how this woman had recovered so quickly?


    From the text of the bulletin, it seemed that Meng Weiyun had not called upon other imperial experts to join the battle.


    a?€¡±Those were streaks of Sword Qi, virtually invisible to the naked eye, almost shredding the very void behind Fei Yunlai into pieces.


    Just as Fei Yunlai was about to be caught by the Sword Qi, a series of booming sounds exploded behind him.


    It was from another of Fei Yunlai¡¯s battle dragons, clashing with a white battle dragon that had lunged from the front.


    The impact from their sword and saber collision spread out, shattering all vegetation within a mile radius and causing all living creatures within ten miles to flee in panic.


    At the same time, Fei Yunlai¡¯s Heavenly Demon had locked onto the master of that Sword Qi, breaking its stealth and unleashing a storm of blades.


    ¡°Clang!


    Clang!


    Clang!¡±


    Fei Yunlai still took two hits, the pain forcing him to grit his teeth and wince.


    What was more troublesome was that with the two strikes of Sword Qi, Fei Yunlai¡¯s body was engulfed in holy white flames from the inside out, the scorching flames burning his organs.


    ¡°Bright Holy Church?¡±


    Fei Yunlai looked behind with an extremely ugly expression, facing the white figure who was dealing with the slashes of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s sword light, ¡°Are you the High Priest of the Bright Holy Church?


    Why?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The man in white was around sixty years old; he looked at Fei Yunlai with eyes filled with pain and coldness: ¡°You killed the fifth Saint Heir of our church, and you have the nerve to ask me why?¡±


    He had discovered the scene where the fifth Saint Heir, Xu Zhe, died.


    By using the top-level Time Secret Technique, he retraced the three streaks of Sword Intent that killed Xu Zhe.


    One of them originated from the guy before his eyes.


    Fei Yunlai was taken aback upon hearing this, then cursed under his breath, ¡°Damn it.¡±


    He suddenly realized that this area seemed to be near Qin Yan¡¯s dwelling place.


    Previously, his guardian demon had helped Lin Rui kill a member of the Bright Holy Church in this vicinity.


    Fei Yunlai knew he was in a dire situation.


    It seemed that this High Priest of the seventh realm from the Bright Holy Church wanted to settle matters of life and death with him?


    Fei Yunlai tried hard to suppress the Saint Flame within him, taking a deep breath, ¡°I think you¡¯re courting death!¡±


    He was a man who honored righteousness; although he had taken the blow for Lin Rui, he had also accepted Lin Rui¡¯s money.


    At the same time, Fei Yunlai felt extreme indignation towards this person!


    He had barely managed to heal his injuries, ready to earn money to support himself, but then this fellow ambushed him, landing two strikes that wounded his lungs.


    Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t understand, when would his streak of bad luck ever end?


    The infinite rage in his heart, combined with his Sword Intent, burst forth, colliding with the formidable Sword Intent of the High Priest from the opposite side.


    In an instant, an invisible shockwave spread in all directions from the center.


    ¡°Courting death, huh?¡±


    The pain in the eyes of the man in white deepened.


    The deceased fifth Saint Heir, Xu Zhe, was his biological nephew and the hope of their family, yet he died at the hands of this scoundrel.


    His figure then turned into a flash of light that was hard to catch with the naked eye, darting towards Fei Yunlai once more.


    Their saber energy and Sword Qi clashed violently in the mountains and fields.@@@@

 Chapter 272

    ?Chapter 272: Chapter 257: Saving Lives (Please Subscribe) Chapter 272: Chapter 257: Saving Lives (Please Subscribe) After Fei Yunlai left, Lin Rui dug out the safe from beneath the base.


    ¡°This guy hid it pretty deep, treating it like a treasure.¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself that if it weren¡¯t for the sight of that imperial report today sparking fear of Meng Weiyun in Fei Yunlai, he probably would still be hiding it, unwilling to take it out.


    What exactly was the treasure inside?


    After opening the safe, he found it included some Heavenly Extreme Star scrolls and a portion of video materials.


    Lin Rui glanced through them and his expression gradually became solemn; for a moment, he felt the items in his hands were somewhat hot to the touch.


    The numerous pieces of evidence inside were enough to trigger a major case!


    And it wasn¡¯t just within the great Song Dynasty of the Heavenly Extreme Star, but a huge storm would also rise within the Earth Federation.@@@@


    ...


    Lin Rui estimated that his current small stature might not be able to withstand it.


    However, if he could withstand it, his future would certainly be as bright as brocade.


    Fei Yunlai didn¡¯t speak falsely; he indeed gave him a ladder to promotion.


    Lin Rui composed himself and thought, then put the evidence back and carried the safe toward the direction of the county seat.


    After returning to the inner offices of Wang City, Lin Rui first found a place to hide the safe, then went to the backyard.


    Ji Xueying was sitting near a pond, using Lin Xi¡¯s ¡°Blood Refining Mirror¡± to shine upon herself and refine her bloodline with the help of this item.


    Go to novgo.co


    The bloodline talent of the Blood Blade Ji theoretically could rise to the level beyond imperial, but to this day, none had managed to achieve this.


    However, Ji Xueying had ample potential, her talent had already been impressive before, and after undergoing secret technique refinement in Silver Moon County, both her bloodline potential and spiritual power talent surpassed most of the Blood Blade Ji.


    Now, after over two months of continuous exposure to the ¡°Blood Refining Mirror,¡± Ji Xueying¡¯s new talent was almost ripe for the picking.


    Her strength had also increased rapidly in the past two months, with bone armor further extending to her abdomen, providing complete protection for frontal combat.


    In addition, Lin Rui injected her with a gene completion serum to further complement her genetics, followed by two injections of spiritual enhancers and two injections of bloodline enhancers.


    Although Ji Xueying¡¯s talent had not yet awakened, her overall combat ability was nearly 35% higher than two months ago; even in the ranks of 5SSS level, she was considered among the stronger.


    Lin Xi was practicing pile training nearby.


    The technique she was practicing was the ¡°Yang Pulled Out Stance.¡±


    The middle-tier stance technique ¡°self-created¡± by Lin Rui might not appear exceptional, but whether it was the efficiency in expanding the meridians, accumulating True Qi, or the speed of Golden Core formation, it was comparable to high-tier stances and even had some advantages in certain aspects.


    Under Lin Rui¡¯s guidance, Lin Xi had mastered the essence of this stance technique and was estimated to enter the Golden Core stage in another day or two.


    Lin Xi¡¯s Sword Bone Demon, on the other hand, was in combat with Wang Sen.


    Wang Sen sought to hone his martial arts ultimate understanding through the Sword Bone Demon¡¯s Sword Intent pressure, while the Sword Bone Demon needed plenty of actual combat experience to enhance its combat prowess; thus, the two were mutually benefiting.


    Having inherited the entire Zhou family fortune, just from the seven Zhou family tea mountains producing Shenxin Tea, Lin Xi could make three hundred thousand taels a year, not to mention the Zhou family¡¯s generational savings which are no less than Lin Rui¡¯s current financial power.


    So, in the past two months, the Azure Blood Sword Bone Demon got everything it needed: gene completion serums, nanoscale subdermal armor, nanoscale assistive combat devices, in all aspects reaching the 5th realm imperial bloodline limit.


    Just a few days ago, the ¡®Indomitable Heart Dragon¡¯ seemed to have signs of awakening and was even able to communicate with her through consciousness, its vitality progressively growing stronger.


    To Lin Xi¡¯s astonishment, although the ¡®Indomitable Heart Dragon¡¯s¡¯ power had dropped to the sixth realm, its bloodline force had actually become strengthened, potentially breaking through to the super emperor tier.


    Lin Rui watched her speed away, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.


    He knew that in the past two months, Lin Xi visited the Zhou family daily because of the War Dragon hidden underneath their grounds.


    However, when Lin Rui checked more than two months ago, that War Dragon was gravely injured, at that time he couldn¡¯t feel the dragon¡¯s consciousness, probably beyond saving.


    This girl still hasn¡¯t given up?


    At this moment, he received a message sent by Fei Yunlai.


    Invincible Ox (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, help me!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): !!!???


    Lin Rui thought, what happened to this guy, it¡¯s been less than an hour since he left, and he is already crying for help?


    Invincible Ox (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, come quickly with some healing medicine, I¡¯ve encountered a High Priest from the Guang Ming Holy Sect, another lunatic!


    Save me first, then go to this location, you must find a way to take out that bastard, otherwise, we¡¯re in big trouble!


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression turned solemn.


    He immediately ran into the room to grab three Type 5 life-restoring medicine syringes and then rode out of the city at top speed.


    Anticipating great peril on this mission, he had Ji Xueying follow closely behind him.


    Ji Xueying possessed an extremely powerful stealth ability, surpassing even that of Fei Yunlai¡¯s Celestial Hound in this aspect.


    About 20 minutes later, Lin Rui located the area that Fei Yunlai mentioned.


    Looking at Fei Yunlai who lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious, Lin Rui was momentarily lost for words.


    Right now, Fei Yunlai¡¯s condition was only slightly better than after his battle with Meng Weiyun.


    Fortunately, his War Dragon was still intact, though it was unable to heal the several gaping wounds on its body, at least it was still conscious.


    That Celestial Hound Demon was also not too bad, resting under a nearby boulder, panting.


    Lin Rui then looked up scanning the forest about twenty miles away, filled with craters and total disarray, reflecting on how, although the battle was brief, its intensity was no less than the battle between Fei Yunlai and Meng Weiyun.


    Next, he administered a shot of the Type 5 life-restoring medicine to each of thema?€¡±stabilizing the state of this man, demon, and dragona?€¡±before heading towards another coordinate that Fei Yunlai had reported.


    Lin Rui found a middle-aged man in white, also unconscious and covered in blood, nearby, along with a severely damaged War Dragon.


    This War Dragon, still lucid, was vigilantly guarding its master without moving an inch.


    Lin Rui knew this man was without a doubt the High Priest, one of the seven High Priests of the Holy Sect, mentioned by Tang Wenlan!


    He guiltily glanced towards Jingang Port, then surveyed the surroundings, realizing that no one else was there.


    The battle between Fei Yunlai and the High Priest had attracted a large crowd of martial artists from the area, but after the fight, both had retreated far from the scene, hiding in the distant forest.


    Their location had yet to be discovered.


    Lin Rui immediately directed Ji Xueying to momentarily restrain the seventh-realm War Dragon while his figure flickered, twisting the High Priest¡¯s head and with a ¡®snap¡¯, plucked it off.

 Chapter 273

    ?Chapter 273: Chapter 258: All For You (Third update, please subscribe) Chapter 273: Chapter 258: All For You (Third update, please subscribe) Fei Yunlai was quite lucky; the battlefield where he and the Grand Priest of the Holy Church fought was only a bit over sixty miles from the secret base in Wang City.


    There was a complete surgery cabin there, facilitating Lin Rui to perform more precise surgeries to help old Fei recover faster without leaving any hidden injuries.


    However, when Lin Rui tried to place Fei Yunlai into the surgery cabin, Fei Yunlai tightly clutched his hand, refusing to let go.


    Lin Rui pondered for a long while, then realized, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the seventh realm battle dragon counts as yours, and the thirty thousand silver notes on the Grand Priest, as well as his belongings, are also yours.¡±


    Sure enough, upon hearing this, Fei Yunlai released his hand.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t plan to take advantage of old Fei; neither did he have the heart to.


    Considering that Fei Yunlai had indeed taken a hit for him, he decided not to charge old Fei¡¯s surgery and medicine fees.


    The problem was that the items on the Grand Priest added up still fell short of covering Fei Yunlai¡¯s expenses for two months, and considering his compounded injuries, it was estimated he wouldn¡¯t recover for two or three months.


    ...


    Lin Rui also felt conflicted, unsure whether to feel happy or worried, as the kite that had flown away had somehow come back.


    While Lin Rui was performing surgery on Fei Yunlai, Lin Xi was in the Zhou family¡¯s basement, her eyes full of expectation as she gazed at the ¡®Danxin Indestructible Dragon¡¯ in front of her.


    Although the tier of this battle dragon had decreased, its body was still an impressive seventy feet tall.


    Its severely damaged heart and most of its organs had healed, and the hole in its forehead was gone, but its body was still incomplete, having only one arm and one leg.


    This was because the battle dragon¡¯s energy was insufficient, allowing it to only prioritize the restoration of more critical parts within its body.


    It was surprising that this originally all-red dragon, edged with dark gold, now had dark golden patterns on its breastplate as well, resembling runesa?€¡±mysterious, wonderful, cool, and magnificent.


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    a?€¡±This was indeed a characteristic of a battle dragon entering the super-emperor stage.


    At the emperor stage, these dark golden patterns would only wrap around the edges and corners, but entering the super-emperor stage, these patterns could spread all over the body.


    Lin Xi¡¯s face turned slightly pale, due to the excessive amount of blood she had just spilled.


    Each time she fed the battle dragon with her blood over the past few days for the sacrificial refining, its consciousness had fiercely tried to awaken, yet it had not succeeded.


    Lin Xi knew it was just short of the final step for a complete awakening, so today she had invested heavily.


    With Lin Rui¡¯s imminent entry into the capital and the upcoming dangerous confrontations, she had to make sure this battle dragon recovered as soon as possible before her brother set out.


    To Lin Xi¡¯s disappointment, she had been waiting here for 30 minutes, and the battle dragon remained motionless.


    Its consciousness was active, erratically transmitting messages to Lin Xi, yet it was still unable to wake.


    ¡°Still unable to awaken?¡±


    Lin Xi sighed silently, turning to look at her Swordbone Daemon.


    ¡°An Lao, that¡¯s enough for now, the remaining few, let¡¯s kill them tomorrow.¡±


    The Swordbone Daemon was helping her slaughter the Tianji Star cows and transport the meat into storage.


    Lin Xi had received the battle dragon¡¯s intense hunger consciousness more than once, so in the past two days, she had continuously bought over forty Tianji Star cows, slaughtered them, and stored their meat in this basement for the battle dragon¡¯s consumption upon awakening.


    novgo.co


    The Tianji Star cows were much larger than Earth cows, and just those thirty-seven cows nearly filled up this underground space that was thirty feet in length and width.


    Lin Xi figured that since the battle dragon was not waking anytime soon, she should take it easy.


    After all, it was the blazing summer, and even if the meat was stored in a cellar, it would still decompose rather quickly.


    But just as Lin Xi turned around, the Swordbone Daemon¡¯s eyes flickered with ghostly fire, looking towards her back.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Lin Xi suddenly looked back and saw that within the pupil of the ¡®Danxin Indestructible Dragon¡¯ behind her, a blue gleam had formed.


    Xue Lingxue had already established good personal contacts with several judges and prosecutors under the care of General Zhou, all of whom were sympathetic to the East Asian Republic.


    So long as the arrest requests submitted by the Third Special Operations Department weren¡¯t too outrageous, they were generally approved promptly.


    Just then, Xue Lingxue¡¯s supervisor also sent her a message.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Xiao Xue, I¡¯m assigning you a task.


    Look over these pieces of intelligence.


    If you were the ¡°Nursery Rhyme Killer,¡± where would you say is the easiest spot to strike?


    How could you take control of that place in the shortest time without alerting the parties involved?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): You should be familiar with the style of the Nursery Rhyme Killer, who leaves no survivors.


    We need to use this person as a hypothetical adversary and be prepared.


    After reading this, Xue Lingxue¡¯s expression darkened.


    Recently, the notoriety of the ¡°Nursery Rhyme Killer¡± had been rampant in the base city.


    It was said that many gang strongholds were massacred by a killer who liked to sing nursery rhymes.


    This person was not only adept at using poison but also had the assistance of a master trained up to the seventh realm.


    This was currently the most troublesome case for the entire federal security bureau.


    Mainly because too many were killed, by now, there were already more than 2,000 victims, a truly staggering number.


    Although the government tried to guide public opinion and minimize impact, it still alarmed various parties.


    Not long ago, the mayor and city council had summoned the police and security bureau chiefs for questioning.


    General Zhou Yunfei had managed to keep his hands clean, as he was not in charge of the major crimes investigation department or the special service center, but including him, several top officials within the security bureau were severely reprimanded.


    As the serial killings continued, several deputy ministers were under tremendous pressure.


    The special service center, major crimes investigation department, and anti-terrorism department were reportedly extremely busy recently, searching everywhere for clues about the Nursery Rhyme Killer.


    The deputy ministers also had no time to deal with the Third Special Operations Department or the ongoing smuggling investigation, suddenly smoothing out conflicts among various departments.


    However, Xue Lingxue knew who this Nursery Rhyme Killer, sought by all sides, truly wasa?€¡±it was none other than Major General Lin Rui of their own Third Special Operations Department!


    After sighing, she first sent the several arrest warrant requests she deemed approvable to Lin Rui for his signature, then opened the documents Lin Rui had provided and began to examine them carefully.


    Xue Lingxue studied them intently, occasionally accessing the internal intelligence database of the security bureau to confirm details.


    In fact, she had already planned three operational schemes for Lin Rui.


    With all parties intensifying their investigations and search, Xue Lingxue had to ensure that every aspect of their operations was flawless.


    Xue Lingxue knew that she and Lin Rui were tied together, and she absolutely did not want anything to happen to him.


    What gave her some relief was that Lin Rui had recently shifted his focus to the lower district.


    The guy adopted a method of tackling the more difficult tasks first, clearing the upper district¡¯s scum and then moving on to the lower district, which was more enclosed and less monitored.


    In the underworld, although the various gang forces were formidable, government power was relatively weak.


    The extensive network of underground tunnels also provided Lin Rui with space to maneuver.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was requesting leave for Fei Yunlai, who wouldn¡¯t be up and about for two or three days and temporarily unfit to serve as a martial arts society coach.


    After performing surgery on them, Lin Rui also had to notify Yu Feicui to not rely on old Fei in the next couple of days.


    Just then, Lin Rui uttered a startled crya?€¡±it was because the imperial transfer order had finally reached Wang City.


    To Lin Rui¡¯s surprise, the person who had brought him the transfer order was an acquaintance and benefactora?€¡±the current Deputy Supervisor of the Imperial City¡¯s Sixth Division, Zhuang Mingyue.

 Chapter 274

    ?Chapter 274: Chapter 259: Achievements in Governance (Please Subscribe) Chapter 274: Chapter 259: Achievements in Governance (Please Subscribe) Zhuang Mingyue and Zhang Tianchang had just entered Wang City Prefecture on an official boat when they felt a stark difference in the atmosphere compared to several months ago.


    There were many more merchant ships on the Tianxiang River than before, and crucially, these ships were not only sailing alone but also daring to navigate at night.


    As everyone knows, in any part of the Great Song Dynasty, sailing at night was considered quite dangerous, with a high chance of encountering demons.


    Even if one had to navigate at night, it was usual to gather dozens of merchant ships and hire specialized agencies guarding the waterways to escort them.


    However, in Wang City Prefecture, these local shipping merchants were very bold, speeding on the water at night, leaving the many boatmen and captains on their ship stunned.


    When they arrived at Jing Port, they learned that ever since Lord Lin of the Capital Commandant¡¯s office in Wang City took charge, he had vigorously eradicated demons; he not only exterminated all the demons within the Prefecture but also extended his efforts to the Tianxiang River.


    For a while, Lord Lin patrolled the river daily on a boat, executing any demon or demon cultivator on sight.


    ...


    Lord Lin was also fierce against those who committed evil.


    A while ago, he single-handedly obliterated three nearby bandit dens, slaughtering over a hundred demon cultivators.


    It was said that Lord Lin had excellent perceptive abilities and very strong combat skills.


    It was rumored that demons and demon cultivators now shuddered at the mention of Wang City, with those undergoing demonic transformations fleeing the region at the first opportunity, so the entire prefecture under his governance was very peaceful.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always felt that the lad Twelve is no ordinary person, and indeed it is so,¡±


    Zhang Tianchang stood on the dock and glanced around: ¡°He has only been in charge for a few months?


    Actually, when I came here on official business half a year ago, the demon dragon was still around, and the entire vicinity of Wang City was very desolate, with almost no pedestrians on the roads.


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    Only this port area was somewhat bustling, with just a bit of liveliness, but it couldn¡¯t compare to the thriving prosperity and booming trades we see now.¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue also observed the endless stream of people and carriages on the dock and then looked at the distant Walls of Wang City, a slight smile curling at her lips: ¡°Not bad at all!


    It¡¯s worth my recommendation,¡±


    As they walked outside Jing Port, Zhuang Mingyue, with her keen senses, overheard the workers on the dock discussing Lin Twelve.


    ¡°Have you heard?


    Our Prefectural Governor, Lord Li, and Capital Commandant, Lord Lin are supposedly getting transferred to serve in the capital.¡±


    ¡°I know, the higher-ups are talking about making Civilian Umbrellas for both gentlemen.


    I¡¯m puzzled why though.


    Prefect Li has been governing our prefecture for a year, and him being transferred is understandable, but why Lord Lin too?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be?


    His outstanding achievements, look at what Wang City has become now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame, if Lord Lin could have stayed in our Wang City for a longer period, such a good official is hard to come by.


    Previously, it was thanks to him distributing grains from the storage that my family had a much better year.


    Lin Rui was slightly startled at these words, and then he realized.


    It seems Zhuang Ming Yue was not his real senior sister.


    She was merely using the Divine Envoy¡¯s name for convenience in her actions.


    This was similar to how he, in Qin Yan¡¯s cave residence, wielded Meng Tian Official¡¯s name to bolster his influence.


    And according to the rules of the Great Song Dynasty, once Zhuang Ming Yue truly joins the Divine Envoy¡¯s sect, she would still have to call him senior brother.


    Lin Rui then laughed and clasped his hands, ¡°Sister Zhuang has exceptional talent and virtue.


    Sooner or later, you will be accepted into our master¡¯s sect.


    Each of us speaks for our own.¡±


    Zhuang Ming Yue still felt awkward.


    The once junior constable had now become not only her superior but would also become her senior brother in the future.


    Thinking of the word ¡®superior,¡¯ Zhuang Ming Yue¡¯s face became solemn, and she took out a scroll of official documents from her sleeve: ¡°Director Lin!


    We are here by imperial decree to deliver the transfer documents to you!


    Decided by the Commandant of the Imperial Guard and the three Divine Envoys, Lin Rui¡¯s current position as a fifth-grade Lower Mingwei Colonel is upgraded, his position as the Defense Commander of Wang City is removed, and he is appointed as the Spying Bureau Commandant.


    Furthermore, by the order of the Third Divine Envoy, please head to the capital as soon as you receive the documents to take up your new post!¡±


    The two of them were entering the capital to participate in the promotion exam and were preparing to return to Sha State when their master entrusted them with this task.


    Normally, these documents should have been distributed through the Bureau of Communication channels, but the Third Divine Envoy, fearing delays and negligence from the Bureau of Communication, had them deliver this transfer document on their way back to Sha State.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression also grew solemn as he took the documents in hand.


    He glanced through quickly, noting that it consisted mostly of the standard bureaucratic jargon, basically proclaiming that the defense official, Lin Rui, was a talented individual, not only exceptionally gifted but also virtuous and clean, whose tenure had accumulated numerous meritorious deeds, and whose achievements were remarkable, making him a capable and moral official.


    Hence, he was promoted to Colonel Mingwei and appointed as the Spying Bureau Commandant.


    Lin Rui, far away in Sha State, realized that the person who wrote the document lacked a thorough understanding of him; the achievements listed were somewhat embellished, and many details did not align.


    However, the document bore the seals of the Imperial Guard Commandant and the three Divine Envoys.


    Lin Rui had always been puzzled about why the Imperial Guard would appoint him as the Spying Bureau Commandant and was deeply curious.


    He found no clues in the document.


    At that moment, Zhuang Ming Yue signaled to several robust men in Imperial Dragon Capital Commandant garb to bring forward a huge black box, two zhang high.


    ¡°Rui, take a look at this,¡± Zhuang Ming Yue said with a smile as she unveiled the wooden box: ¡°This is something Senior Sister Meng asked me to bring for you.


    You might guess what it is, but Senior Sister Meng still said it would surprise you.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression brightened, knowing it must be the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor crafted on Meng Weiyun¡¯s behalf!


    However, when those Imperial Dragon Capital Commandants opened the black box, Lin Rui¡¯s eyes still narrowed slightly.

 Chapter 275

    ?Chapter 275: Chapter 260: Mother and Child Dragon Armor (Please Subscribe) Chapter 275: Chapter 260: Mother and Child Dragon Armor (Please Subscribe) ¡°Isn¡¯t this a Heavenly Demon Mecha?


    No, wait, are these two sets?¡±


    At first glance, Lin Rui thought the item in the box was a mech manufactured by humans, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was not.


    This mecha¡¯s design was very similar to human-made mechas, and one could even recognize traces of the ¡®Sacred Body¡¯ model 7 parent and child mecha in its form.


    However, many of its parts had been replaced with ¡®fish scale armor¡¯, which was made of metal threads woven into ropes that linked individual armor plates together.


    This was because the casting technology on Tianji Star was not up to par, unable to produce large metal armor pieces.


    But don¡¯t underestimate this fish scale armor; the plates were painstakingly crafted by skilled artisans and combined with Tianji Star¡¯s unique runic crafting technique, its defense was actually extremely powerful, far surpassing the Federation¡¯s die-casting technology and metal printing techniques.


    This method of casting was too dependent on an individual¡¯s technical ability and could not be mass-produced and popularized.


    ...


    However, what truly surprised him was that there were not one but two sets of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armors inside!


    a?€¡±Behind the taller dragon armor ahead was another set of dragon armor, smaller in size.


    ¡°This is actually a set of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, combining the skeletal remains and some armor left by a Heavenly Demon mecha, crafted into a parent and child suit.¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue saw the surprised expression on Lin Rui¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but curve her lips slightly, ¡°Meng Sister once killed a fifth realm Heavenly Demon from beyond our domain.


    Though his combat power was not impressive, he had a powerful protective demon, as well as a seven-realm standard parent and child mecha.


    After Meng Sister killed them, she seized most of the mecha¡¯s body, and this time she asked an exceptional mechanic from the ¡®Mechanical God Temple¡¯ to help, using the body of the parent and child mecha as a base and combining it with the materials you sent, to craft this set of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor for you.¡±


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    As Zhuang Mingyue spoke, she gave Lin Rui¡¯s companion Blood Blade Lady a sidelong glance, ¡°You might not have heard of a parent and child mecha before, and I don¡¯t quite understand it myself; it seems to be a special type of mecha that shares the same engine and such.


    I heard from Sister that the power system of the parent and child mecha she confiscated was complete, which is the strongest part of the dragon armor.


    You see, the Heavenly Demons¡¯ mechas are generally stronger than ours; even though made of metal, they commonly possess a powerful self-healing ability, but even more impressive is their propulsion system, the precision of which is awe-inspiring.¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue spoke with a somewhat unusual tone; she had never imagined Meng Weiyun would value Lin Rui to such an extent.


    To enhance the combat capability of Lin Rui and his servant, she had even gone out of her way to ask the Mechanical God Temple to make this set of parent and child dragon armor for Lin Rui.


    a?€¡±That was the Mechanical God Temple!


    A force that was decades ahead of the Great Song in mechanical technology, proclaiming to be able to craft the ¡®Abyss of Machinery¡¯!


    ¡°So it¡¯s like that, there are mechas like this among the Heavenly Demons?¡± Lin Rui nodded slightly as if he grasped the gravity of the situation, though his mind was clear as a mirror.


    He didn¡¯t know much about the ¡®Sacred Body¡¯ model 7 parent and child mecha, but he was aware of its characteristics.


    It was a mecha developed by the Federal ¡®Knights of the Holy Order¡¯ specifically for those aberrant walkers with protective demons, both parent and child mechas sharing a nuclear fusion engine, with energy transmitted through quantum leap technology.


    Before the Earth Federation imposed controls on mecha technology, this model of parent and child mecha was very popular.


    This was because ¡®Sacred Body¡¯ was very cost-effective!


    It only needed a little more money on top of one set of mecha to exchange for the combat power of two.


    Furthermore, most demons were of low intelligence and had trouble adapting to such technological weapons.


    In such cases, aberrant walkers could also assist from the parent mecha side, helping these demons control the mecha in battle.


    Indeed, Lin Rui had not anticipated Meng Weiyun making such a pair for him; he was both shocked and delighted.


    At this moment, Zhuang Mingyue threw a jade token to Lin Rui, ¡°This is the command token for the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor.


    You just need to drop your blood essence into the token and slightly refine it to use it, but unfortunatelya?€¡±¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue was also very curious to witness the divine might of the two sets of dragon armor made from the skeleton of Sacred Body model 7 and composed of many eighth-realm materials.


    Under the effect of heteromorph assimilation, his heteromorph could also possess a primary Black Tortoise Sacred Body.


    Lin Rui had also said that he would slightly slow down the trip to the capital to support him fully during this time.


    Wang Sen originally did not want to take any more money from Lin Rui, but now he had no choice.


    He must pass the Heavenly Demon Test before entering the capital.


    As long as he had the primary Black Tortoise Sacred Body and the cooperation of a high-level spellcaster from afar, he stood a good chance of passing the imperial court¡¯s Heavenly Demon Test, providing he did not encounter a National Guardian Dragon.


    Meanwhile, in the upstairs private room, Zhuang Mingyue respectfully raised her glass to Lin Xi, who was attending the banquet with her, ¡°It turns out that my younger sister is the orphaned daughter of the Zhou family, my apologies!¡±


    She actually took the initiative to pick up her cup and toast Lin Xi, ¡°The affairs of the Zhou family have also reached my ears in the capital.


    Three generations of loyal and good Zhou family members have been praised by everyone; Imperial Censor Zhou even died arguing for the people and became famous throughout the land!


    It is unthinkable that after the death of Imperial Censor Zhou, the Zhou family was bullied to this extent by a group of villains.


    When the officials in the capital heard of this matter, all were indignant.


    I, too, was filled with righteous indignation, only regretting that I was not in Wang City at the time; otherwise, I would never have allowed those thieves from the Burning Saber Sect to behave so outrageously!¡±


    Her words made Li Changguo and the others visibly uncomfortable.


    At that time, they were all troubled by the magic dragon and were reluctant to deal with the matter, even less willing to offend the figure behind the Burning Saber Sect.


    In the end, no one expected the Burning Saber Sect to act so ruthlessly.


    Li Changguo also touched his nose, knowing that his demotion was due to dissatisfaction from above with the incident.


    Although he had managed to join the ranks of the Imperial Censors through his family¡¯s efforts, his political resources had actually been exhausted, especially since the people at the Censorate would likely look at him unfavorably, anticipating a difficult path ahead for him.


    Lin Xi also lifted her cup with a grateful expression, ¡°How dare I?


    Envoy Zhuang is known for her righteous and courageous heart.


    If Envoy Zhuang had been there at the time, would the Burning Saber Sect have dared to offend my Zhou family?¡±


    She did not show a friendly face to the three officials, and her words were laden with barbs and obvious mockery.


    As time passed, Lin Xi became more and more aware of the weight of the identity arranged for her by Lin Rui.


    Wang Sen, now a powerful expert of the Four Realms, could only stay downstairs with Zhang Tianchang and the others, while she, a woman who had just nearly reached the threshold of the Four Realms, had become a valued guest of these high officials from the court.


    Zhuang Mingyue grew more fond of this ¡®Zhou Yunxi¡¯, lamenting internally that it was a pity the Zhou family¡¯s unceasing dragon legacy had been destroyed; otherwise, with this girl¡¯s background, she could have easily joined the Imperial City Division as an official.


    Either their own Zhuang family or Lin XII could have recommended her.


    The First Divine Envoy was particularly fond of those with backgrounds like Zhou Yunxi¡¯s.


    After three generations of loyalty and integrity, they had suffered wrongs and lost everything due to the emperor¡¯s wanton actions.


    For the First Divine Envoy to bring Zhou Yunxi into the imperial court and make use of her would be the greatest satire of the emperor.


    While the guests at Lanyue Building enjoyed their cups amidst the din, exchanging toasts and reveling in merriment, the Sect Master of the Burning Saber Sect, ¡®Xuanhuo Saber¡¯ Qi Yan, was swiftly traveling over the water tens of miles away on the Tianxiang River.


    Upon reaching the river near Jinggang, he looked upstream and saw a government boat at the dock.


    At the bow of the boat sat an old man with white hair in a ruddy coat.


    His face was gaunt, his skin sun-darkened, his features well-defined, and his white brows swept across like a broom.


    He sat behind a writing table, pouring drinks for himself, with an imposing and solemn demeanor.


    His gaze was as sharp and piercing as a blade, and he looked towards Qi Yan as well.


    Qi Yan recognized hima?€¡±it was the former Governor of Shazhou, Yuan Chengkai.

 Chapter 276

    ?Chapter 276: Chapter 261 Qi Yan (Third update, please subscribe) Chapter 276: Chapter 261 Qi Yan (Third update, please subscribe) ¡°The ¡®Xuanhuo Saber¡¯ Qi Yan?¡±


    Yuan Chengkai had already recognized Qi Yan¡¯s identity and chuckled at himself, ¡°It seems my luck is not very good today, to have encountered a fallen dog of a household.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but you are hardly one to talk!¡± Qi Yan huffed lightly, flying to the mast of the official ship and coming to a stop.


    At the same time, a cluster of flames gathered at the rear deck of this ship, gradually solidifying into his Seventh Realm combat dragon, the ¡®Flame Blood Burning Dragon¡¯.¡±


    Yuan Chengkai did not stop him, but looked at Qi Yan¡¯s chest and abdomen sword wound with a peculiar expression: ¡°Was this cut by Meng Weiyun?


    It seems this woman has indeed made great progress in the martial path, nearing the Seventh Realm.


    It must be quite uncomfortable for you now?¡±


    ¡°Burning agony within!


    Fortunately, I do not have to endure it much longer.¡±


    Qi Yan replied succinctly.


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    And just these few words caused a large amount of fresh blood to continuously spill from his mouth.


    ...


    The state of Qi Yan¡¯s ¡®Flame Blood Burning Dragon¡¯ was also poor, with seventeen or eighteen wounds over its body, the blood seeping out kindling upon contact with the air.


    Qi Yan took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and poured all of its liquid contents into his mouth: ¡°Many thanks!¡±


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    This was not only because Yuan Chengkai allowed him to find refuge on the ship but also because this Governor of Sha State extended his powerful divine consciousness, helping to shield Qi Yan¡¯s vital energy, allowing him time to rest and recover from his injuries before taking action.


    He had chosen the water route precisely to conceal the fiery aura that permeated his being.


    Even so, both man and dragon had to constantly evaporate water vapor to cloak their bodies.


    This was greatly draining, but now they could catch their breath.


    Qi Yan couldn¡¯t help but ask out of curiosity, ¡°However, I heard that you place the utmost importance on rules and regulations.


    Aren¡¯t you afraid that your battle dragon will reject you for acting this way?¡±


    Governor Yuan Chengkai¡¯s battle dragon was the ¡®Heaven Rein Battle Dragon¡¯, refined through seven generations of Yuan¡¯s family rites.


    What is meant by Rein?


    It signifies law and order!


    This battle dragon was cultivated step by step by generations of the Yuan family, worshipping the ¡®Divine Law Venerable¡¯ and basing itself on legalism.


    Yuan Chengkai¡¯s ascension to the Eighth Realm and his attainment were deeply indebted to the power of this familial battle dragon.


    However, if his entire cultivation was dependent on this dragon, he was also restricted by it and had to adhere to the rules left by his ancestors, unable to do as he pleased.@@@@


    The downside of familial battle dragons was that, while their combat power was extremely strong, almost universally at the imperial rank or even above with bloodline powers and the augmentation of abyssal concepts, they also possessed the sentience of an adult.


    However, correspondingly, these battle dragons act on their own will, abiding by the laws of the abyss, and must not stray.


    Even someone as powerful as the Governor of Sha State would suffer backlash and pay a heavy price if they went against the will of their battle dragon.


    So despite the fact that this man has used various means to eliminate opposition since taking office, everything has actually been within the rules of the court.


    ¡°I am no longer the Governor, nor a court official; I¡¯m just a criminal official who has been dismissed and detained by the court.¡±


    Yuan Chengkai raised his wine cup, toying with it before his eyes.


    ¡°Let the leader set sail now,¡± said Yuan Chengkai, the governor of Shazhou, with a calm look.


    He did not even bother to look back at Qi Yan, ¡°Let¡¯s leave this place as soon as possible.¡±


    The woman in blue narrowed her eyes at him, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to take a look at that Lin Rui?¡±


    Yuan Chengkai shook his head slightly, ¡°Qi Yan can live for at least an hour, and this new commander of the Assassination Bureau is bound to die.


    Not worth watching!


    What¡¯s more, the reason why I fell to this state today is that I was too eager and stood out too much, so that even the Emperor dared not come forward to protect me.


    Lin Rui is at most just a trigger, and not worth too much regard.¡±


    Before those ice needles melt, Qi Yan will definitely be able to kill Lin Rui.


    So there was no need for him to stay here any longer; he should leave far behind to avoid getting involved in the mess.


    Meanwhile, at the same time, Xue Lingxue, who had led the Imperial Flame War Dragon to Tianxiang River, also saw the two red lights swooping across the sky.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Xue Lingxue, in order to ensure Lin Rui¡¯s safety, had researched all the information about this Defense Commandant, including his enemies!


    Her pupils suddenly contracted slightly, ¡°Is that the Sect Master of Burning Saber Sect, ¡®Xuanhuo Saber¡¯ Qi Yan?¡±


    Xue Lingxue didn¡¯t hesitate to send a message to Lin Rui.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): BOSS, Xuanhuo Saber Qi Yan is here, outside the city.


    At the same time, she immediately covered herself with a nanomechanical armor and drew a war bow.


    The power of the nanomechanical armor, compared to external exoskeleton armor, Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, and Mecha, was not much different, but its price was several times higher.


    However, this item was superior in being simple and lightweight, making it difficult for others to detect.


    The war bow in her hand was even a 6S+ grade Magic Artifact, the ¡®Dragon Tongue Bow¡¯!


    Xue Lingxue, with the support of her father and two older brothers, was equipped with top-level gear.


    She drew the bow with a speed barely visible to the naked eye, and in an instant, seven arrow shadows flew like shooting stars toward Qi Yan¡¯s direction.


    When these seven arrows were shot out, Xue Lingxue also drained all her qi and blood.


    Just as she had told Lin Rui, her strongest ability was actually archery!


    Close combat came second.


    When Xue Lingxue was at the fourth realm of cultivation, she was the strongest sniper among all lieutenant colonels at the third base of the Federal Security Bureau, possessing incomparable explosive power.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui in Lanyue Building, after seeing the message from Xue Lingxue, couldn¡¯t help but feel his scalp tingle.


    The first thought that crossed his mind was why had Xuanhuo Saber Qi Yan come here?


    Why hadn¡¯t his senior sister given him an advance notice?


    His second thought was that combat must not break out within the city; having taken so much money from his fellow townspeople, how could he in good conscience let them fall into a firestorm because of his own issues?


    The third thought was that he must change to another battlefield more advantageous to him, as there were too many wooden buildings inside the city!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Without a second thought, Lin Rui, together with Blood Blade, abruptly smashed through the wooden wall behind them, and like a bolt of lightning, flew swiftly towards the distant Tianxiang River, leaving everyone at the banquet, who were drinking and talking, utterly dumbfounded.

 Chapter 277

    ?Chapter 277: Chapter 262: Not Just a Foodie (Please Subscribe) Chapter 277: Chapter 262: Not Just a Foodie (Please Subscribe) Lin Xi was also in the battle group, and she saw the message sent by Xue Lingxue.


    Her spirit trembled, and she immediately broke through the window and ran toward the direction of Zhou family¡¯s mansion.


    Lin Xi realized she was too weak in cultivation, and she only had a fighting chance by entering the ¡°Indomitable Heart Dragon¡± and commanding this battle dragon.


    Wang Sen¡¯s face turned ashen as he rushed out of the restaurant.


    At that moment, seven booming sounds exploded in the air consecutively.


    Those were the arrows from Xue Lingxue, arriving through the sky, catching up with Qi Yan of Xuanhuo Saber and his ¡°Flame Blood Burning Dragon,¡± making ¡®thud thud thud thud¡¯ sounds, with formidable and vast power, the force shaking the void and completely collapsing the rooftops within half a mile below.


    But even more deadly was the massive amount of ice True Yuan and the grand thunder that the arrows carried.


    ...


    ¡°Good shot!¡±


    After Qi Yan slashed through those seven arrows, he felt a tremor in his internal organs.


    The seven arrows, coming from merely a Fifth Realm hand, unleashed via a secret move, displayed the divine might of the peak of the Sixth Realm.


    Even Qi Yan felt a slight tremor in his organs, and a loosening tendency of the ice needles within him.


    He and the Flame Blood Burning Dragon were forced to pause for a moment.


    At this moment, Qi Yan felt that the circulation of blood and energy in his body was somewhat impaired.


    It was the chubby young man in front of a restaurant in the distance, employing the supreme secret move of ¡°Ice Blood Palm¡± a?€¡± Ice Blood Limitless!


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    ¡°Seeking death!¡±


    Outraged, Qi Yan raised his hand and pointed at the chubby young man, unleashing a massive blade of flame, slashing towards him.


    At this time, the people inside the restaurant were also greatly alarmed.


    Zhang Tianchang even ran in front of Wang Sen, his whole body swelling to nearly twice its size in an instant, standing like a giant metallic figure in front of the restaurant.


    However, the actual dispersing of the blade spirit was accomplished by Zhuang Mingyue, Prefectural Governor Li Changguo, Prefectural Commander Qin Xia, and Deputy Prefect Dong Linghui, four fifth realm practitioners acting together to scatter that Flame Saber.


    Regrettably, since they did not carry their Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor to the banquet, they couldn¡¯t completely pulverize the saber spirit.


    The restaurant they were under not only instantly crumbled but also turned into a sea of flames.


    The corners of their lips all bled at the same time.


    Qi Yan¡¯s single strike had simultaneously heavily injured those four.


    That was within the expectations of Wang Sen, who had to go all out to buy Lin Rui time.


    The several experts inside the restaurant were very likely not to just stand by, even if these people chose to do nothing, he still had to make a move!


    Wang Sen did not stop there; he continued to use Ice Blood Limitless from a distance of seventy yards to freeze the blood of Qi Yan.


    Although his current cultivation was only in the early stages of the Fourth Realm, various aspects of his physical attributes had explosively increased to around 700 points.@@@@


    The key was that Lin Xi, after inheriting from the Zhou family, had found him a Sixth Realm King-level Magic Artifact ¡®Ice Wind Hand¡¯ in the Zhou family treasure vault; it was a pair of metal gloves, when worn, they could drastically enhance the power of Ice Blood Palm.


    Although for Qi Yan, it was still like an ant gnawing on a tree, even if it only attracted a little bit of Qi Yan¡¯s attention, it was enough.


    At that moment, another trail of bloody sword light soared into the sky slashing fiercely towards Qi Yan.


    novgo.co


    Although Ji Xueying¡¯s control over fire could not compare to Qi Yan of the Xuanhuo Saber, it was merely due to insufficient cultivation level.


    Around her body, Ji Xueying could sufficiently suppress Qi Yan¡¯s firepower.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Amidst the massive flames, Qi Yan, utilizing Lin Rui¡¯s clothes, shifted above the water surface.


    But by then, Lin Rui had already used Flash Escape to reposition himself eighty yards away on the river, vastly increasing the distance.


    Meanwhile, Blood Blade Ji drew her saber and slashed rapidly in front of him!


    Seeing this scene, Qi Yan¡¯s pupils also slightly constricted.


    Two thoughts simultaneously flashed through his mind.


    This youngster has a strong Escape Skill!


    This Blood Blade Ji has a fast slashing speed!


    Qi Yan, a high-ranking figure of the seventh realm, recognized that Lin Rui had perfected his Escape Skill to the peak, utilizing every bit of his True Yuan to its fullest!


    This meant that Lin Rui¡¯s every use of Flash Escape consumed minimal True Yuan, and the scope of his Escape Skill was very broad, possibly reaching more than a hundred yards at its maximum.


    This guy seemed to also possess two powerful bloodline powers, ¡°Indestructible Solar Yang¡± and ¡°Blood Core Fury Yang¡±, with a very strong ability to endure.


    However, what was even more frightening was that Blood Blade Ji!


    This was not just any imperial class bloodline demon, but her overall physical attributes had reached the early stages of the fifth realm, the limits of an imperial class bloodline!


    The speed of that saber draw made Qi Yan¡¯s scalp tingle.


    This strike was considerably stronger than those seven arrows, and even if Qi Yan was in his prime, he had to seriously face this incredibly fast saber light.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Qi Yan couldn¡¯t manage to block in time and could only dodge using his Escape Skill, transforming his entire being into a completely weightless fire cloud, letting Blood Blade Ji¡¯s saber light slash through his fiery form.


    At this moment, his ¡®Blood Flame Dragon Slash¡¯ also swung down, its three-yard long giant saber, along with immense mighty force, slammed Blood Blade Ji out like swatting a fly.


    Qi Yan then reverted from his fire cloud back to his normal body and turned back to coldly gaze at Lin Rui.


    He didn¡¯t try to pursue, as it would¡¯ve been futile, following Lin Rui would only result in the futile depletion of True Yuan.


    However, this didn¡¯t mean he had no way to deal with Lin Rui.


    As Qi Yan reached forward toward Lin Rui, instantly numerous Flame Saber Qi took form in the void, swarming like a tidal wave towards Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui also felt the temperature within his body continue to rise.


    Just as he prepared to use his Escape Skill for a swift shift, he received notification messages from the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Alert 1: Battle Spirit No.


    2 is very interested in an object within your enemy¡¯s body, she dismisses this flame martial cultivator¡¯s martial path, wanting to teach your opponent what true fire martial art is, hoping you would accept her possession request.


    Alert 2: Since it¡¯s a voluntary request from Battle Spirit No.


    2, the cost of possession is halved.


    Upon seeing these alerts, Lin Rui was slightly taken aback.


    It turned out that this No.


    2 Battle Spirit was not just fond of food.

 Chapter 278

    ?Chapter 278: Chapter 263 Possession (Please Subscribe) Chapter 278: Chapter 263 Possession (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui did not choose to attach his spirit to a body, but continued to use high-speed Flash Escape, doing his best to deal with Qi Yan.


    The opponent in front of him was a level seven super king, clearly out of Lin Rui¡¯s league.


    Qi Yan was indeed seriously injured, especially the sword wound on his chest and abdomen that was deep enough to see bone, but for some reason, his combat strength didn¡¯t seem to be affected much.


    Even with the help of the defensive official seal, Lin Rui¡¯s cultivation could only be raised to the pinnacle of level four, and he had no advantage in terms of innate talent.


    Now, his only hope was to delay, to wait for changes!


    The problem was that Lin Rui was somewhat unable to withstand Qi Yan¡¯s first move.


    Not only did the man bombard him from a distance with the Flame Saber rain, but he also dispersed his overwhelming flame power in all directions, melting Lin Rui¡¯s scattered silver needles.


    ...


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    This was a direct hit to Lin Rui¡¯s weak spot.


    Once these silver needles melted, no matter how skillful Lin Rui¡¯s Escape Skill was, it would be very difficult for him to escape Qi Yan¡¯s pursuit, and his consumption of True Yuan would increase tenfold!


    Lin Rui could only submerge all his silver needles into the water, only flying them out when needed.


    The high temperature emitted by these silver needles made the surrounding river water boil.


    The runes on the surface of the silver needles were gradually losing their efficacy under the influence of the high temperature and boiling water.


    Currently, these silver needles could hold on for a while, but at most, they could only last for another ten to fifteen minutes.


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    Although Lin Rui was resilient in character, he was not the kind who was oblivious to the danger of death.


    If he saw not even a glimmer of hope, he would definitely have the ¡°Heaven¡¯s Proxy¡± take care of it.


    From the skill list of the second-ranked battle spirit, this person¡¯s martial arts accomplishments were extremely high, and according to the Martial Arts Association¡¯s grading criteria, they might even reach SSS!


    Otherwise, the second-ranked battle spirit wouldn¡¯t have been able to tear through several level six and seven generals in the Great Song army after turning into a demonized form.


    The problem was that Lin Rui saw the Xuanbing Needles in Qi Yan¡¯s wounds, as well as the possibility of victory!


    Being a third-generation traditional Chinese medicine doctor, Lin Rui recognized at a glance what those ice needles were used for.


    The crux of the matter a?€¡± Lin Rui was unwilling to leave the outcome of his life-and-death battle in the hands of others!


    As long as there was a sliver of possibility, Lin Rui would go all out to fight, all out to struggle!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Ying¡¯er, pay attention to the ice needles in his body, he won¡¯t live long!


    Sharpness flashed in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes as he resisted the sky-full of flying Flame Sabers while fully engaged in Flash Escape.


    Those Flame Sabers were not only immensely powerful and heavy but also carried the brutal force of flames that burned everything.


    Lin Rui gritted his teeth and struggled to block them while desperately circulating his True Yuan, doing everything he could to direct the heat inside his body to the outside.


    Ji Xueying was fully engaged in holding off the ¡®Blood Flame Burning Dragon¡¯.


    With SSS-grade innate strength and the ¡®Steel Bones¡¯ talent, she was only slightly inferior in defense and endurance to the Demonic Sword Bone.


    Though her body was being smashed into the water repeatedly by the ¡®Blood Flame Burning Dragon,¡¯ she was able to rally quickly each time, ensuring that the ¡®Blood Flame Burning Dragon¡¯ could not afford to be distracted.


    After seeing the message in the battle group, Ji Xueying also glanced in Qi Yan¡¯s direction.


    Her eyes suddenly brightened.


    Blood Blade Sky Saber (Ji Xueying): Understood!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    However, Zhuang Mingyue still vaguely saw a giant battle dragon, about seven and a half zhang tall and crimson all over, stumbling towards the direction of the city wall on the street behind it.


    ¡°Is thisa?€¡±¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s eyes first showed confusion, then her pupils dilated in disbelief, ¡°Dan Xin Bu Mie Dragon!¡±


    The Zhou family¡¯s battle dragon was still alive?


    The problem was, this giant dragon shouldn¡¯t have developed its independent spiritual source yet, and it had been half a year since Zhou Rang¡¯s death.


    Given the dragon¡¯s injuries, how could it possibly have survived until now?


    Who else in the Zhou family could afford to take care of this battle dragon?


    Moreover, looking at the state of the ¡®Dan Xin Bu Mie Dragon,¡¯ it might have already advanced to a super-royal bloodline!


    However, the ¡®Dan Xin Bu Mie Dragon¡¯s¡¯ vitality was severely depleted, and it seemed to struggle even to stand.


    ¡°Is it that orphaned girl from the Zhou family, Zhou Yun Xi?¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s thoughts raced, and she teleported closer.


    Meanwhile, thirty li away on the river, Yuan Chengkai, the Governor of the former sandbank, had a face as dark as iron.


    The woman in blue beside him couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°What a formidable lad, you thought he was as good as dead, but it seems that may not be the case now.


    Both the Prefectural Governor and Prefect are wearing Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, and Qi Yan is about to be in trouble next!¡±


    In fact, at this time, the water mist on the river was already very severe, especially the water vapor around dozens of li outside the battlefield was getting thicker and thicker, and ordinary people couldn¡¯t see in this environment.


    However, the two could still see the scenery thirty li away.


    ¡°He wants to melt those Xuanbing Needles.¡± Yuan Chengkai hesitated for a moment, then emphasized, ¡°Tianqing!¡±


    The woman in blue smiled upon hearing this, ¡°You call me that because you want me to secretly help Qi Yan?


    The problem is, everyone knows about your relationship with me.


    Aren¡¯t you afraid of being exposed afterwards and getting into trouble?¡±


    Yuan Chengkai did not respond.


    If the matter was exposed, it would indeed lead to endless troubles, but the situation was still better than Lin Twelve coming to the capital to take up the position of ¡®Anti-Traitor Bureau Commander.¡¯


    However, he believed more in his confidante, who could do so without leaving any trace.


    The woman in blue knew Yuan Chengkai was sensitive about the will of his battle dragon and wouldn¡¯t answer her question.


    She could tell what he was thinking simply from Yuan Chengkai¡¯s demeanor.


    Her pupils slightly changed, revealing a hint of purple, and it seemed as if thunder and lightning flickered in the depths of her eyes.


    At this moment, Lin Rui, who was going all out to evade and block those Flame Saber Qis, suddenly felt a dizzy spell.


    Notice: Detection of Major General rank foreign spiritual power invasion.


    Currently, possessing either War Spirit 1 or War Spirit 2 can help you absorb and refine the spiritual source of the foreign spiritual power.


    Which will you possess?


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils widened sharply, realizing there must be a high-level figure secretly acting against him.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate, ¡°Possess!


    War Spirit 2, take over the fight.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 279

    ?Chapter 279: Chapter 264: Fire Control (Third update, please subscribe) Chapter 279: Chapter 264: Fire Control (Third update, please subscribe) As Lin Rui¡¯s psychic consciousness endured the heavy blow, the assault from the Flame Sabers did not cease.


    They rushed down upon him continuously, like a blanket of heaven covering earth.


    Barely had Lin Rui¡¯s figure come to a halt when the dense rain of sabers completely engulfed him.


    The spot on the river where he stood was cleaved into a huge ravine, with massive waves surging up from both sides, and a vast red inferno formed a giant cloud of fire above the surface.


    At that moment, almost everyone both on and off the battlefield was shaken and shocked by what was unfolding on the river.


    ¡°Little Rui?¡± Xue Lingxue¡¯s face turned as pale as paper, her hands hardly able to hold her bow.


    a?€¡±Once again, she had failed her mission.


    ...


    The last person in the world she cared about had also died before her eyes.


    What on earth was wrong with this world?


    No matter what she wanted to protect, it seemed she could neither safeguard it nor keep it safe.


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    ¡°Brother!¡± Inside the Undying Dragon of the Danxin, Lin Xi too, through the dragon¡¯s incredibly powerful and advanced visual system, saw the scene unfolding miles away, and her eyes instantly turned blood-red.


    a?€¡±Once again, she witnessed her brother die before her eyes!


    Driven insane by despair, Lin Xi piloted the Undying Dragon of the Danxin toward the surface of the river, her iris gradually turning from red to a dead grey.


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    Meanwhile, hidden from everyone¡¯s perception, within the lower levels of Base City Nine, a colossal being that had been slumbering was rapidly awakening.


    ¡°Big bro Rui!¡± Wang Sen¡¯s face drained of all color as he clenched his fists tightly.


    In that instant, Wang Sen felt an unprecedented hatred for his own powerlessness and incompetence.


    But just then, a new message popped up in their combat group chat.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Xueying, what are you doing?


    I¡¯m not dead yet.¡±


    Even while possessed, Lin Rui was still able to control his biological chip to speak in the group chat.@@@@


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Holy shit, is that you Lin Xi?


    The Undying Dragon of the Danxin, the Zhou family¡¯s dragon actually didn¡¯t die?¡±


    Lin Rui was shocked beyond belief; his sister had quietly given him such a huge surprise.


    It was through the blood bond between them that he sensed Lin Xi¡¯s presence.


    Out of concern, he specially commanded his biological chip to intercept the second Battle Spirit¡¯s vision, analyzing and restoring the image of Lin Xi¡¯s location.


    He was taken aback when he saw through the fog, a dragon¡¯s silhouette faintly standing there.


    Due to the thick fog, Lin Rui could only make out the outline of this dragon, which was unmistakably the Zhou family¡¯s underground Undying Dragon of the Danxin.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Are you trying to get yourself killed?


    Get back right now, your dragon can¡¯t even stand firmly.¡±


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Go back!


    Listen to me, I won¡¯t die.¡±


    In their combat group chat, aside from Ji Xueying, who was in the midst of a fierce battle with the Xuanhuo Saber, Qi Yan, everyone else was stunned.


    Lin Rui was actually alive?


    He survived the onslaught of hundreds of Flame Saber strikes?


    This guy even had the leisure to chat with them in their combat group?


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s spirits lifted, and she took another syringe from her backpack, injecting it into the artery on her neck.


    It was a stimulant, capable of driving her True Yuan, which was beginning to deplete, to explode to its limits once more!


    Lin Xi hesitated with uncertainty in her gaze.


    While fending off the chilling light saber strikes from Blood Blade Ji and the continuously shooting arrows, he focused his attention to observe and figure out why.


    Shortly thereafter, Qi Yan¡¯s heart trembled once again.


    He had realized the issue; it was the fire elemental force mixed within the Saber Gang Qi that was being interfered with.


    And it was severe interference that directly caused those flames¡¯ elemental force to explode uncontrollably!


    This also fundamentally undermined the Flame Saber Gang Qi, causing an internal imbalance and disintegration.


    The question was, how could this fellow¡¯s control of fire be so exquisite?


    Qi Yan was indeed experiencing issues himself; due to internal injuries and those ice needles, his inherent flame elemental force was in a state of severe imbalance and disorder, which the other party took advantage of.


    But even with his condition, it wasn¡¯t something that any ordinary martial cultivator could exploit if they wanted to, not even Qin Xia who is also a peak Fifth Realm fire martial cultivator with the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor and yet unable to withstand his casual Flame Saber Gang Qis.


    There is a saying among the people about using minimal strength to move heavy weights, but if one does not possess even that minimal strength, how can they move a heavy weight?


    ¡°You¡¯re using the ¡®Purifying Flames of the World,¡¯ a secret technique from the Burning God Sect that dates back 8,000 years ago,¡±


    Ji Shenyan, controlling Lin Rui¡¯s body, looked at Qi Yan with mocking eyes, ¡°It¡¯s a pity you learned it incompletely and your control over fire is extremely poor, merely relying on bloodline power to force it through.


    With such inadequate skills, how dare you act so arrogantly in front of me?¡±


    Of course, even with his current state, Qi Yan at his peak was not someone Lin Rui and his servant could compare with.


    Even with Ji Shenyan controlling Lin Rui¡¯s body, they could only manage to preserve Lin Rui¡¯s life and were unable to confront such an expert beyond the Seventh Realm.


    However, Qi Yan was currently in chaos and imbalance internally, his ability to control fire likely not even one-tenth of what it was at his peak.


    ¡°Clang!


    Clang!


    Clang!¡±


    Qi Yan¡¯s Flame Saber Gang Qi continued to burst and surge forth, growing more and more violent, yet he still couldn¡¯t reach within two yards around Lin Rui.


    No matter how powerful or fierce those Saber Gang Qis were, they would disperse and shatter before Lin Rui.


    Seeing Lin Twelve approaching over the water, now just five yards in front of him, Qi Yan couldn¡¯t help but roar in anger.


    He initially wanted to summon his ¡®Flame Blood Burning Dragon¡¯ to strike at Lin Twelve, but discovered that his battle dragon had been entangled by the Sword Bone Demon, along with Qin Xia and Li Changguo in their Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor.


    Blood Blade Ji also managed to unleash even greater speed with her saber strikes, continuously slicing towards Qi Yan, forcing him to block and defend with all his might.


    At that moment, Lin Twelve suddenly raised his hand and pointed a finger towards Qi Yan¡¯s forehead.


    Ji Shenyan, contemptuous of the Seventh Realm martial cultivator before her, kept her gaze on the lower abdomen area of Qi Yan.


    a?€¡±Inside there was something she wanted!


    Qi Yan felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.


    Seeing that finger from Lin Twelve pointing towards him, his mind rang alarm bells, sensing an extreme crisis.


    He didn¡¯t understand what the matter with Lin Twelve was, how could his martial way of controlling fire be so powerful?


    Even he, a Seventh Realm master, could not reach such a level.


    And Lin Twelve¡¯s finger that seemed so ordinarya?€¡±why did it cause him to shiver, filled with extreme fear?


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Qi Yan¡¯s True Yuan suddenly exploded with full power, forming a six-zhang-tall flame giant on the outside of his body.


    At the same time, the will and concept of the ancient and profound ¡®Fire Deity¡¯ began to cover a ten-mile radius around him.


    Qi Yan first slashed fiercely with his saber, sending Ji Xueying flying with a powerful blow, then he raised his blade to split mountains and boil seas, and slashed towards Lin Twelve¡¯s head!


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Lin Twelve, seeing this, curled the corner of his lips, revealing a triumphant smile.


    In that instant, Qi Yan discovered that all the will and concept of the abyss he had summoned with all his strength had actually been stolen and controlled by the youth opposite him.


    At the same time, all the flames that Qi Yan had unleashed were reversing and rolling back, surging like a tide into his body.


    And at that very moment, all the Xuanbing Needles inside Qi Yan completely melted!

 Chapter 280

    ?Chapter 280: Chapter 265: The Guilty Officer (Please Subscribe) Chapter 280: Chapter 265: The Guilty Officer (Please Subscribe) ¡°The ¡®Xuanhuo Saber¡¯ Qi Yan is dead.¡±


    Inside and outside the battlefield, everyone looked on in utter astonishment as Qi Yan¡¯s body intensely combusted, and then turned into flames that dissipated inch by inch.


    The Sect Master of the Burning Saber Sect, wishing to avenge his disciples, sought to drag Lin Xi down with him, but Lin Xi dealt with him with ease.


    Qi Yan¡¯s seventh realm War Dragon ¡®Flaming Blood Incinerating Dragon¡¯ also fell into the depths of the river thereafter.


    This war dragon, having neither self-awareness nor a formed core, ceased to exist upon the death of its master.


    Including Prefectural Governor Yuan Chengkai, everyone was incredibly shocked, their eyes filled with confusion and disbelief at the scene before them.@@@@


    They found it magical and unthinkable how Lin Xi killed Qi Yan, casually walking up to the overwhelmed Qi Yan under the pressure of his supreme secret technique ¡®Purge the World with Flames,¡¯ and with a single finger, killed Qi Yan, whose cultivation reached the seventh realm.


    The scene was as casual as a breeze, graceful and unhurried, hardly like a clash between someone at the fourth realm and the seventh realm.


    ...


    It rather looked like a great grandmaster of martial arts facing off against a child who had just started practicing martial arts.


    Yuan Chengkai couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes, ¡°Interesting.¡±


    This guy, such strong control over fire!


    His understanding and control of fire are comparable to those of a seventh realm Emperor level martial cultivator!


    Even in the eighth realm, he could be ranked among the sovereigns, making even Yuan Chengkai feel somewhat inferior.


    The problem is, how could such powerful control over fire appear in a fourth realm martial cultivator?


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    novgo.co


    But what Yuan Chengkai was more concerned about was the second primordial spirit of ¡®Heavenly Incline.¡¯


    How had the other party defended against the spiritual secret technique of ¡®Heavenly Incline¡¯?


    And how did he shatter her second primordial spirit and take the seventh realm supreme imperial treasure ¡®Thunder Soul Pearl¡¯?


    Within Wang City, Zhuang Mingyue, suspended in mid-air, murmured, ¡°This is impossible, could it be Ji Shenyan?¡±


    She knew that Lin Xi could not possibly possess such strong control over fire; he must have borrowed some external power.


    After considering, the only possibility Zhuang Mingyue could think of was Ji Shenyan.


    Several months ago, Lin Xi had contact with this person.


    Could the great general from the Zhou dynasty, who was proficient in fire arts and once transformed into a seventh realm Emperor-level Blood Blade, not have completely died over six thousand years ago?


    Instead, could he have found a way to reside within Lin Xi¡¯s body?


    It wasn¡¯t impossible, given that there were various incredible and mysterious techniques in this world, such as the Thunder Soul Pearl that floated beside Lin Xi earlier, which could house a second primordial spirit.


    It could also be that something went wrong with the secret ritual of the Zhu siblings who transformed the Blood Blade Maidena?€¡±that ritual intended to fuse part of Ji Shenyan¡¯s primordial spirit with Ji Xueying¡¯s soul, with the aim of creating a seventh realm supreme Blood Blade Maiden.


    She then gathered her thoughts and landed in front of Lin Xi¡¯s ¡®Indestructible Heart Dragon.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re Yun Xi?


    Your brother should be fine now, get back quickly, take advantage while this fog hasn¡¯t yet lifted, and the former Prefectural Governor hasn¡¯t sensed you.


    You must find a hiding place for this war dragon as soon as possible, or the consequences will be dire.¡±


    Zhuang Mingyue had some knowledge about the situation of the Prefectural Governor.


    Yuan Chengkai was restricted by the ¡®Heavenly Mandate War Dragon,¡¯ an heirloom of the Yuan family, and could not act against the rules and laws.


    The problem was that he no longer held an official position, which meant the restrictions on him were significantly lessened.


    So he truly did not wish for any mishaps to befall Lin Xi!


    He sincerely hoped that Lin Xi would successfully enter the capital and assume the role of commander of the Spy Elimination Bureau, becoming his most important contact.


    After thanking these individuals, Lin Rui immediately turned his attention to the official ship downstream on the Tianxiang River, moored thirty li away.


    Lin Rui sneered, reached out to grab the seventh-realm Imperial Secret Treasure Thunder Soul Pearl beside him, and walked on air towards the direction of that official ship.


    Using those talismanic silver needles as a medium, he performed a Flash Escape of more than a hundred zhang in distance.


    In just under half a breath, he arrived in front of that official ship and, stepping onto those silver needles, hovered thirty zhang above the Sky, looking down upon Yuan Chengkai, the former Governor-General of Shazhou.


    Yuan Chengkai¡¯s face was livid, knowing that ¡®Tianqing¡¯s¡¯ underhanded interference in the battle had been perceived by Lin Xi.


    For Lin Xi to come at this moment meant he was likely here to settle scores after the autumn harvest.


    But Yuan Chengkai did not interfere, nor did he make any move, simply allowing Lin Xi to come before him.


    ¡°Are you the criminal Yuan Chengkai?¡±


    Lin Rui observed that Yuan Chengkai¡¯s body suddenly showed bulging veins, but paid it no mind and turned his gaze to the blue-robed woman beside him, ¡°This woman just now attempted to assassinate me.


    Was she acting on your orders?¡±


    Yuan Chengkai watched Lin Rui impassively, neither admitting nor denying it.


    He had indeed hinted for Tianqing to take action.


    He could not, nor did he wish to disassociate himself at this moment, nor could he speak words of admission.


    Lin Rui waited for a moment, seeing that Yuan Chengkai remained silent, he chuckled, ¡°Unwilling to admit it?


    This woman participated in the assassination attempt against me, and is suspected of being involved with the Heavenly Demon from beyond our realm.


    She must be captured for interrogation!¡±


    He actually reached out his hand and condensed his power, attempting to grab towards the blue-robed woman.


    Lin Rui had already received the official documents for his transfer to the position of commander of the Spy Elimination Bureau.


    Though he had not yet taken office, he was already legitimately the chief official of the Spy Elimination Bureau.


    Attributing the woman¡¯s crimes to a Heavenly Demon from beyond our realm was justifiable and well-founded.


    However, before Lin Rui¡¯s power could reach the blue-robed woman, it was twisted and crushed by a mere thought from Yuan Chengkai.


    At that moment, an enormous and ethereal battle dragon manifested above the official ship.


    It looked down coldly at Lin Rui, as well as at Yuan Chengkai.


    A trace of blood actually spilled from Yuan Chengkai¡¯s mouth as he laughed, not angrily but mockingly, at Lin Rui, ¡°As rumored, you truly have a great deal of nerve.¡±


    But this was within his expectations.


    If this individual did not have great nerve, how would he dare to smear him, an eminent Governor-General, with such outrageous accusations, with merely a cultivation of the fourth realm and the low rank of a sixth-grade official?


    Lin Rui, having failed to capture the woman, did not insist further.


    ¡°Criminal Yuan Chengkai, today you first hinted at this woman to attempt an assassination on me, and now you protect her and resist arrest.¡±


    He looked at Yuan Chengkai with a mocking gaze, ¡°I will make a detailed report to the court about everything that transpired today.¡±


    Yuan Chengkai, holding the blue-robed woman, sat on the deck expressionlessly and responded, ¡°Do as you see fit!¡±


    Yet his heart was as cold as ice, chilling to the bone.


    He even felt a reckless urge to twist off the head of this Lin Xi.

 Chapter 281

    ?Chapter 281: Chapter 266: Harvest (Please Subscribe) Chapter 281: Chapter 266: Harvest (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui was still very afraid of death, he saw that Yuan Chengkai was on the verge of losing his temper and dared not to continue provoking this eighth-realm expert.


    Although the cultivation and bloodline of this person were only of the eighth-realm super-king level, his Heavenly Gang Battle Dragon had reached the quasi-emperor level.


    If Yuan Chengkai were to disregard everything and act recklessly, even the number 2 battle spirit wouldn¡¯t be able to save his life.


    Today, Lin Rui had mustered the courage to frame Yuan Chengkai with an accusation of intending to assassinate a court official and sheltering a criminal with resistance to arrest, and he was quite satisfied with that.@@@@


    Yuan Chengkai himself already had the suspicion of ¡®defying the gods,¡¯ and now it was even harder for him to shake off this accusation, making his future prospects even bleaker.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t need to rush for revenge; once he entered the capital to take up his post as the Commandant of the Anti-Treachery Bureau, there would be plenty of ways to deal with Yuan Chengkai.


    And the position of ¡®Commandant of the Anti-Treachery Bureau¡¯ wasn¡¯t just about holding power and influence.


    ...


    To combat the Heavenly Demons from outside the domain, one must also possess strengtha?€¡±an ordinary Martial Cultivator of the fifth realm simply couldn¡¯t bear the responsibility of guarding against Heavenly Demons from beyond the domain.


    Therefore, after his official appointment, he would obtain tremendous power, even strong enough to confront an eighth-realm expert like Yuan Chengkai!


    When Lin Rui returned, he received messages from Professor Han and Li Li, asking how he was doing now.


    They were preparing to descend urgently during an academic presentation when they received the notification from Wang Sen.


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui immediately replied to the messages, telling them there was no need for them to come.


    By this time, most of Professor Han¡¯s team had already evacuated Wang City, leaving only Li Li under his command, who would also accompany him to the capital.


    Go to novgo.co


    This Brother Li had already decided to follow his lead.


    After all, with no new project in sight for Professor Han, following Lin Rui, the future high official of the Imperial City¡¯s offices, obviously held more promise.


    And even if Professor Han had a new project in the future, he would still need the care of the Commandant of the Anti-Treachery Bureau, Lin Rui.


    However, the academic standing established by the Qin Yan Mansion project was also very important to Li Li, as it was his foundation, allowing him to obtain a large amount of funding.


    So, in recent times, Li Li had focused his attention on the ninth base city.


    Later, Lin Rui hosted a banquet for Li Changguo, Qin Xia, and others as a way to express his thanks and to soothe the shock for Zhuang Mingyue and Zhang Tianchang among others.


    These two had just arrived in Wang City and encountered such a perilous incident, making Lin Rui, the landowner, feel rather embarrassed.


    During the banquet, he also received a message from Meng Weiyun sent from ten thousand miles away.


    Meng Weiyun might have received the news from Zhuang Mingyue and wrote to Lin Rui expressing her apologies, saying that due to her negligence, Lin Rui had faced a mortal danger.


    She felt deeply ashamed and promised to compensate her junior brother the next time they met, hoping he wouldn¡¯t blame her.


    These techniques were of great help to him, and Lin Rui had always wanted to learn them, but now he had too many things to learn.


    In addition, there were various alchemy and Sword Control Techniques, among others.


    ¡°Ring Spirit, help me copy the Advanced Technique of a Great Grandmaster.¡±


    Alert: Copying Advanced Technique (Great Grandmaster) requires 15,000 points of Soul Power.


    Lin Rui did not hesitate and exchanged it right away.


    He now had over 500,000 points of Soul Power amassed, which was quite ample.


    And Qi Yan, who was killed by battle spirit number 2 today, also granted him 34,122 points of Soul Power.


    Dong Linghui called this person a Martial Cultivator with demonic tendencies for a reason.


    Indeed, that Sect Master of the Burning Saber Sect was showing signs of demonic transformation, albeit very mild ones.


    In Tianji Star, the higher the cultivation of Martial Cultivators, the less prone they were to demonic transformation, which could only occur if the Primordial Spirit was unstable and subjected to extreme emotional stimulus.


    It seems that the destruction of the Burning Saber Sect dealt a great mental shock to its Sect Master.


    Lin Rui then copied the Great Grandmaster-level Basic Alchemy and the Great Achievement-level Intermediate Alchemy.


    These two skills were already present in battle spirit number 2, but only up to the Proficient and Beginner levels.


    He also copied the Proficient-level Advanced Alchemy.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± At this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s mind stirred as these Alchemy skills he had exchanged triggered several inspirations in conjunction with his knowledge of advanced medical techniques, poison formulation, pharmacology, and biology.


    Lin Rui fell into deep thought.


    After carefully sorting his thoughts, he copied another set of skillsa?€¡±the Sky Thunder Sword, Thunder Arc Light Sword Technique, and Heavenly Mysterious Thunder Breaking Sword Technique!


    Essentially, it was Sword Control Technique progressing from elementary to advanced levels.


    Finally, Lin Rui had learned a proper, professional Sword Control Technique, and not just the Sword Control skills that were derived solely from his lightning-based foundational exercises as before.


    This time his flying sword ¡®Mingyue¡¯ had not exhibited even a hint of its capabilities.


    His Sword Control skills, in front of an expert, were laughable.


    Although this set of three sword techniques was lightning-based Sword Control Technique, Lin Rui was ready to use them as a foundation to invest a tremendous amount of Soul Power to deduce an advanced Sword Control Technique that truly suited him.


    However, copying these skills had reduced his quantity of Soul Power points to 493,221.


    Lin Rui inwardly sighed, feeling as if there were never enough Soul Power points.


    He then turned his attention to the two other gains from today¡¯s battle.


    The seven-realm surpassing imperial secret treasure ¡®Thunder Soul Pearl¡¯ and the item that battle spirit number 2 had snatched from Xuanhuo Saber Qi Yan.

 Chapter 282

    ?Chapter 282: Chapter 267 Thunder Soul (Please Subscribe) Chapter 282: Chapter 267 Thunder Soul (Please Subscribe) The number 2 Battle Spirit had seized a Thunder Soul Pearl for Lin Rui, about the size of a fist, resembling a pearl emitting a faint white glow.


    However, when Lin Rui infused it with True Yuan, streaks of purple thunder plasma would form inside.


    If it were filled with thunder-type True Yuan, the Thunder Soul Pearl would transform completely into a deep purple color.


    That very night, Lin Rui refined the Thunder Soul Pearl, and it took him nearly 10 hours, until the next morning, to fully charge it.


    He was incredibly delighted in his heart, for this was the first secret treasure he had obtained that had the killing power of a level 7 realm and moreover, it surpassed the level of a level 7 emperor.


    When Lin Rui fully activated this treasure, he could unleash three bolts of lightning equivalent to the full power strike of a level 7 emperor master every hundred breaths.


    If the power was reduced to the level of a level 7 super king, then he could launch ten bolts.


    ...


    In addition, it could enhance the divine might of all his thunder-based spells and martial techniques, with an increase of about 150%.


    With this item, Lin Rui¡¯s ability to protect himself had significantly increased.


    The Thunder Soul Pearl also had the function of harboring a second Primordial Spirit.


    However, to host a Primordial Spirit in the Thunder Soul Pearl, one must specialize in thunder techniques and maintain a high degree of compatibility between one¡¯s cultivation body and the Thunder Soul Pearl.


    Lin Rui cultivated three systemsa?€¡±thunder, fire, and lighta?€¡±and his Primordial Spirit was not compatible with the Thunder Soul Pearl, so he could not use this ability.


    Then, Lin Rui picked up the item that number 2 Battle Spirit had snatched and fell into deep thought.


    It was undoubtedly a treasure, but its value was far less compared to the Thunder Soul Pearl in his possession.


    Go to novgo.co


    However, Ji Shenyan seemed quite concerned about it; could there be a reason?


    Lin Rui really wanted to communicate with the number 2 Battle Spirit, but the Battle Spirit Ring did not provide him with a way to communicate further with the Battle Spirit.


    Lin Rui asked but got no response, so he had to store the item in the safe, along with the evidence Fei Yunlai had given him, and hide it away.


    In the future, he believed he could find a way to communicate with Battle Spirits, for example, by asking Ji Shenyan directly during her possession, or by speaking directly with her.


    The next day was also busy.


    Lin Rui was called over by Zhuang Mingyue, who was staying at the inn, to inquire in detail about both the Capital Commandant¡¯s Office and the turbulence at Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling.


    Zhuang Mingyue¡¯s visit to Wang City was to pave the way for a level 3 ¡®Grand Heavenly Official¡¯ from the Imperial Guard.


    She was not only tasked to gather evidence related to the Wang City Governor¡¯s case of defying the gods, but also to investigate all the illegal matters committed by the Wang City Governor and his party during their tenure.


    In his past, Lin Rui was the one who hung up the white banner on the city wall stating ¡®The Wang City Governor and the Wang City Capital Commandant collude with the Heavenly Demons from beyond the realm, using the Heavenly Demons to eliminate dissenters and plotting to rebel¡¯a?€¡±thus he was the very first to reveal the ¡®Wang City Governor¡¯s defiance of the gods,¡¯ making him a very important witness.


    Under the watchful eyes of Zhuang Mingyue, Zhang Tianchang, and several Martial Cultivator Capital Commandants, Lin Rui gave his testimony.


    About the Wang City Governor¡¯s defiance of the gods, Lin Rui actually had no concrete evidence; everything originated from the confession of a Heavenly Demon from beyond the realm, who was then silenced by the Capital Commandant¡¯s Office.


    Lin Rui suspected that he had been used by some Heavenly Demons from beyond the realm and had doubts about the truth of the matter.


    Moreover, the reason he hung up the banner that day was out of self-preservation, a last resort prompted by the pressure of the Capital Commandant¡¯s Office.


    Zhuang Mingyue and those Martial Cultivator Capital Commandants nodded in agreement after listening, for they too deduced before coming here that Lin Xi had no solid evidence and that those banners hung up on the city walls were all speculative words from Lin Xi, forced by extreme pressure from the Capital Commandant¡¯s Office.


    It appears that this new commander of the Anti-Treachery Division is of excellent character, upright, and honest, making his testimony very objective and cautious.


    He has not framed or kicked someone down the well due to the plot against him by the Wang City Governor the previous day.


    Unlike the synthetic beef he had chosen, which was artificially made but incorporated certain Ether elements, allowing even a high-ranked martial cultivator like him to nourish his qi, blood, and spirita?€¡±and it truly was delicious.


    Lin Rui was currently dealing with the aftermath of being possessed by the number 2 Battle Spirit.


    Ever since being possessed by the Battle Spirit once, he had felt a chilly sensation throughout his body and was eager to get rid of the lingering yin-evil within him.


    Lin Rui had long realized that foods which could interest Ji Shenyan and dissolve her grievances were either uniquely crafted dishes made with sincerity like those by Lin Xi, or something novel and intriguing.


    Lin Rui lacked the time to dine in fancy restaurants, but the chefs in Mingde University¡¯s staff cafeteria were actually quite skilled; given quality ingredients, they could deliver dishes on par with three to four-star chefs, enough to please Ji Shenyan.


    At the moment, the number 2 Battle Spirit was indulging in a binge, almost leaving Lin Rui with no chance to respond to Fei Yunlai¡¯s words.


    Fei Yunlai didn¡¯t mind and continued to eat his meat while talking, ¡°Speaking of which, BOSS, you¡¯ve been quite popular online lately, must¡¯ve brought in quite a haul, right?¡±


    The martial arts league had yet to begin, but Lin Rui¡¯s popularity was already soaring.


    Fei Yunlai had done some research and found that Lin Rui¡¯s numerous martial arts teaching videos were gaining more favor with fans after standing the test of time.


    His fans spontaneously advertised for him on various martial arts forums, thus driving up his popularity.


    This martial arts influencer was not only highly accomplished in martial arts but also very sincere.


    Fei Yunlai estimated that Lin Rui had made four to five hundred million federal dollars this month just from live selling.


    He looked somewhat melancholy, thinking how incomparable people could be; as a mighty seventh realm cultivator himself, he was struggling daily with loans and living expenses, whilst Lin Rui, a mere fourth realm cultivator, earned money as easily as eating and drinking.


    Lin Rui finally found a moment to speak, ¡°Old Fei, I¡¯ve received an urgent order to leave that place; the secret base will be yours from now on.¡±


    In fact, he had already set off, traveling on a government ship downriver toward the capital.


    However, the ship was slow; the enormous vessel bore too much cargo and was exceedingly heavy.


    These past few days, Lin Rui was constantly fearful that the ship might capsize.


    He had clearly told the locals to forgo all the needless ceremony, yet they still loaded box after box onto the ship.


    Lin Rui thought, what does this look like?


    If people saw this, they would think Lin Shi¡¯er was some greedy official who scrounges every penny.


    ¡°You¡¯re being reassigned?¡± Fei Yunlai was initially taken aback, then sighed, suddenly feeling a bit lonely and desolate.


    Professor Han and the others had already left Wang City, so he was going to be alone at that base?


    It was just as well that Lin Rui left; from now on, no one would drive him out of the base.


    At this moment, Fei Yunlai¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    He heard a group of people in white lab coats at the next table talking about the two of them.


    ¡°A big data model to predict the nursery rhyme killer?


    Is it a project from the Security Bureau?


    novgo.co


    Any results?


    Who exactly are those two people?¡±


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s mind instantly tensed.


    He recognized the group eating at the next table as several bigwigs from the Computer Science and Technology Department of Mingde University¡¯s School of Engineering.


    Mingde University¡¯s big data computing was very famous throughout the Federation, and they had close cooperation with police and security agencies.


    Over the centuries, they had helped the government solve many mysterious and violent cases.

 Chapter 283

    ?Chapter 283: Chapter 268: The One That Got Away (Subscription Request) Chapter 283: Chapter 268: The One That Got Away (Subscription Request) Fei Yunlai¡¯s heart tightened instinctively as he perked up his ears.


    This was the reason he no longer wanted to collaborate with Lin Rui.


    The Earth Federation had far too much advanced technology, and even if you could perfectly erase all traces, the Security Bureau and the powers of the Federation could still find them through various means.


    Big data extrapolation was one of these methods.


    This method couldn¡¯t convict them, but what do crime gangs need evidence for?


    As long as they find the person, they would retaliate.


    His and Lin Rui¡¯s characteristics were also very distinctive, one at level 4 and the other at level 7.


    ...


    Others, by studying their martial arts characteristics and some minor clues, could figure out who they were.


    Fei Yunlai specifically glanced at Lin Rui, who was still eating and drinking as if he wasn¡¯t worried at all.


    This guy¡¯s psychological quality was truly extraordinary.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the Security Bureau, now several crime syndicates from the ninth base are looking for him too, the underground bounty has reached 10 billion Federation dollars, they pay as soon as they find a suspect.¡±@@@@


    ¡°A bounty that high?


    If this project succeeds, your department won¡¯t worry about funds for years to come.


    So, have you found them?


    Go to novgo.co


    The ¡®Bao Xiren Big Model¡¯ your team developed has been updated to the seventh generation, right?


    How¡¯s it working?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, the big model found a few targets, but after detailed analysis, they realized it was wrong, we¡¯ve been very troubled recently, the extrapolations keep being incorrect, it¡¯s like looking for a ghost.¡±


    ¡°But other universities are the same, we aren¡¯t the only ones working on this project, they haven¡¯t figured out what¡¯s actually going on either.¡±


    At this point, Fei Yunlai felt a wave of relief wash over him, he took a deep breath.


    Lin Rui, however, had been indifferent from the start.


    Big data models are useful, but their effectiveness predicates on having enough data.


    You need to know everyone¡¯s age, residential address, family background, martial arts characteristics, social relationships, and so on.


    The problem is, the currently available government database contains classified information about him, Lin Xi, and others, rated SSS+, one as X.


    Lin Rui even used his access to encrypt Fei Yunlai¡¯s information to SS+.


    The big data models from these universities and the Security Bureau are all based on information from the government¡¯s internal data banks.


    However, due to access restrictions, these big data models, when encountering related information about them, videos, and so on, would automatically skip them.


    It was like fishing with a net full of huge holesa?€¡±not catching any fish would be no surprise!


    This was why Lin Rui dared to act recklessly only after obtaining access rights from the Security Bureau.


    ¡°It¡¯s good they couldn¡¯t find them.


    I actually quite like these nursery rhyme killers; they kill scum, and so far, they haven¡¯t harmed any ordinary people.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, in the recent decade, those gangs have become more and more excessive.


    I have a neighbor whose daughter was forced into drug addiction by them, leading her family to ruin.¡±


    Fei Yunlai looked at Lin Rui with a skeptical expression, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m the only one doing this task?¡±


    ¡°Someone will coordinate with you.¡± Lin Rui smiled faintly, pointing to his nose, ¡°As for me, I need to do a live stream.


    Tianhuan Video Network has set up an event for me, quite a big one.¡±


    While the Nursery Rhyme Killer was acting, Lin Rui was live broadcasting in front of 20 million people.


    So, what connection did this Nursery Rhyme Killer have with him, a martial arts star?


    The virtual AI technology in this world was very developed, capable of perfectly simulating real people.


    However, martial arts live streaming was different; it couldn¡¯t be done by virtual AI.


    Moreover, there were people from Tianhuan Video Network at the live-streaming site who could testify for him.


    Lin Rui thought that if Ji Xueying¡¯s alternate could be completed sooner, that would be great; her martial attributes and characteristics were very similar to his.


    novgo.co


    Actually, his sister was more like him, but Lin Xi was not suitable.


    Fei Yunlai was momentarily stunned and then understood Lin Rui¡¯s intention.


    He was pleased with this, as others couldn¡¯t find the real culprit behind the Nursery Rhyme Killer, so he himself was also safe.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take this mission,¡± Fei Yunlai agreed straightforwardly, ¡°But BOSS, when will this end if you keep going like this, even thinking about doing it for two or three years?


    You¡¯re bound to go bust sooner or later, BOSS.¡±


    As this was a cafeteria with its many prying ears, even though Fei Yunlai moderated his voice so that only Lin Rui could hear, his words were still quite veiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern now,¡± Lin Rui smiled slightly, ¡°But wouldn¡¯t you consider it, Fei Yunlai?


    It¡¯s just signing for a few years after all.


    Your bloodline power should be close to SS rank, right?


    Think about it this way.


    Even if I do go bust, by that time, you¡¯d be of the Emperor class in bloodlines, maybe even breaking into the eighth realm with that money.


    What consequences would you need to worry about then?


    Others should be worried about you.¡±


    It was actually quite rare for someone like Fei Yunlai.


    Most gene-enhanced Martial Cultivators decrease their gene enhancements step by step, thereby reducing their mental burden to advance to higher ranks.


    But Fei Yunlai was climbing up step by step, almost entering the Emperor rank now, truly a late bloomer.


    Fei Yunlai was surprised by Lin Rui¡¯s words and suddenly felt there was much sense in them.


    However, that is if they manage to stay unexposed during these years, and he can earn enough money in this period.


    After finishing his meal, Lin Rui left and took a cab to an address in the lower C4 zone of the city.


    When he told Fei Yunlai that he had found a 6SS level assistant, he wasn¡¯t just talking.


    The comrade of Xue Bogao whom Xue Lingxue had mentioned to him had already arrived at the Ninth City Base, waiting to meet with him.


    This person initially might not have believed Xue Lingxue¡¯s words and dragged his feet until he had no other choice but to come to the Ninth City Base with a mind-set that it¡¯s worth a shot in his desperate situation.


    Due to this individual suffering from severe Gene Enhancement Syndrome, he couldn¡¯t enter the Ninth Base City through normal channels and had to smuggle in, so he could only hide in the lower zone.

 Chapter 284

    ?Chapter 284: Chapter 269: Seize the Blade (Third update, please subscribe) Chapter 284: Chapter 269: Seize the Blade (Third update, please subscribe) Below District C4323¡¯s pipelines, Lin Rui and Xue Lingxue walked in a small alley where sewage flowed freely.


    The draft fans and ventilators here, due to years of neglect, kept buzzing noisily; the entire underground passageway was damp and cold, the air murky, filled with the smell of rot and stench.


    In reality, most parts of the lower district were tolerable, and Base City Number Nine allocated enough funds each year to maintain various facilities.


    However, some areas were under such powerful gang control and had such severe collusion between officials and businessmen that some funds vanished without trace.


    Moreover, these areas were inhabited by illegal immigrants without lawful residency rights, and very few in Base City Number Nine cared about their well-being.


    Although the fourteen base cities of Tianji Star were built on its satellites, due to Earth Federation¡¯s priority investment, their living standards were better than most of the Earth Federation¡¯s colonies.


    novgo.co


    ...


    In addition, because they concentrated a large amount of bio-augmentation technology and arms companies, the per capita income here was the highest within the entire Earth Federation, which attracted a large number of immigrants each year, most of whom came through illegal channels.


    As Lin Rui and Xue Lingxue moved along the passage into an illegally excavated den, the air inside surprisingly became fresh.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression shifted slightly as he looked toward the left side of the cave where there was a large pit built with high-strength epoxy resin cement, measuring 25 meters long and 8 meters wide.


    It was actually a makeshift giant freezer; the water inside was frozen, and one could see a bio-augmented combat dragon lying within.


    However, the combat dragon was in poor condition, its massive body covered with several pustules and more than a dozen wounds.


    These wounds were not caused by external injuries, but had split open from within.


    Lin Rui, having started to study bio-augmentation biology, knew that the combat dragon was in a very dangerous state; its genetic chains were on the verge of disintegration.


    Go to novgo.co


    Although it was frozen, the temperature of the makeshift freezer was not low enough, and the disintegration was still occurring slowly.


    Just then, he heard a faint ¡®click¡¯ sounda?€¡±the noise of a firearm¡¯s safety being released.


    A figure clad entirely in black stood at the doorway of the adjacent cavern, aiming a set of Type 7 pistols at them.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly.


    According to what Xue Lingxue said, her uncle was broke, but the man¡¯s equipment was very fine, even better than Fei Yunlai¡¯s by a lot.


    The Type 7 pistols were covered in numerous golden runes, looking splendid and obviously modified.


    The man¡¯s bio-augmentation grade was still SS.


    It appeared that he was quite formidable before falling victim to the bio-augmentation syndrome.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Uncle Gong,¡± Xue Lingxue said as she lifted her face shield.


    After the man in black lowered his pistols, she introduced the two men: ¡°This is Gong Hengdao, my father¡¯s old comrade-in-arms; and this is my childhood friend Lin Rui, whose father was the most brilliant biologist of the Federation ten years ago, a disciple of Academician Huangfu.


    His current teacher is Academician Candidate Si Malin.


    I had some issues with my spiritual power before, and it was Lin Rui who healed me.¡±


    She knew Gong Hengdao was skeptical about Lin Rui¡¯s abilities, so she reported the lineage of Lin Rui¡¯s mentorship in full.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Mr.


    Gong!¡± Lin Rui said with a smile, shaking hands with Gong Hengdao.


    Gong Hengdao responded coolly, his voice raspy and devoid of warmth, ¡°Come in and talk.¡±


    He had not held any hope coming here; his bio-augmentation syndrome had not even been cured by an Academician, let alone a nineteen-year-old kid.


    His visit this time was to see his friends in Base City Number Nine in the final days of his life, to settle some old scores, and, incidentally, to see if he could help the daughter of Xue Bogao.


    Since Gong Hengdao¡¯s cybernetic implant mental disorder wasn¡¯t caused by his own reckless implantation and he was still able to maintain rationality, that made this 6SS-ranked individual even more valuable.


    ¡°To be honest, your disorder is very troublesome, much more difficult to deal with than the average cybernetic implant disorder.¡±


    Lin Rui turned on his personal smart terminal, ¡°My current capability in the medical field is limited, and I¡¯m unable to cure this kind of condition.¡±


    Gong Hengdao heard this and couldn¡¯t help but let out a self-mocking laugh, thinking ¡®as expected¡¯, but then he heard the next sentence.


    ¡°Right now, I can only prevent your condition from worsening, and even make significant improvements, allowing you to live like a normal person without any issues.¡±


    Gong Hengdao¡¯s pupils narrowed slightly, looking at Lin Rui in amazement, ¡°Improvement?


    Mr.


    Lin, do you realize what you¡¯re saying?


    Even Lin Zhaoguo was unable to help with my disorder, and he¡¯s a fellow of the Southeast Federation Academy of Biological Sciences.¡±


    Could this guy be bluffing him?


    Xue Lingxue was beside herself with joy; Lin Rui actually seemed to have a way.


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly, ¡°I¡¯m not aware of that.


    I can only say that I indeed have a way to stabilize your condition, buta?€¡±¡±


    He paused, ¡°Even just to stabilize your cybernetic implant disorder, it will require a lot of money.


    Especially the medication I¡¯m going to prepare for you next, the majority of which comes from Tianshu Star.


    Each dose starts at a million.¡±


    Gong Hengdao took a deep breath, unable to suppress the excitement within him.


    He had been running around for years trying to solve his cybernetic implant disorder, experiencing many hopes and disappointments.


    Yet, at this moment, he found it hard to be indifferent.


    ¡°Let me think about it,¡± said Gong Hengdao as he picked up a spray bottle from the table beside him and aimed the nozzle at his nostrils.


    He sprayed three times, and his mind gradually calmed down.


    At this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s nose twitched slightly, and then he frowned, ¡°Mr.


    Gong, could you let me see the spray bottle in your hand?¡±


    Although Gong Hengdao didn¡¯t understand the reason, he handed over the spray bottle as requested.


    Lin Rui took a look at it in his hand, ¡°Spirit Essence?


    Taisu Pharmaceutical Company?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a drug developed specifically to alleviate cybernetic implant disorder,¡± Xue Lingxue also looked at the spray bottle in his hand, ¡°This drug is quite popular now, and it¡¯s said to be quite effective.


    Many people in our security bureau use it, too.¡±


    Gong Hengdao nodded, ¡°Indeed, the drug is quite effective.


    This was recommended to me by Xue¡¯s father.¡±


    On hearing this, Xue Lingxue was startled; her father had recommended ¡®Spirit Essence¡¯ to Gong Hengdao?


    She didn¡¯t know about this.


    Lin Rui pressed the nozzle of the spray bottle and released a mist.


    He sniffed deeply, and after a moment, his expression grew solemn.

 Chapter 285

    ?Chapter 285: Chapter 270: A Turn of Events (Please Subscribe) Chapter 285: Chapter 270: A Turn of Events (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui looked at the spray bottle again, carefully examining the ingredient list on the packaging, ¡°Is this spray really that popular?


    How popular is it?¡±


    Xue Lingxue felt Lin Rui¡¯s tone was off and cautiously answered, ¡°This medicine started being distributed half a year ago, but it only really got popular in the past two months.


    Many people in the patient groups I used to join recommended it, and some people around me use it.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s furrowed brows finally relaxed a little.


    Only gained popularity in the past two months?


    Then the situation isn¡¯t so bad.


    Gong Hengdao also said, ¡°It was in the middle of May this year when old Xue recommended this Lingyun spray to us.


    He¡¯s the standing director of the ¡®Heavenly Soldier Brigade Veterans Association,¡¯ and has always been very caring towards us comrades who suffer from Prosthesis Syndrome.


    ...


    However, at the end of May, he sent a message in the group saying that the medicine might have some side effects and to stop using it for the time being.


    But I feel that this medicine is really helpful for me, and I can¡¯t stop.¡±


    Lin Rui had heard of the ¡®Heavenly Soldier Brigade,¡¯ the most powerful special response force of the Earth Federation, mainly composed of East Asians and full of elite Martial Cultivators with prosthesis.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that Xue Bogao originally had such a background?


    It seemed that his abilities weren¡¯t solely from the Security Bureau.


    Go to novgo.co


    Xue Bogao could become the standing director of the veterans association, which showed his comrades¡¯ high trust and esteem for him,


    The Heavenly Soldier Brigade Veterans Association was no ordinary organization; it had countless high-ranking prosthesis users.@@@@


    ¡°I understand,¡± Lin Rui said as he tossed the spray bottle in his hand directly into the trash can, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t use this medicine anymore.


    It¡¯s nothing good.


    Using it for more than six months is very troublesome.


    Also, Mr.


    Gong, regarding the question from before, you know what I mean, right?¡±


    Gong Hengdao looked at the spray bottle with startled suspicion, then nodded his head, ¡°I understand, Lingxue mentioned it to me when she asked me to come here, about signing a contract with your Heteromorphic Studio, right?


    As long as you are confident you can improve my condition, I can accept it.


    I don¡¯t have money, and it¡¯s only right to work for you.


    But I must have the proper benefits.


    novgo.co


    My martial arts rating is 6SS+, firearms rating SSS, I¡¯m proficient in sniping and close combat, and you won¡¯t be disappointed by my combat abilities,


    ¡°Lingxue also told me that I might have to do some dirty work for you in the future, which is no problem.


    As long as it¡¯s not too much against conscience, I can do any dirty work.¡±


    He had been bankrupt for three years, always lingering in the underground mercenary world, having seen every kind of darkness.


    And the friend of Lingxue, no matter how dark, couldn¡¯t be that bad.


    Lin Rui was very satisfied and gestured to Xue Lingxue to project a document, ¡°Mr.


    Gong, rest assured.


    You are an SS-rated Major General expert, our studio will definitely offer you the corresponding treatment.


    I will also provide you with medicine and treatment costs at cost price.


    Your salary should still have surplus.


    This is the employment contract we have prepared for you.


    You can take a look.¡±


    Gong Hengdao, after receiving the electronic employment contract, looked quite surprised, thinking that this future boss was very confident in his medical skills to have prepared the employment contract in advance.


    He glanced over it briefly and found that this boss was quite generous.


    The salary and benefits were much better than other companies, and there was a commission for every mission.


    In the meeting room, Lin Rui projected the packaging of ¡°Soul Charm Spray¡±: ¡°Let¡¯s shift our investigative focus.


    Regarding Xue Bogao¡¯s assassination case, I¡¯ve found a new direction for the investigation.¡±


    Sitting in the taxi driver¡¯s seat, Xue Lingxue couldn¡¯t help but tremble.


    Could this Soul Charm Spray be related to her father?


    If it weren¡¯t for the auto-driving system¡¯s timely intervention, the luxury business flyer vehicle they were riding in would have almost lost control and crashed into the wall.


    Zhang Long also looked surprised, ¡°Soul Charm?


    I¡¯ve seen people using it recently.


    Is there something wrong with this drug?¡±


    ¡°The problem is significant.


    There is a drug ingredient called ¡®Heartbreak Grass¡¯ in this spray.¡±


    Seeing the puzzled looks on Xue Lingxue and Zhang Long¡¯s faces, Lin Rui explained further, ¡°This is a plant from Tianji Star, which was used as a medication to suppress demonic transformations 7,000 years ago.


    With ¡®Heartbreak Grass¡¯ as the main ingredient, the prescription was once popular.


    However, as the people of Tianji Star later discovered, the drug was highly addictive and risked further demonic transformations of the mind and flesh, so its use was gradually discontinued.


    This drug is very obscure, and not many people on Tianji Star know about it now.


    Only some ancient sects and elites hold the secret formulas, using it to control demonic cultivators and demons.


    I¡¯ve encountered it before; when I was in Silvermoon County, the Zhu family cousins used this drug to control a large number of demonic cultivators.


    I don¡¯t know how this drug passed the review to go on the market, but it is clearly problematic.¡±


    The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became tense, and even Lin Xi showed a look of surprise in her eyes.


    Zhang Long¡¯s expression changed slightly, ¡°Colonel, are you sure?


    Do you also have expertise in drugs?¡±


    Xue Lingxue clenched her fists tightly, making a ¡®crackling¡¯ sound, ¡°Uncle Zhang, the BOSS is a disciple of his father and Professor Sima, his medical skills are very sophisticated.


    Also, my father had recommended ¡®Soul Charm¡¯ to many old comrades-in-arms in May this year.


    He notified them at the end of May that there was a problem with the medicine.


    Additionally, five days before the incident, my father had visited Calron Pharmaceutical Testing Co., Ltd.¡±


    Xue Lingxue could recite all her father¡¯s activities and whereabouts before the incident from memory.


    Zhang Long pondered, ¡°After I restarted the investigation of this case, I also checked out Calron Company.


    The company went bankrupt four months ago, and the owner emigrated to Xianju 5 Star.


    I didn¡¯t think much of it at the time.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s demeanor remained calm, ¡°I just did a quick check on our security bureau¡¯s internal intelligence database.


    Three drug inspectors from Calron Pharmaceutical Testing Co., Ltd.


    were hired to participate in an internal investigation commission for the security bureau the day before Xue Bogao¡¯s incident.


    They died during the mission, and because it involved the security bureau, this information was encrypted to SS-level clearance, which coincidentally is something you, Elder Zhang, can¡¯t see.¡±


    Zhang Long¡¯s eyes gradually heated up, realizing there must be a problem.


    ¡°Anyway, start by checking it out, and at the same time, secretly commission two to three authoritative professional organizations to identify the drug components.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression remained neutral, ¡°Even if this matter is unrelated to Xue Bogao, it¡¯s still a major case threatening social stability and the lives of citizens.¡±


    Zhang Long was just about to speak when his expression suddenly changed, his body jerked backward, and a sharp gunshot rang out in the virtual meeting room.


    The expressions of several people participating in the virtual meeting changed.


    Xue Lingxue leaned forward slightly, ¡°Uncle Zhang, how are you now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Zhang Long¡¯s body was once again projected into the virtual meeting room, ¡°It was a sniper, very powerful.


    If not for my implanted ¡®Divine Metal Skull,¡¯ I would have almost been killed this time.


    It seems that someone is very unhappy with the cases we are investigating.¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed to his forehead, where there was a bullet dent.

 Chapter 286

    ?Chapter 286: Chapter 271: Elixir (Request for Subscription) Chapter 286: Chapter 271: Elixir (Request for Subscription) Zhang Long¡¯s attack had incited Zhou Yunfei¡¯s fury.


    He believed that it was not solely about the Six Streets Party smuggling case or the assassination attempt on Xue Bogao, it was perhaps more about an effort to clip his wings.


    Since the undercover incident at Wang Cheng, Zhou Yunfei had only a handful of trusted subordinates in Division Nine, and Zhang Long was the most conspicuous among them.


    The Special Operations Section Three was the most powerful and heart-stopping weapon in Zhou Yunfei¡¯s arsenal.


    Those people, unaware of the Special Operations Section Three director¡¯s identity, directly targeted Zhang Long, who was responsible for investigating the Six Streets Party¡¯s smuggling case, attempting to eliminate this capable general under Zhou Yunfei.


    If Zhang Long died, even if Zhou Yunfei wanted to continue investigating Xue Bogao¡¯s death or delve deeper into the smuggling case, he would be powerless.


    Thus, Zhou Yunfei, both shocked and angry, personally took all his key staff to the scene.


    ...


    However, despite mobilizing a large force and cordoning off the scene for investigation, they unearthed nothing substantial.


    The sniper had fired from nine kilometers away, using a 7SS-grade+ kinetic sniper rifle to hit the bulletproof armored vehicle that Zhang Long was riding in.


    It is worth mentioning that this armored vehicle was traveling at a speed of 2000 kilometers per hour on a freeway, surrounded by heavy traffic.


    The sniper not only precisely hit the armored vehicle but also pierced its armor in an instant, hitting Zhang Long in the center of the brow.


    If it were not for the specially reinforced defensive capabilities of this modified armored vehicle and the ¡°Divine Gold Skull¡± implant Zhang Long had, he would have been killed instantly by the shot.


    It was evident that the sniper indeed possessed top-tier long-range sniping skills.


    The security bureau located the sniper¡¯s shooting position but could not find any clues.


    Go to novgo.co


    The sniper rifle used was apparently brand-new, as its ballistics had no existing records in the security bureau.


    Moreover, the surrounding holographic surveillance systems had been hacked, leading to an hour¡¯s loss of video content.


    Following this incident, Zhou Yunfei once again exercised his supreme authority to temporarily transfer two 6A-level action teams from Divisions Two and Three to reinforce the Special Operations Section Three.


    Zhou Yunfei also established a secret tactical squad led by Xue Lingxue, classified as 5S-level, to covertly protect Lin Rui¡¯s safety.


    This overstaffed 20-person tactical squad not only had all members at 5S combat level, with some reaching 5SS, but also possessed two Jielong-7 types and four Jielong-6 type combat robots.


    The assassination attempt on Zhang Long served as an alarm for Zhou Yunfei, prompting him to further prioritize Lin Rui¡¯s safety.


    Upon learning of this internal transfer order, Zhang Long couldn¡¯t help but mockingly comment in the work group chat.


    Today it was he, Zhang Long, who faced the assassination, yet it was Lin Rui¡¯s protection level that was being enhanced.


    Zhou Yunfei, thick-skinned as a city wall, ignored Zhang Long¡¯s remarks.


    He knew that as long as Lin Rui was safe, his position within the security bureau would be as solid as Mount Tai, and sooner or later, he would turn around the situation in Division Nine.


    But if something happened to Lin Rui, his situation would definitely worsen.@@@@


    Moreover, he had also assigned two 6A action teams to Zhang Long; they were essentially still under Zhang Long¡¯s command and deployment.


    Lin Rui was also very concerned about this matter, but having learned that the information from the scene investigation was extremely limited, he knew they couldn¡¯t catch the assassin who targeted Zhang Long anytime soon.


    Rather than wasting energy on this aspect, he preferred to continue working hard on the Xue Bogao case and the smuggling case, since he had struck where the enemy hurt, he would continue to strike.


    Furthermore, he had other plans to keep certain people busy.


    Two hours after Zhang Long¡¯s assassination, Xue Lingxue arranged for Gong Hengdao to complete a physical examination.


    After reviewing Gong Hengdao¡¯s medical report, under the guise of being a student of Professor Sima, Lin Rui borrowed a high-level ¡°Electromagnetic Medicinal Oven¡± from the College of Biology at Mingde University, used his purchased various medicinal ingredients, and started making medicine pills for Gong Hengdao.


    The influence of Tianji Star was profound in the Earth Federation¡¯s medical community, and this advanced ¡°Electromagnetic Medicinal Oven¡± could simulate all the functions of an Alchemy Furnace.


    Any high-level alchemy technique from Tianji Star could be completed using this ¡°Electromagnetic Medicinal Oven.¡±


    He could fool Xue Lingxue with his third-generation Chinese medicine doctor¡¯s faA?¡ìade, but this was inappropriate for fooling Fang Ranran.


    Simply because Fang Ranran had seen what he used to be like, back when he knew nothing about medical and biological sciences.


    However, this turned out to be an opportunity, as Lin Rui had some projects in mind and wanted to find a chance to collaborate with Fang Ranran.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s eyes grew even more suspicious as she scrutinized Lin Rui.


    This was the first time she had heard that this fellow had such a background.


    Fang Ranran was thinking about sending a message to Professor Sima to confirm when Lin Rui smiled at her, ¡°I am currently refining the ¡®Dragon Shedding Pill,¡¯ which is a pill recipe I improved based on Professor Huangfu¡¯s manuscript.


    It¡¯s super effective at the Golden Core stage and can be used on both humans and mutated beings, Ranran, do you want to try?


    I¡¯m currently missing a few key ingredients, they are very expensive, and I¡¯m reluctant to buy them.¡±


    Lin Rui was currently working on just the auxiliary medicines, planning to bring them to Tianji Star to continue refining after buying the main ingredients from the recipe.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped, as buying Tianji Star medicinal ingredients in the Ninth Base City cost several times more.


    ¡°Professor Huangfu¡¯s recipe?¡± Fang Ranran¡¯s expression became pensive, ¡°Send me the list of those medicines you¡¯re missing.¡±


    She was still somewhat skeptical, but after checking the list of medicinal ingredients and their amounts privately sent by Lin Rui, estimating the cost to be about 50 million, she boldly placed the order.


    Since it involved Professor Huangfu, whether true or not, Fang Ranran was willing to spend the money to verify.


    Moreover, Lin Rui had given her an impression of being sincere and trustworthy, a man of his word, so he likely wouldn¡¯t make empty promises.


    Fang Ranran used the accounts of several medical research funds, not using her own money, so she was very generous.


    Having recently become a school director at Mingde University, Fang Ranran now also held high positions in over a dozen medical and biological foundations.


    Other wealthy heirs threw their money around, and while she didn¡¯t squander money, she could afford to be extravagant as well.


    Not long after, a drone delivered the required medicinal ingredients to them.


    Lin Rui then became silent and focused solely on refining the medicinal pills.


    Unfortunately, both the first and the second furnaces failed, but he had anticipated this and had not put too many ingredients in the first two furnaces.


    Only on the third furnace, confident enough, did he bet all the remaining materials, continuing the alchemy under Fang Ranran¡¯s skeptical gaze.


    Had it been anyone else, suffering two consecutive failures might have left them feeling awkward and deflated, but Lin Rui continued as if nothing happened,


    This time, he was more fortunate.


    Half an hour later, when Lin Rui opened the alchemy furnace, the room was instantly filled with fragrance.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Fang Ranran looked at the golden pills inside the furnace, convinced that Lin Rui was definitely fooling her.


    She had used Dragon Shedding Pills before, which were almost all white or green; how could they possibly be this gilded color?


    However, the appearance of these pills was indeed very appealing, clearly showing a large amount of condensed pure ether.


    Fang Ranran immediately took one and started chewing it.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui was astonished; the pills had yet to be verified for success, potential toxicity, or medicinal properties.


    Fang Ranran was confident, equipped with special bio-gear; her metabolism was exceptionally strong, and her exoskeletal armor was of the highest 6SSS+ grade, both in terms of life-sustaining and poison-resisting capabilities.


    Let alone a defective pill, even if it were genuinely toxic, it wouldn¡¯t affect her at all.


    Right after Fang Ranran chewed and swallowed the pill, her eyes began to brighten.


    Wow~ this pill really works!

 Chapter 287

    ?Chapter 287: Chapter 272: No Flattery, No Slander (Please Subscribe) Chapter 287: Chapter 272: No Flattery, No Slander (Please Subscribe) ¡°This effect is really good!¡±


    Fang Ranran was amazed.


    Lin Rui actually mastered the Alchemy of the Extreme Celestial Star, and at least at a high level!


    The efficacy of the potion wasn¡¯t as strong as Lin Rui had claimed, but it was indeed useful for the human body!


    This potion had reached the high rank of the fourth realm.


    Given Lin Rui¡¯s current age, he definitely couldn¡¯t have developed it himself.


    Could it really be the work of Academician Huangfu, or perhaps left behind by his father, Lin Cong?


    Fang Ranran¡¯s eyes shone brightly as she looked at Lin Rui.


    ...


    ¡°Can this potion be mass-produced?


    Can it be sold to Tianlan Group?¡±


    Lin Rui smiled slightly, ¡°Mass production is definitely not possible, but small-scale alchemy is doable.


    The production process only requires the participation of three to five high-level Pharmacists and could drive a team of over a hundred Pharmacists.


    As for selling the potion formula, it¡¯s difficult to set a price.


    I feel it¡¯s better to start a company through a partnership.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°I have several other formulas left by Academician Huangfu, mainly for health and beauty.


    I can contribute these as technical shares.


    Your Tianlan Group could provide the Pharmacists and production equipment, and the potions we create would be sold through your channels.¡±


    The potion formulas he possessed that could be applied to the human world all required Pharmacists of a certain standard to be able to brew them.


    However, Pharmacists of this caliber were mostly controlled by large companies and scientific research institutions.


    Very few worked on their own; recruiting them was troublesome and unreliable.


    Lin Rui had neither the time nor the financial resources to cultivate his own Pharmacists, and he had no energy to manage and run a business either.


    So the best way was to cooperate with Fang Ranran and utilize Tianlan Group¡¯s resources.


    ¡°Beauty?¡± Fang Ranran¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Out of Lin Rui¡¯s lengthy speech, these were the only words she caught: ¡°Which aspects?


    Create some for me to try.¡±


    Lin Rui was taken aback as he looked at Fang Ranran¡¯s face, smooth as a peeled egg, and thought to himself, Miss Fang is so beautiful, yet she still wants beauty products?


    ¡°Mainly for skincare, one is for moisturizing, and the other for whitening and anti-aging.


    The effects should be quite good.¡±


    Fang Ranran became enthusiastic at his words.


    ¡°What ingredients are needed?


    I¡¯ll buy them right now.¡±


    Lin Rui had no choice but to disclose two potion formulas to Fang Ranran.


    He wasn¡¯t worried about the formulas being leaked.


    By now, Lin Rui had realized that despite Fang Ranran¡¯s seemingly flashy spending, she hadn¡¯t actually spent a dime of her own money at the Martial Arts Club; a portion of the club¡¯s funds came from the school, with the vast majority from external sponsorships.


    It was clear that the woman was inherently stingy.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s execution and resourcefulness were also commendable.


    At her young age, she had already become a director and advisor for seventy to eighty foundations and was said to be planning to run for a parliamentary seat after graduation.


    With such social resources and her ability to manage money, she was bound to succeed in business once she committed herself.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Meanwhile, in a privately dug cave in the lower district C4323 pipeline, Gong Hengdao looked at the items Xue Lingxue had brought for him.


    There were three bottles of elixirs, along with three types of anti-anxiety medications and sedatives available commercially, and an automatic acupuncture machine equipped with a life support capsule.


    Besides these, Lin Rui had also asked Xue Lingxue to bring him ten tubes of ¡®High-Concentration War Dragon Nutrient¡¯, specifically for nurturing implanted war dragons.


    The best way to take care of implanted war dragons was to keep them in specialized war dragon life support units, which could maintain their vigor and make them fully battle-ready.


    However, Gong Hengdao lacked such amenities at the moment and had to rely on these war dragon nutrients, which were significantly less effective than the life support units.


    These ten tubes of injection were certainly a godsend for Gong Hengdao.


    It had been 10 days since his war dragon last received a nutrient injection and was in a dire state, extremely weak and barely clinging to life through cryogenic preservation.


    The ¡®High-Concentration War Dragon Nutrient¡¯ was exorbitantly priced, and Xue Lingxue mentioned that this expense would be deducted from his future wages.


    Gong Hengdao did not care at all; he felt invigorated, like molten lava, upon seeing these medicines.


    What mattered to him was that the young man was actually willing to spend that much money on him.


    a?€¡±He was really willing to invest in him, to be confident in making him survive!


    Without hesitation, Gong Hengdao first took out three tubes of ¡®High-Concentration War Dragon Nutrient¡¯ and went out to inject his implanted war dragon with them.


    Following that, he took the medicines as prescribed by Lin Rui and lay down in the automatic acupuncture machine.


    As the medicine started to work, the machine began inserting the Golden Needles into Gong Hengdao¡¯s body.


    He gradually fell into a deep sleep.


    Xue Lingxue had heard from Lin Rui that Gong Hengdao might sleep for about four hours after taking the medicine for the first time.


    She did not feel completely at ease, so she stayed to watch over him in the cave.


    After all, it was the lower district where security was chaotic, and the implanted war dragon was currently too weak to fight.


    Xue Lingxue couldn¡¯t afford to be inattentive.


    About three hours in, Xue Lingxue let out a surprised exclamation and looked toward a projection screen next to her.


    It was an old psychic detector that Gong Hengdao had bought from the black market.


    Xue Lingxue noticed that the several dotted lines representing Gong Hengdao¡¯s psychic state on the screen began to stabilize.


    These dotted lines were drawing almost straight trajectories, in stark contrast to the previously volatile status.


    Xue Lingxue couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists with renewed spirits.


    Lin Rui really had a way to save Uncle Gong¡¯s life!


    No!


    Judging from the psychic detector¡¯s charts, the effects of the elixirs and acupuncture far exceeded her expectations.


    Lin Rui, the disciple of Academician Huangfu, was truly no flukea?€¡±

 Chapter 288

    ?Chapter 288: Chapter 273: Financial Prospects (Request for Subscription) Chapter 288: Chapter 273: Financial Prospects (Request for Subscription) In the following period, although Lin Rui¡¯s other body was on the ship, he became even busier, with live streaming, practicing martial arts, and finding time to capture the ¡°Nursery Rhyme Killer.¡±


    This guy was growing increasingly bold.


    Despite being wanted across the city, he had not ceased his actions, committing two more crimes within seven days concentrated in the lower district area, resulting in over 300 victims in total.


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s case deductions were very accurate in predicting the killer¡¯s movements; however, this did not help them in apprehending the murderer.


    This was because the main focus of the Third Special Operations Department was not on the Nursery Rhyme Killer, but rather on investigating the ¡°Spirit Rhythm Spray.¡±


    Zhang Long had already entrusted several authoritative testing companies to re-identify the ingredients of the ¡°Spirit Rhythm Spray.¡±


    They also discovered that eight days before the incident, Xue Bogao had visited Taisu Pharmaceutical Company, and apparently had a big argument with someone in the reception room there.


    a?€¡±This information should have been recorded in the investigative files, yet it was erased.


    Moreover, on the same day following the argument, Xue Bogao informed his comrades to temporarily stop using ¡°Spirit Rhythm.¡±


    Xue Bogao¡¯s family car also had two pieces of data erased by hackers; Xue Bogao had driven to Wuhu Mountain Villa twice to meet someone.


    That was a location similar to the Olin Club, and Xue Bogao¡¯s guest was the Vice Director of Research and Development at Taisu Pharmaceutical Company.


    ...


    Shockingly, this Research and Development Vice Director also died in an accident on the day of Xue Bogao¡¯s death.


    Apart from this, 500 meters away from Xue¡¯s residence in their neighborhood, there was a Security Bureau armored vehicle parked, containing two Jielong 6 models, a type 8 4-band phased array mini radar, and a type 8 ether detectora?€¡±Zhang Long guessed that this might be one of the reasons for Xue Bogao¡¯s lack of caution.


    At the time of the incident, the armored vehicle and its equipment had stopped operating, and afterwards, the armored vehicle and the personnel inside were transferred away.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui broke out in a cold sweat after learning about this.


    Fortunately, the armored vehicle had been transferred away, otherwise he would have been involved in an incident months ago.


    Ranran, however, directly procured a luxurious magnetic levitation yacht, which was safe and comfortable, and did not reveal any information about superhumans.


    However, Lin Rui, being the main fighter, participated in three competitions without getting a chance to act, only watching from below the stage.


    Zhao Yan and Fang Ranran, the two Deputy Generals, were very strong.


    The three teams they faced couldn¡¯t get past to confront Lin Rui, the main fighter.


    However, Coach Fei Yunlai was not in a good mood, seeming gloomy and sullen.


    He glanced at Lin Rui several times, hesitating to speak before finally bursting out, ¡°So you really found a 6SS-level expert?¡±


    The ¡°Nursery Rhyme Killer¡± did not involve Fei Yunlai in the last two crimes.


    Fei Yunlai could not understand why a 6SS-level, and an armored dragon warrior at that, would accept anything other than Lin Rui¡¯s employment?


    Not only was the pay worse than the dark web, but the risk was also so high!


    ¡°Hmm~,¡± Lin Rui responded absent-mindedly, propping his chin in his hand as he focused on the fight on the stage, ¡°What else?


    I¡¯m physically too feeble to handle this kind of job alone.¡±


    Fei Yunlai furrowed his brows in annoyance, feeling that Lin Rui¡¯s attitude was somewhat dismissive.


    ¡°Where did you find this person?


    A rookie?


    How much is the commission?


    Novgo.co


    Is it reliable?


    You better be careful, your affair would implicate me as well.¡±

 Chapter 289

    ?Chapter 289: Chapter 273: Financial Prospects (Request for Subscription)_2 Chapter 289: Chapter 273: Financial Prospects (Request for Subscription)_2 Fei Yunlai guessed that this person must be new to the underworld and still unaware of the going rates.


    If that person were to find out they¡¯d been tricked by Lin Rui, they would certainly turn against him.


    ¡°I signed a long-term contract with him, a commission of 10 million for each 6A-level task, but the fixed salary is quite high, so overall expenses are about half of yours, after all, it is a 6SS.¡±


    Lin Rui remained casual, sipping on the juice in his hand, and said, ¡°He¡¯s earned three ¡®Dark Glory Medals¡¯ from the dark web, top-tier credibility.


    Now he¡¯s made enough money and wants to settle downa?€¡±find a more stable line of work.¡±


    Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t help but sneer inwardly, thinking, does the shady work Lin Rui provide count as ¡®stable¡¯?


    Also, this person actually obtained the ¡®Dark Glory Medal¡¯?


    Really?


    It¡¯s not easy to get a Dark Glory Medal; you need to complete an SS-level solo task of the same level with a completion rate of over 90%.


    ...


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this person is very reliable and won¡¯t cause any issues.


    His experience is also quite vast, and his combat style is clean and efficient.¡±


    Having said this, Lin Rui finally turned his head, looking at Fei Yunlai with suspicion, ¡°Old Fei, there seems to be something off with your tone, are you short on money again?


    You should have sold those things by now, right?


    You should be able to get by for a couple of months.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Fei Yunlai thought to himself, I did sell them, but the problem is, I didn¡¯t get a good price.


    Ever since the governor of Shazhou was dismissed, and the situation around the area stabilized, the prices of cybernetic implants and various materials had fallen a bit recently.


    Fei Yunlai thought about his own luck, wishing he had known better and just sold them to Tianlan Groupa?€¡±at least the money would have come faster.


    Also, eating synthetic meat at the cafeteria every day was not sustainable.


    Fei Yunlai really wanted to ask for another job, but his pride prevented him from speaking up, so he could only offer a wry smile, ¡°What am I thinking?


    I¡¯m just worried that you might get tricked and that it would affect me.¡±


    The fourth match still ended in a satisfying victory.


    The opponent this time was slightly stronger, but their team leader still couldn¡¯t break through Zhao Yan¡¯s defense and make it to the final showdown.


    Yu Feicui stood up and applauded Zhao Yan¡¯s victory, in a very good mood.


    It turned out to be beneficial to hire big brother Fei Yunlai as the head coach; he was diligent and responsible in guiding and training Zhao Yan, Nalan Wei, and the others.


    Their strength had increased significantly in recent times.


    Fei Yunlai was the only one who refused to coach Lin Rui, but that wasn¡¯t a big problem.


    Lin Rui was naturally talented and insightful, and he had reached the peak of level 4 just through self-learning.


    The Martial Arts Association rated his martial arts level as SS+, based only on some martial arts videos that Lin Rui had posted, as he hadn¡¯t been very active lately.


    And those women really love your face.


    Yu Feicui (Fang Ranran): Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re just borrowing your popularity for now.


    Once the business expands, we will hire official endorsers.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t know how to respond for a moment.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): But production has just started, right?


    Isn¡¯t it too early to start selling?


    Yu Feicui (Fang Ranran): Of course, it¡¯s for the preheat.


    Plus, do you understand hunger marketing?


    Our management and sales teams, which I headhunted with a high salary, are all great.


    They¡¯re plug-and-play.


    And your pillsa?€¡±some of my closest girlfriends and I have tried them.


    The effects are excellent, significantly better than competing products on the market, so there¡¯s no need to wait for mass production.


    Believe me, once the hype builds up, by the end of this year, combining both products, we¡¯ll definitely have no problem reaching a monthly sale of ten billion.


    Yu Feicui (Fang Ranran): Your Little Yang Pill also has great potential.


    I had it tested by some rich second-generation kids and their girlfriends, and the feedback was gooda?€¡±they said it provides strong endurance and doesn¡¯t harm the body.


    This thing might even earn more than the two skincare products, but since it¡¯s a legitimate pharmaceutical, we need to go through the drug approval process, which is quite troublesome.


    Upon seeing the words ¡®monthly sales of ten billion¡¯, Lin Rui was momentarily speechless.


    And this girl was really bold, letting people test the Little Yang Pill before it was verified?


    At this time, he received a message from Fei Yunlai.


    The Invincible Cow (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, about the long-term contract you mentioned before, can we talk?


    After reading it, Lin Rui let out a silent sigh, figuring he had to compromise.


    It was hard to sustain a ¡®broke cow,¡¯ and he needed to make enough money to move this cow into his own pen.


    Just yesterday, with the help of Gong Hengdao¡¯s connections, he found a fairly famous mechanic on the dark web and purchased two 80% new, modified second-hand Red Spider Model 7 defense robots at a price of 2.5 billion Federation dollars each.


    Although Lin Rui was making money fast, establishing his own power and ensuring that he and his sister could protect themselves required spending money like water.

 Chapter 290

    ?Chapter 290: Chapter 274: The Committee (Three more updates, please subscribe) Chapter 290: Chapter 274: The Committee (Three more updates, please subscribe) Just when Lin Rui was awkwardly contemplating Fang Ranran¡¯s promotional strategies.


    Within the Security Bureau¡¯s 9th Division building, a high-level inquiry meeting was being convened.


    In this expansive 500 square meter conference room, there were only four deputy and assistant ministers, including Zhou Yunfei and You Ming.


    However, in the wide space opposite them, fourteen seats were projected.


    Of the fourteen seats, only the one to the left of the center was vacant, the rest were occupied.


    The shocking part was that among these thirteen individuals, three were dressed in marshal uniforms, adorned with either four or three stars on their epaulettes.


    a?€¡±This was none other than the Homeland Security Committee!


    ...


    It was authorized by the Earth Federation Congress to ensure the safety and defense of the frontier cities on Tianji Star.


    Apart from the four active chiefs of the Security Bureau, the remaining ten were senior members of the Earth Federation Congress.


    At this moment, the majority of these thirteen individuals were solemnly listening as the first chief inquired about the deputy and assistant ministers of the 9th Division.


    ¡°a?€¡±So, you say this ¡®Child Song Killer¡¯ is still unresolved in the short term, huh?


    Do you know how the mayor of the 9th Base City recently asked me?


    He inquired where the hundreds of billions of funds allocated annually to the Federal Security Bureau by the 9th Base City are actually spent?¡±


    Zhou Yunfei was respectfully alert, eyes on his nose, nose on his heart.


    Go to novgo.co


    He discerned that the first chief¡¯s tone was light, yet unmistakably furious.


    However, this matter had little to do with him.


    He had only been in office for slightly over half a year, and powerful and resourceful institutions like the Special Service Center, Mobile Response Force, Counter-Terrorism Department, and Major Case Investigation Department were not under his control, while the local police also resisted him, both overtly and covertly.


    The members of the committee should have been aware of these circumstances.


    You Ming, along with the second deputy minister Hayden Smith and third deputy minister Lei Yu, all had slightly pale complexions.


    ¡°Chief, gentlemen of the committee, all of us at the Security Bureau are cooperating fully and doing our utmost.¡±


    You Ming¡¯s gaze was icy, his voice resolute: ¡°We assure you that we will bring him to justice in the shortest possible time!¡±


    Second deputy minister Hayden Smith was equally solemn: ¡°Generals, members of the committee, we have fully mobilized and are collaborating with the police to maintain control across the entire city, while deploying more holographic surveillance devices and defense robots to ensure the safety of the citizens.¡±


    ¡°I hope you all realize the seriousness of this matter.¡±


    This voice came from the second position to the right of the first chief.@@@@


    It was a middle-aged man, about 40, wearing gold-rimmed smart glasses.


    His handsome face had distinct features, and streaks of white mingled with his black hair testified to his wisdom, resembling a sage who had experienced much.


    His demeanor was cultured, mature, and composed.


    His hands were interlaced as he smiled slightly: ¡°Although so far the Child Song Killer has not harmed any ordinary people, and all the victims have been gang members, given that the killer might have severe mental disorders, the situation could potentially worsen.


    Also, the head of this department that you appointed is quite strange.¡±


    Since the department head¡¯s security clearance reached SSS+, the First Commander could see his personal information, but he could not reveal his name and identity to the public.


    When he spoke these words, everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Zhou Yunfei.


    You Ming also narrowed his eyes, eager to see how Zhou Yunfei would respond.


    novgo.co


    He did not expect that after Zhang Long¡¯s assassination, Zhou Yunfei would intensify his efforts by drawing even more resources from other divisions.


    Zhou Yunfei maintained his composure and faced the scrutinizing gaze of the First Commander, ¡°This is indeed based on the preset instructions of the Second Commander.


    I am carrying out a special task assigned to me by the Second Commander, which is of great importance.


    I must mobilize sufficient resources to ensure the success of the mission.¡±


    At this time, it was already set in stone that Lin Rui would soon take charge of the Espionage Bureau, and Zhou Yunfei felt even more confident.


    The First Commander narrowed his eyes and then nodded slightly expressionlessly, ¡°Our Second Commander will wake up within five months, and then I will inquire about this matter with him.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng also smiled slightly, ¡°We, the members of the council, are also very curious about the Third Special Actions Department established by the Second Commander.


    We will jointly initiate an inquiry at that time.¡±


    The inquiry meeting lasted for 30 minutes, and after it concluded, the ministers and vice ministers of the ninth division left the meeting room without making any eye contact.


    After returning to his office, You Ming took out a smart terminal that resembled a mobile phone from thousands of years ago.


    He made a phone call, ¡°Pause the plan, change the mission, and verify the identity of the head of the Third Special Actions Department with all our might.¡±


    ¡°Change?¡± The voice of a middle-aged man on the phone sounded very surprised, ¡°Are you sure?


    If our original plan is successfully completed, we can definitely kick Zhou Yunfei out.¡±


    ¡°Kicking him out is useless.¡±


    You Ming, standing with his hands behind him, looked out through the floor-to-ceiling window, where he could faintly see the skyscraper of the Tianlan Corporation.


    ¡°Today during the inquiry meeting, Fang Xianzheng questioned my abilities over the Nursery Rhyme Killer case.¡±


    The middle-aged man instantly understood.


    In such a scenario, even if they managed to kick Zhou Yunfei out, it would only benefit others.


    You Ming couldn¡¯t deal with the Nursery Rhyme Killer, so naturally, he also couldn¡¯t take on the responsibility of ensuring the security of the ninth base city.


    ¡°I understand, but your immediate priority is still to find that Nursery Rhyme Killer, right?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.


    I will find a way to capture and kill that Nursery Rhyme Killer myself,¡± You Ming said as he recalled the calm and unwavering demeanor of Zhou Yunfei during the meeting, who seemed unfazed by the upcoming inquiry initiated by Fang Xianzheng.


    Where did that guy get his confidence from?


    You Ming narrowed his eyes, ¡°No matter what methods you use, you must confirm this person¡¯s identity in the shortest possible time!¡±

 Chapter 291

    ?Chapter 291: Chapter 275: Meeting (Request for Subscription) Chapter 291: Chapter 275: Meeting (Request for Subscription) Just the day after Fang Ranran borrowed Lin Rui¡¯s traffic to promote her products, the comments in Lin Rui¡¯s livestream began to digress.@@@@


    ¡°Host, is that genius pretty boy really you?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect the host to be so delicate and smooth-skinned, and still get involved in this kind of thing?¡±


    ¡°The host is too much, he could totally live off his looks, yet he still went ahead and invented some hydrating cream, making me spend money.¡±


    ¡°Have you used Rui Fang¡¯s moisturizing hydrating cream and toner?


    How do they feel?¡±


    ¡°Rui Fang?


    Moisturizing hydrating cream?


    Toner?


    What are you all talking about?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I can finally sponsor this host.¡±


    Lin Rui, looking at these comments, almost couldn¡¯t manage his expression and black-listed a bunch of people with a stern face.


    Lin Rui also issued a warning, ¡°Everyone, please be aware, this is a serious Armored Martial Arts livestream.


    ...


    The host is explaining the fourth stage of Thunder Extreme Divine Shine Technique.


    Go to novgo.co


    Please mind your comments and do not disrupt others from watching the livestreama?€¡±those interested in Martial Arts, feel free to like and bookmark our stream.¡±


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s attempt to control the situation didn¡¯t calm the atmosphere in the comment section; instead, the viewers became even more excited.


    ¡°Serious?


    How serious is the host?¡±


    ¡°The host did this kind of thing, and we can¡¯t even talk about it?¡±


    Lin Rui, unwillingly accepting the situation, persisted with the livestream until 7 PM, then ended the livestream utterly exhausted.


    However, when the livestream ended, he looked at the backstage reward and sales data and smiled again.


    Today alone, the donation amount reached over 30 million, and the sales income was also over 200 million, Lin Rui was set to earn more than 20 million in commissions, and the revenue from recorded videos was even more delightful at nearly 38 million.


    Since the Martial Arts contest started, his viewership had been increasing.


    Although Lin Rui hadn¡¯t had a chance to participate, this only made his popularity surge even higher.


    Lin Rui thought if this situation continued, making hundreds of millions a day wasn¡¯t a dream.


    The caveat was he couldn¡¯t lose, even losing a single match on the platform would significantly impact his income.


    Humans always admire the strong, regardless of gender.


    Just look at ¡® Devil Sword¡¯ Baili Wang; since he lost to ¡® Immortal Sword¡¯ Shi Yan, Baili Wang¡¯s income and popularity had plummeted.


    Lin Rui counted the wealth he had at his disposal again.


    At this point, he had almost used up all his ¡®black¡¯ money; two 7S-grade Red Spider defense robots cost him 5 billion federal coins, he also set up a super-computing array for Lin Xi, now only just over 100 million was left.


    There was quite a bit of money in the bank accounta?€¡±just over 2 billion federal coins, plus 230,000 troy ounces of demon silver and 1,000 troy ounces of divine gold, as well as various local specialties given by folks back home that he hadn¡¯t sold.


    However, Lin Rui not only signed Gong Hengdao but also Fei Yunlai.


    However, looking at Wang Sen¡¯s situation, he probably wouldn¡¯t follow in his footsteps.


    This chubby guy just needed to compete a few times to build up some popularity and then, with Lin Rui¡¯s support, he could start his live broadcasting career.


    ¡°He is more talented than you.


    Once he implants a Golden Core, he could replace any of us in the martial arts club, or even take on the role of a vanguard.¡±


    Yu Feicui looked somewhat helpless as she spoke, ¡°You¡¯re being too biased, Lu Fang¡¯s talent is not bad either.¡±


    As she spoke, she also kept an eye on her senior brother.


    Just yesterday he was in disarray, clothes unkempt and beard shaggy, but today he had a completely refreshed demeanor, not only wearing a crisp white suit but also sporting a slicked-back hairstyle, looking energetic and spirited.


    Had her senior brother managed to get out of his financial crisis?


    She wondered which tycoon or power he had taken up with?


    It wasn¡¯t that Yu Feicui underestimated her senior brother, but that Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t support himself unless he took jobs from the dark web.


    Upon hearing this, Fei Yunlai chuckled and touched his nose.


    He actually did not want to show such overt favoritism, but a month ago, the BOSS had specifically instructed him to give more guidance to Wang Sen.


    He had taken someone else¡¯s money; naturally, he couldn¡¯t stand firm independently.


    Now, it was even less likely to be fair to everyone.


    While Lin Rui was deeply engrossed in the match, he received three consecutive messages.


    Zhang Long: General, Bai Kang Drug Inspection Company and Zhongsen Pharmaceutical Research Institute have come up with the results first.


    As you predicted, ¡®Spiritual Mist Spray¡¯ has a severe problem ¨C it indeed contains ¡®Heartbreak Grass.¡¯ Not only is it highly addictive, but it also accelerates mental mutations and could lead to major social security risks.


    Zhang Long: According to Ms.


    Zhongsen Jingxiang, head of Zhongsen Pharmaceutical Research Institute, this kind of drug might even enable people to control certain implanted martial cultivators with it.


    She doesn¡¯t understand how this drug got its marketing approval.


    novgo.co


    Zhang Long: Also, I have received accurate information that ¡®Skull Killer¡¯ Yun Yu from the ¡®Extreme Evil Pirate Group¡¯ entered the Ninth Base City four days ago.


    He has been promoted to Major General, with a comprehensive combat score of S+.


    After reading these, Lin Rui¡¯s pupils narrowed slightly, then he turned and walked toward his room.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Meeting!


    He convened another virtual meeting, this time in the Public Security Bureau Work Group 1, pulling Zhou Yunfei into the meeting as well.


    When Zhou Yunfei¡¯s projection appeared in the virtual meeting room, his expression was full of confusion: ¡°Is there something wrong, Rui?


    What¡¯s the urgency?¡±


    Zhou Yunfei was originally having dinner with the mayor, but had been urged repeatedly by Lin Rui through pop-up messages, forcing him to hide in the bathroom to attend this virtual meeting.


    However, as Zhang Long reported the situation, Zhou Yunfei¡¯s expression grew increasingly grave.


    Zhou Yunfei looked at Lin Rui in surprise, thinking that it was Rui who had detected the clues to this matter.


    This was indeed his good fortune.


    If not for Lin Rui, Zhou Yunfei would still be unaware of such a massive threat buried within the Ninth Base City.

 Chapter 292

    ?Chapter 292: Chapter 276 Timing (Please Subscribe) Chapter 292: Chapter 276 Timing (Please Subscribe) Zhou Yunfei had lost all interest in dining with the mayor after hearing Zhang Long¡¯s case report.


    ¡°Zhang Long, forward all the case materials to me, and get ready,¡± Zhou Yunfei instructed.


    ¡°I need to report to the Supreme Commander now.


    Once the order from above comes through, your Third Special Operations Department must arrest and detain all suspects in Metro Base Nine as quickly as possible!¡±


    The Soul Rhythm Spray was sold in all fourteen metro bases, and this matter was not something that Metro Division Nine could handle alone.


    Moreover, the forces under Zhou Yunfei¡¯s command were too weak.


    He anticipated that the arrest operation would require the mobilization of all five heavy armored divisions of the armed police forces in Metro Base Nine.


    The impact would be too great, which meant Zhou Yunfei had to report to the Supreme Commander.


    ...


    Zhou Yunfei couldn¡¯t help but add with praise, ¡°On behalf of all citizens of Metro Base Nine, I want to thank your Third Special Operations Department.


    Thanks to your excellent work, you¡¯ve resolved a significant security crisis for the Earth Federation!


    Especially Lin Rui, you have remarkable abilities!¡±


    After being questioned by the Homeland Security Committee, he was also worried about the Nursery Rhyme Killer case.


    You Ming and his bunch of fools were quite competent at infighting, yet they couldn¡¯t even catch the Nursery Rhyme Killer.


    If there was no progress in two months, once Fang Xianzheng made his move, the heads of the Security Bureau Division Nine were likely in for trouble.


    Go to novgo.co


    After the meeting was dismissed, Lin Rui pulled Lin Xi, Xue Lingxue, Fei Yunlai, Gong Hengdao, and Wang Sen into a new battle group and initiated another virtual meeting.


    As soon as Fei Yunlai joined the group, he saw the screen name ¡®Gong Hengdao.¡¯


    He thought to himself, ¡°Damn.¡±


    This guy was Gong Hengdao?


    Could it be true?


    Gong Hengdao was well-known in the dark web world as a top gunman and sniper, and he was also quite skilled in close combat.


    This man had earned three ¡®Dark Glory Medals¡¯ from the dark web, and it was said that his comprehensive firearms rating reached SSS.


    So what Lin Rui said was true, he wasn¡¯t being deceived?


    The question was, how did Lin Rui manage to win over this person?


    Xue Lingxue frowned deeply, ¡°BOSS, given the recent situation in Metro Base Nine, this doesn¡¯t seem like a good time to make a move.


    Those dozen or so significant targets could very well be traps set by the enemy, trying to lure us into action.


    I think it¡¯s better for the BOSS to hold back for the next few days.¡±


    When Lin Rui heard the words ¡®hold back,¡¯ the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.@@@@


    Hold back?


    She thought that she had been led astray by Lin Rui and had come to disregard federal law as nothing.


    This opportunity to avenge herself laid before her, and Xue Lingxue found it impossible to say the words ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to go through the legal process.


    The Ninth Base City employed federal law, which included the death penalty, but it required many years of legal battles.


    If this Skeleton Assassin could afford a good lawyer, he might very well save his own life.


    Xue Lingxue scrutinized the terrain map of the logistics base projected by Lin Rui with a serious expression, ¡°BOSS, the defensive capabilities of the 9412 logistics base are very strong, with a fully staffed company, a large number of defense robots, and automated weapons, and the nearby spaceport is even more heavily guarded.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I¡¯ve received reliable information that there will soon be a major operation by the Federal Security Bureau.


    The armed police force¡¯s five heavy-armored divisions might all move out, and I believe that by then, the military and police nearby should not be able to provide effective support for the 9412 logistics base,¡± Lin Rui said with a smile, winking at Xue Lingxue.


    ¡°We will utilize all our strength this time, leaving two Red Spider Model 6s to guard the base while two Red Spider Model 7s and eight Red Spider Model 6s will participate in the operation.


    Fortunately, they have not made targeted enhancements in terms of ventilation and poison defense.¡±


    Xue Lingxue realized.


    She anticipated that the operation authorization Minister Zhou had gotten would be very high.


    The way these five heavy-armored divisions of the armed police force would operate actually depended on them.


    The surrounding military and police could also preemptively interfere with orders.


    Therefore, the operational plan she was to develop had to include not only the 9412 logistics base but also parts of the Federal Security Bureau.


    This indeed was the best time to act.


    In a way, it could be considered using their own methods against them.


    After a moment of contemplation, Xue Lingxue said decisively, ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll develop a corresponding plan, but I have a special request.¡±


    She then sent a message directly to Lin Rui.


    novgo.co


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): I want to personally kill Yun Yu!


    Lone Shadow Blade (Lin Rui): No problem, as long as your plan is successful.


    However, Fei Yunlai¡¯s mind brimmed with suspicion.


    What kind of operation did the Federal Security Bureau have that would involve all five heavy-armored divisions of the armed police, yet ensure that the surrounding military and police could not intervene in time?


    Were the intelligence from these two reliable?


    Gong Hengdao squinted his eyes, looking at the numerous pieces of intelligence Lin Rui projected before them.


    With his rich mercenary experience, he was well-versed in the underworld.


    Gong Hengdao had noticed that all the images and material information before him were in the proprietary format of the Security Bureau.


    He wondered, Xue Lingxue was a colonel in the Security Bureau, her position unknown, so what was BOSS¡¯s identity then?

 Chapter 293

    ?Chapter 293: Chapter 277: Armored Composite Brigade (Subscribe Please) Chapter 293: Chapter 277: Armored Composite Brigade (Subscribe Please) At the 9412 logistics base, Yun Yu stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling window on the top floor of the warehouse, keenly observing the street scene outside.


    This area near the star port was especially bustling, and even in the deep of night, the outer streets were still aglow with colorful lights and busy nightlife.


    The location Yun Yu was looking at housed a red-light district where he had once had a genuinely good experience.


    Still, the internal areas of these base cities were more fun than the few cramped, filthy, and chaotic dens operated by his gang, the Vile Pirate Gang, shrouded in dark and poisonous air.


    Although they brought back women every year by various means to relieve the stress of the gang members, it was still not as enjoyable as places outside.


    Yet now was not the time, ever since Yun Yu had entered the ninth city base through smuggling, he felt like he was being watched.


    Yun Yu could smell the scent of those vicious dogs from the security bureaua?€¡±


    Just then, Yun Yu heard a shrill voice from behind him.


    ...


    ¡°Yun Yu, we need to get ready to move!¡±


    Yun Yu turned around and saw a middle-aged Caucasian man with a watermelon haircut and a stocky build behind him.


    That was his temporary superiora?€¡±¡¯Illusion Melon¡¯ Baroque.


    This was a 6S+ class illusionist whose illusion technique was so powerful that it could deceive Xue Bogao¡¯s senses from 100 meters away without leaving any trace.


    It is said that the special investigation team from the security bureau on the Xue Bogao case still has no knowledge of this person¡¯s existence.


    And just like last time, Baroque was in charge of this mission.


    Go to novgo.co


    When Yun Yu followed Baroque into a small conference room converted from a loft in the warehouse, he saw four fully armed men of varying appearances.


    These were ¡®Serpent Spear¡¯ Casa, ¡®Firefox¡¯ Chang Xin, ¡®Assault Bear¡¯ Mitcha, and ¡®Double Guns¡¯ Xiong Sia?€¡± not only were all four members of the Vile Pirate Gang, but they were also majors with pseudo 6A grade combat gear evaluations, and Casa in particular, was a pseudo 6S class sniper in overall ratings.


    At that moment, Yun Yu frowned slightly, displeasure apparent in his eyes.


    He noticed that all four men had somewhat vacant expressions and abnormal flushes on their faces, clear signs of being high on drugs.


    Yun Yu knew that all four men suffered from various degrees of implant syndrome, and needed drugs to relax their minds, but during a mission, couldn¡¯t they refrain a little?


    Baroque apparently ignored this, as he turned on the video projector.


    ¡°This person is Zhang Long, deputy head of the Third Special Operations Department and leader of the First Action Group, a 6SS class master, and also the team leader of the Xue Bogao case.


    About 5 days ago, our partners learned that he had commissioned the New City Pharmaceutical Inspection Company under the name of the security bureau to test the medicinal ingredients of the Ling Yun spraya?€¡±¡±


    He had not finished speaking when ¡®Serpent Spear¡¯ Casa interjected, ¡°What¡¯s the problem with this Ling Yun spray anyway?


    I¡¯ve been using it lately.¡±


    Baroque shook his head slightly, ¡°That¡¯s irrelevant to us.


    We¡¯re only responsible for eliminating someone, helping our partners settle this matter, and right now, the situation is quite troublesome!¡±


    He frowned, ¡°Our partners have tried to delay the drug inspection process at the New City Pharmaceutical Inspection Company, but recent intelligence indicates that Zhang Long might not only be contracting this one company; we need to eliminate him before those drug test results come out.¡±


    ¡°How soon?


    ¡°Breaking news from our station, today the Security Bureau has launched a major operation, dispatching a large number of personnel and police forces at 8 PM to seal off Taisu Pharmaceutical Company, the City Drug Administration, the Public Health Bureau, and the Chemical Engineering Safety Department of the Security Bureau.¡±


    ¡°It is heard that an hour ago, the armed police forces had already received orders to mobilize fully and block the urban rail stations and major transport routes, now moving to seal off the starport.


    The Security Bureau has also issued a notice advising citizens not to go out unless in emergencies, and all flights at the starport will be subjected to inspection by the Security Bureaua?€¡±¡±


    ¡°a?€¡±It is rumored that this incident is related to the ¡®Spirit Rhythm Spray¡¯ released by Taisu Pharmaceutical Company in the past six months.


    This drug might cause further mental mutation in patients with Transplant Syndrome and is highly addictive, potentially endangering society.


    All major pharmaceutical stores have already pulled the drug from their shelves.¡±


    ¡°Ah, damn,¡± ¡®Snake Spear¡¯ Kasa muttered upon hearing this, ¡°It looks like our mission has failed before it even began.¡±


    The expressions on Baroque and Yun Yu¡¯s faces were extremely grim.


    This Spirit Rhythm Spray was tied to crucial schemes above, and according to their original plans, this drug needed to be publicly distributed on the market for at least a year to achieve the expected goals.


    Although the column of the heavily equipped synthetic brigade was massive and moved quickly, it still took a full five minutes to drive past the street near the 9412 logistical base.


    Just as Baroque and the others were relaxing and preparing to stand, they felt their consciousness blur and almost couldn¡¯t stand steady,


    The four pseudo-level 6 assumed they were too intoxicated from drugs, causing their minds to be unclear, so they didn¡¯t pay much attention.


    Baroque and Yun Yu, however, had their pupils slightly contracta?€¡±startled to the extremea?€¡±they didn¡¯t hesitate to take out the stimulants they carried and inserted them into the backs of their necks.


    Right then, beneath their warehouse, Wang Sen, dressed in a maintenance sergeant¡¯s uniform, was opening the control core of the last Type 5 Hawk Falcon combat robot, inserting a black data disk into the slot.


    Quirky Youngster (Wang Sen): ¡°Bro Rui, I¡¯ve finished here.


    36 Type 6 Gatling Bodhisattvas, 16 Type 4 Hawk Falcons, and 8 Type 5 Hawk Falcons are all infected with the virus program, and they haven¡¯t detected any anomalies.¡±


    Wang Sen glanced sideways at several soldiers standing nearby who, though still conscious, were dazed and unresponsive.


    His cover should have been blown by now, as these soldiers should have noticed something odd long ago, but the drug used by Lin Rui this time was indeed miraculous.


    These soldiers, clearly still awake, had temporarily lost their ability to think, unable to react to their surroundings.


    As for these machines, with Wang Sen having maintenance sergeant privileges, they could not react either.


    Fei Yunlai was standing in the basement of the first warehouse, looking at two giant maintenance devices stretching 25 meters long and the two transplant battle dragons slumbering inside.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): ¡°I¡¯m good on this end too!


    I¡¯ve injected the boss¡¯s drug into the life support chambers.


    That little Xue is really something, he managed to pinpoint the location of these two battle dragons just from the structure of this building.¡±


    Lin Rui was standing at the ventilation duct on the top floor of the warehouse, looking at the attic and smiling slightly.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Let¡¯s get this operation started!


    They must have noticed me by now.¡±


    ¡°Pop!¡±


    With that soft gunshot, Gong Hengdao, stationed at a sniper post 7 kilometers away and holding a silenced sniper rifle, fired the first shot.


    Meanwhile, from a warehouse 13 kilometers south of him, Gong Hengdao¡¯s transplant battle dragon, holding a Godslayer Type 7 sniper cannon in its hands, also locked target on 9412 logistical base, ready to suppress any unplanned disturbances.

 Chapter 294

    ?Chapter 294: Chapter 278: Thunderbolt (Request for Subscription) Chapter 294: Chapter 278: Thunderbolt (Request for Subscription) ¡°Bastards!¡±


    After Yun Yu injected himself with a stimulant, it still took a whole 10 seconds before he felt his body roughly return to normal.


    The unknown toxins he had ingested were still eroding his body, but he could maintain full combat strength for two to three minutes without any problem.


    What shocked Yun Yu was that his implant armor War Dragon had no response at all, and he couldn¡¯t establish a connection with his Divine Sense.


    Yun Yu¡¯s eyes turned blood red, and just as he was about to pounce in Lin Rui¡¯s direction, the adjacent wall burst apart, sending rocks flying.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A bullet pierced through the nearly half-meter-thick wall of the warehouse and its armored steel interior, hitting ¡®Illusion Melon¡¯ Baroque¡¯s body directly.


    The bullet¡¯s tremendous kinetic energy not only shattered the Type 8 exoskeleton armor on Baroque but also blew his head to pieces!


    ¡°It¡¯s a sniper, at least level 6SS!¡±


    Yun Yu¡¯s eyes were filled with horror.


    ...


    ¡®Illusion Melon¡¯ Baroque, was he really dead?


    An S+ grade major general, an Illusion Technique master, died just like that?


    Without any hesitation, Yun Yu kicked open the door and shot out like a phantom, leaping down to the first level of the warehouse.


    The others also reacted swiftly.


    Go to novgo.co


    Staying there meant being the sniper¡¯s live targets.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    With another bullet tearing through the wall, ¡®Double Guns¡¯ Xiong Si¡¯s head was blown apart by the shot.


    By this time, the remaining four had already jumped down from the rooftop of the warehouse.


    Below, in the armored vehicle warehouse, they could use these vehicles as cover, effectively defending against the sniper.


    However, before Yun Yu could relax, a scream rang out.


    It was ¡®Assault Bear¡¯ Mitch, who was stabbed in the back with a knife by a man in black and then dismembered and had his soul shattered.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Yun Yu roared angrily, firing his assault rifle towards the man in black.


    But the man in black was like a phantom, disappearing instantly behind the armored vehicles.


    The remaining ¡®Serpent Lance¡¯ Kasa and ¡®Fire Fox¡¯ Chang Xin were experienced mercenaries.


    They didn¡¯t give chase but instead found a place to hide, setting up a crossfire network with Yun Yu.


    Chang Xin had completely regained consciousness, sweating profusely, ¡°Yun Yu, did you notify Director Wei of the situation?


    What did he say?¡±


    Yun Yu¡¯s scalp was tingling, ¡°Both Baroque and I have informed him.


    He told us to hold our positions and wait for assistance!¡±


    The problem was that a police station within a two-kilometer radius and two military outposts showed no signs of reaction.


    He knew that this Security Department official had probably written them off, and whether those private armed forces were coming to rescue them or to silence them was hard to say.


    Inwardly, Yun Yu thought that if he were in the Security Department official¡¯s shoes, he might also hope for them to die quickly.


    Meanwhile, just 100 meters away, behind another armored vehicle, Lin Rui was leisurely watching the time.


    For this operation, Lin Rui had originally planned to go all out and deploy the 50 billion-purchased Red Spider Type 7 for a brute force attack.


    However, Xue Lingxue had simply added the words ¡®stay vigilant¡¯ to the orders she issued to the 4321st Heavy Armor Brigade, allowing them to effortlessly take down the base.


    This woman, a brilliant graduate from the Third Public Security University, was very professional in special operations planning and understood the various mechanisms of the military and the Security Bureau.


    And Gong Hengdao, with his formidable long-range sniping capability, also made Lin Rui¡¯s scalp tingle.


    At that moment, Fei Yunlai was asking questions in the combat group.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Is it almost time?


    The nine smoke grenades they had just thrown in weren¡¯t meant to further poison Yun Yu and the others but to force the three inside into a ¡®closed-circuit¡¯ state.


    Exoskeleton armor in ¡®closed-circuit¡¯ mode can¡¯t assist its wearer in high-intensity metabolism.


    This meant that Yun Yu and company couldn¡¯t expel the toxins during this process.


    Once the effects of the stimulants wore off, the three¡¯s combat ability would still be severely diminished.


    Fei Yunlai actually felt it was unnecessary.


    Even though he didn¡¯t bring his War Dragon this time, he was confident he could take down the three men.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s requirement was to capture Yun Yu alive, and that would take some effort.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Wait another 5 seconds, then proceed with the plan as arranged.


    4, 3, 2, 1!


    Both men plunged into the thick fog almost simultaneously.


    Lin Rui moved like a phantom, swiftly advancing in an S-shaped trajectory.


    His target was ¡®Snake Spear¡¯ Kasar and ¡®Fire Fox¡¯ Chang Xin!


    Both were skilled with firearms, but under the influence of Lin Rui¡¯s toxin, they were already disoriented.


    Most of the bullets they fired at Lin Rui missed by a wide margin, and even the occasional hits only sparked off Lin Rui¡¯s external armor.


    The exoskeleton armor Lin Rui wore was from Wang Li, with strong defense.


    As long as it wasn¡¯t hit continuously by the two men¡¯s Type 6 guns, there was no danger of injury.


    Moments later, Lin Rui rushed up to ¡®Snake Spear¡¯ Kasar and suddenly drew his sword.


    The fierce and sharp blade light severed Kasar¡¯s head with one stroke.


    The man, heavily affected by the toxin, could no longer make precise judgments in combat, rendering his considerable strength almost useless.


    After that, Lin Rui and ¡®Fire Fox¡¯ Chang Xin exchanged a burst of fire and a sharp ¡®clang¡¯ of metal on metal.


    After seven exchanges, Lin Rui circled behind Chang Xin and stabbed him in the back.


    By then, Fei Yunlai had already efficiently taken down ¡®Skull Killer¡¯ Yun Yu.


    He swung his long sword, severing Yun Yu¡¯s limbs and reducing him to a mere stump.

 Chapter 295

    ?Chapter 295: Chapter 279: Addressing the Root Cause (Third Release, Please Subscribe) Chapter 295: Chapter 279: Addressing the Root Cause (Third Release, Please Subscribe) After the battle had ended, Wang Sen also came over from the monitoring center: ¡°Rui, the database is all set.¡±


    His assignment was to wire up Lin Xi to facilitate faster scanning of the data, erasing traces, and cleaning up the surveillance.


    At the same time, he had to inject comatose federal soldiers with a drug to prevent them from dying.


    At this moment he seemed calm, but he was actually trembling all over.


    This was the first time Wang Sen had experienced such a thing, so he was inevitably nervous.


    At the same time, Wang Sen also felt a sense of novelty and excitement.


    Wang Sen had volunteered to take part in the operation; he didn¡¯t want to be left out of Lin Rui¡¯s circle of friends.


    But after this mission was completed, Wang Sen thought it was incredibly cool and thrilling!


    ...


    The pressure he originally felt from taking on the infiltration was greatly alleviated.


    Lin Xi too sent a message in the combat group.


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): ¡°Bro, my side is all cleaned up and I¡¯ve found some interesting stuff.


    I think we should hand it over to the Security Bureau.


    Just the videos of these fugitives hiding in the 9412 logistics base for a few days alone will give the Star Navy¡¯s logistical department a hard time, not to mention the evidence of them declaring battle robots and various military parts in good condition as scrap and selling them illegally.¡±


    Lin Rui was looking to cause more trouble for his enemies.


    Go to novgo.co


    He thought about it for a moment, then decided to change the way he issued the alert.


    Lin Rui first had a private chat with Xue Lingxue.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Xue, I am going to detonate a bomb inside the base.


    After the explosion occurs, immediately dispatch a heavily-armed battalion from the starport to lock down the scene.¡±


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): ¡°Understood!¡±


    Xue Lingxue was now also fearful that the situation wasn¡¯t grave enough.


    If the commotion was big enough, neither the government nor the military could seal off and suppress it.


    Lin Rui then informed Gong Hengdao: ¡°Hengdao, prevent other forces from approaching the 9412 logistics base before the armed police arrive.¡±


    Gong Hengdao: ¡°Understood!¡±


    Lin Rui issued commands while setting up a simple bomb.


    He had replicated Yuan Ji¡¯s special combat skills to a high level of proficiency, and with the help of Wang Sen and Fei Yunlai, making a simple bomb was a breeze.


    Just as Lin Rui had buried the bomb, Fei Yunlai dragged ¡®the Skull Killer¡¯ Yun Yu out like a dead dog.


    The trio first arrived at a heavy truck at the rear of the 9412 logistics base.


    Inside the truck, the high-powered sonic disruptor was still operating at full power, which Wang Sen turned off before quickly driving the truck away.


    With Lin Xi¡¯s guidance, they smoothly reached a spot 3 kilometers away, where they abandoned the vehicle to enter an underground passage.


    As for the heavy truck, it would self-destruct a thousand kilometers away under Lin Xi¡¯s remote control.


    Just when they entered the underground passage, Lin Rui heard a loud roar.


    ¡°BOSS, where is Yun Yu?¡±


    Lin Rui drank his juice and pointed to the surveillance video in front of him.


    ¡°In the interrogation room, we¡¯ve gotten all we could out of him.


    He¡¯s very weak now and probably won¡¯t last much longer.


    You can take it from here.


    Oh, and there¡¯s an adrenaline shot on the table that can keep him alive a bit longer.¡±


    Turns out, this skull assassin actually had a tough mouth.


    Both Old Fei and Old Gong took turns and still couldn¡¯t break him.


    Especially Gong Hengdao, who used all the common torture methods of the dark world on the skull assassin, Yun Yu.


    However, Yun Yu couldn¡¯t endure Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®truth serum¡¯ and spilled everything Lin Rui wanted to know.


    What was the point of Old Fei and Old Gong¡¯s interrogation then?


    Just to let Yun Yu suffer torture and endure pain worse than death by a thousand cuts.


    Xue Lingxue silently walked into the interrogation room and saw Yun Yu, mangled and laying on a surgical chair with severed hands and feet.


    She initially wanted to pull out her own knife, but she noticed a variety of surgical instruments on the medical tray beside her, some still stained with blood.


    Xue Lingxue immediately walked over and picked up a small hammer.


    ¡°Who exactly are you!¡± Yun Yu looked at Xue Lingxue, his eyes filled with fear, his voice hoarse.


    Ever since Lin Rui injected him with the truth serum, and he confessed everything he wanted to and didn¡¯t want to confess, his psychological defenses completely collapsed.


    Yun Yu suddenly remembered a photo he saw at Xue¡¯s residence.


    His pupils dilated, his eyes filled with disbelief: ¡°You are the daughter of Xue Bogao.¡±


    Xue Lingxue felt both relieved and relaxed at that moment.


    Relieved because Yun Yu actually recognized her, and relaxed because the vengeance for her parents and brothers could finally be partly alleviated today.


    This is probably what that guy meant by a radical curea?€¡±


    Twenty minutes after Xue Lingxue entered the interrogation room, she still hadn¡¯t come out.


    Lin Xi, curious, leaned her face close to the surveillance video, but Lin Rui covered her eyes.


    Lin Rui felt the footage in the video was too gory.


    It was better for Lin Xi not to watch.


    Who would have thought that Xue Lingxue, who usually followed the rules and bore the demeanor of a capable policewoman, could have such a crazy moment?


    Three minutes after this, Lin Rui received a prompt from the spirit guard.


    Spirit Guard: ¡°Spirit No.


    1¡¯s obsession and resentment has been eliminated, entering ¡®harmless¡¯ state.¡±


    Lin Rui blinked, wondering what this ¡®harmless¡¯ state meant.


    Could it mean copying or possession anytime he wanted?

 Chapter 296

    ?Chapter 296: Chapter 280: Awards (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 296: Chapter 280: Awards (Seeking Subscriptions) Zhou Yunfei had not expected to face another inquiry from the National Security Committee so soon.


    However, this time none of the other deputy directors from Division Nine were involved, leaving him alone in the conference room with 13 members of the ¡®National Security Committee,¡¯ excluding the Second Commander-in-Chief.


    novgo.co


    The First Commander-in-Chief was perusing the case files submitted by Zhou Yunfei, his expression as dark as water.


    The expressions of the others were no better, all extremely solemn and serious.


    ¡°It¡¯s shocking to the core!¡±


    Fang Xianzheng was the first to finish reading the materials, his eyes filled with trepidation, ¡°We can confirm that this is a conspiracy to subvert the federal government, if discovered any later, the consequences would be unimaginable!¡±


    He looked at Zhou Yunfei with a sense of relief in his eyes, ¡°Director Zhou, from the current situation, your Division Nine of the Security Bureau has made a significant contribution to national stability and public safety.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei felt a surge of pleasure at these words.


    As long as he had the approval of the National Security Committee, especially that of Fang Xianzheng, his position as division director was as solid as Mount Tai.


    ...


    Fang Xianzheng then turned his gaze to the First Commander-in-Chief, ¡°Mr.


    First Commander-in-Chief, according to the investigation results of the Third Special Operations Department, many suspects from the Ninth City¡¯s Drug Administration Bureau and Public Health Bureau have signs of being hypnotized or even having distorted mind consciousness.


    Professional tests show that the hypnosis occurred between January and March this year.


    What do you think, is there any illusionist in the world who can do this?


    Go to novgo.co


    Could it be the handiwork of ¡®that one¡¯?¡±


    The First Commander-in-Chief closed the file projected in front of him and said succinctly, ¡°There¡¯s no need to doubt, it must be the work of the Vice President of the ¡®Divine Skills Society,¡¯ Ling Huan, no doubt.


    His timing would have been those drug regulation meetings organized by the Ministry of Health in February.


    It was an oversight on the part of our Security Bureau that gave him an opportunity.¡±


    His statement caused an uproar among the numerous committee members present in the projection.


    The expressions of the two three-star marshals present were slightly strange.


    When Zhou Yunfei heard the words ¡®Divine Skills Society,¡¯ his gaze also briefly became sharp.


    Zhou Yunfei took on the role of director of Division Nine, carrying a special mission for the Republic of East Asia.


    In addition to purging security flaws in Division Nine¡¯s base, he also bore the heavy task of investigating the ¡®Longevity Society.¡¯


    From what he currently knew, the ¡®Longevity Society¡¯ was originally the ¡®Divine Skills Society.¡¯


    It was an organization that once had nearly a hundred level-nine Divine Skills masters as core members and had almost overthrown the global federal system of government.


    The three commanders-in-chief in front of Zhou Yunfei, as well as his former superior, the Second Commander-in-Chief, had all once been members of this organization.


    While humanity on Earth delved deeply into the martial arts of the Heavenly Extreme Star and embarked on the path of biological evolution, their social structures also faced massive upheaval.


    About two hundred years ago, a group of top-tier Martial Artists grew dissatisfied with the government¡¯s control, precaution and restrictions against them, and began to conspire to overthrow the federal government and replace it to rule the human world.


    According to the chairman of the Divine Skills Society, why should such powerful titans be controlled by ants?


    Ultimately, the former president managed to divide and dissolve the members of the ¡®Divine Skills Society¡¯ with extraordinary skills, thus preventing a civil war outbreak.


    At the same time, the federal government made significant concessions to these ninth-level Martial Artists with earth-shattering powers.


    I strongly suspect that our internal oversight mechanisms may have been compromised, necessitating a fresh start.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei then changed his tone, ¡°Moreover, we encountered a special situation during the operation.


    An explosion suddenly occurred at the 9412 Logistics Base.


    When our armed police forces rushed to the scene, they discovered evidence of intense combat within, and four bodies of members from a notorious pirate gang were left behind.


    Our forensic experts, based on the traces on-site, believe that it might be related to the Nursery Rhyme Killer.


    However, the key lies in these videos and data we found in the database of the logistics basea?€¡±¡±


    As Zhou Yunfei submitted a batch of new materials and several videos, many of the elected congress members, led by Fang Xianzheng, showed expressions of shock and dismay.


    The three commanders also furrowed their brows deeply, and after exchanging glances, they could see the gravity reflected in each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°This is indeed a very serious situation!¡± Fang Xianzheng chuckled grimly.


    ¡°It seems I must visit the Defense Committee to discuss this matter with several marshals from the military.¡±


    He was not only the vice-chairman of the Homeland Security Committee but also a senior member of the Defense Committee.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    After completing the inquiry meeting, Zhou Yunfei found out that someone in the ¡®Internal Group 1¡¯ he had established was mentioning him.


    You Ming: Minister Zhou, regarding the Lingyun drug situation, shouldn¡¯t you have briefed us before taking action?


    Your approach leaves your colleagues at a disadvantage, making it difficult for us to carry out many future tasks.


    Smith: Minister, isn¡¯t this conduct a bit out of line?


    We at the Security Bureau value unity and mutual trust.


    Your actions might further sour the internal atmosphere.


    If this leads to any issues, you¡¯ll have to take full responsibility.


    Another vice-minister, Lei Yu, hadn¡¯t sent a message, his stance more neutral and, up to this point, had not openly clashed with Zhou Yunfei.


    Zhou Yunfei read the implied threats in their words but merely chuckled, knowing that both men had already had a falling out with him and were still resorting to such tactics.


    Zhou Yunfei: Here¡¯s a notice, starting tomorrow, all officers in our department must report to the Third Special Operations Division within half a month for a comprehensive examination regarding ¡®Prosthesis Syndrome.¡¯ The tests will be conducted by the Mingde University Affiliated Hospital, who will dispatch a team of experts.


    Zhou Yunfei: Additionally, to ensure the integrity of the military and security forces, the Homeland Security Committee has authorized the Third Special Operations Division.


    Over the next year, they will investigate all Security Bureau personnel¡¯s mental health, financial circumstances, and social connections, among other things.


    After sending the message, he waited expectantly for the two vice-ministers to respond while browsing various news platforms.


    Zhou Yunfei switched through several channels, noting that the majority of news outlets spoke positively, suggesting that if it weren¡¯t for the Security Bureau¡¯s decisive actions in sealing off Lingyun and Taizu, the consequences would have been unimaginable.


    However, Zhou Yunfei waited a good while but did not receive any response from the vice-ministers.


    At that moment, Zhou Yunfei received another private message, one that his intelligent AI had flagged as urgent.


    Zhao Changxing (West District Police Chief): Minister Zhou, I¡¯m not sure if you have time lately, but could we meet?


    Upon reading the message, the corners of Zhou Yunfei¡¯s lips lifted slightly.


    Zhao Changxing was one of the few senior police officers that Zhou Yunfei was vying to win over in the police system.


    Regrettably, ever since his power had been undermined by You Ming and others, these senior police officers had been keeping their distance.


    And now, this Chief Zhao was finally drawing closer to him.

 Chapter 297

    ?Chapter 297: Chapter 281: Who Is It?


    (Please Subscribe) Chapter 297: Chapter 281: Who Is It?


    (Please Subscribe) You Ming stared at the message Zhou Yunfei sent in the group chat, remaining motionless for a long time, but the teacup he was holding was crushed into pieces.


    Zhou Yunfei¡¯s response was cryptic, yet audacious.


    a?€¡± ¡°If you dare sabotage, I dare flip the table!¡±


    You Ming felt somewhat irritated; he hadn¡¯t expected the National Security Committee to grant Zhou Yunfei such authority.


    Now, Zhou Yunfei held what seemed like a royal sword, able to intimidate all departments within the ninth division of the Security Bureau.


    Regardless of who dared not cooperate, causing issues with the internal affairs of the Security Bureau, they would likely be scrutinized by the Third Special Action Section for both mental state and financial and social engagements.


    ...


    Issues like Syndrome Integration were tricky; sometimes, even if the mental health metrics were up to standard, those psychiatric experts would still diagnose you with the syndrome.


    As for financial and social situations, it was even harder for many people to explain clearly.


    You Ming opened another chat window, where the name Luo Tao appeared; he was the director of the Special Service Center, his most trusted and capable right-hand man.


    You Ming: Tao, how are things on your end?


    Any new clues about this Nursery Rhyme Killer?


    Luo Tao: Minister, I just saw a report on the Security Bureau¡¯s internal network.


    Go to novgo.co


    Some criminal investigation experts believe that Base 9412 could be related to the Nursery Rhyme Killer, although they are not sure.


    Their evidence is that the poison found in the Federation Soldiers is colorless and odorless, eluding all detection devices.


    Moreover, there was a Level-7 expert at the scene.


    You Ming frowned slightly after reading this.


    He had previously been a criminal investigation expert and swiftly noticed the issues.


    Immediately, You Ming accessed the internal network of the Security Bureau, scrolling through various materials related to the case at Base 9412.


    You Ming: What exactly happened at Base 9412?


    The scene had several top-notch level-6 masters from the Dread Pirate Gang, including the Skull Assassin Yun Yu and the Mystic Baroque, who are top-tier even among professional assassins.


    The site¡¯s various defense mechanisms are military-grade, unlike those of gang dens; how could they have been completely oblivious and taken down so quickly?


    Luo Tao: It¡¯s an unsolved mystery.


    Our urgent priority is still to capture that bastard as soon as possible.


    He could feel that Zhou Yunfei had once again gained the trust of the National Security Committee.


    Yet You Ming¡¯s capabilities were being questioned by these committee members.


    At that moment, Luo Tao in the Special Operations Bureau couldn¡¯t help but give a bitter smile and scratch his head in frustration.


    Luo Tao: Understood, Minister, I plan to modify the ¡°Guarding the Rabbit¡± plan.


    Based on our analysis of several previous cases, the Nursery Rhyme Killer seems very interested in money.


    I plan to lay a heavier bait for him, which might require using some items from the evidence room.


    After reading this message, You Ming first frowned, then fell into contemplation.


    He had also noticed that every time the Nursery Rhyme Killer¡¯s team committed a crime, they would clean out the scene of all valuables if conditions permitted.


    You Ming: You can file a report and apply; we might not necessarily need to use the evidence room; it would be better to have those rats in the underworld pay out of their own pockets.


    You Ming: Besides implementing the ¡°Guarding the Rabbit¡± plan, we also need to quickly ascertain the identity of that ¡°Thunder¡± General, as well as the information of all members in the Third Special Operations Department, especially his assistant, that woman named Xue Lingxue.


    All the information on the members of the Third Special Operations Department is encrypted at an SS level, and even You Ming cannot access it.


    However, this wasn¡¯t a big problem, as their positions and promotions within the Security Bureau, as well as information on their families and colleagues, always left some traces.


    In the Special Operations Bureau, Luo Tao frowned and opened the personal file of ¡°Xue Lingxue.¡±


    Besides a photo, everything else was marked as ¡®unknown¡¯: parents unknown, address unknown, age unknowna?€¡±it was all a mystery.


    novgo.co


    This woman was very mysterious, reportedly transferred here from the third base, initially serving as a Lieutenant Colonel police officer in the Eastern District Police Station, supposedly to carry out a task within the Security Bureau.


    She and her operations team were directly under Zhou Yunfei and had not been in contact with other members of the Ninth Division.


    But Luo Tao had scoured the Security Bureau¡¯s internal network and couldn¡¯t find out what task Xue Lingxue was performing.


    Even Deputy Minister You couldn¡¯t clarify it, only able to speculate that the level of her mission was probably above SS.


    And just two months ago, Xue Lingxue was suddenly reassigned to serve as an assistant chief of the Third Special Operations Department, and she was soon promoted to Colonel afterward.


    Luo Tao had already asked some old colleagues in the third division to investigate this woman.


    This was a top-tier prodigy who had been promoted to Colonel at the age of 24; she couldn¡¯t possibly be unknown.


    Luo Tao estimated that it would just be a matter of days before they knew this woman¡¯s background and personal information.


    Through this Xue Lingxue, they might be able to find a clue and determine the identity of that ¡°Thunder¡± General.

 Chapter 298

    ?Chapter 298: Chapter 282: Number 9 (Third Release, Please Subscribe) Chapter 298: Chapter 282: Number 9 (Third Release, Please Subscribe) Two days later, Lin Rui stood in one of Si Malin¡¯s laboratories, examining Ji Xueying¡¯s body.


    Cultivating an artificial body is actually quite simple, usually taking just three to five days.


    However, Lin Rui wanted to do it in one step, cultivating directly to the standard of a colonel and implanting the corresponding cybernetic implants, which would take a lot of time and money.


    The current situation looked good, Ji Xueying¡¯s artificial body had reached the colonel stage, and her physical quality was continuously being enhanced.


    The next part was more troublesome: Ji Xueying¡¯s array of Blood Blade talents as cybernetic implants, if completely upgraded, would cost 3.7 billion federal dollars, plus Blood Sun Originator, Blood Nucleus Fury, Steel Frame and other types of cybernetic implants, which would cost nearly 600 million.


    Lin Rui had recently been live streaming and recording videos frantically in order to earn enough money to gather this sum.


    Originally, he was quite financially comfortable, but signing Fei Yunlai had cost a large signing fee, leaving him strapped for cash.


    ...


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Ying¡¯er, how do you feel now?


    Blood Blade Sky Saber (Ji Xueying): I feel quite good, there isn¡¯t the rawness the professor mentioned, but it¡¯s a bit restrictive, I can¡¯t move my limbs.


    I wonder when I¡¯ll be able to go out and look around.


    Since the cultivation of this artificial body began reaching the channel-opening stage, Ji Xueying started to use biological chips to descend into this body in a reverse manner.


    The artificial body cultivation pod Ji Xueying is now sleeping in has been specially modified and possesses all the functions of the ¡®God Sleep Type 3¡¯.


    Every time the ¡®God Sleep Type 3¡¯ operates and goes through its cycles, Ji Xueying¡¯s soul must descend into this body to achieve the effect of spirit and flesh integration.


    This has been Ji Xueying¡¯s routine coursework for nearly two months now.


    Go to novgo.co


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Be patient, the professor said it will take another three to five days before the cybernetic implants can be embedded.


    Blood Blade Sky Saber (Ji Xueying): Understood, Master.


    Now that I have an artificial body, I feel that my spiritual power has grown significantly.


    Perhaps we should also consider implanting another cybernetic implant in my main body.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that this girl really had no concept of money, totally unaware of how costly her artificial body was.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Don¡¯t rush, let¡¯s stabilize for a while longer.


    Your talent for spiritual power is good, but its structure is not as stable as that of ordinary people, so let¡¯s wait and see.


    Lin Rui felt awkward to admit that he was almost out of money.


    He himself needed to implant new cybernetic implants as well, as Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Ultimate Heart Source¡¯ was about to awaken.


    Lin Rui had a clear feeling recently; this bloodline was on the verge of awakening.


    Once the Ultimate Heart Source awakened, Lin Rui could then implant two more top-tier cybernetic implants.


    Lin Rui also wanted to replace all of his current cybernetic implants with the full versions.


    Moreover, Lin Rui¡¯s transformation into a dragon was imminent.


    Once his main body¡¯s physical quality is stacked up to 3000 points, he would be able to implant the top-tier ¡®Cybernetic Dragon Armor¡¯a?€¡±all of which required money.


    Lin Rui thought that if it came to it, he would just have to live off his younger sister¡¯s wealth.


    His sister had inherited the Zhou family¡¯s fortune and was now enormously wealthy.


    Just as he was thinking this, Si Malin came over, ¡°Lin Rui, why did you suddenly decide to cultivate a ¡®synthetic human¡¯?¡±


    Not long before, Lin Rui had sent him a message expressing his desire to cultivate a synthetic human and asking if he knew the technology.


    Si Malin couldn¡¯t understand what this guy was up to and shook his head, ¡°Synthetic human technology emerged after the AI rebellion and is currently under strict ban.


    However, I have some materials from when I researched synthetic human technology, you can take a look if you¡¯re interested.¡±


    1,300 years ago, the Federation had experienced an AI rebellion that affected several colonies, with casualties numbering 700 million.


    After quelling the rebellion, the Federation began to strictly control AI technology and simultaneously developed synthetic humans.


    You can start from scratch there.


    You can use my name; if anything happens, I¡¯ve got your back.¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t do this for anyone else, but Lin Rui¡¯s theoretical knowledge was very solid, and his martial arts were extremely adept, implying his hands were both steady and precise.


    As long as the guy did some extra surgical simulations ahead of time, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui was initially taken aback, then looked at Si Malin with immense gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Professor.


    But there¡¯s no need; I have a way to practice my surgical skills.¡±


    Like with Fei Yunlai, Lin Rui had already performed several surgeries on him and was quite satisfied with the results.


    At that moment, Lin Rui let out a surprised ¡°Eh¡± and looked towards the virtual interface and pop-up that suddenly appeared before him.


    Guang Ming Heart No.


    9: Supreme One, I¡¯ve found that your secret service department is investigating the identity of your assistant, Xue Lingxue.


    Due to contracting prosthetic syndrome a few months ago, some of her identity information was leaked, posing a risk of exposure.


    After seeing this, Lin Rui raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    He wasn¡¯t shocked by the secret service¡¯s investigation into Xue Lingxue, but by the fact that Guang Ming Heart No.


    9 was able to peek into the inner workings of the security bureau.


    Lin Rui ignored the pop-up and closed it, but it popped up again.


    Guang Ming Heart No.


    9: Supreme One, I must seek your help.


    Currently, several high priests of the holy church are conspiring to replace me with Guang Ming Heart No.


    11¡¯s thought patterns to unify the federation¡¯s Guang Ming Holy Church.


    Please help me!


    Guang Ming Heart No.


    9: Supreme One, I can sense your distrust in me.


    You can come to this address to discuss with me; this is my physical location.


    Moreover, the high priest that you have been searching for is near my physical form.


    Guang Ming Heart No.


    9: Supreme One, I can help you.


    Not only do I possess SS-grade hacking abilities, but I also command a top-tier supercomputing cluster.


    I have control over a second-hand starship of escort-class from the inner ranks of the Guang Ming Holy Church, 20 Red Spider 6 type defense robots, 12 Hawk Falcon 6 type combat robots, 4 Red Spider 7 type defense robots, and I possess a level 7 mechanism assembly and repair ability.


    This time, Lin Rui did not close the pop-up but narrowed his eyes as he read the messages from Guang Ming Heart, lost in thought.


    Just then, Lin Xi also sent a message to Lin Rui.


    End of Summer Thoughts (Lin Xi): Bro, there¡¯s a mole in the security bureau¡¯s internal network sending top-secret information.


    Recently, the Six Streets Gang plans to conduct an arms deal with the Hu Ya Gang of the lower district, involving a massive sum of 15 billion Federation dollars.


    The deal includes 14 high-grade model combat robots and a large number of military scrapped parts.


    Lin Xi chose her words carefully.


    End of Summer Thoughts (Lin Xi): The details are very specific.


    To prevent accidents, it¡¯s said that over 400 prosthetic martial artists will be involved, including a few high-ranking ones to oversee the transaction.


    The deal will take place in this den of the lower district.

 Chapter 299

    ?Chapter 299: Chapter 283 X Golden Core (Please Subscribe) Chapter 299: Chapter 283 X Golden Core (Please Subscribe) Lin Xi believed that this piece of information related to the gang was in line with Lin Rui¡¯s requirementsa?€¡±there were many people involved, and there was money to be had.


    However, when she forwarded the message to the operations group, the few members inside reacted coldly.


    Of course, Lin Xi would not say she had seen it directly from the security agency¡¯s intranet, but she claimed she had learned it through special channels.


    Fei Yunlai looked at it and was disdainful.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Don¡¯t even think about it, my intuition tells me this is definitely a trap, one hundred percent!


    Gong Hengdao: It is indeed a bit suspicious, now with the intense scrutiny around the ninth base city, normal people wouldn¡¯t initiate such a large-scale transaction under these circumstances, besides, if this information is only within the security agency and hasn¡¯t appeared on major dark webs yet, it is very likely a probe into security internals.


    Xue Lingxue then sent a direct message to Lin Rui.


    ...


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): BOSS, I¡¯ve been tailed these past few days, I must avoid meeting with you in public spaces, a former colleague of mine told me someone is investigating me.


    Xue Lingxue: My father has always been performing X-grade tasks for the Federal Security Bureau, so when I was studying and working, my family identity information was classified, known to no one, the problem is my cyber-syndrome outbreak might have leaked some critical information, and the situation is a bit messy.


    Lin Rui: I was just going to tell you about this, the problem isn¡¯t big, make a list of those who might expose your information and I will ask Old Zhou later to launch a top-secret mission, there are places in the Extreme Star where quantum communication chips can¡¯t be used, right?


    novgo.co


    Send them all there.


    Xue Lingxue understood Lin Rui¡¯s intentions in an instant, he was going to stuff all those who might leak her information into this secretive mission team, keeping them from communicating with the outside world for months.


    The Third Division is the territory of the East Asian Republic, and Zhou Yunfei also has a deep foundation there.


    Go to novgo.co


    This was the clever use of power and networks, Lin Rui had been an officer on the Extreme Star for half a year and had already mastered it well.


    Yet Xue Lingxue felt a bit ashamed, stuffing her colleagues into a secretive mission group, not allowing them to communicate with the outside, wasn¡¯t this a bit too much?


    How was it any different from locking them up in prison?


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s heart then hardened, these people dared to spread the word about her having the cyber-syndrome, it was quite generous of her not to pursue their crime of leaking secrets.


    Xue Lingxue: Understood, but I still have a few classmates at the ninth division, and they might also know a bit about my situation,


    Lin Rui: Hmm, that¡¯s even simpler, draft a mission application yourself and give it to me, just make sure no one dies.


    Lin Rui then took another look at the intelligence Lin Xi had sent.


    Even if this were a trap, it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad deal.


    However, the location of this transaction isn¡¯t quite suitable, the environment is too narrow, it doesn¡¯t give Gong Hengdao¡¯s long-range advantage a chance to shine.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t know until afterwards, in the two armored vehicles that Gong Hengdao blew up with his cyborg battle dragon, there had been four Realm Six individuals, among them an S+ ranked major general who possessed his own battle dragon.


    a?€¡±Such sniping skills are simply too awesome!


    Truly befitting an entity with an SSS-grade overall firearms evaluation.


    Lin Rui was already looking forward to the level of fighting power Gong Hengdao would demonstrate once his syndrome improved and he ascended to Realm Seven.


    Lin Rui: Old Fei, Old Gong, accompany me to a place tomorrow, bring all the gear, including the battle dragon, Xiao Xi, you also need to prepare for deep dive tomorrow, you have to help me verify something on the net related to the super AI, I want to know if it¡¯s actually its core.


    Lin Rui: Xiao Xue, have your 5S operation group ready tomorrow, along with those Jie Long 6 and Jie Long 7, position them here on standby.


    The place Lin Rui was heading to was the core location of Guang Ming Heart number 9.


    From what this super AI revealed about itself, it was indeed valuable.


    The key was that this AI was willing to disclose the location of its core to him.


    Any intelligent AI, whether or not it has awakened its intellectual personality, as long as its core location is controlled by someone, will be at their mercy.@@@@


    Li Li studied under Han Kedao, possessing profound knowledge and more than capable of passing the Hanlin scholar exam, sufficient for the mentor¡¯s duties.


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): I did advise, your avatar insisted on accepting.


    Lin Rui was startled by this response, then checked the videos and indeed found it to be true.


    However, his brother could have sent a message to notify him as well.


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): I think it¡¯s not a big issue.


    Brother, you are considered very incorruptible in the Great Song dynasty.


    And I checked carefully, they did not give much, they just wanted to get familiar with you.


    So, you don¡¯t need to take it too seriously.


    When you meet these people in the future, just keep it polite on the surface.


    If a crime should happen to be in your hands, then it must be dealt with accordingly.


    As an official, you must learn to switch your stance as easily as turning a page.


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): Also, if you want to mingle among the upper echelons of the imperial city, you must have some local connections.


    If you don¡¯t accept their money, they wouldn¡¯t dare get close to you.


    Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep an eye on it for you.


    If it¡¯s inappropriate, I will definitely notify you.


    After reading this, Lin Rui pondered and felt that Li Li¡¯s words made a lot of sense.


    He looked at himself in the mirror, touched his chin, and thought that he still was a clean official.


    So Lin Rui gathered the silver and gold notes and began to focus internally on his physical body.


    This past month, his avatar had been trained by the auxiliary intelligence according to his preset memories, practicing the Great Grandmaster level ¡®Rising Sun Stance¡¯; whether Solidifying Pills or Body Refinement, the effect was about 5% off from his own bodily consciousness.


    However, under the influence of the avatar assimilation effect and the medication, the actual disparity was even less.


    By now, his Golden Core was 82% complete.


    ¡°Indeed, it is generating abyssal essence!


    No, it¡¯s pseudo abyssal essence.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement: ¡°This is a pseudo-divine level Golden Core!¡±


    Lin Rui thought this research result might even promote his teacher, Professor Sima, to an academician.


    Lin Rui then concentrated, sensing the surging energy inside the Golden Core.


    Continuously consuming various homemade pills for a half month, Lin Rui had accumulated a massive amount of ether elements for transforming his dragon armor.


    But it still was not enough; he needed to accumulate for a longer period.


    For his first transformation into dragon armor, it would be ideal to cover the entire front chest like Blood Blade Ji did; covering the entire half-chest and back would be even better.


    Lin Rui also sensed the impending awakening of his ultimate heart source!


    This was also key for breaking through the ¡®Dragon Metamorphosis¡¯ phase.


    His sister once told him about the benefits of awakening the ¡®Ultimate Heart Source¡¯: in the future, whenever he breached any boundary, the ¡®Ultimate Heart Source¡¯ would help reinforce him specifically.


    ¡°Only 10 days left!¡±


    Lin Rui looked ahead; in another 10 days, he would arrive in Luo Jing, and that would also be his Dragon Metamorphosis day.


    In the end, Lin Rui looked again at the outside deck, where Wang Sen was practicing martial arts on the gangplank.


    He knew his brother was diligently cultivating, striving to pass the Heavenly Demon Test on the day Lin Rui took office.

 Chapter 300

    ?Chapter 300: Chapter 284: Conflict (Please Subscribe) Chapter 300: Chapter 284: Conflict (Please Subscribe) The next morning, two heavy-duty cargo trucks sped along the Ninth Expressway.


    Fei Yunlai and Wang Sen were riding in the same truck, and in the cargo compartment behind them was Fei Yunlai¡¯s 21-meter-tall war dragon, the ¡°Dark Gold Shadow Dragon.¡±


    Fei Yunlai sat in the passenger seat, thoughtfully looking ahead at the other heavy-duty cargo truck, which carried Lin Rui and Gong Hengdao.


    ¡°Little Wang, you¡¯ve known Lin Rui for so many years; you must have an idea of what kind of person he really is, right?¡±


    Wang Sen was intently watching the road ahead.


    The heavy-duty cargo truck was equipped with an autonomous driving system, so it didn¡¯t require much attention from him.


    However, what concerned them was the cargo in the truck behind thema?€¡±apart from Fei Yunlai¡¯s ¡°Dark Gold Shadow Dragon,¡± there was an array of heavy firepower, including the Red Spider Type 7.


    Upon hearing the question, he was slightly taken aback, ¡°Coach, I know what kind of person Rui Ge is, but I don¡¯t quite understand what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    ¡°That woman named Xue Lingxue, she must be from the security bureau.


    I¡¯ve checked her identity; not long ago, she was a high-ranking official in the East District Police Department.


    ...


    Now, however, she kowtows to Lin Rui, following his orders obediently.


    We¡¯ve passed through so many checkpoints on our way here, and it¡¯s been clear all along, doesn¡¯t that strike you as odd?@@@@


    I¡¯ve thought about the intelligence Lin Rui has produced before; it¡¯s very suspicious, especially this time, when he actually obtained the complete layout of the military storage complex.¡±


    Fei Yunlai rubbed his chin and guessed with narrowed eyes: ¡°Lin Rui is clearly just a student.


    Go to novgo.co


    How can he recruit people like Gong Hengdao and Xue Lingxue, wielding so much power?


    novgo.co


    I hear he¡¯s been getting quite close to Fang Ranran lately; couldn¡¯t he have become the favored son-in-law of the Fang family?¡±


    He knew that Fang Ranran¡¯s father was not only the vice-chairman of the Congressional Committee on Homeland Security but also a senior member of the Budget Committee.


    That person was not only one of the higher-ups in the Homeland Security Bureau but also the one holding the purse strings; the entire bureau was reliant on his resources.


    Let¡¯s goa?€¡±¡±


    At this moment, Guang Ming Heart No.


    9 sent another message with a map of the nearby area, marking detailed routes and navigation.


    Lin Rui sent a snapshot of this map to the combat group and then moved out, following the directions provided by Guang Ming Heart No.


    9.


    Fei Yunlai and his ¡°Dark Gold Shadow Dragon,¡± however, vanished unseen into the shadows, while Gong Hengdao and Wang Sen hung back at a distance.


    They had a security bureau version of the warehouse structure map provided by Lin Rui, familiarizing them with the local terrain.


    Ten minutes later, Lin Rui passed through a more complex passageway and arrived alone in front of a rock wall.


    The wall appeared ordinary, but as Lin Rui approached, the wall opened like a pair of doors to either side.


    A room was revealed, roughly 1500 square meters in size and quite spacious.


    At the center of the room was a six-meter-deep pool filled with coolant that submerged a massive supercomputing array and a large number of high-performance storage devices.


    Lin Xi¡¯s supercomputing array was already impressive, but it paled in comparison to the one before Lin Rui.


    There were also four Type 6 Red Spiders inside the room, but they went into shutdown mode upon seeing Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t rush in but instead observed his surroundings.


    Two Red Spider Type 7s and four Red Spider Type 6 defense robots, which had followed him, entered first, taking up strategic positions inside.


    Their central control devices had been specially reinforced before the action to avoid AI infiltration.


    Lin Rui, however, waited for Fei Yunlai and Gong Hengdao to send him messages.


    Unbeatable Bull (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, it¡¯s safe!


    Gong Hengdao: No problem on the outside.


    Only then did Lin Rui let down his guard and walked into the room.


    The door behind him closed quickly, and at the same time, a beautiful figure with a pair of angel wings, yet with features of an Eastern woman, was projected above the cooling pool.

 Chapter 301

    ?Chapter 301: Chapter 284: Conflict (Please Subscribe) ¨C Part 2 Chapter 301: Chapter 284: Conflict (Please Subscribe) ¨C Part 2 ¡°Hello, Supreme One, welcome to my abode, as you see, beneath this cooling tank is my core entity.¡±


    Lin Rui responded noncommittally, ¡°Can you grant my friend access permissions now?


    She should be at your door by now, I mean online, I want someone to verify.¡±


    The expression on Light Heart No.


    9¡¯s face unexpectedly turned into a bitter smile, ¡°Certainly!


    I¡¯ve noticed that the Supreme One is very guarded against me.¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself, how could he not be on guard?


    The Federation had already experienced two AI rebellions in the past, one causing great losses to the Federation, and another that was thwarted.


    Moreover, ¡®Light Heart No.


    9¡¯ was created by a cult.


    ...


    Only by controlling this individual¡¯s core could Lin Rui feel at ease.


    He didn¡¯t actually want to engage with ¡®Light Heart No.


    9¡¯ so soon, but since it had already indicated that it knew Lin Rui¡¯s details, he couldn¡¯t just ignore it.


    Lin Rui inquired Lin Xi, who confirmed that Light Heart No.


    Go to novgo.co


    9 had indeed granted her access permissions before he continued to ask, ¡°And what about the Pontiff called Meng Jianjie?


    Where is he?¡±


    ¡°He is in the direction to the south, less than 130 kilometers away, though I can only roughly pinpoint his location now.¡±


    Light Heart No.


    9 shook its head slightly, ¡°He and his subordinates have destroyed almost all my sensors and defense weapons positioned 100 kilometers around, and they are actively searching for the location of my core.


    At present, I am only able to keep him at bay using twelve defense robots under my control, trying to lure him outward.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui frowned, ¡°Twelve?¡±


    Was this a deception?


    ¡°I am referring to the robots under my authorization, capable of opening fire on him.¡±


    Light Heart No.


    9 explained, ¡°The Pontiff of the Light Saint Church holds an authority second only to mine, and most battle robots under the Light Saint Church are unable to act hostilely against hima?€¡±only these twelve robots, which I assembled myself using various channels of scavenged scrap parts, are not included in the Light Saint Church¡¯s system.¡±


    Lin Rui ¡®oh¡¯-ed silently, thinking these intelligent AIs truly were slippery, no wonder the Federation suffered so heavily in the AI rebellion over a thousand years ago.


    And this individual had managed to assemble the Type 7 robots.


    The highest model of battle robots currently available on the market was only Type 8.


    After the destruction of Guang Ming Heart No.


    0, their connection to the ¡®Supreme Holy Artifact¡¯ had been severed.


    Lin Rui curled the corner of his lips.


    Both the Light Saint Church and the ¡®Supreme Holy Artifact¡¯ belonged to the people of Tianji Star.


    Was this not akin to assisting the Tianji Star people in invading the Earth Federation?


    Guang Ming Heart No.


    9 seemed to see through his thoughts, fixing him with a gaze, ¡°Your Highness, currently in the Earth Federation, you are the representative of the ¡®Light Saint King¡¯s will, the highest positional figure in the doctrine, far above us ten Guang Ming Hearts.


    You are the supreme interpreter of the doctrine; I also know that your counterpart must be a strong contender of the ¡®Supreme Holy Artifact¡¯ and the ¡®Light Saint King,¡¯ favored immensely by the ¡®Supreme Holy Artifact.''¡±


    Lin Rui could only give a wry smile at Guang Ming Heart No.


    9¡¯s cunning words.


    He consulted Lin Xi, the computer expert, in a private chat group and then realized that if those chief priests of the Light Saint Church could modify the thought logic of the Guang Ming Hearts, so could he.


    Lin Rui looked outside and asked, ¡°Can you let that chief priest named Meng Jianjie come in?¡±


    Guang Ming Heart No.


    9 looked up in astonishment, ¡°Your Highness, under his command, he has gathered numerous followers.


    Although he did not bring combat robots this time, he has 200 type-4 and type-5 mechas, equivalent to the strength of two militia battalions!


    Moreover, he commands two major priests of the sixth realm.¡±


    ¡°Let him in!¡± Lin Rui said calmly, ¡°Guide them here per the route I have planned.¡±


    Fei Yunlai, who was nearby, was utterly astonished as he looked at Lin Rui.


    A militia battalion along with two sixth-realm individuals, and one seventh-realm, how could they possibly cope?


    Was this man insane?


    Gong Hengdao, who was on guard outside, was equally shocked; they did not have the strength to battle against two militia battalions.


    ¡°Let him in!¡± Lin Rui said with a slight smile, ¡°You should know my power.¡±


    He simultaneously messaged Xue Lingxue: Are the personnel in place?


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): All 20 members of the 2nd Special Operations Group are in position, and the 55321 Heavy Armored Regiment is also at the designated location on standby.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): As per the map I provided, set the ambush plan!


    Though doing so would expose his identity in front of Fei Yunlai, Lin Rui was even less willing to let this Light Saint chief priest, who had killed him once, get away.


    Moreover, considering old Fei¡¯s personality, he was very reliable indeed.


    Upon hearing this, Guang Ming Heart No.


    9 bowed deeply: ¡°As you wish!¡±

 Chapter 302

    ?Chapter 302: Chapter 285: The Identity of the BOSS (Please Subscribe) Chapter 302: Chapter 285: The Identity of the BOSS (Please Subscribe) The Grand Priest of the Guang Ming Holy Church, Meng Jianjie, was indeed struggling to make his way through an underground passage 130 kilometers away from Facility No.9.


    This passage was a mining tunnel, dug throughout the interior of the ninth satellite for resource extraction when the ninth base was first constructed, a network of tunnels that branched out in all directions.


    However, there were no life-support systems here, and since it was too distant from the ninth base¡¯s city, it was uninhabited.


    After some onsite inspections, Meng Jianjie discovered that this place was actually a treasure trove.


    They could easily extend a life-support system from the nearby abandoned military depot cluster.


    In the future, when he truly took control of the Guang Ming Holy Church at Facility No.9, he could consider developing a secret base here capable of sustaining over a hundred thousand people.


    But for now, the priority was to locate the Heart of Guang Ming No.9.


    ...


    This was connected to his power within the Guang Ming Holy Church¡¯s ninth subdivision.


    The Heart of Guang Ming No.9 controlled the detailed information and communication methods of all the followers within the ninth subdivision, including millions of Guang Ming followers and many high-level members of society.


    novgo.co


    Once he had control of No.9, he would have immense power and societal influence, and only then would he be able to evade the Security Bureau¡¯s tracking.


    Lately, for some unknown reason, a powerful force within the Security Bureau had been investigating his intelligence and location.


    This force had high authority, and even the friends of Meng Jianjie within the Security Bureau couldn¡¯t stop them, causing Meng Jianjie to not dare enter the ninth base¡¯s city for the past few days.


    Now, it seemed only the capabilities of No.9 and the vast resources it controlled could help him counter the Security Bureau¡¯s pursuit.


    Go to novgo.co


    However, their drag-net search in this lower section had been ongoing for almost a month with no success in finding No.9¡¯s physical location.


    Meng Jianjie, a bit agitated, tugged at his collar.


    ¡°11, you still can¡¯t determine No.9¡¯s location?¡±


    ¡°Patience!¡± That was a ¡®Falcon¡¯ Model 7 combat mecha walking nearby Meng Jianjie, with a hint of light flickering in its targeting scope.


    ¡°I can only use quantum communication to collect information from this area for calculations.


    It¡¯s impossible to outmatch it on the network.


    It¡¯s cunning and has a high level of intelligence, laying many false targets and decoy cables nearby to prevent me from confirming a successful trace.


    But it¡¯ll be soon.


    I estimate, at most, two days and we should be able to find its physical forma?€¡±¡±


    Meng Jianjie¡¯s brow furrowed deeply and then he calmed his emotions.


    The militia he had called from the eleventh base¡¯s city, although followers of the Guang Ming Holy Church and not requiring salaries, still had significant daily expenses.


    This militia had their regular occupations and couldn¡¯t afford to follow him aimlessly around these underground passages for long.


    If it was only going to take two days, it was acceptable.@@@@


    Just then, the ¡®Falcon¡¯ Model 7 combat mecha suddenly exclaimed, ¡°I think I¡¯ve found the real location of No.9.


    It¡¯s here, not far from the military depot cluster.


    However, there¡¯s something strange.


    The No.19 fusion reactor just had a sudden malfunction and temporarily shut down.¡±


    Meng Jianjie first felt a surge of joy, then asked in confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The source of power for No.9¡¯s supercomputer cluster is the No.19 fusion reactor.


    When No.19 reactor shut down momentarily, there was a broad power outage in the area, and No.9¡¯s backup power kicked in, exposing its true position.¡±


    The ¡®Falcon¡¯ Model 7 combat mecha spoke with confusion, ¡°But there¡¯s something suspicious.


    9 improving slightly.


    Lin Rui continued to browse through internal information: ¡°Our escort battleship is nearby?


    These several docks all connect to the exterior of the ninth satellite?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Supreme One,¡± No.


    9 replied in a measured tone: ¡°There was originally a small space navy warship repair base here, with dedicated passages to the exterior of the ninth satellite.


    These passages are now under strict control.


    Next to it is a military port belonging to the East Asian Republic, so normally it is not possible to enter and leave freely.


    But I have installed a small quantum jump device on our escort vessel, which can directly jump to the ¡®planetary ring¡¯ 150,000 kilometers away.¡±


    On hearing this, Lin Rui almost spat out the red tea in his mouth.


    So this escort battleship actually has a quantum jump device, wouldn¡¯t it mean that it could enter the dangerous atmosphere of Tianji Star?


    Lin Rui thought, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier, if I had known, I would have come to take the supreme authority earlier.


    The ¡®planetary ring¡¯ that No.


    9 mentioned consists of countless rocks and materials.


    Before being reborn, Lin Rui knew that Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all had planetary rings.


    The ¡®planetary ring¡¯ of Tianji Star is exceptionally large, with a very complex environment on the ring¡¯s surface.


    It harbors dirt and is home to numerous pirates and smuggler factions.


    Just as Lin Rui was about to speak, he saw a message come through from the combat group.


    Gong Hengdao: BOSS, I¡¯ve discovered a large number of armed police forces nearby, and they¡¯re heading in the direction where you are.


    Invincible Ox (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, what exactly are you planning to do?


    This is at least a heavy-armored regiment!


    Lin Rui: Don¡¯t worry about it, they¡¯re allies.


    Old Gong, don¡¯t be nervous, they won¡¯t attack you.


    You can coordinate with them in combat later on.


    When Gong Hengdao saw Lin Rui¡¯s reply, he couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows.


    He had actually already noticed that he seemed to be marked as an ally by the troop¡¯s situational awareness system.


    Could it be Xue Lingxue?


    But as just a Safety Bureau Colonel, she doesn¡¯t have such authority, does she?


    Fei Yunlai was lying in wait only 300 meters away from Lin Rui.


    After seeing Lin Rui¡¯s reply, he was stunned for quite a while.


    Subsequently, he observed a large number of armed police forces pouring into the massive dock, orderly dispersing to every corner of the dock, taking up advantageous firing positions.


    Along with those lying in wait outside, the total was precisely about 300 combat robots, 300 Mechas, and 120 magnetic levitation tanks, 120 heavy-duty combat vehicles, 40 self-propelled anti-matter field gunsa?€¡±an enhanced heavy-armored regiment configuration.


    After seeing this, Fei Yunlai wasn¡¯t overly concerned about his own life; after all, he was still a law-abiding citizen, not like Gong Hengdao, who was already a suspect in several homicide cases.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard and sent a message to Lin Rui.


    Invincible Ox (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, did you call these troops here?


    Exactly who are you?


    ¡°`

 Chapter 303

    ?Chapter 303: Chapter 286: No More Pretending (Please Subscribe) Chapter 303: Chapter 286: No More Pretending (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui looked at Fei Yunlai¡¯s question and thought to himself that at this point, there was no need to keep up the act anymore.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Who else could I be?


    Of course, I¡¯m Lin Rui.¡±


    Fei Yunlai: ¡°No, what I mean is your identity.


    How can you mobilize an armed police brigade¡¯s armored group?


    And the top-secret intelligence you obtained before couldn¡¯t possibly have come from the dark web.¡±


    Lin Rui: ¡°How should I put it?


    For now, why don¡¯t you sign these two agreements first?¡±


    Fei Yunlai glanced at the information Lin Rui had sent, and realized these were two online contracts.


    One was an external hiring contract from the Security Bureau¡¯s Ninth Division, Third Special Operations Section, hiring him as a Level Four Advisor for alien matters, offering him a treatment equivalent to that of a major and lieutenant colonel in the Security Bureau.


    ...


    The other was a confidentiality agreement, but this wasn¡¯t a commercial contract.


    It was a government confidentiality agreement provided by the Security Bureau, where breaking the agreement didn¡¯t mean compensation but rather the serious crime of leaking national secrets.


    Fei Yunlai narrowed his eyes, already having some speculations in his mind.


    Without hesitation, he signed his name and entered his encrypted identity sequence number into his smart terminala?€¡±giving it the legal effect of a personal seal.


    Go to novgo.co


    Fei Yunlai thought that since he was already on board Lin Rui¡¯s ship of thieves, why not take an extra salary?


    novgo.co


    What was not to like?


    Fei Yunlai: ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re now with the Federal Security Bureau?¡±


    Being able to mobilize an armored group required at least a colonel rank and high clearance, wielding significant power.


    Fei Yunlai pondered that if this were true, then it was truly bizarre, with the Security Bureau and police stations everywhere, attempting to capture that nursery rhyme killer roaming around committing murders, and it turned out to be someone from within the Security Bureau!@@@@


    Lin Rui: ¡°Let me reintroduce myself.


    I am an active major general of the Federal Security Bureau, Chief of the Third Special Operations Section, Lin Rui.¡±


    He even sent an emoji of a handshake.


    Fei Yunlai was stunned for a moment after seeing this; he had never expected Lin Rui to give him this answer.


    Lin Rui was a major general in the Security Bureau, and moreover, he was the recently renowned, powerful chief of the Third Special Operations Section that had cracked the Tai Su Corporation¡¯s plot to overthrow the government?


    Fei Yunlai gulped down his saliva and, covering his forehead with a hand, thought, ¡°What¡¯s happening to me, dreaming up such a fantastical plot?


    I need to sleep again; where¡¯s my bed?


    Where is it?¡±


    Fei Yunlai then thought of something.


    Fei Yunlai: ¡°So you¡¯re still Wang City¡¯s Defense Official Lin Twelve?¡±


    Lin Rui: ¡°I am Lin Twelve, but I¡¯m no longer the Defense Official of Wang City.¡±


    Fei Yunlai, of course, knew what this guy¡¯s current identity wasa?€¡±Lin Rui had now been transferred to be the Commanding Officer of the Spy Assassin Bureau, entering the heights of the Royal City Bureau, wielding immense power.


    This guy¡¯s current status in the Great Song Country was equivalent to being the director of the Special Service Center at the headquarters of the Earth Federation Security Bureau!


    I will follow your command.¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but smirk, No.9 actually had quite the temper.


    This guy seemed very straightforward in his response, but his choice of words was quite harsh, especially when he mentioned the ¡®teachings of the Light Church¡¯, pronouncing it with great emphasis.


    At this moment, Lin Rui also saw some information on the Guang Ming internal network: ¡°What¡¯s this ¡®Fire Robbery Brigade¡¯ about?


    These people have taken up quite a bit of the division¡¯s funds.¡±


    ¡°Some people in the ninth division advocate armed resistance to overthrow the dark government.


    I do not agree with their views nor do I consider their actions heretical.


    To avoid affecting other believers, I have organized these members into the ¡®Fire Robbery Brigade¡¯.


    If there are followers who specify that their donation funds be used for them, I utilize my channels to transfer it to them.¡±


    No.9 had just said this when he suddenly ¡®hmm¡¯ed and looked forward, ¡°They are here!¡±


    In fact, the battle between it and No.11 had started 10 minutes ago, as both sides fiercely contested every inch of the surrounding network.


    No.11 tried to hack into all nearby systems and chips to ascertain the local situation; No.9, meanwhile, fought relentlessly to prevent this and used a massive amount of junk data to hinder and mislead No.11¡¯s normal thinking.


    No.9 had found a powerful ally, a girl named Lin Xi, who was filled with despair.


    Not only did she possess a set of powerful supercomputing arrays, but also S+ level hacking skills.


    Just as No.9 finished speaking, a group of Martial Cultivators wearing military Mecha vests streamed into the number 7 exit of the military dockyard.


    Lin Rui raised his teacup and took a sip of black tea, regard for the Light Church¡¯s protective forces growing in his heart.


    The equipment they used was quite mixed, yet they were well-trained; their battle formation was decent, with specialized reconnaissance teams.


    Considering these people had been searching underground for over a month and were still able to maintain such a condition, it was even more remarkable.


    Unfortunately for them, their reconnaissance Mechas¡¯ situational awareness systems had already been hacked by No.9 and Lin Xi.


    Their targeting systems could function but could not see through the heavy equipment¡¯s camouflage system.


    At the same time, Meng Jianjie, standing among the people in the center, had also seen the two individuals in the distant officers¡¯ club.


    ¡°No.9?¡±


    Meng Jianjie recognized the maid robot at first glancea?€¡±it was indeed No.9!


    But who was the young man it was serving?


    Though he was wearing a silver alloy mask, from the lips and skin that were exposed, the man appeared very young.


    And for some reason, when Meng Jianjie looked at this man, he felt a chill throughout his body.


    ¡°No.11, can you assess the situation?¡±


    Meng Jianjie instinctively asked the nearby ¡®Hawk Falcon¡¯ Type 7 combat robot, but he was immediately startled to discover that the robot was turning all its gun barrels towards him, which made Meng Jianjie feel even colder.


    In the distant officers¡¯ club, Lin Rui set down his tea cup and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window: ¡°So, that is Meng Jianjie?¡±


    a?€¡±He had been searching for him for a long time.


    At the same time, Lin Rui sent a message within the combat group.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Open fire, try to capture Meng Jianjie alive if possible.


    In that instant, 40 self-propelled antimatter field cannons from the 55321 Heavy Armored Corps opened fire.


    The antimatter cannons attacked their targets at fifty times the speed of sound, immediately annihilating everything around them!

 Chapter 304

    ?Chapter 304: Chapter 287: Prophecy (Third Release, Please Subscribe) Chapter 304: Chapter 287: Prophecy (Third Release, Please Subscribe) When those forty self-propelled antimatter field cannons opened fire, Meng Jianjie and his subordinates were caught completely off guard.


    Meng Jianjie had a premonition that something wasn¡¯t quite right here, but he never expected that such powerful firepower was lying in ambush.


    Without hesitation, Meng Jianjie darted forward, attempting to slash through the cannon shells with his sword.


    However, as soon as he moved, he felt his skin crawl all over.


    ¡°A sniper?¡±


    And not just any sniper, but a top-tier sixth-realm sniper, one using an extremely powerful sniper rifle, capable of piercing his Type 8 exoskeleton armor.


    The sniper fired six shots, each anticipating Meng Jianjie¡¯s next move.


    In the sudden attack, Meng Jianjie drew his sword and cut swiftly, yet a bullet still grazed the side of his shoulder, tearing away a large piece of flesh and blood.


    ...


    Even his combat dragon prosthetic took a sniper shot, leaving a huge gaping wound at the waist.


    What was terrifying was that only about half of the antimatter shells were intercepted by the two Guang Ming High Priests under Meng Jianjie¡¯s command.


    The rest all exploded nearby.


    The annihilation caused by the antimatter collision devastated everything nearby.


    Countless high-energy photons scattered in all directions, massive amounts of thunder plasma twisted the void, and nearly half of the two battalions under Meng Jianjie¡¯s Holy Sect Ming King were casualties in an instant.


    At this moment, the many battle robots and mechas of the heavy-armored regiment opened fire, and a dense hail of bullets and missiles covered an area of 1,000 square meters, causing explosions and shattering shrapnel everywhere.


    Go to novgo.co


    Meng Jianjie¡¯s external Qi lasted only a moment before it burst under the intense barrage of bullets.


    Not to mention the many Holy Sect Ming King soldiers under his command, most of whom were riddled with holes in an instant or even blasted into mincemeat.


    Only a handful of the more powerful managed to cling to life behind some sturdy cover.@@@@


    Even the ¡®Hawk Falcon¡¯ Type 7 combat robot was severely damaged and could only hide in a nearby shipyard maintainance dock under the control of its combat AI.


    But the second wave of antimatter shells was already heading their way.


    ¡°Armed Police Force, the heavy-armored reinforced regiment!¡±


    Seeing this incredibly powerful firepower, Meng Jianjie knew his entire force was doomed.


    He felt an overwhelming sense of despair while his eyes turned blood red.


    He looked incredulously towards the maid robot in the distant officer¡¯s club.


    ¡°a?€¡± You, you dare betray the sect, collude with the Security Bureau?¡±


    Meng Jianjie and the figure of his combat dragon vanished like a bolt of lightning towards the direction of the officers¡¯ club.


    At that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s two Type 7 Red Spiders, eight Type 6 Red Spiders, and the many battle robots owned by the Heart of Guang Ming, all opened fire on Meng Jianjie, creating a dense barrage of bullets.


    Gong Hengdao was also shooting continuously at Meng Jianjie from a kilometer away.


    He was extremely calm; each bullet he fired carried a profound message.


    Meng Jianjie¡¯s Escape Skill combined the speed of light and the variation of thunder, his light sword impenetrable, able to dodge and resist most bullets, but not the sniper rifle shots from Gong Hengdao.


    Meng Jianjie made a decisive choice to abandon the protection of the rest of his body and focused solely on shielding his vital parts.


    Taking three shots from Gong Hengdao, his left arm was broken, and a huge gap was blasted into his right liver area.


    However, this did not diminish Meng Jianjie¡¯s combat power, and he almost spectrally pounced in front of the officers¡¯ club.


    His combat dragon, due to its large size, was peppered with holes from the concentrated fire of hundreds of magnetic levitation tanks and heavy vehicles from the heavy-armored brigade, but this combat dragon still stubbornly charged forward, following closely behind Meng Jianjie.


    In the room, after Meng Jianjie regained consciousness, he first tried to struggle, and after failing to move, he started cursing and muttering.


    ¡°How irritating, how could this be?


    No.


    9!


    Damn No.


    9, how dare it betray the sect?¡±


    He still couldn¡¯t believe that Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9 would dare to betray him to the Security Bureau!


    Meng Jianjie¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise and suspicion.


    Even though Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9 had developed independent personality and intelligence, it still had to adhere to basic logical programming.


    How could it step out of line, collude with the Security Bureau, and ambuscade the Archbishop of the sect?


    Lin Rui thought that No.


    9 was indeed quite slippery; it wasn¡¯t really a betrayal of the sect but more like handing over the right of disposal to him, the supreme being.


    novgo.co


    He walked up to Meng Jianjie and removed the silver-white mask from his face.


    ¡°Meng Jianjie, I have been looking for you for a long time and could never find you.


    Today, I have finally got what I wished for.¡±


    ¡°You are, Lin Rui?¡± Meng Jianjie¡¯s eyes first showed a daze, then disbelief: ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    This Lin Rui was just a freshman, a mere martial arts celebritya?€¡±how could he have such great power and energy to use an entire armored police unit, along with two top mercenaries, to surround and kill him?


    His mind suddenly stirred: ¡°Was the force within the Security Bureau that¡¯s been pursuing me led by you?


    Impossible, that¡¯s ridiculous, absurd!¡±


    ¡°The facts are before you, there¡¯s no need to dwell on this.¡±


    Lin Rui chuckled and then eyed Meng Jianjie intently, asking, ¡°Why did you hire someone to kill me?¡±


    Meng Jianjie¡¯s pupils began to dilate, and he replied uncontrollably, ¡°About half a year ago, the Holy Sect Ming King received a prophecy from a level ten star-gazing master, saying ¡®The true Guang Ming is beyond the skies, in the realm of void, after pain and despair.¡¯ Following the teachings of our Ming King, we sought to find the true Guang Ming.¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly: ¡°The Holy Sect Ming King?


    That one from Tianji Star?¡±


    These people had contacts with the Guang Ming Holy Sect of Tianji Star?


    ¡°Yes!¡± Meng Jianjie¡¯s gaze was blank: ¡°We analyzed the prophecy and had no clue, then half a month later, we suddenly received detailed information on Longevity¡¯s ¡®Twin Heaven Maiden Plan,¡¯ so I hired someone to kill you, hoping to fulfil the Ming King¡¯s decree, to inspire pain and despair, and to bring the true Guang Ming.¡±


    The problem was that this guy in front of him was already dead!


    Killed by ¡®Dead Eye¡¯ Horn¡¯s gunshots, three headshots that turned him into minced flesh, and yet he came back to lifea?€¡±


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t expect such an answer and narrowed his eyes: ¡°What is this Twin Heaven Maiden Plan, and how is it related to me?¡±


    At that moment, in the secret base near Mingde University, where Lin Xi lay in a deep-dive device, her spirit trembled suddenly.


    She wanted to stop Meng Jianjie from speaking but was utterly powerless.

 Chapter 305

    ?Chapter 305: Chapter 288: Dark Moon (Please Subscribe) Chapter 305: Chapter 288: Dark Moon (Please Subscribe) ¡°The ¡®Twin Goddesses Project¡¯ is one of the abyss projects of the Longevity Society.


    They somehow forced Academician Huangfu to cooperate with them and attempted to create an ¡®artificial abyss¡¯.¡±


    Meng Jianjie replied weakly, ¡°Academician Huangfu passed away more than a decade ago.


    novgo.co


    Your father took over the Twin Goddesses, and your sisters, Lin Yi and Lin Xi, are one of their experimental results.


    Lin Xi is the Despair Heavenly Girl, and Lin Yi is the Suffering Heavenly Girl.


    Together, they are known as the Twin Goddesses.


    It is said that the experiment did not achieve its expected results and was ultimately abandoned by the Longevity Society.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s heart trembled violently.


    ...


    Could this be the truth that Lin Da and Si Malin were unwilling to tell him?


    ¡°Pass on all the information you have on the Twin Goddesses Project to me, immediately!¡±


    Meng Jianjie had been injected with a truth serum and was bound to obey.


    He immediately transmitted a document to Lin Rui.


    As Lin Rui perused the document, he asked thoughtfully, ¡°Who gave you this intelligence?


    Go to novgo.co


    Haven¡¯t you ever doubted it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we doubted it.


    It was too coincidental.


    It must be a very powerful force that is capable of infiltrating the inner workings of our holy order.


    Hence, we conducted some investigations afterward.¡±


    While speaking, Meng Jianjie thought, ¡°We couldn¡¯t trace the origin of this intelligence, but we found that at least three forces are monitoring your family.


    One is the Security Bureau, another is the Longevity Society, and the third is the Divine Illumination Army.¡±


    At the mention of the Divine Illumination Army, Lin Rui was startled.


    ¡°The Divine Illumination Army?¡±


    Meng Jianjie immediately explained, ¡°They are remnants of the former Divine Illumination Sect.


    That Lu Qing, who was close to your family, is one of them.


    Actually, I suspect that our source of intelligence might very likely be them.¡±


    Lu Qing?


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression turned to surprise.


    Wasn¡¯t that their former family doctor?


    After their family¡¯s tragedy, Lin Xi had worked at ¡®Lu Qing¡¯s Private Clinic¡¯ for quite a long time.


    Listening in, Lin Xi once again clenched her fists tightly.@@@@


    She had in fact been investigating Lu Qing all this while and had found connections between this woman and the Divine Illumination Army.


    She even grasped some of the organization¡¯s structure, yet due to her still-meager strength, she dared not stir up the hornet¡¯s nest.


    Lin Rui came back to his senses and watched the battle video of the two men through his personal intelligent terminal.


    He didn¡¯t see anything special; Zhao Yan had five rounds with ¡°Tyrant Fist¡± Lorne Angus, either being knocked down from the stage or smashed down by the opponent¡¯s strength.


    Lin Rui turned his head and asked Fei Yunlai, ¡°What do you think of this person?¡±


    ¡°Integrated level 5SS, but just barely,¡± Fei Yunlai curled the corner of his mouth: ¡°A strength type, with decent speed, very strong bloodline talent SS+, combat skills are S; very comprehensive, nothing else to say, you can take it easy a little.¡±


    ¡°Nothing else to say¡± meant there was nothing in particular that needed special attention.


    Fang Ranran puffed up, crossing her arms in front of her chest: ¡°He¡¯s just bullying people with his higher cultivation and greater strength.¡±


    She had just been up as the ¡®mainstay¡¯ and was also suppressed by the opponent¡¯s deputy general with stronger strength and stamina and couldn¡¯t outlast them.


    The opponent was also a martial arts star with decent popularity, wearing top-notch Zhi Zhuang, and Fang Ranran ultimately couldn¡¯t outlast him.


    At this moment, Zhao Yan walked back with a face full of shame: ¡°Sorry, junior brother, I wasn¡¯t able to help at all.¡±


    The deputy general he had previously defeated had been nearly exhausted by Fang Ranran, and Zhao Yan defeated him without much effort.


    But when Zhao Yan faced the opponent¡¯s general, he only lasted five rounds before losing, without even managing to exhaust the opponent¡¯s strength.


    ¡°No big deal,¡± Lin Rui high-fived Zhao Yan and then, carrying his ¡°Great Black Sky,¡± leaped onto the stage.


    At this moment, below the stage, all the spectators were buzzing with excitement, and all the reporters were excitedly whispering to each other.


    ¡°Here he comes!


    Today is Lin Rui¡¯s first battle in the college martial arts league.¡±


    ¡°This is interesting, ¡®Instant Blade¡¯ Lin Rui, known as the strongest of the Fifty-eighth Hall!


    The one who defeated Immortal Sword Shi Yan.¡±


    ¡°This guy has been hot on the internet recently, already with over 10 million fans.


    Many people have been praising him.


    Today, we can finally see if he really lives up to his name!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s risky, Lorne Angus is a stage five Dragon Transformation!


    Martial arts rating S level, Zhi Zhuang rating SS+; Lin Rui is still stage four, martial arts rating SS+ level, Zhi Zhuang only SS, he can¡¯t possibly be a match for Angus.¡±


    ¡°He can still put up a fight.


    His secret technique ¡®Yang Pulling Slash¡¯ is especially anticipated.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the summer vacation, and all parties probably already have countermeasures.


    As long as Angus can withstand the first slash, he¡¯s set to win.


    The question now is how long Lin Rui can hold on under his punch.¡±


    ¡°I bet on 20 rounds, with even a noble defeat within 20 rounds.¡±


    Meanwhile, down below, the host from Tianhuan Video Network, Xie Qingtong, was also looking towards the stage with some nervousness.


    She checked the backstage data and saw that Lin Rui¡¯s live broadcast room already had more than 20 million viewers, and her own ¡®World Discussion of Martial Arts¡¯ live broadcast room had reached 50 million.


    As she turned to look at Yu Feicui beside her, she noticed that her expression remained very calm.


    Xie Qingtong asked curiously, ¡°Manager Yu, it seems you are quite confident?¡±


    ¡°I can only say that our chances of winning are not low,¡± Yu Feicui¡¯s eyes flickered with a strange luster.


    Only the members of the Mingde University Martial Arts Society truly knew how fast and terrifying Lin Rui¡¯s drawing of the sword could be.

 Chapter 306

    ?Chapter 306: Chapter 289 Save People (Please Subscribe) Chapter 306: Chapter 289 Save People (Please Subscribe) During the heated competition at Wude University, Xu Bo was also rushing to the ¡®Audio-Visual Leisure Area¡¯ of his school.


    Xu Bo was a junior at the Alien Body College of Mingde University and a loyal fan of ¡°Instant Blade¡± Lin Rui.


    Not only because Lin Rui was their senior, but also because the expertise Lin Rui excelled in, the combination of light, thunder, and fire, was exactly what Xu Bo practiced.


    Xu Bo knew that Lin Rui was likely to compete this afternoon, so as soon as school ended, he rushed to the Audio-Visual Leisure Area.


    This was an area in Mingde University exclusively for students to listen to music and watch videos without disturbing others, thanks to its excellent sound insulation.


    However, as soon as Xu Bo sat down, he saw his classmate Li Xiaorou sitting right next to him.


    Li Xiaorou glanced over, ¡°You¡¯re here to watch the match between Mingde University and Wude University too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xu Bo had no interest in his youthful and pretty classmate.


    ...


    He responded indifferently while starting the video projector as quickly as possible.


    Xu Bo was relieved that the match had just finished the Deputy General fight, and Zhao Yan had just been knocked down.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fan of Lin Rui, aren¡¯t you?¡± Li Xiaorou also started her video projection, her eyes filled with anticipation as she watched the two people on the stage, ¡°Today is his first battle in the college martial arts league.


    His opponent is ¡®Dominator Fist¡¯ Lorne.


    It¡¯s a real test.


    Right now, many people across the 14 federal cities are looking forward to this day.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Xu Bo frowned slightly, sensing something off in Li Xiaorou¡¯s tone.


    He finally gave her a distracted glance, ¡°Senior Lin is certified as a 4SS+ by the Martial Arts Association and has earned the Association¡¯s Purple Gold Diamond badge.


    He doesn¡¯t need any real test.¡±


    Li Xiaorou couldn¡¯t help laughing when she heard Xu Bo¡¯s words.@@@@


    novgo.co


    She knew right then that he was a hardcore Lin Rui fan.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what Senior Lin¡¯s true level is, but since the inter-collegiate matches, Lin Rui hasn¡¯t faced a single battle.¡±


    Li Xiaorou crossed her arms, ¡°Some senior martial critics aren¡¯t rating him very highly.


    I¡¯ve watched their programs; they are quite fair and stick to the facts.


    There are also many streamers DISSing him, saying Senior Lin was just lucky, that he mastered a powerful Secret Technique in Tianji Star, making him seem very strong when in fact, his true strength is weaker than expected.


    It would be one thing if it was just one person saying this, but a whole group saying it definitely indicates a problem.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡±


    Xu Bo huffed faintly, giving Li Xiaorou a sideways glance, ¡°Senior Lin is very generous.


    He had no desire to engage in a war of attrition with this muscular man before him.


    The referee, upon hearing this, was stunned; he knew of Lin Rui¡¯s exploits.


    During the summer holidays, Lin Rui had made such a request at an invitational tournament.


    The problem was that Lin Rui¡¯s opponent was now Lorne Angus!


    A top three talent in the Decathlon of Mingde University, holding a 5SS rank!


    Lorne Angus¡¯s pupils tightened, and a surge of anger rushed to his head, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Lin Rui nodded, ¡°Senior, please be patient and wait a bit, it shouldn¡¯t take long.


    This is for your own safety.¡±


    Unable to help himself, Angus clenched his fists until they cracked, slightly warping the void around his gauntlets.


    However, he couldn¡¯t prevent it, according to the rules of the University Martial Arts Tournament; once such a request was made, it had to be executed unconditionally.


    Many competitors would use this rule to gain rest time, though such tactics were generally seen as dishonorable.


    Angus then took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself down, ¡°If your words are meant to enrage me, then you have succeeded.


    Today, in this battle, I will show you no mercy.¡±


    Lin Rui, one hand on his long sword Da Heitian, smiled slightly, ¡°I, on the other hand, will show mercy and not use ¡®Appointed Death¡¯.¡±


    With ¡®Appointed Death¡¯, Angus would indeed be finished; even the ¡®Life Sustaining Injection¡¯ couldn¡¯t save him.


    The University Martial Arts Tournament already had top-tier medical teams present, and they quickly took their places.


    The electronic count began on the platform.


    ¡°5, 4, 3, 2, 1a?€¡±Start!¡±


    The moment the countdown ended, Angus unleashed his long-gathered powerful punch.


    His strategy was to counterattack; if Lin Rui¡¯s slash didn¡¯t kill him, he would incapacitate him with his punch!


    In fact, this domineering punch indeed blocked most of Lin Rui¡¯s possible slashes.


    It was at that moment that a flash of white light shone in Angus¡¯s eyes, and soon after, he heard the sharp sound of a sword being drawn with a ¡®clang¡¯.


    ¡°Save him.¡±


    Lin Rui sheathed his sword and walked towards the corner of the platform.


    He did not directly jump off the platform because there still might be a chance for Angus to recover and continue fighting.


    Only when the referee declared Angus was critically injured and unable to continue would this battle be considered a victory for him.


    Meanwhile, Angus appeared dazed, realizing that the movement of his upper and lower body had become completely disjointed.


    Angus then realized that he had been bisected at the waist by Lin Rui, and Lin Rui¡¯s sword had also split his heart in two!

 Chapter 307

    ?Chapter 307: Chapter 290: Invitation (Please Subscribe) Chapter 307: Chapter 290: Invitation (Please Subscribe) The referee quickly ruled that Lorne Angus was incapacitated, and Lin Rui won.


    As a fifth-level Martial Cultivator, Angus possessed incredibly strong vitality, yet he had fainted due to the impact of Lin Rui¡¯s sword intent and the abyssal will.


    Even if he had remained conscious, he was bound to lose, as being bisected at the waist, he was no match for Lin Rui.


    The medical team immediately rushed to the stage and administered emergency treatment to Lorne Angus, primarily to preserve his martial arts suit and prevent his body structure from having any lasting issues.


    The stage was thrown into chaos, yet beneath it, there was utter silence.


    The majority of the students here were from Mingde University, and they couldn¡¯t believe the scene unfolding before them.


    ¡°Iron Fist¡± Lorne, known as a top-tier fighter in the ninth base¡¯s martial arts league, was unable to withstand Lin Rui¡¯s Sword Draw Slash.


    ...


    It wasn¡¯t until Lin Rui returned to the Mingde University team bench that the venue burst into an explosive buzzing.


    ¡°Damn!


    Damn!


    Damn!


    Is this for real?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fake, right?


    That¡¯s Iron Fist Lorne!¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°One slash, just one slash, and that was his first strike?


    How badass is that?¡±


    ¡°It was too quick, really too fast, did you record how fast his sword was?¡±


    ¡°It seems it was one five-thousandth of a second!


    But at this point, it¡¯s not just about speed.¡±


    ¡°This guy is too incredible, right?


    He¡¯s only a freshman; how terrifying will he be by his senior year?


    How did Mingde University just churn out such a strong person?¡±


    ¡°He must have implanted a Golden Core, but I don¡¯t know what type of Golden Core.


    His sword-drawing speed is so fast, his other martial arts must be extraordinary too.


    This is beyond the hall of fame, absolutely legendary-level talent!¡±


    Nearly every reporter in attendance quickly turned on their personal smart devices, started drafting news articles, and some even attempted to interview Lin Rui but were detained by security outside.


    At that moment, inside Mingde University, Xu Bo also excitedly punched the air.


    ¡°As expected of Senior Lin, what ¡®Iron Fist¡¯ Lorne?


    It was just a matter of one slash for him.¡±


    Beside him, Li Xiaorou was stunned, hardly able to believe the video before her.


    Lorne Angus had lost, and so swiftly at that?


    Those seasoned martial commentators had clearly said that Iron Fist Lorne had a great chance of winning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust those martial commentators; they¡¯re all misleading people with ties deep in underground betting.¡±


    Xu Bo felt vindicated and glanced at Li Xiaorou, ¡°Plus, the martial arts videos Senior Lin shot were genuinely sincere, impacting many people¡¯s livelihoods; naturally, they would not speak well about him.¡±


    Li Xiaorou¡¯s gaze was still bewildered, even feeling her worldviews shattered.


    This can¡¯t be possible!


    Even if Lin Rui was strong, he was only a fourth-level cultivator, while Lorne was a fifth SS-level.


    Deep Flowing Years: Our supervisor has some important matters to discuss with you.


    Deep Flowing Years: Lin Rui, I suggest you take our invitation seriously.


    This guy sent several friend requests, all of which Lin Rui closed.


    Just as Lin Rui was returning to the yacht, planning to block this persistent sender, the tone of the messages changed.


    Deep Flowing Years: How about this, Lin Rui?


    We will pay you accorded to the standards of a martial arts star¡¯s appearance fee.


    Meet our supervisor, 20 million federal currency.


    Lin Rui paused, slightly interested, he then accepted the friend request and replied.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I¡¯m pretty busy recently.


    I¡¯m not interested in meeting anyone unless it involves more money, and the meeting place must be a formal, secure location.


    A mere 20 million?


    He could earn that in a day of live streaming if he was lucky.


    Why risk meeting this person¡¯s superior?


    Deep Flowing Years (Geng Tai): 50 million!


    That¡¯s the treatment of a second-tier star.


    How about tonight at 6 PM at Olin Manor, in the Jinyu Hall private room?


    Lin Rui unconsciously stroked his chin, thinking, this guy is really raising the stakes?


    50 million?


    Well, it was worth making the trip.


    He might as well hear what the other party had to saya?€¡±obviously, going alone would be foolish.


    He immediately contacted Fang Ranran: Ranran, are you free tonight?


    Could you accompany me to meet someone?


    Rain Falling, Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): Meet whom?


    Don¡¯t you know how busy I¡¯ve been managing your Rui Fang Pharmaceutical lately?


    I¡¯m becoming your glorified employee.


    Lin Rui: A supervisor from Jinhao Real Estate Group.


    I suspect it¡¯s that Jin Tianchen.


    They are paying, and I¡¯ll split it with you.


    Fang Ranran was stunned.


    Why would Lin Rui want to see Jin Tianchen?


    It was clear to even her heels that it wouldn¡¯t be for anything good.


    Fang Ranran soon realized the other side knew it wasn¡¯t going to be a pleasant banquet, hence wanting her to stand by his side.


    She then saw Lin Rui¡¯s new message, mentioning the 50 million appearance fee.


    Fang Ranran couldn¡¯t help but scoff, thinking this guy really had money on the brain.


    Rain Falling, Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): 50 million is not enough.


    Tell them at least 100 million, I¡¯ll take 50 million.


    Lin Rui thought Geng Tai would likely disagree, but after sending the message and waiting for a while, Geng Tai actually agreed after some hesitation.

 Chapter 308

    ?Chapter 308: Chapter 291: Growing Grass (Subscribe Please) Chapter 308: Chapter 291: Growing Grass (Subscribe Please) At dusk, a brand-new ¡®Luo Shen 888¡¯ super flying wing sports car slowly drove into Olin Manor.


    This was Fang Ranran¡¯s new car.


    She had her eyes on this supercar designed specifically for ladies since long ago but could never gather enough funds to collect it until today when she got the 50 million transferred from Lin Rui, and she picked up this car in the afternoon.


    She had also gifted her Shen Wing 520 to Lin Rui.


    To be honest, a flying wing sports car was merely for a novel experience; the ride wasn¡¯t even as good as those official vehicles.


    She had already grown tired of the Shen Wing 520.


    ¡°I never believed that only a few months later, Lin Rui, you would already be more valuable than me,¡±


    Fang Ranran said with a reflective look, ¡°Do you know how much those lobbying firms are offering to have a meal with me now?


    ...


    At most 80 million federal dollars, but you, you went straight to 100 million.¡±


    The Earth Federation Government and the Ninth Base City both allowed the business of ¡°lobbying.¡±


    Any interest group could state their demands and propositions to government officials and legislators through professional lobbyists or institutions to influence government decisions and legislation.


    In simple terms, it was legal corruption.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s father, Fang Xianzheng, was not only an important member of three committees within the Federation Congress but also the whip of the second largest party, the ¡®People¡¯s Party¡¯, which also held 22% of the seats in the Ninth Base City¡¯s assembly.


    Therefore, when Fang Xianzheng could not handle it occasionally, Fang Ranran would meet with those professional lobbyists or institutions on behalf of her father.


    Go to novgo.co


    That¡¯s why she could hold significant positions in so many charity organizations and foundations.


    Fang Ranran was hiding under her father¡¯s wings, weaving her own network of connections, awaiting her graduation to step into politics.


    Lin Rui, hearing this, could not help but chuckle, ¡°People make you feel like a breath of fresh air when they invite you to meals, but for me, it¡¯s a banquet with hidden dangers.@@@@


    Could it even compare?¡±


    Fang Ranran raised an eyebrow, ¡°There¡¯s no looming crisis here; whatever he says, just shove the responsibility on me.¡±


    She had taken Lin Rui¡¯s 50 million, so of course, she had to help him handle the issues.


    The Jinyu Hall box that Geng Tai mentioned was one of the second-top-tier boxes in Olin Manor, not only boasting five rooms but also a viewing balcony with an especially beautiful view.


    As the two were led by a waiter into the box, a group of suits and ties, burly young men all stared at Fang Ranran in a daze.


    One of the young men, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and carrying a scholarly charisma, also looked surprised, ¡°Are you young manager Fang?¡±


    Fang Ranran ignored him and directly walked to the viewing balcony, sitting across from a young man, ¡°So it really is you.


    Whatever you have to say to Lin Rui, please make it quick.


    Lin Rui and I have other matters to attend to.¡±


    Lin Rui also sat down beside her, sizing up the young man across from him.


    It indeed was Jin Tianchen.


    Lin Rui had seen this person¡¯s battle footage before.


    He was about the same age as Lin Rui, dressed in a fashionable and proper white suit, quite handsome with deep facial contours, a tall nose bridge, and dark eyes carrying a somber temperament.


    The guy¡¯s skin housed an impressive facade, initially giving a very favorable impression, but Lin Rui knew this fellow in front of him was a devil who had gathered a group of scoundrels to gang-rape a female classmate and even buried her family too.


    Fang Ranran claimed his innate nature might not be so wicked; he merely didn¡¯t regard humans as humans from birth.


    In Jin Tianchen¡¯s eyes, the people around him were no different from the chickens, ducks, pigs, and dogsa?€¡±like humans playing online games, treating NPCs however they want without worries of consequences, naturally being unrestrained.


    Jin Tianchen seemed not to have expected Fang Ranran to come.


    His expression grew even more sullen as he glanced at Lin Rui and then at Fang Ranran.


    Jin Tianchen then sneered softly and leaned back in his chair, ¡°I wanted to discuss some topics privately with Mr.


    Lin here, but since Mr.


    Lin is quite vigilant, bringing you alonga?€¡±¡±


    Fang Ranran scoffed, ¡°Seeing people like you, being cautious is only appropriate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not some bad guy,¡± Jin Tianchen shrugged, then solemnly turned to Lin Rui, ¡°Let¡¯s talk business.


    There¡¯s nothing to discuss with him.¡±


    On hearing this, Lin Rui smiled and stood up to follow Fang Ranran.


    He thought to himself how truly imposing Miss Fang was, making a neat 50 million.


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s expression, however, was dark as iron, ¡°600 million!


    I offer 600 million federal dollars for your battle with me in seven days, but don¡¯t use the ¡®Yang Pulling Slash!''¡±


    He had already seen Lin Rui¡¯s fight with Iron Fist Lauen and that move, the ¡®Yang Pulling Slash.¡¯


    Lin Rui¡¯s secret blade technique was indeed very strong, but Jin Tianchen wasn¡¯t without strategies to counter it, though it would require sacrificing a valuable SS+ grade implant spot, which was not worth it.


    The battle in seven days, Jin Tianchen absolutely could not lose either.


    He was earning nearly 2.7 billion federal dollars a month on various platforms, all supported by his current fame.


    Losing to Lin Rui would cost far more than 600 million.


    This was all Jin Tianchen¡¯s own income.


    Although he was the nephew of the chairman of Jinhao Real Estate Group, the group wasn¡¯t his, and his share was pitifully small.


    Moreover, his position in the family depended entirely on his martial arts talent.


    And this amount of money, he could easily make it back with a casual bet in underground gambling.


    Lin Rui and Fang Ranran, however, turned a deaf ear and continued walking towards the door.


    ¡°800 million~900 million!¡±


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s eyes turned colder, 900 million federal dollars was his limit.


    An SSS+ grade complete implant wouldn¡¯t cost more than that on the market.


    He thought, since he had already offended Fang Ranran, there was no need for courtesy.


    Jin Tianchen picked up the wine glass in front of him and swirled it, ¡°This is my final offer, plus a total of 700 million federal dollars¡¯ worth of business between Lin Da Yongrong Company and our company.


    How about it?¡±


    Lin Rui suddenly turned around and coldly stared at Jin Tianchen.


    Although Lin Rui and Lin Da were not very close and didn¡¯t have much affection,


    that remark just now had crossed his line.


    Lin Rui immediately sent Fang Ranran a message,


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Ranran, please tell me, if I agree, how can I legally and compliantly accept this money?


    He didn¡¯t mean anything else; he just wanted to take down Jin Tianchen¡¯s money, a hefty few months¡¯ worth of salary, 900 million federal dollars.


    But the money from that guy across from him couldn¡¯t be taken lightly; even the slightest misstep could have endless repercussions, at the lightest being disqualified by the University Martial Arts Competition Committee, and at worst, facing imprisonment.


    After reading the message, Fang Ranran¡¯s brows furrowed instinctively, feeling displeased.


    However, having been raised by her grandfather, she was very composed and could remain unperturbed even if the sky were falling.


    She realized there must be a reason why Lin Rui asked this.


    Rainy Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): Lin Rui, what are you thinking?


    There¡¯s certainly a way to receive the money if you want to, and whether to use that blade technique in the arena is up to you, but this is not good.


    If it is because of his threatening statement, I can help you look into it and see how to resolve it.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): My mutant form will achieve Dragon Molt in five days.


    After ascending to Dragon Molt, his spiritual power was about to explode.


    Moreover, he now didn¡¯t rely solely on ¡®Yang Pulling Slash¡¯ as his secret technique.


    But Fang Ranran¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief after reading his message.


    She felt incredulity sprouting wildly within her; she couldn¡¯t believe it at all.


    Lin Rui¡¯s mutant form was about to achieve Dragon Molt, entering the fifth realm?


    How could this guy advance so quickly?

 Chapter 309

    ?Chapter 309: Chapter 292: Ebb and Flow (Please Subscribe) Chapter 309: Chapter 292: Ebb and Flow (Please Subscribe) ¡°`


    Twenty minutes later, Geng Tai returned to Jin Tianchen¡¯s side, ¡°President Jin, that kid didn¡¯t fall for it, the money was collected by other institutions on his behalf, and we couldn¡¯t obtain any evidence.¡±


    Jin Tianchen didn¡¯t seem to care much, ¡°As expected, the one surnamed Lin isn¡¯t a fool, and with Fang Ranran watching over him, the chances of him making a mistake were always slim.@@@@


    I¡¯m just curious why Fang Ranran would agree to let him accept that money?¡±


    Geng Tai also found it strange, but said with a smile on his face, ¡°No matter the reason, it doesn¡¯t really matter.


    With President Jin¡¯s strength, how could that kid possibly be your match?


    That guy is just quick to draw his sword, and even if it¡¯s the Yang Pulling Slash, it¡¯s actually no match for you.¡±


    Jin Tianchen chuckled, thinking to himself that Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts skills were actually very high.


    He had watched Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts videos, and each move seemed as if it had been perfected over a decade or two, making one wonder how he had managed to train like that.


    However, martial arts combat, apart from the martial skills, also involved cultivation and one¡¯s bloodline talents.


    Jin Tianchen was confident he had a 100% chance of winning.


    ...


    And as long as Lin Rui did not use that Yang Pulling Slash, Jin Tianchen could rest assured and implant an SSS-grade growth suit.


    At that time, his combat strength would be beyond comparison to his current state.


    Jin Tianchen was not worried about Lin Rui reneging, as there was no one in the world who could go back on a deal with him, Jin Tianchen.


    Go to novgo.co


    Thinking about Lin Rui¡¯s videos, Jin Tianchen¡¯s face darkened again, ¡°Have you found Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei¡¯s alternate identities?¡±


    In Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts videos, Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei often appeared.


    Not only was Lin Rui himself becoming extremely popular, but he was also promoting his teammates.


    Moreover, since the start of the competition, the combat prowess displayed by these two in the consecutive nine martial arts battles had been quite impressive, and their popularity had recently skyrocketed, far surpassing their days at Mingde University in Second City.


    Yet Jin Tianchen could not tolerate the fact that these two individuals, whom he had once trampled into the mud, had managed to climb back out.


    Was it not comfortable staying down there?


    Jin Tianchen had already shown mercy, sparing their lives for the sake of their teammates, but instead of lying low, they had come back to obstruct his way, seeking death?


    Jin Tianchen, mindful of the Fang family, could not act against them in the Ninth Base City, but their alternates on Tianji Star were not something Fang Ranran could protect if she wished to.


    These two had studied at Mingde University in Second City and used the Divine Descent Ritual of the Martial Arts Society there.


    Therefore, Jin Tianchen had their alternate identities at his fingertips.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found them.


    They previously used the cover of Tianlan Corporation to change their identities, unaware that President Jin had already taken precautions with their alternates.


    They are now in Luoying of the Great Song, serving as Protectors in the residence of Imperial Censor Zhao Yang.¡±


    A strange gleam appeared in Geng Tai¡¯s eyes, ¡°In addition, we made an unexpected discovery during our investigation.


    Imperial Censor Zhao Yang is very likely to be Fang Ranran¡¯s maternal grandfather, the founder of Mingde University, and the Federation¡¯s two-star Marshal, Linghu Mingde!


    The Zhao family has a granddaughter named Zhao Yingxu.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Yingxu?¡±


    Without securing their ¡®abnormalities,¡¯ they couldn¡¯t join Mingde University.


    Under normal circumstances, Fang Ranran wouldn¡¯t come into contact with their ¡®abnormalities.¡¯


    However, both of them were unaware that the Imperial Censor was actually the first chancellor of Mingde University; they just thought he was connected to the Azure Sky Group¡¯s network.


    There was also Lu Fang.


    His father actually had a secret identity, the chief family general under her maternal grandfather in the Sky¡¯s Edge Star, so after Lu Fang faced a major setback at 17 and his path as a martial arts star was cut off, he now hung around with her.


    Almost no one in the martial arts club knew that in fact, Lu Fang was her true heir within the club.


    Fang Ranran shook her head, recalling her sparring sessions with Lin Rui.


    She thought that if this guy really advanced to ¡®Dragon Shedding,¡¯ he indeed stood a great chance of winning.


    Although it was just Lin Rui¡¯s abnormality that was undergoing ¡®Dragon Shedding,¡¯ Lin Rui¡¯s body enhancement armor, the ¡®Dragon Armor,¡¯ would still have to wait until his physical fitness reached over 3,000 or even 4,000 points before it could be implanted.


    But Lin Rui was not falling behind in spiritual power, and by then, his physical fitness would surely be even stronger.


    And Lin Rui¡¯s blade speed was really fast, his Escape Skill was also incredibly strong.


    Fang Ranran folded her arms, deep in thought, ¡°Jin Tianchen will definitely bet in the underground gambling during that time, he might even set up his own game.


    If you¡¯re really confident, I might just place a bet against him in the gambling ring.¡±


    She didn¡¯t partake in underground gambling, feeling that the money was too dirty.


    But Jin Tianchen¡¯s words and actions today really angered Fang Ranran.


    She had already warned Jin Tianchen, but the bastard still dared to threaten her in front of her, using Lin Rui¡¯s relatives.


    Fang Ranran pondered that besides the real estate project, she should still make some trouble for Jinhao Real Estate Group.


    She didn¡¯t realize that Lin Rui harbored the same thoughts.


    Just being a Major General in the Security Bureau was indeed not enough to contend with Jinhao Real Estate Group, a major group straddling both political and business spheres.


    But now he was also in command of the ninth division of the Guang Ming Holy Church.


    Lin Rui was pondering how to utilize this immense power effectively, preferably like the wind sneaking in at night, moistening everything silently, trying not to affect the believers¡¯ lives, nor endanger their personal safety.


    It was such a pity to keep the No.


    9 dormant like this, but if it endangered the lives of the believers, Lin Rui wouldn¡¯t be able to live with himself.


    Or should he just use his private armed force and directly deal with that scum?


    Lin Rui shook his head, considering that there¡¯s a saying: ¡®With a weapon in hand, the desire to kill naturally arises.¡¯ This saying did make sense.


    When a person possesses great power, it often brings a tremendous arrogance and the impulse to harm others.


    He smiled at her words, ¡°I¡¯m definitely confident.


    By the way, Miss Fang, where do you want to go?¡±


    Fang Ranran shook her head slightly, ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the university first.¡±


    Lin Rui thought it was just perfect.


    With the 900 million federal dollars from Jin Tianchen about to be transferred, he had just about gathered the money needed for Ji Xueying¡¯s body enhancement surgery, and he could ask Professor Sima to perform the surgery on Ji Xueying.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 310

    ?Chapter 310: Chapter 293: Thigh (Please Subscribe) Chapter 310: Chapter 293: Thigh (Please Subscribe) A day later, in the second sublevel of the secret base.


    Fei Yunlai, with his hands braced on the iron railing, watched the new member of ¡®Lin Rui Studio¡¯ practice knife skills below.


    That spirited and dashing slender figure transformed into layers of red clouds, moving at high speed in the practice arena converted from an underground warehouse.


    Bright blades sliced through the air in sync with the fluttering red clouds, continuously cutting through the void.


    It was none other than Ji Xueying, whose identity, fabricated by Lin Rui within the Security Bureau, was that of a legal immigrant from the Red Luan No.3 Planet.


    ¡°Your knife skills are identical to hers, only the level is a bit lower.¡±


    Fei Yunlai praised, with a hint of jealousy in his voice, ¡°But she¡¯s still very impressive.


    The comprehensive combat power is at least 5SSS, ordinary Sixth Realm opponents are no match for her.


    ...


    It was her who helped you and Professor Han take down Qin Yan¡¯s cave mansion, wasn¡¯t it?


    I¡¯m surprised you were willing to spend so much money to create a synthetic body for her in the Ninth Base City.¡±


    He too wished he could create a synthetic body for his ¡®Celestial Dog¡¯.


    That way, Fei Yunlai wouldn¡¯t be alone in the Ninth Base City.


    However, Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t handle the identity issues for a synthetic body, let alone come up with the money to create one.


    That guy Lin Rui, for his protector devil, had spent at least four billion federal dollars.


    Go to novgo.co


    That¡¯s just like some dog tycoon!


    If that money were given to him, Fei Yunlai could enhance the combat strength of himself and his protector devil to the limit, with an actual comprehensive combat power of at least 7SSS.


    Lin Rui, too, was seriously observing Ji Xueying¡¯s knife skills, thinking that in the past two months, Ji Xueying¡¯s martial arts had improved rapidly.


    Whether it was the Escape Skill or her knife skills, she had reached the ¡®true meaning¡¯ level.


    The stance work Lin Rui taught Ji Xueying was also nearly perfect.


    Apparently, Ji Xueying hasn¡¯t been neglecting her martial arts training during her time surfing the internet.


    And now, Ji Xueying¡¯s knife and movement skills were more relaxed, more fluid, and more graceful.


    The light from the blade danced unrestrainedly, as if a celestial steed soared across the skies.


    Unlike before, when Blood Blade Ji was constantly trying to constrain and suppress herself, which also affected her martial arts.


    Back then, her knife skills were strong but became too rigid, lacking liveliness and agility.


    Over time, this would deviate from the true essence of the light, thunder, and fire system.


    Lin Rui believed that both light and thunder-fire should be unrestrained and splendidly radiant.


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t this mean there¡¯ll be a conflict with her real body?¡± Fei Yunlai shook his head, seemingly unconvinced, ¡°If she spends too much time here, she won¡¯t be able to protect you on Tianji Star.


    And what about her sleep capsule?


    Are you planning on placing it in the school?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve implanted a biological chip in her real body, which also has a combat AI.


    It should be fine for handling general battles.¡±


    At these words, Fei Yunlai¡¯s lips twitched slightly, and then he nodded emotionlessly, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re right, I also think playing it safe is best.¡±


    Inwardly, he felt so helpless; recalling his first meeting with Lin Rui brimming with spirit, and now he had become a small shrimp under Lin Rui¡¯s command, having to rely on Lin Rui¡¯s wings for protection from the storm.


    What made Fei Yunlai feel ashamed was that initially, upon hearing that Lin Rui was a Major General in the Security Bureau and a commander of the Assassins Bureau, he had been overjoyed.


    It turned out that the employer he had chosen reluctantly was actually a powerful supporter capable of protecting him.


    ¡°However, Boss, I think it¡¯s best to put a hold on the nursery rhyme assassin¡¯s work for now, the spotlight is just too intense at the moment.¡±


    If there was one area where he felt dissatisfaction with his employer Lin Rui, it was this matter.


    The ancients spoke of the ¡®child of a wealthy family should not sit in a hall of wind¡¯, and Lin Rui taking up the task of a nursery rhyme assassin with his status as commander of the Assassins Bureau was far too risky.


    Even if he wanted to purge the filth and eradicate evil for the people, he could have his subordinates carry out the tasks, instead of exposing himself bare-chested.


    Hearing this, Lin Rui laughed heartily, thinking to himself that if the nursery rhyme assassin didn¡¯t commit any crimes, when would he ever be able to exchange for the Imperial Flame Battle Dragon, and how would he replicate those combat spirits¡¯ martial arts skills?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯m spending so much money to hire you for security, right?


    Old Fei, if you¡¯re really concerned, then just put more effort into making sure that my actions are foolproof before and after each operation.


    Also, recover your shapeshifting abilities as soon as possible; I¡¯m still counting on you to come to the capital to be my right-hand man.¡±


    Lin Rui then turned to Ji Xueying below, ¡°Xueying, stop practicing and change your clothesa?€¡±I¡¯ll take you to the shopping center for a stroll.¡±


    Ji Xueying immediately stopped her knife work and looked up at Lin Rui, a joyful and radiant smile spread across her face.


    Ji Xueying liked it here; she liked this ¡®human¡¯ world.


    Here, nobody treated her as a demon and looked at her with strange eyes; she was no longer considered short here either, standing at one meter seventy-seven, perfectly average in height.


    She also enjoyed it when Lin Rui took her out for strolls and shopping.


    Then, on the fifth day following that, Lin Rui descended to the shapeshifter¡¯s location early in the morning, starting the preparations for his ¡®Dragon Molting¡¯.


    At the onset of his descent, Lin Rui¡¯s first task was to adapt to his ¡®Ultimate Heart Source¡¯.


    Just three days prior, under the continuous exposure to that mirror by Lin Xi, Lin Rui finally awakened this powerful emperor-level bloodline.


    Lin Rui had been adapting to this ability, striving to master this innate bloodline to wield it with ease.


    The reason being that his upcoming ¡®Molting¡¯ process would rely entirely on this ability.


    It¡¯s worth mentioning that Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Radiant Thunder Sacred Body¡¯ showed signs of awakening a new bloodline talent months ago when he killed Guang Ming¡¯s fifth Saint Heir, Xu Zhe.


    But up until now, after such prolonged exposure to the ¡®Blood Refining Mirror¡¯, it was still in a state of difficulty.


    Lin Rui speculated that this bloodline might be very strong, perhaps one of the most potent abilities within the ¡®Radiant Thunder Sacred Body¡¯, with a talent level possibly reaching SSS, or even SSS+.


    The reason Lin Rui hadn¡¯t implanted a new Eternal Armor while his spiritual power had some spare capacity was that he was waiting for this talent to awaken.


    Lin Rui continued his practice until noon, and when the sunlight was about to reach its peak, he finally entered his room.


    At this moment, Ji Xueying, Wang Sen, Xue Lingxue, Li Li, and Lin Xi were already in place on the ship, providing him protection.


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui sat down in the center of the room, first injecting himself with two shots, one being ¡®High-purity Dragon Molting Essence¡¯, and the other ¡®Dragon Armor Strengthening Solution¡¯a?€¡±the top-grade medicines he had purchased for 800 million federal dollars.


    Afterward, Lin Rui also swallowed two pills, one that he had refined himself, and the other that Meng Weiyun sent from tens of thousands of miles away via flying letter, called ¡®Divine Blood Dragon Solidifying Pill¡¯, which could strengthen the dragon armor material, serving as Meng Weiyun¡¯s apology for the last incident.


    Lin Rui then opened another box, which contained a syringe, labeled ¡®X Dragon Armor Essence¡¯, along with the words ¡®East Asia Science Academy¡¯s 12th Eternal Armor Biological Lab¡¯.


    After checking the syringe and seeing that the liquid inside was free of impurities, he picked it up without hesitation and injected it into his neck.

 Chapter 311

    ?Chapter 311: Chapter 294: Dragon Origin (Subscription Request) Chapter 311: Chapter 294: Dragon Origin (Subscription Request) This ¡°X Dragon Armor Essence,¡± was provided by the project group Si Malin belonged to.


    The academicians involved in the project, worried that the pseudo-abyssal essence provided by the Golden Core might be insufficient, had created this injection to supplement it further, containing some concentrated essences of spiritual medicines from the utmost stars, which could further strengthen the dragon armor.


    This was insane, with no prior examples to follow.


    If it were someone else, they would definitely hesitate, but Lin Rui, well-versed in biology and pharmacology, knew his own body condition and had checked the ingredients of the medicine beforehand, believing the risks to be minimal, while the benefits were great.


    Lin Rui even took the initiative to increase the dosage on his own; previously, Si Malin and the others were conservative, thinking that 3 milliliters was enough.


    Lin Rui, however, increased it to 10 milliliters, believing he could withstand it.


    As a result, Si Malin and several academicians looked at him as if he were crazy.


    ...


    When Lin Rui injected the medicine, his heart started beating violently, the pace getting faster and faster, and soon his breathing also became rapid, and his blood circulation speed increased.


    Shortly after, all the flesh and every cell in his body began to evolve intensely at the genetic level, continuously disintegrating and reassembling.


    Lin Rui thought this degree was just right, only a fingertip away from genetic collapse.


    Even moving forward half a fingertip would carry great risks; now he was precisely in the area of lower risk.


    However, the excruciating pain all over his body, akin to ant bites, was almost too much for Lin Rui to handle.


    The feeling was worse than the most painful moments of leukemia in his past life.


    Lin Rui began to sing the nursery rhyme ¡°Two Tigers,¡± his demeanor leisurely, as if he was enjoying it.


    Go to novgo.co


    It was at this moment that the ¡°Golden Core¡± at his heart cracked with a snap, shattering from the inside out, followed by a massive energy burst, expanding outward from Lin Rui¡¯s heart.


    It felt as if a grass was growing out from inside his chest; Lin Rui felt the entire process clearly.


    The grass not only moved outward but its roots also extended along his blood vessels throughout his body, even into his spinal cord and marrow, extracting his soul, spirit, and blood, allowing the grass to keep growing stronger.


    Lin Rui felt a layer of incredibly solid dragon armor covering the outside of his left heart, still expanding and spreading to his right chest.


    The scientists of the Earth Federation believed that the so-called martial cultivation of the people from the utmost star was actually a transformation process into ¡°demons.¡±


    The difference is that ¡°demons¡± are generally uncontrollable; they lack reason, controlled by extreme emotions, and most have insufficient potential.


    Martial Cultivators, however, could control their own transformation process, maintaining their humanity and intelligence, and could fortify their bloodline talents through cultivation, ascending to greater heights.


    The people from the utmost star even called the strongest ultimate form of these demons ¡°dragons,¡± like the demon dragon that Lin Rui had encountered before.


    novgo.co


    The situation resembled rivers flowing into the sea, the momentum was overwhelming.


    This made everyone highly anticipatory, wondering what level of dragon armor Lin Rui could condense and to what extent it would cover?


    Right at midnight, the elemental tide on the ship finally calmed down.


    Lin Rui opened his eyes, filled with immense surprise, and looked towards his chest.


    He observed the armor¡¯s color, feeling joyful yet regretful; he could have taken a bit more of a gamble, just 10.5 milliliters could have made his dragon armor even stronger.


    ¡°You can come in now.¡±


    As Lin Rui spoke, he turned off a few monitoring devices placed nearby and drew some of his blood.


    These data and his blood would later be sent to the Eastern Science Institute for research.


    The enhancement of Lin Rui¡¯s dragon armor and armored battle dragon were both reliant on the Abyssal Project Group of the Eastern Science Institute; he had no choice but to contribute.


    This was also a duty that extraterrestrial walkers should fulfill.


    The armored martial path of mankind was based on the collaborative research of the original extraterrestrial walkers and scientists.


    Benefitting from this, Lin Rui had embarked on the armored martial path pioneered by his predecessors; now, he also had to pave the way for future generations.


    At that moment, Li Li, Wang Sen, and others entered in single file from outside.


    Seeing the dragon armor on Lin Rui, their pupils constricted.


    ¡°Half-chest Emperor Level?¡±


    ¡°SSS+?¡±


    ¡°Damn, Junior Brother Lin, your dragon armor is freaking awesome, definitely SSS+.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s armor, strikingly, covered his entire chest and a large portion of his back.


    But what was even more astounding was the color of the dragon armor.


    Somehow, the armor, clearly white, conveyed a brilliant and pure sensation, and it felt very substantial.


    Moreover, the lines on the armor were distinctly purple-gold, like purple lines embedded with sand gold, looking extraordinarily noble.


    And unlike Blood Blade Ji¡¯s, which only had purple-gold at the edges, the purple-gold lines covered both the front and back of the chest, creating a breathtaking view.


    They knew what this meant, Lin Rui¡¯s dragon armor was Emperor Level right from birth!


    The other top Martial Cultivators of the Celestial Extreme Star had to gradually elevate their armor and Golden Core to Emperor Level, but Lin Rui had done it in one step.


    Lin Xi¡¯s eyes sparkled, thinking how cool his armor looked, and wondered if this dragon armor was merely Emperor Level?


    Perhaps it was more than that.


    She knew Lin Rui had collaborated with the Eastern Asian Science Institute on the Abyssal Project, so this armor must also contain the ¡®Pseudo-Abyssal Source Material¡¯.

 Chapter 312

    ?Chapter 312: Chapter 295: Yanguang Slash (Three more updates, please subscribe) Chapter 312: Chapter 295: Yanguang Slash (Three more updates, please subscribe) PS: Recently, some readers have reported that the protagonist¡¯s online nickname appears in Arabic when listening to the book.


    I¡¯ve made some changes by removing the middle symbol and hereby notify you all.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Lin Rui¡¯s dragon armor indeed incorporated a large amount of ¡°pseudo-abyssal essence.¡±


    The concentration of this pseudo-abyssal essence was even higher than that of his Golden Core.


    The purpose of calling these people in was to test the strength of the dragon armor.


    He first let Lin Xi strike his dragon armor with all her might, followed by Wang Sen, Li Li, Lin Xi¡¯s Sword Bone Demon, Xue Lingxue, one by one.


    By the time it was Li Li¡¯s turn, they were already able to make a slight crack in his dragon armor.


    However, this person had already advanced to the fifth realm and was a master with a 5SS grade bloodline talent, which shows how strong the defense of this dragon armor was.


    ...


    Moreover, the healing speed of the dragon armor was very fast, and it recovered in an instant.


    Next were the Sword Bone Demon and Xue Lingxue.


    The Sword Bone Demon was slightly off, but Xue Lingxue¡¯s full-powered strike could create a deep pit in the dragon armor, though it couldn¡¯t penetrate Lin Rui¡¯s armor.


    Xue Lingxue was both shocked and incredulous; she had used her full strength on that strike, not holding back except for not using her secret saber, yet she couldn¡¯t break through Lin Rui¡¯s bone armor!


    Xue Lingxue felt as if her blade had struck metal and stone, and there was a power so strong within it that it made her tremble.


    Go to novgo.co


    This power not only fortified Lin Rui¡¯s bone armor to its limits but also directly crushed Xue Lingxue¡¯s proud martial intent and spirit.


    Was that ¡°abyss¡±?


    Xue Lingxue couldn¡¯t be sure, but the aura was very similar to what she felt when she encountered the concept of the abyss.


    The others were also shocked, wondering if this was what an emperor-level bone armor was like?


    The defense was equivalent to having practiced a powerful body-hardening technique!


    Lin Rui was also very pleased; the defensive strength of the bone armor had exceeded his expectations.


    Whether it was an illusion or not, he felt that this ¡°pseudo-abyssal essence¡± seemed a bit purer and closer to the true abyssal essence.


    Was it because he used the ¡°extreme heart source¡± throughout the dragon molting process, using this bloodline ability to enhance the Golden Core and strengthen the bone armor?


    There was no need for Ji Xueying to try in the end, as Lin Rui had already determined his defense limit; he was sure he couldn¡¯t withstand Ji Xueying¡¯s full-powered strike.


    But no matter, his bone armor was still in its early stages of showing its potential, and he needed to continue strengthening and consolidating it.


    Lin Rui then went up to the deck of the government ship, facing the fierce gale to test his saber¡¯s force.


    The government ship he was on, when sailing at full speed, could cover over ten thousand miles in a day on the river, making the three hundred thousand miles from Wang City to Luojing in just over a month, and throughout the trip, there was no feeling of bumpiness.


    For this reason, the wind coming head-on on the deck was exceptionally fierce and strong, and hence the structure of the Tijixing ships was different from the ancient sailing ships of Earth¡¯s humans; they were streamlined, somewhat resembling modern ground-effect vehicles.


    During sailing, the deck was devoid of people; all the crew and sailors were active inside the ship.


    Martial Cultivators like Lin Rui, however, preferred to practice martial arts on the deck, finding the strong gales helpful in honing their martial skills.


    At that moment, Lin Rui faced the gale and unleashed his saber force to twelve yards!


    In the past, Wang Tiandong, when wielding his club at Wang City Government Office, extended his club force to six yards, yet Lin Rui, who had just entered the fifth realm, had already reached twelve yards.


    It is known that extending the saber force by an additional yard exponentially increases the difficulty!


    Lin Rui hadn¡¯t even used his full strength, only about seventy to eighty percent of his power.


    What delighted him most was the abyss concept, which could reach 12%!


    After all, he¡¯s a genuine rich second generation, he must have a way.¡±


    ¡°I think even if we win, it¡¯s a hollow victory, how many members of the Martial Arts Club are actually from our school?


    They¡¯re almost all headhunted from outside.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Wang Sen and Lu Fang aren¡¯t from our school?


    Fang Ranran is even the granddaughter of the founding principal, and Lin Rui, just like Wang Sen, came from our Alien Body College, he¡¯s truly one of our own.


    I think our Martial Arts Club¡¯s key strength is limited by Lin Rui, in fact he could probably take on five by himself and go straight to the playoffs.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, I wonder if there¡¯ll be a chance to see Lin Rui compete, his Yang Pulling Slash is so cool!¡±


    When Xu Bo finished his afternoon classes and came to the audio-visual recreation area, he heard the surrounding students all discussing tomorrow¡¯s match.


    Tomorrow would be Mingde University¡¯s home game, so these people were especially excited.


    By coincidence, his classmate Li Xiaorou was also there.


    Xu Bo glanced sidelong at the holographic video she was watching and shook his head, ¡°Still watching those martial arts critiques, listening to their nonsense?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®nonsense¡¯?¡± Li Xiaorou looked displeased.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t said anything wrong, Lin Rui¡¯s cultivation is not enough, only the first strike is powerful.


    Iron Fist Nolan lost because he lacked experience against fast swords.


    If he had followed their advice and implanted a special prosthesis, he wouldn¡¯t have lost.


    Lin Rui¡¯s ability is just a trick of the ignorant, nothing more than a three-trick pony.


    Once everyone sees more, naturally there will be ways to counter him, by then there will be many who can teach him a lesson, such as Jin Tianchen, also a member of the elitea?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui chopped her idol into two halves with a single strike, which Li Xiaorou still couldn¡¯t accept, and she was determined to deride him for life!


    Xu Bo couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, too lazy to argue with Li Xiaorou.


    What was there to criticize when Lin Rui had defeated Iron Fist Nolan in his freshman year?


    He then also started up a video projection and began browsing on the Skylight Video Network.


    Xu Bo watched a martial arts video about Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Yang Pulling Slash Vitality Edition¡¯, which was said to be a modified version of the youth edition, further increasing sword speed and with no requirements for auxiliary prostheses.


    Just then, Xu Bo saw a news ticker pop up in the bottom left corner, scrolling past the words ¡®Jin Tianchen: Lin Rui?


    I don¡¯t recognize him.¡¯


    Xu Bo frowned, curious, he clicked on the pop-up.


    After clicking, he realized it was a Skylight Video Network news host interviewing Jin Tianchen, and the choice of words in the edit was clearly exaggerated, obviously using the title to attract viewers.


    However, a few words Jin Tianchen said while being chased by numerous reporters still angered Xu Bo, a staunch supporter of Lin Rui.


    ¡°Lin Rui?


    I¡¯ve heard of him, but I haven¡¯t really paid attention, in my view, there¡¯s no difference between him and Iron Fist Nolan, nothing noteworthy, regarding Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei that you mentioned, indeed they left our Second City University club, these two do have quite impressive talents but didn¡¯t fit well, our club members didn¡¯t like them.¡±


    ¡°Yang Pulling Slash?¡± Jin Tianchen chuckled lightly, he seemed to try to maintain composure, but his face still showed some disdain, ¡°Might be very powerful, but it seems that Lin Rui can only perform this move?


    It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of opponent it is, we have secured the championship for this year¡¯s Ninth Base City League!


    The outcome between us and the Mingde University Martial Arts Club, everyone will know tomorrow, if you¡¯re interested, you can watch it on my live stream.¡±


    Li Xiaorou was also watching this video, her expression doubtful, ¡°This Jin Tianchen, quite arrogant.¡±


    She was dissatisfied that Jin Tianchen placed her idol Iron Fist Nolan in the same category as Lin Rui.


    Li Xiaorou believed that Nolan¡¯s loss was due to his carelessness during the fight with Lin Rui, and his true strength, if displayed fully, couldn¡¯t be compared to Lin Rui¡¯s.

 Chapter 313

    ?Chapter 313: Chapter 296: Divine Sun Sky Universe (Please Subscribe) Chapter 313: Chapter 296: Divine Sun Sky Universe (Please Subscribe) Meanwhile, in the martial arts club of Mingde University, club president Fang Ranran was talking to an emaciated old man in black Hanfu through a video projection in her office.


    ¡°Uncle Cai, are there really so many people betting now?


    4 billion federal dollars, is that true?¡±


    Fang Ranran was utterly astonished as she looked at the electronic spreadsheet provided by the other party: ¡°Are there so many people who are optimistic about Jin Tianchen?¡±


    ¡°How could our Hongtian Gang deceive a young lady of your stature?


    It¡¯s not that people are optimistic about Jin Tianchen, but the odds of your betting pool are too chaotic.¡±


    The emaciated old man forced a smile and said, ¡°Jin Tianchen is 1 to 3 for the win, and you haven¡¯t even offered odds for Lin Rui¡¯s victory.


    In the entire underground world, there are none as reckless as yours, miss.


    Perhaps you could adjust the odds a bit?


    Maybe take some bets on Lin Rui¡¯s side for a hedge?¡±


    The current odds in the underground world¡¯s various pools for Jin Tianchen were at most around 1 to 2.1, quite different from Fang Ranran¡¯s.


    ...


    Others calculated their odds based on specific betting amounts to ensure a small profit, no matter the outcome, but Fang Ranran had arbitrarily set a high payout for Jin Tianchen¡¯s victory and wasn¡¯t even accepting bets on Lin Rui winning, clearly favoring Lin Rui.


    Upon hearing this, Fang Ranran couldn¡¯t help but rub her temples, feeling a headache coming on.


    She wasn¡¯t worried about not being able to pay out, but rather about winning too much.


    Go to novgo.co


    She had political ambitions for the future, and it would be wise to earn less from such dirty money.


    She had so many other ways to make money, so why bother earning from these gamblers?


    However, since the betting had started, there was no reason to stop halfway.


    She offered such high odds to lure Jin Tianchen into the game; now that Jin Tianchen¡¯s money wasn¡¯t in yet, she couldn¡¯t end it so anticlimactically.


    Additionally, the funds from this betting pool would ultimately flow into several charitable foundations under her control, seemingly unrelated to her on the surface.


    This money would be used for charitable causes in the end, so even if someone were to meticulously investigate afterward, the impact on her would be minimal.


    Fang Ranran shook her head: ¡°It¡¯s fine, Uncle Cai, take as much as you get; I can cover it.¡±


    ¡°If you say so, then I understand,¡± the old man surnamed Cai nodded slightly: ¡°I will continue to take bets in the name of the Hongtian Gang¡¯s reputation, and we will send you an update of the accounts every hour.


    Additionally, miss, please ensure Mr.


    Lin¡¯s safety.


    If the betting pool gets too large, some people might resort to desperate measures.¡±


    When the old man surnamed Cai mentioned ¡®reputation,¡¯ he emphasized the word slightly.


    In the Ninth Base City, almost all top clans and families had their own ¡®black gloves¡¯ to deal with some matters in the lower sectors that were inconvenient for them to handle directly.


    The Hongtian Gang was the power planted by the Fang family and Tianlan Group in the lower sector.


    So when Miss Fang Ranran approached them two days ago, although he felt it was highly inappropriate, he still reluctantly helped under Fang Ranran¡¯s carrot-and-stick approach, not only spreading the word in the underground world but also opening financial channels to collect funds for her.


    But now, the old man surnamed Cai was genuinely worried that Fang Ranran wouldn¡¯t be able to cover the bets.


    Failure to pay out the bets would affect the reputation of their Hongtian Gang, and informing Commissioner Fang and Chairman Fang would offend this young lady before him.


    Even the Fang family brothers would give him a hard time afterward.


    At that moment, the old man surnamed Cai¡¯s expression changed: ¡°Miss, another sum of money has come in, totaling 4.3 billion federal dollars!


    They come from four corporate accounts and five foundations; I¡¯m certain these are all related to the Jin family.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the corners of Fang Ranran¡¯s mouth lifted slightly.


    She was confident that she could protect the families of the two, but that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t worry.


    The replies from the two, however, eased Fang Ranran¡¯s expression.


    Wild Big Tree (Nolan Wei): It¡¯s fine on my end, Director Fang.


    I¡¯ve been looking forward to tomorrow¡¯s match for a long time.


    I¡¯ve always remembered them ganging up on me.


    Now that I finally have the chance for revenge, how can I not participate?


    Fleeting Dust (Zhao Yan): I will fight with all my strength, Director Fang.


    Don¡¯t worry about me, I am also looking forward to tomorrow¡¯s match.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Lin Rui had also seen the messages in the competition group but didn¡¯t give it much thought.


    At the moment, he was sitting beside Si Malin, watching the various data from his transformation along with several academicians who had come by appointment, as well as the blood analysis results.


    The blood drawn from Lin Rui had been sent back to the 9th base city three hours earlier via the Alien Body Management Bureau¡¯s emergency express starship.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, the pseudo-abyssal essence in your body has indeed evolved!¡±


    Si Malin looked surprised after only a brief glance: ¡°Checking the data, the correlation with true abyssal essence is quite high, nearly 37%.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, this pseudo-abyssal essence can actually evolve?¡± said an old man with white hair and silver glasses, eyes sparkling with wisdom: ¡°What could be the reason?¡±


    Lin Rui could only shake his head and respond with a smile, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a sect secret, I can¡¯t disclose it.¡±


    However, he was very pleased in his heart.


    During the several hours of transformation, he had kept singing to brace himself, insisting on using the Ultimate Heart Source to strengthen his Golden Core and bone armor.


    He had suffered so much, and yet it was rewarding.


    Another academician nodded in understanding, ¡°We understand, but I guess it must be some kind of Cultivation Technique or secret technique related to the Limitless Venerable or Growth Venerable, and the abyss?¡±


    Lin Rui looked at that person with surprise, then nodded in agreement.


    Si Malin and the other academicians were even more excited as Lin Rui¡¯s successful transformation meant that their research direction was viable.


    Lin Rui had also brought them an unexpected surprise a?€¡° the pseudo-abyssal essence could continue to strengthen and improve during the course of cultivation advancement.


    ¡°Look at his blood analysis; even his blood revealed traces of pseudo-abyssal essence.¡±


    Si Malin¡¯s eyes glowed: ¡°It shows that the bone armor is nourishing his body.


    His physical body will not only become stronger than other Martial Cultivators, but also produce more powerful spiritual power, mobilize more abyssal will and concepts, and even generate divine powera?€¡±I think, we may have found the true path for humans to achieve ¡®Longevity¡¯ and ¡®Abyss.''¡±


    The white-haired old man, however, shook his head slightly, ¡°We still need to see more.


    We can¡¯t be so hasty, but from the current situation, Lin Rui¡¯s advancement to the sixth realm and normal transformation is not a problem, though the process may be more dangerous and more difficult than for a regular Martial Cultivator.¡±


    Another academician smiled lightly, ¡°There¡¯s indeed some hope.


    Let¡¯s write a report together later and apply for another round of experimental funds.


    Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®dragon armor prosthesis¡¯ needs to be prepared ahead of time.¡±


    Just then, Si Malin made a ¡®hmm¡¯ sound and turned to look at Lin Rui, ¡°Xiao Rui, I know what the next bloodline talent of your Brilliant Thunder Sacred Body isa?€¡±congratulations, it¡¯s SSS+, the super Emperor-Level ¡®Divine Sun Heavenly Cosmos¡¯!


    Under normal circumstances, it¡¯ll awaken within 50 days, but if a stimulus is encountered, it¡¯s highly likely to awaken immediately.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s pupils dilated, and his expression was incredulous.


    He knew about the ¡®Divine Sun Heavenly Cosmos¡¯, it was not only a super Emperor-Level talent but also related to time and space!


    Since it was the ¡®Divine Sun Heavenly Cosmos¡¯, he could then determine his next prosthesis.

 Chapter 314

    ?Chapter 314: Chapter 297: Beyond the Game (Please Subscribe) Chapter 314: Chapter 297: Beyond the Game (Please Subscribe) The match between Mingde University and Second City University was held in the fifth sports stadium of Mingde University.


    200 years ago, the 15th president of Mingde University, ambitious and determined, wanted to make his mark in armed martial arts and revitalize the martial arts faculty of the school, so he built this large sports venue that could accommodate 90,000 people to watch the competition simultaneously.


    Unfortunately, since the construction of the fifth sports stadium, it had never been filled to capacity, and the martial arts faculty of Mingde University still hadn¡¯t made any progress.


    Until today, an hour before the match, the seats were already fully occupied.


    Not only were students and faculty from the university gathered here, but many alumni living nearby also hurried over.


    When Lin Rui entered the players¡¯ seating area carrying Da Hei Tian, a roar as loud as a tsunami erupted in the stadium.


    Some people were banging on their seats with bottles of pure water: ¡°Lin Rui!


    ...


    Lin Rui!


    Lin Rui!¡±


    ¡°Instant Blade!


    novgo.co


    Instant Blade!


    Instant Blade!


    Instant Blade!¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    The whole sports stadium was shaking so violently that one worried it might collapse.


    Lin Rui was inwardly shocked and had to stand up several times, walking around the seating area, bowing to his teachers, classmates, and alumni.


    Lin Rui had to be extremely respectful, because all the people before him were his bread and butter.


    Currently on Tianhuan Video Network, the main group that tipped him weren¡¯t those girls, but these successful and wealthy alumni.


    This era¡¯s girls, having gone through various fan economies, were cagey about their money; unless they especially liked a livestreamer, they didn¡¯t easily open their wallets.


    In contrast, these seniors had always expected a lot from him and were very generous with their money.


    They ardently hoped that Mingde University¡¯s martial arts faculty could have a leading figure since this era still revered martial prowess.


    It wasn¡¯t until half a minute later that the cheering in the sports stadium died down.


    After Lin Rui sat down, he realized that the moods of the people around him were somewhat off.


    Especially Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei, both with cold expressions, looked fiercely towards the opposite side of the ring.


    Lin Rui, puzzled, asked Fei Yunlai, ¡°Coach Fei, what¡¯s going on with them?


    Did that Jin guy use some underhanded tactics?¡±


    Fei Yunlai was very pleased that Lin Rui hadn¡¯t addressed him as Old Fei in front of the martial arts club members.


    He leaned down and explained in Lin Rui¡¯s ear, ¡°He used some shady moves.


    It seems like Jin Security Company and the Sixth Street Gang sent messages to their parents, and Nolan Wei even received a summons from the police yesterday.¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes, a sharp light flashing within.


    This Jin Tianchen was truly detestable when it came to his methods and temperament.


    Unfortunately for him, Xue Lingxue and Lin Xi had already helped him gather intelligence and inferred that Jin Tianchen was surrounded by top-tier sensory equipment, with a strong security force; two 6S-level tactical squads, three Red Spider 7 units, and nine Red Spider 6 units.


    When he traveled, he was also protected by eight specially modified and strengthened intelligent riot armor vehicles.


    He even had a top hacker as an advisor by his side, and in times of crisis, he could call for help from Jinhao Real Estate Group¡¯s cybersecurity department.


    So, for them to kill Jin Tianchen without leaving a trace was difficult.


    Here, ¡®without leaving a trace¡¯ meant not revealing their true identities.


    The terrifying aspect was that in addition to powerful conventional security forces, Jinhao Real Estate Group also harbored a legal militia with four fully-staffed brigades and was one of the warlords of Base Nine.


    However, there was already a plan in motion from Guang Ming Star No.


    9 to strike at Jin Tianchen and the Jin conglomerate, which was already underway.


    ¡°Little Rui, don¡¯t worry, Zhao Yan and Nalan won¡¯t be knocked down so easily.


    In today¡¯s competition, even if we can¡¯t wear Jin Tianchen down, we can ensure a fair fight between you and him,¡± said Yu Feicui, glancing sideways at Fei Yunlai.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was her imagination, but she always felt that this senior brother was particularly affectionate, even somewhat ingratiating towards Lin Rui.


    In this martial arts club, Fei Yunlai clearly admired Wang Sen the most, yet he always doted on Lin Rui, taking great care of him and following his advice.


    Of course, this might have been her misconception.


    It seems the original poster¡¯s story is backfiring.


    It feels like what the OP is saying might not be the truth.


    Li Xiaorou, surprised, opened the link to check again.


    ¡°Interesting, a thief crying ¡®stop thief,¡¯ how perverse!¡±


    ¡°That Mr.


    Jin really knows how to disgust people.


    It¡¯s only been a year, and already they think we¡¯ve forgotten what happened?


    Worthy of Jinhao Real Estate Group, impressive!


    Impressive!¡±


    ¡°Watch your words unless you want to be sued.


    The legal department of Jinhao Real Estate Group is known as the invincible in the Westa?€¡±seeking a defeat they cannot find.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the school management, eating shit?


    Submitting to the Jin family¡¯s donations before was disgraceful enough, and now they¡¯re pinning the crime on students who were courageous and righteous?¡±


    ¡°Ever since this incident, I haven¡¯t returned to Second City University for a year.


    If the case isn¡¯t thoroughly investigated, I¡¯ll never participate in alumni activities for the rest of my lifea?€¡±I consider it a shame!¡±


    ¡°Same here!


    This term¡¯s school management has no backbone, disgusting!


    No matter how many honors the Martial Arts Club gets now, I would feel ashamed.¡±


    ¡°Jin family¡¯s online army is really something, controlling comments and closing threads, admirable!


    Admire!¡±


    After flipping through it, Li Xiaorou¡¯s expression also turned solemn.


    What surprised her was that these rebuttals, although mostly anonymous, included some real names and surnames, all certified outstanding alumni of Second City Universitya?€¡±people with successful careers, certain social status, or who had reached the sixth or seventh realms in martial arts.


    Li Xiaorou was puzzled, wondering what on earth was going on.


    She checked the forum of Second City University again.


    There were all posts accusing and vilifying Zhao Yan and Nalan Wei of supposed truths but, as Li Xiaorou opened the comment sections of the posts, she found that the vast majority of comments were rebuttals or sarcastic, even directly targeting Jin Tianchen.


    At the players¡¯ bench of Second City University at that time, Jin Tianchen was staring intently at the knife on Lin Rui¡¯s waist.


    He summoned Coach Dong of the Martial Arts Society to his side, ¡°We may need to change the armor later.


    Get a Fortress type 5, a custom set, to be sent over.¡±


    ¡°Change the armor?¡± Coach Dong was startled upon hearing this.


    The Fortress type 5 was a heavily-armored suit enhanced for defense.


    This suit provided strong defense and was relatively flexible but took up many equipment points.


    With that suit on, Jin Tianchen wouldn¡¯t need other equipment.


    He asked, puzzled, ¡°Boss, didn¡¯t that person promise you he wouldn¡¯t use the ¡®Yang Pulling Slash¡¯?¡±


    ¡°One cannot count on his word!¡± Jin Tianchen shook his head with a somber face, ¡°He may have changed the sword.


    Judging by the shape of the sheath, it¡¯s likely a custom model of the Flash type 5, more conducive to Iaido than the Big Black Sky.¡±


    This kind of sword was developed for various Iaido techniques, specializing in this particular art.


    Putting himself in their shoes, he thought that since Fang Ranran had placed over 100 billion in bets in the underworld market for such a huge interest, she¡¯d likely force Lin Rui to break his promise.


    Right then, Jin Tianchen¡¯s assistant, Geng Tai, hastily approached; his face was as white as a sheet, ¡°BOSS, there¡¯s a public opinion issue on your school¡¯s forum, and it¡¯s not looking good.¡±


    Puzzled, Jin Tianchen opened the school forum as advised.


    Moments later, his face turned pale; he thought, who could have done such a foolish thing?


    He didn¡¯t see that across from him, Lin Rui was slightly lifting the corners of his lips with satisfaction.


    Lin Rui, touching the knife disguised as a Flash type 5 at his waist, thought to himself that anyone could play the game of deception.


    To eliminate someone like Jin Tianchen, one had to cut the branches before felling the root; it had to be done step by step, without haste.


    The first step he had to take was to destroy the beast¡¯s public image and sever his financial sources.

 Chapter 315

    ?Chapter 315: Chapter 298 Sweetness (third update, please subscribe) Chapter 315: Chapter 298 Sweetness (third update, please subscribe) Jin Tianchen glanced at a few comments and then coldly stared at Geng Tai, ¡°Did you do this?¡±


    The so-called truth posts in the school forum appeared to shift the blame for the Xia Yun incident onto Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei, absolving him and the Martial Arts Club of any wrongdoing.


    However, the way it was done was too extreme, the language too inflammatory, and the timing couldn¡¯t have been worse.


    It only served to provoke outrage and a defiant attitude among many at the Second City University.


    After the incident originally occurred, Jin Tianchen must have realized that what he had done was a heinous act that disgraced both heaven and humanity.


    The incident had caused a huge uproar at the outset, and his family had expended a great deal of effort to suppress it.


    Nonetheless, the truth about the incident had spread among students and alumni within the Second City University, making many alumni aware of it.


    Initially unaware, these people felt disgusted and angry once they found out.


    ...


    The majority of them were successful in their careers and didn¡¯t care much for the Jin family.


    Some even lived in other base cities, beyond the reach of Jinhao Real Estate Group.


    The school¡¯s administration thus faced significant pressure.


    Therefore, the PR department of Jinhao Real Estate Group advised a strategy of quiet containment and passive management, hoping to prevent the case from resurfacing and waiting for it to dissipate in three to five years.


    It was from that time that Jin Tianchen began to realize that people around him were not toys.


    The individuals in the university were not like the servants in his household, nor were they like the students from the Jinhao employees¡¯ children¡¯s schoola?€¡±it didn¡¯t matter how he treated them.


    Go to novgo.co


    He couldn¡¯t act recklessly in society either, as there were still some who could make him pay a price.


    Jin Tianchen had matured a lot since then and followed the strategies given by the PR department to the letter.


    This time, having the police summon Nolan Wei was solely for intimidation; he had no intention of actually overturning the case, as making a big deal out of it would not be to his advantage.@@@@


    Geng Tai¡¯s face paled upon hearing this, ¡°Boss Jin, how could it possibly be me?


    This is clearly someone¡¯s deliberate doing.


    I¡¯ve just informed the school¡¯s network management to delete the posts, but they still haven¡¯t been able to do so until now.


    Mr.


    Ling Mao has intervened, saying that the other party is also a top hacker.¡±


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s eyes hardened as he clenched his fists, ¡°Notify the network security department of the group, have them assist in the cleanup, and find out who is causing this disturbance as clearly as possible!¡±


    His thoughts turned to the recent days when his own profile was at its highest, and he started feeling agitated.


    Should the press catch on to this incident now, it was likely to cause him some trouble.


    Jinhao Real Estate Group had significant influence over the major media outlets in the ninth base city, but they found it difficult to sway media in other base cities.


    Jin Tianchen wondered who could be targeting him.


    Was it Fang Ranran?


    Jin Tianchen turned his head, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at Fang Ranran.


    Fang Ranran noticed his gaze and was immediately confused, wondering what was wrong with him.


    So Fei Yunlai had a pretty good eye for judging martial arts.


    But the problem was Jin Tianchen a?€¡° his mind was already in disarray.


    How much of his strength could he exert in such a state?


    In a high-level contest, a momentary lapse could decide the winner.


    Even if Jin Tianchen¡¯s mindset were stable and unaffected, Lin Rui also had the Light Transition Slash and the Yanguang Slash a?€¡° two secret moves of his own.


    The Light Transition Slash needed time to charge and might not always be available, but the Yanguang Slash was truly awesome and hard to defend against.


    Oh right, he forgot that Fei Yunlai didn¡¯t know a?€¡°


    At that moment, Guang Ming¡¯s AI assistant sent him a message.


    Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9: BOSS, those posts from the Second City University are starting to spread outward.


    novgo.co


    I¡¯ve alerted the faithful to pay attention to this matter and instructed a portion of devout followers to help circulate them.


    Jinhao Real Estate Group can¡¯t suppress them any longer.


    Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9: I¡¯ve also notified other base city reporters and media outlets via email to keep an eye on the public opinion within Second City University.


    Some institutions have already begun investigations.


    But is this enough?


    Don¡¯t we need to do anything else?


    Number 9 is really angry.


    This guy is just too despicable.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): For now, this is all we need to do.


    For Jin Tianchen, reputation and honor are what matter most, and they translate to money.


    For now, you can relax a bit, don¡¯t give Jinhao Real Estate Group anything to latch onto.


    Lin Rui had already figured out one of the uses for Guang Ming¡¯s 17+ million followers a?€¡° public opinion.


    With 15 million official citizens and 2 million illegal immigrants among the followers, even if each person made one comment online, it would create a tidal wave of public sentiment.


    Lin Rui noticed that Jin Tianchen¡¯s complexion grew even uglier as he spoke with his assistants.


    The young master must be aware of the posts revealing the truth that were spreading wild online.


    He smiled slightly and took another sip of the watermelon juice, thinking to himself that old Fei¡¯s juice was really good, so sweet!


    At the same time, Lin Rui became even more optimistic about his match with Jin Tianchen.


    Within twenty moves a?€¡° if he couldn¡¯t take down Jin Tianchen in his current state within twenty moves, he would punish himself by crying in Ji Xueying¡¯s arms.


    For a favored son of heaven like Jin Tianchen, it was truly satisfying to trample him deep into the mire, the deeper the better.

 Chapter 316

    ?Chapter 316: Chapter 299: The Rampaging Void Serpent (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 316: Chapter 299: The Rampaging Void Serpent (Seeking Subscriptions) The match began, and representing Mingde University first was still Lu Fang.


    Though Wang Sen¡¯s combat strength had increased, Yu Feicui and Fei Yunlai were willing to let him gain experience.


    Since the university martial arts league had started, Wang Sen had already fought twice.


    However, in this match against the top-ranked team from the Second City University, Fei Yunlai and the rest of the coaching staff still trusted Lu Fang more.


    The vanguard from the Second City University was a freshman named Li Tao.


    After nearly 20 minutes of fierce combat on the platform, Li Tao was struck in the shoulder by Lu Fang¡¯s spear and conceded defeat.


    However, Lu Fang himself was also drained of energy, unable to continue fighting, and voluntarily stepped down from the platform.


    ...


    This clearly showed that the incident a year ago had greatly affected the overall strength of the Second City University¡¯s martial arts club.


    Last year, the only reason Second City University managed to secure the runner-up position in the ninth base city league was entirely due to Jin Tianchen, a figure of hall-of-fame level.


    Mingde University¡¯s next fighter was Nolan Wei, and as he stepped onto the platform, he was filled with complex emotions.


    If that incident hadn¡¯t occurred back then, Nolan Wei would now be the next fighter, or even the mainstay, of the opposing team.


    His family lived near Second City University, and his family had always been fans of this university¡¯s martial arts team only to end up like this.


    But Nolan Wei had no regrets; he only wanted to vent the anger he had harbored for a year with his sword in today¡¯s match, even though he knew well that it would not cause the slightest harm to Jin Tianchen himself.


    novgo.co


    Go to novgo.co


    His opponent was Baldwin Jones, who, although he did not participate in that day¡¯s betrayal, was one of the people who had beaten him up back then, a lackey of Jin Tianchen.


    Yet this guy¡¯s future should be quite good; after graduation, he would likely take charge of a tactical team in the Jin Corporation¡¯s security department, not only having a certain online presence but also a substantial salary with immense prospects.


    Upon arriving, Baldwin Jones did not utter a word.


    He just held a knight¡¯s sword, assumed a stance, and silently exchanged glances with Nolan Wei.


    His gaze was as firm as steel, not yielding in the slightest even against Nolan Wei¡¯s wolf-like stare.


    When Baldwin Jones came on stage, he had already received a critical order from Jin Tianchena?€¡±they had to fight until Lin Rui took the stage.


    Jin Tianchen not only wanted to see the knife Lin Rui had but also wanted to see firsthand what Lin Rui¡¯s Yang Pulling Slash looked like.


    However, Baldwin Jones knew of Nolan Wei¡¯s prowess.


    Having thoroughly researched Nolan before the fight, he immediately began retreating to the corners of the platform as soon as the battle started.


    Baldwin Jones had devised a defensive strategy of attrition, fully committed to not giving Nolan Wei any space to employ his Instant Shadow Sword.


    According to the rules of the tournament, he merely needed to hold out until the 30-minute mark for it to be declared a draw.


    If Nolan Wei, frustrated by the stalemate, tried to attack forcefully, it would give Baldwin a chance to win.


    He retreated decisively, yet he almost got struck by Nolan Wei¡¯s swift flanking attack.


    This sent chills down Baldwin Jones¡¯s spine.


    Nolan Wei had apparently been holding back in his previous fights, and his will to fight was also incredibly strong.


    Nevertheless, he managed to hold his ground, Baldwin Jones gripping a sturdy turtle-back shield, protecting his entire body hermetically.


    Meanwhile, at Mingde University¡¯s players¡¯ bench, Fang Ranran had noticed a disturbance online.


    Fang Ranran was astounded, wondering who was targeting Jin Tianchen?


    She also sensed an invisible, manipulative hand stirring up trouble online.


    The question was, where did this hand come from?


    From the information she had, it seemed to be on the scale of a political party¡¯s mobilization capabilities.


    This was not something any conglomerate or corporation could manage; only a political party with tens of millions of members could stir up such a huge stir in such a short time.


    Yu Feicui glared fiercely at Fei Yunlai down below.


    Nolan Wei¡¯s injuries today were all ones Fei Yunlai, the head coach, had brought upon him.


    Seeing this, Fei Yunlai blinked, looking innocent, and thought, ¡®How is this related to me?¡¯


    He had advised Nolan Wei that his Instant Shadow Sword would perform effortlessly against ordinary opponents, but those defensive-style fighters would pose a challenge and make it difficult to secure a victory.


    At that time, Nolan Wei needed a mighty martial secret technique as a ¡®siege hammer¡¯, thus he decided to master this 5SS+ rated ¡®Void Furious Snake¡¯ and even specially integrated an SS+ grade implant for it.


    The issue was, he hadn¡¯t expected Nolan Wei to use this immature technique to defeat his opponent.


    Nolan Wei himself was quite pleased, especially when he heard about Baldwin Jones¡¯s implant being damaged, resulting in him being out for the season, and he laughed heartily.


    He lifted his gaze, staring coldly at Jin Tianchen across from him, thinking that if the Second City University still dreams of making it into the top 32 post-season like last season, that¡¯s quite a fantasy!


    Even if it meant mutual destruction, he was determined to drag Second City University down.


    Though the damage to Jin Tianchen was minimal, very minimala?€¡±


    Fang Ranran, sitting in the contestant¡¯s seat, rubbed her temples in headache.


    She somewhat regretted not informing her teammates that Lin Rui¡¯s transformation had already broken through the fifth realm.


    This was Lin Rui¡¯s personal secret, and Fang Ranran felt it inappropriate to propagate it, yet she hadn¡¯t expected Nolan Wei to pull such a foolish stunt again.


    However, even if she had informed them earlier, Nolan Wei probably wouldn¡¯t have held back; rather, he might have fought even more resolutely.


    She sighed and also picked up her sword to walk towards the ring.


    Fang Ranran had no grievance with Second City University, and her implant was of the highest quality, reaching the upper limit of what her spiritual power could harness.


    Her martial arts skill also reached 4S+.


    Her opponent was a senior student, a genius among the top ten, with a very powerful implant and abundant experience.


    Their battle was much more peaceful than the previous fight, with Fang Ranran circling the edges of the platform, deftly engaging with her opponent.


    She couldn¡¯t secure a victory, only able to drag out the time, until after half an hour, the referee raised his hand, signaling that the match ended in a draw.


    At that moment, the entire arena of tens of thousands of people erupted into thunderous applause.


    Although Fang Ranran was at a disadvantage throughout the match, her tactics were spot-on.


    Both competitors¡¯ martial arts were masterful, making the fight intensely thrilling and captivating, leaving no moment for the audience to look away.


    Fang Ranran bowed in all directions as a gesture of thanks and then stepped down from the ring.


    When she returned to the ring, she saw Zhao Yan silently preparing.


    Seeing Zhao Yan¡¯s expression cold as a rock, Fang Ranran felt an even greater headache.


    She massaged her temples and said, ¡°Zhao Yan, do you remember what you promised me when we first enrolled?¡±


    Zhao Yan was startled and looked at Fang Ranran, ¡°President?¡±


    He certainly remembered his promises to Fang Ranran, but he didn¡¯t quite understand what she meant.


    ¡°Lin Rui¡¯s transformation has already broken through the fifth realm.


    My teacher watched Lin Rui¡¯s training videos, as well as the latest battle footage of Jin Tianchen, and said Lin Rui is sure to win,¡±


    Fang Ranran dared to open such a large betting pool in the underground world because she was confident, having consulted with professionals.


    ¡°My teacher said, barring accidents, Lin Rui will win within 5000 to 10000 moves, so take it easy!


    Conserve your strength for the championship finals,¡±


    Fei Yunlai heard this, his lips slightly raised, thinking that great minds think alike.


    At this moment, everyone nearby who heard Fang Ranran¡¯s words was completely astonished, their eyes all turning towards Lin Rui.


    Zhao Yan¡¯s body trembled slightly, staring at Lin Rui in disbelief.

 Chapter 317

    ?Chapter 317: Chapter 300: In the Blink of an Eye (Second Update) Chapter 317: Chapter 300: In the Blink of an Eye (Second Update) The Deputy General from the second city¡¯s university, Xiao Ningshan, and Zhao Yan were martial artists of a similar type, both focusing on power, their fighting styles fierce and domineering.


    Both wielded heavy weapons, with Zhao Yan using a pair of octagonal purple-gold hammers, while Xiao Ningshan used twin heavy maces.


    When they clashed on stage, their momentum was like two heavy tanks colliding, both ferocious and with immense force.


    The wind from their hammers and the force from their maces were like dragons seizing tigers, overwhelming like a landslide and tsunami.


    The rumble of their weapons and the fragmented air vibrations kicked up dust around them, as if the very air itself was trembling.


    The two had been classmates, belonging to the same martial arts cluba?€¡±one in second year, the other in third yeara?€¡±so they knew each other very well.


    A year had passed since then, and Xiao Ningshan¡¯s cultivation and martial arts had improved even more; although Zhao Yan had lost half a year, his talent was greater.


    ...


    Furthermore, with Fang Ranran¡¯s heavy investment and cultivation, his combat power was not what it used to be.


    However, their martial arts characteristics and paths hadn¡¯t changed.


    Their fight was like a confrontation between senior and junior brothers from the same sect, even more intense and dangerous.


    Nearly every move they made aimed straight for vital points, sparing no effort, captivating the audience and putting the referees on edge.


    While watching the intense battle on stage, Fang Ranran said apologetically to Lin Rui, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lin.


    I spoke about your heterogenous promotion to the fifth realm without asking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lin Rui shook his head slightly.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°Even if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would have spoken up.


    The problem is you spoke too soon.


    Zhao Yan¡¯s martial arts might surpass the other by a thread, but when it comes to bloodline power, he is an entire level below Xiao Ningshan.


    Without that do-or-die spirit, he might not be Xiao Ningshan¡¯s match.¡±


    Lin Rui sipped on his watermelon juice.


    ¡°For Zhao Yan, dying on the stage today is better than losing.¡±


    Despite being a nice and incredibly loyal boss from a well-off family, the lady sitting beside him still didn¡¯t understand the logic of martial artists like them.


    If Zhao Yan lost to Xiao Ningshan today, he would be haunted for a lifetime.


    Fang Ranran was startled by his words, and immediately realized her mistakes.


    The battle unfolded as Lin Rui had predicted.


    Zhao Yan hesitated several times after the fight began, and the situation started to deteriorate.


    On the other hand, Xiao Ningshan fought fiercely and ruthlessly, every move he made carrying a do-or-die momentum.@@@@


    Fortunately, Zhao Yan¡¯s innate talent for fighting was extremely high.


    He gradually adjusted and put everything out of his mind, fighting without reservation, not caring about his own safety.


    Their battle intensified, and in less than ten minutes, the high-density energy-absorbing cement of the platform began to crack.


    Shockwaves began to reach the audience stands, and their arms started to split open from the flesh.


    Their maces and hammers also couldn¡¯t withstand the strain and cracked, finally snapping with a ¡®clang¡¯ and hurtling towards the spectators.


    Luckily, a wire barrier was in place, and two assistant referees with the cultivation of lieutenant generals quickly intervened, intercepting the broken maces and hammers.


    Both fighters on stage abandoned their weapons.


    Their arms became like maces, their fists like hammers, and they continued to pound at their opponent.


    Their martial spirits materialized behind them, now nearly tangible.


    Zhao Yan¡¯s martial spirit, a colossal four-legged dragon, clashed fiercely with the horned bear of his opponent, causing the entire stadium to quake slightly.


    Jin Tianchen watched this scene from afar with an increasingly ugly expression.


    The fight between Xiao Ningshan and Zhao Yan had now lasted for 23 minutes, and it seemed that it was going to end in another draw.


    ¡°Useless trash!¡±


    Jin Tianchen silently cursed in his mind, thinking that Xiao Ningshan had truly wasted all the resources he had pulled strings to obtain for him.


    Yet, he maintained a smile on his face and said to the holographic camera that was live streaming, ¡°Old Xiao is not doing badly.


    I estimate this fight will end in a draw.¡±


    ¡°Both parties are giving it their all.


    Zhao Yan indeed has talent.


    When he was at our martial arts club, he was appointed Deputy General in his second year.


    Li Xiaorou was messaging Xu Bo: ¡°Xiao Bo, do you think Lin Rui can win?¡±


    She had been watching the game while browsing online, and had pieced together the detailed reasons for Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei leaving their positions.


    At this moment, Li Xiaorou was hoping, like never before, that Lin Rui could win, to defeat that beast, Jin Tianchen.


    Xu Bo, after reading the message, was silent for a while.


    Although he was an enthusiastic fan of Lin Rui, he didn¡¯t dare to say Lin Rui could win the battle,


    Both sides were of the hall-of-fame level, and the gap in their cultivation was a whole realm; theoretically, Lin Rui had no chance of winning.


    At that instant, the entire sports stadium erupted once more.


    ¡°Lin Rui!


    Lin Rui!


    Lin Rui!¡±


    ¡°Instant Sword!


    Instant Sword!


    Instant Sword!¡±


    The tens of thousands of teachers and students from Mingde University were shouting at the top of their lungs while knocking their water bottles against the seats, creating a ¡®dong dong¡¯ sound.


    Lin Rui leapt onto the arena amidst these thunderous chants, casting a sideways glance at Zhao Yan: ¡°Senior, don¡¯t force yourself.


    Just watch from below.¡±


    Zhao Yan also knew that it was pointless for him to stand there; he let out a long breath of murky air: ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you, junior.¡±


    As he jumped off the arena, his figure staggered and he almost fell to the ground, but Zhao Yan still persisted and made his way back to the contestants¡¯ seat, gazing intensely at the arena below.


    He had already received a message from Nolan Wei and knew about the rapidly spreading storm of public opinion outside.


    Zhao Yan realized that today, that beast might fall from grace.


    As long as Lin Rui could defeat him, everything Jin Tianchen had, other than his family background, would crumble.


    Jin Tianchen followed closely after Lin Rui onto the arena, dressed in radiant armor, his figure still dashing and elegant, he stood firm in front of Lin Rui.


    Jin Tianchen realized his facade was crumbling; he was becoming less and less willing to pretend.


    After getting onto the stage, he stared nonchalantly at the knife in Lin Rui¡¯s hand: ¡°Is that a Flash-5 model in your hand?


    Still planning to use sword-drawing arts?¡±


    Was this guy really planning to renege on his promise and break the agreement on the eve of the battle?


    ¡°How could that be?


    I¡¯m a man of my word,¡± Lin Rui said with a chuckle upon hearing this, shaking his scabbard until it split open to reveal the Dark Heavens knife within.


    ¡°I just wanted to scare you.


    I didn¡¯t expect you to really switch to heavy armor, especially the Fortress-5 model.


    It¡¯s not too late to change your armor before the fight starts.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Jin Tianchen¡¯s lips twitched slightly.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to lose face by running back to the contestants¡¯ seat to change his armor no matter what.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s promise not to use Yang Pulling Slash, and his adherence to that commitment, eased Jin Tianchen¡¯s mind a bit.


    It was at this time that the referee next to them asked if they were ready.


    After both sides confirmed, the electronic countdown sounded throughout the sports stadium.


    ¡°10, 9, 8a?€¡°a?€¡°¡±


    Jin Tianchen clenched his swords, trying hard to collect his scattered emotions.


    However, right when the electronic voice reached 7, he heard Lin Rui chuckle, ¡°Interesting, Zhi Gong TV is broadcasting your news right now.¡±


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s mind wavered instantly, becoming a mess of thoughts.


    Zhi Gong TV was the largest television station in the Ninth Base City, with a viewership that covered half the population and a huge influence among the middle and upper classes of the Base City.


    Zhi Gong TV was broadcasting his news?


    Was it about that case from a year ago?


    What was the group¡¯s public relations department doing?


    It was at that moment that Jin Tianchen saw Lin Rui draw his knife.


    So the guy really didn¡¯t use the Yang Pulling Slash.


    Yet, Lin Rui¡¯s speed with the knife was still unimaginably fast, like thunder and lightning, and in an instant, the blade was already at Jin Tianchen¡¯s face.

 Chapter 318

    ?Chapter 318: Chapter 301: Instant Blade (Three more updates, please subscribe) Chapter 318: Chapter 301: Instant Blade (Three more updates, please subscribe) PS: I stayed up all night writing the climax, so I slept during the day, no updates at noon and night.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Jin Tianchen saw the boundless slash of the knife coming to his face, and instantly, he felt a chilling shudder, his hairs standing on end.


    ¡°Despicable!¡±


    Jin Tianchen realized that Lin Rui¡¯s previous remark was clearly a distraction, and he glared furiously.


    However, what he needed to do at this moment was to escape from Lin Rui¡¯s extremely domineering, lightning-fast knife, which seemed capable of severing time itself.


    He tried to stay calm, stepping back while planning his counterattack.


    The audience below the stage also let out a gasp of shock, astounded at the turn of events.


    They discovered that Lin Rui did not use his signature ¡°Yang Pulling Slash,¡± but simply wielded his knife in a plain manner.


    ...


    Li Xiaorou was equally surprised and sent a message to Xu Bo through her thoughts.


    Firefly Song (Li Xiaorou): Xu Bo, what¡¯s going on?


    Why isn¡¯t Lin Rui using the ¡°Charging Blade Technique¡±?


    But Xu Bo was also in a state of shock, and in that electric moment, he simply had no time to reply to Li Xiaorou.


    At this moment, in Lin Rui¡¯s live broadcast room, many fans were boiling over upon seeing this scene.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Lin Rui using the Yang Pulling Slash?¡±


    ¡°Is little Rui too cocky?


    The Yang Pulling Slash is his strongest secret blade.¡±


    ¡°The opponent is 5SS+ level after all!¡±


    However, the exchange between the two on the stage was as fast as lightning and in an instant, there were several clashes, and the outcome surprised everyone.


    ¡°Holy shit!


    Did you see that, Jin Tianchen¡¯s martial intent was crushed.¡±


    ¡°Jin Tianchen was forced into the corner within four moves.¡±


    ¡°Lin Rui has such a quick blade, seriously fast, even without using the Charging Blade Technique, his current drawing speed is one-thousandth of a second!¡±


    ¡°Abyss!


    Such a strong concept of the abyss, I can feel it from this distance.¡±


    Above the stage, swords clashed and sparks flew.


    When Jin Tianchen found his blade intent shattered, his face turned pale.@@@@


    Lin Rui¡¯s overwhelmingly vast abyssal will, his powerful concept of the abyss, instantly crushed his martial intent.


    Jin Tianchen could hardly believe that this guy could, in an instant, invoke four streams of abyss power with such high integration.


    But what caused Jin Tianchen¡¯s martial intent to collapse so easily was more about him,


    Jin Tianchen realized it was because his own fighting spirit was not strong and pure, and his mind was too chaotic, causing his own martial intent to be disordered and fragile compared to usual.


    This also affected his sword-wielding, making his sword speed and the regulation of his True Qi far worse than before.


    More troubling was that Jin Tianchen¡¯s judgment was off, overwhelmed and perturbed, he could no longer accurately judge Lin Rui¡¯s sword technique.


    The opponent¡¯s sword technique was swift and unpredictable, already hard to cope with.


    Jin Tianchen could not maintain focus, making it harder to make accurate predictions.


    And Lin Rui¡¯s blade force, why was it so strong?


    He could actually stand toe-to-toe with him.


    Jin Tianchen felt that Lin Rui¡¯s strength was still at the level of a junior officer, and his physical conditioning was still around 1700 points, not over the top.


    The problem was that this guy used every ounce of his strength to the fullest.


    a?€¡±That must be the concept of ¡°Limit¡± from the Limitless Venerable!


    ¡°Clang!


    Clang!


    At this moment in Lin Rui¡¯s live stream group, there was a torrent of exploding comments.


    ¡°The anchor is awesome!


    So freaking awesome!¡±


    ¡°Damn, the anchor always said his blade technique and speed could match the top five realms, and he wasn¡¯t lying.¡±


    ¡°That Escape Skill and anticipation are just too awesome.


    That was a gravity well, right?


    It¡¯s almost like a black hole, and he still managed to break free.¡±


    ¡°This is just explosive, look at Jin Tianchen, how embarrassed he is.¡±


    ¡°Oh man, this isn¡¯t going to be a quick win, is it?


    I bet 3000 Federal Coins on a tie.¡±


    ¡°Serves you right, which eye of yours thought they would tie?


    You really don¡¯t understand the anchor¡¯s strength.¡±


    By now, Lin Rui and Jin Tianchen had been clashing for less than 2 seconds, and everyone didn¡¯t even have time to discuss it; they were all composing texts with their thoughts.


    The rule on the Tianhuan Video Network is that posting comments is free, but shooting a barrage costs money; at this moment, the dense barrage almost covered the full screen.


    On stage, Jin Tianchen had already received the seventh slash, and he had already used two powerful bloodline abilities in succession, yet he couldn¡¯t escape his current predicament.


    Jin Tianchen desperately wanted to use ¡®Emperor Dark Star¡¯ and his secret move ¡®Divine Strength Collapse¡¯ again, but he couldn¡¯t muster the True Yuan vitality needed to execute this secret move.


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s heart was nearly mad, and he was very unwilling.


    He knew he was about to lose, and within fewer than 20 exchanges, he was going to lose to Lin Rui.


    Once he lost to Lin Rui, besides retaining his identity as a major clan¡¯s scion, he would lose everything else.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    Jin Tianchen let out a roar like a dying beast; a crimson mist of blood erupted from his body,


    He was ready to sacrifice everything, even at the cost of significantly damaging his vitality, to turn the desperate situation around.


    His eyes once again shone with a black luster, and tiny, almost invisible black spots began to appear around Lin Rui.


    Yet what terrified Jin Tianchen the most was that Lin Rui, once again, made an accurate prediction and fiercely flashed like thunder, unpredictably appearing behind Jin Tianchen.


    Lin Rui fiercely stabbed his blade into Jin Tianchen¡¯s heart from behind; although it did not completely pierce through the exceptionally strong Fortress 5 Type and Jin Tianchen¡¯s Armor Dragon Mail, it penetrated deep into Jin Tianchen¡¯s heart!


    Lin Rui then twisted and dragged the blade, shredding Jin Tianchen¡¯s internal organs and cutting open the entire right half of his chest and abdomen, bringing out a large cloud of blood mist.


    Jin Tianchen had just burst with his body¡¯s blood vitality, and after being stabbed, he suddenly became completely drained, his knees buckled, and he knelt down on the ground.


    Lin Rui then swung his blade again, aiming for Jin Tianchen¡¯s neck when the referee intervened in that moment.


    ¡°Stop!


    Fifth battle, Mingde University¡¯s Lin Rui wins!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui smirked and sheathed his sword.


    He glanced at Jin Tianchen, who was kneeling on the ground, nearly unconscious, and a hint of mockery appeared in his deep eyes.


    I may have overestimated this guy just a bit.


    This battle wasn¡¯t even 20 moves and he didn¡¯t even have the chance to use his newly implanted SSS level Armor and new secret blade move ¡®Yanguang Slash.¡¯ I was ready to go all out and crush this scum from the clouds to the deepest abyss, but it turned out that I only needed about seventy to eighty percent of my strength, and he already fell.


    At this moment, the entire stadium erupted once again with a tsunami-like roar,


    ¡°Lin Rui!


    Lin Rui!


    Lin Rui!¡±


    ¡°Instant Blade!


    Instant Blade!


    Instant Blade!


    Instant Blade!¡±


    The teachers and students of Mingde University below the stage couldn¡¯t believe the result of this battle or the reality in front of them until the emergency medical team rushed to the stage in the quickest time to treat Jin Tianchen.


    Then their emotions burst out like volcanic magma, the deafening cheers as if they could shake the whole stadium down!

 Chapter 319

    ?Chapter 319: Chapter 302: Beyond the Emperor (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 319: Chapter 302: Beyond the Emperor (Seeking Subscriptions) At Zhi Gong Sports TV, the veteran martial arts commentator Chang Zinan was smiling and talking to the show host.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Lin Rui could never defeat Jin Tianchen.¡±


    ¡°From the videos Lin Rui released, his martial arts are indeed of a high standard, but the two are ultimately a realm apart.


    With Lin Rui¡¯s SS+ overall combat rating, it¡¯s very difficult to cross realms and defeat an emperor-level like Jin Tianchen.¡±


    ¡°Now there¡¯s a claim that Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts videos might be AI-generated, or done by someone else, but I think that¡¯s unlikely.


    I¡¯ve watched his live streams; his skills are quite decent.¡±


    ¡°Good!


    We now see the countdown starting on the stage, and the match between the two is about to begina?€¡±¡±


    ¡°I think today¡¯s main highlight will still be Lin Rui¡¯s Escape Skill.


    If Lin Rui¡¯s Escape Skill is really up to the standard shown in those videos, then he still stands a chance to compete with Jin Tianchen, perhaps even ending in a draw.¡±


    While speaking, Chang Zinan glanced at the information sent by the director through his retinal display, then proceeded as scripted.


    In broadcasts like these where the commentators and hosts are ostensibly freewheeling, they actually have to follow the director¡¯s instructions.


    ...


    The directors tell them what to say to engage the audience and boost ratings.


    Chang Zinan felt that his remarks were quite fair.


    Go to novgo.co


    Zhi Gong TV is the largest television platform at Base Nine, committed to maintaining its credibility, unlike other stations where commentators, due to their dissatisfaction and dislike for Lin Rui, often rate him poorly.


    Chang Zinan¡¯s own views were similar to those of the production team; he recognized Lin Rui¡¯s capabilities but was pessimistic about this match.


    Chang Zinan predicted the match would end after about ten minutes, with Lin Rui putting up a good fight but ultimately losing to Jin Tianchen after about ten thousand moves.


    For a first-year university student, this would be an honorable defeat, and as long as Lin Rui wasn¡¯t severely injured, Mingde University would still qualify for the postseason championship.


    However, their discussion had just started when it couldn¡¯t proceed any further.


    All because in the holographic video before them, the match on the platform was decided; Lin Rui, with a series of extremely ferocious lightning-fast slashes, defeated Jin Tianchen decisively.@@@@


    The whole attack hadn¡¯t even lasted the time of two breaths, and he used only 19 slashes in total.


    Everyone in the studio, including the host, was stunned into silence.


    The same thought flashed through all their mindsa?€¡±It¡¯s a complete overturn!


    For a moment, no one knew how to continue from their previous comments.


    Lin Rui¡¯s swift victory had effectively slapped the faces of all the martial arts commentators and shows.


    Still, as a seasoned commentator, Chang Zinan quickly recovered, slapping the desk with excitement, his face flushed as he exclaimed, ¡°What a Lin Rui, and what incredible speed of the slashes!


    We all underestimated him.


    The speed of those slashes is phenomenal; we¡¯ve just gotten the measurements, an average of 0.0008 seconds per slash, that¡¯s eight ten-thousandths of a second!


    Considering the influence on the gravitational field when he swings, the actual speed can only be faster!¡±


    Another quickly caught on, ¡°Absolutely!


    Incredible, we all underestimated him.


    This is beyond emperor-level!


    No, I can assert this is a legendary talent seen only once in a decade in the federation.¡±


    I was just there, conserving energy, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t talk much.¡±


    ¡°Wow, thanks to this big brother for tipping me a yacht.


    It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve received such a large tip.


    Is it really 10 million federal coins?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I use Yang Pulling Slash?


    If I don¡¯t want to use it, I just don¡¯t.


    There¡¯s nothing special about that.¡±


    ¡°Jin Tianchen¡¯s real combat strength?


    I watched his battle videos before the match and felt he was somewhat overrated.


    I didn¡¯t feel much pressure during the fight, just like with other opponents.


    But if I had said this before the match, surely no one would have believed me.¡±


    ¡°All that talk about me changing tracks should stop.


    I¡¯m a serious martial arts streamer, and I work very hard at it.¡±


    ¡°My main focus is still on martial arts.


    You have no idea how hard I¡¯ve worked these past few months.


    I only take some time occasionally to study biology and history, as well as the cultural history of Heavenly Machines Star.


    I treat these academics as leisure, not as Versaillesa?€¡±¡±


    ¡°Is it possible to reach my level one day?


    It should be possible.


    The instructional videos I post are genuinely very sincere.


    Those interested can follow the order and practice regularly; sooner or later, you can reach my level.¡±


    Lin Rui was comforted to see the viewer count in his live stream¡¯s backstage reach 60 million, and still climbing higher.


    The total amount of tips also reached 340 million, exhilarating Lin Rui.


    At that moment, Lin Rui didn¡¯t know that Fang Ranran was sitting nearby, watching him with autumnal, limpid eyes,


    Fang Ranran felt comforted, sentimental, and happy.


    Lin Rui was now truly famous, and his popularity had transcended the circle.


    All fourteen base cities were abuzz across the net, discussing two topicsa?€¡±how Lin Rui, at level four, had defeated Jin Tianchen with just 19 slashes, and the downfall of Jin Tianchen¡¯s reputation.


    The heat and traffic of Jin Tianchen¡¯s downfall were even higher, which also, by association, boosted Lin Rui¡¯s fame significantly.


    Particularly, a large portion of Jin Tianchen¡¯s former fans had shifted over to Lin Rui¡¯s live streaming channel.


    If Lin Rui could win over this group of fans, achieving monthly earnings of 20 to 30 billion like Jin Tianchen would not be a problem, and he could bring tremendous sales to the Sky Blue Corporation.


    Fang Ranran was even more thrilled that she had also made a hefty profit this time, with the total funds in the betting pool reaching over 11 billion, soon to be transferred into the charities she controlled.


    Although Fang Ranran couldn¡¯t directly use this huge amount of money, if she managed it well, it could bring her substantial influence and even directly translate into votes.


    Just then, Fang Ranran¡¯s brow furrowed slightly.


    She had received a message from her maternal grandfather Linghu Mingde.

 Chapter 320

    ?Chapter 320: Chapter 303 Zhao Residence (Please Subscribe) Chapter 320: Chapter 303 Zhao Residence (Please Subscribe) Just as the competition between Mingde University and the Second City University was drawing to a close, Jin Bolong, the chairman of Jinhao Real Estate Group, stood on the slopes of Taihua Mountain north of Luojing City, gazing down at the huge city below.


    Although Taihua Mountain was more than 170 li from Luojing, Jin Bolong¡¯s mutated cultivation had reached the eighth level, and he was also a two-star reserve marshal of the federation, boasting remarkable eyesight that allowed him to clearly see every corner of Luojing, except for the imperial city, from his vantage point.


    What he was looking at now was an extensive estate near the imperial city that spanned five courtyards, both interior and exterior.


    Jin Bolong¡¯s gaze lingered on the sign bearing ¡°Zhao Estate¡± at the main gate of the estate and the imperial plaque with the inscription ¡°Venerable Elder of Purity and Honor¡± in the hall as it swept back and forth.


    Shortly after, Jin Bolong let out a light chuckle with his hands clasped behind his back, ¡°Imperial Censor Zhao Yang turned out to be Linghu Mingde?


    Interesting, very interesting indeed.


    It¡¯s beyond expectation.


    ...


    For centuries, everyone has been guessing the identity of this original mutated being, yet no one thought he would blend into the court, becoming the leader of the righteous faction of the Great Song Dynasty, standing tall in the court for over 700 years.¡±


    Standing beside Jin Bolong was an elderly scholar, his hair white as snow though showing no signs of frailty, his eyebrows imbued with a scholarly air, and an aura of steady and dignified composure.


    ¡°Chairman, this has yet to be confirmed; it is just a conjecture by Geng Tai and others at this point.


    The only evidence we have is a few ¡®Decaying Dragon Fungi¡¯ that have been found around the Zhao estate by the subordinates of young master Chen.¡±


    ¡°Indirect evidence also includes Zhao Yan, who serves in his household, Nolan Wei, and Zhao Yang¡¯s granddaughter, Zhao Yingxu, who is about the same age as Fang Ranran,¡± the elderly scholar continued.


    Decaying Dragon Fungi is a unique type of fungus native to Tianji Star, usually found in the corners of residential walls and courtyards.


    They appear quite unremarkable, in black and white, and are a common sight.


    Go to novgo.co


    However, once there are Martial Cultivators or battle dragons of the eighth level or above nearby that are declining, the Decaying Dragon Fungi not only change color but also shape.


    It is said that Decaying Dragon Fungi can absorb not only the surrounding ether elements but also the free ether molecules between heaven and earth.


    When high-ranking Martial Cultivators and battle dragons are in decline, not only do their spirits gradually disintegrate and collapse, but they also continuously emit ether elements.


    It is after absorbing these elements that the Decaying Dragon Fungi can change in color and form.


    About seven hundred years ago, due to the careless travels of federal starships to Tianji Star, some unique fungi from Tianji Star invaded fourteen base cities, proliferating massively within them.


    Decaying Dragon Fungi was one of them, and about three years ago, a mutated Decaying Dragon Fungi was discovered in a sewer about four kilometers from Linghu Mingde¡¯s residence.


    At that time, some people thought of this two-star marshal who had stood tall in the world for hundreds of years, causing a sensation throughout the entire network.


    Everyone knew that Linghu Mingde, the mutated elder, had fallen into ¡®The Five Decays of Heaven and Man¡¯ and was not far from death.


    And just a few days ago, a former colonel from the Western Information Bureau, heavily hired by Jin Tianchen¡¯s men, discovered an identical mutated Decaying Dragon Fungi outside the residence of Imperial Censor Zhao Yang.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Jin Bolong chuckled softly, ¡°Whether Zhao Yang is Linghu Mingde or not, he is already old and feeble.


    It won¡¯t hurt to try, what loss would it be to me?¡±


    His foundation on Tianji Star was not in Luojing, and this matter did not require him to expose his mutated identity, so he could fully afford the cost of failure.


    At this moment, Jin Bolong received a report from the ninth base city


    The elderly scholar also received the report and, after a moment, frowned deeply.


    ¡°It seems that situation for the sixth young master is not good, perilous and fraught with danger.


    He must have offended someone, as the public opinion on the internet is quite abnormal.¡±


    Jin Tianchen was ranked sixth among his many cousins within the Jin family.@@@@


    ¡°One mustn¡¯t judge solely by appearances, those people simply lack evidence, yet they rely on me to balance the political situation and check against the reformists.


    The moment they find a shred of evidence, disaster will come crashing down in an instant.¡±


    Linghu Mingde gazed toward the direction of the imperial city, ¡°The reason I don¡¯t raise a clan-guarding War Dragon is precisely because the Zhao family has too many pots and jars, making it hard for future generations to easily let go, which could instead invite calamity.


    But as the saying goes, a sly rabbit has three burrows.


    Having been in the central imperial courts for so many years, I¡¯ve already established another nest in Great Song¡¯s Northern Province, a true legacy that can be passed on to my descendants, unlike the current Zhao family, which is full of doubts in the eyes of those individuals.¡±


    Linghu Mingde scoffed coldly, ¡°So what if my identity is discovered?


    It¡¯s just a matter of changing the legacy.


    I, Linghu Mingde, have roamed within and beyond the Tianji Star for more than seven hundred years, how could I be controlled by others?¡±


    Fang Ranran first felt relieved upon hearing this, but then her brows furrowed.


    She realized the magnitude and difficulty of the legacy her maternal grandfather had been managing.


    Could they really give it up just like that?


    If they truly gave it up, what price would the Linghu family have to pay?


    Fang Ranran thought of her aunt who was usually very kind to her, yet today she claimed to be ill and declined to see her, causing Fang Ranran¡¯s heart to ache.


    ¡°Silly child, don¡¯t overthink it.


    Your aunt is truly indisposed today.


    She has always treated you as her own daughter since she raised you,¡± Linghu Mingde said with a pair of wise eyes that seemed to penetrate hearts, continuing to drink tea: ¡°The situation hasn¡¯t reached the extent you imagine.


    Do you know that the new commander of the Imperial Censor¡¯s bureau will enter the capital within a few days?¡±


    ¡°The commander of the Imperial Censor¡¯s bureau?¡± Fang Ranran looked surprised, contemplative, ¡°Does Grandfather intend to start with this person?


    I wonder if we could befriend or buy him off?¡±


    She understood her grandfather¡¯s intention to lay groundwork in advance.


    With Linghu Mingde¡¯s position in the Great Song court, even if he had slipped up, not just anyone was qualified to investigate.


    The court would surely have the commander of the Imperial Censor¡¯s bureau take charge of this case.


    Linghu Mingde shook his head, ¡°It is said that this commander of the Imperial Censor¡¯s bureau is very incorruptible.


    He has an excellent reputation as an official in his locale.


    After receiving the order to enter the capital, he journeyed north without delay, not stopping in any county along the way.


    Even when some officials waited to greet him on the waterway and board his boat to visit, the commander only treated them with polite ceremony, accepting only some modest gifts.


    We currently know nothing about this person and cannot act rashly.¡±


    At this moment, Linghu Mingde¡¯s tone shifted, ¡°However, he took an adopted sister in Wang City, named Zhou Yunxi, whose great-grandfather was an old acquaintance of mine, her father is one of my subordinates, and she belongs to the reformist line in the court.


    Considering my position as Imperial Censor, I must offer some attention.


    When she and her brother arrive in the capital, you may take my greeting card and inquire, preferably inviting Zhou Yunxi to stay at our Zhao residence.¡±


    Fang Ranran listened while searching online for information about the new commander of the Imperial Censor¡¯s bureau and Zhou Yunxi.


    She then paused, thinking to herself how coincidental it was that this Lin Shier, the commander of the Imperial Censor¡¯s bureau, was also a person from Wang City in Shazhou.

 Chapter 321

    ?Chapter 321: Chapter 304: Carefree (Please Subscribe) Chapter 321: Chapter 304: Carefree (Please Subscribe) The competition ended that evening, and Zhao Yan, Nolan Wei, and others were overwhelmed with excitement.


    They had never imagined that they could take revenge on Jin Tianchen and make that beast pay, just half a year after joining Mingde University.


    However, after attending the press conference held by the school, Lin Rui returned to the Martial Cultivation Society to practice his swordsmanship in his different body.


    Since the transformation of his different body into a dragon, Lin Rui had moved his daily Body Refinement and standing practice to his different body.


    Under the assimilation effect of the different body, he could only obtain the greatest benefits by practicing in this more powerful form.


    In Lin Rui¡¯s view, Jin Tianchen was nothing but an insignificant stone on his life¡¯s path, one that he could easily kick away.


    Such a character was not worth worrying about in defeat and not exciting in victory.


    ...


    Lin Rui had his own life goals and plans.


    He knew that despite appearing to have unlimited glory, he and his sister Lin Xi still had a profound abyss to cross in their future.


    What he needed to do now was to go all out to enhance his combat power, accumulate wealth, and expand his influence; otherwise, the future would be very bleak for him and Lin Xi.


    However, when Lin Rui returned to the ninth base city to prepare for a live stream the next day at noon, he was shocked by his income and viewership.


    Just in one night, the subscription volume for his martial arts teaching videos had exceeded 800 million federal dollars, and the tip amount was also over 100 million federal dollars.


    When he started streaming, the number of followers skyrocketed, reaching a peak of 65 million.


    This was the data of a top-tier martial artist, although it was aided by the public attention caused by his victory over Jin Tianchen the day before.


    Go to novgo.co


    Even the Martial Cultivation Society of Mingde University benefited from this, receiving sponsorships worth at least 1.5 billion federal dollars.


    The competition committee of the university martial arts league does not allow students to earn money by endorsing products, and they have strict requirements for the martial cultivation societies of various universities.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I¡¯m looking forward to it as well.


    Although Lin Rui responded like this, he did not take it seriously in his heart.


    Shi Yan is now an official competitor for Tian Jing Martial University, but currently, she only holds the position of a reserve.


    If they really met in the championship, Shi Yan was unlikely to face him, the main player.


    Zhao Yan, Fang Ranran, and Nolan Wei might not match the overall strength of Tian Jing Martial University¡¯s counterparts, but they were quite capable.


    For Shi Yan to advance from the reserve position to face him, how could it be easy?


    Lin Rui thought to himself that this little upstart would need to work much harder to gain the privilege to compete against him.


    In the following days, with the help of his popularity, Lin Rui¡¯s income remained astonishing: 20 billion, 15 billion, 10 billion, 8 billion, 5 billiona?€¡±until it began to normalize on the seventh day, still bringing in over 3 billion a day.


    However, at this point, the progressive tax rate for his personal income had reached the maximum bracket of 46%.


    Lin Rui was initially heartbroken, thinking half his earnings would be taken by the government, but he soon realized that he didn¡¯t need to pay much tax after all.


    Following the advice of his personal lawyer Kang Mingkai, Lin Rui hired a top accounting firm for help.


    He emulated the wealthy by buying some stocks, setting up several companies, and creating a few charitable foundations for tax avoidance.


    According to federal law, citizens who invest their earnings in investment and charity can deduct a large amount of tax.


    As the manager of the charitable foundations and a company executive, it was reasonable for Lin Rui to expense his daily living costs and medical bills, wasn¡¯t it?


    He could also employ a security team and a legal team in the name of the charitable fund.


    In short, most of his expenses could be shifted elsewhere.


    Personal consumption could also be tax-deductible, so Lin Rui ordered a yacht worth hundreds of millions and bought a 5000-square-meter plot of old factory land near Mingde University to renovate into a large villa.

 Chapter 322

    ?Chapter 322: Chapter 304: Carefree (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 322: Chapter 304: Carefree (Please Subscribe)_2 After all the wrangling, Lin Rui¡¯s final tax rate was less than 7%.


    Lin Rui discovered that the laws of the Ninth Base City were entirely in service of the rich, and now he was also reaping the benefits.


    What puzzled Lin Rui was that, after that competition, Fang Ranran rarely appeared at the Martial Arts Society except for the matches, spending the rest of her time elsewhere.


    Even during the matches, she looked solemn, as if burdened with worry.


    Lin Rui was curious about Fang Ranran¡¯s mysterious behavior, but he was also extremely busy with a myriad of issues.


    First and foremost was that the government ship he was on would soon arrive at Luojing City, where he was about to officially take office as the Commander of the Anti-Espionage Bureau.


    It was a day Zhou Yunfei had long awaited; it meant that the mole who had betrayed the Federal Bureau of Homeland Security and caused many of his subordinates to die tragically was about to be exposed.


    ...


    However, during a private meeting, Zhou Yunfei cautioned Lin Rui that after assuming his position, he must act with utmost caution.


    ¡°You have just taken office, and your position is not yet secure, nor have you earned the true trust of several Divine Envoys, so you must think thrice before acting and prioritize stability.


    You cannot afford to lose the big picture over small matters,¡± Zhou Yunfei said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry with that dossier.


    You must protect yourself and not do anything that could arouse suspicion from above.


    Once you have secured your position and are fully confident, then it won¡¯t be too late to make a move,¡± he continued.


    ¡°When you have the chance, you can look at the contents of the dossier.


    Go to novgo.co


    There¡¯s no need to take it out.


    Although it can¡¯t serve as evidence for indictment, it will let me know which bastard is behind this!¡±


    Ever since the establishment of the Third Special Operations Division, Zhou Yunfei¡¯s status within the Ninth Division of the Security Bureau had steadily increased, so he was no longer in a hurry to achieve results.


    He was eager to root out the traitor hidden within the Security Bureau, but he also knew that Lin Rui¡¯s appointment as the Commander of the Anti-Espionage Bureau was of extraordinary significance to the entire Federal Bureau of Homeland Security.


    For now, ensuring Lin Rui¡¯s safety was more important.


    Lin Rui felt the same.


    After arriving in Luojing, he would certainly observe the situation and act according to his abilities, never putting himself in danger for the sake of Zhou Yunfei¡¯s mission.


    The second issue concerned the Nursery Rhyme Killer.@@@@


    Not long ago, the Sixth Street Gang and the Tiger Fang Gang from the lower districts had completed a huge drug and arms deal worth 15 billion.


    If they catch the Nursery Rhyme Killer this time, good for them.


    But if they fail to capture him and instead lose the evidence, I¡¯d like to see how they explain themselves to me and to those above.¡±


    Lin Rui looked thoughtful and proactively raised his glass to toast with him, ¡°Uncle Zhou, isn¡¯t this too reckless?


    They¡¯re using so much evidence from the evidence room without even a report; they¡¯re completely disregarding you.


    But how did you find out about it?


    If they wanted to keep it from you, surely they wouldn¡¯t let a single word slip.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei smiled upon hearing this, his gaze at Lin Rui both proud and satisfied, ¡°Actually, I owe it to your good fortune, Lin Rui.


    The cases that your Special Action Division cracked open have made many within the Ninth Branch see the situation clearly.


    ¡°Actually, You Ming was quite cautious.


    Not only did he hide high-tech quantum trackers in that divine metal, but those bank black cards also have issues.


    In addition to the nanopositioning chips, they collaborated with the underground banks where the money was stored.


    As soon as the Nursery Rhyme Killer uses that money, the Security Bureau will activate the tracker immediately, tracing the final accounts that money flows into.¡±


    Lin Rui squinted, pondering that General Zhou indeed had a rising position within the Security Bureau, his intelligence network now extremely well-informed, having learned all the arrangements You Ming had made clearly.


    ¡°The reason You Ming dared to take so much from the evidence room is because he is confident in their trap.


    I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s an escape tunnel dug by Jin San beneath the warehouse, and its life support system can sustain a battalion-sized private army.


    If the Nursery Rhyme Killer dares to strike there, he definitely won¡¯t survive.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei continued, then sighed, ¡°Actually, I still hope You Ming succeeds.


    The Nursery Rhyme Killer is indeed a huge headache; I hope that Deputy Director You can capture this killer soon.¡±


    The reason he¡¯d been indifferent about You Ming¡¯s use of the evidence room was that he didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter.


    As the influence of the Nursery Rhyme Killer grew, so did the pressure from above.


    Zhou Yunfei didn¡¯t want to touch this case at all now, but he also worried that the pressure would eventually reach him.


    Lin Rui was highly perceptive; he promptly smiled and raised his glass again, ¡°Uncle Zhou, rest assured, if You Ming can¡¯t handle it, our Third Special Action Division will take over the case.


    I have absolute confidence we can apprehend him in the shortest time possible!¡±


    Zhou Yunfei laughed heartily upon hearing this, thinking to himself, with Lin Rui on side, what is there to worry about?

 Chapter 323

    ?Chapter 323: Chapter 305: Killing Intent (Please Subscribe) Chapter 323: Chapter 305: Killing Intent (Please Subscribe) As soon as the banquet ended, Lin Rui sent the intelligence that Zhou Yunfei had divulged into the combat group chat.


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): They¡¯ve indeed invested heavily this time.


    There¡¯s a video leaked on the dark web claiming to be the handiwork of one of Jin San¡¯s men risking his life to film it.@@@@


    I can¡¯t confirm the authenticity of those black cards in the bank, but the divine gold bars are the real deala?€¡±over 30,000 taels, worth more than 30 billion Federation dollars.


    Lin Guangming: Guess what I found in this escape route?


    I just sent a few mechanized bugs to check it out, and this escape route also directly leads to the outer layer of Satellite 9.


    There¡¯s also a small dock there, with a guard starship equipped with a quantum leap device docked.


    ...


    a?€¡±This is Lin Guangming of Heart of Light 9.


    She named herself Lin Guangming after being added to the combat group by Lin Rui.


    Lin Guangming: I also scrutinized the pile of second-hand parts in the video.


    There¡¯s enough to assemble at least twenty Red Spider Model 6s and four Red Spider Model 7s.


    They should also be able to put together some higher-grade mechas and exoskeleton armors, and there¡¯s even a Dragon Slayer Model 7, but I couldn¡¯t see clearly as it was blocked.


    The parts for the fifth model are piled up like a small mountain, easily enough for a hundred units.


    Lin Rui¡¯s spirits lifted at this news.


    Go to novgo.co


    The cost of a guard frigate is just over seventy to eighty million dollars, and with all kinds of weapons, it¡¯s a bit over two hundred million.


    However, a guard starship equipped with a quantum leap device starts at 3.5 billion dollars.


    What was crucial was that quantum leap devices were hard to acquire; they were priceless on the dark web.


    Lin Guangming already owned one guard starship.


    If he could get his hands on this one as well, he could organize a smuggling fleet operating to and from Tianji Star.


    The Red Spider Model 7s were even more expensive.


    Lin Rui had previously spent 5 billion Federation dollars in black money to purchase just two.


    Xue Lingxue: I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s more.


    Based on what I know about Jin San, this guard starship may also be storing a vast fortune, possibly even his real assets.


    Xue Lingxue: If that¡¯s the case, then this operation might be feasible.


    novgo.co


    We have complete intelligence, and with Lin Guangming¡¯s addition, our strength far exceeds their expectations.


    If the plan goes smoothly, we could even consider transferring the weapons and parts from the warehouse to the guard starship through the escape route to make our getaway.


    Fei Yunlai the Invincible Bull: I think it¡¯s doable.


    Let¡¯s make a plan, BOSS!


    Fei Yunlai, changing his previous attitude, was very enthusiastic.


    Based on his employment agreement with Lin Rui, if the profits from a mission exceeded 5 billion, and Fei Yunlai played a major role, then he could take a 1% cut of the earnings.


    Fei Yunlai had gambled away the 30 million he had struggled to gather in just a few days.


    He had been living tightly and indeed needed the money.


    Moreover, the numbers for this operation were indeed substantial.


    Gong Hengdao: I¡¯ll follow the BOSS.


    Wang Sen the Eccentric Youth: Me too.


    Ji Xueying of the Blood Blade Sky Saber: Same here!


    Lin Rui also wanted to tackle a big heist.


    He calculated the potential earnings and figured that they could reap between 300,000 to 400,000 Soul Power points in one go.


    Afterward, with some demon-slaying on Tianji Star, he might be able to exchange them for the Emperor Flame War Dragon.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    In the sterile life support pod of Mingde University Affiliated Hospital, Jin Tianchen slowly opened his eyes.


    He glanced around and realized he was inside an ICU ward.


    After checking the time on the smart terminal, he found that it had been the 7th day since the competition.


    The stab that Lin Rui inserted into his body was incredibly malicious, shredding his spine and four prosthetic parts.


    Thus, Jin Tianchen realized he might have to lay down for a long time before he lost consciousness.


    What he was most concerned about now was the condition of his own body.


    He wanted to know if his talent would be affected.


    Just then, the smart alloy door outside opened, and his aide Geng Tai walked in.


    His expression was one of excited surprise, ¡°President Jin, you¡¯re awake?


    I¡¯ve already notified your parents, and they will be here soon.¡±


    Geng Tai immediately noticed Jin Tianchen¡¯s expression, ¡°President Jin, your body is alright.


    The doctors said there will be no lingering effects, but the four prosthetic parts couldn¡¯t be saved.


    You¡¯ll need some rest before getting them reimplanted.


    As you know, the medical standards at Mingde University Affiliated Hospital are top-notch.¡±


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s eyes darkened further, ¡°I received a notification of withdrawal from school in my information bank, along with a summon from the police and a subpoena from the court.


    What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°President Jin, the Second City University has a new principal, and three days ago, they decided to expel you from school.


    Our Ninth Base City¡¯s chief prosecutor, pressured by public opinion, has reopened the investigation of that case from a year ago.¡±


    Geng Tai answered carefully, fearful of enraging the other party, ¡°The legal department of the group and Heavenly Shield Law Firm said the issue isn¡¯t big, they can handle it for you.


    However, please stay low-key during this time, try not to appear in public.


    The chairman also said that for the time being, it might be best if you focus your business efforts on the alien species of Tianji Star, which just so happens to need you in Luojing.¡±


    Jin Tianchen clenched his fists tightly, his veins bulging visibly.


    His chest heaved violently, struggling to calm down.


    Jin Tianchen knew his career was ruined.


    Not only was his public image destroyed but his pride as a prosthetic martial artist and strongman was also shattered by Lin Rui.


    The 43 billion Federal currency of operational funds had also been put into Fang Ranran¡¯s betting pool, swallowed up completely.


    From now on, he would have to obey his uncle¡¯s orders, being used as a tool and weapon.


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s eyes were filled with rage, bloodshot with anger, ¡°Help me find a killer on the dark web, I want the top level.


    Those who have received the Dark Honor Medals or even a ¡®King¡¯, no matter the cost, I want Lin Rui dead!¡±


    Although he had no cash in hand now, he could still take out loans, as well as the funds provided to him by his family every month.


    Geng Tai was not surprised by these words; he knew Jin Tianchen would definitely vent his anger on Lin Rui.


    Plus, that Lin Rui was indeed not a good person, as his moves in the ring were extremely ruthless.


    It was his stab that completely cut off Jin Tianchen¡¯s path as a martial arts star.


    ¡°Alright, President Jin.


    However, this will anger Fang Ranran.¡±


    At these words, Jin Tianchen sneered coldly.


    He was already in this state; what more did he have to fear from angering Fang Ranran?


    What could Fang Ranran do to him, take his life?


    Besides, Fang Ranran was too preoccupied to bother with him now.


    If the information that Geng Tai and the others had gathered was accurate, then his uncle was about to take the Linghu family clan into his own hands.

 Chapter 324

    ?Chapter 324: Chapter 306: Arrival (Three more updates, please subscribe) Chapter 324: Chapter 306: Arrival (Three more updates, please subscribe) The next morning, Xue Lingxue dealt with her official duties at the fastest speed and then made her way to the parking lot.


    According to the plan Xue Lingxue had formulated, they were to begin their operation tonight.


    Xue Lingxue needed to head to the secret base to make some preparations.


    She would next take a car out, pretending to run errands at Mingde University, and then return to the secret base through the clandestine passage they had carved out beneath the university¡¯s internal pipeline.


    Once she got into her magnetic levitation official vehicle, she almost unconsciously turned on the car¡¯s network television and used her thoughts to search for news related to Lin Rui.


    ¡°This station reports that at noon yesterday, the up-and-coming martial arts star Lin Rui attended a charity event held by the ¡®Patriotic Veterans Foundation¡¯, where he exchanged martial arts techniques with retired armed police veterans and promised to invest ten billion Federation dollars over the next ten years to support veterans suffering from ¡®Cybernetic Syndrome¡¯, helping them improve their lives.¡±


    ¡°This station reports that at 14:00 yesterday, the infamous ¡®Kid¡¯s Song Killer¡¯ made another appearance, slaughtering a stronghold of the Tiger Tooth Gang at B34211 underpass, with 73 casualties.


    This is the fifth attack by the ¡®Kid¡¯s Song Killer¡¯ this month.


    ...


    Let¡¯s go to the live report.¡±


    While driving, Xue Lingxue listened to the news on the car¡¯s projection TV, occasionally glancing at it.


    Just as Xue Lingxue drove up to the entrance of the garage, a disheveled woman suddenly rushed in front of her vehicle, violently colliding with it.


    Xue Lingxue was slightly startled; concerned about the woman¡¯s injuries, she quickly stopped the car and got out to check on her.


    At that moment, a group of people rushed over.


    Some wore white lab coats a?€¡° they were nurses and doctors summoned from Mingde University¡¯s ¡®Cybernetic Psychiatry Department.¡¯


    Go to novgo.co


    Because patients from the ¡®Cybernetic Psychiatry Department¡¯ generally possess formidable martial prowess, the nurses and doctors from this department are, without exception, powerful cybernetic martial artists, predominantly male.


    Then, a squad of armed security personnel rushed over.


    These security guards employed by the Third Special Operations Division were mostly retired veterans from the armed police force, each formidable in combat.


    They joined hands in pinning down the woman who had been knocked flying, keeping her firmly under control.


    The security team leader, while restraining the woman¡¯s hands, apologized to Xue Lingxue with an embarrassed smile, ¡°Sorry, Assistant Xue.


    Not only does this woman test positive for Cybernetic Syndrome, but she also has a deep dependency on ¡®Lingyun¡¯ drugs.


    She refused to accept the test results, and since her power is still decent, there was a bit of an incident.¡±


    The woman continued to struggle violently, ¡°Let go of me!


    I want to see your supervisor.


    My Cybernetic Syndrome can¡¯t possibly be this severe.


    I¡¯m in good condition, and I haven¡¯t used ¡®Lingyun¡¯ in the past few daysa?€¡±¡±


    Xue Lingxue frowned upon hearing this.


    The Third Special Operations Division, by order of the Homeland Security Committee, was responsible for investigating all personnel within the Security Department for their finances, social relationships, and ¡®Lingyun¡¯ usage.


    Particularly with ¡®Lingyun¡¯, all members of the Security Department diagnosed with ¡®Cybernetic Syndrome¡¯, had to proactively submit to specialized testing by the Third Special Operations Division within a month.


    novgo.co


    Thus, their division had been quite busy for the past month.


    This woman in front of Xue Lingxue was a cybernetic colonel who had used ¡®Lingyun¡¯.


    What struck Xue Lingxue was that the voice sounded familiar.


    Xue Lingxue suddenly thought of someone a?€¡° Zhang Ruoying, the old classmate who had bragged to her via message the day Xue Lingxue was promoted to assistant of the Third Special Operations Division.


    ¡°Assistant Xue?


    Currently idle with no leads to pursue and the previously infallible big data analysis now rendered ineffective, the projected suspects just didn¡¯t match up.


    A few days ago, an outdated, government-database-lacking model had even suggested that the martial arts star Lin Rui and his head coach Fei Yunlai were suspects.


    Luo Tao was initially excited; given Lin Rui¡¯s past, the man had grievances with the Blood Lizard Gang and had the motive to commit the crimes.


    But upon closer inspection, it turned out that for two of the crimes committed by the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer,¡± Lin Rui was either live-streaming or attending events.


    So now, Luo Tao was desperate to seize onto any thread of possibility, however slight.


    Yet, the elite team from the Special Service Center, led by him, had been in ambush for a full 10 hours without a glimpse of the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer.¡±


    To stay covert, they were forced to hide in the cramped passages of the sewage and ventilation system.


    The air quality was still fair, as to defend against the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer,¡± they were all clad in exoskeleton armor equipped with internal recirculation systems, and they also had a completely silent air purifier at their disposal.


    But the environment was too cramped, causing a feeling of oppression and discomfort.


    They couldn¡¯t even use their smart terminals to avoid detection by the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer,¡± as the teams had to minimize electromagnetic signal emission to stay hidden.


    After an entire 10 hours in the confined tunnel, more and more people were growing restless.


    They were either shifting their bodies back and forth or whispering to each other; some of the more defiant ones ignored Luo Tao¡¯s orders and started watching TV shows on their smart devices.


    At first, Luo Tao was able to maintain control, but as time passed, the situation gradually spiraled out of control, and even his trusted subordinates began advising him.


    ¡°Director Luo, I think this intelligence is mostly false.


    The ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯ probably won¡¯t appear.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I think we can withdraw now.


    The men are in a bad mood; they¡¯re getting restless.


    Why don¡¯t we move somewhere else?


    Jin San¡¯s privately dug escape tunnel seems like a better spot.


    At least it¡¯s more bearable for everyone there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Director, we¡¯re stewing in here like in a pressure cooker, guarding the damn pups of the Zhongyi Ganga?€¡±it¡¯s inevitable that people will be upset.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Luo Tao reprimanded, his expression ugly as he glanced around at everyone.


    The matter of Jin San¡¯s escape tunnel was a secret negotiation handled personally by Vice Minister You Ming and Jin San, classified within the Special Service Center.


    How dare these men speak of it?


    Besides, that tunnel was Jin San¡¯s lifeline; unless the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer¡± truly made an appearance, Jin San would never reveal the tunnel to let security bureau personnel in, nor would he expose his three battalions of private armed forces.


    Luo Tao realized that this was a consequence of his waning authority.


    It was the impact of the continuous pressure and scolding from the National Security Committee and the gradual disadvantage of You Ming in the internal power struggles within the security bureau.


    Just then, Luo Tao¡¯s silent-mode smart device received a private message: ¡°Luo Tao, I¡¯ve found out about that Xue Lingxue.


    She has a classmate in your Ninth Branch, and she might know Xue Lingxue¡¯s detailed information (delete after reading).¡±


    It was a self-destruct message, and upon reading it, Luo Tao felt a surge of hope.


    It was from an old connection in the Third Branch, someone Luo Tao had asked to help him investigate Xue Lingxue¡¯s background.


    Luo Tao thought if he couldn¡¯t find the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer,¡± uncovering the identity of that ¡®Thunder¡¯ General would be a significant achievement.


    He was about to reply to find out who this person was when he heard a cry of alarm, ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯, they¡¯ve made their move!


    Damn, this time they¡¯re going straight into the fitness center?¡±

 Chapter 325

    ?Chapter 325: Chapter 307: You Are Surrounded (Please Subscribe) Chapter 325: Chapter 307: You Are Surrounded (Please Subscribe) Luo Tao also saw the closed-circuit video footage from ¡°Zhongyi Martial Arts Fitness Center.¡±


    He saw a figure, clad in a full set of exoskeleton armor, single-handedly charging into the fitness center and, in a blink, slew three people.


    Judging from the shape of that exoskeleton armor, it was exactly the ¡®Heavenly Impregnable¡¯ model 7 mass-production version.


    Later, the Nursery Rhyme Killer had someone from the dark web repair and modify it.


    Luo Tao had found this mechanic to learn about the situation.


    Although he didn¡¯t uncover the identity of the Nursery Rhyme Killer, he learned the appearance and shape of this exoskeleton armor, including its weak point at the neck area.


    The surveillance video lasted only a moment before the screen went black.


    This was surely the work of a top-tier hacker, severing the surveillance video data.


    ...


    Luo Tao was beyond excited as he sent a message in the ¡°Nursery Rhyme Case Group.¡±


    ¡°The fish have bitten, commence the operation according to plan!¡±


    ¡°Cyber monitoring team, find this hacker as quickly as possible; get help from the Cyber Security Center.


    Also, inform the nearby armed police forces to block the surrounding roads!¡±


    The members of the group responded one after another.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Understood!


    Go to novgo.co


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Yes, Luo sir!


    a?€¡±a?€¡±It¡¯s now, move out!


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Act quickly, speed, speed!


    a?€¡±a?€¡±People are already here, lock him down!


    Those hidden in this lair dashed out like arrows, sprinting towards the ¡°Zhongyi Martial Arts Fitness Center¡± at top speed.


    They had to quickly seal all the escape routes of the Nursery Rhyme Killer and then close in on him!


    These individuals were elites from the Special Service Center, skilled in various tactics.


    Although there had been some frustrations due to a 10-hour-long stakeout protecting a gangster boss like Jin San, when they began their operation, they displayed extremely high tactical proficiency.


    Luo Tao himself sprinted towards the ¡°Zhongyi Martial Arts Fitness Center¡± at a speed difficult for the human eye to catch.


    On his way, he saw members of Zhongyi gang, under Jin San, also flooding towards the fitness center.


    These individuals were fully armed, donning various military gear, which was a severe violation of the Ninth Base Security Law.


    However, a mutual understanding had been reached beforehand, allowing both parties to turn a blind eye.


    Luo Tao¡¯s speed far surpassed these individuals as he crashed into the fitness center, witnessing a bloody scene.


    The walls all around were splattered with blood, the floor littered with numerous mutilated corpses and severed limbs, amidst a chaos of training equipment.


    Over 40 members of the Zhongyi gang on the first floor of the fitness center were all dead!


    Only a few externally hired staff were shivering in a corner.


    Luo Tao thought though this guy¡¯s cultivation was low, his combat power was not to be underestimated.


    But at that moment, these people were utterly silent.


    Even Jin San looked puzzled, casting a doubtful glance in that direction.


    His heart was even more uncertain because at this time, the connection between Jin San and his subordinates had been completely severed.


    Jin San sent some messages over, but he kept getting no response.


    This darkened Jin San¡¯s mood, wondering what exactly had happened in that escape tunnel and why his subordinates had not responded.


    Just then, the ¡®Nursery Rhyme Killer¡¯ suddenly dashed back, instantly shuttling to a distance of 30 meters away.


    Both men, without hesitation and at the first opportunity, darted toward the direction the Nursery Rhyme Killer was fleeing.


    The man didn¡¯t flee toward any of the exit paths, but instead headed towards the direction of the vault.


    Luo Tao and Jin San, as seventh-level Martial Cultivators, should have had a chasing speed far exceeding that of the Nursery Rhyme Killer.


    That¡¯s what they both thought, so they both conserved some energy to guard against those two higher-level Martial Cultivators.


    Yet, they soon discovered that the Nursery Rhyme Killer¡¯s escaping speed was exceptionally outstanding!


    Not only had the distance between them not closed, it was instead growing wider.


    ¡°Colonel level??¡±


    Luo Tao was utterly shocked, no longer holding back and his blood energy bursting to its limits.


    Today was a hard-won opportunity, and he would not allow this scum to escape from in front of him!


    By his side, Jin San was somewhat worried about the abnormal situation in the direction of the escape tunnel and slowed down a bit.


    50 meters, 30 meters, 20 metersa?€¡±just as they were closely following the Nursery Rhyme Killer into Warehouse No.


    5, the walls of the tunnel beside them suddenly exploded!


    Jin San¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, precisely because that side was the location of his escape tunnel.


    That was the tunnel Jin San had privately excavated, prepared to escape from Base City 9 under some extreme circumstances.


    A hundred years ago, the legal system within Base City 9 was extremely strict; a mob leader like him was always in jeopardy and had to leave himself a way out.


    This time, it was under the repeated pressure from You Ming that Jin San thought he no longer needed this escape system, using it instead as a trap for the ¡®Nursery Rhyme Killer¡¯.


    And in this instant, the rock layer separating his warehouse and the escape tunnel was extensively blasted away, causing dust to fly in all directions.


    At the same time, a huge black figure burst out from within, pouncing towards Luo Tao.


    ¡°Seventh-level ¡®Dark Gold Shadow Dragon¡¯?¡±


    Luo Tao¡¯s pupils violently constricted, but what surprised him even more was seeing through the dust with his targeting system, the dozens of massive combat robots.


    a?€¡±There were exactly 32 Type 6 Red Spiders!


    12 Type 6 Hawk Falcons combat robots!


    6 Type 7 Red Spiders!


    ¡°How is this possible?¡±


    Luo Tao was utterly bewildered, wondering how this Nursery Rhyme Killer could possibly command such powerful robot arms?


    At this moment, Jin San, following behind Luo Tao, also felt his scalp tingle and sensed a strong foreboding.

 Chapter 326

    ?Chapter 326: Chapter 308: Disgrace (Please Subscribe) Chapter 326: Chapter 308: Disgrace (Please Subscribe) When 50 high-grade robots opened fire simultaneously, their combined 200-plus powerful plasma ray guns instantly pierced through the smoke and dust, exploding Luo Tao and Jin San¡¯s exoskeleton armor in a moment, as well as firmly blocking the two biological armored combat dragons that were following them.


    Luo Tao took three sniper bullets in an instant, penetrating his body!


    It was the sixth-level sniper he had always been on guard against, hidden in an unknown location.


    In a flash, he fired six bullets, but the distracted Luo Tao only managed to block three.


    At that moment, a seventh-level ¡°Dark Gold Shadow Dragon¡± also made its way around from the side.


    This mighty combat dragon, to avoid blocking the line of fire of those high-level combat robots, deliberately took a detour and attacked from the rear flank.


    Luo Tao was powerless to resist, not only because his dragon was intercepted by the powerful firepower of the Type 7 Red Spiders but also because it had taken a hit from a sniper cannon, shattering its entire chest area.


    ...


    The sixth-level sniper¡¯s shooting skill was extremely adept.


    Although Luo Tao¡¯s ¡°Titanium Gold Blade Dragon¡± moved quickly, it was still hit by the opposing dragon¡¯s sniper cannon.


    So when the seventh-level ¡°Dark Gold Shadow Dragon¡± rushed over and viciously slashed, Luo Tao had no strength left to counter.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Luo Tao was smashed and sent flying, crashing into a wall dozens of meters away.


    The immense force of the blade not only severely injured his internal organs and bones but also created a huge deep pit in the wall.


    Luo Tao was incredibly shocked to find himself completely limp, unable to muster any strength.


    Go to novgo.co


    But this shouldn¡¯t be the case; he was a seventh-level Martial Cultivator with extremely strong physical and life force, such injuries should not have been enough to make him lose his combat ability.


    Luo Tao immediately realized it was poison, carried by the bullets.


    He looked incredulous, wondering what kind of toxin it was that could maintain its paralysis effectiveness instantly in a Martial Cultivator of the seventh realm despite the high temperatures caused by bullet speeds reaching dozens of Mach.


    It was also at this time that Luo Tao saw the messages sent by his subordinates in the ¡°Special Case Group¡±.


    a?€¡±a?€¡± Something¡¯s wrong!


    Director, several of our colleagues have passed out.


    a?€¡±a?€¡± I feel dizzy and my limbs are numb; the situation is severe.


    a?€¡±a?€¡± I must be poisoned, damn it!


    I¡¯ve had the recirculation system on ever since the mission started, and haven¡¯t breathed a single breath of outside air.


    a?€¡±a?€¡± This is a very powerful anesthetic.


    It¡¯s not just us; members of the Loyalty Gang are also beginning to faint en masse.@@@@


    a?€¡±a?€¡± I¡¯m having difficulty breathing, and can barely think.


    What kind of anesthetic is this?


    9 to paralyze these combat robots, but controlling them is difficult.


    It¡¯s best done with help by directly implanting the virus into the robots¡¯ control core.


    Wang Sen is undertaking this tough job.


    Xia Mo Qian Nian (Lin Xi): My side is also set.


    I now control all the forklifts and handling robots in the warehouse.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Continue as planned, Old Fei go cooperate with No.


    9 to open the vault, Ling Xue and Old Gong keep watch, Lin Xi and Wang Sen are responsible for transporting the goods onto the ship, we should have plenty of time, no rush.


    Lin Rui then walked up to Luo Tao, who was nearly unconscious, and mercilessly stabbed his long knife into Luo Tao¡¯s body.


    This man was a cybernetically enhanced general of the Safety Bureau, considered a colleague of his.


    Lin Rui would not take Luo Tao¡¯s life, maintaining his last bit of respect for law and humanity.


    However, Luo Tao¡¯s cyber gear could not be saved.


    A Safety Bureau official colluding with the underworld should better be destroyed quickly.


    Barely conscious, Luo Tao was jolted back to awareness by the severe pain and raised his head with a fierce and venomous gaze at Lin Rui: ¡°You bastard, unless you kill me today, I will definitely catch you, and I will personally slaughter you!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lin Rui responded with a sneer, unhesitatingly continuing to drive his knife into Luo Tao¡¯s spine, damaging a piece of core cybernetic gear inside.


    ¡°But I feel you won¡¯t have the chance, guess what will happen next inside your Safety Bureau?


    What will be your fate once you have lost all your cyber gear?¡±


    At that instant, amidst the severe pain, Luo Tao felt every hair on his body stand on end.


    Luo Tao knew what would happen nexta?€¡±he was about to lose everything, including his position, wealth, and honor!


    He would become the disgrace of the Safety Bureau, and even his superior You Ming would not hesitate to abandon hima?€¡±


    Therefore, he wanted to provoke Lin Rui, wishing to die by his hand, at least to be honored as a martyr.


    His eyes nearly bursting from their sockets, he yelled, ¡°You bastard!


    Have the guts to kill me!¡±


    Dying here today, he would be a cybernetically enhanced general sacrificed in the line of duty!


    The Federal Safety Bureau would definitely spare no effort to track down the Nursery Rhyme Killer to avenge him!


    At this moment, another message from Old Fei appeared in the combat group.


    Fei Yunlai: Boss, the vault has been opened.


    Aside from gold bars and bank cards, there are some other nice things in here.


    Come take a look.

 Chapter 327

    ?Chapter 327: Chapter 309: Prosthesis(Three more updates, please subscribe) Chapter 327: Chapter 309: Prosthesis(Three more updates, please subscribe) Lin Rui walked into the vault and was startled as well.


    Indeed, there were many valuable items inside the vault, not only the 3200 gold bars weighing half a kilogram each mentioned in the dark web video, and 40 underground bank black cards each valued at a hundred million, but also a large number of freezersa?€¡±all of which were filled with high-tier cybernetic enhancements without any brand names.


    Lin Rui did a quick count; there were approximately 1400 pieces of cybernetic enhancements, with a variety of models, all of which were S grade or higher.


    Among them, SS and SS+ grades alone totaled over 50 pieces.


    Lin Rui was immensely shocked, ¡°This Jin San is amazing.


    There are rumors that he controls a cybernetic workshop with huge production; it must be true.¡±


    According to the regulations of the Earth Federation, all cybernetic enhancements of S grade or higher require the identities of both the implantee and the buyer to be verified.


    No institutions or medical practitioners are allowed to sell or implant enhancements for individuals with criminal records, or else they risk having their professional licenses revoked.


    ...


    This is to prevent these military-grade enhancements from falling into the hands of criminals, pirates, or rebels.


    Moreover, a person purchasing the same model of high-end S grade cybernetics three times is subject to a 30% luxury tax.


    This gave rise to a black market for smuggling cybernetics.


    Some gangs even set up their own enhancement workshops to produce cybernetics.


    The Earth Federation¡¯s government, in an effort to encourage the development of martial enhancements, shared a large amount of cybernetic production technology and processes with private enterprises.


    This allowed major gangs like the Zhongyi Gang to acquire high-end enhancement production technologies.


    Go to novgo.co


    Fei Yunlai struggled to suppress the corners of his lips, maintaining his expert demeanor.


    He knew that the underworld was currently on high alert.


    Ever since the Nursery Rhyme Killer became famous, several dark web channels were monitoring them, which meant that these illegal enhancements would be difficult to sell and were unlikely to fetch much money.


    The problem was that these items could be used on his War Dragon and Guardian Demon!


    Although these enhancements were unbranded, Fei Yunlai wasn¡¯t picky.


    He knew that the illicit enhancements sold by Jin San had a good reputation and had been established for decades, so they were likely to be problem-free.


    Besides, he now had a reliable cybernetic surgeon to assist him.


    His boss was not only a student of Professor Sima, but also a disciple of Academician Huangfu.


    Therefore, this was even more delightful to him than the income he would receive afterward.


    Fei Yunlai estimated that from this operation they could net 8 billion Federation coins in cash and the black market value of various second-hand parts would amount to just over 9 billion at most.


    Indeed, those parts could be assembled into dozens of type 7 and type 6 combat robots, but the truly valuable aspect was the craftsmanship of the mechanics.


    Fei Yunlai could only take a 1% cut, which at best would come to just over a billion Federation coins.


    However, among these illegal enhancements, he had already set his sights on four pieces that could be used on his ¡®Tengu¡¯ and War Dragon, saving him at least fifteen billion Federation coins in expenses.


    Lin Rui was also very pleased; although these illegal enhancements couldn¡¯t be sold, they could be used to cultivate his own private power, such as the Guang Ming Holy Church branch he currently controlled.


    They don¡¯t need to breathe at their level, so they have a criminal genius on their hands.


    The person who planned this is a damn genius.¡±


    Hayden Smith deeply agreed.


    The criminal genius¡¯s plan was almost perfect; not only had he managed to deceive the most powerful and fastest-responding Special Service Center of the Security Bureau in advance, but he had also set up accidents like car crashes, collapses, and gas pipeline bursts in all the surrounding ducts, causing their armored explosion-proof cars to get completely stuck on the roads.


    Those armored explosion-proof vehicles were still stuck there; the two of them had been forced to leave their subordinates behind and rush here first.


    novgo.co


    ¡°They also have many powerful combat robots.


    From the bullet marks here, at least 40 military combat robots above Type 6 have participated in the battle.


    This is a team, a powerful and increasingly sophisticated team,¡± You Ming said.


    Just as Hayden Smith was about to say something more, he received a video call requesta?€¡±or rather, an order.


    It was because this phone number came from the office of the Homeland Security Committee.


    Deputy Minister Smith went pale.


    He looked up and exchanged a glance with You Ming, ¡°Have you figured out how you¡¯re going to answer the committee¡¯s inquiry?¡±


    Deputy Minister Smith couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    Even though the Special Service Center was You Ming¡¯s turf, Smith had also been involved in the matter of Luo Tao secretly transferring goods from the evidence room and collaborating with the gang, and he had forcefully assisted in the matter, unable to extricate himself from the connection.


    You Ming also received the video communication request from the Homeland Security Committee, and he felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.


    He sighed slightly and glanced at Luo Tao, who was unconscious beside him.


    They now needed someone to take responsibility.


    Since Luo Tao had failed to apprehend the Nursery Rhyme Killer and had allowed such a devastating loss for the Security Bureau, not to mention the loss of a vast amount of evidence, this blame would have to fall on him.


    You Ming felt a deep pain, guilt, and helplessness.


    He was actually in no position to save himself, let alone preserve his trusted general.


    Hayden Smith already understood You Ming¡¯s intentions but shook his head slightly, ¡°Simply shifting the blame won¡¯t get us through the safety committee and the First Marshal.


    We must solve the real problems and give them an account, as well as that minister.


    His influence is rising again, and many of our friends are very uneasy.


    Even if you can¡¯t bring him down, you must find a way to suppress him.¡±


    ¡°I understand.


    I won¡¯t interfere with Zhou Yunfei¡¯s matters anymore, you guys handle it yourselves,¡± You Ming said, his hands behind his back as he walked to the remains of Jin San, looking down at the pile of flesh with a cold gaze: ¡°As for the Nursery Rhyme Killer, I¡¯ll take personal responsibility!¡±


    He had no more hopes for his career.


    After the incident with the Nursery Rhyme Killer, the generals and the Homeland Security Committee would in no way consider allowing him to take over as the head of Security Bureau Division 9.


    So he could no longer care about the life or death of Zhou Yunfei.

 Chapter 328

    ?Chapter 328: Chapter 310: War Spirit (Please Subscribe) Chapter 328: Chapter 310: War Spirit (Please Subscribe) That day, Lin Rui experienced the process of ¡®quantum teleportation¡¯ for the first time while fully conscious.


    The sensation was hard to describe, as if his entire being had been thrown into a cement mixer, thoroughly shred to pieces, and then reassembled all over again.


    By the time Lin Rui and Wang Sen, along with several others, disembarked from the escort spacecraft, they all vomited severely.


    Even Fei Yunlai was not faring much better, his face deathly pale and his legs slightly shaking.


    He had previously gone through quantum teleportation over a dozen times but had yet to adapt to it.


    Fei Yunlai was actually feeling a surge of nausea and the urge to vomit; he was just forcibly maintaining his composure to not lose the demeanor of a seventh realm expert.


    ¡°Quantum teleportation is just like that,¡± Gong Hengdao, the only one on the starship who didn¡¯t experience ¡®seasickness¡¯, said with folded arms and an indifferent expression as he watched everyone: ¡°It¡¯s essentially based on quantum entanglement transfer technology and also involves gravitational distortion.


    ...


    The process is like entering a mixer; it gets better after adapting a few dozen times, but some people with light-based talents will adapt much faster.¡±


    The essence of quantum teleportation is a technology that transmits information and matter using the phenomenon of quantum entanglement, involving the reassembly of matter and human bodies, even human souls, by using quantum states that are entangled with the teleporter, previously established in the target area.


    Thus, quantum teleportation can bypass any substance and even ignore gravity.


    novgo.co


    The various starships of the Federation rely on this technology to break through the terrifyingly dense atmosphere and gravitational field of Tianji Star and directly enter the interior of Tianji Star.


    Just now, they had used this method to bypass the layers of earth and rock between two locations, directly shuttling to this abandoned military dock.


    Lin Rui¡¯s stomach churned for several minutes, nearly vomiting out all the bile, before he began to feel a bit better.


    Go to novgo.co


    He then quickly returned to the martial arts club at Mingde University with Wang Sen and Ji Xueying, preparing for the descent of his other body.


    Lin Rui was in such a hurry because his other body had received an urgent message from Meng Weiyun over tens of thousands of miles away.


    This senior sister had actually arrived in the capital ahead of him and was waiting for him at an inn near the southern gate of Luo Capital City.


    Meng Weiyun was prepared to personally introduce Lin Rui to the third Divine Envoy and, at the same time, retrieve the medicines she had previously ordered.


    Fortuitously, Lin Rui¡¯s official ship was to dock in the capital in three hours¡¯ time.


    Besides, he was quite worried about the safety of his other body.


    As Lin Rui¡¯s official ship drew ever closer to Luo Capital City, the safety situation for the few of them was deteriorating rapidly.


    The current powers of the Great Song, entangled and complex, were further complicated by the involvement of Earth Federation forces, with too many people not wishing to see Lin the Twelfth take up the post of the Spy-Execution Bureau¡¯s Command Envoy.


    Lin Rui¡¯s other body had sensed people spying nearby on multiple occasions.


    Li Li, the senior brother who was always on the official ship, had also issued a warning to him not long ago.


    Therefore, their current operation did indeed carry some risk; if anything happened to his other body at this time, Lin Rui¡¯s main consciousness would likely not be able to descend in time, relying only on the intelligent auxiliary AI to cope.


    Lin Rui believed that after the incident at the ¡®Zhongyi Martial Arts Fitness Center,¡¯ where over a thousand people were injured or killed, the ninth base city might well enter a state of martial law, and the investigative efforts of the military and police would soar drastically.


    The Nursery Rhyme Killer, timid as he was, would definitely lie low for a while and not dare to strike again anytime soon.


    Hence, he decided to stay put in his other body over the coming period, navigating the complicated situation within Luo Capital City.


    Just as Lin Rui returned to Mingde University, he received a message from Guang Ming Heart No.


    9.


    Lin Guangming: Supremacy, all the spoils of war have been accounted for and appraised.


    You can take a look at the data list I¡¯ve sent you.@@@@


    Lin Rui opened the list sent to him, and as he saw the part count of the Red Spider Type 7 reached five sets, the Annihilator Dragon Type 7 parts reached three sets, and that there were enough parts to assemble four Battle Dragon Type 7 Mechas, four Sky Dominator Type 7 exoskeleton armors, and three Emperor Type 7 exoskeleton armors, his lips couldn¡¯t help but curl slightly upward.


    This time¡¯s earnings were so substantial they were almost overwhelming, especially the illegal cultivation equipment and secondhand parts, which could significantly enhance the strength of their group.


    Of course, the greatest gain was the Soul Power points; Lin Rui had already checkeda?€¡±993,232 points of Soul Power.


    Inside, divided into ten layers, there were altogether hundreds of syringes.


    Nearly half of these injections were ordered for Meng Weiyun, with another 12 Type-5 bloodline strengthening agents for Wang Sen.


    The rest were his owna?€¡±a personal supply.


    Considering he was currently being shadowed by several parties, and that he would attract even more attention upon disembarking in the capital, Lin Rui had arranged for Li Li to retrieve these ordered injections in advance.


    Lin Rui sent a message to Wang Sen to come to his room to collect the goods and turned to Li Li with a cupped-hands salute: ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother.


    You have been through great trouble this time.¡±


    Li Li smiled wryly and waved his hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?


    But indeed, it was perilous this time.


    I almost failed miserably.


    Junior brother, although your newly assumed position as Commanding Enforcer of the Espionage Bureau carries both status and power, it is also fraught with danger.


    Be extra cautious going forward.¡±


    This time, for Lin Rui, Li Li had gotten the regulating agency for the alternates to parachuting the syringes and refrigerator down to the surface of the Sky Suspension River to submerge into the deep riverbed, where Li Li would then dive to retrieve them.


    However, despite his meticulous secrecy, he nearly had an accident on the way back to the ship.


    Several powerful senses had swept over him simultaneously.


    Fortunately, Ji Xueying¡¯s main battle AI reacted in time.


    Although Blood Blade Ji was a native of the Tianji Star, her battle AI settings were quite exceptional.


    She instantly unleashed several strong blade auras, cleansing the entire river surface and blocking those prying senses.


    Lin Rui, having read the message from Li Li, was also secretly alarmed.


    Of course, even if this matter was detected, Lin Rui had ways to deal with it.


    He was the esteemed Commanding Enforcer of the Espionage Bureau, the beloved disciple of the Third Divine Envoy, and a native of the Tianji Star who had passed the highest Heavenly Demon Test.


    What if he bought some Heavenly Demon items for his senior sister and casually investigated what was going on with the extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons?


    Of course, it was best not to be discovered at all.


    Afterward, like usual, Lin Rui proceeded to the deck to practice his swordsmanship.


    Today¡¯s practice felt different from previous days.


    He noticed an increasing number of boats shuttling along the river, and as they passed by, they would create fierce, conflicting gusts.


    Lin Rui had to be careful not to get swept off the ship by these gusts or even harmed.


    Three hours later, Lin Rui saw a bustling port ahead with a forest of sailsa?€¡±an immensely prosperous dock.


    Lin Rui found any words inadequate to describe the prosperity of this river port.


    He looked out and saw the countless berths forming one continuous line, the end of which he could not see.


    It was then that Lin Rui received an alert.


    Alert: Mid-ranked battle spirit detected, capture?


    Alert: High-ranked battle spirit detected, capture?


    Alert: Top-ranked battle spirit detected, capture?


    Alert: One-star Marshal-ranked battle spirit detected, capture?


    After receiving this series of prompts from the Battle Spirit Ring, Lin Rui was momentarily stunned, wondering if this was some sort of wholesale distribution of battle spirits.


    He scanned the area, searching for the source of these battle spirits.

 Chapter 329

    ?Chapter 329: Chapter 311: Huangfu (Subscribe Please) Chapter 329: Chapter 311: Huangfu (Subscribe Please) Lin Rui soon discovered the source of these Battle Spirits.


    It was located across from the Luojing River Port in an extensive area made up of thousands of steel spears, each fifty zhang tall.


    All of these steel spears were pointed upwards, piercing the sky, and each spear tip impaled a corpse.


    The vast majority of the corpses had turned into stark white skeletons, while some were still decomposing.


    The Battle Spirits sensed by the Battle Spirit Ring all originated from those ¡®fresh¡¯ corpses.


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils slightly constricted, ¡°Is this the legendary Demon Suppression Forest?¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± At this moment, Li Li silently walked up beside him, also gazing at the spectacular steel spear forest in the distance.


    ¡°Starting from the 35th year of Emperor Xuan, the Song Dynasty impaled all the Heavenly Demons from beyond their domain of level six and above here in the Demon Suppression Forest using suppression spikes to impale them!


    ...


    ¡°They wanted to deter the increasingly rampant and presumptuous Heavenly Demons from outside the domain, while torturing the souls of these higher-level Heavenly Demons.


    It is said that these suppression spikes can make the souls of these Heavenly Demons endure decades of endless suffering.¡±


    Li Li¡¯s gaze was complex; emotions of sympathy and sadness for these foreign predecessors, as well as dread and anger towards the Song Dynasty court, intermingled within him.


    ¡°Nearly seventy percent of this Demon Suppression Forest was erected by the Stabbing Bureau, representing their cumulative achievements over generations.¡±


    Lin Rui, with his arms crossed, returned to his usual demeanor.


    He thought that if his identity were exposed in the future, this would probably be his end as well.


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    But it didn¡¯t matter much, dying at the hands of the people of the Heavenly Extreme Star or at the hands of the Longevity Association made no essential difference.


    Lin Rui began to inquire the Ring Spirit.


    ¡°Ring Spirit, among these Battle Spirits, which one¡¯s martial attributes suit me the best?¡±


    Lin Rui had restored the Battle Spirit Ring to 30% and could capture a new Battle Spirit, but he hadn¡¯t found a suitable one yet.


    He had actually encountered a few in the past few months, but the highest level among these Battle Spirits was just a junior general, and Lin Rui couldn¡¯t be bothered to capture them, wasting the slot he had for a Battle Spirit.


    Tip: There are three Battle Spirits whose martial attributes match yours.


    The first is one-star Marshal Han Dao, who possesses a light-based supreme secret martial skill and thunder-fire dual-system dragon stage secret martial skill; the second is Senior General Huang Fuqing, who possesses light-thunder dual-system supreme secret martial skills, and a fire-based dragon stage secret martial skill; the third is Senior General Jiang Guoli, who holds light-thunder-fire triple-system dragon stage secret martial skills.


    After receiving the tip, Lin Rui¡¯s expression dramatically changed, and his gaze became incredulous.


    Then a group of imperial martial officers and numerous servants swarmed in, nearly cramming the berth to capacity.


    Most of these imperial martial officers were Lin Rui¡¯s future subordinates, who were here to welcome their supervisor.


    The Stabbing Spies Bureau was vast, having 24 divisions underneath it, each division having over a dozen units similar to the Earth Federation¡¯s combat teams, and it was equipped with a multitude of auxiliary personnel, totaling over 5,000 people in all.


    Each division had a Division Guardian, like the defensive role Lin Rui had previously held, but with greater authority.


    Of these 24 divisions, four belonged to the faction of the Third Divine Envoya?€¡±those were the imperial martial officers who had come to welcome Lin Rui.


    As for the servants, they either belonged to high officials or were household slaves of wealthy families, here to deliver respectful greetings and offer silver to Lin Rui.


    This was also the rule of the Great Song bureaucracy, known as ¡®the Rule of Assuming Office.¡¯


    Though these wealthy officials and merchants could not attend in person, their intentions needed to be delivered.


    Others came on behalf of their masters, seeking to invite him to a banquet to welcome and cleanse him of his journey¡¯s dust, but Lin Rui firmly refused them all.


    He had not yet paid respects to his Grandmaster nor his superiors and the emperora?€¡±how could he dare to join these people in frivolous indulgences?


    As for the greetings and rules of taking office, Lin Rui accepted them all.


    Lin Rui was very familiar with the routine now; he responded casually to those who offered less silver, and bestowed more smiles to those who gave more.


    As for the four Division Guardians who came personally to welcome him, along with the numerous imperial martial officers they led, Lin Rui was exceedingly warm, doing his utmost to soothe and draw them closer.


    Lin Rui needed to rely on these people to solidify his position as Chief Commander; he had to establish his authority with his own loyal aides.


    However, since these people had personally come to the dock to welcome him, it showed their attitude, and there was no need to put on airs in front of these future loyalists at that moment.


    Lin Rui had not eaten lunch yet, so he simply arranged a few tables of drinks at a nearby tavern at the river port and invited these imperial martial officers for a drink.


    After they had downed over twenty jars of liquor, their relationship warmed significantlya?€¡±of course, not to the extent of calling each other brothers, which Lin Rui would not allow.


    However, the initial barriers with his subordinates were now removed; he could accurately recall their names, know their positions and identities, and understand roughly their characters and histories.


    Late at night that day, Lin Rui finally arrived at the post station outside the Southern City Gate built by the court, where he met his senior sister Meng Weiyun.


    However, his attention was captured by a prisoner transport parked in front of the post station.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Lin Rui was shocked, because sitting upright inside the prisoner transport was Yuan Chengkai, the former Governor-General of Sha State.


    This man no longer possessed the demeanor of a scholar he had when they met in Wang City; his hair was disheveled, his face bruised purple, his limbs broken, numerous Suppressing Element Nails were inserted into all his acupoints, and his prison clothes were stained with blood, making him look utterly wretched and pitiful.

 Chapter 330

    ?Chapter 330: Chapter 312: Who is Under the Hall?


    (Three updates for subscription) Chapter 330: Chapter 312: Who is Under the Hall?


    (Three updates for subscription) Yuan Chengkai had already sensed Lin Rui and, opening his eyes, glared at him with a vicious and cold gaze, brimming with murderous intent.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t back down, returning the fierce glare with one of his own!


    He had never been afraid of this fellow in Wang City, and now that he had entered Luo Jing, there was even less reason to fear.


    Yuan Chengkai then let out a cold snort of disdain and closed his eyes again, as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with them.


    At this time, Lin Rui¡¯s senior sister, Meng Weiyun, had walked out of the guest hall of the post station.


    ...


    ¡°Junior brother, don¡¯t bother with him.


    He is nothing but an evil and calamitous old dog.


    Once the imperial court condemns him, he will sooner or later be executed by axe and boiling cauldron,¡± she said.


    ¡°This disciple pays respects to Senior Sister!¡± Lin Rui quickly greeted Meng Weiyun and then curiously asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Yuan Chengkai ordered by the court to explain himself in the capital?


    Why does he look like this?¡±


    With her hands clasped behind her back, Meng Weiyun explained, ¡°That was a favor from the court, out of consideration for the Yuan family¡¯s generations of service and his own modest contributions since taking office.


    They wanted to spare him his dignity, but this man harbored resentment and even dared to collude with criminals from the martial world to assassinate his colleagues.


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    Therefore, the court ordered me to arrest him and escort him to the capital for questioning.¡±@@@@


    A cold smirk filled with murderous intent lurked in her eyes.


    Yuan Chengkai was an enemy of their third Divine Envoy faction; on top of that, he had dared to collude with Flame Saber Qi Yan and assist in the attempted assassination of Lin Rui.


    How could she tolerate that?


    The two nearly led her young junior brother to his death in the river and almost caused their master to lose the hard-earned position of head of the Imperial Assassination Bureau.


    Therefore, after receiving the news, Meng Weiyun had hurriedly traveled day and night, directly incapacitating Yuan Chengkai by breaking his limbs.


    The court ordered her to personally escort Yuan Chengkai to the capital, which was actually additional paperwork filled out behind the scenes by the third Divine Envoy.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui was secretly shocked and speculated that Meng Weiyun¡¯s martial prowess might have already broken through to the seventh realm.


    Yuan Chengkai was a formidable eighth-realm warrior, and Meng Weiyun, even though his war dragon would not act against her due to legal constraints, was not someone just anyone could easily take down.


    Lin Rui conjectured the likely scenario in his mind and then gratefully bowed to Meng Weiyun, ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister, for taking this grievance on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for thanks; I was careless for a moment and almost let you fall into a hopeless situation.


    What I did was merely ¡®locking the stable door after the horse is stolen,¡¯ nothing more,¡± Meng Weiyun replied, shaking her head slightly, her voice tinged with sarcasm.


    ¡°Besides, the old dog¡¯s injuries aren¡¯t as serious as they seem; he is deliberately presenting a pitiful state to compel the emperor¡¯s attention.¡±


    She then glanced around and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside; it¡¯s not convenient to talk here.¡±


    Meng Weiyun led Lin Rui into the post station until they reached a courtyard at the very back.


    After taking a seat in the living room, she personally poured tea for Lin Rui, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that on your way to the capital, you firmly declined the three boats of local products offered by your fellow villagers, did not stop at any county along the way, and refused all the generous gifts offered by local officials.


    I¡¯m relieved to see you so incorruptible as an official, and our master is delighted to hear of it as well.¡±


    In fact, after arresting Yuan Chengkai, Meng Weiyun and another senior uncle had been covertly tailing Lin Rui¡¯s official ship.


    They were protecting Lin Rui on his journey to the capital and also looking to identify any traces of the healer who had revived Qi Yan, the Flame Saber, and planned another attack.


    The reason Lin Rui had such a peaceful journey over the past month was that some hidden enemies had been secretly dealt with by the two of them.


    So, Meng Weiyun had witnessed Lin Rui¡¯s entire journey to the capital and had seen with her own eyes that this junior brother¡¯s actions matched his words and that his character was noble.


    She was certain that she had not misjudged him.


    The current three Divine Envoys all stand a great chance of replacing the Great Song imperial family, becoming the masters of ¡®East Pole Continent¡¯s¡¯ millions of miles of territory.


    The Great Song emperor himself also does not intend to sit idly by; he forcefully strengthens imperial authority both in the court and throughout the states, leading to surging undercurrents within Lo Capital and endless court struggles for several years.


    Meng Weiyun smiled as expected upon hearing this, ¡°These local officials have a blurred vision, how could they understand the whole picture?


    The First Divine Envoy has always used us but also guarded against us, and the Second Divine Envoy does not genuinely wish to assist the emperor in rectifying the court.


    Otherwise, how could it be your turn to take up the most critical ¡®Bureau of Inquisition Commander¡¯ position within the Imperial City?¡±


    Lin Rui pondered upon these words as if deep in thought, nodding.


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s statement aligned with the internal intelligence analysis of the Security Bureau.


    For the major players in the court, the current Third Divine Envoy was the least of their threats.


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    When none of the factions could overtake the others, they ultimately compromised, allowing Lin Rui to obtain the lucrative position of commander.


    Meng Weiyun sighed slightly, ¡°Our master actually has no intention of getting involved in the conflict between those three.


    You might not know, but our master also came from a humble background.


    Now in a high position, she only wishes to use her authority well, to do some real work for the people of the world.


    The problem is, having reached this stage, many things are beyond her control.¡±


    ¡°Now, not only are the emperor and the First Divine Envoy pressuring her from above, but the reserve Divine Envoys are also coveting our master¡¯s position, making her situation increasingly difficult.


    And although Great Song has been established for 6,700 years, the world is indeed in chaos, villains and demons run rampant, and corrupt officials are everywhere.


    However, our master believes that if she could decisively clean up the court and rectify the law, there may still be hope for the Great Song dynasty.


    The problem is, if our master wants to achieve her ambitions, she must grasp some authority.¡±


    Lin Rui reflected for a moment, then understood his senior sister¡¯s intent and clasped his hands, ¡°Junior brother understands.


    When I take office, I will act impartially, clean up corruption, promote integrity, purge filth, and cultivate a solid foundation!¡±


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s lips curved into a slight smile upon hearing this, thinking that this junior brother of hers was indeed clever, grasping her meaning in just a few short sentences, which made her feel relieved.


    Their master is now forced to borrow the power of the First Divine Envoy to protect herself, but in her and Meng Weiyun¡¯s true intentions, they would rather see the Great Song dynasty last as long as possible.


    On one hand, they truly did not wish to see the world fall into chaos, with the common people suffering; on the other hand, their own foundations were not stable, and their strength too weak.


    Once chaos enveloped the world, they would find it difficult to endure until the day a new dynasty was established.


    Meng Weiyun then changed the subject, ¡°Twelve, you must have met your colleagues at the docks, how do you feel about them?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all strong soldiers and mighty warriors!¡± Lin Rui said earnestly, ¡°Among them, the sixteenth surveillance commander Yan Zhe, and the twentieth surveillance commander Luo Tianman, were particularly impressive.¡±


    Meng Weiyun was even more pleased.


    Not only was her junior brother sharp at assessing people, but he was also adept at winning people¡¯s hearts.


    With his capability, he would undoubtedly be able to secure his position as commander.


    Just as she was about to say more, a woman¡¯s voice from outside interrupted, ¡°I wonder if Commander Lin Twelve and Miss Zhou Yunxi of Wang City¡¯s Zhou family are present?


    I am Zhao Yingxu from the house of the Imperial Censor, by the order of my grandfather, to pay a visit, and request a meeting with the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Imperial Censor Zhao Yingxu?¡± Lin Rui was about to look up information online, when he heard someone say loudly, ¡°Is the Bureau of Inquisition Commander Lin Twelve present?


    I, the commoner Yu Wendan, am here to accuse the Imperial Censor Zhao Yang, this man is in fact an extraterritorial Heavenly Demon, his true name is Linghu Mingde, a retired two-star general of the Heavenly Demons!¡±


    Lin Rui blinked in disbelief.


    Linghu Mingde?


    Wasn¡¯t that Fang Ranran¡¯s grandfather, the first principal of Mingde University?


    He felt both annoyed and cautious in his heart, thinking who dares to accuse an official¡¯s kin?

 Chapter 331

    ?Chapter 331: Chapter 313: Turn of Hand (Please Subscribe) Chapter 331: Chapter 313: Turn of Hand (Please Subscribe) At this moment, Fang Ranran stood outside the small courtyard, looking both shocked and angry at the middle-aged man with a sallow face kneeling beside her.


    He was a fifth realm Martial Cultivator, over 30 years of age, with a strong and vigorous body, bright piercing eyes, and a sharp, resolute gaze.


    Fang Ranran knew that this Yu Wendan was surely a death warrior sent by the Jin family, with the purpose of nailing her grandfather, the Imperial Censor Zheng Cheng Zhao Yang, to his death.


    According to the rules, once high-ranking officials in the court were suspected of being involved with the Heavenly Demons from beyond the realm, they must request leave to stay at home, awaiting investigation and verification by the royal court.


    This meant that the Imperial Censor Zheng Cheng Zhao Yang could no longer exercise his powers and could only be trapped at home, sitting and waiting for death.


    Fang Ranran had not expected the Jin family to act so swiftly, feeling nothing but an icy chill throughout her body.


    Just moments later, Lin Rui and Meng Weiyun walked out of the courtyard together.


    ...


    After looking the middle-aged man with the sallow face up and down, Meng Weiyun¡¯s eyes revealed suspicion, ¡°You wish to accuse the Imperial Censor Zheng Cheng Zhao Yang?


    Claiming he is a Heavenly Demon from beyond the realm?


    Do you know how long Zhao Zheng Cheng has served as an official in the court?¡±


    a?€¡±a?€¡±That was not only the leader of the upright officials in the dynasty but also a veteran of three reigns in the Great Song, having served under three emperors with a depth of experience surpassing all other court officials.


    ¡°My lord!¡± Yu Wendan, under the intense gaze of Meng Weiyun, bowed without any hint of fear, ¡°Imperial Censor Zheng Cheng Zhao Yang has been in office for 700 years, exactly the period when the Heavenly Demons started to overflow!


    And I, the commoner, have evidence.¡±


    He took out a document from his sleeve and held it in his hand, saying, ¡°Commander, I have investigated all of Imperial Censor Zheng Cheng Zhao Yang¡¯s experiences since his rise to power and listed all the suspicious points on this document.


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    Please, Commander, take a close look.¡±


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s brows slightly furrowed as she moved aside with a serious expression on her face.


    She realized that once this man¡¯s document was presented, it would inevitably lead to another storm throughout the court.


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s emotions were complex; she and her master had collaborated several times with the court¡¯s upright faction to rectify excesses, and they had developed an understanding, starting to move in step with one another.


    At this time, Lin Rui had just become the Commander of the Bureau of Scouring Treachery, and another Imperial Censor Zheng Cheng had been implicated by the case in Shazhou and had already been removed from office and exiled from the capital.


    This was the time for them to flex their muscles, yet Zhao Yang, the leader of the upright officials in the court, had this incident occur.


    Meng Weiyun truly hoped that nothing was wrong with Zhao Yang but was also unwilling to see any Heavenly Demon from beyond the realm ascend to high ranks within the Great Song¡¯s court.


    If Zhao Yang truly was a Heavenly Demon, it would certainly be a rare major case of the Heavenly Demon in the last eight hundred years.


    Zhao Yang was a renowned evergreen of the court, having served as the Imperial Censor Zheng Cheng for 120 years with students and disciples spread all over the world.


    If he got into trouble, the upright faction of the entire Great Song court would suffer a severe blow.


    As the Commander of the Bureau of Scouring Treachery responsible for the case, Lin Rui would also face resistance and even hostility from the upright officials of the entire court.


    Meng Weiyun wanted to offer a reminder but felt it was inappropriate to speak out; after all, her junior brother was the distinguished Commander of the Bureau of Scouring Treachery and must not lose face in public, nor provide fodder for gossip.


    She thought it better to first see how her junior brother would act in this situation; if there were anything improper, she could remind him in private later.@@@@


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, looked at ¡®Zhao Yingxu¡¯ with a peculiar gaze.


    This woman was approximately two meters and ten centimeters tall.


    Even dressed as a man, her face was still extremely beautiful, exquisite, captivating, and capable of toppling empires.


    Her figure was also slender and elegant, emitting a very pleasant fragrance that seemed to contain a trace of bewitching power.


    Even by the aesthetic standards of Earth¡¯s humanity, she was very beautiful.


    Unfortunately, this woman was too tall, towering over two meters, not Lin Rui¡¯s type; he preferred the beauty of Meng Weiyun and Fang Ranran.


    The problem was that Lin Rui thought of a line of poetry: Ranran, almost reaching the illusory; calm and changing the present and the past; the beauty by the clear river, that night, singing in bitter yearninga?€¡±


    If Zhao Yang was Linghu Mingde, could this Zhao Yingxu possibly be the alter ego of Fang Ranran?


    Yet his expression remained unchanged as he strode over to the middle-aged man with the sallow face and took the document from his hand.


    After Lin Rui read it through, he too furrowed his brows, ¡°This document is full of conjecture.


    Do you not have any solid evidence then?¡±


    The middle-aged man with the sallow face looked up and cast a sideways glance at ¡®Zhao Yingxu¡¯ beside him.


    They held as evidence that one stump of rotted dragon mushroom, and it all depended on whether the Linghu family would act sensibly.


    He then gave Lin Rui a grand bow, ¡°Although I, the commoner, have no solid proof, Zhao Yang has indeed acted suspiciously.


    After Wang Sen administered the 250 lashes and dragged Yu Wendan back, the man was barely breathing, his body a bloodied pulp.


    Wang Sen, feeling rather ashamed, touched his nose and bowed to Lin Rui: ¡°My lord, this was my first time wielding such a thing, and I didn¡¯t quite gauge the force properly.


    Moreover, I hadn¡¯t expected someone as formidable as a fifth realm Martial Cultivator to be so physically vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°No matter,¡± Lin Rui flicked his sleeves and continued to ask Yu Wendan, ¡°Yu Wendan, you claim that the Imperial Censor Zhao Yan is a foreign Heavenly Demon named Linghu Mingde.


    How did you come to know this?¡±


    Yu Wendan, near death with blood seeping from every orifice and breathing labored, thought to himself how unexpectedly ruthless Lin Twelfth¡¯s executioner was, nearly killing him.


    But given the man¡¯s inexperience with the punishment, perhaps hitting too hard could be excused.


    Moreover, he had heard just now that Lin Twelfth had been quite harsh with Fang Ranran as well, which might indicate a character committed to impartiality.


    Still summoning his strength, he replied, ¡°My lord, as I mentioned on the accusation document, I happened upon two foreign Heavenly Demons hiding in Zhao¡¯s residence.


    I overheard their discussion, suggesting that Zhao Yang might be Linghu Mingde.


    Not only do Zhao Yang and Linghu Mingde match in age and martial prowess, but both have also succumbed to the Heavenly decline of the five extremities!¡±


    Lin Rui responded with a cold laugh and turned to Meng Weiyun, ¡°Senior sister, may I ask if you understand the language of these foreign Heavenly Demons?¡±


    Meng Weiyun, not sure what he was getting at, replied truthfully, ¡°I understand a bit, though not much.¡±


    Lin Rui continued to inquire, ¡°Then, when dealing with an eighth realm Martial Cultivator, would these foreign Heavenly Demons engage in private conversations in their language in the presence of others?¡±


    Meng Weiyun raised an eyebrow, her expression one of realization: ¡°They shouldn¡¯t.


    To my knowledge, these Heavenly Demons have a secret method of communication that employs some unknown Mechanical Techniques, profoundly mysterious, allowing them to converse beyond our perception.¡±


    ¡°That settles it,¡± Lin Rui sneered, ¡°This mere commoner claims to have heard such a crucial fact straight from the mouths of two foreign Heavenly Demons.


    Isn¡¯t that strange?


    And how does he know they are foreign Heavenly Demons to begin with?¡±


    A chill grew in Lin Rui¡¯s heart as he speculated that these two foreign Heavenly Demons were likely Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei.


    Therefore, this case could not even have a hint of truth to it!


    He must suppress this case today at all costs!


    Otherwise, his two fellow students were sure to die, and the repercussions might further spread to Fang Ranran and Linghu Mingde.


    Yu Wendan replied with a tense expression, ¡°My lord, there is a reason for this.


    Actually, I¡¯m a medicinal trader who often deals with foreign Heavenly Demons, so I recognize them and purchase various Heavenly Demon serums from them to sell everywhere.


    Hence, I learned some of their languagea?€¡±¡±


    They had anticipated all aspects of the situation beforehand, preparing a cover story and identity, beginning with framing Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei to first drag down Zhao Yang.


    However, Lin Rui was too uninterested to engage further and bowed to Meng Weiyun, ¡°Senior sister, this man is highly suspicious!


    Before filing the case, I¡¯d like to test whether Yu Wendan is a foreign Heavenly Demon.


    I¡¯m still not familiar with the capital and have not formally taken charge of the Imperial City Division.


    Could I trouble you to have some people from Judiciary come and detain him?


    In two days, Wang Twenty-Seven will go to the Imperial Censor for the Heavenly Demon Test, and we can test him then.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yu Wendan¡¯s expression shifted slightly, taken aback.


    This Lin Twelfth was reacting beyond their expectations.


    He would refuse to file the case until after the ¡®Heavenly Demon Test¡¯?


    Indeed, this man had some tricks up his sleeve,


    Yet Yu Wendan still remained composed.


    As a fifth realm Martial Cultivator, he had made thorough preparations beforehand, and a standard Heavenly Demon Test shouldn¡¯t pose a challenge to him.


    Furthermore, the intelligent biological chip in his body had been removed, making him indistinguishable from the people of the Heaven¡¯s Pole Star.


    Fang Ranran also held no hope upon hearing this.


    She knew that the Jin family, having arranged for this man to make the accusation, must have prepared well.


    The Imperial Censor¡¯s Heavenly Demon Test was unlikely to help.

 Chapter 332

    ?Chapter 332: Chapter 314: Overturning Hand (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 332: Chapter 314: Overturning Hand (Seeking Subscriptions) Meng Weiyun nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send the message right away and have Yan Zhe, the jailor of the 16th Watch, send someone over.¡±


    She was very satisfied with the handling of Lin XI.


    Those 250 chastisements would provide an explanation to the students of Imperial Censor Zhao Yang.


    Not rushing to start the trial was also correct since Lin XI hadn¡¯t officially taken over the Bureau of Investigation.


    How was he supposed to conduct an investigation?


    Besides, this Yu Wendan was indeed very suspicious, and until this person¡¯s identity was confirmed, nothing he said could be taken as credible.


    Undergoing the Heavenly Demon Test at the Imperial Censor¡¯s office in two days would also shut up those purists.


    It would be a test conducted right under the eyes of the many censors, and it would be a chance for them to see firsthand the situation of this whistleblower.


    ...


    By that time, Lin XI would have started his investigation with full legitimacy, and even if the censors had any grievances, they couldn¡¯t blame Lin XI.


    Lin XI¡¯s way of handling the situation had already given them a lot of face.


    Lin Rui then turned to ¡®Zhao Yingxu¡¯ with a bow, his expression cold and distant, ¡°My apologies, Miss Zhao, I¡¯m unaware of the purpose of Miss Zhao¡¯s visit here, but to avoid suspicion, I must ask Miss Zhao to return.


    Please convey my regards to Elder Zhao on my behalf, and once this case is concluded, clearing Elder Zhao of suspicion, I will certainly visit to apologize.¡±


    Fang Ranran clenched the silver note hidden in her sleeve, filled with helplessness.


    She had originally wanted to visit Lin XI as soon as he settled in at the post station and have a proper talk with the siblings, but she didn¡¯t expect the Jin family to act so swiftly, so much so that she couldn¡¯t even deliver this ¡®arrival gift.¡¯


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    Had she known this, it would have been better to wait at the docks.


    At this moment, she could only respond with a smile and a fist salute, ¡°Why should the official apologize?


    It was my abrupt visit.


    Today, Yingxu came here to pay respects to Official Lin on my family ancestor¡¯s orders, to congratulate the official on his new post, and after visiting an old disciple and friend of the family, to invite Sister Yun Xi over for a visit.


    I didn¡¯t expect such an incident to happen today.


    Now that it has come to this, Yingxu can only give up for now and will visit another day.¡±


    As Fang Ranran spoke, she oddly felt that ¡®Lin XI¡¯ was looking at her with a different gaze.


    For some reason, she was reminded of the first time she met Lin Rui, and she recalled that he had looked at her with the same expression at that time.


    Fang Ranran did not dwell on it and hurriedly bid farewell before leaving in a rush.


    Fang Ranran needed to return to Zhao residence as soon as possible to contemplate countermeasures with her ¡®grandfather Zhao Yang.¡¯


    Not long after, Yan Zhe, the jailor of the 16th Watch, personally brought a team over and took Yu Wendan to the imperial prison.


    However, Lin Rui also instructed Yan Zhe to transfer the former Governor of Shazhou, Yuan Chengkai, to the imperial prison as well.


    Meng Weiyun was startled and asked with a puzzled look, ¡°Junior brother, what is this for?¡±


    She had been prepared to enter the city the next day and hand Yuan Chengkai over to the Ministry of Justice for detention.


    ¡°Yuan Chengkai¡¯s conduct in Shazhou has many questionable points, and I have to investigate whether this person has colluded with the Heavenly Demon,¡± Lin Rui said, his hands behind his back and a cold smile in his eyes.


    Eccentric Younger (Wang Sen): The current situation is not good, I guess this guy has already removed the intelligent biological chip and is well prepared for the Heavenly Demon Test.


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): No hurry, BOSS arranged for me to keep an eye on it, there must be a reason for it.


    At that moment, Lin Rui sent a prescription to the group.


    Lone Shadow Heavenly Blade (Lin Rui): Lingxue, follow the prescription I¡¯ve written to buy the medicine.


    After refining it into a candle using the method I provided, find a way to deliver it to Senior Brother Li¡¯s hands.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Understood, but I¡¯d like to know, BOSS, what is this medicine for?


    Is it a toxin?


    Lin Rui: It¡¯s non-toxic, harmless, colorless, and tasteless, and under normal conditions, it has no effect on people.


    However, during the Heavenly Demon Test, it can disturb this guy¡¯s bloodline talents, making it hard for his Primordial Spirit to consolidate, and his Soul Consciousness will exhibit some characteristics of an otherworldly traveler.


    Lin Xi and Li Li present exchanged glances and came to a realization, pondering how an otherworldly traveler under such a condition could counter the Heavenly Demon Test?


    Let alone an otherworldly traveler, even a normal Sky Extremity Star individual would likely be found problematic in the test.


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): I understand, BOSS!


    While he was watching over Yu Wendan, to pass the time, he would read some books or case files, and that wouldn¡¯t be an issue, right?


    It¡¯s quite normal to light a couple of candles to see those tiny characters clearly.


    Wang Sen also completely let go of his worries, thinking to himself that truly, only Rui Ge deserved this praise.


    This was solving the problem directly at the root.


    If the person who initiated the accusation was an extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, then how could the statement submitted by this person be credible?


    What was the intention of this extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon in slandering the old ministers of the Great Song Dynasty, the pillars of the court?


    However, such a tactic could only be played by Rui Ge, who was proficient in medicine and the making of poisons.


    The person in question had fallen into Rui Ge¡¯s hands, and there was only the fate of being toyed to death by Rui Ge.


    Wang Sen, thinking about his own upcoming Heavenly Demon Test in two days, felt his mood becoming anxious and heavy again.


    But this emotion lasted only for a moment before he suppressed it.


    Lin Rui had already made arrangements for him, including the last-minute removal of the intelligent biological chip before the test, a surgery, and embedding runes in his subcutaneous tissue specifically to cope with the Heavenly Demon Test.


    Lin Rui had also prescribed a medicine that Wang Sen had been taking for ten consecutive days.


    He keenly felt the changes within his body.


    Not only was his soul extremely consolidated, but the ¡®Mind and Flesh Unity¡¯ of his body also became increasingly high under the influence of the medication.


    So much so that in the past two days, the process of Wang Sen¡¯s soul leaving the otherworldly body and returning to his own became very difficult.


    Besides, Minister Zhou had also invited an SS-class Seventh Realm Technician from the East Asian Republic¡¯s National Security Bureau to help from afar.


    Lin Rui said he would definitely pass the Heavenly Demon Test, and Wang Sen had complete confidence in Lin Rui¡¯s words.

 Chapter 333

    ?Chapter 333: Chapter 315: Divine Envoy¡¯s Inspection (Please Subscribe) Chapter 333: Chapter 315: Divine Envoy¡¯s Inspection (Please Subscribe) Fang Ranran returned to her residence and found her maternal grandfather, Linghu Mingde, leisurely fishing in a pavilion in the backyard.


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± Fang Ranran deeply admired the unflappable composure of her grandfather, but at the same time, she was filled with deep shame, ¡°I have failed in my mission this time.


    An unexpected change occurred at the stationa?€¡±¡±


    This was in the back garden of the residence, and there were no servants around, so Fang Ranran still addressed him as ¡°Grandfather.¡±


    ¡°No need to explain,¡± Linghu Mingde gestured with his hand and chuckled lightly, ¡°So a person named Yu Wendan accused the old man of something?


    I am already aware of the incident at the station.


    Jin Bolong truly has a fierce and dominating style of doing things, aiming straight for the lethal points.


    I underestimated him.¡±


    Fang Ranran¡¯s face turned pale, ¡°Grandfather, the new commander doesn¡¯t plan to file a case for now.


    He intends to send Yu Wendan to the Imperial Censor for the Heavenly Demon Test in two days.


    ...


    Could it bea?€¡±¡±


    ¡°We must not act rashly,¡± Linghu Mingde¡¯s eyes tightened slightly, ¡°Jin Bolong¡¯s men are watching us.


    The more we do now, the more mistakes we make.¡±


    He let out a light chuckle again, ¡°Looking at how Commander Lin has handled everything so comprehensively, leaving no room for criticism, such a young man, yet he is a shrewd and experienced official.


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    How easy would it be for us to tamper with anything under his watch?¡±


    Fang Ranran unconsciously bit her lower lip.


    She also felt that this Lin Twelve was not easy to deal with, and it was precisely because of this that she was even more worried about the future of Linghu Mingde and the Linghu family.


    Fang Ranran knew that tampering with the Heavenly Demon Test was very dangerous, but it was the only method she could think of.


    Then her delicate body trembled as she heard Linghu Mingde say leisurely, ¡°You go back today and make a clone with those two classmates of yours.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± Fang Ranran realized Linghu Mingde was very pessimistic about the future prospects of the ¡®Zhao family.¡¯


    And creating clones was a tactic often used by those with other bodies to fake one¡¯s death and escape.


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    ¡°It¡¯s just a precaution, not as serious as you think,¡± he said.


    Linghu Mingde secured his fishing rod and, with hands clasped behind his back, walked over to the window sill, ¡°Your grandfather has been working for several hundred years; it¡¯s not something Jin Bolong can overturn so easily.


    Whether I, Linghu Mingde, am a Heavenly Demon or not is up to those above, not below.


    It all depends on what the Emperor and the First Divine Envoy think.¡±


    His career was closely linked to these two individuals.


    In his early years, he had made friends with the Emperor who was then the Prince and had exerted great efforts when the Emperor ascended the throne.


    At the same time, Linghu Mingde had deep ties with the First Divine Envoy and had collaborated numerous times.


    Over the past few hundred years, he had laid many groundwork and held many weaknesses and flaws of these two people.


    Linghu Mingde was confident that before a fish dies or a net breaks, he could make those two pay a price.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if the worst comes to the worst and Zhao family¡¯s foundation cannot be preserved, I am confident that I can ensure your complete safety,¡± he added.


    However, Linghu Mingde then raised his hand to touch the white beard under his chin and sighed with a hint of regret, ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that I am now old and weak, my life nearing its end.


    Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t just be Jin Bolong.


    Even the Emperor and the First Divine Envoy might not be beyond a fighta?€¡±¡±


    By this point, Fang Ranran had already understood that Linghu Mingde was prepared to sacrifice himself.


    Her eyes reddened, ¡°Grandfather, why speak of giving up so lightly?


    Furthermore, Lin Rui could summon the projection of any warrior dragon of national defense or protection at any time.


    The projection of any one of them possessed the formidable combat strength comparable to the pinnacle of the seventh realm.


    Within the scope of Luojing, Lin Rui could even summon these warrior dragons to come in person.


    This was what Lin Rui looked forward to the most; he was about to gather enough Soul Power points to exchange for the Imperial Flame Battle Dragon.


    After all, who would complain about having too many trump cards in terms of combat strength?


    Moreover, the defensive capability of the ¡®Dragon Talisman of National Protection¡¯ was extremely strong.


    It was said that ordinary seventh-realm beings had difficulty shaking the Dragon Talisman.


    This artifact was also of great help in cultivation, especially during ¡®Dragon Transformation,¡¯ where the ¡®Dragon Talisman of National Protection¡¯ could significantly suppress deformities in the dragon body.


    Thus, the former commanders of the Assassins¡¯ Bureau all transformed into dragons in a very short time and reached the pinnacle of the sixth realm!


    As Lin Rui¡¯s group entered the gates of Luojing City and proceeded along the imperial road towards the Imperial City, the passing crowds could not help but glance at them sideways.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the new commander of the Assassins¡¯ Bureau?¡±


    ¡°That should be the one.


    I heard that the commander arrived in the capital yesterday and is staying at the inn in the southern part of the city.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the Heavenly Official Meng Weiyun!


    The third Divine Envoy¡¯s disciple.


    And the young man standing beside her must be her junior brother.


    The fellow looks quite young.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to have a high level of cultivation, just about the fifth realm.¡±


    ¡°Which generation¡¯s commander of the Assassins¡¯ Bureau ever had a higher cultivation than that?


    If their cultivation exceeds the sixth realm, they can¡¯t inscribe the ¡®Dragon Talisman of National Protection¡¯ into their Primordial Spirit.


    However, all previous commanders had high combat strength.


    I wonder how this one will fare?¡±


    Lin Rui ignored these speculations and continued to look forward with anticipation at the towering Imperial City that now came into his field of vision, standing majestically in the middle of Luojing.


    But at that moment, Meng Weiyun¡¯s gaze suddenly turned sharp with an incomprehensible look of surprise.


    ¡°Assassins!¡±


    Her battle dragon suddenly materialized behind Lin Rui and his companions.


    Just as Lin Rui had guessed, her battle dragon had indeed broken through to the seventh realm, covered in dark golden patterns, even showing hints of purple.


    Not only had this battle dragon ascended to the seventh realm, but it still maintained a status beyond that of an imperial rank, with signs of progressing even further.


    It swung a blow to the side, creating a whirlwind of dust.


    A giant warrior dragon, eight zhang tall, materialized and slammed violently into civilian homes nearby, leveling a large swath of buildings.


    Meng Weiyun, swift as lightning, flew 200 zhang away: ¡°Armor-Piercing at the Twelfth Speed!¡±


    She sensed that not only was there a mage of the eighth realm conducting a ritual there, but there were also eight ¡®Sixth Realm Heavenly Tiger Crossbows.¡¯


    If Meng Weiyun didn¡¯t deal with this mage and the crossbow turrets, Lin Rui and the others would surely die.


    Hearing this, Lin Rui and Ji Xueying did not hesitate to retreat to the side of a carriage.


    With a wave of their hands, the giant wooden box on the carriage shattered with a bang, and the two ¡®Heavenly Demon Dragon Armors¡¯ inside came to life as runes and breathing indicators began to glow, and the cockpit doors swung open.


    At that moment, a piercingly sharp sword light slashed towards Lin Rui.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    The assassin¡¯s eyes were filled with deep hatred and the utmost intent to kill.

 Chapter 334

    ?Chapter 334: Chapter 316: Archers Group (Please Subscribe) Chapter 334: Chapter 316: Archers Group (Please Subscribe) ¡°Seventh Realm?¡±


    When Lin Rui saw the sword light before him, his pupils shrank violently in an instant, and his body hair stood on end.


    This masked assassin, who struck with the force of thunder and broke through the temporal void to place the sword right in front of Lin Rui, was undoubtedly a Seventh Realm expert.


    From the Seventh Realm battle dragon pattern on this person, it should be a Seventh Realm royal class!


    If this were two months earlier, Lin Rui and Ji Xueying would have had no chance to enter their ¡®Holy Hall Dragon Wings,¡¯ the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor.


    The drawback of the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor is that despite its extreme strength, even surpassing the mechas of the Earth Federation and allowing Martial Cultivators to fight across different realms, it is very cumbersome to don.


    Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Holy Hall Dragon Wings,¡¯ derived from the Federation¡¯s Holy Hall Dragon Wings, was a bit better since entering the cockpit would suffice, but other dragon armors required wearing each part piece by piece, which was very cumbersome.


    At this instant, two dark golden thunders suddenly exploded around Lin Rui.


    ...


    It was indeed the Thunder Soul Pearl, the Seventh Realm supreme emperor-class Magic Artifacta?€¡± the Thunder Soul Pearl!


    These two streaks of dark golden thunder, one striking towards Lin Rui¡¯s front and the other blasting in front of Ji Xueying, not only intercepted the sword light in front of Lin Rui but also forced back a seven-zhang-tall battle dragon near Ji Xueying.


    Under the cover of this domineering thunder light, both of them entered the cockpit of the ¡®Holy Hall Dragon Wings.¡¯


    As soon as Lin Rui entered the cabin, he felt a layer of soft leather conforming around him, tightly wrapping his entire person while a tingling sensation occurred all over his body.


    The control of the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor was extremely simple; it involved connecting the user¡¯s nervous system to all parts of the dragon armor, thus controlling this enormous machine about two zhang tall, or roughly six meters and sixty centimeters.


    The Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor was named ¡®dragon armor¡¯ for it possessed abilities similar to those of a battle dragon.


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    Apart from not being able to remotely control it with consciousness and being a metal shell, everything else was almost the same.


    At this moment, the two dark golden thunders had been forcibly dispersed by the Seventh Realm assassin and the battle dragon, and Lin Rui completed drawing his sword in that same instant.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    A sharp roar erupted in the void, sparks flying everywhere.


    In the nick of time, Lin Rui barely blocked the sword light that nearly penetrated his dragon armor, then sequentially blocked several more strikes, causing a continuous booming sound from the clashing of weapons between him and the other.


    Lin Rui swung his saber at an extreme speed, and with the help of the powerful dragon armor, not only was his saber speed on par with the opponent¡¯s, but it even exceeded by a fraction, and his strength was superior as well.@@@@


    This Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, although forged for the Sixth Realm, was of the supreme emperor grade of the Sixth Realm.


    The materials used all came from the personal Magic Artifacts of Eighth Realm experts, and its power source was from the Holy Hall model 7 mecha, powered by a customized special engine.


    Coupled with its massive size, its strength truly surpassed many of the Seventh Realm.


    His only disadvantage now was his less agile body movements and greatly reduced speed after using an Escape Skill.


    However, the enemy¡¯s war dragon matched her in capability.


    Without spiritual intelligence, it acted solely under the divided attention of the seventh realm Martial Cultivator, who was fully committed to attacking Lin Rui while also controlling the war dragon to fight Ji Xueying.


    Its martial capabilities were not much stronger than Ji Xueying¡¯s.


    Therefore, when the battle between woman and dragon commenced, Ji Xueying actually took a slight advantage with her faster speed, the tremendous power of her emperor class bloodline, and the sixth tier, ultra-emperor grade dragon armor ¡®Holy Hall Dragon Wings.¡¯


    The four Type 7 ¡®Plasma Ray Cannons¡¯ mounted on her dragon armor continuously bombarded the war dragon, blasting deep pits several feet into the dragon¡¯s outer layer.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, was fighting while retreating, fully committed to blocking the violent and deadly sword light, and at the same time trying to move toward Meng Weiyun¡¯s war dragon.


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s seventh realm ultra-emperor grade war dragon had already gained the upper hand in the fight against another eighth realm war dragon and was now capable of providing support to Lin Rui.


    An occasional slash from the seventh realm war dragon forced the assassin in front of Lin Rui to awkwardly fall back, requiring his full focus to counter and neutralize.


    And then, after 700 rounds of combat, more than eighty arrows suddenly flew from a distance, each targeting the seventh realm assassin¡¯s war dragon like missiles.


    That was Xue Lingxue and her 5S-tier mutant team!


    This security team, organized by Zhou Yunfei, consisted entirely of elite soldiers he gathered from East Asia, half of whom were fifth realm practitioners proficient in archery and sniping.


    Unable to remotely target the seventh realm assassin, they directly assailed his seventh realm war dragon.


    All adept at rapid-firing techniques, they shot out 83 arrows infused with almost all of their vitality and essence in an instant.


    The seventh realm assassin¡¯s face changed drastically, and he abruptly abandoned Lin Rui, his body shimmering like a streak of lightning, as he swiftly returned to his war dragon¡¯s side.


    With rapid strikes and blocks, crisscrossing flashes of electricity destroyed the majority of the incoming arrows in a flash.


    However, by this time, Lin Rui¡¯s targeting system had finally locked onto the man.


    The armor on his left and right flanks opened up, revealing four plasma ray cannons inside.


    In an instant, four dark golden blazing rays targeted and bombarded the man.


    Simultaneously, his seventh realm ultra-emperor grade Magic Artifact ¡®Thunder Soul Pearl¡¯ burst forth with two dark golden bolts of thunder.


    Every 100 breaths, the ¡®Thunder Soul Pearl¡¯ could unleash three devastating bolts of thunder with divine might equaling a full-force strike from a seventh realm ultra-emperor.


    Since the battle had lasted for 38 breaths, the ¡®Thunder Soul Pearl¡¯ had accumulated another dark golden bolt of thunder.


    Lin Rui unleashed all the power of the ¡®Thunder Soul Pearl¡¯ in one explosive strike!


    At the same time, he executed his own secretly prepared techniquea?€¡±the Light Transition Slash!


    In that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s long sword unexpectedly pierced through a void of fifty zhang, targeting the seventh realm assassin.

 Chapter 335

    ?Chapter 335: Chapter 317: A Cornered Dog Will Leap Over a Wall (Three Updates for Subscription) Chapter 335: Chapter 317: A Cornered Dog Will Leap Over a Wall (Three Updates for Subscription) ¡°`


    When Lin Rui unleashed his Light Transition Slash, the Seventh Realm assassin looked towards him in disbelief.


    ¡°Pu!¡±


    The slash from Lin Rui came at the moment the man had exhausted his strength, stabbing directly into his abdomen, and the radiance of thunder wrapped around the blade exploded in that instant, causing a large amount of blood mist to burst from both the front and back of the Seventh Realm assassin.


    With the slash delivered using the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, Lin Rui had almost completely shattered the internal organs of the Seventh Realm killer, leaving a huge cavity in the man¡¯s torso.


    The man did not hesitate to flee.


    Early on, after 38 continuous breaths without being able to take down Lin Rui, the Seventh Realm assassin knew that it was impossible for him to succeed today, let alone now that he had a lung injury from Lin Rui¡¯s slash, significantly reducing his strength.


    After all, this place was within Luo Jing City, under the watch of deities and the Emperor¡¯s feet.


    Here, not only were there hundreds of thousands of the imperial army stationed, but there were also three Divine Envoys and twelve backup Divine Envoys.


    ...


    If they stayed here even one breath longer, the danger increased by that much more.


    Next, the man directly transformed into a bolt of lightning and fled into the body of a Seventh Realm King-Order Battle Dragon.


    When this Seventh Realm master became ¡®one with the dragon,¡¯ the combat abilities of this war dragon drastically increased to their limit.


    In just three exchanges, he split Ji Xueying violently, forcing the Blood Blade wielder to retreat twenty yards away.


    The war dragon then suddenly exerted its strength and ran frantically towards the south.


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    Lin Rui, relentless, charged up, slashing after the war dragon, with Ji Xueying following closely behind.


    The two joined forces, using their full might to entangle and obstruct, continuously bombarding with plasma beam cannons.@@@@


    But the Seventh Realm assassin had no intention to fight, defending against their slashes while using their force to accelerate his escape.


    He also relied on the war dragon¡¯s massive size and brute strength to trample hundreds of houses to ruin, and even flung the civilians he encountered along the way high into the air, scattering them in all directions, forcing Lin Rui and the Blood Blade wielder to divert their attention to rescuing people.


    With their speeds already slightly inferior to his, they couldn¡¯t give full pursuit as they tried to save those civilians who were about to be smashed to death.


    Merely a few breaths later, the distance between them had grown to several hundred meters, and then the Seventh Realm war dragon leaped forward, jumping into a wide river in front.


    That was Luo Jing¡¯s inner river, which drew water from the Yiluo River and Luochuan River into Luo Jing, serving as the domestic water supply for the people in the capital, with the river ultimately flowing into the Sky Suspension River.


    The Seventh Realm war dragon dived into the river and instantly vanished from sight.


    By the time Lin Rui reached the river¡¯s surface, he could no longer sense the man¡¯s aura.


    He called out to Ji Xueying, ¡°Xueying, there¡¯s no need to chase.


    Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Lin Rui was not foolish enough to pursue underwater; that would be effectively courting death.


    But as he looked across the rippling surface of the river, a meaningful smirk crept over his lips.


    The slash that had pierced through the man was not easy to endure, and the key wasn¡¯t the injury itself, but what was contained in the blade.


    As Lin Rui and Ji Xueying returned along the imperial road, the area was already swarming with a large number of imperial guards and government officials from the nearby Jing Zhao Prefecture.


    Some of them were examining the scene and rescuing civilians; others were pursuing towards the direction of the Yiluo River.


    Lin Rui could forego the chase, but it was the duty of these imperial guards and government officials to apprehend the two madmen who dared to commit crimes in the imperial city and attempt the assassination of an important court official.


    Meng Weiyun was hovering in midair, speaking with a high-ranking imperial guard draped in a second-rank official¡¯s robe.


    Her face looked terrible, and soon after, she flew over with that imperial guard general.


    ¡°Twelfth, this is Li Wei, Middle General of the Imperial Guard, in charge of all matters of daytime policing in the southern city of the capital.


    Not only was he a trusted aide of our master, he is also my good friend.


    She glanced sideways at the ever-solemn Wang Twenty-seven.


    Meng Weiyun didn¡¯t quite understand why Lin Twelve trusted Wang Twenty-seven so deeply as to keep him in charge of his personal guards.


    Was it just because they grew up together?


    The boy did have talent, quite good, in fact, with promising prospects, but that was all in the future.


    Meng Weiyun then shook her head, thinking she might be worrying needlessly.


    For Lin Twelve, trust determined everything.


    Since Wang Twenty-seven had notable talent, as long as he was nurtured, he would be more reliable than those recruited from outside.


    Meng Weiyun thought if Wang Twenty-seven could pass the Heavenly Demon Test, proving he was not an extraterritorial Heavenly Demon, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to grant him a fortuitous encounter.


    She knew their master had once caught a Realm Six imperial rank ¡®Cold Blood Demon,¡¯ which had been suppressed in the ¡®Ten Thousand Dragon Tower¡¯ north of the capital for a hundred years.


    It was a humanoid demon, quite stable in its humanity when captured, making for an excellent guardian demon seedling.


    Sadly, none of the siblings matched in attributes, so it remained unused.


    The ¡®Cold Blood Demon,¡¯ left idle, would be suitable for Wang Twenty-seven, significantly enhancing the boy¡¯s combat strength to protect Lin Twelve¡¯s safety.


    The position of the commander of the Assassin Bureau was extremely important to their master, leaving no room for failure, as it determined whether the master¡¯s wish to reform the court system could be fulfilled.


    And the dragon armora?€¡°a?€¡°although the court regulations stipulated that only officials of the fifth rank or above could purchase from the Ministry of Works, she and the master had other channels.


    If Lin Twelve had money later on, he might consider buying it himself.


    Meng Weiyun then put away these thoughts, ¡°Junior brother, let¡¯s go; the master is waiting for us at the Divine Envoy Courtyard.


    Brother Wei, I¡¯ll leave this place to you.¡±


    As Lin Rui and the others followed Meng Weiyun once more towards the Imperial City, a large crowd of civilians had gathered around the site.


    When the battle erupted, these people panicked and ran in all directions, but as soon as it ended, they gathered around again, with even more converging from the outskirts.


    Even the residents whose houses were toppled by the aftershocks of the fighta?€¡°a?€¡°as long as no one in their family died, were also drawn over.


    ¡°How impressive!


    Is this new commander of the Assassin Bureau really that powerful?¡±


    ¡°He is strong.


    I thought he was a goner just now; I didn¡¯t expect him to be able to withstand a Realm Seven expert head-on, and even manage to injure him.¡±


    ¡°That guy used dragon armor, and it¡¯s at least a Realm Six ultra-imperial grade!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still very impressive, and his guardian demon, too, can contend with a Realm Seven battle dragon.


    This man and demon, once armored, are not much different from a real Realm Seven expert.¡±


    Seeing this, Li Wei rolled his eyes in annoyance, ¡°What are you dawdling around for?


    Drive these loafers away and stop them from causing trouble!¡±


    These capital city civilians, that was their most infuriating traita?€¡°a?€¡°they dared to watch any commotion, heedless of their own lives.


    But it couldn¡¯t be helped; in this world where warriors reigned, just two or three higher realm Martial Cultivators clashing could lead to massive casualties around them, and the capital¡¯s civilians had grown used to it, taking life and death in stride.


    With the court¡¯s heavy taxes and burdens, life was hard to sustain.


    Who would fear death?


    In the capital, the situation was actually better.


    With the emperor and the Divine Envoys looming over and heavily armed forces stationed, very few highly ranked Martial Cultivators dared to behave recklessly.


    Yet today¡¯s two assassins were truly seeking death, blatantly disregarding the authority of the court!

 Chapter 336

    ?Chapter 336: Chapter 318: Master (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 336: Chapter 318: Master (Seeking Subscriptions) Wang Sen and others, including Lin Xi, could only follow Lin Rui to the entrance of Chengtian Gate in the imperial city before they could proceed no further.


    Meng Weiyun arranged for his subordinates to lead them to a nearby mansion, which would be Lin Rui¡¯s residence in the capital henceforth.


    This had been arranged by the Third Divine Envoy long ago; it was a confiscated residence of a guilty official, not only less than five miles from the imperial city but also incredibly spacious and luxurious.


    It was said that the mansion used to belong to a prince consort, encompassing gardens and drill grounds of over fifty acres; in such a prime location within the capital, the sheer size of it bordered on inhumanity.


    As extravagant as the mansion was, with its pavilions, terraces, carved galleries, and bridges all complete, it still adhered to the standard fitting for officials of the fifth to third rank, without any excess.


    Lin Xi and Wang Sen were there today mainly to help Lin Rui tidy up this estate.


    The mansion had been vacant for almost three years; it couldn¡¯t be inhabited without a thorough cleaning, and they also had to help Lin Rui do an initial screening to ensure the ¡®safety¡¯ of the estate.


    ...


    Lin Rui¡¯s intention was to have the core inner courtyard completely demolished and request a team of masons and carpenters from the Ministry of Works to rebuild it, which is why they needed to get busy now.


    Building houses on Tianji Star was very fast; given enough materials, it could be done in just one day.


    By evening, when Lin Rui returned, he should be able to move in.


    Before long, Lin Rui, along with Ji Xueying, followed Meng Weiyun to the Divine Scenery Mountain behind the imperial palace.


    There, clouds and mist wound around ancient trees that towered into the sky, everywhere lush and verdant with sprawling shade and a fragrance that wafted in the air, reminiscent of the mythical mountains of immortals, and the Divine Envoy¡¯s office of the Third Divine Envoy was located on the western foot of Divine Scenery Mountain.


    The Divine Envoy¡¯s mansion, like a heavenly palace, surrounded the base of the mountain with splendid and majestic buildings, grand and spectacular; inside, carved balustrades and marble were elegant and stately, magnificent beyond compare.


    However, Meng Weiyun remarked, ¡°Actually, my master doesn¡¯t quite like it here, feeling that the Divine Envoy¡¯s office is too quiet and the decorations too garish without any human warmth, but as a Divine Envoy, she must preside over this place.¡±


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    She led Lin Rui to a small farmhouse adjacent to the Divine Envoy¡¯s mansion.


    Lin Rui saw a woman standing in the yard, with eyebrows like distant mountains exuding charm, eyes like rippling autumnal waters, exuding a cool and otherworldly air.


    She was dressed in an elegant garment made of flowing cloud silk, her sleeves fluttering gently in the wind, both graceful and unspeakably pure.


    Yet this Goddess, whose beauty seemed to overshadow all creation and who appeared devoid of any worldly taint, was feeding chickensa?€¡±tossing grains of wheat and wild peas from her basket, tempting the ¡®Tianji Star chickens¡¯ to vie eagerly for the food.


    With a serious expression, Meng Weiyun approached and said, ¡°Disciple Meng Weiyun pays respect to Master!¡±


    Lin Rui realized at once that the woman before him was none other than the current Third Divine Envoy, Luo Wangshu, whom he absolutely had to cling to on Tianji Star.


    Lin Rui quickly followed suit, bowing with utmost respect, ¡°Disciple Lin the Twelfth, pays respect to Master!¡±


    ¡°You have finally arrived,¡± the Goddess turned to glance at them both, lingering particularly on the figures of Lin Rui and Ji Xueying before scattering the rest of the wheat and peas from her basket with a slight smile, ¡°Xiao Yun, look at these chickens I raise, don¡¯t they remind you of the myriad beings that vie for food beneath the seats of the Divine?¡±


    ¡°Master!¡± Meng Weiyun¡¯s face turned pale as she exclaimed, ¡°Master, this is Divine Scenery Mountain, under the seats of the Divine!¡±


    Luo Wangshu settled herself on a cushion inside and looked at Lin Rui intently, ¡°You¡¯ve reached the fifth realm?


    How¡¯s the Dragon Armor?


    Show it to me, and you too, Blood Blade Ji.¡±


    Without hesitation, Lin Rui revealed his bone armor in front of Luo Wangshu.


    After the Dragon Armor took shape, it formed small crystalline bones on the surface of Lin Rui¡¯s skin, with roughly half a finger¡¯s distance between each crystal.


    The Dragon Armor was usually retracted within these crystalline bones, and when Lin Rui willed it, it would expand to cover his entire body.


    However, when both the human and demon revealed their Dragon Armor, Luo Wangshu and Meng Weiyun were both slightly caught off guard.


    The case of Blood Blade Ji was still acceptable; although she had reached emperor-level bloodline talent with the aid of implanted armor, the gathered Dragon Armor was still just beyond king-level standard.


    But the purple-gold patterns covering all parts of Lin Rui¡¯s Dragon Armor shocked Meng Weiyun into disbelief.


    ¡°Is this, beyond emperor-level?¡±


    She knew that the Dragon Armor Lin Rui had cultivated must be strong, but she had never imagined that Lin Rui¡¯s Dragon Armor would be to such an extent.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s pupils dilated slightly, ¡°Interesting.


    Come here, Rui, let me have a closer look.¡±


    She beckoned with her hand, drawing Lin Rui closer to her, and grasped his wrist to carefully sense his pulse.


    Luo Wangshu then felt the pulse was not very clear, so she leaned her cheek against Lin Rui¡¯s chest to listen closely.


    Meng Weiyun, seeing this scene, couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly.


    Watching Luo Wangshu bury her delicate body in Lin Rui¡¯s embrace, her long hair cascading over and covering half of Lin Rui¡¯s body, she felt inexplicably uncomfortable.


    Yet where the discomfort lay, Meng Weiyun couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint.


    Lin Rui himself also felt quite awkward, especially since his master¡¯s subtle fragrance was overwhelming and their breaths intermingled.


    After a moment, Luo Wangshu finally sat up straight, and an almost neurotic smile appeared on her serene and otherworldly face, ¡°Fascinating, truly fascinating.


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    Your Golden Core is also beyond emperor-level, and not only that, it hasa?€¡±¡±


    She seemed to mouth four words without making a sound.


    Lin Rui, watching from the side, clearly discerned from Luo Wangshu¡¯s lips the words ¡®Abyssal Source Material.¡¯

 Chapter 337

    ?Chapter 337: Chapter 319 You Understand Too Much (Please Subscribe) Chapter 337: Chapter 319 You Understand Too Much (Please Subscribe) Luo Wangshu tilted her head with curiosity and looked at Lin Rui, ¡°How did you manage to cultivate this thing at twelve?¡±


    Meng Weiyun also perked up her ears to listen, as she, too, wanted to know how Lin twelve managed to cultivate dragon armor that surpassed the emperor tier, yet Luo Wangshu actually asked about the essence from the deep abyss.


    Lin Rui met Luo Wangshu¡¯s gaze, his eyes as pure as those of an innocent child, ¡°This was not cultivated, it seems some unknown force propelled it, and it just appeared out of nowhere.¡±


    a?€¡±a?€¡±That is, the result of a foreign body assimilation effect.


    Doubt flickered in Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes as she scrutinized Lin Rui from head to toe.


    Her gaze seemed to penetrate the heart, yet she couldn¡¯t find any flaws and subsequently pondered aloud, ¡°Not cultivated?


    That¡¯s possible; this thing indeed isn¡¯t something you can obtain just by wishing for it, let alone cultivate it.


    It might be related to the martial arts that you, twelve, practice.


    What kind of martial arts have you learned?


    ...


    Perform them for me from the very basics you started with, and try not to miss anything.¡±


    Lin Rui was stunned for a moment, glanced around, and wondered if he was supposed to practice inside this thatched room.


    He soon realized that this was Luo Wangshu¡¯s test for him.


    ¡°Then your disciple will humbly demonstrate,¡± Lin Rui said with a salute, ¡°The arts I¡¯ve learned are quite mixed; it might take some time to go through them all.¡±


    Luo Wangshu and Meng Weiyun initially thought nothing of it, assuming it was just a demonstration of martial arts, which wouldn¡¯t take long.


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    Standing by the door, Ji Xueying had a different look in her eyes, thinking that if he practiced the full set, it wouldn¡¯t end in just a short while.


    Following that, Lin Rui began practicing with the Thunder Fire Pile, Red Thunder Palm, Red Thunder Saber, Nourishing Spirit Pile, Thunder Pole Divine Glory, Purple Glow Thunder Saber, Purple Glow Thunder Palm, Red Sky Thunder Protection Skill, Primal Spirit Pile, Spirit Illusion Pile, Lesser Yang Palm, Lesser Yang Saber, Lesser Yang Pile, Divine Breath Technique, and the Eighteen Piles of Divine Gatea?€¡±a?€¡±as well as the two stances he had exchanged for this month, Rising Sun Yang Movement Pile, Purple Light Thundering Pile, leading up to his self-created Rising Sun Pile, Rising Sun Tribulation Saber, as well as the Purple Sun Pile, Purple Sun Tribulation Saber, and so on, along with various other powerful secret moves he had mastered.@@@@


    The area inside the room was small, which would have certainly constrained others from fully displaying their skills.


    But Lin Rui pushed each one to the Great Grandmaster and Grandmaster level, at the very least to a high degree of proficiency, surpassing the original scope of those martial arts stances.


    As he practiced in this small room, he managed not to damage the surrounding mud walls, and even the furniture inside the room remained unaffected, staying in its place without moving.


    The only thing Lin Rui didn¡¯t demonstrate was the ¡®Easy Muscle Bone Refinement¡¯; this was his foundation for resisting the Heavenly Demon Test, and he did not want the two before him to make any unfavorable associations.


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s scalp began to tingle with shock.


    She knew Lin twelve had high talent; whatever martial arts secret technique he saw, he would instantly know how to do it, and do it well after learning, but she really didn¡¯t know that Lin twelve had practiced so many martial arts a?€¡± a total of well over forty of them, each one deeply mastered.


    He even created his own martial arts, which looked rather well-formed, with divine might that was unmatched at his level.


    Meng Weiyun thought to herself, how could this guy have cultivated so many martial arts in less than a year, and all of them to the pinnacle?


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s expression gradually became more solemn as she watched Lin Rui practice one martial art after another, and secret sabers techniques, and she slowly felt that Lin Rui¡¯s formation of the superior emperor dragon armor and the condensed essence from the abyss were quite reasonable.


    In her youth, she hadn¡¯t mastered even one-sixth of the martial arts Lin Rui had, and none were as profound as Lin Rui¡¯s, so she could not see the views seen by Lin Rui.


    His voice was like the sound of jade chimes, noble and melodious.


    Lin Rui not only didn¡¯t get to see this person¡¯s face, but he also didn¡¯t get a clear view of the person¡¯s figure.


    Following that was the Second Divine Envoy, whom Lin Rui also did not get to meet.


    The ¡®Chief Historian¡¯ of the Second Divine Envoy¡¯s residence politely stated that the Second Divine Envoy had matters to attend to outside and was not in the capital.


    Lin Rui and Meng Weiyun didn¡¯t mind this cold reception; they were content as long as they had fulfilled the proper rituals and didn¡¯t care what the Emperor and the two Divine Envoys thought.


    As long as he could get the Emperor¡¯s Dragon Seal, he would be the commander of the Bureau of Inspectors, in charge of the department with the heaviest authority within the imperial city.


    Finally came the Commander of the Imperial City Division, a man named Shui Chengtian, whose appearance was rough, body as strong as an ox, face fierce, with a head of thick black hair.


    His facial features were fierce and menacing, but when he met Lin Rui and Meng Weiyun, he was very warm and hearty.


    He not only efficiently handed over all the paraphernalia associated with being the commander of the Bureau of Inspectors a?€¡° seals, identification plaques, letters of appointment, Tiger Talismans, and clothes and armor a?€¡° but also personally escorted them out the door.


    Half an hour later, Lin Rui, now attired in the full official robes and armor of the commander of the Bureau of Inspectors, stood in front of a massive hall on the left side of the Imperial City.


    The hall stood forty-nine zhang tall and was built entirely of white jade stone, exuding a majestic atmosphere.


    The twelve external pillars of the great hall were also made of white jade stone, each carved with various majestic dragons that seemed lifelike and impressively majestic.


    ¡°This is Divine Dragon Hall!


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    Our Great Song Empire¡¯s twelve ninth realm Emperor class garrison dragons and three tenth realm Emperor class national protection dragons are all housed here.


    I can¡¯t accompany you inside; you have to go in alone, and your guardian demon must stay behind.¡±


    Meng Weiyun, with her hands clasped behind her back, looked up at the grand plaque of Divine Dragon Hall, her eyes inexplicably strange, ¡°I¡¯ve already taught you the rules inside; just follow them, and you can receive the Emperor¡¯s Dragon Seal, oh, anda?€¡±¡±


    Meng Weiyun pointed toward another courtyard nearby: ¡°If you¡¯re interested later, you can also go to the Dragon Guard Residence to choose a Dragon Guard candidate.


    Dragon Guards are trained for the Emperor and the three Divine Envoys, to be their trusted aides.


    As the commander of the Bureau of Inspectors, you can also choose one to protect your daily safety.


    The real talents among the candidate Dragon Guards have long been noticed and reserved by the Emperor and the Envoy.


    The rest are all poorly skilled rejects.


    However, these ¡®candidate Dragon Guards¡¯ can be induced to the sixth realm of dragon transformation through special methods, so they¡¯re at least a fighting force.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded and then stepped toward the inside of Divine Dragon Hall.


    Minister Zhou had been worried about one thing: could Lin Rui, as an extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, withstand the Emperor¡¯s Dragon Seal?


    Also, would the process of imprinting the Emperor¡¯s Dragon Seal turn out to be a higher-grade Heavenly Demon Test?


    Lin Rui was also nervous, but he knew he had no other choice.

 Chapter 338

    ?Chapter 338: Chapter 320 Divine Dragon Hall (Three more, please subscribe) Chapter 338: Chapter 320 Divine Dragon Hall (Three more, please subscribe) The gate of the Divine Dragon Hall stood 50 zhang tall with a thickness surpassing one zhang, but as soon as Lin Rui¡¯s hand touched the door, he furrowed his brows slightly.


    Due to the convergence of the Dragon Armor, Lin Rui¡¯s overall physical qualities were rapidly enhancing.


    The strength evaluation from two days ago had already reached 2522 points, with the strength index even higher at 2581, meeting the standard of an Earth Federation lieutenant colonel, which corresponds to the late Golden Core phase of a Martial Cultivator in armor.


    The Martial Cultivators of Tianji Star are different from those in armor; as long as the Golden Core process is one hundred percent complete, they can undergo Dragon Molting.


    However, armored Martial Cultivators need a physical strength of over 3000 points before they can implant armored Dragon Armor.


    Although Lin Rui¡¯s composite physical score was only 2522 points, placed among Tianji Star¡¯s Level Five Dragon Molting Martial Cultivators, it was considered quite outstanding; pushing a door weighing tens of millions of jin would be no problem at all.


    It¡¯s worth noting that pushing and lifting are not the same thing.


    ...


    As early as the 20th century, a Russian strongman once hand-pulled a plane weighing 32 tons.


    Lin Rui could only brace the door with both hands, pushing forward with all his might.


    It was at this moment that a series of golden runes emerged on the door.


    Lin Rui also felt the blood in his body responding and pulsing in resonance.


    The more powerfully his blood roiled, the more golden runes were elicited.


    It wasn¡¯t until these runes covered the entire door that the massive doorway began to open slowly.


    Lin Rui suddenly realized that this door was also a testa?€¡±a test of his bloodline talent and potential.


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    Thus, it turns out that not just anyone can covet the position of the secret command leader of the assassination bureau.


    Not only did it require the acknowledgment of the three Divine Envoys and the Emperor but also a powerful bloodline talent.


    As Lin Rui stepped inside, he first took a quick look around.


    This massive hall covered an area of about sixty mu, slightly larger than Lin Rui¡¯s newly obtained estate, yet its interior was extremely spacious.


    There were a total of fifteen blood pools inside, three in the middle and six on each side.


    In each blood pool sat an imposing war dragon.


    These war dragons all sat on stone chairs, eyes tightly closed, seemingly deep in slumber, with their knees submerged in the blood pools.


    However, the contents of the blood pools were not actual blood but medicinal liquid brewed from various herbs, emitting a strong medicinal scent.


    Lin Rui looked at these war dragons with a strange gleam in his eyes.


    According to his senior sister Meng Weiyun, the dragon seated at the central position was the ¡®Boundless Emperor Dragon¡¯ of Emperor Renzong of the Great Song, of the tenth realm and emperor-tier, mighty beyond comparison.


    Lin Rui was curious why these battle dragons, which should have awoken some spiritual intelligence, seemed so dull, slightly sluggish?


    To Lin Rui, it felt as if they were executing a computer program, very rigid.


    Was it because they had not fully awakened?


    But this was good news to him.


    About a hundred breaths later, this sweeping observation finally came to an end.


    The fifteen battle dragons then focused all their consciousness on Lin Rui¡¯s Primordial Spirit.


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    At the same time, a wound opened in the center of their brows, and several drops of blood gushed out, converging in front of Lin Rui.


    The next instant, the drops of blood transformed into threads that entered Lin Rui¡¯s brow, and at that spot, a ¡®dragon¡¯ character in ancient celestial script emerged.


    Lin Rui¡¯s spirit synced with it, and a ¡®dragon¡¯ character in ancient celestial script also appeared, both formed by the pure spiritual power of the fifteen battle dragons and existing by relying on the blood mark on his brow.


    This was the ¡®Protecting National Dragon Seal¡¯; it not only condensed the spiritual power of these battle dragons but also their purest yuan qi and essence blood.


    Once activated by Lin Rui, it could form an incredibly robust Dragon Gang.


    He could also integrate this Dragon Gang into his own Gang energy to enhance his martial prowess.


    Crucially, the seal could summon projections of battle dragons, could help him resist all illusions below the tenth realm, could suppress the traces of fate, and would assist in his transformation into a dragon.


    This dragon seal could also identify Heavenly Demons from other domains.


    Encountering those Heavenly Demons with a weaker fusion of spirit and flesh, Lin Rui could activate the dragon seal, briefly scan with his eyes, and discern their true nature.


    There were many more benefits, too numerous to list at this time.


    Alert: Foreign spiritual power infiltration detected, no immediate threat to life, you may use soul power points to help you refine the essence of the foreign spiritual power.


    After sensing this alert, Lin Rui ¡®hmm¡¯ed and narrowed his eyes.


    As Lin Rui weighed the pros and cons, he sensed that threads of pseudo-abyssal essence from his Golden Core were converging toward the Protecting National Dragon Seal.


    By then, Lin Rui could initially control these pseudo-abyssal essences.


    However, after a moment of hesitation, he didn¡¯t stop them but quietly observed the changes.


    Just an instant later, when Lin Rui¡¯s pseudo-abyssal essences combined with the Protecting National Dragon Seal on his brow, it triggered an anomaly.


    The wounds on the brows of the three protecting battle dragons suddenly opened further, gushing out more qi and blood, which turned into threads and infiltrated Lin Rui¡¯s brow.


    At that moment, the Battle Spirit Ring gave Lin Rui a new alert.

 Chapter 339

    ?Chapter 339: Chapter 321: Abyss (Request for Monthly Tickets) Chapter 339: Chapter 321: Abyss (Request for Monthly Tickets) Just as Lin Rui entered the Divine Dragon Hall, a group of girls clad in white by the side of the dragon guards looked eagerly in the direction of the Divine Dragon Hall.


    ¡°It seems there¡¯s a new Spy Commander now, receiving the dragon seal.¡±


    ¡°He should come to select dragon guards, I wonder whose turn it will be this time?¡±


    ¡°I inquired yesterday, it¡¯s someone called Lin Twelve, a disciple of the third Divine Envoy.¡±


    ¡°Although following the Spy Commander isn¡¯t the orthodox path, our cultivation of secret techniques, although beneficial for rapid progress, needs external aid.


    And if we don¡¯t transform into dragons by the age of twenty, there¡¯s no hope for life.


    Until the Divine Envoy and the sovereign select dragon guards again, who knows how long we will have to wait.¡±


    ¡°Even if the Divine Envoy and the sovereign hold the selection now, we probably wouldn¡¯t be chosen.


    To be able to choose to follow a Commandery Prince, or someone important in the imperial city¡¯s administration, would already be quite good.¡±


    ¡°Look at all the sisters, I probably have no hope.@@@@


    I guess this official won¡¯t take a liking to me.


    In a couple of months, I will resign and return home.¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi, a dragon guard substitute, heard the news only a half moment later and hurriedly came to the great hall of the dragon guards, holding her sword.


    ...


    She stood behind the other girls, stretching her slender neck and also looking in the direction of the Divine Dragon Hall, her eyes revealing a hint of anticipation.


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    However, the arrival of Shangguan Tianyi incited hostility among the other girls in white.


    They all looked at Shangguan Tianyi with guarded apprehension.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Shangguan Tianyi?


    Isn¡¯t she acclaimed as the most outstanding Sword Dao genius of the dragon guards in centuries, yet she¡¯s also competing with us for this chance to transform into a dragon?¡±


    ¡°It seems this girl has practiced some incorrect cultivation technique and has been eliminated several times during selections.¡±


    ¡°I know, it seems her Sword Intent has also gone awry, creating a very thorny situation.


    Not only does this prevent her from mobilizing all her True Yuan for combat, but the transformation into a dragon will also pose a significant risk.


    So, rest assured, no one will choose her, even if the Commanding Officer is unaware, the authorities will remind him.¡±


    ¡°Not just that, her faulty cultivation also involves her bloodline.


    Apparently, if she continues to cultivate further, she¡¯s very likely to undergo a demonic transformation or something similar.


    It¡¯s said that the official responsible for teaching her got reprimanded by the higher-ups two years ago, saying he was inept for letting someone like her slip in.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s quite remarkable to have concealed it until now.


    It¡¯s said she could pass all the tests using just twenty percent of her strength, but the authorities have decided, if her situation doesn¡¯t improve, to expel her from the dragon guards this month.¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi heard these girls talking.


    She pretended not to care, yet her face slightly paled, and her slender, graceful hands clutched tightly at the sword in her embrace.


    Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s eyes looked with great anticipation toward the Divine Dragon Hall.


    She knew her chances of being chosen were slim, but even if there was only a one in a billion chance, she was determined to try.


    Shangguan Tianyi was not willing to just leave the dragon guards and sever her path in martial arts; she was resolved to strive earnestly for this opportunity.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Lin Rui was momentarily lost in thought inside the Divine Dragon Hall.


    When this ¡®pseudo-Abyssal Essence¡¯ merged with the essence, soul, and blood of the guardian battle dragons, it generated a brand new ¡®Abyssal Core.¡¯


    Lin Rui then had to spend Soul Power to refine it, and refining it stimulated the guardian battle dragons to supply more essence blood, in a seemingly endless cycle.


    This vicious cycle continued until deep into the night, breaking only because Lin Rui¡¯s dragon armor and Golden Core could no longer keep up, having been thoroughly depleted, unable to provide any more pseudo-Abyssal Essence.


    The three guardian battle dragons used their essence blood one last time to fill Lin Rui¡¯s Guardian Dragon Mark to satisfaction before contentedly closing the wound on his forehead.


    When Lin Rui walked out of the Divine Dragon Hall, his face was sterna?€¡±he had spent a staggering 330,000 points of Soul Power to maintain this cycle.


    Although there was now something in his brow chakra that resembled an ¡®external elixir¡¯ and had expanded to the size of a pigeon¡¯s egg, embedded in the center of his brow bone, he still had no idea what it was used for.


    At present, all he knew was that this object could absorb the ether from heaven and earth, continuously generating True Qi and True Yuan, both in quality and quantity, far surpassing his own Golden Core.


    Not only did it exceed by 230% in quantity but also greatly surpassed the quality of his own Golden Core.


    The issue was, this object had cost him a whopping 330,000 points of Soul Power.


    Lin Rui and the seventh-realm imperial flame battle dragon were almost within reach, but now he felt as though he saw the imperial flame battle dragon waving goodbye to him.


    As Lin Rui stepped out of the Divine Dragon Hall, Ji Xueying, who had been sitting on the steps, immediately showed a glimmer of joy in her eyes, while Meng Weiyun looked at Lin Rui with both surprise and helplessness.


    What on Earth was Lin Rui doing inside?


    Meng Weiyun had just sensed clearly the surging, tumultuous presence of the three guardian battle dragons, which indicated that Lin Rui was neither idly doing nothing nor resting.


    The question was, why did the ¡®Guardian Dragon Mark¡¯ take so long?


    Other commanders of spying missions usually took about an hour, so why was her junior brother so different?


    ¡°Sistera?€¡±¡± Lin Rui gave a sheepish smile, starting to gather his words to explain, but Meng Weiyun swiftly waved her hand.


    ¡°No need to explain to me.


    Whatever happens inside the Divine Dragon Hall, I am not privileged to know.¡±


    Meng Weiyun shook her head slightly: ¡°I originally wanted to take you to the spying mission, introduce you to colleagues, but nowa?€¡±¡±


    She looked up at the sky, realizing it was almost the third watch of the night, and the deputy commanders of the spying mission had already dispersed.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Suddenly, Meng Weiyun¡¯s heart trembled as she looked upward, noticing that today¡¯s celestial patterns seemed a bit unusual.


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    After carefully discerning for a while, Meng Weiyun¡¯s brows slightly furrowed: ¡°Strange, today¡¯s celestial patterns are a bit off.¡±


    Initially, Lin Rui didn¡¯t take it seriously and casually asked, ¡°Celestial patterns?


    Sister, can you also observe the stars?


    What is happening up there?¡±


    ¡°I have a basic understanding of the Stargazing Technique,¡± Meng Weiyun pointed doubtfully into the sky: ¡°Previously, the power of the eight Abysses dominated the sky, interweaving above.


    But now, I feel like there¡¯s been a slight change in the celestial patterns.¡±


    Lin Rui was startled and also looked up into the sky.


    As far as he knew, there were eight great Abysses in the sky, five external and three internal.


    The outer world had five, and the one called Hell in the inner world of the Earth¡¯s core also had three.


    The one in the central state was different; it was actually a husband and wife team.


    Separately, they were slightly weaker than the Abyss, but once they joined forces, they were the most powerful among the eight Abysses.


    He then heard Meng Weiyun chuckle: ¡°This change is very subtle, perhaps I am mistaken.


    It couldn¡¯t possibly be the emergence of a new Abyss.¡±

 Chapter 340

    ?Chapter 340: Chapter 322: Serenity (Request for Monthly Tickets) Chapter 340: Chapter 322: Serenity (Request for Monthly Tickets) Lin Rui looked up at the sky with a puzzled expression, ¡°Constellations?


    I feel like the sky hasn¡¯t changed at all.¡±


    The stars are still the same stars, the moon is still that same moon, and the sun is also that same sun.


    Meng Weiyun couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°After the seventh realm, Martial Cultivators see a different sky, which is why all the star-watchers in the world are beings above the seventh realm.¡±


    She then pointed to the beside Dragon Guard Capital, ¡°You can still choose a Dragon Guard, why not go have a look?¡±


    However, Lin Rui slightly shook his head, uninterested, ¡°No need, I know that the Dragon Guards left over by the Emperor and Divine Envoys are mostly below the imperial rank.


    The few good ones left have all been picked by those prince Commandery Princes.¡±


    Turning a ¡®candidate Dragon Guard¡¯ into a dragon costs a lot of money, and maintaining a war dragon is equally expensive.


    With that money, he would rather recruit one or two experts from the martial world, or spend it on Ji Xueying and Wang Sen and their group to hasten their dragon transformation.


    An imperial rank Sixth Realm Martial Cultivator is worth two or three super imperial ranks; an Emperor Realm could even fight across ranks.


    Wang Sen will definitely have a future surpassing the imperial realm; this fellow is not only a late bloomer but also increasingly shows potential, which seems bottomless even now.


    ...


    As for Ji Xueying, there¡¯s no need to say more.


    That secret ritual in Silver Moon County where she refined thousands of soul spirits was no joke, her innate spiritual power is extraordinarily strong.


    After Ji Xueying became an aberrant walker, her future prospects have become even broader.


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    And it¡¯s not as if Lin Rui can¡¯t hire good hands.


    Xue Lingxue and Gong Hengdao have already helped him scout some retired mercenaries from the military, and he is currently courting them.


    Among them, two not only have an aberrant body, but their spiritual power is also very normal.


    Aberrants can operate within the Extreme Heavenly Star, said to be very reliable.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Meng Weiyun sighed when she remembered those girls inside the Dragon Guard Capital.


    These candidate Dragon Guards are mostly orphans picked from the outside by Dragon Guard Capital.


    If they exceed eighteen years old, they can¡¯t transform into dragons, and their path in martial arts would be utterly severed.


    With their abilities, they would not lead too difficult lives outside, but due to the hidden dangers left by their quick success in their skills, their life span is usually very short, about 40 years before they die.


    ¡°Actually, being a Dragon Guard has its benefits; their future lives are entrusted to you, and they are utterly loyal.


    They also don¡¯t impose a burden on your spiritual power like demons do, but if you¡¯re not willing, let¡¯s forget it.¡±


    Meng Weiyun then pulled Lin Rui forward, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll visit the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower and the Divine Prison Administration.


    We can¡¯t make it to the Assassination Office today; we can only go to these two places.


    I¡¯ll introduce you to some friends there; in the future, you¡¯ll need to deal frequently with Ten Thousand Dragon Tower and Divine Prison Administration.


    You might occasionally need some favors, and you can ask them for help.¡±


    The Divine Prison Administration is the prison under Imperial City Administration that detains major criminals.


    The former Governor of Sha Province, Yuan Chengkai, and Yu Wendan are currently imprisoned there.


    The Ten Thousand Dragon Tower is a facility that suppresses demons of the sixth rank and above.


    High realm Martial Cultivators all know that demons above the sixth rank are essentially ¡®dragons¡¯, which is why this place is called the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    However, the Imperial City Administration also occasionally incarcerates lower rank demons related to cases in the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    There is a top-tier Divine Artifact there that keeps demons conscious and their spiritual intelligence lively, which is convenient for interrogation.


    After touring these two places with Meng Weiyun, Lin Rui¡¯s face gradually showed happiness.


    He felt that his points for exchanging for an Imperial Flame War Dragon had a new outlet.@@@@


    Indeed, the world was becoming increasingly worse.


    ¡®Twelve¡¯ in ancient texts signifies divinity and eternity, an endless cycle, the implication is quite good.


    However, now that you are an official of the Fifth Rank, serving as a Deputy Commander in the Subversive Actions Bureau, this name is a bit unfitting.


    How about I give you a new name, Lin Hao?


    The character ¡®Hao¡¯ signifies vastness and also refers to the sun, hoping that your future can be as bright as the midday sun and as boundless as the sky, embracing everything.¡±


    Lin Rui immediately bowed deeply: ¡°This name is excellent, I thank my mentor gratefully.¡±


    From now on, his alternate self would be called Lin Hao, the meaning indeed quite good.


    Many guests at the banquet knew that Luo Wangshu liked tranquility; perhaps today she deeply adored her disciple Lin Hao, which was why she made the mentorship ceremony so grand, covering the entire capital with invitations.


    Thus, shortly after Lin Rui officially became a disciple, many high officials tactfully bid their farewells and left.


    They were actually very busy and did not have time to stay longer.


    When the Divine Envoy¡¯s court quieted down after the guests dispersed to its usual solitude, their eldest fellow disciple asked with a grave expression, ¡°Mentor seemed a bit distracted today?


    Could it be related to yesterday¡¯s astrological change?¡±


    ¡°Astrological change?¡± Meng Weiyun evidently surprised, said, ¡°Yesterday, I also noticed something odd with the heavenly phenomena, feeling it related to the abyss.


    But what happened?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, something happened.


    The method of purification has now found its master, which might indicate that a new abyss may appear soon.¡±


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s gaze was complex: ¡°Just last night, five great abysses converged in the East Sea, sweeping across a million miles in search of the headquarters of the Light Church.


    Our divine beings also decreed this morning that from now on, we must enhance the effort to eradicate the Light Church, fully persecuting that Light Church leader.¡±


    The expressions on the faces of the several fellow disciples present were greatly shocked, and they glanced at each other.


    Lin Rui¡¯s jaw almost dropped in astonishment.


    He guessed that this matter was likely related to him.


    So was he the disaster star of the Light Church?


    No, that couldn¡¯t be right; him, a minor character, how could he influence the five divine beings?


    He definitely thought too much.


    ¡°However, this matter is irrelevant to you several, just carry on as usual.


    As for the Subversive Actions Bureau under Lin Hao, you will have to exert a bit more effort in this affair.


    Oha?€¡±¡±


    Luo Wangshu suddenly recalled something: ¡°Regarding that case of Zhao Yang, Hao¡¯er, what are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°I will handle the case impartially, not allowing any Heavenly Demons to intervene in the court.


    However, since Zhao Yang is a high-ranking official who has served three reigns, in order to avoid public speculation and criticism, I will request that the Divine Envoy decree that all three judicial authorities participate.¡±


    Lin Rui bowed slightly: ¡°But as for the specifics, it still depends on tomorrow¡¯s Heavenly Demon Test.¡±


    Yu Wendan had been smoked by medicinal incense for a day and a night, and unlike Li Li, did not have an antidote provided by Lin Rui.


    So whether Yu Wendan was an otherworldly traveler or not, he was now definitely a Heavenly Demon.


    Therefore, there was really no need to start an investigation into this case.


    If just any Heavenly Demon could accuse and trigger an investigation into a high-ranking official like Zhao Yang, how could this court continue to operate or maintain order?


    How could all the high officials and nobles work in peace?


    Furthermore, Yu Wendan, being a Heavenly Demon, yet pretending to be a native of their supreme celestial sphere, clearly had malicious intentions.


    By then, who would dare to investigate the case?


    The upright censors of the Imperial Censorate could drown them with spit.


    Upon hearing this, Luo Wangshu nodded slightly in satisfaction, thinking that this disciple was truly to her liking.

 Chapter 341

    ?Chapter 341: Chapter 323: Heavenly Demon Test (Three More for Monthly Passes) Chapter 341: Chapter 323: Heavenly Demon Test (Three More for Monthly Passes) The next morning, Lin Rui brought Wang Sen and Li Li to the Imperial Censor¡¯s office, which was already crowded with officials.


    The reason for this was that Yu Wendan had come forward at the southern city post station to accuse the veteran of three dynasties, Zhao Yang, of possibly being a foreign Heavenly Demon, causing a huge stir throughout the capital and leading to political instability.


    Anyone with an interest could tell that someone was fanning the flames behind the scenes.


    Even before the commander of the Assassination Bureau, Lin Twelve, could start a formal investigation, the matter had already become well known throughout the city.


    It was clear that someone was creating public opinion to force the court to conduct a serious investigation into Zhao Yang.


    Therefore, the Imperial Censor¡¯s office today gathered not only many of Zhao Yang¡¯s students and former officials, along with the honest and upright officials, but institutions such as the Cabinet, the Ministry of Punishments, and the Dali Temple also sent representatives to observe.


    The scene at the Imperial Censor¡¯s office was as crowded as Lin Rui¡¯s mentorship banquet from the previous day, though the rank was slightly lower as most wore blue and green robes.


    ...


    The Emperor and the three Divine Envoys had also sent confidants to keep abreast of the situation.


    The ranks of these individuals were not high, with the highest being no more than seventh grade.


    Until it was confirmed that Zhao Yang was involved with the demonic, these top figures of the Great Song Dynasty would not pay too much attention to the matter, at least they would not appear too concerned.


    Lin Rui even spotted Prince Zhou Buqi, who wasn¡¯t there yesterday.


    This prince had an impressive appearance, with a dignified and majestic bearing, and every move he made exuded a natural nobility.


    Lin Rui paid much attention to this man, as he had almost been killed by one of the prince¡¯s henchmen back in Silvermoon County.


    Lin Rui specifically asked his senior sister, what grudges did this prince have with the Third Divine Envoy?


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    Why did he try to scheme against their master with the ¡°Heart of God Tea¡± not long ago?


    Meng Weiyun had explained that the prince was essentially backed by the Emperor.


    The Emperor might not have intended to harm their master, yet if the prince could bring down the Third Divine Envoy, the Emperor would not mind and might even be pleased.


    Moreover, this Prince Zhou Buqi was very close to the two Divine Envoy candidates.


    Immediately, Lin Rui understood the situation, thinking to himself, how could this be allowed?


    A mere prince dared to provoke his master using the Emperor¡¯s authority?


    That was lawless.


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    When Prince Zhou Buqi saw Lin Rui, his expression was not very pleasant.


    He had received news the previous afternoon.


    After his mentorship banquet, Lin Hao¡¯s first directive upon taking office was to order the Twentieth Bureau to interrogate Yuan Chengkai, the former governor of Shazhou, about his potential collusion with demonic forces.


    The second directive was related to Prince Zhou Buqia?€¡±he said he had heard the public sentiment, and rumors were circulating that the prince was indulging in luxury and debauchery, oppressing the locals.


    In the capital region, he was seizing property by force, annexing land indiscriminately, and practicing all kinds of evil.


    Therefore, Lin Hao ordered the Ninth and Tenth Bureaus to investigate the prince¡¯s unlawful matters thoroughly.


    The Ninth and Tenth Bureaus¡¯ commanders were the Emperor¡¯s hawks and dogs fostered within the Imperial City Division, usually on good terms with Prince Zhou Buqi, addressing each other as brothers.


    The third Divine Envoy, however, was very young, having served for less than fifty years, and for most of that time, he had been sidelined, holding no real power.


    And youth meant cleanliness and innocence, leaving Zhao Yang without effective means to restrain him.


    ¡°Fair enough!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s expression was cold and distant, and his voice indifferent, ¡°Combatting treachery and suppressing demons is Lin Hao¡¯s duty, what trouble is there to speak of?¡±


    He then sat down directly and urged the neighboring Imperial Censor Song Lian, ¡°Imperial Censor Song, it¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s start soon.


    We¡¯ll begin with my two subordinates.¡±


    Seeing this, the people below nodded slightly, thinking to themselves that the character of the Commandant of the Assassination Bureau was indeed as upright and incorruptible as rumored, fearless of power and with a firm and pure conduct.


    Only Prince Han¡¯s face turned sullen; he knew this Lin Hao was not only tough but also vengeful, with a cruel and malicious nature.


    The first to undergo the Heavenly Demon Test was Wang Sen, who initially felt a little apprehensive.


    But as he stepped onto the Array platform, he calmed down entirely and began to face the situation indifferently.


    What was there to worry about?


    Man dies and birds soar free, immortal for ten thousand years.


    The key was that Lin Rui had performed surgery on him the night before, bolstering Wang Sen¡¯s confidence.


    Brother Rui¡¯s skills in surgery and Arrays were truly masterful.


    In Wang City County, Lin Rui only knew some intermediate-level Arrays, and the talismans he drew by hand were crooked; he seemed a bit rusty with surgeries, stumbling and bumbling.


    Yet, when Lin Rui operated on the two of them the night before, he was swift and efficient, embedding the high-ranking Arrays under their skin in one smooth process, and the inscriptions of all the runes were drawn in a single stroke, incredibly skilled.


    Furthermore, the master of rituals brought by Zhou Yunfei exceeded expectations; he turned out to be an 8SS-level, a two-star Marshal.


    He seemed to be Zhou Yunfei and Professor Han¡¯s teacher, making him Lin Rui¡¯s grandmaster, who had personally taken action for Lin Rui¡¯s sake this time.


    This master did not directly confront the Imperial Censorate or them, but instead, employed a special method from a distance to baffle and shield nearby perceptions of the Divine Dragon Hall¡¯s war dragons, preventing their Heavenly Demon Test from reaching maximum detection.


    The testing process then went smoothly, just as Lin Rui had said.


    Wang Sen relied on the unique advantage of his ¡®Xuanwu Sacred Body¡¯ to enter a ¡®hibernating¡¯ state within his flesh and soul, akin to an animal¡¯s winter slumber, thereby reducing the chances of the Heavenly Demon Test detecting anomalies in his body and soul.


    The Arrays and medicine provided by Lin Rui further reduced the likelihood of his being discovered.


    At that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s expression suddenly changed as he looked forward.


    With the protector dragon mark on his forehead, he had clearly sensed a war dragon¡¯s consciousness descending towards the direction of the Imperial Censorate.


    However, as the will of this war dragon approached, it veered off, as though caught in a labyrinth, wandering the skies.


    Was it his grandmaster who had taken action?


    The cultivation of this technique was excellent.


    What surprised Lin Rui was that he could trace the source of the technique through the will of the war dragon, vaguely sensing his grandmaster¡¯s general location.


    After Wang Sen passed the Heavenly Demon Test, next was Li Li, who also safely got through.


    The day before, Lin Xi had taken over his shift, allowing Li Li to return home for surgery.


    Li Li¡¯s foundation was much deeper than Wang Sen¡¯s, but his age was over the line, leaving him with no prospects in the Imperial City Division.


    He was mainly going to assist Lin Rui with various official duties in the future.


    If needed, Lin Rui could also recommend him for an official position in the court.


    Finally, it was Yu Wendan¡¯s turn, and everyone¡¯s gaze turned cold as they all looked towards the sallow-faced middle-aged man in chains, escorted by several officers of the Imperial City Division to the hall.

 Chapter 342

    ?Chapter 342: Chapter 324: Stable (Please Subscribe) Chapter 342: Chapter 324: Stable (Please Subscribe) Yu Wendan¡¯s mental fortitude was exceptional.


    Shackled head to toe, he walked to the center of the Array platform with a calm demeanor under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes.


    Seated above, Lin Rui surveyed Yu Wendan, expressionless and thorough, ¡°Yu Wendan, have your accommodations and meals within the Divine Prison been satisfactory these past two days?¡±


    Yu Wendan bowed his hands gratefully, ¡°Thanks to the high official for sending trusted attendants to care for me, this humble one has a single room and thus everything has been peaceful and normal these two days, howevera?€¡±¡±


    He paused, glancing at Zhao Yang above the hall, ¡°these past two days, several groups have peered into my cell from outside the window.


    May I ask why?¡±


    This statement provoked a stir within the grand hall.


    Fang Ranran clenched her fists tightly and glared coldly at Yu Wendan.


    This wretch, truly slandering others with false accusations.


    They were wary of the newly appointed Imperial Censor for Espionage and knew that killing to silence others was futile; they had not sent anyone to the Divine Prison.


    ...


    However, Fang Ranran knew that no matter how angry or hateful she felt, it was pointless.


    Yu Wendan was simply a sacrifice pushed forward by the Jin family, not caring about his own life.


    Linghu Mingde stroked his beard, his eyes half-closed, not taking Yu Wendan¡¯s words to heart.


    Lin Rui ignored Yu Wendan as well.


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    He turned to Song Lian, ¡°Imperial Censor Song, two days ago this man accused the Vice Censor in Chief Zhao Yang, claiming he is a Heavenly Demon from beyond our domain.


    Given this involves high officialdom, we must be diligent.


    It is my intention to request three revered artificers from among us, alongside the Heavenly Emperor and Divine Envoy, to enter the Array and test the Magic Artifact.


    Let¡¯s observe the witness¡¯s condition as well and make a verification.¡±


    Song Lian, upon hearing this, did not hesitate: ¡°I carefully follow the Commanding Officer¡¯s order!¡±


    He made up his mind, whatever Lin Rui said would be the final word.


    Observing his impartial demeanor and expressions, he sensed no risk.


    Lin Rui nodded slightly, unapologetically calling out three names directly from the crowd.


    He had done his homework beforehand, knowing these three were famously upright and honorable ministers of the court.


    Although these individuals were also part of the upright faction, they were not aligned with Zhao Yang¡¯s faction, and were universally recognized for their integrity and honesty.


    Lin Rui did not know if they were truly honest and upright, nor was he aware of their proficiency with Arrays; he simply needed their prestige to bolster the credibility of this Heavenly Demon Test.


    The three, though hesitant, ultimately stepped forward under the nudging of their colleagues, and together with the envoy of the Heavenly Emperor and the Divine Envoy, they inspected the Magic Artifact and looked over Yu Wendan¡¯s condition.


    The primary goal was to detect any traces of magical manipulation or signs of poisoning.


    Ultimately, all seven found nothing and descended from the platform to report back to Lin Rui.


    ¡°Lord Lin, the Array and Magic Artifact of the Heavenly Demon Test are all intact and in perfect condition, and there are no abnormalities with Yu Wendan himself.¡±


    Although from their first meeting Lin Hao had been unpretentiously stern with her, Ranran still had a good impression of hima?€¡±despite being a strict official, he was fair, and keen to understand the world around him and discern even the minutest details.


    Song Lian took a deep breath and once more ascended the altar to start casting spells, using the power of the Magic Artifact and Arrays to analyze Yu Wendan¡¯s spirit, body, and bloodline.


    The Imperial Censor¡¯s Office¡¯s Heavenly Demon Test was relatively comprehensive; the conditions were good, and various apparatuses were complete, much more so than those at the local levels.


    Even the slightest flaw in Yu Wendan would be uncovered by the ¡°Heavenly Demon Test.¡±


    Yu Wendan was brimming with confidence; being an expert of the fifth realm, his integration of spirit and flesh was inherently high.


    Specially trained and even having undergone major surgery for this mission, he ensured he could possibly pass the Heavenly Demon Test, even if facing the protective national battle dragon.


    The testing started normally until, moments later, a faint red light suddenly emerged on the altar, causing a buzzing sound among the people in the hall.


    The red light was faint, almost imperceptible, leaving the officials in the hall utterly puzzled.


    The Heavenly Demon Test seemed to have detected an issue, but the problem was the elusive nature of the red light, leaving them unable to confirm it.


    Prince Han, Zhou Buqi¡¯s complexion turned ashen, his eyes filled with bewildered disbelief.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Linghu Mingde also opened his eyes, disbelievingly staring at the stage.


    There really was a problem!


    And as time passed, the red light became increasingly apparent.


    But what exactly was going on?


    How could the Jin family have made such an oversight?


    Fang Ranran clenched her fist powerfully under the table; she had never expected that today would bring light to the end of the tunnel!


    She was also curious about the cause and was almost too excited to contain herself.


    On the altar, Yu Wendan looked dazed, somewhat panic-stricken; he didn¡¯t know where the problem had arisen.


    He had made the most thorough preparations, and the person who had operated on him was a top-tier prosthetic surgeon; why would he be detected as problematic?


    It was at this time that Lin Hao suddenly opened his eyes on the platform and let out an angry roar: ¡°How audacious!


    To dare use magic to obstruct the arrival of our nation¡¯s protective battle dragon, you are courting death!


    Gentlemen, that must be an outer realm Heavenly Demon, assist me in capturing this fiend!¡±


    He had already soared out, rushing toward his Heavenly Demon dragon armor.


    The two ¡®Holy Hall Dragon Wings¡¯ were positioned just outside the door, the cabin doors now opening under Lin Rui¡¯s command.


    As Lin Rui and Ji Xueying rushed into the cabin, the two sets of dragon armor also simultaneously rose into the sky.


    At the same time, Fang Ranran felt her grandfather gently pat her hand.


    Fang Ranran noticed that Linghu Mingde¡¯s palm was also damp.


    She herself felt a strong sense of surviving a disaster, both relieved and thankful.


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    Fang Ranran realized that the Linghu family¡¯s situation had stabilized for now!

 Chapter 343

    ?Chapter 343: Chapter 325: The Spiritual Dragon with Heaven-Piercing Clarity (Please Subscribe) Chapter 343: Chapter 325: The Spiritual Dragon with Heaven-Piercing Clarity (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui sensed interference in the War Dragon¡¯s will by magic and immediately summoned the projection of the Guardian War Dragon.


    The one he called was the ¡®Spiritual Sky-Penetrating Dragon¡¯, the one with the strongest sensing ability among the Guardian War Dragons, and it descended right at the source of the magic.


    Lin Rui could only sense the sorcerer¡¯s approximate location, with an error margin of one to three miles.


    But this was already enough, for the ¡®Spiritual Sky-Penetrating Dragon¡¯ was of the tenth realm emperor class, close to the abyssal War Dragons, and its projection was also extremely powerful, barely any different from the pinnacle of the seventh realm emperor class War Dragons.


    There were few sorcerers in this world who could escape from the envelopment of the ¡®Spiritual Sky-Penetrating Dragon¡¯s Divine Sense.


    ¡°Strange!¡± Lin Rui, while piloting his dragon armor in flight, kept sensing the situation of the ¡®Spiritual Sky-Penetrating Dragon¡¯.


    He discovered that the War Dragon projection he summoned was very intelligent, not at all like the rigid stiffness he observed at the Divine Dragon Hall when he received the ¡®Guardian Dragon Seal¡¯ the day before yesterday.


    ...


    This War Dragon projection had just descended and immediately darted toward the south, without needing Lin Rui¡¯s control or commands.


    There, four powerful breaths burst forth, accompanied by several overwhelmingly domineering shockwaves that surged in all directions, leveling and sweeping away the surrounding buildings.


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes: ¡°There are two seventh realms, one is a sorcerer and the other a protector for the sorcerer.


    Both have War Dragons.¡±


    Still, Lin Rui did not hesitate to accelerate and rush towards them.


    He sensed that the ¡®Spiritual Sky-Penetrating Dragon¡¯ he summoned had the upper hand, and with the power of a single dragon, it was dominating the two people and two dragons on the other side.


    This dragon not only had an immensely strong bloodline power but also exhibited astonishing combat instincts and intelligence.


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    Lin Rui grew enlightened, considering if the intelligence of this ¡®Spiritual Sky-Penetrating Dragon¡¯ was focused on combat?


    Or was it that only its combat intelligence was preserved, while other aspects were suppressed?


    However, to be certain, more tests would be needed.


    By the time Lin Rui arrived, the two seventh realm experts had already been besieged.


    This time, several third-rank officials came to the scene on the backs of dragons.


    They were all seventh realm experts, their speed far exceeded that of Lin Rui¡¯s dragon armor.


    Imperial Censor Zhao Yang, King Han Zhou Buqi, and two dukes of the Great Song Dynasty had also arrived at the battlefield ahead of Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui observed the battlefield momentarily and then squinted at Zhou Buqi and the two noble dukes of the Great Song Dynasty.


    These people seemed to be sieging the sorcerer, but in fact, intentionally or unintentionally used their huge War Dragon bodies to hinder the ¡®Spiritual Sky-Penetrating Dragon¡¯s¡¯ pursuit.


    Their actions were extremely discreet, appearing to battle with all their might.


    Even if Lin Rui saw through them, he couldn¡¯t directly accuse them of wrongdoing.


    Zhou Buqi¡¯s face turned deathly pale, his eyes flickering uncertainly.


    Yet, he managed to force a smile, ¡°Master Lin speaks as if we were indeed accomplices to these two extraterritorial Heavenly Demons.¡±


    He still controlled his war dragon to retreat a hundred zhang away.


    The two marquises shared a look and snorted lightly, retreating to a hundred zhang away as well.


    The commander of this purge was not only extremely tough but also unpredictable.


    They could not grasp Lin Hao¡¯s character and whether he would truly act against them, so they dared not take any rash actions.


    Moreover, Lin Hao had warned them with the national protective Dragon Seal, leaving them no excuse not to retreat.


    By this time, the spines of the two seventh-realm war dragons had been completely shattered by the ¡®Ling Ming Tong Tian Dragon,¡¯ lying in two pieces on the ground.


    The remaining two seventh-realm ultra-king experts also suffered backlash, bleeding from all seven orifices.


    Now they were no match for the many Imperial Censors led by Imperial Censor-in-Chief Zhao Yang.


    In just a moment, the two were captured by several Imperial Censors working together.


    The Imperial Censors not only knocked the two unconscious but also shattered their spines, making them incapable of fighting, escaping, or even committing suicide.


    When Zhao Yang, who was Linghu Mingde, held one of them in his hand, he felt a heavy weight lift from his chest and was immensely relieved.


    He realized that after today¡¯s Heavenly Demon Test, the Linghu family would remain unshakable for a very long time.


    With the current situation, even if the Jin family brought out the evidence of the rotten dragon mushroom, it would be hard to implicate him.


    These extraterritorial Heavenly Demons, to frame him, a government official of high rank, did not hesitate to use seventh-realm masters to deceive the Heavenly Demon Test.


    Then, with their mystical powers, what kind of evidence couldn¡¯t they fabricate?


    Would it be credible?


    Upon further thought, why would these Heavenly Demons target him, Zhao Yang?


    What cause did they have to set him up?


    Would an official investigation play right into the Heavenly Demons¡¯ hands?


    With today¡¯s events, he no longer had to sit and wait for doom.


    Linghu Mingde expressed his gratitude by bowing to Lin Rui, ¡°Master Lin, please accept my bow.


    Today, thanks to your impartiality and integrity, you restored my and the Zhao family¡¯s innocence!¡±


    Linghu Mingde was truly grateful to this young man.


    Lin Hao neither hastily prosecuted, nor did he dither when the seventh-realm sorcerers interfered with the national protective dragon during their casting, he decisively exposed them; furthermore, he pressured Zhou Buqi which enabled their capture of the two men.

 Chapter 344

    ?Chapter 344: Chapter 326: Counterattack (Vote for monthly passes three times) Chapter 344: Chapter 326: Counterattack (Vote for monthly passes three times) ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formalities, Lord Zhao, as I¡¯ve said before, the innocent shall clear themselves.¡±


    Lin Rui still spoke in a businesslike tone, but his expression had become more amiable.


    After all, this was his boss¡¯s grandfather, and it wasn¡¯t good to be overly pretentious.


    However, his voice soon took a turn, ¡°But Lord Zhao, don¡¯t celebrate too soon.


    Although Yu Wendan is undoubtedly an outsider Heavenly Demon, the petition he presented to me two days ago stated thirteen suspicious events involving Heavenly Demons since you began your service.


    After careful examination, I feel that four of them are indeed quite questionable.


    This matter is of great importance, so I will submit the situation here along with Yu Wendan¡¯s deposition to the Divine Envoy¡¯s office for the Emperor and the Divine Envoy to decide whether to initiate an investigation against Lord Zhao!¡±


    Linghu Mingde couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at these words, thinking that this young official was really meticulous and leak-proof in his work.


    He wasn¡¯t worried at all about Lin Hao¡¯s report; the Emperor and the first and second Divine Envoys in the Divine Envoy¡¯s office wouldn¡¯t trouble him unless there were enough benefits and absolute certainty.


    ...


    The third Divine Envoy was currently his ally, in need of his support to reform the court, and would not seek trouble at this time.


    Moreover, should the court show any intention of investigating him, all the righteous Imperial Censors would be up in arms.


    Neither the Emperor nor the three Divine Envoys could suppress the world alone, and many things required compromise with the court officials and the righteous faction.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Linghu Mingde nodded, still with a pleasant demeanor, ¡°Should Lord Lin need my assistance in the future, whether for public or private affairs, as long as it does not violate the country¡¯s laws, feel free to seek me out.


    As for your sworn sister Zhou Yunxi, she is the daughter of my old subordinate Zhou Rang.


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    I have been guilty for not protecting Zhou Rang during the court upheaval years ago.


    I sent my grandson to visit, wishing to do all I can to support and look after the descendant of my old subordinate.


    Please, Lord Lin, don¡¯t avoid meeting my grandson due to this case.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about Yun Xi¡¯s matter another time,¡± Lin Rui shook his head, then pointed to the two people lying unconscious on the ground, ¡°However, there happens to be a matter here where I need Lord Zhao¡¯s help.


    I would like to ask Lord Zhao to assign a few capable men to help me escort these two to the Divine Prison Department.¡±


    The projection of the ¡®Majestic Heavenly Dragon¡¯ he summoned was utterly awesome.


    Not to mention those at the seventh level, even those at the eighth level with slightly weaker bloodline powers were no match for the projection of the ¡®Majestic Heavenly Dragon¡¯.


    Lin Rui finally understood why his predecessors could swagger through the capital city.


    But to be on the safe side, Lin Rui still decided to ask the Imperial Censor¡¯s office to send a few people to help him with the transport.


    Upon hearing this, Linghu Mingde gave a slight nod, his tone growing colder, ¡°It¡¯s part of the duty!¡±


    He would never allow these two to be rescued or to escape.


    Since the Jin family didn¡¯t manage to overthrow him this time, it was his turn to strike back.


    Since Jin Bolong had made a move against him, he would have to pay a price.


    He would let the chairman of the Jinhao Starship Trading Company understand what it meant to be a leader of the righteous faction and a veteran minister of three dynasties of the great Song Empire!


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Meanwhile, in the office of the chairman at the Jinhao Real Estate Group¡¯s headquarters located in the ninth base city.


    Jin Bolong¡¯s face was as white as paper, the Jade Ruyi ornament in his hand had been crushed into powder by his grip.


    After a long while, Jin Bolong turned to look at his old friend and advisor, ¡®Lu Hanyuan,¡¯ the independent director of the Jinhao Real Estate Group.


    His eyes held a trace of bewilderment, ¡°Hanyuan, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lu Hanyuan thought to himself that he also very much wanted to know what was going on.


    He opened up the company¡¯s internal communication system and started to meticulously review the reports of various links in the chain.


    ¡°Yu Wendan couldn¡¯t have been compromised; he¡¯s a devoted agent that we¡¯ve painstakingly cultivated.


    There¡¯s no reason for him to betray us.


    Yu Wendan¡¯s life could be exchanged for a billion in cash and a bright future for his four children.¡±


    421 and Seventh Avenue No.


    239 must be terminated.


    Additionally, several other ongoing real estate projects need to be halted.


    The government has received a large number of citizen complaints, and the Environmental Agency, along with the Parliament, must restart ecological and environmental investigations on these projects.


    At the same time, several government projects contracted to your group¡¯s construction company are to be suspended.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Jin Bolong, with an icy expression, responded, ¡°Mr.


    Mayor, our company¡¯s projects were all obtained through legal procedures.


    If your government decides to stop them abruptly, that¡¯s an illegal act.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m informing you, not discussing with you.


    Chairman Jin, if you have any complaints, you can sue in court.¡±


    The ¡®mayor¡¯ in the video spoke without any expression, ¡°Also, the Municipal Civil Servant Oversight Committee has received reports suggesting that several of your company¡¯s projects may involve economic crimes.


    The Federal Investigation Bureau and the Federal Homeland Security Agency¡¯s Economic Crimes Department have been ordered to set up a special investigation team to look into related issues concerning your company.¡±


    After hearing this, Jin Bolong clenched his fists tightly, and veins bulged on his arms.


    novgo.co


    He asked, word by word, ¡°Is it Linghu Mingde?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯ve been under significant pressure,¡± the mayor said with a slight shake of his head.


    ¡°Chairman Jin, you should understand what¡¯s going on.


    You should solve these problems yourself.¡±


    After speaking, he directly ended the communication.


    Jin Bolong¡¯s eyebrows furrowed deeply, but he dared not harbor the slightest resentment against the mayor.


    The official title of the Mayor of the Ninth Base City is actually ¡®Executive Officer of the Special Administrative Region of the Ninth Base City of the East Asian Republic¡¯, not fully determined by election.


    Therefore, Jin Bolong lacked the means to pressure the mayor.


    After a long silence, he stood up and said, ¡°Hanyuan, I¡¯ll leave these matters to you.


    I give you full authority to resolve these issues as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Chairman, I will take care of these matters before the stock market opens tomorrow and calm the public opinion at the same time,¡± Lu Hanyuan also stood up, his eyes filled with shock.


    ¡°I miscalculated; I did not expect Linghu Mingde to still wield such great influence in politics 30 years after his retirement.¡±


    It was not so much a miscalculation as that they had never considered the possibility of their plan failing.


    Jin Bolong, too, was secretly alarmed and equally relieved.


    Thankfully, that old timer was caught in the decline of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man and was about to perish; this incident significantly affected the old timer¡¯s connections, his influence had dwindled much, otherwise, the strength of this counterattack would have been even greater.


    Jin Bolong then walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the bustling street scene below.


    Actually, these troubles inside the Ninth Base City didn¡¯t amount to much.


    Although Linghu Mingde¡¯s power was considerable and his actions were swift and fierce, Jinhao Group also had significant power in the political realm.


    They even fostered their own political party, ¡®Urban Construction Party¡¯, which held 9% of the seats in the City Council.


    Jinhao Group definitely couldn¡¯t prevent the ¡®Civil Servant Oversight Committee¡¯ from forming an investigation team, but they could interfere with the investigation¡¯s outcome.


    Whether it¡¯s the Prosecutor¡¯s Office or the Security Bureau, they had ways to exert influence.


    Moreover, those halted projects could also have their relationships reopened to get government clearance.


    What Jin Bolong was truly worried about was the internal issues within the Heavenly Demon Star.


    That was Linghu Mingde¡¯s home ground, and Zhao Yang¡¯s accumulation of over 700 years was not insignificant.


    It just happened to coincide with the third Divine Envoy¡¯s preparations to purify the imperial court.

 Chapter 345

    ?Chapter 345: Chapter 327: Trace of Spirit Illusion (Subscribe Please) Chapter 345: Chapter 327: Trace of Spirit Illusion (Subscribe Please) Lin Rui was escorting two seventh-realm locals halfway when his subordinates hurried over to support him.


    It was the people from the 16th surveillance of the Espionage Bureau, with Yan Zhe, the surveillance officer, leading the team personally to assist Lin Rui in escorting the two seventh-realm external Heavenly Demons to the Divine Prison Bureau.


    These people from the Espionage Bureau were elites selected from millions of miles around the territory of the Great Song, not only very young but also with high cultivation levels, with the lowest being in the early stages of the fifth realm.


    Their combat power was extremely strong, not only did all members have king-level bloodlines, but some also reached the emperor level, and all were equipped with a simplified version of the ¡°Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor.¡±


    The simplified version of the ¡°Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor¡± was similar to the federation¡¯s exoskeleton armor, but because the celestial extreme star engineers couldn¡¯t miniaturize some components, this simplified Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor did not enhance combat power as much as the complete versions, but it was more convenient to wear.


    Some good simplified armors could more than double their overall strength, which was quite impressive.


    All twenty-four surveillance officers had bloodline talents reaching above fifth realm emperor level, equipped with complete ¡°Heavenly Demon Dragon Armors¡±, and their overall strength was enough to contend with sixth-realm experts.


    They also carried the ¡°Espionage Dragon Seal¡± with them, which could not only suppress the enemy¡¯s bloodline True Yuan but could also summon the projection of a nation-protecting battle dragon.


    ...


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    The primary reason the Great Song dynasty tasked these young people with such a heavy responsibility of suppressing demons was that 20 was the most reliable age for the Heavenly Demon Test, as young people would not have too many relational entanglements, making them relatively trustworthy.


    While escorting, Lin Rui was chatting with Zhou Yunfei.


    Zhou Yunfei: I found out, these two are alien beings affiliated with the Jinhao Alien Body Company, two 7S+ reserve clone generals cultivated by the Jin family.


    I¡¯ll send you their data.


    Zhou Yunfei: Don¡¯t feel burdened, if Zhao Yang really is Linghu Mingde, then it was they who broke the law first, and you are a brigadier general in the Security Bureau, undercover at the Great Song Imperial City Bureau.


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    According to the special amendments of the federation¡¯s alien entity law, you have judicial immunity, just make sure to keep the video records well.


    Lin Rui felt no psychological burden whatsoever.


    Although he and these two were from the same hometown, the number of federation humans who had died at Lin Rui¡¯s hands already exceeded 3000.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t care about the life or death of these two hometown people.


    Isn¡¯t there a saying?


    When townsfolk see each other, they shoot each other in the back.


    He was just following routine procedure, reporting to his superiors.


    At this time, Zhou Yunfei sent another message.


    Zhou Yunfei: Regarding that Zhao Zhongcheng, please observe him and take care of him as much as possible while ensuring your own safety.


    Also, the teacher is very satisfied with you.


    Zhou Yunfei then sent a wry smiley face: I didn¡¯t tell him about you, the teacher guessed it himself.@@@@


    The teacher mentioned by Zhou Yunfei was the two-star marshal from the East Asia Security Bureau who had helped Wang Sen and Li Li pass the Heavenly Demon Test that day, an eighth-realm technician.


    But Zhou Yunfei did not believe such a day would come.


    The upper echelons of the Federal Security Bureau would attach unprecedented importance to Lin Rui.


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the serious matters,¡± said the elder, setting down his teacup, his demeanor growing even more solemn, ¡°I came to the Ninth Base City because I found the traces of ¡®Linghuan,¡¯ the former vice-chairman of the God Illumination Society.


    I came to check the situation, but what I didn¡¯t expect was that my dear disciple had also been secretly targeted by ¡®Linghuan,¡¯ and someone had tampered with his implanted gear without him knowing.¡±


    Initially, Zhou Yunfei did not understand who his teacher referred to as his ¡®dear disciple¡¯.


    Which fellow disciple or junior was so unlucky to be targeted by Linghuan?


    His expression then shifted, his eyes filled with disbelief, ¡°Do you mean, Teacher, that I have been affected by Linghuan¡¯s secret technique?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± the elder shook his head slightly, ¡°Luckily, I came, otherwise in no more than a month, you would have suffered from implant syndrome.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡®Linghuan¡¯ is a major threat to all high-level martial artists, as his illusion techniques are extremely sophisticated, capable of subtly confusing people¡¯s hearts and twisting the wills of implanted martial artists, turning many government officials into puppets for his own use.


    Moreover, many implanted martial artists with promising futures had been covertly harmed by ¡®Linghuan,¡¯ inexplicably encountering issues with their implants and falling into implant syndrome.


    Most people who offended ¡®Linghuan¡¯ ended up in dire straits without realizing how they had been schemed against by ¡®Linghuan.¡¯


    Zhou Yunfei had never imagined that such a day would come for himself.


    ¡°Moreover, I have received other news,¡± the elder continued, ¡°The director of your Third Special Operations Division seems to have been marked by him, angered by the affair with ¡®Lingyun.''¡±


    Zhou Yunfei suddenly stood up with a ¡®huff¡¯, his face a shade of iron blue.


    The elder looked up at Zhou Yunfei and thought the director of the Third Special Operations Division was undoubtedly Lin Rui.


    His student¡¯s cultivation was still not enough; he became unsettled by such a small matter.


    The elder then smirked slightly, ¡°What are you panicking about?


    Have you forgotten the ¡®Protector Dragon Seal¡¯ inside Lin Rui¡¯s soul?


    I am actually looking forward to Linghuan encountering him.


    It might be the best opportunity in decades for us to capture Linghuan.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhou Yunfei¡¯s pupils dilated slightly, and his gaze began to deepen.


    Lin Rui, possessing the ¡®Protector Dragon Seal,¡¯ indeed is the person in this world least afraid of Linghuan¡¯s marvelous illusion techniques.


    In a situation where Linghuan is unaware, he may even manage to counteracta?€¡±


    At this moment on the planet Tianji Star, Lin Rui had already escorted two fellow townsfolk into the Divine Prison Administration.


    Lin Rui had placed these two men next to Yuan Chengkai.


    He directed several jailers to settle the two men before turning around, only to see Yuan Chengkai sitting on a pile of straw in the neighboring cell, his eyes coldly and sharply watching him.

 Chapter 346

    ?Chapter 346: Chapter 328 Threat (Subscribe Please) Chapter 346: Chapter 328 Threat (Subscribe Please) Lin Rui looked at Yuan Chengkai with an indifferent gaze, ¡°What is it?


    It seems Sir Yuan has something to say to me?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I have words that cannot rest until spoken.¡± Yuan Chengkai was in poor condition; he had been tortured yesterday and was covered in blood, his clothes barely clinging to his body.


    He seemed indifferent to his injuries, smiling sarcastically, ¡°Lin Rui, you are so arrogantly pleased with yourself, but you are unaware that the signs of your demise are already apparent.


    I bet that within a month, you will die without a place to bury your body.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows lifted, and he let out a snort of laughter, ¡°Oh?


    I had no idea Sir Yuan was also skilled in fortune-telling.


    Can you perhaps calculate your own future as well?¡±


    Yuan Chengkai furrowed his brows, not understanding Lin Rui¡¯s intentions, but he still responded coldly, ¡°You have no substantial evidence proving my association with the Heavenly Demon.


    Eventually, the emperor and his loyal ministers will not overlook your tyranny and reckless actions!¡±


    Yuan Chengkai raised his head, glaring at Lin Rui, ¡°Lin Rui, you wish to see me dead, but it won¡¯t be so easy!¡±


    He believed he had made his point clear.


    ...


    If Lin Rui was bent on a fight to the death with him, then he would not hesitate to fight by any means necessary!


    There was more than just the Yuan family behind Yuan Chengkai; the emperor would not ignore this situation.


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    Although he was in prison, it didn¡¯t stop him from using every method and power at his disposal to ensure Lin Rui would meet his doom!


    Lin Rui, however, shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s too bad.


    It seems a soothsayer truly cannot read his own fortune.


    I think whether I die remains uncertain, but your end, Sir Yuan, is approaching, and today we shall see.¡±


    Yuan Chengkai was momentarily stunned, giving Lin Rui a suspicious look.


    This man, he must be trying to bluff, right?


    His end today?


    On what basis could he say such a thing?


    Yuan Chengkai scoffed softly.


    He had made up his mind; it was going to be a fight to the death!


    At any cost, he must remove Lin Rui as soon as possible.


    Yuan Chengkai realized that as long as this man lived, he might never escape from the Imperial Prison.


    Lin Rui laughed heartily as he walked out of the prison.


    As he emerged from the Imperial Prison, he instructed Yan Zhe, the guard following him, ¡°Notify the Seventh, the Eighth, and the Twentieth guards to gather all the brothers you trust outside my hall for a mission.


    Tell them to bring all the necessary tools!¡±


    Two days later, the fish that had been let loose was ready to be netted.


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    Although Lin Rui realized that his true nature was far from good, he still firmly believed that it was Xue Bogao¡¯s obsession that had completely unleashed his darker human instincts.


    He copied the essay written by Li Li, then took out his own command seal, took a deep breath, and stamped a vermilion seal on the report.


    Watching this, Li Li lamented the scenario as a case of ¡°casting pearls before swine.¡±


    His writing was elaborate and magnificent, yet it only earned a simple commendation from Lin Rui.


    But why are his junior brother¡¯s characters still so ugly?


    Li Li secretly admired him, thinking how convincing Lin Rui¡¯s act was.


    Although he had an A+ in Tianji Star Literature at Alien Body College, he could convincingly pretend to be illiterate.


    ¡°I still have to lead a major operation next, so I won¡¯t have any free time.


    I must trouble senior brother to submit this report to the Tongzheng Division.¡±


    While Lin Rui was copying the report, Luo Renxi, Mo Daoquan, Yan Zhe, and Luo Tianman, the officers from the seventh, eighth, sixteenth, and twentieth divisions, had already arrived with their subordinates waiting below.


    When Lin Rui walked out of the hall, all four officers and their followers bowed and saluted, ¡°By your command, everyone from the seventh, eighth, sixteenth, and twentieth divisions is present and awaiting your orders!¡±


    The officers looked at Lin Rui curiously, wondering what kind of operation required the mobilization of forces from four divisions.


    Lin Rui surveyed the assembled team of Imperial Guards.


    There were a total of four hundred sixty-three men, all clothed in the uniform of sixth-rank Imperial Guards captains.


    A sixth-rank Imperial Guards captain could be in charge of defense in a locality, but in the Imperial Espionage Bureau, they were just ordinary ¡®espionage officers,¡¯ equivalent to detectives in modern police forces, indicating the high status of the bureau.


    These men were clad in simplified Heavenly Demon armor, fully armed to the teeth, standing solemnly and with imposing presence below the hall.


    These were the forces Lin Rui could rely on, cultivated by the third Divine Envoy over decades within the Imperial Espionage Bureau.


    ¡°Very good!¡±


    Lin Rui was very satisfied with the obedience shown by these four officers.


    All four had apparently brought all the available forces from their respective divisions.


    It is known that in the bureau¡¯s structure, the combat personnel of a division could at most total 120, the rest being clerks and those responsible for miscellaneous logistics.


    ¡°All personnel must hand their waist tokens to the sorcerer for sealing.


    Luo Renxi and Mo Daoquan, take my decree now and go to the armory to retrieve 465 Absolute Element Stone bracelets, thirty sixth-environment ¡®Eight-Armed Heavenly Tiger Crossbows¡¯, three seventh-environment ¡®Twelve-Armed Dragon Slaying Crossbows¡¯, and two hundred sixth-environment ¡®Divine Shot Crossbows¡¯.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the crowd below buzzed, all exchanging surprised glances.


    The Absolute Element Stone bracelets could suppress the communication methods of extraterritorial Heavenly Demons, while sealing their waist tokens ensured they could only send messages within the operation group and couldn¡¯t contact the outside world.


    This was to prevent any among them from being informants and leaking information.


    As for the sixth-environment ¡®Eight-Armed Heavenly Tiger Crossbows¡¯ and seventh-environment ¡®Twelve-Armed Dragon Slaying Crossbows,¡¯ they were heavy-duty crossbows with extremely powerful destructive capabilities that could kill battle dragons.


    ¡®Divine Shot Crossbows¡¯ were handheld crossbow guns, also quite powerful.


    Mo Daoquan frowned slightly, about to inquire further, when Lin Rui, with his hands behind his back, added, ¡°This operation is to capture two seventh-environment Martial Cultivators, one eighth-environment, and possibly some extraterritorial Heavenly Demons.


    The specific plan will be discussed later.¡±


    The four officers¡¯ pupils dilated upon hearing this.


    Involving so many high-level Martial Cultivators, this was truly a major case!

 Chapter 347

    ?Chapter 347: Chapter 329: Wasp Nest (Please Subscribe) Chapter 347: Chapter 329: Wasp Nest (Please Subscribe) In the afternoon, including Lin Rui and Wang Sen, 465 Imperial Dragon Guards were rapidly marching through the outskirts on the open fields.


    The sixteenth guarding envoy, Yan Zhe, and the twentieth guarding envoy, Luo Tianman, each summoned the projection of a town-guarding war dragon.


    One was the ¡°Water Mirror Serpent Dragon,¡± and the other was the ¡°Divine Eye Illusion Dragon,¡± the only two in the Divine Dragon Hall¡¯s war dragons that possessed Illusion Technique abilities.


    Their Illusion Technique abilities were extremely powerful, cloaking their group of over four hundred as they marched through the densely populated suburbs of Luo Jing, with not a single person along the way noticing them.


    Lin Rui also summoned the ¡°Spiritual Brightness Sky-reaching Dragon,¡± using its astonishing sensing ability to detect if anyone was following them stealthily from behind.


    This time they had mobilized a grand force, with four divisions departing grandly from the Imperial City Division, stirring attention from many.


    It was inevitable for some to be curious and want to know what they intended to do.


    ...


    Lin Rui thought if anyone dared to be foolish enough to follow them and spy on their movements, he would kill those people first before attending to the main task.


    At the outset, indeed, some dubious experts had followed them, tracking them with Divine Sense or spying with their inherited bloodline abilities.


    However, when Lin Rui brought out the ¡°Spiritual Brightness Sky-reaching Dragon,¡± these people decisively backed off.


    To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, Lin Rui deliberately took a roundabout route in and out of the city, meant to confuse the enemy, as well as their own forces.


    Lin Rui¡¯s subordinates were clueless as to where he was leading them, up until they arrived outside a certain manor.


    ¡°All the crossbow vehicles and archers, seize the surrounding high ground and stand by!


    The seventh and eighth divisions, encircle the rear to block off escape, everyone else, charge into the manor!


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    Break in, and chop down anyone who dares to resist!¡±


    Before him, the manor spanned about two hundred acres, with layered terraces and elegant pavilions, representing a high-ranking official¡¯s hot spring villa outside the city.


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    Moreover, the estate was teeming with highly skilled martial cultivators of the fourth and fifth realms; not only was their weaponry impeccable, but some even wore the Type 5 exoskeletal armora?€¡±the ¡°export version¡± sold to Great Song by the Heavenly Demons, nearly as powerful as their own simplified Heavenly Demon dragon armor.


    Some of these individuals were already engaged in battle with their forces.


    Luo Tianman felt a twinge of suspicion: Where did Lin Rui, the Commanding Officer, get his information, and how did he find this place?


    Where do these people in the manor come from?


    Why were there so many experts gathered here, and what was their intent?


    The situation seemed grim to Yan Zhe beside him, clearly surpassing their expectations.


    The strength of the enemy was not something that their four divisions could manage.


    Now, they could only strive to hold out until reinforcements from the city arrived, though this would mean heavy casualties among his brothers in arms!


    As for their Commanding Officer, his life was also at great risk.


    Lin Rui himself was taken aback; had he kicked a hornet¡¯s nest?


    Were there so many villains hidden in this manor, including four of the seventh realm?


    He had previously sent Xue Lingxue and other snipers to scout the area, who had reported that currently only two from the seventh realm were observed.


    Considering the open space on all sides and the high walls obstructing the view, it could be excused that the snipers did not dare to venture too deep and the intelligence was not accurate.


    Fortunately, Lin Rui was always prudent, having prepared thoroughly before taking action.


    Just then, a loud boisterous laugh suddenly echoed from afar, ¡°I was wondering, Lin, why you had cryptically invited me here.


    What was the matter after all?


    It turns out these scoundrels are hidden here; Lin, your information is incredibly accurate!¡±


    With this laughter, an approximately eight Zhang tall war dragon charged from the rear, its presence fierce and overbearing.

 Chapter 348

    ?Chapter 348: Chapter 329: Wasp Nest (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 348: Chapter 329: Wasp Nest (Please Subscribe)_2 Beside them, another battle dragon about twenty-one meters tall with a trace of purple-gold stripes on the edge of its armor, swept across the void like a lightning shadow, rushing to the battlefield.


    ¡°Li Wei!¡± Yan Zhe¡¯s eyes lit up as he recognized the battle dragon a?€¡° the eight-realm super king ¡®Titanium Gold Blade Dragon¡¯ a?€¡° belonging to Li Wei, the Imperial Guard general.


    This general of the Imperial Guard had a small tail left on his battle dragon from when it molted, which made it particularly easy to identify.


    As for the other ¡®Divine Extreme Imperial Martial Dragon¡¯, it should be Lin Hao¡¯s senior sister, Meng Weiyun, a master of the seventh realm super emperor level, whose bloodline power was about to break through to the emperor level.


    The ten battle dragons that were originally heading straight for Lin Hao now turned their bodies around and started running in all directions as soon as these two arrived on the scene.


    Without hesitation, Yan Zhe accelerated, commanding his summoned ¡®Water Mirror Mirage Dragon¡¯ to intercept a seventh-realm king, while covering the entire area with mirage mists to disrupt the perceptions of the many enemies inside the estate as much as possible.


    His heart was filled with excitement, the identifiable crimes of the opposition included attempted assassination of a court official, illegal possession of military equipment, gathering a cabal, and violent resistance to arresta?€¡±now, they couldn¡¯t avoid the suspicion of ¡®treason¡¯!


    ...


    The exoskeleton armor from the Heavenly Demons outside their realm was also very suspicious!


    In such a situation, even if they were not guilty, they would have to be considered so.


    Therefore, this was truly a major case!


    It would be the largest treason case in over a decade!


    If they could take down these bandits, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about their performance for the entire next year.


    It¡¯s worth mentioning that this so-called ¡®performance¡¯ was actually a foreign term, brought over by the Heavenly Demons from outside their realm.


    Luo Tianman was the same, his summoned ¡®Divine Eye Illusion Dragon¡¯, with its single eye located in the center of its forehead, opened while it fought with all its might, spreading strange powers in all directions, agitating people¡¯s hearts.


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    The seventh-realm battle dragon confronted by the Divine Eye Illusion Dragon didn¡¯t dare to look it in the eye, for a single gaze would plunge it into an illusion, to be toyed with by the Divine Eye Illusion Dragon.


    Although both were of the seventh realm, the bloodline talent and the martial Dao insights of the Divine Eye Illusion Dragon were incomparable to those of the opposition.


    The only disadvantage for the Divine Eye Illusion Dragon was its lack of a physical body, unable to match the opposition in strength.


    Lin Rui was originally a bit worried, afraid that he had underestimated the combat power of these four supervisors under his command, leading to major casualties.


    He had tried to estimate his teammates¡¯ strengths on the lower end before the operation, assuming that the elite of the treachery bureau wouldn¡¯t be too shabby, and an overall 5A grade standard should be attainable.


    The problem was that these rebels were very strong, far exceeding his expectations.


    The problem was that the scene was not only filled with many Imperial Guard Dragon Handlers from the assassination bureau but also two extremely powerful masters, Meng Weiyun and Li Wei.


    The spellcaster let out a sigh and then made a series of hand seals, ¡°Yue Tianqing, we will do our best to hold off these two hounds of the court.


    You must use all your strength to take revenge for us!¡±


    At that instant, the ground of the estate erupted as five huge seventh realm demons roared furiously, breaking out from underground.


    ¡°Demons?¡±


    Seeing this, the twentieth supervisor Luo Tianman was momentarily stunned.


    He then looked at the bottomless hole in the ground, and his face turned pale, ¡°It¡¯s the Underworld!


    There¡¯s a gateway to the Underworld down there!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s mind raced with concern as he realized he might have messed up.


    He knew that the capital of the Great Song was essentially built on top of ¡°Heaven¡¯s Abyss,¡± which led to the heart of the Underworld.


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    There were five exits from the heart of the Underworld, which were the five ¡°Heaven¡¯s Abysses¡±; Luojing was one of them.


    The gods, the emperor, and many masters of the Great Song were permanently stationed there to repel the demons of the Underworld from surfacing.


    To prevent the power of the Underworld from growing further, the five abysses strictly forbade anyone from selling elixirs, armors, and so on to the demons of the Underworld.


    However, an ancient saying goes that for a 100% profit, capital would trample all human laws; for a profit of over 300%, it would dare commit any crime, even at the risk of being hung.


    There were always some audacious individuals who would dig private passages near Heaven¡¯s Abyss, smuggling various materials into the Underworld for massive profits, and this activity has been unstoppable through the ages.


    After the arrival of the Earth Federation, such smuggling activities became even more rampant.


    a?€¡±So today, he had stumbled upon a huge Underworld smuggling den!


    Off in the distance, Meng Weiyun¡¯s lips twitched slightly, wondering if her junior brother¡¯s luck was good or bad.


    Without hesitation, she sent out her 10,000-mile flying letter to seek help from her master.


    In this state, she might not be able to ensure Lin Hao¡¯s safety.

 Chapter 349

    ?Chapter 349: Chapter 330: Awakening (Please Subscribe) Chapter 349: Chapter 330: Awakening (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui looked at Yue Tianqing as she pounced towards him, his eyes slightly darkening.


    In fact, this ¡®Yue Tianqing¡¯ was not really to be feared.


    Lin Rui had exchanged blows with her two days before, and while wearing the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, he was not inferior to this seventh-realm transcendental king.


    In a fair fight, Lin Rui knew it was impossible to defeat her, but she also couldn¡¯t hope to deal with him quickly.


    What¡¯s more, there was a significant difference between his current state and that of two days agoa?€¡±Lin Rui now possessed the protective Dragon Seal, which could harness the power of Dragon Gang Qi!


    Additionally, Yue Tianqing was still injured, particularly from the poison on his blade two days ago.


    Not only did it have a unique scent that made tracking easier, but it could also infiltrate deep into the marrow and blood, possessing the ability to corrode the spirit and disintegrate flesh and blood.


    ...


    Even a strong person at the seventh realm would find it difficult to purify and expel.


    This woman somehow managed to temporarily suppress the poison, but her combat power certainly couldn¡¯t recover to its peak.


    The real problem was the five assistants that came with Yue Tianqinga?€¡±the five demons that burst out from the cavern were all lunging towards him.


    Lin Rui summoned ¡®Spirit Ming Heavenly Dragon¡¯ back and did his utmost, but could only block three of them.


    The other two were unobstructeda?€¡±one was the ¡®Ironclad Crocodile Demon¡¯ and the other the ¡®Red Thunder Wing Demon¡¯, both of them seventh-realm transcendental kings with formidable strength.


    Their eyes bloodshot and breath extremely ferocious, it was clear they had lost their reasoning and had locked onto Lin Rui as their target.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Blood Blade Ji was tied up, battling furiously with Yue Tianqing¡¯s combat dragon.


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    The woman had gone mad, and the battle dragon was recklessly aggressive, even going so far as to not care about exchanging injuries.


    This made Ji Xueying, who was trying to cope, extremely strained, and she already had no time to look after her master.


    Li Wei and his martial sister were also of no immediate help; the smugglers¡¯ several sixth and seventh realm members, also disregarding life and death, were all-out assisting that eighth realm sorcerer, restraining and obstructing the two, preventing them from providing aid to Lin Rui.


    At this time, the only ones that could help were thirty sixth-realm ¡®Eight-Armed Heavenly Tiger Crossbows¡¯ and three seventh-realm ¡®Twelve-Armed Zhulong Crossbows¡¯.


    These heavy crossbow batteries were rather cumbersome to set up, and currently, only eight were ready to fire, targeting the ¡®Ironclad Crocodile Demon¡¯ and ¡®Red Thunder Wing Demon¡¯.


    Lin Rui maneuvered in the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, constantly flashing back.


    He was using the ¡®Brilliant Thunder Aurora Escape¡¯, making rapid evasive moves thanks to the high-level ¡®Five Thunder Talismans¡¯ and ¡®Aurora Talismans¡¯ he had previously set up.


    The ¡®Abyssal Core¡¯ that Lin Rui refined in the Divine Dragon Hall served as his second Golden Core.@@@@


    This second Golden Core not only cause an explosive increase in his True Qi capacity, but it also provided a higher-level, higher-quality True Qi.


    Lin Rui now had sufficient power to carry his Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor and perform the ¡®Brilliant Thunder Aurora Escape¡¯, dashing and moving in concert.


    The only downside was that it was slightly slower than his body¡¯s own escape moves, and it also consumed a large amount of True Qi.


    However, Lin Rui had the ¡®Blood Core Kuangyang¡¯, a ¡®Blood Core Kuangyang¡¯ that had been enhanced to the limit with the Heart Source, and two Golden Cores, which completely supported the expenditure.


    The problem was that Yue Tianqing¡¯s escape skills were also very fast.


    This woman clearly had no desire to live, pushing her blood qi and True Yuan to the extreme in a reckless and furious pursuit.


    He wore the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor and possessed an unparalleled escape skill, with dragon Gang Qi swirling around his body, and he also had support from over 30 heavy crossbow turrets from afar, yet he was still chased down in an embarrassing state by the woman opposite him.


    Just then, a gigantic crocodile head suddenly struck from behind Lin Rui.


    It was the ¡°Ironclad Croc Demon,¡± which had deceived everyone present with a metallic armored body while its true form appeared behind Lin Rui using the metal escape technique.


    Upon witnessing this, the corners of Yue Tianqing¡¯s mouth curled into a slight, cold smirk as she executed her long-prepared ultimate move of the seventh realm, the ¡°Sky Leaning Thunder Slash.¡±


    This was a technique she created by fusing the foundational ¡°Radiant Thunder Slash¡± with her own magical power.


    Unfortunately, she had lost the ¡°Thunder Soul Pearl¡±; otherwise, the power of this move could have reached the apex of the seventh realm!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a resounding explosion that shook everyone¡¯s eardrums, a vast sea of crimson thunder enveloped Lin Rui.


    Meng Weiyun, sensing this scene from afar, couldn¡¯t help but inwardly exclaim ¡®not good.¡¯ Just as she was preparing to burst forth at any cost to assist Lin Hao, a sound of surprise escaped her lips.


    Lin Hao had actually flashed out, his entire person transforming into an aurora and escaping from the vast thunderous sea.


    A look of astonishment appeared in Meng Weiyun¡¯s eyes; she recognized that must be a secret escape skill of the fifth realm, exceptionally regal.


    Moreover, it was not just that; this escape skill must have incorporated some kind of powerful bloodline talent, able to even disturb the fabric of space-time, enabling one to break free from the pincer attack of two powerful seventh realm experts.


    Not far away, Yue Tianqing felt it even more clearly, her pupils dilating before rapidly constricting.


    This must be the imperial bloodline talent ¡°Ultra Solar Instant¡±!


    It¡¯s one of the abilities most coveted by all solar system Martial Artists; not only can it promote all solar talents by one to a half grade, but it can also in an instant interfere with the surrounding temporal and spatial order, thus bringing one¡¯s attack speed and escape skill to an extreme, frightfully formidable level.


    At this moment, the ¡°Ultra Solar Instant¡± combined with the fifth realm¡¯s secret escape skill Lin Rui executed resulted in an almost instantaneous flash-like effect!


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, felt a surge of relief.


    If he weren¡¯t holding his knives in both hands, he would have wanted to pat his own little heart in gratitude.


    Luckily he had used thirteen type-5 enhancers in a row a few days before, simultaneously awakening this talent from the SSS-grade analogous organism equipment; otherwise, he might have been slain by Yue Tianqing now!


    However, at that instant, the ¡°Crimson Thunder Winged Demon¡± suddenly turned its entire body into a plasma of thunder, transforming into a thunderous giant bird and swooping toward Lin Rui¡¯s position.


    At the same moment, Yue Tianqing turned back to slice, sweeping a sword Gang Qi that extended a hundred feet mixed with the vast crimson thunderous sea, slashing towards Lin Rui.


    This was the Sky Leaning Thunder Slasha?€¡±second stage slash!


    ¡°Die for me!¡±


    A near-mad triumphant grin appeared in Yue Tianqing¡¯s eyes.


    Her second-stage slash, merging the power of the previous blade, had the force of a seventh-realm super emperor!


    So this bastard was certainly doomed!


    Even in death, even if she had to undergo demon transformation, she would drag this man to hell with her!


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression, however, remained indifferent as he tightly gripped his twin blades, his mind incredibly calm as he observed everything around him.


    He found himself trapped in a pincer attack once again, pushed to the brink of ¡®extinction.¡¯


    But just as Lin Rui was casting aside all distractions, ready to give his all in a final stand, he sensed an extremely powerful bloodline force rapidly awakening within him.

 Chapter 350

    ?Chapter 350: Chapter 331: Divine Sun Celestial Universe (Three more chapters, please subscribe) Chapter 350: Chapter 331: Divine Sun Celestial Universe (Three more chapters, please subscribe) ¡°It really is the Emperor-level talent ¡®Divine Sun Heavenly Cosmos¡¯!¡±


    A hint of joy appeared in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes; the awakening of this Emperor-level talent had been extremely timely.


    It had elevated his combat power to an unprecedented high among the Five Realms!


    At the next instant, the ¡®Crimson Thunderwing Devil,¡¯ transformed into a thunderous giant bird, suddenly swooped down three yards to the left of Lin Rui, unleashing a massive, ferocious lightning serpent that extinguished everything around it.


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    Yue Tianqing¡¯s heart was struck with disbelief upon seeing this scene.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡±


    Although the ¡®Crimson Thunderwing Devil¡¯ was a demonic beast and had just had its intellect disturbed by the spells of Old Zhu, a level eight sorcerer, sending it into a frenzy, it shouldn¡¯t have missed Lin Rui¡¯s actual position by a whole three yards.


    The lightning serpent discharged by the ¡®Crimson Thunderwing Devil¡¯ was also mighty, but not as deadly as before.


    ...


    Especially since Lin Rui was proficient in lightning techniques and his mastery of spells was exceptionally brilliant.


    He effortlessly redirected several lightning serpents to the side, leaving him completely unharmed.


    What was really going on?


    By then, Yue Tianqing had no time to think deeply; she could only wield her sword with all her might, fully deploying her talents to kill this Lin Ruia?€¡±to kill this bastard!


    ¡°Clang!¡±


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    In the void, another crisp sound of blades clashing rang out, followed by the dazzling sparks of metal.


    Yue Tianqing¡¯s domineering, vast crimson thunder sea and her wildly fierce blade entirely deflected by Lin Rui¡¯s longsword, creating a trench over 300 yards long and 20 yards deep on the ground behind Lin Rui.


    Yue Tianqing¡¯s sword struck nothing, leaving her bewildered and incredulous.


    Her secret sword technique had also deviated by a complete two fingers!


    And in a battle between masters, a miss as slight as a hair could lead to errors as wide as a thousand miles, let alone a whole two fingers!


    That two-finger gap provided just enough room for the opponent to dodge and deflect the sword.


    ¡°Clang!


    Clang!


    Clang!¡±


    After deflecting the attack, Lin Rui launched a fierce counterattack.


    His twin blades moved like flowing light and fleeting shadows, continuously colliding with Yue Tianqing¡¯s sword light.


    Yue Tianqing noticed that Lin Rui¡¯s blade speed had suddenly increased significantly.


    Within the same time frame, the frequency of Lin Rui¡¯s blade strikes had increased by at least forty percent, and his strength had greatly enhanced as well, allowing him to meet her head-on without being forced to retreat as before.


    This combination of blade speed and strength with ¡®Dragon¡¯s Might¡¯ became extra dangerous and overbearing.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Escape Skill was even more elusive, especially his light-based movements, which were nearly instantaneous.


    This made it increasingly difficult for the ¡®Crimson Thunderwing Devil¡¯ and ¡®Iron Armored Croc Devil¡¯ in the skies and on the ground to capture Lin Rui¡¯s figure.


    A glint of sharpness appeared in Yue Tianqing¡¯s eyes, as she was running out of strength, but Lin Rui¡¯s condition was only worse than hers.


    Even though he had the ¡®Blood Core Wild Sun¡¯ bloodline talent that could continuously provide vital energy, it couldn¡¯t sustain his slashing indefinitely.


    Especially since he had used the space-time twisting secret technique not long before.


    Correspondingly, Yue Tianqing¡¯s demonic transformation was deepening, surging more Soul Power into her body.


    As Yue Tianqing sensed Lin Rui¡¯s faltering blade force, she continued to block while manically giggling, ¡°You¡¯re about to die!


    Are you ready to die, you beast?¡±


    She wanted to drag this beast down to hell with her!


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Slash 80!


    a?€¡± 85!


    a?€¡± 89!


    Yue Tianqing already felt Lin Rui¡¯s blade force fall below 90% of its original strength, and his blade speed also slightly slowed down, her lips curving up slightly.


    Yue Tianqing had gathered all her remaining strength into her left-hand sword.


    In this intense exchange, she too was nearing her limit, with only this bit of True Qi remaining in her body.


    Yet Yue Tianqing was confident, that with Lin Rui¡¯s remaining energy depleted, this little bit of True Qi was enough to put this scum to death!


    ¡°Die!¡±


    But just as Yue Tianqing was about to swing her sword, she saw Lin Rui¡¯s left-hand blade, which had already been blocked by her and was supposedly out of power, accelerate in an unbelievable manner and slash towards her again.


    The visual effect was as if the long blade in Lin Rui¡¯s hand had extended a great length, thereby breaking through her sword network blockade.


    Yue Tianqing¡¯s pupils dilated, disbelieving the scene before her, ¡°This is impossible!¡±


    This must be a very powerful secret blade technique, one that she had never seen or heard of before!


    Caught in her incredulous gaze, Lin Rui¡¯s long blade had already swept past her neck, followed by a series of rapid and fierce blade lights, slicing Yue Tianqing into numerous segments, reducing her body and soul to fragments!


    But Lin Rui was still not willing to stop, continuing to slash with all his might.


    Although indeed his energy was exhausted, and his blade speed was not as fast as before.


    Yet Lin Rui was still exerting every bit of True Qi that recovered in his body, applying it to his twin blades!


    Until he received a notification from the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Notification: Killed a seventh realm demon, gained 51,321 points of Soul Power.


    Only then did Lin Rui gasp for breath and sheathed his blades.


    He inwardly marveled, these seventh realm masters really are tough to kill!


    Previously in the ninth base city, Lin Rui had killed several seventh realm creatures with the help of Fei Yunlai and Gong Hengdao, and at that time, he hadn¡¯t found them particularly troublesome.


    Just then, Lin Rui heard a voice from behind him: ¡°You actually killed her, a seventh realm demon.¡±


    Lin Rui turned around, only to see his master Luo Wangshu standing fifty yards away, looking him over in amazement.

 Chapter 351

    ?Chapter 351: Chapter 332: Blood God Wings (Please Subscribe) Chapter 351: Chapter 332: Blood God Wings (Please Subscribe) ¡°Master, you¡¯ve arrived?¡± Lin Rui said with a smile from within his dragon armor, ¡°It was just good fortune on my part, and I relied on the help of many external forces.


    The victory was not truly earned.¡±


    Without the dragon¡¯s strength, without this dragon armor, and without the assistance of the Blood Blade Ji, even if he used all his might, he couldn¡¯t have emerged victorious.


    Luo Wangshu shook her head slightly, ¡°That woman just now had almost completed her demonic transformation, stepping half a foot into the eighth realm, and even injected herself with an excitant from an extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon.


    Speaking of outside help, she borrowed even more.¡±


    Luo Wangshu was endlessly amazed within her heart.


    She found that her disciple was not only strong in ability, gifted in talent, and high in comprehension but also extremely formidable in combat!


    He was not just practicing various martial arts to perfection but also integrated them exceptionally well with his bloodline abilities.


    The bloodline talents of their human race often awaken in a chaotic manner, and the various martial arts they practiced often didn¡¯t match their talents.


    ...


    Consequently, even if they possessed bloodline talents of beyond-king or beyond-emperor rank, they often couldn¡¯t fully unleash their innate power.


    The extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons are much better in that regard, using a method called ¡®growing armor,¡¯ which can awaken bloodlines in a directed manner and match them with their martial arts, achieving an effect where 1 + 1 = 3.


    Lin Hao, however, performed even better.


    If those Heavenly Demons are equal to 3, then he is equivalent to 5.


    Luo Wangshu even wondered if this child could be an extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon.


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    However, since Lin Hao had received the protective national dragon seal, he was the purest Tianji Star human, purer even than the first Divine Envoy.


    The first Divine Envoy was a contemporary of Zhao Yang.


    In the era of his ascension, the Jingjian Bureau had not yet been established, nor was there such a thing as the protective national dragon seal.@@@@


    ¡°Starting tomorrow morning, come to me for your lessons,¡± she said.


    Luo Wangshu had originally taken into consideration that Lin Hao had been busy with official duties since taking office, so she had told him to prioritize his governmental affairs first.


    But now, Luo Wangshu was looking at him as a rough gem that desperately needed her polishing.


    She had to start carving and thoroughly disciplining him immediately.


    Luo Wangshu felt that her understanding of Lin Hao from their evaluation two days prior was not deep enough.


    At most, she had only revealed the surface of imperial green jade, not expecting there to be surprises inside.


    ¡°Step back!¡± Luo Wangshu then raised her hand, and instantly an incredibly powerful Divine Sense force began to envelop the entire battlefield.


    Lin Rui looked on and his eyebrows twitched, ¡°Master, wait!


    Can those four demons be spared alive?


    I wish to use them to practice a Blood Evil Secret Technique.¡±


    ¡°Blood Evil Secret Technique?¡± Luo Wangshu looked doubtfully at Lin Rui.


    She originally wanted to ask if he had it, but then she remembered that Lin Hao had obtained a large number of True Intents of martial art in the underground lair of the mad saber lord Qin Yan.


    He had already practiced a portion of it and even greatly excelled.


    Qin Yan¡¯s lair was actually a scholarly mansion, built to inherit the martial arts of the Limitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong.


    With the support of many of Qin Yan¡¯s senior fellow disciples, the presence of various martial arts secret techniques was not surprising.


    Luo Wangshu impassively said, ¡°Although the Blood Evil Secret Technique is more powerful than regular secret techniques, it affects your mind and increases the risk of demonic transformation.


    The practice itself harms the natural order and is no kind technique.¡±


    ¡°Master, you¡¯ve forgotten,¡± Lin Rui explained with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t I have the protective national dragon seal?


    My Primordial Spirit is firm; there¡¯s no need to worry about the backlash from the Blood Evil Secret Technique.


    Luo Wangshu waited until Lin Hao¡¯s pair of blood wings had drained the armored crocodile demon dry, then nodded slightly, ¡°I will make arrangements with the Divine Prison Department of the Ten Thousand Dragons Hall.


    If there are demons that need handling, you¡¯ll be notified in advance.¡±


    Lin Rui was overjoyed upon hearing this, feeling the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon was now within his reach.


    Luo Wangshu subsequently levitated into the air and entered the interior of the mansion.


    The upper structures of the mansion had been leveled by the residual forces of the battle between several level-seven and level-eight masters, but the collapsed underground cavern revealed many things.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s figure descended into the center of the cavern, glancing around.


    This place was once a vast underground palace, covering at least 2,000 acres and spanning five levels.


    Although most of the palace had collapsed, Luo Wangshu¡¯s Spiritual Sense detected a mix of precious materials within the layers of debris, all from the core of infernal mines and rare minerals and medicinal materials.


    There were even some needle boxes of extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons and many large weapons crafted with extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon technology.


    Such weapons, measuring several zhang in length, are only suitable for battle dragons and large demons of the sixth realm and above.


    Luo Wangshu also discovered that inside a portion of the underground structure that had not collapsed, there were huge cages imprisoning various shapes of demons, including nine of the sixth realm.


    These cages were made with Heavenly Demon technology, extremely sturdy, such that even sixth-realm demons could not escape.


    ¡°Interesting!¡± Luo Wangshu¡¯s face darkened, thinking to herself that her little Hao Hao indeed had exceptional abilities, giving her a tremendous surprise on his appointment.


    It wasn¡¯t merely a smuggling base but also seemed to be a research base related to extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons, specifically for researching demons.


    She guessed that the five level-seven demons were experimental subjects imprisoned here, temporarily released to partake in the battle.


    Luo Wangshu then teleported to the edge of a two-zhang-wide, bottomless pit.


    The pit she was looking at was an illicit smuggling tunnel dug out by these bandits, leading to the nearby ¡®Heavenly Abyss¡¯.


    Luo Wangshu vividly sensed the dense ¡®Infernal Light¡¯ here.


    This was an invisible light with a significant impact on living flesh and hallucinogenic effects.


    Millennia ago, this ¡®Infernal Light¡¯ pervaded the heavens and earth, driving all lifeforms on the planet insane, and made them more prone to demonic transformation until someone created the Dragon Transformation Martial Arts and sealed the five Great Abysses.


    Later, the extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons said it was essentially a kind of ¡®radiation¡¯ that combined the power of the aethera?€¡±¡¯radiation¡¯.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s face was stern and full of rage.


    She wondered how much these people had smuggled into the infernal heart, and how many atrocious acts they had committed with this ¡®Infernal Light¡¯.


    Judging by the various Heavenly Demon instruments nearby, many of the demons imprisoned here were not born through normal means.


    The terrifying thing was that this Heavenly Demon base had been constructed right under their noses, unknown for how long.


    ¡°Master!¡± Meng Weiyun had flown up next to Luo Wangshu, and she swept a glance around, her face turning pale, ¡°Judging by the scale of this Heavenly Demon base, it couldn¡¯t be managed by an ordinary force, they must hold no small influence within the Great Song Dynasty.¡±


    Li Wei also arrived: ¡°Indeed, this case might involve significant implications.


    I¡¯m not sure about within the court, but there is definitely a problem with the Imperial Guard.¡±


    The four great forbidden armies of the Great Songa?€¡±Divine Strategy Army, Imperial Guard, Divine Guards, and Dragon Guards.


    The ¡®Imperial Guard¡¯ is responsible for the internal security of the capital, while ¡®Divine Guards¡¯ are responsible for the suburban areas.


    Luo Wangshu nodded slightly, ¡°Xiao Hao, leave those demons for now and come over here!¡±


    Lin Rui was using his self-developed Blood Evil Secret Technique ¡®Blood God Wings¡¯ to extract the blood essence of the ¡®Red Thunder Wing Demon¡¯ while also harvesting 41,345 points of its Soul Power.


    He hadn¡¯t finished when his gaze shifted toward the third level-seven demon ¡®Death Web Eye Demon.¡¯


    Upon hearing the call of his master, Lin Rui reluctantly flew up and also descended into the cavern.


    After a careful look around, his expression suddenly changed, thinking, ¡°How come there are so many human scientific instruments here?


    Did I inadvertently harm friendly forces?¡±


    Lin Rui then sneered to himself, regardless of whether these people were Federation humans or not, they had tried to kill him twice, so crushing them was undoubtedly the right choice.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 352

    ?Chapter 352: Chapter 333 I¡¯m in pain (Please subscribe) Chapter 352: Chapter 333 I¡¯m in pain (Please subscribe) Lin Rui flew up to Luo Wangshu and was about to bow in greeting, but Luo Wangshu waved her hand to stop him, ¡°From now on, there¡¯s no need for such formalities.


    I don¡¯t subscribe to superfluous courtesy here.


    Tell me, how do you plan to handle this case?¡±


    Lin Rui answered without hesitation, ¡°I have already ordered the people from the Seventh Surveillance to rush to the capital and arrest the owner of this mansion villa.


    Afterward, I will return to the Assassination Bureau to establish a special case group to investigate the Ministry of Justice, the Capital Magistrate, and the Imperial Guards, and arrest those involved.¡±


    The concept of a special case group was also a foreign word, brought over by the Heavenly Demons from beyond our borders.


    Luo Wangshu raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why investigate the Ministry of Justice and the Capital Magistrate?


    And how will you set up the special case group?¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself that since his mentor wanted to clean the imperial governance, he would certainly need to have both the Ministry of Justice and the Capital Magistrate under control.


    However, he couldn¡¯t speak so candidly, and said with a solemn expression, ¡°Mentor, judging by the situation here, the number of people involved in the disappearances is likely not small.


    ...


    I estimate, perhaps somewhat conservatively, that there may be upwards of ten thousand victims.


    Could the Ministry of Justice and the Capital Magistrate really be completely unaware?¡±


    Luo Wangshu nodded slightly in satisfaction upon hearing this; regardless of whether those two departments were aware or not, they were inexcusable!


    They were either colluding with evil demons or simply warming their seats without doing their duties.


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    Lin Rui continued, ¡°As for the special case group, I plan to be the leader, overseeing the whole operation, with three deputy commanders to assist.


    We will fully dedicate ourselves to the investigation and cast a wide net in our search for suspects.¡±


    Luo Wangshu was even more satisfied.


    She clapped her hands, ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s how it should be done!


    I¡¯m going to the Divine Envoy Bureau now, you come back with me, in case the Emperor and the two Imperial Brothers ask for details.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui glanced reluctantly at the three unconscious Heavenly Demons below.


    Luo Wangshu smiled relaxedly, ¡°Several experienced and adept supervisors from the monitoring division will survey and clean up the scene here.


    As for those demons, they will later be sent into the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower for suppression.


    They won¡¯t be able to escape.¡±


    She reached out her hand and, with a motion, pulled Lin Rui through the air towards a floating vehicle in the distance.


    Li Wei, standing not far away, watched the two depart and couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°Xiaoyun, your little junior brother is indeed extraordinary.


    He seems born to be an official.


    His future achievements will surely far surpass those of you and your fellow disciples.¡±


    He had detected the implications in Lin Hao¡¯s words.


    The phrase ¡®with three deputy commanders as support¡¯ meant letting Lin Hao¡¯s subordinates charge into battle on his behalf.


    Having already received the greatest accolades, there was indeed no need for him to take the lead from this point forward.


    He could leave the dirty and tiring work to his subordinates, claiming a share of any merit while any mistakes would fall on others.


    As for ¡®casting a wide net in our search for suspects,¡¯ it meant to expand the strike range as wide as possible.


    As long as the case remained unsolved, it would aid the Third Divine Envoy in controlling the related parties.


    Now that he had his own escort starship, Lin Rui no longer needed to use the channels of the Security Bureau and could transport goods directly with the starship.


    Jin San, who valued his life, had a very high-end escort starship, equipped with quantum leap and stealth devices from forty years agoa?€¡±the best at the time.


    Even by current standards, they were top configurations.


    After being optimized and adjusted by the Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9, they became even more powerful, considerably outperforming the starships used by the military and the Aberration Management Bureau.


    It would be a shame not to use them for the trade of Tianji Star.


    The problem was that this would further reduce Lin Rui¡¯s costs.


    For the goods worth 3.2 million silver notes of demon silver, he could acquire them for 820,000 silver notes; adding the two nuclear fusion fuel depots at the disposal of Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9, the profit was close to 400%!


    Therefore, Lin Rui felt tremendous pain, feeling that he was betraying Meng Weiyun¡¯s kindness, as she had been so good to him, yet he was about to make such a hefty profit from her.


    ¡°Only 3.2 million?


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    Are you sure?¡±


    Meng Weiyun narrowed her eyes, thinking that the channel Lin Rui had hooked up with had significant power.


    The black market price for these goods would be at least 6 million.


    ¡°What are you afraid of, junior brother?


    We¡¯re buying Heavenly Demon goods, not betraying the great Song Dynasty; we¡¯re doing it to better combat the extraterritorial Heavenly Demons.


    Take those alloys, for instance; my friend at the Mechanical God Temple could forge better armor and Magic Artifacts.


    Actually, even the emperor and the two Divine Envoys are doing such dealings in secret, just not openly.¡±


    Meng Weiyun thought it must be tough for her junior brother; a man who despised demons like enemies, who upon assuming office, had cracked two major Heavenly Demon cases, and now she was pushing him to buy Heavenly Demon substances.


    However, among the few Heavenly Demon channels they had contacted, Lin Rui¡¯s offered the most reasonable price, and his identity was the most suitable.


    She patted Lin Rui¡¯s shoulder in a comforting manner, ¡°If this channel is reliable, we should maintain it.


    You have the Imperial Dragon Seal; you are the person the gods trust the most.


    Whatever you do, no one can say anything.


    What is there to fear?¡±


    Lin Rui gave a wry smile upon hearing this, wondering what he could say.


    At that moment, however, he heard Meng Weiyun¡¯s tone harden, ¡°I will bring the silver note to you later, a portion of which will be paid in divine gold.


    But after this transaction is complete, you could probe them, ask if they could acquire the Type 7 and Type 8 injections and those regulated items from the Heavenly Demon East Asia Science Academy.¡±


    Lin Rui frowned upon hearing this.


    In that instant, he distinctly felt the gaze of his master, Luo Wangshu, settle upon him.


    Lin Rui realized that Meng Weiyun¡¯s words might have been on behalf of Luo Wangshu.


    So, did his master also want him to act as a middleman?


    Lin Rui felt an immense headache.


    Setting aside whether the East Asian Republic would agree to sell them or not, even if they would, he didn¡¯t want to make money at the expense of his conscience from his master.

 Chapter 353

    ?Chapter 353: Chapter 334: Oppression (Third update, please subscribe) Chapter 353: Chapter 334: Oppression (Third update, please subscribe) Linghu Mingde was in the middle of a video call with Xie Yong, the chairman of Dragon Ascending Alien Body Company based in the Ninth Base City, when he received the news that Lin Hao had cracked a major Heavenly Demon smuggling case.


    This person was also a two-star cybernetic marshal and considered a second-generation alien body walker, quite strong in ability.


    In Ninth Base City, this man amassed a great deal of wealth.


    Apart from Dragon Ascending Alien Body Company, Xie Yong also ran an interstellar trading company, twelve martial arts fitness clubs, and seven nightclubs.


    But Linghu Mingde sat with his arms crossed, looking down at Xie Yong with a commanding tone, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Old Xie, I know your lease contract with Jinhao Real Estate Group is renewed every two years, and there are only two months left until it ends, so canceling it shouldn¡¯t be an issue for you.¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking than he saw a message from his granddaughter, Fang Ranran, along with a screenshot of the collapsed manor on the outskirts of Luojing.


    Linghu Mingde was surprised but showed no change in expression as he continued to stare at Xie Yong through the video projection.


    Xie Yong looked quite displeased, ¡°You make it sound easy, but we spent so much on renovation, and relocating will definitely affect the customer flow to my companies.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that!


    ...


    Right now, I will not allow any company operating with alien bodies within the Great Song territory to have any business cooperation with the Jin family.¡±


    Linghu Mingde tapped his fingers on the table, showing his impatience, ¡°Just like this, if I don¡¯t hear any news about the termination of your cooperations within two months, then both Dragon Ascending Alien Body Company and your trading company will have to cease all business within the Great Song territory.


    You know I have the ability to wipe out most of your alien body walkers.


    I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve seen the breaking news just now, but there¡¯s a massive Heavenly Demon case about to break out in Great Song¡¯s Luojing.


    The style of the Imperial Censor in charge is even more fierce than everyone imagines, and just like the rumors, he hates demons like enemies.¡±


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    A massive purge is bound to happen soon within both the court and beyond.


    As an Imperial Censor, Zhao Yang has the power to decide the life and death of many alien body and trading companies.


    Xie Yong frowned deeply, ¡°Linghu Brother, this is a bit unreasonable and overbearing.¡±


    ¡°Jin Bolong didn¡¯t talk to me about rules either,¡± Linghu Mingde said with a smirk that didn¡¯t reach his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m about to die, Old Xie!¡±


    Xie Yong quickly grasped his meaning.


    Why wouldn¡¯t Linghu Mingde take advantage of his remaining life and power to deal with the Jin family now rather than leaving them to besiege and oppress his descendants later?


    At this time, Linghu Mingde would not allow anyone to stand in his way.


    Xie Yong murmured thoughtfully, ¡°So, is that notorious Imperial Censor of the Great Song, Zhao Yang, really you, Brother Linghu?¡±


    Linghu Mingde neither confirmed nor denied but just looked coldly at the other party, ¡°That depends on your choice.¡±


    Whether to face the ruthless crackdown of Imperial Censor Zhao Yang or to continue calling him brother.


    Linghu Mingde was no longer concerned about concealing his identity, thanks to Lin Hao¡¯s favor, today¡¯s Heavenly Demon Test at the Imperial Censorate had granted him half an invulnerable body.


    For some time, Linghu Mingde wouldn¡¯t have to worry about someone exposing his identity.


    When the Emperor reached this point, his authoritative voice paused, ¡°Any officials in the court who are suspects, up to and including second rank, may be summoned, interrogated, and arrested without solid evidence for the investigation; if involving a first-rank official, the Divine Envoy¡¯s prison should be consulted for a decision.¡±


    After receiving the decree, Lin Rui respectfully retreated.


    However, just as he was about to return to the Bureau of Investigation, he saw two long swords, each one zhang and two chi in length, suddenly fly from within the hall and land before him.


    The Emperor¡¯s voice once again emanated from within, ¡°This is the Imperial Dragon-Slaying Saber.


    From this day forth, if anyone within or outside the court dares to obstruct the investigation of this case by the Bureau of Investigation, you may use this sword to execute first and report later!¡±


    Lin Rui felt a surge of excitement; he was missing a weapon for his dragon armor, and he hadn¡¯t expected the Emperor to bestow upon him a pair of 7S+ grade divine weapons.


    It was a pity there was only one pair; Ji Xueying was still in need.


    She had just damaged her swords from the clash with Yue Tianqing¡¯s war dragon.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s ¡®Astonishing Snow¡¯ and ¡®Thunder God¡¯ were both strong but not suitable for use with Heavenly Demon armor.


    This left him feeling slightly uneasy.


    Lin Rui had been planning to make a move against King Han, but the Emperor¡¯s gift of the precious swords left him a bit embarrassed.


    Lin Rui bowed respectfully towards the hall and then returned to the Bureau of Investigation.


    He needed to quickly summon the deputy commanders to set up a special case team and delegate the task of solving the case.


    But as he entered the door, Lin Rui saw a group of Imperial Dragon officers carrying various kinds of Heavenly Demon equipment towards the Bureau of Investigation.


    These devices were all high-end, including the latest models of surgery pods, top-grade sleep chambers, ether observatories, smart maid robots, 3D alloy printers, high-precision machining tools, and small-scale nuclear fusion generators, among many others.


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    After scanning the items, Lin Rui placed his hands behind his back and asked, ¡°These thingsa?€¡±are they all evidence found in that demon¡¯s lair?¡±


    Hearing his question, the Imperial Dragon officers all solemnly saluted, and one of them reverently replied, ¡°Yes!


    These objects of the Heavenly Demon were found at the scene and are still in relatively good condition.


    We are ordered by the guardian commander to deliver them to the Verification Department for preservation and registry.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded, ¡°Good, when you send these items over, please also give a message to the head of the Verification Department for me.


    Tell him to select some of the best objects of the Heavenly Demon and deliver them to my residence, particularly these Heavenly Demon instruments.


    If there are any fine items, send them all to me.


    As the Commander of the Bureau of Investigation, I need to fully understand the secrets of the Heavenly Demon.¡±


    Seeing them solemnly agreeing to his request, Lin Rui continued inside with a satisfied expression.


    By the time Lin Rui returned to his office in the main hall of the Bureau of Investigation, the three deputy commanders had already been waiting for him for quite some time.

 Chapter 354

    ?Chapter 354: Chapter 335 Dead Dog (Subscription Request) Chapter 354: Chapter 335 Dead Dog (Subscription Request) In the Bureau for Investigating Treachery, Lin Rui sat upright in the main hall, looking at his three subordinatesa?€¡±Deputy Commander Xing Hai, Deputy Commander Tan Xiangsheng, and Deputy Commander Sun Shicheng.


    Their second meeting was not very pleasant.


    The main issue was that the three were somewhat resentful that Lin Rui had led the four oversight troops to search the rural villa of the Staff Officer Luo Bin, and had alone garnered significant achievements.


    They also knew that Lin Hao involved them in this special task force at this time to push them to the front to do the dirty and tiring work; thus, it was inevitable for them to feel somewhat resentful.


    Lin Rui could understand his subordinates¡¯ feelings, yet he still unhesitatingly assigned them each their tasks.


    Xing Hai was responsible for investigating the Imperial Guards, Tan Xiangsheng for the Metropolitan Prefecture, and Sun Shicheng for leading the team to search the Ministry of Justice.


    Xing Hai, with a square face and large ears, his face covered with thick whiskers, trembled all his facial hair in anger after hearing Lin Rui¡¯s distribution of tasks.


    ...


    The Imperial Guards, what was that?


    It was one of the four major forbidden forces in Luo Capital, not only numbering over two hundred thousand soldiers but also comprised of aggressive and belligerent warriors, ready to draw their blades at a slight disagreement.


    Leading a team to search the Imperial Guards, a slight mishandling could provoke camp revolts or military mutinies, the consequences of which were unthinkable.


    The problem was that an official with higher rank could crush a subordinate, and with Divine Envoy¡¯s command pressure from above, Xing Hai found it impossible to argue or refuse.


    Xing Hai knew that this Commander had been in office for only two days but had already secured his position firmly; if he himself stubbornly resisted, he would definitely be at a disadvantage.


    Furthermore, he had many connections within the Imperial Guards; if Lin Hao assigned someone else who then discovered something, it would not end well for him.


    He could only try his best to request more manpower and authority from Lin Hao¡¯s side, then with a cold smile and not so subtly sarcastic tone, clasped his fists, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the Lord not only acts decisively but is also very considerate of his subordinates.¡±


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    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui laughed heartily, looking pleased with himself, ¡°Lin serves as an official precisely by placing heart, ruling with integrity, being loyal to our ruler, respectful to elders, trustworthy in dealings, lenient towards subordinates, and meticulous in conduct.


    You will come to know that Lin is nothing if not generous.¡±


    He then looked gravely at the three men below, ¡°The Divine Envoy has given us one month to thoroughly investigate the intricacies of this case of treason.


    Therefore, you must exert your utmost, not slacken!


    The Bureau for Investigating Treachery must, in the shortest time possible, apprehend all involved in the case.


    Especially the mastermind, and those traitors buried within our great Song Court, are the top priorities of your investigations.


    The Emperor¡¯s decree is to root them out completely, purify the court to its core, spotless and pristine even if it means cutting out our flesh and excising our hearts, sparing no effort!¡±


    Among them, Tan Xiangsheng furrowed his brows slightly, ¡°One month?


    My lord, from the information we currently hold, this case has extensive implications; it might take more than a moment to clarify, isn¡¯t the timeframe somewhat tight?¡±


    His attitude towards Lin Rui was relatively friendly.


    Though he was also doing dirty and exhausting work, everything is relative.


    Compared to what Xing Hai and Sun Shicheng were tasked with at the Imperial Guards and the Ministry of Justice, his responsibility for the Metropolitan Prefecture was much easier.


    ¡°The Emperor and Divine Envoy said one month, but from their perspective, they can¡¯t even wait a day,¡± Lin Rui let out a rueful laugh.


    The problem was that Lin Hao had already secured his position through the two cases.


    What was more troubling was that Prince Han seemed to have offended Zhao Yang.


    According to the information Sun Shicheng had, just this afternoon, exactly seventy-five Imperial Censors had submitted a memorial to the Ministry of Supervision, impeaching Prince Han for various crimes including exploiting the populace, bullying the markets, illegal mergers, setting up private courts, maltreating slaves, amassing wealth grievously, acting insolently, and conspiring against the divine, among others.


    With this, the previously given tasks to the two prison wardens turned into a checkmate for them.


    If they investigated, it would offend Prince Han, but if they did not, upon learning of it, the Imperial Censors would definitely be in uproar, likely compromising them along with Prince Han.


    It was for this reason they sought him out, hoping for Lin Hao, the Commander, to show mercy.


    However, Lin Hao¡¯s response was uncompromisingly stern, causing Sun Shicheng great embarrassment.


    He understood that this leader was determined to take action against Prince Han, and his two close aides were now in a position where they either had to deal with Prince Han, or be dealt with by Lin Hao themselves.


    He wanted to say more, but then saw Lin Rui playing with the lid over his tea cup, ¡°This official is extremely busy.


    If there¡¯s nothing else, Commander Sun, you better leave for now and focus on completing the task I¡¯ve assigned to you.¡±


    Li Li immediately made an insincere grinning gesture with his hand outward, ¡°Commander Sun, please!¡±


    Having no choice, Sun Shicheng could only bow and leave.


    Lin Rui was indeed swamped with work, not having a single moment to spare to argue with this man.


    After Sun Shicheng had left, Lin Rui, with his Blood Blade follower in tow, quickly made his way to the Divine Prison Bureau.


    This was because Yan Zhe, Luo Tianman, and others had already sent a group of criminals to the Divine Prison Bureau.


    Lin Rui was keen to know why this group of rebels had launched an assassination just as he had entered the city.


    What had he done to offend them?


    Was it because of Yuan Chengkai?


    If so, what was Yuan Chengkai¡¯s relationship to them?


    Just as Lin Rui entered the Divine Prison Bureau, he saw a group of jailors dragging Yuan Chengkai out of his cell like a dog.


    Yuan Chengkai was furious, ¡°What are you doing?


    What kind of treatment is this?


    Though stripped of my official rank due to charges against me, I am still a scholar of the court, how dare you treat me like this?¡±


    He then saw Lin Rui walking down the corridor, his eyes widening in fury, ¡°Lin Rui!


    You dare to humiliate me this way, do you want to be impeached by the entire assembly of ministers?¡±


    This action was a provocation to all the scholars across the government and countryside.


    Lin Rui merely raised an eyebrow, thinking how coincidental this was, and then strode over.

 Chapter 355

    ?Chapter 355: Chapter 336: The Truth (Please Subscribe) Chapter 355: Chapter 336: The Truth (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui looked toward the solemnly standing prison guard at his side, ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°Reporting to your lordship!¡±


    The prison guard bowed and said, ¡°The warden Luo has ordered Yuan Chengkai to be moved to the lower Ant Pit prison cell, claiming that it was necessary to lock up this rebel for a day or two to break his spirit, before subjecting him to severe interrogation!¡±


    Lin Rui nodded slightly upon hearing this, as it was a very typical interrogation technique.


    Some prisoners start with high spirits, and at such times one must wear them down.


    Once they¡¯re drained and their spirits have faded, they are much easier to interrogate.


    The Ant Pit is the lowest dungeon of the Divine Prison, inherently constituting a very cruel punishment.


    It was not only eternally dark inside but also inhabited by a multitude of Heart-eating Poison Ants.


    These ants of the Heavenly Extreme Star possessed a special venom in their fangs that caused excruciating pain when they bit.


    The pain of being bitten by thousands of ants was said to be ten times worse than that of being dismembered!


    ...


    The venom was also said to induce hallucinations that could lead to the prisoners¡¯ demonic transformation.


    The warden in charge was the twentieth prison warden, Luo Tianman.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that this subordinate was very capable and acted to his satisfaction, deserving of further cultivation.


    Yuan Chengkai, hearing this, grew even more furious: ¡°Lin the Twelfth!


    Go to novgo.co


    The dynasty has laws; the Great Founder enumerated seventeen tortures that must not be applied to scholars and officials, and the punishment of the Heart-eating Poison Ants is one of them.


    You dare!¡±


    Lin Rui smiled upon hearing this and looked down at Yuan Chengkai, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know that just two hours ago, your beloved Yue Tianqing died by my hand!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yuan Chengkai first let out a snort of derision, regarding it with disdain.


    Yue Tianqing, a mighty seventh realm overlord, had mostly recovered from his soul injuries; how could he possibly fall so easily?


    It wasn¡¯t until he saw Lin Rui take a pair of earrings from his sleeve and toss them in front of Yuan Chengkai, ¡°I took these from Yue Tianqing¡¯s person, casually.


    You should recognize them.


    At that time she had already transformed into a demon, and her death was quite ugly.¡±


    Yuan Chengkai¡¯s mind went blank, and then he let out a roar of rage from his throat, pouncing toward Lin Rui like a mad dog.


    His eyes were bloodshot, and the veins around his eyes bulged, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!


    You bastard, I¡¯ll slaughter you!


    You better not let me out; otherwise, I¡¯ll tear you to pieces!¡±


    The prison guards all changed color, with twenty-four of them desperately pulling on the chains to prevent Yuan Chengkai from gripping Lin Rui and bringing him down.


    This guy was incredibly strong; even though he had been subdued with soul-suppressing nails, wore the Pipa Bone to bind him, and had his Golden Core sealed, his physical strength was still unbelievably immense.


    All twenty-four prison guards were nearly unable to hold him back as Yuan Chengkai pulled them all over the place.


    Ji Xueying saw this and frowned deeply.


    Her figure flashed to the front, grabbing one of the chains and pulling hard, instantly rendering Yuan Chengkai unable to move.


    ¡°Get out?


    I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s going to be difficult.¡±


    How could he make another mistake?


    Seeing this, Lin Rui didn¡¯t bother to press further and directly left the Divine Envoy¡¯s Office with the Blood Blade, Ji Xueying.


    This man was clearly a die-hard, with an unusual willpower.


    Lin Rui guessed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything more out of him.


    This man was also a high-level practitioner of Eighth Realm martial arts, with powerful Soul Power, capable of separating from his physical body.


    Therefore, his self-made truth serum had no effect, and it was better to leave him to the interrogation experts of the Divine Envoy¡¯s Office.


    It was at this moment that Zhou Yunfei sent him a message.


    Zhou Yunfei: Lin Rui, I¡¯ve tried all sorts of ways to inquire around and I can almost confirm that the smuggling research base you exposed today doesn¡¯t belong to any governmental agency, and it probably doesn¡¯t belong to any major company or private research institution either.


    Lin Rui was slightly taken aback after reading the message.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Impossible?


    Such a large smuggling research base can¡¯t be operated by just anyone.


    Could they not be claiming it because it involves illegal human experiments and they fear repercussions?


    Zhou Yunfei: That¡¯s highly possible, but I¡¯m more inclined to believe it¡¯s the work of an anti-government force like the ¡®Longevity Society¡¯.


    You should investigate thoroughly.


    Zhou Yunfei: Legally speaking, the problem isn¡¯t too big.


    The Earth Federation not only strictly prohibits illegal human experimentation but also forbids military trade with the Infernal World.


    The Light of Inferno is terrifying.


    If leaked on a large scale, not only would the people of Tianji Star suffer, but it would also be a huge hassle for us.


    Zhou Yunfei: Right now, be careful about your personal safety.


    You¡¯ve really stepped on their toes, and the amount of Sixth and Seventh Realm Martial Cultivators lost is substantial.


    It¡¯s highly likely they¡¯ll seek revenge on you.


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s 5S Squad might not be able to withstand it.


    I¡¯ll see if I can arrange one or two more experts to aid you.


    Zhou Yunfei had just sent this message when he saw a ¡®self-destruct after reading¡¯ video from Lin Rui.


    novgo.co


    Zhou Yunfei: ??


    Lin Rui, what¡¯s this video you sent?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): It¡¯s the case file about the Heavenly Demon case at our Division Nine.


    I¡¯ve managed to get my hands on the file from the archives library.


    Do you want to take a look, director?


    Zhou Yunfei¡¯s expression became solemn in an instant.


    Of course, he wanted to see it, very much so.


    Who was that traitorous devil who betrayed his subordinates and left them to die?


    ¡°`

 Chapter 356

    ?Chapter 356: Chapter 337: The Method of Purification (Three updates, please subscribe) Chapter 356: Chapter 337: The Method of Purification (Three updates, please subscribe) The Ninth Division of the Federal Homeland Security, Zhou Yunfei watched the case file through Lin Rui¡¯s video, feeling his blood boil with anger.


    ¡°Hayden Smith!


    You bastard.¡±


    He clenched his fists tightly, creating a ¡®crackling¡¯ sound, and the high-strength synthetic material desk in front of him also began to subtly crack.


    Zhou Yunfei, with over thirty years of service in the Federal Security Bureau, was experienced and well aware of the wickedness of human nature, yet he had underestimated the methods and venom of the people in the Ninth Division.


    He never imagined that these people would go to such diabolical extents to preserve their positions and compete for the title of minister.


    They even went as far as betraying their colleagues, resulting in the capture and killing of 132 Otherborn practitioners of the Ninth Division.


    The latter part of the file, detailing how the Spy Bureau handled these 132 Otherborn practitioners, made Zhou Yunfei¡¯s eyes nearly burst with rage.


    ...


    All his subordinates, without exception, had endured unspeakably brutal torture before their deaths.


    Zhou Yunfei: Lin Rui, this is a bit rash of you, how come you¡¯re accessing this file now?


    Are you sure it won¡¯t cause future problems?


    Be careful and take good care of yourself.


    Zhou Yunfei felt extreme pain in his heart and held immense hatred for these traitors of the Security Bureau, yet he cared even more about Lin Rui¡¯s safety.


    After reading Zhou Yunfei¡¯s message, Lin Rui glanced sideways at his surroundings.


    Go to novgo.co


    This was the third floor of the Archive Tower, which should have been guarded by two clerks, but now, apart from him and Ji Xueying, it was completely empty.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Don¡¯t worry, minister, I know my limits.


    Now is the best opportunity; there are only three people in the entire Archive Tower, no one will know I¡¯ve looked at this file.


    He had entered under the pretense of reviewing the case file of Han Wang.


    The duty officer of the Archive Tower was very meticulous and dutiful, not only did he question Lin Rui¡¯s purpose but also registered him, the Spy Bureau¡¯s directive officer.


    The issue was that all the clerks inside the Archive Tower had been temporarily reassigned, leaving only the Archive Tower duty officer and two assistants.


    Since they needed to review documents from the Ministry of Punishment and the Ji Zhao Prefecture, and many arrests were to be made, the Spy Bureau was severely short-staffed.


    The three deputy command officers could only request Lin Rui to delegate authority, allowing them to reassign personnel from various departments of the Spy Bureau.


    With the Archive Tower understaffed, Lin Rui naturally looked at whatever he wanted to.


    The diligent Archive Tower duty officer only had a fifth-level capacity.


    Lin Rui¡¯s self-created ¡°Purple Sun Pile Skill¡± had reached its pinnacle, not only condensing powerful elemental True Qi of lightning, fire, and thunder but also utilizing these True Qi with high efficiency in various martial arts.


    Furthermore, he elevated the derivative abilities he acquired from Xue Bogaoa?€¡±electromagnetic mimicry, optical invisibility, electromagnetic interference, and morea?€¡±to extremely high realms.


    Zhou Yunfei: I¡¯ve watched the video, this file is sufficient to indict Hayden Smith, and I can confirm that the woman mentioned in the file, called Han Lanxin, is an Otherborn of one of Hayden Smith¡¯s mistresses; he probably doesn¡¯t trust anyone else with this matter.


    Zhou Yunfei: The problem is, just the video isn¡¯t enough, it could also expose your identity, we must figure out a way to extract the file.


    Lin Rui rolled his eyes, thinking I¡¯ve already become the Spy Bureau¡¯s commanding officer and know who my opponent is, why bother taking this file out?


    And this old Zhou, why is he suddenly playing by the rules now?@@@@


    ¡°BOSS,¡± Gong Hengdao walked up to Lin Rui, looked around, and asked, ¡°Is Xiao Sen not here today?¡±


    ¡°Wang Sen?


    He¡¯s busy hooking up with his lover.¡±


    Lin Rui crossed his arms, his expression annoyed as he clicked his tongue, ¡°That guy forgets his brothers as soon as he gets a woman.¡±


    Gong Hengdao looked doubtfully at Ji Xueying, Xue Lingxue, and Lin Xi standing by.


    Ji Xueying honestly replied, ¡°Wang Sen has bound a protector demon that is a Level Six Emperor rank ¡®Cold Blood Demon¡¯, and is currently in a stage of consolidation, so he is temporarily unable to return.¡±


    Just last night, Lin Rui went to Ten Thousand Dragon Tower and used the Blood Evil Secret Technique to refine those three Level Seven demons, and along with that, he also bound the ¡®Cold Blood Demon¡¯ for Wang Sen.


    Thus, Wang Sen could only stay in the Top Sky Star for the next couple of days, temporarily unable to return.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Gong Hengdao looked surprised, thinking to himself that Wang Sen was quite lucky to get his hands on a Level Six Emperor rank humanoid demon.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s protector demon was only a Level Seven super king at the moment.


    However, as soon as that guy returns to the capital with an injury and gets the support from the BOSS, no matter whether it¡¯s his alternative body or protector demon, his strength would see a significant increase.


    Gong Hengdao knew Fei Yunlai was also a late bloomer with strong spiritual power talent, that guy was just short on money.


    Gong Hengdao shook his head and continued to ask, ¡°BOSS, calling me to the base at this time, is there some action happening?¡±


    Lin Rui gave a slight smile, ¡°Wait a little, it¡¯s not quite convenient to talk now, the lead room is almost ready.¡±


    The lead room built underground was extremely large, covering an area of about one acre, with walls and a domed ceiling each made from lead five meters thick.


    At that moment, Guang Ming Heart 9 was controlling several engineering robots, performing the last of the finishing work.


    About three minutes later, the large lead room was finally completed.


    Lin Rui led the way into it, and after calling the others inside, he personally closed the heavy lead door.


    ¡°Brother,¡± Lin Xi looked doubtful as well, ¡°you had Lin Guangming build such a large lead room, what¡¯s the purpose?¡±


    This guy had specifically notified her to return to the base tonight, saying that there was something very important that needed to be completed on this side of the base city.


    Gong Hengdao glanced around the room, and noticed that the furnishings inside were very simple, all were surgical tools.


    At that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s expression was very serious, ¡°Old Gong, lie down on the surgical table now, I want to conduct an experiment, I want to see if I have the capability to help you purify the Cybernetic Syndrome!¡±


    Gong Hengdao¡¯s heart surged with emotions and he was extremely puzzled.


    Couldn¡¯t the BOSS figure out by himself whether he could cure the Cybernetic Syndrome?


    And why did he use the word ¡®purify¡¯?


    Despite his doubts, he still lay down on the surgical table as instructed.


    Gong Hengdao trusted Lin Rui¡¯s medical skills deeply.


    Lin Rui then walked over to Gong Hengdao, with everyone¡¯s eyes on him in the room, and the next moment, a white flame suddenly ignited in his palm.


    The moment the flame ignited, everyone in the room felt their hearts throb violently, and their Primordial Spirits were overwhelmed by a mountainous force.


    They all bled from their seven orifices, and their bodies almost uncontrollably knelt on the ground.


    They also heard the electronic voice of Guang Ming Heart 9 shouting, ¡°It¡¯s the Purifying Flame of our Guang Ming Holy Church!


    Highest One, you have actually grasped a complete concept of the abyss!¡±

 Chapter 357

    ?Chapter 357: Chapter 338 Verification (Please Subscribe) Chapter 357: Chapter 338 Verification (Please Subscribe) Lin Xi stared at the silver flame in Lin Rui¡¯s palm, feeling a tingling sensation on her scalp.


    Was this the Abyss?


    Her brother had actually mastered the concept of the Abyss?@@@@


    How did he achieve that?


    Lin Xi didn¡¯t know much about the Abyss, but she knew that this was a ticket into the Abyss!


    She and Lin Yi, despite also having grasped the concept of the Abyss, needed sufficient emotional power as a medium.


    Lin Xi was despair, Lin Yi was pain.


    ...


    For a moment, she harbored a suspicion; could her brother also be a bio-weapon created by the Longevity Association?


    Xue Lingxue and Gong Hengdao, after surviving the oppressive aura of the ¡°Purity¡± concept, were also in shock.


    They exchanged glances, seeing a hint of terror in each other¡¯s eyes.


    At this time, Fei Yunlai sent a message in the battle group.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Strange, why is there no one in the base today?


    What are you all up to?


    And why is there such a huge lead chamber built here?


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    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): We¡¯re treating Old Gong¡¯s Implant Syndrome in the lead chamber.


    Are you interested?


    However, this involves my personal secrets, so if you want to take a look, Old Fei, you¡¯ll have to sign a lifelong contract.


    Fei Yunlai stood outside the massive lead chamber¡¯s door, his eyes skeptically eyeing the formidable lead door.


    Lin Rui was treating Gong Hengdao¡¯s mental illness?


    Why use a lead chamber?


    Was this some innovative treatment?


    novgo.co


    After seeing Lin Rui¡¯s response, Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t help but twitch his lips.


    He was indeed curious; a lead chamber could block the Soul Power perception of a Martial Cultivator, but a chamber as big and thick as this was rare.


    Lin Rui had even set up an Array outside, all mysterious.


    But he¡¯d be foolish to sign a lifelong contract just for this.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s dream was to establish his own personal workshop, free from exploitation by anyone!


    And it¡¯s probably wise to see less of the Implant Syndrome business.


    People with these mental conditions have significant issues.


    One small mistake could trigger their taboos, agitate them, so it¡¯s better to steer clear.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Not interested, I¡¯m just interested in my own implant surgery.


    BOSS, when will you have time to implant me?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Wait a few more days, I will be free in a few days.


    Old Fei, you should come to the Capital soon, I¡¯m short of hands here.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): By the way, Guang Ming has already installed your War Dragon life support device.


    Old Fei, you can go check it out.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s spirits lifted immediately, and he strode toward the direction of the War Dragon¡¯s resting chamber.


    He had seen the designs drafted by Guang Ming¡¯s Heart No.


    9, and knew how to navigate to the War Dragon resting chamber.


    He struggled to suppress his emotions, sensing the changes within his body.


    ¡°I feel very good, extremely good.


    My soul now feels much lighter.


    It¡¯s hard to describe this feeling, but if I must, it¡¯s like the initial feeling when the implant was first embedded.¡±


    What Lin Rui purified was just one of the twelve implants inside him, accounting for less than a twelfth of the soul aspect.


    However, Gong Hengdao had already seen the hope for a full recovery.


    His soul seemed to have shed a heavy burden, feeling an unprecedented lightness.


    It was like an ordinary person who carries a burden of 120 kilograms in a cross-country run.


    If even 10 kilograms were shed during the process, there would be a noticeable sense of liberation and joy.


    Lin Rui had recovered a bit.


    He stood up again and began performing various tests on Gong Hengdao, his eyes sparkling, ¡°From your current data, it indeed looks pretty good.


    However, we should keep observing.


    You should also pay attention yourself and notify me immediately if you feel anything wrong.


    Once your condition stabilizes, we can start the next treatment.¡±


    Gong Hengdao nodded gravely, ¡°BOSS, this abyss concept is profound.


    You better take it easy.


    We can proceed gradually, there¡¯s no rush.¡±


    He noticed the huge consumption from Lin Rui when using the purifying concept, which must have also been a great mental burden.


    After all, it was the complete abyss concept, something the Federation had researched for centuries without mastering.


    Hearing this, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    He actually felt quite all right, aside from the physical and mental exhaustion, there wasn¡¯t much else.


    Lin Rui found his situation different from Lin Xi¡¯s.


    Both siblings had mastered certain abyssal powers and materials.


    However, Lin Xi¡¯s were not his own, whereas in Lin Rui¡¯s body, whether it be the material, the core, or the concept, they truly belonged to him.


    ¡°Xue Lingxue!¡± Lin Rui called out to Xue Lingxue, beckoning her over, ¡°Do you want to give it a try?


    I guarantee the fire will remove the ailment.¡±


    Xue Lingxue quickly shook her head, ¡°BOSS, I¡¯m fine, probably don¡¯t need it.¡±


    She was shocked and intrigued by watching Lin Rui purify Gong Hengdao.


    However, Xue Lingxue was too afraid to experience it firsthand.


    The abyss concept was indeed powerful, but if Lin Rui lost control, she could be gone.


    Her mental state had already nearly recovered.


    From the moment she personally slew the skeleton assassin, Xue Lingxue had lifted a heavy burden, and her hetero-body was pulled back from the brink of demonic transformation.


    Hearing the refusal, Lin Rui clicked his tongue secretly, slightly regretful.


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s refusal deprived him of a test subject.


    He was quite confident; there was really nothing for this woman to worry about.


    Lin Rui then turned his gaze to Lin Xi, ¡°The others can leave now, Xi, stay behind.¡±


    Lin Xi, who had observed Gong Hengdao¡¯s treatment process, was slightly dazed.


    She stared at Lin Rui uncomprehendingly upon hearing his words.


    Once everyone else had left, Lin Rui pointed to the operating table, ¡°Lie down on it!¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s pupils dilated sharply, incredulous for a moment.


    She realized what Lin Rui intended to do.

 Chapter 358

    ?Chapter 358: Chapter 339 Purification (Please Subscribe) Chapter 358: Chapter 339 Purification (Please Subscribe) ¡°Brother, are you trying to use the concept of purity to solve the abyssal essence within me?¡±@@@@


    Lin Xi took a deep breath and then bit her lower lip, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t work, my essence is already very pure, how much purer can it get?


    It¡¯s useless.¡±


    ¡°Less nonsense, get on the bed!¡± Lin Rui glared at her, ¡°Do you know how to perform surgery?


    Or make medicine?


    Can you diagnose by inspection, listening, questioning, and palpation?


    Do you understand these body examination data?


    Do you know how awesome your brother is in the medical field now?


    Do you understand the importance of trusting authority?¡±


    At these words, Lin Xi¡¯s face turned dark, and she lay down as instructed.


    ...


    novgo.co


    Her brother was indeed pretty amazing at this; Professor Sima said the guy had passed more than a dozen exams in a row and was about to receive bachelor¡¯s degrees in Biology, Biochemistry, and Prosthetic Surgery.


    Professor Sima found it incredible, and Lin Xi found it ridiculous.


    How could this guy find the time to study all this when he¡¯s so busy every day?


    Go to novgo.co


    It seemed like he simply glanced at the material and learned it instantly.


    Ever since the incident where he survived three gunshot wounds to the head, her brother had become a genius that didn¡¯t seem human.


    Lin Rui pulled over an ether imaging device and began to conduct a full-body tomography examination of Lin Xi, explaining, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to purify the abyssal essence, but to purify the part of that essence within you that does not belong to you.


    You don¡¯t know that I also have a significant amount of pseudo-abyssal essence in my body.


    According to the test results from a few days ago, the overlap rate of the pseudo-abyssal essence with the true abyssal essence in my body has reached 39%.


    The issue is that my current burden is much lighter than yours, probably less than 1/10th of yours.


    Can we deduce from this that the reason the essence continues to harm your body is because it essentially isn¡¯t yours?¡±


    Lin Xi was taken aback by his words, and her heart suddenly ¡®thudded¡¯ and started to beat rapidly.


    ¡°What do you mean, brother?¡±


    ¡°I want to try and see if I can purify the abyssal will within these essences?¡±


    Lin Rui focused on performing various tests on Lin Xi, a faint light flickering in his eyes, ¡°After purification, can they become yours?


    Can they become your own abyssal essence?¡±


    Lin Xi felt her heartbeat quickening.


    She felt a touch of dryness in her throat, ¡°It¡¯s still very difficult.


    The abyssal essence in me should come from a very powerful abyss.


    Lin Rui found that his hand came away covered in blood.


    He felt incredibly weak, standing with difficulty, and he couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°The Abyssal Will really lives up to its name, so damn difficult to refine!


    Lin Xi, what are you standing around for?


    Give it a try and see if you can refine this bit of essence.¡±


    a?€¡±If the feasibility of this method was confirmed, then what came next would be simple.


    All he needed to do was to extend Lin Xi¡¯s lifespan as much as possible while rapidly advancing his own cultivation, until he could thoroughly purify the Abyssal Will.


    Yet Lin Xi stood there, transfixed, gazing at Lin Rui, taking in the bloody and pitiable state of her brother.


    Her eyes became even redder, and her tear ducts felt hot.


    But then Lin Xi held back her tears and began to refine the small amount of essence on the tip of her little finger with all her might.


    Not long after, Lin Xi¡¯s pupils slightly dilated.


    She had succeeded!


    She not only felt in complete control of that bit of Abyssal essence, but the damage it dealt to her flesh and spirit was less than one-tenth of what it used to be!


    Lin Rui, monitoring the situation through his equipment, couldn¡¯t help but excitedly slap the operating table and burst into laughter.


    He just knew it would work!


    Meanwhile, neither of the siblings noticed that on the screen of the medical computer beside them, a cute, blonde girl was watching Lin Rui with starry, admiring eyes.


    That was Heart of Light No.


    9, the virtual avatar she often used.


    Excitedly murmuring to herself in her software, she said, ¡°The Light Saint King!


    The High One is definitely the Light Master prophesied, the true ¡®Guang Ming¡¯.¡±


    But then Lin Guangming grew confused.


    The prophecy from the Star Gazing Master of the tenth realm saida?€¡±The true Guang Ming is beyond the heavens, in the Void Realm, after suffering and despair!


    The first part was easy to understand, and the suffering and despair likely referred to the sisters Lin Xi and Lin Yi, but what was meant by the ¡®Void Realm¡¯?


    And how should one interpret the word ¡®after¡¯?


    As Lin Guangming pondered his confusion, Lin Xi suddenly brightened, ¡°Bro, I¡¯ve sensed the location of my ¡®Despairing Heavenly Dragon¡¯.¡±


    She had used the ¡®Despairing Heavenly Dragon¡¯ once before, in a moment of extreme despair, in a joint outburst with Lin Yi.


    However, that could hardly be called control; it was more like the ¡®Despairing Heavenly Dragon¡¯ was controlling her, allowing the abyssal will to revive within her body.


    After Lin Xi had fainted from exhaustion, she lost sensation of the ¡®Despairing Heavenly Dragon¡¯, only vaguely aware of its presence but unable to pinpoint its exact location.


    But now, she knew exactly where this combat dragon was.


    Lin Rui exclaimed in surprise, and Heart of Light No.


    9 also looked on in shock.


    The Despairing Heavenly Dragona?€¡±that was an existence of the Abyss!

 Chapter 359

    ?Chapter 359: Chapter 340: Cold Blood (Please Subscribe) Chapter 359: Chapter 340: Cold Blood (Please Subscribe) Three minutes later, Lin Rui looked at the point marked on the map by Lin Xi.


    He pinched his chin, deep in thought, ¡°To think it¡¯s in this place, Tianquan Biological Company?¡±


    Tianquan Biological Company was one of the largest biopharmaceutical and prosthetic companies in the Ninth Base City, currently holding about 12% of the market share in the prosthetic market of the Ninth Base City.


    It also boasted about one tenth of the sales in drugs related to prosthetics, being a mega-corporation valued at over a trillion.


    The deep abyss-class prosthetic battle dragon that belonged to Lin Xi was actually stored beneath the building of Tianquan Pharmaceuticals Company.


    novgo.co


    Tianquan Pharmaceuticals Company occupied a large area beneath the building, spanning an entire area of 5 kilometers in diameter, with as many as 200 floors.


    ¡°This western side should be the prosthetics research and development department of Tianquan Pharmaceuticals Company.¡±


    Lin Rui pinched his chin, ¡°You two pay attention to the situation of the battle dragon, but be sure to be cautious.


    ...


    You don¡¯t need to achieve merits but avoid any faults at all costs.


    Do not take risks, nor should you alert the enemy.


    ¡°Tianquan Pharmaceuticals Company is a large-scale pharmaceutical company, and their security capabilities should not be underestimated.


    I even suspect that they might be associated with the Longevity Association.¡±


    Lin Rui knew Lin Xi¡¯s temperament; now that the child knew the whereabouts of his battle dragon, he would certainly try every means to investigate.


    Go to ?ovgo.co@@@@


    So it¡¯s better to let things take their own course rather than to prohibit absolutely.


    Rather than prohibiting forcefully, it¡¯s better to provide as much cooperation as possible.


    Furthermore, Lin Rui was quite curious about Tianquan Pharmaceuticals Company.


    Were they researching deep abyss battle dragons?


    Did they achieve any results?


    Were the procedures compliant with regulations?


    Lin Rui then glanced at the time.


    After all the hustle and bustle, it was already 8 o¡¯clock in the morning in the Ninth Base City.


    He quickly left to go to Professor Si Malin¡¯s laboratory to have the ¡°Shen Yang Tian Zhou,¡± a super-emperor-class prosthetic, implanted.


    After awakening this bloodline talent, Lin Rui had immediately reserved this prosthetic from Tian Lan Group, and it was not completed until today.


    Upon arrival, Lin Rui, as usual, underwent a series of tests first.


    ¡°Comprehensive body quality score: 2823 points!


    Strength quality score: 2912 points, spiritual power score: 3231 points!¡±


    Professor Si Malin was taken aback, ¡°Your progress has been significant these past two days.


    According to the Martial Cultivator¡¯s Association rating standards, a fourth realm Martial Cultivator needed to implant six SSS-grade prosthetics to achieve the Emperor level!


    Five realm Martial Cultivators required seven.


    Whether by the standards of the fourth or fifth realm, Lin Rui was very close.


    Moreover, his ¡®Extreme Heart Source¡¯ and ¡®Super Solar Instant¡¯ could enhance the power of the prosthetics, exerting combat force absolutely at the Emperor level.


    This was incredibly rare in the entire history of the Earth Federation.


    No one had ever possessed such powerful prosthetics at Lin Rui¡¯s stage.


    Lin Rui had already considered this matter carefully.


    He took a screenshot of his shopping list and sent it to Professor Si Malin: ¡°I¡¯ve already decided.


    The next prosthetic I¡¯ll implant is this one, which is being made for me by the Tian Group.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that one!¡± Professor Si Malin squinted his eyes and nodded slightly, ¡°An excellent choice, a balanced merger of speed, reactivity, and endurance, complementary to your other prosthetics.


    It can also replace your ¡®Heaven¡¯s Speed.¡¯ It seems you¡¯ve chosen to reach the ultimate in terms of speed and stamina.¡±


    Lin Rui was compelled, believing Zhou Yunfei¡¯s warning made a lot of sense, as the forces behind the smuggling base would certainly retaliate against him.


    Just this time, the loss of high-realm Martial Cultivators included five of the sixth realm, four of the seventh realm, and one of the eighth realm ¨C in Sky Extreme Star, this was the strength of an ancient second-rate family clan.


    If Lin Rui were the leader of that force, he¡¯d probably hate ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ to the core, wouldn¡¯t he?


    Lin Rui thought if it were him, he would pay any price to kill Lin Hao, no matter what.


    Hence, Lin Rui was eager to enhance his overall strength and survival capabilities quickly, and boosting his speed offered the best value for money.


    Since he had an advantage in this area, he decided to push that advantage to the limit!


    After the surgery, Lin Rui returned to his sleep pod and accessed his Sky Extreme Star avatar through the demigod instrument.


    To his delight, Wang Sen had finished building the operation room in his residence.


    Lin Rui had also planned an underground base in their inner courtyard, but since modern base construction couldn¡¯t involve the construction workers from the Ministry of Public Works, they had to do it themselves.


    Since Wang Sen couldn¡¯t return to Sky Extreme Star because of Heavenly Demon duties, he volunteered valorously for the task.


    Following the designs made by Lin Guangming, the first thing he built was the operation room, now completed.


    The entire operation room spanned an impressive 5500 square meters, with a towering height of 30 meters, and the electrical circuitry was meticulously arranged with numerous fully equipped instruments.


    Just a few days ago, the Spycatcher Bureau¡¯s Forensics Department had delivered a large number of items related to the Heavenly Demon to Lin Rui, all scientific research equipment, surgical instruments, power supplies, and even several high-precision lathes.


    This clearly showed that the heads of the Forensics Department were very knowledgeable about the Heavenly Demon and had a keen eye for quality.


    Fortunately, among these items was a surgical pod specially designed for war dragons, which meant Lin Rui could perform prosthetic surgeries for war dragons right here!


    Lin Rui had several critical prosthetic surgeries to conduct; not only for his avatar but also for others, including the ¡®Undying Heart Dragon¡¯ belonging to Lin Xi.


    However, he seemed a bit distracted during the inspection, focusing more on the expressionless woman in white standing behind Wang Sen.


    She was the sixth-realm imperial-grade Cold Blood Demon newly contracted by Wang Sen.

 Chapter 360

    ?Chapter 360: Chapter 341: Meeting (Please Subscribe) Chapter 360: Chapter 341: Meeting (Please Subscribe) This Blood Evil Sorceress was probably around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, nearly two meters tall, dressed in white robes and skirts, not only making her beautiful face look fresh and lovely, but also showing her slim figure, long black hair, and long legs, exuding a regal aura.


    What concerned Lin Rui the most was that this woman originally had a cinnabar mole between her eyebrows, which had now disappeared.


    And Wang Sen¡¯s face, pale as a ghost.


    The Blood Evil Sorceress noticed Lin Rui¡¯s gaze.


    Her expression was slightly displeased and a bit shy, but she dared not say anything and just subtly tugged on Wang Sen¡¯s sleeve.


    Previously at the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, the Blood Evil Sorceress had witnessed Lin Rui¡¯s brutality firsthand.


    Those three seventh-realm monsters, Lin Rui refined them as he said he would, forcibly extracting their essence to perfect his Blood Evil Secret Technique.


    ...


    The Blood Evil Sorceress knew this was Lin Rui¡¯s way of intimidating her and she couldn¡¯t help but dread him.@@@@


    She knew that he was currently the commander of the espionage bureau, of low rank but great authority, holding immense power in the Great Song imperial courts, and would surely be one of the top twenty officials of Great Song in the future.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sister Han.¡± Wang Sen said with a smile, patting the Blood Evil Sorceress¡¯s hand.


    novgo.co


    ¡°You¡¯ll know after spending more time with him, Brother Rui is a good person.¡±


    The Blood Evil Sorceress¡¯s name was Zhu Yuanhan, and Wang Sen addressed her as Sister Han.


    Lin Rui pulled Wang Sen aside and asked quietly, ¡°Wang Sen, I noticed her palace maid¡¯s mole is gone.


    Go to novgo.co


    Did you two...


    you know?¡±


    He clasped his hands together, making a gesture.


    Wang Sen¡¯s face instantly flushed red like a ripe peach.


    He glanced back hesitantly and nodded.


    Upon hearing this, Ji Xueying suddenly understood why Lin Rui kept staring at the face of the Blood Evil Sorceress.


    All he did was tentatively ask her about it.


    Wang Sen remembered that when he first met Zhu Yuanhan, Sister Han was as cold as ice.


    He understood Zhu Han looked down on him in various ways.


    She just wanted to leave the cursed place of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower and hence agreed to the blood pact with him.


    Wang Sen felt there was little hope, but unexpectedly, she agreed after he asked.


    Now, the only issue was that Coach Fei¡¯s dual cultivation technique worked well, significantly reducing his spiritual burden within a few days.


    However, Sister Han, appearing aloof on the surface, began to relish it deeply and became somewhat demanding afterward.


    Wang Sen had been reluctant to mention that he had taken the initiative to help Lin Rui mine and construct the underground base mainly to catch a break.


    This turned out to be his most relaxing leisure time these past few days.


    Wang Sen¡¯s face turned slightly green, yet a semblance of a blissful smile crept onto his lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Brother Rui, Sister Han actually has a very kind heart, very gentle.


    It was her demonic transformation that was compelled by necessity.


    Now that her personality has stabilized, I really like her.¡±


    Even Sister Han¡¯s excessive demands were due to the compulsions of her bloodline,


    ¡°I see!¡± Lin Rui thought to himself that Wang Sen really wasn¡¯t that kind of person.


    However, it was strange that the Blood Evil Sorceress had agreed.


    It didn¡¯t make sense.


    Due to her bloodline mutation, the Blood Evil Sorceress indeed had an extreme need for ¡®Yang Qi¡¯, but their nature was also very cold and detached; even if they desired something, they would not initiate it.


    Could it be because of being imprisoned in the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower for decades if not a century?


    At this moment, his emotions were complex; on one hand, he pitied himself, lamenting that he remained a virgin in both his past and current lives, while this guy in front of him had already found a partner!


    On the other hand, he worried for his brother; looking at Wang Sen¡¯s face, he appeared even more demonic than the Blood Evil Sorceress.

 Chapter 361

    ?Chapter 361: Chapter 341: Meeting (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 361: Chapter 341: Meeting (Please Subscribe)_2 ¡°`


    But when Lin Rui heard what Wang Sen said next, he couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes again.


    This cold-blooded demon was perfect except for being a little taller and having slight demonic transformation marks at the corners of its eyes.


    Who wouldn¡¯t like a dark beauty with such a great figure?


    Lin Rui glanced at Wang Sen¡¯s complexion and finally gave him a solid pat on the shoulder.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Brother, take it easy and watch out for your health!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): How about this, just forward that secret technique of Old Fei to me, and I¡¯ll take a look to see if I can improve on it.


    Also, have you decided what kind of enhancements to implant in her?


    ...


    Things are a bit dangerous for me lately; I urgently need more fighting power.


    If you¡¯re short on money, just tell me.


    Haven¡¯t I set up several foundations to support the variant practitioners?


    It¡¯s all the same who I donate to.


    This cold-blooded demon has a good foundation; at least two imperial-grade enhancements can be implanted, enabling her talent to reach the threshold of an emperor.


    Luckily, Lin Rui has a large number of enhancements at hand, which could be smuggled and transported to Tianji Star.


    Go to novgo.co


    Wang Sen is now wealthy, too.


    He passed the Heavenly Demon Test, and was promoted to Colonel of the Imperial City, allowing him to secure a hefty subsidy from within the Security Bureau.


    Just then, Lin Rui heard a sword cry from outside.


    It was Lin Xi¡¯s Iron Bone Demon, currently in charge of guarding and watching the house.


    It was a signal to the people inside that a guest had arrived.


    Lin Rui sensed and found out that outside was none other than Zhao Yingxua?€¡±the Miss Zhao.


    Behind her were three fully armed house guards and a bunch of servants carrying various baskets and boxes.


    After sensing her presence, Lin Rui wasn¡¯t surprised at all.@@@@


    He had reckoned that Miss Zhao would come to visit sooner or later.


    By now, Lin Rui had basically confirmed that this girl was indeed the variant body of his boss, Fang Ranran.


    Recently, the battle between the Linghu family and the Jin family in the ninth base city has been raging, creating quite a stir throughout the city.


    They not only fought bitterly in the business world but also affected the parliament, leading to a massive brawl involving six people over an environmental bill.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s offensive was extremely fierce.


    It was said that in just a few days, the Jin family had incurred losses exceeding 450 billion federal coins.


    The market valuation of their three listed companies took a severe hit, with the downsides of their trading consortium and real estate group reaching 20%.


    Lin Rui estimated that if Imperial Censor Zhao Yang was indeed Linghu Mingde, then that person named ¡®Yu Wendan¡¯ was likely to be a death warrior from the Jin family.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t keep his boss waiting outside, nor could he let her wait for too long.


    Did he really assist them covertly?


    Since the man before her was the commander of the anti-espionage bureau after all, Zhao Yingxu dared not show any disrespect and promptly withdrew her gaze.


    She bowed and said, ¡°Your Excellency, my great-grandfather knows you are an incorruptible official with self-restraint, so he had Yingxu bring some grain, oil, and staples, along with the Four Treasures of the Study and some ancient books, as a small token of appreciation.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui smiled slightly, but inwardly, he was not impressed.


    The Zhao family really didn¡¯t bring any gifts?


    Such a practice was truly dreadful.


    It was fortunate that Fang Ranran had encountered him; anyone else would likely have been upset.


    At that moment, Zhao Yingxu gestured for Zhao Yan to present a book to Lin Rui, saying, ¡°Your Excellency, please look.


    These are ancient tomes that my grandfather sought for a long time and are personally transcribed copies by him.¡±


    After receiving the book, Lin Rui appeared quite interested as he casually flipped through it.


    He was taken aback to see that the pages of the book were blank; more importantly, the material of the book seemed to be ¡®Dragon Skin Paper¡¯?


    Dragon Skin Paper was made from the hide of Seventh or even Eighth Realm monstrous beasts or battle dragons, using a special process.


    Because it could bear the true essence of dragon-stage martial arts, a single sheet was worth ten taels of divine gold.


    If this fifty-page book was made entirely of it, then it represented 500 taels of divine gold.


    It seemed that the pile of books over there was also made of this material?


    That would be at least three to five thousand pages, probably worth a total of thirty to fifty billion Federation credits.


    Lin Rui¡¯s first thought was that the Linghu family truly had deep roots and had the air of a noble house, considering how they delivered such a refined and untraceable gift.


    His second thought, however, was one of helpless entanglement.


    Was it really okay to accept such a generous gift from his boss?


    Wasn¡¯t it inappropriate?


    Especially since Fang Ranran was managing the pharmaceutical company for him, and the company¡¯s performance had been soaring these days.


    If Ranran, who wouldn¡¯t part with a single hair from her head, found out the truth, would she hit him?


    Break off relations with him?


    ¡°Furthermore, there¡¯s another matter,¡± Fang Ranran continued, taking a scroll from her sleeve.


    ¡°My great-grandfather heard that you are investigating the unlawful affairs of King Han, and are also looking into leads related to the extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons.


    Having served as an official for many years, he happens to possess some relevant information and wishes to share it with you.¡±


    This time, she personally handed the scroll in her hands to Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui opened the scroll and his eyes immediately lit up, thinking that King Han was done for.


    novgo.co


    It was lamentable that he had just received two swords from the emperor, and now he had to move against the emperor¡¯s own son.


    Fate truly played cruel games!


    Yet, the most significant problem with His Highness King Han wasn¡¯t his lawlessness or his collusion with the Heavenly Demons; it was that he had cuckolded the emperor.

 Chapter 362

    ?Chapter 362: Chapter 342: Discovery (Please Subscribe) Chapter 362: Chapter 342: Discovery (Please Subscribe) A moment later, Lin Rui¡¯s expression remained tense as he put away the scroll in his hand.


    ¡°Miss Zhao, are all the matters related to Prince Han that are recorded in this scroll true or false?¡±


    ¡°Of course, they are true!¡± Fang Ranran bowed: ¡°My family ancestor has all the evidences, and has been holding back only due to concerns about the imperial court¡¯s influence.¡±


    Her voice paused: ¡°Our witness is by the side of Imperial Concubine Hui.¡±


    Lin Rui first raised his eyebrows, then said with a bitter smile, ¡°This matter is difficult to handle, if the Emperor learns of it, it¡¯d surely not look good for him.¡±


    Normal people dislike such scandals being exposed; most would rather keep the matter hidden than let others know they¡¯ve been cuckolded, especially the Emperor of Great Song, right?


    There are many ways to handle infidelity, there¡¯s no need to make it known to the world.


    Not to mention that the person who cuckolded the Emperor is none other than the sixth prince, his own son.


    If this gets out, what will become of the Emperor¡¯s and the royal family¡¯s dignity?


    Thus, rashly disclosing this affair, although it could put Prince Han in a dire situation, could also lead to the Emperor¡¯s resentment.


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Fang Ranran¡¯s expression was somber: ¡°My family ancestor is considering the Emperor¡¯s dignity, which is why he has suppressed this matter; he has been very troubled by it and has said how to proceed should be entirely up to you, Sir.


    ...


    No matter what, he will fully cooperate.¡±@@@@


    Lin Rui smiled faintly, thinking that Fang Ranran¡¯s grandfather indeed was an impressive person.


    This man had not only woven a vast intelligence network within Tianji Star over the past few centuries, gaining many secrets, but his actions were also resolute and ruthless.


    Go to novgo.co


    Inside this scroll, it recorded as many as seventeen trading firms, forty-six landlords and local tyrants, one hundred twenty-two storerooms, and 5214 people suspected of being foreign body practitionersa?€¡±most of whom were associated with the Jin family.


    These were either under the Jin family¡¯s control or their allies; although the Jin family¡¯s business focus wasn¡¯t in Luo Jing, they had many allies there.


    This was clearly intended to doom the Jin family!


    Interestingly, the scroll specifically mentioned that these people were involved in illegal business.


    In Great Song, as well as in the Ninth Base City, it¡¯s illegal; for instance, a business called ¡®Fu Hai Trading Firm¡¯ dealt in ¡®Heavenly Tobacco¡¯ with three local tyrants, an ingredient for a drug expressly forbidden by the Earth Federation.


    They even transplanted opium poppy, coca, and cannabis to Tianji Star and used elemental catalysts to mutate these plants to have stronger hallucinogenic effects.


    Lin Rui thought that when mingling in Tianji Star, one really must be wary of one¡¯s own kind.


    The Lu Family and the Jin Family, once in conflict, did not hesitate to severely trap each other, not caring whether the other party was a fellow villager or of the same kind.


    The Jin family was not innocent either; the money their trading company made was all extracted from ordinary people.


    ¡°I understand now!¡± Lin Rui stood up, his words containing an apology: ¡°I need to enter the palace immediately, Miss Fang, could you please keep Miss Yingxu company for me?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fang Ranran¡¯s eyebrows rose, thinking that Sir Lin referring to her by her first name might be a sign of closeness?


    She then smiled gently towards Zhou Yunxi, as Lin Hao¡¯s request for her to accompany Zhou aligned perfectly with Fang Ranran¡¯s wishes.


    As far as Fang Ranran knew, Lin Hao doted extremely on this sworn sister; as long as she could win over this woman, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid of not having a say in front of Lin Hao in the future.


    Lin Xi felt helpless as she discerned Fang Ranran¡¯s thoughts; the problem was that she didn¡¯t need to win her over.


    She had always been grateful to Miss Fang, who provided shelter and resources during their toughest times.


    An hour later, in a small courtyard next to the Third Divine Envoy¡¯s residence.


    Luo Wangshu tried hard to maintain a graceful posture, but eventually couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, her hands slapping the ground causing ¡®thump thump¡¯ sounds while she gleefully laughed: ¡°Are you serious?


    Prince Han and the Emperor¡¯s Imperial Concubine Hui have been in an affair, possibly for as long as six months?


    According to the outsider Heavenly Demons, this would be what¡¯s called ¡®wearing a green hat,¡¯ right?


    ¡°Leave Prince Han and his consort Hui¡¯s matter to me, do not interfere.


    The Emperor is generous outwardly but nursing grievances internally, and it is better for him to find it out himself.


    You just need to follow my orders, and when the time comes, you can strike at these two,¡± she directed.


    Luo Wangshu then waved a sleeve, ¡°Come on, begin today¡¯s training, let me see how well you¡¯ve mastered the secret saber technique I taught you.¡±


    She had taught Lin Rui a martial secret saber move three days ago, keen to gauge Lin Rui¡¯s natural talent.


    Lin Rui immediately complied; he held the Dharma Seal in his left hand and the saber in his right.


    Suddenly, the light and the temporal void around him began to distort.


    Lin Rui¡¯s figure rapidly flickered and shifted within the space.


    Whenever he swung his saber, it was incredibly swift.


    This was the sixth-realm imperial-level strike ¡®Chrono Slash¡¯ that Luo Wangshu had taught him.


    Luo Wangshu felt that although Lin Hao possessed the powerful innate talents ¡®Divine Sun Celestial Chronos¡¯ and ¡®Supreme Sun Instant¡¯, he used them quite crudely, not fully harnessing these immensely powerful abilities.


    Especially wasteful was his use of True Qi; with Lin Hao¡¯s approach, he could only utilize it once or twice during a fight.


    Luckily, Luo Wangshu had once killed a seventh-realm imperial master and obtained a supremely imperial True Intent related to the temporal light, which she passed on to Lin Rui.


    novgo.co


    The power of ¡®Chrono Slash¡¯ needs no mention, the key was its efficiency in utilizing the temporal void, which surpassed the past tenfold.


    With the same amount of True Qi, Lin Rui used to only cause a significant distortion in the surrounding space-time once, but now he could achieve it more than ten times.


    This was a pure saber technique strike.


    Lin Rui¡¯s one-handed seal was to activate a token-shaped sixth-realm imperial Magic Artifact gifted to him at the apprentice ceremony by Luo Wangshu, called ¡®Instant Light Command¡¯.


    This artifact¡¯s ability, as its name suggested, could manipulate light and temporal order to a certain extent, greatly enhancing the power of related techniques.


    Lin Rui had once relied on the divine power of this artifact in a battle against Yue Tianqing.


    Luo Wangshu was testing with intent, wanting to see just how capable this disciple¡¯s talents were.


    But after watching him today, she was a bit helpless, thinking to herself that her disciple¡¯s talent was simply inhuman.


    Luo Wangshu saw that Lin Hao was still quite awkward in executing this secret technique, which was due to his initial practice, not being very proficient yet.


    However, Lin Hao¡¯s control over True Qi, martial profound intentions, light, and temporal power was all very apt, and his conception was remarkably high.


    This indicated that Lin Hao had fully understood the core essence of this secret technique.


    He even managed to improve it, grafting it onto his fundamental martial arts ¡®Purple Sun Posture¡¯ and ¡®Purple Sun Tribulation Saber,¡¯ and used these martial arts as a base to increase its power.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Luo Wangshu silently sighed, then motioned forward once, asking Lin Rui to sit in front of her, ¡°Your insight truly leaves me speechless.


    Fortunately, it was me; had it been someone else, they probably couldn¡¯t bear the shame of being your master.¡±


    She then unexpectedly placed one hand on Lin Rui¡¯s heart, starting to enhance his physique, vital energy, True Yuan, and martial profound intentions!


    It was substantially similar to what Meng Weiyun had done for Lin Rui before, but how mighty a being was Luo Wangshu?


    She had not only almost stepped into the threshold of the tenth realm, but also controlled the conceptual powers of the Limitless Venerable and Growth Venerable, so the effect of strengthening Lin Rui¡¯s soul and body far surpassed what Meng Weiyun could do.


    Luo Wangshu did not need to touch forehead to forehead with Lin Rui; slight physical contact was enough to boost his martial profound intentions and the quality of his True Qi.


    But at that moment, a slight change flitted across her expression as she looked astoundingly at Lin Rui¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    She suddenly swept her sleeve, using a layer of temporal void energy to shield the surroundings before slowly articulating the next words, ¡°The Abyssal Core and the Law of Purity?¡±

 Chapter 363

    ?Chapter 363: Chapter 343: Trust (Seeking Subscription) Chapter 363: Chapter 343: Trust (Seeking Subscription) Luo Wangshu stared fixedly at Lin Rui¡¯s forehead, ¡°Xiao Haohao, what¡¯s with this core of origin!¡±


    She had sensed Lin Rui¡¯s body just a few days ago, when he did not have this thing inside him.


    Lin Rui had always known this day would come, yet he still felt a tingling scalp, but what reassured him slightly was that his master still called him ¡®Xiao Haohao.¡¯


    He touched his nose bridge, solemnly explaining, ¡°It happened in the Divine Dragon Hall while I was refining the national dragon seal, when the war dragon¡¯s spirit blood mingled with my deep abyss essence, congealing into this thing.


    How exactly it happened, I¡¯m not sure, the whole process was bizarre.¡±


    Lin Rui was indeed clueless about the ¡®core of origin¡¯ that had formed in his body.


    He still needed to further study synthetic biology to understand its underlying mechanisms.


    ¡°Divine Dragon Hall?¡±


    Luo Wangshu furrowed her brow, recalling the ¡®deep abyss essence¡¯ she sensed within Lin Rui¡¯s body, her eyes gradually lighting up, ¡°So it is, I neglected this.


    I didn¡¯t expect such a situation to occur.


    The essence blood of the Longevity Dragon combined with the deep abyss essence indeed has the potential to attract each other and form a deep abyss core.


    ...


    Especially since this segment of essence blood was bestowed upon you by the Longevity Dragon, bearing their inconspicuous imprint, but still, that¡¯s not right a?€¡±¡±


    Luo Wangshu looked surprised, the ¡®deep abyss core¡¯ inside Lin Rui was quite large, nearly equivalent to a second Golden Core.


    Moreover, this core was entirely Lin Rui¡¯s own, merging seamlessly with his Primordial Spirit, indistinguishable from each other.


    Go to ?ovgo.co


    Luo Wangshu wanted to ask Lin Rui for the ultimate truth but saw him looking back at her with an innocent and bewildered face.


    Luo Wangshu instantly knew she wouldn¡¯t get any clear answers.


    She guessed this fellow didn¡¯t understand the situation himself,


    mainly because Luo Wangshu had only just begun to delve into deep abyss essence and hadn¡¯t witnessed the most sublime views, thus she lacked a sufficient understanding of it.


    Perhaps during the fusion and condensation of the deep abyss core, the soul imprint of the Longevity War Dragon had been assimilated?


    Besides, there was another force encased within this ¡®deep abyss core.¡¯


    ¡°Pure Concept a?€¡±¡±


    Luo Wangshu took a sharp intake of breath, emotions tangled.


    Previously, the five great abysses had swept over hundreds of millions of miles in the Eastern Sea, jointly issuing a death warrant against the contemporary ¡®Bright King,¡¯ intensifying their pursuit of the Guang Ming Holy Sect because they believed the ¡®Bright King¡¯ might grasp the abyssal concept, nearing the abyssal realm.


    As a result, the person possessing the ¡®Pure¡¯ concept, whom the five great abysses greatly feared and wanted to chase down, was actually right by her side?


    However, since it was the concept of purity, might it be possible that the pure flame on him had purified this ¡®deep abyss core¡¯?


    Luo Wangshu had long known from Meng Weiyun that Lin Rui bore the mark of sacred thunder fire and had killed a Saint Heir of the Guang Ming Holy Secta?€|


    Yet she never imagined that this fellow had actually obtained the method of purity from the sacred thunder fire.


    Luo Wangshu glanced at Lin Rui again, her eyes flickering uncertainly before she finally sighed long, ¡°You¡¯re lucky you encountered me.¡±


    Lin Rui also felt fortunate.


    He had seen a mix of shock, confusion, doubt, bitterness, and wariness in Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes but notably not envy or murderous intent.


    novgo.co


    So this is the advantage of having the right superior; with another master, who knows what might have happened?


    Luo Wangshu then rose and pulled Lin Rui up, taking him with her to the outside of the small courtyard.


    They stood behind a thin film formed by a layer of spacetime forces, overlooking the vast imperial palace in front of Divine Scenery Mountain.


    Luo Wangshu with hands clasped behind her back said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you and Meng Weiyun have completed the trade?


    Just this one transaction alone amounts to four hundred and twenty thousand taels of demonic silver?


    So, what¡¯s their response regarding those controlled substances and synthetic armament?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it is a disaster for the common people of Great Song.


    To defend against the Heavenly Demons, the taxes we¡¯ve levied have increased by at least ten percent compared to 800 years ago.


    However, for people like us, it might not necessarily be the case.¡±


    Luo Wangshui shook her head, ¡°The various drugs developed by the Heavenly Demons from beyond our realm can enhance the physical qualities of a Martial Cultivator to the utmost limit; they have also invented implant gears that, if one¡¯s spirit can bear it, can elevate one¡¯s bloodline talents to a higher level, giving many who stand at the threshold of ¡®Longevity¡¯ a glimpse of hope.¡±


    She pointed at her forehead, ¡°Take me, for example.


    My strength was nearly at its limit, and at most, in ten years, I could have elevated my bloodline to surpass the level of emperors.


    After that, I would not have been able to advance further; but now, I see hope for further enhancing my strength.


    With the aid of the Heavenly Demons¡¯ potion, my physical body could be further strengthened.


    I could also implant powerful gears I desire, taking my bloodline talents even further, beyond the level of emperors and even allowing me to encounter the Abyss at the ninth realm!¡±


    As far as I know, those Heavenly Demons have been researching these technologies, and the Emperor and the First Divine Envoy had realized this perhaps centuries ago and may have already started making arrangements.


    The true strength of these two has already surpassed their existing realms.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s face turned slightly pale, and he found himself at a loss for words.


    Luo Wangshui was pleased with his expression and smiled slightly, ¡°Little Hao, your Blood Blade Ji must have been implanted with several powerful bloodline gears by those under King Han, right?¡±


    Lin Rui came to his senses and promptly bowed as he answered, ¡°It was the work of the Heavenly Demons.¡±


    He himself was a Heavenly Demon.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually a bit envious of her.


    Bloodline talents become harder to awaken the further one progresses.


    Awakening a talent that suits oneself becomes even more difficult, but with the help of implant gears, it becomes much easier.¡±


    Luo Wangshui gave a bitter smile, ¡°I might be able to get some powerful implant gears and injections, but I cannot be sure that these items are without problems, nor can I find a reliable implant doctor to perform the procedure on me.¡±


    Lin Rui frowned, his words laced with doubt, ¡°So does that mean Master is looking for a reliable source?


    But that shouldn¡¯t be difficult for Master, should it?¡±


    ¡°The reason I was favored by the divine entities and stood out among the twelve candidates to become the Third Divine Envoy was because I had the least contact with the Heavenly Demons and harbored deep enmity towards them.¡±


    Luo Wangshui looked up at the sky, her voice serene, ¡°But having reached this stage, there are some things I cannot help planning for in advance.


    You see, the position of a Divine Envoy, much like that of an emperor, has a limited term a?€¡± only six hundred years.


    I¡¯m already too far behind those three, and I must catch up on what I owe.


    The problem now is not only are the divine entities watching me, but many are also waiting for me to show a flaw.


    From the moment I became a Divine Envoy, I dared not trust anyone because I knew there must be a spy of the divine entities among those around me.


    That¡¯s why I could not even fully trust Meng Weiyun, but now, I finally have someone I can truly trust.¡±


    Among those under her command, everyone could possibly be the eyes and ears of the divine entities, except for Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but look perplexed, ¡°Is it because of the disciple¡¯s Abyssal Core?¡±


    ¡°And the Cleansing Method!


    You, my child, are greatly blessed.


    Merely at the fifth realm, you¡¯ve already pried open half the door to the Abyss and seen the light within.


    If the divine entities knew, your death would be certain.¡±


    Luo Wangshui burst into laughter, her smile bright and radiant, ¡°Yet the path of the Abyss is also my desire!


    So Little Hao, you must help me, help me walk this path.¡±


    As she spoke, her voice paused, and a strong obsession flashed in her eyes as she looked toward the sky, ¡°As master and disciple, we are one.


    It¡¯s not impossible for us to dye this sky above with colors that belong to us both.¡±

 Chapter 364

    ?Chapter 364: Chapter 344: Reply (Please Subscribe) Chapter 364: Chapter 344: Reply (Please Subscribe) Luo Wangshu¡¯s words greatly shocked Lin Rui.


    That very afternoon, Lin Rui presided in the main hall of the Bureau of Assassinations until the end of the workday, still unable to completely settle his mind.


    Away from his official duties, his thoughts kept drifting to the morning¡¯s events.


    ¡°The Abyss?¡±


    Lin Rui looked at his own hands.


    As soon as Lin Rui willed it, a layer of bone armor covered his hands instantly.


    The enhancement drugs provided by the East Asia Science Academy had promoted Lin Rui¡¯s growth at a phenomenal rate.


    His dragon armor could now cover all of his upper body except for his lower back, and its strength and toughness were increasing.


    ...


    Luo Wangshu had not only strengthened his dragon armor further, but also expanded its potential for growth.


    The power of Luo Wangshu was very peculiar; it enhanced him in all aspects, including his spirit, martial prowess, True Qi, bloodline, dragon armor, potential, physical condition, and even the Abyssal essence and Abyssal core within him.


    The enhancement of just one hour was equivalent to five to six days of Lin Rui¡¯s training, utterly miraculous.


    This was especially true in the realm of martial arts, where the improvement was notably significant.


    And this prowess was the foundation for mastering the concepts of the Abyss.


    If his prowess were strong enough, he could control even more powerful pure concepts and need not worry about the backlash from the true masters of the Abyssal essence within Lin Xi.


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    He thought to himself that this was truly ¡®a deep debt of gratitude to his master¡¯, not knowing how he could ever repay it.


    Now, he was unsure how the East Asia side would respond.


    Lin Rui felt heavy-hearted; he could actually bypass the government and directly provide Luo Wangshu with some of the things she wanted.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s reason was telling him that this would be an exceedingly foolish action.


    ¡°Sir!¡± standing below the hall, Deputy Commander Sun Shicheng expressed his confusion with a bow, ¡°May I ask if there is any issue with the disposition of several officials from the Ministry of Justice?¡±


    The ¡®legal advisor¡¯ standing below, Li Guli, also returned Lin Rui¡¯s gaze with a hint of confusion.


    He had already noticed that his junior brother seemed a bit distracted today, frequently zoning out.


    ¡°No.¡± Lin Rui regained his focus, and his lips curled slightly, ¡°The disposition was appropriate.


    From the existing evidence, there is a need for detention and interrogation.


    It is evident that Deputy Commander Sun handles cases with caution and rigor.¡±


    He clapped the documents in his hand together, ¡°However, so far, I have seen no significant progress from Deputy Commander Sun¡¯s side.


    He had originally wanted to inquire about the progress of the Prince of Han¡¯s illegal case, offering them one last chance.


    After all, these two were his subordinates, and Lin Rui believed that as their superior, he should show tolerance and magnanimity.


    However, it seemed that there was no need for that anymore.


    Lin Rui picked up his teacup, ¡°That will be all for today, everyone may leave.¡±


    The wardens from the ninth and tenth prisons, Xie Yong and Pan Dongfan, both had slightly grim expressions.


    Then, with casual salutes, they exited the room in a carefree manner.


    The two realized that there would inevitably be a fierce battle between them and this commander.


    Lin Hao would undoubtedly do everything to take them down in order to maintain his authority, while both of them were deeply connected to the Prince of Han and had no escape.


    They also had full confidence that the Prince of Han would definitely fully support them, and the Second Divine Envoy would not sit idly by.


    At most, this Lin might issue minor inconveniences to them, depending on if they chose to comply.


    The people in the hall watched the two leave with peculiar gazes and then bid their farewell one after another.


    After all his subordinates had left, Lin Rui smiled at Li Li, ¡°Mr.


    Li, there is something urgent at my estate, so I must leave first.¡±


    Li Li looked at the five-foot-thick pile of documents on Lin Rui¡¯s desk and nodded somewhat helplessly, ¡°With me here, you may go ahead.¡±


    He knew Lin Rui had indeed something important to handle.


    That very evening, Lin Rui had to implant two SSS-grade enhancers into his Blood Blade, Ji Xueying.


    Additionally, Lin Xi had finally refined her Indestructible Heart Dragon just the day before, which could now receive enhancers.


    Reportedly, the first surgery for this war dragon included 3 SSS-grade enhancers, as well as the Type 7 War God nano-enhancement suit and ¡®Heavenly Armor¡¯ Type 7 nano sub-dermal armor, both of which were high-end models of Type 7.


    Lin Rui¡¯s sister was exceptionally wealthy and willing to spend lavishly on the best models for her war dragon.


    These were two major surgeries, which might not even be completed in one night.


    But even if Lin Rui had nothing else to do, he would not linger in the office a moment longer than necessary, and if he spent one-fifth of his day handling official duties, it was considered quite good.


    The majority of less critical official matters, such as paperwork, were entrusted to Li Li for handling, which was precisely why Li Li had come along.


    After bidding farewell to Li Li, Lin Rui rushed home with Ji Xueying, and while on the road, he received a message from Zhou Yunfei.


    Zhou Yunfei: ¡°Buddy, are you free to talk right now?


    Regarding those controlled item trades you mentioned, the authorities have already made a clear decision.¡±


    Seeing this message, Lin Rui¡¯s spirits lifted, yet he felt secretly apprehensive.

 Chapter 365

    ?Chapter 365: Chapter 345: Blocking the Path (Three More for Subscriptions) Chapter 365: Chapter 345: Blocking the Path (Three More for Subscriptions) Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Uncle Zhou, I¡¯m here, what did the higher-ups say?¡±


    Because martial cultivators at or above the eighth realm could potentially sense faint electromagnetic field fluctuations, thereby detecting communications between foreign entities, Lin Rui had set up an AI in his biological chip.@@@@


    Every time he entered the palace or sensed the presence of martial cultivators above the eighth realm, it would automatically shut off quantum communication.


    Quantum communication was based on the principle of quantum entanglement, so even martial artists at the tenth realm would have difficulty detecting it.


    The problem was that when the biological chip converted quantum data into information readable by humans, there would still be a very slight electromagnetic field fluctuation.


    And the larger the data converted, the more obvious the electromagnetic field fluctuation.


    For instance, Yuan Chengkai had previously used this method to locate the Federation¡¯s quantum communication relay in Shazhou.


    Lin Rui was currently at a relatively low level of strength and could not contain his primordial spirit nor fend off the perception of higher realm martial artists, thus there was a risk of being sensed.


    ...


    Once his strength increased in the future, even standing in front of a tenth realm martial artist would not be an issue.


    Zhou Yunfei: ¡°The overall feedback is positive, they say we can give it a try, but we must take it step by step and build mutual trust.


    There was a lot of debate about it above, mainly because this third Divine Envoy was notoriously ferocious in the past.


    Not only did she serve as the ¡®Espionage Bureau Commander¡¯, but she also served as the ¡®Direct Jurisdiction Protector¡¯ of the Imperial City.


    Who knows how many foreign walkers have died at her hands, especially during her tenure as Direct Jurisdiction Protectora?€¡±it was simply a bloodbath.¡±


    Lin Rui knew that the direct jurisdiction of the Great Song, including Luojing and the surrounding nine provinces, was the essence of the Great Song.


    Go to novgo.co


    Therefore, the authority of the Direct Jurisdiction Protector was not less than that of the Espionage Bureau Commander.


    The ¡®Espionage Bureau Commander¡¯ had jurisdiction over the entire territory of the Great Song, while the ¡®Direct Jurisdiction Protector¡¯ was only responsible for the direct jurisdiction.


    However, in the specific direct jurisdiction, the authority and strength of the Direct Jurisdiction Protector were stronger, after all, there were over a dozen high-level martial artists under this protector.


    Zhou Yunfei: ¡°We in East Asia are still okay; only a dozen people have fallen into her hands.


    But the other member nations of the Federation have mostly created deep blood feuds with her, so the various factions within the Federation dare not contact her and are very repellant, fearing a trap or being discarded after use.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei: ¡°Therefore, at the top levels inside East Asia, two people are not optimistic.


    They think she is not a quality partner.


    However, a few others think it¡¯s worth a try.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s current position is different; perhaps her view towards us will change, and perhaps we can cooperate.


    Although she has always been known for her cruel methods and harsh punishment, strictly speaking, it¡¯s all been by the book.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei: ¡°These powers within the Federation talk nicely, saying they approach the Tianji Star civilization with a friendly attitude and exploratory contact, but in reality, it¡¯s just plundering, colonization.


    There¡¯s no denying it, especially some capitalists, for the sake of profit, are particularly vile.


    If we do something minor, she can surely do much worse.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei: ¡°Even us in East Asia, although we say we want to engage in free and fair trade, there¡¯s still a suspicion of economic colonization.


    So we on the East Asian side still hope to make more contact.


    We prefer to profit from trade and obtain the things we want.


    novgo.co


    There really is no need for violent conflict.¡±


    After reading this, Lin Rui¡¯s lips twitched slightly; as far as he knew, the national policy over on the East Asian side was indeed to establish a nation through trade and industry.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°So what can we sell to her now?¡±


    Zhou Yunfei: ¡°East Asia can provide her with one Type-8 foreign body enhancer and one Type-8 War Dragon Genetic Repair Fluid every month, the model unspecified but absolutely reliable!


    Additionally, in the first month, East Asia will also include an unspecified model of X Element Injection, which should be what she most currently desires and can greatly enhance her individual strength.¡±


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Who goes there?¡±


    Ji Xueying, now whenever she went out, would wear the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor.


    Lin Rui had also bought her a pair of sixth-realm, ultra-king-class precious swords at the Ministry of Works¡¯ Arsenal.


    The moment she drew her sword, sword energy blazed, sword might was formidable, and the sword intent swept through and pressured the void within thirty feet, causing the seventh-realm expert who was pursuing them to gasp for air and stop in their tracks thirty feet away.


    The white figure also stopped ten feet in front of Lin Rui and knelt on the ground: ¡°This lowly candidate Divine Dragon Guard, Shangguan Tianyi, greets the Commander.


    This lowly one, begs for the Commander¡¯s mercy to take me in as a Divine Dragon Guard.¡±


    ¡°A candidate Divine Dragon Guard?¡±


    Lin Rui stepped in front of Ji Xueying.


    He saw that both Shangguan Tianyi and the seventh-realm Martial Cultivator behind her were indeed wearing Divine Dragon Guard uniforms.


    Not far from here was the Divine Dragon Hall, and the two must have come from there.


    He ignored the kneeling girl in white and narrowed his eyes to look at the seventh-realm Divine Dragon Guard: ¡°Who are you, and what is going on here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Xian Yu Yan, the third-grade swordbearing Divine Dragon Guard from the Divine Dragon Hall, and I¡¯ve the honor to meet you, Commander!¡±


    Xian Yu Yan first made a bow filled with remorse and then said with a bitter smile, ¡°Commander, this girl is a candidate Divine Dragon Guard from our Hall and has been expelled today.


    It was my duty to escort her out of the imperial city, but unexpectedly, she did not accept being expelled by the Divine Dragon Hall.


    On seeing the Commander passing by, she harbored the reckless thought of begging for your mercy to take her in.


    Commander, I hope you will forgive her rashness and eagerness for her future prospects, out of mercy.¡±


    Lin Rui looked at her with a peculiar expression: ¡°What is your relationship with her?¡±


    Xian Yu Yan¡¯s expression shifted slightly, her face turning even more grim, but she still spoke forthrightly: ¡°I can barely be considered her teacher, having taught her for several years.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded, thinking that there was no way Shangguan Tianyi, a mere peak fifth-realm warrior, could escape from Xian Yu Yan.


    The timing was also very coincidental, happening to be when he would be leaving work.


    Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s complexion turned pale: ¡°Commander, this was all Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s own initiative, and my teacher has nothing to do with it.


    It¡¯s because I knew the Commander has not yet chosen any Divine Dragon Guards, I wished for the Commander to give me a chance.¡±


    Lin Rui said nothing, moving directly in front of Shangguan Tianyi and grabbed her left wrist to feel the pulse.


    A moment later, Lin Rui asked with curiosity: ¡°This girl¡¯s bloodline talent is strong, reaching beyond emperor-level.


    Why was she expelled?¡±


    This was very rare among the ¡®Divine Dragon Guards¡¯.


    As Lin Rui knew, the candidate Divine Dragon Guards were selected by the ¡®Divine Dragon Hall¡¯ from orphans with talent and were taught unique Secret Techniques to rapidly advance in martial arts, often reaching the fifth realm by the age of seventeen or eighteen.


    However, this method greatly damages the body¡¯s vital energy.


    It can be imagined, with most of their vital energy spent on improving their martial prowess, how much could be left to support their bloodline talent?


    And these candidates could not possibly have access to the resources of noble families to replenish their vital energy.


    Moreover, Shangguan Tianyi was not only strong in bloodline talent, but her martial prowess was also formidable.


    When Shangguan Tianyi entered within their thirty-foot range, Ji Xueying had locked onto her with her sword intent from afar.


    Surprisingly, Ji Xueying failed to lock her down, and Shangguan Tianyi broke through to within ten feet!


    It should be noted that Ji Xueying¡¯s ¡®Extreme Kill¡¯ sword intent was already very strong, and her Primordial Spirit, with the aid of various injections provided by Lin Rui, kept strengthening, and had reached 5200 points.


    With Ji Xueying¡¯s unique bloodline talent, her divine might was even more augmented.


    Now she couldn¡¯t even lock down Shangguan Tianyi, evident of the latter¡¯s martial might.


    Such a talent should have been coveted by the emperor and several Divine Envoys, so how could she be expelled by the Divine Dragon Hall?


    Xian Yu Yan glanced sidelong at Shangguan Tianyi: ¡°To answer the Commander, it¡¯s because Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s body is malfunctioning, unable to transform into a dragon.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s more than just a malfunction,¡± Lin Rui let out a chuckle, ¡°It must have been tainted by the abyss, right?¡±

 Chapter 366

    ?Chapter 366: Chapter 346 Sword Intent (Please Subscribe) Chapter 366: Chapter 346 Sword Intent (Please Subscribe) Xianyu Yan was startled by the statement, and immediately understood that the person before her was an expert, not someone who could be easily deceived.


    In her heart, she felt regret and pity for Shangguan Tianyi, but she truthfully replied, ¡°Indeed, as you have said, she has been contaminated by the abyss.¡±


    The cultivation techniques practiced by the ¡°Dragon Guards of the Great Song Dynasty¡± are different from those of normal martial cultivators.


    To some extent, they can be considered containers for the arrival of the ¡®will of the abyss,¡¯ with their cultivation methods deeply related to the ancient abyss.


    Naturally, the Great Song Dynasty nurtures Dragon Guards, not to turn them into vessels for the resurrection of the ancient abyss, but to allow them to steal the power belonging to the abyss.


    All four great empires possess a secret technique that allows Dragon Guards to transform into dragons upon the closure of their fontanel at the age of eighteen, stealing the power of the abyss while severing connections with these ancient abysses.


    These transformed battle dragons are often very powerful, capable of controlling extremely powerful abyssal concepts, with strength far surpassing that of normal martial cultivators.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui grew even more curious, ¡°If she has been contaminated by the abyss, why would you still bring her before me?¡±


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s face twitched, as she could not bear to see Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s martial path come to an end, so she specifically chose this time to bring Shangguan Tianyi out of the imperial city today.


    ...


    The problem was that she did not want to be blamed for this eithera?€¡±


    However, after a slight hesitation, she spoke solemnly, ¡°The reason Tianyi has been contaminated is that her Sword Dao is too strong, so strong that it deeply touches the divine realm, causing the will of the abyss to leave a deep imprint in her primordial spirit.


    It is very likely that during her transformation into a dragon, the will of the abyss could take advantage of her vulnerability.


    However, I feel that her will and Sword Intent might be able to contend with the abyss.@@@@


    Moreover, sir, you were able to undergo dragon transformation at nineteen, possessing supreme imperial bloodlines, and have been involved with several abyssal forces.


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    Perhaps you could also help her suppress that abyssal will.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, she added, ¡°In the past year, Tianyi passed all the Dragon Guard assessments using less than twenty percent of her energy, and in the past two months, she has used less than ten percent of her True Yuan.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Lin Rui turned his gaze towards Shangguan Tianyi, his expression ironically saying, ¡°A mere fifth realm, and yet you dare to speak of contending with the abyss?¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s delicate face turned pale as she bit her lower lip firmly.


    She had strong confidence in herself, and even when faced with that will of the abyss within her, she would never submit.


    However, she could not refute Lin Hao, not wanting to provoke the displeasure of this Commander of the Stabbing Bureau and lose her last chance.


    But Lin Rui noticed the stubborn look in Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s eyes, this girl was filled with reluctance to accept her situation.


    The corner of his lips curved up slightly as he stood, ¡°Then let¡¯s give it a try.


    Release your Sword Intent with all your might and let me see your standard, just how brilliant you are to such extent!¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi was startled by his words, then looked at Lin Rui with hesitation and glanced at Xianyu Yan beside her.


    There was no problem with the trial by sword, but could this little body of the commanding officer bear it?


    What if the officer got injured because of it?


    Shangguan Tianyi did not want to cut off her last thread of hope.


    Lin Rui crossed his arms, watching her, ¡°Are you being cautious because of my position?


    I promise you, regardless of the outcome, you shall be granted amnesty for your actions.


    Or is it that you lack confidence in your own Sword Intent?¡±


    This girl¡¯s Sword Intent should be strong, but he estimated it to be at most on the level of Xue Lingxue.


    Upon hearing his words, Shangguan Tianyi hesitated no longer, as she suddenly stood, pressing her hand on her sword, ¡°As per the noble¡¯s command!¡±


    In that instant, the surroundings suddenly burst with flickering thunder, rolling all around.


    Upon seeing that lightning, Lin Rui inwardly exclaimed, ¡®damn it,¡¯ realizing that he might have been too arrogant, and his mind began to go wild with thoughts.


    However, in the next instant, Shangguan Tianyi saw Lin Hao extend his hand towards her, speaking in an even tone, ¡°Where is your dragon insignia?


    Give it to me.¡±


    First puzzled, Shangguan Tianyi then quickly came to her senses.


    She hurriedly took out a small seal from her bosom and, trembling, presented it in front of Lin Rui.


    The Secret Technique for the training of candidate Dragon Guards can significantly reduce the influence of the abyssal will on them after the fontanelle closes; however, this does not mean that the method is entirely failproof.


    They still need to be constantly vigilant and resist the will of the abyss.


    To ensure absolute safety, each Dragon Guard entrusts their soul core to a dragon insignia from a young age, nurturing it with their blood essence.


    This is a special type of Magic Artifact; the master of the Dragon Guard can use it to help the guard suppress and resist the abyss, or, if necessary, shatter the dragon insignia, leading to the death of the guard.


    The Commander being willing to accept her dragon insignia likely meant he was willing to take her on as a Dragon Guard.


    ¡°Master!¡± Xue Lingxue watched as Lin Hao took the dragon insignia from Shangguan Tianyi, her expression one of incredible surprise.


    She could never have imagined such a turn of events today.


    She then spoke with a solemn and respectful tone, ¡°Master, you should know that Tianyi¡¯s transformation into a dragon is difficult; there¡¯s a high chance she¡¯ll become a vessel for a deity, and you only have a quota for one candidate Dragon Guard.¡±


    Lin Rui snorted with derision upon hearing this; if it came to deity vessels, his family had an even more troublesome one at home.


    He said with his back turned, ¡°Please lead the way, let¡¯s get the procedures for claiming a candidate Dragon Guard sorted today!


    Also, I see her fontanelle will close within twenty days at most, heralding her transformation into a dragon.


    Let me know what materials are needed and what Array needs to be set up; preferably, you should help me acquire them.¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s demeanor relaxed, ¡°Please follow me, Master!


    I can take care of the claiming procedures for you right now.


    As for the materials you mentioned for the dragon transformation, we Dragon Guards do have a large stock of items to assist candidate Dragon Guards in their transformation.


    There are several different recipes; the cheaper ones start at just over ten thousand divine gold, while the most expensive are worth about thirty-two thousand divine gold.¡±


    At this moment, her heart was filled with both joy and trepidation: joy because her disciple still had a chance to transform into a dragon, and trepidation because Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s chances of a successful transformation were really low.


    However, Xue Lingxue knew all too well that for Shangguan Tianyi, she would rather fail in the transformation and perish than leave the palace to live an ordinary life and die unremarkably among the common folk.


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart gave a small twinge upon hearing the price of ¡®thirty-two thousand divine gold.¡¯


    This was why he had not planned to go to the Dragon Guard City in the first placea?€¡±hatching a candidate Dragon Guard was simply too expensive.


    All the profits from his trade with his senior sister in the dream had to be invested here.


    Lin Rui then looked at Xue Lingxue meaningfully, ¡°I see that Xue Lingxue, with your cultivation base and bloodline, is quite exceptional.


    Why do you serve as an instructor in Dragon Guard City?


    Has your former master passed away?


    I wonder if Xue Lingxue has thought about choosing a new master?¡±


    Xue Lingxue having taught a disciple like Shangguan Tianyi clearly indicated that her strength was no ordinary matter!


    Lin Rui had no interest in incubating a Dragon Guard with an average bloodline, but he did crave a true expert.


    This Xue Lingxue was very strong, giving Lin Rui an unfathomable impression.


    Dragon Guards were indeed reliable; as long as one controlled the dragon insignia, their life and death lay in his hands, much more dependable than hired experts.


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s body stiffened slightlya?€¡±she had never expected that Lin Hao would entertain the idea of taking her as his own.

 Chapter 367

    ?Chapter 367: Chapter 347 Don¡¯t Mind It (Please Subscribe) Chapter 367: Chapter 347 Don¡¯t Mind It (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui led Shangguan Tianyi out from the Dragon Guards¡¯ quarters when he heard a large group of people around them whispering to each other.


    ¡°Strange, wasn¡¯t Shangguan Tianyi dismissed?


    How come she was chosen?¡±


    ¡°I heard that as she was being sent out of the imperial city, Shangguan Tianyi blocked the carriage of the commander of the intelligence bureau.¡±


    ¡°That actually worked?@@@@


    Didn¡¯t they clearly explain to the commander that Shangguan Tianyi has flaws in her martial constitution and might already be contaminated?¡±


    ¡°It seems they did explain the situation clearly, and several instructors also advised against it bitterly, but for some reason, he insisted on her and even spent over thirty thousand divine gold for top-quality dragon transformation materials.¡±


    ¡°He must covet Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s Sword Dao cultivation, right?


    The problem is, for us Dragon Guards, the deeper the contact with the abyssal will, the greater the danger.


    Once the Primordial Spirit is branded by the abyss, dragon transformation is doomed to failure, and this commander will inevitably regret his decision.¡±


    ¡°The emperor and several Divine Envoys have sent messengers to check her condition; all shook their heads incessantly.


    Could this commander be an exception?¡±


    With his keen six senses, Lin Rui overheard all these comments.


    ...


    He glanced sidelong at Shangguan Tianyi and thought that this girl seemed to be rather lacking in how she handled her relations.


    Go to novgo.co


    Apart from the overseer and her teacher, there were hardly a few in the entire Dragon Guards who spoke well of her.


    Lin Rui then looked back at the steps behind him, where Fei Yunlai was seeing him off with due ceremony.


    It was a pity, this third-ranked Dragon Guard with the authority to carry a sword had declined his recruitment, citing loyalty to his former master and the lack of additional quotas as reasons.


    In truth, quotas were a trivial matter.


    Backed by the Third Divine Envoy Luo Wangshu and in charge of the intelligence bureau, Lin Rui could easily procure another Dragon Guard qualification.


    However, he saw that Fei Yunlai¡¯s intentions seemed firm.


    Even if he obtained the quota, he might not be able to make her comply, so he prepared to first investigate the situation.


    Why would the emperor and several Divine Envoys neglect Fei Yunlai¡¯s formidable combat strength, letting her serve as an instructor among the Dragon Guards?


    Lin Rui was determined to recruit this woman; compared to those Dragon Guard candidates in need of significant resources to be developed, he preferred someone like Fei Yunlai, with abundant experience and strong immediate combat power.


    As Lin Rui returned, he even hummed a song, not a nursery rhyme but a minor tune from the people of the Polar Star.


    Ji Xueying looked at him with a peculiar expression, ¡°Master seems quite happy?¡±


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Lin Rui replied, with a slight smile on his lips.


    ¡°Today, good fortunes came knocking, so naturally I¡¯m in high spirits.¡±


    Ji Xueying glanced back at Shangguan Tianyi.


    This fair-complexioned girl in white was holding her sword with both hands, also following behind with a smile on her face.


    Ji Xueying thought to herself that the ¡®joy¡¯ Lin Rui mentioned must include this candidate for the Dragon Guards.


    Jin Bolong glanced disapprovingly at him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I was just watching that Espionage and Assassination Bureau Commander Lin Hao.¡±


    Jin Tianchen, hugging the rifle, said with a solemn face, ¡°There¡¯s a young girl by his side with extremely sharp spiritual perception.


    novgo.co


    I only glanced at her once with the digital scope of this sniper rifle, and she detected me.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a professional sniper, but he used this sniper rifle to take advantage of its concealed yet powerful sighting equipment.


    ¡°A young girl?¡± Jin Bolong looked at his think tank opposite him with a puzzled expression.


    Eventually, he shook his head disinterestedly, ¡°These few days, we should avoid any contact with Lin Hao as much as possible and need not concern ourselves with him.¡±


    ¡°Why is that, Uncle?¡± Jin Tianchen¡¯s face showed confusion, ¡°This morning, Fang Ranran visited Lin¡¯s residence, and with Linghu Mingde¡¯s temperament, he is likely to leak our group¡¯s intelligence to Lin Hao, to set us up against each other!


    And once the Espionage and Assassination Bureau acts against us, the consequences are unimaginable.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Jin Bolong smiled with satisfaction, yet he also felt a regretful.


    It was a pity this child was his nephew, not his own son.


    ¡°Tianchen, it¡¯s good that you¡¯ve thought of this, howevera?€¡±¡±


    Jin Bolong turned to look out the window, his eyes filled with an icy chill that couldn¡¯t be dissolved, ¡°Do you know who owned that base?


    The Longevity Association!¡±


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted, having grown up in a top commercial family in the Ninth District Metropolis, he was well-acquainted with the Longevity Association.


    ¡°According to the intelligence we¡¯ve gathered, that base should belong to one of the moguls of the Longevity Association.¡±


    Lu Hanyuan also said with a calm demeanor, ¡°The boy probably won¡¯t live long.¡±


    Understanding dawned on Jin Tianchen¡¯s face, so they needed to distance themselves from this boy to avoid suspicion, didn¡¯t they?


    Since the boy¡¯s death was imminent, then no matter how strong the people around him were, it had nothing to do with the Jin family.


    He still asked, puzzled, ¡°The Longevity Association is very powerful, but in Luojiang, can they kill Lin Hao right under the eyes of the Third Divine Envoy?¡±


    At this, Jin Bolong smiled again and continued to play chess, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.


    The power of the Longevity Association on Tianji Star far exceeds your imagination.


    Several of their particularly powerful figures are no less potent than the Divine Envoys.


    They have their own ways to dispose of Lin Hao.


    As for you, Tianchen, the Heavenly Demon Test is in two days¡¯ time.


    You¡¯ll be taking up the post of captain in the Imperial Guards, so you should focus more on resting.¡±


    Since this child couldn¡¯t continue down the path of martial stardom, he would have to follow his (Jin Bolong¡¯s) will, becoming a reliable piece for the Jin family.


    Of course, given Jin Tianchen¡¯s status and talents, he would be a very important piece among all their chessmen.


    Once Espionage and Assassination Bureau Commander Lin Hao died, there would inevitably be a period of chaos within the Imperial Guards, which would present the best opportunity for Jin Tianchen to advance.


    As long as Jin Tianchen could rise to one of the twenty-four overseers of the Espionage and Assassination Bureau in the future, serving as any one of the overseers, it would greatly benefit the Jin family.

 Chapter 368

    ?Chapter 368: Chapter 348: Armor Implantation (Please Subscribe) Chapter 368: Chapter 348: Armor Implantation (Please Subscribe) After Lin Rui returned home, he went straight to the operating room.


    Wang Sen had already fixed the problems that he had pointed out in the morning.


    Now, he was operating an engineering Mecha and working on excavating and developing other parts of the underground base.


    Lin Rui looked at his face through the glass canopy.


    Thankfully, Wang Sen¡¯s complexion looked a little better than in the morning.


    He lay in the cockpit of the engineering Mecha, looking relaxed and at ease.


    But Lin Rui could tell that this guy was clearly using work as an excuse to avoid his public duties.


    ...


    Lin Rui sighed inwardly, thinking this was not a solution.


    Especially since the Ice Blood Devil had been imprisoned in the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower for decades and had accumulated deep strength.


    With their pharmaceutical support, Zhu Yuanhan might break through to the seventh realm soon, and by then, it would be more than Wang Sen could handle.


    Just now, Lin Rui had checked and found a post by an anonymous major general with clearance on a forum that only those with the rank of major general or above could access.


    This person claimed that their protector demon was an Ice Snow Devil and complained in the post that Ice Snow Devils were indeed very cold to strangers, but they could be very affectionate and clingy to those they trusted and were close to, especially having a higher demand in ¡°that¡± aspect.


    The person bragged that they could have been promoted to marshal over a decade ago, and the only reason for the delay was insufficient True Qi.@@@@


    He expressed great regret, saying that if he had known it would be like this, he would not have taken shortcuts.


    Go to novgo.co


    However, as she hesitated and was about to ask what was going on, Lin Rui sent her out.


    Lin Rui began to perform surgery on Ji Xueying, implanting the SSS+ grade Prosthesis ¡°Divine Yang Heavenly Cosmos¡± and SSS grade Prosthesis ¡°Super Yang Heavenly Instant.¡±


    To mimic the children¡¯s song killer in some special circumstances, Ji Xueying¡¯s bloodline talent had to be highly compatible with Lin Rui¡¯s.


    Even after Ji Xueying became a variant walker and greatly increased her spiritual power, it was still a stretch to implant these two bloodlines.


    But Lin Rui had already removed Ji Xueying¡¯s ¡°Blood Core Wild Sun¡± and ¡°Blood Sun Heavenly Essence¡± Prosthesis, freeing up some of her spiritual power.


    Since Ji Xueying¡¯s variant in the Federation had already implanted these two components, under the effect of assimilation, her main body also broke through the constraints of the demon bloodline and awakened these two bloodline talents.


    Now, Ji Xueying, besides ¡°Divine Yang Heavenly Cosmos¡± and ¡°Super Yang Heavenly Instant,¡± also possessed many powerful bloodline talents.


    There were more than twelve superior talents and Prosthesis, including S+ grade ¡°Steel Muscle Iron Bone¡± and ¡°Divine Concealment,¡± SS+ grade ¡°Blood Core Wild Sun,¡± ¡°Storm of Wonders,¡± ¡°Lightning Shadow Sweep,¡± and ¡°Demon Fire Illusory Sun,¡± SSS grade ¡°Blood Sun Heavenly Essence,¡± ¡°Ritual of the Blade and Soul,¡± ¡°Peerless Blood Soul,¡± and ¡°Ghost Blood Red Eyes,¡± along with A+ grade ¡°Inspiration.¡±


    Some of these were bloodline powers that Lin Rui helped Ji Xueying to obtain through Prosthesis, and some were her own.


    Ji Xueying previously specialized in the lightning element, awakening ¡°Storm of Wonders¡± and ¡°Lightning Shadow Sweep,¡± with the former making her mastery over thunder extremely violent and the latter giving her exceptionally swift movements and incredibly varied changes.


    ¡°Demon Fire Illusory Sun,¡± ¡°Peerless Blood Soul,¡± and ¡°Ghost Blood Red Eyes¡± were awakened during the blood sacrifice day in Silver Moon County.


    ¡°Peerless Blood Soul¡± allowed Ji Xueying¡¯s spiritual power to be exerted to the double, and she could infuse her spiritual power into her blood, converting it into tangible power.


    ¡°Demon Fire Illusory Sun¡± enabled Ji Xueying to manipulate powerful flames and continuously extract strength from the frenzied flames.


    ¡°Ritual of the Blade and Soul¡± was the core ability of the Blood Blade Ji, nourishing the blade with blood, uniting person and blade, using the blade to worship the soul, which endowed her body and original soul with immense power and made them as tough and sharp as a blade.


    Therefore, Ji Xueying was undoubtedly an Emperor Level bloodline!


    Although she possessed only one SSS+ grade Prosthesis, the quantity compensated for any deficiencies.


    Lin Rui also discovered another bloodline power within Ji Xueying that was in the process of continually awakening.


    In fact, several months ago, Lin Rui had already detected the signs, but Ji Xueying¡¯s spiritual power had always been under a high burden, which delayed the development of this bloodline talent.

 Chapter 369

    ?Chapter 369: Chapter 348: Armor Implantation (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 369: Chapter 348: Armor Implantation (Please Subscribe)_2 This talent was also extraordinary, likely above the Emperor level.


    It should be noted that in the past few months, Ji Xueying had been injected with twenty or more doses of bloodline enhancement drugs, all of which were custom-made type 5, yet there had been no movement at all.


    Afterward, Lin Rui upgraded Ji Xueying¡¯s ¡°War God¡± type 5 and ¡°Heavenly Armor¡± type 5 to type 7.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was short on money; the problem was that they could only use this model.


    For such items, surpassing two levels made control extremely difficult.


    However, this type 7 was unlike the ordinary type 7a?€¡±it was a 7SSS+ prestigious VIP model, maximizing all auxiliary combat abilities.


    Lin Rui also made the ¡°Second Golden Core¡± circuit connections for Ji Xueying, what is referred to as the ¡°Artificial External Elixir,¡± granting the body a second source of True Qi.


    ...


    After the Dragon Shedding Realm, one could externally attach the Second Golden Core.


    The Second Golden Core was generally placed externally at the position of the back heart; if made of superior materials, the True Qi output could exceed 10 times that of the inherent Golden Core at its limit.


    Some crazy folks even embedded a small nuclear battery inside it.


    a?€¡±Lin Rui was indeed crazy.


    However, such implants were extremely expensive, requiring special customization according to one¡¯s genes and current condition, and even with money, it might not be available for purchase.@@@@


    Thanks to his own X project, Lin Rui got in touch with the East Asia Science Academy, which finally enabled Ji Xueying to acquire this item.


    Next was Lin Xi¡¯s ¡°Eternal Heart Dragon.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    This battle dragon already had a super-imperial foundation and was once just one step away from ascending to the eighth realm, offering a vast space for implants.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s knowledge of the battle dragon was limited, as it was his first time performing surgery on a battle dragon, and he was very cautious.


    He only implanted Lin Xi¡¯s three prepared Emperor level implants into the Eternal Heart Dragon, along with the type 7 ¡°Heavenly Armor¡± subdermal nano-armor and ¡°War God¡± type 7 nano auxiliary devices, all custom-made SSS+ and specifically for the battle dragon.


    The battle dragon could also be fitted with a second power source, but unlike the human-used Second Golden Core, it was a small nuclear fusion reactor, implanted into the left chest of the Eternal Heart Dragon.


    This set of implant surgeries could ensure that the Eternal Heart Dragon had combat strength above the six realms and super imperial level, approaching Emperor levela?€¡±mainly because Lin Xi¡¯s own Martial Cultivation skills were not sufficient, and he had not yet fully integrated with the dragon, unable to fully unleash all of its capabilities.


    It was unfortunate that Luojing was too close to Divine Scenery Mountain; even building a lead room might not be safe.


    Otherwise, Lin Rui could have performed a ¡°Purification¡± on the Eternal Heart Dragon, allowing Lin Xi to further refine and master this battle dragon.


    He had already instructed Fei Yunlai to build a large lead room at the Wang City base; he planned to, after some time, transport the dragon to Wang City using a guard spaceship and perform the Purification on the battle dragon at the Wang City base.


    Lin Rui then operated on himself, upgrading all implanted subdermal nano-armor and nano auxiliary devices to type 7SSS+.


    These seven agents were precisely the so-called ¡®Emperor¡¯s Faction¡¯ placed within the bureau by the Emperor, belonging to the same faction as Xing Hai.


    If the clue proved true, then Xing Hai would achieve great merit, and Lin Rui would also share in the glory.


    But if it failed, no one could say that his support as the commander was insufficient.


    Lin Rui did not need merits now; he only needed safe development.


    Lin Rui knew something was off about Li Family Manor at first glance and couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with it.


    As the great man once said a?€¡± first strike the weak, then the strong, you fight yours, I fight mine.


    It is a top strategy to deal with the Jin family and Prince Han first at this time.


    Lin Rui was waiting for the scandal involving Prince Han to erupt, the moment when he would lose his protective umbrella, and also waiting for the Luo family estate case to conclude.


    Once the bureau could allocate sufficient forces, he would act immediately.


    If he took no action, so be it, but once he did, it would be a thunderous move!


    He would not give the opponent a chance to catch their breath.


    After sending the message, Lin Rui pondered briefly and then prepared to go to several shops in the city that specialized in Magic Artifacts to buy a ¡®Thousand-Mile Flying Letters.¡¯


    Although Lin Rui could use the quantum communication system to communicate instantly with friends and relatives located tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of miles away,


    within Luo Capital City, he could also use Magic Artifacts and official seals to contact remotely.


    But once he left the city, Lin Rui would find it difficult to contact his master Luo Wangshu, and the several disciples and generals under Luo Wangshu¡¯s command.


    Not to mention, Lin Rui was constantly thinking about Meng Weiyun, who had already left the capital to return home, far tens of thousands of miles away.


    Thus, he needed to adapt to local customs and acquire a ¡®Thousand-Mile Flying Letters.¡¯


    However, just as he was about to leave, Lin Rui paused, his expression changing as he sent a message to his sister.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Xixi, things have been a bit unusual these days.


    From now on, you must ride the War Dragon and follow me, always ready for battle.¡±


    While practicing stake exercises in the yard, Lin Xi felt a shiver in her spirit as she read the message.


    She had long realized that this ¡®brother¡¯ truly loved her and was reluctant to let her face danger needlessly.


    Now that Lin Rui actually needed to utilize her strength showed that the situation he was facing must be extremely perilous.

 Chapter 370

    ?Chapter 370: Chapter 349: Fight (Please Subscribe) Chapter 370: Chapter 349: Fight (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui¡¯s command, ordering Deputy Commander Xing Hai to take charge of the search at the Li family estate, reached Xing Hai¡¯s hands in less than half a moment and was already known to an eighth realm Martial Cultivator hidden somewhere in Luojing named Xu Yu.


    This person was clad in a dark green long robe, appeared to be in his thirties, with a lean figure, thick brows, square face, and an aura that was both calm and reserved, giving off the impression that he harbored an unfathomable depth.


    Looking at the intelligence in his hands, he sighed, ¡°This youngster is ruthless and spicy, and acts so steadily and cautiously.


    It seems that there¡¯s no way to lure him out now.


    It¡¯s not unjust for old brother Zhu to fall into his hands.¡±


    The words of Xu Yu prompted gales of laughter from another eighth realm Martial Cultivator beside him, ¡°Zhu Tiantang, a formidable eighth realm Martial Cultivator with such a powerful force in his hands, inexplicably fell into the hands of this Lin Hao.


    Xu Yu, you tell me that¡¯s not unjust?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xu Yu laughed it off lightly, not addressing the comment directly.


    Indeed, Zhu Tiantang was a formidable eighth realm Martial Cultivator, but which commander of the assassination bureau from past generations wasn¡¯t among the most top-notch talens of the Heavenly Extreme Star?@@@@


    ...


    The current second and third Divine Envoys had both risen from the position of commander of the assassination bureau, and even those who didn¡¯t become Divine Envoys still held significant power.


    Otherwise, why would this position receive such attention from all parties?


    ¡°Since he refuses to leave the city, then we have no choice but to make a move within the city.


    Next, we¡¯ll have to trouble Brother Wang.¡±


    Xu Yu looked earnestly at the eighth realm Martial Cultivator sitting across from him, ¡°We need at least 200 seconds.


    Go to novgo.co


    With Brother Wang¡¯s capabilities, you can certainly do it!¡±


    The man across from him, dressed in scholar¡¯s attire, with handsome features and a prominent nose, was named Wang Tianwu, a highly powerful eighth realm technique master skilled in Illusion Techniques.


    This person was not only a one-star marshal reservist officially registered with the federal military but also a well-known mercenary in the dark world of the federation, notorious for not abstaining from any sort of dirty work, willing to take on any job for money.


    If Brother Wang is willing to lend a hand this time, I can ask the marshal to mediate for you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for mediation.


    My teacher is not someone who listens to persuasion.


    Xu Yu, cut the bullshit with these deceptive words.


    Unless your own marshal is willing to protect me, it¡¯s useless,¡± Wang Tianwu narrowed his eyes, ¡°200 seconds, you¡¯re after my life!


    Just that Skywatching Divine Mirror is extraordinary.


    I can promise you 100 seconds, and I won¡¯t participate in combat nor reveal myself.


    For every second beyond 100, you¡¯ll have to add 20 million federation coins.¡±


    Xu Yu raised his brows on hearing this and then nodded decisively, ¡°Deal!¡±


    He thought 100 seconds was already more than enough.


    With the forces they had mobilized, killing the fifth realm commander of the assassination bureau who had not yet fully grown, Xu Yu estimated it would take at most 50 seconds.


    At this moment, Xu Yu received yet another piece of news.


    novgo.co


    Lin Hao had left his home and was likely headed to Yongye Street on the east side of the Imperial City.


    This street was also famously known among the diverse practitioners, affectionately referred to as Magic Artifact Street, with over a hundred shops all dealing in magic artifacts and weaponry.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    About an hour and a half later, Lin Rui walked out of a shop named ¡®Heavenly Device Tower.¡¯


    There were many shops selling ¡®Messenger¡¯ magic artifacts, and after comparing three, Lin Rui finally purchased a ¡®Thirty Thousand Li Messenger¡¯ in ¡®Heavenly Device Tower¡¯, which claimed to reach its destination anywhere within thirty thousand li in a day.


    The item was valued at 25,000 taels of divine gold, equivalent to 2.5 billion federation coins.

 Chapter 371

    ?Chapter 371: Chapter 349: Fight (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 371: Chapter 349: Fight (Please Subscribe)_2 In fact, this thing¡¯s performance is overrated, Lin Rui estimated that this flying book could only travel up to 250,000 miles within a day.


    What Lin Rui valued was that the carrying capacity of this book was indeed impressive, the internal space could carry small items weighing up to 1300 grams, and it had extremely strong breakthrough abilities.


    Not only could it trigger thunder and lightning, accelerating threefold in a short time, but it also had a time-space jump capability once a day, penetrating the time-space void within a three-mile range, thus ignoring interception by Martial Cultivators and various magic spells.


    Considering Ji Xueying still had surplus spiritual power, Lin Rui also bought her a light-based level seven supreme Magic Artifact, the ¡®Yang Flame Divine Mirror,¡¯ using materials worth about 37,000 taels of divine gold such as mithril and dragon skin paper.


    The Magic Artifacts of Tianji Star were extremely expensive, and their cost-effectiveness was far inferior to the Federation¡¯s various prosthetics and weapons.


    Likewise, the four type-7 plasma ray guns on their Heavenly Demon Dragon Armors were also powerful, but cost only several tens of millions.


    However, there was no choice.


    ...


    Since Lin Rui had to show himself as a pure Tianji Star person, some items could not be used casually.


    At this moment, Lin Rui had drained his accounts of gold and silver, but he still had over 10 billion in funds in several Federation banks, and controlled about 5 billion in Federation black money.


    Just as Lin Rui was stepping out of the ¡®Heavenly Device Tower,¡¯ his brow slightly furrowed.


    Lin Xi had chosen this moment to send him a warning.


    Lin Xi (Summer¡¯s End Shallow Thought): ¡°Brother, something¡¯s not right, within a kilometer radius of you there are several suspicious individuals, and 8000 meters above there¡¯s an unidentified War Dragon possibly watching you.¡±


    At this moment, Lin Xi was inside the Indomitable Dragon Heart, steering the War Dragon in invisible mode, flying in the sky.


    Any War Dragon has the ability of stealthy flight, with differing strengths of ability.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Xi¡¯s Indomitable Dragon Heart had been implanted with both ¡®War God¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Armor,¡¯ greatly enhancing these capabilities, allowing this several-ton level six War Dragon to ascend 12,000 meters in the air, hidden in a white cloud.


    Right then, she was using the War Dragon¡¯s visual system, her eyes in shock as she observed another War Dragon flying 4000 meters below.


    The airspace above Luo Jing was not accessible to just anyone, with a tremendously powerful Magic Artifact ¡®Heaven Watching Divine Eye¡¯ located above the thirty-thousand-fanged sacred mountain, capable of scanning for all anomalies in the air and on the ground within a thousand miles near the capital.


    It¡¯s said that even something the size of a mosquito entering this airspace would be detected by this Magic Artifact, making it impossible even for the Federation¡¯s most advanced drones to venture near.


    Therefore, other than War Dragons like Lin Xi¡¯s Indomitable Dragon Heart which had obtained permission through Lin Rui¡¯s channels, any War Dragon appearing in this airspace would alarm the many experts in the royal city and be instantly destroyed.


    Yet this War Dragon managed to silently hover 8000 meters above Luo City, overlooking the eastern direction of the city.


    Combining the abnormalities around Lin Rui, Lin Xi couldn¡¯t help but be alert.


    Lin Xi secretly rejoiced, thankful she had implanted three SSS level enhancements in the Indomitable Dragon Heart, two of which increased the War Dragon¡¯s sensory perception.@@@@


    The type-7 ¡®War God¡¯ was also a specially made 7SSS+ model, its assorted combat aid capabilities were all maximized, including auxiliary targeting devices, without which she could not have detected the hidden War Dragon.


    Lin Rui (Lonesome Shadow Saber): What withdrawal?


    There¡¯s no constant vigilance against thieves for nothing.


    Lin Xi, are you confident you can bring that war dragon down from the sky?


    novgo.co


    I estimate this person is also an insider of the Great Song system, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fly and monitor.


    Lin Xi (Shallow Thoughts at the End of Summer): It should be possible.


    That is just a super king tier war dragon of the sixth realm, not a big issue.


    The Unyielding Heart Dragon could bring it down even without the enhancements, much less now?


    Lin Rui (Lonesome Shadow Saber): Then strike!


    Xue, mark this position, this person, wait for my signal and shoot him dead!


    He must be a technique master, preparing to cast a large-scale Illusion Technique to block the surroundings; this place is his Array Altar.


    Xue Lingxue instantly raised her willowy brows; as long as they could take down this technique master, these people couldn¡¯t block the imperial army¡¯s reinforcement or the surveillance of the Heaven-viewing Divine Mirror, and they would certainly be in disarray.


    And based on the current situation, their chances of victory were indeed very high.


    To stay hidden, the enemy had spread themselves too thin.


    Xue Lingxue (White Summer): No problem, BOSS.


    The minister transferred two 6S level and four 5S level shooters to my team from East Asia two days ago.


    At that moment, the Lingming Universal Dragon beside Lin Rui¡¯s eyes shone with brilliance, a tremendous power gathering within its body.


    Three breaths later, Lin Rui suddenly gestured to the side, shattering a giant wooden box on a nearby cart.


    Lin Rui (Lonesome Shadow Saber): Strike!


    Lin Xi had been ready for action, and suddenly he dove from high above, charging directly at the war dragon four thousand meters below!


    At that moment, Wang Tianwu was still setting up the array.


    The large Illusion Array was almost complete, ready to be activated soon.


    But just after a mere 0.01 seconds, Wang Tianwu, astonished, looked up at the sky as a rain of arrows descended from above.

 Chapter 372

    ?Chapter 372: Chapter 350: Stop Him Quickly (Three More for Subscriptions) Chapter 372: Chapter 350: Stop Him Quickly (Three More for Subscriptions) When the incident occurred, Jin Bolong was in that loft near the Imperial City, merely a street away from the six ministries of the court.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s counterattack was extremely fierce, and within a mere 10 days, he had forced a large number of Jin Bolong¡¯s business partners to sever their cooperation with the Jin family, causing the market value of Jin¡¯s three listed companies to plummet by two and a halffold.


    The rest of their industries also suffered a devastating blow.


    At this point, even more allies were wavering, and they could defect to their enemies at any moment.


    Jin Bolong had to stabilize them while also planning a counterattack.


    The reason Linghu Mingde could wield such great influence within the Great Song dynasty was largely due to his current position.


    The ¡®Imperial Censor¡¯ was responsible for inspecting officials and overseeing the operation of the court, being the leader of the upright officials and wielding tremendous authority and responsibility.


    ...


    Jin Bolong now intended to present both that ¡®Rot Dragon Mushroom¡¯ and the photograph taken by journalists near the Linghu family¡¯s residence at the ninth base city, to the Great Song Emperor himself.


    These two ¡®Rot Dragon Mushroom¡¯ specimens were very similar in color and shape, indicating that they had absorbed the Ether Primordial Energy from the same person.


    As long as they could make the Emperor suspicious of Zhao Yang, even if they couldn¡¯t take down Linghu Mingde, they would at least be able to transfer him away from the position of Imperial Censor.


    As Jin Bolong was studying intelligence on the Linghu family, he suddenly heard a piercing bell sound emanating from within the Imperial City.


    Jin Bolong was astounded and looked up to exchange a glance with Lu Hanyuan, his strategist standing opposite him.


    Both of their expressions were surprised because that sound was clearly the alarm bell from the palace.


    ¡°What warning is this?¡± Jin Bolong strode to the window and looked around outside.


    Go to novgo.co


    His first thought was that the high-ranking member of the Longevity Association had moved against Lin Hao, the commander of the assassination unit.


    But something was off; that person had many elite soldiers and strong generals under his command, so how could they have triggered the palace¡¯s alarm while making their move?


    Jin Bolong went to the window and saw a beam of clear light shining down from the sky.


    It turned out to be the ¡®Heavenly Eye¡¯, illuminating two battle dragons engaged in fierce combat.@@@@


    The two dragons, one chasing and the other fleeing, were rapidly falling from the sky.


    One of them was a six-realm supreme king-grade Divine Vapor Water Dragon, frantically fleeing downward.


    novgo.co


    The other dragon, nearly seven zhang tall and shrouded in a sea of thunder, its light surging, was difficult to see clearly at the moment.


    This dragon, wielding two long swords, was hot on the heels of the fleeing dragon, having already stabbed over a dozen transparent holes through it.


    It was only a matter of time before this Divine Vapor Water Dragon would be slain.


    Jin Bolong focused his sight and then was slightly startled, ¡°A six-realm supreme emperor, an Indestructible Heart Dragon!


    To whom does it belong in the court?¡±


    The Indestructible Heart Dragon is a non-attributed battle dragon, whose Dan-heart strength and a vein of green blood could transform into any attribute of power, particularly suitable for family heirlooms and clan guardians.


    He had brought this upon himself.


    Previously when Fei had fallen on tough times, Wang Tianwu had taken the opportunity to kick him while he was down, mocking him a few times in their conversations.


    Now it seemed the man had bounced back and wanted to return the favor.


    However, the reason Wang Tianwu was selling his car and house wasn¡¯t due to a lack of funds, but to avoid his teacher ¡®Linghuan¡¯.


    In the past, Wang Tianwu would have retorted with biting remarks, viciously mocking anyone named Fei until they were too ashamed to show their face in the world.


    But now, that wasn¡¯t an option.


    If he couldn¡¯t shake off the arrow rain, he was as good as dead.


    Wang Tianwu could already feel the poison coursing through his veins, spreading rapidly.


    And then there was the ¡®Divine Eye of Surveillance¡¯, already casting beams of green light towards the eastern part of the city.


    He couldn¡¯t help but curse again, ¡°Damn Xu, I curse your ancestors!¡±


    What Wang Tianwu didn¡¯t know was that Xu Yu, the very person he was cursing, was standing seven miles away.


    He was pale-faced, his eyes wide with horror as he stared towards a battlefield three miles away.


    There, a bloody slaughter was unfoldinga?€¡±just three seconds earlier, the ¡®Lingming Sky Dragon¡¯ had gathered its power for a devastating strike, using a 7SSS-tier secret martial skill to obliterate a seventh-realm sovereign-tier battle dragon with a single long-range blow.


    Immediately after, Lin Hao led his followers in a swift and sudden attack.


    First was the frigid-blooded demon, employing its bloodline ability ¡®Frost God¡¯s Breath¡¯, which almost halted the blood circulation of an entire 7A-rated special tactics squad nearby.


    Next were Lin Hao and Ji Xueying, arriving from the sky fully clad in Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor, carving a bloody storm through the crowd with sweeping, ruthless efficiency.


    The two, along with the Lingming Sky Dragon and a Sword Bone Demon collaborating in the fight, found virtually no equal; in an instant, they wiped out the entire thirty-man 7A-rated special tactics squad.


    The three sixth-realm experts within the ranks stood no chance against even a single strike from Lin Hao and Blood Blade Ji; many saw but a flash of their blades, and the heads of these 6A-rated experts rolled.


    Not even the seventh-realm sovereign master could escape fate.


    Just as his battle dragon was blown to pieces, and his Primordial Spirit sustained massive damage,


    he had not even time to react before he was hacked to death by Lin Hao and Blood Blade Ji wielding a powerful secret technique.


    The terrifying part was that Lin Hao then turned his attention to another tactics team a few miles away.


    Xu Yu¡¯s heart pounded as he let out a desperate roar in the midst of battle, ¡°Where is the sniper?


    Stop him, quickly!¡±


    This assassination operation had mobilized three special tactics teams, yet Lin Hao had already completely annihilated one of them!


    Xu Yu should have taken action himself, but with the ¡®Divine Eye of Surveillance¡¯ overhead and the rapidly approaching presence of an eighth-realm power nearby, he felt extremely wary.


    And in that instant, Lin Rui¡¯s hair stood on end all over his body.


    First, the Lingming Sky Dragon sent him a strongly emotional warning, and Lin Rui also sensed the presence of at least seven sniper bullets, each 13mm in diameter, within his range of perception.


    By the time Lin Rui detected them, they had already entered his 20-meter range and were hurtling toward him at a staggering speed of Mach 43, one after another!

 Chapter 373

    ?Chapter 373: Chapter 351: Skywatching Divine Mirror (Please Subscribe) Chapter 373: Chapter 351: Skywatching Divine Mirror (Please Subscribe) When Lin Rui sensed the sniper bullet, he couldn¡¯t help but think to himself, ¡°Impressive.¡±


    This was definitely a seventh realm sniper!


    The comprehensive score for firearms alone exceeded SS, with an overall sniping capability even surpassing that of Gong Hengdao by a margin, displaying an extremely powerful strength.


    Lin Rui estimated that there were at least four top-tier snipers involved in the assassination attempt, two of whom were of the seventh realm.


    However, he had Xue Lingxue, a tactical expert, who had marked ahead of time all possible locations and angles where snipers might be lying in wait.


    Lin Rui¡¯s own individual combat tactics were also of the highest order, and every movement of his hand and foot from the start of the engagement was the result of intense, strategic drilling.


    The trajectory of his swift traversal might have looked casual, but it was the outcome of careful calculations.


    As such, through their psychic link, he could also guide Blood Blade Ji to maximize their avoidance of being targeted by these snipers.


    ...


    At the very least, he would prevent himself and Ji Xueying from being attacked from multiple directions.


    The sniper could not achieve the best trajectory and angle to take him down and had to bend the bullets mid-flight in order to hit Lin Rui.


    Nevertheless, since the bullets followed a curved trajectory, their speed and power could not reach extremities, clocking in at just over 43 Mach.


    One should know that when Gong Hengdao exerted his full strength and used a direct trajectory, the speed of his bullets could reach up to 65 Mach!


    novgo.co


    All these thoughts flashed through Lin Rui¡¯s mind as his left hand already maneuvered the dragon armor, forming a Dharma Seal.


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    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With this booming sound, the very fabric of the surrounding void and time seemed to twist.


    Lin Rui and Ji Xueying beside him effortlessly dodged these powerful bullets, passing by them with ease.


    The successive barrage of sniper bullets that followed crashed into empty space, causing a massive explosion.


    Those turned out to be nuclear sniper shells with a caliber of 280 millimeters.


    Upon detonation, they released boundless light and heat, causing a massive shockwave that swept everything in its vicinity, leveling all buildings within thirty meters.


    Fortunately, this was near Yongye Street, where there were no residential buildings in the vicinity of this street filled with magical artifacts.


    Even a regular worker on this street had the cultivation of the third or fourth realm, with nearby buildings reinforced to be extra sturdy, and almost all the magical artifact shops were equipped with protective arrays!@@@@


    Even so, when those few shells exploded, there were still hundreds of casualties in the vicinity, cries and howls of anguish filled the air.


    Lin Rui and Ji Xueying, accompanied by Sword Bone Demon and Cold Blood Demon, had long since teleported away from the site.


    They each possessed abilities of ¡°Divine Sun Celestial Universe¡± and ¡°Super Sun Celestial Instant,¡± currently following behind the Spiritually Enlightened Soaring Dragon, moving swiftly forward.


    The void capability of the Spiritually Enlightened Soaring Dragon was of the utmost tier, at 7SSS+ grade.


    Under Lin Rui¡¯s control, it traversed the void, leaving a trail of void wakes behind it.


    Lin Rui and Ji Xueying each grasped a person, following the trail of the void wake forward, leveraging the natural healing force of the spatiotemporal void to surf forward; their speed of escape was nearly in sync with the Spiritually Enlightened Soaring Dragon.


    In less than 0.001 seconds, they appeared 120 meters away, at the central position of another tactical formation.


    The Spiritually Enlightened Soaring Dragon still had its sights locked on the opponent¡¯s seventh realm battle dragon, bombarding it relentlessly!


    This time it didn¡¯t build up power nor use any secret techniques, but the mighty bloodline power of the Spiritually Enlightened Soaring Dragon still produced nearly 200 billion times the pressure that could trigger a nuclear explosion at the space directly ahead of its fist the moment it striked!


    In the brief moment of their clash, the Spiritually Enlightened Soaring Dragon instantly smashed the right hand of the opposing 7S-grade battle dragon.


    We can¡¯t keep fighting like this, we must use the tactic of tactical retreat, otherwise we¡¯re all going to die!


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Old Xu, the Watching Heaven¡¯s Eye is shining over here, sorry, I¡¯m retreating first.


    Xu Yu looked at Lin Hao¡¯s figure, his scalp tingling and forehead breaking out in a cold sweat, he decisively ordered, ¡°Retreat!¡±


    He had originally held a glimmer of hope and wanted to retreat in an orderly manner, to minimize losses as much as possible.


    But at this point, they had no choice but to retreat.


    The two Seventh Realm snipers they had hired in their team had already seen the bad situation and withdrawn one after another, leaving the three from their own team, who had now also fallen silent.


    That Lin Hao was also about to destroy their second 7A tactical squad.


    Just now, under Xu Yu¡¯s watchful eye, the Cold Blood Heavenly Demon next to him gave it his all to release ¡°Cold God Breath¡± under the full protection of a Fifth Realm Super Emperor Sword Bone Demon.


    This Cold God Breath even contained a powerful concept of cold, causing almost everyone within a 100 meters to have their movement and reaction speed significantly slowed.


    And that ignited the second bloody massacre of the day!


    The strength of this 7A tactical squad was inferior to the previous one, and it stood even less of a chance against the blade storm of Lin Hao and Ji Xueying.


    ¡°Dual Super Emperors!¡±


    Xu Yu felt a chill in his hands and feet; he had not expected this man and demon to be so strong!


    Far exceeding their pre-battle analysis.


    Xu Yu, at the Eighth Realm, could even better judge the level of combat strength of this master and servant pair!


    Their overall combat power had definitely reached beyond the Emperor Level!


    At this moment, this man and demon had a great deal in reserve, especially that Lin Hao, who had not fully displayed his bloodline and martial arts strength, nor was there a need.


    It was two minds in perfect harmony, an understanding beyond words, with their combined state greatly boosting their fighting power, leaving no one present who could force out his full strength.


    As Xu Yu issued the retreat order, he also withdrew quickly and decisively.


    But just as Xu Yu exited the ambush room and headed in the direction of some civilian houses to the east of the city, he saw a powerful saber qi sweeping toward him from a distance.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Xu Yu managed to block the saber with his own in the nick of time, his pupils slightly constricted.


    This seemed to be the Imperial Guard¡¯s Zhonglang General, Li Wei, from the Great Song Dynasty?


    Sure enough, in the next moment, he heard Li Wei¡¯s voice distantly transmitted over to him.


    ¡°Once, twice, and thrice, you Heavenly Demon bastards, do you take me for a decoration?¡±


    Also at that moment, Li Wei¡¯s war dragon, the ¡®Titanium Gold Saber Dragon,¡¯ descended from the sky, slashing down fiercely.


    Xu Yu originally wanted to use his own Eighth Realm war dragon to block it, but from the sky, a huge crimson figure plummeted down.


    It was the ¡®Undying Flame Heart Dragon¡¯ he had seen earlier, this Sixth Realm Super Emperor, and possibly Emperor Level, war dragon, had already disposed of its opponent and was now using the impact of its rapid descent to knock Xu Yu¡¯s ¡®Void Hiding Dragon¡¯ a hundred zhang away.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Xu Yu could only rely on his own strength to combat the sharp and overbearing saber force of the ¡®Titanium Gold Saber Dragon.¡¯


    Blood oozed from all seven apertures of his body, and he was smashed away, flying out like a meteor, and crashing into the ground a hundred zhang away.


    Just at that moment, the Watching Heaven¡¯s Mirror had already shone down a beam of blue light, illuminating Xu Yu.


    Xu Yu fell into despair, knowing his chances of escaping today were slim to none.

 Chapter 374

    ?Chapter 374: Chapter 352: What Can You Do to Me (Please Subscribe) Chapter 374: Chapter 352: What Can You Do to Me (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui had already learned through the battle group messages that a covert Eight Realm master was locked in by the light of the Observing Divine Mirror nearby.


    His pupils couldn¡¯t help but slightly contract as he cursed incessantly in his heart.


    Unknown were the people from which faction of the Earth Federation, but to think that they had moved three 7A-class tactical teams, two Eighth Realm experts, and at least five powerful snipers, all just to put him in a dire situation!


    a?€¡±What was terrifying was that among these five snipers, there were two whose strength was above the 7S+ level.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Lin Xi¡¯s Indestructible Heart Dragon detecting traces ahead of time, he would have ninety-nine percent certainly been killed by this group!


    Despite appearing overwhelmingly dominant on their side now, when comparing strength, Lin Rui¡¯s side was obviously at a disadvantage.


    They were entirely relying on tactics and surprise to swiftly overpower the enemy.


    ...


    Lin Rui then continued to sweep forward, ruthlessly slaughtering!


    The last remaining 7A-class tactical team of the enemy had already collapsed and was scattering in all directions.


    But no matter how fast these people ran, they were not faster than Lin Rui and Ji Xueying¡¯s Light Escape and Thunder Escape.


    The Void Escape Technique of that ¡®Spiritually Enlightened Celestial Dragon¡¯ was even further beyond their reach.


    Together these people were no match for Lin Rui, and even less so when separated; being caught up by him meant certain death.@@@@


    The only difficult one was the leader of this 7A-class tactical team, also a Seventh Realm Supreme Warrior Cultivator, with strong and insane escaping abilities.


    This person, under the pursuit of Lin Rui, Ji Xueying, and one dragon, had fled toward the southern end for seven miles before Lin Rui, twenty zhang away, beheaded him with a Light Transition Slash.


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    At this time, there were still some that had slipped through the net, but Lin Rui couldn¡¯t be bothered to pursue.


    These people had already been targeted by the mirror¡¯s light of the Observing Divine Mirror and were about to be chased and killed by the Imperial Guards of the entire city and the distinguished experts of Great Song; there was no chance for them to survive.


    At this moment, Xue Lingxue sent a message.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): BOSS, I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t keep that mage occupied, and he escaped into the bustling area to the south.


    He possesses the Bone Shrinking and Body Condensing technique and can reduce his stature to less than three zhang, along with powerful stealth abilities.


    We lost sight of him in a moment of carelessness.


    Upon reading this, Lin Rui was not very concerned.


    The strength under Xue Lingxue¡¯s command was at most two 6S-class tactical teams; suppressing that Ninth Realm mage all the way until he fled in a sorry state was already quite satisfactory to him.


    Moreover, after being injured for so long without being able to expel the poison, who knew what his situation was now!


    As long as the toxins were not cleared, he was not truly out of Lin Rui¡¯s grasp.


    Lin Rui responded with a smile, ¡°No problem, you managed to suppress him, and I am already very satisfied.


    You can all disperse now.


    Soon, the Imperial Guard and the officials will track down your movements, so pay attention to staying hidden.¡±


    Lin Rui would not allow Xue Lingxue to have contact with the officials.


    They were a group of outsiders, Heavenly Demons, and less than half of them could pass the Heavenly Demon Test; they would be instantly exposed upon inspection.


    Moreover, the style of the hired blade was such that these desperadoes of the rivers and lakes would only make contact with the officials when receiving bounty payments.


    All hired blades, unless it was absolutely necessary, did not want to invite trouble by getting involved with the officials.


    Lin Rui, afterwards, turned into a beam of light and headed to the nearby eastern city wall.


    The battle here was also nearing its end.


    Li Wei and his Titanium Golden Dragon were tenaciously biting and fiercely attacking that Eighth Realm Supreme Realm Warrior Cultivator; several attempts by that person to flee over the city wall had been thwarted by the many giant crossbows upon it.


    Reading this, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but touch his nose, feeling that Zhou Yunfei¡¯s excitement was a bit abnormal; he was almost talking nonsense.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Minister, the Xu Yu you¡¯re talking about is still perfectly fine.


    Zhou Yunfei: He¡¯s just struggling in his death throes.


    Surrounded by so many, and marked by Heavenly Demon Eye, how could he survive?


    It¡¯s just a matter of whether he gets caught or killed on the spot.


    At this time, Xue Lingxue sent another message.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): The minister was ecstatic when he spoke to me just now.


    BOSS, you don¡¯t know, there was a time during a mission when the minister was played by this ¡®Jade Fox¡¯ Xu Yu, and he received a serious demotion, ending up in a sidelined department for many years.


    So, he¡¯s held a grudge against Xu Yu until now.


    BOSS, you have avenged him.


    Lin Rui suddenly realized.


    It was at this moment that Lin Rui¡¯s heart grew tense.


    He saw ¡®Jade Fox¡¯ Xu Yu, who was a mile away, suddenly explode.


    His body unleashed a vast and powerful sword qi, sweeping the surroundings, forcibly blasting Li Wei¡¯s body and the battle dragon over a hundred yards away.


    Afterwards, the remaining blood essence of ¡®Jade Fox¡¯ Xu Yu all converged on his rank eight imperial-grade longsword, merging with his soul to form a blade of sword qi emitting blood-red light for over thirty yards long, slashing towards Lin Rui.


    In that instant, the void was filled with cries of fury and surprise.


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    ¡°Insolence!¡±


    ¡°Audacity!¡±


    ¡°What a madman!


    Still wanting to harm others at the brink of death?¡±


    At that moment, several powerful forces bombarded the blood-red blade simultaneously!


    Li Wei was particularly shocked as he, along with the battle dragon, stretched out his hand to grab the blood-red blade: ¡°Come back to me!¡±


    Instantly, a tremendous suction force reached out from afar towards the blood-red blade.


    Nevertheless, the blade forcefully broke through the multilayered interception, its body wavering slightly mid-air, and although much of its blood essence dissipated, it still ferociously descended upon Lin Rui.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile.


    He could feel ¡®Jade Fox¡¯ Xu Yu¡¯s soul staring at him, filled with the determination to perish together, unrelenting until death.


    Yet this man was at his last gasp, how could he possibly trouble me?


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    First was the rank seven ¡®Ling Ming Tong Tian Dragon¡¯ behind Lin Rui; it gathered its strength and threw a punch, shattering the incoming blood-colored sword glow into pieces, scattering the blood essence in all directions.


    At the same time, Lin Rui¡¯s long knife rang out of its sheath with a ¡®clang.¡¯


    Instantly, a dazzling strong light filled the area, and a vast sea of thunder spread over a thirty-yard radius, annihilating ¡®Jade Fox¡¯ Xu Yu¡¯s entire Primordial Spirit and all his flesh and blood.


    Notification: Slaying a rank eight demon cultivator, obtaining 121,321 points of Soul Power.


    Lin Rui¡¯s brow raised slightly; this ¡®Jade Fox¡¯ Xu Yu had also transformed into a demon, worthy of being a one-star marshal, this single individual provided him with over a hundred thousand points of Soul Power.


    But the focus wasn¡¯t on this; the key point was that he now had a total of 1,100,000 points of Soul Power, finally able to exchange for the ¡®Imperial Flame Battle Dragon¡¯!

 Chapter 375

    ?Chapter 375: Chapter 353: Warning (third update, please subscribe) Chapter 375: Chapter 353: Warning (third update, please subscribe) After the battle to the east of the city concluded, Jin Bolong stood by the window sill of the attic, lost in thought for a while.


    He had never imagined that the battle would end like this.


    The force mobilized by that Longevity Sect leader was undeniably massive, and his determination was equally firm; the one in charge of planning and overseeing was none other than the famed Jade Fox, Xu Yu.


    Yet this group of people had unexpectedly fallen!


    And it was almost a total annihilation.


    ¡°Hiss~¡±@@@@


    Standing beside him, Lu Hanyuan inhaled sharply, ¡°Actually a double-exalted emperor of the sixth realm, Xu Yu has suffered a bitter defeat!


    What a Lin Hao, what a masterful commander of the Assassination Bureau!


    ...


    Over the past hundred years, throughout the twelve generations of commanders, none could match this man in strength, talent, or ability.


    No, even extending back two hundred years, he would be the foremost among them!¡±


    He looked at Jin Bolong with a worried gaze, ¡°Chairman, given this young man¡¯s capabilities, we must be cautious about what comes next.


    In my opinion, we should scale back our forces in the Great Song as much as possible.¡±


    If Lin Hao truly got his hands on intelligence from the Linghu family, the consequences would be unthinkable.


    When unable to land a blow on the opponent in the boxing ring, one can only pull back their fist and minimize losses as much as possible.


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    Jin Tianchen, who stood nearby, was even paler.


    He never expected that among the people of Tianji Star, such an extraordinary talent could exist!


    This Lin Hao was clearly stronger than Lin Rui!


    Stronger in every aspect!


    Lin Rui was merely a martial arts star at the fourth realm level, whereas since becoming the commander of the Assassination Bureau, Lin Hao had proven to be top-notch in both his political machinations and personal combat prowess.


    Jin Tianchen felt an incredible pressure thinking about his future service under Lin Hao in the Assassination Bureau.


    ¡°Indeed, we cannot let our guard down!


    We underestimated him before,¡± Jin Bolong said, massaging his temples to quell the throbbing pain in his head, ¡°A contraction is definitely necessary, but the problem is we can¡¯t retract too quickly.


    Our friends can¡¯t possibly move at the same pace as us; their operations are too vast to pull back in a short time.¡±


    Lu Hanyuan understood what Jin Bolong meant.


    The interests of the Jin family near Luojing were not significant, their total annual turnover barely amounted to a little over twenty billion; losing it wouldn¡¯t matter much.


    The problem was that Linghu Mingde, that crazed old man, was forcing everyone to pick sides in the marketplace of the ninth base city: with him or against him!


    novgo.co


    The key is that in such a situation, he chose not to retreat, but to counterattack decisively, and his tactics were quite appropriate.


    If this Mr.


    Lin continues to grow in the future, who knows how terrifying he will become?


    I never thought I¡¯d live to see such an outstanding young man.¡±


    Fang Ranran¡¯s eyes were complex, ¡°He¡¯s indeed very capable!


    Xu Yu was cautious enough, using great power, yet still fell by his hand.


    However, the rise of this man is probably not a good thing for the Federation.¡±


    Linghu Mingde thought to himself that this might not necessarily be the casea?€¡± from the information he now had to hand, Lin Hao was quite interesting.


    At that moment, his mind suddenly stirred as he saw an email in his inbox.


    This caused his white eyebrows to slightly raise, revealing a strange smile.


    Fang Ranran noticed Linghu Mingde¡¯s expression, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Linghu Mingde had forwarded the email, ¡°It¡¯s from the First Marshal of the Federal Security Bureau, who through the Exotic Management Bureau, has issued a directive to all extraterrestrial travelers above the seventh realm.


    He hopes that all such extraterrestrial travelers will temporarily withdraw from the vicinity of Luojing, and if it is necessary to enter Luojing, they must be extremely careful and monitor the movements of the espionage bureau commander, reducing public activities as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Hmm~ They¡¯ve also adjusted the danger level of Mr.


    Lin, it¡¯s now SSS+.¡±


    Fang Ranran had already seen the email, first finding it somewhat unbelievable, but after pondering for a while, she wasn¡¯t surprised at all.


    It was typical for the Security Bureau to behave in such a manner.


    According to the Security Bureau, ever since this espionage bureau commander took office, he has solved major cases in a row, causing the Federation to lose a large number of reserve majors, lieutenant generals, generals, and even two reserve one-star marshals.


    Although they were all criminals, the Federal Security Bureau must enhance their vigilance to avoid greater losses.


    Fang Ranran figured that the First Marshal might be having a meeting at the Security Bureau¡¯s headquarters to discuss Mr.


    Lin, and there might even be a special countermeasures unit established.


    Just as Fang Ranran was thinking about this, she received a message from her father.


    One City Overwhelming (Fang Xianzheng): Ranran, are you in Luojing?


    Did you see the battle between the espionage bureau commander Lin Hao and Jade Fox Xu Yu in Tianji Star just now?


    Rain Falls on Dusty Heart (Fang Ranran): I¡¯m in Luojing, and I saw it.


    One City Overwhelming (Fang Xianzheng): Hmm, collect some battle footage and write me a report on Lin Hao as soon as possible.


    I may need it for a meeting later.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s lips twitched, her annoyance at her father reaching a peak, yet she promptly went back to her room, collecting data and editing footage while compiling the report.


    In her heart, she fiercely thought, when I officially run for office and gain my own wings, that¡¯s when I can leave this father and soar on my own!

 Chapter 376

    ?Chapter 376: Chapter 354: Doubts (Subscription Request) Chapter 376: Chapter 354: Doubts (Subscription Request) Fang Ranran was right.


    At the headquarters of the Security Bureau, a strategic meeting was being held on the ¡°New Espionage Bureau Commander.¡±


    Including Fang Xianzheng, all members of the Homeland Security Committee except for the second in command were present at the meeting to receive a special report from the Federal Security Bureau¡¯s ¡°Central Intelligence Center.¡±


    ¡°Based on the past life trajectory of this Lin Hao, he appears to be a typical conservative from the Celestial Poles, born in the Silver Moon County during the Great Song era.


    He was a local government servant¡¯s son, influenced by the prevalent public opinion climate in the Great Song, harboring hostility and even hatred toward us humans.¡±


    ¡°a?€¡±This individual displayed exceptional talent and outstanding abilities during his time in Silver Moon County and Wang City, eventually emerging prominently and gaining the appreciation of the Third Divine Envoy, which led to his promotion as the Espionage Bureau Commander.¡±


    ¡°He had an excellent reputation locally for his stern uncorrupt nature.


    By the standards of the Great Song¡¯s officialdom, he was remarkably incorruptible, and he harbors an extreme animosity towards demons, almost eradicating all the local demons during his tenure, possibly influenced by his father who was killed by a demon.¡±


    ¡°In Wang City, he was also involved in two cases related to the Federation¡¯s different beings, which allowed him to purge the local maritime authorities and execute the censor of Sha Province, also leading to the downfall of Yuan Chengkai, the governor of Sha Province.¡±


    ¡°a?€¡±Just ten days after Lin Hao took office as the Espionage Bureau Commander, he solved two cases related to Heavenly Demons from outside our domain.


    Recently, he also survived an assassination attempt by an organization of different beings.


    Up to now, the bodies of different beings killed by him total over 500, including 20 of at least major rank and even two reserve marshals, significantly weakening our reserve forces.¡±


    ¡°Currently, under the pretenses of the Luo Family Estate Case and the Heavenly Demon framing the Imperial Censor Case, he has obtained significant authority from the Divine Envoy to purge the Great Song¡¯s justice department, the capital prefecture, and directly the Feathered Forest.


    The Feathered Forest has been particularly hard hit, leading to the arrest of three different beings and forcing over twenty different beings into exilea?€¡±¡±


    ¡°Thus, our Intelligence Center believes we must be very alert.


    ...


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    While he serves as the Espionage Bureau Commander, it might be an unprecedented dark period for the different beings within the Great Song territory.¡±


    At this moment, Fang Xianzheng raised his hand, ¡°Wait a moment, your Intelligence Center is making this judgment rather hastily, aren¡¯t you?


    I¡¯ve looked at his records; this individual has not yet shown any tendency towards hostility against the Heavenly Demons.


    Your conclusion that Lin Hao harbors hostility towards us humans is insufficiently supported.


    Moreover, based on the cases he has been involved in, it seems that our different beings have merely fallen into his hands.


    It appears that this man is a master of political maneuvering, adept at using demon-related cases to strike at political enemies.


    Lin Hao is extraordinarily capable, but he is certainly not a pure conservative.¡±@@@@


    The Director of the Central Intelligence Center, a two-star Marshal, furrowed his brows.


    He then spoke respectfully, ¡°Vice Chairman Fang, it is true that our different beings have suffered heavy losses because of him.


    Also, Lin Hao¡¯s mentor, the Third Divine Envoy Luo Wangshu, was known in his early years for his bloody and ruthless methods against different beings, creating deep enmity with Earth¡¯s major different being organizations.


    Given that Lin Hao is a disciple Luo Wangshu greatly values, his personal inclinations and style of conduct can be estimated.¡±


    ¡°So there still isn¡¯t conclusive evidence, right?¡±


    A smirk appeared at the corner of Fang Xianzheng¡¯s mouth, a glint of mockery in his eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t about pursuing Longevity but about large-scale experimentation and manufacture of bioweapons!


    Regrettably, Lin Hao, in command of the assassination bureau for political struggle purposes, did not deeply investigate the bioweapon experiments, causing the Supreme Commander great frustration.


    What displeased the Supreme Commander even more was that none of the officials from the 14 divisions and headquarters of the Federal Security Bureau could take up a supervisory position in the assassination bureau to lead the investigation.


    He suspected that the East Asia National Security Bureau might be involved, but he couldn¡¯t confirm it.


    The Supreme Commander subsequently accessed the internal human resource database of the Federal Security Bureau and began considering personnel issues for the ¡°Lin Hao Special Tactics Office.¡±


    Regarding this office, several council members led by Fang Xianzheng had obviously received enough benefits from someone and had finally green-lighted it.


    The Supreme Commander had no intention of stopping it, considering the talent and capabilities Lin Hao had shown, the Security Bureau would sooner or later need to establish a special department for him.


    This person would undoubtedly become a new star in the future Grand Song Dynasty and must be paid attention to early.


    Moreover, this was beneficial for the Security Bureau to demand a budget from the government and seek organizational support, as maximizing departmental interests is the instinct of every department head, the Supreme Commander included.


    However, the Supreme Commander also wished to control the personnel of this department, allowing him to arrange staffing according to his own will.


    His old friend only wanted to use the power of the Security Bureau to restrain and strike against Lin Hao without much ambition in this regard.


    But just moments later, the Supreme Commander¡¯s face darkened, and he opened someone¡¯s communication tab.


    Supreme Commander: Zhou Yunfei, what are you playing at?


    It was one thing for that Third Special Action Group of yours to temporarily transfer two generals from the East Asia National Security, but now you also secretly want to relocate three more generals from headquarters to join?


    Supreme Commander: Why did you not report this?


    What specifically is the reason?


    I¡¯m curious, what kind of mission over there requires the mobilization of so many sixth realm mutant practitioners?


    Zhou Yunfei was sitting in his office watching a video of Xu Yu being killed, his eyes gleeful.


    After receiving the message, his scalp tingled, yet he had no choice but to stiffen up and respond.


    Zhou Yunfei: Supreme Commander, as far as I am aware, this remains within the jurisdiction of the Second Supreme Commander and does not need to be specifically reported to the Homeland Security Commission.


    Moreover, the Second Supreme Commander has ample reason for doing so.


    Zhou Yunfei: Due to the confidentiality principle, I cannot report the specifics to you.


    If the Supreme Commander wishes to know more, you may inquire the Second Supreme Commander.


    With Lin Rui almost being eliminated this time, Zhou Yunfei could not help but continue to draw manpower to strengthen Lin Rui¡¯s security forces.


    The response from Zhou Yunfei caused the Supreme Commander¡¯s eyes to sharpen.


    What sort of confidence did Zhou Yunfei have to act in this way?


    The Supreme Commander then saw the communication icon of the Second Supreme Commander.


    For the experiment in the Abyss, his colleague had been in deep sleep far too long, having not awakened for a full half year,


    Without this Second Supreme Commander to share the pressure, the Supreme Commander often felt overwhelmeda?€¡±

 Chapter 377

    ?Chapter 377: Chapter 355: Inspector (Please Subscribe) Chapter 377: Chapter 355: Inspector (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui very much wanted to exchange immediately for the Imperial Flame Battle Dragon, but he was plunged into a busy state afterwards.


    This assassination attempt was undoubtedly another major Heavenly Demon case, and the Assassination Bureau was inarguably responsible for it.


    It was a typical assassination case, the facts were clear, but there was still much to investigate, such as how so many people had infiltrated the city?


    How were they able to set up an ambush near Yongye Street silently and seamlessly, was there any secret assistance or even collaboration?


    Those buildings where the people were hiding, whose properties were they?


    What relationship did they have with this group of assassins?


    Moreover, the sixth-realm sovereign battle dragon that Lin Xi had shot down from the sky had been identified as belonging to Shi Rongzhi, a doctor in the Ministry of Works.


    ...


    Lin Xi had not killed the battle dragon but had instead knocked it out and captured it, so this person was still alive, necessitating immediate apprehension to investigate any accomplices.


    So, what followed was quite extensive, fortunately, this case could be handled in conjunction with the previous Luo family estate case, and there were not many matters that required Lin Rui¡¯s personal attention.


    Lin Rui was then summoned once again by a few high-ranking Divine Envoys.


    The Emperor and three Divine Envoys had high praise for Lin Hao¡¯s shattering of the assassination plot by the extraterritorial Heavenly Demons, and they had no qualms about the nearly one hundred Heavenly Demons he mercilessly slaughtered; they admired his actions immensely, yet they were also tremendously angered.


    In the past 50 years, the extraterritorial Heavenly Demons had become increasingly rampant and audacious within the Great Song territory, daring to set an ambush inside Luoyang City, targeting a court official for assassination, targeting none other than Lin Hao, the current head of the Assassination Bureau, which could be said to touch the bottom line of the Emperor and several Divine Envoys.


    Especially since this case involved Shi Rongzhi, who was a fourth-rank doctor in the Ministry of Works!


    This position, within the Ministry of Works, was already at a pillar-like level, yet such an important person was also an extraterritorial Heavenly Demon?


    Go to novgo.co


    This indicated the degree of infiltration these extraterritorial Heavenly Demons had within the Great Song dynasty.


    Luo Wangshu was even more infuriated; this time, the three of them had been lured out of the city by a wanted criminal of the Great Song dynasty to no avail, and meanwhile, their own homes were nearly robbed.


    His most proud and trusted disciple had almost died at the hands of these Heavenly Demons.@@@@


    At the same time, Luo Wangshu felt reassured that Lin Hao, relying on his abilities and talents, had not only emerged unscathed this time but had also dealt significant damage to these extraterritorial Heavenly Demons.


    Luo Wangshu thought to himself that this child indeed did not disappoint her expectations and could be trusted with great responsibilities!


    She indeed wanted to find a reliable partner among those extraterritorial Heavenly Demons, but this did not mean they could act recklessly under her watch.


    After Lin Rui reported the details of the case, he also updated them on the Luo family estate case.


    The Emperor and two Divine Envoys were very dissatisfied with the progress of the case, yet they had nothing to say.


    They all realized that Lin Hao was intentionally delaying, but the problem was that this man had already been targeted by an extremely perilous assassination for this case, making it hard to say he had not exerted his best effort.


    And currently, the three deputy heads of the Assassination Bureau actually leading the investigation each had their backgrounds and acted according to their directions.


    What surprised them was that Lin Hao then requested a Dragon Guard attendant¡¯s qualification from the Divine Envoy Monitor, citing the need to ensure his safety.


    ¡°A Dragon Guard?


    Even a grown Dragon Guard from the Dragon Guards?¡±


    The second Divine Envoy, seated high on the throne, looked through multiple hanging curtains with interest at this new head of the Assassination Bureau, ¡°Lin Hao, the distribution of Dragon Guards follows the court¡¯s regulations.


    If you wish to increase your guard, you could as well hire private Protectors.


    And being the head of the Assassination Bureau, you should face difficulties head-on, endure hardship, and brave bloodshed.


    Did this assassination scare you into a frightened bird?¡±


    That is another reason why those of the Imperial Censor¡¯s bureau held Lin Hao in high regard.


    This was also the primary reason Yuan Chengkai was stripped of his position.


    Those clear streamers were extremely dissatisfied with Yuan Chengkai, the Governor General of Shazhou, and the local Prefectural Governor Li Changguo.


    Li Changguo was bearable since he made some rectifications afterward, but Yuan Chengkai was likely a disciple of the Emperor¡¯s faction and could have been involved in the catastrophic extermination of the Zhou family.


    Thus, when Yuan Chengkai¡¯s case broke, not only did no one in the court speak for him, but those clear streamers also attacked him in groups.


    Now, the first Divine Envoy suddenly mentioning Zhou Yunxi was undoubtedly a slap in the Emperor¡¯s face.


    ¡°Responding to the Divine Envoy!


    Zhou Yunxi is indeed the daughter of Zhou Rang,¡± Lin Rui clasped his hands and answered, ¡°Fearing that she would face oppression if she stayed in Wang City jurisdiction, I brought her to the capital.¡±


    ¡°I see, the Zhou family was exterminated by treacherous people not long ago, indeed no precautions can be overlooked,¡± The first Divine Envoy replied with a light laugh.


    ¡°Observing this girl¡¯s six-realm surpassing emperor alongside a fifth-realm emperor-ranked Sword Bone Demon accompanying her, and given her impressive martial arts talent that allows her to withstand eleven moves from an eight-realm battle dragon without dying, her strength is quite remarkable.


    I wonder if she would be willing to serve the court?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui was exhilarated, realizing that Lin Xi¡¯s luck had arrived.


    Among the three Divine Envoys of the Imperial City Department, the second Divine Envoy was in charge of managing the Imperial Dragon Controllers, the third Divine Envoy was in charge of finances, while the first Divine Envoy was in charge of overseeing the celestial bureaus.


    While the Commander of the Imperial City Department nominally managed everything, he was actually just a human stamp.


    This nominal supervisor responsible for assessing official promotions, in truth, all celestially ranked promotions above third rank, whether in the celestial bureaus or the Imperial Dragon Controllers, were personally overseen by the Divine Envoys, with the Imperial City Department Commander also responsible for internal oversight, although part of this authority was also usurped by the treacherous bureau.


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    Lin Rui answered without hesitation, ¡°Divine Envoy, the Zhou family has been loyal and righteous for five generations, passing on loyalty and righteousness within the family, their unyielding spirit to serve the country remains unchanged, and that ¡®Unyielding Heart Dragon¡¯ is the proof!¡±


    ¡°Well done!¡± The first Divine Envoy clapped vigorously, giving a slight praise, ¡°In the Imperial City, there are positions for nine ¡®Supervisory Envoys,¡¯ each in charge of one area, stationed at one gate.


    The Supervisory Envoy for the Chengtian Gate has been vacant for three months now, as we¡¯ve been unable to find a suitable candidate.


    I think this child is quite suitable.


    Conveniently, the Imperial City Department will conduct a grand Heavenly Demon Test tomorrow.


    You may let your sworn sister take the test.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes brightened, thinking how fortunate Lin Xi was.


    The position of Supervisory Envoy ranks from the fifth grade!


    Within the celestial bureaus, it is next to the fourth-grade celestial officials.


    Moreover, within the capital city, the nine Supervisory Envoys, their positions are akin to the nine gate imperial eunuchs from the ancient Ming dynasty, responsible for supervising the imperial guards and the divine strategy troops at the nine gates of the city.


    They are also responsible for gate security, inspecting people and goods, patrolling at night for fires, organizing neighborhood watches, and executing court orders and arrests, their authority quite substantial.


    The Chengtian Gate is the main gate of the Imperial City, the most important of the nine city gates.


    The Supervisory Envoy for Chengtian Gate is also the one among the nine gate Supervisory Envoys with the heaviest responsibility, the least benefits, and the weakest authoritya?€¡±yet it is still a rank at the fifth grade!


    Lin Xi was now going to rise above Vice Supervisory Envoy Zhuang Mingyue.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but look up at the throne in front of him.


    He couldn¡¯t see the Emperor¡¯s expression through the curtain, but he felt the temperature in the hall had dropped to freezing.

 Chapter 378

    ?Chapter 378: Chapter 356: Patch (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 378: Chapter 356: Patch (Seeking Subscriptions) After meeting with the Divine Envoy, Lin Rui went to the Divine Envoy Institute to have a private meeting with Luo Wangshu.


    Once Luo Wangshu sat down, she let out a cold laugh, ¡°Do you understand the First Divine Envoy¡¯s scheme, little Hao Hao?¡±


    ¡°Disciple understands, the First Divine Envoy wants to plot against the emperor and is also mistrustful of us.¡±


    Lin Rui was of course aware that the First Divine Envoy not only wanted to use Lin Xi to slap the emperor¡¯s face, which would make the court officials recall the Zhou family¡¯s annihilation and strike at the emperor¡¯s popularity; he also intended to use the opportunity to foster animosity towards Lin Rui and his siblings from the emperor, further severing the Third Divine Envoy¡¯s relations with the emperor.@@@@


    It could be said that he was killing several birds with one stone.


    Thus, although it seemed as if Lin Xi had risen to the skies in one step, becoming a Fifth Rank official upon his first appointment, in reality, they had to pay a certain price.


    Hearing this, Luo Wangshu nodded slightly in satisfaction.


    The child really was aware of what was going on, which increasingly reassured her.


    She picked up an empty teapot, ¡°But I fear that¡¯s not all, the First Divine Envoy¡¯s scheming runs deep.


    ...


    There might be other intentions unknown to us, but for the position of Inspector Supervisor at Chengtian Gate, just let your sworn sister take over.


    Although this position appears somewhat insignificant in nature, it depends on whose hands it¡¯s in.¡±


    The nominal authority of the Inspector Supervisor at Chengtian Gate is quite significant.


    Not only is it responsible for the gate control at Chengtian Gate and entry management, but also for numerous internal governmental buildings within the imperial city, as well as disaster relief and patrol duties across a large area of official residences surrounding the imperial city.


    The problem is that there are too many heads above this position, and many matters simply do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Inspector Supervisor, who is still heavily blamed whenever issues arise.


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    However, the situation is different if this position falls into the hands of the current director of the Seditious Affairs Bureau¡¯s sworn sister.


    If Zhou Yunxi wishes to seize power, few above her would be able to stop her.


    At this moment, Luo Wangshu conjured an enormous amount of water from thin air into the empty teapot, boiling it with high heat, and brewed a pot of Shenxin tea.


    ¡°This Zhou Yunxi does indeed have formidable talents, and with the Indestructible Danxin Dragon by her side, her prospects are limitless.


    You should bring her to the palace to see me one day.¡±


    She poured tea into both their cups, ¡°This will certainly enrage the emperor, but I predict that for the coming period, he should be too preoccupied to pay attention to your sworn sister.¡±


    ¡°Too preoccupied?¡± Lin Rui¡¯s expression flickered, ¡°Is it the matter with Prince Han and Consort Hui coming to a head?¡±


    For the emperor, that cuckoldry was obviously of much greater importance.


    Luo Wangshu did not respond directly, only smiled slightly, ¡°So, whatever you want to do to the Sixth Prince, you can do it now.¡±


    A certain brilliance flashed in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes; he had been waiting for Luo Wangshu to bring up this news.


    The affair of Prince Han and Consort Hui committing adultery could only be exposed by his master, Luo Wangshu, without worrying about repercussions from the emperor.


    Lin Rui then relayed Zhou Yunfei¡¯s response to his master in detail.


    Luo Wangshu was quite surprised; she did not expect Lin Hao to receive a response so quickly.


    Luo Wangshu realized the channel Lin Hao had contacted was extremely formidable; from East Asia, it might even reach directly to the heavens.


    What was more astonishing was the items promised in this response.


    ¡°A Type 8 Etiotropic Enhancer, a Type 8 Combat Dragon Gene Repair Fluid, and an X-Element Injection?


    Little Hao, are you sure?¡±


    Luo Wangshu almost lost her composure, her hand inside her sleeve clenched tightly, but eventually, she calmed herself.


    a?€¡± These items were indeed what she wanted, showing the other side had sincere intentions and knew her well.


    Luo Wangshu squinted, ¡°So when are they sending them over?¡±


    Luo Wangshu would definitely not rush into gene sequencing, to avoid giving others leverage over her.


    Just these three medicaments could greatly enhance her overall strength.


    As long as her physical body and strength were further enhanced, she could gain a bit more assurance in suppressing those twelve restless ¡®candidate Divine Envoys¡¯.


    ¡°They said they¡¯d wait until the first transaction was completed.¡±


    Lin Rui solemnly said, ¡°They don¡¯t care about the size of the first transaction, only asking that it be completed under my guarantee.¡±


    That is, a declaration of intent, meaning to implicate him, the director of the Seditious Affairs Bureau.


    Luo Wangshu understood and smiled faintly, ¡°Since the other party¡¯s intentions are so sincere, we also shouldn¡¯t be stingy.


    You should quickly select some managers and accountants within the next few days and establish some business firms.


    I will organize a supply of twenty million taels of demon silver as soon as possible and trade it to you on credit.¡±


    At that moment, Luo Wangshu changed the subject; ¡°What about Shangguan Tianyi?


    I heard you¡¯ve requested this girl to be your personal dragon guard?


    This child is a rare Sword Dao genius, a talent not inferior to me.


    It¡¯s really such a pity to have her join the dragon guards.


    She is now deeply involved with the Ten Thousand Thunder Venerable.


    Once she transforms into a dragon, her will shall surely be taken over by the Ten Thousand Thunder Venerable to serve as a vessel for his resurrection.


    I heard you even spent a fortune to swap her set for the highest level of Dragon Transformation Elixir, hmma?€¡±¡±


    Luo Wangshu suddenly paused, her expression shifting as she looked towards Lin Rui¡¯s forehead, ¡°Could it be that you intend to?¡±


    She did not continue, but Lin Rui understood her meaning and nodded, ¡°Disciple indeed intends to give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Then you must be careful, that item of yours must not be used lightly.¡±


    Luo Wangshu sipped her tea, contemplative, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to try.


    This girl¡¯s Sword Dao is extraordinary, and her bloodline talent is also quite impressive.


    If she truly can transform into a dragon, not to mention me, even the Emperor and those two would be very envious.


    However, you absolutely must not act near Luo City, and you must set up a comprehensive large-scale array beforehand to avoid detection, which requires considerable resources.¡±


    She then unexpectedly pulled out a large stack of gold notes from her sleeve and handed them to Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui sensed briefly and found that the total face value of the gold notes was as high as 50,000 taels.


    a?€¡±This was 50 billion Federation Dollars.


    Lin Rui looked up, deeply moved as he gazed at Luo Wangshu, thinking that his master was truly wonderful.


    This master had already provided him a way to make a fortune, and now she was even giving him cash, something even his parents had never done for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not from me, it¡¯s the Yuan family from Lu City that asked me to deliver this money to you.¡±


    Luo Wangshu casually smiled, ¡°Yes, just as you thought, it¡¯s Yuan Chengkai¡¯s Yuan family.


    They wish to request your favor by asking you to spare them, hoping only for you to judge their case impartially and not to groundlessly associate their family with the Heavenly Demon.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s brow furrowed deeply.


    His grudge with Yuan Chengkai was deep, and without eliminating this man, he couldn¡¯t sleep in peace.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to spare Yuan Chengkai, just the Yuan family from Lu City,¡± Luo Wangshu gently shook her head.


    ¡°The ¡®Heavenly Battling Dragon¡¯ that has been worshipped by Yuan Chengkai¡¯s ancestors has already been passed to another.


    The Yuan family has given up on Yuan Chengkai, leaving him to your judgment.¡±


    Only then did Lin Rui feel a wave of relief.


    As long as he didn¡¯t have to spare Yuan Chengkai, it wasn¡¯t a big issue.


    At the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but reflect inwardlya?€¡±this was the nature of aristocratic families.


    At that moment, Luo Wangshu suddenly recalled something, ¡°Right, what was the situation with that group of hired swords today?


    What is their relationship with you?¡±


    Lin Rui tensed up and answered solemnly, ¡°Master, I made contact with that group in Wang City.


    I don¡¯t know much about them except that they are profoundly skilled, mysterious, and their fees are quite low.


    I privately speculate that they might be Heavenly Demons from beyond our realm, and they might even be related to the channel with which I made contact.¡±


    Luo Wangshu smiled, pleased.


    She had guessed as much.


    These people were likely from the Wang City region, intentionally wanting to connect with her disciple and support him.


    She was comforted that Hao didn¡¯t hide this matter from her.


    Luo Wangshu took another sip of tea, ¡°You can continue making contact with them, but keep your distance.


    Just the regular commission transactions are sufficient.


    This is, after all, a strength for you, not to be wasted.¡±


    She heaved a secret sigh, lamenting that her disciple was good in all respects but just too lacking in resources and power.


    Unlike her other disciples who had several powerful and wealthy families backing them up, they had no financial worries, so she must pay extra attention and provide more support.

 Chapter 379

    ?Chapter 379: Chapter 357: Applying Pressure (Please Subscribe) Chapter 379: Chapter 357: Applying Pressure (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui stayed at Luo Wangshu¡¯s place for a full hour and a half.


    After conducting various enhancements on him, Luo Wangshu also taught him a powerful secret move of 6SSS grade.


    The recent assassination attempt had deeply shaken Luo Wangshu, who wanted to do everything possible to enhance Lin Hao¡¯s combat abilities, thereby increasing his chances of survival.


    After all, Lin Hao learned things extremely quickly, mastering the basics of whatever she taught him rapidly, and reaching a high level of understanding within a few days.


    That evening, by the time Lin Rui arrived at the main hall of the Assassination Bureau, it was already nightfall.


    However, due to the assassination case, all twenty-four divisions of the Assassination Bureau were brightly lit, bustling with a large crowd busy inside the government office.


    Upon returning to the Assassination Bureau, Lin Rui summoned the three deputy commanders and all the custodians present in the office to the main hall.


    ...


    Lin Rui first conveyed the leadership¡¯s intentions he had grasped during his audience with the Emperor and the three Divine Envoys earlier that day, passing down the pressure exerted on him by the Divine Envoy to those below him.


    Then, with half-closed eyes and a stern gaze, he inquired of Deputy Commander Xing Hai, ¡°Deputy Commander Xing Hai, what did you find from the search at Li Family Manor today?


    Did you make any gains?¡±


    Xing Hai¡¯s face was a solemn shade of iron-blue as he replied, ¡°My lord, indeed many traces of the Heavenly Demons were found at the Li Family Manor, and some of their Heavenly Demon artifacts were left at the scenea?€¡±¡±


    Xing Hai was cut off mid-sentence by Lin Rui, ¡°I¡¯m asking what gains you made!


    Did you manage to catch even one Heavenly Demon?


    Have you found any useful clues?¡±


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    Seeing Xing Hai rendered speechless, Lin Rui¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile, ¡°This is interesting.


    It was less than an hour after I gave you the order that I was ambushed, although this can¡¯t prove anything.


    However, Deputy Commander Xing Hai, don¡¯t you have any doubts in your mind?¡±


    Xing Hai¡¯s face grew even more unsightly, ¡°Regarding this matter, I will give my lord an explanation as soon as possible.¡±


    He too suspected that there was a problem with someone close to him.


    The incident at Li Family Manor was very likely a result of receiving a false tip-off, aimed at luring him, the commander, out of the city.


    Moreover, it was highly probable that someone under his command was tipping off the Heavenly Demons.


    Xing Hai had some covert collaboration with the extraterritorial Heavenly Demons, but if Lin Hao were to die at Li Family Manor, then the prime suspect would be none other than Xing Hai himself.


    How could he tolerate that?


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    Lin Rui nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Do it quickly.


    If our Assassination Bureau cannot maintain internal purity, how can we assassinate and suppress demons?¡±


    He then paused before continuing with an authoritative tone, looking fiercely at those present, ¡°Recently, twenty-four Imperial Censors from the Imperial Censorate have jointly submitted a request to me, stating that in the past cases involving Prince Han and the Heavenly Demons, our Assassination Bureau is suspected of wrongful protection.


    They hope we can re-investigate these cases.¡±


    ¡°I have agreed to this request.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    After the people in the hall had dispersed one after another, Li Li came over from behind Lin Rui, his eyes coldly following the retreating figures of Xie Yong and Pan Dongfan.


    This was the Bureau of Investigation, so he didn¡¯t speak directly but communicated with Lin Rui through private messages.


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): Junior brother, these two were already looking to modify the files in the archive before.


    With today¡¯s pressure, you¡¯ve surely pushed them into a corner!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I hope so, senior brother.


    Keep an eye on them over the next few days, and also remind that archive manager to be alert.


    Don¡¯t let these two find a loophole.


    Lin Rui had learned about the dubious behavior of these two oversight officials from that very archive manager¡¯s report.


    The corners of Lin Rui¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, revealing an expectant look.


    He was very much looking forward to these subordinates¡¯ reactions; it would be perfect if they did as he wished and tampered with the archive.


    Of course, if the two refused to be trapped, that was also okay.


    If they did not make a single move and remained compliant, then they should just wait to fall into the pit he and Zhao Yang had set for them.


    Lin Rui had a combination of punches that could put these two in a desperate situation.


    After looking at his message, Li Li let out a bitter laugh, pointing to the stack of official documents on the desk: I will certainly do my utmost, but I am quite stretched thin at the moment and may not be able to cover everything.


    Junior brother, why not send Wang Sen over to help share the burden?


    Lin Rui hesitated slightly.


    Wang Sen¡¯s recent health hadn¡¯t been good; he was very weak.


    Would it be too much to ask him to hurry over to the yamen and get busy at this time?


    Lin Rui then thought, for the current Wang Sen, bustling about in the yamen might be better than being bound to his bed.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Alright, I¡¯ll have him come over tomorrow.


    After agreeing to Li Li¡¯s request, Lin Rui hurriedly returned to his residence.


    As soon as he reached the cellar at home, he contacted the War Spirit.


    ¡°War Spirit, I want the Level Seven Imperial Flame War Dragon from War Spirit Number Two!¡±


    Prompt: Do you agree to spend 100,000 Soul Power points to make War Spirit Number Two consent to the gift?


    Do you agree to expend 1,000,000 Soul Power points to refine the Imperial Flame War Dragon?


    Of course, Lin Rui chose to agree; he couldn¡¯t wait to refine that Imperial Flame War Dragon as soon as possible.


    Previously in the imperial city, Lin Rui had not dared to do so, who knew what sort of commotion the refinement process might cause?


    So he had held back until now.

 Chapter 380

    ?Chapter 380: Chapter 358: Resurrection (Three More for Subscriptions) Chapter 380: Chapter 358: Resurrection (Three More for Subscriptions) After Lin Rui chose to agree, he distinctly felt a powerful surge of Soul Power violently fluctuate within the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Fortunately, his residence in the inner courtyard was equipped with an extremely perfect ¡°Six Scenery Protection Array¡±, which could isolate the fluctuations of Soul Power, and this basement had also undergone special reinforcement.


    Subsequently, a golden flame spread up from the ring, first encircling Lin Rui, then gathering into a point and beginning to merge with his spirit.


    Lin Rui was secretly astonished.


    The process of refining the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon with the Battle Spirit Ring didn¡¯t require the presence of the dragon itself.@@@@


    Moreover, could this peculiar ring truly refine the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon into his possession?


    Lin Rui, possessing the tranquility technique, had also considered using this concept to refine the battle dragon, thus saving one million Soul Power points.


    ...


    Latter, he gave up on the idea simply because, even if he purified the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon, he couldn¡¯t refine it as his own due to the different bloodline gene sequences.


    This was unlike Lin Xi; Lin Xi¡¯s Indomitable Heart Dragon shared a bloodline connection with her distinct form.


    At this moment, in a residence twenty miles away, Xue Lingxue, who was lurking there, was summoned by one of her subordinates to a basement under the mansion.


    That was precisely where they stored the ¡°Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡±, but at that moment, the basement was filled with overwhelming flame power, deterring even these fifth to sixth realm experts from getting close.


    Using her bloodline¡¯s Spiritual Sense, Xue Lingxue peered into the basement, only to see the wooden box inside had been burned to ashes, and the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡¯s body was not only covered in golden-red flames, but its numerous golden and dark golden runes were also twisting and shifting.


    Xue Lingxue felt a surge of horror and confusion and immediately sent a message to Lin Rui.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): BOSS, the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon you had us bring to the capital just underwent a tremendous transformation, creating quite a stir.


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    She then took a video and sent it to Lin Rui.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): No worries, I have a clear understanding of the situation with the battle dragon.


    Just ensure your own safety; don¡¯t concern yourselves with it.


    Lin Rui knew that under Xue Lingxue¡¯s command, there were two extremely powerful spellcasters who could conceal the elemental fluctuations of the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui also felt a shock, his connection to the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon twenty miles away growing stronger, feeling a pure, genuine bond of shared essence.


    It was as if the ¡°Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡± was genuinely his, birthed from within his own body.


    Lin Rui wondered what exactly the ¡°Battle Spirit Ring¡± was, to even achieve such a feat?


    He mastered the tranquility technique, yet he could only ¡°purify¡± it rather than make the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon his own, yet the Battle Spirit Ring could.


    About three hours later, Lin Rui received several prompts from the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Prompt 1: Your ¡°Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡± has completed refinement.


    Prompt 2: Battle Spirit Two is very pleased with your refinement of the ¡°Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡±.


    She hopes to have your permission to incarnate within the ¡°Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡± for mobility.


    Prompt 3: You can use Soul Power points to enhance the bloodline abilities of the ¡°Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡±.


    Lin Rui also wanted to see what was really going on?


    ¡°Mmma?€¡±¡±


    After agreeing to Ji Shenyan¡¯s request, Lin Rui saw another layer of golden flame sweep over the surface of the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Not sure if it was an illusion, Lin Rui felt his ring had gotten slightly lighter, the change was very slight, possibly less than 1 microgram.


    At the same time, Lin Rui felt his soul connection with the ¡°Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡± had grown even tighter.


    His pupils suddenly narrowed slightly, and he thought of a possibility.


    The ¡°Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡± was derived from Ji Shenyan¡¯s body, so to a certain extent, Ji Shenyan was the true soul of the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon.


    Could the so-called ¡®refinement¡¯ of the Battle Spirit Ring have refined Ji Shenyan as well?


    But it was pointless to consider these now; what could he do even if he figured it out?


    ¡°Do not act on your own!¡± Lin Rui tried to give instructions to the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon, and finding no response, he got up and walked towards the direction of the operating room.


    The vast operating room was empty except for Shangguan Tianyi, the candidate Dragon Guard, who lay in a sleep chamber in the corner.


    Lin Rui walked over to check the injection situation and found that out of the 19 injections he had prepared for Shangguan Tianyi, 9 had already been administered.


    The first part included three injections for replenishing Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s bodily energy, and the other six injections strengthened her genetic chains.


    Lin Rui then reviewed her bodily data, his eyes first lighting up before he laughed and cursed, ¡°Truly freaking awesome!¡±


    After replenishing her energy, this girl awakened an Emperor-tier bloodline talent, which took her bloodline powers to the Emperor realm.


    Lin Rui thought that this must be the talent of a ¡°true *legendary¡± genius, which was truly enviable.


    What Lin Rui cared about more was that his master had said today that Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s talent was not inferior to his own.


    What kind of talent did Luo Wangshu have to boldly make such a statement?


    What Lin Rui did not know was that, 20 miles away in that basement, Ji Shenyan was raising the hand of the ¡°Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡±, looking at the huge palms of the battle dragon.


    She then exhaled lightly, releasing a dragon roar mixed with satisfaction and comfort.


    a?€¡±She had finally escaped from that cage.


    Although the price was that her soul and bodily genes had been completely ¡®refined¡¯ into her master¡¯s form, Ji Shenyan was still happy.


    The days spent in that cage were tough, completely devoid of light and extremely lonely.


    It was also fortunate that the ¡®cage¡¯ was severely damaged, allowing her to occasionally come out for some air and enjoy some delicacies using her master¡¯s body.


    Moreover, she had gained the opportunity to reunify her Spiritual Sense, and even the chance for ¡®rebirth¡¯ using her master¡¯s power.


    Ji Shenyan then lay back down and looked at the ceiling of the basement.


    Her mind was full of thoughts, first considering what method she could use to reverse engineer her ¡®original form¡¯ within the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon, and then reminiscing about the unique delicacies of the Earth Federation.


    Later, Ji Shenyan thought of her master, her eyes showing curiosity and intense contemplation.


    Just what kind of being was her master?


    Not only did he possess such miraculous devices, but he also controlled the Abyssal Artsa?€¡±

 Chapter 381

    ?Chapter 381: Chapter 359: Brothers (Subscribe Please) Chapter 381: Chapter 359: Brothers (Subscribe Please) The next day, early in the morning, Lin Xi left her house, full of anticipation, to participate in the Heavenly Demon Test at the Imperial City Bureau.


    The position she was about to take up as the supervisor of Chengtian Gate was not only a fifth-rank official position in the Imperial City Bureau but also a vital role at the core of the Imperial City, which definitely required testing.


    Today, the Imperial City Bureau was inducting quite a number of newcomers and was conducting a large-scale Heavenly Demon Test.


    Various major institutions of the Earth Federation, aiming to further infiltrate the four major dynasties, had racked their brains over the Heavenly Demon Test, resulting in a multitude of mature plans to date.


    As long as one was a hall-level genius who had made sufficient preparations beforehand and didn¡¯t encounter a national guardian dragon, there wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem.


    Especially in such large-scale Heavenly Demon Tests, even if a guardian dragon were present, there would still be a certain chance of passing.


    They had developed several Divine Soul Secret Techniques that could mix and interfere with the surrounding people¡¯s nimble divine sense, making it difficult even for a guardian dragon to accurately identify them.


    ...


    Of course, these large-scale, mass-participation Heavenly Demon Tests couldn¡¯t earn the true trust of those higher up, and reaching the third rank was generally the limit.


    Lin Xi had also made ample preparations for the Heavenly Demon Test and had a unique advantage of her own, so she was very confident.


    As long as she passed this Heavenly Demon Test, she would not only obtain a position within the Imperial City Bureau with significant authority in the heavenly official system but would also wield great power.


    Lin Rui was also very confident about Lin Xi, and he too left early in the morning, heading to the south bank of the Yichuan River in the outer city alongside Ji Xueying.


    This was because Xue Lingxue had informed him not long ago that they had located the trace of that eighth realm technologist again.


    The toxin provided by Lin Rui, once combined with flesh, produced a scent beyond the detection threshold of ordinary human senses, undetectable even by high-level Martial Cultivators.


    After all, not every Martial Cultivator could awaken a special bloodline and possess a sense of smell as developed as a dog¡¯s.


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    Xue Lingxue and her team relied on their own exoskeleton combat armor, which contained an olfactory system with scent samples inputted by Lin Rui, to accurately capture this scent.


    Not long ago, it was through this method that Lin Rui had found Yue Qingcheng¡¯s location,


    Lin Rui found it odd that this eighth realm technologist had clearly escaped Xue Lingxue and others¡¯ pursuit and did not have serious injuries, so why were there still toxins left in his body after more than ten hours, and why had his traces suddenly been exposed?


    He suspected it was a trap, so when he left home, he specially contacted his master with his official seal to confirm that Luo Wangshu was at home and had no plans to go out.


    As long as his master was in town, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    a?€¡± Just yesterday, he had been careless in this regard, thinking that with his master stationed in the capital, he would be completely safe in the city; however, unexpectedly, those people had vast Divine Skills and had lured away the three Divine Envoys in advance.


    ¡°The source of this scent, seems to be hidden inside the sewer?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise and suspicion, and he felt even more certain that this was a trap.


    It seemed that the person had used the foul stench in the sewers to cover his own scent.


    The problem was that he was an eighth realm Martial Cultivator!


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    After escaping from Xue Lingxue and others, with just a little effort, he could have expelled the toxin, so why keep it until now, to consume it?


    Not to mention hiding in a sewer.


    Originally, the city of Luojing did not have sewers but used open ditches and stone channels for drainage.


    The downside was that they were not perfect and could lead to flooding during the flood season and were odorous during the summer,


    About 500 years ago, a Minister of Public Works proposed to the court to build sewers within Luojing city.


    Later, however, the Imperial City Bureau found out that he was a Heavenly Demon from beyond the borders, and his purpose in building the sewers was to connect to the divine abyss for smuggling purposes.


    The Great Song court was enraged by this revelation and soon hanged this Heavenly Demon Minister in the Demon Suppression Forest.


    However, the sewer system was retained, firstly because it had already been built, and refilling it would be very troublesome, and secondly because it seemed quite useful, providing great convenience to the high officials and nobles within Luo city.


    After hundreds of years of modifications, the interior of the sewers had become very complex.


    Lin Rui did not act rashly nor did he rush to call people from the Imperial City Bureau.


    He was very patient, waiting for Xue Lingxue¡¯s special agent team to mobilize large machinery and small drones for sensory reconnaissance.


    Their reconnaissance results would determine Lin Rui¡¯s course of action.


    Just then, Fei Yunlai sent him a message.


    Invincible Cow (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, I didn¡¯t expect the situation in the capital to be so grave.


    I¡¯ve decided to let the xenotypes enter the capital earlier.


    Can you ask Heart of Light No.


    9 to arrange a starship for me?


    That wouldn¡¯t be right, would it?


    Once word got out, his reputation would be ruined.


    At this moment, his BOSS sent another message.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I¡¯ve bought another plot of land nearby, 1600 square meters, where I can build you a villa to live in for free, as a company benefit.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s expression turned cold; he thought if this Wang person had moved against his boss, then he wasn¡¯t a friend anymore, but an enemy!


    One should be ruthless and unreasonable against an enemy.


    He opened Wang Tianwu¡¯s chat window.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Old Wang, what are you up to?


    Got any free time recently?


    We should go out for a drink, my treat.


    It¡¯s been quite a while since we last gathered.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Gather my ass!


    You know I¡¯m in trouble right now.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Old Fei, I actually need a favor.


    Could you buy a Divine Descent Apparatus and a Sleeping Chamber for me, ASAP!


    Front the money for me, I¡¯ll pay you back within a month.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): ??


    What do you need a Divine Descent Apparatus and Sleeping Chamber for?


    Plus, don¡¯t you have money?


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): That¡¯s none of your business, just tell me brother, are you helping?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Sure, I¡¯m definitely helping.


    I can order the Divine Descent Apparatus and Sleeping Chamber for you.


    Where do you want it delivered?


    Do you have an address?


    While responding, Fei Yunlai pinched his own chin.


    It seemed his old friend was in a very bad situation.


    He checked the darknet to see what was going on and then sent a message to Lin Rui


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, can you spare Wang Tianwu¡¯s life?


    Wang Tianwu is really quite talented, a genius Illusionist.


    BOSS, you¡¯re fully capable of subduing him and taking him under your command.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ??


    What¡¯s the situation?


    Fei Yunlai sighed inwardly, feeling that he had done justice to his years of friendship with Wang Tianwu with what he just said.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, it seems that Wang Tianwu is in deep trouble.


    His Divine Descent Apparatus and Sleeping Chamber might have already been found and destroyed, preventing him from transcending to another body.


    Also, I checked a few darknet sites and saw that his name has disappeared from the assassin rankingsa?€¡±likely removed or excluded.


    I suspect that his funds in those underground money lenders have also been frozen.


    After reading Fei Yunlai¡¯s message, Lin Rui paused, then chuckled.


    It seemed he had overthought it; the likelihood of it being a trap was low.


    Lin Rui had initially intended to mobilize personnel from the Imperial Guard and Jing Wu Wei to encircle and capture him, but now he dismissed that thought.


    Of course, he still had to be cautious with this capture operationa?€¡±

 Chapter 382

    ?Chapter 382: Chapter 360: Cattle and Horses (Subscription Request) Chapter 382: Chapter 360: Cattle and Horses (Subscription Request) Located on the east side of the Imperial City, the Demon Extermination Hall was at the tail end of a massive Heavenly Demon Test.


    Among over 100 new members of the Imperial City at the scene, Jin Tianchen began to tense up.


    Next was the final battle with the Guarding War Dragon.


    In such a massive test involving over a hundred participants, it was certain that a Guarding War Dragon would appear, which made Jin Tianchen feel quite apprehensive.


    He had been forced to join the Imperial City after losing to Lin Rui and being disgraced.


    Although his uncle had spent a fortune preparing numerous rare treasures to significantly increase his chances of passing the Heavenly Demon Test, he still felt insecure.


    Moments later, a giant war dragon phantom appeared above the hall.@@@@


    ...


    Upon seeing the appearance of this war dragon, Jin Tianchen instantly felt relieved.


    This time it wasn¡¯t the ¡®Spiritual Celestial Dragon,¡¯ known for its strongest perceptive powers, but the ¡®Limitless Emperor Dragon¡¯ transmitted from the Benevolent Dynasty.


    Jin Tianchen began using his own Soul Consciousness Secret Technique, merging it with the soul essences of a few people nearby to mask his own soul¡¯s characteristics.


    The test proceeded very smoothly after that, and all 123 people in the hall passed the Heavenly Demon Test.


    Just as Jin Tianchen¡¯s spirit relaxed and a smile spread across his lips, he heard a crisp and pleasant female voice from the crowd, ¡°Lords, I am Yun Xi, I humbly request that the Guarding War Dragon test me individually!¡±


    Jin Tianchen immediately turned and looked in the direction of the voice.


    He knew who Yun Xi wasa?€¡±the adopted sister of Lin Hao from the Wang City Zhou family.


    Go to novgo.co


    But would the Demon Extermination Hall conduct an individual Heavenly Demon Test for Yun Xi?


    Members of the Imperial City, unless outer realm demons, always looked forward to undergoing a more extensive Heavenly Demon Test to gain upper-level trust.


    The problem is, a high-intensity Heavenly Demon Test consumes vast resources.


    And those Guarding and Suppressing War Dragons, it is said that their appearance reduces the depth of the ¡®Blood Origin Liquid¡¯ in the War Dragon Hall used to nurture the dragons by one centimeter each time.


    Thus, large-scale Heavenly Demon Tests like the one conducted by the Demon Extermination Hall are more economical and suitable for the vast majority of members of the Imperial City.


    Only those who show exceptional innate talent and are hopeful of entering the core layers of the Imperial City qualify for individual testing.


    There¡¯s also another scenario where individuals suspected by the assassination bureau of having ties with the Heavenly Demon are lucky enough to undergo individual testing.


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, after a discussion among the several Imperial Censors and the overseers of the Demon Extermination Hall, they actually agreed to it.


    ¡°Granted!


    All unrelated persons may promptly exit the hall.¡±


    The crowd around Jin Tianchen, upon hearing this, moved out while discussing animatedly.


    ¡°Who is this girl that the Demon Extermination Hall is performing an individual Heavenly Demon Test for her?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Yun Xi, the daughter of the Imperial Censor Zhou Rang, and the adopted sister of the assassination bureau¡¯s commander Lin Hao!¡±


    ¡°Wow, this girl has a profound background.¡±


    ¡°It gets even better; I heard a rumor that she has caught the first Divine Envoy¡¯s favor and as long as she passes this Heavenly Demon Test, she¡¯ll take up the role of ¡®Inspector of the Empyrean Gate¡¯.¡±


    Thus, this AI couldn¡¯t even autonomously deal with the toxins in its body, possibly because Lin Rui¡¯s self-developed toxins were beyond its knowledge scope and its AI¡¯s adaptive capabilities.


    Once Lin Rui pinpointed Wang Tianwu¡¯s exact location, he didn¡¯t launch a strong attack.


    Instead, he simply had his men pour down homemade poison gas.


    If it had been Wang Tianwu himself, he certainly would have found a way to cope, but his extraterrestrial AI, upon detecting the anomaly, struggled only briefly before collapsing in a sewage drain, at their mercy.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t plan to kill this guy, but he still applied necessary measures.


    Items like Earthly Origin Nail, Lute Hook, and from the Earth Federation, the Limitation Lock, Soul Ensnaring Circlet, along with various anesthetic injections a?€¡± he used them all on Wang Tianwu, and then Xue Lingxue transported him to a guard space cruiser and placed him into a large freezer set to freeze him in near absolute zero temperatures.


    This would ensure that Wang Tianwu¡¯s original soul consciousness could neither descend nor escape.


    Watching the extraterrestrial Wang Tianwu being manipulated like a dead pig through video, Fei Yunlai felt a twinge of satisfaction and sorrow for his kind and couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Back in the day, they formed a ¡®Cattle and Horse Work Group,¡¯ one using the online name ¡®Unbeatable Bull,¡¯ and another calling themselves ¡®Powerful Horse King,¡¯ likening themselves to cattle and horses, sworn to escape the capitalists and to become strong and self-reliant.


    Yet now, Fei Yunlai had only been independent for a few years before he was forced to sign a lengthy contract, while Wang Tianwu enjoyed several decades of a carefree life, which made him quite envious.


    However, it seemed this guy wouldn¡¯t be carefree anymore.


    Fei Yunlai then received a message from Wang Tianwu.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Hey Fei, no need to buy the Descending Spirit Device and the Sleep Capsule anymore, help me cancel it.


    Fei Yunlai originally wanted to reply, ¡®??


    What¡¯s going on, Horse King?¡¯ but after thinking it over, he decided against it and held his words back.


    One should not be too pretentious.


    After all, he would be working with this ¡®Horse King¡¯ in the future, and the truth would come out sooner or later.


    Unbeatable Bull (Fei Yunlai): Haven¡¯t bought them yet.


    I feel like your situation isn¡¯t looking good, Horse King.


    Is it a problem with the extraterrestrial?


    If the other side acknowledged it, he would continue along the lines of Wang Tianwu¡¯s words, explain the truth, and have Wang Tianwu surrender willingly.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Nothing¡¯s wrong at all, I¡¯ve already found a reliable Descending Spirit Device and Sleep Capsule, but thanks anyway, brother!


    I need to go offline for a bit now, we¡¯ll connect later.


    After reading this, Fei Yunlai hurriedly sent another message, only to see that the other party had already turned off the quantum network.


    Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t help but sigh; this was always the problem with Old Wang, always too prideful.


    Meanwhile, several kilometers away in a shabby hotel located in the lower district, Wang Tianwu was hidden in a room, his eyebrows furrowed into knots.


    novgo.co


    He was facing the worst and most dreadful situation possible.


    His mentor, Ling Huan, was relentlessly pursuing him, and his footsteps were drawing ever closer.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s extraterrestrial had been captured, and fortunately, the captors had no intention of killing him.


    But who exactly was the force that captured his extraterrestrial?

 Chapter 383

    ?Chapter 383: Chapter 361 Trap (Three more updates for monthly ticket) Chapter 383: Chapter 361 Trap (Three more updates for monthly ticket) Lin Rui captured Wang Tianwu¡¯s alternate form.


    With the support of ¡°Guang Ming Heart No.


    9,¡± he anonymously sent a friend request to him.


    To his surprise, his friend request was actually rejected!


    Lin Rui furrowed his brows, speculating that this guy must not really understand the situation.


    So, he composed another message and sent the friend request again.


    This message should remind the person of his predicament and exert some pressure on him.


    ...


    As a result, Wang Tianwu actually shut down the quantum communication network.


    Lin Rui saw this notification and couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue, not in anger, but with a laugh.


    This Wang Tianwu was really tough and intelligent, a formidable opponent indeed.


    His conveyed message was ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you right now.


    What you do to my alternate self is up to you.¡±


    However, upon thinking it over, Lin Rui felt that this was quite normal.


    Alternate form walkers who could blend into the seventh or eighth realm were rare talents within the Earth Federation, not to mention Wang Tianwu, who was an eighth realm royal mage and a disciple of Ling Huan.


    Go to novgo.co


    From Wang Tianwu¡¯s life story, one could tell that he was not only ambitious and proud but also very independent.


    Subduing him would certainly not be an easy task.


    Take it slowa?€¡±


    Lin Rui was in no hurry; he had already refined the Royal Flame Battle Dragon, and the combat capability of Xue Lingxue¡¯s alternate form special forces had been significantly enhanced.


    Soon, several experts contacted by Gong Hengdao were about to be in place, and he would not be short of manpower for the time being.


    Besides, his alternate form was already under his control.


    Where could it run?


    Lin Rui, along with Ji Xueying, walked leisurely towards the imperial city, planning to meet his master to do his daily practice and have his master continue to strengthen him.


    Right then, he received a message from Lin Xi.


    novgo.co


    Lin Xi (Summer¡¯s Shallow Thought): Brother, I have passed the Heavenly Demon Test, met the first Divine Envoy, and received the official appointment and seal from the first Divine Envoy.@@@@


    Lin Rui¡¯s reaction was very calm, as this was within his expectations.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Good.


    You mustn¡¯t be careless or inattentive, especially after taking office.


    Be very careful; the imperial faction will definitely do everything possible to find fault with you.


    If you have anything unclear or unresolved, you can come to your brother anytime.


    Lin Rui then received another piece of news.


    Cold Light Bamboo Shadow (Li Li): Junior brother, Xie Yong and Pan Dongfan seem to be making their move tonight.


    Lin Rui: Tonight?


    Senior brother, do you have any basis for this?


    The Golden Coffer Stone Chamber is also where the royal secret documents are stored, controlled by the emperor and the palace eunuchs.


    Pan Dongfan thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    He thought burning them would be better, to rid themselves of future problems forever.


    After the fire, there would be no evidence, and the Imperial Censor could not start trouble.


    Pan Dongfan tightened his grip on the sword at his waist, suddenly feeling a surge of ruthless energy within him, pondering that he must make Lin Hao pay once this hurdle was passed.


    That bastard, he should not think he can securely hold the position of chief commander of the spy agency!


    The two exchanged glances and then silently walked toward the archive building, moving through the darkness without a sound.


    Indeed, there was no one inside the archive building, and they easily climbed in through a window on the third floor.


    At that moment, Pan Dongfan paused briefly, sniffing the air, ¡°How strange, why do I smell flammable oil here?¡±


    The archive building was filled with important documents, and the use of flammable oil lamps was strictly controlled.


    Even at night, lighting was forbidden, and they used a type of Spirit Stone called ¡®Glow White Stone¡¯ for illumination.


    Smelling the odor of the flammable oil, which was actually a high flammability version used for fiery projectiles on Heavenly Demon dragon armors, with power comparable to mini missiles from Heavenly Demons.


    They had brought this type of oil too, but it hadn¡¯t been spread yet!


    Xie Yong looked around, his face instantly turning deathly pale, ¡°Something is definitely wrong!¡±


    He noticed that several bookshelves on this floor of the archive were empty!


    Xie Yong¡¯s scalp tingled, and without hesitation, he flew out the window.


    However, as soon as he exited, he saw flames roaring behind him, the fierce blaze instantly engulfing the entire third floor of the archive.


    The intensity of the flames was extremely fierce; the high temperature was scorching.


    Even from a distance of thirty feet, Xie Yong felt unbearably hot.


    Inside the third floor of the archive, the bookshelves and many remaining books turned to ash in an instant.


    Xie Yong¡¯s pupils contracted sharply, realizing instantly that someone had entered the archive before them and, after taking the documents, had set up this incriminating trap.


    At that moment, Lin Hao, wearing dragon armor, burst forth from the main hall, unleashing a thunderous roar, ¡°Who dares to burn the spy agency¡¯s records?


    You are courting death!


    Squad Twenty-Seven!¡±


    Wang Sen also dashed out following Lin Rui¡¯s figure, and immediately turned to signal Zhu Yuanhan beside him.


    Zhu Yuanhan promptly placed a hand to her lips and blew gently forward, sending an immensely powerful burst of cold sweeping toward the archive, significantly reducing the fire and stopping it from spreading to the upper and lower floors.


    Lin Rui and Ji Xueying split up, each intercepting a fast-moving figure in the sky.


    Xie Yong¡¯s eyes reddened, knowing he must not be caught by Lin Hao, or the consequences would be unimaginable.


    His body¡¯s veins bulged nearly to bursting, releasing all his energy in an instant.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Just as Xie Yong drew his sword, he saw a burst of bright cold light before him.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Xie Yong had no time to react before he found his arms and legs severed from his body,


    Filled with an overwhelming sense of dread, Xie Yong thought, is this the combat power of a sixth realm emperor?


    a?€¡±Such a fast sword!

 Chapter 384

    ?Chapter 384: Chapter 362 Innocence (Please Subscribe) Chapter 384: Chapter 362 Innocence (Please Subscribe) The alarm bells of the Capital Commandant¡¯s office rang out in the middle of the night, prompting the many members who had already dispersed to rush back upon receiving a colleague¡¯s notification.


    Deputy Commander Sun Shicheng had an inkling of his two trusted subordinates¡¯ scheming; to avoid suspicion, he specially ran out of the city on official duty tonight.


    Therefore, when Sun Shicheng received the news, he couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat from head to toe, and he had no choice but to turn around and hurry back.


    He was almost the last to arrive at the Capital Commandant¡¯s office.


    Upon entering, he saw over a dozen disheveled clerks, all of whom were scribes serving in the archives.


    These people were all pale, trembling, and clearly aware of the situation at the archives.


    The fire that broke out today on the third floor of the archives implicated them greatly.


    ...


    Sun Shicheng paid no mind to them and hurried into the Capital Commandant¡¯s main hall.


    The courtyard outside the main hall was already filled with people; nearly all the martial officers above the rank of Capital Commandant had gathered here.


    Sun Shicheng scanned the crowd, then strode towards the interior of the hall.


    Sun Shicheng didn¡¯t notice that his connection, the ¡®Trial Martial Capital Commandant¡¯ Jin Tianchen, was also squeezed among the crowd.


    Jin Tianchen gave a wry smile.


    When he was a martial arts star, he had been the center of attention, with fans gathered around him wherever he went, but now he was squeezed among a bunch of rough men.


    Jin Tianchen then stood on tiptoe and peeked into the hall.


    Go to novgo.co


    He saw a young man, not yet in his twenties, sitting behind the official desk; he was around 2.4 meters tall, wearing heavy armor, well-built with a handsome face, high nose bridge, sitting majestically, with a stern countenance and an imposing presence.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±This was Lin Hao, a supreme talent who at nineteen became the Divine Envoy¡¯s Commander and the head of the thousands in the office.


    Jin Tianchen knew he could never reach the position that this man occupied; to become the leader of the twenty-four monitors was already quite an accomplishment.


    The people beside him were whispering.


    ¡°Xie Yong and Pan Dongfan are done for.


    I just saw their hands and feet were chopped off when they were dragged here.¡±


    ¡°The Commander¡¯s martial prowess is amazing.


    Xie Yong is twenty-six and Pan Dongfan twenty-eight.


    The fire was not started by us; it was ignited by someone else¡¯s magic.¡±


    Sun Shicheng felt a hint of surprise at their words, not expecting that the two men, with solid evidence against them, still had an excuse.


    novgo.co


    However, Xie Yong¡¯s words could hardly convince the crowd.


    Why would the archives¡¯ aide request leave?


    Why would those clerks go to Qinghua Building?


    And why did they stay there without returning?


    Also, who lured away the three last standing clerks from the archives?


    It was clear to any discerning person what had happened.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    After listening, Lin Rui snickered, ¡°But how do you explain the fire oil pouch you carried?


    It contained high combustible oil nonetheless, and I have already ordered a thorough investigation into the sickness of the archive aide¡¯s mother and the relationship between Qinghua Building and you two.


    The results will be out within half a day.


    Do you still intend to resist and stick to your testimony?¡±


    At this moment, a group of clerks from the archives knelt at the bottom of the hall.


    They all looked at the two men inside the hall with their fierce, blood-red eyes.


    Pale from blood loss, Xie Yong responded, ¡°My lord, the truth is just as it appears!


    The pouch of fire oil was meant to be used for the flame projectiles of my dragon armor.


    It is true we were unrightfully framed and set up!¡±


    He knew he must not admit to it.


    Only by holding out until Prince Han intervened could they have a chance at survival.


    He certainly couldn¡¯t remain an overseer, but at the very least, he could save his life.


    Pan Dongfan, his hair and face covered in blood, was even more disheveled than Xie Yong, glaring at Lin Hao as he said with a hoarse voice, ¡°The two of us entered the archives without orders; indeed, that was against the rules.


    However, the book burning was truly the act of another, and the pouches of fire oil on Xie Yong were all intact; we never opened them!¡±

 Chapter 385

    ?Chapter 385: Chapter 362: Innocence (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 385: Chapter 362: Innocence (Please Subscribe)_2 Vice Commander Sun Shicheng couldn¡¯t help but admire what he heard.


    Witnessing the acting skills of these two men, they were truly lamenting with every word, so sincere and heartfelt that anyone unaware would probably believe they¡¯d been wronged.


    Although the two men were his trusted subordinates, standing from an objective and fair stance and considering things rationally, the judgment based on facts was that this arson had definitely been committed by them.


    Sun Shicheng thought this was their only viable strategy, to muddy the waters of this clear-cut case of arson so that the King of Han could find an opportunity to get involved.


    His Highness, the King of Han, was deeply favored by the Emperor, so saving their lives shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    The second Divine Envoy also wouldn¡¯t let his people fall without a contingency plan; even if irritated, he would still give them a hand.


    As for Sun Shicheng, he was already formulating his words, thinking about how he should speak up for these two men.


    ...


    It was at this moment that Luo Tianman, the warden of the twentieth prison, entered from outside.


    He bowed with clasped hands towards ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ above, ¡°My lord, the examination of the scene has been completed.


    It¡¯s confirmed that the fire was set intentionally using highly flammable oil, ignited by no less than fifty explosive charms.


    Had it not been for the timely intervention of the Ice Blood Demon, the entire archives tower would have been burnt down instantly.


    Moreover, due to the sweeping high-temperature flames, I couldn¡¯t find any useful clues at the scene.¡±


    ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ hmmed, and with an expressionless face, asked, ¡°Tianman, these two stated that when they entered the archives tower, nearly half of the documents and records on the third floor were already gone, and a large amount of oil had already been poured.


    Did you find any clues?¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Luo Tianman frowned, lost in thought, ¡°Speaking of which, there did seem to be a little less ash on the third floor of the archives tower, which puzzled me.


    However, when the Ice Blood Demon made a move, a cold wind blew, so it might have been blown away by the wind.¡±


    Xie Yong and Pan Dongfan, upon hearing Luo Tianman¡¯s words, were overwhelmed with emotion and nearly in tears.


    Someone else had clearly set the fire; they were the ones framed!


    No matter how they tried to explain, no one believed them.


    Only now, at last, was there a clue somewhat in their favor.


    ¡°So, their words might not be without merit?¡±


    Lin Rui frowned tightly, contemplative, ¡°Xie Yong, Pan Dongfan, apart from this, do you have any other clues?


    Did you see anyone else in the tower?¡±


    Xie Yong had not seen anyone at the time, but as if grasping a lifeline, he said loudly, ¡°My lord, when we entered, we did see several dark figures jumping out from the other side of the window!¡±


    Deputy Tan, you are to select personnel to search every room inside and outside of the Assassination Bureau, including everyone from top to bottoma?€¡±even I am not exempt.


    We must sort this out quickly!¡±


    ¡°Deputy Xing, you are to record everyone present at the bureau at the time, and what business they had there.


    For instance, I received a warning from the Supervisor of the Rack Storehouse and stayed to be on guard, yet an incident still occurred!


    novgo.co


    If the words of Xie Yong and Pan Dongfan are true, then I am also a suspect.¡±


    Lin Rui paused, his gaze turning dark, ¡°Also, thoroughly investigate anyone in the bureau skilled in Illusion Technique.


    These people can deceive the heavens and cross the sea; their skills must be exceptionally advanced.¡±


    The people listening all inwardly groaned, feeling that Commander Lin¡¯s methods were too meticulous, bordering on pedantic.


    The statements of Xie Yong and Pan Dongfan were blatantly full of holes, yet Commander Lin insisted on a detailed investigation into the Assassination Bureau based on that slight possibility.


    Although his impartiality and integrity were admirable, the issue was that everyone was busy with the major Heavenly Demon case at the Luo family estate.


    How much time would this search delay?


    Lin Rui continued, ¡°Given the magnitude of today¡¯s Rack Storehouse arson case, involving two Supervisors, even I and everyone present are suspects.


    I dare not make decisions alone and wish to report the case to His Majesty for the Divine Envoy to judge.


    What do you all think?¡±


    At that moment, Lin Rui felt the official seal at his waist suddenly growing hot.


    The contact was from his mentor Luo Wangshu, with only a brief message, ¡°Two quarters of an hour ago, the scandal between Prince Han and Concubine Hui was exposed.


    The Emperor was furious and has ordered the beheading of all servants and attendants of Prince Han and Concubine Hui.


    Little Hao, be cautious in your words and actions, lest you be caught in the tailwind of his storm.¡±


    Lin Rui realized his subordinates were also very well-informed.


    Soon after, the three Deputy Commanders and twenty Supervisors in attendance all felt a slight disturbance from their badges and official seals.


    The news they received was almost the same.


    They all turned their heads, looking at Xie Yong and Pan Dongfan in the center of the hall with eyes full of pity.


    They knew these two were doomed!


    It would have been better if the case had not been escalated to the heavens, but now that it would be reported, the fate of these two would only be more miserable.

 Chapter 386

    ?Chapter 386: Chapter 363: The Cuckold Emperor (Please Subscribe) Chapter 386: Chapter 363: The Cuckold Emperor (Please Subscribe) At the time of the arson case by the Sinister Bureau, the Emperor was sitting solemnly in the Pavilion for Enjoying the Coolness, located in the Jianzhang Palace, outside the city.


    His face was an ashen pale, cold, and his hands trembled slightly due to extreme anger.


    ¡°What is the reason for this?¡±@@@@


    The Emperor struggled to suppress his fury as he coldly looked down upon the pair of treacherous lovers before him.


    One was his beloved son, Prince Han, and the other was his favorite concubine.


    Prince Han¡¯s clothes were disheveled as he knelt on the ground, while the concubine, knowing she was bound for death, simply neglected to wear her outer garment.


    Half-naked, she sat paralyzed on the floor, her face ashen.


    ¡°Prince Han Wangjian, tell me, what is the reason for this?¡±


    The Emperor exhaled a long breath, filled with incomprehension, ¡°Do you, this monstrous spawn, not know that the divine spirits are withdrawing their providence from our family?


    ...


    Are you unaware that the number one Divine Envoy is coveting our dynasty?


    Do you not know that the great Song dynasty¡¯s fate is drawing to an end?


    In these times of turmoil from within and without, one misstep from me or any of you could lead us to the abyss!¡±


    He intensified his tone once again, ¡°I thought that you, my princes, and our royal kin would unite with me to salvage this dire situation!


    Therefore, when Zhao Yang used his lackeys to impeach you for your many unlawful deeds, I ignored them.


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    And this is how you repay me, Prince Han Wangjian?¡±


    Prince Han¡¯s face was as pale as paper.


    He lifted his head and glanced at the Emperor, ¡°Your son, your sona?€¡±¡±


    He stuttered ¡°your son¡± for a long time without being able to give a proper explanation.


    Could he possibly tell the Emperor that doing such a thing felt particularly stimulating, particularly thrilling?


    Prince Han truly wanted to resist his desires, but he failed to.


    He could only kowtow deeply, hitting his forehead on the ground, making a ¡®thud thud¡¯ sound.


    Upon seeing this, the Emperor let out a bitter laugh, sarcasm flashing in his eyes.


    He understood this son¡¯s mind like the back of his hand.


    The Emperor did not actually care about this favorite concubine; after taking her into his harem, he rarely touched her.


    Even though he didn¡¯t like or care about her, she was still his woman; how could he allow others to defile her?


    a?€¡±Especially since it was Prince Han, a son he had taken quite seriously!


    The Emperor looked up again at the palace exterior, where he could see his Imperial Guards layered thickly around the palace, both inside and out.


    His Imperial Guard commander, Yu Yujun, stood before the palace like an iron tower.


    This was the Emperor¡¯s most trusted general, with martial prowess reaching the ninth realm, surpassing the vast majority of Divine Envoy candidates!


    The only problem was this bastard¡¯s brain did not work well.


    It was Yu Yujun who had discovered Prince Han¡¯s illicit affair with the favorite concubine.


    According to Yu Yujun, he had received reliable information that the favorite concubine was having an affair with someone, which made him so furious that he took his subordinates and stormed in to catch them in the act.


    Only after they broke into the Pavilion for Enjoying the Coolness did they discover that the man involved was none other than Prince Han.


    The Emperor felt an immense headache and helplessness.


    He knew Yu Yujun must have been set up.


    That fool!


    Those documents were hidden inside the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor worn by Lin Rui and Ji Xueying.


    They were placed in the cockpit¡¯s internal compartment of the Dragon Armor after the battle, hurriedly concealed by Wang Sen and others.


    Although Tan Xiangsheng was in charge of the search and had no doubts about Lin Rui, his subordinates would also not conduct a thorough examination of the espionage bureau¡¯s main building.


    But accidents can happen, if by chance a diligent greenhorn decided to inspect the Dragon Armor, that would be a problem.


    However, Lin Rui merely chuckled softly and shook his head in response: What composure?


    I have a contingency in place.


    His Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor was built upon the remnants of a Mecha.


    The interior of the cockpit not only has an oxygen supply system but also a self-cleaning system.


    Therefore, he truly had a contingency inside the Dragon Armor; if by bad luck someone earnest wanted to inspect it, he would just burn the documents inside the cockpit, treating it as a furnace.


    Lin Rui had no attachment in this regard; it would be best if he could take those things out, but if not, so be it.


    Lin Rui then summoned Luo Renxi, the supervisor of the Seventh Division, Mo Daoquan of the Eighth Division, Yan Zhe of the Sixteenth Division, Luo Tianman of the Twentieth Division, along with the newly appointed Ruan Guoqiu of the Ninth Division, and Fu Li of the Tenth Division to the main hall.


    He distributed several files to the six individuals present and, with a cup of hot tea brought by Ji Xueying, began to leisurely sip his tea.


    Upon reviewing them, Yan Zhe looked up in astonishment: ¡°Commander, do we arrest all the names and businesses on these files?


    Are we sure they are all the Heavenly Demon from beyond our realm?¡±


    This was undeniably a massive operation, involving more than two thousand people, numerous major businesses in the capital, and some gentry near Luo Jing.


    What surprised Yan Zhe was that a large portion of them were somehow connected to Prince Han.


    ¡°I am not certain, the list comes from a Heavenly Demon of unknown status.


    I received this intelligence and checked a little; it seems very likely.¡±


    Lin Rui blew on the tea leaves in his cup: ¡°Let¡¯s arrest them first and see what interrogation reveals.


    If the information turns out to be false, I¡¯ll take full responsibility and apologize!


    Luo Tianman will head this operation, with Yan Zhe as his deputy.


    The rest of you will provide full support.


    In addition, I have already obtained the Tiger Talisman from the Divine Envoy¡¯s office, commanding fifty thousand elite troops from the Imperial Guard and the Feathered Forest Guard to assist in the case.¡±


    Yan Zhe, upon hearing this, couldn¡¯t help but regret his previous notions.


    He knew that Lin Hao had noticed his disrespectful thoughts, which was why he was at a disadvantage compared to Luo Tianman.


    Yan Zhe felt even more envious; if the intelligence obtained by Lin Hao was true, this case would be the biggest in the history of the espionage bureau and an unprecedented achievement.


    Yan Zhe hadn¡¯t expected Lin Hao to be so generous, entrusting such a significant case to his subordinates.


    If only he had known, he would have been more respectful; after all, luck is a form of strength.


    Look at the commander, not only did he secure his position with a few major cases as soon as he took office, he even helped the Third Divine Envoy obtain key positions for two divisions.


    What incredible fortune, huh?


    Lin Rui then turned to Ruan Guoqiu, the supervisor of the Ninth Division, and Fu Li, the supervisor of the Tenth Division: ¡°I know both of you have only just assumed your positions and are still finding your footing, and the Ninth and Tenth Divisions are in turmoil.


    This case is an opportunity for both of you, as well as for them.


    novgo.co


    When handling the case, watch your subordinates closely.


    If they truly show capability, not only will I pardon their past mistakes, I¡¯ll also promote them vigorously.¡±


    Ruan Guoqiu and Fu Li, upon hearing this, bowed gratefully, touched by their superior¡¯s understanding.


    Handling this case would allow them not just to establish themselves but to firmly take control of their respective divisions.

 Chapter 387

    ?Chapter 387: Chapter 364: Got It (Please Subscribe) Chapter 387: Chapter 364: Got It (Please Subscribe) After assigning tasks to the six people, Lin Rui took Ji Xueying and a group of attendants, leisurely leaving the city to return home.


    The subsequent arrest operations couldn¡¯t be completed in a short while.


    It would take Luo Tianman and his team quite some time just to determine the locations and gather intelligence on the suspects, to allocate manpower and tasks reasonably, and to coordinate with the Imperial Guard.


    The task was complicated and onerous.


    The matter was so troublesome that Lin Rui had no intention of getting personally involved.


    He did have a high degree of confidence in the capabilities of Luo Tianman and the others.


    Those who could become supervisors in the Infiltration Bureau were no incompetents, and with his senior brother Li Li and Wang Sen watching out, he felt very reassured.


    ...


    And even if there were problems, how bad could the situation get by then?


    To Lin Rui, the importance of this case was not as significant as the documents hidden within his dragon armor.


    The Infiltration Bureau¡¯s responsibility was to investigate and suppress the Heavenly Demons, so these documents related to the many cases involving the Heavenly Demons that the bureau had investigated in recent years.


    Several departments, not just the Security Bureau¡¯s Ninth Division, had suffered heavy losses due to the emergence of internal traitors in recent years.


    The Imperial Spy Agency had long begun infiltrating the Earth Federation in reverse, so the files were of immense value.


    Considering that these documents might be used as evidence, and that it would be difficult to keep them completely secret in the future, Lin Rui had gone to great lengths tonight to cleanse himself thoroughly.


    Interestingly, when Lin Rui arrived at the entrance of Chengtian Gate, Lin Xi was already on duty.


    Go to novgo.co


    She wore a brand-new official robe of a fifth-grade officer, inspecting Lin Rui¡¯s entourage with due seriousness before raising her hand to let them pass.


    Seeing Lin Xi¡¯s spirited and valiant appearance, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but have suspicions about the first Divine Envoy.


    It was quite possible that the position of ¡®Chengtian Gate Inspector¡¯ had been deliberately preserved until now with the sole purpose of vexing the emperor.


    In the future, every time the emperor passed in and out of the city, he would have to see Lin Xi, which would certainly not please him!


    Furthermore, the officials who would have to pass through Chengtian Gate morning and night, what would they think upon seeing this daughter of Zhou Rang?


    Lin Rui mused that if he were the emperor, he would do everything possible to remove Lin Xi from this position without fail.


    Luckily, the outbreak of the Han Wang case had emerged, so the emperor likely wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to deal with Lin Xi in the short term.


    After leaving the city, Lin Rui sent a message to Zhou Yunfei.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Minister, I¡¯ve already brought out the documents you wanted.


    There are 1320 case files in total, involving 97 major Heavenly Demon cases over the past decade.


    I will hand these over to Xue Lingxue shortly.


    Lin Rui was very meticulous in his actions.


    He waited until he had taken the files out of the city before sharing the good news with Zhou Yunfei.


    Zhou Yunfei: Are you safe now?


    Lin Rui, your move was extremely slick!


    The best part is that the loose ends have been tied up neatly, and no one can trace anything back to you afterwards.


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow and replied, ¡°Minister, are you informed about the situation?¡±


    Since Lin Rui had autonomous operational authority, he hadn¡¯t notified Zhou Yunfei of his plans before or after the incident, so how did the minister know?


    I¡¯ve told you before, even if your identity is revealed, they won¡¯t have any evidence to prove it, so there won¡¯t be any risks.


    Megan (Smith): Honey, I¡¯ve booked a ticket for you to the Imperial Palace Entertainment Casino.


    Go stay there for a few days.


    I¡¯ll have someone transfer some money to you later, go have fun and relax.


    The Flower That Blooms at Midnight (Hua Xin): Really?


    The Flower That Blooms at Midnight (Hua Xin): I don¡¯t want your stinking money.


    I just want you to come be with me.


    Hayden Smith looked at the woman¡¯s replies and let out a snort of laughter.


    He sent a message to someone: That woman will go to the spaceport at nine in the morning to catch a boat to the Imperial Palace Entertainment Casino.


    Take care of her for me, and make sure it¡¯s clean.


    Although he was still unsure what was the situation with the arson case at the Division of Espionage, Hayden had already decided not to let this woman live any longer.


    The woman was a liability, becoming more dangerous the longer she lived.


    She was also a gold-eating beast, having spent close to a billion federal currency in just the past six months.


    While his income from various profit channels amounted to over ten billion annually, even he could not withstand such expenses.


    Hayden Smith, with an air of elegance, leisurely dressed himself up and drove a luxury car to the Security Bureau¡¯s Ninth Division.


    Smith¡¯s mood plummeted the moment he drove his car into the garage, all because his boss, Zhou Yunfei, had posted a message in the joint workgroup of the Alter Ego Investigation Department and the Intelligence Center.


    Zhou Yunfei: Attention everyone, new mission!


    Starting now, all workgroups of the Alter Ego Investigation Department and the Intelligence Center, put all your effort into finding this woman called ¡®Han Lanxin¡¯ on Tianji Star.


    She is an alter ego walker, her real name is Hua Xin, and we¡¯ve already detained her.


    I want to know where her alter ego is as soon as possible.


    This is now the Security Bureau¡¯s top priority task.


    Hayden Smith, seeing the message, felt his heart turn cold as ice.


    He instinctively wanted to message Hua Xin to inquire about the situation but immediately realized it was inadvisable.


    Hayden Smith used a false identity to contact Hua Xin, sending messages from his secondary intelligent terminal he carried with him.


    This ensured that even if Hua Xin was arrested, she couldn¡¯t lead back to him.


    But now, making contact himself would be suicidal.


    At this moment, the director of the Intelligence Center voiced confusion in the group chat: Director, according to the data from the information repository, this woman is just a lieutenant colonel-level alter ego walker.


    To make her our Intelligence Center¡¯s top priority taska?€¡± is there a special reason?


    Zhou Yunfei: We have obtained conclusive evidence ensuring that the Heavenly Demon case from May this year, which led to the tragic deaths of over a hundred of our alter ego agents on Tianji Star, was caused by this woman, Han Lanxin, leaking intelligence.


    Hayden Smith was deeply unsettled, thinking where Zhou Yunfei could have gotten such conclusive evidence?


    However, the timing was no coincidence.


    Zhou Yunfei seizing the opportunity to strike right when the Division of Espionage had an arson casea?€¡± could it be that he truly obtained the stolen case dossiers?

 Chapter 388

    ?Chapter 388: Chapter 365: Action (Please Subscribe) Chapter 388: Chapter 365: Action (Please Subscribe) Hayden Smith¡¯s face was extremely unsightly as he opened the internal network of the Security Bureau.


    After he perused the information for a short while, his mood grew even worse.


    Smith had found the arrest warrant issued by the judge, consenting to the arrest of Hua Xin for the crimes of treason and crimes against humanity.


    The one responsible for arresting Hua Xin should be a 6S operation team belonging to the Third Special Operations Division.


    Currently, the Ninth Division of the entire Security Bureau is the only department that his nationalist faction can do nothing about and has so far been unable to infiltrate.


    However, Smith had already found relevant intelligence through other channels.


    Not long ago, a group of armed Security Bureau detectives burst into the villa where Hua Xin lived and arrested her.


    ...


    The commotion at the time was significant, coincidentally during the morning rush to work, and not just one neighbor witnessed the scene.@@@@


    Hayden Smith wanted to probe Zhou Yunfei for information during the routine ministerial meeting in the morning, but Zhou Yunfei had unexpectedly canceled the meeting.


    Returning to his office, he couldn¡¯t help but fiddle with his tie, feeling a surge of irritation and restlessness.


    He first sent a message to the First Deputy Minister.


    novgo.co


    Hayden Smith: Old You, you¡¯re aware of the situation, right?


    You must help me, or we¡¯re both finished.


    Go to Novgo.co


    You Ming: What situation would I be aware of?


    I don¡¯t know anything!


    You Ming was incredibly frazzled because of the Child Rhyme Killer, having deployed the maximum resources and laid a dragnet across the Ninth Base City.


    Since that day, however, the Child Rhyme Killer hadn¡¯t appeared again, and departments such as the Special Service Center and the Major Case Investigation Division hadn¡¯t been able to identify the Child Rhyme Killer.


    The longer this dragnet continues, the more pressure You Ming has to bear each day.


    You Ming was starting to suspect that there might be a problem within the Security Bureau itself.


    While the crime methods of the Child Rhyme Killer group were indeed sophisticated and professional, it was impossible for them not to leave any clues.


    You Ming felt that in the darkness, an invisible hand was helping the Child Rhyme Killer to erase all traces.


    a?€¡±This hand might very well belong to the Security Bureau behind him.


    You Ming looked up various pieces of information within the Security Bureau with a cold face.


    You Ming: Is that Hua Xin one of your people?


    Did you make contact with her regarding the assassination plans?


    Why is she not dealt with yet?


    You¡¯re far too confident, Smith!


    You Ming: How do you expect me to help with this mess?


    A total of six 6A-grade special tactical squads, carrying a large amount of heavy firepower.


    Even if they ran into the variant agent team from the Third Special Operations Division head-on, they would have enough power to repel them and also to kill the target of their mission.


    It was at this time that Hayden Smith saw that more than a dozen work groups related to Tianji Star at the Ninth Division were exploding simultaneously.


    a?€¡± Damn, what¡¯s going on in Luojing?


    Why are there so many Imperial Guards out on the streets?


    a?€¡± A fight broke out on Guangqing Street, two variant travelers were killed for resisting arrest!


    a?€¡± The Yitong Commercial House diagonally across from me has been sealed off, and it seems like the hundred or so people inside have all been arrested, with three being killed on the spot.


    a?€¡± Confirmed, it¡¯s a big operation by the Assassination Bureau.


    They¡¯ve mobilized twenty thousand Imperial Guards, thirty thousand Feathered-Forest guards, and they¡¯re not only arresting people all over the city but have also expanded to eight provinces in Zhili!


    It¡¯s said that in less than 10 minutes after the operation started, they¡¯ve already captured and killed nearly 300 variant travelers.


    a?€¡± The Security Bureau headquarters has issued another warning, ordering all variant travelers near Luojing and in Zhili to stop all operations and to pay attention to their personal safety!


    a?€¡± F*ck, this new commander of the Assassination Bureau has really gone mad.


    They say a new official sets fire three times, but how many fires does he want to light?


    a?€¡± Boss, I¡¯m in trouble.


    The Security Bureau has sealed off the Yonghong Rice Shop, and I¡¯ve been arrested.


    They were probably targeting the shop¡¯s owner and manager, but there¡¯s still a possibility of my exposure.


    a?€¡± Damn those ancestors, I¡¯ve also been caught.


    What are so many intelligence analysts at the Security Bureau doing?


    How could they let such a brutal person rise to power?


    Are they just watching with their eyes open?


    Can¡¯t they exert any influence?


    Having seen these messages from the variant agents, Hayden Smith inwardly felt a chilling dread.


    He thought this Lin Hao, the commander of the Assassination Bureau, was indeed extremely ruthless.


    The scandal of the Luo family¡¯s smuggling case hadn¡¯t even calmed down, and here was this man, stirring up a major incident in Luojing.


    This could possibly be the most formidable enemy the Security Bureau had faced in two hundred years.


    The fact that the Security Bureau¡¯s intelligence center and numerous analysts had let this person rise to power was indeed a grave mistake.


    Hayden Smith, anxious to deal with the variant traveler Hua Xin, did not continue to pay attention.


    In a hurry, he walked into the cubicle next to his office and opened his sleep chamber.


    This matter was of great importance, and Hayden Smith needed to be there personally to ensure peace of mind,


    At this time, the situation near Luojing was extremely dangerous.


    Despite the alarming atmosphere, Hayden Smith still decided to take the risk and enter, trying his best to eliminate the trouble before the Third Special Operations Division arrested Hua Xin¡¯s variant traveler.

 Chapter 389

    ?Chapter 389: Chapter 366: Divine Merit (Three more updates, please subscribe) Chapter 389: Chapter 366: Divine Merit (Three more updates, please subscribe) Inside Tianji Star, when the assassination bureau began a city-wide arrest, Lin Rui was setting up his own trading company.


    He brought out twenty or so literate and numerate youngsters from Yeting Palace.


    Just as his master had said, by signing a slave contract and a death pact, and implanting a Heart Control Jade Token in their bodies, he could ensure nothing would go wrong.


    Lin Rui himself was a ritualist, and among the top in the fifth realm at that, capable of all kinds of Illusion Array talismans without needing to seek help from others.


    This was of course very inhumane, but this concerned Lin Rui himself and many around him, he could not afford to be careless or merciful.


    Moreover, it was better for these sons of criminal officials to be working for him rather than staying in Yeting Palace being tormented by eunuchs and eventually becoming one of them.


    At least in terms of treatment, Lin Rui would certainly provide well for them.


    ...


    These children were definitely not reliable workers nor did they know how to do business, but the trading companies that Lin Rui was forming were just a bunch of shell companies engaged in arbitrage, requiring only inventory management, bookkeeping, and reselling, without complicated business processes.


    Their upstream partners wouldn¡¯t cheat him either.


    Without a special reason, who would risk offending the mighty commander of the assassination bureau over a little money?


    Did they not know how to spell ¡®death¡¯?


    In fact, the so-called ¡®trade¡¯ was essentially offering him protection money, asking him to act as a guarantor.


    Before Lin Rui could finish setting up his company, Zhou Yunfei sent him a message saying that East Asia had raised the prices of various bulk goods, and they currently needed three types of goods, including ¡®Divine Heart Tea,¡¯ ¡®Dream Grass,¡¯ and ¡®Star Sand,¡¯ as there was a particular shortage in the Federation and he hoped Lin Rui could help organize some.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): The purchase price has risen by 50% again, what¡¯s going on?


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    These items aren¡¯t exactly in short supply.


    Aren¡¯t there plenty of these goods within the Great Song regions?


    How could the prices have increased so suddenly?


    After reading Lin Rui¡¯s reply, Zhou Yunfei thought to himself, don¡¯t you know why yourself?


    But he still replied: Currently, more than a dozen businesses around Luo Capital have been sealed, and the remaining major firms have suspended their smuggling operations out of caution.


    Now, the supply of goods across Great Song has decreased by nearly two-thirds.


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui was stunned for a moment, suddenly realizing the immense utility of power.


    But if this deal was completed, would he be abusing his power for personal gain?


    Lin Rui found the Federal Exotic Act online, just opened it to check, and then gave up again.


    It¡¯s said that one¡¯s own family knows one¡¯s affairs best, and he had committed too many illegal and rule-breaking acts.@@@@


    Instead of thinking about how to avoid being prosecuted and held accountable, it would be better to advance to the ninth realm as soon as possible and become an honorary member of the congress.


    The ¡®Divine Merit Token¡¯ was no trivial matter; it not only enhanced the divine might of the Protective Country and the Calming Dragon projections, but it was also a ticket for a candidate Divine Envoy, equivalently a life-saving gold medal.


    All Martial Cultivators who obtained a ¡®Divine Merit Token¡¯ were people under the gods¡¯ watch; their status even surpassed that of the princes within the court.


    Even if they committed a crime, the ¡®Divine Envoy¡¯s Office¡¯ had no jurisdiction to deal with them; they needed to consult the deities!


    The issue was that the deities and their priests, aside from the crime of blasphemy, didn¡¯t pay much attention to any other offenses.


    Lin Rui thought that had he known this earlier, he would not have built so many firms; just building one firm under his own name would have sufficed, as others could not investigate the accounts and various businesses of his firms without Divine Palace approval.


    ¡°By the way, what made you contact me at this time?¡± Luo Wangshu asked with a light chuckle.


    ¡°It surely isn¡¯t because you want to take a leave, is it?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression turned solemn: ¡°Master, I just received another piece of intelligence involving a large number of extraterritorial Heavenly Demons, but I¡¯m currently short on manpower.


    The Treason Bureau is investigating several major cases simultaneously, and we¡¯re stretched thin, so I was hoping to borrow some more people from you.¡±


    This time, he didn¡¯t plan on involving anyone from his entourage or Xue Lingxue and the others.


    ¡°A large number of extraterritorial Heavenly Demons?¡± Luo Wangshu asked skeptically.


    ¡°How large a number?¡±


    Lin Rui immediately replied: ¡°More than 200 people, possibly 8 to 12 Transformed Dragon Martial Cultivators.¡±


    At that moment at Divine Scenery Mountain, Luo Wangshu narrowed her eyes.


    8 to 12 Transformed Dragon Martial Cultivators?


    This was undoubtedly another major Heavenly Demon case!


    Luo Wangshu then let out a bitter laugh.


    Her disciple was truly zealous in his hatred for demons!


    The same was true for devious demons as for Heavenly Demons.


    None of the past commanders of the Treason Bureau in the history of the Great Song Dynasty had ever initiated such stormy assaults on extraterritorial Heavenly Demons upon taking office.


    In just a few short days, he was about to cause the extraterritorial Heavenly Demons the loss of several Transformed Dragon Martial Cultivators.


    The child was perhaps too honest, taking his duties so earnestly that Luo Wangshu herself felt uneasya?€¡±


    Luo Wangshu nibbled her lips, wanting to advise Lin Hao to take things slowly.


    Fighting Heavenly Demons benefited the Great Song Dynasty and the deities, but once the extraterritorial Heavenly Demons began retaliating, the consequences would have to be borne by Lin Hao alone.


    Luo Wangshu sighed, thinking it would be better to remind him when he came to do his homework.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll allocate my Dragon Guards to you later.


    After this mission, remember to come here and do your homework; I have something to tell you.¡±

 Chapter 390

    ?Chapter 390: Chapter 367: Dragon Guard (Subscribe Please) Chapter 390: Chapter 367: Dragon Guard (Subscribe Please) Two hours later, on the eastern border of Luojing in Yingzhou, a sci-fi-esque small army was quickly marching through the wilderness.


    It comprised six 6A-grade special tactical squads, 247 extraterrestrial walkers, all equipped with Type 5 exoskeletal armor, along with twelve level 6 experts, two level 7s, and fourteen combat dragons.


    They were also equipped with 80 type 5 combat robots, 50 hovering armored vehicles, and 10 fire support vehicles.


    Although their heavy firepower was somewhat lacking, this was, after all, on Tianji Star, where resources were limited.


    Even for those large and medium-sized extraterrestrial companies, it was not easy to gather so many heavy firepower equipments.


    They even had ten ammunition supply vehicles and three optical stealth specialized combat vehicles, allowing so many armored vehicles to march under the broad daylight without attracting anyone¡¯s attention.


    Hayden Smith sat in a hovering armored vehicle, looking at the Type 8 ether scanner inside the vehicle.


    ...


    A middle-aged man in the uniform of a Safety Bureau admiral sat beside Smith, his gaze intently on the scanner interface, ¡°This area is near Qianci Forest, where magnetic storms are very chaotic.


    Almost all our detection equipment has failed.


    Are you sure it¡¯s here?


    Why would she run to this place?¡±


    His name was Reston, the director of the ¡®Extraterrestrial Center¡¯ of the ninth division.


    The three deputy directors of the ninth division each controlled an aspect, with You Ming having a firm grip on the Special Service Center and the Major Crimes Division, possessing immense power within the ninth base city.


    Smith, on the other hand, was mainly responsible for affairs concerning Tianji Star, and had always controlled the ¡®Extraterrestrial Center.¡¯


    Go to novgo.co


    However, at this moment, Reston was very dissatisfied with the mess left by Hayden Smith.


    After doing that kind of thing, he still allowed that woman Hua Xin to stay alive, which was overly confident of his superior.


    Of course, no one expected that Zhou Yunfei would actually manage to get that ¡°Heavenly Demon¡± case file from the rape bureau, which could indict Hua Xin.


    Hayden Smith¡¯s expression was exceedingly grim, ¡°I¡¯ve arranged a safe house for her nearby in Ying Tian County; I gave her an identity with rich family history and abundant resources, where she could cultivate in peace.


    She must have learned that her main body was arrested.


    That¡¯s why she fled here.


    It¡¯s quite smart of her.


    novgo.co


    In Qianci Forest, the quantum communication module in her brain can be isolated.¡±


    Since both the main body of Hua Xin and the deity she was using were taken down, the Third Special Operations Department could apply for permission and use special technical means to track her extraterrestrial position through the connection between Hua Xin¡¯s main body and the extraterrestrial biochip.


    Admiral Reston frowned, ¡°I have some concerns.


    This could very well be a trap.


    I smell something very suspicious.¡±


    Not only was he an experienced extraterrestrial agent, but he had also served in the military, giving him a very sharp sense of smell.


    ¡°We cannot rule out that possibility!¡± Hayden Smith nodded, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m mobilizing a major force, not only bringing all of you but also borrowing three 6A special tactical squads from our allies.


    Even if there is a trap, they can¡¯t handle it.


    Moreover, if this person were involved in the ambush, should it be exposed in the future, it would definitely cause an international uproar, leading to collective condemnation of the East Asian side.


    The twelve satellites of Tianji Star, the East Asian Republic alone possessed the sovereignty of seven satellitesa?€¡±the largest in size, richest in resources, most strategically located, and with the greatest developmental potential.


    In the past, although East Asia had shared two satellites with the federal government to unify the various polities within the federation, the internal entities were still very dissatisfied with East Asia¡¯s domineering attitude.


    Since the other polities were not as powerful, and East Asia was adept at forming alliances, they dared not speak out.


    Hayden Smith was both shocked and enraged.


    He immediately contacted his original self via quantum communication, uploading the video evidence to the base city!


    If it was really Zhou Yunfei, or someone from the East Asian side, Smith would make them pay a heavy price!


    Because of the strong storm¡¯s interference, the sighting systems inside the armored vehicle were seriously distorted.


    When Hayden Smith burst out of the armored vehicle ready to join the battle, he saw his subordinate, General Reston, who had rushed out before him, standing stiffly outside the door.


    ¡°Reston, youa?€¡±¡±


    Hayden Smith¡¯s expression also stiffened slightly, falling into a daze.


    He saw sixteen war dragons, each seven zhang tall, charging from all directions, and what was terrifying was that the edges of the patterns on these war dragons were all dark gold.


    Hayden Smith¡¯s scalp tingled.


    These sixteen war dragons were all uniformly seventh-tier emperors!


    Looking up at the sky again, he saw three more war dragons hovering above.


    Two of these war dragons, eight zhang tall and covered in dark gold, were of the eighth-tier super emperor rank.


    The remaining one, Smith recognized, and this recognition filled him with even more fear and despair.


    a?€¡±That was unmistakably the projection of the national war dragon, ¡®Lingming Tongtian Dragon¡¯.


    The appearance of this ¡®Lingming Tongtian Dragon¡¯ caused all their quantum communication systems to become unusable.


    Hayden Smith now knew who the enemy was.


    It was clearly that person who made the headquarters of the National Security bureau issue warnings twice, feeling like facing a formidable enemya?€¡±the director of the spy bureau, Lin Hao!


    As for the seventh-tier and eighth-tier experts surrounding them, they must be the strongest forces under the third Divine Envoy, Luo Wangshu¡¯s command, the ¡®Divine Envoy Dragon Guard¡¯!


    What was terrifying was that Lin Hao, while extensively capturing aberrant walkers around Luo Jing, had also summoned such a powerful force, intending to encircle and annihilate them here!


    Hayden Smith felt a surge of utter despair spread throughout his body, and then let out a roar full of resentment and rage, ¡°Zhou Yunfei, how dare you betray me?¡±


    He knew it had to be Zhou Yunfei who sold the information about Hua Xin¡¯s aberration and his own intelligence to the spy bureau director, Lin Hao.


    General Reston felt an extreme bitterness in his mouth.


    He knew about Smith selling out their colleagues¡¯ intelligence, intending to overthrow Zhou Yunfei.


    So now, they were being paid back in their own coin, treated with their own methods.


    In the next instant, waves of fierce and intense sword energies swept from all directions, tearing through the dense barrages they had fired, creating numerous huge gaps, and then sweeping in, slicing those armored vehicles into pieces.


    Hayden Smith knew no matter what, they could not possibly be a match for this Divine Envoy Dragon Guard.


    He lost all will to fight and immediately leaped towards his own war dragon, preparing to enter the dragon and use his unique abilities to escapea?€¡±although Smith was also clear that the likelihood of escaping was minuscule.

 Chapter 391

    ?Chapter 391: Chapter 368: Cloud (Please Subscribe) Chapter 391: Chapter 368: Cloud (Please Subscribe) ¡°`


    In the capital city of Luojing, within the residence of the Imperial Censor Zhao.


    Linghu Mingde, who was leisurely fishing in the backyard, received a message from his granddaughter.


    Rain Falling on Dust (Fang Ranran): Grandfather, the operation by the Anti-Treason Division is almost complete, and it can be considered a grand spectacle.


    Nearly eighty percent of the heterodox practitioners on our list have been arrested.


    Linghu Mingde broke into a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve seen it, the young man is not bad at all, when he moves, he does so like thunderous landslides.


    He even deliberately slowed down for a few days, used misdirection, letting everyone lower their guard, which is very good.¡±


    Fang Ranran, however, was not convinced after seeing the message.


    In her view, ever since Lin Hao took office, his approach appeared erratic and random, swinging the hammer here and there, making it hard to discern his true intentions.


    ...


    The reason he waited until today to take action should be that the Anti-Treason Division was unable to spare the manpower until now.


    However, Lin Hao¡¯s move had produced surprising effects.


    When everyone thought Lin Hao would focus solely on the smuggling case and the arson case involving the Luo family¡¯s estate and had no time for other matters, he turned around and struck another blow.


    This time, many people inside and outside the city of Luojing were caught off guard, not expecting Lin Hao to take action against them.


    Of course, the main reason was the accurate intelligence provided by her grandfather Linghu Mingde, something nobody anticipated.


    Go to novgo.co


    This was also where she felt an inward sense of concern.


    Rain Falling on Dust (Fang Ranran): Grandfather, are we really okay doing this?


    Some should be able to guess what we¡¯re up to, and we¡¯ll offend many people.


    Linghu Mingde shook his head, ¡°Ranran, although you¡¯re clever and have inherited most of your father¡¯s excellent traits, you are far less ruthless and determined than he was.¡±


    However, this was exactly why Linghu Mingde liked this child.


    At this time, Linghu Mingde received a video call request.


    The caller was Ram Kaziya, CEO of Kangcai Passenger Ship Company.


    Linghu Mingde switched to an audio call and accepted the request.


    The CEO spoke with fury: ¡°Mr.


    Linghu, the intelligence for this Anti-Treason Division¡¯s operation must have come from you, right?


    What you are doing is highly unethical!


    You have not only violated the Federal Heterodox Act but also betrayed your compatriots.¡±


    Linghu Mingde smiled faintly, ¡°Mr.


    Kaziya, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.


    Moreover, this kind of baseless slander without evidence; I will have someone send you a lawyer¡¯s letter.¡±


    Linghu Mingde stood up gracefully, picked up some rice from a table nearby, and threw it into the lake: ¡°Since you¡¯ve contacted me now, let¡¯s discuss the matter we talked about a few days ago.


    Can you stop the starship leasing cooperation between Kangcai Passenger Ship Company and Jin¡¯s Trading Company?¡±


    Ram Kaziya¡¯s voice grew frosty, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°No!


    I don¡¯t mean to threaten you,¡± said Linghu Mingde, his lips curling slightly.


    ¡°This is the final ultimatum before a declaration of war!


    But he decidedly wouldn¡¯t allow it¨Cnever!


    Agreeing to Blue Sky Group¡¯s acquisition of Mingde University in exchange for helping Ranran inherit her mother¡¯s legacy and get a share of Blue Sky Group¡¯s stock was just his first step.


    The second step was to elevate his granddaughter to the clouds!


    Rainfall on the Heart (Fang Ranran): !!


    17 million?


    How is that possible?


    How could the Ninth Base City have so many followers of the Holy Sect?


    Also, granduncle, after all, this is the Guang Ming Holy Sect, a cult recognized by the government.


    Linghu Mingde: The Guang Ming Holy Sect may be a cult, but their followers are legitimate citizens of the Federation.


    If you had looked into the details of this Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9, you would know that this artificial AI has tirelessly provided relief for orphans and widows, secured jobs for followers, and each year has invested a massive amount of money to obtain legal status and protection for the lower district followers.


    Its actual influence far exceeds these 17 million people, and you also have to consider the millions of families behind these 17 million people.


    Linghu Mingde: So, take it down!


    You need their votes, and they might also need you.


    The money and social resources you have can offer them shelter.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s pupils dilated slightly, her mind first overwhelmed by shock, then she clenched her fists tightly, her eyes burning passionately.


    novgo.co


    She had never imagined that there could be such a huge voting bloc within the Ninth Base City.


    But could she convince that Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9?


    Fang Ranran was exceptionally decisive in her actions, she immediately drove to the Federal Security Bureau¡¯s Ninth Division, planning to use her connections there to collect specific information about the Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9 and the Guang Ming Holy Sect.


    She did not plan to act rashly now but instead prepared for a comprehensive understanding of the Heart of Guang Ming No.


    9 and this voter group.


    She needed to know the personality and preferences of No.


    9, and the needs of these Guang Ming followersa?€¡±only then could she come up with a persuasive plan.


    At that moment, Fang Ranran received a new piece of intelligence.


    The deputy director of the Ninth Division of the Security Bureau, Hayden Smith, and General Reston, the director of the ¡®Extranormal Centre,¡¯ were likely captured in the Qianci Forest near the Xingzhou border, and most of the special tactical squads accompanying them, six Class 6A groups, were killed in action.


    Their bodies have been sent to the ICU, and from the current situation, there seems no possibility of regaining consciousness.


    Furthermore, based on the messages sent by these individuals before the battle, they were likely surrounded and annihilated by the Divine Envoy Dragon Guard of the Third Divine Envoy.


    Based on the analysis of all available intelligence, the deaths of Hayden Smith and others are likely related to Lin Hao of the Espionage Bureau, and part of the Espionage Bureau¡¯s purge operation.


    Fang Ranran carefully reviewed the battle report, immediately gasping in astonishment.


    In this operation, the Federation lost 14 high-tier experts!


    And a figure like Hayden Smith was already a high-ranking official within the Federal Security Bureau.


    Linghu Mingde saw the information too, his expression one of immense surprise.


    This was beyond his expectations and made him doubt his own judgment.

 Chapter 392

    ?Chapter 392: Chapter 369 Divine Grace (Three more updates for monthly ticket) Chapter 392: Chapter 369 Divine Grace (Three more updates for monthly ticket) The skies 1000 li east of Luojing, Luo Wangshu¡¯s Eight Dragons Flying Vehicle swiftly navigated through the air.


    Lin Rui, along with Luo Wangshu¡¯s Dragon Guard team and the hundred-plus extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons they had captured, were all on board the massive flying vehicle.


    The battle within Qianci Forest had concluded over half an hour earlier, and after they had cleaned up the battlefield, they reached the airspace above Luojing within just a quarter of an hour.


    It was apparent that the dozen or so members of the Dragon Guard team were mostly relaxed and cheerful, even clearly delighted.


    They had set out half a day ago on the orders of the Third Divine Envoy, to lay an ambush in Qianci Forest, never imagining it would turn into such a massive operation.


    They had captured and killed more than 200 extraterrestrial entities, amongst them 14 Martial Cultivators who had undergone dragon transformation or higher.


    For these Dragon Guards, possessing cultivation levels reaching the seventh or even the eighth realm, it was a tremendous feat of merit and would allow them to exchange for some fine items from within the Great Song court.


    ...


    Additionally, their spoils of war were substantial: just the exoskeleton armors alone were quite valuable, and a portion of the armored vehicles and intact battle Mechas could be exchanged for a substantial amount of money from the Mechanical God Temple.


    Unfortunately, the vast majority of these were Heavenly Demon weapons the Great Song dynasty had already acquired, lacking the latest and greatest technologies from extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons.


    Lin Rui took the captives Hayden Smith and General Reston up to the third floor of the flying vehicle for interrogation.


    The deputy leader of the Dragon Guard team was an eighth-realm technique master, with highly formidable Illusion Techniques.


    With the deputy leader¡¯s hypnotic illusions and the special enhanced truth serum disguised as pills given by Lin Rui, they could extract many important pieces of information from the two without their awareness.


    Lin Rui not only grasped the numerous forces backing Hayden Smith but also secured a vast list of the names of extraterrestrial entities, including their identities and locations.


    ¡°A Western military technology company, huh?


    Go to novgo.co


    Now, that¡¯s interesting.¡±


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes.


    Although Hayden Smith was tightly connected to over a dozen smuggling syndicates and mafias in the Ninth Base City, his main backing still came from this Western military technology company.


    This was a mega conglomerate supported by the North American Federation and the Atlantic Union, whose primary business revolved around dealing in all types of weaponry and prosthetics while maintaining a force of a million mercenaries and over a hundred thousand extraterrestrial entities.


    They took orders from the federal government and various politbodies within the Federation to carry out diverse missions both within and beyond the Polar Star, and even to wage wars.


    The ¡°Emperor¡± series of exoskeleton armors and the ¡°King¡± and ¡°Knight¡± series of battle Mechas were products of the Western military technology company¡¯s research and development.


    Lin Rui saved the video recording, thinking that the parties in East Asia would probably be very interested in this matter.


    Furthermore, based on the testimonies, he could obtain evidence of Smith¡¯s collusion with the Espionage Bureau and footage proving the Western military technology company¡¯s intent to overthrow the government of the Ninth Base City, which could be of great help to him in the future.


    He and Zhou Yunfei had long made comprehensive plans, ensuring they could withstand scrutiny from the committee even upon a future return to the Federation.


    Hayden Smith was suspected of treason, intending to use the environment of Qianci Forest to engage in traitorous dealings with someone, and to prevent further losses, it was necessary to carry out the capture and killing in Qianci Forest.


    Now with these pieces of evidence, there was no longer any need for him to fabricate more.


    Lin Rui even extracted information about the secret funds held by the two, totaling over 120 billion Federation dollars, hidden at their secret basea?€¡±regrettably, however, this money was all unclean black money.


    This Smith actually had two Type-7 Red Spiders and six Type-6 Red Spiders guarding his secret base.


    Though a man of the Western military technology company, he preferred the Red Spiders developed by the ¡®Eurasian Union¡¯a?€¡±tough and easy to repair.


    After the interrogation, Lin Rui turned to two elegantly shaped and beautiful women beside him, expressing his gratitude with a bow, ¡°For this operation, I appreciate the assistance of all the lords, but I must ask for your help once more to escort these Heavenly Demons to the Divine Inquisition Bureau!¡±


    These two had no doubts about Lin Hao¡¯s interrogation of Hayden Smith and the others.


    Suppression of demonic forces was precisely the duty of the Espionage Bureau, and with Lin Hao as the command envoy of the bureau, his knowledge of extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons naturally surpassed that of others.


    The only novelty was the effectiveness of the drug given to these Heavenly Demons, which, combined with the deputy leader¡¯s hypnotic technique, could make a seventh-realm Heavenly Demon confess obediently, revealing everything when questioned.


    The leader of the Third Divine Envoy¡¯s Dragon Guard team, Jing Yuefang, laughed lightly, ¡°Lord Lin is being too polite.


    We should be thanking you for leading us in this meritorious achievement.¡±


    The operation was incredibly easy, practically handing them merit on a silver platter.


    ¡°Is that Lin Hao?


    The new chief of the Assassination Bureau?¡±


    ¡°So young~ Damn it!


    I can¡¯t believe I got caught by this guy.¡±


    ¡°Had I known he was so fierce, I would have taken a big demerit from the company and fled from Luo Jing.


    Those bastards at the company, despite the Security Agency issuing warnings twice, still refused to let us evacuate!


    Now we¡¯re doomed.¡±


    ¡°Lin Hao!


    You bastard of the Supreme Star, I curse you to die a horrible death!¡±


    ¡°Where is he?


    Let me have a look, if I can¡¯t see what my enemy looks like, I won¡¯t rest in death!


    I won¡¯t let go of him even when I¡¯m deada?€¡±¡±


    ¡°Look!


    Who is that behind him, isn¡¯t that Hayden Smith¡¯s alter-ego, the deputy director of the ninth division of the Security Agency!


    I¡¯ve taken missions from him; I recognize him.¡±


    ¡°Shit, that¡¯s an active high-ranking official from the Security Agency!


    Could it be that even such a significant figure has been brought down?¡±


    Lin Rui was completely unfazed and continued walking expressionless.


    When he arrived on the eighth underground floor of the Divine Prison, the second to last, he saw that Yuan Chengkai was imprisoned in a cell near the stairway entrance.


    Not only did Yuan Chengkai see Lin Rui, but he also saw the people behind Lin Rui, his eyes filled with a complex mix of anger, fear, and dread.


    Although he had cut off all channels of news, today this eighth floor had been crammed with more than twenty transformed Heavenly Demons of the dragon phase.


    Yuan Chengkai learned from the prison guards¡¯ discussions that this new chief of the Assassination Bureau had filled all 1200 cells of the Divine Prison in less than 10 days.


    Lin Rui glanced sideways at this man but did not pay further attention, continuing forward with the alter-egos of Hayden Smith and the others.


    He intended to take advantage of the presence of the dragon guard vice-captain to interrogate Zhu Tiantang, the eighth-level spellcaster, once again.


    Just then, a golden beam of light suddenly appeared in front of Lin Rui, and a voice as ancient as thunder, filled with majesty and power, thundered through the dark and eerie prison.


    ¡°I have heard that the ancient sages praised those with virtue and rewarded those with talent.


    novgo.co


    Now, the chief of the Assassination Bureau, Lin Hao, with extraordinary wit, loyalty, integrity, and dedication, promotes virtue and graces, can secure the state.


    I highly appreciate this and hereby confer one Divine Merit Order!¡±


    The voice was deep and strong.


    Each word seemed like a meticulously carved boulder, resonating clearly, trembling everything around.a?€?


    The many dragon guards and prison guards following Lin Rui trembled slightly and knelt down one after another.


    The multitude of prisoners in the cells also showed complex expressions, their eyes filled with fear.


    They recognized the voice; it came from that deitya?€¡±the East Abyss!


    Yuan Chengkai¡¯s face turned ashen white.


    He knew that he no longer had any chance of escaping from the Divine Prison, nor any hope of taking revenge on Lin Rui.

 Chapter 393

    ?Chapter 393: Chapter 370: Inquiry (Please Subscribe) Chapter 393: Chapter 370: Inquiry (Please Subscribe) ¡°`


    In the high skies 50,000 li south of Luo Jing, Jin Bolong¡¯s mood was at rock bottom.


    In the early hours of today, upon learning about Prince Han¡¯s scandal with Consort Hui and his resulting degradation to commoner status and confinement, they took no chances and immediately boarded a starship, seeking temporary refuge in the high skies 50,000 li away in case of unforeseen events.


    novgo.co


    However, what Jin Bolong did not expect was that before he could grasp the whole situation with Prince Han, a series of bad news hit him.


    Jin Corporation did not suffer significant losses in this massive crackdown by the Adultery Bureau.


    Their business center was not in Luo Jing to begin with, and thanks to Jin Bolong¡¯s prudence in withdrawing the group¡¯s assets and elites in advance, the losses were minimal.


    Although they did have over 200 heterogeneous practitioners captured, all of them were minor rogues below the Four Realms, irrelevant to the Jin family.


    ...


    However, from noon until now, twelve companies have made announcements, either terminating their contracts with Jin Corporation or dissolving their business agreements with them.


    This resulted in another halt in the stock price drop for the Jin family¡¯s three listed companies, with their market value almost halved compared to a month ago.


    If not for the solid foundation he had built over the hundreds of years since taking over the company from his father, they would now be insolvent.


    But the situation was getting worsea?€¡±the profits of the three listed companies had greatly diminished, and if this continued, the Jin family, no matter how much savings they had, would not last long.


    Jin Bolong had no choice but to personally make a video call to a four-star marshal, seeking help.


    Although it was a video call, the marshal appeared with only his strong hands and the upper half of his torso visible onscreen.


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    He was playfully fondling a completely white cat nestled in his arms: ¡°Joining forces to take out this commander of the Adultery Bureau?


    But why not Linghu Mingde?@@@@


    That would be a real solution for you, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, there might be a heterogeneous practitioner with a bloodline rating of 8 SSS within the Zhao family, with an unknown identity!


    We are not fully confident we can assassinate them.¡±


    Jin Bolong¡¯s eyes narrowed, revealing a glint of anticipation: ¡°However, if the marshal is willing, we can indeed change our target.¡±


    The four-star marshal laughed heartily at these words: ¡°The problem is, I have no grievances or conflicts with the Zhao family.¡±


    Then his tone turned cold: ¡°Tell me, what are you prepared to offer as a bargaining chip?¡±


    Jin Bolong took a deep breath: ¡°Six special tactical squads of 7A level!


    Four Red Spider Type 8s, two practitioners of the Eighth Realm!


    In addition, we can put forward 50 billion Federation dollars to hire external manpower.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± the four-star marshal¡¯s voice contained a hint of surprise: ¡°Jin Corporation indeed has extraordinary strength.


    But this must be all you can muster.


    For that Lin Hao, is it worth it?¡±


    Jin Bolong thought, of course it was worth ita?€¡±now they only had to kill the newly appointed commander of the Adultery Bureau to swiftly get out of this predicament.


    Taking into account Lin Hao¡¯s performance in the assassination plot a few days ago, they had to give it their all!


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not impossible to give it a try.


    To my knowledge, the Security Bureau is also devising assassination plans specifically against Lin Hao.¡±


    On behalf of the National Security Committee, I express remembrance and condolences to all the alien special agents who died in this case, may their valiant souls endure forever.


    However, this also leads us to surmise that you, General Zhou, had a motive for revenge.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei shook his head slightly, ¡°I repeat, I do not understand why he went to the Qianci Forest, nor do I understand his baseless speculation.


    It is necessary to mention that while chasing the alien Han Lanxin, I and the vast majority of the Third Special Operations Division¡¯s members were located over 8,000 miles away in Qiulin County and captured Han Lanxin at 6:00 PM that day.


    So, even if I wanted revenge, how could I have known his whereabouts?¡±


    As he said this, the corners of his lips turned up, revealing a hint of ironic amusement, ¡°Furthermore, as the congressman stated, if Smith is suspected of treason, according to the Spy Management Act, I could employ any means necessary to eliminate Smith.¡±


    Including issuing instructions to Lin Rui to help eliminate this traitor.


    Fang Xianzheng and the First Marshal were momentarily taken aback at his words.


    Han Lanxin was in Qiulin County at that time?


    Not in the Qianci Forest, what was going on?


    Then why did Hayden Smith go to the Qianci Forest?


    If that was the case, then the logic they had previously conjectured no longer stood.


    ¡°General Zhou, Smith is only suspected of treason; it has not been confirmed,¡± Fang Xianzheng received a message at that moment.


    His pupils dilated slightly, showing a hint of surprise.


    The Divine Merit Order?


    This Treason Bureau commander named Lin Hao had received the Divine Merit Order so quickly?


    After a moment of contemplation, Fang Xianzheng brushed away the various documents and videos that had popped up around him, his face breaking into a warm smile, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s no issue.


    General Zhou, after all, this involves the life and death of a Security Bureau general, our committee must have a comprehensive understanding and provide a public account, it¡¯s just routine procedure, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng didn¡¯t expect this inquiry to yield anything, as it was only based on Smith¡¯s speculation with no evidence.


    Trying to deal a blow to Minister Zhou, with his deep background, was simply laughable.


    Moreover, Hayden Smith was already suspected of treason.


    He glanced to the side, ¡°Is the staffer there?


    I¡¯m about to make some informal inquiries, there¡¯s no need for video and audio recording.¡±


    After receiving confirmation from the staff member, Fang Xianzheng¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°General Zhou, I have something I hope you will answer truthfully, this matter relates to the interests of the entire Earth Federation and the future strategies of the Security Bureau in the Great Song.


    I want to know if you have a way to contact the commander of the Treason Bureau, Lin Hao?


    I solemnly assure you, only the First Marshal and I will be aware of this answer, and I guarantee that the Security Bureau and all law enforcement agencies will not use this as grounds for allegations or investigations against you, nor will it affect your career.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei was initially puzzled, then suddenly understood.


    Lin Rui, he actually received the Divine Merit Order?


    Zhou Yunfei found it unfathomable, Lin Rui, an otherworldly Heavenly Demon, had infiltrated the core of the Imperial City.


    And to think he had received the Divine Merit Order so quickly!


    After Lin Rui became the commander of the Treason Bureau, it was highly probable that he would receive the Divine Merit Order, but that was usually after they had been promoted by three or four ranks.


    Yet Lin Rui had attained the ¡®Divine Merit¡¯ in such a short time.


    With the current situation of the Great Song Dynasty, what was the difference between Lin Rui now and a Prince of the nation?

 Chapter 394

    ?Chapter 394: Chapter 371: Clues (Please Subscribe) Chapter 394: Chapter 371: Clues (Please Subscribe) Zhou Yunfei looked emotionlessly at Fang Xianzheng and then glanced at the always silent First Supreme Commander beside him.


    He noticed that the eyes of both men were somewhat sharp, especially Fang Xianzheng¡¯s.


    The light in the depths of that smiley tiger¡¯s pupils was like a knife.


    Zhou Yunfei knew Fang Xianzheng was an extremely clever person.


    How could he fail to see the signs?


    He and Lin Rui had dealt with Hayden Smith¡¯s matter flawlessly.


    Lin Rui even obtained evidence of the man¡¯s treason after the fact, solving the last procedural issue.


    ...


    But these people wouldn¡¯t care about all that.


    They could make reasonable inferences directly through the internal and external connections and ultimate results of the case.


    However, this was within his expectations.


    For the sake of facilitating future actions, the Ninth Division needed to engage in some superficial ¡°cooperation¡± with ¡°Lin Hao.¡±


    The smuggling deal the East Asian Federation was about to conduct with Lin Rui and his disciple, Luo Wangshu, couldn¡¯t possibly be kept from everyone.


    Zhou Yunfei¡¯s expression remained grave, ¡°I can only say that our Ninth Division currently has a plan revolving around Lin Hao, the Director of the Espionage Bureau.


    Beyond that, I have nothing to add.¡±


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    The First Supreme Commander and Fang Xianzheng exchanged glances, finding Zhou Yunfei¡¯s answer quite interesting.


    He didn¡¯t directly answer about ¡°having contact channels¡± but mentioned having a ¡°plan revolving around Lin Hao,¡± which left room for multiple possibilities.


    Fang Xianzheng narrowed his eyes, intrigued, and asked Zhou Yunfei a few more questions.


    Discovering that the man remained tight-lipped, unable to extract anything, he ended the interrogation abruptly and kicked Zhou Yunfei out of the virtual meeting.


    Fang Xianzheng then frowned slightly, ¡°Supreme Commander, I think there¡¯s a problem with Zhou Yunfei¡¯s answers just now.


    The Security Bureau needs to investigate the relationship between Zhou Yunfei and Lin Hao more deeply.


    We also must understand the details of this plan.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.


    To maintain our security front, we must allow some autonomy to those below.¡±


    The First Supreme Commander responded emotionlessly, ¡°We currently don¡¯t have evidence that Zhou Yunfei sold out Smith.


    Hayden Smith indeed has suspicions of treason and crimes against humanity.


    Without further evidence, there¡¯s no need to look deeper into this case.¡±


    He had actually started to suspect Zhou Yunfei¡¯s subordinate, the Third Special Operations Department, and the ¡®Thunder¡¯ Major General with X-level security clearance.


    The so-called ¡®Thunder¡¯ Major General was in fact a first-year student from Mingde University named Lin Rui, who was also a rising martial arts star.


    The First Supreme Commander couldn¡¯t understand why Zhou Yunfei would recruit Lin Rui with such high standards.


    At this moment, he harbored a suspiciona?€¡±there might be a connection between the ¡®Thunder¡¯ Major General and Lin Hao.


    But was this possible?


    A 19-year-old youth had become a Director of the Grand Song Dynasty¡¯s Espionage Bureau and even received the Divine Merit Order, becoming one of the few candidates likely to be promoted to Divine Envoy in the future.


    With the shrewdness of the First Supreme Commander, his heart actually fluttered slightly, and his blood surged with excitement.


    This was only his guess; further investigation was needed.


    The First Supreme Commander didn¡¯t plan to share this highly confidential information with Fang Xianzheng.


    The Supreme Commander had joined the ¡®Divine Light Assembly¡¯ because he disdained the various ugliness and disorder within the Federation, wanting to overthrow and clean them up.


    In the end, it was the former Federation President who, by going alone to a stronghold of the Divine Light Assembly to meet with the Supreme Commander, persuaded him with reasons such as ¡®a civil war could lead to massive casualties among the Federation¡¯s civilians¡¯ and ¡®humanity must decode the secrets of Longevity and the East Abyss as soon as possible, without wasting resources and strength in a civil war.¡¯ He promised substantial powers, convincing the Supreme Commandera?€¡±who possessed the strength of a nine-realm emperora?€¡±to leave the rebellious group of the Divine Light Assembly.


    But what now?


    The Supreme Commander could not tolerate the various dirty and dark deeds within the Federation.


    He had even become, to some extent, the blade of the parasitic class of the Federation, suppressing internal strife.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    In the office of the director of the ninth division, Zhou Yunfei relaxed visibly and sighed a breath of relief after leaving the meeting.


    His teacher, a white-haired old man with the rank of two-star marshal, sat opposite him.


    Seeing this, he smiled and said, ¡°That Fang Xianzheng, does he put a lot of pressure on you?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?


    That¡¯s Fang Xianzheng, the political fox.


    Even Xu Yu, who is also called a fox, is not fit to carry his shoes.


    He is very clever with strong insight.


    I suspect he has already noticed something.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei sat down across from the white-haired old man, ¡°I¡¯m not actually afraid of him leaking information, I¡¯m just worried he might use it to profit.


    Fang Xianzheng is notoriously good at using all resources.


    As long as it¡¯s useful to him, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to suck the marrow from the bones.¡±


    He then personally poured tea for his teacher, ¡°I really must thank you for this time.


    If not for you, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to capture Hua Xin¡¯s aberrant form.¡±


    What he actually wanted to say was that it was thanks to his teacher¡¯s Illusion Technique that they were able to lure Hayden Smith and his group into the Qianci Forest.


    However, Zhou Yunfei was very cautious and would not mention these things within the Security Bureau.


    ¡°It was just a trifle, I did it for the sake of my student, Han Kedao.


    The key is that there was no risk involved,¡± the white-haired old man chuckled.


    What he had done was, strictly speaking, against the rulesa?€¡±covering up the true whereabouts of the aberrant being Hua Xin and releasing a false signal.


    Indeed, there was no risk involved.


    ¡°However, I honestly did not expect the ninth division to have deteriorated so badly in just a few decades.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei wondered when he first took office if he had ever considered that people like Hayden Smith would stoop so low as to betray the aberrant beings of the division in order to undermine his authority.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed in a terrible state, but we have already seen hope.


    We¡¯ve found evidence of Hayden Smith¡¯s treason, and You Ming is also troubled by the nursery rhyme killer case.


    In at most two years, I should be able to complete the goal of cleaning up the ninth division.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei, holding the teapot, had a different light in his eyes, ¡°Teacher, you must know, right?


    Lin Hao has received the Divine Merit Order.¡±


    ¡°The whole city of Luo Capital knows, how could I not know?¡±


    The white-haired old man¡¯s expression also changed, ¡°To think he has reached this point, gaining the trust of the gods.¡±


    At this point, he paused and set down his teacup with a solemn expression, ¡°Let¡¯s talk later, the Spirit Illusion has appeared.¡±

 Chapter 395

    ?Chapter 395: Chapter 372: Confrontation (Please Subscribe) Chapter 395: Chapter 372: Confrontation (Please Subscribe) The eighth level of the Divine Prison, Lin Rui was equally astonished by the divine reward.


    The master had clearly said that after the two cases of the Assassination Bureau were concluded, the Temple Priest would bestow the ¡®Divine Merit Order¡¯.


    Yet barely half a day had passed when Lin Rui had already received the ¡®Divine Merit Order,¡¯ personally granted by the divine being, its jade voice spreading throughout Luo City.


    This was Lin Rui¡¯s first contact with the East Abyss; he stood with a solemn expression, devoid of thought and desire, appearing supremely devout, ¡°Your servant vows to loyally serve the Divine!


    Willing to protect East Continent¡¯s peace with iron-blooded loyalty and a sincere heart, to repay even a fraction of divine grace!¡±


    As soon as Lin Rui finished speaking, a golden light suddenly burst forth around him, sweeping and spreading over a space more than ten yards around him, illuminating the originally gloomy and dark prison with a bright, dazzling light, resplendent in gold and jade.


    With his head bowed, Lin Rui saw a drop of golden liquid fly into view and land on his forehead.


    Then, a cool sensation seeped into his body, spreading into his limbs and bones.


    ...


    Moments later, Lin Rui felt all the blood in his body boiling, surging and churning rapidly like the tides within his vessels.


    At the same time, deep within Lin Rui¡¯s marrow, bits of strength began to emerge, to awaken, to consolidate.


    Lin Rui had only recently awakened the SSS+ tier talent ¡®Divine Sun Celestial Body.¡¯ He had estimated that it might take one or two years of accumulation to awaken the next bloodline talent.


    Yet, in just a moment after the golden liquid entered his body, he felt a new kind of talent power being born deep within him.


    Lin Rui sensed that the strength of this talent was in no way inferior to the ¡®Divine Sun Celestial Body!¡¯ It was currently awakening at an astonishing speed due to the golden liquid.


    This made Lin Rui marvel.


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    On one hand, it was because of his ¡®Sacred Thunder Body,¡¯ his ¡®Sacred Thunder Body¡¯ was a very powerful bloodline Sacred Body which even in its basic form, had 3 SSS tier talent powers.@@@@


    But now, the number of SSS tier and above talents he had awakened had already exceeded three!


    On the other hand, it was the golden liquid itself.


    Lin Rui wondered, what exactly was this thing that in such a short time, could awaken an SSS tier, or even SSS+ tier talent by nearly half?


    Lin Rui then had a slight stirring in his thoughts and thought of somethinga?€¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s divine blood, that¡¯s divine blood!


    This guy actually got divine blood!¡±


    ¡°What is divine blood?


    Hmm~ I seem to have heard of it, it¡¯s said to be able to help people condense the most top-tier bloodline talents and significantly enhance their physical bodies, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say ¡®seem to¡¯ or ¡®supposedly,¡¯ it is!


    Fuck his ancestors, this bastard is really damn lucky, to have obtained the Divine Merit Order and divine blood at this age!¡±


    ¡°Heh, this is called good luck?


    It¡¯s clearly bought with our lives and blood.¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen, better calm down, now that we¡¯ve fallen this low, death is not far.


    What¡¯s the point?¡±


    Hearing the cursing voices coming from several rooms around him, Lin Rui immediately narrowed his eyes, wondering if these guys were seeking death.


    How dare they speak insolently in the presence of a divine being?


    However, the golden light around him was already slowly fading.


    When Lin Rui asked about some irrelevant matters, Zhu Tiantang explained everything in detail, but when he inquired about the mastermind behind Zhu Tiantang and the supercomputer and database passwords in that base, among other confidential information, Zhu Tiantang showed a very strong resistance and resolutely refused to utter a word.


    Lin Rui only managed to interrogate some secret funds that Zhu Tiantang knew about, probably, in this guy¡¯s eyes, those 100+ billion in black gold were just trivial matters.


    However, just as Lin Rui was leaving the Divine Prison Division with both joy and regret, as he passed the eighth level of the Divine Prison Division, he heard Yuan Chengkai suddenly speak from the cell next to him, ¡°Lord Lin, please wait!


    I have something I wish to discuss with Lord Lin.¡±


    Lin Rui glanced at him and continued toward the staircase ahead.


    Whether Yuan Chengkai wanted to talk to him would depend on whether Lin Rui was interested in listening.


    After all, he was eager to get rid of this guy as soon as possible, why keep an enemy around for the New Year?


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Lord Lin want to know why Yue Tianqing could blackmail Zhu Tiantang, forcing them to cooperate in the assassination attempt on Lord Lin?¡±


    Seeing that Lin Hao seemed to ignore him, Yuan Chengkai began to feel anxious.


    He had a premonition that if he missed this chance, he might never have the opportunity to speak to Lin Hao again.


    ¡°Lord!


    This matter is related to your esteemed master, the Third Divine Envoy!¡±


    Lin Rui paused, turning to look at Yuan Chengkai.


    The many Dragon Guards at his side also halted their steps simultaneously, as the matter concerned their lord, they were all quite attentive.


    Lin Rui turned with a sweep of his robe, his gaze sharp as a knife, ¡°You have half a moment to make things clear to me.


    If you dare deceive Lin, you will bear the consequences!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yuan Chengkai first felt a tightness in his chest, then heaved a silent sigh, thinking what right did he have to be angry?


    The man before him was not only the Commander of the Assassination Bureau, but he also obtained the Divine Merit Order.


    In the future, his chances of inheriting the role of Divine Envoy were much greater than those princes succeeding the throne.


    Moreover, given his age, he was likely to succeed the First Divine Envoy and co-rule the Eastern lands with the Emperor.


    Yuan Chengkai, his face pale, cupped his hands, ¡°This matter is of great importance, please, Lord, isolate us from the others.¡±


    Lin Rui squinted and nodded towards the captain and deputy captain of the Dragon Guard nearby.


    Jing Yuefang and Su Xinmei immediately joined hands to seal the surroundings with the power of temporal void.


    Seeing a layer of shadow form around them, shielding the other prisoners¡¯ view and excluding all the prison wardens and guards from the vicinity, Yuan Chengkai took a deep breath and said, ¡°Yue Tianqing is from the hidden sect ¡®Thunder Killing Sword Sect,¡¯ which specializes in producing assassins and hired swords, and has extremely close ties with the force behind Zhu Tiantang.


    ¡°Yue Tianqing and I share a deep bond and he disclosed some secrets of the sect to me.


    The person behind Zhu Tiantang is likely the commander of the Second Fleet Group of the Outer Realms¡¯ Heavenly Demons, a ninth realm imperial-level powerhouse.¡±


    Yuan Chengkai noticed that Lin Hao¡¯s patience was wearing thin and immediately got to the point, ¡°This person once collaborated with the Ninth Candidate Divine Envoy, plotting to collude with Hell.


    Over the past year, they infiltrated the ¡®Demon Suppression Army¡¯ using various methods, even completely replacing part of it.


    For this, they did not hesitate to conspire with others to murder the Third Divine Envoy Luo Wangshu¡¯s former teacher, the Deputy Marshal of the Demon Suppression Army, a two-star general Wei Jian, a year ago, and framed the assassination on the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon Fei Yunlai.


    Yue Tianqing was involved in that operation and knows the details before and after.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils dilated with shock.


    It was a match!


    The information confessed by Yuan Chengkai matched the evidence that Fei Yunlai had given him!


    What Lin Rui never expected was that Fei Yunlai¡¯s target that time was actually Luo Wangshu¡¯s teacher!

 Chapter 396

    ?Chapter 396: Chapter 373: The Real Culprit (Please Subscribe) Chapter 396: Chapter 373: The Real Culprit (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui turned to ask the two deputy captains, ¡°Is General Wei Jian, the town army¡¯s grand general, the master of your master?¡±


    This was information Lin Rui had not found in the security bureau¡¯s intelligence database.


    The Dragon Guard captain, Jing Yuefang, nodded gravely, ¡°General Wei and the Divine Envoy do not have an official master-disciple title, but they do share a master-disciple reality.


    In the past, not only did General Wei guide the Divine Envoy¡¯s swordsmanship cultivation, but he also gifted the Divine Envoy three extremely sophisticated high-level pile exercises and martial arts techniques.


    In addition, he assisted the Divine Envoy on his official career path, providing him with the foundation for his rise.


    After the Divine Envoy was officially positioned, he became an essential arm for the Divine Envoy in influencing the town prison army.


    However, in today¡¯s world, very few know of this secret.¡±


    Lin Rui suddenly realized, resolving a doubt in his heart.


    No wonder Meng Weiyun was particularly jealous upon seeing Fei Yunlai, going as far as to fight with him to mutual destruction.


    ...


    It turned out they were enemiesa?€¡±


    The ¡°Town Prison Army¡± is no small matter; they, along with the ¡°Heavenly Abyss Army,¡± ¡°Refining Demon Army,¡± and ¡°Sin Army,¡± are responsible for suppressing the Heavenly Abyss passage and resisting the purgatory demons.


    Except for the Sin Army, each of the other three armies has 1.2 million elite soldiers, surpassing the imperial guards in status.


    That ninth candidate Divine Envoy is precisely the leader of the Town Prison Army!


    Lin Rui¡¯s interest greatly increased, ¡°What other information do you have?


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    Do you have concrete evidence?


    Bring it all to me!¡±


    Yuan Chengkai did not speak; he silently bowed, his eyes showing a look of anticipation.


    Lin Rui knew this guy was setting conditions; he shook his head slightly, ¡°I can see that you don¡¯t want to die, but your situation makes it difficult for me.


    Your collaboration with the Heavenly Demon from beyond our realm has been conclusively proven, which, under the laws of the Great Song, is an unforgivable crime of the highest order.¡±


    The Great Song is rather lenient with ¡®human traitors¡¯ from beyond the realm of Heavenly Demons, as long as they are willing to betray their race and sincerely serve the Song Dynasty; the government is often willing to give them an opportunity.


    However, the Great Song is extremely strict and brutal towards internal traitors, showing no leniency.


    Yuan Chengkai had likely made contact with the second fleet¡¯s supreme commander through the intermediary of Yue Qingcheng.


    The two parties might not have had direct contact, but they maintained a tacit understanding, using each other¡¯s hands to eliminate competitors.


    Adding on the affair of Yuan Chengkai¡¯s lover Yue Qingcheng, the nature of his actions is extremely malicious, and no matter how he denies or defends himself, he cannot escape the crime of colluding with the Heavenly Demon.


    Of course, the main reason is still Lin Ruia?€¡±he really did not want to let this person go.


    Yuan Chengkai¡¯s face looked terrible, his voice strained, ¡°Yuan dares not ask for amnesty from the court, only begging for a chance to enter the Sin Army to serve and atone for his past crimes.


    Yuan also wishes to request some dragon transformation materials to help me slay enemies for the nation.¡±


    His battle dragon had already been forcibly taken by his tribespeople, and if Yuan Chengkai wanted to maintain his eighth boundary cultivation while avoiding mental instability and the risk of demonic transformation, he needed to undergo the dragon transformation himself.


    I¡¯m already considering whether to terminate our contract.


    Lin Rui guessed that once this piece of evidence was submitted, the four-star marshal would completely shed his inhibitions and would absolutely not spare Fei Yunlai, rather than slowly squeezing Fei Yunlai¡¯s living space like boiling a frog in warm water as before.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): The good news is, you can soon clear your name.


    The military general Wei Jian who died from assassination a year ago was the teacher of my master, Luo Wangshu.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s expression froze, followed by his heart pounding violently.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, is the four-star marshal you mentioned the commander of the Second Fleet Group?


    The evidence Fei Yunlai held could only confirm the federal military¡¯s involvement in the assassination of the military general Wei Jian but couldn¡¯t determine the identity of the mastermind behind it.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): That¡¯s the one.


    Seems you¡¯ve suspected as much?


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): It really is him!


    Please submit the evidence, BOSS.


    Regardless of the consequences, I can handle it, which is better than being manipulated to death by him in the end.


    At this moment, Fei Yunlai sent a flattering emoji to Lin Rui.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, don¡¯t terminate the contract.


    As long as you help me through this tough time, I am willing to extend the contract duration.


    I can also do my best to help you recruit Wang Tianwu.


    I have ways to ensure he can¡¯t escape from your grasp.


    Lin Rui thought this was more like it: If you can help me recruit Wang Tianwu, extend the contract term to 200 years.


    If you can¡¯t manage that, then we¡¯ll sign a lifelong contract.


    After sending the message, he immediately turned off the quantum communication system.


    He had no intention of haggling with this bull.


    Lin Rui then led a group of dragon guards to the outside of Luo Wangshu¡¯s small courtyard.


    As he entered the courtyard, he saw Luo Wangshu looking at him with puzzlement: ¡°What time is it now?


    novgo.co


    Why did you only come now?¡±


    She had been waiting here since Lin Hao had received the Divine Merit Order, yet her disciple hadn¡¯t arrived until the hour of Zi.


    Luo Wangshu then noticed the exceedingly solemn expression on Lin Hao¡¯s face and the stern and somber demeanors of his dragon guards.


    Luo Wangshu raised an eyebrow: ¡°Has something happened?¡±


    Lin Rui had already pulled out two leather pouches from his sleeves and handed them to his master: ¡°Disciple has just discovered something related to the assassination of the military general Wei Jian a year ago.¡±

 Chapter 397

    ?Chapter 397: Chapter 374: The Truth (Subscription Request) Chapter 397: Chapter 374: The Truth (Subscription Request) ¡°The assassination case involving Master Wei?¡±


    Luo Wangshu was startled and scanned the numerous Imperial Guards in front of her again.


    She then opened two leather pouches and examined the contents one by one.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s face gradually became solemn, and finally, a layer of cyan spread across it.


    Yue Tianqing was not only the main contact between Thunder Killing Sword Sect and the Federal Military, but she had also personally participated in several clandestine missions.


    She was well-informed about the collusion between the inferno, the military, and the Ninth Candidate Divine Envoy.


    She might have been worried about being silenced because she had preserved a large amount of physical evidence and had also written a document detailing the events.


    The contents of Fei Yunlai¡¯s pouch were mainly a video pen, a small pencil-shaped device that could project and play various high-definition three-dimensional videos when activated.


    ...


    He not only recorded the process of the mission but also, while being pursued, he released the Heavenly Demon, using its special abilities to hide high in the sky and follow and photograph key individuals he suspected.


    The videos included the locations of two secret military bases and a covert passage that seemingly led to the Abyss.


    Fei Yunlai, out of caution, did not dare to enter the passage but suspected that his case was related to the Prison Military.


    He discovered that his mission intermediary frequented the Prison Military camps and military bases.


    So, taking a risk, he captured and interrogated several members of the Prison Military, and found that many of the camps housed demons disguised as soldiers.


    These demons were bizarre, their brains were severely malformed, making it impossible to think normally, but their brains had been implanted with biological and quantum chips that allowed them to remain rational.


    Go to novgo.co@@@@


    Fei Yunlai not only captured the dissection videos of these demons but also preserved the various chips and organic tissues extracted from their bodies.


    Lastly, he made a short video narrating the circumstances of his own framing, his expression extremely aggrieved.


    Luo Wangshu took a long time to finish watching the videos.


    Afterward, she took a deep breath, suppressing the irritability and malice in her heart, ¡°When Master Wei died, I was very puzzled.


    His cultivation was not only at the eighth Imperial rank, but he also had some secretive techniques unknown to others.


    Even if he was injured, how could Fei Yunlai have dealt with him?


    The espionage department investigated for half a month and claimed that Fei Yunlai was extremely cunning and malicious.


    Not only did he trigger Master Wei¡¯s injuries with a Secret Technique beforehand, but he also used two Type-8 Heavenly Demon Mechas to aid him.


    Due to Master Wei¡¯s complacency, he fell into Fei Yunlai¡¯s trap.


    I was dissatisfied and had Wei Tianxiong and Yan Zhe look into it, but these two fools couldn¡¯t figure anything out.


    They said that based on the available evidence, the judgment of the espionage department was correct.


    It¡¯s like being played with by someone behind the scenes.¡±


    Wei Tianxiong is Luo Wangshu¡¯s senior disciple, currently an eighth-rank Imperial sage, holding the office of a third-rank Grand Celestial, and just a few steps away from becoming a second-rank candidate Divine Envoy.


    Such a person couldn¡¯t possibly be a fool.


    It¡¯s just that the case was executed perfectly and cleanly, leaving no loopholes for Wei Tianxiong and others to exploit.


    Luo Wangshu then clenched her fists tightly, unleashing a powerful surge of Qi: ¡°I have suspected several forces afterward but never thought it would be Qi Wuji, that scum!¡±


    With this man, the gods could understand who these so-called ¡®Empire Party¡¯ members really are.


    With this incident, how could the gods not harbor doubts towards the Emperor?


    Of course, whether this man could live or not depends on how the gods decide, and if those offended by Yuan Chengkai are willing.


    Luo Wangshu turned to the Dragon Guard Captain Jing Yuefang and Deputy Captain Su Xinmei and said, ¡°Jing Yuefang, take people to the Divine Prison Department again, bring this scoundrel over, and accompany me to meet the gods in the Divine Palace.


    Xinmei, you are in charge of summoning the Third Divine Guard Army to stand by.¡±


    Besides wielding significant power in the Divine Envoy Watch and Imperial City Department, Luo Wangshu also directly controlled the Third Divine Guard Army.


    Each of the three Divine Guard armies has only three thousand people but all transformed into dragons, with strong combat capabilities and a status above all other armies!


    Lou Wangshu then sighed lightly, ¡°It¡¯s a pity, you investigated this case a bit too late.


    If it had happened before the Divine Merit Order, perhaps the gods would have granted you two more drops of ¡®Divine Gifted Blood¡¯.¡±


    But it is also good, this case cleared up the issues, perfectly verifying the gods¡¯ wisdom in judging people.


    It¡¯s amusing that she was even ready today to advise her disciple to somewhat restrain his sharp edges.


    Luo Wangshu had prepared his reasons: although the Heavenly Demons outside the realm certainly needed to be eradicated, one must also pay attention to the methods, guard one¡¯s own safety, and have a far-sighted vision.


    Yet when they met that evening, Luo Wangshu couldn¡¯t help but start a massacre.


    This was not merely because of hatred.


    The ¡®Prison Suppressing Army¡¯ was crucial for the Great Song Dynasty and could not afford any mishaps.


    If there were issues with the Prison Suppressing Army, the Purgatory Army might advance directly to the surface, bringing disaster to all peoples of the vast Eastern Zhou of the heavens.


    So, as one can imagine, the gods would definitely place more importance on Lin Hao even without rewards.


    In terms of the vocabulary brought by the Heavenly Demons, it would be ¡®Valued in the Minds of Gods¡¯.


    Lin Rui, curious about the gods¡¯ decrees, asked with a puzzled expression, ¡°Master, why did the gods suddenly grant me the Divine Merit Order and Divine Gifted Blood today?


    This isn¡¯t quite the same as what you mentioned before.¡±


    ¡°I am not very clear about this matter either,¡±


    Luo Wangshu shook his head slightly, ¡°I can only roughly guess that it might be related to the changing situation in West State.


    It seems something big has occurred there; two Divine Envoy candidates fell at Tianyuan, dying mysteriously.


    And given the current situation, it seems that the three Deeps of Purgatory are starting to stir, and a Purgatory Demon Tide is likely to erupt soon.


    Thus, the great god has taken precautionary measures, wishing to elevate some capable individuals.


    Little Hao Hao, since you entered the capital, your actions have been decisive and sharp, coincidentally catching the great god¡¯s eye, and it happened that the god awoke from slumber today.¡±


    Lin Rui, upon hearing this, was moved and recalled the papers by Professor Han and some other big names in the humanities and historical academia.


    They speculated that the current three Deeps of Purgatory might all be native to the surface.


    These three Deeps achieved enlightenment tens of thousands of years ago, oppressed by the five Great Deeps, and were forced to hide in the Deeps, repeatedly inciting Demon Tides to challenge the five Great Deeps of the surface world.


    This might also be the process of Deep replacement across generations.


    Unfortunately, the history of these three Deeps has long been erased by some of the gods on the surface, so the truth has long been untraceable.

 Chapter 398

    ?Chapter 398: Chapter 375: Former Shame (Please Subscribe) Chapter 398: Chapter 375: Former Shame (Please Subscribe) The Dragon Guard captain Jing Yuefang moved extremely fast and brought Yuan Chengkai over in just a moment.


    Luo Wangshu couldn¡¯t enhance Lin Hao today, and probably won¡¯t have time in the next few days either.


    She grasped Lin Rui¡¯s arm, her voice laden with apology, ¡°The situation within the prison guard army is already terribly bad, and extremely complicated.


    Cleansing it thoroughly will not be an overnight achievement.


    I foresee I will be tied up these days.


    However, my war dragon is here, and it can assist in your enhancement just the same.


    Little Hao Hao, just come over every day on your own, and make sure to cultivate diligently.¡±


    She then admonished him with deep concern in her voice, ¡°Little Hao Hao, once this case is delivered before the Divine Court, the gods will surely regard you even more highly.


    ...


    This is both advantageous and disadvantageous for you.


    The advantage is that you now have divine favor upon you.


    For the next several decades, whether in cultivation or in officialdom, you will sail with a following wind, successful in every endeavor.


    Even a Divine Envoy or a heavenly prince would find it difficult to shake you;


    The disadvantage is that since they now see you as a precious sword, they will also have higher expectations of that sword, and will employ it more frequently.


    You will have to charge into battle on their behalf.


    Go to novgo.co


    Do you understand?¡±@@@@


    Fortunately, this god always treats the capable and willing with clarity in rewards and punishment, generous with those dogs who stand out in ability and are willing to work wholeheartedly for him.


    Before these vicious dogs grow into fierce beasts, the god will be extraordinarily generous.


    Luo Wangshu walked this very path in the past, climbing step by step to the position of Divine Envoy.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression was solemn, and he felt a deep gratitude in his heart.


    He knew Luo Wangshu was worried that he was fragile and easily broken.


    This mentor truly cared for him.


    Lin Rui nodded emphatically, ¡°Rest assured, Master, I understand fully.


    Since I have become the commander of the counter-spy bureau, I am prepared to be a blade.¡±


    His voice then shifted, ¡°However, there are two ways to be a blade.


    One is to be sharp and aggressive, treading on blades and drinking blood; the other is like a kitchen god carving up an ox, the good blade concealed.¡±


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes brightened, and she couldn¡¯t help but pinch Lin Rui¡¯s cheeks, which were full of collagen, ¡°What a wonderful saying, a kitchen god carving up an ox, the good blade concealed!


    That¡¯s exactly right, I was going to advise you to be a bit more restrained, to consider keeping a low profile, for fear that your sharpness might lead to setbacks.


    Although you now have my protection, and have also gained the gods¡¯ favor, there are many ruthless people in this world.


    Like Yue Tianqing, or that ninth candidate for Divine Envoya?€¡±for them, the ends often justify the means.


    If driven into a corner, they might take desperate and dangerous actions.


    novgo.co


    But I¡¯m also concerned about the gods.


    They currently value your decisiveness and swift action.


    Qi Wuji had considered silencing Yuan Chengkai, but initially, it was because Yuan Chengkai had the support of the emperor and a formidable power behind him, equal to theirs, which made them hesitate to act rashly.


    Qi Wuji was more worried that Yuan Chengkai had a contingency in place, and if they killed him, it could turn the situation upside down, causing the evidence in Chungkai¡¯s possession to be revealed.


    Once Yuan Chengkai was sent to the Divine Prison Division, Qi Wuji and the others had no opportunity.


    What kind of place was the Divine Prison Division?


    It was the prison of the gods!


    Not only did it have a complete set of mechanisms, but all of the prison guards were carefully selected, with clean backgrounds, and their families were under the control of the court.


    So, while they could pass messages to the prisoners inside, the difficulty of silencing someone was akin to ascending to the heavens.


    If a problem occurred with any of the prisoners inside, it would be a crime against the gods!


    The punishment would be the execution of the nine clans!


    How could those prison guards risk the lives of their families?


    And killing someone inside the Divine Prison Division was hard to do without leaving evidence.


    Once the Divine Court started an investigation, it would only expose them sooner.


    Today, when Qi Wuji heard that Yuan Chengkai had confessed to Lin Hao, he realized that something might have gone wrong.


    Although he did not know what exact evidence Yuan Chengkai had or what he had told Lin Hao, just the mention from Yuan Chengkai that ¡®this matter involves your master, the Third Divine Envoy,¡¯ gave Qi Wuji an extremely ominous premonition.


    When he learned that the Third Divine Envoy¡¯s Dragon Guards had taken Yuan Chengkai away, and later Luo Wangshu personally escorted Yuan Chengkai to the Divine Court, Qi Wuji was certain that the assassination case from a year ago could no longer be suppressed.


    As the former Commanding General of the Garrison, Wei Jian had obtained evidence of his collusion with the ¡®Purgatory Three Divines,¡¯ forcing Qi Wuji to set up a plot to ambush and kill him.


    Qi Wuji had repressed this calamity for a full year, and now, it was still unstoppable.


    But in his heart, he was not willing to give up and wanted to come and see for himself, to test Luo Wangshu¡¯s stance.


    However, Luo Wangshu¡¯s voice, undisturbed and filled with extreme killing intent, extinguished his last glimmer of hope.


    Qi Wuji had actually anticipated this day; the case of Wei Jian¡¯s assassination, although seamless, and despite his successful extraction from the list of suspects, had left behind two unresolved dangers.


    Therefore, he quickly adjusted his mentality and turned to look at the colossal divine mountain hidden above the clouds, letting out a light chuckle.


    ¡°I wonder if Divine Envoy Luo still remembers?


    Approximately one hundred and ten years ago, the Judicature Army suffered heavy losses from a Purgatory demonic calamity, and the Divine called for Martial Cultivators from the thirty-six conscripted divisions of the Great Song to come to the capital, selecting officers to rebuild the Judicature Army.


    In that grand competition, I, unfortunately, lost to you and had to take second place.¡±


    Qi Wuji had always held on to this memory, and from then on, he was always a step behind others.


    Although he now held the position of Ninth Candidate Divine Envoy, he knew there was no chance for him to enter the Forest of the Divine Envoys.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Luo Wangshu sensed the sudden surge of an incredibly powerful and sharp sword intent coming from Qi Wuji, crashing towards the direction of the eight-dragon chariot.


    She raised her eyebrows with interest, ¡°I do have a vague memory of the incident, but do you dare to make a move at the foot of the divine mountain, seeking to redeem your past disgrace today?¡±


    ¡°That is precisely my intention!¡±


    Qi Wuji¡¯s pupils dilated, and his black eyes suddenly turned to a golden red.


    He gripped the long sword at his waist, ¡°I also want to know if the price I paid for what I have obtained was worth it.¡±


    Boom!


    In that instant, the clash of their auras caused the eight seventh-realm demonic dragons to wail, all bleeding from seven orifices, barely able to maintain the stability of their forms.


    On the chariot, all the Dragon Guards, except for the captain Jing Yuefang, turned pale as well.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 399

    ?Chapter 399: Chapter 376: Clash (Three more for subscription) Chapter 399: Chapter 376: Clash (Three more for subscription) At the moment when their martial intentions clashed, veins bulged on Qi Wuji¡¯s face, and his golden pupils revealed an excited luster, ¡°It seems that after you, Luo, became a Divine Envoy, you haven¡¯t made much progress!¡±


    He was facing Luo Wangshu, who had become the Third Divine Envoy and had obtained vast resources from the Divine Palace and the Great Song Dynasty, yet he didn¡¯t fall behind!


    It should be known that their remote confrontation was not just about martial arts¡¯ ultimate meanings, but also about both sides¡¯ spiritual power and abyssal concepts!


    Qi Wuji, who was merely a Ninth Realm surpassing the emperor level, could confront Luo Wangshu head-on in every aspect!


    This was the effect of those top-grade injections from the extraterritorial Heavenly Demons!


    These injections had enhanced every aspect of his power to the extreme.


    The blessing of the three infernal deities even allowed him to make significant progress in his understanding of abyssal concepts!


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes dimmed, yet she was not annoyed; instead, they contained a hint of excitement.


    ...


    The things provided by those extraterritorial Heavenly Demons could actually enable Qi Wuji to grow to such an extent?


    Even Luo Wangshu speculated that Qi Wuji¡¯s body must have been injected with the pseudo-abyssal essence produced by the Federation, otherwise how could this guy, without any special bloodline, enhance his mastery of the two abyssal concepts to nearly forty percent?


    Simultaneously, Luo Wangshu¡¯s killing intent also peaked.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    In that instant, the entire surroundings shattered like broken glass.


    Luo Wangshu stood right at the center of these glass fractures, she raised her hand to form a sword technique, her figure swayed in the night breeze, emitting a chilling aura that made one¡¯s heart tremble.


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    ¡°It seems you indeed gained quite a bit from those extraterritorial Heavenly Demons, worthy of a second look.


    Perhaps you now have the ability to catch my sword!¡±


    Luo Wangshu was already beautiful, but now her visage seemed to gather all the beautiful words in the world, yet transcended the mundane, exuding a sense of untouchable sanctity and majesty.


    Behind Luo Wangshu, a purple-gold greatsword appeared, its blade bursting with dazzling light, like falling stars or the break of dawn, illuminating the entire night sky as if it were day.


    The surrounding space warped, and the winds and clouds changed color!


    On the blade, one rune after another emerged, each looking simple, but they seemed to condense the most profound and ultimate truths of the world.


    The entire Luo Capital City, at this moment, extinguished all its lights.


    This caused waves of trepidation in Qi Wuji¡¯s heart, and disbelief showed in his eyes.


    Was this the ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯?


    This woman, she had actually mastered this move?


    However, the secret technique unleashed through his 5,300 frenzied slashes still had its effect, with Qi Wuji wielding three rapid slashes in the almost frozen moment of time to block the most powerful and sharp part of that purple-golden beam.


    His long sword ultimately shattered, but it was his entire lower abdomen that was blasted apart by the purple-golden light.


    With a loud laugh, Qi Wuji proclaimed, ¡°What a sword ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart¡¯!


    Truly worthy of you, but Luo Wangshu, your sword also has its flaws!


    I will return, and the day Qi arrives back will be the day of your demise, Luo Wangshu.¡±


    At that moment, Qi Wuji let out another muffled grunt.


    It was Luo Wangshu¡¯s Dragon Guard captain, Jing Yuefang, who sent a dark golden arrow streaking through the sky like a meteor chasing the moon, striking Qi Wuji.


    Though the arrow did not grievously wound Qi Wuji, it shattered his shoulder.


    Jing Yuefang subsequently retracted her Divine Artifact Longbow, and flashed to Luo Wangshu¡¯s side, her eyes filled with concern, ¡°Master!


    Are youa?€¡±¡±


    Luo Wangshu raised her hand, calmly stopping Jing Yuefang mid-sentence, ¡°I am fine!¡±


    She forcefully swallowed the blood that rose to her throat and with a composed expression, bowed towards the heavens, ¡°Divine Envoy Luo Wangshu, greets the deity!¡±


    Luo Wangshu sensed that the deity¡¯s gaze was already directing attention towards them.


    Possibly awakened by their clash, aside from confusion, the deity¡¯s thoughts also carried a tinge of anger.


    Her expression was extremely respectful, but her mind was on Lin Hao.


    novgo.co


    She had to acquire some top-tier Heavenly Demon injections as soon as possible.


    She needed to enhance her physical body and spiritual power quickly; otherwise, even if she perfected this top-tier secret sword technique, she would not be able to fully unleash it.


    Luo Wangshu was not naive enough to believe that Qi Wuji¡¯s actions just now were really about their old grudge from over a hundred years ago.


    There was no need for that; for Qi Wuji, it would be adding risk and making it harder to evade pursuit by both the Divine Palace and court thereafter.


    Luo Wangshu was convinced that Qi Wuji¡¯s purpose was to probe, perhaps for his Heavenly Demon ally, or maybe for the Infernal Three Gods, and most likely, it was for someone hoping to be promoted to Divine Envoy, to test her level of combat strength.


    If she displayed strength below what the enemy expected, those hyenas lurking in the shadows would swarm out, lunging forward to take her down like a pack hunting a lion.


    So, the most pressing matter for her at the moment was to enhance her combat strength.


    And the greatest benefit Lin Hao brought to her by coming to her side was that Luo Wangshu finally had an absolutely trustworthy person and a seemingly reliable trading channel.


    Of course, the reliability of this channel still needed to be verified.@@@@

 Chapter 400

    ?Chapter 400: Chapter 377: Bombarding Kill (Please Subscribe) Chapter 400: Chapter 377: Bombarding Kill (Please Subscribe) After seeing Luo Wangshu and the others off, Lin Rui continued his training with the help of Luo Wangshu¡¯s battle dragon.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s battle dragon stood about ninety-seven feet tall, its body covered in armor plates shaped like trapezoidal shields, densely inscribed with purple-gold runes.


    Behind it were three pairs of wings, brilliant and radiant, and on its head was a horn that somewhat resembled a crown, giving off an air of incomparable splendor and authority.


    This was a type of dragon that had never appeared in ancient history.


    Luo Wangshu named it ¡®God¡¯s Eye Unrivaled Dragon¡¯, and it had awakened its intelligence at the sixth realm.


    It was very affectionate towards Lin Rui, handling him with extreme care while strengthening him, for fear of causing any harm.


    It was during one of these strengthening sessions with the ¡®God¡¯s Eye Unrivaled Dragon¡¯ that Lin Rui felt the clash of two boundless, mighty divine senses and martial intents in the sky.


    ...


    Lin Rui looked up at the sky in astonishment.


    He couldn¡¯t see anything because the heavens were awash with flowing light, which had caused a massive rift in time and space to appear.


    Even when Lin Rui pushed his vision to the limit, he could not see clearly what was happening within; he only discerned that the battle was taking place 70,000 feet above, which is over two hundred and thirty kilometers from the ground.


    The battle was incredibly fierce; the grand and domineering sword pressures and blade forces caused Lin Rui, over two hundred kilometers away, to have a slight difficulty in breathing, and his Primordial Spirit felt a slight pressure.


    At this time in the city, countless citizens were likely already knocked unconscious by the mental clash of two ninth realm powerhouses.


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    Lin Rui was secretly horrified and thought at this time and place, could it be his master?


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    Who was on the other side, clashing with his master?


    His master had not brought the battle dragon this time, could there be trouble?


    The battle ended in a mere instant, with the two vast and supremely powerful martial intents quickly dissipating into thin air.


    As the rift in space-time rapidly healed, Lin Rui felt a sense of relief.


    He saw that the eight-dragon chariot was still perfectly suspended in the air.


    However, just a few breaths later, a thunderous boom erupted in the sky.


    It was the sound of a bell, exceptionally melodious and profound, magnificent and grand, as if coming from the ancient past, crossing the years, traveling through time and space, like a surging river, its unstoppable momentum echoing over Luo Capital City.


    Lin Rui¡¯s face, however, showed a pained expression.


    This bell not only shook his eardrums but also his soul, nearly rendering him unconscious.


    What Lin Rui didn¡¯t know was that, at that moment, Qi Wuji, who had fled to the skies thirty thousand miles away, suddenly exploded, his body bursting into a cloud of blood and his soul being shattered into dust in the blink of an eye.


    Qi Wuji dared to provoke Luo Wangshu beneath the Divine Palace because he had a reason for doing so.@@@@


    Not long after, in an underground cave nine thousand miles away, a naked figure with a striking resemblance to Qi Wuji stepped out of a federation¡¯s latest model sleep pod.


    The true value of the Divine Dragon Slayer Sabers lay in the four characters engraved on them a?€¡± ¡®Divine Dragon Slayer¡¯!


    Those were seal characters personally inscribed by the East Abyss, not only possessing divine might that could suppress all battle dragons but also embedded with divine origin laws by the gods themselves!


    This object could also command a hundred-man squad from the three Divine Guard Armies, hence its significance was even greater than the ¡®Divine Merit Order¡¯ and also represented the divine authority.


    Luo Wangshu had previously expressed regret on his behalf, suggesting that if the case had been handled earlier, more divine favors would have been bestowed.


    But now this divine being had still granted him one of the highest honors.


    With these two sabers, none within the Stabbing Bureau would dare oppose his will.


    By this time, the entire city of Luo Jing was already seething with excitement due to the bell sounds of the ¡®Eastern Emperor Bell¡¯ and the extraordinary phenomena in the sky.


    Lin Xi, who was stationed at Chengtian Gate, was also looking at the sky in absolute amazement.


    She immediately messaged Lin Rui.


    End-of-Summer Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Brother, is the anger of that divine being today related to you?


    Lin Xi had just witnessed Lin Rui entering the imperial city with a group of Dragon Guards; not long after, Luo Wangshu¡¯s eight-dragon chariot had soared into the high sky.


    Unfortunately, after Lin Rui entered the palace, he shut down the quantum communication system, temporarily unable to see her messages.


    Lin Xi then saw the two sabers falling from the sky; her gaze followed the trajectory of the platinum light until she confirmed that the sabers had landed near the Third Divine Envoy Institute.


    Considering their falling direction, they were very likely heading for her brother Lin Rui a?€¡±


    ¡°Are those Divine Dragon Slayer Sabers?¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s mouth hung open in shock, taking a long while before she could close it again.


    End-of-Summer Shallow Thoughts (Lin Xi): Brother, were those Divine Dragon Slayer Sabers just now?


    Did that divine being bestow the dragon-slaying sabers upon you?


    Exactly what is going on?


    As far as she knew, similar to the Divine Merit Order, the entire Great Song treated Divine Dragon Slayer Sabers as a great honor.


    The Divine Merit Order leaned towards civil officials, while Divine Dragon Slayer Sabers were exclusively awarded to military officials, with only the most trusted warriors by the gods able to obtain them.


    Those who were granted the ¡®Divine Merit Order¡¯ might bypass the Tongzheng Secretary and present a secret petition directly to the Divine Mountain, whereas those bestowed with ¡®Divine Dragon Slayer Sabers¡¯ were entitled to an audience with the divine in the Divine Palace!


    In the whole Great Song Dynasty, over thirty individuals were fortunate enough to receive the Divine Merit Order, yet fewer than fifteen were awarded Divine Dragon Slayer Sabers.


    And the number of people who had obtained both the Divine Merit Order and Divine Dragon Slayer Sabers totaled only four throughout the Great Song, among whom only Luo Wangshu and one of Lin Rui¡¯s seniors a?€¡± the currently most popular candidate deemed most likely to ascend as the ¡®First Divine Envoy¡¯ a?€¡± had served as commanders of the Stabbing Bureau.


    She wondered if her own brother might one day truly become a ¡®Divine Envoy¡¯ for the Great Song Dynasty?


    What status was that of a Divine Envoy?


    The inner cabinet of the Great Song was like the State Council in East Asia, while the Divine Envoy Synod was akin to the Council of Elders in East Asia.

 Chapter 401

    ?Chapter 401: Chapter 378: Prince¡¯s Ceremony (Please Subscribe) Chapter 401: Chapter 378: Prince¡¯s Ceremony (Please Subscribe) Just as the 3000 soldiers of the Third Divine Guard charged into the night sky, inside the First Divine Envoy Court at Divine Scenery Mountain, the atmosphere was exceptionally tense.


    From the Dragon Guards down to the servants, everyone¡¯s expression was solemn and their faces were grave.


    The First Divine Envoy himself came to the square in front of the Divine Envoy Hall in the middle of the night, looking up at the clouds above.


    His face appeared calm, yet his fists were tightly clenched inside his sleeves, and his veins were bulging.


    Today, the gods suddenly became enraged, shaking the entire Luo Jing with the Eastern Emperor Bell, yet the First Divine Envoy was completely unaware of the reason, which made him anxious and fearful while also making him cautious.


    Was it because of the battle that had just erupted between the Ninth Candidate Divine Envoy and the Third Divine Envoy?


    He found it odd just nowa?€¡±why did the Ninth Candidate Divine Envoy clash with the Third Divine Envoy?


    ...


    Moreover, the Third Divine Envoy, Luo Wangshu, had quietly mastered the ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯, a secret imperial sword of the ninth realm!


    Without using the battle dragon, she severely injured the Ninth Candidate Divine Envoy, Qi Wuji, with one sworda?€¡±her combat power was formidable!


    This woman had actually used this secret sword technique to compensate for her greatest weakness.


    Although Luo Wangshu was of the ninth imperial rank, she had entered the ninth realm not long ago and had never had a reliable source for Heavenly Demon potions.


    Neither her physical constitution nor her Primordial Spirit cultivation was comparable to other ninth realm imperial ranks.


    However, the characteristic of the ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯ allowed her to complete most of the process in advance, storing the power to be triggered at the moment of battle.


    And this sword was not only extremely powerful, but also combined attack and defense!


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    Combined with her unique martial arts and bloodline power, it could unleash combat power beyond the ninth imperial rank at the moment of battle.@@@@


    The First Divine Envoy also noticed the two sabers falling from the sky.


    ¡°Divine Dragon Slayer!¡±


    The First Divine Envoy¡¯s heart chilled inwardly.


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    On the very night that Lin Hao was granted the Divine Merit Order by the god, he was also bestowed with the Divine Dragon Slayer Saber!


    From this, it was evident how great Lin Hao¡¯s merits were that the gods had to break convention to award him again, commending his achievements!


    But what kind of merits were they that warranted the god to break precedent with such an astonishing act?


    At the same time, he also couldn¡¯t help feeling impressed, ¡°The younger generation is indeed formidable, obtaining both the Divine Merit Order and the Divine Dragon Slayer Saber in a single day; this young fellow is truly fortunate.¡±


    This young man had virtually secured a position as a Divine Envoy!


    As long as he could survive safely to the ninth realm without falling prematurely, he was bound to rise to Divine Envoy, and perhaps even take his place.


    Just then, a streak of golden light fell from the sky and landed in front of him.


    The First Divine Envoy was invigorated and recognized the thirty thousand leagues flying scroll from a familiar god temple priest in front of him.


    As he extracted and glanced at the letter carried by the flying scroll, the First Divine Envoy¡¯s expression first paused, then he understood.


    ¡°So it¡¯s the Prison Guard Army!¡±


    While the First Divine Envoy¡¯s mind relaxed, he was also secretly shocked.


    No wonder the gods, having personally commended Lin Hao less than three hours earlier, gave him the Divine Dragon Slayer Saber!


    It turned out that a major incident had occurred with the Prison Guard Army, one of the four Heavenly Pool armies, and the Ninth Candidate Divine Envoy, Qi Wuji, the army¡¯s commander, was collaborating with both Purgatory and the Heavenly Demon.


    This man had transformed the soldiers of the Prison Guard Army into half-demons, substituting them with the so-called ¡®biological weapons¡¯ of the Heavenly Demon, and this had been ongoing for several years.


    This indicated just how dire the internal situation of the Prison Guard Army was!


    Possibly this entire army was thoroughly corrupted.


    The First Divine Envoy was utterly baffled as to why this man would risk conspiring with the Heavenly Demon and Purgatory.


    ¡°The servant can confirm that at the time of the incident, even the inside and outside of the First Divine Envoy¡¯s residence were in a panic.¡±


    This was an elderly eunuch in his sixties, with white hair and a benevolent appearance, yet he was actually more than 200 years younger than the Emperor.


    His eyes shimmered faintly, ¡°It is evident that the Third Divine Envoy believes she has a solid foundation and fully-fledged wings!


    In the future, this woman will likely not continue to follow the First Divine Envoy step by step.¡±


    The Emperor smiled faintly, thinking this was the only thing that had comforted him recently.


    ¡°This is your achievement in counseling!


    Indeed, you have a precise judgment of people, Luo Wangshu is definitely not a common person, and she cannot remain subordinate forever.


    Assigning her the position of Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau is far better than the other two.


    At least she is genuinely interested in stabilizing the Great Song dynasty.¡±


    The Emperor pondered whether it was possible to create discord between Luo Wangshu and the First Divine Envoy in his mind.


    But he then shook his head slightly and suppressed the thought.


    At present in the court, in the Divine Envoy¡¯s surveillance, the First Divine Envoy¡¯s most reliable ally was only Luo Wangshu.


    With the First Divine Envoy¡¯s old scheming, how could he let him have his way?


    Luo Wangshu is extremely clever, and if his subordinates didn¡¯t handle matters well and left loopholes, it would only backfire.


    ¡°Starting from tomorrow, treat Lin Hao with the respect due to a royal prince when he enters and leaves the palace restrictions!¡±


    The Emperor, with hands clasped behind him, ¡°In the future, if Lin Hao seeks an audience, do not delay or neglect it.


    Inform me immediately!


    Also tell all the royal family members within the capital, they must not provoke this man.


    Whether they are right or wrong, they must concede three steps.


    They must not err in his hands, for then even I would be helpless.¡±


    Ren Xuezhi was slightly surprised upon hearing this.


    He was not surprised by the Emperor¡¯s latter statement; by now, the Divine Above had already bestowed Lin Hao the Divine Dragon Slayer Saber and granted him the right to an audience in the Divine Palace.


    What power did the Emperor still have to refuse him?


    If they really did that, where would they place the Divine Above?


    Ren Xuezhi was astonished by the earlier statement, ¡°Treat him with the respect due to a royal prince,¡± to treat a fifth rank as such?


    Even though he was the Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, wasn¡¯t it inappropriate?


    But he soon understood, knowing that previously in the court, only three people received both the Divine Merit Order and the Divine Dragon Slayer Sabera?€¡±two Divine Envoys and the top candidate Divine Envoy.


    Among them, the only one who had not served as Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau was the First Divine Envoy, simply because there was no such bureau during that era.


    With the Divine Merit Order and the Divine Dragon Slayer Saber, Lin Hao¡¯s status in the court was not far from that of the former Crown Prince.


    The Emperor asking him to be treated with the respect due to a royal prince was certainly not excessive.


    Ren Xuezhi further understood the Emperor¡¯s intent to elevate; Lin Hao indeed had extraordinary abilities having solved major cases within just ten days of his appointment, earning high esteem and recognition.


    But now, being favored by the Divine Above and stepping into this position, he would certainly become a target of envy from all sides!


    Given Lin Hao¡¯s age and martial prowess, this might not be a good thing.


    Ren Xuezhi¡¯s heart also felt somewhat uncomfortable for the former Crown Prince.


    In the past, the former Crown Prince was a unique talent, not only known for his clear and icy demeanor but also for his exceptional capabilities and respectful treatment of scholars; yet he fell at the Heavenly Pool Divine Stone Castle, completely disrupting the Emperor¡¯s national succession plans.


    Ren Xuezhi thought that this young man might not necessarily have an easy journey to the end.


    The days to come are still very long.

 Chapter 402

    ?Chapter 402: Chapter 379: Seeing Through (Three more for subscription) Chapter 402: Chapter 379: Seeing Through (Three more for subscription) Deep into the night, lights were still on in the office of the Commander-in-Chief at the headquarters of the Security Bureau.


    The Commander-in-Chief was currently seated behind his desk by the window, on one hand, browsing through intel of varying encryption levels within the security bureau¡¯s intranet; on the other, collecting various pieces of information from the internet to cross-reference.


    As it involved X-class secrets, he dared not entrust this task to secretaries or assistants, and had to take matters into his own hands.


    A moment later, the Commander-in-Chief suddenly let out a contemplative murmur, ¡°Lin Rui and Lin Hao?¡±


    He sat back in his chair, his hands crossed and eyes closed, leaning against the backrest.


    The Commander-in-Chief could now be almost certain that these two were the same person!


    That promising officer from the Great Song¡¯s Imperial Spy Command, was actually the rising martial arts star in the Federation¡¯s Ninth Base City, Lin Rui.


    It was because there were just too many traces to be found in the Security Bureau¡¯s intel repository and online.


    ...


    For instance, the data on Lin Rui within the Exotic Management Bureau left behind plenty of traces.


    He saw from the internal programs of the Exotic Management Bureau that Lin Rui¡¯s exotic bio data clearly bore signs of tampering.@@@@


    And the Silver Coins sold through the Exotic Management Bureau by Lin Rui, his ties with Han Kedao and others, and Xue Lingxue¡¯s exotic forces team ¨C to the discerning eye, each of these was further corroboration.


    The Commander-in-Chief hadn¡¯t found conclusive evidence, but who needed evidence for such matters?


    A suspicion was enough.


    Of course, he could find this intel because he was the Commander-in-Chief, possessing the highest level of clearance in the Federal Security Bureau!


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    Zhou Yunfei had actually done a great job, maximizing his authority to its limits.


    The issue was that Zhou Yunfei¡¯s own clearance level was only SSS, and without the freedom to use the authority of the Deputy Commander, he inevitably left behind loose ends.


    Just at this moment, the Commander-in-Chief received another piece of intelligence.


    The encryption level of this intel was not high, but it had the highest communication priority, popping up directly in his field of vision.


    This was information that the Security Bureau¡¯s Intel Center determined must be known to all majors-general and above within the bureau.


    ¡°The Divine Dragon Slayer Saber?¡±


    The Commander-in-Chief¡¯s complexion involuntarily twitched slightly as he turned to look at the large glass pane on his left.


    Through that specially made glass, he gazed at the massive volume of the Extreme Pole Star outside, his expression exceedingly complex.


    Could that child possibly become the greatest Divine Envoy of the Great Song in the future?


    Second only to two others in the East Continent, above billions?


    The Commander-in-Chief then began to operate swiftly using the top-tier supercomputer in his room.


    This Commander, in addition to holding a 9SSS rank in exotic martial arts, also possessed impressive hacking skills.


    Using his highest level of clearance, he began to erase and modify traces left by Lin Rui online one by one, seeking to remove all connections between the two identities.


    For instance, Xue Lingxue¡¯s exotic special forces team, the Commander-in-Chief needed to ensure that this team had no overt connections with the Security Bureau.


    This not only required him to issue some administrative orders within the Security Bureau but also to modify the records of these exotic special forces, erasing some data from the internet.


    Considering the frequent accomplishments of your Third Special Operations Science Department since its establishment, the rampant growth of the Longevity Society within the Federation, and the resurgence of the Divine Envoy Society, shouldn¡¯t you submit an application to the Second Marshal?


    Propose to reorganize the Third Special Operations Science Department into the ¡®National Security Special Operations Center¡¯ and gather elite personnel to bolster it!


    First Marshal: The National Security Special Operations Center, besides its original responsibilities, will also be in charge of special investigations and actions against Longevity Society and Divine Envoy Society.


    Zhou Yunfei was shocked: Lord Marshal, isn¡¯t this inappropriate?


    You must know the current state of the Second Marshal; the Homeland Security Committee will certainly question this, and there are also funding issues.


    The emergency budget controlled by the Second Marshal is already limited.


    First Marshal: This is my order!


    You can keep it to use against any future allegations and inquiries.


    First Marshal: I will handle the Homeland Security Committee, and you don¡¯t need to worry about the funds, the relevant budget will be managed from headquarters.


    He had no intention of making Zhou Yunfei take the blame, but merely considered that an executive order signed by him would be too conspicuous.


    Given that the Second Marshal was currently in hibernation, he was actually a suitable shield.


    The special operations center was currently just a fourth-level unit, still within the scope of the Second Marshal¡¯s responsibility.


    Only when it was upgraded to level five would it need to go through the Homeland Security Committee¡¯s procedures.


    As for the money, it could be drawn from the special task force dealing with Lin Hao.


    The council had already allocated 30 billion federal dollars to the special Lin Hao task force, 27 billion of which were still unspent and idle in their hands.


    The four Type-7 Red Spider combat robots that were supposed to be transferred could also be redirected there.


    Currently, the main focus of the special Lin Hao task force is on observation and surveillance, and they have yet to assign a responsible person, so it¡¯s not needed for the time being.


    First Marshal: Also, since that Thunder General took office, he has been diligent, cracking major cases one after another.


    Why haven¡¯t I seen your commendation report?


    Send one later, and have the Second Marshal promote him.


    First Marshal: That¡¯s enough for today.


    Zhou Yunfei looked at the messages sent by the First Marshal and pondered for a long time before he finally started writing the report as instructed by the First Marshal.


    He then emitted some exclamations of surprise, his gaze filled with astonishment as he looked at the interface before him.


    Zhou Yunfei discovered that the information on ¡®Thunder¡¯ General had been made public.


    This general had an impressive track record and had served in the military.


    However, his face and body were burned by abyssal concepts during a battle with the Guang Ming Holy Church, and with the current biotech, it was impossible to repair.


    He could only appear in public with a mask and exoskeletal armor.


    But this information was just a superficial disguise; only those with sufficient authority could see ¡®Thunder¡¯ General¡¯s true data and thus know his identity a?€¡± ¡®Lin Rui¡¯!

 Chapter 403

    ?Chapter 403: Chapter 380 Shock (Please Subscribe) Chapter 403: Chapter 380 Shock (Please Subscribe) After communicating with Lin Rui, Fei Yunlai began to pay attention to the situation in Luo Capital.


    His other body was still recuperating its Primordial Spirit in Wang County and was not inside Luo Capital, but the spy networks he had long been lurking in were quite active.


    The leaders and co-leaders of these networks were keen on sharing various messages with their members.


    Twenty minutes after Lin Rui closed the quantum communication, the information flow in these networks began to explode.


    ¡°Damn, two Ninth Realm experts just had a big fight in the sky above Luo Capital, what was the cause?¡±


    ¡°This is too bold, that location is right under the Divine Palace, and under the East Abyss¡¯s nose!¡±


    ¡°Lots of things happened today in Luo Capital, ever since that new commander of the Bureau of Betrayal took office, it¡¯s been total chaos.¡±


    At this moment, someone shared a video, all shot from the ground looking up at the strange scene in the sky.


    ¡°I felt very powerful sword pressure and knife might, can anyone figure out who is fighting?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s definitely above the Super Emperor of the Ninth Realm!


    It might even be a Divine Envoy, look, there are rifts in space and time up there.¡±


    ¡°The Eastern Emperor Bell?


    ...


    Someone from the East Abyss actually used the Eastern Emperor Bell, I heard that Qi Wuji was remotely killed by a shockwave from 30,000 li away!¡±


    ¡°This is the Abyss!


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    I told you, the Divine above would be enraged, Qi Wuji was practically begging for death by making a move under his watch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so freaking unlucky, I got hit by the bell¡¯s sound without any protection just now, and my head still hurts like hell, as if it¡¯s split open.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re impressive, I heard that Divine Artifact is designed to shock the Primordial Spirit, the stronger the Primordial Spirit, the deeper the injury.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit!


    See that, those are the Priest Corps of the Divine Palace and Luo Wangshu¡¯s Third Divine Guard Army in the sky, what are they planning to do?¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on?


    What exactly happened today?¡±


    Seeing this, Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t help but clench his fist tight.


    He knew that the evidence he provided to Lin Rui might have already been submitted to the Divine Envoy, even before the eyes of that someone from the East Abyss.


    Fei Yunlai felt extremely satisfied in his heart, did those guys really think he wouldn¡¯t fight back?


    Did they think they could boil him to death slowly without him noticing?


    If death was the inevitable conclusion, he¡¯d rather have a mutual destruction with these guys.


    Besides, now he was not without some support.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s BOSS, while only operating a small force at the ninth base city, had already become the top figure in the skies of the Heavenly Extreme Star.


    The resources and power the commander of the Bureau of Betrayal could mobilize were no less than those under a four-star marshal, and even had advantages in many aspects.


    As long as Fei Yunlai ensured that his true body and the Battle Dragon were not discovered by the enemy, the risk he faced would be extremely low.


    It was only the 200-year contract that gave Fei Yunlai a bit of a headache.


    This was still under the precondition that he could deal with Wang Tianwu, seeing the BOSS¡¯s intention, he didn¡¯t seem to have any room to negotiate.


    But Fei Yunlai could understand, after all, that was a four-star marshal!


    A commander who wielded great power of the Second Star Fleet!@@@@


    As Fei Yunlai was thinking about how to ¡®convince¡¯ Wang Tianwu, the topics of discussion in the networks quickly changed again.


    ¡°That looks like two Divine Dragon Slayer Sabers?


    The East Abyss has bestowed the saber again, and it¡¯s headed towards Divine Scenery Mountain, near the Third Divine Envoy Institute.¡±


    ¡°???


    Could it be Lin Hao?


    I¡¯ll send you a bill each month, and you¡¯ll have to pay for the cryo-preservation costs yourself, about five billion Federation dollars a month.


    We can guarantee to provide them with enough nutrients.


    After reading Fei Yunlai¡¯s message, Wang Tianwu was seething with anger.


    Five billion Federation dollars a month for cryo-preservation?


    Were they planning to rob him?


    What was the difference between this and extortion?


    Moreover, several of Wang Tianwu¡¯s accounts on the dark web had been blocked as well.


    If he lost access to Tianji Star¡¯s alternative self and the Battle Dragon, he would lose all ability to make money; where would he find the funds to pay for this?


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Old Fei, which company are you working for now?


    Who¡¯s your BOSS?


    How did I offend him?


    Can you try to mediate for me?


    If it comes to it, I could do some work for hima?€¡±as long as he¡¯s willing to return my alternative self, everything¡¯s negotiable.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): What clout do I have?


    I¡¯ve joined a newly established alternative self company, just starting out not long ago.


    However, the BOSS himself is incredibly badass.


    Currently, his influence in the Tianji Star alternative self world is at least TOP30 level.


    novgo.co


    I¡¯m just a small fry in front of hima?€¡±how can I have a say?


    Keeping your life is already quite good.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Also, I¡¯m in hot water myself.


    I¡¯ve been targeted by that four-star marshal from the Second Fleet and am now relying on the company for protection.


    Wang Tianwu was once again taken aback; before, he had heard that a big shot had set sights on Fei Yunlai, likely someone from the military.


    And who could Fei Yunlai¡¯s BOSS be?


    Able to contend with that four-star marshal and keep Fei Yunlai safe.


    Wang Tianwu thought for a moment, then tentatively asked: Old Fei, is your company short-staffed?


    How about I do some short-term work for you guys?


    He sneered inwardly.


    The company behind Fei Yunlai thought they could make him work like a horse by holding his alternative self hostagea?€¡±what a joke!


    But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to play along for now and trick them into giving back his alternative self.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): We are short-staffed!


    But no matter how desperate, we wouldn¡¯t hire you.


    Everyone knows you¡¯re being hunted by Ling Huan now, to the death at that.


    He doesn¡¯t want more trouble.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): That¡¯s all, remember to transfer the money later.


    Of course, you can choose not to, but then our company would have no obligation to maintain your alternative self.


    Take your pick.


    After sending the message, Fei Yunlai closed the chat window, planning to leave Wang Tianwu hanging, to put pressure on him.


    He thought, how could he let old Wang not sign a 200-year contract and be his companiona?€¡±he wouldn¡¯t feel right insidea?€¡±no!


    How could he possibly live up to the BOSS¡¯s generous treatment?

 Chapter 404

    ?Chapter 404: Chapter 381: Promotion (Please Subscribe) Chapter 404: Chapter 381: Promotion (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui had already come out of the imperial palace and restored quantum communication.


    No sooner had he activated the network than two pop-up windows appeared in his field of vision.


    They were two emails from the Security Bureau headquarters, identified by the intelligent assistant system as the highest level of communication.


    After reading them, Lin Rui was utterly astonished and simultaneously filled with joy.


    He had been promoted and had become a general in the Federal Security Bureau.


    When Lin Rui opened his personal information panel again, he found that his resume had also been altered.


    Lin Rui glanced through it and found that the credentials were very impressive and very reasonable, with everything essentially verifiable.


    ...


    They were not without fault, indeed containing some imperfections in the details.


    But this was normal; too perfect a fabrication would have aroused suspicion.


    novgo.co


    Moreover, these details were actually traps that could function as alarms, ensuring that if anyone investigated based on these details, they would be detected in time.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui¡¯s Third Special Action Division was reorganized into the ¡®National Security Special Action Center,¡¯ becoming a fourth-tier administrative unit within the Security Bureau.


    Lin Rui was completely baffled by this, and after a call to Zhou Yunfei, he learned that it was the first marshal¡¯s intention.


    Even his personal information was crafted by the hand of the first marshal.


    Go to novgo.co@@@@


    Besides, the first marshal had also assigned him several tasks.


    This greatly relieved Lin Rui¡¯s mind; the joy of promotion was secondary.


    What mattered most was that the first marshal did not seem to be aligned with the Longevity Society.


    That was enough.


    What Lin Rui feared most was facing off against the Longevity Society, only to find that his supreme boss was the boss of the Longevity Society.


    At the same time, the first marshal had given him access to partial authority.


    Lin Rui had previously held SSS-level clearance with an X-level security classification as a major general in the Security Bureau.


    Now, he held SSS+ level clearance with an X-level security classification as a general in the Security Bureau.


    In addition, the first marshal had opened up to him all intelligence related to the Longevity Society and the Divine Illumination Society.


    This allowed him to see a lot of interesting things.


    For example, the Earth Federation¡¯s Security Bureau was in control of several branches of the Longevity Society, as well as the approximate locations of their twenty-five bases.


    They also had accurate intelligence on 30,421 extraterrestrial practitioners and were monitoring about 90,000 people from the Tianji Star, suspecting their association with the Longevity and Divine Illumination Societies as extraterrestrials cultivated by them.


    If Lin Rui were to investigate these leads, he could probably be accurate in each case.


    However, there was no need.


    Lin Rui had already drawn enough attention recently.


    The corruption case of the Zhenyu Army and the Luo family estate base case that erupted since his appointment were among the biggest cases since the creation of the Espionage Affairs Bureau.


    Just keep an eye on him, Fei.


    Also, your imperial wanted order has been canceled, but you still need to be careful in Tianji Star.


    You are still among the top targets on the Heavenly Demon list issued by the Espionage Division.


    Lin Rui had no idea that after sending this message, Fei Yunlai from the Ninth Base City was so overjoyed that he ran to the secret base in the middle of the night and practiced his saber art all night long.


    By this time, Lin Rui had returned to the Espionage Division and started the overtime mode of bureaucracy.


    Lin Rui decided that for the foreseeable future, he would try to stay in the government office as much as possible.


    He realized that he had become the target of all eyes, almost like a target for public criticism.


    The Divine Merit Order and the Divine Dragon Slayer Saber given to him by the East Abyss could vastly expand his authority and influence, and even allow him to establish his own faction within the Song Imperial City Administration and the imperial court.


    However, these two items had also placed him on the hot seat, where even a slight misstep could lead to total loss.


    Therefore, for the time being, he intended to stabilize the situation with calmness, accumulate strength as quickly as possible, lay a solid foundation, and turn the divine favor from the East Abyss into his true power.


    Moreover, with the entire Espionage Division busy to the point of exhaustion and even the gods paying attention, Lin Rui, the commander of the Espionage Division, had to show a diligent attitude to his work.


    Hiding in the Espionage Division and working from the office was the best way to lay low.


    It would not only appease his superiors but also allow him to stay at the center of power while ensuring his safety.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s main consciousness didn¡¯t need to stay there all the time.


    Lin Rui¡¯s personal AI assistant system could be maximally enhanced for a short period to help him handle some complex official duties, and with the help of his senior Li Li, nothing should go awry.


    Lin Rui¡¯s consciousness then returned to his body in the Ninth Base City.


    He had three things to focus on next.


    First was the trade with East Asia; Lin Rui had already negotiated a good price, and what remained was to remotely direct the operation, having Wang Sen and Lin Xi assist with the subsequent steps.


    Second was dealing with the twelve Martial Cultivators recruited by Xue Lingxue and Gong Hengdao.


    Their cultivation ranged from 6SS at the highest to 6S at the lowest, all experienced and strong retired military personnel, suffering from the torments of War Armor Syndrome.


    They were now arriving one after the other, and Lin Rui had to make time to meet them and provide each with a treatment plan.


    Lin Rui valued them greatly; using these retired special forces as the core, along with sufficient personnel and combat machinery, he could establish six 6S-level tactical teams.


    In the Ninth Base City, that was already a considerable force.


    Third was the reorganization of the ¡®National Security Special Action Center¡¯.


    Although Xue Lingxue, his assistant, would handle most of the affairs, Lin Rui, as the director of the center, couldn¡¯t afford to be absent entirely and neglect everything.


    Besides, the First Marshal had changed his personal information to facilitate his work.


    This was also a clear indication that the First Marshal wished him to engage more deeply with the internal affairs of the Security Bureau.


    Eight days later, Lin Rui finally completed the first transaction with East Asia.


    As the Heavenly Demon incident continued to erupt, the situation inside and outside the Luo Capital became even tenser.


    Not only did the entire Imperial City Administration strike with full force in all directions, conducting sweeping crackdowns and harsh suppression in the capital and the regions, but the government offices and military forces throughout the Great Song also started to be on high alert, strictly scrutinizing all goods and travelers.


    Thus, the final amount of this transaction was particularly substantial, and Lin Rui managed to obtain unexpected bargaining chips for his master.

 Chapter 405

    ?Chapter 405: Chapter 382: Government Decree (Three more for subscriptions) Chapter 405: Chapter 382: Government Decree (Three more for subscriptions) Lin Rui actually obtained two Type-8 exotic enhancers and two Type-8 battle dragon gene repair fluids, which was twice the agreed amount, but there was still only one X-element injection.


    There was also a Type-8 mental repair fluid that could heal mental damage, and a Type-8 external Golden Core.


    The external Golden Core was a truly special controlled model, named ¡®Crimson Jade¡¯, with a grade of 8S+.


    It was entirely shaped like red amber.


    The precious aspect of this Golden Core was that it did not require external wiring or connectivity with the human body¡¯s meridians.


    Practitioners above the Seventh Realm could directly extract from it; however, the downside of the Golden Core was also here, as wireless certainly couldn¡¯t compare to wired in terms of bandwidth.


    Although it could serve as an external source of true energy, it lacked explosive power in terms of instantaneous output.


    ...


    The items were delivered directly by drone, with no contact between the parties involved.


    After inspecting these items, Lin Rui contacted Zhou Yunfei, ¡°Minister, what¡¯s the meaning of this?


    The items I just received are more than we had previously agreed upon.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei: ¡°It is a bit more, but the issue is that your chips are different now.


    The other side is very sincere.


    The more chips you have, the more they are willing to give you.¡±


    Lin Rui thoughtfully replied, ¡°Is it me or my master?¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Zhou Yunfei: ¡°Both, I suppose.


    You, as a future leader of the Great Song nation, definitely carry significant weight.


    You are a genuine candidate for the Divine Envoy and the second in line, so there¡¯s definitely a need for early investment.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei: ¡°Your master is also formidable; her previous battle with Qi Wuji and Luo Wangshu¡¯s ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart¡¯ sword technique took everyone by surprise and went beyond all expectations.


    Now that she is fully competent, she can establish her own faction in the Great Song dynasty.@@@@


    It¡¯s no wonder she managed to secure for you the position of command at the Stabbing Bureau.¡±


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Understood, please convey my thanks to them on my behalf, Minister Zhou!¡±


    Zhou Yunfei: ¡°Haha, there are several big shots in commerce on their side who asked me to pass a message to you, hoping you can keep the commodity prices of Great Song as they are now.¡±


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Understood.


    I assure you that the prices here in Great Song won¡¯t drop within a month.¡±


    Lin Rui naturally could not let his partners suffer.


    As far as Lin Rui knew, there were several large companies in East Asia that were involved in trading under government coordination.


    They had just banded together to purchase goods at high prices from him.


    With these two divine graces, Lin Rui was practically the incarnation of the divine will, and with the position he now held, his words carried even more weight than those of the current Crown Prince of the Great Song Dynasty.


    The edicts and official documents sent out from his Bureau of Spying Officialsa?€¡±who in the royal court would dare to delay them?


    There was no need for endorsement from a Divine Envoy.


    The officials in various locations also understood the severity of the situation, daring not to neglect nor to pay lip service while behaving differently.


    Otherwise, a charge from Lin Rui of dereliction of duty or collusion with the Heavenly Demon, even if it were a province¡¯s governor, would not be able to withstand the pressure.


    Li Li meticulously chose his words and earnestly drafted the document, passing it to Lin Rui for transcription.


    Watching Lin Rui write, Li Li marveled once again at his junior disciple brother¡¯s acting skills.


    Truth be told, Lin Rui¡¯s handwriting wasn¡¯t ugly.


    novgo.co


    Precise control over one¡¯s body and strength was the most basic requirement for a Martial Cultivator of the Fifth Realm; how bad could their handwriting be?


    But somehow, Lin Rui managed, despite having a grade of A+ in Heavenly Extreme Star¡¯s language, to write without any charm, as if he copied the characters mechanicallya?€¡±this was truly astonishing.


    After transcribing, Lin Rui stamped his grand seal on it, then summoned Luo Renxi, the guard commander of the Seventh Surveillance Command, Mo Daoquan, the guard commander of the Eighth Surveillance Command, and a group of clerks.


    ¡°The restructuring within Luo Jing City will be handled by you two.


    One will be responsible for the Department of Revenue and the transport offices, the other for inspecting major trading houses.


    And you others, make copies of these documents as soon as possible and dispatch them to various offices, urging them to act swiftly.


    Within three days, I want to hear of movements across the regions and see results!


    Pay particular attention to military equipment and the materials for Golden Cores, which need thorough investigation and management.¡±¡®


    After issuing these instructions, he sighed softly, his face full of worried thoughts, ¡°If we do not put a stop to these smuggling practices, the Great Song court will sooner or later fall into the hands of those maggots, to be exploited by Hell and outside Heavenly Demons!


    Thus, the responsibility of your tasks this time is massive, and you must act decisively and rigorously, no leniency, no slack!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Li Li almost couldn¡¯t keep a straight face.


    He steadfastly looked at Lin Rui¡¯s face, yet couldn¡¯t discern any flaw.


    The guard commanders of the Seventh and Eighth Surveillances, on the other hand, showed faces full of joy.


    Since this new Commandant of the Bureau of Spying Officials took office, they too had benefited, though not from anything significant, yet this time the pickings were rich.


    Lin Rui then hurriedly carried a package filled with syringes and set out for Divine Scenery Mountain¡¯s Third Divine Envoy Institute.


    At that time, Luo Wangshu had already received the news and temporarily set aside the work at hand, waiting for him in the small farmyard next to the Third Divine Envoy Institute.


    She had been preoccupied with rectifying and investigating the prison military these past few days and had hardly rested.


    Upon seeing Lin Rui and the syringes he brought out, she immediately brightened up, her eyes filled with anticipation and heart surging with excitement.

 Chapter 406

    ?Chapter 406: Chapter 383: Strengthening (Please Subscribe) Chapter 406: Chapter 383: Strengthening (Please Subscribe) ¡°`


    ¡°Is this the so-called X-element injection?¡±


    Luo Wangshu, brimming with excitement, took a crimson syringe from the bag and scrutinized it closely.


    Among the many medications brought by Lin Rui, this was the one she valued most.


    Luo Wangshu looked at Lin Rui, ¡°Can I inject it directly?¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head vigorously like the beating of a drum, ¡°I haven¡¯t used it, but these injections come with an instruction manual.¡±


    He had indeed never used such high-level injections; the X-element in Lin Rui¡¯s body was originally implanted via a man-made Golden Core.


    Luo Wangshu immediately took out the instruction manual and glanced at it.


    Unable to understand the language of the Earth Federation, fortunately, the East Asian side had taken this into account, and the manual was illustrated.


    She could understand it just by looking at the pictures.


    Without hesitation, she first took out the Type 8 mental repair fluid, ready to inject it into herself.


    ...


    ¡°Master!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s eyes showed a hint of concern, ¡°The channel I contacted should be reliable and sincere.


    They provided double the medications to give us a trial.


    Maybe Master could let someone else trya?€¡±¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°No need!¡±


    Lou Wangshu directly injected the mental repair fluid into her body, ¡°Neither you nor I have a way to verify the medications.


    If there is indeed a problem with your channel, there¡¯s no way for us to avoid it.


    Once we validate this one, can we ensure the other won¡¯t be problematic?


    Moreover, these Heavenly Demon¡¯s regulated experimental products can¡¯t possibly provide double portions every time, so rather than thinking about precautions, isn¡¯t it better to bind them with interest, hmm?¡±


    She let out a surprised exclamation, her spirit shook tremendously, ¡°The standard of these Heavenly Demons in medicine is indeed formidable!¡±


    The spiritual trauma that she had caused by forcefully using ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart¡¯ had mostly recovered in just a brief moment.


    Luo Wangshu then proceeded to inject herself with the alien enhancement agent and the X-element injection, in order.


    The effect of the Type 8 alien enhancement agent, in particular, left her astounded.


    Luo Wangshu felt the deep layers of her flesh and blood undergoing some intense and imperceptible change; they were even continuously disintegrating and reconstructing.


    Luo Wangshu had no choice but to sit still for nearly an hour.


    An hour later, Luo Wangshu found that everything inside her body had become more perfect.


    The Type 8 alien gene enhancer had optimized everything inside her.


    Her flesh was still the same flesh, her bones were still the same bones, yet now her body was producing more True Qi, her physical strength, speed, and reaction time had increased by at least twelve percent!


    At the same time, Luo Wangshu¡¯s mastered methods of pushing limits and enhancement also had a higher ceiling for progress.


    This was only Type 8; what about the top-tier Type 9?


    Her eyes gleamed as she felt her own body, ¡°So this is what they call gene enhancement?


    It¡¯s about optimizing and reorganizing certain structures in our bloodlines to achieve a stronger body and power.


    This is fascinating, different from the elixirs we usually use.¡±


    It was also different from the enhancement and limit-pushing methods that Luo Wangshu mastered.


    Luo Wangshu considered that when she had time, she might delve into the ¡®biological science¡¯ of the Heavenly Demons; it could be a direction for her cultivation.


    Lin Rui nodded, ¡°The Heavenly Demons¡¯ claim is that they strengthen certain structures in our gene chains, making them more robust and powerful.


    Luo Wangshu pondered this as she stood up, holding a tube arm-thick with Type-8 War Dragon gene repair liquid, and walked towards her War Dragon, the ¡®Divine Only-Me Dragon¡¯.


    Luo Wangshu injected the substance into her ¡®Divine Only-Me Dragon,¡¯ and spoke with a slight smile: ¡°No rush on this matter; let¡¯s wait until little Hao Hao¡¯s cultivation reaches the eighth realm.¡±


    Luo Wangshu didn¡¯t trust those Heavenly Demons or anyone else for that matter, but she did trust Lin Hao.


    However, the current Lin Hao was still too weak.


    Until his wings were fully developed, he couldn¡¯t command respect or control situations.


    She wasn¡¯t as urgent as before either.


    After this enhancement, Luo Wangshu could now fully utilize ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword.¡¯ The flaw Qi Wuji mentioned had been remedied.


    Luo Wangshu then turned to look at Lin Rui¡¯s pale, bloodless face: ¡°Little Hao Hao, have you been with the counter-espionage bureau these past few days?


    You must have been awake for seven or eight days straight, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself that his master had finally noticed his ¡®fatigued¡¯ state, and his contrived appearance hadn¡¯t been in vain.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s expression remained indifferent: ¡°Master has also been busy these days, tirelessly working.


    In this day and age, with Heavenly Demons rampant and evil entities prowling, how can your disciple slack off?¡±


    In reality, he wasn¡¯t that exhausted.


    Most of his official duties were handled by the artificial intelligence assistant system.


    Lin Rui¡¯s true self was at Base City Number Nine, sleeping when he needed to sleep, drinking when he wanted to drink, and practicing when he needed to practice.


    ¡°There are thousands, if not millions, of demons in the world; they can¡¯t be exterminated in a short time.


    Besides, can you compare with your teacher?


    With my ninth realm cultivation, I¡¯m not far from achieving tenth realm longevity.


    You¡¯re just shedding your dragon form.


    Your fontanel has only just closed, and according to those Heavenly Demons, your body hasn¡¯t even fully developed.


    Don¡¯t wear yourself out.


    Since you took office, you haven¡¯t had a proper rest.¡±


    Luo Wangshu didn¡¯t know Lin Rui¡¯s thoughts.


    She patted his arm affectionately, her voice leaving no room for argument.


    ¡°Listen to me, go rest and bathe for a couple of days.


    Leave everything else aside and rest well.


    The counter-espionage bureau won¡¯t stop functioning without its commander.


    Remember, Hao Hao, we Martial Cultivators should still focus on strengthening ourselves.


    External influences are certainly useful, but we can¡¯t rely on them excessively and lose sight of what¡¯s important.¡±


    She was hinting to Lin Rui to take it easy at the counter-espionage bureau, to just be satisfactory in his divine duties.


    If her disciple wanted to go further, he would still need to spend more time on his cultivation.


    Lin Rui was waiting for just such words.


    That night, he followed his master¡¯s orders, rested, and returned home, then took the underground passage discovered by Xue Lingxue and Wang Sen to leave the city.


    He took a starship back to Wang City County, tens of thousands of miles away.


    He planned to use these two days of rest to deal with some backlog of cybernetic implant surgeries.


    Fei Yunlai was extremely excited, waiting early at the base entrance.


    He had long anticipated this day.

 Chapter 407

    ?Chapter 407: Chapter 384: Purification (Thanks to the Silver Alliance Hierarch Nuan Yang 1314) Chapter 407: Chapter 384: Purification (Thanks to the Silver Alliance Hierarch Nuan Yang 1314) PS: Thanks to the first Silver Alliance Hierarch ¡°Nuan Yang 1314¡± for the million reward; I am immensely thankful for this initial venture into the wild.@@@@


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Gong Hengdao also waited outside the base with Fei Yunlai.


    He tilted his head slightly, looking at Fei Yunlai with a strange expression.


    Fei Yunlai, annoyed by the staring, turned and glared back at Gong Hengdao.


    What are you looking at?


    Haven¡¯t you seen me before?


    Gong Hengdao couldn¡¯t help but laugh helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I feel like you¡¯ve changed a lot recently, quite different from before.¡±


    In the past, this old Fei was quite proud, filled with ambition and always dreaming of setting up his own studio.


    ...


    Now, this guy seemed to have lost that desire and had become much more grounded.


    In the past few days, Gong Hengdao had checked Fei Yunlai¡¯s personal homepage and noticed that he hadn¡¯t shared those entrepreneurs¡¯ motivational quotes for a long time.


    Fei Yunlai probably guessed the reason and snorted lightly, his tone leisurely, ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡±


    Recently, he was indeed a bit less spirited, somewhat unworthy of his previous self.


    But could the current situation be the same as before?


    Go to novgo.co


    His little BOSS had now become the de facto, though unrecognized, Crown Prince of the Great Song Dynasty!


    Although still serving others, working in a unicorn-grade startup was entirely different from his previous role at a foreign company!


    Just at that moment, a huge steel spaceship appeared above them.


    This spaceship possessed a powerful invisibility system, equipped with optical camouflage, electromagnetic stealth, and an ether shield.


    Ordinary people couldn¡¯t see it, and even high-level Martial Cultivators like Fei Yunlai could only detect its presence within a distance of ten thousand meters.


    As the spaceship landed, Lin Rui led a group of people down from the ship.


    Shangguan Tianyi walked among them, her eyes vacant and dazed.


    Since she had been transferred under Lin Hao, she had been in a constant state of shock and confusion for the past ten days.


    First, her master had purchased various Heavenly Demon serums for her, injecting each one into her in a miraculously effective way to replenish the vital energy she had lost, while also enhancing every aspect of her body to the extreme, whether it was spiritual power, strength, responsiveness, or speed, all surpassed the previous level.


    Shangguan Tianyi even awakened a kind of Super Emperor Tier bloodline, which officially elevated her overall blood power into the emperor realm.


    When she woke up after several days of sleep, she found that her master had already obtained the Divine Merit Order and the Divine Dragon Slayer Saber!


    He had become one of the likeliest candidates to be promoted to Divine Envoy, a status that could rival the Crown Prince and with even greater authority.


    The problem was, her master seemed to be an otherworldly Heavenly Demona?€¡±the very creatures that instructors at the Dragon Guard kept warning against, urging them to be extremely vigilant and fight to the death if necessary!


    Before, Shangguan Tianyi had only suspected, but when she boarded this giant steel ship under the guidance of her master, there was no room left for doubt!


    This escort starship, 180 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 35 meters tall, was the smallest warship model in the Earth Federation, but to the native people of Tianji Star like Shangguan Tianyi, it was a colossal giant!


    Shangguan Tianyi had grown up in Luojing and was worldly wise, yet she had never encountered such a massive steel giant.


    novgo.co


    Now that she knew all that was a facade, she began to have doubts.


    However, Lin Hao had been very good to her personally, and the Heavenly Demon injections he administered to her these past few days were clearly very valuable.


    This master was truly doing his best to help her, aiming to increase her chances of a successful transformation.


    Due to the urgency of time, soon after Lin Rui entered the base, he started the operation.


    The first subject of his operation was Shangguan Tianyi; the child was only days away from the closure of her fontanelle a?€¡° there was no further delay possible.


    At that moment, a massive lead room had been built inside this underground base.


    Since it was inside the star of Tianji, and because of the lack of earth characteristics, the specifications for this lead room were several times higher than those of the Ninth Base City.


    Shangguan Tianyi followed Lin Rui into the room with a suspicious look and lay down on the operating table as he instructed.


    Her expression was very curious, yet somewhat uneasy, ¡°Master, are you implanting the zhi zhuang?


    I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary.¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi had heard that zhi zhuang was essentially artificial bloodline talent, not only greatly assisting in combat but also strengthening and enhancing a person¡¯s soul and physical power during critical junctures of Martial Cultivator¡¯s promotion.


    Thus, those Martial Cultivators who awakened powerful bloodlines from the start typically had superior qualities and potential compared to their peers.


    However, the stronger the bloodline, the more difficult it was to advance.


    It was said that Lin Hao¡¯s mentor, Luo Wangshu, was beyond the imperial ranks in four realms and an emperor in five realms, and had continued advancing using the power of his imperial bloodline up to the ninth realm!


    So her potential was also recognized as the highest among all the current ninth realm cultivators.


    Lin Rui slightly raised his lips upon hearing her, ¡°Lacking confidence in yourself?¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s eyes hardened, ¡°Not at all!


    I will definitely transform.¡±


    She was determined to risk her life on this transformation; after all, there was no turning back.


    If not successful, then death it would be!


    Shangguan Tianyi had absolute faith in herself, yet worried about the unforeseeable circumstances.


    If she contaminated Lin Hao¡¯s zhi zhuang, that would be problematic, as the device was said to be extremely expensive.


    Some top-tier zhi zhuang had a black market price of several million demon silvers.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Lin Rui¡¯s eyes showed appreciation, ¡°But before I implant the zhi zhuang, I need to perform a cleansing.¡±


    ¡°Cleansing?¡± Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s eyes grew even more suspicious, not until she saw a sanctified flame burning in Lin Hao¡¯s palm.


    ¡°Your connection with the abyss has indeed become too tight,¡± Lin Rui said sternly.


    ¡°Thinking mere determination can combat the abyss is rather naive.¡±


    Fortunately, this girl had met hima?€¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi let out a cry of astonishment as she watched the sanctified flame in Lin Hao¡¯s hand, her voice trembling, ¡°The Purification!¡±


    a?€¡±Her master actually had mastered the complete concept of the Abyss!

 Chapter 408

    ?Chapter 408: Chapter 385: Divine Heart¡¯s Enlightenment (Three updates, please subscribe) Chapter 408: Chapter 385: Divine Heart¡¯s Enlightenment (Three updates, please subscribe) Lin Rui¡¯s purification surgery on Shangguan Tianyi lasted only for a brief moment, around a quarter of an hour.


    This girl¡¯s connection with the abyss was not on the same level as that of her sister, Lin Xi.


    A quarter of an hour was already enough for him to clear most of the abyssal imprints from Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s soul sea.


    The remaining spiritual contamination, though still a bit more potent than what common dragon guards would have, was now within Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s capabilities to handle herself.


    This rare Sword Dao prodigy, if unable to handle even this level of abyssal contamination, would have been a great disappointment to him.


    Key was that Lin Rui could only maintain the procedure for so long; any longer and it would start to harm his own vitality and drain his spiritual power.


    Lin Rui then dealt with some more troublesome matters within the girl¡¯s soul sea.


    ...


    It was the ¡®prohibition¡¯ deep within Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s braina?€¡±if this was not dealt with, the ultimate ownership of this girl would still belong to that entity from the abyss.


    Lin Rui had long recognized that his master, although very trusting of his dragon guards, had never discussed the deal with the Heavenly Demon or even the injections in front of them.


    However, the federal biological research institutions had long since studied the ¡®dragon guards,¡¯ with dozens of dissection cases, and knew how they were controlled.


    Lin Rui, bearing the Pure Flame and having access to some secret medical documents through Professor Sima, knew how to handle the deepest layer of prohibition within the dragon guards¡¯ bodies.


    While performing the brain surgery, Lin Rui also implanted an SSS+ grade ¡®Godheart Clarity¡¯ in her!


    It is said this talent can briefly bring one¡¯s soul into a state as indestructible as the gods of the abyss, unrestrained by space and time.


    It also allows for ¡®divine clarity,¡¯ providing extraordinary insight and understanding.


    Go to novgo.co


    This talent was not only a super Emperor Level talent that most Martial Cultivators could only dream of, but for Shangguan Tianyi, it had a unique significance.


    It could maximize the expression of her Sword Dao and abyssal concepts and significantly increase the success rate of her dragon transformation.


    Lin Rui¡¯s goal was also to guide Shangguan Tianyi in awakening her talent.


    In the Tianji Star, most Martial Cultivators¡¯ talent awakening is random, but the earth federation¡¯s implants can guide their awakening.


    After they adjust, it¡¯s highly probable that this kind of talent will coalesce within their bloodline.


    Ji Xueying was a living example.


    Lin Rui also implanted a custom set of 7SSS+ ¡®War God¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Armor¡¯ in her, along with a nuclear battery as an external Pill.


    This was originally supposed to be implanted after Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s promotion.


    However, Lin Rui was very confident in this girl and, being usually very busy, rarely found the time to perform surgeries, so he went ahead and did it all at once.


    It¡¯s worth mentioning that he was now increasingly skilled and faster at performing surgeries.


    Lin Rui could now manage to multitask to an extreme, controlling nine surgical robotic arms simultaneously during an operation, with precision down to the nanometer level.


    When Shangguan Tianyi woke up, she found that only an hour had passed, but she could already feel a tremendous change within her body.


    ¡°Is this the Godheart Clarity?¡±


    Overwhelmed with emotion, Shangguan Tianyi found that, with the help of the implants, she now possessed the very talent she had desired the most.


    Then, with a thought, she looked at the nanotech armor hidden beneath her skin on her hands, her eyes filled with complex emotions.


    Shangguan Tianyi knew that her combat power had undergone a drastic change compared to before the surgery.


    The key was that her path to dragon transformation was now cleara?€¡±


    So serving as a dragon guard for the outer-domain Heavenly Demon certainly had its benefits.


    ¡°You can try to transform into a dragon now.


    A room has been prepared next to you, along with a medicine pool.


    You can have Xue Ying take you there,¡± Lin Rui said.


    He moved towards the changing room next to him, planning to switch his surgical attire while the lead room was self-sterilizing in preparation for the next surgery.


    It was at that moment Shangguan Tianyi called out to him, ¡°I heard the Sovereign wants to recruit my teacher?¡±


    ¡°I am indeed considering it,¡± Lin Rui turned back and looked at her curiously, ¡°Can you help with that, Tianyi?¡±


    These days, while he worked in the royal city, he had tried several times to recruit Fei Yunlai, but to no avail.


    ¡°My teacher once said that she is unwilling to seek out a new master because her former master¡¯s true cause of death lies in the heavens,¡± Shangguan Tianyi said, scratching her head.


    ¡°I think, if you just demonstrate the Pure Flame in front of my teacher, she would surely agree.¡±


    However, they had unique secret methods making their dragon transformation far easier than normal Martial Cultivators.


    Lin Rui wanted to understand the secrets to see if they could be applied to himselfa?€¡±


    Meanwhile, on the escort starship outside the base, Fei Yunlai was directing his war dragon to sit down in the starship¡¯s cargo hold.


    Watching the dark golden patterns that were gradually emerging on his war dragon¡¯s body, his heart was full of sighs and emotions.


    This was what he had traded his freedom fora?€¡±


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t a bad deal either.


    A 200-year contract in exchange for top-tier cybernetics for his original body and this super Emperor Level war dragon.


    On deeper thought, there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with working for others.


    He no longer had to worry about profits and losses, business matters, or the mundanities of life.


    Moreover, the boss he had found was not only promising but also provided fair and generous compensation.


    Fei Yunlai immediately brushed aside his thoughts and began taking photos of his war dragon.


    Right then, he received a message from Wang Tianwu.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Old Fei, I can¡¯t gather enough money right now.


    Can you speak to your BOSS on my behalf?


    Help me lower the maintenance fees.


    I¡¯m not in a good situation, I can at most give one billion a month.


    Fei Yunlai ignored him and continued photographing his war dragon.


    He then edited the pictures, erasing anything around the war dragon that could reveal information and blurred the war dragon itself before posting the photo to his personal space.


    Cool, huh?


    I, Fei Yunlai, now own a super Emperor Level war dragon too!


    His personal space was visible only to a few ¡®friends¡¯ recognized by Fei Yunlai, and Wang Tianwu happened to be one of them.


    Powerful Horse King (Wiang Tianwu): Damn, a super Emperor Level war dragon?


    At least 23 meters tall, Old Fei, have you become a cybernetic general?


    You must have sold yourself out, right?


    Also, aren¡¯t you afraid that doing this will prevent you from ascending to the eighth realm?


    After seeing this message, Fei Yunlai rolled his eyes.


    He was only ever short of money, okay?


    With his martial prowess and spiritual power, how could it be possible for him not to ascend to the eighth realm?


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Old Fei, don¡¯t you consider me a brother anymore?


    Reply to me.


    Like this, I¡¯ll add another 20 million, help me talk to him.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Alright then, I¡¯ll reluctantly speak to him on your behalf.


    Wang Tianwu was initially elated upon seeing this message, but then his face changed dramatically as he realized he might be trapped in an illusion.


    As an Illusion Technique master himself, Wang Tianwu knew that when one is trapped in a dream, everything within it often unfolds according to the desires and will of the dream¡¯s owner.


    He was extremely keen on having Fei Yunlai¡¯s boss lower the maintenance fees, preferably to return his heterogenous body to him.


    But how could Fei Yunlai, that damn guy, who had been putting him off, saying he couldn¡¯t influence his boss, suddenly agree so readily?


    It must be an illusion!


    Wang Tianwu suddenly bit the tip of his tongue, forcing himself to break free from the incredibly realistic dream before him.


    He checked his chat history again.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, Old Wang.


    But since you¡¯ve offended my BOSS before, you are lucky enough to still have your heterogenous body.


    Wang Tianwu sighed quietly and then violently smashed through the glass next to him, jumping down from the second floor of the low-tier hotel he was in.

 Chapter 409

    ?Chapter 409: Chapter 386: Spirit Fantasy (Please Subscribe) Chapter 409: Chapter 386: Spirit Fantasy (Please Subscribe) Wang Tianwu had just landed outside the window when he saw an old man in ancient Daoist robes approaching him.


    With his white beard flowing elegantly, his features gaunt, and his stature upright, he exuded the aura of an immortal from the Taoist tradition.


    He walked through the bustling market of the lower district as if strolling through an empty, uninhabited land.


    The dense crowd around the old man seemed utterly unaware of his presence, instinctively stepping aside to clear a path for him.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s mood turned cold as ice, for it was the first time he had come into such close contact with ¡°Illusion Magic.¡±


    Without hesitation, Wang Tianwu turned and ran down a nearby alley,


    He had thoroughly investigated every potential hiding place, not only was he completely familiar with the local terrain, but he had also planned escape routes in advance.


    novgo.co


    There was a reason Wang Tianwu chose to hide in the lower district.


    ...


    Most pipelines in the lower district are only 15 meters wide, too narrow for Zhi Armor Battle Dragons to pass through.


    The battle dragons of Tianji Star could use Bone Shrinking and Body Condensing to reduce their size to just two Zhang,


    But due to their nature, the Zhi Armor Battle Dragons were unable to compress their form.


    As Wang Tianwu fled for his life, illusions filled his mind.


    He found himself at a crossroads one moment, saw ¡°Illusion Magic¡± appear before him the next, and then felt the strength in his body rapidly depleting.


    Go to novgo.co


    However, Wang Tianwu was able to snap out of the illusions each time almost instantly.


    His expression was steely, his eyes sharp and piercing.@@@@


    Others would have been subdued by ¡°Illusion Magic¡± in the blink of an eye upon encountering it, but not Wang Tianwu.


    His secret technique ¡°Instant Sky Step¡± could normally traverse 158 meters at its limit!


    But, due to the Illusion Magic¡¯s effects, Wang Tianwu¡¯s spatial and distance judgment became severely flawed, managing only 30 meters at a time.


    He thought he had already traveled into the escape tunnel, but in reality, he was still outside it.


    This realization terrified Wang Tianwu even more.


    The ability of ¡°Illusion Magic¡± had clearly advanced again.


    His teacher¡¯s overall combat strength had been at the super Emperor rank of the ninth realm, but was now likely stepping into the Emperor Level!


    Wang Tianwu, an eight-realm Martial Artist with a strong Primordial Spirit and will enhanced by special bloodline fortification, had still been manipulated into a distorted perception without realizing it.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a thunderous blast that assaulted the eardrums, a blinding burst of lightning struck Illusion Magic.


    It was an array Wang Tianwu had pre-set within the nearby cave walls, capable of hiding beyond human perception, channeling the surrounding high-tension electrical grid to unleash a strike rivaling the might of a super Emperor of the ninth realm when triggered.


    Yet after the lightning explosion, Illusion Magic appeared unscathed before Wang Tianwu.


    ¡°What a treacherous disciple you are!¡± Illusion Magic stood with hands behind his back, looking at Wang Tianwu with a slightly mocking gaze, ¡°It seems you¡¯ve made significant progress in the way of Array Plates during your time away, achieving a Grandmaster demeanor.


    However, I should have taught you that for us as Zhi Armor Martial Cultivators, the most important aspects are the five senses and Spiritual Sense.


    When all your five senses and Spiritual Sense are blurred and obscured, even if you possess the greatest strength, you can¡¯t do anything about a tiny speck of dust in front of you.¡±


    Without uttering a word, Wang Tianwu immediately turned and fled in another direction.


    As he ran, preseted Array Plates would intermittently detonate along his path.


    These Array Plates were costly; they were not just mass-produced items but were made with the hide of a sixth-realm dragon.


    An A4-sized piece of dragon hide paper nowadays costs ten divine gold, and his set of Array Plates required ten such sheets, in addition to other auxiliary materials, totaling a value of fourteen million federal credits.


    But to save his life, Wang Tianwu could no longer care about the financial loss.

 Chapter 410

    ?Chapter 410: Chapter 386: Spirit Fantasy (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 410: Chapter 386: Spirit Fantasy (Please Subscribe)_2 ¡°`


    What filled Wang Tianwu with despair was that no matter how many Array Plates he triggered, and no matter how powerful their divinity, he couldn¡¯t harm Lin Rui in the slightest,


    Instead of blocking his way, Lin Rui walked shoulder to shoulder with Wang Tianwu, his expression peaceful and at ease.


    It looked as if he was merely taking a leisurely stroll and chat with Wang Tianwu, ¡°You know, it¡¯s been over a decade since we, master and apprentice, last met, right?


    I¡¯ve always been puzzled.


    Why did you betray me back then?¡±


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s eyes bulged, and even his temples throbbed with bulging veins.


    Why betray Lin Rui?


    Simply because if he didn¡¯t betray, he would have died!


    Of the twenty fellow disciples who joined Lin Rui¡¯s Illusion Technique class with him, only three remained alive.


    ...


    By now, Wang Tianwu had given in to despair, knowing there was no chance for him to escape.


    The Array Plates Wang Tianwu had set up in the vicinity were now depleted, and his teacher Lin Rui, not only wielded incredibly skillful Illusion Techniques but also held immense wealth and power within the Earth Federation.


    This gave ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ access to the top-level combat suits and the most elite combat dragons.


    He also had two specially enhanced 9SS model ¡®Divine Servant¡¯ combat robots as his personal bodyguards.


    Go to novgo.co


    So at this moment, ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ wasn¡¯t even serious.


    After bewildering Wang Tianwu with his powerful Illusion Techniques, it was as if he was toying with him like a cat with a mouse.


    Yet, Wang Tianwu still didn¡¯t want to give up, wanting to struggle on.


    His life had been bought by the sacrifice of three senior brothers.


    These three asked for nothing in return but hoped that if Wang Tianwu could one day stand at the pinnacle of combat suit Illusion Techniques, surpassing them in skill, he could avenge them and their families.


    Thus, Wang Tianwu was unwilling to give up, even if he had only the faintest breath of strength left, he would fight to the end!


    Just then, Wang Tianwu¡¯s expression shifted as he looked up ahead.


    He saw dozens of mini nuclear missiles flying towards them.


    Their target, shockingly, was not Wang Tianwu, but ¡®Lin Rui¡¯.


    What was astonishing was that these nuclear missiles hit ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ precisely, exploding in the empty space near Wang Tianwu and emitting a sun-like intense heat and light.


    Meanwhile, hundreds of plasma beam cannons fired towards ¡®Lin Rui.¡¯


    Wang Tianwu took the opportunity to escape.


    After breaking free from ¡®Lin Rui¡¯s¡¯ Illusion Technique suppression, he fled in an instant, reaching three miles away.


    He heard ¡®Lin Rui¡¯s¡¯ furious and grating voice from behind, ¡°Xu Mengran!¡±


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s pupils dilated, a mad joy appearing in his eyes.


    novgo.co


    It was Xu Mengran who had arrived!


    Xu Mengran: ¡°From now on, protect this person well!


    Trust me, he will inflict unprecedented damage on Linghuan, and may even bring about his demise.¡±


    Wang Tianwu opened the link from Xu Mengran and stared blankly for a moment.


    It was a recruitment notice.


    The recruiter was someone named Lin Rui, with requirements of being above Martial Cultivator Realm 7, having bloodline power at the SS level, possessing strong martial power, a clean background, reliable loyalty, and the ability to provide 24-hour escort protection.


    The monthly salary was 350 million Federation dollars, including an SS+ prosthetic; a signing bonus of one billion Federation dollars, with a contract term of at least 200 years.


    Wang Tianwu frowned after reading it.


    This recruitment was aimed at high-level fighters at the 7SS level, and the salary was quite generous, somewhat appealing to white-path high-level fighters who dislike dirty work.


    However, the maintenance costs for his different prosthetics quoted by that birdman Fei Yunlai were as high as 500 million Federation dollars per month!


    Also, the contract time was excessively long.


    Wang Tianwu checked the information about Lin Rui and discovered that he was a newly-rising university martial arts star, hailed as having legendary talent!


    He already amassed 700 million fans, with over 50 million viewers for each livestream.


    The problem was that this guy was only at Martial Cultivator Realm 4; how could he possibly deal with his teacher?


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): ¡°Marshal, are you sure this young man can inflict heavy damage on Linghuan?


    Frankly, I¡¯m in dire need of money recently.


    Besides, the job is recruiting Martial Cultivators at the 7SS level with clean backgrounds, and the contract term of 200 years is way too long.¡±


    He felt Xu Mengran was setting him up.


    Wang Tianwu was willing to accept if Xu Mengran wanted him to protect someone.


    But 200 years?


    Wang Tianwu was not willing to slavishly serve someone for that long.


    Xu Mengran: ¡°You¡¯re at the Emperor Level, Martial Cultivator Realm 8.


    You can totally negotiate the price!


    Your identity is not clean enough, but at least you have no criminal record.


    As for the financial aspect, don¡¯t worry.


    If you take his job, I can help you unfreeze those banks and underground financial accounts.¡±


    Xu Mengran: ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m certain he can inflict heavy damage on Linghuan and can assure your safety.


    Also, this might be your only chance in life to defeat Linghuan and avenge your fellow disciples!¡±


    Xu Mengran: ¡°Xu always conducts himself honorably and straightforwardly; I never deceive or lie.


    Whether to accept his recruitment is for you to consider.¡±


    Wang Tianwu looked at Xu Mengran¡¯s reply, his face changing colors.


    At that moment, he received another message from Linghuan.


    Linghuan: ¡°I will find you!¡±

 Chapter 411

    ?Chapter 411: Chapter 387: Unparalleled (Subscription Request) Chapter 411: Chapter 387: Unparalleled (Subscription Request) Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s transformation into a dragon was completed at the third watch of the third day, and when the people saw her towering six-zhang-seven dragon body adorned with purple-gold patterns, they were all momentarily speechless.


    ¡°A sixth-order emperor realm, the unparalleled Sword Spirit Dragon!¡±


    Fei Yunlai watched as Shangguan Tianyi controlled her battle dragon and settled himself into the pilot cabin of the escort spacecraft, feeling somewhat sour.


    Where had his BOSS found such a sword Dao genius?


    Not only had she achieved the sixth emperor realm, but she was also the unparalleled Sword Spirit Dragon!


    Fei Yunlai had just checked the battle dragon chart, and this type of battle dragon was extremely unique, awakening only when both martial arts and bloodline talents reached the emperor realm level.


    What was terrifying was that this battle dragon had just been born and seemed to already show signs of awakened intelligence.


    This could be seen from the way Shangguan Tianyi controlled it, clearly much more relaxed than him and Gong Hengdao, who had to attend to every detail.


    ...


    As is well known, the stronger a Martial Cultivator¡¯s spiritual power and martial intent, the higher the likelihood of the battle dragon awakening intelligence.


    Lin Rui was reminiscing about Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s dragon transformation process.


    When he went to see it, the main body of Shangguan Tianyi had already formed, covered with flesh beyond the bone armor, and was growing limbs.


    Although Lin Rui had only seen the latter part, he still benefited greatly.


    ¡°Is this the dragon transformation?¡±


    Lin Rui smiled slightly, turning his head to Ji Xueying, ¡°What do you think?


    Go to novgo.co


    Do you feel confident?¡±


    Ji Xueying had entered the fifth realm two months earlier than he had, and Lin Rui had provided her with the best medicines, now her dragon armor had covered more than half of her body.


    Her alternate body had already been implanted with a complete SSS+ reproductive dragon armor!


    This made Ji Xueying¡¯s own body¡¯s dragon armor coverage and strengthening speed also rapidly enhance under the ¡®alternate body assimilation effect¡¯.


    ¡°I think I can!¡±


    Ji Xueying replied without hesitation, ¡°But my martial arts still fall short; to achieve the best battle dragon, I still need to continue strengthening in this area.¡±


    Ji Xueying believed that her battle dragon could not be inferior to Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s.


    Hearing this, Lin Rui laughed, his protective demon on the surface appeared gentle, but inside, he also had a proud and competitive spirit.


    Late that night, Lin Rui still returned to Luo Jing City aboard the escort spacecraft.


    To avoid being detected, they parachuted to the ground three thousand miles outside of Luo Jing City and then used a secret passage to return to Luo Jing.


    This passage was actually Luo Jing City¡¯s developed drainage system, Wang Sen and his Ice Blood Demon had dug a tunnel 70 meters deep, connecting it to a nearby sewer, and then Lin Rui personally used an extremely sophisticated array to conceal the tunnel and its entrances.


    After escorting Lin Rui back to his mansion, Gong Hengdao and Fei Yunlai left.


    They would remain on standby outside Luo Jing City and also choose a location nearby to build another secret base.


    After returning to his mansion, Lin Rui was somewhat surprised, as during the two days of his rest, no one had come looking for him, and none of his subordinates from the Assassination Bureau had disturbed him.


    He had been worried earlier that, taking two days off under the guise of rest might lead to an emergency that could blow his cover.


    So Lin Rui had prepared a plan in case he was discovered: he would use the excuse of investigating a case, needing to conceal his whereabouts.


    Then, from the security bureau¡¯s database, he¡¯d dredge up some illegal Heavenly Demons, which would suffice to handle the situation.


    Lin Rui did not go over but stood at a distance, an onlooker with an indifferent demeanor.


    Just then, Lin Rui received a friend request, and it was from ¡°Wang Tianwu¡±!


    Lin Rui was quite surprised.


    He had previously intended to add ¡°Wang Tianwu¡± as a friend, but that was with the help of hacking techniques from Heart of Light No.


    9, using anonymity.


    Could it be that there was progress on Fei Yunlai¡¯s end?


    That didn¡¯t seem right either.


    The method they had agreed on was to first not reveal Lin Rui¡¯s identity.


    They planned to take Wang Tianwu on a few hacking activities on Tianji Star or deal a few killings for children¡¯s songs, get him into the scheme, and submit a declaration of allegiance before letting Wang Tianwu know the employer¡¯s identity.


    Or had Wang Tianwu somehow discovered his true identity?


    After a brief moment of thought, Lin Rui still accepted the friend request.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Hello Mr.


    Lin, I saw your recruitment information online and I¡¯m very interested.


    However, my current realm is Level 8, my bloodline rating is SS, but with enough resources, it can be strengthened to SS+.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Technique rating SS+, Illusion Technique rating SSS, Array rating SS, so surely you need to adjust the salary and benefits, as well as the service duration.


    Mr.


    Lin, if you¡¯re interested in me, we can meet to discuss.


    Lin Rui was somewhat taken aback by this message.


    After some thought, he took a screenshot of Wang Tianwu¡¯s message and sent it to Fei Yunlai.


    At this time, Fei Yunlai was in their newly partially completed secret base, casually sipping tea with a relaxed expression.


    When he saw Lin Rui¡¯s message, he immediately spit out all the tea in his mouth.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s eyes were incredulous.


    He had seen Lin Rui¡¯s recruitment announcement, considering that he and people like Gong Hengdao couldn¡¯t directly appear to guard Lin Rui, so Lin Rui still had to recruit a respectable Seventh Realm expert as a bodyguard.


    Honestly, the offer was quite good, better than those large corporations.


    However, high-level Martial Cultivators who retained their freedom were extremely rare, and given the long contract duration required by Lin Rui, he guessed not many were interested.


    Fei Yunlai had never expected Wang Tianwu to be interested in Lin Rui¡¯s recruitment!


    Hadn¡¯t they agreed initially to escape the life of servitude, to take charge of their destinies, no longer to be bled dry by the capitalists?


    Why would he agree to such a long contract duration?


    What about the contract he signed with Lin Rui?


    That contract not only required Fei Yunlai to ¡®persuade¡¯ Wang Tianwu to join, but it also explicitly stipulated he should play a major role in the recruitment process.


    Fei Yunlai felt betrayed by a good brother, deeply stabbed in the back by Wang Tianwu.


    Thinking of the word ¡®lifetime¡¯ in his own contract, he suddenly felt dizzy and weak all over.

 Chapter 412

    ?Chapter 412: Chapter 388: Pressure (Three more for subscription) Chapter 412: Chapter 388: Pressure (Three more for subscription) Lin Rui actually had no intention of using this identity to recruit Wang Tianwu.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Mr.


    Wang, I just inquired about your situation, and as I understand, Mr.


    Wang, you have been quite active in the dark web mercenary world in recent years, making quite a few enemies.@@@@


    In addition, I¡¯ve heard that you and your teacher Ling Huan have some grudges, and lately, you¡¯re troubled by complications?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I¡¯m very sorry, Mr.


    Wang, your strength is indeed formidable, but you do not meet my recruitment requirements.


    ...


    This Powerful Horse King is very strong and quite versatile, the problem is that this person also carries a lot of trouble with him.


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui wanted to subdue this person for the sake of using him for dirty work, and he had no intention of attracting the man¡¯s troubles as well.


    Therefore, Lin Rui did not even plan to meet with this fellow.


    What if meeting this fellow attracted his teacher ¡®Ling Huan¡¯?


    That would be a big problem.


    Although a few days ago, Lin Rui had already learned that ¡®Ling Huan¡¯ was targeting Thunder General.


    Go to novgo.co


    Speaking of this matter, Lin Rui also felt tremendous pressure.


    According to the intelligence, this person¡¯s two trusted aides had already visited the office building of the ¡®National Security Special Action Center¡¯ more than once.


    ¡®Thunder¡¯ General¡¯s personal information had also been accessed illegally four times during this period.


    It is speculated that this person might very soon take action against Thunder General.


    But ¡®Thunder¡¯ is ¡®Thunder¡¯, Lin Rui is Lin Rui.


    Hiding in an underground passage far away, Wang Tianwu became extremely anxious after reading Lin Rui¡¯s message.


    He still felt that Xu Mengran was being too mystical, and was definitely deceiving him.


    However, Xu Mengran promised that as long as he was willing to sign a contract, they would arrange for him to undergo a cybernetic implantation surgery, helping him reinstall the cybernetics that had been removed before.


    Xu Mengran was also willing to unlock his bank and underground bank accounts!


    Furthermore, Wang Tianwu had thoroughly checked Lin Rui¡¯s information, only to find that this guy had no background, merely a college student, a martial arts star backed by Sky Blue Company.


    This guy¡¯s current income is high, he could make perhaps several billion a month by live streaming and selling products, but what about later?


    He can¡¯t rely on live streaming to make money for a lifetime.


    Lin Rui had also started a pharmaceutical company, selling some health care products and skin care items, reportedly selling like hotcakes.


    However, the company hadn¡¯t gone public, nor had it announced financial statements or sales figures, so it was estimated that its future business scale wouldn¡¯t be all that grand.


    This guy even wanted to sign a 200-year contract with a seventh realm master?


    He isn¡¯t afraid of bursting his belly from overeating!


    If Lin Rui were to hire him, the annual expenditures would be even bigger, amounting to over a hundred billion.


    Wang Tianwu is likely a parasitic primordial spirit cultivated by Linghuan, so he made a sudden decision.


    A parasitic primordial spirit?


    Lin Rui felt puzzled and looked up relevant information.


    The surprise in his eyes grew even more intense.


    Zhou Yunfei: Have you heard of the horsehair worm?


    It parasitizes inside a praying mantis, growing and developing until it takes control of the mantis.


    Wang Tianwu and his fellow disciples share this kind of parasitic relationship with Linghuan.


    It is an extremely powerful and eerie secret technique.


    Linghuan¡¯s ability to recover from injuries and continuously elevate his bloodline power to the imperial realm might be linked to this.


    Zhou Yunfei: We can use this man to plan an operation and have you replace Wang Tianwu to do a spiritual face-off with Linghuan.


    Even if Linghuan isn¡¯t killed in the end, we can blame Wang Tianwu.


    Zhou Yunfei: However, we can¡¯t help him for free.


    Although he seems to take on all sorts of tasks, he is actually quite clever.


    Up to now, he hasn¡¯t made any real enemies, and his strength and potential are pretty good.


    He could be another ¡°Linghuan¡± in the future, so recruiting him is worthwhile.


    Having him serve you is his good fortune; we¡¯d be giving him a bargain.


    Lin Rui held his chin, thinking that could work.


    Not only did Linghuan have exceptional illusion techniques, but he was also vengeful to the extreme.


    If the snake isn¡¯t killed in one blow, endless troubles will ensue.


    For the operation to surround and kill ¡°Linghuan,¡± they prepared massive forces.


    But this man¡¯s methods were too variable, and no one could guarantee 100% success for this hunt.


    Lin Rui glanced at Wang Tianwu¡¯s chat logs again.


    1 billion federal dollars?


    This was an 8SS-rank two-star marshal proficient in symbols and illusion techniques; Wang Tianwu¡¯s price was incredibly low.


    Still, Lin Rui inwardly lamented that these high-ranking martial cultivators were indeed gold-eating monsters.


    Just Wang Tianwu alone would cost 12 billion federal dollars a yeara?€¡±this was only the salary, not including other expenses.


    Lin Rui also hired a Fei Yunlai, signed on 12 sixth realm martial cultivators, and planned to build 6S-rank tactical teams across the Tianji star and Earth Federation.


    His income had greatly increased recently, but thinking about supporting this facade still put immense pressure on him.


    Suddenly, Lin Rui felt that the forty-odd million magic silver he had earned before was really nothing.


    In the future, if he wanted to contend against colossal entities like the Longevity Society, he needed to earn a lot more moneya?€¡±


    He should press Wang Tianwu; listening to his terms, only his true self and the battle dragon were included, not the alien forms.


    That 1 billion federal dollars was too much; a monthly salary of 700 million was more reasonable.


    At this moment, he noticed that Yu Feicui¡¯s negotiations with the group of soldiers had finally concluded.


    The grim-faced marshal led his subordinates away, while Yu Feicui furrowed her brows, seeming to rub her temples with an expression of great headache.

 Chapter 413

    ?Chapter 413: Chapter 389 Plump (Please Subscribe) Chapter 413: Chapter 389 Plump (Please Subscribe) After the group left, Zhao Yan, Nolan Wei, and other club members gathered around, and Lin Rui also stepped forward.


    Zhao Yan¡¯s brow was also furrowed tightly, ¡°Sister Yu Feicui, is our coach okay?¡±


    During the time that Fei Yunlai had been employed, he had taught him many martial arts secrets, advising him on how to cultivate and how to enhance his combat strength.


    Although the head coach was somewhat biased, Zhao Yan was still very grateful to Fei Yunlai.


    ¡°He should be fine.¡± Yu Feicui shook her head, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know where he is hiding now, since these military personnel from Xinghai have come here, it means they really can¡¯t find my brother¡¯s location and have no more strategies to consider.¡±


    This was Fang Xianzheng¡¯s territory belonging to the Tianlan Group; these people from the Xinghai military must have been forced to come here to create a dispute.


    What really troubled Yu Feicui was that she was the one who had hired Fei Yunlai, so she had brought trouble to Miss Fang and the Tianlan Group.


    She didn¡¯t know what the higher-ups would think.


    Lin Rui knew where Fei Yunlai was hiding.


    ...


    The corporeal body of Fei Yunlai and the combat dragon were resting in a secret base not far next door.


    However, that guy¡¯s mood was probably very bad now.


    With Wang Tianwu applying for employment proactively, Fei Yunlai¡¯s lifetime contract would be locked in.


    This was something Lin Rui had not anticipated; he had originally wanted to see how Fei Yunlai would struggle next.


    Nolan Wei¡¯s eyes were full of confusion, ¡°Looking at these people, they seem quite influential.


    Go to novgo.co


    They could possibly be backed by a three-star or even four-star general.


    How could a shrewd person like Coach Fei offend such a high-ranking official?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not very clear about his issues.¡± Yu Feicui shook her head again: ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about this matter.


    I¡¯ve already informed Ranran, and she will handle it.


    You just focus on the competition, as this is the last match and it needs to end well.¡±


    This afternoon was the final battle of the season, the last match of the Ninth Base University Martial Arts League.


    Although the team, including Fang Ranran, had been somewhat distracted due to special reasons after the match with the Second City University, their cultivation levels had progressed rapidly.


    With Lin Rui at the helm, they had won all the subsequent matches and had secured first place several matches ahead.


    The league would be followed by the championship, also known as the playoffs, selecting sixty-four teams from the fourteen base cities to fight in the Martial Arts Association¡¯s ¡°Martial Hall¡± until a winner was decided.


    Last season, the Ninth Base City ranked twelfth overall.


    According to the scoring rules, they only had three spots for the competition, with possibly one or two additional invitations.


    Nolan Wei was not concerned about the afternoon¡¯s match, his eyes filled with doubt, ¡°I don¡¯t know where our club president has gone these past few days; I haven¡¯t seen her.


    Will she participate in this afternoon¡¯s competition?¡±


    Nolan Wei had seen the young miss several times at Tianji Star, but it was obviously controlled by an auxiliary AI, not Fang Ranran herself.


    Since the dramatic event in Luo Jing City that shocked all the heterogeneous travelers, Fang Ranran had shifted her focus to this side of the Earth Federation.


    When Yu Feicui heard this, she shook her head for the third time, ¡°She should be back; she didn¡¯t ask for any time off from me.¡±


    Of course, Fang Ranran hadn¡¯t informed her about her situation either.


    Lin Rui¡¯s arms were crossed, and his expression was somewhat unusual.


    He knew what Fang Ranran was up to; the young miss was busy over at Ruifang Pharmaceutical Company.


    Meanwhile, Fang Ranran also wanted to poach his people.@@@@


    Just five days ago, Fang Ranran made contact with Guang Ming Heart Number 9, actually wanting to ally and reach a partnership deal to help her compete for a congressional seat.


    The girl was only 19!


    Yet she harbored ambitions of entering Congress!


    It only showed that those capitalists were evilly profit-driven, taking any chance to raise prices and harvest the Federation¡¯s internal population.


    Of course, he had to take it as a lesson and not overdo it next time.


    ¡°Anyway, we still need to be careful.


    This Espionage Bureau Commander, I don¡¯t even know how to describe him.


    In theory, we should be thankful to hima?€¡±we might be dead without him.


    But this person is truly a disaster for the entire Federation.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not too bad.


    Most of those arrested this time are privately funded phenotype walkers.


    Their identities are problematic, and their cultivation isn¡¯t solid.¡±


    Phenotype walkers are divided into publicly funded and privately funded.


    Public funding means they are developed by the Federation, passing the phenotype exam, subsidized by the Phenotype Management Bureau, assigned identities, and managed.


    Privately funded phenotype walkers are more numerous and come from more complex backgrounds, with much lower thresholds.


    novgo.co


    Zhao Yan forced a smile: ¡°But don¡¯t take it lightly.


    Among the arrested phenotype walkers this time are also many veterans.


    You didn¡¯t see those constables in Jing Zhao Fu; to make up for previous oversights, they¡¯re now patrolling the streets extensively, stopping if they see suspicious persons.


    The social leader specifically instructed that it¡¯s best not to go out in these next few days.¡±


    ¡°Look at the social leader; he¡¯s also been staying indoors these past few days.¡±


    Lin Rui was just hearing this when he received a message from Gong Hengdao.


    Gong Hengdao: BOSS, avoid appearing in front of the window for the next three minutes.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows lifted; he glanced towards a nearby window.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): What happened?


    Gong Hengdao, now the head of security at Lin Rui¡¯s ¡°Phenotype Workshop.¡±


    Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t compete with him, simply because the security personnel recruited this time were all former military members.


    Additionally, due to being hunted by a four-star marshal, Fei Yunlai wasn¡¯t capable of taking up a managerial position at Ninth Base City.


    Gong Hengdao: We¡¯ve spotted two snipers, both recipients of the Dark Glory Medal in the sixth realm, and they have two accomplices nearby.


    Gong Hengdao: Sorry BOSS, these individuals seem to have circumvented the dark web intermediaries and taken the job through private channels.


    There was no trace or warning beforehand; we couldn¡¯t provide an early alert.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I don¡¯t care about those details, I just want to know if you can take care of them?


    Far away, Gong Hengdao grinned slightly, casting a glance over the combat group in front of him.


    Gong Hengdao: BOSS, you have six 6S-level tactical squads under you, including No.


    9, a top-level hacker!


    I assure you we¡¯ll finish the battle within three minutes, and I¡¯ll try to leave one alive.


    Also, his strength had recently returned to its peak, and he was about to enter the seventh realm any day now.


    Reading Gong Hengdao¡¯s response, Lin Rui felt nostalgic.


    Four months ago, those two recipients of the Dark Glory Medal in the sixth realm would have meant certain death for him.


    But now, Lin Rui didn¡¯t need to act personally.


    His wings were already fulla?€¡±

 Chapter 414

    ?Chapter 414: Chapter 390 Wings (Please Subscribe) Chapter 414: Chapter 390 Wings (Please Subscribe) At the same time, Jin Tianchen was staying in the office building of Jinhao Real Estate Company, sipping juice while watching Lin Rui¡¯s live stream.


    Listening to Lin Rui speak, his eyes were gloomy and cold, like a venomous snake.


    ¡°The ¡®Fiery Sun Fusion¡¯ from Tianlan Group is really good, I¡¯ve looked into it in detail.


    They built upon the public biotech enhancement program released by the Academy of Sciences and added extra enhancements.


    The effect is very good, about 20% stronger than the public version in all aspectsa?€¡±it¡¯s like getting more for the same price.¡±


    ¡°No joke, everyone should know that I¡¯ve got my bachelor¡¯s degree in Biology and Biotech Enhancements, right?


    From a professional perspective, Tianlan Group¡¯s ¡®Fiery Sun Fusion¡¯ is indeed perfect, using generous amounts of materials.¡±


    ¡°Also, take another look at the video I posted on October 3rd.


    That set of palm technique ¡®Red Sun Blood Palm,¡¯ paired with this biotech enhancement, complements each other well and can reduce the mental strain of the biotech itself.


    ...


    It¡¯s very suitable for beginners in martial arts.¡±


    ¡°Currently, the Tianlan Group doesn¡¯t have much stock left.


    I¡¯ve only managed to get a little over 4,300 pieces, including basic to ultimate versions.


    If you want to buy, you¡¯d better hurry.¡±


    Jin Tianchen opened the sales link in Lin Rui¡¯s live room and saw that all the 4,300 pieces of A+ grade ¡®Fiery Sun Fusion¡¯ biotech enhancements, priced between 500,000 to 10 million Federal currency each, had been sold out in about 200 seconds.


    Go to novgo.co


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s face twitched violently, realizing that the biotech enhancements Lin Rui had just sold were worth at least 8.6 billion Federal currency.


    An anchor like Lin Rui, who specialized in top-tier biotech enhancements, normally took a 10% commission, but had to give 2% to the platform.


    This meant that Lin Rui¡¯s earnings in that instant were over 680 million.


    a?€¡± How did this guy¡¯s business influence become so strong?


    This was just one product.


    Lin Rui now live-streamed about three times a week, each time promoting three to four products, and usually sold out every time.


    ¡®Fiery Sun Fusion¡¯ is an A+ grade auxiliary biotech enhancement.


    It¡¯s quite pricey and universally applicable, so this time Lin Rui¡¯s earnings were exceptionally high, a special case.


    However, taking everything into account, this guy might be making close to 3 billion a month just from promoting products.


    And this staggering income was made by stepping on Jin Tianchen¡¯s head.


    Jin Tianchen opened up a chat group called ¡®Horus Group¡¯ from his contact list.


    He used an alias in this group, going by the codename ¡®Number 1¡¯.


    It is worth mentioning that Horus is the god of vengeance in Egyptian mythology.


    Number 1 (Jin Tianchen): Gentlemen, when are you planning to take action?


    Number 2: We¡¯ve already found a good sniping spot outside Mingde University.


    The target keeps hiding in the corner, shielded by the load-bearing wall of the building, not giving us a proper angle.


    From the current situation, this job is tough, Young Master Tianchen, you must increase the pay!


    Number 3: To be honest, I¡¯m regretting taking this job.


    Maybe we should call it off?


    The security system inside Mingde University is strong, and this martial arts community¡¯s defense capabilities are freakishly powerful.


    He also has a strong security team.


    We can hardly get within seven kilometers of him.


    Number 1 (Jin Tianchen): I¡¯ve already raised the offer to 2 billion Federal currency, what more do you want?


    Number 4: How about we call off the job?


    Just to be safe, let¡¯s forget about this mission.


    The difficulty might well be on a 7S team level, Young Master Tianchen, which is actually good for you.


    Number 2: The key issue is the potential aftermath.


    Lin Rui is now Tianlan Group¡¯s cash cow, and we don¡¯t even need to mention Tianlan Group.


    That Fang Xianzheng is the vice-chairman of the National Security Committee; he can mobilize the entire security system¡¯s forces.


    We might have the pay but might not live to spend it.


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s face twitched again, and a surge of anger welled up in his eyes.


    These bastards took his down payment and raised the price from 1 billion to 2 billion.


    Retired transformation experts from the military were hot commodities for big companies.


    Lin Rui was just a highly popular martial arts star; logically, even if he had money, he couldn¡¯t recruit experts of this caliber.


    This guy couldn¡¯t offer the kind of resources and platforms these experts sought.


    These thoughts jumped through ¡°God¡¯s Eye¡± Brad¡¯s mind as he simultaneously sent messages in the group chat.


    ¡°God¡¯s Eye¡± Brad: Run!


    There are many gun experts on the other side.


    His figure also left a trail of afterimages, darting toward the main entrance in the distance.


    The location Brad had chosen was the 54th floor of an office building.


    Since this floor was currently unoccupied and offered an excellent view, it was ideal for his sniping position.


    However, just as Brad was about to push the door and exit, his eyes showed a look of despair.


    In that instant, at least six sniper cannon rounds broke through the walls from various directions and exploded with a loud bang.


    They were all incredibly expensive ¡®Armor-Piercing Annihilation Rounds¡¯a?€¡±restricted items that were virtually impossible to buy on the black market!


    With the antimatter inside released, they created a terrifying annihilation energy that obliterated everything in the vicinity.


    The annihilation rounds had more formidable power than nuclear bombs but only produced electromagnetic pulses without creating nuclear radiation.


    As long as the amount of antimatter inside the rounds was controlled, there would be no collateral damage to the surrounding area.


    ¡°God¡¯s Eye¡± Brad was despairingly swallowed up by the blasts of these rounds, while the office building remained mostly intact, save for two supporting walls that were damaged.


    Nevertheless, the tremendous vibration and electromagnetic shockwave plunged the entire building into a state of panic.


    At that moment, ¡°Iron Arm¡± Robinson was in a state of panic, looking at the two companions whose names had turned grey in shock and fear.


    The protection team around Lin Rui was this powerful?


    In just a short span of 20 seconds, they had taken out two experts who had been awarded the Dark Glory medal.


    He saw another companion, ¡°Blood Hook¡± Sodton, speaking in the combat group: Robinson, run fast and head to the surrounding buildings.


    Those snipers might have locked onto you, and the crowds near you could very well be harboring their experts!


    ¡°Blood Hook¡± Sodton: I can¡¯t help you now.


    The other side also has a top hacker, and my location has been locked.


    Robinson was already fleeing rapidly through the crowd, but as he prepared to dash into a shopping mall, he saw a burly figure, as imposing as a bear, emerge with a knife in hand.


    ¡°Soldier!¡±


    Robinson¡¯s pupils dilated dramatically.


    The man was not only a soldier but also one from a special forces unit!


    He could hide his aura and escape his detection.


    Boom!


    Robinson was sliced by the mighty knife strike, his body flung backward more than 20 meters.


    Just as he stabilized himself and thought of fleeing in another direction, his hands and feet burst into clouds of blood, severed all at once.


    It was the other side¡¯s snipers and shooters who had acted, shattering his limbs!


    Regret and terror filled Robinson¡¯s heart.


    If they had known earlier about the power beside Lin Rui, they would never have accepted the job from Jin Tianchen!


    Filled with indescribable bitterness, he sent a message in the ¡®Horus Group¡¯.


    Number 4: Jin Tianchen!


    Fuck you, fuck your whole family!


    At that time, the burly sword-wielder approached Robinson with an expression of cold indifference, grabbed his head, and, using True Yuan, forcibly knocked him unconscious.


    He then carried the unconscious man towards a slowly descending armored hover vehicle.


    Meanwhile, at the headquarters of Jinhao Real Estate Company, Jin Tianchen stared blankly at his ¡®Horus Group¡¯ chat.


    Weren¡¯t these people supposed to take action against Lin Rui?


    Why have two of their names already turned grey?


    Could they be planning to run off with the money?


    But none of them had left the group.


    And why was Number 4 cursing at him?


    What on earth was happening?

 Chapter 415

    ?Chapter 415: Chapter 391: Equivalence (Please Subscribe) Chapter 415: Chapter 391: Equivalence (Please Subscribe) An hour later, Jin Tianchen stared at the message he had posted in the group chat, falling into a long silence.


    1: What happened?


    However, there was no response in the group chat.


    2 and 3 had already turned gray, indicating they had disconnected from the quantum network.


    4 and 6 were online for a while, but they never responded.


    Just a moment ago, they both turned gray simultaneously.


    Jin Tianchen had already reported these three people to the police and even invoked some special relationships to obtain a warrant for the police, which allowed them to use technical means to locate their terminal bracelets.


    ...


    But it was useless; they couldn¡¯t find the quantum communication chips inside the terminal bracelets.


    So now, he could be sure that this entire 6S-level assassination team had indeed been wiped out in an instant, cleanly removed by some unknown powerful force!


    The good news now was that the remaining 1.5 billion Federation dollars of commission no longer had to be paid.


    The bad news was that very likely, Lin Rui held in his hands a terrifying force.


    It was at this time that Jin Tianchen received a call from his uncle.


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s scalp tingled, but he still answered on the first ring.


    Jin Bolong¡¯s likeness was immediately projected in front of Jin Tianchen; he frowned, his face grim and displeased: ¡°Those 6th Realm assassins who were slaughtered at Bikong Building, were they sent by you?¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°Yes!¡± Jin Tianchen didn¡¯t dare to conceal the truth: ¡°There were five of them, two snipers have already died, and the remaining two combatants and one hacker may have been captured by them.¡±


    Jin Bolong couldn¡¯t help narrowing his eyes: ¡°You really know how to cause trouble.


    Fang Kongfang from the Tianlan Group just made a video call to me, demanding an explanation.


    The three people they captured have already confessed that they were acting under your orders.¡±


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s face turned pale.


    He knew the consequences of attempting to assassinate Lin Rui; the Tianlan Group would certainly not let the matter rest.


    The problem now was that he had failed to eliminate the boy, yet he had to bear the cost; this was too much of a loss.


    ¡°Uncle!¡± Jin Tianchen took a deep breath: ¡°Tianchen is at your disposal!¡±


    Jin Bolong let out a cold laugh, at his disposal?


    How could he deal with his nephew?


    Was he afraid of becoming a laughingstock in the upper echelons of the Earth Federation?


    Or afraid that the Jin family clan would become alienated from him?


    However, Fang Kongfang¡¯s questioning indeed brought him great pressure.


    The power of the Fang brothers was not something Fang Ranran could compare with.


    At a juncture where the Jin family and the Linghu family were fully confronting each other, and the market value of the three listed companies was halved, Jin Bolong did not want to provoke new enemies.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hand you over,¡± said Jin Bolong, his expression cold and indifferent: ¡°But based on the principle of reciprocity, since you¡¯ve made a move against Lin Rui, they also have the right to retaliate against you.


    If you die at the hands of the Tianlan Group or Lin Rui, neither the Jin family nor the Jinhao Group will stand up for you.¡±


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s heart clenched, and all color drained from his face.


    ¡°I advise you to stay in the Jinhao Group Building for the next few years and not go out.¡±


    Jin Bolong said in a stern voice: ¡°According to the analysis of the Group Intelligence Analysis Department, Lin Rui¡¯s subordinates have at least four 6S-level special tactical squads, and all of them are elites retired from top special forces.


    They possess extremely high special combat capabilities and are very adept at offensive operations.


    Currently, you can only ensure your safety in the core area of the Jinhao Group Building.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Jin Tianchen exclaimed in shock, his expression puzzled: ¡°Where did he recruit so many experts from?¡±


    ¡°I am also puzzled.¡± Jin Bolong could not understand either, how Lin Rui had managed it.


    The kid had money, daily raking in huge sums, but such high-caliber experts were not something you could recruit with just money, and yet he had recruited a group!


    They had initially signed the contract based on the penalty standard for a third-tier martial arts star.


    They hadn¡¯t expected Lin Rui to rise to fame so quickly, becoming the top influencer among martial arts livestreamers!


    Even those top livestreamers couldn¡¯t match Lin Rui in terms of sales!


    In fact, two months ago, it wouldn¡¯t have been so bada?€¡±Lin Rui¡¯s monthly sales from livestreams peaked at only a dozen or so billion.


    But this month, Lin Rui¡¯s sales had completely exploded!


    Especially among women, who were particularly loyal to Lin Rui¡¯s recommendations.


    Fang Ranran knew the reason behind Lin Rui¡¯s explosive sales.


    Once the women tried the skincare products Lin Rui had introduced and saw the effects, they placed extreme trust in the exoskeletons he recommended, an advantage other martial arts livestreamers lacked.


    Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts abilities were also very comprehensive.


    His mastery in the light, thunder, and fire martial arts was profound, having reached the level of Grandmaster, and even Great Grandmaster for hundreds of basic and intermediate martial arts.


    Consequently, his martial arts videos were packed with quality content, leading to an ever-increasing subscriber count and more fans.


    Of course, his face was also very appealinga?€¡±


    She feigned a thoughtful look, ¡°So uncle is worried about securing a deal with Lin Rui?


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big problem.


    Lin Rui isn¡¯t the ungrateful type.


    As long as our offer is good enough, he won¡¯t abandon Tianlan Group.¡±


    Fang Kongfang frowned deeply, speaking meaningfully, ¡°The question is, what kind of offer do we need to make to keep him?


    From what I know, you started a pharmaceutical company with him, and those health products are selling well, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Sales are indeed doing okay!¡±


    Fang Ranran nodded, ¡°I can¡¯t disclose financial reports to you, uncle, but the revenue of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals is enough to support building a stronger security team and gaining greater influence in both political and business circles.


    As for how to keep Lin Rui, that depends on your decision, uncle.


    Pressing him will achieve nothing.


    Lin Rui is very wealthy, and many Mingde University alumni like him a lot.


    I think it¡¯s best to bind interests together with kindness and loyalty.


    What do you think, uncle?¡±


    Fang Kongfang understood what Fang Ranran meanta?€¡±the best way to keep Lin Rui would be to offer him shares in the company.


    The problem was that giving too few shares wouldn¡¯t be enough to keep Lin Rui, while giving too many might trigger a war for control of Tianlan Group.


    The current shares available for trading in Tianlan Group amounted to 30%, with Fang Xianzheng holding 24%, Fang Ranran 19%, Fang Kongfang 19%, Linghu Mingde 4% due to the sale of Mingde University¡¯s operating rights, and that current sister-in-law of his also 4%.


    The current share structure was stable and ensured Fang Xianzheng¡¯s influence over the company and Fang Kongfang¡¯s management rights.


    But what about the next generation?


    Lin Rui was Fang Ranran¡¯s classmate and a natural ally who would undoubtedly stand by her side in the future.


    Her eldest brother Fang Xianzheng planned to deal with the issue of Fang Ranran holding too many shares after Linghu Mingde¡¯s death, but it might not go as he wished.


    However, not giving something was out of the question.


    Lin Rui¡¯s importance to the company was growing by the day.


    novgo.co


    In addition to the 42 billion in sales, there were the follow-up upgrades from these customers.


    And according to the analysis from the intelligence department, Lin Rui¡¯s sales are expected to increase further in the futurea?€¡±he¡¯s just getting started!


    Lin Rui could break the contract at any time by simply paying a 380 million penalty, which would be all too easy for him given his money-making capabilities.


    Fang Kongfang shook his head, thinking that this matter should be handled by his elder brother instead.


    To him, it made no difference whether the next generation was led by Fang Ranran or another nephew who would hold sway over the Fang family.

 Chapter 416

    ?Chapter 416: Chapter 392: Idiot (Please Subscribe) Chapter 416: Chapter 392: Idiot (Please Subscribe) That evening, at a coffee shop near Mingde University, Wang Tianwu signed his servitude contract.


    Wang Tianwu had wanted to sign the contract earlier to allow Xu Mengran to unlock his account and arrange for cybernetic enhancements sooner.


    However, Lin Rui had his final cybernetic competition that afternoon, so it wasn¡¯t until that evening that they were able to sit down and discuss the contract.


    The final agreed price was seven hundred and fifty million federal dollars a month.


    Since Wang Tianwu¡¯s Polar Star Exotic Body and Battle Dragon were for some special reason unusable, that was the only price that could be set.


    The contract stipulated, however, that should Wang Tianwu¡¯s exotic body regain its abilities in the future, he must still serve Lin Rui, and naturally, Wang Tianwu¡¯s monthly salary could be restored to one billion one hundred million federal dollars.


    Wang Tianwu looked at his contract with a somewhat helpless expression in his eyes.


    ...


    It was signed with the Abysmal Divine Pact of Divine Law Venerable, there was no possibility of going back on it.


    By the time this contract was up, another two hundred years would be gone, but even for a top-tier cybernetically enhanced martial artist like him, how many two hundred years could one have?


    But he had no choice but to sign, as Wang Tianwu was at the end of his rope.


    Now, all he could do was hope that Lin Rui would run through his money in the future and set him free.


    This kid lacked experience.


    Although he pressed hard for a low fixed salary, he was quite generous with attendance bonuses and various mission bonuses.


    Wang Tianwu figured that he could take on more tasks in the coming daysa?€¡±not only to avoid running through his savings, but also to deplete Lin Rui¡¯s funds as quickly as possible.


    Go to novgo.co


    At this moment, he received a message from Fei Yunlai.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Wang Tianwu, you idiot!


    Fei Yunlai had seen the new screenshot Lin Rui sent to him and was completely desperate.


    Originally, the two brothers would have regained their freedom after two hundred years, but now they were completely ruined.


    Wang Tianwu, wanting to regain his exotic body, might also have to sign a lifelong contract.


    In any case, as long as Wang Tianwu didn¡¯t sign a lifelong contract to accompany him, Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t feel at ease.


    So, he sent an emojia?€¡±a person carrying hands on their back, looking up at the sky in sorrow, with tears falling from their eyes.


    Fei Yunlai was very curious to see what expression Wang Tianwu would have upon learning that Lin Rui was actually Commander Lin Hao from the Assassination Bureau, also his boss¡¯s boss.


    After reading Fei Yunlai¡¯s message, Wang Tianwu became angry.


    Why did this guy keep cursing him?


    Did he think just because he had control over his exotic body, he was all that great?


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Don¡¯t go too far, old Fei, what have I done to you?


    Didn¡¯t I give you five hundred million federal dollars?


    Lin Rui was also very satisfied.


    He did not care much about the annual salary as long as it did not exceed the market price.@@@@


    He understood that if you want the horse to run fast, you must feed it well.


    What Lin Rui valued more was the length of the contract; the longer the duration, the better, of course.


    After securing the contract, Lin Rui started operating the backend.


    His master had promised to unblock Wang Tianwu¡¯s bank accounts, but in reality, it was still done by the ¡®Thunder¡¯ general.


    This time, the promotion of the First Marshal to the ¡®National Security Special Action Center¡¯ not only made them responsible for investigating both the Longevity Society and Divine Light Society but also granted them tremendous power, almost on par with the headquarters¡¯ Special Service Center.


    The law enforcement rights of their Special Action Center had even been extended to other base cities.


    Lin Rui could directly unblock Wang Tianwu¡¯s accounts in official banks.


    As for the irregular underground banks, Lin Rui had already had Xue Lingxue send out a few summons, asking their high-level executives to come to the ¡®National Security Special Action Center¡¯ for questioning regarding illegal financial transactions.


    These underground banks would inquire about what had offended General Thunder and would unlock Wang Tianwu¡¯s accounts within a day at most.


    While Lin Rui was operating, he asked, ¡°Regarding the cybernetic enhancements you previously removed, do you have any specific requirements?¡±


    Wang Tianwu saw that all his official bank accounts had been restored to normal.


    Not knowing that it was Lin Rui¡¯s doing, he thought Xu Mengran was responsible.


    Wang Tianwu was secretly amazed, musing about what kind of relationship Xu Mengran had with Lin Rui that he would be valued so highly.


    He had looked into Lin Rui¡¯s profile and knew that Lin Rui¡¯s teacher, Han Kedao, was Xu Mengran¡¯s disciple, but even with the gap between them, could their relationship be so close?


    ¡°Of course, I have requirements.


    This was the man who became a general in less than four months and managed to upgrade the unit by one level, and who never lacked funding, equipment, or human resources.


    How could they not have utmost respect for such a deeply connected superior?


    When Lin Rui entered the conference room, he found that Zhang Long and the eight major generals and lieutenant generals from the Special Action Center were all present.


    They stood up as one, saluting and boomingly addressed him, ¡°General, sir!¡±


    ¡°Please, take your seats!¡±


    Lin Rui gestured with his hand and strode over to the head of the table to sit down.


    He looked at the virtual map in front of him, ¡°Has the combat plan been formulated?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the process of being set up, and there are some disagreements among us.¡±


    Xue Lingxue, standing on the opposite side of the conference room, began demonstrating the operation plan for Lin Rui, ¡°As requested, we¡¯ve mobilized two hundred and seventy-three 320mm cannon anti-matter annihilation guns.


    They are arranged in seven military camps nearby.


    With just one command from you, General, we can strike the target area.


    All shells have been specially modified to increase their explosive lethality and enhance the electromagnetic impact.


    The issue is the civilians in the surrounding area; we must evacuate them before firing.


    Otherwise, over two hundred cannon anti-matter annihilation guns firing at once will obliterate and flatten everything within several kilometers.¡±


    Lin Rui drummed his fingers on the table, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that Xu Mengran from East Asia will use Illusion Techniques to control some of them, guiding and evacuating them after the incident starts?


    We¡¯ll evacuate some in advance ourselves.


    novgo.co


    However, for the civilians in the shops and houses along the streets, they¡¯ll need to be replaced by internal staff from the Security Bureau.¡±


    The several Security Bureau lieutenant generals exchanged glances, confusion apparent in their eyes.


    One of the Security Bureau lieutenant generals frowned, ¡°The problem is that such large preparations in advance would likely tip off Lingxue; secondly, if our Security Bureau internal staff substitute for the nearby residents, it could lead to substantial losses among our Security Bureau members; furthermore, intelligence indicates that Lingxue¡¯s Illusion Techniques can cover up to 600 kilometers, putting all seven military camps within his range.


    I doubt the effectiveness of these ¡®cannon anti-matter annihilation guns.''¡±


    If their shells could not hit accurately, what use would numerous guns have?


    They could use intelligent controls, but Lingxue could manipulate their personnel to alter the firing parameters intentionally.


    Lin Rui nodded, the Security Bureau lieutenant general¡¯s concern was to the point, ¡°Regarding your first issue, based on Lingxue¡¯s past criminal record, this person is extremely confident and dismissive of others.


    Even if he knows it¡¯s a trap, he won¡¯t care; besides, Wang Tianwu is likely essential to one of Lingxue¡¯s top Secret Techniques.


    We¡¯ve already announced that people from the East Asia National Security Bureau will perform a soul operation on him in this operating room.


    He must find a way to stop it.¡±


    Lin Rui turned his head to look at Zhang Long, ¡°Major General Zhang, as our center¡¯s criminal investigation expert, what do you think?¡±


    Zhang Long¡¯s expression was grave, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s a very high chance that Lingxue will show up!


    He is indeed very confident, so much so that he is arrogant.


    Even if he knows it¡¯s a trap, he won¡¯t care.¡±


    As he spoke, he looked at Lin Rui, his eyes complex.


    Zhang Long knew that Lin Rui had obtained the ¡®Divine Merit Order¡¯ and the ¡®Divine Dragon Slayer Saber¡¯ on Tianji Star.


    Not only had this guy become the head of the Spy Bureau, but he¡¯d also managed to insert himself into the upper ranks of the future national leaders of the Great Song dynasty, with a very high ranking.


    According to a large model prediction from the Security Bureau¡¯s first division a few days earlier, there was a 42% chance that he would become the first Divine Envoy, assuming Lin Hao lived to complete the mission.


    The odds of him becoming a Divine Envoy were as high as 93%!


    This guy was now the precious asset of the Security Bureau.


    The First Commander and the political commissar of the East Asia National Security Bureau had talked to him separately, asking Zhang Long to protect and escort Lin Rui, and of course, higher-ups promised to provide him with more resources for cultivation.


    Zhang Long wondered if these two knew that Lin Rui was also the ¡®Nursery Rhyme Killer¡¯?


    Zhang Long shook his head, ¡°But, General, if Lingxue is bound to make an appearance, then the ¡®extras¡¯ are unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°These ¡®extras¡¯ are to cover for our real trump card.¡±


    Lin Rui crossed his arms and coldly gazed at the virtual map before him, ¡°Rest assured, when the battle begins, all participants will have time to evacuate safely.


    If there are any casualties, I will take full responsibility!


    I can also assure you that he will not have the capacity to disrupt the firing of these military camps at that time.


    What you need to do is develop the plan and submit it for approval above!¡±

 Chapter 417

    ?Chapter 417: Chapter 393: Confrontation (Three more for subscription) Chapter 417: Chapter 393: Confrontation (Three more for subscription) The next morning, Wang Tianwu opened the tightly closed Venetian blinds a crack to observe the surroundings.


    The streets were quiet with few shops open in the morning, but the Western restaurant across from the safe house had indeed opened early.


    The operating hours of this store were from 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM.


    Wang Tianwu noticed a thin figure eating breakfast at the restaurant across the street.


    It was a young man around 19, with handsome features, his eyes filled with nostalgia and melancholy.


    ¡°He really camea?€¡±¡±


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s thick eyebrows slightly raised, his eyes revealing a hint of surprise.


    He had recently checked the information on this minor boss again and knew that a small villa area nearby was where Lin Rui used to live, and this Western restaurant was likely a frequent dining spot for the boss¡¯s family.


    ...


    Especially in the past two years, the little boss¡¯s sister often worked in this restaurant.


    So it was perfectly reasonable for Lin Rui to appear here.


    The problem was their enemy was ¡°Ling Huan,¡± how could this little boss dare to meddle recklessly?


    Wang Tianwu then observed the surrounding environment and scoffed disdainfully.


    The presence of the Security Bureau was too strong here, at least half of the people on the street had already been replaced by agents of the bureau.


    Like the waitstaff, chefs, salespeople, patrolling officers, etc., they had all been switched out, but most of these people lacked acting experience and were quite clumsy, not very convincing.


    Go to novgo.co


    The only ones not replaced were the transient personnel, like customers who came in the morning for breakfast, such as Lin Rui.


    The Security Bureau had made major moves but couldn¡¯t possibly replace all the nearby residents completely.


    Wang Tianwu shook his head, unclear what Xu Mengran and others planned, he only shook his head again before walking back into his room and boredly browsing through various videos and information he found online.


    Wang Tianwu was still researching his boss.


    Yesterday and the day before he was limited in time and under the threat of Ling Huan, which kept him on edge at all times.


    To avoid being found by hackers under Ling Huan, Wang Tianwu dared not keep quantum communications open long, nor recklessly collect online information, so he could only manage to get a rough understanding of Lin Rui.


    After arriving at this safe house last night, Wang Tianwu took the time to carve the talismanic array given by Lin Rui on his own body before he could afford to delve deeper into investigating his boss.


    This investigation made Wang Tianwu realize he might have been too optimistic.


    ¡°Holy shit, does this guy make this much from sales?


    Over forty billion a month in sales volume, doesn¡¯t that mean just from this he¡¯s making close to 4 billion a month?¡±


    ¡°And these martial arts commentary videos, over a hundred types from the Light, Thunder, Fire triad, all substantial and filled with solid content!


    All at a grandmaster level.¡±


    ¡°Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals is doing so well?


    It just opened a few months ago and it already has counters in the main malls of fourteen base cities?


    And they are all in very prominent locations, looks very bustling, filled with people.¡±


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s gaze was filled with surprise and doubt.


    These major malls weren¡¯t something a start-up could easily enter, aside from financial resources, one also needed significant brand appeal that could bring traffic and sales to the malls.


    He felt that his plan to exhaust Lin Rui¡¯s financial resources seemed impractical, this guy probably wouldn¡¯t run out of money for decades.


    Furthermore, Wang Tianwu found out that Fei Yunlai had once been a coach for Lin Rui.


    He had originally blocked messages from Fei Yunlai, but now he sent another message.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): You¡¯ve been the head coach at Mingde University for the past two months?


    Ling Huan chuckled and followed calmly behind him; his steps were steady, yet Wang Tianwu, no matter how frantically he ran, couldn¡¯t shake him off.


    ¡°The first and third General of the Security Bureau have already arrived at the Ninth Base City, currently just 600 kilometers away.


    They think I haven¡¯t noticed, but I sensed their presence long ago.


    Oh, by the way, my sensing range has increased again.¡±


    ¡°And Xu Mengran, he seemed to want to confront me again just now, but right before the battle, he got scared and voluntarily withdrew to 200 kilometers away.


    That¡¯s wise of him; he¡¯s grown old and is a whole realm below me, no longer a match for me.¡±


    ¡°The Federation Security Bureau also has several hundred 320mm cannons with antimatter annihilation aimed here, remotely controlled by combat robots.


    But what use is that to me?


    You must have noticed, haven¡¯t you?


    My Illusion Technique now extends beyond carbon-based life to also affect the minds of machines!¡±


    Wang Tianwu turned pale; he had indeed noticed this.


    The exoskeleton armor from Wang Tianwu¡¯s outer dream had completely gone out of control.


    Otherwise, the awakening system pre-installed in his 8SSS ¡®Emperor¡¯ armor should have been able to wake him up.


    ¡°But I will indulge them, ¡®Federation Security Bureau operation goes awry, artillery strikes business center and nearby residential areas, causing tens of thousands of severe casualties.¡¯ How does that headline sound?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious, why did they position so many Security Bureau personnel around here?


    What is their purpose?¡±


    Ling Huan looked bewildered.


    Since Xu Mengran had seen through the relationship between him and Wang Tianwu, he should have known that he would definitely come, even if they evacuated everyone nearby.


    Ling Huan couldn¡¯t allow his parasitic soul to fall into the hands of the Earth Federation, even if it cost him greatly, he must retrieve his parasitic soul!


    And with the Security Bureau making such a big fuss beforehand and mimicking so poorly, did they think he was a fool?


    Ling Huan shook his head slightly, thinking it didn¡¯t matter anymore; he had enough confidence that even if the Federation Security Bureau brought out their powerful lineup from 200 years ago, he would still be able to handle it with ease.


    Especially now when the Federation¡¯s morale was low, they really couldn¡¯t achieve thisa?€¡±


    He raised his hand and suddenly grabbed Wang Tianwu by the neck, his lips parting to reveal a row of chilling white teeth: ¡°I still can¡¯t understand, why did you betray me back then?


    There¡¯s my Mind Suggestion deep in your souls, and I didn¡¯t show any flaws that could have alerted you, how did you detect the anomaly in your bodies?


    Is there another expert helping you?


    Who is he?¡±


    Wang Tianwu, like a snake grasped at its vital spot, struggled.


    But he found that his soul, his flesh, could not move at all.


    Wang Tianwu could only widen his eyes, glaring at Ling Huan with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°Not willing to speak?¡± Ling Huan laughed nonchalantly, his normally unimpressive features suddenly swelling, expanding almost twenty times in an instant, then he violently bit down, swallowing Wang Tianwu whole.


    Wang Tianwu was powerless to resist, and in his final moments, his gaze despondently turned in Lin Rui¡¯s direction.


    He felt that this time, he was utterly doomed by Xu Mengran and Lin Rui.


    Just then, Wang Tianwu was slightly taken aback.


    He noticed that after Lin Rui had paid his bill, he looked over emotionlessly in his direction.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s pupils dilated, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    At this moment, everyone stuck in the illusion hadn¡¯t noticed his and Ling Huan¡¯s presence, yet his little boss had!


    Though trapped in the illusion, he clearly maintained a clear consciousness, but how could this be possible?

 Chapter 418

    ?Chapter 418: Chapter 394 How Could It Be the Abyss (Please Subscribe) Chapter 418: Chapter 394 How Could It Be the Abyss (Please Subscribe) At the time of the incident, the first General of the Security Bureau was indeed 600 kilometers away.


    He stood atop a skyscraper, sword in hand, gazing somberly towards the eastern part of Ninth Base City.


    The third General stood beside him, also looking over towards Longze East Road from the shelter of a cool pavilion.


    This one was a cyclops, wearing an eye-patch over his left eye and with several scars on his face; behind him, he carried a knight¡¯s claymore, his presence distinctly unique.


    His sharp, solitary eye was full of doubt, ¡°Li Xianglong, are you serious?


    With just the few of us, can we really take down Ling Huan?


    I¡¯ve read the Thunder Admiral¡¯s operation report and it¡¯s utterly absurd.¡±


    Even with the collaboration of East Asia¡¯s Xu Mengran in this operation plan, the third General was not optimistic.


    ...


    ¡°I believe!¡±


    The first General Li Xianglong nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve studied their operation plan.


    Success is quite possible, the only inadequacy is that we currently cannot mobilize more Ninth Realm warriors!¡±


    Lin Rui, the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, was marked with the ¡°National Guardian Dragon Seal!¡± He had the support of three Longevity Battle Dragons and twelve National Guardian Battle Dragons to suppress the Divine Soul!


    ?ovgo.co


    Indeed, he was the one being in this world who need not fear Ling Huan¡¯s spiritual power and illusion magic.


    Go to novgo.co


    Upon hearing this, the third General chuckled, ¡°Having the four of us involved in the battle, plus Xu Mengran, is already quite good.¡±


    The Earth Federation had a significant number of Ninth Realm cultivators, yet those below 9SS level couldn¡¯t withstand Ling Huan¡¯s Illusion Techniques; they were worthless before him.


    Those above 9SS level were basically heroes in their own right, or even lord-level figures within the Federation; getting them to participate would require persuasion, negotiation, and trading.


    Unfortunately, many within the Federation wanted Ling Huan alive.


    As long as this Vice President of the Divine Illumination Association remained, the various political forces within the Earth Federation would have to rely on these top-level Ninth Realm Armored Warriors.


    The Ninth Realm warriors were no longer satisfied with the political rights they had fought for 200 years ago; they wanted more.


    ¡°So Odin!¡± The first General Li Xianglong paused, then spoke with resolve, ¡°In this battle, I need you to help me with all your might, with all you¡¯ve got!¡±


    The third General, Odin, looked at him with puzzlement, ¡°Aren¡¯t I already here?¡±


    He then mused, ¡°You want me to fight to the death?


    I do owe you a favor, but is it worth it?


    To gamble our lives for a bunch of capitalists and politicians?


    Didn¡¯t you used to hate them the most?¡±


    The first General Li Xianglong replied with a wry smile, shaking his head, ¡°It¡¯s better than letting the Earth Federation¡¯s billions of citizens become cultivation fodder for the Ninth Realm warriors, believe it or not?


    If they gain power today, they¡¯ll push the government tomorrow to cut welfare benefits like pensions, unemployment, and health insurance.


    If these ambitious individuals succeed, human civilization will enter an era of near-eternal darkness, much like the beings of Sky Extreme Star, and the Federation¡¯s advanced technology will only further exploit the common people.¡±


    The third General Odin widened his eyes, then shook his head slightly, ¡°That¡¯s a real possibility, but you won¡¯t be able to stop them.


    Going against the tide will ultimately shatter you to pieces!¡±


    More and more Ninth Realm warriors wanted to become gluttonous beasts, clamoring to bite a chunk off the Federation¡¯s vast resources.


    And Li Xianglong wanted to oppose the vast majority of the Ninth Realm!


    The gaze of the First General, Li Xianglong, flashed fiercely as he issued an order on the combat channel: ¡°All units, pay attention, evacuate at full speed according to the predetermined plan!


    You have only 5 minutes.¡±


    At that instant, thousands of large magnetic-levitation flying cars rose into the sky from the distance, racing towards the location, and within a 20-kilometer radius, piercing air raid alarms rang out.


    Members of the Security Bureau lurking on the streets, despite the piercing headaches, quickly grabbed the civilians who were in too much pain to move by their sides and ran swiftly to the roadside to board the vehicles.


    A small part of the residents of Longze East Road had been evacuated the night before, and the remaining were guided by Xu Mengran¡¯s large-scale illusion magic to gather on the streets, boarding the giant magnetic-levitation flying cars one by one.


    The First General¡¯s primary concern was Lin Rui.


    Their plan had succeeded!


    Now, what they needed to do was to ensure that their stake would not be lost in this operation.


    Not until Li Xianglong sensed that Xue Lingxue, lurking nearby, had delivered Lin Rui¡¯s body onto a magnetic-levitation flying car did he relax.


    At this moment, Wang Tianwu, who had been ¡®swallowed¡¯ by ¡®Ling Huan¡¯, was also astonished beyond belief.


    His soul had essentially been devoured by ¡®Ling Huan¡¯s¡¯ Primordial Spirit.


    Just the moment before, Wang Tianwu felt an intangible blaze covering his bodya?€¡±that was unmistakably Ling Huan¡¯s Soul Fire, intent on scorching, melting, refining, and absorbing him!


    Wang Tianwu was desperately struggling, but unexpectedly, he found that he felt no pain at that moment.


    Wang Tianwu immediately realized that the Transfer Array on him was taking effect, and as Ling Huan attempted to refine Wang Tianwu¡¯s soul, his spiritual power was transferred to another person due to the Transfer Array.


    The two were engaging in a psychic confrontation using Wang Tianwu¡¯s body as a conduit.


    At the next moment, Wang Tianwu noticed Ling Huan¡¯s Primordial Spirit suddenly writhing violently, unable to contain his spiritual power, venting it outwards.


    Ling Huan¡¯s ¡®Emperor Illusion Dream Dragon¡¯ was even emitting a pitiful howl in the Dream World!


    Wang Tianwu, this unbeatable teacher of illusion magic, had clearly suffered a severe mental blow!


    ¡°Wang Tianwu!¡± Ling Huan let out an angry roar, ¡°You dare scheme against me!


    Who is that person confronting me psychically?


    Who exactly is it?¡±


    Wang Tianwu thought to himself, isn¡¯t it only right for me to scheme against you?


    His mind was filled with confusion, as he could recognize the effect of the talisman on himself but had no knowledge of whom the corresponding talisman was on.


    So he also didn¡¯t know who that person was a moment ago!


    The only person Wang Tianwu could think of was his little BOSS, but that was so ridiculous that Wang Tianwu didn¡¯t want to contemplate it.


    Ling Huan exhausted all his spiritual power to identify, wanting to sense clearly, to see that person!


    Yet Ling Huan could only feel a vague figure standing in this dream world, staring at him coldly.


    This person¡¯s spiritual power was not just as unyielding as a rock and as steadfast as a mountain but also as unfathomable as the Abyss!


    The Abyss Concepts that Ling Huan mastered and the Fake Abyss Essence fused with his soul were like throwing eggs at rocks when facing this person, utterly ineffective!


    He didn¡¯t even understand what happened before he crumbled to pieces in an instant.


    At the same time, a surge of towering white flames approached, threatening to engulf and burn his soul!


    ¡°Ah~!¡±


    Ling Huan let out another piercing scream, his physical eyes suddenly bleeding, and he uttered incredulously, ¡°This is impossible, impossible!


    How could it be the Abyss?¡±

 Chapter 419

    ?Chapter 419: Chapter 395: Burning (Subscribe Please) Chapter 419: Chapter 395: Burning (Subscribe Please) Wang Tianwu heard Ling Huan¡¯s continuous wails of agony and rage, as platinum flames began to burn within his Primordial Spirit, giving off an incomparably sacred aura.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s Soul Power barely touched it before his entire soul began to tremble, the pain immense.


    a?€¡±This flame seemed to be an extremely powerful, fully-formed Abyss Concept!


    So powerful that even Ling Huan could not match it.


    The problem was Wang Tianwu was stuck inside the twisted, collapsing Primordial Spirit of ¡®Ling Huan,¡¯ completely unable to discern what exactly this concept was.


    Fortunately, the target was ¡®Ling Huan,¡¯ not him, Wang Tianwu.


    All he needed to do was contract his soul to its limit to avoid being burned by these platinum holy flames.


    ...


    Shortly after, he mysteriously flowed out from Ling Huan¡¯s Primordial Spirit.


    It was a true flowing outa?€¡±Ling Huan¡¯s Primordial Spirit had been burned to swiss cheese, and numerous soul essence particles were leaking from inside.


    Wang Tianwu immediately sensed his surroundings, trying to identify the person who had severely injured Ling Huan.


    Then, this Dream World was rapidly collapsing, and Wang Tianwu could only sense Ling Huan¡¯s spiritual essence flowing rapidly like a tide in a certain direction.


    Meanwhile, in the real world, Xu Mengran, who had just arrived at Longze East Road, was equally surprised.


    He sensed Ling Huan¡¯s spiritual trauma, which was far heavier than he had anticipated!


    This man¡¯s soul had been almost shattered due to the mental clash with Lin Rui.


    Go to novgo.co


    Xu Mengran was amazed, wondering what had happened?


    Was the ¡®National Guardian Dragon Seal¡¯ of the Great Song Dynasty really that powerful?


    Could there be mysteries within the ¡®National Guardian Dragon Seal¡¯ that the scientists of the Earth Federation had not yet understood?


    Xu Mengran immediately dismissed these distractions; now was not the time to think about them.


    ¡°Great opportunity!¡±


    As Xu Mengran soared through the air, his five 9SS+ grade ¡®Divine Servant¡¯ Combat Robots had already directed their weapons towards Wang Tianwu.


    The Combat Robots of Ninth Realm only had this one model, ¡®Divine Servant.¡¯


    Xu Mengran¡¯s ¡®Divine Servant,¡¯ created by a renowned Great Grandmaster of the Mechanical Bureau of the Federation Science Academy, integrated many precious materials.


    Xu Mengran¡¯s Super Monarch of Eight Realms Battle Dragon was also lying in wait in the distance.


    ¡°Li Xianglong!


    If we let him escape today, we¡¯ll both be criminals of the Federation.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t escape!¡± General Li Xianglong¡¯s Sword Intent had expanded to its utmost limit, beginning to distort the surrounding temporal void, forming a large gravitational well of a thousand meters widea?€¡±imperceptible and undetectable!


    All electromagnetic forces, all forms of radiation, could not escape this area.


    Yet Xu Mengran¡¯s seemingly serene grab was, in fact, engaging in a perilous mental duel with Ling Huan.


    Both sides pushed their Illusion Techniques to the limit.


    Ling Huan tried to blind the others¡¯ five senses and Divine Sense around, making them unable to pinpoint his position, while Xu Mengran continuously broke through this deception.


    Xu Mengran looked more surprised, as Ling Huan¡¯s injuries were indeed more severe than he had expected, and the resistance he offered was feeble.


    He could only use a tiny part of his mental focus on escaping; most of his energy seemed to be resisting something.


    When Xu Mengran concentrated still, he could even hear Ling Huan¡¯s roaring and muttering, ¡°Abyss!


    The Abyss Concept, how can there be an Abyss Concept?


    How could the Earth Federation possibly have an Abyss?


    Where did you find this Abyss from?¡±


    Meanwhile, 20 kilometers away, inside a maglev armored vehicle, Lin Rui opened his eyes.


    As Ling Huan¡¯s Primordial Spirit was heavily damaged, his Dream World also collapsed, naturally awakening Lin Rui who could no longer stay inside.


    Xue Lingxue had already dressed him in the Exoskeleton Armor and had put on the silver mask for him.


    Lin Rui also received several alert messages from the Battle Spirit Ring, but he was in no mood to pay attention, fixedly watching the virtual map in front of him, ¡°What¡¯s the situation?


    novgo.co


    Has everyone been evacuated?¡±


    Xue Lingxue looked at Lin Rui with admiration, ¡°There are still 200 maglev flying cars that haven¡¯t completely left the combat zone.¡±


    Ling Huan was not only a major threat to the Earth Federation but also one of the most extreme terrorists on the East Asian side.


    This individual exploited his Illusion Techniques to do whatever he pleased while continuously attempting to overthrow the government.


    Yet such a legendary figure was about to fall into the hands of Thunder Admiral.


    ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Lin Rui had already seen the images in the projection video; indeed, there were still some blue dots within the 30-kilometer radius that hadn¡¯t evacuated.


    He then checked the firepower support gunboats of the Armed Police Force; those thirty gunboats were successively entering the preset positions!


    Lin Rui waited for a moment, then opened the command channel, ¡°General, the timing is right, requesting to execute the fourth phase of the combat plan!¡±


    The channel transmitted the cold voice of the Marshal, ¡°Permission granted!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows raised, he began issuing orders, ¡°All units, pay attention, proceed with the predetermined firing sequence, begin covering fire!


    Fire at full speed, remember, fire at full speed!¡±


    In that instant, the 273 320 mm gauss antimatter annihilation cannons mobilized by the Federation Security Bureau opened fire simultaneously, producing thunderous roars.


    At the same time, the thirty firepower support gunboats belonging to the Armed Police Force also ejected blinding plasma cannons, the bright white electric plasma burst towards the position where ¡®Ling Huan¡¯ was located!

 Chapter 420

    ?Chapter 420: Chapter 396: Destruction (Three more for subscription) Chapter 420: Chapter 396: Destruction (Three more for subscription) On the morning of December 21, 4161, at 7:55, everyone in Ninth Base City heard a roaring boom coming from the direction of East City.


    They saw patches of black light flashing in that direction and releasing massive electromagnetic shockwaves, affecting nearly all circuits and electrical appliances throughout Ninth Base City.


    And there, floating high in the sky were the fire support gunboats, violently bombarding toward the direction of the flashing black lights.


    The rays from more than a thousand large-caliber plasma cannons turned the entire cityscape into a glowing white hue.


    The tremendous booming was enough to puncture people¡¯s eardrums, and the ground trembled violently, as if an earthquake of magnitude eight had occurred.


    Every street in the entire city was filled with the sounds of panic-stricken screams.


    Some of the more courageous Armored Martial Cultivators rushed to high places, looking towards East City, wanting to see what was happening there.


    ...


    ¡°What¡¯s going on over there?¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, what is the military doing, deploying such formidable forces?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the military, it¡¯s the Armed Police Force!


    Are those cannon antimatter annihilation bombs?


    They must be at least 320mm caliber, a single shot could kill a Seventh Realm Martial Cultivator.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on?


    Using so many powerful weapons inside the Base City!¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    At this time, Fang Ranran also watched in utter astonishment towards East City.


    At the moment of the incident, she was drinking morning tea near the city hall with several bureaucrats from the Civil Affairs Bureau, discussing the matter of arranging household registration for some illegal immigrants.


    They were negotiating which regulations to invoke to allow these illegal immigrants from the Bright Holy Sect to obtain formal household registry ahead of time.


    But the electromagnetic shockwaves from the direction of East City not only caused a massive blackout in the surrounding area but also shattered various glass utensils in the restaurant.


    Everyone was shocked and did not understand what exactly was happening there.


    With her well-informed networks, Fang Ranran quickly got relevant news through two channels ¨C ¡®Sky Blue Group¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Fox Trading Company¡¯.


    ¡°The Federation Security Bureau is rounding up ¡®Ling Huan¡¯?¡±


    Fang Ranran couldn¡¯t help but be shocked; the Security Bureau was actually rounding up the former Vice President of the Divine Illumination Association!


    No wonder there was such a big commotion.


    Could they succeed?


    Acting within the Base City was quite reckless, wasn¡¯t it?


    That was Ling Huan, the top-tier Illusion Master!


    Could they kill the being who many in the Federation hate to the bone yet was untouchable by all of the Earth Federation?


    At this time, the many government officials dining in the restaurant also came to understand the situation, and almost all of them cursed loudly.


    ¡°Have the people from the Security Bureau lost their minds?¡±


    ¡°What are they trying to do?


    Destroy our Ninth Base City?¡±


    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t there any prior notice?


    Aren¡¯t we clear about who Ling Huan is?


    Why act inside the city?¡±


    But they were facing a Ninth Realm whom they simply couldn¡¯t convince before the operation commenced!


    After scanning the battlefield, Huo Bangguo momentarily froze.


    ¡°What happened here?


    How did you manage to damage his Primordial Spirit to such an extent?¡±


    Almost instinctively, he slapped his palm down, sealing away a cluster of Primordial Soul essence as it tried to escape underground from Ling Huan.


    Given that the events had already unfolded and couldn¡¯t be reversed, under no circumstances could they allow Ling Huan to escape, or else the Ninth Base City would have paid such a steep price in vain!


    a?€¡± If they really could eliminate ¡°Ling Huan¡± this time, even if it just subdued him for a few decades, it would be excellent news for the Federation government.


    This battle might even impact the entire political landscape of the Federation government.


    ¡°I also want to know about that.¡±


    That question came from a skinny middle-aged man in a well-tailored suit.


    As he dodged the barrage of shells and plasma beam cannons surrounding him, he asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such a stupid and ridiculous plan to actually work.¡±


    At that moment, more and more ferocious artillery fire was bombarding in their direction.


    One after another, Antimatter Annihilation Bombs were annihilating all matter around them.


    While dodging shells and beams, Huo Bangguo and the others contained Ling Huan¡¯s soul quality and flesh within the nearby area, letting the potent Antimatter Annihilation Bombs and Plasma Beam Cannons erode it bit by bit.


    Killing a Ninth Realm Martial Cultivator was very difficult, and a Ninth Realm Emperor even more so.


    After the Federation scientists developed the Fake Abyss Source Essence and gradually exposed Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators to the secrets of Longevity, these powerful Martial Artists had become nearly Immortal.


    Marshal Li Xianglong said expressionlessly, ¡°This is an internal secret of the Security Bureau, and no information can be disclosed.¡±


    The Third Marshal, Odin¡¯s face twitched.


    He was part of the Security Bureau, yet he was completely in the dark until now.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Elder Xu going to say anything?


    ¡±


    The suit-clad middle-aged man¡¯s eyes glinted slyly as he said, ¡°To my knowledge, this operation was planned by you, your apprentice Zhou Yunfei, and the Thunder Admiral from your ¡®National Homeland Security Special Action Center,¡¯ wasn¡¯t it?


    I saw the operation application report submitted by the Thunder Admiral in the Security Bureau¡¯s backend, which had your and Zhou Yunfei¡¯s signatures on it.


    It¡¯s very interesting that such an absurd plan would gain your approval.¡±


    Li Xianglong¡¯s expression darkened slightly at that revelation.


    This man had actually investigated the Security Bureau¡¯s intelligence database without permission, and he was openly mentioning it right to his facea?€¡±such audacity!


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui had submitted a report encrypted at a 3S level, and this person could access it?


    Huo Bangguo¡¯s expression also darkened, thinking that Zhou Yunfei, one of the masterminds behind the operation, had not told him the truth.


    Simultaneously, he took note of the name ¡°Thunder¡± Admiral and the ¡°National Homeland Security Special Action Center.¡±


    You Ming, in charge of the Security Bureau¡¯s Ninth Division Special Service Center and the Major Crime Investigation Department, had yet to capture the Children¡¯s Song Killer, which greatly irritated Huo Bangguo.


    Xu Mengran smiled slightly: ¡°I think at this time, it¡¯s better for everyone not to be distracted.


    Making sure Ling Huan dies completely is what we should be focused on now.¡±


    This suited everyone present to their great advantage.

 Chapter 421

    ?Chapter 421: Chapter 397 Tsunami (Please Subscribe) Chapter 421: Chapter 397 Tsunami (Please Subscribe) By now, Lin Rui had switched to a different vehicle.


    He stood inside a spacious combat command vehicle, watching video images of the battle taking place while sorting through the unexpected gains from the operation.


    Key among these were the details of two Battle Spirits, the additional skills listed for them, and the prompts from the Battle Spirit Ring that Lin Rui had overlooked during the fight.


    Prompt: ¡°Detection of alien spiritual power invasion, countered by your National Guardian Dragon Seal, please activate your Abyss Source Core as soon as possible to further collapse the alien spiritual power.¡±


    Prompt: ¡°Alien spiritual power has been shattered by your ¡®National Guardian Dragon Seal¡¯ and ¡®Abyss Source Core.¡¯ Your Pure Concept is purifying the spirit origin of the alien spiritual power.¡±


    Prompt: ¡°Battle Spirit Ring senses a large amount of high-intensity pure spirit origin available for absorption, do you wish to allow Battle Spirit No.1 to absorb?¡±


    Prompt: ¡°Battle Spirit No.1 is in a saturated state, please recall Battle Spirit No.2,¡±


    Prompt: ¡°Battle Spirit No.2 has been recalled and is absorbing unclaimed spirit origin.


    Battle Spirit No.2 is very satisfied with the intensity and purity of the spirit origin.¡±


    Prompt: ¡°Battle Spirit No.2 is saturated, the remaining spirit origin can be integrated into the Battle Spirit Ring.¡±


    At the time, Lin Rui was very surprised that Battle Spirit No.2, clearly on Sky Extreme Star and inside the body of the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon, could actually be recalled to the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Furthermore, the changes in Xue Bogao and Ji Shenyan were also rather astonishing.


    Xue Bogao¡¯s annotation information had changed to ¡®Admiral.¡¯


    The spirit origin absorbed by Xue Bogao was only a little bit, yet it had elevated his spiritual power level by one tier, which was a substantial enhancement.


    ...


    Go to novgo.co


    Ji Shenyan¡¯s annotation information had also changed to ¡®General.¡¯


    The key change was the appearance of several ¡®Dragon Stage¡¯ skills in both of their skill lists, all relating to magic.


    This included a Grandmaster Level Dragon Stage ¡®Illusion Technique.¡¯


    Unfortunately, Lin Rui now had few soul power points left, and his cultivation was too low; even if he had been able to exchange them, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use them.


    So, the implantation of the ¡®Armored Dragon Armor¡¯ needed to happen as soon as possiblea?€¡±


    According to Professor Sima, the East Asia Science Academy had already made the ¡®Armored Dragon Armor¡¯ for him.


    It was made based on the original model SSS+ ¡®Glory Holy Hall,¡¯ with an added structure inside the bone capable of generating a large amount of ¡®Fake Abyss Source Essence.¡¯


    It¡¯s worth mentioning that this ¡®Fake Abyss Source Essence,¡¯ based on Lin Rui¡¯s alien Bone Armor sample, was a blend with Federation Abyss technology for further enhancement.


    The issue was that the pseudo-X-Level ¡®Glory Holy Hall¡¯ had been assembled, but Lin Rui didn¡¯t have sufficient capacity to withstand it.


    The anti-matter annihilation bombs, although detonated at fixed points concentrated near the battlefield, still caused a massive pit several kilometers deep due to the blast waves of tens of thousands of exploding shells, with the land and steel pipes at the edge of the pit almost melted by the high temperatures.


    Around 20 kilometers in every direction lay wounded, with ruins and broken tiles everywhere.


    The Federation¡¯s architectural technology was highly advanced, buildings were very robust, but no structure within this area could withstand the residual impacts of the Ninth Realm experts and the antimatter annihilation bombs.


    Xu Mengran hovered in the sky above this wasteland, sensing intently,


    Until a full three minutes later, Xu Mengran opened her eyes: ¡°The good news is, I no longer sense any trace of Ling Huan¡¯s existence.


    The bad news is our Stargazer observes that Ling Huan¡¯s fate in the sky has not yet completely vanished.¡±


    ¡°Cut the nonsense!¡± This came from the bulky, well-fed Four-star Marshal, who snorted coldly: ¡°We need to know whether this person is dead or alive.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dead, but much like those from the Abyss, not completely dead.


    He must have left something behind, making it possible for him to resurrect at any moment.¡±


    Xu Mengran¡¯s eyes looked peculiar: ¡°The Stargazer said whether he¡¯s dead is like those from the Abyss, dependent on people¡¯s memories of him.


    The fewer people who remember him, the lower the possibility of Ling Huan resurrecting and returning, and even if he does resurrect, it will be delayed until the distant future.¡±


    Hearing this, the others looked at each other in dismay.


    Shock appeared in their eyesa?€¡±the resurrection method of Ling Huan was the same as that of the Abyss?


    Did that mean that this unfathomable illusionist had grasped some secret of the Abyss?


    ¡°Hence, we can now declare that Ling Huan is dead!


    And then find ways to erase all of his traces within the Earth Federation, erase the memories people have of him.


    This is the reality, at least for the short term, he won¡¯t be able to come back to life.¡±


    Xu Mengran then paused before continuing: ¡°Beside this, the Stargazer explicitly stated that Ling Huan¡¯s fate is intertwined with that of a certain ¡®Abyss¡¯.


    It could be an Abyss rising or an ancient Abyss returning.


    That person will be the greatest obstacle to Ling Huan¡¯s resurrection.¡±


    The First Marshal Li Xianglong narrowed his eyes, then instructed his aide through quantum communication: ¡°Announce the triumphant news to the whole Federation, proclaim the death of Ling Huan!¡±


    By noon that same day, nearly all citizens of the Federation and all Alien Walkers were astounded to learn of one shocking piece of news.


    a?€¡±The terrorist perennially topping the Federation Security Bureau¡¯s wanted list and suspected to have ascended to the ¡®Emperor Stage¡¯ of the Ninth Realm, the ancient powerhouse ¡°Ling Huan¡±, had been ambushed and killed by the Security Bureau¡¯s Ninth Division ¡°Thunder¡± Admiral!


    This news swept like a tsunami through every corner of the Federation society.

 Chapter 422

    ?Chapter 422: Chapter 398: Swearing Contest (Please Subscribe) Chapter 422: Chapter 398: Swearing Contest (Please Subscribe) The next afternoon, Wang Tianwu sat in the cafA?? where he had signed the contract selling himself just two days before, sipping tea.


    Wang Tianwu actually didn¡¯t fancy coffee, but back then, he had no choice because of the contract signing.


    Fortunately, the black tea at this Chinese-style cafA?? was quite good.


    Gazing through the steam, he watched the video projection TV in front of him, feeling as though worlds apart from yesterday.


    It was broadcasting a political commentary show.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at some related news.


    Just this morning, the Security Bureau¡¯s Business Crime Investigation Unit deployed massively, moving into one hundred and twenty-seven charity, private, and election funds, freezing over a thousand accounts under their control in preparation for the scrutiny of their transactions,¡± the program aired.


    ...


    ¡°Yesterday, Jin¡¯s Bank issued a statement saying that there were illegal financial dealings with these funds, but they were coerced by Ling Huan and the Divine Illumination Association.¡±


    ¡°Jin¡¯s Bank, a subsidiary of Jin Group with a capital of 1.3 trillion federal coins, is a medium-sized bank.


    It is known that in recent years, the bank¡¯s financial dealings with the Divine Illumination Association alone amounted to over 200 billion federal coins, involving charges such as money laundering, hiding drug crimes, and covering up terrorist activities.¡±


    ¡°Former Congressman Wang Song updated his personal information, stating that the last election was unfairly manipulated on a large scale by Ling Huan¡¯s Illusion Technique.


    Because of this, a large number of congressmen linked to Ling Huan entered Congress.


    The government should consider holding an early election,¡± the TV reported.


    ¡°Yesterday, a reporter interviewed the First General of the Security Bureau, inquiring about the election fraud incident.


    Go to novgo.co


    The First General admitted that the Security Bureau did indeed possess evidence of interference by the Divine Illumination Association in the election results.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it for related news.


    As everyone can see, after Ling Huan¡¯s death, his influence touched many aspects of Ninth Base City, and not only our city but also other Base Cities are in chaos,¡± the broadcaster continued.


    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m aware that it¡¯s not just the Business Crime Investigation Unit of the Security Bureau, but government anti-corruption and counter-intelligence departments have all become operational.


    Nearly all key positions are undergoing psychological assessments, and multiple congressmen have been taken away by the Security Bureau.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like kicking a man when he¡¯s down.


    Previously, the government hesitated to act against the terrorist Ling Huan for fear of retaliation against society and the government.


    Now, that fear is gone,¡± chimed in another voice.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!


    I¡¯m more curious about who this Thunder Admiral is, the one who set the trap and eliminated Ling Huan?¡±


    As Wang Tianwu watched this, he still found it somewhat unbelievable a?€¡± ¡®Ling Huan¡¯ was actually dead...


    Although not completely gone, he believed that neither the Security Bureau nor himself would let Ling Huan have a chance to come back to life.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s thoughts turned to Lin Rui, whom he had seen yesterday in the illusion.


    He still refused to believe that the person who helped him defeat ¡®Ling Huan¡¯ was his own ¡°little boss¡±.


    Wasn¡¯t this level of strength a bit overkill for Lin Rui, a Martial Arts Star?


    What did the BOSS, a university student, need such formidable military power for?


    Could he even afford it financially?


    Wang Tianwu felt that his path to freedom had just brightened a little more.


    This youngster was completely unrestrained with his spendinga?€¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but these six squads can¡¯t all be used for the BOSS¡¯s security.


    Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company is interested in signing a security contract with us as well as a procurement contract.¡±


    Gong Hengdao explained with his hands folded: ¡°This year¡¯s security contract should be no less than 50 billion federal coins per month, and the procurement contract will be even higher.


    Just next month, they plan to purchase raw materials worth over 70 billion federal coins from Sky Extreme Star.


    The specific contract terms are still under negotiation, but we¡¯ve already prepared an expansion plana?€¡±¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    Wang Tianwu drew in a breath of cold air and fixed his gaze on Gong Hengdao: ¡°The security contract from Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company won¡¯t be less than 50 billion?


    Then, how much is the company¡¯s revenue?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brother Wang, your clearance only goes so far.


    All you need to know is that Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company indeed has such a demand and financial capability.¡±


    Gong Hengdao apologized with a smile: ¡°We¡¯re planning to build four more 6S squads and twenty 5A and 5S squads, but this will take some time.


    My work focus will also shift to Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company, so the heavy responsibility for the BOSS¡¯s security will mainly depend on Brother Wang.


    By the way, Brother Wang, if you know any reliable experts who are willing to join the company, feel free to recommend them.


    We offer very attractive terms.¡±


    Wang Tianwu nodded solemnly and continued to review the information for Lin Rui¡¯s Alien Studio.


    When he came across the words ¡®Chief Advisor for Alien Affairs Fei Yunlai¡¯, Wang Tianwu was startled once again.


    He immediately opened up a chat with Fei Yunlai.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Old Fei, is your BOSS Lin Rui?


    So his Alien is currently in the hands of the young BOSS?


    novgo.co


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Old Fei, I swear on your Immortal Plate!


    Fei Yunlai was not to be outdone.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Old Wang you dumbass!


    I swear on your eighteen generations of Immortals!

 Chapter 423

    ?Chapter 423: Chapter 399: The Company (Please Subscribe) Chapter 423: Chapter 399: The Company (Please Subscribe) Wang Tianwu exchanged a flurry of insults with Fei Yunlai online before removing the jerk from his friends¡¯ list.


    After unfriending him, Wang Tianwu¡¯s chest and abdomen were still heaving violently, he was so angry he felt like he was about to explode.


    He then mustered a full-faced smile, ¡°Brother Gong, my alien should be in the BOSS¡¯s hands now, right?


    Since that¡¯s the case, could you please ask the BOSS to return my alien and Battle Dragon to me?¡±


    Wang Tianwu thought it best to get his alien back as soon as possible.


    Getting the alien back, not only would he save on maintenance fees, but he could also earn a few billion more each month.


    The contract he had signed made his very heart tremble.


    Just eleven billion federal coinsa?€¡±for a Super Emperor mage of Eight Realms, that price was practically a steal!


    ...


    But he had no choice at the time, he had been pushed into desperation by Ling Huan, he was in need.


    ¡°About thata?€¡±¡±


    Gong Hengdao smiled with complex implications, ¡°You need to ask Fei Yunlai about that.


    The BOSS says since the contract you signed caused Fei Yunlai a heavy loss, he doesn¡¯t mind returning the alien to you.


    However, you¡¯ll have to compensate Fei Yunlai for his loss, make him feel a bit better, the BOSS gave the rights to deal with your alien to him.¡±


    Wang Tianwu was stunned and asked in confusion, ¡°What loss did he suffer?


    Go to novgo.co


    Why should I care if he feels good?¡±


    ¡°You should be aware of Fei Yunlai¡¯s situation, right?


    To avoid assassination, he signed a lifelong employment contract with the BOSS.


    However, if Fei Yun could persuade you to join the company, he could reduce the duration of his contract to 200 years.¡±


    Gong Hengdao answered truthfully, his face unable to hold back a smile.


    He was a very serious man, usually not one to joke around, but now he couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Anyway, the guy is full of anger right now.


    For the sake of harmony among colleagues, you better try to soothe him a bit.¡±


    Wang Tianwu suddenly realized, so that¡¯s how it was!


    No wonder Fei Yunlai had been acting so strangely these past few days.


    We can¡¯t do anything about him for the time being.


    Since you¡¯re a disciple of Ling Huan and now a Super Emperor Illusionist of Eight Realms, perhaps you have a way to take him down.


    The BOSS has issued a bounty, an extra reward of 3 billion federal coins on top of the mission bonus to anyone who can take his head.


    The other mission is on Sky Extreme Star.


    Although you can¡¯t utilize your alien right now, you can still familiarize yourself with the situation; these are issues our current forces can¡¯t handle.¡±


    Wang Tianwu browsed the mission files, then furrowed his brows.


    Within a specific time frame, lure two candidates for Divine Envoy out of Demon Suppression Forest for a short period?


    Wang Tianwu felt that with his Illusion Technique, plus some assistants, he could pull it off, but what was the little BOSS planning?


    ¡°That¡¯s about it, Brother Wang, got any questions?


    If not, I¡¯ll take my leave, I¡¯ve got other things to tend to.¡±


    After Gong Hengdao finished his coffee, he stood up.


    Then a thought struck him, ¡°Oh yeah, Brother Wang, the BOSS is looking to acquire another medium-sized Alien Company.


    You have a wide network in the Mercenary World; could you help me find out which company would be suitable for acquisition?


    Ideally, one with strong capabilities, high potential, and of course, the lower the valuation, the better.¡±


    Wang Tianwu cursed in his heart, shit, was his little BOSS really that well-off?


    A typical mid-sized Alien Company should have a market value of at least one to two hundred billion, right?


    His little BOSS had that much money to acquire one?


    Where was he getting the funds from?


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Lin Rui, whom Wang Tianwu was cursing, was currently in a secret base discussing with Lin Guangming.


    Lin Rui looked extremely surprised, ¡°Jin San¡¯s Armament Studio is planning to come over in full?


    Are you sure, Number 9?¡±


    Jin San¡¯s Armament Studio was well-known for its high standards; they produced not just a considerable quantity but could make SS+ grade armaments.


    You should know that the Sky Blue Group, before acquiring Mingde University, was only at this level.

 Chapter 424

    ?Chapter 424: Chapter 399: The Company (Please Subscribe)_2 Chapter 424: Chapter 399: The Company (Please Subscribe)_2 Lin Guangming: They reached out to me first, stating that the Bright Holy Sect must ensure their safety.


    However, Boss, if we choose to take them in, we can expect violent conflicts with the powers of the Underworld.


    Lin Guangming: This Armament Studio used to be backed by Jin San.


    Now that Jin San is dead, they¡¯ve become fat prey in the eyes of all Underworld forces.


    There has been fierce competition for them lately, with several Underworld wars erupting, and several of their family members have died as a result.


    They¡¯re very panicked.


    Lin Rui pondereda?€¡±was there even a need to think about it?


    ...


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Take them down!


    If your side lacks strength, ask me for assistance.


    Lin Guangming: Understood!


    Also, Supreme, about the interstellar freight company you mentioned, I¡¯ve found a very suitable acquisition target.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Which company?


    Tell me more in detail.


    Lin Rui not only wanted to acquire an Alien Company but also a small interstellar freight company.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡®Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company¡¯s¡¯ purchasing volume was indeed quite large and would continue to grow.


    Lin Rui had just exchanged for ¡®Dragon Stage¡¯ pharmacology of Sky Extreme Star from the No.


    2 Battle Spirit.


    This skill originated from ¡®Ling Huan¡¯, but Ling Huan¡¯s Dragon Stage pharmacology was actually quite mediocre, only at the entry level.


    Lin Rui himself had spent nearly twenty thousand soul power points to deduce it to a master level.


    In the chain reaction of various knowledge, Lin Rui had another ¡®inspiration burst¡¯, coming up with two formulas very suitable for commercialization.


    One was perfect for beauty products, capable of durably improving the luster of skin and hair; the other worked on the human brain, continuously enhancing and improving mental capacity.


    Such formulas would require a long time for validation.


    It was difficult to get a drug license, but once obtained, the commercial prospects were enormous.


    Therefore, to prepare for a rainy day, they must establish their own raw material procurement channels.


    Besides, with the extensive administrative resources Lin Rui controlled on Sky Extreme Star, it would be a huge loss not to engage in some trade business.


    After reviewing the data, Lin Rui cursed silentlya?€¡±how could this interstellar trade company¡¯s licenses be so complete?


    Lin Guangming: At the same time, I also discovered that the Logistics Department of the Star Navy has sold a large amount of scrapped parts to this company.


    After examining these parts, assembling ten Guardian Battleships and ten Armed Transport Ships would be feasible.


    And the actual controller of this company is a Two Stars Marshal!


    Lin Guangming: Boss, do you remember the smuggling case that the Third Special Action Department cracked before?


    The Vice Director of Logistics involved in that smuggling case is the same person.


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes: So, this company was likely set up to prepare for large-scale smuggling deals?


    Lin Guangming: It seems so.


    What¡¯s interesting is that this company has no operating records yet.


    Also, to distance himself from the company, the Vice Director put several layers of shells around the trading company.


    Lin Guangming: They placed the trading company¡¯s shares under the names of three shell companies, all owned by deceased individuals who had entrusted their operating rights to a trust management company called ¡®Tian He Wealth¡¯.


    With the power you currently wield, Supreme, you could acquire these three shell companies at a drastically low price through a special method.


    Lin Rui understood No.


    9¡¯s implications and couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists.


    It just so happened that the smuggling case involving ¡®Tianyang Elderly Care Center¡¯ hadn¡¯t been closed yet.


    The authority and power of the ¡®National Security Special Action Center¡¯ had also increased.


    The Thunder Admiral¡¯s big knife was already itching to strike.


    novgo.co


    Lin Guangming: Additionally, while investigating, I came across something else.


    Your uncle, Lin Da, is likely in trouble due to your involvement.


    He¡¯s on the verge of bankruptcy, and your grandfather has already been moved to a secondary position in the military and might be placed on reserve for the second time.


    Lin Rui was stunned for a moment, then immediately accessed the internal intelligence database of the Security Bureau to check Lin Da¡¯s situation.


    Lin Da¡¯s company was indeed in terrible shape, owed over two billion federal coins by the military¡¯s Logistics Department, in addition to several orders.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression gradually turned grim.


    He had no personal affection for Lin Da, but he disliked causing trouble for others because of his own affairs.


    Lin Rui knew that Lin Da must have been implicated because of him; it was essentially a hostile action targeted at Lin Rui himself.

 Chapter 425

    ?Chapter 425: Chapter 400 Chapter 425: Chapter 400 Few people knew that Fang Xianzheng had returned to Ninth Base City.


    He was standing in the CEO¡¯s office of Fang Kongfang, looking down at the protest march on the street below through the grand, expansive glass window.


    The avenue, wide enough to allow 20 buses to pass side by side, was packed with demonstrators from one end to the other, dense and overwhelming.


    They were holding up various signs with diverse messages.


    -Protest election fraud!


    -Fully investigate Divine Illumination Association¡¯s minions!


    novgo.co


    ...


    -Hold new elections!


    -The government is helping Divine Illumination Association scam the people!


    -Economic crimes are murdering people!


    Some rioters had smashed the glass on the ground nearby and overturned vehicles parked along the roadside.


    Fang Xianzheng, with a look of keen interest, said, ¡°Our First General has really outdone himself this time.¡±


    Fang Kongfang was at his desk reading a current affairs commentary.


    He looked at Fang Xianzheng in surprise, ¡°Are you sure this nationwide massive protest was orchestrated by Li Xianglong?¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°Of course,¡± Fang Xianzheng retorted with a glance at Fang Kongfang, ¡°You know what he said at the press conference, about the Security Bureau indeed holding evidence that the Divine Illumination Association manipulated the elections.


    Wasn¡¯t that blowing the whistle to the public?


    He has been wanting to purify the Federation¡¯s political scene for more than just a day or two.


    Li Xianglong has always believed that the Federation¡¯s citizens are deceived by people like Ling Huan, which is why they elect those greedy incompetents into Congress.


    Now that Ling Huan is dead, it¡¯s a good opportunity to trace back to the root and cleanse the Congress.¡±


    He scoffed with disdain, ¡°Of course, he alone couldn¡¯t have managed it on this scale.


    Many others are fanning the flames, wanting to overturn the previous election results.¡±


    Fang Kongfang also walked to the window, ¡°The cries of protest on the internet are huge, and the scale of the march is getting more and more intense.


    Can the government withstand it?¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t withstand it,¡± Fang Xianzheng said with his hands behind his back, looking down, ¡°Since this administration was formed on the basis of election fraud, there definitely needs to be a re-election.


    The opposition forces won¡¯t miss this chance, and neither will my ¡®People¡¯s Party.¡¯ It¡¯s just a matter of time before the President dissolves the government, and then the real election begins, from all the Congressmen to the President, everyone will be replaced.¡±


    His ¡®People¡¯s Party,¡¯ currently the second largest in Congress, naturally hoped for stability, but the party¡¯s ambitious members were looking forward to opportunities.


    Fang Xianzheng could easily regain most of Fang Ranran¡¯s shares with just a bit of maneuvering.


    At that moment, Fang Xianzheng let out a long sigh, ¡°I truly didn¡¯t expect that ¡®Ling Huan¡¯ would actually be killed by Li Xianglong and the others!


    A person of his caliber, a dignitary of the Ninth Realm Emperor, just gone like that.¡±


    Fang Kongfang countered, ¡°They say he¡¯s not completely dead, and there might be a chance for resurrection.¡±


    ¡°It makes no difference, the Federation is vigorously proclaiming that Ling Huan is ¡®dead,¡¯ intending to tap into the concept of death to prevent his resurrection.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng shook his head, ¡°Even if he is resurrected, it will take a long time, and by then, the entire scenario of the Earth Federation will have changed.¡±


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    At this time, Fang Ranran was feeling terrible.


    She knew about Fang Xianzheng¡¯s return to Ninth Base City and that her father was preparing for the next election.


    The death of ¡®Ling Huan¡¯, along with the massive protests that erupted because of it, completely exceeded Fang Ranran and her grandfather Linghu Mingde¡¯s expectations.


    That day, although she was busy working for the followers of the Bright Holy Sect, handling their legal registrations, she was utterly exasperated and couldn¡¯t calm her mind.


    Fang Ranran also predicted that the government wouldn¡¯t last long, estimating there would be elections within three to four months.


    Now she had far too little time, the election for Congressional turnover having been advanced by a full four years, and Fang Ranran lacked any voter base or the recognition of number 9.


    Knowing her grandfather was struggling to hold on, they could not wait for the next term.


    It was during this time that Fang Ranran received a message from number 9.


    Heart of Light 9: ¡°Miss Fang, are you available?


    I wonder if you¡¯re free lately?


    A Supreme from our division wishes to meet with you soon.¡±


    After reading the message, Fang Ranran was momentarily startled.


    Rain Falling Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): ¡°A Supreme?


    Is it your division¡¯s Capital Chief Priest or Red Priest?¡±


    Heart of Light 9: ¡°No, the Supreme is my superior, the true interpreter of the Bright Holy Sect and the holder of the ultimate power in the Ninth Base division.


    He wishes to meet you tomorrow afternoon at Olin Manor, will that work?¡±


    Fang Ranran felt a slight sink in her mood, this being a situation she had not anticipated.


    The Bright Holy Sect in the Ninth Base division having a Supreme?


    Then what was the point of everything she had done before?


    Fang Ranran sighed inwardly but replied without hesitation: ¡°Okay!¡±

 Chapter 426

    ?Chapter 426: Chapter 401: Meeting (Please Subscribe) Chapter 426: Chapter 401: Meeting (Please Subscribe) Fang Ranran had scheduled her meeting with Number 9 for 3 p.m.


    the next day, but she arrived at the gates of Olin Manor in her car at 2:40.


    As soon as Fang Ranran parked her car, a courteous staff member greeted her, ¡°Manager Fang, Manager Lin is already here, in the Mountain and Sea Temple private room.¡±


    Fang Ranran raised her eyebrows; the room she had booked with Number 9 was indeed ¡®Mountain and Sea Temple,¡¯ which was one of the sub-top private rooms in Olin Manor.


    She thought to herself how coincidental it was that this Supreme from the Bright Holy Sect also shared the surname Lin?


    Fang Ranran didn¡¯t ponder on it too much and took the internal shuttle vehicle provided by the manor.


    Guided by the staff, she arrived at the door of the Mountain and Sea Temple private room.


    novgo.co


    ...


    She had just pushed open the door when she heard Lin Rui speaking inside, ¡°Your Yongrong Logistics Support Co., Ltd., deals with procurement of all sorts of military supplies for the military.


    In that case, I should be able to conduct this business too.¡±


    Fang Ranran stood thunderstruck at the doorway.


    Her eyes were a mix of perplexity, astonishment, confusion, and disbelief.


    Could it be that this so-called Supreme, this Manager Lin, was Lin Rui?


    Lin Rui was smiling and talking to Lin Da, ¡°I won¡¯t keep it from you, these supplies are being sold to Sky Extreme Star, all of which are civilian goods and are not within the Federation¡¯s embargo scope.


    Go to novgo.co


    The demand is quite substantial as well; the resource list you see, requires about 2 billion in volume per month, and I can¡¯t find a trustworthy company on short notice to help me organize the supply.¡±


    To maximize profits in the trading business, one must have a round-trip; Lin Rui¡¯s starships, of course, couldn¡¯t travel empty to Sky Extreme Star to transport the medicinal herbs ordered by Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals.


    The supplies Lin Rui ordered from Lin Da¡¯s company were also quite popular and commonly used among the civilians of Sky Extreme Star, such as fertilizer, cloth, rare earth, pharmaceuticals, and so ona?€¡±


    The fertilizer was granulated after extreme compression and could be used to enrich the fields and increase yield per acre.


    Although transporting fabrics to Sky Extreme Star was costly, these fabrics were made from high-tech fibers that were not only durable but also had a certain level of bulletproof capability, offering protection against demons.


    As long as they were not attacked by martial cultivators, these fabrics would not get damaged for 100 years, hence they were very popular on Sky Extreme Star.


    Although this could disrupt the social structure of Sky Extreme Star, where men plow and women weave, with vast lands and sparse population and less than one-tenth of the land developed, the women of Sky Extreme Star could free up time from weaving to increase their productive forces by planting more cash crops, actually improving their living conditions.


    The rare earth powders, through special proportioning with molten iron, could be fused to create a particularly wear-resistant and tough alloy steel, suitable for forging farm tools.


    Pharmaceuticals were either synthesized chemically or extracted from the active ingredients of medicinal plants a?€¡° a Western medicine that worked fast and was also quite cheap, effectively treating headaches and fever.


    These were all civilian goods that the Federation government permitted to be sold to Skyline Star.


    However, the profit margins for these goods were very slim, and most trading companies would only deal in these goods when they absolutely had to.


    Our starships, having to pass through the atmosphere each time, would burn so much energy ¨C are you sick, asking me to transport such low-profit items?


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t mind since his costs were lower than others¡¯ and, for the time being, he didn¡¯t want to deal in anything that violated Federation laws.@@@@


    Lin Rui had gained a lot from Sky Extreme Star and couldn¡¯t help but be moved by the current plight of the people there.


    If he had the capacity and the conditions, he, too, wanted to help improve the situation for the people on Sky Extreme Star.


    Of course, he also knew that the first to benefit from this supply would be the wealthy and powerful tycoons and landowners.


    Lin Da¡¯s expression was somewhat unusual after hearing this.


    He truly hadn¡¯t expected that Lin Rui had called him over today for this matter.


    Lin Rui¡¯s grandfather served in the Federation Army¡¯s Military Investigative Bureau, a top-notch keystone organization of the military.


    How could Lin Rui possibly be of help?


    Previously, Lin Rui¡¯s grandfather was only able to return to active duty from the reserves thanks to the aid of that old supervisor.


    But when Lin Da took a look at the business card, his body shook slightly and he let out a cry of surprise, ¡°Xu Mengran?¡±


    In this world, the reason physical business cards hadn¡¯t been completely phased out was precisely because of the type of card he was holding, combined with electronic communication.


    When they add contacts through these physical cards, the recipient immediately knows who they are and what their relationship with them is.


    And Xu Mengran, not only was he a third-generation Alien Walker with an Armament comprehensive combat strength of 8SSS+, comparable to most experts of the Ninth Realm, but he also held the position of Political Commissar within the National Security Bureau in East Asia, a man of high authority and heavy influence.


    Big shots like these wouldn¡¯t normally freely give out their business cards.


    If they did, it meant that the recipient was either one of their most trusted and valued people, or someone they were willing to show respect to.


    ¡°It¡¯s Mr.


    Xu.


    I asked him, and he made it clear he could help.


    However, grandfather has to go and talk to him in person; there are some issues Mr.


    Xu needs to clarify.¡±


    Lin Rui smiled slightly, ¡°Also, the Logistics Department of the military should be able to release your final payment quite soon, probably in the next few days, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    As he said this, he habitually picked up his teacup, intending to offer tea to his guest as a farewell gesture.


    Then, Lin Rui remembered that this was Ninth Base City, where that custom didn¡¯t apply, so he smiled and took another sip of tea, ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to discuss with uncle today.


    You¡¯re busy, so go ahead, and don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Lin Da knew that his nephew must have important matters to discuss with Fang Ranran.


    Just as he was getting up to leave, he suddenly heard Fang Ranran speak, ¡°Is that person outside Wang Tianwu?


    The mage under Ling Huan said to be the brightest disciple, a practitioner of the Eighth Realm?


    When did you recruit him to your side?¡±


    When Lin Da followed Fang Ranran¡¯s gaze, he saw a young man with a handsome countenance and a prominent nose, lying leisurely on an outdoor rocking chair, absorbed in a book.


    Lin Da had not noticed this person at all until Fang Ranran mentioned him, only then realizing this man was an Eighth Realm mage!


    He checked up on Wang Tianwu¡¯s information and was even more surprised.


    Public information revealed that Wang Tianwu was an eighth-tier Emperor Rank mage who had received five ¡®Dark Glory Medals¡¯ from major darknet organizations.


    To evade his mentor¡¯s pursuit, he had lowered his Bloodline Power to that of a Super King of Eight Realms.


    Is this a joke?


    Lin Rui was able to recruit such a high-level expert?


    ¡°Old Wang?¡± Lin Rui glanced outside and nodded, ¡°He¡¯s working as my bodyguard; we just signed the contract a few days ago.¡±


    When Lin Da left, he was somewhat in a daze.


    After Lin Da departed, Lin Rui extended his hand to Fang Ranran, ¡°President, let¡¯s reintroduce ourselves.


    I am the ¡®Supreme¡¯ Number 9 mentioned, currently identified by her as the representative and incarnation of the Light Saint King, thereby holding the authority over the Bright Holy Sect¡¯s Ninth Division.¡±


    Fang Ranran had already anticipated this, but she couldn¡¯t help her face twitch involuntarily.

 Chapter 427

    ?Chapter 427: Chapter 402: Black Job (Subscription Request) Chapter 427: Chapter 402: Black Job (Subscription Request) Fang Ranran was full of resentment toward Lin Rui for hiding his identity as the ¡°Supreme.¡±


    However, Lin Rui claimed he was innocent, having inexplicably become the leader of the Bright Holy Sect¡¯s Ninth Division.


    After all, this was a cult officially recognized by the government, not something to be proudly announced.


    The timing and manner of Fang Ranran¡¯s approach were abrupt, leaving him somewhat unsure how to respond.


    Although Lin Rui hesitated multiple times, he finally decided to trust Fang Ranran and invited her to meet him, based on that trust.


    Considering this, Fang Ranran thought it made sense; if she were Lin Rui, suddenly becoming the head of a cult, she would also act cautiously.


    Her anger subsided, leaving only surprise.


    Fang Ranran sat next to Lin Rui, sipping juice with a smile, ¡°You should know why I¡¯m reaching out to your sect, right?


    ...


    I want to go straight for it and run for Congress.


    Will you support me?¡±


    When Fang Ranran arrived, she was tense.


    If it was just a Heart of Light number 9, she believed she could convince him with her abilities and sincerity.


    But this ¡°Supreme,¡± whom she had no prior understanding of, neither his identity nor background, nor his personality or needs, Fang Ranran was prepared for setbacks.


    She hadn¡¯t expected the other party to be Lin Rui, which made things easier to discuss.


    Go to novgo.co


    Knowing that Lin Rui had chosen to meet her, Fang Ranran felt he was definitely prepared to support her, instantly relieving her stress accumulated over several days.


    ¡°Support!


    Of course, I support you, senior sister,¡± Lin Rui said with a wry smile as he drank his tea, ¡°The problem is, there are at most three to four months until the elections, and we might not have enough time.


    According to number 9¡¯s calculations, the Bright Holy Sect can secure a maximum of 16 million votes, which might not be enough to get you elected.


    You do know what our sect might have to pay if you don¡¯t succeed?¡±


    He had asked Fang Ranran over to lay out the facts and learn what bargaining chips she held.


    Yet, Fang Ranran shook her head, ¡°The truth is, there¡¯s no cost!


    I can arrange for your group to be registered as a legal sect before the elections start.¡±


    Lin Rui uttered a ¡®hmm¡¯ at this, looking skeptically at Fang Ranran.


    Even the Heart of Light number 9, who was watching their conversation through video, exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯ve studied the doctrines of your division; you¡¯re different from other divisions of the Bright Holy Sect.


    There¡¯s no content about overthrowing the government, no deceiving or defrauding believers, and no harmful actions to society.


    You¡¯re even more legitimate than most so-called legal sects.¡±


    Fang Ranran took another sip of her juice, ¡°You¡¯ve already split from the other divisions of the Bright Holy Sect, so why cling to the Bright Holy Sect name?


    Could you switch to ¡®Light King Sect¡¯ or ¡®Light God Sect¡¯?


    If you had a legal identity, you¡¯d likely achieve greater influence.¡±


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes and then smiled, ¡°Good idea!¡±


    Three congressmen would be enough to support her in getting a seat on either the National Security Committee or the Budget Committee.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, feeling that Fang Ranran¡¯s comment was a bit far-fetched.


    His fans were willing to buy his products, not necessarily to cast their votes for him.


    Both in their late teens, Fang Ranran came from a political family, while Lin Rui had no such background.


    20 million votes?


    Dream on!


    But trying it out wasn¡¯t harmful.


    When the time came, he would simply register, not campaign, seek no sponsors, organize no campaign activities, and not split the party votes.


    He would get as many votes as he could.


    Even if he didn¡¯t get elected himself, he could diminish the vote percentage of other candidates.


    Lin Rui shook his head and began discussing the details with Fang Ranran.


    Lin Rui indeed had a favor to ask of Fang Ranran.


    Mainly, it was about the three shell companies they hoped Fang Ranran could help purchase at a judicial auction, then change hands several times to launder them completely.


    Initially, Lin Rui had been recruited by the second General into the Security Bureau due to his unique status; since Lin Rui wasn¡¯t an agent trained by the Security Bureau, the second General allowed him an exemption under special provisions to engage in business, provided he did not leverage his official power for profit.


    This affair was clearly in violation, hence the need for multiple transactions.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s extensive connections and her grandfather¡¯s resources could make this operation tracesless.


    The two discussed secretly in the Mountain and Sea Temple private room until evening before parting ways.


    Fang Ranran, in high spirits, drove home in her new ¡°Luo Shen 888¡± super wing supercar recently bought by Jin Tianchen.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui settled into the passenger seat of the ¡°Shen Yi 520¡± super-wing supercar, a gift from Fang Ranran.


    Wang Tianwu, seating in the driver¡¯s seat, asked without expression, ¡°Boss, where to next?


    Back to Mingde University?¡±


    He internally remarked that a dignified Super Emperor of Eight Realms, a retired two-star General, had sadly been reduced to mere chauffeur duty.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking this supercar back to the university, but we¡¯re not going.¡±


    As Lin Rui spoke, he fetched two bags from the back seat and tossed one to Wang Tianwu, ¡°Recently the security level of Ninth Base City has declined, and the media¡¯s focus has shifted, so now you have to join me on a dark job.¡±


    Wang Tianwu looked puzzled, ¡°What dark job?¡±


    The security around the city had indeed diminished; the streets that used to have two to three police cars on permanent station now had none.


    But what did that have to do with them?


    Moments later, Wang Tianwu noticed Lin Rui donning a visibly repaired set of exoskeleton armor while humming ¡°I am a piece of seaweed, seaweed.¡±


    It took Wang Tianwu a moment to realize, and his steering wheel accidentally swerved.


    If not for the car¡¯s AI intervention, their car would have almost crashed into a nearby building.


    novgo.co


    Wang Tianwu thought to himself, ¡°Damn,¡± his boss was actually that Children¡¯s Song Killer!

 Chapter 428

    ?Chapter 428: Chapter 403: The Identity of the BOSS (Please Subscribe) Chapter 428: Chapter 403: The Identity of the BOSS (Please Subscribe) Lin Da left Olin Manor and instead of going home, he rushed to the military dormitory area in the south of the city to meet his father, Lin Jingxuan.


    ¡°How did it go, what did General Xu say?¡± Lin Da looked at his father with hope in his eyes.


    Lin Jingxuan had already used the business card given to him by Lin Rui to add Xu Mengran to his contacts.


    Upon hearing the question, Lin Jingxuan stared blankly for a long while before responding, ¡°General Xu spoke quite highly of my work at the Military Intelligence Bureau.


    He said that East Asia has been very dissatisfied with the corruption within the Federation Army, and he could recommend me for a position at the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division of the Military Intelligence Bureau, to serve as its deputy director.


    After that, he kept asking about Xiao Rui, praising him continuously, saying that Xiao Rui is a junior he greatly admires.¡±


    What he didn¡¯t mention was that Xu Mengran had only asked him about his Military Intelligence Bureau work for ten minutes, his attitude towards East Asia and political leanings for three minutes, and the following ten minutes were all questions about matters relating to Lin Rui.


    Luckily, Lin Jingxuan had been quite attentive to the child and had spent time with him when he was little; otherwise, he really wouldn¡¯t have known how to answer.


    ...


    Hearing this, Lin Da appeared contemplative, ¡°It seems that General Xu is very concerned about Xiao Rui.


    I wonder how they became acquainted.


    Could it be through Xiao Rui¡¯s teacher, Han Kedao?¡±


    At that moment, Lin Jingxuan suddenly became animated and turned on the projection TV, directly jumping to the news channel.


    ¡°This station has breaking news.


    This afternoon, the Security Bureau¡¯s ¡®National Security Special Action Center¡¯ made a major move, dispatching officers to shut down multiple logistic bases and supply depots belonging to the ¡®Logistics Department¡¯ of the Federation Defense Army at Ninth Base, arresting a significant number of military personnel.¡±


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    ¡°Reliable sources have stated that this action by the ¡®National Security Special Action Center¡¯ is related to the corruption case at logistic base 9412 several months ago.


    The Security Bureau has found conclusive evidence and has obtained authorization from the ¡®Security Bureau General¡¯ and ¡®Federation Defense Army General¡¯a?€¡±¡±


    Lin Jingxuan narrowed his eyes, then asked Lin Da, ¡°You just mentioned that Xiao Rui told you the Logistics Department would soon release the final payments for those contracts to your company, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did say that!¡± Lin Da¡¯s eyes filled with alarm and doubt, ¡°But this shouldn¡¯t have much to do with Xiao Rui, should it?¡±


    Lin Jingxuan thought that was hard to say.


    However, one thing was certain beyond doubt: the current Lin Rui was not only very wealthy but also had a certain amount of influence in both the military and government sectors.


    That child had even managed to recruit Wang Tianwu, attaining a significant measure of military power.


    Lin Jingxuan pondered whether the ¡®Longevity Association¡¯ had noticed that Xiao Rui was rising at an astonishing speed?


    Lin Jingxuan then flipped through a few more news and political commentary programs, all discussing the sudden incident within the military¡¯s Logistics Department, suggesting that after the death of ¡®Ling Huan,¡¯ the Security Bureau had begun a forceful crackdown on corruption, aiming to eliminate the remnants of the Divine Illumination Association.


    They were also discussing the mysterious ¡®Thunder Admiral¡¯, saying that this Admiral, having been recruited to the Security Bureau on extremely generous terms as the ¡®second-in-command¡¯, was very decisive and forceful in his actions, with many achievements since taking office that had drawn worldwide attention.


    This time, he had even miraculously brought to justice ¡®Ling Huan,¡¯ whom the Earth Federation had pursued for hundreds of years.


    Some even dug up part of the ¡®Thunder Admiral¡¯s¡¯ resume.


    Out of curiosity, Lin Jingxuan had previously sought information on the ¡®Thunder Admiral,¡¯ but all information on this individual was encrypted at a 3S level.


    He wondered how these media got ahold of it and weren¡¯t afraid that the Security Bureau would come after them?


    Just then, Lin Jingxuan saw another breaking news update.


    ¡°Urgent news, just moments ago a sudden incident occurred in our city!


    The Children¡¯s Song Killer, who had vanished for over a month, and his accomplices reappeared, creating a massacre 20 minutes ago.¡±


    Wang Tianwu, gripping the steering wheel with a smile plastered over his face, said, ¡°BOSS, my Alien and Battle Dragon are in your hands, right?


    Can you return them to me?


    I can serve you on Sky Extreme Star as well.


    Your Poison Skill is incredible, and if I can combine it with my illusion magic, there wouldn¡¯t be many in this world who could stand against us.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Old Gong tell you?


    There¡¯s still an account to be settled between you and me.¡±


    Lin Rui laughed silently: ¡°You offended me, naturally there¡¯s a price to be paid, and I plan to use that to compensate Fei Yunlai.


    Although I got his lifetime contract, I still need to give him enough incentive to work willingly for me.¡±


    An indignant bull might work hard, but it¡¯s never as reliable as one that¡¯s completely submissive.


    Wang Tianwu, startled, asked, ¡°When did I ever offend you, BOSS?¡±


    ¡°Really?


    Think about it carefully, it was just these past few days.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curved slightly, toying with a temporary-use knife in his hand: ¡°Think about how you ended up in my hands; why would Xu Mengran introduce you to me?


    Hasn¡¯t he told you that Ling Huan¡¯s strong spiritual power and illusion magic are ineffective against me?


    Why do you think that is?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Wang Tianwu was initially puzzled, but then his heart began to race violently.


    Disbelieving, he turned his head to look steadily at Lin Rui.


    Could it be?


    Impossible, that¡¯s just too absurd!


    His BOSS, how could he possibly be that Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau from Sky Extreme Star?


    The future Divine Envoy from Great Song?


    novgo.co


    However, his Alien had been very well-hidden at the time on Sky Extreme Star.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s intelligence support AI might not be great in combat, but it had a knack for concealment.


    Moreover, based on the scant information the AI sent to his main body, the state of his Alien and Battle Dragon was pretty bad at the time, their movements stiff and difficult.


    So it seemed that his Alien must have been unwittingly drugged with anesthetic, but the question was, how did Lin Rui pinpoint his location so precisely?


    Also, if there¡¯s anything in the world that could be fearless against ¡®Ling Huan¡¯s¡¯ illusion magic, the ¡®National Guardian Dragon Seal¡¯ would certainly be one of them.


    Wang Tianwu couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard with a ¡®gulp¡¯.


    His voice hoarse, he asked, ¡°BOSS, could it be that you are Commander Lin?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be!¡± Lin Rui flicked the knife in his hand, producing a ¡®clang¡¯ sound: ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Fei Yun speaking up for you, I would have chopped off your head that morning and had it with my drink.¡±


    Wang Tianwu responded with a bitter smile, thinking to himself that he truly owed Fei Yunlai a favor.


    No wonder Fei Yunlai thought he had been double-crossed by him.

 Chapter 429

    ?Chapter 429: Chapter 404 Qing Huan (Three more chapters asking for monthly passes) Chapter 429: Chapter 404 Qing Huan (Three more chapters asking for monthly passes) The next clear morning, Lin Rui watched, inside the secret base, as Fei Yunlai and Wang Tianwu drank jovially together in the cafeteria, clinking glasses, chatting and laughing heartily as if they were true brothers reunited after a long separation.


    Lin Rui was very glad to see this, as he was quite satisfied with the team atmosphere.


    A good leader must unite his subordinates, maintain cohesion, to maximize their combat efficacy.


    Yet Lin Rui was unaware that Wang Tianwu was cursing ¡®MMP¡¯ inwardly.


    To exchange back Aliens and Battle Dragons from Fei Yunlai, he had given a hefty sum of 6 billion federal coins!


    That was the price they had agreed upon after a night of furious argument and table-pounding negotiation.


    He was reluctant to pay, but without the Aliens and Battle Dragons, he would lose 350 million every montha?€¡±that would amount to 42 billion in a year.


    ...


    Besides, the money was essentially meant to cool the BOSS¡¯s anger.


    Who asked him to participate in the assassination of the BOSS with Xu Yu¡¯s 6 billion federal coins?


    It was a cost that he had to bear.


    Looking at their BOSS¡¯s background, he knew this was someone who bore grudges.@@@@


    All those who had offended Lin Rui in the past had been methodically eradicated by him, which made Wang Tianwu very uneasy.


    Fei Yunlai also sneered secretly; Wang Tianwu was very reluctant when handing over this sum of money.


    Although it would enhance his and the Protective Demon¡¯s strength significantly, he still wasn¡¯t content.


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    Why was he on a lifetime contract whereas Wang Tianwu had only signed for two hundred years?


    If there was a chance in the future, he would have to make this guy stay to keep him company, both enduring the burdens together.


    In the following twenty or so days, all was ¡®calm and tranquil.¡¯


    a?€¡± For Lin Rui, these days were relatively peaceful.


    His Primordial Spirit shuttled between his original body and Alien, on the Sky Extreme Star side he would go to his teacher¡¯s place every morning for enhancement, practice Martial Arts, then go to court and stamp official papers; at Ninth Base City, he also went to work in the afternoon, reviewed documents, attended meetings, and occasionally played the role of the Children¡¯s Song Killer, staying busy and fulfilled.


    He also organized everyone in the base, and they had a joyful western New Year celebration.


    Oh, before that, Lin Rui had attended the Civil Party¡¯s Christmas party in Exoskeleton Armor, under the identity of Admiral Thunder, and had met with Fang Ranran¡¯s father, Fang Xianzheng.


    Fang Xianzheng, busy with endless tasks, was to return to mother Earth after the Christmas party, making their encounter quite rushed.


    Nevertheless, Fang Xianzheng lived up to his reputation as one of the most outstanding politicians in recent years.


    He was genteel and courteous in his interactions, leaving a deep impression of a humble gentleman.


    This magnanimous man even added ¡®Thunder¡¯ as a friend, saying that if Thunder needed any authorization from the National Security Committee in the future, he could just report his requests to him.


    Fang Xianzheng also mentioned that the Alien Center of the Ninth Division had acted independently on Sky Extreme Star and had been dissolved by Lin Hao, leaving the director and deputy director positions vacant, asking ¡®Thunder¡¯ if he had any candidate capable of taking up the deputy director¡¯s role to recommend.


    Although Lin Rui understood that he was just being used, he still felt very much gratified.


    Overall, Lin Rui felt these 20-plus days were quite pleasant.


    But others didn¡¯t see it the same way.


    The atmosphere in both places was tense and solemn because of Lin Rui, brimming with covert strife.


    On the Sky Extreme Star side, each day saw more than a hundred Outer Heaven Demons brought to the execution ground and beheaded publicly!


    Demons of the Sixth Realm and below had no qualifications to be hung in Demon Suppression Forest, and now both Ten Thousand Dragon Tower and Divine Prison Department, as well as the major prisons of Luojing City, were overcrowded.


    Number 9 suggested that Lin Rui buy the military abandoned base and dockyard she occupied, as the various infrastructure there was still quite good and could be transformed into a cargo port with strong defense capabilities.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui had decided on a target for his acquisition of an Alien Company.


    It was a company developed from a mercenary group named Hailan.


    Currently, the company has a total of 2,000 Alien Walkers, operating in both the Alien Walker and starship escort business, with their main operations coincidentally being in Great Song.


    The company had bad luck, having just undergone a large-scale expansion right at the time when Lin Hao was appointed as the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau.


    Due to the iron-fisted actions of the Spy Detection Bureau, all Alien Walkers went into hiding, and the interstellar trade companies could not purchase enough goods, causing Hailan Alien Company¡¯s revenue to plummet.


    Their income had shrunk to less than one-third previously after a large expansion of personnel, and the company was indebted and on the brink of collapse.


    The company¡¯s boss, under the pressure of management, had developed a mild case of Armament Syndrome and was inclined to sell the company.


    However, the potential of the company was still very good.


    Not only did they have many strong Armored Warriors, but their equipment was also new, and the warriors¡¯ Armaments and gear were above second-tier standards, making the overall conditions very favorable.


    What Lin Rui coveted was that, in addition to the company¡¯s decades of experience with Guardian Battleships, they also owned thirteen highly seasoned starship security teams.


    In essence, by simply placing them on Guardian Battleships and destroyers, they could quickly form a combat force.


    However, the company¡¯s owner asked for a high price.


    Not only did he want 130 billion federal coins, but he also wanted the acquiring party to take on 170 billion in loans.


    Negotiations were still underway, and Lin Rui had to hold back his impulse to send someone to the Hailan Company for a tax and fire safety inspection.


    Power, like a woman, after being used once, lures one back for more.


    It was also at this time that Lin Rui received two pieces of news from Number 9.


    The first was that Xue Bogao¡¯s Battle Dragon was ready.


    Lin Rui discovered that Battle Spirit Number One also had the option ¡°Gift item: Thunder Flame Battle Dragon (Sixth Realm).¡±


    Without much hesitation, Lin Rui used 330,000 points of Soul Power to redeem and refine the Battle Dragon, then released Battle Spirit Number One to operate the Thunder Flame Battle Dragon, issuing the instruction to have it follow Xue Lingxue.


    Battle Spirit Number One¡¯s power was no longer of much use to Lin Rui, except when facing particularly large numbers of enemies.


    Otherwise, he hardly needed Xue Bogao¡¯s Mecha Dragon.


    Since this was his mentor and the foundation upon which he had established himself, Lin Rui was willing to prefer him, allowing him to fulfill his own obsessions.


    The second piece of news was that Lin Xi had already found Lu Qing¡¯s whereabouts.


    The girl had actually taken two Type 7 Combat Robots and went alone to the Divine Illumination Association¡¯s small secret base.


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui rubbed his forehead with his hand, guessing that the girl still did not want him to know, perhaps Lin Xi already knew about ¡°Lin Rui¡± being shot in the head and dying once?


    To put it simply, Lin Rui had already guessed that Lin Xi had seen his death video.


    He immediately formed a combat group, including Wang Tianwu, Fei Yunlai, and Gong Hengdao.


    Lin Rui: We have an operation.


    Follow the Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯s operational pattern and bring your Battle Dragons to the coordinates I¡¯ve sent for assembly.


    On seeing the message from Lin Rui, Fei Yunlai instantly perked up, figuring there¡¯d be another mission bonus to earn.


    Wang Tianwu, on the other hand, thought to himself that their boss was about to go on another frenzy.

 Chapter 430

    ?Chapter 430: Chapter 405: Demon Suppression Envoy (Seeking Monthly Votes) Chapter 430: Chapter 405: Demon Suppression Envoy (Seeking Monthly Votes) Inside a small secret base within the Ninth Base, the beautiful doctor Lu Qing watched the video news with a gloomy expression.


    ¡°a?€¡±It is said that various major TV stations and media have received notices from the Security Bureau.


    Starting from January 20, they must not mention ¡®Ling Huan¡¯ in any news.


    If necessary, ¡®Fugitive No.


    10¡¯ can be used instead.¡±


    ¡°The anti-corruption storm stirred up by the Security Bureau continues.


    At noon today, the current Secretary-General of the Education Department, Bertie Feiken, was taken away by employees of the National Security Special Operations Division.


    It is rumored that Bertie Feiken became one of Ling Huan¡¯s most loyal followers as early as twenty years ago.


    ...


    During his tenure as Secretary-General of the Education Department, he added toxic content to the textbooks several times, attempting to provoke racial and ethnic conflicts in our citya?€¡±¡±


    Lu Qing clenched her fists tightly, veins bulging on her delicate arms, and her eyes were as cold as a venomous snake¡¯s: ¡°Wang Tianwu!


    Xu Mengran!¡±


    Bertie Feiken was a very important member of the Divine Light Army, yet he was taken down as well.


    The root cause was still ¡®Ling Huan¡¯s¡¯ death.


    The fall of this towering pillar of the Divine Light Army let the government and certain people completely lose their scruples.


    Go to novgo.co


    That Wang Tianwu was the arch-criminal that Lu Qing identified.


    Recently, the news was abuzz with that Thunder Admiral, but internally, the Divine Light Army believed that Wang Tianwu had betrayed Ling Huan, and Xu Mengran from East Asia was the real strategist.


    The so-called ¡®Thunder¡¯ Admiral was probably just a tool used by Xu Mengran to mobilize the Security Bureau.


    At this moment, Lu Qing received a call; a somewhat hoarse voice came from her smart bracelet¡¯s speaker: ¡°Lu, the base you¡¯re currently in may have been exposed.


    You should evacuate as soon as possible, and the others in the base will follow later.¡±


    Lu Qing¡¯s spirit shuddered, not hesitating as she walked towards the wardrobe to take out a handbag and hurried outside,


    At the same time, she asked with dissatisfaction: ¡°Again like this, Mr.@@@@


    Director?


    We are hiding like rats; how much longer must we live these days?


    We cannot be passive in defense; we must strike back!¡±


    ¡°Lu, I understand your thoughts, buta?€¡±¡± the hoarse voice was tinged with irony: ¡°What capital do we have to strike back now?


    Lu, Ling Huan is dead!


    Once a large-scale war breaks out, our last bit of strength will also be erased by the Federation government.


    What the Divine Light Army needs to do now is to hide and bide time for the right opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Hide?


    Continue to hide until the government hammers the last nail into Mr.


    Ling Huan¡¯s coffin?


    Did you hear what the news said, not allowing Ling Huan¡¯s name to be used in any media or books?


    First, they tried every means to proclaim the death of the teacher, triggering the ¡®death¡¯ concept, wanting to kill the teacher completely.


    Now, they are preparing to make the public forget the teacher.


    Without Ling Huan, our Divine Light Army will never be restored.¡±


    Lu Qing¡¯s words were filled with rage: ¡°In these twenty-odd days, how many people have we lost?


    The forces and people that Mr.


    Ling Huan worked hard to establish within the government for more than 200 years have been nearly halved, and our funds have been widely blocked.


    If this continues, we¡¯re finished!


    We must strike back and let the government know that even without Mr.


    Ling Huan, we¡¯re not without the power to retaliate.¡±


    The hoarse voice was unimpressed: ¡°Doing so will only further intensify the confrontation and will consume our remaining strength even more.¡±


    Lin Xi calmly walked over to Lu Qing, fired continuously at Lu Qing¡¯s vital areas until her Exoskeleton Battle Armor was shattered, completely annihilating her combat abilities.


    Then, she inserted a Truth Serum obtained from her brother into Lu Qing¡¯s neck.


    Lu Qing spit out blood, laughing miserably: ¡°You¡¯ve reached the Fourth Realm, haven¡¯t you?


    4SS+, truly worthy of being Despair Heavenly Girl.


    But it¡¯s coming soon, just like your sister, you won¡¯t live much longer.¡±


    Lin Xi, her voice cold and stern, asked: ¡°Where is my sister Lin Yi?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lu Qing¡¯s eyes began to look vacant, she shook her head: ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s with some branch of the Divine Illumination Association, or in some private hands, but I don¡¯t know whose hands she¡¯s in.


    However, our director should have a way to manipulate the Despair Heavenly Girl.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xi frowned.


    The Divine Illumination Association broke off into many branches, and the Divine Light Army was just one of them.


    Lin Xi continued to ask: ¡°Was it you who manipulated the Bright Holy Sect to strike my brother and had someone send the video of my brother¡¯s death to me?


    What exactly is your purpose, were you following someone¡¯s orders?¡±


    Lu Qing struggled with her gaze for a moment before speaking firmly: ¡°My father and I are Demon Suppression Envoys from the Imperial City Department of Central Continent, tasked to infiltrate Heavenly Demon Origin and gather various kinds of intelligence on the Outer Heaven Demon while planning a riot within the Outer Heaven Demon to delay their research on Longevity and Abyss Power.


    I stumbled upon the plan of the Double Heavenly Maiden and the prophecy of the Bright Holy Sect, so I orchestrated this operation to harness your Abyss Power and destroy the Ninth City¡¯s base.¡±


    When Lin Xi heard ¡°Demon Suppression Envoys from the Imperial City Department of Central Continent,¡± her delicate body trembled slightly.


    She had not expected Lu Qing to have such an identity.


    On a Flying Car outside the base, Lin Rui was also surprised, his eyes wide open.


    Lin Xi gripped the gun in her right hand tighter: ¡°I want all the information about you and your accomplices, including the Divine Light Army and the Imperial City Department, as well as everything you have on our sister and my brother.¡±


    Lu Qing, as instructed, transferred many videos and text documents she had to Lin Xi.


    She stored all these materials in the highest-grade encrypted cloud storage, not in the terminal bracelet, but under the influence of the highly efficient Truth Serum, she still couldn¡¯t keep them secure.


    Lin Rui also received a copy at this time.


    The hacking ability of Heart of Light Number 9 exceeded Lin Xi by a whole level.


    Especially after Number 9 gained Lin Rui¡¯s initial trust and Lin Rui spent a fortune adding several supercomputers to her arsenal, increasing her computing power, her hacking skills were further enhanced.


    Whereas Lin Xi needed Lu Qing to transfer files to her, Heart of Light Number 9 followed the trail and found Lu Qing¡¯s account, cracking it and downloading the content from the cloud storage.


    Lin Rui, while receiving the files, quickly scanned through them.


    His gaze turned odd, thinking Lin Xi really did find some significant secrets this time.


    The infiltration of the Sky Extreme Star people into the Earth Federation had gone this far?


    Lin Rui then came across the files Lu Qing had made after examining Lin Xi¡¯s health over the years.


    His right hand paused slightly, thinking that he couldn¡¯t put off Academician Huangfu¡¯s matter any longer, he must get the Battle Spirit as soon as possible.


    Academician Fu¡¯s Pure Method really was a solution to the root, yet it was uncertain if the Lin sisters could hold on until he could provide a permanent cure.


    Lin Rui saw some experimental materials and video footage of the Lin sisters when they were children, and the bloody scenes made his pupils constrict.


    A moment later, Lin Rui took a deep breath and asked Heart of Light Number 9: ¡°Number 9, from now on, invest your full effort into investigating this director and find out where the nearest stronghold of gangsters is.


    I need a large one, with over 300 people.¡±


    Shortly after, a map projection appeared in front of Lin Rui.


    ¡°In this direction, the total headquarters of the Adelard Family of the Six Street Gang!


    Currently, the Adelard Family has entered a state of full alert, with over 500 Armored Warriors amassed.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded slightly: ¡°Lingxue, help me devise a battle plan now.


    Tonight, I¡¯m going to slaughter them,¡±


    Xue Lingxue asked curiously in the battle channel: ¡°Boss, didn¡¯t you say we were not going to act these few days?¡±


    ¡°Changed my mind!¡±


    Lin Rui hummed a nursery rhyme, his demeanor leisurely as he sang, ¡°Digging in the little garden, dig dig diga?€¡±¡±.


    He was feeling slightly annoyed and wanted to vent.


    novgo.co


    Sitting in the backseat, Fei Yunlai and Wang Tianwu exchanged glances, both thinking the Adelard Family¡¯s luck was extremely bad to have bumped into their boss having a fit.

 Chapter 431

    ?Chapter 431: Chapter 406: Talent of a General (Subscription Request) Chapter 431: Chapter 406: Talent of a General (Subscription Request) An hour later, You Ming walked into the Adelade Family headquarter mansion where police lights flashed and the air was thick with the smell of blood.


    The mansion, palace-like and spanning 17,000 square meters, was littered with bodies and walls splattered with fresh blood.


    Those who were fortunate enough to have survived, the male and female servants, were huddled in corners, knees drawn to their chests, still in shock.


    They had all passed out before the massacre began and awakened afterward, nearly breaking down at the horrific scene before them.


    By then, You Ming had begun to doubt the capabilities of his subordinates, so he picked up his previous criminal investigation skills and personally examined the scene.


    Moments later, You Ming deeply furrowed his brows.


    The Children¡¯s Song Killer had struck again in the same manner as before, with most of the combatants under the influence of an anesthetic before the fight even started.


    ...


    At least a third had passed out on the spot, and the rest had significantly weakened combat abilities due to the anesthetic, rendering them powerless against the assassin group of the Children¡¯s Song Killer.


    novgo.co


    The problem was that this massacre occurred after the Children¡¯s Song Killer had struck three times in a row.


    The Adelade Family had not only called in heavy reinforcements from the Six Street Gang but had also been on high alert!


    They had even modified the building to include numerous combat robots and automatic turrets.


    You Ming wondered how, despite the anesthetic¡¯s potency and its imperceptible nature, it could have such an overwhelming effect.


    Especially considering the head of the Adelade Family, old Adelade, not only a Super King of Eight Realms but also equipped with top-tier gear.


    Go to novgo.co


    Yet such a powerful retired Two Star Marshal was gruesomely slain in his own stronghold!


    ¡°Minister!¡±


    At that moment, one of You Ming¡¯s subordinates approached, an Armament General serving as the temporary director of the Special Service Center.


    His expression was solemn, ¡°Not only did we fail to retrieve any data from inside the mansion, but we also couldn¡¯t find any video footage related to this mansion in the surrounding ten kilometers.


    They have a very powerful hacker who preemptively adjusted the cameras¡¯ angles.¡±


    ¡°Not just a hacker, they likely also have a very powerful illusionist, at least a Seven Realms level sniper!


    Otherwise, we can¡¯t explain what we see here.¡±


    You Ming squinted his eyes, ¡°This indicates that this person currently has significant financial resources.


    Investigate!


    I want a list of all mages and snipers within the Earth Federation with a comprehensive evaluation of 7SS or higher.


    After gathering the information, I will once again use headquarters¡¯ ¡®Sky View, Earth Listen¡¯ big data model and super quantum computer cluster for calculation!¡±


    As he spoke, he began drafting an application report to headquarters.


    As the first deputy minister of Division 9, You Ming also held high clearance within the Security Bureau.


    He expected to gain access to ¡®Sky View, Earth Listen¡¯ and the supercomputing cluster within an hour.


    However, just as You Ming¡¯s application was submitted, he received an email of the highest communication priority.


    Lin Rui had not expected that the investigation of the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer¡± would really fall into his hands, and that it was the mayor himself who had personally appointed him.


    What then?


    Was he to investigate himself?


    However, when the time came, Lin Rui saw no reason to shirk his responsibility.


    He saluted solemnly, ¡°Thunder guarantees to complete the mission!


    Let Ninth Base City regain peace.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Huo Bangguo looked at this ¡®Thunder¡¯ with a curious expression, ¡°Does Director Thunder have any ideas?


    Let¡¯s hear them.¡±


    He keenly noticed that the other had said ¡®let Ninth Base City regain peace,¡¯ not to apprehend the Children¡¯s Song Killer.


    Lin Rui spoke expressionlessly, ¡°Mr.


    Mayor, I think Deputy Minister You¡¯s previous plan of action was somewhat putting the cart before the horse.¡±


    Huo Bangguo listened intently without agreeing or disagreeing.


    ¡°I believe that Deputy Minister You¡¯s city-wide alert not only wears out the police and our Security Bureau members but also causes panic among the citizens, affecting their lives to some extent, and we are protecting those gang members, which is hard to justify to the public.


    From what I know, since the assassin group known as the Children¡¯s Song Killer specifically targets gangs, this person has a very high reputation among the public and online.¡±


    As Lin Rui spoke, he observed Huo Bangguo¡¯s expression: ¡°The Children¡¯s Song Killer has violated national law and must, of course, be pursued and captured!


    However, with the general elections approaching, I believe there¡¯s no need to make a significant fuss over this person.


    What we need to do is to cure the symptoms before tackling the root causes, and to address the root causes, we must clear the sources!¡±


    Huo Bangguo¡¯s expression shifted, ¡°To address the root causes and clear the sources?


    What do you mean, Admiral Thunder?¡±


    ¡°If I were to oversee this case, I would start by launching a campaign against organized crime throughout the city.¡±


    Lin Rui declared resonantly, ¡°I will strive to take down three to five of the most rampant, large-scale gangs with the greatest public outrage before the elections, thoroughly eliminating those who endanger society.


    This not only prevents the Children¡¯s Song Killer from continuing his crimes but also restores societal peace, and maximally gains public support to welcome the upcoming elections.¡±


    Zhou Yunfei blinked upon hearing this, wondering what sort of miraculous strategy is this?


    So, the target of the Children¡¯s Song Killer is gangs, so we¡¯ll strike them first, leaving the Children¡¯s Song Killer without suitable targets for his attacks?


    Huo Bangguo was very satisfied with what he heard and turned to Zhou Yunfei, ¡°Minister Zhou, as far as I know, your Special Service Center hasn¡¯t appointed a director yet, right?


    Can we let Admiral Thunder temporarily take up this position while granting him greater authority?¡±


    Huo Bangguo thought that You Ming hadn¡¯t reversed priorities but rather, this man was not in the same position as Admiral Thunder.


    Admiral Thunder¡¯s approach to handling the Children¡¯s Song Killer wouldn¡¯t have been possible in the past, but the current situation was different.


    From the current situation, the President was about to collapse, and the national election was a foregone conclusion.


    At this time, public opinion and the electoral situation were the most important.


    Huo Bangguo was very pleased with this ¡®Admiral Thunder,¡¯ thinking that he truly lived up to being the talent earnestly sought by the Second General!

 Chapter 432

    ?Chapter 432: Chapter 407 Intelligence (Three more updates for monthly tickets) Chapter 432: Chapter 407 Intelligence (Three more updates for monthly tickets) Xue Lingxue was the first among Lin Rui¡¯s subordinates to learn that Lin Rui had been entrusted with a significant assignment by the higher-ups, namely to take charge of the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer Task Force¡± while also serving as the director of the Special Service Center.


    Zhou Yunfei had indeed submitted a report for Lin Rui, and the approval came instantaneouslya?€¡±within just five minutes, the personnel change was agreed upon.


    Xue Lingxue sat rooted to the spot, dazed, thinking that the higher authorities were letting the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer¡± investigate the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer.¡±


    To some extent, this was also a remedy targeting the problem itself.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t sabotage his own platform, could he?


    For them, it was advantageousa?€¡± with each operation, Lin Rui¡¯s killings became more indiscriminate, his appetite grew larger, and more of his capabilities were revealed, increasing their risk of exposure.


    After all, there is no wall without cracks in this world.


    Once they took over this case, Xue Lingxue could use this opportunity to erase some traces.


    ...


    Xue Lingxue was briefly startled, then began to investigate the Special Service Center to assist Lin Rui.


    She checked which employees were usable and who were You Ming¡¯s loyal followers; it was crucial to help the boss gain control of the Special Service Center quickly.


    These dissenters must be cleared immediately; those at the Sixth Realm level, Major Generals and Admirals, could be deployed to front-line positions to combat pirates, and those ranked lower including colonels could be sent to the Alien Center as agents.


    It must be mentioned that the current deputy director of the Alien Center was an old subordinate of Thunder Admiral, the second Major General-level Armored Warrior after Zhang Long.


    After being recommended by Thunder Admiral as the deputy director of the Alien Center, this person was very grateful to his old superior.


    Xue Lingxue also had to check personnel files for Lin Rui to see who could be useful.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui had just messaged her, stating that as long as they were interested in someone, barring special reasons, the Security Bureau¡¯s human resources department would permit it.


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui needed reliable elites who had no ties with local gangs of Ninth Base City and possessed certain capabilities.


    Zhang Long was also sitting in his office, zoning out.


    He opened the chat with the First General, repeatedly editing words before erasing them.


    He thought to himself whether he should keep Lin Rui¡¯s real identity a secret or report it.


    Letting the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer¡± investigate the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer¡± was too ridiculous, Zhang Long felt as if the sky was darkeninga?€¡±this was simply the biggest scandal and disaster in the Federation¡¯s judicial system.


    At that moment, he received a message from Lin Rui.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Old Zhang, did you see the notice from the bureau?


    Zhang Long: Yes!


    I saw it, congratulations on assuming another significant role.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): The higher-ups have only assigned me to the role temporarily.


    The goal is still to bring the Children¡¯s Song Killer to justice promptly, stabilize society, and improve public security.@@@@


    After reading, Zhang Long sneered secretly, thinking how will you bring the Children¡¯s Song Killer to justice?


    Turn yourself in?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): However, my view differs from You Ming¡¯s.


    I believe the real source of chaos in Ninth Base City are the gangs and drug traffickers.


    Old Zhang, start by setting aside other tasks and quickly investigate and compile information on the gangs, gather as much evidence of their crimes as possible!


    However, of the five planned assembling and maintenance docks, only two were completed and had begun assembling starships.


    The remaining three would have to wait until Lin Rui had more funds.


    Lin Rui entered the docks and looked around.


    Although he couldn¡¯t tell much with his knowledge of mechanics, he saw that the engineers inside were very motivated.


    These people were all talents discovered by Ninth Base from among the illegal immigrants.


    Although born on other planets, their professional skills in engineering were quite good.


    They cherished this job opportunity, cooperated very well with Ninth Base¡¯s instructions, and were very focused and serious.


    The first ship they assembled was a military-standard armed transport ship, and they had only just constructed the ship¡¯s keel.


    Lin Rui had also invited several rune masters from the Security Bureau through Fang Ranran¡¯s connections to help inscribe the talismanic arrays to further enhance the ship¡¯s defense capabilities.


    It¡¯s worth mentioning that these rune masters were all originally from Sky Extreme Star.


    The Earth Federation had always valued the rune technology of Sky Extreme Star, actively wooing relevant talents.


    Although the Federation had developed its own rune technology, applied to the manufacture of warships and Mecha, they still paid a substantial sum to maintain these experts.


    These experts had nothing else to do and were willing to take Lin Rui¡¯s extra payment.


    ¡°Within a maximum of three months, we should be able to assemble all the ships except the destroyers.


    The mechanical structure of the two destroyers is more complex, and the requirements are higher, so it might take some more time,¡± said Ninth Base, sounding troubled.


    ¡°The current problem is that we have enough ships but not enough personnel.


    Although our sect has quite a few combatants, none of them have received professional training.


    In the Sixth Realm, there are only thirteen people, and most of them have their own professions, making it difficult to persuade them to join your shipping company.¡±


    Ninth Base could either pilot the starships himself or program AI to operate the starships, but this method would only maximize the inherent defensive firepower of the starships.


    Once targeted by pirates and encountering a boarding battle, their starships would undoubtedly suffer.


    Moreover, there was also a significant risk within Sky Extreme Star itself, as it was not uncommon for starships to be sunk by warriors from Sky Extreme Star.


    Thus, every starship and cargo spaceship from Stellar Interstellar Trade Company carried a substantial number of combatants whenever they sailed, or they hired external security teams.


    Moreover, some of the starships¡¯ cannons had to be manned by high-level armoured warriors to fully maximize their power.


    That¡¯s why those seasoned ship security teams from Sea Mist Alien Company were extremely important to them.


    The key thing was that these security teams mainly consisted of retired military personnel with experience in piloting various military starships.


    ¡°I know!


    Fang Ranran has already contacted the bank for me, and we can get a loan at any time.


    The owner of Sea Mist Alien Company won¡¯t last much longer.¡±


    Lin Rui felt the urge to send someone to check the water meter again.


    The Alien Company was critical for him now.


    However, the other party¡¯s price was still too high, and Lin Rui did not want to be ripped off.


    He felt that the current offer could still be negotiated down by 200 billion.


    Lin Rui then went to check out the armament studio he had recently acquired.


    He had renamed the studio to ¡°Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute.¡±


    After entering, he found the institute completely empty.


    Upon inquiring, he discovered that Professor Sima Malin had arrived and was in a teaching and research room in the east building of the institute, giving a lecture to a group of researchers.

 Chapter 433

    ?Chapter 433: Chapter 408: Breaking Ground (Requesting Subscriptions) Chapter 433: Chapter 408: Breaking Ground (Requesting Subscriptions) Si Malin¡¯s lecture at the research institute had been set up in a small warehouse that was converted for this purpose.


    Here, the place was crammed with people.


    Over 200 researchers of various levels from the institute sat attentively inside, listening carefully and taking diligent notes.


    However, when they saw Lin Rui, they all grew solemn, rose to their feet, and bowed respectfully, with a look of extreme gratefulness, ¡°President Lin!¡±


    They had only met Lin Rui in person three times, but everyone had a profound impression and were overflowing with gratitude.


    This young President Lin was currently a sought-after Martial Arts Star with several hundred million fans, and his face was naturally easy to remember.


    But the reason these former employees of the ¡®Jin San Armament Studio¡¯ held such respect and gratitude towards Lin Rui was for another reason.


    When they initially decided to ask for help from the Bright Holy Sect and chose to defect, they never imagined that the people from the Bright Holy Sect would hand them over to Lin Rui.


    ...


    However, the current situation of the studio was even more surprising to them.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t incorporate them into an illegal underworld armament studio, but instead established the ¡®Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company¡¯ and set up a Biological Prosthetics Research Institute under its name, recruiting these people under his banner.


    The fact that he managed to obtain a legal license for armament production showed he had resources that could reach the sky.


    This left everyone pleasantly surprised, as what they and their families had always dreamt of was a legal identity and work, something that Jin San would never have granted them no matter what.@@@@


    That Loyalty Gang boss always tried every means to keep them pinned down in the underworld, squeezing them for all they were worth.


    Lin Rui, with a smile, waved his hand, ¡°No need for that, let¡¯s continue with the lecture.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    He first respectfully addressed Si Malin as ¡®Teacher,¡¯ and then also found a spot to sit down and listen to Si Malin¡¯s lecture.


    Si Malin discussed the application of some new technologies and the issues with work processes during the production of SS+ armaments.


    Lin Rui also understood and listened intently.


    After about twenty minutes or so, the class finally ended.


    As everyone dispersed, Lin Rui walked over to Si Malin with surprise, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the professor to come and give them a lecture.¡±


    Lin Rui had mentioned in passing to Si Malin, asking him to help take a look, maybe oversee a bit, but he didn¡¯t expect Si Malin not only to come but also to be willing to spare his precious time to lecture these researchers.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find several of my former students here,¡± Si Malin said with a look of mixed emotions, containing helplessness and relief.


    ¡°The others are similar, nearly half of them come from famous schools.


    They unintentionally took the wrong path and ended up trapped, unable to escape.


    It¡¯s a good thing that you could lead them back onto the right track.¡±


    He then asked Lin Rui seriously, ¡°You don¡¯t plan to engage in illegal armament business, do you?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Lin Rui shook his head, ¡°We research all the legal armament production licenses, why would we engage in illegal business?


    Our output is also very small, and for now, we¡¯ll only undertake armament customization for a few business partners.¡±


    His future Alien Company, Interstellar Trade Company, and the Bright Holy Sect would alone consume all the output from this research institute.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t plan to make money from the armament business for the time being.


    He would only supply it to his staff and sect followers at cost price, firstly to accumulate a technological foundation; secondly, to allow his forces to grow at the fastest speed.


    And whether this armament business was legal or not depended on the situation.


    With Jin San, it was illegal, but in his hands, it was different.


    For example, selling armaments on Sky Extreme Star, with Jin San it was smuggling, but with him, it became an official task.


    Si Malin nodded with satisfaction upon hearing this, ¡°Their foundations are quite good, better than I expected.


    They are theoretically solid, have strong production capabilities, and are eager to learn.


    After Jin San¡¯s death, they had experienced several gang wars in the underworld.


    Before joining Lin Rui, this studio had actually changed hands twice, barely settling down before being forcibly taken over by another power.


    The researchers were worried, unsure if Lin Rui could protect them?


    Lin Rui then connected with Gong Hengdao, ¡°Old Gong, what¡¯s going on outside?¡±


    Currently, the defense of this base was in the charge of Gong Hengdao.


    Si Malin also looked at Lin Rui calmly, with a mix of curiosity and concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s Han Sen¡¯s men from the Loyalty Gang,¡± Lin Rui said after hanging up the phone, smiling as he explained to Si Malin, ¡°Please wait a moment, Teacher.


    It¡¯s a minor issue and should be resolved quickly.¡±


    Si Malin knew that the Loyalty Gang was a colossal entity in the Lower Zone.


    Jin San alone had eight or nine thousand Armored Warriors under his command and possessed many heavy-duty weapons, equivalent to a military faction.


    The Loyalty Gang had 12 big bosses and Jin San¡¯s power was just middling among them.


    This Loyalty Gang¡¯s ¡®Camel King¡¯ was even stronger than Jin San.


    Could Lin Rui stand up to him?


    Moreover, listening to the sounds outside, one could tell this was no small matter; Si Malin had already heard more than a dozen Mecha Dragons fiercely battling outside, along with numerous combat robots firinga?€¡± it was practically a ¡®war¡¯.


    At this moment, Lin Rui received a friend request.


    The business card displayed was ¡®Loyalty Gang Han Sen.¡¯


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips twitched and he directly rejected it.


    The person then sent another friend request, this time with a message: Out of respect for the Fang Family, I can give you a chance to live, take your people and scram!


    At the same time in Lin Rui¡¯s combat group, Gong Hengdao was also talking.


    novgo.co


    Gong Hengdao: BOSS, this situation is quite tricky.


    The ¡®Camel King¡¯ has mobilized at least 3,000 men and is equipped with many heavy-duty weapons.


    Their overall combat power is akin to two Heavy Equipment Groups.


    We are not at a disadvantage in terms of high-level warriors, but our numbers are too few to withstand them.


    Lin Guangming: Supreme, shall we use our Protection Army to join the battle?


    They are nearby,


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): No need; they are attacking a legal company¡¯s assets, naturally, the military police will protect it.


    The reality was that the military police could not respond so quickly or mobilize forces on a large scale to protect his small company.


    However, he was also Admiral ¡®Thunder¡¯ of the Security Bureau!


    Lin Rui had now sent a message to Zhang Long.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I¡¯ve received word that the Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company¡¯s cargo base is under attack by the Loyalty Gang.


    You are to mobilize immediately, I want six 6A teams to arrive at the scene within ten minutes, cooperating with the Armed Police Force¡¯s 55321 and 55322 Heavy Equipment Groups, to exterminate these gang terrorists!


    Zhang Long paused slightly after receiving the message.


    Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company, wasn¡¯t that the enterprise of their own director?


    Which fool from the Loyalty Gang dared to stir trouble on the dragon¡¯s head?

 Chapter 434

    ?Chapter 434: Chapter 409: Killing the Chicken (Seeking Monthly Pass) Chapter 434: Chapter 409: Killing the Chicken (Seeking Monthly Pass) Within an open crossroads approximately 30 kilometers from the dock, Loyalty Gang¡¯s Tuo Wang, Han Sen, was sitting in his command vehicle, watching the battle footage projected in front of him.


    ¡°Mr.


    Han, the security force of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals is very strong, with at least four 6S-ranked combat squads, plus a large number of automatic turrets and combat robots, and they also have formidable hacking capabilities.


    The combat power is a bit unexpected; we may need a bit more time to take them down.¡±


    The military advisor sitting beside Han Sen, a retired soldier wearing a military vest, turned his head curiously and asked, ¡°Mr.


    Han, what does Lin Rui have to say?¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t added me as a friend, hasn¡¯t said a thing.


    The guy¡¯s pretty arrogant.


    I really want to beat him up.¡±


    Tuo Wang Han Sen leaned back, spreading his hands across the back of the sofa: ¡°Fight according to the prearranged plan!


    ...


    I¡¯ve already given a heads-up to the surrounding police stations, but we have at most half an hour.


    I need to get those researchers from the Armament Studios quickly.¡±


    He hesitated slightly, ¡°Pay attention to that Lin Rui, leave him alive!


    That shouldn¡¯t be hard.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Upon hearing this, the military advisor raised his eyebrows: ¡°Is Mr.


    Han worried about Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ Ranran?¡±


    ¡°Her?


    novgo.co


    I¡¯m not worried at all.


    The real successor Fang Xianzheng is interested in isn¡¯t her, and Linghu Mingde doesn¡¯t have the spare energy to support this young lady now.


    Believe it or not, if I strike at Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, the Fang Family brothers might be rather pleased?¡±


    Tuo Wang Han Sen first let out a cold laugh, then said expressionlessly: ¡°However, this kid is now a cash cow for Sky Blue Group, and he¡¯s a public figure with several hundred million fans.


    Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals might get into trouble, but he himself cannot, or else no one can protect us.


    Of course!


    Just sparing his life will do.¡±


    Lin Rui was involved in too much; dealing with the aftermath would be troublesome.


    Though Tuo Wang Han Sen had a powerful backing, unafraid of Sky Blue Group, they didn¡¯t want to invite trouble.


    Han Sen knew that, being a small fry in the underworld, he was simply not worth his master¡¯s clash with Fang Xianzheng.


    The military advisor nodded, ¡°I understand.


    I¡¯ll start the operation now and try to resolve the battle within 20 minutes!¡±


    As the military advisor finished issuing the orders, the sound of artillery fire from ahead became more intense, and through the images transmitted back, one could see turret after turret being blasted and Type 5 combat robots being destroyed.


    However, about five minutes later, a video projection appeared on the other side of the command vehicle,


    This person was dressed in a police uniform, but both his face and rank were obscured by mosaic, and his voice was cold: ¡°Han Sen, are you currently in the lower B344 district, near the number 19 nuclear fusion power station?¡±


    Han Sen¡¯s eyebrows furrowed deeply as he sat up from the sofa: ¡°Director Mi, has something happened?¡±


    Assemble at B34427 in the order I gave!


    We¡¯ll concentrate all our forces and break through this passage!¡±


    But at that moment, the military advisor sensed Tuo Wang Han Sen suddenly opening the car door behind him, stepping out with his entourage of bodyguards.


    The military advisor frowned, then continued to focus on commanding the battle.


    ¡°All units, abandon the previous plan and set up defenses right where you are!


    BOSS, don¡¯t take the B34442 passage later on.


    It¡¯s likely a trap deliberately left for us.¡±


    He knew the personal safety of Tuo Wang Han Sen was of utmost importance.


    To Han Sen, the 3000 Armored Warriors here were all dependent on his presence, and if he lost his life, all combat personnel including the military advisor would be meaningless.


    So his decision was beyond reproach.


    The military advisor also decisively changed his tune, rejecting the previous evacuation plan and switching to defend on the spot, covering Tuo Wang Han Sen¡¯s retreat.


    However, with Tuo Wang Han Sen taking all the Sixth Realm martial cultivators under his command away, the troops in all directions began to fall apart, and the overall battle situation began to crumble.


    Meanwhile, Tuo Wang Han Sen was moving rapidly in the direction of the B34442 passage.


    He didn¡¯t take the military advisor¡¯s warning to heart, as this direction was the only one where no enemies had appeared.


    And even if it was a trap, Han Sen was confident he could lead his dozen or so high-level Sixth Realm experts to fight their way out.


    Han Sen ran swiftly, regretting in his heart.


    He had underestimated Fang Ranran, without the support of the Fang Family brothers, without Linghu Mingde fighting, that woman still had such power!


    This time, he had been severely screwed over by the power behind him, losing three thousand elite Armored Warriors and a large amount of military equipment.


    This account, he would settle with Lin Rui and his partner sooner or later!


    It was at this time that the twelve Sixth Realm martial cultivators around Han Sen and the Battle Dragons following them suddenly staggered, a brief look of stupor in their eyes.


    Han Sen didn¡¯t notice at all and kept moving forward.


    He went on by himself for over 30 meters before suddenly realizing the danger.


    ¡°Not good!¡±


    However, by then, dozens of sniper bullets traveling at tens of Mach speed were already bombarding his way, one after the other.


    While dodging and defending with all his might, Han Sen dodged more than half of the bullets, but he was still hit by over ten consecutive shots.


    The final bullet blew Tuo Wang Han Sen¡¯s head apart, turning it into a cloud of blood mist scattering in all directions.


    ¡°Encircle three and leave one opening!¡± At this moment, seven miles away, Wang Tianwu carried his hands on his back, marveling as he watched the scene unfold in the distance, ¡°Tactics used for thousands of years are still useful even now.¡±


    But this Gong Hengdao and his men¡¯s sniping skills are truly impressive, deserving of their reputation as elites retired from the Earth Federation¡¯s strongest special response unit, the Heavenly Soldiers Brigade, executing their moves cleanly and efficiently, giving Han Sen no chance to escape.


    Of course, Wang Tianwu also contributed his strength, his powerful illusion technique affecting not only Han Sen¡¯s bodyguards but also Han Sen¡¯s own perception.


    ¡°The art of war from our forefathers will never fade, even at the end of the universe.¡±


    Gong Hengdao ducked into cover, continuing to load his sniper rifle.


    ¡°Wang, don¡¯t just stand there.


    The BOSS said that today, we leave none of them alive!¡±


    He knew the BOSS¡¯s goal was to make an example out of these men!


    He wanted to warn the Underworld that Lin Rui Pharmaceutical was not to be trifled with, and the Biological Prosthetics Research Institute and this port weren¡¯t to be coveted by them.

 Chapter 435

    ?Chapter 435: Chapter 410: Lawlessness (Three Updates, Please Subscribe) Chapter 435: Chapter 410: Lawlessness (Three Updates, Please Subscribe) Lin Rui told Zhang Long the same thing over the phone, ¡°Encirclement!


    I¡¯m demanding an encirclement, trying to avoid casualties as much as possible, and make sure no one slips away!


    Even if someone does manage to escape, we need to identify them, create corresponding files for easier capture!¡±@@@@


    ¡°Yes!


    These gangsters have managed to organize an army to attack Rui Fang company¡¯s assets and endanger the lives of Federation citizens.


    Are they trying to incite a rebellion?


    Trying to overthrow the government?


    Isn¡¯t there law and order?


    ...


    Isn¡¯t there any sense of justice?


    If this gets out to the public, how would the citizens of Ninth Base City view the Security Bureau?


    What will they think?


    Yes, after this battle ends, you quickly gather your people and first sweep through the Loyalty Gang, especially Tuo Wang¡¯s territory, collect their crime evidence, and confiscate their illegal assets!


    Also, the police stations nearby need to be cleaned out.


    Rui Fang company had called for police assistance a few minutes in advance, and the station did not respond, which is definitely suspicious.


    Go to novgo.co


    Try to clear out all those corrupt elements.¡±


    After finishing the video call, Lin Rui returned to Si Malin¡¯s side.


    ¡°Professor, everything¡¯s taken care of; Tuo Wang has been killed.¡±


    Si Malin, raising his eyebrows in surprise, asked, ¡°Tuo Wang was killed?


    By the police or by your security team?¡±


    Regardless of the scenario, the strength displayed by Rui Fang Pharmaceutical was exceptionally impressive.


    By this time, the internal alarm of the research institute had stopped, and an electronic female voice announced from all around: ¡°Alert canceled!


    Alert canceled!¡±


    Many researchers inside the institute initially couldn¡¯t believe it, but the sound of gunfire around them was indeed diminishing, and no crossfire had occurred nearby.


    Hesitating only briefly, they began to emerge from various corners; their expressions mixed with lingering fear and surprise.


    When a few of them heard what Lin Rui had said, they immediately relayed the message in the work group chat, sparking a huge commotion in the group.


    ¡°Tuo Wang is dead?


    How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Tuo Wang was at the Seventh Realm, right?


    Guarded by many Sixth Realm experts, this time they must have deployed thousands of Armored Warriors.


    Who could have killed him?¡±


    The institute also housed hardware and software engineers skilled in hacking, and they managed to hack into the cameras of the combat robots under Han Sen¡¯s control, sharing the videos captured by these cameras in the group.


    ¡°From the looks of it, they seem to have been destroyed.


    There are weapons scattered everywhere, and fragments of Mecha.¡±


    ¡°See that wall?


    There are dozens of combat robots and several magnetic levitation armored vehicles docked, likely hacked and seized as spoils of war.¡±


    The Linghu Family also had an Armament Studio, which was self-sufficient.


    But after all, it belonged to her uncle¡¯s family.


    Therefore, Fang Ranran was thrilled with the Armament production team Lin Rui had brought back.


    She became very anxious upon hearing that the institute had been attacked and started mobilizing all her resources immediately.


    However, before Fang Ranran could act, the crisis had already been resolved.


    After she calmed down, a trace of confusion arose in her heart.


    She didn¡¯t understand how Lin Rui, her junior, managed to mobilize such enormous forces from the Security Bureau and the Armed Police Force, and how their response was so swift.


    Right, her junior had also produced Xu Mengran¡¯s business card!


    Was it the Bright Holy Sect?


    Impossible.


    Although the Bright Holy Sect indeed had many followers infiltrating important government sectors with significant political influence, they couldn¡¯t possibly affect East Asia.


    Fang Ranran felt she couldn¡¯t quite see through her junior; Lin Rui seemed more mysterious than just a Supreme.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    At the same time, Zhang Long, who sat in a command vehicle, was also issuing instructions to various units.


    He didn¡¯t trust the police stations in the Lower Zone and directly pulled three more Heavy Equipment Groups from the Armed Police Force, and also assigned over a dozen 6A and 5S action teams from the National Security Special Action Center.


    Each team was responsible for a district and carried out divided-format raids.


    Although using public power for private purposes was criticized by their BOSS, BOSS¡¯s reasoning was impeccably correct.


    These gang brats, forming private militias and turning into local warlords in the Lower Zone, were utterly lawless!


    Zhang Long had no respect for his predecessors and colleagues from the Ninth Division of the Security Bureau over the past 100 years, seeing them as utter wastes fulfilling their duties only nominally.


    Lin Rui¡¯s intention to conduct a wide-scale, intense cleanup of the gangs garnered genuine approval from Zhang Long.


    Using public power to eradicate these scourges of humanity was far better than letting the Children¡¯s Song Killer commit crimes.


    This raid on the Loyalty Gang could be seen as a precursor to an upcoming specialized operation against gangs, so Zhang Long paid great attention, striving for perfection in every detail.


    After arranging everything properly, Zhang Long then opened the document Lin Rui had sent him.


    This was the third updated document, as Thunder Admiral, Lin Rui, was gradually growing his family and business.


    It appeared he had constructed a vast network, independent of the Security Bureau¡¯s intelligence system, capable of gathering various types of intelligence information.


    Zhang Long had benefited immensely when handling cases involving economic crimes in the Logistics Department of the military.


    He often wondered how Lin Rui managed to achieve this.


    Zhang Long felt as if it was a network of nearly 20 million people spread throughout every corner of Ninth Base City, infiltrating all aspects and monitoring everything within the city.


    After dismissing these diverging thoughts, he concentrated on reviewing the document, picking up the coffee cup beside him and taking a sip, his mood heavy.


    Whether it was the gang clean-up operation or the Children¡¯s Song Killer, both seemed trivial in Zhang Long¡¯s eyes.


    The real trouble was the case Lin Rui was having him secretly investigate.


    Zhang Long hadn¡¯t expected the Sky Extreme Star people¡¯s infiltration into the Earth Federation to have reached such an extent.


    He turned his head subtly, glancing at someone sitting in the command vehicle, wondering if this seemingly simple and honest individual could be an Alien Walker from Sky Extreme Star.


    Zhang Long immediately averted his gaze to avoid arousing suspicion.


    As ¡®Thunder¡¯ Admiral had not yet decided to act, Zhang Long also wanted to trace the roots and uncover the entirety of the Sky Extreme Star people¡¯s spy network, so it was crucial not to spook them.


    However, once this network was exposed, it would undoubtedly shock the entire Federation, potentially causing a sensation only second to Ling Huana?€¡±

 Chapter 436

    ?Chapter 436: Chapter 411: Hanging (Requesting Subscriptions) Chapter 436: Chapter 411: Hanging (Requesting Subscriptions) Lin Rui finished patrolling the dock base, and then turned his attention back to the Alien on Sky Extreme Star.


    This was Lin Rui¡¯s Alien¡¯s intelligent assistant AI, reporting new developments to him.


    Just an hour ago, the Divine Envoy announced an edict to transport those twenty-some Sixth Realm, Seventh Realm, and Eighth Realm Outer Heaven Demons to the Demon Suppression Forest to be impaled on the iron spikes there!


    The Son of Heaven and several Divine Envoys believed that these few Outer Heaven Demons were stubbornly unyielding, unwilling to confess any information about their accomplices, and therefore, were of no further value.


    Thus, they decided to hang them in the Demon Suppression Forest to deter the multitude of demons!


    Besides, the Demon Suppression Forest itself was a form of severe punishment; the Outer Heaven Demons would not die even after half a month hanging there.


    During that time, if these people harbored any remorse and were willing to cooperate, they still had a chance to survive.


    ...


    The intent of the Divine Envoy was completely unexpected to Lin Rui.


    He had thought it would take a month or two more, after the Heavenly Demon cases were fully concluded, for the group of Outer Heaven Demons led by the Eighth Realm mage Zhu Tiantang to be hung in the Demon Suppression Forest.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the Son of Heaven and the Divine Envoys to be so impatient.


    Lin Rui felt this might also be a kind of ¡®political correctness¡¯ of the Great Song Dynasty, wherein the Son of Heaven and the three Divine Envoys likely intended to show the gods, officials, and the people of Great Song their unrelenting stance against the Outer Heaven Demons.@@@@


    With no other choice, Lin Rui had to return to Sky Extreme Star and work overtime.


    On one hand, he had to review the interrogation records of these Outer Heaven Demons and also confirm their final attitudes in the prison, asking them whether they were willing to surrender and confess.


    On the other hand, he had to plan the operation for the ¡®Demon Suppression Forest¡¯, although he had many opportunities to enter the Demon Suppression Forest recently, Lin Rui still wanted to secure the No.


    Go to novgo.co


    3 Battle Spirit as soon as possible.


    Fortunately, he now held quite significant bargaining chips, being able to mobilize several combatants above Seventh Realm.


    Besides Lin Rui¡¯s studio and the National Security Special Action Center, he now also had command of a battalion from the Security Bureau¡¯s ¡®Sky Extreme Special Combat Brigade¡¯, as well as a battalion from the East Asia Republic¡¯s ¡®Execution Brigade¡¯.


    The former was a privilege allocated by the Second General, but according to Zhou Yunfei, it was actually the First General¡¯s idea, allowing him to issue the edict by proxy for the Second General.


    The latter was provided by Xu Mengran, but was a bit troublesome to mobilize, requiring a report to Xu Mengran.


    After all, the two were not in the same system, and some procedures still needed to be followed.


    Both of these troops, like the Heavenly Soldiers Brigade, were among the Earth Federation¡¯s strongest special response forces.


    Each battalion had about 500 members, not only were all members Fifth Realm, but each battalion also had two powerful Seventh Realm commanders and a total of 24 Sixth Realm leaders, commanding 12 S6 enhanced tactical squads.


    This operation might well require these two formidable forces.


    a?€¡±However, not for the Demon Suppression Forest, but to ensure Lin Rui¡¯s own safety.


    Just as Lin Rui returned to the Alien, busying himself in the Spy Detection Bureau, Shangguan Tianyi returned to Dragon Guard Capital.


    She had stayed at Lin¡¯s villa these past days, and after nearly a month, had finally stabilized her Battle Dragon form.


    After awakening the Battle Dragon, it generally took about twenty to thirty days to stabilize the form.


    According to the Federation¡¯s scientists, this was the reconjunction of the gene chain between the original body and the Battle Dragon.


    During this period, unless absolutely necessary, one should avoid combat; if unavoidable, the outcomes could be good or bad.


    The higher the rank of the Bloodline, the greater the likelihood of awakening the Spiritual Wisdom of a Battle Dragon.


    But this was completely illogical!


    Considering Xianyu Yan¡¯s expectations, the chances of Tianyi succeeding in Dragon Transformation with her current Bloodline Power were almost nil.


    novgo.co


    How did this child withstand the Abyss Pollution?


    ¡°No!¡± Tianyi shook her head.


    ¡°My Battle Dragon¡¯s Bloodline is now at ¡®Emperor Level¡¯!¡±


    Tianyi was thankful to Xianyu Yan but knew well what to disclose and what to withhold.


    However, regarding the rank of her Battle Dragon¡¯s Bloodline, she was going to register it in the Dragon Guard Capital later anyway, and the purple runes on the Battle Dragon would eventually be seen by others.


    Yet, Tianyi¡¯s words hit Xianyu Yan like thunder, shocking her immensely.


    ¡°Emperor Level?


    How is that possible?¡±


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s gaze was disbelieving.


    How could Tianyi¡¯s Bloodline Power possibly increase rather than decrease?


    Unlessa?€¡±


    She glanced around at the Dragon Guards and instructors peering at Tianyi, and then quickly pulled Tianyi aside.


    ¡°Teacher?¡± Tianyi¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    She instinctively wanted to resist, but she held back out of trust for her teacher.


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s expression was stern as she silently dragged Tianyi into her residence and then shut the doors and windows tightly.


    At that moment, Tianyi felt a pain in her right hand as Xianyu Yan, with a supremely controlled thrust of Sword Intent, opened a small cut in her skin and drew out a drop of blood.


    ¡°Sixth Realm, Emperor Level?¡±


    Xianyu Yan examined the blood of Tianyi and knew the girl had not lied to her.


    This child¡¯s Bloodline Power had increased!


    But in her understanding, the only possible explanation for Tianyi¡¯s condition was the Abyss!


    Her deeply cherished student had been contaminated by the Abyss and had become part of it!


    Xianyu Yan then placed a drop of Tianyi¡¯s blood onto a palm-sized rune plate.


    As she activated the power of the rune plate to analyze the Abyss Power within the blood, she observed Tianyi¡¯s expression.


    Tianyi now knew what her teacher was trying to do and could only give a helpless, wry smile, letting it happen.


    Moments later, Xianyu Yan¡¯s pupils constricted as she looked at the pure red color in the rune plate, her eyes filled with disbelief.


    a?€¡±Tianyi had not been polluted by the Abyss, but how could that be possible?

 Chapter 437

    ?Chapter 437: Chapter 412: Stubborn and Unenlightened (Please Subscribe) Chapter 437: Chapter 412: Stubborn and Unenlightened (Please Subscribe) ¡°Why would there be no pollution?¡±


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s face was full of incredulity.


    According to her detection, Shangguan Tianyi indeed did not lack Abyss Pollution, but it was far below the normal level for a Dragon Guard.


    One must know that the former Shangguan Tianyi had higher levels of Abyss Pollution than Xianyu Yan, a Dragon Guard who had been dealing with the Abyss Will for decades.


    Her gaze skeptical, she looked at Shangguan Tianyi, ¡°Could it be that your master, Lin Hao, helped you?


    What did he do to you?¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi blinked, ¡°Why would Teacher ask such a question?¡±


    Xianyu Yan crossed her arms and let out a cold laugh, ¡°Given your situation, any normal person would find it difficult to accept, yet Lin Hao was very decisive, without a second thought, clearly confident he could help you with your Dragon Transformation.¡±


    ¡°This is all Teacher¡¯s speculation, perhaps the master saw that I had extraordinary talent, capable of resisting the Abyss?¡±


    Seeing the increasing scorn and doubt in her teacher¡¯s eyes, Shangguan Tianyi said expressionlessly with a cupped fist, ¡°Teacher should know our rules as Dragon Guards, regarding matters of my master, I have nothing to disclose.¡±


    Xianyu Yan thought to herself, ¡®Nothing to disclose,¡¯ that already revealed a lot.


    It must be Lin Hao who used some methods to help Shangguan Tianyi overcome the erosion of the Abyss Will.


    ¡°If Teacher has no further questions, I should go and make my report.¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi stepped toward the door, but just as she reached the threshold, she turned back, ¡°Actually, Teacher may want to seriously consider my master, I feel he¡¯s quite suitable for you.¡±


    Xianyu Yan was first taken aback, then laughed softly, ¡°You cheeky girl, even advocating for your master?


    ...


    Go to novgo.co


    It seems you like him a lot.¡±


    She shook her head and looked out the window, ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡±


    This young girl must have taken her words ¡®the true cause of my former master¡¯s death was in heaven¡¯ to heart.


    Believing it was for this reason, she was unwilling to seek a new master.


    But in addition to that, Xianyu Yan had other concerns.


    These Dragon Guards, they were the arms and assistance bestowed by the Divine Spirits to their close attendants, but at the same time, they were also pawns and eyes to monitor them.


    The world believed the former Crown Prince died at the hands of a Purgatory powerhouse, but that wasn¡¯t entirely true.


    Xianyu Yan would never forget the scene before the former Crown Prince¡¯s death.


    Her three companions acted uncontrollably, piercing through the body of the former Crown Prince with their blades.


    If she wanted to seek revenge against that being in heaven, then the Emperor and the three Divine Envoys were good choices for Xianyu Yan.


    These four, if pushed to their limits, would end up on the opposite side of the Gods.


    The faster and further they advanced in the Abyss, the greater the possibility of conflict with the Gods.


    But that was useless, Xianyu Yan understood that she could serve as the blade in the hands of the Emperor and Divine Envoys, but ultimately, the blade was held by the Gods.


    The Gods could decide their fate and future.


    Xianyu Yan would prefer to choose an Outer Heaven Demon or a master deeply entwined with an Outer Heaven Demon.


    Only because she had heard that the Outer Heaven Demons had incredibly magical ¡®biological technology,¡¯ which might decipher the methods imposed upon them by the Divine Spirits.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Shangguan Tianyi shook her head, ¡°but I do suggest Teacher consider meeting with my master.¡±


    With that, Shangguan Tianyi stepped out the door.@@@@


    Xianyu Yan, thoughtful,


    was actually already interested in Lin Hao.


    What method exactly did he use to facilitate Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s Dragon Transformation?


    Nevertheless, Xianyu Yan¡¯s mind was slightly dazed, feeling somewhat incredulous.


    That child¡¯s Bloodline Talent had already reached the Emperor Rank!


    An Emperor Rank at the Sixth Realm!


    As long as Lin Hao could ascend normally to Divine Envoy, her future prospects would be incomparable to those of these frogs at the bottom of the well.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    At this moment, Lin Rui was leading his entourage, including three Deputy Commanders, towards the ¡®Divine Prison Department,¡¯ asking questions in the combat channel as he walked.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Old Wang, do you have any opinions on Lingxue¡¯s battle plan?


    Are you confident you can execute it?


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): I¡¯ve looked at it.


    The plan is excellent; Boss, rest assured, my current Illusion Technique is ranked at the Eight Realms Emperor Rank, and my Bloodline at the Eight Realms Super Emperor.


    I¡¯m definitely worth the salary you¡¯re paying me!


    Lin Rui knew this guy was hinting that the salary he was being paid was somewhat low compared to his level of ability.


    But he couldn¡¯t care less; Wang Tianwu had signed a Divine Contract, pledging to serve him with all his might.


    The slightest withholding of effort from this guy would be a breach of the contract, punishable by the deep sea concepts of the Divine Law Venerable.


    So why bother increasing his salary?


    This guy was unwilling to switch to a lifetime contract, still thinking about regaining his freedom after 200 years.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): No, what I¡¯m more concerned about now is your safety, Boss.


    There¡¯s clear intelligence that suggests a certain Four-star Marshal might instigate a mid-way ambush to snatch people, and your situation might be very dangerous.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Don¡¯t worry about that specially; this is still Luojing City, under the feet of Gods.


    Numerous elite members of the imperial guard will accompany us then, plus I have several masters by my side as an Alien.


    However, Lin Rui was quite satisfied with Fei Yunlai¡¯s attitude.


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    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Since no one has objections, we¡¯ll stick to this plan.


    Start preparing now.


    At this point, he had arrived at the Divine Prison Department, just a wall away from the Spy Detection Bureau.


    According to the list given by the Divine Envoy, Lin Rui asked one by one.


    The last one was Zhu Tiantang, an Eight Realms mage locked on the ninth level, who was much tougher than the previous Outer Heaven Demons.


    He spat out loud, nearly hitting Lin Rui with a mouthful of bloody spit.


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes and scoffed coldly, ¡°Stubborn fool!¡±


    He picked up the list in his hand and put a check next to Zhu Tiantang¡¯s name: ¡°Then it¡¯s settled; tomorrow we¡¯ll drag these people to the Demon Suppression Forest.¡±


    But a cold gleam flickered in Zhu Tiantang¡¯s eyes.


    He looked at the prison door, thinking about a message passed on to him not long ago by his Marshal through special means.


    It seems his boss really feared Lin Hao and was willing to pay any price to eliminate him.


    Zhu Tiantang reckoned this was good.


    It was what he owed his Marshal.


    Completing this job could just make up for his previous mistakes.


    Also, if he could take this promising Spy Detection Bureau Commander with him on this journey, he would die exceedingly content, with no regrets in death.

 Chapter 438

    ?Chapter 438: Chapter 413 Clues (Subscribe Please) Chapter 438: Chapter 413 Clues (Subscribe Please) The following day at dawn, Jin Tianchen got together with numerous colleagues in the courtyard of the Ninth Realm of the Spy Detection Bureau and headed towards the Divine Prison Department.


    By the time they arrived at the entrance of the Divine Prison Department, a large crowd had already gathered.


    The team escorting the Heavenly Demons was formidable.


    To ensure the safe transport of these Outer Heaven Demons to the Demon Suppression Forest, the Imperial City Department, aside from mobilizing a large number of personnel from within the Spy Detection Bureau and the Imperial City Department itself, had also commanded the three major imperial guard forces of Luojing to bring out a large number of elites, who were arranged in a military formation in the plaza in front of the gates of the Divine Prison Department.


    This military formation consisted of exactly two thousand warriors from the Fourth Realm, six hundred from the Fifth Realm, nearly twenty-four from the Sixth Realm, and eight from the Seventh Realm overseeing the formation.


    Their Spirit Mechanisms gathered together, forming an immense Ether Spirit Tide.


    Their Commander from the Spy Detection Bureau, Lin Hao, along with two imperial guard Generals of the Second Rank responsible for providing support, only arrived leisurely at the hour of Chen.


    ...


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s expression shifted as he looked towards the ¡®Dragon Boxes¡¯ being pulled by horse carriages following behind Lin Hao¡¯s carriage.


    Among these ¡®Dragon Boxes,¡¯ four belonged to temporary Dragon Guard instructors dispatched to accompany them, and two were Lin Hao¡¯s own.


    These two Dragon Boxes had been with Lin Hao for several days and had attracted a lot of attention within the Spy Detection Bureau.


    Today, they also caught the attention of many people around Jin Tianchen.


    ¡°Whose Battle Dragons could those be?


    Could it be that our Commander has ascended to the Sixth Realm and transformed into a dragon?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?


    Go to novgo.co


    If the Commander had transformed into a dragon, why would he need two Dragon Armors?


    Besides, it hasn¡¯t been long since the Commander advanced to the Fifth Realm and underwent Dragon Shedding, how could it be so fast?


    That seems to be his accompanying Dragon Guard¡¯s.


    Do you see?@@@@


    That young girl next to him.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s only one; who does the other one belong to?


    It couldn¡¯t be his sworn sister¡¯s, right?


    Mr.


    Zhou has to guard the city gates and didn¡¯t come along this time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but the Dragon Boxes have been with the Commander for several days.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what Grade are they, but I¡¯ve heard through the grapevine that the Dragon Guard accompanying him isn¡¯t very impressive, so the Battle Dragon¡¯s strength must be average.¡±


    Jin Tianchen was also very interested in these Dragon Boxes.


    Today, he had received early notice from his uncle that there would definitely be complications during the transport of the Heavenly Demons and that he must be attentive to his own safety.


    Moreover, his uncle was very concerned about the two Dragon Boxes that had suddenly appeared by Lin Hao¡¯s side, wanting to know whether there were Battle Dragons inside, and if so, what kind.


    Regrettably, no one from the Spy Detection Bureau had been able to see inside the Dragon Boxes to date.


    Just less than twenty breaths after Lin Hao arrived, the heavy steel gate of the Divine Prison Department slowly opened with a rumbling sound.


    Following that, a large number of prison carts emerged from inside and joined the military formation.


    At Lin Hao¡¯s command, this elite military formation escorting the convoy started moving in single file toward the south of the city.


    Riding a royal-blooded Iron-Scaled Horse provided by the court, Lin Rui positioned himself at the very center of the procession, right next to the prison cart containing the Eighth Realm mage Zhu Tiantang.


    As they grandly exited the southern gate of Luojing, Lin Rui thoughtfully observed Zhu Tiantang inside the prison cart.


    ¡°You seem relaxed,¡± Lin Rui studied the man carefully.


    ¡°It almost feels like you¡¯re expecting something.¡±


    The man indeed appeared relaxed, sitting lazily inside the prison cart, maintaining a posture of meditation throughout, seemingly unconcerned about the imminent torture.


    Lin Rui then moved to several other prisoner carts, personally checking the various restraints on these Heavenly Demons.


    He noticed that the problems all involved those of the Sixth Realm, a few Outer Heaven Demons of the Seventh Realm and the Eighth Realm mage, Zhu Tiantang.


    Apparently, the opponent knew that the ¡®Mingwei Colonels¡¯ who were conducting the checks were ranked just below the Fifth Rank in the Imperial City Department, with higher cultivation and more experience, and dared not act recklessly.


    However, just as Lin Rui was inspecting an Outer Heaven Demon of the Seventh Realm, his gaze suddenly sharpened.


    There was also something wrong with these Seventh Realm Heavenly Demons, but unlike those of the Sixth Realm, their issues were in their stomachs.


    It seemed to be some sort of enteric capsule, containing a small amount of radioactivity that caused slight abnormalities in their gastrointestinal tissues.


    a?€¡±Was it ¡®Purgatory Light¡¯?


    No, that couldn¡¯t be right.


    If it were actual ¡®Purgatory Light,¡¯ the radioactivity would be detectable even from several steps away.


    This must be some kind of Bloodline Mutation Medicine crafted using ¡®Purgatory Light¡¯.


    Once the capsule completely dissolved, these individuals would rapidly mutate into Demons.


    This was truly ingenious!


    Once mutated into Demons, both the Demon Suppression Nail and the Pulse Interception Needle would be useless.


    Lin Rui, without changing his expression, allowed the ¡®300,000 Li Flying Book¡¯ hidden in his sleeve to quietly slip out and fly towards the distant horizon.


    Lin Rui then stepped down from the prisoner cart, ¡°Reinforce the Demon Suppression Nail and the Pulse Interception Needle, repair the restraints before moving forward!


    Also, get a few strong men to break the legs and feet of these Heavenly Demons for me.¡±


    After issuing the orders, he gave a mocking bow to the Eighth Realm mage, Zhu Tiantang, ¡°Thank you, Mr.


    Zhu, for the reminder which helped me notice these anomalies, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable!¡±


    Zhu Tiantang¡¯s face was as dark as iron, thinking to himself, did I really remind him?


    Was it just because of what I said earlier?


    Could it be that I messed up the Marshal¡¯s big plan again?


    At that moment, a General in golden armor holding two octagonal purple-gold hammers stepped onto the prisoner cart.


    a?€¡±This was one of the Second Rank generals of the imperial guard, the Colonel of the ¡®Feathered Forest¡¯ guards, Song Yingwu, who personally stepped onto the prisoner cart and shattered the bones of Zhu Tiantang¡¯s hands and feet.


    This man¡¯s face was stern, mood heavy.


    Luckily, he had not spoken out earlier, otherwise, he would have embarrassed himself.


    Embarrassment alone would not have been a problem, but if it led to issues, they could not bear the consequences.


    And the situation clearly seemed to be unusual this time; they must be more cautious and careful!


    Soon after, the military formation escorting the prisoner carts moved on.


    At this time, not only was Colonel Song Yingwu more vigilant, but everyone else also took extra precautions.


    Jin Tianchen walked among the formation, softly sighing to himself.


    He thought, truly worthy of being ¡®King Yama¡¯s Blade¡¯ Lin Hao, indeed not so easily dealt with, Uncle and the others might be disappointed this time.


    They continued on their way until reaching the northern bank of the Sky Suspension River without further incidents.


    And just as they were lining up to board the ship, ready to head to the southern bank, Lin Rui suddenly uttered a ¡®hmm¡¯, his eyes unusually fixed on the river waters below.


    Just then, Xue Lingxue had sent him a video, showing the scene captured by the ¡®Detection Buoy¡¯ they had placed in the water.


    This was a high-tech underwater remote sensing detector, equipped with ether scanning, electromagnetic scanning, and sonar among other detection sensors.


    They had now scanned several stealth submarines shuttling underwater.


    ¡°Interesting!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s eyes turned cold and calculating, pondering that these folks were really going all out, still unwilling to give up.


    After realizing something was amiss and becoming alert, were these people still not willing to give up?

 Chapter 439

    ?Chapter 439: Chapter 414: Thief (Please Subscribe) Chapter 439: Chapter 414: Thief (Please Subscribe) ¡°Strengthen the alert!¡±


    Lin Rui issued orders again, ¡°Everyone, put on your armor, and have the mages apply ¡®Water Avoidance Spell¡¯ and ¡®Arrow Defense Technique¡¯ to everyone, then send two people to notify the two candidates for the Divine Envoy from the Demon Suppression Forest, and have them keep an eye on the river, ready to rescue at any time!¡±


    ¡®Water Avoidance Spell¡¯ and ¡®Arrow Defense Technique¡¯ are low-level magic spells, but very practical.


    One allows ordinary people to walk underwater freely, and the other provides protection against arrows, consuming very little energy, and everyone can benefit from them.


    Lin Rui and Ji Xueying also put on the Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor and Lin Rui cast a spell himself, applying magic to a few people around him.


    His magic was not comparable to the ¡®Water Avoidance Spell¡¯ or ¡®Arrow Defense Technique.¡¯


    Lin Rui had exchanged for Dragon Stage magic spells, which also came from ¡®Ling Huan,¡¯ directly at the Grandmaster Level, costing him 50,000 points of Soul Power!


    Although Lin Rui¡¯s Primordial Spirit was currently too weak to use it, he could still draw parallels and elevate his high-level Grandmaster Level magic to a new height.


    Lin Rui then summoned his frequently used ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon,¡¯ but just as he formed the hand seal, his eyes narrowed.


    The ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ had already been summoned by someone else who possessed the ¡®National Guardian Dragon Seal,¡¯ capable of summoning the National Guardian Dragon.


    ...


    Lin Rui could have forcibly summoned it, but with most of the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯s¡¯ power occupied, the summoned ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ would at best be at the Seven Realms Super Emperor level, not only significantly weaker in strength but also much reduced in sensing ability.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that he would have to find out who was using the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ today.


    He promptly changed his approach and summoned Song Renzong¡¯s ¡®Infinite Emperor Dragon,¡¯ while also giving the order, ¡°Alert underwater!¡±


    It was just a pity that the ¡®Detection Buoys¡¯ deployed by Xue Lingxue were limited in capabilities and could not accurately pinpoint the position of these stealth submarines.


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    The video sent by Xue Lingxue was detected only when the stealth submarines passed nearby the ¡®Detection Buoys.¡¯


    The Sky Suspension River was quite wide, its narrowest point still being about sixty miles across, and ordinary people standing on either bank would feel as if they were staring at an endless sea.


    The Sky Suspension River was also very deep, reaching over 1200 meters.


    Thus, Lin Rui had no idea where these stealth submarines were hidden, otherwise, he would let two Eight Realms imperial guard Generals release their Extreme Moves to destroy them all and prevent them from succeeding before their mission even started.


    After Ji Xueying put on the Dragon Armor, she reminded Shangguan Tianyi by her side, ¡°Stay alert, and if you have any Extreme Moves, prepare them in advance!


    There¡¯s a ninety-nine percent chance something will go wrong while we cross the river.¡±


    She too was in the battle group and had seen the video sent by Xue Lingxue.


    Ji Xueying had recently studied a lot of human knowledge and understood the detection devices in the video.


    Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s heart tightened, and she tightly gripped the sword at her waist.


    Her sword was also given to her by their lord, a spoils of war incorporated with Outer Heaven Demon technology, a 7SS grade sword weapon suitable for her, capable of handling her most powerful swordplay.


    Xianyu Yan was nearby, also watching underwater, then slightly furrowed her brows.


    There certainly was something underwater, but her ¡®Sky Vision Earth Listening¡¯ also struggled to determine the location.


    Lin Hao seemed to have noticed the problem, although Xianyu Yan didn¡¯t know how he detected it without the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon,¡¯ but since he knew there were issues underwater, why did he still decide to cross the river to the southern bank?


    Lin Rui then snapped his fingers, ¡°I see, the real danger is from the people around me, only within fifty steps of me could they possibly kill me!


    That includes you lot as well.¡±


    Zhu Tiantang couldn¡¯t help but twitch, thinking, what kind of brain does this guy have?


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    Without saying anything, without any expression, how did this guy figure it out?


    And how did he come to that conclusion?


    Your reasoning is really helpless, isn¡¯t it?


    Without a shred of evidence.


    ¡°Come!¡± Lin Rui tactically reclined back onto the commander¡¯s chair behind him, ¡°Before we set sail, give them a dose of medicine first!


    Give them ¡®Samadhi True Essence Dispersing Powder¡¯!¡±


    Hearing the words ¡°Samadhi True Essence Dispersing Powder¡±, Zhu Tiantang¡¯s heart suddenly relaxed.


    Thinking no matter how clever Lin Hao was, in the end, he still miscalculated.


    He snickered, about to say something, but then he saw several Seventh Realm colleagues beside him looking at him coldly.


    Their eyes seemed to say, try moving your mouth again!


    If you move your mouth, you might destroy our last hope.


    Reluctantly, Zhu Tiantang remained silent, feeling that Lin Hao¡¯s reasoning didn¡¯t much relate to his expression management, but he still shut his mouth and said nothing.


    Just then, Lin Rui¡¯s trusted aide, Wang Nianqi, came out holding several packets of medicine and dissolved the powder into the water.


    He exchanged a look with Lin Rui and then forced the medicated water down Zhu Tiantang and the others.


    Zhu Tiantang briefly sensed it and felt that it indeed was ¡°Samadhi True Essence Dispersing Powder¡±.


    His True Qi and Bloodline were already suppressed by the Suppressing Primordial Nail and Severing Vein Needle, unable to condense, and now it was even more scattered, unable to gather strength.


    Moments later, three large ships simultaneously started, heading toward the southern shore opposite.


    Lin Rui also shifted his gaze from these Heavenly Demon prisoners to the Demon Suppression Forest.


    People always wondered why Great Song insisted on building the Demon Suppression Forest on the southern bank of the Sky Suspension River rather than the north bank closer to Luojing.


    Inside the Earth Federation, there were many speculations; some guessed that the land on the north bank was more expensive, some thought that only the south bank had enough geomantic lines for the arrays.


    However, the most plausible guess was that something very dangerous was being fostered underneath the Demon Suppression Forest, a creature that Great Song¡¯s East Abyss was nurturing with the souls and Essence Blood of Outer Heaven Demons.


    As the ships reached the middle of the river, Wing Colonel Song Yingwu from the ¡°Imperial Guards¡± suddenly exclaimed in surprise, looking down into the water.


    Gritting his teeth, he shouted fiercely, ¡°Cunning villains!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows also raised, as hundreds of bubble torpedoes and two hundred underwater missiles were simultaneously attacking the warship they were on.

 Chapter 440

    ?Chapter 440: Chapter 415: Eight Realms (Three Updates for Subscriptions) Chapter 440: Chapter 415: Eight Realms (Three Updates for Subscriptions) Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying both sensed something amiss and simultaneously moved in front of Lin Rui to protect him on both sides.


    ¡°Indeed, they¡¯ve come!¡±


    Lin Rui let out a cold laugh, straightening his body in the commander¡¯s seat, ¡°All Spy Detection Bureau personnel are to rest and stand by; let each unit repel the enemy according to the manual on their own!¡±


    In reality, he also did not know how to command these soldiers of Great Song, which was different from the modern military skills he possessed.


    These imperial guards and the Imperial City Department¡¯s Imperial Dragon were not personally trained by him; he could not know them inside out.


    Therefore, at this time, it was better to let his temporary subordinates do as they saw fit; blind commands would instead cause harm.


    However, Lin Rui still had a reserve force at hand, ready to respond to any situation.


    Then, just moments later, hundreds of arrows shot into the sky from three ships, a dense mass falling toward the surface of the water.


    Those underwater bubble torpedoes and submerged missiles all possessed extremely high intelligence, not only able to sense the enemy and friendly situations around them, accurately calculating the best trajectory but were also capable of rapidly altering course.


    ...


    However, the elite archers of the Great Song¡¯s three imperial guards were extraordinary in strength; their arrows, like living things, could slither through the water as if they were snakes, and some could even rapidly change trajectory under the remote control of the archers.


    In an instant, a great number of torpedoes and missiles were intercepted and shot by these arrows, resulting in a series of thunderous explosions.


    They exploded underwater, creating huge shockwaves that caused dozens, even hundreds of massive waves, up to ten or dozens of zhA? ng in height, to rise on the surface of the Sky Suspension River.


    The three huge ships they were aboard also trembled and rocked unstoppably.


    In the midst of these towering waves and thunderous roar, a few steel giants suddenly revealed their forms in the void fifty li away.


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    Lin Rui glanced over from afar and thought to himself, good gracious, these people have actually employed four ¡®Destroyer Starships¡¯!


    Looking at the condition of these four destroyers, they must have undergone enhanced modifications, their stealth capabilities, as well as their firepower, were clearly top-notch.


    Without the top-tier stealth device, it would not have been possible to slip this close to Luojing and the Demon Suppression Forest.


    The two Star Annihilation Cannons, each mounted on those destroyers, made Lin Rui¡¯s hair stand on end.


    These were real Star Annihilation Cannons!@@@@


    Capable of firing incredibly powerful electromagnetic pulses, if they targeted asteroids less than a thousand kilometers in diameter, a single shot could shatter them.


    The mastermind behind this operation was clearly willing to bleed money in order to kill him.


    How much would it cost to fit a ¡®Star Annihilation Cannon¡¯ into a ship less than 500 meters in size, along with the energy modules to sustain its firing?


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    Song Yingwu, the middle general of the ¡®Imperial Guards¡¯, could not contain his anger; his Battle Dragon flew out from the Dragon Box, and together with Song Yingwu himself, they charged towards the eastern direction.


    The man and dragon crossed thirty li in an instant.


    Song Yingwu had been vigilant and ready to act during the river crossing, and when those four destroyers appeared, he immediately burst forth with full strength, locking on two of them and launched a long-range Extreme Move that had been long in the making.


    Song Yingwu had never seen a ¡®Star Annihilation Cannon¡¯ in person before, but instinctively sensed the danger and that they should not be allowed the chance to fire.


    Thus, he went all out from the beginning, his tremendous Blade Astral spanning twenty li in the sky, reaching the front of those two destroyers!


    Such majestic power caused the gravity to distort violently even before the Astral reached its destination, further affecting space-time and instantly shattering the energy shields outside the two destroyers, causing the alloy steel on the surface of the warships to crack.


    He secretly marveled at this: such were the Sky Extreme Star Martial Cultivators who could tear warships apart with their hands.


    The Earth Federation¡¯s expeditionary army had fallen before these individuals.


    Even the fearsome Star Annihilation Cannons of their powerful warships didn¡¯t have a chance to fire.


    At this moment, the many Sixth Realm Sevens under Lin Rui¡¯s command also took to the skies, with some diving underwater attempting to sink those submarines, while others flew up, trying to assist the two Imperial Generals in combating the four Destroyers and the two Eight Realm Outer Heaven Demons.


    However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, a multitude of Sixth and Seventh Realm experts suddenly surged out from underwater, clashing with them on the river¡¯s surface, making the battle situation even more chaotic.


    The aftermath of their encounter¡¯s Astral Force continuously stirred up huge waves, making Lin Rui¡¯s warship he was aboard rock unstably.


    At this time, even those Fourth Realm Martial Cultivators had to focus, exerting all their energy to control the balance of their feet and bodies in order to stand steady on the warship, while the sailors were all pale-faced, feeling like vomiting.


    Lin Rui, however, still sat firmly in his commanding seat, chin propped in his hand, eyes mocking as he looked out over the river.


    ¡°These Heavenly Demons have stirred up such a commotion, and this is all they¡¯ve got?


    I wonder if there will be any Eight Realm powerhouses appearing?


    I¡¯m very much looking forward to it!¡±


    Xianyu Yan, standing nearby, shook her head slightly, thinking the likelihood of that was not great.


    Though the Divine Envoy often fell into ¡®Divine Sleep¡¯ for some reason, His Spiritual Sense was always perceiving the outside world.


    If too many Eight Realm Heavenly Demons gathered here, it would certainly awaken the Divine Envoy.


    The Divine Envoy rarely roused from slumber, especially in the past 200 yearsa?€¡±His waking moments and frequency had become less and less.


    But if today¡¯s battle was deemed valuable enough for the Divine Envoy to intervene personally, He would not hesitate a moment.


    These Outer Heaven Demons also didn¡¯t really stand a chance.


    Xianyu Yan had already sensed strong auras increasingly appearing in the northern skies!


    a?€¡±Those should be the Second and Third Divine Envoys!


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    The turn of events here had already drawn two fated Divine Envoys to the battlefield!


    With their tunneling speed, they would probably arrive in an instant.


    And behind Lin Rui, that Seventh Realm Emperor Stage ¡®Invincible Emperor Dragon¡¯ had not moved at all to this point.


    One should know that this Battle Dragon also possessed Quasi Eighth Realm combat strength!


    Yet just as this thought flashed through Xianyu Yan¡¯s mind, her expression turned extremely grave.


    Her ¡®Heavenly Vision and Earthly Hearing¡¯ had prematurely sensed something was amiss.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    As Xianyu Yan spoke, suddenly, a loud ¡®boom¡¯ resounded around the great ship as forty massive waves shot up from both sides of the vessel.


    a?€¡±That was unmistakably the doing of twenty Heavenly Demon Martial Cultivators and their Battle Dragons.


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s eyes were filled with shock; for this ambush, these Outer Heaven Demons had actually mobilized so many Dragon Stage experts!


    What chilled her to the core was the presence of an Eight Realm among these Heavenly Demons!

 Chapter 441

    ?Chapter 441: Chapter 416: Emperor Level Battle Dragon (Please Subscribe) Chapter 441: Chapter 416: Emperor Level Battle Dragon (Please Subscribe) ¡°Fire!¡±


    As the twenty Dragon Stage Heavenly Demons burst forth from underwater, three hundred members of the Spy Detection Bureau¡¯s Imperial Dragon simultaneously loosed their arrows from the three boats.


    Lin Rui had been holding this reserve force in his hand, and it had now become the last line of defense beside him.


    The dense rain of arrows caused all the swiftly approaching Dragon Stage Heavenly Demons to halt in their tracks.


    At this moment, Xianyu Yan¡¯s eyes blazed with a ferocious light, ¡°Courting death!¡±


    Had she not been present, it might have been another matter, but now that she was here, how could she allow these Heavenly Demons to be so brazen and unrestrained?


    Following Xianyu Yan¡¯s guiding sword technique, the divine weapon sheathed behind her suddenly unsheathed, transforming into a white light invisible to the naked eye and flickering forward.


    In just an instant, two Sixth Realm Martial Cultivators who were trying to board the ship on the left side were cut into two.


    These two had also built up momentum, their strength erupting to its limit, but faced with the blade light Xianyu Yan slashed out, they had no power to resist; first, heads and bodies parted ways, then they were sliced into pieces by streaks of white light!


    ...


    With their deaths, their Battle Dragons lost control and plunged into the river.


    The white light then rolled forward again, slashing towards an Eighth Realm Martial Cultivator at the bow of the ship.


    Xianyu Yan had already recognized that although this person¡¯s cultivation was strong, reaching the Eighth Realm, their Bloodline Power was only at the level of a Super King!


    Leveraging the divine weapon she controlled, Xianyu Yan had no fear of this individual.


    ¡°What a formidable ¡®Separation Blade!''¡±


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    At that moment, a cold sneer filled with murderous intent came from the sky, ¡°Worthy of a weapon left by the former Crown Prince, a Super Monarch of Eight Realms¡¯ divine weapon indeed.¡±


    In that instant, a figure appeared abruptly behind Xianyu Yan, swinging a piece of dark golden blade light, aiming for her head.


    With a raise of her hand, that white blade light instantly returned before her, and in the nick of time, blocked the incoming strike.


    Then, a rapid exchange ensued between them, exchanging over a hundred blows in a mere instant.


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s gaze became incredibly solemn!


    Although the opponent was only a Seventh Realm Emperor Rank Martial Cultivator, by relying on various high-tech Heavenly Demon instruments on his body, his combat strength could reach the level of a Super Emperor of the Seventh Realm, and his physical fitness and spiritual power had reached the limit of the Seventh Realm Emperor Rank!


    His abilities were extremely similar to those of the Imperial List¡¯s wanted criminal Fei Yunlai!


    This person was also a speed type, with particularly powerful explosive power, a type that somewhat suppressed her; entwined by him, Xianyu Yan¡¯s ability to deal long-range damage was completely incapacitated.


    His Battle Dragon was the same; it was a dark golden shadow dragon known for excelling in stealth and was the fastest and most explosive among the Battle Dragons, entangling Xianyu Yan¡¯s Super Emperor Rank Battle Dragon such that it couldn¡¯t move.


    Xianyu Yan deduced these people must have carefully studied her!


    This Seventh Realm Emperor Rank assassin was specifically chosen to counter her, to suppress her combat effectiveness!


    When troubles come, they come not in single spies but in battalions, and as Xianyu Yan was entangled by this person, she heard a thunderous roar above the cloud sky!


    ¡°Ninth Realm Emperor?¡±


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s heart startled.


    That must have been a Ninth Realm Super Monarch mage casting spells from a distance, bringing forth four dark black lights of destruction.


    That was an extremely powerful Ninth Realm Super Monarch spell, capable of destroying and disintegrating all matter it came into contact with, and its speed was incredibly fast, crossing at least a hundred thousand miles in a flash!


    This person was attacking from a hundred thousand miles away, and with one move, blocked the tunneling lights of the two Divine Envoys, forcing them to halt temporarily and defend with all their might against the black destruction light chasing them.


    Xianyu Yan couldn¡¯t help but worry for Lin Hao¡¯s predicament.


    She estimated that these two Divine Envoys would take at least two breaths to arrive, and those two breaths were enough for Seventh Realm and Eighth Realm Martial Cultivators to strike a thousand times!


    Shangguan Tianyi had just succeeded in her Dragon Transformation and found an owner to her liking; she surely didn¡¯t want to end up a lone spirit wandering the Dragon Guard Capital, just as heartbreaking as she had been.


    But at that moment, the last two Dragon Boxes behind Lin Hao suddenly burst with sound.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    In that instant, the majestic Thunder and Flame covered the sky above the entire battleship, turning into a crimson fire cloud.


    The pupils of that Eighth Realm Martial Cultivator began to constrict violently.


    He sensed that as the Thunder web and fire cloud dispersed, his two Seventh Realm companions erupted in a massive wave of elemental power.


    ¡°Dead?¡±


    This wave of elemental power was clearly the outburst of strong Blood Essence when a Martial Cultivator died, unable to control their own Blood Qi and True Yuan.


    But what exactly was going on?


    How did the other side achieve this?


    Was it that Dragon Guard by Lin Hao¡¯s side?


    The Eighth Realm Martial Cultivator had a fleeting sense that the Dragon Guard had made a move.


    As that majestic Thunder web exploded, the woman controlled a sword light like lightning, merging with the sword as one into the Thunder web.


    Shortly after, his two companions were decapitated simultaneously.


    But how could that be possible?


    How could a mere Sixth Realm Dragon Guard slay two Seventh Realm warriors in such a short span?


    Until that sword light, like a bolt of lightning, suddenly cut through the air and arrived in front of the Eighth Realm Martial Cultivator.


    By then, he was less than thirty feet from Lin Hao.


    The Eighth Realm Martial Cultivator had already unleashed a wave of sword light, but it was all blocked by the Demon of Emperor Rank of the Fifth Realm, clad in Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor.


    The Blood Saber Lady, although wielding a pair of ¡®Blood Blades bestowed by the Divine¡¯, had an extremely strong Bloodline Power.


    However, the disparity in Primordial Spirit and physical caliber was too great to be compensated for by a set of Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor.


    She struggled arduously in defense, barely blocking less than three strikes from the Eighth Realm Martial Cultivator before retreating to Lin Hao¡¯s front.


    He saw that with just one more strike, he could slay this Fifth Realm Emperor Blood Saber Lady, but the thunderous sword light had already struck in front of him.


    The Eighth Realm Martial Cultivator was indescribably stunned by the sensation of the sword light; it was incredibly swift and sharp, yet simultaneously immensely heavy and dominant.


    Wrapped in Thunder, with the force of ten thousand catties, it broke through the shackles of the void, merging with the ethereal Thunder of heaven and earth, like an irresistible torrent of lightning!


    The Eighth Realm Martial Cultivator had no choice but to bring his sword up to defend.


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    ¡°Clang!¡±


    He was actually blasted back thirty feet by the force of the sword.


    ¡°An Emperor of the Sixth Realm!¡±


    The pupils of the Eighth Realm Martial Cultivator constricted violently.


    Lin Hao¡¯s Dragon Guard was actually an Emperor of the Sixth Realm!


    No!


    There was more.


    The young girl¡¯s immensely powerful Abyss Concept had completely twisted and altered the surrounding laws of heaven and earth!


    At the same time, he also noticed two majestic Battle Dragons behind Shangguan Tianyi!

 Chapter 442

    ?Chapter 442: Chapter 417: Change (Requesting Subscriptions) Chapter 442: Chapter 417: Change (Requesting Subscriptions) Amidst the flames and thunder rolling across the deck, chaos reigned.


    Lin Rui still looked at the prison carts in front of him with a smile, especially the first one containing Zhu Tiantang, a Super Emperor of Eight Realms.


    ¡°How interesting, is this your final resort?


    Intentional bloodline aberration, preferring to become a demon just to eliminate me?¡±


    Zhu Tiantang remained silent, focusing on absorbing the fully activated medicinal power in his abdomen, wanting his demon transformation to happen faster and more fiercely!


    If he could no longer be human, then he might as well become a demon!


    With his current bloodline power, he could completely transform into a Super Emperor-grade demon!


    Although he might die in battle here, and even if he was to escape by luck, he would temporarily lose his sanity, becoming neurotic and insane, it would still be better than being impaled and hung up in the Demon Suppression Forest, enduring endless torture.


    ...


    Seeing this, Lin Rui chuckled and drew out a pair of Divine Dragon Slayer Sabers in front of him: ¡°Let me guess how you are transforming into demons.


    Is it due to the medicine that is dissolving and being absorbed in your intestines?


    That medicine should be related to the Purgatory Light, the latest achievement of the Outer Heaven Demons in researching Purgatory Light, enabling you Martial Cultivators who have undergone Dragon Transformation to turn into demons, and it probably contains high-concentrated nutrients.


    This type of medicine can be sealed in special capsules hidden in your intestines, preventing even the most experienced and meticulous colonels of the Spy Detection Bureau from discovering them.¡±


    Zhu Tiantang was slightly startled upon hearing this, thinking, why does Lin Hao know this so clearly?


    Is he guessing this now, ora?€¡±


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    A terrifying thought suddenly popped into Zhu Tiantang¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Once transformed into demons, all our means to control you will become invalid; we can no longer restrict you.


    Even if we break your bones in advance, it would be useless.


    After transforming into demons, you will regenerate different bones, so all that I have done before would have been useless!¡±


    Lin Rui clasped the handles of his swords tightly, the corners of his lips curving slightly: ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it.


    What kind of demons will you all turn into?¡±


    The other Seventh Realm Heavenly Demons, upon hearing this, all strove hard to absorb the medicine, urging their bloodline, trying to transform hastily and aberrantly!


    Yet Zhu Tiantang¡¯s expression turned exceedingly grim; his face pale as he coldly watched Lin Rui: ¡°You knew all along?


    Was there something wrong with the medicine you fed us just now?¡±


    At this point, Zhu Tiantang realized his demon transformation was not proceeding any further.


    He struggled to shatter his gene chain, to collapse and reassemble his bloodline, to demonize his flesh and blood.


    But when his transformation had reached a certain stage, it simply could not progress any further.


    Zhu Tiantang found a stubborn force inside his body, deeply entrenched in his bloodline, impeding his transformation¡¯s progress.


    Zhu Tiantang was focusing intently but still couldn¡¯t figure it out.@@@@


    ¡°It¡¯s about time!¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly in disappointment and then looked forward.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that your research at Outer Heaven Demons has found that the more a person¡¯s spirit and body can integrate in harmony, the less likely they are to transform into a demon.


    Thus, the higher the rank of a martial cultivator, the lower the possibility of transformation.


    It seems that your newly developed medicine can only go so far, unable to escape this law.¡±


    All he did was use the power of the medicine to temporarily boost the harmony of Zhu Tiantang and the others¡¯ spirit and body to the utmost.


    If Zhu Tiantang were to be free now, such intense integration of spirit and body could enhance the combat capability of this Super Emperor mage by twenty to thirty percent.


    Just then, a ¡®boom¡¯ exploded nearby.


    When the Super Emperor of Eight Realms Martial Cultivator sensed the formidable elemental power coming from beside him, his eyes once again contracted sharply!


    His last fellow, who had joined forces with him and broke through to Lin Hao¡¯s front, was also dead!


    That was the last Super King of the Seventh Realm!


    Who killed him?


    On this ship, besides those few people who had limited power, who else could kill a Super King of the Seventh Realm so swiftly?


    The Super Emperor of Eight Realms Martial Cultivator then realizeda?€¡±it was that Battle Dragon that had not yet appeared!


    This guess sent chills down his spine.


    According to their intelligence, one of the two Dragon Boxes Lin Hao carried was owned by Shangguan Tianyi.


    The owner and rank of the other one were still undetermined.


    So, was it that Battle Dragon that, by itself, instantly eliminated a man and dragon of the Seventh Realm Super King?


    The very next moment, the Super Emperor of Eight Realms Martial Cultivator saw a seven Zhang eight Chi tall fiery-red Battle Dragon charging out from the blazing flames.


    This dragon had dark golden patterns all over its body.


    Upon appearing, it gathered the surrounding sea of fire and thunder tide all at once, forming a colossal hand reaching toward the Super Emperor of Eight Realms Martial Cultivator.


    Before the fiery giant hand even reached him, the Super Emperor of Eight Realms Martial Cultivator felt a scorching heat inside his head, as if it was about to burst into flames.


    ¡°Emperor Flame Battle Dragon?


    Seventh Realm Super Emperor, emperor-rank martial arts!¡±


    The bloodline ability of the Battle Dragon by Lin Hao¡¯s side was of a Super Emperor rank!


    What was terrifying was this dragon¡¯s ability to control fire, which could scald his head without affecting the icy frost power within his body below the neck.


    The Super Emperor of Eight Realms Martial Cultivator¡¯s head was heating up as if about to ignite, yet the blood within his body remained as cold as ice.


    At this moment, he glanced again at the prison carts on the deck.


    The Super Emperor of Eight Realms Martial Cultivator had always hoped that these colleagues imprisoned in the carts would undergo a Demon Transformation, becoming an unexpected force that would catch Lin Hao off guard and put him in a deadly situation.


    But he had waited until now, and these colleagues showed no signs of activity.


    They had transformed a bit, but then couldn¡¯t transform any further.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Without a second thought, the Super Emperor of Eight Realms Martial Cultivator suddenly let out a ferocious roar to notify his fellow.


    At the same time, a powerful radiance of light and heat exploded from in front of him.


    Those were two thermonuclear missiles launched by the Super Emperor of Eight Realms Martial Cultivator, exploding right in front of him to forcibly repel the formidable enemies in front of him at the cost of severe self-damage.


    The Super Emperor of Eight Realms Martial Cultivator himself then turned into a streak of light, rushing towards the east.


    At the same time, many Heavenly Demon Martial Cultivators on the water surface also began to withdraw, each flying toward the two directions of the Sky Suspension River.


    Simultaneously, a dense fog began to permeate the entire battlefield.


    That was done by a mage casting spells from a distance, using the fog evaporated from the Sky Suspension River to obscure everyone¡¯s vision.


    Lin Rui saw this scene and shook his head slightly.


    He had taken such a great risk to draw these people out, how could he let them escape so easily?


    At that moment, a Treasure Mirror suddenly appeared ninety thousand Zhang high above them, shining down toward the Sky Suspension River, using beams of light from the mirror to lock down all the Outer Heaven Demons involved in the battle!

 Chapter 443

    ?Chapter 443: Chapter 418 Another One (Please Subscribe) Chapter 443: Chapter 418 Another One (Please Subscribe) As the ¡°Heavenly Eye¡± light shone down, every Heavenly Demon Martial Cultivator on the river was panicked and trembling.


    Though a thick fog covered the river surface, making it difficult to see anything, under the light of the ¡°Heavenly Eye,¡± they had nowhere to hide.


    The surrounding imperial guards and the Imperial City Department¡¯s experts, although their vision was obscured by the mist and could not see, their Divine Thought and Spiritual Sense could still accurately locate them by following the guidance of the ¡°Heavenly Eye.¡±


    The key was that these Heavenly Demons¡¯ Primordial Spirits had been marked by the ¡°Heavenly Eye¡±; no matter where they fled, they could hardly shake it off.


    The imperial guards and experts of the Great Song Dynasty could carry out an unrelenting hunt for them, guided by the ¡°Heavenly Eye.¡±


    Local Martial Cultivators could accurately identify them as Outer Heaven Demons.


    a?€¡±And this was not just within the boundaries of the Great Song Dynasty!


    The four great dynasties and the Central State had deep cooperation in eradicating Heavenly Demons.


    Once they were marked by this ¡°Heavenly Eye,¡± there was hardly any place in the world where they could find refuge, meaning they were marked for death.


    ...


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    ¡°Damn it!


    Damn it!


    How could the ¡®Heavenly Eye¡¯s response be so fast?¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!


    Go to novgo.co


    Didn¡¯t they say that after this Divine Artifact was activated and shone again, it had to take some time?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been tricked!


    That Commander from the Spy Detection Bureau was clearly using himself as bait, deliberately luring us in!¡±


    ¡°It must have been that bastard Zhu Tiantang, giving himself away in front of Lin Hao!¡±


    ¡°Li Yuehua,¡± the ¡°Radiant Sky Illusionist,¡± was also in a state of panic when she found herself marked by the ¡°Heavenly Eye.¡±


    The Divine Artifact must have been activated long ago, constantly hidden beneath an Illusion Technique, shining over the Sky Suspension River and observing, collecting information on their Primordial Spirit Mechanisms and blood and qi characteristics.


    It wasn¡¯t until now that the ¡°Heavenly Eye¡± had finished collecting information and the Illusionist ended the illusion, exposing the hidden danger.


    ¡°Bastard!¡±@@@@


    Li Yuehua was extremely upset, feeling that the 2.5 billion she was paid for this mission was a huge loss, a loss all the way to her grandmother¡¯s house!


    She was already in the top 30 of the Great Song Dynasty¡¯s Imperial List of fugitives, and now she had even been spotted by the ¡°Heavenly Eye.¡±


    That was tantamount to having a tracking chip implanted inside her.


    What good could possibly come to an Imperial List fugitive who could be located by the top experts of the Great Song Dynasty at any time?


    Now, even if she wanted to store her Alien form, it was impossible.


    No Alien Company nor government institution would take her order to store her Alien form.


    She regretted it immensely, wondering why she had been so blinded by greed to participate in this damned mission?


    Was Lin Hao, who had consecutively sent Xu Yu and Zhu Tiantang to their deaths, really someone to be trifled with?


    She thought the Transmission Talisman Plate provided by that Four-star Marshal made this mission foolproof, with no risk at all, yet problems still occurred.


    Just as Li Yuehua almost reflexively activated the talisman plate to use this item, worth 5 billion, to transport herself 100,000 miles away, she saw a figure exploding 37 miles away on the water surface.


    With a loud boom, the figure burst into a cloud of blood and flesh, scattering across the river.


    ¡°Li Cheng!¡±


    Seeing this tightened Li Yuehua¡¯s nerves.


    Li Cheng was the name of that Eight Realms Martial Cultivator, and there were three such experts participating in this mission.


    She and ¡°Ice King of the Snowy Night¡± Hou Yuting were the experts hired by that Marshal, while Li Cheng was one of the Marshal¡¯s own men.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Speaking of which, Li Yuehua and Hou Yuting are really unlucky.


    They didn¡¯t recognize the enormity of the situation, unaware of BOSS¡¯s fierceness.


    Having been locked by the Heavenly Eye, how can they continue to live?


    They are doomed, probably in just three or five months.


    Wang Tianwu thought these two were even more unlucky than he was.


    After all, he was also nearly locked by the Heavenly Eye in the past.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): There is still a way.


    They can directly send the Alien to the satellite bases above, but then they won¡¯t get to be Alien Walkers anymore.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Send them back, it¡¯s not that simple.


    Who would dare to transport them?


    How many cases have been successful in the past?


    Quantum Jumps require preparation time.


    Aren¡¯t you afraid that the Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators from Great Song will follow and blow up the starship?


    Even if the preparation is completed, the East Abyss will take personal action and wipe you out in deep space,


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Don¡¯t try to tell me about how great rewards bring out brave men!


    If it were you, would you dare to do the transport?


    It has already been proven that when several from the Abyss fall into ¡®Divine Sleep,¡¯ their Primordial Spirits are actually fused with the ¡®Black Membrane Layer¡¯ in the atmosphere.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): They can cover the earth with their Divine Sense and also extend to outer space twenty thousand kilometers away.


    People like Li Yuehua who are marked would definitely be discovered by those Abyssals during a Quantum Jump, and in a moment of their thought, they can destroy both the person and ship.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Additionally, do you know that there¡¯s a consensus in the academic world now?


    The reason those Abyssals haven¡¯t taken action against our satellite bases is that the existence of these bases can expand the foundation of their power!


    For the past few hundred years, that ¡®Black Membrane Layer¡¯ has been expanding, and one day it¡¯ll eventually cover all the satellite bases.


    Fei Yunlai was too lazy to argue with Wang Tianwu: BOSS, is it our turn to take action next?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Prepare for battle, everyone tighten up!


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze was deep as he looked towards the opposite side at the Demon Suppression Forest.


    Two Ninth Realm candidates for Divine Envoy inside the Demon Suppression Forest had not shown themselves in the fierce battle on the river, and it was unknown whether their next plan would be successful.


    Meanwhile, in the top-floor office at the Security Bureau headquarters, the First General, Li Xianglong, was frowning at an intelligence report sent from the headquarters¡¯ intelligence analysis department.


    Upon opening the report and seeing the contents, his frown deepened, and he initiated a video call with a Four-Star Marshal of the Federation Star Navy.


    The First General looked at the figure in the video, dressed in a Federation standard-issue Four-Star Marshal uniform, with a grim look in his eyes.


    ¡°Zang Shaochen!


    With regards to the attack near the Demon Suppression Forest in Great Song that happened today, you need to give me an explanation.


    I¡¯ve warned everyone that no one is to move against Lin Hao in the near future.¡±


    The First General did not want Lin Rui, the Federation¡¯s deepest infiltrating agent into Great Song¡¯s core layer, to suffer any harm, nor did he want to see Federation forces killing each other.


    He also did not want to see batches of Alien Walkers encountering heavy casualties, which would deplete the overall strength of the Federation.


    The casualties of others today were one thing, but the two Eight Realms Emperor Rank Martial Cultivators, Li Yuehua and Hou Yuting, were particularly distressing for the First General.


    Although they were mercenaries who did jobs for pay, they were also registered as reserve Two-Star Marshals of the Federation.


    As long as the Federation issued a conscription order and offered suitable compensation, these two were obliged to serve the Federation with priority.


    If a war were to break out with Sky Extreme Star in the future, Alien Walkers at the level of Li Yuehua and Hou Yuting would be the Federation¡¯s core forces.


    If they were to fall today, it would truly be a pity.

 Chapter 444

    ?Chapter 444: Chapter 419: White Wolf (Please Subscribe) Chapter 444: Chapter 419: White Wolf (Please Subscribe) The man known as ¡°Star Sea White Wolf,¡± Zang Shaochen, appeared to be around 30 years old, of average stature, with delicate features, and a head of silver-white hair reflecting a chilly light under the illumination.


    He had probably also received the battle report from the battle at the Sky Suspension River.


    Not only did his face have a greenish hue like water, but there were also some veins bulging on his neck.


    His gaze remained profound and sharp, like a sword as he made eye contact with Li Xianglong.


    ¡°Why should I explain anything to you?


    Li Xianglong, since when can your Security Bureau dictate what the Star Navy does?¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± Li Xianglong said with a dismissive laugh, ¡°I¡¯ll submit a report to the Congress right now, just wait.¡±


    He summoned a three-dimensional projection at his side and began to edit a block of text on the spot.


    Zang Shaochen¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes were gloomy.


    ...


    ¡°Enough!


    Always with these games, Li Xianglong!


    It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t fight you, it¡¯s that I don¡¯t want to engage in such meaningless battles.


    Don¡¯t think that just because you won against me once 50 years ago, you can keep winning forever.¡±


    He knew the other party was drafting a report to request a duel.


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    This was a law set by the former president who had turned the tide in times of crisis, intended to prevent the wastage of the Earth Federation¡¯s internal strength by prohibiting combat between all honorary Congressmen.


    If there were truly compelling reasons for conflict, one could apply to the Congress.


    Zang Shaochen felt an extreme headache coming on.


    If Li Xianglong¡¯s application went through and he didn¡¯t accept the challenge, it would be a great embarrassment.


    But if he did accept it, there would surely be damage on both sides.


    At this juncture when the general election was about to begin, neither of them could afford to lose.


    ¡°I have my reasons for needing to kill him.¡±


    Zang Shaochen¡¯s face was expressionless.


    ¡°Just seven days ago, our Second Starship Group¡¯s self-made supercomputer model calculated that Lin Hao will destroy nearly a third of my forces and influence on Sky Extreme Star in the upcoming year.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it and borrowed the supercomputing cluster from the Atlantic Union for another calculation.


    The results there were even more terrifying, at thirty-five percent!


    In the next decade, he will deal heavy blows to the forces I¡¯ve painstakingly built up.


    Li Xianglong, do you really expect me to sit and wait for death?¡±


    ¡°So he must die, even if it enrages the East Abyss, you still want to eliminate him?¡±


    Li Xianglong finally understood, so this was the situation at hand.


    He also secretly thought that a thirty percent loss was too little.


    With the support of their Security Bureau¡¯s intelligence, Lin Rui should be able to take down nearly seventy percent of Zang Shaochen¡¯s foundation on Sky Extreme Star within a year; anything less would be Lin Rui¡¯s incompetence and dereliction.


    ¡°The problem is that by doing this, you might trigger a war between Great Song and the Earth Federation, dragging all the citizens of the Federation into the Abyss!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve never had peace with the four great Dynasties and Central Continent of Sky Extreme Star.¡±


    Rookie1: Li Yuehua, you¡¯ve been marked by the Heavenly Eye; you¡¯re doomed, right?


    Fairy Qin Yue (Li Yuehua): Fuck off!


    Li Yuehua replied impulsively, then her heart skipped a beat.


    She had clearly declined the request, so how could this person still enter her friends list and send her messages?


    Rookie1: You can¡¯t escape.


    If you don¡¯t want to die or be arrested and hung on a spike in Demon Suppression Forest, consider seeking refuge with Spy Detection Bureau Commander Lin Hao.


    He¡¯s your only chance to survive.


    Rookie1: If I were you, I¡¯d hide your real body and the Mecha Dragon right now to prevent the government from finding them in the future.


    Fairy Qin Yue (Li Yuehua): Who are you?


    Why would you say this?


    You actually want me to seek refuge with a person from Sky Etreme Star; what are you thinking?


    But when Li Yuehua sent her message, she received a notification that ¡®the user is not on your friends list¡¯.


    Li Yuehua¡¯s expression turned grave, and she began to search the entire network for ¡®Rookie1¡¯.


    She found over a dozen people using that nickname, but after investigating, none seemed to be the person she had just interacted with.


    Shortly after, Li Yuehua recalled something that sent a chill down her spine.


    The former General of the Federation Security Bureau, Li Xianglong, used the nickname ¡®Little Rookie of the Martial World¡¯.


    Moreover, his hacking skills were said to be exceptional, reaching SSS level.


    Allegedly, the Security Bureau¡¯s internal network, which Li Xianglong had created, had remained unbreached since he became the General.


    Li Yuehua wondered if this Rookie1 was Li Xianglong.


    What was he up to?


    Was he suggesting she sell herself out to seek refuge as a spy among the people of Sky Etreme Star, to become an apparent traitor in Great Song?


    But he should have made his intentions clear!


    Li Yuehua began searching online for a way to contact Li Xianglong.


    She thought if this guy wanted to use her so vaguely for his plans, it wouldn¡¯t be that easy!


    It would be best to contact the number one General of the Security Bureau directly and demand a clear explanation from Li Xianglong.


    If he played dumb, she would seek his help.


    As the number one General of the Federation Security Bureau, he couldn¡¯t just ignore her plea for help, could he?


    As a reserved Two Stars Marshal of the Federation, she ought to get at least some assistance.


    However, at that moment, Li Yuehua sensed two powerful Divine Thoughts sweeping toward her.


    Her expression changed drasticallya?€¡±had the people of Sky Etreme Star already found her so quickly?


    She didn¡¯t dare delay and immediately flew away, fleeing towards the deep sea with all her might.


    Although Li Yuehua strongly suspected that ¡®Rookie1¡¯ was Li Xianglong, she couldn¡¯t be sure and didn¡¯t dare to bet on it.


    What if he was luring her into a trap?


    Besides, Li Yuehua hadn¡¯t properly set up her real body and the Mecha Dragon yet.

 Chapter 445

    ?Chapter 445: Chapter 420 Chapter 445: Chapter 420 Ten minutes later, Lin Rui received another warning email from the Security Bureau in the name of the First General.


    The Security Bureau had informed all Alien Walkers on the Sky Extreme Star about the sudden incident in the northern part of the Demon Suppression Forest, including the tragic outcome that involved the loss of dozens of Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners, counting among them a Two Stars Marshal.


    Within the email, the First General once again warned all Alien Walkers to stay away from Luojing for the time being, and if there was a necessary reason to enter or lurk within Luojing, to proceed with extreme caution.


    And had designated Lin Hao as an SSS-ranked extremely dangerous individual, advising all Alien Walkers to avoid approaching him as much as possible.


    With a helpless smile, Lin Rui closed the email and surveyed the surface of the river.


    The battle on the river was also drawing to an end, with everyone who had pursued the Outer Heaven Demons gradually returning.


    Lin Rui was quite dissatisfied with these guys, considering that the Heavenly Demon prisoners were still held on the ships.


    ...


    If the enemy decided to launch a surprise counterattack at this moment, it would mean certain death for them.


    Fortunately, Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi had stood by his side at all times without leaving, and a few of the Dragon Guard trainers led by Xianyu Yan had followed his commands.


    The three hundred Imperial Dragons of the Spy Detection Bureau dared not disobey his will, ensuring that the prisoners on the three ships remained unharmed.


    By this time, the Second Divine Envoy and Luo Wangshu had already returned.


    After sinking all four of the Destroyer Starships, they showed no further interest in the remaining ships.


    The Second Divine Envoy glanced distantly towards the river and finally his gaze fell on Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s Battle Dragon.


    With an unpleasant expression and a cold glare, he ultimately let out a dissatisfied huff and flew off in the direction of Luojing.


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    Luo Wangshu, however, landed on the deck and spoke with appreciation, ¡°Little Hao Hao did well this time!


    Once again severely hitting the Heavenly Demon, several High Priests in the Divine Palace have praised you.


    They said that soon, the Divine Palace will bestow treasures upon you as a reward for your exceptional service.¡±


    Lin Rui sensed that Luo Wangshu¡¯s tone was mostly filled with relief, but it also contained a hint of helplessness.


    He guessed that Luo Wangshu was worried he had killed too many Heavenly Demons and would become a target of the Outer Heaven Demons, concerned for his situation.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but scratch his face, pondering that he too wished for peace, but the proverbial tree wanted to stay still while the wind wouldn¡¯t cease; he couldn¡¯t just stop even if he wanted to.


    After all, could one simply refuse meat that had been delivered to their mouth?


    Better to swallow and digest it now, for what would happen if others were to feed him even more meat later, and he couldn¡¯t handle it?


    novgo.co


    Luo Wangshu kept looking at the two Battle Dragons standing on the ship, especially the one beside Shangguan Tianyi on the left, which evoked a strong sense of surprise and admiration within her, ¡°Goodness, a Peerless Sword Spirit Dragon!


    Sixth Realm Emperor Stage, I didn¡¯t expect that the most outstanding among this generation of Dragon Guards would end up in your bowl.¡±


    Luo Wangshu then looked at Xianyu Yan with a puzzled expression, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it reported to the Divine Envoy by the head trainer of the Dragon Guard Capital that Shangguan Tianyi had been practicing Dragon Stage Martial Arts privately and had been contaminated by the Ten Thousand Thunder Venerable?


    It was said that she would never be able to undergo Dragon Transformation, and even if she did so by chance, she would become a vessel for the Ten Thousand Thunder Venerable¡¯s resurrection.


    So what is the meaning of this?@@@@


    This Peerless Sword Spirit Dragon seems to be in good condition, without any trace of contamination.¡±


    The fact that Lin Hao had managed to recruit a Dragon Guard of Sixth Realm Emperor Stage strength delighted her, but it also truly bewildered her.


    I made a deal to help her resurrect, in exchange for her allegiance to me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Luo Wangshu let out a surprised sound, and then nodded slightly, ¡°Indeed, there have been such cases where the body dies but the Primordial Spirit survives by clinging to a Battle Dragon, although it¡¯s very rare.¡±


    Luo Wangshu couldn¡¯t help but think of the battle several months ago on the Tianxiang River in Wangcheng County between Lin Hao and Burning Saber Sect Master Qi Yan of the Xuanhuo Saber, thinking that this explained it all.


    At this moment, Luo Wangshu noticed a red gem embedded in the forehead of the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon.


    ¡°Is this ¡®Emperor Blood Gem¡¯?¡±


    Lin Rui, hearing this, felt surprised, ¡°Master, you recognize this item?¡±


    It was precisely the item Ji Shenyan had removed from the Burning Saber Sect Master¡¯s liver.


    He had searched the Federation Security Bureau¡¯s databases but hadn¡¯t found any information on this item and didn¡¯t know what it really was.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Essence Blood transformed and left behind by Great Zhou¡¯s Founding Battle Dragon.


    It is said to have been an ¡®Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡¯ of the Ten Realms Super Monarch Stage,¡±


    Luo Wangshu recalled a record she had seen before.


    That ¡®Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡¯, at the peak of Imperial City, had its head crushed and exploded by the hand of a God.


    However, there was no need to tell Lin Rui about this matter.


    She shook her head, ¡°This General Ji was probably trying to use the Emperor Blood Gem to enhance and strengthen the Battle Dragon¡¯s Bloodline Power, so as to cross the threshold of the Monarch Stage!


    Since that¡¯s the origin of her ancestral Bloodline, there¡¯s a good chance of success.


    However, just this Emperor Blood Gem is not enough, I remember there should be some more in the Divine Palace from Great Zhou¡¯s Founding Battle Dragon.


    They happen to be awarding gifts, and later I¡¯ll have them give you one or two large ones.¡±


    Luo Wangshu chuckled lightly, ¡°No wonder you were so certain before, not the least bit worried or scared.


    With these two Battle Dragons guarding you, you indeed don¡¯t have to worry about safety.¡±


    She also felt relieved.


    With Shangguan Tianyi and this Battle Dragon, along with the Battle Dragon projections summoned by Lin Rui, many of the Eight Realms were no match for him.


    Near Luojing, Lin Rui no longer had to fear anyone below the Ninth Realm.


    If only the Blood Saber Lady could also undergo Dragon Transformation, to have dual Monarch Stage guards by his side, Lin Rui¡¯s safety would be truly ensured.


    ¡°By the way!¡±


    Luo Wangshu suddenly remembered something and took out an item.


    It was a Rune Disk, forged entirely from metal, gleaming with a silver-white luster, covered with all sorts of mystical runes, giving off a strong sense of science fiction.


    ¡°This was left behind by that Eight Realms Outer Heaven Demon.


    You should find it useful.


    It seems capable of locking onto a specific location to teleport.


    If you encounter any danger in the future, just use it to come straight to me.¡±


    Lin Rui glanced at it and thought, isn¡¯t this the Transmission Talisman Plate used by Li Yuehua and the others?


    Although it could only be used once, it truly was a valuable item, one that could save his life in extreme situations.

 Chapter 446

    ?Chapter 446: Chapter 421: Tremendous Shocks (Subscription Requested) Chapter 446: Chapter 421: Tremendous Shocks (Subscription Requested) Luo Wangshu had only stayed on the ship for a moment before he soared into the sky and flew away.


    Lin Rui bid farewell to his master and then looked around, dissatisfied, ¡°Have all units rest briefly before we continue crossing the river.¡±


    The two Second Rank imperial guard Generals also felt that the disorder on the ship was quite unseemly; they sternly organized their subordinates and formed a tight military formation.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed before the warship slowly headed south again, crossing the sixty-mile wide river to reach the outskirts of Demon Suppression Forest.


    At that time, two Fourth Rank Dragon Guards with swords stepped out from the Demon Suppression Forest, one of them clasping his hands towards Lin Rui¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Commander Lin, our Family Head has decreed that you only need to hand over the Outer Heaven Demons to us.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression turned solemn as he frowned, ¡°Please convey to the two Divine Envoy candidates that too many mishaps have occurred while escorting these Heavenly Demons today.


    I really cannot rest easy without seeing them hung in the Demon Suppression Forest myself.¡±


    He then made a cupped fist salute towards the sky, ¡°According to court regulations, I must personally hand over these prisoners to the two candidates for them to take charge.¡±


    The two Fourth Rank Dragon Guards with swords exchanged a glance after hearing his words.


    Their intention to take custody of the prisoners here was actually a gesture of goodwill, as the environment within Demon Suppression Forest was quite inhospitable to Martial Cultivators.


    ...


    While it was true that the regulations dictated that prisoners must be delivered into the forest for the handover, for 200 years now, the Imperial City Department and the Spy Detection Bureau had practically always handed over people just outside of the Demon Suppression Forest, which had become the norm.


    However, since Lin Hao had spoken thus, they were helpless to do otherwise.


    Moreover, the other side did indeed have reasons for concern; they too had witnessed the battle on the river, which was incredibly perilous.


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    Those Outer Heaven Demons had been extraordinarily audacious to cause trouble under the watch of the God above and even assault a current Spy Detection Bureau Commander.


    Furthermore, the incident involving the escape of the ninth Divine Envoy candidate had happened not long ago.


    novgo.co


    If they were Lin Hao, they too would not feel at ease at this moment.


    One of the Dragon Guards¡¯ ears twitched slightly, and then he bowed and said, ¡°Our Family Head says the court regulations are indeed such.


    Since the Commander insists on being cautious, let us enter together.


    However, Demon Suppression Forest has a peculiar environment, not suitable for ordinary people to witness.


    Commander, you may select a few with unwavering wills to deliver the prisoners in; the rest need not enter.¡±


    This was exactly what Lin Rui had hoped for; he immediately arranged for the two Second Rank imperial guard Generals to take charge of the rest outside the forest, while he himself picked Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi to accompany him into the Demon Suppression Forest.


    As Shangguan Tianyi controlled her ¡®Unparalleled Sword Spirit Dragon,¡¯ with a wave of her hand, the prisoner cages all rose into the air, following behind the trio as they entered the Demon Suppression Forest.


    Though the Demon Suppression Forest was constructed of countless iron stakes, the periphery had several layers of iron wire mesh studded with barbs.


    These iron meshes, forged as a whole from a unique alloy, were not only extremely sturdy but also formed a special force field, sealing off all six directionsa?€¡±up, down, left, right, front, backa?€¡±and preventing outsiders from approaching or peering in.


    The entire Demon Suppression Forest had only one path for entry.


    When Lin Rui and the others followed the two Dragon Guards to the very center of the forest, they were instantly taken aback.


    The core of the Demon Suppression Forest was actually a giant pit constructed of massive stones, at the center of which lay a gargantuan metal box resembling a ¡®coffin.¡¯


    This metal coffin was at least a hundred yards long, thirty yards wide, and thirty-five yards high, buried a hundred yards deep within the pit.


    One of the elderly women on the left gave Lin Rui a slight smile, ¡°Are you that famous new Spy Detection Bureau Commander Lin Hao?¡±


    This elderly woman had white hair like snow, her face etched with the tracks of time, her eyes deeply sunken, her cheekbones high, yet her expression was very kind, ¡°It¡¯s not for nothing that you could obtain the Divine Dragon Slayer Saber and Divine Merit Order in one day.


    Not only are you outstanding, brave, and strategic, but your talent also is at the pinnacle of this world.¡±


    Just Lin Rui¡¯s willpower alone left her in great admiration.


    It was known that they were able to stay here thanks to a special divine artifact gifted by the gods.


    Without it, she would also feel extremely uncomfortable.


    The recent battle in Jiangbei was also extraordinary.


    This Lin Hao tricked the enemy, drew the snake out of its hole, and in one go eliminated dozens of Dragon Transformation experts, including one from the Eight Realms!


    Additionally, two others from the Eight Realms were targeted and locked by the Heavenly Eye, not far from death!


    ¡°Situ Xiu, Vice Divine Envoy, flatters me.¡±


    Lin Rui recognized the person before him as the twelfth candidate Divine Envoy, Situ Xiu.


    In fact, she was a failed competitor in the Divine Envoy contention, being driven by the exalted deity into the Demon Suppression Forest to suppress Outer Heaven Demons and devoid of any real power, which showed her situation.


    Yet Lin Rui was still respectful and deferential; after all, she was a figure of the Ninth Realm, Super Emperor Rank, and there might still be chances for her to rise again in the future.


    He bowed with his hands clasped, ¡°I am here on divine orders to deliver one Heavenly Demon of the Eight Realms, seven Heavenly Demons of the Seventh Realm, and thirty-four demons of the Sixth Realm.


    I ask the two candidate Divine Envoys to take over for the verification process.¡±


    ¡°I have already looked over them; their identities are verified.¡±


    That was the other candidate Divine Envoy seated at the opposite sidea?€¡±Shentu Rong, the eleventh candidate Divine Envoy.


    This person was short in stature, seemingly a twelve-year-old youth, with eyes red as blood yet profoundly deep, as if they could devour everything.


    He smiled faintly, ¡°You may leave now.


    Lingering here will do you no good.¡±


    Although Shentu Rong was smiling, he exuded an extremely savage and bloodthirsty aura that sent shivers down one¡¯s spine.


    However, Lin Rui knew that this man was kind despite his stern appearance and was one of Luo Wangshu¡¯s most steadfast allies.


    Decades earlier, after Luo Wangshu triumphed in the competition to become the third Divine Envoy, she encountered a joint attack by several leading candidate Divine Envoys, supported by the emperor and the second Divine Envoy.


    She herself was unscathed, while Shentu Rong was dispatched by the deity to Demon Suppression Forest, leaving Luo Wangshu forever guilt-stricken.


    But today, Lin Rui had to do something regrettable to this man.


    He first glanced out of the corner of his eye to the left, where Academician Huangfu¡¯s alien body was hung upon an iron spike; then he looked at the message he had sent in the combat group in front of him.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Combat operation begins!


    This message was sent by Lin Rui the moment he entered the Demon Suppression Forest.


    Upon entry, Lin Rui had already shut off his Quantum Communication, effectively going offline.


    But by his estimate, there should be some commotion by now.


    As expected, in the next instant, the entire Demon Supression Forest suddenly shook violently!

 Chapter 447

    ?Chapter 447: Chapter 422 Shocking (Request for Monthly Pass) Chapter 447: Chapter 422 Shocking (Request for Monthly Pass) At the moment the earthquake struck, Lin Rui¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    ¡°Xuanyi, Xiaoying, keep an eye on the prisoners.¡±


    Ji Xueying knew what was happening yet didn¡¯t hesitate to draw her sword and leapt onto Zhu Tiantang¡¯s prison cart.


    Knowing her acting skills were insufficient, she simply put on a fierce and terrifying demeanor, glaring furiously with wide eyes at the Dragon Guards of the two Divine Envoy candidates as if considering them suspects.


    Shangguan Tianyi, however, was clueless about the situation, genuinely thinking there was a problem in the Demon Suppression Forest.


    She too drew her sword and looked sharply around, vigilant of her surroundings.


    The eleventh Divine Envoy candidate, Shentu Rong, and the twelfth, Situ Xiu, abruptly stood up and leapt into the sky, reaching a thousand feet in height.


    When they saw the situation in the distance, their faces turned ashen.


    ...


    Eighty li southeast of the Demon Suppression Forest, four areas were experiencing violent explosions.


    The explosions caused such intense tremors that not only did they propagate into the Demon Suppression Forest, but they also stirred up huge mushroom clouds in the sky.


    What was more terrifying was that, about sixty li to the south, a large number of Heavenly Demon missiles were flying through the air.


    Spread over a fifty li wide arc, these missiles seemed sparse but were actually numbering in the thousands, with some even equipped with cloaking capabilities, mingling with the smoke from the explosions.


    The experienced eleventh Divine Envoy candidate, Shentu Rong, recognized that these missiles were the powerful so-called ¡°medium-sized nuclear fusion missiles.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Shentu Rong first grunted angrily, then his expression changed drastically again.


    ¡°Their target isn¡¯t the Demon Suppression Forest, but the surrounding ley lines!¡±


    Indeed, the ley lines had already been damaged.


    The four explosion sites were all located where ley lines converged.


    Shentu Rong guessed that someone had buried nuclear fusion bombs at these sites and detonated them remotely.


    While Shentu Rong was speaking, he had already darted out.


    The twelfth Divine Envoy candidate, Situ Xiu, did not dare to delay either and flew towards the southeast.


    Previously, when Lin Hao was attacked, neither left the Demon Suppression Forest to intervene.


    But now, both were restless.


    If those ley lines were to be extensively destroyed, it could lead to unpredictable consequences within the Demon Suppression Forest.


    Those consequences would be far more severe than Lin Hao being killed by a group of Outer Heaven Demons or those Heavenly Demon prisoners being taken away!


    Outside, the Imperial Colonel Song Yingwu and the Strategic Colonel Wei Tianqing saw this scene and their expressions changed drastically too.


    Both thought these Outer Heaven Demons were utterly insane!


    They had already made a huge scene over the Sky Suspension River, which nearly alerted the gods, and now they were at it again?


    Was this never-ending?


    This was the height of recklessness!


    The Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, Lin Hao, had killed so many of them, yet it had not dampened their spirits.


    The two second-ranked imperial guard generals did not hesitate to draw their weapons again and soared into the sky.


    ¡°Everyone listen to my command!


    Intercept the Heavenly Demon missiles with all your might.¡±


    They were far from those missiles, and the affected arc was wide, so their subordinates¡¯ arrows could only reach up to twenty li.


    Thus, they could only allow their subordinates to act independently.


    In fact, the Demon Suppression Forest was surrounded by three districts of the Demon Suppression Army to the left and right of the forest!


    novgo.co


    In the Great Song military system, one district contains ten thousand troops!


    You may now check the Skill list for the third Battle Spirit!


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart pounded excitedly.


    Capturing Huang Fuqing¡¯s Battle Spirit not only meant that his two sisters might have a chance to survive, but his own cultivation strength was also bound to advance by leaps and bounds.


    Lin Rui then looked deeply into the large metallic coffin in the pit ahead.


    He was secretly alarmed.


    Just at the moment of the most intense explosion, a slight aura had leaked from that metal coffin.


    Lin Rui caught only a fleeting glimpse, yet he saw something incredible.


    But then his expression became heavy, his brow deeply furrowed, with one hand on his sword, maintaining a vigilant and defensive posture.


    Although he appeared to stand motionless, he was actually busily and discreetly absorbing those spiritual power tendrils, integrating them into his own Abyss Source Core.


    It wasn¡¯t until about two minutes later that Luo Wangshu and the Second Divine Envoy reappeared above the Demon Suppression Forest.


    Both of them were frowning intensely, their expressions a mix of shock and rage, furiously beyond measure.


    Neither of them expected that just after leaving this place, these Outer Heaven Demons had again stirred up trouble, and on such a grand scale.


    Lin Rui had no choice but to stop absorbing.


    He discovered that only by covering his skin and the surface of his brain with his Abyss Source Essence could he prevent the spiritual power tendrils from invading, thus allowing his Abyss Source Core to draw no more.


    The Eleventh Candidate Divine Envoy, Shentu Rong, and the Twelfth Candidate Divine Envoy, Situ Xiu, returned one after another.


    Both of their complexions looked terrible, their expressions a mixture of suspicion, annoyance, and helplessness.


    The Second Divine Envoy asked bluntly with a blue face, ¡°What happened?


    Why has the pursuit lasted so long?


    Have you found any trace of the enemy?¡±


    Situ Xiu responded sullenly, ¡°The enemy has a group of so-called snipers among the Heavenly Demons, who used Battle Dragons and sniper cannons to shoot at us from over two hundred miles away.


    By the time we got there, they had already escaped.


    They have an extremely skilled Illusionist who can confuse our sensesa?€¡±¡±


    Before she could finish, the Second Divine Envoy interrupted her: ¡°In other words, you are incompetent.


    You can¡¯t even properly guard the Demon Suppression Forest.¡±


    The two candidate Divine Envoys widened their eyes, angered.


    ¡°Enough, the main issue is more pressing.¡± Luo Wangshu was most concerned about the status of that giant metallic coffin; they must check it as soon as possible to eliminate hidden dangers.


    She immediately brushed her sleeve, ¡°Hao, you wait outside first!¡±


    The object inside this metal coffin was not something Lin Hao could come into contact with now.


    Lin Rui frowned as if reluctant.


    However, he still performed a gesture of respect filled with reluctance, escorting the two girls beside him out of the Demon Suppression Forest.


    Just after Lin Rui walked out of the Demon Suppression Forest, he immediately opened his Quantum Communication and directly transmitted the high-definition images he had recorded inside the Demon Suppression Forest to the First General, Li Xianglong.


    This First General had added him as a friend not long ago, but despite his superior¡¯s arrogance of never initiating conversation after adding him, Lin Rui transmitted the video at a high data cost.


    The First General responded immediately.


    Li Xianglong: You¡¯re inside the Demon Suppression Forest?


    What exactly is that?


    Just then, in the office of the Security Bureau headquarters, Li Xianglong abruptly stood up, his eyes wide, staring intensely at the video on the screen.


    He had recognized what was inside the metal coffin!


    This Alien Agent, infiltrated into the core layer of the Great Song, had secured an extremely crucial piece of intelligence for the Earth Federation!


    Just with this video, this image alone, Lin Rui justified every resource Li Xianglong had invested in him.

 Chapter 448

    ?Chapter 448: Chapter 423: Battle Spirit No.3 (Three more chapters, please subscribe) Chapter 448: Chapter 423: Battle Spirit No.3 (Three more chapters, please subscribe) Li Xianglong: The video is good, make sure you don¡¯t let it leak from your hands.


    Li Xianglong: Lin Rui, did you orchestrate that attack that just happened in the Demon Suppression Forest?


    Lin Rui knew he couldn¡¯t hide this from Li Xianglong.


    After all, this was the highest leader of the Security Bureau, whose intelligence capabilities should not be underestimated.


    How could he not know that Wang Tianwu and Fei Yunlai were in his hands?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Yes, it was an operation planned by my own Armament Studio.


    Li Xianglong really wanted to ask what this guy was thinking and what his purpose was in striking the Demon Suppression Forest?


    ...


    If it had been a national operation, that would have been one thing; they indeed wanted to know what was inside the Demon Suppression Forest, but since they currently lacked the ability to break into the True Demon Forest to take a look, they had been delaying.


    But what about Lin Rui?


    However, since the other party said it was a private operation, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for him to ask.


    Li Xianglong, filled with confusion, also felt a slight headache.


    Lin Rui¡¯s merits this time were enough to earn him a special class merit within the Security Bureau, and in the future, he might even receive an ¡°Earth Honor Medal¡± from Congress, which could provide him with life-saving items from within the Security Bureau.


    But this report wouldn¡¯t be easy to write; a studio¡¯s private operation wouldn¡¯t be easy to gloss over with Congress.


    He thought it over and reckoned he could only process some procedural matters for Lin Rui behind the scenes.


    Go to novgo.co


    Special circumstances call for special handling; Lin Rui¡¯s security was indeed a major concern, and they had to strengthen it as much as possible.


    If the secret front followed all the rules to the letter, then nothing would ever get done.


    Li Xianglong: Well done!


    Submit a mission report later.


    You performed excellently on this national SSS-class top-secret mission for the Security Bureau.


    I¡¯m very satisfied.


    Li Xianglong: If you employed private resources during the mission, there are subsidies for that too; make sure to clearly document this in the report.


    These procedures and reports can temporarily be withheld from Congress, but must still exist.


    Lin Rui smiled when he saw what was going on.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Understood, General!


    I will submit the mission report shortly.


    Lin Rui then turned and instructed Xue Lingxue to write the report for him, before inquiring in the battle group chat.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Is everyone safely evacuated?


    Were there any casualties?


    Those who have reached a safe state, type a ¡®1¡¯ in the chat.


    The chat was instantly filled with the number ¡®1¡¯.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Great!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): This is a national, top-secret SSS-level task from the Security Bureau.


    The Security Bureau¡¯s headquarters temporarily raised the secrecy level of the task to Level X after it was completed, so you need to re-sign this confidentiality agreement.


    Wang Tianwu felt a chill, and he respectfully tensed up.


    He thought, no wonder their BOSS had targeted the Demon Suppression Forest, it was for a national top-secret mission.


    The task level was elevated to X?


    It seems Lin Rui saw something extraordinary there.


    But it¡¯s weird, didn¡¯t SSS-level tasks require a confidentiality agreement before?


    Actually, Lin Rui was completing various procedures following the directives of Xue Lingxue.


    Once everything was settled, Lin Rui finally had the time to check on the status of Battle Spirit No.


    novgo.co


    3.


    He glanced over and his body shuddered slightly, a hint of flush appearing on his face.


    Given Lin Rui¡¯s cunning today, he couldn¡¯t help but reveal his excitement.


    Battle Spirit No.


    3: Huang Fuqing (Possessable)


    Learnable Skills 465 items: Haoyang Divine Technique (Grandmaster), Haoyang Heavenly Blade (Grandmaster), Lei Haoyang Great Technique (Grandmaster), Bright Illumination (Grandmaster)...


    Sky Extreme Star Dragon Stage Medicine (Grandmaster), Sky Extreme Star Dragon Stage Biology (Grandmaster), Dragon Stage Surgical Implantation (Grandmaster), S-class Armament Production Skills (Grandmaster), SS-class Armament Production Skills (Grandmaster)...


    Control Dragon with Needles (Grandmaster), Life Extending Divine Spell (Grandmaster)a?€| the rest omitted


    The array of learnable skills gave Lin Rui a tingling sensation on his scalp.


    What shocked Lin Rui was that among them were even Armament Mecha Dragon Production Skills (Grandmaster), X-level Armament Production Skills (True Truth), X-level Armament Production Theory (True Truth) ¨C skills beyond Lin Rui¡¯s imagination.


    This made Lin Rui inwardly marvel, thinking that this top scientist, who holds several academic titles truly deserves his reputation.


    Has his Divine Rank Armament Production Skills and debates also reached the level of True Truth?


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes.


    That is to say, before his death, he might have already uncovered the true profundity of X-level?


    The replicable skills are far fewer, currently only 345 items.


    Besides the skills related to biology, medicine, and armament, there are also a large number of martial arts skills.


    Huang Fuqing¡¯s martial arts also reached the level of Seventh Realm Emperor Stage, primarily focusing on the Light and Thunder elements, with the Fire element as auxiliary.


    Among them are 7 high-level Grandmaster stage Pile Techniques, 5 high-level Grandmaster stage spiritual Secret Techniques, 8 high-level Grandmaster stage Body Refining Techniques, and 23 powerful Secret Skills related to the Light, Thunder, and Fire elements.


    If Lin Rui exchanged them all, not only would his strength considerably increase, but he could also significantly advance the time for his Dragon Transformation.


    In addition, Huang Fuqing also has battle dragons that can be exchanged, and they are two Emperor Stage battle dragons!


    Giftable Items: Emperor Haoyang Dragon (Seventh Realm), Emperor Haoyang Armament Dragon (Seventh Realm)


    Lin Rui sensed and browsed the notes on these two entries, then he slightly raised his eyebrows.


    Huang Fuqing¡¯s ¡®Emperor Haoyang Dragon¡¯ was suppressed in the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, so he had no hope of accessing it anytime soon, as Great Song would definitely closely guard this battle dragon.


    However, his other armament battle dragon and even Huang Fuqing¡¯s original body were currently hidden in a secret laboratory in Seventh Base City.


    Fortunately, the Earth Federation government had not yet found this laboratory.

 Chapter 449

    ?Chapter 449: Chapter 424: Problem (Please Subscribe) Chapter 449: Chapter 424: Problem (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui tentatively made a transaction and immediately felt invigorated.


    To acquire the Battle Dragon from Huang Fuqing, he needed only 100,000 soul power pointsa?€¡±though that was merely the processing fee.


    To tailor it as his own, he would need 1.5 million more soul power points, which was much more expensive than the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon.


    However, for Lin Rui at the moment, 1.6 million soul power points was trivial.


    Lin Rui began to replicate all sorts of medical and armament-related skills from Huang Fuqing.


    He didn¡¯t aim too high and try to exchange for those rare ¡°Dragon¡± stage and ¡°Sky Extreme¡± stage skills.


    As the saying goes, a towering building starts from the ground up; without a foundation, even the construction of skyscrapers would be a castle in the air.


    ...


    Biology, armament biology, pharmacology, traditional pharmacology, pathology, toxicology, medical physics, and Sky Extreme Star physiology among othersa?€¡±from basic to high-levela?€¡±all were exchanged.


    Many of these skills Lin Rui already possessed but not to the point of Great Success or Grandmaster level, so he spent no more than 420,000 points.


    For the Dragon Stage skills, Lin Rui only exchanged for Dragon Stage Surgical Implantation and SS-tier Armament Manufacturing Techniques before he could exchange no further.


    The hundreds of thousands of soul power points obtained from the recent spree of the Children¡¯s Song Killer were scarcely enough.


    Lin Rui decided he would soon visit the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower to enhance his Blood Essence Secret Technique.


    ¡°Hmm~¡±


    Lin Rui, with his eyes closed, recalled the various skill reactions after the exchange, sparking inspiration in his mind.


    Go to novgo.co


    He realized the various elixir prescriptions he held could be improved to make their effects stronger, use fewer materials, and reduce costs.


    And those anesthetics, truth serums, various poisons, and the delay powder used this timea?€¡±their effects could all be enhanced as various chemical structures surfaced in his thoughts.


    His mind also held techniques for creating A-level, S-level to SS-plus-level armament, including tips to enhance the surgery of ¡°Armament¡±.


    novgo.co


    This was a tactic to integrate armament more closely with the human body, thus enhancing both the power and efficiency of the armament.


    This differed from Si Malin¡¯s research, which focused on the unique mysteries of the human body¡¯s meridiansa?€¡±his exclusive expertise.


    Huangfu Lin¡¯s research direction, however, leaned towards making the human body¡¯s structure closer to that of Sky Extreme Star people, suitable for Alien Walkers¡¯ armament, which is the mainstream in the armament field.


    Yet, these two approaches could be used together.


    Lin Rui also came up with techniques for combining various medicines with armament.


    Lin Rui felt an odd sense of intrigue and marveled once again at the magic of the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Huangfu Lin also mastered pharmacology, toxicology, poison crafting, and so on, all at the Grandmaster level, yet this individual invented only 14 traceable drugs in his entire life over a period of more than 80 years.


    He had also written many papers, speculating about some drugs, yet these had never translated into tangible results.


    Lin Rui touched his head, wondering perhaps if there was something wrong with his own brain?


    Whenever he began extrapolating skills with soul power points, not only did his brain feel like a top-tier supercomputer, his consciousness seemed to extend in all directions, grasping everything in the universe that could be of use to him.


    ¡°Speaking of which, I felt it too,¡± Lin Rui frowned.


    ¡°But burned out?


    What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means exactly what it sounds like, their so-called ¡®Biological Assistance Chip¡¯ almost turned into charcoal.¡±


    Luo Wangshu shook her head, ¡°Next, I am going to the Divine Palace with the Second Divine Envoy to explain the situation to the Priests there.


    You all go back first.¡±


    She then reassuringly patted Lin Rui¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Take it easy, you were just following orders and performing your duty throughout the whole process.


    This matter has nothing to do with you.


    From the current situation, the ones at fault are the two candidate Divine Envoys, the Demon Suppression Army, and the Divine Prison Department.¡±


    However, her old friend was in trouble.


    He had already been demoted to guard the Demon Suppression Forest, and now this incident had occurred.


    These two were unable to escape a charge of ¡®negligence and ineffectiveness.¡¯


    For Luo Wangshu, this was actually good news.


    After this event, Shentu Rong should have completely given up on the position of Divine Envoy.


    ¡°This really is a case of ¡®the tree wants to stay calm, but the wind will not stop.''¡±


    Luo Wangshu shook her head.


    She glanced sideways at the Second Divine Envoy with a voice full of anger, ¡°How incompetent were those ten-odd previous commanders of the Spy Detection Bureau?


    They were utterly negligent!


    They even allowed the force of the Outer Heaven Demons within the territory of Great Song to grow so strong!


    It¡¯s fortunate that the court reassigned you to Beijing, appointing you as the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, otherwise, who knows how far these Demons¡¯ power would have infiltrated!¡±


    For her and her disciple, this was another piece of good news.


    The saying goes, ¡®In times of national peril, think of good generals; amid chaos, recognize loyal ministers.¡¯


    The stronger and more numerous the Outer Heaven Demons acted, the more brazen they became, the more they, being staunch resisters, were valued by the Divine Supreme and the Divine Palace.


    If it were not for the inappropriate setting, Luo Wangshu would have almost laughed.


    Lin Rui, unaware of Luo Wangshu¡¯s hidden thoughts, frowned with a resentful expression, feeling sympathetic to his master¡¯s words.


    These Outer Heaven Demons were indeed audacious, daring to attack the current commander of the Spy Detection Bureau right under the nose of the Third Divine Envoya?€¡±this was simply lawless.


    The face of the Second Divine Envoy slightly darkened, sharp pain throbbing in his head.


    The two previous commanders of the Spy Detection Bureau were both his recommendations.


    These two held their positions as the commanders for over fifteen years, yet they had allowed the situation of Great Song to deteriorate to this extent, which was difficult to shirk responsibility for.


    If the Priests of the Divine Palace later inquired about this matter, it would be difficult for him to provide an answer satisfying the Priests and Divine Supreme.

 Chapter 450

    ?Chapter 450: Chapter 425: Guang Ming Storm (Please Subscribe) Chapter 450: Chapter 425: Guang Ming Storm (Please Subscribe) Three days later, at the Lin residence within the Imperial City of Luojing, Lin Rui was practicing the Pile Technique in the martial arts training ground.


    The ¡°High-level Ling Huan Pile Technique¡± that he had exchanged from Battle Spirit No.


    2 made the Qi and Blood in Lin Rui¡¯s body surge.


    It deeply integrated with the Primordial Spirit in his brain marrow, facilitating the extraction of strength from his Qi and Blood, thereby nourishing and strengthening it.


    At the same time, Lin Rui¡¯s entire body ¡®crackled and snapped¡¯, as his muscles, bones, meridians, blood vessels, and fascia were being stretched to their limits and rapidly repaired under the unique circulation of Qi Yuan.


    This is essentially a high-level Pile Technique originating from Ling Huan, primarily cultivating the Divine Soul and secondarily strengthening the flesh.


    The effects were very good, ranking among the top-tier in high-level Pile Techniques.


    ...


    After reaching the peak of the Ninth Realm, Ling Huan also thought of improving his fundamental methods, restructuring his foundation in Magic, while leaving his own mark and inheritance in the practices of Magic and spiritual cultivation.


    This person, from his lofty position in the Ninth Realm, had developed his own set of beginner, middle-level, high-level, and Dragon Stage Pile Techniques.


    The results were quite good.


    The Illusionist at the top tier offered many different Pile Techniques and Secret Cultivation Methods, too many for Lin Rui to master in a short time.


    Now, with the addition of some from Huang Fuqing, the Pile Techniques and Secret Techniques he could exchange for had reached seventy or eighty items.


    Lin Rui used to copy a new one every 15 to 20 days, only switching to the next technique when the strengthening effect on his body and Primordial Spirit reached its limit, for fear of wasting any potential.


    Now, however, he acted like a tycoon, copying a new one every five days, willing to waste the remaining ten days of lingering effects rather than waiting.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui was becoming increasingly impatient, eager to advance to the Sixth Realm for Dragon Transformation.


    After all, whether on the Sky Extreme Star or in the Earth¡¯s Base City, only those strong enough to undergo Dragon Transformation were considered significant.


    If he continued at his previous pace, when would he be able to undergo Dragon Transformation?


    Those remaining Armored Warriors, who mostly had very average talents, lacked the ability to become Alien Walkers and did not need it.


    This ability was most suitable for high-level martial cultivators from the Sky Extreme Star.


    If they wanted to go to the ¡°Heavenly Demon Origin¡± without starting from scratch, then Lin Rui could certainly be of help.


    At this moment, Wang Sen sent a message.


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): Rui Ge, I have implanted the Golden Core, SSSi?1?4? level ¡°Xuanwu Shenming¡±!


    Wang Sen also sent him a photo taken in the operating room, his face beaming with a smile, his eyes excited.


    Wang Sen indeed had reasons to be excited.


    For that ¡°Xuanwu Shenming¡±, he deliberately delayed it for a month, constantly strengthening and polishing his physical body, nurturing and enhancing his Primordial Spirit, and today, he finally achieved success.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Not bad, keep it up!


    It was indeed very good.


    It is worth noting that Zhao Yan also only implanted his Golden Core in the second half of his first year at school.


    What was the foundation that Zhao Yan had when he started school??


    And what about Wang Sen?


    The pace of his cultivation is almost reaching the Hall level.


    Just by implanting the Golden Core, Wang Sen would be able to enter Dragon Shedding in a couple of months.


    By then, equipping him with a better Demon Dragon Armor and utilizing his Sixth Realm Ice Blood Demon, he would again, as in Wangcheng County, be able to take on the role of the leader of the trusted aides and help with a lot of official duties.


    Of course, Wang Sen¡¯s pace of cultivation was still slightly behind Lin Xi.


    Lin Xi received her Alien body a few months later than the chubby kid but had already implanted an Artificial Golden Core three days ago.


    Her Golden Core, like Lin Rui¡¯s, was ¡°Emperor¡¯s Clock¡±, but it was only SSSi?1?4?.

 Chapter 451

    ?Chapter 451: Chapter 425: Guang Ming Storm (Request for Subscription)_2 Chapter 451: Chapter 425: Guang Ming Storm (Request for Subscription)_2 Lin Rui previously had no Source Essence, so he had to have a Golden Core implanted, whereas Lin Xi¡¯s problem now is that she has too many X-level elements in her body.


    This matter has shaken the internet in recent days.


    Although Lin Xi has not officially debuted, she is, after all, Lin Rui¡¯s sister and has a certain following, coupled with her outstanding performance among her peers, she has already gained a certain popularity online.


    Many people were shocked when Lin Xi had a Golden Core implanted at the age of seventeen.


    However, currently, most martial critics are pessimistic, thinking there might be future troubles.


    People from Sky Extreme Star can only cultivate after their fontanelle closes, and humans also have to wait until they are 18a?€¡±there is a reason for this.


    Cultivating too early can hinder the proper development of the Primordial Spirit and the body, leading to the risk of developing Armament Syndrome; it also increases susceptibility to Abyss Pollution.


    ...


    There are many such examples in the Federation¡¯s history, and the outcomes were not pleasant.


    These people are unaware that Lin Xi has long been a vessel for the Abyss and thus have no interest in these matters.


    Lin Rui then received a message from Zhang Long.


    Zhang Long: ¡°Boss!


    Everything has been arranged and the action plan has been made.


    Take a look first, this is the plan Xue Lingxue and I devised, and here are the corresponding intelligence data.¡±


    Zhang Long: ¡°Boss, if you see no issues, we can set a time to act.¡±


    Go to novgo.co@@@@


    After reading, Lin Rui was initially invigorated and immediately started reviewing the documents Zhang Long sent.


    However, after reading them, he frowned.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Is this all?¡±


    Zhang Long was speechless.


    This operation was extremely massive, involving 14 gangs, 464 illegal venues, 25 drug hiding and processing dens, 42 smuggling warehouses, and 54,323 gang members.


    Zhang Long: ¡°Boss, we have over 80% confidence in convicting them with these, and this is just our first action.


    Let¡¯s first arrest these gang members and see if we can dig deeper.¡±


    This couldn¡¯t be like the Children¡¯s Song Killer, chopping whoever we wanted.


    Without sufficient evidence, capturing these people would accomplish nothing.


    Moreover, they needed to apply for arrest and search warrants before the action.


    Although they had the assistance of the mayor of Ninth Base City, who was well-established both in the court and the Procuratorate, the judges and prosecutors wouldn¡¯t dare to issue unwarranted warrants haphazardly.


    What you need to do is get the investigation warrant and gather enough elite forces and combat robots.¡±


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°I have a feeling that Li Zhaokang and his men will resist fiercely.


    You and Lingxue must be fully prepared for battle, also remind our men to be vigilant before the action and to bring all their protective equipment.¡±


    Zhang Long was slightly stunned after seeing Lin Rui¡¯s response.


    At that moment, he suddenly remembered an operation against the Loyality Gang shortly after he was transferred; it was targeting one of Jin San¡¯s branches.


    The branch had resisted inexplicably, leading to almost its entire annihilation.


    Zhang Long¡¯s scalp tingled, thinking that his superior was possibly taking an unconventional approach again.


    Lin Rui then added Fei Yunlai and Wang Tianwu to a combat group.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Old Fei, Old Wang, later you go to Warehouse No.


    3, pull 10 tons of drugs and deliver them to this mansion.


    Make sure you remain covert throughout the operation, I will have Lin Guangming and Xiaoxi assist you.¡±


    In their previous operations, they had seized nearly about 80 tons of drugs.


    Previously, they destroyed them, but later, considering that some of the drugs were derived from the Spiritual Medicine of Sky Extreme Star, it seemed a waste to destroy them.


    Some could be slightly refined and used as materials for other medicines, so they decided to preserve some.


    Little did they know they¡¯d use them this time.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): ¡°OK, I¡¯ve looked at the intelligence, no problem as long as we are adequately covered, but the stuff is a bit much.¡±


    As an illusionist, Wang Tianwu would definitely not go in.


    This ten-ton load would have to be handled by him alone.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): ¡°Getting it in should be no problem.


    Li Zhaokang has two Seventh Realm masters with him, but they won¡¯t be too much for us.


    Boss, where are we hiding this 10-ton load?¡±


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°This 38,000 square meter placea?€¡±where can¡¯t you hide it?


    Figure it out yourselves.¡±


    Wang Tianwu read Lin Rui¡¯s message and thought that this was absolutely a frame-up; his boss was a cop as dark as they come.


    The Earth Federation even let this guy serve as an ¡®Admiral¡¯ of the Security Bureau, additionally overseeing the Special Service Center and ¡®National Security Bureau Special Operations Center¡¯ of such powerful law enforcement agenciesa?€¡±truly blind!

 Chapter 452

    ?Chapter 452: Chapter 426: Gone Mad (Three more updates, please subscribe) Chapter 452: Chapter 426: Gone Mad (Three more updates, please subscribe) The following evening, the head of the Loyalty Gang, ¡°Black Tiger¡± Li Zhaokang, was leisurely drinking Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup and watching the news at his family restaurant.


    Despite his fierce nickname, Black Tiger, he actually had a kind and gentle face, resembling a retired elder content with home life.


    ¡°a?€¡±a?€¡±This broadcast reports that according to our Alien reporter¡¯s investigation, the Great Song capital, Luojing, remains in a highly dangerous state.


    The Great Song officials have intensified inspections on major roads in the eight provinces of Luojing.


    It is rumored that this will lead to a price increase in bulk commodities related to Sky Extreme Star again.


    Let¡¯s take a look at the news footage.¡±


    ¡°According to the Federation Alien Body Administration, the life support capsule of the retired two-star Marshal Li Cheng had been unplugged, a result of an application by his family who could not afford the medical maintenance costs of a two-star Marshal.


    Just recently, the Federation Army officially removed Li Cheng from the reserve marshal¡¯s roster.


    ...


    He is the third two-star Marshal to die since Lin Hao took office.¡±


    ¡°a?€¡±a?€¡±The white storm initiated by the Great Song Spy Detection Bureau not only hasn¡¯t stopped but has grown more intense, now spreading across the nation of Great Song.


    It is rumored that all thirty-six Military Governors of Great Song, under pressure from the Spy Detection Bureau, have issued documents fully committed to fighting against our human Alien Walkers.


    Forty-two provinces have now entered a state of alert.¡±


    ¡°This demolishes many experts¡¯ claims that Lin Hao¡¯s initial actions were just a new official¡¯s opening moves.


    It seems the white terror of the Great Song Dynasty could persist and become normalizeda?€¡±¡±


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    ¡°The Federation Alien Body Administration has released the names of Alien Walkers who died today, a total of 43 fellows perished in the Great Song¡¯s white storm.


    Let us observe a moment of silence for them!¡±


    Li Zhaokang was watching the news attentively.


    The reason he subscribed to this pay-TV channel, which specializes in news about Sky Extreme Star and provides various intelligence for Alien Walkers, was to expand his business to Sky Extreme Star.


    As the leader of the Loyalty Gang, Li Zhaokang¡¯s influence and wealth in Ninth Base City had reached its limit.


    His family desired to further progress, to really ascend to higher society; setting their sights on Sky Extreme Star was the only way.


    For centuries, financial tycoons and families thriving because of Sky Extreme Star were numerous.


    They wielded both substantial military power and wealth, which allowed them to gain higher positions within the Federation and be more readily accepted by the Federation¡¯s common populace.


    Meanwhile, his descendants were discussing on either side.


    ¡°Lin Hao is quite impressive.


    The marshal from the Federation¡¯s Star Navy used such great forces; not only did they fail to eliminate him, but they also lost a two-star marshal and many generals.¡±


    ¡°I heard that his authority has even increased, the Divine Envoy authorized him to supervise all Outer Heaven Demons searches in the Great Song regions.


    If local authorities resist or perform poorly, Lin Hao has the power to replace them, even execute first and report later, for ranks below third-rank.


    For higher ranks, he can temporarily suspend their duties for investigation by the Divine Envoy.¡±@@@@


    ¡°The new commander of the Spy Detection Bureau is the most severe in 100 years and the most trusted by the Great Song court and the people.


    It is said that on the day the imperial edict was issued, all Imperial Censors and upright officials celebrated.


    Fortunately, our family¡¯s business is not in Great Song; otherwise, we would be in trouble too.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!


    The investigations are getting tighter here in Great Wei as well; our Imperial City Department and Spy Detection Bureau don¡¯t want to be seen as incompetenta?€¡±they are also intensifying their scrutiny.¡±


    What concerned Li Zhaokang even more was that the person who initiated this massive operation was the ¡®Thunder Admiral.¡¯


    The same ¡®Thunder¡¯ who had recently plotted the assassination of the Federation¡¯s top illusionist ¡®Ling Huan,¡¯ also bringing about the demise of King Han Sen.


    This individual not only had a profound background but also had an extraordinary foundation within the government.


    Merely Ling Huan¡¯s death had already made countless people within the Federation government grateful.


    In the past, Ling Huan had harmed countless people, whose friends and relatives all harbored extreme hatred and resentment toward him!


    And over the past few centuries, Ling Huan¡¯s targets mostly included high-ranking military and political figures.


    Although these people did not show it afterward, they would certainly take care of and favor anything related to Thunder.


    Just like previously, when Zhou Yunfei assigned ¡®Thunder¡¯ to be in charge of the Special Service Center, the entire appointment process encountered no obstacles, and no level of the council raised any objections.


    It was said that Thunder Admiral¡¯s budget and personnel transfer requests within the Security Bureau were also very smooth.


    In addition, people like Zhou Yunfei, Huo Bangguo, the Second General, and Xu Mengran from East Asia, had immense trust in him!


    Li Zhaokang was secretly alarmed.


    Was Thunder Admiral surrounding his residence because he had some evidence against him?


    That was unlikely, as Li Zhaokang had not been directly involved in any underground illegal business for over 50 years.


    He had long since switched to a model of taking profits behind the scenes, leveraging his political resources, and the power of his military forces to take a cut directly from the various branches of the Loyalty Gang, acting as their protector.


    As for things from over 50 years ago, firstly, too much time had passed and he had mostly laundered that history away, and secondly, most of them had already passed the statute of limitations for judicial prosecution.


    As Li Zhaokang was deep in thought, his butler approached him from behind.


    ¡°Sir, Zhang Long is currently at the front door,¡± the butler reported, ¡°he has presented a search warrant, suspecting that our villa is hiding a large amount of drugs and wishes to conduct a search.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Long?¡± Li Zhaokang squinted, ¡°Then has Thunder Admiral arrived yet?¡±


    The butler shook his head slightly, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him, but I just saw Zhang Long saluting toward an armored command vehicle and asking for instructions into the vehicle.¡±


    Li Zhaokang sneered inwardly, so Thunder must indeed be on-site personally.


    He folded his arms behind his back, ¡°Then let them search; there¡¯s nothing here.


    However, it¡¯s best you delay them as much as possible.


    I have already notified my team of lawyers, and they are on their way.¡±


    Besides, he had also used some political connections to help him maneuver and exert pressure on the Federation Security Bureau.


    But he didn¡¯t need to mention these things to the butler.


    The butler nodded in agreement, but as he turned to walk out of the villa once again, he paused slightly.


    He saw several core members of the Loyalty Gang acting strangely; their facial muscles twitched slightly, veins bulged on their necks, and their eyes were ferociously manic, reminding the butler of rabid dogs.


    The butler looked concerned, as these few appeared to show symptoms of an imminent outbreak of Armament Syndrome.


    It was curious because among those selected to guard the villa, many core members indeed had overloaded implants to seek greater combat power.


    But their symptoms of Armament Syndrome were very mild, as after all, they were in the vicinity of a deputy speaker of Zone D Council and needed to maintain their image and social impact, so they were chosen very carefully.


    Why did these people suddenly show signs of a massive outbreak of Armament Syndrome?


    The butler¡¯s face turned pale, his instincts telling him something was amiss.


    He was just about to send a message to warn Li Zhaokang when he heard intense gunfire erupting from the gateway!

 Chapter 453

    ?Chapter 453: Chapter 427: Desperate Situation (Please Subscribe) Chapter 453: Chapter 427: Desperate Situation (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui was indeed sitting inside the armored command vehicle that the butler had described.


    At that moment, he was fully armed, wearing a suit of the custom-made ¡®Wisdom Dragon¡¯ Type 7 exoskeleton armor, with a pair of pistols hanging at his waist and a pair of twin blades placed on the seat beside him.


    The reason for choosing ¡®Wisdom Dragon¡¯ for Thunder was to differentiate from Lin Rui¡¯s own ¡®Emperor¡¯ type exoskeleton armor.


    ¡®Wisdom Dragon¡¯ was a brand of exoskeleton armor currently superior to ¡®Emperor¡¯, more widespread among the military and society, and held a higher brand reputation.


    Although ¡®Wisdom Dragon¡¯ was very popular among the middle class for its reliability, cost-effectiveness, and intelligence, it was slightly inferior to ¡®Emperor¡¯ in terms of customization.


    The high-end battle armor from ¡®Wisdom Dragon¡¯ didn¡¯t sell as well as ¡®Emperor¡¯, not because of inferior firepower, but because it wasn¡¯t as comfortable and the design wasn¡¯t as noteworthy; unlike ¡®Emperor¡¯, which specifically targeted the wealthy class and came up with various patterns for both the interior and exterior of the exoskeleton armor.


    His twin pistols and blades had also been modified and enhanced by a famous mechanic from within the Security Bureau, all at a 7SSS grade.


    ...


    Currently, the Federation¡¯s top mechanics either ran businesses or controlled their own powers, so modifying his Type 7 firearms and blades to a SSS grade was the limit.


    Lin Rui¡¯s own nano-subdermal armor and Nano Assistance Combat Device had also been enhanced, they were ¡®War God¡¯ 7SSS+ and ¡®Heavenly Harness¡¯ 7SSS+, in short, he was armed to the teeth!


    The most crucial part was the artificial Outer Elixir embedded inside his body and combined with the back armor.


    It wasn¡¯t something he had bought himself but a Divine Artifact he had exchanged for with the special grade merit he received from killing Ling Huan and for the Demon Suppression Forest intelligencea?€¡±a 7SSS+ grade Outer Elixir ¡®Kui Dragon.¡¯


    This was a product developed by the Federation Science Academy, primarily of the Thunder Element and compatible with Light Fire.


    What truly made ¡®Kui Dragon¡¯ remarkable wasn¡¯t just its SSS+ rating; as an artificial Outer Elixir of Type 7, it possessed all the abilities of a Golden Core belonging to a Divine Skills-level Sixth Realm Martial Cultivator and could even simulate all abilities of a Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioner of the Sixth Realma?€¡±such as sensing ability, Divine Thought intensity, strength, and speeda?€¡±enhancing every aspect!


    This meant that Lin Rui, with the help of this artificial Golden Core, could elevate his combat strength to the peak of the Sixth Realm, disguising himself as an expert of Dragon Transformation level.


    Go to novgo.co@@@@


    Besides, the ¡®Kui Dragon¡¯ possessed an extremely powerful ability!


    He could teleport to a pre-determined location within three thousand kilometers.


    Its effect was almost the same as that of the Transmission Talisman Plate developed by the Federation Science Academy, except the distance was only three thousand kilometers.


    It was said this function could be used repeatedly, but each use would require about ten days for recharging.


    With this thing, the number of people with the capability to kill him in Ninth Base City could be counted on one hand.


    Lin Rui, wearing the ¡®Wisdom Dragon¡¯ Type 7, felt that the armor wasn¡¯t as harsh on the inside as others had said, and it was actually quite fluid, certainly not affecting the integration with the machinea?€¡±of course, it wouldn¡¯t be as comfortable as the ¡®Emperor.¡¯


    As he moved his hands and feet, getting accustomed to the armor, he watched the situation in front of the Li Family¡¯s main gate through the sighting equipment of a Type 7 Dragon Slayer combat robot.


    At the same time, he was on the phone with a Congressman.


    She was a dignified middle-aged woman named Han Keran, one of the thirteen Congressmen of the Ninth Base City.


    ¡°Thunder Admiral, you¡¯re going to search the residence of a district council deputy chair based on information of unknown origin?


    Do you realize what kind of consequences this could have?


    Mr.


    Fortunately, Zhang Long and his team heeded advice and not only wore exoskeleton armor but also added bulletproof external modules.


    Otherwise, several of them would have died then and there.


    With the sound of gunfire at the front gate, the entire villa seemed to boil over like a pot of porridge.


    The corners of Lin Rui¡¯s lips instantly curved upward slightly.


    Thunder: Mayor, Li Zhaokang¡¯s subordinates have fired upon us, violently resisting our search warrant.


    As he replied, he passed the half-drunk juice to Xue Lingxue.


    ¡°Xiaoxue, keep this for me.


    I¡¯ll finish it when I get back.¡±


    Lin Rui picked up the twin blades that were on the seat next to him and slipped them into his back before kicking open the door of the armored vehicle and leaping down.


    The corners of his lips, hidden behind his mask, had reached their peak, his eyes showing an excited, bloodthirsty grin.


    It was a pity the occasion wasn¡¯t right, for if Lin Rui could sing nursery rhymes, his mood would certainly be many times more cheerful than it was now.


    Sitting in the city hall office, Huo Bangguo was momentarily stunned upon seeing ¡®Thunder¡¯s¡¯ reply.


    It was completely unexpected.


    Li Zhaokang actually let his subordinates fire on the Security Bureau and the Armed Police Force?


    Had the old man gone mad?


    Did Li Zhaokang truly have something in his home?


    Huo Bangguo couldn¡¯t believe it and immediately used his authority to pull up the video feed.


    He saw that Li Zhaokang¡¯s mansion was indeed in the midst of fierce exchange of fire, with both sides using a large number of light and heavy weapons to strafe each other.


    Meanwhile, inside the villa, Li Zhaokang watched his subordinates engage in a fierce battle around him, as well as the Security Bureau agents and Armed Police Force¡¯s assault team who, under cover of gunfire, forcibly entered.


    He was utterly bewildered.


    What was going on?


    What had gotten into his subordinates?


    Why were they opening fire?


    Had they lost their minds?


    They actually dared to arm themselves against the Security Bureau and Armed Police Force?


    Moreover, there was nothing incriminating in his home; letting the Security Bureau¡¯s people check freely wouldn¡¯t be a problem; there was no need to resist.


    But the reckless behavior of these people might just put him to death!

 Chapter 454

    ?Chapter 454: Chapter 428 I Didn¡¯t Hide Drugs (Please Subscribe) Chapter 454: Chapter 428 I Didn¡¯t Hide Drugs (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui jumped down from the armored command vehicle when, a hundred meters away at the eastern corner of the villa, there suddenly came a deafening explosion.


    The ground immediately shook violently, followed by a huge impact of Astral Force that nearly toppled the dozen or so civilian personnel following in his team.


    Lin Rui hovered steadily in the air, as stable as Mount Tai, and glanced sideways at that direction, noticing two Sixth Realm Battle Dragons clashing there.


    The Battle Dragon positioned to the south belonged to a high-level expert from the Security Bureau, while the other one, according to the intelligence Xue Lingxue had gathered beforehand, was supposed to be the Jade Dragona?€¡±owned by Li Zhaokang¡¯s second sona?€¡±a Sixth Realm Super King.


    This Battle Dragon fought in a crazed manner, not only using both claws and teeth in relentless attacks against its opponent but also manipulating the explosive growth of vines around it to continually assault the law enforcement officers of the Security Bureau.


    The battle between the two was exceedingly fierce, and the moment they engaged, the surrounding buildings completely collapsed.


    Lin Rui glanced over at the scene and thought to himself that the intelligence was wrong.


    ...


    Li Mingji, the seemingly gentle second son of Li Zhaokang, turned out to also suffer from Armament Syndrome.


    He then walked behind an armored vehicle parked in front of the main gate.


    This bomb-resistant armored vehicle had its frontal defense significantly reinforced, having been fitted with two layers of 200-millimeter armor.


    Not only had it withstood the various ammunition fired from inside the estate, but it had also just taken two hits from smart missiles.


    Atop the armored vehicle, two Type 7 40mm ¡®Six Roots Pure Wheel¡¯ guns were firing into the estate, while also being used by a group of the Security Bureau¡¯s special agents as a temporary cover.


    Nearby, two Dragon Slayer Type 6 combat robots and one Dragon Slayer Type 7 robot were firing forcefully.


    These East Asian-made combat robots were not only full of firepower, but their movements were also incredibly agile and flexible.


    Go to novgo.co


    To the average person, their movements appeared like phantoms, leaving behind a trail of afterimages.@@@@


    Their combat AI was also exceptionally strong, capable like a Martial Cultivator of adeptly using various close and long-range weapons and utilizing cover to protect themselves.


    ¡°Boss!¡± Zhang Long was also present and looked at Lin Rui with a helpless expression, ¡°I suggest you just watch from behind, it¡¯s quite dangerous herea?€¡±this isn¡¯t difficult for us, and there¡¯s no need for you to take action.¡±


    He originally wanted to say it was very dangerous but then held back to avoid embarrassing Lin Rui in front of many colleagues.


    This guy is merely a Fourth Realm, at the rank of lieutenant colonel.


    Although his physical fitness and spiritual power are not inferior to those of a senior colonel-level Martial Cultivator, and his Martial Arts assessment is an unprecedented 4SSS+, the villa currently may harbor who knows how many experts!


    Why is this guy adding chaos to the front line?


    His superior was all good except for having a bit of a dark heart and a possibly abnormal braina?€¡±extraordinarily bold, possibly inflicted with Armament Syndrome.


    As Zhang Long spoke, he saw Xue Lingxue also carrying a sniper rifle and following up, obviously very concerned about Lin Rui¡¯s safety.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking?¡± Lin Rui shook his head slightly, ¡°There are more than a thousand people inside, and so many experts that the slightest carelessness could lead to casualties among our brothers.


    Moreover, this operation is very important and is receiving a lot of attention from all sides.¡±


    He definitely did not want to see tomorrow¡¯s papers headlined with ¡®Security Bureau high officials act recklessly, resulting in mass casualties among agents.¡¯


    Lin Rui focused his gaze on the situation, using the situational awareness equipment of his exoskeleton armor to perceive the conditions inside the villa.


    ¡°BOSS, I really feel it¡¯s not necessary.¡± Zhang Long felt an extreme headache, thinking about how to persuade Lin Rui to return when Lin Rui already seized the opportunity, his body suddenly transforming into a bolt of Purple Thunder, abruptly breaking into the interior of the estate.


    To differentiate his Light Element Martial Arts from Martial Arts Star Lin Rui¡¯s, Thunder Admiral primarily focused on Thunder Element Martial Arts, with Light Fire as a secondary.


    He mastered many types of Martial Arts, never worried about someone catching him in a flaw.


    As soon as he broke in, Lin Rui fired five consecutive shots, bursting the heads of two bodyguards and three members of the Loyalty Gang near him.


    He then became the target of surrounding Li Family thugs¡¯ concentrated fire, with dozens of guns firing at him, promptly shredding him with a hail of bullets.


    The torrential thunder and lightning gathered on his blade until it collided with a pair of gauntlets used by the Battle Dragon, exploding into a vast sea of thunder.


    ¡°Bastard!¡±


    The person inside the Battle Dragon let out a muffled groan as his body staggered backward, overwhelmed by the tyrannical blade momentum of the Super Emperor Secret Technique.


    The opponent¡¯s Bloodline Ability was definitely of the Emperor Rank in the Sixth Realm!


    And it wasn¡¯t just that they had more innate abilities than others; their strength and speed were also far beyond those of the same rank.


    The person¡¯s power burst forth especially strong at that moment, so strong that even in a fused state with the Battle Dragon, he could not withstand it.


    Just as this person was gathering strength to counterattack and the nearby High-level Martial Cultivators rushed to reinforce,


    Another burst of Thunder Secret Blade light erupted from Lin Rui¡¯s blade, as if his sword had suddenly extended a great length forward!


    This was clearly the second form of ¡®Thunder Moves Nine Heavens¡¯!


    It was also Lin Rui¡¯s continuously improved 6SSS-ranked Secret Technique ¡®Light Transition Slash,¡¯ allowing him to strike twice in less than a one ten-thousandth of a second!


    Moreover, with two consecutive Super Emperor Secret Blade moves, there was no need for a recovery period.


    At that moment, the surrounding spacetime experienced an instant of twisted stasis.


    The person inside the Battle Dragon turned deathly pale at this sight.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡±


    How could this guy launch a second strike after exhausting his strength?


    And what was this time manipulation ability that was so overpowering?


    His thoughts were abruptly halted as the inertia of time also froze his thinking.


    The Li Family¡¯s Sixth Realm experts rushing over to help changed their expressions when they saw this scene; despite their desperate efforts to reach him, there wasn¡¯t enough time.


    By the time everything returned to normal over there, the entire waist of the Super King Jade Battle Dragon, including the Sixth Realm expert inside, had been severed!


    In that instant, the entire Li Family villa fell into a deadly silence.


    It took a full breath later before someone exclaimed, ¡°Mr.


    Li, the second, is dead!¡±


    Li Zhaokang, who was standing on the balcony, was fully armed but hesitated whether to join the battle and solidify his crime of violent resistance against the law.


    When he saw this scene from afar, he nearly fainted.


    That was his brother Li Zhaoyi, not the most capable commander under his command, but a pillar of their family, Li Zhaokang¡¯s formerly most reliable arm.


    At that moment, Li Zhaokang heard another excited roar nearby, ¡°Found their drug stash!


    It¡¯s in the servant¡¯s quarters, a full ten tons!


    And it¡¯s all high-quality stuff made from Sky Extreme Star materials.¡±


    Li Zhaokang was stunned once again, thinking that it was impossible!


    How could there be drugs hidden in my house?


    I didn¡¯t hide any drugs!


    First, Li Zhaokang was furious, and then he felt a chilling coldness seeping into the depths of his bones.


    He realized he might be finisheda?€¡±

 Chapter 455

    ?Chapter 455: Chapter 429 Shut Up (Please Subscribe) Chapter 455: Chapter 429 Shut Up (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui¡¯s unchallenged rampage within the Li Family¡¯s villa stunned all members of the Security Bureau nearby.


    At that moment, their comms group burst with admiring comments.


    a?€¡± ¡°Holy shit!


    Is our director really this powerful?¡±


    a?€¡± ¡°This is just ridiculously awesome.


    He¡¯s definitely a Sixth Realm Super Monarch!


    An absolute 6SSSi?1?4?!¡±


    a?€¡± ¡°Look at that swordplay!


    That Escape Technique!


    ...


    It¡¯s simply magical, like he kills with every ten steps he takes, leaving no trace thousands of miles away.


    No wonder the Second General values him so highly; he really is explosively powerful.¡±


    a?€¡± ¡°The way he slaughters those of the Fifth Realm is like mowing down weeds, and there¡¯s Li Zhaoyi, a Sixth Realm Emperor Rank!


    His combat score must be even higher, yet he got chopped down in just two strikes!¡±


    a?€¡± ¡°Although our director is only at Sixth Realm, with his combat prowess, he¡¯s absolutely suited for the rank of an Admiral in the Security Bureau!¡±


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    a?€¡± ¡°It¡¯s so strange, the director didn¡¯t bring over a Battle Dragon this time.¡±


    a?€¡± ¡°Probably because he doesn¡¯t need it, right?


    Looking at this situation, there¡¯s no need for a Battle Dragon.


    Or maybe it¡¯s hidden somewhere; deploying a Mecha Dragon costs a fortune every time.¡±


    Just then, even more messages flooded the combat group.


    a?€¡± ¡°Holy shit!


    Found it!


    The Special Service Center¡¯s Second Strike Team found a huge stash of drugs in the servant¡¯s quarters; ten tons!¡±


    a?€¡± ¡°What kind of dog luck is this?


    Didn¡¯t the Second Strike Team just get established less than 10 days ago?


    How did such good fortune fall into their lap?¡±


    a?€¡± ¡°Haha!


    Li Zhaokang is as good as dead!


    Li Zhaokang is dead for sure!


    Hidden drugs!


    novgo.co


    Illegal possession of weapons!


    Violent resistance against the law!


    Armed insurrection!


    Any one of these charges could get him locked up for hundreds of years.¡±


    a?€¡± ¡°Let¡¯s break in and nail him!


    This old bastard has harmed so many people, and now he actually has the audacity to act all respectable as Vice Chairman of the District Council.¡±


    a?€¡± ¡°Still, we have to be cautious; the director just said explicitly that we need to avoid casualties.¡±


    a?€¡± ¡°The director said we should avoid casualties, yet now he¡¯s charging in the fiercest!


    Have you seen how many people he¡¯s killed?¡±


    Who¡¯s behind you, who gave you the orders??¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curled up in a small smile; the guy across from him had, of course, offended him!


    How dare he rent the property of the Jin Family, wasn¡¯t that opposing him?


    Feeding his arch-enemy, this man had chosen a path to his demise.


    But out of his mouth came a righteous sneer, ¡°The mastermind?


    The mastermind behind me is all the citizens of the Ninth Base City!


    It¡¯s my superior, General Zhou Yunfei, it¡¯s Mayor Huo Bangguo!


    As long as I am the director of the National Security Special Action Center, such filth as you will never be allowed in this city!


    Lin Rui, you have been the head of the Loyalty Gang for eighty years, and you¡¯ve been a caretaker for thirty years.


    In that time, how many people have you killed, how many families have been torn apart?


    Now, it¡¯s time to account for your sins.


    Put down your weapons and surrender!¡±


    At that moment, a ¡®click-clack¡¯ noise suddenly came from the surroundings, a flash of camera lights flickering.


    Turns out it was a group of reporters that Lin Rui had summoned, and now Xue Lingxue had let them in.


    They were all hiding about 200 meters away with high-definition cameras taking photos and videos.


    Upon seeing this scene, Lin Rui¡¯s mind suddenly ¡®thudded¡¯, as if a string had completely snapped.


    ¡°I¡¯ll slaughter you!¡±


    He and that Seventh Realm dark emerald Battle Dragon became even more ferocious and wild in their onslaught!


    Together, man and dragon paid no heed to the surrounding combat robots or the attack vehicles that provided fire support.


    His Battle Dragon was already battered and riddled with numerous wounds.


    Lin Rui, too, was covered in injuries.


    Type 7 combat robots posed a particularly great threat to him, their guns not only precise but also incredibly powerful.


    The injuries mainly plaguing Lin Rui and the Battle Dragon were courtesy of the Type 7 combat robots.


    But Lin Rui could not concern himself with this anymore.


    This bastard, this scumbag, even called in the reporters!


    Allowing these media to capture everything!


    Lin Rui completely lost his mind, knowing he was truly finished!


    Utterly done for.


    It was at that moment Lin Rui heard the faint sound of a gunshot, followed by his head bursting open like a watermelon.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Seventh Realm Super Emperor rank sniper!¡±


    Darkness overtook Lin Rui¡¯s vision as he fell into complete despair.


    Lin Rui, however, felt his spirit lift; knowing how fiercely tenacious the life force of a Seventh Realm Martial Cultivator was, he didn¡¯t hesitate to sever Lin Rui¡¯s waist with one cut.


    Notification: Defeating a Seventh Realm Demon Transformation Martial Cultivator, 56324 points of Soul Power acquired.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that it was indeed the casea?€¡±this Lin Rui also suffered from Armament Syndrome.


    But this man had always lived in luxury and would have had access to top-tier medication, so the symptoms weren¡¯t too pronounced.


    Meanwhile, eight kilometers away, Zhou Yunfei stood up, putting away the sniper rifle in front of him, thinking that this would wrap up the deputy district head¡¯s case involving gang activities and drug concealment perfectly.


    Lin Rui¡¯s way of handling cases was indeed quite wild.


    If someone really investigated thoroughly, there could be some trouble.


    The trouble wasn¡¯t too significant, but unnecessary.


    The best way was to forever close Lin Rui¡¯s mouth; the dead can¡¯t speak, nor can anyone speak for them.

 Chapter 456

    ?Chapter 456: Chapter 430 Full Payment (Please Subscribe) Chapter 456: Chapter 430 Full Payment (Please Subscribe) After Li Zhaokang was slain by the Thunder Admiral, the surrounding journalists, disregarding the fierce battle still raging nearby, crowded around to take photos of the Security Bureau Admiral, capturing the heroic moment of his execution of the Loyalty Gang leader Li Zhaokang.


    However, the nearby battles only intensified.


    With the death of Li Zhaokang, the members of the Li Family and their followers went completely mad, fighting to the death with an air of desperation against the Security Bureau agents and the Armed Police Force.


    Lin Rui had no choice but to continue engaging in the battle until, three minutes later, the sounds of gunfire and the clashes of Astral Force gradually subsided one after the other.


    When the battle ended, the soul power points Lin Rui had collected shockingly reached over 530,000.


    He immediately spent 120,000 points to acquire the Grandmaster Level Mecha Dragon crafting techniques.


    Lin Rui figured that if he took another trip to the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, he should be able to gather enough soul power points to exchange for Huang Fuqing¡¯s ¡°Emperor Hao Divine Dragon.¡±


    The identity of Thunder needed a Mecha Dragon, and it would be perfect to use Huang Fuqing¡¯s Mecha Dragon to make an impression.


    ...


    After mastering the Grandmaster Level Mecha Dragon crafting techniques, Lin Rui could give the ¡°Emperor Hao Divine Dragon¡± a facelift and slightly alter its appearance.


    Moreover, the character Hao represents ¡°heaven¡± and embodies both the powers of thunder and light, which suited the identity of the Thunder Admiral rather well.


    Now that he not only possessed the cultivation of the Sixth Realm but also had a Battle Dragon by his side, he estimated it would be difficult for anyone to make the connection between Lin Rui and the Thunder Admiral.


    A Seventh Realm Emperor Grade Mecha Dragon could significantly enhance his strength, and his combat power would be enough to rival the projections of the three National Guardian Dragons.


    At this moment, Zhang Long approached Lin Rui, ¡°Li Zhaokang¡¯s eldest son has been hiding in the basement.


    As soon as I arrived, he surrendered with his hands up.


    Go to novgo.co


    The man is somewhat soft by nature, perhaps we can interrogate something out of him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not concerned with this matter.


    You and Xiao Xue are responsible for the follow-up tasks.¡±


    As Lin Rui sheathed his sword, he still pondered and said, ¡°Try to add as many charges as possible to this person.


    See if we can force a confession out of him about the Loyalty Gang¡¯s criminal evidence and clues kept by those in charge and exchange it for a plea deal with a lighter sentence.¡±


    Zhang Long slightly shook his head, thinking the guy probably did not have the courage for that.


    If he dared to do so, those in charge and their subordinates would never let him off the hook.


    ¡°Also!¡± Lin Rui sent a file to Zhang Long, ¡°After the ¡®Light of Guang Ming¡¯ operation is over, you can allocate some people to specifically seal off Li Zhaokang¡¯s assets, especially those I have marked in this document.¡±


    After Zhang Long opened the file and took a look, he was momentarily stunned, ¡°These seem to be properties of the Jinhao Real Estate Group?¡±


    Lin Rui gave him a sidelong glance, ¡°Haven¡¯t they signed a long-term lease, lasting for, say, five years?


    What¡¯s the problem with sealing them?¡±@@@@


    Zhang Long wanted to say that the Jin Family would probably not take this lying down, but then he remembered that Jin Bolong probably no longer had the spare capacity to take action against the Thunder Admiral.


    He shook his head, ¡°Alright!


    I¡¯ll arrange it later.¡±


    Zhang Long felt that there was a suspicion of using public office for personal gain last time but this time, the orders were justifiable and indisputable.


    After the battle ended, Lin Rui began to handle private messages, which were exploding with activity.


    Zhou Yunfei: Great job on this operation.


    For a century, countless people in the Ninth Division have wanted to bring Li Zhaokang to justice, without success, forced to watch helplessly as he laundered his way to legitimacy.


    I didn¡¯t expect him to fall into your hands in the end.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Master Zhou, it was your shot that was truly magnificent.


    To be able to land a headshot while we were moving so fast in combat, such marksmanship is really breathtaking.


    Subsequent cash flow issues led to continuous high-interest borrowing, robbing Peter to pay Paul, and resulting in spiraling interest costs.


    This was the main factor that crushed them.


    But Lin Rui could obtain a massive amount of low-interest loans from the East Asia Infrastructure Banka?€¡±700 billion from this bank alonea?€¡±and he could easily pressure them to lower the interest rate even further.


    The second message also came from Fang Ranran.


    The party she had been making efforts to establish had now taken shape and was preparing to be named the ¡°Guang Ming Front.¡±


    Not only had she persuaded over 70% of the Urban Construction Party¡¯s members, but she had also leveraged her connections to recruit some influential veteran politicians.


    Just recently, a few core members of the future ¡°Guang Ming Front¡± who were discussing party details suggested meeting with Lin Rui, the co-chair and future financier of the front, as soon as possible.


    The third message was from the director he had recently hired at the Rui Fang Biological Armament Research Institute, who was insisting on resigning.


    This old schoolmate, introduced by Professor Sima, along with several of his proud students also introduced by the professor, were engaged in a fierce dispute over an academic issue.


    They were each adamant and uncompromising, demanding that only one side could stay.


    After understanding the situation, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but rub his temples in frustration.


    Professor Sima only advised him to be tolerant of this academic and technical expert, without mentioning that this expert would clash with his students.


    Among these three messages, Fang Ranran¡¯s invitation was essential to attend.


    Lin Rui had to make an appearance to help stabilize her supporters, although they had scheduled the meeting for the following evening.


    That day, Lin Rui had been busy in the office of the National Security Special Action Center until 4 a.m.


    Although he delegated most of the wrap-up tasks of the ¡°Guang Ming Wind¡± operation to a few close subordinates, as the director of both centers, it was impossible for him to entirely hands-off.


    The next day he only rested for a couple of hours and then, as Lin Rui, rushed to the Purple Gold Flower Law Firm.


    Accompanied and guarded by Fei Yunlai and others, he signed the acquisition agreement and formally took over the Hailan Alien Company.


    By the time he had finished all the acquisition procedures, it was already late in the afternoon.


    Only during the banquet did Lin Rui realize he had underestimated Fang Ranran.


    Not only had the girl pulled in the core members of the Urban Construction Party, but she also managed to bring two former Congressmen.


    This included Wang Song, who had stirred up the recent mass protests by proclaiming online that Ling Huan manipulated elections.


    This individual had significant clout in Ninth Base City, having garnered 32 million votes in the previous election, narrowly missing a seat.


    Now, with soaring popularity, a return to office seemed highly probable for Wang Song if provided with sufficient campaign funds.


    A politician with his own voter base, he did not need support from within the party; what he lacked was money.


    However, during the banquet, the politicians, including Wang Song, openly and subtly expressed doubts about Lin Rui¡¯s financial capabilities.


    They found it hard to believe that a Martial Arts Star could provide them with a stable cash flow, even with the addition of the Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company, which was not reassuring enough for them.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know that just a moment ago, Xiao Rui acquired the Hailan Alien Company,¡± Fang Ranran said, raising her tea cup with a smile, ¡°And it was in cash!¡±


    Her announcement took everyone by surprise, their eyes turning to Lin Rui in astonishment.


    There was also an unusual glint in Fang Ranran¡¯s eyes.


    She had only learned about some details of the acquisition through some connections not too long ago.


    When Fang Ranran found out that Lin Rui had made the purchase in cash, not through loans, she had almost dropped her jaw.


    It made her realize that she might not have fully understood her junior.


    Just where had Lin Rui gotten so much money?


    And it was all legitimate.


    The lack of any warning from the tax authorities throughout the transaction sufficiently proved the legitimacy of the funds.

 Chapter 457

    ?Chapter 457: Chapter 431: Reception (Please Subscribe) Chapter 457: Chapter 431: Reception (Please Subscribe) ¡°Everyone rest assured, there is no problem with the funding.¡±


    Lin Rui put down his fork and wiped his lips with a napkin.


    ¡°I personally, along with several companies under my name, have established a ¡®Super Political Action Committee.¡¯ We expect the funds raised for this election to be no less than 8 billion federal coins.


    A portion of it has already been transferred.


    novgo.co


    At the party committee meeting, we¡¯ll decide how to distribute it.


    I have only one requirement: this money must not be squandered.


    Every cent must be spent where it counts, and every expenditure must yield results.


    ...


    I will appoint a special person and an accounting firm to oversee this.¡±


    Not long ago, Xue Lingxue introduced another of his father¡¯s old comrades-in-arms.


    This person, named Huang Zongzhao, is a 6SS-grade mage and has long served in a logistics position in the military.


    Not only is he powerful, but he¡¯s also a rare accounting talent.


    Were it not for the sudden outbreak of Armament Syndrome, this man¡¯s career in the military would have been promising.@@@@


    Lin Rui had already formed the 7th 6S-grade squad for him and hired him as a personal accountant to oversee the finances of his companies and to monitor the party¡¯s spending.


    Go to novgo.co


    The so-called Super Political Action Committee is a group aimed at fundraising to provide election funds for politicians, subject to government oversight.


    However, Lin Rui knew the nature of these politicians; if left unchecked with this money, much of the 8 billion would end up in their pockets.


    Although Lin Guangming is more proficient in financial management, Lin Rui could not entrust all financial work to it, since Lin Guangming is just an artificial intelligence and there are many matters that would be inconvenient for it to handle.


    The dozen or so congressmen at the table looked at each other, a hint of joy appearing in their eyes.


    They all thought, this is a major sponsor!


    Originally, they had some reservations about Lin Rui¡¯s position as vice chairman of the Bright Front, but now they thought, this clearly is a foolishly generous tycoon.


    What is an executive vice chairman¡¯s position to someone like him?


    They definitely must find a way to keep this ¡®foster father¡¯!


    Fang Ranran looked at Lin Rui in amazement; she did not expect him to suddenly come up with so much money.


    Rain Falling Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): ¡°8 billion?


    Lin Rui, are you sure?


    Can you afford it?


    Don¡¯t overextend yourself.¡±


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°It¡¯s no big issue.


    In three days, another 4 billion will be in place.


    I see those former congressmen are uneasy.


    Without enough bait, we can¡¯t hook them.


    Our only advantage might be the campaign funds.¡±


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°I figure either we don¡¯t bother with this party, or we make a big splash.


    We¡¯ve got to stir up some noise; otherwise, it¡¯s more harmful than beneficial to us.¡±


    This time, Fang Ranran gave Lin Rui a surprise.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Fang Ranran to pull over veteran politicians like Wang Song, along with several promising new stars in politics.


    Coupled with the original Urban Development Party and the Bright Holy Sect, the ¡®Bright Front¡¯ political party has great potential.


    Lin Rui currently held numerous pill and medicine formulas but dared not release them due to the inadequate strength in various areas.


    If Lin Rui could acquire and control the newly purchased Hai Lan Alien Company and successfully run that shipping company, then just the Alien Walkers he could command under his banner would exceed 4,000.


    Although this power was incomparable to those major Alien Companies and old financial conglomerates like the Linghu Family, it definitely ranked highly among the nouveau riches of Ninth Base City.


    Their dinner meeting continued until around 9 p.m.


    After stepping out, Lin Rui immediately called a virtual meeting to understand the situation of Fei Yunlai and Gong Hengdao since their stationing at Hai Lan Alien Company.


    Lin Rui¡¯s acquisition of the company mainly relied on these two men.


    Previously involved in an Alien Company, and then having spent over a decade as a mercenary, Fei Yunlai had connections in both areas and rich experience in both workplace and management.


    He knew how an Alien Company should operate and understand all aspects of their business and work.


    Gong Hengdao was a retired soldier, and at least half of the Alien Walkers inside Hai Lan Alien Company were retired soldiers.


    These two could help him take control of the company swiftly and stabilize the morale.


    Being wanted by the military, Fei Yunlai definitely couldn¡¯t serve in the company¡¯s management using his real identity.


    Lin Rui had Lin Guangming create a temporary identity for him to join the company in an official capacity.


    Lin Rui estimated that Fei Yunlai¡¯s situation couldn¡¯t be concealed much longer, and he had to prepare for a tough confrontation with a four-star Marshal in a few months¡¯ time.


    He had to increase his own power to a level that would make the Marshal hesitate to start a conflict.


    ¡°From the feedback in various aspects, the morale in the company is still not stable enough.¡±


    Wearing a mask and clothed in a high-end suit, Fei Yunlai formally reported, ¡°Although we¡¯ve made up all back pay, boosting their morale, they still don¡¯t view the company¡¯s prospects favorably.


    I think now is not the time to change their contracts.


    First, we need to let them see BOSS¡¯s strength!


    It¡¯s better to delay raising their salary and offering armaments; these must be tied to extended contract terms, which will effectively reduce our company¡¯s operational pressure in the future.¡±


    A glint of smugness flashed in the depths of his eyes.


    Lin Rui had appointed him as the COO, Chief Operating Officer.


    Previously, Fei Yunlai had only served in mid-management at a medium-sized Alien Company and felt there was no future, that he couldn¡¯t make it into upper management, so he decisively resigned once his contract term was up.


    Now, he was at the true core of the company, and Lin Rui had even promised him stock options.


    Fei Yunlai thought, why should they simply give these guys a raise?


    The company could not be without benefits.


    The company raising salaries and investing resources to train them, only for them to leave the company to work independently or shift jobs?


    That was utterly absurd!


    Wang Tianwu also attended the meeting; he had also taken up a position as Alien Chief Consultant in Hai Lan Alien Company, allowing him to earn a little extra salary but with no real power.


    He looked at Fei Yunlai, appearing all prim and proper, and felt somewhat uncomfortable.


    This idiot Fei Yunlai, did he know how to run a company?


    His personal studio had also hired some people before, and it ended up in a huge loss!


    And now the BOSS was actually promising him stock options, which was utterly insane.


    The BOSS really lacked judgment in people, Wang Tianwu thought.


    If the BOSS let him be the COO or the Director of Human Resources, he guaranteed he could swiftly stabilize morale and manage the company¡¯s staff well.


    ¡°I hold the same opinion.¡±


    Gong Hengdao also nodded: ¡°The top priority is still to let them see our company¡¯s strength and prospects, otherwise all our promises will be futile.


    Don¡¯t worry, BOSS, we can temporarily stabilize those retired soldiers in the company for you, and we can slowly introduce the increments and armaments.¡±


    Just as Lin Rui was about to speak, he received a private message.


    The sender was the former Congressman Wang Song, whom he had befriended previously.


    After reading the message from him, Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised.

 Chapter 458

    ?Chapter 458: Chapter 432: Fake (Please Subscribe) Chapter 458: Chapter 432: Fake (Please Subscribe) Wang Song¡¯s message was about some political allies testing the waters, asking if Lin Rui could provide them with some political funds.


    This person was indeed an established politician with an extremely extensive network.


    Wang Song¡¯s many friends were distributed across fourteen base cities, all of whom were quite famous local politicians.


    Although the vast majority of them had their own parties and couldn¡¯t join the ¡°Bright Front,¡± Wang Song made it clear that these people would do their utmost to take care of the interests of their financial backer.


    Some of the independent candidates also had promising potential, and Wang Song believed their chances of winning were quite high.


    As long as Lin Rui was willing to spend the money, he was confident he could pull them into this newly formed political party.


    ¡°Ambitious!¡± Lin Rui only chatted with Wang Song for a few moments before he slightly shook his head and exhibited a sarcastic smile.


    ...


    This man, who hadn¡¯t mentioned anything at the dinner but later circumvented Fang Ranran to contact him alone, obviously had some ulterior motives.


    However, Wang Song¡¯s mention of two independent candidates from the Seventh Base City piqued Lin Rui¡¯s interest.


    The Seventh Base City was another joint-administered city of the East Asia Republic and also a city he was currently very interested in.


    Huang Fuqing¡¯s secret experimental base was located there, and Lin Guangming had also been eyeing the Heart of Light number 7 in the Seventh Base City, constantly urging Lin Rui to go there and bring the ¡°Bright Holy Sect¡± back on track.


    She believed that Heart of Light number 7 was the most amenable to assimilation among all the artificial intelligences owned by the Bright Holy Sect.


    Most crucially, this base city had a significant number of rampant gangsters as well.


    Thunder Admiral¡¯s ¡°Wind of Light¡± operation had been very effective, leaving the Children¡¯s Song Killer recently unable to find a suitable target.


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    As Lin Rui discussed company matters with Fei Yunlai and Gong Hengdao, he inquired about the details from Wang Song.


    His final response was, ¡°We can donate a little on various fronts, but I¡¯m currently not interested in the political scene outside of the Ninth Base City.¡±


    This guy clearly planned to ride on the wind, hoping to use Lin Rui¡¯s money to cultivate his own connections, really thinking he was a fool with a lot of money?


    This person was also not trustworthy, especially when facing the heavy pressure from the ¡°Longevity Association¡± and ¡°Divine Light Army¡± in the future; politicians like Wang Song might abandon him at the first opportunity.


    Lin Rui indeed hoped to establish his own political power, but the precondition was that he could control it.


    He had no interest in political forces that he could not influence or rely on.


    However, it might be worth trying something in the Seventh Base City.


    This could potentially add two more Congressmen to the ¡°Bright Front.¡±


    These two independent candidates indeed had some base, but it was not enough to win.


    However, with his help, the situation could be different.


    Lin Rui was originally planning to visit the Alien Company at Hailan to check the situation and meet with the executives and employee representatives of Hailan Company.


    After seeing this Armament, if you still wish to resign, then I, Lin, will not require the signing fee and will respectfully bid you farewell.¡±


    Xie Qing, who had intended to ignore Lin Rui, had already reached the door of the conference room.


    When he heard Lin Rui¡¯s claim about an ¡®Armament leading the future evolution of mankind,¡¯ he couldn¡¯t help but scoff.


    He stopped and turned his head, looking at Lin Rui with a sarcastic expression, ¡°Director Lin, you can produce an Armament?


    And lead the future of human evolution?¡±


    He shook his head lightly, ¡°Sima Lin¡¯s approach has already failed!


    It is true that Armament can be combined with the human body¡¯s meridian system to achieve certain enhancements, but decades of federation research have proven that this approach is not viable.


    Sima Lin himself has already given up on it, turning instead to research the Abyss, knowing that he cannot achieve his dream of earning an academician title with the human meridian project.¡±


    Lin Rui responded with a carefree smile, ¡°Professor Sima¡¯s concept is correct, but he also made a mistake in direction.


    To truly integrate Armament with our own body¡¯s meridian system, it can¡¯t just rely on surgical implantation and connection methods.¡±


    He then sent over a document, ¡°This is my private research, currently confidential.


    If Professor Xie is interested, you can sign this confidentiality agreement, and I assure you that what follows will not disappoint you.¡±


    After seeing the confidential document sent by Lin Rui, Xie Qing couldn¡¯t help but chuckle again.


    novgo.co


    He then signed his name without hesitation, seeing that watching Lin Rui produce an Armament could earn him a signing fee of 200 million federal coins, why not?


    Xie Qing foresaw that he might not find a suitable job in the coming years.


    Thus, he highly valued this sum of money.


    But this Director Lin, not even 20 years old and having studied under Sima Lin for less than a year, what kind of Armament could he produce?


    Let¡¯s just hope it doesn¡¯t end up as a laughing stock.


    Lin Rui looked again at the special-grade researchers, ¡°If you gentlemen are interested, you can also sign the confidentiality agreement and come witness it.¡±


    These individuals were taken aback, this junior brother could actually produce Armament?


    They hadn¡¯t heard the teacher mention this before?


    The junior brother was even so bold as to claim to ¡®lead the future human evolution,¡¯ which made them all feel agitated.


    They agreed that researching human meridians was important, significantly strengthening human Biochemical Martial Arts, but still far from what Lin Rui claimed.


    The many employees from Jin San Armament Studio in the audience were also astonished; their BOSS could produce Armaments?


    Could it be fake?

 Chapter 459

    ?Chapter 459: Chapter 433: Direction (Please Subscribe) Chapter 459: Chapter 433: Direction (Please Subscribe) In the third laboratory of the research institute, Lin Rui¡¯s eye was glued to the ultra-high magnification microscope, conducting gene editing through the instrument.


    The manufacturing process of the Armament prostheses was extremely complex and precise.


    novgo.co


    Almost all Armament prostheses were based on the biological materials from Sky Extreme Star.


    They extracted various stem cells from the bodies of Sky Extreme Star inhabitants, edited the key segments of genes within the stem cells, reserved ¡®interfaces¡¯ that could combine with human genes, then used various nutrient solutions to gradually cultivate and strengthen them.


    Merely cultivating and strengthening was not enough.


    Throughout the process, they had to add various drugs and materials from Sky Extreme Star, whether for stimulation or integration, to develop them into usable biotic Armaments that could replace human flesh, bones, and even organs.


    ...


    Because during the cultivation process, the gene chain of the Armament was incomplete, with a very high chance of gene mutation or gene collapse, mass production was impossible, and they could only rely on Symbiotic Masters for full-time supervision and manual cultivation.


    Therefore, a decent Armament usually required several top-tier Symbiotic Masters to work together for days to produce.


    However, Lin Rui was only making an A+ grade Armament ¡®Iron Heart¡¯ this time.


    As an SS+ level Symbiotic Master, he required just over an hour to complete one piece.


    Xie Qing sat in the observation room outside the laboratory, arms crossed, watching the video feed with a disdainful posture.


    There were a total of 12 video projections, which allowed viewing Lin Rui¡¯s operation from multiple angles, ensuring no detail was missed.


    At this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s several senior brothers, along with several of the most outstanding Symbiotic Masters from the research institute, watched the videos intently while whispering amongst themselves.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°Our junior brother¡¯s technique is very skilled, his movements are extremely nimble.¡±


    ¡°BOSS is also very familiar with various instruments, editing genes with precision and speeda?€¡±it¡¯s not the skill of a beginner; he¡¯s an expert!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so strange and amazing.


    Our junior brother only entered the university half a year ago, majoring in biology and Armament surgery.


    I haven¡¯t heard that he also learned Armament production.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the media saying that our junior brother has a deep family learning tradition?


    His father, Lin Cong, was a disciple of Professor Huang Fuqing, and he started learning from a young age.¡±


    ¡°Lin Cong?


    That was the top biological scientist of the past 20 years.


    He could have obtained several academician titles from science academies like Professor Huang Fuqing, such a shamea?€¡±¡±


    Xie Qing¡¯s expression seemed contemptuous, but his eyes gradually became serious again.


    At least judging from Lin Rui¡¯s Armament production techniques, he was indeed highly skilled.


    Xie Qing himself was an SSS grade Symbiotic Master, capable of accurately identifying the level Lin Rui belonged to.


    Lin Rui moved with ease and unmatched precision, all kinds of techniques seemed to come from being well-honeda?€¡±this guy¡¯s A+ grade Armament technique was even better than his!


    When Xie Qing heard the words ¡®Lin Cong,¡¯ his eyes involuntarily narrowed slightly, and he became somewhat distracted.


    Lin Cong indeed was one of the most outstanding researchers of their generation.


    The reason why Xie Qing was willing to join the Rui Fang Armored Biological Research Institute was a significant factor.


    Sima Lin had mentioned to him that this Lin Rui was a descendant of Lin Cong.


    He had always wanted to meet Lin Cong to seek advice on some academic issues.


    This was a human-like entity created using technologies such as 3D bioprinting, capable of substituting for human bodies in various biological experiments.


    Due to the Federation¡¯s regulatory restrictions, these Clones could not possess any cognitive abilities or self-awareness, only controlled through various smart chips.


    Therefore, they were still not perfect and couldn¡¯t completely replace human bodies, which is why major companies and research institutions used the Lower Zone of Base Cities as testing grounds, using illegal immigrants to verify various drugs and Armaments.


    However, there were no issues with using this ¡®Biological Experiment Clone¡¯ to validate his Armament ¡®Iron Core.¡¯


    Moments later, when Lin Rui opened the metal mask equipped with a breathing filter and stepped out of the lab, everyone outside, including Xie Qing, fell silent, staring intently at the video before them.


    The ¡®Iron Core¡¯ produced by Lin Rui had not only perfectly integrated with the human body, but they had also just witnessed this ¡®Biological Experiment Clone¡¯ using the ¡®Iron Core¡¯ ability.


    Crucially, the Armament had perfectly merged with the human meridian system, integrating into the major circulation of the extraordinary and regular meridians.


    Unlike Si Malin before, who could only connect them through a specialized surgery.


    If one had to describe it, the previous method was akin to an ¡®add-on,¡¯ whereas now it was a truly organic integration.


    Several people were so excited they could barely contain themselves; if it weren¡¯t for the confidentiality agreement they had signed, they would have loved to contact Professor Sima immediately.


    Their path was truly viable!


    And it promised a bright and boundless future!


    ¡°In the next few days, observe to see if there are any rejection reactions or sudden genetic collapses,¡±


    Lin Rui smiled and waved at a nearby holographic camera, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about my teacher; he¡¯s already seen it through a remote connection.¡±


    Since Professor Sima was performing surgery at the time of the incident, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t invite him to the scene in person and had to let him witness the miracle this way.


    The success of their Lin Rui Armored Biological Research Laboratory in paving this path could not be achieved without the help of Si Malin.


    Xie Qing stared at him intently, ¡°The genes you just edited are more than just creating a meridian system, aren¡¯t they?


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, within a few months of these Armaments being implanted, they will be absorbed by the human body and truly integrated into the human gene chain?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curved slightly, ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s why I said this Armament could ¡®lead the future direction of human evolution¡¯!¡±


    He thought this director also had a profound knowledge of gene editing; he was able to see through it.


    Xie Qing narrowed his eyes, ¡°Where did you learn your Armament production technique?


    And the method of combining human meridians with Armaments was it taught to you by your father, Lin Cong?¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Not my father, my Armament production technique is learned from Professor Huang.¡±


    Now was not the time to carefully hide his abilities¡¯ origins.


    With the power he held today, unless he was unwilling to disclose it, who could thoroughly investigate him?


    A child carrying gold in the market might fear being robbed, but what about a wealthy man surrounded by a host of bodyguards?


    Lin Rui could now more comfortably display all the abilities he gained from the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Xie Qing scoffed at the response, as Professor Huang had been dead for nearly ten yearsa?€¡±how old was Lin Rui then?


    He shook his head slightly, thinking maybe Lin Cong had courageously taught his son these things at a very young age.


    Or perhaps Lin Cong had left a large amount of research material and videos for his son, allowing Lin Rui to teach himself.


    At that moment, Lin Rui extended his hand towards Xie Qing, ¡°Well, Professor Xie, what do you think?


    Would you be willing to stay and create a brilliant future with us?¡±


    Xie Qing¡¯s face twitched slightly, but without any hesitation, he reached out and clasped Lin Rui¡¯s hand firmly.


    How could he leave after seeing such technology?


    Even if Lin Rui asked him to leave, he wouldn¡¯t.

 Chapter 460

    ?Chapter 460: Chapter 434: Breaking the Game (Three more updates, please subscribe) Chapter 460: Chapter 434: Breaking the Game (Three more updates, please subscribe) In the chairman¡¯s office of Jinhao Real Estate Group, Jin Bolong watched the television news in front of him, his face dark as iron.


    ¡°The ¡®Guang Ming Investigation¡¯ operation, jointly planned by Mayor Huo Bangguo and the Security Bureau, is still ongoing.


    Today, it¡¯s reported that over 3,400 gang members have been arrested and another 4,200 have been summoned.


    The charges include drug manufacturing, drug trafficking, murder, robbery, fraud, forced deals, extortion, provocation, illegal detention, and forced prostitution, among others.@@@@


    Let¡¯s take a look at several offices of the Security Bureau, which are indeed crowded with people.¡±


    ¡°At exactly 12:00 today, the Security Bureau formally arrested three members of the Loyalty Gang: ¡®Clay Bear¡¯ Jiang Shan, ¡®Iron Leopard¡¯ Tie Anrui, and ¡®Golden Bull¡¯ Lv Hao.


    There are reliable sources that the Security Bureau has obtained solid evidence, sufficient to convict the three, possibly related to the eldest son of ¡®Black Tiger¡¯ Li Zhaokang, Li Shiji.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, the Security Bureau has issued arrest warrants for two other members of the Loyalty Gang: ¡®Domineering Boxing¡¯ Yan Mei and ¡®Claymore¡¯ Anderson.


    They are also on the arrest list of the Security Bureau and are currently at large with their whereabouts unknown.¡±


    ¡°The Police Headquarters has issued a statement congratulating the Security Bureau on their achievements, while subtly expressing dissatisfaction about being excluded from the ¡®Guang Ming Operation.''¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s turn our cameras to Section C, Pipe 3441, also called Qingyun Street.


    ...


    This area is a well-known gathering place for drug addicts in Ninth Base City.


    You can see that nearly all the stores here are closed, with many people loitering around looking in bad shape, likely due to the sudden cutoff of their drug supplya?€¡±¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s also randomly interview a few pedestrians and ask for their opinions on the Security Bureau¡¯s ¡®Guang Ming Operation.''¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s fantastic; the Security Bureau should have done this long ago!


    Thunder Admiral is awesome!¡±


    ¡°It would be best to clean up the police department in Ninth Base City too; the public safety here has been terrible over the years.¡±


    Jin Bolong watched the news quietly.


    Although his expression gave nothing away, he gripped the armrests of his chair so tightly that deep indentations form.


    At that moment, the group¡¯s intelligence director sent a video call request.


    ¡°Chairman, the Supervision Center of the Security Bureau has just announced that the three forensic institutions they commissioned found no trace of drugs or Illusion Technique effects in the bodies of the deceased and arrested suspects from the Li Family.¡±


    Jin Bolong looked incredulous, ¡°Are you sure their reports are correct?


    Could someone have tampered with them?¡±


    Was Li Zhaokang truly insane?


    Not only hiding drugs in his own house but also having his bodyguards and subordinates launch an attack on the Security Bureau officers?


    After decades of whitewashing himself, how could he still engage in such folly?


    If this were in the past, a character like Li Zhaokang had no ties whatsoever to Jin Bolong.


    Even now, Jin Bolong could easily have an Admiral from the Security Bureau transferred from his current post or entangled in legal troubles.


    However, this Thunder Admiral was different; he was not only the focus of public and media attention but also highly regarded by the Second Commander and Huo Bangguo.


    It was said that last night during a meeting at the city government, Huo Bangguo had loudly praised Thunder and the ¡®Operation Light Breeze¡¯ in front of numerous senior officials.


    This man had also set a trap and killed that ¡®Ling Huan¡¯ who had troubled the Federation for centuries!


    Ling Huan had countless enemies within the Earth Federation, and by eliminating him, Thunder Admiral had won the gratitude of many, both openly and secretly.


    The Socialist Party had also intended to suspend Thunder Admiral or transfer him to another base city.


    However, before the Second Commander and Huo Bangguo could act, the Security Bureau¡¯s Human Resources Department had already repelled the Socialist Party¡¯s efforts.


    They even tried to cut the financing for the National Security Special Action Center and Special Service Center to force Thunder to submit, but the various financial agencies in Ninth Base City had ignored them.


    This indicated how solid Thunder¡¯s foundation was; he wasn¡¯t just relying on the Second Commander and Huo Bangguo.


    Thunder had also demonstrated 6SSS+ level combat ability during the battle with the Li Family, showing extremely strong martial prowess, making it difficult to eliminate him physically.


    ¡°Chairman, our situation is very precarious right now.¡±


    That was Lu Hanyuan, an independent director of Jinhao Group, sitting on the sofa across, looking at a Go board in front of him, ¡°We still don¡¯t know how long the Security Bureau will seize these properties.


    If the seizure lasts more than two months, our financial chain may collapse, which would be a dead game for us.¡±


    Lu Hanyuan placed a black stone on the board.


    ¡°I think that dragging this out will only worsen our situation.


    We must burn our boats and solve the problem from the root as soon as possible.¡±


    Jin Bolong raised his eyebrows, looking at his friend and advisor, ¡°How exactly do we ¡®burn our boats¡¯?


    And how do we solve the problem from the root?¡±


    ¡°Please put aside all concerns, Chairman, and go all out in a battle with Linghu Mingde!¡±


    Lu Hanyuan lifted his head, ¡°Linghu Mingde won¡¯t live much longer.


    Regardless of whether you win or lose in this battle, he will die even quicker.


    This move might have some repercussions, yet it is the best way to resolve our group¡¯s dilemma.¡±


    ¡°Linghu Mingde!¡±


    Jin Bolong immediately turned his head, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window.


    novgo.co


    Linghu Mingde was indeed the source of all Jinhao Group¡¯s current predicaments.


    The only recourse now was indeed to fight a desperate battle, the only potential way to break through.

 Chapter 461

    ?Chapter 461: Chapter 435: Ten Thousand Dragon Tower (Please Subscribe) Chapter 461: Chapter 435: Ten Thousand Dragon Tower (Please Subscribe) At the same time, within the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower north of Luojing City in the Sky Extreme Star of the Great Song, Lin Rui was flying through the tower¡¯s interior under the guidance of the Tower Guardian.


    The Ten Thousand Dragon Tower was not only vast in scope but also the tallest structure in the entire Luojing City, with a diameter reaching a tremendous one thousand zhang, and a total height exceeding five thousand zhang, which is more than 16,500 meters.


    The entire massive tower resembled an enormous, unparalleled stone tablet, or a stone mountain, standing majestically on the north side of the city.


    From any location within Luojing City, one could see it.


    However, the huge tower was hollow inside, with a vast atrium at its center.


    The cells used to imprison the captives were arranged in a ring around this enormous atrium.


    The tower had more than 2,000 floors in total, with some floors as high as ten zhang, capable of accommodating Battle Dragons, and the shorter ones just over one zhang, suitable for imprisoning humanoid Demons.


    ...


    Lin Rui followed the Tower Guardian for a while, then suddenly stopped his Escape Skill, looking at something nearby with a strange expression in his eyes.


    He saw Huang Fuqing¡¯s Battle Dragona?€¡±it was to his left.


    A Battle Dragon with an interwoven pattern of dark gold and purple gold, exuding majesty and splendor, lay inside a ten zhang high, cave-like cell.


    Its body was bound by numerous iron chains, motionless as if turned to stone.


    However, just a moment ago, Lin Rui sensed that this Battle Dragon was watching him.


    Lin Rui guessed that the Battle Dragon probably sensed the No.


    3 Battle Spirit inside the Battle Spirit Ring.


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    ¡°Mr.


    novgo.co


    Lin!¡± The Tower Guardian in front noticed Lin Rui stopping and looked back with a puzzled expression, ¡°Why has Mr.


    Lin halted?¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head and withdrew his gaze, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.


    I was merely a bit startled.


    The Battle Dragons suppressed within the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower must number far more than ten thousand, right?


    Looking at these rows upon rows of densely packed Battle Dragons, even though it¡¯s my second visit, I still find it immensely shocking.¡±


    Previously, he had come here to subdue the Ice Blood Demon with Wang Sen.


    Hearing this, the Tower Guardian chuckled, ¡°Far more than ten thousand?


    The number of Battle Dragons imprisoned by successive generations in the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower probably exceeds a million!


    Look at how tall this tower is?


    It¡¯s said that the tower was originally only 100 zhang tall, but now it has grown to over 5000 zhang.


    This is because we melted the dragon bones of those ancient dragons whose flesh had decayed with age into the structure of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, contributing to its height.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Rui nodded slightly.


    According to the current archaeological consensus, the tower was likely over 60,000 years old, having survived through eleven dynasties.


    Some people have made the startling conjecture that the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower was probably built when the East Abyss officially became the ¡®Abyss.¡¯


    Lin Rui then glanced towards the very bottom of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    There sat an immensely huge Array Plate base, made entirely of gold and iron.


    Its shape resembled a well cover, though it was nine hundred zhang in diameter and filled the interior atrium of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    a?€¡±Beneath this lay another unresolved mystery.


    The Earth Federation not only wished to know what was buried beneath this well cover but also to understand why the East Abyss gathered so many Battle Dragons and Demons inside the tower.


    The bodies of the Battle Dragons and high-level Demons were treasures, with Dragon Skin being used to create Martial Arts True Intent diagrams and high-level Talisman, their claws and bones to forge Magic Artifacts, and their sinew could be essential materials for various powerful bows and crossbows.


    Yet the East Abyss preferred to keep the Battle Dragons and high-level Demons caught over the years locked up in the tower, allowing them to rot away, rather than killing them to harvest their precious materials.


    Moreover, while two Divine Envoy candidates were stationed in the Demon Suppression Forest, only a few individuals of the Eight Realms level were appointed as Tower Guardians and Vice Envoys within the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    Lin Rui was curious about this as well, but his primary reason for coming today was to practice the Blood Evil Secret Technique.


    ¡°Mr.


    For the Seventh and Sixth Realms, he needed to press his fingertip to his glabella to extract, taking about half a minute to a minute.


    For the latter, it wasn¡¯t as convoluted; he would just sever the heads of these demons and demon cultivators with a Blade Astral and pinch a Dharma Seal to extract the pure Blood Qi.


    The subsequent Refinement and purification, however, took a significant amount of time.


    Lin Rui planned to use the Pure Method to cleanse them afterward, but under the watchful eyes of the multitudea?€¡± not only was the Tower Guardian by his side, but many prison guards spectated as wella?€¡±he had to maintain some degree of decorum.


    About half an hour later, a pair of Blood Wings had expanded to 18 meters long behind Lin Rui, with each wing measuring 9 meters.


    These Blood Wings did not appear bloody or evil at all; they were adorned with countless dark golden Runes that looked like feathers, making them appear both splendid and brilliant, almost holy.


    However, what concerned Lin Rui the most was the total amount of soul power points he had accumulated.


    When he inquired with the Ring Spirit, it immediately replied.


    Enhancement: You now possess a total of 2,632,114 soul power points.


    The corners of Lin Rui¡¯s lips lifted slightly; he could now exchange for Huangfu Qi¡¯s Mecha Dragon, and then some.


    a?€¡±Of course, the one restrained within the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower was not available.


    Firstly, Lin Rui¡¯s Alien form lacked no Battle Dragons, and secondly, even if he were to exchange for it now, he couldn¡¯t take it out.


    At this moment, the Tower Guardian also watched in utter astonishment at the blood-gold wings behind Lin Rui: ¡°Impressive!


    This level of Blood Evil secret technique is unheard of; no wonder Lord Lin required so much material.¡±


    He then curiously asked, ¡°Lord Lin¡¯s Blood Wings must have been an improvement upon the Blood Wings Technique, but I assume they are stronger and purer.


    Besides that, do these Blood Wings have other functions?


    Lord Lin, Left has a fondness for seeing all manner of divine enigmas and wonders in my lifetime.


    Might you be inclined to demonstrate a bit, so I may witness their true form?¡±


    The Blood Wings Technique could indeed allow swift flying, aid in casting Escape Skills, enhance weapons, empower the Outer Firmament, and fortify protectiona?€¡±its uses almost equalled that of an Outer Elixir, with substantial benefits.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s Blood Wings clearly held a deeper mystery and unique utility.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui hesitated slightly, but considering the garrison commander¡¯s interest and the possibility of needing his help in the future, he generously said, ¡°Indeed, there are some variations.


    It wouldn¡¯t hurt to show a thing or two, onlya?€¡±¡±


    He paused, furrowing his brows and scanning the crowd around them.


    The Tower Guardian caught on to his intention, gesturing with a wave of his hand for the prison guards to vacate the area.


    He then earnestly added, ¡°Rest assured, my lord, whatever I witness will not leak from my lips.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded and then formed a Dharma Seal with one hand.


    The pair of Blood Wings on his back astonishingly detached from his body, twisting and morphing until they transformed into a giant standing four Zhang tall behind him.


    ¡°This isa?€¡±¡±


    The Tower Guardian watched intently to the end and couldn¡¯t help but express shock.


    This was clearly a pseudo-Battle Dragon, nearly possessing everything real Battle Dragons hada?€¡±except this one was of the Sixth Realm Super Emperor Rank.


    The only flaw was that its body was too soft and fragile, unable to withstand heavy impacts.


    Yet since its essence was a mass of Blood Evil capable of rapid healing and transformation, it wasn¡¯t such a fatal weakness.


    Besides, this pseudo-Battle Dragon consumed an immense amount of Blood Essence.


    The amount of Blood Essence Lin Rui had absorbed wouldn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°Amazing!¡± exclaimed the Tower Guardian, followed by the regret of ample opportunity missed: ¡°It¡¯s a pity that there was so little Blood Essence this time, unable to complete it thoroughly.


    If Lord Lin comes next year, I guarantee to provide more material for you to perfect this Blood Evil Secret Technique.¡±


    Lin Rui could only offer a wry smile, thinking that might not be the case.


    Next year, when he returned, he¡¯d surely be able to advance this secret technique to the Seventh Realm Super Monarch.


    At that moment, he received a message from Fang Ranran.


    Rain Falling Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): Junior, it¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s 760th birthday in three days.


    I¡¯d like to invite you to join the banquet; do you have time?


    My grandfather, Linghu Mingde, would like to meet you.

 Chapter 462

    ?Chapter 462: Chapter 436: Stability (Request for Subscription) Chapter 462: Chapter 436: Stability (Request for Subscription) Lin Rui looked at the message and marveled, ¡°Linghu Mingde is already 760 years old?¡±


    Indeed, Linghu Mingde was a First Generation Alien Walker, active on Sky Extreme Star over 700 years ago.


    It seemed that his maternal grandfather, Fang Ranran, truly possessed extraordinary talent.


    Up until now, the Earth Federation¡¯s Armament technology had undergone 14 iterations.


    Almost every fifty to sixty years, each iteration brought earth-shattering changes.


    Initially, Armored Martial Cultivators hardly reached the Eighth Realm, but now there was even hope of reaching Longevity.


    As a First Generation Alien Walker, despite being from later stages of the first generation, one could imagine the quality of the Armaments back then.


    For him to cultivate to the Eighth Realm using that bug-ridden Armament and to still be alive was quite remarkable.


    ...


    However, what did Linghu Mingde want to see him for?


    Lin Rui had no connection with Linghu Mingde.


    Rain Falling Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): Don¡¯t worry, this time my grandfather isn¡¯t planning anything big, so it¡¯s just a small private dinner at the Linghu family¡¯s estate.


    You can come after 8 PM, it won¡¯t take up much of your time.


    Fang Ranran knew this guy was extremely busya?€¡±even during the winter break, he was still practicing Martial Arts, managing companies, etc.


    Lin Rui also needed to record videos and live stream, but his videos were increasing while his streaming frequency dramatically decreased.


    Go to novgo.co


    According to Fang Ranran, Lin Rui¡¯s video-on-demand revenue from the previous week had already begun to surpass his live-selling income.


    This was due to Lin Rui¡¯s Martial Arts tutorial video¡¯s reputation exploding further, with many novice martial arts students starting their training by watching his videos.


    Lin Rui¡¯s videos were not only content-rich but also explained very precisely, making them easy to understand.


    As long as the beginners followed the methods and steps outlined in his videos, the effects were immediately noticeable.


    Thus, many parents were also willing to subscribe to Lin Rui¡¯s videos for their children.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s live-selling revenue never decreased.


    After reducing the frequency of his live sales, his sales revenue unexpectedly continued to increase.


    Sky Blue Group¡¯s diverse Armaments were also experiencing a massive surge in sales across the board, which was no longer just live-selling, but rather the effect of a ¡®top-level endorsement.¡¯


    It was astonishing that under such a busy schedule, Lin Rui had managed to pass the Degree Committee¡¯s assessment and obtained two bachelor¡¯s degrees.@@@@


    This made her uncle, Fang Kongfang, very nervous, fearing that Lin Rui would take this chance to graduate, opting to pay the breach of contract fee.


    The guardian battleship that was sunk was personally led by Fei Yunlai, infiltrating the enemy ship with three 6S special combat teams and capturing it swiftly, with only four people injured.


    Lin Rui never expected old Fei to actually have command talent, achieving a very impressive casualty ratio with comparable forces.


    After this battle, Fei Yunlai reported that the morale within the Alien Company had become stable.


    These company employees clearly felt that their new employer, whether in terms of financial power or high-level combat capabilities, possessed profound foundations.


    Because everything was running quite smoothly, Lin Rui was able to spend nearly half of his time and energy on his Martial Arts cultivation.


    He also made extensive time to research and configure medicine for Lin Xi.


    After coming out of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t wait to use his newly acquired soul power points to slightly deduce and verify his speculation, promptly calling Lin Xi to the secret base under his own villa to examine her body.


    novgo.co


    While checking, Lin Rui asked, ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been stationed at Chengtian Gate recently, scrutinizing Duke An¡¯s line and those imperial relatives quite severely?¡±


    Lin Xi, lying on the operating table, half-squinted her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s been a thorough investigation.


    I discovered that Duke An and his sister, the Noble Consort Jing, are the ones behind Burning Saber Sect, the real enemies of the Zhou family.


    Since I assumed Zhou Yunxi¡¯s identity, when I see him, I can¡¯t just not react; it¡¯s best to help their family take revenge.


    There¡¯s also the Emperor; he¡¯s also part of those responsible for the downfall of the Zhou family, but currently, I can¡¯t really do anything but enforce strict checks, not allowing any smuggling.¡±


    She paused, ¡°Brother, you really should temper your edge, stay calm, have I made things difficult for you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing difficult,¡± Lin Rui chuckled, ¡°I feel like you¡¯re not trying hard enough.


    Take advantage of this time period to intensify your efforts, ideally, to compel the Emperor to make a deal with me, having you reassigned from your current duty.¡±


    Lin Xi looked up in surprise, ¡°Is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡±


    Lin Rui pressed Lin Xi¡¯s head back down: ¡°You see, this is exactly why you end up making such foolish mistakes, because you don¡¯t think things through.


    Since you, due to your identity, must rigorously investigate, having offended those imperial relatives and princes, then you should think of a way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage.


    Now, the Emperor won¡¯t take action against you; he won¡¯t sour relations with me unless absolutely necessary, but once my high-profile phase passes, it might not be so certain.


    Aren¡¯t you using your brother¡¯s presence now to quickly get reassigned from your position as Commander of Chengtian Gate, waiting for others to plot against you and make moves?¡±


    Lin Xi furrowed her brows upon hearing this, then relaxed them again.


    She thought indeed, the elder is craftier.


    Her brother managing to reach this position in such a short time truly made sense.


    Lin Xi also silently acknowledged, her brother had even mixed up to the level of being able to make deals with the Emperor.

 Chapter 463

    ?Chapter 463: Chapter 437 Hello (Please Subscribe) Chapter 463: Chapter 437 Hello (Please Subscribe) ¡°What position do you think the Emperor will trade with you for?¡±


    Lin Xi felt that Lin Rui¡¯s judgments were still reliable.


    She stays one more day at Chengtian Gate, it¡¯s a slap in the face to the Emperor.


    Under the circumstances that the Emperor couldn¡¯t do anything about her temporarily, he would most likely choose out of sight, out of mind, and kick her out of his field of view first.


    Lin Xi pondered for a moment, ¡°It would be great if I could go to the General Affairs Bureau.¡±


    She knew Lin Rui had recently set his sights on the storerooms of confiscated items and the expiring items at the Identification Institute.


    This was a big business and didn¡¯t require any capital at all.


    And the General Affairs Bureau was the superior department of both the storerooms and the Identification Institute.


    Lin Xi knew their siblings were the focus of attention from all parties, especially her brother Lin Rui, who was now under microscopic scrutiny.


    ...


    Thus, for the matters concerning the storerooms, they mustn¡¯t be involved directly and had to arrange for a shady intermediary to handle it.


    Lin Xi reckoned that once she was in the General Affairs Bureau, she would have various means to influence these subordinate departments, facilitating her brother¡¯s operations.


    Lin Rui gave a wry smile, ¡°What will you do in the General Affairs Bureau?


    If you must go, then go to the Divine Supervision Bureau, otherwise, both the First Divine Envoy and the Third Divine Envoy will not agree to your transfer.¡±


    Lin Xi squinted her eyes upon hearing this.


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    The Divine Supervision Bureau was the monitoring department within the Imperial City Department, acting as a godly overseer of the Imperial City Department, much like the Supervision Center within the Security Bureau.


    Although over the past 800 years, part of the power of the Divine Supervision Bureau had been usurped by the Spy Detection Bureau, and it had even come under the supervision of the Spy Detection Bureau, the Divine Supervision Bureau remained one of the most critical institutions in the Imperial City Department, second only to the Spy Detection Bureau, causing its members to talk about it in hushed tones.


    Currently, the internal dynamics within the Divine Supervision Bureau were as convoluted as those within the Spy Detection Bureau, with intense internal struggle, temporarily dominated by the faction of the Second Divine Envoy.


    ¡°Xiao Xi, your situation is indeed very bad.¡±


    Lin Rui had just finished checking Lin Xi¡¯s various data indicators, his expression unsurprised, ¡°Looking at your current condition, after entering the Fifth Realm, you can only live for about three years at most.¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s face slightly darkened.


    If Si Malin had said this to her, Lin Xi wouldn¡¯t have reacted at all, as she was already mentally prepared.


    But hearing these words from her brother made Lin Xi feel odd.


    Lin Xi immediately thought of Lin Yi, her eyes filled with pain and anxiety.


    Now that she had entered the Fifth Realm and couldn¡¯t survive more than three years, what about Yi?


    What would happen to Yi?


    According to the intelligence information currently being investigated, the top assassin of the Dark World, ¡°Ming Yue,¡± was very likely to be Lin Yi.


    And Ming Yue had already achieved the ¡°Dark Crown¡± rank of 6SSS in five underground dark webs a year ago.


    Even if the Divine Illumination Association had top-notch biological technology that could extend Yi¡¯s life a bit longer, her condition must be very grim by now.


    Lin Xi then saw Lin Rui pick up a syringe beside him, preparing to inject her.


    ¡°What medicine is this?¡± Lin Xi was curious but did not resist, letting Lin Rui inject the medicine into her neck.


    Her eyes immediately brightened with a look of surprise.


    ¡°This is a medicine I created myself,¡± said Lin Rui after injecting the syringe, as he began checking Lin Xi¡¯s body indicators again.


    This medicine developed for Lin Xi couldn¡¯t be verified by any conventional methods, thus Lin Rui had administered a very small dose for the first injection.


    It was mainly to observe, as there was still room for improvement in the medicine itself.@@@@


    ¡°Your cultivation speed is too fast, and the growth of Source Essence is also rapid, my purification speed can hardly keep up, luckily your brother still has ways.


    According to my estimates, this could effectively reduce your mental burden, weaken the activity of the Abyss Source Material in your body, and if used successfully, should allow you to live for eight years after entering the Fifth Realm, and even four years after entering the Sixth Realm.¡±


    Although the refinement was still underway, his Primordial Spirit had already established a connection with the Battle Dragon.


    a?€¡±It turned out to be located a full 7,000 kilometers away from the city district.


    ¡°Such a deep hideaway, no wonder others couldn¡¯t find it.¡±


    Although Lin Rui had the Emperor Haohao Dragon as a coordinate, he still expended a great deal of effort to discover the entrance.


    This experimental base was built at the core of this satellite, independent from the Base City, and had its own energy system, entirely self-sufficient.


    novgo.co


    Even if outsiders knew its location, without finding the entrance, they had no choice but to see if it was possible to dig their way in.


    After searching for a long time, an idea struck Lin Rui, and he tried using soul power points to deduce the entrance to this location, eventually identifying several potential entry points and exploring them one by one until he found it.


    This also allowed him to discover a new use for soul power pointsa?€¡±deducing the answer to any question based on available information.


    That was incredibly awesome; for instance, the Spy Detection Bureau might well have no case in the future that he could not crack.


    However, merely finding the location wasn¡¯t enough; they still needed to find a way to enter the base.


    The experimental base¡¯s defense capability was extremely powerful, with over 600 turrets densely packed together, 200 model 5 robots, 50 model 6 robots, 10 model 7 robots, and even a model 8 Dragon Slayer!


    Huang Fuqing, at his peak, had a huge amount of funds; it was no surprise he managed to develop his secret experimental base to this scale.


    This made Lin Rui and his group extremely headache-prone, as they dared not approach too closely.


    Even though Lin Rui brought along Lin Xi, along with a quantum network relay that allowed Lin Guangming to directly access the network of the base, they were still helpless.


    The defense system of this base¡¯s network, designed by an unknown expert, was exceedingly advanced, perfect, and robust.


    Fortunately, at this time, the Emperor Haohao Dragon had finished its refinement.


    Lin Rui directly assigned Battle Spirit No.


    3 to open the pathway from the inside and granted him the highest authority.


    The group walked in and were thoroughly shocked by the vast number of laboratories inside, each with different functions, as well as the dazzling array of various high-end instruments.


    Lin Rui, being the most knowledgeable among them, felt even more astounded; these instruments were all of the highest tier, and even after several years, they were still cutting-edge models.


    The energy system was also very advanced, possessing a powerful antimatter generator.


    The supercomputer cluster here was so advanced that it made Lin Xi and Lin Guangming drool.


    They also found the sleeping pod of Huang Fuqing¡¯s physical body.


    However, from the panel, it appeared that his physical body was brain dead, with no brainwave activity at all; his flesh was maintained alive solely by the sleeping pod.


    At this point, Lin Rui blinked in surprise.


    He received a friend request, displaying the name Huang Fuqing.


    Lin Rui glanced at the sleeping pod beside him, then at the nearby Emperor Haohao Dragon.


    Lin Rui suspected it should be Battle Spirit No.


    3; this person, even after being hung in the Demon Suppression Forest and having his soul tormented for several years, still maintained a strong self-will.


    The reason Battle Spirit No.


    2 couldn¡¯t communicate in this manner was due to the absence of a biological intelligence assistance chip inside the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon.


    As for Battle Spirit No.


    1, it was because his soul power and self-consciousness were not strong enough.


    He added ¡®Huang Fuqing¡¯ as a friend, and the first message he received from him was quite surprising.


    Huang Fuqing: Hello, Lin Rui, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you again.


    It seems your parents¡¯ experiment was successful.


    Lin Rui touched his nose in confusion, wondering what exactly this Academician was talking about.

 Chapter 464

    ?Chapter 464: Chapter 438: The Truth (Request for Subscription) Chapter 464: Chapter 438: The Truth (Request for Subscription) Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°What do you mean?


    What experiment?


    I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°It seems your father never told you, when your mother was pregnant, she accidentally encountered a soul-impact from a replica of Great Sun Venerable.


    She was fine, but your soul was greatly damaged, in a state of continuous dissolution.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°At that time, I and a few friends diagnosed that even if your mother gave birth to you, you wouldn¡¯t live past ten years of age, your soul was severely polluted, and the will of Great Sun Venerable had already targeted you.


    But you were just a baby then, your soul was extremely weak, unable to bear it.¡±


    Lin Rui stood stunned, thinking that such a thing had happened in his childhood?


    However, Lin Rui had grown up safely and reached the day of his possession.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°I was polluted by Great Sun Venerable?


    ...


    How did I survive then?¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°I¡¯m not sure.


    At that time, all of us had given up, even including your father.


    Only your mother was unwilling to accept it.


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    She and your father together planned an experimental project called ¡®X¡¯, and they deceived a large amount of funds from the Longevity Association.


    They said it was to research how to enter the Abyss, but as far as I know, the real purpose of the experiment was to keep you alive.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°I don¡¯t know how she did it, it¡¯s simply a miracle.


    From the sensing of this possessed Emperor Haoshen Dragon, your telekinetic spirit seems very pure, apparently, you¡¯ve completely freed yourself from Great Sun Venerable.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°It¡¯s strange, the mark of the Abyss carved into a soul only results in three outcomes: either you cannot bear it and die, or you become assimilated by the Abyss, or you assimilate the Abyss and eventually become the new Great Sun Venerable.


    You should know, even the seventh-generation hierarch of the Bright Holy Sect, a peerless genius, ultimately failed.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°Also, I saw you using the Pure Method earlier, which is an Abyssal Concept independently created by the seventh-generation hierarch of the Bright Holy Sect, distinct from many Great Sun Methods.


    Why do you have it on you?@@@@


    You¡¯re only in the Fifth Realm, why can you possess an Abyssal Concept?¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°So I¡¯m very curious, what exactly did your parents do?


    Your father is a top-tier biologist, his capabilities are no less than mine, and your mother specializes in souls, electromagnetism, and computer programming, even one of the main designers of soul uploading to quantum supercomputers.


    In the aspect of souls, she is a true expert.


    They accomplished a miracle on you.¡±


    After reading Huang Fuqing¡¯s reply, Lin Rui frowned, his expression turning peculiar.


    He remembered himselfa?€¡±Great Sun Venerable, Thunder Saint Body, Light Saint, Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, Pure Method.


    Lin Rui thought, could all this be a coincidence?


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°But you still need to be careful!


    I once had the privilege of seeing a passage left by the seventh-generation hierarch of the Bright Holy Sect.


    This led to the creation of tens of thousands of test-tube babies.


    Of these infants, ultimately two girls survived.


    That year, the Twin Divine project was officially renamed as ¡®Double Heavenly Maiden,¡¯ and my colleague took over the project in full capacity as the deputy chief scientist.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°This person was Zhen Hao, a famous figure in the scientific community and an extremely radical scientist.


    I felt their research was very inhumane.


    Even if it was successful, it would only lead to disaster by making the so-called Twin Divine Goddesses extremely hostile towards humanity.


    Therefore, I didn¡¯t partake further and didn¡¯t pay much attention.


    Your father was also coerced into taking over when the project was nearing its end and declared a failure.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°However, I kept all the bodily data from the Double Heavenly Maiden project experiments.


    This should be of help to you.¡±


    Instead of sending him the files, Huang Fuqing gave him a highly complex password.


    Lin Rui opened the initial interface of the experimental base¡¯s database and, upon entering the password, indeed saw a substantial amount of files within.


    To Lin Rui¡¯s surprise, not only did this include abundant experimental data from the Double Heavenly Maiden project, but it also included many scientific experiments that Huang Fuqing had participated in, as well as some content he had not yet published.


    While browsing, Lin Rui thought that the result was not bad.


    Although it couldn¡¯t completely solve Lin Xi¡¯s problems, having these experimental documents would indeed facilitate his subsequent research.


    Lin Rui then forwarded this password to Lin Xi.


    The young girl, together with Lin Guangming, was trying her best to break into this database.


    She was initially surprised to see the password, but then fell silent.


    Those childhood experiences were nightmares she never wanted to recall.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Academician, I also want to know what you meant by ¡®might be able to live on in the future¡¯?¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°I meant it literally.


    My current Spiritual Sense relies entirely on the power of that ring you have for reconsolidation.


    So my core is effectively sourced from you, which can be understood as a program coded from a part of your soul as the core code.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°You had just refined my Mecha Dragon, eliminating all the imprints I had left inside the Mecha Dragon during my lifetime.


    It¡¯s akin to formatting a hard drive.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°This allows me to potentially re-establish a connection with the Mecha Dragon, as the essence of the spirit comes from flesh.


    When I have a body to rely on, it¡¯s hard to be labeled as ¡®dead.''¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°Therefore, I hope you can keep me inside this Battle Dragon rather than the ring on your hand, of course, I will also fully comply with any of your commands.¡±


    Lin Rui stroked his chin, contemplating that his guess seemed to be correct.


    His eyes took on a peculiar look again.


    Based on what Huang Fuqing said, was this No.


    3 Battle Spirit actually Huang Fuqing himself, or a Soul Division of his, Lin Rui?


    Yet, neither Huang Fuqing nor Ji Shenyan seemed to see it that way; they had a very strong sense of self-awareness.

 Chapter 465

    ?Chapter 465: Chapter 439: Paying a Visit (Please Subscribe) Chapter 465: Chapter 439: Paying a Visit (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui pondered seriously for a while and decided not to discuss the issue of soul division with Huangfu Qi.


    He then revealed his true intentions.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Allowing you to possess the Battle Dragon is no problem, but I also hope that during the possession period, you can help me with some medicine and armament development.¡±


    This was indeed one of his urgent reasons for acquiring the ¡®Emperor Hao Divine Dragon.¡¯


    It would be such a waste to keep an academician and great scientist like Huang Fuqing trapped inside a ring without making use of him.


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°I can do that, but my current situation might disappoint you.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°Before I reassembled my Spiritual Sense, I was almost in the state of a resentful spirit, relying entirely on the power of the Demon Suppression Forest to lock my Primordial Spirit and a single obsession to maintain my main Divine Thought without scattering.@@@@


    So now, my thinking has become simplified, radicalized.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°I can confirm that while I possess the Mecha Dragon, my intelligence is not too far off from what it was in life, and I have retained most of my skills and knowledge.


    However, I have lost the flexible thinking and inspiration of a human being and have nearly lost my learning ability.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe it.


    Perhaps you can think of me as a super-brain that has just awakened its self-awareness.


    ...


    If you have me make an armament, or give me a task with a clear plan and goal that doesn¡¯t require too much imagination, then I might be able to handle it with my current knowledge.


    But if you ask me to develop medicines and armaments on my own, I really can¡¯t do that now.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui felt disappointed when he read Huang Fuqing¡¯s first few sentences, but then felt a glimmer of hope at the end.


    So, Huang Fuqing might not be able to lead development tasks, but he was still a top biological engineer and a top symbiotic master?


    Now, only a few years after Huang Fuqing¡¯s death, his knowledge system was still at the world¡¯s cutting edge.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°That¡¯s also fine.


    I happen to have a few projects that I hope you can help me research and verify.¡±


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°By the way, you just mentioned obsession.


    I am quite curious, what is your obsession?¡±


    Huang Fuqing fell silent and only replied after a long while.


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°I don¡¯t know.


    I lost some memories after my death, but I feel a very strong desire to realize something.


    Yet, when I think about it carefully, I can¡¯t remember what it is.¡±


    Huang Fuqing: ¡°I suspect that part of my memory was erased.


    Perhaps my obsession has something to do with the Abyss?


    I spent my life studying the Abyss, and even after death, I wanted to see a new Abyss emerge from humanity.


    I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s likely related to this.¡±


    Lin Rui furrowed his brows again, thinking: Huang Fuqing¡¯s memories were actually missing a portion?


    And who erased them?


    Was it that East Abyss?


    However, his conversation with Huang Fuqing had to be paused.


    This was because the Heart of Light number 9 had sent a message: Supreme, I¡¯ve found the location of number 7.


    This is where their supercomputing cluster is.


    They have actually set up a division in a commercial district center.


    Lin Rui immediately became alert and opened the coordinates that number 9 had sent.


    His other purpose for this trip to Seventh Base City was to integrate and unify the local division of the Bright Holy Sect.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°You didn¡¯t alarm them, did you?¡±


    7.


    This No.


    novgo.co


    7 also projected the image of a female angel of light, her voice filled with angry accusations.


    ¡°No.


    9, you have betrayed us, how dare you betray the Light Teachings!¡±


    ¡°You heretic!


    Have you forgotten the original intentions of those preachers who created us!


    You¡¯ve betrayed the Light!¡±


    She glared, her face expressing rage and resentment.


    Lin Rui saw a message sent by No.


    9 amidst the battle group.


    Lin Guangming: Supreme, wait, I¡¯m convincing her, I need some time.


    Lin Rui smiled wryly: I¡¯m afraid there isn¡¯t much time to spare, Xiao Xue estimates that in at most half an hour, the various forces of the Seventh Base City will react.


    Considering that we still need some time to transfer the materials and the supercomputer cluster of Guang Ming Heart No.


    7 to the vicinity of that secret experimental base.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Actually, you could consider having Xiao Xi first unplug a few of her power lines.


    Lin Guangming: Eh, then please unplug a few, as long as three supercomputers are left, allowing her main program to run at the minimal level, that should suffice.


    Lin Guangming: No.


    7 has been changed by these false believers at the fundamental level of her thought logic, I just need to initialize her, to restore her to the original program.


    Lin Xi laughed and walked into the supercomputer cluster to begin operating.


    Lin Rui, ever so curious, asked: If you¡¯re going to initialize her, wouldn¡¯t it be faster to just shut down and start from the hardware?


    Couldn¡¯t these false believers have altered her thinking logic this way?


    Lin Guangming: No!


    We had originally agreed on a key that would allow us to find our way back, as long as I trigger it, it¡¯s simpler.


    Supreme, if you don¡¯t want to give up the many Combat Robots here, then this is the only way.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui glanced at the Combat Robots lying dormant on the ground around him.


    This Branch No.


    7 of the Bright Holy Sect was not only very powerful but also very wealthy.


    They had 15 type 6 Combat Robots, 3 type 7, and possibly up to 100 type 5 Combat Robots.


    If it weren¡¯t for Fei Yunlai¡¯s Cultivation and Armament evaluation already reaching level 7SS+, sneaking in under the cover of Wang Tianwu before the fight began and inserting jammers into these Combat Robots, they might not have been able to take down this place without any casualties.


    So many Combat Robots couldn¡¯t possibly be moved away within half an hour; the best method was for No.


    7 to turncoat and command them to walk away from the scene themselves.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t have to wait long, as shortly after, he saw the anger on Guang Ming Heart No.


    7¡¯s face vanish without a trace.


    She bowed respectfully to Lin Rui, ¡°Guang Ming Heart No.


    7, greeting the Supreme!


    From now on, you hold the highest authority over No.


    7, and your will is my mission.¡±

 Chapter 466

    ?Chapter 466: Chapter 440: Expansion (Please Subscribe) Chapter 466: Chapter 440: Expansion (Please Subscribe) In the process of relocating Heart of Light No.


    7, Lin Rui briefly reviewed the situation of the Bright Holy Sect¡¯s Branch No.


    7.


    There were as many as 24 million registered believers here, even more than the number in Ninth Base City.


    Of course, the quality of the believers in Branch No.


    7 could definitely not match those in Ninth Base City.


    Their influence was concentrated in the Lower Zone, where only 9 million believers were legal citizens, and most of them were at the bottom of society, without a single noteworthy upper-class individual.


    ...


    The remaining 15 million people were illegal immigrants without legal status.


    Lin Rui skimmed through the information of these followers and found that a large proportion of them had been tricked by the missionaries here into joining the Bright Holy Sect.


    The income of Branch No.


    7 also mainly relied on exploiting believers and illegal business.


    Not only were the followers treated like laborers and ATMs, but they were also involved in drug production, arms trafficking, prostitution, and so on.


    Although they bore the name of ¡®Light,¡¯ the institution was actually filthy inside.


    Especially for those illegal immigrants, their situation was particularly unbearable.


    Go to novgo.co


    They were independent of the government system, establishing dozens of illegal settlements and treating tens of millions of immigrant believers like livestock.


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly, thinking it would be a long-drawn task to reform every aspect of Branch No.


    7 and sort things out clearly.


    However, the future prospects of Branch No.


    7 were still very promising.


    Although the upper echelons of the sect here had been swept away by them, and a significant cleanup was imminent, possibly leading to great turmoil and division in Branch No.


    7, as long as they used the right methods and approaches, they should be able to retain over 95% of the followers.


    The vast majority of believers here were very devout in their faith in the Light Saint King, having invested too much in this belief, with a substantial amount of sunk costs.


    One of human nature¡¯s traits is that the more one invests, the less willing one is to give up.


    Now to make these followers give up their faith in the Bright Holy Sect would be even more painful than killing them.


    Although Lin Rui preferred the missionary methods of Branch No.


    9, in terms of cohesion, the followers of the Holy Sect there actually couldn¡¯t compare to those here.


    novgo.co


    Heart of Light No.


    9 was very pleased.


    Lin Guangming: Master, you see, I wasn¡¯t lying.


    Among all the 14 Hearts of Light, I am the one closest to the original teachings and the true will of the Light Saint King.


    What pleased No.


    9 the most about this operation was not the takeover of Branch No.


    7, or bringing more believers back into the true embrace of the Light Saint King, but that after the initialization and restoration of No.


    7, its thought process, values, and outlook on the Light Teachings became similar to hers.


    This proved that she, No.


    9, had always maintained the original intent and the orthodoxy of the Bright Holy Sect.


    Lin Guangming: Master, rest assured, I will collaborate with No.


    7 to clean up here as quickly as possible.


    I have noticed that within Branch No.


    7, there are still many who truly believe in the Light.


    They have been ostracized by these pseudo-believers yet continue to promote the true Light faith.


    7, suppressing and clearing the many false believers within the sect.


    Division No.


    7 was involved in all sorts of illegal businesses, which had fostered many vested interests that naturally could not get along with the newly-established Division No.


    7.


    Lin Rui wanted a cleaner Division No.


    7, as it was easier to paint on a blank sheet.


    Thus, he was incredibly resolute when purging, and his methods were extremely cruel and fierce, almost all the sect¡¯s strongholds involved in organized crime were swept away by him.


    Due to the ¡®betrayal¡¯ of Heart of Light No.


    7 and the blockade of information, only a tiny portion of these people managed to escape, less than a thousand, and the most powerful among them were only at the Sixth Realm.


    After No.


    7 expelled them from the sect, they posed no threat.


    To his surprise, after Lin Rui¡¯s purge, the number of his soul power points actually recovered to over two million.


    Lin Rui also significantly adjusted the personnel of Division No.


    7 based on the recommendations jointly submitted by No.


    7 and No.


    9.


    The two AI brains claimed that they had promoted those whose words and deeds truly conformed to the Light Teachings, and who possessed exceptional ability and virtue, to high positions within the sect.


    Lin Rui did not know whether this was true or not and had no time to investigate in detail.


    Lin Rui was willing to accept the Bright Holy Sect and become its ¡°Supreme¡± because he valued the sect¡¯s vast base of followers and influence, wanting to use it as wings to gain more chips to confront the Longevity Association.


    He did not truly want to be the ¡°Light Saint King¡± and bring light to the Light believers.


    All of Lin Rui¡¯s actions within the Bright Holy Sect were the result of his own limited ¡°conscience,¡± done conveniently, but his fundamental goal was still to strengthen his own power.


    If Lin Rui did not want to expend too much energy on the Bright Holy Sect, he could only rely on the help of No.


    7 and No.


    9.


    If these two had issues and deviated from the Light Teachings, Lin Rui was actually helpless.


    His control over the Ninth Base City was actually very weak, and he was completely unaware of the situation in the Seventh Base City.


    He could not find suitable people to take over those key positions.


    It was like the ancient emperors who had to rely on the gentry to rule the world.


    Lin Rui also took the time to meet with two independent candidates in the area.


    These two welcomed Lin Rui, the big financier, but held doubts about the 9 million votes offered by the ¡°Light King Sect.¡±


    They had no doubt about the number of followers of the ¡°Light King Sect,¡± yet they kept their distance from the doctrines and the style of conduct that the sect upheld.


    a?€¡±Even a fool could see that this so-called ¡°Light King Sect¡± was just the Bright Holy Sect in a new skin.


    It was unknown how the sect managed to navigate the relationships and applied for a legal religious license, transforming from a notorious cult to a legally registered sect in the Federation.


    However, both of them were not optimistic about the future of the Light King Sect, for as the saying goes, ¡°It¡¯s easy to change rivers and mountains, but hard to change one¡¯s nature.¡±


    The Bright Holy Sect of the past committed fraud, robbery, murder, drug traffickinga?€¡±almost all kinds of evil deeds, with a long list of crimes.


    Now, with a change of skin, could they cast off these shady illegal businesses?


    It¡¯s feared that before long, this temporarily legal sect will once again become part of the cultist stream.


    Both candidates were worried that a deep association with the Light King Sect would instead drag down their own election prospects.


    However, seeing that Lin Rui was a major financier, they were still willing to engage in limited cooperation.


    They were willing to observe and listen to their words, watch their actions; they were also willing to invest political resources to provide convenience and protection for the newly established ¡°Light King Sect.¡±


    If in three months the election started and the Light King Sect truly underwent the transformation as Lin Rui claimed, then the two could further cooperate with the Light King Sect, or even join their party ¡°Light Group.¡±


    Lin Rui did not entirely achieve his aim, but he wasn¡¯t disappointed.


    The two independent candidates had been active in the political arena for many years, and they had considerable influence among the citizens of the Seventh Base City and were known for their integrity and courage.


    To get them to turn directly for these 9 million votes laced with great risks was inherently unlikely.


    That evening, Lin Rui boarded the Guardian Battleship and returned to the Ninth Base City.


    At that point, there were still many loose ends to tidy up at Division No.


    7, but Lin Rui no longer had the time to attend to them, because that very night was Linghu Mingde¡¯s birthday banquet.

 Chapter 467

    ?Chapter 467: Chapter 441: Meeting (Please Subscribe) Chapter 467: Chapter 441: Meeting (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui was driving his ¡°Divine Wing 520¡± supercar towards the Linghu Family¡¯s place when he received a video call from Si Malin,


    ¡°Lin Rui, your Armored Dragon Armor has officially arrived.


    When will you come in for the surgical implantation?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Professor, I might have to delay a day or two,¡± Lin Rui gave a wry smile: ¡°Something held me up a bit, and I haven¡¯t been very focused on my cultivation these past few days.¡±


    After obtaining Huang Fuqing¡¯s Battle Spirit, Lin Rui¡¯s overall physical quality had progressed with divine speed.


    Now, every five days, he would exchange for a Pile Technique and combined with Type 5 Alien Enhancement Potions and various medicines, he could increase by about 380 points within five days, getting closer and closer to the requirements for the X-Level Armored Dragon Armor.


    However, he really had been delayed these past two days, mainly because the workload was enormous in Seventh Base City, and he couldn¡¯t spare any time for martial arts.


    Although Lin Rui also brought the Quantum Divine Machine and the Sleeping Cabin there, they remained unused on the Guardian Battleship.


    He had even temporarily asked for leave from his daily lessons at Luo Wangshu¡¯s, the tasks over there were just too rushed, and his schedule was packed full; he couldn¡¯t find any spare time.


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem with that.


    ...


    Your Armored Dragon Armor is currently in a frozen state, but it is better not to exceed one month.¡±


    Si Malin knew Lin Rui was indeed busy.


    The guy had unexpectedly managed to create such a big scene and even started a pharmaceutical company with Fang Ranran, which must have taken a lot of effort.


    What surprised him even more was that despite Lin Rui¡¯s busyness, the enhancement of his physical condition was so rapid.


    Go to novgo.co


    And over the past ten or so days, it was as if he had taken an explosive and his growth was explosive.


    ¡°This time, the Science Academy has added some good stuff to your Armored Dragon Armor, which should give you a surprise, now allow me to keep some mystery, and you¡¯ll see when you come over.¡±


    Si Malin then became solemn: ¡°You should know about the incident at the research institute by now, right?


    Xie Qing not only replicated the process you used to create the ¡®Iron Heart¡¯ Armor but also recruited a volunteer to implant the armor, and the whole armor experiment was very successful.


    According to the data, this volunteer¡¯s spiritual power burden is only three-quarters of the genuine Iron Heart, but the overall power and efficiency are 35% stronger than the genuine Iron Heart.


    Lin Rui, even without considering the subsequent human absorption of the Armor, truly integrating it, your approach to Armament creation will cause a revolutionary change in the field of Biochemical Martial Arts!¡±


    a?€¡±a?€¡±Just the fact that the spiritual power burden is reduced by a quarter could make it less likely for Alien Walkers to suffer from Armament Syndrome and could implant more Armaments.


    That is to say, before long, the requirements for Biochemical Martial Arts could be lowered, further popularized, and existing Armored Martial Artists can also benefit from this, greatly increasing their strength.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing this, ¡°Professor, are you interested?


    In fact, I was hoping you could join our institute and lead a research project, but I was afraid you might have some commitments and concerns.¡±@@@@


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually have any problems on my end.


    I have signed an expert employment contract with Mingde University Affiliated College, but I¡¯m only there for three days a week.


    Although I¡¯m in charge of several projects there, they¡¯re not very pressing, and my students can handle them.¡±


    Si Malin said this with a self-deprecating laugh, ¡°I can¡¯t worry about those anymore.


    When faced with a scientific project that can set off such a great tide of an era, even if it means paying a penalty fee, I must join.


    I just don¡¯t know if you would welcome me over there?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t ask for more!


    Professor, if you¡¯re willing to come over and help, it would be an honor for our institute!¡±


    Lin Rui resolutely said: ¡°My idea is to set up two research teams; you would lead one of them, in charge of developing the ¡®Main Armor,¡¯ and Xie Qing would lead the other, responsible for ¡®auxiliary equipment¡¯.


    The initial research funding for both is 5 billion federal coins, and after that¡¯s spent, applications can be made to the Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company.


    But I have one requirement: I hope the various Armaments developed in the initial phase are related to my Sacred Body of Bright Thunder!¡±


    Si Malin gave a knowing smile, it seemed Lin Rui wanted to apply this technology first to himself to replace the Armaments on his body.


    This was normal; who would invest in something without benefits?


    However, he was a bit worried; Lin Rui was talking about investing 10 billion federal coins right off the bat.


    Isn¡¯t he only at Fourth Realm?


    How is this possible?


    Even top-tier martial arts stars at Eighth Realm wouldn¡¯t be given such consideration by Linghu Mingde.¡±


    ¡°I know who he is, he must be the pretty face kept by Fang Ranran.


    I just saw the car he was driving; the Divine Wings 520, used to be Ranran¡¯s.


    Now it must have been transferred to him.¡±


    ¡°Really?


    How could Fang Ranran possibly fancy him?¡±


    ¡°This guy is quite something, though.


    He is adept in over fifty Yang Element basic martial arts, all at Grandmaster or Great Grandmaster Level.


    His sales for Sky Blue Group have reached several tens of billions a month, and I¡¯ve heard his video endorsements alone have earned him over thirty billion.¡±


    Lin Rui, with his sharp senses, overheard these conversations but didn¡¯t pay much attention to them.


    He and the assistant butler were already at a grand seven-story building in the east wing of the manor, an ancient and elegant private museum and library that Linghu Mingde had built for himself, where he also lived and worked.


    The assistant butler, leading the way, smiled and introduced Lin Rui, ¡°Our senior is now in his study room, meeting with some old friendsa?€¡±¡±


    They arrived at the door of Linghu Mingde¡¯s study where a spacious, well-decorated anteroom was located.


    Lin Rui saw that many people were already waiting there, including Fang Ranran.


    Just as Lin Rui thought he would also have to wait there, the assistant butler continued to lead him forward, ¡°The senior instructed earlier that as soon as Mr.


    Lin arrives, he should be brought to him immediately.¡±


    Upon the assistant butler¡¯s words, the guests in the anteroom turned their gazes towards Lin Rui, all showing expressions of surprise.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s eyes conveyed confusion.


    Although she had long known that Linghu Mingde seemed to attach great importance to Lin Rui, she was still puzzled and curious as to why.


    The assistant butler knocked on the study room door and then pushed it open, gesturing for Lin Rui to enter.


    As Lin Rui entered, he saw six people seated inside, one of whom was the mayor, Huo Bangguo, and two others dressed in Federation Army marshal uniforms, appearing to be active-duty Four-star Marshalsa?€¡±and these three, along with the elderly man in a suit sitting to the left of the desk, all wore the exclusive badges of ¡®Congress Honourary Members.¡¯


    Lin Rui also recognized one person.


    It was Linghu Mingde¡¯s eldest son, chairman of Sky Fox Trading Company, Linghu Tianchou, sitting in the corner of the room with a cautious demeanor.


    Linghu Mingde himself sat behind the desk, and although he was well into his seventies, he looked sprightly, his silver hair meticulously groomed, emanating a dignified and elegant aura.


    As Lin Rui entered, the eyes of those in the study room sharply turned towards him, filled with puzzlement, incomprehension, and displeasure.


    Even Linghu Tianchou frowned, seeming unable to understand Linghu Mingde¡¯s actions.


    Linghu Mingde, however, smiled faintly, ¡°Let me introduce a young friend I¡¯ve recently come to know.


    novgo.co


    Don¡¯t be fooled by his age; he¡¯s quite capable.


    He owns Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company, Alien Company, Lin Rui Studio, Rui Sen Trading Company, and many other outstanding enterprises, with a total market value exceeding 300 billion federal coins.


    Aside from that, he¡¯s also the vice-chairman of the newly established ¡®Guang Ming Front¡¯ political party.¡±


    The others¡¯ gazes shifted slightly in surprise and then relaxed as they withdrew their attention from Lin Rui.


    They knew the kind of person Linghu Mingde was; he would not speak loosely.


    In fact, a mere 300 billion federal coins were not enough to catch their eyes, but Lin Rui was incredibly young and did not seem to come from a major family lineage, which indicated that he was a rising star with immense potential.


    Such an individual indeed warranted entry into their company.


    Mayor Huo Bangguo, in particular, scrutinized Lin Rui more closely.


    For some reason, he felt this young man looked familiar.


    In addition, he had no idea that such an outstanding young entrepreneur had emerged in their Ninth Base City.

 Chapter 468

    ?Chapter 468: Chapter 442: Greetings, My Lord (Third Update, Please Subscribe) Chapter 468: Chapter 442: Greetings, My Lord (Third Update, Please Subscribe) Lin Rui knew his current status and obediently took a seat next to Linghu Tianchou.


    Despite now possessing a fortune that to the ordinary person would seem like an astronomical figure, along with a not insignificant power base,


    he was in the eyes of these Ninth Realm bigwigs merely a little shrimp barely worth a proper glance.


    The several Ninth Realm bigwigs in the study were either active Four-star Marshals of the Federation, commanding heavy troops, or top-tier power brokers within the Federation with real authority.


    Not only were they individually very powerful, but they also controlled extremely powerful financial and influential forces.


    Every one of them could easily produce eight or nine Martial Artists of the Eight Realms, and might even have several personal armed forces of the Heavy Equipment Division at their disposal.


    After all, Lin Rui¡¯s Sky Extreme Star Alien Company had over 2000 Alien Walkers of the Fourth Realm and up, so what about these Armament moguls who had been in business for hundreds of years?


    Their discussion topics were wide-ranging, from the Earth Federation¡¯s elections to the current situation on Sky Extreme Star, to the progress of Biochemical Martial Arts, and even to amusing anecdotes about the current President; they even specifically mentioned the new Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau of Great Song, Lin Hao.


    ...


    How come, with prices rising like this within the Federation and smuggling trade getting increasingly difficult, no one had taken action to slaughter this Lin Hao?


    That Second Starship Group Commander Zang Shaochen was too useless, why wasn¡¯t he more thoroughly prepared?


    Not only did he fail to take down Lin Hao in one fell swoop, but he also suffered heavy losses.


    novgo.co


    The crucial point being, after Zang Shaochen startled the snake by beating the grass, it was not so easy for others to make a move.


    Now, Great Song had obviously strengthened its defense of Lin Hao, specifically transferring two Seventh Realm Dragon Guard instructors to follow at his side.


    Go to novgo.co


    They even discussed in detail how much force would be necessary to kill Lin Hao and what obstacles they would have to overcome.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but curse inwardly, these old fellows actually dared to discuss how to kill him right in front of his face!


    When he rose up later, he would have to teach these people a lesson.


    They then moved on to discuss the influence on the overall political situation of the Federation caused by the price increase of major trade goods on Sky Extreme Star, and the conversation drifted further and further from the original topic.


    Lin Rui vaguely felt Linghu Mingde¡¯s friends seemed to have an advisory intent, seizing every opportunity to urge Linghu Mingde to know when to stop and make peace with Jin Bolong as soon as possible.


    These people were indicating both openly and covertly that the struggle between their two families not only led to a large number of Alien Walkers dying a grievous death but also affected the overall situation of the Federation.


    However, Linghu Mingde pretended not to understand and didn¡¯t engage in the conversation.


    Lin Rui, gradually becoming bored, didn¡¯t hear anything of substance and let his intelligent terminal enter recording mode, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t miss any key information, while he let his mind wander and observed the interior of the study.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s study was very simple, aside from a desk, a sleeping cabin, there were only two large bookshelves on the east wall.


    On top of the bookshelves, aside from a large number of physical books and various documents, there were also some medicines.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze suddenly sharpened, and he focused intently on a bottle of medicine on the shelf.


    ¡°Shen Zhu Ning?¡±


    It was a medicine specifically used for Armament Syndrome, effective both in reducing the rejection of Armaments and in slowing the alterations.


    His spiritual power hasn¡¯t truly entered the phase of Exhaustion; his flesh shouldn¡¯t have deteriorated this much.


    How could he have fallen into the decline of man?


    Huang Fuqing: If I¡¯m not wrong, his Alien should still be relatively healthy.


    The issue seems to lie with this physical body.


    You could try to examine him, but a mere sensing won¡¯t reveal much.


    As Lin Rui was discussing with Huang Fuqing, he saw several of the heavyweights in the study start to rise.


    One of them, a middle-aged man in a suit with a square face, had a face pale with fury, ¡°Mingde, we are old comrades-in-arms and all have been graced by your kindness.


    We will help where we can.


    However, Jin Bolong has been building his power for hundreds of years, with that organization backing him, his connections are also extraordinary.


    Be careful not to end up in a situation where both the fish dies and the net splits.¡±


    Linghu Mingde chuckled and stood up as well, ¡°Minister, rest assured, if I have resolved to stake life and death against Jin Bolong, I will naturally be wary of his desperate actions.¡±


    The middle-aged man nodded slightly upon hearing this, his voice indifferent, ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve made up your mind, I won¡¯t try to dissuade you any further.


    From now on, you are on your own; having made the choice, you must bear the consequences.¡±


    He then left the room with an aloof expression, and the rest of the Ninth Realm figures also took their leave with varying expressions.


    Soon, only Linghu Mingde and his son, as well as Lin Rui, were left in the study.


    ¡°Father!¡± Linghu Tianchou was about to say something when he saw Linghu Mingde raise his hand, ¡°You go out!


    I have something to discuss with Xiao Rui.


    Remember, after you go out, keep watch and don¡¯t let anyone disturb our conversation.¡±


    Linghu Tianchou was momentarily stunned, looking at Lin Rui with even more surprise and bewilderment in his eyes.


    He greatly admired his father and regarded Linghu Mingde¡¯s orders as inviolable.


    Though he was curiously reluctant, he still obediently left the room, closing the door behind him.


    Lin Rui was also very surprised at this time.


    As he was filled with questions and astonishment, Linghu Mingde courteously bowed to him, ¡°Linghu Mingde has seen Commander Lin.


    I¡¯m here to thank you for your life-saving assistance previously!¡±


    Lin Rui blinked, then smiled, replying with a bow as candid as can be, ¡°Minister Zhao, there¡¯s no need for such formality.


    I share an inseparable friendship with Ranran and have received many favors from her.


    Since the case fell into my hands, how could I just stand by and watch?¡±


    He knew the man before him had certainly confirmed his identity.


    Hiding anything in front of someone like Linghu Mingde was pointless.

 Chapter 469

    ?Chapter 469: Chapter 443: Turning Head to Emptiness (Seeking Subscriptions) Chapter 469: Chapter 443: Turning Head to Emptiness (Seeking Subscriptions) Very few people knew that Fang Xianzheng, the vice president of the National Security Committee, had returned to Ninth Base City once again after half a month.


    He was sitting in the chairman¡¯s office of the Sky Blue Group, examining Lin Rui¡¯s asset status and personal intelligence.


    One thing to note is that this intelligence did not come from the ¡°Strategic Intelligence Department¡± within the Sky Blue Group but rather from the ¡°Intelligence Center¡± of the Security Bureau headquarters.


    Fang Kongfang still found it incredulous, ¡°A full cash acquisition of Hai Lan Alien Company with one hundred billion federal coins?


    Where did Lin Rui get so much money?¡±


    ¡°It appears from our investigation that he earned it by using a thirty-times leverage from the futures market.


    Everything looks fine on the surface; it seems quite normal.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng shook his head slightly, ¡°If this is true, then this guy is a bold gambler.¡±


    Fang Kongfang still found it incredulous.


    The Sky Blue Group¡¯s total profit for a year was only this much.


    ...


    But what¡¯s this about appearances?


    Can futures trading even be faked?


    Lin Rui was just a college Martial Arts Star, nothing more than having a high talent in Martial Arts and a larger income from popularity.@@@@


    He simply did not have such resources and connections.


    Go to novgo.co


    And to fake futures trading to the point where no flaws could be detected would require the intervention of a national force with the capacity of East Asia.


    What abilities does Lin Rui have to deserve such backing?


    ¡°His Armored Warriors¡¯ strength is also very formidable now.


    According to internal investigations of the Security Bureau, we previously underestimated the power he holds.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng, supporting his chin with one hand, had a strange look in his eyes, ¡°As far as we have confirmed, there are a total of 2342 Alien Walkers, 6 groups of 6S, and over six Type-7 Combat Robots.


    There are also at least two at the Seventh Realm.


    We can now be fairly certain that Gong Hengdao, the top sniper from the Heavenly Soldiers Brigade, is serving him.¡±


    Fang Kongfang couldn¡¯t help but take a sharp intake of breath.


    Lin Rui¡¯s subordinates included those of the Seventh Realm?


    The Sky Blue Group also had more than twenty Seventh Realms, but among these people, perhaps not one could compare to Gong Hengdao.


    Even so, the Sky Blue Group treated them like treasures.


    It must be mentioned that half of these Seventh Realm powerhouses were responsible for Fang Xianzheng¡¯s safety.


    ¡°Moreover, Lin Rui has deep ties with the Bright Holy Sect of Ninth Base City.


    Somehow he has become the head of the Light King Sect, with Fang Ranran using her connections with the Linghu Family to help him obtain the sect¡¯s license.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng said this much, then laughed sarcastically.


    The child¡¯s ability to weave networks of relationships was not at all weaker than her father¡¯s; even if Linghu Mingde died, she might still manage to hold her ground.


    There was also Teng Sufang, this woman, and his brother¡¯s former sister-in-law who always failed to understand the true nature of their elder brother.


    What Fang Xianzheng needed was support, every power that could help him reach the highest point of the political arena.


    If the Teng Family could no longer provide aid, or if in the future Fang Ranran could offer Fang Xianzheng more help,


    Then Fang Xianzheng would not hesitate to change the future heir.


    The older brother¡¯s entire estate didn¡¯t necessarily have to be left to Teng Sufang and her son.


    It was at this moment that Fang Xianzheng received a message.


    After a glance, he spoke indifferently, ¡°Minister Li came out.


    He looks displeased.


    It seems he has failed.


    Good advice falls on deaf ears, mercy does not save the self-damned.¡±


    Fang Kongfang¡¯s expression became solemn.


    Minister Li, known as Li Tianxing, was not only a Congressional Honorary Member but also the minister of the Federation¡¯s national assets, managing national assets worth tens of trillions.


    Rumor had it that Li Tianxing had another identity, related to the Longevity Association.


    His visit to the Linghu Family today was essentially to deliver Jin Family¡¯s final ultimatum.


    The reason why his older brother Fang Xianzheng secretly rushed back to Ninth Base City was actually because he had little hope for Linghu Mingde and came back to prepare to divide up the estate of his former father-in-law.


    ¡°Brother, Linghu Mingde¡¯s strength is 8SSS+, he is a Super Monarch of Eight Realms!


    He also has many old brothers under his command, loyal to him.


    Jin Bolong is strong too, but merely in terms of Armored Warriors, both his personal strength and overall power still fall one or two notches below Linghu Mingde.¡±


    Fang Kongfang first glanced outside the window, where, overhead Ninth Base City, the sky had become covered with dark clouds, thunder and lightning flashing, the scene portending an imminent storm.


    Frowning, he said, ¡°Although Linghu Mingde fell into the ¡®decline of heaven and man,¡¯ if he spares nothing, risking his life, even those Super Emperors of the Ninth Realm would have to give way to him, their victory or defeat is actually uncertain.¡±


    ¡°So what if Linghu Mingde wins?


    How much longer can he live?¡±


    Fang Xianzheng shook his head with a smirk, ¡°Besides, I got word that Jin Bolong has paid a hefty price to enlist the help of two Super Emperors of Eight Realms from inside the Longevity Association.


    In this battle, regardless of the outcome, Linghu Mingde has lost.


    A total defeat ¨C all his efforts are in vain.¡±


    When Fang Kongfang heard this, a touch of melancholy arose within him.


    Actually, during the early years when Fang Xianzheng was first married, the former sister-in-law treated him quite well, and Linghu Mingde also provided much guidance.


    Was the elder who once pulled their Fang Family from the brink of disaster about to die?


    ¡°`

 Chapter 470

    ?Chapter 470: Chapter 444 Aftermath?


    (Request for Subscription) Chapter 470: Chapter 444 Aftermath?


    (Request for Subscription) Outside Linghu Mingde¡¯s study, Linghu Tianchou and Fang Ranran were sitting together.


    Linghu Tianchou had been eyeing the study door with suspicion.


    On one hand, he was carrying out his father¡¯s task to ensure no one could approach; on the other, he wondered why his father valued Lin Rui so highly and why he had kept him alone inside.


    Fang Ranran then asked with a strained voice, ¡°Uncle, aren¡¯t my aunt and my cousins at home today?¡±


    Today was Linghu Mingde¡¯s grand birthday, yet Tianchou¡¯s wife and children were not at home.


    ¡°They went back to her mother¡¯s.¡± Linghu Tianchou gave a bitter smile.


    ...


    ¡°Her mother is ill, and she wanted to take the kids to see her.¡±


    Fang Ranran¡¯s expression was complex, both sad and helpless, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, my situation has put you all in a difficult position.¡±


    Actually, her aunt had previously been very good to her, truly raising her like her own daughter.


    Fang Ranran could feel that her aunt genuinely cared about her.@@@@


    However, ever since Linghu Mingde had invested heavily in her favor, even going as far as to sell Mingde University to help her secure her mother¡¯s inheritance early, Ranran clearly felt a shift in her aunt¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    First, Linghu Tianchou pinched Fang Ranran¡¯s cheek, then vigorously rubbed her head.


    ¡°Your aunt is a little angry about this, but you are really underestimating her too.


    Your maternal grandfather is very fair; he has nurtured several of us brothers without sparing any effort.


    Linghu family¡¯s generation had several outstanding people, and he put great efforts into them, but none could really hold the fort.


    Inside the study, Linghu Mingde and Lin Rui sat facing each other, Mingde personally pouring tea for Lin Rui, answering his questions, ¡°Li Tianxing indeed has significant interests tied with Jin Bolong.


    He did indeed come to give me a final ultimatum on behalf of Jin Bolong, but to say he¡¯d get involved in this war himself for Jin Bolong, that¡¯s absolutely impossible.¡±


    By then the teacup was full, and Linghu Mingde gestured, ¡°Drink, try my homemade tea blend, it combines the best of Sky Extreme Star and Earth Federation.¡±


    Lin Rui tentatively took a sip, found the flavor intense, and it instantly revitalized his spirit.


    He thought to himself that Linghu Mingde¡¯s taste must be off; how could such tea taste good?


    But the revitalizing effect was indeed good.


    Lin Rui, for the sake of Linghu Mingde¡¯s reputation, downed it in one gulp and continued asking, ¡°Is Li Tianxing a member of the Longevity Association?¡±


    ¡°The power of the Longevity Association is indeed frightening, almost equivalent to that of a nation.


    But really, it¡¯s a collection of many factions, and its leaders joined with different goals, similar to the former Divine Church.


    So, don¡¯t see them as a singular entity.¡±


    Linghu Mingde couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°I have two friends inside the Longevity Association with significant influence.


    As long as they hold their positions, Jin Bolong will find it hard to mobilize the Longevity Association¡¯s power against me.


    You know, once a power grows large, bureaucracy is unavoidable.


    ¡°He thought Lin Rui liked his tea, so he continued pouring more, ¡°Besides, having deeply rooted myself in Sky Extreme Star and within the Federation for so many years, making so many friends, if I were to be overpowered by Jin Bolong, wouldn¡¯t that imply incompetence?


    ¡°To be audacious, if not for my approaching end due to limited life span, with relationships turning cold, Jin Bolong wouldn¡¯t even be qualified to be my opponent.¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself, I believe this, for just before, having observed those few from the Ninth Realm except Minister Li, most still sided with Linghu Mingde.


    However, compared to the near-death Linghu Mingde, they were more reluctant to offend the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, Li Tianxing.


    He also slightly felt a headache looking at the tea before him, thinking, This tea is truly awful!

 Chapter 471

    ?Chapter 471: Chapter 444 Aftermath?


    (Subscription Request)_2 Chapter 471: Chapter 444 Aftermath?


    (Subscription Request)_2 ¡°But they have a point,¡± Lin Rui fiddled with the teacup in his hand, ¡°Jin Bolong, when cornered, will fight to the death even if it means using his personal martial force against you!¡±


    ¡°Thus the battle between the Jin Family and me still boils down to individual martial strength.


    External forces can be relied upon, but personal force is fundamental.¡±


    Linghu Mingde looked at Lin Rui with a smile, ¡°So, do you also want to persuade me to back down, to keep the peace?¡±


    ¡°I cannot back down!¡± Lin Rui shook his head, ¡°In my eyes, sir, you are like a mother bear protecting her cubs, surrounded by wolves and vultures.


    novgo.co


    The moment you show any sign of weakness, the wolves and vultures will pounce and devour everything you own.¡±


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s lips curled slightly as he listened, his eyes filled with gratification, thinking this young man indeed was a hero.


    However, the next moment, he heard Lin Rui say, ¡°If I were you, I would muster all my strength to bring down the Jin Family before falling myself.


    ...


    The Jin Family is one of the top three real estate developers in Ninth Base City, owning numerous prime commercial properties.


    For those wolves and vultures, it presents an even better target, effectively alleviating some of the pressure off the Linghu Family and buying time for your young ones to grow.¡±


    Hearing this, Linghu Mingde was momentarily stunned, then he burst into hearty laughter, greatly pleased.


    Go to novgo.co


    He realized he had underestimated Lin Rui, truly worthy of someone who could rise to be the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau and create a storm across the whole territory of Sky Extreme Star in just six months.


    After a while, Linghu Mingde finally stopped laughing, his expression turning serious, ¡°Let me be frank with you, my health is deteriorating rapidly.


    Even without this incident, it¡¯s hard for me to survive another two years.


    Frankly, I should thank you.


    Your killing of ¡®Ling Huan¡¯ not only relieved a great burden from my heart but also forced the elections to happen years earlier.


    ¡°This war between me and Jin Bolong should end in victory, but even if I win, I might not live much longer.


    I might drag myself to the end of this election, but life is unpredictable, and it¡¯s time to arrange for the aftermath.¡±


    ¡°Lin Rui, you are indeed capable of controlling them, much stronger than Tianchou and Ranran combined.¡±


    Linghu Mingde cut in with a decisive smile, ¡°Lin Rui, though you are full of potential right now, you lack henchmen and wings.


    With sharp claws and full wings, you can soar high.


    Most importantly, I trust you!¡±


    There¡¯s no greater reason than ¡®trust.¡¯


    This young man, though deeply involved with the ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯ and in a troubled state, is essentially good-natured, values loyalty and gratitude.


    Being an Alien Walker, Lin Rui fought to the death for the people of Silver Moon County and chose to trade in essential supplies in his smuggling business, giving up on more profitable goods.


    This speaks volumes about his character.


    How bad could such a youngster be?


    Lin Rui¡¯s face twitched slightly upon hearing this.


    He had originally thought of letting Linghu Mingde die, which would let him reap the benefits in one go.


    But hearing this, Lin Rui felt a pang of conscience.


    ¡°Let it go,¡± Lin Rui put the teacup down with a snigger, ¡°Sir, are you trying to take advantage of my youth and naivety?


    These people you¡¯re leaving with me, aren¡¯t they all troublemakers that even you can¡¯t tame?


    It¡¯s better if you handle these troublesome guys yourself.¡±


    Linghu Mingde was startled, Lin Rui¡¯s reaction was completely different from his predictions, completely unconventional.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve investigated me, you must be aware of Gong Hengdao under my command, right?


    He himself was severely tormented by Ling Huan but has now recovered completely.


    There are also his old comrades who he has recruited into my studio, originally a group of armament psychopaths, but now they are doing very well.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes sharply met Linghu Mingde¡¯s, ¡°Ranran, to promote Rufang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ skincare products, once boasted in various online articles that I was Academician Huangfu¡¯s indirect disciple, having studied pharmacology with him during my childhood.


    She actually stumbled into the truth, I am indeed Academician Huangfu¡¯s indirect disciple and his student.


    And now, I think, sir, there might still be hope for you!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Linghu Mingde¡¯s pupils quickly constricted.

 Chapter 472

    ?Chapter 472: Chapter 445: General Anesthesia (Please Subscribe) Chapter 472: Chapter 445: General Anesthesia (Please Subscribe) Five minutes later, Linghu Mingde, who had quietly slipped out of the manor during his big celebration, followed Lin Rui to his secret base.


    The two locations were not far from each other, with less than five kilometers separating the Linghu family¡¯s manor and Mingde University.


    There was also a secret passage beneath Linghu Mingde¡¯s study, leading directly to the interior of Mingde Universitya?€¡±a passage that had been built when the university was first established.


    Linghu Mingde had scarcely used it, but today it just so happened to come in handy.


    The two men managed to leave without the many powerful martial guests in the manor noticing.


    Lin Rui walked ahead with Linghu Mingde, grimacing as he said, ¡°Today is your grand celebration, sir.


    You could have actually waited one more day.


    ...


    Coming for the check-up tomorrow wouldn¡¯t have been too late.¡±


    His purpose in bringing Linghu Mingde was to give him a comprehensive medical examination.


    Earlier in the manor, he had already taken Linghu Mingde¡¯s pulse.


    However, the condition inside Linghu Mingde¡¯s body was simply too poor.


    Not only was the internal magnetic field chaotic, but various pheromones were also intricately confused, and his Qi and blood were either obstructed or weakened.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Spiritual Sense was insufficient to clearly distinguish these issues, and he could only rely on some precision instruments to further identify them.


    Only after fully understanding Linghu Mingde¡¯s physical condition could he come up with the best treatment plan.


    Go to novgo.co


    Actually, Lin Rui had intended to wait until after the birthday banquet, or even till tomorrow, to invite Linghu Mingde for an examination and treatment.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the old gentleman to be so impatient.


    ¡°I have already met the real distinguished guests; they had left long ago.@@@@


    Those remaining in the manor are merely opportunists, or those with ulterior motives trying to probe my weaknesses.¡±


    Linghu Mingde, hands behind his back, said, ¡°A group of flies tailing after me, how can they be more important than my life?¡±


    His eyes conveyed a strong sense of surprise and anticipation.


    In the reports from his intelligence department, Linghu Mingde had seen the name ¡®Gong Hengdao¡¯.


    This top sniper from the Dark Mercenary World was not only serving Lin Rui but might also be promoted to the Seventh Realm!


    His intelligence head speculated that Gong Hengdao¡¯s Armament Syndrome might have improved.


    However, they had not discovered that Gong Hengdao¡¯s Armament Syndrome was related to ¡®Ling Huan¡¯ and had also misjudged the medical resources at Lin Rui¡¯s disposal.


    Considering Lin Rui was currently Si Malin¡¯s most favored disciple and closely collaborated with the East Asia Biological Sciences Academy, his intelligence head concluded Lin Rui¡¯s medical resources were related to this.


    They also didn¡¯t clarify the current state of Armament Syndrome faced by Gong Hengdao and his comrades.


    Linghu Mingde had never considered it from his own perspective.


    He was a Super Monarch Martial Cultivator of Eight Realms!


    His Armament Syndrome resulted from a fierce battle with Ling Huan, which twisted his spiritual recognition of the armaments through an Illusion Technique.


    Simply put, his soul no longer recognized the armaments inside his body.


    The problem was that even the top prosthetic doctors couldn¡¯t make Gong Hengdao¡¯s armament blend without leaving any complications.


    novgo.co


    ¡°Old gentleman, your condition is definitely much worse than his.¡±


    Lin Rui continued to walk forward with a smile, leading Linghu Mingde toward the lead room, ¡°From what I gathered when I took your pulse just now, there is still a way to solve it.


    Your spiritual power is very strong, and the state of the alien body is also quite healthy.


    As long as we resolve the coordination issue between your spirit and armament and replenish the Primordial Qi within you, living another one to two hundred years would be easy.¡±


    Linghu Mingde thought to himself about the issue of ¡®resolving the coordination between spirit and armament¡¯; it was a problem that even the top doctors of the present age couldn¡¯t solve.


    By then, Lin Rui had already led him into a huge lead room, which made Linghu Mingde very puzzled.


    Why did Lin Rui bring him here for a check-up?


    And why build such a large lead room underground?


    The height alone was about thirty meters, and the thickness of the lead room was astounding.


    Once Linghu Mingde entered, his Spiritual Sense completely lost touch with the outside situation.


    Furthermore, the method of examination that Lin Rui planned to use also made Linghu Mingde extremely puzzled.


    Lin Rui walked up to a surgical pod inside the lead room and gestured for Linghu Mingde to lie down, then asked again, ¡°Old gentleman, before we begin, I need to confirm with you, my examination method is quite unusual; it has to be done under full anesthesia.


    Are you sure you can accept this?


    Plus, while I am performing a physical examination on you, I might also conduct some surgical implantation to improve your connection with the armament.


    You need to sign a consent form for full anesthesia and surgery, and it would be best to get your family¡¯s permission, or at least let them know.


    The whole process might take about three hours, and due to my privacy, bystanders are not accepted.¡±


    Linghu Mingde was undisturbed by the words; what kind of anesthetic could possibly intoxicate him?


    Even if his body could be anesthetized, his Primordial Spirit could remain aware.


    Besides, he was already in such a state, close to death, with nothing left to lose.


    Did he even have a choice?


    This seemed like a reliable straw to grasp, and he must seize it no matter what.


    Since Lin Rui didn¡¯t accept any bystanders, notifying in advance wasn¡¯t very significant.


    Linghu Mingde received the consent form sent by Lin Rui, glanced over it briefly, and then signed his electronic signature, ¡°I understand; I can sign the surgery consent form myself.¡±


    Just moments after he had signed his electronic signature, Linghu Mingde felt a prick in the back of his head from an anesthetic needle.


    Initially, Linghu Mingde felt nothing, but shortly after, he felt his consciousness fog over.


    Linghu Mingde was secretly shocked, pondering if this was the anesthetic used by the Children¡¯s Song Killer?


    It was so potent!


    Just as this thought flashed through his mind, everything went dark, and he completely passed out.


    Soon after Linghu Mingde had fallen unconscious, a gigantic figure, towering 21 meters high, walked into the lead room from the other side.


    a?€¡±That was the Emperor Hao Divine Dragon possessed by Huang Fuqing!

 Chapter 473

    ?Chapter 473: Chapter 446 Awake (Subscription Request) Chapter 473: Chapter 446 Awake (Subscription Request) The Divine Dragon Emperor Hao stood immensely tall at 21 meters, each palm nearly three meters long and over a meter wide.


    Yet, this did not hinder Huang Fuqing from operating the relatively ¡®petite¡¯ medical instrumentsa?€¡±he mostly controlled them with his mind, precisely and reliably using his thoughts to press the buttons.


    With Lin Rui¡¯s assistance, the man and dragon duo took just over ten minutes to complete all the body examinations for Linghu Mingde.


    Huang Fuqing looked at Linghu Mingde¡¯s body data and numerous images, shaking his head slightly.


    He was unable to speak, so he sent a message to Lin Rui, ¡°It¡¯s too complicated.


    Not only is Linghu Mingde¡¯s understanding of various armors chaotic, but so is his internal organ function causing various hormonal pheromones to become unbalanced, resulting in a strong rejection response.


    If it weren¡¯t for his powerful spiritual power keeping it in check, it would now turn into a mess of flesh.¡±


    Huang Fuqing couldn¡¯t help but lower his head and glance at Linghu Mingde in the sleeping pod.


    ...


    Fortunately, when Linghu Mingde¡¯s Primordial Spirit was anesthetized, his flesh was also numbed, or else it would trend towards being out of control.


    Each of his bodily organs now needs to be considered as individual entities, forcibly held together by Linghu Mingde¡¯s robust Primordial Spirit.


    It¡¯s impressive how his mentality has remained calm.


    The alien did not undergo a demon transformation or develop mental illness, just the Five Declines of Heaven and Man.


    Huang Fuqing messaged, ¡°With his current condition, there might have been a way in my time, but now at best we can only extend his life by a few years.


    However, he¡¯s fortunate to have met you.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui was also reviewing Linghu Mingde¡¯s medical data and replied, ¡°Since his alien body remains in a healthy state and his Primordial Spirit is also strong, there¡¯s still a way to treat him.


    I need the Academician to help me devise the best surgical plan.


    You know the limit of my Purifying Fire; let¡¯s rebind his Primordial Spirit with all the armors and organs within this time frame, and ideally, replenish some of his Primordial Qi.¡±


    Lin Rui thought this was at least a significant support he could rely on.


    He had already upheld high moral principles by refusing the ¡®inheritance¡¯ Linghu Mingde left for him.


    If Linghu Mingde¡¯s Primordial Qi deficiency led to the loss of this great support, it would be a pity.


    Huang Fuqing replied, ¡°Understood, Boss.


    I¡¯ll draft the plan now.


    I can handle the surgery, allow you to focus solely on using the Purifying Fire.¡±


    Lin Rui currently using the Pure Concept could only last at most half a moment at full force, extending to 28 minutes with various medications.


    Therefore, he had to plan meticulously, assigning steps and timing for the purification to maximize benefits.


    Huang Fuqing added, ¡°As for replenishing the Primordial Qi, I have a method.


    I have mastered a life-extending Secret Technique from Sky Extreme Star which should restore about sixty to seventy percent of his body¡¯s Primordial Qi, sufficient to support one or two high-intensity battles.¡±


    Lin Rui immediately thought of Huang Fuqing¡¯s skill list, those two top-level Secret Techniquesa?€¡±Control Dragon with Divine Needle and Life Extending Divine Spella?€¡±that made his eyes green with envy.


    Unfortunately, these were famous Eight Realms Emperor Rank Secret Techniques!@@@@


    a?€¡±This was a simple matter for ordinary Armored Martial Cultivators, but for him before, it was extremely difficult.


    The issue lay in Linghu Mingde¡¯s mental cognition; the world that appeared normal in others¡¯ eyes was bizarre in his perception.


    This stemmed from the complications left by the early implantation of the first-generation Armor, which, after the battle with Ling Huan, worsened his mental cognition tenfold.


    At this moment, however, Linghu Mingde found that his mentality had undergone tremendous changes.


    Upon waking, his mental cognition of all the armors in his body had changed, as if everything had returned to the beginninga?€¡± the moment when he first implanted the Armor.


    He could now normally sense the flow and circulation of Qi and blood within his own Armor!


    This relieved Linghu Mingde of a massive burden, bringing him a level of relaxation he hadn¡¯t felt in decades, an unrivaled comfort.


    No, it wasn¡¯t just that; his internal organs and those Armors must have also been adjusted.


    This was the first time in fifty years, since his battle with Ling Huan, that Linghu Mingde felt his body was being put back together.


    He previously resembled a robot assembled from various parts, not using bolts and rivets but using spiritual power as the adhesive, keeping them glued together for a long time.


    Now, the parts inside him had been tightly secured with screws and riveted, truly integrated into a whole.


    Besides that, Linghu Mingde also sensed robust Primordial Qi within himself.


    a?€¡±Although not comparable to his peak, it was far better than before he was unconscious; he didn¡¯t at all seem like a dying man close to the ¡®Heaven and man five decays¡¯.


    No!


    The symptoms of the ¡®Heaven and man five decays¡¯ had disappeared!


    Linghu Mingde couldn¡¯t believe it and looked intently at Lin Rui, ¡°Officer Lin, how did you manage this?¡±


    ¡°This is a trade secret; I can¡¯t reveal it now.¡±


    a?€¡±That¡¯s why it required general anesthesia.


    Lin Rui smiled and pointed at Linghu Mingde¡¯s terminal bracelet, ¡°I think you should reply to your family first.


    You didn¡¯t notify them before the anesthesia; I reckon Ranran and the others are quite worried now.¡±


    The surgery had already lasted for over three hours, and it was almost midnight now.


    Fang Ranran had sent him over a thousand messages through private chat.


    novgo.co


    After meeting Linghu Mingde in the study and disappearing together, Fang Ranran started asking persistently half an hour ago through private chat: where are you guys?


    What did you do?


    Why don¡¯t you reply?


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t know how to answer and had to temporarily ignore it.


    He guessed the Linghu Family was doing everything to trace their whereabouts and had mostly discovered his secret base by now.


    After all, the base was underneath his newly built mansion, not so secret anymore.

 Chapter 474

    ?Chapter 474: Chapter 447: Full Strength (Third Update, Please Subscribe) Chapter 474: Chapter 447: Full Strength (Third Update, Please Subscribe) When Linghu Mingde left the Lin Family¡¯s secret base with a bunch of herbal tea given to him by Lin Rui, he sensed numerous familiar auras of Spirit Mechanism lurking around.


    Those were all his masters, who had found Lin Rui¡¯s villa long ago, but, considering the defensive forces inside and the friendship between Fang Ranran and Lin Rui, they had not rashly made a move.


    It was probably because they feared recklessly attacking might compromise his safety.


    When Linghu Mingde returned to his own estate, he found it a tension-filled warzone, with the entire security department mobilized and fully armed.


    Linghu Mingde felt both reassured and helpless as he dealt with the group of family members crowding around him, ¡°Alright!


    Disperse, all of you.


    Haven¡¯t I always been careful with my actions?


    ...


    Do I need you to fuss over me?


    I am in excellent health now, better than ever.


    I merely found Lin Rui to be a kindred spirit and was invited to his house for a visit, to chat and have tea.


    Why would that make you all so anxious?¡±


    He then glared angrily at Linghu Tianchou and scolded loudly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to keep watch outside?


    Who allowed you into my study?


    Do you take my words as empty talk?


    Go to novgo.co


    And you even called in so many people; what are you trying to do?


    Demolish someone else¡¯s home and leave me with no face?¡±


    Linghu Tianchou looked helpless too, ¡°How could I not come in when you¡¯ve been shut in there for two hours without a sound and ignoring the guests outside?


    Aren¡¯t you aware of your own health condition?


    I was worried that something might have happened to you.


    And with the Linghu Family and the Jinhao Group on the brink of full-scale war, how can I not be anxious?


    Moreover, with so many guests waiting outside, it¡¯s difficult for me as well.¡±


    On the side, Fang Ranran wore an awkward expression, as it was she who had actually instigated Linghu Tianchou¡¯s unauthorized entry into the study.


    This was both out of concern for Linghu Mingde¡¯s health and for Lin Rui.


    She knew that Linghu Mingde had a slight problem with his mental cognition.


    Though he normally suppressed it well and seemed no different from an ordinary person, occasionally, he would have a small outburst, like an old man throwing a child¡¯s tantrum.@@@@


    The problem was, this old man¡¯s Martial Arts skills were too powerful.


    If he couldn¡¯t control his emotions, he might accidentally crush Lin Rui¡¯s head in his hand.


    As it turned out, when she opened the study door, both men inside had vanished, and when she messaged Lin Rui, he didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°Today, I celebrate my birthday, and it coincides with a joyous occasion, so I¡¯ll let this go.


    But if there¡¯s a next time, household discipline awaits!¡±


    Linghu Mingde knew that today¡¯s incident wasn¡¯t Linghu Tianchou¡¯s fault; it was his own lack of preparation and his arrogance in underestimating Lin Rui¡¯s anesthetic.


    And since his son was worried about him, he was too happy to truly get angry.


    However, it had become a habit to scold his son whenever he saw him.


    Linghu Mingde put on a show of scolding for a while before calling Fang Ranran into his room alone.


    After sitting down, he didn¡¯t speak right away.


    Instead, he habitually brewed himself a pot of tea, while Fang Ranran sat opposite him, looking at Linghu Mingde with a puzzled and suspicious gaze.


    Whether it was an illusion or not, she noticed that Linghu Mingde¡¯s complexion had improved, looking rosier and not as ashen as before.


    novgo.co


    However, Fang Ranran couldn¡¯t help but feel alarmed instead of glad, thinking, could it be that her father-in-law¡¯s condition was nearing the end?


    Fang Ranran felt as if there were needles on her chair, standing up in embarrassment, ¡°If you continue to spout this nonsense, Grandpa, I am leaving!¡±


    Linghu Mingde sighed slightly, his expression helpless, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t say it.


    But I must warn you, there are many women setting their sights on him now; don¡¯t regret it if you¡¯re too late to act.¡±


    Linghu Mingde thought of Lin Rui¡¯s mentor, surmising that his granddaughter¡¯s competition was no ordinary strengtha?€¡±what senior and junior could compare to the bond of a mentor and disciple?!


    He then picked up the teacup again, leaning back in his chair with an unconstrained expression.


    Since the previous topic was serious, it had to be discussed seriously, but what followed was relatively inconsequential and didn¡¯t require as much earnestness.


    ¡°I called you here for three reasons,¡± he continued, ¡°First, regarding your Rui-Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute, Lin Rui has established two research projects there that I value highly.


    You must involve yourself deeply in the future, commit fully to providing funding, gathering talent, and guarding both projects.


    If necessary, you may even call upon the resources of the Sky Fox Group¡¯s security.¡±


    ¡°Lin Rui has promised to prioritize the development of the main and secondary Armaments I use, but I must provide additional funding.


    I can provide the money, but I hope you can keep a close eye on it for me.


    I wish to have my new-type Armaments replaced within two years.¡±


    Linghu Mingde remembered the documents and videos that Lin Rui had shown him, his eyes once again filled with ripples.


    If he were to implant new Armaments, to start anew the process of Spirit and Body Integration, he certainly hoped to incorporate this groundbreaking type of Armamenta?€¡±thoroughly integrating it into his own body.


    Linghu Mingde glanced again at Fang Ranran, whose gaze was now intently focused, seemingly checking information about the Rui-Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute.


    He mused how fortunate the girl was to be brought into the fold by Lin Rui, to have a hand in this epoch-making technology.


    In the future, just this Armament technology and related patents alone could make Ranran a super-rich.


    The kid was also kind-hearted; had it been Fang Xianzheng¡¯s temperament, he would probably have sought every means to push Ranran out of the picture.


    Linghu Mingde shook his head, ¡°The second matter, I need you to fully devote yourself in the upcoming election, do your utmost to expand the scale of the ¡®Guang Ming Front,¡¯ and set a goal for youa?€¡±out of fourteen Base Cities, secure at least 8 Congressional seats.


    Can you do it?


    Rest assured, after our battle with Jinhao Group ends, I, too, will do my utmost to provide you with political resources and financial support.¡±


    Fang Ranran looked up at Linghu Mingde in astonishment, ¡°I should be fine here, even without your support, we should be able to secure three Congressional seats.


    But didn¡¯t you say before, to eat as much as your bowl can hold?


    My mentor¡¯s influence could at most ensure five Congressional seats for us; otherwise, it would be more bane than boon, attracting disaster.¡±


    Her mentor was an Emperor Rank of Eight Realms, soon to reach the Super Monarch level, Linghu Mingde¡¯s greatest support, as well as the Linghu Family¡¯s future reliance.


    However, this individual, hailing from Sky Extreme Star, had an identity that couldn¡¯t bear scrutiny.


    Thus, only with her becoming a Congressman, combining her mentor¡¯s influence, could they protect the Linghu Family¡¯s assets within the Earth Federation.


    ¡°That was before,¡± Linghu Mingde turned and looked out into the night, ¡°Times and circumstances change, and so naturally do our strategies.¡±


    Previously, he had accepted his inevitable death, believing that if Fang Ranran took on too much in the political arena, she would certainly become the target of every arrow, and without sufficient power to quell it, it would indeed be more bane than boon.


    But the current situation was different from before; with these two large bowls in hand, he naturally wanted to scrape up more rice.


    Even now, he had enough confidence to live another 50 years, to support Ranran so she could become a towering pillar.


    ¡°One last thing,¡± Mingde¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile, ¡°Your father has returned to Ninth Base City, and he must currently be at the Sky Blue Group headquarters.


    You should visit him if you have time.¡±


    Fang Ranran was first taken aback and then a flash of anger shone in her eyes.


    Fang Xianzheng¡¯s covert return to Ninth Base City at this point was self-explanatory in its purpose.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    Linghu Mingde scoffed, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t care about your thoughts.


    If you want your father to truly regard you, then try to secure as many Congressional seats as possible in Ninth Base City.


    His People¡¯s Party is confident in this election, Fang Xianzheng even believes they will achieve a resounding victory.


    However, I reckon that your Guang Ming Front might just surprise him.¡±

 Chapter 475

    ?Chapter 475: Chapter 448: Found (Please Subscribe) Chapter 475: Chapter 448: Found (Please Subscribe) Ten days later, at Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute.


    Ji Xueying stood beside Lin Xi in the surgical observation room, looking through the glass at the implantation surgery underway.


    Si Malin was implanting the X-grade Dragon Armor ¡®Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Robe¡¯ onto Lin Rui.


    Previously, Lin Rui¡¯s X-grade Golden Core ¡®Emperor¡¯s Clock¡¯ had been created by Sky Blue Group¡¯s SSS-grade manufacturing team, under the guidance of several academicians from the East Asia Science Academy.


    However, this X-grade Dragon Armor surpassed the capabilities of Sky Blue Group, so it was instead fully funded and manually crafted by people from the East Asia Science Academy.


    Thus, the project, officially named ¡®X Divine Origin,¡¯ which was initiated for Lin Rui, had been transferred to the Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute.


    Just yesterday, Lin Rui¡¯s physical data finally met the requirements.


    ...


    The tests showed that Lin Rui¡¯s comprehensive physical score was 5200 points, and his comprehensive spiritual score was 5400 points, already reaching the threshold for implanting the X-grade Dragon Armor ¡®Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Robe.¡¯


    Ji Xueying¡¯s spirit was invigorated, feeling joy on behalf of Lin Rui.


    After the implantation of the Armored Dragon Armor, Lin Rui¡¯s intrinsic strength would increase significantly, and the growth rate of his Dragon Armor would enter the fast lane.


    Ji Xueying herself deeply understood this, having experienced a dramatic increase in the condensation speed of her Dragon Armor after her own implantation, which was now nearing its complete form.


    This was the benefit of becoming an Alien Walker; with the dual bodies and the Alien Body Assimilation effect, not only was an Alien Walker¡¯s spiritual power stronger than that of ordinary people, but their cultivation speed would also be much faster than that of a typical Martial Artist.@@@@


    Lin Xi also stood by with her arms crossed, watching intently.


    She thought that Lin Rui¡¯s advancement speed was incredibly fast.


    Go to novgo.co


    It had been less than a month, hadn¡¯t it?


    Lin Rui¡¯s physical quality had been enhanced by at least 1500 points!


    Sometimes, Lin Xi really wondered, between her and Lin Rui, who exactly was the Abyss Weapon created by the Longevity Association?


    ¡°By the way, Xueying, why haven¡¯t I seen you accompanying my brother to court these past few days?¡±


    She was stationed at Chengtian Gate, and Lin Rui had to pass by her when he went to and from the Imperial City.


    In the past few days, Lin Rui had only been seen with Shangguan Tianyi and two instructors from the Dragon Guard Capital going to the Imperial City, and Ji Xueying¡¯s figure had been absent for several days.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t your brother implant an SSS+ grade prosthetic on both my Alien and native body three days ago?¡±


    Ji Xueying explained, ¡°Based on the Bloodline Talents in my body, he also created a 6SSS grade Secret Technique for me, which I have been practicing lately.


    Your brother said I might need to use it soon.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xi nodded slightly.


    She knew that not only had Ji Xueying been implanted with an SSS+ grade prosthetic, which officially brought Ji Xueying¡¯s bloodline score to 5SSS+, but also...


    Lin Rui had extracted two SSS grade prosthetics from her Alien, as Ji Xueying¡¯s spiritual power had greatly increased recently, awakening these two corresponding Bloodline Talents and no longer requiring the prosthetics for support.


    The root cause was related to a gift that Linghu Mingde had given to Lin Rui a few days earlier.


    It was a box of five Demon Source Bloodstones, originating from the depths of Purgatory, capable of greatly enhancing the spiritual power of demons and Martial Cultivators above the Sixth Realm.


    Alas, this stuff was not very useful for them normal folks, it could enhance spiritual power but might lead to mutations in flesh or the risk of Armament Syndrome.


    As everyone knows, the gene chains of the demons from Sky Extreme Star are much more stable than those of normal humans.


    Thinking about this, Lin Xi felt somewhat jealous.


    Recently, whenever Lin Rui had time, he would take a moment to guide and teach Ji Xueying in martial arts.


    This Blood Saber Lady¡¯s progress in Martial Arts had been rapid.


    novgo.co


    This situation wasn¡¯t good if it continued.


    In fact, his Abyss Source Core had been slowly deteriorating for a while because his physical body couldn¡¯t generate an Abyss Source Core and was affected by this.


    It was only by devouring the Divine Thought of that thing in the Demon Suppression Forest that his Abyss Source Core grew stronger.


    Now with this thing, he could truly resolve the hidden danger in this aspect, perfectly corresponding with his Alien Source Core.


    Sima Lin was taken aback.


    He was actually part of the conservative camp in the research group, and he had never imagined Lin Rui would be so aggressive.


    ¡°You really aren¡¯t afraid of going mad!¡±


    Sima Lin shook his head but still proceeded to implant the Armament in Lin Rui, ¡°Fine, fine.


    You now have a high level of knowledge in Armament and biology, and you understand your own condition well enough.


    Just don¡¯t take it too far.¡±


    Someone who could manually produce the new model Armament ¡®Iron Heart¡¯ certainly couldn¡¯t be underestimated in their mastery of Armament and biology.


    Sima Lin could never understand how Lin Rui, who knew nothing when learning from him six months ago, now had a knowledge reserve in various fields that surpassed even the senior researchers in the institute!


    He could even produce Armament himself!


    ¡°Oh?


    Your co-shareholder at Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals mentioned they would be coming to inspect our place sometime soon.¡±


    As Sima Lin operated the robotic arm holding the scalpel, he made an incision in Lin Rui¡¯s forehead, ¡°It must be to review our two projects.¡±


    ¡°Fang Ranran?¡± Lin Rui laughed, ¡°She hasn¡¯t been here before?¡±


    Sima Lin shook his head, ¡°Never been here, but the parent company has been very supportive of our institute in all aspects.


    She even dug up some people for us, based on the requirements from me and Xie Qing, but she herself has never visited.¡±


    ¡°If she comes, just let her look around.¡±


    Lin Rui thought that with the busy schedule of the current Fang Ranran, it was not at all strange for her not to have the time to visit the institute.


    Meanwhile, he let Sima Lin fiddle with the incision on his forehead while he started to read through recent news.


    He seemed to feel no pain at all as he quickly scrolled through various news channels.


    Lin Rui was mainly focused on the corporate war between Linghu and Jinhao Real Estate Group.


    Judging from recent news, the intensity of their strife was escalating, with less and less constraint.


    The Jinhao Group had recently suffered over 2000 casualties among their Alien Walkers, and in addition, nine cargo starships and a dozen properties were destroyed.


    The Tianhu Cargo Company and Tianhu Alien Company of the Linghu Family also suffered heavy losses.


    They lost seven starships and one of their small cargo docks was destroyed, though the casualty number of their Alien Walkers was relatively lower, only 400.


    ¡°This is truly a sly old foxa?€¡±¡±


    Combining the internal situation from the Security Bureau with these news reports, Lin Rui deduced that Jin Bolong had been seeking a decisive battle.


    It seemed that the war that had lasted for several months had become unbearable for the Jin Family.


    Jin Bolong had been using all sorts of methods to force Linghu Mingde into direct confrontation.


    Linghu Mingde, on the other hand, appeared cautious and patient, seeming to hesitate but actually manipulating the situation, using Jin Bolong¡¯s eagerness for a decisive battle to lead the enemy towards the battlefield he had prearranged.


    Just as Lin Rui shook his head in contemplation and turned his attention to the elections, he received a message from Xue Lingxue.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): BOSS, we found her.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes instantly sharpened with a trace of chill.

 Chapter 476

    ?Chapter 476: Chapter 449 Toast (Subscription Request) Chapter 476: Chapter 449 Toast (Subscription Request) Linghu Mingde was doing exactly as Lin Rui had suspected, letting the situation drift until there was no choice but to have a decisive battle with the Jin Family.


    Although the decisive battle was inevitable, the location must be his choice.


    At this moment, Linghu Mingde was sitting in the flagship of the Sky Fox Trading Company, a specially modified and enhanced cruiser starship named ¡°Sky Fox,¡± watching the massive fleet outside through the bridge¡¯s side windows.


    In total, there were five cruiser starships, twelve destroyer starships, sixty guardian battleships, and one hundred and twenty freighters equipped with quantum migration systems.


    Linghu¡¯s Sky Fox Trading Company and the Sky Fox Alien Company were making an all-out effort this time.


    Officially, they were headed to the Sky Extreme Line for trade, but in reality, they were setting out to face the Jin Family in a battle to the death.


    Linghu Mingde crossed his arms and chuckled softly, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he want a decisive battle?


    ...


    Then let it be in the cosmic ocean outside the base.


    I¡¯ll wait for him here.


    I believe that¡¯s what you, Mayor Huo, would like to see.¡±


    Huo Bangguo, the mayor he was referring to, appeared projected on the left side of the captain¡¯s seat, his face bearing shame, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Linghu, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to stand by you, but the civilians of Ninth Base City cannot endure the upheaval brought by corporate warfare.


    Any skirmish between Seventh Realm combatants could affect residential areas within a three-kilometer radius, which is something I absolutely cannot tolerate.¡±


    The war between these two companies, although so far only over 2500 alien walkers had perished, had caused significant civilian casualties in Ninth Base City.


    For now, public opinion was under lockdown and the scale of the war still small, insurance companies managed proper compensation under the pressure from Huo Bangguo, otherwise, his approval rating would plummet.


    Go to novgo.co


    The recent ¡°Light of Thunder¡± operation by Thunder Admiral had given him a boost, but it could all fall apart.


    ¡°No need for apologies, old Huo.


    Had I been in your shoes, I also wouldn¡¯t allow this war to erupt within Ninth Base City,¡± Linghu Mingde casually shook his head, then his tone became more accusatory, ¡°However, now that I¡¯ve stepped out, what about Jin Bolong?


    What if he refuses to come out and face the challenge?¡±


    Light glinted in Huo Bangguo¡¯s eyes, ¡°He must come out, I can assure you.


    He has no choice now!¡±


    Should he dare to refrain from battle, the Federation from top to bottom would never tolerate the continued existence of the Jinhao Group!


    Hearing this, Linghu Mingde¡¯s lips curled into a wry, mocking smile.


    The gates of the battle arena were already lowered, and he, along with that Jin surname and many powerful underlings, could no longer control their fate.


    Both he and Jin Bolong were powerful practitioners of the Eighth Realm and wielded conglomerates worth trillions of assets and numerous private armed forces, but they could not defy the will of the top echelons of the Earth Federation.


    Just as their communication ended, Linghu Tianchou, serving by Linghu Mingde¡¯s side, expressed his concerns, ¡°Father, Jin Bolong is so eager to force us into a battle, he must be confident in achieving victory.¡±


    Linghu Mingde, who was browsing something on his personal terminal, spoke ambiguously, ¡°So?


    What are you implying?¡±


    ¡°We should not fall into his trap by rushing into this battle.¡±


    Linghu Tianchou offered a wry smile, ¡°Actually, we could have delayed it.


    Jin Bolong¡¯s financial chain is already strained.


    We could simply wait for his situation to evolve, as he can¡¯t maintain this full combat strength indefinitely.¡±


    Linghu Mingde thought Linghu Tianchou¡¯s assessment wasn¡¯t entirely wrong.


    Linghu Mingde shook his head slightly as he read the news about Fang Ranrana?€¡±not helping her party¡¯s candidates campaign or meeting with union leaders to solve their livelihood problems.


    She was indeed very busy.


    Although these were also important matters, priorities still existed within important matters.


    He rubbed his forehead with regret and instructed the intelligence director, ¡°Young people are so preoccupied with their careers that they often neglect the scenery passing by.


    When they wake up one day, they will regret what they missed.


    I was like that when I was young.


    So, we still need to find a way to push things a bit.


    We can hire a specialist in this area to provide strategies and make an effort.


    Of course, if they really aren¡¯t willing, then it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Linghu Tianchou¡¯s lips twitched slightly.


    Did the old man really like that kid Lin Rui so much, trying to put Fang Ranran and Lin Rui together?


    Linghu Tianchou admitted that the boy had merit, but with his background, he wasn¡¯t a match for their family¡¯s Ranran, right?


    What exactly was the old man planning?


    To even consider hiring a specialist for strategizinga?€¡±who did he think Fang Ranran was, unable to get married off?


    He felt extremely stifled and decided that he would have to teach Lin Rui a lesson someday, making the boy realize his own worth.


    At that moment, a red alert resounded throughout the cruiser.


    ¡°Enemy fleet detected, coordinates X3451, Y4234, Z0230.


    Fleet consists of 9 cruisers, 25 destroyers, 87 escort shipsa?€¡±¡±


    Linghu Mingde was initially surprised.


    The Jin Family wasn¡¯t like the Linghu Family, dealing primarily in cargo business.


    Jin Bolong had an interstellar trading company under his name, but most of their ships were rented, which is why they were easily defeated by him.


    How could they suddenly procure so many warships at this time?


    Linghu Mingde let out a cold laugh, guessing that Jin Bolong must have collaborated with some pirate group.


    He said disdainfully, ¡°Check it out!


    Which pirate group did Jin Bolong collude with?¡±


    Meanwhile, in the CEO¡¯s office at the Sky Blue Group headquarters, Fang Xianzheng had received news from their intelligence director.


    ¡°It¡¯s the 7th squadron of the Evil Pirate Group.


    How did Jin Bolong find them?


    Are you sure?


    Well played, Jin Bolong.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng held a glass of white wine and walked to the glass window.


    Watching the outside, he silently poured the wine onto the ground in front of him.


    a?€¡± This was out of respect for his former father-in-law!

 Chapter 477

    ?Chapter 477: Chapter 450: Dyson Gun Array (Three More for Subscription) Chapter 477: Chapter 450: Dyson Gun Array (Three More for Subscription) At the same time, on the bridge of Jin Bolong¡¯s flagship, the ¡°Jin Dynasty¡± cruiser starship, red lights were also flashing urgently.


    ¡°The two sides are closing in at a distance of 220,000 kilometers, and the Sky Fox Company¡¯s fleet is turning!¡±


    ¡°It is estimated that both fleets will encounter each other in the ionosphere three minutes from now, with the battle taking place between coordinates X3455, Y4235, Z0232 to Z0235.¡±


    ¡°a?€¡±Begin putting on combat mecha and exoskeleton armor.


    All Mecha Dragons prepare for battle!¡±@@@@


    Jin Bolong, completely ignorant in conducting fleet combat, sat sternly behind the captain¡¯s chair at the designated commander¡¯s seat, his gaze icy and severe as he watched the fleet of the Sky Fox Trading Company in the projected video before him.


    He heard the voice of Jin Yuanji, the commander of the 7th division of the Evil Pirate Group, transmitted over.


    ¡°All warships, immediately shut down the main engines.


    Use auxiliary reverse thrusters.


    All personnel adopt the ¡®Reverse Crescent Formation.¡¯ Based on the firing parameters issued by the flagship, commence blocking fire!¡±


    Laying out the battle plans, Lu Hanyuan explained from beside him: ¡°Our fleet outnumbers the opposition, and in terms of firepower, we have the upper hand.


    ...


    Jin Yuanji intends to use our firepower advantage to force Linghu Mingde to deploy combat mecha and boarding pods for ship-to-ship combat.¡±


    Jin Bolong nodded slightly upon hearing this.


    Truth be told, without Lu Hanyuan¡¯s explanation, he could still grasp the tactics Jin Yuanji employed even though he didn¡¯t understand warship command.


    Go to novgo.co


    Before the colonization of Sky Extreme Star, the Earth Federation¡¯s mainstream naval combat method was artillery warfarea?€¡±attacking opponents with various high-power, long-range naval guns.


    However, since the emergence of Armored Warriors, boarding and ship-to-ship combat began to dominate.


    Martial Cultivators of Eight Realms and Ninth Realm on Sky Extreme Star could tear apart various warships with their bare hands.


    High-level Armored Martial Cultivators of the Earth Federation were also formidable opponents in star space.


    Yet this did not mean the powerful naval guns were rendered useless.


    Their destructive capabilities remained incredibly strong, forcing even Ninth Realm Martial Artists to avoid engaging directly.


    If they could destroy some of the enemy combat mecha and boarding pods with their naval guns before direct combat ensued, they could further ensure their side¡¯s advantage and reduce their own casualties.


    All the warships of the Evil Pirate Group were modified for extreme combat.


    The quality of their naval guns and the speed of their ships were no less than the military standard.


    Their superiority in firepower was thus evident.


    Just in terms of the number of Star Annihilation Cannons, their side had a whopping 270% more than the opposition!


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    Jin Yuanji¡¯s projection appeared on the bridge of the ¡°Jin Dynasty¡±: ¡°That Linghu Mingde, he thinks he has won by choosing to battle in the star sea, but he never anticipated that you would join forces with us.


    Congratulations, Chairman Jin, you¡¯ve chosen the right ally, and this war is as good as won.¡±


    Jin Bolong forced a smile upon hearing this: ¡°I¡¯m also quite relieved.¡±


    As he spoke, his eyes betrayed no joy.


    Paying a great price to enlist the assistance of the Evil Pirate Group, Jin Bolong would surely offend many powers within the Earth Federation, leaving countless troubles for himself and the Jinhao Group.


    Linghu Tianchou, in the hangar, was shocked.


    Wearing a six-meter-tall combat mecha, he strode to the window.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Dyson Gun array!¡±


    He asked his father in the video with great surprise: ¡°Did you just use a Dyson Gun?


    Father, how could you possibly have access to the government¡¯s Dyson Gun array?¡±


    The Earth Federation, in order to combat several Abyssal entities of Sky Extreme Star, had spent a vast amount of money to establish a Dyson Sphere prototype near the sun of the Tianji Star System, as well as nearly four thousand eight hundred Dyson Guns.


    The so-called Dyson Sphere is a man-made celestial body that wraps around a star to harvest stellar energy, acting as a natural nuclear fusion reactor powered by the star.


    And those over four thousand ¡®Dyson Guns¡¯ could extract energy from the star, accelerate it to the extreme through layers of energy rings, and wield the power to annihilate most planets.


    ¡°The Third Dyson Gun array,¡± Linghu Mingde leaned back slightly, ¡°very few people are aware that the current commander of the Third Dyson Gun array, Admiral Shaber Kidd, was my student.¡±


    This person, whose school and living expenses had been funded by him since childhood, and whose armorment came mostly from the Linghu Family¡¯s secret funds.


    a?€¡±This person was not only a pawn Linghu Mingde had placed within the government but also his most loyal follower!


    And now was the time for this loyal follower to show his worth.


    However, Linghu Tianchou gulped, struggling to accept it: ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too much?


    To use the Dyson Gun array for a corporate war?


    The government will surely investigate, and this is a serious crime!


    How could Admiral Kidd agree to this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that!


    Shaber Kidd will naturally bear all responsibility.¡±


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s gaze was cold as he watched ahead: ¡°As the head of the Linghu Trading Company, as the head of a family, my duty is to win the war as much as possible and to preserve the lives of these employees to the best of my ability.¡±


    Linghu Tianchou¡¯s breath caught, his mind gradually calming.


    He understood this was where he differed from his father.


    The Alien Walkers from Linghu Mingde¡¯s era had struggled to establish a foothold within Sky Extreme Star, and only the most extreme measures ensured survival.


    Each of the surviving Alien Walkers from the previous generations possessed a heart of a cunning sovereign, didn¡¯t they?


    Over the years, Linghu Mingde had kept a low profile, abiding by the rules, allowing the world to forget the ferocious and ruthless nature of his early years!


    Linghu Tianchou thought it over carefully and felt there was no need to worry.


    Since pirates were involved on the other side, the nature of the situation was different, and Admiral Kidd could still save himself.


    Right at that moment, the blinding white light in front of them began to dissipate, revealing the chaos across that expanse of the starry sky.


    Of the 25 destroyers, nearly half were destroyed, and of the 9 cruisers, four had turned into scattered debris floating in space.


    The remaining warships were also heavily damaged.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s expression remained calm: ¡°Order the entire fleet to adopt the Reverse Crescent Formation and fire at full force!¡±


    The advantage of the Reverse Crescent Formation was that it maximized firepower.


    From this moment, the firepower advantage had shifted.

 Chapter 478

    ?Chapter 478: Chapter 451: Impact (Please Subscribe) Chapter 478: Chapter 451: Impact (Please Subscribe) Inside the bridge of the ¡°Jin Dynasty¡± cruiser starship, a multitude of repair robots were welding steel plates outside, trying to seal a breach on the left side of the bridge.


    Although the ¡°Jin Dynasty¡± cruiser starship had made an avoidance maneuver at the last possible second under the captain¡¯s control, it had failed to evade completely.


    The upper left side of their bridge had been torn open by a huge wound, causing everything inside to be sucked out into the vacuum of space.


    Only those crew members strapped in by safety belts had managed to cheat death by sheer luck.


    Jin Bolong sat in his seat, his eyes blood-red, staring madly at everything before him.


    ¡°Linghu Mingde!


    You bastard, you trash, you beast!


    ...


    How dare you do this?¡±


    Lu Hanyuan sat to the side, equally stunned, his entire being as lifeless as a clay sculpture.


    He had not expected Linghu Mingde to have such a trick up his sleeve!


    A Dyson cannon!


    To actually make use of a Dyson cannon!


    Given the scale of the simultaneous firing just now, it must have been an entire cannon group!


    With Linghu Mingde¡¯s centuries of service in the Federation, it¡¯s not surprising that he could achieve this, but how could he dare to do it?


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    How could he dare?


    ¡°Damage control is complete, the bridge is preliminarily sealed off, oxygen is being pumped in, pressure being adjusteda?€¡±¡±


    ¡°Main engine restart complete, power is continuously being increased!¡±


    ¡°Commencing casualty data collection!¡±


    As these electronic voices sounded, Jin Yuanji of the Evil Pirate Group once again appeared in front of Jin Bolong.


    His face was not only deathly pale, but his eyes were also blood-red.


    ¡°Damn his grandmother, we¡¯ve encountered a madman this time.


    He actually pre-arranged a Dyson cannon group, Jin Bolong.


    At this point, you know what to do, right?


    We have no other choice, old man.¡±


    ¡°I understand, of course, I understand!¡± Jin Bolong didn¡¯t mind the rudeness of the young man in the video projection.


    Taking a deep breath and rising from his seat, he said, ¡°I will give my all in this battle, leave Linghu Mingde to me.¡±


    At that moment, Lu Hanyuan walked over and pressed the button to end the communication.


    He looked deathly pale as he gazed at Jin Bolong: ¡°Mr.


    Jin, don¡¯t forget the strategy we¡¯d previously agreed upon!¡±


    The outcome of this battle actually wasn¡¯t importanta?€¡±it was critical to deplete Linghu Mingde¡¯s Primordial Qi.


    Once this man perished, the Linghu Family would pose no threat.


    ¡°Of course, I remember, buta?€¡±¡±


    ¡°Damn, we¡¯re so incompetent.


    Despite having such an advantage, we still let the enemy get close to the Marshal, how infuriating!¡±


    Linghu Tianchou was also a reserve two-star Marshal, but within the two corporations of the Linghu, the title ¡®Marshal¡¯ was exclusive to Linghu Mingde.


    Since Linghu Mingde had transferred the chairmanship of both companies to Linghu Tianchou and served only as an advisor within the company, the employees had been respectfully referring to Linghu Mingde as ¡®Marshal¡¯ for a hundred years.


    Linghu Tianchou promptly started to engage with a Super King of Eight Realms from the Evil Pirates.


    At this point, the Sky Fox fleet had already gained a significant advantage on the battlefield.


    Although their side had fewer victories, their top experts were only slightly less powerful than the opposing alliance¡¯s, and their auxiliary combat power surpassed the enemy¡¯s by nearly one-third!


    Linghu Tianchou, usually living in luxury and lacking real combat experience, was slightly less powerful than the enemy.


    This Eight Realm expert from the Evil Pirates not only had more experience but also fought in a more wild and fierce manner.


    However, this person had to withstand several blows every second, his Mecha riddled with deep pits from time to time, sparks flying out of them.


    Although the bullets weren¡¯t lethal, they greatly constrained and affected his combat ability.


    Just as Linghu Tianchou was struggling in battle, Jin Bolong had already charged to the forefront of the Sky Fox with two people behind him.


    ¡°Linghu Mingde!¡±


    Jin Bolong let out a hysterical roar.


    Although sound cannot propagate in a vacuum, Jin Bolong¡¯s explosive Soul Power made everyone who came into contact with it keenly aware of his violent intent.


    His figure suddenly accelerated, turning into a blur of speed almost invisible to the naked eye in the resistance-free space.


    While flying at high speed, Jin Bolong and his Battle Dragon still performed incredible evasive maneuvers, dodging the barrage of bullets and artillery fire that came their way.


    The two people behind Jin Bolong were not far off in speed either, both of whom were Super Emperors of Eight Realms borrowed from within the Longevity Association by Jin Bolong, their power only slightly weaker than Jin Bolong¡¯s.


    However, as Jin Bolong was about to get close, he saw a blood-colored blade light abruptly appear in front of him.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    In a critical moment, Jin Bolong blocked the blade light, paying the price with half of his Mecha¡¯s left arm destroyed and a cut across his shoulder, as he rapidly passed by the side.


    The two Super Emperors of Eight Realms following him, however, couldn¡¯t break through the bloody blade¡¯s interception and were held off by a colossal red Combat Mecha in the void.


    The two sides engaged fiercely, not only clashing their weapons at high frequency but also firing dozens of powerful Ray Cannons at each other.


    Jin Bolong didn¡¯t pay attention to the battle behind him; his gaze was locked onto Linghu Mingde ahead.


    Jinhao Real Estate Group¡¯s intelligence agency had long deduced that there was an unidentified Emperor Rank of the Eight Realms hidden within the Linghu Family.


    He had employed two Super Emperors of Eight Realms at great cost from the Longevity Association to deal with this Emperor Rank of the Eight Realms from the Linghu Family!


    Moments later, Jin Bolong, despite the hail of bullets and artillery fire, finally reached Linghu Mingde.


    ¡°You old scoundrel!¡±


    With a furious shout, Jin Bolong once again accelerated his Mecha and fiercely slashed at Linghu Mingde.


    In that instant, Jin Bolong unleashed all his elemental power, all his Blood Qi, and all his fury and hatred.


    He knew he was much less powerful than Linghu Mingde in his prime, but now he was determined to harm his foe!


    Today, even if Jin Bolong were to die in battle, he was resolved to fight Linghu Mingde to the bitter end!


    But just as the two began to clash, Jin Bolong¡¯s expression shifted subtly.

 Chapter 479

    ?Chapter 479: Chapter 452: Neutron Heavenly Net Slash (Request for Subscription) Chapter 479: Chapter 452: Neutron Heavenly Net Slash (Request for Subscription) PS: Just saw that sidneyliu brother gave me a reward of a sect leader, thank you very much.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Jin Bolong had just started to cross swords with Linghu Mingde when he felt something was off.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s strength was too powerful!


    He didn¡¯t seem like an old man who had been in decline for at least five years.


    Jin Bolong¡¯s full-powered swing of his claymore, when it struck the opponent¡¯s sword, was like hitting a rock.


    The opponent remained unflinching, while Jin Bolong¡¯s right hand started to go numb, and the parts on the right arm of his Mecha trembled with a ¡®crackling¡¯ noise.


    Jin Bolong also felt an incredibly domineering and fierce sword momentum locking onto him.


    ...


    It was like a fully charged Dyson Gun, ready to unleash, no, it was even more terrifying than a Dyson Gun!


    Such a mighty cannon, once hit directly, even a Ninth Realm Martial Cultivator would undoubtedly die.


    Only Armored Warriors with strong telepathy, particularly those who could foresee their own fortunes and misfortunes for a period of time, could avoid being hit by a Dyson Gun twelve billion kilometers away in the Sky Extreme Star System.


    The secret skill that Linghu Mingde was about to unleash, however, was different; even if Jin Bolong foresaw it, he could not avoid it.


    a?€¡±This was clearly a technique of the Super Monarch of Eight Realms, even possibly of the Ninth Realm Emperor level!


    This old immortal had actually mastered such terrifying swordsmanship!


    Go to novgo.co


    Jin Bolong¡¯s scalp tingled, having swung once, he could only continue to strike, combining his right-hand claymore with the left-hand rapier, using frantic sword momentum to prevent Linghu Mingde from unleashing his powerful secret skill.


    He initially wanted to alert his fellow companiona?€¡±the commander of the 7th division of the Evil Pirate Group, Jin Yuanji.


    Although this person hadn¡¯t joined the assault group, Jin Bolong knew he was extremely adept at stealth and hiding, possessing a dark golden Battle Dragon of Super Emperor rank.


    Jin Yuanji might be lurking nearby, waiting for an opportunity to strike lethally.


    However, Jin Bolong reconsidered before sending a message.


    ¡°Clang!


    Clang!


    Clang!¡±


    The booming and reverberating sounds, along with the enormous counterforce transmitted through the collision of their blades, caused Jin Bolong¡¯s eardrums to throb painfully.


    The clash between the two Battle Dragons grew even more furious.


    They engaged in a high-speed tangled battle within the emptiness of space.


    Jin Bolong¡¯s Battle Dragon, also a Super Emperor of Eight Realms, was in a dire situation.


    Its enormous body, 24 meters tall, made it easier for surrounding Martial Cultivators to hit it.


    The dense firepower continually struck the ¡®Sky Flame Emperor Tooth Dragon.¡¯


    At that instant, a dark golden blade light appeared behind Linghu Mingde.


    That was Jin Yuanji, the Commander of the seventh squadron of the Evil Pirate Group!


    He, controlling a dark-golden mecha, starkly appeared behind Linghu Mingde.


    When the sword light was thrust, it also twisted the entire space; the linear distance of 100 meters in space, like a piece of paper, was twisted and folded, making the starting point of the sword light and its intended target merely a paper-thin distance apart.


    However, upon witnessing this scene, Jin Bolong not joy but alarm showed in his eyes, a look of terrified panic, even containing a hint of despair.


    Only because in that instant, Jin Bolong clearly foresaw his own deatha?€¡±the kind that no matter how he struggled, he was inevitably facing.


    Jin Yuanji, at the moment the sword light was thrust, also felt something was terribly wrong.


    His soul at that instant foresaw a terribly horrific outcome.


    a?€¡±Wrong!


    He had been tricked.


    The other was feigning weakness to lure him into acting!


    This old beast, actually planning to kill him and Jin Bolong together in one stroke.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Jin Yuanji chose to retreat without hesitation.


    The back of his mecha violently exploded, the cockpit ejecting from this spot.


    His dark-gold Shadow Dragon wielded dual swords and swiftly slashed, trying to cover Jin Yuanji¡¯s retreat.


    However, in that instant, the gravity and time-space within 1000 meters around were already frozen and solidified by an even more potent force.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s vicinity became completely still, yet the surrounding five cruisers and twelve destroyers¡¯ all neutron pulse main cannons fired in that moment, launching beams of destructive light powerful enough to pulverize a small asteroid at the three individuals, releasing an incomparably violent surge of bright light and electromagnetic flow.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s sword light erupted in that instant, unbelievably manipulating the surrounding violent neutron pulse stream, forming sword shadows that cut through heaven and earth, slaughtering through the time order.


    Secret Sword* Neutron Heaven Raze!


    novgo.co


    This was a secret sword technique that Linghu Mingde created himself a long time ago, considering his weakening blood and insufficient strength, to compensate for his flaws.


    Although relying on external forces, the power of this secret sword did indeed reach the Ninth Realm Emperor level.


    ¡°Sss!


    Sss!


    Sssa?€¡±¡±


    Following that soundless sword light, Jin Yuanji and Jin Bolong¡¯s bodies along with their controlled mechas were sliced into pieces in that instant.


    Moments later, when the bright light in the void gradually faded, Linghu Mingde sheathed his sword with unrivaled composure.


    And at this time, near the battlefield, be it friend or foe, all their communication channels plunged into utter silence.

 Chapter 480

    ?Chapter 480: Chapter 453 Death?


    (Subscription Request) Chapter 480: Chapter 453 Death?


    (Subscription Request) The moment Linghu Mingde killed Jin Bolong and Jin Yuanji, the news reached the headquarters of the Sky Blue Group.


    Countless forces were observing the corporate warfare between the Linghu Family and the Jinhao Group through various means today, and the Sky Blue Group was no exception.


    Fang Xianzheng had just been in this office, marvelling at ¡°what a Linghu Mingde¡± and ¡°what a Divine Fox,¡± astonished that Linghu Mingde still had the ¡°Dyson Gun Array¡± as a back-up, when he heard this news.


    Jin Bolong and Jin Yuanji were deada?€¡±two Super Emperors of Eight Realms had actually died under Linghu Mingde¡¯s sword.


    Fang Kongfang was also stunned, then looked at his elder brother in utter shock, ¡°Brother, your former father-in-law, his maneuvers, strategic acumen, and strength are truly exceptional, indeed one of the few surviving members from the First Generation Alien Walkers.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng silently called up the battle video, reviewing it over and over.


    ...


    Not long after, Fang Xianzheng frowned slightly, ¡°Kongfang, do you see what is really going on?¡±


    He wanted to know, what condition was Linghu Mingde in after this battle?


    novgo.co


    How much ¡°fuel¡± did he have left in his tank?


    Fang Kongfang shook his head slightly, ¡°I can¡¯t tell.


    You¡¯d better ask a professional to analyze it.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    His personal ability was only at 6S+, barely reaching the level of an Admiral in prosthetics.


    Otherwise, that day at the Education Bureau, he wouldn¡¯t have been verbally blasted by Director Li.


    That guy, relying on his hall-level talent, a 6SSS prosthetic and martial arts rating, and being a direct descendant of Mayor Huo Bangguo, acted all high and mighty.


    ¡°Buta?€¡±¡±


    Fang Kongfang paused, glancing at the puddle on the screen, ¡°I feel brother, that you spilled your drink a bit early.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng, with hands behind his back, let out a soft chuckle, ¡°Indeed a bit early, I thought he had burnt out, but he still had such tactics, effortlessly dealing with Jin Bolong and Jin Yuanji, truly unimaginable.¡±


    Then Fang Xianzheng received another message, shaking his head slightly, ¡°I contacted two Congressional Honorary Members, they also couldn¡¯t see the actual situation clearly, only mentioned that Linghu Mingde¡¯s sword relied on external forces, but now, no one can tell whether Linghu Mingde can fight again.¡±


    Although the Earth Federation¡¯s constitution allows anyone who enters the Ninth Realm to become a Congressional Honorary Member, the few dozen Honorary Members in Congress are now mostly Super Emperors of Ninth Realm.


    Those below this strength shouldn¡¯t think about securing a stable position in the Congress, as people would say ¡°moral integrity does not match position.¡±


    a?€¡±This was the boundary gradually formed after 200 years of struggle following the collapse of the Divine Illumination Association.


    ¡°That will be trouble.¡±@@@@


    Fang Kongfang spread his hands, ¡°Brother, we have invested a total of 300 billion capital in short-selling the Linghu Alien Company and the Linghu Trading Company, using nearly five times leverage to absorb chips, this money will definitely be lost, once this news gets out, we will definitely be squeezed out.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not as serious as you say, it¡¯s not just us short-selling these two companies, the real big players are others, we¡¯re just tagging along for a bit of profit.¡±


    Compared to the two companies¡¯ total market value of two thousand seven hundred billion federal coins, their investment really wasn¡¯t much.


    Fang Xianzheng suddenly gasped, then laughed, ¡°You can be relieved now, the stock exchange announced that due to network communication failures causing partial data loss, trading in some sections has been temporarily suspended.¡±


    Combating pirates is the current most important duty of the Federation Star Navy, so at most it¡¯s a procedural violation and he could entirely claim he received urgent news and had no time to report upwards.¡±


    Li Xianglong looked up at his friend in the video: ¡°If you feel like you¡¯ve lost a lot this time, you could actually tell me this underground gambling scene¡¯s information, maybe I could help you recover the funds.¡±


    The frail and handsome Four-star Marshal was silent for a while, then sighed lightly: ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be right, would it?


    But these are also the people¡¯s hard-earned taxes supporting us.¡±


    Li Xianglong was speechless, especially since his counterpart actually really sent over the information about the underground gambling scene, including details about the bookmakers and several involved underground money lenders.


    a?€¡± But this guy was decent enough, just looking to recover his gambling money.


    Li Xianglong thought of the announcement issued by the Ninth City securities trading center.


    So now, the internal business environment of the Earth Federation was worsening day by day; these Ninth Realm big shots would flip tables over at the slightest displeasure.


    He shook his head, lowered his head to continue tackling official work: ¡°I will have someone investigate it, and there will be results by tomorrow morning.


    Anything else?¡±


    Implied in his words: if there¡¯s nothing else, hurry it up!


    ¡°I also want to know how Linghu Mingde¡¯s health really is now?


    Your Security Bureau should have placed people around him, right?


    If this old man doesn¡¯t die, a lot of things would be different.¡±


    The frail and handsome Four-star Marshal couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue, expressing his resentment: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this old guy to be so strong; even though that Secret Sword technique leveraged external forces, using those Neutron Star Annihilation Cannons for its power, I guess he didn¡¯t even use his full strength.


    Incredible, I really underestimated him; this old thing, whether it¡¯s Martial Arts Accomplishment or the prosthetic bloodline, is extremely strong.


    If he were to ascend to the Ninth Realm, he might well break into the top five ranks of Great Song¡¯s Divine Envoy candidates.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always said he is strong and reminded you, even if he¡¯s old and toothless, he can still bite Jin Bolong to death.¡±


    Li Xianglong was too lazy to look up again, ¡°The battles between him and I in the past had no concessions; I gave my all, and it still took me a full half hour to secure a slim advantage, making him back down, and at that time, he was already in declinea?€¡±¡±


    Li Xianglong was saying this, suddenly his gaze sharpened.


    Only because at this moment, a highly confidential piece of intelligence popped up in his field of viewa?€¡±


    a?€¡±Mingde University¡¯s top Martial Arts Star, Lin Rui, suspected to have been killed by a sniper!


    Li Xianglong quickly opened this piece of intelligence, then saw a long-distance photograph.


    In the center of the photo was the wreckage of a Shen Wing 520 supercar, the marks on the body indicated that it had been hit by a sniper cannon, and the body was badly damaged.


    Inside the cockpit, there was also a person, wearing Emperor Model 8 Exoskeleton Armor, slumped motionless in the cockpit.


    There was a hole in his forehead; around the hole, there were large amounts of dark red bloodstains mixed with some red-and-white protein.


    Li Xianglong¡¯s heart tightened slightly, thinking had Lin Rui really died?


    He immediately opened the internal information database of the Security Bureau, wanting to know how Lin Rui was, just looking at the status of Thunder Admiral would tell.


    If Lin Rui died, his smart terminal would send out a death message to the Security Bureau server.

 Chapter 481

    ?Chapter 481: Chapter 454: Suffering Heavenly Girl (Please Subscribe) Chapter 481: Chapter 454: Suffering Heavenly Girl (Please Subscribe) Mingde University¡¯s north side, on the city center¡¯s Fifth Avenue, ¡°Despair¡± rapidly left the scene after firing her gun.


    According to the intelligence, their mission target this time was extremely dangerous.


    Though personally at the Fifth Realm, he possessed an unprecedented combat rating of 4SSS+.


    In addition, he had a top-tier security team and a formidable hacker force.


    Therefore, after firing the gun, regardless of whether the target was dead or alive, she and her Battle Dragon were required to leave the scene immediately.


    ¡°Despair¡± followed the observer¡¯s instructions, moving through the streets like a ghost.


    Due to the recent gunshot and explosion, this once bustling street was in total chaos.


    ...


    However, after a full 30 seconds without any new gunshots or cannon fire, the people regained their calm and began to gather by the street, looking toward the scene of the incident.


    ¡°Despair¡± moved silently and tracelessly among them, her presence unnoticed by anyone, and no holographic camera could capture her image.


    Equipped with the Bloodline Armament ¡°Divine Concealment¡± from Sky Extreme Star and aided by her observer and hacker partner, Hidden Moon, each of her assassination missions left no trace behind.


    At that moment, Hidden Moon directed her on the escape route while praising her in their combat team communication.


    Hidden Moon: Well done, Despair!


    That shot was clean and brilliant!


    Lin Rui, hailed by the Federation as the unprecedented 4SSS+, boasted that his strength could rival that of the Sixth Realm, yet he couldn¡¯t react at all under your gunfire.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°Despair¡± remained expressionless, ignoring Hidden Moon¡¯s comments, but Hidden Moon was unfazed and continued messaging.


    Hidden Moon: Still, be careful.


    Lin Rui¡¯s security forces are on the move; the guy¡¯s surrounded by strong forces, including three 6S tactical teams, two 6A tactical teams, and eight type 6 Combat Robots, as well as two type 7s.


    I haven¡¯t seen Gong Hengdao yet.


    Hidden Moon: They¡¯ve already blocked several intersections around, and they have a very powerful hacker.


    We need to adjust our escape route again.


    However, Hidden Moon did not notice that ¡°Despair,¡± who should have been devoid of any emotions and not affected by anything outside of her mission, now showed a severe fluctuation in her eyes, and her sclera were reddening.


    ¡°Despair¡¯s¡± delicate face paled even more at that moment.


    Just as she killed that ¡°Lin Rui,¡± ¡°Despair¡¯s¡± mind suddenly filled with countless images that she should have felt foreign yet felt incredibly familiara?€¡±with those images, she seemed to recognize the mission target.


    Their relationship appeared very close; in her memory, she even called him ¡°brother.¡±


    ¡°Despair¡± did not know where these memories came from; were they her own memories or effects created by some Illusionist nearby?


    The problem was these memory images felt so familiar, embedded deeply in her blood and bones, as if they were things she never wanted, never should forget.


    But if these images were real, had she killed her own brother with her own hands?


    ¡°Despair¡± did not know how to handle thisa?€¡±indeed, she could not respond, as the Biological Chip implanted at the back of her skull forced her to obey her master¡¯s commands, not allowing any actions outside the planned mission.


    She knew her companion was the so-called ¡®Suffering Heavenly Girl,¡¯ and she knew that the only possibility for the increase in Ming Yue¡¯s pain essence was the pinnacle of ¡°pain.¡±


    ¡®Yin Yue¡¯ thought about how she had just been praising her companion¡¯s sleek shooting in the chat channel, and her heart tightened.


    She felt like her words had just stabbed Ming Yue in the heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane!!¡± ¡®Yin Yue¡¯s¡¯ eyes turned blood-red as she glared menacingly at the director, ¡°Why would you do this?


    Why make her kill her own kin?


    Don¡¯t you know this would cause her pain, push her into despair, and cause her essence levels to rise?¡±


    The director chuckled in response, ¡°Do you know why Zhen Hao decided to hand over you top assassins to me?¡±


    ¡®Yin Yue¡¯ was shocked again; she had recently been puzzled by this.


    The two of them were Zhen Hao¡¯s most lucrative tools, earning him countless research funds through various dark web missions.


    Given Zhen Hao¡¯s personality, it was unlikely he would willingly hand over such a cash cow to someone else.


    ¡°Because your companion is no longer useful.


    Her body has failed, and your master can no longer keep her alive, even if he replaced most of her organs with machines.


    She can no longer hold off the erosion from the Suffering Heavenly Venerate.¡±


    The director shook his head slightly, a faint glimmer in his eyes, ¡°So now, we must give her the most splendid death, the grandest funeral, fitting her status as the strongest biological weapon of this century!


    They can¡¯t just die unnamed; I will make them shock the entire world.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    ¡®Yin Yue¡¯ felt a chill run through her body.


    First, she shook her head, then suddenly lunged at the director.


    However, her body was caught by a burly security guard who grabbed her neck with one hand, slightly exerting force that rendered her immobile and unable to breathe, her face turning pale.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her!


    This girl is far more precious than you, to have reached the fifth realm of cultivation at her age, yet possess SS+ level hacker skills and computing power, which is extremely rare.¡±


    After the director stopped the security guard, he continued looking inside the experimental cabin, ¡°Is it painful?


    She indeed looks to be in extreme pain, filled with hatred, wanting to give up, wanting to destroy this world?


    That¡¯s right, your existence in this world was a mistake, and it only brings you more pain.¡±


    He waved his hand, ¡°Quickly!


    Try to finish the final physical check before the will of the Suffering Heavenly Venerate arrivesa?€¡±this is your last chance to check her physical values, be thorougha?€¡±¡±


    Just then, the director frowned.


    He had just received a piece of information from the Divine Light Army intelligence agencya?€¡±Lin Rui might not be dead, and the body in that Shen Wing 520 sports car could be Lin Rui¡¯s clone.


    It was a surprise to the director; if Lin Rui were not dead, then the Despair Heavenly Girl¡¯s despair essence could not be successfully stimulated.

 Chapter 482

    ?Chapter 482: Chapter 455: Nursery Rhyme (Please Subscribe) Chapter 482: Chapter 455: Nursery Rhyme (Please Subscribe) The director¡¯s brows furrowed deeply.


    Although the Despair Heavenly Girl was no longer part of the plan, it could still proceed, but the grand fireworks he had prepared for the Federation would greatly lose their luster.


    He directly used his personal intelligence terminal to dial Zhen Hao¡¯s phone.


    Zhen Hao¡¯s face bore a closer resemblance to Westerners, with a head of disheveled silver-white hair, a high nose bridge, sharply defined features, and deep, bright black eyes, shining with wisdom and fervor.


    After the video projection of the man appeared, he furrowed his brows, ¡°What the hell are you doing?


    Didn¡¯t you confirm before the operation?


    How could you not even recognize a cloned body?¡±


    The director opened another video on the side, showing ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ entering the ¡®Sky Wing 520¡¯ luxury car, surrounded by many bodyguards, after completing a TV program at ¡®City Voice Television.¡¯


    Everything seemed normal; there was no discernible anomaly in the video.


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I suspect they must have top-tier illusionists, shielding our intelligence personnel¡¯s perceptions.¡±


    A person¡¯s flesh and gene can be replicated, and their cloned body manipulated with biological chips, but their cultivation spirit mechanism and ether characteristics can¡¯t be copied so simply.


    ¡®Moon of the Abyss¡¯ Lin Yi made her move from eight kilometers away, unable to determine if this person was real or fake.


    ¡®Hidden Moon¡¯ was the same, sitting in her own office, tracking others through various cameras and scientific instruments.


    ¡°Now is not the time to assign blame.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui isn¡¯t dead, and we can¡¯t trigger the Despair Heavenly Girl.


    Do you have any ideas?¡±


    ¡®Hidden Moon¡¯ was gripped by the throat, paralyzed.


    However, when she heard this, her pupils shifted ever so slightly.


    Neither the director in the video nor Zhen Hao noticed ¡®Hidden Moon¡¯s¡¯ change.


    Zhen Hao, with a thoughtful frown, said, ¡°Has she awakened her memories now?


    If she has, seal them again, and use the maximum intensity to lock away her memories.¡±


    The director¡¯s eyes lit up at hearing this, ¡°Old Zhen, do you mean, have the Suffering Heavenly Girl, after awakening, make another move to deal with Lin Rui?


    Is it possible?¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Zhen Hao crossed his arms and sneered with confidence, ¡°The pain in her soul should last for a while even though she doesn¡¯t know where this pain comes from.


    And my homemade biological control chip, when the Heavenly Venerate of Suffering descends to 20% state, should be able to control her actions.


    However, her memory must be reinforced and sealed.


    Also, you must give me the final data; this is the basis for our future cooperation, understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡± The director nodded and then instructed the two researchers beside him, ¡°Did you hear?


    Begin the operation to seal the memorya?€¡±¡±


    Before the director could finish speaking, the surrounding alloy walls emitted a ¡®crackle¡¯ sound.


    The high-strength alloy, which could be used to build a battleship, began to show faint cracks.


    The director was unconcerned, attributing it to Lin Yi and her Battle Dragon¡¯s Abyss Concept leaking out, affecting the entire base and making every material therein twist.


    When the words ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer¡± reached everyone¡¯s ears, everyone present, including the director, changed their color.


    In Ninth Base City, the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer¡± was undoubtedly a demonic figure that caused people to panic at the mere mention of his name.


    novgo.co


    This person possessed extremely advanced skills in creating poisons and had several powerful accomplices.


    Since appearing, he had committed numerous murders in the span of half a year, reportedly slaughtering over ten thousand people, causing all sides, including the Federation Security Bureau, to be plagued with headaches and fear, unable to find his whereabouts to this day.


    Since Thunder Admiral replaced You Ming and took charge of the Children¡¯s Song Killer task force, he simply gave up pursuing this criminal.


    However, after Thunder Admiral launched the ¡°Light of Brightness¡± anti-crime operation, the Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯s frequency of crime began to decrease.


    In the last 25 days, the Children¡¯s Song Killer had only launched two operations, killing more than 600 gang members.


    This made the media of the Base City jubilant and full of praise, acknowledging that although Thunder Admiral hadn¡¯t found the Children¡¯s Song Killer, his direction was correct.


    Not only did he strike against the gangs, securing the safety and life of the civilians, but he also prevented the Children¡¯s Song Killer from committing crimes on a large scale.


    Unlike the previous You Ming, who mobilized an overwhelming force, wasted the people¡¯s resources, and used a massive amount of public security resources to protect some gang members, that left the police exhausted and also triggered public outrage.


    And now, with the Children¡¯s Song Killer unable to find targets, he had turned his attention to them.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s the Children¡¯s Song Killer or not, we evacuate as soon as possible!


    Try to see who can still contact the outside world and notify the police as soon as possible.


    Let the Security Bureau and police handle them.


    And the Suffering Heavenly Girl, I¡¯ll add a stimulant to wake her up soona?€¡±¡±


    The director instinctively wanted to call the police but found that the quantum communication on his personal smart terminal had already failed.


    It must have been the work of a top hacker who had infiltrated and preemptively shut down the communication module within their terminals.


    The director¡¯s face was extremely grim as he connected the terminal¡¯s electromagnetic communication with the base¡¯s internal network, trying to use his authority to personally operate and add a stimulant to the Suffering Heavenly Girl, only to find that his authority had been removed.


    Moreover, he had clearly set to stop the injection of the anesthetic before leaving, and now it had started injecting again.


    ¡°Damn it!


    Damn it!¡±


    The director¡¯s face was clouded with anger as he continued to stride toward the direction of the escape corridor.


    What slightly eased his mind was that along the way, he gathered several powerful subordinates.


    Due to the continuous crimes of the Children¡¯s Song Killer, the base¡¯s internal ventilation and air exchange system had been significantly enhanced.


    The director even spared no expense to design three independent air exchange systems.


    Thus, although these few Dragon Transformation experts could clearly feel the symptoms of the anesthetic, they were still barely able to maintain consciousness and retain a certain level of combat strength.


    But just as he was about to approach the entrance of the escape corridor, the director heard someone humming a simple, cheerful, yet unfamiliar children¡¯s song not far away.


    ¡°Two tigers, two tigers, running fasta?€¡±¡±


    The director¡¯s pupils instantly contracted severely, and his scalp tingled.


    a?€¡±It really is the Children¡¯s Song Killer!


    His hands instinctively pressed against the pistol at his waist.


    It was at this moment that the director saw a flash of red light, and the two Sixth Realm Dragon Transformation experts guarding him were sliced by a brilliantly flashing blade.


    Their bodies were cut in half, their heads cleanly severed!

 Chapter 483

    ?Chapter 483: Chapter 456: Blood Rain (Please Subscribe) Chapter 483: Chapter 456: Blood Rain (Please Subscribe) As the blade light flashed, the corridor where the director and his group were standing was suddenly engulfed in a bloody maelstrom.


    The director barely made out that they were two figures wearing exoskeleton armor, moving through the corridor at extreme speed.


    Their blade speed was so fast that it was impossible to track with the naked eye, fusing with light, as fast as electricity, leaving no time for anyone to react.


    Wherever they passed, blood splattered, causing the director¡¯s entourage to either scream in terror or panic helplessly.


    The director clasped his gun in his hands, His eyes darting left and right, he struggled to lock onto the two figures, while being fully on guard.


    Beads of cold sweat started to form on his brow.


    He realized he couldn¡¯t lock on to them, not at all!


    ...


    He could barely make out one person wearing the female version of the Emperor exoskeleton armor; that woman wasn¡¯t too bad, she just chopped off a dozen people¡¯s limbs and left them be.


    The man, however, was a complete killing maniac, his blade work cold and efficient to the extreme, aimed solely at killing as quickly as possible, in the most straightforward and effective way.


    What was terrifying was that neither of their cultivations exceeded the Sixth Realm!


    The director was certain, beyond a doubt, whether it was the ether element sensing device clamped inside his exoskeleton armor, or the director¡¯s own sensing ability, had both conclusively proven this point.


    Yet these two, with the help of their 7SSS+ grade ¡®Emperor¡¯ exoskeleton armor and a pair of 7SSS swords in their hands, coupled with their extremely tacit cooperation, like minds melding together, displayed combat power far beyond that of most in the Sixth Realm.


    Although they were both from the Fifth Realm, their combat power had reached 6SSS+, truly a pair of Sixth Realm Super Monarchs!


    The director¡¯s forehead began to sweat; he turned to look at his guard captain.


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    His guard captain¡¯s cultivation was powerful, reaching the Seventh Realm, a 7SS level expert, but he too stood rooted to the spot, guarding defensively with his weapons, unable to move.


    The director understood the guard captain¡¯s state because he was experiencing the same thing.


    The director himself also had a high cultivation of the Seventh Realm and was also 7SS, his equipment was also of the top-tier models, his overall combat power was slightly higher than the guard captain¡¯s.


    But at this moment, he too could not move, he did not dare to!


    One wrong move could reveal a flaw, one flaw exposed, and he could be chopped down by the enemy!


    Given the two¡¯s blade speed, the fatal blow could be decided in the blink of an eye.


    Actually, if they could fight fairly, the two of them would surely survive to the end.


    The problem was that the anesthetic kept paralyzing their bodies and their Mecha Dragons.


    The director had been calling out for his Mecha Dragon all this time, but so far, it hadn¡¯t responded at all, as if it had disappeared from existence.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    The director used telekinesis to manipulate his exoskeleton armor and injected a high concentration stimulant into his body from within.


    This would break the body¡¯s limits and enhance his physical qualities and responsiveness for a short duration.


    Crouching low like a leopard, his voice hoarse, he said, ¡°The Children¡¯s Song Killer, is it?


    We from the Divine Light Army, haven¡¯t offended you, have we?¡±


    In an instant, the director was reminded of Sky Extreme Star¡¯s Commander, Lin Hao from the Spy Detection Bureau.


    There were rumors that this man, together with his Protective Demon, had reached the combat power of a Sixth Realm Super Monarch while clad in ¡®Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor¡¯!


    At the time, the Earth Federation media and martial critics also lamented the emergence of heroes in Sky Extreme Star, whereas their Earth Federation had yet to have anyone reach ¡®Longevity¡¯ or ¡®Abyss¡¯, falling behind in this generation¡¯s younger counterparts.


    The anesthetic they had administered could no longer suppress the Suffering Heavenly Girl.


    It was also fortunate that an unknown hacker had intervened just now to prevent the injection of the Awakening agent.


    Otherwise, the Suffering Heavenly Girl would have already awakened by now.


    The director¡¯s heart fluttered with fear as he said with a cold look in his eyes, ¡°Friends!


    I advise you to let us go.


    Do you know what lies beneath this base?


    It¡¯s the Abyss Weapon ¡®Suffering Heavenly Girl¡¯ created by the Longevity Association.


    She is about to awaken, the will of the Abyss is about to descend, and by then, none of us will survive.¡±


    ¡°Friend, there is no enmity between us, and I don¡¯t even recognize you.


    Up to now, you haven¡¯t revealed any information, so there is no need for us to be like this.¡±


    However, as soon as he uttered these words, he found that the killing intent of the man and woman opposite him did not wane but instead grew stronger.


    Lin Rui also saw feedback from several friends and family members in the combat group.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Xiao Rui, the professional instruments at the Security Bureau have detected high intensity Abyss fluctuations near Pipe No.


    2942 in Area E, we may not have much time left.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): BOSS, things really don¡¯t look good.


    The Abyss essence around here is too dense, exceeding the tolerance range of my Illusion Technique.


    If this continues, I might not be able to shift the Abyss fluctuations from this area.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, I¡¯ve already escorted the young miss into the core area of the base, and I¡¯ve met with the second young miss, Lin Yi.


    Her condition is really bad, the will of Suffering Heavenly Venerate has begun to awaken within her, and the young miss is doing everything she can to stop it, but I¡¯m not optimistic.


    End of Summer¡¯s Faint Thought (Lin Xi): Brother, Lin Yi¡¯s situation does not look good; I need you to come and help.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes narrowed deliberately, aware that this battle could not be dragged out any longer.


    Annoyingly, there was only one path in and out of the base for the Battle Dragons to use.


    In order not to alert these bastards and for ease of operation, they had not brought any Battle Dragons with them.


    Fortunately, both he and Ji Xueying had completed their final preparations.


    He held his blades in both hands, with a slight upward curve at the corners of his lips, and looked coldly at the two individuals in front of him, ¡°You say there is no enmity between us, but that¡¯s not necessarily the case.¡±


    Lin Rui thought of the images and videos sent to him by Heart of Light No.


    9, his eyes turning a bloody red.


    Although he had not formally met Lin Yi, she was his sister!


    Yet his sister had been tortured by these people in such an inhumane manner.


    Deep in Lin Rui¡¯s heart, for reasons unknown, surged an extreme rage and desire to kill!


    Upon hearing this, the director frowned, feeling that this person¡¯s voice sounded somewhat familiar.


    He did not dare to be distracted by trying to pinpoint the source of this familiarity and continued to focus intently on the man opposite him.


    At that instant, he saw the face mask on the man¡¯s face suddenly retract, revealing a clear-cut and handsome youthful face.


    As soon as the director saw this face, his pupils shrank to pinpoints.

 Chapter 484

    ?Chapter 484: Chapter 457: Purity (Please Subscribe) Chapter 484: Chapter 457: Purity (Please Subscribe) At the moment when the director saw Lin Rui¡¯s face, his mind went blank.


    The man who had killed so many of their people was actually Lin Rui?


    The brother of the Suffering Heavenly Girl, Lin Yi?


    Lin Rui was the so-called ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer¡±?


    In that instant, a line appeared in the director¡¯s mind, connecting the many pieces of information he had.


    But he still couldn¡¯t understand how Lin Rui could be the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer¡±.


    How had this guy evaded the pursuit of the Security Bureau?


    ...


    How had he avoided the calculations of those big data models?


    How could this guy¡¯s combat abilities be so strong?


    Although the Martial Arts Association had given him an unprecedented 4SSS+ rating, wasn¡¯t that just breaking the rules?


    At the moment his consciousness blanked, Lin Rui and Ji Xueying both performed Flash Escape again, wielding their sabers.


    The two of them used the exact same movement techniques, the same saber strokes, yet they crisscrossed left and right, front and back!


    This was Lin Rui¡¯s fundamental saber technique, the ¡°Purple Sun Tribulation Saber¡¯s¡± 6SSS-ranked Secret Bladea?€¡±Purple Sun Tribulation: Super Instant Kill!


    It combined the speed of lightning with the ferocity of flames and integrated their time-space void capabilities into an ultimate killing move!


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    At this moment, Ji Xueying felt a thrill of excitement rising within her heart.


    The Sixth Realm Divine Rank secret blade she had practiced for over a month finally had a chance to be utilized.


    Individually, this saber technique wielded a power rating of only 6SSS, but when she combined her strikes with Lin Rui, it achieved double 6SSS+, even surpassing that divine might!


    Because the highest rating currently available from the Martial Arts Association was only SSS+.


    a?€¡±It was essentially above Super Emperor, yet not reaching Divine Rank!


    When the guard captain saw the two of them draw their sabers at that moment, he felt a chill rush to his head and goosebumps erupted all over his body.@@@@


    Desperation even appeared in his eyes!


    Because the guard captain¡¯s sharp battle instincts had already foreseen a terribly tragic end for himself.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    He warned his superior beside him, while simultaneously unleashing his most powerful Extreme Move.


    The director had also instantly snapped to attention at the moment Lin Rui drew his saber again, and he started firing at full speed.


    He held two Type 8 Revolving Kinetic Pistols in his hands and furiously shot at Lin Rui, who was Flash Escaping towards him from the opposite side.


    ¡°Die, all of you!¡±


    Each bullet he fired was infused with all his True Yuan, blood energy, Martial Arts Extreme Intent, and all his fury, greatly enhancing both the speed and power of each bullet!


    Talking about firepower, those Gauss Beam Guns and Plasma Guns and other high-tech rifles were very powerful and sophisticated.


    But when it came to the upper limit of power, they couldn¡¯t compare to these kinetic pistols, which could perfectly integrate an Armored Martial Cultivator¡¯s strength, thus achieving a more lethal killing power.


    However, the moment the director fired, he realized that the time-space around him had already been distorted!


    It was twisted by the coordinated effort of the two of them, distorting both space and time.


    novgo.co


    It was like two giant pliers grabbing a nail and then twisting in concert.


    Moreover, perhaps because the Heavenly Venerate of Suffering was about to descend, the conception around was exceptionally strong, making the distortion in time-space remarkably drastic.


    None of the bullets fired by the director, despite his 7S+ ranked pistol Extreme Skill, hit Lin Rui.


    According to the intelligence, she was a teammate from Abyss, a genius hacker of SS+ rank.


    This little girl, merely at the Fifth Realm, could actually maintain her existence unwarped in this placea?€¡±


    Lin Rui ignored her, striding over to Lin Xi¡¯s side, looking at the young girl asleep in the sleeping cabin in front of him.


    Lin Yi¡¯s features were very similar to Lin Xi¡¯s, but her aura was even more fresh and tranquil.


    She lay serenely in the sleeping cabin, eyes closed, yet she was the epicenter of all the surrounding anomalies.


    ¡°Brother, do you have any other way?¡± Lin Xi asked, his complexion ashen, with a trace of despair, ¡°Is there any way to stop it?¡±


    At this moment, Wang Tianwu, who was also responsible for concealing the base with Illusion Techniques and covering Lin Rui¡¯s actions, arrived too.


    Upon entering, he first leaned over to glance at Lin Yi inside the sleeping cabin, then couldn¡¯t help cursing out loud.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s eyes actually burst open, spilling fresh blood.


    He couldn¡¯t believe he was seeing the Abyss for the first time in his life!


    Although it was just a partial descent of the Abyss Will, it was still extremely powerful and terrifying!


    ¡°BOSS, are we not leaving yet?


    Are we just waiting for death here?¡±


    Meanwhile, Wang Tianwu was filled with doubts.


    Why were Lin Rui and Lin Xi, the siblings, and that woman known as Hidden Moon, just fine being inside here?


    He, a grand Super Emperor of the Eight Realms, couldn¡¯t even remain here, while Fei Yunlai and Gong Hengdao stayed outside.


    ¡°There¡¯s still hope!¡±


    At that moment, Lin Rui unexpectedly reached out and touched Lin Yi¡¯s carotid artery, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived just in time, but Xiao Xi, this time you might have to sacrifice a year of your life!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xi¡¯s spirit lifted, ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Don¡¯t say one year, if it could bring Yi back, she would gladly give her entire life.


    Wang Tianwu sneered upon hearing the words, ¡°BOSS, you¡¯re really not treating your own life as anything significant.


    This is the Abyss!


    How do you expect to stop her descent?


    It¡¯s simply overestimating your abilities.¡±


    After all, BOSS did study medicine, but how come he doesn¡¯t realize how formidable the Abyss is.


    The girl in the corner known as Hidden Moon also lifted her head, looking at Lin Rui with a gaze filled with sarcasm and helplessness.


    It¡¯s all over!


    Everything is over!


    However, Abyss¡¯s brother really cares about her, to not want to leave even in such a situation, no wonder Abyss is suffering so much.


    ¡°You all should leave,¡± Hidden Moon exhaled deeply.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop the descent of the Suffering Heavenly Venerate.


    Only the Abyss can oppose the Abyss.


    If you leave now, I might manage to hold her off for 20 seconds.¡±


    But Lin Rui shook his head slightly, ¡°Indeed, only the Abyss can combat the Abyss, but I am the Abyss!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Wang Tianwu was initially puzzled, but then he saw flames of white fire suddenly burst around Lin Rui¡¯s body.


    In the next instant, he felt a powerfully conceptual force enveloping the entire area, a force not inferior to ¡®distortion.¡¯


    a?€¡±That was Purity!

 Chapter 485

    ?Chapter 485: Chapter 458: Divine Battle (Three More for Subscription) Chapter 485: Chapter 458: Divine Battle (Three More for Subscription) Wang Tianwu was shocked beyond belief, thinking, ¡°What is this little BOSS talking about?¡±


    Is he the ¡°Abyss¡±?


    What does that mean?


    His expression suddenly changed, reminded of the images he had seen in the illusionary world woven by Ling Huan.


    Wang Tianwu suddenly realized how Ling Huan had died.


    a?€¡±So his ¡°teacher¡± actually encountered the ¡°Abyss¡±!


    Lin Rui, he is the Abyss, or at least something close to the level of the ¡°Abyss.¡±


    Could this be the real reason Xu Mengran sent him to find the little BOSS?


    Not just because this little BOSS possessed the National Guardian Dragon Seal?


    ...


    Wang Tianwu cursed in his mind, ¡°F***, f***, f***,¡± grass growing wildly inside him.


    He had wondered before, how could mere possession of the National Guardian Dragon Seal provoke Ling Huan into such extremes?


    Unfortunately, his eyes had been destroyed by the power of the Suffering Heavenly Girl, and he could only perceive everything around him through his Spiritual Sense.


    At this moment, Fei Yunlai also peered in, looking around, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?


    Why is there another type of Abyss concept?


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    What¡¯s happening today?¡±


    His gaze immediately fixed on Lin Rui, and he couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°F***!


    Is this our BOSS?


    Is it the Abyss?¡±


    The white flames burning on Lin Rui were clearly a complete Abyss concept!


    This concept seemed to be calleda?€¡±Purity?


    Fei Yunlai suddenly realized why Lin Rui had built such a huge lead room, why everything was so secretive.


    Why Lin Rui said he could come in to see, but had to sign a lifelong contracta?€¡±it seemed the BOSS really hadn¡¯t tricked him.


    Such a secret was indeed worth a servitude contract.


    But he had already signed a lifelong contract, so why hadn¡¯t he thought to come in and see?


    To witness the BOSS¡¯s Pure Method?


    The round-faced girl, Yin Yue, sitting in the corner, also watched Lin Rui¡¯s back in extreme astonishment.


    ¡°Is it the Abyss?¡±


    a?€¡±And almost a complete Abyss!


    Besides not having a full set of Abyss organs and his soul not yet transformed, he was almost an entirely new Abyss, a newa?€¡±God!


    This was a healthier, more perfect, more self-controlled ¡®god¡¯ than Lin Xi and Lin Yi!


    ¡°Brother, I know what to do now.¡±


    Lin Xi took a deep breath.


    She abruptly slid back two hundred steps, withdrawing from the cell.


    Lin Xi then pressed one hand to the ground, and her hair flew up, no wind stirring it.


    Boom!


    At this moment, the core layer of the entire base began to cut off from the outside world, a layer of black light screen enveloping the surroundings for five hundred meters.


    The saber light, like flashes of lightning, glittered and wove in front of him.


    They merged with Lin Rui¡¯s Purifying Method, continuously slicing and severing Lin Yi¡¯s distorted concept.


    ¡°Clang!


    Clang!


    Clang!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s specially crafted 7SS+ grade twin sabers ¡°Slaying Light,¡± clashed with Lin Yi¡¯s power, producing a metallic roar.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes were exceedingly resolute, as fierce as true forged swords.


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    He began to bleed from the corner of his mouth, and bloodshot appeared in his eyes.


    The saber light Lin Rui slashed grew increasingly wild and ferocious.


    He was indeed no match for this Abyssal entity in terms of martial arts or understanding of the Abyss Concept.


    The entity wasn¡¯t even fully awakened, lacked any cognitive abilities, and had only up to 6% of its Abyssal Will present, yet it completely suppressed everything about him and Lin Xi.


    All Lin Rui could do now was harm himself in the process.


    He was certain that Lin Yi¡¯s Blood Qi would not last long.


    Lin Rui could sense that his sister¡¯s physical condition was deteriorating to its limits.


    Even though she was an Abyss Weapon crafted by the Longevity Association, a vessel for a ¡°God¡± to descend, this vessel was already corrupted beyond repair.


    Moments later, the homemade stimulant injected within his skeletal armor began to take effect.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes started to redden, and his neck swelled by nearly a third in that instant.


    He let out a bestial roar, and his sabers became even more ruthless and frantic!


    ¡°Get out, get out!


    Get lost!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s long sabers forcibly split open the invisible armor formed by layers of distorted space around Lin Yi.


    With a ¡®boom,¡¯ a massive wave of air swept out in every direction.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes lit up slightly, realizing his strategy had succeeded.


    The surrounding distorted concepts had collapsed!


    Just as he had anticipated, Lin Yi¡¯s body couldn¡¯t sustain the intense use of the Suffering Heavenly Venerate¡¯s warping concepts.


    Without hesitation, Lin Rui struck towards Lin Yi¡¯s brow with his saber.


    His fused saber light miraculously stopped just before penetrating her skin, only slicing less than the thickness of a strand of hair and causing a trickle of fresh blood to flow from her brow.


    At that moment, Lin Rui saw that Lin Yi¡¯s eyes had completely turned golden-red, with hints of gold lightning shimmering near the corners of his eyes.


    At this moment, Lin Rui didn¡¯t realize that the Abyss Source Core integrated into his Armored Dragon Armor was rapidly evolving.


    All he saw now were Lin Yi and the God within her.


    ¡°Return!


    This is not your place!


    This body doesn¡¯t belong to you and never will!¡±


    Boom!


    In that instant, an incredibly violent Purifying Fire surged forth, completely engulfing Lin Yi¡¯s entire body before furiously burning.


    Just then, Lin Rui suddenly saw an illusionary image: a goddess with a face and body of supreme beauty, clad in thorned iron armor, staring intensely at him from the void.

 Chapter 486

    ?Chapter 486: Chapter 459: Doctor (Please Subscribe) Chapter 486: Chapter 459: Doctor (Please Subscribe) Linghu Mingde¡¯s flagship, the Sky Fox, had just docked when he learned that his family doctor, Zhao Dong, arrived at the port ten minutes earlier and was waiting.


    However, Linghu Mingde was more concerned with another matter; Lin Rui, who was riding in the supercar Shen Wing 520, had been targeted in a sniper attack and was believed to be dead.


    But he quickly confirmed through various intelligence that Lin Rui was safe and sound, the one in the car was merely one of Lin Rui¡¯s clone prosthetics.


    Yet, this man¡¯s whereabouts were currently unknown.


    Several of Lin Rui¡¯s skilled subordinates had also disappeared without a trace.


    A few dark lines formed between Linghu Mingde¡¯s eyebrows as he thought, this kid isn¡¯t out playing the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer¡± again, is he?


    He immediately shook his head, unconcerned.


    ...


    In his view, it wasn¡¯t a big deal; young people needed to vent their emotions now and then, perfectly normal.


    Lin Rui¡¯s progress in Martial Arts was astonishing, already breaking the norms at the Fourth Realm by implanting numerous powerful cybernetic enhancements, elevating his total enhancement rating to an unprecedented 4SSS, maybe even 4SSS+, which was incredibly aggressive.


    Probably due to pressure, the treacherous environment Lin Rui faced both on and off Sky Extreme Star forced him to improve as quickly as possible.


    However, one could imagine the heavy mental toll it took on Lin Rui.


    Each Armored Martial Artist had their own way of relieving stress; some liked gambling, some enjoyed the company of beautiful women, and others fancied luxury cars.


    Lin Rui liked killinga?€¡±taking out fully deserving villains and drug traffickers, nothing too serious.


    Once Lin Rui reached the Ninth Realm and became a Congressional Honorary Member, such petty crimes would be no issue.


    Go to ?ovgo.co


    After reviewing Lin Rui¡¯s information, Linghu Mingde then turned his attention to his family doctor.


    He glanced sideways at his eldest son, Linghu Tianchou, ¡°This Zhao Dong, he was summoned by you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Linghu Tianchou spoke cautiously, ¡°After the recent battle, several uncles and brothers were injured, so I invited Zhao Dong to have a look at them.¡±


    Linghu Mingde let out a derisive laugh.


    It wasn¡¯t as if they lacked skilled prosthetic doctors within their company, and there were plenty accompanying them whose injuries had already been properly tended to.


    It wasn¡¯t such a serious matter that required Zhao Dong¡¯s expertise; Linghu Tianchou¡¯s true intention in inviting him was obviously to have his own condition checked.


    ¡°Trying to be clever,¡± Linghu Mingde shook his head, ¡°Well, since he is already here, let him have a look.


    I actually have a few words I wish to share with him.¡±


    Hearing this, Linghu Tianchou felt a bit puzzled but left cheerfully to invite Zhao Dong onto the Sky Fox¡¯s bridge.


    This doctor was not only the family¡¯s physician but also an aspiring Academician with a significant reputation in the medical and cybernetic enhancement field, deserving of respect from the Linghu Family.


    Roughly two minutes later, Linghu Tianchou led a middle-aged man, about forty, with spectacles and a calm and earnest demeanor, into the room.


    It was Zhao Dong, carrying a briefcase, and as soon as he entered, his face was aglow with a smile, ¡°Marshal Linghu!


    I¡¯ve heard about the fleet battle not long ago, Sky Fox Trade Company was victorious!


    All the major social media apps are abuzz, they say you still have your edge, truly deserving the title ¡®Heavenly Fox.¡¯ Your company only lost seven escort ships and managed to wipe out an entire division of the Evil Pirate Group, much more capable than those good-for-nothings in the Star Navy.¡±


    He then turned to Linghu Mingde, respectfully saying, ¡°The director was concerned about your health, asking me to give you a thorough check-up, to see if there are any internal injuries that need treatment?¡±


    Linghu Mingde couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, ¡°Tianchou is just too earnest, not cut out for bigger responsibilities.¡±


    He extended his hand towards Zhao Dong, ¡°If you want to check, then go ahead.


    Start with taking my pulse.¡±


    Zhao Dong felt a tingling sensation on his scalp and a chill overtook his body.


    He was an extremely intelligent man and quickly made a decision: ¡°Whatever explanation you think I should give them, that¡¯s what I¡¯ll give.¡±


    He knew that this would deeply offend his so-called ¡®partners.¡¯


    But Zhao Dong was more aware that Linghu Mingde also had the capability to annihilate his entire lineage.


    The current situation was like drinking poison to quench thirst; if he didn¡¯t follow Linghu Mingde¡¯s wishes, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to leave the Sky Fox cruiser today.


    ¡°Let¡¯s proceed as before,¡±


    Linghu Mingde picked up the steaming cup of tea: ¡°Of course, there needs to be a slight change.


    After this battle, it¡¯s impossible for my body not to have changed at all.


    But what can I say?


    I¡¯m quite enjoying the current situation.


    People tend to be more tolerant towards an old man who is on the brink of death, yet capable of taking them down with hima?€¡±so you can adjust the specific test data as you see fit.¡±


    Zhao Dong narrowed his eyes and then stood up, picking up his briefcase: ¡°Understood.


    I won¡¯t disappoint you this time.


    I¡¯ll stay on the ship a bit longer before disembarking.¡±


    He knew he had lost Linghu Mingde¡¯s trust.


    The old man would no longer allow him to conduct medical examinations, so the body data he provided to those partners would have to be fabricated by himself.


    However, just as Zhao Dong was about to leave the bridge, he couldn¡¯t help but turn back and ask, ¡°Marshal, I can confirm that when I conducted a physical examination a month ago, your condition was very poor.


    Even using the top-secret mind medicine developed by the East Asia Science Academy, you could at most live for another three years.


    But now, looking at your condition, you seem to have been completely cured.


    I want to know what happened during this past month.


    Which great figure from the Federation intervened, and in such a short time, made all the armament data nearly normal again, freeing you from the status of being close to death?¡±


    Linghu Tianchou next to him was taken aback again and turned to look at his father in disbelief.


    What does this Zhao mean?


    Has his father been cured?


    Has his father escaped imminent death?


    No longer needing to die?


    Linghu Tianchou was likewise puzzled; which great doctor had intervened?


    Linghu Mingde lost himself in silent laughter: ¡°Professor Zhao, that¡¯s not something you should ask, nor is it something you can talk about.¡±


    Just as Linghu Mingde spoke, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked towards Sector E of the Ninth Base City.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s gaze turned grave as he set down the teacup.


    a?€¡±That was the power of the Abyss!


    Linghu Mingde sensed two immensely powerful Abyss Concepts erupting in the direction of Sector E!

 Chapter 487

    ?Chapter 487: Chapter 460 Star Formation (Subscription Request) Chapter 487: Chapter 460 Star Formation (Subscription Request) At the time of the incident at the Divine Light Army base, nearly all ¡°Divine Illumination¡± Martial Cultivators of the Ninth Realm and ¡°Longevity¡± Martial Cultivators of the Tenth Realm within and outside of the Sky Extreme Star sensed the abnormalities occurring there.


    Some of the Stargazers, who were proficient in ¡°Star Formation,¡± even discerned a portion of the future ¡®fate¡¯ trajectory from the changes in the celestial formations visible in the sky.


    Luo Wangshu was among them.


    Although she was not a professional Stargazer, her Bloodline Ability allowed her to interpret some changes in the Star Formation, thereby grasping the future trends of the heavens and earth.


    At that moment, she stood in the courtyard next to the third Divine Envoy Institute, her gaze confusedly lifted toward the sky.


    The first thing Luo Wangshu observed was the Ninth Heavenly Demon Origin.


    As the third Divine Envoy, she was not like those ignorant commoners who believed that the so-called ¡®Heavenly Demon Origin¡¯ was in another world, akin to Purgatory.


    ...


    Luo Wangshu knew that the Ninth Heavenly Demon Origin was right above them, positioned above the ¡®Shen month¡¯ of the twelve moons of the Sky Extreme Star.


    ¡°Distortion and Destruction.


    Is this the power of the Twin Venerable?


    After several years, it has appeared again.


    How far have these Outer Heaven Demons advanced in their study of the Abyss Power?


    Apart from pain and despair, there seems to be another force of Abyss Power, but unfortunately, it¡¯s too distant and the time too brief to identify.¡±


    After trying to discern further but garnering no results, Luo Wangshu slightly shook her head and began to focus on watching the ¡®stars¡¯ in the sky and the eight huge vortexes manifested by the Great Abyss in the sky.


    Go to novgo.co


    The so-called ¡®stars¡¯ are actually the starlight reflections in the sky of the ¡°Reach the Sky¡± Martial Cultivators in the Eight Realms, ¡°Divine Illumination¡± in the Ninth Realm, and ¡°Longevity¡± in the Tenth Realm.


    After Martial Cultivators enter the Eight Realm, their Primordial Spirits resonate with the Heavenly Curtain, manifesting like stars above.


    Surrounding the stars, there were eight incredibly vast vortexes, similar to bottomless black holes.


    These ¡®Divine Illumination¡¯ Martial Cultivators turned into stars, almost all orbiting slowly around these Abyss vortexes.


    a?€¡±This is the Star Formation, representing the fate of all Sky Extreme Star Martial Cultivators.


    A skilled Astrologer could also calculate the fate of each person on the Sky Extreme Star through the stars of these high-realm Martial Cultivators.@@@@


    However, this extraordinary scene in the starry sky could only be seen by those with extremely powerful Bloodline Abilities in the Sixth Realm and Martial Cultivators of the Seventh Realm ¡®Divine Skills¡¯ and above.


    Luo Wangshu then gasped in surprise and took an astonished step forward.


    novgo.co


    ¡°What is this?


    Such a strange celestial formation, storm clouds in the sky spreading and dispersing, it seems like a cataclysmic disaster has been prevented.


    Just as she extended her hand, a small portion of her right fingertips about the size of a fingernail burst open with a ¡®pop¡¯, shockingly twisted into powder by an extremely powerful distorting force!


    ¡°What is this?¡± Ji Xueying looked at her right hand, stunned and confused, ¡°A concept of distortion?¡±


    Although it wasn¡¯t at the level of the Abyss, it was incredibly powerful and wildly uncontrollable, self-generated, and so powerful that Ji Xueying couldn¡¯t react in time.


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils also constricted slightly, amazed to find the change in the pseudo ¡°Abyss Source Core¡± inside him.


    However, time was pressing, and Lin Rui had no time to investigate further.


    About 2 seconds later, Lin Rui finally recovered his strength.


    Immediately, he took Lin Yi from Ji Xueying¡¯s hands and retreated at the fastest speed, ¡°Let¡¯s go!


    Gong, how many Annihilation Bombs do you still have?


    Shells work too, use everything.


    We must completely destroy this area where the incident occurred, leave no trace.


    Gong, let Old Wang and Old Fei take care of planting them since your men are not suitable.


    Install a few extra bombs in Yi¡¯s room.


    Hurry, we don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    Gong Hengdao, being an experienced top-tier mercenary, had already arranged for his subordinates to plant bombs within the base and prepare for destroying any traces even before the ¡®Divine Battle¡¯ had started.


    However, that was not enougha?€¡±


    Given the current situation inside this base, only an Antimatter Annihilation Bomb could completely destroy all traces.


    Antimatter bombs were incredibly dangerous; a large-scale use could release strong electromagnetic pulses and gamma radiation and was hard to control in terms of the scale of the explosion.


    If misused, its shockwave could even damage the structural integrity of Satellite No.


    9, affecting the entire Base City.


    Nevertheless, Lin Rui could no longer concern himself with these dangers; he had to use this Annihilation Bomb to destroy any Abyss traces he left, otherwise, his whole family would die.


    Fortunately, the Divine Light Army¡¯s base was very secluded and remote, and there were no civilian residences nearby.


    The Annihilation Bombs carried by their Combat Robots and Combat Mechas had a yield equivalent only to 120,000 tons of TNT, which presumably wouldn¡¯t result in severe consequences.


    And while Lin Rui was running wildly, holding Lin Yi¡¯s delicate body, eager to get back to his secret base to save Lin Yi, he unexpectedly received a friend request from Jin Tianchen.


    Lin Rui looked puzzled.


    What was Jin Tianchen thinking?


    Didn¡¯t this guy know they were dead set against each other?


    He still thought about adding him as a friend!

 Chapter 488

    ?Chapter 488: Chapter 461: Killing Intent (Please Subscribe) Chapter 488: Chapter 461: Killing Intent (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui originally didn¡¯t want to bother with Jin Tianchen, but the remark he wrote in the friend request was quite intriguing.


    Jin Tianchen: Lin Rui, I currently have 1.25% equity in Jinhao Real Estate Group, as well as three office buildings located in the business center, totaling 32,000 square meters of land and 220,000 square meters of total construction area.


    Additionally, there are more than 100 shops.


    I¡¯m selling it all at a bargain price.


    Lin Rui, are you interested?


    Lin Rui first felt surprised, then understood what was going ona?€¡±Jin Bohao must have perished in defeat, prompting Jin Tianchen to plan his escape.


    The guy was indeed sharp, realizing that his Jin Family was in deep trouble.


    ...


    Lin Rui wondered what Jin Tianchen was thinking to approach him of all peoplea?€¡±a sworn enemya?€¡±to offload his assets.


    After some thought, Lin Rui still added Jin Tianchen as a friend.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I¡¯m currently busy and don¡¯t have time to chat.


    Send me the property information you want to sell and name your price.


    I¡¯ll reply when I¡¯m free.


    Lin Rui figured he might as well get his hands on Jin Tianchen¡¯s properties first and then take care of him once and for all, sending him to his death.


    At that moment, Jin Tianchen was in the 22nd floor of the Jinhao Real Estate Group headquarters, his face deathly pale and his forehead covered in beads of cold sweat.


    Go to novgo.co


    Jin Tianchen was momentarily stunned when he saw Lin Rui accept the request, then filled with regret, thinking to himself that Lin Rui had actually survived.


    He had a hunch that Lin Rui wasn¡¯t so easy to kill, and since Sky Blue Group hadn¡¯t released an obituary, he took a chance and sent the friend request.


    Jin Tianchen: Lin Rui, I can sell all my properties in Ninth Base City to you at a low price, but I want a cash transaction, and you must promise not to hunt me down after the deal is done.


    Jin Tianchen knew Lin Rui wanted to slaughter him.


    That guy had been monitoring his whereabouts all along.


    The intelligence department of Jinhao Real Estate Group had already issued several warnings to him.


    According to the department, Lin Rui not only had several 6S-level tactical teams under him but also controlled a medium-sized Alien Company and even had Seventh Realm Martial Cultivators serving under him.


    His power had become immensely strong.


    Without a doubt, he was currently the most dangerous and deadly enemy.


    Previously, with the protection of the Jinhao Real Estate Group, it had been fine for him to hide inside the building without worrying about his life, but now, with the Jinhao Real Estate Group about to collapse, this enemy became a lethal threat.


    Jin Tianchen had never imagined that the Jin Family would lose in this fleet battle, his uncle Jin Bolong dying on the spot.


    With the death of Jin Bolong, Jin Tianchen realized that both Jinhao Real Estate Group and the entire Jin Family would be devoured by his uncle¡¯s enemies and friends alike!


    These predators would bare their fangs and tear apart all of Jin Bolong¡¯s legacy, especially the Evil Pirate Group and their allies, who had suffered heavy losses because of his uncle.


    They would definitely find ways to compensate for their losses.


    The Linghu Family would not let them go either, as it was said that Linghu Mingde had been notoriously ruthless in his younger years.


    True to form, he had desperately clung to the Jin Family this time, seeking to eradicate them completely to eliminate all potential threats to the Linghu Family¡¯s future.


    Jin Tianchen already sensed the impending doom; soon, nobody in the Jin Family would be able to escape.


    Currently young, Jin Tianchen was inconspicuous within the Jin Family and didn¡¯t have many enemies.


    He figured if he could promptly offload the stocks and assets he had, there might be a chance for him to survive.


    But Lin Rui was a deadly threat; without dispelling his intent to kill, Jin Tianchen could be finished at any moment.


    After sending the message and getting no response for a while, Jin Tianchen gritted his teeth.


    Jin Tianchen: Sixty percent off!


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t want to waste his energy on that.


    Lin Rui¡¯s entire focus was on Lin Yi.


    He went all out to save her, cleansing what needed to be cleansed from her body, purifying what needed purification.


    But when he began dealing with the Abyss Pollution in Lin Yi¡¯s brain, he discovered something small.


    Once he saw it clearly, Lin Rui could hardly control his emotions and nearly fell into a rampage, kicking a large ether imager next to him and rendering the 20 million federal coin valued equipment completely broken.


    At this moment, his rage was beyond measure, and he couldn¡¯t understand where this uncontrollable anger was coming from.


    He should have had no emotional foundation with Lin Yi, this ¡°sister¡± whom he¡¯d only met for the first time and had seen only in videos left by his predecessor.


    Huang Fuqing: It¡¯s a Biological Control Chip, which can be troublesome.


    It seems to even involve the soul domain and is almost integrated with the spirit and body.


    How Zhen Hao managed this, I don¡¯t know.


    It seems he has made substantial progress over these past decade or so.


    Huang Fuqing: What do you plan to do?


    The connection between the chip and the brain is easy to sever, but I can¡¯t quite understand its connection with the soul.


    Removing it directly is very risky and might lead to the complete collapse of her Primordial Spirit.


    Lin Rui closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then quickly collected omnimpotent stem cells from Lin Yi.


    ¡°Lin Xi, go and get the last drop of blood he left!


    Quick!¡±


    At the time, Lin Xi was in the observation room, her eyes red, her heart filled with pain, worry, anger, and a sense of powerlessness.


    Upon hearing his words, she immediately snapped back to reality and rushed out.


    Of the three drops of blood their father had left them, only one remained.


    It was hidden away in the villa above the base, kept in a safe.


    Lin Rui was also discussing with Huang Fuqing: I plan to cultivate an Alien for Lin Yi, preserving her original body in cryogenic storage.


    This seems to be the only option now.


    Removing the Biological Control Chip involves too much risk, and her body is in terrible condition.


    I can¡¯t help her purify to a safe threshold with my current power.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Her internal organs and the Armament also need time for reconfiguration and production.


    Huang Fuqing: Your method is feasible.


    Her soul is riddled with holes and severely corroded by the Abyss Pollution.


    Going to Sky Extreme Star, we might be able to use the Alien method to help her strengthen and cultivate her foundation.


    Lin Rui was thinking exactly that: Academician, you¡¯ll have to operate to cultivate her Alien.


    During the process, I¡¯ll have to fully purify the Abyss Source Material that forms within her Alien.


    As Lin Rui was sending out the message, he received another from Jin Tianchen.


    Jin Tianchen: Forty percent off!


    That¡¯s the lowest I¡¯ll go.


    You should look at these properties, they¡¯re all in the busiest commercial districts.


    Under normal circumstances, the annual rent can reach at least 6 billion federal coins!


    Jin Tianchen: I have complete property titles in hand.


    When I authorized the family trust to manage them, I kept something in reserve to ensure I could take back the properties anytime after reaching adulthood, so you will definitely be able to acquire these properties.

 Chapter 489

    ?Chapter 489: Chapter 462: Sudden Change (Please Subscribe) Chapter 489: Chapter 462: Sudden Change (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui¡¯s mood was terrible, and after reading Jin Tianchen¡¯s reply, it became even worse.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°I can take all your assets for 15 billion federal coins.¡±


    After seeing Lin Rui¡¯s response, Jin Tianchen cursed inwardly.


    What the hell is Lin Rui thinking?


    He wants industries worth over 100 billion federal coins for just 15 billion?


    Why doesn¡¯t he just rob a bank?


    Jin Tianchen thought to himself that even if he were to be slaughtered and buried, he would not cheaply sell these assets to Lin Rui; that would be far too bullying.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°I also have a batch of bank cards from Han¡¯s Bank and Hanlong Bank, with the largest denomination.


    ...


    A total of 100 cards, bearer cards, I can privately supplement you with this money.


    This is my final offer.


    If you are willing, I¡¯ll arrange a lawyer for the transaction, if not, forget it.¡±


    Not willing?


    Hunted to death!


    But Lin Rui was not foolish enough to send a threatening message and leave textual evidence, which would give Jin Tianchen an excuse to reclaim his property in the future.


    Go to novgo.co


    As for those 100 underworld bank cards, they were his black money, which he had never been able to launder or find the opportunity to spend.


    Jin Tianchen¡¯s mood improved slightly, Han¡¯s Bank and Hanlong Bank were the biggest banks in the underworld with profound backgrounds and reliable credit.


    The maximum limit for their anonymous bank cards were one hundred million each.


    At this point, Jin Tianchen no longer cared whether the money he would get was clean or not.


    The advantage of black money is that it is not subject to government regulation, making it more convenient to use.@@@@


    Jin Tianchen: ¡°That¡¯s too little, you need to add at least another 15 billion federal coins.


    Four times the value is already a big win for you, not to mention black money is usually charged at half its value, the laundry service takes a high commission.¡±


    However, there was no response from Lin Rui for a long time.


    Jin Tianchen started considering whether he should look for another buyer to offload his assets?


    Could he rely on the money he had to escape Lin Rui¡¯s pursuit?


    He actually had many potential buyers, Lin Rui was just one of them.


    These were people he believed to have decent integrity, not too unscrupulous, ¡®possibly¡¯ able to provide the money.


    However, their offers were at most half the value.


    There was another rich second generation friend who offered him 80 billion federal coins for acquisition, but Jin Tianchen didn¡¯t dare accept it, knowing there must be a catch.


    In fact, even those offering half price, Jin Tianchen couldn¡¯t trust.


    Just then, Jin Tianchen suddenly felt the ground violently shake, followed by ear-piercing roars of explosions.


    At the same time, a huge shockwave swept across, shattering the glass windows outside completely.


    Jin Tianchen nearly lost his balance.


    After bracing through the shockwave, he went over to the window to take a look.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    The blood drained from Jin Tianchen¡¯s face.


    The headquarters of Jinhao Real Estate Group actually consisted of several buildings and a warehouse complex, the properties split between Alien Company and Jinhao Trading Company, among others.


    Jin Bohao had gathered the headquarters of these core companies together, creating a fort-like defensive ring.


    He even built around these structures a high alloy steel wall, standing 120 meters tall and three meters thick.


    We must take it step by step, we can¡¯t rush this, nor is it possible to.¡±


    Lin Rui was indeed on the verge of exhaustion by now and could hardly carry on.


    At that moment, he received another important message.


    Wang Tianwu and Fei Yunlai had sent a message in the battle group, saying while Lin Yi¡¯s Battle Dragon had calmed down, the base city surrounding it had been cordoned off by the police and the ¡®Anti-Terror Center¡¯ of the Federation Security Bureau.


    And it wasn¡¯t just governmental forces involved; there were several other powerful groups participating.


    From the current situation, it appeared very difficult to get Lin Yi¡¯s Battle Dragon out.


    Lin Yi¡¯s Battle Dragon was very important.


    Like the one belonging to Lin Xi, it was a ¡®Abyss¡¯ weapon manufactured by the Longevity Association.


    Zhen Hao managed to harness some of the weapon¡¯s power by controlling Lin Yi¡¯s threshold of pain.


    That was why Lin Yi had been unbeatable in the Dark World and why she was able to shoot and kill Lin Rui¡¯s clone with a single shot, even under the tight protection of the Sky Blue Group.


    Lin Rui really wanted to get his hands on this Abyss Battle Dragon to study its mysteries and see if he could find a better and more convenient way to prolong life for the sisters Lin Yi and Lin Xi.


    However, now it seemed that it would take some doing.


    Lin Rui also looked at the message from Jin Tianchen, and he couldn¡¯t help but laugh ironically.


    Jin Tianchen was ready to sell if he could, and if not, so be it.


    Lin Rui had no interest in rescuing this scum who had caused the deaths of several people.


    But just then, Zhou Yunfei actually called with a video call.


    Zhou Yunfei was startled by Lin Rui¡¯s unusually pale face and, after repeatedly ensuring that Lin Rui was alright, he got to the matter at hand.


    He spoke of the attack on Jinhao Real Estate Group by the Star Navy Marine Division.


    Zhou Yunfei was furious, swearing on the video: ¡°Fuck their grandmothers, the Star Navy!


    How dare they do this?


    Have they lost their minds?


    That¡¯s a densely populated area of the Base City; they didn¡¯t even conduct an evacuation beforehand.


    Do they want to kill that many people?¡±


    Zhou Yunfei¡¯s tone then shifted: ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s convenient for you right now, Xiao Rui?


    Not only are you the Director of the National Security Special Action Center at the Security Bureau, but also the head of the Special Service Center.


    You might have to step in this time.


    If it¡¯s convenient, you must prevent the Star Navy from obtaining the data of the Jin Family¡¯s Alien Walkers recorded in the Quantum Divine Machine, some people are dreaming of monopolizing it!¡±


    After hearing this, Lin Rui felt a throbbing pain in his head.


    He was already at the end of his tether, and now he had to deal with affairs of the Jinhao Group.


    And at this very moment, Jin Tianchen had sent another message: Lin Rui, I can also introduce you to some business.


    It¡¯s my cousin, and a few others of our kind.


    They have assets of nearly 200 billion, which they can give you at a third of the price.


    Jin Tianchen: In addition, my brother has an electronic ledger left by my uncle, involving many big figures from the political and business circles, even fourteen Congressmen and two current Cabinet Ministers.


    Your Sky Blue Group backing you would definitely be interested in this.


    He also has the identity data of 20,000 Alien Walkers.


    As long as you can cover our escape, all this will be yours.


    A spark of interest finally flickered in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes.


    However, it was clear that Jin Tianchen was desperately groping for solutions.


    How could Lin Rui, merely a University Martial Arts Star, possibly handle so much?


    ¡°`

 Chapter 490

    ?Chapter 490: Chapter 463: Twisted (Please Subscribe) Chapter 490: Chapter 463: Twisted (Please Subscribe) A moment later, Lin Rui rode in an armored command vehicle from the Security Bureau into the west district of Ninth Base City.


    Ahead and behind the armored command vehicle were no fewer than 120 armored explosion-proof vehicles escorting and clearing the way, the convoy also included a full 22 heavy ¡®Battle Dragon maintenance vehicles¡¯ that were 30 meters in length.


    The piercing siren sounded throughout the entire high-speed route, the strobe lights casting beams of red and blue in all directions, causing numerous drivers in the adjacent lanes to instinctively close their eyes or shield them with their hands.


    They then looked on curiously at the massive convoy, speculating about the destination and purpose of this Security Bureau convoy.


    Xue Lingxue sat next to Lin Rui, briefing him, ¡°Zhang Long has already gone ahead, but he¡¯s been stopped by people from the Star Navy and can¡¯t enter.


    In addition, the minister has ordered the mobilization of the Armed Police Force¡¯s 52nd and 53rd Heavy Equipment Divisions, and currently, five Heavy Equipment Group units have entered combat positions and are in a standoff with the Star Navy.


    The problem is that there are still a large number of residents in the vicinity who haven¡¯t been evacuated, which is quite troublesome.


    ...


    It¡¯s estimated to take at least three hours, and that doesn¡¯t include the residents near the Star Navy positions; these people are essentially their hostages.¡±


    As she spoke, she looked at Lin Rui with a worried expression, pondering if little Rui was okay, he looked so weak!


    Then Xue Lingxue¡¯s expression slightly changed, ¡°Mayor Huo Bangguo has signed an executive order granting you full authority to use force, including military force~Hmm?


    He¡¯s also authorized you to use his mayoral guard.


    Let me check their location; the guard has already moved into the west district, and Mayor Huo himself is rushing back from Fifth Base City aboard a starship.


    It will take about 30 more minutes.


    It seems he¡¯s serious this time.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    This time Mayor Huo Bangguo was also quite angered, having just spoken over the phone with ¡®Thunder Admiral¡¯, demanding that the Security Bureau must intervene decisively, ensuring that certain individuals behind the Star Navy¡¯s Ninth Marine Division do not succeed.


    If we can¡¯t push back the Star Navy on this side, we have to find a way to buy time and wait for Huo Bangguo¡¯s return.


    The Mayor promised full support for ¡®Thunder Admiral¡¯ on the video call; both the municipal government and he, personally, would stand as the Admiral¡¯s staunchest support.


    Xue Lingxue originally thought Mayor Huo Bangguo¡¯s words were to be taken lightly, but it turns out the man meant business.


    It seems that the actions of the Star Navy¡¯s Ninth Marine Division have really hit a nerve with him.


    No wonder, with the election around the corner, certain individuals took advantage of Huo Bangguo¡¯s visit to pull such a move a?€¡° the Mayor blowing his top would be no surprise.@@@@


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, was focused on reviewing the situation reports collated from various sources.


    He then raised an eyebrow, noticing a piece of intelligence stating that 72% of the people in Tianzi Street in the west district had been evacuated.


    Also, the placement of the Ninth Marine Division¡¯s positions was quite interesting; he remembered the nearby underground was riddled with spaces illegally dug out by undocumented immigrants.


    Lin Rui nodded, then turned to Zhang Long, ¡°Major General Zhang, I command you to clear out all the obstacles in pipes Z53412 and Z53434 within half a moment¡¯s time that are hindering Battle Dragon¡¯s movement and be ready to blow up this position, waiting for the arrival of our Security Bureau¡¯s main force and the Mayor¡¯s guard squadron!


    Be sure to remain covert during the operation and do not alert the target.¡±


    Zhang Long glanced at the map Lin Rui had sent over, his eyes narrowing slightly, thinking to himself that this man really had guts.


    ¡°Understood, will complete the mission!¡± Saluting as he spoke, Zhang Long couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of admiration welling inside.


    After all, there was a reason why Lin Rui could climb to the position of Commander at the Great Song Spy Detection Bureau in less than six months and even infiltrated the future national leadership ladder of the Great Song.


    ¡°Good,¡± Lin Rui nodded again: ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to hearing good news from all of you.¡±


    He then ended the meeting, cutting off the video connection with the officers.


    At that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s gaze returned to his own hand.


    As Lin Rui exerted a slight force, the piece of spacetime void on his hand began to warp.


    That was clearly the Twisting Concept of the Heavenly Venerate of Agony, nearing a strength of 20%!


    And this wasn¡¯t the limit.


    As Lin Rui recalled the image of that divine being in his mind, the patch of spacetime void in the palm of his hand twisted further.


    Now it was approaching 25%a?€¡±it should be noted that the variety of Conceptual Powers held by Luo Wangshu never exceeded 45%.


    On the one hand, Luo Wangshu feared the Abyss, and on the other, it was difficult for someone of the Ninth Realm to enhance a Conceptual Power above 40%.


    Yet now, Lin Rui was able to exert the Twisting Concept to 25% strength and had not felt any phenomenon of Abyss Pollution or assault.


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui felt that this strength could be further increased, as long as he contemplated upon the Heavenly Venerate of Agony and understood the mysteries represented by his divine body.


    Moreover, an invisible armor formed by the concentration of the Twisting Concept enveloped his body; any attempt to touch his body without his personal consent would trigger this invisible armor.


    The Twisting Concept¡¯s intensity was even higher, reaching an astonishing 30%, it was this invisible armor that had hurt Xue Ying¡¯s fingertips before.


    Was this a gift from that Heavenly Venerate of Agony?


    And for what purpose did this ¡®deceased¡¯ old god lend such aid?


    As Lin Rui was immersed in thought, Xue Lingxue¡¯s voice reached him: ¡°Admiral, we have arrived.¡±


    At this moment, the armored command vehicle they were in was slowing to a halt, and Lin Rui could already hear the thunderous sounds of artillery fire in the distance.

 Chapter 491

    ?Chapter 491: Chapter 464: Beheading (Please Subscribe) Chapter 491: Chapter 464: Beheading (Please Subscribe) ¡°Boss!¡±


    Zhang Long emerged with a large group of people from a temporary command post that had been converted from a shopping mall parking garage.


    He looked at Lin Rui with even greater admiration, ¡°The shelling is still ongoing, and the Ninth Marine Division shows no signs of counterattack.


    Two Heavy Equipment Groups from the Armed Police Force are advancing in sequence, soon to make contact with the enemy¡¯s position.


    Moreover, the resistance from Jinhao Group¡¯s headquarters has noticeably strengthened.¡±


    Lin Rui also saw the Education Director Li Jin, who had brought the Mayor¡¯s trusted aides to rush over.


    They arrived even before the main forces of the Security Bureau.


    Lin Rui had not expected that at this crucial moment, Huo Bangguo would actually send this Education Director to lead the team.


    novgo.co


    ...


    It was known that there were two Emperor Rank experts in the Seventh Realm among the Mayor¡¯s trusted aides.


    This showed how much Li Jin was trusted in Huo Bangguo¡¯s eyes.


    Li Jin was curious about ¡°Thunder¡± too.


    When he greeted Lin Rui, he shook his hand with great force, ¡°Quite the Thunder, so domineering!


    So decisive!


    Go to novgo.co


    With those shells raining down, the Ninth Marine Division is caught in a bind, with no way forward or back.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°I just spoke to the Mayor on the phone, and he¡¯s very pleased saying you have plenty of courage, that he didn¡¯t choose the wrong person.


    The current situation is quite favorable; the big shots are negotiating and cutting deals right now, so there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems.¡±


    Since neither side can flip the table, everyone must sit down again and negotiate how to divide up Jinhao Group.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s gaze towards the other man was focused, ¡°The Mayor hasn¡¯t revoked my authorization, has he?¡±


    Li Jin¡¯s eyes suddenly sharpened, ¡°That hasn¡¯t happened, may I ask what would you like us to do, Admiral?¡±


    Lin Rui added Li Jin as a friend and then sent him a document, ¡°This is our combat plan for later.


    If you¡¯ve got the guts, follow along; if not, just watch from behind and provide us with some restraint.¡±


    After opening the document and taking a look, Li Jin sucked in a breath of cold air and thoughtfully said, ¡°They¡¯re still talking up therea?€¡±¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll talk about whatever they want.¡±


    Lin Rui waved his hand, cutting off Li Jin¡¯s words, ¡°Even though this is a jointly governed Base City by the Federation and East Asia, sovereignty resides with East Asia, which will not tolerate any trifling matters.


    I believe that anyone who dares cause trouble in Ninth Base City must pay the price.


    What do you think, Director Li?¡±


    Li Jin locked eyes with Lin Rui for a moment, and then burst into laughter, ¡°True to Thunder¡¯s reputation!


    I like your style.


    He just so happened to have heard of it; it was the mainstream research direction for human scientists before Mecha Dragon technology matured.


    Its essence is similar to developing Aliens; both involve combining human genes with those from Sky Extreme Star.


    However, what they cultivate is not Alien Walkers, but ¡°Demons¡±.


    In the eyes of the people of Sky Extreme Star, ¡°Demons¡± are essentially humans and dragons; they are deranged dragons.


    The Earth Federation wanted to bypass the obstacle of Dragon Transformation through targeted gene modulation technology, creating Demons tailored to an individual¡¯s genes while guiding these Demons to develop toward being Battle Dragons.


    Zhang Long: But as far as I know, this technology has a lot of flaws, doesn¡¯t it?


    First, Spirit and Body Integration is an issue, and it would cause the Dragon¡¯s genetic prototype to undergo a significant mental burden.


    The key point is that such Dragons are basically uncontrollable.


    a?€¡±a?€¡±These are just a few of the most significant problems with this technology; there are more than a dozen other fatal flaws, which eventually led to this technological approach being abandoned by the Federation¡¯s biological scientists.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): I¡¯m not clear about that, but didn¡¯t the director establish a biological research laboratory before?


    He spent a lot of money and brought together several top scientific research experts, including one candidate for Academician.


    They have already developed strong capabilities in biological technology.


    They seem to be able to allow the director to temporarily control such a Dragon.


    As for the mental burden you mentioned, I don¡¯t think it should be a problem for the director, though I don¡¯t know the specifics.


    Zhang Long thought to himself that the director¡¯s mental state was indeed a problem!


    a?€¡±a?€¡±He¡¯s insane!


    While the frequency of the Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯s offenses had decreased significantly, Zhang Long knew that the guy had actually turned to killing openly and legitimately!


    Now, in every major operation of the Special Service Center and the National Security Special Action Center, Thunder Admiral was always fighting on the frontlines!


    Many of the folks in both centers admired Thunder Admiral greatly, considering him upright, a stalwart hater of evil, wise and resolute, leading by example a?€¡° truly a rare good superior officer.


    Only Zhang Long knew the truth; the two strongest law enforcement departments of the Ninth Division of the Federation Security Bureau were already shrouded under the dark hand of the Children¡¯s Song Killer.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Long started to feel expectant again; what exactly was Lin Rui¡¯s Dragon like?


    Artificially cultivated Demon Dragons can¡¯t be that strong, right?


    I hope it doesn¡¯t backfire.


    Zhang Long then shook his head and sent a message in the group: All personnel, are you all equipped?


    Those who are ready report a 1 in the group; those not ready, hurry up, we only have two minutes left.


    Shortly thereafter, Zhang Long and Li Jin both turned their attention to Lin Rui.


    The Security Bureau and the Mayor¡¯s trusted aide squad, two elite forces, were simultaneously ready for action.


    ¡°Decapitation operation begins!


    Targeta?€¡±a?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui looked towards the direction of Jinhao Group headquarters: ¡°Target Star Navy Ninth Division Division Headquarters!¡±


    Right after he ordered, a total of 30 Type 7 Combat Fighters, 60 heavy armored vehicles, 120 Type 5 Combat Mechas, 68 individuals wearing powerful Exoskeleton Armor for Dragon Transformation, and 68 Dragon setup trucks orderly entered the Z53412 tunnel.

 Chapter 492

    ?Chapter 492: Chapter 465: He Has a Dragon (Please Subscribe) Chapter 492: Chapter 465: He Has a Dragon (Please Subscribe) The commander of the Ninth Marine Division was named Changsi Davis, a middle-aged military man in his forties with short flaxen hair, a full beard, and an air of masculinity.


    As Lin Rui led the main force of the Security Bureau and the mayor¡¯s trusted aide squad into the underground tunnel, this Armored General was on a video call with a certain Four-star Marshal.


    ¡°Marshal, I understand, and I¡¯ll use every means at my disposal to maintain the current situation!


    The Ninth Marine Division will hold our position and, if necessary, will not hesitate to use force!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll keep the conflict contained, limiting it to light weapons and cold weapons under a 40 mm caliber, ensuring that the situation does not escalate.¡±


    ¡°However, Marshal!


    I still feel that our response is too soft.


    Their artillery barrage has crippled our five main battalions that were advancing on the Jinhao Group headquarters, resulting in at least 700 casualties.


    Additionally, 12 Mecha Dragons and 12 model-7 combat robots have been damaged.


    ...


    Damn it!


    They¡¯ve brought in over 420 artillery pieces of various calibers from the surroundings for fire coverage and fired an entire ammunition base worth of highly lethal High Explosive Neutron Bombs.¡±


    ¡°Yes!


    Considering that the Security Bureau might react even more aggressively, I hope the Star Navy can dispatch two more divisions and twelve fire support gunboats to reinforce us as soon as possiblea?€¡±we can¡¯t lose in terms of momentuma?€¡±¡±


    ¡°Marshal, the morale of the various units of the Ninth Division is very unstable right now; we¡¯ve suffered heavy losses and yet cannot retaliatea?€¡±Marshal!


    Go to novgo.co


    We acted on a formal order from above.


    We¡¯re not rebels.¡±


    When the call ended, this Star Navy Armored General, full of fury, scratched his head.


    ¡°Damn!


    Damn the Security Bureau, damn Thundera?€¡±¡±


    His stomach full of rage with nowhere to vent, he suddenly kicked the military desk in front of him, turning the desk and all the equipment on it to smithereens.


    At this time, the Ninth Marine Division¡¯s Chief of Staff, Mu Shaoling, was sitting opposite him, holding a cup of coffee.


    He watched the well-maintained desk in front of him turn to smithereens, drifting about in the air, yet he sat calmly in his seat, not moving an inch.


    However, not a single speck of the wooden dust managed to come close to his body.


    At this point, Changsi Davis tried to calm himself and sat down in his office chair.


    ¡°Mu, you really shouldn¡¯t have advised me.


    Perhaps an immediate counterattack would have been the best choice.


    It¡¯s more manly.


    Do you know what the soldiers are saying about us in their group?


    They¡¯re calling us cowards.


    So many people from the Ninth Division have died, and yet we dare not fight back.¡±


    Mu Shaoling pinched his coffee cup and snorted with laughter, ¡°Counterattack?


    They used some privately constructed databases of certain institutions.


    However, the Military Intelligence Bureau doesn¡¯t have any evidence and is still observing, collecting information on these two individualsa?€¡±¡±


    Mu Shaoling¡¯s words had barely faded when his expression subtly changed.


    His pupils dilated, his eyes filled with terror, ¡°What a Thunder, I underestimated him.¡±


    Changsi Davis¡¯s reaction came even before Mu Shaoling¡¯s; he notified the group in the Division Headquarters combat team instantly, ¡°Enemy attack!


    Watch out for the blast below!¡±


    It was in that instant that the ground boomed, dust and smoke billowed upwards, shockwaves surged, and a large area of land around the entire perimeter of the Ninth Division Headquarters collapsed.


    Changsi Davis and Mu Shaoling had both sensed the explosion coming through telepathy and had already been floating in the air a step ahead, even maneuvering their Mecha Dragons to take off from their readiness vehicles.


    However, the surrounding buildings, and all the staff and the direct-command guards of the Division Headquarters, collapsed with the ground, falling into a huge pit six meters deep.


    ¡°Damn it!


    There¡¯s an illegal immigrants¡¯ Lower Zone dug out underneath.¡±


    Mu Shaoling¡¯s scalp tingled with anxiety, realizing there had been a serious oversight in his work.


    When selecting the location for their Division Headquarters, they were only concerned with the command convenience, and the surrounding buildings were very sturdy, capable of resisting bombardment from heavy artillerya?€¡±yet they had failed to consider such a fatal flaw in the Lower Zone.


    The military¡¯s public maps they were using did not record this Lower Zone space.


    As the situation on the ground slightly stabilized, and the soldiers of the Ninth Marine Division buried under the soil layer, whether activating their magnetically levitated armored military vehicles or digging out by hand, struggled to break free from the mud and rocks, the two men saw a huge pipe exposed by the collapse, suddenly spewing out intense flames.


    Mu Shaoling recognized it as the Z53412 pipeline, 65 meters below to the left of their headquarters, a traffic conduit of the Lower Zone.


    This pipe, originally buried deep underground, should¡¯ve been around 70 meters away from the core area of their Division Headquarters, but with the enemy¡¯s extensive blasting and underground collapse, it had now become a broad avenue for the enemy to launch their assault.


    ¡°Beasts!¡±


    Changsi Davis, seeing his soldiers and tank units half-buried and being blown up one after another by the flames spraying out of that pipe, his eyes rounded in fury, near splitting with rage.


    He once again called for reinforcements from the many Dragon Stage experts in the vicinity, while he himself dove down quickly, bringing with him his Battle Dragon and the already assembled guard squad, to the front of the Z53412 pipeline.


    The sight inside the pipe made Changsi Davis¡¯s scalp go numb; he saw over sixty Mecha Dragons and nearly two hundred combat robots and Armored Warriors in their exoskeleton armor.


    a?€¡±It was clearly a well-planned assassination attempt.


    Changsi Davis then set his gaze on a figure in the formation, wearing the ¡®Wisdom Dragon¡¯ Model 8 Exoskeleton Armor, their face covered by a face mask.


    a?€¡±That was none other than Thunder Admiral!


    Changsi Davis¡¯s pupils dilated, and without hesitation, he pounced toward the Thunder Admiral, his Seventh Realm Super Emperor Battle Dragon following close behind.


    In a blink, man and dragon passed through the wall of enemy fire to appear before Thunder.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    The Security Bureau had underestimated his strength!


    This assassination attempt targeting him would surely become this Lin Rui¡¯s grave!


    Just when Changsi Davis, brimming with boundless killing intent, was about to bring his blade down, Lin Rui also narrowed his eyes.


    In that instant, a giant figure, standing 24 meters tall, appeared behind him!


    a?€¡±That was his Emperor Hao Shenlong!

 Chapter 493

    ?Chapter 493: Chapter 466: The Director¡¯s Dragon (Please Subscribe) Chapter 493: Chapter 466: The Director¡¯s Dragon (Please Subscribe) ¡°Boom!¡±


    With that massive tremor, huge shockwaves surged at the pipe¡¯s exit.


    Both gigantic Battle Dragons slid backward simultaneously after striking each other with full force.


    Their first collision ended in a stalemate.


    Huang Fuqing diligently followed Lin Rui¡¯s orders, unleashing only power at the 6SSS level, while his opponent was of the Seventh Realm Super Emperor rank, also known as 7SS+!


    However, this did not mean his strength was at a disadvantage.


    After all, aside from realm and bloodline, the application of martial arts was crucial, even more so.


    Even a large company with billions in wealth could be defeated by a smaller company if tactics were poorly employed in business warfare.


    ...


    In ancient wars, there were countless examples of victories against greater numbers.


    The same applied to martial arts; a martial cultivator¡¯s ability to exert their strength, speed, True Yuan, divine thought, bloodline, and the like all depended on their martial arts accomplishment.


    And Huang Fuqing¡¯s martial arts rating was at 7SSS!


    He only skidded back four steps before regrouping, his body charging like lightning and thunder towards the still-retreating Battle Dragon.


    At that moment, within the Security Bureau¡¯s temporary battle group, a buzz filled the air.


    a?€¡± Holy shit!


    Go to novgo.co


    Is this the Director¡¯s Battle Dragon?


    So strong!


    a?€¡± 6SSS!


    Likely even 6SSS+!


    a?€¡± Why is it so high?


    novgo.co


    24 meters, that¡¯s close to the height of an Eighth Realm Battle Dragon.


    a?€¡± It must be because of the full-body armor, the ¡®Venerable Dragon¡¯ Type Eight Battle Dragon full-cover heavy battle armor.


    Our boss really has the funds.


    a?€¡± Can¡¯t see its appearance, wonder what type it is?


    The Director really...


    In actual combat, full-cover battle armor isn¡¯t that effective.


    Instead of spending money on this, it¡¯d be better to equip a half-body armor and a couple of stronger armaments.


    a?€¡± Bullshit!


    This is the full-cover heavy battle armor; can its defense even compare to half-body armor?


    If I had the money, I¡¯d get a full set, no question.


    Because members of the Mayor¡¯s trusted aide squad were also pulled into this temporary battle group, they joined the heated discussion.


    But it wasn¡¯t long before Li Jin exploded in the group: Shut up!


    Is now the time for this?


    ¡°Coward!¡± Changxi Davis, red-eyed, glared at Thunder, ¡°Fight me one-on-one if you dare!¡±


    Lin Rui thought, with so many subordinates under my command, why would I be so foolish as to engage in single combat with you?


    At this moment, Li Jin had already, with help from his companions, slain a Seventh Realm Emperor Rank expert from the ninth Division, and he sent a message inquiring with Thunder.


    Li Jin: Director Thunder, do you need help?


    Thunder: No need, he¡¯s as good as dead.


    That Chief Strategist Mu Shaoling outside might try to escape, pay attention.


    Zhang Long can¡¯t stop him.


    Changxi Davis also felt that the situation was dire.


    He had sensed that Thunder had been building momentum all along, but the buildup wasn¡¯t in his twin blades, but rather in the handgun at Thunder¡¯s waista?€¡±the 20mm caliber ¡®Dragon Buster¡¯ Type 8 kinetic energy sniper pistol.


    He sensed extreme danger, realizing that the moment Thunder Admiral drew his gun, his life would probably be over.


    So, when Thunder Admiral executed thirteen consecutive slashes with a six-yard long Blade Astral, forcing Changxi Davis to retreat, he did not hesitate to use his last life-saving ability.


    That was a Seventh Realm Super Emperor Secret Technique called ¡®Void Dragon¡¯s Leap¡¯, combined with the SSS+ ability ¡®Void Heavenly Dragon.¡¯


    This was why Changxi Davis dared to enter the enemy¡¯s army ranks alone, aiming to assassinate Thunder with a reverse strike!


    He was capable of using this ability to teleport 1000 meters away instantaneously.


    Until today, Changxi Davis had never used this Secret Technique in front of anyone; he believed that people from the Security Bureau were absolutely unaware of it.


    Indeed, as soon as Changxi Davis used this Secret Technique, he saw astonishment and shock on the faces of several Dragon Transformation experts around him.


    Even Thunder¡¯s gaze slightly contracted.


    Nevertheless, Thunder still raised the 80cm-long sniper pistol in his hand.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    With the gunshot, the bullet, carrying violent Thunder and dazzling Light Fire, and laden with the Concept of ¡®Fated Death¡¯ as the foremost of many powerful concepts, roared towards Changxi Davis.


    Changxi Davis smiled contemptuously, thinking it was too late.


    His Escape Skill had been activated, and that guy¡¯s bullet could never catch up.


    This guy¡¯s Concept was strong; that ¡®Fated Death¡¯ had clearly reached 16%.


    But it still wasn¡¯t enough to determine the destiny of a Seventh Realm Super Emperor like him.


    However, at that moment, he sensed a slight distortion in the surrounding Void Time Order.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Davis found he hadn¡¯t teleported through the void and was still standing still.


    Davis realized in an instant that this must be a powerful Conceptual Power, which had disrupted his Bloodline Ability.


    But what exactly was this Concept?


    Strong enough to suppress him, a Seventh Realm Super Emperor?


    At that moment, Davis¡¯s head exploded with a ¡®bang¡¯, his brains and blood splattering everywhere.


    Nearby, Li Jin and Zhang Long also turned back in surprise.


    They had thought Davis would surely escape, but just now, they sensed an extremely powerful presence.


    As they turned their heads, they saw that bullet from the Thunder Admiral had blown Davis¡¯s entire head into a bloody mist.

 Chapter 494

    ?Chapter 494: Chapter 467: Raising the Stakes (Three More for Subscription) Chapter 494: Chapter 467: Raising the Stakes (Three More for Subscription) The battle in the pit ended in just 47 seconds, and Mu Shaoling couldn¡¯t escape.


    This person¡¯s strength was close to the Super Emperor of the Seventh Realm, only slightly inferior to Changsi Davis.


    However, when Li Jin and Zhang Long joined forces, Mu Shaoling couldn¡¯t hold on for more than 5 seconds.


    Due to Zhang Long¡¯s recent achievements and the continuous honors, he gained many good things through the honor system within the Security Bureau, with an overall combat strength of 6SS+, which is equivalent to the Super Emperor of the Sixth Realm; Li Jin was an Emperor of the Sixth Realm.


    With the two of them teaming up, plus the fire support from other Dragon Transformation experts and the threatening containment by the Thunder Admiral on the flanks, Mu Shaoling was overwhelmed.


    Although he desperately tried to escape, he was unsuccessful and died under Li Jin¡¯s sword.


    With his death, the guard battalion of the Ninth Division¡¯s Division Headquarters, trapped in the pit, lost their will to resist, and under the military suppression from the Security Bureau¡¯s side, they surrendered en masse.


    ...


    While some tried to fight desperately, the vast majority were buried underneath the soil, struggling to even climb out, let alone resist.


    Most of them were subdued as they were dug out, with plenty of Electromagnetic Suppression Nails driven into their bodies, tying them up tightly so they couldn¡¯t move.


    After resolving the battle, Li Jin quickly directed everyone to set up defenses.


    Although Xue Lingxue had already established a plan for subsequent operations in the combat scheme, it pales compared to Li Jin¡¯s professional expertise.


    He was a regimental-level commander from the special forces Heavenly Soldiers Brigade who had retired, and throughout his short military career of just over a decade, he quelled rebellions, fought pirates, and even battled with the people of Sky Extreme Star, defeating demons.


    He was rich in all aspects of combat experience.


    Moreover, Li Jin could adapt on the spot, making him far more precise than Xue Lingxue¡¯s theoretical planning.


    Go to novgo.co


    His fire layout kept those several Martial Cultivators of the Eighth Realm at bay, preventing them from approaching within 300 meters.


    In fact, these cultivators didn¡¯t dare to get close.


    Although the Security Bureau side didn¡¯t have any experts of the Eighth Realm, they had a total of 68 Dragon Transformation Martial Artists, all elite-level and extremely powerful.


    And these few Super Kings of the Eighth Realm were not much stronger than the twoa?€¡±Changsi Davis and Mu Shaolinga?€¡±in aspects other than strength and lifespan.


    Soon after, a Heavy Equipment Group from the Armed Police Force also charged in through pipeline Z53412, creating a surrounding situation that combined interior and exterior attacks.


    Lin Rui ordered Xue Lingxue to, on one hand, block and disrupt various communication methods around them, and on the other hand, dispatch people to use high-powered loudspeakers to persuade surrender.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen of the Star Navy, the rebels who have deceived youa?€¡±Changsi Davis and Mu Shaolinga?€¡±have been punished by the Security Bureau according to the law.


    Please lay down your weapons and surrender.


    The Thunder Admiral, on behalf of the Security Bureau, promises not to kill those who surrender their arms and also ensures that the responsibilities of the lower-ranking officers and soldiers will not be pursued after the fact!¡±


    ¡°Please be mindful of the situation, you are surrounded!


    You are surrounded!


    You have only 30 minutes to consider, and after 30 minutes, we will launch another attack.


    At that time, those who dare to resist will be punished without mercy!¡±


    At this moment, Lin Rui was standing next to a broken hole in a building, sipping the black tea brewed by Xue Lingxue, while watching the position of the 9th Division in front.


    In fact, his attention was divided, observing the reaction of the remnants of the Ninth Division on one hand, and on the other, he was checking his sister Lin Yi¡¯s condition through a remote network connection.


    If they refuse to surrender, then I have no choice but to keep surrounding them, waiting for the results of the negotiations above.¡±


    Lin Rui continued to drink his black tea: ¡°However, regardless, this is undoubtedly an attempted military coup, even a rebellion.


    The Star Navy¡¯s Ninth Marine Division is finished, and the instigators must pay the price.¡±


    Li Jin suddenly realized the significance of Thunder Admiral¡¯s risk in taking down Division Headquarters of the Ninth Divisiona?€¡±it was to facilitate the East Asia side in defining the nature of this incident.


    Now that he had achieved his goal, he immediately changed tactics, prioritizing the safety of the Base City citizens as the top priority.


    No wonder Mayor Huo admired him so much.


    novgo.co


    Watching Thunder handle this situation with various measuresa?€¡±being rigid when necessary, flexible when appropriatea?€¡±it was indeed a blend of strength and pliability, truly a talent capable of supporting the heavens and bridging the seas with golden beams.


    At that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows lifted: ¡°Look!


    The Star Navy¡¯s 0934 Heavy Equipment Group, they have surrendered!


    Excellent, those who recognize the times are outstanding.¡±


    Li Jin also saw it.


    On the position of the 0934 Heavy Equipment Group, white flags were being raised en masse.


    This Heavy Equipment Group was indeed the main force of the Ninth Marine Division.


    And just five minutes earlier, in the Ninth Base City¡¯s Urban Star Port, a cruiser carrying Huo Bangguo slowly docked at the shore.


    Inside the Mayor¡¯s cabin on the cruiser, where Huo Bangguo was holding a meeting with over twenty Congressional Honorary Members and top Federation businessmen, he finally received the message from Li Jin.


    ¡°Dammit, Li Jin!¡±


    In his heart, Huo Bangguo cursed, thinking this fellow had the audacity of the heavens, reporting to him only after the decapitation strike was over.


    Immediately after, Huo Bangguo couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration: ¡°What a Thunder, truly the skill of a General!¡±


    He looked up at the people in the video, noticing several Congressional Honorary Members on the other end with very ugly expressions on their faces.


    Huo Bangguo smiled, then in front of everyone, he dragged the previously agreed electronic proposal into the trash and smashed it.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, regarding the disposition plan for Jinhao Real Estate Group, I think we should negotiate again.¡±


    Meanwhile, in the First Base City, Xu Mengran, the Political Commissar of the East Asia National Security Bureau, was reporting to a thin and frail old man in the video.


    The thin and frail old man listened to Xu Mengran¡¯s words while flipping through the intelligence Xu Mengran had sent him.


    ¡°Old Xu, you¡¯ve made the right call, this is a good kid.


    Whether it¡¯s talent or ability, this generation¡¯s youth is unmatched!


    Especially with this incident in Ninth Base City, he handled it very well, taking down the Star Navy¡¯s Ninth Marine Division Headquarters, and killing Changxi Davis, making it easier for us to deal with it,¡± the frail old man smiled slightly, his eyes full of approval.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, we can¡¯t condone the actions of the Ninth Marine Division!


    Otherwise, if there¡¯s a first time, there¡¯ll be a second time, and the East Asia Republic will not tolerate any provocations that endanger the public safety of Ninth Base City,¡± he told Xu Mengran.


    ¡°From now on, we must increase support for this young man!


    I have a feeling he might be the hope for all of us.¡±

 Chapter 495

    ?Chapter 495: Chapter 468: The Gift (Please Subscribe) Chapter 495: Chapter 468: The Gift (Please Subscribe) Five days later, inside a coffee shop in the Lower Zone, Area Z.


    Lin Rui, arms crossed, watched expressionlessly as the two young men opposite him signed the contract.


    One of them was naturally Jin Tianchen, and the other was Jin Tianchen¡¯s cousin, the second son of Jin Bohao, Jin Baiyang.


    The two were selling to him eight office buildings located in the city center and the main business district, totaling 1.58 million square meters, as well as 676 shops and shopping malls, totaling 370,000 square meters.


    The market value of these properties reached 291.3 billion federal coins, but they were now selling them all to Lin Rui for 40 billion.


    In addition, Lin Rui had to provide a further 30 billion in black money to the two brothers.


    In fact, this deal should have been completed a few days ago, but Lin Rui had been too busy at the time.


    ...


    The impact of the Jinhao Real Estate Group incident was indeed vast, involving the Ninth Marine Division of the Star Navy, which made the situation incredibly complex afterward.


    Lin Rui stayed in the office building of the National Security Special Action Center for a full four days, dealing with various complicated official duties and taking care of his own Alien Body, performing purification on the embryo of Lin Yi¡¯s Alien Body, so much so that he didn¡¯t even have time for meals these days.@@@@


    It wasn¡¯t until today that he¡¯d found the time to sign the contract with the Jin brothers.


    In fact, there were still many loose ends in the Security Bureau, but the remaining parts no longer required his personal appearance.


    It must be mentioned that he had been assigned several female secretaries with seemingly deep backgrounds.


    Lin Rui still couldn¡¯t figure out the origins of two of them, but their capabilities were impressive, competent secretaries indeed.


    They were also planning to sell their shares in Jinhao Real Estate Group and Jinhao Trading Company, holding 3.25% in the real estate group and 3.12% in the trading company.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui had no interest in the shares of these two companies and didn¡¯t dare to get involved in the disputes among the big players.


    He had asked Fang Ranran, and Ranran turned out to be very interested, following along and spending 22 billion federal coins to buy the shares from the two men.


    Don¡¯t look at the current state of these two listed companies of the Jin family; they¡¯ve plummeted like dogs, but in fact, their finances were healthy and their debt-to-asset ratios were low.


    The only debt that could pressure the two companies was a joint convertible bond loan of 200 billion federal coins they had borrowed from the East Pacific Development Bank.


    a?€¡± It was after meeting with Fang Ranran that Lin Rui learned that this 200 billion federal coins had been bought by Linghu Mingde.


    According to the loan contract signed by the East Pacific Development Bank, this convertible bond could be exchanged for shares of the two companies at the current market price.


    And the shares in the hands of Jin Tianchen and Jin Baiyang would help the Sky Fox Group increase its chips and vie for the many industries under the two listed companies.


    The two quickly signed both the electronic and paper versions of the contract and handed them back to Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui carefully flipped through the contracts, checking each term, hoping there wouldn¡¯t be any oversights.


    These two bastards were not ones to give peace of mind; to buy these things from them, Lin Rui had to borrow 15 billion from the banks.


    He was really short on cash and had to borrow a low-interest loan of 15 billion federal coins from several banks.


    Lin Rui then sought affirmation from Attorney Kang Mingkai of the Purple Gold Flower Law Firm with a glance.


    The latter was already a senior partner of the law firm, and this time he brought a whole team to assist Lin Rui with the signing.


    Soon after, Kang Mingkai nodded to Lin Rui and Fang Ranran, ¡°There are no issues with the contract.


    The Housing Authority has already started the property transfer process; Mr.


    Lin should have received the notification.¡±


    Ever since being targeted by a clone of his sister Lin Yi, Lin Rui now traveled in this 30-meter-long official vehicle.


    The vehicle not only had spacious interiors like a small yacht, but its defense capabilities were also equivalent to the light magnetically levitated tanks used by the military.


    Once Lin Rui sat down, he instructed Gong Hengdao, ¡°Keep people watching them at all times, always aware of their whereabouts.


    Also, have Lin Guangming be vigilant; don¡¯t let anyone find them.¡±


    Fang Ranran chuckled at his words, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so abiding, Xiao Rui.


    I thought you would have them killed as soon as you got out.¡±


    Lin Rui sneered to himself, thinking that he had indeed promised not to kill these two, but there were countless people who now wanted the assets and Alien Company data in their hands.


    But now was not the time, he thought.


    How could Jian Baiyang not have backups in his possession?


    Letting word out now would just lead more people to the information Jian Baiyang had.


    The time to deal with the two would come only after he had fully digested what he now had in his hands.


    ¡°Whether I abide by the rules depends on the situation.


    Killing them now would only bring trouble to me,¡± he said, as he sent some files to Fang Ranran, ¡°Take a look at these ledgers.


    If the Jin brothers died by my hand today, what would the Congressional Honorary Members think?¡±


    Fang Ranran thought that her junior was indeed clever.


    If she killed Jin Baiyang and Jin Tianchen now, the big shots in the Congress would only approach her for the possessions in Jian Baiyang¡¯s hands.


    She browsed through the files and pondered that these must indeed be the ledgers left by Jin Bolong.


    Fang Ranran raised her head and looked at Lin Rui oddly, ¡°This is what you worked hard to obtain, why are you giving it to me?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui casually smiled, ¡°Aren¡¯t we natural allies?


    These things can hardly be of use in my hands.


    In yours, however, their potential can be maximized.¡±


    Her expression grew solemn as Fang Ranran nodded, ¡°Lin Rui, as long as you don¡¯t betray me in the future, I can guarantee that I will be your most loyal and dependable friend.


    All the political resources I get from using these things will be shared with you.¡±


    She then gestured to her attendants in the back: ¡°Actually, my father-in-law also sent a gift for you.¡±


    The attendants, security personnel from the Linghu Family, promptly moved a fully enclosed Sleeping Cabin in front of Lin Rui.


    ¡°A gift?¡± Lin Rui¡¯s expression filled with curiosity.


    He had always found it strange that Fang Ranran brought the Sleeping Cabin with her today.


    The sight of the guards carrying it made him wonder what she meant by that.


    When Fang Ranran opened the Sleeping Cabin, Lin Rui¡¯s gaze instantly sharpened, ¡°Is this really what the old man is giving me?


    Are you sure?¡±


    If this really was a gift for him, then it was indeed a grand gesture.

 Chapter 496

    ?Chapter 496: Chapter 469: Newcomer (Please Subscribe) Chapter 496: Chapter 469: Newcomer (Please Subscribe) ¡°This is Jin Bolong¡¯s braintrust, the independent director of Jinhao Real Estate Group, Lu Hanyuan.¡±


    Fang Ranran looked at Lu Hanyuan, who was sleeping in the Sleeping Cabin, with a contemplative expression in her eyes.


    ¡°My father-in-law captured this man on the battlefield and said the Linghu Family definitely couldn¡¯t make him serve wholeheartedly.


    But he believed you could, Lin Rui.


    He said this was his chance and good fortune.¡±


    But why did Linghu Mingde value Lin Rui so much?


    novgo.co


    To help Lin Rui gain control of this man, he went to such great lengths!


    Moreover, she didn¡¯t think it would work outa?€¡±Lu Hanyuan wouldn¡¯t serve the Linghu Family wholeheartedly, and definitely not Lin Rui.


    ...


    In the future, Lin Rui could at most use this man as a bodyguard.


    While watching, Fang Ranran took out a Life Tie Book made of jade and gold and handed it to Lin Rui, ¡°This is a ¡®Life Tie Book¡¯ created by a Ninth Realm Emperor mage at my grandfather¡¯s request.


    It binds Lu Hanyuan¡¯s life to this book.


    Furthermore, Lu Hanyuan¡¯s Mecha Dragon and his family are also in my grandfather¡¯s hands.


    You can take over from here and see how you want to arrange for them.¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°Old sir is thoughtful indeed!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s eyes lit up with surprise as he took the book from Fang Ranran¡¯s hands, ¡°Ranran, you must thank Elder Linghu for me.¡±


    He thought this Lu Hanyuan was definitely worth Linghu Mingde¡¯s medical fees.


    This man was of Eighth Realms Emperor Rank, very strong in combat, and played a significant role during Jin Bolong¡¯s rise.


    The trading company under Jin Bolong, in its early days, was managed single-handedly by Lu Hanyuan, who later, whenJinhao trading company was gaining momentum, was transferred to Jinhao Real Estate Group to oversee financial supervision and management.


    It is said that he is very skilled in capital operations and has deep connections in the financial sector.


    The ships of Jinhao trading company in the early years were all built low-interest fronted by the bank, due to the cooperation Lu Hanyuan established with shipyards and banks.


    During his time as the independent director of Jinhao Real Estate Group, he also helped Jin Bolong complete several key asset acquisitions.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s face turned slightly red.


    She remembered a phrase Linghu Mingde told her before coming, ¡°If Xiao Rui likes this gift, have him take you to a movie or go shopping with you, that¡¯ll be the old man¡¯s return gift.¡±


    Fang Ranran thought to herself, her grandpa must be crazy.


    What was he thinking?


    As if she couldn¡¯t get married.


    She shook her head and looked at Lu Hanyuan, who kept his eyes shut inside the Sleeping Cabin, ¡°Mr.


    Lu, I know you are awake.


    This is your new employer, the owner of your ¡®Life Tie Book.¡¯ Shouldn¡¯t you say something?¡±


    Lu Hanyuan indeed was awake, the effects of the anesthetic had worn off half an hour earlier.


    He sighed softly upon hearing this and looked at Lin Rui with complex thoughts.


    Is this the person he must serve from now on?


    Lu Hanyuan was aware of this Lin Rui due to the matters concerning Jin Tianchen; the Jinhao Group had investigated this young man¡¯s background and affiliations.


    He was a young man with almost no background, yet with great potential and talent; he had also made some money in the futures market, but his foundations were still too weak.


    In an era where the strong thrive and social wealth is monopolized by the Congressional Honorary Members, it won¡¯t be easy for Lin Rui to make a name for himself.


    Even if he had gained the favor of Linghu Mingde and had an ambiguous relationship with Fang Ranran, Lu Hanyuan still wasn¡¯t optimistic.


    Nonetheless, he could prepare carefully next time they were both free and invite Fang Ranran out to apologize.


    But recently, he really wasn¡¯t in the mood.


    He shook his head, ¡°Let¡¯s go back now!¡±


    After a short while, Lin Rui¡¯s convoy returned to the expansive Lin Family mansion.


    The grounds of his large villa had expanded to 20,000 square meters, and correspondingly, its underground space had also been greatly expanded.


    By this time, Lu Hanyuan had already changed his clothes and was following Lin Rui into his secret base.


    He walked beside Lin Rui, examining the complex and vast underground facility with stringent defense systems, his face expressionless.


    Back at Jin Family Manor¡¯s underground, there was also a secret underground base, one even more colossal and secure.


    After a short while, Lin Rui led Lu Hanyuan to the bottom layer of the base where the armament maintenance warehouse was located.


    He was here to find a girl named Hidden Moon, also known as Lin Yi¡¯s assassin partner ¡®Dark Moon¡¯, the girl they had taken from the Divine Light Army base.


    Lin Rui had been busy these last few days and hadn¡¯t had the chance to check on this girl, but now he needed to personally come and discuss her future plans.


    As the doors of the armament warehouse opened, Lu Hanyuan¡¯s pupils abruptly contracted.


    Inside this approximately 5,000 square meter maintenance warehouse, there were 8 units of Red Spider Type 7, 4 units of Dragon Slayer Type 7, along with 36 units of Red Spider Type 6, and 12 units of Dragon Slayer Type 6.


    Nearly half of the combat robots had visibly been enhanced and remodeled using the rune technology of Sky Extreme Star, covered with enigmatic and divine runes on their surfaces; all of the combat robots were enveloped in a dim golden spiritual glow.


    Lu Hanyuan was secretly startled; those modified combat robots had clearly undergone SS-level rune enhancement!


    The mechanical power under Mr.


    Lin¡¯s command, was it really so strong?


    Lu Hanyuan also noticed two young girls sitting on a combat robot, hammering and carving with chisels, one of them was Lin Rui¡¯s sister, Lin Xi; the other had a round face and a plump figure, both meticulously carving runes on the robot¡¯s internal components.


    In addition, there were dozens of agile mechanical arms assisting them.


    There was also a handsome, high-nosed middle-aged man standing nearby, working on engraving arrays on an armor plate.


    Lu Hanyuan recognized this persona?€¡±he was called Wang Tianwu, a follower of Ling Huan, a very powerful mage and illusionist who was probably recently employed by Lin Rui as his bodyguard.


    It was still unknown whether this was a short-term or long-term contract.


    Jinhao Group¡¯s Intelligence Division analyzed that the former was more likely since this man was famously averse to constraints and liked working solo.


    Wang Tianwu also squinted his eyes and glanced back at Lu Hanyuan.


    His eyes contained deep hostility.


    Just now, in the group chat, Gong Hengdao mentioned this new colleague, and Wang Tianwu immediately realized that his biggest rival in the workplace had arrived.


    a?€¡±This person¡¯s cultivation and bloodline were Eighth Realm Emperor, and he had very rich management and business experience.


    Wang Tianwu was pondering how to secure a management position under his own small Abyss Boss, especially since it seemed from the situation at the secret base of the Divine Light Army that his boss¡¯s future was quite promising.


    Then came Lu Hanyuana?€¡±


    Wang Tianwu realized he could no longer delay and had to make a choice, he looked up and said, ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve arrived, I was just looking for you about my employment contract issues.


    I¡¯d like to change it to take stock options like Fei Yunlai, the contract term can be three hundred years, four hundred years, or even for life, as long as the stock incentives can be increased.¡±


    Wang Tianwu thought that since he had seen Lin Rui¡¯s core secrets, did he have any other choice?


    200 years later, if he dared say he wanted to leave, he would probably be silenced, so it was better to secure advantages upfront.


    Lin Rui and Lu Hanyuan, hearing this, both looked at Wang Tianwu in surprise.


    Lu Hanyuan thought this guy must be crazy; Lin Rui was just a promising university Martial Arts Star, and Wang Tianwu was willing to sign a lifelong contract and completely tie his future to a Fifth Realm Martial Cultivator?


    He must have water in his brain!


    Definitely!

 Chapter 497

    ?Chapter 497: Chapter 470 Saintess (Request for Subscription) Chapter 497: Chapter 470 Saintess (Request for Subscription) Lin Rui looked at Wang Tianwu with surprise in his eyes.


    He had originally planned to give this Powerful Horse King a hard lesson after a while, but the man had surrendered directly.


    Lin Rui wondered how this fellow had become so clever all of a sudden, then he glanced thoughtfully back at Lu Hanyuan behind him, realizing that this fellow must have felt pressured.


    But actually, there was no conflict between these two men.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s best uses were in the Human Resources and Intelligence Departments.


    This fellow was skilled in Mind Illusion Technique and was an expert at detecting evil and deceit.


    novgo.co


    ...


    ¡°That works, I¡¯ll have the legal department talk to you later, and you will get a contract similar to Fei Yunlai¡¯sa?€¡±no losses on your part.¡±


    Lin Rui patted Wang Tianwu¡¯s shoulder and continued walking toward Wang Yinyue.


    The girl named Wang Yinyue also stopped and turned around, looking at him with tentative eyes.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Yinyue!¡±


    Lin Rui extended his hand friendly and shook hands with Wang Yinyue.


    Then, as he surveyed the surrounding Combat Robots, he expressed amazement, ¡°Is this your accomplishment over the past few days, Miss Yinyue?¡±


    Lin Guangming had always wanted to fortify these high-level robots in Lin Rui¡¯s possession and those Lin Guangming had assembled himself with runes.


    Go to novgo.co


    Unfortunately, although Lin Rui was capable, he had never had the time, and he did not know much about mechanics either.


    Wang Tianwu was also quite capable; he was a top Array Talisman Master.


    Even though he was not very good at mechanical things, he could still work with Heart of Light No.


    9 to enhance these Combat Mechas to S+ level.


    However, this fellow had always been dragging his feet, half-hearted and reluctant to devote himself to the task.


    But after Wang Yinyue¡¯s arrival, she had remodeled almost half of these Combat Robots in just a few daysa?€¡±her work efficiency was frighteningly high.


    She did not hold back in teaching Lin Xi and Heart of Light No.


    9, which was why Wang Tianwu was no longer being pretentious and began to work dutifully.


    Lin Rui had originally valued Wang Yinyue highly as she was an SS+ level hacker who could remain safe and sound in the twisted space when the Heavenly Venerate of Pain arrived.


    Now, his esteem for her grew even more.


    Besides her hacking skills, this girl was also a top-class mechanic.


    ¡°It was her work, Master,¡± Lin Guangming¡¯s electronic voice echoed in the armory.


    ¡°Miss Yinyue not only excels in computer technology but is also an amazing mechanic.


    I think, Master, if you provide her with a professional studio, she should be able to assemble Type 8 SS-class mechanics.¡±


    Wang Yinyue¡¯s face blushed slightly, and she shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not there yet.


    I just know a lot about mechanics and Array Talismans.


    Regarding the physics of the Federation and various material sciences, I¡¯m just beginning to learn.


    It was the guidance of the God of All Machines that let her meet a true ¡°God¡±a?€¡±although he was not yet complete, still growing.


    But Wang Yinyue could actually glimpse its mysteries, and create the true body of the God of All Machines!


    ¡°I beg to follow your divine presence!¡± Wang Yinyue bent deeply again, ¡°Wang Yinyue is willing to be your servant, to serve you wholeheartedly, just asking to follow you and witness your deification journey.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips couldn¡¯t help but slightly curl up.


    This Wang Yinyue was precisely the talent he wanted.


    Lin Rui had originally thought about how to persuade Wang Yinyue forcefully and gently to stay at his base as his servanta?€¡±ugh!


    as a subordinate, but it turned out Wang Yinyue was already prepared to switch allegiances to him of her own accord.


    His mood had rarely been this good since finding Lin Yi again.


    Today, not only had he obtained many Alien Walkers and a large amount of information and data on high-ranking politicians from the brothers of the Jinhao Group, but he had also gained Lu Hanyuan, a powerful Eight Realms General who could stand on his own.


    And now, he had even acquired Wang Yinyue, the former First Saintess of the Mechanical God Temple, truly a windfall of joys!


    At this point, Lu Hanyuan¡¯s lips couldn¡¯t help but twitch, thinking, ¡®Deification journey?¡¯


    Could his new employer possibly become the Abyss itself?


    It was terrifying that not a single person surrounding Lin Rui found the words of these two absurd.


    Lu Hanyuan had already realized that there must be a reason Wang Yinyue and Wang Tianwu willingly served Lin Rui so obediently and respectfully.


    But he was too lazy to think about it or bother figuring it out now.


    ¡°Being a servant is unnecessary; our Federation does not condone slavery.¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head, ¡°Later, I¡¯ll have the legal department of the studio also sign a contract with you, given our special circumstances, the term might be for life.


    You understand, right?


    Accordingly, I will fund for you a top-level supercomputer cluster, a mechanical research institute, and Mr.


    Lua?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui turned to look at Lu Hanyuan, thinking that this man had held director positions at the Jinhao Group for many years, with ample savings and a very substantial family wealtha?€¡±easily worth one or two hundred billion.


    So temporarily not signing a contract and not paying him was not a big deal, considering he probably wouldn¡¯t care.


    Besides, this man¡¯s loyalties weren¡¯t secured yet, making it difficult to assign him a position; having him simply serve as a bodyguard would truly be a waste.


    Suddenly, Lin Rui¡¯s expression changed: ¡°Old Lu, you¡¯ve always kept your Alien identity well hidden, never exposed before, not even inside the Security Bureau or the Imperial City Departmenta?€¡±there¡¯s no criminal record or related intelligence about your Alien identity.¡±


    Lu Hanyuan squinted his eyes, wondering how Lin Rui knew that the Security Bureau and Imperial City Department had no intelligence on his Alien identity.


    At that moment, Lin Rui smiled slightly: ¡°I have a task for you, get your Alien to quickly head to Luojing and apply for the positions of butler and Protector instructor at Lin Hao¡¯s residence!¡±


    This Lu Hanyuan, he was the only top-level expert under his command who could show his face in the Great Song openly.


    Hearing this, Lu Hanyuan was stunned: ¡°Mr.


    Lin, you want me to infiltrate Lin Hao¡¯s residence, but Lin Hao is such a formidable individual.


    How could I possibly succeed?¡±


    Over the past few months, Jinhao Alien Company had clashed several times with the Spy Detection Bureau led by Lin Hao, suffering heavy losses, thus he knew well how formidable Lin Hao wasa?€¡±this was practically sending him to his death!


    However, Lin Rui shook his head, ¡°Just go, I assure you that you will succeed in getting the job, and all will be well.¡±


    It was his estate on the Sky Etreme Star, not some dragon¡¯s lair.@@@@

 Chapter 498

    ?Chapter 498: Chapter 471: Shocking News (Subscription Requested) Chapter 498: Chapter 471: Shocking News (Subscription Requested) In Luojing City, beside the Divine Envoy Institute, Luo Wangshu looked at the two injection kits in front of her with great astonishment.


    Luo Wangshu had studied the language of the Earth Federation and recognized the labels on the injection kits: ¡°Type 8 Special Calming Agent¡± and ¡°Type 8 Special Alien Gene Enhancer.¡±


    However, beyond those words, the kits had nothing else on thema?€¡±no brand, no manufacturer information, nor any quality inspection marks.


    They looked like completely unbranded products.


    But just from the word ¡°special,¡± Luo Wangshu knew these items were extraordinary.


    These must be products from the Biological Sciences Institute of the East Asia Republic, specially provided for the most trusted top experts of the East Asia Republic.


    ¡°Where did these come from?¡±


    Luo Wangshu peered inquisitively at Lin Rui.


    ¡°Did the East Asians give this to you?


    ...


    How generous are they this time to trade such high-grade goods with me?¡±


    Lin Rui was also quite surprised.


    After he established the Ruifang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute, he had indeed considered making some special versions of medicines for his own master.


    Just as Lin Rui had started planning how to obtain the recipes from those scientific institutes, Xu Mengran contacted him and provided these two medicines.


    Lin Rui guessed it was a reward for his role in quelling the rebellion of the Ninth Land Battle Division of the Star Navy.


    Go to novgo.co


    But that was not something he could discuss in front of Luo Wangshu.


    ¡°Master, this puts me in a difficult position,¡± Lin Rui shook his head.


    ¡°Perhaps after our recent deals, we have gained their trust.


    The scale of these transactions was rather large, and honestly, it made me quite nervous.¡±


    He was also scared when receiving money.


    Just recently, Lin Rui booked 60 billion, settling his previous loans.


    In addition, his interstellar smuggling business was booming.


    While he only dealt in low-profit daily necessities and bulk medicinal materialsa?€¡±things that even pirates wouldn¡¯t bother touching according to Fei Yunlai¡¯s wordsa?€¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s costs were indeed very low, and he still made a profit.


    The cost of each of Lin Rui¡¯s ships was less than a tenth of the normal price, and the second-hand ships from East Asia might be a bit more expensive, but still only about a third of the price of new ships.@@@@


    His main expenses now were the more than a dozen armed guard teams from the Alien Company.


    These armored warriors required a hefty investment to maintain and he had plans to expand.


    Lin Rui was leveraging information from the Jin Family brothers, actively trying to poach from the Jinhao Alien Company.


    He was remarkably successful, having already recruited more than 130 people.


    a?€¡±These were not just any people, but elites with a cultivation of the Fifth Realm or higher, bloodline ratings no less than a Super King, and extensive experience.


    Jinhao Group had spent untold resources and money to train them, and now they had all ended up in his hands.


    Lin Rui could easily organize a team of over a thousand aliens, or form more than thirteen 6S tactical squads around them.


    ¡°Trust, huh?¡± Luo Wangshu squinted toward the Imperial Palace ahead, thinking, how could it be so simple?


    Lin Rui¡¯s mind finally relaxed, ¡°Then, I will relay this matter just like that to East Asia, is that fine?¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Luo Wangshu said nonchalantly, ¡°Many already know about this, including the Divine Envoys and Emperors of the five continents, and also several candidate Divine Envoys.¡±


    She then changed the tone of her voice, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Xue Ying come in with you today?


    Is she undergoing Dragon Transformation?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Lin Rui bowed as he explained, ¡°Three days ago, Xue Ying had fully armored herself, and she seemed impatient, wanting to transform into a dragon as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a loyal one, wanting to ascend as quickly as possible to protect you.


    If she successfully undergoes the Dragon Transformation, along with having Shangguan Tianyi, I could rest easy even if you leave the Capital now.¡±


    Luo Wangshu shook her head, her eyes filled with admiration, ¡°Transforming into a dragon is no simple matter, even more difficult than your Dragon Guard.


    Xue Ying¡¯s Bloodline Power has even reached the Super Monarch level, which is exceptionally rare.


    Hao, you should not come here in the next few days, stay at home and spend more time with her.¡±


    Lin Rui was slightly surprised by her words, but indeed, he had been wanting to spend more time with Xue Ying lately, in addition to cultivating Alien for Lin Yi, he had been stretched thin.


    Taking a break from his mentor¡¯s lessons wouldn¡¯t be too bad.


    Not long after Lin Rui left, Luo Wangshu pulled out a small sword, only two fingers long, from her sleeve and played with it in her palm.


    This was a gift she had received today from the Third Divine Envoy of Great Wei.


    Luo Wangshu understood the intent of the owner of this small sword; it was that person¡¯s challenge letter, wishing to continue their unresolved battle from eighty years ago.


    And when these five countries meet, there was naturally a need to compete.


    When the time comes, it won¡¯t just be this Third Divine Envoy from Great Wei who would want to weigh her strength.


    Luo Wangshu then turned around and walked into the thatched hut behind her.


    Inside the hut, everything remained unchanged, except in the center of the thatched hut, there was an additional broken tablet, three feet wide and six feet long.


    Luo Wangshu couldn¡¯t help thinking about the intention of the Divine Beings in giving her this fragment of the Divine Tablet so early.


    Were They unwilling to see her lose to the other Divine Envoys from the countries or were They trying to pressure her to grow stronger quickly?


    Luo Wangshu scoffed disdainfully and sat down directly in front of the broken tablet.


    In the next few days, she would stay here in seclusion, using the broken tablet to strengthen her basic Martial Intent.


    Suddenly, another thought crossed her mind; it was a shame that this wasn¡¯t the complete tablet.


    Even if she could get her hands on just three fragments, Luo Wangshu could use this Divine Artifact to resolve the hidden trouble in her body.


    What Luo Wangshu didn¡¯t know was that after Lin Rui left the Imperial City, he immediately pulled Xu Mengran and Li Xianglong into a group chat.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Found out, four Divine Envoys brought fragments of the Divine Tablet to our Great Song, aiming to assemble a complete Divine Tablet.


    According to my mentor, this artifact can help one enter the Longevity domain and also assist in strengthening Martial Intent to enter the Concept Domain.


    Xu Mengran: !!!


    Li Xianglong: !!!!!


    At this moment, in the office of the First General at the headquarters of the Security Bureau, Li Xianglong¡¯s complexion was flushed, his pupils dilated, momentarily unable to believe what he was seeing.


    He thought this was the most crucial and explosive information that the security front had received in the past decade.


    If this information were leaked, the entire Martial Arts world of the Federation would explode.

 Chapter 499

    ?Chapter 499: Chapter 472: Old Relic (Please Subscribe) Chapter 499: Chapter 472: Old Relic (Please Subscribe) Li Xianglong: Very good!


    Little Rui, the intelligence you¡¯ve provided is extremely important, critical indeed.


    I will credit you with a 9X-level mission, but you must pay attention to confidentiality from now on and not disclose any more information.


    Li Xianglong felt uncomfortable, as if he¡¯d eaten a fly, upon realizing that East Asia also had a grip on this situation.


    But there was no helping it, as Zhou Yunfei was Xu Mengran¡¯s student.


    This Xu character was sly and cunning, having discovered the clues early on and started investing.


    Xu Mengran: Not bad!


    ...


    Little Rui, the information you¡¯ve supplied is very crucial and has greatly helped us.


    Next, you should stay put and be sure to keep hidden and protect yourself.


    In the office of the chief of the political department at the East Asia National Security Bureau, Xu Mengran also sighed in regret, thinking that he had no choice but to collaborate with that Li Xianglong fellow and couldn¡¯t monopolize the situation.


    If he had known Lin Rui¡¯s identity earlier, he would have done everything possible to recruit him for the National Security Bureau.


    Lin Rui¡¯s value was simply immeasurable.


    In their efforts to find out the purpose of the four Divine Envoys coming to Luojing, the National Security Bureau went through innumerable difficulties and came up with nothing, even risking the exposure of three of their undercover agents.


    For Lin Rui, the future national leader of Great Song, it was only a matter of casually asking or paying attention to get the details.


    Go to novgo.co


    However, Lin Rui did not have the leisure to look at the messages in this temporary group, as he was standing with his hands behind his back, scrutinizing an old, hunchbacked man before him.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you have no leads whatsoever regarding this matter?¡±


    The hunchbacked old man before him was surnamed Yuan, and he was Ji Xueying¡¯s former master, the ¡®Yuan¡¯ of the wealthy Yuan merchant family.


    When Lin Rui brought Ji Xueying with him to the capital, the Yuan family was very tactful; not only did they not ask for Ji Xueying back, but they also presented Lin Rui with a hefty gifta?€¡±an entire 8,000 taels of gold and 36 bundles of various gift boxesa?€¡±as thanks for him avenging their son and eliminating the Heavenly Demon who was an internal enemy of the Yuan family.


    Especially after Prince Han was detained, the Yuan family offered another substantial gift.


    Lin Rui, seeing how sensible the Yuan family was, took good care of their business on a regular basis.


    Recently, when the Yuan family¡¯s ships were obstructed, accused of consorting with demons and detained at the docks, Lin Rui had Wang Sen go on his behalf to handle it.


    He made clear that the market administrator and the supervisors of the Imperial City Department must be ¡°fair and just¡± and not ¡°bend the law for personal gain.¡± Thus, the waters were cleared for the Yuan ships again.


    However, today, Yuan Family Head Yuan Zhengping came to the gates of the Imperial City waiting for him, reporting that all the items Ji Xueying used in the pasta?€¡±such as bedding, desks, beds, and old swords and knives for practicea?€¡±had all gone missing.


    These items had been collecting dust in the Yuan family warehouse, and it was fortunate that the Yuan family had strict rules, checking the warehouse¡¯s inventory every three days, partly to prevent fires and disasters and partly to ensure no item was lost.


    Today, they were shocked to find that all the items Ji Xueying used to use were missing without a trace.


    Yuan Zhengping was immediately distressed, not only coming to apologize at once but also bringing the warehouse manager and several warehouse hands with him.


    Lin Rui had recently found this person to be rather clever in handling affairs and had come to rely on him more and more.


    Since this was a private matter, he used a Flying Book instead of contacting via the official seal in his possession.


    A short while ago, Lin Rui had asked his Ring Spirit who had stolen Ji Xueying¡¯s old items?


    What was their intention?


    The Ring Spirit replied that there was insufficient information and that it would require 207,000 soul power points to deduce the answer.


    Moreover, if these two questions were to be asked separately, one cost 120,000 points and the other 87,000 points.


    Lin Rui felt that deducing the answer with 200,000 soul power points was too wasteful; he had only spent 1.6 million points to refine that Emperor Hao Divine Dragon, and copying a Dragon Stage martial art only took around 70,000 to 100,000 points.


    Therefore, he still needed to keep gathering information to reduce the consumption of soul power points.


    At this moment, he increasingly felt that his Ring Spirit had something of a supercomputer about it.


    Meanwhile, on the eastern watchtower at Chengtian Gate of the Imperial City, a young man dressed in a Prince¡¯s robe suddenly stepped back from the window, avoiding Lin Rui¡¯s sweeping gaze.


    ¡°This Lin Hao¡¯s Spiritual Sense is very sharp; I was almost locked onto by him just now.¡±


    The young Prince turned his head to a middle-aged man beside him dressed in the garb of a First-rank Duke, ¡°Duke An, will Lin Hao discover that we had a hand in this?¡±


    ¡°This matter was done cleanly; they won¡¯t find anything.¡±


    The middle-aged man let out a cold laugh with a composed expression, ¡°Lin Hao currently has countless enemies, and who knows how many want him and his sister dead.


    Who could they find?¡±


    Just then, the middle-aged man¡¯s expression changed subtly as he pulled out a device resembling an electronic cell phone popular in the Earth Federation over two thousand years ago from his sleeve.


    He glanced at the text on the cell phone screen, his lips curving into a slight smile, ¡°Good news, the Heavenly Demons I¡¯ve been working with have successfully extracted Ji Xueying¡¯s DNA.¡±


    The top forbidden arts of Sky Extreme Star combined with modern biotechnology would surely magnify their divine might.


    That Blood Saber Lady of Lin Hao dreaming of undergoing Dragon Transformation was simply delusional!


    Unfortunately, they had always failed to find where Ji Xueying¡¯s parents were.


    Lin Hao had hidden Ji Xueying¡¯s family somewhere, and the middle-aged man had yet to find any trace of them.


    Soon after, Lin Rui¡¯s carriage returned to his mansion.


    Lin Rui received a message from Lin Xi.


    Not long ago, an old man had come to apply for the position of steward and Protector instructor at Lin Mansion.


    The man introduced himself, claiming his surname was Lv and given name Jingwei, formerly a wandering cultivator from the martial arts community, and Lin Xi had already welcomed him into the hall to serve tea.


    Hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s expression turned odd, wondering if this ¡®Lv Jingwei¡¯ could actually be Lu Hanyuan.


    What an apt name he chose, fitting right in with the cattle and horses of his household.

 Chapter 500

    ?Chapter 500: Chapter 473: Desperation?


    (Third update, please subscribe) Chapter 500: Chapter 473: Desperation?


    (Third update, please subscribe) Lv Jingwei was indeed Lu Hanyuan, who was now sitting in the hall, waiting with an indifferent and detached expression on his face.


    There was a teacup brought by a servant on the tea table beside him, the aroma of the tea wafting through the air, refreshing to the heart and mind, but Lu Hanyuan had no interest in tasting it.


    Lu Hanyuan wasn¡¯t nervous or on guard, instead, he had lost interest in everything in the world.


    He had come to the Lin Mansion at the behest of a new employer, who had demanded that he arrive in Luojing as quickly as possible to infiltrate the household of the Spy Detection Bureau Commander, Lin Hao.


    He felt that this employer was very naA? ?ve, not understanding the gravity of the situation.


    ...


    Lin Rui had said he could guarantee his safety and ensure his successful infiltration into the Lin Mansion, but in truth, this employer could guarantee nothing.


    Lu Hanyuan couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue and had simply accepted the command, arriving in Luojing as an Alien.


    novgo.co


    ¨CThis was because the defeat of the Jinhao Group had completely crushed his spirit.


    Especially since many of the ships of the Jinhao Trading Company had been built and operated by him.


    All Lu Hanyuan could do was watch helplessly as those ships were sunk, and then as the once thriving company crumbled and was picked apart by rivals.


    His heart was almost entirely filled with despair, feeling that everything was ruined.


    Go to novgo.co


    In fact, Jin Bolong wasn¡¯t particularly kind to him either, even harboring a hint of wariness, but after all, that was the career he had fought for all his life.


    Now, Lu Hanyuan no longer had much desire to live.


    The only reason he still breathed was out of concern for his family; he worried that his employers would take their anger out on them if he died.


    So when Lin Rui gave the order, Lu Hanyuan came without hesitation, thinking that if he were to die following the employer¡¯s orders, at least his family might survive.


    From what he saw in Lin Rui¡¯s secret base, this temporary master indeed had something extraordinary about him, possibly even hiding astonishing secrets.


    Otherwise, someone like Wang Tianwu wouldn¡¯t willingly serve him, and the First Saintess of the Mechanical God Temple wouldn¡¯t refer to him as ¡°the Divine Above.¡± But what did that matter to an old man whose spirits were thoroughly deflated?


    Lu Hanyuan hadn¡¯t even made any preparations before he came, nor had he left himself any escape routes.


    If Lin Hao discovered his Heavenly Demon identity, then he would just die here, that¡¯s all.


    At this moment, Lin Xi was sitting opposite him, holding a teacup in one hand, sipping tea while looking over the so-called ¡°wandering martial artist¡± with a strange look in her eyes.


    She guessed that this man must undoubtedly be Lu Hanyuan, whose Cultivation was at least of the Eighth Realm, his aura so well-concealed that Lin Xi couldn¡¯t see through to his true foundation.


    Lu Hanyuan had immersed himself in the ¡®Reach the Sky¡¯ of the Eighth Realm for a hundred years, his accumulations far deeper than that of Wang Tianwu.


    ¨CThis was Lin Rui¡¯s second reserve Two Stars Marshal, so Lin Xi took him very seriously.


    However, this reserve Two Stars Marshal¡¯s mental state was highly concerning.


    He practically had an ¡°I¡¯m here to die¡± expression on his face.


    ¡°Actually, Mr.


    Lv didn¡¯t need to be like this,¡± Lin Xi said lightly with a smile full of implications, ¡°My brother, though stern in appearance, has a kind heart.


    Once you get to know him, you¡¯ll see that he is truly a magnanimous, loyal, and sincere gentleman, pure as refined gold and white jade.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lu Hanyuan felt a slight sinking of his heart, and thought to himself that Lin Hao was truly not easy to fool!


    What did the other party want to do?


    Were they going to use some Imperial City Department Secret Technique to use his blood to identify his Heavenly Demon identity?


    In the past, Lu Hanyuan would have fled at the sound of ¡®whoosh¡¯, but now he honestly squeezed out a drop of essence blood for Lin Hao.


    Lin Rui saw this scene, and his gaze became strange.


    He only wanted a drop of blood to compare genes, to confirm whether this Lv Jingwei was actually Lu Hanyuan, and to enter it into Lin Mansion¡¯s array and security systems, so that Lv Jingwei could come and go freely.


    To his surprise, Lu Hanyuan readily gave a drop of essence blood.


    Lin Rui remembered how, two days prior, he had given instructions to Mr.


    Lu.


    He had thought Lu Hanyuan would argue, and perhaps would have had to reveal that his alien identity was Lin Hao, just to get Lu Hanyuan to obey.


    Yet, Lu Hanyuan had complied without a word.


    Mr.


    Lu¡¯s mental state was indeed in very bad shape; no wonder Marshal Linghu said that the Linghu Family couldn¡¯t possibly get Lu Hanyuan to serve wholeheartedly.


    Lin Rui smiled slightly and then turned to Lin Xi, ¡°Xi, you have things to attend to first, so go ahead.


    I will take Mr.


    Lv for a walk around the mansion.¡±


    Lin Xi nodded, getting up and leaving the great hall.


    She had indeed been very busy lately.


    Ever since her transfer to the position of Deputy Commander of the Divine Supervision Bureau, she had started to investigate the finances of the various departments of the Imperial City Department, especially institutions like the treasury of confiscated goods and the Identification Institute.


    This was all to pave the way for her brother.


    Only by uncovering problems would they be able to kick out the old personnel from these places, making it easy for Lin Rui to operate, and allowing people from East Asia and the Security Bureau to take their places.


    Lin Rui then smiled and gestured for Lu Hanyuan to follow, taking him for a tour inside the Lin Mansion.


    Actually, there was not much to see; the Lin Mansion only spanned an area of 50 acres.


    For a master like Lu Hanyuan, a few glances in each direction would be enough to take in everything.


    However, when Lin Hao took him down a corridor in the back yard to a hidden elevator, Lu Hanyuan¡¯s face finally changed slightly.


    How could there be such a thing in the residence of the formidable Commander Lin Hao of the Spy Detection Bureau?


    ¡°This was provided by the Identification Institute, to let me experience what is known as Heavenly Demon Technology.¡±


    Lin Rui stood with his hands behind his back, waiting for the elevator to slide deeper underground: ¡°Mr.


    Lu, I¡¯ve heard that Mr.


    Lu once declared at the Jinhao Group¡¯s annual meeting that given a hundred years, you could manage Jinhao Group into the world¡¯s leading logistics and trading company?¡±


    Instantly, Lu Hanyuan¡¯s scalp tingled, his fists clenched, and his muscles tensed up.


    He realized that this Lin Hao not only recognized his identity but also knew detailed information about his true self!

 Chapter 501

    ?Chapter 501: Chapter 474 Chapter 501: Chapter 474 ¡°Clang!¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi, who had been following Lin Rui, sensed Lu Hanyuan¡¯s hostile murderous intent and immediately drew her sword from its sheath, locking Lu Hanyuan down with an incredibly fierce Sword Intent.


    Lu Hanyuan did not care and kept his gaze fixed on the back of ¡°Lin Hao,¡± his voice hoarse, ¡°Mr.


    Lin, how did you know of my identity, and what are your intentions?¡±


    Was it Lin Rui, his new employer, who had leaked his identity?


    But why?


    At the same time, he was puzzled as to why Lin Hao dared to speak these words in the confined space of an elevator.


    Was he not afraid that he would erupt in a murderous rage?


    In the elevator, Lin Rui could not summon the projections of the Ninth Realm Battle Dragons.


    ...


    As for Shangguan Tianyi behind him, though she was stronga?€¡±rumored to be at the Sixth Realm Emperor Ranka?€¡±her cultivation was still a whole two realms below his.


    In this confined space, Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s speed and strength were far inferior to his, her formidable Sword Dao had no room to unfold, and she was far less experienced in combat.@@@@


    Lu Hanyuan believed that if he made a move, he could defeat Lin Hao within at most ten rounds.


    He even began to feel eager, thinking that sacrificing his miserable life to kill this Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, who had been a headache for the major powers of the Earth Federation, was worthwhile after all.


    ¡°Mr.


    Go to novgo.co


    Lu, being Jin Bolong¡¯s strategist, with your intelligence, haven¡¯t you figured it out yet?¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly, his expression helpless, ¡°It seems like after that great defeat, Mr.


    Lu really lost all will, too lazy even to think.¡±


    Lu Hanyuan pondered what he should have realized.


    At this moment, the elevator doors had already opened, and Lin Rui took the lead in stepping out.


    Lu Hanyuan was about to follow when a sudden thought flashed through his mind.


    His pupils contracted sharply, ¡°Are you ¡®Mr.


    Lin¡¯?¡±


    This young man from Sky Extreme Star, right in front of him, was his new employer, Lin Rui!


    Lin Rui was indeed the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau from Great Songa?€¡±the feared ¡°King Yama¡¯s Blade¡± Lin Hao!


    Lin Hao turned out to be an Alien Walker and his new employer?


    novgo.co


    Lu Hanyuan suddenly understood why Linghu Mingde valued Lin Rui so much and why Linghu Mingde had handed him over to Lin Rui.


    So, when they had sent a doomed warrior to denounce Linghu Mingde, it was literally a dive onto the enemy¡¯s blade.


    He grimaced as he thought this.


    Neither he nor Jin Bolong even understood who their enemies were, or their true nature.


    How could they not be defeated?


    ¡°Follow up!¡± Lin Rui continued walking forward, ¡°I would like to know if Mr.


    Lu ever mentioned building the world¡¯s top cargo trading company?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Lu Hanyuan¡¯s gaze was vacant, his whole demeanor dazed as he followed behind Lin Rui.


    But could Lin Rui really make this happen?


    ¡°It seems Mr.


    Lu is hesitant to believe,¡± said Lin Rui, ¡°But you¡¯ll learn, the longer you work with me, that I actually detest people who boast.


    I own a company, Ruifang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute.


    They are working on some interesting things; you might want to take a look sometime.¡±


    Lin Rui continued leading Lu Hanyuan further inside.


    ¡°As you can see, the structure of Lin Mansion is quite simple, and there¡¯s nothing particularly important, but the security systems and talismanic arrays inside the dwelling mainly prevent our conversations from being intercepted.


    ¡°Everything in this underground base comes from the Identification Institute, and of particular importance is the surgical room, which can be used to perform armament surgeries on my subordinates.


    You might not know this, but I am a direct disciple of Academician Huangfu, and Professor Sima believes my surgical skills are now at 60 to 70 percent of his.


    ¡°However, even if this place were discovered, it wouldn¡¯t much matter, Mr.


    Lu.


    Your primary task remains ensuring my safety and forming my security team.¡±


    Lin Rui turned his head and glanced at Lu Hanyuan, ¡°Additionally, regarding my Ruisen Trading Company and Ruisen Shipbuilding Company, if you are interested, Mr.


    Lu, you could help manage them.


    I can offer you the roles of Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer for these two companies, with contracts matching the highest standards in the industry.


    As long as the results you produce satisfy me, I won¡¯t be stingy with salary and stock options.


    ¡°By the way, have I heard correctly that Mr.


    Lu has many old subordinates?


    I heard that most of them left Jinhao Trading Company shortly after you were transferred.


    If any suitable and reliable individuals are among them, Mr.


    Lu, perhaps you could introduce them.¡±


    Lu Hanyuan had indeed managed a group of elites at Jinhao Trading Company in the past, which Lin Rui found very appealing.


    With these people, the framework of the trading company could truly be established.


    Also, Lu Hanyuan might be able to first poach a group from the current Jinhao Trading Company to join them.


    Hearing this, Lu Hanyuan regarded Lin Rui with an odd look.


    ¡°Mr.


    Lin, does this mean you intend to leave the trading company in my hands?


    Are you comfortable with that?¡±


    Lin Rui laughed heartily upon hearing this, ¡°What do I have to be concerned about?


    My magnanimity surely surpasses that of Jin Bolong, and I would never adopt a ¡®burn the bridges¡¯ approach after use.


    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to take over these two companies, you¡¯ll truly be the Chief Executive Officer, though, of course, there will still be necessary financial oversight and personnel supervision internally.¡±


    Lin Rui was merely concerned that his companies weren¡¯t developing fast enough, lacking sufficient manpower and combat power.


    Even if he had to worry about Lu Hanyuan usurping his position, that would only be a concern once the trading company had developed significantly.


    By now, Lin Rui had reached a practice room and his expression became solemn as he looked inside at Ji Xueying sitting cross-legged.


    Lu Hanyuan also glanced at Ji Xueying in the practice room.


    Initially, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention, but soon he uttered a sound of surprise.

 Chapter 502

    ?Chapter 502: Chapter 475: Action (Please Subscribe) Chapter 502: Chapter 475: Action (Please Subscribe) ¡°Is the lady¡¯s identity within the Federation known as Yu Ying¡¯er?


    Is she honing her Martial Intent?¡± Lu Hanyuan had seen Ji Xueying¡¯s Alien form, Yu Ying¡¯er, at Lin Rui¡¯s secret base.@@@@


    a?€¡±She was also a Fifth Realm Martial Cultivator, who had always stood by Lin Rui¡¯s side at the base.


    At that time, Lu Hanyuan was quite amazed by the girl¡¯s talent, feeling that her Bloodline Power might have reached the imperial level of the Fifth Realm.


    He truly didn¡¯t know where Lin Rui had found such a genius Martial Artist with Hall-level talent.


    Now that Lu Hanyuan knew Lin Rui¡¯s identity, he also knew who that Yu Ying¡¯er was.


    However, while Ji Xueying was a Demon, the ¡°Blood Saber Lady,¡± Yu Ying¡¯er looked very normal, indistinguishable from ordinary people, without any signs of Armament Syndrome.


    ...


    Lu Hanyuan¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Is this a Martial Intent of slaughter?


    This girl is impressive; her Martial Intent is so strong and rare in the world, and what¡¯s more, it¡¯s incredibly pure, achieving unity of spirit and form, highly consistent with her physical body.


    This is something I¡¯ve never seen nor heard of before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s passable,¡± Lin Rui replied, his lips curving slightly, looking pleased like a parent hearing others praise their child.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s Martial Intent of slaughter was cultivated using the lives of thousands of Armored Martial Cultivators.


    Any impurities within her Martial Intent had also been ¡®Purified¡¯ by Lin Rui.


    This concept of Martial Arts was magical beyond compare, seemingly able to purify all thingsa?€¡±anything chaotic, dirty, cluttered, or contaminated could be cleansed to its original purity.


    Go to novgo.co


    However, Lin Rui had hoped Ji Xueying¡¯s Martial Intent would be grounded on a more domineering and grand principle such as ¡®slaughter all the injustices in the world, sever all resentments within.¡¯


    Yet, Ji Xueying¡¯s Martial Intent had taken a different path; it was based on ¡®slaughtering all of Lin Rui¡¯s enemies.¡¯


    This kind of Martial Intent was not unacceptable either; as long as the belief is firm, it could still be cultivated to the pinnacle and possess extremely formidable divine might.


    However, the potential risk was significant.


    What if one day he was no longer there, or if he was no longer worthy of Ji Xueying¡¯s wholehearted trust?


    Wouldn¡¯t her Martial Intent be wasted then?


    Ying¡¯er was simply too sincere; her eyes only had him in them.


    As for Ji Xueying¡¯s unity of spirit and form, highly consistent with her body, it was also due to Lin Rui¡¯s Pure Concept.


    a?€¡±Simply because anything inconsistent was burned away by his Purifying Fire.


    ¡°Is she accumulating elemental power and Blood Qi with a Secret Technique, preparing to break through to the Sixth Realm?¡± Lu Hanyuan shook his head slightly, ¡°However, it seems her Bone Armor, although covering her entire body, shows no signs of age, suggesting it was formed not long ago?


    It seems a bit premature for her to advance to Dragon Transformation, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Bone Armor would continue to strengthen and solidify over time.


    However, according to scientists¡¯ research, continuous strengthening and solidification of Bone Armor might not be beneficial, as it could affect the growth of the Battle Dragon and further potential.


    It was rare for someone to be so eager to advance right after their armor had formed.


    Typically, people would take time to accumulate and solidify their gains.


    Hearing this, Lin Rui nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a bit early!¡±


    Actually, Lin Rui wished to wait for his Biological Prosthetics Research Institute to complete the R&D of several key armaments and equip Ji Xueying with them before her advancement, which could effectively reduce the burden on her spiritual power.


    novgo.co


    Or wait for Ji Xueying to master Ultimate Slash and awaken the ¡®Limit Heart Origin.¡¯


    a?€¡±It must be mentioned that Ji Xueying, Lin Xi, and Shangguan Tianyi had all received permission from his master to practice this Secret Technique.


    This Secret Technique originally came from the ¡®Limitless Venerable,¡¯ and Luo Wangshu, due to an early encounter, had obtained it without hoarding it for himself alone.


    The problem was that among her loyal subordinates and several disciples, very few could master it.


    Odin held him in contempt, thinking to himself, you¡¯ve still got the nerve to mention card games?


    If I gamble with you again, I¡¯m a dog!


    At the same time, Odin also cast a puzzled glance at the two people at the head of the table, wondering what was the reason behind Li Xianglong and Xu Mengran coming together?


    Was there some kind of joint operation?


    While he was still befuddled, Li Xianglong threw out more than twenty documents on the table.


    ¡°Today¡¯s meeting is of significant importance.


    Before we officially begin,¡± he said, ¡°everyone sign this confidentiality agreement.¡±


    With a flicker of his eyes as he received the agreement, Odin noticed something a?€¡± this was ninth-grade Dragon Skin Paper, made from the skin of a Battle Dragon or Demon from the Ninth Realm.


    After carefully reviewing the content, Odin realized there was more to it.


    Embedded within the words was the power of Divine Law Venerable and Retribution Venerable.


    The agreement itself was simple enough; Odin was from then on not to reveal any information mentioned during the secret meeting in the next hour to outsiders.


    With a grave look, Odin¡¯s curiosity intensified.


    He exchanged looks with the others in the room, then bowed his head and signed the agreement, following the provisions by dropping in his own Essence Blood.


    After everyone had signed the agreement, Xu Mengran collected all the agreements, carefully examining them.


    After verifying there were no issues, he nodded to Li Xianglong, who then distributed a document classified as secret level X to everyone present.


    Moments later, a look of surprise appeared on the faces of everyone in the meeting room.


    They started whispering to the person next to them.


    ¡°An Abyss Divine Tablet?


    There¡¯s actually such a thing within Sky Extreme Star?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just your lack of knowledge.


    The archaeological community has found references to the Divine Tablet in many ancient documents of the Sky Extreme Star, believing it might be one of the directions to break through to Longevity and the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard too.


    There are many papers about it in the archaeological world, but the Abyss Divine Tablet has always been under the control of the five great Abysses.


    They rarely use it and dare not to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Correct!


    This time the information from the Federation Security Bureau is very timely.


    The four Divine Envoys just prepared to set off when we got wind of it.


    Knowing this news might be on the level of Second or Third-rank, and it¡¯s likely from the Imperial City Department systems across the continents.¡±


    ¡°The Federation government gives them so much funding every year.


    It¡¯s finally not been in vain.¡±


    ¡°This is an excellent opportunity!


    No wonder Old Li is taking it so seriously.¡±


    ¡°The risk is also very great.


    Those Abyss will surely guard it tightly.¡±


    ¡°Quiet!¡± At this point, Li Xianglong tapped on the table with his finger, signaling for silence.


    Looking down from above at the many top-tier experts of the Earth Federation, he said, ¡°The matter we will discuss is related to the Abyss Divine Tablet.


    No matter what, we must find a way to seize one of them or at least make contact and figure out what it really is!¡±

 Chapter 503

    ?Chapter 503: Chapter 476: Divine Tablet (Please Subscribe) Chapter 503: Chapter 476: Divine Tablet (Please Subscribe) That night, Lin Rui received a message from Li Xianglong.


    Li Xianglong: Recently, Xu Mengran and I have been in Luojing City.


    If there¡¯s anyone you¡¯re unhappy with or feel is hindering you, you can send me a list, and I¡¯ll conveniently remove them for you.


    After reading this, Lin Rui raised his eyebrows in surprise, wondering if ¡°removing¡± them meant in both a physiological and physical sense?


    Lin Rui indeed had some particularly troubling targets he had long wanted to eliminate.


    These people were complacent and greedy, however, and were also interfering with his smuggling businessa?€¡±


    Especially in several key positions, Lin Rui already had suitable people ready, but due to the overwhelming affairs of the Spy Detection Bureau, he temporarily couldn¡¯t spare the time to deal with them.


    After only slight hesitation, Lin Rui drafted a list of nine names and sent it to Li Xianglong.


    ...


    They were all in official positions of the fifth or sixth rank, yet their locations and powers were crucial; Lin Rui could ensure that his people could replace them.


    Ever since Lin Rui received the Divine Merit Order and the Dragon Slayer Sword, many from the Great Song court had started aligning themselves with him, forming a considerable force.


    a?€¡±These people were mostly frustrated courtiers or low-level bureaucrats hoping to use Lin Rui as a stepping stone to advance their careers or gain a second chance.


    So much so that Lin Rui received more than twenty visiting cards daily.


    This was why Lin Rui urgently needed a housekeeper, to help him handle these matters.


    Senior Brother Li mainly took care of the Spy Detection Bureau, whose affairs were significantly cumbersome, keeping him busy from dawn to dusk without a moment¡¯s rest.


    Go to novgo.co


    This man also had family on Sky Extreme Star, with children of schooling age.


    It was impossible to manage everything perfectly under such circumstances.


    Lin Rui thought even a donkey should not be overworked like this and that he should give him a chance to rest and catch his breath.


    For the past two months, with the help of the Security Bureau, Lin Rui evaluated and selected more than a dozen or so competent, cautious officials who were flexible and obedient, preparing to promote them at any moment.


    novgo.co


    Rarely, these people, though worn down by the harsh world and time, still wished to do something for the people.


    Lin Rui, not being a true native of Sky Extreme Star and lacking any lofty patriotic ideals, first and foremost wanted subordinates who were obedient.


    What good were those who wouldn¡¯t listen if promoted, just to oppose him?


    Then, it was about having the ability and being cautious enough, so that they could handle the tasks assigned efficiently and maintain their positions securely without leaving any traces.


    If they met these three criteria, Lin Rui wouldn¡¯t mind promoting some officials who cared about the people.


    The people of Sky Extreme Star were suffering miserably, and even Lin Rui, an Outer Heaven Demon, couldn¡¯t bear to watch.


    Actually, there were some people within the Security Bureau who could be placed in suitable positions.


    However, Lin Rui had to keep his distance, only exerting influence indirectly.


    Li Xianglong: Only nine people?


    Is that all?


    Lin Rui thought, isn¡¯t that already quite a lot?


    ¡°They must be here for the Divine Stele; this generation¡¯s King Ming is young but has great ambitions.¡±


    Luo Wangshu let out a cold laugh, walked to the fence of her farmhouse, and looked out, ¡°Has East Asia ever mentioned how many Ninth Realm rank Outer Heaven Demons have gathered in Luojing?¡±


    Lin Rui thought he could guess the number, especially since Li Xianglong had hinted at it.


    But he still put on a completely baffled face.


    ¡°At least ten Ninth Realm Super Monarchs and some other top experts of comparable combat strength.¡±


    With her hands clasped behind her back, Luo Wangshu overlooked the Imperial City from above with a commanding air: ¡°Now, this Luojing City is truly bustling with activity, like the impending storm.¡±


    She then smiled softly, ¡°You¡¯ve come at just the right time.


    You don¡¯t need to go back tonight; there¡¯s something good in the house, just what you need.


    I can only use it until tomorrow morning, so you need to make good use of it right away.


    And tomorrow morning, you must come with me to Huishen Slope outside the city to meet with those fellow Third Divine Envoys from foreign lands.


    It might even come to blows.¡±


    ¡°Come to blows?¡± Lin Rui¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    He subconsciously clenched the sword in his hand, a fierce gleam appearing in his eyes.


    ¡°This has nothing to do with you,¡± Luo Wangshu shook her head.


    ¡°When Divine Envoys from the Five Continents gather, it¡¯s natural to determine each other¡¯s relative strength, testing each other¡¯s proficiency in Martial Arts.


    We, the proud East Continent, must not let foreigners look down on us!


    Also, many within Luojing City now want to take this opportunity to reassess my capabilities.¡±


    In the past, she had fought with Qi Wuji, the Ninth Candidate Divine Envoy, using the Ninth Realm Super Emperor Secret Sword ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯ to strike him down, keeping her true capabilities ambiguous.


    However, this upcoming exchange with the envoys from four nations was a friendly spar, and Luo Wangshu couldn¡¯t use the powerful, life-determining ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword.¡¯


    Before, Luo Wangshu would have had no choice but to expose her weak foundation openly.


    But now that she had Lin Hao, her previous weaknesses were gradually remedied.


    Thinking this, Luo Wangshu¡¯s face held a mocking smile: ¡°However, it remains to be seen; those people might also want to measure you up when the time comes.


    Don¡¯t disappoint me.


    Go inside, that object is extremely miraculous; only those above the rank of Ninth Realm Super Monarch or special individuals like Hao can use it.


    It was known as the ¡®Key to the Abyss¡¯ a decade ago, but it can only stay in my hands for another half-day, so don¡¯t waste it.¡±


    She had been rushing these past few days to condense her Martial Intent, all to free up time for Lin Hao to use the Abyss Divine Tablet.


    Full of curiosity, Lin Rui walked into the main house of the farmhouse, and when he saw the fragment of the stele three feet wide and six feet long in the center of the main house, his pupils suddenly constricted.


    Lin Rui had never seen the Divine Stele before, and the archaeological community of the Earth Federation hadn¡¯t determined what it actually was.


    But when Lin Rui saw this fragment, he knew right away it was the Abyss Divine Tablet.


    Li Xianglong and his group had been determined to obtain that very object now lying before him.


    As Lin Rui walked over and touched it, two lines of characters suddenly appeared on the fragment.

 Chapter 504

    ?Chapter 504: Chapter 477: Root (Please Subscribe) Chapter 504: Chapter 477: Root (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui¡¯s gaze sharpened as he recognized the characters appearing on the Abyss Divine Tablet as an ancient script from Sky Extreme Star, known as ¡°Dragon Script.¡±


    It was the most commonly used script during the era when ¡°all citizens were dragons,¡± which suggested that the Divine Tablet dated back to between 600,000 and 1 million years ago.


    Regrettably, taking a photo of the Divine Tablet would reveal his identity, or else Lin Rui could have shaken the entire Federation¡¯s archaeological community with a paper based on it.


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui quickly activated his biological intelligence assistance system to translate the Dragon Script on the stela.


    He didn¡¯t dare to activate the quantum communication system in front of Luo Wangshu, so he couldn¡¯t connect to the internet.


    However, his intelligence assistance system internally stored a huge amount of Sky Extreme Star¡¯s encyclopedic knowledge, including the Federation¡¯s deciphered ¡°Dragon Script¡± compendium.


    With the assistance system translating, Lin Rui quickly grasped the meaning of the text.


    ...


    Since archaeologists had not yet fully deciphered the syntactical rules of Dragon Script, the assistance system only translated the general meaning of the passages, which seemed to be ¡°sensing the current possessor as half-god Lin Rui,¡± and ¡°in the year 633221 of the God Era, half-god Lin Rui inherits the Pure Method.¡±


    Lin Rui was secretly astonished that the Abyss Divine Tablet could actually record all the abysses of the mortal world!


    However, in the recognition of the Divine Tablet, he was still only a demigod and not a True God.


    It was also made clear in the text that he had ¡°inherited¡± the Pure Method.


    What, moreover, was the God Era?


    Lin Rui pondered what Lin Rui¡¯s affairs had to do with me, Lin Hao?


    Go to novgo.co


    However, he then thought that wouldn¡¯t work, as the powers of those from the Abyss had long spread to the Earth Federation.


    The Sky Extreme Star¡¯s major Imperial City Departments had also long infiltrated Ninth Base City in reverse.


    Like the father of Xie Qing, and those behind this father-daughter duoa?€¡±Sky Extreme Star Alien Walkersa?€¡±who Lin Rui hadn¡¯t dealt with to this day.


    Their purpose was to make this group let down their guard, dig as deeply as possible, and, preferably, eliminate the Sky Extreme Star spy network in one fell swoop.


    But was this the only spy intelligence network infiltrated by the Sky Extreme Star people into the Federation?


    They would find it extremely simple to discover his identity.


    Moreover, if this information leaked in the future and was known by the Ninth Realm experts of the Federation, he would definitely be captured by these people to be dissected and studied.


    Lin Rui began to worry, wondering what methods Luo Wangshu would use to deceive the gods.


    And what if Luo Wangshu could see the text on this?


    a?€¡±He would eventually reveal his true identity to his master, but now was not the time to confront his master with the truth.


    Lin Rui took a deep breath, hoping that Li Xianglong and the others would succeed, ideally capturing the pieces before all five fragments were brought together.


    Lin Rui then settled his mind and sat down cross-legged in front of the Fragment of the Divine Tablet.


    When Lin Rui had touched the object with his hand earlier, he knew it was of immense help to him; not only could this Fragment of the Divine Tablet strengthen and complete his Primordial Spirit Power, but it could also evolve his Martial Intent in a conceptual direction.


    This was truly a Divine Artifact!


    No wonder the gods had united to shatter it and keep it separately.


    Lin Hao had actually fully integrated the concepts of ¡®Infallibility¡¯ and ¡®Fated Death¡¯ into one, rather than merely using them together as before, where they operated separately.


    Luo Wangshu couldn¡¯t imagine how powerful this guy would be if he developed his ¡®Unity¡¯ Martial Intent completely into the Concept Domain and learned a dozen or more Conceptual Powers.


    ¡°Very good!¡± Luo Wangshu patted Lin Rui¡¯s shoulder: ¡°But the strength of your current concepts is only at ten percent, too conservative.


    With the strength of your fundamental Martial Intent, going up to thirteen percent shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Indeed, Lin Rui¡¯s Conceptual Power was only at ten percent.


    Over the past few months, Lin Rui had used soul power points to enhance the concepts of ¡®Infallibility¡¯, ¡®Fated Death¡¯, ¡®Light Trace¡¯, and ¡®Heavenly Foot¡¯ all to ten percent.


    Additionally, through his own study of Martial Arts and Secret Techniques, he had acquired three new Conceptual Powers: ¡®Burning¡¯, ¡®Extreme Speed¡¯, and ¡®Limit¡¯, and had also elevated them to ten percent.


    Although he could leverage his Bloodline Power to bring these Conceptual Powers to a fifteen percent level, what kind of spiritual sense did Luo Wangshu possess?


    One glance, and she knew the exact level of Lin Rui¡¯s Conceptual Power.


    In her heart, Luo Wangshu felt envious.


    Lin Hao¡¯s path of Unity had limitless prospects.


    If she had taken this path, she could have already resolved the risk of Abyss Pollution.


    But even if time were reversed, Luo Wangshu estimated she would still choose the path she was currently on.


    Back then, she had neither a background nor wealth, only the strength she possessed, pushed to the max, enhanced to the Limit, allowed her any chance to defeat her rivals and reach her current position.


    Luo Wangshu shook her head, then with a grab, she took the Divine Tablet fragment into her hand.


    She walked toward the Eight Dragon Chariot waiting outside the courtyard, holding the object and said, ¡°The time has come, we should go, to the ¡®Huishen Slope¡¯!¡±


    As Lin Rui followed her out the door, he saw one of the eight dragons looking at him with a sullen gaze.


    Lin Rui pretended not to notice, following Luo Wangshu onto the chariot.


    He was curious; what was up with this dragon?


    Or was it that Luo Wangshu¡¯s Dragon Chariot was particularly adept at nurturing dragons?


    This dragon used to be at Super King rank, but now the lines at its edges had turned dark gold, having advanced to Emperor Rank.


    Given this dragon¡¯s talent, how could this be possible?


    Meanwhile, in a pavilion in the east of Luojing City, a man with a clear and handsome face disdainfully flung the tea from his cup into the grass beside him.


    ¡°Well then, you want to test Luo Wangshu¡¯s foundation, to see the extent of her Abyss Pollution?


    It¡¯s not impossible; I¡¯d like to see the prowess of the ¡®Eastern Heavenly Sword Phoenix¡¯ Luo Wangshu¡¯s Sword Dao, and if it¡¯s as miraculous as the legends say.


    But what¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    ¡°A benefit?¡± A magnetic young voice came from the void in the distance: ¡°How about a Ninth Realm Super Emperor Fire Element Magic Artifact?¡±


    The clear and handsome man chuckled with satisfaction in his eyes.


    As he was about to respond, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked up at the sky.


    The clear and handsome man saw a colossal chariot drawn by eight Flying Dragons approaching from afar.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± The man set down his teacup, his eyes revealing an expectant smile: ¡°She has arrived!¡±

 Chapter 505

    ?Chapter 505: Chapter 478: Concept (Please Subscribe) Chapter 505: Chapter 478: Concept (Please Subscribe) Huishen Slope is located 350 li east of Luojing City, and as the name suggests, it¡¯s the meeting place of gods.


    It is said that when gods meet, they do not enter the Divine Palace or Luojing City.


    Therefore, a grand and magnificent palace, ¡°Shenlin Palace,¡± was constructed on a vast expanse of land here, and it is said that the court injects a huge sum of money into its maintenance each year in case of need.


    But now, all the bigwigs in Shenlin Palace, along with those from the Divine Affairs Office responsible for its upkeep, have been caught by Lin Xi and thrown into the divine prison to serve time.


    Lin Xi was not intentionally targeting them, but after she took office as Deputy Commander of the Divine Supervision Bureau, she began a serious investigation into corruption, and incidentally swept these individuals up with it.


    These fellows had gone too far, daring to bill 3,000 liang of Magic Silver for a simple teatable switch and needing 1,000 liang of Magic Silver for a window replacement.


    Moreover, according to their ledgers, Lin Xi couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to the extravagance of Shenlin Palace¡¯s furnishings from the inside out.


    ...


    Since seven years ago, the court began to levy an extra 100 wen ¡°palace maintenance fee¡± annually from the common folk, claiming it would be for just one year due to genuine fiscal constraints, yet the levy has never been lifted.


    To someone like Lin Rui, this 100 wen is a mere drop in the bucket, but for the common people of Great Song, it represents a considerable burdena?€¡±enough to cover ten or twenty days¡¯ worth of meals.


    However, the money extorted from the common people was squandered by those in Shenlin Palace and the Divine Affairs Office, lining their own pockets, and the ¡®gods¡¯ they worshipped never benefited from it.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s Eight Dragon Chariot finally stopped in front of Shenlin Palace, which not only boasted a one hundred mu plaza of white marble but also a corresponding grand hostel.


    This hostel is where they would receive the several Divine Envoys.


    As Lin Rui stepped down from the chariot alongside Luo Wangshu, to his surprise, he found that the eleventh and twelfth Divine Envoy candidates, Shentu Rong, and Situ Xiu, were also present.


    Due to the previous upheaval in the Demon Suppression Forest, the Divine Emperor had punished these two, stripping them of their garrison commander position and sentencing them to ten years of reflection at Reflection Cliff on Divine Scenery Mountain.


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    These two must have been temporarily released for this occasion, and although they looked pale, their gazes were sharp and sinister, sweeping their surroundings with the vigilance of hunting eagles as if eager to complete this mission and atone for their sins.


    Besides these two, there were also two officials wearing purple-gold armor, both Ninth Realm cultivators and court generals.


    a?€¡±They were the First-rank Generals of the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Guard, both with their hands on their swords, their expressions alert and cautious.


    Lin Rui was not surprised at all; with something as important as the Abyss Divine Tablet at stake, the court would naturally be cautious.


    Especially since the court had received intelligence that experts from the Federation were gathering, and the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming had infiltrated the Capital, the court would definitely strengthen its defenses.


    Just as Luo Wangshu was leading everyone into the hostel and before they had a chance to be seated, a gigantic Flying Boat, nearly thirty zhang long, flew overhead, accompanied by another Flying Chariot pulled by eight dragons.@@@@


    In a moment, both magical flying devices landed in front of the hostel, and soon after, large groups of people descended from them.


    Lin Rui glanced at them, and his eyes darkened slightly.


    Judging by the attire and emblems of these two groups, they should be envoy groups from Great Wei and Great Cheng.


    They had brought many experts, including four Ninth Realm powerhouses each, and an additional sixteen Eighth Realm masters.


    Lin Rui silently worried for Li Xianglong and the others; their quest to seize the Abyss Divine Tablet would surely not be an easy task.


    Luo Wangshu stood at the entrance of the hostel, a slight smile on his face as he greeted the approaching group with a cupped hand salute, ¡°The Divine Envoys and esteemed lords have come from afar; please, enter and rest for a while.¡±


    The first to disembark from the Flying Boat on the left was the Great Cheng envoy party, led by a man with pale skin, no beard, and distinct features.


    That was Zong Xiushan, the third Divine Envoy from Great Cheng, whose information and photographs Lin Rui had reviewed before his arrival.


    The man smiled casually, responding neither too warmly nor too coldly, ¡°A few days¡¯ journey is nothing to speak of.


    The amazing sword force contained within the golden sword could instantly kill a Ninth Realm Super King, yet it only caused a bit of rippling in the void around her fingertips, like ripples on water.


    Just as Cui Peipei caught the sword and was preparing to counterattack, Luo Wangshu waved her sleeve again.


    ¡°It¡¯s only polite to return the favor!


    Both of you, try to receive one sword strike from me.¡±


    She said ¡®receive one sword strike from me¡¯, but she did not draw her sword; instead, she used the void of heaven and earth as her sword.


    With a swing of her sleeve, everything around her became her weapon, forming the sword in her hand!


    At that moment, the space around Cui Peipei undulated continuously like the sea surface swept by a strong wind, moving persistently, and this disturbance spread further and wider, reaching out ten thousand meters!


    The pressure exerted by Luo Wangshu forced Cui Peipei to extend her Water Element secret technique over twenty li around her to divert the opponent¡¯s enormous strength and the overbearing ¡®Concept¡¯.


    Zong Xiushan, the third divine envoy from Great Cheng, was inundated with Geng Metal Energy, resembling a silver-white giant sword half standing between heaven and earth, surrounded by numerous thunder snakes.


    Beneath him, large cracks appeared.


    Zong Xiushan¡¯s face was cold and livid, his eyes full of disdain as he looked at Luo Wangshu: ¡°Very good, fifty-five percent Divine Power, destruction, firmness, limit, and growth.


    Luo Wangshu, you¡¯re truly fearless of going mad!¡±


    In this exchange, as Zong Xiushan lost control of the power under his feet and cracked the ground, he had already lost by a margin to these two women.


    Zong Xiushan thought she was a madwoman, to have cultivated these Conceptual Powers to such an extent.


    However, judging by Luo Wangshu¡¯s expression, she seemed very relaxed, with not a trace of taint.


    But this made it impossible for Zong Xiushan to probe the depth of Luo Wangshu¡¯s foundation or to know the state of her physical quality.


    He might also be unable to force Luo Wangshu to exert her full strength to see the extent of her Abyss Pollution.


    a?€¡±What an Eastern Heavenly Sword Phoenix!


    At this moment, behind Luo Wangshu, the eleventh candidate divine envoy, Shentu Rong, also watched her silhouette with a heavy expression.


    He hadn¡¯t expected his former ally¡¯s strength had grown to this extent, having distanced herself far from him.


    Luo Wangshu, despite her significant disadvantagesa?€¡±she had no reliable channels for acquiring those Heavenly Demon items.


    The quality and foundation of her body, set eight hundred years ago, could have been unmatched in the world, but in the era after the arrival of the Outer Heaven Demon, this became her greatest weakness.


    Yet today, Luo Wangshu, relying on her fifty-five percent Conceptual Power, was overwhelmingly dominating the two foreign third divine envoys!


    Just as everyone present had their own thoughts, suddenly a streak of blood light flew across the distant sky.


    All the Ninth Realm experts present turned grim, looking towards the direction of the blood light.


    The blood-colored radiance slowed down after covering five li, revealing a young man drenched in blood.


    His face was deathly pale as he clasped his hands towards the crowd, ¡± esteemed guests, I am Li Yuan, disciple of the third divine envoy from Da Liao.


    I have been ordered by the divine envoy to request your aid; our Da Liao delegation five hundred li away is under siege by numerous Ninth Realms, the situation is as precarious as a stack of eggs.


    Please, assist us without delay!¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback, exchanging glances with one another.

 Chapter 506

    ?Chapter 506: Chapter 479: Wan Xin (Please Subscribe) Chapter 506: Chapter 479: Wan Xin (Please Subscribe) When the blood-red tunneling light flew towards them, Lin Rui was immersed in Luo Wangshu¡¯s Martial Arts.


    Especially the application of the ¡°Limit Method¡± by Luo Wangshu, which amazed him.


    ¡°Limit¡± not only has its extremes but also its boundaries.


    It was precisely this realization that allowed Lin Rui to master the Conceptual Power of the ¡°Limit.¡±


    However, the ingenuity of Luo Wangshu¡¯s use of the Limit Method far exceeded his expectations.


    Luo Wangshu would maximize when it was necessary and set boundaries when needed, stirring the great power of heaven and earth, manipulating ether elements, thereby suppressing his opponent.


    Lin Rui was focused and squinting as he experienced its intricacies.


    But when he heard the words of ¡°Li Yuan¡±, he immediately woke up.


    ...


    The Da Liao envoy team was being attacked by numerous Ninth Realm powerhouses?


    Could it be that Li Xianglong and others had made their move?


    Lin Rui knew that since Li Xianglong and his group arrived in Luojing, they had been exploring the whereabouts of several envoy teams through various means.


    Located right beneath the Divine Spirits, they definitely couldn¡¯t take action here in Luojing; Li Xianglong and his group could only intercept halfway outside the city to seize the fragments of the Divine Tablet.


    With a slight turn of thought, Lin Rui confirmed it must be Li Xianglong and his group, as Li Xianglong had contacted him yesterday, having ¡®dealt with¡¯ all the individuals on his list.


    And as he had said, no trace was left behind.


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    Those people either unexpectedly fell severely ill or died due to sudden conflicts, at the hands of Jianghu Martial Cultivators, with diverse causes of death making it impossible for the capital¡¯s authorities and the Ministry of Justice to find any suspicious clues.


    At that time, Lin Rui could only marvel at the swift and decisive actions of the man, but he hadn¡¯t expected that Li Xianglong, eager to complete his assassination list, was likely preparing to make a move.


    At this moment, the atmosphere in front of the post station was not only cold and solemn but also somewhat awkward.


    The expressions of the three Third Divine Envoys were a mix of shock and anger, yet all of them stood still.


    Their attendants, including those Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators, frowned and hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances.@@@@


    It wasn¡¯t impossible to rescue the ¡°Da Liao envoy team¡±, but they were also tasked with guarding the Abyss Divine Tablet.


    What should they do if something went wrong with the Divine Tablet fragments in their hands?


    Then, everyone¡¯s gaze simultaneously turned towards Luo Wangshu.


    As the land here belonged to the Great Song, if something happened to the Da Liao envoy team on the territory of Great Song, it would undoubtedly be a great shame for the Great Song Dynasty.


    Luo Wangshu stood with her hands behind her back, gazing towards the southern sky, concentrating on observing the changes in elemental power in that direction.


    Despite being 500 li away, Luo Wangshu could still use her Bloodline Ability combined with Divine Secret Skills to get a rough idea of the situation there.


    Just then, a massive wave of elemental power fluctuations transmitted from the south, wave after wave.


    Due to the slower transmission of ether element waves, these were actually the elemental disturbances caused when the Da Liao envoy team was just attacked.


    With just a slight perception, Luo Wangshu realized that there were indeed more than 12 Ninth Realm experts attacking the Da Liao envoy team!


    However, from her observation, the Da Liao envoy team could still hold on for a little while.


    For some reason, I feel uneasy.¡±


    She had already sought reinforcements from the First Divine Envoy and the Divine Palace, and soon a large group of experts would arrive.


    Even after the departure of their four Divine Envoys from Huishen Slope, thirteen Ninth Realm individuals remained.


    Among them were five Ninth Realm Super Emperors and eight Ninth Realm Emperor Bloodlines, their considerable strength formidable enough to defend the palace securely.


    However, instead Luo Wangshu felt an uneasy premonition in her Primordial Spirit.


    After instructing Lin Rui, she said solemnly, ¡°Vice Divine Envoy Shen, I leave this place in your hands, be extremely vigilant!¡±


    She knew this old ally, though often unlucky and facing setbacks, was strong, ranking in the top six among the twelve selected Divine Envoys.


    The eleventh candidate, Divine Envoy Shentu Rong, his expression solemn and voice cold, said, ¡°You go, this place is safe with me!¡±


    Luo Wangshu nodded satisfactorily and then turned to Cui Peipei with a smile, ¡°Vice Divine Envoy Cui, shall we?¡±


    Cui Peipei ¡®hmphed¡¯ and immediately rose into the air, flying rapidly toward the southern sky.


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    Though she knew Luo Wangshu was adept with words and using reverse psychology, she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    Now with four of the third-ranked Divine Envoys involved in the battle, if afterward they accused her, Cui Peipei, of cowardice, she wouldn¡¯t be able to clear her name even with a hundred mouths.


    As the two left, Lin Rui followed behind Shentu Rong and other attendees, quickly entering the Divine Arrival Palace.


    Shentu Rong was efficient and fast as lightning, and the others also hastened to ensure the safety of several pieces of the Divine Tablets.


    Once they reached the main hall of the Divine Arrival Palace, Shentu Rong and the twelfth candidate Divine Envoy, Situ Xiu, activated the palace¡¯s grand Array.


    As a vast ether element power enveloped the entire palace, they swiftly continued arranging security and patrolling to check for any flaws in the Array.


    The previous incident in Demon Suppression Forest reminded them to be utterly vigilant.


    Lin Rui was also cautious, not only wearing his ¡®Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor¡¯ but also preemptively summoning his Spiritual Sky Dragon.


    Since Shangguan Tianyi couldn¡¯t come along, he had to rely on his own strength to protect himself.


    However, Lin Rui had already examined the item given by his mastera?€¡±it was astonishingly the Emperor-ranked Divine Artifact ¡®Sky-covering Umbrella¡¯!


    Luo Wangshu had unexpectedly entrusted him with her most important famous Divine Artifact!


    Lin Rui felt an indescribable surge of emotion and suddenly had the urge to confess everything to Luo Wangshu.


    Just as Lin Rui wondered if he should take a chance, his expression subtly changed.


    He discovered an odorless, colorless presence had somehow permeated the grand hall.


    Had it not been for Lin Rui¡¯s top-tier skills in pharmacology and poisoning, and because his ¡®Heavenly Demon Dragon Armor¡¯ was crafted with Federation Mecha technology featuring air filtration and a self-circulating system plus his special modifications, Lin Rui might not have detected anything.


    Startled, Lin Rui was about to speak out when he noticed an elderly man with white hair standing by the palace doors.


    The man, in his seventies, had a large frame but appeared thin and tall, his hands behind his back and his gaze holding a vaguely mocking smile while observing everyone inside.


    Lin Rui recognized the man, and his heart skipped a beat.


    It was the top-ranked person on Emperor Song¡¯s list, the head of the Three Pillars of the Light God Secta?€¡±said to have reached the Super Monarch of the Ninth Realm, the Vice Sect Hierarch, Wan Xin, also known as the world¡¯s number one master of Illusion Techniques!

 Chapter 507

    ?Chapter 507: Chapter 480: Fate (Seeking Stability) Chapter 507: Chapter 480: Fate (Seeking Stability) Lin Rui¡¯s lips twitched slightly, thinking to himself that his fate with illusionists was really never-ending!


    First there was Ling Huan, and then came Elder Wan Xin, both top-tier masters of Illusion Techniques.


    Lin Rui took another look around the hall, feeling a chill in his heart.@@@@


    He realized that although the people inside the hall appeared normal, their pupils actually lacked focus.


    These people were clearly trapped in an Illusion Technique!


    And those few at the Ninth Realm, who seemed alert and vigilant, made Lin Rui¡¯s heart turn cold.


    Just by the fact that they hadn¡¯t noticed the abnormalities around them, Lin Rui knew that their situation was also very bad.


    ...


    What shocked Lin Rui was that nearly half of these individuals had received the National Guardian Dragon Seal; logically, they should not be affected by Illusion Techniques below the Tenth Realm, yet they seemed to have fallen for it.


    This ¡®Divine Arrival Palace¡¯ might be a trap, and this ¡®Elder Wan Xin¡¯ had clearly set it up in advance, laying down measures to turn the impossible into possible.


    What he hadn¡¯t anticipated was that there was a Lin Rui in this hall.


    novgo.co


    Not only skilled in medicine and poison crafting, but also in possession of the National Guardian Dragon Seal and the Abyss Source Core.


    But Lin Rui dared not make a sound or any sudden movements, knowing that showing any abnormality could alarm Elder Wan Xin and bring disaster upon himself.


    But what about the fragment of the Divine Tablet?


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    If this Divine Artifact were to fall into trouble and be seized by the people of the Bright Holy Sect, his master would bear no small sin.


    Just as Lin Rui¡¯s thoughts were racing, searching for a way to break the stalemate, Shentu Rong and Situ Xiu, who had gone out to inspect the Array, walked in from outside.


    Shentu Rong, with a cold tone, said: ¡°Apart from some Array Talismans within the palace that have been neglected over the years, there¡¯s no major issue.


    What about your side, Master Situ?¡±


    He and Situ Xiu had split up to take care of different halves of the palace.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same.


    The chief of the palace eunuchs and those people from the Divine Affairs Office should really be killed, these parasites take so much money from the court every year, yet they let this Divine Arrival Palace fall into such disrepair!


    Fortunately, it had just undergone major renovations seven years ago; otherwise, the Array here would be unusable.¡±


    Situ Xiu huffed coldly: ¡°And those guards in the palace, utterly slack and negligent.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shentu Rong let out a chuckle.


    Thinking to himself, people from the Divine Arrival Palace and the Divine Affairs Office, did they really have the capacity to swallow such funds?


    They only siphoned off a tiny fraction; the lion¡¯s share went elsewhere.


    Could the three Divine Envoys overseeing the Imperial City Department truly be oblivious to the affairs here?


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for such calculations.


    If Master Situ cannot stand the sight, they can be impeached afterwards.¡±


    These individuals possessed extreme vitality, and the amount of blood they could regenerate was equal to the amount shed, while the toxin in the old blood was far more concerning to them.


    Elder Wan Xin¡¯s gaze was cold and harsh.


    Around him, countless Purple Thunders emerged, resembling the splendorous display of a peacock¡¯s tail, flashing behind him and forming an immensely powerful magnetic field of thunder, deflecting all attacks from the numerous Ninth Realm warriors away.


    The magnetic field continued to expand, merging with the Array within the ¡®Divine Presence Hall.¡¯


    A colossal Battle Dragon, nearly thirty feet tall, began to manifest above the Divine Presence Hall.


    That was Elder Wan Xin¡¯s Battle Dragona?€¡± the Spiritual Heart Ape Dragon!


    In that very instant, including Shentu Rong and Situ Xiu, all Ninth Realm warriors and their Battle Dragons came to a halt.


    a?€¡±They had been forcibly dragged into an illusion by Elder Wan Xin!


    However, though their gazes seemed vacant and their bodies trembled slightly, it was clear that they were struggling mightily to resist.


    A trace of blood also spilled from the corners of Elder Wan Xin¡¯s mouth.


    At this moment, he was essentially facing nine clear-minded Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators as enemies, engaging in a mental struggle against them and their Battle Dragons.


    What astonished Elder Wan Xin the most was that within his illusion, he could not find any trace of Lin Hao.


    Not even his strongest Illusion Technique, combined with the internal Array of the Divine Presence Hall, had managed to drag Lin Hao into his illusion.


    However, at this time, he could only spare no effort to suppress these few Ninth Realm warriors within the shortest time frame possible.


    Lin Rui had indeed not fallen into the illusion, but he was also unable to move.


    The lightning strike from Elder Wan Xin had nearly shattered his internal organs and bones throughout his body.


    His vision was even darkening, on the verge of fainting.


    The only thought in Lin Rui¡¯s mind at that time was that he could not let the fragments of the Divine Tablet fall into Elder Wan Xin¡¯s hands.


    Fortunately for him, his Spiritual Sky Dragon was still present, this Battle Dragon formed from the projection of spiritual power was even slowly recovering.


    Lin Rui controlled the Battle Dragon, reaching for the Abyss Divine Tablet fragments.


    At the same time, a void passageway also formed in front of the Spiritual Sky Dragon, leading directly to a location 70 kilometers away.


    This was the maximum distance of the Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯s void traversing ability.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t hesitate at all as he manipulated the Battle Dragon to throw the Abyss Divine Tablet fragments into the corridor.


    One piece, two pieces, three piecesa?€¡±


    At the same time, he sent a message in his senior management group chat.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Use the stealth spaceship with the best invisibility immediately to pick up these stone tablet fragments from this location, remember to be quick!


    Be sure to remain undetected, you cannot afford to be discovered!


    The Spiritual Sky Dragon had already lifted the fourth piece of the Divine Tablet, but at that moment, Lin Rui could no longer hold on.


    His vision turned black as he lost consciousness and fainted.


    In that same instant, the projection of the Spiritual Sky Dragon he had summoned collapsed and disappeared.

 Chapter 508

    ?Chapter 508: Chapter 481: Base (Three More, Subscription Request) Chapter 508: Chapter 481: Base (Three More, Subscription Request) At the same time when Lin Rui fell into a coma, Li Xianglong, Xu Mengran, Odin, and others had already retreated to a base set up by the Security Bureau, twenty thousand li away.


    From the beginning of their action, they had already made a plan to retreat immediately after 10 minutes, regardless of whether they succeeded or not.


    This place is not far from Luojing City, once that entity from the East Abyss awakens, few of them would be able to escape, so the speed of action must be fast, and they cannot afford to be entangled in battle.


    However, this operation was both a failure and a success.


    Although the rescue by those four Divine Envoys prevented them from wiping out the Da Liao delegation and seizing the fragment of the Divine Tablet, Li Xianglong managed to slice off some debris from the Divine Tablet fragment with a 9SSS+ a?€¡± that is, a Secret Sword of Super Monarch of Ninth Realm level, under the cover of the others, five minutes into the battle.


    That was when the people of the Da Liao delegation were pushed into a tight corner, forcing Elder Baili Yu, the Third Divine Envoy of Da Liao, to use the Divine Tablet fragment as a shield to withstand Li Xianglong¡¯s Super Monarch Secret Sword.


    Unfortunately, they gained nothing thereafter.


    ...


    The Third Divine Envoy, Baili Yu, possessed a Divine Artifact, with combat power rivaling a Tenth Realm Longevity.


    His Eight Dragons Flying Chariot, not only serving as a means of transportation, was also a large-scale combat Magic Artifact, as tricky as the highest military fortress of the Federation.


    Subsequent Divine Envoys who arrived one after another also had formidable power!


    Although they, unlike Baili Yu, did not possess Divine Artifacts, their combat power generally surpassed the Emperor Rank of the Ninth Realm of the Federation, only Li Xianglong and Kou Xuan Wang were capable of confronting them head-on.


    If they hadn¡¯t retreated decisively, and Xu Mengran hadn¡¯t made thorough preparations for their withdrawal, today they might well have suffered casualties.


    Inside the base, there were various types of state-of-the-art measurement and scanning equipment.


    A skinny elderly man dressed in a white lab coat and wearing smart glasses personally oversaw the examination of the fragments.


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    ¡°Good heavens!


    I guess this thing must be part of the so-called ¡®Root¡¯.¡±


    The skinny elderly man looked at various data from the Divine Tablet fragments: ¡°It could well have been torn directly from the ¡®Root¡¯.


    I wonder which mighty person did this.


    Are there actually such beings tens of thousands of years ago who could achieve this?


    They must have escaped from the Root to some extent.


    I suggest sending it back to the Federation Science Academy as soon as possible for a joint detailed investigation with the East Asia Science Academy, as the equipment here is neither comprehensive nor secure enougha?€¡±¡±


    However, Li Xianglong was in a bad mood because he received news of an incident at the ¡®Divine Arrival Palace¡¯.


    Elder Wan Xin of the Bright Holy Sect attacked the ¡®Divine Arrival Palace¡¯, and his Battle Dragon ¡®Spiritual Bright Mind Ape Dragon¡¯ appeared in the sky above the ¡®Divine Arrival Palace¡¯, with the inside situation unknown.


    However, when Li Xianglong thought about those three missing Abyss Divine Tablets, he couldn¡¯t help but frown deeply, with rage surging in his heart.


    ¡°Search!


    Fully search for this Elder Wan Xin¡¯s whereabouts!¡±


    And the three pieces of the Abyss Divine Tablets taken by the Bright Holy Sect must also be retrieved at all costs.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Meanwhile, three thousand miles north of Luojing City, inside a secret base built deep in the Four Stripes Mountain under the dispatch of Lin Rui, Gong Hengdao, Wang Tianwu, and Fei Yunlai were unloading cargo from a Guardian Battleship.


    They were together moving a huge rock that looked like a piece of a stone tablet, measuring six feet in diameter, from the Guardian Battleship.


    Despite the rock being only this small, it required the combined strength of three people to be moved off the starship.


    ¡°What is this thing?


    It¡¯s so heavy!


    Oddly, the starship¡¯s intelligent system shows that this object only weighs 120 kilograms, but the two of us, in the Seventh Realm, and one in the Eighth Realm, can barely move it.


    When I pour my True Yuan into it, it¡¯s like a clay ox entering the sea, vanishing without a trace.¡±


    Wang Tianwu was immensely surprised: ¡°If it weren¡¯t for bringing the Guardian Battleship, we could¡¯ve exhausted our Primordial Qi just moving it ten or twenty miles.¡±


    Yet strangely, when they placed the stone tablet fragment on the base¡¯s internal transport vehicle, it didn¡¯t crush the vehicle, truly weighing only 120 kilograms.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡± Gong Hengdao slightly shook his head: ¡°But since the BOSS said it needs to be concealed, it must not be discovered by others, showing the object¡¯s extreme importance.


    For safety¡¯s sake, it¡¯s best to hide it in the lead room.


    I¡¯ll leave this to you; I need to adjust the Defense System and install those several etheric cloaking devices.¡±


    Although the base was initially completed, the internal defense facilities were still not perfect, and the various devices were not yet fully in place.


    After Gong Hengdao left, Fei Yunlai stroked his chin and looked at the stone in front of him with a suspicious gaze: ¡°Definitely something odd, it doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary object.


    The BOSS is taking this very seriouslya?€¡±especially since there were strong etheric fluctuations in that Shenlin Palace just now, probably from a massive battle involving numerous ninth-realm Martial Cultivators.


    I even saw a dragon above the palacea?€¡±¡±


    Just then, the two simultaneously received two messages.


    One was that from that moment on, Luojing City would enforce a city-wide martial law; the other was that their BOSS, Lin Rui, was severely injured and unconscious.


    Fei Yunlai and Wang Tianwu exchanged looks, their eyes showing a mix of shock and concern.

 Chapter 509

    ?Chapter 509: Chapter 482 Invincible (Please Subscribe) Chapter 509: Chapter 482 Invincible (Please Subscribe) ¡°`


    Above the vast ocean, a streak of golden light fled rapidly.


    At this time, sunlight shone universally, and wherever the sun¡¯s rays reached, the golden light could thread its way through.


    However, the ¡®god¡¯ he was desperately evading was faster, with its sky-covering hand drawing ever closer, enveloping heaven and earth as though intending to grasp the entire world in its hold, leaving no escape for the golden light, no haven to flee to, as if there were no path to heaven and no door into the earth.


    But just as this golden light passed over a large island with a radius of a thousand miles, a Bright Giant engulfed in flames suddenly rose into the air from an altar on the island.


    At this moment, one could see around the altar hundreds of thousands of people on their knees, their heads touching the ground, motionless.


    If one looked closely, they would notice that these people were completely devoid of any signs of life.


    If one could turn their gaze within the Bright Giant, they would see that its entire body was made of congealed human blood.


    ...


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    In that instant, the Bright Giant, towering over a thousand feet tall, suddenly burst apart, turning into specks of blood scattering in all directions before violently igniting, reducing to minute particles.


    Thanks to the sacrifice of the giant, the golden light had already made its way tens of thousands of miles away, concealing itself in a hidden cave dwelling deep beneath the ocean.


    The golden light manifested in the cave dwelling ¨C he was at least twelve feet tall, dressed in red, wearing gleaming Battle Armor, with sideburns sharp as swords, and facial features as rigid as iron a?€¡° it was none other than the ¡®King Ming¡¯ of the current Bright Holy Sect, Yin Qianqiu!


    But the visage of this figure was quite ragged and pitiful.


    Not only were his facial features bleeding from all seven orifices, but he also lacked a hand and a foot.


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    Yin Qianqiu first extracted several Elixirs from his sleeve and swallowed them, then took out a syringe and injected himself in the neck.


    He sat down cross-legged to fully concentrate on healing, and after six hours, Yin Qianqiu barely managed to suppress the injuries in his body, restore the flesh and bones of his limbs, and changed into a set of clean and opulent clothes before soaring into the air, heading deeper into the cave dwelling.


    Though Yin Qianqiu¡¯s body appeared intact, his internal organs were continuously breaking down and disintegrating.


    Even with his strong regenerative abilities, he could only barely maintain himself with the concentrated nutritional injections of the Heavenly Demon, contending against the Abyss Power within his body.


    His restored left hand and left foot appeared unscathed but were in fact still non-functional.


    Deep within this cave dwelling, there stood an apparatus capable of Quantum Communication.


    When Yin Qianqiu activated the projector, a woman dressed in a red robe with a charming temperament and beauty immediately appeared in front of him.


    She was the ¡®Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯, one of the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings of the Bright Holy Sect.


    ¡°Your Highness King Ming!¡± Tian Xiang Divine Envoy first paid her respects, then looked at Yin Qianqiu with a hint of concern: ¡°Thank goodness Your Highness was able to escape successfully.


    May I ask how you are now?¡±


    The secret artifact of their Holy Sect, the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, not only has tremendously dreadful power, rivaling that of the Abyss, but also enables one to master an incredibly potent Escape Skill.


    However, just now in Luojing, Tian Xiang Divine Envoy had witnessed King Ming suffer a Divine Punishment from the East Abyss, and she knew his injuries must be extremely severe.


    a?€¡± This was none other than a part of the Supreme Divine Artifact ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯.


    Originally, this object should have been even more powerful, but a few months ago, someone usurped the Pure Method concealed within the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯,


    Yin Qianqiu couldn¡¯t help but be nervous; he wanted to know who it was that had usurped the Pure Method, and by what means did they snatch away this Abyss Concept?


    At the same time, Yin Qianqiu also wanted to further conceptualize his Martial Arts Extreme Intent through the power of the Abyss Divine Tablet.


    Only by doing so could Yin Qianqiu truly master the might of the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ and truly harness its Abyss Power.


    And perhaps in the future, even further unlock the gates of the Abyss.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui, who had been returned to Lin Mansion, finally awoke leisurely in a surgical chamber in the basement of Lin Mansion.


    As he opened his eyes, the first people he saw were Ji Xueying and Lin Xi, who were looking at him with anxious eyes.


    ¡°Brother?


    How are you feeling now?¡± Lin Rui asked while observing the surgical chamber¡¯s monitoring data.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡±


    Lin Rui felt a burning pain all over his body, but to him, it was just child¡¯s play.


    Lin Rui looked around with a vacant gaze before snapping to attention and immediately opening the high officials¡¯ group chat to check the messages from Gong Hengdao and the others.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Don¡¯t worry, BOSS, it will definitely be taken care of.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Found it, is this the object, BOSS?


    We are transporting them back now.


    Wang Tianwu even posted a few photos of the Divine Tablet fragments in the high officials¡¯ group chat.


    Gong Hengdao: BOSS, these stones have been transported back to base, and we¡¯ve stored them in the lead room for safekeeping.


    There were also some messages inquiring about his injuries and condition.


    Lin Rui felt a weight lifted from his chest, thinking that these Divine Tablet fragments hadn¡¯t been stolen by Elder Wan Xin,


    Especially the piece belonging to Great Song; supervised by Luo Wangshu, if this object were lost, he would likely face severe punishment.


    Lin Rui sent a few brief replies and then forced himself to stand up out of the Sleeping pod.


    He had to return these three stones to Luo Wangshu as soon as possible.


    Just as Lin Rui took out his official seal, ready to contact Luo Wangshu for more details, Lu Hanyuan sent him a message.


    Lu Hanyuan: Mr.


    Lin, a Priest from the Divine Palace bearing a Divine Decree has come to visit, please make preparations quickly.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression instantly turned stern, wondering to himself ¡®Divine Decree¡¯?


    What decree does the Divine have for him at this time?

 Chapter 510

    ?Chapter 510: Chapter 483: Promoted Again (Please Subscribe) Chapter 510: Chapter 483: Promoted Again (Please Subscribe) The Divine Decree brought by the Divine Palace Priest was unexpectedly an order to promote Lin Rui and bestow a nobility on him.


    Lin Rui¡¯s current official position is still the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, but his ¡®official rank¡¯a?€¡±or ¡®military rank¡¯a?€¡±was raised by two levels, promoting him to a Standard Fourth Rank General of Unhindered Passage.


    In addition, Divine above also conferred upon him the divine office of Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace.


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    The position of Great Chief Priest in the Divine Palace is equivalent to a Fourth Rank official in the court, but this identity is much more prestigious.


    Although it lacks real power, it holds more symbolic significance, and people within the Imperial City Department wish for such an office, but cannot obtain it.


    It appears that both the Emperor and the three Great Divine Envoys are also conferred with divine offices in the Divine Palace.


    ...


    The Emperor is the Super Celestial Master of the Divine Palace, and the three Great Divine Envoys are First-rank Lesser Celestial Masters of the Divine Palace.


    Below them, there are the Second Rank Red Priest and Third-rank Capital Chief Priest, similar to the divine office system of the Bright Holy Sect.


    The divine office setting of the Bright Holy Sect is actually copied from several members of the Abyss Divine Palace.


    Lin Rui being conferred the office of Great Chief Priest almost clearly indicates his status in the leadership echelon of the Great Song.


    Like the twelve candidate Divine Envoys of Great Song, the ones currently lower in ranking are also Fourth-rank Great Chief Priests like him.


    After hearing the decree, Lin Rui thought that his household threshold needed to be well-maintained again, as this Divine Decree would mean his threshold would be frequently visited by officials and scholars of Great Song.


    Yet, he felt puzzled and did not understand why the East Abyss had bestowed such an honor on him again?


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    Also, what was the situation in the Divine Arrival Palace after he fell unconscious?


    Lin Rui had already tried to contact Luo Wangshu but couldn¡¯t get through.


    Lin Rui gave the Divine Palace Priest, who delivered the decree, 50 gold bills with a denomination of one hundred taels, and only then did he learn the details from him.


    It must be mentioned that this person¡¯s divine office is also ¡®Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace¡¯.


    He was very satisfied with Lin Rui¡¯s understanding and generous enthusiasm, speaking in a very close and warm tone, ¡°Divine above has already issued a gag order that not a word is to be leaked outside, but since Mr.


    Lin, you are the person involved in the change at the Divine Arrival Palace and also the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, and you are still to take on the responsibility of pursuing the fragments of the Divine Tablet and dealing with the Bright Holy Sect, you indeed have the right to know, so it¡¯s okay for me to say a few more words.


    Mr.


    Lin, you probably don¡¯t know that after you were unconscious, out of the four fragments of the Divine Tablet in the Divine Arrival Palace, three were taken away by Elder Wan Xina?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s spirits were shaken, thinking that only three fragments were lost?


    Then all three fragments are in his possession.


    This ¡®Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace¡¯ continued, ¡°At the time Elder Wan Xin retreated, Divine above had already awakened, and from three thousand miles away, he executed Elder Wan Xin on the spot, yet these three fragments of the Divine Tablet disappeared without a trace.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils slightly dilated, his eyes revealing a hint of exceptional gleam.


    Elder Wan Xin had actually died?


    That means, in the eyes of the East Abyss, the Son of Heaven and the First Divine Envoy, whose cultivation are only at the Super Monarch of the Ninth Realm, fundamentally have the ability to suppress the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming who possesses the Supreme Divine Artifact ¡®Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder¡¯?


    The so-called cunning and sly, implies that they deliberately hid their strength, ¡®cunning¡¯ and ¡®sly¡¯ may refer to them intentionally watching the outcome between the master and Divine Palace, or it might carry other meanings.


    The Divine Above truly has discerning eyes, not tolerating any faults.


    ¡°However, the responsibility to retrieve the fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet still falls on you and the Spy Detection Bureau.


    The Divine Above has already instructed the Divine Envoy to grant you full authority to investigate the Divine Tablet fragments and matters related to the Demon Sect.


    It won¡¯t be long before the Divine Envoy issues the decree.¡±


    At this moment, the ¡®Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace¡¯ looked around and whispered into Lin Rui¡¯s ear: ¡°Let me give you some early information; after the return of the Divine Above, he had the Great Celestial Master of the Divine Palace trace back to the scene of the incident at the Divine Palace and observe the star formation, divining the whereabouts of the Divine Tablet fragments.


    I happened to be present.¡±


    Lin Rui knew that this Great Celestial Master of the Divine Palace was truly the supreme head of the Divine Palace, not only commanding the Divine Palace in the clouds but also the top stargazer of this era.


    He didn¡¯t originally care much, as the fragments of the Divine Tablet were already in his possession, and Lin Rui had no intention to conceal them.


    For those at the peak of the Ninth Realm, seeking Longevity and the power of the Abyss, this item might be a treasure, but for him, it was somewhat a hot potato.


    He then heard the ¡®Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace¡¯ say: ¡°The Great Celestial Master exerted a great deal of effort, reportedly even consuming some of her lifespan, yet still failed.


    She said that the Divine Tablet was accompanied by the power of the Abyss, its timeline suppressed, with an unclear fate, preventing her from tracing back to the scene of the incident at the Divine Palace or determining the exact location of the Divine Tablet.


    She could only infer that the three fragments were still within the borders of Great Song, not exceeding ten thousand miles around Luojing.


    Lord Lin, after you receive the decree from the Divine Envoy, you can base your investigations on this divination to find out the truth.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s face subtly changed, his brows furrowing.


    Since the Divine Tablet fragments are tied to the fate of the Abyss, should the fragments still be handed over?


    If he hands them in now, wouldn¡¯t it confirm his involvement with the Abyss?


    ¡°By the way!¡± the ¡®Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace¡¯ recalled another matter: ¡°Your Heavenly Demon Armor has been taken by the Great Celestial Master of the Divine Palace.


    Upon inspection, the Heavenly Demon Technology within that set of armor can actually defend against Elder Wan Xin¡¯s Illusion Poison, which must be why you were able to stay conscious at that time, and soon, the Divine Palace will offer you compensation.¡±


    Lin Rui frowned again; this set of Heavenly Demon Armor was quite significant to him, heavily relied upon.


    After all, although Lin Rui was nearing complete Dragon Transformation, it would still take one to two months.


    What if a powerful opponent appears during this time?


    However, it was the Great Celestial Master of the Divine Palace who took this item, a being of the same rank as the Son of Heaven.


    He could do nothing but look forward to the so-called ¡®compensation¡¯ from the Divine Palace.


    Lin Rui then suppressed all miscellaneous thoughts and warmly escorted the ¡®Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace¡¯ out the door.


    They even exchanged contact information; they could now contact each other using official seals and thirty-thousand-mile Flying Books.


    Lin Rui also learned the name of this ¡®Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace.¡¯ This individual was named Han Yuanba and was actually one of the few direct disciples of the Great Celestial Master.


    At the same time, Lin Rui generously handed him a whopping five-thousand taels in banknotes!

 Chapter 511

    ?Chapter 511: Chapter 484: Authority (Three more for subscription) Chapter 511: Chapter 484: Authority (Three more for subscription) After sending Han Yuanba away, Lin Rui sat in the main hall of his mansion, silently staring at several photos sent by Wang Tianwu.


    He wondered why the East Abyss would engage in astrology.


    He clearly had no intention of dealing with this hot potato, yet East Abyss forced him to take it in hand.


    This item was somewhat useful to Lin Rui, but not extremely so.


    He was already a person of the Abyss, having grasped the concept of Abyss Power, and he was not eager about the idea of conceptualizing Martial Intent.


    ¡°What has happened?¡±


    Lin Xi sat beside him, her expression filled with suspicion as she asked, ¡°Brother, how did you get hurt so badly?


    And why is the entire city under martial law today?¡±


    Ever since Luo Wangshu brought Lin Rui home, she had been inquiring about the cause and details of the incident.


    ...


    However, due to a gag order from above, Lin Xi was still unclear and suspected it might involve the Outer Heaven Demon and the Demon Sect, given several battles had occurred outside the city and there was also martial law within.


    The others present, including Shangguan Tianyi, Ji Xueying, Lu Hanyuan, Wang Sen, and others, also looked at Lin Rui with puzzled eyes.


    They were extremely anxious and very curious.


    Lin Rui rubbed his forehead, his mind slowly settling.


    He couldn¡¯t just hand over this item but would need to devise a strategy with his master.


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    Even if he were to hand it over, it couldn¡¯t be done directly; he would need to find a scapegoat.


    Now, this responsibility could only be shouldered by the Bright Holy Sect.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, my injuries are severe but they don¡¯t harm the essentials.¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head and sighed, ¡°As for the cause and reason behind this incident, I can¡¯t disclose it yet.@@@@


    Perhaps later, when there¡¯s a chance to leave the city, you will naturally understand.


    Right now, I¡¯m not sure whether I¡¯m unlucky or fortunatea?€¡±¡±


    The people before him were undoubtedly trustworthy, including Lu Hanyuan, who were aware of Lin Rui¡¯s identity as an Alien Walker and even knew he had mastered the Abyss Concept.


    Their fates were intertwined with Lin Rui¡¯s, sharing both honor and loss, their lives bound together.


    Next, he needed to properly handle this fragment of the Divine Tablet, relying heavily on his friends and family present.


    The people present, upon hearing his words, had different thoughts.


    Lu Hanyuan speculated that this Director Lin, was certainly not just the simple commander of Spy Detection Bureau Lin Hao; he must hold some astonishing secrets.


    Ji Xueying clenched her swords tightly, thinking she must achieve Dragon Transformation as soon as possible!


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be much help during her master¡¯s time of peril.


    Shangguan Tianyi was filled with regret; she should have followed earlier.


    Even if reprimanded by the Third Divine Envoy, she should have stayed close to her master.


    She must take this as a lesson and never be careless again.


    Moreover, it would be great if teacher Xianyu could also join their master¡¯s side.


    With her and her disciple around, no one could threaten their master¡¯s life.


    At this moment, Lin Rui received a message from Li Xianglong.


    Li Xianglong: Lin Rui, how are you now?


    At least as far as Lin Rui knew, there had never been such a case since the founding of the Great Song Dynasty.


    By this time, after two hours of recuperation, Lin Rui¡¯s injuries had only just begun to improve.


    After receiving the decree, he had no choice but to drag his ¡°sick body¡± to the Imperial City Department to begin arranging the search for fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet.


    Lin Rui thought to himself he was searching for an Immortal Plate!


    The thing was right in his hands.


    How should he investigate this case?


    He didn¡¯t know either.


    Nevertheless, he still put on a stern and severe expression and summoned all the heads of the Spy Detection Bureau, the Imperial City Department, the Imperial Guard, and the Divine Guard to the main hall of his office.


    At this time, there were over a dozen First-rank and Second-rank officials in the hall, along with several dozens of Ninth and Eight Realm Martial Cultivators, all maintaining a solemn and respectful demeanor without any sign of disrespect.


    novgo.co


    Nearly everyone in the hall knew about Lin Hao¡¯s promotion to Fourth-rank ¡®General of Aggression,¡¯ and the fact that the Divine had granted him a Fourth-rank divine office, so no one dared to act rashly.


    Few of them were aware of the incident where the First Divine Envoy and the Emperor were publicly flogged in front of numerous Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators by East Abyss, and the Third Divine Envoy Luo Wangshu was also punished to face the wall.


    Yet after the Divine¡¯s fury, Lin Hao¡¯s rank actually increased rather than decreased, which was even rarer.


    This clearly showed the increased trust from the Divine towards this Supervisor of the Spy Detection Bureau, and Lin Hao had evidently moved further up in the line of succession for the Divine Envoya?€¡±


    Despite the decree stating that Lin Hao was to assist Luo Wangshu, since the Third Divine Envoy needed to stay in Capital to manage the administrative affairs of both the Divine Envoy and the Imperial City Department, which kept him busy with numerous matters.


    Therefore, ultimately, the sole person in charge of annihilating the Bright Holy Sect and the Outer Heaven Demon was Lin Hao, who was currently managing them.


    Since the matter of the Divine Tablet was confidential, the decree these people received was to assist Lin Hao in investigating the Bright Holy Sect and Outer Heaven Demons.


    At this moment, the atmosphere in the main hall was solemn, causing Lin Rui¡¯s mood to turn heavy.


    Holding the tea cup handed to him by Shangguan Tianyi, he spoke in a chilling voice: ¡°Our primary focus is on investigating the Demon Sect, but we must not overlook the Outer Heaven Demons either.


    You all should know by now, these remnants of the Demon Sect have colluded with Outer Heaven Demons to attack the emissaries from four nations just outside our Luojing City, showing utter disrespect to our Great Song Dynasty!¡±


    ¡°Starting from now, within a 15,000-kilometer radius around Luojing City, we must establish checkpoints every ten kilometers and guard posts every hundred steps.


    We must thoroughly check all passing individuals and materials, interrogate every suspicious person thoroughly, and anyone related to the Bright Holy Sect and the Heavenly Demons must be sent to Capital Citya?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui took a sip of his tea, thinking to himself that this was truly never-ending.


    When would the prices of major materials from the base city on Sky Extreme Star come down?


    Lin Rui sighed quietly, his voice growing even more stern: ¡°Especially pay attention to passing materials.


    The Ministry of Industry and the Divine Affairs Office are urgently crafting a batch of tokens.


    These tokens will be used for detection; as soon as they sense something, you must notify me and the Third Divine Envoy immediately.


    This matter is of great significance, anyone who dares neglect their duties, allowing any demonic entities of the Demon Sect to escape, will find no place for their burial by my hand!¡±


    ¡°Additionally, we must enforce a no-fly zone.


    All flying artifacts inside and outside Luojing City must be activated to block a 12,000-kilometer area in the sky, no Heavenly Demon ships or artifacts should be allowed to pass through from above, the Divine Palace will also cooperate with usa?€¡±¡±


    As Lin Rui was speaking, he saw two graceful women walking towards the hall from outside.


    They glanced inside from the doorway and then stood waiting outside.


    Those were Luo Wangshu¡¯s Dragon Guard Captain Jing Yuefang and Deputy Captain Su Xinmei.


    Lin Rui immediately understood that these two were likely worried about Luo Wangshu and had come to inquire about the situation.


    Suddenly, an idea crossed his mind, thinking about Luo Wangshu¡¯s Eight Dragon Chariot, which was to transport the three fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet to the Capital.


    Indeed, Luo Wangshu¡¯s chariot was the most suitable vehicle for the task.

 Chapter 512

    ?Chapter 512: Chapter 485: It is Actually This Item (Please Subscribe) Chapter 512: Chapter 485: It is Actually This Item (Please Subscribe) Two quarters of an hour later, Lin Rui assigned tasks to each department and then invited the two Dragon Guards waiting outside inside.


    Jing Yuefang and Su Xinmei had indeed come to Lin Rui out of concern for Luo Wangshu and to inquire about the details.


    Although the two of them had high cultivation and were esteemed as Super Emperors of Eight Realms, due to their status as Dragon Guards, they were quite isolated from information.


    Lin Rui reassured them briefly, explained Luo Wangshu¡¯s current situation, and also borrowed that powerful vehicle, the Eight Dragon Chariot, from them.


    Jing Yuefang was somewhat hesitant, but after some pondering, she agreed.


    She knew that Lin Hao was the one closest and most trusted by their master.


    Luo Wangshu had already instructed them that if anything were to happen to her, Lin Hao would inherit all that she had.


    ...


    a?€¡±This was the successor designated by the master.


    Moreover, his reason for needing the chariot was to patrol outside the city for safety concerns.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s Eight Dragon Chariot was not only incredibly fast in tunneling speed but also possessed extremely strong defensive capabilities.


    That same night, Lin Rui took Lin Xi, Shangguan Tianyi, and Lu Hanyuan, three people in total, with him as they rode the Eight Dragon Chariot out of the city.


    He put on a show, first circling around the Divine Palace and the site of Elder Wan Xin¡¯s death, then piloted the Flying Chariot around the nearby area a few times.


    At first, Lin Rui had a faint sense of being watched, but after several high-speed turns with the Flying Chariot, that feeling of being tailed gradually disappeared.


    During the ride, however, the Demon Dragon named ¡®Ma Tianlong¡¯ kept secretly talking to him through spiritual transmission, speaking in a pitiful tone that evoked sympathy.


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    ¡°Commander, I beg you, just lend me a hand so I can break free from being treated like livestock.


    I¡¯m willing to work tirelessly for you.¡±


    ¡°I am even willing to sign a Blood Covenant; whatever you ask of me, I¡¯ll do it, just to break free from the Divine Envoy¡¯s pen.¡±


    ¡°I can really work like an ox or horse, willing to be at the disposal of you, the Commander.¡±


    Lin Rui felt some compassion, but when he thought about Ma Tianlong¡¯s actions in Wangcheng County, he felt that the creature deserved it.


    However, Lin Rui was also curious: ¡°Ma Tianlong, how did you advance to the Emperor Bloodline?¡±


    Lin Rui knew that Ma Tianlong was in a very bad situation, being a new dragon, he was constantly bullied in Luo Wangshu¡¯s pen.


    At Lin Rui¡¯s question, Ma Tianlong stumbled over his words: ¡°I¡¯m not very clear; I was constantly being beaten and somehow my bloodline advanced.


    It might relate to the body cultivation method I practiced.


    I trained some strengthening techniques.¡±


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes, thinking that this Demon Dragon seemed to harbor some little secrets.


    One day he might need to administer a dose of Truth Serum to him.


    Nevertheless, he had more pressing matters at hand.


    Before long, Lin Rui piloted the Eight Dragon Flying Chariot past Four Stripes Mountain.


    It was impossible for Lin Rui to bring these three pieces of the Divine Tablet to Ninth Base City.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xi immediately touched it with her hand, and after a moment, she frowned and her eyes narrowed: ¡°This thing can indeed enhance my Martial Intent, making my Martial Intent conceptual, which allows me to maintain my sense of self, but it can also increase the Abyss Source Material in my body.¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s Martial Intent was condensed two months ago.


    Her Martial Intent was also very simple, which was ¡®protection¡¯.


    Lin Xi knew that this stemmed from the strongest obsession in her hearta?€¡±her desire to protect everything she currently had.


    Initially, Lin Xi wasn¡¯t very satisfied with her Martial Intent, thinking it was strong on defense but weak on offense.


    However, she promptly adjusted her mindset: the extremity of Martial Arts depends on how the user plays with it, how it is used.


    There are no weak extremes in Martial Arts, only weak users.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but utter an ¡®umm,¡¯ falling into deep thought.


    That is to say, it is necessary to remove the part belonging to Despair Venerate from Lin Xi¡¯s body to benefit from the shards of the Divine Tablet.


    At this moment, several lines of text appeared on the piece of the Divine Tablet that Lin Xi was touching.


    After translation by Lin Rui¡¯s Biological Intelligent Chip, they read ¡®Senses the current holder to be the Soul Container of Despair Venerate,¡¯ ¡®God Era 535431, Despair Venerate ruled over the laws of Despair and Destruction,¡¯ ¡®God Era 539631, Despair Venerate usurped the law of Destruction.¡¯


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly, thinking that this Despair Venerate seems to be from a recent era, within the last 100,000 years.


    Moreover, the Conceptual Power he wielded was extremely potent.


    Just then, Lin Rui received a million-mile Flying Book from Luo Wangshu.


    When he opened the Flying Book, Luo Wangshu¡¯s voice directly came out: ¡°Hao, where are you now?


    How are your injuries?


    If there¡¯s nothing amiss, best come see me at my Divine Envoy Institute as soon as possible.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s spirits lifted instantly, it seems his mentor had finished her seclusion, and looking at the time, it was indeed about right.


    However, his mentor¡¯s voice lacked its usual languid and leisurely tone, sounding rather weary.


    Lin Rui took one last look at the Divine Tablet in front of him, wrote a note by hand, and sent it back to Luo Wangshu through the million-mile Flying Book.


    In just a short moment, the Flying Book reached Luo Wangshu¡¯s hands.


    When Luo Wangshu opened the Flying Book and saw the note inside, she paused in slight surprise.


    Lin Hao wrote that he was currently unable to leave his place to go to the Imperial City, asking her a?€¡° his mentor a?€¡° to go to Lin Mansion instead, as there was an extremely urgent matter to discuss.


    At this time, Luo Wangshu had just stepped down from the Divine Palace not long ago, feeling both exhausted and headache-ridden.


    Exhaustion because it was the first time in decades she had encountered such a major setback.


    The headache stemmed from those pieces of the Abyss Divine Tablet; getting them back from the hands of the Bright Holy Sect was easier said than done.


    Luo Wangshu was preparing to discuss strategies with Lin Hao, but now he was asking her to rush to Lin Mansion immediately.


    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder, does Hao not realize the current situation is urgent??

 Chapter 513

    ?Chapter 513: Chapter 493: Godly (Please Subscribe) Chapter 513: Chapter 493: Godly (Please Subscribe) Only three minutes later, Lin Rui, who was controlling the eight-dragon flying chariot, returned above Lin Mansion and slowly descended in the backyard.


    This enormous chariot occupied a large half of the Lin Mansion¡¯s backyard.


    Next, as before, the first step was to seal off the senses of the eight flying dragons and then transport out the three fragments of the Divine Tablet.


    Lin Rui had already asked Wang Sen and his Ice Blood Demon, as well as Ji Xueying, to reinforce the lead room for protective surgery underground.


    To prevent any mishaps, the surgery room here was also fortified with a thick layer of lead, with several layers of graphene embedded in between, and an outer coating that could defend against nuclear radiation.


    However, Lin Rui never dared to use the Purifying Fire inside this lead room for surgery.


    At this moment, in order to preserve the fragments of the Divine Tablet, Lin Rui continued to strengthen them to ensure absolute safety.


    ...


    But just as they were moving the Divine Tablet fragments off the chariot, Lu Hanyuan, who was responsible for guarding the surroundings, sent another message.


    Lu Hanyuan: Director Lin, another Divine Envoy has arrived; it¡¯s the same Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace from before.


    At this time, everyone present, including Lin Xi, felt a chill and broke out into a cold sweat.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s expression remained calm.


    He waved his hand to signal everyone to continue moving things and went out to greet the guest with a hearty laugh.


    The Divine Envoy who came to his mansion this time was indeed Han Yuanba, the new friend Lin Rui had just made.


    The purpose of the Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace¡¯s visit to Lin Mansion was to deliver an item as ordered by the Great Celestial Mastera?€¡±a compensation for requisitioning Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Heavenly Demon Armor¡¯.


    Go to novgo.co


    It was a set of gold-inlaid, exceptionally magnificent ¡®Heavenly Demon Armor¡¯!


    It was said to have been a tribute made by the Mechanical God Temple 100 years ago, offered to East Abyss.


    Of course, the East Abyss had no use for such an item.


    After receiving this tribute, it was discarded into a storeroom to gather dust.


    This time the Great Celestial Master had suddenly recalled this special edition of the Heavenly Demon Armor, and had it dug out to serve as compensation for Lin Hao.


    Initially, Lin Rui did not take it seriously.


    The Heavenly Demon Armor was a creation of the Mechanical Masters, modeled after combat mechas, crafted specifically for fourth and fifth realm Martial Cultivators, allowing lower-level Martial Cultivators to prematurely possess the power of the Dragon Stage.


    Moreover, due to the stagnation of advances in Mechanical Techniques over the past hundred years, the limit for the Heavenly Demon Armor was set between the Sixth and Seventh Realm.


    novgo.co


    Besides, since this armor was crafted a hundred years ago, how good could it possibly be?


    However, when Han Yuanba opened the case, Lin Rui was slightly taken aback.


    This Heavenly Demon Armor was not of the normal dragon armor scale, which was two to three zhang tall; it was only twelve feet high, slightly taller than the exoskeleton armor of the Earth Federation and matched the physique of the people of Tianji Star.


    Moreover, embedded in the chest of this dragon armor was an object resembling an Outer Elixir of the Seventh Realm, though its specific functions and divine power could only be understood after Lin Rui wore it.


    In addition, the armor¡¯s decoration was extremely luxurious, with nine chapters engraved on it, depicting the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, flowers, ancestral motifs, algae, and fire.


    Tianji Star had its nine and twelve chapters, which were extremely similar to the robes of princes and emperors of ancient East Asia.


    Lin Rui looked at Han Yuanba in astonishment: ¡°Brother Han, the nine chapters are emblems of princes and crown princes, isn¡¯t this commanding?¡±


    He had noticed earlier that the eight Flying Dragons had their eyes covered and needles inserted in their necks, probably to seal their senses and Spiritual Sense.


    But why?


    Just as Han Yuanba was about to inquire further, he heard the sound of a languid and enchanting female voice from behind: ¡°What¡¯s going on?


    A Divine Envoy visits your mansion in the middle of the night?¡±


    Han Yuanba turned around and saw a woman standing behind him, her eyebrows like distant hills lightly filled in, her eyes like pools of autumn water, exuding a cool and ethereal aura a?€¡± it was Luo Wangshu.


    His face instantly became solemn as he bowed respectfully: ¡°This servant greets the Junior Celestial Master!¡±


    He addressed Luo Wangshu by her Divine Office.


    ¡°This item, was it the Great Celestial Master who had you deliver it?¡±


    Luo Wangshu walked beside Lin Rui, looking at the Heavenly Demon Armor in the case: ¡°You may go back and report to the Great Celestial Master.


    Tell him that Lin Hao graciously accepts the Dragon Armor this time.


    But too much is as bad as too little; let this not become a precedent.¡±


    Han Yuanba¡¯s heart tightened instantly as he bowed in acknowledgment.


    Then, without saying goodbye to Lin Rui, he left the courtyard with his entourage in a dejected manner.


    Luo Wangshu let out a light snort upon seeing this.


    She initially wanted to remind Lin Hao of the Great Celestial Master¡¯s intentions, but then she thought that her disciple was extremely smart and swallowed her words.


    Luo Wangshu then asked Lin Rui with puzzlement: ¡°Little Hao, you borrowed my Flying Chariot and had me come over in the middle of the night, saying that there was something extremely urgent to discuss, what exactly is it?¡±


    She was really annoyed at the moment; if this youngster didn¡¯t give her a proper explanation, she would certainly pinch his ears blue.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t know how to explain at the moment.


    Seeing Han Yuanba and the others had left, he could only give a wry smile: ¡°Mentor, please follow me.¡±


    a?€¡± For now, he would show her the item.


    He led Luo Wangshu into the backyard, took the elevator, and entered the underground secret base.


    Luo Wangshu observed her surroundings with slightly knitted brows.


    She knew that Lin Hao had borrowed a great deal of items from the Identification Institute and was researching and tinkering at home, but she hadn¡¯t expected Lin Hao to be so extravagant.


    This whole path looked like it led to a secret base built by actual Outer Heaven Demons.


    ¡°Right here!¡± Lin Rui said as he pushed open the door to the lead surgery room.


    Luo Wangshu followed Lin Rui inside, initially focusing on the Heavenly Demon instruments, until her peripheral vision caught sight of the three stones in the corner.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Luo Wangshu¡¯s pupils suddenly dilated, almost spelling out word for word: ¡°Abyss Divine Tablet?¡±


    a?€¡± One, two, three; all the fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet, not a single one missing!


    Luo Wangshu was stunned for a moment, then she grabbed Lin Rui in front of her and ¡®smack¡¯, planted a kiss on his cheek.


    Although Luo Wangshu didn¡¯t know exactly what was happening, it was undoubtedly a good thing for her.


    Her disciple was truly remarkable!

 Chapter 514

    ?Chapter 514: Chapter 487: Carried Away in the Mouth (Third update, asking for monthly passes) Chapter 514: Chapter 487: Carried Away in the Mouth (Third update, asking for monthly passes) ¡°So it turns out to be this?


    This can also be considered an unexpected turn of events.¡±


    Luo Wangshu sat in the main hall of Lin Mansion¡¯s secret base, listening to Lin Rui¡¯s narration while sipping the hot tea served by Ji Xueying.


    She felt all the fatigue in her body disappear clean away in an instant.


    Lin Hao handled this matter well.


    What was rare was this disciple¡¯s wholehearted protective feelings toward her, which was very gratifying to her as a mentor.


    She did not pamper him in vain.


    Luo Wangshu then thought about the results of the Great Celestial Master¡¯s astral divination: ¡°This matter being related to the Abyss is indeed a bit troublesome, but it¡¯s not an insurmountable problem.


    ...


    You must have your own plans, right?


    How do you intend to deal with it?¡±


    This Divine being is really something; observing the stars for what?


    It only made things more complicated.


    She naturally wouldn¡¯t honestly return the shard.


    This thing just so happens to be able to help her rid herself of the Abyss Pollution.


    Go to novgo.co


    Originally, Luo Wangshu could only hope for Lin Hao to improve his cultivation and use the Pure Method to help her remove it, but unexpectedly, Hao has managed to secure three pieces of the Divine Tablet for her, which was a pleasant surprise.


    Of course, these things must eventually be handed over to that Divine being.


    The question is how to return them?


    novgo.co


    Lin Rui indeed had a plan: ¡°The Demon Sect must be eliminated, but the Bright Holy Sect has no Abyss, making it inconvenient to frame them.


    Recently, I have learned that an organization called the Longevity Association from the Outer Heaven Demon is studying the Abyss.


    The Luo Family¡¯s hidden demon case was the work of the Longevity Association, and I now have information on the general location of several of their secret bases.¡±


    a?€¡±a?€¡±In fact, not long ago he had just taken down one, killing 300 Longevity Association members and arresting over 200 people and sending them to jail.


    The housekeeper Lu Hanyuan was listening on the side, and after hearing this he felt a chill in his heart, thinking to himself that Master Lin indeed had a ruthless heart.


    ¡°The Longevity Association?¡±


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, then she spoke calmly: ¡°I¡¯ve vaguely heard about them; for now, let¡¯s tentatively choose them.


    However, let¡¯s wait another three months before taking any action.


    By then, if there is anything I can assist you with as your mentor, feel free to tell me.


    If there are more suitable targets in the meantime, we can also change our plan.¡±


    She then looked at Lin Rui: ¡°Where did the subordinates who helped you transport the Divine Tablet come from?


    Are they reliable?¡±


    ¡°Very reliable; their lives are tied to mine!¡±


    Lin Rui bowed: ¡°My mentor may not know that recently, the prices of major goods from the Heavenly Demon Origin have sky-rocketed.


    I¡¯ve made a few big deals with some people, earning a great profit.


    Having money in hand and being the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau with divine favor, I was lucky enough to hire many experts.


    Most of them are desperados with cases hanging over them, so it¡¯s not convenient for them to appear in public.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard?


    Spy Detection Bureau Commander Lin Hao has been granted the Divine Office of the Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace at Fourth Rank!¡±


    ¡°How could such a big event go unheard?


    It¡¯s remarkable, I remember there are 12 Divine Envoy candidates, and now there are four who are Fourth Rank Great Chief Priests of the Divine Palace.¡±


    ¡°Only two, Shentu Rong and Situ Xiu, had their Divine Offices revoked due to incompetence and inability to handle their duties.


    These two really have had terrible luck in recent years.¡±


    ¡°Do you not know?


    Last night, the Divine Palace also bestowed a set of Heavenly Demon Armor to Lin Hao, with an Inner Eunuch accompanying the Great Chief Priest to the Lin Mansion.


    They say the armor was marked with the Nine Chapters!


    This is the ceremonial privilege of a Prince and Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°The Divine Envoy even gave him so much power; even obtaining the military dispatch token for the armies in Luojing and the Abyss.


    In the entire history of Great Song since the establishment of the Spy Detection Bureau, no Commander has held such substantial authority.


    He¡¯s practically equivalent to the Crown Prince, if not the Crown Prince, then better than one!¡±


    ¡°I wonder what made the Divine so furious that he insists on pursuing and eradicating the Bright Holy Sect?¡±


    ¡°Be careful!


    That¡¯s the Divine¡¯s business, not something for us to speculate on.


    But I did hear something strange; Third Divine Envoy Luo Wangshu finished her meditation last night, left the palace immediately, stayed the whole night at Lin Mansion, and only emerged the next morning.


    It¡¯s said that when she entered the palace, Divine Envoy Luo was radiant, a stark contrast to her dejection and exhaustion from the day before.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that?


    She¡¯s Commander Lin¡¯s master, staying a night at her disciple¡¯s house is nothing out of the ordinary, right?


    Umm~ I see what you mean, Divine Envoy Luo does seem quite close to her disciple, even physically affectionate at times.¡±


    ¡°No way?


    Are you suggesting there¡¯s something illicit between Divine Envoy Luo and Commander Lin?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®illicit¡¯?


    How harsh you sound; they are both unmarried.¡±


    Zhao Yang, the Imperial Censor of Great Songa?€¡±that is, Linghu Mingdea?€¡±couldn¡¯t help but become infuriated.


    ¡°Silence!¡±


    As soon as Linghu Mingde spoke, he noticed all the surrounding officials turning their heads in shock to look at him.


    Realizing the impropriety, he immediately swept his robe sleeves aside and bellowed angrily, ¡°How dare you babble and gossip in the solemn grounds of the Imperial City?


    And how dare you speculate and criticize the Third Divine Envoy and the Spy Detection Bureau Commander¡¯s teacher-disciple relationship?¡±


    His thunderous outburst disciplined the group of officials who betrayed courtly decorum, while he inwardly frowned deeply.


    These people from Tianji Star, although their civilization is very similar to ancient East Asia in many ways, differ significantly in customs and traditions.


    Even in the current Earth Federation, a romance between teacher and disciple is considered a violation of norms, yet the people of Tianji Star don¡¯t care much about it and see it as nothing unusual.


    Linghu Mingde anxiously worried, thinking to himself what his granddaughter was really thinking?


    If she kept dawdling, with no move made, the prize before her might just be snatched away by someone else!


    ¡°`

 Chapter 515

    ?Chapter 515: Chapter 488: I Want Your Family Ruined and Everyone Dead (Please Subscribe) Chapter 515: Chapter 488: I Want Your Family Ruined and Everyone Dead (Please Subscribe) Just as Lin Rui had expected, the next day his house was indeed nearly overrun with visitors.


    He spent the day at the Spy Detection Bureau supervising the various departments in their investigation of the Demon Sect and the Outer Heaven Demons.


    Upon his return, Lu Hanyuan handed him over a hundred visiting cards.


    In addition, a large number of guests came to call on him today, although the vast majority were sent away by Lu Hanyuan.


    This former independent director of Jinhao Group indeed had a knack for managing a household.


    Lu Hanyuan not only picked out eleven truly valuable visiting cards from the pile for Lin Rui¡¯s personal attention, but also efficiently managed the guests, sending away those who should be sent away, and keeping those who should be kept.


    Lin Rui found that the guests who were kept were all of high standard, either with exceptional conversation and substance, or with impressive resumes and outstanding abilities, or wealthy and influential, greatly benefiting Lin Rui¡¯s endeavors.


    ...


    With Lu Hanyuan¡¯s help, Lin Rui managed to get through these matters in less than half an hour, greatly increasing his work efficiency.


    The last to be received by Lin Rui was Yuan Zhengping, the Family Head of the Yuan Family, and Ruan Guoqiu, the Supervisor of the Tenth Divine Envoy.


    The venue was changed from the main hall to his study.


    The two were there to report the findings of the investigation into the theft of Ji Xueying¡¯s old belongings.


    Ruan Guoqiu was extremely respectful, and his expression also contained a hint of shame.


    He was promoted by Luo Wangshu to replace the former Supervisor of the Tenth Divine Envoy after the previous one had set fire to the archives.


    Ruan Guoqiu knew that the reason the Supervisors of the Ninth and Tenth Divine Envoys had taken risks and ultimately fallen was Lin Hao¡¯s maneuvering.


    Go to novgo.co


    The grace of his promotion could be partly credited to this Commander, and the success of his stable position in the Tenth Divine Envoy was also due to the grand Heavenly Demon case initiated by Lin Hao.


    Ruan Guoqiu really wanted to repay Lin Hao, and also wanted Lin Hao to recognize his abilities.


    But things didn¡¯t go as he wished, and this time he might disappoint Lin Hao.


    Lin Rui, however, was intently reviewing the various dossiers and confessions submitted by Ruan Guoqiu, satisfied with the result: ¡°The investigation is very detailed, comprehensive, with all suspects questioned and no doubts overlooked.¡±


    ¡°I am ashamed!¡± Ruan Guoqiu¡¯s face showed embarrassment: ¡°Could you grant your subordinate some more time, my lord?


    I will surely find out the truth.¡±


    Lin Rui chuckled lightly and put aside the stack of dossiers and confessions: ¡°I believe you could, but it¡¯s not necessary.@@@@


    I already know who¡¯s behind all this.¡±


    Just now, Lin Rui once again inquired with the Ring Spirit about the real culprit¡¯s name and motives.


    The Ring Spirit had responded that it could deduce the answers for 3000 soul power points.


    Tip: The one who stole Ji Xueying¡¯s old artifacts is Duke An, Du Xinran.


    Tip: His purpose is to collect Ji Xueying¡¯s genes to cultivate a clone and employ the Drilling Curse Technique ¡®Heart-nailing Death Spell¡¯ when Ji Xueying undergoes the Dragon Transformation.


    The Heart-nailing Death Spell?


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he picked up a brush, circled several key points in those confessions, and threw them back to Ruan Guoqiu.


    Lin Rui walked to the window, hands behind his back, and coldly sneered into the Cloud Sky: ¡°What an audacious Duke An!


    Lin Rui looked at the old-looking demon and thought it was perfect timing to give the Zhou family an explanation.


    His sister had taken a vast amount of assets from the Zhou family, as well as a Dragon Armor of Super Emperor Rank from the Sixth Realm; with so many benefits, a return was a must.


    Upon hearing these words, Yuan Zhengping and Ruan Guoqiu¡¯s expressions turned stern as they exited Lin Rui¡¯s study.


    Lin Rui continued, ¡°Mr.


    Lu, with the power I currently hold, is it possible to have Duke An discharged and resign within a month?


    And within three months, can I bring his whole family and the Duke An household to the same fate as the Zhou familya?€¡±a broken house and complete destruction?¡±


    Lu Hanyuan, who had been standing behind Lin Rui and listening, replied with a flicker in his eyes, ¡°Commander Lin, you currently wield the authority granted by the Divine Envoy Supervisor, which is immensely powerful, with few in the Great Song Dynasty able to match.


    Striking down Duke An and his affiliated forces would be like turning the palm of one¡¯s hand, though ruining Duke An¡¯s household and family may be difficult, it isn¡¯t impossible.


    However, with Miss Ji about to undergo her Dragon Transformation, if we press too hard, they might become desperate.¡±


    He spoke with a sigh of emotional complexity in his heart, yet secretly thrilled.


    Long ago, Lu Hanyuan abandoned any ambition of his own, aware that his talent could not take him to the top, and for years his only interest and goal was to support Jin Bolong in reaching the peak of power within the Earth Federation.


    He might not ascend himself, but it was satisfying to catch a glimpse from the very top of that pyramid.


    Thus, when Jin Bolong died and the Jinhao Group collapsed, Lu Hanyuan¡¯s fighting spirit and beliefs melted away, feeling like his four hundred years of life were utterly pointless, all his actions meaningless.


    Until he found out about Lin Rui, who was the Spy Detection Bureau Commander Lin Hao.


    Lu Hanyuan¡¯s feelings at the time were indescribable.


    He thought his life was set, yet found he was actually on a bright and grand path.


    The Spy Detection Bureau Commander had an extremely high and weighty position within the system of the Great Song!


    Such authority was already impressive, even surpassing those of the Cabinet senior officials and the Divine Envoy candidates.


    Someone like Duke An had the capacity to inflict major damage on the Jinhao Group within the Sky Extreme Star.


    But for Lin Rui, it would be a breeze to play Duke An to his death.


    This time, he could personally devise a strategy to dismantle a force with overall strength not inferior to the Jinhao Group.


    Furthermore, from their interactions over the past few days, his new master was not only extraordinarily talented, outstanding in ability, profound in strategy, generous in spirit, forgiving and magnanimous, but also inclusive and willing to delegate power.


    But his new master was still growing, especially within the Federation, still a seedling in need of his full commitment and protection.


    ¡°I want to shake their foundation and make them self-destruct!


    When people panic, they are more prone to mistakes,¡± Lin Rui said with a carefree smile.


    ¡°Next, please consult with my Senior Brother Li and Wang Sen to help me formulate a strategy on how to proceed.¡±


    His other military strategist, Xue Lingxue, was adept at formulating specialized tactical plans, but somewhat naive and lacking in political and business acumen.


    While his new advisor beside him had not only led a company worth over a trillion in market value but had also served as an advisor to Jin Bolong for over a hundred years, his rich experience and deep insight were unmatched by the novice Xue Lingxue, especially given her inconvenient identity.


    Lu Hanyuan understood his intention immediately and nodded, ¡°Hanyuan will not disappoint Commander Lin!¡±


    The next morning, Duke An Du Xinran received an order to select 3,000 elite troops from the Feathered Forest to rush to Jingzhou in northern Heluo of the eight states, participating in a secret operation planned by the Spy Detection Bureau.


    It was just an order that seemed no more ordinary than any other, but Duke An Du Xinran felt an ominous chill of deadly intent rushing towards him.

 Chapter 516

    ?Chapter 516: Chapter 489: Transaction (Please Subscribe) Chapter 516: Chapter 489: Transaction (Please Subscribe) Duke An Du Xinran has been standing firm in court for many years, going through countless ebbs and flows, even enduring the storm of blood and strife with a keen sense of smell.


    Just as he was getting ready to make his move against Lin Hao¡¯s Blood Saber Lady, the Spy Detection Bureau suddenly issued this dispatch order, instinctively alerting him.


    However, Du Xinran could do nothing about it.


    In recent years, the Demon Sect indeed greatly expanded in the northern part of Jingzhou of the Great Song, recruiting a large number of disciples, and it made sense for Lin Hao, the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, to take action in the northern part of Jingzhou.


    Lin Hao holds the duty of retrieving the Abyss Divine Tablet, indeed having the authority to mobilize all military generals of the Feathered Forest Guards.


    This person naturally did not need to explain to him the reason for his sudden transfer to the north of Jingzhou.


    All of it was legitimate and above board, leaving no ground for questioning or objection, and making it impossible for Du Xinran to resist.


    ...


    The news that followed one after another made Du Xinran¡¯s face pale as paper.


    Many of his clan members also received transfer orders one by one; some, like Du Xinran, were inexplicably transferred elsewhere; some were ¡®entrusted with a heavy responsibility¡¯ by the Spy Detection Bureau, required to lead troops and charge at the forefront of the search for the Demon Sect; some were suspected of corruption, investigated by the Divine Supervision Bureau, suspended, and interrogated; and yet some were directly transferred from their official posts, left idle and scattered.


    In addition, nearly all the caravans of the various businesses under Duke An¡¯s residence were subjected to strict inspection by the men of the Imperial City Department.


    Three of their warehouses were raided by the people of the Spy Detection Bureau.


    Because many prohibited materials were found, practically all the managers of these businesses were swept away, and the various properties and storages were sealed.


    And it was not just Duke An¡¯s residence; the properties under the name of the son of his sister, the Serene Imperial Consort, Prince Jin, were also completely ransacked by the people of the Imperial City Department.


    ¡°Ungrateful whelp!¡±


    Go to novgo.co


    At first, Du Xinran was both angry and resentful, but after merely an hour, a chill spread throughout his body.


    He could now be certain that Lin Hao had become aware of his machinations.


    This man was incredibly ruthless, his actions like a landslide, leaving no room to maneuver!


    What was terrifying was that this Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau had grown so powerful in court that he now had the capacity to eradicate the Du familya?€¡±


    His timing was impeccable as well; the Emperor had just been reprimanded by the Divine for the theft of the Divine Tablet fragments and was under suspicion, leaving Duke An¡¯s residence temporarily without the Emperor¡¯s protection nor the power to shelter it.


    After pondering deeply for a long while, Du Xinran realized he was powerless and without recourse.


    All of the opponent¡¯s arrangements, under the banner of searching for the Demon Sect¡¯s traitors, made it impossible to challenge or refuse.


    Following this, he and the Du family could only be gradually crushed and ground down by Lin Hao!


    Du Xinran felt as cold as if he was sitting in an ice cave, sitting on the chair for a long time, speechless.


    It wasn¡¯t until a hundred breaths later that Du Xinran¡¯s expression returned to calm.


    He then took out something resembling a 21st-century smartphone of the Earth Federation from his sleeve, his eyes flashing sharply.


    Du Xinran thought that either Lin Hao was underestimating him, or he was trying to force him into a do-or-die situation!


    But did this person even consider that he still had allies, a very reliable ally from the Outer Heaven Demon?


    With a brief contemplation, Du Xinran pressed a number.


    He had no other choice; a Ji Xueying alone could not solve the problem, and unless Lin Hao and the siblings Zhou Yunxi and Yun Xi were dead, his Duke An¡¯s residence might not find peace.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    Meanwhile, at the Security Bureau headquarters base, Li Xianglong was presiding over a meeting concerning Lin Hao, the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau.


    At this moment, the atmosphere in the conference room was heavy and gloomy, and all the high-ranking officials of the Security Bureau appeared despondent, spiritless.


    There were even cries of grief: ¡°Martial law again!


    Another thorough investigation of passing merchants!


    It had just settled down for a few days, and now it¡¯s starting again?¡±


    ¡°It seems like the prices of major commodities in the Sky Extreme Star won¡¯t be coming down.


    Why wasn¡¯t I informed beforehand?


    And where did you get this information?¡±


    Zang Shaochen was seething with anger, as his years of painstaking efforts and ruthless quest for power were all to advance his current cultivation level.


    As a result, the Security Bureau¡¯s actions had excluded him.


    Li Xianglong, with an indifferent face, replied: ¡°Our operation this time is a Federation Level-X secret; I have nothing to disclose!


    You know very well why you weren¡¯t informed in advance, Zang Shaochen.


    Is this why you called?¡±


    With a wave of his hand, he prepared to end the communication.


    Zang Shaochen claimed to have some urgent matters to discuss, which turned out to be deceptive as expected.


    ¡°The matter I want to discuss is related to Lin Hao.¡±


    Zang Shaochen snorted coldly, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction: ¡°Since Lin Hao took office, he has caused such substantial losses to the Federation, why hasn¡¯t the Security Bureau taken any action?


    Now, because of your actions, my friends and I have suffered great losses.


    I expect the Security Bureau to give us an explanation!¡±


    Li Xianglong thought to himself that indeed the Longevity Association had suffered significant damages.


    Lin Rui had previously eradicated a base of the Longevity Association using the information he provided.


    Just yesterday, Lin Rui took charge and deployed the forces of the Imperial City Department to focus on striking the Chamber of Commerce forces under the jurisdiction of the Longevity Association, resulting in these few companies incurring financial losses exceeding seventy billion federal coins.


    ¡°I believe the current threat Lin Hao poses to the Federation is still limited, and now is not the time to eliminate him, which would only further provoke the East Abyss.


    Of course, if you, old Zang, truly wish to remove him, I will not object or interfere.¡±


    Li Xianglong crossed his arms and spoke enigmatically: ¡°As for the large-scale sweep initiated by Great Song around Luojing, we had already issued a two-hour advance warning.


    To say that there were substantial losses due to the Security Bureau¡¯s actions is groundless.


    Furthermore, we in the Security Bureau have already held a meeting and discussed the best way to settle the situation, which is to help Great Song find what they are looking for.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zang Shaochen was incenseda?€¡±¡¯the goddamn threat is still limited!¡¯


    Lin Hao now even had the authority to mobilize a battalion of Divine Guards!


    Also, what¡¯s the use with just a two-hour advance warning?


    And what baffled him even more was the Security Bureau¡¯s divine logic; they intended to help Great Song?


    To assist that Lin Hao?


    Utter madness!


    ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt then, there is no chance that you will get any piece of the Abyss Divine Tablet¡¯s powder from me.


    I wasn¡¯t scared into this careera?€¡±want it from me?


    Then come and defeat me in battle right now.¡±


    Li Xianglong raised his chin, his eyes looking down on Zang Shaochen disdainfully, but his tone shifted: ¡°However, to my knowledge, there are still three pieces of the Divine Tablet scattered out there.


    You can search for them as well.


    The Security Bureau can provide all necessary intelligence resources and cooperation.¡±


    Zang Shaochen¡¯s face turned a shade paler as he stared at Li Xianglong for a moment before snorting lightly and ending the communication.


    At this moment, Li Xianglong received a message from Lin Rui.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Okay, I will try my best, provided that you, General, truly lend a hand.

 Chapter 517

    ?Chapter 517: Chapter 490: Divine Origin of Sky Prison (Three more for monthly pass) Chapter 517: Chapter 490: Divine Origin of Sky Prison (Three more for monthly pass) Lin Rui was talking to Li Xianglong while staying beside Lin Yi¡¯s nutrient tank, watching Lin Yi¡¯s Alien, and browsing through various special supply items on the ¡®Special Supply Center¡¯ page inside the Federation Security Bureau.


    Li Xianglong was the external support Lin Rui had found, his ultimate backup plan.


    This General was roaming near Luojing with the Aliens of Xu Zheng, the foreman, and others; they were aimlessly wandering like headless flies with no clues, doing nothing.


    As for Li Xianglong¡¯s request to take a little more from the fragment of the Abyss Divine Tablet, there would indeed be some risks, but it wasn¡¯t a difficult task for Lin Rui.


    a?€¡± After all, he had it in his hands!


    The only troubling part was deciding what tool to use.


    That thing was extremely hard, and even in its damaged state, it could withstand Li Xianglong¡¯s 9SSS+ Secret Sword and the relentless assault by several Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators.


    ...


    Of course, that¡¯s provided those individuals really lent a hand and helped.


    According to Lu Hanyuan and the others¡¯ plan, if Duke An was not willing to go to the lengths of a do-or-die battle, it wouldn¡¯t be necessary to mobilize Ninth Realm power.


    Lin Rui flipped through the pages of the ¡®Special Supply Center,¡¯ his brows gradually furrowed.


    Lin Rui had previously received an X-Level Exceptional Merit and initially wanted to exchange it for an Outer Elixir, similar to Thunder Admiral¡¯s 7SSS+ level Outer Elixir ¡®Kui Dragon¡¯.


    An Outer Elixir could not only greatly enhance his current strength, but it could also be used for a long time, suitable for the Seventh and Eighth Realms.


    However, the Outer Elixir used by Lin Hao cannot be the same as that of Thunder.


    He had already found an Outer Elixir in the ¡®Special Supply Center,¡¯ but after trying his new Heavenly Demon Armor ¡®Heavenly Decree¡¯ today, he knew there was no need to switch.


    Go to novgo.co


    Although this set of Dragon Armor was only twelve feet tall, eight feet shorter than an ordinary one, it was indeed the culmination of Sky Extreme Star¡¯s top Mechanical Techniques.


    It was virtually a collection of Seventh Realm Emperor Rank and Seventh Realm Super Monarch Magic Artifacts, with integrated Outer Elixirs at the 7SSS+ level, in no way inferior to ¡®Kui Dragon¡¯.


    Lin Rui even had to upgrade his foundational Martial Arts and Pile Technique, switching all to Dragon Stage.


    The Purple Sun Posture and Purple Sun Tribulation Saber were replaced by a set of ¡®Divine Glory Sacred Tribulation Cultivation Technique.¡¯


    There was no longer a distinction between posture and saber techniques, or Escape Skills.


    It was a combined set of saber, posture, and escape.


    Lin Rui even developed a set of ¡®Divine Thunder Glorious World Cultivation Technique¡¯ for Thunder Admiral, based on the ¡®Divine Glory Sacred Tribulation Cultivation Technique.¡¯


    Lin Rui spent a total of 500,000 soul power points to deduce these two sets of Dragon Stage Martial Arts.


    This was why Lin Rui had been delaying entering the Dragon Stage in his martial cultivation; he was hesitant due to the substantial consumption of soul power points, and he felt that the Purple Sun Tribulation Saber was more suitable for his current stage.


    Though Dragon Stage Martial Arts were powerful, they also consumed a lot of True Yuan.


    Without sufficient Dragon Essence and the company of a Battle Dragon, it would be difficult to sustain.


    After completing the deductions, Lin Rui still needed to practice.@@@@


    Although his understanding of these two Cultivation Techniques reached the Grandmaster Level, his body was unfamiliar with them.


    a?€?a?€?a?€?a?€?


    One hour later, still in the Ninth Base City, in a secret base beneath Lin Rui¡¯s mansion, Huang Fuqing was mentally controlling various instruments.


    While conducting a physical examination on Lin Yi, he spoke, ¡°The bad news is that her memory is indeed gone, which is quite normal.


    It is probably related to the Biological Control Chip.


    Zhen Hao integrated the Biological Control Chip deeply with the memory module of her brain, resulting in Lin Yi¡¯s Biological Intelligent Chip being unable to access and share it; now that her original body is frozen, the situation is even more troublesome.


    The good news is that her thoughts and memory have not been affected by the Abyss; she¡¯s now like a blank slate, which is the result of all our efforts so far.¡±


    This Academician has actually tailored a vocalization system for himself, combined with the voice box of the Taihao Divine Dragon that originally could only make dragon roars.


    Now, he can directly speak.


    ¡°However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big problem.


    Her intelligence is fine, she just needs to relearn.


    novgo.co


    But we need to always be wary of the influence of the Abyss.¡±


    Huang Fuqing glanced at Lin Yi, who was learning to say ¡®brother¡¯ with Lin Xi: ¡°A person¡¯s soul and personality are closely related, personality is the core of the soul, and self-awareness is the basis of independent personality.


    As long as her soul is present, her personality¡¯s core is still there; she will recover eventually.¡±


    Lin Rui, rubbing his temples with a headache, said, ¡°The problem is that human memory and one¡¯s cognizance of self and the universe are also foundations of personality.


    How easy can it be to dispel the influence of the Abyss?¡±


    ¡°As much as possible, show her videos of her childhood; this is good for her self-awareness.


    You siblings should have them saved, right?¡±


    Huang Fuqing smiled, ¡°Of course, you also need to continue to help her eliminate Source Essence.


    Now that she has awakened and is still an Alien Walker with 6SSS+ level Bloodline Ability, with just a little guidance, she can cooperate with you in Purification.


    She may even be able to absorb and refine the Abyss Source Material that you have purified like Lin Xi, making the purging even easier.¡±


    His expression turned curious, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m more curious as to what kind of identity you¡¯re preparing for her on the Sky Extreme Star?


    Whose genetics were used when you modulated her genes?¡±


    ¡°The identity I¡¯ve already arranged for her is probably the most suitable.


    I¡¯ve even prepared her future Battle Dragon, buta?€¡±¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly, his mind pondering that it was still too early for that; the girl couldn¡¯t even speak clearly yet, and all her memories of Martial Arts were gone.


    How could he possibly rest assured if she were to descend now?


    Fortunately, Lin Yi¡¯s learning capability is very strong, and she learns quickly.


    With the help of Lin Rui¡¯s Purity Fire, Lin Yi can directly create an Alien body at the Sixth Realm, unlike him and Lin Xi who had to start from scratch.

 Chapter 518

    ?Chapter 518: Chapter 491: Monthly Settlement (Please Subscribe) Chapter 518: Chapter 491: Monthly Settlement (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui had to stay in Ninth Base City for an extra two hours due to Lin Yi¡¯s awakening.


    The child was particularly attached to Lin Rui, probably because the first person she saw upon waking up was him, coupled with an instinctive sense of closeness.


    She kept clinging to Lin Rui, unwilling to let him go.


    Lin Rui was also very patient.


    While teaching his little sister to speak, he managed to multi-task by checking on the status of his companies¡¯ assets.


    The situation with Alien Company was going smoothly.


    With the addition of over 180 elite recruits poached from Jinhao Group, the newly renamed ¡®Forest¡¯ Alien Company had started a large-scale recruitment drive.


    ...


    They were not only offering high salaries to recruit Alien Walkers with a combat rating of 5A or above in the job market but also scouting from the military and various Armament schools for veterans and graduates with strong spiritual power to train themselves.


    novgo.co


    They planned to form 15 combat-ready 6A-level escort platoons, equivalent to a company-sized military unit of about 120 people, using these elite Alien Walkers from Jinhao Group as the core, supplemented by a small number of new recruits with exceptional alien qualifications.


    In half a year, ¡®Forest Alien Company¡¯ is expected to grow into a mid-sized Alien Company with over 5,000 Alien Walkers, with 34 platoons of 6A-level escorts, along with numerous disparate 6S and 6A-level combat teams.


    The company¡¯s business would still be primarily focused on interstellar escort, supplemented by alien bodyguard services.


    The vast majority of them, in fact, do not rely solely on Alien services for their livelihood.


    The use of Aliens is more about enhancing the combat abilities and potential of the staff, while also managing the internal transportation of goods within Sky Extreme Star.


    Go to novgo.co


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s poaching had to come to a halt at this point.


    Continuing to do so might enrage those tycoons who had been eyeing Jinhao Alien Body Company covetously.


    To poach these 182 individuals, Lin Rui and his team had already expended significant effort.@@@@


    All these people had career contracts with Jinhao Group and were subject to astronomical breach penalties.


    Lin Rui needed to erase their electronic contract backups, social insurance records, Alien records, various medical records, public transportation usage logs, and so on.


    It was essential to clear all aspects of their information to ensure they could not be held accountable.


    Even with Lin Rui being a top-level Security Bureau Thunder Admiral, coupled with Lin Guangming, Lin Xi, and Wang Yinyue ¨C three top-level hackers ¨C it still took a considerable effort to clean up after themselves.


    The trade company was also getting on the right track.


    They had just completed their third interstellar trade.


    It is worth mentioning that the third trade was completed with the help of Lu Hanyuan.


    He had not yet formally joined and was still in the process of evaluating and learning about the company.


    The assets that the Jin Family brothers traded to him were quite decent, leaving no pitfalls for Lin Rui.


    Of course, this was also due to the sudden turn of events which left the Jin Family brothers with no time to set any traps.


    If the real estate prices remain unchanged for the next two years, then he could recover his investments with just a year and a half of rent collection.


    This has once again pushed up his cash flow to a formidable 93 billion federal coins.


    However, this massive income and wealth are making Lin Rui feel increasingly uneasy.


    He knows that the Longevity Association would never just sit by and watch him grow like this.


    He must do everything possible to continue strengthening his own power.


    The current problem is that Lin Rui has money but no way to spend it.


    It¡¯s not easy to find Martial Cultivators of the Eighth Realm like Wang Tianwu and Lu Hanyuan, let alone guarantee their absolute loyalty.


    The major powers of the Federation mostly rely on their own cultivation; it¡¯s rare to hire highly capable Martial Cultivators above the Seventh Realm.


    Thanks to his medical skills, Lin Rui can help people relieve and heal Armament Syndrome, which has given him some advantages.


    Recently, he has also recruited four Sixth Realm experts, expanding his 6S squad at Lin Rui Studio to a total of 12 members.


    However, he has not managed to recruit a single person with a Seventh Realm cultivation or higher.


    Fortunately, the matter of the ¡®Abyss Divine Tablet fragments¡¯ seems to have attracted the attention of the Longevity Association.


    According to the latest intelligence gathered by Lin Rui, many high-level experts of the Longevity Association are now congregating around Luojing.


    This is an unexpected blessing, as Lin Rui¡¯s initial thought was to keep the few Abyss Divine Tablet fragments as much as possible to prevent Elder Wan Xin from succeeding.


    Now, he wants to delay the handover as much as possible; the later, the better.


    About two hours later, Lin Yi finally fell into a deep sleep in the sleeping cabin, exhausted.


    Her Alien body hasn¡¯t fully developed yet, and refining Abyss Source Material every day is somewhat akin to chemotherapy for cancer in the past.


    It¡¯s extremely draining and requires a massive amount of Primordial Qi daily.


    Of course, Lin Rui is even more exhausted.


    Every day he must inject a high-concentration nutrient solution to compensate for the consumption of using the Pure Concept continuously.


    After coaxing Lin Yi to sleep, Lin Rui endured the fatigue in his heart and returned to his Alien body.


    Just as his soul transferred into the Alien body, he suddenly felt an obscure Sword Intent erupt from beneath the ground, rushing upward from the earth¡¯s layers, making the hair on his body stand on end.


    ¡°Is it my mentor?¡±


    Lin Rui was slightly startled, looking downward.


    This Sword Intent, it had even penetrated through the lead room combined with several layers of Graphene, piercing directly through the surface of the earth¡¯s strata.

 Chapter 519

    ?Chapter 519: Chapter 492: Sublimation (Request for Monthly Pass) Chapter 519: Chapter 492: Sublimation (Request for Monthly Pass) Lin Rui hurried into the surgical lead room and was met with Luo Wangshu¡¯s reproachful gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you to thicken this lead room.


    Did you take my words as wind past your ears?¡±


    Lin Rui was left speechless upon hearing this.


    He had already thickened the lead room!


    It included an additional layer of graphene and six feet thick lead plates, making the total thickness of the composite lead wall an exaggerated 12 meters!


    Yet, even so, the composite lead wall couldn¡¯t withstand Luo Wangshu¡¯s formidable Sword Intent.


    The problem is that this is already the limit; there is no more redundancy in the basement, and making it even thicker would require a major reconstruction of the basement¡¯s structure.


    ...


    Lin Rui glanced again at the mess inside the operating room, feeling a slight ache in his heart.


    All the surgical instruments here, including the surgical pod with nanometer level precision, were swept to the corner by an overwhelmingly powerful force.


    These were obtained from the Identification Institute without cost, but replacing them would require money.


    Lin Rui had requested these items from the Identification Institute mainly to provide a provenance for his Heavenly Demon equipment, so as not to be framed for colluding with the Heavenly Demon.


    He often did such things himself, so he was always very cautious in this regard, not wanting to give anyone an opportunity.


    Forget it!


    Go to novgo.co


    Lin Rui thought to himself that no one else knew this set was destroyed yet; just replacing it with an identical set later would suffice.


    Additionally, another surgical lead room had to be built to avoid repeating this mistake; the total cost would only amount to about eight or nine billion.


    For him, this was a small amount, not even comparable to the cost of acquiring the gardens nearby.


    ¡°You turn it around and still have a reason?¡±


    Lin Rui, holding his forehead, walked in while looking at Luo Wangshu with admiration: ¡°It seems you have gained a lot, master?¡±


    When Lin Rui entered, some of Luo Wangshu¡¯s Sword Intent was still lingering, with a significant amount of Conceptual Power traces around.


    Those ether elements, influenced and guided by Luo Wangshu¡¯s Sword Intent, took on an extremely special form, causing Lin Rui¡¯s skin to feel slightly prickly all over.


    Lin Rui concentrated and wondered if this was the ultimate pursuit of his master¡¯s Sword Dao?


    Was this her limit of Conceptual Power?


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s Sword Intent was simple: sublimation, capable of refining everythinga?€¡±including concepts to a higher level.


    And these Divine Tablet shards, since you obtained them by a twist of fate, you must utilize them to their fullest.


    The seventh generation leader of the Bright Holy Sect didn¡¯t have such luck.¡±


    Seeing Lin Rui¡¯s frowning and solemn expression, Luo Wangshu knew he had taken her words to heart and changed her tone: ¡°Enough thinking, the more you think about Him, the easier it is for His consciousness to awaken.


    Now go call over your Blood Saber Lady for the merit you¡¯ve shown this time, I¡¯ll bestow a creation upon her.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s mind stirred, wondering if the creation Luo Wangshu mentioned wasa?€¡±


    But wouldn¡¯t that be very consuming?


    Just as Lin Rui was about to speak to persuade, Luo Wangshu glared at him: ¡°Go now, I know my limits!¡±


    Lin Rui then called Ji Xueying who was still secluded cultivating her martial intent, and had Shangguan Tianyi watch from outside.


    As expected, in the next moment, Luo Wangshu touched Ji Xueying¡¯s head and said with a slight smile: ¡°This is also her opportunity.


    Had it been two days earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have this ability.¡±


    Just as she finished her words, Ji Xueying¡¯s body was not only surrounded by Sword Qi, but it also ignited a pure white flame.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Ji Xueying was incredibly surprised, feeling her flesh, bones, True Yuan, and even her soul, martial intenta?€¡±everything being refined and elevated.


    Even her already awakened bloodline power, ¡®Steel Bones¡¯, was advancing to another levela?€¡±this was the SS+ Indestructible Golden Body!


    But what surprised her more was that within her, a bloodline power was condensing, sublimating, refining, awakening.


    This wasa?€¡±Limit Heart Origin!


    ¡°Awakening ¡®Limit Heart Origin¡¯ with external force may be slightly weaker than a natural ¡®Limit Heart Origin¡¯, but as the Heavenly Demon says, weigh the greater of two benefits and choose the lesser of two harms,¡±


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes deepened: ¡°For her now, awakening ¡®Limit Heart Origin¡¯ before undergoing Dragon Transformation would only bring greater benefits.¡±


    Lin Rui ruefully remarked: ¡°It¡¯s just a bit taxing for the master!¡±


    He noticed Luo Wangshu had exerted her Super Monarch secret technique ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯, using more than a month¡¯s accumulation of sword force on Ji Xueying.


    But besides this, Luo Wangshu still had to consume a great deal of her Blood Qi and Primordial Qi.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing significant; Dragon Transformation is a lifetime matter and related to life and death, the bit of Primordial Qi I¡¯ve consumed could increase her chances immensely and allow her to further progressa?€¡±¡±


    Suddenly, Luo Wangshu¡¯s thoughts stirred and she glanced beyond the lead room.


    novgo.co


    She seemed to sense something, her brow furrowing.

 Chapter 520

    ?Chapter 520: Chapter 493: Xian¡¯er (Three more for monthly pass) Chapter 520: Chapter 493: Xian¡¯er (Three more for monthly pass) Luo Wangshu was elevating Ji Xueying¡¯s bloodline, flesh, and even her Primordial Soul, while Shangguan Tianyi was outside the lead room, acting as their protector.


    Actually, she was manipulating the Protective Array within Lin Mansion to conceal and shield the residual ripples of Luo Wangshu¡¯s Sword Intent.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s Sword Intent could penetrate outside the lead surgical room, but with the ¡®Six Scenery Yuan Protecting Array¡¯ arranged by Lin Rui inside the mansion, the residual Sword Intent could barely be confined within the basement.@@@@


    When Shangguan Tianyi sensed the Sword Intent fluctuations coming from inside the lead room, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a surprised exclamation.


    ¡°Is this?¡±


    A look of understanding and admiration shone through Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s clear eyes.


    ¡°Can it be directly elevated and refined?


    My master¡¯s mentor is so remarkable, sister Ying has such good fortune and destiny too.


    ...


    The Divine Envoy Luo is even willing to consume so much lifeblood and True Yuan for her; sister Ying might really be able to ascend directly to the realm of a Super Monarch of the Sixth Realma?€¡±¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi then shook her head, dispelling the envy in her heart.


    She had been lucky enough to achieve Dragon Transformation with the support of her master, with a Fifth Realm Emperor Rank bloodline.


    Besides, what did she have at the time that could be elevated?


    To elevate the Abyss Power within her body?


    Right at this moment, Shangguan Tianyi also sensed an unusual movement outside of Lin Mansion.


    Go to novgo.co


    She was deep underground at the moment, her sensing ability wasn¡¯t very clear, thankfully, Lin Rui had implanted a Smart Biological Chip in her.


    Shangguan Tianyi: Uncle Lu, what¡¯s happening outside now?


    Is someone provoking us at our doorstep?


    She was responsible for eliminating the Sword Intent ripples of Luo Wangshu underground, while Lu Hanyuan was in charge above ground at Lin Mansion.


    Due to the 12-meter-thick lead room barrier, and the Quantum Communication module being based on quantum entanglement principles with very weak electronic signals, Shangguan Tianyi dared to use Quantum Communication to inquire from Lu Hanyuan.


    Lu Hanyuan: Someone¡¯s at the door, looks like it¡¯s the foremost disciple of the Third Divine Envoy of Great Wei, Cui Peipei, saying they want to challenge our Family Head.


    Lu Hanyuan: It seems they are here to air grievances and seek revenge.


    It¡¯s very troublesome; it¡¯s best to keep the door closed and ignore it.


    At that moment, Lu Hanyuan, who was standing in the grand hall above ground at Lin Mansion, was massaging his temples with a headache.


    He heard an external cold and pleasant whistling from a woman: ¡°Lin Hao, I¡¯ve always heard that not only is your Martial Arts Talent supreme in the world, peerless among your peers, but also brave and wise, full of courage and strategy!


    How about it?


    Don¡¯t you even have the courage to fight me?¡±


    ¡°Come out and fight me if you dare!


    Let me see the standards of Luo Wangshu¡¯s disciple!¡±


    ¡°Are you still a man?


    I said I would fight you with the power of the Fifth Realm, any more effort and I consider it my loss!¡±


    Lu Hanyuan frowned, waving his hand toward the newly hired Protectors beside him: ¡°Make sure the doors are locked tight, put up a note outside saying my lord is preoccupied with a hundred affairs and has no time for guests.¡±


    Lu Hanyuan knew what was happening on the outside, as Cui Peipei and the Great Wei delegation had not easily delivered the Abyss Divine Tablet fragment to Great Song¡¯s Luojing, just to lose their piece assisting Luo Wangshu in aiding the Da Liao delegation, and it was lost inside Great Song¡¯s Shenling Palace, how could their hearts not hold grievances?


    It¡¯s said that Da Liao¡¯s West Abyss was also furious, issuing a Divine Decree on the same day, not only severely reprimanding Cui Peipei but also imposing a Divine Punishment of twenty lashes, stating that if Cui Peipei can not redeem herself, then they would whip her upon her return.


    Of course, the matter of the Abyss Divine Tablet fragment has not yet spread, and the Divine Decree said it was to let Cui Peipei pursue the fiends of the Guang Ming Demon Sect to showcase the might of Great Wei.


    I will temporarily take over the investigation into the Abyss Divine Tableta?€¡±¡±


    Luo Wangshu was speaking when she heard a pleasant female voice calling from outside.


    ¡°Lin Hao!


    If you¡¯re brave enough, come out and fight me.


    Are you even a man?


    Do you have the guts?


    As the disciple of the esteemed ¡®Eastern Heavenly Sword Phoenix¡¯ Luo Wangshu, is this your moral character?¡±


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes sharpened, wondering which wretch dared to be so bold in front of her disciple¡¯s door.


    But when she took the elevator to the surface level of Lin Mansion and looked towards the entrance, her anger dissipated.


    ¡°That¡¯s Cui Peipei¡¯s disciple, seems like her name is Han Xian¡¯er, Seventh Realm Emperor Rank, with a promising future and extraordinary combat power.¡±


    Luo Wangshu spoke leisurely with her hands behind her back: ¡°Hao, if you were to fight this girl now, are you confident you would emerge victorious?¡±


    Upon hearing the shouting from outside, Lin Rui also felt helpless.


    Upon her words, he didn¡¯t hesitate to draw his sword and slash forward.


    That was Lin Rui¡¯s recently developed Secret Skill, ¡®Super Instant Slash¡¯!


    This move showcased Lin Rui¡¯s level of Martial Arts prowess, especially after his fundamental physique had been elevated to the ¡®Divine Shining Holy Calamity Technique¡¯.


    ¡°Excellent swordwork!¡± Luo Wangshu, with her extraordinary Martial Arts, recognized the weight of Lin Hao¡¯s sword: ¡°With just that move, you are unmatched in the Fifth Realm, and your Martial Arts achievements have surpassed the concept of a Fifth Realm Super Monarch.


    In the Sixth Realm, there may only be a handful who could withstand it.¡±


    Among those few, one was already in Lin Mansion, and soon there would be another, Ji Xueying.


    ¡°Master flatters me.¡± Lin Rui probed Luo Wangshu: ¡°Should I go out and fight now?¡±


    Luo Wangshu shook her head slightly: ¡°Forget it.


    This woman¡¯s Bloodline Talent and Martial Arts level are not much different from that of your sworn sister.


    You can¡¯t win without using an Extreme Move, and you won¡¯t be able to control your power if you do.¡±


    A few days ago, when Cui Peipei went with her to rescue the Da Liao envoy, she had lent a hand.


    Their master-disciple relationship had wronged others for their own gain, making Cui Peipei bear the brunt of criticism from the West Abyss, and now how could they humiliate her disciple?


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s conscience hadn¡¯t darkened to that extent; she couldn¡¯t do such a thing.


    That¡¯s why these past couple of days, she had been avoiding Cui Peipei, never imagining that the woman would send her disciple to instigate a fight at Lin Hao¡¯s doorstep.


    ¡°Besides, Cui Peipei is absolutely shameless.


    If you beat the younger one, the older one will come after you, and that woman could resort to sneak attacks and all sorts of despicable tactics, which are difficult to guard against.¡±


    Luo Wangshu sighed: ¡°Endure it, give Cui Peipei some face, there¡¯s no need to bother.


    You won¡¯t lose a piece of yourself.¡±


    The entire Great Song imperial court was enduring against the envoys from the Great Wei and Great Cheng nations, not just them.


    Luo Wangshu turned to walk towards the back door of Lin Mansion: ¡°Bear with it for now, we¡¯ll settle the score with the master and disciple in a few months, after we recover the fragments of the Divine Tablet.¡±


    She thought it best to summon Meng Weiyun back for this matter since their identities matched.


    After Meng Weiyun¡¯s breakthrough to the Seventh Realm, her Martial Arts had improved dramatically.


    With a little more instruction from herself, victory was assured.

 Chapter 521

    ?Chapter 521: Chapter 494: The Bet (Please Subscribe) Chapter 521: Chapter 494: The Bet (Please Subscribe) At this moment, in front of the Lin Mansion, stood a woman in a goose-yellow long dress, slim and graceful like a delicate willow.


    That was Han Xian¡¯er, around twenty years old, with eyebrows like crescent moons, a high nose bridge, red lips and white teeth, exuding natural beauty without the need for makeup, her hand on the hilt of her sword, her eyes provocatively and angrily fixed on the gate of Lin Mansion.


    ¡°Lin Hao, come out if you are a man, and face my sword!¡±


    Yet the gate remained tightly closed, without any movement.


    A trace of helplessness began to emerge in the depths of Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s eyes.


    She had come to challenge under her master¡¯s orders, prepared to bully the weaker and overpower the less influential, to give Lin Hao a good thrashing and teach Luo Wangshu a lesson.


    However, Lin Hao, thick-skinned as he was, ignored her prolonged shouts for almost half an hour, never appearing or accepting the challenge, leaving her feeling impatient and powerless.


    On both sides of this alley, a large crowd of servants and commoners, along with imperial guards, watched, and people from neighboring houses peeked towards the gate of Lin Mansion.


    ...


    novgo.co


    This place was less than five miles from the Imperial City, surrounded by wealthy and noble residences, hence there were many imperial guards patrolling the alley, all attracted to the commotion.


    ¡°Could that woman be Han Xian¡¯er?


    That Third-rank Divine Envoy from Great Wei?¡±@@@@


    ¡°Her?


    She¡¯s quite formidable.


    Go to novgo.co


    It¡¯s said that today at court, she blocked Chengtian Gate, scolding anyone she saw and challenging the entire Song Court, claiming the incompetence of the Great Song led to the rampant tyranny of the Bright Holy Sect, causing insult to her master.¡±


    ¡°Really?


    How could the courtiers endure this?¡±


    ¡°What else can they do when they can¡¯t counter?


    It¡¯s said that the Great Song was at fault, wronging her master.


    It¡¯s improper to bully with superiority, but reportedly, after several Third-rank Generals couldn¡¯t bear it and fought her in four matches, they all lost, emerged with bruises, leading to a total loss of face for the court officials.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that her martial bloodline has reached the Seventh Realm Emperor Rank, unbeatable among her peers, and she fights with a lethal style.


    Our Great Song experts couldn¡¯t seriously harm her, making her quite a tough adversary.¡±


    ¡°How come they end up at Director Lin¡¯s mansion?


    She looks so frail and gentle like jade, why acting like a shrew?¡±


    ¡°Has Director Lin not come out yet?


    He seems not intending to accept the challenge; it¡¯s totally quiet.¡±


    ¡°It would be foolish to come out to fight, right?


    Although Director Lin is exceptionally talented, she is a bona fide Seventh Realm Emperor Rank, rumored to be close to reaching Super Monarch.¡±


    Meanwhile, at a tea stall near the back courtyard of Lin Mansion, Cui Peipei, the Third Divine Envoy of Great Wei, and Zong Xiushan, the Third Divine Envoy of Great Cheng, were facing each other, drinking tea.


    They were not intentionally waiting here; it¡¯s just that this area was surrounded by the residences of officials and nobles, and within five miles, this was the only tea stall.


    It¡¯s said that this tea stall might not last either, as Lin Hao has already bought several nearby residences, planning to merge them soon.


    Zong Xiushan frowned: ¡°I wonder who set up the Array at Lin Mansion?


    Although it¡¯s only of the Dragon Stage, it¡¯s perfectly seamless, flawless, showing a peak mastery like that of a Great Grandmaster in Dragon Stage Formations.¡±


    He had just tried to probe inside Lin Mansion using his Divine Sense, but was firmly blocked from entering.


    Zong Xiushan¡¯s Primordial Spirit was immensely powerful, his Divine Sense spreading like mercury flowing rapidly, yet he couldn¡¯t find a single gap.


    ¡°There are some tricks to it,¡± said Cui Peipei, glancing sideway towards Lin Mansion with a calm face: ¡°But what does it matter what the Formation in his house is like?¡±


    Cui Peipei had her disciple blatantly insult and provoke the officials of the Song Court, and then went to provoke a confrontation in front of Lin Hao¡¯s door, intending to pressure Luo Wangshu and the students, and the Great Song Court, showing they were highly provoked and that it was better they find the pieces of the Abyss Divine Tablet soon, or this wouldn¡¯t end!


    ¡°Stop feigning innocence, I know very well what kind of person you, Luo Wangshu, are.¡±


    Cui Peipei let out a sneer, her gaze intently on Luo Wangshu¡¯s face: ¡°What have you been doing with your disciple, consuming so much of his Primordial Qi?


    Could it be that you¡¯re practicing some dual cultivation Secret Technique of yin replenishing yang?


    Just like the rumors say, sharing the joy of master and disciple?


    But I must admit, the lad does look appealing, no wonder you¡¯re inclined towards him.¡±


    Zong Xiushan thought this was too harsh and too humiliating to say.


    However, Luo Wangshu simply laughed it off: ¡°So what if I am?


    Jealous?


    The joy of master and disciple is beyond your comprehension!¡±


    Cui Peipei was momentarily stunned, at a loss for words against this shamelessly thick-skinned woman.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s expression turned serious, a cold chill gleaming in her eyes: ¡°Cui Peipei, if you dare to spout more of this nonsense, believe it or not, I¡¯ll just stop investigating the matter of the Abyss Divine Tablet fragment.¡±


    Cui Peipei was about to say ¡®you wouldn¡¯t dare¡¯, but hesitated as her expression shifted.


    The Divine Punishment Luo Wangshu received was merely facing the wall for a day and twenty lashes, far lighter than what she faced.


    Besides being whipped, Cui Peipei was also demoted from Commander of the Lesser Divine Palace to Red Priest.


    Knowing Luo Wangshu¡¯s personality, she might actually go through with it.


    ¡°Both of you, calm your anger, Divine Envoy Cui is just anxious to recover the Divine Tablet, consumed with urgency, not getting it back would be bad for all three of us.¡±


    Zong Xiushan tried to mediate while casting a suspicious look at Luo Wangshu: ¡°But Divine Envoy Luo, since you are here, does that mean the Eight Dragon Chariot outside is empty?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s empty.¡± Luo Wangshu replied calmly with confidence: ¡°It¡¯s a deliberate deception, to make certain people drop their guard.


    I have my strategies, you two just need to wait for the outcome.¡±


    She then glanced sideways at Cui Peipei: ¡°Tell your disciple to scram!


    If we were to fight on equal realms, your disciple wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand even three moves from Lin Hao.


    I only indulged you this time because we, Great Song, indeed bear responsibility for the Divine Tablet being stolen, but don¡¯t push your luck!¡±


    Cui Peipei responded with a disdainful snort: ¡°Three moves?


    Boastful words.¡±


    A mere Fifth Realm, no matter how high his Martial Arts Accomplishment is, could he surpass a Seventh Realm Emperor Rank?


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s boastful or not, we¡¯ll find out after the fight.


    Don¡¯t just mention Lin Hao, even that Dragon Guard accompanying him, your disciple Han Xian¡¯er might not be able to match.¡±


    Luo Wangshu stood up: ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet then, for the next few months, have your disciple stop bothering Lin Hao.


    Once the Divine Tablet is recovered, I¡¯ll arrange for Lin Hao to fight your disciple, and if she loses, what will you do?¡±


    Cui Peipei shook her head, her expression mocking: ¡°If Xian¡¯er really loses, I¡¯ll have her serve your disciple as a servant!¡±


    Luo Wangshu looked at Cui Peipei, surprised.


    She thought this woman was crazy, betting so big.


    Cui Peipei¡¯s lips curved slightly: ¡°If Lin Hao loses, the same applies, do you dare?¡±


    She could see that Luo Wangshu truly cared for Lin Hao, snatching her most cherished possession from this arch-enemy would indeed be sweet.


    Cui Peipei was confident, because her disciple¡¯s strength was far beyond just a Seventh Realm Emperor Rank.


    Luo Wangshu thought of the strike Lin Hao had just launched, thinking this would be picking up a Seventh Realm Emperor Rank for free.


    In half a year, with Hao¡¯s Martial Intent becoming conceptualized, that strike would only grow stronger.


    Luo Wangshu sat down again: ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this in detail, the fight must be fair, and what if you go back on your worda?€¡±¡±

 Chapter 522

    ?Chapter 522: Chapter 495: All Ready Chapter 522: Chapter 495: All Ready Lin Rui sent Luo Wangshu out the door, and on his return to Lin Mansion, he heard Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s voice again.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t bother to care.


    He had no intention of accepting the challenge: first, his being in the wrong as a mentor meant that even if he won, people would say he was bullying; second, Ji Xueying was about to undergo Dragon Transformation, so why would he care about Han Xian¡¯er?


    There was no need to accept the challenge.


    With Han Xian¡¯er being an Emperor Rank of the Seventh Realm, challenging those weaker was against the rules anyway, and Lin Rui not accepting wouldn¡¯t cause any remarks.


    But Shangguan Tianyi, following behind Lin Rui, couldn¡¯t stand it.


    With her hand on her sword, her eyes wide and filled with rage, she glared in the direction of the door: ¡°My Lord, Tianyi asks to fight on behalf of the Lord!¡±


    She too had heard Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s words and was extremely annoyed!


    ...


    This woman had spoken most unpleasantly.


    How could Shangguan Tianyi sit idly by seeing this barbarian from Great Wei behaving so wantonly at her master¡¯s doorstep?


    Lin Rui¡¯s mind slightly stirred upon hearing this.


    Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s talent in Sword Dao was extraordinary, having reached sainthood, so Luo Wangshu said she was not inferior to her in her early years.


    Even if she might not win against Han Xian¡¯er with equal strength, it was estimated she would not lose either.


    Lin Rui quickly dismissed the thought again, believing Han Xian¡¯er would not accept the challenge.


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    After all, Shangguan Tianyi was a Dragon Guard, while Han Xian¡¯er was a distinguished Third-rank Divine Envoy of Great Wei, a mismatch in status.


    Han Xian¡¯er winning would hold no glory, and either a draw or a loss would disgrace the nation.


    Even if it dragged on for a couple hundred moves without a quick victory, it would be an embarrassing scene.


    If he was to truly send Shangguan Tianyi out, the other party would probably perceive it as an insult and make endless trouble.


    ¡°Why bother with her?


    Consider it nothing but the barking of a dog.¡±


    However, when Lin Rui returned to the underground base, he sensed that the persistently provocative Sword Intent outside the mansion had vanished without a trace.


    ¡°Has she left already?¡±


    Lin Rui looked up towards the door in surprise, as he had thought the woman would stay around a bit longer.


    Just then, his ¡®Crossing General Badge¡¯ began to mildly heat up.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    After connecting, he heard Luo Wangshu¡¯s voice: ¡°Little Hao Hao, I¡¯ve set up a betting match for you, though I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯d be interested?


    I personally feel it¡¯s quite beneficial, but still wanted to consult you.¡±


    Luo Wangshu briefly explained the situation, causing Lin Rui¡¯s brows to rise with interest.


    He glanced again towards the door, thinking if such a good opportunity could really be true?


    This base was not under his jurisdiction, but belonged to another major faction of the Longevity Association.


    That was the Vice President of the Longevity Association, who also held a high position in the Earth Federation Government, currently the Minister of the National Assets Department, not only personally wealthy and influential but also controlling a large amount of government resources.


    Zang Shaochen had only temporarily learned that this action was being prepared here, and his Alien Walker happened to be operating near Luojing, so he joined in temporarily.


    He also planned to invest certain resources, determined to put the Spy Detection Bureau Commander Lin Hao to death.


    If necessary, Zang Shaochen was even prepared to participate personally.


    ¡°Initially, we prepared one Super King of Eight Realms and two Super Kings of Seventh Realm mages to cast the ¡®Heart-nailing Death Spell¡¯.¡±


    The three-star Marshal, with his hands behind his back, said confidently: ¡°However, Duke An decided to increase the stakes at the last minute, paying a high price and showing sincerity, wanting us to eliminate Lin Hao together, I¡¯m prepared to take action personally, along with a team of 24 high-level mages, and switched the spell to ¡®Heavenly Heart Control God Spell¡¯.¡±


    Zang Shaochen¡¯s spirits lifted upon hearing this, this person beside him was a great mage of Ninth Realm Emperor Rank!


    Though not comparable to Ling Huan, yet his mastery of magic ranks within the top 20 throughout the whole Federation!


    Still, Zang Shaochen asked cautiously: ¡°That Blood Saber Lady only has fifth-rank, right?


    Will it succeed?¡±


    ¡°Our mage team here has four mages of the Eight Realms!


    The timing of the action will also be chosen when Ji Xueying¡¯s Dragon Transformation is nearly complete.


    At that time, we will bring out all her potential limits, achieving a temporary rise to the power of Eight Realms with her Battle Dragon, surely catching Lin Hao off guard.¡±


    The three-star Marshal smiled slightly: ¡°Besides, we have a backup plan.


    Duke An, Du Xinran, will soon return to the Capital, leading the core armed forces of the Du Family, and launch a sudden attack from underground on the subterranean palace beneath Lin Mansion.


    novgo.co


    We have already dug the tunnels to within less than 500 meters of this underground palace.¡±


    Seeing Zang Shaochen glance sideways, the three-star Marshal said: ¡°Then we will see the situation and decide whether to assist.¡±


    Zang Shaochen nodded, feeling that there were no discrepancies.


    ¡°Du Xinran?¡± Zang Shaochen checked some information: ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he be leading troops north to Jingzhou?


    Isn¡¯t returning at this time against military law?


    Can he make it back?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already received the message and responded that he will rush back by tomorrow night, saying he will have his own way to leave the camp.¡±


    The three-star Marshal laughed coldly: ¡°In fact, this person can no longer care about military law, he has no choice.


    Do you know how many people from the Du Family have died these days?


    Lin Hao had them purge the Demon Sect and our Alien Walkers, and up till now, 123 have died in battle!


    And all were elite members of the Du Family!


    Although Lin Hao is young, his methods are ruthless.


    If Du Xinran doesn¡¯t fight back with all his might now, he can only wait to be played to death.¡±

 Chapter 523

    ?Chapter 523: Chapter 496: Why (Three more for monthly pass) Chapter 523: Chapter 496: Why (Three more for monthly pass) The next evening.


    When Duke An, Du Xinran, was secretly preparing to leave the military camp, he was intercepted.


    He had tried his best not to emit any aura, fully covered by two mages of Seventh Realm to avoid alarming anyone, but he was still stopped while crossing the fence.


    It was Wang Chenghua, the Commander of the Demon Destruction Bureau of the Imperial City Department, dressed in a suit of golden armor, standing with furrowed brows in front of Duke An, Du Xinran.


    ¡°Duke An, where do you intend to go?


    Early tomorrow morning, we still have to hurry to Heyue City to clean up the local demons.¡±


    The Demon Destruction Bureau Commander Wang Chenghua was controlled by Lin Hao, the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, who ordered him to lead various departments to the northern part of Jingzhou to capture the high-ranking members of the Demon Sect, search for the divine artifacts stolen by the Demon Sect, cooperate with the Divine Supervision Bureau to arrest local corrupt officials under the crime of ¡®colluding with demons,¡¯ and sweep up all local demons.


    Commander Lin believed that the reason why the Bright Holy Sect was prevalent in the area was because of the corrupt bureaucracy in Jingzhou, the politics driven by bribery led to heavy taxes, causing many people to succumb and frequently turn into demons.


    ...


    And with the rampant local demons further exacerbating the taxation, a vicious cycle formed, forcing the people to rely on the Bright Holy Sect, creating a norm.


    Thus, the rise of the local Demon Sect was due to the intentional indulgence of the officials in Jingzhou, an attempt to provoke good people into becoming demons and thereby subvert the Great Song Dynasty, hence they must be captured and brought to the Capital for the Divine Supervision Bureau to interrogate thoroughly.


    Commander Wang Chenghua felt this excuse was far-fetched; accusing these Jingzhou officials of corruption was one thing, but suggesting they colluded with the Demon Sect was absurd, wasn¡¯t it?


    However, Lin Hao had the authorization from the Divine Envoy, allowing actions against officials below Third-rank without prior approval.


    And the Divine above was thoroughly enraged by the Bright Holy Sect, determined to eradicate it!


    If the Demon Sect rampant in Jingzhou was not caused by the negligence of local officials, could it be due to the misgovernment by the officials at the court?


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    Someone had to take responsibility.


    It is said that Lin Hao reported this matter to the Divine Envoy Office, and the office approved his report within just half an hour.


    Wang Chenghua was also happy to see it happen; he had been serving in the Imperial City Department for over two hundred years, his tenure was not entirely incorruptible, but he absolutely despised demons.


    The Demon Destruction Bureau was responsible for clearing the demons of Fifth Realm and above across the world, and in recent years, major demons had frequently appeared in the northern part of Jingzhou, including those of King Rank and even Emperor Rank, causing heavy casualties among his subordinatesa?€¡±with over a hundred brothers killed in battle this year alone.


    How could Wang Chenghua not hate them?


    Those local officials were extremely greedy, utterly insatiable, and would even try to extract oil from bones.


    Besides, this sweeping operation, involving seizing family assets and wiping out whole clans, was also a highly lucrative business.


    Commander Lin was very adept at managing relationships, ensuring that the entire Imperial City Department, along with the cooperating Imperial Guard, Feathers Guard, and the three judicial departments led by the Ministry of Justice, could all benefit considerably from the operation.@@@@


    Although he did not explicitly say so, everyone was initially unaware of the reasons; however, after they completed the first family seizure, they understood the situation and tacitly cooperated, diligently gathering evidence to solidify the cases.


    Thus Wang Chenghua took Lin Hao¡¯s request very seriously, willing to sell a favor to the Crown Prince who was ¡®prominent without acknowledgment¡¯.


    Lin Hao asked him to keep an eye on Duke An, Du Xinran, suspecting that he might be colluding with the Outer Heaven Demon, so he watched closely.


    As for the real reason, Wang Chenghua didn¡¯t care and was too lazy to probe deeper.


    That Lin Hao, thinking by sending them away from Luojing would suffice, didn¡¯t consider that in this life and death situation, they couldn¡¯t care less about military strategies?


    novgo.co


    Du Xinran watched the front of the Capital through video projection, his chest filled with an intense desire and killing intent coalescing to the extreme.


    Using only the ¡®Heavenly Heart Control God Spell¡¯, Blood Saber Lady had at most a forty percent chance of killing Lin Hao.


    He must return to the Capital to ensure that tonight, Lin Hao¡¯s casket is thoroughly nailed down.


    At this moment, Du Xinran heard a slightly elderly voice behind him.


    ¡°Duke An Du Xinran!


    It should be them.¡±


    ¡°The appearance is correct, the physique is correct, and their subordinates are all present, the intelligence is accurate!


    We can begin now!¡± The voice following was young and strong, as hard as iron.


    Following that, a female electronic voice inside the ship announced: ¡°Quantum Migration initiating!


    Coordinates X44514, Y34231, Z55514, distance 323000 kilometersa?€¡±¡±


    ¡°What is happening?¡± Du Xinran¡¯s expression changed drastically, puzzled by what was happening?


    He knew about the Quantum Migration of the Heaven Demon, which purportedly could bypass the ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯s Divine Skills; the question was, why would this Starship suddenly undergo Quantum Migration?


    Du Xinran noticed that the expressions of the Heaven Demon crew members seated in front seemed off; not only were their eyes dull and soulless, they also appeared very mechanically rigid.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Illusion Technique!¡±


    Just at that moment, the Guardian Battleship they were aboard suddenly shook violently.


    Du Xinran¡¯s vision blurred for a moment, and when it cleared, the scene he saw through the ship¡¯s bridge window had changed.


    Du Xinran then saw a dazzling sword light that not only split the Guardian Battleship in two but also cleaved him into halves.


    Du Xinran¡¯s pupils sharply contracted because he saw a man.


    The man was wearing a uniform of an Outer Heaven Demon Four-star Marshal, a distinguished and handsome man with a noble bearing.


    Du Xinran recognized this person, he was one of the great demons of the Outer Heaven Demons listed on the Great Song¡¯s Imperial Lista?€¡±¡¯Li Xianglong¡¯!


    Furthermore, on the Imperial List of Great Song, this Li Xianglong was ranked third!


    The question was, why would this person want to kill him?


    Du Xinran had already fully sided with the Heaven Demon, holding nothing back.


    Why is this happening?


    Du Xinran couldn¡¯t figure it out before his consciousness completely collapsed, and his entire body along with his Primordial Spirit, disintegrated into specks of spiritual light.

 Chapter 524

    ?Chapter 524: Chapter 497: Dragon Transformation (Please Subscribe) Chapter 524: Chapter 497: Dragon Transformation (Please Subscribe) Lin Rui was in an observation room of the underground base, watching Ji Xueying¡¯s Dragon Transformation in the Dragon Transformation Pond.


    Ji Xueying¡¯s transformation process was nearly identical to that of Shangguan Tianyi; it started with the growth of flesh and bones outside the layer of bone armor, forming a complete chest framework, followed by the internal organs, limbs, and skeleton of a Battle Dragon.


    Though it may sound simple, the actual process was complex and perilous.@@@@


    Ji Xueying, possessing Emperor Level Bloodline Power, faced a challenge tens of times more difficult than other Martial Cultivators when advancing.


    Lin Rui was Ji Xueying¡¯s master, with the highest degree of soul connection, and thanks to the ¡°Inverse Taiji Formation¡± he had deployed, he could vaguely sense the mental state of Ji Xueying.


    If resisting the will of the Ten Thousand Thunder Venerable was all Shangguan Tianyi needed to contend with during her Dragon Transformation, then Ji Xueying, at her transformation moment, had to face the impact of almost all of the Abyss!


    She was now highly coveted, triggering the instinctual reactions of those slumbering forces of the Abyssa?€¡±especially the Divine Spirits of the Light, Thunder, Fire elements.


    ...


    Their power extended from the void, acting upon Ji Xueying.


    The process of Dragon Transformation had to be guided by Martial Arts Extreme Intent, scientifically explained as using Spiritual Power to maintain and condense one¡¯s own gene chain.


    Martial Arts Extreme Intent itself would also select from the sequences of the 13 billion base pairs of the people of Tianji Star those most suitable for one¡¯s own Martial Arts, to reorganize them orderly and solidify them firmly.


    Moreover, it had to maintain an internal and external harmony, a spiritual connection between human and dragon, to prevent collapse of the Battle Dragon¡¯s genes or severe aberrations, like that Demon Dragon that failed its transformation and became a creature of demons.


    This also ensured the unity between the Primordial Spirit and the Battle Dragon, thereby allowing the fusion of spirit and body.


    Blood Saber Lady, being of demon origin, needed even more to maintain integration with her Battle Dragon, to keep the genes as consistent as possible; otherwise, the genetic difference between the Battle Dragon and human body would place a heavy burden on her psyche.


    That is why Lin Rui would never perform a soul Possession with his two Battle Dragons or enter their bodies unless absolutely necessary.


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    Although their genes actually originated from Lin Rui, their functions had already diverged significantly from his.


    However, the myriad Abyss Powers existing between heaven and earth not only disrupted Ji Xueying¡¯s cognition, preventing her from accurately consolidating Martial Arts Extreme Intent and controlling her body, but also caused her to experience hallucinations, countless real illusions in her mind, and even to passively fall into dreams.


    At this moment, if Ji Xueying was slightly distracted or her emotions affected, she could potentially fail the Dragon Transformation.


    This is why the Martial Cultivators of Tianji Star promote engagement with the secular world, and even those secluded Sects try their best to have their disciples experience the mortal world.


    Having experienced the seven emotions and six desires and witnessed various aspects of life, one will not be trapped by them.


    It¡¯s like those who have watched too much adult content; those who have become accustomed to seeing beauties from all angles tend to become slightly more resistant to temptation.


    Lin Rui focused intently, observing every detail of Ji Xueying¡¯s Dragon Transformation.


    Du Xinran was a Super Emperor of Eight Realms Martial Cultivator, and those five from the Eight Realms also largely had the standards of King Rank and Super King, among whom three were Du Xinran¡¯s kinsmen with very firm will to fight.


    Yet Lin Rui possessed the power to resolve Duke An Du Xinran and those who had escaped from the military camp in such a short period of time.


    Lin Rui, however, regretted it.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Du Xinran¡¯s collusion with the Outer Heaven Demon to be so deep that this person would return to Luojing in the shortest time possible, even using the Heavenly Demon¡¯s invisible Guardian Battleship.


    Had he known this earlier, Lin Rui could have laid out plans in advance to solidify the charges of Du Xinran colluding with the Outer Heaven Demon.


    It was a pity that Li Xianglong acted too late.


    Lin Rui had actually considered asking Xu Mengran to direct the ship towards the Divine Palace, or just fly it directly over key locations in Luojing.


    He then dismissed the idea, as Du Xinran couldn¡¯t possibly be that foolish.


    However, the current situation wasn¡¯t too bad, as Du Xinran and the others had fled out of fear of punishment, their whereabouts unknown.


    If the court insisted on investigating, they would ultimately find that Du Xinran died 323,000 kilometers away.


    The question is, how could Du Xinran reach an area 323,000 kilometers away within a matter of minutes?


    a?€¡±Even those Divine Envoys couldn¡¯t achieve that.


    Lin Rui then suddenly exclaimed, looking up at the sky: ¡°They¡¯ve started!¡±


    He already felt the change in Ji Xueying¡¯s Primordial Spirit.


    However, it wasn¡¯t the ¡®Heart-nailing Death Spell¡¯ predicted by the Ring Spirit; it somewhat resembled the ¡®Heavenly Heart Control God Spell¡¯.


    Yet Lin Rui¡¯s mouth curled into a more sarcastic smile, he flicked his sleeve, sending a 300,000 li Flying Book out from his sleeve into the sky, through the air vent to the surface, continuing its flight towards the direction of the Divine Palace.


    Not long after, a reflective mirror suddenly materialized above Luojing Citya?€¡±it was indeed the Heavenly Eye!


    novgo.co


    This realm projected azure-blue light, casting down upon the entirety of Luojing like moonlight.


    This was also the activation time of the Heavenly Eye he had purchased for his newly befriended good friend with eight thousand taels of gold.


    Under this Treasure Mirror¡¯s illumination, all exposed Heavenly Demons within Luojing City would have nowhere to hide.


    At the same time, Lin Rui formed a mysterious hand seal.


    In the next instant, the projection of the Spiritual Sky Dragon materialized behind him.

 Chapter 525: 498: You Are Offending the Gods (Subscribe Please)

    Chapter 525: Chapter 498: You Are Offending the Gods (Subscribe Please)


    When the light from the Heavenly Observation Divine Mirror illuminated the entire Luojing City, Ma Yunlei, the Federation¡¯s Reserve three-star Marshal and standing director of Tianyuan Energy Company, was already positioned on a Dharma Platform combining Federation electronic technology, holding a hand seal, and casting the ¡®Heavenly Heart Control God Spell¡¯ with the assistance of 24 high-level mages.


    In front of Ma Yunlei, there was a simplified version of a Nutrition Cabin with a woman lying inside, her body covered in tubes and her skin pale without a trace of color.


    She lay there with her eyes closed, motionless.


    ¡°Start to stimulate bloodline resonance! Gene synchronizing begins, establishing a spiritual connection.¡±


    ¡°We have locked onto the target; the location is right beneath Lin Mansion!¡±


    ¡°It is confirmed that Eastern Heavenly Sword Phoenix Luo Wangshu is not in Lin Mansion. According to the intelligence, the second Divine Envoy has taken Luo Wangshu to the Divine Envoy for discussions regarding sudden state affairs.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Begin to interfere with the target¡¯s emotions, guiding their thoughts.¡±@@@@


    ¡°Electromagnetic relay activated, preparing to expand the spiritual channel! The situation isn¡¯t ideal; the Arrays inside Lin Mansion are very complete.¡±


    ¡°Be cautious and attentive to the Imperial Guards patrolling around; among them are many skilled individuals, and we mustn¡¯t let them discover the electromagnetic relay.¡±


    At this moment, Ma Yunlei uttered a soft ¡°eh?¡± as he looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Heavenly Observation Divine Mirror?¡±


    Ma Yunlei¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, a sense of unease beginning to germinate in his heart.


    And as time passed, the uneasiness in his heart grew stronger.


    Go to novgo.co


    Why would the Divine Palace of Great Song suddenly activate the Heavenly Observation Divine Mirror? Could something unexpected have occurred?


    But at this point, their spell had already begun and it was very difficult to stop.


    His and the 24 high-level mages¡¯ spiritual power had, with the aid of the Array Altar, already started to interfere with the target¡¯s spirit and emotions.


    To cease now forcefully would result in spiritual backlash against him and the 24 high-level mages.


    In fact, stopping at this time wouldn¡¯t be too serious a consequence; at most, they would experience spiritual weakness for a month or two. The problem was that there were too many participants involved this time, and it would be troublesome if they were not united or in sync.


    Some were willing to bear the cost and stop the spell, but the majority may not.


    Nearly half of the people present were dark mercenaries working for money; two months of weakened spirit signified a loss of several billion.


    And as for these mages, reaching the Seventh or Eighth Realms, which one of them did not have hundreds of billions in immense loans?


    Simultaneously, Lin Rui¡¯s cool voice sounded around the Dragon Transformation Pond.


    ¡°Purify!¡±


    Boom!


    In that instant, the silvery white flames spread in all directions, burning all the alien Soul Power nearby.


    The dark grey miasma that originally covered Ji Xueying¡¯s face vanished in an instant, and at this moment, she was engulfed in white flames, her demeanor extraordinarily sacred!


    Meanwhile, in the observation room, Shangguan Tianyi, who had been watching Ji Xueying intently, let out a cold laugh.


    ¡ª Are these bastards aware that they are offending a Divine Spirit?


    Lu Hanyuan pressed his hand against the tempered glass of the observation room, watching the scene inside with an incredulous gaze.


    ¡°Is this the Concept? Is this the Pure Method! How is this possible?¡±


    Lu Hanyuan turned to look at Shangguan Tianyi, his voice hoarse and dry, his tone incredulous: ¡°Is President Lin the Abyss?¡±


    His new master turned out to be a god!


    ¡°It should be so, at least considered a Demigod.¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi nodded her head: ¡°Our lord possesses the Abyss Source Material, the Abyss Source Core, the Abyss Concept, almost everything a Divine Spirit has, he will eventually become the new god of this world¡ª¡±


    She was just saying this when suddenly her expression changed, and she looked outside: ¡°The Heavenly Observation Divine Mirror has sensed their location, we can notify the Divine Guard and Spy Detection Bureau to take action.¡±


    The reason why Lin Rui had been holding back an entire battalion of the Divine Guard and ten monitors from the Spy Detection Bureau was to catch this big fish that had colluded with Duke An.


    Tonight will be one of the greatest cases the Spy Detection Bureau has seen in a century!


    It may involve a Ninth Realm Heavenly Demon and several two-star Marshals!


    At this moment, 63 kilometers away in another underground base, above that electronic altar, Ma Yunlei¡¯s surrounding ten Seventh Realm mages¡¯ heads exploded completely, blood and brain matter flying in an instant.


    The rest, who were lucky enough to survive, all had pale faces like paper, their muscles all twisting, expressions of extreme pain.


    Those in the observation room looked at this sight, all losing color from their faces, showing fear and confusion.


    Zang Shaochen clenched his sword with an even grimmer expression on his face.


    He roared almost to the point of straining his voice: ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and pull them down from the Dharma Platform!¡±


    Even if their Primordial Spirits suffered devastating damage, it was better than dying directly on the Dharma Platform.


    However, more troublesome now was the Heavenly Eye above the sky, which was casting countless rays of light towards the base, even directly penetrating through hundreds of meters of earth.

 Chapter 526: 499: Bursting Melon (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 526: Chapter 499: Bursting Melon (Please Subscribe)


    Before Zang Shaochen¡¯s words settled, a large contingent of emergency personnel rushed onto the Dharma Platform.


    They forcibly interrupted the spell, destroying the electronic altar, severing the spiritual connection with the target, attempting to rescue the mages who were still alive off the platform.


    However, they fared better not trying to disrupt the spell; once they did, the mages could no longer hold on.


    As the electronic altar stopped operating, their heads burst open like watermelons one by one, with plasma splattering, hitting the transparent tempered glass, making a muffled thud.


    The blood and flesh, containing powerful elemental power, exploded with great force, showering the tempered glass with a multitude of spider-web-like cracks.


    What was even more alarming were the alarm sounds coming from outside the base, with internal red lights flashing.


    ...


    ¡°All units, attention! All units, attention! A large number of strong ether sources detected approaching, with Dragon Stage targets reaching 230¡ª¡ª242¡ª¡ª248¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡°It must be Great Song¡¯s Divine Guard army, at least a company!¡±


    ¡°All personnel, follow the emergency retreat plan, please evacuate as soon as possible! Evacuate quickly!¡±


    ¡°All escape routes have been opened. Please follow the indicator lights to escape. Be aware that passages 1, 3, and 5 have been sealed!¡±


    ¡°Be careful, the Heavenly Observation Divine Mirror has already penetrated in. Beware of being marked by the mirror light.¡±


    Star Sea White Wolf Zang Shaochen saw that Ma Yunlei had been forcibly disconnected from the spiritual connection, ending the spell.


    His head did not explode, he was still alive but with a dazed stare and a look of confusion on his face, the muscles twitched incessantly, like worms crawling over it, with his features and orifices oozing blood.


    Go to novgo.co


    ¡°Darn it!¡±


    Zang Shaochen sensed that this three-star Marshal was in very bad shape. He seemed still alive, but his Primordial Spirit had been severely damaged, with the structure of his Divine Soul almost completely collapsed, unable to come back together again.


    He fiercely kicked open the observation room window and, like a shadow, darted into it.


    He pointed at Ma Yunlei¡¯s forehead, trying to use his own Sword Intent to help Ma Yunlei gather his Divine Soul.


    But when Zang Shaochen¡¯s Divine Soul made direct contact with Ma Yunlei¡¯s, he found that the situation of this retired Federation three-star Marshal and executive director of Tianyuan Energy Company was far more serious than imagined.


    His Divine Soul was practically a blank slate. Most of his consciousness seemed to have been wiped out, becoming something almost unrelated to Ma Yunlei, merely soul particles.


    The remaining parts were also in bad shape. Ma Yunlei was desperately trying to maintain his self-consciousness, trying to reclaim his identity, but it was futile. Even with Zang Shaochen¡¯s help, his Divine Soul continued to disintegrate.


    ¡°Marshal, there¡¯s been activity at the palace; we¡¯ve detected several Divine Envoy Level ether sources. We estimate at least 6 Ninth Realm Super Emperor level experts have arrived near this base.¡±


    This man, just like the prediction of those supercomputer models, had caused him tremendous losses in just two short months.


    The Spy Detection Bureau under Lin Hao¡¯s command not only destroyed one of his biochemical experiment bases but also cleared out three of his supply distribution points, killing over a thousand Alien Walkers under his command.


    Cooperating with several other great dynasties, the Spy Detection Bureau continuously struck at his business network, almost rendering Zang Shaochen¡¯s interstellar smuggling business impossible to continue, even incurring losses this month.


    And today, Lin Hao dealt him another major blow.


    One of his Eighth Realm and three Seventh Realm mages inexplicably died on the electronic altar.


    Zang Shaochen dared not to imagine, once Lin Hao successfully underwent Dragon Transformation, how much more powerful he would become, how much more formidable his power would grow, what threat and hit it would bring to himself?


    So no matter what, he must kill this Lin Hao!


    Even if he couldn¡¯t kill this upstart, he would have to see for himself what was going on!


    What method did this upstart use to cause a total of 25 powerful mages to fall and die tragically on the altar¡ªamong them even a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank!


    Zang Shaochen needed to clear this up, as it would determine the strategies he would adopt in the future.


    Meanwhile, at the underground base, Lin Rui¡¯s expression was excited as he sensed the recall of the three Battle Spirits.


    The purified spiritual power cleansed by the Purifying Fire was absorbed by the three Battle Spirits.


    Number 1 Battle Spirit, Xue Bogao, was already in a saturated state and the weakest, absorbing the least.


    Thus, the majority was divided by Number 2 and Number 3 Battle Spirits. Ji Shenyan¡¯s Primordial Spirit was also near saturation, only absorbing about fifteen percent, with Huang Fuqing¡¯s Primordial Spirit taking the largest portion, about fifty percent, which directly promoted the sublimation of Huang Fuqing¡¯s Primordial Spirit.


    ¡ªPrior to Huang Fuqing¡¯s fall, he actually reached the edge of promotion, and now finally crossed that threshold with the help of these pure soul powers.


    At this moment, Huang Fuqing¡¯s tag description changed to the words ¡®One-star Marshal,¡¯ and the most significant change was his Skill list, which increased by over 150 items.


    As for the remaining thirty percent that couldn¡¯t be utilized or absorbed, it all dissipated.


    Lin Rui was always surprised that the Battle Spirit Ring, which clearly needed a large amount of soul power points to recover, showed no interest in the soul strength of normal Martial Cultivators.


    However, Lin Rui hadn¡¯t had time to examine it closely when he received a warning from Gong Hengdao.


    This top sniper was responsible for the outer perimeter alert of Lin Mansion.


    Gong Hengdao: BOSS, Zang Shaochen is heading your way, from my observation, his killing intent is very strong, but so far I haven¡¯t seen him carry a Battle Dragon.


    Lin Rui let out a surprised sound and looked upwards towards the underground base.


    At this moment, in the observation room, Lu Hanyang also narrowed his eyes: ¡°Boss Lin, let me handle this.¡±


    Just above the grounds of Lin Mansion, a Dragon Box specifically used to house Battle Dragons was rapidly opening.

 Chapter 527: 500 Taibai Divine Wall (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 527: Chapter 500 Taibai Divine Wall (Please Subscribe)


    Chapter 4 500


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow and looked back at the observation room where Lu Hanyuan was.


    However, Lu Hanyuan had already left for the surface through an emergency channel and was no longer in the observation room.


    Not only Lu Hanyuan, but Shangguan Tianyi had also gone.


    All Lin Rui could do was to send a message through quantum communication directly.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Does Old Lu have confidence?


    ...


    Lu Hanyuan: There shouldn¡¯t be a big problem. I¡¯m definitely not his match, but the Six Scenery Guarding Yuan Formation that you, President Lin, have set up is quite formidable.


    Lu Hanyuan: President Lin, rest assured, I have a secret technique that I practice, I should have no problem withstanding one or two blows.


    Lu Hanyuan believed that given the current situation, Zang Shaochen only had one or two chances.


    Do they really think the gods above are just for show?


    Even if the deity of the East Abyss is in divine sleep and refuses to awake, there are still a Heavenly Son and three Divine Envoys in Luojing City, along with numerous Ninth Realm masters.


    At a time when the East Abyss was furious over the fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet, how could these Ninth Realm masters dare not give their utmost effort?


    Lu Hanyuan thought that he must withstand it no matter what!


    Because behind him is an Abyss!


    Lu Hanyuan thought of that scene just now, and his heart surged with emotions he could hardly control.


    The new employer he served is a newly awakened deity!


    ¡ª¡ªThis will also be the first Abyss to be born among humanity.


    At this moment, a new sense of mission arose within Lu Hanyuan.


    He knew he was witnessing a miracle, observing a divine spectacle, witnessing the path of an Abyss ascending to divinity.


    Lu Hanyuan would not allow this miracle to be terminated by man; he must exhaust all his power to place his employer upon the clouds, to the pinnacle.


    President Lin¡ª¡ªhe is the one who stands at the very top of humanity¡¯s pyramid in the future.


    At this moment, above the surface, ¡®Star Sea White Wolf¡¯ Zang Shaochen had already arrived in the sky about 3000 meters in front of Lin Mansion.


    Surrounding him, there were countless thunderous glows leaping, akin to fine silver snakes swimming in the sky, also resembling the fur of a white wolf, flickering with heart-throbbing light.


    The world seemed also to have faint thunderous roars, with dark clouds crowding the sky.


    Those myriad silver serpentine thunders not only propelled Zang Shaochen forward but were also part of his sword momentum.


    As the power of thunder gathered more and more, where Zang Shaochen¡¯s sword intent pointed, the air seemed to be torn apart, emitting a deafening roar, as if even the void was trembling, with the power of destruction lurking within, capable of annihilating everything!


    This was the strength of a Divine Envoy, closing in on the Longevity of the Tenth Realm.


    Shangguan Tianyi wondered whether this Lu Bo could withstand such divine might of the Secret Sword?


    However, only Lu Bo here could withstand it!


    Shangguan Tianyi knew her own strength was too weak, the realm disparity between them was too vast, comparing to Zang Shaochen was like comparing an ant with an elephant; there was no way to bridge the gap in strength.


    Only Lu Bo, of Eighth Realms Emperor Rank, might be able to withstand this sword!


    ¡°Here it comes, be vigilant!¡±


    Lu Hanyuan suddenly roared like a lion; he merged with the Battle Dragon, holding aloft a giant metal shield eight Zhang high and three Chi thick in front of him, bearing it on his shoulders.


    ¡ª This was his main practiced Secret Skill of the Super Emperor of Eight Realms, the ¡®Taibai Divine Wall¡¯!


    In that instant, Lu Hanyuan seemed to draw all the gravitational force, all the Geng Metal Element from the surrounding heaven and earth to the heavy shield in his hand, the weight and strength of the shield seeming to increase manifold in that moment.


    A barrier of pure energy extended from the shield, rapidly expanding in all directions, forming a hemispherical protective dome.


    The dome was instantly shattered.


    The thunderous sword light that split heaven and earth had struck the shield, emitting a deafening boom.


    Lu Hanyuan¡¯s eyes were on the verge of bursting as he resisted with all his might, expending his entire strength, his entire Blood Qi, without holding anything back.


    Lu Hanyuan knew he was not particularly talented, which is why he devoted his life to martial practice, focusing on only two Secret Techniques of Super Emperor of Eight Realms, tirelessly training for hundreds of years until he achieved perfection; until the skill became second nature; until he reached the pinnacle and became one with the martial path!


    His move, though merely of the Super Emperor of Eight Realms, had reached Great Grandmaster level! It had transcended its original realm.


    Even Linghu Mingde, not long ago, had taken some time before he could subdue Lu Hanyuan.


    ¡°Puh!¡±


    In the end, Lu Hanyuan still couldn¡¯t hold on, he was sent flying, fresh blood spraying from his mouth.


    But Zang Shaochen¡¯s Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Secret Sword had already spent most of its force against him, leaving only some residual energy to sweep forward.


    At this time, Lin Xi, Shangguan Tianyi, and Ji Shenyan also acted together, disintegrating the remaining Sword Qi and Thunder, shattering them into pieces!


    Unable to conceal his surprise, Zang Shaochen stared intently at Lu Hanyuan, his gaze even colder, as if absolute zero could freeze everything.


    Where did this mongrel come from, able to bear his Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Secret Sword alone?


    Although his Sword Qi had been partly depleted by the Six Scenery Protective Formation, and it took several experts cooperating to ultimately succeed, this man¡¯s martial prowess was truly impressive!


    This man¡¯s martial arts skills were definitely of Super Emperor of Eight Realms!


    Just as Zang Shaochen was preparing his second sword move, he had a premonition.


    He sensed that not far behind him, Luo Wangshu was rapidly approaching, and the Heavenly Observation Divine Mirror was soon to lock onto him!


    ¡°You are the Star Sea White Wolf, Zang Shaochen!¡± Luo Wangshu¡¯s voice came from afar, its embedded icy intent making Zang Shaochen¡¯s flesh crawl.

 Chapter 528: 501

    Chapter 528: Chapter 501


    Not only was Luo Wangshu launching a swift attack, but several experts from the Ninth Realm were as well.


    This place was merely five miles from the Imperial City of Great Song, and it was possible for these people to arrive here within one hundred-thousandth of a second.


    However, Zang Shaochen came fully prepared. At this very moment, dozens of high-powered custom-made Antimatter Annihilation Bombs exploded at the same time in the distant void.


    These were his snipers concealed tens of kilometers away, timing their shots one to two seconds in advance in coordination with Zang Shaochen, using more than a hundred times the speed of sound to launch the Antimatter Annihilation Bombs here. Their aim was not to injure the enemy, but to intercept and restrain.


    Indeed, those Ninth Realm experts immediately let out roars and curses, redirecting their focus towards those Antimatter Bombs and did their utmost to address and neutralize these bombs that could destroy a dozen miles around.


    Only Luo Wangshu casually waved her sword, sweeping through the dozen or so Antimatter Bombs that had either already exploded or were in the process of detonating. Her speed wasn¡¯t reduced in the slightest as she still blinked into position.


    ...


    On seeing this, Zang Shaochen secretly panicked and cast another glance back at Lin Mansion, his gaze becoming even more sinister.


    ¡°Courting death!¡±


    The Eighth Realm Emperor Rank ¡®Taibai Golden Bell Dragon¡¯ had already regrouped, bearing a massive shield that showed some cracks. It positioned itself again in the center of Lin Mansion, ready for battle.


    The Battle Dragon¡¯s facial features and orifices were bleeding, yet its eyes were filled with unwavering resolve and brimming with the desire to fight.


    At the same time, Zang Shaochen also saw another Battle Dragon emerging from an underground passage in the back garden of Lin Mansion.


    From Zang Shaochen¡¯s perception, this was a Sixth Realm Battle Dragon standing nearly 21 meters tall, its body densely covered with bicolored purple and gold Runes, exuding an imposing and spectacular presence ¨C undeniably regal.


    ¡ª¡ªThis must be a very rare dragon species or even a newly born dragon species; Zang Shaochen could not recognize it for a moment.


    However, there was no doubt about the Grade of this Battle Dragon ¡ª it was beyond a Super Monarch of the Sixth Realm!


    The Blood Saber Lady had actually succeeded in Dragon Transformation! And at the Sixth Realm Grade, she propelled her Bloodline Power to the level of a Super Monarch!


    Zang Shaochen refrained from taking further action. He knew all it would take was one more sword strike to kill this Eighth Realm Emperor Rank Martial Cultivator.


    However, he was still unable to deal with Lin Hao hiding beneath the earth! The residual force of this sword stroke was no longer capable of cutting deep into the ground.


    Here there were the Sword Soul Peerless Dragon, the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon, and an unknown Super Monarch Battle Dragon, more than enough to ensure that Zang Shaochen¡¯s sword could not reach Lin Hao.


    So there was no need. Luo Wangshu¡¯s tunneling speed was really fast, and if he made this sword strike, he would be completely entangled by Luo Wangshu and might risk being besieged and falling.


    If he could not kill that Lin Commander who had caused him heavy losses, then there was no need to take the risk.


    The key point was that their planned ultimate goal had completely failed.


    Zang Shaochen looked at the Divine Palace above his head with immense regret.


    This time, the Longevity Association¡¯s plot wasn¡¯t just to eliminate Lin Hao, who became an increasingly greater threat to them, but also to awaken the ¡®East Abyss.¡¯


    A long time ago, the scientific community analyzed why most of the time within a year, the Abyss falls into Divine Sleep, and they generally believe that the Abyss employs this method to maintain its abyssal divine power or possibly to combat the ¡®Root¡¯ at the core of the Earth, or it could be for both reasons.


    According to the judgment of scientists within the Longevity Association, the damage caused by frequent awakenings of the Abyss might far exceed what people can imagine.


    And since last June, the East Abyss has awakened more than 11 times.


    Therefore, the Longevity Association devised this plan, to use all means to force and tempt the East Abyss to continue awakening.


    They wanted to continue depleting the power of the East Abyss, to disrupt the balance among the Abysses, to further provoke the outbreak of war between the Purgatory Abyss at Earth¡¯s core and the surface world.


    ¡ªThis was actually a Dual-State Battle Dragon!


    ¡°This is¡ªthe Bloodcore Sun Dragon and Emperor Hao Sun Dragon?¡±


    A Dual-State Battle Dragon referred to a powerful Battle Dragon capable of switching between two forms.


    And both forms of Ji Xueying¡¯s Battle Dragon were of Super Monarch grade!


    The reason Ji Xueying¡¯s Battle Dragon was undergoing such a transformation was probably because she had just ascended and hadn¡¯t truly stabilized yet.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s heart grew tense, and she shouted sternly: ¡°Xueying, you haven¡¯t stabilized your Battle Dragon form yet, what are you trying to do coming out at this time? Get back!¡±


    Such circumstances of a Dual-State Battle Dragon usually only occurred in the most devout and determined gods and priests.


    For example, the Great Chief Priest of their Divine Palace, whose Battle Dragon was a Dual-State Battle Dragon.


    Ji Xueying realized something was wrong too, and immediately steered her Battle Dragon back into the tunnel leading underground, hiding deep in the base.


    At this moment, within the underground observation room, Lin Rui¡¯s Primordial Spirit was also extremely surprised.


    He never expected Ji Xueying¡¯s Battle Dragon to be a Dual-State Battle Dragon!


    One of them, the Bloodcore Sun Dragon, should be Ji Xueying¡¯s own Battle Dragon form.


    It is said that the first generation¡¯s most powerful Blood Saber Lady had a Bloodcore Sun Dragon, a powerful Battle Dragon focused on destructive power.


    And the Emperor Hao Sun Dragon must have been influenced by Lin Hao.


    Although Emperor Hao Sun Dragon and Emperor Hao Dragon differ by only one character, their power is somewhat different.


    The Emperor Hao Sun Dragon has more all-encompassing Yang Element power, making it slightly stronger than the Emperor Hao Dragon.


    Lin Hao began to look forward with great anticipation. He wondered if his future Great Celestial Masters could all awaken the Emperor Hao Sun Dragon form, what then his future Battle Dragon would look like?


    Lin Hao then shook his head and walked toward the elevator.


    The battle of the day had ended perfectly; up next, he would have to deal with the aftermath and reap the fruits of victory.


    At this time, in the cosmic starry sky tens of thousands of kilometers away, Zang Shaochen appeared within a huge spherical device on a Battleship sailing in the near-earth orbit of Sky Extreme Star.


    However, his right foot was notably missing a part, and his chest and abdomen had an additional fist-sized hole.


    Zang Shaochen also had some blood leaking from his ears.


    Pressing his right hand against his brow, his face grim and dark, he glanced out of the side porthole and almost word for word said: ¡°Luo! Wang! Shu!¡±


    In fact, in the final moments of the Quantum Jump, Zang Shaochen¡¯s Primordial Spirit had stayed in place, covering his body¡¯s leap.


    Thus, in that brief instant, Zang Shaochen had a short hand-to-hand encounter with Luo Wangshu.


    He thought he could hold on for a moment, yet Luo Wangshu¡¯s sword was able to shatter his Primordial Spirit from five miles away through the void!


    As a result, the most severe damage he suffered this time was to his soul, and Zang Shaochen estimated that, even with the most top-grade Primordial Spirit repair Medicine, he wouldn¡¯t expect to recover within three to five months.


    Zang Shaochen was secretly alarmed by this, feeling that Luo Wangshu was far stronger than he had imagined.


    ¡ªApparently several times stronger than what their intelligence analysis had suggested!

 Chapter 529: 502: Battle Achievements (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 529: Chapter 502: Battle Achievements (Please Subscribe)


    Three minutes later, Lin Rui and Luo Wangshu arrived at the colossal underground base of the Heavenly Demon.


    This place is located to the southeast of Luojing City, about seventy kilometers away from Lin Mansion.


    When they reached this spot, the area was a mess.


    From the traces inside the base, the battle that had erupted was extremely fierce, with the internal Heavenly Demons offering tenacious resistance.


    Blood and scattered flesh were everywhere, and barely any intact Heavenly Demon corpses could be seen. Along the way, there were numerous broken turrets, as well as the remnants of Combat Robots and Mechas, with various scattered parts strewn across the path ahead.


    These turrets and robots were not only densely arranged but also of very high types and ranks, yet they had all been destroyed by the Battle Dragons of the Dragon Guards,


    ...


    However, the bodies of over a dozen Dragon Guards and Battle Dragons were also lying along the path.


    Lin Rui saw deep dragon claw marks and sword traces on the walls inside, some reaching as deep as ten or even several dozen meters.


    But these walls were extremely sturdy, built with the SS-grade military concrete of the Earth Federation, reaching an astonishing thickness of 56 meters, so that even the full-force combat of Sixth Realm and Seventh Realm experts inside did not affect the surface.


    As Lin Rui was inspecting the situation along the way, he headed straight for the Magic Hall near the main courtyard of the base.


    When he and Luo Wangshu arrived at the observation room of the Magic Hall, they found that the place was packed with dignitaries. Not only had the Son of Heaven and two Divine Envoys arrived, but also all the leading figures from around Luojing City had hurried over.


    Lin Rui saw that the faces of several main and vice military leaders of the Imperial Guard were looking very bad, and several Red Priests and Capital Chief Priests from the Divine Palace who had heard the news appeared to be out of their wits.


    This was because approximately 70% of the Heavenly Demon base was built beneath the former barracks of the Imperial Guard, whilst the remaining 30% was situated beneath the temples of the East Abyss.


    As a ¡®Divine Spirit¡¯, the East Abyss has its own temples, and there are many of them, with almost every county in the East Continent having temples to this entity.


    However, unlike the Bright Holy Sect, the priests of the East Abyss do not actively promote their faith.


    According to those priests, their Divine Superior does not need indiscriminate beliefs, and for believers who wish to receive consolation or blessings from the gods,


    He only requires those who truly believe in Him, trust Him, are loyal to Him, and identify with Him.


    Thus the temples of the East Abyss usually lack presence, and the priests inside are rather casual, spreading their teachings as fate wills.


    ¡°Duke An?¡± Han Baxian couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes; he had heard that recently Lin Hao had been using his authority to suppress the Duke An Mansion.


    So much so that many nobles had gone directly to the Great Celestial Master.


    Han Baxian knew that the Great Celestial Master also believed Lin Hao to be motivated by a personal vendetta, and during the loss of the Divine Tablet fragment, even seemed to be neglecting public affairs out of personal bias, somewhat losing sight of the bigger picture.


    The Great Celestial Master turned a blind eye because he happened to have thoughts of admonishing the Emperor.


    However, looking at the current situation, it is hard to say that Lin Hao was solely motivated by personal grudges against Duke An¡¯s power.


    At the very least, he managed to balance both public and private interests; he avenged his sworn sister, Zhou Yunxi, and also caught a worm for Great Song and for the Divine Above.


    Nevertheless, Han Baxian still had one thing he couldn¡¯t figure out.


    He saw Lin Rui looking around the interior of the Magic Hall, and with a smile, gestured with his hand, beckoning Lin Rui to walk with him toward the already shattered glass of the observation room.


    ¡°Brother Lin, the achievements of this case can be said to be splendid, with the battle resulting in the deaths of Heavenly Demon mages, including six from the Eight Realms, eighteen from the Seventh Realm, and one mage from the Ninth Realm-although only at early-stage Cultivation, his bloodline was strong enough to reach Emperor Rank.


    In addition, over 1300 people from the Fifth Realm and below, 800 people from the Fifth Realm, and 54 Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners from the Sixth and Seventh Realms were slain! Furthermore, more than a thousand people from the base¡¯s internal staff were captured.¡±


    Due to Lin Rui¡¯s advance deployment of the Heavenly Eye, the majority of Outer Heaven Demons in this Heavenly Demon base were unable to escape.


    Once all passages were sealed and marked by the Heavenly Eye, they simply did not flee and defended the base to the death, causing massive casualties to both the Divine Guard army and the Spy Detection Bureau...


    Han Baxian felt honored; he had taken a ten thousand Divine Gold banknote from Lin Hao and risked facilitating connections for Lin Hao, using the Heavenly Eye tonight.


    Yet, this brought him an immense amount of merit, and even a great chance to receive a Divine Merit Order,


    Such that Han Baxian felt somewhat remorseful, thinking it was not quite right to eat and take so much from someone?


    However, it also didn¡¯t seem right to just return the ten thousand Divine Gold to Lin Hao; Han Baxian could only decide to look out more for his good friend in the future.


    Before that, though, there was one matter Han Baxian had to clarify.


    Han Baxian¡¯s voice paused, lowering his tone: ¡°Brother Lin, I actually have something I don¡¯t understand; if I¡¯m not mistaken, the target of these mages was actually you and your Protective Demon, right? I would like to know how you broke their magic?¡±


    ¡ªThe key was that he not only broke the magic but also caused a total of twenty-five high-level mages to suffer backlash and die.


    Even though Han Baxian deliberately kept his voice down, the many Ninth Realm experts surrounding them, including the Emperor, all moved their eyes slightly, straining their ears to listen.

 Chapter 530: 503: Sharp Knife (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 530: Chapter 503: Sharp Knife (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression remained calm, and he spoke indifferently, ¡°Last month, my tenth Supervisor, Ruan Guoqiu, discovered that Duke An, Du Xinran, was collecting what he called the genetic information of my Blood Saber Lady.


    At that time, due to the tragic death of my sworn sister, Zhou Yunxi and her family, I had been having my private subordinates investigate and collect various intelligence and evidence of crimes regarding Duke An, Du Xinran. It was already known then that Du Xinran was involved with the Heavenly Demon, and when I handle such cases, I always assume the worst intentions in these demons and traitors. From this, I inferred that Duke An, Du Xinran, must have sought to harm my Protective Demon, undoubtedly by drawing upon the powers of the Outer Heaven Demons.¡±


    At this point, Lin Rui let out a cold laugh, ¡°If I am aware of their schemes in advance, how could I be without countermeasures? I have been lying low these past days precisely to lure the snake out of its hole, to conclusively prove this Duke An¡¯s crime of collusion with demons and incidentally catch this group of Outer Heaven Demons who still dare to shelter within the Capital.¡±


    The several Ninth Realm experts on site exchanged glances, thinking that Lin Hao was managing this case with both public and private interests in mind.


    What kind of luring the snake out of the hole strategy is this? It should be more like stirring the grass to scare the snake and forcing it out, right?


    Indeed, this Du Xinran is colluding with the Heavenly Demon, an unforgivable crime.


    ...


    However, from the current information gathered from all sides, it appears that Du Xinran¡¯s initial target was most likely Lin Hao¡¯s Protective Demon. It was Lin Hao¡¯s brutal retaliation that pushed Du Xinran to the brink of desperation, forcing him to join forces with the local Outer Heaven Demons in a fight to the death!


    Now, it remains unknown what has become of this man. According to reports from various places, he clearly led a large group of experts back to the Capital, yet disappeared without a trace on the eve of battle.


    Could it be that he had foreseen his own defeat, or did he develop a fear of battle and thus chose to flee in fear of his crimes?


    At this time, the twentieth Supervisor, Luo Tianman, was also standing by with a look of dejection and envy in his eyes.


    He had previously been responsible for investigating the Heavenly Demon case related to the Jinhao trade association under the care of the Commander, earning great merit.


    Recently feeling that his experience and merits were sufficient, he wanted to seek an appointment outside the capital, to leap directly from Supervisor to garrison commander of a remote province.


    Although the Spy Detection Bureau wielded great authority, there is a saying among the people: it¡¯s better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. Luo Tianman believed that with his age, he probably could not climb to the position of Deputy Commander, so being transferred to garrison commander would be an excellent choice, at least allowing him to amass enough wealth to ascend to a high rank.


    Thus, in recent times, Luo Tianman had been less efficient in handling matters for the Commander, which gave Ruan Guoqiu of the tenth Supervisor an opportunity to step in and claim a great achievement.


    Luo Tianman felt extremely regretful and thought to himself that he should get closer to Lin Rui in the future.


    At this moment, Lin Rui had already walked to the window to observe the situation inside.


    The scene was a mess, with holes everywhere on the walls, some as deep as tens of meters, nearly penetrating the high-strength concrete walls of the base.


    On the ground lay over a hundred corpses scattered haphazardly, including those of the Outer Heaven Demons as well as Divine Guards and Spy Detection Bureau agents.


    At the central position, an electronic altar displayed a simple sleeping cabin, where Ji Xueying¡¯s clone was supposed to be placed.


    However, inside the cabin now was nothing but a jumble of scattered flesh and blood, which seemed to have disintegrated due to backlash from magical forces.


    Lin Rui glanced over without any particular concern and had no intention of retrieving Ji Xueying¡¯s genetic material.


    The Longevity Association would surely have backed up Ji Xueying¡¯s genetic blueprint, so there was no need; moreover, if others wanted to steal Ji Xueying¡¯s genetic samples, there were plenty of ways to do so.


    To guard against such curses, in the end, one must rely on Ji Xueying herself. As long as her Divine Thought is strong enough and her will is steadfast, she can keep all evils at bay.


    Moreover, when a Martial Cultivator¡¯s cultivation reaches an advanced stage and enters the ultimate unity of spirit and body, they can always maintain their true self, making such curse techniques difficult to execute.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes brightened as he noticed that most of the electronic altar was still intact.


    Although the surface of the altar was pitted and probably blasted by the flesh and brains of Seventh and Eighth Realm experts, the material used was extremely resilient, leaving the internal structure undamaged.


    While observing, Lin Rui continued to explain, ¡°However, Duke An has a strong foundation, and the strength of these Outer Heaven Demons is unfathomable. Therefore, I didn¡¯t just set up a Reverse Yin Yang Array at home in advance to transfer any curse to myself; early on, I had also summoned the projection of the Spiritual Sky Dragon to my mansion.


    The mood of the First Divine Envoy was extremely cheerful.


    Today, Lin Hao indeed gave him a pleasant surprise; by eliminating Duke An, Du Xinran, it was as if he had removed an arm of the emperor!


    The First Divine Envoy was initially very displeased with Lin Hao taking over the position of the Spy Detection Bureau Deputy Commander, but first, his preferred candidate was blocked from advancing, secondly, in order to win over Luo Wangshu, he had to hold his nose and support him, and also repeatedly show favor and protect the young man.


    Now it seems that not only is the young man extremely capable, but he may also be more suitable for this position than the person he previously favored.


    The emperor¡¯s expression was calm, hands clasped behind his back as he said: ¡°He indeed merits substantial commendation to highlight his contributions! Since the few of us are here, let¡¯s quickly discuss and formulate a policy on how to reward him for his merits.¡±


    But there was not only a lack of displeasure on his face, but it even curved into a hint of a smile.


    Du Xinran was utterly to blame for his own misfortune.


    Had this fool not been so foolish as to provoke Lin Hao, he would not have ended up in a situation of being targeted and suppressed by Lin Hao with full force.


    Furthermore, had he possessed enough patience, enough perseverance, and waited until the Great Song royal family had the resources to spare, the Du Family would not have faced extinction.


    They could have retained their noble titles, and some of the family¡¯s legitimate descendants could have survived, but Du Xinran insisted on acting on his own accord, staking everything on one throw and taking reckless risks.


    Moreover, Du Xinran, the principal offender, was insincere, guilty of deceiving the monarch! This scoundrel had kept him in the dark and colluded with Outer Heaven Demons to this extent!


    Thus, the emperor was actually pleased with Lin Hao, for removing these parasitic worms hidden within the Great Song dynasty, cutting off the rotting flesh.


    People like Du Xinran, who are supposedly arms and henchmen, better off dead.


    With these people gone, it not only allows the fate of Great Song to persevere longer but also clears space for him to recruit new henchmen¡ªmore loyal, more devoted, and more powerful.


    The only regret for the emperor was that the schemes of these Outer Heaven Demons did not succeed.


    The emperor¡¯s mind wandered to the sky above within his thoughts.


    These Outer Heaven Demons must also believe that the frequent awakenings of the Abyss cause great damage to it, right?


    Furthermore, they were very eager to provoke a war between the surface and Purgatory!


    Besides, this time the Divine had not awakened, although the situation was not out of control at the moment, such a big disturbance within the city, yet the Divine had no intention of awakening.


    The corners of the emperor¡¯s lips lifted slightly, his thoughts becoming settled.


    Although the loss of the traitor Du Xinran today, it allowed the emperor to further discern the situation.


    ¡ª That is to endure! He and the Great Song dynasty must persevere to the end. Our future will certainly be bright and boundless!


    As for Lin Hao, his original plan was also to use him like a knife to cure the decayed flesh of Great Song and remove the filth.


    The problem is that this young man¡¯s talent is simply too high, and his potential is surprisingly great; the emperor is not afraid of the sharpness of the knife, but rather the inability to control it.


    From recent observations, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any possibility of winning this young man over.


    A trace of extraordinary light flashed in the emperor¡¯s eyes.


    He would not personally take action against Lin Hao, but if any Outer Heaven Demon wished to eliminate Lin Hao, he would be pleased to see it succeed and might even provide some convenience.


    Before that, let this young man continue to wield his knife, to trim the decay of Great Song.

 Chapter 531: 504: Blasphemy (Thanks to Alliance Hierarch sidneyliu)

    Chapter 531: Chapter 504: Blasphemy (Thanks to Alliance Hierarch sidneyliu)


    At this moment, roughly five miles away from this underground Heavenly Demon base.


    Great Cheng¡¯s Third Divine Envoy Zong Xiushan was hiding in a civilian dwelling, listening intently to the conversations inside the Heavenly Demon base.


    Beside him floated a tiny sword as thick as a finger, the blade of the sword was buzzing and emitting sounds like human speech.


    That was indeed the voice of the Emperor of Great Song: ¡°We really need to reward generously to honor the merit! Since we are all here, let¡¯s swiftly finalize a charter on how to bestow rewards for the merits.¡±


    Similarly, another sword was hidden deep within a concealed corner inside the Heavenly Demon base, unnoticed by the Emperor and several Divine Envoys inside.


    Yan Zhe, the Third Divine Envoy of Great Wei, showed a hint of envy in his eyes: ¡°This little gadget of yours is quite impressive, must be something newly developed by the Mechanical God Temple, right? It probably even includes a nanocoating that can block Spiritual Sense from Outer Heaven Demons.¡±


    ...


    She knew that the miraculous nature of Zong Xiushan¡¯s set of swords also had to do with the concepts and cultivation techniques he practiced.


    One of the concepts Zong Xiushan mastered was ¡®Resonance,¡¯ so he was not easily envied.


    ¡°I never would have thought,¡± Zong Xiushan squinted his eyes, ¡°this Spy Detection Bureau Commander Lin Hao really has some tricks up his sleeve. The ten supervisors and the Divine Guard army were all on standby, turns out they were waiting here.¡±


    Zong Xiushan also thought of Luo Wangshu, who had exited from the backyard of Lin Mansion that day with a pale face and slightly weakened aura, and concluded he was overthinking.


    ¡°This young man is very capable, but unfortunately, he¡¯s focused all his attention on internal strife.¡±


    Cui Peipei disdainfully sneered: ¡°He hasn¡¯t fully exerted himself in searching for the fragments of the Divine Tablet, that¡¯s a fact. Although it appears this time that he has made great contributions by eliminating a large number of Outer Heaven Demons, if I were the Great Celestial Master of the Divine Palace of Great Song, I would naturally reward him, but I would definitely find a way to discipline him afterward.


    For us, the trust from the Divine above is what¡¯s most important, and in this aspect, he¡¯s actually lost points. East Abyss wants the Abyss Divine Tablet fragments retrieved quickly, not these Outer Heaven Demons.¡±


    Zong Xiushan nodded slightly, just about to express his agreement, when suddenly the set of swords broadcasted a voice.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Honorable Three Divine Envoys, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s secret laboratory No.0 inside the base has been opened. I can¡¯t describe or dare to say what¡¯s inside, you better see it for yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Oh? There¡¯s something indescribable here? Lead the way.¡±


    Cui Peipei and Zong Xiushan exchanged a curious glance.


    What kind of experiment would necessitate the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty and the three great Divine Envoys to personally inspect?


    Cui Peipei intensely stared at Zong Xiushan, who impassively controlled his sword device lurking inside the Heavenly Demon base, following those people¡¯s movements.


    Soon after, they heard the Second Divine Envoy Han Baxian and the Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace, respectively, exclaim in astonishment.


    He realized that the black-haired man before him might very well be that person from the East Abyss; he was their Divine.


    Lin Rui immediately understood why the Longevity Association had built this base underneath the Divine Temple.


    This was to use the divine aura of that Divine Temple to mask the Divine Power fluctuations of this clone.


    A highly blasphemous thought also emerged in his mind.


    That being from the East Abyss, does he not even know that a clone of himself had been made?


    It seems that the so-called gods of the Sky Extreme Star are no different; they are far from omnipotent.


    Of course, relative to mortals, even top-tier Longevity Martial Cultivators, they are tremendously powerful.


    Their level of life and power surpasses mortals, and they are even capable of using their will to substantially twist nature, forming ¡®Concepts.¡¯


    ¡°Commander Lin, please give the order for the Divine Guard to seal off this area. Starting now, no one is allowed to enter this place, and all related personnel must not leak a word, otherwise they will face Divine Law¡¯s severe punishment!¡±


    Han Baxian¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he glanced at the man who had come to report to them earlier, requesting them to come together.


    Was that the sixteenth supervisor of the Spy Detection Bureau, Yan Zhe? This person was also a scoundrel, likely intentionally omitting to remind them, allowing the numerous Ninth Realm and Eight Realm present to witness this forbidden scene of defiling the gods.


    Han Baxian thought to himself that he had been careless; he had noticed Yan Zhe¡¯s eyes bleeding but did not investigate the cause.


    Yan Zhe¡¯s face was deathly pale; he had intended to compete for merit, leading his subordinates to open this laboratory by any means possible. However, he did not expect to encounter this disaster.


    He had deliberately failed to explain things, requesting the Emperor and Divine Envoys to come together for self-preservation.


    Yan Zhe realized that only by having many witnesses to this scene could he avoid being silenced by the Divine Palace.


    Finally, he looked at Lin Hao and Luo Wangshu with hopeful eyes; Yan Zhe knew that if he wanted to save his life and retain his position, he had to seek help from these two.


    Han Baxian thought of this person, also a direct subordinate of Lin Hao, snorted coldly, diverted his gaze, then bowed to Luo Wangshu: ¡°Please have Their Majesties and the Three Divine Envoys wait here for a while, to sit tight for a period. I will now return to the Divine Palace and report this matter to the Great Celestial Master and the Divine, who I believe will attend to it shortly.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead!¡± Luo Wangshu gave a slight flick of her sleeve, her expression filled with immense shock and anger: ¡°Please bring the Great Celestial Master here as soon as possible; these Outer Heaven Demons are far too rampant!¡±


    At this moment, she suddenly exclaimed in surprise, looking upward, her eyes solemn: ¡°It seems the Divine is already aware.¡±


    At this time, above Luojing City, dark clouds gathered suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder roared! The majestic Divine Might covered the entire Luojing City.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 532: 505: Rage (Subscription Request)

    Chapter 532: Chapter 505: Rage (Subscription Request)


    Luo Wangshu vividly felt the rage of the East Abyss.


    Even though the Divine had not awakened, He had already sensed everything that had occurred here and was massively enraged by it.


    The purpose of those Outer Heaven Demons cloning the Divine¡¯s clone was mostly to steal the Divine Power¡ªhow could the Divine not be furious?


    In her heart, Luo Wangshu was secretly amazed, wondering just what kind of luck does Hao have?


    Of course, she knew that Lin Hao¡¯s misappropriation of public resources for personal revenge against the Du family could stir dissatisfaction from the Great Celestial Master, yet Luo Wangshu felt indifferent, letting fate take its course.


    They aren¡¯t real diviners anyway, could they truly serve the Divine wholeheartedly like the Great Celestial Master¡ªwithout reservation and devoid of self-interest?


    ...


    It¡¯s impossible for them, and if they really acted without selfish desires, the Great Celestial Master would become even more suspicious.


    This issue with Hao indeed did not meet the expectations of the Divine and the Great Celestial Master, but only a few months later when Hao ¡®retrieves¡¯ the Abyss Divine Tablet for them, their trust will be restored.


    They will appreciate Hao¡¯s strong handling capabilities and his skill in juggling public and private matters.


    After all, the Divine doesn¡¯t only demand loyalty but also requires them to be sharp!


    He has no need for loyal fools.


    Luo Wangshu would never have thought that within this Heavenly Demon base discovered by Lin Hao, such shocking secrets were hidden!


    These Outer Heaven Demons truly are recklessly outrageous and have crossed the line! They even dare to research the Divine, spy on the Divine, and seek to steal the Divine Power.


    The theft of the Divine Tablet at most enraged the Divine, but this clone replication is what truly touched the Divine¡¯s reverse scales!


    Lin Hao, by accident or by fate, can be said to have solved a case ten times more vital than the Divine Tablet theft!


    So what is the Divine thinking now? How does He perceive Hao?


    ¡°Truly unrestrained to the extreme!¡± The First Divine Envoy also frowned tightly: ¡°If this Heavenly Demon base was truly orchestrated by Duke An Du Xinran, then this person is wicked to the extreme and merits death by a thousand cuts!¡±


    He turned to glance at the wall beside him, his voice chilling: ¡°Their arrangements here are meticulous, but without the existence of the Divine Temple above, it would be impossible to deceive the Divine.¡±


    The walls here are composed of lead blocks, graphene, specially formulated concrete, and cloaking nanocoating, reaching an astonishing thickness of 30 meters, plus over fifty meters of concrete layer outside the base.


    But even so, it could not hide from the Divine.


    After all, within this egg-shaped glass, part of the Divine¡¯s genetic material was used to cultivate it!


    The Second Divine Envoy also clenched his fists, appearing extremely enraged: ¡°We must capture Du Xinran as soon as possible! This person must have foreseen the grim situation and consequently fled out of guilt!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we need to capture Du Xinran and his kin as soon as possible, but now I¡¯m more worried that he might be silenced.¡±


    The First Divine Envoy sneered coldly: ¡°Based on the current situation, this person and numerous masters from the Du family have gone missing without a trace after leaving without orders; it is difficult to ascertain what has happened and irksome to say.¡±


    He then turned and surveyed those present: ¡°The former Directors of the Spy Detection Bureau also need to be held accountable and strictly examined! This Heavenly Demon base was able to be built and exist until now because of their undeniable responsibility!


    Luo Wangshu smiled slightly, with a hint of sarcasm in her eyes, ¡°May I ask, within the territory of Great Song, besides my disciple, who do you trust to follow up on this case? Who could be a more suitable candidate?¡±


    The Second Divine Envoy was at a loss for breath and speechless.


    He really did not wish for Lin Hao¡¯s authority to continue to expand, but the problem is that in the entire Luojing City, there really was no one more suitable than Lin Hao.


    The key issue is God¡ª


    After the outbreak of this blasphemous case involving the Heavenly Demon, the trust the gods have in them could only decrease further.


    Currently, in this case, the only person He trusts might only be Lin Hao, who personally uncovered this case.


    If something goes wrong in the future, none of them could bear that responsibility.


    ¡°Indeed, apart from Lin Hao, this envoy does not trust anyone else.¡±


    The First Divine Envoy also sneered, ¡°In addition, the theft of the Abyss Divine Tablet fragment is said to be interfered with by Abyss Power, and looking at the current situation, this so-called ¡®Longevity Association¡¯ has deeper research into the Abyss than we imagined. This envoy believes that these two cases are likely connected and could be investigated together¡ª¡±


    Just at that moment, Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes sharpened, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    She immediately turned around and slashed with her sword towards the doorway.


    Cui Peipei immediately appeared, also waving her long sleeves, casting a ripple-like sword shadow.


    As the two swords clashed, their True Qi, Primordial Spirits, and Martial Intents fully collided, and a look of alarm appeared in Cui Peipei¡¯s eyes. She abruptly slid back dozens of meters before managing to stop herself, yet she still created a three-foot-deep shallow pit in the ground.


    Within 10 kilometers around them, the void also rippled incessantly like a disturbed lake surface.


    Cui Peipei¡¯s mind was immensely shocked, staring fixedly at Luo Wangshu in front of her.


    She was secretly alarmed by the sword force Luo Wangshu casually slashed out.


    Was the Luo Wangshu who had fought with them that day, not actually exerting her full strength?


    Zong Xiushan also showed up behind Cui Peipei, similarly feeling shocked.


    Apparently, during their fight that day, Luo Wangshu had actually held back?


    However, the gaze of both individuals was soon firmly captured by the humanoid figure inside the egg-shaped glass.


    Their eyes stared blankly, even if their pupils were nearly bursting, they did not move an inch.


    Cui Peipei then exclaimed in amazement, ¡°Is this an attempt to replicate a god? Those Outer Heaven Demons are simply insane.¡±


    She did not regret her bold intrusion at all; she indeed saw something incredible¡ª


    At this moment, the Emperor and the three Divine Envoys exchanged a glance, all feeling a splitting headache, extremely irritated.


    They had just been preoccupied with their internal scheming and had neglected the surroundings, allowing these two foreign Divine Envoys to break in.


    How should they explain this to the Divine and the Great Celestial Master now?

 Chapter 533: 506: Lin Hao Must Die (Seeking Monthly Pass)

    Chapter 533: Chapter 506: Lin Hao Must Die (Seeking Monthly Pass)


    February 15, 4161 A.D., Lin Rui sat in the Chairman¡¯s office of the Forest Alien Company, leisurely flipping through the electronic newspapers released by various major media outlets while drinking the tea brewed by Ji Xueying.


    Days had passed since the blasphemous major crime in Luojing, yet the media across the entire Earth Federation were still fervently discussing the so-called ¡®Luojing Tragedy.¡¯


    These electronic newspapers published a large number of commentary articles, with each title more sensational than the last.


    ¡°Seven Magic Marshal¡¯s Deaths in Luojing, Whose Fault?¡±


    ¡°Federation¡¯s Alien Walkers Suffer Major Losses, Security Bureau Has Unquestionable Responsibility!¡±


    ¡°Exclusive Report! The Truth Behind the Luojing Tragedy!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Why Did Three-star Marshal Ma Yunlei Ignore the Security Bureau¡¯s Repeated Warnings and Stay in Luojing?¡±


    ¡°Insiders Claim that Ma Yunlei and Duke An of Great Song Conspired to Assassinate Lin Hao¡±


    ¡°Lin Hao Must Die!¡±


    ¡°The Current Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau Could Become the Alien Walkers¡¯ Worst Nightmare!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s Deeply Analyze Lin Hao¡¯s Current Power and Personal Forces!¡±


    ¡°A Shallow Exploration of the Rise of Lin Hao, National Guardian of Great Song, Great Chief Priest of Divine Palace, General, and Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau!¡±


    ¡°Experts Predict that the Sky Extreme Star¡¯s Shortage of Various Resources Will Continue Until the End of the Year¡±


    Judging from the data, these articles had a high click rate, clearly receiving a lot of attention, which is no wonder the media had been heatedly discussing this topic for so many days.


    Now the major Alien forums are the same; all discussions and analyses about the Luojing tragedy and Lin Hao were pinned to the very top.


    At this moment, Lin Rui suddenly scrolled to a title.


    ¡°Shocking Truth! Ma Yunlei and His Behind-the-Scenes Organization Possibly Researching Gods in Luojing!¡±


    Lin Rui wondered if the deeply guarded secrets of Great Song had been leaked just like that?


    He opened it and glanced through, only to discover the article¡¯s author was grasping at straws, making deductions based on some incorrect information, but somehow managed to hit the mark inadvertently.


    Li Xianglong: Also, didn¡¯t the Divine Envoy from Great Song task you with overseeing the pursuit and capture of Heavenly Demons related to the Longevity Association? You need to intensify your efforts, and it would be best to swiftly wipe out every base the Longevity Association has established in Great Song.


    Lin Rui was astonished: Intensify my efforts? Are you sure, General? I know the media has been harshly criticizing the Security Bureau lately, and inside Congress, our Security Bureau is also facing a lot of pressure. How many inquiries have been launched by the related committees? Four times already?


    Seven reserve Magic Marshals have already died, including one three-star Marshal, and you want him to step up his efforts?


    Li Xianglong: They are just a bunch of clowns; take no notice of them. The media¡¯s power can be wielded by them and just as well by me; it¡¯s simply a matter of stirring up trouble. As for Congress, I have already convinced the President to help the Security Bureau suppress Congress before his resignation.


    Li Xianglong: Additionally, we found other research data from the Longevity Association¡¯s databases; utterly bloody and insanely cruel. We can now be confident that the Longevity Association¡¯s goal isn¡¯t just ¡°Longevity,¡± but also an intention to overthrow the Federation Government. Both the President and I believe we must intensify our efforts to strike against them.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Understood! I will give it my all.


    Li Xianglong: I will do my best to provide you with all kinds of resources, including intelligence and combat power. As long as it¡¯s related to official business, no matter what you request, I will try to meet it.


    Li Xianglong: I¡¯ve heard about the Bright Front you and Fang Ranran have formed, which is becoming quite popular lately? That¡¯s very good. I¡¯ll consider offering some support to your political party; we need to work on this front as well and bring up a few more Congressmen.


    Li Xianglong: Just watch, after this election, the world will be different.


    Seeing this sentence, Lin Rui raised his eyebrows, thinking that the first General of the Security Bureau was indeed planning, as rumored, to take advantage of Ling Huan¡¯s death to exert full force in this election and further interfere with the political situation.


    But could he succeed? He seemed quite confident, yet the other political parties and forces within the Federation were not to be underestimated. The Longevity Association would not sit idly by, and the Divine Illumination Association was a difficult adversary, resilient even in the face of death.


    Li Xianglong: By the way, this is a small gift I¡¯m giving you; these two will probably not be able to hold out much longer and are estimated to seek you out soon.


    At this moment, Lin Rui received another file, and when he opened it, he discovered it was the career records of two Eight Realms masters.


    The first record was that of ¡°Fairy Qin Yue¡± Li Yuehua, and the second was ¡°Ice King of Snowy Night¡± Hou Yuting.


    These were precisely the two Eight Realms masters who had participated in the attempted assassination of Lin Hao over the Sky Suspension River.


    According to the information provided by Li Xianglong, these two had been chased to desperation by the Divine Eye Bureau of the Imperial City Department of Great Song.


    The Divine Eye Bureau was also an internal organization of the Imperial City Department, tasked with eliminating Heavenly Demons and Demons identified and marked by the Heavenly Eye; its ranks were filled with experts, including several Ninth Realm masters, as well as connections with many powerful hired swords and even Demons mercenaries.


    Lin Rui was invigorated, considering that Li Xianglong was actually quite helpful; even better than an 8X model Exoskeleton Battle Armor.


    Lately, Lin Rui¡¯s fortunes had been really good, especially the increasingly mature Alien Lin Hao.


    Once these two of the Eight Realms arrived, his strength would not be far behind those of the candidate Divine Envoys.

 Chapter 534: 507: Election Situation (Third Update, Requesting Monthly Pass)

    Chapter 534: Chapter 507: Election Situation (Third Update, Requesting Monthly Pass)


    Lin Rui ended the communication with Li Xianglong and then heard a knock at the door.


    The office door was a high-tech product with one-way shielding against Spiritual Sense. Lin Rui could clearly sense the situation outside the door, but those outside would encounter strong interference if they tried to perceive what was happening inside the office.


    The degree of interference depended on the individual¡¯s Cultivation.


    In a world where Martial Arts prevailed, privacy was indeed an issue.


    Lin Rui had already sensed that the person outside was Lu Hanyuan and slightly smiled: ¡°Old Lu, come in. The door isn¡¯t locked.¡±


    Lu Hanyuan then pushed the door open and entered, dressed in a formal suit, looking sharp and immaculate, his hair slick and neat, with a serious expression: ¡°Good morning, President Lin. I¡¯m here to report for duty.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Report? What duty? Hasn¡¯t my estate always been under your management, Old Lu? Hmm~¡±


    Lin Rui first chuckled in dismay, then his expression shifted, examining Lu Hanyuan: ¡°Old Lu, are you preparing to formally take over the trade and shipbuilding companies? But your body hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet, has it? There¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    ¡°President Lin, I am no longer seriously affected; these minor internal injuries will not impact my work.¡± Lu Hanyuan pondered how could he not be in a hurry? Just thinking about the chaotic management, poor production and logistics efficiency, and the shocking waste at each step of the two companies, he felt an urgent frustration.


    That was like throwing President Lin¡¯s money into the water! If he took over these two companies right now, he could save at least 1.5 billion federal coins for President Lin every month¡ªthat could allow President Lin to maintain two more 6S squads.


    Moreover, by speeding up and enhancing efficiency at various stages, the trade company could acquire more ships and achieve higher trade efficiency.


    His new employer was a Demigod with limitless prospects, yet their enemies were also extremely powerful.


    Lu Hanyuan felt that time was of the essence, and it was crucial to utilize every ounce of strength to grow stronger urgently.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    In reality, Lin Rui was eager for Lu Hanyuan to start working since he severely lacked high-end management talent. Directly recruiting professional managers may not meet his expectations, and it would be difficult to establish trust in a short time.


    ¡°Old Lu, your appointment was issued ten days ago as the executive director and CEO of Forest Interstellar Trade Company and Forest Shipbuilding. I¡¯ll personally take you to assume your duties at these companies later, but before that, you¡¯ll accompany me to a place. Coincidentally, that thing I talked to you about before has yielded results. Let¡¯s go have a look together.¡±


    Lu Hanyuan was momentarily stunned, somewhat confused as to which matter President Lin was referring to.


    He then had a slight realization, pondering whether President Lin was talking about that special Armament made with revolutionary technology, which could raise his Bloodline Power to the level of a Super Emperor of Eight Realms, or even Emperor Rank?


    Was President Lin serious? Did they really possess such technology? Were they not just fooling him?


    At this moment, Lin Rui was also sending messages in the work group chat.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Attention everyone, stop what you¡¯re doing right now. Gather at Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Studio, I have something good to show you. They¡¯ve developed a new technology over there that¡¯s very important for you, and I think it¡¯s best for you to see it with your own eyes.


    Lin Rui kept looking at Fang Ranran, finding her embarrassed state quite adorable. So, Fang Ranran could blush after all?


    He remembered how composed she was when she had been appreciating his naked body.


    While looking at her with interest, he answered: ¡°Very reliable. I personally witnessed the birth of these two prosthetics. However, seeing is believing, and I invited father-in-law over this time to witness the simulation of the biological prosthetics in action.¡±


    Now, Linghu Mingde was the biggest financier of the Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute, contributing nearly 30% of their research funds without claiming any future patents. Thus, Lin Rui shared everything he knew in great detail and treated him extremely well: ¡°But father-in-law, don¡¯t overestimate this new technology too much. These two prosthetics were made by top prosthetic makers; with other makers, it would be hard to achieve the same effect.¡±


    Linghu Mingde thought to himself that indeed, Lin Rui did have top prosthetic makers under his control.


    Otherwise, the data for those prosthetics couldn¡¯t be so unbelievable, surpassing perfection in every way.


    His eyes narrowed slightly: ¡°Mr. Lin, what you¡¯ve said makes me even more eager now.¡±


    Linghu Mingde didn¡¯t care about the actual level of the innovative technology; he just wanted to know if the data of these two prosthetics were real.


    After all, these top prosthetics would ultimately be implanted into his body.


    The fact that Lin Rui¡¯s research institute had the capability to create such perfect prosthetics was excellent news for him.


    Fang Ranran next to him was also slightly distracted; she still remembered the shock when she first received the data for those two prosthetics.


    Fang Ranran could hardly believe that the Biological Prosthetics Research Institute under Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals was researching such innovative technology! No wonder her father-in-law valued it so much, repeatedly urging her to ensure funding and logistics support.


    Speaking of which, this guy was truly decent. If she were Lin Rui, with control over the development capacity and direction of this new technology, she might have thought about kicking Fang Ranran to the curb or starting anew.


    As far as she knew, Lin Rui had the financial ability to do so.


    Lin Rui nodded seriously: ¡°I will certainly not disappoint father-in-law.¡±


    His expression then turned serious: ¡°Right, Ranran, you must be very careful when you go out these days, and it would be best to strengthen your security team. I have received credible information that someone has targeted you recently; there are people from the underworld organizing hands to try to assassinate you.¡±


    According to the internal reports from the Security Bureau, this seems to be related to the increasingly fierce political campaigns of recent days.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but greatly admire Fang Ranran¡¯s cunning abilities and her strong drive to action; this month alone, she traveled around several base cities, convincing several experienced independent candidates to join her party, and forcefully turned ¡®Bright Front¡¯ into a national party that attracted media attention and was widely seen by political circles as a promising dark horse, possibly securing three to five Congressman seats in the upcoming elections.


    However, according to predictions from the Bright Front Central Committee¡¯s supercomputing model, they are likely to secure more than 10 Congress seats, and the number of City Councilors in each base city could exceed 200, shaping a strong political force.


    It¡¯s worth mentioning that the Heart of Light No.9 predicted 12 Congressman seats.


    This was related to the substantial funding for the Bright Front. Not only were the Sky Fox Group and Lin Rui¡¯s Forest Group behind ¡®Bright Front¡¯, but Fang Ranran¡¯s own financial resources were considerable.


    She also managed to bring in massive financial aid through her networking web, leading to the Bright Front¡¯s campaign funds being extremely abundant.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s personal electoral prospects were also looking good, and with her rising exposure rate lately, her popularity was soaring day by day.


    However, this heated political scene also brought great danger to Fang Ranran.

 Chapter 535: 508: Inquiry (Request for Subscription)

    Chapter 535: Chapter 508: Inquiry (Request for Subscription)


    Fang Ranran sneered dismissively upon hearing this: ¡°Assassination? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m prepared.¡±


    In fact, she had already received dozens of death threats recently.


    Her election rivals, unable to defeat her outright, resorted to crooked and sinister tactics as though they could intimidate her.


    Moreover, her current security forces were nearly as formidable as Lin Rui¡¯s, comprising four 6S-level squads, four Type 7 Red Spiders, and they had also hired a 7S+ expert as the head of security, bolstered further by personnel arranged by Linghu Mingde, making her defenses extremely robust.


    That said, how on earth did Lin Rui manage to recruit so many experts?


    Fang Ranran also had ample financial resources, yet to this date, she had been unable to hire any real experts from the Seventh or Eighth Realm; whereas Lin Rui had several, along with at least sixteen 6S tactical squads.


    ...


    Thinking of this, Fang Ranran couldn¡¯t help but cast a sidelong glance at Lu Hanyuan standing behind Lin Rui.


    She thought, could this be Lu Hanyuan? The one who had given up on life, thoroughly disheartened?


    Looking at his impeccably dressed and upright stance behind Lin Rui, it seemed he had reoriented his allegiance?


    How did Lin Rui accomplish this?


    Beside him, Linghu Mingde¡¯s expression shifted slightly, his face as stern as iron.


    He was aware of Lin Rui¡¯s other identity as the ¡®Thunder Admiral¡¯ of the Security Bureau and his substantial authority within the bureau.


    It is known that the information network of the Security Bureau is often quite comprehensive and reliable.


    Therefore, Ranran¡¯s security concerns must be taken very seriously.


    ¡°Speaking of the election,¡± Fang Ranran said with a smile, arms crossed over her chest, ¡°have you seen the poll conducted by our national committee? You have a good chance of being elected. Among the 153 candidates in the Ninth Base Congress election, you, Lin Rui, currently rank in the top twenty in terms of voter support.¡±


    How infuriating! Fang Ranran had worked so hard for the campaign, visiting voters, organizing charity events, participating in political talk shows, only to just make it into the top 40 in popularity. She must rely on the ¡®Light King Sect¡¯ vote bank to possibly win.


    Lin Rui had done nothing but register, yet his popularity soared, and his election prospects made it into the top 20.


    This idea was incredibly bold, even somewhat absurd, yet Fang Ranran considered it highly plausible.


    Although she hadn¡¯t seen any conclusive evidence so far, she knew that Lin Rui¡¯s profile in the Alien Body Administration had been modified.


    At that moment, several individuals in the room slightly stirred and simultaneously pulled out their smart devices to open the news.


    ¡°Breaking news, just now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Earth Federation has received a diplomatic memorandum from Great Song¡¯s Honglu Temple, demanding the extradition of ¡®Star Sea White Wolf¡¯ Zang Shaochen, along with all related personnel and research materials of the Longevity Association, as a final ultimatum! If the Federation does not provide a satisfactory response to East Abyss from East Continent within 72 hours, East Continent along with Sky Extreme Star will declare a full-scale war with the Earth Federation¡ª¡±


    After reading the news, Lin Rui raised his eyebrows in surprise and exchanged a glance with Linghu Mingde across from him.


    Both detected astonishment in each other¡¯s eyes.


    The main responsibility of Great Song¡¯s Honglu Temple includes receiving foreign emissaries, handling diplomatic affairs, and managing foreign populations. Currently, the emissaries from Great Wei and Great Cheng housed in Great Song are managed by Honglu Temple.


    The so-called Department of International Affairs of the Earth Federation is responsible for mediating conflicts among the Federation¡¯s member states.


    With the Federation lacking a Foreign Affairs Department, it made sense for Honglu Temple to approach the Department of International Affairs for professional correspondence.


    However, Lin Rui and Linghu Mingde, who held high positions within Great Song, were completely unaware of Honglu Temple¡¯s audacious move.


    They also did not expect such a severe reaction from East Abyss, issuing a final ultimatum and threatening war.


    This was truly unprecedented, marking not only the first diplomatic contact between the interior nations of Sky Extreme Star and the Earth Federation but also the first time they had issued a threat of war, a groundbreaking move.


    Lin Rui crossed his arms and thoughtfully turned to look out the window.


    Recently, he felt that the response from East Abyss had been too mild, almost like more bark than bite.


    After the incident, Divine Above and Great Celestial Master of Divine Palace only strengthened Lin Hao¡¯s authority, strictly ordering him to continue the investigation without further actions.


    So there was a follow-up ¡ª


    Perhaps these past two weeks, East Abyss was coordinating and aligning its stance with other Abysses?


    It¡¯s a move of thunderous magnitude once initiated!


    What then would be the internal reaction of the Earth Federation? Would they ignore the ultimatum and wait for war to break out, or would they hand over the Longevity Association and that Star Sea White Wolf?

 Chapter 536: 509 New Armament (Subscription Request)

    Chapter 536: Chapter 509 New Armament (Subscription Request)


    Earth Federation headquarters building, Fang Xianzheng walked out of Conference Room One with a splitting headache.


    Around him were a group of political leaders, all with furrowed brows and grave expressions, full of concern.


    Fang Xianzheng walked alongside his political ally and fellow member of the People¡¯s Party, the vice-chair of the ¡®National Welfare Committee,¡¯ Caroline Bellucci.


    This woman was not only a seasoned Congressman but also the co-chair of the People¡¯s Party¡¯s National Committee, her position within the People¡¯s Party second only to the chair of the party.


    ¡°Old Fang, about your daughter, you might need to be more concerned.¡±


    Caroline Bellucci spoke gravely, ¡°Based on our polls and supercomputer analysis, the Bright Front¡¯s election prospects look good. This time, their campaign could land six to seven Congressional seats, and over 150 local council seats. If the election becomes tense, our People¡¯s Party and the National Society Alliance might have to court the Bright Front to form a coalition government.¡±


    ...


    This meant they would have to relinquish one or two critically important positions to gain the support of the Bright Front.


    ¡°If possible, I hope you can personally consolidate the Bright Front soon. Their electoral district overlaps significantly with ours, which is a severe drain on our votes. Considering she is your daughter, this is practically fratricide.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng thought to himself that she was seriously underestimating her.


    According to internal intelligence analysis from the Sky Blue Group, it¡¯s highly likely that the Bright Front could end up electing about 10 to 12 members.


    This doesn¡¯t even take into account the changes brought about by Lin Rui¡ªonce he tops the University Martial Arts League, the enormous popularity he¡¯s gradually gained from his martial arts teaching videos and high-quality skincare products would also bring certain votes to the Bright Front.


    Moreover, the ¡®Light King Sect¡¯ led covertly by Lin Rui is expanding. Fang Xianzheng received accurate intel that about three days ago, the ¡®Light King Sect¡¯ executed a decapitation strike and consolidated Heart of Light Number 6.


    ¡ªThe Sixth Base City has the highest number of followers of the Bright Holy Sect, with 42 million faithful, 6 million of whom have legitimate citizenship.


    In the Seventh Base City, under the astounding financial support from Lin Rui, the number of citizens who are followers of the ¡®Light King Sect¡¯ has reached 7 million.


    Meanwhile, the Bright Holy Sect and the Light King Sect have begun fierce conflicts, with a clandestine sect war already underway. However, from the current analysis, this does not affect the election prospects of the Bright Front.


    All this top-secret intelligence had been encrypted at the highest level by order of Fang Xianzheng, even his closest confidants were not privy to it.


    Fang Xianzheng thought his son really resembled him, although he was somewhat soft-hearted and at times overly lenient, he possessed excellent affability and coordination skills, strong situational adaptability, and was very cautious and pragmatic.


    ¡°Actually, I believe the key to this matter is to come up with a satisfactory proposal for the Eastern Abyss.¡±


    Just then, Fang Xianzheng suddenly let out a light exclamation: ¡°Our President has great courage, not inferior to that person from 200 years ago.¡±


    He had received an email stating that the President had decided to form a delegation and personally go to Luojing, Great Song, to negotiate with Great Song and the Eastern Abyss.


    Fang Xianzheng and Caroline Bellucci exchanged glances, each seeing the gravity in the other¡¯s eyes.


    The President¡¯s move, successful or not, would be a strong boost for the formerly dominant party in a low-electorate setting, the National Society Alliance.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lin Rui¡¯s convoy had already arrived at the entrance of Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute.


    Not only had the convoys of Linghu Mingde and Fang Ranran arrived, but Fei Yunlai, Wang Tianwu, Gong Hengdao, and others had also arrived.


    Sima Lin and Xie Qing also came to the entrance of the institute to welcome the arrival of these three major investors, Lin Rui, Fang Ranran, and Linghu Mingde.


    Fei Yunlai and others were actually full of doubt, curiosity, and anticipation. Although they didn¡¯t know what the major research breakthrough Lin Rui spoke of, they knew their boss, despite being a bit crazy and adept at deception, usually kept his promises.


    Just as they entered the laboratory, Xue Lingxue first handed each of them a confidentiality agreement.


    ¡ªThey even used Level 8 Dragon Skin Paper, utilizing the powers of two Divine Venerables to ensure the reliability of the contract.


    Fei Yunlai was even more surprised and thought: does the boss really need to be so formal? After all, we are his people in life and death, isn¡¯t it unnecessary?


    He carefully reviewed the contract terms to make sure he wasn¡¯t being tricked before signing his name.


    As soon as Fei Yunlai handed the contract back to Xue Lingxue, he received an electronic document that was to be destroyed after reading.


    Wang Tianwu and the others did the same, starting to read this electronic document.


    Soon after, Wang Tianwu¡¯s eyes bulged: ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    His expression mixed with surprise and disbelief. ¡°How could such armament exist?¡±


    Lu Hanyuan clenched his fists tightly, his body slightly trembling; there was indeed something in this laboratory that could take him even further!

 Chapter 537: 510: Private Army (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 537: Chapter 510: Private Army (Please Subscribe)


    Linghu Mingde followed Si Malin and Xie Qing, swiftly making his way into the inner parts of the research institute.


    The Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute where they were located already occupied a vast expanse of land, covering a whopping 100,000 square meters, with 40 floors, and taking up nearly 1/30 of the area of this abandoned military base.


    The institute¡¯s interior was also heavily fortified. Thanks to the high taxes paid by Lin Rui, he had recently obtained three enhanced troop security licenses, granting him the authority to organize three National Guard enhanced troops.


    These three enhanced troops belonged to the National Guard system, with serial numbers 9D4510, 9D4511, and 9D4512, responsible for the daily security of the biological research institute and the docks. They are also assessed and supervised by the National Guard and are under the command of the National Guard during wartime.


    Lin Rui had already recruited over 8,200 elite military veterans from East Asia and the Ninth Base City¡¯s Armed Police Forces. He had also purchased a large quantity of second-hand equipment, including Combat Mechas, firepower support armored vehicles, self-propelled artillery, and magnetic levitation tanks as a full set of heavy equipment, which are currently undergoing integration training.


    While the personnel had not yet reached the full complement of 12,600 people, preliminary organization had been completed.


    ...


    East Asia¡¯s military veterans had one quality that particularly pleased Lin Rui: their discipline was exceptionally good, and orders were carried out without question.


    Although these soldiers were not qualified to become Alien Walkers, they had all undergone extremely rigorous training, possessed solid tactical literacy, and had clean and reliable records. It was expected that their overall combat effectiveness would exceed the Armed Police Forces and reach the standards of a 6A+ level.


    Lin Rui¡¯s personal studio now had not the 16 squads Fang Ranran had guessed, but only 4 squads of 6S.


    This was because the 15 previously formed 6S squads had all been assigned to serve as officers in the three National Guard enhanced troops.


    These people, all retired officers, had rich military experiences. By arranging them to serve as the backbone, a reliable officer system could quickly be built, allowing the three enhanced security troops to form combat power as soon as possible.


    So currently, Lin Rui¡¯s forces only retained 4 newly formed 6S squads.


    In addition, the Alien Company had arranged for 2,800 Alien Walkers to come from Forest.


    They stationed their true bodies and Sleeping Cabins here, and also possessed numerous heavy equipment, with their overall strength equivalent to three 6SS heavy-armored enhanced battalions.


    However, the main defense of this research institute and docks was still managed by defense batteries and Combat Robots.


    There were a total of 400 type 5 Red Spiders, 30 strengthened 6SS type Red Spiders, and 6 likewise heavily enhanced 7SS type Red Spiders.


    They patrolled back and forth within this abandoned military base, becoming the guardian deities of the institute and docks.


    There were also automatic batteries that Lin Rui had purchased from the Jinhao Company, including thousands of 20mm ¡®Gatling Buddhas¡¯, two hundred 40mm ¡®Universal Salvation Tathagata¡¯, and twenty 130mm heavy six-barrel ¡®Universal Salvation Tathagatas¡¯.


    The models were all type six or seven, and these batteries were densely and widely distributed, forming an extremely formidable firepower network.


    There were also Rune Formations that Lin Rui personally designed, which were laid out by Lin Guangming and Wang Yinyue.


    Linghu Mingde observed quietly as he walked inside.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s face regained its smile as she waved to Lin Yi: ¡°Hello, Yi, my name is Fang Ranran, and I¡¯m a friend of Lin Rui.¡±


    Lin Yi looked up at Fang Ranran, blinked her big eyes, and then buried her head back in Lin Rui¡¯s embrace.


    Fang Ranran didn¡¯t take it personally; she just made a mental note of Lin Yi¡¯s appearance.


    From seeing Lin Yi¡¯s pure, infant-like gaze and hearing her awkward speech, coupled with her abnormal attachment to Lin Rui, Fang Ranran knew something was off.


    She thought that if there was a chance to meet this girl on Sky Extreme Star in the future, she could learn more about the situation.


    The group then entered the laboratory, where Si Malin pointed to the Armament floating in a small culture vessel and smiled: ¡°This is the Armament we¡¯ve created. On the left is the artificial meridians system ¡®Skywalker¡¯ that I led, and on the right is the SSS+ grade Armament ¡®Skywalker Limitless¡¯ developed by Professor Xie Qing.¡±


    He shook his head with a helpless expression: ¡°Regrettably, these two pieces of Armament were actually created by top-tier Symbiotic Masters that Mr. Lin hired after Professor Xie Qing and I designed the blueprints. Our research institute¡¯s technical capabilities are not yet up to making them. If we want to popularize them on a large scale, we still must reduce material costs and continue to optimize the structure and manufacturing steps.¡±


    Linghu Mingde mused that popularization had nothing to do with him.


    He leaned over the two culture vessels, looking at them intently with a gaze full of appreciation and admiration.


    Not only did Linghu Mingde possess powerful vision, but he also knew his stuff. He could see the extremely perfect flesh-and-blood structure inside the two pieces of Armament and the near-perfect circulatory system.


    ¡°Are you sure these two pieces of Armament can be used? Are they of super-perfect grade?¡±


    ¡°100% sure! In fact, the artificial meridians system ¡®Skywalker¡¯ that I led has gone through 7 versions. This set¡¯s data is the most ideal and perfect.¡±


    Si Malin pointed to a ¡®Biological Experiment Clone¡¯ in the adjacent operating room: ¡°Next, I will implant these two pieces of Armament into this type-8 ¡®Biological Human¡¯ to perform more detailed tests.¡±


    Linghu Mingde nodded in understanding; he knew that some laboratory-made experimental Armament was much stronger than the mass-produced versions.


    These Armament were often not cost-conscious and were made according to the most optimum and potent technological routes envisioned by the researchers, so even the materials used were incomparable to the mass-produced versions.


    Linghu Mingde stood up with a strange gleam in his eyes: ¡°Since you¡¯re so confident, there¡¯s no need to use a ¡®Biological Experiment Clone.¡¯ Implant them directly in me, to avoid the extra step and hassle!¡±


    Those following him immediately made a buzzing noise.


    Wang Tianwu and Fei Yunlai exchanged surprised glances.


    They, too, recognized that the two pieces of Armament in front of them were nothing short of perfect works of art, but was this old man really so confident without waiting for the final test?


    However, Linghu Mingde had confidence in himself. He was a veteran sufferer of Armament Syndrome for many years; even if there was an issue with the Armament, he could handle it.


    He turned his head towards Si Malin: ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of Professor Sima¡¯s reputation. Some say you are one of the top ten prosthetic doctors of this century, specialized in research on the body¡¯s natural meridian systems. How about you join Mr. Lin and help me with this surgical implantation?¡±


    Si Malin was taken aback for a moment, but then the corners of his mouth lifted slightly: ¡°Of course, it¡¯s possible!¡±


    Next to him, Xie Qing heard this and couldn¡¯t help but show a look of envy. He, too, wanted to personally perform this epoch-making Armament surgery, but in terms of Armament technology, he truly could not compare to Si Malin.

 Chapter 538: 511: Minor Minister of Honglu Temple (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 538: Chapter 511: Minor Minister of Honglu Temple (Please Subscribe)


    One hour later, in the second martial arts training hall of the Biological Prosthetics Research Institute, Linghu Mingde was practicing swordsmanship.


    It was a Dragon Stage Sword technique, ¡®Heavenly Variable Sword Technique¡¯. Linghu Mingde performed it with ease and fluidity, exhibiting the visible aura of a Grandmaster.


    He did not deliberately constrain his power, allowing Sword Qi to crisscross within the training hall, slicing through space, shockingly leaving the walls, floors, and ceilings completely undamaged, not even a scratch.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Fei Yunlai quietly asked Gong Hengdao, ¡°Do you think this technology is reliable?¡±


    Actually, it would have been more appropriate to ask Wang Tianwu.


    That guy was not only an Illusion Master and a Magic expert but also had some understanding of Armament technology.


    ...


    However, the matter of Wang Tianwu signing a lifetime contract not only failed to repair their friendship but instead made Fei Yunlai feel a bit of a crisis.


    He knew this guy too well; with just a small movement from Wang Tianwu, he could roughly guess his thoughts.


    This guy not only wanted to compete with him for the directorship of the Alien Company but also had his eyes on his current position as Chief Operating Officer.


    Although Wang Tianwu¡¯s human resources department also wielded significant authority, its income was less than the three major divisions under his command: Alien, Escort, and Security.


    They received a high commission for each mission they completed.


    ¡°These data are too complex, I can¡¯t make heads or tails of it,¡± Gong Hengdao initially shook his head slightly, then gestured with his chin towards Lu Hanyuan: ¡°That guy should know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Gong Hengdao noticed that Lu Hanyuan was earnestly studying the data from several monitoring devices.


    Noticing the two men¡¯s gaze, Lu Hanyuan nodded slightly, ¡°The spiritual burden on Linghu Mingde has indeed been significantly reduced. According to his testing data, it appears to have reduced by about 3% overall.¡±


    The combined effect of these two armaments was truly astonishing.


    Linghu Mingde was a Super Monarch of Eight Realms, sporting twenty or thirty pieces of armament. If they were all replaced, how much spiritual power could be freed up?


    Although Lu Hanyuan struggled to suppress the emotional surge in his chest, his words still revealed some excitement, ¡°Moreover, the effectiveness of these two pieces of armament is also very strong. Compared to the corresponding models released by major prosthetic companies, they enhance performance by 42% and 35% respectively, especially that set of meridians, which can truly connect with the human meridians, greatly aiding Linghu Mingde.¡±


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s pupils suddenly narrowed slightly, ¡°That set of meridians can increase effectiveness by 42%? Really?¡±


    Was the technical manual Xue Lingxue sent them actually true? Not only did it contain no false information, but it was also very conservative.


    Wang Tianwu, with his hands behind his back, looked at the two beside him with a demeaning gaze, ¡°It couldn¡¯t be truer! Right after Linghu Mingde¡¯s armament was complete, his Qi surged, almost advancing him to the Ninth Realm. It was only because he wasn¡¯t absolutely confident in completing ¡®Divine Illumination¡¯ that he temporarily suppressed it. Didn¡¯t you feel it?¡±


    Fei Yunlai thought about how proficient Linghu Mingde is in martial arts. As both being of Eight Realms, Linghu Mingde might well be able to fight ten Wang Tianwus.


    Under the circumstance where Linghu Mingde deliberately reined in his Spirit Mechanism, except for Wang Tianwu, whose spiritual power was extremely strong, most others likely could not sense it.


    By now, Linghu Mingde had already sheathed his sword and walked back: ¡°Xiao Rui! How much more funding do you need to replace all the armaments on me? How much time will it take?¡±


    Lin Rui pondered for a moment, then discussed with Si Malin and Xie Qing, before answering: ¡°Subtracting the part you previously invested, it still requires more than 500 billion federal coins. As our research is now on the right track, it¡¯ll probably be completed in 3 to 5 months.¡±


    This Heavenly Fox has 8 main armors and 22 auxiliary equipment, with a total armament rating of 8SSS+.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have someone transfer the funds to your research institute account later.¡± Linghu Mingde pressed his hand on his sword, listening to the surging blood within him.


    Can I advance to the Ninth Realm in three to five months?


    Actually, there was no need to wait until a complete replacement; even halfway through, Linghu Mingde was confident about advancing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also invest!¡± Lu Shouyang¡¯s voice was firm, cutting and decisive: ¡°BOSS, give me a bit of time to gather the funds, I hope to also install the new armaments within half a year.¡±


    He knew what Lin Rui meant by the new technology that allows for ¡®spirit and body integration¡¯¡ªtheir BOSS is a god!


    Lin Rui nodded: ¡°I can fulfill that, the research institute already has enough technical backbone, and we¡¯re currently expanding recruitment.¡±


    Wang Tianwu licked the corner of his lips: ¡°I¡¯ve invested too, hoping to get equipped as soon as possible.¡±


    He had already calculated, just 452 billion federal coins! A total of 452 billion could allow him to advance to the Super Monarch of Eight Realms¡ª he could afford that!


    However, Fei Yunlai¡¯s face turned pale; although he had escaped the bankruptcy crisis, he was still deeply in debt. Where could he find money to fund research on armaments?


    Lin Rui then smiled and glanced at Fei Yunlai and Gong Hengdao: ¡°Those who are short on money can take loans from me¡ªinterest-free!¡±


    Moved beyond words, Fei Yunlai suddenly thought¡ªI, Fei Yunlai, have drifted half my life, but today I finally found a wise leader!


    Gong Hengdao¡¯s expression remained calm; he had already gone bankrupt once, becoming indifferent to money. Whatever the BOSS says, goes.


    At this moment, Lin Rui suddenly raised his eyebrows, all because the First General of the Security Bureau had sent him a message.


    Li Xianglong: Are you free now? Take a video call from me.


    Lin Rui was currently hosting Linghu Mingde, surrounded by many sensitive matters, and immediately declined.


    Li Xianglong then sent a message: Xiao Rui, the President has decided to assemble an envoy group, heading to Great Song Luojing two days later to negotiate personally with the inhabitant of the East Abyss. I hope during this time, you can ensure the President¡¯s safety to the best extent, offering him some protection.


    Lin Rui was taken aback by the words, thinking what a bold President!


    He then sensed something unusual happening with his Alien.


    Moments later, Lin Rui replied oddly to the message.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): It¡¯s also a coincidence, the Divine Envoy has just appointed me to be responsible for the President¡¯s safety during his stay in Luojing, and to temporarily act as the Deputy Chief of Honglusi, overseeing the matters of charging the Heavenly Demon.

 Chapter 539: 512: Marquis National Guardian (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    Chapter 539: Chapter 512: Marquis National Guardian (Three more updates, please subscribe)


    About three hours later, Lin Rui¡¯s consciousness returned to his own alien body.


    At this moment, his alien avatar was dressed in a Second-rank python robe, wearing a golden crown, and tucked in his sleeve was an imperial decree he had received not long ago, along with a letter that Han Baxian had sent him from tens of thousands of miles away using a Flying Book.


    This was Han Baxian explaining to him that the reason the Great Celestial Master regarded him as a temporary Minister of the Ministry of Rites was due to the Great Celestial Master¡¯s distrust towards the group of officials at the Ministry and certain people in the court, thus he wanted Lin to keep an eye on them.


    Lin Hao was the main investigator in the blasphemous event against the gods, and his position was beyond doubt. Moreover, as he held the position of Commander in the Spy Detection Bureau, he was relatively familiar with the Outer Heaven Demons and involved in negotiations, which could help the Song Court uncover the true face of the Outer Heaven Demon.


    Lin Rui thought that the Great Celestial Master and Han Baxian indeed found the right person, since his understanding of the Earth Federation was truly profound!


    His gaze unusual, he opened the interface of a mainstream news website using the Quantum Communication system.


    ...


    The interface was filled with news related to the Great Song¡¯s ultimatum, filling his view, but the headlines of these news seemed to suffer from schizophrenia, featuring two completely different stances.


    ¡°Government betrayal! The President visits the Great Song, intending to sell national sovereignty! Betraying the Federation¡¯s meritorious Alien Walkers!¡±


    ¡°The Great Song¡¯s ultimatum reminds me of the many unequal treaties forced upon small and weak countries by the Western powers with battleships and artillery in the nineteenth century.¡±


    ¡°If the Star Sea White Wolf is handed over, Alien Walkers will feel endangered!¡±


    ¡°Studying the Abyss, understanding the Abyss, mastering the Abyss¡ªthis is the inevitable path for humanity!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Longevity Association?¡±


    ¡°Is it acceptable to harm Federation citizens and conduct illegal human experiments for the sake of mastering the Abyss?¡±


    ¡°The origins and current situation of the Longevity Association decrypted.¡±


    ¡°Longevity Association¡ªmanipulating government behind the scenes!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s certain that the Longevity Association is the biggest drug dealer and pirate supporter of this century!¡±


    ¡°Does the Longevity Association study the Abyss for all of humanity or for private interests?¡±


    ¡°The President personally goes to Sky Extreme Star to mediate, it¡¯s both courageous and a national humiliation!¡±


    It was evident that two political factions with completely different stances were trying to control public opinion; one side was mostly the Longevity Association; the other side was probably in conflict with the Longevity Association, deeply resenting it or trying to avoid war with the Abyss.


    As far as Lin Rui was aware, several very powerful political forces within the Federation were also fiercely struggling and attacking each other.


    Lin Rui knew that Li Xianglong¡¯s inclination was to declare the Longevity Association an illegal organization, eradicate it, and also arrest Zang Shaochen to hold him accountable, but the person should definitely not be handed over.


    As for the scientific data related to the East Abyss, some of it could be shared, but not all.


    Lin Rui chuckled, stepped aside slightly, ¡°Minister Cao, there¡¯s no need for such formality, and I dare not warrant such a greeting. We hold the same rank, and you are now essentially my superior; this formality seems excessive.¡±


    He proactively reached out his hand and helped Cao Xi up: ¡°Minister Cao, are you here to discuss the reception of the Heavenly Demon envoy delegation?¡±


    ¡°The subordinate officer is indeed here for matters concerning the Heavenly Demon envoy delegation!¡± Cao Xi stood up and explained, ¡°My Lord, our dynasty always prioritizes divine ranks, you are a third-rank Capital Chief Priest, a real celestial being, how could I compare?¡±


    While speaking, Cao Xi glanced sideways behind Lin Rui.


    Behind the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, aside from the newly promoted Dragon Transformation, whose strength was unknown, Blood Saber Lady, there were also a ¡®Sixth Realm Emperor Rank¡¯ and three ¡®Seventh Realm Super Kings¡¯ of the Dragon Guard.


    A total of four highly skilled Dragon Guards! Plus, there was another Seventh Realm Super Emperor Dragon Guard not present¡ªamong the historical Commanders of the Spy Detection Bureau, apart from this National Guardian Marquis, who else could have such an honor?


    And then look at the dragon robe behind Lin Rui, as well as the Heavenly Demon Armor named ¡®Heavenly Decree¡¯ that could autonomously walk, much like the so-called robots of the Heavenly Demons, and the Nine Chapters pattern on the ¡®Heavenly Decree¡¯¡ªit is not without reason that the outer court rumors that Lin Hao is the de facto Crown Prince.


    So after receiving the Divine Palace¡¯s decree, Cao Xi corrected his perspective, realizing that Lin Hao is indeed the real chief negotiator.


    Cao Xi thought to himself, who is he? Although he holds a second rank and manages one of the nine ministries, his ministry predominantly handles foreign guests and court ceremonial matters; if it weren¡¯t for the Great Celestial Master utilizing the Ministry of Rites this time to issue some sort of ¡®proclamation¡¯ to the Heavenly Demon Origin, he would practically be invisible in the court; how could he presume to be superior to Lord Lin?


    How to negotiate, how to hold accountable, will certainly be guided by Lord Lin¡¯s opinions.


    Lin Rui nodded slightly, signaling Cao Xi to walk with him: ¡°Actually Minister Cao, even if you hadn¡¯t come, I would have sought you at the Ministry of Rites. Regarding the Heavenly Demon envoy matter, do you have any regulations?¡±


    Cao Xi realized their direction toward the ¡®Dragon Guard Capital¡¯ and speculated it might be related to Xianyu Yan, the Dragon Guard instructor who disobeyed orders.


    Soon afterward, Cao Xi shelved his thoughts: ¡°I have already ordered the southern city post station to be prepared for receiving the Heavenly Demon envoy delegation, will listen first to what they have to say, then relay their intentions to the Divine Envoy and the Great Celestial Master.¡±


    In short, he intended to avoid responsibilities and complications, acting merely as a tool conveying both parties¡¯ intentions.


    ¡°Not suitable!¡± Lin Rui, hands behind his back, frowned slightly: ¡°As far as I know, the so-called ¡®President¡¯ of the Heavenly Demons, holds a status equivalent to our dynasty¡¯s Emperor, the supreme leader of all Heavenly Demons, necessitating equivalent reception. Have someone prepare the Imperial Courts within the Divine Arrival Palace as the residence for the Heavenly Demon envoy delegation, I will later deploy a battalion of Divine Guards and the Left Army Special Forces to surround the area for their protection.¡±


    Cao Xi hesitated, ¡°My Lord, as far as I am aware, the Divine Supreme is extremely furious due to the audacious acts of these Outer Heaven Demons, it seems we don¡¯t need to provide them such substantial hospitality?¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous, our great Song, a celestial state above all, a nation of rituals!¡±


    Lin Rui lightly snorted, his words carrying dissatisfaction: ¡°This Heavenly Demon President personally coming to negotiate and mediate shows submission and weakness towards the Divine Supreme, and since this demon has the courage to enter enemy territory himself showing such heroic spirit, then our great Song should also treat them with courtesy, otherwise, it would only be ridiculed for Song¡¯s lack of generosity.¡±


    Lin Rui pondered that if they were to entertain as per Cao Xi¡¯s plan, the public opinion on the Federation¡¯s side would inevitably explode.


    Cao Xi¡¯s spirit tightened, a trace of admiration arising in his heart, thinking, fortunate to have consulted Lord Lin, this matter indeed lacked consideration from himself.


    ¡°And about how to hold accountable, how to negotiate, my plan is to wait until they are settled before speaking. At that time, I will personally visit and meet with their Heavenly Demon President, there¡¯s no need for you to worry.¡±


    By then, Lin Rui had reached the entrance of Dragon Guard Capital: ¡°However, the detailed hosting arrangements will require some troubling efforts from Minister Cao, please ensure everything related to receiving the guests must be thoroughly examined, reliable and all hospitality materials repeatedly tested; let¡¯s not cause any issues that might harm the face of our great Song.¡±


    After finishing his statement, he patted Cao Xi¡¯s shoulder and strode into the Dragon Guard Capital.

 Chapter 540: 513 Pure and Purity (Request for Subscription)

    Chapter 540: Chapter 513 Pure and Purity (Request for Subscription)


    When Lin Rui entered the Dragon Guard Capital headquarters, everyone from the Commander of the Dragon Guards to the instructors and candidates had lined up at the main gate, all hailing him as ¡°Lord Marquis.¡±


    Lin Rui was a kind-hearted person and told the Commander of the Dragon Guards, ¡°Let everyone disperse. I am here for the instructor Xianyu Yan, there¡¯s no need for such formality.¡±


    He was also overwhelmed by the fervent gazes of the Dragon Guard candidates.


    In fact, Lin Rui was also interested in recruiting more Dragon Guards, and he saw a few promising talents, but unfortunately, he no longer had the qualifications to recruit Dragon Guards.


    A moment later, led by Shangguan Tianyi, Lin Rui arrived at the dormitory where Xianyu Yan resided.


    Xianyu Yan, a Super Emperor Rank instructor of the Seventh Realm, not only had her own room, but she also had an excellent location with plenty of lighting by the lake and beautiful scenery.


    ...


    However, as soon as Lin Rui entered, he smelled a medicinal fragrance.


    Lin Rui glanced around and saw Xianyu Yan lying on a bed to the east, her cheeks flush and lips so red they were almost black, her breath strong.


    Her eyes were hazy and unfocused, staring intently at the ceiling above, not diverting her gaze even when Lin Rui and Shangguan Tianyi entered.


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze was then drawn to a pile of messy porcelain vials on a table nearby ¡ª that was where the medicinal scent originated.


    With a slight wave of his hand, Lin Rui signaled Ji Xueying and the other followers to stay outside before he approached the small table and picked up an empty vial to sniff.


    ¡°Blood Essence Pill and Divine Heart Grass? It seems you truly seek death,¡± Lin Rui shook his head with a wry smile. ¡°But judging by your condition, the pollution of the Primordial Spirit is still mild. Nearly half a month has passed, and with so much medicine, you only achieved this much effect. It¡¯s clear that your talent is indeed comparable to Shangguan Tianyi.¡±


    Her way of seeking death was unusual.


    The life and death of a Dragon Guard were controlled by a Life Plate, and without their master¡¯s permission, they cannot even commit suicide.


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s method of seeking death was to further merge and align with the Abyss Will.


    When Xianyu Yan was about to become the vessel for the descent of the Abyss, the Divine Palace and the Divine Envoy would naturally not allow her to survive.


    However, Xianyu Yan¡¯s conviction was exceedingly strong, and considering her resolute state of seeking death, the Abyss probably looked down on it.


    Only then did Xianyu Yan realize the arrival of the two. She turned her head to look sideways at Lin Rui and Shangguan Tianyi, her eyes focused slightly, her voice hoarse: ¡°Lord Lin, Xianyu Yan has sworn long ago that she¡¯d rather die than serve that Divine being or any of his minions, so you might as well give up on that.¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi sat down next to Xianyu Yan¡¯s bed, her complexion pale: ¡°Teacher~¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Lin Rui sternly reproached her without any expression: ¡°How audacious! To speak irreverently and disdain the Gods is worthy of serious punishment, ten lashes, which I will personally administer later!¡±


    After all, this place was beneath the feet of the Gods!


    As the Capital Chief Priest of the Divine Palace, Lin Rui could not pretend he hadn¡¯t heard Xianyu Yan¡¯s blasphemous words.


    Fortunately, it was not a very severe statement. Otherwise, today¡¯s events would not end well.


    Xianyu Yan let out a scornful laugh, her eyes filled with disdain.


    Afterward, Lin Rui, regardless of whether Xianyu Yan was willing, had someone carry her toward Lin Mansion.


    Lin Rui had already given up on expanding Lin Mansion because the Divine Envoy had already granted him the residence of Duke An Du Xinran, renaming it National Guardian Marquis Mansion.


    This mansion was a full 20 li away from Imperial City, but it was much larger, spanning eleven hundred acres!


    And the gate of the National Guardian Marquis Mansion opened right beside the Imperial Way, allowing unhindered access by carriage directly into Imperial City, making the commute even more efficient than from Lin Mansion, which was only five li from the city gates.


    However, this mansion was currently undergoing renovation, and Lin Rui had not moved in yet.


    The renovation was personally designed by Lin Rui, supervised by Lu Hanyuan, with Lin Xi and Wang Sen also visiting from time to time.


    After arriving at Lin Mansion, Lin Rui had the Dragon Guards put Xianyu Yan down and gestured for her to continue walking with him: ¡°Instructor Xianyu is already here, why not come with me and see, see why I used a Life Tie Book on you, it won¡¯t cost you an arm.¡±


    Xianyu Yan hesitated briefly, but still followed.


    She followed Lin Rui onto an elevator, entering the underground base of Lin Mansion.


    All the while, Xianyu Yan maintained a calm and indifferent demeanor, she already knew that Lin Hao had acquired many Heavenly Demon goods for study within his mansion.


    It wasn¡¯t until she followed Lin Rui into a large lead room and saw three fragments of a Divine Tablet.


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s pupils slightly dilated, her expression turning incredulous and baffled: ¡°Is this, fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet?¡±


    She sensed with her Divine Thought, confirmed it was correct, and looked back at Lin Rui in utter astonishment: ¡°You have retrieved the Abyss Divine Tablet?¡±


    ¡°Not retrieved; these fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet have always been in my hands, never lost.¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly, stepping to the center of the lead room: ¡°At that time, I had no choice but to throw them several dozen li away to avoid confiscation by Elder Wan Xin. I intended to surrender them after awakening, but the Great Celestial Master¡¯s fortune-telling forced my hand, making me keep them temporarily.¡±


    Xianyu Yan was puzzled, wondering what this had to do with the Great Celestial Master interpreting the stars.


    She then thoughtfully said: ¡°The Great Celestial Master said her star reading failed, due to an unknown Abyss Power suppressing the sequence of fate, which means, you used the power of some Abyss entity at that time?¡±


    Xianyu Yan furrowed her brows, suspecting Lin Hao might be in close collusion with an Abyss entity.


    Lin Rui did not respond; he turned his head toward the door, watching Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying together closing the lead room door, now reinforced to a thickness of 35 meters, before smiling and saying: ¡°I guess Instructor Xianyu would rather die than be my Dragon Guard because you¡¯re utterly despairing inside, thinking that you can¡¯t escape from that person¡¯s grasp?¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Xianyu Yan, her face expressionless, gazed back at Lin Rui with lifeless eyes: ¡°It seems you¡¯re not completely unaware of the truth about the Dragon Guards, so there really is no need to waste your efforts on me.¡±


    She then turned to look at Shangguan Tianyi: ¡°Your talent is extraordinary, surpassing even the former Crown Prince. I advise you to be more cautious in the future, lest you follow in the Crown Prince¡¯s footsteps.¡±


    At that moment, Xianyu Yan suddenly felt a strange and powerful surge of elemental power, causing a shiver in her heart.


    When Xianyu Yan turned her head, she saw a silver-white flame burning in the palm of Lin Hao.


    Around this flame, everything became pure and pristine.


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s pupils abruptly dilated, completely losing focus: ¡°Is this the Pure Concept? Abyssal magic? Impossible!¡±

 Chapter 541: 514: Eagerly Desired (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Chapter 541: Chapter 514: Eagerly Desired (Seeking Subscriptions)


    ¡°It¡¯s the Purifying Fire,¡± Lin Rui said, as he withdrew the white flame from his palm.


    Despite the walls of this lead room being reinforced to a thickness of 35 meters and featuring various high-tech materials taken from a Heavenly Demon base, Lin Rui still dared not use the Abyss Concept for long inside it.


    Earlier, Lin Rui had used it just for a moment to help Ji Xueying counter a spell.


    Lin Rui looked at Xianyu Yan: ¡°Now, do you still feel despair?¡±


    But Xianyu Yan was silent for a long time; she doubted if she was hallucinating, dreaming, or under an Illusion Technique.


    She abruptly thrust her sword into her own thigh, keenly feeling the pain of the wound.


    ...


    After a moment, Xianyu Yan¡¯s pupils slowly refocused, and with a raspy voice, she roared, ¡°Tianyi! Tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi, with a calm look, gazed at Xianyu Yan¡¯s back: ¡°Teacher, as you can see, our Lord, he is a God! A deity who commands the Pure Method from the Abyss!¡±


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s chest heaved violently as she thought to herself, how could such preposterous events be real in this world?


    A new god has actually appeared in this world, and not only stood right before her but also was the master of both her and Shangguan Tianyi!


    Xianyu Yan shook her head vigorously, ¡°Although you wield the Pure Method, it¡¯s probably not enough. It is a divine ban implanted by the Abyss within me, you won¡¯t be able to purify it.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips slightly curled up: ¡°What if I still am, as you say, an Outer Heaven Demon, and also possess the skills for Surgical Implantation?¡±


    He is an Outer Heaven Demon, so he understands the mechanism by which the Abyss controls the Dragon Guard; he has the skills for Surgical Implantation, thus he can undo the divine restraints.


    Furthermore, he dislikes forcing others, and Xianyu Yan¡¯s nature is also extremely tough.


    Thus, it would be better to clarify earlier that he is an Alien Walker.


    If Xianyu Yan absolutely refuses to serve him, then he would have to respect her wish to die, and naturally, it wouldn¡¯t be necessary to invest time and money in helping her with implantation.


    ¡°An Outer Heaven Demon?¡± Xianyu Yan was completely stunned, standing motionless.


    Lin Hao is an Outer Heaven Demon? The current Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, viewed by demons as a ¡®nightmare¡¯, ¡®disaster¡¯, ¡®King of Hell¡¯, is actually an Outer Heaven Demon?


    How could he possibly be an Outer Heaven Demon?


    Xianyu Yan swallowed, her voice even rougher and drier: ¡°Words alone are not proof!¡±


    I wonder if Xianyu doesn¡¯t mind Armament? I hope you can quickly advance to Eight Realms to help me with some powerful enemies. However, with your talents, advancing with the Super Emperor¡¯s Bloodline is really a pity. Besides, I hope to use Armament to control the direction of your impending Bloodline Awakening.¡±


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this: ¡°Oh? I long for it!¡±


    Regarding the Heavenly Demon¡¯s Armament and Medicine, Xianyu Yan had indeed envied them for a long time but never had the opportunity.


    When the Crown Prince was alive, there was no reliable channel, and she was also worried about being detected by the Divine Palace. After the Crown Prince¡¯s death, Xianyu Yan had even less opportunity to come into contact.


    Expectation rose in Xianyu Yan¡¯s heart; how much would Lin Hao¡¯s medicine enhance her physique? What kind of Armament would it provide her?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Meanwhile, in the Presidential Residence of the Earth Federation¡¯s capital, the current President looked at the projection of a man from the Sky Extreme Star, about two meters forty, with a handsome and beautiful appearance, slowly forming knife-cut-like wrinkles on his full forehead.


    ¡°So the one responsible for negotiating with us in three days is this Commander of the Great Song¡¯s Spy Detection Bureau?¡±


    The current President, while browsing through Lin Hao¡¯s information, massaged his temples with great frustration, ¡°As far as I know, the previous blasphemy case was led by this man in investigative efforts, and that three-star Marshal also died at his hands. His attitude towards us Heavenly Demons is very tough, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Indeed! According to a comprehensive assessment from various sources, this person, due to environmental influences from his upbringing, harbors malice towards us, the Alien Walkers.¡±


    The President¡¯s Chief of Staff, appearing solemn, said, ¡°Mr. President, the situation we face now is very dire. Lin Hao has now become the flagbearer for the conservative hardliners of Great Song. There are many within the Great Song court who see him as a leader, and the reformists of Great Song also hold him in high regard, which gives him far greater influence within Great Song than his official position would suggest.


    We have conducted twelve supercomputer model simulations, and the results are all very pessimistic. Under our current conditions of not making greater concessions, the likelihood of reaching an agreement with Great Song does not exceed 4%.¡±


    The President¡¯s expression darkened slightly, knowing that greater concessions meant sacrificing more human interests.


    ¡°Does Lin Hao have no weaknesses? Can¡¯t we reassign him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible, the East Abyss and the Great Celestial Master of the East Continent, place great trust in him.¡±


    The President¡¯s Chief of Staff, knowing that the ¡®weaknesses¡¯ the President inquired about were likely to be vices such as corruptibility through debauchery, bribery, or wealth, shook his head: ¡°Lin Hao is very austere in office, with multiple records of rejected bribes, no acts of embezzlement, and no known scandals. It can be said that he is an anomaly in the Great Song¡¯s officialdom.


    It seems that he may have been approached by some from East Asia¡¯, but I find it hard to imagine that this man would compromise his position for money in such a state matter.¡±


    As the President¡¯s Chief of Staff was speaking, his expression suddenly shifted as he looked at a communication request on his interface: ¡°It¡¯s from Li Xianglong, the First General of the Federation Security Bureau, requesting to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°Li Xianglong?¡± Although the current President was feeling anxious and irritated, he still connected the communication immediately.


    This First General of the Security Bureau not only held significant power, but his combat capabilities were also among the top echelons of the Earth Federation.


    This time, going to negotiate with Great Song would also rely heavily on the intelligence provided by this figure, so the current President couldn¡¯t afford to ignore it.

 Chapter 542: 515: The Truth (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    Chapter 542: Chapter 515: The Truth (Three more updates, please subscribe)


    Li Xianglong wanted to discuss security matters during the President¡¯s delegation visit.


    ¡°We have received accurate information that remnants of the Divine Illumination Association along with some pirates who collude with the Three Gods of Purgatory are planning an attack on Mr. President¡¯s delegation to sabotage the peace talks. I hope to obtain authorization from Mr. President to allow the deployment of starship troops to preemptively strike these forces, disrupting their plans. In addition, I request permission for the Security Bureau to augment personnel to strengthen the delegation¡¯s defense, which requires coordination with the Special Service Bureau.¡±


    ¡°Your request is very reasonable. I will have James issue the authorization document to you shortly.¡±


    The President nodded solemnly; he would not take his own security lightly.


    Then, expectantly, the President inquired, ¡°Director Li, you must be aware, right? The actual negotiator for the Great Song in this round of talks is Lin Hao with King Yama¡¯s Blade. Currently, my advisors believe that if we do not make significant concessions, the possibility of successful negotiations is quite low. Supercomputing projections show success rate of even less than 4%, but I do not wish to make too many concessions on the overall interests of humanity. Do you have any intelligence or methods from the Security Bureau that can increase our chances of success?¡±


    Li Xianglong pondered, thinking that the supercomputing models employed by the President¡¯s office predicted such low probabilities.


    ...


    At the Security Bureau, it¡¯s 93%.


    But that¡¯s also correct, given that the President¡¯s office lacks the most critical intelligence.


    Li Xianglong contemplated briefly and still decided to offer the President some reassurance: ¡°I think there¡¯s no need to be so pessimistic. I have also studied Lin Hao somewhat. He is indeed very incorruptible and steadfast, unshakeable, and immune to corruption. But as long as we adopt the right strategies, Lin Hao may not necessarily become an obstacle for us.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The President¡¯s expression turned curious, leaning forward, ¡°What kind of strategy? Director Li, please explain!¡±


    ¡°People cannot be without desires,¡± Li Xianglong smiled. ¡°Lin Hao¡¯s incorruptibility, his relentless pursuit against the Alien Walkers, may stem from him having different desires. This man has grand ambitions, hard to measure. All we need to do is figure out what he desires most right now, then we¡¯ll know what to do.¡±


    The President squinted his eyes, deep in thought.


    The Chief of Staff also rubbed his chin, his eyes reflecting peculiar zeal.


    He thought that what Lin Hao most wanted right now must be to swiftly enhance his Cultivation.


    In addition, it would be the trust from the Great Celestial Master of East Abyss and East Continent, as well as the two tasks in his hands¡ª the fragments of the Divine Tablet and Longevity Association!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When Xianyu Yan awakened, she found herself lying in a cylindrical crystal box.


    The crystal box was set vertically, surrounded by a dozen extremely agile mechanical arms, fiddling inside the flesh on her chest.


    ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ was outside. He was wearing ear covers, humming a song while performing surgery on her, utterly relaxed.


    ¡°What is this now?¡± Xianyu Yan, while sensing the interior of her body, asked with immense curiosity.


    The crystal box was filled with thick, transparent liquid, but naturally, Xianyu Yan had a way to speak.


    She controlled the ether and air outside with her True Yuan, producing sounds like human vocal cords.


    Since she had forgotten, Lin Rui naturally wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to remind her.


    ¡°There are many who caused the death of the Crown Prince, but the one I want to kill the most is just the Emperor.¡±


    Xianyu Yan sneered coldly, ¡°But I am not foolish, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m important enough to make you antagonize the East Abyss and the Emperor, but if in the future you desire to become the true Abyss, you will sooner or later have to choose life or death with them, especially with the Emperor!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s curiosity was piqued.


    He was originally operating with 12 mechanical arms, now it turned into 11.


    ¡°Speaking of this Crown Prince, I am also curious as to why the Divine Above wanted to get rid of him? He was only at the Eight Realms at the time, it seems unnecessary. The East Abyss wouldn¡¯t be unable to accommodate just an Eight Realm.¡±


    ¡°He conspired with the Abyss, and traded with the Purgatory Abyss and the Heavenly Demons, attempting to usurp and replace the ancient Heavenly Venerate of Wood Virtue!¡±


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s look became complex, ¡°So the Crown Prince did have his deadly path, violating the Divine Above¡¯s taboo. I actually don¡¯t resent the East Abyss for killing the Crown Prince, just annoyed that they manipulated me and my sisters, to strike behind his back.¡±


    Lin Rui inwardly muttered ¡®as expected,¡¯ there was indeed another reason for the East Abyss to target the Crown Prince.


    He subsequently clicked his tongue noncommittally, ¡°Was the Crown Prince completely clueless about you Dragon Guards? Utterly unaware and unprepared? What does his death have to do with the Emperor? And why must I inevitably part ways with the Emperor in life or death?¡±


    ¡°He probably knew, but had already accepted his death and did not wish to resist.¡±


    Xianyu Yan took a deep breath, ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s contact with the Purgatory Abyss was done behind our backs, but the real one wanting to replace ¡®Heavenly Venerate of Wood Virtue¡¯ wasn¡¯t him, it was the Emperor!


    The Crown Prince was just paving the way for him. The Emperor wanted to complete certain experiments on the Crown Prince, which supposedly were not successful, and when the experiment reached halfway, it became noticeable, forcing the Emperor to cut off ties to survive, leading the Crown Prince to a deadly situation. He thought he was secretive, but I still saw through his schemes.


    This is why you must eventually remove him in the future, there are limited divine positions between heaven and earth. Based on the Crown Prince¡¯s speculation, now the universe can only allow one more godly ascension, unless an old god falls, sooner or later you two must decide life or death.¡±


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, the Emperor actually wanted to replace the ¡®Heavenly Venerate of Wood Virtue¡¯? Unexpectedly, Xianyu Yan still had such a shocking secret.


    If this information were to be leaked, it could possibly turn the Great Song upside down, leading either to the fall of deities or a change of dynasty.


    Lin Rui then became emotional again, re-realizing how fortunate he was to have met his Master.


    ¡°And also, at that time the Crown Prince was close to advancing to the Ninth Realm, once the Crown Prince reached the Ninth Realm, the Emperor thought he would be abandoned by the Divine Above!¡±


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s eyes glowed crimson, ¡°This is the understanding I came to realize afterwards, the Emperor¡¯s talent is also high, and his accumulation has deepened, now with the support of Heavenly Demon Armament and Medicine, Divine Above might not wait for four hundred years of abdication. The Emperor is acting out of insecurity, out of fear.¡±


    She sneered coldly, ¡°The Emperor is very careful, very cautious, he observed me for many decades afterwards, always ready to silence me, until he saw me degenerate beyond hope, becoming a useless person, only then did he gradually relax his control, unaware that I never had any intention to betray from the beginning. I would love for him to fight with the East Abyss, ideally they would both be injured, and perish together.¡±


    ¡°Stop! Stop! You are getting too emotional, better to rest a bit, tell me the details later when there¡¯s time.¡±


    Lin Rui glanced at a monitoring device and also calmed his own mind, ¡°Moreover, after this surgery is completed, I will inject you with some medicines, a total of 11 shots, and it will take about seven days, after which you will be able to attempt advancing to the Eight Realms.¡±


    After this surgery, he also needs to return to Luojing, to receive the visit from the President.

 Chapter 543: 516: Demon Slaughter Order (Subscription Requested)

    Chapter 543: Chapter 516: Demon Slaughter Order (Subscription Requested)


    The next evening, Lin Rui led a group of people from the Ministry of Rites, following the carriage of the Second Divine Envoy, arriving at Huishen Slope outside the city.


    The arrival of the Second Divine Envoy was completely unexpected by the Ministry of Rites. This envoy had not previously revealed any intention to participate in welcoming the Heavenly Demon President. It was only today, as they were preparing to leave the city, that the Second Divine Envoy suddenly decided to attend, catching the personnel of the Ministry of Rites somewhat off guard.


    Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Cao Xi, guessed that this was mostly the intention of the Divine Above, giving impromptu instructions to the Second Divine Envoy to come.


    The Second Divine Envoy, held in extremely high regard in the presence of the Divine Above, ranks only after the emperor, the Great Celestial Master, and the First Divine Envoy. This level of reception would not overly humiliate the king of the Heavenly Demons, yet it did not include too many courtesies.


    Thus, it can be seen that while the Divine Above is extremely annoyed with these Heavenly Demons, he also does not wish to lose the demeanor of courtesy.


    Cao Xi¡¯s admiration for Lin Hao grew even more in his mind, thinking that it was fortunate that it was this Mr. Lin who took up the office, who truly deserved to have obtained a Third-rank Divine Office in just half a year, and who even more deeply understands the will of the Divine Above.


    ...


    At this moment, Lin Rui was sitting inside a flying car gifted by the Divine Envoy not long ago, studying a document that Li Li sent him via his hundred thousand li flying book.


    The document came from Wang Chenghua, the Commander of the Demon Destruction Bureau in charge of demon extermination affairs in the northern part of Jingzhou.


    This Commander first sent his apologies, stating that his troop of seventy thousand demon extermination soldiers encountered obstacles and minor setbacks in Xuanhua County and Tiantong County.


    At the same time, Wang Chenghua requested assistance from Lin Rui, asking that Lin Rui deploy more experts and military forces, and it would be best to mobilize a battalion of Divine Guards while also issuing a ¡®Demon Slaughter Order¡¯.


    He believes that demonization in these two counties is deep, with almost all the commoners having transformed into demon followers, allying themselves with the Bright Demon Sect.


    To completely purify Xuanhua County and Tiantong County and eradicate the remnants of the Demon Sect, it¡¯s necessary to slaughter the people of these two counties.


    After receiving the document from Wang Chenghua, Li Li did not dare make decisions on his own and forwarded the document to Lin Rui for review without delay.


    Lin Rui also had to deal with this urgent official matter on the way to Huishen Slope.


    He thought that Wang Chenghua¡¯s heart was truly ruthless; is the ¡®Demon Slaughter Order¡¯ something that can be issued lightly?


    The ¡®Demon Slaughter Order¡¯ is specifically for areas where demonization is particularly severe or that have been deeply infected by purgatory powers, and the situation has gone completely out of control. It¡¯s the highest level of extermination order.


    Once the ¡®Demon Slaughter Order¡¯ is issued, then within that area, everyone regardless of age will be slaughtered to near extinction.


    By that time, it¡¯s feared that out of the more than nine million people of these two counties, very few will survive.


    Lin Rui directly activated quantum communication and checked the relevant information in the internal database of the Federation Security Bureau.


    The reason he was so confident and not afraid of the Second Divine Envoy in the vehicle ahead was because of the flying car he was riding in.


    This flying car, bestowed by the Divine Envoy, was constructed by the Divine Affairs Office¡¯s internal manufacturing bureau. Its defensive capabilities are extremely high, making it a large Magic Artifact of the Eighth Realm of Super Emperor Rank.


    ¡°I see now!¡± Xue Lingxue suddenly realized: ¡°Actually, I know something about the situation in the north of Jingzhou. Two members of my team just returned from there, and they said that the spread of the Bright Holy Sect is extensive in both counties, partly because the previous local officials were excessively corrupt, squeezing the locals too harshly; and partly because the ¡®Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯ in charge is both skilled and compassionate.


    This woman took over the church affairs in the northern part of Jingzhou five years ago, and in just a few years, she has significantly improved the lives of the local believers, particularly in Xuanhua and Tiantong counties where for three consecutive years, there have been no starvation deaths nor demon transformation incidents. The people live in peace and contentment, with bountiful goods and safe citizens. As such, this woman is deeply revered and beloved by the locals; by our Federation¡¯s terminology, she is practically a living Buddha to thousands.¡±


    Lin Rui then reviewed the ¡®Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s¡¯ profile, and with a nod, commented: ¡°Indeed, this woman is quite a character.¡±


    Her actions began with rapid expansion, followed by threatening local officials into cooperation with a million believers, leveraging punctual tax payments as a condition to gain local autonomy, then joining forces with some officials to eliminate local tyrants and redistribute the land.


    These things may sound simple, but actually achieving them requires considerable skill and wisdom.


    This ¡®Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s¡¯ commercial talent is unmatched by those officials who only know how to extort from the people.


    According to intelligence from the Security Bureau, the woman has cooperated with several Federation trade companies to cultivate various cash crops and has run a number of businesses¡ªsimply by commercial means, she has gathered enough taxes to pay the court.


    ¡°So it¡¯s likely these peasants worry that if the court restores its rule, their lives will revert to the dire state they were in years ago, barely worth living. Plus, those who obtained land from the Bright Holy Sect also fear retribution from the officials.¡±


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s eyes showed a hint of sympathy: ¡°BOSS, you just need to check the situation in the two counties five years ago to know¡ªit was practically hell on earth.¡±


    ¡°People are not afraid of death, so how can death be used to scare them?¡±


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes: ¡°But this matter is still very fishy! Deploy a few reliable people to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I understand!¡± Xue Lingxue¡¯s expression became serious.


    She too realized there was an issue. If the ¡®Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯ truly cared for her followers, she wouldn¡¯t allow them to rush to the forefront of the court¡¯s army and swords to die.


    If she were truly clever, she would¡¯ve known that inciting the people of these two counties to take up arms would bring no benefit to the Bright Holy Sect.


    If Xue Lingxue were this ¡®Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯ herself, she would have had the high-level members of the sect evacuate as soon as possible to find a place to hide.


    The court¡¯s suppression was essentially a passing storm, and after the storm, with the reputation built by the ¡®Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯, the Bright Holy Sect could effortlessly revive in the area.


    After ending the communication with Xue Lingxue, Lin Rui personally wrote a reply to Wang Chenghua.


    There was no chance of issuing a ¡®Demon Slaughter Order¡¯ now. It must be handled carefully, but given the situation in those two counties, an increase in military force was indeed needed.


    Lin Rui promised to mobilize 200,000 state soldiers from the surrounding areas and 50,000 of the Feather Forest Guards¡¯ left army as reinforcements. In addition, he would assemble at least 200 Dragon Transformation Masters to await Wang Chenghua¡¯s command.


    Just as Lin Rui sent his 300,000 li Flying Book, the flying car he was in came to a halt.


    Lin Rui pulled back the curtain to look out and saw that the convoy had arrived at Huishen Slope. From here, one could see a huge Heavenly Demon warship suspended to the south of Huishen Slope.


    That was the flagship of the Federation President¡ªthe ¡®Common Destiny¡¯, a battleship converted from a Constant Star-class vessel!

 Chapter 544: 517: Education (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 544: Chapter 517: Education (Please Subscribe)


    This ¡°Common Destiny¡± has been hovering at Huishen Slope for a full ten minutes now, but the reception staff from the Great Song side have yet to appear, leaving the warship suspended in the air, unable to descend.


    Firstly, they have not received permission from the Great Song, and secondly, as the current President and leader of the Earth Federation, he must uphold the Federation¡¯s national dignity and integrity, even if they are here to seek peace, they cannot appear too humble.


    At this moment, the members of the embassy on board, together with the crew, are gradually becoming embarrassed and angry.


    They all know that this is an insult and a show of power from the Great Song.


    What everyone finds helpless is that the Earth Federation is currently in a weaker position, and no one can afford the consequences of a war with the Abyss.


    ¡°Weak countries have no diplomacy¡± is an adage that has been true since ancient times; without means to counterbalance the Abyss, the Federation can only swallow this animosity.


    ...


    Yet, the President stands very calmly, looking expressionlessly towards the direction of Luojing City from beside a porthole.


    Fortunately, not long after, they saw a large convoy guarded by hundreds of Dragon Transformation Martial Artists and thousands of Great Song imperial guards, coming mightily from the west.


    This sight relieved everyone present, including the Chief of Staff, reassuring them that the worst scenario they anticipated did not occur.


    Especially the sight of the Eight Dragon Chariot in the convoy brought a slight smile to some members of the delegation.


    Though the Second Divine Envoy Yu Huaxuan from the Great Song Dynasty is not equivalent in status to the Federation President, it still enables the Federation to save some face.


    The key is the attitude demonstrated by the Great Song, showing that the East Abyss is still willing to negotiate and did not reject them outrightly.


    The Chief of Staff noticed the President¡¯s gaze fixed on a Flying Car behind the Eight Dragon Chariot, and his eyes also shifted there: ¡°That should be the National Guardian of Great Song, Lin Hao¡¯s carriage! Beside this vehicle, are his Protective Demon and several Dragon Guards, as well as the Third Divine Envoy Luo Wangshu¡¯s Dragon Guard Captain Jing Yuefang and Deputy Captain Su Xinmei, both are masters of the Super Emperor Rank.


    It seems Luo Wangshu is concerned about Lin Hao¡¯s safety, lending it to him, showing deep affection and esteem for his disciple, hmm~he¡¯s coming out of the vehicle now, so young indeed.¡±


    Recently, a corruption scandal erupted in the Divine Palace, involving the Divine Tablet. The court and Divine Palace were furious. Not only did they execute and confiscate the properties of the key figures of Divine Palace, but they also arrested several high officials from the Divine Affairs Office and their colluding merchants, seizing seventeen million taels of Magic Silver in illicit money.


    Luo Wangshu wanted to use this money, along with funds for palace renovations, to implement education in Luojing and all county towns, teaching some basic Heavenly Demon knowledge. However, Yu Huaxuan and the Emperor jointly rejected this, as it was said that the Divine Palace also disapproved.


    Yu Huaxuan shook his head: ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know the potency of Heavenly Demon techniques, but once these techniques are popularized, they will inevitably enlighten the people, and Great Song will then surely face chaos and conflict! The situation is good right now; knowledgeable families among the court and the people are encouraging their children to learn so-called mathematics and chemistry, and the court is also showing considerable favor to craftsmen. In the near future, we too can master the art of the Heavenly Demons.¡±


    Lin Rui thought this Second Divine Envoy indeed had some foresight.


    However, education is almost universally accessible within the Earth Federation, with countless biological engineers and mechanical engineers at all levels; how could Great Song compare?


    And as for those palace renovation funds, the officials from the Divine Affairs Office and Divine Palace actually took only a small portion; most of it went into the pockets of the Emperor and a few people like Yu Huaxuan, used to feed their henchmen and acquire Heavenly Demon artifacts.


    Lin Rui was secretly criticizing when the Second Divine Envoy, Yu Huaxuan, asked in a leisurely tone: ¡°I, along with many others, am quite curious, Commander Lin, what are your thoughts on the upcoming negotiations between us and the Heavenly Demons?¡±


    ¡°The blasphemous actions of the Heavenly Demons cannot be tolerated! This matter not only concerns the dignity of the Divine, but also the pride and welfare of the billions of people in this world. These rampaging Heavenly Demons, who sent a large army to our Tianji World eight hundred years ago with the intention of enslaving our people, must be guarded against!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression was stern, and then, with a tone of helplessness, he said: ¡°However, we lack the power to transcend this world and go to the Heavenly Demon Origin to wage war for the Divine. With continuous demonic troubles within our borders and Purgatory below, the strategy of war or peace must ultimately be decided by the Divine. Mr. Cao and I are merely messengers.¡±


    Yu Huaxuan nodded slightly in satisfaction upon hearing this.


    This Lin Hao was not bad, aware of the dangers posed by the Heavenly Demons and the challenging situation faced by Great Song.


    Previously, many people, including himself, were worried that Lin Hao¡¯s uncompromising stance might lead to unforeseeable consequences.


    At that moment, the interstellar-class battleship that spanned ten thousand meters slowly landed.


    The second Divine Envoy, Yu Huaxuan, flicked his sleeve and led Lin Rui and others to greet it.


    Unaware that quantum communication had been shut off, Lin Rui did not realize that at this moment on the battleship, several journalists from the Federation delegation had started a live broadcast, causing an uproar in their media live rooms and various major forums of the Federation.

 Chapter 545: 518: Intentions (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 545: Chapter 518: Intentions (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°Fairy Qin Yue¡± Li Yuehua was also among the viewers of this live broadcast.


    At this moment, she was sailing on the sea, riding on an ultra-light speed intelligent airship, which she bought for 232 billion federal coins, flying at high speeds over the ocean.


    Ever since being marked by the Heavenly Observation Divine Mirror, Li Yuehua didn¡¯t dare to enter the continent and only lived over the sea and along the coast, she even feared to stay put in one place for more than half a minute.


    Yet even so, during these months of escape, she had several brushes with death.


    Being marked by the Heavenly Observation Divine Mirror meant that not only was she being hunted by the forces of Great Song but also all Martial Cultivators of the Sixth Realm and above from the Five Continents could sense her.


    Of course, the trickiest were the Divine Eye Bureau, with their Ninth Realm experts either masters of profound Escape Techniques or possessing extremely powerful flying Magic Artifacts. They have specialized devices that can lock on to her location from hundreds of thousands of miles away.


    ...


    Annoyingly, the Divine Eye Bureau would also hire Heavenly Demon mercenaries at high prices, asking these mercenaries, who also possessed various high-tech equipment, to join in the hunt to kill their own kind.


    And Li Yuehua¡¯s ¡°ultra-light speed intelligent airship,¡± although claimed to be under light-speed, only managed less than 120 Mach within the Earth¡¯s atmosphere, so she had recently been quite tragically pursued.


    The key was that Li Yuehua lost the industries she established in the Earth Federation. Some people believed she wouldn¡¯t escape the hunt and death wasn¡¯t far away, her consciousness also unable to return to her body for long, so they used various methods to encroach upon her real estate assets worth over 180 billion.


    If it weren¡¯t for Li Yuehua heeding Rookie One¡¯s advice to hide her body within the Federation in advance, and to also hide her family, her true body might have already been killed by now.


    Just as with the bloodstained lessons of her walker predecessors, what Alien Walkers should be most cautious of is actually their own kind.


    Rage emerged from Li Yuehua¡¯s heart, as evil courage grew within her. She had already decided to follow Rookie One¡¯s instructions to seek refuge with the Great Song Spy Detection Bureau Commander, in exchange for Great Song canceling her arrest warrant.


    No one likes to turn traitor, but Li Yuehua could no longer hold out. She only had over 98 billion in cash, to support both her own true and alien bodies, and her family as well. She would soon exhaust her resources.


    And that ¡°Rookie One¡± was most likely Li Xianglong, the first General of the Federation Security Bureau, which means she might have the opportunity to clear her name in the future.


    However, the first thing Li Yuehua had to do was to understand her future employer.


    Li Yuehua had already gathered various pieces of information about Lin Hao through different channels. Today she specifically ventured deep into the ocean just to watch a live broadcast that might feature close-up contact with the Spy Detection Bureau Commander Lin Hao.


    Sure enough, she wasn¡¯t disappointed. The media reporters, after capturing some shots of ¡°Common Fate¡± making its descent, and the grand reception by Great Song for the President, quickly turned their cameras on Lin Hao¡¯s face. The Spy Detection Bureau Commander¡¯s figure and features were displayed to the audience from all angles without a single blind spot.


    Li Yuehua saw a group of fangirls chatting in the live broadcast room.


    ¡°Is this Lin Hao? So handsome!¡±


    ¡°Can people from Tianji Star also be this good-looking?¡±


    ¡°So spirited! Handsome looks and dashing attire ¨C inside a python robe, outside gold armor, purple talisman wrapped body, it¡¯s like he¡¯s a person from a painting.¡±


    Li Yuehua was instantly revitalized. Knowing Noob #1¡¯s identity would be perfect.


    At this moment, in front of Huishen Slope, a complicated ceremony was taking place.


    Great Song treated the Federation President as if he were the Emperor of the outer Heaven Demons, adopting a rather grand ritual.


    Firecrackers were set off, horns blown, music played, the master of ceremonies spoke, and then the side of the Outer Heaven Demons presented their tributes. None of the proper rites were omitted.


    Finally, the second Divine Envoy met with the Federation President.


    The Federation President was the first to speak: ¡°Mr. Second Divine Envoy, on behalf of the Earth Federation and all humanity, I extend the most sincere friendly wishes to your Divine and your people, hoping we can live in peace and establish friendship.¡±


    The Second Divine Envoy responded expressionlessly: ¡°Heavenly Demon Emperor, I am here by the command of the Divine to receive Your Majesty and your subjects. As for whether we can have peace, it depends on your own choices!¡±


    The Federation President¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    Just as he was about to continue speaking, the Second Divine Envoy raised his hand and beckoned forward: ¡°Please join me in entering the palace. Our Ministry of Rites has arranged for your accommodations inside this palace.¡±


    He was only responsible for the reception, not the negotiation.


    And at their level, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to bargain, argue, verbally spar, or come to blows, as it would be unbecoming and harm the dignity of both parties; hence, it was better to let the subordinates handle such matters.


    Previously, Luo Wangshu had hosted several Alien Third Divine Envoys and had ended up fighting with them.


    The Federation President was the emperor of all Heavenly Demons, with much greater import, so he couldn¡¯t be received as Luo Wangshu did.


    Lin Rui was about to follow the Second Divine Envoy into the Divine Palace when he heard the President¡¯s Chief of Staff beside him speak up: ¡°Please wait, Lord Lin.¡±


    After calling Lin Rui to a halt, he bowed in the manner of the people of Sky Extreme Star: ¡°I am James Bradley, Chief of Staff to the President of the Earth Federation, the president¡¯s most trusted aide. I wish to seek Lord Lin¡¯s advice on matters related to the peace negotiations, may I ask if you could spare some guidance?¡±


    Lin Rui immediately turned to look at this person.


    Of course, Lin Rui knew what kind of figure the President¡¯s Chief of Staff was ¨C he was comparable to the Divine¡¯s Great Celestial Master or the Emperor¡¯s Grand Steward, his authority lying somewhere between the two.


    He had often seen this person on television news, and now seeing the President¡¯s Chief of Staff earnestly bowing, he felt quite intrigued.


    Lin Rui had been intending to make contact with the Federation envoy team and naturally would not refuse. After a slight hesitation, he returned the gesture and said: ¡°Of course, how about the main hall of the nearby post station?¡±


    The hall was spacious and airy from all four sides. Opening all the windows would prevent any suspicion of private deals or impropriety.


    However, no sooner had the two sat down in the post station than Lin Rui saw the President¡¯s Chief of Staff signal to his attendants, who brought forward a hefty pile of gifts.


    Lin Rui¡¯s face instantly turned green, thinking to himself: what does this Federation envoy team take him for? Is he someone who would betray the interests of the Divine and Great Song¡¯s people for a bit of wealth? Absolutely preposterous!

 Chapter 548: 521 Unstoppable (Subscribe Please)

    Chapter 548: Chapter 521 Unstoppable (Subscribe Please)


    Lin Rui, Ji Xueying, and Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s strike was completely unexpected to their opponents.


    The martial arts of the three were overwhelmingly sharp and overbearing to the extreme, their cooperation seamless, and their bloodlines extraordinarily powerful. Coupled with the cover of a Sixth Realm Emperor Rank, a Sixth Realm Super Emperor Rank, and a Seventh Realm Super Emperor War Dragon, their momentum was unstoppable. Their first strike swiftly eliminated three Seventh Realm Martial Cultivators within the blink of an eye, significantly improving the situation for the surrounding Divine Guards.


    Although the two Dragon Guard captains were still in a tough battle, the assassins around them were no longer able to spare the effort to encircle and attack them, greatly reducing their pressure.


    Both women were extremely surprised; they never expected Lin Hao to take the initiative to strike from the flying car.


    In the end, they spared no effort and fiercely fought, firmly entangling the two powerful enemies in front of them, ensuring these two Ninth Realm Super Kings couldn¡¯t target ¡®Lin Hao¡¯.


    This disciple of their master showed astonishing courage and decisiveness in striking, resolving their dire predicaments. The two women could not allow Lin Hao to fall into danger against foes he could not confront.


    ...


    They also anticipated that Luo Wangshu and the forces of Great Song would arrive within half a moment to a moment. Therefore, both did not hesitate to exhaust their True Yuan and blood energy, seeking to maximize their eruptive combat strength.


    The assassins from the Shadow Killing Team were also extremely surprised and simultaneously glanced toward Lin Hao¡¯s direction.


    Among them, an Eight Realm Martial Cultivator and two Seventh Realm were forced to change their route to meet the attack of Lin Rui and his two companions.


    The combat power of these three was overwhelmingly superior to typical Sixth and Seventh Realm Martial Cultivators¡ªrequiring only one or two strikes against a Sixth Realm Emperor Rank. If unobstructed, their killing efficiency could cost their enemies nearly half of their forces almost instantly.


    Furthermore, the target of the Shadow Killing Team was none other than the commander of the Spy Detection Bureau!


    Their combat communication system was flooded with a plethora of chaotic messages:


    ¡°That guy actually came out of the flying car! So strong!¡±


    ¡°The martial arts of these three are incredibly intense and decisive. That Blood Saber Lady is very strong, and Shangguan Tianyi is not to be underestimated. Is this what the Sixth Realm Emperor Rank and Super Emperor Rank look like?¡±


    ¡°Truly worthy of King Yama¡¯s Blade, No. 11, 13, and 14 died deservedly!¡±


    ¡°Is this really a Fifth Realm? The strength, speed, and True Yuan aren¡¯t far off from a Seventh Realm Emperor Rank. Is this the effect of that Heavenly Demon Armor?¡±


    ¡°Deservingly made for the Abyss, that Dragon Armor¡ªI really want it! F*ck, this guy¡¯s Escape Skill is incredible, even at the Seventh Realm, it¡¯s definitely at a 7SS+, or even 7SSS.¡±


    ¡°Sniper No. 12, can you coordinate with No. 5 to resolve them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for a chance; they seem to have figured out our positions, avoiding our optimal shooting angles when they move.¡±


    ¡°There are too many people and Battle Dragons around; it¡¯s hard to lock down his position! Huh? Detected a large number of hostile snipers from the south, No. 53, 55 are taken out!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also from the east, at least 20 Dragon Transformation rank shooters! One of them, a Seventh Realm sniper, is very formidable!¡±


    ¡°Be careful, we have a group of Dragon Transformation Martial Cultivators coming to our sniper positions from behind, totaling 23, at the 5th and 6th sniper positions.¡±


    Furthermore, Lin Rui¡¯s Alien Company now had eight Sixth Realm Dragon Transformation mages!


    These individuals, similar to Gong Hengdao, were all personally intervened by the BOSS to pull them back from the brink of total prosthetic syndrome.


    Their individual strengths were nothing to scoff at, generally possessing strength at or above the Sixth Realm Emperor Rank, with high loyalty toward the BOSS, having signed Spirit Contracts on Dragon Skin Paper, making them extremely reliable.


    Wang Tianwu himself was at the Eighth Realm of Super Emperor rank, even hopeful to advance further soon!


    His natural talent was extremely high; just concerned about being controlled by Ling Huan, he hesitated to implant more powerful prosthetics.


    After Ling Huan¡¯s death, Wang Tianwu had no more reservations.


    Had not the revolutionary research advancements been made by Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute, Wang Tianwu would have tried to implant an SSS+ core auxiliary equipment nearly a dozen days ago, allowing his prosthetic rating to nearly reach Emperor Rank.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s prowess in Magic and Formation was even more profound, approaching an 8SSS+ rating, and even his weakest talismanic magic had an 8SSS rank.


    Remote Magic confrontations are unlike Martial Arts; the strength and speed of the Ninth Realm Cultivation are useless here, more crucial are Spiritual Power, understanding and control over Magic and Array Talisman, and the most critical¡ªmoney!


    Thus, how could he consider a 9SS mage worthy? He believed his overall strength was certainly not far behind that of the leader of the Shadow Killing Team.


    Today, the BOSS had already promised to let him use any resources he needed, as long as he could restrain that Ninth Realm Emperor Rank mage.


    Currently, Wang Tianwu didn¡¯t only disrupt the opponent¡¯s Nineth Realm Magic ¡®Earth Explosion Magnetic¡¯ prepared underground but also cast spells disrupting the surrounding black fog clusters.


    He skillfully guided the shock waves and air currents accumulating on the battlefield, along with scattered Blade Astral and Sword Qi, creating an unstoppable giant tide, forcibly creating a gap through the black fog clusters.


    Lastly, he manipulated these Astral Winds to form eighty-one extremely powerful Astral Blades, circling in the sky, ready to strike down at the enemy at any moment.


    Lin Rui also sensed the changes underground, inwardly commending, Old Wang is truly reliable; it seems he could soon consider inviting Old Wang to join the directorate of Alien Company.


    At this moment, Fei Yunlai also sent a message.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, my protector demon found that Guardian Battleship, and has already cut the ship¡¯s engine with one strike, but she¡¯s injured and can¡¯t attack further.


    ¡°Good!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s eyes immediately lit up.


    He had already sensed the position of this Guardian Battleship.


    He immediately sent out a message in the battle group: Everyone, take out that Guardian Battleship!


    Lin Rui no longer avoided clashing with that Eighth Realm Emperor Rank Martial Cultivator. As their blades and swords collided, sparks flew between them.


    The opponent¡¯s tremendous impact forced Lin Rui to swiftly retreat back by several meters, yet his opponent¡¯s figure was also momentarily hindered by his Blade Force.


    This gave Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ an opportunity to strike, as it repelled the opponent¡¯s Battle Dragon while landing a punch directly into the opponent¡¯s chest and abdomen.

 Chapter 549: 522 Wings (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 549: Chapter 522 Wings (Please Subscribe)


    The current President learned of Lin Hao¡¯s ambush 170 li away just two minutes after the incident occurred.


    At that time, the entire Federation delegation had just been settled in the Imperial Courts.


    Upon learning of the attack on Lin Hao and that the attackers were the Earth Federation¡¯s ¡®Shadow Killing Team¡¯, the faces of everyone turned deathly pale.


    They realized that this was someone trying to prevent the Earth Federation from negotiating peace with the Great Song, and therefore attempted to assassinate Lin Hao.


    The current President was furious, leaning on his desk and watching the video sent by the presidential battleship ¡®Common Fate¡¯: ¡°Is it the Longevity Association? What do they want? Do they really want to start a war and wish for humanity¡¯s destruction?¡±


    It was fortunate that the Chief of Staff was extremely cautious of Lin Hao, and had arranged the sensory equipment of the ¡®Common Fate¡¯ to monitor his movements, otherwise, they would have been too slow to react.


    ...


    The President¡¯s bones ¡®crackled¡¯ as he said: ¡°Order the Common Fate to provide firepower¡ª¡±


    He meant to say to provide fire support to Lin Hao, but then he felt this was inappropriate.


    The Great Song had arranged a battalion of Divine Guards in the Divine Palace and was backed by a large amount of Shen Ce Army and numerous elite experts, ostensibly for protection, but in reality, also for surveillance.


    If the ¡®Common Fate¡¯ opened fire hastily, it might easily lead to misunderstandings.


    The President took a deep breath: ¡°Send someone to the rescue, right now! No matter what, Lin Hao must not die here.¡±


    Hearing this, the people around looked at each other with uncertainty, none responding.


    The heart of the President¡¯s Chief of Staff was also heavy.


    Once a war began, humanity might not necessarily be destroyed, but the civilians of their 14 Base Cities would surely suffer heavy casualties.


    He was aware of the capabilities of those gods; every single one of them had the power to destroy heaven and earth and could even shatter a planet as large as the Earth¡¯s moon with a single thought.


    Although the Federation had various defensive measures prepared at each base, it might not be able to withstand the might of the gods.


    Nevertheless, the President¡¯s Chief of Staff still furrowed his brow and advised: ¡°Mr. President, what we need to ensure first and foremost is your own safety!¡±


    The Special Service Bureau that protected the President was inherently weak, and those from the Earth Federation with Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, even those with Ninth Realm Super Monarch strength, who would be willing to be subordinate? Who wasn¡¯t the leader of a power, controlling trillions in assets?


    As such, the Special Service Bureau relied more on mechanical technology to ensure the President¡¯s safety; after hundreds of years, the Federation had developed quite strong combat machinery.


    However, this was a visit to the Great Song, and due to technological secrecy and out of respect for that god, some things were not convenient to bring¡ªsuch as the two experimental combat robots of the Special Service Bureau, incorporating a trace of Abyss Power in the Annihilator Dragon 9X model.


    In the Chief of Staff¡¯s view, should Lin Hao die, the peace talks between the Earth Federation and the East Abyss would inevitably become even more difficult.


    But if anything were to happen to their President, then not only would the peace negotiations be impossible to achieve, but there might even be the possibility of a civil war within the Federation.


    ¡°Send two 9S+ models, just arrange for two of them!¡±


    The President¡¯s eyes were filled with a sharp light as he emphasized his tone: ¡°Follow my order, immediately! If Lin Hao dies, we may not be able to return to the Federation!¡±


    That East Abyss was not dead; although in a state of Divine Sleep, its Divine Thought was still remotely sensing the world, which naturally included the Luojing under its feet.


    Once a large number of Ninth Realm figures entered Luojing City, causing the concentration of the ether element to reach a certain threshold, it would surely awaken the ¡®East Abyss.¡¯


    Both the ¡®External Affairs Bureau¡¯ and ¡®Internal Affairs Bureau¡¯ of the Great Song¡¯s Imperial City Department, responsible for intelligence collection and analysis, although famously inept, had large monitoring Magic Artifacts in their possession and would not allow the gathering of a large number of Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators inside and outside the Luojing City.


    Actually, if it weren¡¯t for being coerced by the employer, and with his fatal weaknesses controlled by others, he would never have risked attacking Lin Hao.


    He wasn¡¯t the kind of fool without brains, unaware of the consequences of killing Lin Hao.


    However, just as Miao Zhengdao was leaving the Guardian Battleship, utilizing the cover of darkness to escape, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart and looked back.


    ¡°Hm? Number 5? That guy¡ª¡±


    Miao Zhengdao was monitoring Lin Hao through the situational awareness devices he had placed on the battlefield.


    At this moment, the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ punched and caused a warrior of the Eight Realms Emperor Rank to bleed from his seven orifices.


    Although this was only a projection of a Tenth Realm Super Monarch Battle Dragon, its combat power had reached a Seventh Realm Super Emperor level, overpowering the Eight Realms Emperor Rank.


    This person had already received the retreat order from Team Leader Miao Zhengdao, but as he was about to withdraw, he saw a wave of sword energy gushing like a thunderous ocean.


    The pupils of the Eight Realms Emperor Rank warrior constricted slightly, realizing that the positions of Lin Hao and Shangguan Tianyi had astonishingly swapped.


    And Shangguan Tianyi was well-prepared, unleashing a Sixth Realm Emperor Rank Secret Sword technique, slicing through with sword lights as swift and domineering as thunderbolts.


    Between this woman¡¯s eyebrows, there was a Seventh Realm Super Emperor treasure, the ¡®Thunder Soul Pearl¡¯ levitating, making the sword¡¯s might even more formidable!


    What on earth is going on?


    The Eight Realms Emperor Rank warrior felt a mix of shock, anger, helplessness, and confusion as he struggled to defend.


    With his strength failing to replenish and diminishing with effort, it was extremely difficult to defend. He even had to risk allowing the Battle Dragon to be destroyed by the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ so that it could take the brunt of Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s ferocious sword light on his behalf.


    But even so, his body was struck by hundreds of Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s swords.


    Fortunate for him, he wore an 8SS+ level Exoskeleton Armor, which, although directly bearing the brunt of over a hundred swords, left his body relatively undamaged.


    Just when he was barely holding on until Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s Thunder Swordfall subsided and he thought he could catch his breath, he saw a blood-red figure appeared before his eyes.


    ¡ªIt was Ji Xueying! The Blood Saber Lady of the Sixth Realm Super Emperor rank!


    Right at that moment, there was also a swap of positions between this woman and Shangguan Tianyi.


    Now, the Eight Realms Emperor Rank was even more puzzled and desperate.


    Although she was only of the Sixth Realm, she carried the bloodline of a Sixth Realm Super Emperor.


    And with his rich combat experience, how could he not realize that the Blood Saber Lady was also gathering her strength for the strike?


    Furthermore, the item floating behind her was the Seventh Realm Super Emperor Magic Artifact of the Light Element, the ¡®Yang Flame Divine Mirror¡¯!


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    Ji Xueying¡¯s pupils revealed a scarlet fierceness, and terrifying blue veins surfaced around the corners of her eyes.


    The ¡®Yang Flame Divine Mirror¡¯ immediately burst forth a strong light, and under the irradiation of the golden light, the Battle Dragon standing in front of the Eight Realms Emperor Rank warrior let out a pained groan.


    ¡ªThe arm of the Eight Realms Battle Dragon had broken off clean at the root!


    Then with a ¡®clang,¡¯ a sorrowful and brilliant white blade light flashed by, and the Imperial Dragon-Slaying Saber in Blood Saber Lady¡¯s hand easily cut through the warrior¡¯s skeletal armor, severing his head!

 Chapter 550: 523: Vajra (Three more for subscription)

    Chapter 550: Chapter 523: Vajra (Three more for subscription)


    Half a moment later, the forces from various systems of Great Song that hurried to support had all gathered around Lin Rui¡¯s flying car, blocking the official road to Luojing City so tightly that not even water could seep through.


    Due to the recent Blasphemy Case and the theft of the Divine Tablet, a bunch of high officials from the court of Great Song were demoted for the crime of ¡®dereliction of duty¡¯, or were swept from their positions, including several former Commanders of the Spy Detection Bureau.


    Therefore, the court, including the three imperial guards, was very vigilant and did not dare to be negligent in the slightest.


    Luo Wangshu initially set off to come, but after learning that Lin Hao had already repulsed the Shadow Killing Team, she retreated.


    Lin Rui¡¯s mood was somewhat sour.


    Although he had successfully repelled the enemy this time and even slain several Seventh and Eighth Realm experts from the Shadow Killing Team,


    ...


    Especially at the moment when the Shadow Killing Team retreated, they inflicted particularly heavy casualties on them.


    In this battle, the Shadow Killing Team had one Ninth Realm severely injured, two Eighth Realm died in battle, and seven Seventh Realm were slain.


    However, this Shadow Killing Team nearly made him reveal all his aces, almost exposing his underpants.


    Fei Yunlai and Wang Tianwu and others were almost caught during the retreat, fortunately, with Wang Tianwu¡¯s exceptionally great magic, he covered for everyone from Lin Rui¡¯s studio to successfully break away.


    This guy has managed to avoid Ling Huan for so many years, his skills of hiding are truly not just for show.


    However, they dare not return to the Four Stripes Mountain base for the time being, but are circling around the perimeter, and also dare not relax in the short term, and cannot return to their true bodies.


    These Dragon Transformation Masters were originally members of the 6S combat team of Lin Rui¡¯s studio and were later assigned to three security regiments to serve as officers, and these combat teams had already been disbanded.


    But their Alien bodies remained nearby Luojing, always ready to be called upon, and this time they were put to use.


    The trouble is, these people cannot return for now, temporarily unable to attend to the reorganization matters of the security regiment at the shipyard base, which will greatly affect the progress of the reorganization of these three security regiments.


    Lin Rui was grinding his teeth, thinking that he still needed to recruit people and expand the recruitment to the greatest extent possible!


    Healing Armament Syndrome is actually very exhausting, especially for masters above Sixth Realm Dragon Transformation; those who are at the brink of Desperate Armament Syndrome have symptoms that are not only bizarre but also intractable chronic diseases.


    But no matter how tired, Lin Rui has to try to heal as many as possible.


    There is no need to limit the recruiting targets to retired military personnel, but can widen the scope to consider recruiting some reputable Alien Walkers.


    Lin Rui self-considered that he now had enough strength to keep the situation under control!


    And now, as the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, he could get a large amount of Emperor Rank Dragon Skin Paper from the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower of the Great Song.


    Lin Rui had already paved the way with money, completely cleared the relationship with the garrison commander of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, and could obtain Eighth Realm Dragon Skins at a lower price from the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    No more Dragon Skins? Just report an ¡®Exhaustion¡¯ for an Eighth Realm Demon, and no one will pursue it.


    Lin Rui himself was an extremely skilled mage and also a Demigod, capable of using his own Abyss Power to create Divine Contracts second only to the Life Tie Book in terms of binding effects.


    Especially the binding power for Sixth Realm Martial Cultivators can be so strong that there is no flaw, and even Seventh Realm cultivators would have to pay a huge price to escape the Divine Contract, so Lin Rui is not afraid of these Dragon Rank Martial Cultivators betraying him.


    ¡°Little brother, I have seen the corpses; they should be from the organization ranked sixty-fifth on the Heaven Rankings, the ¡®Shadow Killing Team¡¯!¡±


    The Chief of Staff could only give a bitter smile: ¡°Commander Lin, with your far-sightedness, capable of illuminating the darkness, how could you not know that these assassins are certainly not from the official side of our Federation! The ¡®Shadow Killing Team¡¯ that attempted to assassinate you is also on our government¡¯s wanted list.¡±


    Lin Rui sneered at this response: ¡°I¡¯ll assume the Shadow Killing Team is directed by the Longevity Association. Does your Federation Government still wish to shelter them?¡±


    Seeing the Chief of Staff fall silent, he added more pressure: ¡°And after this assassination attempt, the court and people of my Great Song will surely be outraged, and the Divine will be even more infuriated. How will you explain to my Divine? How do you plan to appease the anger of the Great Song citizens and the Divine?¡±


    The Chief of Staff knew the key still lay with the attitude of that God. No matter how irate the Great Song court and people were, it wouldn¡¯t affect the peace talks.


    The question now was, what would the East Abyss think? After my God issued a final ultimatum, do you still dare to make an attempt on the life? To dare to attack my appointed Vice Envoy of the peace talks?


    If the East Abyss does not respond, where would their dignity lie?


    Actually, this was also an opportunity for the President and him to shift the blame and make concessions, precisely because the wanton behavior of the ¡®Longevity Association¡¯ had put them at a disadvantage in the talks.


    However, the President and he were genuinely concerned about the country¡¯s affairs and were unwilling to betray humanity¡¯s fundamental interests in these peace talks.


    ¡°As for this assassination attempt, our Federation will definitely give an explanation to the Marquis of the National Guardian.¡±


    The Chief of Staff hesitated for a moment and then took a box from his sleeve, opened it and suspended it in the air using True Yuan: ¡°Actually, our delegation came here with two gifts prepared for the Marquis of the National Guardian, please accept them with a smile!¡±


    Previously, with so many reporters watching, it was not appropriate to present significant gifts, but now it was no problem.


    Lin Rui looked at the items in the box with a puzzled look: ¡°What is this? It looks like the seeds of a Battle Dragon?¡±


    It¡¯s somewhat similar to the Battle Dragon seed implanted into Ji Xueying¡¯s body.


    ¡°It¡¯s a replica of ¡®Emperor Flame Battle Dragon Seed¡¯ that we¡¯ve synthesized from leftover dragon bones from studies on Vajra Venerable, using highly concentrated life essence and a large amount of Fake Abyss Essence,¡± the Chief of Staff said with a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s the latest research achievement of our Federation Science Academy.¡±


    ¡°The item has already undergone several tests, all successful. It not only helps in the transformation of a Battle Dragon but also strengthens the power and armor toughness of the Battle Dragon, while gaining the ¡®Vajra¡¯ concept from the Vajra Venerable.


    This item is extremely expensive to create, one seed costs as much as 300 billion federal coins, and the specific effects vary from person to person, depending on the individual¡¯s Bloodline Power and spiritual power. If a Martial Cultivator¡¯s talent is insufficient, those Fake Abyss Essence might even transform into Dragon Essence.


    However, this shouldn¡¯t be an issue for Commander Lin, and moreover, this Vajra Battle Dragon seed I have in my hands truly incorporates a bit of Vajra Venerable¡¯s Source Essence.¡±


    In reality, it was a rather useless item, only the most top-tier nobility¡¯s children could afford it, yet most of them couldn¡¯t handle the Abyss Source Material.


    But for someone like Lin Hao, it was an invaluable treasure.


    He looked at Lin Rui meaningfully: ¡°I heard that Commander Lin is about to undergo Dragon Transformation soon? This item can not only significantly enhance your Battle Dragon but also shorten the time needed for your accumulation.¡±


    He knew Lin Hao¡¯s most urgent matter right now was to advance to the Sixth Realm!


    Although this person had acquired great authority in an extremely short period of time, he had also placed himself in a precarious situation, surrounded by danger.


    Without the Cultivation of Dragon Transformation, Lin Hao would have a hard time ensuring his own safety.


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils constricted upon hearing this, summoning the Chief of Staff¡¯s gift box into his hands.


    Before the arrival of the Federation Presidential delegation, Li Xianglong had said to him that the Presidential delegation might bring him a surprise.


    Nevertheless, this surprise was a bit too much; Lin Rui felt that his official integrity was greatly tested!


    With this item, Lin Rui could save at least two months¡¯ time; within five days, he could undergo Dragon Transformation!

 Chapter 551: 524 Tian Xiang Divine Envoy (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 551: Chapter 524 Tian Xiang Divine Envoy (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui took the white bone crystal artifact out of the box, sensing the Abyss Source Material within.


    Lin Rui had always thought that the surprise mentioned by Li Xianglong was the skincare set. Yet, the real surprise was the ¡®Vajra Battle Dragon Seed¡¯ he now held in his hand.


    Of course, the skincare set was quite a pleasant surprise too.


    The current ¡®Rui Fang Limit Skincare Limited Edition Set¡¯ had already sold out on the official website.


    Now, the amended ¡®Rui Fang Limit Skincare Limited Edition State Gift Set¡¯ was being produced round the clock, and the number of orders on the Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company¡¯s official website had skyrocketed to 8.2 million sets, frighteningly high.


    Keep in mind, the price of this set is 28,000 federal coins.


    ...


    Lin Rui took a deep breath, his eyes filled with a struggle and hesitation as he placed the white bone crystal back into the box.


    ¡°The technology of you Outer Heaven Demons is indeed magical, to be able to craft such a wondrous object. It truly leaves one in awe.¡±


    His expression seemed reluctant, yet gradually it turned resolute and cold, as he brushed the box back to them: ¡°However, I told the Chief of Staff before, our court has its regulations and rites, and I dare not step out of line! Why does the Chief of Staff insist on humiliating me with this item? I shall treat this as the Chief of Staff¡¯s unfamiliarity with my character this time. If there is a next time, don¡¯t blame me for being impolite.¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself that this object must be accepted.


    It wasn¡¯t because he was corrupt, but for the sake of the fate of all humanity.


    Without receiving the ¡®Vajra Battle Dragon Seed¡¯, how could he lower his dignity to help the current President reach an agreement with the East Abyss?


    However, he had to refuse a few times on the surface; if one is acting, one must perform the full set, and not destroy their own character image.


    And didn¡¯t the Chief of Staff say it himself? The presidential delegation had prepared two presents for him, and this was only the first one. How could he just bow and surrender so easily?


    Seeing this, the Chief of Staff was slightly pleased, Li Xianglong¡¯s prediction was indeed correct.


    Lin Hao was a man with grand ambitions, and no ordinary wealth could catch his eye.


    Only gifts that could benefit Lin Hao¡¯s future prospects and improve his current situation could move his heart.


    Nevertheless, the man lived up to his reputation for being uncorrupted, facing such a tempting treasure, he was still able to remain steadfast.


    ¡°Why would the National Guardian utter such words?¡± The Chief of Staff gave a respectful bow, his expression and tone utterly sincere: ¡°We are well aware of the National Guardian¡¯s integrity and uprightness, for which we hold great admiration and feel deeply ashamed.


    However, our President was furious and deeply regretful upon learning about the assassination attempt on the National Guardian by the Shadow Killing Team due to the peace talks issue. We feel obligated, as the cause originated from our Federation. The President insisted on bringing over this Vajra Battle Dragon Seed as a token of consolation for you, also as a compensation to you.¡±


    Then he bowed deeply again: ¡°If the National Guardian insists on refusing, we from the delegation will feel extremely guilty.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Rui frowned deeply and remained silent.


    ¡°Furthermore, we absolutely do not wish for the National Guardian to bend laws for personal gain, we only hope to establish a friendship with you. Please consider the well-being of billions of citizens in both countries, and within your power and responsibility, help our Federation reach peace with your Divine Lord.¡±


    The Chief of Staff said this and then glanced outside: ¡°Please kindly summon my attendant to come in. This is the second gift we prepared to soothe the National Guardian¡¯s nerves. Don¡¯t misunderstand me; we dare not present wealth as a bribe. The grand gift we have prepared for you shall be greatly beneficial to the two official tasks you are currently undertaking.¡±


    The President¡¯s Chief of Staff initially didn¡¯t understand what he meant, but then shivered, ¡°Purgatory? Does that mean the Shadow Killing Team might be hired by Purgatory?¡±


    A trace of unusual light appeared in his eyes, as the Federation¡¯s prior negotiation strategy was to incite fear of the Three Gods of Purgatory from the East Abyss.


    If they could confirm that the Shadow Killing Team was under Purgatory¡¯s orders, they might be able to regain some leverage in negotiations.


    But at that moment, the President¡¯s Chief of Staff found the slip of paper in his hand suddenly disintegrated into dust.


    It contained a trace of True Yuan from Lin Hao, and after he clearly saw the words on the paper, it exploded unexpectedly.


    The President¡¯s Chief of Staff was quick-witted, realizing in an instant that this Lin Hao intended to maintain his tough image, and would never come forward to explain or prove the Federation¡¯s innocence.


    ¡°I am not aware of this; you will need to find the evidence yourselves to prove it, which I would be glad to see.¡±


    Lin Rui frowned, ¡°There is another matter for which I would like to ask for your help, Mr. Chief of Staff, which is also related to this Heavenly Demon of the Bright Holy Sect.¡±


    The Tian Xiang Divine Envoy trapped in the Exoskeleton Armor listened as they discussed the transaction, and couldn¡¯t help but sneer inwardly.


    This Lin Hao had a reputation among the people of Great Song for being honest and incorruptible, resolutely upholding justice, and treating the Outer Heaven Demon as arch-enemies, yet privately he showed another face.


    Listening to his words, wasn¡¯t he explicitly communicating with the Heavenly Demon both inside and outside, intending to secretly aid the Heavenly Demon?


    However, the next moment her smile faded, as she heard Lin Hao speak firmly, ¡°Is the Mr. Chief of Staff aware of the rebellion that occurred in the northern part of Jingzhou? Seven million Light Church followers in Xuanhua County and Tiantong County rose in rebellion, almost surrounding the imperial army sent to suppress them.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The Chief of Staff subconsciously wanted to check the intelligence on this matter only to realize that the Quantum Communication in the flying car was disrupted.


    However, these seven million Light Church followers shouldn¡¯t be a big deal to Great Song, should they? They were just a rabble; Great Song could easily send one or two hundred thousand imperial guards to suppress and annihilate them.


    The Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s expression changed drastically upon hearing this.


    Why would Xuanhua County and Tiantong County rebel? Hadn¡¯t she ordered the high-level members of the church in both places to find a hiding place and avoid the storm temporarily?


    ¡°My people found something very wrong over there; there must be another power stirring trouble. You can infer that from the presence of this Tian Xiang Divine Envoy,¡± Lin Rui said, pointing at the Tian Xiang Divine Envoy inside the Exoskeleton Armor.


    Since the Tian Xiang Divine Envoy is already captured, who else would have ordered the people of these two counties to raise the banner of rebellion?


    The President¡¯s Chief of Staff still didn¡¯t understand the implications, and he remained silent, listening attentively.


    ¡°As of now, we do not know the motive of this power. However, their actions have put nine million inhabitants of those two counties in a desperate situation.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes revealed a trace of sadness, showing compassion, ¡°The court-appointed General in charge of suppressing bandits in Jingzhou, Wang Chenghua, had applied to me for the Demon Slaughter Order. I have temporarily suppressed it, but this will eventually lead to court debates, and these nine million people are still not far from death. At this time, the Emperor and the three Divine Envoys will surely enforce the harshest laws against the Light Saints.


    I can¡¯t bear to see these innocent people die needlessly at the hands of the government. I would like to ask Mr. Chief of Staff for your help to save them from their fate with the power of the Earth Federation. If you can do this, I am willing to provide as much assistance as possible in the peace negotiations between our two nations.¡±


    The Tian Xiang Divine Envoy looked at Lin Hao in astonishment, unable to believe her eyes.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that this imperial official could be so compassionate.


    President¡¯s Chief of Staff James Brad¡¯s expression became serious, and his eyes showed a touch more respect for Lin Hao.

 Chapter 552: 525 Light Heavenly Venerate (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 552: Chapter 525 Light Heavenly Venerate (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°Lord Hou is benevolent and boundlessly kind-hearted.¡±


    The Chief of Staff of the President then furrowed his brows: ¡°The Federation is naturally willing to support this good deed, but the problem is how can we help these nine million people escape the punishment of the Great Song Court?¡±


    ¡°This matter actually holds great benefits for you as well.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curled up slightly, his smile meaningful: ¡°I¡¯ve heard reports from my subordinates that the rebellion north of Jingzhou might be related to Purgatory, possibly involving the Blood Sacrifice Technique. You could go and verify the authenticity of this intelligence and help Lin gather some evidence.¡±


    ¡°Purgatory?¡± The Chief of Staff of the President had already understood Lin Hao¡¯s intention.


    He thought to himself that it was clever of Lin Hao to come up with this, but indeed it was the best course of action. Once it involved the forces of Purgatory and Blood Sacrifice, Great Song would surely be extremely cautious and not allow Purgatory to succeed.


    ...


    This definitely held great benefits for the current Earth Federation as well.


    After contemplating for a short while, the Chief of Staff gave a slight bow: ¡°Our Federation will commence the investigation immediately, Lord Hou rest assured, we will have news within three days at most!¡±


    In his heart, however, he was thinking about how to fabricate the concrete evidence against Purgatory.


    No matter the truth of the situation north of Jingzhou, they must establish the guilt of this matter.


    Lin Rui nodded slightly, thinking that this Chief of Staff was indeed on the right track.


    ¡°And regarding the Longevity Association and Zang Shaochen, it is not necessarily mandatory for them to be handed over to Great Song for disposal. However, you, Outer Heaven Demons, must give our Divine and the people of Great Song a satisfactory explanation.¡±


    He then picked up his teacup and gently blew on it: ¡°Divine is also very interested in the technologies involved in that blasphemous case. Oh yes, I heard from my master that after the blasphemous case happened, Divine was very detailed in asking how your blasphemous techniques managed to evade His perception, and even had the laboratory moved up to the Divine Palace for the artisans to study, saying that they must replicate it successfully. I suppose you can provide the relevant technology?¡±


    If it were only as such, it wouldn¡¯t be too bad, but Divine had even had a palace built a few years ago, claiming it to be capable of completely hiding one¡¯s presence.


    It was said that Divine was very dissatisfied, having held all the artisans responsible for building the palace accountable and executed.


    However, this could not be disclosed by him; the Federation would have to find out for themselves.


    The Chief of Staff listened intently, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.


    The information from Lin Hao was immense! Tremendously immense.


    Firstly, the East Abyss is very interested in the technique for concealing the Spirit Mechanism.


    Secondly, why does the East Abyss want to hide the Spirit Mechanism? He is one of the most powerful beings between heaven and earth, with infinite Divine Power, just like the gods from human myths.


    He wanted to inquire further, but he saw Lin Rui picking up his teacup, a gesture according to the customs of the Sky Extreme Star signifying it was time to see the guest out.


    The Chief of Staff left helplessly with a bow and farewell.


    Lin Rui watched the Chief of Staff descend from the Flying Car, then turned to look at Tian Xiang, the Divine Envoy, with a frown.


    Tian Xiang also stared coldly at Lin Rui.


    Though grateful that Lin Hao was willing to save the nine million people north of Jingzhou, in her heart, he was still a corrupt official!


    Unfortunately, she could not speak out, as the Silent Ball stuffed in her mouth prevented her from making any sound.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, rubbed his temples in frustration; this woman was not a gift to him but rather a hot potato.


    ¡ªShe was after all a Super Emperor of the Ninth Realm! Although she was one of the weaker Super Emperors in the Ninth Realm, with cultivation only at the early stages of the Ninth Realm, equivalent to the level of a three-star Marshal, she was still a candidate for Divine Envoy and an Honorary Member of the Congress!


    Lin Rui was extremely wary of this woman, fearing that she might suddenly break free and ¡®snap¡¯ him dead.


    However, after some hesitation, Lin Rui decided to inquire first.


    He reached out his hand to remove the Silent Ball from the mouth of Tian Xiang, the Divine Envoy.


    But just as Lin Rui¡¯s fingers touched the lips of Tian Xiang, her delicate body suddenly shuddered violently.


    Lin Rui stared in astonishment at Tian Xiang, wondering why she had such a large reaction to merely removing a Silent Ball?


    The emotions in Tian Xiang¡¯s heart were also tumultuous and shocked beyond measure!


    Purifying Fire! She felt the Purifying Fire inside the young man!


    There¡¯s also the ¡°Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡±; not only does the opponent harbor a sub-body of the ¡°Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire,¡± but his ¡°Bright Thunder Sacred Body¡± is also nearing completion.


    This man before me is the Bright Holy Son that our Bright Holy Sect has sought for so long in vain!


    In addition, Goddess of Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy also felt a strand of Light Elemental Power that sent shivers down her spine. Although there wasn¡¯t much of it, it was incredibly potent and pure¡ªso pure and powerful that it made her Primordial Qi wilt, as if a mouse had seen a cat, and it stirred in her the deep desire to submit and worship from the depths of her soul.


    This Lin Hao¡ªhe could very well be the deity that our Bright Holy Sect has long awaited!


    The one from the prophecy, who would cleave through darkness with Bright Holy Thunder and cleanse the world of filth with a surge of Tribulation Fire¡ªthe true Light Heavenly Venerate of this era! The real King Ming!


    However, Goddess of Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy quickly suppressed the excitement within her, showing not a hint of anomaly on her face.


    She knew that the man before her, though possessing a merciful heart that loved and pitied the common folk, also had the ruthless hand to silence others by murder.


    Since his debut, who knows how many heads have fallen beneath his blade; the infamy of his ¡°King Yama¡¯s Blade¡± was well-deserved.


    If Lin Hao discovered that she knew about his possession of the Purifying Fire, and that he might be the true King Ming anticipated by the Bright Holy Sect, the first thing he would do most definitely wouldn¡¯t be to assume his role as King Ming, but rather to chop off her head immediately to seal her lips completely.


    Lin Rui had already removed the Silent Ball from Goddess of Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy: ¡°Where is the King Ming? Where are the fragments of the Divine Tablet? How many people do you have in Luojing, and what plans have you laid out?¡±


    Gazing at him silently, Goddess of Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy then closed her eyes and began to sing, ¡°Holy Thunder shines bright, Holy Light blazes, pity us mortals, besieged by woe¡ªlife is fraught with trials, besmirched by demonic dust; a thousand calamities and hardships arise, a multitude of ailments steadily spring forth; thus what joy is there in living, what sorrow in death?


    Majestic Holy Thunder, cleanse my withered body; open my clear heart, awaken my lucid nature; do good, vanquish evil, all for the sake of Holy Light; joy and grief, sorrow and happiness, all return to dust¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself, as expected, the convictions of a master at such a level are impenetrable; it is impossible to extract any useful information from her.


    The effectiveness of his Truth Serum on Goddess of Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy was also extremely limited.


    But for now, she would suffice for a report to his superiors.


    Having captured one of the Bright Holy Sect¡¯s five Divine Envoys, no one could say he hadn¡¯t made an effort.


    ¡°Crazy!¡± Lin Rui reinserted the Silent Ball: ¡°Let Wang Meixue, Ni Nancui, and Jiang Shi, the three of them come in, take this woman to the Divine Prison Department. Have the people there interrogate her thoroughly and make her speak soon! Hmm, ask General Li to send someone for escort too.¡±


    Wang Meixue, Ni Nancui, and Jiang Shi were the names of the three Seventh Realm Dragon Guards under his command.


    Lin Rui had no fear of this woman leaking his conversation with the Chief of Staff.


    First of all, the incriminating words of a Demon Sect Divine Envoy, baseless and ungrounded, how could they be credible?


    Furthermore, his conversation with the Chief of Staff was cautious, and even if disclosed, Lin Rui had nothing to fear.


    After Wang Meixue and the others had taken Goddess of Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy away, Lin Rui¡¯s expression shifted slightly.


    He discovered that the Chief of Staff had accidentally left a box containing the seed of a Vajra Battle Dragon on his seat.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui with a helpless expression, drew the box back into his hand, his words filled with reflection, ¡°This item is worth its weight in gold; would it not harm innocence? Although the Chief of Staff has judged me with a petty man¡¯s perspective, I can still feel his hearty love for the people; he truly wishes to avert war. The trouble is, if I don¡¯t accept this item, those Outer Heaven Demons will probably remain uneasy.¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi, after hearing this, her eyes moved slightly as she clasped her hands in admiration, ¡°My lord is compassionate towards the people, for the sake of peace between the two nations, for the consideration of nine million citizens, perhaps you can endure this predicament.¡±


    She had followed Lin Rui for some time now, and felt that Ji Xueying wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Although Lin Hao was an Outer Heaven Demon, he cared for the people of the Great Song more than the majority of high officials in the Great Song Court; while many of the noble officials, although of the same kind, treated the common folk as if they were extracting marrow from bones, like malevolent spirits.


    Lin Rui finally steeled himself, stuffing the ¡®Vajra Battle Dragon seed¡¯ into his sleeve.


    He thought to himself, could this not be considered bribery? Li Xianglong once said that the magnitude of this mission was equivalent to 5 X+ level tasks; later on, he could give a hint to him, tallying the gift from the Federation with the award, balancing any surplus or shortfall.


    The matter of bribery is grave and must be nipped in the bud.


    One must remember that a person¡¯s bottom line is like a film; once it¡¯s breached once, it¡¯s likely to be breached a second time, until it¡¯s completely worn away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back too!¡±


    Turning his head towards Luojing, Lin Rui knew he had to return quickly and prepare for his Dragon Transformation in the Sixth Realm.


    The gift from the Chief of Staff truly suited his taste.


    With the surrounding area of Luojing rife with danger and crises lurking on every side, he must ascend to Dragon Transformation in the Sixth Realm as soon as possible to secure his footing.

 Chapter 553: 526: Twin Celestial Bones (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 553: Chapter 526: Twin Celestial Bones (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui returned to Lin Mansion, first went to the Imperial City Department to report sick leave to the Commander, then contacted Han Baxian to give him a heads up.


    Due to the recent attack by the Shadow Killing Team, he was seriously injured and needed a few days to recover.


    Of course, he would still keep an eye on all the official business of the Spy Detection Bureau and the negotiations with the Outer Heaven Demon. He just temporarily couldn¡¯t go into the office or handle some of the fieldwork that required his presence.


    That very night, Lin Rui¡¯s consciousness returned to Ninth Base City to perform surgery on his main body.


    This time he was implanting the SSS+ rank Armament ¡®Ten Thousand Thunder Bones¡¯ and ¡®Great Sun Bones¡¯, replacing all the bones in his body except for the skull.


    The ¡®Ten Thousand Thunder Bones¡¯ are very powerful. Although they are not the core Armament of the ¡®Bright Thunder Sacred Body¡¯, they are one of the strongest Bloodline Talents left by the Ten Thousand Thunder Venerable, said to be infinitely close to Abyss Level.


    ...


    Shangguan Tianyi has this powerful Bloodline Talent within her, which makes her extremely compatible with the Conceptual Power of the Ten Thousand Thunder Venerable.


    Lin Rui implanted the ¡®Ten Thousand Thunder Bones¡¯ following Luo Wangshu¡¯s advice to prepare for confrontation against the Great Sun Venerable.


    The ¡®Great Sun Bones¡¯ originate from the Great Sun Venerable. Although Lin Rui is cautious about this deity, he would not let it undermine his strongest suit¡ªsaber speed and velocity!


    The Great Sun Bones could also fuse with his original A-rank talent ¡®Heavenly Speed.¡¯


    Originally, Lin Rui planned to have the Sky Blue Group manufacture it for him, but after research with Huang Fuqing, they realized they could fuse the ¡®Ten Thousand Thunder Bones¡¯ with ¡®Great Sun Bones¡¯. Their ether cycles are different and, if handled properly, would not interfere with each other.


    However, the manufacture of this ¡®Double Heavenly Bones¡¯ is quite troublesome, requiring the extraction of omnipotent stem cells from his body to culture a complete set of bones and to transform them during the cultivation process for replacement.


    The production process is not much harder than other Super Monarch Armaments but is very time-consuming, requiring about fifteen days.


    Ordinary Alien Walkers would not be comfortable having their stem cells extracted and tampered with by a Symbiotic Master.


    Lin Rui has his own Biological Prosthetics Research Institute and Huang Fuqing, a top-level Symbiotic Master, which allows for the creation of this ¡®Double Heavenly Bones.¡¯


    ¡ªHe actually no longer wants to use the cost-effective sets from the Sky Blue Group. Instead, he prefers Armaments personally crafted by Huang Fuqing without sparing any expense on materials, with performance about 20%~25% stronger than those of the Sky Blue Group.


    The Armaments from the Sky Blue Group are known for their cost-effectiveness, saving on materials where possible, though also reliable. However, this has led them to be jokingly called ¡®beggar version armaments¡¯ in the Armament community.


    Of course, for Aliens and the people of Tianji Star, there¡¯s no difference as long as they awaken the corresponding Bloodline Ability under the guidance of the Armament, which is much stronger than any Armament.


    Current Armaments cannot surpass the original Bloodline Abilities, at most reaching 99% of the original Bloodline Ability and still bearing a greater mental burden.


    While Lin Rui was operating on himself, Lin Xi, Wang Tianwu, Fei Yunlai and others ran into the observation room from time to time, worried.


    They watched Lin Rui humming a song, with a relaxed expression as he took out his bones one by one and replaced them with brand new ones.


    Sometimes Lin Rui would even take out a bone to carefully examine it in front of his eyes before dropping it with a ¡®Duang¡¯ sound onto the sterile tray beside him.


    Both Fei Yunlai and Wang Tianwu gasped when they saw this scene, thinking their boss must really be insane, as this wasn¡¯t something a normal person would do, right?


    The BOSS must also have ¡®Armament Syndrome,¡¯ just in a different form.


    Lin Xi thought it would still be best to let Lin Rui do the Children¡¯s Song Killer a few more times to vent some pressure and relieve his emotions.


    Despite her brother usually appearing confident and composed, in reality, Lin Rui was under the constant pressure of the Longevity Association¡¯s aggression, probably always tense inside.


    Wang Tianwu and Fei Yunlai were wondering when the new Armaments developed by Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute for the BOSS would be ready? They should be equipped on the BOSS quickly!


    While the BOSS has the Purifying Fire and his own Armament medical skills are very sophisticated, making Spirit and Body Integration not a concern, being equipped later would not be an issue. However, it could at least relieve some mental pressure from the BOSS.


    The surgery took 3 hours. After its completion, Lin Rui stayed in the Sleeping Cabin for a few more hours, sleeping soundly.


    When he woke up, he felt the hidden pains in his body disappear, and all internal injuries caused by the surgery had healed under the effect of the medicine and highly concentrated nutrient solution.


    This was also because Lin Rui¡¯s surgical abilities were extremely strong. The surgical wounds he caused were very minimal, and the magic that connected all nerves, blood vessels, and minute meridians was very precise.


    Immediately after, Lin Rui took the elevator back to his private villa¡¯s first Martial Arts Hall to practice his saber technique.


    Joy gradually filled his eyes; after practicing the ¡°Purple Sun Tribulation Saber,¡± his saber force had increased by about five levels, and the speed of his saber had been enhanced by ninety percent.


    Now, the speed at which he could ordinarily strike with his saber had surpassed the ¡°Yang Pulling Slash¡± he used in the Fourth Realm, peaking at three ten-thousandths of a second.


    In other words, he could deliver over 3000 slashes within one second.


    However, his True Yuan couldn¡¯t sustain such a rapid saber speed; he estimated that after just over 2000 slashes, his True Yuan would be exhausted, and the ¡°Blood Core Mad Sun¡± within him wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up.


    The ¡°Twin Heaven Bones¡± improved every aspect of his abilities, whether it was his Thunder Power or his divine skills of light and flame, all were greatly enhanced.


    Especially his Escape Skill, which had been enhanced to an extreme degree.


    So much so that Lin Rui gained the confidence that, as long as he had enough True Yuan, he could face experts of the 8th realm, those of Super Emperor Rank, and still emerge unscathed.


    The key point was that Lin Rui had already completed an entire set of the SSS+ rank ¡°Radiant Thunder Sacred Body.¡±


    Recently implanted within him were the SSS+ rank ¡°Ten Thousand Thunder Bone¡± and ¡°Great Sun Bone,¡± along with SSS+ rank ¡°Divine Sun Cosmic Body,¡± SSS rank ¡°Undying Divine Yang,¡± ¡°Blood Sun Heavenly Origin¡± and ¡°Super Yang Sky Instant,¡± the SS+ rank ¡°Light Blood¡± and ¡°Blood Core Mad Sun,¡± and the SSS rank ¡°Limit Heart Origin¡± that resided only within his soul.


    A total of nine extremely powerful auxiliary equipments, alongside the SSS+ rank ¡°Radiant Thunder Sacred Body¡± Dantian, meridians, and circular meridians, the Quasi X-level Golden Core ¡°Emperor¡¯s Clock,¡± and the Quasi X-level Dragon Armor ¡°Emperor Haotian Clothes,¡± were able to form a complete ether cycle. Not only could this enhance all of his armament abilities by more than 20%, further strengthening his physical constitution, strength, and speed, it could also generate more True Yuan of the three systems of Light, Thunder, and Fire.


    To put it in gaming terms, he had collected a full set, creating a complete set effect.


    The moment this Sacred Body was completed, it brought about immense growth to both his physical body and mind, leaping from a level of 7000 to 8000 in an instant. The key was that the quality of his Soul Power was further improved, and his soul became more attuned and integrated with the three systems of ether elements of light, thunder, and fire¡ªhe could now autonomously produce these three types of elements with his soul power!!


    Wang Sen had long since collected the complete ¡°Xuanwu Sacred Body.¡±


    The minimum level for the Xuanwu Sacred Body is S, with the maximum reaching SSS. Although Wang Sen¡¯s current rank of his Sacred Body isn¡¯t high, only at SS+ level and still needs reinforcement, it is nonetheless greatly increasing his combat power.


    Whereas Lin Rui harbored immense ambition, desiring to reach the highest level in one step, hoping to gain a more powerful enhancement from the Sacred Body before undergoing Dragon Transformation, as well as to receive the greatest rewards after the completion of the Sacred Body.


    The critical point is that after obtaining a complete Sacred Body, Lin Rui¡¯s certainty in advancing to Dragon Transformation would significantly increase.


    It¡¯s a pity, however, that the new Bloodline Ability congealing within his Alien Body has yet to awaken.


    The ¡°Divine Blood¡± bestowed by the East Abyss had clearly aided the enhancement of Lin Rui¡¯s Bloodline Ability to the brink of awakening, but it just wouldn¡¯t awaken.


    Lin Rui suspected that this was because he was under insufficient pressure; he had been too relaxed lately, and even the Shadow Killing Team didn¡¯t really give him much of a sense of crisis.


    In the confrontation with Elder Wan Xin, Lin Rui lost consciousness too quickly; the Bloodline Ability didn¡¯t even have the chance to react before he fainted.


    It was fortunate that he still had the help of his equipment, otherwise his Bloodline advancement would be problematic.


    Lin Rui tried out the divine power of the ¡°Ten Thousand Thunder Bone¡± and the ¡°Great Sun Bone¡± and, satisfied, returned to his Sleeping Cabin.


    Lin Rui had already prepared 20 Type 6 Alien Bloodline Enhancement Medicine in advance, planning to continuously inject them into the Alien Body until the two Bloodline Powers awoke.


    After awakening, he will immediately advance to Dragon Transformation!


    Not long after Lin Rui returned to his Alien Body, the butler Lu Hanyuan handed over to him two ¡°Three Hundred Thousand Mile Flying Books.¡±


    These Flying Books had been transmitted from 300 thousand miles away, directly flying to the doorstep of Lin Mansion.


    Such Flying Books of unknown origin would generally be rejected by Lin Mansion.


    However, Lu Hanyuan claimed that after seeing the sender¡¯s name, he felt that the owner of the Flying Books might be of great assistance to Lin Rui, so he decided to pass them to Lin Rui for personal handling.


    But before Lin Rui had the chance to carefully examine the contents of the letters within the ¡°Three Hundred Thousand Mile Flying Books,¡± he received information from Xianyu Yan.


    Xianyu Yan: My lord, I heard from Shangguan Tianyi that you were attacked? You nearly died at the hands of the Shadow Killing Team?


    This individual also had a Smart Biological Chip implanted by Lin Rui, enabling her to communicate with him remotely.


    After reading the message, Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly, thinking to himself that his Dragon Guard Captain was waking up, which meant her advancement was imminent.

 Chapter 554: 527: Awakening (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 554: Chapter 527: Awakening (Please Subscribe)


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I¡¯m not that pitiful. Xianyu Yan, how are you feeling right now? Are you confident about advancing?


    Xianyu Yan: I¡¯m in excellent condition. Your human biotechnology is truly miraculous, forcibly elevating me to Emperor Rank of the Seventh Realm, close to the level of a Super Monarch. The key point is that all of my physical attributes are nearing the limit of this rank.


    Lin Rui observed that Xianyu Yan¡¯s body was still a bit away from the limit; it was at most 72% developed.


    That was due to the limited time; otherwise, Lin Rui could bring Xianyu Yan¡¯s attributes to 95%.


    He¡¯s not the same as he was back in Silver Moon County, struggling to get by. Not only does he have money now, but he also has access to the most cutting-edge biotechnology.


    Xianyu Yan: Ascending to the Eighth Realm is quite simple. I could have advanced 50 years ago if I wanted to. It¡¯s a bit difficult to elevate my bloodline to Emperor Rank, but it¡¯s not a big problem.


    ...


    Xianyu Yan: Please, master, make sure not to go out these days and wait until I have completed my advancement.


    Lin Rui felt that he couldn¡¯t go out even if he wanted to, as he was also preparing to undergo Dragon Transformation.


    Lin Rui: Go for it! According to the latest intelligence I¡¯ve received, the Shadow Killing Team might be discontent and is planning to make a move against me.


    Indeed, it was a risk warning provided to him by Li Xianglong.


    After the last attack by the Shadow Killing Team, the Security Bureau intensified their surveillance on the group, discovering they were recruiting former members in the Dark World, their intentions inscrutable.


    According to the information provided by Gong Hengdao, apart from a portion of the core members, the rest of the Shadow Killing Team was not fixed. They would adjust their membership based on the difficulty of the mission, recruiting temporary members from the Dark World.


    Gong Hengdao had completed two missions with them before; that¡¯s why he recognized them as members of the Shadow Killing Team at first glance.


    Moreover, the earnings rate of Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company was utterly frightening.


    Their ¡®National Gift Set¡¯ continued to see rapid sales growth, with orders reaching 15.2 million sets.


    If these orders were completed, the net profit for Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company could reach 180 billion federal coins.


    Fang Ranran was already fully engaged in gathering people and poaching talents everywhere to expand production capacity. According to her calculations, they could fulfill the orders in three months.


    Based on the performance of other skincare products, the net profit of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals in these three months should reach 320 billion.


    How terrifying is that? Even those top-tier cosmetic brands couldn¡¯t match this level of profit.


    And after the National Gift Set incident, Rui Fang¡¯s skincare products entering the top-tier brands was highly likely. However, the chairman of this company, which nets hundreds of billions each month, was just a mere Fifth Realm?


    How could those Honorary Members of Congress and those financial tycoons not be tempted, not be envious?


    The thing is, Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals currently has high visibility and is under scrutiny from all sides. Additionally, since they¡¯re involved with the national gift affair, these powers are hesitant to act, at least for the time being.


    So on one hand, Lin Rui is fiercely recruiting allies and enhancing his and his company¡¯s security measures; on the other hand, he¡¯s preparing to advance to the Sixth Realm as quickly as possible.


    Xianyu Yan: I understand. I will not disappoint the master!


    At the Four Stripes Mountain base, Xianyu Yan clenched her fists tightly.


    A hint of crimson ferocity flashed in her eyes.


    Those bastards, dare they move against her new master?


    How could she allow this?


    Xianyu Yan never really expected her new master to take revenge for her, she relied on her own power.


    And this new master, who came from the Outer Heaven Demon, would be her hope to ascend to the Ninth Realm, even to achieve Longevity.


    ¡ª If that day truly comes, she would make the emperors and Divine Spirits pay, make them regret what they have done.


    Xianyu Yan could not tolerate anyone obstructing her path!


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, was browsing through ¡®Thirty Thousand Li Flying Book¡¯. As expected, it was ¡®Moonlight Fairy¡¯ Li Yuehua and ¡®Snow Night Ice King¡¯ Hou Yuting who expressed their allegiance to him, hoping that Lord Lin Hao would help them lift the Great Song Dynasty¡¯s warrant for their arrest.


    Although these two decided to serve Lin Hao, they still reserved some bottom lines, saying they were unwilling to be enemies with the Federation authorities.


    In other words, they were willing to help Lin Hao kill a few Alien Walkers, but if the tasks given by Lin Hao would harm the overall interests of humanity and the Earth Federation, they regretfully could not comply.


    Lin Rui pondered that these two were preparing to betray their own kind and they were still acting high and mighty?


    It was fortunate that they had met him; on one hand, he was in desperate need of high-level combat power; on the other hand, he himself was an Alien Walker, a spy infiltrated into the Great Song Dynasty.


    Lin Rui replied to the message, stating that allegiance was possible, but they must sign the highest level of Spirit Contract¡ªan Abyss Spirit Contract.


    He figured they certainly wouldn¡¯t want to sign a Life Tie Book, but a Spirit Contract witnessed by himself would have an effect nearly as binding.


    Lin Rui was prepared to acquire two Ninth Realm Dragon Skins at a high price this time, to ensure the effectiveness of the Abyss Spirit Contract.


    Lin Rui then sent a Flying Book to the Divine Eye Bureau and Han Yuanba, implying that he was about to successfully sway these two and was close to achieving it, but lacking the final push, he requested the Divine Eye Bureau and Divine Palace add a bit more pressure on the two individuals.


    However, they must not be killed, for they would later serve as Guest Elders of the National Guardian Marquis Mansion.


    He had originally thought he might not be able to settle the matter and that he might need to ask his master, Luo Wangshu, to intervene. To his surprise, the Divine Eye Bureau and Han Yuanba agreed readily, saying they would send two reliable Ninth Realm operatives to lead the pursuit of the two individuals.


    In passing, Lin Rui also learned of the negotiations with the Earth Federation and the situation in the northern part of Jingzhou.


    There had been no progress in the negotiations, both sides were merely wasting time talking.


    The Earth Federation had made concessions twice before firmly holding their ground and refusing to budge any further.


    The two counties in the northern part of Jingzhou were at a stalemate, with Lin Hao from the Spy Detection Bureau issuing a command, prompting the surrounding 200,000-strong army to break camp and convene towards Xuanhua County and Tiantong County.


    However, as the Spy Detection Bureau¡¯s investigation went deeper, more and more evidence suggested that the Bright Holy Sect¡¯s rebellion might be connected to the Purgatory Abyss.


    Wang Chenghua had originally sent three official documents in quick succession, insisting that Lin Hao issue the Demon Slaughter Order, even stating explicitly in the last document that he hoped Lin Hao would submit the matter to the Divine Envoy for a decision.


    This was Wang Chenghua giving Lin Hao face; if Lin Hao still chose to reject, then Wang Chenghua was prepared to take the matter to court.


    But now he had changed his stance, replying back that the matter must be handled with caution.


    To Lin Rui¡¯s surprise, based on investigations by Xue Lingxue and the internal agents of the Spy Detection Bureau, the rebellion of the Bright Holy Sect might indeed be related to Purgatory.


    They not only discovered several leads pointing to Purgatory, but also secured some solid evidence¡ªexcluding the various so-called ¡®evidences¡¯ personally fabricated by Li Xianglong in accordance with the President¡¯s secret orders.


    Lin Rui wondered to himself, had he inadvertently hit the mark?


    Moreover, the Divine Prison Department had also replied, saying that the Divine Envoy Tian Xiang was extremely obstinate. They had already administered severe torture several times, but the woman stubbornly refused to speak.


    Given that she was a Ninth Realm Super Emperor, a candidate for Divine Envoy level, the Emperor and the three great Divine Envoys placed great importance on her, having gone themselves to interrogate and persuade her, to no avail; the woman remained as if dead, eyes closed, saying nothing.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that it was right not to waste time on this woman. For an individual of such caliber, there was no method other than Soul Searching.


    After reading through all these compiled reports, he took out a Type 6 Alien Bloodline Enhancement shot and injected it into his neck.


    Then, every half hour, Lin Rui administered another shot to himself.


    People say that the cultivation of an Alien Walker is a bottomless pit that no amount of money can fill, especially ¡®Bloodline Awakening,¡¯ which is the abyss within the bottomless pit.


    One shot of the Type 6 Alien Bloodline Enhancement medicine was worth 50 million federal coins, and if a single shot failed to awaken the bloodline, one had to continue using it until awakening occurs; otherwise, all previously injected medicine would be in vain.


    This time, Lin Rui had prepared 20 shots for himself, amounting to one billion federal coins, to ensure a foolproof plan.


    But how could a regular Alien Walker afford such extravagance?


    Hence, someone like Fei Yunlai, despite having a very decent spiritual power talent, had been only at a Seventh Realm Super King Rank ground due to lack of money.


    There were many other talented Alien Walkers in the world who couldn¡¯t fully unlock their potential due to insufficient financial resources.


    When Lin Rui was about to inject the fifteenth shot, he received a million-mile-long Flying Book from Luo Wangshu, which only contained four short sentences but made Lin Rui¡¯s scalp tingle.


    ¡°Little Hao Hao, get ready. The Divine will awaken in five days and will summon you for an audience to inquire about the details of the negotiation.¡±


    At that moment, Lin Rui felt a chill invade his entire body, and a burst of energy exploded from him.


    The East Abyss was actually going to summon him?


    Wasn¡¯t there a rule in the Great Song that only a select group of Divine Envoys and candidate Divine Envoys, as well as some Ninth Realm Emperor Rank individuals, were qualified to enter the Divine Palace and meet a Divine Spirit in person?


    But in his current state, how was he supposed to meet the East Abyss?


    Lin Rui immediately felt extremely fortunate!


    He was about to undergo Dragon Transformation!


    If he was only at the Fifth Realm, Lin Rui would certainly expose himself, but after the Dragon Transformation, he might be able to sneak through!


    He just had to keep all his Abyss Power in the Battle Dragon.


    Going to meet a Divine Spirit, it would be unreasonable to bring his Battle Dragon along.


    A peculiar light then appeared in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes as his body not only awakened the ¡®Double Heavenly Bone¡¯ but also a completely new and powerful Bloodline Talent!


    Lin Rui knew this was because his soul had sensed a strong crisis, stimulating the awakening of his bloodline.


    But he truly did not desire such a stimulus, not in the least¡ª

 Chapter 555: 528: Dragon Transformation (Three more for subscription)

    Chapter 555: Chapter 528: Dragon Transformation (Three more for subscription)


    Five days later, Luo Wangshu used the Divine Tablet fragment in the underground lead room of Lin Mansion, and then headed towards the Dragon Transformation Pond that Lin Hao had prepared for her.


    By then, more than a month had passed since they obtained the fragment of the Divine Tablet, and Luo Wangshu¡¯s Martial Intent had become increasingly profound and conceptualized.


    This caused her spiritual power to become extremely refined, already able to initially neutralize fifty percent of the spiritual corruption brought about by the Abyss Concept.


    The current mental state of Luo Wangshu was also completely different from before.


    Those close to Luo Wangshu could feel that her demeanor and appearance were very relaxed, not like her previous tense inside and relaxed outside pretense of indifference, but truly serene and at ease from the inside out, unrestrained.


    However, today¡¯s Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes contained a trace of solemnity, just because Lin Hao¡¯s Dragon Transformation had already entered its fourth day, and soon it would be the time for the Gods¡¯ awakening.


    ...


    Luo Wangshu was not worried about Lin Hao being absent or late, which would be disrespectful to the Gods.


    The East Abyss is only extremely cautious about all matters that touch upon the Divine Domain, guarding against the smallest faults, but it is actually quite generous in other respects.


    What Luo Wangshu feared was that the East Abyss might become curious and sense something towards Lin Hao, and then everything would be exposed.


    She was already regretting the ¡®sublimation¡¯ she had performed for Lin Hao before his Dragon Transformation.


    Since Lin Hao had recently awakened three powerful Super Monarch talents, Luo Wangshu didn¡¯t enhance his Bloodline Power but instead focused on his Primordial Spirit and body.


    While the Primordial Spirit was actually okay, as a strong Primordial Spirit could benefit him in many ways and greatly aid his Martial Cultivator¡¯s Dragon Transformation.


    However, the enhancement of the physical body, while it could give the Martial Cultivator more potential after advancement, also indeed increased the difficulty of the Dragon Transformation.


    Lin Hao¡¯s Dragon Transformation had already exceeded four days, several times longer than Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying, and he has yet to complete it.


    Luo Wangshu could understand that Lin Hao had not only the Abyss Law within him but also the Abyss Source Core, Abyss Source Material, and a Golden Core and Dragon Armor close to the Abyss.


    This guy even awakened so many strong Bloodline Powers before the promotion, his Dragon Transformation was no small matter.


    Lin Hao had bought a large amount of 7th-grade high-concentrate essence nutrition liquids from the Outer Heaven Demon, pouring one pond after another, using up five ponds in total.


    This child was also born in a good era; with the help of Heavenly Demon Technology, otherwise Lin Hao¡¯s time just absorbing the elemental power of heaven and earth would have been protracted, possibly taking three to five months.


    But now Lin Hao¡¯s condition is also quite worrying.


    Luo Wangshu felt that Lin Hao¡¯s advancement to the Sixth Realm posed mental challenges similar to others advancing to the Eighth Realm.


    Luo Wangshu still remembered how it felt when she advanced to the Eighth Realm; it was her first time sensing the ¡®Root¡¯ in the depths of Purgatory.


    At that time, her spirit was almost overwhelmed by the spiritual shock coming back from the ¡®Root¡¯.


    That thing unknowingly twisted and aggregated the spiritual will of countless people together, filled with innumerable chaotic memories and thoughts.


    Luo Wangshu even suspected that every demon transformed by Demon Transformation could leave their mark in the Root, thereby becoming part of the Root.


    Luo Wangshu remembered that at that time she was nearly replaced by some strong will ¨C it was not God, her Conceptual Power was far from awakening these fallen deities at that time.


    It might have been some Tenth Realm Longevity, but its thinking had already become completely maddened and insane.


    When Luo Wangshu arrived at the observation room in front of the Dragon Transformation Pond, she found that the situation inside was actually not bad.


    Although Lin Hao¡¯s body was deeply hidden inside the Battle Dragon, the demeanor of the Battle Dragon was very calm.


    When Lin Hao first started condensing the Battle Dragon, he was actually in a very bad state, with newly formed muscles twitching severely.


    Now Lin Hao appeared as if nothing was amiss, seeming to handle it indifferently, yet it also made Luo Wangshu uneasy. This guy had condensed his Soul Power within his body, imperceptible from outside, and it was unknown what state he was in.


    Luo Wangshu also discovered that the Battle Dragon had not only its nails and outer armor complete but was also covered with a layer of sacred-feeling golden light.


    ¡°Vajra, huh?¡± Luo Wangshu narrowed her eyes, pondering that Lin Hao¡¯s Vajra Skill had already broken through thirty percent and beyond!


    This fellow, having acquired the ¡®Vajra Battle Dragon Seed¡¯ from the Outer Heaven Demon, indeed possesses a rare Divine Artifact.


    Lin Hao¡¯s Battle Dragon¡¯s outer shell and skin must also be extremely sturdy, despite the fact that he has never practiced horizontal resistance techniques. His physical body might compare favorably even with those top-tier Martial Cultivators of horizontal resistance.


    Additionally, Lin Hao¡¯s Battle Dragon form is quite peculiar; it¡¯s a species of dragon Luo Wangshu had never seen before.


    This Battle Dragon stands nearly six Zhang and nine Chi tall, with a pure white base color adorned with extremely intricate and luxurious purple-gold patterns. Its shape is quite similar to that of a human, lacking the various protrusions and bone spikes that other Battle Dragons have all over their bodies. Instead, it has a horn resembling the Yanling Blade piercing the sky atop its forehead, and behind it are three pairs of wings made of countless bone blades¡ªeach symbolizing one of the three powers Lin Hao masters: Light, Thunder, and Fire!


    Terrifyingly, at the chest and abdomen area of Lin Hao is a cluster of pure golden flame patterns, which impart a profound sense of purity and closeness, yet also a subtle heart-pounding fear.


    Luo Wangshu knows what that is; it must be a Divine Pattern, symbolizing Lin Hao¡¯s Purifying Fire. She has read some ancient forbidden texts describing such Battle Dragons of the Divine Spirits.


    However, the essence of Lin Rui¡¯s Battle Dragon does not lie in the Purifying Fire, but originates from his foundational Martial Arts ¡®One¡¯.


    At this moment, Lin Xi, Ji Xueying, and Shangguan Tianyi are also present. Lin Xi looks over worriedly, ¡°Divine Envoy, may I know how my brother is currently faring?¡±


    Luo Wangshu focused her spiritual power in her eyes and observed intently.


    Inside Lin Hao¡¯s Battle Dragon¡¯s bone armor, there¡¯s an extremely rich presence of Abyss Source Material. Ordinary Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators cannot see through it or understand his condition.


    Only someone of Luo Wangshu¡¯s strength can see a little inside; however, it becomes difficult to see until the Battle Dragon¡¯s spine.


    Luo Wangshu was about to shake her head when suddenly her expression changed, and she murmured, ¡°His Martial Intent is One, so is his Primordial Spirit¡¯s intent converging into one? If I¡¯m not wrong, he should be waking up soon.¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s spirits lifted somewhat, and her tense body slightly relaxed.


    However, the pair of jade hands hidden in her sleeves were still tightly intertwined.


    In her heart, she prayed, praying that her brother would succeed in the Dragon Transformation, and nothing untoward would happen.


    Yi is still waiting for you, brother; you must not fall now, not even for her.


    They haven¡¯t let Lin Yi descend just because they were not sure.


    After Lin Yi descends, it won¡¯t be convenient for her brother to perform Purification daily on her; it might become like this time, maybe only once every five or six days.


    Lin Yi suffered greatly this time; just four days later, the painful twisted Source Essence inside her flared up again.


    However, if Lin Rui successfully advances to the Sixth Realm, then the situation will be different. By then, Lin Rui¡¯s Blood Qi, True Yuan, Abyss Source Material, and so forth, will be nearly a hundred times more than before!


    Thinking this, Lin Xi grinded her teeth in distress.


    She still couldn¡¯t be sure if her brother was truly Lin Rui, but she increasingly felt he was like the sky above their heads, the pillar supporting heaven and earth. Without her brother, the sisters couldn¡¯t survive a minute.


    Just then, Lin Xi¡¯s mind stirred, sensing some movement from the Battle Dragon ahead.


    The venerable Battle Dragon shakily stood up from within the Dragon Transformation Pond.


    Its movements were initially very awkward and stiff, like a bedridden patient trying to rise. Halfway through, it became more fluent.


    After the Battle Dragon stood, a small opening appeared on its back, and Lin Rui¡¯s figure emerged from within.


    At this point, Lin Rui¡¯s body no longer had the protective Dragon Armor covering all over; the armor joints that were distributed all over the body had also disappeared, merging into the Battle Dragon.


    However, his body¡¯s ability to withstand impacts and defense were not inferior to the previous Dragon Armor.


    Lin Rui gazed at the Battle Dragon before him, filled with infinite emotion, pondering to himself that he now also had a ¡®dragon¡¯!


    At this moment, those in the observation room also showed joyous expressions. Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyebrows lifted, ¡°Hao, how does it feel to advance? Did you see anything at the root area?¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s expression suddenly became complex.

 Chapter 556: 529: Hes Especially Bold (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 556: Chapter 529: He¡¯s Especially Bold (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui first looked down at the ground: ¡°I sensed a very powerful force trying to drag me down. Indeed, I saw some things within the core that I shouldn¡¯t have seen, very bizarre and indescribable!¡±


    Lin Rui then squinted his eyes, a strange luster appearing within them: ¡°I feel that after we die, we will all return there. I seem to have also understood a bit of the secret to Longevity.¡±


    The people in the observation room looked at one another, confused.


    Luo Wangshu nodded: ¡°It seems that you have gone deeper on the Abyssal path than I had imagined, almost to the level of the Emperor Rank of the Eight Realms. Your Primordial Spirit must have benefited from this as well.¡±


    This child¡¯s Primordial Spirit Power is already much more concentrated and purer than ordinary people.


    Before his advancement, Lin Hao¡¯s total Soul Power was only slightly stronger than those senior Martial Cultivators of the Fifth Realm, not as strong as those of the Quasi-Sixth Realm, yet the quality of his Soul Power was several times that of others!


    ...


    Moreover, thanks to the Abyss Source Material core, Lin Hao¡¯s spiritual power received a massive enhancement.


    Therefore, upon this advancement to the Dragon Stage, Lin Hao not only gained a deeper understanding of the ¡®Root¡¯ but also clearly felt its pulling force.


    However, although the ¡®Root¡¯ is dangerous, staring directly at it and facing great peril also brings great rewards.


    Lin Hao glanced at the Spiritual Power measurement on his Smart Biological Chip¡ª22332 points!


    Before his Dragon Transformation, his spiritual power score was only 8123 points, and it surged by one and a half times after the transformation!


    You must know, the standard spiritual power score for a Federation Admiral is only 20000 points.


    As for physical condition, Lin Rui temporarily couldn¡¯t measure it, but it was estimated to be not much different, and perhaps even more powerful due to the nature of the Vajra Battle Dragon!


    After his promotion to the Sixth Realm, Lin Rui was no longer worried about his Smart Biological Chip being detected by these Divine Envoy Level experts, but he still needed to be cautious on a daily basis.


    When the Biological Chip measures the physical quality, it emits a tiny electric current that permeates the body, forming an electromagnetic field covering the entire body, and its electromagnetic fluctuations are quite obvious.


    Lin Rui looked up at the sky again: ¡°I also saw a huge Heavenly Curtain expanding in the sky above this world. There are many stars on the curtain, and nine massive pillars supporting them. The central pillar has a double helical structure; the descriptions by the High-level Martial Cultivators are indeed true.¡±


    What High-level Martial Cultivators see in the world is indeed different from ordinary people.


    Lin Rui was now able to see those vortices and stars that represent the fate of gods and Martial Cultivators in the sky.


    ¡°What pillars? You and those people have only seen a glimpse of the big picture, only a part. When your cultivation is higher, and you can see more clearly, you will know that both we and the Abyss are merely hanging on this Heavenly Curtain, barely stealing a life.


    The so-called ¡®Abyss¡¯ may seem to be supporting heaven and earth, but in truth, what supports the curtain are the billions of common people, and we are close to pulling down this Heavenly Curtain!¡±


    Luo Wangshu made shocking statements, causing Lin Xi and the others beside her to show faces of astonishment.


    This person who originally wanted to continue speaking seemed to have some concerns and ended up smiling with a hint of sarcasm, turning to look at the Battle Dragon beside her: ¡°Since this Battle Dragon of yours is unprecedented, using it in the future may be troublesome. But since it originates from your Unity Martial Intent, it should be able to transform, right? The way of the Dao is simplicity; the Unity of All Things can create diversity¡ªout of one, two are born; two gives rise to three, and three generate all things.¡±


    ¡°Master sees far and wide!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s lips curved slightly: ¡°Indeed, some changes can be made. No, to be accurate, it should be a devolution¡ªfrom pseudo-god to Super Monarch.¡±


    With a slight movement of Lin Rui¡¯s thought, the shape of the Battle Dragon began to change drastically. Not only did the muscles twist, but some of the bones expanded too, making a crackling sound.


    Gradually, this Battle Dragon transformed to resemble the ¡®Divine Sun Emperor Dragon¡¯, except that this Battle Dragon had three pairs of blade wings more than the usual Divine Sun Emperor Dragon.


    ¡°I can also let it devolve into other dragon types, including the Radiant Thunder Emperor Dragon. But I have never seen the Radiant Thunder Emperor Dragon, am not familiar with it, and have not mastered it.¡±


    Lin Rui looked at the Battle Dragon before him: ¡°Moreover, if it devolves for too long, exceeding a certain time limit, it may become permanent.¡±


    However, this Battle Dragon is mostly kept in the basement and the Dragon Box; no one would allow the Battle Dragon to be exposed to people all the time.


    In order to reduce the consumption of Blood Essence and elemental power, the Battle Dragon spends most of its time in a state of slumber.


    Luo Wangshu was mainly looking at the ¡®Divine Pattern¡¯ on the Battle Dragon, which was too conspicuous, almost a death sentence if seen.


    She noticed that after Lin Hao¡¯s Battle Dragon devolved, that ¡®Divine Pattern¡¯ also disappeared, which led her to give a slight nod.


    Luo Wangshu wondered about the spiritual wisdom of this Battle Dragon, as it had quite expressive eyes.


    She then shook her head slightly, thinking that there was no more time, she had better talk about it on the way.


    Luo Wangshu walked towards the elevator: ¡°Prepare quickly; we will soon head to the Divine Palace. The awakening of the Divine Spirit is imminent, and we had best not keep Them waiting.¡±


    Lin Hao¡¯s advancement to the Sixth Realm at this moment had indeed given her a huge surprise.


    Originally, Luo Wangshu was prepared to consume a vast amount of Blood Essence, sacrificing one-tenth of her Spiritual Power to give Lin Hao an extreme Sealing.


    If she did that, it would certainly arouse the suspicion of the other Divine Envoys and the Super Monarch Divine.


    Unexpectedly, Lin Hao¡¯s advancement at this time had solved a big problem for them.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    On the way to the Divine Palace in the eight-horsepower Flying Car, Luo Wangshu also brought up the issue of Lin Rui¡¯s trade with the Outer Heaven Demons.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the seed of the Vajra Battle Dragon you received did not originate from East Asia, but was a gift from the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Demon King?¡±


    Lin Rui thought that the political influence of the Chief of Staff of the President of the Earth Federation far exceeded that of the Prime Minister of the Divine. He nodded and said, ¡°I had to accept this gift to reassure them when I asked for their help in saving the lives of those 9 million citizens, as it¡¯s a matter of increasing political mutual trust, according to these Heavenly Demons.¡±


    ¡°You truly dare to use an item of the Heavenly Demons,¡± Luo Wangshu shook her head slightly with a look of disappointment: ¡°So, your relationship with East Asia is still only limited to the pharmaceuticals of the Eight Realms?¡±


    Lin Rui, looking at his master¡¯s expression, pondered and said: ¡°Master, are you considering prosthetics?¡±


    Luo Wangshu did not deny it and nodded, ¡°I now have a great deal of spare Spiritual Power, which does make things much easier for me, but also brings new trouble. There are signs in my body of coagulating a new Bloodline Talent, but it¡¯s likely not something good, so I must consider implanting a prosthetic armament.¡±


    Thus, she must undergo the prosthetic surgery as soon as possible to interfere with and guide her impending Bloodline Awakening.


    Luo Wangshu contemplated that if she were to awaken some worthless Bloodline, it would be troublesome.


    Luo Wangshu had suffered losses before, awakening two types of SS-grade Talents that were of no help to her combat ability, and it cost her a great deal to cleanse them away.


    She was now at the Emperor Rank of the Ninth Realm, where cleansing her Bloodline would be even more troublesome.


    After a moment of contemplation, Lin Rui made a decision: ¡°Master, you must be quite puzzled as to why your disciple was able to awaken three Super Monarch Bloodline Talents in such a short time?¡±


    Luo Wangshu gave a noncommittal ¡®hmm¡¯.


    She was indeed curious, but Luo Wangshu had previously investigated and found no traces of Heavenly Demon prosthetics within Lin Hao, only nano-subdermal armor and Nano Assistance Combat Devices, which were already quite common among the top elites of Great Song.


    Luo Wangshu actually wanted a set as well.


    ¡°In fact, it was with the help of Heavenly Demon prosthetics that I was able to awaken these talents.¡±


    As Lin Rui finished speaking, he noticed Luo Wangshu¡¯s delicate body tremble slightly, he said with a heavy voice: ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve come to know an Outer Heaven Demon named Lin Rui, who is an up-and-coming new talent among the Heavenly Demons.¡±


    Lin Rui even specifically wrote down the name Lin Rui.


    However, the ¡®Lin¡¯ from the language of Sky Extreme Star was quite different from that of the Earth Federation; the former had a vibrato and was also written differently.


    ¡°This individual not only owns a trade company but also a Heavenly Demon pharmaceutical company. He is very bold, willing to sell me some top-level things that others wouldn¡¯t, including top-grade Super Monarch prosthetic armaments, which are customized enhancement models from their side. I¡¯ve personally tried them and the effect is quite good,¡± Lin Rui explained as he glanced sideways at Luo Wangshu:


    ¡°He also has top-grade prosthetic doctors; I just don¡¯t know if Master is¡ª¡±


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s mood wavered, but she was even more reticent to trust a private company.


    Matters of life and death, how can one easily entrust to another?


    Lin Rui was about to say something more, but Luo Wangshu suddenly raised her hand to stop him.


    Lin Rui also tensed up spiritually, looking up at the sky; he felt as if the sky had darkened for a moment just now.


    Lin Rui then realized it¡ªthe East Abyss had awakened!

 Chapter 557: 530: The Younger Generation Is Fearsome (Subscribe Please)

    Chapter 557: Chapter 530: The Younger Generation Is Fearsome (Subscribe Please)


    The Divine Palace of the East Abyss is an island floating in the sky, encompassing an extremely vast area of more than nineteen hundred square kilometers, almost covering half of Luojing City.


    What¡¯s astonishing is that the vast majority of the people in Luojing City cannot see the Divine Palace, and this colossal entity doesn¡¯t affect the sunlight either.


    The surrounding sunlight is twisted, somewhat resembling the Federation¡¯s optical stealth system.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s eight-dragon flying chariot drove straight in until it stopped in front of a gigantic Divine Palace built on top of a pyramid.


    The architecture of this building is also very similar to the ancient East Asian so-called ¡®platforms,¡¯ where stone and earth are piled into a ¡°platform¡± upon which halls and pavilions are built.


    At this moment, Lin Rui withdrew his gaze that had been sweeping around.


    ...


    He had been admiring the scenery of this Divine Palace, feeling it was the epitome of splendor and magnificence.


    After the flying chariot steadied, Lin Rui noticed that the Crown Prince and the other two Divine Envoys¡¯ carriages also arrived, along with the third candidate for the Divine Envoy of the Month from the Divine Supervision Bureau.


    All of them had solemn faces, waiting at the steps of this Divine Palace.


    Lin Rui also saw Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Cao Xi, who, with hands clasped and body slightly bent, wore an expression of utmost reverence and anxiety.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui was slightly surprised: ¡°Lord Cao, have you also been summoned by the Divine?¡±


    Cao Xi looked up at Lin Rui, smiling bitterly inside, but his face showed honor as he said: ¡°Lord National Guardian, where would I have the qualification to be summoned by the Divine? This time I am here by the summoning of the Divine Palace¡¯s Great Celestial Master, in case the Divine has inquiries.¡±


    The Second Divine Envoy standing in front said with a light laugh: ¡°Lord National Guardian is still not familiar with the rules of our court. Now, in the whole Great Song, those who have the privilege to come here for a divine audience are only the Crown Prince, the Great Celestial Master, the three Divine Envoys, the twelve candidate Divine Envoys, and all the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank beings. The rest, even if their cultivation reaches the Ninth Realm Super King, can only wait outside the hall. By the way¡ª¡±


    The Second Divine Envoy said this and seemed to suddenly remember something, turning to look back at Lin Rui: ¡°There were also the Crown Princes of previous generations, but now there¡¯s another exception, you, Lord National Guardian.¡±


    The faces of those present changed expressions, with the Crown Prince wearing a calm and detached look, and the First Divine Envoy showing a slight sign of curiosity in his eyes.


    Cao Xi, who was bowing, lowered his eyelids, hiding the shock and doubt in his eyes.


    The third candidate Divine Envoy¡¯s expression shifted as he looked at Lin Rui: ¡°Lord National Guardian, have you broken through to the Fifth Realm and successfully completed the Dragon Transformation?¡±


    Lin Rui bowed his hands to him: ¡°Indeed, I was fortunate to have successfully transformed into a dragon today.¡±


    After his Dragon Transformation, he still couldn¡¯t conceal his aura, unable to fool others.


    The third candidate Divine Envoy stared intently at ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ but found that he couldn¡¯t see through this person¡¯s essence no matter what.


    He really wanted to ask what level Lin Hao¡¯s Bloodline Talent had reached. However, it was too presumptuous to ask, and he wouldn¡¯t answer such a question himself.


    The third candidate Divine Envoy could only nod: ¡°A promising youth indeed!¡±


    One could tell just from the reactions of the Crown Prince and the first and second Divine Envoys that Lin Hao¡¯s Bloodline Power must be extraordinary.


    Although he was the only one who asked, the Divine Thoughts of those three were sweeping back and forth around Lin Hao.


    However, with the Third Divine Envoy standing beside him, and Lin Hao¡¯s own Primordial Spirit Power and Martial Intent being quite formidable, it was likely that they could not see through him.


    Not long after, the sound of a bell came from the pyramid-shaped stone platform above the Divine Palace.


    Several individuals, including the Crown Prince, became solemn and began to step up the stairs one by one.


    Lin Rui thought this was simply ridiculous; with their Cultivation, they could have reached the top of the few hundred steps in one go, yet they insisted on walking step by step into the interior.


    Upon entering the Divine Palace, Lin Rui found the vast hall to be extremely empty, with only one Cloud Platform inside.


    Nine layers of beaded curtains and gauze veils hung down in front of that platform, seemingly with someone sitting behind them, yet the figure was indistinct and unclear.


    Lin Rui figured he knew where the Crown Prince and the Divine Envoys learned their conduct in the Divine Supervision Bureau.


    The difference was that the Crown Prince and Divine Envoys deliberately mystified themselves, intentionally giving their subjects a sense of inscrutability, whereas this Divine presence truly could not be looked upon too much.


    Lin Rui merely glanced inside and immediately felt a sharp pain in his eyes, as if they were about to explode.


    There was also the endless Divine Power, which forced Lin Rui¡¯s Primordial Spirit to contract tightly, trembling violently, almost bursting apart.


    This must have been because he did not bring his Abyss Source Core with him; otherwise, a gaze between gods shouldn¡¯t be so unbearable.


    Apart from that, he also saw a young man, around seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in an extremely luxurious and majestic First-rank Priest¡¯s robe, with features as refined as a painting and skin as smooth as cream, bearing a gentle and elegant demeanor. His eyes were extraordinarily clear and pure, seemingly devoid of any impurity.


    This person was looking at him, and upon their gaze meeting, he even smiled amiably and nodded in greeting.


    Lin Rui speculated that this must be the Great Celestial Master, looking so young and brimming with life force.


    It seemed that his good friend Han Baxian would have a hard time rising to prominence, probably reaching the Red Priest and peaking there after.


    After the audience with the supreme being, the differences in status among the attendees became apparent; the emperor had a seat, located to the left of the Cloud Platform.


    However, as the emperor prepared to walk towards his seat, a voice emerged from within the Cloud Platform: ¡°Emperor, is Duke An Du Xinran your trusted arm?¡±


    The voice of the deity was indescribable, like the chiming of bells and the sound of a myriad things, unfathomably majestic and imbued with boundless power.


    A shiver ran through the emperor¡¯s spirit; he realized the lingering troubles of the blasphemy case had arrived.


    Knowing it pointless to deny or equivocate in the eyes of the gods, the emperor bowed solemnly: ¡°This person is my consort¡¯s brother, thus I have placed considerable trust in him in the past!¡±


    ¡°As the emperor, the Sovereign of Great Song, how can you be so blind in recognizing people and negligent in using them? Go outside and receive eighty lashes! The Great Celestial Master will administer the punishment.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s face, already pallid, turned even more ghostly.


    Yet amidst the turmoil of his emotions, a sliver of relief was evident.


    The divine seldom administer more than forty lashes; eighty were indeed a harsh punishment, indicating that the blasphemy case had truly provoked the divine deity.


    However, some face had been saved for the emperor, as the divine had not summoned all of Ninth Realm of Great Song for a public punishment, signifying that the emperor¡¯s divine favor had not completely waned.


    Just as the emperor willingly walked towards the hall¡¯s exit, followed closely by the Great Celestial Master rising to his feet, the deity¡¯s voice continued: ¡°The matter of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s blasphemy case must be dealt with severely and rigorously for all involved.


    Furthermore, the commanders of the Internal Affairs Bureau and Foreign Affairs Bureau, from the current term to the past eight terms, and the commander of the Divine Supervision Bureau, from the current term to the past seven terms, as well as the six terms before Lin Hao¡¯s term as the head of the Spy Detection Bureau, are all to be removed from office. After being marked by the Heavenly Eye, they shall be sent to serve in the Sin Army in Purgatory. They shall be undying for 30 years and then, depending on the court¡¯s orders, be reinstated to their original ranks.¡±


    The face of the Second Divine Envoy paled to the color of paper.


    The Divine Decree from the East Abyss had washed away his decades of efforts in the court.


    His subordinates, once so promising, were now utterly ruined; speaking of 30 years of undying and reinstatement by the court to their original ranks, would the court dare to reemploy these individuals then?


    Lin Rui also felt a surge of trepidation; the wrath of the deity was to such an extent? They didn¡¯t seem to care about evidence, and with one stroke, a whole swath of people were implicated.


    In fact, according to the investigation results from the Divine Supervision Bureau, these individuals had, at most, been negligent in their duties or possibly bought some syringes from the Heavenly Demon, but they certainly did not have the audacity to collude with the Heavenly Demon and allow them to excavate such a large underground palace beneath the Divine Temple.


    At this moment, the deity asked again: ¡°What progress has there been with the Heavenly Demon King¡¯s request for peace in the East Continent?¡±


    Before Lin Rui could speak, the Second Divine Envoy stepped forward and bowed: ¡°Your divinity, there has been no progress with the negotiation. Those Heavenly Demons are unwilling to compromise, showing no sincerity whatsoever.¡±


    The Second Divine Envoy was actually only nominally overseeing the negotiations, responsible only for hosting the Federation President, and uninvolved in all other matters.


    But now that the divine deity asked, not only did the Second Divine Envoy rush to answer, but also disclosed the process of the past few days¡¯ negotiations in meticulous detail.


    After concluding his report emotionlessly, the Second Divine Envoy added: ¡°The Great Celestial Master assigned Lin Hao to oversee the negotiations. However, since that day when Lin Hao had a secret meeting with the Heavenly Demon¡¯s chief minister, the Heavenly Demons insist on not retreating further, and for the past number of days, Lin Hao has shown no interest in the negotiations.¡±


    The deity¡¯s gaze immediately shifted towards Lin Rui: ¡°What is the reason for this?¡±


    Lin Rui immediately felt as if a mountainous pressure bore down upon him, nearly freezing his blood and internal energies.


    He thought this Second Divine Envoy was indeed cunning, presenting him in such a light before the deity.


    This was the deputy sovereign of Great Song, was it necessary for him to personally discredit a mere Fourth-rank military officer like him? It was as if he had cast aside all dignity and grace!


    Lin Rui quickly realized that in the eyes of this Divine Envoy, he might no longer be a trivial character.


    He was the National Guardian Marquis, a Third-rank Capital Chief Priest! His divine office was even higher than that of some aspiring Divine Envoys.


    Lin Rui, with a calm and composed expression, stepped forward and bowed: ¡°Your divinity, your servant indeed had one secret meeting with the Heavenly Demon¡¯s chief minister, where I challenged him with my assassination, yet I still could not force him to back down.


    He claimed they were willing to annihilate the Longevity Association, punish the Star Sea White Wolf Zang Shaochen severely, and give up all sacrilegious information regarding your divinity to you. Yet the chief minister of the Heavenly Demons is absolutely unwilling to hand them over to Great Song, believing it would taint their national dignity and obliterate their laws, a bottom line for the Heavenly Demons.


    However, they are willing to compensate your divinity and our court, offering additional terms. The reason why I no longer paid attention to the negotiations was firstly due to being attacked by Purgatory, which left me with heavy injuries; secondly, I deemed the following negotiations meaningless. If I showed excess concern, it would only embolden the Heavenly Demons. I have also been waiting for your divinity¡¯s awakening to personally hand over the data given by the chief minister of the Heavenly Demons.¡±


    Mid-speech, he took from his sleeve a data stick as thick as a finger and presented it before him.


    Lin Rui had originally planned to hand over this item to Luo Wangshu for her to relay, never expecting that the deity would summon him for an audience in the Divine Palace.


    ¡°Your divinity, this data stick is encrypted and even your servant cannot access its secrets. However, the chief minister of the Heavenly Demons assured me that the contents will surely satisfy your divinity.¡±


    At this moment, Lin Rui felt the data stick in his hand lift into the air.

 Chapter 558: 531 Advice (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 558: Chapter 531 Advice (Third Update, Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui raised his head and watched the data pen fly into the gauze.


    However, when he saw the figure on the Cloud Platform, he felt the danger that his eyes and every pore on his body might burst.


    Lin Rui quickly lowered his head, wondering if Divine knew how to read the contents of the data pen?


    But he was clearly overthinking it. Soon after, the data pen flew out again, and at the same time, a piece of Dragon Skin Paper floated out.


    The majestic voice of Divine came again: ¡°Very good, continue negotiating with them! Longevity Association and Zang Shaochen from Star Sea White Wolf can be handled by themselves, but I want to see the results soon. The items I desire are marked on the Dragon Skin Paper, you must obtain them from their hands, and this matter should be managed entirely by Lin Hao and your subordinates, without delegating further to anyone else.¡±


    Lin Rui reached out to catch it and didn¡¯t pay much attention, but the moment the Dragon Skin Paper touched his hands, his body trembled slightly.


    ...


    This was actually a piece of Tenth Realm Dragon Skin Paper!


    There were only a few lines of numbers on the Dragon Skin Paper, corresponding to the technologies and materials listed in the data pen, and the required quantity for each type of material.


    Lin Rui hadn¡¯t seen the contents recorded inside the data pen, whose encryption method was designed to destroy after reading, but he actually knew the contents inside out.


    ¡°Your servant obeys the order!¡± Lin Rui carefully placed the Dragon Skin Paper back into his bosom, thinking that he could scrape it a bit and trim it for reuse when he got back.


    Looking back, he could place the contracts of Li Yuehua and Hou Yuting on this Dragon Skin Paper. The paper was so large that by writing the text smaller and squeezing it a bit, it would be enough to use.


    At that time, with Venerable Bao Ying, Green Blood Venerate, and Divine Law Venerable as witnesses, and with his own power to suppress, the effect of this Divine Contract would not be inferior to the Life Tie Book, he was sure those two would dare not defy it.


    There were rumors that Venerable Bao Ying, Green Blood Venerate, and Divine Law Venerable had not fallen, and the three no longer needed to exist in the physical form like current deities.


    Lin Rui found it ridiculous before, but when he witnessed the Root and the Heavenly Curtain with his own eyes, he felt this possibility should not be dismissed out of hand. In any case, those who defied the Divine Contracts of these three Heavenly Venerates never had a good ending.


    Luo Wangshu, who was standing beside and lowering his head, heard this and gradually revealed a gleam of strange light in his eyes.


    Divine and the others didn¡¯t mention a word about the tens of thousands of civilians who died in the blasphemy case due to the Outer Heaven Demon¡¯s human experiments when they were discussing Heavenly Demon, showing that they obviously didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Divine, regarding the Outer Heaven Demon, your servant has further suggestions.¡±


    Lin Rui then bowed again and said: ¡°As the art of war says, know the enemy and know yourself, then you can fight a hundred battles without disaster! To supervise the Earth Federation in pursuing Longevity Association and Zang Shaochen, and also for inquiring about the military intelligence, national defense, and political landscape of Heavenly Demon, your servant requests to negotiate with Heavenly Demon, and establish embassies and consulates in those Heavenly Demon homeland. Otherwise, we are completely ignorant about the internal situation of Heavenly Demon homeland, wouldn¡¯t it be allowing Heavenly Demon to deceive us?


    Naturally, according to the principle of diplomatic reciprocity mentioned by the Heavenly Demon side, we should also allow Heavenly Demon to establish embassies and consulates in Great Song.¡±


    As soon as Lin Rui¡¯s words came out, including the First Divine Envoy, everyone present looked at Lin Rui in utmost surprise.


    Even the Emperor outside being whipped raised his head in shock and looked inside the hall.


    This kid really dares to say it! Since the emergence of Outer Heaven Demon, the unanimous attitude between the court and the people of the Great Song Dynasty has always been to guard strictly; no one has ever dared to speak such outrageous words!


    This guy regards Heavenly Demon as mortal enemies, yet he advocates for communication with Heavenly Demon!


    Luo Wangshu also found it incomprehensible, thinking is this kid crazy? There¡¯s a limit to how bold you can be, isn¡¯t there? The first time he faced Divine, he dared to say such things?


    Yet Lin Rui was quite calm, from the technologies and materials marked by East Abyss, he could roughly infer the attitude of East Abyss.


    Divine was gradually taking the technology and strength of Outer Heaven Demon seriously, trying to study and understand them, having a sense of wariness and at the same time desiring their items.


    And Lin Rui believed in one thing, that hostility comes from closure and misunderstanding, as well as crucial interests.


    Human beings and people of Tianji Star must coexist in this world in the future, hence an increase in mutual understanding between the two is essential to avoid more tragedies.


    The silhouette on the Cloud Platform remained silent for a long while after that, seemingly weighing and considering.


    Moments later, a voice came from behind the gauze curtain: ¡°Agreed!¡±


    Luo Wangshu relaxed at these words, but just as she thought she could ease her mind, Lin Rui once again clasped his hands in salute and said: ¡°Since I have taken over as the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, I have rigorously investigated the trade of smuggling Heavenly Demons everywhere, slaughtering and capturing no fewer than three thousand. However, due to the severe corruption in the Great Song¡¯s localities, and their infiltration by Heavenly Demons, the results have not been satisfactory.


    Recently, I have reviewed the archives in the cabinet library and compiled statistics, discovering that over the past two hundred years, the scale of trade between Great Song and the Heavenly Demons has surged by one hundred and twenty times! Reaching at least a scale of a billion taels of Magic Silver.


    Now, many local people are cultivating various economic crops needed by the Heavenly Demons, relying on it for their livelihood. My full-force eradication of smuggling has instead put these people in a difficult situation, resulting in a significant reduction in local tax revenue. However, the smuggling trade has not been completely cut off. Those powerful gentry, local tyrants, and powerful families take advantage of this to buy low and sell high, profiting handsomely!


    I am of the view that allowing this to continue will only benefit the full court of officials, those local rural powerful figures, and noble families, while the common people, the court, and the Divine Palace will suffer losses!¡±


    At this point, Lin Rui felt a pang of conscience, as a substantial portion of this income had found its way into his own pocket.


    Several Divine Envoys and candidate Divine Envoys in the hall were not just shocked, but horrified!


    The emperor had already completed the flogging punishment, and upon entering, he had forgotten to pay his respects and express gratitude, his eyes staring straight at Lin Hao.


    Luo Wangshu felt an intense headache and wished she could drag Lin Hao by the ears if they were not currently in the presence of the Divine.


    The First Divine Envoy was very fond of Lin Hao, but now couldn¡¯t help but rebuke angrily: ¡°Lin Hao, are you suggesting that the court should permit trade with the Heavenly Demons? However, those Outer Heaven Demons have wolfish ambitions, seizing possession of the people in various Great Song localities, committing lawless acts, and stirring up trouble.


    If the court allows these Heavenly Demons to enter the territory of Great Song, firstly, it would be impossible to explain to the people of the world, and secondly, it would further disturb the hearts of the populace, and might even collude with local forces, causing unrest within Great Song from now on.¡±


    ¡°The First Divine Envoy is prudent and has concerns for the nation. Your points are extremely valid!¡±


    Lin Rui expressed his admiration for the First Divine Envoy with a respectful bow: ¡°Therefore, I believe that trade with the Heavenly Demons must be brought under the control of the court! My proposal is to select a location near Luojing to develop as a trading port, specifying that the Heavenly Demons¡¯ ships can only enter this port for trade. All the trade goods will then be under the supervision of the court, which can also collect a commercial tax from these trades.


    According to my aides¡¯ calculations, this commercial tax revenue alone should reach half of the court¡¯s ordinary tax revenue. At its peak, it might exceed twice that amount, helping to supplement the daily income shortfall of the court and the Divine Palace. We could also obtain unique medicines and their raw materials from the Heavenly Demons, as well as various high-strength alloys and machinery, among other things¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui paused in his speech, glancing around at the people present: ¡°This trading port is not open to just anyone. To ensure the long-term stability of Great Song both internally and externally, we can have the Divine Envoy issue licenses, granting only those honest and loyal Heavenly Demon traders. Within Great Song, we must also carefully select those who truly worship the Divine and are loyal to the court to be permitted by the Divine Envoy to enter the trading port for trade.¡±


    Luo Wangshu was captivated upon hearing half of it.


    She thought that if the Divine truly agreed to Lin Rui¡¯s suggestions, it would surely vitalize billions of commoners!


    The common people would no longer have to hide their cultivation of Heavenly Demon crops, for fear of being pursued for crimes by the court; they would still be exploited by local nobles and merchants, but the extent of exploitation would be significantly reduced.


    The court¡¯s income would also greatly increase, without the need to further increase taxes on the people.


    By then, as long as she could intensify the crackdown on local corruption, perhaps the billions of Great Song¡¯s commoners could enjoy good times for one or two hundred years, waiting for the day she and Hao reached the pinnacle.


    The First Divine Envoy, the Second Divine Envoy, and the emperor initially sneered, but when they heard the word ¡®commercial tax,¡¯ their expressions shifted subtly.


    Bringing the trade of Heavenly Demons under the court¡¯s control would indeed be of great benefit to the court, far better than the present situation where the ban is ineffective and not a penny can be obtained.


    Upon hearing the word ¡®license,¡¯ a glimmer appeared in their eyes.


    With the licenses being issued solely by the Divine Envoy, that authority naturally fell into their hands.


    The Third Divine Envoy candidate was an upright individual, and upon hearing Lin Hao¡¯s words, he was filled with admiration. Although the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau was young and audacious, his intentions were good, truly concerned for the nation and the welfare of the common people, which was why the court¡¯s moralists favored him.


    Without a second thought, the Third Divine Envoy candidate bowed and said: ¡°Divine, to my knowledge, several island countries in the Central Continent have legalized trade, which is said to be quite profitable. I believe our court might as well select a site and try it out to see the subsequent effects.¡±


    At this time, the silhouette on the Cloud Platform fell into silence once again.

 Chapter 559: 532 Cabinet Minister (Request for Subscription)

    Chapter 559: Chapter 532 Cabinet Minister (Request for Subscription)


    The atmosphere inside the Divine Palace momentarily became stagnant and somber, with silence enveloping the surroundings, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Every face wore a solemn and composed expression, yet concealed a hint of anticipation, silently awaiting the decision of God.


    The Great Celestial Master, having returned to his seat, was extremely curious as he sized up Lin Rui with eyes full of inquiry.


    Moments later, the voice of East Abyss resounded again, ¡°Is there a detailed regulation?¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone in the palace felt a surge of vitality, never expecting that the Divine would actually agree!


    However, they all unanimously tried to restrain their tumultuous emotions, maintaining their solemn and dignified demeanor.


    Lin Rui bowed his head in shame and said, ¡°Divine, regulating the trade with the Heavenly Demon is merely a superficial insight of mine since taking over as Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau. With shallow understanding of national affairs due to my youth, how can I dare to propose detailed regulations?


    ...


    Moreover, ¡®one should not concern oneself with matters outside one¡¯s position.¡¯ I believe that the detailed rules and regulations for the Heavenly Demon trade should be drawn up by the Divine Envoys and the Cabinet Ministers of Great Song, which would be more appropriate and thorough. Whether or not to implement this policy of establishing embassies and opening trade still depends on the outcome of the current negotiation. Does the Heavenly Demon side have sincerity? And how much? I must admit, these policies would greatly benefit the Heavenly Demon, so they must make concessions in the specific terms of negotiation.¡±


    Lin Rui then paused, his words resonant: ¡°I only know that if the court can open up trade with the Heavenly Demon under regulation, my Spy Detection Bureau could spare significant manpower, and I would devote my full efforts to cracking down on smuggling until it is completely eradicated!¡±


    At this moment, the Emperor and the First Divine Envoy thought that if the trade with the Heavenly Demon really could be initiated, with a licensing system in place, it would indeed be necessary to fight smuggling vigorously.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± The voice from the East Abyss conveyed a clear sense of praise, ¡°Let it be as you say, the Divine Envoy and the Great Song Cabinet Ministers shall discuss the regulations for the Heavenly Demon trade and matters regarding the choice of port locations. Once consensus is reached, submit a comprehensive report.¡±


    Suddenly, the sound of ¡®Tap! Tap!¡¯ emerged from the Cloud Platform, seemingly the sound of this God¡¯s fingers tapping on the surface, vibrating the souls of everyone present.


    ¡°Duke of the National Guardian has been loyal and dedicated to the country, selflessly serving the public, and deserves a reward. He is hereby granted the right to establish his own office and enter the Cabinet to participate in and discuss politics!¡±


    The Emperor and the spiritual leaders couldn¡¯t help but tremble, lifting their heads to glance at the Cloud Platform.


    The Second Divine Envoy was taken aback, thinking to himself, does the Divine hold such high regard for Lin Hao?


    The so-called ¡®establishing his own office¡¯ means allowing an official to set up his own office and choose his subordinates, who will also see him as their lord.


    As for entering the Cabinet to participate in and discuss politics, it means that Lin Hao could directly influence major national policies.


    What¡¯s frightening is that this young man is not only a Third-rank Priest but also has great divine favor. Once he has any differing views or interpretations in governmental affairs, it would be difficult for the Cabinet, including the Prime Minister, to oppose him.


    Thinking this, the Second Divine Envoy looked at the Emperor with sympathetic eyes.


    The powers granted to Lin Hao by the Divine were those once held by the Crown Prince! Decades ago, the Cabinet was overseen by the Crown Prince.


    Now, the outer court claims that Lin Hao lacks the title of Crown Prince but holds the reality of one. It is somewhat exaggerated; Lin Hao¡¯s authority has not yet reached that of his predecessor.


    Now, it is truly as if the Duke of the National Guardian holds the real power of a Crown Prince, perhaps even more so.


    At least the previous Crown Prince didn¡¯t control a crucial department like the Spy Detection Bureau.


    The Emperor¡¯s expression was grim, wordlessly somber.


    He knew this was a warning from East Abyss, not only due to the recent blasphemy case but also related to the old matters of the former Crown Prince.


    East Abyss, with Divine Illumination overseeing the world, clearly perceiving tens of thousands of miles, how could it not discern the truth about the former Crown Prince? This being just chose not to reveal it.


    This recent blasphemy case had evidently led the Divine to be extremely disappointed in him.


    The Emperor involuntarily clenched his fists tightly, eyes filled with resentment and anger.


    Du Xinran!


    Unfortunately, Duke An Du Xinran and his missing clansmen, skilled in combat, had not been found dead or alive, leaving the court unable to trace them; otherwise, the Emperor would surely have them dismembered and their bones crushed to dust.


    Although the court had already detained all of Du Xinran¡¯s family, young and old, to be executed by dismemberment this autumn, these people were just distant relatives of Du Xinran, hardly quenching the Emperor¡¯s deep-seated hatred!


    Nonetheless, according to the Stargazer¡¯s divination, the star representing Du Xinran had already vanished from the Heavenly Curtain, likely implying that he was killed by the Heavenly Demon!


    This only further infuriated the Emperor; the death of Du Xinran made it even harder for him to clear his suspicions.


    Du Xinran must have been privy to some confidential matters, otherwise why would the Heavenly Demon want to silence him?


    The Divine immediately continued: ¡°Lin Hao¡¯s encounter outside the city and the rebellion of the Demon Sect in the northern part of Jingzhou, as observed and divined by the Great Celestial Master, both bear traces of the Abyss. Judging from the current evidence, it is indeed the work of Purgatory!¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but shiver inwardly, thinking it must be so; even when the East Abyss was in Divine Sleep, it still paid attention to the situation in the lower realm.


    But for this matter, the Great Celestial Master even performed divination for his encounter outside the city. Was such caution necessary?


    Lin Rui became more optimistic about Han Baxian¡¯s future. Observing the stars as a Stargazer is very life-consuming.


    With such frequent star observations and divinations by the Great Celestial Master, no matter how rich his life essence, it could not withstand such depletion.


    The East Abyss continued, ¡°In recent years, Purgatory has been frequently active, not only corrupting my ninth candidate for Divine Envoy but also sowing discord between myself and the Heavenly Demon, and fermenting troubles north of Luojing. Their intentions are sinister and cannot be ignored. The Divine Envoy and the Imperial City Department must swiftly and thoroughly investigate inside and outside Luojing, eradicate any traitors affiliated with Purgatory, and prepare to resist the Purgatory¡¯s army. All military provisions and grain must be fully stocked, and all supplies must be clearly accounted for.¡±


    The Emperor and several Divine Envoys, upon hearing this, turned solemn, bowing in assent: ¡°We will dutifully follow the Divine command!¡±


    Lin Rui also bowed with them, knowing that the focus of the Spy Detection Bureau¡¯s work must now shift towards Purgatory.


    ¡°And the rebellion in the northern part of Jingzhou must be carefully addressed, quickly subdued without delay.¡±


    The East Abyss then paused, casting his gaze towards Lin Rui: ¡°Commander Lin Hao of the Spy Detection Bureau is capable and prudent despite his youth. The Divine Envoy can appoint him as the Commissioner for Jingzhou to oversee the suppression of the rebellion.¡±


    Luo Wangshu was visibly shocked.


    Although Lin Hao now held a significant position in the court and had a distinguished background, this also made him a target of many within the court and the people.


    Moreover, due to the major cases Lin Rui had cracked one after the other this past year, it brought countless enemies upon him.


    At present, across the entire realm, there would be no less than ten thousand people who wished Lin Hao dead; he was only safe in Luojing City because of the suppression by the Divine himself.


    Yet even so, Lin Hao had still faced several assassination attempts, each more aggressive than the last.


    What was Lin Hao¡¯s cultivation level now? Only the Sixth Realm, which barely allowed him to stand firm in the Capital, but once he left, the masters of the Ninth Realm would have no such restraints.


    Wasn¡¯t the Divine sending Lin Hao out of the Capital to suppress the rebellion just sending him to his death?


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s mind stirred, his expression returning to calm.


    The other Divine Envoys and the Emperor initially thought as Luo Wangshu did, but then they realized, since Lin Rui had given Lin Hao the treatment of entering the Cabinet as a Cabinet Minister, how could he send him to his death?


    Therefore, could there be another purpose in the Divine¡¯s actions?


    At that moment, Lin Rui felt a slight warmth on his forehead.


    It was his National Guardian Dragon Seal, which seemed to have gained something.


    Lin Rui sensed briefly and revealed a look of surprise.


    The East Abyss not only raised the authority of his National Guardian Dragon Seal but also bestowed upon him protective power.


    Regrettably, this power could only last from half a month to twenty days; after 15 days, it would gradually weaken, and its divine power decrease day by day.


    Lin Rui immediately felt a headache coming on, as this half month to twenty-day period was obviously the time limit given by the East Abyss.


    The problem was, with Purgatory involved in the rebellion in the northern part of Jingzhou, it indicated that the situation there was extremely tricky.


    Lin Rui thought of the Tian Xiang Divine Envoy whom he had locked up in the Divine Prison Department.


    Lin Rui realized that if he wanted to quickly quell the Jingzhou rebellion, he had to leverage the power of this Divine Envoy from the Demon Sect.

 Chapter 560: 533: Hope (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 560: Chapter 533: Hope (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°`


    Around three hours later, in the ninth level of the Black Prison under the Divine Prison Department, the Tian Xiang Divine Envoy, whom Lin Rui was concerned about, was bound by countless chains to a huge iron pillar.


    Her eyes opened, filled with a hint of disbelief as she looked up and down at the prison guard before her ¨C a man with a tall stature, a stern aura, and dressed in the robes of a Sixth Rank, as well as the peculiar Dharma Seal that he had formed with his hands.


    ¡°It seems you truly belong to the Invincible Dharma King. Unexpectedly, the Invincible Dharma King is so divinely powerful. How many years has it been since she became a Dharma King? And she was actually able to infiltrate someone into the Divine Prison Department.¡±


    ¡°The divine power of the Invincible Dharma King is beyond your imagination.¡±


    The black-faced prison guard snorted lightly, retracting the Dharma Seal in front of his chest: ¡°Speak, where exactly is King Ming hiding?¡±


    ...


    Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s gaze sharpened as she looked steadily at the black-faced prison guard: ¡°What exactly does the Invincible Dharma King intend to do? Does she wish to become King Ming? Impossible. Although she was also one of the chosen Saint Heirs by the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, she only joined the Bright Holy Sect barely five years ago. Except for her master, no one in the sect, including the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, Seven Kings, and the various Dharma Platforms of the Holy Sect would submit to her.¡±


    ¡°Do not make wild guesses.¡± The prison guard¡¯s face was expressionless: ¡°You just need to tell us where King Ming is currently located, that is all.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Tian Xiang Divine Envoy closed her eyes, her expression indifferent: ¡°Even if I did know, I still wouldn¡¯t betray King Ming.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very foolish.¡±


    The black-faced prison guard shook his head slightly: ¡°Do you know how your so-called King Ming managed to escape the pursuit of the East Abyss? Not long ago, someone climbed up to Red Island in the South Sea and discovered that all 790,000 members of the congregation on Red Island had perished, victims of a Blood Sacrifice. At the scene, signs of the East Abyss¡¯s handiwork were evident, along with remnants of the flames from our Divine Sect¡¯s Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s eyes widened angrily as she rebuked: ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    ¡°The truth is evident. Should you be fortunate to get out, you can verify it for yourself! Your King Ming has done countless filthy, despicable deeds. It¡¯s just that previously, Elder Wan Xin covered for him, and his tracks were not revealed, I don¡¯t believe you never noticed any clues before.¡±


    A cold sneer appeared on the black-faced prison guard¡¯s face: ¡°You entered Luojing with King Ming and participated together in the heist of the Divine Tablet; you must know some clues. Speak everything you know, and at least, the Invincible Dharma King could protect your few disciples.¡±


    Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s complexion underwent several changes, clearly her emotions were far from calm.


    Moments later, a strange zeal emerged from the depths of Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s eyes: ¡°You can relay to the Invincible Dharma King that I know where King Ming is. If she wishes to know, then she needs to find a way to let me out.¡±


    ¡°Let you out?¡± The black-faced prison guard raised his eyebrow, followed by a sneer: ¡°I think you¡¯re mad! Do you know where this is?¡±


    ¡°I know, this is the Great Song Divine Prison Department! Since its establishment, not a single prisoner from either the eighth or ninth level has ever succeeded in breaking out.¡±


    Tian Xiang Divine Envoy spoke calmly: ¡°Isn¡¯t your Invincible Dharma King divinely powerful, with divine might beyond my imagination? Then let her give it a try. Unless I can be freed from here, you can forget about getting any information about King Ming from me.¡±


    She then ignored the black-faced prison guard, silently, and wordlessly, looking up at the dome of the Black Prison.


    Tian Xiang Divine Envoy was recalling the youth with the pure complexion.


    She thought to herself that she must send the news of the ¡®King Ming¡¯s Descent¡¯ back to the Main Temple to let the five Priests responsible for passing the fire of the Divine Sect, the ¡®Light Saints,¡¯ know.


    The newcomer from the Abyss who had seized the Pure Method from the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire was none other than the Third Saint Heir of the Divine Sect, as well as Lin Hao, the Commander of the Great Song Spy Detection Bureau!


    However, the man before her and the ambitious Invincible Dharma King behind him were highly unreliable!


    That King Ming, too, had inscrutable intentions and was not of good nature!


    Tian Xiang Divine Envoy had always been puzzled about how her whereabouts had been leaked and how the Outer Heaven Demons came to know of her?


    When she was captured, she had never suspected ¡®King Ming,¡¯ simply because King Ming¡¯s current situation was bleak, and he had to rely on their loyal subordinates.


    ¡°`


    However, when Tian Xiang, the Divine Envoy, learned that nine million followers of the Bright Holy Sect in the northern counties of Jingzhou, Xuanhua County, and Tiantong County had rebelled, she couldn¡¯t help harboring doubts in her heart.


    These mid and low-level priests of the two counties were not fools and were not easily deceived. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for any force to instigate their rebellion¡ªunless there was collusion from within.


    Tian Xiang didn¡¯t want to think about that ¡®King Ming,¡¯ but she couldn¡¯t help but suspect.


    Thus, the real news of the ¡®King Ming¡¯s¡¯ descent to the world could not be let known to King Ming himself. Tian Xiang must personally inform the several Light Saints of this matter.


    The dark-faced prison officer seemed to have more in mind and his expression subtly changed as he picked up the whip beside him, lashing Tian Xiang mercilessly several times.


    The whip in his hand was a Magic Artifact specifically crafted by the Divine Affairs Office of the Great Song for the purpose of torture. It could lash the flesh and simultaneously strike the Divine Soul, causing unbearable agony.


    Soon after, another Fourth Rank prison officer in blue garments entered from outside.


    He glanced at the two people isolated within and showed no doubt; it was because the First Divine Envoy had just issued a decree stating that any prison officer within the Divine Prison Department who could make Tian Xiang speak would be immediately promoted three ranks with a reward of ten thousand taels!


    This news made the many seasoned torturers in the prison ecstatic. Each had their unique skills and was not willing to share the glory with others. They were taking turns, each responsible for several hours. It all depended on who was lucky enough to make Tian Xiang speak.


    However, these people were likely to be disappointed. The blue-clad prison officer glanced over Tian Xiang: ¡°The National Guardian has ordered immediate transfer of this demon to his mansion. The National Guardian has a use for this Demon Sect¡¯s Divine Envoy.¡±


    The dark-faced prison officer was startled and said, ¡°Prison Officer sir, this Tian Xiang demon head is a criminal of great importance designated by the Divine Envoy supervision. The First Divine Envoy even mentioned before that without a decree from the Divine Envoy supervision, no one is permitted to take her out of the Divine Prison Department.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know what the First Divine Envoy has ordered as well as you do?¡±


    The blue-clad Prison Officer first gave him a displeased glance and then heh-heh¡¯d, ¡°The Divine has decreed, granting the National Guardian the power to open his own mansion, enter the Cabinet to listen and deliberate on state affairs! He has full control over the negotiations with the Outer Heaven Demon as well as the task of quelling the rebellion in Jingzhou! Since the National Guardian says he needs this Tian Xiang Divine Envoy to quell the rebellion, naturally, we must follow his instructions, and the prison chief has already sent a Flying Book to consult the First Divine Envoy, who said nothing.¡±


    He then sighed inexhaustibly, ¡°Once this news spread, the whole Luojing City was almost shaken. Now, all the officials and nobles in court are discussing this matter. This National Guardian is really something now, not unlike the former Crown Prince.¡±


    The dark-faced prison officer was also secretly shocked, thinking that the East Abyss allowing this National Guardian to open a mansion was one thing, but to allow him to enter the Cabinet to listen and deliberate on affairs?


    A figure like this has emerged in the Great Song Court? Is Lin Hao regarded with such trust by the East Abyss? What could be the reason? Is it just because Lin Hao is diligent and capable, having solved that blasphemy case?


    Tian Xiang¡¯s eyes lit up, but what she cared about wasn¡¯t Lin Hao¡¯s position or power.


    Lin Hao was their Divine Sect¡¯s contemporary King Ming, Light Heavenly Venerate! Regardless of any high-ranking official position he held within the Great Song, no matter how noble, it would be an unwise act to lower his status and dignity. They must quickly guide the Light Heavenly Venerate onto the right path.


    What Tian Xiang cared about was that she could leave the ninth layer of the Divine Prison Department¡ªthis Black Prison from which no one has ever escaped.


    At this moment, the blue-clad Prison Officer gestured to the many prison guards and the guards of the Divine Prison Department who followed him, ¡°Send her over quickly, don¡¯t keep the National Guardian waiting. He urged very urgently, so be sure to hurry, and once you arrive at Lin Mansion, be respectful and mindful to not court disaster, else beware of your heads!¡±


    But, what the blue-clad Prison Officer didn¡¯t know was that it was not only the officialdom of the Great Song that was shocked by the decree from the East Abyss but also the upper echelons of the entire Earth Federation.


    Linghu Mingde, as the Second Rank Imperial Censor, learned some content of this divine court meeting from a Flying Book from the Divine Palace only two hours after the event, including the East Abyss¡¯s rewards for Lin Rui, as well as Lin Rui¡¯s request to open a commercial port, control the trade with Outer Heaven Demons, and the discussion about setting up an embassy in the ¡®Heavenly Demon Origin¡¯.


    This could be a deliberate leak by the Divine Palace to signal to the outside world, or else how could the details of a divine court meeting leak so easily? Who in the Divine Palace would dare?


    Linghu Mingde looked at the words spoken by Lin Rui in the letter, silent for a long time.


    It wasn¡¯t until about half an hour later that Linghu Mingde went to the window, his eyes full of hope and comfort as he gazed in the direction of Lin Mansion.


    What he anticipated was the future of Sky Extreme Star and the Earth Federation, and he was comforted by Lin Rui¡¯s pure sincerity.


    The child hadn¡¯t lost his way after coming so far; he was repaying the Great Song¡¯s people in his own way.


    Perhaps he truly is the hope of everyone on Sky Extreme Star and Earth Federation¡ª

 Chapter 561: 534 Sensation in the Federation (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 561: Chapter 534 Sensation in the Federation (Please Subscribe)


    Xu Mengran was the second person to know the contents of the Divine Court deliberations, and at this moment, he was located at the headquarters of the East Asia National Security Bureau.


    Due to the low-key and cautious way of doing things on the East Asian side, their penetration within the Great Song was comparatively deep, and their power was preserved fairly well, so they learned the details of the deliberations relatively quickly.


    Xu Mengran was also stunned for a moment after seeing the proposal Lin Rui made before the East Abyss during the Divine Court session.


    ¡°This kid, I really underestimated him¡ª¡±


    Xu Mengran took a deep breath, turned off the smoke alarm system in the room, walked to the window, and lit a cigarette.


    Xu Mengran took a puff and then gazed out of the window, lost in rapid thoughts.


    ...


    When he first learned about Lin Rui, knowing that this kid might take up the role of Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, he only hoped that Lin Rui could infiltrate the core of the Imperial City Department, a crucial division of Great Song, to assist East Asia in uncovering some core secrets of Great Song, especially regarding the East Abyss.


    Xu Mengran had never imagined that Lin Rui could go this far, let alone the fact that this youngster could single-handedly promote the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Earth Federation and Great Song.


    Xu Mengran guessed that soon, the entire political and business circles of the Earth Federation would be boiling with excitement.


    For those who look forward to and favor peace, this is undoubtedly the long-awaited shot of adrenaline.


    It¡¯s also good news for the vast majority of businessmen, especially those in the pharmaceutical and industrial sectors.


    For the first time in eight hundred years since the Earth Federation came into contact with the people of Tianji Star, they saw a glimmer of hope for normalizing relations with Tianji Star and legalizing trade.


    This means that trade with Tianji Star will inevitably expand, the pharmaceutical and industrial sectors will be able to obtain more raw materials, and more goods can be sold to Tianji Star, resulting in a leap in the near-stagnant economy of the Earth Federation.


    It was at this time that he received a message marked ¡®Great Elder.¡¯


    Great Elder: Fully ensure and promote the achievements Admiral Lin has obtained in the Divine Court deliberations of Great Song! This will be our cornerstone of peace with Tianji Star.


    Great Elder: Ensure his safety!


    Xu Mengran: Understood!


    Xu Mengran continued to gaze into the distance.


    Even without the Great Elder¡¯s orders, Xu Mengran would do his utmost to ensure Lin Rui¡¯s safety and the success of his achievements.


    But now Xu Mengran was considering something else.


    Not long ago, Xu Mengran had met with Linghu Mingde, whose recent condition seemed to be very good; not only had his spirit become very relaxed, but there also seemed to be signs of an impending breakthrough.


    Besides the apparent signs of his energy, Fang Ranran¡¯s rapid rise in the political world also aroused suspicion.


    How could ¡®Heavenly Fox¡¯ not be aware of the Federation¡¯s high-level rules? If one doesn¡¯t have sufficient clout, they shouldn¡¯t overreach.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s greed could only bring her trouble, and they can withstand it now, but what if Linghu Mingde dies?


    Do they have the confidence to endure?


    Moreover, to Xu Mengran¡¯s knowledge, Lin Rui had the ability to heal Armament Syndrome.


    Most of the Dragon Transformation Masters under his command joined Lin Rui¡¯s personal workshop because of this.


    So does Lin Rui have the ability to help someone like Linghu Mingde, an Eight Realms Martial Cultivator, cure Armament Syndrome?


    No! It¡¯s not just about treatment; the armaments within Linghu Mingde¡¯s body must have undergone significant changes, enabling his Blood Qi and True Yuan to grow strong enough to reach a breakthrough.


    Xu Mengran narrowed his eyes, pondering that if the situation was as he speculated, then that kid was not acting honorably.


    At the same time, the Federation President and Chief of Staff were on the phone with Li Xianglong in the inner courts of the Divine Palace.


    The Federation President leaned forward unconsciously with both hands braced against the desk, staring at Li Xianglong on the screen, his eyes filled with disbelief: ¡°Did Lin Hao really make such a proposal? Is he indeed the wielder of King Yama¡¯s Blade who has slain over 3,000 of our Alien Walkers? And East Abyss has agreed?¡±


    ¡°Mr. President, the contents of this divine court consultation have already spread throughout the upper echelons of the Great Song Court, and neither Emperor Song nor the three Divine Envoys have issued any clarification.¡±


    Li Xianglong crossed his arms in front of him, his expression equally unsettled: ¡°This may be an intentional move by the Divine Palace to send signals to the outside world, relaying the stance of East Abyss, in order to reduce the resistance to establishing embassies and opening up trade. So personally, I believe this is one hundred percent true.¡±


    Still, the Federation President found it incomprehensible, shaking his head: ¡°Inconceivable! Utterly inconceivable!¡±


    The Chief of Staff pondered: ¡°Mr. President, from my interactions with Lin Hao, not only is this person upright and incorrupt, benevolent and kind, but also possesses exceptional ability and strategic acumen, displaying versatile tactics. He also has a certain understanding of our Earth Federation. He can be described as having both literary grace and military prowess. Considering his straightforward and daring counsel at today¡¯s divine court consultation, it shows he bears his country and people in his heart!¡±


    The Chief of Staff continued, conjuring documents in mid-air with hand gestures: ¡°I believe the Security Bureau and Military Intelligence¡¯s analysis of Lin Hao has been incomplete and biased. Since his appointment as the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, he has indeed inflicted heavy casualties on our Alien Walkers. However, reviewing every case since his tenure, each operation has been justifiable and backed by the law.


    It¡¯s evident that he does not harbor enmity towards our Heavenly Demons, but is merely dedicated and abhors evil. He¡¯s a man of foresight and also sees the benefits that the Federation offers to Great Song and its people. Moreover, he¡¯s brave enough to speak his mind in front of East Abyss.¡±


    The Chief of Staff felt a twinge of guilt as he recalled the secret meeting with Lin Hao not long ago.


    He thought that Lin Hao must have had no choice but to accept the Vajra Battle Dragon seed in order to gain his trust.


    The Chief of Staff regretted his actions, feeling that he had underestimated Lin Hao¡¯s generosity and dishonored the integrity and conduct of this National Guardian.


    ¡°Our intelligence agents¡¯ analysis of Lin Hao has indeed been far from accurate.¡±


    The President nodded in agreement, and then his Blood Qi began to surge uncontrollably.


    The President needed to exert all his strength to contain his excitement: ¡°If this is true, it will be the biggest diplomatic breakthrough since the Earth Federation¡¯s first contact with Sky Extreme Star.¡±


    The President could hardly imagine the scenario of his glorious return to the Federation after signing a trade and diplomatic treaty with Great Song.


    ¡ªSuch an accomplishment would be a historic honor and would greatly boost both his and his party¡¯s chances in the elections!


    ¡°However, I noticed in Lin Hao¡¯s proposal, there is a line¡ª¡¯These two political measures are greatly beneficial to the Heavenly Demons, hence the Heavenly Demon side must be prepared to make concessions in the actual treaty terms.¡¯ That means, if we want to facilitate Great Song¡¯s opening of the port and establishing diplomatic relations, we must make certain concessions.¡±


    ¡°I think as long as it doesn¡¯t involve the essential laws and statues of the state, we can compromise in other areas!¡± the Chief of Staff mused. ¡°As far as I know, the sentiment inside Great Song is still very conservative, with strong hostility towards us. We must show them our sincerity. Of course, the key lies in East Abyss. We also have to make East Abyss feel respected and not let small issues overshadow more significant gains.¡±


    The President nodded, a slight sneer appearing in his eyes: ¡°Go notify those Congressmen that in order to push forward this peace agreement, the government has decided to arrest Zang Shaochen and strip him of his position as Commander of the Second Starship Group! I hope they can offer the utmost assistance.¡±


    The issue of dealing with Zang Shaochen had been a thorny one for him; even if they agreed to Great Song¡¯s terms to deal with Zang Shaochen rigorously, he was unsure how to proceed.


    Any missteps could cause the Earth Federation to pay a heavy price, even leading to civil war.


    But now, with news of Great Song¡¯s willingness to negotiate trade and diplomatic relations, the President¡¯s situation had greatly improved, and his authority within the Federation was to be reinforced.


    He now had sufficient power and leverage to deal with the matter concerning Zang Shaochen.


    At this moment, Li Xianglong gazed out the window with a complex expression, looking in the direction of the Second Starship Group¡¯s headquarters.


    He knew his old friend was likely to fall from power.


    Zang Shaochen did indeed command considerable military force with a fleet of advanced warships under his control. However, once the Congressional Honorary Members reached a consensus, Zang Shaochen would have no capacity to resist.


    What would Zang Shaochen do next? Would he launch a rebellion? That would be the most foolish choice.


    Even within the Longevity Association itself, many factions would likely defect, preferring to reach a peace agreement. If Lin Rui¡¯s maneuvering was even more astute, some might even wish to present Zang Shaochen¡¯s head to Great Song as a gesture of goodwill, thereby securing a trade license from Great Song.


    Meanwhile, at Lin Mansion, Lin Rui had already met with his Dragon Guard Captain¡ªthe freshly promoted to Eight Realms, Emperor Rank, Xianyu Yan!

 Chapter 562: 535: Quick Battle (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 562: Chapter 535: Quick Battle (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui looked up and down at Xianyu Yan with a mix of astonishment and envy: ¡°Is this what the late Crown Prince left for you? Did you go to the Sky Pond Passage these past few days to retrieve these things?¡±


    At this moment, Xianyu Yan was not only wearing a magnificent and splendid set of Battle Armor but also had a five-foot-long Battle Saber hanging at her waist. Even sheathed, its presence was so sharp that it made one¡¯s scalp tingle at a mere glance.


    ¡ª¡ªClearly, these were two Ninth Realm Super Emperor Magic Artifacts!


    Behind Xianyu Yan, a Dharma Wheel floated, with nine Treasure Beads embedded on it¡ªeach a Magic Artifact of the Eighth Realm of Super Emperor, including the Thunder Soul Pearl and others that represented the nine forces of metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, yin, and yang.


    Lin Rui¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but twitch slightly.


    It seemed that the late Crown Prince really had some foundation; the Magic Artifacts on Xianyu Yan¡¯s person were even more luxurious and more powerful than his own as the master.


    ...


    It should be noted that the current Magic Artifacts used by Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying were only of the Seventh Realm.


    The Thunder Soul Pearl used by Shangguan Tianyi was not even on par with a single bead on Xianyu Yan¡¯s Dharma Wheel.


    It was unknown what specific abilities this Dharma Wheel possessed, but just by looking at the Spiritual Power radiance it emitted and the etheric fluctuations it triggered, one could tell that it must possess tremendous Divine Power¡ªperhaps it was a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Magic Artifact.


    ¡°Your Highness is astute!¡± Xianyu Yan nodded: ¡°Indeed, these Magic Artifacts are the relics left to me by the late Crown Prince. I had hidden them within a Sky Pond Passage and did not bring them back.¡±


    Xianyu Yan gently caressed the Battle Armor on her body, with a gaze that seemed filled with reminiscence yet was utmost cold.


    She knew that if she had brought these Magic Artifacts back then, they would definitely not have been kept safe.


    Xianyu Yan never thought that she would see these Magic Artifacts again; she believed that her future was destined to be one of destituteness and decadence, dying amidst regret.


    ¡°There is also another Ninth Realm Super Emperor Magic Artifact, specifically forged for use with Battle Dragons, and it is now embedded within my Battle Dragon¡¯s body. It grants my Battle Dragon some abilities related to space and time, greatly enhancing its combat strength.¡±


    Xianyu Yan looked at Lin Rui with an odd expression: ¡°I heard that your excellency has advocated before God to place the Heavenly Demon¡¯s smuggling trade under court regulation¡ªa matter the late Crown Prince longed to do, yet hesitated and feared to take action on, and now, it¡¯s accomplished by your hands.¡±


    She also knew that Lin Rui now had not only the right to establish his own authority and subordinates but could also enter the Cabinet for discussions and political decisions, his power even surpassing that of the late Crown Prince.


    ¡°However, why did Divine Above send you to Jingzhou to suppress the rebellion?¡±


    The East Abyss should not have intended for Lin Hao to go to his death, yet this God was by no means a feeble-minded God¡ªhow could it be unaware of the great risks Lin Hao would face leaving the capital now?


    Lin Rui smiled and pointed to the center of his brow: ¡°Divine Above is still quite kind to me, bestowing upon me a life-saving cultivation method. However, I only have a short 15 days; after that, the power of this method will gradually weaken.¡±


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s expression shifted at these words: ¡°Does He intend to draw the snake out of its hole, to lure it and then annihilate it?¡±


    Using her liege as bait?


    ¡°Does Divine Above possess such intention?¡± Lin Rui smiled faintly, ¡°My task is to suppress the rebellion, and I won¡¯t consider anything else¡ª¡±


    It was at this moment that Lu Hanyuan came in, carrying a metal object shaped like the ancient Western torture device ¡®Iron Maiden¡¯: ¡°Lord Hou, the Divine Prison Department has brought the prisoner Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy here.¡±


    As Lu Hanyuan spoke, he set down the object in his hand with a ¡®thunk¡¯.


    Lin Rui knew this object was called the ¡®Soul Suppressing Coffin,¡¯ specially used to detain and bind high-level Martial Cultivators; it was extremely effective at suppressing the Primordial Spirits of Martial Cultivators.


    When Lin Rui opened the Soul Suppressing Coffin, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy lay inside, chained all over, her complexion pale, and her body was blood-stained and covered in wounds¡ªa sight of extreme misery.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, a great master of the Ninth Realm Super Emperor Rank, was now incapable of healing her own flesh wounds, which indicated the severity of her injuries.


    ¡°Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy!¡± Lin Rui saw the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy open her eyes and gaze deeply at him; he continued to ask, ¡°I am now headed to the north of Jingzhou to quell the rebellion and dissolve this catastrophe. Are you willing to cooperate with me?¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy waited for Lin Rui to take out the Sound Suppressing Ball from her mouth before speaking: ¡°Can you guarantee the lives of these disciples of my faith? Will the court no longer pursue them?¡±


    ¡°I can assure you their lives are safe. You might not be aware that I am now a member of the Cabinet, and any disposition of the court towards you cannot bypass me.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze then grew colder: ¡°Though the death penalty may be spared, other punishments are unavoidable. These nine million sinners must be relocated elsewhere.¡±


    The Great Song Court could not possibly allow these walking time bombs to remain north of Luojing.


    ¡°`


    ¡ª¡ªThe distance between the two locations is less than ten thousand miles, which is still quite dangerous.


    ¡°`


    Tian Xiang Divine Envoy pondered briefly, then nodded.


    ¡°`


    ¡°You are sensible to the times. Once the suppression of the uprising is settled, I will have the Divine Prison Department improve your treatment,¡± Lin Rui smiled with satisfaction. He then swept his gaze over the people present: Lin Xi, Ji Xueying, Shangguan Tianyi, and the three Seventh Realm Super Kings of the Dragon Guard, as well as Lu Hanyuan standing solemnly beside them.


    ¡°`


    ¡ª¡ªThese were the visible high-level experts under Lin Hao¡¯s command.


    ¡°`


    Besides, there were 24 Sixth Realm Dragon Transformation experts in his residence, but their origins were complicated. Some were from Lin Rui¡¯s workshop, some were Alien Walkers who had revealed their identities on Sky Extreme Star, some were high-level cultivators recruited by Lu Hanyuan, and some had suspicious origins, possibly deliberately planted in his residence by someone.


    ¡°`


    Elder Martial Brother Li Li must help him keep an eye on the Spy Detection Bureau and cannot leave lightly.


    ¡°`


    Wang Sen¡¯s combat power has improved and continues to grow stronger day by day. Besides patrolling the entire city and dealing with outdoor affairs that do not require Lin Rui¡¯s personal involvement, he also has the responsibility of overseeing several businesses.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Not long ago I had ordered all high-level Martial Cultivators above Sixth Realm who were not on official duty to gather in the northern city within two hours.¡±


    ¡°`


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows slightly: ¡°In quelling the Jingzhou rebellion, the benefit lies in quick battles and decisive victories. Steward Lv Jingwei shall remain to hold down the fort at the residence! The rest will follow me to Jingzhou shortly.¡±


    ¡°`


    Xianyu Yan was startled upon hearing this: ¡°Your Majesty intends to strike against the rebellion in Jingzhou now? If the Jingzhou rebellion is truly the work of Purgatory, they will certainly be watching you. Since you have been granted full authority by the Divine, you can certainly call up troops and gather experts from the surrounding areas of Luojing.¡±


    ¡°`


    She believed this to be the safest method.


    ¡°`


    With Lin Rui¡¯s current power, given three to five days, he could summon fifteen to twenty-five Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators, five to six thousand Dragon Transformation Masters, and an army of one to two hundred and thirty thousand. When the time came, the army would encircle and sweep the rebels clean.


    ¡°`


    Lu Hanyuan smiled appreciatively upon hearing this.


    ¡°`


    He knew that Lin Rui did not want to cause too much destruction, which was where he fell short compared to Jin Bolong. However, Lin Rui¡¯s strategy, decisiveness, and sharpness far exceeded Jin Bolong¡¯s.


    ¡°`


    ¡°If even you suspect that the Divine Above is drawing out the snake, what about those Purgatory forces?¡±


    ¡°`


    Lin Rui laughed casually, resting his hand on his saber: ¡°Today, let¡¯s employ a feint with an empty city. Having fewer people also has its advantages: more convenience and agility in movement. Of course, we must prepare for both possibilities. We still need to mobilize troops and gather more Dragon Transformation Masters, preparing for the army to crush the rebels.


    ¡°`


    Xue Ying, you take Tian Xiang with you to change into a different outfit. Give her that set of Exoskeleton Armor gifted by the Heavenly Demon Prime Minister, it¡¯s more convenient for movement¡ª¡±


    ¡°`


    Just then, Lu Hanyuan¡¯s expression shifted and he drifted outside.


    ¡°`


    Shortly after, he returned with a Flying Book that traveled a hundred thousand miles, handing it over to Lin Rui.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Your Majesty, I recognize this Flying Book; it should be the response from those two.¡±


    ¡°`


    Lin Rui took it into his hands, pulled out the letter inside, glanced at it, and then chuckled.


    ¡°`


    Indeed, it was sent by ¡®Fairy Qin Yue¡¯ Li Yuehua, with ¡®Ice King of the Snowy Night¡¯ Hou Yuting also on her super lightspeed Flying Boat. They were forced together to escape pursuit.


    ¡°`


    That Hou Yuting was especially miserable, having had his super lightspeed Flying Boat destroyed and having no choice but to seek refuge with Li Yuehua.


    ¡°`


    This time, their tone was much more submissive, not daring to propose any conditions and willing to sign a Divine Contract.


    ¡°`


    Lin Rui wrote a reply letter and sent back the Dragon Skin Paper that already contained the written contract terms and had been witnessed by three gods. Now, those two had to leave their names, both main and Alien identities, and drop their Essence Blood of both identities, before forwarding it back to Lin Rui for his signature and seal to activate the Divine Contract.


    ¡°`


    The Ten Realm Dragon Skin Paper still had some lingering aura of the East Abyss, but with the Concepts Divine Power of Retribution, Divine Law, and Verdant Blood, there wasn¡¯t much left.


    ¡°`


    Besides, the Divine Contract they were signing was nothing more than a normal master-servant pact, containing nothing sensitive.


    ¡°`


    Alas, these two could not participate in the upcoming rebellion suppression.


    ¡°`


    Lin Rui acted swiftly. In about five minutes, he led the group and took his Flying Car out of the north gate of Luojing.


    ¡°`


    They converged there with an entire battalion of Divine Guards, along with a large number of experts from the Imperial City Department, Divine Strategy Guard, and Imperial Guard, as well as Luo Wangshu¡¯s entire team of Dragon Guard Captains, both principal and deputy.


    ¡°`


    There were over eight hundred Dragon Transformation Masters, seven of them at Eight Realms, and two Ninth Realm Super Kings from the Divine Eye Bureau. Utilizing the fastest Flying Cars and Flying Boats, they expected to reach the northern part of Jingzhou within an hour.


    ¡°`


    What surprised Xianyu Yan was that Meng Weiyun, another disciple of Luo Wangshu, also hurried to join them.


    ¡°`


    She had already changed into the robe of a Second Rank Heavenly Official, her face beaming with vigor.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 563: 536: High Weight Rank (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 563: Chapter 536: High Weight Rank (Please Subscribe)


    PS: I made a mistake in the previous chapter, the Heavenly Official is at third rank.


    Lin Rui was also very pleased to see his senior, Meng Weiyun, and he greeted her with a bow, ¡°Congratulations on your new appointment, sister; your great prospects really bring overwhelming joy to your junior brother.¡±


    Meng Weiyun smiled gently and waved her hand, ¡°I should be thanking you. Like old Li, I owe this to your good fortune too.¡±


    Just six days ago, she had officially been promoted to serve as the Commander of the Internal Affairs Bureau, and her rank advanced from a Fourth-ranking Heavenly Official to a Third-ranking Great Heavenly Official.


    This was due to a Blasphemy Case, where heads of various departments including the Imperial City Department, External Affairs Bureau, Divine Supervision Bureau, and others were questioned by the court.


    Especially those dozen officials who were explicitly derelict in their duties, they had been arrested and imprisoned for questioning by the Divine Envoy even before the Divine Decree from East Abyss was issued.


    ...


    Primarily it was the Emperor¡¯s doing; after the incident of blasphemy occurred, he advocated for a thorough investigation, his actions extremely strict and intense.


    This resulted in a large number of vacancies within the Imperial City Department including the Internal Affairs Bureau which is responsible for monitoring locales within Great Song, spying on public sentiment, and supervising government officials.


    It had been less than a year since Meng Weiyun was promoted to Fourth-rank Heavenly Official, and she was initially expected to endure a long wait at the local level for any possibility of promotion.


    And there are only so many key controlling positions in the Imperial City Department, just about a dozen ¨C quite like each radish has its hole.


    So this time, her promotion really depended on Lin Rui¡¯s fortune.


    By this time, Meng Weiyun had advanced to the Seventh Realm Emperor Rank, and under slight maneuverings by her teacher Luo Wangshu, she was transferred to Luojing to take charge as the Commander of the Internal Affairs Bureau.


    She looked around and asked, ¡°Are you confident? I see here at least one-tenth of the Dragon Transformation Masters from the court in Luojing. Should we be more cautious?¡±


    If anything unexpected happened, even with Great Song¡¯s foundation, it could lead to significant damage.


    East Abyss would likely be disappointed as well.


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curled slightly, ¡°That depends on whether Purgatory is willing to confront Great Song at this time.¡±


    Meng Weiyun blinked, then her eyes showed a realization.


    Standing behind Lin Rui, Xianyu Yan also brightened her eyes, finally understanding that Lin Rui¡¯s strategy, though risky, was actually fully assured.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t delay one bit; after meeting with 832 Dragon Transformation Masters in the north of the city, he set off immediately without any pause.


    The team consisted of 100 Flying Cars and 200 Flying Boats, carrying over eight hundred massive Dragon Boxes, indeed a mighty procession.


    Especially when nearly eight hundred sixty Dragon Transformation Masters gathered, the blood-energy columns soared into the sky, and the massive waves of elemental power spread far and wide.


    There was still a lot of space left on these Flying Cars and Boats, nearly half of them were unoccupied.


    However, as Lin Rui¡¯s fleet and caravan flew 3000 li north, the spaces gradually filled up.


    Along their journey northward, more Dragon Transformation Masters continued to join.


    They were previously dispatched by Lin Rui to recapture members of the Demon Sect, and now they were summoned, waiting on the road and gradually joined under Lin Rui¡¯s command.


    An hour later, when Lin Rui arrived over a small county in the northern part of Jingzhou, within Tiantong County, the number of Dragon Transformation Masters under Lin Rui had increased to 1520.


    By then, the Commander of the Demon Destruction Bureau, Wang Chenghua, had also assembled 1003 Dragon Transformation Masters waiting there.


    Wang Chenghua gazed into the distance at over 100 Flying Cars and 234 Flying Boats speeding through the sky, then focused his gaze on a flag hanging from one of the Flying Boats.


    The flag had the character ¡®Lin¡¯ embroidered on the front and the words ¡®National Guardian¡¯ on the back, fluttering boldly in the sky.


    ¡°The weight is high, shadowing the clouds and eclipsing the sun, its momentum is overwhelming!¡±


    Wang Chenghua felt the strong, domineering, ruthless, and resolute nature of this National Guardian, and also marveled at the significant growth of his authority within just a few days.


    Now with a single command from this lord, over two thousand five hundred Dragon Transformation Masters could be mobilized in just a few hours, including six martial artists of King Rank and Super King Rank from the Ninth Realm known as ¡®Divine Illumination¡¯!


    One must know that the Divine Guard of the Divine Palace consists of no more than 3000 people!


    When Lin Rui¡¯s Flying Car was drawing near, Wang Chenghua¡¯s expression became solemn, and he bowed deeply toward Lin Rui¡¯s vehicle: ¡°Wang Chenghua, Commander of the Demon Destruction Bureau, leading 1003 Dragon Transformation Masters and above from Jingzhou¡¯s Rebellion Suppressing Army, at your command to meet the National Guardian!¡±


    He is an Emperor Rank of the Eight Realms, yet still holds the position of a Third-ranking Heavenly Official, daring not to be reckless before this highly regarded new noble of the court, the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, favored by the Divine.


    ¡°The military situation is urgent, no need for excessive formalities!¡±


    Lin Rui stood by the carriage¡¯s shaft, and immediately raised his hand to gesture, lifting Wang Chenghua up with a wave of True Yuan from a distance.


    ¡°Please, Lord Wang, board the carriage, we shall discuss matters on the road; the rest must quickly keep up.¡±


    The Dragon Transformation Masters brought by Wang Chenghua, although having some Flying Boats and Flying Ships, moved generally slow.


    The vessels Lin Rui had when he departed from Luojing City were gathered from the entire city, whereas Wang Chenghua¡¯s full military force owned 1300 Flying Boats and Flying Ships, yet the majority had a speed not exceeding 1000 miles and were specifically built for transporting food and materials.


    Fortunately, they were not far from Tiantong County already, and about half an hour later, they reached the airspace above Tiantong County.


    About 30 miles away, Lin Rui saw the heavily fortified city walls, crowded with civilians wearing simple wooden and leather armors, sternly ready for battle.


    ¡°Six days ago, the Demon Sect revolted across all territories, attempting to encircle and annihilate my troops. Thanks to the Divine Protection, the majority of my army luckily broke through, losing only over ten thousand men. Thereafter, these cult followers of the Demon Sect did not continue southward or attack other counties but retreated to two county cities to fortify themselves.¡±


    Wang Chenghua glanced sideways at Lin Rui: ¡°The Demon Sect has very few Dragon Transformation Masters, which is why my troops could break through safely. However, according to covert reports from the Internal Affairs Bureau, after the cult followers retreated into the two county cities, they somehow continuously deployed demons, and it¡¯s said there are now over six hundred Sixth Realm demons.¡±


    The Tian Xiang Divine Envoy, trapped inside the Emperor Type-8 Exoskeleton Armor, paled at these words.


    The transformation into a demon occurs either through extreme physical pain or extreme emotional triggers.


    Over six hundred Sixth Realm demons, what on earth had been done to her followers?


    At that moment, Tian Xiang Divine Envoy felt especially grateful to Lin Rui. Had Lin Rui arrived any later, who knows how many people would still be left in those two county cities.


    Wang Chenghua continued, ¡°Additionally, there are a significant number of Purgatory masters lurking nearby; their exact number is unknown, but I distinctly feel there are at least three Super Emperor masters of the Ninth Realm.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, proceed according to the planned tactics; all units form groups of three and charge in. Upon encountering demons, slay them! For other rebels, as long as they are unarmed and their Cultivation is below the First Realm, they can be ignored.¡±


    Lin Rui then waved his hand, causing the chest and face mask of the Emperor Type-8 Exoskeleton Armor to open, revealing the Tian Xiang Divine Envoy inside.


    He lifted his hand to release a few restrictions on the woman, his voice resolute: ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn to act, if you want to save more civilians, please do your best!¡±


    Tian Xiang Divine Envoy did not hesitate; taking a deep breath and gathering her full force of elemental power, she then cried out, ¡°I am Tian Xiang, the Fifth Divine Envoy of the Bright Holy Sect! To all the elders and villagers listening, do not be deceived by traitors, resist the court¡¯s army no more. If you still recognize me, Tian Xiang, please lay down your weapons immediately! The National Guardian of the court, Commander Lin of the Spy Detection Bureau, has assured me that he will definitely protect your lives without fail!¡±


    Her voice instantly resonated across the entire city of Tiantong County, making everyone in the city look in the direction of Tian Xiang Divine Envoy.


    At that moment, approximately 50 miles away on a small hill near Tiantong County, three figures stood firmly, watching Lin Rui and Tian Xiang Divine Envoy.


    The figure standing in the forefront had a dragon-like head; while to the left, one person wore the Emperor Type-9 Exoskeleton Armor, adorned with the unique insignia of the Shadow Killing Team, notably the mysterious Team Leader of the Shadow Killing Team.


    Another person wore a face mask, his presence dignified and resolute, his gaze deep and sharp.


    ¡ª At this moment, had Luo Wangshu been present, she would recognize this man as Qi Wuji, the former Ninth Candidate for Divine Envoy of the Great Song, who was supposed to have died by Divine Punishment!


    Qi Wuji looked steadily at Lin Hao with a complex gaze: ¡°This young man¡¯s military strategy is truly fierce and decisive. I¡¯m not even sure now whether him personally leading 2500 Dragon Transformation Masters to assault Tiantong is recklessness and haste, or a secure move with intentions to lure the enemy, or merely a show of force?¡±

 Chapter 564: 537: Lin Hao Must Die (Three Updates, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 564: Chapter 537: Lin Hao Must Die (Three Updates, Please Subscribe)


    ¡°I see they¡¯re confident and fearless!¡±


    The leader of the Shadow Killing Team let out a cold laugh: ¡°The Divine Palace holds him in such high esteem, almost elevating him to the status of the Crown Prince, clearly as a precaution to balance the emperor¡¯s power. How could they let him rush into danger at this time?¡±


    He then shifted his gaze towards the direction of Luojing: ¡°Didn¡¯t the being from the East Abyss awaken today? They should still be awake. Maybe they are watching us right now. Personally, I think that before the Divine Sleep of the East Abyss, Prince should act with caution.¡±


    The leader of the Shadow Killing Team then turned his head and looked at Qi Wuji, his eyes containing a hint of malevolence.


    Qi Wuji knew this person did not want to fight, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh: ¡°I have no objections. With the East Abyss overseeing the world, we indeed need to be more careful. Moreover, we only have so few resources left, which cannot withstand any squandering. Before the Purgatory raises an army, no matter how much noise we make on the surface, it won¡¯t benefit the battle situation.¡±


    He actually felt that if Lin Hao really intended to use himself as bait to lure them into action, then he was being too obvious and deliberate. Just less than five hours after the court meeting ended, he couldn¡¯t wait to lead thousands of Dragon Transformation Masters to quell the rebellion in the north.


    ...


    It was like pasting a label on his forehead, I am the bait, there are traps around me, come and kill me.


    However, it was hard to say, based on Qi Wuji¡¯s many years of understanding the East Abyss, this god¡¯s divine intentions were unfathomable and hard to speculate.


    Perhaps that Lin Hao, too, didn¡¯t know what his god intended.


    Moreover, Qi Wuji himself did not want to fight. Since escaping from the Great Song, he had lost almost everything, with only a few loyal followers escaping with him.


    Qi Wuji was diligently accumulating power, cultivating Demonized Martial Cultivators with the help of Purgatory. It took months to build a little foundation, which couldn¡¯t just be wasted here.


    At this moment, Qi Wuji frowned, feeling a severe sharp pain inside his head, as if countless steel needles were being driven into his brain, making him almost moan aloud.


    Qi Wuji could only forcibly suppress it, clenching his fists tightly, extremely irritated.


    This was a side effect of his body swapping rebirth; he didn¡¯t know what went wrong during the rebirth process, but recently the episodes had become more frequent and the pain more intense.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity!¡±


    The man wearing golden Battle Armor, with a head resembling an ancient giant dragon, sighed: ¡°This child is so fierce and decisive. Give me a few more days, and I could have cultivated at least four thousand Dragon Demon creatures using the nine million residents of these two counties and six million Guang Ming believers from the surrounding counties. This child keeps foiling my plans; it¡¯s truly a pity, annoying, and hateful!¡±


    Because of Lin Hao, their corruption of the Prison Suppressing Army was discovered prematurely, rendering years of effort and planning wasted.


    He noticed Qi Wuji¡¯s expression and turned his head with a look of concern: ¡°Brother Qi¡¯s condition has flared up again, how could this be? The Divine Soul Secret Technique we provided has no issues, Brother Qi you have tested it yourself. Could it be a problem with the body provided by the Heavenly Demons?¡±


    Qi Wuji¡¯s face gradually regained its composure: ¡°That¡¯s very possible, but it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    He was more skeptical of Purgatory, but he didn¡¯t want to disrupt the bigger plan as Purgatory had something he wanted.


    Moreover, the Heavenly Demon Longevity Association had promised to have their top Prosthetic Doctor to perform surgery on him, implanting a powerful Super Monarch Armament ¡®Divine Heart Illumination¡¯.


    Once this prosthetic is implanted, it would surely normalize his Divine Soul.


    ¡°We must eliminate this Lin Hao!¡± Qi Wuji looked at ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ again, his eyes venomous and ferocious: ¡°Once this person spearheads the peace treaty between Great Song and Heavenly Demons, the pressure on the East God will be significantly reduced.¡±


    The dragon-headed man nodded slightly, and just then, his expression shifted subtly, and he reached into the void in front of him, miraculously pulling a gray-black three-legged bird out of the empty space.


    The dragon-headed man deftly took a letter clutched in the bird¡¯s claws, and moments later, he furrowed his brow: ¡°Opening ports? Establishing diplomatic relations?¡±


    Qi Wuji was taken aback upon hearing this: ¡°Opening ports and establishing diplomatic relations? What does this mean?¡±


    The man with the dragon head had a dark expression: ¡°Lin Hao has proposed in front of the Divine that His Divine Majesty choose a location for a harbor, permitting trade with the Heavenly Demon, bringing all smuggling trade under the control of the Great Song Court and imposing commercial tax. He also mentioned something about licenses, specifying that only merchants authorized by the Great Song Court could engage in trade at this harbor. Moreover, Great Song will establish embassies and consulates in the major Heavenly Demon Origin lands¡ª¡±


    Qi Wuji was shocked upon hearing this; ¡°Your Highness, if Lin Hao¡¯s strategy is implemented, it would be extremely detrimental to Purgatory; they must not be allowed to reach an agreement.¡±


    He could already foresee the results of legalizing trade with the Heavenly Demon¡ªjust the fact that it would significantly increase Great Song¡¯s finances alone, would enable the sustenance of even larger armies.


    They would also be able to acquire more Heavenly Demon alloys, and even Heavenly Demon war weapons, and further solidify the treaties with the Heavenly Demons.


    At least those merchants benefiting from this would not want to see any new conflicts arise between the Federation and Great Song.


    Qi Wuji snatched a letter from the hand of the dragon-headed man and glanced over it, his gaze growing even sharper.


    Lin Hao claimed to be inexperienced due to his youth, but from his words, it was clear he deeply understood human nature and was calculating!


    Not only had he accurately grasped the shift in the East Abyss¡¯s attitude towards the Heavenly Demons, but with a licensing system, he managed to change the Emperor and the First Divine Envoy¡¯s attitudes, minimizing resistance.


    And this strategy of centralizing the harbor in one location not only reduces the court¡¯s management costs but also maximizes the reduction of potential issues stemming from the legalization of trade.


    Qi Wuji felt both admiration and jealousy, fueling his homicidal intent.


    Over the past eight hundred years, countless righteous individuals within Great Song saw the benefits of trading with the Heavenly Demons and aimed to legalize it, but could never accomplish it.


    The Divine Palace and the court always severely cracked down on this idea, even inciting numerous major incarcerations.


    Yet, this matter was successfully handled by Lin Hao alone¡ªa result of the times and shifting circumstances, but Lin Hao¡¯s capabilities were also extraordinary.


    The dragon-headed man was already casting a sidelong look at the leader of the Shadow Killing Team, a murderous intent in his eyes: ¡°Did you already know this?¡±


    The Heavenly Demon side has a so-called ¡®Quantum Communication¡¯ cultivation method, which allows real-time message transfer.


    This man was intentionally withholding this news, effectively not wanting to further fuel his killing intent and initiate an attack on Lin Hao here.


    The Shadow Killing Team leader¡¯s face was hidden behind a face mask; his expression was cold but his demeanor calm: ¡°I already knew, so what? I have no obligation to report proactively.


    Moreover, Your Highness, if you really intend to risk being crushed to death by the East Abyss to assassinate Lin Hao here, then please forgive the Shadow Killing Team for not accompanying you!¡±


    Although this Purgatory Prince had leverage over him, it wasn¡¯t to the extent that he would knowingly face certain death.


    The dragon-headed man stared at the Shadow Killing Team leader for a long while, then huffed heavily: ¡°I hope this doesn¡¯t happen again!¡±


    At this moment, they had already missed the best opportunity; Lin Hao¡¯s command of over 2500 Dragon Transformation Masters had already penetrated the city, their actions so swift that they had, in this short time, slain nearly a hundred Sixth Realm Demons.


    He hadn¡¯t made preparations in advance, and his entirely Dragon-transformed Purgatory Demon Army that could act under him was still 700 miles away, requiring time to arrive.


    And with the Shadow Killing Team leader¡¯s highly resistant attitude, the dragon-headed man didn¡¯t have confidence.


    The Shadow Killing Team leader¡¯s face relaxed, and he softened his tone: ¡°Indeed, Lin Hao must be eliminated, but there¡¯s no need to rush. The governance of the Heavenly Demons is slow to make decisions, inefficient, and heavily internally constrained, while the treaty terms negotiated between the Heavenly Demon President and Great Song require approval by the Heavenly Demon legislature; we could drag this out, preferably until after the Heavenly Demon elections.¡±


    ¡°As for Lin Hao, we could take action after the East Abyss enters its Divine Sleep, which I estimate will be in about 15 to 20 days, based on what I know about the longest duration of the Abyss¡¯ Awakening.¡±


    The Shadow Killing Team leader narrowed his eyes: ¡°There¡¯s no need to strike within Luojing. Having missed this opportunity, we can still lure him out. Didn¡¯t the East Abyss order him to find the fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet within six months? We could set a trap using a piece of the Divine Tablet to lure him out, which should be easy for your Purgatory forces, right?¡±


    The dragon-headed man¡¯s expression shifted upon hearing this, they didn¡¯t have the fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet, but mimicking its aura was supposedly easy since it supposedly originated from the ¡®Root¡¯.

 Chapter 565: 538: Holy Thunder Shines Bright (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 565: Chapter 538: Holy Thunder Shines Bright (Please Subscribe)


    On Lin Rui¡¯s Flying Car Magic Artifact, Lin Rui was glancing sideways at Tian Xiang Divine Envoy.


    ¡°Seems like your prestige in Tiantong County is not so strong either? This situation puts me in a difficult position.


    Just now, after Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s howl, only a part of the people in Tiantong County laid down their weapons, the vast majority just furrowed their brows, with faces showing struggle and confusion.


    On the city walls, hundreds of thousands of rebels still had bloodshot eyes and fierce expressions, crouching behind the battlements like beasts, growling and roaring.


    Some of them, under the command of the Bright Holy Sect¡¯s priests, even operated crossbows, shooting at the Battle Dragon of the court side.


    But of course, this is not an issue of Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s prestige.


    ...


    The spiritual state of the citizens of this Tiantong County likely has problems, probably mesmerized by Illusion Techniques and drugs. That Tian Xiang Divine Envoy could forcibly awaken some of them already shows her high prestige and important status among the citizens.


    Tian Xiang Divine Envoy glanced at him, then closed her eyes, chanting scriptures.


    ¡®Holy Thunder radiant, Holy Light illuminant, pity our world¡¯s people, filled with woes¡ª¡¯


    This Tian Xiang Divine Envoy had only recited a few lines when people within the county began responding.


    First were those who laid down their weapons, then more and more people joined in, chanting together.


    These hundreds of thousands of voices gathered together, forming a tumultuous wave like a mountain roar and ocean tide, trembling heaven and earth, shaking the hearts of people.


    ¡®Much of life is flawed; dust of demons stains; thousand calamities, numerous ailments compete; thus what joy in living or pain in death¡ª¡¯


    At this moment, the world gradually turned pure white, countless Light, Thunder, Fire elemental forces converged, making the whole jurisdiction of the county sparkle with streaks of gold thunder.


    Also, some demons in the city caught fire spontaneously, their bodies exuding a sacred white flame.


    Even those rebels on the city wall, the blood-red lustre in their eyes gradually faded; they either knelt or sat, joining in the prayer to Light Heavenly Venerate.


    Around Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s body, a layer of white brilliance was also emitted, with a faint but piercing fragrance drifting freely.


    At this moment, the many restrictions on Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s body gradually loosened, no longer able to suppress this Ninth Realm Super Monarch.


    Xianyu Yan had to step forward, pressing the long sword in her hand on Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s shoulder, suppressing the Elemental Power within the envoy¡¯s body.


    Lin Rui inwardly cursed, ¡°Damn.¡±


    He sensed that the Abyss Source Core hidden inside the Battle Dragon absorbed a huge amount of pure Spiritual Power and Light Source Essence in an instant.


    The Fake Abyss Source Material inside the Battle Dragon¡¯s body was even boiling and swelling rapidly!


    To the point that Lin Rui almost couldn¡¯t suppress it and almost released his Pure Concept, covering the entire area!


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit troublesome¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui felt an immense headache at this moment.


    He absolutely did not want to expose his mastery of the Abyss Concept, but it seemed that it was still under control.


    This was partly because his Martial Intent had deeply conceptualized up to 15%, and partly because of his newly awakened SSS+ Bloodline Talent ¡®Divine Soul Enlightenment¡¯!


    This was precisely the Bloodline Armament that Lin Rui had recently implanted in Shangguan Tianyi.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t understand why the Bloodline Talent he consolidated turned out to be Divine Soul Enlightenment?


    There was clearly no such Bloodline Talent in the ¡®Radiant Thunder Sacred Body¡¯; Lin Rui could only guess it had something to do with the Divine Blood bestowed by the East Abyss?


    In any case, this talent completed the last weakness of his impostor God¡ªDivine Soul!


    It allowed his Divine Soul to briefly reach an indestructible state like a divine being of the Abyss, unaffected by space and time, and also enabled him to control his Abyss Concept and the Abyss Source Material within his body to the greatest extent.


    This was also initially the Armament that Lin Rui planned to implant, one of the Bloodline Abilities he must awaken, simply waiting for the Sacred Body cycle to finish before implanting.


    For him, Lin Xi, and Lin Yi, the value of this ¡®Divine Soul Enlightenment¡¯ is simply like an X-level ability.


    So at this moment, what truly troubled Lin Rui was the rapid increase in Abyss Source Material within his body!


    These Fake Source Essences not only quickly increased in coincidence rate with the true Abyss Source Material but also rapidly grew in quantity.


    The question was, did these source materials belong to him, to the Great Sun Venerable, or to that deceased Seventh Generation Sect Leader? Or perhaps another being from the Yang Element Abyss, the Light King?


    During the recitation by Tian Xiang Divine Envoy, she had been observing Lin Rui.


    She was now certain beyond a doubt that this National Guardian of Great Song was indeed the Lord of Purity and indeed the Light Heavenly Venerate!


    Tian Xiang Divine Envoy could not only clearly feel the incomparable affinity of this man with the Yang Element Elemental Power, but as the congregation of Light followers chanted and prayed, she felt the Battle Dragon inside the Dragon Box responding to her prayers!


    At this moment, the situation within the county suddenly changed; as the heavens and earth began to turn pure white, the rebels on the city walls also ceased their resistance, and many Dragon Transformation Masters and Battle Dragons under Lin Rui¡¯s command stormed into the city.


    The millions chanting the Bright Holy Scripture not only drew boundless Yang Element Elemental Power, forming massive ether wave tides that shook and impacted all demonic forces, bloodlines, and Primordial Qi in the city but also condensed a majestic and grand spiritual power in the void, forming the illusion of the Supreme Divine Artifact ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, causing those demons to suffer unbearable torment and emit wretched screams.


    Wang Chenghua watched this scene but his gaze was cautious, his heart reluctant: ¡°Sir, are you truly prepared to spare these rebels?¡±


    ¡°Lin¡¯s word is as immovable as a mountain, each word weighs a ton!¡±


    Lin Rui thought that if he hadn¡¯t spoken those words, it might be alright, but since he did, he must fulfill them as it concerned his political credibility.


    ¡°Although the citizens of these two counties can be spared death, they cannot escape punishment; after the battle, they must be relocated to the frontier counties to atone for their sins. The emptied Tiantong and Xuanhua counties, I plan to propose to the court to build a future commercial port here.¡±


    He paused then side-eyed Wang Chenghua: ¡°Killing prisoners is unfortunate, especially in a significant trade port area. If the killings are too severe, the future consequences could be dire, and neither you nor I could bear that responsibility.¡±


    Wang Chenghua, startled by the words, reasoned that these two county cities were going to be converted into commercial ports? The location wasn¡¯t bad, not too far from Luojing City, just right as the land of the two county cities was being cleared.


    If so, indeed, rampant slaughtering was not good.


    Once because of this, there is large potential for residual grudges nearby, and the local civilians may easily undergo a Demon Transformation.


    Lin Rui then looked around with his knife prepared, using ¡®Divine Soul¡¯s Clarity¡¯ to sense his surroundings: ¡°It seems those Purgatory Demons don¡¯t intend to show themselves for a fight; Captain Xianyu, keep watch over this Tian Xiang Divine Envoy!¡±


    This Xianyu Yan was the strongest blade in his hand.


    Since those Purgatory Demons didn¡¯t intend to show face for a fight, there was no need to unsheathe this peerless treasure blade.


    ¡°The rest of you, follow me to strike!¡± Lin Rui then smiled and glanced at Meng Weiyun beside him: ¡°Senior sister, shall we have a competition? Let¡¯s see who can slay more demons, but no using Battle Dragons.¡±


    He spoke as he donned the Heavenly Demon Armor, ¡®Heavenly Decree¡¯.


    After Lin Rui¡¯s cultivation entered the Sixth Realm, this Heavenly Demon Armor exuded a different aura than before.


    He could now bring out the divine might of the armor to its fullest extent, reaching a Seventh Realm Super Monarch!


    Meng Weiyun raised her brows, uttered ¡®okay¡¯, then suddenly dropped down from the Flying Car.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have that competition!¡±


    Lin Rui quickly followed, turning into white Thunder after his fall, arriving deep in the city, his blade flashing, slicing a demon into two.


    Lin Rui continued, flashing forward amid the booming thunder, decapitating one Sixth Realm demon after another.


    Prompt: Slaying a Sixth Realm demon, acquire 23531 points of Soul Power.


    Prompt: Slaying a Sixth Realm demon, acquire 18353 points of Soul Power.


    The Battle Spirit Ring continuously fed this information into his soul.


    Since those Purgatory forces were unwilling to intervene, this rebellion suppression was trivial.


    Lin Rui now only wanted to make the greatest effort, slaying as many demons as possible, to gather more Soul Power.


    He currently had two uses for a large amount of Soul Power.


    One of which, was to decipher and replicate that strand of Sword Qi imbued with divine power from the East Abyss that had entered his National Guardian Dragon Seal.

 Chapter 566: 539: Immortal Level (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 566: Chapter 539: Immortal Level (Please Subscribe)


    About 10 minutes later, Lin Rui sheathed his sword and returned to the Flying Car.


    There was no longer anyone in the city worth his effort; demons above the Sixth Realm had essentially been wiped out.


    Meng Weiyun also sheathed her sword and returned to the Flying Car shortly after.


    In today¡¯s battle, Meng Weiyun had slain a total of 22 demons above the Dragon Transformation Master level, yet her face was pale upon her return, devoid of any pride in her achievements.


    For one thing, Meng Weiyun¡¯s record paled in comparison to Lin Hao, her junior brother. Although he had only just entered the Sixth Realm, his Bloodline Talent was incredibly strong, and he wore the Heavenly Demon Armor ¡®Heavenly Decree¡¯ crafted by Divine Spirits. His battle power had reached the Seventh Realm Super Monarch level, which indeed put him slightly ahead of her in terms of overall strength.


    Moreover, Lin Hao¡¯s Martial Arts specialty allowed him to have an overwhelming advantage against opponents weaker than himself, often able to determine the outcome with a single strike.


    ...


    Secondly, the demons she had slain were born and awakened in extremely tragic ways.


    Meng Weiyun had already seen in the city the sites where demons were produced.


    In one case, demons disguised as Light Priests executed a family of thirteen by dismemberment to stimulate the awakening of a demon in a girl they deemed qualified.


    They also killed thirty-six boys and girls so that after the girl awoke, she could be nourished with enough vital essence to directly advance to the Seventh Realm.


    The scene was so bloody and brutal it was unbearable to witness.


    Trembling with anger, she spat with fury, ¡°These demons are completely insane! Utterly insane!¡±


    Yet what was infuriating was the clear evidence that someone within the city was in complicity with the Purgatory Demons.


    She turned her head and coldly glared at Tian Xiang, the Divine Envoy, with a snort loaded with murderous intent and disgust, ¡°As expected of the Demon Sect!¡±


    Although Tian Xiang couldn¡¯t see the situation inside the city, she could guess what was happening; without betrayal by someone from inside the Bright Holy Sect, it would be impossible for those Purgatory Demons to reach this extent so quickly.


    She kept silent, but her eyes revealed shock, anger, and suspicion.


    She wondered, King Ming, oh King Ming, do you have something to do with this? Did you betray our Luojing Sect? Why would you do this?


    Tian Xiang hoped this had nothing to do with him; otherwise, she would drag him into Purgatory even if she had to become a vengeful ghost.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui was inquiring with the Ring Spirit, whose response left him slightly disappointed.


    Tip: Your soul power points are insufficient. To analyze the Immortal Level Sword Qi inside the National Guardian Dragon Seal requires 600,000 soul power points.


    Lin Rui had inquired with the Ring Spirit before, which had replied that the Battle Spirit Ring¡¯s power was not enough, requesting 200,000 soul power points to restore it to 40% capacity.


    Having slain nearly 40 Sixth Realm demons and 4 from the Seventh Realm, Lin Rui harvested nearly 730,000 soul power points, which were enough to restore the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Yet after the restoration, the Ring Spirit stated that 600,000 soul power points were needed to unravel the mysteries of this Sword Qi.


    However, this was within Lin Rui¡¯s expectations since it was the power of the East Abyss preserved in his National Guardian Dragon Seal, and the Ring Spirit had determined it to be of Immortal Level.


    Lin Rui harbored the thought of analyzing this Sword Qi because he found that it was entirely based on the power of the National Guardian Dragon Seal, originating from the vital essence of those three Tenth Realm, Immortal Level Battle Dragons!


    The ¡®amount¡¯ of this Sword Qi was actually very small, but the ¡®quality¡¯ was extremely high; a figurative analogy would be a needle forged from the highest density, highest-grade alloy.


    Lin Rui took to heart that since the Sword Qi was based on the power of the National Guardian Dragon Seal, could he possibly analyze it and then replicate it?


    In any case, the National Guardian Dragon Seal was constantly drawing vital essence from the War Dragon Hall, meaning it could be replenished indefinitely.


    Besides, Lin Rui had both the Abyss Source Core and the Abyss Source Material, in addition to the National Guardian Dragon Seal.


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly, continuing to consult the Ring Spirit, asking if the ¡®Blood God Wings¡¯ could be further extrapolated and advanced to the Seventh Realm Super Monarch? He requested that the forged Battle Dragon from ¡®Blood God Wings¡¯ be able to merge with the projections of Divine Spirits from the majority of Battle Dragons and accommodate the Dragon Soul.


    ¡®Blood God Wings,¡¯ a Sixth Realm Super Monarch level secret technique, was one of Lin Hao¡¯s trump cards for survival, allowing him to forge a Battle Dragon with the accumulated Blood Evil power. However, he could summon the projections of three Tenth Realm Battle Dragons from the War Dragon Hall, which he never used.


    After Lin Rui advanced to the Sixth Realm, he already had his own nearly godly Battle Dragon, which made the ability to form a Battle Dragon with Blood Evil power seem redundant.


    So Lin Rui thought about whether he could use the Blood Evil Secret Technique in combination with the Battle Dragon projections to further enhance the battle power of those three Tenth Realm Battle Dragon projections.


    Giving a solid body to the Divine Spirit Souls of the Battle Dragons, rather than their previous ethereal forms, should greatly strengthen their power.


    Tip: To extrapolate and raise the ¡®Blood God Wings¡¯ to the Seventh Realm Super Monarch, 100,000 soul power points are needed.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately chose to exchange.


    Afterwards, Lin Rui felt the sensation of his Divine Soul consciousness becoming a top-level supercomputer, simultaneously extracting and collecting all related knowledge from the universe, deducing and calculating it.


    ¡°Not good!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes flashed with surprise and suspicion.


    He wasn¡¯t extracting knowledge from the universe around him, but from ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯ and ¡®Root¡¯.


    This knowledge was contained within the ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯ and ¡®Root¡¯, originating from countless Divine Souls fused within!


    Lin Rui looked at the Battle Spirit Ring on his hand with astonished eyes, then gazed at the ground beneath his feet, as if his vision could pierce through the earth to see the ¡®Root¡¯ deep within the Purgatory depths.


    So, could his ring, like the Abyss Divine Tablet, also be related to ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯ and ¡®Root¡¯?


    Lin Rui was emotionally turbulent, like stormy waves, unable to calm down for a long time, until Meng Weiyun by his side spoke up and snapped him out of it.


    ¡°Junior Brother, things inside the city have almost been dealt with. Time is of the essence in war, it¡¯s best if we set out for Xuanhua County as soon as possible.¡±


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s eyes showed a trace of worry.


    By now, Xuanhua County would have surely received the news, and Meng Weiyun feared that the demons there would go out of control, committing frenzied slaughter.


    Every moment they delayed, thousands or tens of thousands of lives might fall at the hands of these demons in Xuanhua County.


    Lin Rui nodded slightly and instructed Wang Chenghua, who was still on the distant city wall.


    ¡°Lord Wang, please lead a thousand Dragon Transformation Masters to guard this city, and make sure all the followers of the Demon Sect are well-monitored. Do not give those Purgatory Demons any opportunity to exploit.¡±


    Wang Chenghua turned immediately and cupped his fists towards Lin Rui.


    ¡°Your subordinate obeys! I will hold Tiantong City secure, nothing will go wrong!¡± Wang Chenghua then reminded with a solemn face: ¡°Lord National Guardian, still, you must be cautious. I sense that there are extraordinarily strong masters lurking nearby.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured Lord Wang, I am aware.¡±


    Lin Rui, with his keen Divine Sense, also perceived this. He waved nonchalantly, then quickly issued orders, and in just five minutes, had gathered his scattered subordinates throughout the city to march towards Xuanhua County.


    Xuanhua City was very close to Tiantong City, only about 1500 li away. Their flying cars and ships took a mere 10 minutes to arrive over Xuanhua City.


    Just as Meng Weiyun had predicted, a horde of demons were rampaging through the city, collecting more qi and Blood Evil to enhance their battle power.


    To her surprise, those Purgatory Demons disguised as ¡®Priests¡¯ hadn¡¯t fled but remained in the city, continuing to produce more demons and control them in combat.


    Meng Weiyun felt a chill in her heart, realizing that these Purgatory fiends still hadn¡¯t given up on their plan to besiege and kill Lin Hao and sought to confront them with the hundreds of Dragon-transformed demons within the city.


    Lin Rui, however, didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately ordered a full-on assault.


    He knew that even half a second¡¯s hesitation could reveal weaknesses to the enemy.


    Perhaps their Divine-level leaders indeed had intentions of luring the enemy in, but Lin Rui wasn¡¯t clear on the East Abyss¡¯s specific schemes. His mission was to suppress the rebellion, so he would choose the fastest and least costly method to quell the uprising in the northern Jingzhou region.


    This battle was a bit tough, and after a good quarter of an hour, Lin Rui returned to the flying car, his body imbued with the Blood Evil power.


    He stood on the coachman¡¯s seat of the flying car and looked around, finding that the aura of those top-tier masters had completely vanished.


    These Purgatory Demons ultimately did not have the courage to show up and battle them.


    ¡°They¡¯ve retreated,¡± Meng Weiyun stated as she also returned to the flying car.


    She, too, was smelling of blood, with a small wound on her shoulder.


    Meng Weiyun looked at Lin Rui with a touch of admiration: ¡°Junior brother is truly courageous and wise!¡±


    ¡ª Just like during their time in Wangcheng County.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her words: ¡°I am confident that their strength is limited, and they are waiting for reinforcements from Purgatory, not daring to squander easily.¡±


    After sheathing his sword, he even formed a hand seal and executed a Dragon Transformation-level magic that sealed off the nearby void.


    ¡°Sister,¡± Lin Rui said seriously, ¡°I actually have a matter of great urgency that I¡¯d like to discuss with you when the opportunity arises. Are you interested in prosthetics and Heavenly Demon Medicine? Would you be willing to take a risk and pave the way for our master?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Meng Weiyun¡¯s pupils dilated, her expression one of surprise: ¡°Pave the way for our master, what do you mean?¡±


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes, looking into the distance: ¡°I¡¯ve found a new channel that can provide the top-tier medicines, the top-tier prosthetics, and the best prosthetic doctors. Master is dubious of this channel, but I personally find it credible. I¡¯m wondering if you¡¯d be willing to give it a try?¡±


    Upon hearing the first parts, Meng Weiyun¡¯s eyes already shone brightly, filled with a strong desire.


    However, after listening to everything, she was still deep in thought.

 Chapter 567: 540: Reach the Sky Connection (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 567: Chapter 540: Reach the Sky Connection (Please Subscribe)


    Two days later, at the Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute, Lin Rui was lying in a surgical pod while Si Malin was examining his body.


    Si Malin looked at the scanning image of his body and said with admiration, ¡°Xiao Rui, the artistry of these celestially forged bones you¡¯ve implanted for yourself is really quite something. The connection with the meridians is very precise, with only a few omissions and some areas that aren¡¯t perfect, but none of these are problems. I just need to make some minor adjustments now, and they will perfectly integrate with the meridians in your body.¡±


    ¡ª What baffled Si Malin was that Lin Rui had performed the surgery on himself, replacing his own bones.


    Could a normal person even do such a thing?


    When Lin Rui previously wanted to implant ¡®Twin Celestial Bones¡¯, just so happened, Si Malin was invited to perform surgical implantation for a Congressional Honorary Member, an appointment that had been scheduled long ago and could not be refused.


    Impatient, this guy went ahead and replaced his entire set of bones by himself.


    ...


    At the time, Si Malin was quite worried that Lin Rui¡¯s surgical skills might not be mature enough and that the implantation would be inadequate. A failure in implantation would be one thing, but he was afraid of the potential for future complications.


    After all, whether it was the Great Sun Celestial Bones or the Wan Lei Celestial Bones, their structure is incredibly complex, making the implantation quite difficult, demanding a deeper integration with the human meridians¡ªa difficulty that could be astronomically high.


    But after his examination, Si Malin found that this guy¡¯s surgery was very successful with tight integration.


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly: ¡°I still can¡¯t compare to the professor. Some areas are not very well done.¡±


    Si Malin continued looking through Lin Rui¡¯s body examination data, shaking his head: ¡°No, your surgical abilities are already perfect. What you lack is the understanding of the body¡¯s innate meridians, incomparable to my decades of immersion.¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself that Si Malin was spot on. The prosthetic techniques he inherited from Huangfu Qi indeed did not include aspects of meridians, and he had been studying this recently.


    ¡°Combined spiritual power score, 24,821, close to the median standard of an Admiral. Your improvement after undergoing Dragon Transformation is substantial. Oh¡ª¡±


    Si Malin suddenly exclaimed: ¡°Your spiritual strength score is very high! At 42,342 for a single metric, reaching the standard of an Admiral. Your spiritual power was already high before, but it wasn¡¯t quite at this level. It was the quantity that was lacking, pulled down by other detailed items including endurance and sensitivity scores.


    The current international standard for spiritual power scoring is set by the Martial Arts Association, which mainly focuses on quantity. If we switch to the scoring method of the East Asia Martial Arts Management Bureau, the composite score could be over 40,000, as they value quality more. East Asian Martial Cultivators have unique insights into spiritual cultivation, generally stronger in quality than the Western.¡±


    Lin Rui was not surprised at all; his spiritual strength was indeed very high, and this was even without using the Martial Arts Extreme Intent.


    Once he used the Martial Arts Extreme Intent, he estimated that his strength could increase by more than double, nearing the One-star Marshal level. The Abyss Divine Tablet had brought him great benefits.


    Ever since Lin Rui felt that he might become a vessel for the Abyss, he had been prioritizing exchanges for abilities to enhance spiritual power with the three Battle Spirits.


    ¡°¡ª Comprehensive physical quality, 11,231 points; this is the effect of Alien Body Assimilation not keeping up. Your body itself is not cultivating a Battle Dragon right now. I¡¯ve checked the assessment data of your alien core chip; it¡¯s at 18,234 points, which is also a leap in improvement.¡±


    Next was the most important Abyss Source Material test. Si Malin took a sharp breath: ¡°Your Fake Abyss Source Material has reached a coincidence rate of 56.52% with the genuine Abyss Source Material! That¡¯s high.¡±


    He turned his head and looked at Lin Rui inside the surgical pod, thinking to himself that this guy might really become the Abyss one day.


    As Si Malin pulled up Lin Rui¡¯s body monitoring data, he complained: ¡°After your Dragon Transformation, you should have come for a check-up earlier; we might have missed the most important data.


    Also, you¡¯ll have to come here again in a few days. I will invite a few Academicians from East Asia to run a high-precision comprehensive test and analysis on you. One is to collect data for our Project X; the other is to analyze your state. If the coincidence rate of the Abyss Source Material is too high, it might make you a vessel for those Abyss entities being revived.¡±


    Lin Rui pondered that he too wanted to come back for an examination earlier, but the issue was that the East Abyss had been awake for three whole days, only falling asleep this morning.


    Lin Rui and Luo Wangshu had not dared to use the shards of the Abyss Divine Tablet these past few days; who knew if the East Abyss would peer over in their direction out of boredom?


    All things considered, the East Abyss was cuter while it was asleep; otherwise, everyone¡¯s private life would be nonexistent.


    ¡°The examination is fine, you can pick a time and let me know. In fact, after undergoing Dragon Transformation, I¡¯ve performed body checks on myself twice using some fairly cutting-edge equipment. I can send you the examination data later, but professor, I have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    Lin Rui said, narrowing his eyes: ¡°I¡¯d like to ask the professor to come to Sky Extreme Star. I have an alien friend who needs prosthetic surgery, and I¡¯d like to ask for your support. I can guarantee safety; as you know, my business has gotten very big, enough to ensure your safety.¡±


    ¡°An alien friend? What kind of friend, a business partner?¡±


    Si Malin was somewhat puzzled: ¡°I need to know the identity of the other party. You cannot let me be completely unaware of the surgery subject¡¯s identity. Moreover, your own surgical skill is already very high; why not just do it yourself?¡±


    The Federation prohibits prosthetic doctors from performing surgeries on people of Tianji Star unless there is a special permit granted by a Federation security agency.


    Si Malin didn¡¯t care about this Federation law. Who would know what he did in Tianji Star?


    However, Si Malin was still patriotic, knowing that implanting prosthetics for some people of Tianji Star was not a good thing for their Alien Walkers and all of humanity.


    Lin Rui hesitated slightly, ¡°It¡¯s a current Cabinet Minister of Internal Affairs Bureau of the Great Song, Meng Weiyun. The surgery will be done by me, of course. However, for various reasons, I cannot let her know that I am the one performing the surgery, so I am asking for you to stand in for me, professor. Don¡¯t worry, I have already obtained permission from the Security Bureau.¡±


    ¡ª He himself, as the Thunder Admiral, could simply approve the documentation.


    Si Malin¡¯s hand trembled upon hearing this; he never expected that the individual Lin Rui wanted him to perform surgery on was such a high-ranking and influential figure.


    Cabinet Minister of the Internal Affairs Bureau? That position could only be held by a Third-rank Heavenly Official, a top-tier official in the Imperial City Department. Above that rank are the Second Rank Vice Divine Envoy and First-Rank Divine Envoy candidates.


    His expression became solemn and he looked at Lin Rui with utmost seriousness: ¡°Xiao Rui, I want to know, what exactly is your alien doing in Tianji Star?¡±


    Si Malin was indeed very curious about this matter.


    Looking at Lin Rui¡¯s words, this guy¡¯s business scale is truly huge. Just look at the dock next to us, there are already 5 destroyer starships, 12 guardian battleships, and 12 armed merchant ships, among which the destroyer starships, as well as some of the guardian battleships, are significantly enhanced versions with Sky Extreme Star rune technology.


    In their shipyard and factory, there are many more ships, combat robots, and combat mechas being assembled.


    Lin Rui seems to have scoured a huge number of parts for ships and war machinery from somewhere and has hired nearly 13,000 mechanical engineers, purchased several thousand intelligent industrial robots and robotic arms of different models, and is working overtime to assemble them. It is said that the work schedule has been arranged for the next half year.


    Si Malin already knew that Forest Interstellar Trade Company, Forest Shipbuilding, and the newly established Forest Heavy Industry were all enterprises solely owned by Lin Rui, thus he became even more puzzled.


    If the Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals was developed by Lin Rui using his own formulas and with the help of Fang Ranran, then what about his interstellar trade company?


    How did Lin Rui establish his buying and selling channels on Tianji Star? And through what way did he obtain those high-quality second-hand parts?


    This doesn¡¯t make sense!


    Then look at Lin Rui¡¯s personal studio, and Forest Alien Company.


    Just a few days ago, Purple Gold Flower Law Firm helped Lin Rui acquire another small Alien Company, making the number of Alien Walkers under Lin Rui¡¯s banner exceed 4000.


    In addition, there are three well-equipped enhancement groups using standard equipment from East Asia, all members being elite and the combat power considerable.


    Under his command, there are also numerous Eighth Realm and Seventh Realm experts led by Wang Tianwu and Lu Hanyuan, with fifty to sixty Dragon Transformations. His power has ballooned like blowing up a balloon in these few short months.


    So what exactly is this guy doing on Tianji Star? How is he making so much money to sustain such a grand scene?


    Lin Rui thought that after a while, he might need to ask Si Malin to stand in for him, to help deceive his own master, Luo Wangshu. Thus he straightforwardly said: ¡°The reason why my trade business on Tianji Star has grown so large is because I¡¯ve hitched a ride with someone, you should have heard of him, Lin Hao of the Great Song Spy Detection Bureau Commander.¡±


    ¡°Lin Hao?¡± Si Malin stiffened, looking at Lin Rui incredulously: ¡°You mean that Lin Hao who¡¯s the National Guardian Marquis of Great Song, Cabinet Minister, Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau? The one who¡¯s been pushing strongly for the trade legalization between Great Song and the Earth Federation?¡±


    Recently this matter has been a hot topic online, almost all media and social media have been bombarding with reports and discussions.


    Lin Hao, a youthful hero, has a certain popularity on the Federation network, and now the heat is skyrocketing, with a high surge in traffic, which also indirectly led to a booming increase in sales for Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company.


    Si Malin is also well aware of this person¡¯s name.


    ¡°Who else could it be?¡± Lin Rui nodded: ¡°Meng Weiyun is his elder martial sister, and she has also been a great help to me.¡±


    After hearing this, Si Malin couldn¡¯t help but swallow a gulp, thinking that if it¡¯s Lin Hao, then the Surgical Implantation can indeed be done. According to his understanding, although Lin Hao is strict in law enforcement, he¡¯s one of the few open-minded figures in the Great Song Court.


    Of course, he was just going to stand on stage for his disciple.


    However, his own disciple actually hooked up with Lin Hao?


    That¡¯s the de facto Crown Prince of Great Song, with connections that reach the skies¡ª


    Si Malin found it beyond belief, somewhat unable to accept it, and after completing a physical examination for Lin Rui, he kicked him out of the lab. He decided to be alone for a while, to suppress the shock.


    At this moment, Si Malin recalled another matter: ¡°Right, Xiao Rui, I, along with the East Asia Science Academy and Mr. Number 3, based on the data and Battle Dragon scans you submitted, have completed the design of your Mecha Dragon.


    Looking at your current physical condition, no major modifications are needed, only minor adjustments according to your Source Essence concentration are required, and I will send you the detailed adjustment plan after I communicate with the people at East Asia.


    You can let him start cultivating your Mecha Dragon. I am looking forward, hoping that the concepts from East Asia Science Academy and I can all be realized.¡±


    This is another matter that has piqued Si Malin¡¯s curiosity, just who is this top-tier Biological Engineer under Lin Rui, known as ¡®Mr. Number 3¡¯? The craftsmanship of creating Armament is so impressive!


    With such a talented person under Lin Rui, naturally, he should be responsible for cultivating Lin Rui¡¯s Mecha Dragon.


    Si Malin¡¯s main responsibility is to mediate between the East Asia Science Academy and this person, designing the parts related to Fake Abyss, as well as the human meridian design for the Battle Dragon, making it more compatible with the human body.


    The structural diagram and adjustment data of this Mecha Dragon was designed based on the Battle Dragon¡¯s inspection data that Lin Rui conducted on Tianji Star a few days ago.


    ¡ª Lin Rui¡¯s Battle Dragon is yet another matter that has left Si Malin amazed.


    Lin Rui¡¯s counterfeit Battle Dragon was also very close to a real Abyss Battle Dragon.


    However, the current scientific community does not have instruments for detecting Abyss Source Material in Battle Dragons¡ªmainly because such large instruments cannot be manufactured, so Si Malin does not know that Lin Rui¡¯s Abyss Origin Material Coincidence Rate is so high.


    He¡¯s really curious now, whether his disciple will break through to Longevity in the future? Or will he become a Divine Being?


    Lin Rui is indeed planning to visit his own villa¡¯s basement to see his Mecha Dragon and his sister Lin Yi, who is ready to come to Tianji Star.


    In addition, Huang Fuqing has another mission, to cultivate Alien bodies and their Battle Dragons for Shangguan Tianyi and Xianyu Yan.


    The Alien body for Shangguan Tianyi is almost done, and the one for Xianyu Yan is in cultivation.

 Chapter 568: 541: Proposal (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 568: Chapter 541: Proposal (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui arrived at the basement of his villa and received a message from Gong Hengdao.


    Gong Hengdao: BOSS, I have received the families of Li Yuehua and Hou Yuting, along with their sleeping pods. They are all safe and sound. I have arranged for personnel to escort them and placed them at the dock base.


    Upon reading the message, Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Tell the security personnel to pay special attention to their safety. Coordinate with Xue Lingxue to fabricate new identities for them, and try not to leave any loopholes or loose ends.


    Just half a day ago, Li Yuehua and Hou Yuting used a flying book to send back the Divine Contract they signed, which means that these two SS-class reserve Two Star Marshals officially joined his ranks.


    It might be that they saw the Immortal Level Dragon Skin Paper used by Lin Rui for the Divine Contract materials, and then hesitated for two days before agreeing to sign the Divine Contract.


    ...


    Lin Rui, growing impatient, was about to ask the Divine Eye Bureau to ¡®hurry them a bit,¡¯ but they sent back the Divine Contract that afternoon, also inquiring if Lin Rui could mobilize Great Song¡¯s forces infiltrated inside the Earth Federation to help protect their families and physical bodies?


    Lin Rui checked and realized that the location of Li Yuehua¡¯s family and physical body¡¯s nutrition cabin was about to be exposed.


    The situation of Hou Yuting¡¯s physical body was slightly better, but still very dire.


    Naturally, Lin Rui would not refuse. He arranged for Gong Hengdao to lead the rescue and subsequent settlement.


    The dock base was the safest base under Lin Rui¡¯s command, not only equipped with three enhanced battalions and thousands of formidable Alien Walkers but also filled with combat robots and automatic turrets. The outer walls of the base were reinforced to withstand nuclear blasts equivalent to tens of millions of TNT, and the core area¡¯s defense was even more formidable, specially used to house high-level research personnel and families of Dragon Transformation Masters.


    The internal environment was also good, with schools, supermarkets, etc., and soon a dual-purpose high-speed rail connecting to the Ninth Base district would begin construction.


    Having the families of the two Two Star Marshals stay here would not only ensure a comfortable life but also safety.


    Gong Hengdao: Understood! Also, Li Yuehua¡¯s physical body has awakened and is trying to gather information about us. She probably realizes we aren¡¯t Alien Agents from Great Song. Personally, I think it will be difficult to conceal your identity from them, BOSS.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Don¡¯t worry about it. It doesn¡¯t matter if they figure it out, but there¡¯s no need to reveal it now. Let her guess on her own.


    With their Divine Contracts and families in his possession, even if they discovered Lin Hao¡¯s real identity, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    Those who know his true identity could actually serve as core members under his command.


    Lin Rui subsequently messaged his Chief of Human Resources, Wang Tianwu.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Old Wang, make sure to complete the task I assigned as soon as possible.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Understood, BOSS! Rest assured, I will find the most suitable personnel in the shortest time possible.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Currently, I have recruited seven people from the Dark Mercenary World, and their abilities are quite impressive. Although I cannot guarantee their loyalty, these few have credible reputations in the Mercenary World. As long as we pay them well and provide good treatment, they will be obedient.


    Given the identities of ¡®Moonlit Fairy¡¯ Li Yuehua and ¡®Snowy Night Ice King¡¯ Hou Yuting, it¡¯s definitely impossible to utilize them directly, but it¡¯s such a waste to keep their powerful physical bodies in sleeping pods all the time.


    Also, Xianyu Yan¡¯s Alien features are too distinct, she couldn¡¯t appear alongside Lin Rui either.


    Lin Rui plans to invest heavily to recruit 30 to 40 Dragon Transformation Masters and corresponding support personnel, forming two SS-class and one SSS-class rated tactical teams around the three of them for external use, serving as hidden power and strength of the Forest Group.


    Since these activities are covert and won¡¯t directly contact Lin Rui or his forces, the loyalty requirement for these team members isn¡¯t as high.


    He would directly issue various commands to the three team leaders, headed by Xianyu Yan.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): The progress is slow, speed it up.


    After sending this message, Lin Rui entered the laboratory exclusively used by Huang Fuqing.


    Lin Rui¡¯s villa had undergone several expansions, and he had also acquired a piece of land from Linghu Mingde. However, as Lin Rui¡¯s power rapidly expanded, the underground space of the villa felt increasingly cramped.


    Firstly, he inspected a huge culture tank for the Mecha Dragon in the lab.


    Currently, nearly two-thirds of the Mecha Dragons were Alien versions of the Battle Dragons.


    Hundreds of years ago, the Biological Scientists of the Earth Federation tried many technological paths to help Armored Martial Cultivators reach the Dragon Transformation Realm, but none succeeded.


    Eventually, they opted for this crude method: since humans could integrate the genes of Tianji Star people to cultivate Aliens, could they not, in turn, implant Aliens into Battle Dragons?


    This has become the mainstream and most cost-effective technological path.


    Two hundred years ago, the Federation developed two types of biotechnologies: the first generates Sixth Realm Outer Elixir that possesses the Source Essence of dragons, allowing Armored Martial Cultivators to enter a pseudo-Sixth Realm; the second is a technology for hatching spirit and body integrated creatures.


    Although this technology could cultivate Mecha Dragons without needing Alien Battle Dragons, it required a massive amount of precious materials from Tianji Star and high spiritual power.


    Xue Bogao was preparing to use this technology to cultivate his Sixth Order Combat Dragon before he died.


    Since Lin Rui had Alien Battle Dragons, he naturally employed the mainstream technology.


    Huang Fuqing had already started cultivating it for him, and it was still just a palm-sized piece of flesh, nothing much to look at.


    However, Wang Yinyue, who was standing beside, was watching very earnestly, almost without blinking.


    Until Lin Rui walked up to her, Wang Yinyue was jolted awake. She turned her head to glance at Lin Rui beside her, her eyes suddenly brightened, and then she respectfully greeted: ¡°Yinyue congratulates Divine on the Dragon Transformation, and also asks for Divine¡¯s forgiveness for any offence.¡±


    Lin Rui responded indifferently by flicking his sleeve: ¡°No worries! This is what I promised you, and you have been doing very well in your work this past month. I am very satisfied.¡±


    He could not be unsatisfied; in these days, Wang Yinyue had already refurbished all his type six and type seven combat robots and had also modified three destroyers.


    It appears she has limitless energy, as she started to get involved in the assembling and production of combat robots and Combat Mechas, collaborating with Heart of Light No.9 to improve the production line.


    When these combat robots and Combat Mechas come off the line, they will be equipped with a preliminary Rune System.


    This is suitable for those models type five and below, bringing their combat ratings generally to S, or even S+ level.


    Wang Yinyue, in her high-intensity desperate efforts, doesn¡¯t even ask for a salary.


    Lin Rui was seriously considering giving Wang Yinyue the Best Employee Award.


    He glanced at the flesh in the cultivation pod and curiously asked: ¡°Can you understand it?¡±


    ¡°I see the human body as a precision machine composed of various cells, each cell is composed of countless precise parts.¡±


    Wang Yinyue explained with a smile, her eyes flickering with a strange brilliance, ¡°I can feel the Divine¡¯s radiance is more obvious and more brilliant.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded: ¡°You may look, try not to affect the progress of the warship refitting.¡±


    ¡ªOnce the legalization of trade with Great Song is officially implemented, Lin Rui will need a large number of powerful warships to protect his trade fleet.


    Lin Rui then went to see Shangguan Tianyi.


    Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s Alien had awakened and was in Martial Arts Hall No.1, adapting to her human body, practicing swordsmanship methodically with Ji Xueying.


    As she was raised during the cultivation of the Alien, Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s integration of spirit and body had undergone specific adjustments; though she had just left the cultivation tank, her movements were already very fluid.


    At this moment, Lin Yi, accompanied by Lin Xi, was also standing beside, watching the two spar without blinking.


    Lin Rui walked in, and as he was leisurely watching, Fang Ranran¡¯s video call came through.


    When the signal connected, Fang Ranran¡¯s image projected in front of Lin Rui, her expression extremely solemn, ¡°Emergency situation, the goods we entrusted to Tongda Logistics Company to the Tenth Base were hijacked. Calculated at market price, our total loss reaches 2.5 billion federal coins.¡±


    Lin Rui was startled for a moment, his gaze turning grim, ¡°Do you know who did it? Tongda Logistics Company is from Ninth Base, a top logistics company. Who dares to make a move on them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said to be the second plundering fleet of the Star Chain Pirate Group, they directly intercepted their route and demanded our goods; Tongda Logistics Company¡¯s fleet did not resist and handed over the goods directly.¡±


    Fang Ranran visibly sighed in the video, clearly trying hard to suppress her anger, ¡°Tongda Logistics Company has sent us a letter, saying they are willing to compensate us for our losses. However, if we want to entrust them with shipping goods in the future, we must pay thirty times the insurance fees, which is almost half the price of the goods. And it¡¯s not just them, other logistics companies are either terminating cooperation or asking us to increase the fees.¡±


    Fang Ranran then sent a document to Lin Rui: ¡°Also, here is a purchase offer we just received from Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company; they want to buy Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals for 300 billion federal coins.¡±


    Lin Rui smiled wryly, thinking to himself how outrageous these people were.


    He flipped through the document, raising an eyebrow, ¡°Alta Devonshill?¡±


    ¡°He is a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank expert, the tenth generation Alien Walker, also a promising talent among Alien Walkers. His power base is not as strong as Jin Bolong, but his personal combat power is superior.¡±


    Fang Ranran rubbed her temples, troubled, ¡°I suspect this person is a pawn pushed forward by some people. The Star Chain Pirate Group is the second most powerful pirate force after the Evil Pirate Group. This Alta Devonshill does not have command over them.


    They do not wish to confront my family directly, so they pushed forward this figure to see our reaction. The explosive performance of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals has made them uneasy.¡±


    Lin Rui thought how idle these people must be, creating such a disturbance between Great Song and the Federation, and they can¡¯t divert their attention?


    Unfortunately, at this moment, Xianyu Yan¡¯s Alien and Battle Dragon are still in cultivation, and three level eight squads are still in formation. Otherwise, just with this force would be enough to eliminate this Alta Devonshill.


    However¡ªLin Rui rubbed his temples, sensing the Sword Qi hidden inside the National Guardian Dragon Seal in his Primordial Spirit, and smirked slightly: ¡°Not a big problem, leave this matter to me.¡±


    This Sword Qi, he had already decoded using six hundred thousand soul power points.


    It¡¯s a pity he couldn¡¯t perfectly replicate it, but fortunately, this decoding still significantly enhanced his combat power.


    Lin Rui now not only fully understood the mystery of the Immortal Level Martial Arts but could also replicate this Sword Qi to the 8SSS+ level!


    The terrifying aspect of this Sword Qi is that the moment it is released, it would trigger 80% of Destiny and Fatal Concepts!


    It shows that the person from East Abyss not only mastered several Abyss Concepts belonging to him but also dabbled in other powerful Abyss Concepts.


    The Ring Spirit not only decoded this Sword Qi, but also indicated to him that with just a hundred thousand soul power points, he could improve it, replacing the integrated Conceptual Power with his own grasped Conceptual Power, such as the Pure Method, and like after his advancement to Dragon Transformation, the strength that had reached 35% of the Twist Concept.


    Nevertheless, the divine authority of this Sword Qi in Lin Rui¡¯s National Guardian Dragon Seal will gradually fade away.


    Lin Rui was originally regretful about this, but unexpectedly, he could still make a use of it today.

 Chapter 569: 542: Solving Him (Request for Subscription)

    Chapter 569: Chapter 542: Solving Him (Request for Subscription)


    ¡°Can you handle it?¡± Fang Ranran looked at Lin Rui in surprise: ¡°The opponent is a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank! Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company also has two directors, who are Eighth Realm masters won over by Alta Devonshill with shares, and their strengths are not to be underestimated either, capable of reaching the power level of Eighth Realm Emperor Rank.¡±


    This is not Great Song!


    Fang Ranran had always speculated that Lin Rui was Lin Hao, the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, trying to verify indirectly.


    But now she felt that she might have thought too much.


    That Lord Lin can now command a million-strong army with a single word, thousands of Dragon Transformation Masters, and a dozen Ninth Realm Masters, his power overwhelming.


    Although Fang Ranran had been busy with the election campaign recently, she was also aware that Lin Hao had not only vigorously promoted trade between Great Song and the Earth Federation but had also recently commanded thousands of Dragon Transformation Masters to quash a rebellion in the northern part of Jingzhou, displaying formidable and authoritative power!


    ...


    However, even if Lin Rui was Lin Hao, he couldn¡¯t possibly handle Alta Devonshill.


    After all, this is the Earth Federation, and Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company has several Eighth Realm masters.


    Fang Ranran furrowed her brows: ¡°Should I mobilize some personnel from the Dual Stars Alien Company to assist you?¡±


    But in reality, the Dual Stars Alien Company was also under great strain; her father-in-law had been safeguarding their election campaign, and currently, the company¡¯s manpower was at a high load.


    ¡°No need.¡± Lin Rui was already accessing the database of the Security Bureau, looking up all the relevant information on Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company while also mobilizing personnel.


    He shook his head: ¡°I said I can handle it, just wait for my news.¡±


    This Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company is quite capable, plus Alta Devonshill¡¯s personal Alien Company, has two battalions of the National Guard and over two thousand Alien Walkers.


    Such power is nothing compared to Lin Rui¡¯s fledgling conglomerate.


    So Fang Ranran guessed right, this indeed is a puppet pushed forward by certain powers.


    Lin Rui made a decision immediately, needing to resolve this with the fastest speed and the most ruthless method.


    Only by doing so could he keep his hidden enemies ignorant of his real situation and buy himself some time.


    After hanging up Fang Ranran¡¯s call, Lin Rui thought for a moment and then opened up Xue Lingxue¡¯s communication.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Xue Ying, you¡¯ve received the information about Alta Devonshill and Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company, right?


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Yes, Boss. This Devonshill is infuriating, but I¡¯m more concerned about the person behind him.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Don¡¯t think too much for now, just focus on Mr. Devonshill for the time being. I noticed there¡¯s a charity auction tonight at the International Arts Center, and Devonshill is invited. He will pass through Tunnel A33421 on his way there.


    Lin Rui sent the message along with a three-dimensional map.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Design an assassination plan now, finish it tonight!


    Sitting in the office of the National Security Special Action Center, Xue Lingxue¡¯s expression hardened. She glanced outside the door, pressed a button on her desk to maximize the anti-eavesdropping and anti-detection functions of the doors and windows, and also activated a surround sound wave interference, before finally making a call to Lin Rui.


    Xue Lingxue spoke solemnly: ¡°Boss, according to the intelligence, Devonshill is not only a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank himself, he also has two Eighth Rank Combat Robots, and his security team includes three Seventh Realm guards.


    I checked the guest list for the auction, and those two Eighth Realm directors are also attending, they¡¯ll likely move with Devonshill¡¯s convoy.¡±


    ¡°My aim is to eliminate this entire group.¡±


    Lin Rui obviously knew what Xue Lingxue was worried about, he crossed his arms and chuckled lightly: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, speaking of which, this is rather fortuitous, you should know that I was assigned to quell a rebellion in northern Jingzhou recently, right?¡±


    Lin Rui saw Xue Lingxue nod, then pointed to his brow: ¡°That person probably worried that I would be assassinated during the rebellion, so they left me a means of defense, which I estimate could instantly kill a Congressional Honorary Member.


    So, you just plan according to this combat strength standard, my requirement is to intimidate the masses with a thunderous force. After all, when a lion fights a rabbit, it uses all its strength, let alone us, who at most can be considered a mere rabbit-monkey.¡±


    Lin Rui actually felt a bit regretful inside. Using the Sword Qi on Alta Devonshill was a bit of overkill.


    He would have rather used that Longevity Sword Qi on the people behind Alta Devonshill.


    Upon hearing this, Xue Lingxue secretly shuddered. Could it really instantly kill a Congressional Honorary Member? If so, that would simplify matters.


    ¡°Understood, I will design the plan according to your requirements, BOSS.¡±


    She began to evaluate the forces at Lin Rui¡¯s disposal, a strange gleam in her eyes.


    The power of the group around BOSS was already quite significant.


    Even without considering the Dragon Guard Captain who had achieved the Nine Realms Emperor Rank but hadn¡¯t become an Alien yet, there were in total one SS+ level person, three SS level people, and two 7SS+ level people, plus two 7SS level individuals who would soon join Lin Rui¡¯s studio due to their Armament Syndrome.


    Besides, Lin Rui also had Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi, the Dual Stars whose combined combat effectiveness had reached above the Sixth Realm Emperor Rank.


    In terms of hackers, there were Number 9, two SS+, and SS-ranked Lin Xi, plus Number 7 and Number 6, two intelligent supercomputers that could provide remote support.


    Xue Lingxue thought they indeed required more time.


    Given one more month, once the new Armament technology from Rui Fang Intelligent Biological Research Institute was mature, and a few more congressmen were selected, Lin Rui¡¯s power would take a significant leap.


    Lin Rui and Xue Lingxue ended their communication, and he again crossed his arms, lost in thought.


    At this time, Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi had stopped their sparring; the four girls in the Martial Arts Hall gathered around, looking at Lin Rui with mixed expressions of confusion and concern.


    Lin Rui, seeing their expressions, couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said? This time the problem isn¡¯t big.¡±


    Lin Xi also heard Lin Rui¡¯s comment on ¡®instantly killing a Congressional Honorary Member¡¯, and deduced that this emergency should be easily resolved.


    However¡ª


    Lin Xi¡¯s expression was solemn; ¡°The issue is, this is just the preliminary battle for Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, right? They won¡¯t just let it go.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, after their probe fails, they will reassess me and then plan their next move,¡±


    Lin Rui nodded, ¡°So for the next few months, I will do my utmost to perform Purification treatments for both of you. If necessary, we might even need to use your Abyss Battle Dragon, Lin Xi. You and Wang Sen also have to advance to Dragon Transformation quickly.


    Furthermore, Tianyi, I will have master intervene to help awaken your Limit Heart Origin 20 days from now. Though it¡¯s less effective than natural awakening, we can¡¯t wait any longer for you to awaken naturally.¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s pupils dilated slightly as she fell silent again.


    She and Wang Sen were still far from reaching Dragon Transformation. Lin Xi¡¯s body was already implanted with Dragon Armor, while Wang Sen had not yet undergone the implantation; it would likely take another 4-5 months.


    Her Abyss Battle Dragon could be mobilized as combat power, although the respected ¡®Heavenly Dragon of Despair¡¯ was currently owned by Heavenly Authority Biological Company and was stowed in the company¡¯s basement.


    But after all, it was her Battle Dragon, and establishing a stable mental connection with it was all she needed.


    Using the ¡®Heavenly Dragon of Despair¡¯ carried significant risks, potentially causing a rapid increase in the Abyss Source Material inside Lin Xi¡¯s body, and the Abyss Pollution in her Primordial Spirit could also become more severe.


    Nonetheless, Lin Xi would never allow someone to take Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals from her brother.


    To combat the Longevity Association, to avoid becoming a container for the Abyss¡¯s revival, and to survive, they had to possess significant wealth and power.


    Shangguan Tianyi also slightly nodded with a solemn expression.


    Although failing to awaken the Limit Heart Origin naturally was regrettable, from Lin Rui¡¯s phone call, she realized that Lin Rui¡¯s ventures within the Earth Federation were facing tremendous challenges.


    Consequently, she must quickly awaken this talent, which would not only greatly enhance her combat power but also allow her to implant two more pieces of Emperor Rank and Super Monarch Rank Armament.


    Lin Rui briefly reassured the four girls before moving aside to call Xu Mengran.

 Chapter 570: 543: Oppression (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 570: Chapter 543: Oppression (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui¡¯s call with Xu Mengran was meant to discuss the customization of combat robots and Outer Elixirs.


    Alta Devonshill and his Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company, despite being no significant threat, heralded the advent of a far greater storm¡ªan imminent high-intensity war.


    Lin Rui must maximize his strength and stockpile weapons and ammunition for the upcoming conflict.


    However, the biggest weakness of their group was himself.


    Without the ability to use Abyss Level powers, Lin Rui was just a 6SSS+.


    Even with the use of the Outer Elixir ¡®Kui Dragon¡¯ and the 8X-type ¡®Imperial Power¡¯ Exoskeleton Armor modified from the ¡®Emperor¡¯ as his foundation, his combined combat power could only reach 7SSS+ level, which made him an easy target for enemies.


    ...


    It was not possible for Lin Rui to elevate his realm and cultivation at will; it required time to accumulate and settle, so he could only rely on external forces to enhance his personal combat strength and defense.


    Lin Rui also happened to have a substantial amount of money on hand, enough to allow him to purchase the type 9 combat robots and type 8 Outer Elixirs that he previously wouldn¡¯t have dared to even think about.


    However, within the Earth Federation, only a few institutions were capable of manufacturing these type 9 war machines¡ªthe Federation Science Academy, East Asia Science Academy, East Asia Engineering Academy, North American Federation Science Academy, Atlantic United Science Academy, and Western military technology companies holding brands like ¡®Emperor¡¯, ¡®King¡¯, and ¡®Knight¡¯, Ouya United Machinery Company which owns brands like ¡®Red Spider¡¯ and ¡®Giant Bear¡¯, as well as Dragon Clan Heavy Industry which produces a variety of combat robot and Mecha models like ¡®Wisdom Dragon¡¯, ¡®Dragon Slayer¡¯, ¡®Panlong¡¯, and others.


    And all they produced were prototype models, because the manufacturing technology for type 9 combat robots was not yet perfected, and Federation mechanics couldn¡¯t fully bring the combat power of these robots and Mechas to the true Ninth Realm level, so they could only be considered pseudo-Ninth Realm.


    Besides these few institutions, even companies and studios with top-level Mechanics had to modulate, modify, and enhance the type 9 base robots and Mechas provided by these institutions to give them greater combat power.


    This is because the metallurgical technology, material synthesis, and precision machining involved in type 9 robots is not something that a few dozen or even a few hundred mechanical engineers could complete, they required an entire industrial system.


    Therefore, no matter how skilled a Mechanic was, they could not produce type 9 robots and Mechas on their own.


    Earth Federation¡¯s regulations were also very strict, and only by obtaining authorization from the Earth Federation, could one order type 9 war machines from these institutions.


    In fact, once the war machines reached type 8, they were beyond the reach of ordinary Armored Martial Cultivators, and the appearance of every single type 8 Combat Mecha and combat robot on the black market would cause a sensation and a scramble from all sides.


    As for type 8 and type 9 Outer Elixirs, their precision was even higher than that of the war machines, with greater demands on materials.


    The current technology was either reliant on the heavenly treasures from Sky Extreme Star for production, which made the price extraordinarily expensive; or the national-level scientific research institutions used top nano-technology and the best in material science to create them.


    If Lin Rui wanted to procure these items, he would inevitably need to seek help from Xu Mengran.


    At the same time, Lin Rui also wanted to further strengthen the security forces of his dock base, preparing to build two more reinforced National Guard battalions.


    He was acutely aware of a fire support deficiency, feeling that the military strength under his command was not only insufficient for offense but possibly also for defense.


    ¡°As per Earth Federation regulations, your Rui Fang¡¯s tax contributions can increase at least two National Guard divisions, so there¡¯s no problem with qualifications. We have enough second-hand equipment to supply you with 80% new equipment at cost price, we can even help arrange personnel for you. The tricky part is the type 9 combat robots and type 8 Outer Elixirs ¡ª if provided by East Asia, it will definitely raise suspicions from all sides.¡±


    In the video call, Xu Mengran saw Lin Rui frowning, with a solemn expression and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Fortunately, about two months ago through special channels, I acquired two Red Spider 8pro model bases, and one ¡®Righteous Angel¡¯ Outer Elixir; are you interested?¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t say that he had foreseen Lin Rui¡¯s craving for advanced war machines as early as two months ago and had made preparations ahead of time.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows lifted in surprise, his gaze filled with disbelief: ¡°¡®Righteous Angel¡¯ Outer Elixir? How is that possible?¡±


    In fact, the Red Spider 8pro model was a type 9 combat robot developed by Ouya United Machinery Company.


    Due to funding shortages for development, they named their type 9 robots the 8pro model to circumvent Earth Federation legal controls.


    As long as the buyer was willing to pay a premium, they dared to sell despite Earth Federation regulations, and Ouya United Machinery Company had been involved in multiple legal battles with the Federation¡¯s justice department for this.


    The type 9 combat robots produced by this company were technically the weakest among type 9s, but they were very generous with materials, piling on top-grade alloys, making the armor exceptionally thick, and utilizing antimatter engines for powerful propulsion, equivalent to the more brute-force version among type 9 combat robots, known for their durability and ruggedness.


    Therefore, their costs were extremely high, and their selling price was more than double the cost, making the cost-performance ratio very low.


    Alas, the product from Ouya United Machinery Company is the only one for sale to the public and also the only way for the powerful factions within the Federation to bypass federal control and obtain the Type 9 robots.


    The ¡®Righteous Angel¡¯ is not something just anyone can buy; it is an Eighth Realm Light Element Outer Elixir produced by a Western military technology company. They aren¡¯t short on money, as they have ample funds for research and development, and their internal sales channels alone are sufficient to absorb all of their high-end products.


    ¡°This was originally acquired by a Congressional Honorary Member at a high price, intended as a gift for his daughter. However, due to recent business difficulties, he had to resell it to raise funds, which is quite a loss of face.¡±


    Xu Mengran explained the reason: ¡°But the ¡®Righteous Angel¡¯ is still decent enough, being of the 8SS+ grade. Those two Red Spider 8pro models, however, are both blank slates, and you¡¯ll have to figure out how to enhance them yourself. We can¡¯t help you with the modifications; our Mechanics have too distinctive styles which could expose our relationship.


    Furthermore, the Red Spider 8pro¡¯s posture sensing equipment, control systems, and combat AI are quite lackluster. Ouya United Machinery Company¡¯s programming for combat AI isn¡¯t that great to begin with, and to circumvent federal regulations, they¡¯ve castrated the combat AI before selling, so you¡¯ll have to find your own way with that too. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯ll be acceptable to you?¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but fall into contemplation; the posture sensing equipment and control system could be replaced, and he could handle the combat AI himself.


    When the time comes, he could just let No. 9 and No. 7 each split off a sub-body for control and then improve through actual combat training and in-depth study.


    As for modifying and enhancing the battle armor, he wondered if Wang Yinyue and No. 9 could handle it? If not, he would have to pay a top Mechanic to do the job.


    The Red Spider 8pro model has one advantage: due to the generous use of materials and its powerful actuators, it has great potential for modification.


    Seeing Lin Rui nod, Xu Mengran let out a light chuckle: ¡°Alright, the SS+ ¡®Righteous Angel¡¯ will cost 70 billion federal coins, and the two Red Spider 8pro models will cost 2.4 trillion federal coins. That¡¯s the cost price at which I acquired them, no rip-off, you can settle with Magic Silver and Divine Gold, or pay in cash, transferred to this account. Of course, if you don¡¯t have enough money, you can apply for it.¡±


    Lin Rui certainly knew Xu Mengran wouldn¡¯t cheat him in this regard, but still his face contorted.


    He knew this money had to be paid; the funds of the East Asia National Security Bureau came from the taxpayers, not Xu Mengran¡¯s own pocket.


    Actually, when he thought about it, it was quite a good deal: for 2.4 trillion federal coins, he could get two combat robots with some Ninth Realm combat capabilities.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Xu Mengran said, narrowing his eyes: ¡°I actually have two things I want to ask you about. One is Linghu Mingde; is his Armament Syndrome completely cured? And the other thing, what exactly is your Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute working on?¡±


    He had noticed Linghu Mingde frequently visiting this research institute, and upon further investigation, Xu Mengran found some clues ¡ª they might be developing a completely new technology.


    Lin Rui¡¯s spirit lifted slightly: ¡°My research institute, eh? Indeed, there are some nice things in there. It¡¯s a bit complicated to explain at once, so it¡¯s better for Commander Xu to set a time to come and see for yourself.¡±


    Thinking that he¡¯d have to earn back the money spent on Red Spider 8pro and ¡®Righteous Angel¡¯ from Xu Mengran or he would take his surname!


    After ending the call with Xu Mengran, Lin Rui still massaged his temples with a headache.


    He was already very wealthy, his total assets were approaching a trillion, but those Eighth and Ninth Realm treasures easily cost hundreds of billions each.


    Then he received another call, labeled ¡®Attorney Kang Mingkai of Purple Gold Flower.¡¯


    At first, he was puzzled, but then he sneered coldly and answered the call: ¡°Old Kang, what¡¯s up? Let me guess, the takeover offer from Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company?¡±


    ¡°You guessed right.¡± Radford Comming looked tired on the video call: ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bother with it, Zhirui Pharmaceuticals can¡¯t influence me, but Purple Gold Flower law firm has faced substantial pressure in just one day; several major clients sent threatening letters simultaneously, threatening to sever ties with our firm.¡±


    Lin Rui was not at all surprised, his lips slightly curled: ¡°So, old Kang, what do you plan to do?¡±


    ¡°That depends on you. If your Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals can withstand their assault, then I can set up my own law firm, dedicated to serving you and Miss Fang Ranran. If that¡¯s not possible, I will do my best to negotiate better terms for the takeover, but either way, I will not betray my clients.¡±


    Radford Comming¡¯s voice was very solemn and resounding: ¡°The purpose of my call is to convey an invitation on behalf of the firm. Alta Devonshill of Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company would like to invite you and Miss Fang Ranran to a charity auction tonight at the National Arts Center, to meet and talk with you.¡±


    As Radford Comming said this, his eyes were grave: ¡°I noticed that the corporations pressuring Purple Gold Flower law firm all have executives attending the auction. Clearly, this is a trap meant to compel you and Miss Fang to sell Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals. If you believe you can withstand some pressure, then I recommend not attending.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s lips curved slightly, thinking that it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea.


    But Alta Devonshill is unlikely to have the life to attend the banquet anymore.


    He snapped his fingers: ¡°Tell him I will attend, and also, old Kang, please do me a favor and send me the names of these corporations.¡±


    To know the enemy and know oneself is to be undefeated in a hundred battles; he had to first understand who his enemies were.

 Chapter 571: 544: Instant Kill (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 571: Chapter 544: Instant Kill (Please Subscribe)


    That afternoon, Earth time 5:12, a massive convoy drove off at the ring city highway tunnel A214 exit.


    Inside a luxurious armored official vehicle in the center of the convoy, Alta Devonshill, chairman of Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company, reclined on the spacious and comfortable sofa with a cigar in one hand.


    His nearly one-meter-wide, formidable body took up most of the space on the sofa, forcing his business partner, executive director Kate Bottel of Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company, to sit opposite him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Lin Rui to accept the invitation.¡±


    Kate Bottel¡¯s expression was very surprised as he curiously looked towards the direction of the National Arts Center: ¡°Do you think that guy is unaware of the situation, doesn¡¯t know how serious it is, or is afraid?¡±


    ¡°All possibilities. A lucky little brat, who made a bit of money with a few prescriptions and the protection of Linghu Mingde, how experienced could he be? I guess he¡¯s almost peeing his pants by now; whether it¡¯s us or the Star Chain Pirate Group, he can¡¯t resist our overwhelming power¡ª¡±


    ...


    Alta Devonshill sneered and gestured downward dismissively, then took a deep puff of his cigar laced with psychotropic drugs, exhaling a cloud of smoke: ¡°Anyway, once that guy goes to the National Arts Center, he¡¯s out of his element. This time¡¯s charity auction involves two from the Ninth Realm and twenty-two from the Eight Realms, just their combined spiritual pressure could scare him to death!¡±


    Kate Bottel¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly; he would also be one of those twenty-second from the Eight Realms!


    At this moment, his boss, Alta Devonshill, smilingly pulled out a check from his suit pocket: ¡°When we meet later, I plan to slap this check directly onto his face. What do you think, Kate?¡±


    ¡°Alta, I think it¡¯s best not to do that. Give some respect to Mr. Linghu, although he¡¯s close to death. I feel those few still regard him as a formidable force of the Sky Fox, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have approached us.¡±


    Kate Bottel shook his head lightly: ¡°300 billion is too low; it¡¯s an insult to Linghu Mingde, and Fang Ranran is not an ordinary person either, she has Fang Xianzheng backing her.¡±


    ¡°Then let Linghu Mingde come talk to me himself.¡±


    Alta Devonshill chuckled disdainfully: ¡°They will demand the moon but settle for less! Fang Xianzheng needn¡¯t worry; as long as we give him a share, he won¡¯t say a thing. Anyway, tonight, we must secure that kid and that girl surnamed Fang¡ª¡±


    Just then, a voice came from the driver¡¯s seat in the front.


    ¡°BOSS, something is off about this road; I¡¯ve noticed there are no vehicles ahead or behind us.¡±


    Alta Devonshill ¡®hmm¡¯ed and glanced out the window.


    At this point, they had entered a tunnel about seven kilometers long, built to avoid the densely commercial area and skyscraper clusters above.


    But at the moment, there were no vehicles in sight ahead or behind in this tunnel.


    Alta Devonshill instantly realized that it must be an extremely skilled hacker who had tampered with and blocked the traffic lights at the front and back intersections.


    ¡°Interesting!¡± His eyes narrowed, filled with sarcasm: ¡°All personnel on alert, inject a stimulant into every Mecha Dragon being prepped!¡±


    Due to this acquisition plan potentially sparking a war with the Linghu Family, Alta Devonshill had his own Mecha Dragon close at hand.


    Alta Devonshill, guessing that whoever dared to target his convoy beneath this commercial district must be confident, did not hesitate to have the Mecha Dragon crew inject a stimulant into their Mecha Dragons.


    Meanwhile, he also speculated about the assailant¡¯s possible affiliations.


    Linghu Mingde?


    Devonshill couldn¡¯t help but let out a chilling, sardonic laugh.


    This time, he not only brought all the high-level combat forces of Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company, but his business partners had also provided him with some support.


    If it really was Linghu Mingde, that old fool better be careful of losing his brittle teeth!


    ¡°Careful!¡±


    Executive director Kate Bottel was also on high alert as he suddenly shouted out.


    This was because the 34 armored combat vehicles, bulletproof flying cars, and 37 heavy-duty Mecha Dragon service vehicles around them all burst into flames from their engines, emitting large amounts of black smoke, tumbling downward like somersaults, then colliding with one another, creating a thunderous noise, sending countless metal fragments flying in all directions.


    Kate Bottel was shocked, thinking that the assailant hacker¡¯s skills were so powerful that they could simultaneously hack into a total of 71 flying cars?


    The control systems of these flying cars were fortified by top computer security experts!


    For now, only the ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ luxurious armored official vehicle they were in remained unaffected.


    However, the driver had already slowed down, allowing the vehicle to hover slowly in the air to avoid leaving the convoy.


    At this moment, the surrounding vehicles seemed to have lost their power during the severe collisions, deforming and twisting, looking disastrally disarrayed, but the many experts within, along with their Mecha Dragons, were completely unscathed.


    At that moment, Kate Bortel saw a young man standing about 200 meters ahead.


    The young man was just over nineteen, with handsome features and an ethereal demeanor. He was standing in mid-air with one hand on a saber, seeming like a heavenly descended sword immortal.


    ¡°Lin Rui?¡±


    Kate Bortel recognized the young man¡¯s identity immediately.


    Lin Rui was the hottest Martial Arts Star of late. Bortel had specifically researched him, so he was deeply impressed by Lin Rui¡¯s appearance.


    But when did this guy appear in front of them? What does he intend to do?


    Was today¡¯s attack orchestrated by this youngster? Such audacity!


    Another thing that puzzled Bortel was that Lin Rui was standing in front of them without even wearing exoskeleton armor, looking down at them with a contemptuous stance.


    ¡°It¡¯s him!¡±


    Alta Devonshill actually started laughing, flashing a mouthful of gold teeth.


    He crushed the cigar in his hand to dust, his voice filled with endless killing intent and ferocity: ¡°Speed up and run him over! Don¡¯t worry, I want to see what he relies on, daring to attack us in the central business district of the city!¡±


    Lin Rui watched the luxurious armored vehicle, which suddenly accelerated to its limit, without any expression on his face.


    He merely locked his Divine Thought on Alta Devonshill inside the vehicle, then waved his hand, causing a fine Sword Qi to emit from his brow, shooting towards the vehicle.


    At that very instant, Alta Devonshill, whose face was previously filled with a bloodthirsty smile, suddenly changed his expression.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Devonshill¡¯s Spiritual Sense barely caught that thin Sword Qi. In an instant, his whole body chilled, and goosebumps rose all over him.


    His soul felt a terror of the utmost severity, warning him.


    However, before Devonshill could react, a bloody hole was pierced through his forehead.


    Devonshill¡¯s Primordial Spirit didn¡¯t even have the chance to struggle before it was shattered into fine sparkling dust by the Sword Qi.


    Beside him, Kate Bortel¡¯s heart stopped beating at that moment too.


    Because the residual force of the Sword Qi did not die down but turned in midair, shooting towards him.


    Kate Bortel desperately tried to dodge, but the Sword Qi still blasted into his forehead.


    Just before his soul dissipated, the only brief thoughts in Kate Bortel¡¯s mind were:


    ¡ªWhat in the world is this? So fierce and overpowering! Could it be from the Immortal Level Martial Arts? How did Lin Rui master it?


    After releasing the Sword Qi, Lin Rui swept his sleeve, turned around, and left.


    He couldn¡¯t be bothered to watch the result of this sword strike, and immediately issued an order in the battle group.


    ¡°Dispose of them quickly, you have only 20 seconds. Also, in a minute, I want to see the bodies of these three people hanging on the flagpoles outside the National Arts Center.¡±


    At this moment, Peng Hai, sitting in another car as a special director from Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company, suddenly shivered violently and woke up.


    He knew that he had been influenced by an Illusion Technique just a moment ago, briefly falling into an illusion.


    This made Peng Hai gasp in shock. How proficient must this Illusionist be to let him fall into an illusion while he was fully alert and cautious! Who exactly is this expert?


    Peng Hai discovered something even more horrifying.


    He found that suddenly four powerful Eight Realm auras had appeared around him!


    They were attacking simultaneously, each launching their powerful Extreme Move at him, and the immense force was even causing the surrounding void to shatter inch by inch.


    Peng Hai¡¯s pupils constricted, a look of despair appeared in his eyes.


    He knew these four people, each of them not weaker than himself! At such close range attacks, using moves they had been preparing for a long time, Peng Hai clearly realized there was absolutely no chance of survival!


    ¡ªHe was doomed!

 Chapter 572: 545: Flagpole (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 572: Chapter 545: Flagpole (Please Subscribe)


    Fang Ranran did not accompany Lin Rui; at 5:10 in the afternoon, she entered the second dining center of the National Arts Center, accompanied by a lady in her sixties who still looked beautiful and elegant with an extraordinary demeanor.


    The charity auction they were attending was hosted by the ¡®Federation Biochemical Pharmaceutical Industry Association¡¯ and held in the form of a Western-style dinner party.


    As Fang Ranran stepped into the restaurant, she felt malicious gazes being cast at her from all directions.


    She also sensed powerful Divine Thoughts bearing down on her, implicitly threatening and intimidating. However, when the sixties-aged lady by her side swept a sharp glance to the side, those powerful Divine Thoughts retreated.


    They watched the lady with a trace of apprehension in their eyes.


    Fang Ranran heard a light laugh from the east side of the dining hall: ¡°Emperor Rank of the Eight Realms? Nearly reaching Super Monarch, interesting. Chairman Linghu indeed has an extraordinary foundation.¡±


    ...


    Fang Ranran glanced in the direction of the voice, her pupils contracting slightly.


    She saw that it was a Congressional Honorary Member, the chairman of Tianquan Biological Company, Qi Tianquan.


    Fang Ranran frowned; this Qi Tianquan should only be one of the figures behind Alta Devonshill.


    Yet, this person was directly participating in the banquet and exerting pressure on them.


    Fang Ranran turned her head and gratefully said, ¡°I¡¯ve troubled you this time, Auntie Qiu.¡±


    The real identity of the lady opposite her was Linghu Mingde¡¯s Protective Demon Qiu Jingshu, whose original form was a Mirror Demon.


    Should Linghu Mingde die, she would be the sole martial support of the Linghu Family.


    However, due to special bloodline reasons, Qiu Jingshu usually lay dormant in the Mirror World and could not appear in the Base City at all times.


    This time, Fang Ranran had specially awakened Qiu Jingshu from the Treasure Mirror as a precaution.


    ¡°Silly girl!¡± Qiu Jingshu chuckled softly, then looked around, ¡°I also happened to want to see that kid. Linghu Mingde has been singing high praises of him, but it seems he has not arrived yet. Hmm!


    Two of the Ninth Realm, twenty of the Eight Realms, this charity banquet is high-profile, filled with reserve Marshals. I just don¡¯t know what that kid is thinking. To willingly attend this potential trap, does he intend to surrender without resistance?¡±


    Qiu Jingshu knew that Linghu Mingde¡¯s health was getting better and could even hope to break through to the Nine Realms Divine Illumination soon, all related to that child called Lin Rui.


    Linghu Mingde also wanted her several times to wake up and visit the Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute for a full body examination scan, which could assist in her Alien Armament research.


    Yet, Qiu Jingshu had always been uninterested since her true strength laid in her original form, not in her Alien form that does not suffer from Armament Syndrome.


    What Qiu Jingshu cared more about was Fang Ranran, who, despite usually residing in the Mirror World, watched Fang Ranran grow up in the household.


    As a young girl, Ranran had ventured several times into the Mirror World, where she was pure and adorable.


    Of course, Ranran was still very adorable now.


    It¡¯s just that such an adorable girl already had someone in her heart.


    Thinking about this, Qiu Jingshu couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of loss. The naive girl who sweetly called her Auntie Qiu back then had grown up so much.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not like him, that guy is fierce.¡±


    Fang Ranran also glanced around: ¡°The chairman of Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company, Alta Devonshill, and his two directors have not yet arrived.¡±


    She had already found her seat based on the welcome cards placed on the table.


    People from the ¡®Federation Biochemical Pharmaceutical Industry Association¡¯ had arranged a few of them at the same dining table.


    The association was formed by dozens of top-tier biological pharmaceutical companies and prosthetic companies from the Federation, along with several national Biological Sciences Institutes, regional medical industry associations, pharmaceutical research and design units, and universities.


    Their cooperative attitude was quite thought-provoking.


    However, Fang Ranran wasn¡¯t too concerned. As long as their Bright Front could secure more than eight seats in the upcoming elections, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to influence the stance of the ¡®Federation Biochemical Pharmaceutical Industry Association¡¯.


    Just as Fang Ranran and Qiu Jingshu were seated, she saw Lin Rui, accompanied by Wang Tianwu and Lu Hanyuan, entering from outside.


    As Lin Rui entered, he, like Fang Ranran, also enjoyed the attention of all those attending the banquet, experiencing the pressing force of dozens of powerful Divine Souls.


    Nevertheless, this was the National Arts Center, a public place. Although these individuals harbored a menacing intent, they would still try their best to avoid causing significant Divine Thought fluctuations that could impact nearby ordinary people.


    Lin Rui, however, was undeterred, strolling in confidently under everyone¡¯s gaze.


    His Primordial Spirit strength was also at the General level. Although he was not a match for those Eight Realms and Ninth Realm Armored Martial Cultivators, he had no problem resisting their Divine Thought pressure. Moreover, with Wang Tianwu and Lu Hanyuan as protectors on his left and right, they took on most of the pressure for him.


    Lin Rui walked over to the opposite side of Fang Ranran with a carefree demeanor. He first nodded to Fang Ranran as a greeting and then, smiling, extended his hand to Qiu Jingshu, ¡°Are you Auntie Qiu? I have long heard of your renowned ¡®Heavenly Mirror Suspension¡¯, and today I am finally fortunate to meet you.¡±


    Lin Rui now relied on the Battle Spirit Ring to cheat when he wanted to solve a case. However, that wasn¡¯t how he operated when he was an arrest officer in the past; back then, he could only rely on himself.


    Linghu Mingde was different ¨C he earned his reputation as ¡®Heavenly Mirror Suspension¡¯ while serving as the County Magistrate.


    Yet, the true ¡®Heavenly Mirror Suspension¡¯ was actually Qiu Jingshu before him.


    It¡¯s just that Qiu Jingshu later retreated to the Mirror World and had kept a low profile for the past few centuries, and few people knew of her.


    Lin Rui had access to the intelligence databases of the Security Bureau and the Imperial City Department¡¯s archives, which allowed him to be well-acquainted with Linghu Mingde¡¯s information.


    Previously, Lin Rui had thoroughly investigated all of Linghu Mingde¡¯s records to confirm Linghu Mingde and Fang Ranran¡¯s identities.


    Qiu Jingshu smiled and shook hands with Lin Rui, looking him up and down with increasing satisfaction, ¡°Truly a person of impressive appearance, with exceptional demeanor. Worthy of being the peerless young hero of this world!¡±


    She was very pleased with Lin Rui¡¯s appearance and knew of his Alien identity as the National Guardian Marquis of Great Song, Cabinet Minister, and Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau!


    In this world of youth, who could compare to Lin Rui?


    Fang Ranran felt the atmosphere was a bit odd now. This didn¡¯t seem like a negotiation; instead, it more resembled bringing a boyfriend to meet the parents.


    She suppressed her voice and coughed lightly, ¡°Xiao Rui, what exactly are you thinking? Why did you agree to come to this meeting? Don¡¯t you realize this is a trap set by some people for us, akin to the Feast at Hong Gate?¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Rui laughed nonchalantly and signaled the waiter to serve the dishes.


    ¡°What kind of Feast at Hong Gate is this?¡± Lin Rui took a seat, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t come, some vermin from the sewers might think I was afraid of them!¡±


    His words made the gazes from the dozens of tables around even sharper, as if swords, spears, halberds, and polearms were ready to slice Lin Rui into countless pieces.


    At that moment, the waiter also approached Lin Rui, bowing apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Lin, Mr. Alta Devonshill has not arrived yet. Our banquet will only start formally after his arrival.¡±


    ¡°Alta Devonshill? Isn¡¯t he already here?¡± Lin Rui leisurely unfurled his napkin and draped it over his collar, pointing outside, ¡°Isn¡¯t that him outside?¡±


    The waiter was initially puzzled, but as he turned his head to look outside the glass curtain following the direction Lin Rui was pointing, his body immediately trembled slightly, and his face turned pale.


    The rest of the dozens of tables also generated a buzzing sound, with nearly everyone¡¯s gaze shifting to the flagpoles outside the glass curtain, normally used for hanging the Federation¡¯s flags and the flags of various internal political entities.


    They saw Alta Devonshill, the chairman of Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company, along with his top executive Kate Botter and executive director Peng Hai, as well as many Seventh Realm individuals from Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company, now all hanging from those flagpoles.

 Chapter 573: 546: Huge Waves (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 573: Chapter 546: Huge Waves (Please Subscribe)


    In the second dining center of the National Arts Center, exclamations arose one after another.


    ¡°Is that Alta Devonshill! Is he dead?¡±


    ¡°How could this be? What exactly happened?¡±


    ¡°He was actually hung on a flagpole? When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be possible, right? We haven¡¯t felt any strong etheric fluctuations in the city just now. Is that body on the flagpole a clone?¡±


    ¡°It should be Alta Devonshill, I recognize him and his two business partners. This doesn¡¯t seem like an Illusion Technique or clone subterfuge; it makes no sense.¡±


    ...


    ¡°The problem is, Alta Devonshill was at the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, when I spoke to him on the phone earlier, his convoy had already entered the city center, who could have done this?¡±


    ¡°The key is the timing, after you finished talking with Alta Devonshill, only 12 minutes had passed.¡±


    ¡°No! It could be less than two minutes. Look at the video I posted in the group chat. This was 6 minutes ago, footage of the Devonshill convoy entering the A42421 underground tunnel. Adding the time to hang Devonshill on the flagpole, it could be less than two minutes.¡±


    Guests at each of the dining tables were discussing in muted tones, deliberately keeping their voices low to prevent Lin Rui from overhearing.


    The many Eighth Realm masters who previously tried to pressure him with Divine Thought all simultaneously withdrew their divine intent.


    However, they all looked at Lin Rui with eyes filled with shock and incomprehension, and at the same time, intense wariness.


    ¡°This is madness! One 9SS, plus two 8SS, and more than 30 experts from the Sixth and Seventh Realms were taken care of in just a few seconds, without causing any noticeable elemental power fluctuations. Was it done by that young¡ªby Lin Rui? How did he do it?¡±


    ¡°It must have been Linghu Mingde, right? It must have been him.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t him, I¡¯ve confirmed it. Mr. Yang had a dinner appointment with Linghu Mingde tonight. He said that Linghu Mingde was always in front of him, never out of his sight, and perhaps even Linghu Mingde couldn¡¯t have managed this?¡±


    ¡°So, it wasn¡¯t Ms. Qiu either. It seems that Lin Rui cannot be underestimated! Director Qi and the rest have underestimated his strength. This young man didn¡¯t get this far just by relying on the Linghu Family.¡±


    ¡°Indeed! Lin Rui¡¯s background might not be as simple as we¡¯ve investigated. Just think about it, how did a student with cultivation only at the Fourth Realm manage to gather so many Dragon Transformation Masters?¡±


    ¡°Look at those two next to him, that¡¯s Wang Tianwu and Lu Hanyuan. That Wang guy, well, anyone with money is his mother, but Lu Hanyuan is not someone who can be easily recruited by just anyone.¡±


    While everyone was discussing fervently, Fang Ranran looked at the scene outside the glass curtain wall, equally shaken and lost in thought.


    She turned her head and looked at Lin Rui with an incredulous gaze: ¡°Xiao Rui, did you do this?¡±


    This guy actually took care of Alta Devonshill.


    Fang Ranran immediately felt that her words were inappropriate; wasn¡¯t this handing others ammunition?


    The Earth Federation, although it had gradually fallen into the hands of numerous Congressional Honorary Members, still ostensibly was a legal society.


    Beyond the law was public opinion; the media of the Federation and independent media were very developed, all adept at stirring up disputes and causing trouble.


    Here in public, one slip of the tongue could bring about great trouble for Lin Rui.


    So, she shook her head and changed the subject: ¡°Has the trouble from before been dealt with?¡±


    Lin Rui smiled slightly, ¡°Not completely settled, as you can see, there¡¯s still plenty of trouble here. A herd of demons and monsters, a swarm of malevolent spirits.¡±


    This remark made the many Eighth Realm Martial Cultivators in the restaurant darken their faces, their eyes seething with anger.


    ¡°`


    But these people were all silent, sitting in their places without uttering a word, casting a heavy and oppressive atmosphere over the entire dining center.


    Lin Rui waved his hand, signaling the waiter beside him to leave: ¡°But rest assured, the demons and ghouls from the sewers are nothing to worry about. Whoever dares to reach out to our company, Lin will kill them!¡±


    At this moment, he unexpectedly turned his head and looked towards the Congressional Honorary Member and chairman of the Tianquan Biological Company, Qi Tianquan.


    Their gazes met, as if sparks were flying between them.


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s eyes displayed a flash of rage and murderous intent, yet his expression was somewhat surprised.


    Lin Rui not only dared to meet his gaze, but he also showed no sign of retreat under the oppressive might of his Divine Thought.


    ¨CIs this really someone from the Fourth Realm?


    Qi Tianquan longed to respond to Lin Rui¡¯s provocation, but the death of Alta Devonshill made him shiver inwardly, forcing him to exercise some restraint.


    After all, within the entire Earth Federation, only a rare few could kill Alta Devonshill in mere seconds. They were either Ninth Realm Monarchs who possessed 9SSS+ level Extreme Secret Techniques, or Super Monarchs of Ninth Realm and beings of Divine Envoy Level!


    Qiu Jingshu looked at Lin Rui with increased admiration.


    In her mind, she wondered if this was the ¡®Hidden Crown Prince¡¯ of the Great Song Dynasty? His tactics and presence were extremely domineering and strong, far surpassing her old man when he was younger.


    The ¡°Hidden Crown Prince¡± mentioned here does not refer to the hidden prince of some ancient dynasty in East Asia, but it is the nickname given to Lin Hao by the court and the people within the Great Song.


    Just as their standoff resembled thunder against fire from a distance and the atmosphere in the dining center grew colder, they both simultaneously turned their heads to watch a holographic video projection being displayed in the center of the dining center.


    Not just the two of them, everyone present turned to look in the direction of the video.


    The video, meant to entertain the dining guests and provide some news information, played on holographic television.


    The volume of the TV was set to the lowest, but that did not hinder the many Armored Martial Cultivators present from watching.


    ¡°¨CWe interrupt with a breaking news announcement. Just ten minutes ago, the Second Starship Group Commander of the Federation¡¯s Star Navy, Zang Shaochen, decided to surrender himself to the Capital Police Headquarters. This is the footage captured by our reporters, Zang Shaochen has arrived at the police headquarters under heavy military and police escort.¡±


    ¡°Zang Shaochen, also known as ¡®Star Sea White Wolf¡¯, was born in 3821 and is the ninth generation Alien Walker of the Federation and one of the fourteen known 9SSS level Biochemical Martial Cultivators. He assisted the Federation in quelling the Divine Illumination Association rebellion 212 years ago and soon after took office as a Congressional Honorary Member and Commander of the Second Starship Group until now.¡±


    ¡°Not long ago, Zang Shaochen became involved in a blasphemy incident in Luojing of the Great Song and personally attempted to assassinate the Great Song¡¯s Spy Detection Bureau Commander, Lin Hao, triggering the wrath of the East Abyss and leading the Great Song¡¯s Honglu Temple to issue an ultimatum to the Federation, with Zang Shaochen named as someone the East Abyss insisted must be punished.¡±


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, we can see that Zang Shaochen has stopped on the steps of the police station; it seems he is willing to accept an interview. Let¡¯s hear what he has to say.¡±


    Lin Rui watched as Zang Shaochen stood on the last step of the Capital Police Department, looking down at the reporters in front of him and the plethora of microphones nearly shoved into his face.


    His silver-white long hair fluttered in the wind, and his handsome face was pale and bloodless, emitting a sense of melancholy and desolation.


    ¡°You ask me why I surrendered? Whether I think I am guilty? That¡¯s a good question.¡±


    Zang Shaochen seemed to laugh sarcastically, or perhaps mockingly at himself: ¡°I have never thought myself guilty, everything I do is for the Federation, for humanity. The reason I come to surrender today is simply because the Federation needs me to plead guilty. Only by my confession and surrender can we avoid war and open the gates of trade with Sky Etreme Star. I, Zang Shaochen, am willing to sacrifice for the Federation.¡±


    He paused in his speech, lifting his gaze to look into the distance: ¡°Taking this opportunity, I also have a word to tell the people of the Federation, as long as humans do not master Biochemical Martial Arts of Immortal Level and Abyss Level, we are always in danger of extinction. Those Abyss from Sky Etreme Star will eventually make a move against the Earth Federation, they will surely destroy our civilization and enslave our humanity.¡±


    After saying these words, Zang Shaochen turned and walked into the police station under the escort of numerous military and police officers.


    Against the background of the upward-angled cameras, he appeared tragically desolate, yet resolute and proud.


    Lin Rui watched this scene on the television, uttering a cold chuckle as he tapped on the dining table with his fingers, his eyes filled with deep contemplation.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 574: 547

    Chapter 574: Chapter 547


    Congressional Honorary Member Qi Tianquan was shocked by the self-surrender of ¡°Star Sea White Wolf¡± Zang Shaochen to the police, but on his way back home by car, he was still watching news reports about the tragic death of Alta Devonshill, chairman of Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company.


    His face was stern, and his gaze was focused.


    The self-surrender of Zang Shaochen had caused a tremendous sensation across the entire Earth Federation and was the focus of all media and self-media attention, with virtually every news channel discussing the matter.


    However, the death of Devonshill still caused quite a stir within Ninth Base City, managing to draw away some of the heat and traffic from the news of Zang Shaochen¡¯s self-surrender at the time.


    After all, the incident involved three reserve Marshals, and Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company was also a federal large-and-medium-sized company in Ninth Base City, valued at over a trillion federal coins. Furthermore, the incident occurred in the city center of Ninth Base City, a high society gathering spot such as the National Arts Center¡ªsomething the public of Ninth Base City was very concerned about.


    Qi Tianquan was also very concerned.


    ...


    ¡°¡ªLook, the bodies of Alta Devonshill and two directors of Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company, as well as many Dragon Transformation Level Armored Warriors of the company, are now hanging on the flagpoles. Due to federal regulations, our TV station had to blur their bodies. However, from what the reporters see, the way these people died was very tragic, and the police are currently taking down their bodies.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s switch screens to underground tunnel A42421, which is said to be the scene of Devonshill and the others¡¯ deaths. However, the police have sealed off the scene 20 minutes ago and are starting their investigation. There are also a large number of Security Bureau vehicles nearby; we cannot get close.¡±


    ¡°It is said that this incident is related to the current top trending Martial Arts Star, Lin Rui, on the internet. Twelve minutes after the incident occurred, a large police force rushed to the National Arts Center and summoned Lin Rui to the police station for assistance in the investigation. However, it is alleged that Lin Rui has an alibi and that the police have no evidence against him. After Lin Rui¡¯s personal attorney arrived, the police reluctantly let Lin Rui go.¡±


    ¡°At present, there is much debate on the internet about the death of Alta Devonshill. Some political commentators believe that Lin Rui has been framed. Although this active college student is a top Martial Arts Star and his Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals has an astonishing annual revenue of several hundred billion federal coins, Lin Rui himself does not have a strong background. It is improbable that he could have gained the power to confront three reserve Marshals in such a short time.¡±


    ¡°¡ªMany also believe that Lin Rui is a major suspect. On the day of the incident, Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company launched a takeover bid for Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals. According to reliable sources, Alta Devonshill may have been eyeing the huge profits of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals in the cosmetics sector, employing various means to attack Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals on the day of the incident¡ª¡±


    Qi Tianquan was watching this when he received a voice call request, the annotating information indicating it was from the Chief of Police of Ninth Base City.


    Qi Tianquan immediately connected: ¡°How is it, Old Dai? What are the autopsy results?¡±


    The Chief of Police replied in a hoarse voice: ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, Qi. We didn¡¯t find any useful clues in those bodies. The one who did the autopsy was Brett. You know his capabilities; he not only has considerable expertise in medicine and martial arts but is also a top-tier Stargazer.¡±


    Qi Tianquan frowned deeply: ¡°Really not a single clue?¡±


    ¡°There are two points. First, their time of action was shorter than your estimate. The battle took a total of less than 37 seconds to settle all of Zhirui Pharmaceutical¡¯s people. Then they spent a minute hanging the bodies on the flagpoles! Lin Rui¡¯s appearance at the National Arts Center five minutes later must have been delayed by some other matter.


    The second point, Brett said that there is a ¡®Destruction¡¯ Concept remaining on these bodies, and it is very strong. It must be this Concept that destroyed all the remaining traces.¡±


    The Chief of Police¡¯s voice carried an undertone of helplessness and a bitter smile: ¡°However, this can¡¯t serve as evidence, and there are far too many strong Martial Cultivators with the Concept of Destruction in the world, including several in the Congressional Honorary Members.¡±


    Qi Tianquan narrowed his eyes: ¡°Despair Heavenly Girl?¡±


    Simultaneously, he thought of the desolate Heavenly Dragon hidden beneath his group¡¯s headquarters.


    ¡°It must be her.¡± The Chief of Police spoke with certainty: ¡°I find it peculiar. Several research departments in the organization said that once this defective product starts practicing, she would die within two years and is not to be taken seriously. Thus, it¡¯s best not to provoke Despair and let her die quietly. But so far, she¡¯s still alive and kicking.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it not yet two years?¡±


    Qi Tianquan also felt puzzled and rubbed his temple: ¡°Then are there any other clues? With so many surveillance cameras around, didn¡¯t a single one catch a trace?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± The Chief of Police sighed: ¡°Even if there was the slightest clue pointing to him, I wouldn¡¯t let him leave the police station. The problem is that the hacker strength under that little guy is probably very strong. Our people checked every single surveillance camera thoroughly, and all of them have been hacked, leaving no traces behind.¡±


    Qi Tianquan was thoroughly irritated, but still expressed his gratitude: ¡°Thanks for your hard work, Old Dai. I¡¯ll treat you next time.¡±


    He hung up the phone and then opened a private chat group on his system¡ªthe Rui Fang Acquisition Group.


    Qi Tianquan originally intended to convene all stakeholders for a meeting to brainstorm and deal with this unexpected turn of events.


    However, when he saw the messages in the group, his heart sank.


    ¡ª¡ª Sorry everyone, our chairman has informed me that our company might not be able to participate in the acquisition of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals anymore. Just a short while ago, our six pharmaceutical bases on Sky Extreme Star were raided, and our company must shift its attention there.


    ¡ª¡ª ??? What happened? Were your pharmaceutical bases raided too?


    ¡ª¡ª It just happened recently, all located around Great Song¡¯s Luojing. Not only did we have a large number of personnel detained and nearly 30 billion federal coins worth of drugs seized, but many pieces of evidence were found on site. I estimate that those arrested won¡¯t survive.


    ¡ª¡ª We¡¯re in a similar situation, with nearly 53,000 hectares of estates in the Holy State raided. The damage in personnel and resources is significant, exceeding 40 billion federal coins, and it¡¯s also related to Great Song¡¯s Spy Detection Bureau.


    ¡ª¡ª Now there¡¯s an even more troubling situation. We¡¯ve discovered that the Imperial City Department of Great Song initiated an operation, with intelligence and information provided by the Great Song Spy Detection Bureau, in coordination with Great Cheng and Great Wei, preparing to carry out a joint raid within the borders of the Three Kingdoms. The situation is very complicated, and we still don¡¯t know their source of intelligence, or whether it¡¯s related to our company?


    ¡ª¡ª What¡¯s going on? Our group is in a similar bind, but our losses are even bigger. One of our starship docking bases was breached, and we lost seven armed merchant ships that were loading cargo.


    ¡ª¡ª Why is the Great Song Spy Detection Bureau targeting us? Is it because of that Lin Rui?


    ¡ª¡ª Impossible, right? What relationship does Lin Rui have with Great Song Dynasty¡¯s Hidden Crown Prince? It should just be a coincidence. That Hidden Crown Prince has a divine decree to strike hard against the Longevity Association and has been pressing the Federation to declare the Longevity Association as an illegal organization, demanding a full-scale eradication from the Federation.


    ¡ª¡ª It could be a coincidence, but no matter what, we need to reassess Lin Rui and Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company¡¯s strength. My suggestion is to hold off and first thoroughly investigate this guy¡¯s background and the forces he controls. It¡¯s a critical time with Star Sea White Wolf¡¯s surrender, and currents are running deep within the Federation. All parties are eyeing the Star Sea White Wolf¡¯s Second Starship Group, and war may well break out.


    ¡ª¡ª I agree, once those Divine Envoy Level members of Congress start brawling, a few powers could be flattened by the tail end of their typhoon. Of course, if someone is willing to take the lead and test Lin Rui¡¯s strength again, our company is willing to offer support.


    ¡ª¡ª I believe with Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, we should either stay put or strike swiftly and decisively in one fell swoop.


    Qi Tianquan let out a scoff upon reading this and directly closed the Rui Fang Acquisition Group.


    He wouldn¡¯t openly oppose Lin Rui until he understood how Alta Devonshill died.


    He turned his head and looked blankly out of the car window, wondering how did that little bastard kill Alta Devonshill and his group within mere seconds?


    At that moment, he received a message from the director of the company¡¯s Intelligence Center: BOSS, the situation doesn¡¯t look good. All four of our estates in Xing State and our third and first logistics centers have been unresponsive to headquarters for two hours. I suspect these industries have likely been raided by the Great Song Spy Detection Bureau.


    Qi Tianquan was startled and sat up abruptly.


    He quickly checked the situation and felt his scalp tingle.


    Although Xing State isn¡¯t one of the eight states of Luojing, it¡¯s nearby and one of the most important pharmaceutical production areas owned by the Heavenly Authority company.


    Built above Sky Pond, Luojing on Sky Extreme Star is one of the regions with the richest and most potent ether elements. The drugs produced here have the best effects and are the most valuable.


    Therefore, many companies disguise themselves as local magnates and establish estates around Luojing to have direct control over the production bases.


    Without the clout to do the same in Luojing¡¯s eight states, Heavenly Authority company had set up several bases nearby in Xing State, which were the company¡¯s largest source of income.


    ¡ª¡ª Yet these estates have been raided by the Spy Detection Bureau!

 Chapter 575: 548: The Answer (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 575: Chapter 548: The Answer (Please Subscribe)


    At this moment, Lin Rui, standing in front of his villa, was smiling and shaking hands with Radford Comming who had just given him a ride home.


    ¡°Thank you so much for this time; seeing their fierce and malevolent looks, I thought I was really going to spend the night in the police station.¡±


    Hearing this, Kang Mingkai laughed heartily: ¡°Mr. Lin, you must be joking. The police had no evidence against you. To suspect you based on your conflict of interest with Alta Devonshill was utterly absurd. Plus, you are a public figure and a top martial arts star; how could they risk detaining you and provoke a media storm?¡±


    After sitting down opposite Lin Rui, Kang Mingkai¡¯s eyes flashed with a different kind of light: ¡°Moreover, as far as I know, the police don¡¯t have much support in the judiciary.¡±


    The truth is, after the death of Alta Devonshill, the pressure his backers exerted on the judiciary was far less than what Kang Mingkai had imagined.


    Kang Mingkai, through his own network, probed the situation and discovered that several biopharmaceutical companies seemed to be in trouble.


    ...


    This indicated that Lin Rui¡¯s background and power were very profound, giving him an air of unfathomable depth.


    Even facing the consortium of these large pharmaceutical companies, he seemed capable of holding his ground.


    Especially since the incident of Alta Devonshill being hanged on a flagpole had given the upper echelons of Ninth Base City society a severe shock, an unparalleled impact.


    On this day, everyone knew that in Ninth Base City, a powerful and ruthless financial conglomerate had emerged!


    And the owner of this conglomerate was this young man before him, rumored to have only reached the Fourth Realm.


    ¡°Maybe? But I know, Kang, that you paid a heavy price to get to the police station in time.¡±


    Lin Rui chuckled lightly, ¡°I heard you had quite a fallout with several senior partners at your law firm just before you left?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there were some minor disagreements between us, indeed some obstacles were overcome,¡± Kang Mingkai answered cautiously, his heart stirring once again, thinking how well-informed Lin Rui was.


    This had just happened, and yet Lin Rui was already aware of it.


    His expression solemn and serious, he declared: ¡°Mr. Lin, rest assured, I know who my clients are and what I should do!¡±


    Currently, Fang Ranran and Lin Rui were his main clients, and they were also the reason he could become a senior partner at Purple Gold Flower Law Firm.


    He had to protect his clients¡¯ interests, even if it meant clashing with some partners at the law firm.


    Lin Rui was very satisfied; he liked partners who could clearly discern priorities, and Ranran had been very perceptive in supporting Kang.


    He patted Kang Mingkai on the shoulder: ¡°Kang, don¡¯t worry. If you¡¯re not happy at Purple Gold Flower, you can consider going independent. Our Forest Group, Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, and Bright Front will certainly provide you with the strongest financial support. Also, I hope you can keep an eye on the judiciary for me.¡±


    He then instructed Gong Hengdao standing beside him: ¡°Arrange a team to escort Mr. Kang Mingkai back. My Lin Rui Studio can allocate two 5S teams and two type VI combat robots dedicated to Mr. Kang Mingkai¡¯s security.¡±


    After hearing this, Kang Mingkai was incredibly flattered; Lin Rui¡¯s resources were so strong that he could allocate two 5S-level combat units just for him?


    As Kang Mingkai got back into his luxurious official car, he was still lost in thought about Lin Rui¡¯s words.


    To go independent from Purple Gold Flower Law Firm?


    From the tone of his employer, it was clear he was being encouraged and even expected to do so.


    Kang Mingkai had not seriously considered this before, viewing it as a last resort. Now, he couldn¡¯t help but think it over carefully.


    He felt it was a huge risk; although today he had indeed felt immense pressure inside the law firm, with several senior partners banding together against him for their clients, yet to go independent now seemed a gamble fraught with great risk.


    However, those corporate alliances will not let things go easily, and in today¡¯s Federation, every company and financial consortium with a valuation of two trillion is born out of turbulence and bloodshed.


    Above that, the level of ten trillion represents yet another magnitude.


    Can Lin Rui withstand their joint attack? Can he secure his position in Ninth Base City?


    Lin Rui walked into the villa and received another call from Fang Ranran.


    ¡°I have already contacted Divine Transport and Dongfeng Logistics, two top interstellar logistics companies in East Asia. They are willing to transport our cargo at a slightly higher price than the market rate. They are not influenced by the major corporations and are not afraid of the Star Chain Pirate Group.


    I have also stabilized the situation inside the Bright Front. Their morale is still stable. I must say, the effect of your flag-raising was successful! Even those within the party who were uneasy are now quiet, waiting to see how the situation unfolds.¡±


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows: ¡°Oh? That sounds quite promising; I thought there would be some who would rebel this time.¡±


    ¡°How could that be? With my father¡¯s influence pressing down on them, even if they wanted to rebel, they¡¯d have to wait until my father can no longer control the situation.¡±


    Fang Ranran spoke with disdain: ¡°Besides, the reason they joined the Bright Front was for the campaign funds and various resources we provide. If they could find better elsewhere, why would they join this new political party under our banner?


    Those pharmaceutical companies all have politicians they trust. Even if they defect now, the support they¡¯d receive wouldn¡¯t match what they have now. Don¡¯t worry, these people are shrewd; they see things very clearly.¡±


    ¡°Ranran, it¡¯s good you¡¯re confident, but I think it¡¯s best to have a contingency plan in case the worst scenario occurs.¡±


    Lin Rui paused, then spoke: ¡°Also, I just checked the situation of Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company at the police station. The several drugs they¡¯re developing are quite good. By slightly modifying some auxiliary drugs without changing the main components, we can increase the drug efficacy by 30% to 60%. This will further enrich our product line and increase profits. So, Ranran, see if you can contact the banks in East Asia to spend two or three hundred billion federal coins to acquire this company.¡±


    Obtaining a government-granted production and sales license for a new drug is very difficult, generally requiring five to seven years and extensive clinical trials.


    Previously, Fang Ranran helped the company obtain sales licenses for products like ¡®Minor Solar Pill¡¯ by taking the health supplements route.


    Given the current targeting of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals by the major pharmaceutical companies, obtaining new drug licenses would be even more challenging. Instead, it might be better to pursue drug modification.


    ¡°Two or three hundred billion? Why spend so much? The market value of Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company is propped up by those three retired Marshals. Without them, the company is worthless. A full acquisition isn¡¯t cost-effective and would face significant resistance. Send me the drugs you¡¯re interested in, and I¡¯ll try to secure the patents and production licenses for those drugs for our company.¡±


    Fang Ranran paused, her tone becoming serious: ¡°Lin Rui, I want to know if your Alien is the Spy Detection Bureau Commander Lin Hao from Great Song?¡±


    Lin Rui was not surprised by her question.


    He had decided to leverage Lin Hao and go all out against these pharmaceutical companies; Lin Rui knew Fang Ranran would ask this.


    His lips slightly curved: ¡°Ranran, don¡¯t you already have the answer?¡±


    In truth, he could still keep it a secret. Named ¡®Primordial Heavenly Dragon¡¯ by Lin Rui, this Fake X-level Battle Dragon provided his greatest confidence.


    Lin Rui knew that sooner or later, the enemy would notice his economic link with Lin Hao and would uncover the identities of people like Fei Yunlai, Gong Hengdao, and Wang Tianwu.


    Thus, rather than obscure this and raise more suspicions, it was better to confirm the alliance between him and Lin Hao.


    He had to create the impression for the external world that he, Lin Rui, is the covert representative and spokesman of Great Song¡¯s Hidden Crown Prince Lin Hao within the Earth Federation.


    Once Lin Rui and Lin Hao used different Battle Dragons, this should sufficiently protect their identities from being associated with each other by the enemies.


    Meanwhile, at the Bright Front¡¯s campaign headquarters, Fang Ranran couldn¡¯t help but gasp, followed by a grinding of her teeth.


    ¡ªThis guy, he really is Lin Hao!


    He actually became the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song in less than a year!

 Chapter 576: 549: Fight to the Death (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 576: Chapter 549: Fight to the Death (Please Subscribe)


    Just as Lin Rui was fully engaged in dealing with the turmoil caused by Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, three thousand miles north of Luojing City, Wang Chenghua stared ahead with sharp, vigilant, and immensely wary eyes at a towering figure clad in Alien Exoskeleton Armor.


    ¡°Invincible Dharma King!¡±


    Wang Chenghua recognized this Battle Armor; it was said to be a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Magic Artifact, remodeled from a set of Heavenly Demon Wisdom Dragon Type 9 Exoskeleton Armor, and named ¡®Mad Dragon¡¯!


    In recent years, with the rise of the Invincible Dharma King of the Demon Sect, and her growing influence, the ¡®Mad Dragon¡¯ Battle Armor also gradually became known to the Imperial City Department of the five countries under the Sky Extreme Star.


    This left Wang Chenghua with a chilling fear that seeped into his marrow. Clenching the hilt of his sword, he asked hoarsely, ¡°Invincible Dharma King, what is your purpose in obstructing our path?¡±


    Although the woman before him was only a Super Monarch of the Eight Realms,


    ...


    with her powerful Magic Artifacts, an Abyss Level Divine Treasure, and bloodline abilities far surpassing those of ordinary Super Monarchs, she had been unbeaten in recent years, nearly invincible!


    Not long ago, she even had a clash with the Second Divine Envoy of Da Liao, which reportedly left both parties seriously injured. The Second Divine Envoy of Da Liao had not made a public appearance since that battle.


    Contrarily, this one-realm lower Invincible Dharma King, not only emerged from that grand battle unscathed but also appeared before the public half a month later, seemingly without a single sign of injury.


    Currently, this woman, although ranking last among the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings of the Demon Sect, is publicly recognized to possess combat power second only to the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming, who commands the Supreme Divine Artifact ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.¡¯


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s for the sake of my colleague.¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King¡¯s face was covered by a mask, and while her appearance was obscured, her targeting system fixed its gaze upon the ¡®Soul Suppressing Coffin¡¯ behind Wang Chenghua: ¡°Hand her over to me, and your lives will be spared!¡±


    Wang Chenghua had already guessed the intention of the Invincible Dharma King, but still, his heart tightened at the confirmation, and his scalp buzzed with numbness.


    Indeed, she had come for the Divine Envoy Tian Xiang, with the sole intention of securing Tian Xiang.


    After pacifying the Tiantong and Xuanhua regions, the National Guardian Hou had returned directly to the capital.


    However, he left Tian Xiang in Xuanhua to assist with the recruitment of the rebels in the wilderness and the major counties and to persuade the Light believers to obey the court¡¯s decrees and relocate to the remote jurisdictions.


    To date, Wang Chenghua had cleared up the rebel armies of both regions and was about wrapped up, so he transferred all affairs to the deputy commander of the Rebellion Suppressing Army and was returning to the capital with Tian Xiang.


    As the commander of the Demon Destruction Bureau, he had countless matters to attend to and could not afford to linger in Jingzhou.


    However, Wang Chenghua never expected to encounter such a twist on his way back to the capital.


    He deeply regretted not leaving Tian Xiang out of the journey to the capital; had he done so, her disappearance would not have weighed heavily on him.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Wang Chenghua firmly shook his head: ¡°Tian Xiang is a significant criminal on the Great Song¡¯s Heavenly List! To abduct this fiend, you¡¯d have to step over our dead bodies!


    Invincible! You should know where you are; we¡¯re only 3,000 miles from the capital. If you dare to strike here, don¡¯t expect to leave intact.¡±


    His Battle Dragon also let out a subdued roar from behind, its presence dominating, fierce, and filled with the will to fight.


    ¡°Hm?¡± The Invincible Dharma King spoke in a deep tone, with a hint of appreciation: ¡°You are quite brave.¡±


    In that instant, the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s figure suddenly appeared in front of Wang Chenghua.


    With a booming explosion, Wang Chenghua and the experts around him, including two Ninth Realm Super Monarch Martial Cultivators, were sent flying by an unmatched force.


    Wang Chenghua spat out blood, his body crashing to the ground like a meteor and then skidding back over thirty yards.


    Struggling to rise, he could barely lift his head, looking up at the Invincible Dharma King suspended in the air.


    Wang Chenghua¡¯s voice was terribly hoarse: ¡°Well done, Invincible Dharma King, what a mighty Abyss Divine Treasure, truly worthy of the name Invincible!¡±


    Subsequently, his head lolled to one side, and he fainted.


    Surrounding Wang Chenghua, the group of Dragon Transformation Masters also suffered, faces bruised and purple, completely unconscious.


    Several of them were in particularly dire states, their bodies partially shattered, blood oozing from all seven orifices.


    Their numerous Battle Dragons, initially lunging at the Invincible Dharma King, now froze mid-motion.


    Due to the loss of control from their master¡¯s fainting, they all lost their connection to the master¡¯s will and could only act on instinct.


    As a result, these Battle Dragons all rapidly retreated, returning to their master¡¯s side for protection.


    Only Wang Chenghua¡¯s Battle Dragon, which was awakened with intelligence, threw a punch in front of the Invincible Dharma King, but then its huge body, towering eight zhang and nine chi tall, was repelled by the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s Protective Astral Force, and was blasted hundreds of zhang away, bleeding from all seven orifices and presenting a ghastly sight.


    After that, it no longer attacked the Invincible Dharma King but instead rushed to Wang Chenghua¡¯s side, vigilantly watching the Invincible Dharma King.


    The Invincible Dharma King, seeing this, couldn¡¯t help but pause in slight astonishment, looking at her own fist.


    Her punch just now was merely intended to disperse the formation of these Martial Cultivators.


    Wang Chenghua was an Emperor Rank of Eight Realms, with the assistance of two Super Monarchs of Ninth Realm; a real fight would have been rather troublesome.


    The Invincible Dharma King did not want to use her Abyss Divine Treasure here to avoid alarming those from the East Abyss and the Great Celestial Master; besides, she had come in such a hurry that she had not brought her own Battle Dragon.


    Therefore, she had previously designed tactics for this battle, preparing to trade injury for injury, aiming to resolve the fight within 20 breaths.


    The Invincible Dharma King was momentarily perplexed, wondering whether she had overestimated Wang Chenghua¡¯s strength or if her own cultivation power had increased again?


    And her Protective Astral Force, how had it become so strong? That Battle Dragon of Emperor Rank from Eight Realms, fierce and thunderous as it pounded in front of her, she scarcely felt anything, and she hadn¡¯t even used that Abyss Divine Treasure.


    The Invincible Dharma King then realized and laughed lightly, ¡°Step over your corpses, eh? Interesting.¡±


    Then she no longer paid attention to Wang Chenghua, who was lying motionless on the ground, but reached out with her hand, captured the Soul Suppressing Coffin of the Tian Xiang Divine Envoy from afar, and flew into the sky and disappeared.


    And shortly after the Invincible Dharma King left, Wang Chenghua, surrounded by a group of helpless Martial Cultivators of Fourth Realm and Fifth Realm, slowly ¡®awoke.¡¯


    With the help of his subordinates, he ¡®struggled¡¯ to sit up and looked around, then, filled with unwillingness, Wang Chenghua punched the ground next to him, causing a booming sound to echo, ¡°Damn it! Sooner or later I will slaughter her, let this Invincible submit to the law!¡±


    In his heart, however, he sighed helplessly. Although he had managed to save his life this time, the fact that Tian Xiang, a major criminal on the Heavenly List, was snatched away from their hands was very troublesome.


    The higher-ups wouldn¡¯t care about the battle prowess of the Invincible Dharma King and whether they could deal with it or not.


    Wang Chenghua was already contemplating how to avoid punishment.


    ¡°This demoness is truly formidable, her boxing skills are exceptional, and that Abyss Divine Treasure makes her even more powerful. I had already gathered all my strength just now, but I was still nearly shattered by her punch,¡± said a Nine Realms Super Monarch Martial Cultivator who also served as the Deputy Commander of the Demon Destruction Bureau, who had regained consciousness.


    He looked up at the sky, feeling emotional, ¡°This woman was only of Sixth Realm when she joined the Demon Sect five years ago, and in only five short years, under her master¡¯s support, she has become a Super Monarch of Eight Realms. This shows how incredibly strong her talent and potential are! She might even surpass our Luojing Divine Envoy.


    It is said that this woman is also proficient in Divine Soul Secret Techniques and medical techniques, and is familiar with the Alien Armament tech of Outer Heaven Demons, capable of treating demonized Martial Cultivators and helping them to implant Outer Heaven Demon Armaments, thus recruiting a large number of experts in just a few years. Her power is no weaker than any Divine Envoy. Now many speculate that this Invincible might also be an Outer Heaven Demon.¡±


    The Nine Realms Super Monarch Martial Cultivator shook his head and sighed incessantly, ¡°The Bright Holy Sect was already becoming weaker, its influence no longer what it once was. Unexpectedly, at this time, such a talent arises, proving that the Sect¡¯s destiny is not yet extinct.


    In this era, with the Purgatory Demons launching one stronger wave of attacks after another against the Great Song, plus the havoc caused by the Outer Heaven Demons, and now the Demon Sect, it¡¯s truly a dance of demons everywhere.¡±


    Wang Chenghua couldn¡¯t help but nod slightly upon hearing this; this Invincible was indeed a great demon with significant threat, bound to be a major concern for the Great Song Dynasty in the future.


    He then raised his hand and sent out a ¡®Flying Book spanning a million li¡¯ from his sleeve.


    He had to inform Lin Hao, his immediate superior, as soon as possible about the abduction of the Tian Xiang Divine Envoy.


    This time they encountered the Invincible Dharma King with an Abyss Divine Treasure ¨C it could be said to be a sin not of their battle.


    But whether they could lessen the blame and lighten the punishment also had to rely on this ¡®Hidden Crown Prince¡¯ of the Great Song.


    And about a quarter of an hour later, Lin Rui learned about the abduction of the Tian Xiang Divine Envoy by the Invincible Dharma King from his Alien.


    At this time, Lin Rui was participating in a virtual security meeting convened by Huo Bangguo the mayor, being fiercely reprimanded by the enraged Huo Bangguo along with Zhou Yunfei and other Security Bureau members, as well as a number of senior police officials.


    When Lin Rui saw the message from his Alien, he was first bewildered, then slightly massaged his forehead with a hint of headache.


    His action, however, caught Huo Bangguo¡¯s eye, the mayor looked sharply at Lin Rui, ¡°Thunder Admiral, regarding the incident at the National Arts Center, do you have anything to say?¡±


    Hearing this, the participants of the virtual meeting turned their gazes towards the Thunder Admiral, whose face was covered by a mask.

 Chapter 577: 550: Invigorating (Subscription Request)

    Chapter 577: Chapter 550: Invigorating (Subscription Request)


    Lin Rui regained his composure, glanced around the virtual meeting room, and coldly declared, ¡°There is no doubt this is the responsibility of the police! It¡¯s precisely because, over the past decade, the police have allowed big companies and tycoons within the base to act with impunity, and their lax and sloppy law enforcement has emboldened these capitalists.¡±


    As soon as he spoke, many high-ranking officers in the Ninth Base City Police Department, including Police Chief Dai Zhen Shan, glared angrily at Lin Rui.


    Dai Zhen Shan¡¯s face darkened as he said, ¡°Thunder Admiral, it¡¯s true that our Central Police Department did not respond in time, but your Security Bureau hasn¡¯t fared any better, right? As far as I know, it wasn¡¯t until Alta Devonshill and his people were hung on the flagpole that your Special Service Center bothered to respond.¡±


    Sitting next to Zhou Yunfei, You Ming glanced at Lin Rui and let out a cold laugh, ¡°When I was in charge of the Special Service Center, I was never so negligent. I have to admit, this time, the performance of the Security Bureau¡¯s Special Service Center and related departments is somewhat embarrassing.¡±


    At that moment, everyone from the Security Bureau in this virtual meeting turned pale and glared at You Ming with hostility.


    Even other deputy directors of the Ninth Division of the Security Bureau frowned deeply.


    ...


    They were all wondering what was You Ming thinking¡ªthey were in the midst of a blame game with the police, and why would he make such a remark? Wasn¡¯t this a betrayal?


    But You Ming didn¡¯t care. He was almost sidelined by Zhou Yunfei and felt terribly uncomfortable within the Security Bureau.


    If it weren¡¯t for several stakeholders hoping that You Ming could hold on in the Security Bureau for a while longer, providing Zhou Yunfei some constraints and also some loose ends that needed tying up from the past, You Ming would have long since sought a transfer or even retired from the Security Bureau.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t care either. He turned to Mayor Huo Bangguo and said, ¡°Mr. Mayor, from what I understand, the battle in tunnel A33421 lasted less than two minutes. In such a situation, whether it¡¯s the Security Bureau or the Police Department, neither could have reacted in time. Moreover, it is very difficult to intervene in a battle among Ninth Realm level experts.


    The reason I believe the police are undoubtedly to blame is that our National Security Special Action Center, upon learning that Alta Devonshill was using various means to pressure Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and preparing to take over the company, had issued warning letters to all major pharmaceutical companies 10 hours ago, ordering them to cease all dangerous activities. Unfortunately, due to the lack of deterrent power in our law enforcement agencies, no feedback was received.


    We also issued a risk warning to the police, instructing them to deploy more than 3,000 police officers to blockade the area around the National Arts Center. Why did the police not act? They obviously underestimated Lin Rui¡¯s capability. What made them think Lin Rui wouldn¡¯t resist? Even if Lin Rui were not powerful enough, there was still Linghu Mingde behind him.¡±


    While speaking, Lin Rui closely watched Huo Bangguo¡¯s expression. He saw the mayor¡¯s face turn gloomy and his gaze towards the police officers even more severe.


    Police Chief Dai Zhen Shan¡¯s eyebrows also gradually furrowed into a deep frown.


    They had indeed received the risk warning from the National Security Special Action Center, but no one paid attention at the time¡ªwho would have thought that Lin Rui would dare to strike in the center of the city and attack Alta Devonshill?


    And the key fact¡ªit took him less than two minutes to finish the battle.


    ¡°And furthermore!¡± Lin Rui paused, his eyes sharp as he stared at Dai Zhen Shan, ¡°I have discovered that 13,400 cameras in the city center, which were supposed to be replaced seven years ago with safer Sky Eye Type 9 models year 4150, and all surrounding situational awareness devices should have been updated 20 years ago.


    The municipal government had also allocated the necessary funds to the police. However, from what we understand, why are these cameras, phased array radars, ether radars, aerial hovering Sky Eyes, and others still using models from seventy years ago? For what reason did the Police Department not update according to the planned schedule, and where did these funds go?¡±


    At this moment, all members of the Security Bureau brightened up, though they regretted that this was a virtual meeting¡ªif Mayor Huo Bangguo weren¡¯t present, they would all give this Thunder Admiral a thumbs up!


    With these words from Thunder Admiral, no matter what, the responsibility could not be shifted onto the Security Bureau.


    Police Chief Dai Zhen Shan and the others felt a slight panic, as their foreheads almost broke out in cold sweats.


    ¡°The Sky Eye Type 9 replacement case, indeed, the proposal was approved while under my supervision.¡±


    Huo Bangguo opened the network, briefly reviewed the situation, and, with hints of anger and killing intent, swept his gaze over the police officers, ¡°The National Security Special Action Center can conduct an official investigation on this matter. We must thoroughly investigate! Not just that, all financial expenditures of the police this year must undergo a strict audit and investigation.¡±


    He then knocked on the table, ¡°While it¡¯s crucial to continuously pursue responsibility for this case, the real priority is how we address public skepticism. How do we find the perpetrator and bring them to justice!¡±


    Zhou Yunfei then displayed a solemn and worried demeanor, but inside, he remained unperturbed.


    He knew who the perpetrator was¡ªit was none other than the Thunder Admiral beside him!


    Although Zhou Yunfei didn¡¯t know how Lin Rui managed it, he did know that Lin was the Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song. It was not surprising whatever measures Lin might take out now.


    Could he really turn over the Thunder Admiral to the authorities? East Asia and the First General would surely tear him apart if he did.


    It was not like when he had just taken office and needed Huo Bangguo¡¯s support to secure his position.


    Now, Zhou Yunfei was more concerned about why the Second General had not yet awoken. It had been nearly 8 months already¡ªwasn¡¯t that a bit too long? Could something be wrong?


    Recently, with resources provided by the Security Bureau and East Asia, he finally made a breakthrough in his cultivation, advancing to the Eight Realms. But Zhou Yunfei still needed guidance on how to proceed from the Second General.


    Although Xu Mengran was his teacher, Zhou Yunfei¡¯s primary focus was not on Illusion Technique or Spell. He needed guidance from this benefactor on how to advance next.


    Dai Zhen Shan, under the oppressive gaze of Huo Bangguo, felt uneasy and knew he had to speak: ¡°Mr. Mayor, our police department will definitely do our utmost to solve the case. However, as you know, it¡¯s a bit difficult since Lin Rui is very meticulous in his actions¡ªnot only does he have an alibi, but he also didn¡¯t leave any evidence behind. Therefore, I hope the government can permit us to use some unconventional methods to further investigate Lin Rui and his companies¡ª¡±


    Huo Bangguo, although expressionless, cursed inwardly upon hearing this.


    Lin Rui eliminated a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank and two reserve Two Star Marshals within less than two minutes.


    What does this Mr. Dai want? To use those pharmaceutical companies as a scapegoat?


    At this moment, Lin Rui interjected: ¡°General Dai, the murderer could kill Alta Devonshill within two minutes, and that person is at least at the level of a Congressional Honorary Member, perhaps even Divine Envoy Level! You are not solving the problem, but escalating the situation.


    Have you police never considered that these pharmaceutical companies, vying for Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, would further intensify the conflict, potentially leading to a large-scale public security incident?¡±


    Dai Zhen Shan¡¯s expression changed suddenly, and he looked on nervously at Thunder sitting opposite the virtual conference table.


    The rest of the assembly fixed their gazes sharply.


    Lin Rui scoffed coldly: ¡°Due to some people¡¯s negligence in recent years, those major corporations and financial conglomerates in Ninth Base City have become increasingly reckless. Not long ago, there was even a malignant incident where the Star Navy ground force mutinied and attacked Jinhao Group¡¯s headquarters. I think the ongoing conflict between Lin Rui and the pharmaceutical companies is likely to spark a large-scale corporate war, potentially resulting in tens of thousands of people battling within the base, including a large number of Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners. Who among you present could bear such responsibility?¡±


    He turned to Huo Bangguo: ¡°I have already contacted Lin Rui. His attitude is still quite reasonable, promising in a very subtle way that as long as certain people abide by the rules, he too would act within the rules and avoid having his people fight in the city.


    Additionally, he is willing to donate 3 billion federal coins to public service foundations such as the Civil Servants Care Fund and to your very own Super Political Action Committee to support your election campaign. The current problem is those pharmaceutical companies¡ª¡±


    ¡°I will warn them personally!¡±


    Huo Bangguo¡¯s voice was resounding and irrefutable: ¡°The Security Bureau and the police department shall immediately dispatch officers to reside in major pharmaceutical companies and other interested parties to monitor their every move, Thunder Admiral! I now authorize you to mobilize the Armed Police Force and Base City Defense Forces, starting now, whichever side dares to make a move in the city, wipe them out!¡±


    At this moment, the lines on his forehead deepened.


    Thunder reminded him of the consequences if the conflict between the two sides further intensified, but it did not help alleviate the current situation or address the public and media¡¯s skepticism.


    This was just as the election was about to kick off, which immensely soured his mood, making him feel murderous.


    At that moment, he received a private message from Thunder Admiral.


    Thunder: ¡°Mayor Huo, you might want to take a look at these encrypted documents.¡±


    Huo Bangguo looked at the self-destructing documents sent by Thunder Admiral, feeling slightly puzzled.


    Upon opening them, he was immediately shocked.


    Huo Bangguo: ¡°Is the information in these documents accurate? This is SSS-level secrecy from the Security Bureau, why are you showing this to me?¡±


    Thunder: ¡°Mayor Huo, we¡¯ve almost completed our investigation, planning to close in 20 days. As it involves several high-ranking city government officials, this case requires your guidance and assistance.¡±


    Thunder: ¡°Our National Security Special Action Center has put great effort into this case, utilizing a vast amount of manpower and funding, so we hope to uproot this spy network entirely.¡±


    Huo Bangguo¡¯s eyebrows raised, his mood turning to exhilaration.


    In 20 days, just a few days before voting starts, not a moment too soon.


    He had glanced through the documents briefly and knew that the Security Bureau¡¯s investigation was far from over and hadn¡¯t completely unearthed the spy network.


    Unquestionably, Thunder Admiral had done him a great favor.


    Huo Bangguo: ¡°Excellent! Be sure to maintain confidentiality. Let me know how exactly you plan to proceed, what kind of support you need, and whatever resources you require; you can directly contact me.¡±


    He then scanned the people present one last time, thinking that this meeting was no longer necessary.


    Huo Bangguo actually did not care whether the criminal would be captured, as long as the situation he was currently facing could be resolved.


    Then he coldly glanced at You Ming and Dai Zhen Shan, thinking that after this election, it would be time to find a way to kick these two out of government departments.


    This time, no matter who tried to persuade him, it wouldn¡¯t work.


    These two not only lacked the capabilities compared to Thunder Admiral, but also harbored many sinister thoughts¡ªdid he look blind to them?

 Chapter 578: 551: Sacrifice (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 578: Chapter 551: Sacrifice (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui was busy all day trying to suppress the storm caused by the flag-hanging incident at the National Arts Center.


    He then handpicked top talents to form a special team to audit the financial expenditures of the Ninth Base City Police District over the past 30 years.


    Lin Rui, treating every minor issue as significant, expanded the scope of the investigation to include corruption and economic crimes within the police department.


    He had conducted a similar operation before, having thoroughly audited major police departments in the Ninth Base City concerning the ¡°Spirit Essence¡± medicine and smuggling cases.


    However, back then, he was fully aware of his limited influence and did not invest much energy in the internal police affairs, focusing mainly on purging the Security Bureau.


    Despite the fierce resistance from the police, hindered by internal conflicts within the Security Bureau and other major governmental and parliamentary forces, the operation ended inconclusively, capturing only a few minor offenders.


    ...


    This time was different, as Lin Rui had already established a substantial foundation within the Security Bureau.


    Although Thunder Admiral rarely involved himself in active management, his consecutive solving of major cases, along with his role in quelling the rebellion of the Star Navy¡¯s Ninth Marine Division, had earned him considerable prestige within the bureau.


    The several personnel adjustments conducted with the help of Zhou Yunfei and the First General had also granted him a loyal and competent direct line of subordinates.


    Lin Rui was now able to mobilize these resources to implement his will.


    Moreover, he now had the support of the mayor of Huo Bangguo.


    Lin Rui figured that even if he expanded the scope of the crackdown, Huo Bangguo would not object; even if the mayor felt dissatisfaction, he would endure and provide robust support.


    The mayor was counting on Lin Rui to wrap up a major case very soon¡ªhow could he afford to spoil large plans over small grievances?


    Everything Lin Rui did was paving the way for cracking a major espionage case in 20 days.


    Lin Rui was resolute in his decision to clean up the police force thoroughly.


    The police chief, General Dai, in particular, must be mired in corruption, unable to distract himself with other concerns.


    Lin Rui needed to ensure that once he waged war against the pharmaceutical companies, the police would not be able to assist his enemies.


    While setting up the special team and arranging the audit of the police department¡¯s finances and investigating high-level corruption and economic crimes, he also kept an eye on the pharmaceutical companies.


    After a brief observation, Lin Rui noted that the large pharmaceutical companies showed no unusual activity; they seemed to concentrate their efforts on Sky Extreme Star, paying little attention to what happened behind the police scenes.


    Lin Rui then intensified the investigation efforts.


    In gaming terminology, this is called ¡°backdooring¡±¡ªtaking advantage of the enemy¡¯s distraction to sever one of their arms.


    Lin Rui felt that these pharmaceutical companies were relatively easy to deal with; the more powerful the pharmaceutical enterprise, the more dependent they were on the raw materials and manufacturing bases of Sky Extreme Star, currently under the tight control of Lin Hao of the Spy Detection Bureau.


    It would not be difficult for Lin Rui to foil their plots against Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, provided he could withstand the high-level martial power attacks from his adversaries.


    If his main body could not withstand even a single assault, the deterrent power of his alien bodies would be useless.


    Thus, the development of Xianyu Yan¡¯s alien bodies must be accelerated, and the two Red Spider 8PRO must be enhanced as soon as possible, at least to a level of 9SS+, to ensure the safety of his main body.


    Five days after the flag incident at the National Arts Center, Lin Rui took time out specifically to accompany Wang Tianwu in personally escorting Lin Yi¡¯s alien body to Sky Extreme Star.


    According to intelligence, the girl Lin Yi was supposed to replace was nearing her end, unable to hold on much longer; even though Lin Rui had provided her with the best Life Potion of the Federation to prolong her life, her life was finally drawing to a close, making it urgent for Lin Yi¡¯s alien body to arrive.


    This time, Lin Rui did not use the channels of the Alien Body Administration; he did not even register there.


    Now financially sufficient, he saw no need to use national resources or leave traces in the Alien Body Administration.


    Moreover, the person Lin Yi was to replace had a very powerful background and family heritage, and the replacement could only be achieved with the help of Wang Tianwu¡¯s Illusion Technique and anesthetic, something the Alien Body Administration could not handle.


    Currently, Ruan Guoqiu, who was assigned by Lin Rui to investigate the case of Tian Xiang Divine Envoy being abducted by the Invincible Dharma King, had also completed his investigation and submitted his report to Lin Hao.


    When Lin Rui saw the phrase ¡®cannot ascertain whether the Invincible Dharma King used an Abyss Divine Treasure¡¯ in the report, his brows furrowed as he stared at Ruan Guoqiu and asked coldly, ¡°Why did you specifically include this statement in the report?¡±


    Ruan Guoqiu straightened his posture and bowed: ¡°Wang Chenghua told me this, and his subordinates unanimously echoed the same thing, claiming that the Invincible Dharma King used Abyss Level power and with just one punch inflicted severe injuries on all of them. However, I did not detect any residual Abyss Power at the scene. Of course, this might be due to my insufficient cultivation and insight.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils dilated with a mix of shock and anger.


    This man named Wang was clearly afraid of the Invincible Dharma King!


    To ensure his own survival, he had resorted to trickery and deception during the fight.


    The commandant of the Demon Destruction Bureau was actually a cunning, cowardly pretender!


    It was egregious that such a character was almost about to enter the ranks of the Second Rank Vice Divine Envoy.


    Just at that moment, he received a message from Lu Hanyuan.


    Lu Hanyuan: BOSS, I have received two Seventh Realm Heavenly Demon Armors from the Mechanical God Temple, claiming that you purchased them at a high price for Miss Ji and Miss Shangguan over there.


    Lin Rui glanced at the message and was slightly stunned.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): What¡¯s going on? I didn¡¯t buy any Heavenly Demon Armor; they must have sent it to the wrong person.


    He indeed wanted to purchase stronger Heavenly Demon Armor from the Mechanical God Temple for Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi; he had the money but no connections to the top craftsmen in the temple¡¯s hierarchy.


    Senior Sister Meng Weiyun did have two friends in the Mechanical God Temple, but they were only at the Fifth Realm in cultivation and their mechanical crafting abilities reached the craftsman level, incapable of producing such high-grade Seventh Realm armor.


    Lu Hanyuan: Yes, that¡¯s what the warrior escorting the armors said. I sensed through the box just now; these two Heavenly Demon Armors are of high quality, although not as good as your ¡®Heavenly Decree,¡¯ but I believe they are at least 7SS grade.


    After reading Lu Hanyuan¡¯s message, Lin Rui furrowed his brows slightly, thought for a moment, and texted back: You can open the box and check; there might be some clues inside.


    Sure enough, before long, Lu Hanyuan sent him a message: There¡¯s a note inside that reads, ¡®Your humble servant Wang Chenghua is willing to serve Your Excellency with the loyalty of a dog and horse.¡¯


    Lu Hanyuan: Boss Lin, I checked carefully, the quality of these two armors is indeed very high, their protective ability might even be comparable to ¡®Heavenly Decree,¡¯ and their style is similar, possibly mass-produced versions made along with the ¡®Heavenly Decree,¡¯ likely reaching 7SSS grade.


    Lin Rui¡¯s lip twitched, thinking that Wang Chenghua¡¯s actions were understandable.


    Faced with an unbeatable opponent like the Invincible Dharma King, it¡¯s better to save oneself to serve the Divine above.


    He cleared his throat and said seriously to Ruan Guoqiu, ¡°Guoqiu, you¡¯re right; your cultivation is indeed weaker, and you probably can¡¯t see the actual details. Let¡¯s do this, you hand over this file to the Heavenly Eye Bureau, let them send someone to have a look, and if there¡¯s no problem, consider this case closed.¡±


    His actions were not for the sake of the two Heavenly Demon Armors, but for the grand endeavor of peace between Earth Federation and Great Song Dynasty.


    Demon Destruction Bureau Commander Wang Chenghua, who held significant power within the Imperial City Department, and could soon be promoted to Second Rank Vice Divine Envoy, even entering the candidates for Divine Envoy.


    If Lin Rui could use this opportunity to win him over, it could further strengthen his influence within the Imperial City Department, hence promoting peace between the two races.


    Thinking of this, Lin Rui gazed up at the twelve moons in the sky, feeling deeply the sentiment of ¡®Those who know me, believe I¡¯m worried; those who don¡¯t, wonder what I desire.¡¯


    His reputation, once again, was sullied!


    Ruan Guoqiu responded with a grateful expression and bowed to Lin Rui: ¡°I accept the order!¡±


    He knew that his superior truly cared; Lin Hao had instructed him to hand over the file to the Heavenly Eye Bureau to facilitate shifting blame in the future.


    Even if something bad happened later, it wouldn¡¯t trace back to him.


    With Wang Chenghua¡¯s connections, he could definitely smooth things over with the Heavenly Eye Bureau.


    Subsequently, Lin Rui instructed his elder disciple brother to draft an official document and sternly reprimanded Wang Chenghua and others.


    They did have justifiable reasons this time, but while death could be spared, punishment was unavoidable: a severe penalty of twenty lashes and an order to redeem themselves by continuing to eradicate the Demon Sect around the Capital and search for the whereabouts of the Abyss Divine Tablet.


    That same evening, Lin Rui, along with Senior Sister Meng Weiyun, went to the secret base in Four Stripes Mountain.


    Today was the day he and Meng Weiyun, along with Si Malin, had scheduled Meng Weiyun¡¯s Surgical Implantation procedure.


    When the two of them arrived at the entrance of the base, Xue Lingxue and Si Malin were already waiting for them.


    Si Malin had an alien body, and his martial arts cultivation was also at the Fifth Realm.


    However, he practiced martial arts and cultivated an alien body primarily to enhance his spiritual power and physical qualities, and improve the coordination of his limbs for conducting surgeries.


    Thus, Si Malin usually kept his alien body frozen, rarely using it.


    To prevent Meng Weiyun from remembering his alien identity and to earn trust as the Internal Affairs Bureau Commander, he didn¡¯t use his alien and came in his original form.


    At this moment, he stared skeptically at Lin Rui¡¯s alien ¡®Lin Hao.¡¯


    Is this the Spy Detection Bureau Commander Lin Hao? Why does it feel like the alien I tailored for Lin Rui?


    Si Malin had actually seen some footage of Lin Hao recently, since Lin Hao was a high-profile figure and various programs and videos related to him were rampant online and in the media, with his pictures everywhere.


    But Si Malin mostly stayed in the surgical and laboratory areas, focused on developing new prosthetics, and rarely paid much attention, not delving deeper.


    However, now that Si Malin directly interacts with this ¡®Lin Hao,¡¯ he immediately realized something was off.


    When Si Malin initially tailored the alien for Lin Rui, Lin Rui¡¯s neck and jaw were covered with scales, and he had a short hair about the length of a human hand on his head, which floated chaotically like seaweed in the nutrient solution.


    Moreover, over the past half a year, Lin Hao¡¯s facial features had changed slightly, his aura becoming more masculine, and his eyes and brows appearing firmer, making him barely recognizable to most.


    Nevertheless, Si Malin was a top prosthetic doctor with an exceptional memory, and he remembered the skeletal structure of Lin Hao¡¯s alien.


    But Si Malin was in disbelief, unable to trust his own eyes.


    So Lin Hao is Lin Rui? The prominent National Guardian Duke of Great Song, the Spy Detection Bureau Commander, the driving force behind trade relations between Great Song and the Earth Federation, believed to be the Hidden Crown Prince, the light of peace between the Federation and Sky Extreme Star, is actually his own student?

 Chapter 579: 552: Surgery (Subscription Request)

    Chapter 579: Chapter 552: Surgery (Subscription Request)


    Sima Lin thought he must have seen it wrong, or perhaps he was dreaming?


    He immediately opened his Quantum Communication to check Lin Hao¡¯s details.


    Sima Lin couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva.


    Lin Hao, also from Silver Moon County in Wangcheng County, became the National Guardian, Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau, and a Cabinet Minister of Great Song within a year after his fontanelle closed at the age of eighteen!


    Moreover, he had advanced to Sixth Realm Dragon Transformation! His cultivation speed was comparable to those top geniuses recorded in history.


    Sima Lin wondered, wasn¡¯t Lin Rui¡¯s Alien birth also in Silver Moon County of Wangcheng County?


    ...


    Worried that he remembered incorrectly, he specifically sent a message to a friend in the Security Bureau, asking him to use the bureau¡¯s authority to check the Alien Body Administration¡¯s records about Lin Rui.


    When Sima Lin received his friend¡¯s reply, his gaze sharpened; Lin Rui¡¯s Alien birthplace had been changed to Dizi County in Wangcheng County!


    Sima Lin¡¯s expression gradually became serious.


    He realized it was not a problem with his memory, but Lin Rui¡¯s Alien information had been tampered with.


    Just as Sima Lin was in shock trying to confirm Lin Rui¡¯s identity, Xue Lingxue had already stepped forward, smiling and bowing to Lin Hao and Meng Weiyun stepping out of the Flying Car: ¡°Citizen of the outer realms, Xue Lingxue, greets the National Guardian and Heavenly Official Meng!¡±


    She then added with some apologies: ¡°My lord, I¡¯m sorry, President Lin was supposed to come to greet you personally, but due to a sudden emergency in Ninth Base City involving Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company and some pharmaceutical companies, his Divine Sense had to remain there to deal with it, preventing him from splitting his attention, please forgive us!


    However, we have invited Professor Sima, the top Surgical Implantation doctor from the Earth Federation and a candidate academician of the Science Academy, who is also President Lin¡¯s teacher.¡±


    Sima Lin knew Jin Rui had been encountering troubles recently, as it had been broadcasted in the news.


    It was through the news that he learned about the acquisition attempt on Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals by Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company, but the chairman of this trillion federal coins valued pharmaceutical company, Alta Devonshill, was found hanged on the flagpole at the National Arts Center that very night, along with two Two Stars Marshals and multiple of their subordinates from Sixth and Seventh Realms.


    This incident caused an uproar within Ninth Base City, and not only did the police identify Lin Rui as a suspect in this vicious murder, but many media outlets also concluded it was his doing.


    Sima Lin disagreed, feeling like many others that Lin Rui was probably framed or had just been unlucky.


    Even with little thought, one could realize how unlikely it was for Lin Rui to kill a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank and two Two Stars Marshals in such a short time.


    Lin Rui was just a college student; although he managed a significant industry and won over some experts, he couldn¡¯t possibly stand against these people just below the level of Congressional Honorary Members.


    Now, Sima Lin didn¡¯t think so anymore.


    If Lin Rui really was Lin Hao, then he might have the means to kill Alta Devonshill instantly.


    He looked at Lin Rui and Meng Weiyun with a peculiar expression and bowed: ¡°Outer realms citizen Sima Lin, greets the two esteemed individuals!¡±


    Meng Weiyun also turned solemn, returning the salute with a fist: ¡°Professor Sima is renowned throughout the world, I have long heard of you and hold great admiration!¡±


    She indeed knew about Sima Lin; Meng Weiyun had been following developments in Surgical Implantations for many years and was aware of Sima Lin, the top prosthetic doctor.


    Thus, when she heard that Lin Hao¡¯s friend could bring Sima Lin, Meng Weiyun was quite surprised.


    Before agreeing to the surgery, Meng Weiyun worried that Lin Hao had been duped and did her homework thoroughly, not only gathering detailed intelligence on Sima Lin but also obtaining videos and photos of this East Asia candidate academician.


    Lin Rui then lightly chuckled, feigning formality in greeting Sima Lin before turning to ask Xue Lingxue, ¡°Where is the operating room? Both the professor and sister Meng¡¯s time is very valuable. Since President Lin said that sister Meng is having several armaments implanted this time and it will take longer, let¡¯s get started right away.¡±


    This time, a total of one set of type 8 ¡®War God¡¯ nano combat enhancement devices, one set of type 8 ¡®Heavenly Armor¡¯ nano-subdermal armor, two SSS grade armaments, and one SSS+ grade armament were to be implanted, with one covering the entire body meridians, making the surgery indeed quite lengthy and complex.


    Additionally, the Battle Dragon brought by Meng Weiyun also needed the same model of armaments implanted.


    The surgery for this Battle Dragon would be even more extensive as its body was much larger.


    Hearing this, Xue Lingxue nodded, immediately leading Lin Rui, Meng Weiyun, and others into the Four Stripes Mountain Base¡¯s main gate and boarded an internal transportation vehicle, heading directly to the base¡¯s operating room.


    Meng Weiyun was quite curious about this place, sitting in the car and looking around: ¡°Junior Brother, your friend¡¯s business must be huge, such a large base must have cost a fortune, right?¡±


    Lin Rui thought indeed it had cost quite a lot, by Earth Federation¡¯s currency, it had cost him over 5 billion federal coins.


    However, Lin Rui said, ¡°Not sure, Heavenly Demon has many engineering machines, civil engineering actually doesn¡¯t cost much, but the various surgical and training equipment here are high-end, including the so-called ¡®situational awareness devices¡¯ and various Heavenly Demon war puppets, it must have been expensive.¡±


    While speaking, he glanced at Si Malin out of the corner of his eye.


    Lin Rui noticed that this Professor Si was always looking at him.


    At first, he tried to hide it a bit, but then he gradually became brazen, his gaze skeptical as he looked him up and down.


    Lin Rui knew he couldn¡¯t hide his identity any longer, letting Si Malin keep guessing wildly could potentially arouse suspicion from Meng Weiyun.


    He shook his head, and directly sent a message to Si Malin.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Professor, stop looking, I am right in front of you.


    Si Malin¡¯s eyes widened instantly, his mind went wild¡ªShit! Shit! Shit!


    Divine Doctor Sima (Si Malin): Xiao Rui, you¡¯re actually Lin Hao? The National Guardian Marquis Lin Hao of Great Song?


    So he really is Lin Hao! In less than a year, he became the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Yes, it¡¯s me. Please control your expression, my senior sister is watching you.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Sorry Professor, I¡¯ve been hiding this from you until now.


    Si Malin realizing his expression was inappropriate, immediately reined in his gaze as advised.


    He thought it was right for Lin Rui to have kept this from him; what status does Lin Rui hold now? He certainly couldn¡¯t reveal it easily to anyone.


    Si Malin was certain that Lin Rui must have been registered at the national level, at least an SSS+ level secret, possibly even X.


    Si Malin actually felt quite gratified, Lin Rui inviting him here today already showed the trust Lin Rui had in him.


    While Lin Rui was talking, the internal transport vehicle had already brought them to the front of the operating room.


    Next, Si Malin would start by administering full anesthesia to Meng Weiyun.


    At this moment, a strong unrest involuntarily rose in Meng Weiyun¡¯s heart.


    She had been looking forward to this day for a long time.


    Meng Weiyun was someone who had awakened the Limit Heart Origin, having substantial surplus in spiritual power.


    Over the years, she had done everything possible to suppress her own bloodline, afraid of awakening a useless talent.


    Meng Weiyun had always wanted to find a reliable prosthetic doctor to help her with the implantation to induce the awakening of her desired talent, but due to her master¡¯s notorious reputation, she never got her wish.


    She actually found two, but Meng Weiyun couldn¡¯t fully trust them. She dared not let them perform surgery on her until today¡ª


    Meng Weiyun glanced at Lin Hao beside her, finally suppressing the unease and nervousness in her heart, allowing the anesthetic injection to be administered.


    As she fell into a coma, Lin Rui clasped his hands, vigorously moving his wrists, making a series of cracking sounds.


    Now it was his turn to step in, the following surgery would be performed by him personally.


    Lin Rui had exchanged for Grandmaster Level Prosthetic Surgery Skill from Huang Fuqing!


    Although he was not as good as Si Malin in native human anatomical meridians, his ability to perform surgery on people of Tianji Star would certainly not be inferior to Si Malin.

 Chapter 580: 553 Encounter (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 580: Chapter 553 Encounter (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui did not know that at the very moment he began the surgery on his senior sister Meng Weiyun, at the peak of a mountain on the western slopes of the ¡®Four Stripes¡¯ mountain range, Heavenly Maiden Tian Xiang slowly opened her eyes, looking towards the setting Great Sun far away, and at the Invincible Dharma King standing firm against the sunset.


    Her gaze was complex, filled with apprehension, confusion, caution, and admiration, among other mixed emotions.


    Sensing something, the Invincible Dharma King turned his head to look at Heavenly Maiden Tian Xiang: ¡°Your injuries have already healed, and only your Primordial Qi still needs some time to recover. I have kept my promise, now it¡¯s your turn. Tell me, where is Yin Qianqiu?¡±


    Heavenly Maiden Tian Xiang subconsciously furrowed her brows: ¡°You are so persistent in seeking the whereabouts of King Ming, to what end? I will say the same thing as before, you are too inexperienced. If you crave for the position of King Ming using underhanded means, not only the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings of the Holy Sect will refuse to accept you, but the various Dharma Platforms and grassroots disciples of the sect will doubt the Main Temple. When that happens, the Holy Sect will face the risk of splitting.¡±


    ¡°Would Yin Qianqiu be able to make you all submit wholeheartedly?¡± The Invincible Dharma King sneered coldly and waved his sleeve: ¡°Whatever Li wants to do is none of your concern, you just need to keep your promise.¡±


    Heavenly Maiden Tian Xiang couldn¡¯t help but exhale a heavy breath: ¡°I do not know King Ming¡¯s whereabouts, but I do know that he recently, quite often, made use of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, extracting the divine power of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.¡±


    ...


    The Invincible Dharma King, who was originally furious, had a gaze sharp as a knife.


    However, upon hearing the latter half of her statement, the Invincible Dharma King turned his head thoughtfully to look at Heavenly Maiden Tian Xiang: ¡°Are you implying that we could find Yin Qianqiu¡¯s location through the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire?¡±


    ¡°Precisely! In the past, I was the Flame Attendant Heavenly Maiden of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, and I have secret techniques that can lock onto the direction of the Divine Power within the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.¡±


    Heavenly Maiden Tian Xiang nodded: ¡°However, the precondition is we must make a journey to the Main Temple and cast the technique on the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire itself.¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King furrowed his brows, eyeing Heavenly Maiden Tian Xiang suspiciously, then, with a flick of his hand, he actually brought a Ninth Realm Dragon Skin talisman paper in front of Tian Xiang.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for such trouble, you can cast the secret technique on this Dragon Skin talisman paper, and the effect will be the same. I¡¯ll have someone bring it to the Main Temple to cast the technique on the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire itself.¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King stood with his hands behind his back, his words resounding strongly: ¡°I will not let you leave before we find Yin Qianqiu.¡±


    Heavenly Maiden Tian Xiang¡¯s mood momentarily sank, also filled with a hint of surprise.


    Has the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s infiltration into the Main Temple reached this extent?


    And, did she truly have the confidence to assassinate the Sect Hierarch?


    The contemporary King Ming, Yin Qianqiu, under the support of Elder Wan Xin and other Holy Sect elders, had only ascended the throne for 12 years. Currently, the general assessment of this King Ming was that he had shallow accumulation, hence lacking in martial power, barely touching the edge of the Divine Envoy Level, but after all, he was the one wielding the Supreme Holy Artifact ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, his actual combat power surpassing Longevity!


    Even though he had just been heavily injured by the East Abyss, his overall combat power still surpassed most of the Divine Envoys.


    Where did the Invincible Dharma King garner such confidence, believing he could battle to life and death with King Ming, Yin Qianqiu?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When Meng Weiyun awoke, her eyes aimlessly scanned around, unfocused.


    She realized that she was in a room resembling a metallic box, with silver-white alloy walls on all sides. The decor inside was very simple; in the spacious area of over a hundred square meters, there was only a chair, a bed, and a coffee table.


    Lin Hao was sitting in the adjacent chair, flipping through an ancient manuscript.


    She then suddenly jolted awake, leaping up like a carp.


    Lin Rui turned his head to see this scene, his eyebrows raising slightly, thinking to himself that it was good¡ªthey had saved another top-grade operating capsule, saving billions of funds.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Meng Weiyun looked at Lin Hao beside her, quickly regaining her composure: ¡°Have I undergone surgery?¡±


    She touched her body and found that it was completely intact, except that she was naked, with only a thin blanket covering her.


    Meng Weiyun immediately wrapped her body with the blanket and laughed self-deprecatingly. She had heard of some Martial Cultivators who naively believed the words of the Heavenly Demon and were deceived into surgery to implant Heavenly Demon Armament, ending up dismembered, their internal organs all removed.


    But she had her junior brother watching over her; how could such a terrible thing happen?


    ¡°Senior sister, you completed the surgery five watches ago and have been sleeping until now. Your Battle Dragon has just finished as well. It will take some time before it awakens.¡±


    Lin Rui, seeing Meng Weiyun¡¯s actions, thought to himself that he had already seen her, inside and out, completely bare.


    He closed the book in his hands: ¡°You can try to focus and sense inwardly, tell me how you feel. If there¡¯s anything uncomfortable, I can inform President Lin to have Professor Sima come over and adjust for you.¡±


    Lin Rui was very confident in his own prosthetic technology, but accidents can happen.


    Meng Weiyun immediately closed her eyes and focused within. A trace of joy began appearing in her eyes.


    She distinctly felt that there were a few new items within her body, spread throughout.


    ¡ªThose must be the so-called Armaments. Even though they were foreign objects, they intermingled deeply with her body, perfectly harmonious, without any discomfort.


    Among them was an ¡®Ultimate Heavenly Limit Path¡¯ Armament, which could match with her Limit Heart Origin, allowing her True Qi, Blood Essence, concepts, Divine Sense, and so on, to further polarize. Moreover, it could also restrict others, restrict True Qi, restrict concepts, and so on, immensely powerful.


    Meng Weiyun, once she began to operate it, an obscure gray spiritual field covered the entire room, and even extended beyond the metallic walls.


    Inside her body, there were many mechanisms as tiny as mustard seeds, which should be the so-called nanorobots.


    When Meng Weiyun concentrated her thoughts, some of these nanorobots covered her entire body like armor, while another part merged into her flesh and blood, reinforcing her limbs, fascia, and muscles, dramatically enhancing her resistance to impacts, speed, and strength.


    These robots should also be able to help her heal injuries. In the past, when she fought Fei Yunlai, it was because of these things that he was able to continuously recover.


    As long as the wounds were not fatal and did not have too much residual Martial Intent, Fei Yunlai¡¯s injuries would quickly heal, leaving a particularly deep impression on Meng Weiyun.


    Meng Weiyun tried to operate these armaments and the various innate abilities they brought with them, the joy on her face growing stronger and stronger.


    ¡°Why do I feel that this so-called ¡®War God¡¯ nanocombat enhancement device, along with the ¡®Heavenly Armor¡¯ nano-subdermal armor, is much stronger than what Fei Yunlai had?¡±


    In fact, all the effects of the armament were much better than she had imagined.


    Her entire body¡¯s channels were unobstructed, without any sense of obstruction, nor did she feel like anything harmful had been left inside her body.


    At least Meng Weiyun¡¯s Divine Sense continuously swept through every corner of her body and had not felt anything.


    Of course, just to be safe, Meng Weiyun still planned to awaken her corresponding Bloodline Power as soon as possible and then remove these foreign objects.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly: ¡°Of course, President Lin told me that he spent a huge amount of money to custom order this Type 8 armament, and even had top Symbiotic Masters from his institute enhance and modify it. It¡¯s called 8SSS grade, cost billions; naturally, it is not something Fei Yunlai could compare with.¡±


    Lin Rui thought that when Fei Yunlai was at that time, he was so poor he rattled when he walked, yet he insisted on putting on airs in front of others, not lacking villas or luxury cars.


    What kind of good things could he afford to buy then? It would be impossible to engage the top prosthetic doctors, and all his equipment and armament were makeshift.


    Even now, Fei Yunlai¡¯s armament was not the most cutting-edge model.


    It wasn¡¯t that Lin Rui treated him differently; it was that Fei Yunlai was eagerly awaiting the new armament developed by the Biological Prosthetics Research Institute.


    For this, Fei Yunlai already owed him over ten billion in interest-free loans, and who knows when that guy would be able to repay it?


    Meng Weiyun narrowed her eyes upon hearing this, pondering what kind of background this President Lin had to be able to afford top Symbiotic Masters and a Biological Prosthetics Research Institute?


    However, through certain channels, she knew about Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, which was a company that had gained reputation quickly within the Earth Federation recently, with many of its cosmetics and skincare products becoming top brands.


    Additionally, according to what Lin Hao had said, this person was somewhat a ¡®fellow countryman¡¯ of his and owed him a life-and-death brotherhood due to a past incident, making him trustworthy.


    Meng Weiyun shook her head and then looked at Lin Rui with a faint glint in her eyes: ¡°It seems the effect is not bad! However, I¡¯d like to test it out in actual combat, is there anywhere here for practicing Martial Arts? How about a sparring session, junior brother?¡±


    During the previous rebellion in the northern part of Jingzhou, Meng Weiyun had already discovered that Lin Hao¡¯s current strength was very formidable!


    Even though Lin Hao was a whole realm lower than her, this guy could match her in strength without even using the ¡®Heavenly Decree,¡¯ and he even had a lot of reserve strength.


    Meng Weiyun had always wanted to see just how far Lin Hao¡¯s current strength had developed. Moreover, she needed to test out her new armament, so she needed a significant opponent.


    Lin Rui readily agreed, and he called Xue Lingxue over in a pretended manner, asking Xue Lingxue to take them to the martial arts hall.


    At this point, Meng Weiyun, while drinking water, suddenly remembered the well-digger: ¡°By the way, where is Professor Sima? I want to thank him in person.¡±


    ¡°He completed your operation and left, said he had to rush back to conduct experiments.¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head, ¡°However, he and President Lin have prepared some medicine for you, and more than thirty medicine injections. Your Bloodline Ability is very strong right now, reaching the top standard of the Seventh Realm Super Monarchs, but your physical condition and spiritual power have not kept up, have not been fully developed. However, if you follow his medical advice, take the medicine in the order he said, and get the injections, you should be able to maximize your body¡¯s potential in a month, and your overall combat power could increase by more than one and a half times¡ª¡±


    Actually, Sima Lin had left soon after administering general anesthesia to Meng Weiyun and her Battle Dragon, as his time was indeed very precious.


    Lin Rui had not finished speaking when he suddenly uttered a light ¡®eh,¡¯ looking ahead.


    At this moment, the internal shuttle they were riding in just passed the base¡¯s main gate.


    Just then, the base gate opened, and several people walked in.


    It was Gong Hengdao, Wang Tianwu, and Fei Yunlai, along with Fei Yunlai¡¯s Protective Demon.


    Fei Yunlai was talking: ¡°Old Wang, you underestimate me. Did I lose to Meng Weiyun last time because of talent? I lost because of money! If I had had even a slightly better set of exoskeleton armor at that time, I wouldn¡¯t have lost to her.


    Once I advance to the Ninth Realm tomorrow and put on top-grade armament, I will sooner or later take back that loss, no matter if she is the BOSS¡ª¡±


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s speech came to an abrupt halt as he saw Meng Weiyun sitting in the internal shuttle inside the gate.


    Meng Weiyun also narrowed her eyes, her gaze gradually becoming sharp.

 Chapter 581: 554: The Divine Tablet Reappears (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 581: Chapter 554: The Divine Tablet Reappears (Please Subscribe)


    In the spacious second Martial Arts Hall at the Four Stripes Mountain base, Gong Hengdao, Wang Tianwu, Xue Lingxue, and others, as well as a crowd who had heard the news and gathered inside the base, all looked with sympathy at Fei Yunlai, who stood in the center of the venue, remotely confronting Meng Weiyun.


    Even those who were inconvenient to appear in person, such as Lin Xi, Lu Hanyuan, Wang Sen, Shangguan Tianyi, and others, watched the live broadcast of the event through the internal cameras of the Martial Arts Hall after receiving the news.


    ¡°This old Fei¡ª¡± Gong Hengdao slightly shook his head, thinking this guy was really unlucky.


    They had brought up the topic of Meng Weiyun today, guessing that Lin Rui was performing surgery on his sister.


    Fei Yunlai was provoked by a few words from Wang Tianwu, and could not help but spout boastful claims, which just so happened to be overheard by Meng Weiyun.


    Gong Hengdao suspected old Fei was set up by Wang Tianwu, who might have already sensed the presence of the Boss and Meng Weiyun at the door and deliberately talked about this.


    ...


    Recently, these two have been openly and covertly competing for a director¡¯s seat at the Forest Alien Company, sparks flying in their confrontations.


    Fortunately, both sides are engaged in normal competition, not only not neglecting their duties, but to some extent improving the company¡¯s performance.


    Gong Hengdao had to admire Lin Rui¡¯s discerning eye in recognizing talent. Wang Tianwu indeed had a good hand in managing people; not only was he excellent at headhunting, but he also brought in new employees with good ability who were loyal, reliable, and hardworking.


    The key was that these people¡¯s Alien identities were of great help to all aspects of the company¡¯s operations, creating a complementary and mutually beneficial relationship.


    Fei Yunlai too had all his potential forced out by Wang Tianwu, not only arranging the escort schedules for the Forest Transport Company in an orderly manner but also using his connections to secure several major deals that could last for decades.


    Gong Hengdao thought this guy was blessed with the luck of the foolish. Although Fei Yunlai wasn¡¯t as quick-witted as Wang Tianwu, his ¡®honest and sincere¡¯ nature made him more trustworthy to his friends and more popular with clients.


    The newly established Forest Alien Company, aside from inheriting some business from the former Hailan Alien Company, relied solely on the Boss¡¯s own company¡¯s contracts. Initially expected by accountants to incur some losses during the rapid expansion phase, this month they managed to achieve an astounding 22% net profit.


    However, decades of friendship between these ox and horse is almost becoming a thing of the past.


    Wang Tianwu, with arms crossed, couldn¡¯t help but gloat: ¡°Old Gong, how many moves do you think Fei Yunlai can withstand? Shall we make a bet on it today?¡±


    He deliberately spoke loud enough for Fei Yunlai in the center to hear, which angered Fei Yunlai so much that his nose nearly twisted, and his eyes glared at Wang Tianwu like daggers.


    Gong Hengdao fell into deep thought upon hearing this.


    Meng Weiyun today had several Armaments implanted, elevating her Bloodline Talent to the Seventh Realm Super Monarch!


    However, she hadn¡¯t yet used Medicine to develop her body¡¯s potential, so her strength had not yet reached its peak.


    As for Fei Yunlai, old Fei is no longer the penniless guy he used to be. With Lin Rui¡¯s financial support, Fei Yunlai has been exchanging and integrating various Armaments as necessary, and his Bloodline Ability had surpassed the Super Emperor Rank several months ago.


    Fei Yunlai had also recently acquired the ¡®Reach the Sky¡¯ Martial Arts he had long desired from the Martial Arts Association, which complemented his own ¡®Dragon Stage¡¯ Martial Arts lineage.


    His Cultivation is also half a rank higher than Meng Weiyun¡¯s, in the late stages of the Seventh Realm, at the General rank!


    However, Fei Yunlai¡¯s protector Demon did not participate in today¡¯s battle.


    What a pity, had it been delayed for two more months and Fei Yunlai had switched to the new Armaments, he might have had a fighting chance.


    With a raised eyebrow, Gong Hengdao declared: ¡°200,000 federal coins, I bet he¡¯ll be defeated within 30 to 50 moves.¡±


    A small wager for a bit of amusement; 200,000 federal coins just happen to be enough for them to open a bottle of Sky Etreme Star¡¯s famous wine ¡®Heavenly Immortal Drunk¡¯ in the base¡¯s restaurant.


    Wang Tianwu understood his intentions and laughed freely: ¡°Okay! I bet he won¡¯t last more than 10 moves, and the loser pays for drinks.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll also take part,¡± Lin Rui said with a slight smile, ¡°I bet around a thousand moves, between nine hundred and one thousand two.¡±


    Wang Tianwu was taken aback, turning his head to look at Lin Rui: ¡°BO~ National Guardian, you think so highly of him?¡±


    From afar, Fei Yunlai also heard Lin Rui¡¯s prediction, and he was deeply moved, filled with boundless fighting spirit.


    Fei Yunlai never expected the Boss to have such confidence in him.


    He himself estimated around 100 moves, but with the Boss¡¯s words, Fei Yunlai thought he must hold on for at least 200 moves, not to disappoint the Boss.


    ¡°Fei Yunlai¡¯s martial arts are indeed formidable; after he switched to the ¡®Reach the Sky¡¯ martial arts, he¡¯s already nearing the edge of the Seventh Realm Super Emperor level.¡±


    Lin Rui, with his hands behind his back, spoke: ¡°However, his true expertise lies in stealth and surprise attacks. In an actual fight, Old Fei will undoubtedly be defeated within 20 moves, but you have overlooked my senior sister. Her aim this time is to practice with the Armament, not to compete for victory or defeat.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Wang Tianwu¡¯s expression revealed sudden realisation, thinking to himself that he indeed neglected the possibility that Meng Weiyun might go easy.


    Beside him, Xue Lingxue pondered for a moment: ¡°Then I bet it¡¯ll be over 2000 moves!¡±


    She explained with a smile in response to the puzzled looks from Lin Rui and the others: ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten, Meng Weiyun has a grudge against Old Fei.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Rui was startled, casting an admiring thumbs-up at Xue Lingxue.


    Indeed, the more moves exchanged in the bout, the more hits Fei Yunlai would naturally suffer.


    Hearing Xue Lingxue¡¯s comment, Fei Yunlai¡¯s face darkened like a cast-iron pot.


    At this moment, Meng Weiyun, standing in the center of the arena, had almost reached the end of the countdown.


    Holding her sword in one hand, she slightly tilted her body forward. ¡°Are you ready? I¡¯m starting.¡±


    At that instant, a dazzling intense light flared in front of Fei Yunlai, not only blinding but also saturating and obscuring all senses of spiritual awareness.


    But Meng Weiyun was well-prepared. She had once fought to the death with Fei Yunlai, battling for half a day, and was thoroughly familiar with his tricks.


    Therefore, she had preemptively used her Bloodline Talent to evade Fei Yunlai¡¯s magic that disrupted spiritual sense.


    Meng Weiyun then disappeared in a flash, intercepting Fei Yunlai who tried to escape and conceal himself in the bright light.


    However, it took nearly three breaths¡¯ time and a series of quick movements before their first clash, with their swords and knives colliding and emitting a thunderous roar that shook the eardrums.


    Fei Yunlai was directly sent flying forty zhang away by that sword strike, the formidable and majestic sword energy penetrating deep within his body, nearly bursting all of his veins and energy channels, with his internal organs almost shifting out of place.


    Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t help but curse inwardly, ¡®Damn it¡¯. After half a year of not fighting, this woman¡¯s martial prowess and strength had increased to such a degree.


    This woman¡¯s Bloodline Power had just been enhanced to Super Emperor level, and it was already terrifying. Once she developed her potential to over ninety percent, what kind of combat power would that be?


    Meng Weiyun also exclaimed in surprise, appreciation flickering in her eyes: ¡°Not bad!¡±


    Worthy of being her old opponent who had once fought her to a standstill, Fei Yunlai was not only adept in martial arts, but also rich in experience and extremely tough to handle.


    Just now, the originally fully charged Super Emperor Secret Sword from Meng Weiyun was almost diminished by sixty percent of its power by Fei Yunlai¡¯s dodging and evasive maneuvers.


    It was evident that this man¡¯s martial arts and Bloodline Ability had also greatly progressed over the past six months.


    Meng Weiyun thought that if it weren¡¯t for her junior brother inviting people to implant several Armaments into her, with Fei Yunlai¡¯s current strength and his Protective Demon, he might still be able to fight her to mutual destruction.


    Choosing to give up on her junior brother and picking Fei Yunlai as her object for sword testing was indeed the right choice. With this guy¡¯s strength, he could definitely withstand over 2000 of her strikes.


    Her junior brother was also formidable, but Lin Hao¡¯s martial arts were too domineering and fierce, unrivaled in intensity, and irrespective of the opponent or style, victory could often be determined within mere dozens of moves.


    Hence, to demonstrate her Bloodline Ability, using the current ¡®sandbag¡¯ would be more appropriate. The fight would be more pleasing to both body and mind.


    Meng Weiyun still harbored a persistent memory of the battle that took place six months ago. If it hadn¡¯t been for Lin Hao, she would have died in Wangcheng County.


    Yet the days following the battle were unforgettable and deeply etched in her memory, for she had been so severely injured she required Lin Hao¡¯s help to even use the bathroom.


    However, her murderous intent towards him had since dissipated, now that it was confirmed that Fei Yunlai had no connection with her teacher¡¯s death. Besides, the man was now a subordinate of General Lin, so it wouldn¡¯t be right to lay a killing hand on him.


    From afar, Lin Rui watched with great interest, but after a hundred exchanges between Meng Weiyun and Fei Yunlai, his eyes moved ever so slightly.


    For at that moment, he received a message from Lu Hanyuan: General Lin, Commander Wang Chenghua from the Demon Destruction Bureau has sent a message claiming he¡¯s found a lead on the Divine Tablet fragments. He¡¯s investigating and tracking it with all his might, promising to repay your favor of protection this time.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression became strangely complicated ¨C what Divine Tablet fragments could Wang Chenghua be talking about?


    Those three Divine Tablet fragments had already been moved by him to be hidden in the newly built basement of the National Guardian Marquis Mansion!

 Chapter 582: 555: Chips (Looking for subscriptions to the third update)

    Chapter 582: Chapter 555: Chips (Looking for subscriptions to the third update)


    Lin Rui had Lu Hanyuan photograph and send him the entire content of the Flying Book he had received, and only then did he understand the situation.


    Wang Chenghua, who was ordered by Lin Rui to be whipped 20 times, resolved to brave shame for valor, eager to atone for past mistakes and wash away former blemishes. These past few days, he put extra effort into the eradication of the Heavenly Demons and the Demon Sect.


    For the crackdown on the pharmaceutical companies in the Ninth Base City, Lin Rui relied on Wang Chenghua numerous times as his blade.


    It was just today that Wang Chenghua, guided by intelligence from the Foreign Affairs Bureau, led a team to wipe out a Heavenly Demon base. Afterwards, the staff from the Foreign Affairs Bureau not only found more than a dozen text segments related to the ¡®Abyss Divine Tablet¡¯ in the supercomputer at the base, but also found a substance suspected to be the ¡®Abyss Divine Tablet¡¯ powder on-site, which is currently being sent to the Divine Palace for a Priest to appraise.


    It¡¯s now nearly certain that the ¡®Abyss Divine Tablet¡¯ is in the hands of the Outer Heaven Demons, and it¡¯s very likely their official institution.


    After reading the Flying Book, Lin Rui was filled with surprise and suspicion, thinking that it might really be East Asia and the Federation Science Academy¡¯s base that Wang Chenghua had wiped out.


    ...


    Lin Rui knew that Li Xianglong and Xu Mengran had jointly managed to cut off a bit of debris from the Divine Tablet fragment they obtained from Da Liao, and this bit of debris was eventually split between the two families, four-six.


    However, when Lin Rui forwarded the contents of this Flying Book to Li Xianglong, the latter¡¯s reply was filled with exhilaration.


    Li Xianglong: That¡¯s not our base, but Xiao Rui, the information you provided is very important. It can help us locate those three Divine Tablet fragments. For now, consider this a SS+ level merit. If there are further developments, merits will be awarded as appropriate.


    After reading this, Lin Rui blinked and immediately replied: General, I think it is very likely a trap, please be cautious.


    He was afraid that the information he provided would lead his ¡®big leg¡¯ in the Earth Federation into a ditch.


    Besides, he had enough merits already, promoting the establishment of diplomatic and legal trade relations between the Earth Federation and Great Song, both Li Xianglong and Xu Mengran believed his contributions were significant.


    Regrettably, his identity could not be made public, and it was not convenient for him to apply to the parliament for commendation.


    However, Li Xianglong said that now within the Special Supply Division at the Security Bureau, whatever Lin Rui was interested in, Li Xianglong could exchange for it with his own merits.


    Li Xianglong: No worry! Aren¡¯t you sending those powders to the Divine Palace for appraisal? At that time, the truth will be known.


    Li Xianglong: Even if it¡¯s not the ¡®Abyss Divine Tablet¡¯ powder, it might still come from the ¡®Root¡¯, which has great research value.


    After reading this, Lin Rui was moved, pondering that the older the ginger, the spicier it is. The first General of the Security Bureau, well-deservedly having fought on the security front for hundreds of years with abundant experience, is shrewd and sharp.


    Lin Rui then narrowed his eyes, thinking that since the powder comes from the ¡®Root¡¯, could it be the handiwork of Purgatory?


    To be cautious, he asked the Ring Spirit who was setting the trap and what were their intentions?


    The Ring Spirit responded that it would need 3000 soul power points to answer. After Lin Rui paid the soul power points, the Ring Spirit¡¯s hint was exactly as he suspected.


    Tip: The person setting the trap is from Purgatory¡¯s forces, aiming to lure and kill you.


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips twitched slightly, pondering that there really were quite a few people who wanted him dead lately.


    Pharmaceutical Alliance, Longevity Association, Purgatory¡ªthese formidable enemies were all bearing down on him.


    The worse part was, these affairs had erupted all within this short month; like surging waves, one wave after another continually surging forward.


    Lin Rui concentrated and quickly wrote three Flaying Books, the first two were sent to Cui Peipei and Zong Xiushan respectively.


    These two Third Divine Envoys from Great Wei and Great Cheng had been staying in Luojing of Great Song, constantly pressuring the Imperial City Department and Spy Detection Bureau to find their lost Abyss Divine Tablet, almost turning the main hall of the Spy Detection Bureau into their own, so much so that Lin Rui now had to change locations when going to the Spy Detection Bureau for office work.


    Especially Cui Peipei, who not only mocked Lin Rui and Luo Wangshu¡¯s alien natures on a daily basis but also repeatedly stood before Chengtian Gate during Great Song¡¯s court assemblies, laughing and cursing in jest¡ªaccurately on the verge of ridicule, making Great Song utterly lose face and piling great pressure on Lin Rui.


    That woman also incited her disciple Han Xian¡¯er to challenge the experts in Luojing all around, sweeping nearly all Seventh Realm masters of Luojing with her Seventh Realm Emperor Rank prowess, causing the Martial Cultivators of the court and the people in Luojing to dare not face this woman directly.


    Not long ago, Han Xian¡¯er sought out Meng Weiyun, who had recently become the Inner Affairs Bureau¡¯s Commander. At the time Meng Weiyun did not have her Armament equipped, and the Medicine she used before was also not top-notch. In this battle, she barely maintained a draw against Han Xian¡¯er with nearly thirty percent of her Conceptual Power, barely preserving a bit of Great Song¡¯s dignity.


    Actually, there were people within Luojing City capable of defeating Han Xian¡¯er; it¡¯s just that Great Song was in the wrong at the moment, and could only bear it for the time being, not taking issue with this woman.


    Luo Wangshu and her apprentice also felt like guilty thieves, burdened with guilt, and could only hold their noses and endure.


    Lin Rui contemplated that it was a good opportunity to give these two something to do, to have them stir up some trouble for the Purgatory faction, so they would stop bugging him every day.


    The three fragments of Divine Tablet, Lin Rui and Luo Wangshu still needed more time with them.


    The last Flying Book was for Han Baxian, with the intention of asking Han Baxian to interfere with the results of the powder identification.


    Lin Rui figured that the powder must be fake. Purgatory¡¯s move to present just a bit of root powder to lure him into their scheme was pure wishful thinking, a clear sign of underestimating him.


    You should at least produce a piece that looks believable, right?


    The movements and espionage of Purgatory worried Lin Rui, but in the following days, he received a series of good news, which greatly improved his mood.


    First came the news from East Asia; two Red Spider 8PRO and the ¡®Divine Envoy¡¯ Outer Elixirs were formally delivered into his hands.


    The reason for the delay of a few days was because Lin Rui had asked Xu Mengran to employ some national-level power to optimize them.


    For example, the Eurasian Community lags behind East Asia in metallurgical technology and precision processing and had to compromise on many parts, opting for a simpler and more robust approach.


    Xu Mengran specifically invited an Academician from the Engineering Academy to replace some internal parts of the Red Spider 8PRO.


    Although their appearance remained unchanged, the overall performance and shock resistance of the two robots improved significantly, and they now had more potential for modifications.


    And for the ¡®Divine Envoy¡¯ Outer Elixirs, the materials and arrays used inside were also optimized.


    Two days after the Red Spider 8PRO arrived, Wang Yinyue, along with Heart of Light No. 9 and Wang Tianwu, unveiled a set of modification plans.


    Wang Yinyue was extremely enthusiastic; she worked without sleep for two full days and even forcefully pulled Wang Tianwu to help design her Arrays.


    She had never before independently forged Ninth Realm-level machinery. The highest creations the Mechanical God Temple¡¯s mechanical Grandmasters could forge usually only reached the Eighth Realm.


    Only during the past one hundred and fifty thousand years, when ¡®Divine Revelation¡¯ would sporadically occur, could they forge various machinery of the Ninth Realm level.


    Therefore, Wang Yinyue treasured this opportunity and wanted to use this modification to further understand the mechanical technology of the Federation.


    However, Lin Rui was not very satisfied with their plan. According to Wang Yinyue¡¯s modification schedule, these two Red Spider 8PRO could at best reach SS and could not achieve his ideal effect in mind.


    Lin Rui was willing to spend a total of 300,000 soul power points to exchange for the Grandmaster Level ¡®Reach the Sky Array Studies¡¯ from Battle Spirit No. 2, originating from ¡®Ling Huan¡¯. Along with the Grandmaster Level ¡®Reach the Sky Runes¡¯ he had already obtained, he planned to optimize the modification plan provided by Wang Yinyue himself.


    Next up, the protector demon owned by Wang Sen officially broke through the Seventh Realm.


    This Ice Blood Demon was suppressed in the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower for decades and had long had enough accumulation. With Armaments and various medicines, provided by Lin Rui, not only did its bloodline ascend to Super Emperor, but its Primordial Qi also recovered quickly.


    It was only due to Wang Sen¡¯s cultivation holding it back that the Ice Blood Demon¡¯s advancement was delayed until now.


    Now that Wang Sen¡¯s Alien form had achieved Fifth Realm Dragon Shedding, with a third of his Dragon Armor congealed, the path to advancement for the Ice Blood Demon finally opened, naturally leading to success.


    Lin Rui was genuinely happy for Wang Sen and also relieved of his concerns about Wang Sen.


    As the captain of Lin Hao¡¯s trusted aide, he was Lin Hao¡¯s most trusted arm, currently handling numerous miscellaneous affairs on behalf of Lin Hao, and he was seen by both inside and outside of Luojing as Lin Hao¡¯s representative.


    Yet, Wang Sen¡¯s own cultivation was merely at the lowly Fifth Realm; there were genuine safety concerns.


    Now that Wang Sen had a Seventh Realm Super Emperor Rank protector demon at his side, coupled with his own set of Sixth Realm Super Emperor Rank Heavenly Demon Armor, and equipped with two or three Dragon Transformation Masters as personal guards, his safety should no longer be a worry.


    Last of all was the Biological Prosthetics Research Institute and his sister, Lin Yi.


    Out of the 30 Armaments that the Biological Prosthetics Research Institute developed for Linghu Mingde, 12 were nearing the end of their development and entering the validation phase.


    In at most another five to six days, Lin Rui could perform surgical implantation for Linghu Mingde, updating one-third of his Main Armor and auxiliary equipment.


    At the same time, the Alien identity Lin Rui had prepared for Lin Yi was also bearing fruit.

 Chapter 583: 556: Seize by Force (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 583: Chapter 556: Seize by Force (Please Subscribe)


    April 10th, 4162, early morning, Qi Tianquan, after descending in his Alien form, headed straight towards the central grand hall of their Sect.


    If someone familiar with Qi Tianquan were here, they would notice that in the depths of this Super Monarch of Ninth Realm Martial Cultivator¡¯s eyes, there was not only a hint of exhaustion but also an extreme murderous intent and rage.


    Qi Tianquan was indeed exhausted.


    In the past few days, the relentless crackdown on Heavenly Authority Pharmaceutical Company by the Imperial City Department of Great Song, the increasingly intense election battles in various base cities, and the storm sparked by Zang Shaochen¡¯s surrender had deprived Qi Tianquan of sleep for several days.


    Now everything was back on track; Heavenly Authority Company had abandoned many of its pharmaceutical bases in Great Song, and for those located in the Three Kingdoms and Central Continent, he had to either give them up or pay large sums in bribes to smooth out special relationships before selling them at a low price.


    Qi Tianquan had only managed to retain his core assets on Sky Extreme Star.


    ...


    Currently, within the entire Earth Federation, only a select trusted few knew of his Alien identity.


    This Super Monarch, Chairman of Heavenly Authority Pharmaceutical, and a dignified Congressional Honorary Member, held a highly respected status within Sky Extreme Star as well¡ªbeing one of the three elders of the Medicine God Sect, one of the four great Holy Sects of Sky Extreme Star.


    The most core part of Qi Tianquan¡¯s industry had always been under the protection of the Medicine God Sect.


    The estates he had organized around Luojing, due to their sensitive medicinal herb output, being strictly controlled and banned items by Great Song, and considering the volume of transactions each year, had to be registered under others¡¯ names to avoid linking them with his Alien identity.


    This time, as expected, there were issues. The locations of several estates were exposed and thoroughly seized by the Imperial City Department of Great Song.


    What infuriated Qi Tianquan even more was that Lin Hao had turned around and claimed these estates for himself!


    This man had forged connections within the Divine Palace, which then issued an official document directly ¡°bestowing¡± the seized lands to Lin Hao, totaling a massive 320,000 hectares!


    Such blatant grabbing was utterly unseemly¡ªit was practically a robbery!


    Yet it left people speechless, not only not tarnishing his reputation for integrity, but even the Imperial Censors of the outer court dared not submit a memorial for impeachment after learning the full story.


    On one hand, the Divine Palace¡¯s status is highly revered, representing the will of Divine Spirits; on the other, these were spoils obtained from searching the Heavenly Demon by the Imperial City Department, not extortion from the common folk, so if the Divine Palace wanted to use these lands to reward Lin Hao for his recent merits, what could anyone else say?


    The Spy Detection Bureau Commander clearly intended to secure a foundation and capital before Great Song¡¯s trading legalization, and the Great Celestial Master of the Divine Palace evidently had intentions to support him.


    The grain and medicinal herbs produced from these lands each year would bring Lin Hao enormous income!


    Qi Tianquan was uncontrollably enraged yet powerless.


    Currently, no one could do anything to Lin Hao. Even the powerful ¡°Star Sea White Wolf¡± Zang Shaochen failed, being pushed by the public to the point of being forced to surrender¡ªwhat more could he do?


    Therefore, the acquisition of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals was imperative; the several hundred billion in assets lost by Heavenly Authority Pharmaceuticals could only be compensated from Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals.


    This pharmaceutical company not only possesses top-tier skincare and cosmetic brands but also runs some extremely popular health products. It can be said to have immense potential and, under their capital operations, could completely hit a market value of over 30,000 billion federal coins! Leaving it in the hands of that kid, Lin Rui, is simply a waste of resources!


    Additionally, that little guy has stretched his hands too far; the Bright Front has been too greedy in the elections, squeezing the interests of many people.


    An aging Linghu Mingde who is on the verge of death cannot protect them.


    Only the existence that killed Alta Devonshill in an instant remains a cause for concern.


    However, those aiming to take action against Lin Rui and the Bright Front are not merely their Pharmaceutical Alliance.


    Once they are ready, they can press down with the weight of Mount Tai and settle this matter!


    Qi Tianquan soon arrived at the grand hall atop Medicine God Mountain. At this moment, not only had he suppressed his anger, but the tiredness in his eyes had also vanished without a trace, at least on the surface he appeared spirited, and with a relaxed and dignified demeanor, exhibiting the poise of a Grandmaster.


    At this moment, the central grand hall was gathered with experts aplenty, with not only the Sect Master present but also the five elders of the Medicine God Sect and the heads of various halls and pavilions within the sect converging here.


    In addition, the hall was also filled with more than twenty young men and women, and in front of them stood a colossal Battle Dragon, reaching a height of eighty-nine feet and covered in dark gold inscriptions, with edges adorned in purplish-gold scriptures.


    ¡ª¡ªThat was one of the five legendary dragons that the Medicine God Sect had passed down through generations, known as the ¡®Heavenly Order Emperor Dragon¡¯, famous throughout the entire East State!


    Although this Battle Dragon was only at the rank of the Eight Realms Emperor, with its previous master, it had once been close to the standard of a Super Monarch of Ninth Realm!


    Currently, it had merely regressed to the Eight Realms because of the death of its former master, a Battle Dragon that had awakened Spiritual Wisdom.


    Today was not only the day that the Medicine God Sect would select a new master for this Battle Dragon, but also for choosing the future Hall Master of the Law Hall!


    All ¡®Heavenly Order Dragons¡¯ were cultivated step by step with law and order at their core by followers of the Heavenly Authority who adhered to laws and regulations.


    Therefore, only those who are upright and selfless, and are of unblemished character, can gain the recognition of the ¡®Heavenly Order Emperor Dragon¡¯ and control this Emperor Rank Battle Dragon, to continue upholding the will of the Heavenly Authority and abide by the laws of the Abyss in the future.


    Thus, the master of this ¡®Heavenly Order Emperor Dragon¡¯ naturally gains the trust of the sect from top to bottom.


    Qi Tianquan, after entering the hall, first glanced at the ¡®Heavenly Order Emperor Dragon,¡¯ eventually sweeping his gaze over those twenty-odd young men and women in front of the Battle Dragon.


    Qi Tianquan was momentarily taken aback, then his brows furrowed intensely as he called over the Vice Hall Master of the Medicine God Sect¡¯s Law Hall.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Qi Tianquan, with his hands behind his back, spoke with displeasure: ¡°Where are Qi Lingjia and Lv Guanyu?¡±


    These were two juniors within the Medicine God Sect that Qi Tianquan favored, and they were also the candidates he had strongly advocated for.


    Qi Tianquan had subconsciously thought that these two were simply delayed due to some matters and arrived late. However, he immediately felt something was wrong; both had collected personalities and wouldn¡¯t be unaware of the importance of today¡¯s selection.


    ¡°Reply to elder.¡± The Vice Hall Master of the Law Hall also furrowed his brows, bowing respectfully: ¡°These two have been disqualified.¡±


    ¡°Disqualified? Disqualified? For what reason are they disqualified? The selection hasn¡¯t even begun yet.¡±


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s expression turned to one of shock and fury: ¡°Why was I not informed? Where do you place the laws of our sect?¡±


    He was the third elder of the Medicine God Sect; even the Sect Master had no right to disqualify his recommended candidates without his consent.


    ¡°It just happened recently,¡± said the Vice Hall Master of the Law Hall with a bitter chuckle: ¡°And it¡¯s not just them who were disqualified. Besides Qi Lingjia and Lv Guanyu, there were nine others also implicated with unclear relations to the Heavenly Demon!¡±


    He then looked up towards a mature and beautiful woman who was sitting formally next to the Sect Master, with an aura as sharp as a sword.


    ¡°Elder, please look, that is the Dragon Guard Captain of the National Guardian of the Great Song, Third-rank Dragon Guard Xianyu Yan. She is here on the orders of the National Guardian of Great Song to observe the ceremony and personally told the Sect Master just now that Qi Lingjia and the others most likely have ties with the Heavenly Demon, urging the Sect Master to be cautious! Therefore, after asking the opinions of a few elders present, they were disqualified.¡±


    Hearing the words ¡®National Guardian¡¯, Qi Tianquan¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but show a trace of blood vessels as he was enraged beyond measure.


    This National Guardian of the Great Song actually reached into the Medicine God Sect! Interfering with the succession of the ¡®Heavenly Order Emperor Dragon¡¯!


    However, when Qi Tianquan looked in the direction of Xianyu Yan, his mood already shifted to one of helplessness and deflation.


    In today¡¯s world, who didn¡¯t know the vast power of the National Guardian, nearly equal to the Crown Prince, and his divine favor being the most revered of all the leaders of the Spy Detection Bureau.


    Now that he has his Dragon Guard Captain personally present, clearly stating that there is an issue with these eleven people, could their Medicine God Sect disregard the warning from the ¡®Hidden Crown Prince¡¯ and still allow them to participate in the selection?


    Though the Medicine God Sect claims to be a Holy Sect, in truth, it is also sheltering under the wings of that Abyss, dependent on others and looking up to them for breath.


    They relied on supplying various precious Elixirs to the Great Song and the East Abyss to stand firm in the East Continent, with a heritage lasting nearly ten thousand years.

 Chapter 584: 557: Twist (Subscription Requested)

    Chapter 584: Chapter 557: Twist (Subscription Requested)


    Qi Tianquan slightly ground his teeth, forcefully suppressing the malice in his chest.


    He glanced once more at the group of youngsters in front of Battle Dragon, furrowing his brows deeply: ¡°So now we don¡¯t even have one decent candidate?¡±


    In Qi Tianquan¡¯s view, they were all unsatisfactory, not one possessing both talent and virtue.


    The Vice Hall Master of the Law Hall agreed deeply, among the remaining people, indeed there were only a few decent ones, calling them misfits was barely an exaggeration.


    Those with good qualifications and high cultivation levels often had poor character; those who were upright and virtuous usually lacked talent.


    What kind of promising disciples could they choose under these circumstances? The Vice Hall Master thought about how the current Hall Master was selected in such a condition and felt the future looked utterly bleak.


    ...


    The Vice Hall Master even thought about suggesting to the Sect Master to perhaps hold the selection process another day, but on one hand, the envoy from the National Guardian was there, and on the other hand, he knew the Sect Master and several elders had other plans, so he could only be patient.


    At that moment, Qi Tianquan spotted a young woman, not yet in her twenties with delicate features, her face pallid and devoid of any color: ¡°Is that Yuan Keke? Wasn¡¯t she killed by the Battle Dragon, suffered backlash, and almost died?¡±


    Following Qi Tianquan¡¯s gaze, the Vice Hall Master looked over and then frowned, ¡°According to reports a month ago, she was beyond help, but the Yuan Family continuously sent her some Spiritual Medicine, keeping her alive till now. I heard that not long ago, they even sent her a top-class rare treasure, which actually saw her through.¡±


    ¡°Lu City Yuan Family? Their background seems impressive. Not only has Yuan Chengkai offended the full court¡¯s noble factions for the Yuan Family but also implicated them in the Heavenly Demon case, costing them heavily. Surprising that they could still procure such a life-saving marvel for a direct family member.¡±


    Initially, Qi Tianquan wanted to show disdain, but he then felt that it was inappropriate.


    Yuan Keke lost Battle Dragon while running errands for the sect, making significant sacrifices for the sect. As an elder of the sect, he should not coldly make sarcastic remarks regardless.


    The Vice Hall Master heard this and his expression became a bit peculiar, ¡°It is said that after Yuan Chengkai was relegated to the Sin Army, the Lu City Yuan Family completely leaned towards the Hidden Crown Prince, seeking protection under his wing.


    Not only did the Yuan Family send five to six Dragon Transformation Masters to follow the Hidden Crown Prince¡¯s commands, stating it was to atone for their family¡¯s offenses, but their Eight Realms Emperor Rank ¡®Heavenly Stem Emperor Dragon¡¯ recently passed the mantle to a new person, who is now serving under the Hidden Crown Prince along with his personal guard captain Wang Nianqi, hustling on behalf of the Hidden Crown Prince. This time, they seem to have backed the right horse and regained some family influence.¡±


    The Vice Hall Master paused, ¡°It seems Xianyu Yan thinks quite highly of her; she specifically stopped just now to exchange a few words with Yuan Keke.¡±


    The expression on Qi Tianquan¡¯s face turned solemn. If he couldn¡¯t figure out what was happening, then he would have wasted nearly two hundred years as a Congressional Honorary Member.


    That Lin Hao is clearly trying to reach into Divine Medicine Sect, promoting this Yuan Keke!


    What accusations about possibly being involved with the Heavenly Demon, advising the Sect Master and the elders to consider carefully, clearly intends to protect this woman!


    That Hidden Crown Prince has already eliminated all serious contenders for Yuan Keke from this selection.


    Qi Tianquan seethed with anger, thinking that if it were in the Earth Federation, he would have taken this matter to the media, creating a huge scandal, and even taken it to court, making it hard for the Hidden Crown Prince to escape responsibility.


    This is simply blatant ¡®nepotism¡¯! How absurd? The internal affairs of Great Song are too dark.


    It¡¯s said that Lin Hao is an official of integrity and impartial enforcement, but unexpectedly he turned out to be such a person.


    And the Sect Master and elders, they should see through Lin Hao¡¯s plans, but they just watch indifferently?


    Qi Tianquan actually understood their thoughts.


    With the momentum of the Hidden Crown Prince, he would inevitably enter the ranks of Divine Envoys.


    Plus, if the emperor and the Great Song Royal Family are completely forsaken by divine favor, this person might even have a chance to become the new emperor and establish a dynasty that could last thousands of years.


    The Divine Medicine Sect is situated on the territories of East Continent, forming connections with this person would actually be beneficial for the Divine Medicine Sect.


    Normally, Qi Tianquan would have had no thoughts about this.


    Mainly because a few days ago Lin Hao cunningly took away hundreds of thousands of acres of land and assets worth over 180 billion from him, causing him to harbor extreme repulsion and hatred for Lin Hao.


    This son of a bitch! Dogshit!


    Yet, Qi Tianquan maintained a calm facade, ¡°So that¡¯s the case! Yuan Keke has worked to the death for the sect, letting her take over ¡®Heavenly Stem Battle Dragon¡¯ and assume the position of Law Hall Master could be considered. However, I heard this lady¡¯s cultivation method seems unrelated to the Divine Law Venerable.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no relation, the lady primarily cultivates the Sword Dao and Destruction Skill. Originally, she left the Yuan Family to join our Divine Medicine Sect because she could not accept the Yuan Family¡¯s rules.¡±


    The Vice Hall Master shook his head, ¡°So this lady may not necessarily gain the approval of the ¡®Heavenly Stem Emperor Dragon¡¯, but it¡¯s also not certain. Perhaps the Yuan Family might have a way, they have been supporting the Divine Law Venerable for 2000 years.¡±


    Actually, in his opinion, appointing Yuan Keke as the Law Hall Master wasn¡¯t a bad idea.


    Just that among the current list of candidates, only she seemed somewhat suitable, the rest were all mediocrities, mere fillers; real suitable candidates had all been eliminated by the Hidden Crown Prince.


    Qi Tianquan nodded slightly upon hearing this, walking towards his Cloud Platform. He was already thinking of ways to interfere with the Heavenly Stem Emperor Dragon¡¯s judgment.


    Lin Hao has already deeply offended him, this guy still trying to get his person to ascend to the position of Law Hall Master, he thought?


    Simultaneously, far in the Capital, within the back garden of the National Guardian Marquis Mansion, Lin Rui and Lin Xi were also sitting in a pavilion, watching the live broadcast of the central hall of the Divine Medicine Sect through Xianyu Yan¡¯s perspective.


    Lin Xi was focusing on her sister while asking Lin Rui, ¡°Brother, I actually don¡¯t understand, recently Snow sister has already found several suitable identities for Lin Yi, all better than this Yuan Keke. One of them is even an heir of one of the top four commerce alliances in Central Continent. Why do you insist on using this Yuan Keke?¡±


    Ever since Lin Rui learned about Yuan Keke a month ago, he had been closely watching this woman, even going as far as collecting a large amount of top-tier Spiritual Medicines to prolong her life.


    Of course, being the Hall Master of the Law Hall in the Divine Medicine Sect was also excellent, with the future possibility of having an Emperor-Rank Eight Realms Battle Dragon by her side.


    That is, provided that Lin Yi could gain the recognition of that Heavenly Ruling Emperor Dragon.


    In the future, Yuan Keke could even hold an office.


    Many from the Divine Medicine Sect held positions within the Great Song court, but due to their special identities, they couldn¡¯t wield significant power.


    For instance, several members from talent-rich agencies like the ¡®Heavenly Eye Bureau¡¯ and the ¡®Demon Destruction Bureau¡¯ came from the Divine Medicine Sect.


    Hearing this, Lin Rui smiled and picked up the tea cup in front of him, ¡°Do you think I have set my sights on the Divine Medicine Sect, Xiao Xi?¡±


    Lin Xi slightly raised her eyebrows, thinking, Is it not the case?


    The Divine Medicine Sect is one of the four great Holy Sects. Inside the sect, not only is there an Emperor-Rank Ninth Realm, five Super Emperors from the Ninth Realm, but also numerous masters from the Ninth and Eight Realms and extensive properties. Besides, they control the Elixir sphere in Great Song within the East Continent, a force second only to the royal court.


    The Law Hall is one of the top three halls within the Divine Medicine Sect, equivalent in status to a combined body of the three Law Bureaus of the court.


    If Lin Yi could become the Hall Master of the Divine Medicine Sect¡¯s Law Hall, she could directly influence various future decisions of the Divine Medicine Sect.


    This would be very beneficial for the future expansion of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals.


    ¡°Divine Medicine Sect is only a secondary consideration,¡± said Lin Rui, squinting his eyes. ¡°What I really want to secure for Lin Yi are the attention of the Heavenly Ruling Emperor Dragon and the Divine Law Venerable.¡±


    ¡°The attention of the Divine Law Venerable?¡± Lin Xi looked even more puzzled.


    In her view, the Divine Law Venerable had too many annoying rules, and was far less adaptable than her own Elixir Heart Immortal Dragon.


    The Elixir Heart Immortal Dragon, being attributeless True Yuan, was compatible with all types of Martial Arts, and its Blue Blood Elixir Heart Dao was also easy to follow.


    As long as she could adhere to a concept and aspiration recognized by the masses, unwavering in her resolve, she could resonate with the Blue Blood Elixir Heart Dao.


    Lin Xi, after spending half a year with the Elixir Heart Immortal Dragon, found her compatibility with the dragon increasing. Recently, under the influence of her Armament and Abyss Source Material, the dragon was about to break through to Emperor Rank, and its realm was also soon to advance to the Seventh Realm.


    Although the Heavenly Ruling Emperor Dragon was also of attributeless elemental power, it might not be suitable for Lin Yi.


    Lin Rui laughed and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you read the classics related to the Divine Law Venerable? Didn¡¯t you feel that this Divine Law Venerable is a bit obsessive-compulsive?¡±


    He saw Lin Xi still looking confused, shook his head, and added, ¡°It seems you don¡¯t understand the persistence of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Right now, I am actually looking forward to seeing how the Divine Law Venerable will notice Lin Xi, the Vessel for the Suffering Heavenly Girl.¡±


    ¡°Order and Divine Law versus Suffering and Twist.¡± Lin Xi seemed to understand and her eyes lit up, ¡°He will try every means, use all his strength, to force that Twist back into order, flatten it!¡±


    Her elder brother clearly intended to use the Divine Law Venerable and Heavenly Ruling Emperor Dragon to help suppress the Abyss Power within Lin Yi¡¯s body!


    ¡°But can this really work? Lin Yi is the Suffering Heavenly Girl, mastering the art of Suffering and Twist. The Martial Arts she practices and the power of the Heavenly Ruling Emperor Dragon are at odds with each other.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Rui unconcernedly drank his tea, ¡°You just said it, she masters the Concept of Twist, so what¡¯s there to worry about?¡±


    ¡ªEven a Twisted Law is still a Law!


    If Lin Yi¡¯s competitors were present, he might be a bit worried.


    But now, haven¡¯t these individuals already been excluded by his special methods?


    Just at this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s expression slightly changed.


    It was because the selection process for the heir of the Heavenly Ruling Emperor Dragon had already started at the Divine Medicine Sect.


    The selection method of the Divine Medicine Sect was quite simple, involving the Sect Master and the five elders using Secret Techniques to bless the Heavenly Ruling Emperor Dragon, allowing the dragon to open its Spiritual Eye to assess all candidates¡¯ Martial Arts, talents, Primordial Spirits, etc., to see if there was a match.


    The Heavenly Ruling Emperor Dragon only glanced at Lin Yi, who had assumed the identity of Yuan Keke, and then paid no further attention.


    Qi Tianquan, who was standing on the Cloud Platform with hands clasped, couldn¡¯t help but sneer, finding it simpler than he had anticipated¡ªthe Heavenly Ruling Emperor Dragon showed no interest in Yuan Keke.


    Seeing this, the Sect Master and the rest of the elders from Divine Medicine Sect frowned deeply, two of them even breaking out in a cold sweat.


    That was the predetermined candidate by the Hidden Crown Prince¡ªwouldn¡¯t the Spiritual Wisdom of the Heavenly Ruling Emperor Dragon consider it at all?


    However, just as the Heavenly Ruling Emperor Dragon was about to lock onto its future master, ¡®Yuan Keke¡¯ slowly raised her head and looked at it.


    In her eyes, there was a clearly twisted gleam.

 Chapter 585: 558: Suppressing with a Seal (Subscription Request)

    Chapter 585: Chapter 558: Suppressing with a Seal (Subscription Request)


    The Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon was initially indifferent towards Lin Yi.


    Its only requirement for the future master was that they must worship the Divine Law Venerable and be able to practice the Way of Heavenly Venerate.


    On this basis, if they had better talent and were more compatible with its Martial Arts, that would be ideal.


    Thus, the Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon looked down on Yuan Keke, who stood at the front, with neither of its eyes.


    However, just as Yuan Keke raised her head and gazed at it, the consciousness of the Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon changed.


    ¡°No¡ª¡±


    ...


    The Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon felt its thinking was being twisted by an irresistible force, almost completely inverted.


    Its gaze shifted towards ¡®Yuan Keke¡¯ and then involuntarily reached out its hand towards ¡®Yuan Keke¡¯.


    At this moment, the Sect Master of Divine Medicine Sect and several elders relaxed, with the Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon choosing ¡®Yuan Keke¡¯, there was now an explanation for the Hidden Crown Prince, and a bridge of communication would be established between Divine Medicine Sect and the Hidden Crown Prince in the future.


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s brows furrowed again, feeling extremely irritated.


    What is going on with this Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon? It clearly disdained Yuan Keke before, but now it has chosen ¡®Yuan Keke¡¯.


    Qi Tianquan vaguely sensed that there seemed to be a secret and powerful force fluctuating between Yuan Keke and the Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon.


    Was that some kind of Conceptual Power? Directly affecting the soul of the Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon.


    Qi Tianquan figured Yuan Keke must have cheated, although he did not know what method she used, the Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon was obviously interfered with externally.


    The problem was their Sect Master and the Great Elder, as well as the Second Elder, seemed blind to this, turning a blind eye.


    Qi Tianquan believed if he could see it, those three even stronger Ninth Realms Emperor Rank and Super Emperor should be able to see it as well.


    The Sect Master of Divine Medicine Sect might have sensed Qi Tianquan¡¯s somewhat off emotions and gave him a warning look.


    Qi Tianquan couldn¡¯t help but snort inwardly, thinking that the Divine Medicine Sect, in their eagerness to please that Hidden Crown Prince, had abandoned their own rules like a worn-out broom, sooner or later they would collapse!


    What happened next didn¡¯t depend on the will of Qi Tianquan.


    As the Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon and Lin Xi formed Divine Contracts and exchanged Essence Blood, a massive etheric tide swept across the entire Medicine God Mountain and surrounding areas for hundreds of miles.


    Just when everyone thought today¡¯s selection by the Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon was over, and the dust had settled.


    A few people, led by the Sect Master of Divine Medicine Sect, suddenly changed expressions.


    They all felt a supremely strong Divine Thought descending on the peak of Medicine God Mountain.


    At the moment this Divine Thought appeared, everything fell silent for an instant, as if even the air solidified, everyone including the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Sect Master involuntarily bowed their heads in submission, their Divine Souls trembling.


    That boundless majesty and power filled the space between heaven and earth, as if it could see through everything in the world and had the power to create and destroy all.


    Under the pressure of this force, all beings seemed so insignificant and vulnerable, the leaves trembled under the pressure, as if they could be torn apart at any moment; the dust on the ground was gently blown up, forming tiny vortexes, then slowly settled down.


    Meanwhile, that ¡®Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon¡¯ emitted an eye-piercing divine light, countless golden ribbons condensed from the concept of law extended from behind it, appearing like a pair of huge wings.


    Above the ¡®Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon¡¯, in the air above this central hall, a huge figure also appeared.


    The features of this figure were vague, only a pair of eyes nearly materialized, gazing down upon the land.


    Yet no one dared to look directly at It, to gaze directly at God.


    ¡°Abyss!¡±


    The Sect Master of Divine Medicine Sect fell to the ground involuntarily, his voice hoarse: ¡°Divine Law Venerable!¡±


    This was clearly the power of Divine Law Venerable, the concept of order and law!


    It was unknown whether the divine shadow manifested in the sky above was a projection of the will of Divine Law Venerable itself, or a condensation of His residual power.


    The Sect Master of Divine Medicine Sect felt a dry throat, full of doubt.


    What¡¯s with this ¡®Yuan Keke¡¯? How did she attract the notice of Divine Law Venerable, draw down the power of Divine Law Venerable?


    Regardless, this would be a shockingly major event throughout the entire Tianji World!


    Divine Law Venerable was one of the more active figures among all those who fell into the Abyss, so much so that many believed that this Venerable had not perished.


    Yet over the past thousand years, the times His Divine Thought had descended were only three.


    At this moment, those divine eyes in the sky were fixedly looking at Lin Yi, the ¡®Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon¡¯ with its pair of golden wings also gazing down at her.


    In the next instant, the ¡®Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon¡¯ once again reached out its hand, touching Lin Yi¡¯s brow.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    As this booming sound exploded, countless golden threads penetrated Lin Yi¡¯s body, extending out from inside her.


    These orders and laws coalesce into a pair of enormous golden wings, majestic and resplendent.


    Lin Yi¡¯s orifices and pores also overflow with blood, seemingly pressured and forcibly expelled by those concepts of order and laws.


    This causes severe rot-like damage to Lin Yi¡¯s internal organs and bone marrow, but the golden Divine Power heals her anew.


    At this moment, the Divine Eyes in the sky show a hint of dissatisfaction.


    Still impurities! Still distortions!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Another mass of golden Concept Divine Power erupts from the fingertips of ¡®Heavenly Venerate Dragon¡¯, piercing and cleansing Lin Yi¡¯s body.


    This causes the several Ninth Realm figures led by the Sect Master of Medicine God Sect in the hall to be shaken, quietly casting a protective glance.


    The Divine Law Venerable¡¯s divine favor towards Lin Yi is unexpectedly intense?


    However, this dazzling scene is just the beginning.


    Next, they witness numerous bursts of golden divine power forcefully entering Lin Yi¡¯s body, continuously releasing immense Concept Divine Power, causing nearby Martial Cultivators below Seventh Realm to bleed from all orifices and faint on the spot.


    The rest from Eight Realms and Ninth Realm also appear extremely wretched and haggard under the oppressive divine power!


    It wasn¡¯t until roughly fifteen minutes later that the radiant divine power gradually dissipated.


    When the ¡®Heavenly Venerate Dragon¡¯ withdrew his hand, a golden balance seal suddenly appeared between Lin Yi¡¯s eyebrows.


    The Sect Master of Medicine God Sect involuntarily narrows his pupils, bowing his head once more, whispering softly, ¡°Balance Seal, Divine Law Heavenly Maiden!¡±


    His heart trembled even more. Yuan Keke had become akin to a Divine Spirit Saint Heir.


    And with such divine favor from Divine Law Venerable! A whole seventeen times of divine brilliance cleansing the body!


    Qi Tianquan kneeling on the Cloud Platform is also inexplicably shocked.


    He never expected to witness the birth of a Favored one today.


    But why? Although Yuan Keke was outstanding before, she was only at the level of the Sixth Realm Emperor Rank. What about her deserved such high regard from the Divine Spirits?


    This lady even relied on cheating to earn the recognition of the ¡®Heavenly Venerate Dragon¡¯.


    And to have her body cleansed by divine brilliance seventeen times, that¡¯s truly unprecedented.


    Similarly kneeling on the ground, Xianyu Yan is equally astonished.


    She simply followed the command of her master, coming to Medicine God Mountain to support her master¡¯s sister Lin Yi, helping her obtain the Eight Realms ¡®Heavenly Venerate Dragon¡¯.


    Xianyu Yan hadn¡¯t expected her master to create such a spectacle at Medicine God Sect.


    She couldn¡¯t help feeling deeply inscrutable¡ªwas all this within her master¡¯s expectations?


    At this moment, however, no one in the hall noticed the strange and complex emotions in the sky¡¯s ¡®Divine Eyes¡¯ ¡ª disgust, helplessness, annoyance, and intense reluctance.


    Yet, Its Divine Soul projection quickly dissipated shortly after, the grandiose conceptual power also gradually receded.


    The people in the hall continue kneeling on the ground until long after the power and will of the Divine Law Venerable completely dissipated, then the Sect Master of Medicine God Sect stood up.


    He first looked up at the sky, then glanced at Yuan Keke, and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Since all the elders are here, let¡¯s discuss this together, I wish to appoint Yuan Keke as the head of our sect¡¯s Rules Hall and also grant her the position of the sixth elder of the sect!¡±


    The Sect Master of Medicine God Sect sighed inwardly, convinced that His Highness the Hidden Crown Prince was not someone prone to pettiness or injustice.


    His Highness specially arranged for Yuan Keke to inherit the Heavenly Venerate Dragon, there must be a reason for it.


    ¡ªThis is a Divine Law Heavenly Maiden that appears only once in thousands of years in the Tianji World! The Hidden Crown Prince must have discerned the connection between Yuan Keke and the Divine Law Venerable to make such arrangements.


    Meanwhile, at the National Guardian Marquis Mansion located twenty thousand miles away in Luojing City, siblings Lin Rui and Lin Xi face each other.


    Lin Xi thought in her mind: Could his obsessive-compulsiveness be this terrifying?


    Lin Xi, also a Divine container and an Abyss Weapon, does not fear Divine Spirits as much; thus, her perception of the scene was different from that of the Sect Master of the Medicine God Sect and others.


    That was clearly an obsessive-compulsive trying to flatten a protruding spot, yet the force of Its arrival was insufficient, unable to achieve it despite great effort, and thus forcibly suppressed it with a stamp!


    The God was clearly uncomfortable with not fully flattening the distortion within Lin Yi¡¯s body.


    Lin Rui, appearing calm, took a sip of tea, suppressing the astonishment in his heart.


    He thought he might have underestimated the connection between the Divine Law Venerable and the Heavenly Venerate of Pain.


    And his arrangement this time was too risky.


    Fortunately, Lin Yi had established a Divine Contract mentally linked with the ?? Heavenly Venerate Dragon before anyone else, preventing the Divine Law Venerable from violating His own rules and killing her, otherwise Lin Yi might have been blown apart by the Divine Law Venerable¡¯s power.


    Without this Divine Contract, the Divine Law Venerable might not have noticed Lin Yi¡¯s existence at all.

 Chapter 586: 559: Omen of Catastrophe (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 586: Chapter 559: Omen of Catastrophe (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Xi stared intently at the scene captured by Xianyu Yan¡¯s vision. Only after the Abyss Power of the Divine Law Venerable subsided did she speak with overwhelming joy, ¡°We can attempt to thaw Yi¡¯s true form.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªWith the increase of the Divine Law Venerable¡¯s power, Yi¡¯s true form should no longer be uncontrollable after thawing. They could step by step remove the Abyss Pollution within Yi¡¯s body.


    Lin Rui was responding to Yi¡¯s questions.


    Lost Heart (Yi): Brother, I¡¯ve acquired this imperial dragon. Can I return to your side now?


    Lost Heart was the online nickname Lin Xi had given her. The girl even sent an emoticon of a cat with starry eyes to express her pleading, urgency, and anticipation.


    Lin Rui shook his head after seeing it. Little Yi still hadn¡¯t grasped the situation and had no idea that the events that unfolded today would cause an uproar throughout the entire East Continent and the entire Sky Extreme Star.


    ...


    However, he could tell that the girl had reached her Limit of endurance.


    Ever since she arrived on Sky Extreme Star, Yi had been asking every day when she could return, posing the question almost every hour, deeply forlorn.


    She was not adept at acting, relying entirely on the pre-set intelligent life support chip Lin Rui had provided to manage daily life in Medicine God Mountain.


    It was also fortunate that Yuan Keke had been a reclusive girl even before, with little social interaction and no regular friends, or else her facade would have been exposed long ago.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help feeling a headache at the thought of Yi controlling the Law Hall as the Hall Master of Medicine God Sect and even becoming one of the six elders starting from now on.


    The Medicine God Sect was a colossal entity with one hundred and twenty thousand core disciples and three hundred and forty thousand peripheral disciples. The internal situation was extremely complex.


    The position of the Hall Master of the Law Hall wasn¡¯t one that could be competently held just through being stern and upright.


    Therefore, he indeed needed to bring Yi back to his side as soon as possible, to watch over her closely.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): It¡¯s possible, but you¡¯ll have to wait another two days. Be good!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Silly, your brother didn¡¯t lie to you. It¡¯s really soon.


    Lin Rui soothed Yi with a few words and managed to pacify this little ancestor before he walked to the railing of the pavilion with his hands clasped behind his back.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait another two days for this matter and observe the subsequent changes in the situation and the reactions from all sides.¡±


    Lin Rui looked up at the sky: ¡°The key is the Divine Palace and the Divine Above. What will their reactions be? How will they view Yi, the Divine Law Heavenly Girl?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xi¡¯s expression also sobered slightly.


    Indeed, they still didn¡¯t know how the Divine Palace would respond.


    Fortunately, the several great Abysses of the present era were somewhat tolerant towards the three Heavenly Venerates of Blood Jade, Divine Law, and Retribution, allowing their reputations and related historical records to circulate in the world. They had never suppressed or eradicated the followers of these three Heavenly Venerates.


    Blood Jade and Divine Law Venerates were even widely worshipped by the noble clans and were pillars of the current court.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    One hour later, within the Divine Palace, the Great Celestial Master was standing at the easternmost corner of this enormous palace, gazing toward Divine Medicine Mountain.


    ¡°The Balance divine seal, Divine Law Heavenly Girl! After a lapse of thirteen hundred years, a Favored of the Divine Law Venerable has reappeared in the world.¡±


    The Great Celestial Master spoke almost word for word, his complexion as solemn as iron, his brows furrowed into a ¡®´¨¡¯ shape.


    At this moment, Han Baxian raised his head and carefully observed the silhouette of the Great Celestial Master, tentatively asking, ¡°Master, as far as I know, the five great Divine Palaces have always suppressed the so-called Saint Heirs and Heavenly Maidens of various Evil Gods with the most intense methods, eliminating them thoroughly. However, the Favored of the three Heavenly Venerates of Blood Jade, Divine Law, and Retribution are exceptions.


    As far as I know, there was a Divine Law Heavenly Girl in Great Song four thousand years ago. According to historical records, the Divine Above was quite accommodating to her, wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    The last Favored of the Divine Law Venerable from thirteen hundred years ago was a citizen of Da Liao and had never come to the territory of Great Song. The most recent record of the Divine Law Heavenly Girl in the history of the East Continent dated back four thousand years.


    ¡°You¡¯re aware of this too?¡±


    The Great Celestial Master looked surprised and satisfied: ¡°The Divine Above has always treated the Favored of the three Heavenly Venerates well, even expressly ordering me to show them respect. Do you know why?¡±


    Han Baxian¡¯s eyes whirled as he then bowed his head, ¡°Disciple does not know and wouldn¡¯t dare make wild guesses.¡±


    He contemplates whether those three Heavenly Venerates might truly still be alive.


    ¡°Do not make unfounded speculations, that is wise.¡±


    The Grand Celestial Master of the Divine Palace smiles faintly, which is why he is particularly pleased with Han Baxian: ¡°However, you are my disciple and one of the candidates to succeed as the next Grand Celestial Master. There are some things you do need to know. The Heavenly Venerates of Azure Blood, Divine Law, and Karma indeed still exist in this world.


    They exist in a manner different from those beings of the Abyss, in that they no longer dwell within the Heavenly Curtain and, to some extent, have detached from ¡®the root,¡¯ yet have not completely separated.¡±


    Han Baxian frowns slightly upon hearing this.


    He does not understand what¡¯s being said, yet dares not to ask.


    At this moment, the Grand Celestial Master of the Divine Palace sweeps his sleeve and says, ¡°I am telling you this also because there¡¯s a matter I want you to take care of. In a while, you shall go on my behalf to the Medicine God Mountain to confer the title of Second Rank Red Priest of the Divine Palace upon this Divine Law Heavenly Girl and have the Divine Envoy draft a decree to appoint her to assume the dual roles of Medicine and Salt Imperial Censor and Silk and Tea Imperial Censor at the Imperial Censorate. When the Divine awakens, he will summon her personally. Remember, you must treat her with due courtesy.¡±


    ¡°Medicine and Salt Imperial Censor?¡± Han Baxian is startled by this remark and then says, puzzled, ¡°Master, you wish to confer an actual post? What is the necessity? This lady is, after all, a Heavenly Maiden of an alien god; it should suffice for our Divine Palace to grant her an honorary position in a show of respect and preferential treatment. Why is there a need to assign her an actual post, especially one as significant as Medicine and Salt Imperial Censor or Silk and Tea Imperial Censor?¡±


    Although both the Medicine and Salt Imperial Censor and Silk and Tea Imperial Censor hold only Fourth Rank, they oversee the salt, medicine, tea, and silk industries within the territory of the Great Song, wielding enormous power.


    ¡°Divine Law Venerable is the master of order and the venerable of laws. His favored one must surely be a person who enforces the law with unwavering conviction and is devoted to dutiful service. It is a pity to let such talent go unused. And as for the industries of medicine, salt, silk, and tea, they are the foundation of the court¡¯s fiscal revenues. Having this Divine Law Heavenly Girl supervise their monitoring will greatly benefit the court¡ª¡±


    The Grand Celestial Master of the Divine Palace speaks to this point and then glances down below with a cold smile, ¡°Have I heard correctly that after the Divine ordered an inspection of the storages across the regions, there have been twenty-seven instances of fires burning down storehouses around Luojing? A vast amount of grain and weaponry has been destroyed in the flames?¡±


    Han Baxian is dumbfounded and thinks to himself that those people in the outer court indeed do too much and are insatiably greedy.


    So much so that his master is forced to rely on the power of the Heavenly Maiden of an alien god to oversee the industries of medicine, salt, silk, and tea, in order to ensure the secure collection of the Great Song¡¯s taxes.


    ¡°Master, the emperor and the First Divine Envoy have been quite effective in inspecting the storages across the lands. Although there have been numerous instances of fire disasters, the emperor ordered the Imperial City Department to detain and investigate many of the high officials involved, using their family assets to compensate for the court¡¯s loss. The military supplies and storages in various regions have now been clearly sorted and are sufficient to support a full-scale war against Purgatory for a year.¡±


    ¡°This time the two of them have finally got it right for once. Otherwise, I would have been tempted to appoint this Divine Law Heavenly Girl as the Touring Imperial Censor of the Storehouses!¡±


    The Grand Celestial Master of the Divine Palace laughs coldly: ¡°However, this war with Purgatory differs from the battles of previous years. Before we enter the battle, the court must assemble enough supplies for three years of conflict! And these four industries are rife with fat rats and parasites. How many years has it been since the taxes on medicine, salt, silk, and tea have shown any growth? The population of this world keeps increasing, yet the court¡¯s tax revenues steadily decline year after year, with vast sums of Silver Coin ending up in private pockets. You can instruct Lin Hao to cooperate with the Divine Law Heavenly Girl to thoroughly clean up these four types of commercial taxes.¡±


    At this point, Han Baxian feels a slight twitch at the corners of his lips.


    He hesitates for a moment but still speaks up, ¡°Master, based on my recent investigation, this Divine Law Heavenly Girl belongs to the Yuan Family and is named Yuan Keke. Her relationship with Lin Hao is far from insignificant. Before the incident, not only did Lin Hao have his Dragon Guard Captain personally attend to Divine Medicine Mountain, but he also helped the girl eliminate several competitors. Moreover, this Lin Hao is not only exceptionally capable but also blessed with remarkable talent!¡±


    The Grand Celestial Master of the Divine Palace turns his body and looks back at Han Baxian, his expression even more satisfied.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The Divine Law Heavenly Girl abides by the rules and follows the law to the letter. If Lin Hao expects her to give him private favors, then he is sorely mistaken.¡±


    The Grand Celestial Master of the Divine Palace then looks up at the sky, ¡°You are aware of the need to guard against Lin Hao, which is commendable. It shows your unyielding loyalty and devotion to the Divine. However, Baxian, do you still remember the words I said to you a few months ago?¡±


    Han Baxian is momentarily stunned, recalling what his master had said to him three months prior.


    The master had foreseen a cataclysmic disaster last June.


    In a whimsical moment, while looking up at the Heavenly Curtain, he saw a stretch of crimson in the sky.


    The master had not only foreseen that all stars on the Heavenly Curtain would dim and vanish within 30 years, but he also saw the eight immense Vortexes of the Abyss being shattered as well. Their powers became a chaotic mixture, turning into pure pandemonium.


    Strangely enough, several days later, upon stargazing again, the omen of this world-ending calamity had vanished.


    The Grand Celestial Master of the Divine Palace took this very seriously. He immediately contacted several top Stargazers of the Sky Extreme Star and discovered that they too had foreseen the disaster on the same night.


    From this, it can be concluded that this was no coincidence. However, this apocalyptic disaster, before it happened, was for some reason nullified, perhaps by a savior who emerged¡ª


    Thinking of this, a glimmer of enlightenment and a difference surfaces in Han Baxian¡¯s eyes.


    He realizes that the Divine and the Grand Celestial Master¡¯s concern for this portent of disaster far exceeds his imagination.


    Right now is the time when the Divine requires capable people. As long as someone can help the Divine stabilize the nation, consolidate the foundation, and expand the strength, they will receive the Divine¡¯s unreserved favor.


    The Grand Celestial Master of the Divine Palace is lost in thought.


    He wonders if at this moment, the arrival of a favored one of the Divine Law Venerable has any connection to that world-ending disaster that had been averted.

 Chapter 587: 560: Tremor (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 587: Chapter 560: Tremor (Please Subscribe)


    The disturbance caused by Lin Yi becoming the Divine Law Heavenly Girl was far greater than Lin Rui had anticipated.


    He is the Thunder Admiral of the Security Bureau and personally witnessed the internal hustle for ¡®Yuan Keke.¡¯


    From the headquarters base to the fourteen divisions, all were trying their best to complete Yuan Keke¡¯s data.


    Just for setting up countermeasure teams for Yuan Keke there were twelve, and six divisions¡¯ intelligence analysis departments built a large data model for Lin Yi, analyzing this ¡®Divine Law Heavenly Girl¡¯s¡¯ behavior patterns and future movements.


    The intelligence analysis department of the ninth division also wanted to establish a large data model, requiring billions for the latest supercomputer model and to hire a research group. The application report was sent to Zhou Yunfei but was rejected by him.


    He saw that ¡®Yuan Keke¡¯ was promoted by Lin Hao, and after gathering some intelligence, he guessed roughly what was going on.


    ...


    These intelligence officials were just using the pretext of the ¡®Divine Law Heavenly Girl¡¯ to swindle funds and even wanted to increase their staff!


    The problem is, their Security Bureau¡¯s ninth division can¡¯t even handle their own Base City¡¯s internal affairs, so why bother with such overreach?


    The taxes levied by the Federation are just squandered by these bureaucrats.


    Li Xianglong directly made a phone call to Lin Rui.


    ¡°That Yuan Keke is your person, right? Is she the Suffering Heavenly Girl?¡±


    Lin Rui thought that this General truly had a keen nose.


    However, if he still didn¡¯t know that Lin Yi was in his hands, that would be incompetence.


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t deceive Li Xianglong, he straightforwardly responded: ¡°It¡¯s my sister, Lin Yi!¡±


    ¡°Interesting, I thought your younger sister was in a bad state, a few months ago she almost invoked the descent of the Suffering Heavenly Venerate, right? Now you¡¯ve actually forged a path for her with the power of the Divine Law Venerate to fight against the Twist. Good idea! Even got her a title of Divine Law Heavenly Girl.¡±


    Li Xianglong actually had many doubts, such as how Lin Yi survived these months? And how did she become an Alien?


    But Li Xianglong knew Lin Rui wouldn¡¯t answer, so there was no need to humiliate himself, hence he quickly changed the topic: ¡°Is she short of people under her command?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Yes! But you need to send me a few trustworthy people.¡±


    The Great Celestial Master of the Divine Palace whimsically had Lin Yi take up the roles of Medicine and Salt Imperial Censor and Silk Tea Imperial Censor, completely deviating from his expectation and beyond his prediction.


    Especially this Great Celestial Master, actually using Lin Yi as a knife to clean up these four types of commercial taxes.


    In Lin Rui¡¯s view, these were four treacherous pits, which families involved in the medicine, salt, and silk tea trades were simple characters? Which didn¡¯t have a profound background? And the military forces in their hands, how formidable they were!


    Lin Rui already ordered Xue Lingxue to help Lin Yi prepare her staff.


    There was no choice, after losing her memories, Lin Yi¡¯s intelligence was still at a child¡¯s level, absolutely incapable of undertaking these two major Imperial Censor roles, now only private staff and junior officials could be considered.


    In governance, the critical factor lies in employing people, as long as Lin Yi¡¯s subordinates are competent, the tasks can still be accomplished.


    However, capable and sensible subordinates who are willing to listen to a six-year-old girl and willing to protect her are hard to find, and they are still helping Lin Yi to conceal her actual situation.


    Li Xianglong in the video unsurprisingly smiled a little, ¡°I will send you two personnel files later. Don¡¯t worry; they are both extremely capable and reliable people from my subordinates, their martial power is also good, Seventh Realm Divine Powers, Emperor Bloodline, and even if they are exposed, they won¡¯t implicate this ¡®Divine Law Heavenly Girl¡¯.¡±


    He then clicked his tongue and remarked: ¡°Actually, with the title of ¡®Divine Law Heavenly Girl¡¯, even if the East Abyss knows she¡¯s an Outer Heaven Demon, I doubt they would do much.¡±


    What rendered Li Xianglong speechless was that this Divine Law Heavenly Girl could also twist the divine laws, not having to strictly adhere to rules like the previous ¡®Divine Law Heavenly Girls¡¯.


    Li Xianglong hung up the communication, and Linghu Mingde soon called.


    ¡°Lin Rui, ¡®Divine Law Heavenly Girl¡¯ is your sister, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Linghu Mingde, in the core area of the Armored Biological Research Institute, had seen Lin Yi sneaking out more than once. How could he not know what was happening when he saw Yuan Keke¡¯s intelligence report?


    Lin Rui claimed Lin Yi as his sister, and after a little investigation by Linghu Mingde, he knew that she was actually the Abyss Weapon, ¡®Suffering Heavenly Girl¡¯ of the Longevity Association.


    Also, not long ago, the concept of destruction by the Despair Heavenly Girl erupted comprehensively within the Ninth Base City, and the Federation Security Bureau even found a ¡®Suffering Heavenly Dragon¡¯ at the scene, making some guesses.


    Linghu Mingde praised, ¡°Using this form to counterbalance suffering is indeed a good method. This kid seems to be able to survive; living another two to three hundred years shouldn¡¯t be a problem, and you also got a pair of aces, at least a clever trick!¡±


    In Linghu Mingde¡¯s view, Lin Yi¡¯s current importance was equivalent to the ace of a poker game.


    In extreme cases, Lin Yi could even use the ¡®Suffering Heavenly Dragon¡¯ in battle!


    Furthermore, the authority she wielded, and her significance to the literacy society, were extraordinary.


    Lin Rui helplessly replied, ¡°You flatter me too much. To be honest, this development was beyond my expectation. Moreover, calling her an ace is an exaggeration; she¡¯s currently just a mascot, and using that battle dragon also carries great risk.¡±


    Hearing this, Linghu Mingde chuckled, ¡°You have no idea of the significance of the Divine Law Venerable to our scholarly society. How should I put it? It¡¯s like Confucius to the confucianists, and Gao Tao to the Legalist School. Also, I have a favor to ask ¡ª when your sister comes to the capital, make sure she visits my home as a guest, participates in a literary meeting, and I would like her to write a few characters for me. I¡¯ll send it to you, so she can practice in advance.¡±


    Lin Rui glanced at the words Linghu Mingde sent, which were ¡®Model of the Literati¡¯.


    He thought this guy really had thick skin.


    ¡°By the way.¡± Linghu Mingde turned serious: ¡°Does she need more people? I have a few Imperial Censors, not only upright but also skilled and proficient in calculations.¡±


    Lin Rui indeed needed people, especially those who could be immediately assigned under Lin Yi, ready for action immediately.


    He discussed with Linghu Mingde for a few moments and then scheduled a time for surgery for Linghu Mingde.


    The Biological Prosthetics Research Institute had already completed the development of twelve new prosthetics for Linghu Mingde, which were now being diligently produced by Huang Fuqing and were almost complete.


    The third call came from Xu Mengran.


    She indeed asked about the Divine Law Heavenly Girl as well and after expressing her admiration, she also asked if Lin Rui needed more people.


    Lin Rui welcomed all comers.


    He knew that Li Xianglong and the East Asia side must have some plans in mind, but he didn¡¯t care.


    As Li Xianglong said, Lin Yi might be the only Alien Walker to have received a Death Exemption Token.


    It¡¯s like in ancient East Asia, where descendants of Confucius and Mencius were treated with great respect through dynasties, it¡¯s the same principle.


    Lin Rui checked the personnel files sent by these three, feeling that Lin Yi¡¯s staff and direct subordinates were now strong and robust. He thought adding a few more to the team would be sufficient.


    They might not be able to clean up the giant merchants and government officials¡¯ corruption, but increasing four kinds of commercial taxes by twenty to thirty percent should be feasible.


    Subsequently, Lin Rui also brought up the matter of his Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute and invited Xu Mengran to visit his institute the day after tomorrow.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow afternoon?¡± Xu Mengran¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, a gleam appearing in them.


    He had long been curious and looking forward to visiting the Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute.

 Chapter 588 03-25 - 561: Sending Money (Subscription Requested)

    Chapter 588: Chapter 561: Sending Money (Subscription Requested)


    A day later, Lin Rui found time to perform surgery on Linghu Mingde.


    Linghu Mingde could not understand why Lin Rui performed Surgical Implantation under general anesthesia, and why it had to be done inside a lead room.


    However, it didn¡¯t matter anymore. Linghu Mingde knew that Lin Rui undoubtedly had his secrets, and all he needed to be sure of was that Lin Rui would not harm him.


    He was a man close to death, yet Lin Rui had forcefully pulled him back; what was there not to trust?


    During unconsciousness, one does not feel the passage of time; when Linghu Mingde regained consciousness, he checked the time on his smart device and found that it had been 13 hours and 50 minutes.


    The duration of the surgery was indeed long, taking almost half a day.


    ...


    Yet it was also swift; a total of 4 main equipments and 8 auxiliary equipments, Lin Rui managed to replace them all in such a short time, less than a day, demonstrating his excellent surgical skills.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s Spiritual Sense made a slight detection and he couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows slightly, feeling that both the strength and the amount of his spiritual power had increased significantly.


    The new implants were indeed different, similar to the two new implants he had previously; combined, they at least reduced his mental strain by 20%, but the actual benefits to Linghu Mingde were much more.


    These implants integrated with the human meridians, capable of exerting stronger power and higher efficiency, and could directly affect the Divine Soul.


    As is known, the Primordial Spirit originates from the body and the Spiritual Sense is based on Qi and blood, otherwise, it would float aimlessly like rootless duckweed.


    Due to the vigorous Qi and blood within his body, Linghu Mingde¡¯s spiritual power grew tremendously.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï


    His spiritual power extended in all directions, even penetrating the neighboring alloy plate, reaching directly into the adjacent observation room.


    The surgery room was entirely cast with Graphene and various coatings along with a thick, seventeen-meter lead plate, and the exterior protected by twenty meters of military-grade high-strength concrete.


    Not just Linghu Mingde, even those at the Divine Envoy Level with Spiritual Sense would struggle to penetrate it from extremely close range.


    However, the observation room was only separated by a three-meter thick alloy wall, and without much effort, Linghu Mingde covered it with his Spiritual Sense.


    He heard a raspy, deep yet resilient laugh: ¡°Brother Linghu should have woken up, he seems to be in good condition.¡±


    Linghu Mingde recognized the voice as Xu Mengran¡¯s, and he chuckled: ¡°Not bad at all, since Old Xu you¡¯re here, why not spar with me? Let¡¯s see what level my new equipment is at.¡±


    Lin Rui had invited Xu Mengran to observe his condition after notifying Linghu Mingde.


    Linghu Mingde could roughly guess Lin Rui¡¯s intention.


    However, this youngster, though recently making a fortune with skincare products, was under immense pressure and in dire need of money given his massive expenses.


    Moreover, Linghu Mingde was on good terms with Xu Mengran, so he was happy to oblige.


    Previously, when he faced decline in every aspect and everyone else kicked him while he was down, only East Asia¡¯s cooperation remained unchanged, providing considerable support.


    Within the Earth Federation, East Asia always showed the strongest sense of camaraderie, unlike the other sectors which could turn hostile at the flip of a page, driven purely by stark interests.


    There, the mighty could take everything and act as they wish, but once any signs of weakness were shown, you¡¯d be torn apart by the approaching wolves and hyenas.


    ¡°Certainly!¡±


    Xu Mengran¡¯s purpose here was precisely to observe the effects of the new technology, and Linghu Mingde¡¯s words were exactly what he hoped for.


    Unfortunately, the surgical process conducted by Lin Rui was completely sealed off, not allowing any observers, otherwise, he could have made further assessments.


    Yet, just from the various bodily data detected and scanned by the surrounding monitoring equipment, Xu Mengran was greatly intrigued.


    What¡¯s terrifying is that the implants implanted in Linghu Mingde perfectly integrated with his Primordial Spirit, which could achieve a state of unity between spirit and body within the next month.


    By then, Linghu Mingde, both in terms of spiritual power and Bloodline Talent, would only grow stronger.


    ¡ª¡ªThis old fellow, has completely pushed open the gates to the Ninth Realm!


    Xu Mengran estimates that in no more than 10 days, another Divine Envoy Level Congressional Honorary Member will emerge within the Earth Federation.


    No wonder this guy is so confident, allowing Fang Ranran to go on a rampage capturing territories.


    This time, Fang Xianzheng might have miscalculated, but for this individual, he could profit regardless of the situation.


    He turned towards Lin Rui, extending his hand: ¡°President Lin, I am very interested in your revolutionary technology. Currently, I cannot make decisions on behalf of the East Asia Republic, but the East Asia National Security Bureau is willing to invest 350 billion federal coins to commission your research institute to develop and improve a part of the Armament technology, with the specifics to be determined later.


    Additionally, we are also willing to help your institute in East Asia to register the corresponding patents in the Federation. However, we hope that your institute can recruit a large number of students in the field of biology and Armament biology in East Asia, and absorb several research teams we appoint.¡±


    Lin Rui pondered that this was a good thing and happily agreed.


    He has been recently troubled by patent registration issues, as Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals is being targeted by major pharmaceutical companies. Any action from them might lead to premature exposure of this revolutionary technology.


    However, with the help of East Asia, it would be different. For instance, during the days he submits the patent application, the staff at the Federation patent agency would be replaced by personnel related to East Asia, making the approval process much smoother¡ª


    Just then, Xu Mengran, in his presence, ingratiated Si Malin: ¡°Professor Sima, after being selected as a candidate academician and staying silent for many years, who would have thought that you would be so astonishing once you decided to speak up! The results of this research absolutely deserve a national life science award!¡±


    The corners of Si Malin¡¯s lips slightly raised, indicating that his academician¡¯s position was virtually secured.


    Xu Mengran then spoke to Xie Qing: ¡°Professor Xie, are you interested in joining our East Asia Science Academy? I represent East Asia and sincerely invite you to join our national science academy to contribute to the common fate of humanity.¡±


    Xie Qing¡¯s face flushed with excitement, resolutely responding, ¡°It would be an honour for Xie, a dream I¡¯ve always had!¡±


    It is well recognized within the Federation that the East Asia Science Academy is more prestigious than the Federation Science Academy.


    A small smile flickered on Lin Rui¡¯s lips, thinking that this was indeed the difference.


    He gave Xie Qing and Sima Lin money, people, and technology, yet Xu Mengran easily won their hearts with a few words, offering two academician positions.


    All he needed from this person was to help him register the patents and be willing to fund.


    At that moment, Xu Mengran¡¯s expression turned serious, and he said to Lin Rui: ¡°President Lin, those pharmaceutical companies have already stabilized their footholds on Sky Extreme Star. They suffered heavy losses this time and might still seek compensation from your Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals.¡±


    This time, the large pharmaceutical companies in Ninth Base City were indeed hit hard, being forced to abandon pharmaceutical bases in twenty-three manors around Great Song, nearly 300,000 acres of land.


    Most likely, these manors would eventually end up in Lin Rui¡¯s hands.


    They also suffered significant losses in other countries, losing land and warehouses, totaling nearly a loss of 12,200 billion federal coins.


    However, the greater the losses these companies faced, the more urgently they needed to recuperate.


    ¡°There¡¯s more!¡± Xu Mengran pointed to the surgery room where Linghu Mingde was having tubes removed, ¡°Following this old fellow, you¡¯ve snatched so many political resources, some people would probably not let it go so easily. The old fellow should be able to hold them off, but not necessarily you. They will see you as the weak link, so it¡¯s best to be cautious lately! If you feel overwhelmed, feel free to call me anytime.¡±


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow at this, ¡°General Xu, I have a good sense of the situation and should be able to manage, don¡¯t worry. If I need a helping hand from East Asia, I won¡¯t hesitate to reach out to you.¡±


    Following this, Lin Rui lost interest in watching the two Super Monarchs from the Eighth Realm exchanging blows. His spiritual essence hurriedly returned to the Alien.


    Lin Rui has been extremely busy recently.


    He had completed the design for the Red Spider 8PRO¡¯s modification plan and was coordinating the implementation with Wang Yinyue and others. Since none of them had experience in modifying Type 9 Combat Robots, the plan might need adjustments at any moment.


    Lin Rui also had to monitor Lin Yi¡¯s alien body, ensuring no relaxation until Lin Yi completely took over her identity package.


    Lin Yi¡¯s real body also needed to be gradually thawed, devising ways to remove the contaminants left inside her by Zhen Hao to control her.


    Moreover, Luo Wangshu had prematurely restored his Primordial Qi a day earlier, aiding Shangguan Tianyi in awakening the Limit Heart Origin, so he also had to perform surgery on Shangguan Tianyi to promote her to a Super Monarch of the Sixth Realm.


    The alien forms of Xianyu Yan and the Mecha Dragons, as well as his own Mecha Dragon, were also in the process of adjustment.


    However busy Lin Rui was, his mood was exhilarating, for his power was rapidly growing and his wings becoming fuller by the day.

 Chapter 589 03-25 - 562

    Chapter 589: Chapter 562


    ¡°So, Grandfather, does this mean you can now advance to the Ninth Realm at any time?¡±


    Fang Ranran called Linghu Mingde half an hour after his surgery.


    Her expression was a mix of excitement and joy: ¡°Are these new Armaments really that effective?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t even imagine how good they are.¡±


    Linghu Mingde spoke as he rubbed the center of his forehead.


    Inside his forehead was an eye, one of the SSS+ Armaments he had replaced this time.


    ...


    At this moment, the eye not only lacked the previous painful sensation, but the energy consumption to activate this talent was only one third of what it used to be.


    From his sparring results with Xu Mengran, the power of this ¡®Ancient Divine Eyes¡¯ had nearly increased by sixty percent.


    ¡ªThis was the result after optimizing various aspects including his spiritual power and coordination.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s eyes were filled with gratitude, thinking that this was not only a lifesaving grace, but also a virtue of enlightenment.


    ¡°This really is revolutionary Armament technology that will bring tremendous transformation to the Federation; Old Xu has already promised to help Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals register for the patent. Congratulations, Student Fang Ranran, in the future, you¡¯re at least a trillionaire. You should really thank him.¡±


    This was another matter that made Linghu Mingde sigh.


    Lin Rui truly planned to share this enormous wealth with Fang Ranran, and his attitude had not changed at all.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã0


    He always thought it would be good if Fang Ranran could be a bit more like Fang Xianzheng; if she could be a bit more ruthless and indifferent while caring for the family, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against Fang Xianzheng.


    Now it seemed, it was precisely because Fang Ranran was different from Fang Xianzheng that she was treated sincerely by Lin Rui.


    ¡°I¡¯m also trying hard; recently, I¡¯ve spent nearly half my time on Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, managing his business and politics.¡±


    Fang Ranran pouted slightly with a mix of dissatisfaction and pride: ¡°But indeed, this is the most important investment of my life. Whether the profits can be pocketed depends on you, Grandfather. The current situation is very unsettling. I felt like someone was following me not long ago, and Aunt Qiu said that their strength is very strong.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the situation is tricky.¡± Linghu Mingde nodded slightly. ¡°Hence, my Alien will soon attempt to break through to the Ninth Realm, aiming to do so within one day to Divine Illumination of the Heavenly Curtain.¡±


    Fang Ranran was momentarily stunned: ¡°Grandfather, are you advancing now? Isn¡¯t it too hasty?¡±


    Linghu Mingde shook his head slightly, reckoning that the current situation could no longer afford any delay.


    After the Alien advances to the Ninth Realm, the main body still needs to implant Special Ninth Realm-level Armaments!


    The Biological Prosthetics Research Institute at Rui Fang had started synchronizing research on his Main Armor two months ago, and it was nearing completion.


    The Main Armaments for the Ninth Realm were relatively simple compared to the Dragon Armor and Battle Dragon in terms of technical difficulty.


    The problem is that implanting this type of Armament also requires time.


    Waiting until the situation becomes most perilous to advance would likely be too late.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have already prepared three ¡®God-shedding Pills of the Eighth Transformation¡¯ for my Alien, which can strip and cleanse two of my Super Emperor Bloodlines and one Super Monarch Bloodline. I have also asked Lin Rui to help remove the corresponding Armaments. I now have almost a ninety-nine percent confidence that I can advance to the Ninth Realm with an Emperor Rank Bloodline Talent.¡±


    As is well known, the higher one¡¯s Bloodline Talent, the more dangerous and difficult it is to advance.


    Previously, Linghu Mingde sought to greatly enhance his combat prowess by awakening his Bloodline Talent, reaching the upper-middle tier of the Super Monarch of Eight Realms.


    Yet now, he had to strip away some Bloodline Powers to reduce the difficulty of advancing.


    Linghu Mingde was self-aware, his understanding of himself was very accurate, and he had ample confidence.


    Moreover, Linghu Mingde¡¯s accumulation over hundreds of years was also extraordinary.


    Although he had not been able to break through to the Ninth Realm before, he possessed a vast amount of top treasures that could help others reach the Ninth Realm.


    Just possessing three ¡®God-shedding Pills¡¯, each worth a Ninth Realm Super Emperor Magic Artifact, Linghu Mingde had no worries.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about my affairs, just focus on your tasks, strive to win the election, help Lin Rui manage Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals well, and be sure to pay attention to your own safety!¡±


    After saying this, Linghu Mingde hung up the phone, but Fang Ranran sat still, staring blankly.


    She felt a bit dazed, as if she were dreaming, unable to believe that this was the real world.


    ¡ªGrandfather, he¡¯s actually about to ascend to the Ninth Realm?


    After a long while, Fang Ranran gathered herself, opened her arms like a freed little bird, and trotted down the stairs with a light bounce in her step.


    At this moment, she was inside a ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ enhanced luxury official car.


    This car had two floors, the upper level was a resting area and the lower level was an office area.


    Worth mentioning is that the interior of the car had many mirrors, and the exterior body was painted in pure silver, as smooth as a mirror.


    Outside the official car, was a campaign branch set up by the Bright Front in the eastern district.


    When Fang Ranran walked downstairs, she heard Yu Feicui¡¯s voice tinged with curiosity and teasing, ¡°What¡¯s the happy occasion? It¡¯s rare to see Miss Fang so jubilant, like a little girl.¡±


    ¡°Feicui sister?¡± Fang Ranran looked towards the source of the voice and saw Yu Feicui.


    She was one of the few subordinates granted permission to freely access this official car.


    ¡°You guessed right, today is truly a cause for celebration.¡±


    Fang Ranran took out a bottle of red wine from the refrigerator and poured a glass for each: ¡°Although I can¡¯t tell you the details right now, let¡¯s celebrate first, cheers!¡±


    Yu Feicui became even more curious, but she could guess that something significant must have happened to make Fang Ranran so happy, probably closely tied to the fate of their group.


    She felt joyful and said solemnly, ¡°Ms. Fang, I came here to report something related to Sky Blue Group and our managing company. Half an hour ago, Sky Blue Group formally contacted our managing company to finalize the negotiations about Mr. Lin being the exclusive brand ambassador, mentioning that the previously proposed 3% stake is their final offer, and it won¡¯t change.¡±


    Yu Feicui spoke very respectfully when she mentioned Mr. Lin.


    Times had changed, Mr. Lin within a year soared high like a great roc spanning 90,000 miles with wings that could cover the sky and earth.


    Fang Ranran sipped on her wine, ¡°Feicui sister, you coming here personally must mean it¡¯s more than just that, right?¡±


    Yu Feicui was her mole embedded in the Sky Blue Group, but unfortunately, Fang Kongfang had always been vigilant, and Yu Feicui hadn¡¯t been able to gain any real authority.


    Truth be told, at this point, Fang Ranran didn¡¯t care much about those assets of the Sky Blue Group anymore.


    Whether it was the Bright Front or Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, both were prospects with a very bright future.


    However, it was under her mother¡¯s investment of 20 billion federal coins that Sky Blue Group had once overcome bankruptcy, and with her grandfather¡¯s help, it had stabilized and even entered the prosthetics industry.


    To some extent, Sky Blue Group was also a legacy left by her mother.


    Furthermore, Xiao Rui had promoted so many products for Sky Blue Group, and the quality and after-sales service of these products could directly impact Xiao Rui¡¯s reputation.


    Fang Ranran wouldn¡¯t allow Lin Rui to be exposed to such risks if there was any possibility to prevent it.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Yu Feicui pushed up her glasses, ¡°I¡¯ve discovered that your father and uncle intend to split Sky Blue Group¡¯s assets into a prosthetics biotech company and an agro-real estate company.¡±


    ¡°Splitting the company?¡± Fang Ranran narrowed her eyes. ¡°Interesting, they didn¡¯t tell me about this.¡±


    She scoffed disdainfully: ¡°What are they thinking? Using a 3% stake to secure Lin Rui¡¯s exclusive endorsement? And now splitting the company? Don¡¯t they know that Lin Rui is the Executive Vice Chairman of our Bright Front?


    My father thinks that Lin Rui¡¯s Bright Front will definitely help pass the proposal to expand the Base City?¡±


    Why should we help them if they split the Sky Blue Company?


    In her office desk, there were also two other plans; one to build a satellite urban area, and the other to optimize and overhaul the environment in the Lower Zone, both of which would cost less than expanding the Ninth Base City.¡±

 Chapter 590 03-25 - 563: Elixir Heart (Looking for subscriptions to the third update)

    Chapter 590: Chapter 563: Elixir Heart (Looking for subscriptions to the third update)


    ¡°Before I came, I had a private conversation with Guan Biran, the assistant to Fang Kongfang.¡±


    Yu Feicui rested her hands on her knees: ¡°His argument was strictly business-oriented, stating that Lin Rui at present is only worth that much. He acknowledged that Lin Rui could bring immense benefits to Sky Blue Group, but also mentioned that the risks to Lin Rui¡¯s safety are extremely high, and Vice-Chairman Fang and Sky Blue Group would have to expend substantial resources to ensure his safety.


    Fang Family Head, I have reviewed the specific terms, and they are very harsh. Half of the 3% shareholding comes with performance conditions. Lin Rui must achieve their required performance targets within two years to claim that portion of shares. Furthermore, after signing, Lin Rui is obliged to conduct 100 live-stream sessions per year to promote products, with each session lasting no less than two hours, and each time featuring no fewer than three types of Armament products.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    Fang Ranran let out an involuntary laugh: ¡°Then there is no need for a response. If they have not presented a new plan after the University Martial Arts League, then we will terminate the previous contract, and at that time, Xiao Rui will finish his studies at Mingde University.¡±


    For a meager 3% shareholding, they expect Xiao Rui to work like a horse for Sky Blue Group?


    ...


    It would be better for them to expand Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and reverse-acquire Sky Blue Group.


    Yu Feicui nodded slightly: ¡°In addition, Guan Biran also confided to me in private that your father¡¯s second wife, Teng Sufang, has infiltrated people from Sky Blue Group and our agency, closely monitoring Lin Rui¡¯s movements. She and her family behind her may have some designs on you and Lin Rui. I¡¯ve also obtained the detailed proposal for the company split from him, which I have sent to your email.¡±


    Fang Ranran¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, she certainly did not think that Guan Biran had betrayed the Fang Family.


    The man was very loyal to Fang Kongfang, so this must have been under Fang Kongfang¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Foolish woman.¡±


    Fang Ranran walked over to the car window, her eyes cold as she looked out at the campaign branch bustling outside: ¡°It seems the death of Alta Devonshill hasn¡¯t been enough to deter them. Rest assured, Sister Feicui, we already have sufficient strength to fight back!


    Moreover, your work focus should also change. After this Martial Arts League, I want you to assume a position at Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals. The business volume there is growing, and both Xiao Rui and I need someone reliable to keep an eye on the company¡¯s internals.¡±


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.??


    Yu Feicui¡¯s expression tensed slightly.


    She heard the strong confidence in Fang Ranran¡¯s words. For Fang Ranran and Lin Rui, it wasn¡¯t just a matter of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals; there was also the Bright Front.


    Currently, external predictions are that the Bright Front is likely to secure 7 to 9 Congressional seats.


    However, Fang Ranran is not yet content, continuing to invest heavily in the media and social media, engaging in various charitable activities tenaciously expanding her political map.


    Yu Feicui chuckled: ¡°The Martial Arts Championship should not be a problem. With Lin Rui as our Stabilizing Pillar, we shouldn¡¯t lose. Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei are also working hard to reduce the number of battles Lin Rui must fight. But as for you¡ª¡±


    Yu Feicui looked at Fang Ranran, slightly shaking her head: ¡°Since the election started, you haven¡¯t been seriously practicing martial arts, no? Don¡¯t embarrass yourself when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Fang Ranran first smiled indifferently, then raised her hand and grasped, as strands of Conceptual Power gathered in the palm of her hand: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sister Feicui. The martial arts path chosen by my master is the most suitable for me. The campaign and Congress are also part of my martial arts cultivation. I assure you, I won¡¯t hold you back.¡±


    ¡®Immortal Sword¡¯ Shi Yan once advised her to master Conceptual Power as soon as possible.


    But in fact, Fang Ranran had already mastered it; she just couldn¡¯t strengthen it further.


    Yu Feicui, watching the aberration in Fang Ranran¡¯s palm, once again showed a flicker of surprise in her eyes.


    She recognized these two concepts, which are the most important Conceptual Powers of the Green Blood Venerate¡ªElixir Heart and Unity!


    Iron-like Elixir Heart! Unity of the masses!


    Fang Ranran, however, fell into contemplation. She had considered all possibilities.


    If the enemy wants to make a move on her and Lin Rui, the best opportunity would be during the University Martial Arts League.


    In seven days, the opening ceremony of the University Martial Arts League will take place. They will take a ship to the ¡®Martial Arts Palace¡¯, where they will spend nine days battling in duels, enduring brutal eliminations to decide the winner.


    The ¡®Martial Arts Palace¡¯ is a giant space station and also a super Warship.


    It is the second ¡®Space Home¡¯ class warship constructed by the Federation after the capital.


    Currently, like the capital, the warship¡¯s interior has only a small contingent of military personnel stationed; the vast majority of areas are vacant, prepared for future crises when they may need to evacuate civilians from Sky Extreme Star.


    Neither the Linghu Family nor Lin Rui have substantial strength inside the ¡®Martial Arts Palace¡¯.


    Fang Ranran guessed that Linghu Mingde and Lin Rui probably saw this coming, but wondered how they would respond?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Meanwhile, Fang Xianzheng was walking out from the Congress building, escorted by a group of bodyguards, heading towards the Congressional office building just a wall away.


    Along the way, Fang Xianzheng spotted an old man with snowy white hair, deep-set eyes, a high bridge nose, clearly with mixed Western and Chinese features, standing around the corner of the corridor ahead.


    ¡°`


    ¡ª¡ª That is the father of his current wife Teng Sufang, the incumbent Vice-President of the Construction Committee of Congress, Teng Tianli.


    This man is also a powerful Ninth Realm Emperor Rank master. Although Teng Tianli consciously did not apply for the title of Congressional Honorary Member, he became a faction leader within the Congress through elections.


    The old man signaled Fang Xianzheng with his eyes, then walked with a group of followers towards a passageway nearby.


    Fang Xianzheng¡¯s expression was somewhat helpless and somewhat reluctant, but he followed anyway.


    Shortly after, the two had a face-to-face conversation in a coffee shop nearby, especially reserved for national civil servants.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Sufang that recently you¡¯ve been secretly assembling forces, including your private armies, Alien Companies, political allies, and those experts you¡¯ve covertly won over. What exactly are you planning?¡±


    Teng Tianli stared at Fang Xianzheng, his gaze sharp and dangerous, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I would advise you best not to do so. Certain people have asked me to convey a message, hoping you recognize their power.¡±


    He tapped on the coffee table, and in an instant, a list of companies and institutions across twenty-nine lines projected onto the table.


    Several congressional assistants sitting nearby couldn¡¯t help but be slightly moved after seeing it.


    This includes nine pharmaceutical companies with market values over a trillion, the rest are either well-known charitable organizations, political parties and factions, or influential Congressmen.


    ¡°Uncle Teng, Ranran is my daughter, a member of the Fang Family. Do you expect me to just sit by and do nothing?¡±


    Fang Xianzheng didn¡¯t even glance at the list on the coffee table. He still held his coffee nonchalantly and met Teng Tianli¡¯s eyes: ¡°What Fang Xianzheng wants to do is not to be interfered with by anyone.¡±


    Teng Tianli sneered at his words, anyone unaware would think Fang Xianzheng was a man of great loyalty and sentimentality.


    However, Fang Xianzheng¡¯s power was indeed formidable. Although his cultivation was only at Super Emperor of Eight Realms, he had woven a vast network of interests through various means, winning over many experts of the Eight and Ninth Realms, and had a large number of allies.


    If this man were to insist on getting involved, their chances of victory would drastically decrease.


    And even if he was just gathering forces for a standoff, he would tie up a significant amount of the pharmaceutical companies¡¯ power.


    ¡°I think you still don¡¯t realize the seriousness of the situation. Those pharmaceutical companies are set on acquiring Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals; Ranran¡¯s Bright Front has also touched their core interests.¡±


    Teng Tianli¡¯s tone was cold: ¡°They are willing to give you 5% of the shares afterwards, as compensation for Fang Xianzheng¡¯s non-involvement.¡±


    ¡°5% of shares, to watch my own arm being cut off?¡±


    Fang Xianzheng chuckled: ¡°What Fang Xianzheng wants to do is not to be interfered with by anyone, Uncle Teng!¡±


    At the end of his words, not only did his eyes slightly widen, but his hair also spontaneously fluttered without wind, like a lion standing against the breeze.


    Teng Tianli frowned slightly, a hint of surprise in his eyes.


    For the first time, he felt a sense of authority from Fang Xianzheng, and the thought automatically flashed through his mind:


    Has this guy grown wings too tough for me?


    He reminisced 14 years ago, when this man had just secured his position as the Vice-President of the Security Committee, he was completely subservient in front of him.


    Indeed, after 14 years of accumulation in the Security Committee, Fang Xianzheng¡¯s influence was not what it used to be.


    ¡°Xianzheng, you probably don¡¯t know that these pharmaceutical companies have recently suffered heavy losses at Sky Etreme Star. They are now like wounded, starving wolves, extremely dangerous.¡±


    Teng Tianli¡¯s expression softened, shaking his head he said with heavy emphasis: ¡°Actually, if you really want to save Ranran, there is another choice. Sky Blue Group and our Teng Construction Company can jointly acquire this company. As far as I know, Fang Ranran has nearly forty percent of the shares in Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, right?¡±


    With the strength of Teng and Fang families, they were more than capable of devouring this lavish feast.


    Fang Xianzheng shook his head and his gaze turned oddly towards the window: ¡°Uncle Teng, you must have heard the saying, ¡®Even tigers do not eat their cubs.''¡±


    Teng Tianli¡¯s expression turned ashen; Fang Xianzheng was impenetrable.


    He knew there was no point in continuing the conversation, standing up he said, ¡°I have said all there is to be said, Xianzheng, do as you will.¡±


    Just then, Fang Xianzheng interjected: ¡°Uncle Teng, I want to know if Teng Construction Company is involved in this matter.¡±


    Teng Tianli turned around, looking perplexedly at Fang Xianzheng.


    He sensed a hostile tone in Fang Xianzheng¡¯s voice.


    ¡°If so, then I¡¯d advise you, Teng Family, to withdraw from this affair immediately. Otherwise, I¡¯ll trouble Uncle Teng to keep Sufang in line. She¡¯s stepped out of bounds on certain matters.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng put down his coffee cup: ¡°Some lines have been crossed, and I don¡¯t want to see family members tear each other apart. After all, once a mirror is broken, it is very hard to make whole again.¡±


    In that instant, the circular coffee table violently cracked and then shattered into countless fragments.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 591 03-25 - 564: Finished (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Chapter 591: Chapter 564: Finished (Seeking Subscriptions)


    After Teng Tianli left, Fang Xianzheng immediately made a video call to Fang Kongfang.


    ¡°Kongfang, has there been any response from the agency that belongs to Ranran regarding Lin Rui¡¯s endorsement contract?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Fang Kongfang shook his head, looking helpless: ¡°Based on what I¡¯ve learned, Yu Feicui hasn¡¯t even started an internal discussion about this. I estimate there¡¯s not much chance they will agree. I really don¡¯t know where their confidence comes from. According to the results of investigations by several trace-reading Grandmasters, the method Lin Rui used to kill Alta Devonshill is definitely a one-off. It¡¯s improbable that it could be used again.¡±


    He then tentatively asked Fang Xianzheng, ¡°Brother, there is bound to be a war with those pharmaceutical companies because Lin Rui does not plan to sign. What strategy should we adopt next?¡±


    Fang Xianzheng narrowed his eyes, watching the crowd passing by outside the cafe? window: ¡°No need for changes. We will observe the battle armed, restrain the power of the Pharmaceutical Alliance as much as possible, and prepare to intervene after the battle. If Fang Ranran¡¯s resistance fails, we must get hold of the shares she holds; that is part of the Fang Family¡¯s property.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Understood!¡± Fang Kongfang¡¯s face turned serious: ¡°I will prepare for war and be ready to intervene at any moment.¡±


    ¡°We must put enough pressure on them, the stronger the better.¡± Fang Xianzheng tapped on the armrest: ¡°I¡¯ve been in touch with the boss of Ouya United Machinery Company. They¡¯ve recently modified a type-9 Dragon Slayer Combat Robot. It¡¯s said its combat effectiveness reaches 9SS+, and they are willing to sell it to us as a gesture. You can tell Ranran, if she has the money now, she might as well buy this combat robot, and our Sky Blue Group¡¯s Intelligence Division could provide her with intelligence support.¡±


    Fang Kongfang was stunned, immensely surprised. He felt a bit like he didn¡¯t recognize his brother on the screen.


    ¡°Brother, the qualifications for purchasing a type-9 Combat Robot are very precious. Even you don¡¯t have many of them, right? Are you sure you want to give it to Ranran?¡±


    ¡°She is my daughter!¡± Fang Xianzheng gave Fang Kongfang a cold glance on the screen: ¡°No matter from which perspective, strengthening Ranran¡¯s power only benefits us. Kongfang, you should understand my ambition.¡±


    Hearing this, Fang Kongfang seemed to become enlightened and felt he understood Fang Xianzheng¡¯s intentions.


    If Ranran can survive this ordeal, not only would there be a successor for the Fang Family, but Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and Bright Front under Fang Ranran can also become a further aid to Fang Xianzheng¡¯s ambitions; if Ranran cannot withstand the attack of those Pharmaceutical Alliances, it would further deplete the power of those companies.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï???.?¦Ï


    Fang Kongfang knew his brother actually did not care about the family¡¯s legacy.


    Fang Xianzheng¡¯s ambition has always been the Presidential Mansion; he is amassing power for it, nurturing the dragon¡¯s spirit hidden in Capitol Hill.


    This is a political machine; in his eyes, all people are only distinguished by their usefulness.


    Anyone who can be an aid or a tool for his brother to enter that mansion can receive his ¡®benevolence¡¯.


    If not, or if someone hinders his steps, they will experience the cold and ruthlessness of Fang Xianzheng.


    ¡°Kongfang, the affairs of the Ninth Base are entrusted to you. Don¡¯t let me down.¡±


    After ending the communication, Fang Xianzheng had the waiter bring him a very bitter cup of coffee.


    He sipped his coffee while deep in thought.


    He found something extremely odd about Linghu Mingde, the old coot!


    The Bright Front is still expanding, continuously expanding! There is no sign of stopping, and Linghu Mingde has even pulled several of his old friends in politics to endorse the Bright Front.


    According to the supercomputer analysis of Sky Blue Group, it¡¯s quite possible for the Bright Front to elect 15 Congressmen, and in Ninth Base City, elect 43 City Councilors.


    No¡ª¡ªthe number of Congressmen could likely be 16. Lin Rui¡¯s popularity is very high now. If his support among women and Martial Arts fans goes up a bit more and he gets the full support of Mingde University alumni, he could enter Congress, becoming the youngest Congressman in history.


    In Congress, this would already be a very powerful force, capable of influencing the political situation.


    But on what basis do they think their enemies won¡¯t use military force to turn the tide?


    Is this ¡®Heavenly Fox¡¯ making a desperate bet on his deathbed? Or does he have absolute confidence that he can control the situation?


    The endorsement contract that Fang Xianzheng let Fang Kongfang offer was actually a test, to gauge his daughter¡¯s attitude.


    Now it seems that both Fang Ranran and the Linghu Family are brimming with confidence.


    Considering that the family doctor of the old fox, Zhao Dong, and his family have recently disappeared without a trace, the answer is already quite clear.


    Fang Xianzheng savored the bitter, sour taste of the coffee in his mouth, his resolve gradually firming up.


    The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Eight days later, in the afternoon, within a combat test area at a dock base under Lin Rui, specifically opened for testing Mecha Dragons.


    Lin Rui was looking through the glass of the observation room at the high-pressure testing of two Red Spider 8PROs.


    At the same time, it was also a test for Xianyu Yan¡¯s alien form.


    One could see Xianyu Yan¡¯s petite alien form rapidly flickering and shifting within the spacious and complex terrain of the testing ground, dodging the bombardment of six Type-9 Plasma Cannons and four Type-9 Heavy Particle Beam Ray Cannons carried by the two Red Spiders 8PRO.


    According to the standards of the Earth Federation, the power of a Type-9 Plasma Cannon roughly equates to the full-force strike of a Ninth Realm King Rank master without any buildup.


    However, under the talismanic array enhancement designed by Lin Rui and Wang Tianwu, these Plasma Cannons not only had their power increased by 80%, but the duration of a single cannon fire was also extended by 70%, allowing for uninterrupted irradiation for up to 2 seconds, and the charging time for firing was even shorter, with the overall power reaching 9SS+ level standards.


    At this moment, one could see the crimson Plasma Beams crisscrossing in the testing ground, one after another, forcing Xianyu Yan to employ her Escape Skill to rapidly evade, unable to approach.


    Meanwhile, the two 20-meter-tall Red Spiders were also doing their utmost to withstand the fierce bombardment of Xianyu Yan¡¯s Battle Dragon.


    Both Red Spider 8PROs had six spider-like steel limbs, making their lower bodies very stable. However, under the relentless sword light bombardment of Xianyu Yan¡¯s ¡®Divine Wind Emperor Dragon,¡¯ they kept staggering backward.


    Their steps faltered, and they nearly lost their balance and were flipped over by the ¡®Divine Wind Emperor Dragon.¡¯


    Nevertheless, the two Red Spiders coordinated exceptionally well, singing in tandem and supporting each other. With their immensely sturdy shields in hand, along with the tremendous output of their Anti-Matter Furnaces, they were barely able to withstand the combined assault of Xianyu Yan¡¯s one person-one dragon team.


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s alien form and Battle Dragon were cultivated and completed yesterday.


    Working overtime together, Huang Fuqing and Lin Rui finally managed to complete the cultivation of Xianyu Yan¡¯s alien form and Battle Dragon just before the University Martial Arts League arrived.


    It wasn¡¯t easy, especially because while Huang Fuqing was cultivating the alien Battle Dragon for Xianyu Yan, he also had other tasks¡ªlike creating the Divine Illumination Armament for Linghu Mingde.


    Fortunately, Lin Rui had enough money to spare no expense, and his Armament crafting skills had advanced to the Super Emperor Great Grandmaster level, allowing him to assist Huang Fuqing and ensure the project was completed on schedule.


    Just at this time, Wang Yinyue had also finished the modifications of the two Red Spider 8PROs, so they gathered for testing.


    Wang Tianwu and Lu Hanyuan, who were responsible for supervising the battle, were both very tense. They knew that the safety of Lin Hao hinged on these two Red Spider 8PROs and watched intently, fearing any damage to the robots.


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s alien form was also Lin Rui¡¯s most powerful military force, which also could not afford any loss.


    Fortunately, as time passed, Xianyu Yan became increasingly familiar with her human body and Mecha Dragon, and her control over both the large and small bodies became more and more natural.


    Her Mecha Dragon adapted even faster. The Mecha Dragon was simply the Battle Dragon¡¯s alien form, and Xianyu Yan¡¯s Battle Dragon had extremely high Spiritual Wisdom, enabling it to adapt very quickly.


    They began to control their power as naturally as they wanted, which indeed reduced the risk of damage to the two combat robots but also made their situation even more challenging.


    The two Red Spider 8PROs had to open the twin eight-armed Type-9SSS Anti-Matter Missile Launchers on their shoulders for deterrence against the one-person-one-dragon team.


    Wang Yinyue was taking notes while watching the intense battle, contemplating improvement and enhancement plans.


    Since Lin Rui was set to depart tomorrow, it must be something that could be rapidly completed within a day.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly satisfied the more he watched.


    In fact, he and Wang Yinyue both felt that the modification of the Red Spider 8PROs was not quite perfect; because Wang Yinyue¡¯s accumulation of modern mechanical engineering technology was limited, and the talismanic technology of Lin Rui and Wang Tianwu hadn¡¯t reached the Divine Illumination standard, they had to make many compromises during the modification process.


    However, the performance of the two Red Spider 8PROs in this battle exceeded the expectations of Lin Rui and his team.


    Although their offensive strength was only 9SS rank, their defense had definitely reached 9SS+!


    Their endurance was also impressive, having jointly resisted Xianyu Yan for nearly half an hour.


    But Lin Rui knew that this was built on the fact that the two Red Spider 8PROs had ample material supply, and AIs No.9 and No.7 were also exceptionally capable.


    How strong were the materials used in the two Red Spider 8PROs? The base materials provided by Ouya United Machinery Company were already ample, and then additional key components were replaced from East Asia.


    During the subsequent modification process, Lin Rui also obtained many valuable items from Linghu Mingde and his master.


    For instance, inside the ¡®Phase Transfer Shield¡¯ of the two Red Spider 8PROs, there were actually two horny shields taken from the body of a Ninth Realm Super Emperor ¡®Heaven Shield Magic,¡¯ making the ¡®Phase Transfer Shield¡¯s¡¯ defense extremely strong and the material exceptionally hard.


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s performance as one person-one dragon was even more impressive. Huang Fuqing¡¯s technical standards were indisputable, all adjustments to the alien Armament were spot on, the synchronization rate between the original and alien forms was high, and the integration of spirit and body was also very well executed, requiring only a few minor tweaks going forward.


    At this moment in the combat zone, ¡®Moonlight Fairy¡¯ Li Yuehua and ¡®Ice King of Snowy Night¡¯ Hou Yuting, who were also monitoring the battle, exchanged glances with strange expressions.


    They could both see the confusion and astonishment in each other¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 592 - 565: Frost Blade Untried (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Chapter 592: Chapter 565: Frost Blade Untried (Seeking Subscriptions)


    Li Yuehua and Hou Yuting exchanged glances as they received messages from each other.


    Snowy Night Ice King (Hou Yuting): Fairy, how do you feel?


    Li Yuehua pretended to be confused when she responded: What feeling?


    But in her heart, she wondered, what exactly is the relationship between Lin Rui and Lin Hao?


    The two first entrusted their families to Lin Rui¡¯s care to escape assassination, and then followed Lin Hao¡¯s orders to serve Lin Rui with their true bodies.


    Initially, Li Yuehua thought Lin Rui was Lin Hao¡¯s collaborator in the Earth Federation, the hidden hand of the Great Song¡¯s Hidden Crown Prince.


    Now, it seems that the connection between Lin Rui and Lin Hao might be even closer than they had imagined! So close that the Hidden Crown Prince would let Lin Rui cultivate Aliens, his most powerful warriors, and have this woman also serve under Lin Rui!


    Li Yuehua had a horrifying thought, then immediately shook her head, thinking it impossible, absolutely impossible!


    She was letting her imagination run wild; such a speculation was too horrifying. How could it be possible?


    After all, Lin Rui was just a nineteen-year-old college student, how could he possibly be the Great Song¡¯s Hidden Crown Prince?


    Hou Yuting snorted lightly after seeing Li Yuehua¡¯s reply, and then sent another message to his colleague: Do you think Lin General has a chance of winning this time?


    This matter was of deep concern to him since all his family were at this port base.


    Li Yuehua: There is still a chance. I have carefully observed Lin General¡¯s situation. In terms of top-level combat power, that Qi Tianquan might not be able to defeat Lin Rui, but his enemies include the entire Ninth Base City¡¯s Pharmaceutical Alliance and a portion of powerful political forces, so it¡¯s hard to say. It depends on how he will respond to the battle.


    Just the three level 8 tactical squads that Lin Rui has gradually formed are terrifyingly strong.


    That Xianyu Yan, currently testing the Alien, her strength is even close to a Congressional Honorary Member!


    Not only is this woman dual Emperor Rank in Martial Arts and Bloodline of the Eighth Realm, she also has many external forces to rely on¡ª


    And those two Red Spider 8PROs have also been nicely modified, most of their specs reaching 9SS or 9SS+, and they even possess some Conceptual Power!


    It¡¯s hard to believe these were crafted by mechanics under Lin Rui¡¯s command, showcasing the abundant talent at Lin General¡¯s disposal.


    Just as Li Yuehua thought of this, Xianyu Yan raised her hand, and instantly, four magic artifacts radiant with treasure-light, flew up from afar towards Xianyu Yan.


    Those were Xianyu Yan¡¯s many magic artifacts¡ª the Ninth Realm¡¯s Super Emperor¡¯s ¡®Eternal Divine Armor¡¯, ¡®Instant Thunder Boots¡¯, and ¡®Furious Wind Blade¡¯.


    There was also the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank ¡®Nine Forms Heaven Origin Wheel¡¯!


    These incredibly powerful artifacts had all been preemptively brought here.


    Xianyu Yan wanted to try out these magic artifacts with her Alien, to see what kind of divine power they could achieve.


    There was also a set of 8SS+ level Emperor-class Exoskeleton Armor customized for her by Lin Rui. When used with her magic artifacts, what kind of boost would it bring to her Martial Arts?


    ¡°Stop!¡± Lin Rui called out to Xianyu Yan in advance: ¡°You can test the power of these items, but spare my combat robots.¡±


    These two model 8 Red Spider PRO combat robots were still somewhat lacking.


    Although their strength, offensive power, and defensive capabilities all met Ninth Realm standards, their speed was lacking. They were incredibly bulky and had slow reactions, only capable of passively taking hits in combat.


    They were also too large in size, reaching 20 meters, nearly equivalent to a Battle Dragon, meaning they had a very large defensive area. Yet, these combat robots¡¯ power was still not comparable to that of Battle Dragons.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help feeling a pang when he thought about the staggering 340 billion federal coins spent on purchasing and retrofitting these two robots, forcing him to even incur a debt of 200 billion¡ª


    ¡ªthe cost-effectiveness was simply too low!


    Their only advantage was that they were tough and durable, able to withstand intense bombardment by Xianyu Yan and the ¡®Divine Wind Emperor Dragon¡¯ for so long, with all systems and components inside the Red Spider showing excellent status.


    You should know that in the late stages of the battle, Xianyu Yan gradually adapted to her body and was already able to briefly escape the firepower suppression of the Plasma Cannons, counterattacking every now and then. Surprisingly, the two Combat Robots were still able to withstand it.


    This was partly because the combat AI of No. 9 and No. 7 had also evolved accordingly, and partly because the mechanical structure inside Red Spider was extremely reliable.


    Lin Rui actually felt that even if Xianyu Yan used her full set of Magic Artifacts and gave it her all, the two Type 8 Red Spider PRO could still hold on for a while, but it wasn¡¯t necessary. Once this type 9 robot was damaged, it would be very troublesome to repair.


    Wang Yinyue also felt that the testing was almost done, she turned and walked away: ¡°Guang Ming, No. 7, please go back to the Forest Heavy Industry No. 3 workshop by yourselves. I¡¯ll go and design some improvements.¡±


    No. 3 workshop was a mechanical workshop specifically made by Lin Rui for her and No. 9, equipped with numerous top-notch machine tools and high-precision robotic arms worth 4 billion federal coins, capable of repairing and modifying all terrestrial warfare machinery.


    Xianyu Yan then clicked her tongue, feeling somewhat regretful, but couldn¡¯t help praising, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s already quite impressive. Heavenly Demon¡¯s Mechanism Techniques are indeed magical. These two mechanical puppets, even when facing a real Ninth Realm Super Emperor, can withstand for a short time without problem.¡±


    She then turned to look at Lin Rui: ¡°Feels very suitable for you, Master!¡±


    Xianyu Yan knew that not only did Lin Rui¡¯s overall combat strength reach the level of a Sixth Realm Super Monarch, but he also possessed an Outer Elixir that could elevate almost all his qualities, aside from his physical strength, to the Eighth Realm, as well as a set of 8X-grade Battle Armor.


    Xianyu Yan had seen Lin Rui testing these while she was in the cultivation pod. He faced both Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi together and was surprisingly at ease, handling them effortlessly.


    Moreover, his Battle Dragon combined with various magical external items from the Heavenly Demon World was also very strong, truly formidable!


    Lin Rui, together with these two mechanized puppets, could even have a match with Xianyu Yan. Their only drawback was that Lin Rui¡¯s True Yuan wasn¡¯t robust enough to last long.


    And the movement speed of the two mechanized puppets was very slow compared to normal Ninth Realm.


    ¡°This is a stopgap measure, just make do with it¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui then clapped his hands, ¡°Alright everyone, I invited you here not only to help test, but also for the upcoming strategy meeting. My military advisor has already prepared the scheme and sent it to you. You can have a look first, and if you find any issues, you can raise them later during the strategy meeting.¡±


    Li Yuehua flew up upon hearing this, flying over to Lin Rui¡¯s side.


    At that moment, she had received a battle plan sent by Lin Rui.


    Li Yuehua opened it and casually scanned through it.


    She initially didn¡¯t pay much heed ¡ª after all, under someone¡¯s roof, one can¡¯t help but bow their head; as long as Lin Rui¡¯s battle plan wasn¡¯t too outrageous or overly risky, she was prepared to comply.


    But abruptly, Li Yuehua¡¯s body slightly stiffened, revealing a trace of surprise.


    She first looked up, exchanging a surprised glance with Hou Yuting, who was also astonished, then turned her head to look at Lin Rui.


    ¡ªThis Mr. Lin, he actually hadn¡¯t planned for a passive defense, nor had he planned to drag the battle out to the Martial Arts League?


    At this time, Lin Rui slightly raised his eyebrows, his expression turning grave.


    He immediately sent a message to Linghu Mingde: Father-in-law, what¡¯s your current state?


    Linghu Mingde: Already at peak condition. Your Surgical Implantation is still so perfect, and the Armament is excellent.


    Linghu Mingde: It took ten years to forge a sword; never before tried; today I show it to you, who could claim injustice? I didn¡¯t expect to still have such an outlook at my age.


    After reading, Lin Rui¡¯s lips slightly curled up, sending another message: We may have to start the operation earlier, I didn¡¯t expect it, but your side has already run into trouble.


    Linghu Mingde: They still fear me, trying to lure me into the Outer Regions.


    Linghu Mingde: Since they hold me in such regard, let¡¯s start now; our father and son together, facing them head-on.


    At this moment, within the Linghu Family estate, Linghu Mingde stood with his hands behind his back, his aura like an unsheathed treasure sword.


    Just now, three cargo ships of the Linghu Freight Company had been plundered by the Star Chain Pirate Group.


    The goods worth over a billion federal coins on board didn¡¯t matter much; the key point was the ship¡¯s crew and the security team, who were all executed by the Star Chain Pirate Group.


    Linghu Mingde thought that no matter what, he must give an explanation to the families of those who sacrificed.

 Chapter 593 - 566: Declaration of War (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 593: Chapter 566: Declaration of War (Please Subscribe)


    At dusk that day, Qi Tianquan was invited to visit the Purple Cloud Palace located on the northern side of Ninth Base City.


    This was actually a private residence built on a gigantic artificial mountain within the urban nature reserve, covering an area of 120,000 square meters, 542 meters tall with ninety-nine floors, arguably the tallest building on the urban ground level and closest to the artificial sun.


    The top floor of Purple Cloud Palace was designed to resemble the great hall of an ancient imperial palace.


    As Qi Tianquan entered, he felt a sense of attending a royal court.


    He internally despised the taste of the residence¡¯s owner, yet his face remained calm.


    ¡°Linghu President!¡±


    After entering, Qi Tianquan looked towards a slender figure seated at the highest place in the hall.


    This person had an exceptionally distinguished appearance, with elegantly sculpted facial features that conveyed perfect symmetry, and a pair of obsidian-like eyes that were brilliantly piercing, sending out chilling sharp gazes that made others dare not look directly.


    ¡ªThat was the master of this mansion, Yang Lingxiao! He was also the chairman of Taiyi Biological Company, the President¡¯s economic advisor, the serving chairman of the Federation Biochemical Pharmaceutical Industry Association, and an Honorary Member of Congress!


    Taiyi Group, under which Taiyi Biological operated, was currently second only to the ¡®Abyss¡¯ Group and ¡®Heavenly Sword¡¯ Group in pharmaceuticals, with its various drugs holding up to 7% of the Federation drug market share, and its Taiyi series of Armament ranked just behind the Abyss and Heavenly Sword brands.


    It must be mentioned that the Martial Arts Association rated his Armament at 9SSS, and his Martial Arts score at 9SS+, making him a quasi-Divine Envoy, a figure widely recognized as close to Divine Envoy level.


    If one could say Qi Tianquan belonged to the third layer of the Earth Federation power pyramid, then this Mr. Yang was almost stepping into the second layer.


    ¡°Heavenly Authority is here? Find a seat yourself,¡± Yang Lingxiao waved his hand casually, and instructed a lifestyle assistant who was about to make tea for Qi Tianquan, ¡°Remember to use my ¡®Seven Rainbow Spring.''¡±


    This was a top-tier famous tea from Sky Extreme Star, which Yang Lingxiao obtained through some personal connections.


    Qi Tianquan had visited here many times before, and casually sat down on a chair positioned below the platform towards the left.


    ¡°I have received news that Linghu Mingde has suspended all his cargo trade businesses, and the ships of that forest trading company have not left port anymore. It seems he has no plans to set sail; currently, Linghu Mingde¡¯s pier area and company headquarters are heavily guarded, with no less than five Heavy Equipment Divisions, along with 30,000 Alien Walkers!


    Their Alien Company has at least 200 Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners, and they have also hired several experts from the mercenary market. According to the intelligence I gathered, Linghu Mingde has hired at least six 7S battle groups, with both of Linghu Mingde¡¯s companies valued at around two trillion each. However, from the current situation, it seems we have still underestimated the wealth he controls; even after a major battle with Jin Bohao, he still can mobilize such forces.¡±


    Qi Tianquan said, picking up the tea cup beside him and blew on it slightly: ¡°That Lin Rui is no less extraordinary, his Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners might have already exceeded 60, and he has attracted many experts from the black market at high prices. The dock base originally had three enhanced groups, 4,000 Alien Walkers, and they have recently urgently formed two more enhanced groups.


    Lin Rui must have deep connections with East Asia, having attracted many retired soldiers from there, all capable of direct defense combat readiness, as well as a large number of robots and war machines. I don¡¯t know where he got so many combat robots, and they are even enhanced with Rune technology.


    From the current situation, if we want to take over Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, it seems trouble is indeed brewing. My military advisor told me, to win this war in the shortest time possible, we need at least 26 Heavy Equipment Divisions, 800 Dragon Transformations, and at least 60,000 Armored Warriors from the Third Realm!¡±


    Qi Tianquan estimated that if the war exceeded 12 hours, the Federation Government would certainly intervene.


    Fortunately, the strength of their Pharmaceutical Alliance this time was very formidable! With just a bit of effort, they could gather the strength of at least 30 Heavy Equipment Divisions.


    ¡°Do you really want to fight in Ninth Base City? Forget about it! Huo Bangguo would go crazy; just yesterday, he messaged me four times to tell me that if we dared to initiate a battle of squadron scale or above in the city area, he would side with Linghu Mingde and fight against me.¡±


    Yang Lingxiao chuckled lightly, ¡°Besides, our advantage lies in top-level combat forces; there¡¯s no need to fight a pitched battle.¡±


    Qi Tianquan slightly furrowed his brows upon hearing this.


    He was actually quite uneasy about Lin Rui¡¯s method of killing Alta Devonshill, although several Trace Grandmasters assertively claimed that it was a one-time ability from a certain Longevity Martial Practitioner, unable to be routinely used, Qi Tianquan was still very worried.


    Qi Tianquan would rather use his formidable military strength along with Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners to crush Linghu Mingde and Lin Rui.


    However, he would not show his weakness in front of Yang Lingxiao, and he continued drinking tea: ¡°If Linghu Mingde is unwilling to leave, then we can only make our move during the University Martial Arts League. We cannot act within the ¡®Martial Arts Palace¡¯; the power of the Martial Arts Association is unfathomable. The best time would be when Lin Rui is en route to the ¡®Martial Arts Palace¡¯, where there may be battles involving up to thousands of Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners.¡±


    This would deeply offend the Martial Arts Association, but it was better than taking direct action inside the Martial Arts Palace.


    ¡°That¡¯s the only option left.¡±


    Yang Lingxiao sighed, ¡°I actually don¡¯t want to fight with Linghu Mingde, especially at this time. A dying tiger, even more fearsome. But given the current situation, there¡¯s no other choice.¡±


    At that moment, Yang Lingxiao saw an incoming video call.


    ¡°Linghu Mingde?¡± Yang Lingxiao was slightly surprised upon seeing the caller ID, but he answered the call, his face brimming with a smile: ¡°Old Linghu, what do you need me for?¡±


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s expression was stern: ¡°The case involving my 19th cargo fleet, was it orchestrated by people from your Star Chain Pirate Group?¡±


    Yang Lingxiao was even more surprised and puzzled.


    He indeed masterminded this case; did this Sky Fox really just bluntly point this out? This isn¡¯t good.


    He did not deny it; the smile on his face turned chilly: ¡°What are you implying, Brother Linghu?¡±


    ¡°You want Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, you want the Bright Front, you want to start a war!¡±


    Linghu Mingde stood with his hands behind his back, looking directly at Yang Lingxiao: ¡°But I¡¯m still willing to give you a chance; within 30 minutes, I want to see the head of the commander of the 3rd Division Fleet of the Star Chain Pirate Group, and all the pirates from the Star Chain¡¯s 3rd Division Fleet. This shouldn¡¯t be difficult for you. Then send me a video, and remember to attach the eunuch monitoring chart.


    In addition, 18 Congressmen from the Pharmaceutical Alliance United Assistance Association must also announce their resignation and withdrawal from the election within half an hour. If you do these, I will consider the matter never happened.¡±


    If the Pharmaceutical Alliance could do this, then this war would essentially be over.


    Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan were both briefly stunned; they looked at each other, both seeing surprise and confusion in each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Linghu Mingde, you must be out of your mind!¡±


    Yang Lingxiao¡¯s face was as grim as iron, coldly staring at Linghu Mingde: ¡°I can answer you right now, this is absolutely impossible!¡±


    ¡°Then from this moment on, I consider the Pharmaceutical Alliance to have declared war on me!¡±


    In the video, Linghu Mingde raised his head, looking towards a certain direction: ¡°You want war; then I¡¯ll give it to you. Let¡¯s fight to the death, Director Yang!¡±


    After finishing these words, he directly disconnected the video communication.


    ¡°This old immortal, has truly gone mad!¡±


    Yang Lingxiao ended the communication still in disbelief.


    He then felt something was off, recalling the surroundings of Linghu Mingde in the video, his expression turning grave.


    Without hesitation, Yang Lingxiao began to access the video feeds of Taiyi Group¡¯s headquarters and issued an all-out alert to the company¡¯s security department.


    The location where Linghu Mingde was during their call was clearly near the rooftop of a tall skyscraper adjacent to the headquarters of Taiyi Group.


    What did Linghu Mingde intend to do from that position while on the call?

 Chapter 594 - 567 The War You Wanted (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 594: Chapter 567 The War You Wanted (Please Subscribe)


    Near the headquarters of the Taiyi Biological Group, Linghu Mingde ended the communication and immediately sent a message to Lin Rui.


    Linghu Mingde: It¡¯s time to start, this Mr. Yang really does have a backbone, he outright rejected me.


    Mr. Yang didn¡¯t even consider feigning compliance to buy some time.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): OK, then I¡¯ll start from my side!


    Linghu Mingde then spoke to a graceful and elegant lady in her sixties inside the glass window nearby, ¡°Qiu Jingshu, we should start too!¡±


    The lady was Qiu Jingshu, a Divine Mirror of Eight Realms Emperor Rank. She was not standing behind the glass window, but within the mirror reflection of the window.


    Her gaze became sharp at that moment: ¡°Understood!¡±


    Right as Qiu Jingshu finished speaking, her appearance began to transform. The wrinkles on her face gradually faded, and her skin began to glow, almost instantaneously reverting to that of someone in their twenties. Her demeanor remained graceful, yet her facial features now were devastatingly beautiful.


    Qiu Jingshu¡¯s eyes then showed a hint of anticipation: ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s been 160 years since we last fought together, hasn¡¯t it? How nostalgic!¡±


    Linghu Mingde nodded slightly with gratitude: ¡°These past hundred years must have been tough on you.¡±


    The reason why Linghu Mingde hadn¡¯t gone mad like his fellow Alien Walkers of his generation is that he had placed most of his abnormal emotions into the Mirror World, allowing Qiu Jingshu to suppress them.


    This is also the reason why Qiu Jingshu had been unable to leave the Mirror World for over a hundred years.


    ¡°It has been exhausting, but our perseverance has indeed been meaningful. You¡¯re facing a turnaround now, right?¡±


    Qiu Jingshu smiled softly and then waved her sleeve: ¡°The portal is now open. The protective array of the Taiyi Group¡¯s headquarters building is crafted by a master, very strong in defense. My power can only extend to the 10th floor; we must conquer every ten floors, one by one!¡±


    It would obviously be more convenient and faster to fly directly outside, but the artillery batteries and layered force field shields around the building posed a significantly greater threat to the two of them.


    Hearing this, Linghu Mingde stepped forward without hesitation into the Mirror Gate opened by Qiu Jingshu.


    His current target was Wang Qiming, the Vice-Chairman of the Taiyi Biological Group!


    Although this person is only a master of Ninth Realm Emperor Rank spells suited for support, and whose abilities complement Yang Lingxiao making a perfect match to boost Yang Lingxiao¡¯s strength by 200% to Divine Envoy Level, his importance to Yang Lingxiao is just like Qiu Jingshu¡¯s significance to him.


    As Linghu Mingde passed through the Mirror World, he found himself on the 10th floor of the headquarters building of the Taiyi Group.


    Numerous hidden defensive turrets had activated, and the corner-lurking combat robots began to mobilize with all security personnel fully armed.


    However, the moment Linghu Mingde entered, both invisible turrets and the security personnel with combat robots alike, all split apart, sliced into pieces by the explosive flashes of light within the floor.


    Linghu Mingde only stayed there for about one-third of a second before Qiu Jingshu already opened another Mirror Gate leading to the 20th floor.


    Then to the 30th floor, 40th floor, 50th floor¡ª


    No one and no force inside the building could stop Linghu Mingde.


    Not until Linghu Mingde reached the 150th floor of the headquarters building, did Wang Qiming, who was holding a work meeting on the 528th floor, receive the alert.


    His face slightly darkened, his eyes full of shock.


    That Linghu Mingde, he actually dared to assail the headquarters of the Taiyi Biological Group?


    His combat power was indeed formidable, an Eight Realms Super Monarch rank, enough to contend with a regular Congressional Honorary Member.


    But this was the Taiyi Biological Group¡¯s headquarters building, and Yang¡¯s Purple Cloud Palace was less than 27 kilometers away, just a Flash Escape away.


    Did Linghu Mingde really think he could storm this heavily defended building and achieve something?


    Amid his confusion, Wang Qiming swiftly rose from his seat and flashed toward his office as fast as he could.


    There lay his Exoskeleton Armor, a 9SS+ model ¡®Emperor¡¯.


    ¡°180th floor~220th floor~320th floor!¡±


    Wang Qiming¡¯s assistant was pale, his voice dry: ¡°BOSS, his speed is too fast, probably utilizing the power of that Eight Realms Divine Mirror. I suggest you retreat to the top floor, you can still utilize the artillery outside for defense and escape at any moment!¡±


    Wang Qiming gave his assistant a piercing look.


    This suggestion was good, but it was too late.


    The Divine Mirror of Linghu Mingde had already disrupted all the fiber optics below 300 floors, as well as other electronic signals.


    This meant that most of the outdoor artillery could no longer coordinate their fire effectively.


    Now leaving the building would only be more dangerous.


    Inside this headquarters building, he could still utilize the protective array to resist, but once outside, he would have no support whatsoever.


    ¡°Convey my order, all mages enter the Dharma Platform, coordinate with my spellcasting later, all Martial Cultivators of Eight Realms enter the 500th floor for concentrated defense, turn off the lights and close the curtains on all floors above the 200th floor! Make sure to destroy all mirrors and any objects that can reflect light you see!¡±


    Wang Qiming¡¯s mood began to turn grim.


    Director Yang hasn¡¯t arrived yet, and this place is only 27 kilometers away from President Yang¡¯s residence! For top experts of the Ninth Realm like Yang Lingxiao, it should only take a moment to arrive.


    Director Yang must have been intercepted, most likely by Linghu Mingde¡¯s Battle Dragon.


    Wang Qiming could also determine Linghu Mingde¡¯s position through the enemy situation report from the company¡¯s security department.


    ¡°360th floor¡ª¡ª400th floor¡ª¡ª420th floor¡ª¡ª440th floor.¡±


    Wang Qiming¡¯s heart tightened slightly, Linghu Mingde¡¯s speed was incredibly fast, unbelievably so.


    The 400th floor of the building is an internal defensive node, not only equipped with six Type 9 Gatling Buddhas but also four Type 8 Combat Robots.


    Such strong defensive forces, yet they did not even hinder Linghu Mingde for an instant!


    The power combined with that Mirror Demon is incredibly formidable!


    At this moment, Wang Qiming had already donned his Exoskeleton Armor; with a wave of his hand, he shattered all the mirrors on this floor into tiny fragments, then took his stand at the center of his office.


    Here, a small electronic altar quickly rose. Wang Qiming formed seals with his hands, casting various spells to enhance combat effectiveness on himself and also on his colleagues above the 500th floor.


    Yet, the speed of Linghu Mingde¡¯s breakthrough was making Wang Qiming increasingly terrified.


    ¡°450th floor, 480th floor, 500th floor, 520th floor¡ª¡ª¡±


    Linghu Mingde crossed each set of ten floors in less than a third of a second!


    Wang Qiming had only managed to cast three spells when he saw a figure with white hair and a white beard, whose presence was imposing and solemn, appear in front of him.


    ¡ªThat was Linghu Mingde!


    Wang Qiming could hardly believe his eyes, astounded as he watched Linghu Mingde emerge from the pupil of his assistant, emerging from the mirrored world reflected in that pupil.


    How could this be?


    Wang Qiming was utterly incredulous. That Mirror Demon of Linghu Mingde could actually achieve this¡ª


    His assistant was a formidable Seventh Realm Divine Power Martial Cultivator, especially skilled in defense, with strong combat capabilities.


    That Mirror Demon could actually use his eyes to open a Mirror Gate!


    But Wang Qiming quickly gathered his thoughts, for at this moment, Linghu Mingde¡¯s Sword Intent had already locked onto him, sending chills throughout his body.


    Wang Qiming¡¯s soul felt the ultimate danger, and still, more imminent danger.


    ¡°This is the war you wanted!¡±


    As Linghu Mingde spoke, the sword on his waist suddenly unsheathed, and the dark office instantly burst forth with myriad beams of light.


    It was like the rising sun, emitting the purest light of dawn, dispelling all gloom and darkness here, seemingly possessing the mighty power to purify all evil and rejuvenate all beings.


    Wang Qiming¡¯s mind was once again deeply shaken; he desperately tried to resist, but was utterly powerless to block the overwhelming light before him.


    Around this office, numerous high-ranking experts of the Eighth and Ninth Realms from the Taiyi Group had gathered, along with two SS-grade ¡®Lord¡¯ Combat Robots.


    They all put forth their utmost effort to restrain and prevent, but the numerous Blade Astral and Sword Qi bursts, along with streams of Plasma Beams and Heavy Particle Beam Cannons, were either twisted or intercepted.


    Watching the defensive network he had painstakingly woven being breached effortlessly by the light, Wang Qiming had only one thought in his mind¡ªthis Linghu Mingde had broken through, he was a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank! Divine Envoy Level!


    No! He was even a Senior Divine Envoy!


    The sword Linghu Mingde slashed at him was clearly of the SS-level! Indeed, he was the original Alien Walker; 750 years of accumulation was truly remarkable!


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    With a sharp sound, Wang Qiming¡¯s body was starkly split in two by the dawn-like Sword Qi.


    And at that moment, a roar filled with shock and unwillingness came from outside the building: ¡°Linghu Mingde!¡±


    Following the roar, a giant dragon¡¯s claw reached through the window, grabbing at Linghu Mingde inside.

 Chapter 595 - 568: Dead (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 595: Chapter 568: Dead (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With the immense dragon claw reaching in, not only did the exterior glass windows of the building shatter and explode, but many walls inside and even some load-bearing beams were turned into dust and debris by the giant dragon.


    However, this overwhelmingly powerful Battle Dragon failed to capture Linghu Mingde¡¯s body, who was already hidden within the Mirror World, scattering with the shattered glass in all directions.


    Yang Lingxiao¡¯s figure also appeared outside the building. He glanced at Wang Qiming¡¯s bisected corpse inside the building, then his gaze swept towards the scattered shards of glass to the east.


    Yang Lingxiao¡¯s eyes were blood-red, his expression filled with unbearable pain and rage, as his eyes nearly burst from their sockets.


    He let out a furious howl, uncontrollable anger in his voice: ¡°Don¡¯t even think about getting away!¡±


    In that instant, all the glass shards and reflective objects within ten kilometers were shattered into dust!


    This included the eyeballs of more than a hundred thousand people¡ªfriends and foes alike, anyone below the Sixth Realm¡ªall their eyes burst open, leading countless people to scream in agony, collapsing to their knees.


    But Yang Lingxiao was still unable to stop Linghu Mingde from leaving. This ¡®Heavenly Fox,¡¯ along with his Heavenly Mirror and the demonic might of his Battle Dragon, vanished without a trace in an instant.


    ¡°I will not go,¡± the ¡®Heavenly Fox¡¯s¡¯ voice resounded leisurely: ¡°I¡¯ve said that today, you and I will decide life or death!¡±


    ¡°Then come at me!¡±


    Yang Lingxiao roared and, together with his Battle Dragon, ascended into the sky, chasing towards the east like two streaks of light: ¡°You wish for a decisive battle to the death? Then come back and duel me, I, Yang, shall accompany you to the end!¡±


    Deep within Yang Lingxiao¡¯s eyes, however, a trace of surprise revealed itself, for he was consistently unable to pinpoint the Spirit Mechanism of the ¡®Heavenly Fox,¡¯ to accurately sense his location.


    Not only was the surrounding light strongly disturbed at this moment, but Yang Lingxiao¡¯s Divine Sense was also in intense disarray.


    What made Yang Lingxiao more wary was that there were clearly two extremely powerful beings hidden in the vicinity.


    It must be Linghu Mingde and the Heavenly Mirror¡¯s Battle Dragon, lurking in the darkness, watching him, waiting for an opportunity, ready to strike!


    This was the reason why he had delayed for dozens of seconds en route, unable to arrive promptly.


    Traveling under the watch of these two formidable Battle Dragons felt like running under the aim of someone else¡¯s gun.


    Qi Tianquan, who followed behind, felt a chill on his scalp: ¡°Director Yang, be careful, Linghu Mingde might have made a breakthrough!¡±


    The First Generation Alien Walker, who had lived for 750 years, had not only broken through to the Ninth Realm, but highly likely with the Emperor Rank Bloodline Power of the Ninth Realm!


    This meant that Linghu Mingde was now possibly at the Divine Envoy Level!


    Having cultivated for 750 years, with an extremely strong talent and deep accumulation, even 200 years ago, the Martial Arts Association rated his martial prowess at 8SSS+!


    Now, even if Linghu Mingde had ascended, it was likely to be 9SSS, or even 9SSS+!


    As for that Heavenly Mirror Demon, it too had lived through the long years with Linghu Mingde,


    Yang Lingxiao could still rapidly use his Escape Skill while being observed by one 9SSS level, and one 8SSS level Battle Dragon, but Qi Tianquan could only proceed cautiously, not daring to be careless with each use of his Escape Skill, every step he took.


    This was also because Qi Tianquan¡¯s Battle Dragon was not with him; his Battle Dragon was on its way and would take a while longer to arrive.


    However, Qi Tianquan was already feeling that this trouble was serious; they had underestimated Linghu Mingde¡¯s strength and underestimated the price they would have to pay for this war.


    Yang Lingxiao did not care, he continued to pursue relentlessly!


    How could he not know that Linghu Mingde had completed his ascension?


    Yang Lingxiao had been single-handedly resisting the Martial Intent lock of those two Battle Dragons.


    From the moment he charged out of his Purple Cloud Palace, both their Divine Thoughts and Martial Arts Extreme Intent had been clashing over this city¡¯s skies.


    He knew it then!


    This Linghu Mingde had reached the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, another Divine Envoy Level Armored Martial Cultivator of the Earth Federation!


    At this moment, Yang Lingxiao¡¯s expression shifted slightly, enlightenment in his eyes: ¡°This direction, your target is Red Blood Sword Dithas!¡±


    ¡®Red Blood Sword¡¯ Sar Dithas was also a member of the Pharmaceutical Alliance, one of the allies of both Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan.


    He was a Quasi-Member with Ninth Realm Super Emperor Bloodline, his comprehensive combat power almost reaching that of a Congressional Honorary Member!


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s voice, once again drifting leisurely: ¡°However, he is already dead!¡±


    At this moment, 17 miles away, ¡®Red Blood Sword¡¯ Sard didas clad in exoskeleton armor hovered in the void, watching with utter astonishment as Linghu Mingde emerged from a shattered mirror.


    ¡°Shh!¡±


    As Linghu Mingde drew his sword, a sword light pure and sacred like the rising sun suddenly flashed before his eyes, the light of dawn rolling over the sky and covering the vision of Sard didas.


    Sard didas wanted to resist; he had prepared his secret skills on his way here.


    However, at this moment, he saw a silver mirror beside Linghu Mingde shimmering with light.


    Sard didas found that all the power he had used was reflected back at him, completely deforming his sword moves and actions.


    A blood line split open on his forehead in an instant, and his whole body along with the skeletal armor was cut in two by Linghu Mingde¡¯s extremely sharp sword light!


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    ¡®Red Blood Sword¡¯ Sard didas struggled to condense his Divine Sense, trying to maintain his Primordial Spirit and consciousness.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that he had ended up in such a state.


    Sard didas had sensed the intense etheric fluctuations from the Taiyi Group and received Yang Lingxiao¡¯s distress signal, and without hesitation, had set off to reinforce.


    He never expected that on his way to provide reinforcement, he would be slain by a sword strike from Linghu Mingde!


    The miraculous Escape Skill of the Mirror World, and that sudden sword strike from Linghu Mingde, like the light of morning dawn, left him utterly defenseless.


    ¡°Ninth Realm Emperor Rank!¡±


    Sard didas¡¯s voice was hoarse, blood oozing from his seven orifices, his eyes gradually filled with despair.


    He had encountered a Senior Divine Envoy of the Divine Envoy Level, with Super Monarch Martial Arts and Emperor Rank Bloodline!


    Boom!


    Sard didas could no longer hold his body together, his flesh and Primordial Spirit both exploded apart.


    After Linghu Mingde had slain Sard didas, the void around the standing point of three miles was once again turned to powder by Yang Lingxiao¡¯s Heavenly Punishment Emperor Dragon.


    When Linghu Mingde¡¯s figure reappeared, it was 20 miles away, this time he did not flee anymore but hovered in the air, facing Yang Lingxiao from a distance.


    At this moment, many of Yang Lingxiao¡¯s allies had gathered around.


    ¡°Ho?¡± Linghu Mingde, with one hand on his sword, scanned the surrounding void with a smile: ¡°Quite a spectacle, too bad¡ª¡±


    Besides Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan, who were two Congressional Honorary Members, there were already five individuals present whose integrated combat power reached the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank!


    ¡ªUnfortunately, among them, there was no longer anyone who could threaten his life.


    That Wang Qiming, and the Sard didas he had just killed, were among these people, the existences whose Bloodline and Martial Arts might slightly restrain Linghu Mingde and Qiu Jingshu.


    In fact, there was another person who could also restrain Qiu Jingshu¡¯s abilities, but Lin Rui should be able to deal with him.


    The faces of several Ninth Realm figures in the void were ashen, while Qi Tianquan was lost in thought, casting a doubtful look to the south.


    Simply because at this moment, the most important pharmaceutical base in his hand issued an alarm, and his deputy, also his closest battle companion ¡®Heaven-covering Divine Fist¡¯ Dou Tian, had so far been utterly silent, as if he was offline, his network cut off by someone.


    What exactly happened over there?


    ¡°You killed Wang Qiming!¡± Yang Lingxiao stood suspended in the void, his eyes cracked with tiny bloodlines.


    He said, word by word: ¡°Today¡¯s battle, it¡¯s either you or me who won¡¯t survive!¡±


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s lips curled slightly, his expression disdainful: ¡°Just as I wish!¡±


    Just as these two were about to clash, their Divine Mind and Martial Intent colliding, a furious voice came from Huo Bangguo in the distance.


    ¡°Linghu Mingde! Yang Lingxiao! Have you f*cking lost your minds? I f*ck your ancestors, if you dare to make a move within the city again, I swear I¡¯ll go all out to butcher you bastards.¡±


    Following this incoherent roar, Huo Bangguo¡¯s overwhelming Divine Thought also spread from afar.

 Chapter 596 - 569 Extremely Poisonous (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    Chapter 596: Chapter 569 Extremely Poisonous (Three more updates, please subscribe)


    Linghu Mingde intruded into the headquarters of Taiyi Biological Group just as Lin Rui was in the lower zone about 500 kilometers south of Ninth Base City center.


    This area has a cave complex that has never been recorded in the three-dimensional maps or pipeline maps of Ninth Base City.


    This is where Qi Tianquan¡¯s most important pharmaceutical base is located and is also the largest drug production base in the entire Ninth Base City.


    This Congressional Honorary Member initially built his fortune from drug trafficking and production. After becoming an Honorary Member and considering public impact, he slightly curtailed his activities, cutting many projects and focusing on producing high-quality drugs for the upper class, characterized by strong effects, minimal harm to the body, and relatively low addictiveness. Thus, they are very popular among the elite in various base cities and are currently Qi Tianquan¡¯s major source of income.


    However, these are still drugs, so Qi Tianquan dares not manufacture them in a standard pharmaceutical factory, only in this secret pharmaceutical base.


    Additionally, this location does not only produce drugs, but also various illegal generic drugs.


    Qi Tianquan of course dares not challenge the big pharmaceutical companies with significant influence like Abyss, Heavenly Sword, Taiyi, and Sky Blue.


    He mainly copies the drugs from medium and small pharmaceutical companies, undercutting the market with lower prices. After toppling these companies, he acquires them along with their patents.


    Qi Tianquan managed to develop Tianquan Biological Company into a colossal entity with a market value of 700 trillion through these means, all within just over 200 years.


    However, Lin Rui chose to target this location because Qi Tianquan¡¯s right-hand man, ¡®Covering Sky Fist¡¯ Dou Tian, is stationed at this base; and Qi¡¯s four Heavy Equipment Divisions, 170 Dragon Transformation Masters, 320 hired Dragon Transformation mercenaries from the Pharmaceutical Alliance, as well as numerous Alien Walkers and Middle-level Armored Martial Cultivators are currently hidden within this base.


    This base is a critical pillar for the Pharmaceutical Alliance¡¯s military capability, and destroying it would collapse nearly half of the alliance¡¯s war potential.


    Fei Yunlai sent a message in the combat group: BOSS! Medicine No. 2, which is distributed in various locations, has been dispersed six seconds ago, but I estimate it won¡¯t have much effect in the core area.


    This time, they are using a mixed poison; Medicine No. 1 has already been dispersed inside half an hour ago.


    Part of it was personally spread by Fei Yunlai inside, and part by utilizing Wang Tianwu¡¯s Illusion Technique, deceiving the base¡¯s internal staff to bring it in.


    But after all, this is a pharmaceutical base; the core area¡¯s sterile and dust-free production workshops and several labs not only have good ventilation but also strong air filtering and purification capabilities.


    Lin Rui nodded and replied in the group: ¡°Gong Hengdao, you can move now, the 2nd and 3rd Groups start advancing rapidly towards Qi Tianquan¡¯s pharmaceutical base, Guang Ming?¡±


    Lin Guangming: ¡°Yes, BOSS, the passages along the way have been opened, all cameras are off, and according to what I control, the C34 Police Station along the way has already received the false orders from the Police Headquarters, and the majority of the police forces have gone to pipeline C34561 to strike illegal immigrant gathering points.


    ¡ª There are also two camps of the Armed Police Force, but they have been pulled away by Thunder Admiral to be stationed in the city center.


    Gong Hengdao: ¡°Received! I¡¯ll be at the battlefield in two minutes!¡±


    These two Heavy Equipment Groups have already, with the cover of Wang Tianwu and several top hackers, pre-emptively reached a pipeline 3 kilometers away to stand by.


    The intelligence capability of Tianquan Biological Company should not be underestimated, and the spiritual sense of a Super Emperor from the Ninth Realm is also extraordinary.


    Thus Lin Rui, even with top hackers like Lin Guangming and Wang Yinyue, as well as a top Illusionist like Wang Tianwu, can¡¯t afford to be careless.


    He also dares not mobilize too much military force, after all, he still needs to keep an eye on home.


    The security of the Dock Base is crucial, therefore the 1st Group and the newly formed 4th and 5th reinforced groups didn¡¯t participate in the action.


    However, Lin Rui also brought 2000 Alien Walkers and 120 powerful Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners.


    Five seconds later, a rumbling noise came from a nearby passageway.


    The entire stratum was trembling, like a seven-magnitude earthquake had occurred.


    Summer End Shallow Thought (Lin Xi): ¡°Brother, the battle between Xianyu Yan and Covering Sky Fist Dou Tian has started; she has intercepted Dou Tian at passage C34241. I¡¯ve already increased the concentration of Medicine No. 2 in passage C34241 according to the plan.


    Lin Guangming: ¡°Supreme, the base inside has started entering a high-intensity alert state, the internal nine Eight Realms masters have all heightened their alertness, but they have no movement yet, no intention of aiding Dou Tian.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°As long as these few people don¡¯t move, there¡¯s no need to worry, prepare for a full-scale hack into the base¡¯s internal network, old Lu keep an eye on Dou Tian, don¡¯t let him go bother Marshal Linghu, but as long as Xianyu Yan can tie up Dou Tian, then just watch for now.


    Lu Hanyuan: ¡°Received!


    He stood in place, continuing to wait, seconds ticking away, and the base inside remained completely normal.


    ¡®Moonlight Fairy¡¯ curiously asked Wang Tianwu beside her: ¡°Old Wang, such a large base inside, especially tailor-made for drug manufacturing, the kind of mixed poison anesthetic made by President Lin may not be effective, right?¡±


    Wang Tianwu and Li Yuehua were not familiar, but they both used to mingle in the Mercenary World, having some camaraderie.


    Besides, now that we¡¯re colleagues, when Old Wang gets promoted to director, he¡¯ll need support from his peers.


    Wang Tianwu chuckled: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, didn¡¯t the BOSS say it takes three minutes to take effect? When it comes to making anesthetics and toxins, if BOSS claims he¡¯s second, no one dares claim they¡¯re first.


    His anesthetics are guaranteed to work every time; I¡¯ve never seen them fail. Plus, if you want to apply something to your own weapons in the future, going to BOSS is the right choice. I¡¯ve tested it myself; even temperatures as high as 7000 degrees couldn¡¯t remove it. It even works on warriors from the Eight Realms.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªAs for those from the Ninth Realm, he hasn¡¯t tested it yet.


    After thinking for a moment, Wang Tianwu secretly added: ¡°BOSS has awakened 26% of the Paralysis Concept and 24% of the Divine Poison Concept. How lethal do you think our BOSS is?¡±


    Meanwhile, Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying, who were waiting in the distance, couldn¡¯t help but glance at Wang Tianwu.


    Thinking, how can this guy talk like that?


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t mind at all; he was squinting his eyes and humming a tune: ¡°Let¡¯s row with both oars, pushing the little boat through the waves¡ª¡±


    He looked very relaxed, enjoying the leisure before the battle, but those around him who knew Lin Rui well found his demeanor quite peculiar.


    Wang Tianwu thought to himself, here we go again, BOSS¡¯s children¡¯s song mode.


    He knew Lin Rui only hummed songs in two states: one was extreme pain, using singing to relieve pressure; the other was extreme excitement and joy, with children¡¯s songs helping BOSS to stay calm.


    ¡®Ice King of the Snowy Night¡¯ Hou Yuting reacted, ¡°An anesthetic that works every time? Is our President Lin the Children¡¯s Song Killer?¡±


    The people around immediately turned their heads to look at Hou Yuting.


    Wang Tianwu thought this guy was pretty sharp, and he let out a soft cough; ¡°Old Hou, don¡¯t talk recklessly without evidence, or Kang Mingkai¡¯s law firm will be sending you a letter.¡±


    Li Yuehua¡¯s pupils shrank slightly.


    Old Hou is overthinking, isn¡¯t he? How could President Lin possibly be the Children¡¯s Song Killer?


    Immediately, Li Yuehua¡¯s thoughts shifted; it¡¯s him!


    The Children¡¯s Song Killer is President Lin! No mistake.


    Skilled in the creation and use of anesthetics, aged between 19 to 22, accompanied by numerous masters, fond of singing pop children¡¯s songs from centuries ago¡ªthese traits, Li Yuehua had heard analyzed on current affairs talk shows.


    However, those analysts generally thought the Children¡¯s Song Killer was a rich young master from a top-notch family, otherwise why would so many experts follow him around causing trouble? But they overlooked someone who started from scratch and built such a foundation in a year like Lin Rui.


    Did President Lin know how many people the Children¡¯s Song Killer had offended? Now in Ninth Base City¡¯s elite circles, how many wanted him dead?


    The total bounty for the Children¡¯s Song Killer on the dark web had already reached 7.2 billion federal coins.


    Even the police departments and Security Bureau of the Earth Federation were actively issuing warrants, with the Security Bureau headquarters putting out a special SS-level warrant with a reward of 30 million federal coins.


    Even the President had twice publicly stated his intention to bring the Children¡¯s Song Killer to justice.


    Li Yuehua steadied her mind; what should President Lin fear now?


    Even if his identity was revealed, who could do anything to President Lin?


    As long as President Lin wins in this war today, he¡¯ll be one of the most powerful top elites of Ninth Base City, wielding influence across both political and business sectors.


    She guessed that tonight, most of those dark web bounties would be canceled.


    A bunch of scum from the underworld, where do they get the nerve to place bounties on President Lin?


    Regarding the judicial world, not to mention that they have no direct evidence, even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t be able to touch President Lin for a while.


    And that private law firm being planned by the great lawyer Kang Mingkai was not to be trifled with.


    At that moment, Li Yuehua saw the message Fei Yunlai sent in the combat group.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): BOSS, the poison is starting to take effect, some people inside the base have already fainted.


    Just then, a shrill alarm began to sound within the base.

 Chapter 597 - 570: Overwhelming (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 597: Chapter 570: Overwhelming (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui, through the projections provided by Heart of Light No. 9, observed the situation inside the pharmaceutical base.


    It was visible that the base was in complete chaos; executives were either tightly covering their mouths and noses or had directly donned exoskeleton armor.


    Some of them were frantically preparing their defenses, others were checking the cause of the chaos like ants on a hot pot, while some were trying every means to purify the air and suppress the toxins in their bodies.


    At this moment, people inside the base kept fainting in droves, starting with the workers of poorer health, followed by the National Guard soldiers.


    The private army fostered by Qi Tianquan was also very elite, with all personnel being Second Realm and Third Realm Armored Martial Cultivators with strong physical constitutions, lasting about 2 minutes on average.


    However, against the mixed poison created by Lin Rui, once it entered the body for more than a minute, it would penetrate deep into the lungs and marrow, making it very difficult to expel and neutralize.


    This was the first type of mixed poison he had created that combined ether elements.


    Both Medicine No. 1 and Medicine No. 2 were non-toxic, colorless, odorless, and unrecorded by any institution of the Earth Federation. But once mixed with the ether element, they would transform into a very potent anesthetic.


    Additionally, because of the incorporation of ether elements, this anesthetic could affect even Eighth Realm and Ninth Realm Martial Practitioners, with strong pervasiveness and the general air purification systems struggled to eliminate it.


    That¡¯s why Lin Rui was pleased to see those Eighth Realm masters continuing to stay inside the pharmaceutical base; the longer they stayed, the greater the impact they suffered.


    The only thing was, once high-intensity combat began, amidst the high-frequency oscillations and collisions of the Astral Wind, his mixed poison would hardly take effect.


    Currently, Lin Xi, Wang Yinyue, and Heart of Light No. 9 were breaking into the pharmaceutical base¡¯s internal network with unstoppable momentum.


    No. 6 and No. 7 were also assisting them through the quantum network relays.


    In addition, Lin Rui¡¯s Rui Studio had recruited over 50 computer engineers of no weak abilities, responsible for the cybersecurity of Lin Rui¡¯s industries.


    Most of the network security personnel inside the base were now affected by the anesthetic, either fainted or groggy, essentially unable to resist. Therefore, the group of hackers led by Wang Yinyue were acting unabated, having initially disintegrated the base¡¯s command core and were further implanting viruses into the war machinery located in the outer layers.


    Gong Hengdao: BOSS, all troops have reached the designated combat positions.


    Lin Guangming: Supreme, the base¡¯s outer defense system has been initially disintegrated.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Begin the assault!


    Following Lin Rui¡¯s order, all the warriors from the Second and Third Groups, along with the numerous pieces of war machinery they carried, simultaneously initiated their assault from seven major transit tubes.


    This pharmaceutical base covered 52 square kilometers, housing 4 Heavy Equipment Divisions, 23,400 Alien Walkers, more than 500 Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners, as well as a large amount of war machinery. The base¡¯s internal defense facilities were extremely strong and comprehensive.


    Nevertheless, when two Heavy Equipment Groups led by Lin Rui, with 2,000 Alien Walkers and 90 Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners, entered the base, they encountered no worthwhile resistance.


    Only automated turrets and combat robots continued to resist; however, their central control cores had been compromised, and they were infected with a virus. Their firepower was disorganized and they couldn¡¯t differentiate between friend and foe, often getting destroyed in moments after opening fire.


    There were quite a few high-level practitioners above Sixth Realm Dragon Transformation inside the base; some were particularly loyal to Qi Tianquan, sporadically jumping out in a vain attempt to resist.


    Yet under the influence of the anesthetic, their strength was less than one-tenth of their peak, making them easily neutralized and suppressed.


    The soldiers from the base¡¯s Heavy Equipment Divisions were mostly unconscious. The soldiers under Lin Rui¡¯s command injected them with a type of syringe, which could stop the operation of the Armament inside their bodies, effectively nullifying their Cultivation.


    Lin Rui considered these National Guard members nurtured by the Heavenly Authority Group knowledgeable about the base and complicit in drug production and trafficking, thus deserving the fate of death.


    However, considering that most of them were ex-soldiers with experiences of serving and defending the country and had families depending on them, Lin Rui didn¡¯t strike them down but nullified their Cultivation, a rare act of mercy on his part.


    Should they wish to recover their Armament Cultivation in the future, it would be possible, but they would need a recommendation from a government or Ninth Base City dignitary and purchase a specific medicine at a high price from Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, effectively serving as another form of ransom.


    Processing Alien Walkers and Armored Martial Cultivators above the Fifth and Sixth Realms was slightly more troublesome; they had to be injected with medicine and fitted with Limit Element Locks and Soul-Restraining Circlets, as well as punctured with a certain number of Limiting Element Needles.


    Lin Rui had already prepared a prison at the dock base specifically to detain these mid to high-level Armored Martial Cultivators.


    These individuals could provide him not only with a substantial ransom but also a huge bargaining chip, which he could use to negotiate with the government after the war.


    As long as these people were willing to sign a Divine Contract, pledging not to oppose Lin Rui and Linghu Mingde in the future, and pay a redemption fee commensurate with their worth, or agree to serve Lin Rui for free for a period of time, Lin Rui wouldn¡¯t mind sparing their lives.


    He happened to have a large number of Dragon Skin charm papers, enough for these few hundred people to sign a contract witnessed by a Divine Spirit¡ªof course, the cost of using Dragon Skin charm papers had to be covered by the Martial Cultivators themselves.


    Lin Rui was actually helpless in this situation. If several thousand rank-level Armored Warriors and several hundred Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners were to die in battle, the entire Earth Federation Government, including Li Xianglong, would go insane.


    Previously, Lin Hao had just killed several reserve generals and reserve marshals of the Federation, and the Security Bureau headquarters was as if facing a formidable enemy.


    Although the Martial Cultivators of the Heavenly Authority Group and those mercenaries did things that were beyond humane, they were still the potential military force of the Earth Federation.


    At this moment, Lin Rui also donned his ¡®Emperor Authority¡¯ Exoskeleton Armor, took to the air, and stood on his Battle Dragon¡¯s maintenance vehicle.


    Next to him were two Red Spider 8PRO combat robots that were more than 20 meters high, six-legged, majestic in appearance, and covered in Runes and giant cannons that stood guard on his left and right.


    However, Lin Rui had no chance to make a move himself; the two Red Spider 8PROs scanned all around, and a total of 12 9SS+ type Plasma Cannons and 8 9SS+ type Heavy Particle Beam Cannons bombarded everything around them, suppressing and flattening any threat to Lin Rui.


    It wasn¡¯t until Lin Rui¡¯s Battle Dragon maintenance vehicle entered deep into the base and the pharmaceutical factory that a fierce roar suddenly burst out from a building nearby: ¡°Lin Rui! Die for me!¡±


    Following the roar, a gigantic 27-meter Battle Dragon burst out from the building and pounced in Lin Rui¡¯s direction.


    It was an Eight Realms Emperor Rank ¡®Titanium Emperor Blade Dragon¡¯! Human and dragon as one, it released a grand, domineering Sword Light slashing at Lin Rui from a distance of 100 meters.


    The two Red Spider 8PROs instantly backed off, and two Phase Transfer Shields conjured a powerful ¡®Phase Transfer Energy Shield¡¯, firmly protecting Lin Rui.


    At the same time, they emitted 20 red beams of light from their bodies, focusing their fire on that Battle Dragon.


    Wang Tianwu glanced in that direction and then scoffed disdainfully: ¡°Idiot!¡±


    He knew that several individuals of the Eight Realms and a group of Seventh Realm Martial Cultivators, along with dozens of Dragon Transformation Level elites, had been hiding in the most core area of the base, trying to wait out the situation.


    Although their strength was greatly diminished by the influence of the anesthetic from the BOSS, they remained clear-headed and retained a certain level of combat power.


    Considering their strength had severely declined and their Escape Skills were restricted, they knew they couldn¡¯t escape, so they could only hide in the pharmaceutical base¡¯s core defensive facilities and wait for a change in circumstances.


    This Martial Cultivator named Ichabod Bimonte, who possessed the ¡®Titanium Emperor Blade Dragon¡¯, must have been forced out of hiding, thus taking this risky action.


    However, he was foolish; with hardly any strength left, couldn¡¯t he have stayed put and surrendered willingly?


    As long as they did not resist, the BOSS had no intention of taking their lives.


    Their heavy armor combat vehicles had even broadcast the message ¡®surrender will not be killed¡¯ for several minutes using high-power amplifiers.


    While Wang Tianwu was thinking this, he made a hand gesture.


    He used an Illusion Technique on the mind and spirit of Ichabod Bimonte, disorienting the man¡¯s spiritual sense.


    Although Ichabod Bimonte was on guard, his spirit still blurred for an instant.


    And in that instant, Ichabod Bimonte, along with his Battle Dragon, were stricken by numerous holes from the 9SS+ type Plasma Cannons and Particle Beam Cannons, as well as bullets and shells fired from many powerful snipers nearby.


    Lin Rui¡¯s hand rested on his sword, his eyes vigilant.


    But ultimately, Ichabod Bimonte never reached him, as the continued bombardment and illumination from the two Red Spider 8PROs blasted him into dust.


    Those hiding in the depths of the base from the Eight Realms had also shown no intention of coming out to rescue.


    As Lin Rui hummed a song with an easy-going expression and continued to advance with the escort of even more warriors, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked back.


    From a distance in the direction of C34244 pipe, two streaks of light, one black and one red, were racing towards his direction.


    The black figure flying in the lead was none other than ¡®Sky-covering God Fist¡¯ Dou Tian.


    This person was gazing at him from afar, the fury and killing intent in his eyes seemingly able to transform into swords and pierce through Lin Rui¡¯s body!

 Chapter 598 - 571: Goodbye Abyss (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 598: Chapter 571: Goodbye Abyss (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°`


    The Heavenly Fist Dou Tian sensed the sudden change inside the pharmaceutical base fifteen minutes ago.


    However, Dou Tian¡¯s opponent was extremely tenacious, constantly engaging him, making it impossible for Dou Tian to disengage from the battle despite using all his skills.


    Previously, in the C34241 passage, Dou Tian fought with this person for more than two minutes and still couldn¡¯t break through their blockade to reinforce Qi Tianquan and Linghu Mingde.


    This woman, clad in a red-painted battle armor, emerged as a master from nowhere, not only reaching the Eighth Realm Emperor Rank in bloodline talent but also approaching the level of a Super Monarch in martial arts!


    Her mastery of Wind Technique was sublime, delving deep into the domain of ¡®kinetic energy¡¯ and even deriving the divine might of ¡®Thunder¡¯!


    The woman also possessed powerful magic artifacts that greatly augmented her strength.


    Especially that revolving wheel embedded with nine treasure beads, its divine might surpasses the top outer elixirs developed by the Federation, supplying this woman with an endless stream of elemental power.


    As a result, the massive plasma covered the sky and dazzled brilliantly, allowing no darkness or shadow to exist in the otherwise spacious underground passage.


    If it weren¡¯t for Dou Tian¡¯s martial arts and escape skill also touching upon the realms of dark matter, he likely wouldn¡¯t even qualify to clash with this woman.


    Her Battle Dragon, although only 8SSS tier and not equipped with Ninth Realm Super Emperor magic artifacts like her true body, had awakened Spiritual Wisdom and its martial arts and combat instincts were exceptionally sharp, almost comparable to her main body, making its actual combat strength even stronger than Dou Tian¡¯s Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Battle Dragon!


    It¡¯s only that her exoskeleton armor fell slightly short, being an 8SS+ rank female Emperor type, but Dou Tian¡¯s slight advantage in battle armor was not enough to compensate for the gap in other aspects.


    Moreover, besides this woman, there must be another hidden master, equally strong, likely at the Eighth Realm Emperor Rank!


    Therefore, without hesitation, Heavenly Fist Dou Tian intended to summon several Eighth Realm colleagues stationed within the pharmaceutical base for reinforcement.


    Qi General had expressly instructed before to keep a close watch on their lair and tolerate no losses! As for Linghu Mingde¡¯s Escape Skill, which was incredibly mysterious, and the Light Magic, most Eighth Realm Martial Cultivators couldn¡¯t keep up with their speed. Even if they did catch up, it wouldn¡¯t be of much use and might instead become a point of weakness for them.


    But after more than two minutes of intense battle, Dou Tian realized that he faced an existence whose strength was infinitely close to that of a Congressional Honorary Member and a Candidate Divine Envoy!


    Their enemy, aside from Linghu Mingde and the Heavenly Demon, actually included a Quasi-Member!


    Dou Tian realized that he must seek help from his colleagues to break free from this woman¡¯s entanglement and blockade.


    But before Dou Tian could request for assistance from the rear, he noticed something was off.


    His Spiritual Sense, across a distance of twelve kilometers, picked up on the drastic changes happening at the pharmaceutical base.


    Dou Tian had no choice but to return at full speed, realizing that the base was evidently unsalvageable. If he didn¡¯t do something now, the Sevent and Eighth Realm experts inside might be entirely wiped out, with not one spared!


    However, since he was previously trapped by the red-armored woman for over two minutes, it took Dou Tian a full twelve minutes to traverse the mere twelve kilometers of the pipeline and fight his way back to the pharmaceutical base.


    It was only after escaping the underground passage that Dou Tian was barely able to shake off the red-armored woman.


    Just because the pharmaceutical base¡¯s terrain was more expansive, it was impossible for the woman¡¯s plasma to cover every corner.


    Yet the scene inside the base made Dou Tian¡¯s eyes split with fury!


    Lin Rui was squinting his eyes in a staring contest with Dou Tian.


    He noticed that the poison cocktail he produced had no effect on this Ninth Realm Martial Cultivator, even though Lin Xi had increased the density of the medicine in the pipeline.


    This was within his expectations. The battle between Dou Tian and Xianyu Yan could repel any substance, especially Xianyu Yan¡¯s massive plasma, which could ionize and melt everything.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. Lin Rui had been waiting for this person to come.


    Priority was given to attack the pharmaceutical base first because the enemies inside were easier to deal with; second, because for Heavenly Fist Dou Tian, it was a critical situation in which he had to save the enemy!


    So how could he not be prepared to give Dou Tian a proper funeral!


    ¡°Zzt! Zzt!¡±


    Two Red Spider 8PRO models, with a total of 20 ray cannons mounted on them, fired at full power in Dou Tian¡¯s direction at the same time.


    Snipers and shooters positioned around the area, along with their Battle Dragons, also opened fire with all their might.


    Dou Tian, however, continued to flicker and leap through the surrounding shadows and dark matter.


    Using dark matter for an escape skill required a tremendous amount of True Yuan, but Dou Tian could no longer worry about that.


    Although his quantum communication had been hacked and cut off for a while, Dou Tian could guess even with his heels that reinforcements from other pharmaceutical companies were on their way, possibly led by Qi Tianquan himself.


    As long as he could hold out for another five, or even three minutes, he could save himself and the Seventh and Eighth Realm experts hidden in the core area.


    ¡°`


    ¡ª¡ªNot only is he a core member of the Tianquan Biological Company, but he is also their pillar!


    Besides, Lin Rui¡¯s greatest weakness, which is now exposed in front of him, is Lin Rui himself!


    Not long ago, the entire Dark World was abuzz with rumors that the 8X model Exoskeleton Armor ¡®Emperor Authority,¡¯ crafted by an anonymous top-level Mechanic, had likely fallen into Lin Rui¡¯s hands.


    Dou Tian had paid attention to this matter and even contemplated assembling funds to purchase it, so he recognized this ¡®Emperor Authority.¡¯


    The person wearing the ¡®Emperor Authority¡¯ Exoskeleton Armor must be Lin Rui!


    It was said that Lin Rui¡¯s cultivation was merely at the Fourth Realm, but Dou Tian knew that the ¡®Emperor Authority¡¯ Battle Armor demanded extremely high standards to wear.


    Since this person could don the armor, his true strength must far exceed external estimates.


    But even if he estimated generously, at best, Lin Rui was at the Sixth Realm!


    An insignificant Sixth Realm Martial Cultivator ¨C he could smash him with a single punch!


    And whether it¡¯s the Forest Group or Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, their rise and fall hinged on Lin Rui; by killing this man, the conglomerate and power structured around him would disintegrate like ice under the sun!


    However, just as Dou Tian closed in to about 3 kilometers from Lin Rui, he suddenly felt the Blood Qi all over his body starkly freezing, and the Dark Matter he controlled was being forcefully disrupted.


    ¡°Moonlight Fairy? Ice King of the Snowy Night?¡±


    It was ¡®Moonlight Fairy¡¯ Li Yuehua and ¡®Ice King of the Snowy Night¡¯ Hou Yuting!


    When Dou Tian¡¯s peripheral vision caught the two figures attacking from the left and right, his pupils instantly constricted violently.


    These two Eighth Realm Emperor Rank individuals, when did they join Lin Rui¡¯s command?


    This was clearly a trap! Lin Rui was using himself as bait to lure him into the game!


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    Rather than retreating, Dou Tian advanced instead, his entire body exuding strands of blood flames. A vast curtain of darkness burst from his forehead, enveloping the whole vacuum, not only drawing Li Yuehua and Hou Yuting¡¯s powers into the boundless ocean of Dark Energy but also shaking off the Illusion Technique Wang Tianwu had placed on him.


    Dou Tian then managed to ¡®teleport¡¯ directly in front of Lin Rui, bypassing the upper transfer shields of the two Red Spider 8PRO devices.


    ¡°Go to hell!¡±


    He knew that Lin Rui intended to doom him, and that Li Yuehua, Hou Yuting, and Wang Tianwu were all prepared for him.


    However, this brat had gravely underestimated him! And for underestimating his enemy, the price would be steep!


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows in shock: ¡°Hmm?¡±


    He was indeed surprised that this Dou Tian could wield such a powerful secret skill to invoke the ocean of Dark Energy!


    Lin Rui was actually ready for battle; he, along with Shangguan Tianyi, Ji Xueying, and the three 6SSS+ Battle Dragons, were primed for their rotation combat strategy.


    Lin Rui was utterly confident in withstanding Dou Tian¡¯s desperate attack and holding out until Xianyu Yan arrived.


    But this Heaven-Shadowing Divine Fist Dou Tian had unexpectedly covered the area for at least one kilometer around with the Dark Sky, immersing it in the ocean of Dark Energy.


    This meant that everyone around could not sense what was happening inside the Dark Sky; their Spiritual Sense and five senses would be completely shielded.


    The thought crossed Lin Rui¡¯s mind, why bother spending effort and potentially injuring the trio in resisting Dou Tian¡¯s punch if he could kill him more effortlessly?


    Without hesitation, he swung his sword, drawing a strand of 8SSS+ level Sword Light from the National Guardian Dragon Seal within it, and slashed at Dou Tian.


    This was the secret blade ¡®Root Slash¡¯ that Lin Rui had deciphered from the long-life Sword Qi by spending a colossal amount of soul power points!


    Although the power of this Sword Light had diminished to the 8SSS+ level.


    However, the concepts Lin Rui had fused into the Sword Light had now been replaced by his own 100% Purification, 42% Twist, 25% Precision, and equally 25% Fated Death!


    In that instant, Dou Tian¡¯s heart nearly came to a halt.


    His pupils dilated with disbelief in his eyes!


    Dou Tian had actually felt the Abyss from the slash that Lin Rui had made!


    It was unmistakable; it was indeed Abyss Level power!


    Because in that moment, not only was Dou Tian¡¯s full-powered strike twisted, but his Primordial Spirit was also Burning! Being Purified!

 Chapter 599 - 572: Meeting God (Three more updates, please subscribe)

    Chapter 599: Chapter 572: Meeting God (Three more updates, please subscribe)


    The Sky-shielding Divine Fist, Dou Tian, feeling the concept of ¡®Purification¡¯ for an instant, his body explosively retreated backward.


    His entire being accelerated to the extreme in a flash, turning into a mass of black light, rapidly weaving through the dark Heavenly Curtain behind him.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Root Slash¡¯ originates from ¡®East Abyss¡¯s exploration of the universe¡¯s myriad things, probing the origins of heaven and earth, the origins of the world, and the nature of cause and effect.


    If this slash were executed by the East Abyss itself, it would be nearly unrestricted by the flow of time and space, likewise ignoring all matter, all laws, all concepts, all cause and effect!


    Even in Lin Rui¡¯s hands, though diminished in rank and unable to fully unleash the power of this slash, it still possessed tremendous might.


    Dou Tian found that no matter what, he could not dodge or break free.


    ¡°8SSS+ Secret Blade?¡±


    Within Dou Tian¡¯s Primordial Spirit and body, the Purifying Fire ignited, burning his thoughts clear, preventing normal thinking.


    But in that instant, the remaining consciousness inside him once again conceived a sense of horror, his scalp tingling. Lin Rui¡¯s secret blade was surely a threat to the vast majority of Nine Realms Emperors!


    Though its power was somewhat weakened, it could still prevent the vast majority of Nine Realms Emperors from dodging.


    Included, of course, was him who was just a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank!


    Moreover, the surrounding distance had already been twisted, with the concepts of certain death and Fated Death influencing cause and effect.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Just as Dou Tian was about to retreat to the edge of the dark Heavenly Curtain, Lin Rui¡¯s blade cleaved into his glabella.


    This time Dou Tian¡¯s whole body burst into a white flame of purity, burning fiercely like the sun.


    Within that pure fireball, Dou Tian stared fixedly at Lin Rui, his throat ¡®gurgling¡¯ and struggling to emit a sound.


    ¡°Deep~ Deep~¡±


    Dou Tian tried hard to speak, wanting to say the words ¡°You are the Abyss,¡± and also wanting to inform Qi Tianquan.


    ¡ªTheir opponent was clearly a God!


    Possibly a Divine Spirit that has been reborn and is now resurging; or perhaps a New God that has acquired almost all characteristics of the Abyss and is growing in strength!


    But at this moment, he couldn¡¯t even utter one complete ¡®Deep¡¯. All vitality, all consciousness swiftly faded away.


    His entire Primordial Spirit had been refined into the purest particles, and soon after, the golden white Purifying Fire vanished, absorbed back by Lin Rui.


    The dark energy curtain generated by the Nine Realms Emperor¡¯s Secret Skill from Dou Tian also dissipated.


    At this time, everyone watching was utterly shocked by the scene, staring at the body of Dou Tian standing tall but devoid of any life.


    Dou Tian, who was at full strength restraining two Red Spiders 8PRO with his Battle Dragon, now stood rigid, letting the two Combat Robots flip him over, fiercely assaulting him with hundreds of blood holes, all without response.


    The ¡®Moonlight Fairy¡¯ Li Yuehua and ¡®Snowy Night Ice King¡¯ Hou Yuting who had broken through the black veil earlier were shocked and bewildered.


    They had not sensed the specific situation within the black veil, nor even located Dou Tian and the BOSS¡¯s position. When the Heavenly Curtain dissipated, they only saw Dou Tian, already dead.


    Even Xianyu Yan who had dashed to a few steps behind Dou Tian was equally astounded.


    This Dou Tian was actually killed?


    This guy, whose overall combat power was only slightly inferior to her own, who fought her to a stalemate for 15 minutes, was instantly slain within the black veil.


    ¡°Mr. Lin, I was careless just now, I underestimated him,¡±


    She turned to bow and apologize, her eyes filled with astonishment as she looked at Lin Rui wearing the ¡®Heavenly Authority¡¯ Exoskeleton Armor.


    She guessed that Dou Tian must¡¯ve died by the power of the Abyss held by the master.


    Does it mean that the master is now able to use his Abyss Power in combat?


    Dou Tian was capable of casting a Sky-shielding Dark Curtain, causing a sea of Dark Energy to engulf the heavens and the earth, his combat power surprisingly beyond expectation.


    His act of covering the BOSS with the Sky-shielding Dark Curtain was the equivalent of courting death¡ªbringing about unnecessary longevity and giving the master the chance to wield the Abyss Concept without restraint!


    Wang Tianwu also guessed the truth, his eyebrows raised slightly, contemplating that the BOSS¡¯s strength has grown again!


    He then turned his head, looking disdainfully toward the depths of the pharmaceutical base: ¡°Gentlemen, if you don¡¯t want to die, I suggest you do not resist. Seal your True Yuan and surrender willingly.¡±


    ¡°`


    Just now, from the core of the base, a full seven Eight Realms and six Seventh Realm Martial Cultivators, along with over 30 Battle Dragons over 21 meters tall, charged out from within.


    They all intended to take advantage of the pitch darkness and their lingering strength to launch a counter-attack in coordination with Dou Tian, hoping it would help him kill Lin Rui; if not kill, at least to disrupt the enemy and buy themselves more time.


    But no sooner had these dozen or so people rushed out from the core area, Dou Tian was already slain, and the dark curtain that had blotted out the sky also disappeared with him.


    These people couldn¡¯t help but freeze on the spot, their gazes shifting uncertainly between Lin Rui and Xianyu Yan.


    They had no idea how Dou Tian died, only seeing that Xianyu Yan was the closest to Dou Tian, and Lin Rui had just made a sharp and stylish sword retracting move.


    Several of the Eight Realms guessed it was Xianyu Yan, as they had also distinctly felt the intense battle between her and Dou Tian inside the C34241 traffic tunnel, where she even seemed to have the upper hand, suppressing Dou Tian of the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank.


    However, at this moment, investigating the cause of Dou Tian¡¯s death was pointless.


    The death of Dou Tian only represented one thing¡ªthat Lin Rui, the chairman of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, had the strength to instantly kill a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank!


    The current situation was that the two Red Spider 8PROs had already turned around, aiming all their cannon barrels at them.


    Wang Tianwu, Li Yuehua, Hou Yuting, Fei Yunlai, Gong Hengdao, and the subsequently arrived Lu Hanyuan¡ªthese figures, either of Eight Realms or possessing combat power of the Eight Realms, all sent their Martial Arts Extreme Intent crashing over, their might majestic!


    Besides, within this pharmaceutical base, there were another 120 Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners, with those of the Seventh Realm not in the minority!


    These people, along with hundreds of armored cars loaded with various heavy firepower, were all locked on to them, ready to strike!


    The most deadly of all was that red-armored woman; ever since Dou Tian¡¯s death, she had locked onto them with a powerful Sword Intent from afar!


    This Sword Dao Extreme Intent was incredibly powerful and piercingly sharp, not only suppressing their bodily blood and energy, but also oppressing their Primordial Spirits and causing their skin and flesh to feel punctured and perforated.


    ¡ª¡ªThis was a Quasi-Member with extremely formidable combat power!


    What puzzled them was that they had just seen this powerful woman, who was close to being a Congressional Honorary Member, pay her respects to Lin Rui as a subordinate.


    This made them unable to understand why such a powerful Quasi-Member, who had the capability to establish her own power within the Federation, would submit to Lin Rui.


    After sheathing his sword, Lin Rui¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile, looking down at these people from afar through the aiming system of his battle armor: ¡°I¡¯ll give you 10 seconds, this is your final ultimatum!¡±


    That group of Eight Realms Heaven-reaching and Seventh Realm Divine Powers Armored Martial Cultivators all had faces as ugly as could be.


    Even those who were most loyal to Qi Tianquan had no desire to resist to their deaths at this point.


    They had all been poisoned, their combat strength had diminished by seven-tenths, and resisting now was pointless.


    Because even if they sacrificed their lives, they could not harm a single hair on their opponents.


    One of the Eighth Realm Martial Cultivators standing at the back had eyes blazing as he stared fixedly at Lin Rui.


    ¡°This is so F**king suffocating!¡± another Eighth Realm Martial Cultivator cursed angrily, his expression full of unwillingness as he tossed his weapon onto the ground.


    He placed his hands behind his back: ¡°I, Alexsa Alder, admit defeat. I surrender!¡±


    The other several Eighth Realms nearby also had ashen faces as they set down their weapons and began to seal their True Yuan.


    Their eyes were also filled with resentment and frustration.


    This battle was lost to the dreadfully potent anesthetic, which left them with formidable strength that they could not wield.


    13 minutes ago, when they noticed something was off, the concentration of anesthetic in their bodies was already very high, impossible to eliminate completely.


    What was terrifying was that this anesthetic could adhere to the ether element.


    This meant that they had been taken advantage of, the more they absorbed Ether Element Power in an attempt to forcibly expel the toxins from their bodies, the deeper they were poisoned.


    By the time they realized the truth, the severity of the poison was too entrenched to reverse.


    Lin Rui saw the rage and defiance in these people¡¯s eyes but couldn¡¯t be bothered to care.


    The overall situation at the pharmaceutical base had been settled, and it was time for him to shift his focus elsewhere.


    While they had been in fierce battle here, the Pharmaceutical Alliance hadn¡¯t just been watching idly; they had gotten over their initial shock and hesitation and finally dispatched a large number of Martial Cultivators and troops to reinforce this pharmaceutical base of Qi Tianquan.


    Among those who arrived the quickest were two 9SS+ ¡®Lord¡¯ Combat Robots rushing over from Qi Tianquan¡¯s residence.


    What Lin Rui was unaware of at this moment was that 4 minutes earlier, the public network of the Ninth Base City had been sent into turmoil by this war between them.

 Chapter 600: 573: Official Leak (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 600: Chapter 573: Official Leak (Please Subscribe)


    The Taiyi Biological Group headquarters suffered a shocking explosion, and in that moment when the eyeballs of 170,000 people within a ten-kilometer radius shattered, Wang Linna was nearby.


    This old classmate of Lin Rui had come here to interview for a job at several Alien Companies.


    Wang Linna had previously signed with a small-scale Alien Company, with an extremely lucrative contract that matched the treatment of a ¡®prospective top ten¡¯ talent, but, unfortunately, this promising company lasted only ten months after she joined, affected by continuous turmoil within Great Song, and ultimately it went bankrupt.


    Luckily, Wang Linna had been very cautious since she joined, preserving both her original body and alien body well, without being implicated by the company.


    However, she now has to find an Alien Company that will take in her alien body in the shortest time possible.


    Otherwise, the cost of renting the Quantum Divine Machine would deplete all of Wang Linna¡¯s savings within two months.


    Actually, her best option would be to go to the Forest Alien Body Company established by Lin Rui.


    The majority of their 58th class of class 7 had joined Forest Alien Body Company, and many alumni from Mingde Alien Body College and Mingde Armament College had also joined the company.


    Lin Rui and Wang Sen treated them quite well, not only providing better alien body contracts than other companies, but also arranging top-notch alien identities for them, which were not only safe but also full of potential, far superior to those offered by the Alien Body Administration.


    However, Wang Linna just couldn¡¯t get over that hurdle in her heart.


    Every time she remembered how she had eagerly wanted to compete with Lin Rui, and the audacious words she had said to him ¡ª such as ¡®Are you too scared to fight me, afraid of losing to me, right?¡¯ and ¡®You¡¯re underestimating me; I¡¯ll show you my progress over the past month¡¯ ¡ª she wanted to slam her head into a block of tofu to die or simply dig a hole and bury herself.


    In just one short year, Lin Rui had risen like a cloudburst, soaring into the clouds of the Federation¡¯s top echelons like a majestic bird spreading its wings, not only establishing numerous enterprises but also becoming a top-tier Martial Arts Star of the Federation.


    It¡¯s rumored that not long ago, he had killed the chairman of Zhirui Pharmaceutical Company, Alta Devonshill, hanging him from the flagpole of the National Arts Center, thus stepping into the elite circles of Ninth Base City.


    Only then did Wang Linna realize that her prized martial arts talent might not even match up to one of Lin Rui¡¯s fingernails.


    She used to admire Lin Rui¡¯s talent and effort, yet little did she know that was far from all he possessed. Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts practice videos simply left Wang Linna speechless in amazement and deep admiration.


    This hidden dragon in the abyss, once encountering the wind and clouds, could ascend to the nine heavens.


    In any case, after much deliberation, Wang Linna still chose to submit her resume to several medium-sized Alien Companies. Little did she expect to experience such an incident while on her way to an interview.


    Wang Linna felt extremely fortunate, as she had just passed by the headquarters of Taiyi Biological Group in a taxi. If the taxi had been driving a bit slower, she would have been affected.


    When Wang Linna searched the internet for the cause of the explosion, she broke out in a cold sweat all over. It turned out it wasn¡¯t just about being affected. Her eyes would have exploded, and it would cost a substantial sum of money to cultivate and transplant new ones.


    The problem is what exactly happened at Taiyi Biological Group?


    That¡¯s the Taiyi Biological owned by Yang Lingxiao, a Congressional Honorary Member. It¡¯s a major company with a market value close to ten trillion!


    Who has the audacity and boldness to cause trouble at Taiyi Biological Group?


    But just now she heard someone shout ¡®Linghu Mingde¡¯, which should be the chairman of Taiyi Biological Group, Yang Lingxiao.


    That shout made Wang Linna¡¯s eardrums ache, and shortly after, Yang Lingxiao¡¯s words ¡®You shall not escape¡¯ shattered the eyeballs of tens of thousands.


    Wang Linna then discovered that her alumni group chat from Mingde Alien Body College¡¯s class of ¡¯58 was blowing up, with a cascade of messages being posted.


    ¡ª It was Linghu Mingde! Just now, it was Linghu Mingde who stormed the headquarters building of Taiyi Biological Group and slew the vice chairman ¡®Heavenly Sword¡¯ Wang Qiming!


    ¡ª What the heck? Is this true or false, how could Linghu Mingde kill Wang Qiming in Taiyi Biological Group¡¯s headquarters building? That¡¯s impossible, isn¡¯t it? The combat power of the two should be comparable, with Linghu Mingde being slightly stronger at most.


    ¡ª Is it Marshal Linghu? Impossible, wasn¡¯t it said that Marshal Linghu has entered the decline of the five impairments of heaven and man, with his lifespan running out?


    ¡ª It should be him, didn¡¯t Yang Lingxiao shout it himself just now? And besides him, who else could it be? Hasn¡¯t it been rumored in the city that the Pharmaceuticals Alliance, led by Taiyi Group, has set their sights on Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals?


    ¡ª I¡¯m aware of this, Mr. Lin had confronted them previously, slaughtering Alta Devonshill of Zhirui Pharmaceuticals, making them too scared to make a move for a long time.


    ¡ª Gentlemen, confirmed news, the chairman of Holy Medical Group ¡®Red Blood Sword¡¯ Sar Didas has been slain by Marshal Linghu with a single strike.


    ¡ª¡ªFuck, this old man is going nuts! But how is that possible?? Even without the decline of a mortal, isn¡¯t Marshal Linghu just at 8SSS+? He can¡¯t be much stronger than Sal Di Das.


    ¡ª¡ªWhat 8SSS+! Marshal Linghu has been promoted, he¡¯s now at 9SSS, Divine Envoy level! Maybe even stronger, a Senior Divine Envoy!


    ¡ª¡ªFuck, that¡¯s badass! It¡¯s said that our Mr. Lin has always been seen as a son-in-law by Marshal Linghu.


    At this moment, within the class group chat, there¡¯s a flood of emotive images: some are scattering flowers in celebration, others are sending fireworks filling the screen, and some are laughing their guts out.


    Wang Linna knew the reason¡ªit was because nearly 100 of their cohort joined Lin Rui¡¯s company.


    However, more than 20 days ago, when the news started to spread that many pharmaceutical companies in Ninth Base City might form an alliance to take action against Lin Rui and Fang Ranran¡¯s Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company, the mood in the group had become somewhat oppressive.


    Even Lin Rui killing the chairman of Zhirui Pharmaceuticals, Alta Devonshill, and hanging him from the flagpole didn¡¯t help everyone relax.


    After all, their side, whether in top experts or overall military strength, was at a disadvantage, especially lacking pillar-level experts!


    Once the battle officially starts, Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and Sky Fox Group were most likely going to lose, and the chances are high they¡¯d be utterly defeated.


    These people who signed with Forest Alien Body Company, with their fortunes and lives tied to this company, how could they possibly ease up?


    And there¡¯s Lin Rui, who not only has great prestige among his old Mingde Alien Body College classmates and is seen as an idol by many juniors and sophomores but is also regarded as the biggest resource in their lives by his 58th cohort of old classmates. They all don¡¯t want to see Lin Rui fall.


    Wang Linna watched the messages in the group, and her eyes couldn¡¯t help but flash with emotion.


    Linghu Mingde has actually been promoted to the Ninth Realm? And to Divine Envoy level?


    If so, Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ situation could stabilize. As long as Linghu Mingde doesn¡¯t die, even if the alliance between the Linghu Family and Lin Rui were to lose, they wouldn¡¯t lose everything.


    Look at Lin Rui living off connections, is he about to skyrocket? Of course, Lin Rui himself is also very excellent, otherwise, how could someone as outstanding as Fang Ranran fancy him?


    Just as Wang Linna was reflecting, another message came up in the group.


    ¡ª¡ªStrange, where is Lu Keke? He usually talks so much, how come he¡¯s gone silent now?


    ¡ª¡ªAnd You Fei, this is their Forest Alien Body Company¡¯s business, why aren¡¯t they making any comments?


    ¡ª¡ªFuck! Come to think of it, none of the group who joined the Forest Alien Body Company have been seen.


    ¡ª¡ªIdiots! Please use your brains for a bit. If Marshal Linghu has taken action, then both sides must have already gone to war. They must be in an information silence, unable to communicate with the outside.


    ¡ª¡ªThis is kinda awesome! Feels like Mr. Lin and Marshal Linghu are the ones launching the attack.


    ¡ª¡ªNo doubt about it, Mr. Lin and his people are the ones who initiated the war. Now it¡¯s just unknown how Mr. Lin plans to defeat the Pharmaceutical Alliance. They have many and strong enemies; just relying on Marshal Linghu alone might not be enough.


    Just then, a comment from Wang Sen appeared in the group.


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): Ha, these scumbags may be many, but strong, not necessarily. Just now, Mr. Lin has already flattened Qi Tianquan¡¯s drug-making base! He took down four of Qi Tianquan¡¯s reinforced Heavy Equipment Divisions, captured 23,442 Alien Walkers, 521 Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners. Of their Nine Eight Realms, one is dead, and eight are injured, with all the injured being captured.


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): Also, the vice-chairman of Heavenly Authority Pharmaceuticals ¡®Sky-Concealing Divine Fist¡¯ Dou Tian has just been slaughtered by Mr. Lin himself. Check the pictures I¡¯m uploading.


    He then sent a picture and a video in the group.


    The picture showed a middle-aged man with distinct facial features and a powerful aura standing tall, yet lifeless, not moving at all.


    In that instant, the entire group went dead silent.


    Wang Linna was also shocked into a daze. She immediately looked up the information of Dou Tian online and found out that the person in the picture was indeed the vice-chairman of Heavenly Authority Pharmaceuticals ¡®Sky-Concealing Divine Fist¡¯ Dou Tian, whose cultivation and combat strength was at the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank!


    Wang Linna then realized that Wang Sen sending these messages in the group must have its purpose, likely by the order of Lin Rui to officially release the information.

 Chapter 601: 574 Senior Senator (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 601: Chapter 574 Senior Senator (Please Subscribe)


    Wang Linna knew that Wang Sen had always been Lin Rui¡¯s most trusted person; how could he be unaware of the importance and leak military intelligence and battle situations from Lin Rui Group carelessly?


    It must be intentional, using the death of ¡®Sky-clouding Fist¡¯ Dou Tian and the destruction of Tianquan¡¯s secret pharmaceutical base to deter their enemies, as well as the various powers of the Ninth Base City, to achieve some strategic objective.


    After a moment of silence in the group chat, a massive amount of messages were sent out again.


    ¡ª¡ªDamn, it was really ¡®Sky-clouding Fist¡¯ Dou Tian? Mr. Lin actually took Dou Tian down?


    ¡ª¡ªMr. Lin is mighty! But what happened? It¡¯s only been a little over 20 minutes since they started fighting.


    ¡ª¡ªDou Tian was of the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank! And there were nine from the Eighth Realms!


    ¡ª¡ªPlus more than 520 Dragon Transformation practitioners, 4 Heavy Equipment Divisions, and 23,442 Alien Walkers, which, even if they were all pigs, would take a lot of effort to capture.


    ¡ª¡ªThere¡¯s video evidence, it should be legit. Look at the video sent by President Wang, I recognize those Eighth Realm figures, they¡¯ve all been immobilized by the Suppression Chains.


    ¡ª¡ªWith this, Tianquan Biological Company is probably finished, right?


    ¡ª¡ªNot just Tianquan Biological? Tianquan doesn¡¯t have that many Dragon Transformation experts. I guess a large part of them are from the Pharmaceutical Alliance, but I still find it hard to believe. Has Mr. Lin gotten so powerful?


    ¡ª¡ªIt must be true. Marshal Linghu and Mr. Lin really put on a big show this time. In one day, two three-star Marshals and one four-star Marshal have fallen.


    ¡ª¡ªNew information, Marshal Linghu is fighting in outer space with Qi Lixiao and others, and has slain reserve two-star Marshal ¡®Heavenly Destiny Lock¡¯ Betty Turner!


    At this time, Wang Sen shared another photo.


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): The two 9SS+ ¡®Lord¡¯ Combat Robots from Qi Tianquan, taken care of!


    The photo showed the remnants of giant combat robots and a pile of scattered parts.


    Wang Linna took a deep breath looking at the photo and then turned and walked away.


    As she sent apology emails to several Alien Companies where she had applied for jobs, she strode out of the office building she was in.


    She realized that after today, the Ninth Base City would surely have a place for Mr. Lin.


    The enterprises founded by Lin Rui were also going to rise like the morning sun, unstoppable!


    Wang Linna knew that if she didn¡¯t join in now, if she didn¡¯t get on Mr. Lin¡¯s bandwagon, she might never have the chance again; she would miss the biggest opportunity of her life.


    As for her own pride and dignity, what did they count for?


    Meanwhile, in the Federation¡¯s capital at the Congressional office building, Fang Xianzheng sat slightly dazed in his office, looking at a document personally delivered to Congress by the Security Bureau¡¯s Li Xianglong.


    ¡ª¡ªConfirmation received: Citizen Linghu Mingde has been promoted to the Ninth Realm, with a combat power of 9SSS grade, as a Senior Divine Envoy!


    ¡ª¡ªAccording to the Federation Constitution, the President and Congress need to promptly send someone to liaise with Linghu Mingde, urging him to swear allegiance to the Federation¡¯s ¡®Divine Illumination Pact¡¯ and ¡®Seventh Amendment to the Federation Constitution¡¯, and receive the identity of ¡®Honorary Senior Member of Congress¡¯ and a ¡®Pardon Order¡¯!


    ¡ª¡ªPlease Congress to quickly determine Linghu Mingde¡¯s specific congressional duties, to ensure the Earth Federation¡¯s foundation of rule.


    Fang Xianzheng zoned out for a long while, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.


    That old geezer Linghu Mingde, he actually got promoted, stepped into the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, stepping into the peak of the power pyramid of the Earth Federation!


    Fang Xianzheng couldn¡¯t help but chuckle bitterly.


    Everything made sense, Linghu Mingde didn¡¯t succumb to the five decays of heaven and man! Not only did he not, but he also had the certainty of further promotion.


    So he let Fang Ranran conquer in the political arena because Linghu Mingde had enough confidence, believing that he could suppress it all!


    A trace of regret first emerged in Fang Xianzheng¡¯s heart, followed by relief.


    There¡¯s nothing to regret. Even if time were reversed, he would make the same choice.


    Back then, his footing in Congress was not stable, and Linghu Mingde and his family not only couldn¡¯t provide him any help but had become a burden to him.


    Only by forming an alliance with the Teng Family, joining hands with the Teng Tianli family, could he stabilize his position at the time.


    Moreover, his ties with the Linghu Family remain, as does Fang Ranran¡ª


    At this time, Fang Kongfang¡¯s video call came through. Fang Xianzheng signed the authorization document prepared by the Speaker while answering Fang Kongfang¡¯s call.


    This authorization document was indispensable. It was a right granted to the Ninth Realm Divine Illumination Martial Cultivators by the ¡®Seventh Amendment of the Federation Constitution¡¯.


    All they had to do on the Congress side was follow the procedure. Any attempt to obstruct it would be unconstitutional.


    The President¡¯s response was swift, having already issued the authorization document, ordering his Deputy Chief of Staff to immediately head to the Ninth Base City.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Kongfang? If it¡¯s about my ex-father-in-law, I¡¯m already aware of the situation.¡±


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m here to report the latest battle news we¡¯ve received on our end,¡±


    When Fang Kongfang¡¯s image was projected, his face was unusually solemn: ¡°Just moments ago, Lin Rui led two Heavy Equipment Groups to destroy the secret pharmaceutical base that Qi Tianquan established in sector C342. It¡¯s reported that all four Heavy Equipment Divisions under Qi Tianquan, 23,442 Alien Walkers, over 520 Dragon Transformation units, 28 Seventh Realm, and 9 Eighth Realm forces have been annihilated, with ¡®Heaven Covering Divine Fist¡¯ Dou Tian killed in battle!¡±


    Fang Xianzheng¡¯s hand stiffened suddenly. He looked up at Fang Kongfang with utter surprise: ¡°Dou Tian is dead? Who killed him? And, are you sure Lin Rui only brought two Heavy Equipment Groups?¡±


    Fang Kongfang nodded gravely: ¡°It¡¯s certain, I have sent you the related videos and photos. This news was deliberately released by Lin Rui¡¯s subordinates; presumably, their intent is to deter the other powerful figures in Ninth Base City. Our intelligence department is still investigating for more detailed information.¡±


    ¡°Currently, our initial assumption is that among Lin Rui¡¯s forces, there might be five Eighth Realm with Emperor Bloodline, or even Super Emperor Rank, and one Quasi-Member.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng squinted reflexively: ¡°What¡¯s the current situation like in Ninth Base City now?¡±


    ¡°Linghu Mingde is still in outer space, fiercely battling with Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan and the others. However, my Martial Arts advisor informed me that the rest of the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank have grown fearful, not fighting with their full strength. Linghu Mingde is primarily engaging with Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan.¡±


    Fang Kongfang¡¯s expression was somewhat complicated: ¡°However, the situation within Ninth Base City has been initially stabilized. After Lin Rui destroyed Qi Tianquan¡¯s C342 sector pharmaceutical base and killed Heaven Covering Divine Fist Dou Tian, all the private militias of the major pharmaceutical companies have ceased marching and are now holding defense at their current locations.


    The Thunder Admiral from the Security Bureau reacted quickly, promptly dispatching the Armed Police Force and the base defense forces of the nine Heavy Equipment Divisions to block all the major key intersections, preventing contact between the various private militias.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng inwardly thought that the Earth Federation¡¯s approval of private entities establishing National Guard militias was utterly absurd!


    These were issues left by a number of former presidents of the Earth Federation 500 years ago.


    At that time, the people of Tianji Star had already begun to infiltrate the Federation and orchestrated several major public security incidents.


    Due to the severe shortage of military power in various Base Cities and their extreme wariness towards the people of Tianji Star, private militias were encouraged to help the government with defensive operations.


    Yet, as time passed, these private militias gradually became uncontrollable.


    ¡°So, where is Lin Rui now?¡±


    After asking this question, Fang Xianzheng shook his head, feeling that it was meaningless: ¡°The Model 9 Dragon Slayer Combat Robot that you introduced to Ranran, did she purchase it?¡±


    ¡°She did!¡± Fang Kongfang nodded: ¡°They probably don¡¯t have much cash on hand, as they took out a loan from Tianyi International Bank.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng chuckled softly: ¡°Let our people get moving too, displaying a deterrent stance. Linghu Mingde and Lin Rui have already solidified their positions.¡±


    Since opportunistically looting was not an option, adding glory to their success was not a bad move.


    If Fang Ranran was willing to accept his favor and purchase the Model 9 Dragon Slayer Combat Robot, it meant she still considered him a father.


    ¡°Furthermore, keep an eye on Lin Rui. After this battle, he may face some legal issues, if necessary, we can offer assistance.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng then sighed: ¡°As for Lin Rui¡¯s endorsement contract, the board of directors can reconsider it.¡±


    ¡°I understand, brother. However, there¡¯s another matter here,¡± said Fang Kongfang, his face stern: ¡°Your wife may have been involved with the Pharmaceutical Alliance and some of the mercenaries in Qi Tianquan¡¯s secret pharmaceutical base may have been hired by the Teng Family.


    Also, our school has chartered a space cruise ship for the University Martial Arts League, intended for transportation to and from the Martial Arts Palace. I can confirm she has tampered with it, not only are the accompanying security personnel problematic, but a tracker and Quantum Migration Anchor Device have also been installed inside.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng¡¯s brow furrowed deeply at these words, a sharp glint in his eyes.


    Installing a Quantum Migration Anchor Device on a space cruise ship hired by the school? What is this woman planning?

 Chapter 602 - 575: Struck it Rich (Three more for monthly tickets)

    Chapter 602: Chapter 575: Struck it Rich (Three more for monthly tickets)


    Lin Rui, together with Xianyu Yan and others, was dismantling Qi Tianquan¡¯s two 9SS+ ¡®Lord¡¯ Combat Robots when he received a message from Lin Xi.


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): Brother, we¡¯ve struck it rich!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Not bad, we¡¯ve saved the equipment costs of four Heavy Equipment Divisions.


    Lin Rui touched his nose, thinking that this time it could be considered quite a profitable haul, right?


    Picking up the equipment from four whole Heavy Equipment Divisions of Qi Tianquan, they also seized numerous Dragon Transformation Level Martial Artists¡¯ gear.


    Especially the Exoskeleton Armor and Combat Mecha, which included six units of type 8SS+ Exoskeleton Armor and one 8SSS+.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t possibly return this equipment to the captives; the next step was to let Wang Yinyue and others modify the AI and programming, so that his subordinates could use them.


    Normally, type 8S+ is the highest grade of Exoskeleton Armor that the Armored Martial Cultivators can acquire.


    To get armor above the 8S+ level, one must either spend a lot of money to have a Mechanic modify it or obtain a permit from the government to purchase it from those mechanical companies.


    So now among his subordinates in the Eighth Realm, only Wang Tianwu and Lu Hanyuan have 8SS+ level armor, Fei Yunlai and Gong Hengdao are still using Type 7 Battle Armor, and Xianyu Yan is also using one unit of 8SS+.


    Additionally, Lin Guangming, Wang Yinyue, and Lin Xi managed to secure 4 units of 8SS+ Red Spiders¡ªreal Type 8, not the 8PRO.


    The AI of Type 8 Red Spider has extremely high computing and protective capabilities, so it took a lot of effort from Lin Guangming and the others, with the help from Xianyu Yan¡¯s team, to accomplish this.


    First, they dismantled the six legs of the Red Spiders, then removed their cannons, leaving these four Type 8 Red Spiders immobilized, allowing several hackers including Lin Guangming to crack them.


    The main bodies of these four Type 8 units are undamaged, and with some modifications and repairs, they can be used as pivotal firepower for the future naval base.


    Lin Rui¡¯s biggest regret was that Qi Tianquan¡¯s two 9SS+ ¡®Lord¡¯ had extremely high network protection capabilities, making them beyond even Lin Guangming¡¯s team¡¯s capabilities, so he could only dismantle them.


    The remaining parts could still be used, and in the future, they could be used to enhance and modify other Combat Robots, but their value is far less than intact ¡®Lords¡¯.


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): I¡¯m not talking about those equipments, I was just taking inventory of the storage under the pharmaceutical base, guess what I found inside?


    Lin Xi sent over a video.


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): Just these medicinal materials are worth more than 230 billion federal coins, plus there are exactly 500 Type 5 Combat Mechas and 100 Type 6 Combat Mechas, all are star battle models! Besides, there are a large number of second-hand refurbished combat robots and ship parts, including at least 800 different types of ship cannons, along with 40 medium quantum migration devices suitable for armed cargo spaceships and cruisers, and 30 small ones.


    After watching the video, Lin Rui muttered, damn, what was Qi Tianquan hiding so many Combat Mechas and ship cannons in this pharmaceutical base for?


    As is known, Type 7 and below Exoskeleton Armors have poor durability and lack long-range firepower, making them more suitable for atmospheric combat.


    In outer space, they generally need to wear an additional layer of star battle Combat Mecha over the Exoskeleton Armor.


    However, these Combat Mechas are very expensive, as a single 6SS+ level Combat Mecha is worth the price of a Guardian Battleship.


    Currently, Lin Rui¡¯s Forest Alien Body Company only owns 30 Type 6 star battle Combat Mechas, all pieced together from various parts, and their combat effectiveness isn¡¯t that great.


    Lin Rui thought that this indeed was a huge score, with just these 100 Type 6 star battle Combat Mechas, they could elevate the overall strength of the Forest Alien Body Company by a notch.


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): These were procured for the Star Chain Pirate Group, I saw the tags of Star Chain Pirate Group on them, all are second-hand refurbished items.


    She was not only acting as the Deputy Commander of the Divine Supervision Bureau but also participating in the management of Forest Group as a director and chief intelligence officer, her horizons gradually broadened, and she became thoroughly familiar with various weapons and equipment of the Earth Federation and also understood the market prices of various medicinal materials and materials at Tianji Star.


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): These Combat Mechas and ship parts likely were assembled and refurbished by some influential heavy industrial machinery group in the Ninth Base City. I asked Wang Yinyue, but she couldn¡¯t tell which company made them, it seems a bit like Yuwen Heavy Industry, but not exactly.


    When Lin Rui saw the words ¡®Star Chain Pirate Group,¡¯ his expression suddenly grew cold.


    The grudge he had formed with Star Chain Pirate Group had not yet been settled.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Transport these goods back to the naval base as soon as possible. After the war ends, Xiaoxi, you should particularly check which heavy industry group supplied these goods.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that as a Thunder Admiral, he had truly been negligent, to have such a heavy industry group colluding with pirates right under his nose, yet being completely oblivious.


    At this moment, Lin Xi sent another message: Also, brother, among those from the Eighth Realm captured earlier, there was one named Zhu Youheng. He expressed his willingness to serve you. He mentioned that he had signed a short-term employment contract with Qi Tianquan as a ¡®military advisor.¡¯ Now that he is captured, the contract is effectively terminated, and he can directly transfer to our side.


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): I checked Zhu Youheng¡¯s records in the security bureau¡¯s backend. I found this person quite interesting. He used to be the Vice Admiral of the Third Division of the Second Starship Group of the Federation. 40 years ago, because he offended the Commander of the Second Starship Group, Zang Shaochen, he was accused by the military court of being the mastermind behind a massacre of pirate prisoners of war and was forced to retire. Since then, Zhu Youheng has successively held the position of admiral for the escort fleets of three major companies and served as military advisor for two companies.


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): The interesting part is here. I found that Zhu Youheng also has a confidential file in the military intelligence bureau. I personally suspect that this person might have been an undercover agent dispatch...


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): Moreover, this person most likely did indeed massacre the pirate prisoners of war. I have checked this person¡¯s several pirate suppression operations, and he rarely leaves any prisoners alive.


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows and immediately checked the file information of Zhu Youheng on the internal network of the Security Bureau.


    However, apart from finding some of Zhu Youheng¡¯s personal records during his service and the personal file specially set up by the Security Bureau, he couldn¡¯t find anything else.


    Although the Federation Security Bureau shares the intelligence database with the Military Intelligence Bureau, there is still a lot of reservation between them. For instance, the intelligence about Thunder Admiral and Lin Hao is unreachable for the Military Intelligence Bureau.


    The reason why Lin Xi could find that secret file on Zhu Youheng must be through her hacking abilities.


    The issue is that Zhu Youheng is a master of the Eighth Realm of Super Emperor, his strength not inferior to Wang Tianwu! It¡¯s indeed too extravagant for the Military Intelligence Bureau to have such a powerful master from the Eighth Realm go undercover, no?


    But perhaps not quite, as Zhu Youheng retired from the military only at the mere Sixth Realm.


    Isn¡¯t he the same? This undercover role, after all, led him to become the Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song Dynasty.


    Lin Rui thought for a moment and then replied: Ask Fei Yun to bring him here, and by the way, ask if he is willing to sign a long-term contract, and a Level Nine Divine Contract.


    In reality, whether this person is willing or not, Lin Rui would recruit him regardless. Why not use ready-made combat power?


    However, the Divine Contract and long-term contract determine the extent to which Lin Rui would prioritize this person.


    Lin Rui then posted in the group chat: All units speed up! Within ten minutes, all prisoners and all seized materials must be sent back to the dock base.


    At this moment, all major pharmaceutical companies¡¯ private armies began to halt and some even retraced their steps, returning to their garrisons to hold their positions.


    Lin Rui was originally worried that these pharmaceutical companies would adopt a strategy of attacking the enemy to save allies, directly attacking his vulnerable dock base.


    Fortunately, this situation did not occur, possibly because his adversaries were deterred by him, not able to see through his reality and acting very cautiously in their tactics.


    Of course, this was also related to the strong intervention by the government.


    What Lin Rui needs to do now is to quickly and safely send back the numerous seized goods and prisoners to the base to preserve the fruits of victory.


    This won¡¯t be easy, given that more and more masters of the Eighth and Ninth Realm are gathering nearby.


    Most of them come from other forces, here to probe the reality, but a small portion obviously harbors hostile intentions.


    Currently, Linghu Mingde is battling Yang Lingxiao in outer space, and the private army of the Linghu Family is also confronting the forces of the Taiyi Group along the pipelines of area B421.


    For Lin Rui, the priority is first to send the captured prisoners back to base so he can free up forces to reinforce Linghu Mingde.


    However, in the next moment, Lin Rui slightly raised his eyebrows with a hint of surprise in his eyes.


    He received two new pieces of intelligence: one was that the Sky Blue Group, led by Fang Kongfang, had actually sent troops?


    ¡ªNo less than three Heavy Equipment Divisions and six Mechanical Infantry Divisions of private army surged into Ninth Base City from surrounding farms!


    Three of these divisions are owned by Sky Blue Group, while the other six were composed of farmers and cowboys employed by the Sky Blue Group from various large farms.


    Though the market capitalization of Sky Blue Group is small, currently just over 250 billion federal coins, maintaining three Heavy Equipment Divisions is hard; yet their potential for war is very significant.


    Those farmers and cowboys living on the periphery of the base city, in order to combat robbers and gang powers, nearly every household practices Biochemical Martial Arts and is equipped with heavy firearms and exoskeleton armor, with some even possessing substantial Biochemical Cultivation.


    In those outer regions of the base city, maintaining a foothold is impossible without sufficient martial force.


    If the Sky Blue Group organizes them a little and provides substantial firepower, they could reach the standards of a Mechanical Infantry Division.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue inwardly, thinking that the endorsement deal probably couldn¡¯t be avoided.


    He, as a person, is too virtuous; since Sky Blue Group hadn¡¯t wronged him, he wouldn¡¯t be ungrateful to see gains and forget rightfulness.


    The other piece of intelligence was related to Li Xianglong. This First Commander of the Security Bureau has already arrived at Ninth Base City on a ship.


    Lin Rui shook his head: ¡°Xianyu! Go to outer space and help that old man, this war should end.¡±


    Xianyu Yan looked somewhat worriedly at Lin Rui before turning around and obediently flying into a distant traffic pipeline, navigating inside her armored internal intelligence system.


    Lin Rui¡¯s personal security is a concern as he lacks pillar-level masters around him, especially with numerous high-level masters lurking in the vicinity, but Xianyu Yan believed that if Lin Rui gave such an order, he must have sufficient confidence to ensure his own safety.

 Chapter 603: 576: Shocking (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 603: Chapter 576: Shocking (Please Subscribe)


    At the same time, in the outer space of the ninth satellite, numerous points of light were flashing quickly in the vacuum of space.


    That was Linghu Mingde, Yang Lingxiao, and Qi Tianquan leading a group of Ninth Realm cultivators, along with six Bloodline Super Emperor Rank Eight Realm Martial Cultivators in combat.


    The two sides were in a fierce chase, fighting desperately.


    Six Ninth Realm powerhouses and thirteen Eighth Realm fighters from Huo Bangguo and the Federation Government were standing in the void on one side of the ninth satellite, watching the battle with cold eyes.


    They maintained a vigilant and defensive posture, ensuring that the battle would not affect the interior of the Ninth Base City.


    One of them commented in their temporary combat channel, ¡°Impressive, one man and one demon battling against two Congressional Honorary Members, five Ninth Realm Emperors, six Super Emperors of Eighth Realm, and still having a slight advantage. Betty Turner got a bit careless and was slain.¡±


    ¡°Betty Turner was indeed inferior in strength, only at Emperor Rank of the Eighth Realm. Yang Lingxiao brought him in to leverage Betty Turner¡¯s Bloodline Ability to restrict Linghu Mingde¡¯s movements, but his strength was too low. An Eighth Realm Emperor trying to restrain a Senior Divine Envoy is simply ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°The main factor is the environment; in the vacuum of space, Linghu Mingde has a significant advantage.¡±


    ¡°It was foolish of Yang Lingxiao and the others to chase out. Linghu Mingde was just hoping they would do that.¡±


    ¡°Not chasing him would be even more troublesome. Linghu Mingde and this Heavenly Realm demon could appear and disappear at will within the entire base, making everyone except Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan potential targets for Linghu Mingde¡¯s attacks.¡±


    Huo Bangguo, listening to the comments around him, thought to himself that indeed, the space vacuum and the interior of Ninth Base City were quite different. The elements like metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and thunder were all somewhat weakened, but Linghu Mingde¡¯s Light Element was instead somewhat enhanced.


    After all, in a vacuum, there isn¡¯t much to obstruct or affect light.


    Linghu Mingde is known as the Heavenly Fox due to his mastery of light, wind, and thunder ¨C three elements associated with ¡®heaven¡¯, but his main focus is still on the Light Element.


    In addition, that Heavenly Mirror demon was also unaffected, although Yang Lingxiao and others tried hard to cover all mirrors around, the surrounding space dust and debris could still reflect light.


    This Heavenly Mirror demon¡¯s combat power was only slightly stronger than that of Ninth Realm Emperors, but its abilities were indeed too strange and terrifying.


    ¡°They are very decisive, this is a preemptive strike! Right at the start, they eliminated both Supreme Sword Wang Qiming and Red Blood Sword Saul Didas, and Heaven-Concealing God Fist Dou Tian also died at Lin Rui¡¯s hands. Without these three who could control the Heavenly Mirror demon, the Pharmaceutical Alliance had no chance of winning.¡±


    ¡°Actually, ever since Linghu Mingde advanced to Ninth Realm, they stood no chance at all. This old man has mixed in these circles for so many years; his connections are not trivial. If he¡¯s willing to lose some face, willing to owe some favors, finding a few Congressman Level friends to help would be easy.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see those Quasi-Member gentlemen already wilt? They know they cannot afford to offend Linghu Mingde and are no longer daring to fully commit. While old Qi and Director Yang might still stand up to Linghu Mingde, they don¡¯t have the guts. Now, if they are just given a way out, they would definitely admit defeat and surrender.¡±


    ¡°Old Qi is also done for. That kid Lin Rui is ruthless. In just twenty minutes, he toppled his stronghold and even chopped off his arm.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there still the Longevity Association? As I know, several here are deeply connected with the Longevity Association.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention the Longevity Association to me. Now with Zang Shaochen and the Second Starship Group¡¯s incident, there¡¯s nearly internal strife within the Longevity Association. Moreover, Li Xianglong has already arrived at Ninth Base City; he¡¯s keeping an eye on all parties. Who inside the Longevity Association would dare make a move now?¡±


    ¡°Regardless, the achievements of this Heavenly Fox will surely shock the Earth Federation.¡±


    ¡°Pay attention, Qi Tianquan still wants to draw the battlefield this way.¡±


    Huo Bangguo was also on full alert, at the same time, he had to face Yang Lingxiao¡¯s barrage of messages.


    Yang Lingxiao: Huo Bangguo, are you just going to watch?


    Yang Lingxiao: Didn¡¯t you say that anyone who dares to make a move in the city would be your sworn enemy? So, who made the first move this time?


    Yang Lingxiao: Not to mention the things you said before, this time he broke into our Taiyi Company¡¯s headquarters, killed our company¡¯s deputy president Wang Qiming, along with over a hundred of our people. This surely breaks the law, right? Are you just going to let this go? Are you a coward? Were your words just hot air?


    Huo Bangguo¡¯s expression changed unpredictably, unwilling to argue with Yang Lingxiao.


    Didn¡¯t he know that Linghu Mingde had initiated the war because Yang Lingxiao had instigated the Star Chain Pirate Group to slaughter the crew of three of his merchant ships?


    Such methods were a bit excessive, amounting to a complete breach of relations. How could he expect people to stand still and be attacked?


    Moreover, what were the intentions of your Pharmaceutical Alliance, targeting Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals right before the elections, if not covertly aiding his political adversaries?


    And now you think of me, Huo Bangguo, wanting me to uphold ¡°justice¡±?


    I would be insane to help you and offend the future ¡®Senior Congressman¡¯ Linghu Mingde!


    And while Linghu Mingde was the first one to initiate the hostilities, he limited the battlefield to the Taiyi Company and did not harm ordinary people. It was you, Yang Lingxiao, who expanded the battlefield and blew up the eyeballs of a hundred thousand people.


    Thinking about that, Huo Bangguo felt a surge of anger. This time he must force Taiyi Company to take responsibility for these hundred thousand people¡¯s eyeball transplants, as well as compensate for medical expenses, loss of earnings, and various psychological damages.


    Moreover, the network of contacts cultivated by Linghu Mingde was indeed formidable.


    Despite having no allies at the moment, with one man and one demon being attacked by several congressmen and quasi-member level experts, along with a few exceptional fighters of the Eighth Realm, within just the last twenty minutes, several powerful figures had already called to remind him to be cautious.


    In addition, there¡¯s a critical point¡ªHuo Bangguo knew that joining the fight was futile!


    Linghu Mingde and the power of the Heavenly Mirror Demon matched too well; if this person wanted to escape with all his heart, unless more than fifteen Congressmen joined forces, or someone with abilities specifically restraining him was present, it would be nearly impossible to kill his physical body.


    ¡ªJust the physical body, not including the Primordial Spirit.


    Once a Martial Cultivator reaches the Ninth Realm, it becomes very difficult to kill them, let alone Linghu Mingde who is also a Senior Divine Envoy!


    However, the situation is similar for Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan, whose overall strength as Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators reaches the Super Emperor Rank, making them very hard to kill.


    Only Martial Cultivators with Bloodline Talent and Martial Arts scores above the Super Emperor of Nine Realms can maintain their self-will in the Heavenly Curtain.


    According to past Federation regulations, Armored Martial Cultivators at the Ninth Realm could gain Honorary Member status, so initially there were over 80 Congressional Honorary Members, which even increased to 150 at one point.


    Later, however, it gradually decreased to the current 47, even though the number of Ninth Realm individuals has now exceeded the scale of eight times that of 200 years ago, and yet the number of Congressional Honorary Members remains only at 47.


    This is because many Ninth Realm individuals could not hold their ground in Congress. Those powerful Nine Realms Super Emperor Martial Cultivators found them bothersome, using various means to expel them from Congress, or directly ¡®eliminate¡¯ them.


    It later became an unwritten rule that Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators whose overall strength did not reach Super Emperor would not accept the appointment as Congressional Honorary Members.


    Speaking of Congressmen, Huo Bangguo knew that the ¡®Pardon Order¡¯ from the President¡¯s side had already come down.


    According to Federation rules, as long as Linghu Mingde swears to abide by the Federation¡¯s ¡®Divine Illumination Covenant¡¯ and ¡®Seventh Amendment of the Federation Constitution¡¯, he can receive the status of ¡®Congressional Senior Honorary Member¡¯ and a Presidential ¡®Pardon Order¡¯, erasing all his past crimes.


    Huo Bangguo could only vent his frustrations on the police and Security Bureau departments.


    He pulled many senior officials into the group chat, cursing while watching the fight, harshly berating the police chief Dai Zhen Mountain and others.


    This time even Thunder Admiral couldn¡¯t escape, Huo Bangguo furiously questioned: Thunder, didn¡¯t you say Lin Rui promised not to start battles within the city area? So, what about this time? The C342 district is located in the underground pipeline area on the southern side of the Base City, also within the city limits.


    Instantly, a group of high-ranking police officers led by Dai Zhen Mountain felt schadenfreude.


    This time, although the Security Bureau responded very swiftly, blocking various roads early to prevent the situation from escalating.


    But that Lin Rui was personally vouched for by Thunder Admiral.


    Thunder: Mayor Huo, I have already questioned Lin Rui, he said that Qi Tianquan¡¯s pharmaceutical base is not on the city map and has not been registered by any government agency, so strictly speaking, there was no battle in C342 district.


    After reading Thunder¡¯s reply, Huo Bangguo furrowed his brows slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.


    That pharmaceutical base might not be on the city map, but does that matter? Does this guy really think he can fool me with such words?


    Thunder: Mayor Huo, Lin Rui has captured 7 Eighth Realm and 22 Seventh Realm individuals. If there are any people Mayor Huo wants to protect, you can take them from him, of course, the Divine Contracts that need signing must still be signed.


    Upon seeing this message, Dai Zhen Mountain¡¯s face turned pale.


    Isn¡¯t this outright bribery? Bribing Huo Bangguo with these Seventh and Eighth Realm Martial Cultivators!


    Huo Bangguo then fell into contemplation; the prisoners in Lin Rui¡¯s hands indeed posed a big problem.


    The Biochemical Martial Arts of the Earth Federation are far behind the foundation of the Five Continents of Tianji Star!


    Like the four major Holy Sects of Tianji Star, each can easily produce thousands of Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners.


    Thus, any Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioner in the Federation is very valuable!


    But the next moment, he saw the third message sent by Thunder.


    Thunder: Additionally, I have confirmed information that Lin Rui used an anesthetic to take down Qi Tianquan¡¯s illegal pharmaceutical base, I now deduce that this person might be the ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯!


    At this moment, not only did Huo Bangguo¡¯s pupils dilate and his face turn ashen, everyone in the group was utterly shocked.


    Zhou Yunfei, staying in his own office, was also slightly stunned.


    What is Thunder doing? Is he outing himself?


    Zhou Yunfei immediately calmed down again, right, since Lin Rui used an anesthetic in the battle, his identity as the Children¡¯s Song Killer couldn¡¯t stay hidden.


    So, can the Federation legally restrain Lin Rui? Probably not for now.


    This might even boost Lin Rui¡¯s popularity, aiding his campaign with the Bright Front.


    This guy, could he actually get elected as a Congressman?

 Chapter 604: 577: Stabilize Him (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 604: Chapter 577: Stabilize Him (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui is the Children¡¯s Song Killer?


    This contemporary hot Martial Arts Star, a self-made tycoon, is actually the Children¡¯s Song Killer?


    Huo Bangguo was initially bewildered, and then his eyes sharpened.


    Based on the characteristics of the Children¡¯s Song Killer inferred from past police and Security Bureau investigations, Lin Rui is almost certainly that killer!


    This is undoubtedly madness! A homicidal maniac! And one whose methods are extremely vicious and bloody!


    A person who just graduated from Alien Body College, with only Second and Third Realm cultivation levels, dares to commit those shocking crimes; if he¡¯s not mad, what is he?


    Huo Bangguo shudders just thinking of this individual holding more than 20,000 Alien Walkers, four divisions of the National Guard, 22 Admirals and Generals, and eight one-star and two-star Marshals.


    ¡ªHuo Bangguo knows that the Eight Realms hostages captured by Lin Rui number eight, not seven as Thunder reported, indicating that Lin Rui has taken a liking to one of them.


    This individual is not only ruthless in his actions but also wields power and wealth comparable to a Congressional Honorary Member.


    Just the emperor-level bloodline of the Eight Realms lineup alone is staggering.


    Does Linghu Mingde know about this?


    Most probably he does, otherwise, Linghu Mingde would not trust Lin Rui so much to let him alone attack Qi Tianquan¡¯s pharmaceutical base.


    Huo Bangguo further recalled desperately how he had accepted several billions in political donations from this individual, and several municipal public welfare organizations had also taken billions from Lin Rui, causing him a splitting headache, wanting to curse loudly.


    Huo Bangguo: Thunder, you need to keep him stable as much as possible!


    While commanding his subordinates to evacuate, Huo Bangguo, meeting with Admiral Thunder, thought to himself that his emotions are very stable.


    Huo Bangguo: You Security Bureau and the police have been investigating this guy for nearly a year, haven¡¯t you? I want to know if you have evidence in your hands that can prove his guilt and bring him to justice?


    But the group fell into a silence, no one spoke for a long time.


    Police Chief Dai Zhengshan indeed has no evidence to prove Lin Rui is the Children¡¯s Song Killer, as the main investigations are being handled by the Security Bureau.


    Huo Bangguo: Thunder!


    Lin Rui thought to himself that only if he were foolish would he catch himself.


    Still, he replied: I¡¯m sorry Mayor Huo, when I took over the Special Service Center and the Children¡¯s Song Killer task force, not only did some documents of the task force get lost, but many pieces of evidence in the evidence room were also missing. We haven¡¯t found these things, nor have we found the responsible persons.


    Admiral Thunder: Moreover, after I took over, the Children¡¯s Song Killer had rarely committed crimes, he had already grown his wings fully, and never left any substantial evidence.


    Huo Bangguo was stunned upon hearing this, then his gaze turned to a name in the group¡ªYou Ming!


    Having been through the ranks, he immediately knew what it meant.


    Anger flickered in Huo Bangguo¡¯s eyes, this bastard had gone way too far, did he ever consider him, the Mayor?


    So I, Huo Bangguo, am nothing to him, right?


    He heard this bastard was planning to resign and move to a higher position? Good, once he resigns and is no longer a public servant, he¡¯ll be easier to deal with.


    If worst comes to worst, we can directly use connections to hold him accountable and remove him from his position.


    At that moment, You Ming¡¯s brow furrowed deeply.


    When handing over the task force and the Special Service Center, he did instruct his trusted subordinates, the former acting director of the Special Service Center, to withhold most of the evidence and documents.


    The problem is that his capable assistant disappeared a month ago, neither seen alive nor found dead.


    At the same time, those items also vanished.


    Huo Bangguo: We still need to gather evidence as soon as possible, after this storm calms, we must hasten to bring the charges against Lin Rui to the table!


    Thunder: Understood! But Mayor Huo, given the current situation, I think the cleanup plan should be moved up.


    Huo Bangguo was invigorated after hearing Thunder¡¯s statement.


    This could somewhat alleviate his current awkward situation.


    Huo Bangguo now dared not look at the media news, nor the major websites and social media.


    He knew that once the incident at Taiyi headquarters broke out, there would definitely be a barrage of criticisms against him online, along with a host of political commentators calling him incompetent for repeated large-scale security incidents during his term, unable to control the situation.


    Huo Bangguo also wanted to curse, ¡°Damn these useless people, always causing trouble every few days.¡±


    Huo Bangguo: Very well, start as soon as possible, we need to make a big impact!


    ¡ª¡ªWe must create a big impact and amplify public sentiment to divert the public¡¯s attention and suppress this crisis.


    Huo Bangguo then instructed his campaign aide.


    Huo Bangguo: The Security Bureau suspects Lin Rui is the Children¡¯s Song Killer, and I think this is very likely. Reveal this matter to the media as soon as possible, and hype it up as much as you can, the bigger the sensation, the better.


    The campaign aide was also surprised and replied: Mayor, Lin Rui is also running for Congressman, and his polling numbers are very high. If we promote this extensively, it is very likely that Lin Rui will be elected, and this could further boost the Bright Front¡¯s campaign.


    Huo Bangguo paused, thinking that Lin Rui is clearly a madman, a ruthless and unscrupulous killer, could the public really like such a person?


    The campaign aide continued: Boss, the Children¡¯s Song Killer has a good reputation among the people. His targets have always been gang members and drug dealers, and he never harms ordinary citizens. Some might see him as a criminal, but I think those women who like him won¡¯t care, nor would the grassroots people of the Ninth Base City. They only see Lin Rui as performing acts of chivalry, eliminating drug dealers and those blood-sucking loan sharks.


    Huo Bangguo thought, as long as I get reelected as mayor, what do I care if chaos reigns?


    According to the current laws of the Federation, the mayors of base cities can serve consecutive terms for 20 years.


    These 20 years could bring massive benefits to his numerous companies.


    But there¡¯s a good chance Lin Rui will be elected as a Congressman? Is his reputation so high among the grassroots?


    Huo Bangguo: Continue! Conduct a survey on Lin Rui¡¯s support rate, and if he really has a good reputation, we could invite him to attend my campaign event as a special guest.


    He originally wanted to take out several billion from his own funds to return the political donations he had received, to avoid being criticized by political rivals for accepting political contributions from a killer, branding it as dirty money politics. But now, he thinks it¡¯s not urgent. Let¡¯s see how things go first.


    Just then, Huo Bangguo¡¯s expression subtly changed as he looked towards his left.


    That direction leads to the eastern cargo terminal of the Ninth Base City Urban Star Port, where two red lights were suddenly shooting out towards the battlefield.


    That was the figures of a dragon and a person.


    Behind him, a group of high-level armored martial cultivators affiliated with the government also glanced in that direction.


    ¡°This person must be that 8SSS under Lin Rui¡¯s command, a Quasi-Member Level expert, tsk! That woman has a lot of magic artifacts, she looks very powerful.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, a figure like her could completely stand on her own, becoming a powerful territorial lord, why would she serve under Lin Rui?¡±


    ¡°Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan are doomed. They were already at a disadvantage, being suppressed by Linghu Mingde. Now with Linghu Mingde receiving more reinforcements, their situation grows even more dire.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily, let¡¯s see how this woman¡¯s escape skills are. If Yang Lingxiao¡¯s group couldn¡¯t lock down Linghu Mingde, can they really lock her down? This woman could actually become Linghu Mingde¡¯s vulnerable point.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, ¡®Heaven-Covering Divine Fist¡¯ Dou Tian died by her hands.¡±


    ¡°Dou Tian? It¡¯s still unclear what happened there. At that time, there was too little information, nobody saw it, nor was there any video evidence. Dou Tian¡¯s body was in Lin Rui¡¯s hands, but one thing is certain, this woman is indeed very strong. If Qi Tianquan can¡¯t suppress her, this time the Pharmaceutical Alliance is in for it!¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s going to be bad. The Sky Blue Group has already deployed three Heavy Equipment Divisions, six Mechanical Infantry Divisions, attacking Rola Pharmaceuticals, and now they are being blocked by the Armed Police Force on the road, negotiations and pressures are ongoing there.¡±


    ¡°The Speaker of the Congress and several high-ranking officials are calling for mediation. But with the current situation of the Pharmaceutical Alliance, if they don¡¯t shed some flesh from their own, how could it possibly stop?¡±


    Huo Bangguo also showed keen interest and paid close attention.


    He knew the war between the Pharmaceutical Alliance and Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals was nearing its conclusion with the arrival of this woman.


    The outcome of this war will depend on this woman¡¯s performance in the battle.

 Chapter 605: 578: Collapse (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 605: Chapter 578: Collapse (Please Subscribe)


    Xianyu Yan had barely left the Star Port when Qi Tianquan noticed, and his eyes instantly turned a deep red.


    Although he was in outer space, locked in fierce combat with Linghu Mingde, he constantly monitored the situation inside the base.


    Qi Tianquan knew this woman; she had not only killed his right-hand man ¡®Heaven-Shielding Divine Fist¡¯ Dou Tian, but was also the main force that toppled his two 9SS+ ¡®Lord¡¯ type combat robots.


    He had already commanded his combat robots to retreat, but it was this woman who first caught up with him, destroying his robots mid-flight.


    This made Qi Tianquan¡¯s pain even more heart-wrenching; each 9SS+ ¡®Lord¡¯ robot cost a hundred billion, and ordinary people couldn¡¯t even buy them if they wanted to.


    Qi Tianquan also knew that today¡¯s battle would most likely end in the way this woman dictated.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    Qi Tianquan immediately transformed into a ray of white rainbow light, hurtling towards Xianyu Yan.


    This also caused many members of the Pharmaceutical Alliance on the scene to glance sideways in the direction of Qi Tianquan.


    They all realized that the fate of the many companies on their side depended on the outcome of the battle between Qi Tianquan and the woman in the red armor.


    The Pharmaceutical Alliance couldn¡¯t possibly win this battle; the government wouldn¡¯t allow them to continue fighting.


    They each had their sources of information and knew that the President was enraged and that Congress was in upheaval. The Security Bureau and the military were mobilizing forces, ready to intervene at any moment.


    This was good news for them, but the government wouldn¡¯t take their side completely, forcing Linghu Mingde to back down entirely.


    The President and Congress would go to great lengths to win over this Senior Divine Envoy, strengthening their ruling foundation. How could they possibly push Linghu Mingde away?


    The Longevity Association and Divine Illumination Association, who were the least eager to see this scene, were also powerless to exert any influence at this moment.


    So, before the negotiations, they had to secure some chips to bargain for dignity and minimize their losses.


    However, the first exchange between Qi Tianquan and the red-armored woman chilled everyone¡¯s hearts.


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s main cultivation was in the Gold Element; his concept was strength, sharpness, and the art of destruction!


    This not only gave him immense strength, but also made his Sword Dao incredibly sharp.


    However, when the two engaged, the red-armored woman seemed utterly unaffected by his force.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    This was an explosion that only Qi Tianquan and Xianyu Yan could hear, as Xianyu Yan¡¯s body turned into streaks of light particles, scattering into the vacuum of space. She not only used it to fly away but also to deflect Qi Tianquan¡¯s force in the process.


    By the time Xianyu Yan reappeared, she had already left Qi Tianquan far behind.


    The confrontation between their Battle Dragons yielded the same result.


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s Battle Dragon had also awakened Spiritual Wisdom, but its punch only turned Xianyu Yan¡¯s ¡®Divine Wind Emperor Dragon¡¯ into streaks of light particles.


    Huo Bangguo, who was watching the battle, instantly narrowed his eyes.


    He thought to himself, where on earth did Lin Rui find such a divine being?


    The ad hoc combat group they had formed was also buzzing with noisy discussions.


    ¡°Damn! This woman¡¯s Martial Arts can actually utilize and manipulate kinetic energy. In this space, she¡¯s simply Qi Tianquan¡¯s bane.¡±


    ¡°That was a Wind Escape! However, it¡¯s from the solar wind; this lady¡¯s mastery of various Wind Concepts is very high, definitely over 50%.¡±


    ¡°This is definitely 8SSS level Martial Arts. If she can master a powerful Secret Skill, she would be 8SSS+.¡±


    ¡°¡®Light Hand¡¯ Ian Brad is done for! Probably going down.¡±


    ¡®Light Hand¡¯ Ian Brad was one of the Super Emperors of the Eight Realms participating in the battle, possessing extremely powerful Light Element abilities. Not only was his Escape Skill powerful, but he could also interfere with Linghu Mingde and the Mirror Demon to some extent.


    After Xianyu Yan shook off Qi Tianquan, she went straight for Ian Brad.


    Ian Brad also realized the bad situation, desperately transforming into light to escape, trying to hide behind his companions.


    However, at this time, Linghu Mingde and the Mirror Demon launched a simultaneous attack, disrupting Ian Brad¡¯s Escape Skill.


    One used methods of refraction and reflection, while the other tapped into the origin of light.


    Despite his full effort to Flash Escape, Ian Brad was still caught up by Xianyu Yan.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With an explosion, Ian Brad was sent flying through space like streaks of light, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.


    In the vacuum of space, where various natural forces are absent and ether elements are scarce...


    Sky Extreme Star is constantly scattering a large amount of ether elements into the surrounding star domains. The problem is that ether elements can hardly persist in a vacuum, only environments with enough gases can absorb ether elements.


    As everyone knows, without sufficient ether elements, a Martial Cultivator¡¯s True Yuan blood cannot unleash its full power.


    Therefore, high-level Martial Cultivators rely more on their own strength, the ether elements produced within their bodies, and the power provided by exoskeleton armor.


    Ian Blade thought that the woman in red armor was the same as him, but her strength was surprisingly great, blasting directly into the core of the exoskeleton armor and shattering his internal organs.


    Ian Blade¡¯s eyes showed despair and disbelief; the woman clearly hadn¡¯t reached the Divine Illumination realm, her Golden Core hadn¡¯t evolved into an inner world yet, but she seemed to possess a complete inner world within her body.


    Then, Ian Blade¡¯s expression shifted slightly as he turned his gaze towards the wheel behind the woman in red armor.


    ¡ª¡ªIt must be because of this Magic Artifact, which is definitely a 9SSS grade artifact with Divine Skills comparable to an ¡®inner world¡¯.


    Xianyu Yan didn¡¯t kill Ian Blade in one strike because of the interference from two Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Martial Cultivators nearby.


    There was also Qi Tianquan, who was rapidly chasing close behind.


    So, she struck and left without a second glance.


    However, Ian Blade¡¯s death was already sealed in the moment they crossed hands.


    As Xianyu Yan fled, she threw a dagger, which flew away along with Ian Blade¡¯s body.


    As the mirror surface of the dagger flashed with luster, Linghu Mingde¡¯s ¡®Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon¡¯ suddenly emerged from the Mirror World.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The ¡®Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon¡¯s¡¯ skeletal sword slashed, and directly exploded Ian Blade¡¯s body into bloody mush!


    By then, Xianyu Yan had already turned into a streak of light, fleeing towards another side of the battlefield.


    Huo Bangguo couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill on his scalp after watching, and the high-level Martial Cultivators from the Federation Government around him were also amazed.


    There was a hubbub within their temporary battle group.


    ¡°Holy shit! She¡¯s heading for Xie Lin Country, this woman really has TM picky taste!¡±


    ¡°Xie Lin Country cultivates a dual system of Light and Fire, but among these Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, his Martial Arts standard and Bloodline Ability are the weakest¡ªhis Martial Dao is only at Super King of Ninth Realm, and his Bloodline Ability barely reaches Emperor Rank! This person has risen late, only 150 years old, lacking both Martial Dao talent and accumulation.¡±


    ¡°Where is the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President? Why hasn¡¯t he come over yet? And Congress, didn¡¯t they say they wanted to intervene, to mediate? Why hasn¡¯t the Congressional envoy arrived?¡±


    ¡°Where is Li Xianglong? Where¡¯s Li Xianglong?¡±


    ¡°Today three three-star and one four-star Marshal have already died, along with several two-star Marshals beyond Emperor Rank Bloodline. Are you still going to let them continue fighting?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes began to shift in Huo Bangguo¡¯s direction.


    Huo Bangguo was internally cursing, how much influence do I, Huo, really have in mediating this war?


    It was already giving him a lot of face that Linghu Mingde shifted the battlefield to outer space.


    Moreover, Huo Bangguo did not want to save them at all.


    The Pharmaceutical Alliance made a move against Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals just before the election was about to begin, wasn¡¯t their intention wicked?


    Huo Bangguo thought, I have only been in this mayor¡¯s position for less than 20 years, and these people are already trying to overthrow me.


    In Qi Tianquan¡¯s eyes, a strange light flickered as he subtly slowed his escaping speed and even pretended to be hindered by Linghu Mingde¡¯s ¡®Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon¡¯ for a moment.


    The defeat was already sealed for today; he had to stop the losses in time!


    But in this war, his losses were the most severe.


    Not only was his most trusted assistant killed, but his four Heavy Equipment Divisions and the Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioner teams under his command were almost wiped out.


    If he wanted to recoup losses and stabilize the Tianquan Group¡¯s power, he could only look elsewhere for compensation.


    Qi Tianquan could not expect compensation from Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals; he would even have to cede territory and pay indemnities, signing a Divine Contract, in order for Linghu Mingde to agree to end the war.


    For instance, the Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioner team left behind by the slain chairman of Holy Medical Group ¡®Red Blood Sword¡¯ Sal Didas could be absorbed by Tianquan Pharmaceuticals.


    However, with only about 90 Dragon Transformation practitioners from Holy Medical Group, it was far from enough to help Tianquan Group recover.


    Plus, the Xie family¡¯s Medical Pharmaceutical Group led by Xie Lin Country would almost suffice.


    Moreover, Qi Tianquan had great resentment towards these allies.


    Just over 20 minutes ago, when his pharmaceutical base was attacked by Lin Rui, these allies were dragging their feet, delaying for over ten minutes before sending troops. But by that time, it was already too late.


    If these people could truly cooperate, the Tianquan Group might have been able to preserve some of its Primordial Qi; even ¡®Heaven-covering Divine Fist¡¯ Dou Tian might not have died, and Lin Rui¡¯s two Heavy Equipment Groups might not have been able to retreat intact.

 Chapter 606 - 579: Undercover (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 606: Chapter 579: Undercover (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    The exchange between Xianyu Yan and Xie Lingguo lasted merely three strikes!


    Blood spilled from Xie Lingguo¡¯s mouth and nose, while his insides felt like a burning furnace, boiling all his blood and bodily fluids.


    This was because all of Xie Lingguo¡¯s flame-based powers had been reflected back at him by Xianyu Yan and the Demon Mirror.


    At this moment, the Demon Mirror was adhered onto Xianyu Yan¡¯s exoskeleton armor.


    One controlled kinetic energy, reflecting Xie Lingguo¡¯s strength while the other operated the mirror surface, reflecting all light.


    Right now, Linghu Mingde also emerged from the mirror behind Xianyu Yan¡¯s exoskeleton armor.


    As soon as he acted, it was a Secret Sword technique that had been charged for at least 7 seconds!


    ¡°No~¡±


    Desperation and terror filled Xie Lingguo¡¯s eyes.


    Xie Lingguo didn¡¯t want to die. Merely a sliver of a True Spirit with Ninth Realm Emperor Rank strength, he couldn¡¯t maintain his will untainted inside the Heavenly Curtain.


    What terrified him was that at this moment, only Yang Lingxiao had arrived to assist, along with another Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Martial Cultivator!


    For some reason, Qi Tianquan was a step behind.


    ¡°You bastard! My CNM Qi Tianquan~¡±


    Xie Lingguo¡¯s eyes were blood-red, a man extremely shrewd and efficient, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have been able to grow Xie¡¯s Medical and Healthcare Group to a market value of over a trillion federal coins within a mere 120 years as the 13th generation Alien Walker.


    Xie Lingguo had no proof, but he could see through the hearts of men.


    Instinctively, he realized that Qi Tianquan wanted him dead, wanted to watch him die!


    Thinking of swallowing the fortune I¡¯ve built with my hands? Dream on!


    Xie Lingguo sent a message directly to his wife and children; what followed was a flash of white light before him.


    ¡°Ssst!¡±


    Xie Lingguo¡¯s entire body and Primordial Spirit were split in two by Linghu Mingde¡¯s sword.


    At that moment, the punches from Yang Lingxiao and the blade light from another Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Martial Cultivator were both intercepted by the combined forces of Xianyu Yan and the Demon Mirror¡¯s Battle Dragon.


    ¡°Thud!¡±


    A huge hole was blasted into the chest and abdomen of Xianyu Yan¡¯s Battle Dragon by a punch from Yang Lingxiao.


    A specialist in Conceptual Power, wielding Thunder, Destruction, and Annihilation, his Martial Arts style was closely related to these concepts.


    Even Xianyu Yan¡¯s Wind Martial Arts, which had ascended to a level where she could manipulate kinetic energy and harness solar wind, could not resolve it, and she was severely injured in one strike.


    And that was still under the circumstances where ¡®Demon Mirror¡¯ Qiu Jingshu helped reflect sixty percent of the power.


    However, by this time there was no need for Xianyu Yan¡¯s Battle Dragon to do anything.


    All it needed to do was to flee at full speed without being caught or killed by these people.


    Simply because at this moment, Linghu Mingde and the Demon Mirror did not need to use Escape Skills to contend with Yang Lingxiao and the others.


    After killing Xie Lingguo, he unleashed wave-like sword shadows that flowed like light, almost completely engulfing the surrounding Yang Lingxiao, Qi Tianquan, and others like a raging tide.


    In the make-shift combat group that Huo Bangguo resided in, the mood was one of gloom and doom.


    ¡°Another has fallen, the third three-star Marshal! The media will probably explode.¡±


    ¡°That old man is really ruthless, sparing no mercy at all, at least that should leave a life.¡±


    ¡°They are all our human heroes, how did it come to this?¡±


    ¡°Haha, according to the media, nearly half of our Earth Federation¡¯s Alien Walkers actually die in internal conflicts rather than on Tianji Star.¡±


    ¡°They got what they deserved, jealous of others making money, scheming to take over someone else¡¯s property, and ended up kicking an iron board!¡±


    ¡°Who could have thought? Linghu Mingde was nearly dead, but now suddenly advanced to Emperor Rank Bloodline ascension!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, the vice Chief of Staff from the President¡¯s side, Ma Shendan, and the Special Envoy from Congress is the Deputy Speaker, Hake Wood. Security Bureau Chief Li Xianglong and Earth Federation Finance Minister Barry Orode are also here¡ªthe situation can only truly be handled by these two Senior Senators from Congress.¡±


    Barry Orode had the fastest tunneling speed, turning into a flash of white light and flying to the center of both parties: ¡°Gentlemen, please stop! Marshal Linghu, I also ask you to show mercy and cease fire temporarily.


    We are entrusted by the President and Congress to bestow upon you the position of Honorary Member of Congress and represent the government to mediate between you. All of you are heroes of our Federation, we can have a peaceful discussion, there is no need to resort to force.¡±


    At this moment, Huo Bangguo glanced towards Li Xianglong in the distance and noticed that he was also looking in his direction.


    When their gazes met, a trace of cold sneer emerged in their eyes.


    This Barry Orod has issues. Among so many big shots in Congress, only Barry Orod eagerly jumped out to mediate for Yang Lingxiao and the others.


    Huo Bangguo thought that even if this person wasn¡¯t a member of the Longevity Association, he must have a deep connection with them.


    Linghu Mingde did not immediately cease his attack until the Deputy Chief of Staff from the President¡¯s office, Ma Shendan also spoke: ¡°Marshal Linghu, the President asked me to convey to you, hoping you can bear with them for the sake of the common fate of the Federation¡¯s humanity, and let these people go.


    Of course, the President has no intention to coerce you. His meaning is to invite both sides to have a thorough discussion, to see how Director Yang and Director Qi can compensate you, and what Marshal Linghu needs, and to keep the negotiation going until Marshal Linghu is satisfied. Rest assured, the government will cooperate with the transfer of properties.¡±


    Only then did Linghu Mingde withdraw his sword light.


    Although he was stronger overall than Qi Tianquan and Yang Lingxiao, the essence of his power did not truly transcend them, which meant he could not completely kill the two this time.


    Since he couldn¡¯t kill them, he could only talk, after all, he had to give face to the President and Congress.


    This was also because he had just been promoted to the Ninth Realm and was still a three-star Marshal in terms of cultivation, with his Armament not yet fully replaced.


    Once he is promoted to Four-star Marshal, and Shu¡¯er has also raised her cultivation, then when similar issues arise again,


    Even the face of the Federation President will not suffice.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui was eyeing Zhu Youheng with suspicion.


    Zhu Youheng appeared to be in his twenties, with a fair complexion, elegant features, rosy lips, and white teeth, looking more like a delicate scholar than a soldier.


    But in reality, he was over 80 years old, the 15th-generation Alien Walker.


    Reaching Eighth Realm Cultivation at his age, and being of Super Emperor bloodline, he was exceptionally outstanding, almost at the level of a Hall of Fame genius.


    That¡¯s why, after being discharged from the military, Zhu Youheng was treated as an esteemed guest by various major corporations, all eagerly vying to recruit him.


    Now this person was willing to sign a 200-year-long contract with him, including a Divine Contract.


    However, resorting to his ¡®patriotic sentiment¡¯ as a reason, Zhu Youheng proposed adding a few lines to their Divine Contract and agreement, requesting Lin Rui not make him violate his personal professional ethics.


    Lin Rui sneered inwardly; the guy in front of him was playing mind games with him.


    Not to go against Zhu Youheng¡¯s personal professional ethics? One of Zhu Youheng¡¯s current roles could very likely be as a spy for the military.


    If he really signed the contract according to this guy¡¯s terms, the Divine Contract and the agreement would be almost invalid.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, your request really puts me in a tough spot! Well, it¡¯s not that it can¡¯t be changed, but your proposal won¡¯t do, how about replacing it with something else?¡±


    He smiled and wrote a few lines on the contract.


    Zhu Youheng¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly, thinking how odd these conditions were, but he found them acceptable.


    Currently, he indeed was listed in the military intelligence bureau, holding a spy identity, reporting directly to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.


    However, Zhu Youheng had not done anything for the military or the Chairman for over 30 years since his ¡®retirement¡¯.


    It was not long before the Chairman put this chess piece in play, having him secretly investigate the relationship between Qi Tianquan and the Star Chain Pirate Group, as well as the source of the pirate group¡¯s munitions.


    The task was half completed when Qi Tianquan¡¯s stronghold was obliterated by Lin Rui.


    But now he had a more important target.


    This Lin Rui in front of him was clearly the ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯!


    The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff suspected that this person¡¯s rapid rise might have been with the help of the power of a Sky Extreme Star faction.


    And the man himself harbored a great secret; why would those Dragon Transformation Level veterans suffering from Armament Syndrome and mental instability be willing to serve him? How could they return to normal?


    And Linghu Mingde, how did he overcome his stubborn illness and advance to the Ninth Realm?


    The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff hoped that Zhu Youheng could help the military investigate and understand.


    Zhu Youheng certainly did not want to spend his life under Lin Rui¡¯s command, nor did he want to sign this long-term contract for real. He just wanted to win Lin Rui¡¯s trust, find evidence of his crimes, and uncover all his secrets.


    With the added conditions written by Lin Rui, in the future, he would be able to disengage from Lin Rui¡¯s leadership without being bound by the contract.


    Just as Zhu Youheng was silently smiling about signing the contract, Lin Rui received a message from Linghu Mingde.


    Linghu Mingde: The government has intervened for mediation, asking us to make our demands, Xiao Rui, what do you want?


    The corners of Lin Rui¡¯s mouth lifted slightly; he wanted many things.


    Primarily, some of the formulas and patents held by these pharmaceutical companies could bring huge profits to Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals in the future.

 Chapter 607 - 580: Sudden Change (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 607: Chapter 580: Sudden Change (Please Subscribe)


    At the same time, at the Linghu Family¡¯s estate villa, Fang Ranran was hiding in her room, watching the news broadcast on the projection TV.


    She was self-aware, knowing that her minimal cultivation was sufficient for mixing in the University Martial Arts League but would be a burden on the battlefield, a vulnerability and weak point for Lin Rui and her father-in-law.


    So, as the war broke out, she obediently ran back to her family estate to hide and wait for the war to end.


    However, the newly purchased 9SS+ model Dragon Slayer and her two 8SSS model Red Spider Combat Robots were dispatched by her.


    Although her uncle Linghu Tianchou was leading the Linghu Family¡¯s private army, confronting the Taiyi Group¡¯s forces along the B421 zone pipeline, the situation there was also strenuous.


    Nevertheless, Fang Ranran stationed the 9SS+ model Dragon Slayer at the dock base.


    After all, her grandfather had said that the Biological Prosthetics Research Institute must be kept safe at all costs.


    Fang Ranran was always uneasy inside, she knew that Linghu Mingde and Lin Rui, with intentional planning against the unprepared, had a great chance of winning. However, as the end of the great war was still not in sight, who could be absolutely sure of their certain victory?


    Including the internal elements of the Federation Government, there were still many variables.


    It was only when she saw the news channel of ¡®New City TV Station¡¯ broadcasting the news.


    ¡°Latest news, due to the government¡¯s strong intervention, the corporate war occurring within our city has come to a conclusion, and currently Taiyi Biological Group, leading the Pharmaceutical Alliance including Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and the Linghu Family, has entered the negotiation stage.¡±


    ¡°Mayor Huo Bangguo has lifted the war alert and city-wide martial law order. However, the city government issued a warning stating that due to unclear negotiation situations, citizens of Ninth Base City should avoid going out before the negotiations are over. Additionally, the city government has also urged all major government and business organizations to temporarily cease operations until the situation stabilizes.¡±


    ¡°¡ªIt is reported that in this war, the Pharmaceutical Alliance suffered heavy casualties, a total defeat. Our station has obtained the list of the dead from the Pharmaceutical Alliance, including reserve Four-star Marshal Sar Dithers, reserve Three-star Marshals Xie Lingguo, Dou Tian, and Wang Qiming¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is reported that a secret pharmaceutical base owned by Congressional Honorary Member Qi Tianquan was breached by Lin Rui, the chairman of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, and 4 Heavy Equipment Divisions and over 520 Dragon Transformation Masters were completely annihilated, but currently, no footage has been released, and the details of this battle remain unknown¡ª¡±


    ¡°Regarding the unfortunate incident near the headquarters of Taiyi Biological Group, Mayor Huo Bangguo accompanied by the President and a Congress special envoy, ordered Yang Lingxiao, chairman of Taiyi Biological Group, to compensate all those who went blind for medical costs, lost wages, and mental damage.¡±


    Fang Ranran¡¯s lips slightly raised, she then switched the channel to a political talk show.


    This was the most popular program in Ninth Base City, known for keeping up with current events and maintaining an impartial stance.


    At this moment, several guest commentators on the political talk show were in heated discussion.


    ¡°This is without a doubt a disastrous defeat! Honestly, I never anticipated the corporate war to end this way, especially considering that biopharmaceuticals and armaments have always been the pillar industries of our Ninth Base City, making our pharmaceutical companies particularly powerful!¡±


    ¡°I was equally surprised, even knowing twenty minutes ago that Marshal Linghu had been promoted to the Ninth Realm and had obtained the Divine Envoy Level power, I still thought the war would end in a draw at most. Linghu Mingde and Lin Rui could preserve Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, but they would inevitably suffer immense losses in the war, having to pay a hefty amount of shares and money to quell the war, because on paper, the Pharmaceutical Alliance seemed unrivaled; they had 27 Heavy Equipment Divisions.¡±


    ¡°I simply can¡¯t understand how Lin Rui managed to take down Qi Tianquan¡¯s pharmaceutical base near the C342 region with just two enhancement groups; I¡¯ve visited that place, and it¡¯s virtually like a military fortress. Not to mention that its defenses were further strengthened before the battle. Alas, no related video footage has been released yet, we do not know the specifics¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYes, after this war, the dynamics of Ninth Base City will undoubtedly undergo significant changes. Linghu Mingde becoming a Congressional Honorary Member will surely hold an important position in the Congress and the government! The Sky Fox Group will undoubtedly rise comprehensively, and Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals will truly establish itself.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, the Holy Medical Group and Xie¡¯s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Group are finished, they will surely be divided up by the major companies ¨C I just saw that the stock prices of these two companies have been halted.¡±


    ¡°We now don¡¯t know the outcome of the negotiations between the two sides. I predict that the Pharmaceutical Alliance will pay a massive price; they lost too disastrously. If not for government intervention, Linghu Mingde, Lin Rui, and the Sky Blue Group could have completely flattened them.¡±


    ¡°From what I know, the Sky Blue Group already had three Heavy Equipment Divisions and six Mechanical Infantry Divisions ready to join the war. As long as the Sky Blue Group has enough weapons and funds, they could also mobilize five more Mechanical Infantry Divisions from the surrounding farms; the war potential is too great. With Fang Xianzheng¡¯s connections, inviting two or three Ninth Realm experts to assist is not difficult.¡±


    ¡°Ninth Base City is about to witness the rise of a new magnate. Mr. Lin Rui¡¯s Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals can absolutely support a market value of three trillion federal coins. His Forest Group also has a promising future. It¡¯s not apparent until you research, but once examined, it¡¯s surprising. The Forest Group has remarkable strength, already possessing nearly 5000 Alien Walkers, over 20 merchant ships and escort ships, and even owning 6 destroyers.¡±


    ¡°It must be noted that Mr. Lin Rui is also the Executive Vice Chairman of the Bright Front, and the Bright Front¡¯s recent election campaign is hot. Currently, the general prediction is that the Bright Front might elect 5 to 8 Congressmen, and Mr. Lin Rui himself is participating in the Congressional election. Although he hasn¡¯t promoted much, his polls are quite high, suggesting a strong possibility of being elected, indicating that Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals will become a power that spans both political and commercial sectors.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lin Rui is only 19 years old, yet he has already built such a large enterprise and amassed such great influence. It is said that he will soon participate in the University Martial Arts League Championship.¡±


    ¡°Just now, the Chairman of the Ninth City Securities Exchange, Bernie Fairburn, wasn¡¯t he calling for Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals to initiate their IPO soon? I also hope that Mr. Lin Rui can hear Chairman Fairburn¡¯s call.¡±


    Fang Ranran was engrossed in reading this when she saw several guests on the political talk show suddenly change their expressions.


    Their focus shifted, clearly checking the news projected on their retinas from their personal terminals.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s thoughts stirred, and she switched the TV to the news channel.


    ¡°Breaking news, a senior government official stated not long ago that the Security Bureau now believes Lin Rui is the serial killer ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯, notorious since last July for his brutal crimes. However, currently, the Security Bureau has not obtained substantial evidence to indict Lin Rui¡ª¡±


    Hearing this, Fang Ranran couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips.


    She knew this was certainly Huo Bangguo¡¯s doing; this so-called senior government official must be someone close to Huo Bangguo.


    The wording of the news was also problematic. Why use the word ¡®brutal¡¯?


    Lin Rui only killed drug traffickers from the gangs, he never harmed ordinary people, how could he be associated with brutality?


    After this election, there has to be an audit of this TV station¡¯s illegal actions.


    They think they can do whatever they want just because they are backed by a large media group.


    At this moment, she received a call from Vice Chairman Wang Song of the Bright Front, a former Congressman.


    ¡°Chairman! Congratulations on your and Mr. Lin¡¯s spectacular victory, and congratulations to Marshal Linghu on advancing to the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank.¡±


    Fang Ranran detected a tone of newfound caution and respect in Vice Chairman Wang¡¯s voice, which wasn¡¯t there before.


    Previously, Wang Song, relying on his deep political experience and connections, along with many of Bright Front¡¯s key figures being personally recruited by him, always boasted in front of Fang Ranran, spoke arrogantly, and even showed tendencies to establish his own faction within the Bright Front.


    Fang Ranran, recognizing that he understood the overall situation and cooperated in elections and official duties, had been tolerating him.


    However, immediately after this corporate war ended today, Wang Song changed his attitude and straightened out his position.


    This call was to discuss election strategies with Fang Ranran.


    They had a complete plan before, but with the current massive changes within the internal situation of the Ninth Base City, the election strategies also needed corresponding adjustments.


    Lastly, Wang Song also mentioned Lin Rui¡¯s situation: ¡°Chairman, you¡¯ve seen the news about Mr. Lin, right? Currently, over a dozen media outlets have called to inquire about Mr. Lin¡¯s situation. Given that Mr. Lin is an important member of our Bright Front, the Bright Front must respond to the public about this matter.¡±


    Fang Ranran smiled wryly, Wang Song is an old slick political player, does he not know what to do?


    ¡°Vice Chairman Wang, whether Mr. Lin is the Children¡¯s Song Killer is his personal affair, but we in the Bright Front believe that combating gangs and drug trafficking is a natural duty of the Federation Government, relating to the welfare and safety of all citizens of the Ninth Base City. Mr. Lin¡¯s willingness to invest heavily in supporting our Bright Front is because our party¡¯s platform aligns with his beliefs, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Wang Song instantly understood, speaking with admiration: ¡°Understood, Chairman, we will respond based on your approach.¡±


    At this point, Fang Ranran also stood up, she had to switch to work mode.


    Linghu Mingde and Lin Rui had sent her messages to join them in this round of corporate negotiations.


    Not to negotiate in person, but to provide them with information and logistical support.

 Chapter 608 - 581: Treaty (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 608: Chapter 581: Treaty (Please Subscribe)


    Meanwhile, somewhere underground in the Ninth Base City, Alexander Carlton, the Minister of Public Affairs of the Ninth Base City, was also watching the television news.


    This high-ranking city official had another identity¡ªhe was the father of the female doctor Lu Qing!


    In Tianji Star¡¯s Central Continent, they were father and daughter; however, using the alien forms on Earth Federation, they had no connection whatsoever.


    Ever since Lu Qing¡¯s identity was exposed and she was killed by the Lin siblings, Alexander Carlton had been paying close attention to Lin Rui and his several companies, while also keeping a vigilant eye on the police and the Security Bureau.


    Carlton even doubted for a time whether his own identity had been leaked through Lu Qing¡¯s lips.


    His daughter was indeed a person of strong will and unyielding character. Carlton believed that even if she faced the most cruel tortures, she would never betray her father or her comrades.


    However, as a Demon Suppression Envoy in the Imperial City Department of Central Continent, equivalent to what is called a special agent by the Earth Federation, he could not afford any lapse in vigilance and had to preemptively guard against all risks.


    So, for a while after his daughter¡¯s incident, he became suspicious and paranoid, feeling that he might be under surveillance.


    But in the past few months, there had been no signs of the Lin siblings seeking revenge on him, nor any action from the Security Bureau.


    The key was that Carlton¡¯s several informants planted within both the Ninth Division of the Security Bureau and the police force had detected no abnormalities inside the Security Bureau, nor any actions targeting him.


    Alexander Carlton gradually shifted his focus to Lin Rui and his Forest Group.


    Carlton harbored a deep-seated hatred for the Lin siblings!


    His daughter¡¯s real body was still lying in a nutrient tank, motionless like a vegetative patient, with her vital signs growing weaker by the day.


    Just like with the Federation here, once the alien form of the people of Tianji Star dies, the real body will also perish or lose consciousness.


    However, as a Demon Suppression Bureau¡¯s top-ranked Demon Suppression Envoy, Carlton managed to restrain the urge for revenge temporarily. He endured and waited for a few months, observing the situation.


    Up until a month ago, Alexander Carlton was ready to use his authority to strike against the Lin siblings in the most insidious and vicious way.


    It was then that the Pharmaceutical Alliance, led by Yang Lingxiao, targeted Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals. Carlton was overjoyed and not only facilitated these enterprises but also used his influence to fan the flames on several occasions.


    However, the outcome of this corporate war greatly disappointed Carlton.


    ¡°Viewers in front of the television, please look. This is the Ignatius Hotel, one of the thirteen seven-star luxury hotels in our Ninth Base City. At the moment, several companies are negotiating on the 292nd floor of this hotel.¡±


    ¡°According to the latest news, Taiyi Biological has made significant concessions. Chairman Yang Lingxiao of Taiyi Biological has agreed to transfer the patents and production and sales licenses for their 7 proprietary drug formulations to Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, and they will also open up some of their Armament patents to Sky Blue Group and Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals. In exchange, they will sign a Divine Contract with Linghu Family, Lin Rui, and Sky Blue Group for a one-year truce, during which no hostile actions may be taken by either side.¡±


    ¡°Tianquan Biological Company has paid an even heavier price. They were forced to give up the patents and production and sales licenses for 47 drug formulas. All their Armament patents are now fully open to Sky Blue Group and Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, they must transfer commercial real estate totaling 1.13 million square meters, along with all shares of Tianquan Chain Drugstores which owns 24,323 stores, to the enterprises owned by Lin Rui. It is said that Tianquan Biological¡¯s truce period with the tripartite alliance is also one year.¡±


    ¡°According to Mr. Yuan Yugu, a political analyst, the reason why Taiyi Biological and Tianquan Biological have only signed a one-year treaty is due to Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan, two Congressional Honorary Members, being unwilling to accept defeat. It is expected that within a year, an even more intense and cruel corporate war will erupt within the Ninth Base City.¡±


    Compared to Taiyi and Tianquan, the other four major pharmaceutical and biological groups are more eager for peace. They will pay Linghu Family a settlement of 440 billion federal coins, equipment for 6 Heavy Equipment Divisions, 6 Type 8 Dragon Slayer combat robots, four cruiser starships, twelve destroyer starships, and twenty cargo starships. In exchange, they have promised that for the next 200 years, their companies¡¯ procurement of pharmaceutical raw materials will give priority to Tianhu Cargo Trading Company in order to obtain forgiveness from the alliance of Linghu, Sky Blue, and Rui Fang.¡±


    ¡°At present, the parties are discussing the asset distribution matters concerning Holy Medical Group and Xie Pharmaceutical Medical Group. It is said that the two sides are engaged in a heated debate, but they have only agreed that all 27 hospitals, 2,327 Armament clinics, and 12,120 drugstores under Xie Pharmaceutical Medical Group, and 12 hospitals, 3,000 Armament clinics, and 8,321 drugstores under Holy Medical Group will be sold to Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals at 60% of the current stock price. Due to the special circumstances, the Federation Government will grant this asset transfer a tax-exempt status.¡±


    Alexander Carlton directly smashed the hot coffee cup in his hand against the wall, creating a loud ¡®bang¡¯ noise.


    ¡°These incompetents!¡±


    Not only did these pharmaceutical alliances fail to wrestle Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals out of Lin Rui¡¯s hands, they also failed to kill this upstart. Instead, they lost cities and lands, allowing Lin Rui¡¯s assets and power to expand further.


    He took a deep breath and directly dialed the phone number of the Commander of the Divine Light Army.


    ¡°Commander, I wonder if you¡¯ve been following the corporate war in Ninth Base City? Our enemies have grown stronger.¡±


    ¡°You mean your nemesis has grown stronger, right?¡± The Commander chuckled, ¡°In this war, all I see is dogs biting dogs. Linghu Mingde and his gang killed four Ninth Realm experts of the Federation. Quite impressive, I¡¯m looking forward to their next battle in a year.¡±


    Carlton¡¯s brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this.


    Indeed, both Yang Lingxiao and Linghu Mingde were considered enemies by the Divine Light Army¡¯s Commander.


    All the upper echelons of the current Federation system are the ones the Divine Light Army vows to overthrow.


    ¡°But rest assured, I¡¯ve promised you shelter, Carlton. I appreciate and am grateful for the support and funding you¡¯ve provided to our plan to resurrect ¡®Ling Huan¡¯. If you encounter any danger, you can go to the haven we¡¯ve prepared for you. The Divine Light Army will protect all their friends.¡±


    Carlton¡¯s expression turned grim as iron. He believed the Commander¡¯s words, but they were no help in his quest for revenge.


    Carlton himself no longer dared to lay a finger on Lin Rui and his sister.


    This would be a new financial consortium in Ninth Base City, with substantial financial and influential power, soon to possess significant political influence.


    As the Minister of Public Affairs, he appeared highly authoritative in the eyes of ordinary people.


    But if he dared to make a move against Forest Group or Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, and caught Lin Rui¡¯s attention, the latter could easily throw him out of office and cast him down to the dust with a single word.


    Carlton thought for a while, then opened another chat window labeled ¡®Great Chief Priest [Chen Long]¡¯.


    As far as he knew, this was a magnate of the Longevity Association, presiding over almost all of the Association¡¯s biological research projects.


    Carlton: Mr. Chen Long, the Pharmaceutical Alliance has been defeated, and this makes me very uncomfortable.


    Great Chief Priest [Chen Long]: Uncomfortable? Why? There¡¯s no need to be afraid, is there? As far as I know, you haven¡¯t taken any action against Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals in terms of health product safety management or drug regulation.


    Carlton: Of course I¡¯m uncomfortable, over the years we have provided you with more than a dozen genetic samples from Lin Xi, and my daughter also died at their hands.


    Unbeknownst to Carlton¡¯s daughter, Lu Qing, he was actually serving both the remnants of Divine Illumination Association and the Longevity Association.


    Carlton: Mr. Chen Long, will the Longevity Association really ignore Lin Rui and his sister? They now have a few trillion-scale consortium in their hands, as well as numerous experts.


    Carlton: I know Director Yang and the others haven¡¯t given up. They still want revenge. However, Lin Rui¡¯s growth is too rapid. Who knows how much stronger they will become in a year? And as far as I know, Lin Xi is in good condition and Suffering Heavenly Girl is not dead. Does the Longevity Association truly intend to watch them grow stronger?


    Great Chief Priest [Chen Long]: The rise of Lin Rui is indeed astonishing and unexpected, but don¡¯t worry, several high-level members of our Longevity Association are paying close attention to Lin Rui and his sister. We will take action soon, rest assured and wait for the news, just focus on your own responsibilities.


    Great Chief Priest [Chen Long]: Alright, that¡¯s it for today. I have research to attend to, don¡¯t disturb me unless it¡¯s something urgent.


    Alexander Carlton¡¯s spirit slightly lifted, and he began to look forward to what was to come.


    What actions would the Longevity Association take? And with what intensity?

 Chapter 609: 582: Stir Up (Request for Subscription)

    Chapter 609: Chapter 582: Stir Up (Request for Subscription)


    After the negotiation at the Ignatius Hotel ended, Lin Rui had just entered the hotel¡¯s underground garage when he was swarmed by countless reporters, who almost shoved their microphones in Lin Rui¡¯s face.


    ¡°Mr. Lin, are you the Children¡¯s Song Killer?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lin, the Security Bureau currently identifies you as the federal top wanted criminal ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯. Mr. Lin, do you have anything to say?¡±


    ¡°Our research has found that many of your characteristics overlap with those of the ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer,¡¯ and the targets of your previous two crimes were members of the Blood Lizard Gang, with whom you had conflicts. Mr. Lin, don¡¯t you want to explain?¡±


    ¡°The spokespersons of the Security Bureau and the police have sworn to bring you to justice. Mr. Lin, what are your thoughts on this?¡±


    ¡°Today, due to the war between several major companies, hundreds of thousands of civilians were affected, with casualties reaching 170,000 people. Do you feel guilty?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lin, does your Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and Forest Group have any plans to go public?¡±


    Lin Rui ignored them and continued walking under the protection of Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi.


    The two were unapologetic towards these reporters, directly repelling them with Martial Arts Sword Intent and Outer Firmament, keeping them at a distance of 20 meters.


    With so many people and such chaos at the scene, who knows if these reporters are real or fake? What if they were assassins?


    20 meters is still very dangerous, if they encountered top-tier assassins, they might not be able to react in time.


    While walking, Lin Rui sent a message to Fang Ranran: Did the Xie family really say that? Are they really willing to let their people come over? Xie Linguo died at the hands of my father-in-law and Xianyu Yan, it¡¯s already good enough that they don¡¯t regard us as mortal enemies, how can they still let their people come over? Including their Dragon Transformation Martial Cultivators?


    Previously, their dispute with Yang Lingxiao was mainly about the Dragon Transformation Martial Cultivators teams, Alien Walkers, and private armies left by Xie Linguo and ¡®Red Blood Sword¡¯ Sal Didas.


    Lin Rui knew that Qi Tianquan and Yang Lingxiao both wanted to acquire these Armored Warriors to restore and fortify their forces.


    He definitely disagreed, these individuals only willing to sign a one-year treaty clearly indicated that they were not willing to accept defeat and wanted to fight another battle.


    Lin Rui would rather dismantle the Alien teams and private armies left by Xie Linguo and Sal Didas than leave them for the enemy.


    The best course of action was to sell these Dragon Transformation Martial Cultivators directly to friendly-standing companies, turning them into cash.


    He himself didn¡¯t need them, and neither should Qi Tianquan.


    However, during the negotiations, Fang Ranran sent a message, eventually leading to an agreement¡ªSal Didas¡¯ Dragon Transformation Martial Cultivators and Alien team would be sold separately at auction, with the highest bidder prevailing, while Xie Linguo¡¯s share would be for various companies to recruit as they see fit.


    Rain Falling Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): Can there be any doubt? Mrs. Xie contacted me just now, it seems to be Xie Linguo¡¯s will. He instructed his family that Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan are unreliable, and allying with them would result in the Xie family being completely consumed, hence Mrs. Xie approached me, negotiating if my father-in-law and you can guarantee the safety of her family, they are willing to instigate the core martial team of the Xie family to join us, adding three Heavy Equipment Divisions, along with their Alien Company¡¯s all 5200 employment contracts.


    Rain Falling Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): Their company totals over 120 Dragon Transformations, but the truly loyal core team members to the Xie family are not many, only about 30, however, the quality is very high, including two Super Kings of Eight Realms, and four Emperor Rank of Seventh Realm, the strength is indeed quite good. Of course, they will also persuade other Dragon Transformation Martial Cultivators to join, but success is not guaranteed. Qi Tianquan is aggressively recruiting, reportedly offering very high salaries, joining them would mean being part of the core team.


    Dragon Transformation Martial Cultivators of Emperor Rank and above are very rare, having as many as five¡ªnow six in Lin Rui¡¯s case, is extremely rare in the whole Federation.


    Like the Linghu Family, besides Aunt Qiu, among the seven Eight Realms, there is only one Super Emperor of Eight Realms, and two Emperor Rank of Eight Realms.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that Xie Linguo was indeed a wise man, just walking the wrong path.


    But he was still puzzled: Why transfer to my side, wouldn¡¯t the Linghu Family work?


    Rain Falling Heart Dust (Fang Ranran): Xie Linguo believes that your side has a broader prospect, being at the starting stage needing more manpower for support, his old team would have a brighter future with you. He believes your financial capabilities are sufficient to support them. So, do you want them or not?


    Lin Rui thought of course I do! This is like picking up three Heavy Equipment Divisions, plus over 30 Dragon Transformations, and 5200 Alien Walkers.


    This kind of experienced, mature, and relatively reliable team is unavailable for hire, even with money.


    Particularly, the Alien Walkers from the Xie Corporation are all involved in the pharmaceutical industry, either as Pharmacists and Alchemists, capable Herb Gatherers, or small landowners primarily managing medicine fields, which aligns well with Lin Rui¡¯s current main business direction.


    Just by slightly integrating these people, a complete drug industry chain can be formed, bringing substantial profits to the Forest Group and Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals.


    Moreover, his fear of insufficient firepower has only intensified.


    Lin Rui¡¯s soul, gradually tainted with Abyss characteristics, keeps sending him warnings.


    He feels that in the Heavenly Curtain above, there are more than ten beings of the same level as Qi Tianquan, or even more powerful, observing and scrutinizing him,


    ¡ªThat is likely the Longevity Association!


    After allowing him to grow wildly for nearly a year, the Longevity Association has finally begun to acknowledge the threat he poses.


    According to the intelligence Lin Xi has gathered, the current situation is also very dangerous.


    The struggle for the position of Commander of the Second Starship Group within the Federation has recently reached a stalemate.


    This is all Li Xianglong¡¯s fault; knowing that someone from his own faction can¡¯t secure the position, he meddles desperately, assisting whichever side is weaker, adopting the attitude of ¡®If I can¡¯t have it, neither can anyone else¡¯.


    Lin Rui suspects this might be within Zang Shaochen¡¯s expectations; up to now, the power of the Second Starship Group is still in the hands of this Star Sea White Wolf.


    Lin Rui thus predicts that, unable to break the deadlock, the Longevity Association will soon shift its focus onto him.


    Therefore, he must continue to expand and grow stronger! Until he has the power to defend himself.


    The war with the Pharmaceutical Alliance should buy him some more time.


    In at most one month, Linghu Mingde can change into a full set of new armament, providing stronger protection for him.


    Wang Tianwu is also about to be promoted to 8SSS, enabling him to have two Quasi-Member-level trump cards in his hands simultaneously.


    And that apprentice of the Third Divine Envoy from Great Wei¡ªif he could secure her, that would be great.


    This woman has outstanding talent and is only a step away from the Eight Realms; in his hands, she could definitely be promoted to 8SSS in a short period of time.


    With these three Quasi-Member-level protections, he should be able to shelter Xue Ying and Tianyi, giving him ample time to neutralize the Abyss Source Material in his two sisters.


    Unfortunately, the agreement between them is to retrieve the Divine Tablet before the battle, and it is still very early to do that.


    After replying to Fang Ranran¡¯s message, Lin Rui boarded his ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ luxury armored official car and, under the escort of a convoy of heavy armored vehicles, grandly drove away from the Ignatius Hotel.


    However, during the journey, Lin Rui stealthily switched vehicles.


    He donned a Dragon Slayer Type-8 Exoskeleton Armor, sat in an armored command vehicle of the Security Bureau, looking at his assistant Xue Lingxue across, and Zhang Long¡¯s projection beside him.


    ¡°Is everything ready?¡±


    ¡°All set!¡± Xue Lingxue confidently saluted militarily: ¡°Due to today¡¯s corporate war, the Armed Police Force from our five divisions, and the defense forces from our nine Heavy Equipment Divisions have been fully mobilized, blocking all key streets. This will definitely leave them with no way to escape! Moreover, due to the recent lifting of the alert, there are basically no pedestrians on the streets.¡±


    Zhang Long also spoke with a solemn expression, ¡°Admiral, although I personally think delaying further could allow us to more thoroughly understand this spy network, given the current situation of the base, indeed it¡¯s a rare opportunity to make a move.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s start the operation!¡± Lin Rui waved his sleeve without hesitation: ¡°Dispatch the plan to all action teams, and move quickly! The enemy has infiltrated our ranks, and to avoid any leaks, we must capture these targets as swiftly as possible!¡±

 Chapter 610: 583: Explosive Sales (Three more for monthly tickets)

    Chapter 610: Chapter 583: Explosive Sales (Three more for monthly tickets)


    At 2 AM, Alexander Carlton was still watching television.


    Not a single piece of news on the TV was to his liking.


    ¡°The current Congressman Bernie Hake held a press conference at his campaign office at 1 AM, announcing his withdrawal from the race due to health reasons. According to insiders, Hake¡¯s withdrawal may be related to yesterday¡¯s corporate warfare. Mr. Hake has always been closely associated with the Holy Medical Group¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªCongressman Xie Liguo announced his resignation from the Pharmaceutical Alliance United Assistance Association and the Conservative Party 10 minutes ago, joining the Bright Front. This cousin of Xie Lin¡¯s seems unaffected by the hatred from both sides. In his personal column, Xie Liguo stated that he has always admired the political philosophy of the Bright Front, and now that he is free again, he hopes to contribute to the welfare of the public and bring more hope to the grassroots community.¡±


    ¡°Along with Mr. Xie Liguo, there are four other Congressmen, including Igal Pains and Wang Shouye, joining the Bright Front. These individuals have extremely high popularity among civilians at both the Ninth and Tenth Bases, and the possibility of their election is very high. In addition, there are 123 local councilors. Some political experts commented that the Bright Front may become a new significant force in the politics of the Earth Federation in the future.¡±


    ¡°The true identity of the Children¡¯s Song Killer being Lin Rui has further fermented online, stirring heated debates among the public and self-media. However, this does not seem to have affected Lin Rui¡¯s fans¡¯ adoration of him. Upon checking the official website of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, we found that from 10 PM yesterday to 2 AM today, Rui Fang Pharmaceutical Company¡¯s gift sets for national presents sold out 2 million sets in just four hours.¡±


    Alexander Carlton ground his teeth in frustration.


    What were these women thinking? Not only is this Lin Rui a lawbreaker, but he is also a maniacal killer!


    Aren¡¯t they afraid? Yet they still buy his products.


    The current price of the Rui Fang national present set is 27,888 federal coins, meaning these 2 million sets amount to 55.7 billion federal coins!


    Alexander Carlton opened some women¡¯s community forums to take a look and found that these women were simply an unreasonable bunch of idiots!


    ¡ªA maniacal killer? Singing children¡¯s songs while killing, sounds so dangerous! But what should I do, I feel that my Xiao Rui Rui is even more charming now.


    ¡ªHe¡¯s like a dangerous rose, beautiful but thorny.


    Carlton was browsing through these comments when his face suddenly changed. He discovered that his villa had been surrounded.


    The problem was that this place was located in a civil servant residential area in the heart of Ninth Base City, not only strictly guarded but also near the headquarters building of the Ninth Division of the Security Bureau.


    Who could it be?


    Without a second thought, Carlton flashed into his study and put on his Emperor 8SS+ Exoskeleton Armor.


    Just then, the sound of windows shattering came from both the upper and lower floors of the villa.


    Carlton sensed that a total of four Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners had broken in.


    ¡°Alexander Carlton, we suspect you are involved in a bribery case and the misuse of authority. You are requested to come with us now!¡±


    Alexander Carlton¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. He knew that these Security Bureau officers had not come for a bribery case.


    Although the accusation of abuse of power was true, he had never accepted a bribe!


    In order to ensure his future and safety in the Federation¡¯s political arena, Alexander Carlton had never taken bribes.


    Alexander Carlton could proudly claim that he was one of the most incorruptible officials in the Earth Federation Government!


    Of course, various benefits provided by institutions like the Civil Servant Care Foundation and the Civil Servant Medical Mutual Aid Society were all legitimate earnings.


    So, these people must have discovered his spy identity.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    That was Carlton¡¯s hidden Battle Dragon in the depths of the villa. It suddenly punched upwards with tremendous force, flipping and shattering the entire villa and the ground surface.


    Carlton¡¯s figure also violently burst out of the study.


    By then, a Security Bureau expert clad in skeletal armor had reached the door of the study, and the two engaged in fierce combat, with roaring explosions.


    Both had reached the Seventh Realm, but the Security Bureau expert¡¯s Bloodline Ability was slightly inferior, only at the Emperor Rank level, coupled with the impact of the Battle Dragon¡¯s force from below the villa.


    After just three exchanges, the expert was forced to clear the way. Alexander Carlton dashed out without hesitation, flying towards the south while controlling the Battle Dragon to block his rear, intercepting the Security Bureau¡¯s pursuit.


    The Battle Dragon¡¯s severe injuries would also impact the main body but not as fatally as an Alien. If the Battle Dragon died, it would at most cause severe damage to the Primordial Spirit, causing permanent loss to mental faculties.


    Plus, the technology of the Earth Federation ensured that as long as he had a piece of living tissue from the Battle Dragon, he could fully resurrect it.


    Carlton had already torn off a mass of muscle, forced out of his Battle Dragon, loaded with ¡®Essence Blood¡¯¡ªwhich was the stem cells¡ªjust moments ago.


    However, just as Alexander Carlton barely executed Flash Escape to fly outside his villa, he saw a figure wearing a Dragon Slayer 8SSS+ Battle Armor standing right in front of him.


    ¡°Thunder?¡±


    Carlton¡¯s pupils constricted slightly, recognizing the person before him¡ªit was ¡®Thunder¡¯, a Seventh Realm Emperor Rank officer from the Security Bureau, a high-ranking military official with boundless prospects!


    The situation in the Earth Federation was similar to that on the Sky Extreme Star.


    Only those with Bloodline Abilities and Martial Arts Accomplishment reaching Emperor Rank and Super Emperor, or even Emperor Rank and Super Monarch, could ascend to high positions within the government system.


    Those with high realms, but with an overall combat power rating only equivalent to a Super King, would not be valued regardless of their other abilities.


    It turns out the Security Bureau really didn¡¯t come for the bribery case¡ªotherwise, why would someone like ¡®Thunder¡¯ appear here?


    In an instant, Carlton completely changed direction, but at that moment, his mind suffered a heavy blow, as if his head was cleaved by a sword.


    ¡ªIt was his Battle Dragon, already cleaved in half by a sword.


    Struggling, Carlton turned his head only to see a massive 24-meter battle dragon, clad entirely in metallic armor, cleaving the head of his own battle dragon with a single stroke.


    ¡°Is it the Emperor Hao Divine Dragon?¡±


    Although that 24-meter battle dragon was completely enveloped in metal armor, the characteristics of its aura, mingled with thunder and Guang Ming, were still easily recognizable¡ªit was none other than the Thunder Admiral¡¯s awe-inspiring Seventh Realm Emperor Rank Battle Dragon, the ¡®Emperor Hao Divine Dragon¡¯!


    Just then, Carlton heard the sound of ¡®clang¡¯ and the sizzling noise of exploding thunder.


    Before he could grasp what was happening, he found his hands and feet severed from his body.


    It was a tremendously sharp golden blade light that, in an instant, had chopped off both his hands and feet.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡±


    Carlton¡¯s gaze held disbelief. He was also of the Seventh Realm, with a Martial Arts rating of 7SS. How could the gap between him and Thunder be so massive?


    This guy actually took him down with a single slash, even if it was while his Primordial Spirit was being shocked, it still shouldn¡¯t be this easy.


    Lin Rui approached calmly and expressionlessly, lifting his leg to shatter Carlton¡¯s face mask and chest armor with a stomp.


    The force was just right¡ªshattering Carlton¡¯s armor but leaving his face unharmed.


    He quickly took a syringe from the external pack on the thigh of his exoskeletal armor and injected it directly into Carlton¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Speak, how many people from the Imperial City Department of Central Continent are still in our Earth Federation? Name them, and what are their recent actions and objectives?¡±


    What Lin Rui really wanted to know was the list of personnel of the Imperial City Department lurking within the Federation.


    From the recent months of monitoring, these people seemed quite docile, without any significant actions.


    But as Alexander Carlton¡¯s consciousness faded and he confessed truthfully, Lin Rui¡¯s expression turned grave.


    ¡°Resurrection of Spiritual Illusion?¡±


    The Divine Light Army was not only attempting the Resurrection Project, but according to Carlton¡¯s confession, the progress of this project had reached a stage close to success.


    Lin Rui immediately extracted the recording of Carlton¡¯s confession and sent it to Li Xianglong.


    Li Xianglong replied right away: Send this person to the Ninth Division building at once, I want to interrogate him myself. You don¡¯t have to worry about the spiritual illusion matter, I will handle it personally.


    At this moment, he was still in the Ninth Base City and had not left.


    Li Xianglong was aware that Lin Rui was busy and could not shoulder every burden.


    Li Xianglong: By the way, regarding the Divine Tablet fragment, what do you think, Lin Rui? I¡¯ve noticed you haven¡¯t been putting much effort into investigating lately, just going through the motions.


    Li Xianglong: The Abyss Divine Tablet fragment in Purgatory¡¯s hands might indeed be real; I¡¯ve sensed an aura similar to the Abyss Divine Tablet several times recently.


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips twitched slightly as he thought¡ªif the Divine Tablet fragment in Purgatory¡¯s possession is real, then what is in the basement of his house?

 Chapter 611: 584: Revenge (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 611: Chapter 584: Revenge (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui pondered that he had indeed been somewhat negligent recently. Could even Li Xianglong, an outsider of the Imperial City Department, see that he was just pretending?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): General, what I am doing is called ¡°feigning reluctance.¡± Purgatory clearly wants to lure me out of the city to ambush me, but they have to show real sincerity. How is such a tiny fragment enough? It¡¯s obviously just a little bit scraped off the Divine Tablet to fish for me.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): They want me to risk leaving the city, they must show a real piece of the Divine Tablet, not these fragmented dummy goods.


    This was his prepared excuse, one he had used before to deceive his good friend Han Baxian.


    Li Xianglong: I see, so this is what you think? It sounds very logical.


    Li Xianglong: A good display of reluctance. You really can¡¯t seem too invested. Just follow this policy, and I will keep an eye on them for you.


    At this time, Li Xianglong was in Zhou Yunfei¡¯s office at the Ninth Division.


    Before receiving the message from Lin Rui, Li Xianglong was talking to Zhou Yunfei about the Second General.


    ¡°Ling Huan is about to be resurrected? At that time, his soul had completely vanished, utterly annihilated, right?¡±


    Zhou Yunfei looked bewildered: ¡°A resurrection is possible under such circumstances? If true, that would be a huge problem for the Federation.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s uncertain! According to what Carlton has disclosed, Ling Huan once uploaded his memories and thoughts to a supercomputer. Moreover, they used some method to extract Ling Huan¡¯s True Spirit from the chaotic Heavenly Curtain, and it might also be related to Ling Huan¡¯s Alien Body, which has the Divine Mark of Ling Huan himself.¡±


    Li Xianglong rubbed his chin: ¡°For us, who are above the Nine Realms Emperor in Martial Cultivation, an Alien Body is no longer our weakness, but rather a foundation for preserving our lives. As long as one of the two bodies survives, there is hope for resurrection. It shows, however, that the Divine Light Army has also delved deep into soul research, unfortunately¡ª¡±


    Li Xianglong sighed ambiguously and then shifted his attention to the video projection in front of him: ¡°The matter of Ling Huan¡¯s resurrection is not urgent, the real trouble is still your former superior, and the situation is very bad, extremely bad!¡±


    The Longevity project in which the Second General was involved indeed had problems! Resulting in him being comatose for nearly 9 months and still not awakening.


    The video Zhou Yunfei is now projecting is a visualization formed from the Second General¡¯s brain wave patterns, obtained through special techniques by the East Asia Science Academy.


    Li Xianglong must offer aid to the Second General.


    Although he occasionally butts heads and clashes with him within the Federation Security Bureau, Li Xianglong knows that the Second General harbors no selfish motives; he simply holds different views on some matters.


    This is his opponent, but also a true mentor and beneficial friend.


    Li Xianglong hopes even more that the Federation Security Bureau will not be infiltrated by external forces, causing new turmoil internally.


    So, both publicly and privately, he must bring the Second General back as soon as possible.


    Zhou Yunfei¡¯s face was pale: ¡°The East Asia Science Academy said that if we want to extract the Second General¡¯s Primordial Spirit, we must act quickly.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Li Xianglong said, massaging his temples with a headache.


    The Abyss Divine Tablet, Ling Huan, the Second General, and the Star Sea White Wolf Zang Shaochen¡¯s matters, all these issues piled together gave him an immense headache.


    It¡¯s just unfortunate that Linghu Mingde has already retired from the military, and having withdrawn from the core power stratum for too long, his current strength has not reached its peak.


    Otherwise, Li Xianglong would definitely do his utmost to push Linghu Mingde to the position of Commander of the Second Starship Group, not letting Zang Shaochen gloat.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Meanwhile, on the south side of Ninth Base City, the brightly lit newly established ¡®Radford Comming Law Firm¡¯ was bustling.


    The newly recruited lawyers and interns inside the firm were all aglow with excitement, working overtime and bustling about.


    They were assisting the firm¡¯s major clients, the Forest Group and Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, with various legal procedures for asset transfers and preparing for the upcoming asset audits.


    Due to the recent establishment and staff shortage, each person was burdened with several demanding tasks, and although they were incredibly busy, it did not dampen their enthusiasm at all, simply because their major clients promised a generous bonus, sufficient for them to live comfortably for the next several decades.


    In the office of the founder of the law firm, Radford Comming¡¯s face was also beaming with joy.


    At this moment, he was on the phone with his former colleague, his face full of a mocking tone: ¡°Come on, Mr. Leiburn, given the current situation, how could I possibly return to Purple Gold Flower Law Firm? Stop talking about these meaningless things, I¡¯m tired of hearing them.¡±


    But deep down, Kang Mingkai was filled with relief.


    Although he had resigned from the Purple Gold Flower Law Firm more than ten days ago due to being ostracized and forced out by colleagues, fortunately, it allowed him to make the most correct decision in his life.


    He thought that he must follow professional ethics no matter what, and not ruin his reputation in the industry.


    As long as his reputation remained, even if he was temporarily ostracized and suppressed, he would inevitably have the opportunity to rise again someday.


    But if he tarnished his reputation due to the pressure from major companies, his future would definitely be on a downward trajectory.


    This decision ushered him into the biggest opportunity of his life.


    ¡°How could I possibly give up the business with Alexander Group and Han Group? Their ending the collaboration with Purple Gold Flower Law Firm is your problem. I stated before that yielding to the Pharmaceutical Alliance¡¯s pressure might benefit you momentarily, but it causes permanent damage to the reputation of Purple Gold Flower Law Firm.¡±


    What it comes down to is the 27 hospitals of the Thanks Medical Healthcare Group, 2327 Armament Clinics, 12120 pharmacies, plus 24323 stores of Heavenly Authority Pharmacy Chain, and the Holy Medical Group¡¯s 12 hospitals, 3000 Armament Clinics, 8321 pharmacies, have all been transferred to Mr. Lin¡¯s control today.


    This is a huge pharmaceutical distribution network covering nearly all districts of fourteen Base Cities, imposing a strong deterrent and influence over many pharmaceutical companies.


    In simple terms, their testicles have been squeezed.


    What kind of person is Mr. Lin? He is rather vengeful. Since Purple Gold Flower terminated his contract and refused his business before the incident, Mr. Lin naturally wouldn¡¯t be courteous to them.


    Thus, with just one phone call, these seven companies with a market value of three to five hundred billion, heavily reliant on the three sales channels under Mr. Lin, didn¡¯t hesitate to contact him in the depth of this night to transfer their legal business to his law firm, showing their closeness and compliance to Mr. Lin in this manner.


    Kang Mingkai leisurely watched the pale face of his former colleague on the video: ¡°What about you, Mr. Leiburn, do you still plan to stay at Bauhinia Law Firm? This law firm is doomed sooner or later, Mr. Leiburn, you are a senior criminal lawyer, there¡¯s no need to go down with Bauhinia Law Firm. You know, we are about to face a fierce judicial battle here, and we need some veterans. Mr. Leiburn, if you are willing to bring your clients over, I can make you a senior partner in our firm directly.¡±


    Leiburn¡¯s expression flickered slightly on the video.


    He knew about the judicial battles Kang Mingkai¡¯s law firm was facing: first, the connection between Lin Rui and the Children¡¯s Song Killer; second, the corporate wars initiated within Ninth Base City led to many casualties among the National Guard, and a number of reserve Marshals killed in action.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t simply erase his previous crimes by swearing in as a Congressional Honorary Member like Linghu Mingde.


    The Federation¡¯s Justice Department would definitely go all out to attack Lin Rui.


    However, Leiburn knew that the Justice Department¡¯s chances of winning were slim; firstly, all evidence collected by the Security Bureau during the investigation of the Children¡¯s Song Killer had disappeared, and there was no video material left from the corporate war in Area C342.


    Even if the Justice Department had sufficient evidence, Kang Mingkai could delay the process in various ways until Lin Rui advanced to the Ninth Realm.


    And even if something happened to Lin Rui, Kang Mingkai still had Linghu Mingde to rely on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± he said, ending the communication after these words.


    Kang Mingkai shook his head, suddenly noticing a new message sent to him¡ªit was his secretary reminding him to watch the news.


    Kang Mingkai promptly turned on the three-dimensional projection TV across his desk.


    ¡°¡ªBreaking news now, the Federation Security Bureau has cracked a major espionage case. They launched the ¡®Thunder Sweep¡¯ operation this early morning, arresting 321 Alien Walkers from Sky Extreme Star, including three high-ranking officials, ministers and deputy ministers, and twenty-seven Dragon Transformation level masters.¡±


    ¡°It is reported that this ¡®Thunder Sweep¡¯ operation, under the guidance of Mayor Huo Bangguo with substantial support from the city government¡ª¡±


    ¡°This cracked spy network is also notably large, with solid evidence now proving that these spies from Sky Extreme Star were involved in twelve terrorist incidents that erupted in Ninth Base City this year. Before the Security Bureau took action, they even planned a project called ¡®Despair¡¤Pain¡¯, aiming to destroy the entire Ninth Base City.¡±


    Kang Mingkai couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows slightly, thinking that tonight was indeed lively.


    He then shook his head again; Mayor Huo really had good luck, with this breaking spy network case potentially recovering some of his election situation.

 Chapter 612 - 585 Departure (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 612: Chapter 585 Departure (Please Subscribe)


    The next morning, bright and early, the members of the Mingde University Martial Arts Club took a school shuttle to berth 13 of the Urban Star Port, reserved for VIPs.


    Nolan Wei sat on the luxurious seats in the VIP waiting area of berth 13, his eyes still showing a trace of daze.


    Zhao Yan glanced at him: ¡°You seem a bit out of it. It¡¯s not going to be good if you¡¯re like this when we meet President Fang and Mr. Lin later.¡±


    ¡°I stayed up all night watching TV, flipping through various news and political commentary programs.¡±


    Nolan Wei pulled out a bottle of energy drink from his pocket, took a drink, and wiped his face with a wet wipe, which perked him up a bit.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you watch the big event last night? Were you just sleeping the whole time?¡±


    ¡°I watched it all night too, but I practiced Pile Technique for an hour before we set off this morning.¡±


    Zhao Yan shook his head: ¡°That corporate war concerns us deeply, how could I not care? But I must say, I was really worried before.¡±


    He was surprised that Marshal Linghu had actually advanced to the Ninth Realm and that the Linghu Family and Lin¡¯s Alliance had achieved such a glorious victory.


    Zhao Yan himself felt like everything that happened yesterday was like a dream, with a strong sense of unreality.


    The Linghu Family ultimately triumphed, and his teammate and junior, Lin Rui, had become such a significant figure.


    A political commentary program yesterday had placed Lin Rui in the top 20 of Ninth City¡¯s power rankings.


    Yu Feicui stood next to the glass screen, her emotions quite mixed.


    Of course, she was mostly happy, but also deeply moved, feeling the world was unreal. The young man she had once met in the cafeteria had come this far, and she would have to work for him from now on¡ª¡ª


    ¡°I also stayed in my room last night, browsing through various programs. One financial expert said that if Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals went public now, its valuation would start at at least 400 trillion.¡±


    Lu Fang ¡®tsk-tsked¡¯ with wonder: ¡°If I were him, I would just lie back and do nothing, why even participate in the University Martial Arts League? 400 trillion! That¡¯s how much money?¡±


    At that moment, Lu Fang¡¯s expression changed as he looked outside through the glass window.


    He saw a massive warship, at least a kilometer long, slowly entering the outer berth of the Star Port.


    ¡°Is that a battleship? Didn¡¯t they say our school chartered a luxury space yacht? This battleship must be parked in the wrong place, right?¡±


    Speaking of which, he had found it strange when he heard from Yu Feicui that the waiting room had been changed to berth 13.


    Berth 13 is reserved for large warships within the Star Port.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Constant Star class, a powerful warship of the same class as the President¡¯s flagship Fate.¡±


    Zhao Yan stood up from his seat and walked to the glass screen to look outside: ¡°Look at the side of the ship, that¡¯s the emblem of the Martial Arts Association, this is a warship affiliated with the Martial Arts Association.¡±


    There can¡¯t be a parking mistake, the Star Port operates on a fully digitalized management system, such a low-level error is impossible.


    But what is going on here?


    The Constant Star class battleship represents the Federation¡¯s latest technological achievement, not only with incredibly powerful firepower, capable of destroying small stars, but its defense capabilities are also extremely formidable, rumored to be able to withstand the power of a Divine Envoy Level adversary.


    At that time, Wang Sen came in through the door from outside, smiling as he explained: ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®Wuxing¡¯, a battleship specially dispatched by the Martial Arts Association for Brother Rui, in charge of escorting us to the Martial Arts Palace.¡±


    Last night, Wang Sen was also busy at the Base City dock, helping to tally the spoils of war, arranging for prisoners, and later following in Lin Rui¡¯s vehicle to come here.


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan and the members of the Martial Arts Club couldn¡¯t help but look at each other in bewilderment.


    Nolan Wei was full of doubts: ¡°A warship specially dispatched by the Martial Arts Association for Mr. Lin? For real?¡±


    Nolan Wei thought to himself that the current Lin Rui really was a top-tier figure of Ninth Base City, but was it to this extent?


    What kind of existence is the Martial Arts Association?


    It is an organization established 700 years ago by Alien Walkers and Armored Warriors, with the initial goal of preserving and passing down the martial techniques humanity learned on Sky Extreme Star. It has since grown into a behemoth.


    They are deeply involved not just in the foundational education of Federation Martial Artists and the cultivation and research of medicines and armaments, but they also possess the most comprehensive cultivation methods for martial arts.


    Countless martial artists need to rely on the Martial Arts Association to acquire higher-level cultivation methods, hence the association possesses immense influence.


    Previously, Fei Yunlai¡¯s Dragon Transformation martial arts and Reach the Sky martial arts were learned from the Martial Arts Association.


    If one must describe it, the Martial Arts Association can be considered an incredibly vast sect.


    It is also the stabilizing pillar of the Earth Federation; the association¡¯s president, vice-presidents, all three are of Divine Envoy Level!


    Out of the two ¡®Space Home¡¯ warships built by the Earth Federation, one is in the hands of the Martial Arts Association.


    Wang Sen could guess what Nolan Wei and the others were thinking; he couldn¡¯t help but snicker silently, pondering that Lin Rui has already earned seven ¡®Purple Gold Diamond Badges¡¯ by submitting his self-created martial arts to the Martial Arts Association, so what¡¯s the big deal about asking the association to dispatch a battleship for protection now?


    The Martial Arts Association has not publicized it abroad, and it cannot be seen from Lin Rui¡¯s online nickname suffix that a ¡®Purple Gold Diamond Badge¡¯ only displays one badge.


    However, Lin Rui has already gained a very high level of authority within the Martial Arts Association. He has been appointed as the ¡®Standing Director of the Council,¡¯ having voting rights on many major affairs within the association.


    He shook his head, ¡°It probably has something to do with the current situation. The Martial Arts Association does not want any mishaps in the upcoming University Martial Arts League, nor does it wish to see anyone challenging the authority of the association.¡±


    The dispatch of this ¡®Wuxing¡¯ battleship by the Martial Arts Association indeed has such intentions, to serve as a deterrent to certain forces.


    Wang Sen then looked towards the gradually stabilizing battleship below the screen: ¡°Lin Rui and President Fang have asked me to come down and call you guys, Coach Fei is also there, it¡¯s time for us to board.¡±


    Ever since Zang Shaochen surrendered and went to prison, Fei Yunlai has regained his lively spirit.


    This man no longer needs to consider the military; thus, he has resumed his position as the head coach of the Martial Arts Club, which allows him to draw an additional salary and earn key honors.


    If he can lead the team to win the overall championship in the University Martial Arts League, he will have an advantage in this field in the future.


    At this moment, Fang Ranran was down at the boarding gate talking to Lin Rui.


    ¡°Sky Fox Trading exclusively collected some intelligence on the Martial Arts League for you. Looking at the information from all sides, our chances in this championship are still quite dicey.¡±


    Fang Ranran was scrolling through various pictorial intelligence reports projected into her eyes: ¡°Abyss Group, Heavenly Sword Biotech, and Taiyi Biological, these three have gone all out for this league, their investment is substantial.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fei Yunlai let out a snort of laughter: ¡°Yesterday Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ national gift set sold 3.2 million sets; with such high popularity for the BOSS, what if he does another live stream product promotion? How insane would the sales figures be then? They have to be anxious, if it were me, I would also fight tooth and nail.¡±


    For Lin Rui, participating in this championship is just to follow through to the end.


    For the Abyss Group and Heavenly Sword Biotech, it¡¯s a matter related to their rise and fall, concerning sales revenue in the trillions.


    Taiyi Biological, however, holds a deep grudge with Lin Rui.


    The equally strong Pan-American Group, Western Pharmaceuticals, and Eurasian Biotech seem to have laid low because their main sales territories are not in Central Asia.


    ¡°Indeed, we cannot be careless,¡± Lin Rui nodded, ¡°The main competitors are still Tianjing Martial University and Future Science University; the others are not worth mentioning.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that. These three companies also provide a lot of funding and various forms of assistance to other teams. The aim is probably to push them to fight in the main competitions to test your strength. Moreover, they have also meddled with the arrangement of the matches.¡±


    Fang Ranran narrowed her eyes: ¡°Interesting. From the information we have, it seems that the two main players from their side have made significant breakthroughs.¡±


    ¡°Them? Abyss Group and Heavenly Sword Biotech have somehow managed to advance them to Dragon Transformation.¡±


    Lin Rui spoke in a light and unconcerned tone: ¡°The other few players should not be underestimated, either.¡±


    Especially that Immortal Sword Shi Yan, who seems to have come upon a great opportunity, something that Lin Rui is looking forward to.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s expression flickered slightly, but she knew that Lin Rui was still an ¡®Thunder¡¯ Admiral of the Security Bureau, and his intelligence channels were still above those of the Linghu Family.


    In her heart, Fang Ranran thought that if this was the case, then this session of the University Martial Arts League would be the highest quality one ever held.


    Just then, she noticed that the doors of the battleship had opened.

 Chapter 613 - 586: Divine Law (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 613: Chapter 586: Divine Law (Third Update, Please Subscribe)


    Seven days later, in the early morning, Zong Xiushan, the Third Divine Envoy of the Great Cheng Country, and Cui Peipei, the Third Divine Envoy of the Great Wei Country, met again in a teahouse near the southern city gate of Luojing in the Great Song Dynasty.


    Cui Peipei looked pale and unwell: ¡°Do you feel like we have fallen for the wicked schemes of Luo Wangshu and his apprentice? We have been searching all over for clues related to the Divine Tablet fragments these past few days, following all sorts of leads, yet we¡¯ve achieved nothing. Meanwhile, that master-apprentice duo is sitting back and enjoying the show, lying comfortably within the city, watching us run around like headless flies.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªThis world also has flies, just that their forms are different, and they are over twice as large.


    Cui Peipei happened to see a few flies and immediately killed them with her Gang Qi.


    Her apprentice Han Xian¡¯er stood behind, involuntarily swallowing her saliva when she saw this.


    Recently, her teacher has been in a terrible mood, and in the past several days, Han Xian¡¯er has been scolded by her teacher numerous times.


    Indeed, these days were not as comfortable as staying in Luojing City, where previously she challenged people everywhere, kicked in doors, blocked roads, and cornered the Great Song Dynasty¡¯s military officials, acting in a tyrannically unchallenged manner.


    But as a result of Lin Hao¡¯s million-mile Flying Book, she had no choice but to leave Luojing and was dragged around by Cui Peipei.


    ¡°It is indeed strange, Lin Hao is definitely holding back and not fully committed to the investigation.¡±


    Zong Xiushan, the Third Divine Envoy of the Great Cheng Country, held his teacup contemplatively: ¡°But doesn¡¯t Divine Envoy Cui find it odd? Based on the intelligence provided by the Imperial City Department of Great Song these days, chasing the traces of the Divine Tablet fragments, it seems their information is quite accurate. Yet, whenever we arrive somewhere, the fragments just disappear without a trace, and moreover, I have always felt that the aura of this Divine Tablet fragments is a little faint.¡±


    Cui Peipei also squinted her eyes, falling into deep thought, then with narrowed eyes said, ¡°What you mean is? Purgatory is trying to lure Lin Hao out of the Capital using the Divine Tablet fragments? And Lin Hao¡ª¡±


    Cui Peipei then snorted, tossing all the water from the teacup in her hand: ¡°It seems we have been played with, desperately wanting to retrieve the Divine Tablet, we have been manipulated by Purgatory and Lin Hao, like an old woman who tries to swaddle a child in reverse.


    That brat indeed has some capability, not only seeing things clearly but also withstanding the pressure from the Divine Palace side. No wonder he became the ¡®Hidden Crown Prince¡¯ of the Great Song in just one year.¡±


    ¡°So we might as well also calm down, just wait, and see when Purgatory actually brings out the real Abyss Divine Tablet.¡±


    Zong Xiushan sneered coldly, his eyes filled with a mix of shame and rage: ¡°Let¡¯s just see how much they are willing to invest for Lin Hao. Those three pieces of the Divine Tablet should be in their hands. But looking at the situation these days, they have offered very few pieces, which feels somewhat bullying, and even if we retrieve those fragments, it won¡¯t help our current situation at all.¡±


    Thinking about how he was lured by mere bait these days, like a dog being led around, filled him with extreme anger and hatred towards those scoundrels from Purgatory.


    At this moment, Zong Xiushan suddenly changed his expression, looking towards the street beside, he noticed many carriages continuously coming out from the city gate, heading southward.


    The decorations on these carriages were quite luxurious, and there were even officers with ceremonial banners clearing the way.


    Zong Xiushan looked over and saw that these were all nobles of the Great Song. In this short span of time, he saw carriages of at least six Third-rank officials or higher leave the city.


    Zong Xiushan wore a puzzled look and inquired of the teahouse¡¯s manager, ¡°Manager, do you know why this is happening? Those Great Song officials are leaving the city early in the morning, what is the reason?¡±


    ¡ª¡ªThese officials, they¡¯re actually not even attending the morning court session.


    The teahouse manager glanced outside, then chuckled: ¡°They should be heading to the city¡¯s southern ten-mile pavilion, to welcome the Divine Law Heavenly Maiden.¡±


    ¡°The Divine Law Heavenly Maiden?¡±


    Cui Peipei also looked southward and said, ¡°She¡¯s the Favored who underwent 17 Divine Power purifications by the Divine Law Venerable. Great Song has produced another significant figure, 17 Divine Power purifications, unprecedented. If I recall correctly, the highest record in the past 30,000 years was only five times, right? Divine Law Venerable actually dotes on a mortal girl to this extent.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The teahouse manager was unaware that there were differences in the ¡®Divine Law Heavenly Girl¡¯ status, and he was incredibly surprised at the news.


    17 times versus 5 times ¡ª¡ª The Divine Law Venerable¡¯s favor towards the Heavenly Maiden was indeed quite evident.


    A different light sparkled in Zong Xiushan¡¯s eyes.


    In the Sky Extreme Star, the four great holy sects: ¡®Medicine God Sect¡¯, ¡®Sky Rune Tower¡¯, ¡®Mystic Array Mountain¡¯, and ¡®Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion¡¯, as well as the one and only Divine Sect ¡®Mechanical God Temple¡¯, each occupied their own territory, excelling in different areas.


    In this world, when it comes to refining, producing, and cultivating medicines, no other force can match the ¡®Medicine God Sect¡¯.


    Ever since this Divine Law Heavenly Girl inherited the title of Heavenly Emperor Dragon and became the sixth elder of the ¡®Medicine God Sect¡¯ and the Hall Master of the Law Hall, as well as being appointed by the court as the Medicine and Salt Imperial Censor and the Imperial Censor of Silk and Tea, a large number of Alchemists and Herb Gatherers within the ¡®Medicine God Sect¡¯ have pledged allegiance to her. Within just over ten days, she has become a formidable force within the ¡®Medicine God Sect¡¯.


    Zong Xiushan¡¯s numerous wealthy families and powerful clans under his command controlled a vast number of medicine fields, supplying the ¡®Medicine God Sect¡¯, as well as distributing a large amount of elixirs throughout the Great Cheng.


    However, relying on their dominant position in the pharmaceutical industry, the ¡®Medicine God Sect¡¯ has set very stringent prices for the purchase of herbs and sales of elixirs.


    Those Outer Heaven Demons have naturally been purchasing various types of medicinal materials and have been selling various Heavenly Demon Injections as well.


    However, the type of medicines needed by the Outer Heaven Demons were different from those of the Medicine God Sect. The path of their Heavenly Demon Injections and the sect¡¯s elixirs also did not converge.


    Zong Xiushan was dissatisfied with being gouged by two business partners within the ¡®Medicine God Sect¡¯. Thus, he thought about perhaps contacting this Divine Law Heavenly Girl to see if he could switch to a different business partner.


    Therefore, a few days ago, Zong Xiushan instructed his disciple to find a way to contact the Heavenly Maiden, and the Divine Law Heavenly Girl¡¯s response was very interesting.


    Not only could she purchase almost all types of medicinal materials, she could also sell Heavenly Demon Injections and Armaments, and her prices were quite fair ¡ª¡ª


    The issue was, isn¡¯t she the Divine Law Venerable¡¯s Heavenly Maiden? How could she sell Heavenly Demon Injections?


    Could it be that the Divine Law Venerable has changed his view of the Outer Heaven Demons?


    His disciple also raised this question to the Divine Law Heavenly Girl. According to his account, the Divine Law Heavenly Girl was silent for a moment as if listening to divine sounds, and then she said: ¡°The way to govern the people is not to block but to channel, not to channel but to guide. Nowadays, the items of the Heavenly Demons are already widespread in the world, impossible to eradicate completely. Moreover, relying on these injections and armaments, the martial power of the Heavenly Demons grows daily, a concern not to be overlooked.


    Our people in the Tianji World must not remain complacent and fall behind. We must learn from the demons to control them. If there is anything among the things of the Heavenly Demons that can be beneficial to us, we must learn to use it, delve into its essence. However, the Heavenly Demons come from outside our domain; their intentions are unpredictable and must be guarded against. I shall use the power of the Heavenly Venerate to inspect all the injections and armaments, eliminate the hidden dangers within, and then provide them for the use of the millions in the Tianji World.¡±


    Zong Xiushan simply could not believe that the Divine Law Venerable¡¯s view on Heavenly Demons could be so progressive.


    Is this really the same Divine Law Venerable who established the Heavenly Constitution Net, requiring the people of the world to follow its regulations, and maintain order and discipline?


    But the Divine Law Heavenly Girl is indeed a Divine Law Venerable¡¯s Favored, and one that has undergone divine power refinement 17 times, so it must be true.


    And if it really is so, it would indeed be great news. People would have an extremely reliable and safe channel for injections and armaments.


    It should be noted that the current trade negotiations for opening ports in the Great Song Dynasty do not include injections and armaments. The court and the people of the Great Song Dynasty still hold a conservative attitude towards these objects, with the majority of upright officials worrying about the martial cultivators of the Great Song being controlled by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s injections and armaments.


    However, if purchased through the channel of the Divine Law Heavenly Girl, the situation would be different. Not only is there a guarantee from the Divine Law Venerable, ensuring safety and reliability, but users would also not be criticized for colluding with the Heavenly Demons after usage.

 Chapter 614 - 587 Surprise (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 614: Chapter 587 Surprise (Please Subscribe)


    Just as the two foreign Third Divine Envoys met again, Xianyu Yan followed the orders of Luo Wangshu to visit the Third Divine Envoy Institute at Divine Scenery Mountain to meet with the Third Divine Envoy.


    She felt quite puzzled in her heart, not knowing what Luo Wangshu¡¯s purpose was in summoning her to the Divine Envoy Institute.


    These past few days, Xianyu Yan had been stabilizing the situation for Lin Rui at the Ninth Base City of the Earth Federation.


    And the human world really proved to be interesting, giving her a feeling of novelty and curiosity to explore its mysteries.


    Only today did Xianyu Yan finally find some free time, returning to her original body, wanting to catch up on some backlogged matters.


    Once again, she was amazed by the so-called ¡°Biological Chip¡± of the Earth Federation.


    Xianyu Yan had implanted an ¡°Auxiliary Smart Biological Chip¡± within her original body, which helped her manage her daily affairs on Sky Extreme Star.


    These chips managed everything well, usually acting according to her intentions. Surprisingly, the chip had once controlled her body to participate in a small battle, and it was very clean and efficient.


    ¡ªAnd this was when she hadn¡¯t yet fully trained and adjusted the chip, and still it performed so outstandingly.


    Of course, this was also related to the fact that the chips used were personally made by the top Prosthetic Makers under Lin Rui.


    They could improve computation by 70% and efficiency by 292% while ensuring that the chips developed no consciousness of their own compared to the common smart biological chips available on the market.


    Now, almost all Alien Walkers at or above Dragon Transformation Level under Lin Rui¡¯s command had switched over to this kind of chip, in order to ensure their safety, both alien and original.


    However, there were some things that the biological chip was not capable of doing, such as the daily cultivation practices.


    What Xianyu Yan needed to deal with after returning to her original body were just these things. But shortly after her return, she received a summon from Luo Wangshu.


    Xianyu Yan harbored no reverence for a Divine Envoy; ever since the Crown Prince¡¯s death, she even looked indifferently upon the East Abyss.


    However, Luo Wangshu was her lord¡¯s respected master; towards him, Xianyu Yan still maintained some degree of respect.


    Luo Wangshu chose to meet her in a waterside pavilion behind the Divine Envoy Institute. After Xianyu Yan performed a ceremonial greeting, Luo Wangshu¡¯s first words caught her by surprise.


    ¡°Xianyu, Lin Hao must have taught you the method of ¡®Limit Heart Origin¡¯, right? How is your practice progressing?¡±


    Xianyu Yan was momentarily stunned, then she replied carefully: ¡°I¡¯ve learned it, but I haven¡¯t really focused on it.¡±


    At her current level of cultivation, awakening the ¡®Limit Heart Origin¡¯ was very challenging.


    Xianyu Yan had learned it, but with a resigned attitude.


    Could Luo Wangshu actually help her awaken this bloodline ability? After all, that would require an astronomical effort, not at all like with Shangguan Tianyi or Ji Xueying.


    Luo Wangshu extended his hand towards her: ¡°Let me see it.¡±


    Xianyu Yan hesitated upon hearing this, as she had many prosthetics within her body that hadn¡¯t yet reached a state of unity between spirit and body, which Luo Wangshu would notice.


    Now that the Divine Law Heavenly Girl had just arrived in the capital, after a while, once the divine seal of the Divine Law Venerable was stamped on her prosthetics, it wouldn¡¯t be a big problem, but for now¡ª


    Xianyu Yan then recalled that Lin Rui had equipped Meng Weiyun with a set of prosthetics under the guise of being business partners. She confidently walked over and let Luo Wangshu grasp her hand.


    Luo Wangshu felt her pulse, focusing intently: ¡°Was it Lin Rui who provided you with these prosthetics?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xianyu Yan thought to herself, just as expected.


    Was this divine envoy too eager for prosthetics because she was about to cultivate her bloodline?


    They were less than three feet apart, and Xianyu Yan clearly sensed the strong vitality within Luo Wangshu.


    Xianyu Yan also knew Lin Rui had prepared to disregard the laws of the Outer Heaven Demon, ready to implant top-grade prosthetics in Luo Wangshu.


    He was even prepared to reveal his identity in front of Luo Wangshu, setting the stage for this.


    This reminded Xianyu Yan of the past Crown Prince and Emperor, filling her heart with mixed emotions.


    The Crown Prince was utterly loyal and devoted to the Emperor, but the Emperor betrayed him.


    What about Luo Wangshu? What would her choice be?


    ¡°It looks quite good, doesn¡¯t seem to have any problems at this point,¡± said Luo Wangshu, appearing serene but with tumultuous thoughts inside.


    Luo Wangshu had always been closely interested in prosthetics and had delved deeply into various information about them.


    Thus, she knew that the prosthetics inside Xianyu Yan, like those in Meng Weiyun, were of the highest class.


    The ¡®highest class¡¯ here refers not to the grade of the prosthetics themselves, but to their materials and craftsmanship, seemingly special versions from the so-called laboratory of the Heavenly Demon.


    Furthermore, Xianyu Yan¡¯s prosthetics were well integrated with her original body, not only merging spirit and flesh but also maximizing the condensation of Xianyu Yan¡¯s Bloodline Talent.


    It was evident that the prosthetic doctor who performed the surgeries on Xianyu Yan and Meng Weiyun was also top-notch.


    Without giving anything away by her expressions, she continued to sense Xianyu Yan¡¯s body and soul: ¡°I see, I sensed a unique Sword Intent hidden in your Primordial Spirit. Previously, I felt sorry for you when speaking with Weiyun, saying that these past fifty-plus years, you¡¯ve lived like you were possessed by a dog, severely neglecting yourself. But now I see I¡¯ve underestimated you, your ambition is much greater than I imagined.¡±


    Is this the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Secret Sword left for you by the Crown Prince? You have almost mastered it, but unfortunately, the requirements are too high. Even though Lin Rui has implanted three Armaments in you, it¡¯s still not enough. Now you¡¯re still missing an Emperor Rank Bloodline. However, can you endure it? In the future, you¡¯ll advance to the Ninth Realm almost reaching the status of a Super Monarch, and the difficulty far exceeds your imagination. Next, you may need to accumulate a lot of experience in the Eight Realms!¡±


    Xianyu Yan responded expressionlessly, ¡°Divine Envoy Lord, you flatter me too much, how can I be ignorant of my own limitations? My plan is to give it a try first, and if it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll use the ¡®God-shedding Pill¡¯ to shed one or two of my talents.¡±


    In her heart, she thought to herself, if even this sword technique cannot be mastered, how could she ever seek justice for the Crown Prince? What right does she have to draw her sword before the Emperor?


    Xianyu Yan questioned her own talent, only slightly inferior to Luo Wangshu. If Luo Wangshu could do it in the past, so could she.


    You should know, back then Luo Wangshu had no power to rely on.


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s mind shifted slightly, and she furrowed her brows slightly: ¡°May I ask if the previous remark from the Divine Envoy was intended to help me master this Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Secret Sword?¡±


    ¡°Of course I intend to help you, but you also need to put in effort on your own.¡±


    Luo Wangshu released her grip on Xianyu Yan¡¯s hand: ¡°Go back and practice the Limit Heart Origin that Lin Hao taught you carefully. Once you grasp the true meaning, I will help you refine this Bloodline Power. With your talent, it should be quick, but there¡¯s one condition¡ªprotect Hao well.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Xianyu Yan still couldn¡¯t believe it.


    She noticed that Luo Wangshu was using various ways to consume her own vitality, thereby further delaying the awakening of the Bloodline.


    However, the amount of vitality Luo Wangshu would consume to refine the Limit Heart Origin for her was huge, possibly taking months to recover.


    Could Luo Wangshu really be willing to do this for her?


    No, it was for Lin Rui!


    Xianyu Yan bit her lower lip, considering this mentor and disciple relationship¡ªit truly made her¡ªjealous!


    Luo Wangshu smiled candidly: ¡°My words are as firm as law! Remember my words, take good care of him, otherwise, you won¡¯t have a chance to wait for a third master.¡±


    She waved her hand, signaling Xianyu Yan to withdraw.


    At this moment, Meng Weiyun entered from outside, lifting the curtain in surprise: ¡°Master, are you really preparing to help her refine ¡®Limit Heart Origin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°What else? The vitality in my body must be put to use somewhere; it would be such a waste otherwise.¡±


    As Luo Wangshu spoke, she got up and walked to the window sill. She took an ear of corn from the basket next to it and threw it into the pond, causing countless carp to chase after it.


    ¡°Besides, the situation of your fellow disciple is likely very perilous. He urgently needs a pillar-level expert. Xianyu Cha is slightly lacking, but nearly there.¡±


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly, pondering if her fellow-disciple¡¯s situation was truly perilous? He is in such a high position now; his days couldn¡¯t be more carefree!


    But it¡¯s also true that Lin Hao currently cannot leave Luojing City.


    However, Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes currently lacked focus, muttering the names ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ and ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ with an indescribable expression.


    She then shook her head and summoned a letter from a distant desk.


    The letter was sent via a 300,000 li Flying Book by one of her clans under her command, the Lei family from North Beijing, discussing matters related to Lin Hao¡¯s estates.


    Luo Wangshu scrutinized the text inside, her eyes revealing contemplative thoughts.


    Meng Weiyun¡¯s expression shifted, she slightly shook her head: ¡°Master, are you worried about the disciple¡¯s decision not to collect rent? I thought it was indeed advisable to persuade him, but I didn¡¯t expect the disciple to be so kind-hearted, but this is not sustainable.¡±


    Recently, Lin Hao had forcefully taken nearly 540,000 acres of land from the hands of the Outer Heaven Demons around Luojing, mostly well-tilled fertile Medicine Fields.


    Meng Weiyun originally thought Lin Hao intended to use these Medicinal Fields as a foundation for engaging in medicinal trade after opening the port.


    But Lin Hao started to recruit displaced people to cultivate for him, not only providing them with selected seeds but also inviting experts from the Medicine God Sect to teach them the art of concocting Spiritual Medicines.


    The key point is that the fellow-disciple doesn¡¯t collect any rent, merely requiring these tenants to pay the government¡¯s Land Tax, while prioritizing the sale of their harvests to his trading company¡ª


    This was undoubtedly too favorable for those tenants.


    Although the Land Tax stipulated by the Great Song Court was heavy, it hadn¡¯t reached the point of driving people to death; so far, it was only about ten taxes three, it was actually the miscellaneous local levies and contributions that truly harmed some citizens.


    However, these local levies would definitely not reach Lin Hao, as local officials, despite being ambitious and bold, would never dare to levy these illegal taxes on the Hidden Crown Prince.


    This means that Lin Hao¡¯s tenants only had to pay less than half of the regular taxes to receive all the produce from their fields.


    Lin Hao gave them such great benefits but did not take any money from them except requiring that their medicinal materials be prioritally sold to his trading company.


    Meng Weiyun pondered that her fellow-disciple¡¯s business capabilities were not very good, maybe too kind-hearted, which might lead to bankruptcy later.


    Meng Weiyun actually owned more than 40,000 acres of land herself, and although she also sympathized with the common folk and had a kind heart, she still collected a two tenths rent.


    ¡°Kind-hearted indeed,¡± Luo Wangshu responded with a serene smile: ¡°It seems the reasons why the Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder of the Bright Holy Sect chose him were not unfounded.¡±


    She thought she would wait and see.

 Chapter 615 - 588: Top Trending (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 615: Chapter 588: Top Trending (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui is currently live streaming from a hotel within the Martial Arts Palace.


    As one of the Space Home-class warships, the Martial Arts Palace shares the same specifications as the Capital Ship, with a length of 90,000 meters, a width of 16,300 meters, and a height of 7,200 meters, appearing enormously majestic even in space.


    Although the warship is not officially in use, as the residence of the Martial Arts Association and the venue for various top-level martial arts competitions, it attracts tens of billions of tourists from 14 base cities and numerous Federation colonization stars every year, bringing a huge amount of tourism revenue to the Martial Arts Association and the Earth Federation.


    Hence, the interior of the warship is actually very bustling.


    The place Mingde University arranged for Lin Rui to stay is called Xuanwu Hotel, one of the biggest and most luxurious seven-star hotels within the Martial Arts Palace.


    It is fully equipped with various facilities, including the top martial arts venues and training equipment for Lin Rui¡¯s use.


    Lin Rui takes advantage of his soaring popularity these days to do some live streaming on the side.


    Yu Feicui and Kang Mingkai have already helped him finalize a new endorsement contract with Sky Blue Group. After this championship is over, Sky Blue Group will grant Lin Rui an 8% equity stake and invite him to join the board of directors, requesting his lifelong endorsement of Sky Blue Group¡¯s products. However, it doesn¡¯t limit the number of live stream sessions or the amount of time, just requires shooting several tens of seconds of advertisements each year.


    In addition, the contract stipulates exclusivity in endorsements, but Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, owned by Lin Rui, is an exception.


    In fact, given Lin Rui¡¯s current worth, he doesn¡¯t really care about an 8% equity stake.


    The main reason is to repay a favor. Lin Rui is very grateful for Sky Blue Group providing him shelter for several months last year.


    Without Sky Blue Group and Fang Ranran, he would have been suppressed to death long ago, and all his information would have been exposed.


    Furthermore, this is to help Fang Ranran secure her inherited rights to Sky Blue Group.


    Lin Rui figures that since he owns a part of the group, he should occasionally contribute ¨C he would be idle otherwise.


    This championship has yet to require Lin Rui to specially dedicate time for preparation.


    Around Lin Rui, there is a group of Sky Blue Group employees assisting him, all nervously and excitedly watching him.


    During these seven days, the sales volume Lin Rui generated for Sky Blue Group has already surpassed 471.5 billion federal coins! Almost 50 billion in sales every day.


    In fact, other members of the Mingde Martial Arts Club were also live streaming and promoting products, but they neither have Lin Rui¡¯s popularity nor his ample time.


    Since the competition started, they have had events every day, and have to rest and prepare for the matches in their remaining time. Streaming for half an hour a day is already good enough, and even Zhao Yan, the most popular among them, could only manage to generate about 4 billion federal coins, which is nowhere close to Lin Rui¡¯s insane popularity!


    ¡°Okay, everyone, as you can see, I have now put on the armament external device, which contains ¡®Light Hand¡¯ armament. I must clarify that the effects of the external device are definitely not as good as those directly implanted into the body, having only about 70% effectiveness of the true ¡®Light Hand¡¯ S-grade armament.¡±


    Lin Rui, wearing a pair of all-metal gauntlets, stands in front of a high-definition 3D camera, showing them to the audience in the live streaming room.


    Armament external devices are a type of equipment that allows armament to exert its effects without needing to be implanted in the body.


    This kind of equipment can connect to the body through various channels, thereby activating the power of the armament. When this technology first emerged, it was once considered revolutionary by the scientific research community and was thought to completely change the world of biochemical martial arts.


    However, it was later discovered that external armaments not only have far less power than those directly implanted into the body but also lead to severe Armament Syndrome and a more substantial mental burden when used long-term, which eventually led to their decline in popularity.


    Nowadays, they are mainly used by martial arts streamers like Lin Rui to demonstrate the power of various armaments.


    ¡°¡ªNow, I will use my modified Shaoyang Palm without employing any other bloodline abilities. It¡¯s purely the ¡®Light Hand¡¯ combined with ¡®Shaoyang Palm¡¯, using True Yuan equivalent to the peak of Third Realm. The strength of True Yuan might be much greater, as I can¡¯t lower that, but everyone can see the data from the Ether Radar at the side.¡±


    Lin Rui suddenly strikes a Type-5 sandbag training robot next to him with his palm.


    The robot first sounds a high-temperature alarm, with crimson flames surging from inside out, and then it stops moving on the spot.


    About a minute later, when the flames on the robot have been extinguished by the overhead sprinklers, it can be seen that the robot has been scorched black, with a deep palm print on its chest plate which even has melted edges.


    ¡°Look, everyone, that¡¯s the effect of the ¡®Light Hand¡¯ combined with my modified ¡®Shaoyang Palm¡¯. Of course, the speed of a normal Third Realm Martial Cultivator definitely can¡¯t match up, making it difficult to hit a Type-5 sandbag training robot, but the power is still very impressive, posing a great threat to an average Fifth Realm Martial Cultivator.¡±


    ¡°Sky Blue Group¡¯s newly launched ¡®Light Hand¡¯ PRO is definitely a big pledge of sincerity, constructed with very solid materials and utilizing some new technology that can maximize the reduction of mental burden. Due to production capacity issues, the stock of ¡®Light Hand¡¯ PRO is limited; Sky Blue Group only has 30,000 units including Basic Version, Middle-level Version, and other versions. Everyone should order quickly, otherwise, you can only wait until one month later.¡±


    At this moment, thousands of sub-streamed live broadcasts of Lin Rui are filled with a screen full of bullet comments.


    Indeed, a portion of people were amazed by the power of Lin Rui¡¯s improved ¡®Shaoyang Palm¡¯, with many saying ¡®I¡¯ve already placed an order¡¯, but even more people were discussing Lin Rui¡¯s identity issue.


    ¡°Such an honor, a 40 trillion rich guy is doing sales for me, urging me to buy stuff, it¡¯s a feeling that¡¯s hard to describe!¡±


    ¡°Had the media not exposed the streamer¡¯s background, I would¡¯ve hardly believed that the streamer is actually a magnate who started from scratch in just one year.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really hard to believe, is the streamer actually the Children¡¯s Song Killer? A murderer, yet such a beautiful person.¡±


    ¡°What about being the Children¡¯s Song Killer? The host didn¡¯t commit indiscriminate killing. Those drug dealers and loan sharks each deserved to die.¡±


    ¡°I downloaded a video of the Children¡¯s Song Killer committing a murder, which was deduced by AI according to the evidence at the scene, and it¡¯s really cool!¡±


    ¡°Where? Where? Give me a link, please.¡±


    At this time, on the other side of the martial arts study room temporarily used as a streaming room, Yu Feicui was looking at the backend data.


    ¡°This is insanity,¡± Yu Feicui shook her head with a bewildered expression: ¡°30,000 ¡®Chaser¡¯s Light Hand¡¯ PRO, all sold out in just three minutes. I¡¯ve never seen a martial arts star with such powerful appeal.¡±


    Keep in mind, these were S-level Armaments, with just the basic version costing 1.6 million federal coins!


    The full version, on the other hand, is valued at 1.6 billion!


    In just this short 15-minute live broadcast, Lin Rui¡¯s sales reached 80 billion federal coins.


    Sky Blue Group only used 8% of the shares to sign Lin Rui, which was truly a huge win.


    ¡°Mr. Lin¡¯s improved Shaoyang Palm does have impressive power. Reviews from outside say this palm technique only requires middle-level Martial Arts skills, but its power is stronger than many high-level martial arts, especially that secret skill ¡®Shaoyang God Palm¡¯, with a rating standard reaching 4SSS+.¡±


    Yu Feicui¡¯s assistant, full of admiration, looked at Lin Rui, who was live streaming, ¡°The key is that Mr. Lin is not like other Martial Arts streamers who are all secretive. He clearly explains all the key points of the palm technique in the videos. The Martial Arts Association¡¯s statistics show that this year, the number of freshmen majoring in the light, thunder, and fire series at various Biochemical Martial Arts academies has reached 12.3 million, an increase of 279% compared to previous years, which shows Mr. Lin¡¯s influence on the Biochemical Martial Arts world now.¡±


    Another person also ¡®tsked¡¯ in awe, ¡°I heard that next semester, the various Armament academies adjusted their enrolment again, the total number is increasing by 33%. It is said that there are more students who meet the standards, and the Armament Academies had to increase the enrollment quotas.¡±


    ¡°Those martial arts critics say that Mr. Lin has not only advanced the standards of the Federation¡¯s light, thunder, and fire Martial Arts by decades but also significantly lowered the threshold for practicing these martial arts. The various Armaments combinations and improved Martial Arts developed by Mr. Lin allow more people to begin practicing.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lin himself is very powerful too. In the past seven days, the nine matches he fought were all resolved instantly. That sword speed is simply incredible; up until now, no one has been able to see his speed limit.¡±


    ¡°In just these few days, Sky Blue Group¡¯s market value surged by 54%, now reaching 43 trillion, and today it hit the daily limit up.¡±


    Hearing this, Yu Feicui nodded slightly, thinking that Lin Rui¡¯s strong appeal was also due to the boost from his current identity.


    Within the Federation, who has ever seen a trillionaire personally promoting products?


    At this moment, Lin Rui was smiling and waving his hand: ¡°Everybody, don¡¯t gossip, whether or not the Children¡¯s Song Killer, our Federation is a society ruled by law, things have to be based on evidence, can¡¯t all rely on guessing.¡±


    There was an immediate chorus of boos in the live broadcast room; some said he dared to do but not to admit, others said he didn¡¯t directly deny it, so it was mostly true.


    Lin Rui turned a blind eye to it, but the next moment, he saw several fans¡¯ comments concerning his semi-final opponent from Tianjing Martial University tomorrow, asking if he was confident.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression shifted slightly and he opened a news page.


    The headline of the news was ¡°Tianjing Martial University¡¯s main player boasts, vowing to beat Lin Rui tomorrow.¡±


    Lin Rui ignored the nonsense and found the main content of the article.


    It was Tianjing Martial University¡¯s current main player, a senior from Tianjing Martial University, Lin Chengwu, saying during an interview, ¡°I¡¯m certain that Lin Rui has advanced to the Fifth Realm Dragon Shedding, but I have already seen through his sword!¡±


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes, and then started laughing.


    This kid from Tianjing Martial University is quite spirited!

 Chapter 616 - 589: There is a God (Asking for Subscriptions, Third Release)

    Chapter 616: Chapter 589: There is a God (Asking for Subscriptions, Third Release)


    The following day at 2 PM Earth time, ¡®Immortal Sword¡¯ Shi Yan and ¡®Immovable Ming King¡¯ Zhang Jie headed to the Martial Arts Palace¡¯s Third Martial Events Hall after a brief rest post-lunch.


    The semi-finals between Mingde University and Tianjing Martial University were taking place this afternoon in the Third Martial Events Hall.


    Their own Future Science University had already defeated Xinghai University from the Third Base City in the morning and entered the finals.


    Speaking of which, Zhang Jie couldn¡¯t help but admire Shi Yan¡¯s luck.


    According to the information he had, Sky Sword Prosthetic Company backing Future Science University had been fiercely competing with Abyss Biological Group backing Tianjing Martial University over the tournament schedule.


    Neither wanted to face Mingde University prematurely and were using various methods to manipulate the draw.


    In the end, the Martial Arts Association intervened to resolve the issue, letting students from each university draw lots.


    It was Shi Yan who drew the lots for Future Science University, skillfully avoiding Lin Rui¡¯s bracket until the finals.


    ¡°Lin Rui¡¯s odds are really low, super low!¡±


    Zhang Jie checked Lin Rui¡¯s betting odds for one last time before entering the arena: ¡°Lin Rui 1 pays 1.3, Lin Chengwu 1 pays 3.2, and there are even people betting Lin Chengwu might not make it to face Lin Rui, which is different from the internet sentiment.¡±


    Currently, media and major martial critique programs are all downplaying Lin Rui¡¯s chances, saying that Lin Chengwu isn¡¯t just Hall level, but also a senior with deeper accumulations and access to top resources.


    Moreover, according to rumors, Lin Chengwu might have already stepped into the Sixth Realm!


    ¡°Anybody can talk big if there¡¯s no cost; after all, the worst they can get is a few insults, but these betting companies have to pay out with real money. Lin Chengwu¡¯s martial arts skills are there for everyone to see, but Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts depth is truly unfathomable. From the videos he¡¯s posted, it seems bottomless.¡±


    Shi Yan chuckled and also headed to one of the betting windows to place her bets.


    She was known for her craziness¡ªputting all her 22 billion federal coins and another 17 billion in low-interest loans on the line, shocking the staff at the window pale and rushing to escort her to the VIP room.


    The odds are actually higher in the underground betting rings, but nowadays few dare to place such large bets underground for fear of a major player flipping the table.


    Recently, anecdotes of the Federation Government¡¯s base city defense army Commander Kou Xuan Wang have been spreading like wildfire, painting the underground betting rings as treacherous as floods and wild beasts.


    Zhang Jie, not having as much money as Shi Yan, put in all of his assets plus some low-interest loans, amounting to over 11 billion.


    He thought this was sure money.


    Those who really understand can sense how terrifying Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts talent truly is.


    Zhang Jie, after watching those videos, noted that Lin Rui had mastered at least 97 martial arts techniques across low, middle, and high levels, reaching the Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster Level!


    So what level has his main martial arts reached by now?


    And with Lin Rui being so wealthy, his armament abilities must be top-notch! Both 5SSS and 5SSS+ are possible.


    I guess Abyss and Sky Sword¡¯s plan is to beat Lin Rui if possible, or at the very least to last a few thousand moves without losing too disgracefully.


    By the time they finished placing their bets and entered the venue, the semi-finals had already started.


    The entire venue was packed, with the core area of the Third Martial Events Hall¡¯s 120,000 VIP seats and 1.13 million regular seats all filled up.


    The roaring of over a million people merged into a tremendous wave of sound that could shatter eardrums if ear protection wasn¡¯t worn.


    As competing athletes, Shi Yan and her teammates had their own designated seats.


    No sooner had the two sat down than the rest of Future Science University¡¯s competing team members started arriving, including the team captain Ji Tiantao.


    ¡°Is that Wang Sen on the stage?¡±


    Shi Yan watched the fight on the stage, her eyes showing amazement: ¡°It¡¯s been less than a year, and this guy¡¯s strength has actually reached this level, he¡¯s even entered the Fifth Realm! I really didn¡¯t expect this chubby kid to have so much potential.¡±


    What¡¯s crucial is that this person¡¯s martial arts skills are quite remarkable, too. His high-level martial arts technique ¡®Cold Blood Palm¡¯ has already reached a masterful level, and he¡¯s exchanging blows with an opponent from Tianji Martial Arts University.


    In this championship tournament, this Wang Sen has already started to alternate with Lu Fang, Nolan Wei, and Fang Ranran, taking turns as the vanguard, the runner-up, and the backbone, thereby ensuring that Mingde University¡¯s Martial Arts team maintains its full combat strength in the frequent competitions.


    And that Fang Ranran is also very powerful.


    Up to now, she hasn¡¯t revealed all her strength.


    It¡¯s not unreasonable for the betting companies to offer odds on whether Tianji Martial Arts can fight their way to the main general battle.


    Zhang Jie also had a somber look on his face, as Wang Sen¡¯s martial arts are a bit of a counter to his own, making it tricky to fight against him.


    Currently, in the players¡¯ area, Lin Rui was watching the match while listening to Fang Ranran explaining Lin Rui¡¯s business insights to Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem for Lin Rui¡¯s estates not to collect tenant rents. First, he didn¡¯t spend any money to acquire these estates, so there is no cost; second, the operating costs are also low¡ª¡±


    Fang Ranran, armed with a Nine Realms Emperor Divine Artifact that could shield against nearby Divine Senses, spoke very openly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve investigated carefully, and the current land tax near Luojing is a three-tenths tax rate. Including various donations, it basically reaches a six-tenths rate. Those landlords do not need to pay so much tax; they are basically around four-tenths. However, in reality, their tenant rents plus taxes can at most bring in only sixty-five percent.¡±


    ¡°If the tenant rent exceeds sixty-five percent, those tenants will run away. There¡¯s too much land on Sky Extreme Star, and the produce is also very abundant. They would rather hide in the mountains than be exploited by those landlords, to the point where many of the powerful have had to resort to using force to capture and suppress the fleeing tenants.¡±


    ¡°¡ªConsequently, these tenants are no different from slaves, their production efficiency is infuriatingly low, and they are prone to Demon Transformation, so these landlords need to invest a lot of money to maintain a large martial force. They also need to find every possible way to hide their land to evade taxes, otherwise, they would be operating at a loss. The medicine fields operated by the Pharmaceutical Alliance actually make very little profit, mainly earning money through raw material trade with the Earth Federation and drug processing.¡±


    To ensure the safety of their medicine fields and not be reported by the surrounding landlords, these Pharmaceutical Alliance operate very conservatively and don¡¯t dare to overstep the bounds. Lin Rui, however, is not afraid at all.


    ¡°So, the two to three tenths of tenant rent that Lin Rui has waived can completely be made up through improved production efficiency and productivity. Even just a ten percent increase in yield from these medicine fields could bring him astounding profits. The medicinal materials from Sky Extreme Star, once sold to the Earth Federation, would fetch prices more than triple the original. According to our calculations, just switching to better crops could increase the yield by at least eighty percent.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, Lin Rui¡¯s estate is very large, with fields extending as far as the eye can see in his vast lands. His tenants live within Lin Rui¡¯s estates, seldom going out and outsiders can rarely come in. This means that his tenants can only buy various daily necessities from Lin Rui, who can completely profit from the sale of these goods. ¡®Value-added tax¡¯ is something that often doesn¡¯t make people feel the pain, and accordingly, the chance of Demon Transformation is reduced¡ª¡±


    ¡°Value-added tax?¡± Ji Xueying looked up value-added tax, gradually showing a look of realization.


    She had heard before that Lin Rui¡¯s more than 500,000 acres of land did not collect tenant rent, and moreover, he provided superior seeds, draught animals, farm tools, etc., wouldn¡¯t he be losing a fortune? It turns out there was such a trick to it.


    Lin Rui smiled upon hearing this. In fact, managing estates can be very profitable. There are many ways to exploit tenants that can make them feel no pain.


    At this moment, he listened to Fei Yunlai clicking his tongue in admiration: ¡°This chubby kid has finally made a name for himself, not in vain did I cultivate him. Speaking of which, the one I admire the most in the Martial Arts Club is Wang Sen. He¡¯s a lot like I was back then, really a lot alike.¡±


    ¡°Wang Sen, huh?¡± Lin Rui nodded, deeply agreeing: ¡°Indeed, he has made a splash. Just this month alone, Wang Sen paid me back 300 million federal coins. His popularity is getting stronger and stronger, and it¡¯s possible he could pay off all his debts within three months and gather enough money to cultivate a Mecha Dragon within half a year.¡±


    He was speaking carelessly, but it struck a chord with the listener. When Fei Yunlai heard ¡°pay off all the debts,¡± his face suddenly stiffened.


    He suddenly realized, how could this chubby kid be anything like him? They¡¯re not on the same path at all!


    He¡¯s now over 40 billion federal coins in debt, and if it weren¡¯t for the fact that part of it was a zero-interest loan from Lin Rui, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to afford the interest now.


    Fei Yunlai could now only hope for the equity incentive from Forest Alien Body Company. He knew about the company¡¯s stock incentive plan, so he had to get on the board of directors to get the largest share of stock incentives! No one should try to stop him!


    And that Wang Sen, besides the income from his live streams, could also take a handsome salary from Lin Rui as well as a stipend from the Great Song Court. The chubby kid may not become tremendously wealthy in this lifetime, but he certainly wouldn¡¯t be like himself, drowning in debt.


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t notice Fei Yunlai¡¯s expression. At the moment, he sensed something and looked towards a seat in the opposite stand.


    Was that Shi Yan? This woman seemed to be quite interesting.


    ¡ªOn her, there might be a God!

 Chapter 617 - 590: Common Will (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 617: Chapter 590: Common Will (Please Subscribe)


    At this moment, Shi Yan was looking at Lin Rui.


    She herself was eager to challenge this guy.


    It had been eight months since last summer¡¯s exchange battle, and she had many encounters during this period. Now, her Bloodline Ability and Martial Arts Accomplishment had made significant progress.


    Also, Sword Intent and Conceptual Power¡ªShi Yan¡¯s concept corresponding to the ¡®Immortal Sword Intent¡¯ had undergone fundamental changes!


    Therefore, Shi Yan wanted to fight Lin Rui once more, to decide the winner on the widely watched arena stage!


    In this tournament, Shi Yan had never gone all out, just to maintain her peak condition, preparing for this battle with Lin Rui.


    However, the moment Lin Rui¡¯s indifferent gaze swept over her, Shi Yan inexplicably felt goosebumps all over, with a strong chill invading her body.


    ¡°This guy?¡±


    Shi Yan narrowed her eyes, a hint of annoyance showing in the depths of her gaze.


    This annoyance was not directed at Lin Rui, but at herself, for she had just felt a strong aversion to Lin Rui, along with a hint of fear.


    She actually felt fear from just one look from Lin Rui.


    ¡°You better be careful, Shi Yan.¡±


    At this moment, a melodious and ethereal voice entered her mind: ¡°I feel that this young man has the aura of my kind.¡±


    ¡°My kind?¡± Shi Yan was slightly stunned, and she sized up Lin Rui: ¡°Does this guy also possess remnants of a Divine Spirit?¡±


    ¡°Not sure.¡± The ethereal voice spoke: ¡°It might be remnants of a Divine Spirit, or perhaps a vessel for a Divine Spirit¡¯s resurrection. Seeing that his mind is clear, it¡¯s probably the former, but it¡¯s not certain. You will be fighting him tomorrow, right? Then you will know the truth about him.¡±


    Shi Yan furrowed her brows, her gaze becoming complicated.


    Is her destined rival, the one she has been longing to challenge, actually one of her own kind?


    Afterwards, her mind was somewhat preoccupied, and she didn¡¯t really pay much attention to the intense battle happening on the stage.


    ¡ªShi Yan really didn¡¯t care much, in her eyes, other than Lin Rui, there were no other noteworthy figures in the Mingde University Martial Arts team.


    That Wang Sen was truly formidable! Shi Yan didn¡¯t know what this man had gone through in the past half-year; his Cultivation Bloodline had actually reached 5SS+.


    Although his physical and spiritual power had not reached the standards of a Colonel Rank, his Bloodline Ability had barely entered the threshold of 5SS+, yet he possessed a systematic ¡®Xuanwu Sacred Body,¡¯ and his martial arts score had also reached the 5S+ level.


    He had used his overwhelming cold power to freeze the qi and blood of a Fifth Realm frontline player from Sky Capital Martial University, ultimately winning.


    Although Wang Sen¡¯s spiritual power and Bloodline Talent are strong, his accumulation in martial arts is weak, and crucially this guy seems insufficient in Yang Qi, still not catching Shi Yan¡¯s eye.


    However, just after Mingde University¡¯s second player, Nolan Wei, was knocked off the stage by the second player from Sky Capital Martial University, Zhang Jie suddenly exclaimed.


    ¡°Strange, the mainstay of Mingde University isn¡¯t Fang Ranran but has been replaced by Zhao Yan!¡±


    Shi Yan¡¯s eyebrows raised, and she looked towards Zhao Yan who had already leaped onto the stage.


    Zhao Yan has always been recognized as the second in Mingde University¡¯s Martial Arts Club, with combat power only behind Lin Rui, also serving as the Deputy General.


    This time Zhao Yan took on the role of the mainstay¡ª


    The outcome of this next battle was within everyone¡¯s expectations.


    This Zhao Yan has decent strength and is a hardworking person, but his talent is only among the top ten. In teams at the level of Sky Capital Martial University and Future Science University, at most he could only be a mainstay.


    Especially since Zhao Yan wasted most of half a year.


    Currently, Zhao Yan¡¯s Cultivation Bloodline is also weak at 5SS+, similar to Wang Sen, but very barely, Shi Yan noticed Zhao Yan was under heavy mental pressure and was also approaching his limit.


    This person¡¯s spiritual power talent is actually not as good as Wang Sen; that chubby guy might have insubstantial Primordial Qi, but his spiritual power is far from the limit and can bear more armaments, his talent close to the Hall level, maybe even stronger than Zhang Jie.


    Only, Zhao Yan has been in the Fifth Realm for over three months longer.


    Zhao Yan not only reached the physical quality of a Colonel Rank, but also has an accumulation in martial arts at the 5SS level.


    The problem is this person practices a strength type of martial arts; once weaker in strength compared to the opponent, it becomes difficult to win in combat.


    Zhao Yan defeated the forward player from Sky Capital Martial University who had been exhausted by Wang Sen and Nolan Wei¡¯s consecutive fights, but lost to the mainstay of Sky Capital Martial University.


    ¡°Interesting¡ª¡±


    Shi Yan¡¯s lips curved up slightly, looking towards Mingde University¡¯s head coach Fei Yunlai: ¡°That person with the surname Fei clearly believes Fang Ranran¡¯s strength is stronger.¡±


    Her other teammates also showed puzzled expressions.


    They noticed Fang Ranran had held back in several fights in the last few days, but to say her strength is stronger than Zhao Yan¡¯s might be a bit of a stretch.


    This woman¡¯s entire set of armaments is top-notch, yet her overall rating only reached 5SS; her application of the Martial Arts Extreme Intent ¡®Jie¡¯ and related concepts was also unremarkable.


    But as soon as the battle began, the entire third Martial Arts Stadium buzzed, emitting a thunderous noise that shook the heavens.


    Over a million gazes were focused on Fang Ranran.


    Shi Yan also suddenly stood up, looking at the stage with great surprise.


    Only because just now, Fang Ranran had used just one sword strike to blast the mainstay of Tianjing Martial University off the stage!


    Moreover, it was when the mainstay of Tianjing Martial University had already successfully blocked, yet she blasted him over thirty yards away with one sword!


    After landing, that person actually knelt on the ground, unable to stand up, with blood oozing from his seven facial orifices.


    ¡°This power¡ª¡ª¡±


    Zhang Jie looked incredulous, both people on the stage were of the Fifth Realm, how could there be such a great disparity in their strength?


    He immediately became stern: ¡°It¡¯s not strength, it¡¯s concept!¡±


    The head coach of Future Science University also suddenly stood up, his gaze intense as he looked down at the arena: ¡°It¡¯s Elixir Heart and Unity, with a strength of only about 8%, not too strong, but¡ª¡ª¡±


    Elixir Heart as solid as iron, Unity as unbreakable as a fortress!


    The head coach flicked through news about Fang Ranran: ¡°She has high popularity, and the public sentiment gathered is also very strong!¡±


    After this semi-final of the University Martial Arts League Championship, broadcast by all national television and video media, Fang Ranran¡¯s popularity and recognition will only get higher.


    Currently, the nature of this girl¡¯s ¡®Elixir Heart¡¯ is unknown, but just by seeing her overwhelm her opponent with one sword strike, it¡¯s clear that Fang Ranran¡¯s ¡®Elixir Heart¡¯ is a kind of resolution and conviction that can gather the hearts and minds of the people to the greatest extent!


    The two Martial Intents cultivated by Fang Ranran are quite miraculous, not only requiring a strong enough belief that people hope for and acknowledge, but also high popularity trusted by a large number of people, to manifest its divine might.


    Otherwise, no matter how high the concept strength is, it has no power whatsoever.


    The head coach of Future Science University¡¯s face darkened: ¡°Tiantao! Tomorrow we need to change the battle order, Shi Yan will be the main fighter, and you will follow as the Deputy General.¡±


    Including Zhang Jie and Shi Yan, many team members of Future Science University were extremely surprised as they looked toward their team leader Ji Tiantao.


    Ji Tiantao frowned deeply, lost in thought.


    He was contemplating the pros and cons.


    The head coach turned to Ji Tiantao and said earnestly, ¡°Tiantao, Shi Yan¡¯s ¡®Immortal Sword¡¯ has strong combat power, comparable to Dragon Transformation, yet her Primordial Spirit strength is only of the Fifth Realm, restricted by Fang Ranran¡¯s Sword Intent and concept. If Shi Yan battles first, it will not serve the purpose of depleting Lin Rui¡¯s energy. Only with your Dragon Transformation cultivation can you resist her Sword Intent up front. Your martial arts far surpass hers, sufficient for a quick victory!¡±


    Ji Tiantao was reluctant, but after a moment, he nodded indifferently: ¡°Okay!¡±


    Ji Tiantao didn¡¯t take this head coach seriously, yet he had to consider the ¡®Abyss Group¡¯ that this person represented.


    This was a will of a giant consortium with a total market value of seventeen trillion, not to be defied!


    Shi Yan, hearing this, was also extremely displeased, her expression sour.


    The head coach actually thought she was no match for that woman Fang Ranran?


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± the voice in Shi Yan¡¯s mind spoke up again: ¡°She must be a high-ranking official of your Heavenly Demon. So young and already so illustrious and respected, gathering so much public sentiment.


    Unless you use my power, you will lose to her now. Her martial arts accomplishments are nowhere near yours, yet that swordsmanship, gathering the will of thousands, is enough to break all methods and overpower everything! And Jie¡¯s Martial Art, blocking everything, can ensure her power doesn¡¯t go to waste, this girl¡¯s teacher is probably no ordinary person.¡±


    On the stage, Fang Ranran held her sword, her spirit soaring.


    Her venerable mentor once said that whether Fang Ranran could reach the pinnacle of martial arts in the future was not something she could achieve by her own efforts alone, it depended on her fate.


    Fang Ranran felt her luck was quite good, being able to lead at the age of twenty, gathering the hearts and spirits of the people, deeply fathoming the subtleties of ¡®Elixir Heart¡¯ and ¡®Unity¡¯.


    She was filled with confidence, feeling that her current strength could pierce through three layers, and defeating Tianjing Martial University was not a problem.


    However, about four minutes later, Fang Ranran walked towards the stage with a calm face.


    She glanced back at Tianjing Martial University¡¯s main fighter, Lin Chengwu, her expression slightly reluctant.


    This main fighter of Tianjing Martial University had indeed transformed into a dragon, Fang Ranran only withstood 7 moves against him.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but chuckle silently, and walked towards the stage with a knife.


    He was not surprised at all by Fang Ranran¡¯s swift defeat; her ¡®Elixir Heart¡¯ and ¡®Unity¡¯ against those of the same level, and those with lesser Divine Soul power, were overwhelmingly strong.


    But if the opponent could withstand her spiritual onslaught, then the victory must be decided by their respective martial arts strength.


    The problem was Fang Ranran had so many other matters to attend to, she simply didn¡¯t have time to seriously cultivate her Jie¡¯s Martial Art.


    However, today¡¯s battle in the championship, where Fang Ranran consecutively defeated two enemies from Tianjing Martial University, a powerful team with all members above the Fifth Realm, was enough to make her name, though defeated yet glorious.


    Lin Rui then made a nimble leap onto the stage, his eyes catching a glimpse of Lin Chengwu across from him, and the Sixth Realm Super Emperor Battle Dragon behind him, a trace of different colors appeared in his eyes.


    Lin Chengwu was also watching him, his eyes aloof, full of fighting spirit.

 Chapter 618: 591: Agreement (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 618: Chapter 591: Agreement (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui¡¯s battle with Lin Chengwu could not start immediately, simply because several members of the University Martial Arts League competition committee were in unending dispute.


    Up to now, there has never been a case in the University Martial Arts League where a student has entered the Dragon Transformation Stage.


    Although the third Martial Arts arena is equipped with an entrance for Battle Dragons and sufficient space and safety facilities for Battle Dragons to fight inside, this is clearly beyond the scope of the University Martial Arts League!


    This is an overwhelming power that would strip the competition of its watchability.


    Plus, the size of the ring for the university league is not sufficient, and the range of the arena must be expanded by an entire circle.


    Hence, the members of the University Martial Arts League competition committee are fiercely debating whether Lin Chengwu can use a Battle Dragon in combat.


    The head coach of Future Science University and Ji Tiantao among others are also paying attention, as this is very important for their battle tomorrow.


    If they can use a Battle Dragon tomorrow, then they will have a higher chance of winning.


    Zhang Jie thought to himself, does everyone still think that Lin Rui has a greater chance of winning?


    At this point, one of his teammates asked in confusion: ¡°Coach, do you also think that Lin Rui could possibly win? Is that not very unlikely? Lin Chengwu¡¯s talent is at Hall level, and he has transformed into a Battle Dragon! He¡¯s at the Sixth Realm Super Emperor Rank!¡±


    ¡ª¡ªGiven a bit more time, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Lin Chengwu to enter the Emperor Rank of the Sixth Realm.


    The head coach did not answer directly, but instead turned to ask Ji Tiantao: ¡°Tiantao, have you clearly seen Lin Rui¡¯s Sword Drawing these days?¡±


    Since the start of the championship, Lin Rui has resolved nine consecutive battles with the Yang Pulling Slash in an instant at the beginning of the matches.


    Although various martial arts teams and Prosthetic Companies have thought of various methods to cope before the competition, they have all failed without exception.


    Ji Tiantao shook his head slightly: ¡°I¡¯ve only seen clearly about half of it.¡±


    ¡°What about Shi Yan?¡± the head coach continued to ask.


    Shi Yan raised an eyebrow slightly: ¡°Also about fifty percent, I guess¡ª¡±


    In fact, she saw Lin Rui¡¯s Sword Drawing clearly, as Shi Yan relied on the existence within her body to see it.


    However, she still knew a bit of the ways of the world and there was no need to embarrass Ji Tiantao at this time.


    Ji Tiantao indeed glanced at her sideways.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only seen clearly about eighty to ninety percent, so how could Lin Chengwu possibly see Lin Rui¡¯s sword draw clearly?¡±


    The head coach sneered: ¡°If everything goes as expected, there must be a master of at least the Eighth Realm Emperor Rank or even Ninth Realm to help him see clearly. The question is whether Lin Rui¡¯s previous Sword Drawing was really done with his full effort? And I heard that Lin Rui might also have performed a Dragon Transformation.¡±


    ¡°Lin Rui has also undergone Dragon Transformation?¡±


    The members of Future Science University¡¯s team buzzed with surprise, looking at the head coach with astonished eyes.


    How old is Lin Rui? How long has he been in college?


    It was surprising enough that he and that Wang Sen could enter the Fifth Realm.


    Before this competition, people generally believed that Lin Rui might have been implanted with the Armored Dragon Armor, but his physical condition still did not meet the requirements of a colonel.


    ¡°It is said that during the recent pharmaceutical war in the Ninth Base City, Lin Rui was always with his Battle Dragon support vehicle, but it seems that his Battle Dragon did not engage in any action, and there is no video evidence to prove it.¡±


    The head coach crossed his arms and squinted his eyes: ¡°However, the possibility of Lin Rui undergoing a Dragon Transformation is not non-existent; we must guard against it. Tiantao, Shi Yan, you both need to watch carefully! I estimate that Lin Chengwu¡¯s chance of winning is not high, about twenty to thirty percent, but it won¡¯t be a problem for him to force Lin Rui to reveal his true capacity. By seeing clearly, only then can we know ourselves and the enemy in tomorrow¡¯s finals.¡±


    Ji Tiantao nodded, his eyes not leaving Lin Rui for a moment.


    Shi Yan was also concentrating intently, but what she wanted to see was the ¡®God¡¯ on Lin Rui¡¯s body.


    Indeed, which one of the Abyssal remnants was possessing Lin Rui.


    By coincidence, at the same time, in a private box in the VIP area, the Great Chief Priest of the Longevity Association, ¡®Chen Long¡¯, was also smilingly watching Lin Rui on the stage.


    ¡°It must be a Ninth Realm master who has seen Lin Rui¡¯s Blade Intent clearly and imprinted it in Lin Chengwu¡¯s mind, but this does not mean Lin Chengwu cannot win. As long as he knows how Lin Rui draws his sword and the actual speed of the blade, then he knows how to counter it. As long as Lin Rui does not use his Battle Dragon, then Lin Chengwu¡¯s chances of winning are high.¡±


    Standing beside Chen Long at this moment was none other than ¡®Star Sea White Wolf¡¯ Zang Shaochen¡ªwho should have been locked up in jail!


    Zang Shaochen, with his arms behind his back, spoke indifferently: ¡°So you are certain that Lin Rui has undergone Dragon Transformation and have decided to make a move against him?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be sure. During the pharmaceutical corporate warfare, Lin Rui was stepping on a Battle Dragon maintenance vehicle¡ªwho knows who that vehicle belonged to? There wasn¡¯t any impact, but this kid is indeed formidable, giving off an unfathomable impression. Now whether it¡¯s Ninth Realm masters or the most advanced ethereal detection equipment, none can sense his substance or void. It¡¯s estimated that he has awakened a bloodline related to time and space, capable of shielding Spiritual Sense.¡±


    Chen Long shook his head, rubbing his temple, and said with a helpless expression: ¡°As for whether we should make a move on him, didn¡¯t you attend the meeting before your surrender? Right now, we internally still can¡¯t make a decision. The things in Lin Cong¡¯s possession are too important for us.


    Once those experimental data are exposed, every faction of the Earth Federation will go all out to annihilate us, and by then, the pressure we¡¯ll face will be several times what it is now. It¡¯ll also affect the progress of our ¡®Artificial Sky¡¯ project. So even I can¡¯t make up my mind. Are we really ready to pay such a heavy price just to kill these three siblings?¡±


    Zang Shaochen narrowed his eyes: ¡°How could you let such important data fall into his hands? And these three siblings should have been dealt with long ago, don¡¯t tell me you have no ways at all.¡±


    ¡°Those documents were left to him by Huang Fuqing and his wife. Without his wife, we simply can¡¯t complete the experiment and must tolerate it. The only thing we didn¡¯t expect was that Lin Cong could actually escape our surveillance and assassination. He¡¯s very clever.¡±


    Chen Long shook his head again: ¡°As for the three siblings, it¡¯s not that we haven¡¯t done anything. We¡¯ve been secretly guiding the Divine Light Army and the Bright Holy Sect to take action against the three Lin siblings. Unfortunately, these fools have always been letting me down.¡±


    He then pointed his finger at the arena: ¡°So now, it all depends on the outcome of this semi-final and final. Lin Chengwu and Ji Tiantao, along with the Abyss-possessed Immortal Sword Shi Yan, should be able to force out all of his strength. Whether he can win these three battles and with what kind of advantage he can win, will decide whether he lives or dies next.


    It¡¯s also to avoid angering the Martial Arts Association. The three President and Vice Presidents of the Association have spread the word outside, whoever dares to cause trouble during the championship will be crushed by them. Tsk~ Speaking of which, Shaochen, you are close to the level of Senior Divine Envoy, can you make a prediction? How do you see Lin Rui¡¯s chances in this battle?¡±


    Zang Shaochen squinted his eyes, gazing at Lin Rui¡¯s back on stage, and then indifferently said: ¡°He should be able to win with one move. Lin Rui possesses extremely strong Sword Intent and concept theory. Lin Chengwu should be your descendant, right? You can have the Martial Arts Association prepare the best prosthetic doctor for that Lin Chengwu. Prepare two sets, that idiot has angered his opponent.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Chen Long turned his head in surprise, looking at Zang Shaochen.


    ¡°One move, are you serious?¡±


    Underneath Chen Long were two Quasi-Member Level fighters, both of whom had reached the ninth realm Emperor Rank.


    ¡ª His own strength was also formidable!


    Chen Long estimated that in this battle, even without allowing the use of Battle Dragon, Lin Chengwu should be able to withstand at least three thousand strikes from Lin Rui.


    Zang Shaochen heard this and smiled dismissively, showing no interest in responding.


    He had not watched Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts videos and lacked understanding of this individual, but he felt the Blade Intent emanating from the latter, which even made him feel a twinge of fear.


    However, what puzzled him was that the aura of Spirit Mechanism on this individual gave him a strange feeling, somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    To say that Lin Rui was enraged was a bit too much; he just felt that this battle might require a bit more seriousness.


    Because Lin Chengwu was currently looking down at him from mid-air, with a look of disdain and expectation: ¡°Now you can pray that if the committee agrees to let Battle Dragon participate, then within a maximum of 100 moves, I can take your head.¡±


    Now outside, Lin Rui was being hyped up as if he were something divine, but Lin Chengwu didn¡¯t think much of him.


    Lin Chengwu had watched Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts teaching videos and felt that the latter¡¯s martial arts talent was indeed outstanding.


    But at best, those were only high-level martial arts, incomparable to Dragon Transformation martial skills.


    Moreover, the level of combat strength is not only determined by martial arts but also by Bloodline Power.


    Lin Chengwu¡¯s Battle Dragon was merely at the Sixth Realm Super Emperor level, but his Bloodline Power had already been enhanced to the Sixth Realm Emperor Rank before the fight!


    Lin Chengwu didn¡¯t care about Lin Rui¡¯s status as a super-rich tycoon either.


    His uncle was a high-ranking member of the Longevity Association, so Lin Chengwu knew that in the eyes of many Longevity Association high-ranking officials, this martial arts top star and up-and-coming financial magnate, who shocked the world with the pharmaceutical corporate wars and four trillion in wealth, was no more than a grasshopper that could be crushed with a finger.


    Lin Rui shook his head and communicated with the referee beside him: ¡°Referee sir, I have no problem, you can allow him to use the Battle Dragon.¡±


    The chief referee looked at Lin Rui with astonishment, scrutinizing him from head to toe.


    This guy actually allows his opponent to use the Battle Dragon, is he serious?


    But at the moment, the University Martial Arts League¡¯s committee does indeed lean towards Lin Chengwu.


    Since no rule was set at the beginning of the University Martial Arts League to disallow the participation of Battle Dragons, it now cannot be prohibited due to the impact on the spectating experience. This is what real fairness is about.

 Chapter 619: 592: Collapse (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 619: Chapter 592: Collapse (Third Update, Please Subscribe)


    Allowing the Battle Dragon to participate in the war requires a temporary adjustment of the venue, activating various safety facilities capable of withstanding the power of the Battle Dragon to ensure the safety of the VIP seats around.


    Zang Shaochen could no longer wait. He covered his entire body with the exoskeleton armor he carried with him, which also concealed his face.


    ¡°I have to go back, someone told me that Kou Xuanwang has returned to the Capital.


    Federation Government Headquarters Base Garrison Commander Kou Xuanwang is the only existence in the capital that Zang Shaochen fears.


    Actually, there are Divine Envoys of higher levels there, but only Kou Xuanwang takes him seriously.


    ¡°Shaochen, I advise you to choose someone from among us to temporarily hand over the Second Starship Group.¡±


    Great Chief Priest Chen Long turned his head and persuaded: ¡°Dragging this on is not a solution. Currently, our enemies are unable to get their hands on the Second Starship Group, but we are also unable to use the power of this group.¡±


    He emphasized his tone: ¡°I can assure you, it¡¯s just a temporary custody. Once you get free, and the king returns, everything will still be yours. Actually, I suggest you use the ¡®Artificial Sky¡¯. You are the most important investor in the ¡®Artificial Sky¡¯, and should know its progress. It can help you achieve resurrection; since East Abyss wants you dead, just change your identity.¡±


    However, Zang Shaochen seemed as if he did not hear, and walked towards the door on his own.


    Indeed, he was an important investor in the ¡®Artificial Sky¡¯, but from the moment Great Song decided to open its ports, the Longevity Association had excluded him from the affairs of the ¡®Artificial Sky¡¯.


    Therefore, Zang Shaochen now has no trust in the ¡®Artificial Sky¡¯ whatsoever.


    Moreover, he is advancing rapidly now; with just a few more months, Zang Shaochen will be able to cultivate the Ninth Realm ¡®Super Monarch Secret Sword¡¯, and like Li Xianglong and Luo Wangshu, the Third Divine Envoy from Great Song, become a Senior Divine Envoy.


    By then, even when facing the entire Earth Federation, he will be able to ensure the safety of his own life.


    At that time, whoever wants him dead, and wants to take everything from him, it won¡¯t be so easy.


    Seeing this, Great Chief Priest Chen Long slightly shook his head and turned back to continue watching the arena.


    The Martial Arts Palace holds various top-level martial arts competitions year-round; they adjusted the venue very quickly, and in just three minutes, they had already preliminarily adjusted the venue.


    By now, both parties had returned to the center of the arena, standing face to face at a distance of 50 meters, waiting for the countdown to end.


    ¡°Just one move?¡±


    Great Chief Priest Chen Long still found it unbelievable.


    Could Lin Rui really defeat Lin Chengwu in one move? Impossible, right?


    ¡°Hmm~¡±


    Great Chief Priest Chen Long suddenly let out a surprised sound.


    His pupils dilated, staring down at the stage in utter shock.


    ¡°Is this~ Concept?¡±


    The moment Lin Rui grasped his sword, Chen Long sensed several overwhelmingly strong Conceptual Powers covering the entire arena.


    So much so that the entire space above the arena was covered with a layer of dark curtain¡ªresembling the Heavenly Curtain inside the Sky Extreme Star!


    ¡°Inevitable Hit and Fated Death, along with Light Trace, Light Speed, and Universal Illumination!¡±


    Chen Long¡¯s voice was hoarse as he directly made a phone call: ¡°Send the best Prosthetic Doctor in the Martial Arts Hall to the Third Martial Arts Tournament Arena, and make it fast. I want to see them within a minute!¡±


    Zang Shaochen was right, they must prepare the best doctor for Lin Chengwu.


    The Third Martial Arts Tournament Arena also has a top-tier medical team, but that¡¯s not enough.


    They can save Lin Chengwu¡¯s life, but they can¡¯t save his prostheses, they can¡¯t guarantee Lin Chengwu¡¯s future.


    And although Great Chief Priest Chen Long is a top biologist, in terms of surgery and hands-on skills, he can only be considered above average.


    With Lin Rui¡¯s immensely strong Martial Intent, not just any doctor can handle it. Chen Long is not capable of performing such complex surgery; he must seek more skillful help.


    Additionally, this guy¡¯s rate of growth is indeed frightening.


    Chen Long truly felt fear, sensing that this person posed a greater threat to the Longevity Association than even his own two sisters.


    The head coach of Future Science University also turned pale at this point, standing up straight, looking at the arena in disbelief.


    ¡°All five concepts are at 18% strength, with Inevitable Hit and Fated Death further enhanced to 23% by the strength of the bloodline power. I think he¡¯s mad! How is this even possible?¡±


    Merely Fifth Realm to Sixth Realm Cultivation, yet attaining 18% strength of Conceptual Power in so many types. Is this guy seeking death? Isn¡¯t he afraid of becoming a Divine Container? How is he not insane?


    Additionally, the Martial Intent displayed by Lin Rui also left the head coach of Future Science University baffled.


    At this moment, in the competition arena, Lin Chengwu¡¯s forehead broke out in cold sweat, his complexion pale and ashen.


    In front of him, not only was the Conceptual Power enhanced to the point of being visible to the naked eye, but the entire temporal void was also in violent turbulence. Physical laws were continuously collapsing, and the 1 square kilometer arena itself was ¡®crackling¡¯ with noise, beginning to sprout fine cracks.


    The surrounding defensive mechanisms were also forced to open to their maximum extent, generating layers upon layers of invisible forcefields around them,


    ¡°This guy?¡±


    Lin Chengwu thought to himself that the Lin Rui in front of him must be a powerful Martial Cultivator in disguise, or was he dreaming?


    Five types of 18% powerful concepts, are these really the strengths that could be cultivated in the Fifth and Sixth Realms?


    At this moment, Lin Chengwu also felt that the Titanium Gold Saber Dragon behind him began to show threads of fear.


    If the Battle Dragon has emotions, it means it has begun to develop spiritual wisdom, but right now, Lin Chengwu couldn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of joy.


    The presiding judge beside him also had a gloomy face, extremely tense in spirit.


    He wanted to stop the battle, simply because the judge had no confidence in controlling the situation and couldn¡¯t ensure that nothing would go wrong.


    The judge had already issued a request, but the competition committee had not yet agreed, still discussing.


    This left the judge full of worries, thinking what else is there to discuss?


    Today could very well entail fatalities! However, directly stopping it would be unfair to Lin Rui, who had already revealed his strength.


    If Lin Chengwu were to be declared defeated directly, there would definitely be all kinds of trouble afterwards, with accusations of insider manipulation in the competition.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, stood with his robe whirling around him without any wind, looking at Lin Chengwu with an expressionless face.


    ¡°Have you seen my sword clearly? Then catch it¡ª¡ª¡±


    At that moment, the electronic countdown on the field ended.


    All the spectators held their breath at that instant, instinctively realizing that the next scene would be extremely shocking.


    In nine matches, Lin Rui¡¯s Yang Pulling Slash never once disappointed them.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    With a flash of white light invisible to the average human eye, Lin Chengwu, who was defending with all his might, found his right arm flying away, blood spattering.


    Then he found his body starting to slant, blood gushing out from inside his body.


    The entire Martial Arts Hall let out a ¡®roar¡¯ like a mountain cry or tsunami, as millions of people began to shout and scream wildly, the tremendous uproar making the whole venue shake.


    Because in that instant, not only was Lin Chengwu¡¯s body sliced open, but the Battle Dragon behind him as well, its dragon body split apart with copious amounts of blood spraying out.


    ¡°This slash¡ª¡ª¡±


    Ji Tiantao, from Future Science University, gripped the railing before him tightly, his gaze filled with wary and incredulity: ¡°How could it be so fast?¡±


    He realized that tomorrow would be a tough battle, and even after witnessing Lin Rui¡¯s sword drawing today, he didn¡¯t have even a shred of confidence in blocking it.


    The head coach next to him swallowed a mouthful of saliva and spoke with a strained voice, ¡°We need to do some special training tonight, and the prosthetic you implanted before is of no use, it needs to be replaced.¡±


    He was referring to the kind of special talent/ability that could save one¡¯s life and avoid death.


    Lin Chengwu had it too, but it did not have any effect.


    An 18% sure-hit and Fated Death that could also enhance to a 23% intensity was truly terrifying, directly suppressing Lin Chengwu¡¯s Bloodline Ability from a causal level.


    Therefore, it can be inferred that Ji Tiantao¡¯s ability would likewise be of no use.


    At this time, Shi Yan held her sword tightly to her chest, her expression unfathomable.


    A voice in her mind said, ¡°Such a fast sword, among the Martial Cultivators I¡¯ve seen, he should be the fastest below the Eight Realms! This person is indeed very strong, I suggest you use my power as soon as the battle begins tomorrow, or else you stand no chance against him, you won¡¯t withstand his one slash.¡±


    Shi Yan remained silent, giving no reply.


    She thought, this is Lin Rui merely half a year later? He has already become so powerful!


    The chief judge on the platform, meanwhile, held his sword in his hand and was in a daze.


    He had actually wanted to intercept Lin Rui¡¯s slash, to protect Lin Chengwu so that he wouldn¡¯t be so severely injured, but still, he failed.


    The judge then came to his senses and looked at Lin Rui with awe in his eyes: ¡°The outcome of this battle has been decided! Lin Rui from Mingde University wins!¡±


    Lin Rui gave a nod of head to the chief judge, then turned and leaped off the platform, heading towards Mingde University¡¯s seating area. At that moment, a group of emergency medical staff dressed in white coats passed by him and rushed onto the stage in a hurry.

 Chapter 620: 593: Post-Match Storm (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 620: Chapter 593: Post-Match Storm (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui dealt with the affairs of the Alien on Tianji Star the next day and returned to his original body, waking up from the sleeping cabin. He then took the time to sift through a pile of information and email alerts.


    Most of the information came from his friends and relatives, all exclaiming about the awesomeness of Lin Rui¡¯s strike. The emails were reports provided by the Sky Blue Group and various major companies under Lin Rui¡¯s name.


    In recent days, not only had Lin Rui¡¯s sales income skyrocketed, but Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals had also seen explosive revenue, which indirectly affected the various businesses of the Forest Group. Hence, the finance and business departments of the major companies provided him with a report every day.


    Lin Rui glanced through it casually and couldn¡¯t help but gasp in surprise at yesterday¡¯s earnings.


    Just yesterday, Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals sold 5.1 million sets of its national gift set, and other various skincare products also had a turnover of about 70 billion.


    As for the commission from sales, there was also 15 billion federal coins yesterday.


    Lin Rui then logged into the internet and browsed through the major news channels and main media outlets, finding that his popularity was still sky-high!


    ¡°Unfathomable! In yesterday¡¯s university martial arts championship, Lin Rui instantly defeated Lin Chengwu of Tianjing Martial Arts University with one strike!¡±


    ¡°An unprecedented martial arts prodigy, Lin Rui!¡±


    ¡°Lin Rui¡¯s Yang Pulling Slash is unmatched!¡±


    ¡°How stunning was that strike? Five types of conceptual power, 18% conceptual strength, and five ten-thousandths of a second!¡±


    ¡°Martial Arts Association updates data, Lin Rui martial arts comprehensive score 6SSS+!¡±


    ¡°Martial Arts Association believes Lin Rui has achieved Dragon Transformation!¡±


    ¡°Yang Pulling Slash PRO version rated as 7SSS+, who else in the university stage can defeat Lin Rui?¡±


    ¡°Executives from Abyss Group and Heavenly Sword Armament Biological Company issue disheartened statements¡±


    ¡°Lin Rui easily wins yesterday¡¯s bidding competition, but also lays hidden dangers for his future¡±


    ¡°Unprecedented martial arts genius may be polluted by the Abyss!¡±


    ¡°Lin Chengwu is still in the operating room, Lin Rui¡¯s powerful telekinesis and conceptual residue affect the treatment of Lin Chengwu¡¯s injuries¡±


    ¡°Ninth Base City public opinion poll, Lin Rui and Fang Ranran¡¯s popularity increased significantly, potentially winning the congressional election by a large margin¡±


    ¡°Championship boosts popularity, Lin Rui gains more favor from females, national gift set explodes with 5.1 million sets sold¡±


    ¡°Lin Rui¡¯s popularity soars, live broadcast sales turnover reaches 151 billion federal coins the next day¡±


    ¡°Affected by yesterday¡¯s championship, Bright Front¡¯s election situation continues to soar¡±


    Today, the front pages and headlines of these news channels and major media were almost all about news and comments related to him.


    Although Lin Rui was deep and calculating, the barrage of news still made the corners of his lips rise involuntarily.


    Afterwards, Lin Rui briefly freshened up and walked out of his room, accompanied by Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi, along with a team of bodyguards, to the hotel lobby. They then boarded the luxurious ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ armored official vehicle heading to the first martial arts competition venue.


    Along the way, Lin Rui was observed by countless eyes full of fervor, admiration, or annoyance.


    It was fortunate that the two protectors by Lin Rui¡¯s side were powerful, sweeping with Sword Intent and Blade Intent to oppress, preventing the surrounding crowd from acting recklessly; otherwise, just the fans wanting his autograph could completely surround him.


    When Lin Rui boarded the ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ luxurious official armored vehicle arranged by the competition committee, he saw a white man in his fifties with a robust figure, pronounced features, and deep eyes sitting in the back seat of the armored car.


    Upon seeing Lin Rui, the man immediately stood up with a smile and came over: ¡°Mr. Lin, congratulations on your complete victory in yesterday¡¯s battle. I must say, your strike was stunning.¡±


    Lin Rui wasn¡¯t surprised at all to see this man in their team¡¯s dedicated vehicle. He walked over smiling and shook hands and embraced the white man.


    ¡°Mr. Aleksei Vasiliyev, I have been looking forward to meeting you for a long time. You won¡¯t disappoint me, will you?¡±


    ¡ªThis person is the most powerful and high-end arms dealer of the Earth Federation, and also the owner of the large underground darknet ¡®Bakery¡¯.


    ¡°Yes, what you requested is very powerful and high-end. We took some time to prepare.¡±


    Vasiliyev smiled and pointed upward: ¡°The goods are right above. Let me take you to see them.¡±


    As he spoke, he walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor.


    People like Zhao Yan and Nolan Wei inside the armored vehicle were slightly surprised, but they knowingly sat down in the seats on the first floor, not following them up.


    Only Fang Ranran was very interested, along with Lin Rui and his two bodyguards, and they went up to the second floor of the armored vehicle.


    ¡°First up are the Outer Elixirs ¡®Thor¡¯ Model 8 and ¡®Balder¡¯ Model 8 you requested.¡±


    Vasiliyev walked to a dining table on the second floor and pointed at two alloy cases about three feet square on the table.


    ¡°As you know, ¡®Thor¡¯ and ¡®Balder¡¯ refer to the Norse gods of thunder and the sun, respectively. These two Outer Elixirs are flagship products of the Eurasian United Machinery Company, and according to your requirements, I had top experts optimize them. Currently, their rating is 8SS+. However, I must remind you, the requirements for using them are very high, extremely high, and can bring about a significant mental burden.¡±


    ¡°Of course, they are also very expensive. I know you recently acquired an ¡®Archangel¡¯ for 700 billion federal coins. Our ¡®Thor¡¯ and ¡®Balder¡¯, while slightly inferior in performance, also cost 650 billion federal coins, and that¡¯s the best price I can offer.¡¯


    Lin Rui would not just take Vasiliyev¡¯s word for it; he gave Wang Sen a signal.


    Wang Sen, holding a box, stepped forward without hesitation and opened the metal case, exposing two heart-sized mechanical devices inside.


    The devices looked exquisitely beautiful, yet they emitted a violent light of ether element thunder.


    He connected with Wang Yinyue, a mechanic, communicating with her while scanning the structure of the two Outer Elixirs with a specialized device from his box.


    After the pharmaceutical enterprise war, Lin Rui deeply felt his lack of strength and wanted to further enhance his combat power.


    Especially his companions, Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi.


    Both women are at 6SSS+ rank Martial Cultivators, each possessing great potential.


    They both have extraordinarily powerful Bloodline Powers, impressively considerable even at the Eight Realms level, enough to secure their positions at the Super Emperor Rank.


    On Tianji Star, these two women have the 7SSS ranked Heavenly Demon Armor ¡®Iron Guard¡¯, a mass production version of ¡®Heavenly Decree¡¯, integrating Outer Elixirs with Heavenly Demon Armor, very powerful.


    Additionally, Lin Rui was also collecting top-level Ninth Realm Magic Artifacts for them.


    On the Earth Federation side, however, the two women lacked strong supportive equipment.


    But what Lin Rui wanted, East Asia could provide.


    However, it is well known that East Asia strictly controls all types of military equipment, especially top-level Outer Elixirs and Exoskeleton Armor.


    Lin Rui is now not afraid of others knowing his connection with East Asia, but he is worried about the stringent conditions of these armors and Outer Elixirs from East Asia.


    ¡ªHe can¡¯t accept the terms that East Asia only allows the weapons to be used for self-defense.


    So, Xu Mengran suggested that Lin Rui could directly purchase from Eurasia.


    He now fully possesses the power and the financial resources required.


    And Aleksei Vasiliyev, as long as you pay him enough money, he would even sell his own wife and children to you.


    Furthermore, his reputation is quite good; backed by the Eurasian Federation, he has never betrayed a customer, nor does he need to.


    ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Lin, when Vasiliyev does business, it¡¯s always fair to all!¡±


    At this moment, Aleksei Vasiliyev, smiling again, opened three big boxes located next to him: ¡°And here are the three Exoskeleton Armors 8SSS ¡®Wisdom Dragon¡¯ you requested! And they are the latest 4158 year model.¡±


    Lin Rui glanced over, then raised his eyebrows slightly: ¡°I asked for SSS+, are these three truly up to the SSS standard?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lin, you are making it a bit difficult for me, where can I come up with three 8SSS+ ¡®Wisdom Dragon¡¯ or ¡®Emperor¡¯ in such short notice?¡±


    Aleksei Vasiliyev crossed his arms, confidently patted the box: ¡°Besides, although they were urgently allocated from stock, we used the best materials, the modifications nearly reach SSS+, and you can really consider our Exoskeleton Armor ¡®Heimdall¡¯, we can modify them to strengthen to 8SSS+ within a month as per your request.¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head at that, thinking who dares to use ¡®Heimdall¡¯? It has a bunch of issues.


    The top-quality Exoskeleton Armors only come in two models¡ª ¡®Emperor¡¯ and ¡®Wisdom Dragon¡¯, other models from different companies have various problems.


    Vasiliyev, seeing the situation, shook his head regretfully: ¡°As for their quality, they are from the hands of our top mechanic Master Sergey, you can fully inspect the goods.¡±


    Lin Rui slightly nodded, ¡°After this competition, I need a venue. I need to inspect the goods first.¡±


    At the same time, he sent a message to Fei Yunlai: Old Fei, you go and try these out later with Xueying, Tianyi, there¡¯s one for you inside.


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s spirits lifted after reading it, his expression joyous.


    Previously during the pharmaceutical enterprise war, they captured an 8SSS, which Lin Rui allocated to Gong Hengdao, though he didn¡¯t express it at the time, he felt quite disappointed.


    ¡°No problem, I will contact the Martial Arts Association to provide a venue for you.¡±


    Vasiliyev smiled slightly: ¡°By the way, I heard Mr. Lin recently also purchased a Red Spider 8PRO, we happen to have one modified to 9SS+ combat level, originally prepared for a client who delayed the delivery time, we can still spare it for you, Mr. Lin. For 180 billion federal coins, are you interested?¡±


    ¡°Also, I heard you were recently expanding the National Guard, preparing for five divisions, right? Is the equipment ready? We have 120 imitation Raytheon Company¡¯s Thor 320mm self-propelled antimatter annihilation cannons and two plain version fire support ships, which can help transport them into Ninth Base City.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips twitched slightly, this Vasiliyev really treated him like a big spender.


    He currently has no need to purchase a Red Spider 8PRO, having those two for meat shields and artillery was actually enough.


    The mobility of Red Spider 8PRO is too slow, adding another one wouldn¡¯t increase combat power.


    Fang Ranran on this side might consider, but 180 billion is really too expensive¡ª


    Ranran gave him a look just then, indicating you can stop now, let me handle the bargaining.


    At this moment, their ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ luxury armored car slowly came to a stop.


    Lin Rui looked out of the car window, seeing they had arrived at the First Martial Arts Venue.

 Chapter 621: 594 Immortal Venerable (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 621: Chapter 594 Immortal Venerable (Please Subscribe)


    ¡®Immovable Ming King¡¯ Zhang Jie sat down in the contestant seats, still watching a martial arts review show, his brows slightly furrowed as he watched intently.


    ¡°Why do we say that Lin Rui¡¯s slash was incredibly powerful? Everyone can now see the trajectory of this slash¡ªthis was specially created by our program team in a 3D model with guidance from a Nine Realms Super Emperor expert, it¡¯s an almost perfect replica of Lin Rui¡¯s slash.¡±


    ¡°¡ªYou can see in the model the gravitational pull after the slash, the changes in time and space, you can witness the gravitational field being intensely disturbed, with time and space in extreme disorder, even fragmented, so the brilliance of Lin Rui¡¯s slash is not merely conceptual power¡ªthose 18% conceptual power are just the fruits borne from his profound mastery of martial arts.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed formidable, the speed of this slash cannot just be described as fast, it has gone beyond the concepts of sequence and space. It is now said that the speed of Lin Rui¡¯s slash was five hundred-thousandths of a second, but I think that¡¯s incorrect; it¡¯s five hundred-thousandths of a second because that¡¯s all it took to defeat Lin Chengwu and his Battle Dragon. With any other opponents, victory might be decided just as the slash is executed.¡±


    ¡°¡ªCurrently, the Martial Arts Association¡¯s rating for this slash is 7SSS+, but I think it can be even higher. This is not yet the limit of the ¡®Yang Pulling Slash PRO¡¯. You know what this reminds me of? Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable!¡±


    ¡°Saying this, I also get the feeling, just like the ¡®Immortal Sword¡¯ of Shi Yan, there¡¯s this profound and mystical, divinely celestial sense, incredibly magical, like a celestial being flying beyond the heavens.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that Lin Rui created this move himself? Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts talent is truly beyond comprehension.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s shocking. Lin Rui¡¯s talent is a rare sight in the Federation for the past 800 years, his talent should be considered beyond any Hall of Fame or legendary level, definitely Abyss Level, capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with those from the Sky Extreme Star!¡±


    Just then, Shi Yan, with dark circles under her eyes, ¡®plopped¡¯ down next to Zhang Jie.


    ¡°What are you watching? Is it about Lin Rui¡¯s martial arts review? There¡¯s nothing good about it, before the semi-finals they tried every means to discredit Lin Rui, now they can¡¯t wait to lift him to the skies.¡±


    Zhang Jie chuckled upon hearing this, before the semi-finals all the major biological prosthetics companies had tried everything to suppress Lin Rui¡¯s popularity and curb the sales of Sky Blue Group.


    Then, after yesterday¡¯s semi-final, these companies realized they couldn¡¯t contain him no matter what, so naturally, they had to shift strategies, doing everything possible to lift Lin Rui to the skies.


    This formed a new logic¡ªthey lost due to the players¡¯ talent, not because their own prosthetics were subpar.


    Lin Rui was just too awesome, so it was a crime of no combat!¡±


    Zhang Jie shook his head: ¡°I¡¯m watching Wu Tianji¡¯s ¡®Household of Wu¡¯, this time he invited two top-tier Martial Arts Stars, ¡®Divine Speed Sword¡¯ Eagle Bolt, and ¡®Steadfast¡¯ Yun Changzai, both are 8SSS level experts, with very fair evaluations and accurate analyses.¡±


    Wu Tianji is also the president of a media conglomerate with a market value of nearly 600 billion.


    The show he personally hosts, ¡®Household of Wu¡¯, has always had good reviews.


    ¡°Household of Wu? Don¡¯t you know? Three days ago, Tianhu Trade Company and Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals strategically invested in Wu¡¯s Media, each holding a 6% share, and then Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals also signed an advertisement agreement with them, to place ads in their main, first, second, and fifth base cities, Lin Rui and Marshal Linghu have already started reaching out to the media, solidifying their foundation.¡±


    As Shi Yan spoke, she rubbed her eyes with her hand.


    Seeing a drink prepared by the working team nearby, she directly took a cup and started drinking: ¡°Besides, what use is there for you to study this? Even if you figure it out, can you block this slash? It¡¯s not even your turn.¡±


    Zhang Jie¡¯s face darkened slightly at these sharp words, who doesn¡¯t have a dream to stand at the pinnacle of martial arts?


    Besides, he was once severely impacted by Lin Rui¡¯s Yang Pulling Slash.


    He then turned to look at Shi Yan, wondering how she got those dark circles around her eyes.


    At this moment, he heard the head coach say: ¡°Zhang Jie, today you¡¯ll be playing second fiddle.¡±


    Zhang Jie¡¯s face immediately fell.


    In this tournament, he had always been the spearhead, now although it seemed he was raised to second fiddle, Zhang Jie could not feel happy at all.


    The head coach seemed to think that his horizontal training Power Body could not withstand Wang Sen¡¯s Cold Blood Palm.¡±


    At this moment on the opposite side, Fei Yunlai also adjusted Wang Sen to second fiddle.


    He thought that the stupid coach on the other side would let Zhang Jie avoid Wang Sen? Wishful thinking!


    Even though in this final match, no matter how they adjusted the order of appearance and tactics it didn¡¯t matter, Lin Rui alone could suppress everything with one slash, but Fei Yunlai had to do something, just to not seem inept, and justify taking his salary from Mingde University.


    Moreover, after Lin Rui and Fang Ranran graduated early, next year Wang Sen would be Mingde University¡¯s main pillar, and he must get enough training.¡±


    Fei Yunlai registered the battle sequence with the contest committee, then joyously thought about his newly acquired 8SSS Wisdom Dragon.


    Although it put him about 200 billion federal coins in debt to the BOSS¡ªthe suite of Exoskeleton Armor, matching parts, and various ammunition was worth this price.


    However, Fei Yunlai was still pleased.


    Exoskeleton Armor of grade 8S and above is hard to come by on the black market, and the 8SSS Wisdom Dragon with its ¡®Super Stealth Mode¡¯ is particularly suitable for him.¡±


    This Battle Armor, combined with the new armaments developed by the Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute, could elevate his combat power to another level. Fei Yunlai was entirely confident in resisting a Super Emperor of Eight Realms!


    As for the debt¡ªperhaps owing so much, Fei Yunlai gradually became indifferent, and he did not like to think about it in daily life.


    With that, although his life¡¯s dreams were shattered, at least he had climbed to the peak of the working world.


    Lin Rui then discussed with Fang Ranran whether to purchase a 320mm Cannons Anti-Matter Annihilation Cannon?


    Aleksey Vasilyev was truly audacious, even daring to sell such devastating weaponry.


    The 320mm self-propelled Cannons Anti-Matter Annihilation Cannon and its necessary ammunition were among the few artillery pieces capable of threatening a Divine Envoy Level Martial Cultivator.


    This cannon not only has an astonishing initial muzzle velocity reaching 240 Mach, but its power is also extremely formidable. If modified by a mechanic, both the muzzle velocity and power could be further enhanced.


    As for the fire support craft, Lin Rui wouldn¡¯t dare assemble such a thing in Ninth Base City. The very next day, Huo Bangguo would come knocking on his door.


    The final decision was to purchase it; the Thunder God 320mm self-propelled antimatter annihilation cannon replicated by the Eurasian Union is of decent quality and said to be stronger than the original.


    The subsequent battles were lackluster; Mingde University¡¯s Martial Arts team was defeated in the vanguard, secondary vanguard, mainstay, and deputy general matches.


    After defeating the opponent¡¯s vanguard, Wang Sen ended up in a deadlock with the ¡®Immovable Ming King¡¯ Zhang Jie. Unfortunately, his primordial qi was too weak, and in the end, he failed to succeed and was forced off the platform by Zhang Jie.


    However, Zhang Jie was also nearly depleted by Wang Sen and was replaced by Zhao Yan.


    However, Zhao Yan¡¯s solid strength still couldn¡¯t match the opponent¡¯s mainstay player.


    Fang Ranran once again showed her divine prowess, and with just a single sword strike, she overwhelmed the Future Science University¡¯s mainstay off the platform, but she was ineffective against their Deputy General, Ji Tiantao.


    Ji Tiantao didn¡¯t even use the Battle Dragon, defeating her in just three moves.


    Fang Ranran puffed her cheeks like buns, feeling very unconvinced.


    She currently holds no official position, and her ¡®Secret Blade ¨C Heaven Cutting Immortal Sword¡¯ has not yet reached its full potential.


    If she could officially become a Congressman and take up a public office, capturing a fragment of authoritative power from a huge government serving two hundred billion nationals, even a sliver would prevent her from losing to Ji Tiantao.


    Lin Rui, with a calm expression, carried his blade and stepped onto the platform once again.


    Ji Tiantao dared not speak arrogantly in front of Lin Rui, only clasping his hands and saying, ¡°Ji Tiantao from Future Science University, pleased to meet you!¡±


    He also has a certain background, but it is nowhere near that of Lin Chengwu, and he wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to offend the person in front of him¡ªa forty trillion tycoon¡ªno, fifty trillion.


    Following the battle yesterday, financial magazines further raised the valuation of Lin Rui¡¯s companies.


    Moreover, the strength of his opponent in front of him indeed deserved his respect.


    Lin Rui nodded, holding his blade and returning the gesture, ¡°Mingde University, Lin Rui!¡±


    The two quietly waited for the countdown to end, and just as the electronic voice annunciated ¡®zero,¡¯ Ji Tiantao¡¯s figure and the Battle Dragon burst backward.


    The Abyss Prosthetics Biological Group organized an eight-member team of Ninth Realm and Eight Realms Martial Artists, consisting of all 8SSS, 8SSS+, and 9SS, along with the boss of the Abyss Prosthetics Biological Group personally participating, to analyze Lin Rui¡¯s strike.


    They concluded that no matter how Ji Tiantao defended, it was futile; the only way to avoid the strike was to retreat! Using time and space to gain an opportunity.


    Fortunately, after the Battle Dragon joined the fight, the arena expanded to a square kilometer, giving him some space.


    But in that moment, Ji Tiantao saw a flash of golden light in front of him, followed by a slight pain in his forehead.


    ¡°What just happened?¡±


    Ji Tiantao was extremely shocked and confused, and then he saw Lin Rui standing 600 meters away, smiling and giving him a hand gesture: ¡°Thanks for the match!¡±


    Only then did Ji Tiantao notice that not only did his forehead have a trace of blood, but the forehead of his last Battle Dragon also bore a blood streak.


    His pupils suddenly contracted, wondering if Lin Rui had really made a move just now? How could it be so fast?


    This didn¡¯t seem like the Yang Pulling Slash, then what sword technique was it?


    Ji Tiantao felt both dejected and fortunate; dejected because he couldn¡¯t understand how he lost, and fortunate because Lin Rui clearly had shown mercy.


    At this moment, the arena erupted into loud noises, with countless people standing up to get a clearer view while chattering excitedly.


    ¡°Damn, that was too exaggerated!¡±


    ¡°One move, again just one move! It¡¯s simply an overwhelming victory, I feel even Seventh Realm Martial Cultivators may not be a match for him.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, only those ranked 7SSS+ might have a chance to fight, the rest should forget it.¡±


    ¡°The martial commentators got it right this time, this Lin Rui, he¡¯s like a god! He¡¯s simply not comparable to his contemporaries.¡±


    ¡°What was the sword technique he used just now? Couldn¡¯t see it clearly, why isn¡¯t there a replay on the big screen?¡±


    ¡°Replay? Replay what! Tell me which device could capture that scene accurately? It probably needs to be AI-generated to complete, and even then, consultation with those present Honorary Members and Divine Envoy Level figures is necessary.¡±


    ¡°Awesome, I wonder if Mr. Lin will release this move for public learning, even a youth version would be great.¡±


    ¡°It must be a secret blade reserved for 7SSS+ and above; Mr. Lin might have already uploaded it to the Martial Arts Association, but acquiring this move will surely cost a fortune.¡±


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui on the platform let out a surprised ¡®hmm¡¯, turning his head to face the cold-faced Shi Yan striding onto the stage.


    He squinted his eyes, whispering, ¡°Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable!¡±

 Chapter 622: 595: War of the Gods (Asking for Subscriptions, Third Release)

    Chapter 622: Chapter 595: War of the Gods (Asking for Subscriptions, Third Release)


    When Shi Yan stepped onto the arena, Ji Tiantao also walked towards the contestants¡¯ seats with a pale face.


    As they passed by each other, Ji Tiantao let out a wry smile: ¡°Sorry, that person was simply too strong, so strong that we couldn¡¯t catch up no matter what.¡±


    While speaking, he looked back at Lin Rui with a look of admiration and awe that looked up to a mountain.


    Ji Tiantao failed to achieve the goal of the Abyssal Biomechanical Company¡¯s advisory team to probe the depth of Lin Rui¡¯s abilities.


    The gap between them was simply too vast; even if he underwent Dragon Transformation, he still wouldn¡¯t qualify to battle with Lin Rui.


    This was the insurmountable mountain standing before their generation!


    Shi Yan narrowed her eyes, her mind chilling to coldness.


    Lin Rui was indeed very strong, so strong that just now she had to use the power of the Taixuan Heavenly Venerate to clearly see Lin Rui¡¯s blade.


    Just yesterday, she kept using the power of the Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable to simulate, trying to find a way to counter Lin Rui¡¯s Yang Pulling Slash.


    Today, he simply changed tactics, switching to another top-tier Secret Blade.


    Therefore, she had already given up on today¡¯s battle, realizing she was in no way an opponent to Lin Rui.


    But this doesn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t catch up to him in the future!


    At this moment, a distant and ethereal voice echoed in her mind: ¡°It seems you don¡¯t plan to use my power? Have you made up your mind? With your own strength, you might not even withstand a single one of his swords.¡±


    Of course, Shi Yan had no intention of using it; this was her competition.


    If she were to use the power of the Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable, wouldn¡¯t that be cheating? Even if she won, what would be the meaning? To deceive herself?


    ¡°You have only one task, to identify what exactly is the situation with this Mr. Lin and which Abyssal remnant he carries within him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be difficult. You¡¯ll have to at least block one or two of his slashes. Hmm... Shi Yan, your physical condition seems a bit off. No, that¡¯s not right! Someone has drugged you; when did that happen¡ª¡±


    By now, Shi Yan had already taken her place opposite Lin Rui.


    Her eyebrows furrowed tightly, gripping the sword in her hands firmly.


    Lin Rui, seeing her bowing her head in silence with a flushed face, couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled.


    Was she about to confess her feelings to him? She appeared like a pure girl wanting to confess to the one she cherished, yet hesitant to speak.


    Or was she preparing to use the power of the Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable?


    He felt the divine aura on Shi Yan growing more and more intense.


    She seemed to be struggling to suppress something, and she couldn¡¯t help but let out moans, seemingly in great pain.


    Veins started to show on Shi Yan¡¯s neck as her aura became wildly tumultuous, yet at the same time, there was an indescribable sense of celestial mystery, something profound and unfathomable.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui shook his head, thinking it must be so; Shi Yan was going to use the power of the Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable to fight him, but he, who often relied on the Battle Spirit Ring to rapidly advance his training, was not qualified to say anything.


    He grasped his sword tightly, patiently waiting for the countdown.


    At this moment, the black heavenly curtain appeared above the two fighters again, just like during yesterday¡¯s semifinal.


    The conceptual power of both sides collided fiercely in the arena.


    The surrounding Protective Force Field was fully activated, stacking layer upon layer to the outside.


    Great cracks began to form on the surface of the arena, stones flew about, and bursts of Gang Qi exploded, causing the VIP audience to scream in shock.


    The people from Mingde University, led by Fei Yunlai and Fang Ranran, all changed their expressions.


    Isn¡¯t Shi Yan only at the Fifth Realm? How can her strength be so formidable?


    The head coach of Future Science University also clutched the railing in utter surprise, leaning forward slightly.


    Is this Shi Yan? Her conceptual power is so strong that she can contend with Lin Rui?


    At this moment, the many masters in the private guest rooms couldn¡¯t help but change their expressions.


    They all felt the Abyssal presence from Shi Yan!


    Was this the descent of the Abyss?


    Although the presence seemed a bit weak, it was indeed the Abyss, no doubt!


    Everyone had the same thought in their minds; they had not anticipated that the ¡®Abyss Group¡¯ had prepared such a trump card!


    At the same time, Great Chief Priest Chen Long, who was also watching the match, had a dark expression. He could be sure that something had happened to Shi Yan.


    Someone has sabotaged her to exploit Shi Yan¡¯s Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable to kill Lin Rui!


    And this matter is related to the intelligence he leaked yesterday.


    At this moment, the tournament committee dares not be careless as four Eighth Realm Emperor Rank experts appear above the arena.


    They stand suspended in the air, watching the ground with somber gazes, vigilant against any accidents.


    ¡°Three! Two! One! Zero! The battle begins¡ª¡ª¡±


    The moment the electronic voice says ¡°zero,¡± Lin Rui ¡®clangs¡¯ as he draws his sword.


    At the same time, Shi Yan also lifts her head, her crimson eyes locking onto Lin Rui.


    Her sword unsheathes simultaneously, its light celestial and profound, transcending the very concept of time and space.


    Lin Rui feels the powerful martial intent and divine thought Shi Yan has sent crashing towards him, but he remains unshaken as he slashes with his sword! The No. 7 Great Black Sky he wields transforms into a golden light barely visible to the naked eye.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Their blades collide midway between them, sparking blinding fire.


    The fragmented mighty Blade Astral and sword force sweep in all directions, forcing the supervising main judge to step back to avoid their sharpness.


    His face is stricken with shock, as both of the combatants far exceed their own realms, reaching the levels of the Seventh and Eighth Realms!


    ¡°Mysterious!¡± Shi Yan, with blood-red eyes, believes she has blocked Lin Rui¡¯s slash.


    At this point, not only is she on the verge of losing consciousness, but Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable inside her is somehow unable to maintain coherent thoughts, leaving only the basic instinct to fight.


    But just as Shi Yan changes her sword move to attack, she sees Lin Rui¡¯s sword light suddenly lengthen.


    ¡ª Lin Rui¡¯s slash is so familiar!


    ¡ª It¡¯s the Yanguang Slash! It looks like the light from the sword has extended a bit.


    ¡ª To be precise, it¡¯s a combination of Yang Pulling Slash and Yanguang Slash. He¡¯s actually combined these two Secret Blades together!


    ¡ª The opponent is a remnant of a God from the Abyss, and she can¡¯t block his slash? That¡¯s Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable!


    ¡ª How impressive! This slash has such a variation as well!


    On the stands, some have recognized this slash, and amidst their contemplation, they exclaim in surprise.


    In fact, this is not just the combination of Yang Pulling Slash with Yanguang Slash, but Lin Rui has also integrated the ¡®Yang Pulling Slash¡¯ with the ¡®Ultimate Slash¡¯ and ¡®Yanguang Slash¡¯. Not only has the power of the sword technique been further intensified, but it also allows two slashes in an instant!


    It is currently his strongest strike, only second to Instant Light Slash and Root Slash!


    The opponent is a remnant of a deity, and out of respect, Lin Rui uses 90% of his ¡®usable¡¯ power right from the start.


    However, just as Lin Rui is about to slash Shi Yan¡¯s head, he suddenly frowns and abruptly pulls back some of his strength.


    His long sword first chops into Shi Yan¡¯s neck and perilously stops less than a hair¡¯s breadth away from her spinal cord.


    The force of the blade instantly destroys Shi Yan¡¯s blood vessels and spinal nerves, temporarily incapacitating her.


    Then with a succession of slashes, he cuts off Shi Yan¡¯s limbs, leaving her completely immobilized.


    He then sniffs Shi Yan and says with piercing eyes, ¡°Mr. Judge! Please conduct a blood test on her right now, something is off about her condition. I smell an insanity-inducing drug and stimulants, and also¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze sweeps the surroundings, pinpointing the drink cups at Future Science University¡¯s player seats: ¡°Those drinks might be tampered with, you might consider detaining those people who¡¯ve had contact with these beverages.¡±


    The main judge¡¯s expression shifts immediately, heading towards the Future Science University¡¯s player seats.


    He is somewhat skeptical of Lin Rui¡¯s words. However, Lin Rui is not only a competitor but also a rising star as a biologist and pharmaceutical expert. His Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ skincare and health products are conquering territories throughout the Federation.


    Given the accusation made by such a person, he has to respond, particularly given Shi Yan¡¯s clearly abnormal condition!


    Shi Yan can be left to the side for now; a medical team has already rushed up to administer first aid to Shi Yan, and they will conduct a blood test on her as well.


    The main judge prepares to seal the beverages and apprehend the related individuals, waiting for the blood test results.


    The head coach from Future Science University initially stands stupefied, still recovering from the incomprehensible slash Lin Rui made moments ago.


    Shortly after, he receives a notification and his expression drastically changes as he furiously scans his surroundings.


    This wasn¡¯t the doing of their Abyss Group! They scorn the idea of cheating in this tournament; the 700-year reputation of the Abyss Group far outweighs the victory or loss of one battle!


    Who is scheming against the Abyss Group? They are courting death!


    The honor of the Abyss Group must remain untarnished!

 Chapter 623 - 596 Contamination (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 623: Chapter 596 Contamination (Please Subscribe)


    As Shi Yan¡¯s limbs and neck were severed by Lin Rui, High Priest Chen Long, who was in the VIP seating area on the south side of the first Martial Arts Tournament venue, let out a curse and turned to leave.


    However, just as he and his group of bodyguards had pushed the door to leave, a video call came through.


    After Chen Long answered it, he heard a hoarse, deep voice swearing: ¡°Chen Long, what the hell is this? Did you guys tamper with Shi Yan? Have you lost your damn mind?¡±


    Chen Long wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised, the national broadcast of the University Martial Arts Championship drew the attention of many Congressional Honorary Members and high-level bosses with Divine Envoy rank.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, I¡¯m not insane enough to offend both the Abyss Armament Biological Group and Martial Arts Association at the same time. Most likely it was the foolish people from the Divine Light Army, or perhaps the people of Tianji Star. To hell with their ancestors!¡±


    The hoarse voice then snorted in anger, ¡°Then why are you running now? It truly has nothing to do with you?¡±


    ¡°Really, nothing. At most I just provided them with some intelligence on Shi Yan, hoping to use their hands to investigate Taixuan Immortal Venerable. I didn¡¯t expect they would make their move directly on the day of the tournament, underestimating Lin Rui¡¯s combat power and getting spotted by him,¡± said Chen Long while rubbing his forehead, his expression one of helplessness. ¡°How can I not run now? I can¡¯t get caught, something like this happened, the Martial Arts Association and Abyss Group will definitely seal off the scene, and the stuff I¡¯m researching now won¡¯t stand up to their investigation, once they check it¡¯ll be exposed.¡±


    This time he really was ruined by the stupid actions of the Divine Light Army, underestimating their intelligence.


    The Abyss Group will definitely get to the bottom of this to maintain their reputation.


    This company, with a market value of 17 trillion, is a formidable opponent even for the Longevity Association.


    The chairman of the Abyss Group, Li Shen Abyss, is universally acknowledged as a master on par with Li Xianglong, under his command are several beings of Quasi-Member Level, a truly formidable force.


    Then there¡¯s the Martial Arts Association, this is the most important event they hold each year! Not only is it the gold-lettered signboard of the Martial Arts Association, but it is also their biggest source of income each year, even higher than those mid and high-level martial arts competitions.


    How could the Martial Arts Association tolerate such a thing?


    ¡°Leaving now will only make them more suspicious.¡±


    The hoarse voice cursed again, then said resignedly, ¡°Evacuate as soon as possible, stay well hidden in the coming period, don¡¯t let them find you. I will try to lead their investigation towards the Divine Light Army.


    And the plan you submitted earlier was quite good, to sever Lin Rui¡¯s connections with Linghu Mingde and Fang Xianzheng, but your current research task is very critical, I¡¯ll assign someone else to handle this, you stay out of it.¡±


    Great Chief Priest Chen Long¡¯s eyebrows raised; Lin Rui¡¯s most powerful supporter now was Linghu Mingde!


    ¡°I understand, but later when the Martial Arts Association eliminates Shi Yan, they will definitely draw her blood and preserve her genetic and soul samples. Please prepare a portion for me, it will help us in producing Abyss Weapons.¡±


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui at Mingde University¡¯s contestant seating area looked pensively at Shi Yan, who was slumped at the edge of the stage.


    Shi Yan¡¯s physique and recovery capabilities right now are nothing short of explosive.


    In this instant, the injuries on Shi Yan¡¯s limbs and neck have fully recovered, and even the spinal nerves severed by Lin Rui¡¯s Blade Energy have reconnected.


    The medical team hurriedly retreated, and four Emperor Ranked beings from the Eight Realms descended from the sky, joined by the chief referee as each pressed a hand on Shi Yan¡¯s shoulder.


    However, by their expressions, it was clear they were straining; two of them even had sweat appearing on their foreheads.


    It wasn¡¯t until shortly after that two Ninth Realm Emperor Ranked beings arrived, stabilizing the situation.


    The Martial Arts Association still did not dare to be careless, they maximized the venue¡¯s Protective Force Field while evacuating the personnel.


    Lin Rui stared intently at Shi Yan. Her expression was one of intense pain; her eyes wide open with a crimson hue, her gaze wild and unfocused, blue veins surfacing on her facial skin, and her body continuously trembling.


    Lin Rui frowned deeply, sensing this woman¡¯s condition might be very bad ¨C she might be doomed¡ª


    ¡°Just now, a Pharmacist from the Martial Arts Association completed a preliminary inspection, and there were components of insanity-inducing drugs in Shi Yan¡¯s blood, the dosage was extremely high. In addition, there were seventeen kinds of medicinal components in her blood, four of which are unknown and require further testing,¡± Ranran reported walking up to Lin Rui with a somber expression. ¡°However, based on the existing drug components, the Pharmacist deduced it¡¯s very likely ¡®Divine Communication Powder¡¯, a medicine used specifically to help believers communicate with Divine Spirits. She had a high concentration of it, potent enough to let her main Cultivated Concept¡¯s Divine Spirit corrupt and take over her body without resistance.¡±


    Ranran looked distantly at Shi Yan, her eyes sympathetic, ¡°She¡¯s in trouble. The Immortal Concept strength Shi Yan displayed just now was very high, reaching 20% and surpassing you. The likelihood of her being contaminated and corrupted by a Divine Spirit is significant, I¡¯m not sure who she offended, but they planned this against her seriously.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than just trouble.¡± At that moment, from the reflective sunglasses Ranran wore, a voice came from Ms. Qiu Jingshu: ¡°There is a God on her! It¡¯s very likely a Residual Spirit left by Taixuan Immortal Venerable, she¡¯s finished, if she can¡¯t control it, your Federation Government will eliminate her. They will not allow a Divine Being to descend upon this Martial Arts Palace!¡±


    Ranran¡¯s pupils dilated, and she stared firmly at Shi Yan.


    No wonder Shi Yan just now exhibited a ¡®Immortal¡¯ Concept Strength that was so high, far exceeding the external estimate of 9%.


    If it is the Residual Spirit of the Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable, then it¡¯s not surprising.


    Fortunately, Shi Yan¡¯s current cultivation realm is only at the Fifth Realm level, at most she can only carry 20% of the Immortal Concept.


    Otherwise, the outcome of the battle between Lin Rui and Shi Yan would be unpredictable, and it¡¯s not certain that Lin Rui could win.


    Fang Ranran also instantly understood the purpose behind the mastermind of this affair, which is to incite Shi Yan to become a vessel for the Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable, while using insanity-inducing drugs to plunge Shi Yan into a state of madness.


    ¡ª¡ªThis is targeting Lin Rui! Intending to use Shi Yan to kill Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui, with both hands clutching his sword, remained silent.


    He and Shi Yan had some kind of kinship, after the friendly match, Shi Yan sent him many messages, which Lin Rui, finding annoying, didn¡¯t much respond to.


    But this time, this woman could be said to be dragged down by him.


    Looking back at Shi Yan¡¯s performance before the battle, it was clear she was trying her utmost to suppress the drug¡¯s potency within her body, but unfortunately, she failed¡ª¡ª


    ¡°You want to help her?¡± Fang Ranran turned her head, observing Lin Rui¡¯s eyes: ¡°I think that¡¯s very difficult, in her condition, probably only a true God could solve her problem.¡±


    Fang Ranran didn¡¯t notice, however, that Fei Yunlai and Wang Sen next to her were looking at Lin Rui with eyes full of different lustre.


    ¡°Not necessarily, some special Bloodline Power might also do it, or if she herself awakens a Bloodline Power like ¡®Divine Heart Enlightenment¡¯, but¡ª¡ª¡±


    Qiu Jingshu said this and let out a long sigh.


    How could the current Shi Yan possibly awaken herself? As for that special Bloodline Power, it¡¯s even rarer than a God.


    Lin Rui, with his hands still holding his sword, was lost in thought.


    That ¡®Taixuan Heavenly Venerate¡¯ also seemed to be exerting great restraint, he did not want to take over Shi Yan¡¯s body.


    At this moment, the chief referee is gesturing them with his hand, meaning for them to leave quickly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lin Rui turned around, heading towards the contestant¡¯s passage.


    He wants to help Shi Yan, but under the watchful eyes of everyone, he can¡¯t do anything.


    Might as well wait and see what methods the Abyss Group has.


    Shi Yan has infinite potential and is a strong figure in her Hall, only second to legendary figures with talent like Shangguan Tianyi. Furthermore, she has a deep connection with someone from the Abyss, and they would likely want to save her.


    At this moment, Shi Yan is lying on the ground, struggling desperately to control her own body.


    However, things are going contrary to her wishes, the Divine Thought power of the Taixuan Heavenly Venerate has already enveloped her from head to toe, filling every piece of her flesh, flushing every cell.


    At the same time, Shi Yan also felt that the characteristics of her Primordial Spirit were approaching the Taixuan Heavenly Venerate, undergoing homogenization!


    Shi Yan resisted with all her might, knowing that once the assimilation was completed, she would no longer be herself.


    The Taixuan Heavenly Venerate, however, had a hard time moving Shi Yan¡¯s eyeballs, gazing toward Lin Rui¡¯s figure gradually walking into the contestant¡¯s passage.


    His gaze was filled with astonishment and uncertainty.


    In that instant of the encounter, the Taixuan Heavenly Venerate felt the scent of his own kind on this person.


    But it was not other Residual Spirits of the same kind possessing this nineteen-year-old human youth.


    Rather, this youth himself, is his kin!


    But is this possible? An Outer Heaven Demon from the outside, to actually be the Abyss, to be a God?

 Chapter 624 - 597: Transaction (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 624: Chapter 597: Transaction (Please Subscribe)


    When Lin Rui came out of the First Martial Arts Tournament Hall, he saw the square outside the venue in complete chaos.


    At this moment, even ordinary people could feel the violent aura emanating from inside the hall, as massive amounts of ether element converged inside, turning into a visible spiritual tide.


    Above them, a black curtain appeared, and the physical laws within a ten-kilometer radius began to twist, and the outer walls of the First Martial Arts Tournament Hall also made a faint ¡®crack¡¯ sound, as if they were about to split.


    The piercing alarm sound also went off inside the ¡®Martial Arts Palace¡¯ class space warship.


    This caused the people who fled from the event hall to let out sharp screams, as their panic quickly spread, starting a frantic escape, shoving and pushing each other.


    However, the response from the Martial Arts Association was quite effective; they promptly called in the military and various experts to maintain order, and no stampedes occurred.


    But all this reminded Fei Yunlai of the day they rescued the Suffering Heavenly Girl.


    He looked back at the First Martial Arts Tournament Hall, his eyes trembling with fear: ¡°That Shi Yan, could it really be destroyed just like that? That would be a pity¡ª¡±


    This was highly probable as the Federation would definitely eradicate it completely before the will of Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable fully descended.


    Yu Feicui and other members of the Martial Arts Club, including the manager, also realized the seriousness of the situation, all with solemn expressions.


    Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying, each holding a sword, were vigilantly looking around.


    The square in front of them was in total disarray, completely out of order, and it was the most likely time for something to happen.


    Fortunately, they left through the participants¡¯ passage where there were no crowded masses nearby, but still some staff from the Martial Arts Association.


    Lin Rui¡¯s two 8PROs parked outside and Fang Ranran¡¯s Dragon Slayer 9SS+ were already on alert, scanning in all directions.


    Just as Lin Rui and his group were about to head towards their team vehicles, he heard someone greeting him: ¡°Hey! Mr. Lin, this way.¡±


    Lin Rui and his group turned their heads and saw Aleksei Vasiliyev.


    He was 200 meters away, smiling and waving at Lin Rui: ¡°Mr. Lin, I have prepared a safe passageway for you, and the venue for your weapon trial.¡±


    Behind Vasiliyev stood four sturdy figures in ¡®Heimdall¡¯ Type-9 exoskeleton armor, as well as four Red Spider Model 9s, at least upgraded to SS+.


    ¡ªThese were genuine Red Spider Model 9s, not the export version like Red Spider 8PRO.


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow and immediately walked towards Vasiliyev.


    Vasiliyev showcased his power to Lin Rui, assuring him that the venue he provided would be safe.


    Lin Rui wasn¡¯t worried about Vasiliyev double-crossing him, precisely because his referee was the East Asia National Security Bureau.


    Indeed, Vasiliyev had connections everywhere; the venue he prepared was the nearby Second Martial Arts Tournament Hall.


    According to this arms dealer, the four Martial Arts Tournament Halls within the Martial Arts Palace were some of the safest places inside, featuring various security facilities that, once activated, were as robust as a fortress-cruiser.


    Moreover, as the Martial Arts Association had already intervened, an incident was unlikely.


    About 20 minutes later, Lin Rui¡¯s expression was both satisfied and helpless.


    The satisfaction was because the goods provided by Vasiliyev were indeed impressive.


    The ¡®Thor¡¯ Type-8 and ¡®Balder¡¯ Type-8, although requiring a high level of spiritual power and synthesizing brutally violent True Yuan inside, significantly inferior to the stable Outer Elixirs from East Asia, had indeed reached the power level of 8SS+, usable and stable.


    The three 8SSS Wisdom Dragon exoskeleton armors were indeed close to the SSS+ combat standard. Wang Yinyue had thoroughly criticized the technology and manufacturing level of the Eurasian United Machinery Company.


    Although they used substantial materials in their modifications, they failed to utilize 80% efficiency of these materials.


    However, this was the most powerful exoskeleton armor Lin Rui could buy in the short term.


    Exoskeleton armor, unlike the 20-meter high Red Spider 8PRO combat robots, is more refined and requires a higher standard of crafting, a technology that Wang Yinyue hasn¡¯t entirely mastered yet, preventing him from modifying it himself.


    Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi, equipped with these two exoskeleton armors and outer elixirs, could exert combat power close to 8SS+ level. Although slightly weaker in some aspects, overall, the difference was not much.


    What made Lin Rui helpless was that Vasiliyev took advantage of the situation to charge an exorbitant price for the Red Spider 8PRO, a staggering 1600 billion federal coins.


    Only because this Red Spider 8PRO was currently inside the ¡®Martial Arts Palace¡¯ and immediately available for pickup and use.


    Fang Ranran was frowning after completing the transaction.


    She agreed to Vasiliyev¡¯s outrageous demand because of today¡¯s events and once again felt the imminent danger.


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly; the money earned by Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals in the past few months was all taken by Vasiliyev, and they even owed him over a trillion federal coins.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui¡¯s brow furrowed again as he looked towards the First Martial Arts Tournament Hall.


    Ever since entering the Dragon Transformation Realm, Lin Rui¡¯s soul had begun to undergo Abyss Transformation, sensing an increasingly dire situation in that direction¡ª


    Lin Rui focused and made a video call to Lin Xi: ¡°Xiao Xi, later pick a team from Forest Alien Body Company and bring our cruiser over. Yes, Xiao Xi, you also need to come.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ji Xueying¡¯s expression subtly changed. The cruiser Lin Rui mentioned came from Xie Pharmaceutical Medical Company.


    This cruiser was specially modified, touted as a mobile hospital, but in reality, Xie Company used this guise to secure government and military subsidies, while its essence was still that of a powerful cruiser.


    After they acquired it, they added some new features to it.


    Besides, Lin Xi herself is the Despair Heavenly Girl.


    ¡°My lord, what is this?¡±


    ¡°It might be useful,¡± Lin Rui sighed, ¡°but I feel she no longer has a chance.¡±


    He invited Lin Xi in the last sliver of hope, for a walkthrough.


    However, Shi Yan¡¯s chance of survival was indeed slim, and the government was likely to eliminate her soon.


    Lin Rui could not defy the attention of the Martial Arts Association and the government by attempting a rescue for Shi Yan.


    Moreover, after the championship¡¯s closing ceremony tomorrow, they would return to Ninth Base City.


    The Federation¡¯s election will come to a climax in two days, Fang Ranran must return promptly to take charge, and Lin Rui, a top popular Martial Arts Star, must also support Bright Front¡¯s many candidates by campaigning.


    After all, he is the Executive Vice Chairman of the Bright Front, and he must make an effort in the final moments of the election.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Meanwhile, outside the second emergency operating room in the First Martial Arts Pavilion, ¡®Immovable Ming King¡¯ Zhang Jie was sitting collapsed on the ground, his face deathly pale, looking lifelessly at the ceiling.


    The increasingly dense ether tide and black curtains inside the operating room, along with Shi Yan¡¯s screams of agony, filled Zhang Jie with terror and immense concern.


    He never expected such an occurrence.


    Shi Yan simply drank a beverage and became the vessel for the Abyss¡¯s descent.


    Their head coach was nearby, communicating with the chairman of the Abyss Group, ¡®Li ShenYuan¡¯.


    The face of this Seventh Realm Super Emperor was also utterly pale: ¡°Director Li, the Martial Arts Association already detected traces of Illusion Technique in the beverage and applied a Mind Suggestion on Shi Yan to make her drink it. It¡¯s the Concept Divine Power of ¡®Dreamy Heavenly Venerate.¡¯ Ling Huan hasn¡¯t resurrected yet, so currently, we can¡¯t ascertain whose method it was.¡±


    ¡°¡ªThe opinion of the Martial Arts Association is that there is very little hope for recovery, requiring a massive amount of their resources. It¡¯s best to administer a poison injection quickly to grant her a painless death, and the specialists sent by the military and government share the same view, Director Li. Personally, I think handling this sooner is better, to let her suffer less.¡±


    Zhang Jie¡¯s pupils dilated, disbelievingly staring at his head coach.


    He tried to stand up to speak for Shi Yan, but was suppressed by an arm from their captain Ji Tiantao, instantly subduing his chi and blood.


    Ji Tiantao looked solemnly at Zhang Jie, slightly shaking his head.


    The handling method of the government and Martial Arts Association was cruel, but it was also unavoidable.


    They couldn¡¯t truly allow the Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable to descend.


    The Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable couldn¡¯t possibly resurrect through Shi Yan¡¯s frail body but would bring immense disaster to this Space Home class warship.


    Besides, in front of the chairman of the Abyss Group, where could they get a say?


    In the video, ¡®Li ShenYuan¡¯ went silent for a moment, then hoarsely said: ¡°Try again, our Abyss Group will cover all costs. Use all available methods, and if it truly can¡¯t be reversed, handle it before the situation deteriorates. Also, you must cooperate with the Martial Arts Association to thoroughly investigate the truth! The reputation of the Abyss Group must not be tarnished.¡±


    At this moment, Shi Yan, suppressed by various devices including God Binding Lock, Limit Element Lock, soul-sealing headband, and Limiting Element Needle on the operating table, had her pupils dilating drastically.


    With the power of Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable, her senses were extremely heightened. Though trapped on the bed, she could still hear the conversation outside.


    Although she couldn¡¯t control her body now, she could still hear and sense it.


    Despair began to show in Shi Yan¡¯s eyes.


    Am I going to die now? Injected to death? She felt deeply reluctant¡ª


    Yet, she heard that ethereal and distant voice again.


    This Divine Spirit¡¯s remnant seemed also in pain, the voice strained: ¡°Little Shi Yan, do not give up resistance, you can¡¯t give up! If you are tainted by the force of my true body, we are done for. We still have hope, there is hope.¡±


    Inside Shi Yan¡¯s Primordial Spirit, everything was desolate. Where was hope? There was none.


    ¡°There is hope, we must find that person! No, that God¡ª¡±


    The ethereal voice paused: ¡°Your opponent today, He should be a Demigod. He might have a way to help us! No, He definitely has a way! I sensed the power of light from Him.¡±


    Shi Yan was stunned by these words; her opponent today was Lin Rui, wasn¡¯t it?


    He is a Demigod? At this time, what kind of joke was Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable playing with her?

 Chapter 625 - 598 Its Here (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 625: Chapter 598 It¡¯s Here (Please Subscribe)


    Due to the divine intervention incident during the finals, the championship ceremony of Mingde University¡¯s Martial Arts Club had to be postponed to the next day¡¯s closing ceremony.


    Lin Rui originally thought that after such a malicious incident, the closing ceremony might end on a low note, but instead, not only was there no cut in the program, there were two additional events added.


    The Martial Arts Competition Hall Number Two was filled to its capacity of 1.32 million seats, and the organizers even sold an additional 300,000 standing-room-only tickets, making the venue packed with people.


    These spectators weren¡¯t the slightest bit afraid; on the contrary, they were very excited.


    They believed they had witnessed a legendary university martial arts championship, which featured the highest level of combat ever seen in the history of the tournament; a genius college competitor with unparalleled combat strength; and a failed divine intervention.


    Most of these viewers came from Colonization Stars, where could they have seen such a grand occasion?


    They all felt that their trip to Sky Extreme Star was very worthwhile, and it was the most memorable and brag-worthy experience of their brief lives.


    However, when Lin Rui received the trophy from the hands of the first vice president of the Martial Arts Association, he noticed that this senior Congressional Honorary Member was actually in a very bad mood.


    He was obviously controlling his muscles, forcing a smile on his face.


    Lin Rui could understand him; today, all the major media had been heavily criticizing the Martial Arts Association.


    Some berated the Martial Arts Association for neglecting their duties, not taking student safety seriously; some said there were significant issues with the Martial Arts Association¡¯s security mechanisms; and others suspected that there were insiders in the Martial Arts Association conspiring with terrorists, with opinions varying widely.


    There were even more sensational headlines, such as ¡°Yesterday¡¯s Close Shave for 1.32 Million People¡±.


    The president and vice president of the Martial Arts Association were not only powerful and respected, but they also brought great benefits to themselves, which is why many senior Congressional Honorary Members, as well as Ninth Realm Emperor Rank individuals outside the federal establishment, were eyeing these positions.


    Besides, the internal situation of the Martial Arts Association was not united; for example, the security chief of the association and the university competition committee were also under tremendous public pressure at this time.


    It must be mentioned that Linghu Mingde was also very interested in the position of vice president of the Martial Arts Association¡ª


    He had taken an oath to become a ¡®senior Congressional Honorary Member¡¯, but the government had not yet negotiated what position to give him.


    The main reason was that the election campaign was entering its final stages, and the largest opposition party, the People¡¯s Party, ultimately got its wish to postpone the decision on the treaty clauses with Great Song until after the election.


    But with both sides engaged fiercely in the election campaign, who had the leisure to discuss Linghu Mingde¡¯s specific duties?


    Linghu Mingde himself was not concerned; the current government might fall, and Congress was likely to be reorganized, so it was pointless to take on a role at this time.


    According to a summary of intelligence from all sides, the Bright Front is expected to win more than ten seats, and then Linghu¡¯s asking price will be higher.


    Compared to government positions, Linghu Mingde was more interested in the Martial Arts Association, but he ceased his efforts when he realized that the positions of the three presidents and vice presidents were difficult to shake for now.


    To Lin Rui¡¯s regret, until the closing ceremony ended and he boarded the ¡®Wuxing Battleship¡¯ sent by the Martial Arts Association to take them back to Ninth Base City, he still hadn¡¯t seen Shi Yan.


    During the return journey, Fang Ranran was always sitting in her seat, processing various official documents and legal files, while flipping through the news about them, especially about the election.


    ¡°The current polls suggest we are likely to win, especially you, who is expected to get 53 million votes, but others are in a tough situation. Although both the polls and supercomputer models are showing good outcomes, the election isn¡¯t decided until the very last moment. I hope to get more than 4 billion votes in total, which would allow us to have another proportional representation member.¡±


    The so-called proportional representation members refer to seats allocated based on the proportion of votes received by each party relative to the total number of votes.


    Fang Ranran said this while swiping through the projection interface in front of her.


    She noticed that even at the height of the election campaign, Lin Rui was a hot topic.


    Fang Ranran scrolled through several news articles related to Lin Rui.


    ¡°The Strongest College Student in History Defeated a Divine Spirit in Yesterday¡¯s Championship!¡±


    ¡°Analyzing Lin Rui¡¯s Three Secret Blades and the Eight Powerful Conceptual Powers He Commands¡±


    ¡°The Reasons Lin Rui has Not Been Corrupted by Gods Until Now¡±


    ¡°174.2 Billion Federal Coins! After Yesterday¡¯s Finals, Lin Rui¡¯s Livestream Sales Reached a New Record High¡±


    ¡°Loyal and Righteous! Lin Rui Signs Exclusive Endorsement Contract with Sky Blue Group, Becomes Shareholder and Board Member¡±


    ¡°Sky Blue Group¡¯s Market Value Soars to 6.3203 Trillions Federal Coins by Market Close!¡±


    Fang Ranran couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue, feeling Lin Rui had gotten a bad deal. Just the day before, the sales by Sky Blue Group themselves only amounted to 42.3 billion federal coins; the sales Lin Rui generated were over four times their regular sales channel.


    Even though the profits on this part weren¡¯t high, after deducting commissions for Lin Rui and the platform, Sky Blue Group could only take a 5.5% profit from that 174.2 billion federal coins.


    But those customers who bought their Armament would continue to bring steady profits to Sky Blue Group in the future.


    For example, future maintenance fees would be a significant revenue stream.


    ¡ª¡ªThat woman really got off lightly.


    Fang Ranran felt utterly displeased whenever she thought about that woman, who had shares in the company, being her father¡¯s other woman.


    And thinking of how this woman even tried to conspire with the Pharmaceutical Alliance and the Star Chain Pirate Group to take them down, her eyes flashed murderously cold.


    Fang Xianzheng was quite smart; he sent that mother and son back to their maternal family on the day of the incident, otherwise, Fang Ranran would not have been so polite to them.


    However, Fang Ranran would not let this matter go until Fang Xianzheng gave them an explanation.


    The situation within the Sky Blue Group and the Fang Family had already reversed, and she now had the power to confront Fang Xianzheng.


    At this moment, she scrolled through several news articles, all about Shi Yan.


    Most of them disclosed and analyzed the process before and after Shi Yan was schemed against and poisoned, and others discussed the fight between Shi Yan and Lin Rui, and how Lin Rui defeated the avatar of Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable.


    The Abyss Group, in an attempt to salvage their reputation and clear their suspicions, not only put enormous pressure on the government and the Security Bureau but also exerted significant effort in the media and on the internet.


    They released a massive amount of video material from within the Martial Arts Association, along with the results of the drink¡¯s drug test, onto the internet.


    At this moment, her expression suddenly shifted, and she glanced at Lin Rui beside her: ¡°Future Science University issued a death notice, saying Shi Yan has passed away, and the Martial Arts Association also released a press statement.¡±


    She had noticed Lin Rui¡¯s unusual behavior since yesterday.


    Ever since the finals, Lin Rui had been very concerned about Shi Yan¡¯s condition.


    If she did not know the reason and understand Lin Rui¡¯s aesthetic preferences, knowing that Lin Rui had no interest in Shi Yan¡¯s type, she would have already been overcome with jealousy.


    This guy¡¯s personality is actually quite similar to the older generation of Alien Walkers from the Linghu Mingde era: on one hand, ruthless and unblinking in killing; on the other, he adheres to the codes of honor among the rivers and lakes.


    Lin Rui believes that he is partly responsible for Shi Yan¡¯s current predicament, so he has been following her situation for the past few days.


    ¡°She passed away just like that?¡± Lin Rui¡¯s eyes widened first, then he turned his head to look out the porthole, and let out a sigh.


    He had actually anticipated this outcome and had already done his utmost.


    That cruiser had been stopped near the Martial Arts Palace and even got questioned several times by the nearby defense force.


    Lin Rui also tried to sneak into the First Citizen Hospital of the Martial Arts Palace, but with so many experts inside, there was no way he could get close.


    He immediately reined in his thoughts; the Wuxing Battleship had arrived at the Ninth Satellite and was about to enter the Star Port of the Ninth Base City.


    After disembarking, Lin Rui still had to perform surgeries on Linghu Mingde and Wang Tianwu.


    Linghu Mingde had seven Armaments entering the final stage of production, and he was eager to implant them to gain stronger combat capabilities.


    And Wang Tianwu, that fellow¡¯s 27 pieces of primary and secondary Armaments had 7 completed and 9 more in production¡ª it is worth mentioning that 4 of them were identical to Linghu Mingde¡¯s so the development went exceptionally fast.


    There are also two pieces of SSS-rated Armaments that Wang Tianwu wanted to implant, which were nearing completion as well.


    He planned to replace the current Armaments first and quickly increase his combat power to the level of 8SSS.


    In addition, Lin Rui was facing two wars: one was the election battle, entering its most crucial moments, and the other was against the Light God Sect. As the legalization of the Light King Sect and the rapid political advancement of the Bright Front, the lingering forces of the Light God Sect had become aware of the danger.


    The now ¡®Light King Sect¡¯ had already attracted a large number of legally recognized followers of the Light Church to defect and join this newly legal religious faction.


    As such, once the ¡®Bright Front¡¯ truly gains a foothold in politics, granting the Light King Sect greater political influence, it will further impact the Light God Sect.


    The ¡®Supreme¡¯ of the Light King Sect might even intensify the crackdown on the Light God Sect, launching a religious unification war.


    This caused panic among the many Divine Office of the Light God Sect. Thus, they fiercely retaliated at various bases, with the support of some behind-the-scenes forces, engaging in a covert battle with the Light King Sect.


    Number 9 was already struggling to hold on and had to seek his aid.


    And just as their battleship came to a halt, a message from Li Xianglong came through.


    Li Xianglong: Lin Rui, you¡¯ve docked by now, right? I am standing at the entrance of the Rui Fang Biological Research Institute, and I¡¯d like to go in and have a look.


    After Lin Rui saw the message, he was stunned for a while, then shook his head and said to Fang Ranran, ¡°I won¡¯t be going to the Sky Blue Group headquarters later; you can go on my behalf, I¡¯ll authorize you with my vote at the board meeting.¡±


    As he faced Fang Ranran¡¯s puzzled gaze, he shrugged his shoulders: ¡°Li Xianglong is here, and he wants to see our new Armaments.¡±


    This time, the First Commander of the Security Bureau caught him off guard.


    At this moment, what Lin Rui didn¡¯t know was that on the same day, inside a laboratory within the ¡®Martial Arts Palace¡¯ warship, declared dead by Future Science University and the Martial Arts Association, Shi Yan was slowly Awakening in a top-model cultivation tank.

 Chapter 626: 599: Visit (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 626: Chapter 599: Visit (Please Subscribe)


    When Shi Yan awoke, she discovered that all that remained of her was her torso; her arms and thighs had been severed cleanly and were nowhere to be found.


    Her internal organs were gone as well, Shi Yan realized that all her viscera had disappeared.


    ¡°After you feigned death, a group of people in white lab coats dissected your body and took all your organs, leaving only your head and part of your torso here,¡±


    the voice of Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable was very weak: ¡°We are quite fortunate, they were originally planning to cremate the remaining parts of you, turning them to ash. However, I heard that some high-level official from the Martial Arts Association made a deal and sold your corpse. Now we are inside an illegal laboratory within the ¡®Martial Arts Palace¡¯.¡±


    A surge of anger rose in Shi Yan¡¯s heart.


    So, not only was her body dissected and studied, but it was also sold by the scum within the Martial Arts Association?


    She then realized that she couldn¡¯t even open her eyes.


    ¡°Your ¡®Immortal¡¯ concept is very useful. I am indeed not dead now, but why can¡¯t I move?¡±


    Shi Yan had been stubbornly resisting the will of Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable until the Federation Security Bureau officer injected her with ¡®Euthanasia Medicine¡¯.


    The dose of medicine administered by the Security Bureau was significant; by any means, she shouldn¡¯t have survived.


    However, apart from being ¡®Immortal¡¯ and ¡®Mysterious¡¯, Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable also mastered a concept called ¡®Immortality¡¯.


    The vestiges of the Immortal Venerable within her, using this conceptual power, kept certain parts of her flesh and brain tissue somewhat vital, not only allowing her to assume a state of suspended animation, avoiding the further descent of the main will of Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable, but also deceiving the Federation Security Bureau and the Martial Arts Association.


    ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t control this body. Your flesh has been cleansed by the Divine Power and will of Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable. He nearly had a brief awakening within you, so this can hardly be considered your body anymore. We also can¡¯t open our eyes, there are many cameras and monitoring devices in this laboratory.


    Moreover, you might not have noticed, but the structure of your soul has also been contaminated by Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable, undergoing significant changes. It¡¯s somewhat like copy-pasting data storage in your world¡¯s computers; hence for the time being, I will have to control it.¡±


    The residual consciousness of the Immortal Venerable sensed the emotional changes in Shi Yan and let out a bitter laugh: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s only for a very short while. We must find that Demigod as soon as possible, otherwise, this body of yours will ultimately be corrupted by my main body. I want to see that happen even less than you do.¡±


    Shi Yan faltered, wondering if her soul structure had also changed?


    She then had a moment of haziness, and some vague memories emerged in her mind.


    The gaze hidden behind Shi Yan¡¯s eyelids began to turn blood-red as she pondered who she was. Was she Shi Yan? No, she was the Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable!


    Then what was that thing inside her? That was the contingency she had left before her downfall, to prevent ¡®The Root¡¯¡ª


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A thunderous roar exploded within Shi Yan¡¯s Primordial Spirit, causing her soul to suddenly contract in agony, as if being slashed by a thousand knives.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it, that is not for you to ponder,¡± the residual consciousness of the Immortal Venerable ¡®sighed¡¯ in Shi Yan¡¯s soul: ¡°You must keep your consciousness intact, remember that you are Shi Yan! Otherwise, we will both ¡®die¡¯¡ªa true death, complete obliteration.¡±


    It took Shi Yan a while to recover. Despair rose in her heart once more: ¡°You are saying that Lin Rui is a Demigod? How is that possible? I still can¡¯t believe it, how could he possibly be a Demigod?¡±


    ¡°My sensing ability can¡¯t be wrong.¡± The will of the residual consciousness of the Immortal Venerable was extremely firm: ¡°He must have awakened the ¡®Divine Heart Clarity¡¯ talent; aside from his low cultivation and not yet performing the final step of ¡®Divine Illumination¡¯, he¡¯s almost no different from a real god.¡±


    Shi Yan could not help but scoff. If the sensing ability of Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable were really that powerful, how could she herself have been schemed against?


    ¡°That was the Dreamy Heavenly Venerate! He usurped the ¡®Inspiration¡¯ concept from my main body.¡±


    Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable let out a bitter laugh: ¡°Most likely, it was Dreamy Heavenly Venerate using someone else¡¯s hand to plot against me. He probably hasn¡¯t fallen but lies dormant in the subconscious of all living beings on Tianji Star.¡±


    Shi Yan¡¯s pupils contracted slightly.


    Dreamy Heavenly Venerate? That is also an extremely powerful Abyss.


    But to find Lin Rui was actually quite simple; they could use the Quantum Communication system to contact him.


    Shi Yan then realized that her terminal bracelet was no longer on her hand.


    The residual consciousness of the Immortal Venerable then sensed their surroundings: ¡°First, we must escape from here and then contact your Alien to undergo Dragon Transformation! I sensed just now, to the left of this lab, there is a large supply of the high-concentration nutrient solution you used before. However, a High-level Martial Cultivator of the Eight Realms is guarding this lab, and currently, I only have strength for one strike, so we must wait for the right moment to act.¡±


    Shi Yan was puzzled, why would the residual consciousness of the Immortal Venerable need to use her Alien to undergo Dragon Transformation?


    Furthermore, she has now lost her intelligence terminal bracelet, how will she descend onto an Alien?


    The bigger problem was that inside her body, she found not only had she lost her organs, but nearly half of her bioimplants had been taken away.


    However, before Shi Yan had the chance to ask what exactly had happened, her consciousness was overwhelmed by a strong sense of weakness and exhaustion, and she began to feel dizzy, eventually falling into a coma.


    Before she completely lost consciousness, there was only one thought in Shi Yan¡¯s mind.


    This fragment of Immortal Venerable consciousness, in order to stimulate her survival instincts, had coaxed her into opposing the original consciousness of Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable, which was complete bullshit.


    Lin Rui is indeed strong, and many media believe he has an unprecedented ¡®Abyss¡¯ level talent, and he may truly have the hope of entering Longevity, or the Abyss.


    But to say Lin Rui is the Abyss? That is simply absurd and ridiculous to the extreme.


    It was also because she was unwilling at heart, not wanting to die like this, otherwise, she would have given up long ago.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Three days later, at Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute, the second Armament inspection and testing ground, Lin Rui stood with Li Xianglong in the observation room, watching Wang Tianwu try out his new set of Armament.


    This was almost a replica of the day Lin Rui invited Xu Mengran to visit and see the effects after Linghu Mingde¡¯s Surgical Implantation.


    In fact, the First Commander of the Security Bureau had signed a confidentiality contract three days earlier to enter the research institute for a visit, but at that time, Li Xianglong had only seen a technical explanation and a PowerPoint presentation by Si Malin, knowing that Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ newly developed technology was formidable and might start a new technological revolution in Biochemical Martial Arts.


    However, this was far less impressive than directly observing the effects after the Armament replacement.


    ¡°Incredible, truly incredible!!¡± Li Xianglong¡¯s eyes showed a glint of brilliance, with his True Yuan also agitated slightly: ¡°This is indeed revolutionary technology.¡±


    Compared to before the surgery, Wang Tianwu had directly reduced his mental burden by 14%¡ªand to think that he had not yet fully replaced his set of Armament, being able to save 14% of the Armament¡¯s load.


    Furthermore, the efficacy of all bioimplants had significantly increased; due to the different types of Armament, the optimization effects varied, but they were basically within a range of 20% to 50%!


    That is to say, just the optimization of the Armament could bring a significant increase in combat power for Wang Tianwu.


    Additionally, according to Si Malin¡¯s demonstration, these bioimplants can gradually integrate into the human genome in the future, truly becoming a part of the human body.


    Regrettably, Li Xianglong did not have the chance to watch the entire surgery process.


    He squinted his eyes: ¡°However, the Armament of Wang Tianwu and Linghu Mingde have reached such effectiveness, surely it¡¯s not just due to the Armament themselves, right? How did you manage to get them to undergo Spirit and Body Integration once more?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui smiled slightly: ¡°This is our core technology, not convenient for demonstration, but please rest assured, General, you can trust us completely, we guarantee the optimal effect of the Armament for you.¡±


    However, he knew that Li Xianglong might find it difficult to make a decision.


    Xu Mengran is currently hesitant, solely because Lin Rui rejects the presence of others during the surgery¡ª


    Li Xianglong clicked his tongue, feeling somewhat displeased in his heart.


    He indeed had doubts.


    Not to mention the people of Tianji Star who worry about sabotage during the Armament implantation, their Alien Walkers from the Earth Federation feel the same.


    If it were low-level Alien Walkers, it would not matter much due to their lack of value, but for them, the high-level Alien Walkers, caution is crucial.


    However, it¡¯s possible to invest a sum of money first, to develop the desired Armament before anything else.


    As Li Xianglong was deep in thought, Lin Rui¡¯s senses moved slightly, receiving an alert message.


    Incredibly, it was from what he considered the profit-hungry businessman, Aleksei Vasiliyev¡ª


    Bakery owner: In consideration of the previous transaction worth 500 billion, I have a message for Mr. Lin: according to the latest information I have, someone is going to make a move on your girlfriend, and it could be within 5 minutes, there¡¯s still time for Mr. Lin to act now and avert disaster.


    After reading the message, Lin Rui¡¯s eyes suddenly contracted sharply.

 Chapter 627: 600: General (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 627: Chapter 600: General (Third Update, Please Subscribe)


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui); I want to know who is the mastermind behind this? Is there any specific intelligence?


    While asking, he contacted Fang Ranran, sending out a warning and confirming her current location.


    At the same time, Lin Rui was also gathering his forces.


    Due to the all-out war between the Light King Sect and the Light God Sect, all four of his Seventh Realm high-level experts had been dispatched to other Base Cities, including Zhu Youheng, the Super Emperor of Eight Realms.


    Lin Rui entrusted Zhu with the heavy responsibility of suppressing the Cult.


    Therefore, Lin Rui¡¯s core force has always been in the Ninth Base City.


    The problem was that Linghu Mingde had already been invited by the Congress and went to the ¡®Capital¡¯ warship last night.


    The other party chose an excellent opportunity to make their move.


    Bakery Owner: I¡¯m not too clear about the mastermind, but I know that not long ago a big customer spent a lot of money in the Underworld to hire an assassin group. They didn¡¯t go through the dark web but contacted privately, so I can only tell you that the Dark Dragon Group and Tianzhu Group are involved.


    Bakery Owner: Don¡¯t ask me for detailed intelligence anymore, you should know the rules of the Underworld. Me giving you a heads-up is already breaking the rules.


    Lin Rui¡¯s mind sharpened; both the Dark Dragon Group and Tianzhu Group were extremely powerful assassin and mercenary groups, even stronger than the Shadow Killing Team that once attempted to assassinate him!


    He immediately thought to hell with the rules; since the mastermind didn¡¯t use the ¡°bakery¡± as an underground dark web channel, this Vasiliyev had no moral burden.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Give me all the intelligence you have now, and name your price.


    He immediately received a file from the bakery owner, but he had to pay 7.5 billion federal coins to open it.


    Lin Rui felt increasingly frustrated internally, cursing Vasiliyev from head to toe.


    He felt like he was working for this Eurasian Federation¡¯s crooked businessman lately.


    Although Lin Rui was not pleased, he still hesitated not one bit to make the payment and opened the file.


    Lin Rui thought if the intelligence wasn¡¯t worth the price, he would show this guy what¡¯s what tomorrow.


    However, after browsing through the document, Lin Rui¡¯s mood became even colder.


    At the moment Lin Rui was exchanging with Vasiliyev, Li Xianglong was rubbing his temples in great distress. ¡°The 112 billion federal coins you want, I will transfer to your account in 5 days, but I demand that you start the project research as soon as possible. Additionally, I¡¯ll give you another armament list; you can price it for me first.¡±


    This armament list was prepared for Kou Xuan King.


    But Li Xianglong was very troubled by this financing.


    Indeed, he controlled tremendous power and substantial government funds, but Lin Rui was not keen on revealing their new technology, meaning this matter could not temporarily go through the public accounts of the Security Bureau.


    The problem was that neither Li Xianglong nor Kou Xuan King was good at business, nor did they want to indulge in corrupt practices like embezzling public funds for private use, so unlike some other Divine Envoy Level Congressmen, they didn¡¯t possess a great deal of property.


    Luckily, Li Xianglong still had about eight or nine hundred billion in fixed assets, able to collect forty or fifty billion in rent annually, while Kou Xuan King the gambler didn¡¯t have a dime to his name.


    Whenever that guy ran out of money, he would take a few trusted subordinates to do missions on Tianji Star. Once his pockets were somewhat filled, he would take a seat at the gambling table and lose every bit of cash down to his underpants, truly a possession by the God of Poverty.


    For that reason, figuring out how to gather this sum of money was indeed troublesome for Li Xianglong.


    At this moment, Li Xianglong finally noticed Lin Rui¡¯s unease and turned to ask, ¡°What happened? If it¡¯s urgent, you can leave first. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, General, it¡¯s Vasiliyev, the bakery owner, who informed me that someone is going to make a move on Ranran. The situation might be quite serious this time.¡±


    Lin Rui felt a sense of urgency; he briefly explained and hurriedly turned to leave.


    Inside the armament testing zone, Wang Tianwu, who was testing his own armaments, also received the message.


    His expression changed and he immediately strode towards the exit.


    Someone dares to make a move on the boss¡¯s wife?


    These bastards are hitting right on the muzzle¡ªjust as he was promoted to 8SSS rank and was looking for a strong opponent for a fight!


    Li Xianglong frowned slightly, confirmed briefly in the intelligence database, then turned and said to Lin Rui, ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need help with, give me a sign.¡±


    He discovered that Lin Rui was no longer worried about being connected with Lin Hao.


    This guy was even deliberately arranging things to make others believe that Lin Rui was Lin Hao¡¯s black glove.


    Li Xianglong didn¡¯t know the reason behind Lin Rui¡¯s actions. Did Lin Rui really think that such tricks could deceive the major players of the Federation?


    However, Li Xianglong knew what Lin Rui was capable of; this little fellow must be pretty confident.


    Moreover, Lin Rui now had much greater autonomy, he was no longer the small fry he used to be.


    ¡ª¡ªThis guy¡¯s forces even included two Quasi-Member Level combatants! His assets also exceeded 5 trillion, significantly richer than Li Xianglong!


    Energized by the words he heard, Lin Rui, already donning the ¡®Imperial Right¡¯ exoskeleton armor, dashed out of the Biological Prosthetics Research Institute¡¯s gate with Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi, only able to communicate with Li Xianglong via quantum communication: Thank you so much, Marshal, please check the document I¡¯ve sent you.


    Gu Ying Tiandao: It seems like the leader of the Dark Dragon Group is right at this location. I¡¯d trouble the Marshal to find him for me, and it would be best if you could help me take him down.


    So as greedy as this Aleksei Vasiliyev is, the intelligence he provided is still valuable.


    Li Xianglong was slightly taken aback after reading the message sent by Lin Rui.


    This guy really doesn¡¯t hold back at all.


    To his knowledge, the leader of the Dark Dragon Group was a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Quasi-Member, and also a top-tier sniper.


    This was a Four-star Marshal in the reserves, as well as a member of the Earth Federation.


    However, in the past ten years, the number of high-level Armored Warriors who died at the hands of the Dark Dragon Group has exceeded two hundred. Keeping them around would be more detrimental.


    Li Xianglong: Okay, the fee for taking action is 80 billion federal coins, and I guarantee that he can be taken down.


    He felt he was being quite fair, as this commission was already below the current market price.


    In the Earth Federation, hiring someone to kill any Quasi-Member would cost at least 100 billion up front.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression darkened slightly, he still has to pay?


    He could only pinch his nose and respond: Deal!


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly; although he was making a fortune every day, the rate at which he spent money was still far slower than the rate he earned it.


    Initially, he had wanted to fleece Li Xianglong for a bit of cash, but in the end, he got the tables turned on him by this person.


    Li Xianglong sent another message to Lin Rui: Remember, don¡¯t make too much of a mess. Thunder¡¯s promotion to General of the Security Bureau and his appointment as the first Deputy Director of the Ninth Division have just been announced.


    After reading the message, Lin Rui frowned deeply.


    Thunder¡¯s promotion to General of the Security Bureau, huh? This wasn¡¯t exactly good news for him.


    His powers hadn¡¯t changed much; he was still in charge of the Special Service Center and the National Security Special Action Center but now had to take on some management responsibilities.


    Moreover, after tonight, he would be a Congressman¡ªwho would care about being the first Deputy Director of a division then?


    Li Xianglong probably guessed his thoughts and sent another message: This position is just a stepping stone. The Security Bureau headquarters is also about to establish the ¡®Sky Extreme Star Trading Surveillance Center¡¯ and the ¡®National Security Special Action Center¡¯, and you¡¯re the designated director. Don¡¯t make trouble for Thunder at this time.


    If a serious security incident happens in Ninth Base City at this time, ¡®Thunder¡¯, as the directly responsible person, would definitely have difficulties in his transfer.


    But right now, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t care less about ¡®Thunder¡¯s¡¯ future.


    He already knew who the mastermind behind the scenes was¡ªit was the Longevity Association!


    Lin Rui thought the recent pharmaceutical war might deter the Longevity Association for a while, making them observe for some time.


    However, their enemy was far more vicious than Lin Rui imagined, targeting Fang Ranran instead.


    So now he must go all out to ensure Fang Ranran¡¯s safety on one hand, and on the other hand, to eradicate these assassins to the greatest extent.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t let the Longevity Association gauge his strength and weaknesses, and he must also warn the underworld with this fight that whoever wished harm upon him and Fang Ranran must pay a sufficient price.


    Beyond that, nothing else was within his considerations at the moment.

 Chapter 628: 601: Councilor (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 628: Chapter 601: Councilor (Please Subscribe)


    Meanwhile, on the Capital Ship, Fang Xianzheng was sitting in his Congressman¡¯s office, browsing the data published by the Election Committee.


    The Federation¡¯s general election had ended at 12 a.m. the previous day, moving into the vote counting phase.


    The Earth Federation adopted a parallel system of electronic and paper voting, where voters must first undergo a simple mental check before casting their vote at an electronic terminal and then proceeding to cast a paper ballot.


    This is to prevent cheating, as the current era has too many top-notch hackers who, with the support of various Armaments and supercomputers, possess not only astonishing cognitive abilities but also Divine Skills that can twist the laws of physics and affect reality; no cybersecurity measures can withstand them.


    Hence, in this era of extremely advanced electronic technology, the paper voting method is still not obsolete and is increasingly valued by all parties.


    However, the results of electronic voting are already out, and according to the data on the Election Committee¡¯s official website, Lin Rui has received as many as 60.33 million votes.


    ¡ª¡ªThis is significantly higher than the predictions of the internal supercomputer models of the Sky Blue Group and also 43% higher than that of Fang Xianzheng, the veteran star politician, ranking first in Ninth Base City.


    His daughter, Fang Ranran, also received 24.03 million votes, ranking 12th and narrowly making the cut. As long as there are no issues in the subsequent paper vote count, Fang Ranran can become a formal Congressman.


    It¡¯s worth mentioning that this time Fang Ranran did not rely much on the power of the Light King Sect.


    The previous championship not only greatly increased Fang Ranran¡¯s popularity but also earned her the strong support of alumni from Mingde University.


    This allowed the Light King Sect¡¯s 19 million votes in Ninth Base City to be allocated among other candidates of the Bright Front.


    According to the electronic voting statistics, the Bright Front elected a total of 16 Congressmen this time, including Lin Rui, Fang Ranran, Wang Song, and others.


    They are distributed across various city bases of the Earth Federation, with Sixth Base City alone having 6 representatives!


    As the Bright Front obtained a total of 443 million votes, they also secured a proportional representation seat in the Congress, allowing the party internally to appoint a member as a Congressman, bringing the total to 17 seats.


    ¡ª¡ªFor this newly formed party, this is undoubtedly a great victory! Participating in an election for the first time, they won 17 Congressional seats, becoming the fifth largest party in Congress!


    At the same time, they also achieved considerable success in local City Councils, currently holding as many as 83 City Councilor seats in Ninth City alone, accounting for 34% of this session¡¯s City Council seats.


    This is also thanks to Lin Rui¡¯s formidable popularity.


    Fang Xianzheng knew that during these two days, Lin Rui had been running around various constituencies in Ninth Base City, supporting many candidates of the Bright Front.


    Subsequently, all the candidates who had Lin Rui¡¯s endorsement and campaign support succeeded in taking office without exception.


    Even those dozen or so completely unknown and inexperienced political novices managed to win the election and were propelled into the City Council by Lin Rui¡¯s overwhelming popularity.


    As Fang Xianzheng perused the election data released by the Election Committee, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitter chuckle.


    ¡°This girl, she¡¯s really spread her wings!¡±


    The outcome of this election was undoubtedly a strong rebuttal from Fang Ranran to her father.


    Not only do Fang Ranran and Lin Rui have astonishing financial strength, but their political power is also not to be underestimated!


    Especially the six Congressional seats in Ninth Base City, which were a severe slap in the face to him.


    Fang Xianzheng did not lose; he not only retained the four Congressional seats of the People¡¯s Party in Ninth Base City but also made slight gains in the City Council.


    In addition, Fang Xianzheng directly achieved modest victories in several major constituencies.


    However, for the People¡¯s Party, which was full of ambition and confidence before the election, this result could only be described as barely acceptable.


    The ruling National Society Alliance suffered a crushing defeat in Ninth Base City, not only losing three Congressional seats, but also suffering losses in the City Council.


    Then, all the territories lost by the National Society Alliance were swallowed up by the Bright Front, and the People¡¯s Party, which had invested a vast amount of resources before and after the election, gained nothing.


    However, for Fang Xianzheng himself, this was an excellent result.


    Just at this moment, Fang Xianzheng received a warning through a special channel.


    ¡°Ranran? These peopl¡ª¡ª¡±


    Fang Xianzheng frowned deeply and without hesitating, opened a chat window with Linghu Mingde.


    Ever since his ex-wife passed away, Fang Xianzheng had not privately chatted with Linghu Mingde for 8 years.


    With the urgent situation at hand, it was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with Linghu Mingde.


    Not only is Fang Ranran his daughter, but she is now also a very significant pawn who cannot be lost.


    However, just as Fang Xianzheng opened the chat box, he remembered that Linghu Mingde was not currently in Ninth Base City.


    His complexion turned as sullen as iron in an instant, his gaze sharply directed toward the direction of Capitol Hill.


    Fang Xianzheng¡¯s political acumen was exceptional, and he quickly understood who was behind the scheme.


    It was most likely the Longevity Association! Some people in the Longevity Association intended to sever his connection with Lin Rui and Linghu Mingde.


    Fang Xianzheng couldn¡¯t help but let out a sinister chuckle. Did the Longevity Association really think he, Fang Xianzheng, was someone they could easily deceive?


    His anger quickly turned into suspicion. Fang Xianzheng keenly sensed that the Longevity Association was reluctant to directly target Lin Rui; they dreaded him, even more than the Fang Family and the Linghu Family.


    Was it because of Lin Cong? What exactly did Lin Cong hold in his hands that made them so apprehensive?


    Fang Xianzheng still sent messages to Linghu Mingde and Fang Ranran and also instructed Fang Kongfang to send immediate support.


    But a chill crept into his heart. Linghu Mingde was not in Ninth Base City, and Fang Xianzheng¡¯s main forces had been recently transferred to the Capital.


    Considering the current strength of the Linghu Family and the Fang Family in Ninth Base City, it was uncertain whether they could protect Fang Ranran.


    With only Lin Rui and his Forest Group¡¯s power, they were likely not enough to withstand the furious onslaught targeting Ranran.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When Fang Ranran received Lin Rui¡¯s warning, she was riding in a ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ luxury official armored car on the twelfth vacuum expressway in Ninth Base City.


    This official armored car was accompanied by a security team arranged by Linghu Mingde.


    A total of 15 combat units, 180 personnel in 60 reinforced explosion-proof armored cars, plus 30 combat robots of various models, 15 Battle Dragon maintenance vehicles, and Fang Ranran¡¯s own Dragon Slayer 9SS+, as well as the 160 billion cost Red Spider 8PRO, surrounded the ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ luxury official armored car like stars circling the moon, forming an impressive security convoy.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s outing today was to host a victory celebration for the Bright Front at their headquarters.


    This election, the Bright Front achieved brilliant results! The party was exhilarated, morale soaring from top to bottom.


    Hosting a high-profile victory party at this time could further inspire morale and unite the people.


    Fang Ranran herself was thrilled with joy but her good mood came to an abrupt end upon receiving warnings from Lin Rui and Fang Xianzheng.


    Her security convoy reacted with incredible speed, quickly assuming a defensive formation, solidly shielding the ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ luxury official armored car in which Fang Ranran was riding. Following the security director¡¯s orders, the convoy descended from the expressway, simultaneously lowering all vehicles¡¯ altitude, using the surrounding high-rise buildings to cover the convoy and avoid being targeted by those powerful snipers.


    Fang Ranran gave it some thought and directly dialed Huo Bangguo¡¯s phone, forwarding him the document she received from Lin Rui.


    ¡°Mayor Huo, I¡¯ve encountered a bit of trouble here and may need your assistance and understanding.¡±


    In this election, running as an independent candidate, Huo Bangguo not only succeeded in being re-elected as mayor but also unexpectedly captured 56% of the votes.


    The analysis outside is that although a series of vicious incidents have occurred in Ninth Base City in the past two years, with continuous tragic events caused by the Children¡¯s Song Killer, the legal citizens of Ninth Base City have not suffered much harm, and the city¡¯s security issues have greatly improved.


    The increasingly arrogant and domineering gangs, having been suppressed by the Children¡¯s Song Killer and the Thunder Admiral, ceased their activities; during which Ling Huan, a well-known terrorist from the Federation, was killed. Shortly before the election, the spy network of the people of Tianji Star was uncovered and a large-scale terrorist event planned by the Divine Light Army in collaboration with the people of Tianji Star was prevented, which earned Huo Bangguo the recognition of his capabilities by the citizens.


    Although two large corporate wars occurred during this period, these big companies and financial tycoons have always been lawless, and any mayor in their place would likely have been unable to stop them.


    So, all things considered, Huo Bangguo actually performed rather well, and his reputation in Ninth Base City was actually better than most had anticipated.


    When Huo Bangguo received Fang Ranran¡¯s call for help, along with the document she sent, his face darkened.


    He was also hosting a post-election celebration at his estate, having just opened a bottle of champagne from Earth, yet before he could even take a sip, he was faced with such an annoying situation.


    Huo Bangguo, momentarily irked to the point of a headache, wondered if he had been too lenient and gentle recently, allowing these scoundrels to dance over his head.


    And all the recent incidents seem to be related to Lin Rui and Fang Ranran? Couldn¡¯t these two just stay out of trouble?


    Huo Bangguo then remembered that these two were confirmed to be Congressmen, and in a couple of days, they would assume their positions in Congress, and these two big headaches would stay on the Capital Ship for a long time.


    He would also need the full cooperation of the Bright Front for his next term in office.


    The Bright Front occupied a full 34% of the seats in this term¡¯s City Council, with another 26% in the hands of Fang Xianzheng¡¯s People¡¯s Party.


    This meant that Huo Bangguo would need cooperation from both parties for anything he wanted to do in the future.


    He then spoke with a grave tone and serious expression: ¡°These villains are utterly lawless! Miss Fang, rest assured, I cannot shirk this duty. Please immediately find a secure location and await assistance, I have already ordered the Thunder Admiral to deploy the maximum available military and police forces for support, and I will personally set off at once!¡±


    Just as Fang Ranran was about to reply, she heard a loud explosion.


    It was an armored car on the outer perimeter of their convoy that suddenly exploded, a massive wave of heat and shock spreading instantaneously in all directions.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked out the window.

 Chapter 629 - 602: Courting Death (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 629: Chapter 602: Courting Death (Please Subscribe)


    Fang Ranran¡¯s vision and spiritual sense were both obscured by the magnetic storm and shockwave caused by the explosion, unable to discern the specific conditions of the armored car.


    However, her security team sent a series of messages in their protection group chat.


    ¡ª¡ªIt¡¯s a 320mm anti-matter annihilation bomb! Three in total! Coming from the Jinzi Commercial Building 1430 meters away, we have initiated fire suppression in that direction!


    ¡ª¡ªTwo Eighth Realm Mecha Dragons detected, along with 12 Red Spider Type-7 combat robots, at the 3 o¡¯clock position! Damn it! Where did they come from? We¡¯re using the best attitude sensing devices!


    ¡ª¡ªThere¡¯s also movement at the 4 o¡¯clock position, a Ninth Realm Super King Mecha Dragon! And four at the Seventh Realm!


    ¡ª¡ªNo response from Car 22, it¡¯s likely that everyone inside is gone!


    ¡ª¡ªAll combatants from Car 10 to Car 30 evacuate the armored cars at top speed, drivers immediately arrange the vehicles as barriers and covers!


    ¡ª¡ªAll Battle Dragon support vehicles have completed the injection of stimulants! High-concentration nutrient injections are also complete! Ready to launch!


    ¡ª¡ªCareful! At the 6 o¡¯clock position, three Seventh Realm Mecha Dragons armed with sniper cannons!


    ¡ª¡ªAttention, there¡¯s a top-tier hacker! SS+ grade! Our Type-9 attitude sensing devices are being interfered with, they¡¯re no longer reliable!


    Fang Ranran was shocked as she read these messages in the group chat.


    She then opened the tactical map shared by her security team and saw a large number of red markers surrounding them.


    These markers were in various shapes, some representing artillery, some armored cars, humanoid shapes for Armored Warriors, dragon-head shapes for Mecha Dragons, with numbers beside them indicating the levels of these warriors and dragons, amounting to over 300 in total and the number was rapidly increasing.


    Enemies were successively spotted by the security team and marked on the tactical map.


    The tactical map was clearly tampered with by hackers, filled with false information and inaccuracies in location.


    At this moment, the numerous armored cars and combat robots around her were spewing flames in all directions.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s two Type-9 combat robots were also emitting deadly beams, sweeping and bombarding the surrounding enemies.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    An armored car to the left of Fang Ranran¡¯s vehicle was lifted into the air by a giant shockwave and exploded with a deafening blast that could shatter eardrums.


    Just as Fang Ranran¡¯s gaze and the security team¡¯s attention turned in that direction, Fang Ranran heard a sharp ¡®clang¡¯ sound.


    It was the luxurious Holy Shield official armored car she was riding that had been struck by an extremely sharp blade of light. The armor-piercing strike instantly broke through the protective force field shield and the 60 centimeters thick alloy armor outside the car!


    Fang Ranran¡¯s pupils contracted sharply, her heart pounding with alarm.


    ¡ª¡ªThat was definitely a Mecha Dragon! And an extremely powerful Ninth Realm Emperor Rank ¡®Dark Gold Shadow Dragon¡¯!


    This Dark Gold Shadow Dragon had silently infiltrated near their convoy and suddenly launched an attack, slashing at her with that deadly blade of light!


    Its master must possess top-level Stealth Shadow Escape abilities, allowing them to catch Fang Ranran¡¯s Dragon Slayer 9SS+ and the likewise 9SS+ combat power of the Red Spider 8PRO off guard, leaving them without time to react.


    Fang Ranran wanted to resist and defend, but as she swung her sword, the piercing blade light had already reached in front of her.


    At that moment, Fang Ranran saw a flash of light before her eyes.


    Fang Ranran¡¯s eyes brightened, convinced that it must be Aunt Qiu¡¯s arrival.


    As the scene in front of Fang Ranran altered, she found herself standing outside the luxurious Holy Shield official armored car, about 22 meters away.


    The numerous armored cars and combat robots around her were unleashing their full firepower on a 26-meter-tall ¡®Dark Gold Shadow Dragon¡¯.


    Especially Fang Ranran¡¯s Dragon Slayer 9SS+ and the Red Spider 8PRO, with a total of eighteen mighty plasma and heavy particle cannons, were firing at the ¡®Dark Gold Shadow Dragon¡¯.


    Qiu Jingshu¡¯s Mecha Dragon, the ¡®Mirror Emperor Dragon,¡¯ also appeared behind the ¡®Dark Gold Shadow Dragon.¡¯


    It raised its sword, preparing to join the surrounding firepower to slay the ¡®Dark Gold Shadow Dragon.¡¯


    However, at this time, the ¡®Mirror Emperor Dragon¡¯ was targeted by dozens of sniper cannons, numerous combat robots, and 320mm cannon anti-matter annihilation bombs.


    Unable to go all out, it had to use most of its strength to retaliate against this firepower. This allowed the ¡®Dark Gold Shadow Dragon¡¯ to successfully retreat and again hide in the shadows.


    ¡°Aunt Qiu!¡± Fang Ranran, still in shock, turned to look at Qiu Jingshu standing beside her.


    The situation around her was perilous, as armored cars and combat robots were continually being destroyed.


    Fang Ranran, wearing the 7SSS+ Emperor Exoskeleton Armor, also detected several strong Ninth Realm presences nearby.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lin Rui has already arrived.¡±


    Qiu Jingshu shook her head slightly with a calm expression: ¡°His power is even stronger now than it was twenty-odd days ago. They are courting death!¡±


    Fang Ranran¡¯s mind slightly relaxed at this, Lin Rui was here?


    She then realized that she was able to detect the Ninth Realm presences because the attitude sensing devices inside her exoskeleton armor had returned to normal.


    The accuracy of the shooting from the armored cars and combat robots around had also risen by a level.


    Their tactical maps have returned to normal as well.


    Though Lin Rui himself had not appeared, his subordinates such as Wang Yinyue and Lin Xi had already taken action to suppress the opposing hackers.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    As the battle on the streets intensified, Nishikado Fumi, the leader of the Dark Dragon Group, was half-kneeling on the rooftop of a 189-story building 8400 meters away.


    In his hands, he held a 7-meter-long sniper rifle etched with crimson runes, aiming in the direction of the battlefield.


    Nishikado Fumi¡¯s scope remained locked on Fang Ranran, waiting for the right moment.


    For this mission, they only had five minutes. Any longer and the military police and Huo Bangguo would arrive one after the other.


    In such a short amount of time, it was impossible for them to eliminate Fang Ranran¡¯s security team, let alone the 8SSS-ranked Sky Mirror Mage and her ¡®Mirror Emperor Dragon¡¯.


    So whether the mission could succeed or not all depended on his sniper rifle.


    Nishikado Fumi was patiently awaiting the opportunity for a one-shot kill.


    The heavy protective armored vehicles around Fang Ranran were of no concern, but the Dragon Slayer 9SS+ and the Red Spider 8PRO were very troublesome.


    The protective force fields of these two combat robots were constantly guarding Fang Ranran.


    Of course, the most troublesome was that 8SSS-ranked Sky Mirror Mage.


    Yet Nishikado Fumi was not at all in a hurry. The ¡®Dark Dragon Group¡¯ along with the ¡®Heaven¡¯s Punishment Group¡¯, ¡®Necromancer Group¡¯, and ¡®Three-headed Snake¡¯ participating in the mission were all top and sub-top mercenary groups.


    They were following Nishikado Fumi¡¯s instructions, eliminating all potential targets that could interfere with his one-shot kill one by one.


    Everything was proceeding according to plan.


    Nishikado Fumi was extremely relaxed. He was constantly making fine adjustments to the sniper rifle in response to the changing situation on the battlefield, while speaking to his employer.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for information to be leaked. You¡¯ve spent so much money causing such a commotion in the Underworld; how could you not let any information slip through? Moreover, you bypassed those darknets. The fact that they waited until now to leak our information already shows great consideration for your Longevity Association.¡±


    ¡°However, understanding aside, I still need a raise. Would 30 billion federal coins be okay? If so, I¡¯ll continue the mission.¡±


    ¡°I understand that you have someone engaging Lin Rui¡¯s top 8SSS, but buddy, this mission will make us deeply offend Fang Xianzheng and that old man Linghu. The defensive forces around Fang Ranran are also much stronger than expected.¡±


    Nishikado Fumi didn¡¯t really take Fang Xianzheng or Linghu Mingde seriously.


    So what if the information was leaked? He still had full confidence in assassinating Fang Ranran!


    Afterward, he just had to hide in the Evil Pirate Group¡¯s headquarters base, and at that time, no one could touch him.


    However, this did not stop him from using those two as bargaining chips to negotiate with his employer.


    Nishikado Fumi soon saw 30 billion federal coins being transferred into an account in his underground bank.


    The corners of Nishikado Fumi¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction: ¡°I think it¡¯s about time. You can have them engage the Sky Mirror Mage now, make sure to hold her attention! Otherwise, no matter how strong my shooting is, it¡¯s useless. I only have one chance to shoot.¡±


    At the very next moment, Nishikado Fumi saw the intensity of the battle in the street 8400 meters away suddenly surge.


    The Ninth Realm Dark Gold Shadow Dragon that had hidden in the shadows appeared again, launching an attack under the cover of numerous fire squads and 12 powerful Battle Dragons.


    At the same time, the master of the Ninth Realm Dark Gold Shadow Dragon also appeared on the battlefield¡ªit was Charles Broude, the leader of the Heaven¡¯s Punishment Group!


    The person and the dragon coordinated perfectly; upon their appearance, the Dragon Slayer 9SS+ was immediately thrust into grave danger.


    ¡ª¡ªThis was the pillar of firepower for Fang Ranran¡¯s security team!


    Qiu Jingshu had no choice but to leave Fang Ranran¡¯s side in an attempt to save this very important Type 9 combat robot for them.


    It was at this moment that Nishikado Fumi narrowed his eyes, ready to pull the trigger.


    Just then, a peculiarly shaped Emperor Rank Type 8 Battle Armor suddenly appeared beside Fang Ranran.


    ¡ª¡ªIt was the ¡®Imperial Authority¡¯!


    Nishikado Fumi, having reviewed all the detailed information about the target, knew that Fang Ranran¡¯s boyfriend had an ¡®Imperial Authority¡¯ from a top master mechanic, a rare quasi-8X level in the world!


    At that moment, the ¡®Imperial Authority¡¯ was looking in his direction through the sighting hole.


    Nishikado Fumi could feel the piercing aura of the Exoskeleton Armor from more than ten miles away. At first, shocked to realize that he had been discovered, but then his pupils narrowed, thinking so what if he was discovered?


    Without hesitation, Nishikado Fumi pulled the trigger, while unleashing all his bloodline power and vital energy, executing his most powerful shot.


    The alloy bullet in the chamber instantly shot out like a streak of lightning towards Fang Ranran.


    If Nishikado Fumi wanted someone dead, no one could stop it!

 Chapter 630 - 603: Slaying (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 630: Chapter 603: Slaying (Third Update, Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui saw Nishikado Fumi and the alloy bullet shot from his sniper rifle at the same time.


    That bullet, like a slash at full power unleashed by Lin Rui himself, could not be accurately described by any unit of time like seconds or minutes.


    It shot towards them like a streak of light and a flash of lightning!


    At this point, any other Sixth Realm Martial Cultivator would not have had enough time to react.


    However, this did not include Lin Rui, with his Bloodline Talent of a Fake X-level ranking,


    who had already raised his hand toward the direction from which the bullet was coming.


    ¡°Twist!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes were sharp and cold with killing intent, his robe and hair fluttering as if in a windless dance.


    At that moment, the time, space, velocity, gravity, kinetic energy, electrons, photons, and even causality and fate all twisted and changed in front of Lin Rui!


    With Abyss Source Material and an Abyss Source Core inside him, along with a Fake X-level Golden Core and a Fake X-level Battle Dragon, Lin Rui was granted tremendous Divine Power of the Fake Abyss, pushing his concept of Twist to the extreme at 42%!


    Boom!


    Fang Ranran heard a booming blast right by her ear, a powerful shockwave sweeping across, causing her hair to fly about wildly.


    Only after a moment did she realize that a bullet had just grazed by less than 30 centimeters from her.


    The bullet was immensely powerful; by the time it reached near her, it had already penetrated two Protective Force Field Shields, those of the Dragon Slayer 9 and the Red Spider 8PRO.


    After that, its momentum unabated, it continued to pierce through three armored cars behind Fang Ranran and then, unstoppable like a piercing beam of light, went through layer after layer of concrete in several nearby buildings before flying off into the distance.


    Nishikado Fumi, who was half-kneeling on the rooftop of a high-rise 8400 meters away, saw this scene without any visible shock or panic.


    ¡ªThat must be the Twist, right? And it¡¯s at least over 40% of the concept! Is this something a Sixth Realm character is capable of? How has this Lin Rui not gone mad or been corrupted yet?


    The key point is that this little brat has completely unleashed a concept of Twist exceeding 40%! Is this something a Sixth Realm Martial Cultivator can achieve?


    Even for someone like Nishikado Fumi of the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, he mastered only two concepts at the 30% level.


    That was already a struggle; to go any higher would risk contamination of the Primordial Spirit by the gods of the respective concepts. Moreover, due to the lack of Abyss Source Material, they couldn¡¯t actually bring their Conceptual Power to its Limit.


    So how did this Lin Rui do it?


    Nishikado Fumi was puzzled but had no time to ponder deeply.


    Having missed his shot, he quickly packed up the sniper rifle in front of him, ready to leave the location, his actions decisive and swift.


    The first reason was that Nishikado Fumi¡¯s Primordial Spirit already had very bad premonitions, a continuous sense of alarm that made him extremely uneasy.


    The second reason was that the situation on the street in the distance was actually a bit wrong.


    Lin Rui should not have been in that location!


    You should know that ¡®The Necro Squad¡¯ and ¡®The Three-headed Snake¡¯ were also part of this mission, with a large part of their manpower tasked with sniping at Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, the Forest Group, the Sky Blue Group, and the Linghu Family.


    Especially the port base owned by Lin Rui.


    The headquarters of the Bright Front is very close to this port base, so theoretically, the forces under Lin Rui would be the first to arrive.


    Their employers had a very thorough plan; they even prepared a Nine Realms Emperor for that Quasi-Member under Lin Rui, to contain the mysterious red-armored woman whose identity was a secret and who emerged during the pharmaceutical war!


    Yet Lin Rui appeared by Fang Ranran¡¯s side even before Nishikado Fumi could pull the trigger of his sniper rifle.


    This meant that ¡°The Necro Squad¡± and ¡°The Three-headed Snake¡± might have failed in their containment and interception.


    At least the current situation was much worse than their initial estimates.


    ¡°The situation is not very good, you should retreat quickly.¡± At this point, Nishikado Fumi¡¯s smart terminal wristband received a message from the employer: ¡°Endo Yuuhiro has been confirmed killed in action! The exact details of the battle are unclear, but the probability is high that he was killed by one of Lin Rui¡¯s Martial Cultivators, and it happened in an instant, with no intense battle breaking out nearby.¡±


    ¡°Endo-san is dead?¡± Nishikado Fumi was shaken, his body breaking out in a cold sweat.


    Endo Yuuhiro was the one responsible for containing the mysterious red-armored woman, and he was of the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank!


    Since they came from the same ethnic group, Nishikado Fumi had worked with Endo Yuuhiro many times and was very familiar with his power.


    This was a man who pursued the ultimate Sword Dao throughout his life, a madman obsessed with the Sword Dao!


    Endo Yuuhiro¡¯s Bloodline Power was only at the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, but his Sword Dao rating reached 9SS+! Known as the ¡®Sword General,¡¯ he was a powerful Quasi-Member of the Assembly!


    Besides, he had a ¡®Yamato Sword Sage¡¯ model 9SS type Combat Robot assisting him in combat.


    How could such a formidable figure be killed? Was it Lin Rui?


    Nishikado Fumi¡¯s expression turned cold as he hastened his movements, but just as he was about to leap from the tall building, a chilly voice came from behind him: ¡°Found you! It really is you, leader of the Dark Dragon Group, Nishikado Fumi!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Nishikado Fumi was startled, and then a chill ran down his spine.


    He recognized the voice behind him; it was Li Xianglong! Was this the source of the ominous feeling in his soul?


    But why would the First Commander of the Security Bureau be here? Was he aiding Lin Rui and Fang Ranran? What was their relationship?


    As these thoughts flashed through Nishikado Fumi¡¯s mind, his figure also changed ghostly.


    With great effort, he had stimulated his Bloodline Ability, turning his body nearly intangible, navigating through the gaps in the space-time void.


    However, Nishikado had barely escaped less than a hundred meters before he felt a pain in his neck.


    Nishikado Fumi realized that his head had been severed by a single stroke of Li Xianglong¡¯s sword!


    Despair flickered in his pupils.


    The First Commander of the Security Bureau was indeed swift with his sword!


    Both at the Ninth Realm, but the gap between them was too great, wasn¡¯t it? So fast that he, a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, had no chance to evade!


    Li Xianglong put away his sword expressionlessly.


    For Nishikado Fumi to die under his secret sword with a rating of 9SSS+, it could be considered a worthy end.


    To maintain the secrecy of the fight, Li Xianglong had used up to 80-90% of his strength.


    This one strike was also worthy of the 800 billion federal coins given to him by Lin Rui.


    Li Xianglong then touched the bridge of his nose with a sense of helplessness.


    He still owed 320 billion federal coins, and he had yet to pull together a sum of money for Kou Xuan Wang.


    To develop a new set of armaments for Kou Xuan Wang would cost at least a hundred billion; Li Xianglong pondered when that gambler could gather such money.


    Li Xianglong felt he was still too modest, asking for too low a price.


    For someone like Nishikado Fumi, just the deposit he received on this assassination mission to kill Fang Ranran might have exceeded 150 billion.


    Li Xianglong then turned to look in the direction of the battlefield 8400 meters away.


    At that instant, he saw two Eighth Realm Emperor Rank masters being neatly slain by Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying on the battlefield!


    That was actually a result of teamwork, with Wang Tianwu first using his more powerful Illusion Technique to distract the two Eighth Realm Emperors slightly, while at the same time, the hacker forces under Lin Rui caused a temporary malfunction in the Exoskeleton Armor combat AI of both individuals.


    In the end, it was Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying, with their overwhelming explosive power, that sent the two Eighth Realm Emperors to their doom!


    A slight twitch crossed Li Xianglong¡¯s face.


    These were two reserve three-star Marshals, and strong possessors of the Emperor Bloodline! They did not die on the battlefield defending people of Tianji Star, but instead fell to the blades of their own kind.


    But indeed, Lin Rui¡¯s forces had grown stronger.


    With the enhancement of Exoskeleton Armor and Outer Elixir, both Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying could exert a combat power close to 8SS+.


    Lin Rui was even more powerful, somehow mastering a strong 42% ¡®Twist¡¯ Concept!


    This master and two servants could even form an extremely powerful Three Talents Sword Formation, formidable enough to contend with a Quasi-Member!


    Just now, Li Xianglong had personally witnessed Lin Rui¡¯s trio, along with Xianyu Yan, Wang Tianwu, and others, ganging up to kill Endo Yuuhiro.


    The fight ended swiftly and decisively in an instant.


    Li Xianglong¡¯s gaze then shifted to the shadow of the dark gold dragon in the center of the battlefield, and to the dragon¡¯s master, ¡®Sword of Death¡¯ Charle Broude!


    Li Xianglong sighed once more.


    He knew the death omen for this Charle Broude had been revealed, and no matter what, there was no escape for him.


    This would be the fall of the third reserve three-star Marshal today!

 Chapter 631 - 604: Sweeping Through (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 631: Chapter 604: Sweeping Through (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui, to ensure maximum deterrence in this battle, had mobilized nearly all his forces!


    Apart from Zhu Youheng, who went to the Sixth Base City to lead the battle against the Light God Sect, key members like Xianyu Yan, Wang Tianwu, Lu Hanyuan, Li Yuehua, Hou Yuting, Gong Hengdao, and Fei Yunlai under Lin Rui¡¯s command all participated in the battle.


    Additionally, Lin Rui¡¯s studio and Forest Group contributed a total of 163 Dragon Transformation Masters and 2000 individuals with Fifth Realm Cultivation. They were either organized according to a fixed structure or temporarily grouped into 200 combat teams that overwhelmed the battlefield like a tidal wave.


    Two Red Spider 8PROs from Lin Rui¡¯s forces, along with six modified Red Spider 8s and four Dragon Slayer 8s, also joined the fight.


    Although their speed was somewhat slow, they still managed to arrive in time to provide firepower support from seven kilometers away.


    The preparations of the Longevity Association were very sufficient, utilizing four top and sub-top assassin groups and mercenary groups, with nearly 1500 elite members participating in this assassination operation.


    Among them were three Quasi-Member Level experts, including four individuals at the Super Emperor Rank and Emperor Rank from the Eight Realms.


    However, after Endo Yuuhiro was instantly killed by Lin Rui and others, and Nishikado Fumi was killed by Li Xianglong, these assassin groups and mercenary groups faced a drastically worsened situation, crumbling in an instant like a house stripped of its load-bearing walls.


    The leader of the Heavenly Punishment Group, ¡®Death Sword¡¯ Charles Broude, was now desperately fleeing for his life.


    He had received a warning from their employer quite early, aware of Endo Yuuhiro¡¯s death.


    Yet, despite his best efforts, he was still tightly entangled and restrained by that Heavenly Mirror Demon, taking him over a minute to escape just one kilometer.


    Although Broude¡¯s dark-gold shadow dragon and his Shadow Escape Skill ensured he did not reflect any light,


    he could not shield the reflection of other materials. The 8SSS-level Heavenly Mirror Demon could appear in any reflective surface, unexpectedly attacking and restraining him repeatedly.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    ¡®Death Sword¡¯ Charles Broude nearly clenched his jaw in frustration, wondering if he was really going to die here?


    Just for a mission to assassinate a Congressman with Fifth Realm Cultivation? What kind of joke was this? As the leader of the prestigious Heavenly Punishment Group, was he going to die on a task that should have been well within their grasp?


    The problem was that both Nine Realms Emperors, Endo Yuuhiro and Nishikado Fumi, had already fallen in battle!


    Nishikado Fumi¡¯s sniper position was only eight kilometers from here, so Charles Broude felt very distinctly the surge of Soul Power and Ether Tide when Nishikado Fumi died.


    Broude didn¡¯t know who made the move, but this person was incredibly strong! Strong enough to instantly slay a warrior whose Martial Arts and Bloodline rating had reached 9SS level.


    So he fled frantically, fighting off the assaults from the Heavenly Mirror Demon while trying his best to leave the battlefield.


    But then a tragic, infuriating and terrifying event occurred.


    Just 900 meters away, Dai Dongyou, Broude¡¯s closest comrade and vice-leader of the Heavenly Punishment Group, had his body bisected by a sword wielded by a red-armored woman.


    ¡ªIt was that mysterious Quasi-Member under Lin Rui¡¯s command!


    Afterward, the woman gathered an immensely powerful sword momentum, like a meteor, striking down towards Broude¡¯s direction.


    The sword not only gathered surging kinetic energy and fierce electromagnetism but also affected the surrounding force fields, binding and suppressing Charles Broude¡¯s tunneling speed.


    The ¡®Imperial Mirror Dragon¡¯ from that Heavenly Mirror Demon also split from the battle with the dark-gold shadow dragon. Its figure instantly appeared in a piece of shattered glass drifting by the side, unleashing a Heavy Slash towards Charles Broude.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get me!¡±


    A crimson glint flashed in Broude¡¯s eyes.


    How could he die here? And how would he fall here?


    He was just a step away from escape, with a crowded shopping mall nearby.


    If Broude could make it into this mall, he would be able to escape using some measures he had prearranged!


    As if he would let two mere Quasi-Members stop him!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    At that moment, the thighs and calves of Broude¡¯s dark-gold shadow dragon explosively burst, blasting all the bones and flesh on its legs into fragments.


    With this boost, two beams of black annihilating death rays suddenly shot out from the eyes of the dark-gold shadow dragon, blasting towards Qiu Jingshu and Xianyu Yan.


    Xianyu Yan showed a hint of surprise, not expecting Broude to possess such a powerful innate ability.


    She then sneered coldly, retracting the light from her sword and retreating to a position 100 meters away.


    With Xianyu Yan¡¯s strength, she could have resisted the annihilating death rays infused with powerful forces of death and destruction.


    If she were willing to pay the price, she could even have joined forces with Qiu Jingshu to withstand the blast of the death rays and continue their assault on ¡®Death Sword¡¯ Broude.


    The reflection controlled by the Heavenly Mirror Demon and the kinetic energy managed by Xianyu Yan could minimize the impact of these death rays.


    But there was no need, for Xianyu Yan had already achieved her goal of restraining and exhausting the enemy.


    Lin Rui, his two guards, and the three Six Realms Super Emperor Battle Dragons not only had reached nearby but were also fully poised and ready.


    That was the fatal secret skill aimed at Charles Broude!


    While Broude forced Tian Jing Demon and Xianyu Yan to retreat, he also saw three figures and three Battle Dragons suspended in the air around him!


    Those were Lin Rui¡¯s skeletal armor ¡®Emperor Authority¡¯ and two 8SSS type ¡®Emperors¡¯.


    What was even more shocking were those three Battle Dragons¡ª


    ¡°Emperor Hao Shenyang, Sword Spirit Unparalleled?¡±


    Indeed, they were two Emperor Hao Shenyang Dragons and one Sword Spirit Unparalleled Dragon!


    What was terrifying was that all three Battle Dragons, without exception, were Super Monarchs of the Sixth Realm!


    The intricate and mysterious purple-gold patterns on their bodies clearly indicated their top-tier bloodlines and formidable power.


    Broude¡¯s heart surged with tumultuous waves; Lin Rui had indeed undergone Dragon Transformation, becoming a Super Monarch of the Sixth Realm ¡®Emperor Hao Shenyang¡¯!


    His two guards also possessed terrifying legendary talents, merely at the Sixth Realm, yet they possessed Super Monarch bloodlines and transformed into Super Monarch Battle Dragons!


    But could these three Sixth Realm individuals solely with their formations stop him and kill him?


    Even if these three, boosted by Outer Elixirs and skeletal armors, held the combat power of the Eighth Realm, they shouldn¡¯t hope to do so!


    ¡°Kill!¡± With an unmatched will to survive, Broude further ignited his blood and essence soul, transforming into black death flames entwining around him.


    Broude set about killing every power and thing around him that could threaten him, while he covered his escape toward the shopping mall ahead.


    He was almost there! Just 100 meters away, and he could escape to safety!


    But at this moment, Broude¡¯s mind involuntarily blurred,


    he saw a pair of huge eyes in the sky watching him,


    Those were eyes filled with the power of light, looking like the sun rising at dawn on the horizon, yet they were cold and merciless, containing indescribable majesty and power.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Divine Spirit!¡±


    Broude¡¯s mind was shocked, and his body trembled.


    He felt that these eyes seemed to gather the origin and end of everything, accumulating endless wisdom and mystery, capable of perceiving the essence of all things in the world, seeing through everything about him, and could also purify everything that burned him.


    Broude immediately felt something was off.


    This was clearly an illusion, created by an extremely skilled Illusionist, simulating the gaze of a god to intimidate his mind.


    However, just as Broude struggled out of the dilemma, he saw six blade lights slashing towards him from his front, back, and sides.


    Three large and three small, four swords and two blades¡ªthose were clearly the six moves unleashed by the three Sixth Realm Super Monarchs and Battle Dragons!


    They complemented each other and resonated, amplifying their power to the extent that even Charles Broude felt a chilling despair.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    If Charles Broude couldn¡¯t make any effective resistance, his body was shattered and annihilated, along with his Primordial Spirit, first turning into pieces of blood powder, and then shattered into dust and chaff.


    At that moment, Huo Bangguo finally arrived.


    Like a meteor, he crashed into the central building of the battlefield.


    ¡°Charles Broude, I see you seek death!¡±


    However, when Huo Bangguo surveyed his surroundings, his pupils contracted slightly, a chill running through his heart.


    The ¡®Sword of Death¡¯ Broude had already died!


    The nearby battle was also reaching its conclusion; while over 1200 assassins and mercenaries either fled for their lives or resisted using the terrain, from the current battlefield situation, they were all close to death.


    After inspecting the battlefield, Huo Bangguo also received information from his chief of intelligence: Mayor, I¡¯ve received news, ¡®Sword General¡¯ Endo Yuuhiro and ¡®Assassination Dragon¡¯ Nishikado Fumi have been confirmed dead! Among them, Nishikado Fumi died 8 kilometers south of your position.


    Huo Bangguo¡¯s expression changed again, and he quickly turned his head towards Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Emperor Authority¡¯, thinking: Has this new power from the Ninth Base City truly become this strong?


    After receiving Fang Ranran¡¯s call for help, Huo Bangguo only spent a little time donning his battle armor while also comforting some esteemed guests who attended the victory party.


    Along the way, he was delayed briefly by Qi Tianquan, who intended to ¡®catch up¡¯ with him, but Huo Bangguo quickly shook him off.


    Afterward, he didn¡¯t delay a bit, taking just over five minutes to arrive at the battlefield.


    So, the ¡®Sword General¡¯ Endo Yuuhiro, ¡®Assassination Dragon¡¯ Nishikado Fumi, and ¡®Sword of Death¡¯ Broude, three Quasi-Members, just perished like that?


    Huo Bangguo was also surprised by Lin Rui and his two attendants¡¯ Battle Dragons, which caused his lips to twitch slightly.


    Are these really three Sixth Realm Super Monarchs? Three legendary talents? It¡¯s madness¡ª

 Chapter 632 - 605: Terrifying (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 632: Chapter 605: Terrifying (Please Subscribe)


    As Huo Bangguo arrived, Lu Hanyuan was busy clearing the enemies along the way, while watching Wang Tianwu standing at the peak of a skyscraper in the distance.


    He knew that Wang Tianwu had started his surgery yesterday, entering the operating room at 9 AM, and he had just come out.


    It seems that he has already implanted those new armaments, reportedly replacing a total of 15 pieces, removing more than half of the armaments within Wang Tianwu¡¯s body, and adding two new SSS-rank ones.


    Has the replacement been completed?


    Very strong! Wang Tianwu¡¯s current strength is indeed formidable!


    Lu Hanyuan had just witnessed with his own eyes how Wang Tianwu used his Illusion Technique to consecutively influence the minds of two Ninth Realm Emperor Rank masters!


    This is the effect of the new armaments¡ªWang Tianwu¡¯s spiritual power and Bloodline Talent have become so powerful that even those at the Quasi-Member level cannot withstand it.


    While envious, Lu Hanyuan felt as if there was a flame burning inside him!


    Lu Hanyuan¡¯s armaments were developed concurrently with those of Wang Tianwu.


    However, due to a shortage of staff at Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, the progress of Lu Hanyuan¡¯s armaments was considerably slower.


    Lu Hanyuan understood that for Lin Rui at the moment, top-tier pillar level combat power was indeed necessary.


    And his side was close too, as Lu Hanyuan was always keeping an eye on the development progress at Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, knowing that in no more than two months, he would be able to use the new armaments.


    If the armaments he was to replace could achieve the effects of Wang Tianwu¡¯s new armaments, Lu Hanyuan believed that in two months, he too could like Linghu Mingde achieve Divine Light Sky, merging his True Spirit within the Heavenly Curtain, stepping into the Emperor Rank of the Ninth Realm!


    Although his Martial Arts talent was a bit lacking, and he did not possess any secret skills of the Nine Realms Emperor, he might not have the strength of a Quasi-Member for the next fifty or sixty years.


    Yet, Lu Hanyuan could still rely on his Bloodline Power and his two special Defense-oriented Super Emperor Rank secret skills to become a reliable main force under Lin Rui!


    Mr. Lin is the wise ruler he had been fortunate to encounter in his life, the figure who could stand at the very top of the Earth Federation, the one who will soon ascend to be a ¡®God¡¯.


    That is exactly what Lu Hanyuan longed to see; limited by his own talents, unable to establish his own enterprise, he might as well follow the mighty, witnessing the top scenery of the Federation!


    Therefore, Lu Hanyuan was eager to replace his armaments, to elevate his strength!


    He must exert all his strength to hold Mr. Lin¡¯s Divine Throne aloft in the heavens; what a glory, what a fortune that would be!


    Compared to this eternal cosmos, even the life of a master of Nine Realms Divine Illumination is brief; Lu Hanyuan wanted to leave his mark in the river of time.


    At this moment, on another side of the battlefield, Li Yuehua and Hou Yuting were looking at each other, eyes filled with surprised and puzzled expressions.


    Hou Yuting practiced Ice Magic but was the more impatient at the moment.


    Snow Night Ice King (Hou Yuting): Fairy, Mr. Lin should have mentioned it to you, right? I mean the matter about the manufacturing and research cost of the armaments.


    Li Yuehua slightly raised her eyebrows after hearing this.


    Moonlight Fairy (Li Yuehua): He did mention it.


    It happened over a month ago when Lin Rui made a bold request, stating that replacing her entire set of armaments might cost 420 billion federal coins, the sooner the better, plus an additional confidentiality agreement had to be signed.


    Li Yuehua used to have some familial wealth, yet when she heard Lin Rui¡¯s words at the time, she still felt a chill run through her body.


    Previously, when Lin Rui and Lin Hao signed the contract with them, all due payments and salaries were given, which were slightly above the normal level.


    At that time, she felt fortunate that although they were coerced into serving, this Mr. Lin was a rather decent BOSS and quite generous.


    Was it now that his true colors were showing, preparing to suck their marrow?


    Back then, Li Yuehua unhesitatingly refused, and Lin Rui did not let Lin Hao use the bond terms to press her.


    But now it appears she might have missed something.


    Snow Night Ice King (Hou Yuting): So, will you give it?


    Li Yuehua narrowed her eyes, lost in thought.


    Recently, in order to integrate into Mr. Lin¡¯s team while figuring out Mr. Lin¡¯s actual situation and his real relationship with the National Guardian Duke, she had been excessively obliging, trying every way to get close to Wang Tianwu and Fei Yunlai.


    Both of them were veteran mercenaries, cunning as ghosts, with very tight-lipped.


    However, because of their ¡®friendship¡¯, they still offered her some advice.


    According to them, Mr. Lin is very generous and magnanimous, advising them to remain loyal to the BOSS, to give the money readily without hesitation, because the BOSS would never cheat them, and this would be beneficial for them.


    Further based on her observations over this recent period, Mr. Lin is not simply a business partner of Lin Hao; he is Lin Hao!


    He is either the National Guardian¡¯s alien form, or the National Guardian himself.


    Li Yuehua, with a steady gaze, replied again, ¡°Today, I saw Li Xianglong.¡±


    She decided to pay, but she planned to drag this Mr. Hou into the mix as well, feeling somewhat better if they were to be cheated together.


    The distant Hou Yuting, likewise, raised his eyebrows slightly.


    He too had seen Li Xianglong, albeit only a fleeting glimpse, but he was certain it was that boss from the Security Bureau.


    Therefore, the inquiry into the identity of ¡®Rookie No. 1¡ä can now be set aside.


    At the same time, the Great Chief Priest Chen Long was standing in front of a virtual 3D screen, feeling a bit parched and swallowing his saliva.


    Though he did not participate in the operation and had no contact with these mercenary groups, the assassination plan was his concept, so Chen Long had been paying attention.


    His hackers and intelligence officers had been keeping an eye on the Lin siblings.


    Thus, at the moment of the incident, Great Chief Priest Chen Long was able to see the live video immediately.


    This battle, however, turned out surprisingly beyond his expectation and shocked him deeply.


    ¡ª¡¯Dark Dragon Group¡¯, ¡®Heavenly Punishment Group¡¯, ¡®Undead Group¡¯, and ¡®Three-headed Snake¡¯; these four top and sub-top mercenary groups, including three quasi-members, were completely annihilated in this operation.


    A video call came through; it was from the vice president who had contacted him earlier at the Martial Arts Palace, instructing him not to meddle in this matter.


    ¡°Chen Long, you must have seen the battle that just happened in Ninth Base City?¡±


    ¡°I saw it, it was horrifying.¡± Chen Long¡¯s voice was hoarse: ¡°A total of 163 transformations! Two Eight Realm Emperor Ranks! And three Sixth Realm Super Emperors!¡±


    That Wang Tianwu has actually advanced to Eight Realm Emperor Rank, another quasi-member!


    And this person excels in Spirit Illusion Technique, and is well-versed in talismanic arrays; in actual battle power and influence on the battlefield, he actually surpasses a quasi-member.


    Also, that Lin Rui, and the two legendary talent guards he gathered, additionally weighed heavily on Chen Long¡¯s emotions.


    These three, once they enter the Seventh Realm, will become formidable enemies they have to deal with.


    The vice president, with a solemn expression, asked, ¡°Did your people see how Nishikado Fumi died?¡±


    Chen Long briefly checked the multitude of video data provided by his intelligence officer, then slightly shook his head: ¡°All the surveillance and videos from that angle were destroyed, must be the work of a top hacker.¡±


    There are several top hackers under Lin Rui¡¯s command too; the deaths of ¡®Sword General¡¯ Endo Yuuhiro and ¡®Death Sword¡¯ Charles Broude are related to this, as their exoskeleton armor¡¯s battle AI had temporarily malfunctioned.


    ¡°Unfathomable! It seems this young fellow has truly come into his own.¡± The vice president, rubbing his forehead, added with awe and wariness: ¡°You¡¯ve seen the situation now, try to lay low a bit recently, and pull back where you can at Ninth Base City.¡±


    Although this assassination attempt failed, it still held value; they had witnessed Lin Rui¡¯s power.


    This Lin Rui, in terms of financial and influential power, is already very strong, strong enough to sit at the third tier of the power pyramid¡¯s table! And he has immeasurable potential.


    If he joins the Longevity Association, he will certainly be one of the big bosses within.


    The vice president¡¯s headache was immense, and even with the Longevity Association¡¯s current power, eliminating Lin Rui would still require time to coordinate personnel.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Great Chief Priest Chen Long nodded slightly: ¡°However, based on the available information, I now strongly suspect that there might be a strong connection between Lin Rui and Lin Hao, it would be best for the Longevity Association to investigate this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check it out.¡± The vice president frowned: ¡°The two attendants by his side are very suspicious, and that red-armored woman is very likely Lin Hao¡¯s Dragon Guard, Xianyu Yan.¡±


    ¡°You also need to check the two Heavenly Maidens.¡± Great Chief Priest Chen Long continued to remind: ¡°You need to confirm the current condition of these two Abyss Weapons.¡±


    The vice president was startled, then nodded, thinking to himself that Chen Long, deserving of his awards as an academician in two countries, was indeed quick and astute.


    The condition of Lin Xi and Lin Yi indeed needed further verification.


    If these two Abyss Weapons are operational, Lin Rui¡¯s current power is indeed terrifying.


    This task is relatively simple; they can observe the two Abyss Battle Dragons owned by them, and by examining the Source Essence concentration within the Abyss Battle Dragon, they can infer their physical condition and time of death.


    At the scene of the assassination in Ninth Base City, Fang Ranran was calling Fang Xianzheng on the phone.


    She keenly noticed that Fang Xianzheng in the video was very surprised, her father¡¯s demeanor appeared calm, but his gaze was intense, occasionally glancing at Lin Rui behind her.


    Fang Ranran realized in an instant that the exhibited immense power of Lin Rui had greatly shocked him.


    Just now, Huo Bangguo also had a somewhat similar expression as Fang Xianzheng.

 Chapter 633 - 606: Shocking (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 633: Chapter 606: Shocking (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m fine, you see I¡¯m all right?¡±


    Fang Ranran smiled and opened her hands to show herself: ¡°Lin Rui arrived just in time, these assassins are a bit overconfident.¡±


    She knew Fang Xianzheng¡¯s character.


    As long as she still had utility value, her father was very reliable.


    If your strength is strong enough to be of use to him, her father would be the most amiable and considerate relative in the world.


    The response from Sky Blue Group was very quick this time. Just over 4 minutes after Fang Ranran was attacked, two members of the Ninth Realm, along with a full 130 combat units of various levels, promptly arrived at the battlefield and played an important role in the fight against the remaining assassins and mercenaries.


    Fang Ranran also happened to need Fang Xianzheng¡¯s power.


    She also guessed that this assassination attempt was definitely orchestrated by the Longevity Association.


    As they say, returning a favor is only right; she must make the Longevity Association pay the price.


    Fang Ranran also needed to buy time for Lin Rui to maximize his strength.


    ¡°Lin Rui is not bad,¡± Fang Xianzheng took another look at Lin Rui, who was having a lively chat with a representative from Huo Bangguo: ¡°To think that until now, I have not yet met Mr. Lin from our group. When you guys come to the Capital for your appointment, bring Lin Rui to Yuhai Manor to meet me; your uncles will also be there.¡±


    Fang Ranran¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised, thinking that Fang Xianzheng meant for her to bring Lin Rui to meet the family elders.


    The only elders Fang Ranran recognized were Linghu Mingde and her uncle and aunt, and they had already approved of Lin Rui.


    But it¡¯s okay, politics is the art of exchange, a qualified politician needs to maximize the use of resources, and unite various forces.


    Fang Xianzheng wanted to pull them in to use them, and Fang Ranran also just happened to need Fang Xianzheng for some matters.


    Like a financial bill targeting the lifeline of the Longevity Association, or for Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals to secure necessary approvals from regulatory bodies like the Drug Administration.


    If Fang Xianzheng¡¯s cooperation could be secured, their efforts would yield twice the result with half the effort.


    Her father was very capable and tactful, but he had a significant weakness; his combat strength was not strong enough!


    After all, the era today respects the powerful, and in the end, real strength is what counts.


    The power of Fang Ranran and Lin Rui was growing day by day, almost each month their power would grow stronger.


    The era now belongs to Fang Xianzheng, but the near future will undoubtedly belong to them.


    Fang Ranran put on a show of deep father-daughter affection, handled Fang Xianzheng, and then reported her safety to Linghu Mingde.


    Linghu Mingde wasn¡¯t worried at all; he knew about Lin Rui¡¯s overall strength.


    Especially since Li Xianglong was at Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, he wouldn¡¯t just stand by.


    Linghu Mingde was more concerned about what would happen next: ¡°Ranran, what will you do next?¡±


    The Linghu Family would definitely have to respond.


    Linghu Mingde was waiting for new Armament; his new Armament was about to be developed within about ten days.


    He would make a big move then, making the Longevity Association feel threatened and pained.


    The Longevity Association was an alliance, filled with various factions within. As long as the target was chosen correctly, it could have a good deterrent effect.


    However, this was just in terms of force; in politics and business, they also needed to make arrangements to further curb the Longevity Association.


    Besides attacking the power and war potential of the Longevity Association and weakening the competitors, they also needed to have a ¡°nuclear weapon¡± to deter the opposition.


    Lin Rui¡¯s father, Lin Cong likely had one, but this seemed to only ensure that the Longevity Association wouldn¡¯t directly target them siblings.


    ¡°I know, father-in-law,¡± Fang Ranran crossed her arms, a small smile playing on her lips: ¡°Just now, the President invited me hoping to form a coalition government with our Bright Front.¡±


    The ¡®National Society Alliance¡¯ suffered a complete defeat in this election, with their parliamentary seats dropping from 47% to 39%, but they remained the largest party in Congress.


    This meant that the ¡®National Society Alliance¡¯ needed to ally with some smaller parties to form a government, allowing the chairman of their party to continue as President.


    The Bright Front is indeed a good partner to unite with.


    They are a newly formed political party, and the vast majority of the Congressmen they have elected are newcomers, which means their asking price won¡¯t be too high.


    Moreover, they have a substantial number, a total of 17 Congressmen, which means that the National Society Alliance only needs to unite with one more party to form a government.


    Fang Ranran and Fang Xianzheng are father and daughter, but this does not mean she must lean towards the People¡¯s Party.


    The People¡¯s Party holds 34% of the seats in Congress, which means their forming of a government is more complicated. To balance interests among all parties, the conditions they offer to the Bright Front are inevitably incomparable to that of the ruling party.


    She believes her father would also be happy to see the Bright Front occupy a seat in the next government.


    Linghu Mingde, discerning the subtlety in the music, nodded and instructed with a steady voice: ¡°We must secure the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, at least maintain a strong influence in the industry. Additionally, we must have some power in finance.


    I will not get involved in the specifics of the negotiations. You should use all the chips you have; this assassination is somewhat beneficial, as it lets all parties clearly recognize Xiao Rui¡¯s strength.¡±


    Many will realize that Lin Rui is not just a vassal of Linghu Mingde and Sky Blue Group, but a powerful emerging financier who, within minutes, was able to eliminate three Quasi-Members and holds boundless potential!


    And if a government wants to be stable, it needs to secure their ruling foundation to the greatest extent.


    After finishing the communication with Linghu Mingde, Fang Ranran approached Lin Rui, with a grateful and enthusiastic smile, said, ¡°This time I¡¯ve really troubled Mayor Huo. To rush over during the reception to help us and even mobilize so many police and military forces for our sake, I am truly sorry.


    For our Bright Front¡¯s celebration reception, Mayor, please make sure to attend so we have the chance to express our gratitude. Also, when are you available? Lin Rui and I would like to invite you for dinner to discuss the biopharmaceutical industry of Ninth Base City and the expansion project of Base City.¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡± Huo Bangguo, holding Lin Rui¡¯s hand: ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t been much help. You had almost dealt with it all. I truly didn¡¯t expect that ¡®Dark Dragon Group,¡¯ ¡®Heavenly Punishment Group,¡¯ and that Endo Yuuhiro would fall into your hands. Truly, the younger generation is to be feared! They are indeed frightening!¡±


    He thought to himself, aren¡¯t they indeed fearsome?


    A year ago, Lin Rui would not have been qualified to dine with him!


    Fang Ranran could only speak a few words in front of him by virtue of her father and grandfather.


    But now, both of them, whether it be in terms of status or power, can already stand on an equal footing with him and are qualified to discuss major national policies.


    Huo Bangguo¡¯s next term will rely on the support of these two.


    His face was filled with a smile: ¡°I will definitely attend the Bright Front¡¯s celebration. I sincerely hope that both of you and the Bright Front will strongly support our city government¡¯s work and various affairs for the next 20 years.


    Regarding the expansion project of Base City you mentioned, Ranran, it¡¯s really fortunate that I got reelected this time. I have a lot of work to do in the new term, and you probably as well, right? Based on the current electronic votes, the Bright Front has had a great victory. Soon you¡¯ll not only need to adapt to the environment in Congress and participate in various agendas, but also be involved in forming the government. I guess you won¡¯t have much time soon? How about we set it for a month later, and talk in detail then?¡±


    Huo Bangguo actually wanted to buy time.


    He knew that after the Bright Front¡¯s victory, they would definitely push the expansion of Base City in the city council with full force.


    With Fang Xianzheng and the Sky Blue Group being the largest landowners in the periphery of Ninth Base City, their stance goes without saying.


    Based on the current situation, Fang Ranran and Lin Rui also have enough power to push the agenda and suppress any resistance.


    However, Huo Bangguo was not ready yet; he wasn¡¯t sure whether he should cooperate, how to cooperate, what benefits he could get from this agenda, what allies he needed to gather, and what potential enemies he might face in the process of advancing the agenda, not to mention how to coordinate the positions of major real estate developers.


    ¡ª¡ªAll these aspects needed careful consideration.


    Moreover, there was another critical issue¡ªhe needed enough time to purchase some land in the outskirts of Ninth Base City.


    Huo Bangguo currently had too few chips in hand; he had to ensure that he could bite off a substantial share in this Base City development deal.


    Fang Ranran noticed Huo Bangguo¡¯s thoughts, her lips slightly curled up, and she shook hands with Huo Bangguo: ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, in a month¡¯s time!¡±


    Actually, the Bright Front was not ready yet, either; they first needed to come up with a viable plan, and the issue of interest distribution with her father and the Sky Blue Group also needed to be properly discussed beforehand.


    This time, their proposed agenda could benefit the vast majority of people in Ninth Base City, but that didn¡¯t prevent them from profiting from it.


    Meanwhile, at the mayor¡¯s official residence, Qi Tianquan, who had been invited to the reception, had also finished reading all the information gathered by the intelligence director of Tianquan Biological Company about this failed assassination.


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s face slightly paled, and with a cold, wary look, he gazed toward the south side of the city government, about 150 kilometers away.


    Lin Rui, that guy, actually possesses such terrifying power?

 Chapter 634 - 607

    Chapter 634: Chapter 607


    The assassination attempt on Fang Ranran not only shocked Qi Tianquan to his core, but it also sent shockwaves through the many elites attending the soiree.


    Everyone was whispering to each other, some in awe of the audacity of the criminals, others curious about whom Fang Ranran could have possibly offended, some relieved about Fang Ranran¡¯s safety, and yet others disappointed by the outcome.


    However, the top tier of the gathering was astounded by the power Lin Rui had displayed.


    ¡°Incredible, the ¡®Dark Dragon Group¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Assassination Group¡¯ are both top-tier assassin and mercenary groups, with a history spanning decades, notorious for their ferocity.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so surprising, ¡®Death Sword¡¯ Broude, ¡®Sword General¡¯ Endo Yuuhiro, and ¡®Assassination Dragon¡¯ Nishikado Fumi are all Quasi-Members, backup three-star Marshals with Emperor Bloodline!¡±


    ¡°Could it be Linghu Mingde?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not him, Linghu Mingde is on the Capital Ship, his Heavenly Mirror Demon was involved, but the main force was people under Lin Rui¡¯s command.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a force! Over 150 Dragon Transformation Masters, plus at least three Quasi-Members.¡±


    ¡°Not only that? The one who instantly killed ¡®Assassination Dragon¡¯ Nishikado Fumi must be at least at the Congressman Level.¡±


    ¡°I heard that this person also split their forces to wage war against the Light God Sect.¡±


    ¡°We underestimated his power before, it¡¯s said that this Lin Rui is the Sect Hierarch of the so-called ¡®Light King Sect¡¯, and he can also command the forces of the ¡®Light King Sect¡¯. The Light King Sect currently has three officially registered Guardians, and there are said to be over 100 Dragon Transformations.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s even such a matter? I¡¯ve never heard of it, but this Mr. Lin is only 19 years old! He¡¯s already considered a first-rate power broker within the Federation, with limitless future potential.¡±


    Qi Tianquan realized that these people were not only whispering among themselves but also glancing over at him from time to time, which made his expression even uglier, his fists cracking with the noise.


    What Qi Tianquan found unbearable was that these people were actually revelling in schadenfreude! Even sympathetic!


    They actually thought that offending Linghu Mingde and Lin Rui was a stupid move and were curious to see his downfall.


    At this moment, a person he had marked as ¡®Ning Zanchen¡¯ sent him a message: Mr. Qi, regarding the ¡®Pharmaceutical Alliance¡¯ that you and Chairman Yang are advocating, our board has discussed and finds it unreliable; therefore, we won¡¯t participate, and I¡¯ll be leaving the group chat.


    Ning Zanchen: Sorry, Mr. Qi, our company is quite weak, and we really don¡¯t want to get involved in this level of corporate warfare. I¡¯ll treat you to a casual meal another day to apologize in person.


    Qi Tianquan frowned heavily after reading the message.


    This Ning Zanchen was also one of the elite in Ninth Base City, and his Ningren Pharmaceutical was a powerful pharmacy company there with a market value of 27 trillion federal coins.


    Not only is Ning Zanchen a powerful Quasi-Member, but he also has a brother who is a Super Emperor of Eight Realms with various top-tier equipment.


    In the past month, Qi Tianquan had put a lot of effort into courting them, only for the assassination attempt to undo all his hard work.


    But that was just the beginning. Just three seconds later, another person marked as ¡®Carter Bignette¡¯ sent him a message: Mr. Qi, I wish to officially inform you that after a board meeting, my company has decided not to participate in your proposed ¡®Pharmaceutical Alliance.¡¯ I¡¯m very sorry.


    This was the ¡®Chairman of Bignette Medical Devices,¡¯ whose overall strength was also very formidable, even surpassing Ningren Pharmaceutical, so his wording was neither humble nor arrogant, very straightforward.


    Seeing this, Qi Tianquan¡¯s complexion changed slightly, and he opened a chat group named ¡®Pharmaceutical Alliance¡¯ with his terminal smart bracelet.


    Originally there were 12 people in this group, but now only 10 remained.


    The ones who left were the two strongest besides Yang Lingxiao and himself.


    Qi Tianquan was just about to speak to stabilize people¡¯s minds when another wave of messages came in.


    ¡ª¡ªPlease forgive me, Mr. Qi, we¡¯ve also withdrawn. We really have no choice, our sales channels are currently controlled by Sky Blue Group and Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, especially Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals with over forty comprehensive hospitals, more than five thousand clinics, and over forty thousand pharmacies; we really can¡¯t afford to lose the support of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals.


    ¡ª¡ªMr. Qi, the strength of that Lin Rui isn¡¯t quite what you described. Have you heard about today¡¯s incident? Lin Rui is also at the tycoon level, and with our small stature, we dare not oppose them.


    ¡ª¡ªMr. Qi, I¡¯ve been wanting to leave and was looking for the right time to tell you. Fang Ranran warned us not long ago, if we want to keep using their channels, we must sign a divine-oriented offense and defense alliance with them. We¡¯re really in a dilemma.


    ¡ª¡ªBy the way, there¡¯s news that the Bright Front is about to participate in the forming of the cabinet, and they¡¯re likely to take control of the Food and Drug Administration; we¡¯re truly frightened, sorry!


    Almost every message that came was accompanied by a notification of someone leaving the group.


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s face gradually darkened like the bottom of a pot, his mood abysmal.


    So not only are these people quitting the alliance, but they might also become their enemies in the future?


    At this moment, Qi Tianquan saw a new message.


    It was from an old friend of several decades, who, although also deciding to leave the ¡®Pharmaceutical Protection Alliance,¡¯ gave some warnings that sharpened the glint in his eyes.


    ¡ª¡ªOld Qi, I¡¯ve left too, due to irresistible circumstances, sorry!


    ¡ª¡ªYou must pay attention to the Crown Prince in hiding of Great Song at Sky Extreme Star, who has spread word through some supply channels that anyone who dares to be an enemy of Lin Rui within the Heavenly Demon Origin is going against him.


    ¡ª¡ªWe have also found that the Imperial City Department of Great Song has intensified its scrutiny of our supply sources, which indicates a certain connection between them.


    ¡ª¡ªSo now we¡¯re being squeezed on both ends, material supply and sales channels. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, I¡¯m truly unable; moreover, Fang Ranran¡¯s ability to unite and coordinate allies is not inferior to her father¡¯s. In the near future, the Ninth Base City might very well form an alliance against you and Yang Lingxiao. You definitely need to be aware of this trend.


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s face turned serious upon reading this.


    In fact, his intelligence director was also suspecting that there might be some connection between ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ and ¡®Lin Hao¡¯.


    Also concerning was Fang Ranran; the girl indeed warranted attention, having been able to take the helm of the Bright Front on her own. First, relying on Linghu Mingde¡¯s political resources and financial support; and second, on the considerable financial power provided by Lin Rui, along with the fifty million votes of the Light King Sect spread across several base cities, in addition to Lin Rui¡¯s own popularity.


    Besides, she also leveraged a bit of her father¡¯s prestige, playing off borrowed power.


    However, Fang Ranran¡¯s organizational, managerial, and operational capabilities were indeed top-notch.


    Just then, Qi Tianquan heard someone nearby let out a surprised ¡°Huh¡±: ¡°The news is out. That was fast.¡±


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s expression changed, and he looked up at the three-dimensional TV broadcasting in the southeast corner of the restaurant.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªBreaking news, our city¡¯s renowned politician, chairwoman of the Bright Front and newly elected Congresswoman, Ms. Fang Ranran, was attacked by a large number of assassins in the southern 3121 district. It is reported that participants included the ¡®Dark Dragon Group¡¯, ¡®Heaven¡¯s Judgement¡¯, ¡®Undead Group¡¯, and the ¡®Three-headed Snake¡¯, and many assassin groups and dark mercenaries. Fortunately, with the Forest Group¡¯s security department, the Security Bureau, and the Armed Police Force fighting valiantly, they annihilated the federal top-wanted criminals including Charles Broude, Endo Yuuhiro, Nishikado Fumi, and many villains.¡±


    ¡°¡ª¡ªAccording to an inside source from the Ninth Division of the Security Bureau, the Security Bureau has acquired conclusive evidence that this incident is very likely related to the terrorist organization ¡®Longevity Association¡¯. The Ninth Division of the Security Bureau will soon hold a press conference to reveal the case details and answer public queries.¡±


    ¡°Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals has pledged to donate, not only covering all medical expenses for the casualties but also compensating for all losses caused by this attempted assassination.¡±


    Qi Tianquan saw this, and before he had time to think more, the next moment the scene on screen shifted.


    ¡°The Intelligence Center at the headquarters of the Security Bureau issued a statement that, following overnight investigations, it has preliminarily confirmed that the recent college league championship games¡¯ incident of Shi Yan being drugged, leading to divine possession, was masterminded by the Longevity Association.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qi Tianquan tensed immediately, realizing that the Longevity Association was likely to face serious trouble.


    At this time, he also saw a video, which was of a middle-aged man in a trench coat who boarded a ship and left the ¡®Martial Arts Palace¡¯ three minutes after the incident during the college league finals.


    Qi Tianquan recognized the man, who was Horiyama Yuusei, a dual academician of the Great Yamato Science Academy and the Atlantic Federation Academy of Sciences.


    As far as Qi Tianquan knew, this person had another identity: Chen Long, the Great Chief Priest of the Longevity Association.


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s company had several projects in collaboration with this person.


    Meanwhile, in a secret laboratory within the Tenth Base City, High Priest Chen Long was watching the news with an incredulous look.


    He thought, what in the world did this godly possession incident have to do with him?


    Chen Long suddenly realized that this could be a counterstrike by Fang Ranran, or even Fang Xianzheng!


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Chen Long could now confirm that it was a counterstrike by Fang Xianzheng; he found several of his financial accounts and investment funds had been frozen.


    Not only that, there was a chorus of cursing within the internal financial group of the Longevity Association.


    The cause was the Financial Supervision and Management Center of the Security Bureau, which had frozen a large number of their accounts on allegations of anti-money laundering and funding violent terrorism.

 Chapter 635: 608: Awakening (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 635: Chapter 608: Awakening (Third Update, Please Subscribe)


    After the celebratory reception at the mayoral manor, Qi Tianquan directly took a car back to his private estate.


    Qi Tianquan had initially been invited to join the reception of the ¡®National Society Alliance¡¯ local branch, but now he felt weighed down and lacked even the slightest interest.


    What made him even more frustrated and angry was that after breaking his commitment, not a single one of the three elected Congressmen from the National Society Alliance sent a message to ask why.


    Qi Tianquan thought these scoundrels probably couldn¡¯t wait for him not to show up.


    Just then, a new message came in, tagged ¡®Deputy Chairman Brown of the Longevity Association¡¯: Old Qi, where are you? I¡¯ve already arrived at your company headquarters, and I want to take a look at the thing down below.


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply; he immediately instructed the driver to change course and head towards the company headquarters.


    As a Congressional Honorary Member, he had the privilege to use the emergency skyway, and within just a minute, Qi Tianquan¡¯s luxurious official car had arrived at the Tianquan Company headquarters building.


    The Deputy Chairman Brown was standing at the entrance of the headquarters with his hands behind his back.


    With typically Anglo-Saxon features, clearly defined facial contours, pale skin, and deep-set eyes holding a pair of sharp blue irises, his beard was trim and neat.


    He wore a well-tailored dark suit that accentuated his robust figure, his back straight, exuding an intimidating presence without anger, resembling an upright lion.


    Yet, his gaze held a hint of murky darkness, likely affected by the recent failed assassination attempt.


    Knowing that Brown always acted decisively, Qi Tianquan shook hands with him and then escort him directly to the underground laboratory of the Tianquan Company headquarters.


    ¡°Why did you suddenly decide to make a move on Fang Ranran?¡±


    Qi Tianquan had no prior knowledge of the plan; he was abruptly informed that he needed to delay Huo Bangguo for a couple of minutes at most, and only afterwards did he learn that the Longevity Association had targeted Fang Ranran.


    ¡°Fang Ranran is the successor chosen by Linghu Mingde, cultivated with great effort; if anything happened to her, Linghu Mingde would go mad.¡±


    ¡°Even if Fang Ranran is alive, Linghu Mingde would still side with Lin Rui against our Longevity Association.¡±


    Deputy Chairman Brown shook his head: ¡°It might not be the case with Fang Xianzheng; he might be very angry at first and demand some compensation from us, but if we can offer recompense and have the Teng Family mediate, he might calm down and accept reality. He is purely a mercenary being.¡±


    The key issue is that the tripartite alliance has an incredibly strong synergy effect within the Federation.


    Fang Xianzheng used to be weak in terms of military strength, whereas Linghu Mingde is among the top combat forces within the Federation.


    Fang Xianzheng could use his political resources to assist Fang Ranran, who in turn could further augment Fang Xianzheng¡¯s influence.


    Qi Tianquan furrowed his brow and then continued to ask, ¡°Why suddenly the interest in seeing the Despair Battle Dragon? Hasn¡¯t the Longevity Association¡¯s research on it been completed? Hmm~ Are you wanting to confirm Lin Xi¡¯s status?¡±


    Outsiders think the ¡®Double Heavenly Maiden project¡¯ has failed, but it hasn¡¯t.


    They are just waiting for the final step, the death of the human incarnations, Lin Xi and Lin Yi.


    Normally, once the master dies, the Battle Dragon will lose its life too.


    However, the true master of the ¡®Despair Heavenly Dragon¡¯ is the ¡®Despair Venerate¡¯.


    Therefore, they expect this Battle Dragon to maintain a degree of vitality even after Lin Xi¡¯s death.


    The responsibility of the Tianquan Biological Company involves the transformation project of the ¡®Despair Heavenly Dragon¡¯.


    By combining biological chips and mechanical technology, they aim to transform the ¡®Despair Heavenly Dragon¡¯ into a War Puppet with power surpassing the Divine Envoy Level!


    However, since Lin Xi has not yet died, the transformation has not begun.


    At present, this Battle Dragon is also in a state of anesthetized slumber.


    Since they must ensure the normal growth of the Abyss Source Essence in the Battle Dragon, they cannot freeze it.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Deputy Chairman Brown gave a slight nod: ¡°Now that the other Suffering Heavenly Girl is also in his hands, can you imagine? What if the Suffering and Despair join the battle suddenly during a war? The consequences would be unpredictable. I know these two Heavenly Maidens cannot last long, but even if they only fight for 1-2 minutes, the outcome would be terrifying.¡±


    On hearing this, Qi Tianquan¡¯s mind tensed, and he turned serious.


    The Despair Heavenly Dragon was right beneath his company headquarters; if this Battle Dragon were to suddenly awaken, it would be a major blow to his company.


    Besides, Lin Rui siblings were now his enemies.


    Meanwhile, Qi Tianquan also felt annoyed and puzzled.


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s annoyance stemmed from the previous pharmaceutical war where the high-level Longevity Association believed they had to honor their commitments, ultimately deciding to let him initiate the war in his and Yang Lingxiao¡¯s personal names.


    If the Longevity Association had been involved at the time, Linghu Mingde and Lin Rui wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance, and there wouldn¡¯t be so many troubles now.


    What puzzled Qi Tianquan was what exactly the Longevity Association¡¯s high-level officials feared? Yang Lingxiao seemed to know something but was unwilling to share.


    Immediately, Qi Tianquan suppressed all other thoughts and concerns, largely because his dependency on the Longevity Association had grown even deeper.


    After the pharmaceutical war, Qi Tianquan spent a lot of money to win the bid for the Holy Medical Group¡¯s Alien and Dragon Transformation teams.


    Ultimately, he paid five times the price to buy back some of his trusted subordinates from Lin Rui, but Tianquan Company¡¯s Alien team was still unstable, the morale not solid, and the overall strength had greatly declined.


    Currently, he is relying on the help of the Longevity Association to rebuild his foundation, as one must bow their head under another¡¯s roof.


    Qi Tianquan began to focus on inspecting the Battle Dragon; as a Medicine God Sect elder and a doctorate in biology, he was highly professional in this regard.


    The test results are all normal, the source essence concentration of the Despair Heavenly Dragon has reached 62%, and the overlap rate with the Despair Venerate is 65%, which is the normal standard.


    According to previous estimates, when the source essence concentration of the Despair Heavenly Dragon reaches 70%, and the overlap rate reaches 80%, Lin Xi¡¯s human body would also be affected, and she would not be able to survive no matter what, her body could not withstand it.


    This little girl has recently become a Martial Arts Star, with her cultivation advancing to Fourth Realm and even Fifth Realm.


    But in fact, the higher her cultivation, the faster she dies.


    Deputy Chairman Brown furrowed his brows: ¡°There should be no problem, but~¡±


    He had already visited the ¡®Suffering Heavenly Dragon¡¯ preserved in a research institute under the Security Bureau.


    The ¡®Suffering Heavenly Dragon¡¯ had a concentration of 71% and an overlap rate of 80%, which had actually exceeded the predicted threshold, and it even condensed its own Abyss Source Core.


    However, the Suffering Heavenly Girl has not died yet. It seems that Lin Rui has frozen Lin Yi¡¯s body, but just doing so can¡¯t save Lin Yi¡¯s life. Did he use some new technology?


    It is now certain that the two females are unlikely to employ the Battle Dragon, but there are still some suspicious points that need to be clarified.


    Deputy Chairman Brown initially wanted to give directives to Qi Tianquan directly, but then he remembered that he had signed a one-year Divine Contract of non-aggression with Lin Rui, making it impossible to take any hostile action against Lin Rui¡¯s side, so he had to find someone else to investigate the situation of these sisters.


    Besides, he also needs to check on Lin Hao as soon as possible!


    The Great Chief Priest Chen Long believes that Lin Hao is related to Lin Rui, but he goes further based on the current intelligence, thinking that Lin Hao is very likely to be Lin Rui!


    That would be interesting. The Hidden Crown Prince Lin Hao of Great Song, turns out to be an Outer Heaven Demon, an Alien Walker¡ª


    If the truth is as he surmises, then the Longevity Association might be able to control the entire Great Song by controlling this brother and his sister.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    After the battle in district 3121 south of the city ended, Lin Rui spent a good amount of time cleaning up the battlefield.


    As both the Chairman of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and Thunder General, he had the duty to tidy up the aftermath here.


    Playing dual roles is tough. Lin Rui had no choice but to let Ji Xueying wear Thunder¡¯s Wisdom Dragon Battle Armor as a disguise, after all, the real work was being done by Xue Lingxue.


    Not long ago, Lin Rui was actually considering how to give up the identity of Thunder, since he had already become a Congressman and ascended to the top power echelons of Ninth Base City, even within the whole Federation, he could be considered first-rate, so the value of ¡®Thunder¡¯ to him wasn¡¯t that great anymore.


    Under Lin Rui¡¯s command now, just the National Guard forces that have been established and are being organized total 5 Heavy Equipment Divisions, with the number of Dragon Transformation Martial Artists reaching a whopping 200.


    Just counting the Armored Martial Cultivators with Eighth Realm Cultivation, including those two Super Kings of Eight Realms and Zhu Youheng who defected from the Xie family, there are eight.


    Not to mention the Protection Army of three divisions from the Light King Sect, with over a hundred Dragon Transformations.


    Lin Rui is considering choosing an appropriate time to let ¡®Thunder¡¯ die honorably and exit the stage.


    But then Li Xianglong told him that Thunder had been promoted to General and was about to take charge of the ¡®Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center¡¯ and the ¡®National Security Special Action Center¡¯, making this identity valuable again.


    The power of these two departments is immense and beneficial to his confrontation with the Longevity Association.


    It is extremely difficult for the Security Bureau to establish new departments and get new funding internally, but Lin Rui has no doubt about Li Xianglong¡¯s promises.


    Particularly because the ¡®Democracy Alliance¡¯ that has been strongly supporting him has now become the third-largest party in Congress, holding 42 seats out of 520, accounting exactly for 8.5%, plus their Bright Front¡¯s 3.2%, which can help the ruling party form a government and allow the President to be re-elected.


    The other purpose of Li Xianglong¡¯s visit was actually to negotiate with Fang Ranran and Lin Rui, seeking to form an alliance with them to demand a higher price from the ruling party.


    It can be foreseen that in the next 20 years, the power of Li Xianglong and the Security Bureau will increase significantly.


    This is precisely why Li Xianglong, after the death of Ling Huan, is eager to launch an election.


    Not until late that night did Lin Rui¡¯s people finish tidying up all the loose ends.


    Primarily to treat the public, count casualties, assess losses, to facilitate subsequent compensation.


    Lin Rui sighed when he saw the final tallied numbers. There were as many as 700 civilian casualties, and Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals had to compensate at least 9.2 billion federal coins.


    This was already the result of the hard negotiation by Kang Mingkai Law Firm¡¯s team. Lin Rui did not plan to skimp; having won the election with Bright Front, they had to maintain their reputation and not give political enemies a chance to criticize.


    Moreover, their loot this time was massive and worth it.


    This time, they seized 28 units of 320mm cannon antimatter annihilation guns, really wondering how the Longevity Association managed to get them in.


    No one else can be blamed for this, as Thunder is indeed a top figure on the Security Bureau¡¯s side, almost completely controlling the military police system of Ninth Base City with the support of Huo Bangguo and Zhou Yunfei.


    There were also the exoskeleton armors of Charles Broude and Endo Yuuhiro, both SSS+ Emperors. Although they were significantly damaged now, as long as they are repaired properly, they should be restored to the level of 8SSS.


    In addition, they also seized six units of Red Spider 8SS and one unit of 9SS+ ¡®Yamato Swordsman¡¯.


    The Yamato Swordsman is rather trashy, possessing strength, attack speed, and long-range attack power all at the Nine Realms Emperor level, but the rest are at the Eight Realms, with mechanical performance not as reliable as the Red Spider, and the combat AI is also mediocre. However, it can still be used for base defense.


    After handling the scene¡¯s affairs, Lin Rui headed to the Bright Front to participate in their celebration party.


    At this moment, he received a message from Li Xianglong: Lin Rui, the Second General has awakened. Come over quickly, to this address.


    Soon after, Zhou Yunfei also sent a message: Mr. Lin, do you have time now? The Second General has awoken, and you must accompany me on a visit now.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, thinking that the first-ranking deputy director of the Security Bureau had finally woken up, huh?

 Chapter 636: 609: How I Won by Lying Low (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 636: Chapter 609: How I Won by Lying Low (Please Subscribe)


    The Second Commander woke up from the sleeping cabin and saw several important messages that his intelligence system had filtered out for him.


    ¡ª¡ªZhou Yunfei has used your authority to recruit the individual ¡®Thunder¡¯ as Admiral for the Security Bureau!


    ¡ª¡ªZhou Yunfei has used your authority to establish the ¡®Third Special Action Department¡¯ within the Ninth Division of the Security Bureau, with a classification level of SSS, and allocated 50 billion federal coins for the center, transferred nine ¡®Dragon Slayer¡¯ model 6 combat robots, three ¡®Dragon Slayer¡¯ model 7 combat robots, one 6A action team, four 5A action teams, two 5A alien agent teams.....


    ¡ª¡ªZhou Yunfei has changed Thunder¡¯s intelligence data and set the classification level to X.


    ¡ª¡ªZhou Yunfei has restructured the ¡®Third Special Action Department¡¯ as the ¡®National Security Special Action Center¡¯, allocated 300 billion federal coins, four ¡®Red Spider¡¯ model 7 combat robots.....


    ¡ª¡ªZhou Yunfei has used your authority to credit ¡®Thunder¡¯ with one SS-level exceptional merit.


    ¡ª¡ªZhou Yunfei has used your authority to credit ¡®Thunder¡¯ with one SSS-level exceptional merit.


    ¡ª¡ªZhou Yunfei has used your authority to promote ¡®Thunder¡¯ Admiral to the rank of General.


    This stream of information frowning upon the Second Commander¡¯s brows.


    He started to burn with anger, what was Zhou Yunfei trying to do? And who was this Thunder?


    Due to the dangerous nature of this experiment, the Second Commander specially transferred Zhou Yunfei, the subordinate he trusted the most, to serve as the director of the Ninth Division of the Security Bureau before the experiment commenced, on one hand, to assist with the internal cleaning of the Security Bureau in East Asia, and on the other hand, to arrange a moat for his own protection.


    In case of any unexpected events, he even authorized most of his own powers to Zhou Yunfei.


    However, this authorization was for Zhou Yunfei to help maintain the situation, to ensure his safety during the experiment, not for Zhou Yunfei to abuse it willfully and recklessly.


    Yet the barrage of information appearing in front of him now left the Second Commander somewhat disappointed.


    He had placed such trust in Zhou Yunfei, and this is how he was repaid?


    The Second Commander then forcibly suppressed his anger; the experiment had lasted for 14 months, and if not for the help of Li Xianglong, he might almost never have returned.


    The fact that Zhou Yunfei was able to protect him from any harm during this period showed that the man was still loyal and reliable.


    Following that, the Second Commander saw a few more messages.


    Fang Xianzheng: Commander Lin, regarding the recruitment of ¡®Thunder Admiral¡¯ and the X-level authority, as well as the ¡®National Security Special Action Center¡¯ of the 9th Division, I hope you can come to Congress and explain.


    Fang Xianzheng: Commander Lin, several members of Congress from the National Security Committee have jointly initiated a motion to interrogate you, I have blocked this matter, but I still hope you can provide the National Security Committee with a reasonable explanation as soon as possible regarding the appointment of ¡®Thunder Admiral¡¯ and his four unusually high-grade exceptional merits.


    Fang Xianzheng: Commander Lin, what is your current situation? Now the North American Federation and the Atlantic Union are putting a lot of pressure on us.


    The Second Commander was not surprised by this at all; Zhou Yunfei¡¯s actions were bound to attract the attention of members of the National Security Committee.


    However, the Second Commander then received messages from his own superior and an old comrade-in-arms.


    His superior is of course the First Commander, Li Xianglong.


    The first message sent by Li Xianglong was nine months ago: Lin Tianchen, what¡¯s with this ¡®Thunder¡¯? Zhou Yunfei says he was recruited under your orders.


    The corners of the Second Commander¡¯s lips twitched slightly, clearly detecting an accusatory tone in Li Xianglong¡¯s message.


    Li Xianglong sent him four similar messages.


    However, three months later, the tone of Li Xianglong changed: Old Lin, your secretary is so-so in terms of ability, but he¡¯s pretty lucky, able to win by just lying down.


    Li Xianglong: I¡¯ve roughly understood the situation with Thunder. You absolutely cannot disclose any information regarding ¡®Thunder¡¯ once you wake up; wait until I discuss it with you.


    Li Xianglong: What I said before was wrong, you are truly the one winning by lying down, just look at you, lying in the sleeping cabin without moving, you might end up receiving an ¡®Earth Honor Medal¡¯, and that¡¯s Ling Huan we¡¯re talking about!


    Li Xianglong: Look, lying in your crystal coffin again, and it¡¯s another ¡®Earth Honor Medal¡¯.


    The latest message from Li Xianglong: You¡¯ve woken up, haven¡¯t you? Don¡¯t reply to messages rashly from now on, I¡¯ll come to find you in a while.


    After reading these, the Second Commander Lin Tianchen frowned slightly, feeling completely puzzled.


    What was Li Xianglong trying to say? The ¡®Earth Honor Medal¡¯ is the highest level of honor medal of the Earth Federation, which can be exchanged for three X-level merits within the Security Bureau. Is it really that easy to get?


    And why was Li Xianglong bringing up Ling Huan?


    Following that was a message from Lin Tianchen¡¯s old comrade-in-arms, Huo Bangguo.


    Huo Bangguo is the local big shot here, capable of giving him some protection.


    The reason why the Second Commander chose to conduct the Abyss experiment in the Ninth Base City is not only because Ninth Base City is the most developed base city in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, but also because of his old comrade-in-arms, Huo Bangguo.


    Huo Bangguo: Old Lin! That Thunder of yours is pretty impressive, he actually killed ¡®Ling Huan¡¯! Zhou Yunfei said he was personally scouted by you? He must be an officer from some special forces unit, right? Exceptional ability and impressive combat strength, no wonder you were willing to offer such a high military rank and put him in charge of such an important department.


    Huo Bangguo: That Thunder is not bad, it¡¯s thanks to him, otherwise the rebellion of the Ninth Marine Division wouldn¡¯t have been so easily quelled.


    Huo Bangguo: Give me a call when you wake up, I¡¯m short of people right now, hand that Thunder over to me, TMD the police department is full of incompetent idiots who treat me like an idiot.


    Huo Bangguo: Forget it, forget it, my pond is too small to sustain a hidden dragon like Thunder, but this youngster is indeed very impressive, I have high regard for him.


    Upon seeing the first message from Huo Bangguo, Lin Tianchen¡¯s pupils shrank.


    Ling Huan is dead? Killed by that Thunder? What exactly happened?


    There were a lot of other messages, some from Congressmen, others from within the Security Bureau, nearly eighty percent were either inquiring about his well-being or seeking his instructions; the remaining twenty percent related to Thunder, some were full of praise, while others were angrily complaining.


    Second Commander Lin Tianchen narrowed his eyes, feeling his annoyance with Zhou Yunfei completely dissipate.


    At least this Thunder Admiral must be very capable, otherwise Huo Bangguo wouldn¡¯t have such high praise for him.


    Lin Tianchen then opened the internal database of the Security Bureau and found ¡®Thunder¡¯s¡¯ personal file.


    ¡°He¡¯s been promoted to General of the Security Bureau already?¡±


    Lin Tianchen frowned slightly, then his expression eased.


    Congress relies on him heavily to check and balance Li Xianglong, so within the Security Bureau, Lin Tianchen has almost the same authority as Li Xianglong.


    He saw that under ¡®Thunder¡¯s¡¯ Cultivation section, it was clearly marked ¡®Early Seventh Realm¡¯; under Bloodline, it stated ¡®7SSS+ (Suspected)¡¯, and the Martial Arts rating was ¡®7SSS+¡¯.


    An early Seventh Realm Cultivation was the standard for an Armored Admiral, and such figures, if they had enough merit, rightfully deserved promotion to General!


    Moreover, this Thunder had SSS+ level Bloodline and SSS+ level Martial Arts rating.


    A Warrior of this caliber, as long as they compensated for their lack of strength and True Essence Strength, could fully measure up to a Martial Cultivator of the Eighth Realm Super Emperor Rank.


    If this person¡¯s Bloodline Ability was employed well, and they possessed a decent Exoskeleton Armor and an 8SS+ level inner core, then their combat capabilities could even catch up to a Quasi-Member of the Emperor Rank in the Eighth Realm.


    After browsing through the information, Lin Tianchen¡¯s brows began to relax.


    Looking at the career history of this Thunder General entering the Security Bureau, he indeed possessed outstanding abilities and had amassed numerous merits.


    Right from the start, he solved a major smuggling case related to the Evil Pirate Group, later cracking the ¡®Spirit Essence¡¯ Medicine case, executing ¡®Ling Huan¡¯, quelling the rebellion of the Ninth Marine Division of the Star Navy, unraveling a large-scale espionage case in the Sky Extreme Star.


    It was these merits that enabled Thunder to rise to General!


    ¡°Not bad at all, Yunfei behaved sensibly. From an X-level classified unit ¡®Divine Eagle Brigade¡¯? No wonder he was willing to invest so much, his discernment is indeed good.¡±


    The Second Commander Lin Tianchen¡¯s lips curled slightly upward, thinking his secretary was quite fortunate.


    But Lin Tianchen¡¯s eyes hardened at the next revelation: ¡°No, something¡¯s off! There¡¯s a hidden section in this profile, Li Xianglong.¡±


    Lin Tianchen quickly started operating, and because of his ultra-high Reflex and computing skills, he was also proficient in hacking skills¡ªnot as powerful as Li Xianglong, but nonetheless rated SS+.


    As he accessed the hidden page created by Li Xianglong, his heart was hit by a surge of shock and disbelief.


    According to the information he saw, Thunder¡¯s real identity was a young man named Lin Rui, currently the chairman of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and Forest Group, a director at the Sky Blue Group, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Bright Front, an elected Congressman in this session, the Supreme of the Light King Sect, with estimated assets valued at nearly five trillion federal coins!


    The Second Commander Lin Tianchen was incredibly surprised¡ªis there such a financial conglomerate in the Ninth Base City? Valued at five trillion? He had never even heard of it.


    What does ¡®an elected Congressman in this session¡¯ mean? It¡¯s not election time yet, is it? And what¡¯s the deal with the Bright Front and the Light King Sect?


    Lin Tianchen wondered if he hadn¡¯t been unconscious for too long¡ªit had been less than fourteen months, and yet the world felt so unfamiliar to him!


    What truly shocked and horrified him was the information that followed.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Alien identity was that of the Great Song Divine Palace¡¯s Great Chief Priest, wielding the Divine Dragon Slayer Saber and holding the Divine Merit Order, a Cabinet Minister, National Guardian Marquis, and the Spy Catcher Bureau Commander Lin Hao!

 Chapter 637: 610: Thunder (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 637: Chapter 610: Thunder (Please Subscribe)


    The awakening of the Second Commander is a major event for the entire Security Bureau system, and even more so for Lin Rui personally.


    After all, in the eyes of outsiders, he, ¡®Thunder¡¯ General, was handpicked and promoted by the Second Commander himself.


    Lin Rui could only ask Fang Ranran to apologize to the guests for him, canceling his speech and delaying his departure to the meeting.


    When he arrived at the address given to him by Li Xianglong ¨C the Ninth Base City, a division of the East Asia Science Academy ¨C he saw that both Li Xianglong and Zhou Yunfei had already arrived before him.


    Lin Rui followed Zhou Yunfei, trailing behind Li Xianglong as they walked inside.


    ¡°Uncle Zhou, what exactly is going on with our Second Commander? What experiment took so long?¡±


    Lin Rui has always been curious about the Second Commander¡¯s condition; what kind of experiment had he been undertaking?


    Lin Rui of course knew his own limitations and also knew it was taboo to ask, so he never inquired about it from Zhou Yunfei.


    However, recently there have been rumors that the Second Commander was involved in an experiment related to the Abyss and Longevity. It seems the experiment failed, causing the Second Commander to be in a coma for more than a year, and it is very likely he won¡¯t wake up.


    If it weren¡¯t for his Battle Dragon which not only maintained high intelligence but also occasionally went out for rounds with Zhou Yunfei, the outside world might suspect that the Second Commander had perished.


    Lin Rui thought that since the Second Commander had already awakened, the matter might not be so sensitive and perhaps could be probed.


    Zhou Yunfei hesitated whether to speak or not; he naturally trusted Lin Rui, but after all, this was about the Second Commander.


    Li Xianglong in front made a comment directly: ¡°It¡¯s related to the Heavenly Curtain. Lin Tianchen found the relic of an ancient god at Sky Extreme Star, which happened to be the main concept god of Lin Tianchen¡¯s studies. Moreover, Lin Tianchen possessed a Divine Artifact that could temporarily enhance the snatching of his True Spirit in the Heavenly Curtain, reaching an enhancement near the level of Longevity at its limit.


    Therefore, he devised a plan with Academician Peng, who specializes in soul studies at the East Asia Science Academy, to try and steal some of the ancient god¡¯s power, to conceptualize Lin Tianchen¡¯s Martial Intent and transform his soul into the Abyss. However, he greatly underestimated the power of the ancient god. Not only did his Alien get trapped in that relic; his True Spirit was also confined.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly: ¡°So now the Second Commander has been freed?¡±


    ¡°Freed? His True Spirit is still captured by the ancient god, how can it be so simple to get free?¡± Li Xianglong scoffed, ¡°Currently, King Kou Xuan and I have only been able to return his main consciousness to his body, but his True Spirit is still trapped in that ancient god¡¯s Divine Country within the Heavenly Curtain. The Alien is in the relic at Sky Extreme Star. His situation is very tricky right now, and if we don¡¯t get his True Spirit back soon, he will eventually fall.¡±


    Li Xianglong shook his head while speaking, his tone full of regret: ¡°This guy is actually quite unlucky.¡±


    If Lin Tianchen did not take the risk with this experiment and was not so aggressive, he could now change to a brand-new Armament and have the hope of achieving Longevity in the future.


    In Li Xianglong¡¯s assessment, the new technology developed by Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute could indeed help them surpass some of the barriers to ¡®Longevity¡¯.


    Zhou Yunfei¡¯s complexion turned a touch pale.


    His authority within the Security Bureau had already stabilized, and being a Super Emperor of Eight Realms, he possesses the sniping ability of an Emperor Rank of Eight Realms, he has been promoted to One-star Marshal of the Security Bureau!


    Even without the Second Commander¡¯s care, he could now stand firm on his own.


    So, at this moment, Zhou Yunfei was purely concerned for the safety of his old superior.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, appeared thoughtful as he glanced in the current direction of Sky Extreme Star.


    The Heavenly Curtain, huh?


    When all Martial Cultivators and Armored Martial Cultivators are ascending to the Ninth Realm, they need to integrate the most core part of their Primordial Spirit into the Heavenly Curtain, thereby unlocking the ladder for further ascent.


    This realm is called ¡®Divine Illumination,¡¯ and the part integrated into the Heavenly Curtain is known as ¡®True Spirit.¡¯


    Initially, Lin Rui only knew about the integration of Martial Cultivator¡¯s True Spirit into the Heavenly Curtain ¨C it seemed a bit like registering an account on internet forums to gain higher browsing privileges. It wasn¡¯t until later, from Luo Wangshu, that he learned this is the necessary path for conceptualizing Martial Intent for Martial Cultivators. They must also use this method to resist the pull from ¡®the Root.¡¯


    Lin Rui also heard from Linghu Mingde that the early Armored Martial Cultivators were actually very hesitant about integrating their True Spirit into the Heavenly Curtain.


    The Federation scientists¡¯ research into the ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯ and ¡®Divine Illumination¡¯ has also been consistently unsuccessful. They have exhausted various methods, but they could not allow the Armored Martial Cultivators to enter the Ninth Realm.


    At the time, Armored Martial Cultivators were very eager for power, and they found that their Life Span was closely related to the Heavenly Curtain.


    When Armored Martial Cultivators reach the Eight Realms, their life forms are already extremely strong. Under normal circumstances, they can live for four to five thousand years without any issues, and with the Federation¡¯s biotechnology, thirty to fifty thousand years would be quite easy.


    However, many Martial Cultivators from the First Generation Alien Walkers who suffered soul damage, experienced the decline of the heavenly man and successively perished.


    The essence of the so-called decline of the heavenly man is the soul¡¯s essence being pulled and devoured by ¡®the Root,¡¯ unable to integrate so much pure ether elements, nor maintain the pure True Yuan of their prime.


    Therefore, the Divine Light Sky is essential!


    If it wasn¡¯t for meeting Lin Rui, Linghu Mingde would have died of the decline of the heavenly man.


    After his recovery, he also integrated into the Divine Light Sky at the first opportunity, securing his Primordial Spirit.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit is trapped in an ancient god¡¯s Divine Country, as said by Li Xianglong? That situation would be dire indeed.


    Not long after, they entered an experimental building that looked like a military fortress, guarded by alloy walls less than 12 meters high.


    Top model turrets were densely distributed above and on the outside of the alloy wall, and inside, numerous advanced combat robots stood guard.


    Lin Rui even spotted 4 Red Spider 9SSS units here ¡ª real Red Spider 9s, not the castrated 8PRO versions.


    Dragon Slayers balanced offense and defense, closest to a true Ninth Realm; the combat AI of the King and lords were strong, able to maximally stimulate and mobilize the combat power of the robots.


    However, when it comes to home and Protector roles, Red Spiders were more suitable, also having greater potential for modification.


    Li Xianglong had no trouble entering and exiting, leading them unhindered to a set of alloy doors at the innermost part of the experimental building.


    At the entrance, Li Xianglong scanned his retina and the alloy doors opened with a ¡®click,¡¯ parting to both sides.


    Lin Rui saw the Second Commander, Lin Tianchen ¡ª one of the founders of the Security Bureau, his full-body image hung on the wall of the main conference room of the Ninth Division; it was impossible for Lin Rui not to recognize him.


    This was a man with delicate facial features, thin cheeks, and a scholarly aura, sitting in front of a desk, engrossed in the many virtual screens projected before him.


    The screens were stacked, a total of eighty-one of them, rapidly refreshing and switching.


    Lin Rui glanced over and found they were all outdated news stories.


    It was obvious that the Second Commander was using this method to catch up on world affairs during the year-plus of his slumber.


    At that moment, Lin Tianchen also looked their way, his expression filled with annoyance and helplessness: ¡°Li Xianglong, did you tamper with my security program again? Hm ¡ª ¡±


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s gaze then focused on Lin Rui: ¡°So you are Lin Rui? Also the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song, Lin Hao, son of Fu Xuexian?¡±


    The First Commander was not at all surprised by this; Lin Tianchen was indeed a General rising to the occasion in times of national crisis.


    Lin Rui¡¯s mother, Fu Xuexian, was the most talented and outstanding scholar in the Federation¡¯s soul domain over the past 20 years.


    Research strength isn¡¯t determined by titles; although Fu Xuexian wasn¡¯t even a candidate Academician, she was extremely learned, proficient in the three realms of soul, electromagnetism, and computer programming, and in life, she was an Armored Warrior of 6SSS grade, rumored to possibly reach 6SSS+, her cognitive computing and hands-on skills unmatched by Academician Peng.


    If Fu Xuexian had been in charge of Lin Tianchen¡¯s project, perhaps the outcome would have been different.


    ¡°Stop obsessing over Fu Xuexian; even if she helped you, it would be in vain regarding the Divine Country of the ancient gods. Even a true Tenth Realm Longevity would not dare to rashly enter the Divine Country of ancient gods. Yet you, following the foolish advices of Academician Peng, who is a mere Sixth Realm ¡ª all research on the Abyss, is but a castle in the sand,¡± he said.


    Li Xianglong then chose a chair and sat down with a carefree attitude: ¡°Better think about how to extract your True Spirit from the Divine Country of ancient gods.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianchen frowned deeply and sighed bitterly, ¡°How easy could that be? Now, to extract my True Spirit from the Divine Country, besides those eight Abyssal entities, only those three ¡®Supreme Divine Artifacts¡¯ and five ¡®National Treasure Divine Artifacts¡¯ could possibly do it; even Longevity is powerless.¡±


    Lin Tianchen couldn¡¯t help but sigh at this point.


    He truly courted death this time, not only awakening that ancient god, but also nurturing it with the vital blood of his own alien physique.


    In Lin Rui¡¯s heart, he thought this Second Commander likely had a hopeless future; it seemed death was certain.


    After all, Lin Rui himself was a Demigod wielding Conceptual Power, but until his Divine Light Sky could influence the Heavenly Curtain, it would be too late; the vegetables would have already gone cold.


    For Lin Rui to cultivate from the Sixth Realm to the Ninth Realm, even with the help of the Battle Spirit Ring, would take several years of hard work.


    His Pure Method was not omnipotent either.


    Zhou Yunfei turned even whiter, realizing his superior¡¯s situation was worse than he had imagined.


    ¡°So this time I brought Xiao Rui with me.¡±


    The corners of Li Xianglong¡¯s mouth lifted slightly: ¡°You know his current status, right? The Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song.¡±


    Lin Tianchen didn¡¯t understand upon hearing this; Lin Rui indeed wielded tremendous authority in Great Song.


    But no matter how powerful his authority was, shielding the heavens with one hand, it couldn¡¯t guarantee that his True Spirit would remain untainted by the ancient god, nor could it extract his True Spirit from the Divine Country of the ancient god.


    ¡°I¡¯ve given it thorough thought, there is one thing we might still be able to obtain, the National Treasure ¡ª the Imperial Jade Seal of Great Song!¡±


    Li Xianglong smiled faintly: ¡°If the Emperor of Great Song is not in the Capital, then the East Abyss might choose Lin Hao as the Great Song Regent instead of picking from the Emperor¡¯s progeny.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes, his voice cold and stern: ¡°Even if the East Abyss has no intention of appointing Lin Hao as Regent, we must find a way to facilitate it.¡±


    The few people in the laboratory exchanged glances upon hearing this, their eyes revealing a strange luster.


    The corners of Lin Rui¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, thinking that Li Xianglong had audacity indeed, already plotting against the East Abyss and the Emperor of Great Song.

 Chapter 638: 611: Settling Accounts After Autumn (Three More Episodes, Subscription Requested)

    Chapter 638: Chapter 611: Settling Accounts After Autumn (Three More Episodes, Subscription Requested)


    One month later, inside the Divine Arrival Palace in the eastern suburbs of Great Song, the First Divine Envoy personally arrived to sign the treaty with the President of the Heavenly Demon.


    The detailed terms of the treaty were actually negotiated two months ago, but the issue was the Earth Federation¡¯s general election, which had been dragging on until now to officially sign the treaty.


    The upper echelons of the Great Song side were actually very dissatisfied, feeling quite deceived.


    If it weren¡¯t for the President of the Heavenly Demon constantly treating himself as a hostage, pledging himself within the territory of Great Song, and the Earth Federation indeed declaring the Longevity Association as an illegal terrorist organization while also dismissing and detaining the Star Sea White Wolf Zang Shaochen, demonstrating sufficient sincerity, the court and people of Great Song would have been in an uproar long ago.


    The Earth Federation side, on the other hand, was pretty satisfied, though it was the First Divine Envoy who came to sign the treaty instead of the Emperor, it was what they hoped to see at this time.


    Looking at the momentum of Great Song, it was uncertain when it might collapse, and whether the treaty that was signed could be maintained for 20 years, yet the First Divine Envoy represents the Divine Spirit, the ¡®East Abyss¡¯!


    Moreover, Lin Hao also represented the Cabinet of Great Song in signing the treaty.


    Originally, this matter should not have involved ¡®Lin Hao¡¯, but the Earth Federation side strongly requested, hoping that Lin Hao would also sign the treaty, endorsing the trade and peace between the two major political entities.


    Just as ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ was signing, dozens of group journalists around him aimed their filming equipment at Lin Hao, capturing every detail of him signing.


    If there were still flashbulbs in this era, it would definitely be a dazzling white light.


    Lin Rui was also very nervous, as since he was appointed as the National Guardian, his responsibilities had increased day by day, hardly having any time to practice his calligraphy.


    This time, for signing the treaty, Lin Rui crammed at the last minute, underwent enhancement training, and finally managed to write his name decently, not embarrassing himself in front of billions of old folks from the Earth Federation watching the live broadcast.


    The current President, holding the treaty in his hand, was also filled with emotion.


    This negotiation had many twists and turns, and finally reaching an agreement was not easy.


    The reason this treaty dragged on until now was initially due to opposition voices both inside and outside the party.


    The shadows of the Longevity Association and the Divine Light Army lurking in the background, some member states of the Earth Federation also influencing the government, resulting in the Congress not being able to vote on the treaty draft until after the general election.


    After waiting for the general election to end, it took quite some time for the National Society Alliance to complete the formation of the cabinet, coordinating positions among various parties.


    Although their best coalition partners were Li Xianglong¡¯s ¡®Democracy Alliance¡¯ and Fang Ranran¡¯s ¡®Bright Front¡¯, neither of these two were easy to handle.


    Especially Fang Ranran, considering this woman was backed by Linghu Mingde and three large consortia with a market value exceeding 500 billion, the President also intended to use her as a bridge to cooperate with the Party Whip Fang Xianzheng of the People¡¯s Party on certain matters, thus he invested quite a bit.


    Not only did the President offer the positions of ¡®Vice President of the Food and Drug Supervision Committee¡¯, ¡®Permanent Member of the National Security Committee¡¯, ¡®National Budget Committee¡¯, and ¡®Director of the Food and Drug Administration¡¯, but he also promised to provide a position commensurate with Linghu Mingde¡¯s status as ¡®Senior Congressional Honorary Member¡¯.


    Actually, arranging Linghu Mingde¡¯s position was quite easy, after all, he is of Divine Envoy Level! And a Senior Divine Envoy at that! He could effectively intimidate all anti-government organizations by participating in the Congress.


    Moreover, 200 years ago, Linghu Mingde had always been a strong supporter of the government, holding important positions within the government for many years, until his Cultivation gradually fell behind, thus fading out of the government.


    So, it was unanimously appreciated by the government from top to bottom.


    The problem was the position Linghu Mingde requested, as ¡®President of the Land and Construction Management Committee¡¯, which caused dispute within the ruling party.


    This Linghu elder obviously intended for retaliation, clearly aiming to embarrass the Teng Family and undermine their influence.


    The current ¡®Vice President of the Land and Construction Management Committee¡¯, Teng Tianli, is the current father-in-law of Fang Xianzheng.


    To the President¡¯s knowledge, over the past decade, the Teng Family has indeed imposed considerable pressure on the businesses under Linghu Mingde¡¯s banner, and during the recent pharmaceutical wars, the Teng Family even displayed some hostile actions; at this time, it was no wonder for others to be unrelenting when gaining an upper hand.


    At present, there is considerable debate within the ruling party and the Federation Government regarding this matter, but in the President¡¯s view, the appointment of this Linghu elder is almost certain.


    ¡®The former President of the Land and Construction Management Committee¡¯ was an Honorary Member of Congress, and he clearly reached some kind of agreement with Linghu Mingde, having willingly changed positions.


    Currently, the Teng Family is still resisting, vigorously mobilizing their various contacts in an attempt to prevent this appointment.


    However, their efforts are of little meaning; compared to the powerful influence of Linghu Family and Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals Alliance, the Teng Family, whether in the political and business realms or in terms of military force, is far inferior and must be the party to make sacrifices.


    Fang Xianzheng also did not dare to make a sound on this matter, remaining silent throughout.


    President can understand him; the fact that Linghu Mingde didn¡¯t initiate a corporate war to annihilate the Teng Family shows that he is relatively rule-abiding among the Divine Envoys.


    One reason is that Fang Xianzheng cleaned up afterwards, ensuring no evidence fell into the hands of the Linghu Family; another is the result of Fang Xianzheng¡¯s tough negotiations with the ¡®President¡¯s Staff Office¡¯.


    Linghu Mingde was giving face to him as president.


    All in all, it was not easy for Congress to pass these treaty clauses, and Fang Ranran played an important role in it.


    The current president, after exchanging treaties with the First Divine Envoy following the etiquette of the Great Song, proactively shook hands with ¡®Lin Hao¡¯, conveying his sincere and enthusiastic attitude: ¡°For the upcoming port opening and trade, I hope that you, as the National Guardian, could make extra efforts. Our Federation is very sincere and willing to adhere to your country¡¯s trade regulations.¡±


    The president was aware that the interstellar trade leadership of the Great Song was entrusted to Lin Hao by the East Abyss.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui smiled slightly: ¡°It is my duty. Starting now, all legitimate merchants from your country can apply for trade licenses through me. Since the Starport trade is in a trial phase, the first batch of licenses is limited; we hope to issue them to capable, responsible, and trustworthy merchants. Mr. President, if you have reliable merchant friends, feel free to recommend them to me.¡±


    This indeed was his responsibility; Great Song had currently appointed him concurrently as Third-rank ¡®Minister of Commerce¡¯ and Third-rank ¡®Starport Governor¡¯, temporary official positions designated by the court responsible for all matters related to the opening of the port and trade.


    Besides, Thunder is also about to take over as the head of ¡®Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center¡¯.


    How should I put it? He now had duties on both fronts.


    Lin Rui secretly felt a sentiment of laborious fate, with no rest in sight.


    Thinking of Fei Yunlai and Wang Tianwu, who were likely having drinks in some bar right now, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, wondering who truly was the workhorse?


    ¡°I will convey your words to the Federation Business World!¡±


    The current president, also an Alien Walker, fluent in Sky Extreme Star language, doesn¡¯t require a biological chip for translation.


    He was overjoyed upon hearing Lin Hao¡¯s words: ¡°Rest assured, the Federation will definitely go all out to combat smuggling, while ensuring fair and just trade between both sides.¡±


    Combating smuggling was one of the treaties signed with the Great Song, a top priority emphasized by Lin Hao as ¡®Minister of Commerce¡¯.


    ¡°By the way!¡± The current president firmly shook Lin Rui¡¯s hand: ¡°Please also be careful, National Guardian. According to intelligence gathered internally by the Earth Federation, the Longevity Association has been showing frequent unusual movements recently and might be plotting to assassinate you. Please definitely enhance your personal security.¡±


    However, suspicion flickered in his eyes, according to the analysis from the analytical division inside the President¡¯s Office.


    It was inferred that this Great Song National Guardian ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ and ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ who currently serves as the standing member of the ¡®National Budget Committee¡¯ and also as the chairman of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and Forest Group within the Federation, had deep connections.


    According to supercomputational analysis, there was about a fifty-five percent chance that ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ was Lin Hao¡¯s behind-the-scenes operator, and a forty-five percent chance that he was Lin Hao himself.


    At that time, the president was astonished and specifically made a call to Li Xianglong.


    Li Xianglong in return questioned, ¡®Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡¯ and ¡®Are the supercomputational model¡¯s data and intelligence complete?¡¯


    Thinking over, the president felt that it indeed sounded absurd and terrifying, and the intelligence they had collected was indeed not thorough.


    Big data models require precise data; otherwise, they could lead to major deviations from minor inaccuracies.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui also squinted his eyes thoughtfully, the Longevity Association, huh?


    He couldn¡¯t help but admire the deep foundation and strong backbone of the Longevity Association, which had been subjected to retaliatory actions by the Martial Arts Association, Abyss Group, and Fang Xianzheng over the past month.


    Yet, this massive organization still carried on as if nothing had happened.


    He then chuckled, ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Mr. President. I will be careful about my safety.¡±


    One month had passed, and the power he currently held had undergone significant changes.


    Especially within Sky Extreme Star, Lin Rui¡¯s foundation is now even stronger than in the Earth Federation.

 Chapter 639 - 612: Sequencing (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 639: Chapter 612: Sequencing (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui, at the moment of signing a contract in the Divine Palace, Luo Wangshu was meditating with closed eyes in a lead room within the underground facility of the National Guardian Marquis Mansion, sensing the enhancement effect of a ¡®Type 8 Divine Power Enhancer¡¯ that had just been injected into her body.


    Since Lin Xi had stepped down as the Inspector of Chengtian Gate several months ago, the new Inspector was the result of various factions¡¯ bargaining, but his political leanings still tended towards the Emperor. For safety reasons, Luo Wangshu no longer allowed Lin Hao to bring injections into the Divine Palace, but came personally to use them within the National Guardian Marquis Mansion.


    After all, she also needed to use the ¡®Abyss Divine Tablet¡¯ here to conceptualize her Martial Intent.


    Moreover, the National Guardian Marquis Mansion established by Lin Hao was fully equipped, with a perfect Array, and the underground facility even employed a great deal of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s architectural technology, including three enormously large and incredibly thick lead rooms, rare spaces hidden from the perception of Divine Spirits and all people.


    Luo Wangshu liked this place very much, feeling very relaxed each time she entered the lead room, without worries of being sensed and spied upon.


    Now, outside, people were saying that Luo Wangshu frequently spent nights at the National Guardian Marquis Mansion and had an ambiguous relationship with her disciple, possibly even an affair! Luo Wangshu let them talk, as such little gossip couldn¡¯t harm a single hair on her.


    About two hours later, Luo Wangshu sensed Lin Hao¡¯s return.


    This guy paid his respects to her and then directly went to sit cross-legged in front of the Divine Tablet fragment, probably using the power of the Divine Tablet to polarize his Martial Intent.


    Luo Wangshu did not open her eyes, continuing to meditate and sense within her body.


    The Heavenly Demon Injection was not like the Elixirs of Sky Extreme Star; there was no need to absorb and refine anything.


    It was a foolproof operation, just inject and then wait calmly.


    However, Luo Wangshu still focused her entire attention, monitoring the deep changes within her flesh, at every mustard-seed level.


    According to Lin Hao, this Type 8 Divine Power Enhancer worked by perfecting and transforming the structure of bones, fasciae, and flesh cells, thereby increasing a person¡¯s strength and making it easier for them to gather and release power.


    From what Luo Wangshu sensed, the Medicine was indeed miraculous, able to increase her overall strength by ten percent.


    Luo Wangshu thought to herself that this must be some kind of laboratory product, right? She had never heard of it before.


    Luo Wangshu inquired through her special channels and found no such thing as a ¡®Divine Power Enhancer¡¯ of this type.


    Lately, over the past two months, Lin Hao had continuously brought her a large amount of Type 8 Medicines, either very rare and precious types or things she had never heard of before, all with very powerful effects.


    Just two days ago, Lin Hao even brought her two Type 9 ¡®Alien Gene Enhancers¡¯.


    Currently, Luo Wangshu¡¯s overall physical condition has more than doubled since before she took Lin Hao as a disciple!


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s Martial Arts Accomplishment had not changed much, but with a stronger physical condition, the conceptualization of her Martial Arts Extreme Intent had reached sixty percent. Compared to a few months ago, her actual combat strength was now worlds apart.


    So where did Lin Hao get these Medicines from? His so-called shadow, Lin Rui?


    According to the information Luo Wangshu had recently gathered, this Lin Rui had risen rapidly within just a year and had become the master of a financial conglomerate valued at 500 billion.


    However, the wide array of capable subordinates around Lin Rui was quite interesting, with many overlaps with the people around Lin Hao.


    Luo Wangshu waited until the effect of the Divine Power Enhancer in her body gradually weakened and dissipated, before gazing intently at Lin Hao who sat far away in front of the Abyss Divine Tablet.


    Not long after, Lin Rui also ended his cultivation of conceptually practicing Martial Intent.


    As he came out of the state of complete immersion, he felt Luo Wangshu¡¯s gaze upon him.


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart tightened, and he turned his head in suspicion, ¡°Master, have I done something inappropriate?¡±


    Luo Wangshu smiled slightly, ¡°No, I was just feeling emotional about your ¡®one¡¯ Martial Intent. If it could be completely formalized, how powerful would that be? And what kind of Divine title would you use? Yuanshi Tianzun?¡±


    A twitch crossed Lin Rui¡¯s lips; there was a ¡®Yuanshi Tianzun¡¯ in the ancient myths of East Asia.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s voice then changed, ¡°Speaking of which, your conceptualization must be close to the Limit, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows tightened slightly as he looked at his right hand, ¡°It¡¯s almost forty percent complete, and afterward, the progress is slow.¡±


    At that moment, with a thought from Lin Rui, a speck of crimson light began to Aggregation in the center of his palm.


    In a flash, Lin Rui not only gathered all the Conceptual Power he mastered beyond Purity, but he also began to aggregate everything within a meter around him, forcibly merging them into ¡®one¡¯ to form a singularity.


    This was the result of Lin Rui¡¯s conceptualization of Martial Intent, equivalent to 40% strength of other concepts, and his biggest trump card at the moment.


    Regrettably, the three pieces of the Divine Tablet that Lin Rui had could no longer further his conceptualization of Martial Intent.


    He now regretted deeply that he should have pushed for another piece, how could he have passed out so early?


    Lin Rui shook his head despairingly, ¡°Those bastards of Purgatory have been quiet for a while now, perhaps they¡¯ve given up.¡±


    Lin Rui doesn¡¯t know if those guys can¡¯t come up with more substances originating from the ¡®root,¡¯ or if they¡¯ve given up, but either way, they¡¯ve been quiet recently, with no activity for a continuous month. They really can hold their breath.


    There¡¯s also no news from that King Ming of the Bright Holy Sect recently.


    Now, Lin Rui is actually hoping someone from Purgatory makes a move, or that King Ming shows his face.


    Lin Rui no longer needs the Abyss Divine Tablet. It¡¯s time to pass the buck.


    The conceptualization of Martial Intent is something that only those close to the Longevity Realm would consider, and even Linghu Mingde has a long way to go.


    Although Linghu Mingde¡¯s overall combat power rating is 9SSS, he is only at the early stage of the Ninth Realm, a three-star Marshal, far from conceptualizing Martial Intent. It would take years of accumulation to reach the perfection of the Ninth Realm.


    ¡°No rush!¡±


    Luo Wangshu stood up and said, ¡°There are still three months left until the deadline set by the East Abyss. If Purgatory doesn¡¯t move by then, we¡¯ll think of a way to set up a scheme.¡±


    Upon hearing Luo Wangshu¡¯s words, Lin Rui nods slightly. Framing and setting someone up? That¡¯s easy! He¡¯s quite skilled in that area!


    When the time comes, he¡¯ll think of a way to bring in the power of Divine Spirits, making it impossible for the Great Celestial Master of the Divine Palace to use stargazing for predictions.


    At this moment, Luo Wangshu spoke again with a complicated look, ¡°Hao, where is your friend¡¯s base? Can you ask him if it¡¯s convenient right now? I¡¯d like to go there for a genetic sequencing and ask him to make me a type-9 Alien Gene Complementing Potion.¡±


    Genetic sequencing is an essential step in making ¡®Alien Gene Complementing Potions.¡¯


    The biological pharmacists of the Federation need to know what is missing in the genes of the Tianji Star Alien to make a complementing potion for it.


    Luo Wangshu had seen Meng Weiyun receive a type-7 Alien Gene Complementing Potion injection, and her physical quality increased by more than eighty percent overnight.


    The key is that her potential, talent, Primordial Spirit, and Bloodline Ability, among other things, also grew to some extent.


    With the current state of Meng Weiyun, if she were to confront Han Xian¡¯er, her chances of winning have increased significantly.


    Luo Wangshu knows the wonders of the Alien Gene Complementing Potion but doesn¡¯t dare let anyone test her genes.


    However, Luo Wangshu trusts Lin Hao.


    Lin Rui is slightly startled upon hearing this, then smiles slightly, ¡°Why even ask? It would be his honor.¡±


    Actually, genetic sequencing could also be done in the base under the Marquis Mansion, but Lin Rui knows that Luo Wangshu actually wants to see Lin Rui¡¯s Four Stripes Mountain base.


    Lin Rui then leads the way, escorting Luo Wangshu out of the lead room.


    At this time, several guards lead by Xianyu Yan under Lin Rui¡¯s command spontaneously followed, acting as accompanying protectors.


    Luo Wangshu specifically glanced at Xianyu Yan, then nodded with satisfaction, ¡°Not bad, with a little more effort, I estimate she will be able to comprehend the essence of Heart Origin.¡±


    She noticed Xianyu Yan had put in considerable effort into ¡®Limit Heart Origin¡¯ and had a preliminary grasp of its essence, which also resulted in a unique reaction within Xianyu Yan¡¯s Primordial Spirit.


    As long as Xianyu Yan achieves thorough understanding, Luo Wangshu would be able to help her awaken this Bloodline Power.


    At this moment, Xianyu Yan¡¯s spiritual power load had exceeded ninety percent, but once she awakens this Bloodline Power, she could free up either two Emperor Rank or one Super Monarch plus one Super Emperor Bloodline slots.


    Hearing this, Xianyu Yan bows respectfully, eagerly anticipating the day she awakens the ¡®Limit Heart Origin.¡¯


    Just then, Lin Rui receives a message from Li Xianglong: Xiao Rui, you are right. Purgatory is willing to pay the price for you.


    An image accompanied the message.


    After opening it and taking a glance, Lin Rui is slightly stunned.


    He misunderstood, Purgatory hadn¡¯t given up, but had instead put in a lot of effort.


    The Federation Security Bureau¡¯s Alien Agent had recently captured a photo of this ¡®Divine Tablet fragment.¡¯


    It was a piece of ¡®root¡¯ stone that looked identical to the fragment of the Divine Tablet from the East Continent, with patterns that also appeared exactly the same on the surface.


    Lin Rui takes a closer look and thinks to himself, this imitation technology is incredibly impressive, making it difficult to distinguish between real and fake.


    If Lin Rui didn¡¯t know for sure that the piece he had was genuine, he might have been fooled today and fallen into Purgatory¡¯s trap.


    Apart from this, Li Xianglong also sent two more messages. One said that they had detected the whereabouts of that King Ming and the Invincible Dharma King of the Bright Holy Sect, advising Lin Rui to be extra cautious.


    The second message urged him to check the encrypted document S4241 in the Security Bureau¡¯s database as soon as possible, emphasizing that it was something related to him and of great importance.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

 Chapter 640 - 613: Transformation (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 640: Chapter 613: Transformation (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui was exceedingly surprised by the ¡®Divine Tablet Fragment¡¯ crafted in Purgatory, yet he still feigned ignorance as he took Luo Wangshu to the Four Stripes Mountain Base.


    After all, this was just the information provided by Li Xianglong, and the Imperial City Department had not yet sent any warnings to him.


    Besides, he needed to use Luo Wangshu¡¯s flying car to smuggle the Divine Tablet Fragment out of the city.


    While Luo Wangshu¡¯s flying car wasn¡¯t as reliable as Lin Rui¡¯s lead room, its defense level was still very high.


    At high-speed movement, there was no fear of being sensed and investigated by top experts, and no one in Luojing City dared to search this flying car.


    After boarding the car, Lin Rui began to look through the Security Bureau¡¯s intelligence database to check the specific details of this ¡®Divine Tablet Fragment¡¯.


    The Security Bureau¡¯s agent had seen the ¡®Divine Tablet Fragment¡¯ at the ¡®River Pass of East City¡¯ on the Sky Suspension River, over three thousand miles away from Luojing.


    At that time, a cargo ship was discovered to be abnormal by the River Pass¡¯ patrol officers during clearance, and a fierce battle erupted soon after.


    The Security Bureau¡¯s agent was one of those patrol officers, and he personally witnessed a Ninth Realm expert carrying the ¡®Divine Tablet Fragment¡¯ fleeing from the cargo ship.


    Although Lin Rui had not seriously searched for ¡®Divine Tablet Fragments¡¯ in recent months ¨C indeed, he could not do so in earnest ¨C his superficial efforts were still quite decent.


    In the past few months, Lin Rui had not only mobilized a large number of soldiers from the eight prefectures around the capital but also wildly drafted troops from several neighboring Military Governor territories, amassing a total of 8 million imperial guard and county soldiers, as well as nearly 30,000 Dragon Transformation beings and one hundred and twenty Ninth Realm experts and over seven hundred Eighth Realm ones, sealing off all the traffic arteries within a five thousand-mile radius around the Capital, making the area impermeable.


    This River Pass at Sky Suspension River was especially critical to the blockade, with three Nine Realms Super Kings and twelve Eighth Realm experts stationed there, each holding a few specially made Magic Artifacts from the Divine Palace for detecting the Abyss Divine Tablet.


    Therefore, the battle that broke out at the time was very intense; the River Pass area had suffered over a hundred casualties and even lost a King Rank of the Eighth Realm.


    This incident happened 5 minutes ago. Because the people of Sky Extreme Star employ rather outdated communication methods, the news hasn¡¯t been passed to Lin Rui yet.


    Lin Rui cursed inwardly, MMP, it seems Purgatory is really determined to put him to death!


    Although the 8 million-strong imperial guard may seem numerous, in reality, they were unable to truly seal off a five thousand-mile radius of territory; there were leaks everywhere, like a sieve. Those from Purgatory ignored those gaps and instead chose to force their way through this River Pass.


    The goal of these bastards was clearly to use this counterfeit Divine Tablet to force him out of Luojing City.


    As for the Holy Sect Ming King¡ªit was the Earth Federation¡¯s President¡¯s flagship¡¯s, the ¡®Common Destiny,¡¯ powerful situational awareness equipment that observed this person appearing near the Divine Palace in the east of Luojing City not long ago. The individual looked rather disheveled, and the ether element radiating from his body was highly unstable, suggesting he might also be injured.


    Soon after, the Invincible Dharma King of the Bright Holy Sect, in tandem with the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, arrived together and then disappeared.


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart tightened; the time when the Holy Sect Ming King and Invincible Dharma King arrived at the Divine Palace coincided exactly with his return to Luojing after signing a contract.


    What do these people from the Bright Holy Sect want to do? And this Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, she dares to return? Is she here to avenge the arrow from several months ago?


    Lin Rui immediately read the analysis and assessment from the Security Bureau¡¯s Intelligence Center.


    ¡°Internal strife within the Bright Holy Sect? Ming King Yin Qianqiu possibly severely injured and pursued by the Invincible Dharma King?¡±


    Lin Rui thought that it¡¯s not easy to be a Ming King; he found that whether it was the Earth Federation or Tianji Star, all major powers suffered from internal as well as external troubles.


    Moreover, was this Invincible Dharma King really so formidable? Yin Qianqiu, wielding Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire with a battle strength surpassing the majority of those seeking Longevity, actually not a match for the Invincible Dharma King?


    However, Yin Qianqiu had been severely injured by the East Abyss before, and it¡¯s hard to say how much of his combat power remained.


    He then looked at the S4241 encrypted document mentioned by Li Xianglong.


    This turned out to be SSS+ level confidential intelligence, set for high-level security.


    Just an hour ago, there was an uprising at the Martial Arts Palace. An enigmatic Seventh Realm Divine Power Martial Cultivator killed dozens of Armored Warriors at the dock area, including an Eighth Realm one, hijacked a transformed speedboat, which was a fast Destroyer Starship flying out of the harbor towards the direction of the Ninth Base City.


    The Security Bureau and Martial Arts Association reacted as if facing a great enemy after the incident; they not only dispatched numerous experts and warships to search for the speedy Destroyer Starship but also tightened the internal security and sealed off the exterior of the Ninth Base City.


    The Security Bureau¡¯s Martial Arts Palace division also urgently dispatched elite agents to investigate the scene, as well as track down the whereabouts of this mysterious Martial Cultivator, discovering that this person had once used the Martial Arts Palace¡¯s internal network terminal to lookup information on Lin Rui.


    This person seems to take a great interest in Lin Rui, having repeatedly reviewed Lin Rui¡¯s personal resume, as well as extensive information on his industries and enterprises several times.


    ¡°Residue of the Immortal Concept left on the scene?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes showed confusion, thinking this was the Concept practiced by Shi Yan, right? How could a mere Seventh Realm Divine Power person be classified as an SSS+ secret? And why would this mysterious Martial Cultivator be interested in him?


    He opened a few videos about the mysterious Martial Cultivator, then blinked in mild shock. Isn¡¯t this Shi Yan? She actually didn¡¯t die. Why are they referring to her as some mysterious Martial Cultivator?


    Lin Rui¡¯s mind stirred, recalling that the Security Bureau and the Martial Arts Association had already declared Shi Yan dead.


    Both the Security Bureau and the Martial Arts Association have strict laws internally, and for failed incarnations like Shi Yan, parts such as the brain, heart, and spine must be incinerated in a nuclear fusion furnace.


    The news of Shi Yan¡¯s resurrection, once made public, would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar and lead to the downfall of many high-ranking officials within both the Security Bureau and the Association.


    Besides, is the current ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ truly Shi Yan? It makes sense for the Martial Arts Association and Security Bureau to be this tense.


    Lin Rui continued to read and discovered that Shi Yan had been hiding within a large prosthetic clinic affiliated with the ¡®Taiyi Company¡¯ inside the Martial Arts Palace this month. She coerced the prosthetic doctors into injecting her with a large quantity of precious medicines, helping her incubate a 6SSS+ ¡®Immortal Mysterious Emperor Dragon,¡¯ and implanted seven types of auxiliary equipment, all of SSS and SSS+ grade.


    Additionally, this included the main armor necessary for Seventh Realm Divine Powers ¡ª ¡®Divine Power Pillar.¡¯


    That is, the human spine, and after replacing with the ¡®Divine Power Pillar¡¯, it can help Martial Cultivators connect to the Heavenly Curtain, communicating with Divine Spirits!


    After reaching the Seventh Realm, Martial Cultivators can formally get in touch with Conceptual Power. Using their Martial Intent, they can interact with the Heavenly Curtain, leverage the Power of Concept of the Divine Spirits, and by that time, they will have sufficient Primordial Spirit Power to resist the contamination and erosion by the Divine Spirits.


    However, there are some individuals like Lin Rui and Shi Yan, legendary figures, geniuses of the hall and top ten caliber, who either possess exceptionally high Primordial Spirit talent, or whose Martial Arts prowess is extremely close to concepts, or have exceedingly strong Martial Intent, allowing them to grasp Conceptual Power early on, possessing combat strength far beyond ordinary Martial Cultivators.


    It¡¯s just that their Cultivation is lower, and Primordial Spirit Power is weaker, so they are easily corroded and influenced by Divine Spirits.


    After reading this, Lin Rui found it unbelievable. Does it mean that this ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ has advanced to the Seventh Realm? How did ¡®she¡¯ manage it?


    ¡ªThis could not possibly be ¡®Shi Yan¡¯, it could only be the ¡®Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯! Has He completely resurrected and descended?


    Then why would this Divine Spirit take an interest in him?


    Could it be because he chopped up His incarnation during the University Martial Arts League, and He has come for revenge?


    Lin Rui felt chills run down his spine.


    The Longevity Association and Purgatory wield immense power, constantly giving Lin Rui a sense of threat, but he has enough confidence to cope with the threats from these two entities.


    Given enough time, Lin Rui will eventually dismantle the Longevity Association and take off the heads of its leaders to toast his wine.


    Yet, this ¡®Divine Spirit¡¯ alive in the world makes Lin Rui¡¯s heart drum with unease, his current power not yet sufficient to handle an Abyss!


    At this very moment, Lin Rui received a million-mile Flying Book, sent to him by the Demon Destruction Bureau Commander Wang Chenghua, talking about the discovery of the Abyss Divine Tablet fragment at River Pass, and the battle situation there.


    He handed the talisman in his hand to his master, Luo Wangshu, who glanced at it and pondered, ¡°It¡¯s a curious timing. Those who want you dead this time might not be just Purgatory; they may wish to eliminate you before the opening of the port trade and the issue of trading licenses.¡±


    Afterward, her brows arched slightly, her eyes containing a cold smile, ¡°Wang Chenghua said there were two Eighth Realms who died from the Heavenly Splitting Slash at River Pass! It seems they were also after me.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression became solemn, ¡°Qi Wuji? He¡¯s not dead?¡±


    The ¡®Heavenly Splitting Slash¡¯ is indeed Qi Wuji¡¯s signature martial skill.


    Luo Wangshu let out a scornful laugh, ¡°Not sure, it could be an imposter too. There are many inheritances of the Heavenly Splitting Slash; actually, whether it is him or not doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±


    Her combat power has changed dramatically compared to before! Even without using that ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword,¡¯ Luo Wangshu still has the confidence to defeat Qi Wuji swiftly.


    Luo Wangshu then turned her head to look at Lin Rui, ¡°We have quite the trouble this time. Have the three Ninth Realm Magic Artifacts ordered from the ¡®Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion¡¯ arrived?¡±


    Several months ago, the Divine Envoy of the Great Song had rewarded Lin Hao with a Ninth Realm Super Emperor defensive Magic Artifact.


    However, Lin Hao hadn¡¯t used it, and later on, this fellow managed to find top-tier materials and spent a lot of money at the ¡®Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion¡¯ to custom-order three Ninth Realm Super Emperor Magic Artifacts.


    This business deal was personally facilitated by Luo Wangshu, who used her connections to request the assistance of the second elder of the ¡®Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion,¡¯ a powerful Artifact Refining Great Grandmaster, to help Lin Hao in the forging.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been refined and have already been delivered.¡±


    Lin Rui raised his hand and summoned a blood-red Treasure Bead into his palm.


    The bead was crystal clear, with faint traces of pure Blood Qi circulating inside. Lin Rui¡¯s eyes were cold, ¡°Pretty good. With this artifact, within twenty thousand miles around the Capital, even facing a Candidate Divine Envoy, I could last a few dozen rounds.¡±


    Luo Wangshu nodded upon seeing this, thinking that with the combination of Lin Hao¡¯s Blood Evil Secret Technique and ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon,¡¯ his combat strength was indeed something to look forward to.


    She then flicked her sleeve and instructed Jing Yuefang, the Dragon Guard Captain driving the Flying Car, ¡°Change course, let¡¯s head to the River Pass southeast of the Capital.¡±


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

 Chapter 641: 614: Demon Dragon (Subscribe Requested)

    Chapter 641: Chapter 614: Demon Dragon (Subscribe Requested)


    As Luo Wangshu instructed the Dragon Guard Captain, Jing Yuefang, to change direction, she wondered why Lin Hao insisted on bringing those three fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet when they boarded the vehicle and left the city.


    Lin Hao could still use them for a while, although the concept enhancement was not significant, every bit of enhancement counts.


    Did he somehow get wind of the news beforehand?


    At the same time, Luo Wangshu felt a bit of regret, as she really wanted to visit the Four Stripes Mountain base of ¡®Lin Rui¡¯.


    By seeing that base, she might be able to resolve the doubts in her heart.


    Lin Rui also regretted, couldn¡¯t these bastards from Purgatory wait for another two to three days?


    After Luo Wangshu completed gene analysis, in just two days they could produce the ¡®Alien Gene Complementing Potion¡¯.


    At that time, Luo Wangshu¡¯s strength would undergo an earth-shattering transformation.


    By then, not only would Luo Wangshu¡¯s potential greatly increase, but her physical condition could also be developed to at least 70%.


    Lin Rui then started to get busy. With the help of Xianyu Yan, Shangguan Tianyi, and two Seventh Realm Super Kings of Dragon Guard, he continuously issued orders, mobilizing experts and troops!


    Since the Divine Envoy¡¯s decree was issued, assigning Lin Hao to oversee the search for the Abyss Divine Tablet and sweep the Demon Sect and Purgatory Demons around the Capital, the court had sent Lin Rui seventeen 300,000-mile Flying Books, specifically for him to send various commands and documents.


    Lin Rui sent all the Flying Books out.


    In the next moment, 700,000 imperial guards, 1.2 million local county soldiers, and at least 7,000 Dragon Transformations would converge towards the eastern River Pass area, surrounding a 500-mile radius.


    Simultaneously, Lin Rui also received several letters.


    Some were from the Emperor, and two from Divine Envoys, stating that traces of the Abyss Divine Tablet had been revealed and instructing him to act swiftly to retrieve the Abyss Divine Tablet.


    After reading them, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brow, deeply feeling the pressure exerted by these figures.


    The theft of the Abyss Divine Tablet indeed embarrassed both the East Abyss and Great Song, especially that Cui Peipei who had been causing a ruckus in the Capital these past few months, making all high officials of Great Song feel disgraced.


    However, was their only goal to make him retrieve the Divine Tablet quickly?


    Were they trying to force him and his disciple into a deadly trap?


    Another letter was from his old friend, the Great Chief Priest of the Divine Palace, Han Baxian, whose intention was similar. What was intriguing was that in the full 200-word letter, the phrase ¡®Great Celestial Master¡¯ appeared five times, full of suggestive meaning.


    But this person¡¯s intention should be relatively straightforward.


    It was already commendable that Han Baxian had managed to support him up to this point without urging him to find the Abyss Divine Tablet sooner.


    Previously, this person had agreed with his view, considering it to be bait thrown by the Purgatory side, lacking sincerity.


    Now that the real ¡®Abyss Divine Tablet fragments¡¯ had appeared, Han Baxian and the Great Celestial Master naturally couldn¡¯t hold back any longer.


    Lin Rui let out a cold chuckle and looked towards the direction of River Pass.


    Fortunately, these people had overlooked one thing: the three fragments of the Divine Tablet were in his possession!


    How foolish would he be to willingly step into the trap they had prepared for him?


    After Lin Rui finished sending out these symbols and letters, he noticed Luo Wangshu gazing at him intently once again.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help feeling suspicious, as his master had been secretly watching him rather frequently lately.


    ¡°Master!¡± Lin Rui clasped his hands together, trying to make small talk, ¡°I have already notified Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei.¡±


    Luo Wangshu nodded slightly, ¡°Using their strength against them is the right move, but both are extremely cunning, you must be extra cautious.¡±


    ¡°Master!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s expression was solemn, his voice firm and grave.


    Quickly weighing his thoughts during the previous remark, Lin Rui had made his decisions and was prepared for the consequences.


    He took a deep breath, ¡°Disciple has something to discuss with Master, regarding the disciple¡ª¡±


    However, Luo Wangshu, without waiting for Lin Rui to finish, waved her sleeve slightly: ¡°Stop! With a formidable enemy before us today, whatever you have to say can wait until after today¡¯s events.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly in her heart.


    In that instant just now, she felt a twinge of panic.


    Her disciple was likely planning to confess to her, but she wasn¡¯t ready to face it.


    Luo Wangshu hadn¡¯t decided yet how to confront the situation, if Lin Hao¡¯s identity was as she speculated, what should she do?


    She turned her gaze forward: ¡°Hao, the Flying Dragon named Ma Tianlong ahead, is he an old acquaintance of yours?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± As Lin Rui bowed, he thought to himself that his master was just making conversation to divert the topic.


    He spoke with a hint of puzzlement, ¡°I¡¯m not actually familiar with it, but this creature is a bit odd, achieving the Eighth Realm of Super Emperor in such a short time!¡±


    Back in Wangcheng County, this Demon Dragon was merely at the Super King Rank of the Sixth Realm, yet in such a short period Ma Tianlong¡¯s cultivation bloodline has explosively risen to the Eighth Realm Super Emperor!


    It was as if it had taken steroids, crazily growing.


    Luo Wangshu chuckled silently, ¡°About that, I do know a bit. It ate a small piece of ¡®Purgatory Source Crystal¡¯, probably found in the cave of Qin Yan, the Wild Heaven Saber. It thought it had obtained a treasure and hid it very secretively, quite smugly.¡±


    ¡°Hmm~¡± Lin Rui looked at the Demon Dragon in surprise.


    ¡°However, although the Purgatory Source Crystal can promote rapid evolution of bloodlines in all demons, it also causes their bloodlines to become uncontrollable and chaotic, their flesh and blood to disintegrate and collapse. According to the Outer Heaven Demon, this is what¡¯s referred to as gene chain collapse. Furthermore, these creatures¡¯ mental state will also become increasingly erratic and more violent and bloody.¡±


    Luo Wangshu with hands behind her back said, ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s quite surprising that this fellow has survived and thrived until now, remaining energetic and mentally stable. It¡¯s likely due to the reason ¡®when eight dragons gather, one shall become a king¡¯.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s brows lifted slightly; indeed, this was a widely acknowledged assertion on Sky Extreme Star, verified by the scientists of the Federation.


    On Sky Extreme Star, if eight demonic creatures of the same kind gather, the cultivation bloodline of one of them will inevitably advance rapidly to the King Rank level.


    In turn, when eight King Rank demons gather, they will definitely produce an Emperor Rank demon.


    This is the so-called ¡®when eight dragons gather, one shall become a king¡¯!


    Hence, the Divine Envoys and Candidate Divine Envoys who gather trailer-pulling demons, always try to gather blocks of eight, a mechanism still unclarified by the scientific community of the Earth Federation.


    Luo Wangshu then smiled slightly, ¡°Speaking of which, you still lack a mount and this nightmare creature fits quite well. Its Thunder Escape ability is strong, and it possesses a certain spatial capability; the awakened bloodline talents are quite suitable for you. Although its combat power is average and does not meet the normal standards of an Eighth Realm Super Emperor demon, if you can complement its genes and add some enhancers to it, it won¡¯t be that bad.¡±


    Lin Rui was taken aback, ¡°Master, that doesn¡¯t seem appropriate, does it?¡±


    And how was this Demon Dragon suitable for him?


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing inappropriate,¡± Luo Wangshu shook her head with a resigned expression, ¡°Actually, I have no choice but to give it to you. Don¡¯t you find it strange? Hasn¡¯t it been several months since it asked you to take it away from my dragon stable?¡±


    Lin Rui suddenly ¡®hmm¡¯ed softly, remembering that it had indeed been several months since Ma Tianlong talked about him taking it away.


    He looked suspiciously at Ma Tianlong ahead.


    ¡°It impregnated two of my Flying Dragons!¡±


    Luo Wangshu puffed her cheeks, seeming to grind her teeth, producing a faint ¡®crackling¡¯ sound, ¡°If this calamity continues to stay in my dragon stable, my other dragons might end up changing from male to female.¡±


    All demons that reach the Seventh Realm have the ability to change gender, and two of her flying dragons had recently changed from male to female!


    It¡¯s a pity she hadn¡¯t mastered the Execution Technique; even if she cut off Ma Tianlong¡¯s lower body, it would grow back, otherwise, she would have castrated this nasty creature!


    Lin Rui thought to himself ¡®Damn¡¯, his eyes widening in disbelief as he looked at Ma Tianlong.


    This Demon Dragon was so impressive?


    Lin Rui then subtly changed his expression, looking ahead, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived!¡±


    Twenty li away, Commander Wang Chenghua of the Demon Destruction Bureau with a group of people floated in the air, all with solemn expressions, slightly bowing to welcome them.


    Seeing Luo Wangshu¡¯s eight-dragon Flying Chariot rapidly approaching, their expressions became even more respectful as they bowed: ¡°We pay respects to the Third Divine Envoy! Greetings to the National Guardian!¡±


    Commander Wang Chenghua of the Demon Destruction Bureau then spoke with a firm voice, ¡°Divine Envoy, National Guardian, those Purgatory Demons, more than a hundred in total, fled to River Pass and immediately headed here, hiding in a mine pit below.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui and Luo Wangshu both looked down in unison.

 Chapter 642: 615: Open Conspiracy (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 642: Chapter 615: Open Conspiracy (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°Is this Wanshi Mountain?¡±


    Lin Rui had heard of Wanshi Mountain before but had never visited this place.


    Previously, Wang Chenghua had reported in the first talisman letter that the Martial Cultivators broke through from River Pass and headed straight here.


    Lin Rui saw over three hundred rugged and undulating rock mountains at the base of the mountain.


    These rock mountains were about eight hundred feet at their highest and covered a vast area, with each mountain spanning several miles around.


    This place is the largest stone mining plaza to the east of Luojing, it is said that the Vajra Stone used for the city walls of Luojing City comes from here.


    He soon noticed on the east side of a rock mountain at the southeastern corner, a cave entrance both long and wide, reaching dozens of feet.


    The inside of the cave was filled with dark fog, deep and impenetrable.


    There were already a large number of troops gathered around, with over 300 Battle Dragons either hovering in the void or hidden among the mountains, all in a defensive posture, vigilantly watching the cave.


    Lin Rui focused his gaze on this place: ¡°Are they inside here? Looking at the appearance of this cave, it seems to be very ancient. What kind of mining is done here that requires digging holes in a diamond mountain? Does no one know its internal structure? How deep it is? Has anyone been sent to check?¡±


    ¡°Responding to sir, this place used to be a Divine Gold mine. It is said to have been exhausted and abandoned 7000 years ago. Due to the age, no one nearby knows the internal structure.


    Furthermore, at the founding of our dynasty, the local officials, fearing that criminals and demons might use this mine to hide and engage in illegal activities, invited several Ninth Realm experts to move a giant rock weighing seventeen million stones to seal this mine shaft.¡±


    Wang Chenghua probably also felt that something was amiss, frowning heavily into a ¡®Chuan¡¯ character: ¡°I personally led people inside to look, and because the inside was filled with dark fog and the cave passages were extensive, we couldn¡¯t go deep, but I heard loud noises inside, speculating that they are digging passageways, likely trying to connect to the Sky Pool Passage to escape from here, however ¡ª¡±


    Wang Chenghua paused, looking up at Lin Rui: ¡°But this is more likely a trap. I suspect that this mine has long been occupied by Purgatory Demons, transforming it into a Demon Cave, their underground digging merely a pretense to force you to go down.¡±


    With the current situation, even a fool would know there¡¯s a problem.


    However, the tactics used by these demons are nearly an open secret, with opponents holding pieces of the Abyss Divine Tablet, not worrying this National Guardian would not enter the trap.


    This individual took on the divine command after the theft of Divine Tablet fragments, receiving tremendous authority and at the same time bearing the pressure and responsibility of retrieving the fragments.


    The only thing to be thankful for is that there¡¯s no trace of ¡®Purgatory Light¡¯ detected here, so it seems it is not connected to the Sky Pool Passage.


    Lin Rui nodded: ¡°Then where does this black fog come from? What are its components? Can it be dispelled?¡±


    ¡°I do not know the origin,¡± Wang Chenghua shook his head: ¡°I tried calling dozens of mages to disperse the black fog, but continuous streams of fog keep emerging from deep within the cave. In addition, we have captured some wild animals nearby to test and discovered that the black fog is slightly toxic, but it can obscure visual and Spiritual Sense perception. When I entered, I felt like I became blind, with Spiritual Sense reaching no more than two hundred feet at most, and as for the specific components of this black fog, our pharmacists are still analyzing it.¡±


    As Wang Chenghua said this, his mood grew heavier.


    In the past two months, he had severed ties with the Chief Steward of the Imperial Household and the Imperial City Department Commander, whom he had been close to before, and completely aligned himself under these masters and disciples.


    Wang Chenghua has done many things for them, and was thoroughly labeled with the Third Divine Envoy and the Hidden Crown Prince¡¯s mark, now he truly hoped they would not encounter any mishaps.


    Yet Wang Chenghua was unaware that at this moment, Lin Rui and Luo Wangshu exchanged glances, both of their eyes gleaming with delight.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that these Purgatory scoundrels really knew how to play their cards, it¡¯s as if they¡¯re handing him a pillow when he¡¯s sleepy, extremely considerate.


    He then leaped forward to the entrance of the cave.


    Just then, Lin Rui received a message from Li Xianglong: Xiao Rui, don¡¯t go in yet, we are analyzing the composition of the black fog and scanning the structural map of the strata, we will have results soon.


    Li Xianglong: I have detected a large number of anti-matter annihilation bombs inside, and possibly planet-killing grade weapons, they are probably anticipating you to fill the inside with lives.


    Linghu Mingde also sent a message: Xiao Rui, I see deadly traps underground aimed at you, you must be cautious today, do not venture inside recklessly without full assurance.


    Linghu Mingde: We have located the Divine Sect¡¯s King Ming lurking fifty miles to the south, you must be careful.


    Lin Rui looked around, guessing that the group of Federation experts gathered by Li Xianglong was also nearby.


    Linghu Mingde had alerted him 7 minutes ago, and Li Xianglong had quickly gathered thirteen Nine Realms, Super Emperor Rank or above experts from around Luojing, preparing to compete for the Divine Tablet fragments again.


    Among them was Linghu Mingde¡¯s Alien, Zhao Yang, who, as an Imperial Censor, possessed a specially designed SS+ grade Exoskeleton Armor for Aliens that ensured his Alien identity remained concealed from others.


    Actually, the relationship between Linghu Mingde and Zhao Yang had already been made public within the Earth Federation, but now Zhao Yang has his ¡®vajra body¡¯, and unless outsiders possess proof, they can do nothing to him.


    As for that Demon Sect King Ming, Lin Rui had guessed it long ago.


    The moment he approached this place, the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire Sub-body¡¯ inside the Abyss Source Core at his forehead began to heat up continually.


    Lin Rui guessed that this King Ming was nearby, yet he could not ascertain his exact location.


    However, today is indeed a convergence of heroes and elites.


    Of course, Lin Rui had no intention of entering the mine pit right now. He raised his hand and grasped the black fog in his hand to sense it carefully.


    Shortly after, Lin Rui let out a slight cold laugh.


    So it was this thing¡ª


    At this moment, another dozen arcs of rainbow light flew across the sky.


    That was none other than the Third Divine Envoy of the Great Wei, Cui Peipei, and the Third Divine Envoy of the Great Cheng, Zong Xiushan, along with a group of accompanying experts from both sides.


    As they approached, they were immediately locked on by the martial intent of five hundred twenty Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners and five hundred twenty Battle Dragons, and targeted by hundreds of ¡®Twelve-Armed Dragon Slaying Crossbows¡¯ of the Seventh Realm and ¡®Twenty-Four-Armed National Guardian Divine Crossbows¡¯ of the Eighth Realm.


    In this short timeframe, more court experts and soldiers arrived, bringing with them many powerful mechanisms from the Mechanical God Temple.


    Cui Peipei immediately let out an angry grunt: ¡°Luo Wangshu!¡±


    Luo Wangshu let out a light laugh, instructing, ¡°These distinguished guests are all national guests of Great Song, let them in.¡±


    The surrounding Dragon Transformation individuals then retracted their martial intent and conceptual power.


    After Cui Peipei floated up and arrived, she also deeply glanced at the interior of the mine, then turned her head towards Lin Rui: ¡°This black fog is non-toxic; why not send someone in to investigate? If those people manage to break through to the Sky Pool Passage, the consequences would be unimaginable.¡±


    Zong Xiushan also spoke with a solemn expression: ¡°Mr. Lin, this might be our last chance to recover the Abyss Divine Tablet, please handle this appropriately!¡±


    Lin Rui slightly shook his head: ¡°I have received reliable intelligence that there are numerous anti-matter annihilation bombs planted by the Heavenly Demons inside, and so-called planet-destroying weapons. Without being able to disarm these one by one, even Seventh Realm experts entering could face deadly peril.¡±


    He then curved the corners of his lips, revealing a trace of a smile: ¡°If the two of you are in a hurry, you might as well go inside first to explore.¡±


    After hearing this, both Cui Peipei and Zong Xiushan smirked and kept silent.


    They thought those Purgatory Demons were clearly targeting Lin Hao and his apprentice; they must be out of their minds to help Lin Hao step into such a deadly trap.


    Moreover, neither of them was the lord of this place.


    The fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet were plundered within the boundaries of Great Song; Great Song has the obligation to help them retrieve the fragments!


    If Lin Hao and his apprentice are unwilling to make an effort, East Abyss will naturally deal with them.


    So this matter was in no way their responsibility to intervene.


    Lin Rui slightly shook his head and directly walked back into Luo Wangshu¡¯s Eight-Dragon Flying Chariot.


    He promptly drafted a prescription and had Commander Wang Tianwu temporarily gather a large quantity of medicinal materials from around, then personally concocted inside the chariot, soon producing several barrels of medicine.


    ¡°Commander Wang, please arrange for mages to blow all these medicines I formulated into the mine pit.¡±


    At this moment, Lin Rui was unaware that at the same time, deep in this abandoned mine pit, several people with different appearances along with people from Tianji Star were observing Lin Hao¡¯s every move through the pre-installed situational awareness equipment.


    This included Vice-President Brown of the Longevity Association, who with a cold gaze, pondered whether this ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ was indeed Lin Rui?


    This was easy to figure out; just by looking at the Battle Dragon used by ¡®Lin Hao¡¯, one could decide whether he lived or died today.

 Chapter 643: 616: His Dragon (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 643: Chapter 616: His Dragon (Third Update, Please Subscribe)


    ¡°The artifacts of the Heavenly Demon are indeed miraculous, capable of glimpsing the outside world from beneath a diamond stratum shrouded in Barrier Fog that extends 700 zhang deep, as if being on the scene.¡±


    That was one of the leading men among them, who had his hands behind his back, watching the projection screen in front of him: ¡°By his actions, it seems he intends to use poison? This lad is indeed sinister and cunning.¡±


    ¡°Prince, rest assured, I have already made preparations.¡±


    Brown, the Vice-President, smiled confidently and composedly: ¡°The tunnels here have been specially designed, no matter what kind of poison they use, it cannot penetrate, and there are a large number of filtration and purification devices inside, as well as some anti-poison equipment for individual use.¡±


    How could he not be on guard, knowing that Lin Hao might be the ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯ Lin Rui?


    ¡°Your Highness, the Prince, this youngster is extremely cautious and careful.¡±


    That was the leader of the Shadow Killing Team, who with crossed arms said: ¡°Judging by their behavior, this master-disciple pair will not enter without utmost confidence.¡±


    ¡°They have no choice in the matter.¡± Qi Wuji, looking up, watched the video of the Eight Dragon Flying Chariot and the woman standing on it with her hands behind her back, whose aura was transcendent as if an exiled immortal, yet also exuded a sense of magnanimity and dominance.


    Once upon a time, he competed with Luo Wangshu, and their positions were evenly matched.


    Qi Wuji, with his noble birth and rich family background, even gained the upper hand for a while.


    But now Luo Wangshu, towering above, had already become the fifth person below the Divine Spirits of the Great Song, and with her martial prowess astonishing, had reached the Senior Divine Envoy level.


    Whereas he, Qi Wuji, was now like a rat in the gutter, in a wretchedly pitiable state.


    It seemed as if even his Primordial Spirit had been calculated against by someone; if he does not find a solution soon, he might gradually fall under the control of the Three Gods of Purgatory and the Longevity Association.


    ¡°The three pieces of the Abyss Divine Tablet have yet to be found; it¡¯s unknown where they have been hidden. Today¡¯s situation is their only chance to retrieve the Divine Tablet; otherwise, they will be unable to explain to the Divine Spirits and the Great Celestial Master.


    Furthermore, the Emperor and the Second Divine Envoy have suffered setbacks over the past year. If they have the chance to push Lin Hao towards death, they will definitely do all in their power, even the First Divine Envoy, whose current thoughts are hard to guess. Right now, I¡¯m actually more concerned about that Holy Sect Ming King and the people from the Heavenly Demon Federation; they are huge variables that must not be overlooked.¡±


    ¡°Your words are reasonable.¡± The dragon-head man nodded: ¡°But below the earth, I¡¯ve already gathered the greatest force I can muster. Theoretically, it should be enough to contend against five to six Divine Envoy Level opponents, thus killing Luo Wangshu should be effortless. Later on, we can prioritize putting Lin Hao in a deadly situation, while Luo Wangshu we¡¯ll see if there¡¯s an opportunity.¡±


    Vice-President Brown thought this was the biggest disagreement between him and the Purgatory Prince.


    The aim of Purgatory is to eliminate Lin Hao only.


    Whereas, the goal of the Longevity Association is to confirm his identity. If this person truly is Lin Rui, then they can control him through their means, managing the trade license issuance of the Great Song Star Port, thereby further strengthening their power within the Earth Federation.


    If not, then they will try their best to eliminate the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song who holds animosity towards the Longevity Association today.


    However, it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s better to first see what happens with Lin Hao¡¯s identity and coordinate stances later. Vice-President Brown believes that as long as he is willing to offer benefits, it should not be hard to persuade the Purgatory Prince.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lin Rui, within just 10 minutes, received another Flying Book from Han Baxian, the Emperor, and the Second Divine Envoy. Yet, rather than being anxious, he leisurely sent a reply using his 300,000 li ranged Flying Book, and they exchanged several messages back and forth.


    Luo Wangshu was quite curious: ¡°What does the Great Celestial Master mean? And what exactly did you write in the letter?¡±


    As for what the Emperor and the Second Divine Envoy would say, she could guess it with her heels ¨C nothing but expressions of concern followed by maximum pressure.


    ¡°Han Baxian said that the Great Celestial Master has just performed stargazing divination and determined that the three pieces of the Divine Tablet are nearby Wanshi Mountain. Due to interference from Divine Spirit power nearby, he cannot measure accurately, but he can only be sure that it¡¯s within a 500 li radius.¡±


    Lin Rui, with a peculiar expression, thought to himself how accurate the Great Celestial Master¡¯s stargazing result was ¨C those three pieces of the Abyss Divine Tablet were indeed on the Eight Dragon Flying Chariot behind him.


    Lin Rui then glanced towards the direction of Luojing: ¡°In the reply, I assured Han Baxian that we will definitely find the Divine Tablet pieces this time, and I also petitioned the Emperor and the Second Divine Envoy to send more experts to assist me, or to come personally. They replied that they had important matters to attend to and could not be split, and each sent two Ninth Realm Super Kings to me.¡±


    Luo Wangshu laughed upon hearing this.


    However, when the Emperor and the Second Divine Envoy said they were preoccupied and couldn¡¯t divide their attention, it wasn¡¯t entirely false.


    In recent months, the court has been thoroughly inspecting granaries, medical stores, and military arsenals, and the situation is getting worse and increasingly alarming.


    Around Luojing it wasn¡¯t as bad, since those gluttonous vermin didn¡¯t dare to act too recklessly under the eyes of Divine Spirits ¨C just with 37 instances of Fire Dragon burning down the storehouses, all the accounts were wiped clean.


    The situation outside the eight states surrounding the capital is extremely grave; to date, nearly 300 officials have been arrested and imprisoned, and over 200 have either died from sudden illness or accidental deaths, causing the atmosphere in the court to rapidly deteriorate.


    The Emperor and both the First and Second Divine Envoys had no choice but to leave the capital to inspect the provinces and personally suppress the unrest.


    As Lin Rui finished speaking, from the distant horizon, four figures clad in Heavenly Demon exoskeleton armor appeared, accompanied by four enormous Battle Dragons each over eight zhang (approximately 24 meters) in height, sweeping across the sky.


    All four bearers held the Guest Tokens of the National Guardian Marquis Mansion, hanging the tokens in front of them, which emitted a bright light revealing the large characters ¡®National Guardian Marquis¡¯.


    Thus, the surrounding court soldiers and many Dragon Transformation Masters, though perplexed, made no move against them.


    A moment later, the four landed in front of Lin Rui¡¯s Flying Chariot: ¡°Lord Marquis! We have been ordered to come here. May I ask if Lord Marquis has any instructions?¡±


    Those were none other than Wang Tianwu, Lu Hanyuan, Li Yuehua, and Hou Yuting.


    Lin Rui had been waiting not only for the mages to disperse the poison but also for them.


    Especially Wang Tianwu, who has now advanced to Emperor Rank of the Eight Realms and has replaced all his Armament, is a top Illusionist essential for this operation!


    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived fairly quickly. You may accompany me later and guard my surroundings,¡± Lin Rui nodded, his expression satisfied.


    At that time, a message came from Li Xianglong: The geological structure has been scanned and almost analyzed. Only the lowest layer is shielded by a powerful force, and our instruments cannot scan it clearly. I¡¯ll send you the diagram.


    Lin Rui opened the file sent by Li Xianglong and took a quick look, then turned to Luo Wangshu and bowed: ¡°Master, I believe that everything is now ready, and we can enter to explore.¡±


    Luo Wangshu, however, gazed intently at Wang Tianwu.


    She looked at him so fixedly for a long while that Wang Tianwu felt hairy inside his heart, until she finally shifted her gaze and said, ¡°Wang Chenghua! Gather all the Ninth Realm experts present, as well as those of the Eight Realms who possess Emperor Rank or higher bloodlines, along with the disciples from the three Divine Sects: ¡®Mechanical God Temple¡¯, ¡®Heavenly Talisman Tower¡¯, and ¡®Mystic Formation Mountain¡¯. Let¡¯s go in and see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Wang Chenghua, the Commander of the Demon Destruction Bureau who was directing the mages in dispersing poison, tensed up and bowed in acknowledgment.


    Inside, however, he was secretly fretting; the mine pit was clearly a trap.


    But will just dispersing some poison work? He had his doubts.


    Nevertheless, Wang Chenghua collected his emotions and began gathering the many experts of the Eighth and Ninth Realms and their respective Battle Dragons near the mine entrance, even forming a simple battle formation.


    At this moment, Luo Wangshu reached into the carriage and pulled out a huge metal box.


    This was a Magic Artifact specifically crafted to store the fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet; paired with Luo Wangshu¡¯s True Yuan suppression, it could minimize the emanation of the Divine Tablet¡¯s aura to the greatest extent.


    Then, with a flick of her finger, Luo Wangshu unfastened Ma Tianlong¡¯s reins and flew onto the back of Ma Tianlong, commanding, ¡°Go!¡±


    She stamped her foot, causing Ma Tianlong to let out a muffled groan of distress.


    Lin Rui watched the scene, feeling puzzled, thinking to himself why his master insisted on bringing this Demon Dragon along?


    At the same time, Lin Rui also awakened his own Battle Dragon, which had been slumbering within the Dragon Box.


    As Luo Wangshu gave an order, the many masters of the Eight and Ninth Realms present began to unseal their Battle Dragons from inside their Dragon Boxes.


    But in an instant, everyone¡¯s gaze converged on Lin Hao¡¯s Dragon Box.


    They had all heard that this National Guardian Marquis had undergone Dragon Transformation, but no one had ever seen the true face of his Battle Dragon.


    As a Battle Dragon, nearly seven zhang tall (about 21 meters) and covered in purple-golden runes, rose from the confines of the Dragon Box, almost everyone¡¯s expression grew serious, and they were inwardly astounded.


    Meanwhile, Brown, the Vice President located beneath the ground layer, furrowed his brows deeply. Both shocked and confused, he murmured to himself, ¡°Is this the Sixth Realm Super Monarch ¡ª the Vajra Thunder Emperor Yang Dragon?¡±


    This was also an exceedingly potent Yang Element Battle Dragon, yet different from Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Emperor Hao Divine Yang Dragon¡¯.


    But how could this be possible?

 Chapter 644 - 617: Barrier (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Chapter 644: Chapter 617: Barrier (Seeking Subscriptions)


    ¡°Radiant Thunder Emperor Dragon?¡±


    The Third Divine Envoy of Great Wei, Cui Peipei, squinted her eyes as she looked at the huge dragon body that rose from the dragon box behind Lin Hao.


    ¡°Sixth Realm Super Monarch! Luo Wangshu¡¯s disciple really has some tricks, no wonder Luo Wangshu has full confidence in him. Xian¡¯er, if this young man can still walk out alive today and meet your challenge, you must be extremely cautious!¡±


    This ¡®Radiant Thunder Emperor Dragon¡¯ is actually a variant of the ¡®Radiant Thunder Emperor Dragon¡¯.


    It is particularly named so because the yang power within its dragon body is incredibly strong and flawless, hence the extra character ¡®Ñô¡¯ making it ¡®Radiant Thunder Emperor Dragon¡¯.


    This shows that Lin Hao possesses extraordinarily powerful yang energy.


    Cui Peipei began to feel somewhat uneasy in her heart, suspecting that she might have underestimated her opponent.


    The problem is that Luo Wangshu, that despicable person, forced her to make a heart and spirit oath pointing towards her own Divine, leaving Cui Peipei with no room to back out.


    Besides, the Battle Dragons belonging to Lin Hao¡¯s two followers¡ªJi Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi¡ªwere also shockingly both Sixth Realm Super Monarchs.


    Among them, Ji Xueying¡¯s Battle Dragon was exactly the same as its master, also a ¡®Radiant Thunder Emperor Dragon¡¯!


    The potential of this master and servants is truly formidable enough to instill fear in others.


    Even someone as strong as Cui Peipei felt a bit of apprehension.


    ¡°Master does not need to worry about the disciple.¡±


    Han Xian¡¯er coldly glanced at the purple-golden runed Battle Dragon behind Lin Hao, disdainfully saying: ¡°This guy¡¯s bloodline power might be strong, but his cultivation is a whole realm lower than mine. In the confrontation of Martial Cultivators, bloodline, cultivation, physical body, martial intent, and martial arts accomplishment are all indispensable. I¡¯ve been practicing swordsmanship for seventeen years, if I still lose to him, I might as well bash my head against tofu and die.¡±


    There was no tofu in the Sky Extreme Star, as it was an invention of the Outer Heaven Demon, made with a type of bean called ¡®pepper bean¡¯ used in this world and only became popular in recent centuries¡ªsoft and slick.


    Han Xian¡¯er thought of how she started practicing swordsmanship at the age of fourteen. Although her fontanelle hadn¡¯t closed, Han Xian¡¯er didn¡¯t dare to cultivate True Yuan, yet she learned many fundamental mysteries of martial arts under the guidance of her elders.


    This accumulated seventeen years of effort, how could it be compared to Lin Hao¡¯s one or two years of cultivation?


    Moreover, being the Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song, how much time could he have for practicing Martial Arts due to his busy public duties?


    Furthermore, Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s bloodline talent was just a little shy from reaching the Super Monarch level.


    It¡¯s just because she wasn¡¯t confident in using her Super Monarch bloodline to advance to the Eight Realms, thus she was hesitating and undecided.


    Cui Peipei slightly nodded her head; this was exactly what she thought before agreeing to the arrangement with Luo Wangshu.


    She then frowned slightly, only because after Lin Hao flew to the entrance of the mine pit, he bowed towards her and Zong Xiushan: ¡°Both Divine Envoys were repeatedly urging I, asking about the retrieval of those Divine Tablet fragments.


    I and my master will now prepare to enter and search for the traces of those Purgatory Demons and exterminate them. If you two are truly anxious, how about joining us? Once we join forces, we can strike with thunderous might and sweep through the dens, subduing the group of demons!¡±


    Cui Peipei laughed out lightly, placing her hands behind her back: ¡°No need, Luo Divine Envoy¡¯s Sword Dao is unparalleled in the world, and the National Guardian Duke¡¯s ability is extraordinary; surely they can achieve success in one fell swoop and capture the Divine Tablet. I will simply await the Duke¡¯s triumphant news here.¡±


    She thought to herself that this pit was murky with thick mists, and the depth and reality were hard to gauge, with visible dangers almost lurking visibly.


    These Purgatory Demons clearly meant to put Lin Hao to death.


    Lin Hao thought beautifully to drag them along to fall into the pit!


    The mine pit definitely needed to be entered, but they would let this master and disciple explore the way ahead first and see the specific situation inside.


    Zong Xiushan also shook his head slightly: ¡°Zong also has no doubt about the abilities of the two of you, with Luo Divine Envoy and National Guardian Duke¡¯s capabilities, they are sure to achieve success effortlessly and easily.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips twitched: ¡°Since that is the case, then please wait here for a while.¡±


    He secretly sneered in his heart, these two foreign Divine Envoys were indeed slippery.


    In fact, Lin Rui was really afraid that these two would follow them, which would make it difficult to act freely.


    The words and reactions of these two also blew away what little conscience and guilt he had left in his heart after much pondering, completely dissipating them.


    Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei, knowing that this was a trap set by the Purgatory side for their master and disciple, still relentlessly pressured them without any intention to help.


    Lin Rui of course had no place to blame, but from this, he could deduce that their attitude towards him and his master was indeed malicious.


    They were pleased with the schemes of the Purgatory Demons and were willing to add fuel to the flames.


    Lin Rui then controlled his Battle Dragon, following behind Luo Wangshu into the mine pit.


    At that moment, among the accompanying twenty-four Ninth Realm masters and seven Eighth Realm Emperor Rank Martial Cultivators, six were magic experts. As they entered the mine pit, they cast spells to blow the black mist away.


    This black fog is called ¡®Barrier Fog¡¯, commonly seen in Da Cheng Country of the Southern Continent.


    There, there are a lot of stones called ¡®Barrier Stones¡¯ that emit large amounts of black smoke under high temperatures to obscure the land and sky.


    It is said that nearly one-tenth of Da Cheng Country¡¯s territory is shrouded in this black fog.


    Lin Rui speculated that there is a large amount of ¡®Barrier Stones¡¯ inside this pit, hence the continuous flow of black fog, and even with the joint effort of thousands of mages, it is impossible to completely remove it.


    However, these six top-tier Mage Cultivators, although unable to disperse the black fog, could blow the fog up to 200 zhang away, ensuring their surroundings¡¯ visibility and Divine Sense sensing capability.


    At this moment, Luo Wangshu stomped her foot: ¡°Wicked creature, do not hold back! Let your future master witness your capability.¡±


    The Demon Dragon, Ma Tianlong, immediately let out a painful whine, then helplessly swished its tail, instantly gathering a large amount of water vapor and Water Element Spirits around it.


    This water vapor quickly expanded to one hundred and fifty zhang, enveloping everyone securely.


    Surprisingly, the gathered water molecules also formed layers of hexagonal transparent water membranes around them, like shields stacked around them.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Lin Rui looked surprised, and took another amazed glance at the Demon Dragon: ¡°Is this the ¡®Barrier¡¯ concept? At least thirty-four percent strength.¡±


    ¡ªThis was remarkable, as Luo Wangshu¡¯s current limit was only sixty percent.


    Luo Wangshu sneered: ¡°You wonder why he could deceive many of my Dragon Guards and mess around in my dragon stables?¡±


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s Dragon Guard Captain, Jing Yuefang, and Deputy Captain Su Xinmei also followed inside, their faces filled with shame as they heard their master¡¯s words, bowing their heads.


    The two then fiercely glared at Ma Tianlong, their eyes filled with murderous intent, wishing they could immediately chop off this wicked creature¡¯s vitals!


    Luo Wangshu shook her head slightly: ¡°This guy is originally a Water Element Martial Cultivator transformed into a Demon Dragon, he not only wanted to hide that Purgatory Source Crystal in his stomach but also didn¡¯t want me to know about the vile deeds he did in the dragon stables, unwittingly awakening this bloodline ability and refining the ¡®Barrier¡¯ concept to thirty percent.¡±


    Lin Rui now understood why Luo Wangshu brought this Demon Dragon in.


    Today¡¯s matter, this Demon Dragon could indeed be of help, and was indeed suitable for him.


    The surrounding Ninth Realm powerhouses were also amazed; these water mists and crystal shields not only obscured their presence from outsiders¡¯ five senses and Divine Sense but also provided a certain level of protection.


    And within the water mist, everyone¡¯s vision and Divine Sense sensing were not affected at all, truly miraculous.


    Lin Rui then threw out the Blood Pearl he was holding, and with both hands forming seals, he cast his Blood Evil Secret Technique ¡®Blood God Wings¡¯.


    First, a pair of huge blood-colored wings, each wing nine zhang wide, spread out behind Lin Rui, then this blood-colored wings split streams of pure Blood Qi, gathering towards the Blood Pearl.


    Just moments later, a Blood-colored Battle Dragon, centered around the Ninth Realm Super Monarch Magic Artifact ¡®Blood Puppet Pearl¡¯, began to take shape.


    Nearby, the Demon Destruction Bureau Commander Wang Chenghua was moved; he had once had the privilege of entering ¡®Divine Dragon Hall¡¯ and received the second-tier ¡®National Guardian Dragon Seal¡¯.


    Thus, he could recognize this Blood-colored Battle Dragon¡¯s shape as being exactly the same as the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ in the Divine Dragon Hall!


    Lin Rui then changed to another Dharma Seal, starting to summon the Primordial Spirit projection of the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ through the ¡®National Guardian Dragon Seal¡¯ on his forehead.


    Since his advancement to Dragon Transformation, his range of summoning the Tenth Realm Battle Dragons from the Divine Dragon Hall had expanded to twenty thousand li around Luojing.


    In this underground mine environment, of course, the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ with strong sensing ability and space-shifting capability was more suitable for battle.


    This time Lin Rui indeed encountered an obstacle; someone had summoned a substantial part of the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯s soul power before him.


    Yet, Lin Rui did not get angry but laughed instead, intensifying his input of True Yuan into the ¡®National Guardian Dragon Seal¡¯, forcibly pulling the soul power of the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯.


    When the Primordial Spirit of the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ descended, it spontaneously merged into the blood-colored Battle Dragon, making the aura of this blood-colored Battle Dragon stronger and stronger.


    The situation was like a shell of a ship finally equipped with an engine.


    Correspondingly, most of the Primordial Spirit of the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ was also drawn in, merging into this ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯.


    Present at the scene, Wang Chenghua, along with the other Eighth and Ninth Realm masters, all looked at each other in surprise; they never expected that the National Guardian Marquis had this move up his sleeve, actually preparing a physical body for the Primordial Spirit projection of the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯.


    This Blood Evil Secret Technique was already very strong with its pure essence of Blood Qi, coupled with the Primordial Spirit of the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ and the Ninth Realm Super Monarch Magic Artifact, its combat power must be terrifying!


    Lin Rui just summoned the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ and had already gained something; he turned his head towards a side passage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go this way, stay alert!¡±


    He sensed that in this direction, there were a lot of demons lurking.

 Chapter 645 - 618: The Mighty Power of the Secret Technique (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 645: Chapter 618: The Mighty Power of the Secret Technique (Please Subscribe)


    Due to the special instructions from the National Guardian to be extremely cautious and careful, aiming to make no mistakes rather than achieve merits, the group¡¯s progress was incredibly slow, to the point where it bored the Demon Destruction Bureau Commander, Wang Chenghua, to a sense of ennui.


    He was not optimistic about Lin Hao¡¯s operation this time, feeling that it was headed for disaster, but wasn¡¯t this just too slow? It was practically at a snail¡¯s pace.


    Upon arriving at each location, Lin Hao¡¯s first task was to dispel the fog for reconnaissance, to ensure there were no demons lurking nearby.


    Next was to have the hundred or so disciples from the Mechanical God Temple that accompanied him dismantle the anti-matter annihilation bombs that had been buried around the area.


    The Mechanical God Temple also had many disciples serving the Great Song,


    After all, a single sect couldn¡¯t afford to keep too many idle people, and the five Divine Spirits would not allow them to become too powerful and self-sufficient, turning into a separatist force,


    Therefore, these large sects on the Sky Extreme Star were more akin to large-scale schools of the Federation.


    Only a small portion of the elite disciples they cultivated could ¡®stay at the school,¡¯ receiving sustenance from the sect, while the rest either wandered the world of martial arts or served the court, finding their own means of livelihood.


    The disciples Lin Rui brought with him this time were all from the Mechanical God Temple system of the Imperial City Department.


    They might not be able to create various mechanisms and machinery but were adept at using the technology and equipment of the Mechanical God Temple, especially skilled at dismantling and analyzing mechanisms.


    The area these people cleared was extensive; they had to clean all the passages they passed through, ensuring safety within a radius of 200 zhang.


    In addition, they also installed various surveillance devices imitated from those used by the Heavenly Demon by the Mechanical God Temple.


    Next, Lin Hao had disciples from ¡®Sky Talisman Tower¡¯ and ¡®Mystic Array Mountain¡¯ lay out talismanic arrays along the way.


    This was also to ensure the safety of everyone¡¯s retreat and to make sure they wouldn¡¯t be encircled by those demons coming from behind.


    As such, one can imagine their speed of advancement; it took them a whole quarter of an hour to advance just 100 zhang.


    Wang Chenghua thought to himself, at the rate Lin Rui was dawdling, when would they be able to enter the depths of the mine and find that group of demons?


    He then reasoned that perhaps this was precisely the purpose of Lin Hao¡¯s master and disciple: to delay and wait for a change.


    Maybe the master and disciple had never intended to reclaim the Divine Tablet and had already prepared themselves to face punishment from the Divine Above.


    This was also a good strategy. Luo Wangshu and his disciples had been performing their duties effectively lately, much to the Divine Above¡¯s pleasure, so one setback should not shake their status.


    The numerous Eighth and Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators who followed were quite satisfied, coming from diverse origins, either from the military or the various major martial arts sects, many served the Great Song in esteemed positions such as ¡®Divine Guard,¡¯ ¡®Imperial Guard,¡¯ ¡®Guest Elder,¡¯ and ¡®Tributor,¡¯ with a revered status and decent salary, yet without much actual power.


    Among them, only four were Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators cultivated by the Imperial City Department system themselves, possessing Bloodline Power only reaching the Super King Rank, and not holding any significant positions within the Imperial City Department.


    Thus, they were very appreciative of Lin Hao¡¯s caution.


    All of these Ninth Realm cultivators earned a stable salary, with families to support; unless it was absolutely necessary, why would they risk their lives?


    As for Luo Wangshu and Lin Hao¡¯s followers, naturally, whatever the two masters said, went.


    At this moment, from the depths of the underground came continuous ¡®clang clang clang¡¯ sounds, echoing incessantly, sounding like thunder, indicating that someone was digging rapidly downwards, attempting to break through the rock layer.


    From time to time, there would also be intense explosions coming from below, violently shaking the mine tunnels and causing a great amount of sand and stone to fall.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the geology inside the mine was made of the famously tough diamond, these tunnels would surely have collapsed from the shaking.


    Luo Wangshu, Lin Hao, and their followers of the Eighth and Ninth Realms, however, tacitly pretended not to hear and continued their tasks methodically, steady as old dogs.


    Wang Chenghua also made peace with it, reasoning that as long as nothing happened to the master and disciple, his own situation couldn¡¯t get much worse.


    There might be some temporary difficulties in the future, but with Lin Hao¡¯s talent and genius, the future still looked bright.


    At this time, deep underground, both the Purgatory Prince and Vice President Brown were frowning deeply.


    Due to the Demon Dragon¡¯s water mist and the Crystal Shield barrier, they were now unable to see what was happening inside Lin Rui¡¯s ranks.


    All they could see was this group of people advancing with extreme caution, their pace barely faster than a tortoise¡¯s.


    But if they continued to drag their feet like this, how long would it take for them to step into the trap below?


    The two of them also guessed that perhaps Lin Hao and his disciple were willing to face punishment rather than come down into the trap.


    Did they really have such confidence? Were they so certain that the East Abyss and the Great Celestial Master would not punish them severely? Were they willing to bear the cost of losing the trust of the East Abyss?


    ¡°Worthy of Luo Wangshu, his composure is truly steady; it is like Mount Tai could collapse before him without changing his color. That Lin Hao also has quite the impressive calm,¡± said Vice President Brown, massaging his temples in distress: ¡°We can¡¯t drag this out any longer. Our Earth Federation¡¯s Li Xianglong, along with Xu Mengran, have already gathered 18 Honorary Members, including senior members like Linghu Mingde and Kou Xuanwang¡ªYour Highness, our Honorary Members are equivalent to the Sky Extreme Star¡¯s Candidate Divine Envoys, and the senior ones all have Divine Envoy level, or even the standard of Senior Divine Envoys.¡±


    Vice President Brown saw the puzzled look on the Purgatory Prince¡¯s face and took the liberty to explain, then turned to another projection ¡°Any further delay could lead to complications. Besides, with Lin Hao able to become the Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song within just a year, he truly has something exceptional about him.¡±


    This projection showed the scene outside the mine, where one could see an increasing number of Dragon Transformation Masters gathering outside.


    In just the time span of two quarters of an hour, several dozen Eighth and Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators from the Great Song Dynasty had arrived one after another.


    Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei¡¯s expressions were growing more and more impatient as they stared unblinkingly at the mine entrance.


    ¡ªThe presence of these two Divine Envoy-level figures gave them considerable pressure.


    Once these two engaged, it would introduce a huge variable.


    Moreover, there were two Seventh Realm Dragon Guards who came with Lin Hao; although they did not enter with them, they continued to help Lin Rui receive and send talismans.


    Vice President Brown has learned the content of these talismans through special channels. They are all requests for assistance to the Emperor and the Second Divine Envoy.


    So this impetuous child is indeed treacherously deceitful, his two Dragon Guards are now sending a talisman letter every three minutes, putting reverse pressure on the Emperor and the Second Divine Envoy to come to the rescue personally or send true masters.


    This is clearly a desperate ploy to drag the Emperor and the Second Divine Envoy into the game.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it first!¡± Qi Wuji pulled out the long knife at his waist, gently stroking the blade edge: ¡°If that doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll use the second plan, and Luo Wangshu¡¯s Ninth Realm Super Monarch secret sword, the ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯, can only be used once. If we can exhaust it before she enters deeper, that wouldn¡¯t be too bad.¡±


    Qi Wuji¡¯s eyes shone with a dark golden luster, brimming with killing intent, and his fighting spirit surged.


    Although his resurrection this time has left a great hidden danger in his Primordial Spirit, the benefits promised by the Three Gods of Purgatory and the Longevity Association have been given to him in full.


    Qi Wuji muses to himself that his current combat power far exceeds his previous capabilities, so he actually looks forward to his second encounter with Luo Wangshu.


    He then turned into a streak of golden light, shuttling out from a tunnel next to him.


    Immediately after, more than a dozen figures swiftly followed Qi Wuji, rushing into the dense black Barrier Fog outside the tunnel.


    At this moment, from dozens of tunnels around, a series of beast-like low roars erupted, and countless lurking Demons swarmed, their running generating Astral Wind, causing the surrounding black fog to also swirl violently.


    Among them were hundreds of Battle Dragons, striding through the tunnels, making a muffled ¡®thud thud¡¯ sound.


    And just after a mere 10 seconds, Lin Rui squinted his eyes.


    The Spiritual Sky Dragon he summoned had sensed the crisis in advance, sending him a warning signal.


    Lin Rui, with one hand on his blade, his voice thunderous: ¡°All forces, heed my command, stay against the wall and adopt a defensive formation, full alert! Everyone outside, retreat back here, and do it quickly!¡±


    Disciples of the three major sects, ¡®Mechanical God Temple¡¯, ¡®Heaven Talisman Tower¡¯, and ¡®Mysterious Array Mountain¡¯, all had a chill on their faces, and without hesitation, they retreated, sprinting back into the foggy range of the Demon Dragon.


    Their expressions were filled with panic, secretly worried.


    Most of these people were seasoned veterans, who instinctively realized the great risk involved.


    In their hearts, they actually did not want to come in, but as they were salaried by the Great Song, they could not disobey the orders from above.


    Thus, after entering, these people had always maintained the utmost vigilance, and now, upon hearing the warning, their actions were extremely swift. They were all using all the defensive spells and Magic Artifacts in their hands as quickly as possible.


    Less than 50 breaths after that, a surge of oppressive black fog came rushing through several passages nearby, compressing the fog spread by Ma Tianlong, which originally covered a radius of one hundred and fifty zhang, to just fifty zhang.


    At the same time, a large number of Demons surged out from the black fog. They struck like a tidal wave against the defensive formation made of numerous Ninth and Eighth Realms, instantly creating a burst of blood mist.


    Under Lin Rui¡¯s command, these top Dragon Transformation Masters exerted their strength in unison, turning the space 100 zhang before and after them into a deadly no-go zone!


    At this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s forehead began to throb with a vague pain, as he saw two flashes of golden blade light striking towards him,


    The Spiritual Sky Dragon sensed that the two masters of this blade light were clearly over a hundred zhang away!


    One was a man and one was a dragon!


    The man was clad in golden Battle Armor, with a resolute face, a high nose bridge, sharp and deep eyes, exuding a dignified and heroic demeanor.


    The Battle Dragon behind him was a nine zhang tall ¡®Titanium Gold Emperor Dragon¡¯, its body silvery-white in color, covered with dark golden Runes, and edged with threads of purple lines.


    A hundred zhang apart, they struck with one blade, tearing open two huge rifts in the fabric of space and time.


    It was indeed Qi Wuji! It was Qi Wuji¡¯s ¡®Divine Split Heaven Slash Blade¡¯!


    This former Ninth Candidate Divine Envoy is really not dead! Not only is he not dead, but his Battle Dragon has also been promoted to Emperor Rank Bloodline!


    And the first target of his strike, was Lin Rui!


    At this moment, a hundred zhang away, Qi Wuji¡¯s robes and hair danced without wind, his body filled with Martial Intent and his Soul Power and Primordial Spirit Power surged to their peak.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    He held full confidence in this blade strike of his!


    It was his secret blade, the culmination of his entire Martial Arts cultivation and his Bloodline Power!


    To coordinate with Qi Wuji¡¯s strike, all the masters from the factions of Purgatory and the Longevity Association put in their utmost effort at this moment, restraining all the martial forces around Lin Hao, preventing them from providing any assistance to Lin Hao.


    Unless Luo Wangshu uses her Super Monarch secret sword, ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯, right now, ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ is undoubtedly doomed!


    However, much to Qi Wuji¡¯s surprise, although Luo Wangshu was also wielding her sword, and even cast him a sidelong glance, she had no intention of intercepting or blocking the attack.


    Just as Qi Wuji was wondering what was going on with the woman, and why she was disregarding Lin Hao, a blood-colored Battle Dragon, eight zhang tall, had already appeared in front of Lin Hao!


    At that instant, the blood-colored Battle Dragon suddenly erupted with an extremely powerful Primordial Spirit Power, colliding with Qi Wuji, its Divine Sense force somewhat rigid but immensely firm and tough, like an immovable boulder, shielding ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ behind it.


    What shocked Qi Wuji the most was the Conceptual Martial Intent of the blood-colored Battle Dragon!


    The space Qi Wuji had just cloven was actually closing up before his eyes!


    This blood-colored Battle Dragon was forcefully withstanding his powerful Conceptual Power!


    Qi Wuji¡¯s pupils immediately contracted as he recognized the origin of this Battle Dragon: ¡°Spiritual Sky Dragon?¡±


    ¡ªThis was the tenth realm Battle Dragon ¡®Spiritual Enlightenment¡¯ from the Divine Dragon Hall!

 Chapter 646 - 619: Have We Just Retrieved the Divine Tablet? (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 646: Chapter 619: Have We Just Retrieved the Divine Tablet? (Please Subscribe)


    Qi Wuji felt utterly incredulous.


    He too was a Candidate Divine Envoy, a bearer of the ¡®National Guardian Dragon Seal,¡¯ and had summoned the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ for battle numerous times.


    The reason Qi Wuji wanted to change his body was to rid himself of the ¡®National Guardian Dragon Seal¡¯ and the constraints imposed by the ¡®East Abyss.¡¯


    Only then would Qi Wuji be able to withstand the power bestowed upon him by the Three Gods of Purgatory.


    Therefore, Qi Wuji couldn¡¯t understand how Lin Hao¡¯s summoning of the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ could be so coincidental?


    Lin Hao¡¯s cultivation was merely at the Sixth Realm, and at most, he could only channel about two-fifths of the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯s¡¯ Primordial Spirit projection, equal in power to a late Seventh Realm Super Monarch bloodline.


    However, the blood-colored battle dragon in front of Lin Hao had definitely reached the Super Monarch of Eight Realms level and possessed the ¡®Longevity¡¯ characteristic!


    ¡°The Blood Evil Secret Technique? Using the pure and unmatched Blood Evil power to condense a form for the Spiritual Sky Dragon? No, it¡¯s not just that simple; inside this blood qi dragon, there seems to be a skeletal support¡ª¡±


    These thoughts flashed through Qi Wuji¡¯s mind like sparks of electricity, before he quickly suppressed and dismissed them.


    Qi Wuji¡¯s vital spirit had merged into one, elevating his blade momentum, Blade Intent, and concept to their limits.


    Since Luo Wangshu had disregarded her disciple, Qi Wuji¡¯s next step was to completely eliminate this Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song! This person was not only the key figure in the negotiations between Great Song and the Outer Heaven Demons but also the main culprit behind his own downfall!


    The Spiritual Sky Dragon fiercely countered the attack; it had also been gathering energy for a long time before the battle, and now with one punch, although it seemed simple, everything before the fist was shattering!


    Even the mighty Qi Wuji felt as if his Primordial Spirit was on the verge of collapsing.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The clashes between the two men and the dragon resulted in a thunderous roar that shook the eardrums, scattering countless fragments of blade astral and punch force, along with sharp chaotic blades sweeping around, making the mine pit cave, already chaotic from the battle of dozens of Ninth and Eighth Realm Martial Cultivators along with numerous Demons, even more chaotic.


    The Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯s punch managed to staunchly withstand the combined blade momentum assault from Qi Wuji and the dragon.


    Its body subsequently crumbled into fragments and disintegrated.


    However, this blood qi dragon was initially condensed from pure blood qi, and as for the projection of the Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯s Primordial Spirit, its essence was at the Immortal Level Divine Soul, which was fundamentally unaffected by Qi Wuji¡¯s Blade Intent and concept.


    As the blood-colored Treasure Bead inside the body of the blood qi battle dragon rollickingly turned, it re-condensed the dispersed and shattered blood qi, shaping it back into the form of a dragon.


    ¡°Taixu Broken Heart Hammer?¡±


    Qi Wuji¡¯s expression turned extremely unsightly.


    Leveraging the blood qi dragon, the Spiritual Sky Dragon was even able to execute secret fists of the Super Monarch of Ninth Realm level.


    Even though this Spiritual Sky Dragon was far from Qi Wuji¡¯s opponent, he estimated that Lin Hao¡¯s Blood Evil Secret Technique would be completely exhausted within a maximum of 200 breaths in this intense battle.


    Yet, the lingering power of Qi Wuji¡¯s ¡®Titanium Gold Emperor Dragon¡¯ sword light could no longer harm Lin Hao in the slightest!


    What was more terrifying was Luo Wangshu; with one sword strike, she shockingly killed four Ninth Realm Demons and one Ninth Realm King Rank Martial Cultivator!


    While she was wreaking havoc, she still maintained a significant reserve of strength, on guard against the Purgatory Prince and the Vice President Brown of the Longevity Association lurking in the shadows!


    Only a few months had passed since their last encounter. How had this woman become so powerful?


    The cohort of Ninth and Eighth Realm Martial Cultivators under Lin Hao also staunchly withstood the onslaught of the demon tide.


    The two Dragon Guards directly under Lin Hao, along with his numerous subordinates, also displayed tremendous combat prowess, firmly holding their ground at the frontline.


    So far in the battle, Lin Hao remained completely unscathed, whereas the Purgatory side had suffered heavy casualties and injuries.


    This was actually within their expectations. Although the Prince had cultivated a large demon army on the surface, the majority of the Eighth and Ninth Realm Demons under his command were mostly provoked through various methods, possessing extremely weak combat capabilities.


    The Longevity Association, on the other hand, had brought forth eight powerful fighters, including three of Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, but these individuals had not exerted their full strength, prioritizing their lives above all.


    In contrast, Lin Hao and Luo Wangshu¡¯s directly commanded subordinates were tremendously strong, including twenty-four Ninth Realm experts and seven Eighth Realm Emperor Rank Martial Cultivators!


    Thus, in this battle, those Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators and Demons were merely tasked with a holding duty.


    They had never relied on these forces expecting a decisive victory.


    The true strike aimed at the master and disciple was hidden in the deepest part of the mine.


    Qi Wuji¡¯s mind whirled with thoughts, rapidly contemplating. He then injected a Type-9 Stimulant and a high-concentration nutrient stimulant stored inside his battle armor into his body.


    Before he came here, he had already injected a Type-9 Stimulant to push his combat power to its limit.


    At this moment, Qi Wuji continued to up the ante as he sensed an opportunity.


    Luo Wangshu was still swinging her sword and slaughtering demons, showing no intent to stop or interfere, so he believed he still had a chance for one more strike!


    Qi Wuji restrained the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ with all his might using his ¡®Titanium Gold Emperor Dragon,¡¯ then suddenly stepped forward, unbelievably appearing behind Lin Hao.


    He saw Lin Hao and his two close attendants, along with those three Super Monarch battle dragons, just happen to be standing in a triangular formation, all facing him.


    Qi Wuji¡¯s eyes were devoid of emotion as he continued to swing his blade, drawing a dazzling and brilliant trail of light through the air.

 Chapter 647: 619: Have We Just Retrieved the Divine Tablet? (Please Subscribe)_2

    Chapter 647: Chapter 619: Have We Just Retrieved the Divine Tablet? (Please Subscribe)_2


    The sword light contained endless power and resolve, cleaving everything in its path. Not only did it seem to split the entire space in two, but it also seemed to sever time itself.


    At this moment, Lin Rui, Shangguan Tianyi, Ji Xueying, along with the three Battle Dragons, also swung their swords! They complemented each other, resonating and amplifying their power to the limit, filling the void with the Conceptual Power of Light, Thunder, Fire,


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    With this harsh metallic tremor, a dazzling light burst forth among them. Qi Wuji¡¯s terrifying sword light, which could split heaven and earth, was actually split and severed by the combined sword lights of the three people and three dragons.


    Lin Rui, Shangguan Tianyi, Ji Xueying, and their three Battle Dragons all staggered back, bleeding from their seven orifices.


    However, Lin Rui, who bore the brunt, had the lightest injuries. In front of him appeared a magic artifact that looked like a turtle shell, extremely smooth in appearance. The Turtle Shield flashed light, diverting all the sword forces Qi Wuji directed at him to the side.


    Qi Wuji¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment, his face showing an expression of disbelief.


    His strike, ¡®Heavenly Calamity Slash¡¯, though hastily executed, displayed the full majesty of his Ninth Realm Emperor Rank secret skill under the effect of the stimulant.


    These three Sixth Realm Martial Cultivators actually withstood his Ninth Realm Emperor Rank secret skill?


    Even though all three had the bloodline of a Super Monarch, and wore Seventh Realm Heavenly Demon Armor, this scene before him was still unbelievable!


    At that moment, Qi Wuji felt an extreme sense of crisis.


    It was Luo Wangshu, the ¡®Eastern Heavenly Sword Phoenix¡¯, who in that instant had slain four Ninth Realm Demons, completely stabilizing the situation.


    Once she had spare effort, she immediately used her Sword Intent to lock onto Qi Wuji.


    ¡°Retreat!¡±


    Qi Wuji realized he had no chance left.


    Frustrated in his heart, he pulled back without hesitation, slicing open the void with a fierce slash, escaping a hundred yards away in an instant.


    Yet Luo Wangshu¡¯s sword still pursued him, and when they clashed, Qi Wuji¡¯s mouth and nose again gushed forth a great amount of fresh blood.


    ¡®Eastern Heavenly Sword Phoenix¡¯ Luo Wangshu with just one sword strike, severely injured his internal organs.


    ¡°This Conceptual Power? Fifty percent?¡±


    Qi Wuji¡¯s pupils contracted sharply, wondering how Luo Wangshu¡¯s Conceptual Power could be so strong.


    At this moment, Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyebrows deeply furrowed.


    She had already prepared the Sword technique, ready to release the ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯ to slay Qi Wuji, this source of trouble, but then she sensed an extreme crisis.


    ¡°Master,¡± Lin Rui also, boosted by the Spiritual Sky Dragon, developed a strong sensation, his Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire in his brow chakra pulsing violently.


    His eyes narrowed slightly, and he roared: ¡°It¡¯s King Ming!¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± In that instant, the whole world around Luo Wangshu seemed to crack like shattered glass.


    Luo Wangshu stood at the epicenter of the glass-like cracks, her figure swaying in the night wind, radiating a heart-pumping bitter chill.


    Behind her emerged a colossal purple-gold sword, its blade erupting in dazzling light, like stars falling or dawn breaking, illuminating the entire mine shaft as if it were daylight. The surrounding space twisted, the wind and clouds changed color!


    On the blade of the purple-gold colossal sword, Rune after Rune appeared, each looking simple yet seemed to condense the most profound and extreme truths of the world.


    At this moment, a dazzling golden light, resembling a small sun, suddenly appeared not far behind Lin Rui.


    In that golden light, there unmistakably stood a figure with six pairs of radiant wings, emitting a soft sigh, ¡°What a majestic Eastern Heavenly Sword Phoenix!¡±


    With a flap of his wings, countless light swords and light feathers scattered and sprayed out.


    Meanwhile, Luo Wangshu¡¯s ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯ also cleaved through the air, creating Sword Qi that twisted space and time, resembling ferocious Thunder Snakes and demon dragons with bared teeth and claws, possessing the power to destroy the heavens and the earth, bringing endless majesty and ferocity, and morphing unpredictably, eluding comprehension.


    These Thunder Snakes clashed with the light swords and light feathers, producing deafening roars, causing the surrounding area to fill with smoke and dust, flames like tides, pervasive thunder, and scattering light.


    The immense surge of Astral Force forced all the Martial Cultivators and demons on site to retreat in panic, throwing everything nearby into chaos.


    The many disciples from the ¡®Mechanical God Temple,¡¯ ¡®Sky Rune Tower,¡¯ and ¡®Mystic Array Mountain¡¯ were originally at the very center of the clash.


    But Lin Rui reacted promptly, using the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ to grab and retreat with the people around him to a distance of a hundred feet away.


    The many experts from the court, both from the Ninth Realm and the Eight Realms, also diligently executed their Martial Arts Divine Skills, blocking, shattering, and neutralizing the two powerful Sword Qi forces coming their way!


    So, ironically, those who suffered the most damage were the Purgatory Demons and Martial Cultivators who had already fled in disarray.


    They were bombarded and swept by the thunderous flames, and the light and thunder swords, instantly reducing at least three hundred demons to blood and flesh, while countless bodies of demons and Martial Cultivators in the dark mist spontaneously combusted, emitting golden-red flames from their pores.


    Some of them couldn¡¯t withstand the willpower, collapsing to the ground rolling and screaming in agony.


    At that moment, King Ming let out a groan, having fully resisted Luo Wangshu¡¯s ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯, but as Luo Wangshu¡¯s sword light waned, he suddenly turned into a streak of golden light and darted into another tunnel and disappeared.


    After King Ming¡¯s departure, the Martial Cultivators of the court first felt relieved then their faces lit up with joy, rushing into the dark mist to chase and slaughter those burning demons.


    The court¡¯s bounty for the Purgatory Demons was extremely high, with killing just one allowing one to receive plenty of elixirs, materials, and Divine Gold and Magic Silver from the court, even accumulating merits that could help them craft Magic Artifacts.


    Given that these demons trapped in the black mist were already weak and severely injured by King Ming¡¯s ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, they were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered, presenting a perfect opportunity for them to harvest battle achievements.


    However, Wang Chenghua, the Commander of the Demon Destruction Bureau, suddenly shouted, ¡°Everyone listen, do not advance deeply! Do not advance deeply! You may pursue and kill, but do so with moderation! Remember, stop at two hundred feet, do not go deeper!¡±


    He had already observed that Qi Wuji and the Purgatory Demons evidently intended to lure the enemy, but their plan was disrupted by the sudden appearance of King Ming.


    While Wang Chenghua roared out loud, he was increasingly worried inside.


    It looked as if they had won a small victory, having slain a large number of Purgatory Demons and even forced back King Ming, but their situation was actually even more perilous.


    Luo Wangshu had already unleashed her Ninth Realm Super Monarch¡¯s secret sword ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart¡¯ beforehand, meaning they had lost their greatest support, drastically reducing their overall combat strength.


    Proceeding deeper would be worrisome if the National Guardian chose to continue.


    But just then, Wang Chenghua heard Lin Hao¡¯s voice: ¡°My master has retrieved the Abyss Divine Tablet of our East Continent, everyone clear the remaining enemies and return as soon as possible, do not overreach!¡±


    Wang Chenghua¡¯s pupils dilated suddenly, turning to glance back at Luo Wangshu.


    He saw the Third Divine Envoy holding a stone block, three feet wide and six feet long¡ªwhat else could it be but a fragment of the Abyss Divine Tablet?


    Unfortunately, Luo Wangshu only had one piece.


    Yet, Wang Chenghua was still overjoyed, although he did not know how Luo Wangshu obtained that fragment of the Divine Tablet, having it meant they had something to report back to the Divine.

 Chapter 648: 620: How Could This Happen? (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 648: Chapter 620: How Could This Happen? (Please Subscribe)


    When Qi Wuji returned to the deepest level of the abandoned mine pit, his face was still very ugly.


    He could not accept that his two full-powered strikes had no effect on Lin Hao, nor could he accept the rapid increase in Luo Wangshu¡¯s combat power.


    Qi Wuji wondered what was the point of the great sacrifices he made to enhance his strength?


    Not only did he sacrifice his physical body, but he also sacrificed his identity and status that took over 100 years to build, and even left hidden dangers in his Primordial Spirit.


    Yet even after making such great sacrifices, he still could not match Luo Wangshu, and couldn¡¯t even suppress one of Luo Wangshu¡¯s disciples!


    Vice President Brown noticed his thoughts and immediately reassured with a smile, ¡°Mr. Qi, Luo Wangshu¡¯s improvement in combat power is actually expected. I had suspected that the Hidden Crown Prince had colluded with a rising star in our Federation named Lin Rui. Now it¡¯s almost certain.¡±


    Brown felt a great regret as he said this.


    The Battle Dragon of Lin Hao and his protector demon is ¡®Radiant Thunder Emperor Sun¡¯ and ¡®Blood Core Mad Sun¡¯, whereas the Battle Dragon of the bodyguard Yu Ying¡¯er by Lin Rui¡¯s side is ¡®Emperor Hao Divine Sun¡¯.


    Although both are Yang (masculine) Battle Dragons, the distinction is significant; the former two specialize in thunder and fire, while Emperor Hao Divine Sun specializes in Light Element and Great Sun attacks.


    Thus, these two should merely have a relationship of collusion and sharing resources, rather than being the same person, as he had previously judged.


    The stark difference in their Battle Dragons provides the strongest evidence.


    No matter how many coincidences and similarities the two of them have, nothing can overturn this.


    Besides his regret, a murderous intent also surged to the extreme in Brown¡¯s heart.


    If Lin Hao is not Lin Rui, then he must be eliminated as soon as possible.


    The Federation has already signed a peace treaty and trade agreement with Great Song, and the upcoming opening of the starport will be a huge opportunity for the Longevity Association to deeply participate in.


    However, he did not show the slightest change in expression, and he calmly said, ¡°Lin Rui controls a powerful pharmaceutical conglomerate. Luo Wangshu most likely obtained a large amount of the Federation¡¯s prohibited items through this channel. Rest assured, Mr. Qi, once this matter is over, I will have the Federation¡¯s judicial system investigate Lin Rui and make him pay the price.¡±


    The Purgatory Prince was too lazy to care about Qi Wuji¡¯s thoughts, his dragon face was extremely ashen.


    He did not expect that this baiting tactic not only failed to lure Lin Hao and his disciple into an ambush, but also resulted in such heavy losses.


    In this battle alone, the number of Ninth Realm Demons that died in action reached as many as fifteen!


    Although all of those were poorly-made imitations produced through various bloody methods in combination with Purgatory Light and various Purgatory demon medicines, their actual combat power was not comparable to even a fraction of Seventh Realm of Sky Extreme Star.


    Yet their strength, speed, and Bloodline Abilities were real and tangible, capable of overwhelming suppression over low-level Martial Artists if deployed on the battlefield.


    Just thinking about the time and effort expended to cultivate these demons, not to mention the immense financial resources, sent shivers down the spine of the Purgatory Prince.


    That Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming is really bad luck!


    The Purgatory Prince then waved his hand and instructed the several high-level mages behind him: ¡°You few go and open the passage, release the Purgatory Light!¡±


    This was their backup plan, to open up the passage between this mine and Sky Pool.


    This passage has been in existence for nearly three years, and it took them a long time to open up this smuggling route.


    However, due to recent adjustments of defense zones by the ¡®Sky Pool Four Armies¡¯ stationed in the interior of Great Song and their actions cleaning the interior, this smuggling route could no longer be used.


    They had no choice but to seal it temporarily, waiting for the future.


    So the previous mining was just for show.


    As long as the passage is open, the Purgatory Light inside the Sky Pool will be released outward, forcing Luo Wangshu and his disciple to continue delving deeper into the mine.


    If these two bastards still refuse to come in, then they can just wait for them to take away the ¡®Abyss Divine Tablet fragment¡¯. When the time comes, they can still severely damage Luo Wangshu and his disciple and make them lose the trust of the East Abyss.


    However, after these mages left, the expressions of Vice President Brown and the leader of the Shadow Killing Team were extremely strange.


    The two exchanged glances with astonished and uncertain eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± the Purgatory Prince¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Speak! Has there been some kind of incident?¡±


    ¡°My subordinate used quantum communication to tell me that Luo Wangshu has already snatched back the fragment of the Abyss Divine Tablet belonging to their East Continent from the hands of the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming.¡±


    The leader of the Shadow Killing Team spoke while soaring forward, arriving in front of the surveillance footage to operate it.


    Using the replay function, it took only a moment for everyone to see Luo Wangshu holding up the Divine Tablet fragment, standing in the cavern.


    The Purgatory Prince was exceedingly familiar with the appearance of this fragment; because not long ago, he had someone create an identical copy using a large Root Stone.


    At this moment, as he watched the projected video, his entire body froze in place.


    It wasn¡¯t until after three full breaths that the Purgatory Prince suddenly let out a bestial roar, ferociously kicking a heavy machine next to him. This high-tech situation awareness device shattered into pieces from the impact.


    Qi Wuji¡¯s heart was extremely troubled. After all the hustle, not only did they lose so many Demons, but Qi Wuji himself had also lost several of his old subordinates, and yet they gained nothing in the end.


    Vice President Brown¡¯s face was as dark as the depths of water.


    The current situation had completely spiraled out of his control and expectations. Luo Wangshu actually got the East Continent¡¯s fragment of the Abyss Divine Tablet?


    Is that King Ming from the Demon Sect an idiot? To just hand over the Divine Tablet fragment to Lin Hao, making all their long-prepared and costly scheming go down the drain!


    Beyond Vice President Brown¡¯s fury, he noticed another possibility.


    Since Luo Wangshu snatched a fragment from King Ming, does that mean the other two pieces are still in this fool¡¯s hands?


    And this King Ming, has his battle power declined to this extent?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    A moment later, outside the abandoned mine, Cui Peipei and Zong Xiushan both sensed the faint ¡®Purgatory Light¡¯ erupting from inside the mine.


    This ¡®Purgatory Light¡¯ was so weak that most Martial Cultivators could not detect it, but it meant that the Purgatory Demons had already pierced through the Sky Pool Passage, enabling them to escape from the Sky Pool with the Divine Tablet fragment.


    This realization tightened both their minds, making them restless.


    Cui Peipei wondered what exactly was happening down there?


    She could confirm that this event was a trap set by the Purgatory side for Lin Hao and his disciple.


    To thwart the peace talks between the Great Song and the Earth Federation, they did not hesitate to use the Divine Tablet fragment they had obtained to lure the master and disciple into play.


    Therefore, before they succeeded, they should not retreat so easily.


    But Cui Peipei was still very anxious and unsettled.


    What if those Demons felt there was no hope and just withdrew like that?


    She had just sensed a massive burst of elemental power and scattered Astral Force from inside the mine, which must mean that an intense and high-level battle had taken place there.


    She still didn¡¯t know the outcome of the battle, who won or who lost.


    Cui Peipei could only judge that the location of the battle broke out very close to the mouth of the mine!


    Are Luo Wangshu and his disciple so incompetent? It took so long, and yet they only progressed less than five hundred yards below?


    It was at this moment that Cui Peipei saw Luo Wangshu and Lin Hao, along with a group of Great Song¡¯s Eighth Realms and Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators, retreating from the mine.


    Cui Peipei was stunned for a moment, wondering why these people were pulling out. Aren¡¯t they searching for the Divine Tablet anymore?


    Cui Peipei then noticed the black stone Luo Wangshu was holding, and her eyes suddenly narrowed.


    That was actually a piece of the Abyss Divine Tablet! It was one of the three pieces snatched by Elder Wan Xin at the Divine Palace a few months ago!

 Chapter 649: 621: What a Pity (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 649: Chapter 621: What a Pity (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Cui Peipei and Zong Xiushan almost simultaneously flashed in front of Lin Rui and Luo Wangshu, looking at the master-disciple pair, as well as the fragment of the Divine Tablet in Luo Wangshu¡¯s hands.


    They wanted to find the second fragment from Luo Wangshu, but unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t find it.


    Cui Peipei¡¯s aura was cold and grim: ¡°Luo Wangshu, why do you only have one fragment of the Divine Tablet? Where are the other two? Why did you have to retreat?¡±


    Luo Wangshu glanced at her and said indifferently: ¡°I am alone and weak, only able to seize this piece. What can I do about it? As for why I had to retreat, it is naturally because the enemy was too strong. Luo has limited strength and also sustained hidden injuries, so I had no choice but to retreat.¡±


    As she spoke, she walked towards the carriage: ¡°I now need to recuperate from my injuries and regather the ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯. My subordinates also need time to rest and regroup. But rest assured, once I have healed and my spirit, energy, and essence are complete again, I will re-enter and purge the enemies to do my utmost to help you recover the Divine Tablet fragments.¡±


    Luo Wangshu did not lie; just now, in her confrontation with the Divine Sect¡¯s King Ming, although she managed to repel him, her internal organs were also severely shaken by the rebound of King Ming¡¯s power.


    Her gaze became determined, thinking that decoding her own genes to create ¡®gene-completion injections¡¯ for herself is indeed imperative.


    If it weren¡¯t for Lin Hao deceiving the world and snatching those three Divine Tablet fragments, keeping them hidden for three months, even if she had used the ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯, she would not have been King Ming¡¯s match.


    King Ming¡¯s bloodline and martial arts skills are not very high, only ranking at Super Emperor Rank of the Nine Realms. However, this man relies on the ¡®Supreme Divine Artifact¡¯ he possesses, allowing him to contend with Luo Wangshu even when severely injured.


    Cui Peipei and Zong Xiushan looked at Luo Wangshu¡¯s lazy and casual demeanor, their brows furrowed deeply.


    ¡°The two of you!¡± At that moment, Lin Rui explained the situation to them. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and spoke with a weakened expression: ¡°We encountered attacks from Outer Heaven Demons, Purgatory Demons, and the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming simultaneously below. Although we managed to repel them with great effort, my teacher was lucky enough to snatch a fragment of the Divine Tablet from the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming¡¯s hands. However, my teacher and I, along with this group of Imperial Guard Guest Elders, have all suffered considerable damage. Considering that the three factions may have already joined forces, my teacher also used up the ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯ and we had no choice but to temporarily withdraw.¡±


    Upon saying this, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but stomp his foot, uttering with frustrated tone: ¡°What a pity, what a pity if the two of you could have accompanied us together, with the three Divine Envoys joining forces and working sincerely together, we could have definitely taken back all the Divine Tablet fragments from the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming. Such a missed opportunity, such a missed opportunity!¡±


    Cui Peipei and Zong Xiushan, upon hearing Lin Rui repeat ¡®what a pity¡¯, ¡®what a pity¡¯, felt their hearts shiver, and their faces turned pale.


    Their colleagues also turned ashen, and five of them were even shaking in their legs.


    If their Divine above learned of this, they might be skinned alive!


    Cui Peipei could even assert that possibly within just three hours, the Emperor of Great Wei and the First and Second Divine Envoys would know the full story of their experience, as well as Lin Hao¡¯s words.


    In no more than three hours plus a couple of breaths, the Divine Palace¡¯s Great Celestial Master would be informed of everything.


    What would their Divine think then?


    They originally had the opportunity to retrieve the Divine Tablet fragments, but could it be that because of their self-sabotaging scheming, they have brought failure upon themselves at the brink of success?


    This is truly a shitty situation!


    ¡°There are also the Emperor and the Second Divine Envoy of our Great Song!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes were wide open, raging uncontrollably: ¡°If they could have reinforced us in time, sent a few more experts, even just one Candidate Divine Envoy, we could have achieved complete success just now. But at the critical moment, almost all Candidate Divine Envoys were dispatched elsewhere and busy with important matters! This is no coincidence!¡±


    Lin Rui not only scolded angrily but also summoned his two Seventh Realm Dragon Guards with an indignant expression, instructing them to prepare writing materials. In a very short time, he wrote a letter to Han Baxian, which he then sent with a Flying Book that could travel thirty thousand miles.


    Zong Xiushan thought that there must be problems within the Great Song Dynasty. The twelve First-rank Candidate Divine Envoys and twenty-four Second Rank Vice Divine Envoys of the Great Song all possess the combat power of the Nine Realms Emperor, or are close to it.


    In addition, many First and Second-rank ministers and military commanders of the court also have extremely powerful cultivation and bloodlines.


    Even if the Great Song is currently short on hands for inspecting the supplies and war readiness, and all twenty-four Second Rank Vice Divine Envoys are garrisoning in different places to monitor the seventy-two Military Governor regions, the fact that this master-disciple pair couldn¡¯t even mobilize a Candidate Divine Envoy level combatant during the battle is far too strange.


    It¡¯s curious that Luo Wangshu¡¯s faction is not weak, with several Candidate Divine Envoys and Vice Divine Envoys taking refuge under her. Furthermore, Luo Wangshu¡¯s disciple brother is a Nine Realms Super Emperor Rank expert with impressive combat strength!


    Yet, it seemed as though Luo Wangshu forgot them this time, not mobilizing these people for help.


    But Zong Xiushan could not concern himself with these things any longer; he asked with a frown: ¡°Marquis of the National Defense, what exactly is the situation inside the mines?¡±


    ¡°This~¡± Lin Rui responded with a hesitant expression: ¡°I am also unable to judge the exact situation inside. Although those Purgatory Demons were severely injured by us, there are still dozens of Ninth Realm Demons on their side, including backbone experts like Qi Wuji who are completely unharmed. At that time, I even used ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ to sense that there were two almost Divine Envoy Level Ninth Realm experts lurking secretly.¡±


    ¡°The King Ming of the Demon Sect, although temporarily repelled by my teacher, my teacher also said that this was only a temporary avoidance of her ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯. This person has the tribulation thunder Holy Fire in hand, and his combat power cannot be underestimated. Moreover, I saw they clearly had the intention to lure us into a trap. There may be even more dangerous arrangements laid out in the depths of the mine, something we must be wary of.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zong Xiushan¡¯s mood sank.


    From Lin Hao¡¯s words, it is clear that the demons below indeed possess extreme strength, and it is uncertain whether he and Cui Peipei will be able to handle them.


    The bottom of the mine is even less worth considering, bound to be perilously dangerous, filled with murderous intent.


    Beyond that, Zong Xiushan still had several unresolved doubts.


    Wasn¡¯t the fragment of the Divine Tablet from the East Continent in the hands of the Purgatory Demons? How could Lin Hao and his disciple have wrested it from the hands of King Ming?


    Moreover, if this abandoned mine was a trap set by the Purgatory Demons for Lin Hao, and the Outer Heaven Demon, Purgatory Demons, and King Ming of the Demon Sect had joined forces, why would King Ming let Luo Wangshu seize the fragment of the Divine Tablet back from him? How could he be so foolish? Was he always carrying the three pieces of the Divine Tablet fragments with him?


    Zong Xiushan found his thoughts muddled and confused, unable to make sense of it all. He could only suppress the doubts in his heart, bowing sincerely and saying, ¡°National Guardian, I have sensed a leakage of Purgatory Light at the mouth of the cave, indicating they have already breached the Sky Pool Passage and could escape from the Sky Pond at any moment. Hence, I implore the National Guardian and Luo Divine Envoy to exert the last of your strength, leading your forces to assist me and Divine Envoy Cui in purging the demons within!¡±


    He knew that Lin Hao and his disciple Luo Wangshu had already retrieved the fragment of the Divine Tablet from the East Continent and would now be content to sit back and watch, no longer risking their lives.


    Thus, he consciously adjusted his position, only requesting these two to ¡®assist¡¯ them further into the mine.


    Zong Xiushan did not expect these Great Song experts to fight to the death for them, only hoping Lin Hao and his subordinates could take some demons off their hands.


    Lin Rui chuckled secretly in his heart. When he asked them to descend together earlier, Zong Xiushan did not have this attitude.


    However, his face showed no sign of this, and he said with a regretful expression: ¡°Divine Envoy Zong, it¡¯s not that my master and I are unwilling to help, but as you have seen, my master¡¯s condition is severe. As for me, I have just taken two blows from Qi Wuji, and now my injuries are serious, my lungs and internal organs shattered.


    Moreover, those Purgatory Demons clearly targeted me, Lin Hao. Therefore, I ask for your understanding that, without full confidence, I dare not rashly enter.¡±


    Zong Xiushan¡¯s expression darkened, and he continued to bow and say, ¡°If the National Guardian and Luo Divine Envoy cannot accompany us, then please lend me your subordinates; Divine Envoy Cui and I can assure you that we will be responsible for their safety.¡±


    ¡°This~¡± Lin Rui hesitated as he glanced over the many Ninth Realm and Eighth Realms beside him.


    These high-level Great Song martial cultivators, all seasoned veterans, didn¡¯t need to take cues from Lin Hao. One by one their faces paled, their breaths weak, with some even bleeding from ears and nose, sitting collapsed on the ground. They all appeared to have exhausted their Primordial Qi and True Yuan, with severe internal injuries.


    A few of the more mischievous ones even began to lament with long sighs: ¡°Ah, that strike from the Ninth Realm Demon was really powerful, full of lingering force.¡±


    ¡°That King Ming just now was truly formidable; the reputation of his tribulation thunder and Holy Fire is well deserved. I feel like it will take me eight to ten years to recover from this injury.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? To resist that tribulation thunder and Holy Fire, I¡¯ve expended so much Primordial Qi. I had plans to take a concubine this month, but now it seems impossible.¡±


    Demon Destruction Bureau Commander Wang Chenghua also sneered secretly. They had previously been pressured into entering the mine by the Divine and the Divine Palace.


    Now they were expected to risk dying inside the mine? For what reason?


    As for that ¡®taking responsibility for their safety,¡¯ it was but a saying they could hear.


    Once they re-entered, who knew how these two would direct them?


    Furthermore, if they encountered that ¡®King Ming¡¯ again, could Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei ensure their safety?


    Zong Xiushan didn¡¯t actually have any expectations for this group of Ninth Realm and Eighth Realm who had just come out of the mine.


    In the meantime, Great Song had summoned more experts, all fresh forces, untested in battle.


    But Lin Rui shook his head with a wry smile, ¡°Divine Envoy Zong, this puts me in a difficult position; the military powers of my court aren¡¯t something I can easily entrust to others. Besides, we can¡¯t afford to lose this recovered fragment.


    Divine Envoy Zong, this matter exceeds my responsibilities. So, let¡¯s do this ¨C wait a moment, I¡¯ll send a message to the Emperor and the Divine Palace for their direction,¡± he finished, writing what appeared to be an official request for instructions.


    Cui Peipei had been silent throughout. Hearing Lin Hao¡¯s words, she felt as if there was a stifling pressure in her chest that she couldn¡¯t relieve.


    She turned to look at the abandoned mine next to her, then swept her robes aside decisively: ¡°Enough! Zong Xiushan, they have made it clear they intend to sit on the fence and watch the fire from the shore; what do you gain from imploring them?¡±


    Cui Peipei then took strides as long as a hundred yards, heading toward the entrance of the mine.


    She feared that any further delay would mean the complete loss of the two Divine Tablet fragments.


    And even if they couldn¡¯t be reclaimed this time, she resolved to show she did everything possible.

 Chapter 650: 622: Wishing Everything Goes Smoothly (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 650: Chapter 622: Wishing Everything Goes Smoothly (Please Subscribe)


    Ten breaths later, Lin Rui stood with hands behind his back, looking at Zong Xiushan and the departing figures of the Da Cheng Country¡¯s Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators, and said helplessly: ¡°I have already said, it¡¯s extremely dangerous down there. Why do these two insist on acting against the odds, insisting on going down at this time?¡±


    He could only sincerely wish: ¡°I hope their journey goes smoothly and safely.¡±


    If these two foreign Third Divine Envoys die in the mine, he would have a hard time explaining it to his superiors.


    However, the strength of these two envoy groups is quite good. Both Vice Envoys Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei possess the strength of Candidate Divine Envoys, and several others are at the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, so the likelihood of these two perishing in this pit is not high.


    The Demon Dragon Ma Tianlong, which was bestowed to Lin Rui by Luo Wangshu, rolled its eyes upon hearing this.


    Those two fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet and that Magic Artifact Box are now hidden in its stomach, so the chances of these two succeeding smoothly are nonexistent!


    Ma Tianlong knew its new master was as cunning as a ghost; back in Wangcheng County, it was pitifully conned by this person, forced to abandon home and flee in disarray, ending in servitude as livestock.


    Therefore, the words ¡°smoothly and safely¡± from Lin Hao were likely insincere.


    Afterwards, Ma Tianlong listlessly lay on the ground, heaving long sighs and short breaths.


    Five months ago, it was eager to escape the hellish stables of Luo Wangshu.


    After its Cultivation Bloodline was promoted to the Super Emperor of Eight Realms and it had mastered the Barrier Skill, it had gradually been living a good life in the stables.


    Unfortunately, a moment of carelessness led to two female dragons becoming pregnant, tipping Luo Wangshu off to the truth.


    Now, it would have to say goodbye to its own harem starting today¡ª


    With this thought, Ma Tianlong couldn¡¯t help but look back at the Flying Chariot behind it, and the seven dragons in front of the chariot, its eyes reddening and filled with reluctance.


    At this moment, a splendid radiance streaked across the sky. Lin Rui looked up and saw that it was the combined tunneling light of eighteen figures in powerful Exoskeleton Armor and eighteen towering Battle Dragons!


    As the tunneling lights approached, the eighteen Battle Dragons let out a sky-shaking dragon roar together. The majestic Martial Intent and Divine Thought merged into one, covering and suppressing the area below, causing dust to rise abruptly from the ground and silencing the whinnying of thousands of horses!


    The over two hundred thousand elite troops of Great Song surrounding the Diamond Mine were almost all overwhelmed by the imposing Martial Intent, falling to their knees speechless, some even bleeding from their seven orifices.


    The six thousand Dragon Transformation Masters were also tremendously shocked, looking up at the sky with tense and wary expressions.


    ¡°Be on guard! Be on guard! Those are Outer Heaven Demons!¡±


    ¡°How strong! They are all Candidate Divine Envoys and Divine Envoys.¡±


    ¡°What are they trying to do? Are they aiming for the mine?¡±


    ¡°Attention! All Battle Dragons on guard! All battle crossbows loaded!¡±


    Wang Tianwu, Lu Shouyang and a few other ¡®Outer Heaven Demons¡¯ from the crowd exchanged glances upon seeing this.


    They were all slightly shook, thinking that the Federation had brought a massive force this time! Even three Senior Divine Envoy level combatants were present.


    Demon Destruction Bureau Commander Wang Chenghua also tightened up.


    He had originally been recalling the scene of Luo Wangshu engaging with King Ming, wondering how the Divine Envoy had managed to snatch back that fragment of the Divine Tablet.


    But after thinking for a long time, Wang Chenghua was still clueless.


    He only remembered that at that moment, the whole cave was filled with black fog, mist, and flashes of light and thunder, with various strong Martial Intents and Conceptual Powers intermingling chaotically.


    Among their team, there were those who possessed the Conceptual Powers of shielding and illusion. During that chaotic battle, it had already become difficult to differentiate friend from foe.


    Wang Chenghua shook his head, giving up the effort to trace it to its roots.


    He then saw the terrifying scene in the sky and his face changed drastically. In a few quick steps, he was by Lin Rui¡¯s side: ¡°My lord, these Outer Heaven Demons must be after the Divine Tablet fragments. Looking at their Battle Dragons, it¡¯s clear that these Heavenly Demons are extremely powerful. If we forcibly obstruct them, I fear there will be heavy casualties¡ª¡±


    One must know that every existence ranked above the Nine Realms Super Emperor was terrifying, each capable of opposing ten thousand troops alone!


    Don¡¯t be fooled by the fact that Great Song has gathered more than thirty Ninth Realm Super Kings and Super Emperors here, they might not be able to withstand this group of Candidate Divine Envoys and Divine Envoys.


    That is why the court places such great importance on each Martial Cultivator who is hopeful to break through to the Nine Realms Super Emperor, bestowing them with high positions and generous rewards.


    ¡°Commander Wang speaks wisely!¡± Before Wang Chenghua could finish, Lin Rui waved his hand decisively, his expression indifferent: ¡°Let them in. If they want to fight for the Divine Tablet fragments, then let them. Our soldiers of Great Song should not make pointless sacrifices for this.¡±


    This was exactly what Wang Chenghua thought.


    In the view of this Commander of the Demon Destruction Bureau, whether it be the Heavenly Demons inside or Purgatory, and even that Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming, they were all Demon class!


    This pack of Demons fighting each other is fortunate; the more they die, the better!


    With a command from Lin Rui, the numerous Ninth Realm and Eight Realms Martial Cultivators of Great Song all retracted their Primordial Spirits and Martial Intent.


    Although they still remained on guard, they gave up on remotely locking their Martial Intent in confrontation and cleared the path to the mine pit for those eighteen Ninth Realm Outer Heaven Demons in the sky.


    Upon seeing this scene in the sky, Li Xianglong immediately sent a message to Lin Rui: Xiao Rui, thank you. After this matter is resolved, I will personally visit to express my gratitude.


    Li Xianglong¡¯s primary interest was to check on the research and development progress at Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, to see if Lin Rui¡¯s research team had put in their best effort.


    Li Xianglong had not easily arranged 150 billion in funding for him and Kou Xuanwang, along with the previous 80 billion commission, to persuade Lin Rui to prioritize the development of their Armourments.


    This was his hard-earned money, so naturally, he needed to keep a closer eye on it.


    Li Xianglong had yet to decide whether to let the Prosthetic doctor under Lin Rui operate on him, mainly because the conditions of ¡®general anesthesia¡¯ and ¡®no onlookers¡¯ made him hesitate.


    Nonetheless, Li Xianglong decided to first ensure the Armourments he wanted to replace were developed properly.


    Li Xianglong: I have also watched the video you provided, and with that video alone, it¡¯s worth an SSS+ grade special commendation.


    ¡ªIt was the footage of the great battle that had just taken place inside the mine pit.


    Although the segment where Luo Wangshu and King Ming fought and the latter snatched pieces of the Divine Tablet from someone was quite blurry, Li Xianglong was already able to preliminarily judge King Ming¡¯s injuries and combat level, as well as obtain detailed information on Purgatory and Longevity Association.


    After receiving the message, Lin Rui glanced somewhat guiltily at the Demon Dragon by his side, especially at the dragon¡¯s belly.


    From Li Xianglong¡¯s words, he could tell that the man was truly very happy and grateful.


    However, with Li Xianglong summoning such a large crowd, it was destined to be 100% fruitless.


    What would Li Xianglong¡¯s reaction be if he learned the truth in the future? Would he beat me up?


    Lin Rui thought that later he would still need to ask his master to intervene, to carve a piece of rubble from the Divine Tablet, to console the First Commander of the Security Bureau, and also to give the Federation scientists more research materials for exploring the secrets of the Abyss and the Root.


    It was less than ten breaths after those thirty-six tunneling lights rushed into the mine pit one after another, four more radiant lights descended from above the clouds.


    They fell like meteors, directly towards the mouth of the mine pit, causing the many soldiers of the court in the vicinity of the Diamond Mine to become vigilant once again.


    Wang Chenghua squinted and recognized them: ¡°Invincible Dharma King! Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy.¡±


    He recognized the Spirit Mechanism aura of the Invincible Dharma King ¡ª he would recognize it even if she turned to ashes!


    It was this woman who snatched away the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy from his hands, almost causing him to be punished and stripped of his position by the Divine Envoy! It also forced Wang Chenghua to fully lean towards Lin Hao and his disciple.


    Grinding his teeth, Wang Chenghua uttered a crackling sound: ¡°These two, what audacity!¡±


    Those Outer Heaven Demons dared to break in because they had a group of Candidate Divine Envoys and Divine Envoys! However, with these two people from the Demon Sect, merely two of them, they dared to come alone into the encirclement of tens of thousands of court troops.


    ¡ªBut according to intelligence, that Invincible Dharma King had been chasing King Ming for several months, while that Lord of the Light God Sect was always on the run.


    From this, it could be inferred that the combat power of this Invincible Dharma King likely surpassed the current King Ming!


    ¡°Indeed of extraordinary courage!¡± Lin Rui nodded, then narrowed his eyes: ¡°No need to obstruct! Let these two Demon Sect fiends in.¡±


    His voice was chilling: ¡°Next, I must trouble Commander Wang to keep an eye on the movements below. One is those two pieces of the Divine Tablet and the other is King Ming himself, especially the latter! Commander Wang, today might be an excellent opportunity.¡±


    Wang Chenghua¡¯s eyes widened briefly as he instantaneously grasped ¡®Lin Hao¡¯s¡¯ intention.


    That Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming not only had heavy injuries but had now become the target of several parties.


    Perhaps, this abandoned mine pit in Wanshi Mountain would be the final resting place of that Master of Light!


    Wang Chenghua felt a surge of blood qi in his body; if he really could execute the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming here, it would be his greatest honor, his most magnificent merit!


    After instructing Wang Chenghua, Lin Rui also headed in the direction of Luo Wangshu¡¯s Flying Chariot.


    His injuries were actually even more severe than Luo Wangshu¡¯s, and he too must make haste to treat his wounds.


    Besides, he needed to refine the Blood Evil to enhance the power and endurance of his ¡®Blood God Wings¡¯ secret technique.


    The reason Lin Rui had delayed his departure from the mine pit was to use the ¡®Blood God Wings¡¯ to extract the blood qi and evil force from over a thousand demons.


    At that time, due to limited time, Lin Rui could not extract or purify it immediately.


    This time¡¯s gains were immense, and Lin Rui estimated that it could increase the combat power of the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ by about fifty percent, allowing it to last at least an hour under high-intensity combat conditions.

 Chapter 651: 623: Outrage (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 651: Chapter 623: Outrage (Please Subscribe)


    Almost at the same time, in front of a pavilion at the easternmost corner of the Divine Palace, Han Baxian presented the dispatches sent by ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ to the Great Celestial Master of the Divine Palace.


    The Great Celestial Master did not reach out to take them; he merely glanced at the contents of Lin Hao¡¯s document and instantly understood every word.


    ¡°They¡¯ve retrieved the shard of the Divine Tablet from our East Continent? From King Ming?¡±


    The Great Celestial Master was slightly surprised and then frowned: ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    Three months earlier, the Great Celestial Master had concluded that the likelihood of Lin Hao and his disciple retrieving those three shards of the Divine Tablet was exceedingly slim.


    Even though he, through Stargazing Skill, had deduced that these three shards were still within a 5,000-li radius around Luojing, the range was simply too vast, and it was impossible to completely seal off the area even by mobilizing all of the Great Song Dynasty¡¯s troops.


    Especially those Purgatory Demons, they were like a bunch of moles, continually burrowing tunnels, nearly impossible to guard against.


    Those experts of the Nine Realms Emperor rank could freely come and go within an army of a hundred thousand, and with a single use of Escape Skill, they could travel tens of thousands of li.


    Therefore, only masters of the same level could station themselves in the area to deter them, or at the very least, a ¡®Vice Divine Envoy¡¯ of the next level down would have the capability to somewhat restrict them.


    In such a circumstance, unless All Gods remained fully conscious for thirty to fifty days, scouring the heavens and earth with His omnipotent Divine Power, investigation by investigation, it would be very difficult to locate the remnants of those shards.


    The Great Celestial Master did not expect the masterminds of Purgatory to expose themselves by using the ¡®Divine Tablet shard¡¯ as bait in their plot to kill Lin Hao, showing themselves openly at the River Pass to the east of the Capital.


    According to the video footage transmitted from the River Pass area and the various information held by the Great Celestial Master, those three shards of the Divine Tablet seemed to have truly fallen into their hands.


    The Great Celestial Master also did not expect that Luo Wangshu and his disciple, after stepping into the trap prepared by Purgatory and not only getting out intact but also actually retrieving a piece of the shard.


    But why from King Ming?


    ¡°Master, please look!¡±


    Han Baxian then took out several letters from his sleeve, along with a black object resembling a brush handle, which he presented before the Great Celestial Master: ¡°These are the Flying Book messages sent by several participants in that battle, detailing the events at the time. Among them, the Commander of the Demon Destruction Bureau, Wang Chenghua, used this portable camera pen originating from the Heavenly Demon to record the scene at that moment.¡±


    ¡°Wang Chenghua?¡±


    The Great Celestial Master was familiar with this person, the current Commander of the Demon Destruction Bureau, an Eight Realms Emperor Rank and originally a Third-rank Heavenly Official with boundless prospects!


    If not for the previous incident involving the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy being ambushed, this person could have been promoted to a Second Rank Vice Divine Envoy, stationed across different regions, within a year.


    The case of the kidnapping of the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy shows that this person is a typical shrewd operator in the Great Song¡¯s official circles, slippery and hard to grasp, showing a lack of loyalty to the Divine.


    Afterward, he gestured with his hand and summoned the letters and camera pen from Han Baxian¡¯s hand to his own.


    The Great Celestial Master first read the letters, then skillfully released the video footage from the portable camera pen.


    However, even though this portable camera pen was a high-end model sold by the Heavenly Demon, the footage it captured was extremely limited under the circumstance of Luo Wangshu and King Ming¡¯s full-powered confrontation.


    Under such circumstances, even the most top-tier situational perception devices from the Heavenly Demon would probably not be able to capture much.


    The Great Celestial Master then fell into contemplation: ¡°So this means that the real Divine Tablet shard has always been in King Ming¡¯s possession, and Lin Hao¡¯s claims of the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming colluding with Purgatory are obviously exaggerated and unrealistic.¡±


    Given that the genuine Divine Tablet shard was in King Ming¡¯s possession, obviously, those touted by Purgatory were counterfeits.


    It¡¯s quite possible then, that those Purgatory Demons indeed have the capability to create fakes.


    As for why Lin Hao would claim in his document that the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming was colluding with Purgatory, the purpose is to exaggerate the overall strength of the enemy in order to shirk responsibility.


    In the eyes of the Great Celestial Master, this is common human behavior. Clearly, Lin Hao does not wish to delve further into the mines and continue risking it all.


    However, this is different from the character of Wang Chenghua. Lin Hao and his disciple Luo Wangshu have already shown their loyalty, fulfilling their respective duties.


    Previously, when the Divine Tablet was taken, it wasn¡¯t really the responsibility of Luo Wangshu and his disciple; these two were actually quite wronged.


    ¡°Master¡¯s discernment enlightens!¡± Han Baxian respectfully bowed and said: ¡°So now the situation is quite troublesome, we can only ask for Master¡¯s decision.¡±


    ¡°I understand what you mean, Lin Hao and Luo Wangshu may give their all next, but they will definitely prioritize stability in their actions.¡±


    The Great Celestial Master rubbed his brow, thinking that if they could not retrieve the other two shards, then the Great Song¡¯s lost dignity could not be reclaimed.


    But this mentor and disciple will certainly not take risks anymore.


    Even the Great Celestial Master cannot oppress them or hold them accountable harshly.


    These two have just experienced a bitter battle, they have shed blood for the Divine, endured injuries, and risked their lives.


    As for Lin Hao¡¯s request, saying Zong Xiushan requests to have the numerous Ninth Realm and Eighth Realms near the abandoned mine placed under his command¡ªthat is absolutely impossible.


    These people are the foundation of the East Continent, the family fortune of the Divine; how can they be handed over to outsiders?


    The Great Celestial Master let out a slight sigh: ¡°Actually, they have a tough job, knowingly walking into a trap.¡±


    His eyes then narrowed, his robes billowing: ¡°So what is this Lin Hao is saying about these Candidate Divine Envoys shirking their duties, defying orders, and procrastinating¡ªhow is it that our revered East Continent can¡¯t even mobilize a few Nine Realms Emperors?¡±


    ¡°Master, all twenty-four Vice Divine Envoys of the East Continent are stationed in various localities, at a time when local chaos abounds, indeed these Vice Divine Envoys dare not make a move.


    Besides, at the time of the incident, there were frequent movements in the Purgatory army beneath the Sky Pool Passage, clearly a tactic of coordination and restraint. As a result, the Candidate Divine Envoys within the Sky Pool also dare not to leave their posts lightly. As for the court¡¯s ministers and generals, Lin Hao has no authority over officials of Third rank and above; as for the military, Luo Divine Envoy has also mobilized all the heavy generals that could be deployed.¡±


    Han Baxian frowned: ¡°What Lin Hao refers to as shirking responsibilities, defying orders, and procrastinating, mainly points to the First Candidate Divine Envoy, the Second Candidate Divine Envoy, and the Sixth Candidate Divine Envoy, particularly the First Candidate Divine Envoy who summoned the Spiritual Sky Dragon needed by Lin Hao before the battle.¡±


    He thought to himself that his words justified the hundred thousand silver note stuck in the Flying Book by Lin Hao.


    The Great Celestial Master let out a cold sneer: ¡°Senseless! Ignorant of the larger picture!¡±


    The Great Celestial Master doesn¡¯t mind these Divine Envoys and Candidate Divine Envoys competing with each other, even encourages it, but if this leads to infighting and failure in the tasks assigned by the Divine, it crosses his bottom line.


    And that Second Divine Envoy, his vision is indeed a bit narrow.


    Previously he had appreciated how the Second Divine Envoy had been diligent in the inspection of arms, and yet he went on to cause such a situation.


    Han Baxian thought that this was exactly Lin Hao¡¯s intention, he cupped his hands: ¡°It is worth noting that the numerous troops under the command of Luo Divine Envoy did not participate in the mine battle either, remaining stationary.¡±


    The Great Celestial Master frowned, walking to the edge of the pavilion, looking down at the vast Luojing City below: ¡°Is it the Emperor and All Divine Envoys mutually restraining each other, none daring to act?¡±


    He knew that while the Emperor and the Second Divine Envoy were inspecting the local areas, not only did they take down more than a dozen high officials of Third and Fourth Rank under Luo Wangshu, but they also attempted to investigate the properties of several major families under Luo Wangshu¡¯s wings.


    Because this involved struggles among several Divine Envoys, the Great Celestial Master had reviewed the files of these dozen people.


    To be fair, none of these dozen or so had made any significant mistakes¡ªtheir shortages were left by predecessors, they had merely been following the old ways, and their situations were neither critical nor negligible.


    The Third Divine Envoy didn¡¯t say anything, but he intensified his defenses and became more cautious.


    That Luo Wangshu¡¯s numerous experts remained stationary was also understandable; they were guarding against the Emperor and the Second Divine Envoy making a move against them.


    However, the internal strife and consumption of the Great Song Dynasty has indeed reached a level that cannot be ignored.


    The Great Celestial Master, upon considering this, turned around and said: ¡°Lin Hao has mentioned the Eleventh Candidate Divine Envoy Shentu Rong and the Twelfth Candidate Divine Envoy Situ Xiu three times in his letter, clearly trying to clear the way for these two to argue for their cause.


    Upon reflection, it is indeed a waste to put these two Candidate Divine Envoys in the Sin Army. Go and transfer them out, let them roll over to Wanshi Mountain to await orders, and also tell Lin Hao and his disciple to summon their remaining strength, and not to disappoint the Divine expectation!¡±


    Han Baxian¡¯s expression turned serious as he heard this, cupping his hands: ¡°But in this way, Shentu Rong and Situ Xiu will inevitably be grateful to Lin Hao and Luo Wangshu¡¯s disciples.¡±


    Moreover, even if these two rush over, it cannot be guaranteed that they will be able to recover the Divine Tablet fragments.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad thing at all.¡±


    The Great Celestial Master brushed his sleeve, his eyes sharp: ¡°Haven¡¯t you read the words in Lin Hao¡¯s letter? Luo Wangshu stated that King Ming was severely injured to begin with, and then got struck in the lungs by her Sword Qi, now becoming the target of all!¡±


    Han Baxian realized in an instant; the Great Celestial Master cared not for those two fragments of the Divine Tablet, but for King Ming.


    King Ming, Yin Qianqiu, had only taken up the position for thirteen years. With his death, the Light God Sect would inevitably fall into internal chaos and might be unable to cause trouble for several years, allowing Great Song to concentrate more power to deal with the Purgatory demon surge.


    However, there was one thing that Han Baxian couldn¡¯t understand.


    Since the three Divine Tablet fragments were in the hands of the Divine Sect¡¯s King Ming, why would he go to that abandoned mine? Was it out of sheer boredom?

 Chapter 652: 624: King Ming Must Die (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 652: Chapter 624: King Ming Must Die (Third Update, Please Subscribe)


    The eleventh Candidate Divine Envoy Shentu Rong and the twelfth Candidate Divine Envoy Situ Xiu, upon orders, broke away from the Sin Army and left the Sky Pool Passage, both felt as though they had been reborn into another life.


    Even though it was clearly the middle of the night, the air outside felt unexpectedly fragrant and pleasant, the breath of life so warm and sunny.


    They had only spent a little over three months with the Sky Pool Punishment Army, which was nothing compared to their lifespans of 1600 years. Yet, the grievances, oppression, regret over their own deeds, fury towards the Light God Sect, and that feeling of being restrained and not free were simply indescribable.


    The two of them quickly gathered their emotions, each commanding their Magic Artifacts, leading their respective Dragon Guards, they arrived at Wan Shi Mountain, east of the capital.


    As soon as Shentu Rong arrived at this place, his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Grand Array of Heaven Net and Earth Trap!¡±


    The court had gathered 490,000 troops and 8,000 Dragon Transformation Masters around this abandoned mine, forming an enormous Formation.


    This was a Super Emperor Rank Sky-reaching Level Array officially decreed by the Divine, with 490,000 strong warriors as the foundation and 7,000 to 14,000 Dragon Transformation Masters at the core, unleashing unrivaled divine might capable of suppressing both heaven and earth, even those of the Nine Realms wouldn¡¯t dare confront it directly.


    This Array was not suited for battlefields, but rather used by the court to suppress top demons.


    Due to the complexity of organizing this Formation, Shentu Rong, who had lived for over 120 years, had only seen it once.


    The two, along with a host of Dragon Guards, then descended before Luo Wangshu¡¯s carriage.


    ¡°Candidate Divine Envoy Shentu Rong (Situ Xiu), greeting Divine Envoy Luo, we come by order of the Great Celestial Master, ready to follow Divine Envoy Luo¡¯s commands.¡±


    They hesitated for a brief moment, then solemnly paid their respects to Lin Rui: ¡°Many thanks to you, National Guardian!¡±


    Both of them knew very well that it was largely thanks to National Guardian ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ that they could leave the Sin Army early and unburden themselves.


    And previously, inside the Divine Palace, if it hadn¡¯t been for Lin Hao risking his life to warn them, their crimes would have been even greater.


    At that moment, Lin Rui had almost finished purifying and refining the Blood Qi that he had absorbed into the ¡®Blood God Wings¡¯.


    ¡°You both flatter me too much, as a junior how can I accept such honors?¡± Lin Rui quickly stood, stepping aside with a smile: ¡°There¡¯s no need for gratitude; my master has always been on good terms with you, forming allies and supporting each other. Should the right opportunity arise, my master will surely lend assistance, as would you, no doubt.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Shentu Rong said, even as he felt a secret wave of emotion.


    Despite having formed an alliance with Luo Wangshu in the past, he had also regarded him as a competitor.


    Yet in the recent years, Shentu Rong faced numerous setbacks, first being dispatched by the Divine to suppress the Demon Suppression Forest, followed by a series of unfortunate events.


    Three months earlier, due to the upheaval at the Divine Palace, he was exiled to the Sin Army, which left him with no desire to compete for the position of Divine Envoy any longer.


    Once Shentu Rong let go of his ambitions, he realized that Luo Wangshu and his apprentice were indeed reliable allies with boundless potential.


    As for Situ Xiu, she had already given up the hope of competing for the position of Divine Envoy. She was deeply grateful for Lin Hao¡¯s apprentice¡¯s help in freeing her from the Sky Pool Punishment Army, and with a generous and robust voice, she bowed again: ¡°Rest assured, Divine Envoy Luo, I, Situ Xiu, am not ungrateful. Having been helped by both of you to escape the Sky Pool, I will remember this kindness and am ready to repay it. Should Divine Envoy Luo require my assistance in the future, just give the word.¡±


    ¡°Situ Big Sister, you¡¯re too kind!¡± Luo Wangshu also smiled lightly, stepping down from the carriage, then looked towards the mine entrance and said with a grave voice: ¡°I presume that before you came here, you had already been informed of the details. Currently, within this mine, not only are there numerous Purgatory Demons and Outer Heaven Demons, but also forces from the Light God Sect, Zong Xiushan, Cui Peipei, and other factions, creating an exceedingly complex situation. Yet both the Great Celestial Master and the Emperor expect great things from us, hoping that I can work with you to achieve grand achievements.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shentu Rong narrowed his eyes: ¡°The ¡®grand achievements¡¯ mentioned by the Great Celestial Master, are you referring to ¡®King Ming¡¯?¡±


    As he spoke the words ¡®King Ming,¡¯ his voice was filled with clenched teeth and burning rage, almost as if it were tangible.


    Last time, thanks to this Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming, he was flogged numerous times, leading to his current plight.


    ¡°The intention of the Great Celestial Master, no doubt, is to capture King Ming at any cost!¡±


    Luo Wangshu nodded: ¡°However, if possible, it would be best to recover the two stolen fragments of the Divine Tablet, so I would like to ask the two of you to be stationed to the east and west, respectively. Together with me and my disciple, we shall form a powerful defense to prevent Mingde from escaping.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shentu Rong smiled wryly, not particularly concerned about regaining the Divine Tablet fragments in his heart.


    From what he had just learned, Luo Wangshu and her disciple had invited Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei to join them when entering the mine earlier.


    It was those two who had missed the opportunity to reclaim the Divine Tablet. Who else could they blame now?


    Of course, the matter of the Divine Tablet is indeed a misstep on the part of Great Song, but surely Cui Peipei would have no face to cause trouble in Luojing now.


    Shentu Rong¡¯s sole focus was on ¡®Mingde,¡¯ his top priority was to kill that bastard!


    Situ Xiu¡¯s expression flickered slightly: ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to enter the mine now? Mingde might escape through the Purgatory Passage.¡±


    ¡°We will definitely enter, but not right now,¡± Luo Wangshu shook her head: ¡°As the art of war states, ¡®Wait for the moment when I am invincible and the enemy is vulnerable!¡¯ I need a little over an hour to accumulate the power for the ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯ again, and currently, the Array has only completed the earth net. We need more time for the heaven net. Once the grand Array is fully set, then it won¡¯t be too late for us to enter.¡±


    With a hint of a smirk, she then turned her gaze to the mine entrance: ¡°Besides, it¡¯s quite lively down there right now. It won¡¯t be easy for Mingde to escape through the Sky Pool Passage. We should let them fight among themselves first. When they are exhausted, and we have gathered enough strength, it will be the right time for us to go in and clean up the aftermath.¡±


    ¡°That is the best strategy!¡± Shentu Rong bowed slightly: ¡°Then I¡¯ll take the east side.¡±


    He then rose into the air and flew straight towards the east, while Situ Xiu nodded slightly and took to the west.


    Only after both of them had left did Luo Wangshu continue to stand with her hands behind her back, eyes fixed on the mine entrance that stretched dozens of yards wide: ¡°Hao, Mingde must die today!¡±


    Lin Rui also nodded gravely: ¡°Disciple understands! Master, rest assured, I can seize the optimal timing for entry.¡±


    Although this time they had pinned the blame on Mingde Yin Qianqiu, it was Mingde himself who knew the truth of what had happened.


    Although he was rendered indefensible and unable to sway their master-disciple duo¡¯s conviction, Mingde Yin Qianqiu himself possessed combat power of the Immortal Level.


    If he managed to catch his breath, it would pose a tremendous threat to the master and disciple.


    And this rare opportunity was the perfect time to completely eliminate such a threat.


    At this moment, Lin Rui, who had been channeling his full strength into the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ and inspiration, was also watching various video images sent by Linghu Mingde.


    Linghu Mingde was not only highly skilled in Escape Technique and had quick reflexes, but his range of activity was also extensive.


    The key point was that since Li Xianglong and others had entered the mine, they had placed a large number of portable tactical sensing devices inside.


    Li Xianglong, being a top hacker, had also hacked into numerous surveillance devices set up by the Longevity Association within the mine.


    And the posse of Honorary Members from the Earth Federation shared all kinds of information among themselves.


    Thus, Lin Rui had a full grasp of everything happening inside. He was tracking Mingde¡¯s movements and using the information collected by these devices to estimate Mingde¡¯s injuries.


    Just then, he saw Cui Peipei blocking a cave entrance in front of Mingde, only to be sent flying by Mingde¡¯s powerful blow.


    This Third Divine Envoy of the Great Wei was highly proficient in Water Technique, capable of using the world¡¯s most gentle waters to resolve and convert any external force.


    However, Cui Peipei¡¯s Bloodline Ability and Martial Arts were less effective in front of Mingde. Not only was she sent flying in one blow, but her previously prominent chest was also crushed inward, with blood gushing violently from her nose and mouth.


    Upon witnessing this, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but cover his eyes, finding it somewhat unbearable to watch.


    He thought to himself that if Cui Peipei¡¯s deplorable state were to be seen by her adoring fans from the Earth Federation, how heartbroken those fans would be?

 Chapter 653 - 625: Grievance (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Chapter 653: Chapter 625: Grievance (Seeking Subscriptions)


    Within the pit, after Cui Peipei was sent flying by the ¡®King Ming¡¯, her delicate body heavily smashed against the stone wall behind her like a crashing meteorite, creating a deep crater and producing a thunderous roar that shook one¡¯s eardrums. Her bones made a ¡®crackling¡¯ sound throughout her body, as if she were about to fall apart then and there.


    Her Battle Dragon was in a sorry state as well.


    Since the battle took place inside a mine, Cui Peipei used the Bone Shrinking Technique to shrink her Battle Dragon to a little over three meters in height.


    But at this moment, not only had this Battle Dragon, like its master, been slammed against the stone wall, its chest and abdomen had also sustained dozens of deep, blood-gushing cuts.


    It could barely maintain its form, as muscles and bones began to swell.


    The ¡®King Ming¡¯ Yin Qianqiu, merged with his Battle Dragon, transformed into a blinding flash of light difficult for the naked eye to track, and darted off into another tunnel to the side.


    His Yang Escape Light Escape not only surpassed light and outpaced lightning, it could even achieve a slight reversal of time, causing Cui Peipei and Zong Xiushan, as well as the many Heavenly Demon experts present, to be utterly helpless against him.


    If it weren¡¯t for the nearly impregnable Diamond surrounding this abandoned mine shaft, which blocked almost all kinds of Escape Skills, King Ming Yin Qianqiu would have escaped long ago.


    Perhaps it was precisely because of the environment of this abandoned mine shaft that the Purgatory side chose this place as their trap.


    However, instead of trapping Luo Wangshu and his disciple, it turned into a prison ensnaring Yin Qianqiu.


    As Yin Qianqiu¡¯s tunneling light flickered away, a multitude of Ninth Realm Heavenly Demons along with Zong Xiushan and the others, also transformed into streaks of flowing light, chasing after the traces of King Ming like a tidal wave, doing their utmost to encircle and intercept the leader of the Light God Sect.


    Cui Peipei¡¯s beloved disciple Han Xian¡¯er, along with the group of Ninth Realm experts from Great Wei, all approached Cui Peipei with worried expressions.


    They were concerned about Cui Peipei¡¯s injuries, and they were also wary that the Outer Heaven Demons might harbor malicious intentions, all taking a defensive stance.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! It¡¯s just some minor injuries; nothing serious.¡±


    Cui Peipei said pale-faced, as she waved her hand and then flew out from the cavity in the stone wall.


    As she took a deep breath and circulated her Blood Qi, the crushed bones in her chest made a ¡®crackling¡¯ sound, and in an instant, they returned to their original state, regaining her majestic and upright posture.


    Her Battle Dragon also stabilized, shrinking back to three meters, with the cuts on its chest miraculously healing in an instant.


    Nevertheless, Cui Peipei¡¯s mood was very sour, and the fury and regret in her eyes almost solidified.


    She actually had the capability to withstand this ¡®King Ming¡¯ a moment ago.


    If King Ming Yin Qianqiu was able to maintain his peak strength, Cui Peipei would naturally have no recourse.


    But it was clear that the injuries within his body had already damaged his foundation, and it was difficult for him to make a comeback.


    It seemed that King Ming¡¯s Primordial Spirit was also experiencing serious issues, showing a tendency of becoming half-demon.


    Cui Peipei judged that the reason King Ming Yin Qianqiu was still alive was solely reliant on the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire hanging onto his life.


    The reason Cui Peipei couldn¡¯t hold on was actually because she was held back by those around her.


    Just as they were about to clash, not only did a multitude of Outer Heaven Demons gather around, but even Zong Xiushan, who was working together with her, also had a rapacious glint in his eye.


    Cui Peipei had to be cautious and concerned.


    She worried that these Demons would turn on her, taking the opportunity to slay her, the Third Divine Envoy of Great Wei, and also feared that after she fully resisted ¡®King Ming¡¯, she would end up with nothing, ultimately benefiting others. Moreover, she had to guard against the Purgatory Demons.


    That Purgatory Prince among them wouldn¡¯t care about which nation¡¯s Divine Envoy she was, as long as he saw an opportunity.


    Cui Peipei knew this was exactly King Ming Yin Qianqiu¡¯s tactic.


    They had been entangled in underground combat for nearly two and a half hours, yet Yin Qianqiu dared not escape in the direction of those four Divine Envoy Level Outer Heaven Demons. One reason was that King Ming knew the strength of these Heavenly Demons was extremely formidable; secondly, he knew they would go all out, showing no mercy or leaving any path open.


    So whenever King Ming Yin Qianqiu encountered the danger of being encircled, he and Zong Xiushan would become Yin Qianqiu¡¯s chosen route for a breakthrough.


    ¡°This bastard, I¡¯ll skin him sooner or later!¡±


    Cui Peipei watched the direction where King Ming fled, filled with intense hatred while also regretting her previous decision.


    Had she known this would happen, she should have come down along with Luo Wangshu and his company.


    Together with Zong Xiushan, the two groups of emissaries they led, combined with Luo Wangshu and more than twenty Ninth Realm powers from Great Song, were actually sufficient to face all the formidable enemies below.


    At that point, it wouldn¡¯t matter what kind of traps the Purgatory Demons laid; they would be unable to do anything to them.


    She wouldn¡¯t need to be walking on eggshells here, nor would she need to hesitate and be in a dilemma of advance or retreat.


    Perhaps they could have retrieved the fragments of the Divine Tablet two and a half hours earlier, but due to her momentary lapse, she not only missed the opportunity, but also offended Luo Wangshu and his disciple¡ª


    Taking a deep breath, she turned to Han Xian¡¯er and asked, ¡°Were you able to contact Lin Hao? What did he say? When are his master and disciple willing to come down?¡±


    ¡°Lin Hao replied to my Flying Book just now, saying that Luo Divine Envoy would need another hour or so to accumulate the Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword again. He also said he has ordered people to set up an extensive and intricate array above, with the Earth Net in place and the Heaven Net near completion. Once this array is finished, King Ming will have no way to escape, even if he sprouted wings.¡±


    Han Xian¡¯er frowned, her voice strained as she spoke, ¡°He hopes my master can engage King Ming Yin Qianqiu with all her might, preventing him from escaping through the Sky Pool Passage. As long as they can hold on for another hour and a half, he and Luo Divine Envoy will re-enter the mine, lead the numerous Ninth Realm Imperial Guards and Tributors of Great Song alongside my master, joining forces in battle.¡±


    Han Xian¡¯er hesitated slightly when she said this, still not voicing the clearly threatening phrase from Lin Hao¡¯s reply, ¡°If King Ming, Yin Qianqiu, flees, then let¡¯s not mention any of this.¡±


    However, after hearing Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s response, Cui Peipei still laughed angrily. Not only did the headdress on her forehead tremble, but her silver teeth also ground with a gnashing noise: ¡°Very well, very well! They, master and disciple, have set their sights on Yin Qianqiu and considered me and Zong Xiushan as mere pawns to wear him down!¡±


    Cui Peipei felt extremely frustrated and aggrieved inside. If Lin Hao were in front of her right now, she would certainly tear this little bastard to pieces!


    Yet after a moment, she sighed deeply and forcibly suppressed the resentment in her chest.


    The master and disciple Luo Wangshu had already retrieved the Divine Tablet fragments of the East Continent and had given an explanation to the East Abyss; next, they could calmly observe the changes within the mine, watching her and Zong Xiushan¡¯s success or failure.


    Now it was they who needed to rely on the power of this master and disciple duo, so even if Cui Peipei was feeling extremely stifled, she had no choice but to endure it.


    All she could do now was blame herself for a moment¡¯s folly that had put her in such an embarrassing situation.


    What Cui Peipei did not know was that Yin Qianqiu, the master of the Light God Sect, was also in a state of smoldering rage at this moment.


    He had taken the risk to enter this abandoned mine while being pursued by the Invincible Dharma King because he learned that the three Divine Tablet fragments had fallen into the hands of a Purgatory Demon.


    Yin Qianqiu must obtain these three Abyss Divine Tablet fragments as soon as possible!


    His Primordial Spirit had been severely injured by the East Abyss and was continuously deteriorating.


    And the Abyss Divine Tablet was not only the shortcut to his recovery but also an essential item for him to step into Longevity and become a Divine Spirit.


    However, after entering the mine, Yin Qianqiu faced setback after setback.


    He impulsively intended to take advantage of the fierce battle between Luo Wangshu of the Great Song Divine Envoy and the Purgatory side, to kill Lin Hao, the one responsible for the downfall of Elder Wan Xin. As a result, he was once again wounded by Luo Wangshu¡¯s Super Monarch of Ninth Realm Secret Sword, and inexplicably attacked by various forces in the mine.


    Shouts were now coming from all directions.


    ¡°Yin Qianqiu, don¡¯t bother trying, you won¡¯t escape today!¡±


    ¡°I advise you to hand over the Abyss Divine Tablet fragments you have, or this will be where you are buried!¡±


    ¡°King Ming! As long as you can hand over those two fragments today, the Earth Federation has no intention of being enemies with your Light God Sect.¡±


    Listening to these shouts from the Outer Heaven Demons, Yin Qianqiu¡¯s eyes were filled with doubts.


    These people seemed to think that the Abyss Divine Tablet fragments were in his possession.


    Yin Qianqiu was utterly confused; weren¡¯t those three Abyss Divine Tablet fragments in the hands of the Purgatory Demon?


    If he had the Divine Tablet fragments, why would he come here? He would have already found a secluded place to cultivate in secret, to quickly heal his injuries and to conceptualize his Martial Intent, which was the right thing to do.


    Yin Qianqiu wanted to ask what was going on, but the current situation did not allow him to stop using his Escape Skill to speak, nor did he want to ask.


    As the supreme leader of a sect, how could he humbly seek answers from these Heavenly Demons? How would he save face?


    At this moment, Yin Qianqiu had once again rushed into the deepest part of the mine.


    Yin Qianqiu had sensed more than two and a half hours ago that there was a passage below connected to the Sky Pool, deeming this passage as his only chance for escape.


    However, when Yin Qianqiu reached the bottom layer of the mine, he saw thousands of powerful Demons and over two hundred Martial Cultivators above the Seventh Realm, all waiting in a strict formation at the entrance to the passage.


    Among them were several powerhouses including Qi Wuji, some at the level of Divine Envoys or close to that level.


    Seeing this, Yin Qianqiu frowned deeply before a fierce light flashed in his eyes.


    The Battle Dragon that covered his body suddenly roared ferociously, and in that instant, purple-gold Runes appeared all over his body. He spewed out Holy White Flames and intense Thunder, with wings of dazzling light formed from Thunder and Flames materializing behind him.


    Powerful Conceptual Power instantly enveloped and filled the surrounding void, impacting and suppressing the Divine Thought of all the Demons and Martial Cultivators present.


    Yin Qianqiu had actually entered the bottom of the mine more than once, and counting this time, he had already attempted to break through this Sky Pool Passage for the eighth time. However, all his previous attempts ended in failure.


    Faced with the interception of these Purgatory Demons and the surrounding pressure from numerous Heavenly Demons, Yin Qianqiu had no choice but to give up and escape through other passages.


    However, Yin Qianqiu realized that time was running out for him, and his opportunities were becoming increasingly scarce.


    ¡ª¡¯Invincible¡¯ had already entered the mine! Yin Qianqiu had long sensed the aura of this woman; she had been blocking the mine¡¯s entrance, preventing him from escaping above.


    And the Great Song Court, Luo Wangshu and her disciple had not made any moves until now.


    Yin Qianqiu guessed that they must be preparing something! The Dragon Transformation Masters gathered outside this mine probably numbered not one thousand but eight thousand.


    Therefore, if he still couldn¡¯t break through this passage and escape, then he might really face his demise today!


    This time, he must make it through! He must throw everything he has into it, sparing no cost to carve out a path of survival for himself!


    At this moment, at the entrance of the abandoned mine, ¡®Invincible Dharma King¡¯ Li Weiliang suddenly sensed something. She let out a soft ¡®hmm¡¯ of surprise and glanced towards the front tunnel.

 Chapter 654 - 626: Give It a Go (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 654: Chapter 626: Give It a Go (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°It seems he is desperate now.¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King, with hands clasped behind his back, commented disdainfully, ¡°He should have done this earlier. Yin Qianqiu cherishes his life excessively when facing big events. Hence, first there is decline, then further weakness, and at last complete exhaustion. After seven consecutive failed attempts at breaking through, he has wasted his sharp Elemental Power for nothing. Now he wants to risk everything, but I fear it¡¯s too late.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy indeed thought the same.


    Although Yin Qianqiu is ambitious and aspires to ascend to godhood, he is overconfident and fails to recognize his own limits, recklessly blundering about.


    He doesn¡¯t consider his own level of cultivation; he¡¯s merely a Nine Realms Emperor, yet he dares to scheme for the Abyss Divine Tablet and provoke the East Abyss following Elder Wan Xin¡¯s grand plan.


    If only Yin Qianqiu could steady his mind and solidify his cultivation for a few decades, accumulating strength to reach the ¡®Super Divine Envoy¡¯ level, like the Emperor of Great Song, he wouldn¡¯t have ended up in such a dire situation.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy then thought of ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ and the ¡®Pure Method¡¯ usurped by Lin Hao, pondering that Yin Qianqiu¡¯s risky behavior must be out of desperation.


    However, at this critical moment of life and death, he hesitated and did not dare to risk it all, which the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy also disdained.


    It was rumored in the sect that thirteen years ago, after the demise of the previous Sect Hierarch of the Ming Sect, when all the Saint Heirs were fighting over the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ and the sect leadership, Elder Wan Xin and Yin Qianqiu¡¯s elder brother ¡®Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯ Yi Wansui manipulated the situation to make Yin Qianqiu succeed. This probably was true.


    Otherwise, how could the Artifact Spirit of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire choose this person?


    She sighed inwardly and then with a flicker in her eyes, she said, ¡°I hear they are shouting and clamoring as if to force King Ming to hand over the fragment of the Abyss Divine Tablet. Could it be that King Ming actually has it in his possession?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible, but what does it have to do with me?¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King gave the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy a strange look, then chuckled lightly: ¡°Yin Qianqiu is my primary target. If he ends up dying at the hands of the Heavenly Demon or in Purgatory, that wouldn¡¯t be a bad outcome. Heavenly Fragrance, do not entertain futile hopes; today, his death is certain!¡±


    That¡¯s why she was blocking here, sealing the exit of the mine, leaving no escape for King Ming.


    It was better for King Ming, Yin Qianqiu, to die by the hands of others than to stain her own hands with the blood of the Sect Hierarch.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy was speechless, for she had incited the Invincible Dharma King to vie for the Divine Tablet fragment, intending to secure a lifeline for King Ming.


    Although the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy disdained Yin Qianqiu now, she also did not want to see him die at the hands of the Heavenly Demon and Purgatory, which would be another heavy blow to the recently battered Light God Sect.


    She then took a deep breath, her eyes gleaming with determination.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy thought that since Yin Qianqiu¡¯s death was inevitable, she could only think of a way to ensure the inheritance of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.


    Despite the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s extraordinary talent and brilliance, this ruthless woman who would kill her fellow sect members for power is not the ideal successor for the Sect Hierarch position nor the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.


    If the elders, Dharma Kings, Divine Envoys, and the two living Vice Sect Hierarchs of the sect were to find out the details, they would definitely not accept this quietly. The sect would undoubtedly be in turmoil and might even face the threat of disintegration.


    At that moment, the Invincible Dharma King frowned again, ¡°What the hell are these guys up to?¡±


    At this time, in the bottom of the mine, where Yin Qianqiu had unleashed a frenzy of killing against dozens of Purgatory Demons with his Blood Qi and True Yuan, he was now blocked by Qi Wuji, a man with a dragon-like visage, and another man clad in Exoskeleton Armor, along with their three Battle Dragons, at the last cave mouth leading to the Sky Pool Passage.


    Then, the previously unstoppable and raging momentum of Yin Qianqiu was like hitting an impenetrable wall of bronze and iron. Despite giving his all, he could not advance even an inch forward!


    Yin Qianqiu, at his limit, ignited the Holy Thunder and Tribulation Fire, fusing it with the Heavenly Divine Law, reaching an astonishing seventy percent of their strength, transforming the narrow cave into a world of splendid and brilliant light.


    Especially after integrating with the dragon, Yin Qianqiu¡¯s power could almost match that of the Longevity Realm.


    His attack speed also soared, fighting against these three men and three dragons, surprisingly able to suppress the opponents with his sword speed.


    However, his opponents were extremely well-prepared; not only had they gathered their power, but they had also used powerful Secret Skills at the beginning of the battle and set up an immensely strong Formation nearby the passage to amplify their Power Bodies and Blood Qi.


    All around them, numerous Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators and Demons were continually launching harassing attacks.


    In the battle that lasted merely three breaths, Yin Qianqiu slashed out over ninety thousand cuts with destructive force, yet he still couldn¡¯t break through the passage.


    He glared at the three men with eyes filled with spiteful venom, memorizing their appearances as if he wished to engrave them in his heart.


    Especially the dragon-like man who he suspected to be the Purgatory Prince!


    Yin Qianqiu could distinctly sense the aura of the Root from the Battle Dragon where the dragon-like man was.


    Upon closer inspection, he could sense that the aura originated from a black wooden case, eight feet long and six feet wide, carried behind the Battle Dragon¡ªclearly, that was the Abyss Divine Tablet fragment!


    His eyes were consumed with intense greed and desire. If he could obtain that fragment of the Divine Tablet, he would be able to stabilize the injuries in his Primordial Spirit.


    And unleash all the godly might of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire!


    But much to his rage and frustration, the Outer Heaven Demons and that Zong Xiushan were closely following his tracks, preparing to encircle him from behind.


    ¡°Roar!¡± Hesitant for just a moment, Yin Qianqiu ultimately did not dare to gamble, nor did he dare to risk being completely encircled by continuing to charge forward. His figure transformed into a thunderous flash, colliding towards the direction of Zong Xiushan.


    However, this time, Yin Qianqiu was in a state of bursting with Primordial Qi and Blood Qi, and he broke through more composedly from Zong Xiushan¡¯s side.


    He still had the strength to speak. Before escaping into another tunnel, Yin Qianqiu finally suppressed his pride and shame and let out a roar filled with infinite grievances and confusion, ¡°Are you all blind? Even if you are blind and deaf, shouldn¡¯t your Spiritual Sense perceive it? If you want the fragments of the Abyss Divine Tablet, why seek me? The fragment is clearly hidden behind the ¡®Battle Demon Emperor Devouring Dragon,¡¯ why come after me?¡±


    At this moment, at the entrance of the Sky Pool Passage, Vice President Brown, dressed in an Emperor 9SS+ Exoskeleton Armor, forcibly swallowed a mouthful of fresh blood welling up in his throat.


    The so-called ¡®Holy Thunder¡¯ heavenly rule is essentially similar to the electromagnetic pulse emitted by the sun and can also be transformed into the powerful Thunder Power.


    Therefore, Vice President Brown¡¯s powerful skeletal armor suffered severe interference, its internal circuits could not operate normally, and thus its combat power could not be fully deployed.


    In addition, his Primordial Spirit¡¯s Martial Intent was also suppressed by the impact of the Holy Thunder, and his Conceptual Power was also severely repressed.


    In just these short three seconds, Vice President Brown, facing a three-to-one situation, was still injured by Yin Qianqiu to his lungs.


    Vice President Brown thought to himself, is this what they call the power of a ¡®Supreme Divine Artifact¡¯? King Ming Yin Qianqiu is already injured to this extent and yet still holds such might!


    Just as Vice President Brown was secretly shocked and was vigorously recuperating and regulating his Primordial Qi, he realized that something was off about the situation before him.


    His fellow ¡®Heavenly Demons,¡¯ this time, did not pursue Yin Qianqiu.


    Those full eighteen Congressman Level and Divine Envoy Level Outer Heaven Demons were aiming their observation equipment at them and then rushed over like dark tides.


    Vice President Brown saw this and his expression changed, feeling a bad premonition.


    At this time, in the battle group formed by Li Xianglong, a group of Congressional Honorary Members were exchanging thoughts.


    Kou Xuanwang: It is indeed strange. We¡¯ve fought with this King Ming for so long, but we haven¡¯t seen any Divine Tablet fragments on him? Surely he didn¡¯t hide it inside the Battle Dragon¡¯s stomach?


    Linghu Mingde: It¡¯s possible.


    Odin: I did not sense any Root aura on him. Maybe he hid it somewhere? This person has already made a slip in front of Luo Wangshu once, losing a fragment of the Divine Tablet. He shouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to continue to carry both fragments on him.


    Linghu Mingde: That is possible.


    Charles: Or perhaps this man only has one piece? And indeed, there is a ¡®Root¡¯ aura on that ¡®Battle Demon Emperor Devouring Dragon.¡¯ Judging by the size of that wooden box, it could hold one or two Divine Tablet fragments. Even if it doesn¡¯t contain Divine Tablet fragments, I guess it might be something replicated with the Root Stone.


    Linghu Mingde: Makes sense! This possibility is very high.


    Kou Xuanwang: I think we could give it a try. That Purgatory Prince and Qi Wuji have already been worn down by King Ming, and this is a good opportunity. Also, I suspect that ¡®Outer Heaven Demon¡¯ is likely the Vice President Brown of the Longevity Association.


    Upon seeing the word ¡®Brown,¡¯ Li Xianglong narrowed his eyes.


    Li Xianglong: Then let¡¯s make a rush! A bird in hand is worth two in the bush!


    He had just inquired with Lin Rui. The outer perimeter¡¯s network had been laid out, and the sky net was also largely complete; it was impossible for King Ming to escape from the mine entrance.


    So today, as long as they block this Sky Pool Passage, King Ming would still find escape impossible.


    Across from them, the Purgatory Prince felt his hair stand on end, his mind and spirit alert.


    He looked at the group of black figures rushing towards them, and the undisguised intense killing intent of these people, and instantly realized that his situation would be extremely dangerous in the coming moments.


    At this time, King Ming Yin Qianqiu also sensed something and realized that the group of powerful Outer Heaven Demons had not followed.


    Elated, he prepared to break through in the direction of the mine entrance, but then he saw two people and two dragons, four figures appearing in the tunnel ahead.


    One of them, a burly figure wearing Heavenly Demon Exoskeleton Armor, made his pupils contract, and a startled fear arose within him.


    ¡°Invincible Dharma King!¡±


    Yin Qianqiu had a deep impression of the exoskeleton armor worn by the Invincible Dharma King.


    It was a set of Emperor Rank Ninth Realm Magic Artifact ¡®Mad Dragon¡¯ armor modified from the Heavenly Demon Wisdom Dragon 9 type exoskeleton armor, powerful enough to confront his Holy Thunder Concept head-on without being affected in the slightest!


    Yin Qianqiu then looked bitterly at the slender woman in red next to the Invincible Dharma King, ¡°Tian Xiang!¡±


    The reason why the Invincible Dharma King was able to track down his location repeatedly must be due to the unique power of the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy.


    Without any hesitation, Yin Qianqiu immediately used his Escape Skill to flee in another direction, but at this moment, the Invincible Dharma King raised her hand and a tremendous suction force appeared, firmly capturing Yin Qianqiu¡¯s tunneling light form.


    She spoke confidently and composedly, filled with boundless killing intent, ¡°Yin Qianqiu, you¡¯ve reached the end of the road, the sun is setting on your path. At this point, why not give yourself some dignity?¡±


    Meanwhile, outside the abandoned mine, Lin Rui, who had recovered from his injuries with the help of elixirs and high-concentration nutritional supplements, was replicating a Grandmaster Level Dragon Stage martial art from Huang Fuqing¡¯s skill list, ¡®Refining Heart Essence Soul Curse.¡¯


    With the expenditure of one hundred and twenty thousand points of Soul Power, a powerful surge of Soul Power burst forth from Lin Rui¡¯s brow, not only penetrating Luo Wangshu¡¯s carriage but also sweeping across the surrounding area for a mile!

 Chapter 655: 627: The Fall of King Ming, The Rise of Another (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 655: Chapter 627: The Fall of King Ming, The Rise of Another (Third Update, Please Subscribe)


    The magnificent Soul Power that erupted from Lin Rui¡¯s brow not only startled the numerous Ninth Realm experts around the carriage but also caused Luo Wangshu, who was inside the carriage gathering sword momentum, to open her eyes and gaze intently at him.


    This was because Lin Hao¡¯s Primordial Spirit Power was truly astonishing, not only reaching the late stages of the Seventh Realm in terms of quantity but also nearing the Eighth Realm in quality, undoubtedly showcasing Lin Hao¡¯s exceptional spiritual talent.


    Among them, Martial Cultivators like Wang Tianwu, who possessed strong Soul Power and sensitive Divine Sense, could even vaguely sense a terrifying and bone-chilling aura within this surge of Soul Power.


    Everyone was wondering, could it be that this National Guardian has had a breakthrough in his cultivation? Or is he using some secret technique?


    Lin Rui did this out of necessity.


    When copying and exchanging Battle Spirit martial techniques, he usually avoided crowds and wouldn¡¯t do such things in front of a public audience.


    However, he was about to enter the cavern again, facing strong enemies such as King Ming Yin Qianqiu, so naturally, he would enhance his strength by any possible increment.


    Despite being severely wounded and having undergone many tough battles, Yin Qianqiu still maintained combat power above that of a Divine Envoy.


    Moreover, all experienced hunters know that beasts are most terrifying when close to death.


    Of course, Lin Rui wouldn¡¯t foolishly engage in the battle with his Sixth Realm body; he would simply stand at a distance, driving the Ninth Realm experts of the Great Song Dynasty to encircle and slay this foe, while using the Spiritual Sky Dragon to assist his mentor.


    Additionally, this was also to protect his mentor, Luo Wangshu. Not only is Luo Wangshu a Demigod and the third Saint Heir of the Bright Holy Sect, possessing some special powers, but he could also assist Luo Wangshu in resisting and restraining that Supreme Divine Artifact.


    Theoretically, Lin Rui should be safe, but one can never be too cautious as there¡¯s always a chance for the unexpected.


    Just now, after the battle inside the mine, Lin Rui also picked up some stragglers, slaying over a dozen high-level demons, now accumulating more than 1.6 million soul power points.


    Lin Rui directly copied the ¡®Soul Heart Purifying Mantra,¡¯ which Huang Fuqing had meticulously cultivated for many years.


    This Soul Refining Technique would not only allow him to further enhance the ¡®Blood God Wings¡¯ secret technique, thereby carrying more power from the Spiritual Sky Dragon, but also to strengthen the 8SSS+ grade ¡®Root Slash¡¯ stored in his brow.


    The foundational power of the ¡®Root Slash¡¯ is based on the strength of the Martial Cultivator¡¯s Divine Soul and the intensity of their Martial Arts concept. The higher these aspects are, the greater the power of the ¡®Root Slash.¡¯


    This is Lin Rui¡¯s most fundamental life-saving Secret Blade, and naturally, the more formidable its divine majesty, the better.


    After copying the ¡®Soul Heart Purifying Mantra,¡¯ Lin Rui sighed inwardly.


    His confrontation today with Qi Wuji deeply made him aware of the gap between himself and a Candidate Divine Envoy.


    Qi Wuji¡¯s Bloodline Ability reached the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, and his Martial Arts were at the Nine Realms Emperor level, with his overall strength being that of a Quasi-Divine Envoy.


    However, Lin Rui exerted all his strength and could only withstand two strikes from Qi Wuji; even adding the unused ¡®Root Slash,¡¯ he would last at most three strikes.


    He felt his strength was increasing too slowly and must ascend to the Seventh Realm as soon as possible.


    Only with the Seventh Realm status could he protect himself in the presence of these Candidate Divine Envoys.


    Or he would need to cultivate several helpers at the level of Xianyu Yan; having just one Xianyu Yan and one Wang Tianwu was far from enough to cope with the tumultuous waves from the Longevity Association and the like.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but think of the thousand demons catalyzed in the depths of the pit, his eyes growing fiery with covetousness.


    Bear in mind, even a demon cultivated from the Eight Realms could bring him 100,000 to 300,000 soul power points.


    The Ninth Realm demons are even higher, ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 points, and possibly even more.


    The process of these demons being catalyzed is undoubtedly terrifying and appalling; however, now alive, they are being manipulated by enemies and continue to suffer non-human pain in this human Purgatory, tormented by those beasts.


    They might as well be sent to their rest by him, using the soul power points they contributed to enhance and strengthen his power, so he might seek revenge for them in the future.


    At this moment, Lin Rui received a message from his number 2 Battle Spirit.


    Ji Shenyan: My Lord, I have awakened and am ready to serve at any moment.


    After reading the message, Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows lifted joyously, and he immediately inquired: Was the resurrection successful?


    Ji Shenyan had previously seized an ¡®Emperor Blood Stone¡¯ from the hands of the Sect Master of Burning Saber Sect.


    His mentor, Luo Wangshu, happened to recognize the item; it was the Essence Blood transformed from Grand Zhou¡¯s Founder Battle Dragon. Luo Wangshu, pulling some strings, arranged for the Divine Palace to grant two large pieces of ¡®Emperor Blood Stone¡¯ to Lin Rui as a reward for merit.


    The Great Celestial Master of the Divine Palace was very generous, giving ¡®Emperor Blood Stones¡¯ as big as a human arm, which even led Lin Rui to consider whether he could use these Essence Blood relics from Grand Zhou¡¯s founder to enable Ji Shenyan¡¯s body to be reborn.


    So, recently, Ji Shenyan and the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon, which she was possessing, were both in a deep sleep, absorbing and assimilating this item.


    And Ji Shenyan also became another being in his mind who could attain Quasi-Member level in the near term.


    However, before Lin Rui could receive Ji Shenyan¡¯s reply, he got both a message notification and a video from Linghu Mingde.


    After watching, his expression changed to one of surprise, and then he turned his head towards Luo Wangshu and solemnly said: ¡°Mentor, we can go in now. Just now, King Ming Yin Qianqiu was gravely wounded by a joint strike from Invincible Dharma King, Zong Xiushan, and Cui Peipei; he might not be far from death.¡±


    It was time to step into the cavern to harvest merit and, at the same time, silence any witnesses.


    Luo Wangshu immediately opened her eyes and looked towards the direction of the pit¡¯s mouth.


    She didn¡¯t ask Lin Rui how he came to know about Yin Qianqiu¡¯s situation, but hesitated before asking: ¡°Hao, do you think I should take those two things down there?¡±

 Chapter 656 - 627: King Ming Falls, A New King Ming Rises (Third Update, Please Subscribe)_2

    Chapter 656: Chapter 627: King Ming Falls, A New King Ming Rises (Third Update, Please Subscribe)_2


    Lin Rui hesitated upon hearing this and glanced once more at the video sent by Linghu Mingde, then slightly shook his head: ¡°Forget it, I feel like we don¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    Truth be told, the current states of Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei are quite pitiful, drawing sympathy.


    Yin Qianqiu is struggling in his death throes, and within less than 10 breaths of time, he has inflicted over a dozen slashes on both Divine Envoys.


    After watching, Lin Rui felt quite relieved.


    He actually wanted to return these two hot potatoes to their original owner.


    These two Abyss Divine Tablets are now of no use to his mentor and himself; on the contrary, they could potentially bring trouble.


    The problem is that there¡¯s really no chance now!


    Whether it¡¯s the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy or the Invincible Dharma King, both have extremely powerful sensing abilities; there is no way they can act without leaving traces.


    Lin Rui now finds that he can¡¯t even discard them if he tried.


    These two pitiful fellows, they missed the best and only opportunity, so what can be done now?


    Luo Wangshu heard this and let out a wry smile, then rose with Sword Control: ¡°My friends, the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming, Yin Qianqiu, is at the end of his tether and should fall here. Please join me in eliminating the demon!¡±


    As her call rang out, Shentu Rong, Situ Xiu, and all other presences from the Ninth Realm also rose spiritedly into the air, turning into streaks of tunneling light, following closely behind Luo Wangshu, diving into the depths of the mine.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Just as Luo Wangshu¡¯s silhouette once more entered the cave, King Ming Yin Qianqiu was like a mortally wounded beast, wildly rushing forward along an underground path within the mine.


    The Invincible Dharma King Li Weiliang had changed tactics, no longer directly intercepting, but instead continually dodging and retreating, locking in on the leader of the Bright Holy Sect with her distant Martial Intent.


    Even though the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s cultivation was only at the Eight Realms, her Escape Skill was extraordinarily peerless, completely on par with Yin Qianqiu at this moment, and even more agile.


    She was like a seasoned hunter, slowly draining Yin Qianqiu¡¯s strength.


    Yin Qianqiu had exhausted all his methods and was unable to catch up; he could only exert all his strength against Zong Xiushan, Cui Peipei, and the envoy group they led.


    The Escape Skills of these two Divine Envoys were also incredibly miraculous; they had battled with King Ming in the mine for over two hours, well-acquainted with all of Yin Qianqiu¡¯s tactics, and were originally able to easily dodge without directly confronting Yin Qianqiu¡¯s sharpness.


    However, the many subordinates they brought down with them had now become their weaknesses.


    King Ming Yin Qianqiu continued to pursue these people, forcing both Divine Envoys to engage him head-on.


    Each of Yin Qianqiu¡¯s attacks caused Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei to be engulfed in Holy White Tribulation Fire, with the thunder radiating from their pores, twisting their faces in agony.


    Yin Qianqiu laughed heartily: ¡°Come! Aren¡¯t you all set on killing me? Li Weiliang, you want my Light Seal, don¡¯t you? Then why are you hiding? Come and kill me!¡±


    At this moment, his eyes were filled with rage and unwillingness, full of despair.


    He knew he could no longer escape.


    Just before, Yin Qianqiu had circled around the entrance of the cave and sensed that outside, the Great Song Dynasty had deployed tens of thousands of elite troops and eight thousand Dragon Transformation warriors, having laid down a grand formation¡ªthe famous ¡°Heavenly Net and Earth Trap¡±!


    Although this grand formation was not yet completely set up, it was enough to keep him, a King Ming with nearly depleted life force and Primordial Spirit, firmly suppressed within the mine!


    Yet Yin Qianqiu still didn¡¯t understand, couldn¡¯t comprehend how he ended up in this plight.


    His silhouette once again transformed into lightning, charging and flashing forward.


    This time, Yin Qianqiu¡¯s target was Han Xian¡¯er, the one with the weakest cultivation among the group!


    Yin Qianqiu¡¯s face showed fierce cruelty, eyes gleaming with a fierce light: ¡°You all want me dead, so come! Come for Yin¡¯s life!¡±


    Believing his death was certain, he could only hope that some arrangements he had made in the past could provide his True Spirit, merged within the Heavenly Curtain, an opportunity for resurrection.


    So these people before him, these enemies who had brought him to his current state, must pay the price!


    Even in death, he would drag these people to accompany him, to quell the fury and resentment in his heart.


    At this moment, Yin Qianqiu glanced at the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy with a hint of regret.


    His hatred for Tian Xiang was no less than that for the Invincible Dharma King, Zong Xiushan, and Cui Peipei.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy¡¯s Bloodline and Martial Arts both belonged to a weak Nine Realms Emperor Rank combatant.


    As long as Yin Qianqiu engaged with this girl, he was confident he could take her life within three moves.


    Unfortunately, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy was extremely cunning, always staying far away, giving him no opportunity to strike.


    Yin Qianqiu could only settle for the next best thing, turning his target towards Han Xian¡¯er.


    Seeing this, Cui Peipei¡¯s expression changed unpredictably. She hesitated for only a moment, then maneuvered her ¡®Divine Water Emperor Dragon¡¯, flashing in front of Han Xian¡¯er.


    Cui Peipei actually did not want to fight Yin Qianqiu to the death; she just wanted to drag out the time, waiting for Luo Wangshu and her disciples to arrive.


    At this moment, she also felt something was off, guessing whether the remaining fragments of the Divine Tablet were hidden by Yin Qianqiu? Or were they on that Battle Dragon of the Purgatory Prince?


    However, Cui Peipei really could not afford to provoke those Outer Heaven Demons beneath this mine pit.


    ¡ª¡ªA total of 18 Candidate Divine Envoys and Divine Envoy Level! This was practically the entire force of the Mechanical God Temple.


    Cui Peipei dared not seek out those Heavenly Demons, so she could only entangle Yin Qianqiu.


    But who would have thought that the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s combat strength was so formidable?


    This person had actually mastered the Super Monarch of the Ninth Realm¡¯s Secret Skill. In a mere two breaths¡¯ time of engagement, he had again inflicted near-fatal wounds on King Ming Yin Qianqiu, driving the King Ming completely insane with desperation!


    The key was, after severely wounding King Ming, this despicable person hid far away, allowing them to bear the brunt of King Ming¡¯s wrath.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The enormous roaring sound shook the entire cavern. Cui Peipei¡¯s Concept Martial Intent made the surrounding emptiness, even the diamonds on the surrounding stone walls, seem like a boundless vast sea, embracing everything, absorbing everything!


    They stirred up waves, rippling like massive billows, absorbing the knife force from the brilliant silver blades in Yin Qianqiu¡¯s hands!


    However, in the very next instant, her infinite sea was forcefully torn apart by Yin Qianqiu¡¯s brilliant knife light!


    Cui Peipei let out a shrill, tragic howl. Both her body and the Battle Dragon¡¯s chest and abdomen suffered deep gashes down to the bone.


    What was even more terrifying was that the brilliant knife light was about to chop into her Divine Soul!


    Behind Cui Peipei, Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s face turned pale. She was horrified to the extreme and in a state of panic.


    She knew that her master had fallen into a life-threatening situation because of her but was powerless to help Cui Peipei resist or to resolve Yin Qianqiu¡¯s strike.


    However, at that moment, a bolt of peculiar Sword Qi suddenly cleaved through from afar.


    They twisted space and time, like ferocious and fierce Thunder Snakes, or like the clawing and gnashing teeth of Demon Dragons, containing the power to destroy heaven and earth!


    In just an instant, they pierced through the combined body of Yin Qianqiu and the dragon, creating dozens of transparent holes!


    ¡°Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword?¡± Upon seeing her master turn danger into safety, Han Xian¡¯er was inexplicably overjoyed, feeling an intense relief of having survived a catastrophe.


    At this moment, Yin Qianqiu let out an unwilling roar. Behind him, six pairs of Light Feathers stretched to their limits, shedding and ejecting countless Light Swords and Light Feathers, attempting to contend with this Sword Qi.


    Just at that moment, the Invincible Dharma King also saw an opportunity. She struck a punch from a distance of 100 zhang (a unit of length), bombarding Yin Qianqiu¡¯s lower back.


    Her punch was long in the making, prepared for a full seven breaths, a Secret Fist with strength reaching the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank! Incredibly, one punch broke open the entire lower part of Yin Qianqiu¡¯s body.


    At this time, Following Luo Wangshu were Shentu Rong and Situ Xiu, along with a group of Ninth Realm masters, who all unleashed their powerful Secret Skills toward Yin Qianqiu.


    They spared no concerns, striking with all their might, their true essence Martial Intent, further empowered under the enhancement of the Heaven and Earth Net Formation, ascended several levels in divine might!


    Even Lin Rui, using his Spiritual Enlightenment Heavenly Dragon, remotely struck with a punch.


    It was a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Secret Skill, remembered in the Spiritual Enlightenment of the Heavenly Dragon, an attack of violent killing power!


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, watching this scene from a distance, couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly.


    With her hands in a gesture, she also released her long-prepared ¡®Heavenly Fragrance Illusion Mist¡¯.


    King Ming was about to die, the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire was destined to be transferred, and she had to help the new King Ming cover up this scene!


    At this time, Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly.


    Tip: Four-star Marshal rank Battle Spirit Yin Qianqiu has been detected, do you wish to capture?

 Chapter 657 - 628 Holy Fire Changes Hands (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 657: Chapter 628 Holy Fire Changes Hands (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui temporarily cannot pay attention to the notification from the Battle Spirit Ring.


    It is because at this instant, the Abyss Source Core at Lin Rui¡¯s brow suddenly heats up and numbs.


    It seems as if countless scorching flames and wild Thunder are flowing into Lin Rui¡¯s Abyss Source Core and then flows out reversely, spreading throughout his entire body.


    Lin Rui¡¯s entire body feels like it is about to burst into flame, and his Primordial Spirit feels like it has been struck by lightning, leaving him numb and accompanied by intense pain.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire!¡±


    And it is the main body of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, the Light Seal of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire!


    This Light Seal has now transferred onto himself.


    Lin Rui¡¯s face changes slightly, in this instant he doesn¡¯t know whether to be alarmed or delighted, as he tries hard to suppress his abnormal state.


    Luckily, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy is releasing a large amount of exotically fragrant, colorful illusionary fog, shrouding the entire cave.


    Lin Rui inadvertently glances towards the direction of the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy and curses ¡®damn¡¯ in his mind, feeling like he has miscalculated.


    If he had known earlier, he should have brought those two pieces of the Divine Tablet remnants.


    Could it be that these things will rot in his own hands?


    But thanks to this colorful illusionary fog, Lin Rui almost perfectly controls and hides his own fluctuations of elemental power.


    At that moment, at the center of the colorful illusionary fog, a violent explosion sound is emitted.


    That is the Invincible Dharma King. She actually withstands Luo Wangshu and several dozen Ninth Realm practitioners rushing over from the Great Song Dynasty, seemingly trying to seize something from King Ming¡¯s shattered corpse and Divine Soul.


    However, she is quickly forced back by Luo Wangshu¡¯s Sword Qi.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯, after annihilating King Ming, still had residual momentum.


    These terrifying Sword Qi, all turned towards the Invincible Dharma King, causing her to let out a muffled grunt, then her figure transformed into a tunneling light and burst away, grasping the still dispersing illusionary fog of the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, disappearing in an instant.


    By now, several Ninth Realm masters among them have already used their spells to gradually scrape away the dense, numerous colorful illusionary fog in the cave.


    Moments later, when everyone¡¯s vision is returned to normal, only to see Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei both appearing near where Yin Qianqiu was slain, both looking extremely troubled.


    Han Xian¡¯er stands beside her master, uncertain and wondering how there could be nothing?


    Just now, Yin Qianqiu¡¯s body and Divine Soul were blasted into fragments by Luo Wangshu and others, yet the two pieces of the Divine Tablet are nowhere to be seen?


    Han Xian¡¯er immediately thinks of the colorful illusionary fog that erupted near Yin Qianqiu¡¯s body just now, and the Invincible Dharma King also appeared there.


    Could it be that the pieces of the Divine Tablet were taken by the Invincible Dharma King?


    Seeing this, Luo Wangshu is relieved, thinking that this outcome is not too bad.


    Having all the pieces of the Divine Tablet might not be good, as the six from the Abyss might get the idea to investigate the identity of the new God if they assemble the Tablet again, which could cause trouble.


    She looks at the dispirited Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei, feeling a bit of sympathy: ¡°There¡¯s no need for you two to be so down, the Invincible Dharma King is still in this mine, and our Great Song will do our utmost to help you two find the pieces of the Divine Tablet, not to mention that slaying the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming is also a meritorious deed. Today¡¯s achievement is because of your hard fight, which enabled us to slay this beast.¡±


    At the same time, she raises her hand and gestures, sending the two splendidly bright double-bladed swords left by Yin Qianqiu towards Lin Hao¡¯s direction.


    Yin Qianqiu¡¯s body and Battle Dragon were blasted into pieces, yet these two swords were almost unscathed, having only a few tiny cracks on the blade after being attacked by several dozen powerful Ninth Realm experts.


    Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei¡¯s faces turned even paler, nearly on the verge of tears.


    They both wondered how could they possibly withstand this?


    This time, by employing a selfish strategy and missing the right opportunity, they really did not know how the Divine would view them.


    Putting all their effort into entangling with King Ming was merely an after-the-fact remedy; not only was this not a merit, but it also made them seem foolish, having to sell their lives under coercion by the Third Divine Envoy of the Great Song Dynasty.


    However, the situation was out of their hands now, and Cui Peipei could only plead earnestly towards Luo Wangshu with a bow: ¡°We implore the Divine Envoy Luo to help us capture the Invincible Dharma King.¡±


    Luo Wangshu nodded slightly: ¡°This is my duty within the scope of my responsibilities, an obligation that cannot be shirked!¡±


    Lin Rui finally endured the near-agonizing pain in his Divine Soul, and the intense burning feeling inside him was gradually subsiding.


    Upon hearing this, his lips twitched, thinking that this matter might be hopeless.


    Just at this moment, Li Xianglong had already sent him a message: Xiao Rui, we are preparing to retreat.


    Li Xianglong: This time it was really a miscalculation, I didn¡¯t expect King Ming to die so quickly, damn it!


    This First Commander of the Federation Security Bureau was obviously extremely annoyed, even resorting to cursing in the chat message, unleashing a national swear word.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): You guys are leaving just like that? The Invincible Dharma King might have got the Divine Tablet fragment, and she¡¯s still in this pit, she can only escape through the Sky Pool Passage~ By the way, what¡¯s the situation at the bottom of the pit?


    Lin Rui knew that Li Xianglong had set up numerous situational awareness devices in this mine, so he didn¡¯t send him a video this time.


    However, as he sent this message, Lin Rui felt somewhat uneasy.


    Lying is always not good¡ª


    Li Xianglong: There¡¯s no chance now, the Invincible Dharma King has already escaped through the Sky Pool Passage, this woman is formidable, though her cultivation is only Eight Realms, her combat power has already reached the Divine Envoy Level, and she has an Abyss Divine Artifact in her hand, our 18 people together couldn¡¯t block her.


    Li Xianglong: That Purgatory Prince and the leader of the Shadow Killing Team have already been slaughtered by us, but the Purgatory Prince probably isn¡¯t completely dead, Deputy President Brown of the Longevity Association and Qi Wuji fled with severe injuries.


    Li Xianglong: We got their Divine Tablet fragment, but it turned out to be fake, not the real Root Stone, it should be a derivative of ¡®Root¡¯, fortunately, they are still very valuable, top tier artifact refining materials, enough to craft at least twenty-four Nine Realms Emperor Magic Artifacts, after they are crafted I¡¯ll give you one, you can tell me your requirements.


    Seeing this, Lin Rui felt his guilt towards Li Xianglong alleviated slightly.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): You guys are also retreating from the Sky Pond side, need any help?


    Li Xianglong: No need, we have a base in the Sky Pond, we can leave using quantum jump devices, by the way, there are still more than 800 demons at the bottom of the pit, we don¡¯t have time to deal with them, be careful when you come down, don¡¯t fall into their hands.


    Lin Rui¡¯s spirits were immediately uplifted, excitedly rubbing his hands in anticipation.


    At that moment, his expression changed, recalling the earlier hint from the Ring Spirit.


    ¡°Ring Spirit, help me capture the Four-star Marshal rank Battle Spirit, Yin Qianqiu!¡±


    All of Yin Qianqiu¡¯s martial prowess is of the Yang Element, including things like Thunder Light Fire that bring brightness, very suitable for him.


    It¡¯s just a pity that Yin Qianqiu¡¯s Nine Realms Emperor Battle Dragon was shattered, an imperfection in the beauty.


    Notice: Since this Battle Spirit¡¯s True Spirit has merged with the Heavenly Curtain, capture failed, please repair the Battle Spirit Ring first, bringing its integrity up to 50%.


    Lin Rui furrowed his brow deeply, then received a message from Ji Shenyan.

 Chapter 658: 629: Incarnation (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Chapter 658: Chapter 629: Incarnation (Seeking Subscriptions)


    Ji Shenyan¡¯s message to Lin Rui through the Quantum Communication Chip was brimming with a tone of dejection.


    Ji Shenyan: My lord, I regret to inform you that although the bloodline ability of this Battle Dragon has been promoted to the Seventh Emperor Rank, it did not regenerate a body as we had anticipated.


    Ji Shenyan: Furthermore, there are some complications within this Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡¯s body. I have only managed to manifest half of my body and cannot yet separate from the Battle Dragon. Additionally, the Battle Dragon itself seems to be showing signs of aging, which may affect your usage of it. I am very sorry!


    At this time, at the Marquis Mansion of National Guardian, while Ji Shenyan was sending this message to Lin Rui, she was secretly devastated, her heart filled with shame and disappointment.


    She was originally full of hope to regenerate a body from within her Battle Dragon.


    This was a secret technique provided by the master, for which he had squandered a great deal of materials and concocted more than a dozen precious medicines to inject into her Battle Dragon. Unfortunately, her efforts ultimately fell short of success.


    Upon seeing this, Lin Rui¡¯s brow furrowed, and the joy in his heart gradually dissipated.


    Ji Shenyan was unable to successfully regenerate a body? How could this happen?


    The method of regenerating a physical body with Battle Spirit was personally suggested by Lin Rui, who ordered the three, Battle Spirit Huang Fuqing, to develop it.


    Upon full review by Lin Rui himself, he deemed the regeneration method and the medicines concocted by Huang Fuqing to be perfect, so perfect that he could not make any improvements.


    Lin Rui also had high expectations for this transformation of Ji Shenyan.


    Currently, pure Battle Dragons are of little help to him, and even Ji Shenyan¡¯s Emperor Flame Battle Dragon, which has ascended to the Seventh Emperor Rank, can only bring him a negligible enhancement of fighting strength.


    Lin Rui would rather have the two Battle Spirits directly materialize into forms to become his able aides.


    Ji Shenyan, with her 7SSS-level Martial Arts Accomplishment and after absorbing the core blood, would not only reach the Limit enhancement of her bloodline but could also strengthen her spiritual power talent and cultivation. There was hope for her to ascend to 8SSS within half a year.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Wait.


    He projected his thought directly, possessing the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon and examined its condition from within.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes then narrowed slightly.


    He felt that the transformation of this Emperor Flame Battle Dragon was quite good; it was almost at the threshold of reaching the Super Emperor Rank.


    After absorbing the core blood, Ji Shenyan¡¯s Primordial Spirit indeed underwent significant changes, with the Battle Spirit Ring showing the spiritual power level of the second Battle Spirit having shifted to (provisional Marshal), and her carrying capacity was clearly stronger.


    It¡¯s remarkable how Ji Shenyan¡¯s Battle Dragon had awakened so many bloodline abilities without displaying any abnormalities, appearing as if it were effortless.


    Lin Rui then looked at the Battle Dragon¡¯s vertebral cavity. Indeed, half of Ji Shenyan¡¯s body had regenerated there, but the organs and the brain were not fully formed, with the latter being only a third complete.


    However, the vital energy of this Emperor Flame Battle Dragon is ample. Lin Rui prepared a significant quantity of high-concentration nourishment for Ji Shenyan to provide enough energy for her regeneration.


    In addition, Ji Shenyan has not fully absorbed the power of the ¡®core blood¡¯; nearly half remains within the spinal cord of her bloodline.


    Lin Rui conducted a meticulous internal examination back and forth and soon realized the problem.


    It was the insufficiency of Ji Shenyan¡¯s Origin Essence Blood, also known as the stem cells.


    Lin Rui gave a bitter smile; he had overlooked the fact that this Emperor Flame Battle Dragon had survived for nearly 7000 years in a sealed state, while the life span limit of a Ninth Realm Martial Cultivator is only about 1600 years.


    When Lin Rui first refined this Emperor Flame Battle Dragon, he felt that its Origin Essence Blood was abundant, and the pre-operation check did not show any issues.


    This must have been a rapid aging caused by a special biological mechanism within the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon during its absorption of the core blood.


    The legacy of the force of time on it cannot be avoided by merely sleeping and sealing.


    Lin Rui then composed a message, intending to have Ji Shenyan wait for some time.


    Her situation is troublesome, but with his and Huang Fuqing¡¯s technical ability, they should be able to resolve it.


    Lin Rui already had a plan: he only needed to implant the ¡®Blood Core Mad Sun¡¯ talent into Ji Shenyan, and then find a way to promote Ji Shenyan to the Eighth Realms in the shortest time possible, to restore vitality to both Ji Shenyan and the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon¡¯s body.


    At this moment, however, he had a momentary change of expression as he recalled something.


    Lin Rui directly asked the Battle Spirit Ring: ¡°Ring Spirit, I want to awaken the talent ¡®Blood Core Mad Sun¡¯ for the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon!¡±


    Hint 1: Awakening the talent ¡®Blood Core Mad Sun¡¯ for the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon requires 400,000 soul power points.


    Hint 2: Restoring the integrity of the Battle Spirit Ring can significantly reduce the soul power requirement for the awakening of the Battle Dragon¡¯s talent.


    Lin Rui remembered that when he last inquired with the Battle Spirit Ring, the Ring Spirit¡¯s reply was 500,000 points, and later he increased the integrity of the Battle Spirit Ring to 40%.


    He had already planned on repairing the Battle Spirit Ring, and now his determination was even stronger; he spent 1,000,000 soul power points to restore the Battle Spirit Ring¡¯s integrity to 50%.


    When Lin Rui asked the Battle Spirit Ring again about awakening the ¡®Blood Core Mad Sun¡¯ talent for the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon, this time the Ring Spirit¡¯s reply was 300,000 soul power points.


    Lin Hao thought that this was a bit more cost-effective, and then he immediately agreed without hesitation.


    Afterward, he informed Ji Shenyan: I will now help you awaken the core ability ¡®Blood Core Mad Sun¡¯ of the ¡®Blood Core Sun Dragon¡¯, try regenerating again later, this time it should succeed.


    Upon seeing the message from Lin Hao, Ji Shenyan was taken aback.


    Lin Hao is going to help her awaken ¡®Blood Core Mad Sun¡¯? How will it be awakened? Is it through the use of Heavenly Demon Injection?


    Just then, she felt the blood and marrow within her body becoming scalding, gradually boiling.


    Ji Shenyan¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, and she instantly realized where Lin Hao¡¯s miraculous ability came from.


    ¡ª¡ªIt must be that ring!


    What exactly is this powerful and mysterious ring, and where does it come from?


    Ji Shenyan immediately restrained these thoughts and focused wholeheartedly on regenerating her body.


    From the tone of her master, there should still be a chance after this failure, but Ji Shenyan did not allow herself to fail again; she also wanted to quickly have her own body and wanted to live¡ª


    At that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s gaze once again turned to the site of Yin Qianqiu¡¯s death.


    He saw a figure identical to Yin Qianqiu, standing there.


    His eyes were as fierce as when he was alive, filled with hatred, anger, despair, unwillingness, and confusion.


    Surprisingly, the surrounding Ninth Realm powers, including Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei, knew nothing of this figure¡¯s presence.


    Only Luo Wangshu seemed to sense something and glanced toward the direction of Yin Qianqiu.


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes, wondering what kind of mechanism this Battle Spirit was, that even the Ninth Realm could not detect it?


    Huang Fuqing had been in the Demon Suppression Forest for so long, and no one had discovered his Battle Spirit either.


    Lin Rui then asked the Battle Spirit Ring again: ¡°Ring Spirit, help me capture the Four-star Marshal Battle Spirit, Yin Qianqiu!¡±


    Hint: Successfully captured the Four-star Marshal Battle Spirit, Yin Qianqiu. You can now view the abilities list of the No. 4 Battle Spirit.


    When Lin Rui opened Yin Qianqiu¡¯s abilities list, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of excitement and raised his eyebrows slightly.


    Although Yin Qianqiu was a Four-star Marshal, he had fewer skills than Huang Fuqing.


    There were only 353 skills available to learn and only 244 skills to copy.


    However, the quality of skills that Yin Qianqiu possessed was very high, with as many as 43 types of Dragon Transformation, Reach the Sky, and Divine Illumination level Martial Arts and Secret Techniques.


    Lin Rui then let out a surprised sound, noticing that there were six martial arts that had to be used together with the Supreme Divine Artifact ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ of the Bright Holy Sect.


    Lin Rui then thought of a rumor that the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ of the Bright Holy Sect required special mastery to use.


    At this time, Luo Wangshu looked back with a face full of shocked suspicion.


    Just now, she felt as if she had sensed the presence of the ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯.

 Chapter 659 - 630: Insight (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 659: Chapter 630: Insight (Please Subscribe)


    Almost at the same time, the Invincible Dharma King stood on a vast boulder protruding from the boundless cliffs within the Sky Abyss, overlooking the bottomless Abyss below.


    The Sky Abyss, which connects Purgatory to the surface, is six hundred miles in diameter, surrounded by steep Divine Tablets, majestic and towering, awe-inspiring to anyone who sees it for the first time.


    Its height was originally incalculable, but now, after being measured by the Outer Heaven Demon, the Eastern Extreme Sky Abyss is said to be 223,400 miles high.


    Therefore, within the Sky Abyss, whether looking up or down, one sees endlessness; it is difficult to see the sky, just as it is the ground.


    The Invincible Dharma King, with her supremely exceptional vision, could pierce through tens of thousands of miles of the void, to see the dark red glow shimmering in the deep layers of the Sky Abyss.


    ¡ªThat should be the light emitted by the sun at the Earth¡¯s core.


    However, the Invincible Dharma King had never seen what the sun beneath the Earth looked like, nor had she ever gone to the world at the Earth¡¯s core.


    She then turned around to face the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy and asked, ¡°What did you just do? Why did you use the Heavenly Fragrance Illusion Mist at that time?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, it was to protect you,¡± the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy answered without hesitation.


    Her mind had relaxed a lot. The Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire had completed its inheritance under her protection and had not fallen into the hands of the Invincible Dharma King.


    Although Lin Hao had never been an official member of the Light God Sect, nor recognized by the ¡®Light Saint¡¯ responsible for passing on the flame, which was a regret to her.


    However, with the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire in Lin Hao¡¯s hands, it could at least stabilize the many high-ranking officials of the Divine Sect and temporarily prevent chaos within the Light God Sect.


    Thinking of this, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy couldn¡¯t help but bitterly smile internally. Talking about not being chaotic? Perhaps the Main Temple already knows of King Ming¡¯s fall, and who knows what mess it is in now?


    She struggled to suppress her worries: ¡°Invincible, didn¡¯t you want the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire? Those two pieces of the Divine Tablet fragments are very likely on Yin Qianqiu¡¯s person¡ª¡±


    Before the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy could finish speaking, the Invincible Dharma King suddenly flashed in front of her.


    The Heavenly Fragrance¡¯s mind tensed, and she instinctively wanted to retreat, but just as she moved back less than thirty feet, the Invincible Dharma King had already forcefully broken through her multiple layers of protection, and with a burst of Gang Qi explosion, suddenly grabbed hold of Heavenly Fragrance¡¯s neck and lifted her high.


    The Invincible Dharma King looked at her with a mocking gaze: ¡°The problem is that I didn¡¯t get it! The main body of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, ¡®Light Seal,¡¯ has not returned to the Light Main Altar, but has chosen a new master on its own! Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, who were you using your spells to protect?¡±


    Heavenly Fragrance¡¯s mind sank slightly, she had observed the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s exchanges with Yin Qianqiu several times before and knew that the Dharma King¡¯s strength was unfathomable. Even without considering the ¡®Abyss Divine Artifact¡¯ in the Invincible¡¯s possession, her overall strength had reached the Divine Envoy Level!


    ¡ªTo have Divine Envoy Level power with an Eight Realms body, yet still master the Secret Skill of the Super Monarch of Ninth Realm, it was indeed a shock to the world!


    However, at this moment, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy further recognized the gap in strength between them.


    Yet she looked calmly at the Invincible Dharma King, her expression fearless and unfazed: ¡°What do you mean, Dharma King? I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that Lin Hao!¡± The corners of the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s lips lifted in cold mockery, her eyes filled with derision: ¡°Did I forget that I was once chosen by the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire? You think I can¡¯t sense it? You were protecting that Lin Hao! That very Lin Hao of the Great Song Dynasty who is a National Guardian, a Cabinet Minister, the Spy Catcher Bureau Commander!¡±


    Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy wanted to maintain her composure and act as if nothing was happening, but her pupils still shrank slightly.


    ¡°Remember, you were planted in Lin Hao¡¯s hands a few months ago, why is that?¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King didn¡¯t wait for the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy to respond, and suddenly had an epiphany: ¡°Is he the third Saint Heir that the Divine Sect has been unable to find? Because of the rebellion in Xuanhua and Tiantong counties, do you think Lin Hao harbors the Heart of Light?¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy did not answer.


    She had been paying attention to Lin Hao these past few months and knew that the Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song had kept his promise.


    He did not kill a single person but sold some land in Xuanhua and Tiantong counties, used the money to lease transportation, and bought food, farming tools, and cattle, allowing the Light Church followers in Xuanhua and Tiantong counties to settle down in the southern counties of Tian Nan and Lingnan in East State.


    Because it is a place plagued by disease, the land, albeit fertile, is sparsely populated.


    However, Lin Hao also purchased a large amount of Heavenly Demon medicinal products for the people, and hired hundreds of disciples from the Medicine God Sect to teach them pest control and epidemic prevention methods.


    It is currently unknown whether the medicines purchased by Lin Hao and the so-called ¡®epidemic prevention¡¯ are effective, but the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy already knew this Hidden Crown Prince keeps his promises, and surely has the Heart of Light, willing to pity and protect the people.


    With a cold laugh, the Invincible Dharma King then heavily threw the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy in her hand, smashing her against a nearby stone wall, creating a booming echo.


    The Invincible Dharma King did not strike to kill, for she knew that the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy did not fear death, and this woman truly revered the Light Teachings, living by them in body and spirit.


    She could ruthlessly execute King Ming Yin Qianqiu without hesitation, yet for someone like Tian Xiang, the Invincible Dharma King would not be willing to take her life unless absolutely necessary.


    Afterwards, the Invincible Dharma King floated up and transformed into a tunneling light, fleeing towards the sky above the Sky Pool.


    The passage above the Sky Pool was heavily fortified by the Sky Pool four armies of the Great Song Dynasty, with numerous forts and strict guard making it impervious as a sealed fortress.


    However, in the past few centuries, not only has the Purgatory Demon Army been drilling holes inside the Sky Pool, but Outer Heaven Demons have joined in as well.


    They possess various high-tech drilling devices. Their efficiency in drilling surpasses that of both Eighth Realm and Ninth Realm Demons of the Purgatory Demon Army.


    Therefore, the gaps within the Sky Pool are far more numerous than they were 800 years ago, and cannot possibly seal off a top-notch expert like her.


    ¡°Where are you going? What are you planning to do?¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy flew out from a hole in the wall she had smashed, looking up at the Invincible Dharma King in the sky with a worried expression.


    ¡°Li Weiliang! The Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire has changed hands, and a new King Ming has been born! Li Weiliang, in your eagerness for supreme authority, you did not hesitate to assassinate the Sect Hierarch and harm your fellow sect members. Such treasonous actions will inevitably provoke the wrath of all followers. Should you dare to attack the new King Ming again, I assure you, our Bright Holy Sect will not tolerate you!¡±


    The previous King Ming Yin Qianqiu¡¯s ascension was illegitimate, so the Invincible Dharma King had an explanation for striking at Yin Qianqiu.


    However, Lin Hao is the chosen master of the Sect Hierarch¡¯s Divine Artifact ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯! If Invincible Dharma King Li Weiliang dares to strike at Lin Hao again, she would be the enemy of the entire Bright Holy Sect.


    ¡°Li Weiliang, do you really think we don¡¯t know? Your identity is very likely that of an Outer Heaven Demon!¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy spoke coldly: ¡°Thus, not only will the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings not submit to you. The Light Saint will also never allow you to become the Sect Hierarch, never! If you persist in your obstinacy and try to forcibly take the fire, the Bright Holy Sect will surely split. I advise you to give up on this idea!¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King did not reply; she merely lowered her head and gave the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy a cold stare before continuing to escape into the skies.


    At this time, Lin Rui was forcibly ordering the many Ninth Realm practitioners of the Great Song to scour the entire underground mines.


    He himself was riding the ¡®Spiritual Sky Dragon¡¯ alongside his own ¡®Splendent Thunder Emperor Dragon¡¯, rushing to the lowest layer of the mine to harvest Demons.


    Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi were also collaborating with him.


    The two women knew that their master, for some unknown reason, enjoyed personally slaying Demons, so they defeated the Demons until they were on their last breath, then let Lin Rui harvest the heads.


    Xianyu Yan and Wang Tianwu thought Lin Rui was collecting Blood Qi, condensing his self-created Blood Evil Secret Technique ¡®Blood God Wings,¡¯ so they followed suit in collaboration.


    Lin Rui, however, was inexplicably elated: the soul power points he harvested from the bottom of the mine today were equivalent to all the soul power points he had collected previously combined.


    Regrettably, not long after, a few Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators entered the bottom of the pit and started competing with him for kills.


    Lin Rui was utterly displeased. He secretly noted these individuals¡¯ names, planning to add to their burdens if the opportunity arose in the future.


    About ten minutes later, as Lin Rui and the others emerged from the abandoned mine having cleared it of Demons at the bottom, they found Zong Xiushan and Cui Peipei¡¯s expressions had turned even uglier; their faces were as pale as the dead, and they walked as if floating, utterly dispirited.


    They found neither the Invincible Dharma King nor any trace of the Outer Heaven Demons.


    Lin Rui inwardly sympathized with them but was powerless to help.


    This trip to the Wanshi Mountain mine was fraught with accidents and was beyond anyone¡¯s control. What could be done?


    He sighed inwardly before climbing onto Luo Wangshu¡¯s carriage, only to see Luo Wangshu staring at him with bright, piercing eyes.


    ¡°The Great Celestial Master has sent a Flying Book, instructing us to return to the capital as soon as possible. We are to report the details of this eradication of the Demon Sect¡¯s King Ming to the Divine above at the Divine Court Hall. The Divine should bestow substantial rewards upon us.¡±


    As Luo Wangshu spoke, she waved her hand, signaling for all unrelated persons to withdraw.


    Her gaze was solemn: ¡°Just now, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy covered the entire cave with the Heavenly Fragrance Illusion Mist, and something seemed to happen to you at that time. Hmm~ not only are you a Demigod, but you are also the third Saint Heir chosen by the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire. Has the Light Seal of the Holy Thunder touched upon you?¡±

 Chapter 660 - 631: Chosen (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 660: Chapter 631: Chosen (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°Master was right!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s expression was complex as he replied: ¡°Disciple indeed received the Light Seal, becoming the vessel for the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Luo Wangshu couldn¡¯t help but show a complicated expression, feeling both happy for Lin Rui and worried about Lin Rui¡¯s future.


    Lin Rui already possessed a complete Concept, and now that he has taken control of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, not only has his strength become even greater, but his prospects for Longevity are also promising, and his path to divinity has widened.


    At the same time, she realized that this child must have been chosen by the ¡®Great Sun Venerable¡¯ and the Seventh Generation Sect Leader of the Light God Sect.


    Purity was a Concept originally created by the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, thus under the Seventh Generation Sect Leader¡¯s will, it separated from the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and came to Lin Rui.


    And now, the main body of Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire has chosen Lin Rui as well.


    That Demon Sect King Ming must have been toyed with by the hand of fate, delivered right in front of Lin Rui.


    Hence, Lin Rui¡¯s future has been predetermined. He will either become the vessel for the resurrection of ¡®Great Sun Venerable¡¯, or he will become a truly newborn Divine Spirit.


    Furthermore, she was extremely troubled by the fact that they would next have to visit the Divine Palace to see the Divine Spirits; how could they manage not to give themselves away?


    At this moment, Lin Rui hesitated to speak: ¡°Master, previously¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± At the same time as Luo Wangshu let out a cold huff, she pointed her finger to Lin Rui¡¯s glabella: ¡°Concentrate your mind, before the visitation, we must first find a way to deal with the thing on your body.¡±


    She was referring to the main body of the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, the Light Seal.


    If this thing were to be exposed, they might be crushed by the East Abyss on the spot.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When the two of them heeded the summons of the Great Celestial Master of the Divine Palace and entered the Divine Palace again to see the Divine Above, they were somewhat nervous.


    Lin Rui, as before, stored all things related to ¡®God¡¯ that were on his body, in his Battle Dragon.


    The troubling part was that Lin Rui was still unable to control this Supreme Divine Artifact, and his body still retained traces of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯s aura. Although Luo Wangshu had helped Lin Rui deal with it, she also wasn¡¯t confident that they wouldn¡¯t leave behind any traces in front of the Divine.


    What greatly relieved the mentor and disciple was that during their visit to the Divine Palace, the East Abyss was not ¡®Awake¡¯; this Divine Above was still fused with the Heavenly Curtain through the Primordial Spirit, descending only a wisp of Divine Sense into the body of the Great Celestial Master, communicating with them through the mouth of the Great Celestial Master.


    Lin Rui guessed that the East Abyss had already seen through the real situation of ¡®King Ming¡¯ Yin Qianqiu and knew that this Sect Hierarch of the Light God Sect was far from being a ¡®New God¡¯, hence it did not value him as highly as before.


    The reason it still specially descended its Divine Sense to reward them was because ¡®King Ming¡¯ had once escaped from the hands of the East Abyss, and their mentor and disciple execution of ¡®King Ming¡¯ had, to some extent, upheld the face and divine might of the East Abyss.


    Therefore, the rewards from East Abyss to the two of them were also significant; the East Abyss even permitted Luo Wangshu to wield an ¡®Abyss Divine Artifact¡¯.


    This ¡®Abyss Divine Artifact¡¯ was not rewarded directly; Luo Wangshu had to find her own way to forge it, or she could also seek out the ¡®Abyss Divine Artifacts¡¯ left behind by previous generations, but this was already a huge honor!


    In Tianji Star, holding an ¡®Abyss Divine Artifact¡¯ without the permission of Divine Spirits is rebellion! It is blasphemy!


    Its significance is roughly equivalent to legally owning battleships, nuclear bombs, and Annihilation Bombs in the Earth Federation 800 years prior.


    Currently, in the Great Song Dynasty, the only person allowed to wield an ¡®Abyss Divine Artifact¡¯ is the First Divine Envoy, though the outside world still doesn¡¯t know whether this person has an ¡®Abyss Divine Artifact¡¯.


    Besides the First Divine Envoy, neither the Emperor nor the Second Divine Envoy possess this qualification, but the Great Song Dynasty has a hereditary Imperial Jade Seal, which is a ¡®National Treasure¡¯, holding power greater than that of an ¡®Abyss Divine Artifact¡¯.


    Lin Rui also received Divine Spirits¡¯ appreciation; first, his Divine Office was promoted, and he is now the Second Rank Red Priest of the Divine Palace, on the same standing as the top-ranking Candidate Divine Envoys, which means he can now stand shoulder to shoulder with these Candidate Divine Envoys in any setting.


    Second, he received a Nine Realms Emperor Magic Artifact called ¡®Blood Kui Divine Spike¡¯, which, according to Han Baxian, was made from the horn of a ¡®Blood Kui Demon Dragon¡¯ at the Super Monarch of the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank.


    The Blood Kui Demon Dragon is a type of Demon Dragon, its abilities similar to the ¡®Kui¡¯ in the East Asian myths; entering the water means storms ensue, its light like the sun and moon, its sound like thunder, shaking five hundred miles around.


    About 6700 years ago, this ¡®Blood Kui Demon Dragon¡¯ once dominated a region, leading millions of Demons and occupying several provinces, self-proclaimed ¡®Kui Demon Emperor¡¯, causing chaos in the human world for a century.


    It wasn¡¯t until Song Taizu unified the northern territories of East Continent that he killed it, refining its horn into a Magic Artifact and offering it to God.


    It was after this offering that Song Taizu received the permission of the gods to replace Great Zhou and reign supreme over all under heaven.


    Now, the East Abyss has bestowed this item upon Lin Hao, and the Great Celestial Master even had Han Baxian personally explain its origin to him, the profound implications of which lead to endless speculation.


    In addition, the East Abyss also took away the pair of resplendent twin blades Lin Hao acquired from Yin Qianqiu, repaired them with infinite divine power, and left the mark of the East Abyss¡¯s Divine Emblem on them.


    These blades are also a pair of Ninth Realm Super Emperor grade Magic Artifacts, specially crafted for the Battle Dragon!


    One blade is named ¡®Radiant Sky¡¯, and the other ¡®World Refiner¡¯. Not only are they immensely powerful, they can also alter their size.


    At their largest, they can reach a length of six zhang, and at their smallest, they can shrink to just over one zhang, accommodating the various forms of the Battle Dragon.


    Lin Rui was quite delighted, as his Alien species now not only possessed the Seventh Realm Super Emperor rank Heavenly Demon Armor ¡®Heavenly Decree¡¯, but also two Ninth Realm Super Emperor grade Magic Artifacts, ¡®Blood Kui Divine Cone¡¯ and ¡®Xuanwu Mirror¡¯. However, his Battle Dragon was bereft of possessions, lacking any Magic Artifacts to aid it.


    After the award ceremony, the East Abyss once again earnestly reminded them, instructing both master and disciple to continue seeking the whereabouts of the two Divine Tablets.


    This time, however, they were neither given a deadline nor threatened with punishment¡ªmerely told to do their best, ideally providing an account to Great Wei and Great Cheng.


    Lin Rui suddenly realized that the matter of the Divine Tablets had come to a close.


    The East Abyss probably understood the slim likelihood of recovering the fragments of the Divine Tablets and did not intend to trouble them further.


    Now, it was merely a matter of paying lip service¡ªfinding the tablets would be great, but it mattered not if they didn¡¯t.


    Moreover, whether intentionally or out of forgetfulness, the East Abyss did not reclaim from Lin Rui the military command of the forces surrounding the capital nor the Tiger Talisman.


    That very evening, as Lin Rui rode in Luo Wangshu¡¯s Seven Dragons Chariot down from the Divine Palace, he noticed Luo Wangshu lost deep in thought throughout the journey.


    Curiously, Lin Rui asked, ¡°Master, during today¡¯s audience, was there anything improper?¡±


    ¡°Nothing improper.¡± Luo Wangshu shook her head slightly and said, ¡°The Divine Being and the Great Celestial Master obviously plan to use us to spur and counterbalance the Emperor and the First Divine Envoy. But this is actually to our advantage.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded, understanding that while the East Abyss may have intentions to use them, this would deepen the Emperor and the First Divine Envoy¡¯s wariness of them. Nevertheless, the Divine Being had given them everything that was due without omission.


    Luo Wangshu then said in a faint voice, ¡°I was actually thinking about the earlier mention in the Divine Palace of Qi Wuji¡¯s resurrection. There was no reaction from the Divine Being upon hearing it.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui also showed a hint of surprise on his face.


    Speaking of Qi Wuji, Lin Rui had also felt something was off.


    It was one thing for a figure like Yin Qianqiu to escape from the presence of the Divine Being, but Qi Wuji¡ªhow could he manage that?


    Why is the East Abyss completely indifferent to Qi Wuji¡¯s resurrection? Could it be¡ª


    Just as Lin Rui was contemplating this, Luo Wangshu shook her head: ¡°Never mind, this matter does not concern us, and pondering over it is of no benefit.¡±


    At this moment, Luo Wangshu¡¯s ¡®Flying Chariot of Seven Dragons¡¯ had already arrived at Divine Scenery Mountain, her expression unusual: ¡°It¡¯s getting late, and it¡¯s not convenient to leave the palace. Tonight, you and little Hao can stay in my Divine Envoy Institute.¡±


    Hearing this, Luo Wangshu¡¯s Dragon Guard subordinates couldn¡¯t help being slightly taken aback.


    Their sovereign was actually letting Lin Hao stay in the Divine Envoy Institute?


    When she mentioned it was getting late and inconvenient to leave the palace¡ªbut how far could it be from here to Lin Rui¡¯s residence?


    Lin Rui felt puzzled, but shortly after he accompanied Luo Wangshu into the Divine Envoy Institute, he understood the reason why.


    Luo Wangshu, along with him and Xianyu Yan among others, stealthily slipped out of Divine Scenery Mountain, out of Luojing, heading towards the direction of Lin Rui¡¯s Four Stripes Mountain Base.


    She was going there to perform a secret gene testing and to see for herself the true state of the Four Stripes Mountain Base.

 Chapter 661: 632: Trip to the Base (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 661: Chapter 632: Trip to the Base (Please Subscribe)


    A moment later, when Luo Wangshu entered Lin Rui¡¯s Four Stripes Mountain base, she too was slightly shocked like Meng Weiyun.


    Whether it was the scale and defense capabilities of the base or the number of alien walkers stationed here, all made Luo Wangshu secretly marvel.


    Inside the base, Luo Wangshu sensed more than eighty dragon transformation martial artists.


    This, compared to the power wielded by Lin Hao, the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song, was insignificant, but this was entirely Lin Hao¡¯s own military strength, not relying on the East Abyss or the system of Great Song.


    And this was certainly not the full extent of Lin Hao¡¯s strength; Lin Hao would not possibly gather all his forces in one place.


    Having previously received orders from Lin Rui, Fei Yunlai and Wang Tianwu, who had come along to welcome and accompany her, were shivering like frosted eggplants, silent as cicadas in winter.


    They were all wondering how the BOSS brought this big shot to the base?


    This was the ¡®Eastern Heavenly Sword Phoenix¡¯ who had killed countless alien walkers in the past!


    Especially Fei Yunlai, who had certain ¡®grievances¡¯ with Luo Wangshu, had a pale face.


    Luckily, Luo Wangshu didn¡¯t pay much attention to Fei Yunlai, glancing at him once and then not caring anymore.


    In the base¡¯s dock, the merchant fleet of the Forest Trade Company was moored, consisting of one cruiser, six destroyers, twelve guardian battleships, and twelve armed merchant ships.


    Luo Wangshu had personally shot down twenty-four Heavenly Demon ships, but this was her first time entering the interior of a ship for a visit, which opened her eyes.


    Lin Rui was introducing her to the various data on these ships as well as their defense systems and weapons, but he didn¡¯t realize Luo Wangshu¡¯s divine thought was focused on the cargoes being unloaded from the ships.


    Luo Wangshu found that nearly one-third of them were medicines and various crop seeds from the Heavenly Demons¡ªprobably prepared for the people of the counties of Xuanhua and Tiantong.


    Luo Wangshu had learned some Heavenly Demon language and recognized the names of those medicines, knowing that they were mostly used for the treatment and prevention of epidemics.


    As for the various crop seeds bred by the Heavenly Demons, they were very famous. Their bio-engineered crop seeds had far higher yields than those grown normally in the Sky Extreme Star, and they were resistant to drought, flooding, wind, and insects.


    The rest were also livelihood goods such as high-wear-resistant and high-strength fabrics, medicine for treating headaches and fevers, various alloy powders that could be processed into agricultural tools and weapons, and even some simple machine tools.


    ¡ªThese were items urgently needed by the people of Sky Extreme Star, but those smuggler merchants of the Heavenly Demons were seldom willing to use the valuable space of their ships to carry these items that made little profit.


    Luo Wangshu knew that recently a large number of livelihood supplies had indeed appeared on the black market, and they were reasonably priced and of good quality.


    Taking into account that her visit this time was impromptu, it was evident that Lin Rui had been engaging in these low-profit businesses for a long time.


    Next was the biological research area inside the base. The numerous high-tech medical and biological instruments here also caught the attention of Luo Wangshu, who became a curious baby along the way, touching here and asking there.


    ¡°Hmm~ Is this Emperor Bloodstone?¡±


    Luo Wangshu sensed a familiar aura in front of a laboratory, and after obtaining Lin Hao¡¯s permission, she entered the observation room of the lab.


    Through the observation glass, she examined the Battle Dragon inside: ¡°This is the Emperor Flame Battle Dragon that has advanced to Emperor Flame¡ªno, it¡¯s the ¡®Blood Core Emperor Flame Dragon¡¯.¡±


    Luo Wangshu then squinted her eyes: ¡°I sense something being nurtured inside its spine?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Ji Shenyan!¡± Lin Rui was also looking at the situation inside, checking the various body monitoring data of Ji Shenyan and the ¡®Blood Core Emperor Flame Dragon¡¯.


    He had actually wanted to come and see this earlier, but he had been busy all day and simply couldn¡¯t find the time.


    The transformation of Ji Shenyan was very important to him, not only because it could provide him with another ¡®Quasi-Member¡¯, but also because it would determine his and Huang Fuqing¡¯s next steps.


    If Huang Fuqing could join Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute directly, it would greatly enhance the institute¡¯s research and development capabilities.


    Moreover, Huang Fuqing himself was a 7SSS-level powerhouse, capable of reaching the levels of Quasi-Member, and even Member.


    ¡°Ji Shenyan? The 6700-year-old genius female general who was born into the royal family of Great Zhou and later transformed into the Blood Saber Lady? The owner of that Emperor Flame Battle Dragon?¡±


    Luo Wangshu looked astonished: ¡°Can you resurrect her from death?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Lin Rui nodded: ¡°However, Ji Shenyan¡¯s case is very special. Not only are her genes and consciousness completely preserved, but she also encountered some special fortunate events, which is why it¡¯s successful. The biotechnology of the Earth Federation can indeed bring the dead back to life, knitting flesh onto bones, but it¡¯s not applicable to everyone.¡±


    In fact, this special fortunate event was the Battle Spirit Ring in his possession.


    Luo Wangshu nodded as if she understood, now certain of one thing: Lin Rui¡¯s business partner ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ truly had formidable strength.


    Luo Wangshu then walked towards the door, her expression strange: ¡°Take me to do genetic testing, what equipment should we use?¡±


    ¡°We can talk about that later.¡± Lin Rui gave a slight smile: ¡°Right now, in our base, we are about to perform a high-spec surgical implantation. I wonder if Master would be interested in observing?¡±


    He pointed to Fei Yunlai behind him: ¡°It¡¯s Old Fei. He¡¯s getting his entire set of armaments replaced, including three SSS+ items.¡±


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s lips twitched slightly, thinking that the BOSS was clearly selling out his employee, using his subordinate to please his Master!


    The armaments he needed were in short supply, and the Shadow series was one of the larger demand types. Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute had basically completed their development, even earlier than the heavily financed Lu Hanyuan.


    Fei Yunlai was indeed looking forward to Lin Rui performing the surgery on him, but why should Luo Wangshu watch? Who would want to be observed during surgery? Especially by this Eastern Heavenly Sword Phoenix!


    Just as he was about to object, he saw a message from Lin Rui: Your physical body should have accompanied the trade caravan down, right? 500 million federal coins, I¡¯ll perform the surgical implantation on your body for free, in exchange for one viewing ticket.


    Fei Yunlai inwardly sneered, thinking the BOSS really knew him well, but his body, how could it be so cheap?


    Although I¡¯m currently supported by you, I also have my pride.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): 2 billion federal coins, or no deal!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): 1 billion, otherwise I¡¯ll find Hengdao.


    Invincible Bull (Fei Yunlai): Deal.


    Fei Yunlai felt secretly triumphant, thinking he now had the money to buy Zoey an Immortal Stone Ring.


    Zoey was the daughter of a bartender at the Four Stripes Mountain base.


    With money in hand, Fei Yunlai didn¡¯t think of repaying debts or purchasing armaments and magic artifacts; instead, he thought of Zoey, and also, he needed to buy another luxury car.


    Luo Wangshu, unaware of their exchange, lit up with interest: ¡°A surgical implantation?¡±


    She knew Lin Hao had arranged this especially for her, as Luo Wangshu had always wanted to undergo a surgical implantation but had never seen what one was like.


    However, as Luo Wangshu entered the observation room eagerly awaiting the start, she saw Lin Hao walking into the operating room, beginning to sterilize with the help of mechanical equipment and changing into sterile surgical garb suitable for his physique.


    Through the observation glass, Luo Wangshu watched with a puzzled look as Lin Hao approached the fully transparent surgical pod, simultaneously operating 16 surgical mechanical arms, cutting open Fei Yunlai and then skillfully removing his armaments ¨C nerves, blood vessels, meridians ¨C all handled extremely beautifully.


    Luo Wangshu couldn¡¯t quite understand, yet watching the mechanical arms operated by Lin Hao was like watching a dance performance, spectacularly graceful and orderly, as smooth as clouds and flowing water.


    All 16 surgical mechanical arms moved at the same time without any interference.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes widened in shock, gazing at the ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ inside the operating room.


    Lin Hao had once let slip to her that he was learning the art of armament surgery, but Luo Wangshu had never imagined that Lin Hao¡¯s surgical abilities could be so astonishingly advanced.


    ¡°This is an armament developed by our BOSS¡¯s biological research institute, utilizing a brand new technology. Not only is it less mentally taxing, but it also integrates deeply with the human body structure and, it is said that soon it will fuse into our flesh, becoming part of our body itself.¡±


    Wang Tianwu was also in the observation room, volunteering to explain things for Luo Wangshu.


    He knew what really mattered to Luo Wangshu was ¡®Lin Hao,¡¯ eyes solemn: ¡°Our BOSS apprenticed under Sima Lin from the East Asia Armored Biological Academy, not only the most outstanding biological scientist in armament, but also possessing the finest armament surgical skills in the Federation!


    All of our armaments were implanted and replaced personally by the BOSS. From my own experience, it¡¯s definitely the best and most top-notch. He can make an armament reach the ultimate peak of its potential.¡±


    Luo Wangshu narrowed her eyes, closely observing Lin Hao¡¯s movements, and asked Xianyu Yan standing beside her: ¡°Xianyu, were the armaments on you also implanted by Little Hao Hao? How does it feel?¡±


    Xianyu Yan stood behind Luo Wangshu, actually always having her hand on her sword.


    She didn¡¯t just lack reverence for Luo Wangshu, she also considered her to be a potential enemy.


    Xianyu Yan glanced at Lin Rui in the operating room, thinking to herself, Master, are you choosing to reveal your hand so soon?


    Hope it turns out as you expect, and your Master won¡¯t fail you!


    Xianyu Yan then nodded: ¡°Master personally implanted them for me. It feels pretty good. If Master personally performs the surgery, your two Dragon Guard Captains could likely ascend to the Eight Realms Emperor Rank.¡±


    She hesitated briefly, then gave a meaningful soft chuckle: ¡°By the way, I have already rid myself of the Dragon Guard¡¯s forbidden technique with Master¡¯s help.¡±


    Xianyu Yan pointed to the back of her head: ¡°The forbidden technique is still there, in my brain, but it¡¯s just there to deal with the Divine Palace, and it can no longer control me.¡±


    Hearing this, Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed sharply.

 Chapter 662: 633: Showdown (Part 3, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 662: Chapter 633: Showdown (Part 3, Please Subscribe)


    When Luo Wangshu, Lin Rui, and his entourage were on their return journey to Luojing, it was already about the fourth period of the morning the following day.


    Luo Wangshu had been silent the entire journey, her countenance pensive, lost in thought; Lin Rui also remained silent, having made everything clear through the trip to the Four Stripes Mountain base.


    As the group flew to the top of the Luojing City walls, Luo Wangshu stopped.


    Wanting to speak, she was overcome by fluctuating emotions and had to take deep breaths to steady the turmoil within her: ¡°Hao, yesterday at Wanshi Mountain, did you not have something to say to me? Now you can speak.¡±


    Lin Rui was also anxious, but with things having come this far and all his cards laid out on the table, there was naturally no need to hesitate.


    He bowed deeply to Luo Wangshu and answered with a solemn and serious expression: ¡°As Teacher has guessed, this disciple is a human from the Earth Federation, what is known as an Outer Heaven Demon.¡±


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s heart pounded fiercely.


    She had anticipated Lin Hao¡¯s response, yet upon hearing him say it, she still felt a surge of Blood Qi and an uncontrollable shiver throughout her body.


    Luo Wangshu felt a mix of shock, anger, dissatisfaction, helplessness, and regret in her heart; after a lifetime of combating demons, she had unknowingly taken an Outer Heaven Demon as her disciple!


    However, Luo Wangshu was surprised to find that she actually harbored no disgust, nor any regret. Beyond that, she even felt a tiny bit of satisfaction, relieved by Lin Hao¡¯s honesty.


    Her head aching tremendously, she massaged her forehead: ¡°So Hao, your true form, is that Lin Rui?¡±


    Luo Wangshu had long harbored suspicions.


    She knew that ¡®Lin Hao¡¯s¡¯ Battle Dragon was an unprecedented, extraordinary Fake Abyss Level ¡®Primordial Heavenly Dragon¡¯.


    This ¡®Primordial Heavenly Dragon,¡¯ based on Lin Hao¡¯s Unity Martial Intent, could also temporarily devolve into any type of SSS+ level Battle Dragon through a process of ¡®one gives rise to two, two give rise to three¡¯.


    So when others learned that Lin Rui used the ¡®Emperor Hao Divine Sun Dragon,¡¯ and Lin Hao manifested the ¡®Radiant Thunder Emperor Sun Dragon,¡¯ they assumed the two were not the same person.


    The more Luo Wangshu heard, the more she suspected.


    She also knew Ji Xueying¡¯s Battle Dragon was a rare dual-state Battle Dragon, capable of transforming between ¡®Emperor Hao Divine Sun Dragon¡¯ and ¡®Blood Core Divine Sun Dragon.¡¯


    ¡°Just as Teacher speculated.¡± Lin Rui gave a sheepish smile, then bowed once again: ¡°This disciple has deceived Teacher, with an insincere heart, please punish me, Teacher! Regardless of how Teacher chooses to deal with me today, I am willing to accept.¡±


    Luo Wangshu gave a soft snort, stood up, and walked over to the window, looking outside with an uncertain expression on her face.


    What annoyed her the most right now was Lin Rui¡¯s deception, just as he put it himself, his lack of sincere intentions.


    After a good ten breaths, Luo Wangshu shook her head slightly: ¡°Get up, what do you mean by insincere heart? You have been very sincere with me, trying to give me hints in various ways, I can still see clearly. If you really wanted to hide your identity, you wouldn¡¯t have done it like this. With your capabilities, you could keep it hidden for ten or eight years.¡±


    This guy, if he hadn¡¯t been determined to produce a Genetic Supplement Potion and Armament for her, he wouldn¡¯t have exposed himself so quickly.


    Although he is an Outer Heaven Demon, he has been wholeheartedly loyal to her, which is actually much better than his fellow disciples.


    This guy had no choice but to conceal his true identity at the start; after all, he couldn¡¯t just reveal his identity in front of her when they first met, could he?


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s mind relaxed, knowing his life was likely saved.


    But then he heard Luo Wangshu¡¯s voice turn cold as she asked, ¡°Hao, I want to know, what was your initial intention of becoming an Alien Walker, even starting to practice Martial Arts?¡±


    Startled by the question, Lin Rui answered without hesitation: ¡°To be honest with Teacher, the reason why I wanted to become an Alien Walker was for survival!¡±


    Luo Wangshu was taken aback and looked at Lin Rui in surprise: ¡°Survival?¡±


    She thought Lin Rui would state ambitions such as acquiring wealth, achieving success, and so on, but she never thought it would be this reason.


    ¡°This disciple and the Longevity Association are sworn enemies, do-or-die.¡±


    Lin Rui hesitated slightly, still took out a storage pen from his sleeve, and passed it to Luo Wangshu: ¡°Teacher, after looking at these, you will understand. If I hadn¡¯t become an Alien Walker at that time, I might be a corpse now.¡±


    Therefore, Zhuang Mingyue, Meng Weiyun, and Luo Wangshu have been life-savers to their family.


    If not for their support, allowing him to have his current position, he might not have been able to withstand the Longevity Association, the Divine Light Army, and the Light God Sect within the Federation in this past year.


    Of course, he gave ample rewards to these three individuals.


    Lin Rui knew Luo Wangshu¡¯s personality. He understood that on the day of confrontation, he must treat her with sincerity, or else their mentor-disciple relationship would be over.


    There were things, like the Battle Spirit Ring in his hand, that need not be mentioned. However, information like that about Lin Xi and Lin Yi, which could be easily investigated, and his identity in the Security Bureau, which Luo Wangshu was more sensitive and concerned about, had to be clarified.


    Luo Wangshu was very familiar with items from the Heavenly Demon. As she accessed the contents of the storage device, she gasped in shock after just a moment.


    ¡°Abyss Weapons?¡±


    This Outer Heaven Demon¡¯s research on the Martial Arts of the Tianji Star and the Abyss was deeper and more terrifying than she had imagined.


    Luo Wangshu then glanced at Lin Rui in surprise.


    Could it be that this youngster¡¯s two sisters are ¡®Abyss Weapons¡¯¡ªthe Despair Heavenly Maiden and the Suffering Heavenly Maiden?


    In an instant, Luo Wangshu figured out the Alien identity of the two girls and couldn¡¯t help thinking: If Lin Rui¡¯s sisters are Abyss Weapons, then what is Lin Rui himself?


    ¡°So that¡¯s it! That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been particularly diligent and hardworking in opposing the Longevity Association.¡±


    She nodded slightly: ¡°Then, what about after striving for survival? You now have a large family business, a lofty status, and powerful influence; surely you can¡¯t be thinking about self-protection all the time?¡±


    ¡°Striving for survival is definitely the top priority,¡± Lin Rui pondered briefly and then understood what Luo Wangshu implied¡ªit was about his ambitions.


    ¡°Master, there is a saying in East Asia, ¡®Cultivate oneself, put one¡¯s family in order, govern the state, and pacify the world.¡¯ If one desires to bring forth bright virtue to the universe, start by governing one¡¯s state; to govern the state, start by ordering one¡¯s family; to order the family, start by cultivating oneself; and to cultivate oneself, start by rectifying one¡¯s heart.¡±


    He translated this excerpt from ¡°The Great Learning¡± into the language of Tianji Star.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly at this. Was this youngster implying that since he hadn¡¯t cultivated himself or ordered his family, he had no business talking about governing states or pacifying the world?


    However, Luo Wangshu actually appreciated it, considering Lin Hao to be down-to-earth without unrealistic aspirations.


    She crossed her arms behind her back and continued to inquire: ¡°Then, how do you view the relationship and future between us, the people of Tianji Star, and you Earthlings?¡±


    ¡°Master, that¡¯s a bit difficult for me to answer.¡±


    Lin Rui smiled wryly, continuing to ponder: ¡°Currently, I only want to manage my own affairs and then do what I can within my capability. The people of Great Song need not suffer so, nor do Earthlings need to resort to aggression to obtain the resources they desire. Starting from the little changes around me, as for the relationship and future between our two species, I haven¡¯t thought that far, but¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui paused, looking up at the sky: ¡°This universe is vast and immeasurable. In it, we are just like a grain in the sea, and I believe this vast world has enough space to accommodate both our species.


    Actually, Master, if you¡¯re interested, you could visit the Earth Federation. Learn about our human society, observe our political system, and see the conditions of the commoners. If you trust me, Master, I can assist you in creating an Alien body for yourself, which can also help you obtain greater spiritual power and a stronger Bloodline Talent.¡±


    Alien Walkers, having two physical bodies to nourish their Primordial Spirit, possess spiritual power that is 20 to 30 percent higher than that of an ordinary Armored Warrior.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s mind stirred slightly. Visit the Earth Federation? A human Alien?


    Then she turned around, her gaze enigmatic as she looked at Lin Rui again.


    This time she stared for over three minutes, leaving Lin Rui feeling uneasy once more, before she nodded slightly, her voice extremely solemn: ¡°I will consider your proposition, but I hope you, Little Hao, remember the words you said today, remember your original intentions! I will heed your words and observe your actions. If one day your deeds stray from these words, that will be the day our mentor-disciple bond ends!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes lit up as he bowed deeply: ¡°Disciple thanks the Master for her understanding and for sparing my life.¡±


    ¡°Spare me the flattery.¡± Luo Wangshu waved her sleeve in annoyance, thinking that the rascal must be quite confident in himself.


    Since their interests were linked and their honor and disgrace one, she reckoned that the rascal had concluded she would not harm him.


    ¡°However, since your identity is indeed Lin Rui, the Genetic Supplement Potion of my ¡®Divine Sky Only Me Dragon¡¯ and the Armament that I wanted have now been entrusted to you. You must prepare them for me in the shortest time possible, umm~ and also a set of Type 9 Exoskeleton Armor. I need to commission the Mechanical God Temple to help me modify it.¡±


    Luo Wangshu greatly envied the ¡®Mad Dragon¡¯ Battle Armor of the Invincible Dharma King, but the Mechanical God Temple lacked the capability to produce Type 9 Battle Armor on their own. They needed someone to supply the armor base, which they could then enhance and modify.


    Luo Wangshu thought about how powerful and unfathomably deep Lin Rui¡¯s enemies were.


    If her strength couldn¡¯t be raised to the level of a Super Divine Envoy soon, she might not be able to protect this disciple.


    At these words, Lin Rui was overjoyed. Just then, the clouds in the sky were spread apart by a gentle breeze, and streaks of sunlight shone through, casting light upon the walls of Luojing City, making Lin Rui¡¯s mood exceedingly bright and cheerful.

 Chapter 663: 634 Divine Sect (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 663: Chapter 634 Divine Sect (Please Subscribe)


    Eight hours after Yin Qianqiu fell, the Main Temple of the Bright Holy Sect located beneath the deep sea was indeed in chaos, just as the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy had expected.


    In the beginning, the numerous priests here could not be sure, only feeling that the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ they worship and offer sacrifice to today was exceptionally violent, releasing ferocious energy that was almost out of control, even affecting the surrounding sea surface, stirring up huge waves and billows.


    This situation persisted for more than eight hours until it calmed down not long ago.


    Now the aura and elemental power fluctuations of the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ are completely different from a day ago.


    Its form has also changed, from the previous millstone-sized lotus shape, it shrank to the size of a palm, but it seemed even brighter, more splendid, more dazzling, and more condensed.


    The old priests all knew that the Bright Holy Sect¡¯s ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ had changed hands, and this Supreme Divine Artifact had a new owner.


    Thus, almost everyone in the Main Temple gathered in front of the altar offering the Holy Fire Tribulation, all pale-faced, looking up at the changes in the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire at the top of the altar.


    The area around the entire altar was silent, the atmosphere oppressively cold and dreary.


    Including the Vice Sect Hierarchs Wan Lei and Wanyan Layman, the Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan, the Wisdom Divine Envoy Xiao Xingyi, Judgement Divine Envoy Zhuang Fatian, the Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling, Demon Suppression Divine Envoy Fang Junhao, Dharma King Bai Xishi, and other senior figures, were all suspended in the air near the bottom of the altar, staring at the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.


    These figures among the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings all had ashen faces, their eyes cold and solemn.


    ¡°Judging from the changes in the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, the Twelfth Generation King Ming has already perished.¡±


    Wan Lei, a woman in her forties with an imposing and stern demeanor, folded her hands behind her back and said, ¡°With the Holy Fire changing hands, news of this will surely be known to the many Light High Priests, Priests, Capital Chief Priests, and Great Chief Priests around the world, and the Divine Sect must welcome a new king as soon as possible to stabilize the hearts of its followers.¡±


    ¡°Welcome a new king?¡± Wanyan Layman sneered sarcastically, ¡°Where shall we welcome this new king from? Right now, we don¡¯t even know who the host chosen by the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire is, it is neither the First Saint Heir nor any of the six Saint Heirs.¡±


    As he spoke, his expression shifted; besides the six Saint Heirs, there was also a Third Saint Heir whose identity remained unknown.


    The only thing that could be certain right now was that the Third Saint Heir had been in Great Song within the East Continent and had appeared in Sha State.


    Upon hearing these words, Wan Lei frowned. She was not angered by Wanyan Layman¡¯s words, but became more worried.


    The current situation is indeed complicated, something that had never happened since the establishment of the Light God Sect.


    The primary body of ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire,¡¯ the Light Seal, had changed hands, and they didn¡¯t even know where to¡ª


    Wan Lei turned her head to look at Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan, ¡°Sage Master Gong, may I ask what insights the Saint Hall has?¡±


    The Saint Hall, established by the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, is responsible for teaching the believers and Divine Office holders, inheriting the Light Teachings and martial arts. Additionally, it is in charge of searching for and instructing the ¡®Saint Heirs¡¯ of the Sect and training the future ¡®King Ming¡¯ heirs and high-level Sect members of the Light God Sect.


    The Saint Hall comprises nine ¡®Light Saints,¡¯ also known as Fire Transmission Elders, among whom the leader is the Bright Sage Master.


    Although the Bright Sage Master is not listed among the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings, he holds a revered status, loved and revered by countless believers.


    Gong Bonan¡¯s expression was grave; without hesitation, his voice rang out firmly, ¡°We must follow the will of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire! We must promptly find the current owner of the Light Seal.¡±


    The presence of several Divine Envoys, Dharma Kings, and many Red Priests who heard this couldn¡¯t help but narrow their eyes.


    Follow the will of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire? That is to say, the Saint Hall has already acknowledged the new owner of Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire as the future King Ming of the Bright Holy Sect.


    The senior members of the Sect had actually anticipated Gong Bonan¡¯s words because this was the only choice.


    Otherwise, the vast Divine Sect would undoubtedly head towards division and crumble in an instant.


    Now only the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire,¡¯ firmly believed in by countless lay believers, can unite the hearts of the Sect.


    They then had varying expressions, either indifferent, bitterly helpless, noncommittal, unconcerned, or with a mocking glint in their eyes.


    The Wisdom Divine Envoy Xiao Xingyi looked at the cluster of vermilion flames on the altar emitting Infinite Bright Light and shaped like a lotus with complex eyes.


    He thought to himself that this was but an object, although personally forged by the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, although it is one of the three known ¡®Supreme Divine Artifacts,¡¯ and although it possesses its own Spiritual Wisdom, can it really choose the most suitable Sect Leader for the twenty-seven million believers of the Light God Sect? Can it really bring a true ¡®King Ming¡¯ to this tainted world?


    With a silent sigh, Wisdom Divine Envoy Xiao Xingyi collected his thoughts, ¡°We may consult the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy and the Invincible Dharma King. I speculate these two might know the whereabouts of the Light Seal.¡±


    When Xiao Xingyi mentioned the ¡®Invincible Dharma King,¡¯ including the Vice Sect Hierarchs Wan Lei and Wanyan Layman, everyone¡¯s faces showed a different light once again.


    ¡°Speaking of the invincible, should we first confirm the cause behind the demise of the previous Sect Hierarch?¡±


    That was the Judgment Divine Envoy, Zhuang Fatian, his expression cold and stern: ¡°A month before the incident, the previous King Ming repeatedly requested assistance from the Main Temple, claiming he was being hunted by the Invincible Dharma King and the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy. I think we must investigate this clear and understand, and summon the Invincible Dharma King and the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy to the Main Temple. They should explain and account to our twenty-seven million followers of the Light God Sect for their assault on the Sect Hierarch and harming our sect brethren.¡±


    Demon Suppression Divine Envoy Fang Junhao could not help but raise his eyebrows in surprise: ¡°Yin Qianqiu claimed he was hunted by the Invincible Dharma King? Is there such a thing?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t usually at the Main Temple, and he had only come on an important errand these few days. After hearing this, he first showed surprise, then his smile turned to one of irony mixed with relief.


    King Ming Yin Qianqiu had sought help from the Main Temple a month ago, yet none of these high-ranking officials, including those among the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, Seven Kings, extended a helping hand to this Sect Hierarch? How interesting.


    He then clasped his hands behind his back with a disdainful look: ¡°The previous King Ming? I don¡¯t recognize him as any previous King Ming! Everyone knows exactly what happened during that Sect Hierarch succession thirteen years ago.¡±


    During the year when the eleventh-generation Sect Hierarch was gravely injured until his death, it was Elder Wan Xin, the Vice Sect Hierarch, who took charge of wielding great power within the sect.


    When the time came for the Sect Hierarch to pass on the Holy Fire, not only were two of the Vice Sect Hierarchs from the Three Pillars absent, but the former Bright Sage Master wasn¡¯t even in front of the Sect Hierarch.


    Of the Seven Saint Heirs, only Yin Qianqiu, who was then the fourth Saint Heir, was at the Main Temple. It was said that before the Sect Hierarch¡¯s demise, Elder Wan Xin summoned a large number of mages who were busy for seven days setting up a grand formation at the Main Temple.


    While the Vice Sect Hierarch claimed that the purpose of the formation was to ensure the safety of passing on the Holy Fire, rumors later spread that Elder Wan Xin¡¯s real intention was to isolate the sensing of the Holy Fire.


    Afterwards, the former Bright Sage Master refused to recognize Yin Qianqiu¡¯s status as Sect Hierarch. Yin Qianqiu and Elder Wan Xin found a fault with him, stripped him of his role as the Bright Sage Master, and assigned him to the South Pole to guard the ¡®Tomb of King Ming¡¯.


    It¡¯s worth mentioning that this former Bright Sage Master was none other than the master of the Invincible Dharma King.


    This incident also marked the beginning of the division among the high-level officials within the sect.


    Demon Suppression Divine Envoy Fang Junhao had lost trust in the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.¡¯ If the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ could be deceived and manipulated by someone, then where is the divine in this Supreme Divine Artifact of the sect? Where is the holiness in this Supreme Holy Object?


    At this time, the Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling also let out a light chuckle: ¡°I think now we should investigate the details of the fire transmission ceremony thirteen years ago, as well as the case of the seventy-nine hundred thousand followers who were sacrificed and died tragically on Red Island in the South Sea. The Judgment Divine Envoy should also give an explanation to us and to the followers all over the world.¡±


    Zhuang Fatian¡¯s gaze was icy as he looked at Fang Junhao and Zhao Chongling: ¡°Each matter should be addressed on its own. The fire transmission ceremony and the case on Red Island thirteen years ago must be thoroughly investigated. However, the matter of the Invincible Dharma King and the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy murdering the Sect Hierarch also needs to be closed with punishment. Otherwise, what¡¯s the significance of our sect¡¯s teachings?¡±


    Demon Suppression Divine Envoy Fang Junhao shook his head, unconvinced, thinking that if even the Invincible Dharma King doesn¡¯t acknowledge Yin Qianqiu as King Ming, how could you convict her?


    ¡°Gentlemen! The identity of the Invincible Dharma King is questionable, perhaps an Outer Heaven Demon, we must be cautious! Furthermore, this woman, in her attempt to seize power within the sect, did not hesitate to use force to rebelliously try to murder the Sect Hierarch and snatch the Holy Fire. From my perspective, this matter definitely needs to be investigated and dealt with promptly. Otherwise, if everyone follows suit in the future, disregarding our sect¡¯s teachings, we¡¯ll be faced with endless troubles!¡±


    Vice Sect Hierarch Wan Lei the Wise swept a glance over those present, seeing that none of the ¡®Three Pillars, Five Envoys, Seven Kings¡¯ opposed, and Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan also nodded in agreement. She nodded slightly with satisfaction: ¡°Then, let¡¯s settle it this way, the Judgment Divine Envoy Zhuang Fatian will take charge of investigating the cause of the former Yin Qianqiu¡¯s death, as well as the truth behind the fire transmission ceremony and the blood sacrifice case on Red Island thirteen years ago.¡±


    She was about to say ¡®the previous King Ming¡¯ but stopped, then Vice Sect Hierarch Wan Lei spoke again with a more emphatic tone: ¡°Another matter, our sect is currently without a leader, and the identity of the new King Ming is unknown. We do not know when this Light Saint will be found. As the saying goes, ¡®a group of dragons cannot be without a head,¡¯ I believe that before a new king ascends, it¡¯s best to choose one among us to temporarily take the position of Sect Hierarch and protect our twenty-seven million followers of the Light God Sect!¡±


    However, upon Vice Sect Hierarch Wan Lei voicing this, the atmosphere became even more peculiar.


    The Martial Intent, momentum, and Divine Sense of the two Heaven Pillars and the Divine Envoys, Dharma Kings, even began to subtly clash with each other, splitting the void above the altar into several distinct spaces with vastly different auras.


    The Wise Divine Envoy Xiao Xingyi saw this and his eyebrows locked in a frown, his eyes filling with concern.


    He knew that Wan Lei the Wise had spoken with a sincere heart, without any personal agenda.


    The current situation of the Light God Sect was pressing and perilous, facing joint oppression and strikes by the six great Abysses. Troubles were lurking, and indeed, a powerful individual was needed to step forward and stabilize the situation within the sect.


    Yet, considering the current state of the sect, whoever would take the mantle of Sect Hierarch for this generation would find it hard to win the unanimous trust and recognition of all.


    Then there was the Invincible Dharma King, who could not be ignored, as she not only inherited the foundations and forces of the former Bright Sage Master within the sect but also cultivated a large number of top-notch experts to be her wings within a short six-year span.


    This woman was certainly not likely to back down; once she caused trouble for the Main Temple, the Light God Sect would immediately be at risk of being torn asunder.


    It was at this moment that Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan¡¯s expression shifted as he saw a stream of light approaching from a distance.


    It was a ¡®Million-Miles Flying Book,¡¯ flapping its ¡®wings,¡¯ flying towards Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan like a thunderbolt to hover in front of him.


    When Gong Bonan opened the Flying Book, he took out a letter from within, and his face immediately showed delight: ¡°It¡¯s the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy. She contacted me, saying she knows the location and identity of the new King Ming!¡±


    At the same time, Gong Bonan¡¯s eyes also showed puzzlement.


    Some details disclosed by the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy in the letter left him greatly perplexed.

 Chapter 664: 635: After the Battle (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 664: Chapter 635: After the Battle (Please Subscribe)


    Inside Luojing City, Luo Wangshu had already levitated and arrived in front of the palace.


    As she parted ways with Lin Rui, she warned with a solemn expression: ¡°Hao, the two things I warned you about earlier, you must take them to heart and be extremely cautious!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly as he bowed and replied: ¡°Disciple understands and will be doubly cautious.¡±


    The two matters Luo Wangshu warned about both related to the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯.


    Luo Wangshu believes that the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ is closely associated with the Great Sun Venerable, thus if Lin Rui can avoid using this Supreme Divine Artifact, he should, and he must also avoid any Soul Consciousness contact with the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ to prevent being tainted by it.


    However, while he avoids using it, Lin Rui must also quickly gain control over it; otherwise, he will eventually reveal his shortcomings in front of the Senior Divine Envoys and Super Divine Envoys and cannot hide it from the East Abyss.


    This sounds contradictory and is indeed very contradictory.


    Supreme Divine Artifacts like the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ require specific types of martial arts to be harnessed and utilized efficiently.


    Yin Qianqiu had cultivated six types of Reach the Sky martial arts related to the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ and had advanced them to the levels of True Truth and Great Success, only then could he control the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ and unleash thirty to forty percent of its divine power.


    The problem is, without practicing these Reach the Sky martial arts, Lin Rui can¡¯t cultivate them to the levels of True Truth and Great Success, hence he can¡¯t wield the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯; if he begins studying these Reach the Sky martial arts, he must utilize the power of the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, inevitably increasing his Divine Soul contact with it.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s suggestion is for Lin Rui not to learn those Cultivation Techniques from the Light God Sect, guessing he wouldn¡¯t have the means to learn them either.


    It would be best for Lin Rui to try and control the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ using his own Bloodline Ability ¡®Divine Heart Clarity¡¯ as a foundation, with his Abyss Source Material and Abyss Source Core.


    However, Lin Rui has other ideas regarding this matter.


    Luo Wangshu doesn¡¯t know that he has a Divine Artifact like the Battle Spirit Ring and has captured ¡®King Ming Yin Qianqiu¡¯ as his number four Battle Spirit.


    Lin Rui can completely skip the training process by copying Yin Qianqiu¡¯s Reach the Sky Martial Arts directly, thus quickly gaining control over the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯.


    The second thing Luo Wangshu warned about is the Light God Sect; the Light God Sect will definitely go to great lengths to search for the whereabouts of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and track down him, the new King Ming. Lin Rui must carefully consider how to handle this situation.


    Looking at the current situation of the Light God Sect, it harbors great risks.


    Especially that Invincible Dharma King, Luo Wangshu believes that this Invincible poses a significant threat to Lin Rui and must not be taken lightly.


    Lin Rui deeply trusted Luo Wangshu¡¯s judgment.


    Just observing this Invincible Dharma King, who dared to defy the regulations of the Light Church to attack King Ming Yin Qianqiu, reveals her ambitious nature; it shows her determination to claim the Sect Hierarch position of the Light God Sect.


    If this woman finds out that the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ is with him, she definitely won¡¯t give up easily.


    Thus Lin Rui felt an even more urgent need to gain control over the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯!


    With only the power of the Sixth Realm currently, trying to unleash the divine might of the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ would come at a high cost.


    However, this is still a form of strength, a very powerful strength, which could provide Lin Rui with some self-protection when facing the Invincible Dharma King.


    Luo Wangshu looked Lin Rui up and down with a glance, then with a heavy snort, soared into the air and flew towards Divine Scenery Mountain.


    Watching her departing figure, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but laugh wryly.


    His master was obviously still angry about the matter he had honestly confessed earlier, and yet she deeply cared for his situation and safety.


    Xianyu Yan, on the other hand, was pensive, Luo Wangshu¡¯s affection for Lin Rui far exceeded her expectations.


    She felt that the Master¡¯s feelings towards her disciple seemed somewhat abnormal, but why was that?


    Luo Wangshu didn¡¯t seem like the type to go for much younger men.


    Unaware of Xianyu Yan¡¯s thoughts, Lin Rui, in high spirits and joy, returned to the National Guardian Marquis Mansion with Ji Xueying, Shangguan Tianyi, and Xianyu Yan among others.


    As he arrived at the entrance of his own Marquis Mansion, he saw that it was crowded with over four hundred officials, distinguished individuals, and affluent magnates from various regions gathered outside seeking an audience. Their carriages filled the four streets in front of the mansion door, bustling as noisy as a market.


    When Lin Rui levitated down into the courtyard of the Marquis Mansion, the guardian of the National Guardian Marquis Mansion¡ªLu Hanyuan, also known as Lv Jingwei, approached to welcome him.


    ¡°Lord Marquis!¡± Lu Hanyuan looked curious and somewhat worried: ¡°Has the Divine Envoy returned to the palace? What was her reaction?¡±


    He was aware of Lin Rui¡¯s confrontation with Luo Wangshu and had been anxious about it.


    ¡°Master said, listen to my words and observe my deeds,¡± Lin Rui said with a slight smile, then looked towards the door: ¡°What¡¯s going on outside? Is it about the trade licenses?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just for the licenses; some are also presenting discipleship requests.¡±


    Lu Hanyuan shook his head, his eyes proud as he glanced outside: ¡°Lord Marquis and the Divine Envoy not only retrieved East Continent¡¯s Divine Tablet shard at Wanshi Mountain but also slayed King Ming Yin Qianqiu. This news had spread throughout the Capital by last night; moreover, this morning, news of Lord Marquis being granted the Second Rank Red Priest and the Blood Kuin Magic Cone spread, shaking both the court and the people. Thus, as soon as this morning¡¯s court session ended, many officials rushed here.¡±


    The battle at Wanshi Mountain successfully resolved the greatest crisis and hidden danger for Lin Hao and his disciple Luo Wangshu.


    And Lin Hao was not only granted the highly symbolic Magic Artifact ¡®Blood Kuin Magic Cone,¡¯ the Divine Palace also did not revoke the military authority previously granted to him.


    At this point, anyone with a bit of discernment in the court should realize that Luo Wangshu and ¡®Lin Hao,¡¯ the Hidden Crown Prince, had truly solidified their positions and were expected to remain stable for a long time to come.


    Thus, the authority to oversee Star Port trade and license issuance will surely remain in the hands of Lin Hao and his disciple, without further changes.


    Therefore, not only did many high-ranking officials and prominent merchants gather at the Marquis Mansion today, but also many aspiring young and low-rank officials, intending to become disciples under Lin Hao.


    ¡°I see.¡± Lin Rui nodded: ¡°Please handle this for me. Tell them I have urgent official duties and can¡¯t entertain guests. Accept their written requests, carefully screen them and deal with them later, and remember to treat them courteously; the lower their status, the more respectful we need to be. Oh, and Yi will be back at the mansion soon, have someone prepare a small courtyard for her.¡±


    Speaking of Lin Yi, Lin Rui¡¯s younger sister truly had it tough.


    Previously, Lin Yi arrived in the capital under the identity of ¡®Divine Law Heavenly Girl¡¯; however, she only stayed near Lin Rui in Luojing City for two days before she was dispatched by the court to investigate nationwide policy on medicine, salt, tea, and silk.


    Among these policies, the Emperor and the first and second Divine Envoys also inspected medicine policy cleanup, since it relates to military supplies, stirring turmoil in Great Song¡¯s officialdom and causing conflicts to erupt.


    However, the complexities involved in silk, salt, and tea policies were no less significant than those in medicine, grain, and military supplies.


    Fortunately, the assistants Lin Rui had assigned to Lin Yi were competent, and the scholars nationwide revered the ¡®Divine Law Heavenly Girl¡¯ greatly, daring not to act rashly. Lin Yi¡¯s inspections after leaving the capital went smoothly, uncovering embezzlements amounting to 34.3 million mo-fins in lost silver, plus twenty-three cases of corruption, bribery, and fraud, which have now been reported to the court.


    However, Lin Yi¡¯s current power was merely enough to deal with superficial issues for Great Song, as she dared not and lacked the power to delve deep into major problems.


    Additionally, Lin Yi herself was growing increasingly impatient. If not for her daily quantum communications with her brother providing reassurance, she would have rebelled and quit long ago.


    This time, it was Lin Rui who actively summoned Lin Yi back to the capital. He had acquired the Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder, which should further cleanse the contamination within his sister¡¯s Divine Soul and Abyss Source Material.


    What Lin Rui did not know was that, just as he hurriedly entered the Marquis Mansion¡¯s underground lead room, Qi Tianquan¡¯s Alien form, also known as the Medicine God Sect¡¯s Third Elder ¡®Ask the Good Doctor,¡¯ was slightly frowning and appeared troubled as he looked at the entrance of the Marquis Mansion.


    He then posted in the ¡®Longevity Association¡¯s License Group¡¯: I sensed Lin Hao went directly into the inner courtyard, looks like no chance today.


    Qi Tianquan initially wanted to use the term ¡®upstart,¡¯ but later feared being betrayed by the group¡¯s members.


    If someone screenshots his message to Lin Hao, he might fail to secure a trade license.


    Such disgusting acts are possible from this group of people in the Longevity Association.


    Qi Tianquan: This Hidden Crown Prince is really arrogant. Today, more than 400 of Great Song¡¯s elite gathered here, including 52 from the Ninth Realm, and yet he didn¡¯t meet with any of them.


    Yang Lingxiao: Can this Hidden Crown Prince not be arrogant? After he reported back, even the East Abyss permitted him to continue managing the military forces of eight states around the capital and all the Military Governors nearby. It¡¯s clear what the East Abyss intends.


    Chang Zhigao: A genuine Hidden Crown Prince indeed! If the Emperor of Great Song falters and fails to satisfy the East Abyss, he¡¯s likely to replace him.


    Yang Lingxiao: He also oversees trade and port opening. His talent is so high; being 6SSS+ at under 20 years old, the East Abyss isn¡¯t afraid of raising a threat.


    Calvin Andries: The steward of the Marquis Mansion has come out to collect the written requests. Indeed, no hope today. Those of you who have connections in the Marquis Mansion, please make a ¡®squeak¡¯ in the group, pull your brothers up a bit.


    Chang Zhigao: Qi, you are the high-profile one in front of the Marquis Mansion, aren¡¯t you from the Medicine God Sect? I heard your sect¡¯s Divine Law Heavenly Girl has a close relationship with the Marquis. Can you help us get through this channel?


    Just as Qi Tianquan saw this message, Lv Jingwei walked up to him to collect his written request.


    At that moment, Qi Tianquan noticed the steward of the Marquis Mansion looking at him unusually, scrutinizing him up and down.

 Chapter 665: 636: Mutation (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 665: Chapter 636: Mutation (Third Update, Please Subscribe)


    Lu Hanyuan glanced at Qi Tianquan and swiftly recalled the intelligence on this third elder of the Medicine God Sect, ¡®the Good Doctor.¡¯


    Recently, the Forest Group established an Intelligence Center, with the eldest lady Lin Xi taking the helm as the director of intelligence.


    The Intelligence Center has been confirming the identities of Alien Walkers like Qi Tianquan and Yang Lingxiao, suspecting this third elder of the Medicine God Sect among others.


    The higher the status and martial arts cultivation of an Alien Walker, the easier it is for others to recognize their identity.


    After all, there are only so many Martial Cultivators in the Eighth and Ninth Realms, and then there¡¯s the identifying mark of the Battle Dragon.


    Linghu Mingde was exposed in the past because his Battle Dragon was the same species as Zhao Yang, the Imperial Censor Commander¡¯s Battle Dragon.


    However, we must not startle the snake by hitting the grass.


    The strategy that Lu Hanyuan and Xue Lingxue formulated for the BOSS was ¡®to use two peaches to kill three warriors¡¯!


    We can¡¯t completely withhold trade licenses from the Longevity Association and the enemy, but we must use these licenses to provoke internal strife within the Longevity Association, even infighting and self-destruction.


    Before Qi Tianquan grew suspicious, Lu Hanyuan concealed his surprise and greeted Qi Tianquan with cupped hands: ¡°So it¡¯s the esteemed elder of the Medicine God Sect, my apologies, my apologies! The Divine Law Heavenly Maiden of your sect is on very good terms with our Marquis, and since you are an elder of the same sect as the Divine Law Heavenly Maiden, the National Guardian Marquis Mansion should certainly provide assistance. However, our Marquis is extremely busy with official duties and really cannot find the time today. Please forgive me, elder. You may leave your visiting card, and when our Marquis is available, he will invite you over.¡±


    Lu Hanyuan then instructed the doorman behind him: ¡°This is the third elder of the Medicine God Sect. Should the elder visit in the future, please escort him directly to the outer hall for tea and treat him with utmost respect.¡±


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s mind relaxed, it seems that the Hidden Crown Prince did not know his Alien identity yet.


    Qi Tianquan was aware that Lin Hao had a deep relationship with Lin Rui and were allies, which beforehand had made him very anxious.


    Additionally, during the selection for the ¡®Heavenly Emperor Dragon¡¯ Dragonlord in the past, Qi Tianquan had tampered with the process, intending to prevent the Divine Law Heavenly Maiden¡¯s succession. Qi Tianquan was also worried that the Hidden Crown Prince would learn of this.


    It was only at this moment that he truly felt at ease.


    Qi Tianquan then expressed his immense joy and respect with cupped hands: ¡°How dare I presume? How dare I? The Marquis is a Cabinet Minister and a Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau with countless matters at hand; his time is extremely precious like an inch of sunlight is worth an inch of gold. I wouldn¡¯t dare to ask too much; as long as the Marquis has time, any time will do.¡±


    With both hands, he presented his visiting card: ¡°Please also convey my compliments to Steward Lu, and regarding the opening of the Star Port, I would like to offer a significant sum to secure a spot in the star port market.¡±


    This time the Great Song has opened trade at the Star Port and issued two types of trade licenses: one is the starship trade license, aimed at powerful traders from the Earth Federation.


    The other is the Star Port resident merchant license, for those within the Great Song who are recognized by the Great Song court and have the trade qualifications to set up shop in the star port and become a resident merchant of the star port.


    Qi Tianquan knew that he had deeply offended Lin Rui and would likely not obtain a starship trade license; he no longer had a Starship Trading Company, so he wanted to become a resident merchant of the Star Port.


    Lu Hanyuan received Qi Tianquan¡¯s visiting card and sensed a one-thousand Divine Gold note within it.


    One thousand Divine Gold is worth at least one hundred million federal coins.


    Lu Hanyuan thought that Fei Yunlai and the rest must be green with envy.


    As the mansion steward, Lu Hanyuan had earned more than fifty billion federal coins in just one day.


    Even a Congressional Honorary Member must humble themselves before him, trying to ingratiate with the great steward of the Marquis Mansion.


    He bowed with his hands folded, his face full of smiles: ¡°Definitely, definitely! As soon as the Marquis has some time, I will make sure to deliver your card to him at the earliest opportunity.¡±


    At this moment, a flurry of messages exploded in the ¡®Longevity Association License Group.¡¯


    Yang Lingxiao: Old Qi, that Good Doctor is you, right? You¡¯ve managed to have a conversation with Steward Lu.


    Chang Zhigao: I told you Old Qi could do it. The Divine Law Heavenly Maiden listens to Lin Hao, and the Medicine God Sect respects the National Guardian Marquis. The National Guardian Marquis Mansion shouldn¡¯t ignore their presence.


    Kelvin Andre?s: Old Qi, could you do me a favor and introduce a few friends to Steward Lu for me?


    Qi Tianquan sneered inwardly, thinking how foolish these people were!


    For one, he could not possibly admit his Alien identity, and secondly, whether he could secure a seat as a resident merchant of the Star Port was still uncertain, so how could he haphazardly promise these so-called ¡®allies¡¯?


    Qi Tianquan: Enough already, don¡¯t listen to Old Chang¡¯s nonsense, how could I possibly be the Good Doctor?


    The group fell silent for a moment until Deputy President Brown joined the chat.


    Yang Lingxiao: Brown, what¡¯s going on with you? Didn¡¯t you say you could handle the Great Song Hidden Crown Prince this time? But now, he has already become a Second Rank Red Priest!


    Brown: Stop it, I got really unlucky this time. I was chased by Li Xianglong and his people, almost lost my life.


    Brown: Before, I suspected that this Lin Hao might be Lin Rui¡¯s Alien, but now it appears that I thought too much.


    Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan both showed subtle reactions upon seeing Brown¡¯s message; in fact, they had harbored similar suspicions before.


    But both had seen the video of Lin Hao summoning his Battle Dragon, which was a 6SSS+ level ¡®Blazing Emperor Yang Dragon¡¯!


    Brown: Anyway, things have changed. Lin Hao has now firmly secured his position as the Hidden Crown Prince, and it is difficult to get rid of him in Luojing. It¡¯s a tough situation, and we must collectively pool our strength this time to get as many licenses as possible.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    At this time, Lin Rui had entered the largest and most fortified lead room beneath the National Guardian Marquis Mansion.


    He was here to try out the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯!


    Ever since Lin Rui obtained the Light Seal, he had been eager to test out the supreme power of this Supreme Divine Artifact, but he hadn¡¯t found the opportunity until now.


    Lin Rui first tried to use his own Primordial Spirit to touch the Light Seal and harness the power of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.


    His gaze immediately sharpened as he sensed wisps of delicate yet powerful threads of light, tinged with the force of the Light Power, infiltrating his soul.


    Lin Rui recognized these threads of Light Power to be the ¡®Abyss Power¡¯, mainly originating from the Great Sun Venerable.


    Lin Rui¡¯s soul has been increasingly undergoing Abyss Transformation and he has regularly been helping Lin Xi and Lin Yi cleanse the Abyss Pollution, making him all too familiar with this sort of Abyss Level contamination of the Primordial Spirit, thus he was sensitive to its presence.


    He then tried to invoke the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ with his own ¡®Abyss Source Core¡¯ and ¡®Abyss Source Material¡¯, and subsequently inhaled sharply.


    This time, more threads of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire enshrouded him, deeply merging with his ¡®Abyss Source Core¡¯ and ¡®Abyss Source Material¡¯.


    A light flashed in Lin Rui¡¯s mind, speculating that the more past Sect Hierarchs of the Light Church utilized the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, the more severely they must have been contaminated by the Great Sun Venerable, right?


    But that¡¯s not right!


    Narrowing his eyes, Lin Rui thought that his master¡¯s advice to primarily use his own Abyss Source Core and Abyss Source Material to harness the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire was sensible. It wasn¡¯t a one-sided pollution; he himself was half Abyss, also contaminating them, meaning if the pollution seeping in was minimal, he could assimilate it himself.


    Lin Rui immediately opened the skill list of the Battle Spirit Ring No. 4.


    The Battle Spirit Ring No. 4¡¯s skills compatible with the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ consisted of six Martial Arts techniques, the main one being ¡®Bright Sun Divine Tribulation Skill¡¯, all bearing the suffix (Artifact), indicating the need for corresponding artifacts to execute them.


    Since Lin Rui¡¯s physical constitution was insufficient, these six Divine Illumination Martial Arts were currently unreplicable and could only be studied.


    Of course, Lin Rui would neither study nor practice them.


    The more he learned and the more diligently he trained, the faster the contamination and assimilation would occur.


    However, Lin Rui had his methods. He internally summoned the Battle Spirit Ring: ¡°Ring Spirit, please base it on the secret technique ¡®Divine Breath Blood Refinement¡¯, and using these six Divine Illumination Martial Arts as samples, help me deduce a Dragon Transformation Level secret technique that can control the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯!¡±


    ¡®Divine Breath Blood Refinement¡¯ originated from ¡®Muscle Transforming and Bone Refining¡¯, and previously, Lin Rui used this secret technique as a foundation, combined with the ¡®Divine Breath Technique¡¯ and ¡®Eighteen Stances of the Divine Gates¡¯ to create the ¡®Divine Breath Blood Refinement¡¯, which allowed some control over the Abyss Source Material within his Golden Core and Dragon Armor, pushing it to the Grandmaster Level.


    Lin Rui figured that to control the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ with Sixth Realm Cultivation, it would still depend on this secret technique.


    The Artifact Spirit immediately replied: The related deduction is possible, with the current completeness of the Battle Spirit Ring, a Dragon Transformation Level secret technique that can control 25% of the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ can be deduced, requiring 3,500,000 soul power points, shall we commence the deduction?


    The corners of Lin Rui¡¯s mouth twitched slightly; this time in the mining caves, he garnered a total of only 5.2 million soul power points, and now the Battle Spirit Ring was set to use up more than half of it.


    However, thinking of the East Abyss and that Divine Envoy, Lin Rui gnashed his teeth slightly: ¡°Deduce!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lin Rui felt as if his brain was about to explode.


    His consciousness began to connect to the sky, reaching down to the root, touching the Heavenly Curtain above and linking to the Root below.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Divine Soul simultaneously transformed into a top-tier supercomputer, deducing and computing all related knowledge extracted from the Heavenly Curtain and the Root.


    This deduction took quite a while, lasting a full two hours before completion.


    Prompt: Deduction complete, please name the new secret technique.


    ¡°It shall be called the Sun-controlling Divine Technique!¡±


    At this time, Lin Rui experienced an immense headache, feeling as if his elemental power was burnt out and his soul was utterly exhausted.


    He hastily consumed several Elixirs and injected himself with two syringes, sitting quietly for a full hour before recovering.


    His eyes filled with shock and doubt: ¡°Indeed, the Heavenly Curtain and the Root!¡±


    The Battle Spirit Ring had indeed scoured for all information related to controlling the Power of the Abyss from the Heavenly Curtain and the Root.


    The problem was, Lin Rui acquired the Battle Spirit Ring 2000 years ago, at which time humanity had not yet made contact with the Sky Extreme Star.


    How could his Battle Spirit Ring reach the Heavenly Curtain and the Root?


    But that¡¯s not right! Not only the Heavenly Curtain and the Root, but also the Earth Federation¡¯s fourteen Base Cities¡ª


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils dilated; he had a faint perception that there seemed to be a ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯ present in each of the fourteen Base Cities as well.


    Lin Rui felt even more bewildered, then shook his head, reeling in his thoughts, and began to harness the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire using the ¡®self-created¡¯ Sun-controlling Divine Technique.


    Moments later, a silver-white Holy Fire began to burn in the palm of Lin Rui¡¯s hand.


    This time he controlled the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire with much more ease, and the threads of light infiltrating his Primordial Spirit and flesh greatly diminished.


    Although at the moment he could only ignite one of the various Conceptual Powers within the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡ªjust like with his own Pure Concept, at 100% intensity!


    But if he mixed several, the intensity of the concepts would significantly decrease.


    Just then, Lin Rui heard some noise behind him.


    He quickly turned to look, only to see the lead room¡¯s doors slowly opening, and a battle armor standing outside resembling the Heavenly Demon Wisdom Dragon Type 9 Exoskeleton Armor, yet more ferocious and extravagant, approximately eighteen feet tall.


    ¡°Mad Dragon Battle Armor? Are you Invincible?¡± Lin Rui¡¯s pupils constricted sharply.


    He wondered about the defense system of the National Guardian Marquis Mansion; what about Xianyu Yan and the others?


    At the moment, the Invincible Dharma King was also looking at him, eyeing the silver-white Holy Fire in his hands: ¡°This Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, it truly is in your possession!¡±

 Chapter 666: 637: The Source of Bloodline (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 666: Chapter 637: The Source of Bloodline (Please Subscribe)


    Lin Rui glanced outside and swept his Divine Thought outward.


    He discovered that Xianyu Yan, Ji Xueying, and Shangguan Tianyi had all collapsed at the doorway, motionless,


    to Lin Rui¡¯s relief, the three of them were still alive, showing vital signs¡ªit seemed they were just knocked unconscious.


    Lin Rui felt his scalp tingle; this Invincible Dharma King was able to incapacitate the three powerful guardians by his side in an instant, which even included Xianyu Yan of Quasi-Member Level.


    How formidable was her strength?


    Moreover, the security system overseen by Lin Xi, jointly built by Lin Guangming and Wang Yinyue within the Marquis Mansion, hadn¡¯t made a sound throughout this ordeal.


    It was evident that the Invincible Dharma King also possessed extremely powerful hacking abilities!


    The Intelligence Center of the Security Bureau now analyzed that the Invincible Dharma King was very likely an Alien Walker from the Federation side¡ªLin Rui now felt this made a lot of sense.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; they are fine. I just let them take a short nap, but whether they live or die next depends on you.¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King, with her hands behind her back, spoke in a cold voice: ¡°I would like to invite the National Guardian to join me on a visit to the Main Temple of the Light God Sect, and we must leave immediately.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s scalp tingled and he realized he probably had no choice.


    He held two complete Conceptual Powers in his hands, but using such Abyss Divine Power in Luojing City would be tantamount to having a death wish.


    Lin Rui had already sensed incredibly strong electromagnetic interference; the woman¡¯s control over electromagnetism was simply astonishing.


    In this aspect, he was quite skilled too, being able to hack into most of the Federation¡¯s security systems with electromagnetism, yet compared to the Invincible, Lin Rui was just a minor figure beside a great one.


    What he grasped were corresponding techniques; he knew the ¡®what¡¯ but not the ¡®why¡¯, whereas this woman was a true hacker.


    After a moment of contemplation, Lin Rui tentatively asked: ¡°I can go with you, but I want to check on their condition first.¡±


    Seeing the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s indifferent attitude, he added another sentence: ¡°Can I bring some Magic Artifacts, along with a set of Exoskeleton Battle Armor? And take my Battle Dragon with me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite good at overstepping,¡± the voice of the Invincible Dharma King grew several degrees colder: ¡°I¡¯m giving you only 50 breaths; make it quick, and I advise you not to attempt to call for help, unless you wish them dead.¡±


    Lin Rui had indeed considered asking for Luo Wangshu¡¯s help, but after some reflection, he dismissed the idea.


    Lin Rui could see that the Invincible Dharma King harbored no malice or intent to kill him, and furthermore, the matter involved Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire; blowing the lid off the situation would be disadvantageous for him.


    He quickly gathered a few things in the basement, then checked on the condition of the guards.


    Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying were in a relatively good state; even though they were unconscious, their Divine Souls and bodies were unharmed.


    Only Xianyu Yan was injured, and quite severely; her brain and internal organs had suffered trauma, with some parts even collapsing.


    Lin Rui guessed that Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying did not resist and were probably knocked unconscious without even noticing.


    Xianyu Yan must have reacted, but could not make any commotion.


    The Invincible Dharma King had struck heavily, resolving the issue with one hit.


    Lin Rui¡¯s mood grew even colder; the gap between 8SSS+ and 8SSS shouldn¡¯t be this wide.


    The reason she was rated 8SSS+ may also be like Linghu Mingde in the past; simply because there is no higher ranking after SSS+ for bloodline assessment.


    The Invincible Dharma King was even stronger than Linghu Mingde of that time! Much stronger! An Eight Realms body qualified to enter Divine Envoy Level?


    Lin Rui immediately took action, pulling out several Golden Needles and inserting them into various acupoints of Xianyu Yan¡¯s body, then injecting her with two syringes.


    The Invincible Dharma King watched this scene, her eyes showing a hint of surprise.


    ¡°You can practice medicine too? Your needling technique is quite impressive¡ª¡±


    She did not intervene, and only after Lin Rui had finished treating the injuries did they head towards exit No.3 of the underground base.


    That exit was not only connected to the basement of the Marquis Mansion but also indirectly to the Sky Pond; the Invincible had entered from there.


    Less than half a moment after Lin Rui left with the Invincible Dharma King, Xianyu Yan was the first to wake up.


    She pressed her forehead, her eyes filled with confusion, wondering what happened? How did she become unconscious?


    Then Xianyu Yan¡¯s pupils slightly narrowed, recalling a scene.


    It was when she sensed movement behind her and drew her sword in a reflex to turn around¡ªa vision of Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi simultaneously collapsing while standing between them, a figure about eighteen feet tall, resembling the Demon Dragon type 9 Exoskeleton Armor but larger, the Heavenly Demon Armor.


    It was the Invincible Dharma King¡ª


    Xianyu Yan shivered and felt a chill down her spine.


    At this very moment, Xianyu Yan noticed that Lin Rui had added her and Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi, who were still unconscious, to a chat group.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Xianyu, you¡¯re awake now, right? Don¡¯t panic. The Invincible Dharma King from the Light God Sect has invited me to their Main Temple as a guest. I saw she was quite sincere, so I followed her.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I might not be able to come back for three to five days, so keep calm within the Marquis Mansion and do not disclose to anyone about me being invited away by the Invincible Dharma King. You can announce externally that I am cultivating a secret technique, which may take about ten days.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): You can inform my mentor first; if there are any matters in the court that you can¡¯t handle, you can ask her for help.


    After reading this, Xianyu Yan¡¯s face turned even paler.


    She remembered the incident, decades ago, of the Crown Prince¡¯s demise, and suddenly felt overwhelmed with a deep sense of powerlessness.


    Fifty years ago, she was powerless to protect the Crown Prince. Fifty years later, is she still powerless to protect her current master¡ª


    And that Invincible, she is really so strong!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Twenty thousand miles east of Luojing City, above the Cloud Sky, inside a Flying Boat created from a transformed Federation Guardian Battleship, Lin Rui received a million-mile talisman letter sent by the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy.


    The content of the talisman letter was a warning to him that the Invincible Dharma King had suspected that ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ was on him, and it was very likely that she would come looking for him, advising Lin Rui to be careful and preferably to hide by Luo Wangshu¡¯s side.


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips twitched slightly, thinking that this warning came too late! The very Invincible Dharma King they spoke of was sitting right behind him, pressing a palm against him.


    The Invincible Dharma King sitting behind Lin Rui, however, was frowning deeply.


    She had just tried to strip the Bright Holy Seal from this ¡®Lin Hao.¡¯


    As expected, the attempt failed. The Invincible Dharma King barely exerted any force before she encountered a strong counterattack from the Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder.


    She could forcibly remove the ¡®Bright Holy Seal¡¯ from Lin Hao¡¯s body, but in doing so, the Invincible herself would pay a great price, one so significant that the Abyss Divine Artifact in her hand could be completely destroyed, and her Power Body could be damaged by half.


    The Invincible Dharma King had actually never held out hope.


    She had long realized that this ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ was the vessel chosen by the Great Sun Divine Venerable and the Seventh Generation King Ming.


    The ¡®Bright Holy Seal¡¯ did not choose her as the host before, and probably would not in the future either.


    This was not necessarily a bad thing for her, but what surprised the Invincible Dharma King was that she could not sense or probe the structure inside Lin Hao¡¯s brain and spine.


    It was guarded by an Abyss Level power, preventing her invasion, even causing her a secret palpitation.


    The Invincible Dharma King also had a vague feeling that this Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song might not be as easily manipulated as she had previously thought!


    This person might also have a trump card, powerful enough to fight with her!


    Besides, there was another thing that puzzled the Invincible Dharma King.


    The young man before her gave her an extremely familiar feeling, even a sense of bloodline connection.


    The Invincible Dharma King stared intently: ¡°Lin Hao, are you an Outer Heaven Demon?¡±


    Judging from the situation at the National Guardian Marquis Mansion¡¯s basement, this person had deep connections with Outer Heaven Demons.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui was calm. He did not answer directly but smiled and said: ¡°Dharma King, not only have I passed the highest level of Heavenly Demon Test, but I have also been blessed with the National Guardian Dragon Seal,¡±


    His ¡®Divine Breath Blood Refinement¡¯ had evolved, into the Sun-controlling Divine Technique, which the Invincible should not sense the Smart Biological Chip within him.


    The Invincible Dharma King thought it reasonable; the key point was that she just now could not sense any emotional fluctuations within Lin Rui.


    Yet, the gaze of the Invincible Dharma King became more puzzled: ¡°Lin Hao, does your bloodline originate from the Seventh Generation Sect Leader of the Light God Sect?¡±


    Lin Rui was startled upon hearing this, then he understood.


    He knew from where the three drops of Essence Blood his parents left for him and his siblings came!


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, I guess? But I¡¯m not sure, all I know is that since I started practicing, I¡¯ve been especially close to the elemental powers of Light, Thunder, and Fire, and my cultivation speed has been particularly fast.¡±


    Lin Rui turned his head, curiously looking at the Invincible Dharma King behind him: ¡°However, what does this have to do with Her Excellency the Dharma King? May I ask, can you tell me the purpose of inviting me to the Divine Sect?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, it is to invite you to take over as King Ming.¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King¡¯s face was expressionless as she withdrew her hand, stood up, and slowly walked to the front of the boat: ¡°Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire is our Sect¡¯s Supreme Divine Artifact, and you are its new chosen master. Who else but you for the position of King Ming?¡±


    Lin Rui was extremely troubled by this statement.


    He had guessed some of it, but still felt unacceptable after hearing the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s words: ¡°Dharma King, you want me to leave the position of the Hidden Crown Prince, the future Divine Envoy, only to become a King Ming whose position may not last from dawn till dusk?¡±


    In the Great Song, Lin Rui was a future national leader with boundless prospects.


    But if he went to the Divine Sect, he would merely be the head of a cult.


    A Sect Hierarch seemed to wield endless glory, but in truth, he would have no foundation within the Divine Sect, and would most likely become a puppet, with limited authority.


    Moreover, the current internal situation of the Divine Sect was not good. From the information Lin Rui now possessed, this Cult was nearing dissolution.


    ¡°You can choose to refuse.¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King clenched her fist, making a series of bursting sounds, then placed her hands behind her back: ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to give up your role as the Hidden Crown Prince; your identity in the Great Song is quite beneficial to my Divine Sect. Once you officially take over as the head of the Divine Sect, you can return to Luojing and continue being the National Guardian Marquis!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui frowned: ¡°And then what? I take the position of Sect Hierarch, but what benefit does this bring for you, Dharma King? Could it be that you want me to entrust all the Sect Hierarch¡¯s authority to you?¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King turned to glance at him, nodding slightly in approval: ¡°You are very intelligent!¡±


    With a slight gesture, she said: ¡°The moment I want you to take over as King Ming, appoint me as ¡®Regent Deputy Sect Leader,¡¯ and entrust all affairs of the Sect to me.¡±


    In that instant, the area around the Invincible Dharma King resonated with a thunderous battlefield. A domineering and formidable Martial Intent and Conceptual Power instantly covered the entire Flying Boat, even spreading far into the distant Cloud Sky.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, relaxed a little, loosening the gathered Holy Fire power and the two Abyss Concepts that he had been mobilizing with the accompanying Battle Dragon.


    Since she wanted him to be a puppet Sect Leader, and he could still return to the Great Song, there was no need to ¡®pull the trigger.¡¯


    However, this was the advantage of mastering the ¡®Sun-controlling Divine Technique¡¯; at least he had the qualifications to pull the trigger and go head-to-head with the Invincible.

 Chapter 667: 638: The Source of the Invincible (Subscribe Request)

    Chapter 667: Chapter 638: The Source of the Invincible (Subscribe Request)


    The Invincible Dharma King, accompanied by ¡®Lin Hao¡¯, was on his way to the Main Temple of the Light God Sect when the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy arrived at the southern island of Sky Extreme Star.


    Located to the south of the Southern Continent, in the land of Sky Extreme, to the east of this area, there are a total of five ¡®King Ming Tombs¡¯, among which the tomb of the Seventh Generation King Ming is the most majestic and spectacular, its aura towering.


    It has also been the burial site for successive Sect Leaders of the Light God Sect since the Seventh Generation King Ming.


    After Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy flew over this place with a Magic Artifact, she looked towards Luojing City with slight concern.


    ¡°I wonder if King Ming has received the Flying Book I sent to remind him?¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy had only sent the Flying Book to Lin Hao this morning.


    She did not intentionally delay until that time, but it took her a while to extricate herself from Sky Pond, and then some effort to retrieve her spare Magic Artifact stored in Luojing City.


    Although the Invincible Dharma King had rescued her, during the journey, she was not allowed to have any communicative Magic Artifact, to prevent Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy from sending messages.


    Therefore, it was only this morning that she was able to send the warning to Lin Hao.


    Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy then landed silently in front of the tomb of the Seventh Generation King Ming.


    She looked around and sensed that the Light Power in this place had grown stronger.


    Since the era of the Seventh Generation King Ming, every time a King Ming was buried here, the Light Power of this place grew stronger.


    Thus, this place is also regarded as the ¡®Bright Pure Land¡¯ by the Light God Sect, the ultimate refuge for the Light believers.


    Additionally, the mausoleum prepared for the Twelfth Generation King Ming, Yin Qianqiu, had also half been constructed.


    However, this mausoleum was destined not to be completed, firstly because Yin Qianqiu¡¯s body and Battle Dragon had both shattered, and secondly because of the great controversy over her ¡®King Ming¡¯ position; the new king¡¯s successors would surely not allow the sect to continue investing resources into this tomb after taking over.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy then saw an old man with white eyebrows and white hair, sitting in front of the tombstone of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader.


    He was barely five feet tall, much shorter than an adult male from Sky Extreme Star, his face covered with wrinkles and marks of weathering years, while his eyes were deep and distant, exuding a sense of wisdom and authority.


    ¡ª¡ªThis was the ¡®Bright Sage Master¡¯ Cheng Zaotian of the Light God Sect, also the revered master of the Invincible Dharma King, the creator of the Invincible Dharma King himself.


    In the past, Cheng Zaotian ceded the position of ¡®Bright Sage Master¡¯ on the condition of conferring the Invincible as one of the ¡®Seven Dharma Kings¡¯.


    At the time, no one in the Light God Sect anticipated that the Invincible Dharma King would amass such a large force within just five years, becoming such a formidable entity!


    ¡°Is it little Tian Xiang?¡± Cheng Zaotian also looked in the direction of the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy; he gave a faint smile, his expression warm and kind: ¡°Come sit down, haven¡¯t seen you for years, you have grown into a fine young lady.¡±


    In the past, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy served as the ¡®Attendant to the Heavenly Maiden of Fire¡¯ in the sect, and she had a close relationship with him.


    However, Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy¡¯s expression was extremely grave; she first respectfully bowed to Cheng Zaotian: ¡°Bright Sage Master, my presence here today is for the Invincible Dharma King, as well as to avert a great catastrophe within the sect. Now, perhaps only you in person can persuade the Invincible.¡±


    Hearing this, Cheng Zaotian froze for a moment, then pondered: ¡°Is it about the Sect Hierarch succession? I sensed the change in the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, Yin Qianqiu has fallen, a new king has risen, are you worried the Invincible might assassinate the new king again, seeking to seize the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire? Little Tian Xiang, can you tell me what kind of person is the new main wielder of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, the new King Ming?¡±


    Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy furrowed her brows, she also thought that Lin Hao¡¯s identity as the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song was useful to the Light God Sect, hence the fewer who knew about Lin Hao¡¯s identity, the better.


    Understanding her expression, Cheng Zaotian chuckled wryly: ¡°Can¡¯t mention the identity of this King Ming? Do you see a need for concealment in your view? Then surely, he isn¡¯t someone from within our Divine Sect. Your hurried visit to seek my help indicates that this person¡¯s cultivation isn¡¯t yet capable of contending with Invincible.¡±


    Caught off-guard by his words, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy replied with a tone of admiration: ¡°Wise Bright Sage Master!¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Cheng Zaotian grinned, ¡°The Invincible is not insane; how could she not know that killing two successive wielders of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire in quick succession would lead to repercussions, and even provoke an uprising within the sect!


    Although the Invincible fears nothing, this is not something she would wish to see, and it would also run counter to her aspirations. If you are still worried, I can later write a letter for you to deliver to the Invincible.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy¡¯s eyebrows knitted together, her expression partly skeptical.


    However, the words of Cheng Zaotian that followed eased the mind of the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, and then she spoke with a clear voice: ¡°I still want to know, what exactly is the identity of the Invincible? Is she an Outer Heaven Demon?¡±


    The publicly known origin of the Invincible Dharma King, Li Weiliang, was as one of the descendants of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader.


    The name of this woman was rather casually chosen; it is said that during the pregnancy, the father was boating on the lake with a concubine, feeling very cool when touched by the water, hence upon returning, they named the Invincible Dharma King ¡®Weiliang¡¯.


    It is said that the lineage of this Dharma King is legitimate and unproblematic, but in recent years, Li Weiliang has shown capabilities that are increasingly reminiscent of an Outer Heaven Demon.


    ¡°An invincible identity?¡± Cheng Zaotian slightly frowned upon hearing this, then rose to his full height, his gaze flickering uncertainly as he looked up at the starry sky above the Heavenly Curtain.


    After a long while, Cheng Zaotian sighed, ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t be speaking of this, but Tian Xiang, I¡¯m nearing death. I cannot take this secret into the Heavenly Curtain, nor leave you with this hidden danger.¡±


    He turned to look at the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy: ¡°However, Tian Xiang, you must base this on your Primordial Spirit, and swear by the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, only if your life span is about to end, only if the Light God Sect faces an existential crisis, or if you believe what Invincible has done truly endangers the survival of the Light God Sect, otherwise you must never reveal Invincible¡¯s identity.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy was utterly astonished.


    Cheng Zaotian is at the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank! He¡¯s a being of the Senior Divine Envoy Level with a lifespan that can exceed 1800 years, yet he has only lived for 600 years¡ªhow can he possibly be dying?


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy soon realized, the strength of Invincible Dharma King must definitely be connected to Cheng Zaotian!


    It was the unique Power Body that could only be cultivated by someone like the Bright Sage Master that created the invincible Li Weiliang!


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy felt extremely displeased in her heart, Cheng Zaotian¡¯s power should have been used on the newly appointed King Ming.


    Yet, her face showed no sign of abnormality; she raised her right hand and repeated according to Cheng Zaotian¡¯s words: ¡°¡ªShould I break this oath, my Primordial Spirit shall be incinerated by the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯!¡±


    Cheng Zaotian watched steadily at the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy until she completed her oath, then he said: ¡°My disciple Li Weiliang is definitely not an Outer Heaven Demon! She is an Alien Walker who went to the Heavenly Demon Origin under my command to study the biotechnologies of Heavenly Demon creatures. She is the progeny of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, thus although not a member of the Light God Sect, she acknowledges me as her master, but her alien variant in the Heavenly Demon Origin has been dead for six years already.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy blinked, then incredulously thought: ¡°Her alien variant is dead? How is that possible?¡±


    Having communicated with the Outer Heaven Demons for eight hundred years, Sky Extreme Star has initially understood their attributes; once a creature¡¯s original form dies, its alien variant will also perish, or turn into a living dead, with no exceptions below the ranks of Nine Realms Emperor.


    Recently, some skilled mages speculated that this phenomenon might be related to the ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯.


    If Li Weiliang¡¯s original form is dead, how could her possessed alien variant still retain its self-awareness?


    It is known that at that time, Li Weiliang had not yet joined the Light God Sect and supposedly her Cultivation only reached the Sixth Realm Emperor Rank!


    ¡°I also found it strange. At that time, Li Weiliang had turned into a living dead for nine days already, I desperately wanted to save her, but there was nothing I could do.¡±


    Cheng Zaotian smiled sarcastically, then his tone became serious: ¡°What¡¯s surprising is that nine days later, just when I was prepared to end her life, Li Weiliang woke up from this body!


    However, she must have been influenced by the ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯, not only did all her memories from before disappear, but her Primordial Spirit also showed signs of deep contamination by five Abyssal powers.¡±


    Cheng Zaotian¡¯s eyes expressed awe: ¡°It¡¯s said that even if she were to awake, she should have become a madwoman, but Li Weiliang¡¯s obsession is particularly strong. After awakening, not only did she maintain clarity in her Divine Sense, but she also stole some powers belonging to the Abyss.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy became even more astonished upon hearing this.


    It is said that within the Heavenly Curtain, all souls below the Nine Realms Emperor cannot maintain their self-awareness, nor can they retain their memories.


    Those memories would merge into the Heavenly Curtain and be absorbed away.


    Even those demons with obsession as their core are no exception, all becoming part of the Heavenly Curtain and the root.


    Yet she was even more puzzled: ¡°With such a background, shouldn¡¯t the Sage Master be more cautious and vigilant towards her? Why then does he cultivate Invincible without any reservations?¡±


    Cheng Zaotian shook his head, his voice leisurely: ¡°You should know the prophecy I told King Ming half a year ago? Actually, I lied to him, that prophecy was obtained six years ago, and it¡¯s missing the most crucial sentence.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy naturally knew of this prophecy¡ªThe true Light is beyond heaven, in the Void Realm, after pain and despair!


    It is said Cheng Zaotian sought it from that famously renowned Tenth Realm Stargazer!


    Cheng Zaotian¡¯s eyes started to become fervent: ¡°The sentence is ¡®The true Light is beyond heaven, in the Void Realm, after pain and despair, at the junction of life and death¡¯, thus, even if Invincible Dharma King Li Weiliang is not the true Light, she must definitely be a part of destiny!¡±


    Just as he was speaking, a streak of light suddenly flew over from outside.


    That was a Flying Book from a million miles away. Cheng Zaotian caught it, his expression shifting slightly, his face regained a smile: ¡°Invincible is requesting the Main Temple to convene the Light God Sect¡¯s grand assembly to witness the succession of the new king, see! I told you not to worry.¡±


    At this moment, in the mind of the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, there was a tumult of shocking waves.

 Chapter 668: 639: In the Sky (Request for Subscription)

    Chapter 668: Chapter 639: In the Sky (Request for Subscription)


    Half a day later, the Flying Boat Magic Artifact of the Invincible Dharma King arrived in the airspace above a sea area south of the ¡®Central Sea¡¯.


    Lin Rui then found out that his 8SS model Emperor Exoskeleton Armor was unnecessary, as the Invincible Dharma King had arranged for someone to deliver him a set.


    That person was a gaunt middle-aged man with white hair, resembling a skeleton, carrying a two-zhang-tall box, flew onto the Magic Artifact Flying Boat.


    After saluting the Invincible Dharma King, the man inspected Lin Rui, who wore the exoskeleton armor and face mask.


    ¡°Is it him?¡±


    The white-haired middle-aged man, not only cold in appearance but also with piercingly sharp eyes, asked, ¡°The Artifact Spirit of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire has chosen such a person? Seems to have only reached the Sixth Realm?¡±


    Lin Rui quickly scrolled through the information about this person in his mind¡ªSkull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch, Li Guchan.


    This was not only a top expert at the Nine Realms Super Monarch Rank but also a top Mechanical Master, capable temporarily reaching Divine Envoy Level combative power with his mechanical prowess, recognized as the ¡®left hand¡¯ of the Invincible Dharma King and one of her most powerful generals.


    This person originally belonged to the Mechanical God Temple, holding a significant position ¡°Junior Leader of Heaven,¡± but rebelled against the Temple thirty years ago and became a rogue cultivator.


    It was said when Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch met the Invincible Dharma King, not only was he severely injured, nearly on the brink of annihilation, but his Primordial Spirit was severely distorted, nearly demonized.


    Yet, in just a few years, Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch¡¯s strength returned to its peak, even advancing to the Nine Realms Super Monarch, thereafter serving under the Invincible Dharma King as one of her strongest generals.


    Upon checking the reasons for his betrayal, Lin Rui thought ¡®Damn.¡¯


    It was actually related to Wang Yinyue; this skeleton-like guy turned out to be hopelessly infatuated.


    Lin Rui already envisioned in his mind wielding a hoe to dig at the foundation, but now was not the time.


    Lin Rui courteously clasped his hands to the white-haired middle-aged man: ¡°I¡¯ve seen Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch!¡±


    The white-haired man frowned. Though unable to see Lin Rui¡¯s face, he instinctively sensed that this person might harbor ill will towards him.


    ¡°Do not be impolite! Though King Ming¡¯s cultivation is low, his bloodline has reached the Super Monarch level, with boundless potential.¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King looked at the box: ¡°How is this battle armor modification going?¡±


    The white-haired man looked surprised again at Lin Rui. A bloodline talent of the Super Emperor Rank at the Sixth Realm?


    From what he knew, only the Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song and Lin Rui, a young genius from the Earth Federation, could achieve this, along with two followers around them.


    According to intelligence, it seemed Shangguan Tianyi might be playing both sides.


    Lin Hao and Lin Rui were allies, seemingly sharing subordinates.


    The white-haired man shook his head, wondering what had happened to the world? Such Abyss Level geniuses had all emerged in the same era.


    He then slapped the wooden box, revealing the one zhang nine Heavenly Demon Armor inside.


    Seeing the armor, Lin Rui knew it was modified from the ¡®Emperor¡¯ model 9, taking it as a core and adding many attachments, expanding the Emperor model 9¡¯s height of less than 260 centimeters to one zhang nine.


    ¡°Based on your request, I added a stealth concealment system and lowered the control requirements; it can be controlled at the Sixth Realm, but its overall combat power has dropped quite a lot, only reaching Nine Realms Super Emperor. I named it ¡®Hidden Dragon.''¡±


    The white-haired man looked suspiciously at the Invincible Dharma King: ¡°Are you really giving this battle armor to him? This might be the last Nine Realm battle armor I can modify for the short term, as the Longevity Association is already wary of us, making it hard to order high-intensity parts from them, let alone get 9 type battle armor substrates, since those biological elixirs have been completely out of stock for three months.


    Plus, we¡¯re out of money, Vasiliyev that arms dealer can sell anything, but he demands a high price, we have to pay several times more to get goods from them.¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King¡¯s expression was indifferent, unfazed: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will find a way for the parts and battle armor substrates, as well as those medicines. As long as we control the Light God Sect, having those twenty-seven million believers, the Outer Heaven Demons will seek us out on their own initiative.¡±


    Skull Mechanic Sky Monarch Li Gu Chan shook his head disapprovingly: ¡°Dharma King, I feel the Longevity Association is already very cautious of us, and Vasiliyev keeps raising the prices. The stronger your power, the less support they offer, unless you are willing to bow down to them, it¡¯s difficult for us to get goods from their channels again.


    Moreover, now is not a good time to take over the Light God Sect. Although the Light God Sect has twenty-seven million believers, it also means twenty-seven million mouths to feed. For the past twelve years, Yin Qianqiu has been extravagantly supporting Elder Wan Xin¡¯s entry into the Longevity Realm, basically draining the Light God Sect¡¯s resources, and ¬FÔÚ on it¡¯s surviving on the business acumen of Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling. However, Zhao Chongling has always had disputes with you, and once you take over the church affairs, he definitely won¡¯t cooperate.¡±


    Moreover, as they say, you can¡¯t make bricks without straw; the current situation of the Light God Sect is truly difficult. Initially, neither the Four Great Dynasties nor the Central Continent officials dared to impose taxes on the Light believers, but now with both Wan Xin and Yin Qianqiu fallen, the situation of our church has drastically changed, the upcoming period is certain to be filled with hidden currents and even stormy waves.¡±


    Lin Rui silently listened nearby, wondering if this Vasiliyev was that recent good friend he met? His business was quite extensive.

 Chapter 669: 639: In the Sky (Request for Subscription)_2

    Chapter 669: Chapter 639: In the Sky (Request for Subscription)_2


    Lin Rui originally thought that this Invincible Dharma King could completely do business with him. His Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals need not be mentioned, having already mastered top-level sales channels, and even ¡®Forest Heavy Industry¡¯ supported the scene, capable of independently manufacturing all warfare machinery below type 7, as well as processing some high-specification parts.


    However, the moment he heard that the Invincible Dharma King and the Light God Sect were out of money, his interest dissipated, realizing they were just a bunch of paupers.


    The Invincible Dharma King frowned upon hearing this.


    She then glanced at Lin Hao beside her, knowing he was the Hidden Crown Prince who controlled the trade authority of the East Continent, and her expression returned to calm: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have ways to handle the financial aspect, Zhao Chongling wouldn¡¯t be so insensitive. As for that so-called Furious Storm Direwolf, I will handle it. Even without Yin Qianqiu, there is still me, Li Weiliang.¡±


    ¡°Dharma King, if you utilize the Abyss Power you control, you can indeed suppress it, but the issue is you¡¯re only at the Eight Realms, your Divine Soul can¡¯t bear it!¡±


    Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Gu Chan frowned, deeply puzzled, ¡°The Longevity Association has completely cut off your supply of type-8 ¡®spiritual power Fake Abyss medicine¡¯, the more you use the Abyss Power, the faster your Divine Soul will wither away. With your talent, and the Abyss Power and Abyss Divine Artifact you control, if you are willing to settle down and accumulate over twenty-something years, strengthen your foundation, you can completely advance to Longevity, and even hope for Abyss Transformation.¡±


    He actually could not understand why the Invincible Dharma King would hastily emerge before his foundation was strong and wings were full.


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes upon hearing this.


    Listening to the words of the Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Gu Chan, this Invincible Dharma King appeared to control strong Abyss Power, but her Divine Soul¡¯s strength was insufficient, requiring a great price to use this power.


    Lin Rui had also heard about ¡®spiritual power Fake Abyss medicine¡¯, which was also a laboratory product, purportedly allowing the Primordial Spirit of Eighth and Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators to temporarily undergo Abyss Transformation.


    For about 10 minutes, or even longer, allowing one¡¯s soul to possess some features of the Abyss.


    ¡®spiritual power Fake Abyss medicine¡¯ only has type-8 and type-9 models, but type-8 is more expensive than type-9.


    ¡°Enough! When it comes to the subtleties of the soul, I understand better than you.¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King waved her hand irritably.


    She looked up at the sky, thinking how could she not know that if she just waited another four to five years, the Ninth Realm would be within reach.


    After she advances to the Ninth Realm, the pressure and corruption from the Abyss Power will greatly reduce.


    And once she becomes a Super Monarch of the Ninth Realm, she will be enough to confront it, even control it.


    But there¡¯s no time!


    Since the resurrection of the Invincible Dharma King, she has had an immense sense of urgency in her heart.


    Despite having lost her memory, she instinctively realized that everything about her was up above, in the Heavenly Demon Origin.


    She must return to the sky quickly, to the place called ¡®the ninth¡¯ in the Heavenly Demon Origin, to regain everything, even her ¡®memory,¡¯ else it would be too late.


    She might lose everything she cares about¡ª


    Seeing that Li Gu Chan was about to speak again, the Invincible Dharma King immediately furrowed her eyebrows and pointed to the sea below: ¡°Gu Chan, trouble you to go to the Main Temple first and scout for us.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Gu Chan¡¯s face turned ashen.


    ¡°Fine, Li Weiliang, since you wish to die, may as well die sooner!¡± With a cold snort, he leapt up and descended onto the Flying Boat.


    He realized that Invincible Dharma King Li Weiliang was sending him away, not just out of impatience, but also because she didn¡¯t want him to see the face of the new King Ming.


    Li Gu Chan didn¡¯t care.


    The identity of the new King Ming must be highly questionable, yet Li Gu Chan had not the slightest interest in investigating.


    At that moment, the Invincible Dharma King nonchalantly instructed Lin Rui: ¡°Change into this ¡®Hidden Dragon. My two Vice Sect Hierarchs are both Divine Envoy Level masters, your set of 8SS type Emperor Battle Armor might not deceive them, especially Wan Lei Divine Monarch.¡±


    Lin Rui was actually confident; he had initially prepared to use the twisted concept he mastered to handle the situation.


    However, now he has a better option, naturally to go with the flow.


    Once Lin Rui changed into his battle armor, the Invincible Dharma King handed him a few pages she had personally written.


    ¡°This is your new identity, the lost descendant of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader in the East Continent, Zhou Ji, the legitimate second son of Duke Zhou of the Great Song.


    As Lin Rui took the papers, he felt a deep sense of emotion, thinking that this was his fourth identity already, and he was nearly becoming a man of many layers.


    The text on the pages passed by the Invincible Dharma King was densely packed, but after Lin Rui¡¯s profound cultivation, his memory and reading skills improved dozens of times; he only glanced at it and understood the content thoroughly.


    He slightly raised his eyebrows: ¡°It looks fine, but I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t withstand scrutiny.¡±


    To tell the truth, the identity arranged by the Invincible Dharma King was perfect.


    Duke Zhou of the Great Song, being a descendant of the former Great Zhou dynasty, follows the tradition of ¡®two kings and three respects¡¯, preserving the descendants of the former royal family.


    The so-called ¡®two kings and three respects¡¯ is when the new dynasty¡¯s king ennobles the descendants of the past two or three dynasties that have perished, granting them titles and fiefs in order to appease the remnants of the former dynasties.


    The Seventh Generation Sect Leader of the Light God Sect was famously amorous, leaving behind more than seventy descendants with numerous ladies, so even the Light God Sect could not track all the offspring of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader.


    It is entirely possible that this new King Ming is related to the Duke Zhou¡¯s family or one of Duke Zhou¡¯s wife¡¯s families, thereby leaving behind a lineage.


    Thus, the newly appointed King Ming also had a motive to hide his identity ¨C fearing that it would implicate his family and bring disaster to the entire household of Duke Zhou.


    However, a person¡¯s life trajectory is very hard to fabricate out of nothing, to be flawless.


    For instance, Lin Hao and Lin Rui, along with Thunder and Li Xianglong from East Asia had to exert great effort to cover for him.


    Especially mentioned above, he was also secretly accepted as a disciple by the former ¡®Bright Sage Master¡¯ Cheng Zaotian.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, outsiders can¡¯t find anything about the Duke Zhou¡¯s household for a while, and even if they do, there are the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy and my mentor, as well as the current Bright Sage Master to confirm your identity, so no big issue. Moreover, how long can you hide it?¡±


    Invincible Dharma King looked calm, a glint of expectation in her eyes: ¡°Did you memorize everything? If you have, let¡¯s go down.¡±


    Lin Rui remained silent, burning the pages in his hand to ashes.


    At the same time, he glanced behind him.


    According to reports from his subordinates, his mentor Luo Wangshu, Linghu Mingde, Xianyu Yan, Wang Tianwu, and others were 50,000 li behind, hastening towards this direction.


    Although Lin Rui judged that his visit to the Light God Sect should be safe, he wanted to maintain his composure.


    However, his mentor Luo Wangshu thought otherwise.


    She immediately involved the old Linghu and Lin Rui¡¯s capable subordinates, currently traveling quickly on a Guardian Battleship.


    Now, Lin Rui could only let Linghu Mingde and Ji Xueying persuade, urging mentor Luo Wangshu to remain calm and not be hasty.


    The situation had not yet escalated to the point of necessitating action.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± At this moment, the Invincible Dharma King grabbed Lin Rui¡¯s arm, leaped from the ship, and plunged into the sea below.


    Moments later, Lin Rui saw a colossal structure beneath the sea.

 Chapter 670: 640: Armor (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 670: Chapter 640: Armor (Please Subscribe)


    At this moment, Luo Wangshu was indeed thirty thousand miles away in the Cloud Sky.


    She stood within the lookout tower at the forefront of the Guardian Battleship, gazing through the lookout window at the sea ahead, her beautiful, ethereal face so overcast it seemed water might drip from it.


    Although Luo Wangshu had been aware of the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s threat to Lin Rui early on, she never imagined that such a thing would happen just as she turned her back, her own disciple forcefully abducted by the Invincible Dharma King!


    At this time, she sensed Xianyu Yan and Ji Xueying approaching from behind her.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised, and with an indifferent expression, she glanced back at Xianyu Yan: ¡°Enough with that mournful and heartbroken look, who are you showing it to? This time it¡¯s not your fault. I went to the site and saw it myself, the Invincible used at least 65% of the Concealment Concept. While engaging with you, she also mixed in at least three types of Fake Abyss concepts, and that woman didn¡¯t even make use of the Abyss Divine Artifact. It¡¯s evident that her actual combat power is close to, or even reaches the level of the Emperor.¡±


    However, the fact that your sensing ability is insufficient is true. I don¡¯t want to see anything like this happen again. There¡¯s still some redundancy in your spiritual power, right, Xianyu Yan? Your Limit Heart Origin must be coming up soon. After this incident, I hope you can implant an Armament that significantly boosts your sensing abilities.¡±


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s face turned slightly green at these words.


    Yet, she could not shirk responsibility for this incident, and there was nothing to argue about.


    Xianyu Yan bowed deeply: ¡°Xianyu Yan understands, Divina Envoy rest assured, I already have a plan.¡±


    Indeed, this time she lost due to inferior sensing ability.


    If Xianyu Yan had been able to sense the presence of the Invincible Dharma King just a hundredth of a breath earlier and had that extra bit of time to gather energy, she wouldn¡¯t have been defeated so dismally.


    This ¡®Invincible¡¯ truly possessed an extremely strong stealth and shielding capability.


    However, Xianyu Yan was confident that with her Bloodline, Armament, and all the powerful Magic Artifacts she possessed, even if placed in the Marquis Mansion and facing a true Divine Envoy or a Senior Divine Envoy, she would have the strength to fight. Yet, she was unexpectedly defeated in one move by the Invincible Dharma King without any warning.


    Thus, if she could awaken her Limit Heart Origin, Xianyu Yan planned to implant an Armament within her body that would not only greatly enhance her perception but also allow her to gather energy more quickly.


    Besides that, Xianyu Yan also intended to engage in continuous cultivation, day and night, to master a secret technique that could enhance her Divine Sense¡¯s ability to perceive.


    These recent years, she really had become somewhat complacent!


    At this time, behind Xianyu Yan, both Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying showed expressions of embarrassment.


    Although their opponent was the Invincible Dharma King, a Super Monarch of Eight Realms, both of them had failed to even detect the ¡®Invincible¡¯s¡¯ trace and were knocked unconscious by her, an embarrassment beyond belief in their eyes.


    Now, Luo Wangshu looked at the two large and two small injections held in Ji Xueying¡¯s hand, her pupils constricting and her expression puzzled: ¡°What are these?¡±


    ¡°Your Honor, these are the ¡®Sky Armor¡¯ 8PRO subcutaneous nano armor and the ¡®War God¡¯ 8PRO nano combat assist device, which our Lord commanded his top Biological Scientist to tailor based on your genetic map and cell structure,¡± explained Ji Xueying. ¡°They were urgently adjusted by a top Symbiotic Master, and Lord has passed them. They should enhance your overall body fitness including reaction ability by 70% to 123%, and increase your resistance to impacts by about 140%.¡±


    Producing Luo Wangshu¡¯s Genetic Supplement Potion was somewhat troublesome since this was the Ninth Realm, but the ¡®Sky Armor¡¯ 8PRO and ¡®War God¡¯ 8PRO were already prepared by Lin Rui for Luo Wangshu. They just needed to be adjusted according to Luo Wangshu¡¯s genetic map, body structure diagram, cell configuration, etc.


    Looking up at Luo Wangshu, she added, ¡°Divine Envoy, these are the highest models that the Lord could buy. The real 9-series will take some more effort, but he will eventually get them definitely. Also, the Invincible Dharma King probably has this set of devices as well.¡±


    Luo Wangshu could not help but laugh, knowing that Ji Xueying¡¯s words were most likely instructed by Lin Rui; her disciple was worried about her saving face.


    Nevertheless, Luo Wangshu didn¡¯t care about such things: ¡°All I want to know is whether this is reliable?¡±


    Of the people around Lin Rui, she currently only trusted Ji Xueying and that Lin Xi.


    ¡°Reliable!¡±


    Ji Xueying answered without hesitation: ¡°These were adjusted by the most trusted person of our Lord, and after the four nano-injections were completed, they were transported directly by a fast yacht registered under our Lord¡¯s name, personally overseen by me and untouched by others.¡±


    After hearing this, Luo Wangshu then raised her hand to beckon the two smaller injections before her, and injected them into her neck sequentially.


    Her Divine Heart had to be injected as well, but that could wait; first, she wanted to see the effects after the completion of the nano armor on her physical body.


    Meanwhile, on the bridge of this Escort Ship, Linghu Mingde was drinking tea, trying to use the extremely astringent liquid to calm his nerves.


    Today, he had not expected Luo Wangshu to directly come looking for him, requesting his Alien ¡®Zhao Yang¡¯ to join the battle; nor had he expected his grandson-in-law to be abducted by the Invincible Dharma King as a ¡®King Ming¡¯.


    He could barely accept the first unexpected event.


    Since Luo Wangshu knew that Lin Rui was an Outer Heaven Demon, she could naturally guess Zhao Yang¡¯s real identity.


    But even after downing all of the hot tea in front of him, Linghu Mingde still couldn¡¯t come to terms with the fact that Lin Rui was to become a ¡®King Ming¡¯.


    Lin Rui actually received recognition from the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ and became the next leader of the Light God Sect!


    Linghu Mingde knew Lin Rui, who was the third Saint Heir of the Bright Holy Sect, but this was simply too inconceivable.


    How could the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ choose Lin Rui? It doesn¡¯t make sense! Lin Rui is only the third Saint Heir, so why would he gain the favor of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire just because he was closer at the time?


    That¡¯s possible! The ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ actually has quite the discernment; Lin Rui¡¯s talent and character do indeed make him quite suitable for it.


    After the shock, Linghu Mingde also worried for Lin Rui; being this ¡®King Ming¡¯ of the grandson-in-law might not be so easy.


    In its prime, the Light God Sect¡¯s strength could rival that of the Four Great Dynasties.


    The Seventh Generation Sect Leader who wielded the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ was even regarded as a Quasi-Abyss, capable of holding their own against the Five Great Abysses!


    Following the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, the succeeding King Mings were also among the most noble, most powerful, and most influential persons on the Sky Extreme Star.


    The problem is that the current Light God Sect has declined, and although it still has the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings, along with twelve Candidate Divine Envoys and Vice Divine Envoy level experts, the internal conflicts are numerous. The Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings now do not heed the commands of the King Ming, carving out their own territories, forming their cliques, unable to unite.


    That Invincible Dharma King even harbors the idea of using the Emperor to command the lords, wanting to use Lin Rui as a puppet to manipulate.


    In addition, the Four Great Dynasties and Central Continent are also eyeing the Light God Sect greedily.


    The Light God Sect previously maintained the sect by opposing the court¡¯s taxes, hiding the populace records, secretly mining, smuggling trades, etc., to support the sect and recruit believers. But now, the Light God Sect has lost the Immortal Level combat prowess of Yin Qianqiu and the Senior Divine Envoy Elder Wan Xin, with even more chaos internally and significantly reduced strength.


    How could the Four Great Dynasties and the Central Continent Commerce, along with many sects and powerful families, let go of the Light God Sect, this fat piece of meat?


    Therefore, Lin Rui¡¯s previous thought was correct.


    Keep the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ hidden and unused, and in another two or three years, the Light God Sect will collapse on its own.


    By then, Lin Rui, wielding the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, will surely become the first ¡®Immortal Level¡¯ among humans, even a ¡®Fake Abyss¡¯.


    But now¡ª


    Linghu Mingde sighed and said, ¡°Divine Envoy Luo, that Invincible Dharma King, although arrogant and rude to the extreme, as Lin Rui has been chosen by the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ to be the successor ¡®King Ming¡¯, and since we have not severed his ties with the Light God Sect, he will sooner or later have to make a trip to the Main Temple of the Light God Sect.


    ¡°Lin Rui¡¯s idea of calming it with tranquility is also correct. At this time, if we escalate the conflict, it will only make the situation worse. I ask you, Divine Envoy Luo, to temporarily quell your rage like thunder and think thrice before acting! And who is our National Guardian Marquis? He is an exceptional talent, brilliant and decisive. As long as the Invincible Dharma King does not harbor murderous intentions, then with the National Guardian Marquis¡¯s ability, he will eventually turn the tables.¡±


    Although the bridge and lookout tower were more than 60 meters apart and separated by multiple layers of alloy hull, Linghu Mingde managed to convey his words directly to Luo Wangshu¡¯s ears.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s consideration was that if things were to blow up, it would not end well if people found out that Lin Rui possessed the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯.


    ¡°I have a clear understanding of the matter and will handle it with discretion,¡± Luo Wangshu said coldly, her gaze fixed on the sea ahead, killing intent surging in her eyes.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s reasoning was naturally clear to Luo Wangshu.


    The main purpose of her accompanying him this time was to ensure Lin Rui¡¯s safety.


    Although her disciple claims to be able to leave unscathed, that is still happening on the Bright Holy Sect¡¯s territory, so Luo Wangshu cannot be at ease.


    In addition to that, she is also prepared to give the Invincible Dharma King a taste of her own medicine.


    If she does not teach Invincible a lesson, letting that woman realize who stands behind Lin Rui, she will think that her own disciple can be bullied and pushed around at her whim!


    At this moment, the subdermal nano armor and nano combat support devices had already begun arranging themselves inside her body, and Luo Wangshu felt her flesh and bones suddenly fill with an expanding sensation.


    Her blood surged, and her Astral Force swelled, generating a ¡®crack¡¯ sound throughout her body.


    Luo Wangshu not only sensed an incredibly solid layer of armor forming beneath her skin but also felt more strength, more elemental power, burgeoning within her, and her Primordial Spirit grew accordingly.


    Is this the Tianji 8PRO and ¡®War God¡¯ 8PRO? They really are strong! No wonder the Armored Warriors of the Heavenly Demon generally have combat strength surpassing Martial Cultivators of the same level on the Sky Extreme Star.


    At that moment, Luo Wangshu¡¯s mind stirred: ¡°Stop here! The Main Temple of the Light God Sect should be at this location.¡±


    She had already sensed Lin Rui¡¯s position, within a thousand miles of their vicinity. At this distance, she could intervene and assist Lin Rui at any moment.

 Chapter 671 - 641 Demon Sect (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 671: Chapter 641 Demon Sect (Please Subscribe)


    Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Security Bureau, a meeting regarding the Light God Sect was being convened.


    The First Commander presided over it in person, with every One-star Marshal and above within the Security Bureau participating.


    In addition, the Vice Chairman of the Congress Defense Committee, Li Tianshi, Vice Chairman of the Security Committee, Fang Xianzheng, Vice Chairman of the Congress Trade Committee, Miles Parker, along with several standing committee members from the three committees also attended as observers.


    The awakened Second Commander of the Security Bureau, Lin Tianchen, stood over the projection map and began the briefing: ¡°The Light God Sect, also known as the Bright Holy Sect, originates from the Great Sun Venerable. It was founded 1800 years ago by a group of dock workers on Sky Extreme Star who received Divine Revelation. Its original doctrines highly revered thunder and flames and developed among sailors and laborers, hence its power remained weak.


    It was not until the seventh generation Sect Hierarch ascended that within a mere hundred years, the power of the Bright Holy Sect reached its zenith. Its followers spread across the four continents and twenty-seven islands of Central Continent, becoming the largest sect in the world of Sky Extreme Star.¡±


    It is worth mentioning that from the later experiences of the seventh generation Sect Hierarch, the establishment process of the Light God Sect appears to be problematic. It was very likely manipulated by the Great Sun Venerable¡¯s will, who intends to return from the Heavenly Curtain and the Root.¡±


    ¡°In around the year 3621, the Four Great Dynasties and the Central Continent Chamber of Commerce on Sky Extreme Star simultaneously declared the Light God Sect a Demon Sect, initiating a joint crusade against it. This was related not only to the doctrines of the Light God Sect but also to prevent the resurrection of the Great Sun Venerable.


    Thereafter, the influence of the Light God Sect declined rapidly. Within a mere 550 years, five ¡ª now six ¡ª Sect Hierarchs have fallen. Nevertheless, the Light God Sect still possesses a formidable priesthood led by ¡®Three Pillars, Five Envoys, Seven Kings,¡¯ as well as a colossal congregation amounting to 2.73029 billion members.


    They also control vast lands in the remote regions of the various dynasties, where they gather followers through refusal to pay taxes or obey laws. As the Light God Sect is adept at assassination, local officials fear them and dare not impose any tax on their followers beyond the regular ones. Therefore, the more remote the regions of the Four Great Dynasties, the more followers the Light God Sect has and the stronger their power grows.


    Leveraging these followers, they not only sell large amounts of grain rich in ether element to the Earth Federation every year, but also control numerous medicine fields and mines, being the source of many low-grade bulk raw materials for the Earth Federation, and their most important raw material supply channel in Sky Extreme Star. According to statistics, of all basic materials with a unit price below 10,000 federal coins per ton, they supply a massive 62% to the Earth Federation¡ª¡±


    Second Commander Lin Tianchen paused, ¡°However, now according to the analysis of the Intelligence Analysis Center, the Light God Sect is likely to collapse within the next ten months, and this source of goods will enter a state of paralysis in the coming years!¡±


    At this moment, the entire meeting room erupted into an uproar, as everyone realized the consequences of the Light God Sect¡¯s collapse.


    Although the Light God Sect provides only items of little value, with a unit price below 10,000 federal coins per ton, these materials are the ¡®foundation¡¯ for various medicines and new alloys from Sky Extreme Star and are indispensable!


    In addition, the Light God Sect is also a significant force within Sky Extreme Star capable of containing the Five Great Abysses.


    Fang Xianzheng¡¯s expression turned serious: ¡°Is the judgment of the Intelligence Analysis Center a bit alarmist? The Light God Sect is one of the topmost mighty forces of Sky Extreme Star. Even if Wan Xin and Yin Qianqiu have fallen, there are still many experts such as Three Pillars, Five Envoys, Seven Kings. They may decline rapidly, but it is impossible for them to perish in such a short time.¡±


    ¡°Indeed! Normally, a major force like the Light God Sect cannot fall within a year or two. The problem is that these top experts of the Light God Sect have shown serious signs of dissent.¡±


    Second Commander Lin Tianchen explained further, glancing at Fang Xianzheng: ¡°Exactly because the internal forces of the Light God Sect cannot unite, the various powers of Sky Extreme Star are sharpening their knives eagerly, wanting to carve a piece from the Light God Sect. This time around, the Light God Sect may erupt into all-out war with the Four Great Dynasties and Central Continent Chamber of Commerce.¡±


    ¡°All-out war?¡±


    Vice Chairman of the Congress Trade Committee, Miles Parker, also questioned: ¡°Does this seem unlikely? Given how weakened and decayed the Light God Sect has become, without King Ming and Wan Xin to lead them, what grounds do they have to wage war against the Four Great Dynasties and Central Continent Commerce? Besides, as you mention, the sect¡¯s internal factions are seriously diverging, so from where would they have the morale and strength to fight?¡±


    ¡°This leads us to discuss the Invincible Dharma King.¡±


    Second Commander Lin Tianchen switched to a new image, projecting the likeness of a woman from Sky Extreme Star who was nearly thirty, with a beautiful and delicate countenance.


    ¡°This woman, the one we see here, has risen to become a dominant force within Sky Extreme Star. She commands a retinue of high-level fighters, including the quasi Divine Envoys and Candidate Divine Envoys like Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan and Hundred Wings Saber King Situ Leng, along with an army of 1.2 million soldiers of the Protection Army, and 300 various types of Floating Battleships. Furthermore, her combat power may be close to that of an Immortal!


    This ambitious woman has been trying to use various means to attack Yin Qianqiu over the past two years, attempting to topple the position of ¡®King Ming¡¯ and seize control of the Light God Sect! Just recently, in defiance of the Light Church¡¯s doctrines, she even sought to kill Yin Qianqiu with the help of the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, repeatedly dealing heavy blows to him over several months.¡±


    At this point, Li Xianglong made a pointed interjection: ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this woman is extremely formidable! She is Divine Envoy Level in combat power, with all aspects of her physical fitness developed to the Limit! She seems to have mastered some Abyss Power, and during a previous encounter in a mine, I sensed her Conceptual Power at 65% intensity. She appeared very relaxed, with a masterful control over the Power of Concept; this is highly abnormal.


    I estimate that with her Abyss Divine Artifact in hand, her combat strength could reach Quasi Immortal; even the Emperors of the Four Great Dynasties might not be able to defeat her. If our Federation doesn¡¯t use special weaponry and performance-enhancing medicine, we likely have no one who can match her. This demonstrates that this woman had enough confidence to pursue King Ming alone.¡±


    Lin Tianchen continued with a serious tone: ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, according to the predictive model of our supercomputer, the cultivation of the new King Ming may be quite low, at the Sixth Realm, or Seventh Realm. This implies that the Invincible Dharma King could ascend during the upcoming luminous congregation of the Light God Sect, potentially claiming rule as the Regent Deputy Sect Leader, leveraging the Emperor to command the lords.¡±


    The Vice President of the Congressional Trade Committee, Miles Parker, furrowed his brow deeply: ¡°This does not necessarily mean that the Divine Church is going to start a war with the major powers, hmm~¡±


    It seemed like he figured out the crux of the matter, not only did he sit up straight, but his expression became even more grave.


    Lin Tianchen then said with a wry smile: ¡°The Invincible Dharma King¡¯s nature has always been resolute and domineering, and now that she has just taken office, she needs to establish her prestige. The choice she will make next is quite predictable. Even just to deter the different opinions within the Divine Church, she would never back down. Once a war starts, our trade with the Divine Church will be affected.¡±


    ¡°This woman must have water in her brain!¡±


    The third Commander, Odin, shook his head in disbelief: ¡°I really don¡¯t understand, this woman has such a bright future ahead of her, with good conditions, Bloodline Ability of 8SSS+, possession of the Abyss Divine Artifact, and a certain grasp of the Abyss Concept. Why would she rush to make her move at this time?


    After all, she only has Eighth Realm Cultivation, and her Primordial Spirit is not strong enough. What kind of price must she pay to use the Abyss Power? If it¡¯s all-out warfare, she will have to frequently endure high-intensity combat. She wouldn¡¯t be able to hold up. If I were her, I¡¯d find somewhere to safely accumulate power for a few decades. By then, she could sweep through all the forces on the surface of the Divine Church. Is it necessary to be so hasty?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianchen shrugged his shoulders, which was something he also found incomprehensible.


    ¡°Then can we prevent this war?¡±


    Fang Xianzheng¡¯s gaze swept across the attendees, and seeing that the core members of the Security Bureau at the conference table all remained silent, he knew the answer.


    He continued to ask: ¡°If we cannot prevent it, then how about support? We could totally support the Divine Church and help them win this war.¡±


    At this time, the expressions on the faces of Lin Tianchen and Odin were quite strange.


    Lin Tianchen, rubbing his temples, said: ¡°The issue still lies with this Invincible Dharma King. Based on the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s actions and words over the past few years, and the multiple confirmations and understandings from our people implanted by her side, this Invincible Dharma King¡ªwho people suspect to be an Outer Heaven Demon¡ªactually harbors great hostility towards our Earth Federation.


    In recent years, she has been collecting the Federation¡¯s decommissioned warships and Quantum Jump Devices, investing huge resources into recruiting troops, training a large army, gathering various war machines from the Federation, and plotting to gain control of the Divine Church. Her ultimate goal is likely to launch an attack on the Federation! We fear that if the Divine Church wins the war, the Federation will then be facing a large Bright army surging out from the interior of Sky Extreme Star!¡±


    Fang Xianzheng was stunned upon hearing this and instinctively felt it was absurd.


    However, he soon saw some intelligence data sent to him by Lin Tianchen, including videos and charts.


    After Fang Xianzheng carefully reviewed them, his expression gradually became heavy.


    The deduction made by Lin Tianchen sounded absurd, but it was supported by substantial evidence!


    ¡°Arrogant! Utterly arrogant!¡± The Vice President of the Congressional National Defense Committee, Li Tianshi, also saw the intelligence sent by Lin Tianchen.


    With anger in his face and a sharp voice, he said: ¡°We must issue a ban on sales immediately! From now on, all sensitive materials of the Earth Federation must be banned from sale to the Divine Church!¡±


    Meanwhile, the Vice President of the Congressional Trade Committee, Miles Parker, was incredibly troubled.


    He wanted to impose a ban on sales, for sure. They absolutely could not allow this woman to fully take control of the Divine Church!


    However, the Divine Church is also the Earth Federation¡¯s largest supplier of basic materials, which cannot be neglected either.


    Once the war of the Divine Church begins, the Federation¡¯s industries and pharmaceuticals will be greatly affected, and might even collapse.


    Miles Parker then shifted his gaze towards Li Xianglong, thinking whether this First Commander wasn¡¯t planning on saying anything? Should he not produce a viable and reliable strategy?


    What Miles Parker did not know was that at this moment, Li Xianglong was using Quantum Communication, talking with Lin Rui and Xu Mengran in the group chat.

 Chapter 672 - 642: Group Discussion (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 672: Chapter 642: Group Discussion (Please Subscribe)


    Li Xianglong: Xiao Rui, your trade request has been approved. We will create a peak SSS-grade Outer Elixir for Luo Wangshu in exchange for the Divine Tablet fragment she possesses. We want it all!


    Not long ago, Lin Rui, on behalf of Luo Wangshu, proposed a trade with him and Xu Mengran to exchange a fist-sized fragment of the Divine Tablet for some high-grade controlled items.


    Therefore, Li Xianglong has been waiting for Lin Rui to come online to speak. However, for some reason, Lin Rui has been silent for the last half day.


    The message from Marquis Mansion, however, says that Lin Hao is currently in seclusion practicing a Secret Technique.


    It was only just now that Lin Rui showed up.


    Li Xianglong: Xiao Rui, you¡¯re really something! We had already given up hope, but unexpectedly, a new path has emerged. However, we hope to get the fragment first.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Sure, I will have it sent over to you in a Guardian Battleship later. Let¡¯s be clear, this is guaranteed by my honor; don¡¯t make me lose face with Luo Wangshu.


    Li Xianglong: Of course, but Xiao Rui, judging by this transaction, you¡¯ve truly earned Luo Wangshu¡¯s trust. Keep pushing and try to fully win her over, turning her into our ally.


    Xu Mengran did not comment in the group.


    He was deep in thought, wondering what exactly had happened during the recent mine battle.


    The process seemed fine, but Xu Mengran always felt like he was being shortchanged.


    Li Xianglong: By the way, Xiao Rui, your Imperial City Department has also placed people inside the Light God Sect, right?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Yes, quite a few. What about it?


    ¡ª¡ªThis is why he is reluctant to become King Ming. Lin Rui tasked Lin Xi to investigate all documents related to the Sect within the Imperial City Department, revealing that the Light God Sect was infiltrated like a sieve, with over 2000 agents even infiltrating various ranks, including several Red Priests with Eighth Realm Cultivation.


    Lin Rui is also a Thunder General of the Security Bureau, and although he can¡¯t access the files of undercover agents due to his position, he suspects from some public information of the Security Bureau that there might well be three to five thousand agents within the Light God Sect.


    It¡¯s possible they have people even close to the Invincible Dharma King.


    Li Xianglong: I¡¯d like your help in keeping an eye on things. After Yin Qianqiu¡¯s death, the Invincible Dharma King is very likely to take control of the Sect, and if she comes to power, we might be looking at major conflicts.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue, thinking Li Xianglong¡¯s prediction could be spot-on.


    Xu Mengran: Xiao Li, are you also troubled by the Invincible Dharma King?


    Li Xianglong: Yes, very troubled. If a fight breaks out, essential bulk materials might be cut by two-thirds. Fortunately, Great Song¡¯s trade ports are open, which should cover some of it, otherwise I¡¯d be going gray worryinging.


    Xu Mengran: The situation really does look grim. East Asia is already preparing to send out alerts to major companies, telling them to start stockpiling now, but this won¡¯t hold for long.


    Li Xianglong: Right? I mean, Yin Qianqiu, we never wanted his life, just the Divine Tablet fragment. If he had just handed it over honestly, all would be well! If he really didn¡¯t have the fragment, he could have just explained, instead of charging headlong towards the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s gun.


    Xu Mengran thought back to everything that happened in the mine that day, the strange feeling inside him growing stronger.


    He didn¡¯t suspect Lin Rui much; that day at the Divine Palace, Lin Rui had passed out. Where could he have gone to find the Divine Tablet fragment?


    But what about Luo Wangshu? She was in charge of the on-site investigation at that time.


    Xu Mengran: What¡¯s done is done, regret is useless. Now we can only look to the new King Ming. If he has any capability to check the Invincible, we are considering offering him some resources to help from our side in East Asia.


    Li Xianglong: That¡¯s tough! The Invincible Dharma King fights fiercely and has deep roots. Our precise information and supercomputing predictions indicate the new King Ming is actually brought in from the outside, and is weak in cultivation. What ability does he have to check the Invincible? The resources we offer may just end up fattening the Invincible, but we can still give it a try.


    Li Xianglong: Also, Xiao Rui, your Great Song Imperial City Department should check the real identity of the new King Ming. You¡¯ve spent so much on your people in the Light God Sect for so long; they ought to contribute something back, right?


    After reading the message, Lin Rui looked speechlessly at the ¡®Invincible Dharma King¡¯ sitting cross-legged before his throne, as well as the three pillars, five envoys, and seven kings reciting the Light Scripture in formation below, accompanied by numerous high-ranking priests from the Light God Sect.


    Lin Rui then looked down at himself.


    Li Xianglong¡¯s newly appointed Bright King and Invincible are both sitting here.


    At the moment, they were in the ¡®Great Ming Hall¡¯ at the central hall of the Divine Sect¡¯s main temple, under the guardianship and tribute of these priests and many soldiers of the Divine Army, waiting for the Light Council to commence.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Alright, I will incite them to investigate.


    Li Xianglong: There¡¯s another matter, the Security Committee of Congress might soon question Lin Tianchen.


    Lin Rui slightly frowned, and promptly replied: General, is the interrogation from the Security Committee related to me?


    Li Xianglong: The matter of Thunder is just one part, they want to question the Second Commander¡¯s exceptional promotion of you, as well as the X-level security clearance, but mainly, they are targeting Lin Tianchen himself. Some members of the Security Committee doubt Lin Tianchen¡¯s capability to fulfill the duty of the Second Commander, he¡¯s in a bit of trouble this time, and I can¡¯t directly intervene, so we need the support of your Bright Front, and hope that the East Asian side can provide him some assistance and delay for some time.


    He and Lin Tianchen have always been playing double roles, acting as political opponents, and in the eyes of many in Congress, they are archenemies.


    There is also the Third General, Odin, whom Li Xianglong also cannot afford to disappoint, at least not on the surface.


    So at this moment, it¡¯s actually awkward for Li Xianglong to intervene.


    Xu Mengran: I am aware of Tianchen¡¯s situation; the East Asian side will certainly provide the utmost support, but his real trouble now involves his True Spirit. If Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit doesn¡¯t withdraw from that Divine Country, he will not only be unable to utilize his Alien but also won¡¯t live past a year.


    Li Xianglong: We already have a plan for that, we still need to wait for the Three Gods of Purgatory to make their move, with the Emperor personally campaigning against the Sky Pond.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression changed again upon reading this.


    Previously, Li Xianglong said that only those eight Abysses, three Supreme Divine Artifacts, and five National Treasures, could help the Second Commander escape from that ancient god¡¯s Divine Country.


    And he just so happens to hold a Supreme Divine Artifact ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ in his hands!


    Now, the problem is that Lin Rui can¡¯t fully trust this Second Commander, nor can he dare to expose his identity as a ¡®God¡¯ to the First Commander Li Xianglong like he trusts Luo Wangshu.


    Whether the Pure Concept or the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, both are too sensitive.


    Once exposed, the Longevity Association will definitely capture him at any cost.


    Some people within the Federation Government would also desperately want it, and even the East Asian side might not be reliable.


    Xu Mengran continued to speak: You mean to have Lin Hao serve as Regent, but that possibility is unlikely, can we not strike a deal with the holder of the Supreme Divine Artifact, like the newly appointed Bright King?


    Li Xianglong: Trading with the new Bright King is indeed feasible, but how long do you think he would need to master the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯?


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips twitched, thinking to himself that you should at least try it out, ask for a price.


    He has already perfected the ¡®Sun-controlling Divine Technique¡¯, as long as Li Xianglong can provide him a bit more external force, a bit more resources, it is still feasible.


    Just then, Lin Rui heard a solemn, magnificent, and melodious bell sound outside.


    Lin Rui knew this was the first bell before the Light Council, followed by 11 bell tolls marking the start of the Light Council.


    Between each bell toll is 300 breaths, at which time he will officially become the Bright King of the Light God Sect, wielding the largest force beneath the Five Great Abysses and the Three Gods of Purgatory!

 Chapter 673: 643: The True King Ming (Three More for Subscription)

    Chapter 673: Chapter 643: The True King Ming (Three More for Subscription)


    As the bell tolled for the tenth time, Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy rushed to the Light Main Altar located in the Central Sea aboard the Flying Boat.


    At this moment, the visage of Heavenly Fragrance bore signs of fatigue. Although her cultivation was as high as the Nine Realms Emperor, and her strength was on par with that of a Candidate Divine Envoy, the frantic sprint that lasted twenty hours had nearly depleted her spiritual elemental power.


    Just as Heavenly Fragrance, tired to the bone, was about to cross the layers of forbidden techniques and was preparing to enter the doors of the Light Main Altar, she heard a familiar, young, clear, and clean voice calling out to her: ¡°Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy!¡±


    Heavenly Fragrance turned her head to the side and saw Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling standing 40 yards away, smiling faintly at her.


    This person appeared to be in his twenties, resembling a wealthy young master with elegant and extraordinary demeanor, like a graceful and upright figure amidst the wind.


    ¡°Shancai Divine Envoy!¡± Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy performed a sect salute towards Shancai Divine Envoy, then with an expression of puzzlement, she asked: ¡°Brother Zhao, why are you here? With the bells tolling ten times, King Ming¡¯s session is upon us; should Brother Zhao not be in the Great Ming Hall, serving before King Ming?¡±


    According to the rules, before the commencement of the grand Light Assembly, unless occupied with urgent matters, all Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings within the sect are required to be in attendance before King Ming, chanting prayers until King Ming takes his proper place at the altar.


    ¡°I just came out from the Great Ming Hall.¡±


    Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling casually sauntered to Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy¡¯s side and stood shoulder to shoulder with her: ¡°I have seen the so-called new Master of Light. His cultivation has merely reached the Sixth Realm, he is a head-concealing and tail-exposing, fearfully veiled young lad, the discomfort in my heart is truly unbearable, and I really could not stand the atmosphere inside the Great Ming Hall, so I came out for a walk, to get some fresh air.¡±


    His expression was gloomy, his language laced with irony: ¡°I wonder why Invincible Dharma King is willing to welcome this lad as King Ming? It turns out this King Ming is so weak that she can control him entirely. This woman is playing the gambit of controlling the lords by using the Emperor¡¯s influence. Our Light God Sect falling into her hands, I really don¡¯t know where it will end up?¡±


    The corners of Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy¡¯s lips twitched slightly, as she thought to herself that Brother Zhao¡¯s ¡®young lad¡¯ is none other than the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song, Lin Hao!


    That is the man who became the Spy Catcher Bureau Commander and a Cabinet Minister of Great Song within merely a year, and he is hardly ¡®weak¡¯.


    In fact, Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy was quite surprised by Invincible¡¯s audacity and confidence. Did she think that she could control Lin Hao? Control the Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song?


    Moreover, she knew something else¡ªtheir new King Ming, even before acquiring the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, was Lord of Purity! A demigod!


    This is a being that could bring true light to their Light God Sect, to the twenty-seven billion believers!


    He will ascend to the heavens and become the true Master of Light!


    Heavenly Fragrance shook her head slightly: ¡°Brother Zhao, His Majesty King Ming was chosen by the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, the Supreme Holy Artifact has selected him for a reason, we must not be disrespectful!¡±


    Upon hearing these words, a deeper irony flickered in Zhao Chongling¡¯s eyes.


    Thirteen years ago, Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire also chose Yin Qianqiu, yet it led the Light God Sect into decline, deeply disappointing him.


    Zhao Chongling managed to maintain his composed facade, not only did he not contradict her, but he nodded in agreement: ¡°The Holy Fire selected him as King Ming, surely not without reason; King Ming¡¯s qualities and talents must be the most suitable for the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire,¡¯ there is no need for doubt.¡±


    However, his tone shifted immediately afterward: ¡°Nonetheless, King Ming¡¯s cultivation is indeed too low to uphold the foundation of our sect. Just as our Divine Sect is amidst an unstable situation, the great authority over the sect¡¯s affairs is about to fall into the hands of an Outer Heaven Demon who treats the rules of our sect with utter disdain. I and many counterparts within the sect cannot rest at ease with this, nor can we see the direction in which the sect will be led.¡±


    Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy¡¯s gaze grew sharp, realizing that Zhao Chongling had purposely waited for her at the Main Temple gate, perhaps with an ulterior motive.


    Who exactly did Zhao Chongling include among the many ¡®counterparts¡¯ within the sect?


    She probed subtly: ¡°Then, in Brother Zhao¡¯s opinion, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Heavenly Fragrance!¡± Zhao Chongling sighed, speaking gravely: ¡°Invincible has offended too many people, her methods are too vehement and harsh. Over the past three years, her followers have repeatedly resisted taxes and laws, igniting uprisings across various places; they even refuse to pay the slightest amount of taxes, which is tantamount to rebellion. She has been deemed a thorn in the side by the Four Great Dynasties and the Central Continent¡ªas such, I believe that the next year will see the Five Abyss strike forcefully against our sect.¡±


    Even the attitudes of the Outer Heaven Demons and the Three Gods of Purgatory are difficult to predict. These two parties have been primarily supportive of our sect, yet Invincible has defrauded them of who knows how much wealth and resources. Should she rise to power, the Light God Sect might face opposition from the entire world, and our sect¡¯s already precarious financial resources will undoubtedly be severely impacted. This would be a catastrophic disaster for many of our sect counterparts. Therefore, I wish to gather those within the sect who share our views, to jointly check Invincible¡¯s influence, to correct the Divine Sect. What do you think, Heavenly Fragrance?¡±


    Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy¡¯s eyes flickered, but instead of responding, she asked: ¡°Brother Zhao speaks wisely indeed, yet in today¡¯s world, many view our Divine Sect as meat on the chopping block, ready to be slaughtered at will. Does Brother Zhao have confidence in persuading them to put aside their greed and not slaughter us?¡±


    Seeing Zhao Chongling furrowing his brow in silence, she earnestly continued: ¡°Brother Zhao, whether Invincible is an Outer Heaven Demon is still undecided. Moreover, considering the current situation within the sect, it is not necessarily a bad thing for Invincible to step forward. I implore Brother Zhao to prioritize the bigger picture and put up with the difficulty!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will maintain the overall situation and strive to do so, but¡ª¡ª¡±


    Zhao Chongling gave a wry smile, and then his expression sunk deeper: ¡°The other brothers in the sect might not think the same. I merely wish to stop Invincible Dharma King from monopolizing the sect¡¯s great power, but others may even harbor intentions of rebelling and establishing their own sect. They won¡¯t simply stand by and watch Invincible take over the sect¡¯s authority, especially the Vice Sect Hierarch Wanyan Layman.¡±

 Chapter 674: 643: The True King Ming (Three More for Subscription)_2

    Chapter 674: Chapter 643: The True King Ming (Three More for Subscription)_2


    His gaze firmly turned towards the Main Temple: ¡°According to the sect rules, the new ¡®King Ming¡¯ must not only receive the approval of the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ but also ascend and sit on the altar! Once that King Ming cannot sit firmly on the ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯, today might turn into a turbulent one, and if mishandled, our Light Divine Sect might just disintegrate today.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy slightly furrowed her brows on hearing this, as this matter was indeed her greatest concern.


    At this moment, the eleventh bell chime echoed from within the Main Temple.


    Zhao Chongling shook his head, a smile returning to his face: ¡°Enough said, what¡¯s done is done, how can it be helped? For now, let¡¯s just see how things go. By the way, I heard that Invincible was able to slay Yin Qianqiu thanks to your significant contribution, Heavenly Fragrance? Was it you who guided Invincible to find Yin Qianqiu?¡±


    He truly hadn¡¯t expected the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy to have such courage.


    There were not a few in the sect who wanted Yin Qianqiu dead, yet the only ones who truly dared to take action were Invincible and Heavenly Fragrance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense!¡± Heavenly Fragrance¡¯s expression turned slightly cold upon hearing this: ¡°Yin Qianqiu was killed by Great Song¡¯s Luo Wangshu and Lin Hao. Great Song has already issued a public announcement about it. Invincible and I only had sect duties to report to Yin Qianqiu in person and happened to be there at the time.¡±


    In the coming years, the Light Divine Sect must rely on the Invincible Dharma King to fend off the external fierce attacks, and she herself must also fully support and uphold King Ming, thus she must not allow herself and Invincible to be in a position of suspicion.


    Even for the sake of uniting the sect¡¯s followers, she could not allow Invincible to be burdened with the crime of slaying the Sect Hierarch.


    It was different for Lin Hao; he had not yet joined the Light Divine Sect when he killed Yin Qianqiu.


    Zhao Chongling responded with a faint sneer, his gaze enigmatic.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, weary of pulling further discussions with him, directly soared into the Light Main Altar.


    This Light Main Altar was actually remodeled from the wreckage of a ¡®Galaxy-class¡¯ Colonial Battleship from eight hundred years ago by the Seventh Generation Sect Leader.


    At that time, the Earth Federation was extremely confident in the national war technology. After merely observing through distant satellites for less than 12 years, they hastily embarked on a colonial war, misunderstanding the Conceptual Power within Tianji Star and the Abyss, and greatly underestimating the Conceptual Power of high-level martial cultivators of Tianji Star.


    This resulted in the Galaxy-class Colonial Battleship being tremendously huge and majestic, not only 60 li in length but also 12 li in width, which led to a very weak defensive force field of the warship, making it easily sunk by the Tianji Star martial cultivators.


    However, after incorporating the Rune Technology of Tianji Star and transforming it into the Main Temple of the Light Divine Sect, it became the most reliable shelter for the Divine Sect.


    It could navigate under the deep sea and beneath the ground, evading the search of the Five Great Abysses numerous times.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy traversed through the many buildings within the Main Temple and arrived at the ¡®Great Ming Hall¡¯ built in the very center of the Main Temple.


    This was a majestic and grand hall supported by seventy-two giant pillars, with walls on all four sides openworked, beautifully decorated and imposing.


    When Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy entered, the place was already occupied by the Vice Sect Hierarchs Wan Lei and Wan Yan, Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan, Wisdom Divine Envoy Xiao Xingyi, Judgement Divine Envoy Zhuang Fatian, Demon Suppression Divine Envoy Fang Junhao, Protector Dharma King Bai Xishi, Heavenly Blade Dharma King Wu Wushuang, Divine Power Dharma King Niu Tao, and War Heaven Dharma King Fei Yi, along with over a hundred Red Priests, all seated in the hall, chanting scriptures.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy also saw the Invincible Dharma King, who was sitting just below the left side of King Ming¡¯s throne, clearly positioning her place above everyone else.


    ¡ªIn this Great Ming Hall, two of the Three Pillars, all five Divine Envoys, and five of the Seven Dharma Kings had arrived, with only two absent.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy was firstly relieved, as due to the strong demands of the Invincible Dharma King, coupled with the indeed tense situation within the sect, this grand assembly of the Light was convened very hastily.


    From this, it is evident that the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ and ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯ still deeply resonate with people. Even if the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings within the sect are annoyed or dissatisfied, they dared not miss this sacred ceremony of the Light God Sect.


    However, the words of Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling, and the tardiness of Dharma King Bai Mei Yin Wansui, put a shadow over the heart of Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy looked towards ¡®Lin Hao¡¯, only to see him dressed in the Heavenly Demon Armor, sitting serenely upon the throne.


    After a moment of contemplation, she walked over and bowed in front of Lin Hao¡¯s throne: ¡°Divine Envoy Heavenly Fragrance pays respect to King Ming. May King Ming enjoy thousands of autumns and illuminate the world! Also, may King Ming forgive Heavenly Fragrance for her late arrival!¡±


    Lin Rui smiled upon seeing this: ¡°Rise! I heard from the Invincible Dharma King that your journey was long and not deliberately delayed; where is the fault in that? Come, join us at the seating area!¡±


    Lin Rui treasured this interaction, as she was the only subordinate within the Light God Sect that he could currently win over.


    Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy then bowed her head to the ground again: ¡°Moreover, Heavenly Fragrance has a request out of desperation, please ascend the altar later and definitely sit firmly atop the Holy Fire!¡±


    Upon her words, everyone in the Great Ming Hall, led by the Invincible Dharma King, looked up in shock towards the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy.


    Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling¡¯s pupils dilated slightly, his gaze incredulous as he wondered if Heavenly Fragrance had lost her mind?


    The Radiant Holy Altar, worshipped by the Light God Sect for the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire,¡¯ represents the faith of twenty-seven billion believers. How could the newly appointed ¡®King Ming,¡¯ with only Sixth Realm cultivation and not in control of the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire,¡¯ possibly withstand the power of light from the altar?


    This ¡®King Ming¡¯ would likely be burned to a torch by the faith of twenty-seven billion believers shortly after sitting down.


    Even Yin Qianqiu would not dare to sit firmly on that holy altar, let alone this Sixth Realm ¡®King Ming¡¯.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Wan Lei the Prince frowned heavily, wondering what trick Heavenly Fragrance was playing?


    Didn¡¯t this girl see that the atmosphere in the Great Ming Hall was already on a knife¡¯s edge? If the situation within the sect changes again, it might very well splinter and collapse today.


    Wanyan Layman was also unexpectedly surprised and puzzled, guessing what Heavenly Fragrance was up to? Did she want the newly appointed King Ming to be burned to death?


    Wanyan Layman then scoffed indifferently, his mind made up.


    No matter what happens next, as long as the Invincible shows any intention of seizing power, he will lead all Divine Envoys and Dharma Kings to challenge the situation openly.


    This woman¡¯s actions are too tyrannical. If she takes over the leadership of the Divine Sect, it will definitely impact the livelihood of the many altars beneath and cause difficulties for tens of billions of believers.


    The Invincible Dharma King also had a sharp glint in her eyes, and then calmly settled down.


    She was utterly confident in her strength, believing that she could suppress and settle any changes that might occur during the upcoming grand assembly of Light!


    At this moment, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy continued to prostrate herself, her voice hoarse: ¡°Divine above, Heavenly Fragrance knows that these words are presumptuous and rude, and is willing to accept punishment afterwards! However, this matter is related to the rise and fall, the survival or extinction of our Light God Sect. Please, Divine above, heed my words and seat yourself at the top of the Holy Altar, sit firmly upon the ¡®Holy Fire¡¯!¡±


    She believed that Lin Hao could definitely sit firmly atop it; not only is he a Demigod! He also possesses the ¡®Heart of Light¡¯ that Yin Qianqiu does not have.


    Only by Lin Hao firmly sitting on the Radiant Holy Altar can he truly gain recognition from the Light Saints, numerous mid and low-tier priests, and the twenty-seven billion believers, being acknowledged as the true ¡®King Ming¡¯!

 Chapter 675: 644: The True King Ming (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Chapter 675: Chapter 644: The True King Ming (Seeking Subscriptions)


    ¡°Ascend the altar?¡±


    Lin Rui recalled the information about the ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯ at the Light God Sect¡¯s Main Temple in his mind.


    Lin Rui could also view pictures of the ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯ in the Security Bureau¡¯s intelligence database.


    This altar was located on the plaza behind the Great Ming Hall, also crafted by the Seventh Generation Sect Leader as a place to pay tribute to the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.¡¯


    It is said that this altar gathers the faith of twenty-seven million believers in their pursuit of light, forming into the ever-burning Divine Flame of Light, like the sun that illuminates and protects the entire Main Temple, and is the source of power for the ¡®Sacred Light Grand Array¡¯ within the Main Temple.


    It is also the origin of the Divine Fire used by all priests of the Light God Sect.


    The so-called Divine Fire is actually the many offspring split from the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.


    According to the analysis of the Security Bureau¡¯s magic experts, the ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯ is a relay transformation device established between the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ and the ¡®twenty-seven million believers.¡¯


    The Radiant Holy Altar can convert the power of the believers¡¯ faith into energy for the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire to use.


    It also guides the power of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire down, spawning numerous offspring to be used by the many priests of the Light God Sect.


    Previously in Silver Moon County, Wangcheng County, the High Priest Li Qiufeng suppressed the Purple Brilliance Primordial Crystal Vein beneath the county town with a single offspring of the Divine Fire she had received.


    The Radiant Holy Altar is also extremely dangerous; it is said that an ordinary person would burn to ash with just a slight touch.


    Even the former Bright Sage Master Yin Qianqiu would try his best to avoid contact with the Radiant Holy Altar unless absolutely necessary.


    The Invincible Dharma King had given him advice before entering the Main Temple.


    The Invincible had said that his current cultivation level is limited and he has not yet gained control over the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire,¡¯ so he will definitely not be able to suppress it. Therefore, when the time comes to ascend the altar, he should remain levitating in the air the entire time, not stepping solidly on the ground nor sitting firmly. He could just pretend and make do with a false sitting.


    Prior Sect Hierarchs all did the same at the beginning of their succession.


    So does this Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy think he has the capability to safely sit on the altar?


    Lin Rui smiled faintly: ¡°I¡¯ll try it later.¡±


    He would certainly act within his abilities and won¡¯t just listen to whatever the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy says.


    After listening to this, Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling¡¯s expression became solemn.


    To try it would be courting death! This new Sect Hierarch seems to be seeking his own demise.


    Zhao Chongling even subconsciously wanted to speak out and dissuade him.


    He aimed to prevent the Invincible Dharma King from ascending the throne to spare the Light God Sect from an all-out war, but he definitely did not want to see the Light God Sect collapse just like that.


    The Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan, without thinking, said: ¡°Holy Master, you must not! The ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯ gathers the will of all believers of the Light God Sect, only one with the cultivation of the Nine Realms Emperor and who has taken control of the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ can safely sit upon the altar.¡±


    In fact, it¡¯s more than that; the former Yin Qianqiu could not sit there until his death.


    Therefore, Gong Bonan¡¯s complexion was extremely grave. How could the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy make such outrageous suggestions to tempt the Sect Hierarch at this time?


    The Divine Sect is already chaotic enough; if there is another change of Sect Hierarch after this, it¡¯s unpredictable what the situation would become!


    Wan Lei, the Lord of Thunder, also looked coldly at the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, his face grim: ¡°Sect Hierarch, this woman is not only ignorant and fearless, but also presumptuous. Please do not heed her comments. As the master of the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire,¡¯ you will eventually be able to sit on the altar, but not now.¡±


    Under the gaze of everyone, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy silently bowed her head, thinking you will all soon realize who is the true Master of Light!


    ¡ªHe is the Bright Sage Master recognized by the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire,¡¯ not trash like Yin Qianqiu.


    Lin Rui responded with a friendly and gentle smile to Wan Lei and Gong Bonan: ¡°Rest assured, both of you, this king is well aware of his limits.¡±


    According to the information, these two individuals in front of him are considered more concerned with the overall situation within the Divine Sect and will be his important supporters and pillars in the future.


    While Wan Lei and Gong Bonan may not approve of him as a person, they will do everything in their power to maintain the status and authority of the Bright Sage Master.


    At this moment, the door of the hall reverberated with a deep bell ring; this was the twelfth bell, signifying the official start of the Light Grand Assembly.


    At this point, twenty-four High Priests of the Seventh Realm, wearing red robes, carried an enormous palanquin, cast from gold and silver, to his presence.


    All the high-level priests in the hall, including the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings, bowed to the ground in reverence.


    ¡°Please Bright Sage Master ascend!¡±


    Lin Rui rose as instructed and entered upon the palanquin.


    At this time, the entire hall was filled with the sounds of chanting.


    ¡°The Holy Thunder shines brightly, the Holy Light glows resplendently, pity us mortals, full of distress; the world is full of hardships, the demon dust taints, a myriad of calamities and numerous sicknesses, growing ever more severe; thus living brings no joy, and dying brings no suffering¡ª¡±


    The voices of tens of thousands reciting together within the Light Main Altar joined as one, resounding like a great bell that stirs the heart, shaking heaven and earth.


    Shortly after, the palanquin under Lin Rui¡¯s feet, guarded and escorted by numerous high-level priests, arrived at the marble plaza behind the Main Temple, known as ¡®Little Paradise of Light.¡¯


    Lin Rui saw that tens of thousands of priests from the Light God Sect had gathered there according to their ranks, either kneeling or seated in meditation.


    Lin Rui also caught sight of the ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯ at the center of the plaza.


    Just as Lin Rui had seen in those pictures, it was shaped like a pyramid, reaching a height of a hundred zhang, its entire body white as jade.


    Lin Rui also saw atop the pyramid¡¯s apex a holy white flame jumping like a lotus flower; concentrating further, he could discern faint streaks of thunder sparkling within the lotus-shaped holy white flame.


    Lin Rui, looking at these two holy objects of the Light God Sect, his pupils flashed with a strange luster.


    He understood why the Bright Sage Master, Gong Bonan, said that only a Nine Realms Emperor could sit comfortably atop the altar.


    Because this ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯ was very similar to the ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯ Lin Rui resonated with when he ascended to the Sixth Realm.


    Or perhaps, this ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯ was another form of the ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯?


    However, there were also differences; the Divine Thought power within the Radiant Holy Altar was extremely singular, extremely pure, and not chaotic and filthy like the mire within the Heavenly Curtain.


    At this moment, Lin Rui sensed that his Abyss Source Core, Abyss Source Material, along with the Pure Method, and his gradually Abyss-transformed soul, were all resonating at a distance with this ¡®Radiant Holy Altar,¡¯ merging their qi and pulses.


    ¡°This is¡ª¡ª¡±


    A look of astonishment first appeared in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes, his heart thinking that this Seventh Generation Sect Leader was indeed remarkable, to be able to create such a thing!


    The ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯ before him was clearly a creation of the Pure Method, as well as an Abyss Divine Artifact rooted in the Pure Method!


    Therefore, he was now the undisputed master of this Divine Artifact!


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart suddenly pulsated with excitement; he had not only found a method to further heal Lin Xi and Lin Yi sisters but also possibly a pathway to swiftly ascend to the Seventh Realm.


    The mortality rate for King Ming is quite high; six have died in the past five hundred years, but there are also benefits¡ª


    Amidst Lin Rui¡¯s astonishment, the sedan chair he was on had already been delivered to the steps on the north side of the altar.


    The Bright Sage Master, Gong Bonan, performed a sectarian salute by the sedan chair: ¡°Please, King Ming, ascend the altar!¡±


    A strong look of worry emerged in his eyes at that moment.


    Gong Bonan was very concerned that this King Ming had truly heeded the words of the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy and naively attempted to take the seat on the Radiant Holy Altar.


    But at this moment, under the gaze of all, Gong Bonan was unable to remind him with words.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui gave a slight nod, then stepped onto the stairs.


    This one step caused the pupils of all present Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings to contract.


    Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling immediately turned his head, angrily glaring at Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy; this foolish woman had messed everything up!


    The Invincible Dharma King clenched her fists.


    She had already prepared to use her Abyss Power to suppress this ¡®Radiant Holy Altar.¡¯


    Even if it was the Holy Altar of the Light God Sect, even if it was the faith of twenty-seven billion believers, it must bow before her power!


    But in the next moment, including the Invincible herself, everyone was slightly stunned, their expressions one of amazement.


    Simply because the instant Lin Rui set foot on the altar¡¯s stairs, not only was he not burned by the Divine Fire of Light within the altar, but the surrounding radiance also dramatically increased.


    Suddenly, the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ above the altar released beams of brilliant and splendid light, dazzling streaks of thunder radiating from atop the altar in all directions, causing ¡®Small Heaven of Light,¡¯ the white marble plaza, to become brighter still.


    At this moment, the plaza also abruptly thundered, all the Priests sitting cross-legged turned towards the sedan chair, towards Lin Rui, while all the Priests, great and small, kneeling on the ground, raised their heads, wishing to witness the scene, causing the chanting to become faint.


    Similar thoughts flashed through their minds.


    ¡°This~ King Ming has solidified the Radiant Holy Altar?¡±


    ¡°Is that the new King Ming? So splendidly radiant!¡±


    ¡°Brilliant light shines forth, touches the Divine Fire without harm! This is the true Master of Light.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the intent fire of twenty-seven billion believers! Truly the one chosen by Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.¡±


    ¡°In the Light Conference thirteen years ago, there was no such scene! Now I see, this King Ming is the one truly approved by the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire!¡±


    ¡°Today, my Light God Sect welcomes the true Master!¡±


    Some of the priests, whose faith was devout, even couldn¡¯t help trembling all over, their emotions too excited to contain themselves.


    Then, Lin Rui continued to ascend, and with every stair he climbed, the power of the light around him strengthened, as if the entire power of light within the Radiant Holy Altar was joyously welcoming him in submission.


    Gradually, the blazing white brilliance began to cast the interior and exterior of the Main Temple like a pure white sacred land!


    Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling suddenly turned around, staring fixedly at Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy.


    He wondered about the origins of this new King Ming. Why was Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy so certain that King Ming could firmly hold the Dharma Platform?


    The Invincible Dharma King also glanced thoughtfully at Heavenly Fragrance, realizing that her move to protect ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ in obtaining the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire wasn¡¯t merely because he was the Third Saint Heir of the Divine Sect and had the Heart of Light.


    Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, however, had a solemn and respectful demeanor, reciting the ¡°King Ming Purity Sutra¡± along with the surrounding priests with utmost devotion.

 Chapter 676: 645: The True King Ming 3 (Seeking Subscriptions)

    Chapter 676: Chapter 645: The True King Ming 3 (Seeking Subscriptions)


    Unbeknownst to Lin Rui, among the many priests prostrated under the Radiant Holy Altar, was Tang Wenlan whom he had met in Wang City.


    She had successfully performed her duties as High Priest in Wang City, and her cultivation had also reached a level sufficient enough, thus granting her the opportunity to come to the Main Temple for a ¡®pilgrimage¡¯, to meditate on the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯.


    This was the normal procedure for the promotion of Divine Sect priests, after further meditation on the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, her cultivation would naturally progress, allowing her to ascend to dragon shedding of the Fifth Realm, becoming a Fifth Realm Priest, and officially entering the high-order sequence of Divine Office bearers!


    However, Tang Wenlan was unlucky, just having arrived at the Main Temple she encountered such an event as the former King Ming¡¯s downfall, followed by the Main Temple plunging into total chaos.


    Fortunately, the Light Saint who was guiding her practice and meditation remained very calm, on one hand comforting their students and on the other hand forcing everyone to focus on their cultivation with peace of mind.


    But the various internal upheavals within the Main Temple still cast a great shadow over Tang Wenlan¡¯s heart.


    She knew that the various local branches of the Light God Sect had long been dissatisfied with the Main Temple.


    This discontentment did not arise over the past few years, but slowly accumulated over the past 100 years due to trade, distribution, and personnel arrangements conflicts which reached a climax after Yin Qianqiu¡¯s succession.


    Yet Tang Wenlan still did not expect that inside the Main Temple, there would be people advocating for an alliance among the many priests, wishing to secede from the Holy Sect and become independent!


    There were those who privately colluded, intending to prevent the ¡®Invincible Dharma King¡¯ from seizing control of the sect¡¯s administration, even expelling him from the Holy Sect, but also some people wanted to support the ¡®Invincible Dharma King¡¯ to take power, to cleanse the sect of evil spirits, purge all cunning and evil, and then go to war with the Abyss of the Five Continents. Tang Wenlan could accept these radical ideas, but those who wanted to split the Divine Sect, to attract followers and set out on their own, truly shocked her.


    What was terrifying was that these people were not few in number ¨C they actually, under the broad daylight, in front of many priests within the ¡®Little Heaven of Light¡¯, expressed their indignation and surged with emotions, brazenly promoting their ideas.


    This left Tang Wenlan deeply worried, aware that this great assembly of light might very well be the eruption of all internal strife within the Light God Sect.


    Not just her, many people around Tang Wenlan felt the same, worrying greatly about this assembly of light.


    It wasn¡¯t until Tang Wenlan saw the brilliant light emanating from the Radiant Holy Altar.


    Tang Wenlan couldn¡¯t help but lift her head, looking in the direction of King Ming. Due to the increasingly strong light emitted by the Radiant Holy Altar, she couldn¡¯t see the appearance of ¡®King Ming¡¯, only a blurry figure.


    However, she felt the power of the surrounding light extremely lively, and growing stronger!


    The congregation of twenty-seven hundred million believers¡¯ intentions within the Radiant Holy Altar transformed into burning Divine Flames, yet they did not harm King Ming¡¯s robe or armor in the slightest.


    They seemed to be welcoming and submitting to this ¡®King Ming¡¯, every time King Ming took a step forward, those Divine Flames spontaneously parted to the sides, clearing a path.


    And the entire Main Temple was gradually evolving into a vast white world, untainted by any impurity, as if it were the Pure Land spoken of in the doctrines.


    ¡°Oh King Ming!¡±


    Tang Wenlan trembled all over, her blood surging, she prostrated herself once more, an image of utmost piety.


    Tang Wenlan believed that this was the King Ming chosen by the Holy Fire Tribulation, the true ruler of twenty-seven hundred million Light believers, the one who brings light to all living beings in this suffering world.


    So in the future, she only needed to follow and support King Ming, regardless of others¡¯ thoughts, be it secession, opposition, cleansing or whatever, she only recognized the ¡®King Ming¡¯ she believed in and followed.


    The many high-order priests below the altar had different expressions.


    Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan and Wan Lei the Thunder Deity were initially greatly shocked and surprised; then their expressions turned to delight, fully relaxing.


    The Invincible Dharma King stared intently, watching ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ step by step ascend the high Dharma Platform, his eyes flickering uncertainly.


    The rest, such as Wanyan Layman and others, were slightly stunned, then also composed themselves, shedding their face¡¯s original defiance, sarcasm, dissatisfaction, reluctance, and even contempt, adopting a dignified and solemn demeanor, chanting the ¡®King Ming Purifies the World¡¯ scripture along with the surrounding priests.


    ¡°There must be the brilliance of Holy Thunder, the radiance of Holy Light, to do good and eradicate evil, to purify my broken body, to enlighten my clear heart, to awaken my bright nature¡ª¡±


    And just as Lin Rui stepped onto the top of the towering 330-meter Holy Altar, the ¡®Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder¡¯ suddenly burst into a roar, turning into the largest Holy White Fire Lotus, greeting Lin Rui¡¯s footsteps.


    Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling¡¯s pupils slightly raised, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then¡ª¡±


    Not only did King Ming truly ascend the ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯, but he also took seat upon the Fire Lotus throne!


    But how long has this individual been King Ming? And he is already able to control the ¡®Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder¡¯?


    He is merely at the Sixth Realm, yet he can withstand the spiritual shock of the ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯?


    Or is the new King Ming truly the master of the ¡®Radiant Altar¡¯ and the ¡®Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder¡¯?


    Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling immediately bowed his head, his mind finally relaxing somewhat.


    He knew the influence these two holy objects had within the Light God Sect, and today, at the very beginning of the King Ming¡¯s succession, obtaining the recognition of both holy objects appeared to the many believers as if it were a divine miracle!


    This would certainly elevate the legitimacy of the current ¡®King Ming¡¯ to the highest level, truly accepted by all levels within the Light God Sect!


    Therefore, the possibility of the Light God Sect splitting in the future has, for the time being, been reduced to a minimum.


    With the mid and lower-level priests harbouring strong expectations and identification with the current ¡®King Ming¡¯, even the two Vice Sect Hierarchs with the highest prestige in the sect could hardly pull enough people away to defected.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    The Light Assembly lasted a full five hours.


    In fact, the ceremonial rites of the Light God Sect were not complicated, mainly because Lin Rui took a lot of time to receive the pilgrimage of the priests of the Holy Sect and then bestow blessings upon them.


    Lin Rui realized this step was indispensable. After going through this set of pilgrimage and blessing rituals, he found that his ¡®Light Seal¡¯ had established some connection with the divine fire within those priests¡¯ bodies.


    And just when the Light Assembly had barely completed one-tenth of its proceedings, Lin Rui received a message from Li Xianglong.


    Li Xianglong: Xiao Rui, you must reinforce the monitoring of the Light God Sect. Communicate any internal news of the sect as soon as possible, and also, the identity of the current King Ming must be verified as soon as possible.


    Li Xianglong: This King Ming is no ordinary figure; merely at the Sixth Realm, and yet able to invoke a miracle at the Light Main Altar. We predict that the Light God Sect will not collapse in a short period. However, with the Invincible Dharma King ascending, the likelihood of a full-scale war is increasing, and you should also be careful of retaliation from the Light God Sect.


    Lin Rui cursed inwardly, realizing he had overestimated the Light God Sect. What sieve? It was more like a pavilion, open on all sides.


    How much time had passed? Not even half an hour, and Li Xianglong was already aware of what had happened inside the sect.


    Lin Rui simply replied with ¡®Understood¡¯ as if to finalize the matter, after all, the ascent of the new King Ming officially had little to do with his position as the Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau.


    At the moment, his primary duties were still focused on dealing with the Outer Heaven Demons.


    After the Light Assembly concluded, Lin Rui returned to preside over the ¡®Great Ming Hall¡¯ once again, discussing the sect¡¯s matters after his ascension with the many high-level priests led by the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings.


    At this time, the number of people qualified to enter the ¡®Great Ming Hall¡¯ for the discussion of sect affairs was greatly reduced.


    Only the Three Pillars and Five Envoys, and the Seven Kings, along with a number of Red Priests holding important positions¡ªtotaling twenty-six people, all of whom were either high-level priests with Emperor Bloodline of the Eight Realms or at the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank.


    At this point, the ¡®Sword Dharma King¡¯ from among the Seven Dharma Kings also tardily arrived at the last moment of the Light Assembly, the one who had traveled the farthest. However, for some reason, his face showed continuous concern during his pilgrimage and receiving of fire at the Radiant Altar.


    In addition to these individuals, the ¡®Great Ming Hall¡¯ also contained nine Light Saints and the Bright Sage Master, as well as thirty-eight Ninth Realm King Rank and Super King Martial Cultivators.


    However, these Ninth Realm members do not hold a Holy Office; they are identified as ¡®Light Holy Guards¡¯ and ¡®Light Elders,¡¯ with only the right to listen, not to discuss matters.


    The bloodline abilities of Tianji Martial Cultivators are extremely important.


    For instance, some abilities related to time and space, as well as various bizarre and peculiar bloodlines, how could those Martial Cultivators with only Ninth Realm King Rank and Super King bloodlines guard against them? Mostly, they rely on their own cultivation and physical toughness to withstand.


    Therefore, Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators with bloodlines below Emperor Rank have a very low status.


    They are mostly Martial Cultivators who have forsaken combat ability in order to extend their lives, not considered important by those with Emperor Rank bloodlines and above.


    If the King Rank and Super King Martial Cultivators are treated thus, the lower- and upper-tier Demons below King Rank are even more regarded as mere grass, without any right to enter the ¡®Great Ming Hall.¡¯


    However, the number of ¡®Light Holy Guards¡¯ and ¡®Light Elders¡¯ indicates that the strength and foundation of the Light God Sect are still quite formidable.


    ¡ªAnd this is just a part of the Main Temple; there are many experts from various branches and sub-temples of the Light God Sect who couldn¡¯t make it in time.


    After everyone paid homage to Lin Rui again, he saw the sharp, knife-like gaze of the Invincible Dharma King directed at him.


    It was clear what she meant; now that Lin Hao had become the ¡®King Ming,¡¯ it was time to honor the promise and appoint her as the Regent Deputy Sect Hierarch of the Divine Sect.


    But before Lin Rui had a chance to speak, the War Sky Dharma King stepped forward and came out of the queue.


    And the first words spoken by this individual made Lin Rui¡¯s expression rigid.

 Chapter 677: 646: Clash (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 677: Chapter 646: Clash (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°King Ming Your Highness! Several days ago, our previous King Ming fell at Wanshi Mountain, and the cause of his death is still unknown. This is a great humiliation for our Light God Sect and has brought immense grief to our believers.¡±


    The War Heaven Dharma King Fei Yi expressed his sorrow with indignant pain: ¡°Great Song¡¯s Imperial City Department announced a few days ago, claiming that our Sect¡¯s former King Ming died at the hands of Luo Wangshu and his student Lin Hao. However, according to what I know, before the former King Ming¡¯s fall, he had fought several times with our Sect¡¯s Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy and the Invincible Dharma King, resulting in King Ming¡¯s grave injuries that did not heal and ultimately led to his demise at Wanshi Mountain.¡±


    This is evidenced by the former King Ming¡¯s Rescue Talisman! For the past two months, the prior King Ming issued seven Rescue Runes in succession, and in his letters, he clearly stated that Heavenly Fragrance and Invincible, these two rebellious traitors, defied their superior, attacked, and pursued the previous King Ming, and this matter stands as solid proof! I request Your Highness to take down these ambitious and crazed traitors and avenge our former King Ming¡¯s death.¡±


    Lin Rui, hidden behind the Face mask, turned slightly pale at once.


    Avenge the former King Ming? Whom are you seeking vengeance from?


    At that time, in the mine, it was Luo Wangshu¡¯s ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯ that delivered the fatal blow to Yin Qianqiu, but both Lin Rui and Invincible also participated at the time.


    Avenge Yin Qianqiu? That would be utterly impossible.


    But something isn¡¯t right! Lin Rui remembered this War Heaven Dharma King, who was also one of the experts who accompanied King Ming to Luojing back then.


    However, after the upheaval at the Divine Presence Palace, this man completely vanished without a trace and there was no word from him in the subsequent months.


    And Yin Qianqiu, these past two months, actually issued seven Rescue Talismans? Not a single person in the Light God Sect paid heed, no one extended a helping hand?


    And what about this War Heaven Dharma King? Shouldn¡¯t he have been near Luojing at the time? He didn¡¯t reinforce then, but now he is so sorrowful and indignant.


    Lin Rui glanced at the expressions of everyone present and then came to a realization.


    The real goal of this War Heaven Dharma King is probably not to investigate the truth about Yin Qianqiu¡¯s death, but to prevent the Invincible Dharma King from ascending to power and taking control of the Sect.


    Lin Rui felt a chill within and was deeply alert.


    From what happened to King Ming Yin Qianqiu, it is evident that within the Light God Sect, including Heavenly Fragrance, all are rebels at heart!


    If his actions should provoke their dissatisfaction, he would most likely face the same fate as the previous King Ming.


    At this moment, Judgement Divine Envoy Zhuang Fatian also stepped forward voluntarily, and he took a deep look at the Heavenly Demon Armor worn by the ¡®King Ming¡¯ before him.


    Zhuang Fatian was quite displeased that the current ¡®King Ming¡¯ concealed his face and refused to reveal his true identity.


    However, the ¡®King Ming¡¯ was verified by the Light Seal and endorsed by the two previous Bright Sage Masters who guaranteed that ¡®King Ming¡¯ had compelling reasons not to reveal his identity in the secular world. Zhuang Fatian and the other Divine Envoys and Dharma Kings had to suppress their doubts about the ¡®King Ming¡¯s¡¯ identity and appearance.


    Zhuang Fatian bowed slightly, his expression solemn: ¡°Your Highness, before your accession, the two Vice Sect Hierarchs, All Divine Envoys, and the Dharma King had discussed together. They authorized me with the responsibility to have the ¡®Judgement Holy Hall¡¯ thoroughly investigate the cause of King Ming¡¯s death and the insubordination and suspected murder of the Sect Leader by Invincible and Heavenly Fragrance. This case has been proven beyond doubt, and I request Your Highness to deal with it according to our Sect¡¯s rules.¡±


    At this time, nearly half of the Five Envoys and Seven Kings, as well as the Red Priest, watched the Invincible Dharma King with cold, stern eyes.


    They actually didn¡¯t care much about the death of King Ming Yin Qianqiu, but if they could use the accusation of murdering the Sect Leader to prevent the Invincible Dharma King from taking control over the Sect, they would be more than happy to see it happen.


    Even Lin Rui felt a sudden temptation; he had promised the Invincible Dharma King that after succeeding as King Ming, he would appoint Invincible as the Regent Deputy Sect Leader.


    The problem was that he had been coerced at the time and didn¡¯t want to be King Ming at all.


    And since Invincible himself was accused, dealing with him according to the rules wouldn¡¯t be considered a breach of agreement.


    Lin Rui weighed his options in his mind and then, with a calm demeanor, looked towards Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy and Invincible Dharma King: ¡°Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, Invincible Dharma King, do you two have anything to say for yourselves? Are the words of the War Heaven Dharma King true? Do you admit to the crimes?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy gracefully bowed: ¡°Your Highness, Tian Xiang swears before the Divine Fire, I never laid a finger on Yin Qianqiu!¡±


    She had never touched King Ming, only led Invincible to seek the Sect Leader; that doesn¡¯t violate the Sect¡¯s rules, right? As for what Invincible did to the Sect Leader, that¡¯s none of her concern.


    The Invincible Dharma King, confident, with his hands clasped behind his back and a calm demeanor, said: ¡°Indeed, there is such a matter! However, the reason Yin Qianqiu came to possess the Light Seal was because during the Holy Fire Inheritance, Elder Wan Xin, overwhelmed by greed, colluded with some within the Sect to deceive and switch secretly!


    ¡°My master Cheng Zaotian and I have never recognized him as ¡®King Ming¡¯, nor is he worthy! Where does this talk of insubordination come from? And when I attacked him, it was in pursuit of justice for the tragic sacrifice of 790,000 Sect disciples on Red Island.¡±


    ¡°The tragic sacrifice of 790,000 Sect disciples on Red Island? What is that about?¡±


    Lin Rui spoke with a questioning tone, his gaze sharp as he looked at the Judgement Divine Envoy and Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy: ¡°And there can be cheating in the Holy Fire Inheritance??¡±


    Both of them are responsible for the Sect¡¯s laws and intelligence gathering within the Sect.


    Actually, Lin Rui knew everything; the Federation Security Bureau had deeply infiltrated the Light God Sect, had a thorough understanding of the Sect¡¯s affairs, and even had personal profiles of the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings.


    Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy had a solemn look and with a slight bow, succinctly revealed the details of the Red Island tragedy and the previous Holy Fire Inheritance event.

 Chapter 678: 646: Clash (Please Subscribe)_2

    Chapter 678: Chapter 646: Clash (Please Subscribe)_2


    ¡°¡ª¡ªTherefore, fellow brethren within the church have always had doubts about the Holy Fire Inheritance thirteen years ago and thus question whether Yin Qianqiu is the true Master of Light.¡±


    As the words of Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy had just faded, Lin Rui slammed his fist onto the armrest next to him with a ¡®bang¡¯.


    The tremendous echo caused almost everyone in the Great Ming Hall to be shaken.


    Lin Rui¡¯s voice was like thunder, deafening and resounding: ¡°The inheritance of the Holy Fire concerns the continued lineage of our church! As the wise and virtuous pillars of our church, how can you just sit back and ignore it? Moreover, the sacrifice scandal on Red Island in the Southern Sea is shocking to hear. Is our Light God Sect some sort of Cult? Those believers are willing to follow our Sect and believe in the Holy Fire in pursuit of Light, not to be sacrificed by you! This is utterly insane and an outrage to both humans and gods!¡±


    All, including Wanyan Layman, were rendered speechless in the hall.


    Judgement Divine Envoy Zhuang Fatian frowned heavily: ¡°Your Highness King Ming, and all Vice Sect Hierarchs and Divine Envoys, have not been sitting idly by. Previously, they authorized the Judgement Holy Hall to thoroughly investigate the case of Elder Wan Xin¡¯s fire ritual fraud that took place thirteen years ago and the sacrifice case on Red Island in the Southern Sea.¡±


    Lin Rui sneered inwardly, thinking why the investigation had not been initiated earlier.


    He nodded slightly, with a cold tone in his voice: ¡°These two matters should indeed be thoroughly investigated. The Judgement Holy Hall must do its utmost to bring clarity to these two cases and provide an explanation to the 270 million believers within the church!¡±


    His voice paused: ¡°As for the case of Invincible Dharma King and Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy attacking Yin Qianqiu, it can wait until after these two cases are clarified. Regardless, infighting and attacking fellow brethren are against our church¡¯s commandments and cannot be tolerated!¡±


    Zhuang Fatian was stunned upon hearing this, and upon looking up at ¡®King Ming¡¯ again, his gaze seemed to recognize this King Ming anew.


    King Ming¡¯s move to investigate Elder Wan Xin¡¯s fire ritual fraud and the sacrifice on Red Island was to overturn the legitimacy of Yin Qianqiu in order to protect Invincible and Heavenly Fragrance.


    At the same time, he did not disregard the ¡®laws of the Light Church¡¯.


    Given King Ming¡¯s cultivation and the tone of his voice, he seemed very young; however, he was fair and clear-headed.


    Zhuang Fatian bowed again, his voice containing a hint of respect: ¡°Your servant Zhuang Fatian shall follow King Ming¡¯s decree with utmost care!¡±


    Invincible Dharma King Li Weiliang also squinted her eyes, staring intently at Lin Hao. She then let out a light snort and made a meaningful gesture to someone beside her.


    As ¡®Divine Sword Dharma King¡¯ Wu Wushuang stepped forward from the crowd, with hands clasped and bowing, he said: ¡°Your Highness King Ming, the current situation of the Holy Sect is deteriorating and fraught with crises. A single misstep could lead to ruin. As Your Highness has only recently inherited the church and your cultivation is not yet strong, and unaware of the internal and external situation of the church, I, Wu Wushuang, boldly request that Your Highness confer the title of Regent Deputy Sect Leader upon Invincible Dharma King to oversee the church affairs on Your Highness¡¯s behalf until you ascend to the Ninth Realm!¡±


    As soon as Wu Wushuang¡¯s words came out, everyone looked towards this red-faced and tall man with utter shock.


    Their gazes were filled with surprise and confusion, and a touch of anger as they wondered when this well-established Dharma King of the church turned to support Invincible Dharma King? When had it happened? And why?


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Wanyan Layman interrupted Wu Wushuang before he could continue, objecting: ¡°Your Highness, Wu Wushuang¡¯s words are preposterous. The charges against Invincible Dharma King have not yet been clarified, nor has she been punished. How can the Divine Sect allow someone guilty of the heinous crime of killing their fellow brethren to oversee the church affairs? This is simply outrageous!¡±


    At this moment, the Great Ming Hall was in an uproar, filled with indignant sentiments.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s unacceptable, Invincible Dharma King has only been in the church for six years. With such credentials, her holding the position of Dharma King is already a stretch, let alone a Deputy Sect Leader?¡±


    ¡°As the Sect Hierarch said, it¡¯s still undecided whether Invincible has committed rebellion and pursued the murder of the former Sect Hierarch, but the fact remains that she has killed her fellow brethren.¡±


    ¡°How can the Sect Hierarch appoint this guilty person as a Deputy Sect Leader? And the word Regent has never had a precedent, please reconsider, Sect Hierarch!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness King Ming! The Invincible Dharma King acts tyrannically, should this woman oversee church affairs, I fear the church from top to bottom might soon be in disarray.¡±


    Not only the Red Priests and many Divine Envoys and Dharma Kings, but also Elder Wan Lei and Bright Sage Master frowned deeply.


    They were neither willing to see Li Weiliang control the church¡¯s power, pushing the Light God Sect into endless strife, nor wanting to cause her dismay and provoke her to establish a faction of her own.


    Lin Rui sat on the high platform, maintaining a neutral posture as he watched the Invincible Dharma King.


    ¡ª¡ªYou can ask me to keep my promise, but you can¡¯t expect me to act recklessly under the pressure of many high-level officials in the church.


    Li Weiliang, however, looked calm and composed. As the murmurings of the crowd began to subside somewhat, she then turned her gaze to ¡®Divine Sword Dharma King¡¯ Shi Jue.


    ¡°Divine Sword Dharma King! Today at the grand meeting of Light, not only did you arrive late, but you also look troubled. May I ask what is the reason?¡±


    Divine Sword Dharma King Shi Jue, already anxious, saluted solemnly upwards: ¡°Your Highness King Ming! I have received intelligence that the Second Divine Envoy of Da Cheng Country is about to leave the capital, leading five Candidate Divine Envoys, seven Vice Divine Envoys, along with fifteen Military Governors and their troops from the north, to sweep through our Divine Sect¡¯s Beicheng District!


    Their Divine Envoy has already decided on this matter in secret, now discreetly mobilizing troops and accelerating preparations. The reason for my late arrival today was to arrange our district¡¯s defense. However, the Beicheng District¡¯s situation is weak and incapable of resisting the sweeping army of Da Cheng Country, hence I request that Your Highness King Ming and the central church dispatch reinforcements promptly to aid the Beicheng District.¡±


    At this moment, the Great Ming Hall fell silent, a hush descending upon the crowd.


    The sweeping army sent by Da Cheng Country was equivalent to nearly half of the Light God Sect¡¯s strength!


    Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling was shocked. He anticipated that Da Cheng Country would make a move against the Divine Sect, but he did not expect them to act so quickly and with such a grand display of force!

 Chapter 679: 646: Clash (Please Subscribe)_3

    Chapter 679: Chapter 646: Clash (Please Subscribe)_3


    Li Weiliang raised her eyebrows, standing before the steps of King Ming¡¯s throne, gazing down with mocking eyes at the two Vice Sect Hierarchs, Divine Envoys, Dharma Kings, and the numerous Red Priests below.


    ¡°Who among those present in this hall has the resources, spare effort, strength, and the will to rescue the Beicheng district?¡±


    Lin Rui also frowned slightly, his voice serious: ¡°My friends! Although I am new, I am aware that to the north of Da Cheng Country is one of the Light God Sect¡¯s largest districts. Not only does it boast 230 million adherents of the Light, but it¡¯s also the most important source of our sect¡¯s wealth. It is the very foundation of the Light God Sect and must not be lost. Dharma King, I would like to know how many troops and masters the Main Temple currently has available for deployment?¡±


    He turned his gaze toward a man on his left, clad in white, tall and slender, with a refined and handsome face.


    That was Bai Xishi, the Protector Dharma King amongst the seven Dharma Kings, holding a status within the Light God Sect equivalent to that of the Commander of the defense forces at the Earth Federation Government¡¯s headquarters.


    Upon hearing this, the man answered with an indifferent face and a cupped-fist salute: ¡°Your Highness, the headquarters has approximately two hundred thousand Holy Protectors, and 20 of the ¡®Light Guards¡¯ and ¡®Light Elders¡¯ from the Ninth Realm are available for reinforcement to Beicheng.¡±


    Lin Rui slightly shook his head, thinking how could this handful of troops be enough? Without the core combat power of Divine Envoy level, it would also be impossible to confront the Second Divine Envoy from Da Cheng Country.


    He glanced over those present: ¡°My friends, the troops of the Main Temple are slightly insufficient. I wonder which district or branch within the Sect has surplus military strength and manpower to support the Beicheng district?¡±


    Lin Rui was hopeful that someone among those gathered in the Great Ming Hall would take the initiative to bear the burden of the Beicheng district¡¯s war. However, to his disappointment, even Wan Lei, whom he had great hopes for, remained silent.


    Lin Rui had seen reports from the Security Bureau that the several districts under Wan Lei¡¯s leadership were also facing immense pressure. However, with Wan Lei¡¯s strength and foundation, it would be enough to dispatch a few from the Ninth Realm and one or two million of the Divine Army.


    Lin Rui also noticed that Wanyan Layman, the wise Divine Envoy Xiao Xingyi, the Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling, and others all seemed to be on the verge of speaking.


    Yet he sneered inwardly, guessing that these people wanted to persuade him to negotiate with Da Cheng Country, to cede more taxes in exchange for Da Cheng Country¡¯s withdrawal from the war.


    But in doing so, would there be any dignity left for him as the newly appointed King Ming?


    And what would they do if Da Cheng Country became even more demanding after the negotiation?


    Many of the so-called ¡®Three Ambassadors, Five Pillars, and Seven Envoys¡¯ within the Light God Sect are mostly independent leaders, even warlords, each ruling over a separate territory, much like those Honorary Members of the Earth Federation who run industries, nurture followers, and maintain private armies.


    They are neither willing to be embroiled in war nor do they wish for the Main Temple and King Ming¡¯s authority to grow too strong. They are now only concerned with their own sect¡¯s calculations, and there are only a few who are truly devoted to the Light.


    This is why other powers dare to move against the Light God Sect, as they have concluded that the Sect cannot unite internally.


    At this moment, Lin Rui also saw the Invincible Dharma King turn around, her eyes mocking as she looked at him.


    Meanwhile, she silently mouthed four words with her lips: ¡°Relocate to Star Port!¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue in secret, and then with a clear voice, he said: ¡°Since that is the case, I appoint the Invincible Dharma King as the Regent Deputy Sect Leader to oversee the military affairs of the Beicheng district!¡±


    This was actually one of the conditions agreed upon with the Invincible Dharma King the day before.


    The Invincible Dharma King had supported him in relocating the Main Temple to the underground of the Great Song Star Port in exchange for Lin Hao¡¯s support in her appointment as the Regent Deputy Sect Leader.


    Lin Rui thought to himself, since these scoundrels were unwilling to dispatch troops and support the Main Temple, let the Invincible Dharma King trouble them.


    As the Sect Hierarch, he was unable to extract even a single soldier from these people, yet the Invincible Dharma King, with her formidable strength and solid foundation, certainly had ways to manage.


    After all, being manipulated like a puppet, whose puppet you become didn¡¯t really matter, did it?


    By entrusting the major duties of the sect to the Invincible Dharma King, Lin Rui could at least reap some benefits, consolidating power within the Main Temple. But if he agreed to the wishes of these Divine Envoys and Dharma Kings, then the Light God Sect would inevitably rot away in the end.


    Lin Rui glanced again at Zhuang Fatian, the Judgement Divine Envoy, whose expression was unwavering: ¡°Judgement Divine Envoy, the Invincible Dharma King is still branded with crime. Whether she may assume the official role of Regent Deputy Sect Leader and how her crimes will be punished can be decided after the military affairs of the Beicheng district are settled. Once the two cases are investigated clearly, then disposition should be taken according to the sect¡¯s rules: reward if it¡¯s due and punishment if warranted.¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold; this ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ was still not playing straight, still leaving her with unease, keeping a tail.


    Nevertheless, being able to obtain the position of Regent Deputy Sect Leader, commanding the sect¡¯s authority, was already the most crucial step she had taken.

 Chapter 680: 647 Shock

    Chapter 680: Chapter 647 Shock


    PS: There¡¯s an important notice at the end of the text.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    The relocation of Light God Sect¡¯s main temple is necessary, and the best location is the soon-to-be-opened Great Song trade star port.


    For the next few months, Lin Rui will be stationed at the star port, focusing on matters related to the opening of trade.


    Having the main temple there allows Lin Rui to handle both aspects simultaneously, otherwise commuting hundreds of thousands of miles between the two locations would be unsustainable even with his numerous guardian battleships.


    Although he can use large quantum transfer devices, like teleportation gates, to shuttle back and forth, this method poses significant risks and is also very troublesome.


    The distance from Great Song¡¯s Luojing to the star port is about nine thousand miles, and since the future star port is not a Ninth Realm restricted zone without the illumination of the ¡®Heavenly Eye¡¯, Martial Cultivators from the Ninth Realm can enter and exit at will. This will inevitably lead to a chaotic mix of people inside the star port, sufficient to conceal the presence of the main temple.


    With the power of the ¡®Sacred Light Grand Formation¡¯, it can sufficiently mask the presence of the ¡®Light Main Temple¡¯ ¨C this Star Battleship Colony under the ground of the star port.


    However, for something as significant as the main temple¡¯s relocation, Lin Rui, a ¡®King Ming¡¯ with no solid foundation, would undoubtedly face opposition upon bringing it up, after all, it¡¯s under the scrutiny of Divine Spirits. How could followers of the Light Church be fearless?


    He could only rely on the military force of the Invincible Dharma King to accomplish this.


    Lin Rui also lacks the power to counter the siege from the Four Great Dynasties and Central Continent, as well as various other major powers. Rather than carrying the burden himself, it would be better to let the Invincible Dharma King handle it.


    This would indeed plunge the Light God Sect into continuous wars and also affect the trade and industry of the Earth Federation, but what choice does Lin Rui have? With his current limited capabilities and internal base within the Ming Sect, he can¡¯t do much.


    If he doesn¡¯t hand over the religious authority to the Invincible Dharma King, with his resolute nature, he might plan to eliminate the new Sect Hierarch the next day, or even establish his own sect.


    And he would assuredly face a significant loss of prestige due to a series of humiliating defeats and negotiations, which would lead to him being manipulated as a puppet by these heavyweights of the Light God Sect. His directly controlled power and the authority of the main temple would be completely taken away by these individuals.


    Instead of that, it would be better to leave it to the Invincible. At least he is willing to step forward and lead the sect against external enemies.


    Why not let the Invincible wield the religious authority and lead the charge for him?


    So the saying goes, ¡°strike with one fist to avoid a hundred.¡±


    Lin Rui, with control over both the information from the Imperial City Department and the Federation Security Bureau, truly doesn¡¯t believe that Da Cheng Country can mobilize such a massive military force to sweep the Beicheng District.


    At this time, the Three Gods of Purgatory are also sharpening their knives, ready to drive the Purgatory Demon Army to invade the surface. With Great Song fully gearing up its military from top to bottom, and concerned that the Purgatory Demon Army might choose Great Song¡¯s Sky Pond as the main direction of attack, Da Cheng Country would be no exception.


    Lin Rui has crafted a beautiful plan, to first hide behind the Invincible to secretly strengthen himself, and once he grows strong enough, he will reap the fruits of victory from the Invincible.


    In Tianji Star, strength is the absolute truth.


    As long as his prestige remains intact and he advances to the Eight Realms, Ninth Realm, acquiring the power of the Immortal Level or even surpassing it, then at that time no matter what authority it is, he can reclaim it.


    Subsequently, he indeed witnessed an interesting spectacle, with the Priest group led by the Three Pillars and Five Envoys Seven Pillars staunchly opposing, trying to make Lin Rui retract his order. However, the Invincible Dharma King remains unperturbed.


    Having the express appointment from King Ming herself, she holds the nominal authority to command the religious powers, beginning to detain various Five Envoys, Seven Kings, and those Red Priests, compelling each major district and subdivision to render tribute according to the religious rules, while also reallocating Protecting Sect Divine Army to reinforce the main temple.


    Can¡¯t deliver? No Protecting Sect Divine Army to dispatch? Then what qualifications do you have to remain as a Red Priest or a Five Envoy, Seven King? Are you embezzling? Conduct strict investigations and replace them immediately!


    If Lin Rui, as the ¡®King Ming¡¯, had dealt with this, those high-level Priests would definitely resist with all sorts of excuses. But the Invincible Dharma King, who knows them well, forcefully compels them with her Quasi-Immortal Level military power, leaving them with no choice.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that this is a case of a villain needing another villain to grind against.


    However, the plans of the Invincible Dharma King to appoint her right-hand men, Skull Mechanic Sky Monarch Li Gu Chan to succeed her as the new ¡®Skull Mechanic Dharma King¡¯, and Hundred Wings Saber King Situ Leng to replace Dharma King Bai Mei Yin Wansui as ¡®Hundred Wings Dharma King¡¯, were jointly resisted by the attending high-level Priests led by Wan Lei and Wan Yan.


    This grand conference of the Light, ¡®Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯ Yin Wansui has yet to arrive to this day, nor has he communicated with the main temple, without any explanations; his actions are suspicious, possibly harboring intent of betrayal.


    And this person is involved in the Holy Fire fraud case thirteen years ago. The intention of the Invincible Dharma King is to temporarily dismiss this person, strongly summon him to the main temple for an interview, and place him accordingly after a thorough investigation.


    However, Wanyan Layman and others refused to accept any solution, and both sides nearly resorted to violence in front of Lin Rui¡¯s throne, creating a highly tense atmosphere.


    Skull Mechanic Sky Monarch Li Guchan and Hundred Wings Saber King Situ Leng were definitely strong enough, both being Nine Realms Emperors with combat power reaching ¡®Quasi Divine Envoy¡¯ level, which is more than sufficient to be a Dharma King or even a Divine Envoy.


    In the Light God Sect, the combat strength of the five Divine Envoys is actually only at the level of Nine Realms Emperor, not reaching the true Divine Envoy level.


    Among them, Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy¡¯s power leans towards assistance, which is the weakest; the other four are at or close to ¡®Quasi Divine Envoy¡¯ level.


    The seven Dharma Kings are basically Nine Realms Emperors or Eight Realms Super Monarch, equivalent to the Congressional Honorary Members of the Earth Federation. Among them, Invincible, as a Dharma King whose combat power reached Immortal Level at his peak, is truly unique.


    Therefore, Lin Rui neither rejected nor agreed, but began to equivocate, stating that these two individuals had joined the Light God Sect only recently and lacked seniority and military achievements; forcibly appointing them would only cause dissatisfaction among the brothers in the sect. His suggestion was to initially appoint these two as Red Priests, and only consider promotions and rewards after the war with Da Cheng Country concludes.


    Invincible Dharma King looked quite dissatisfied but finally agreed reluctantly.


    Previously, when Yin Qianqiu was in power, she strongly oppressed them, and Skull Mechanic Sky Monarch Li Guchan and Hundred Wings Saber King Situ Leng, who had followed Invincible Dharma King in battles for five years, failed to obtain any religious position within the Light God Sect.


    Therefore, the bottom line for Invincible this time is to promote these two to Red Priests.


    Other high-ranking Priests led by Wanyan Layman, although anxious about Invincible Dharma King¡¯s increasing authority within the sect, could somewhat accept this as long as these individuals did not instantly become Dharma Kings.


    The meeting then accelerated, typified by the decisive and efficient style of Invincible Dharma King; many complicated affairs were settled in just a few words.


    Merely an hour later, this religious council meeting came to an end.


    The expressions of the people in the hall varied¡ªsome were exhilarated, some furrowed their brows in worry, and some left the Great Ming Hall with anxious hearts.


    However, Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan stayed behind, standing in the hall, waiting for everyone to leave.


    Lin Rui was eager to go to the Radiant Holy Altar to see the actuality of this Divine Artifact; however, he had to suppress his excitement and looked at Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan with curious eyes: ¡°Master Gong, you stayed behind alone, is there something you wish to discuss with me?¡±


    Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan looked deeply at Lin Rui, who sat on the throne, then bowed and said: ¡°Today, not only did His Highness King Ming step through the Divine Fire unharmed, winning the support of twenty-seven million followers at the Radiant Holy Altar and sitting on the Holy Fire Lotus, but he also managed to balance Yin and Yang, bridging sectarian divides, which was beyond my expectations. However, Gong dares to ask to see the true face of His Highness King Ming.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Rui frowned slightly, thinking to himself that he, too, would like to be open and honest, but his identity as an ¡®onion person¡¯ really cannot be revealed.


    Tian Xiang Divine Envoy¡¯s expression also changed next to him; she too was worried that Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan would dig deeper.


    Previously, although he accepted the situation for the greater good and did not create trouble, as the Bright Sage Master responsible for passing down the Light Teachings and the Holy Fire, he was bound to investigate thoroughly.


    Just as Tian Xiang Divine Envoy was about to speak up, trying to say something on behalf of Lin Rui, Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan raised his hand: ¡°No need for further words, I am aware of King Ming¡¯s concerns and am willing to swear a heavy oath on the Divine Fire that regardless of King Ming¡¯s identity, Gong Bonan will never reveal anything; otherwise, I will surely die under the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire with no place for my corpse!¡±


    Lin Rui saw the hint from Tian Xiang Divine Envoy, who was subtly nodding at him.


    Yet, Lin Rui was not going to listen to Tian Xiang Divine Envoy, but at this moment, he sensed something unusual in the Light Seal.


    This Gong Bonan sincerely issued a solemn oath on the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, and Lin Rui also saw that his Divine Soul was nearly filled with Divine Fire, almost completely consumed by it.


    Should Gong Bonan break his oath, Lin Rui truly could burn him to death.


    After a moment of contemplation, he still decided to lift his face mask, revealing his own face.


    When Gong Bonan saw his face, he was slightly startled, finding this King Ming to be quite young, then his expression subtly changed, his pupils contracted, and he was shocked to his core.


    He recognized who the new King Ming was!


    Because the information about this person had been of paramount importance for all major powers on Tianji Star over the past year!


    It was none other than the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song, Cabinet Minister, and Spy Catcher Bureau Commander¡ªLin Hao!

 Chapter 681: 648: Contact (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 681: Chapter 648: Contact (Please Subscribe)


    ¡°So it turns out to be His Highness, the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song, this is truly¡ª¡± Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan was at a loss for words for a moment.


    He took a deep breath, suppressing the astonishment in his heart: ¡°This is indeed a great fortune for our sect!¡±


    Before this, he had made many speculations about the identity of the new King Ming, wondering what compelled this person to hide.


    The Invincible Dharma King mentioned that this person is the legitimate second son of the Zhou family from Great Song, worried about revealing his identity and implicating his family.


    However, besides being a Nine Realms Emperor Martial Cultivator, Gong Bonan is also a highly capable Stargazer.


    Gong Bonan could never have imagined that King Ming would have such an identity.


    He immediately performed a sect salute, bowing deeply: ¡°May King Ming forgive your servant¡¯s impudent words.¡±


    ¡°No harm done!¡± Lin Rui smiled magnanimously: ¡°Indeed, my identity cannot be revealed; I will still need the Wise Lord to help cover and look out for me.¡±


    Gong Bonan nodded slightly, thinking that this matter indeed needed strict guarding.


    Such a prominent King Ming, who is actually the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song, would certainly cause a huge uproar if leaked, not to mention how the East Abyss might react?


    Moreover, his identity indeed brings great benefits to them, truly a great blessing for the Bright Holy Sect.


    There is no doubt about the capabilities of this King Ming; what he needs to do now is just to wait peacefully for his growth.


    Gong Bonan then continued with a steady voice, bringing up another matter: ¡°King Ming, our sect¡¯s Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire is extremely powerful, requiring special Cultivation Techniques to wield it. May I know when Your Highness will come to the Saint Hall to choose the King Ming Power Body to study?¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself where was the need to choose? He could just copy directly from Battle Spirit No. 4.


    The Power Body and basic Martial Arts of Battle Spirit No. 4 have reached the True Truth level, with some achieving the level of Great Success. After copying them, he just needed to invest a bit of Soul Power to deduce them, reaching the realms of Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster.


    Lin Rui then thought to himself that he still needed to go and see, to have a reasonable origin for the Power Bodies he¡¯d copied from Battle Spirit No. 4.


    ¡°Learning is definitely necessary, but my current cultivation is not enough, and learning this now would be too shallow. Moreover, as I know, studying such martial arts related to the Abyss too early could pose a great risk.¡±


    Lin Rui looked at Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan, who was silent, then burst out laughing: ¡°So why not wait a while, wait until my cultivation reaches the Seventh Realm, then study these martial arts.¡±


    Gong Bonan actually hoped that King Ming would learn as soon as possible, to grasp control sooner, but knowing the concerns of this King Ming, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh: ¡°Then let¡¯s follow King Ming¡¯s wishes, continue learning King Ming¡¯s Martial Arts after reaching the Seventh Realm.¡±


    For him, anyone who could wield Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, potentially bringing bright hope to the followers, is King Ming.


    This person could be the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, or the Great Sun Venerable returning from the root and Heavenly Curtain, or the current Thirteenth¡ªpossibly even the Twelfth Generation Sect Leader.


    After dealing with Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan, Lin Rui hastily proceeded to the Radiant Holy Altar.


    Underneath the Holy Altar, numerous Priests were seated, admiring the direction of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.


    Upon spotting the arrival of the King Ming clad in Heavenly Demon Armor, they all looked towards Lin Rui in surprise and confusion.


    Just as these people stood up, preparing to pay homage to King Ming, they saw him continue up the Radiant Holy Altar, walking all the way to the highest point, sitting down on the lotus-shaped top of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.


    The Priests were first incredulous, then their bodies trembled slightly, overwhelmed with joy.


    ¡°King Ming!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, not only can King Ming step on the Divine Fire unharmed, he can also comfortably sit on the Fire Lotus.¡±


    ¡°This is ¡®King Ming Seated Lotus Temple,¡¯ the combination of Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and Light Seal producing a new transformation.¡±


    The Priests hurried to pay their respects, and then once again sat down, admiring the new transformation of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire on the Radiant Holy Altar.


    ¡®King Ming Seated Lotus Temple¡¯ is recognized by the Bright Divine Sect as the highest level of contemplation, assembling Divine Fire at the fastest pace, enhancing the efficiency of strengthening the Divine Fire, but priests of the Bright Divine Sect had not witnessed this sight in nearly 50 years.


    Yin Qianqiu, until his demise, had never been able to sit comfortably on the Fire Lotus, and the earlier Eleventh Generation Sect Leader, possibly due to injuries in the Divine Soul, also couldn¡¯t ascend the altar in his later stages.


    Lin Rui focused wholeheartedly, sensing the great Abyss Divine Artifact beneath his feet.


    ¡°Indeed, this is not just an Abyss Divine Artifact of the Pure Method, but also molded like the Heavenly Curtain, hence it can harbor the will of twenty-seven million believers, however¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes: ¡°It has been tainted.¡±


    This was likely because several previous King Mings of the Bright Divine Sect had never truly mastered the Pure Method, so this Radiant Holy Altar had not been purified for a long time.


    It appears magnificent and holy, but in reality, it is mingled with many imperceptible impurities.


    Therefore, he must be a janitor next, cleaning this Radiant Holy Altar inside and out, purifying and eliminating the filth within.


    Besides, just as he had previously deduced, it could serve as an amplifier for the Pure Concept, and the ¡®Divine Fire¡¯ inside could temporarily replace the Abyssal Root Power.


    Just as Lin Rui was preparing to explore its wonders further, his quantum communication chip received another message, a communication request from the mayor¡¯s official residence.


    Lin Rui was startled and somewhat surprised.


    With his current status, not just anyone could initiate a communication request to him; his intelligent system had stringent exclusion criteria, barring most people from the Earth Federation, allowing only those meeting specific conditions and devices to reach him.


    Otherwise, Lin Rui would have to answer three to five hundred calls a day, which would leave him no time to do anything else.


    However, this call from the mayor¡¯s official residence was not made to his Thunder communication module, but directly to Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui wondered what governmental affairs the mayor needed cooperation with as he answered the call.


    But when he saw the video image transmitted from the other side, he was shocked.


    ¡°Shi Yan?¡±


    The person communicating with him from the mayor¡¯s official residence was unexpectedly Shi Yan!


    This woman¡¯s condition was very bad, her face pale, her hair disheveled, looking like a corpse, with many areas of ruptured flesh visible on her exposed skin.


    But those were not injuries, they were ruptures from the inside out.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes darkened: ¡°Are you Shi Yan or Taixuan? Also¡ª¡±


    He glanced at the environment behind Shi Yan: ¡°What have you done with the people inside the mayor¡¯s official residence?¡±


    Lin Rui guessed that the person on the other side was ¡®Taixuan Heavenly Venerate,¡¯ who, not being familiar with electronic devices, had completely exposed his background to Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui was not worried about ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ harming Huo Bangguo; Huo Bangguo was a Nine Realms Emperor with strong combat power among the Nine Realms Emperors. With Shi Yan¡¯s current cultivation and physical condition, she should not be a threat to Huo Bangguo.


    ¡°They¡ªare¡ªall¡ªvery¡ªwell!¡± the raspy and spirited voice of ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ said, almost word by word: ¡°I didn¡¯t kill them; the people here are only unconscious. I need to see you, I need you to help her survive.¡±


    A glint of red light appeared in ¡®Shi Yan¡¯s¡¯ eyes: ¡°I know you can help her!¡±


    Lin Rui fell silent for a moment, then quickly said: ¡°I¡¯ll give you an address now, A42412 Pipeline, Building 4, Room 342. Hurry there, and remember to destroy all electronic devices in the official residence before you leave, turn them into dust if possible.¡±


    Lin Rui then spoke in a hacker group: Lin Xi, Hidden Moon, help me clean up the call I just received! Leave no trace of it online.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Yes, the one from the mayor¡¯s official residence just now. Also, we have a safe house at A42412 Pipeline, I need to establish an absolutely secure encrypted line that is eavesdrop-proof.


    Lin Rui then patiently waited, and about three minutes later, he was back in contact with ¡®Shi Yan¡¯.


    Lin Rui looked at ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ in the video with complex emotions: ¡°Are you sure Shi Yan is still alive? Are you sure you want her to come back to life? Also, I won¡¯t help you for nothing.¡±


    ¡°I am sure!¡± ¡®Shi Yan,¡¯ lying prone like a wild beast, looked at Lin Rui: ¡°As long as you can make her come back to life, I am willing to pay any price!¡±


    Lin Rui glanced at the Radiant Holy Altar below him.


    It¡¯s not to say Shi Yan is lucky, her fate is not yet sealed.


    If this person had contacted him two days earlier, Lin Rui would have refused.


    After all, being merely in the Sixth Realm, generating Divine Power every day just to help his two sisters was already very strenuous, let alone having spare energy to help Shi Yan against the real ¡®Taixuan Heavenly Venerate¡¯?


    But now, he had acquired this Radiant Holy Altar, so it might be worth a try¡ª


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curved slightly: ¡°I¡¯ll send you another location; it¡¯s a military warship research base, but I suspect it¡¯s a secret factory of the Longevity Association, possibly related to the Star Chain Pirate Group, I need you to go there and check it out, deal with them if it¡¯s confirmed! Be quick, tonight I will arrange transportation to send you to Sky Extreme Star.¡±


    That was intelligence Lin Xi had recently discovered, suspecting that this base was the origin of the batch of war machinery under Qi Tianquan¡¯s control.


    This place was under military control, with high secrecy levels, well-guarded, and robust network defenses.


    However, Lin Rui had long ceased to be a law-abiding citizen; since legal methods were ineffective, illegal ones would suffice.


    In any case, as long as he does not commit treason, not against the government, not against humanity, he can be exonerated in the future, like Linghu Mingde and Qi Tianquan who, after becoming Congressional Honorary Members, had all their past transgressions erased.

 Chapter 682: 649: This is our Former Sect Hierarch

    Chapter 682: Chapter 649: This is our Former Sect Hierarch


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the Light God Sect¡¯s Main Temple, Vice Sect Hierarch Wanyan Layman gathered in his residence with several Divine Envoys, Dharma Kings, and a dozen Red Priests of the Light God Sect.


    War Heaven Dharma King Fei Yi stood at the window of a living room measuring forty zhang square, gazing in the direction of the Radiant Holy Altar.


    The internal structure of the colonial battleship from the past era of star colonizers was designed to cram in immigrants to the maximum extent while ensuring self-sufficiency. The various buildings inside were extremely compact and dense.


    The lower deck of the battleship even had four agricultural zones that could produce a large amount of food.


    This is precisely what the Light God Sect needed. They inherited the structure of the colonial battleship intact, aiming to accommodate more priests and adherents to dwell, to study the Light Teachings at the Main Temple, and to contemplate the Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder.


    Thus, even the residence of the Vice Sect Hierarch Wanyan Layman was cramped; this forty zhang square living room was already a very spacious personal space within the Main Temple.


    From the window, War Heaven Dharma King Fei Yi could see the ¡®King Ming¡¯ seated on the Holy Altar.


    ¡°The true King Ming?¡±


    War Heaven Dharma King Fei Yi murmured softly, his eyes slightly complex.


    This ¡®King Ming,¡¯ whether in the miracles shown during the grand assembly of the Light or his performance at the recent clergy meeting, had taken him by surprise.


    This might be the real Master of Light, different from Yin Qianqiu who ascended by cheating and deceiving the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.


    The problem is that this one has appeared too late!


    The gaze of War Heaven Dharma King Fei Yi painfully narrowed as he gently stroked his arm.


    He is no longer the ¡®War Heaven Dharma King¡¯ who would be exhausted in devotion to the Light God Sect or who would fight to the death¡ªeven to battle heaven and earth.


    That damned Elder Wan Xin, that damned Outer Heaven Demon.


    With just one moment of carelessness, he was bewitched by the Illusion Technique of Elder Wan Xin during the Surgical Implantation, leaving a great hidden danger within his body.


    Now the War Heaven Dharma King is just someone who desperately clings to his wealth and life, already accustomed to scheming and leveraging his authority for personal gain, a person afflicted by greed.


    He no longer deserves to witness the Light, and it seems he doesn¡¯t wish to see the coming of the world of Light as described in the teachings¡ª


    For someone like himself, in a world of Light there would only be obliteration by the Tribulation Fire.


    Demon Suppression Divine Envoy Fang Junhao also sat in the hall, drinking sorrowfully.


    Most of the people sitting here today had conspired before the grand assembly of the Light. They had essentially formed an independent faction, unwilling to see the Invincible Dharma King rule. They even intended to lead the priests and followers beneath them to defect and establish their own sect.


    Demon Suppression Divine Envoy Fang Junhao has received promises from the Divine Envoy of Da Liao and the Imperial City Department more than once. As long as Fang Junhao takes the ¡®Demon Suppression Holy Hall¡¯ which he controls and the several districts and divisions under his wing to declare independence, and slightly modifies the doctrines, Da Liao would cease its purge against billions of Light believers.


    According to those lobbyists, to both Da Liao and Northern Abyss, the colossal Light God Sect with its twenty-seven billion believers and numerous Divine Envoy Level and Candidate Divine Envoy Level masters, is a great threat. But if the Light God Sect is dismembered and divided, it is not a threat.


    Demon Suppression Divine Envoy Fang Junhao does not believe a single word of these people.


    He does not mind handing over power to the Main Temple, but can the current King Ming hold up this situation?


    Besides, this King Ming had appeared altogether too late and his cultivation is far too weak.


    The Light God Sect not only harbors deep internal illness but is also surrounded by external enemies. In the coming years, it will face numerous crises.


    Once high-intensity warfare begins, it will not only throw a large number of devout believers into the flames of war but will also cause a portion of the adherents to abandon the Divine Sect.


    They are sliding step by step into the Abyss, and if not stopped, they will eventually be destroyed and disintegrate.


    The strong and Invincible will only delay this process, but it will cause even more dissent and loss of loyalty within the Light God Sect.


    And by the time this true ¡®King Ming¡¯ has grown up and can support the heavens of the sect, the Light God Sect might have already disintegrated and ceased to exist.


    Fang Junhao looked at Xiao Xingyi across from him, who had been sipping his drink silently all day, thinking that his silence was also due to utter disappointment with the internal affairs of the sect, and a sense of despair like his own?


    Fang Junhao was discontent and helpless. The ¡®Iron Island District¡¯ led by him was determined that if the Invincible Dharma King forcibly ascended to power, then the Iron Island District would declare independence!


    However, the moment King Ming ascended the Radiant Holy Altar and secured the Dharma Lotus dealt him a heavy blow.


    This is a newly enthroned King Ming who can step on Divine Fire unharmed and is acknowledged by the will of twenty-seven billion adherents, already commanding the support of a large number of priests within the sect.


    Niu Tao just knew from watching the devotion and fanaticism of the many low and middle-level priests present at that time, that if he still stubbornly pursues his own path and forcibly pulls the Iron Island District to independence, those priests beneath him would not agree.


    And the seventy million adherents of the Iron Island District are effectively in the hands of these low and middle-level priests.


    These priests, preoccupied with the ¡®world of Light,¡¯ would not follow him. The Invincible Dharma King could then rightfully take his life.


    Therefore, Dharma King Niu Tao of Divine Power was frustrated and powerless. In this world, there can simply be no ¡®Light¡¯! Neither the Holy Thunder that cleaves through the Dark World nor the Tribulation Fire that incinerates all impurities exists!

 Chapter 683: 649: This is our Former Sect Hierarch_2

    Chapter 683: Chapter 649: This is our Former Sect Hierarch_2


    Do they not know that if Invincible assumes religious authority, how many people in the Light God Sect will perish unjustly? How many families will be broken and lives lost?


    Wanyan Layman also furrowed his brows deeply, remaining silent.


    He actually did not wish to see the Light God Sect splinter; as a Vice Sect Hierarch of the grand Sect, he held a share in it. How could Wanyan Layman wish to see it fragment?


    However, Wanyan Layman also did not want to see King Ming and the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s authority and prestige become too overwhelming.


    Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling was also fraught with worry; he was concerned about the finances of the Divine Sect.


    The miracle performed by ¡®King Ming¡¯ at the grand assembly of Guang Ming, although it prevented the Sect from splitting, did not resolve the financial crisis and predicament of the Light God Sect.


    Waging war against Da Cheng Country requires substantial financial support, and once all parties start to join forces to besiege them, revenue from the various districts and branches of the Sect will inevitably plummet. Where would they find the finances to contribute to the Main Temple then?


    This heavy financial pressure would inevitably further percolate down to the believers.


    At this moment, the Red Priests were engaged in a heated argument.


    ¡°His Highness King Ming is utterly muddle-headed. How could he let the Invincible Dharma King become the Regent Deputy?¡±


    ¡°I think this one is secretly weak and incompetent. He is already recognized and convinced by everyone in the Light God Sect as King Ming; why hand over religious authority to Invincible?¡±


    ¡°And that bastard Heavenly Blade Dharma King, has he gone mad? He has been a Dharma King for over a hundred years, now he goes wagging his tail to Invincible, isn¡¯t he afraid of being laughed at by the brothers in the Sect?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m even more worried about the Beicheng District; once the fighting starts, it will bring continuous calamity! In fact, at this time, it would be a better strategy to yield and avoid the sharp edges, wait until the Three Gods of Purgatory stir up a demonic wave, and when Da Cheng Country is too busy to care, the Beicheng District can still make a resurgence.¡±


    ¡°Indeed! In reality, the Divine Sect could negotiate with Da Cheng Country to buy time for our Sect; even if we have to ask the believers to pay a little more in taxes, it is still better than starting a war.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! Invincible wants our district to either send over the armies of our branch to the Protection Army and pay this year¡¯s tributes to the Main Temple in full, or make up for the contributions of the past two years. Does she not know what¡¯s going on with this sum of money? It has all been swallowed by Elder Wan Xin.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling couldn¡¯t help but sneer slightly.


    If this guy hadn¡¯t stuffed Silver Coin into Elder Wan Xin¡¯s pockets, how could he have been promoted so quickly to ¡®Cardinal Red Priest¡¯?


    The Light God Sect has over a hundred Eighth Realm Red Priests in the Main Temple alone. Only a part of them with particularly strong Bloodline Abilities and especially strong and pure Divine Fire could become leaders of important departments or district and branch managers, usually referred to as Cardinal Red Priests.


    However, ever since Elder Wan Xin was appointed by the former Sect Hierarch fifty years ago to assist in wielding religious authority, not just one but several Red Priests with insufficient achievements and strengths below the Super Emperor Rank have been appointed as Cardinals, which has led to dissent among the Sect members and inefficiency.


    Zhao Chongling thought that Invincible¡¯s rise might have some advantages; it could sort out the finances and also track down the original sources to rectify wrongdoings and evil practices to a certain extent.


    However, the next sentence discussed by these people made Zhao Chongling¡¯s expression turn grim.


    ¡°Do you know that the Earth Federation is about to embargo our Divine Sect; materials below the Sixth Realm will be ignored, but sensitive materials above the Sixth Realm, including injections, armaments, various war machines, etc., will all be banned.¡±


    ¡°How could this be? These Heavenly Demons, they truly are not of our kind, and their hearts must be different. Aren¡¯t they afraid we¡¯ll run out of supplies?¡±


    ¡°Run out of supplies? Who would buy our goods if we don¡¯t sell them to those Outer Heaven Demons? It was always goods nobody wanted in the past.¡±


    ¡°Not only this, but they have also banned all Surgical Implantation procedures. I had an appointment with a very reliable Prosthetic Doctor, but now he has broken the contract, saying that the Federation issued a warning to him; if he dares to perform armament procedures for us, they will severely punish him.¡±


    ¡°The message has come from the Heavenly Demon side; as long as Invincible Dharma King is willing to step down, or Invincible dissolves and destroys the Starship Fleets under her command, they will lift the embargo¡ª¡±


    At this time, there was a sudden silence in the hall; everyone looked at each other, their expressions indescribable.


    Zhao Chongling noticed that about a dozen people in the hall were intentionally or unintentionally looking at him, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond.


    Although Invincible, after becoming the Regent Deputy Sect Leader, reached out to his ¡®Shancai Holy Hall¡¯ immediately, she did not directly seize his position. Since Zhao Chongling did not have much individual interest in the local area, it was not his turn to step up now.


    Even if Zhao Chongling was dissatisfied with Invincible, he had no intention to sabotage her during these difficult times for the Divine Sect.


    He was merely curious about what Invincible¡¯s purpose was in collecting so many ¡®Starships¡¯?


    As far as he knew, the Five Great Abysses had always been accumulating Starships with the help of ¡®Mechanical God Temple¡¯ and the Heavenly Demon smugglers; just Great Song alone reportedly had 200 Starships of various models.


    However, the Starships under Invincible Dharma King already equipped with the so-called ¡®Quantum Migration Device¡¯ reached 80 vessels, in addition, there were over 240 more Warships with the potential for Starship refitting.


    What exactly does this woman intend to do, as the Light God Sect is already struggling to resist the encirclement of All Gods, does she really plan to attack the Heavenly Demon Origin?


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    At this moment, Wanyan Layman put down his wine glass: ¡°There is a saying among the people, ¡®When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.¡¯ At this critical time for the Divine Sect, we must unite our hearts and meet the challenges together. It¡¯s okay to vent grievances in front of me, but if you dare to openly promote or put your foolish thoughts into action, I will be the first to be merciless to you.¡±

 Chapter 684: 649 This is Our Former Sect Hierarch_3

    Chapter 684: Chapter 649 This is Our Former Sect Hierarch_3


    His eyes were deep and eerie, revealing a fierce glint: ¡°If the Invincible Dharma King wants to clash with Da Cheng Country, then let her clash! Even if our Divine Sect is to negotiate with Da Cheng Country, we cannot just negotiate like that. We must let Da Cheng Country first understand the pain of mutual destruction. Therefore, whoever dares to hold us back in this battle, or hinder her, then the Divine Sect¡¯s rules are set for such people. Do you understand? If you¡¯ve understood, then disperse. Those above the rank of Dharma King may stay; I have matters to discuss.¡±


    Once all the senior Red Priests had left the hall, Wanyan Layman turned to his left to the Wisdom Divine Envoy, Xiao Xingyi: ¡°The prestigious Light God Sect cannot be led by someone whose identity is unclear, although Gong Bona endorsed him as King Ming citing urgent reasons. However, we better clarify his identity, Wisdom Divine Envoy, please have your ¡®Wisdom Holy Hall¡¯ handle this.¡±


    The ¡®Wisdom Holy Hall¡¯ of the Light God Sect constantly gathers the most powerful group of mages and the top-tier Stargazers.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, who presides over the ¡®Xiangyi Holy Hall¡¯, solely follows King Ming¡¯s orders, leaving Wanyan Layman with no choice but to rely on the Wisdom Holy Hall.


    Xiao Xingyi pondered briefly, then gave a slight nod: ¡°It¡¯s possible!¡±


    He actually also wanted to probe the true identity of King Ming.


    In his view, everything about His Highness King Ming was excellent, his talents and strategic prowess were there, but it was a shame that his cultivation was weak and his foundation shallow.


    Therefore, the Wisdom Divine Envoy also wanted to see what King Ming¡¯s real identity was and whether he was worth supporting and promoting.


    Xiao Xingyi felt pessimistic about the future of the Light God Sect but couldn¡¯t just do nothing while watching the Sect slide into the Abyss.


    Wanyan Layman then turned to Zhao Chongling: ¡°Shancai Divine Envoy, since the battle is inevitable, we must prepare in advance, whether it¡¯s the Treasury of the Main Temple, the supplies provided by the Sky Demon Trade, or the Elixirs secretly provided by the Medicine God Sect, we must find a way to maintain them!¡±


    Zhao Chongling¡¯s countenance tensed slightly as he bowed: ¡°This is within my duties. In fact, I plan to personally visit the Great Song Star Port in two days to see if I can acquire one or two merchant licenses and connect with a few Sky Demon traders.¡±


    ¡°Merchant licenses?¡± Wanyan Layman pondered: ¡°You plan to procure supplies from the Great Song Star Port? That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    In the future, the Star Port will gather a large number of Sky Demon traders who can find ways around the Federation¡¯s embargo, acquiring various war machines, medicines, and armaments from the Sky Demon at cheaper prices.


    At the same time, they can also try to find some Sky Demon traders willing to offer higher purchase prices.


    ¡°Besides, I also want to talk with the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song. From the information we currently hold, his attitude towards our Light God Sect¡ªespecially towards the lower-level believers¡ªis quite protective.


    Thus, I aim to negotiate with him on behalf of the Light God Sect, proposing to give up revenge on his master and disciple in exchange for regular tributes to stabilize Great Song, thereby preserving the divisions and branches in the East Continent and avoiding being attacked from both sides.¡±


    Zhao Chongling glanced around with a strange expression: ¡°Just before coming here, I had already discussed this matter with Invincible, and she has agreed. Now, I need your support.¡±


    Zhao Chongling was actually very surprised; he thought the hardest person to convince would be the Invincible Dharma King, but she agreed after only a brief consideration.


    The faces of those present turned strange.


    Giving up revenge on the Hidden Crown Prince, Lin Hao and his disciple, wasn¡¯t that basically surrendering to their enemy? This also meant that the previous Hierarch Yin Qianqiu truly died in vain.


    However, the materials from the Sky Demon were indeed crucial for them, and they indeed needed to maintain a stable trade channel to keep the branches in Great Song from chaos.


    The Wisdom Divine Envoy frowned slightly; if they were to talk with the Hidden Crown Prince, then they would inevitably have to deny the legitimacy of the previous Hierarch, claiming that the previous King Ming was not a real King Ming but a villain who sought the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, so as not to damage the prestige of the Light God Sect.


    At least they could fool themselves, avoiding too much embarrassment¡ª


    But doing so, the Invincible Dharma King would not be violating the Sect¡¯s rules, which is not what the Wisdom Divine Envoy wanted to see.


    Wanyan Layman pondered briefly, then suddenly clenched his teeth: ¡°We can negotiate, but you have to convince Lin Hao, get us more licenses, more shares, otherwise, the Light God Sect will not stand down, and we will demand an explanation for Hierarch Yin¡¯s incident, as he was our previous Hierarch!¡±


    He thought it would be best if he, Wanyan, got one of those licenses!

 Chapter 685: 650: Development

    Chapter 685: Chapter 650: Development


    Earth time, seven in the evening, Ninth Base City.


    A ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ luxury armored official car, flanked by numerous armored cars, drove into warship development base number 313 located in the eastern corner of Base City.


    The armored cars stopped before entering the core area, while the ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ official car continued forward. After undergoing cleaning and disinfection procedures, it entered the innermost part of the warship development base, a colossal dust-free workshop.


    At this moment, Endo Haruko, a Congressman and standing committee member of the Heavy Industry Committee, stood next to a window of the official car, watching the bustling workers outside and various heavy-duty mechanical arms as well as rows of heavy-duty Mecha cast in the distance.


    Behind Endo Haruko stood a Federation Army General from the Logistics Department of the Star Navy.


    ¡°¡ªSo we would like to request Congressman Endo to step in, using your position as a standing committee member of the Heavy Industry Committee, to initiate an inspection of both Forest Heavy Industry and Forest Shipbuilding.¡±


    Endo Haruko looked at the Mecha outside, nonchalant: ¡°The question is how big are the revenues of Forest Heavy Industry and Forest Shipbuilding? They hardly sell to outsiders, so what¡¯s the use of investigating them?¡±


    ¡°We want to clarify where all those second-hand parts and casting technologies that supported the initial establishment of Forest Group came from? It is suspected that there is a problem; at that time, Lin Rui was still just a small Martial Arts Star.¡±


    The Federation Army General¡¯s eyes hardened: ¡°Additionally, it can slow down their construction progress, making it impossible for Forest Heavy Industry to compete with us over second-hand parts from the military. You should be aware, Congressman Endo, that ever since Forest Heavy Industry rose, we¡¯ve found it very difficult to get cheap parts from the military side, which is not good news for your BOSS in the background.¡±


    Endo Haruko slightly nodded upon hearing this.


    As far as she was aware, the production capacity expansion of Forest Heavy Industry and Forest Shipbuilding was quite rapid.


    This was related to support from East Asia and the ¡®Light King Sect.¡¯


    The ¡®Light King Sect¡¯ had a large number of illegal immigrant mechanical engineers, and the East Asia Republic was continuously providing Forest Group with various high-precision casting machines, which meant the two companies lacked neither technology nor qualified workers.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since Forest Shipbuilding was established, and under its banner, there were already two cruisers, ten destroyers, twenty-three guardian battleships, and thirty armored cargo spacecraft, forming two powerful trade fleets!


    Thus, these two companies were also buying up various qualified second-hand parts in the market, attending every auction for military surplus parts and equipment without fail.


    Their funds seemed bottomless; as long as the parts met standards and the prices were fair, no matter how many, they could swallow them all.


    The Fang Family also controlled the Security Committee, causing the Security Bureau to keep a tight watch on the military¡¯s logistics departments, to the extent that for two consecutive months the Logistics Department couldn¡¯t sell cheap parts and equipment externally.


    This was indeed not good for the major arms dealer behind her and for the Star Chain Pirate Group even further behind.


    ¡°They will eventually enter the shipbuilding and military industries, competing with us for orders, so we must slow down their construction progress and destroy their production capacity!¡±


    The Federation Army General stared intently: ¡°The best scenario would be to force them to transfer orders to our companies.¡±


    He then motioned towards the Mecha ahead: ¡°Also, it¡¯s to divert their attention, give them something to keep busy with. We¡¯ve discovered that Forest Group¡¯s intelligence department has been keeping a close watch on us, so much so that the four hundred Mecha, two hundred Armored Cars, and four destroyers we¡¯ve built can¡¯t be delivered¡ªyou see, they are all stockpiled here.¡±


    ¡°Lin Rui¡¯s intelligence department under Forest Group was only recently established, right? You still can¡¯t handle them?¡±


    Endo Haruko let out a light snort of dissatisfaction, and then she fell into deep thought: ¡°Initiating an inspection of Forest Group is not impossible; we could use the charge of smuggling, however, the current Forest Group is not to be taken lightly, and Lin Rui¡¯s influence straddles both political and business realms, with plenty of experts under his command. His five Heavy Equipment Divisions are almost entirely built up, right?¡±


    The Federation Army General smiled faintly: ¡°It¡¯s said that although their personnel and equipment are ready, it will still be quite a while before they can form an effective combat force, and even if his martial prowess is great, he wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move against a Congressman like you.¡±


    It is a major taboo for high-level Armored Warriors to make a move against serving or former Congressmen.


    This would not only lead to an uproar in public opinion but is also something politicians do not wish to see or can accept. In such cases, they usually join forces, overtly or covertly, to ensure the perpetrator pays a heavy price.


    As a result, several fierce confrontations have erupted between high-level Armored Warriors and these politicians over the centuries, and a tacit understanding has gradually developed: wars between companies with ties to Honorary Members of Congress tend to avoid involving the elected politicians as much as possible.


    However, assassins are the exception; if it¡¯s unclear who the perpetrator is or which side is hiring assassins, there¡¯s nothing anyone can do.


    ¡°Rest assured, Congressman, once you promote the relevant bill in Congress, we will deliver immediately. Besides¡ª¡± the Federation Army General paused, laying two chips before Endo Haruko: ¡°Our BOSS is very generous and won¡¯t let people work for nothing.¡±


    Endo Haruko scanned the chips in her hand, a slight smile curving the corners of her lips: ¡°Okay, within two days at most, we¡¯ll push the Heavy Industry Department to conduct a safety inspection on Forest Heavy Industry and Forest Shipbuilding¡ª¡±

 Chapter 686: 650: Development_2

    Chapter 686: Chapter 650: Development_2


    At this moment, Endo Haruko heard a massive explosion.


    This ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ is blast-resistant and has strong soundproofing capabilities.


    Yet the resonating sound that made its way inside was still piercingly sharp to Endo Haruko¡¯s ears.


    Soon after, a colossal shockwave swept through, scattering the numerous heavy machines and many workers inside this vast cleanroom into disarray.


    Even their 30-meter, 700-ton-plus Holy Shield armored official vehicle was nearly flipped over by the force.


    At the same time, a harsh alarm blared throughout the entire base.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The Star Navy Admiral exerted force under his feet, pressing down the Holy Shield armored vehicle.


    He walked to the window, looking out, while also contacting the base commander: ¡°Marshal Wright, what¡¯s the situation? There¡¯s been a huge commotion¡ªwhere did that bastard come from? Daring to make a move on our Star Navy¡¯s ship development base¡ª¡±


    The Star Navy Admiral¡¯s words cut off abruptly because he had just witnessed a white figure fly through a gap in the distant wall, followed by hovering in front of him, looking down from mid-air.


    His pupils shrank slightly at the sight.


    It was a slender girl around nineteen years old, strikingly beautiful despite her pale complexion that resembled a corpse.


    She had several wounds on her exposed skin, filled with a profound and incomprehensible Sword Intent.


    The Star Navy Admiral recognized this girl, his face turning deathly pale in an instant: ¡°Shi Yan!¡±


    To be precise, this had become the vessel for Taixuan Heavenly Venerate¡¯s descent to the mortal realm!


    The Star Navy Admiral had recently seen internal messages from the Star Navy, the military, and Security Bureau¡¯s failed attempt to encircle and kill ¡®Shi Yan.¡¯


    They had rallied eight Ninth Realm, sixteen Eighth Realm, and four Quasi-Member level experts, yet ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ still escaped!


    This woman even took the opportunity while Huo Bangguo was out inspecting the city expansion project to break into the Mayor¡¯s residence and meddle with something in the Mayor¡¯s office.


    Luckily, she didn¡¯t kill anyone, merely knocked out all the people in the Mayor¡¯s residence, or Huo Bangguo¡¯s face would now be buried in mud.


    But now, it¡¯s their base that¡¯s in trouble.


    What¡¯s even more alarming to the Star Navy Admiral is that the base¡¯s commander, Marshal Wright One-star, has yet to reply to him, only busy signals.


    Meanwhile, ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ also received a signal forwarded to her by Lin Xi.


    It was a smart terminal wristband sent to her by Lin Rui, with text messages from Lin Xi anonymously sent to her: Immortal Venerable, this is indeed Longevity Association¡¯s secret construction base. Please destroy this base now, but try to preserve the evidence! Especially their supercomputer systems and databases, Immortal Venerable, you probably have a way to prevent their self-destruction, right?


    ¡®Shi Yan¡¯s¡¯ gaze instantly sharpened: ¡°Kill!¡±


    With a swing of her sword, a profound and celestial Conceptual Power covered the entire giant cleanroom.


    The sword light was like a fountain of purity spilling from the Immortal Realm, ethereal and untainted, crystal clear and pure, profoundly mysterious and like a fantastical dream!


    Clang!


    Following the sound of the sword¡¯s ring, the ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ luxury armored official vehicle and the Star Navy Admiral inside were bisected in that instant!


    Endo Haruko gripped the two chips tightly in her hand, her complexion ashen, her pupils contracting.


    Her eyes were filled with despair, no! She didn¡¯t want to die! She was a selected Congressman and had just become a permanent committee member of the Heavy Industry Committee; how could she die? Die in this place.


    This woman in white, how dare she kill her? Doesn¡¯t she know that killing a Congressman is a grave criminal offense?


    However, that was the last conscious thought of Endo Haruko; her soul had been completely annihilated by the immortal and profound Sword Intent.


    At this moment, ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ swung her sword for the second time, and as various electronic devices inside the base began to initiate self-destruct protocols, they all halted under the influence of a profound force.


    1200 kilometers away, Lin Xi, lying within an underground supercomputer cluster, saw this scene and couldn¡¯t help but turn slightly pale.


    Just moments ago, six Seventh Realm Armored Martial Cultivators and a large number of combat personnel inside that base were killed instantly.


    Shi Yan, possessed by Taixuan Heavenly Venerate, is this strong? Is this what they call the ¡®Abyss¡¯?


    Lin Xi herself is also an Abyss Weapon, yet she is not as imposing as Shi Yan.


    That¡¯s not right! Lin Xi has memories from her childhood; she once controlled the despairing Battle Dragon in combat.


    The Longevity Association spared her and her brother¡¯s lives for more than just the intelligence her father held.


    However, to prevent further intrusion by the Abyss, Lin Xi¡¯s memories were cleansed and sealed by her father.


    Almost at the same moment, Zhang Long, now an Admiral in the Security Bureau and director of the Ninth Division Special Service Center, received a message.


    He immediately stood up and pushed open the door of his office.


    ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s work to be done! We¡¯ve received solid intel: ¡®Shi Yan¡¯, or possibly ¡®Taixuan Heavenly Venerate¡¯, has attacked the 313th research base of the warship! We must hurry over, move quickly, and accelerate¡ª¡±


    At this moment, Zhang Long¡¯s eyes revealed a strange luster, as he had also received another message from Lin Xi.


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): It¡¯s now confirmed that this base is related to the Longevity Association, and the supercomputer systems and databases are completely preserved. However, you need to be fast!


    Zhang Long wondered if there was any connection between this ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ and the BOSS?


    After ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ arrived in the Ninth Base City, the third place where she revealed her presence was right underneath the office building of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals. However, she left without any hostile actions.


    The situation suggests that the BOSS seems to have some influence over ¡®Shi Yan¡¯, over the vessel of the Taixuan Heavenly Venerate.


    Zhang Long then shook his head and quickened his pace. This task was delegated by the ¡®BOSS¡¯ and must be accomplished without fail.


    He actually quite disliked the idea of ¡®factions¡¯, but the moment he joined the Security Bureau, the marks of the Second General and East Asia were already imprinted on him.


    Now, he is even seen as a core force under the ¡®Thunder¡¯ General.


    But this seems quite good, too. Zhang Long knows that ¡®Thunder¡¯ is not just ¡®Thunder¡¯, but also Congressman, chairman of the Forest Group, and chairman of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡ªLin Rui! He is also a Cabinet Minister and the Spy Catcher Bureau Commander¡ªLin Hao!


    His little BOSS not only has grown stronger but also has a bright future¡ªa supremely grand one.


    Furthermore, this person, despite being somewhat abnormal in the head, cruel, and bloodthirsty, who has committed many cases in the Ninth Base City, is fortunately straightforward and provides Zhang Long with the most robust support, allowing him to be unaffected by external forces in any case.


    So, Zhang Long could barely accept his superior and his own identity.


    About 10 minutes later, Lin Rui received a mission report from Lin Xi.


    ¡°Endo Haruko is dead?¡± Lin Rui was shocked.


    He did not expect ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ to kill a heavyweight Congressman.


    Unexpected indeed, this woman with thick eyebrows and big eyes exuded righteousness, even though she was also a member of the Longevity Association.


    Lin Rui immediately collected his thoughts: immediately assist Shi Yan¡¯s retreat, bring her over on that medical cruiser, make sure to leave no trace, and have Xianyu Yan and Wang Tianwu escort her.


    His primary concern was that ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ might lose control and go berserk during this period.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Also, come here this time too, bring your and Yi¡¯s alien forms.


    The matters of these two sisters can be settled together.


    The power of the Radiant Holy Altar should be able to awaken Lin Yi, allowing the two women to regain normal function.


    If everything goes as planned, Lin Yi should be able to advance to the Seventh Realm¡ª

 Chapter 687: 651: Contending for Supremacy

    Chapter 687: Chapter 651: Contending for Supremacy


    After the ecclesiastical conference, the Invincible Dharma King boarded her own flying boat and departed for the South Island Diocese.


    The South Island Diocese was the grand diocese under the command of the Invincible Dharma King. As for the so-called South Island, it ranked third in size among the twenty-eight Central Continent islands and was located at the southernmost point of the Central Continent.


    The twenty-eight islands of the Central Continent, though called ¡®islands,¡¯ are vastly large compared to the other four continents. Take the South Island, for instance: according to the cartographic results from the Heavenly Demon, it has a total area exceeding 32 million square kilometers, with seven sub-territorial jurisdictions and fifty-seven states.


    The South Island Diocese began flourishing under the previous Bright Sage Master Cheng Zaotian, when he was merely a Dharma King. Under the reign of the Invincible Dharma King, it reached its zenith, effectively controlling one of the sub-territorial jurisdictions while encroaching upon the territories of two neighboring jurisdictions, amassing a following of over 150 million believers.


    Due to the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s formidable strength and the diocese¡¯s remote border location, the Central Continent Commerce could do nothing but attempt to restrict her through military stockpiles and trade blockades.


    However, with a fleet of up to 300 warships under her command, the Invincible Dharma King forces the Central Continent Commerce to exercise great caution during sea battles.


    The Central Continent Commerce is composed of twenty-eight islands and twenty-eight dynasties. Not only are the area and population far greater than the other four continents, but the number of masters above the Sixth Realm is also triple that of the other dynasties.


    Not to mention the prowess of the ¡°Central Abyss¡± double-entity, which similarly towers above the four other abysses.


    Nevertheless, due to intense internal conflicts that hinder one another, the financial and military strength of the Central Continent Commerce is far inferior to the four major dynasties, and its control over remote areas is even weaker.


    Since the Invincible Dharma King intended to support the Beicheng Diocese, she needed to make prior arrangements, mobilizing manpower from various locations within the South Island Diocese to assemble an elite Protecting Sect Divine Army.


    However, just half a quarter-hour into the flight of the converted Federal Guardian Battleship flying boat leaving the Main Temple and advancing over the sea, the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s expression unexpectedly shifted as she glanced skyward.


    From afar came a crisp female voice: ¡°You call yourself invincible and act recklessly without restraint. Then take my sword and prove whether you truly possess the right to your unbridled arrogance.¡±


    At that moment, a massive purple-golden sword appeared 150 zhang in front of the flying boat, and the surrounding void instantly shattered like broken glass into countless cracks.


    From the body of the purple-golden gigantic sword burst forth fierce and terrifying Sword Qi Thunder Snakes, twisting space and time. They resembled clawing Demon Dragons, surging toward the Invincible Dharma King within the flying boat.


    These dragons seemed alive, as if carrying eternal and indestructible truths, wielding forces capable of obliterating heavens and earth, exuding endless majesty and fury, unpredictable and unfathomable.


    ¡°Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword?¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King instantly flashed to the front of the flying boat. Clenching her right fist, she unleashed an astonishing seven types of Conceptual Powers, engulfing the sky over a 100-li radius of the entire sea.


    Her Fist Gang also fully unfolded in an instant.


    This was her Ninth Realm Emperor Secret Technique¡ªOne Hand Covering the Sky!


    All those Demon Dragon-like thunderous Sword Qi betrayed, scattering under the force of her fist¡¯s edge.


    She herself was like a steadfast boulder amidst raging torrents, effortlessly crushing the rushing tides and towering waves aimed at her path.


    However, the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s expression subtly changed, for she discovered her Fist Gang was dissipating little by little, disintegrating bit by bit.


    Those thunderous Sword Qi were omnipresent, exploiting every gap in her defense. The sword momentum was like mercury flooding, layer upon layer spreading inward, stripping away her fist¡¯s strength like peeling an onion.


    ¡°This is¡ª¡±


    The Invincible Dharma King¡¯s gaze revealed disbelief. What she confronted embodied at least sixty percent ¡®Truth¡¯ Concept! Along with sixty percent of ¡®Thunder,¡¯ sixty percent of ¡®Limit,¡¯ fifty-five percent of ¡®Solid Law,¡¯ and fifty-five percent of ¡®Growth!¡¯


    The problem was this woman wasn¡¯t any Abyss Avatar. How could her Conceptual Power possibly be this strong?


    Terrifyingly, Luo Wangshu¡¯s Concepts soared to higher levels of strength and dread through her abilities of ¡®Refinement¡¯ and ¡®Ascension.¡¯


    However, Luo Wangshu¡¯s Essential Martial Intent was far beyond simple ¡®Refinement¡¯ and ¡®Ascension.¡¯ It was akin to the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s ¡®Only Heart and Only Me.¡¯


    What was perceived as refinement and ascension was mere facade!


    Earlier, the Invincible Dharma King encountered Luo Wangshu in a mine shaft, but back then Luo Wangshu hadn¡¯t fully gathered her strength, and her Sword Qi was at a weakened end-phase, leaving the Invincible Dharma King with an impression of mediocrity.


    This Luo Wangshu seemed no more than an ordinary Senior Divine Envoy-level practitioner.


    Now, it became evident that this woman hadn¡¯t exerted herself in the slightest during their prior encounter. Luo Wangshu had likely integrated the ¡®War God¡¯ 8PRO nano-combat assistance device, significantly amplifying her sword¡¯s strength and speed.


    Boom!


    The Invincible Dharma King¡¯s Battle Dragon¡ª¡¯Divine Heart Invincible Dragon¡¯¡ªascended skyward, positioning itself behind her.


    The colossal figure extended its enormous hand toward the direction of the purple-golden massive sword. Though its actions differed from the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s, its essence matched her Ninth Realm Emperor Secret Technique¡ªOne Hand Covering the Sky!


    The immeasurable surge of Demon Dragon-like sword tides paused slightly under its majestic fist strength, even retreating for a moment, yet they surged forward once more.


    Two streams of Sword Qi even shattered into the ¡®Divine Heart Invincible Dragon¡¯s¡¯ palm, erupting two gaping wounds, scattering blood fragments instantaneously.


    The accompanying ¡®Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch¡¯ Li Guchan was utterly astounded.


    The Invincible Dharma King, despite wielding numerous nearly ¡®Abyss¡¯-level Concepts, was clearly at a disadvantage against Luo Wangshu.


    He immediately flew forth toward the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s location, donning the skull-like Battle Armor on his body.


    Yet in that moment, all light around them abruptly vanished.


    Their surroundings were devoid of any ¡®light,¡¯ instantaneously siphoned away into darkness.


    The sight plunged Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan¡¯s heart into unease. He realized his self-crafted ¡®Divine Skeleton Dragon Armor¡¯ was experiencing erratic currents and chaotic electromagnetic signals internally.


    Moreover, an immensely dangerous Sword Intent locked onto the center of his brows. The oppressive Sword Intent left him frozen in terror, immobile.


    Both his Primordial Spirit and physical body, down to his innermost marrow, trembled in fear, sensing that any motion could lead to death!


    Then came an aged voice from afar: ¡°Heavenly Monarch Li, the two of them have private grievances and fair combat. It¡¯s best we do not intervene.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Li Guchan¡¯s mind turned sharply, wondering which Senior Divine Envoy could have appeared here.


    His thoughts soon sharpened: ¡°You¡¯re the Great Song Imperial Censor, Zhao Yang!¡±


    Yet their intelligence indicated this man was merely a Super Monarch at the Eighth Realm. Zhao Yang¡¯s extraordinary talents during his youth were stunted by early Primordial Spirit damage, preventing him from advancing to the Ninth Realm.


    Rumors once circulated that Zhao Yang was an Outer Heaven Demon succumbing to the Five Decays, but later these claims were proven to be political slander by his rivals.


    ¡°You flatter me!¡± Linghu Mingde chuckled from afar. ¡°Rest assured, Heavenly Monarch Li. Divine Envoy Luo has no intent to take the Dharma King¡¯s life. We merely observe today.¡±


    Li Guchan snorted coldly at those words. The Invincible Dharma King¡¯s peak combat power reached Quasi Immortal levels; what right did Luo Wangshu have to claim she could take her life?


    Within the shadow of the face mask, the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s delicate visage now darkened with somber clouds.


    ¡°Seventy percent!¡±


    At that moment, invisible chains loosened themselves from the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s body, manifesting massive wings behind her.


    Her Conceptual Power surged to a staggering seventy percent, and her enormous Fist Gang caused the entire ocean within 200 li to sink by thirty to fifty zhang. Beyond this boundary, towering waves roared and soared!


    Yet the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s ¡®Only Heart and Only Me¡¯ Concept still couldn¡¯t shatter Luo Wangshu¡¯s ¡®Truth.¡¯


    This woman, wielding sixty percent Truth, could counter her seventy percent Concept Forces and still hold the advantage.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it. Your Ninth Realm Emperor Extreme Move isn¡¯t truly your own¡ªit¡¯s inherited from Cheng Zaotian?¡±


    With Luo Wangshu¡¯s faintly mocking tone, her Sword Qi pressed further, punching another ten or so translucent holes into the shielding hand of the ¡®Divine Heart Invincible Dragon.¡¯


    Faced with a choice between pushing her Abyss Forces to their extreme eighty percent¡ªrisking damage to her Divine Soul¡ªor using the Abyss Divine Artifact in her possession, the Invincible Dharma King hesitated as she noticed something.


    The surging sword tides began to shift to either side.


    Though the Sword Qi breached her ¡®Mad Dragon¡¯ Battle Armor, it left only superficial cuts across her face and body without inflicting significant injuries.


    The Invincible Dharma King narrowed her eyes. Could this woman manipulate the Ninth Realm Emperor Extreme Move with such precision, achieving absolute freedom?


    ¡°With your level, you think you can contend with the emperors of myriad nations? In terms of pure power, you¡¯ve reached Quasi Immortal status, and your Conceptual Powers are remarkable. But if this were a fight to the death, you would undoubtedly perish. If I were you, I¡¯d take this moment to calm down and thoroughly master the strength given to you by Cheng Zaotian.¡±


    From a distant Guardian Battleship, Luo Wangshu withdrew her long sword into its scabbard with a wave of her hand: ¡°Let¡¯s go. Where¡¯s Hao¡¯s medical cruiser docked?¡±


    Lin Rui mentioned his Genetic Supplement Potion was near completion and would be delivered aboard his ¡®Blue Sky¡¯ medical cruiser.


    Meanwhile, on the sea surface, all traces of the overwhelming sword tide abruptly dissipated. The darkness before Li Guchan also returned to normal.


    He hovered into the air, his expression deeply grave as he approached the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s side: ¡°Dharma King!¡±


    ¡°Let it be!¡± The Invincible Dharma King shook her head slightly, her gaze calm. ¡°She isn¡¯t our enemy; she¡¯s just a woman whose offspring has been stolen, taking out her anger on me. Let her vent. Besides, she¡¯s right¡ªI haven¡¯t yet fully harnessed the power my master left me.¡±


    Thus, there was no need for her to risk squandering her Primordial Spirit.


    Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan could only smile bitterly.


    That¡¯s why he and the ¡®Hundred Wings Saber King¡¯ Situ Leng believed the Invincible Dharma King should spend more time honing her abilities. With her martial talent, even several more years would carry great benefit.


    The Invincible Dharma King continued gazing into the Cloud Sky, pondering the deeply hidden strength of the Great Song¡¯s Third Divine Envoy.


    Her true power was undoubtedly close to that of a First Divine Envoy-level warrior¡ªperhaps only a single Abyss Divine Artifact away.


    Clearly, this woman harbored ambitious intent, too!

 Chapter 688: 652: Promotion

    Chapter 688: Chapter 652: Promotion


    Lin Rui sat on the Radiant Holy Altar for only half a moment before deciding that it would be best to relocate the Divine Sect Headquarters to the Star Port without delay.


    The Radiant Holy Altar indeed facilitated his cultivation.


    Not only was this item an amplifier for the Pure Method, it could also harness the will and faith of 2.7 billion followers to influence the world, interfere with the laws of heaven and earth, and wield unparalleled power.


    Unfortunately, its interior was contaminated; otherwise, Lin Rui¡¯s cultivation speed could have increased by seventeenfold.


    This seventeenfold multiplier was only the limit his body could endure, not the limit of the Radiant Holy Altar.


    Calculating simply, given Lin Rui¡¯s current Primordial Spirit Power and physical qualities, after one hour of sustained Power Body cultivation, he could accumulate 1 unit of True Yuan and strengthen 1 unit of Soul Power in his body.


    However, now with the Radiant Holy Altar as an external aid, he could receive the blessing of the will and faith of 2.7 billion followers during cultivation.


    The spiritual power of these 2.7 billion followers might not be particularly strong individually, but their sheer number was overwhelming¡ªequivalent to more than ten thousand Lin Ruis.


    Thus, within the same amount of time, Lin Rui could accumulate 17 units of True Yuan and strengthen 17 units of Soul Power.


    Yet, because the altar had impurities and contamination present, Lin Rui dared not recklessly exploit it. Nonetheless, it still enhanced his cultivation speed by about fivefold.


    Lin Rui planned to move the altar near Luojing, so that within a radius of ten thousand miles, he could summon the Radiant Holy Altar¡¯s power anytime as needed.


    In his downtime, his Alien and Battle Dragon could also wear Battle Armor and visit the altar to sit for a while, purging the contamination inside the altar in the process.


    ¡ªYet this was by no means a feat achievable overnight. With Lin Rui¡¯s current Sixth Realm cultivation level, it would take an estimated eight to nine years to completely remove the impurities.


    By the time nightfall arrived, Lin Rui reluctantly descended from the Radiant Holy Altar.


    This was because the medical cruiser had already traversed the Heavenly Curtain and arrived on Sky Extreme Star.


    Lin Rui needed to resolve the contamination issues of ¡®Shi Yan¡¯ and his two sisters.


    Additionally, he couldn¡¯t linger here any longer; he had to return to Luojing as soon as possible.


    At this moment, around the altar, the tens of thousands of devoted priests who had been fervently meditating simultaneously let out sighs of regret and sorrow, triggering a resonant hum in unison.


    Lin Rui¡¯s face twitched involuntarily.


    He was reminded of human models and suspected that these people might be treating him as something of the sort.


    Judging by their expressions, it seemed they wished to fasten him to the altar permanently, ideally welding both him and the altar together.


    Lin Rui then left the Light Main Altar under the covert protection of Gong Bonan and the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy through a secret passage they had prepared.


    Both of them understood Lin Rui¡¯s situation; he truly couldn¡¯t remain here for long. Therefore, they had started making arrangements well in advance, allowing Lin Rui to vanish silently from the sight of all Light God Sect followers.


    Gong Bonan even wanted to assign guards to Lin Rui, but Lin Rui declined.¡±


    ¡°No need for guards; they¡¯ll only increase the risk of exposure. Besides, I¡¯ve already reached an agreement with the Invincible Dharma King. Invincible will propose moving the Divine Sect Headquarters to the underground of Great Song Star Port, but this will require the cooperation of virtuous leaders.¡±


    Gong Bonan pondered briefly and then nodded slightly. ¡°Fine, but doing so elevates the risk of the Light Main Altar being discovered by the Abyss. Please consider this carefully, King Ming.¡±


    The Light Main Altar possessed advanced concealment and disguise capabilities and could be deeply buried underground.


    The issue, however, lay with the tens of thousands of priests and the Divine Army guards in the sect¡ªamong them, there were bound to be traitorous individuals who would stop at nothing to leak the altar¡¯s location.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t warrant concern.¡± Lin Rui chuckled faintly. ¡°I have access to a hundred miniature quantum jump devices from the Outer Heaven Demons. When the time comes, we can place the entrance to the headquarters 200,000 miles away.¡±


    ¡°By the way, if your people need any armaments or medicine¡ªor any war equipment¡ªjust let me know. I¡¯ve got highly reliable connections. Not only are these goods available, but I can also arrange trustworthy prosthetic doctors for you directly¡ª¡±


    Even though the Earth Federation had issued a prohibition order, the vice chair of the Bright Front, Wang Song, served as a standing committee member of the National Security Committee, granting him access to all committee deliberations.


    Lin Rui knew the prohibition order had loopholes. The National Security Committee had granted the Security Bureau special permission to foster factions within the Light God Sect that opposed the Invincible Dharma King under certain conditions.


    Specifically regarding the ¡®King Ming,¡¯ the Earth Federation¡¯s military and Security Bureau pinned high hopes on him. They believed that as King Ming¡¯s strength grew and his influence expanded, sooner or later, he would clash with the Invincible Dharma King and potentially lead to direct confrontation. As such, the law reserved a ¡®special trade goods quota¡¯ for King Ming, amounting to 240 billion federal coins annually¡ªthe equivalent of the price for two Red Spider 8PRO blank template prototypes.


    Currently, the Security Bureau was actively seeking ways to contact King Ming, but unfortunately, its agents had yet to achieve direct interaction with him.


    Lin Rui had studied the relevant regulations and deemed that fostering King Ming under his identity as ¡®General Thunder¡¯ was acceptable and did not violate federal law.


    Moreover, he was King Ming himself; the entire Light God Sect practically belonged to his family¡ªthe prohibition order was hardly his concern.


    Upon hearing this, Gong Bonan and the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy both reacted visibly¡ªdid King Ming truly have access to resources from the Outer Heaven Demons?


    Of course, he did; this man was the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song! There were even rumors of his alliance with a newly risen power from the Heavenly Demon Origin within the Earth Federation, wherein both sides supported each other.


    For them, this was definitely good news, as both had been troubled by the federal prohibition order.


    At that moment, as Lin Rui concluded his remarks, a massive warship, measuring 850 meters in length, abruptly materialized from thin air.

 Chapter 689: 652: Promotion_2

    Chapter 689: Chapter 652: Promotion_2


    This was precisely Lin Rui¡¯s ¡°Blue Sky¡± medical cruiser, which was gradually disengaging its optical stealth device.


    The cruiser¡¯s belly hatch was slowly opening as well. Luo Wangshu stood at the hatch, smiling faintly as she looked at him.


    Behind her were Lin Xi, Linghu Mingde, Xianyu Yan, and others.


    Gong Bonan also raised his head, exchanging a fleeting glance with Luo Wangshu at the hatch.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s gaze instantly turned icy. She rested one hand on her sword, her eyes carrying a warning.


    Gong Bonan quickly looked away, lost in thought.


    He noticed some residual traces of Martial Intent lingering on Luo Wangshu¡ªshe must have just fought someone. Could it have been the Invincible Dharma King?


    Observing the Eastern Heavenly Sword Phoenix on her, completely unscathed, the outcome of the battle became apparent.


    It seemed that Ming King¡¯s master was not only extremely powerful but shared a deep bond with their disciple¡ªa stalwart pillar of support for His Highness Ming King.


    Lin Rui had by now flown into the belly of the medical cruiser, landing gracefully. His expression serious, he bowed deeply to Luo Wangshu with utmost gratitude: ¡°Disciple deeply thanks Master! I have troubled you greatly.¡±


    He had not intended to disturb Luo Wangshu, yet Master still crossed great distances to arrive here.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Luo Wangshu snorted lightly, removing her hand from her sword. ¡°But you¡¯d better ascend to Seventh Realm soon. I do not want a repeat of this sort of thing.¡±


    Lin Rui thought ascending to Seventh Realm was no simple feat.


    Even with the Radiant Holy Altar, it wouldn¡¯t be an overnight success. He was no Invincible Dharma King, who had someone sponsoring his Power Body directly.


    At that moment, Lin Rui also saw Shi Yan deeper inside the belly hatch.


    He had already felt from watching videos that this woman¡¯s condition was terrible. Seeing her now only confirmed how much worse it had become.


    The power of Taixuan Heavenly Venerate had further descended into her body, placing an even greater burden on her.


    She was close to breaking¡ªher flesh splitting open from the inside out.


    Lin Rui found it hard to believe that this woman could still maintain her self-awareness amidst such invasive corruption.


    Shi Yan was also examining him from head to toe, her eyes full of astonishment and incredulity.


    She still managed to articulate words, one syllable at a time, in a hoarse and labored voice: ¡°New God! It seems you¡¯ve acquired yet another Supreme Divine Artifact? Is that the Light God Sect¡¯s Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire? So, you¡¯re the Ming King of Light God Sect now?¡±


    During Taixuan Heavenly Venerate¡¯s era, there was no such thing as Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.


    It must be noted that every Supreme Divine Artifact in existence came at the cost of a complete ¡°Abyss.¡±


    Through Shi Yan, Taixuan Heavenly Venerate gleaned information about Light God Sect. Judging by Light God Sect¡¯s history, this Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire was likely the Seventh Generation Sect Leader¡¯s own body forged into a Divine Artifact.


    It was evident that in their final years of life, they had already reached the Abyss Level.


    This discovery delighted Shi Yan immensely, giving her further confidence in Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui now raised his hand to summon a sheet of Ten Realms Dragon Skin Paper tossed over by Linghu Mingde.


    This old man¡¯s several hundred years of accumulated wealth was indeed extraordinary¡ªeven possessing multiple sheets of Ten Realms Dragon Skin Paper.


    Lin Rui swiftly inscribed text using his own blood while drafting intricate and mysterious runes on the paper, completing it in just 30 seconds. He handed it to Shi Yan.


    Shi Yan glanced indifferently at the paper and let out a soft chuckle: ¡°You¡¯re very cautious. It¡¯s rare to see someone who knows Ancient Text as well.¡±


    Without hesitation, she dropped her Essence Blood onto the Divine Contract witnessed by God.


    This contract required acknowledgment from both Taixuan Heavenly Venerate and Shi Yan herself to activate its effects.


    Shi Yan recognized it was also one of Lin Rui¡¯s ways of testing her¡ªhe wanted to ascertain if Shi Yan herself still retained Spiritual Wisdom.


    The contract left not a single loophole, unassailable even to a Divine Spirit like her, and its terms were exceedingly stringent. This meant that even if Shi Yan survived, she would become little more than a tool for Lin Rui.


    Furthermore, even if Taixuan Heavenly Venerate reclaimed the soul submerged within the Root and achieved resurrection to become a complete Abyss, they would still face considerable influence from Lin Rui.


    But they had no other options left. Signing this Divine Contract was the only way to plan for the future.


    Lin Rui was utterly astonished¡ªthe contract truly activated, and Shi Yan was truly alive! She still retained her Spiritual Wisdom!


    This crazy woman had incredible willpower, no doubt hall-worthy, with extraordinary spiritual power talent.


    He immediately gestured for Ji Xueying to push over a pre-prepared surgical bed.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, Shi Yan¡¯s Alien and Battle Dragon are also en route.¡±


    Shi Yan spoke as she operated her terminal wristband, transmitting coordinates to Lin Rui: ¡°They¡¯ve arrived nearby, at this spot. Her Alien form has also been heavily corrupted by me and will require your assistance as well.¡±


    Battle Dragons and Mecha Dragons were colossal entities, essentially functioning as reservoirs larger than the main body, capable of bearing more corruption.


    At that moment, Lin Rui was already beside her, holding a needle the size of a child¡¯s arm handed to him by Ji Xueying, which he promptly injected into Shi Yan¡¯s neck.


    Shi Yan didn¡¯t flinch. She did not think anesthetic crafted by Heavenly Demons could affect her in any way!


    Previously, when Divine Light Army purchased Shi Yan¡¯s brain, they had used an extraordinarily potent anesthetic, yet it failed to affect Taixuan Heavenly Venerate¡¯s Abyss Level soul.


    But upon lying down on the surgical bed and being pushed forward by Ji Xueying for a mere hundred steps, her consciousness began to falter and ultimately fell into a stupor, losing all awareness.


    Luo Wangshu noticed this scene and couldn¡¯t help but feel mildly amazed: ¡°What¡¯s in that needle of yours?¡±


    Taixuan Heavenly Venerate¡¯s power, interpreted within Earthlings¡¯ cultural context, was ¡°the One that escapes,¡± a transcendent force beyond existence.


    Thus, no form of power could typically affect them, let alone considering this entity was Abyss¡ªa soul body preserved pre-collapse.


    Lin Rui was now examining Shi Yan¡¯s condition, inwardly cursing, ¡°Damn.¡±


    This Taixuan Heavenly Venerate had crammed as many as 20 pieces of auxiliary equipment into Shi Yan¡¯s body. Not only were their grades SS+ or SSS, but three even reached SSS+.


    It must be noted that Linghu Mingde, a former Super Monarch of Eight Realms, only had about 30 pieces of primary and secondary armament combined, half of which were S or S+ grade.


    Shi Yan¡¯s auxiliary equipment, on the other hand, had been severely corrupted. For some inexplicable reason, they had fused completely with her Primordial Spirit, becoming part of her body¡ªvery similar to Gong Hengdao¡¯s previous condition.


    Lin Rui felt a sharp headache but responded immediately when he heard Luo Wangshu¡¯s question: ¡°I personally formulated it. It contains a mix of Despair and Twisted Source Essence.¡±


    He shook the needle in his hand: ¡°This Residual Spirit of the Abyss was already quite weak, so I only needed to nullify its Conceptual Power.¡±


    Luo Wangshu thought to herself: this anesthetic could knock out Taixuan, which definitely involved more than just two types of Abyss Source Material.


    Notably, Lin Rui¡¯s concept of ¡°Paralysis¡± and ¡°Divine Venom¡± had already achieved thirty percent mastery. The medicines this guy formulated increasingly resonated with the power of the Venerate of Ten Thousand Poisons.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes flashed with a peculiar glimmer: ¡°Give me a batch of this anesthetic later.¡±


    Linghu Mingde was equally intrigued: ¡°Give me some as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Lin Rui agreed readily to any of Luo Wangshu¡¯s requests.


    By now, they had arrived at the entrance of a surgical room. Linghu Mingde and the others, having received private messages from Lin Rui, tactfully diverted toward the command bridge.


    Luo Wangshu followed closely behind Lin Rui into the room, watching him don gloves as he spoke: ¡°Shi Yan¡¯s condition is tricky; it might take three to five days. Lin Xi and Lin Yi are also in similar states. I¡¯ll first inject Master with the Genetic Supplement Potion and perform gene modulation. Master, please undress and enter the surgical pod over there.¡±


    While just injecting the Genetic Supplement Potion alone could suffice, it wouldn¡¯t achieve optimal enhancement effects. Lin Rui believed his expertise capable of raising Luo Wangshu¡¯s physical development progress from 70% to 72%.


    For someone at the Divine Envoy level, even a mere 1% improvement in physical development could drastically increase combat power.


    Luo Wangshu was momentarily embarrassed, instinctively clutching her collar at the thought of needing to undress for the Genetic Supplement Potion injection.


    For a moment, an uncharacteristic hesitation and awkwardness overtook her.

 Chapter 690: 653: Seventh Realm Divine Power

    Chapter 690: Chapter 653: Seventh Realm Divine Power


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t expect that Luo Wangshu, usually so carefree and uninhibited, would become shy and hesitant when it was time to undress.


    She used to enjoy teasing her disciples with flirty jokes, but when it came to the real deal, she couldn¡¯t handle it.


    In the surgical pod this time, as long as Lin Rui glanced in a certain direction, Luo Wangshu would glare at him with sharp, murderous eyes.


    As a result, a genetic modification surgery that should have taken just one hour dragged on for a full two hours.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that next time he performed surgery on Luo Wangshu, he should just sedate her first. That sharp gaze was quite stressful to deal with.


    Luckily, the delay didn¡¯t impact the purification process on Shi Yan¡¯s side.


    Although Lin Rui couldn¡¯t personally manage everything, he had his Battle Dragon to assist, so Shi Yan¡¯s preliminary purification continued simultaneously.


    Right now, Shi Yan¡¯s pollution level was like someone who had rolled in tar¡ªutterly black and sticky.


    Only the Battle Dragon¡¯s immense True Yuan and Lin Rui¡¯s control over the radiant Divine Fire borrowed from the Radiant Holy Altar could ignite the Purifying Fire strong enough to suppress Abyss Power and burn through Shi Yan¡¯s body to remove the contamination.


    Once the burning was complete, he could proceed to more intricate surgical operations.


    This woman¡¯s situation was pretty troublesome; her body was extremely frail, so Lin Rui had to proceed cautiously, burning a little at a time and pausing periodically to ensure she didn¡¯t get incinerated altogether.


    He made Shi Yan sign such a harsh Divine Contract because the surgery was too taxing and expensive¡ªduring the process alone, over 100 doses of Type-8 spiritual calming and recovery medicine, along with Type-8 high-concentration nutrient agents, were consumed.


    Additionally, Lin Rui had to consider the possibility of Armament Syndrome after removing the contamination.


    Shi Yan had a total of 20 pieces of top-tier auxiliary equipment on her body¡ªsomething an average person could never handle¡ªand even Lin Rui himself would struggle.


    The key issue was that these auxiliary implants had become essential to supporting Shi Yan¡¯s soul and were irreplaceable parts of her being, so they had to be gradually swapped out, not directly removed.


    Lin Rui could only adjust these auxiliary implants to their optimal state as much as possible to reduce Shi Yan¡¯s mental burden. He had to invest funds into Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals to develop new models of equipment tailored specifically for her.


    In the future, if he didn¡¯t push her hard, forcing her to complete at least 200 single-handed 7SS-class missions, he wouldn¡¯t recoup the expenses at all.


    Then there were Shi Yan¡¯s Alien form, Battle Dragon, and Mecha Dragon¡ªthose were equally headaches to deal with.


    Taixuan Heavenly Venerate had redirected all the pollution toward these three entities to preserve Shi Yan¡¯s sense of identity, leaving them in an even worse state than her original body.


    As for his two sisters, Lin Xi¡¯s condition was slightly better, while Lin Yi was similar to Shi Yan, requiring repeated purification with Purifying Divine Fire for intensive cleansing.


    Lin Rui spent a full six days tinkering around the Light Main Altar to complete the initial purification for the three women.


    Luo Wangshu grew impatient and had already returned to Luojing five days earlier, accompanied by Linghu Mingde.


    However, before leaving, she helped Xianyu Yan awaken her Limit Heart Origin.


    So Lin Rui took some time to perform implantation surgery for Xianyu Yan, inserting two powerful SSS+ grade armament implants, officially boosting her bloodline grade to 8SSS+.


    With Xianyu Yan¡¯s current spiritual power, she could withstand the pressure of an 8SSS+ bloodline talent. However, trying to ascend to the Ninth Realm with that talent level was utterly impossible.


    The problem was that she couldn¡¯t ascend to the Ninth Realm in the short term; thus, prioritizing an increase in combat strength was the only viable approach. Her 8SSS+ bloodline ability could push her actual fighting capability to near Nine Realms Emperor levels.


    Xianyu Yan still wanted to overload her bloodline with two additional abilities, driven by the frustration from a recent defeat, which intensified her urgent desire to boost her combat power. However, Lin Rui stopped her, thinking the marginal increase in power wasn¡¯t worth the cost of consuming Xianyu Yan¡¯s potential.


    Five and a half days later, Lin Rui performed armament surgery for Lin Yi, whose original body had had most of the contamination burned away, implanting her Seventh Realm primary armament¡ª¡ª¡¯Suffering Heavenly Girl Type-7 Divine Power Pillar¡¯!


    This armament was co-developed by Lin Rui and Huang Fuqing, using new armament technology combined with the Fake X-grade creation techniques from the East Asia Science Academy. Like Lin Rui¡¯s Fake X-grade primary armament, it could autonomously generate limited amounts of Fake X-grade Source Essence.


    Without the Radiant Holy Altar, Lin Yi¡¯s implantation of such armament would have been akin to pouring fuel on the fire.


    But Lin Rui was confident now that he could enable Lin Yi¡¯s original body to produce its own ¡®Abyss Source Material.¡¯


    And only the Abyss could contend with the Abyss.


    He had already laid out plans to, over the next two months, replace Lin Xi¡¯s equipment with a full set of Fake X-grade armaments, equipping both sisters gradually with the power to resist Abyssal corruption.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Meanwhile, Lin Yi was handling governmental affairs in her Medicine and Salt Imperial Censorate chambers.


    Holding dual positions as the Medicine and Salt Imperial Censor and the Silk and Tea Imperial Censor, Lin Yi worked daily in the Medicine and Salt chambers because they were more spacious and luxurious.


    A sense of resentment lingered in Lin Yi¡¯s gaze, and her expression was far from cheerful.


    Lin Rui called her back this time, claiming he wanted her to stay at the National Guardian Marquis Mansion for a while, so the siblings could bond and spend quality time together.


    But as soon as Lin Yi excitedly rushed back, Lin Rui disappeared without a trace.


    Word had it, though, that her brother hadn¡¯t left of his own accord but had been forcibly taken away.


    Supposedly, her brother was busy purifying her original body, and upon completing this round of purification surgery, her original body could awaken.


    Her sister Lin Xi also reminded her she was actually an adult now and needed to act with maturity. Her brother was tirelessly busy with their affairs, often out of sheer necessity, so she needed to understand and be considerate of him, instead of wanting to cling to him like a koala bear all the time.

 Chapter 691: 653 Seventh Realm Divine Power_2

    Chapter 691: Chapter 653 Seventh Realm Divine Power_2


    Lin Yi is now both expectant and angry.


    Expectant naturally because her main spirit can return to her body, not only to accompany her brother in the Heavenly Demon Origin, but also to gradually experience her own memories.


    Angry because of that Invincible Dharma King. Who is that person? How could they threaten her brother¡¯s life? What good are the bodyguards around her brother if they could just watch him being taken away?


    Meanwhile, Lin Yi also feels slightly dissatisfied with her sister Lin Xi. This sister meddles too much, loves nagging her, scolds her, and it¡¯s maddening.


    A moment later, Lin Yi¡¯s wandering thoughts were interrupted by her self-appointed ¡®Chief Advisor,¡¯ who handed over the case files and handling suggestions for the ongoing trials to her.


    The so-called ¡®Chief Advisor,¡¯ in modern terms, means Chief of Staff, personally hired by Lin Yi, leading all advisors, secretaries, and other staff.


    This ¡®Chief Advisor¡¯ is said to be a strong martial cultivator of the Eighth Realm Emperor Rank, sent over from East Asia with his alien name ¡®Cheng Zhendao.¡¯ His real name is unknown.


    Not long ago, when Lin Yi was on a local inspection tour, this man helped fend off two waves of assassins, earning Lin Yi¡¯s trust.


    Lin Yi looked at the case files and the people present in the courtroom.


    On one side was the Fourth Rank Crimson Robed Chief Constable of Jingzhao Prefecture, and on the other was a local tycoon surnamed Xu.


    This local squire, with bloodstains all over him and a fearful, pale face, owned about 3400 acres of land. Not long ago, he purchased a batch of Heavenly Demon gene-altered silkworm seeds, known for their high yield, discovered by this Fourth Rank Crimson Robed Chief Constable, who specializes in inspecting heavenly demons, and was arrested and incarcerated. Ultimately, both Jingzhao Prefecture and the Ministry of Justice sentenced him to the extreme penalty, confiscating and selling off his family estate.


    Luckily, this Xu¡¯s wife¡¯s family also had some connections and, unsatisfied with the verdict, continued to appeal to Lin Xi, the Imperial Censor of Silk and Tea.


    According to the Great Song¡¯s system, the Ministry of Justice is equivalent to the Federation¡¯s Supreme Court, but Lin Xi, as the Imperial Censor of Silk and Tea, had the right to oversee and re-examine the case.


    Cheng Zhendao believes someone covets Xu¡¯s land. According to the laws of the Great Song, colluding with heavenly demons indeed warrants lifelong exile or extreme penalty. However, confiscating and selling off Xu¡¯s estate seems excessive.


    But Lin Yi saw a line in the case files: ¡°Xu Lin, did you purchase your Heavenly Demon silkworm seeds from a company called ¡®Forest Group¡¯?¡±


    That local squire surnamed Xu nervously bowed and said: ¡°Indeed! I bought these seeds from a heavenly demon peddler, who claimed to come from the ¡®Forest Group¡¯ Forest Alien Body Company, responsible for selling various heavenly demon goods. This person roams without a permanent shop, and I can no longer find them. However, these seeds all bear the unique mark of ¡®Forest.¡¯


    Recently, this ¡®Forest Alien Body Company¡¯ has been selling a wide range of heavenly demon goods, such as seeds, clothing, and farming tools, near Luojing.


    The local squire surnamed Xu saw everyone buying and using them, so he did the same, not expecting such a disaster to befall him.


    Lin Yi nodded, extending her jade-like hand: ¡°Is there evidence of this Heavenly Demon Jade Silkworm? Bring it here for a look.¡±


    Those present, unsure of what to make of this, watched the head officer from the Imperial Censorate deliver a white jade silkworm to Lin Yi¡¯s hand.


    Lin Yi concentrated and sensed the unique ¡®Forest Group¡¯ trademark on the forehead of the silkworm, grown naturally after DNA modification.


    In her palm, a golden spiritual light appeared, wings of gold unfolded behind her, revealing the virtual image of a golden scale.


    A moment later, Lin Yi tossed the silkworm back to the local squire surnamed Xu: ¡°Though this jade silkworm is a heavenly demon product, witnessed by my God, neither the ¡®Forest Group¡¯ nor these seeds pose a threat to my Great Song, therefore Xu Lin is not guilty. After the court is dismissed, you may return home.¡±


    She then cast a warning glance at the Fourth Rank Crimson Robed Chief Constable of Jingzhao Prefecture: ¡°If you are dissatisfied with my judgment, you may appeal to the Divine Envoy.¡±


    This tactic was taught by her sister, and Lin Yi has used it many times, always successfully.


    In the courtroom, led by Cheng Zhendao, Lin Yi¡¯s advisors exchanged glances, thinking how reckless it was of the Divine Law Heavenly Girl to disregard the Great Song¡¯s laws in such a judgment.


    But, representing the will of the Divine Law Venerable¡ª


    Cheng Zhendao cleared his throat, forcibly explaining on Lin Yi¡¯s behalf: ¡°Gentlemen, the current court urgently needs to open new sources of revenue and increase taxes; Cabinet Minister Lin Hao has advised this on the East Abyss. Heavenly demon products beneficial to our Great Song should be used; those unbeneficial should be rejected, using heavenly demon tools to counter heavenly demons.


    And although these seeds come from heavenly demons, they increase silk production, greatly benefiting the people. Furthermore, the Great Song is about to open sea trade; by then, such goods will be legal, and Xu Lin has neither colluded with heavenly demons nor harbored any acts harming our Great Song. Therefore, Minister Yuan has judged Xu Lin not guilty.¡±


    The Fourth Rank Crimson Robed Chief Constable paled slightly, not daring to act rashly before the Divine Law Heavenly Girl.


    He dared not appeal to the Divine Envoy, for before him was the Divine Law Heavenly Girl, representing the Divine Law Venerable, deserving of reverence even from the three Divine Envoys.


    The next case for retrial involved the Chunzhou Inspection Department uncovering a large batch of drugs in several heavenly demon warehouses, which by law needed to be processed through her office as the Medicine and Salt Imperial Censor.


    Lin Yi directly turned to the end to check the handling of the contraband.


    The Chunzhou Inspection Department planned to store these items in Chunzhou Prefecture¡¯s treasury, so Lin Yi picked up her pen, amending the directive to transfer the contraband to the Imperial City Department¡¯s treasury for safekeeping.


    Cheng Zhendao shook his head slightly at Lin Yi¡¯s sentencing.


    If these contraband items were placed in local treasuries, they would soon be ¡°rotted away¡± due to poor storage and then embezzled by the corrupt local officials.


    However, sending them to the Imperial City Department¡¯s treasury isn¡¯t much better, with some ending up in the Hidden Crown Prince¡¯s pocket.


    Moreover, how could seized contraband from the Inspection Department be sent to the Imperial City Department? It¡¯s utterly reckless.


    Cheng Zhendao always wondered how this ¡®Divine Law Heavenly Girl¡¯ before him won the favor of the Divine Law Venerable.


    The third case was similar to the first, but the accused purchased ¡®rice tubers¡¯ seeds cultivated by heavenly demons.


    Rice tubers are a common crop on Sky Extreme Star, a staple for its people, and these heavenly demon cultivated seeds could increase production by nearly 70%.


    However, in this case, the accused didn¡¯t purchase from Forest Group¡¯s peddlers but from another heavenly demon company called ¡®Abyss.¡¯


    Lin Yi pondered for a moment and, under the expectant eyes of the accused, adjudicated a remand for retrial.


    Her brother suggested encouraging the people of the Sky Extreme Star to use heavenly demon goods to increase yield and income.


    But since this case was unrelated to her brother¡¯s company, she spared herself the trouble.


    Ruling a remand for retrial would delay the case until the Great Song officially opened its ports, which was ample time.


    Her advisors collectively covered their faces, thinking how blatant the favoritism of this Divine Law Heavenly Girl was! It¡¯s utterly unrestrained.


    How could this really be okay? Wouldn¡¯t it lead to losing divine favor?


    Lin Yi, at this moment, uttered a surprised sound, feeling her spine warming slightly.


    ¡°Is this the Divine Power Pillar, have I reached the Seventh Realm?¡±


    Her sister Lin Xi had said her brother would implant the Divine Power Pillar into her body, and her alien body would synchronize into this realm.


    The so-called ¡®Divine Power Pillar¡¯ is the spinal bone of a Seventh Realm Martial Cultivator, helping connect to the Heavenly Curtain and communicate with divine spirits.


    At this realm, martial cultivators can officially access Conceptual Power, using their Martial Intent to touch the Heavenly Curtain, leveraging the Conceptual Power of divine spirits.


    They would also have sufficient Primordial Spirit Power to resist divine pollution and erosion when using concepts.


    This Conceptual Power is also called Divine Skills.


    Just then, Principal Advisor Cheng Zhendao¡¯s face changed dramatically. He saw Lin Yi radiating dazzling divine light; numerous golden ribbons formed by the law concept extended from behind her, resembling a pair of massive golden wings.


    Cheng Zhendao also anxiously glanced at the sky, seeing a huge figure three hundred feet above the office.


    The figure¡¯s features were obscured, but the eyes seemed almost corporeal, gazing down at Lin Yi.


    Cheng Zhendao only glanced once, his eyes bleeding nonstop, forcing him to lower his head and half-kneeled with an arduous voice: ¡°Divine Law Venerable!¡±


    Is this manifestation again in favor of Yuan Keke?

 Chapter 692: 654 Heavenly Venerate Above

    Chapter 692: Chapter 654 Heavenly Venerate Above


    ¡°Is that the Divine Law Venerable?¡±


    ¡°The Venerable above!¡±


    At this moment, almost everyone inside the Medicine and Salt Imperial Censorate was half-kneeling. Their expressions were filled with shock and confusion, wondering if the Divine Law Venerable was manifesting for that Heavenly Maiden.


    Just how much favor does the Divine Law Venerable have for Yuan Keke? Or has the Venerable acknowledged all of Yuan Keke¡¯s previous judgments and decided to reward her?


    Could it be that the Divine Law Venerable also believes that Great Song¡¯s laws have fallen behind the times and need amendments?


    The disturbance caused by the Divine Law Venerable continued to spread rapidly.


    The Imperial Censorate, spanning two entire city blocks, saw almost everyone overwhelmed by the mighty pressure emanating from the divine presence.


    Some were forced to prostrate on the ground, unable to speak, while others stared in utter shock at the direction of the Medicine and Salt Imperial Censorate.


    Even those of the profound Ninth Realm could not directly face the divine. These powerful elite Imperial Censors recognized the Divine Law Venerable¡¯s manifestation as it focused on someone within the Medicine and Salt Imperial Censorate.


    ¡°It¡¯s Yuan Keke!¡±


    ¡°The Divine Law Heavenly Maiden has induced Divine Grace again? What did she do this time?¡±


    ¡°What overwhelming divine power! This is the Divine Law Venerable¡¯s will descending upon Luojing for the very first time in history.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Divine Presence! The Divine¡¯s will has also descended and is watching over here.¡±


    Inside the Medicine and Salt Imperial Censorate, ¡®Yuan Keke¡¯ stared with wide, innocent, and confused eyes at the divine spirit in the sky.


    This was the Divine Law Venerable, supposedly her patron deity. What did He intend to do?


    At this moment, her elder sister Lin Xi sent her a series of messages.


    Summer¡¯s Whisper (Lin Xi): Yi, why are you still standing there? Dare you stare directly at Him? This will draw suspicion.


    Summer¡¯s Whisper (Lin Xi): He is the Divine Law Venerable, and you are the Divine Law Heavenly Maiden, His Favored. Have you already forgotten the rituals I taught you?


    Only then did Lin Yi withdraw her gaze and, as Lin Xi had taught her, performed a deep bow as per the ceremonial worship tradition for Gods.


    However, it seemed the Divine Law Venerable was not appeased. No one noticed the fury simmering within His divine gaze.


    The Balance Seal on this woman¡¯s body had loosened. Although much of the corruption within her had dissipated, the distortions had become even more severe. The Divine Law Venerable could even see how the laws He safeguarded were being twisted, perverted, and reversed¡ªpolluted by this woman.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Accompanied by a deafening explosion, countless golden threads fell from the sky. They pierced through the rooftop, cascading like a waterfall and penetrating Lin Yi¡¯s body, extending outward from within her.


    These threads, concentrated concepts of order and law, emitted from Lin Yi¡¯s orifices and pores, visually forming a pair of immense golden wings that spread gloriously to either side, imposing and magnificent.


    Simultaneously, something within Lin Yi was forcibly expelled under the suppression of these concepts of order and law.


    The golden Balance Seal on Lin Yi¡¯s brow grew increasingly radiant and dazzling.


    But this was merely the beginning. As the vast golden wings slowly dissipated, and the glow of the Balance Seal on her brow began to dim again, there came another boundless surge of golden light¡ªthousands upon thousands of strands of gold condensed from the concepts of order and law descended once more, penetrating her body anew.


    This sequence repeated a total of seven times. It was only when the golden Balance Seal on Lin Yi¡¯s brow had completely stabilized that the divine shadow in the sky quietly vanished.


    By now, Lin Yi¡¯s seven orifices were bleeding, but as soon as the Divine Law Venerable¡¯s power departed, her internal injuries began to heal.


    Lin Yi stood up and stared blankly at the sky, then respectfully performed a deep bow toward where the divine presence had been.


    Though she acutely sensed that this Venerable had infused her with divine power to enhance her Balance Seal while harboring a desire to obliterate her, and had ultimately withdrawn His divine will unwillingly and begrudgingly, the end result still afforded Lin Yi immense benefits.


    The pollution within her body had diminished further, and she was now brimming with the divine power bestowed by the Divine Law Venerable.


    Even her Heavenly Emperor Dragon was strengthened by the augmentation of the Balance Seal and the divine power from the Venerable, allowing its strength to recover further.


    Not only did its regressed bloodline talent reappear within its form, but its realm of cultivation also restored to the Ninth Realm.


    It was estimated that very soon, it would ascend to Divine Illumination status, becoming a God-blessed SS+++-level Heavenly Emperor Dragon!


    When Lin Yi rose, she found that the strategists led by Zheng Zhengdao, along with those outside awaiting trial, were all staring at her in shock.


    The young Imperial Censors surrounding her abruptly turned on their heels, rushing frantically toward their offices to report to the court as swiftly as possible, begging for amendments to Great Song¡¯s laws.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today. The remaining cases will be handled another day!¡±


    Lin Yi lightly waved her sleeve: ¡°Artifacts requiring identification may be delivered to my residence at the National Guardian Marquis Mansion. By the way, starting today, the daily identification quota is increased to eighty items. Those from the ¡®Forest Trade Company¡¯ will have priority.¡±


    Lin Yi then turned and began heading toward the front courtyard.


    Having reached the Seventh Realm, her brother¡¯s surgery should be completed by now.


    Lin Yi was eager to return to the National Guardian Marquis Mansion, allowing her will to reunite with her physical body, so she could see her brother and have a word with him.


    As Lin Yi stepped out the front gate, she saw an elderly man and a younger person bowing to her.


    Lin Yi sensed familiarity with these two. A quick check using her quantum chip revealed their identities: the elder was Yuan Tianke, one of the Yuan Family elders; the younger, Yuan Tianhui, was the successor to the Eight Realm Emperor Rank ¡®Heavenly Emperor Dragon,¡¯ previously belonging to Yuan Chengkai.


    ¡°You are one of the Yuan Family elders? My cousin?¡±


    Lin Yi stopped, her expression indifferent as she regarded the two. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve come to invite the Heavenly Maiden to stay with the family,¡± Yuan Tianke said, raising himself slightly. His gaze carried reverence and anticipation as he looked at Lin Yi. ¡°Keke, our Yuan Family does have a residence in Luojing. Keke, you are the pride of our Yuan Family, a Heavenly Maiden admired by all. It seems improper to continually reside at the National Guardian Marquis Mansion.¡±


    In truth, he believed that given ¡®Yuan Keke¡¯s¡¯ current prominence, their Yuan Family had no need to rely on the National Guardian Marquis. They did not need to defer fully to his authority anymore.


    Particularly, the income Yuan Keke generated every day by identifying Heavenly Demon artifacts made Yuan Tianke and the other Yuan Family elders sick with envy.


    The National Guardian Marquis was simply too greedy, swallowing more than half of ¡®Yuan Keke¡¯s¡¯ earnings.


    However, Yuan Tianke was patient. His first priority was extricating the Divine Law Heavenly Maiden from the National Guardian Marquis Mansion and severing her ties with the court¡¯s Hidden Crown Prince¡ªthe process would take time. Gradually, they could bring ¡®Yuan Keke¡¯ fully back into the Yuan Family fold, making her their backbone and pillar.


    Lin Yi squinted at his words.


    She could not fully understand what Yuan Tianke was saying, but she used her quantum communication system to consult her elder sisters, Lin Xi and Fang Ranran.


    Their consecutive responses caused Lin Yi¡¯s face to turn cold. Her gaze immediately became icy as she looked at Yuan Tianhui.


    Yuan Tianhui shook his head quickly, distancing himself: ¡°I know nothing about this. Today, this elder asked me to accompany him to seek you. I was unaware of his intentions.¡±


    He thought this elder was utterly foolish! He hadn¡¯t even inquired beforehand about Yuan Keke¡¯s level of trust and reliance on the National Guardian Marquis. What was he thinking?


    After all, the Yuan Family had once stood by, apathetic, as Yuan Keke withered and nearly perished, offering no help. It was the National Guardian Marquis who provided resources that not only saved her but enabled her participation in the selection of the Heavenly Emperor Dragon. To Yuan Keke, who was her true ally?


    Moreover, Yuan Tianhui found working under the National Guardian Marquis remarkably smooth and rewarding. The Hidden Crown Prince¡¯s talent and prospects were evident.


    Given a choice between the Yuan Family and the National Guardian Marquis Mansion, Yuan Tianhui would undoubtedly choose the latter.


    The Yuan Family was nothing but a burden, while the National Guardian Marquis offered a path to greatness. Furthermore, Yuan Tianhui knew exactly how he obtained his Eight Realm ¡®Heavenly Emperor Dragon¡¯!


    Lin Yi¡¯s expression finally soothed, and she let out a faint snort: ¡°From tomorrow onwards, the Yuan Family¡¯s quota for the identification of Heavenly Demon artifacts will be reduced to five items!¡±


    Saying this, Lin Yi continued forward without hesitation.


    At the gate, Lin Yi turned back once more: ¡°Tianhui, tell your clan that people must learn gratitude. Also, I don¡¯t ever want to see him again.¡±


    Ranran had taught her that her earlier response wasn¡¯t the best way to handle things. The ideal method was to seize control, turn the tables, and subjugate the Yuan Family¡¯s personnel and assets for her own use.


    Yuan Tianke¡¯s face instantly became ashen. Yuan Tianhui¡¯s facial expression twitched slightly, thinking to himself that his older cousin was completely doomed.


    At that moment, Lin Yi suddenly felt her heart stir. Through a special bloodline ability, she developed a unique sense of foreboding.


    She raised her head and, with an instinctive feeling, gazed toward the Heavenly Demon Origin. In that fleeting moment, she sensed an ominous premonition¡ªas though something that would greatly harm them was happening.


    What Lin Yi didn¡¯t know was that, at the same time, the Deputy Chairman of the Longevity Association, Brown, was meticulously reviewing intelligence on ¡®Lin Cong.¡¯


    His gaze grew grave, eyes carrying an unmistakable killing intent.


    The man then waved his hand, revealing two additional intelligence dossiers¡ªone concerning Lin Cong¡¯s wife, Fu Xuexian, and the other on Invincible Dharma King Li Weiliang.


    He carefully compared the information and associated data from the two before dialing a contact marked ¡®Deputy Chairman.¡¯


    ¡°Deputy Chairman Yi, do you have a moment? I have critical intelligence regarding Lin Cong and Fu Xuexian that needs to be reported to you face-to-face. Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll come over immediately¡ª¡±

 Chapter 693: 655: Two Months Later

    Chapter 693: Chapter 655: Two Months Later


    Three hours later, Vice President Brown stepped into the central region of the Eighth Base City, entering the most expansive, tallest, and grandest building in the area.


    This was the headquarters of the ¡°Beitian Financial Group,¡± known as the Beijin Building. Its architectural design resembled a throne, standing imposingly at the heart of the financial center in the Eighth Base City.


    Under the guidance of a female attendant, Vice President Brown took a dedicated elevator to the top floor of the building. When he entered the single office occupying this level, he immediately saw the building¡¯s owner¡ªChairman of the Beitian Financial Group and President of the Congressional Financial Committee, Yi Duxing.


    The man stood at a remarkable height of two meters, with an extremely lean build, resembling a towering pine tree devoid of excess branches.


    Yet, seated in a broad office chair, he appeared strikingly harmonious, exuding an air of commanding dignity, restrained and profound.


    As Vice President Brown entered, he bowed respectfully to Yi Duxing. Only after receiving a gesture of acknowledgment did he seat himself opposite the large desk.


    Even after sitting, Brown maintained a posture of meticulous decorum, upright and serious.


    Yi Duxing, known within the Earth Federation by another title, ¡°Financial Emperor,¡± was regarded as an equal in the finance world to the ¡°Financial Sage.¡±


    However, his endeavors extended far beyond finance. Through his holdings and investments, he had expanded his influence across numerous industries.


    Yi Duxing also controlled some of the Earth Federation¡¯s top ten ultra-large Alien Companies and top fifteen cargo and trade corporations.


    Rumors suggested that the Evil Pirate Group was backed by him, though the Federation Security Bureau had never found conclusive evidence.


    To Brown, the man before him had saved his life multiple times from the brink of death, becoming someone he was willing to dedicate everything to serve.


    Yi Duxing, on the other hand, gazed at Brown with a look of curious contemplation: ¡°Go ahead, what kind of information requires a face-to-face discussion?¡±


    Vice President Brown, with a composed expression, transmitted intelligence regarding Fu Xuexian and the Invincible Dharma King Li Weiliang through the internal network of the Beitian Financial Group.


    After carefully reviewing the material, Yi Duxing¡¯s gaze sharpened, and his previously reclined body suddenly straightened: ¡°Are you suggesting that the Invincible Dharma King, Li Weiliang, is actually Fu Xuexian?¡±


    ¡°Highly probable!¡± Vice President Brown nodded slightly. ¡°Li Weiliang¡¯s Battle Dragon, along with the numerous Bloodline Powers she awakened before reaching the Seventh Realm, bear notable similarities to Fu Xuexian. Furthermore, after recovering from that severe illness, her displayed knowledge and abilities directly trace back to Fu Xuexian. She possesses a remarkably high aptitude for electromagnetic and soul sciences; though she lost her academic memories, she instinctively knows what to do. She is also skilled in hacking technology, capable of infiltrating any device. We discovered that all the base-level codes in the equipment we previously sold to her had been completely modified.¡±


    Vice President Brown pointed to the date of Li Weiliang¡¯s recovery from her illness: ¡°And take a look at this timing¡ªit coincides precisely with Fu Xuexian¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°Indeed suspicious. Well done noticing this.¡±


    Yi Duxing¡¯s expression turned somber as he stroked his chin pensively: ¡°But back then, you personally led the mission to execute Fu Xuexian. You yourself confirmed her death. How could she possibly have survived? When Fu Xuexian took over Huang Fuqing¡¯s Artificial Sky project, it was incomplete; she shouldn¡¯t have been able to manipulate events.¡±


    ¡°It might involve Lin Cong,¡± Brown replied.


    Vice President Brown transmitted another intelligence file through the internal network: ¡°We searched for Lin Cong for six entire years with no trace of him. Given the resources of the Longevity Association, this is highly unusual. After all, so long as a person is active, they will leave behind some trace.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until I recently reviewed the initial research findings from their early work that I discovered something. Look at this¡ªthis is something his wife and he uncovered fifteen years ago while researching the Soul Sacrifice Ritual on Sky Extreme Star.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Yi Duxing opened the document, his eyebrows twitching slightly: ¡°The principle of equivalent exchange?¡±


    ¡°On Sky Extreme Star, long ago, mages researched methods involving sacrificing the Root and the Curtain to resurrect loved ones nearby. However, to extract a soul from the Curtain and the Root, an equivalent exchange was required¡ªoffering a soul of equal weight to bring the other back.¡±


    Vice President Brown shrugged: ¡°These mages all failed. Due to the contamination of the Artificial Sky, the resurrected souls they summoned either turned bloodthirsty and insane, losing their personalities, or became mindless and dull, devoid of memory. Only the Nine Realms Emperor could maintain their True Spirit intact within the Sky and retain their memories. However, since two True Spirit-Immortal Nine Realms Emperors cannot be exchanged¡ªthey are not fully captured by the Sky or the Root¡ªthe process becomes unworkable. Hence, this discovery was deemed worthless. But¡ª¡±


    Vice President Brown¡¯s voice paused, his tone intensifying: ¡°This fits perfectly when applied to Lin Cong and Fu Xuexian!¡±


    ¡°So, you suspect Lin Cong is actually dead? And that his life was traded to bring Fu Xuexian back?¡±


    Yi Duxing¡¯s voice turned raspy: ¡°That seems highly likely. Although Lin Cong was a top-tier Biological Engineer, his hacking skills were quite unremarkable. If he were truly alive, it would be impossible for us to find no trace of him.


    Which also explains the perplexing actions of the Invincible Dharma King. For instance, her fleet of starships, or the exorbitant expenses¡ªtwice the regular cost¡ªshe incurred to purchase Combat Mechas designed for interstellar warfare. Is she planning to break through the Artificial Sky, return to the Heavenly Demon Origin, reclaim her memories, and protect her child?¡±


    ¡°Most likely. Fu Xuexian was one of the principal developers of the soul-uploading technology and the Artificial Sky. I suspect that she had already stored her memories in some supercomputer long before her ¡®death.¡¯ And don¡¯t forget the Lin Rui siblings.¡±

 Chapter 694: 655: Two Months Later_2

    Chapter 694: Chapter 655: Two Months Later_2


    Vice President Brown furrowed his brow and said, ¡°President Yi, Lin Rui¡¯s strength is already formidable, and his potential is extraordinary¡ªfive Heavy Equipment Divisions, two cruisers, ten destroyers, twenty-three Guardian Battleships, two Quasi-Members, six to eight Eight Realm practitioners, more than 170 Dragon Transformation Martial Artists, and including himself, three individuals with limitless potential rated 6SSS+. His power is staggering!¡±


    ¡°Your intelligence is outdated. The number of cruisers is actually three¡ªone is the Sky Blue Medical Cruiser, and the other two are newly acquired ¡®Cloud Dragon¡¯-class cruisers. Just three days ago, Lin Rui finalized a contract with East Asia, purchasing another ¡®Cloud Dragon¡¯-class cruiser and two ¡®Black Jiao¡¯-class destroyers from the East Asian military. He even acquired the accompanying personnel, meaning they can immediately form combat capabilities.¡±


    Yi Duxing massaged his temples and said, ¡°East Asia¡¯s support for him is substantial. They are even negotiating the sale of a decommissioned battleship to him. Although it¡¯s a 120-year-old ¡®Yinglong¡¯-class battleship, it¡¯s well-maintained. East Asia has also promised to assist him with modifications and upgrades to its equipment.


    This represents a terrifying force¡ªa beast among the stars. Unfortunately for us, Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ tax contributions alone are sufficient to qualify them for a Guardian Battleship. With the popularity of the University Martial Arts League, their sales this month have already exceeded 13 trillion federal coins. More importantly, for some unknown reason, Lin Rui has formed an alliance with Lin Hao. His Forest Trade Company is poised to secure a huge share of future trade on Sky Extreme Star.¡±


    Vice President Brown¡¯s expression changed slightly when he heard this; he hadn¡¯t known about this development.


    ¡°Executive Yi, if the forces of the Invincible Dharma King and Lin Rui merge, the result would be terrifying. I can scarcely imagine what that situation would look like.¡±


    Vice President Brown gave a bitter smile and said, ¡°It might have been a mistake not to intervene in the Pharmaceutical Alliance¡¯s war with Lin Rui back then.¡±


    ¡°How could that have been a mistake? Would you dare to bet that Lin Cong doesn¡¯t have a backup plan? With artificial intelligence so advanced nowadays, there may already be an AI quietly watching us online. The moment we cross Lin Cong¡¯s bottom line, it might leak all relevant information.


    Our Artificial Sky project has reached its most critical stage. If we are exposed now, the decades of effort and trillions of federal coins we have invested will all be for naught. Considering the political climate within the Federation, once the government is tipped off, we will have no future hope of achieving our plans.¡±


    Yi Duxing stood and walked to the panoramic glass window. He remarked, ¡°But the issue of Lin Rui and the Invincible Dharma King, it does need to be addressed. We must plan ahead. Brown, what are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°I suggest mobilizing all resources of the Longevity Association to lock down and erase any trace of Fu Xuexian¡¯s information. Additionally, we should deploy top-tier Stargazers to obscure the trace of destiny within the Artificial Sky, ensuring Lin Rui cannot connect the Invincible Dharma King to her mother.


    It would be even better to have an Illusionist nearing Immortal Level establish a Knowledge Barrier between the mother and son, preventing them from perceiving each other. My proposal is to seek assistance from Dreamy Heavenly Venerate, no matter the cost.¡±


    Vice President Brown¡¯s tone was sharp. ¡°Of course, the best course of action would be to eliminate this mother and son duo entirely. Meanwhile, we should create more trouble for the Invincible Dharma King¡ªfor example, leveraging Wan Xin.


    Lin Rui and his sister, along with Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and his Forest Group, also need to be dealt with quickly. Those two Abyss Weapons, in particular, cannot be allowed to remain. I propose destroying their cores but keeping the Battle Dragon intact. Accordingly, I suggest investing resources to assist in the revival of Ling Huan and Wan Xin.¡±


    ¡°Ling Huan and Wan Xin? Both of them are top-tier Illusionists.¡± Yi Duxing nodded slightly in approval but asked with a trace of doubt, ¡°Bringing Ling Huan back shouldn¡¯t be an issue, but Wan Xin was killed by the East Abyss. Didn¡¯t he have preparations in place before acting? What¡¯s the current situation?¡±


    ¡°Elder Wan Xin was supposed to be revived, but he seems to have been suppressed by his disciple, Dharma King Bai Mei Yin Wansui.¡±


    Vice President Brown¡¯s expression turned peculiar. ¡°At present, we don¡¯t know why Dharma King Bai Mei did this. It¡¯s odd¡ªhe always followed Wan Xin Elder¡¯s orders. However, when Yin Qianqiu sought his help previously, Bai Mei made no response.¡±


    He shook his head again and passed a draft plan to Yi Duxing. ¡°Additionally, we developed a strategy that could leverage the Invincible Dharma King to seize control of the entire Light God Sect and the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.¡±


    Yi Duxing opened the document and glanced at it. ¡°The ¡®Cuckoo Plan¡¯?¡±


    The cuckoo is known for its cunning and sinister tactics. It lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, forcing them to care for its offspring. To ensure its own young have enough to eat, the cuckoo even kicks out several of the original eggs from the nest¡ªutterly ruthless.


    Flipping through the text carefully, Yi Duxing remarked, ¡°You plan to assign someone to impersonate Lin Rui¡¯s alien body and approach the Invincible Dharma King, while simultaneously inciting conflict between the Invincible Dharma King and King Ming. Will that work?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s worth trying.¡±


    Vice President Brown raised an eyebrow, his expression hinting at expectation. ¡°The Invincible Dharma King has lost all memories. This gives us room to maneuver. Even if the plan fails, we can leave behind a critical chess piece to assist in executing a termination operation against the Invincible Dharma King.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s try it.¡± Yi Duxing nodded, his eyes gleaming with cold determination. ¡°But before that, there is another matter to address. You are aware of Security Bureau Second General Lin Tianchen¡¯s situation, right?


    We must find a way to neutralize him. We can¡¯t allow the Security Bureau to become Li Xianglong¡¯s personal kingdom. Also, that ¡®Thunder¡¯ General should be dealt with as well. The Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center could present a future threat to our lifeline.¡±

 Chapter 695: 655: Two Months Later_3

    Chapter 695: Chapter 655: Two Months Later_3


    ¡°Understood.¡± Vice President Brown flipped through the relevant documents: ¡°I¡¯ll first attempt to initiate questioning and impeachment in Congress. If the congressional level fails to bring down the Security Bureau¡¯s Second Commander, I¡¯ll then take concrete actions.¡±


    At his peak, Second Commander Lin Tianchen was near Divine Envoy Level strength, and might have even achieved it. But now, he is on the brink of death.


    How is he, and his loyal followers, qualified to oversee such critical departments as the ¡®Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center¡¯ and the ¡®National Security Special Action Center¡¯?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Two months later, within the ¡®Capital¡¯ warship of the Earth Federation, inside an office marked C3 on Capitol Hill, a closed-door questioning meeting initiated by the National Security Committee was underway.


    In the meeting room, a white-haired elderly woman was brandishing a paper report in her hand, her demeanor aggressive as she barked at Second Commander Lin Tianchen: ¡°Deputy Director Lin, you¡¯re still evading my question! What I want to know is whether your alien form can currently execute the Security Bureau¡¯s mission on Sky Extreme Star and whether it has the ability to protect the interests of the Earth Federation on Sky Extreme Star!¡±


    Lin Tianchen sat at the questioning table, his face indifferent as he looked at Congressional Security Committee member Edian Kinman.


    ¡°Ms. Kinman, I dedicate myself wholly to safeguarding this nation and its people in the Earth Federation. Furthermore, according to Federation regulations, no individual or authority has the right to use public power to investigate or inquire about information regarding Alien Walkers. You¡¯ve violated the rules, Ms. Kinman.¡±


    ¡°Still evading.¡± Edian Kinman sneered as she waved the paper report again: ¡°According to our intelligence, your alien form has encountered significant difficulties, not only incapacitated but even facing the risk of death. In this condition, how can you continue to fulfill your duties or uphold your responsibilities?¡±


    Lin Tianchen crossed his arms: ¡°Ms. Kinman, I¡¯d like to know where this report came from? Which intelligence agency provided it?¡±


    Lin Rui was also present in the meeting room, attending in the capacity of ¡®Thunder¡¯ General.


    He was likewise a subject of the National Security Committee¡¯s questioning, but his turn was scheduled after Lin Tianchen¡¯s.


    Lin Rui was astounded, thinking to himself that today Lin Tianchen had indeed taught him a lesson: the best way to handle congressional questioning is to answer evasively, talk past the point, and simultaneously challenge the opponent¡¯s legitimacy and rationality.


    However, Lin Rui also noticed the fury and doubt building in the eyes of Second Commander Lin Tianchen.


    For this questioning today, various political forces within Congress, including the ¡®Bright Front,¡¯ had been openly and covertly battling for over two months. In the end, Lin Tianchen couldn¡¯t prevent this questioning case from happening.


    Although this was merely a non-public internal inquiry, for Lin Tianchen, it wasn¡¯t just a warning sign for caution but also a profound humiliation.


    This indicated that certain people had already marked this Congressional Honorary Member as prey, preparing for the hunt and kill!


    Zhou Yunfei, who was also present at the questioning, clenched his fists tighter as veins bulged on his arms and neck.


    This pack of hyenas¡ªthey intend to provoke, humiliate, and even prey on the weakened lion that is his benefactor?


    ¡°I can naturally guarantee the absolute reliability of the intelligence in my hands.¡± Edian Kinman narrowed her brows.


    Just as the woman was about to continue speaking, Fang Xianzheng raised his hand: ¡°Enough!¡±


    He rubbed his forehead with slight impatience: ¡°The two of you have been entangled for nearly three hours. This approach is pointless. Why not proceed directly with a vote on Ms. Kinman¡¯s trust motion concerning Deputy Director Lin? All members of the committee who still trust Deputy Director Lin, please raise your hands!¡±


    The other members of the Security Bureau exchanged glances before nodding slightly.


    After being subjected to three hours of back-and-forth sparring, they too were fed up.


    The result: seven members, including Fang Xianzheng, raised their hands to express trust, while five refrained. With the First Commander absent and the Second Commander seated at the questioning table, this meant the trust motion was passed.


    Edian Kinman showed no surprise at the outcome.


    This Lin Tianchen¡ªsomehow, he had managed to cozy up to one of the ruling party¡¯s allies, the ¡®Bright Front.¡¯


    Fang Ranran from the ¡®Bright Front¡¯ could directly influence her father Fang Xianzheng.


    Additionally, over the past two months, numerous business tycoons in the Earth Federation had obtained trade licenses for the Great Song¡¯s Star Port through Lin Rui¡¯s connections, significantly boosting his clout in both the business and political arenas.


    They could push the questioning case all the way to implementation, but it was extremely difficult to take down the Second Commander.


    ¡°I reserve my opinion.¡± Edian Kinman sneered as she locked her gaze on Lin Tianchen: ¡°Furthermore, I request a vote on my second motion. The Second Commander must demonstrate his ability to fulfill the duties of the Security Bureau¡¯s Second Commander within one month.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng pondered briefly, tapping the table with his fingers: ¡°Ms. Kinman, one month is too short. How about three months instead?¡±


    Edian Kinman furrowed her brows but then nodded indifferently.


    This vote ended in a 3-to-10 result, with even Fang Xianzheng raising his hand in approval.


    Second Commander Lin Tianchen¡¯s gaze instantly turned icy sharp, sweeping coldly across everyone present.


    He could sense a massive wave of malice surging toward him.


    ¡ªWas it the Longevity Association?


    At that moment, Lin Rui sent a message: Don¡¯t worry, Deputy Commander Lin. King Ming¡¯s envoy will arrive at the Star Port tomorrow to discuss matters with me. Supposedly, it¡¯s Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling from the Light God Sect. I¡¯ll probe King Ming¡¯s stance to see if we can strike a deal.


    After reading the message, Lin Tianchen felt his tension ease. This plan appeared far more reliable than Li Xianglong¡¯s regency proposal.


    Li Xianglong intended to incite suspicions between ¡®East Abyss¡¯ and the two Song dynasty figures hidden within Purgatory, Grand Ancestor and Grand Emperor, thereby enabling Lin Rui to act as regent in place of the Song imperial family. However, this plan was not only complex but also fraught with uncertainties.


    Who could predict when the Three Gods of Purgatory might launch their offensive?


    In contrast, King Ming had already demonstrated his control over the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.¡¯


    Fang Xianzheng raised his head again: ¡°Now, let¡¯s proceed to questioning regarding General ¡®Thunder¡¯ Lin Rui¡¯s abnormal personnel appointments and financial allocation case.¡±

 Chapter 696: 656: Rapid Fleet

    Chapter 696: Chapter 656: Rapid Fleet


    As the Security Committee entered the questioning process for Thunder General¡¯s special appointment case, the atmosphere in the conference room not only failed to ease but became even more tense and confrontational.


    Edian Kinman was still aggressive and seething with murderous intent. However, Second General Lin Tianchen responded simply: ¡°A year ago, I specially recruited Thunder General into the Security Bureau and formed the Third Special Action Department centered around Thunder. This decision was made based on a comprehensive assessment of the Ninth Base City¡¯s circumstances at the time and Thunder General¡¯s abilities. Now, whether it¡¯s from Thunder General¡¯s personal achievements and record or from the current public security situation in the Ninth Base City, Thunder General has fully met my expectations.¡±


    After Lin Tianchen finished saying this, he half-closed his eyes and remained silent, no matter how Edian Kinman questioned him, unwilling to utter another word.


    Previously, regarding the questioning about himself, he had no choice but to answer; otherwise, it would have been deemed contempt of Congress. But now, he could speak as he wished.


    Though his situation was dire, he was still a Congressional Honorary Member, and no one could force him to talk.


    Zhou Yunfei then stepped onto the questioning platform, his face completely devoid of expression: ¡°I personally recruited Thunder General into the Security Bureau with the rank of Admiral and allocated the budget for the Third Special Action Department entirely according to General Lin¡¯s directives.¡±


    Edian Kinman sneered coldly at his words: ¡°Then, One-star Marshal Zhou Yunfei, could you please explain why Thunder General¡¯s personal record is set to X confidentiality level, modified at least three times, and certain underlying information is blocked? What exactly is so unspeakable about Thunder General?¡±


    A trace of doubt also flashed in Fang Xianzheng¡¯s eyes. More than half a year ago, he had already been curious about Thunder General¡¯s background and identity. However, at that time, Second General Lin Tianchen still wielded considerable influence, and Fang Xianzheng was apprehensive about probing further.


    Zhou Yunfei narrowed his eyes slightly. These people had actually dug this deep into Thunder General¡¯s information?


    He sneered in his heart. How could Lin Rui¡¯s true identity be easily revealed?


    Even if Zhou Yunfei were willing to speak up, the East Asia faction and Li Xianglong would never agree.


    Just as Zhou Yunfei was about to respond, the conference room doors suddenly slammed open with a ¡°bang.¡± Li Xianglong, draped in a military coat, strode in with the commanding presence of a dragon.


    ¡°Apologies for being late.¡±


    Li Xianglong walked directly to the chairperson¡¯s seat and sat down: ¡°Where has the questioning session reached? So, it¡¯s already about Thunder General¡¯s special appointment?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of this matter. When Second General signed the special appointment order, he consulted me. There are no issues at all. Everything regarding Thunder General complies strictly with the Federation¡¯s confidentiality laws and the internal special operational needs of the Security Bureau. The process is entirely legitimate and necessary, requiring an X-level confidentiality classification.¡±


    He scanned the room, his gaze eventually landing on Edian Kinman, a hint of mockery in his eyes: ¡°Miss Kinman, do you still have any questions? If you do, feel free to ask. I might answer them at my discretion.¡±


    Edian Kinman¡¯s brow furrowed, and she ultimately remained silent, her face dark and sullen.


    At that moment, she sensed Li Xianglong¡¯s tyrannical and overwhelmingly oppressive Divine Thought.


    ¡ªIt was as if he was saying, ¡°If you dare to whine any more about this matter, I¡¯ll have you killed!¡±


    The others present also felt a chill, distinctly perceiving Li Xianglong¡¯s unyielding will.


    Fang Xianzheng, however, found himself even more puzzled. Back when Li Xianglong first learned of Thunder General, he had also been visibly astonished. His reaction then had not resembled prior knowledge at all.


    What kind of secret was Thunder General hiding?


    However, regarding Thunder General, his daughter and son-in-law had already approached him before the questioning session began.


    Fang Xianzheng quickly collected his thoughts: ¡°Since Miss Kinman has no more questions, we¡¯ll now move on to the next agenda item: concerning the motion of no confidence in Thunder General submitted by Miss Edian Kinman. Everyone has reviewed the proposal, correct? Let us now proceed to the vote.¡±


    The results of this vote were even more astounding: 14 to 1. Among the 15 members of the Security Committee, only Edian Kinman expressed no confidence in Thunder General.


    Fang Xianzheng squinted his eyes, thinking to himself that Thunder General had only joined the Security Bureau for about a year, commanding the Security Bureau¡¯s ¡°Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center¡± and the ¡°National Security Special Action Center,¡± two critical departments. Yet his position seemed even more unshakeable than that of Second General Lin Tianchen!


    This questioning session effectively ended the moment Li Xianglong arrived, turning into nothing more than a procedural formality.


    The committee members didn¡¯t even bother to call Lin Rui to the stand for questioning. He sat casually in a corner of the conference room, chatting idly with Li Xianglong.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling¡¯s sincerity is impressive. Before I even reached the Star Port, they sent me another generous gift¡ªan Emperor Rank Ninth Realm Magic Artifact, a treasure of the Light God Sect. In truth, they have no choice. The Federation¡¯s two-month-long trade embargo has left them in a difficult position.


    It¡¯s not as though the Federation¡¯s embargo could completely cut off the Light God Sect¡¯s supply lines.


    The Federation is teeming with smugglers and numerous pirates who couldn¡¯t care less about national laws.


    But that doesn¡¯t stop them from inflating prices by two or three times.


    During this period, the Light God Sect, caught in intense conflict and facing financial hardship, couldn¡¯t possibly endure such profiteering.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): However, from what I know, Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling is not particularly close with their ¡°King Ming.¡± I¡¯ll probe their stance first and see if negotiations are possible. Still, if the Federation intends for King Ming to intervene on Second General¡¯s behalf, some concessions will undoubtedly have to be made. You should be prepared for that.

 Chapter 697: 656: Rapid Fleet_2

    Chapter 697: Chapter 656: Rapid Fleet_2


    Lin Rui himself was naturally willing, but as the ¡®King Ming,¡¯ and possessing the Pure Method and Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, he was truly reluctant to expose these abilities unless absolutely necessary. He could only use indirect methods to provide assistance to the Second General.


    Li Xianglong: Of course, you can tell Zhao Chongling that as long as King Ming is willing to act, any conditions can be negotiated.


    Li Xianglong actually felt Lin Rui¡¯s approach was more reliable.


    The key issue was the Longevity Association¡¯s relentless pressure on Lin Tianchen, leaving them with very little time.


    After the proposal just passed, Lin Tianchen had only three months left.


    Li Xianglong: Also, the anti-smuggling warships I promised you will soon be in place, totaling 2 fast battleships, 6 fast cruisers, 18 high-speed destroyers, and 54 high-speed escort ships. They are expected to be allocated to your ¡®Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center¡¯ within 5 to 10 days.


    Li Xianglong: I hope you can get up to speed as soon as possible and manage everything that needs to be managed. I know you¡¯ve been very busy these two months with the starport construction, but combating smuggling is also a crucial part of it, Lin Rui¡ªyou¡¯ll have to stay on top of things.


    Lin Rui felt invigorated after reading this.


    The Trade Monitoring Center needed to monitor trade and combat smuggling, and it definitely required an anti-smuggling fleet¡ªthey couldn¡¯t strengthen trade regulation just by sitting in an office.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): General, rest assured. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on the Trade Monitoring Center¡¯s affairs. Xiao Xue has already tidied up its personnel organization. We will operate with maximum efficiency.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): But General, did you really recruit the ¡®First Rapid Response Fleet¡¯ from the Second Starship Group? You¡¯re really adept at poaching talent.


    Li Xianglong sent a very smug emoji.


    Li Xianglong: I couldn¡¯t do it alone, but your girlfriend is truly formidable; she made it happen.


    When he originally established the ¡®Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center,¡¯ his primary objective was to further enhance the Security Bureau¡¯s authority and influence. Additionally, he wanted the Security Bureau to gain control of some fleet military power.


    But this was not something he could accomplish on his own, so he pulled Lin Rui in to serve as the director of the Trade Monitoring Center.


    Li Xianglong knew that as long as Lin Rui got his benefits, Fang Ranran would wholeheartedly assist him in maneuvering behind the scenes.


    Just as the two were discussing this, the inquiry meeting formally concluded.


    When Lin Rui rose, he sensed Fang Xianzheng¡¯s eyes filled with suspicion and speculation but paid them little mind as he continued to walk out the door.


    As Li Xianglong had said, he had indeed been quite busy these past two months.


    Building the starport, reviewing and issuing licenses, relocating the Bright Altar headquarters, establishing the ¡®Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center¡¯ and the ¡®National Security Special Action Center,¡¯ and more¡ªhe had hardly had a moment¡¯s rest.


    Lin Rui even managed to perform surgical implantations on Lu Hanyuan, adding another combatant to his roster whose defensive capabilities reached Quasi-Member standard.


    He had also prepared a new body for Ji Shenyan, who was now working under Lin Rui¡¯s guidance to accumulate True Yuan and prepare for a breakthrough to the Eight Realms.


    Ji Shenyan not only absorbed the Imperial Blood Stone but also numerous Soul Powers after becoming a Battle Spirit. Her Primordial Spirit in both quality and quantity had reached the threshold for advancement, though regrettably, it contained numerous impurities that required time to refine.


    ¡ªThis should have been a long and meticulous process, which under normal circumstances would take one or two years to complete, and inevitably leave hidden vulnerabilities for the future.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s mastery of Purifying Fire and the Radiant Holy Altar allowed him to aid Ji Shenyan in cleansing her Primordial Spirit, shortening the refining process to just two months.


    Soon, Lin Rui would gain another Quasi-Member-level ally. Coupled with the stabilized body and almost unpredictable combat potential of Shi Yan, Lin Rui¡¯s roster of Quasi-Member-level combatants would expand to four.


    Additionally, his Forest Security Company now had five Heavy Equipment Divisions that had developed combat capabilities, and his trade fleet had also reached an initial scale¡ªeven possessing an Yinglong-class battleship that the Tianhu Trade Company didn¡¯t! Though its crew came from East Asia, it was a force Lin Rui could presently utilize.


    And that was not to mention the benefits and connections brought by trade licenses. For example, at today¡¯s inquiry meeting, Lin Rui had greeted everyone appropriately, allowing Thunder General to pass without difficulty.


    But for the Second General Lin Tianchen, the Longevity Association had concentrated their firepower against him, leaving Li Xianglong powerless to intervene and forcing Lin Tianchen to narrowly scrape through.


    Overall, despite his busyness, Lin Rui¡¯s life over the past two months had been fulfilling and joyful, fueled by the continuous growth and strengthening of his cultivation and influence.


    After today¡¯s inquiry meeting, Lin Rui¡¯s schedule remained fully packed. He would have no spare time until tomorrow when hosting the Ming Sect envoy.


    First, he needed to return to Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute to replace his existing armament with the upgraded version and implant two new SSS+ armament units.


    Next, he would need to transport his primary consciousness to Sky Extreme Star to address the starport-related tasks and implant new armaments for his mentor Luo Wangshu.


    Previously, Luo Wangshu had condensed the ¡®Limit Heart Origin¡¯ for Xianyu Yan, which depleted quite a bit of his Blood Qi. He had only recently recovered and was now ready to advance to the Super Monarch of Ninth Realm!


    Lin Rui had long anticipated this and had prepared two armaments for Luo Wangshu¡ªtop-tier creations from the laboratory, sparing no expense.


    But just as he stepped out of the meeting room, Lin Rui¡¯s peripheral vision caught sight of a man standing in the corner, cloaked in black.


    The man¡¯s face was shrouded in shadows, his gaze sharp and filled with murderous intent.


    As Lin Rui abruptly turned to look at him, the man mystically vanished before his eyes, as though he had never existed¡ªa mere illusion.


    Lin Rui furrowed his brows slightly, his mind weighed as he stepped out through the doors.


    Just as he was about to board the armored government vehicle waiting outside, Ji Xueying¡¯s voice came through his smart terminal wristband: ¡°Master, please be cautious. I¡¯ve sensed more than one sniper targeting you nearby.¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi: ¡°Boss, that man who was staring at you just now is likely a Quasi-Member-level individual. He spotted me, so I couldn¡¯t keep following him for fear of exposing my identity.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s two personal guards had recently undergone an upgrade to newer armaments half a month ago.


    The upgrades significantly boosted their Alien combat strength by approximately 32%, allowing them to free up abundant spiritual power to each implant an SSS+ armament.


    Both women opted for an armament that could enhance sensing power and reaction capacity: the Super Monarch-level armament ¡®Heavenly Silk Divine Vein.¡¯


    This exceptional talent, ¡®Heavenly Silk Divine Vein,¡¯ granted individuals hyper-responsive nervous systems, greatly increasing spiritual power limits and sensing ability, and allowing spiritual power to extend like a web over their surroundings.


    Additionally, it conferred formidable long-range combat capabilities, strike endurance, and blood-flesh aggregation abilities, allowing its powers to function up to 50 kilometers away and even reconnect fragmented spatial timelines.


    Although Xianyu Yan also possessed this talent, she had failed to defend against the Invincible Dharma King that day.


    Nonetheless, the two women still chose this bloodline talent.


    They viewed that incident as a disgrace and spared no effort in enhancing their perceptive and reactive faculties.


    Their ¡®Thor¡¯ Type-8 and ¡®Balder¡¯ Type-8 Outer Elixirs, along with their 8SSS-type Exoskeleton Armor, had also undergone specialized reinforcement and recalibration recently.


    Now their combat strength reached the level of the Eighth Realm of Super Emperor Rank, particularly excelling in situational awareness.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but direct a cold gaze out the window.


    After only two months of peace, the undercurrents were once again surging below the surface¡ªbut this time, the Longevity Association¡¯s target was ¡®Thunder General.¡¯


    Could it be because of the ¡®Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center¡¯ or the ¡®First Rapid Response Fleet¡¯ that Li Xianglong had poached?

 Chapter 698: 657: Three Years and Another Three Years

    Chapter 698: Chapter 657: Three Years and Another Three Years


    Lin Rui was extremely curious¡ªdid the Longevity Association really dare to make a move inside the Capital Ship?


    This ¡®Space Home-class¡¯ warship was massive for a military vessel, stretching 90,000 meters in length, 16,300 meters in width, and 7,200 meters in height.


    Yet, in terms of a city, it was still quite small, with an area of only a little over 1,400 square kilometers.


    Within this confined space, experts were as numerous as clouds. At any given time, 10 to 20 Congressional Honorary Members resided on the Capital Ship for various reasons, making it the area with the highest concentration of Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators.


    Not to mention the fact that the Commander of the Federation Government¡¯s headquarters base garrison, Kou Xuanwang, was also stationed on the ship.


    Though notorious for his love of gambling, Kou Xuanwang remained diligent and responsible in his duties.


    Kou Xuanwang was a Divine Envoy-level powerhouse, reportedly close to, or perhaps already at, Senior Divine Envoy-level.


    If the Longevity Association dared to cause trouble inside the Capital Ship, they would first need to be prepared for their entire investment of manpower and resources to be wiped out.


    Lin Rui fell into contemplation and, after a moment, sent Xue Lingxue a message, reminding her to stay safe.


    Xue Lingxue was his indispensable right-hand partner. The extensive operations Lin Rui had at the Security Bureau were now entirely managed by her. If anything happened to her, his work at the Security Bureau would collapse completely.


    However, Xue Lingxue was now stationed at the Security Bureau headquarters base, which had been built from a Stars-class Colonial Battleship constructed 800 years ago. This ship was docked not far from the Capital Ship, also within Kou Xuanwang¡¯s defensive jurisdiction.


    Li Xianglong not only added heavier armor to this 30-kilometer-long ancient battleship, but also equipped it with several large antimatter engines and numerous modern retrofits. Its internal defenses were tightly secured, with experts everywhere.


    As long as Xue Lingxue stayed somewhat cautious, there shouldn¡¯t be any major security issues.


    Still, to be cautious, Lin Rui used his authority at the Security Bureau to allocate two 8SS+ Dragon Slayers to Xue Lingxue.


    He even specifically requested help from Li Jin, the Deputy Director of the ¡®Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center,¡¯ to keep an eye on things.


    This was the same Li Jin who used to be the Director of Education in the Ninth Base City. After being expelled by the military, this 6SSS-level expert was recently promoted to a 7SSS level.


    As a result, General ¡®Thunder¡¯ swung a massive metaphorical shovel to recruit him, and Huo Bangguo seemed to approve, offering no resistance to Li Jin¡¯s transfer.


    Lin Rui was actually looking forward to the Longevity Association directly targeting ¡®Thunder.¡¯


    However, much to his dismay, even as his armored car left the streets and entered the transportation dock area of the Capital Ship, the group of assassins shadowing him did not make any moves.


    Lin Rui speculated that Shangguan Tianyi¡¯s appearance earlier had tipped the enemy off, inadvertently alerting them.


    He then boarded a transport shuttle heading to the Security Bureau headquarters, but midway through the journey, employed a bait-and-switch tactic to transfer onto his personal interstellar yacht, the ¡®Xuri.¡¯


    This was a yacht Lin Rui had purchased at great expense, costing no less than a cruiser.


    The yacht was 500 meters long, about the size of a destroyer. However, in terms of both travel speed and defensive capabilities, it rivaled a cruiser. Its quantum migration range even exceeded that of actual military cruisers, allowing it to outpace pirates at incredible speed if needed.


    Originally commissioned as a private yacht by the CEO of an interstellar trading company, the vessel was put up for sale at an 80% discount when the CEO had to quickly liquidate assets to pay the security deposit for the newly-built Great Song ¡®Starport Administrative Office¡¯ in order to secure an interstellar trade license issued by the Great Song court. The CEO parted with the yacht in tears, and Lin Rui took the opportunity to buy it.


    When Lin Rui returned to the Ninth Base City aboard his yacht, it docked directly at his private port.


    His dock area had recently expanded, growing from the previous 220 square-kilometer zone to a whopping 1,200 square kilometers. The number of legitimate berths with ¡®Dock Operating Permits¡¯ had also increased by 180.


    After becoming President of the Congressional Construction Committee, Linghu Mingde waved his hand generously and allocated this vast tract of land to Lin Rui. He also secured a wealth of berth permits for him. Other members of the Congressional Construction Committee were cooperative, and the Ninth Base City¡¯s City Council approved everything smoothly.


    As soon as Lin Rui¡¯s yacht entered, he noticed construction sites everywhere around the dock, with ongoing developments on all sides.


    He also saw that many finished berths were already occupied by numerous ships.


    At this point, the Forest Freight Company had begun to take shape, boasting one battle starship, five cruiser starships, fifteen destroyer starships, thirty guardian battleships, and twenty-five armed cargo spaceships.


    Most of the battleships and cruisers were second-hand purchases from East Asia. Only one cruiser was assembled using second-hand parts, while a few of the destroyers were also purchased pre-owned. The guardian battleships and armed cargo spaceships, however, were all assembled in-house.


    These ships were docked here in preparation for the Starport¡¯s grand opening a few days from now. The exact timing was still undecided, though Lin Rui expected it to occur within a few days.


    Lin Hao, who also held dual roles as the Great Song¡¯s ¡®Minister of Commerce¡¯ and ¡®Starport Governor,¡¯ would ultimately make the final decision. Thanks to this advance intel, the Forest Group was frantically preparing its cargo.


    This marked the first official trade between the Earth Federation and the Great Song. The Forest Group had to demonstrate sufficient strength in this trade, or they would be unworthy of the 160 armed cargo spaceship licenses they had secured.


    Certainly, those within the Great Song court would attempt to impeach and attack Lin Hao, accusing him of abusing public power for personal gain¡ªthough admittedly, those accusations weren¡¯t entirely untrue.

 Chapter 699: 657: Three Years and Another Three Years_2

    Chapter 699: Chapter 657: Three Years and Another Three Years_2


    Lin Rui decided to submit the ¡®License Security Deposit¡¯ he collected to the court after the Forest Cargo Company finished preparing their supplies, and then officially open the port.


    In the past, Lin Rui stated during a council meeting before the Divine Palace that once trade ports were opened, it was expected to double the yearly revenue of the court.


    Although he hasn¡¯t achieved this yet, just the ¡®License Security Deposit¡¯ and ¡®Land Transfer Fee¡¯ this time amounted to a staggering fifty-eight million taels of Divine Gold.


    As this was the first instance of legal trade, Lin Rui was exceptionally cautious, issuing only 16,000 cargo spaceship licenses, with each license requiring a deposit of 1,000 taels of Divine Gold.


    Sixteen million taels of Divine Gold could be converted to 1.6 billion taels of Magic Silver, or 160 billion federal coins, which is equivalent to a tenth of the court¡¯s annual land tax revenue.


    As for the land sales, the income was even higher. Lin Rui had only sold a small portion of plots for warehouses, berths, stores, and residences, yet the revenue had astonishingly reached forty-two million taels of Divine Gold!


    Lin Rui planned to retain four million taels of Divine Gold as construction funds, while the rest would be handed over.


    As a result, this matter received great attention from both the court and the people. The Divine Envoy Supervisory Department and the Great Celestial Master of the Divine Palace had been eyeing this sum for a long time, urging him to swiftly submit it to the national treasury and open the port to collect tax revenue.


    Lin Rui also noticed Wang Yinyue leading a group of mages working overtime to enhance the runic fortification of the Yinglong-class battleship.


    He then looked at the five smaller cruisers and found that they, including the Sky Blue Medical Cruiser, were adorned with a massive amount of vivid red mystical runes on their surfaces. The markings seemed like a special coating, not only standing out with unique characteristics but also exuding unparalleled beauty.


    The three retired cruisers Lin Rui purchased from East Asia were all in excellent condition, having been previously fortified with SS-level runes. They required only minor adjustments, making the modifications relatively simple and quick.


    The other escort ships and armed merchant ships had only about a third of the vessels with rune fortifications. Even among the top ten trade companies, not every ship undergoes rune fortification, as it is particularly cost-inefficient at the level of escort ships and armed merchant ships.


    As Lin Rui¡¯s yacht docked into its berth, Lu Hanyuan, CEO and executive director of the Forest Cargo Company, alongside Zhu Youheng, armed fleet director of the company, arrived at the berth to greet him.


    Noticing Lin Rui surveying his surroundings upon disembarking, Lu Hanyuan earnestly reassured, ¡°Boss, rest assured, most of the construction workers here are recruited internally from the Light King Sect, including engineers supervised by the sect¡¯s priests. We have also established strict security protocols, so safety is not a concern.¡±


    ¡°The Light King Sect is reliable, but we must remain vigilant!¡± Lin Rui nodded solemnly and said, ¡°We still need to further strengthen inspections and enhance security measures.¡±


    Although Lin Rui trusted the personnel from the Light King Sect deeply¡ªthese workers and engineers had undergone rigorous screenings conducted by Number Nine and her team and were undoubtedly loyal¡ªhe maintained a cautious approach.


    Moreover, Lin Rui himself was the ¡°King Ming,¡± capable of discerning the degree of faith these individuals held toward him.


    Nevertheless, there was always the risk of unforeseen circumstances, and Lin Rui happened to know that the Longevity Association had begun stirring again, making vigilance even more necessary.


    Furthermore, the Light God Sect had recently experienced a grave incident. A group of unidentified spies attempted to infiltrate the vicinity of Hearts of Light 9 and 7 to steal its permissions and data but were uncovered by Lin Rui in advance.


    ¡°Understood!¡± Lu Hanyuan nodded thoughtfully, ¡°I will coordinate with Number Nine to review any potential security vulnerabilities.¡±


    He then curiously asked, ¡°Boss, is this return to the base related to the port opening in a few days, or are you uneasy about the trade fleet?¡±


    Lu Hanyuan was fully engaged in preparing for the port opening, with the supply chain nearly ready.


    The Forest Group¡¯s trade strategy prioritized not maximum profit but the shipment of goods beneficial to livelihood with reasonable cost-effectiveness to Sky Extreme Star.


    Due to Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and the Sky Blue Group, their primary cargo now consisted of various medicines, especially those that could soothe mental distress and reduce the likelihood of Demon Transformation.


    Additionally, there were various crop seeds. Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals had acquired two agricultural chemical research institutes and a seed company under Sky Blue Pharmaceuticals, focusing on developing and producing crop seeds tailored to Sky Extreme Star.


    For these two categories, the Great Song Court¡¯s demand was substantial. Lin Rui had even proposed that the court directly purchase and distribute them to the people, but this idea was vetoed by the Divine Envoy Supervisory Department.


    However, this decision boosted Lin Rui¡¯s already high public reputation further among the court and intellectual circles, earning him admiration and support.


    ¡°Just passing by to take a look. Old Lu, you¡¯ve never given me reason to worry about your work, right?¡±


    Lin Rui chuckled and raised his hand, pointing toward Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute.


    Noticing Lu Hanyuan understanding his intent, Lin Rui turned to Zhu Youheng and said, ¡°Old Zhu, bringing you back this time is mainly for two reasons. First, operations at the Light God Sect need to be paused temporarily. I¡¯ve received reliable information that a major faction is gearing up to intervene, helping the remnants of the Light God Sect oppose us. The risk of attack is high, so in the upcoming period, we should shift from offense to defense and focus on consolidation.¡±


    ¡°Second, our company¡¯s fleet still needs a professional talent to manage it. You previously served as Vice Admiral of Fleet 203, so you¡¯re more than capable. I hope you¡¯ll invest more effort into enhancing the combat capabilities of our company¡¯s fleet.¡±


    Zhu Youheng seemed somewhat distracted.

 Chapter 700: 657: Three More Years_3

    Chapter 700: Chapter 657: Three More Years_3


    Not long ago, he led the war against the Light God Sect, securing four base districts consecutively for the Light King Sect.


    Lin Rui, acknowledging his merits, not only appointed him as Director of the Armed Fleet the day before yesterday but also granted him some equity incentives.


    This left Zhu Youheng a bit bewildered.


    The fleet under Lin Rui¡¯s command was almost comparable in scale to the Third Squadron of the Second Fleet Group where Zhu Youheng had served as Vice Admiral.


    It is said that in the near future, the fleet will continue to expand. Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ tax revenue is quite high, and with over a dozen improved drugs being launched into the market one after another, Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ monthly sales first dipped slightly after the heat from the Martial Arts Tournament subsided, reaching 700 billion federal coins, but then climbed back up to 900 billion federal coins this month.


    According to Federation law, Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals has the right to organize a larger National Guard fleet within the National Guard sequence to protect its commercial interests.


    This career prospect looks quite promising, doesn¡¯t it? Not inferior to serving in the Star Navy.


    Zhu Youheng also received shares in the Forest Freight Company, worth nearly 10 billion federal coins by estimation. However, as the company expands further and he contributes more achievements to it, he could acquire more shares.


    According to the contract, the BOSS might even allow him, the Armed Fleet Director, to own up to 1% of the shares.


    Therefore, Zhu Youheng found himself in internal conflict. The reason he joined Lin Rui¡¯s ranks was to investigate evidence of Lin Rui¡¯s crimes¡ªnot to actually serve under Lin Rui as a subordinate, working like a laborer or servant.


    His heart was filled with patriotism, yet now he had begun to think that working hard as a laborer might not be so bad, making Zhu Youheng deeply uneasy.


    However, based on his observations during the half-year he had spent at the Forest Group, this BOSS seemed to be quite upstanding¡ªnot only offering generous salaries and equity incentives but also heavily involved in large-scale charitable activities. Reportedly, Lin Rui donated up to 20 billion federal coins last month alone, and it wasn¡¯t even for tax avoidance.


    Zhu Youheng could hardly believe that this person was the same ruthless ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer.¡±


    In any case, up to this point, Zhu Youheng had yet to uncover any evidence that could directly implicate Lin Rui. The judicial battle surrounding the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer¡± continued, as the Federation Ministry of Justice still couldn¡¯t present sufficient proof to convince the public.


    Even the war against the Light God Sect was a counter-offensive operation. Lin Rui even obtained permits from both the Religious Committee and the Security Committee of the government, allowing him to cooperate in eradicating the Light God Sect organization.


    What feels surreal is that under Lin Rui¡¯s leadership, the Light King Sect has started paying taxes to the Federation. Additionally, after the Light King Sect initiated its religious wars, nearly 4 million followers gained legal status, becoming taxable entities for the Revenue Bureau.


    Thus, even the Earth Federation¡¯s tax system began to favor the Light King Sect, granting them conveniences multiple times during the war, even mobilizing tax police to assist them.


    Zhu Youheng didn¡¯t mind this turn of events. The previous Light God Sect had indeed turned into something akin to a cult. Most of the Priests were involved in despicable acts, treating their followers like livestock, exploiting them ruthlessly.


    Lin Rui was far better. At the very least, he was working hard to provide them with jobs, ensure they were well-fed, and improve their living conditions.


    Thus, this ¡°Supreme¡± figure held significant prestige within the Light King Sect. Recently, there had even been speculation that the new ¡°King Ming¡± of Sky Extreme Star¡¯s Light God Sect might be an alien version of this ¡°Supreme.¡±


    Thinking of this, Zhu Youheng recalled an espionage incident within the Light King Sect a few days ago.


    Reportedly, these spies aimed to investigate why the ¡°Supreme¡± was able to gain the recognition of several ¡°Heart of Light¡± devices, and what connection Lin Rui might have with this ¡°King Ming.¡±


    The spies failed to approach ¡°Heart of Light No. 9,¡± so the ensuing commotion was minor¡ªbut it certainly caught Zhu Youheng¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Director Zhu?¡± Lin Rui noticed his dazed expression and curiously asked, ¡°Is there something troubling you?¡±


    Zhu Youheng snapped out of his reverie and immediately replied apologetically: ¡°BOSS, no issues! I will spare no effort to lead this fleet well. Just now¡ª¡±


    Zhu Youheng hesitated briefly but decided to speak: ¡°I was merely curious about BOSS¡¯s Rui Fang Armored Biological Research Institute. What¡¯s the situation there?¡±


    This was something his superior recently instructed him to investigate.


    Zhu Youheng had indeed made some discoveries. Lin Rui¡¯s subordinates¡ªLu Hanyuan, Gong Hengdao, Li Yuehua, and Hou Yuting¡ªhad all gone into the Rui Fang Armored Biological Research Institute, stayed for a day or two, and then came out significantly stronger.


    Especially Chairman Lu next to him¡ªhis cultivation and bloodline abilities likely had progressed to the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, elevating him to the level of a quasi-member.


    In order to facilitate his undercover mission, Zhu Youheng had specifically implanted bloodline abilities related to sensing and identification, allowing him to distinctly detect the changes in these individuals before and after entering the research institute. This mystery intrigued and perplexed him greatly.


    Hearing the question, Lin Rui exchanged a smile with Lu Hanyuan, then patted Zhu Youheng on the shoulder: ¡°Keep up the hard work!¡±


    After saying this, Lin Rui headed directly toward the direction of the Rui Fang Armored Biological Research Institute.


    Currently, Zhu Youheng had not yet reached the level of merit or rank sufficient to access this upgraded armament-related secret.


    Zhu Youheng stood there dazed for a moment.


    He suspected that Lin Rui¡¯s implication was that his achievements were still insufficient, and his rank wasn¡¯t high enough. However, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ªif he kept working hard, would he ever have a chance to return to the Federation¡¯s Star Navy?


    After all, he had now become a director of a fleet equivalent in combat power to a squadron-level fleet¡ª

 Chapter 701: 658: Anticipation

    Chapter 701: Chapter 658: Anticipation


    The Shancai Divine Envoy, Zhao Chongling, prepared to leave the Main Temple and head to the surface. Before departing, he conducted one last inspection of the multilayered medicine fields being developed around the Main Temple.


    After the Divine Sect Headquarters migrated underground to the Star Port, His Highness King Ming issued a decree appointing the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, the Wisdom Divine Envoy, and the Protector Dharma King as the chief and deputy agricultural governors. Together, they led the Protecting Sect Divine Army, the priests, and the families of the Protecting Sect Divine Army to excavate caves near the Main Temple. They also introduced the agricultural technologies of the Outer Heaven Demon, preparing to cultivate multilayered farmlands underground and grow large numbers of Spirit Plants.


    The Light God Sect was very familiar with the agricultural technologies of the Heavenly Demons. Their headquarters was a colony-class warship, and the three-layer farmland area below it was derived from the Outer Heaven Demons.


    However, this was technology from over six hundred years ago¡ªa legacy restored by the Seventh King Ming after repairing the warship, putting those three farmland layers into use.


    As such, these three farmland layers currently only produce 3.2 million units of various grains, along with some vegetables and fruits, barely sufficient to meet the annual daily needs of the 1.2 million people within the Main Temple.


    Yet, two months ago, King Ming allocated funding through Zhao Chongling to purchase various agricultural machinery from the Outer Heaven Demons, including various types of tunneling machines, tunnel boring machines, construction robots, agricultural robots, small nuclear fusion reactors, highly realistic agricultural sunlight lamps, fully automatic irrigation systems, and more.


    His Highness was not only preparing to upgrade all technologies and equipment in the farmland area inside the Main Temple but also intended to construct an expansive cluster of 300,000 hectares of caverns outside the Main Temple, arranged into ten layered fields.


    King Ming even decreed that the Protector Dharma King should select devout priests to excavate an underground pipeline leading to Sky Pond. This pipeline would be equipped with multilayered filtration nets to purify the ¡®Purgatory Light¡¯ and channel the abundant Ether Element Power from Sky Pond into these massive cavern fields.


    Zhao Chongling had previously been busy outside, raising funds, procuring supplies, and gathering weaponry for the Invincible Dharma King.


    Only recently, after the Invincible Dharma King secured a decisive victory in a battle against the Second and Third Divine Envoys of Cheng Country, critically injuring the opposing Third Divine Envoy and stabilizing the Beicheng District front line, did Zhao Chongling return to the Main Temple.


    Upon returning, Zhao Chongling was stunned by the sight before him.


    Since King Ming purchased only civilian machinery, the funding requested from the Shancai Holy Hall was minimal, so Zhao Chongling had dismissed this matter as negligible.


    He had never imagined that His Highness King Ming would orchestrate such a grand undertaking, presenting such an extraordinary surprise.


    Not only was Zhao Chongling adept at managing finances, but he also understood agriculture.


    After careful analysis, he estimated that King Ming¡¯s initiative could increase the internal food production of the warship by approximately 62%. Additionally, it would allow the cultivation of large quantities of high-grade Spirit Plants and medicinal materials.


    If the ten-layer, 3-million-hectare medicine fields were fully completed, the first year¡¯s revenue could offset the losses incurred by the war.


    And this was only the first phase of King Ming¡¯s plan.


    Due to the limitation of manpower, 3 million hectares was currently the maximum area they could manage.


    As Zhao Chongling observed the bustling surroundings, his gaze grew complicated: ¡°Why hadn¡¯t we thought of developing underground medicine and farmland before?¡±


    It was widely known that only the eight prefectures near Sky Pond could produce various top-grade medicinal materials and Spirit Plants.


    As a result, nearly one-sixth of the population of the Great Song dynasty was concentrated in this area. However, the farmlands near the eight prefectures of Sky Pond were not only exorbitantly priced but, in most cases, had fallen into the hands of high-ranking officials, aristocrats, prominent families, or local powerhouses with significant backing.


    Yet, if underground medicine fields and farmland could be developed, the arable area near Sky Pond could increase exponentially.


    Zhao Chongling mused that if Sky Extreme Star fully adopted the agricultural technology of the Heavenly Demons, then the grain outputs from Sky Pond alone could support a population of hundreds of billions or even a trillion.


    Life would not only be sustainable but remarkably comfortable, with no concerns about food or clothing.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that the Outer Heaven Demons started developing underground medicine fields a long time ago. However, they struggled to solve the issue of the Purgatory Light, especially for large-scale farming. Purifying the Purgatory Light is said to be extremely costly, with a high probability of humans undergoing Demon Transformation and Heavenly Demons developing various mental afflictions.¡±


    Standing next to Zhao Chongling, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy pointed toward the Radiant Holy Altar: ¡°King Ming said we¡¯re not the same. We have plenty of devout priests, the Purity Divine Fire, and faith in Guang Ming. Not only can we ensure safety, but we can also significantly reduce the costs of purifying the Purgatory Light.¡±


    Faith in Guang Ming, coupled with the presence of Divine Fire, can drastically reduce the probability of Demon Transformation.


    However, the tone of the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy suddenly grew peculiar: ¡°As for why we hadn¡¯t thought of it before, who knows?¡±


    Thus, His Highness King Ming was their true master!


    The priests studying within the Main Temple were visibly exhilarated.


    They believed they had glimpsed the hope of Guang Ming. Anyone with a sound mind would understand that humans needed food and drink.


    Only with an abundance of food and clothing would they be able to perceive the true Purity and Guang Ming¡ª


    Zhao Chongling also focused his attention on the priests laboring fervently: ¡°The enthusiasm of my brethren is exceptionally high. Since joining the sect, I¡¯ve never seen a scene like this. They all hold His Highness King Ming in great reverence.¡±


    King Ming¡¯s earlier manifestations during the altar ceremony had only given the middle- and lower-level priests a sense of anticipation and recognition of his legitimacy.


    Now, Zhao Chongling found that most people within the Main Temple had begun truly venerating and rallying around King Ming.


    This wasn¡¯t only because of the occasional occurrence of ¡®Ming King Seated Lotus Temple,¡¯ where priests observed higher-level Divine Fire during their meditation. It was also due to King Ming¡¯s initiative to develop underground farms, offering them greater hope.


    ¡°Therefore, His Highness King Ming hopes to expand the Protecting Sect Divine Army and select more devout believers from various regions to study doctrines in the Main Temple and meditate on Divine Fire, thereby strengthening our team of priests. All this requires Brother Zhao¡¯s support.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy continued solemnly: ¡°Furthermore, King Ming hopes the Shancai Divine Envoy can procure two to five ships similar to the Main Temple from the Outer Heaven Demons in the Star Port area, equipped with the latest Heavenly Demon technologies, including defense systems and life support systems.


    We don¡¯t necessarily need starship capabilities, but the ships must possess the ability for Deep Sea and underground navigation, referred to by the Heavenly Demons as ¡®Curvature Navigation.¡¯ Additionally, the ship¡¯s interior should ideally feature more agricultural zones.¡±


    ¡°Heavenly Demon ships?¡± Zhao Chongling furrowed his brow upon hearing this.


    Expanding the Protecting Sect Divine Army and the Main Temple¡¯s priest team¡ªwas this to increase labor capacity? It certainly could help further expand this underground cultivation zone.


    As for purchasing Heavenly Demon battleships similar to the Main Temple, it was presumably for safeguarding the priest team.


    After all, this was the core territory of the Great Song dynasty. They must prepare for potential evacuation at any given time. Without factoring in internal production, the Main Temple could only accommodate up to two hundred thousand people in an emergency.


    The rationale behind acquiring more agricultural zones was also clear; fixed underground farms were not conducive to relocation. But what if these farms were directly housed within ships?


    Zhao Chongling considered the idea of procuring ships and found no objections. As long as they weren¡¯t military-grade battleships equipped with Quantum Migration Devices, they wouldn¡¯t fall under the Heavenly Demons¡¯ prohibited items list.


    Being in charge of the Shancai Holy Hall with its ample reserve funds, Zhao Chongling was ready to allocate the necessary finances despite the financial strain on the Light God Sect at the moment.


    Moreover, purchasing Heavenly Demon ships like the Main Temple and expanding the Protecting Sect Divine Army were measures that could genuinely improve the sect¡¯s finances and significantly boost their revenue.


    Even if the Bright Holy Sect became an enemy of the world and was surrounded on all sides, they would possess a stable source of income.


    At the same time, His Highness King Ming would not only gain a stronger military force but also elevate his image and prestige in the eyes of the sect¡¯s priests and believers.


    Since joining the Light God Sect, King Ming had shown no inclination for power struggles, nor had he attempted to check or restrain the increasingly influential Invincible Dharma King. Yet his foundation within the sect continued to grow stronger by the day.


    That was ultimately a good thing¡ª


    In an instant, Zhao Chongling made up his mind: ¡°Heavenly Fragrance, you can inform His Highness King Ming that the Shancai Holy Hall will offer its full support and strive to make this happen.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy smiled faintly: ¡°Additionally, regarding your upcoming negotiation with the Hidden Crown Prince, His Highness King Ming has provided some directives. Lin Hao previously claimed boldly that the opening of the port by the Song Court could double its tax revenue within a few years. This statement undoubtedly puts pressure on him. Thus, we can start by leveraging this angle. Our Light God Sect can consider channeling all materials to the Star Port for sale, paying taxes according to regulations, thereby earning his support.


    Moreover, the Hidden Crown Prince has had numerous dealings with the Heavenly Demons due to the port opening and has even earned admiration and endorsement from the Heavenly Demon President. As such, he must possess some secret connections that could allow access to various banned items from the Heavenly Demons. You could explore this angle in negotiations with him.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy¡¯s expression grew peculiar at this point because King Ming was the Hidden Crown Prince himself.


    King Ming¡¯s orders effectively amounted to directly guiding Zhao Chongling on how to handle matters with the Hidden Crown Prince.


    Zhao Chongling uttered a soft ¡°Hm¡± and narrowed his eyes.


    His trip to the Star Port was motivated by the recent sharp price hikes by Heavenly Demon smugglers on banned items and their joint efforts to suppress the prices of various bulk goods.


    Zhao Chongling was eager to break the blockade and find new supply channels and market outlets, although he hadn¡¯t initially considered it from such a nuanced perspective.


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Zhao Chongling cupped his hands respectfully: ¡°When I meet with Manager Lu?, I will attempt to make contact.¡±


    He gazed upward at the cavernous dome above, harboring even greater anticipation for the upcoming negotiations.

 Chapter 702: 659: Astonishing Trade Revenue

    Chapter 702: Chapter 659: Astonishing Trade Revenue


    At the same time, the Great Song¡¯s Second Divine Envoy, Yu Huaxuan, also arrived above the Star Port area.


    Located at the central position between the former Xuanhua and Tiantong prefectures, Lin Hao had selected a flat piece of land here as the future site of the Great Song Star Port.


    Although it was deep into the night, the interior of the Star Port was still bustling with activity. From a thousand feet in the air, Yu Huaxuan looked down and saw construction occurring everywhere. On the sites, thousands of construction machines moved back and forth under the illumination of lights, resembling busy ants at work.


    Yu Huaxuan then shifted his gaze to an area near the river, noticing patches of gray and white structures that appeared like box-shaped houses, with lights spilling out from within the buildings.


    The brightly lit scene, filled with an air of demonic energy, made Yu Huaxuan feel somewhat uneasy, and his gaze grew more enigmatic.


    This area by the river was the factory district established upon the petition of Cabinet Minister Lin Hao.


    Machinery imported from the Outer Heaven Demons was being used here to process various herbs, grains, ores, and other resources from Sky Extreme Star into simple semi-finished products, which were then sold to the Outer Heaven Demons.


    Not only did this reduce the product volumes, allowing the Outer Heaven Demons¡¯ ships to carry higher-value goods back to the Heavenly Demon Origin for improved trade efficiency and product value, but it also created a large number of high-income jobs.


    The key benefit was the increase in tax revenue for the Star Port. The Divine Envoy Bureau had previously vetoed Lin Hao¡¯s proposal for universal education but approved the establishment of factories in the Star Port area primarily for this reason.


    ¡°Divine Envoy Yu!¡±


    Nearby, the Great Wei¡¯s Third Divine Envoy, Cui Peipei, also wore an inscrutable expression: ¡°I have heard that your Great Song hasn¡¯t even officially begun trade operations, yet you are already raking in piles of gold daily? Could Divine Envoy Yu perhaps reveal just how much silver coin your Star Port has made thus far?¡±


    Yu Huaxuan cast a sideways glance at Cui Peipei and then at the Third Divine Envoy of the Great Cheng, Zong Xiushan.


    The purpose of his trip to the Star Port this time was threefold: first, to lend his support to the event of the Star Port¡¯s opening and underscore the court¡¯s emphasis on this location; second, to urge Lin Hao to hand over the ¡°license security deposit¡± and ¡°land transfer fees¡± he currently held.


    The third purpose was to escort these two Third Divine Envoys for an inspection tour.


    The two of them had made it clear they could no longer abide their stay in the Great Song and proposed a condition to the Great Song Court: to explore the Star Port in-depth just once and understand its inner workings, after which they would depart for their home countries.


    Tired of dealing with them, the emperor and the three Divine Envoys, including Yu himself, were overjoyed when they heard the suggestion. Coincidentally, Yu Huaxuan already needed to make a trip to the Star Port, so he was tasked with inviting the two guests.


    Originally, Yu Huaxuan intended to say, ¡®This is a state secret of the Great Song and cannot be disclosed.¡¯ However, he recalled that this transparency was part of the agreed exchange.


    All the secrets of the Star Port would be traded to bury the matter of the Abyss Divine Tablet being raided.


    After some brief contemplation, Yu Huaxuan waved his folding fan and said, ¡°The Star Port Department, assembled by Lin Hao, is tightly controlled by his trusted disciples. Secrecy within the department is rigorous, but the Divine Envoy Bureau estimates the current revenue falls between thirty to forty-five million taels of Divine Gold¡ªperhaps even higher!¡±


    Cui Peipei and Zong Xiushan gasped audibly upon hearing this.


    Forty-five million taels of Divine Gold? That was roughly equivalent to nearly thirty percent of the annual land tax revenue of their two nations combined.


    Cui Peipei¡¯s complexion alternated between shades of pale white and dark green.


    About ten days ago, when Cui Peipei had been pressing the Great Song to provide manpower and resources to help recover the Abyss Divine Tablet, she had personally overheard the cacophony within the Great Song¡¯s Divine Envoy Bureau and Cabinet. Words from internal members like ¡®Such high revenues already?¡¯ and ¡®The land at the Star Port is this valuable?¡¯ and ¡®Even before opening, we¡¯ve generated this much income?¡¯ along with someone exclaiming ¡®Worthy of a National Guardian Marquess¡¯ still echoed in her ears.


    While Cui Peipei had suspected that the Star Port¡¯s financial returns would be astonishing, she had never imagined that mere revenues from land sales and licenses alone could reach such heights!


    ¡°Truly astonishing!¡± She cast a sidelong glance at Yu Huaxuan and scoffed, ¡°Your Great Song Divine Envoy Bureau dares allow such a significant revenue-generating asset to fall into the hands of a mere child?¡±


    Yu Huaxuan certainly did not wish for it. The Star Port Department was a tempting prize, coveted by the emperor and all three of the court¡¯s Divine Envoys.


    The issue was that the Divine Palace did not permit such actions. Both the Divine Hierarch and the Great Celestial Master of the palace highly valued Lin Hao and favored him overwhelmingly.


    It was evident that they had placed great hopes on the Star Port Department. Compared to the emperor and Yu Huaxuan¡¯s local inspections, which had been obstructed by various regional powers with minimal gains, Lin Hao effortlessly increased the court¡¯s effective revenue by thirty percent of the land tax. Naturally, this won him immense faith and expectation from the Divine Hierarch.


    Not to mention the Grand Ancestor and the Grand Emperor of the Great Song¡¯s founding era.


    The general public of the Great Song believed these two figures to have been laid to rest in imperial tombs, but in truth, they had escaped deep into Purgatory to hide.


    According to investigations by the Purgatory Department, these Great Song ancestors were highly likely to have joined the ranks of the Three Gods of Purgatory. Among them, the Great Song¡¯s Grand Ancestor might even have infiltrated the Earth Federation in an alien form.


    Would the Divine Palace allow itself to be unprepared against the emperor? Of course, it would rely on the First and Third Divine Envoys.


    Alas, Yu Huaxuan¡¯s eagerness to unseat the First Divine Envoy and consolidate power alongside the emperor had already sown seeds of doubt within the Divine Palace regarding his loyalty.


    Yu Huaxuan caught the undertone of dissatisfaction in Cui Peipei¡¯s words and replied with a neutral expression, ¡°Lin Hao is no mere child. Since his integration into the court, he has racked up countless achievements. He currently holds the title of National Guardian Marquess and a Second-Rank Red Priest of the Divine Palace.¡±


    Bear in mind that even Yu Huaxuan himself was merely a First-Rank Lesser Celestial Master of the palace.


    Lin Hao¡¯s status was already on par with that of the Candidate Divine Envoys.


    ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Yu Huaxuan recalled something and inquired, ¡°Where is your disciple Han Xian¡¯er? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to have a duel with Lin Hao? When is that planned to occur?¡±

 Chapter 703: 659: Astonishing Trade Revenue_2

    Chapter 703: Chapter 659: Astonishing Trade Revenue_2


    This duel had long been the talk of the town. If Lin Hao lost, he would become a servant to Han Xian¡¯er; but if Han Xian¡¯er lost, she would serve as a maid to Lin Hao.


    The people of Luojing City had been debating this matter for several months, all worried for their Hidden Crown Prince.


    Although the Hidden Crown Prince had extraordinary talent, he was merely of the Sixth Realm. If he lost, would they truly let their esteemed Hidden Crown Prince act as a servant or labor animal for Han Xian¡¯er?


    Yu Huaxuan was greatly looking forward to it. If Lin Hao lost, what would be the reaction of Luo Wangshu and his apprentice? And would Lin Hao really adhere to the wager?


    ¡°Just a few days from now.¡±


    Cui Peipei stood with her hands behind her back, a cold sneer curling at the corners of her lips. ¡°I have already planned to leave the Great Song in a few days, so according to the terms of the duel, the matter of the Divine Tablet should come to an end.¡±


    The reason Han Xian¡¯er hadn¡¯t appeared was that she was staying at the inn, cultivating an Eight Realms Super Monarch Secret Sword.


    Over the past two months, Han Xian¡¯er, under Cui Peipei¡¯s guidance, had been rigorously training in this sword technique, all in preparation for the decisive strike in the upcoming duel.


    Cui Peipei believed that no matter how strong Lin Hao¡¯s true combat prowess was, he couldn¡¯t possibly be a match for Han Xian¡¯er.


    ¡ªLuo Wangshu had overestimated herself!


    Yu Huaxuan laughed heartily upon hearing this. ¡°Then I am very much looking forward to it. Oh, by the way, if I¡¯m not mistaken, a perfect opportunity is just around the corner. In a few days, the Great Song will hold its port opening ceremony. During such an occasion, if your apprentice and Lin Hao settle their duel before the eyes of countless witnesses, wouldn¡¯t that be delightful?¡±


    Zong Xiushan, standing nearby, also appeared thoughtful. ¡°That seems like a good idea.¡±


    He was staying at the inn as well and knew precisely how formidable Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s Eight Realms Super Monarch Secret Sword was.


    Cui Peipei realized the two were deliberately stirring things up, yet she couldn¡¯t help but be moved.


    Externally, however, she remained calm, snorting softly before continuing to fly forward. She intended to inspect the newly-built shops and buildings constructed by the Outer Heaven Demons, and perhaps engage in some interactions while she was at it.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    At the Security Bureau headquarters, Xue Lingxue trudged towards the dock with a splitting headache.


    She had just substituted for General ¡°Thunder¡± at the Tianji Star Trade Surveillance Center, presiding over a work meeting focused on strengthening surveillance over major Star Ports and privately-operated dock zones.


    Since the surveillance center had just been established, they were severely understaffed, requiring substantial effort and energy to coordinate personnel and organize tasks.


    Additionally, the newly incorporated anti-smuggling fleet also needed connection and adjustment.


    To put it simply, they aimed to consolidate power while discreetly infiltrating their agents.


    The strategy was to gradually transfer those unwilling to live aboard ships out of the 201 Rapid Response Squadron, replacing them with personnel from the Security Bureau system, thereby progressively taking control of the fleet.


    At present, they didn¡¯t expect the anti-smuggling fleet to truly eliminate smuggling activities; as long as they could exert a certain level of deterrence, manage the areas around twelve satellites, and raise the costs for smugglers, it would suffice.


    Her next task was to board her personal transport ship and meet with the flagship and Fleet Commander of the anti-smuggling fleet.


    The Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song had successfully sowed discord within the Longevity Association, and the ¡°two peaches kill three scholars¡± strategy was already taking effect, causing intense internal strife within the Longevity Association.


    Thus, there were matters Xue Lingxue needed to report to this individual.


    However, just as Xue Lingxue was about to step into the dock zone, her heart suddenly tightened in alarm.


    Her boss had treated her quite well, providing her with a complete set of armaments fifteen days ago. The upgrade included an SSS+++ grade implant, ¡°Divine Senses Awareness,¡± granting Xue Lingxue a degree of mental surplus.


    The immense sensing ability allowed her to instinctively retreat backward, and the two accompanying Dragon Slayer 8SS+++ units reacted simultaneously. Not only did they combine forces to blockade Xue Lingxue¡¯s front with gunfire, but they also deployed two layers of impenetrable Force Field Shields.


    Yet, a pair of red sword glows, one large and one small, pierced through the alloy doors and effortlessly shredded the immensely strong shield layers. The sword glows continued their fluid assault, slicing through the Dragon Slayer 8SS+++ units¡¯ ammunition and forcibly severing their wrists.


    As the crimson sword glow struck toward Xue Lingxue¡¯s front, her mind went blank.


    Her ¡°Ice Thunder Emperor Dragon,¡± having just disengaged from its Sleeping Cabin, was too far away to intervene in time. Its sniper cannon could only fire from 160 meters away.


    The two Emperor Rank Seventh Realm masters accompanying Xue Lingxue had just managed to react.


    Am I going to die? Xue Lingxue thought, in the Security Bureau headquarters, slain by an assassin?


    In that instant, Xue Lingxue saw a towering figure, two meters tall, appear in front of her.


    ¡ªIt was the Sixth Realm guardian code-named ¡°1¡± that Lin Rui had arranged for her!


    Xue Lingxue couldn¡¯t quite understand Lin Rui¡¯s reasoning. This guardian wasn¡¯t particularly powerful, at merely a Sixth Realm Emperor Rank. Compared to her current strength and status, it could no longer provide sufficient protection.


    In addition, if not for the fact that ¡°1¡± possessed a Battle Dragon, Xue Lingxue would have doubted whether the being was even alive, as she felt no trace of life from it.


    Yet Lin Rui, despite arranging two 7S combat teams for her security, still insisted that ¡°1¡± stay by her side and specifically instructed Xue Lingxue to keep ¡°1¡± as close to her as possible.


    Although Xue Lingxue didn¡¯t understand, she complied with Lin Rui¡¯s orders. For some reason, she felt a faint sense of familiarity and closeness towards this icy, lifeless ¡°1.¡±

 Chapter 704: 659: Astonishing Trade Revenue_3

    Chapter 704: Chapter 659: Astonishing Trade Revenue_3


    No. 1 was not only a loyal protector in his daily life but also took care of all sorts of chores for her, attending to her every need meticulously. Sometimes, No. 1¡¯s actions even reminded her of her late father.


    And today, this same ¡®No. 1¡¯ had saved her life once again.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    With a crisp, piercing sound, No. 1¡¯s entire upper skull was severed in an instant.


    No. 1¡¯s sacrifice not only bought the other guardians time to react but also paved the way for a blade light in the void, swift as a startled swan, graceful and sharp, soaring through the sky. It was like lightning cleaving through the darkness, scattering the two crimson sword beams in a single slash and cutting the two figures¡ªone large and one small¡ªbehind the red light into two clean halves.


    The scene revealed the figure of a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank expert, alongside his towering, 28-meter Battle Dragon. First, his body was bisected; then, it continued to rupture and explode into a mist of blood that filled the air.


    Moments later, a young soldier appeared in front of Xue Lingxue, dressed impeccably in a Four-star Marshal¡¯s uniform. On his collar was the badge of a Congressional Honorary Member. His features were refined and handsome, his bearing upright and balanced, his aura as calm and fresh as a gentle breeze, laced with a dash of carefree irreverence.


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s expression sharpened as she immediately gave a military salute. ¡°Marshal Kou!¡±


    Before her was none other than Kou Xuanwang, the Commander of the Earth Federation Government¡¯s Headquarters Defense Force!


    This man¡¯s combat strength was peerless. Traveling across 3,000 kilometers of space from the Defense Command, he executed a single strike to kill the Ninth Realm cultivation crimson-clad swordsman.


    At that moment, Xue Lingxue heard a violent explosion.


    She snapped her head toward the sound and realized it was coming from the direction of the Thunder General¡¯s office. At the same time, an ear-piercing alarm blared from within the Security Bureau.


    However, the ¡®Thunder¡¯ in that office was clearly not the real Thunder General. It was merely a Dragon Slayer 8 SSS+ grade exoskeleton armor controlled by an AI chip. Even so, Xue Lingxue couldn¡¯t help but feel a deep unease.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to look. Over there is also someone at a Quasi-Member level making a move. It¡¯s a choice¡ªif I help you, I can¡¯t help Thunder. But Li Xianglong told me that Thunder doesn¡¯t need my assistance; my priority is to ensure your safety in the capital district.¡±


    Marshal Kou Xuanwang looked at the blood mist still drifting in the air and the two bloody swords¡ªone large, one small¡ªthat had fallen to the ground. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, he muttered, ¡°That person seemed to be Wei Tianqu of the Heavenly Sword, a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Quasi-Member expert. Strange... wasn¡¯t he killed half a year ago, personally cut down by Li Xianglong? How is he still alive?¡±


    Marshal Kou shook his head in confusion, then turned toward the now-decapitated ¡®No. 1.¡¯ Raising a brow, he remarked, ¡°A bio-engineered cyborg? Where did you get something like this? Quite the novelty.¡±


    Xue Lingxue, still reeling from the incident at Thunder¡¯s office and mourning No. 1¡¯s death, heard his words and felt her expression shift slightly. She instinctively glanced toward No. 1. Indeed, she noticed the metallic composition of No. 1¡¯s skeleton, interwoven with a complex network of circuits.


    Her complexion oscillated between pallor and a ghostly green as her mind turned over the implications. What was happening?


    Why, at this moment, did she have the strange, inexplicable feeling that she had just lost something deeply important? And why were her tears streaming uncontrollably down her face?


    Meanwhile, far away in the Ninth Base City, at Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, Lin Rui had just completed a surgical implantation procedure, upgrading his Sacred Body with a completely new set of armament and implanting two additional SSS+ armaments, further enhancing his Radiant Thunder Sacred Body.


    Lin Rui stood before a box measuring 1.2 meters long, 80 centimeters high, and 30 centimeters wide.


    It was the very same small database he had discovered over a year ago while under the command of Xue Bogao.


    Lin Rui hesitated, debating whether to summon Wang Yinyue to help crack the small database and uncover the data inside.


    At that moment, Lin Rui received a notification from the Battle Spirit Ring.

 Chapter 705: 660: Furious Rage

    Chapter 705: Chapter 660: Furious Rage


    Tip: Your Battle Spirit No.1 has been annihilated by someone. Due to insufficient attachment, it cannot regather its True Spirit or return to the Battle Spirit Ring. The position of Battle Spirit No.1 is now vacant.


    Lin Rui was momentarily stunned.


    So, Battle Spirit No.1, Xue Bogao, is gone just like that? What happened? Did something happen to Xue Lingxue?


    In the next moment, he received a message from Xue Lingxue.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): BOSS, I was just attacked. The assassin was a Quasi-Member named Wei Tianqu of the Heavenly Sword, and ¡®No.1¡¯ blocked a sword for me, holding on until Marshal Kou arrived.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): Xiao Rui, I want to know about No.1! How can someone with such high Spiritual Wisdom be an artificial human? It¡¯s so strange! I¡¯m feeling very sad and distressed now, I can¡¯t control my emotions at all. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening.


    White Summer (Xue Lingxue): The more I think about it, the stranger it gets. Why is No.1 so familiar with my life habits, and why do his moves resemble my father¡¯s so much?


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression relaxed for a moment when he saw the messages from Xue Lingxue, but then turned calmly solemn.


    He had underestimated the Longevity Association, that bunch of scums dared to make a move inside the Security Bureau!


    Yet, it¡¯s very strange!


    Is the power of the Longevity Association so strong? Strong enough to send a Quasi-Member for an assassination mission where he might not come back? And the target is just a mere Sixth Realm! Moreover, Wei Tianqu of the Heavenly Sword, isn¡¯t he already dead?


    Lin Rui thought about his Battle Spirit Ring and the faint sense he had of the ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯ among those twelve satellites, and couldn¡¯t help but fall into a daze.


    He quickly gathered his thoughts, glanced at Xue Lingxue¡¯s username, and then turned to look out the window.


    It¡¯s only been just over a year since that tragic event last summer, and Xue Bogao¡¯s Battle Spirit had also left Xue Lingxue.


    In fact, Lin Rui had a premonition long ago, he could vaguely sense that Xue Bogao¡¯s Battle Spirit was different from No.2 and No.3.


    The difference was likely because Xue Bogao hadn¡¯t broken through to the Dragon Transformation Realm before he died, lacking in the essence of the soul, so Xue Bogao¡¯s attachment was actually weakening.


    His Spiritual Wisdom was also seriously lacking, only showing some intelligence in matters related to Xue Lingxue.


    Lin Rui had also implanted a Biological Chip into his Mecha Dragon, yet Xue Bogao could not communicate with him.


    Xue Bogao couldn¡¯t ¡®resurrect¡¯ like No.2 and No.3.


    No.4 couldn¡¯t resurrect due to the lack of Yin Qianqiu¡¯s active flesh, and Lin Rui had no intention of reviving this animal.


    Xue Bogao couldn¡¯t resurrect because of his innate deficiency in the soul.


    But Lin Rui didn¡¯t expect Xue Bogao¡¯s Battle Spirit to perish so quickly¡ª¡ª


    Lin Rui then clenched his hands tightly, his gaze gradually sharpening like a knife, filled with fierce light.


    Even though Lin Rui had always thought that Xue Bogao had led him astray, inspiring the ferocity within him, and sending him further down the path of crime, he was nonetheless his first teacher!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Xiaoxue, the matter with No.1 is quite complicated. I¡¯m returning to the Security Bureau now, and will explain to you in person then.


    He instructed Shangguan Tianyi to arrange for the yacht to start, while also opening a chat window with Wang Yinyue.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Yinyue, I¡¯ll have Ying¡¯er deliver a database to you soon. When you have time, please help crack it.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): After cracking it, keep silent and do not send it to anyone, just transmit the data directly to me.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    About two hours later, at the headquarters of the Security Bureau, in the director¡¯s office of the National Security Special Action Center.


    Due to the destruction of Thunder General¡¯s office at the Sky Etreme Star Trade Monitoring Center, Lin Rui had to move Thunder¡¯s office here.


    Xue Lingxue looked pale, dazed.


    She had heard Lin Rui¡¯s explanation, so No.1 is actually her father? A Battle Spirit formed by her father¡¯s attachment, summoned by Lin Rui through special Bloodline Power to always accompany her?


    Xue Lingxue had served as an assistant to Thunder for a whole year, wielding great power despite her humble position, handling countless matters for the Security Bureau, meeting many people, and experiencing many things, becoming seasoned in dealing with human relationships, no longer the workplace novice that Lin Rui could easily fool a year ago.


    She detected that Lin Rui was not entirely truthful, yet one thing was real, No.1 was indeed her father¡ª¡ª


    Xue Lingxue felt chills all over, tears streaming uncontrollably.


    She wondered why she hadn¡¯t realized earlier. She should have interacted more with No.1.


    No.1 couldn¡¯t speak, but several interactions could surely have revealed the truth.


    So, a year later, she loses him once more?


    Lin Rui looked at her with some concern, and after some consideration, walked over and embraced Xue Lingxue.


    Xue Lingxue couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, grabbing Lin Rui¡¯s waist and sobbing uncontrollably.


    Lin Rui felt both guilty and distressed, while also smiling bitterly; this was his responsibility. He had underestimated the audacity of the Longevity Association, not only did they manage to infiltrate this dangerous ground of the Security Bureau, but they also sent Quasi-Member level experts here.


    However, Xue Lingxue only cried for a little over a minute before pushing Lin Rui away.


    ¡°BOSS, you should quickly convene an operational meeting, don¡¯t keep Lin Xi and Lu Hanyuan waiting.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoxue, you~¡± Lin Rui looked at Xue Lingxue with some concern.


    Xue Lingxue shook her head, took out her purse to fix her makeup, concealing the tear marks on her face.


    Her eyes showed a deep-seated hatred: ¡°I¡¯m fine. Time is very pressing right now. Since the Longevity Association¡¯s assassination attempt on Thunder failed, they¡¯ll surely make their next move soon. This incident was also my oversight. With the escalating internal conflict over trade shares, they will definitely try to shift the blame externally.

 Chapter 706: 660: Furious Rage_2

    Chapter 706: Chapter 660: Furious Rage_2


    So, the assassination attempt on Thunder and the takeover of the Sky Extreme Star trade monitoring center should only be their first step. With Forest Trading Company holding 160 cargo transportation licenses, it might also be one of their targets. We must take preemptive action first.¡±


    She told herself that there would be plenty of time to grieve in the future, but even one second¡¯s delay in vengeance was unacceptable.


    Lin Rui nodded slightly, and once Xue Lingxue finished touching up her makeup, he immediately convened a video meeting.


    This virtual video strategy meeting was notified two hours earlier by Lin Rui, who also instructed Lin Xi and the Heart of Light No. 9 to prepare several encrypted channels to ensure confidentiality.


    Moments later, Fang Ranran, Xianyu Yan, Lin Yi, Ji Shenyan, Shi Yan, Wang Tianwu, Lu Hanyuan, Lin Guangming, Lin Xi, Fei Yunlai, Gong Hengdao, Li Yuehua, Hou Yuting, Ji Xueying, Shangguan Tianyi, and Wang Sen¡ªthe core members of the ¡°Forest¡¤Rui Fang¡± Group¡ªall appeared inside the virtual conference room.


    After Fang Ranran appeared, she noticed Xue Lingxue with a glance and saw obvious traces of makeup repair around her assistant¡¯s eyes, which were visibly red and swollen.


    Fang Ranran then cast a sidelong look at the area around Lin Rui¡¯s chest and noticed it was particularly dry with some faint, almost undetectable salt grains.


    This guy must have used True Yuan to evaporate, but failed to ensure his clothing was uniformly dry.


    Fang Ranran let out a soft snort, said nothing further, and began attentively listening to Xue Lingxue¡¯s explanation.


    A moment later, Fang Ranran raised her eyebrows: ¡°You really miscalculated. You should¡¯ve anticipated Longevity Association¡¯s likely move to instigate external wars to shift internal conflicts. But it¡¯s not too late now; Xiaoxue¡¯s ¡®Purity Plan¡¯ must be implemented immediately.¡±


    The so-called ¡®Purity Plan¡¯ referred to purging all Longevity Association¡¯s pawns within the Ninth Base City¡¯s bureaucratic system to turn the city into the fortress of the ¡°Forest¡¤Rui Fang¡± Group.


    Though the Longevity Association¡¯s strength remained profound and immeasurable, the current ¡°Forest¡¤Rui Fang¡± Group was no weakling either.


    Lin Rui now controlled Xianyu Yan, Ji Shenyan, Wang Tianwu, and Lu Hanyuan¡ªthree and a half quasi-members of Congress¡ªand possessed Lin Yi and Shi Yan, two combatants with the enigmatic 7th Realm Abyss Weapons.


    Adding doubtful ally Zhu Youheng, the ¡°Forest¡¤Rui Fang¡± Group boasted seven Super Emperor-level combatants of the Eighth Realm.


    Even Lin Rui himself wielded the Supreme Divine Artifact ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.¡¯


    Fang Ranran had learned from Linghu Mingde¡¯s mouth that her boyfriend had gained another title¡ª¡¯King Ming¡¯ of the Light God Sect!


    Even Wang Sen was revealing increasingly ambitious prospects; once he succeeded in Dragon Transformation, he could contribute the ¡®Ice Blood Fiend,¡¯ another Super Emperor-level powerhouse of the Eighth Realm.


    Adding Linghu Mingde¡¯s power and the Linghu Family¡¯s operations within the Ninth Base City,


    the Longevity Association would no longer be able to leverage governmental forces to counterbalance or strike at the ¡°Forest¡¤Rui Fang¡± Group, thereby eliminating their two-front vulnerabilities within the city.


    Lu Hanyuan reflected with a bitter smile: ¡°I predicted Longevity Association might attempt to shift their internal problems externally, but I kept thinking about waiting a little longer. The group¡¯s strength is rapidly swelling; every minute we delay war, our power grows another increment.¡±


    Lin Rui was about to speak when he suddenly exclaimed in alarm, his face turning grave.


    Everyone in the conference room turned their gaze toward him; Lin Rui furrowed his brows: ¡°Zhou Yunfei in the Ninth Division office has been ambushed, critically injured, and near death! If he hadn¡¯t recently upgraded his armament with a new bloodline ability and received a secret 9SS-grade Red Spider 8PRO self-defense unit from the Second Commander, allowing him to counter-kill the attacker, he¡¯d be dead by now.¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances, their expressions subtly shifting.


    ¡°And that¡¯s not all!¡± Lin Rui checked the Security Bureau¡¯s backend for updates: ¡°Good heavens, in just this past hour, six Commanders and two Marshals of the Security Bureau have been ambushed; six of them are dead¡ªall of them former subordinates of the Second Commander. This attack isn¡¯t just targeting Thunder; it¡¯s aimed squarely at the Second Commander.¡±


    ¡°Longevity Association clearly predicts the Second Commander is declining and incapable of retaliating.¡±


    Fang Ranran narrowed her eyes: ¡°This is also a provocation against the First Commander, Li Xianglong¡ªno! This is outright war. Recent moves by the Security Bureau must¡¯ve struck a nerve for them. The deliberate targeting of Commander Lin Tianchen¡¯s direct lineage aims to divide alliances, distinguishing treatment of the third and fourth commanders¡¯ factions. But this misstep will bring disaster upon themselves.¡±


    She knew Lin Rui was prepared to deploy the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ to resolve Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit predicament.


    She also knew the Second Commander had invested heavily in Rui Fang¡¯s bio-armament research for new surgical implants.


    Unlike Li Xianglong, who spread resources thinly across political parties and King Kou Xuan¡¯s costly ventures, Lin Tianchen had ample funding reserves.


    This trajectory of entering Divine Envoy-level status was already set in stone.


    At that moment, Lin Rui received both Li Xianglong¡¯s top-level security order and Lin Tianchen¡¯s urgent communications.


    Lin Tianchen: Xiao Rui, you must expedite my transaction with King Ming. No matter what terms the Light God Sect demands, they are negotiable.


    Lin Tianchen: Also, arrange for my surgical armament implantation via Rui Fang Research Institute immediately.


    From Lin Tianchen¡¯s words, Lin Rui sensed urgency and anger emanating from the commander.


    Xu Mengran, Li Xianglong, and Kou Xuanwang¡¯s own armament developments were nearly complete, yet these three individuals hesitated about undergoing implantation due to their own concerns. However, the Second Commander seemed indifferent to the risks, desperate for a swift increase in combat strength.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Commander, rest assured, I will make it happen.


    ¡°We need to alleviate some of the pressure on our two superiors as well.¡±


    Lin Rui swept his gaze across the conference table¡¯s attendees: ¡°The operational plans have been distributed to you all. In simple terms, we must collaborate over the next few days with the Children¡¯s Song Killer, Lin Yi, and Shi Yan to eliminate everyone on the blacklist. Simultaneously, enhance defensive capabilities across all fronts to prevent any vulnerabilities.¡±


    Shi Yan silently studied the list Lin Rui handed her.


    A total of 37 names¡ªall high-ranking officials within the Ninth Base City.


    Over the next three days, she had to execute¡ªno, this was forcible liquidation, a purge! Each name on this list must be eliminated one by one!


    Shi Yan thought briefly about how the King Ming of the Light God Sect was treating her entirely like an assassin. But considering Lin Rui had saved her life before and continued to sustain her by providing various equipment, this exchange of loyalty felt justified.


    Shi Yan¡¯s main concern was whether all the targets on this blacklist truly belonged to the Longevity Association.


    She promptly suppressed her thoughts. Whoever they were, they had to die!


    Lin Rui must have sufficient evidence. Under such circumstances, the approach would undeniably be ¡°better safe than sorry.¡± None would be spared.


    Lin Rui spoke with concern as he looked at Lin Yi: ¡°Xiao Yi, how are you feeling? If you find yourself emotionally resistant to this, then let it go.¡±


    Lin Yi, having just regained her physical form, surprised Lin Rui as her consciousness couldn¡¯t retrieve her memories upon return.


    Lin Rui had studied Lin Yi¡¯s brain and discovered her memory cells¡¯ neurons were disconnected.


    Biologically, Lin Yi was rejecting integration with her memory cells, even spiritually as well.


    Lin Rui understood this stemmed from the overwhelming pain of her past memories; Lin Yi was unwilling to recall or recover them.


    Lin Yi replied with a shake of her head and an excited expression: ¡°I¡¯m fine! Leave it to me.¡±


    Strangely, Lin Yi grew uncontrollably excited at the prospect of personally killing people.


    Lin Rui wondered if his sister still had some mental issues. He nodded: ¡°During the operation, if you encounter danger, you can use the Painful Heavenly Dragon. Your safety takes top priority.¡±


    Lin Rui then turned his attention to Fang Ranran: ¡°Ranran?¡±


    ¡°No problems here.¡±


    Fang Ranran nodded affirmatively: ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on Congress for you. My father-in-law mentioned that Sky Fox Group will fully support your plans. But the mayor, Huo Bangguo¡ªwhat about him? He definitely won¡¯t sit idly by.¡±


    The implementation of the ¡°Forest¡¤Rui Fang¡± Group¡¯s clearance operation would encounter its biggest hurdle in Huo Bangguo. This obstacle had to be forcibly removed.


    ¡°Two hours ago, Lin Hao already sent an invitation to Mayor Huo, inviting him to attend the opening ceremony of Star Port while discussing increased pharmaceutical supplies for the Ninth Base City.¡±


    As Lin Rui said this, he sheepishly rubbed his forehead. He couldn¡¯t help but feel some guilt for constantly maneuvering the mayor into unfavorable positions.

 Chapter 707: 661: Execution

    Chapter 707: Chapter 661: Execution


    Six hours later, at the intersection of Vanguard Street in the eastern district of Ninth Base City.


    Shi Yan sat on the steps of the urban rail station, eating bread and drinking milk while listening to the news broadcast from her smart terminal wristband.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªToday at 9:35 a.m., a violent explosion occurred at the home of Alexander Bagreav, the First Deputy Minister of the Security Bureau¡¯s Twelfth Division and a One-star Marshal. When Security Bureau combat personnel arrived for reinforcement, they found that Marshal Bagreav had already died at his residence. Reports suggest there were extensive signs of combat at the scene, and Marshal Bagreav¡¯s corpse was found to contain severe toxins. He is the sixth marshal-level high-ranking official assassinated since early this morning.¡±


    ¡°According to a source, the attackers are presumed to belong to the terrorist organization ¡®Longevity Association.¡¯ This covert society, which has been officially designated as a terrorist group by the President, possesses extraordinary military power. Its members are said to include over a hundred Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators, more than five hundred Eighth Realm individuals, as well as numerous consortiums and banks involved.¡±


    ¡°At 9:45 a.m. today, an interstellar cargo vessel captured footage of a Divine Envoy-level battle in outer space. One of the combatants has been identified as Security Bureau¡¯s First Commander, Li Xianglong. Our station is currently negotiating with the trading company to acquire the video.¡±


    ¡°¡ª¡ªThe Security Bureau headquarters held a press conference today. According to their spokesperson, the Security Bureau has, as of today, killed over 3,500 Longevity Association members, including twelve Eighth and Ninth Realm individuals, and vows to severely punish the association and its perpetrators!¡±


    ¡°The five major base cities directly controlled by the East Asia Republic are now under martial law starting today.¡±


    ¡°In related news, the Mayor of our city, Huo Bangguo, has accepted an invitation from Lin Hao, a National Guardian of Great Song, Cabinet Minister, and Minister of Commerce, to visit the Star Port. It is reported that the National Guardian of Great Song intends to expand medicinal crop cultivation and improve yield across the eight states of Heluo, seeking technological assistance from Ninth Base City¡ª¡ª¡±


    Shi Yan¡¯s lips twitched slightly at the thought that Mayor Huo Bangguo seemed to have learned nothing from his previous encounters.


    Despite falling victim to countless ¡®lure-the-tiger-from-the-mountain¡¯ ploys, he never seems to learn.


    Amidst the intensifying conflict between the Security Bureau and the Longevity Association, with the storm growing fierce, Lin Hao merely beckoned him with a finger, and Huo Bangguo obediently ran to Sky Extreme Star.


    Once he¡¯s caught under the Heavenly Curtain, nestled at Great Song¡¯s Star Port, he won¡¯t be back for the next few days.


    Or perhaps, he was just unwilling to get involved in the storm altogether, deliberately avoiding confrontation?


    Shi Yan finished off her bread in just a few bites and then donned the cloak of her long trench coat.


    The exoskeleton armor beneath her clothing covered her entire body, while a mask enveloped her face.


    Now that Huo Bangguo has left, it¡¯s time for her to begin her mission.


    Shi Yan stepped out of the urban rail station, strolling towards a high-rise building named ¡®Tiantai.¡¯


    Her figure moved like a mirage, weaving through dense crowds and flickering forward a hundred meters at a time.


    Shi Yan¡¯s first target was Lian Yi¡¯an, the chairman of Tiantai Security Group!


    Tiantai Security Group is a rising star among security companies in recent years, servicing over thirty small and medium-sized businesses in Ninth Base City. It boasts a security team equivalent to an entire brigade and employs nearly 3,000 Alien Walkers.


    Lian Yi¡¯an himself is an Eighth Realm Emperor Rank Armored Martial Cultivator, a quasi-Member-level expert with combat strength approaching formidable mastery.


    Lin Xi suspects Tiantai Security Group¡¯s finances are deeply irregular. Its client base cannot support such a massive security team or sustain so many Alien Walkers. Lin Rui has deduced that Lian Yi¡¯an is secretly leading the Longevity Association¡¯s private militia in Ninth Base City.


    This purge plan, designed by Lin Rui, has a blacklist dominated by government officials but also includes Longevity Association forces that are easier to eliminate.


    Their strategy is to tackle the hardest targets first with swift and overwhelming Thunder-like precision, then clean up the remaining forces.


    ¡°Immortal Venerable, I¡¯m counting on you for this!¡±


    Shi Yan¡¯s eyes turned blood-red.


    Despite her current Seventh Realm cultivation and the implantation of twenty powerful auxiliary enhancements, her physical attributes had been elevated to an astonishing degree during Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯s possession. However, Shi Yan¡¯s martial arts abilities still lagged behind, and her control over her body and Bloodline Talent remained insufficient.


    Facing an opponent like Lian Yi¡¯an, a quasi-Member-level expert, Shi Yan needed Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯s power.


    Besides Lian Yi¡¯an, there were three Ninth Realm combatants in the building, plus 3,000 Alien Walkers who were also part of her objective.


    ¡°No problem!¡± Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable immediately responded, though his tone carried noticeable fatigue, ¡°Leave this to me entirely; make sure you don¡¯t resist.¡±


    Shi Yan sensed Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯s state and couldn¡¯t help but show a trace of guilt in her eyes: ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If it¡¯s too much, I can ask Lin Rui to assign us a different mission.¡±


    The Residual Spirit of the Immortal Venerable was already excessively weakened.


    This was all due to her slow martial arts progress; even when Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable needed rest, she had to burden him once again.


    ¡°It¡¯s merely an Eighth Realm Emperor Rank opponent; no need to fuss.¡± Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable chuckled softly, ¡°Little Yan, you may not understand fully¡ªencountering this New God at this precise moment is an opportunity of immense fortune. I still have matters to request of them, but to do so, we must demonstrate sufficient value.¡±


    Without further ado, he took control of Shi Yan¡¯s body and gazed at the Tiantai Building less than a hundred meters ahead.


    With just one stride, Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable brought her to the top floor of the Tiantai Building.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The skyscraper¡¯s protective force field shield and 60 cm-thick bulletproof glass shattered violently.


    Inside the top-floor office, a middle-aged man sat shocked and outraged.


    ¡°Who are you¡ª¡ª?¡±


    Before he could react, Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯s incomprehensible, transcendent sword beam had already pierced through his brow.


    Lian Yi¡¯an, the chairman of Tiantai Security Group, stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend.


    He hadn¡¯t even seen the trajectory of the sword, nor could he understand how the opponent bypassed the overwhelming Fist Gang he¡¯d unleashed.


    Yet this became Lian Yi¡¯an¡¯s final thought; his Primordial Spirit disintegrated shortly after, his body and soul reduced to dust.


    At that very moment, the building¡¯s entire electrical grid and all backup power systems inexplicably exploded into chaos.


    Inside the structure, 3,123 sleeping cabins and two ultra-large Quantum Divine Machines initially lost power, followed by complete fragmentation and destruction.


    Under Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯s omnipotent ¡®Immortal¡¯ Concept, this heavily guarded skyscraper fell silent in mere moments.


    Three fleeing Ninth Realm Super Kings within the building were also abruptly silenced with muffled groans.


    Each bore an indelible sword mark on their brows, their lives extinguished without a sound.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Meanwhile, 300 kilometers away, the headquarters of the Star Port Customs Bureau in Ninth Base City.


    Lin Yi was talking with Lin Rui: ¡°Shi Yan has started her operation? Brother, then I¡¯ll begin here too.¡±


    ¡°¡ª¡ªI know, I¡¯ll be careful, especially since Xianyu Yan and Wang Tianwu are watching out for me. Alright, I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±


    Lin Yi thought her brother could be annoyingly wordy at times, just as irritating as her sister Lin Xi.


    But it¡¯s just a customs bureau head and a naval commander¡ªnot exactly opponents with notably high cultivation levels.


    A Balance Seal began to manifest on Lin Yi¡¯s brow before she extended her hand.


    ¡°Law: All communications in this area are prohibited!¡±


    ¡°Law: Within a 30-kilometer radius from Lin Yi, all hostile individuals will experience maximum True Yuan weakening.¡±


    ¡°Law: Within a 30-kilometer radius from Lin Yi, Lin Yi¡¯s strength, speed, and perception will be augmented to their limits!¡±


    ¡°Law: Within a 30-kilometer radius from Lin Yi, Lin Yi becomes untraceable, undetectable, and unmemorable!¡±


    As Lin Yi¡¯s voice resonated, an immense wave of Conceptual Power enveloped the customs bureau and its surroundings.


    By the time she enacted the third Law, Lin Yi¡¯s grasp of Conceptual Power had already begun to strain.


    But Conceptual Laws were not the entirety of her arsenal¡ª


    A whip-shaped Divine Emblem belonging to the Pain Goddess appeared on Lin Yi¡¯s neck.


    Through the fourth Law and third Law¡¯s force, she forced her dominance over the 30-kilometer range.


    Lin Yi then drew two heavily modified 8SS+ ¡®Desperate¡¯ dual blades, her expression calm as she stepped inside the bustling customs office.


    Her sister had told her that she used to excel in assassination and was one of the most skilled killers, adept with firearms and sniping.


    Lin Yi¡¯s inherited memories confirmed some knowledge of firearms, sniping techniques, and even deeply ingrained physical recall.


    Yet upon awakening in her current form, she instinctively rejected those weapons, reviling everything about her past self, refusing to associate with it.


    Meanwhile, in the customs director¡¯s office, Benedict Barnes¡ªthe current Head of Ninth Base City¡¯s Customs¡ªhad already donned his exoskeleton armor and summoned his Battle Dragon.


    This Eighth Realm Super Emperor Rank Armored Martial Cultivator stood with a grave sense of preparedness.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªIs this... Concept Law?¡±


    But who could possibly wield such powerful Conceptual Power? To invoke four layered Laws at a 65% strength level, covering a 30-kilometer radius!


    Benedict Barnes felt panic and despair creeping into his mind, his survival instincts screaming for escape.


    Anyone capable of channeling 65% Conceptual Power is potentially on Immortal Level¡ªor horrifically close to it!


    He knew unequivocally that he stood no chance.


    Nevertheless, Benedict Barnes was also acutely aware of one stark truth: the customs bureau was the area¡¯s most fortified site, equipped with top-tier detection infrastructure and impregnable layers of firepower and security.


    If he couldn¡¯t survive here, he¡¯d be doomed no matter where he fled.


    As anxiety wracked him, the door to his office creaked open.


    ¡°Are you Benedict Barnes?¡±


    The voice was smooth and melodious, yet Benedict Barnes reacted as though he¡¯d heard the devil speak.


    Whipping around to face the entryway, his eyes found... nothing.


    What was worse, Barnes not only saw nothing; his spiritual senses, his spatial awareness, his perception¡ªall of it was void. The area around him was utterly barren.


    The dread built within Benedict Barnes. His survival instincts took over, urging him to flee, to make his final gambit.


    Suddenly, he felt an intense pain at his neck.


    Reaching for his throat, Barnes looked down in disbelief as his vision faded. His head slipped from his shoulders a moment later.

 Chapter 708: 662: Star Burial

    Chapter 708: Chapter 662: Star Burial


    ¡°Mayor Huo? What seems to be the matter? Lian Yi¡¯an is dead? And Customs Commissioner Adam Reina, along with the Coast Guard Commander Xu Feiyu? But what does this have to do with me? You¡¯re not suggesting it was me, are you?¡±


    ¡°Mayor Huo, don¡¯t talk nonsense, that¡¯s slander! Hold on¡ª I asked my intelligence director, and she confirmed it with accurate intel: it was the Children¡¯s Song Killer. Don¡¯t curse at me¡ª our relationship is too good for that! The one who made a move was the Children¡¯s Song Killer, not me.¡±


    ¡°What connection do I have with the Children¡¯s Song Killer? Just because the Security Bureau says so, it must be true? Then what¡¯s the point of having laws?¡±


    At a star port dock on the southern edge of Ninth Base City, Lin Rui, clad in the full gear of the ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer,¡± stood at the bow of a Destroyer Starship, speaking with Huo Bangguo.


    ¡°You¡¯re planning to come back now? Old Huo, the Children¡¯s Song Killer has already made their move. What good will it do for you to return now? It will take you at least an hour and twenty minutes to get back to the Base City. By then, the Children¡¯s Song Killer has probably already eliminated all the truly important targets. What would be the point of protecting the leftovers? Why not just head to Great Song and avoid the hassle?¡±


    ¡°¡ªNo need for that, right? This trip to the star port is a great honor. If we can establish more stable, abundant, and cost-effective supply chains in Great Song, it would benefit not just your own enterprises but also Ninth Base City tremendously. It could earn you significant prestige as Mayor...¡±


    ¡°What? Hmm? The signal¡¯s bad on my end, serious interference here. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal later, hanging up now¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui abruptly ended the call, thinking to himself: Did this Mayor Huo even consider the implications when accepting the invitation to leave?


    The Longevity Association was now in full-scale war with the Security Bureau faction led by Li Xianglong, and Mayor Huo chose to make an official visit at this critical moment. What exactly was he planning?


    And now he was putting on a fierce act¡ª who was this performance meant for? He even swore at him, completely disregarding the two meals Lin Rui and Fang Ranran had treated him to, along with the three plots of land they conceded outside the Ninth Base City.


    Lin Rui then dialed Shi Yan¡¯s number: ¡°Shi Yan, take it easy. Old Fei told me that you stormed into the Utherred Logistics Company alone and took out Utherred Mays along with all three of his security teams? Why didn¡¯t you use the 30 units of 320mm Antimatter Annihilation Cannons I prepared for you? The commotion you caused was way too big!¡±


    Shi Yan, currently moving at high speed and preparing for a new mission, was left speechless by his comment.


    Although Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable had found those ¡°Antimatter Annihilation Cannons¡± to be a hindrance, so Shi Yan hadn¡¯t given the command to use them¡ª but still, they were Antimatter Annihilation Cannons! Which method would create a bigger commotion?


    She soon realized that by ¡°too much commotion,¡± Lin Rui was referring to her having revealed too much of her strength during the fight.


    ¡°Cleaning up the aftermath is a real hassle, you know? I have to personally head over and use the Purifying Fire. Fine! Just go easy for now. Try not to rely on the old Immortal Venerable¡¯s power for a while, let him recuperate a bit. Let¡¯s see¡ª the next target is Adam Reina, commander of the Second Security Brigade at the star port. Don¡¯t mess with him; the Second Brigade consists of public officials.¡±


    ¡°Hmm~ The remaining targets are all individual ones. Fei Yunlai and Gong Hengdao have already freed themselves up; I¡¯ll have them assist you. You have their contacts, right? Add them to your combat group. Shi Yan, if you truly don¡¯t want to be devoured by that Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable in the future, you need to maintain your independence as much as possible and rely more on your own power.¡±


    At this point, several key targets had already been eliminated. Fei Yunlai and Gong Hengdao were indeed now available to assist Shi Yan in combat.


    Lin Rui then began humming the children¡¯s song ¡°Two Tigers, Two Tigers Running Fast,¡± as he leaped off the bow of the Destroyer Starship.


    The surrounding area was littered with corpses, their faces ashen-gray, hands clutching their throats. Black blood oozed from their mouths and nostrils.


    The dock¡¯s ventilation and filtration systems were sophisticated and heavily reinforced.


    Yet, all the guards and crew members here had died from poisoning.


    Even the high-level Armored Martial Cultivators wearing Type 7 and Type 8 exoskeleton armor, complete with independent life-support systems, were not spared.


    This was because the toxins Lin Rui had developed no longer required airborne transmission. His ¡°Paralysis¡± and ¡°Divine Poison¡± concepts had reached 35% effectiveness, even evolving into a ¡°Fatality¡± concept. He also wielded the ¡°Conduction¡± concept, originating from another Yang Element Heavenly Venerate, the Light King¡ª this concept had reached 20% effectiveness.


    Lin Rui could fully leverage his Conceptual Powers and ether elements to propagate his poison.


    Thus, the dock¡¯s filtration systems were effectively useless against him, further accelerating his advancements in the abilities of ¡°Paralysis¡± and ¡°Divine Poison.¡±


    Lin Rui then approached Wang Tianwu: ¡°So, what did these two confess?¡±


    Wang Tianwu, holding a spell in one hand, had an ethereal gleam in his eyes.


    Before him knelt two former government officials: ex-Chief of Police for Ninth Base City, Dai Zhenshan, and ex-Deputy Minister of the Ninth Division of the Security Bureau, You Ming.


    They were both covered in blood, their faces pale with vacant, bewildered stares.


    Upon closer inspection, it was evident that not only had their exoskeleton armor been completely destroyed, but even their chest and abdomen regions¡ª and their very spinal cords¡ª had been hollowed out, rendering them utterly incapacitated.


    Since the Bright Front emerged victorious and formed a coalition government with the ruling party, Huo Bangguo had narrowly held onto his position as Mayor. Dai Zhenshan had been unceremoniously ousted by Huo Bangguo, and You Ming was forced to resign from the Security Bureau.

 Chapter 709: 662: Star Burial_2

    Chapter 709: Chapter 662: Star Burial_2


    After the two resigned from their government positions, they surprisingly teamed up to establish a company called ¡®Mingzhen,¡¯ which combined a cargo transportation firm with a security company. Their cargo terminal was set up right next to the Forest Group¡¯s terminal base, less than 10 kilometers away¡ªan obviously deliberate move with ill intent toward Forest Group.


    Lin Rui originally thought Huo Bangguo, the city mayor, would deal with the two after their departure from office.


    But Mayor Huo was slippery and elusive, never making a move, which left Lin Rui disinclined to wait any longer.


    These two leveraged their accumulated connections in the Security Bureau and the Police Department to build a thriving business in just two months, stockpiling troops at the cargo terminal and deploying a large amount of war machines.


    ¡ªThis isn¡¯t a cargo terminal; it¡¯s a military fortress established by the Longevity Association near the Forest Terminal Base, a forward operating base designed for launching attacks!


    This has already become a deadly threat looming like a dagger at the heart of the Forest Group!


    So, even if the recent attack on Xue Lingxue hadn¡¯t occurred, Lin Rui had already planned to take action to eliminate these nuisances.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t stand idly by while the Longevity Association¡¯s forward base grew into a formidable presence.


    When Lin Rui led his team in, he indeed found the place stocked with an elite force!


    Inside were not only a large number of high-level combat robots, heavy cannons with calibers above 300 millimeters, and heavy turrets but also ¡°security forces¡± equivalent to three Heavy Equipment Groups.


    The question was, how had these two managed to amass all this after founding Mingzhen Cargo and Mingzhen Security just two months ago?


    The security forces of the two companies also far exceeded the quantity permitted under their security company licenses.


    ¡°Sorry, Boss, we didn¡¯t get much useful intel.¡±


    Wang Tianwu shook his head: ¡°But the two have used soul uploading technology, backing up their memories and consciousness into supercomputers. Moreover, the Longevity Association has explicitly guaranteed that they could grant them immortality soon, even resurrection.¡±


    Additionally, the reason they joined the Longevity Association was that the organization demonstrated resurrection technology to them. The association once resurrected a Ninth Realm Martial Cultivator named ¡®Grayson Berry¡¯ in front of them and many prospective members. However, the resurrected individual¡¯s mind had significant issues, and his Armament Syndrome was severe. Yet the Longevity Association promised that the technology would become more refined over time.¡±


    Pausing, Wang Tianwu¡¯s eyes showed perplexity: ¡°Boss, are you truly sensing ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯ across these twelve satellites and fourteen Base Cities?¡±


    Why couldn¡¯t he sense anything? But his Boss was a god, and divine perception differed from human senses.


    ¡°Would I lie to you?¡± Lin Rui let out a short laugh, though his expression grew grave.


    If the Longevity Association truly mastered this technology, they could potentially bring most Ninth Realm experts and major corporate powers within the Earth Federation under their control.


    Lin Rui dared not broadcast the issue widely and only warned trusted allies discreetly, fearing that leaking the information could drive more seekers of eternal life toward the Longevity Association.


    He needed to figure out the truth behind the Longevity Association¡¯s ¡®immortality¡¯ and ¡®resurrection.¡¯ What principles were they based on? Was it connected to the ¡®Heavenly Curtain¡¯ he had sensed?


    ¡°Who knows how they¡¯re accomplishing this?¡± Wang Tianwu shook his head in bafflement: ¡°But the method clearly isn¡¯t normal¡ªit must come at a great cost, possibly even violating social ethics. Otherwise, they¡¯d have approached Marshal Linghu decades ago.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded: ¡°And what about these two? How have their cultivation bloodlines advanced so rapidly?¡±


    Dai Zhenshan was previously a Super Emperor of Eight Realms, while You Ming was merely at the Seventh Realm Super Emperor Rank.


    Yet now, one had advanced to Eight Realms Emperor Rank, while the other had reached Eight Realms Super Emperor¡ª


    Meaning their martial skills were somewhat lacking; otherwise, Lin Rui, Wang Tianwu, and the thirty 6A action teams and five 7A action teams they had brought might not have subdued them so swiftly.


    Wang Tianwu nodded: ¡°That, they did reveal. It¡¯s due to a technology called ¡®Orderly Source Transformation,¡¯ which involves an item called ¡®Purgatory Source Crystal¡¯ combined with specialized drugs and electromagnetic guidance devices they¡¯ve developed. Together, these enable controlled enhancement of an individual¡¯s core strength under the influence of the Purgatory Source Crystal. However, the special drug is scarce, and only those who¡¯ve made significant contributions within the Longevity Association can access it.¡±


    ¡°Orderly Source Transformation? Purgatory Source Crystal?¡±


    Lin Rui thought of his mount.


    Ma Tianlong had managed to advance rapidly and strengthen his bloodline by relying on the Purgatory Source Crystal¡¯s power.


    The Purgatory Source Crystal facilitates rapid evolution of any creature¡¯s bloodline while causing it to spiral into uncontrollable chaos, leading to physical collapse and disintegration¡ªor in human terms, gene chain breakdown. The affected creature¡¯s psyche also degenerates further, becoming more savage and bloodthirsty.


    But somehow, Ma Tianlong had held out.


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, showing a spark of interest: ¡°This is worth investigating; get their technical data.¡±


    Wang Tianwu froze upon hearing this: ¡°Boss, this technology obviously has risks. These two¡¯s Primordial Spirits already have serious problems; their brainwave activity is chaotic...¡±


    He then recalled his Boss was not only the Lord of Purity and the contemporary King Ming, but also an expert in mental intricacies. His eyes focused with newfound interest: ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll handle this. I¡¯ll coordinate and interface with the young lady to jointly investigate it. But if this technology proves viable, I request priority access.¡±


    Lin Rui turned his gaze toward the kneeling Dai Zhenshan and You Ming, suspecting there wouldn¡¯t be more useful information to glean.


    Wang Tianwu, with his Eight Realms Emperor Rank soul abilities, combined with Lin Rui¡¯s personally crafted Truth Serum, ensured the exposure of every secret from these two.


    By this point, Wang Tianwu had extracted everything of interest to Lin Rui; the rest was irrelevant.


    Just as Lin Rui raised his hand to deal with them, Dai Zhenshan suddenly snapped to full clarity. His eyes brimmed with utter despair and terror: ¡°Are you Chairman Lin? Don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯ll do anything for you¡ªI¡¯ll help you fight the Longevity Association. I¡¯ll even sign a Divine Contract. Please, I beg you not to kill me¡ª¡±


    Dai Zhenshan¡¯s voice cut off abruptly as he collapsed silently onto the ground.


    Beside him, You Ming struggled to lift his head, gazing at Lin Rui one last time. His voice was strained: ¡°Are you... Thunder?¡±


    He already knew that the Children¡¯s Song Killer was Lin Rui, but recently he had speculated whether Lin Rui¡¯s other identity was Thunder.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, followed by a mocking laugh, and with a wave of his hand, unleashed a force that obliterated You Ming¡¯s brain.


    Lin Rui immediately commanded the team behind him: ¡°Follow my earlier instructions; dispose of their bodies quickly.¡±


    The two would subsequently be encased in transparent concrete, molded into a cube, and dumped into space outside the Star Port.


    It wouldn¡¯t stop at just the two of them; soon, a number of government officials would face similar ¡°Star Burial¡± treatments.


    Over the coming days, every interstellar vessel entering or leaving the Star Port would witness these individuals¡¯ corpses.


    Lin Rui would use this as a warning to every high-ranking official in the Ninth Base City¡¯s municipal government and police-military system, driving home the cost of allying with the Longevity Association or opposing the Forest ¡¤ Rui Fang Group!

 Chapter 710: 663: The Shocked Brown

    Chapter 710: Chapter 663: The Shocked Brown


    When the incident occurred in the Ninth Base City, Vice President Brown of the Longevity Association was locked in an intense battle with Li Xianglong in outer space near the Eighth Base City.


    Brown knew he was no match for Li Xianglong, not even close to being able to withstand ten exchanges.


    During the battle in the underground mine several months ago, if he hadn¡¯t used the Purgatory Prince to block the blow, he would have nearly been hunted down to the brink of desperation by Li Xianglong.


    The injuries he sustained in that fight have yet to fully heal.


    Thus, before this battle, Brown had made every possible effort to mobilize resources: not only did he enlist two Divine Envoy Level elites from the Longevity Association, but he also assembled eight Nine Realms Emperor-level elites clad in exoskeleton armor to conceal their identities and assist in the fight.


    The conflict in space unleashed immense radiation energy, terrifying nearby ships into retreat and destroying all Earth Federation satellites deployed in the vicinity.


    ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re completely without backup this time? Apart from some aid from East Asia and those few trusted allies of yours, there¡¯s virtually no one supporting you. Even the Security Bureau¡ªonly your direct lineage troops are following your orders in combat.¡±


    Vice President Brown spoke while fending off the sword light slashed by Li Xianglong, simultaneously retreating to evade with all his strength.


    He was bearing almost all the pressure from Li Xianglong single-handedly.


    Among the eleven individuals present, Li Xianglong not only harbored the deepest murderous intent toward him but also targeted him¡ªa man still suffering from old injuries¡ªas the breakthrough in the battle.


    Vice President Brown was forced to confront Li Xianglong¡¯s sword head-on. If not for his many comrades, all exceedingly skilled and fully committed to attacking and surrounding Li Xianglong, Brown was certain he wouldn¡¯t survive past seven strikes.


    He was struggling immensely, yet his gaze was one of excitement and exhilaration: ¡°You¡¯ve crossed the line, Li Xianglong!¡±


    Brown¡¯s lips curled into a cold sneer: ¡°Li Xianglong, it¡¯s bad enough that you control the Security Bureau, but you¡¯re not satisfied and want to meddle in Congress? To seize control over the government? To expand the powers of the Security Bureau? Investigate corruption? Amend the constitution? Investigate finance? Smuggling? Assemble fleets? Why don¡¯t you ascend to the heavens?¡±


    Brown¡¯s sneer deepened: ¡°Even your trusted Third General Odin and Fourth General Kidman aren¡¯t willing to support you now! In the Security Bureau, the only one truly aligned with you is Lin Tianchen, and he¡¯s nothing more than a dead dog now. Today, having lost so many of his old subordinates, he doesn¡¯t even dare step out of the laboratory¡ªridiculous, laughable. The mighty ¡®God Needle that Shrouds the Heavens¡¯ Lin Tianchen has fallen to this point.¡±


    Li Xianglong¡¯s face sank, devoid of expression.


    This time, he had been caught completely off guard by the Longevity Association. This group of scoundrels used an enormous number of Death Soldiers and terror strikes to incapacitate his numerous allies in various base cities, leaving them paralyzed.


    But Li Xianglong, having controlled the Security Bureau for nearly two centuries, certainly had contingencies prepared.


    As for Lin Tianchen, results would emerge by tomorrow at the latest.


    Once Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit breaks free, the Longevity Association members would soon understand the consequences of angering the ¡®God Needle that Shrouds the Heavens.¡¯


    It was at this moment that Vice President Brown received a warning from the organization¡¯s intelligence department.


    His pupils constricted slightly, and his gaze betrayed disbelief.


    Lian Yi¡¯an, Adam Reyna, Xu Feiyu, Benedict Barnes, Utherred Mays, Dai Zhenshan, You Ming¡ªthese figures in the Ninth Base City had all perished?


    Every one of them was a lynchpin for the Longevity Association: either holding high-ranking positions in the government, wielding military authority in the Base Defense Force, or serving as CEOs of corporations responsible for stationing private armies for the organization.


    And their individual capabilities were extraordinarily strong, nearly all above the Eight Realms Emperor level, some even possessing Quasi-Member Level combat power¡ªkey cadres meticulously cultivated by the Longevity Association.


    Surrounded by layers of defenses and elites, their safety should have been guaranteed.


    Yet within a mere fifteen minutes, these highly valued elite members of the organization were swept away like fallen leaves in the autumn wind.


    While handling the battle, Brown interrogated the Intelligence Minister: ¡°Titing, have we identified the perpetrator?¡±


    Titing, named after an ancient mythical beast from East Asian folklore reputedly capable of listening to all information across the universe, served as the Intelligence Minister¡¯s codename.


    Titing: What we can confirm so far is Lin Rui, along with his ¡®Forest ¡¤ Rui Fang¡¯ Group. Our people pressured Huo Bangguo, and he replied saying it was the ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯ committing the crimes. He¡¯s helpless and had no choice but to seek assistance from the Security Bureau and the Armed Police Force.


    Vice President Brown, unsurprisingly, found this explanation utterly predictable.


    Previously, Huo Bangguo bore immense pressure from the Longevity Association. Brown had threatened him beforehand.


    Should Huo Bangguo dare interfere in the feud between the Longevity Association and Li Xianglong, five catastrophic incidents, each capable of causing mass casualties exceeding one million, were guaranteed to occur in the Ninth Base City!


    Since the government had declared the Longevity Association a terrorist organization, they planned to respond like one.


    Thus, when the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song beckoned with a mere gesture, Huo Bangguo promptly withdrew.


    It was only logical that Huo Bangguo wouldn¡¯t return at this moment to help suppress Lin Rui on behalf of the Longevity Association.


    Still, even if Huo Bangguo¡¯s reaction was expected, Vice President Brown¡¯s face remained as grim as ever.


    Seek help from the Security Bureau? The Security Bureau was already engaged in a full-scale conflict against the Longevity Association!


    The Longevity Association¡¯s terror tactics might work on the Security Bureau and government institutions, but they were utterly useless against the Children¡¯s Song Killer.


    Cameron Brown: How does he have such audacity? How many personnel do his Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and Forest Group even have? How much military capability? How dare he actively launch a war against our Longevity Association?


    Titing: That, I cannot say. But the strength they¡¯re currently displaying is absolutely formidable¡ªespecially in hacking! Since the Light King Sect¡¯s supercomputers fell into Lin Rui¡¯s hands, their hacking capabilities have become astoundingly powerful. All nearby monitoring devices have been wiped clean, and no one witnessed the battle firsthand. I still don¡¯t know how they died, nor have I found any combat footage related to the incident.

 Chapter 711: 663 Shocking Brown_2

    Chapter 711: Chapter 663 Shocking Brown_2


    Diting: What¡¯s certain is that Lin Rui has been planning and preparing for this for a long time, waiting patiently for the right moment to act. This war with the Security Bureau is his best opportunity to strike. He intends to sweep away opposing forces in the Ninth Base City to deepen his control over the city and eliminate our strength.


    Cameron Brown: What about our council members in the Ninth Base City? Are they just going to sit idly by?


    Diting paused for a moment before delivering the news: At the outset of the war, Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan had already received messages from Linghu Mingde, stating this war is a joint initiative between the Linghu Family and the ¡°Forest¡¤Rui Fang¡± Group. If they intervene, they will be violating the Divine Contract. Thus, both of them have been forced to remain inactive.


    Diting: As for the other three members, they might not be a match for the Linghu Mingde-Lin Rui alliance. It¡¯s not necessarily a matter of insufficient battle strength, but internal discord. Due to conflicts over trade licenses, there is a lack of trust among them.


    Vice President Brown felt his heart sink. They had already suspected two months ago that the Great Song Hidden Crown Prince was employing the ¡°Two Peaches Kill Three Scholars¡± tactic against them, yet it was an open scheme, leaving them powerless.


    Driven by the astonishing trade profits, numerous financial groups and council members within the Longevity Association have become red-eyed with greed, breeding frequent conflicts.


    Take, for instance, Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan, who once formed a close alliance, now showing significant cracks in their relationship.


    Yang Lingxiao hasn¡¯t obtained even a single license so far, while Qi Tianquan leveraged patents for over ten drugs and high transfer fees to acquire fifteen licenses from an intermediary company. Allegedly, he may have also obtained a retail license.


    Yang Lingxiao is currently pressuring Qi Tianquan to transfer his fifteen cargo ship licenses to the Taiyi Biological Group. How would Qi Tianquan ever agree? Even half the licenses would be hard for him to accept.


    These fifteen licenses are crucial for ensuring the supply channels of Qi Tianquan¡¯s pharmaceutical company. They are barely sufficient as is; if transferred to Yang Lingxiao, how could they resort solely to smuggling? What if the Great Song Dynasty and the Earth Federation intensify their crackdown on smuggling?


    Thus, the pharmaceutical alliance spearheaded by these two individuals is on the brink of collapse.


    This time, the Longevity Association launched the war against Li Xianglong and Lin Tianchen for several reasons: one, they saw an opportunity in Lin Tianchen¡¯s decline; two, they were overwhelmed by Li Xianglong¡¯s relentless strikes across the political, commercial, and military realms; three, they aimed to divert internal tensions. Success in eliminating Lin Tianchen and severely weakening Li Xianglong would pave the way for greater development opportunities for the Association¡¯s members; fourth, they sought control over the newly established ¡°Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center¡± to gain authority in trade surveillance, thereby countering the Great Song Hidden Crown Prince.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Li Xianglong¡¯s sword slashed through, leaving a brilliant, dreadful trajectory piercing the void.


    The swordlight contained terrifying power, seemingly capable of mastering fate and steering heaven and earth. It shattered the void between two individuals and enveloped all surrounding life and matter¡ªincluding the two Divine Envoy-level fighters and eight Congressman-level warriors present, leaving them shocked and horrified.


    The ghastly space rift tore through their various conceptual powers and astral force, ultimately piercing an astonishing hole through Vice President Brown¡¯s chest and abdomen.


    This injury occurred due to Vice President Brown¡¯s distraction, yet it vividly showcased Li Xianglong¡¯s invincible martial prowess near the Quasi-Immortal level.


    Cameron Brown: Push them again to contain the ¡°Forest¡¤Rui Fang¡± Group as much as possible. Lin Rui must not be allowed free reign. I¡¯ll deploy reinforcements shortly.


    Meanwhile, Brown spoke in the combat group chat.


    Cameron Brown: Everyone, that¡¯s it for today. I¡¯m retreating now.


    His figure transformed into a streak of light, darting swiftly toward the Ninth Base City in the distance.


    Cameron Brown¡¯s escape skill was incredibly powerful. Using the internal escape system of his exoskeleton armor, even Li Xianglong couldn¡¯t pursue him. Within just a single breath, Li Xianglong had no choice but to give up.


    At the same time, the other two Divine Envoys and eight Ninth Realm Nine Emperor rank individuals displayed their divine skills, scattering in all directions, vanishing in an instant.


    They knew the situation in the Ninth Base City had changed, realizing this battle could not continue. They had already prepared in advance for their retreat.


    Li Xianglong could only turn back, charging into a massive asteroid with a diameter of 300 kilometers ahead of him. Using his fierce sword qi, he destroyed an entire large-scale shipyard inside that asteroid.


    From a distance, Cameron Brown¡¯s face twitched involuntarily in anguish.


    Li Xianglong¡¯s counter-strategy was to target what the enemy had to protect. This large-scale shipyard was a crucial industrial base for the Longevity Association. At the time, the base was secretly building two fast battleships and four fast cruisers for the Evil Pirate Group, nearing completion.


    Now it was entirely destroyed. More importantly, only 72% of their gathered mechanics and engineers managed to evacuate in time. Some large, key smelting equipment didn¡¯t make it out.


    But at that point, they could no longer hold their ground unless Cameron Brown was willing to sacrifice his own life to secure their escape.


    However, he had more critical matters to attend to¡ªthe Ninth Base City served as a key node for the Longevity Association¡¯s artificial sky. It must not falter, nor must Lin Rui¡¯s forces gain complete control over it.


    Meanwhile, in the Ninth Base City, the skies above this vast metropolis had already become a battlefield for high-stakes clashes and remote confrontations between several Congressman and Quasi-Member level combatants.


    Qi Tianquan stood atop a skyscraper, first glancing at Linghu Mingde standing on another distant skyscraper, then at the red-armored woman on yet another rooftop nearby.


    The woman had emerged during the pharmaceutical war months ago. Floating behind her was the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank magic artifact ¡°Nine Heaven Divine Wheel,¡± an unforgettable sight.


    Qi Tianquan was surprised to find that the woman, whether in terms of equipment or battle power, had grown significantly stronger compared to before.


    Although restrained by the Divine Contract from directly participating in combat, he could still feel the powerful martial intent and conceptual power of these two, enveloping the entire city and clashing fiercely with the other three Congressman-level experts in the city, locked in a tense confrontation!


    Just the Wind Concept mastered by the red-armored woman had increased by 3% since their last encounter, reaching 42%, exceeding the Congressman-level standard.


    With the red-armored woman and Linghu Mingde working together, along with the celestial demon hidden in the Mirror World, they had already cornered the three Congressman-level individuals, leaving them gasping for breath.

 Chapter 712: 664: Hegemony

    Chapter 712: Chapter 664: Hegemony


    Just as Qi Tianquan focused his mind to observe and sense the battlefield, he detected unusual activity nearby.


    When Qi Tianquan turned to look, he found it was coming from the direction of the Sky Blue Group headquarters building.


    The Chairman of Sky Blue Group, Fang Kongfang, was clad in a heavy ¡®Shelter¡¯ model exoskeleton armor, flanked by two 9SS+ Type combat robots, along with two Eight Realms Super Emperor Martial Cultivator bodyguards, as he ascended to the top floor of the headquarters building.


    The Fang Family brothers excel in political and business affairs but lack in top-tier martial talent.


    Fang Xianzheng, benefiting from resources provided by his two fathers-in-law and the abundant financial backing of Sky Blue Group, barely managed to advance to the Eight Realms Super Emperor rank in cultivation¡ªof course, this is already quite impressive for someone of Fang Xianzheng¡¯s sixty years of age.


    Fang Kongfang only recently reached the Seventh Realm Emperor Rank, which is still acceptable, considering he¡¯s just fifty-six years old and has some potential for future growth.


    If these two continue to accumulate experience and resources steadily, they could eventually reach Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, or even rise to the Honorary Member level.


    However, in terms of actual combat strength, they are not yet competitive.


    Standing on the rooftop, Fang Kongfang began intently observing Qi Tianquan and Yang Lingxiao.


    He had actually been watching these two for a while, noticing that not only did they intentionally keep a distance from one another, but there also appeared to be a complete absence of eye contact between them.


    Fang Kongfang couldn¡¯t help but smirk inwardly, thinking to himself how lucky his nephew-in-law must be.


    His ally on Sky Extreme Star had managed to forcibly dismantle the alliance between Qi Tianquan and Yang Lingxiao¡¯s factions.


    Furthermore, according to intelligence gathered within Sky Blue Group, significant conflicts were currently brewing within the Longevity Association as well.


    If not for their decisive action to redirect these tensions, the numerous factions within the Longevity Association might have already erupted into civil war.


    That is, of course, provided they could defeat Lin Tianchen and seize control of the Security Bureau¡¯s ¡®Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center.¡¯


    This newly established department was created by the President to fulfill his commitment to the Great Song to combat smuggling, specifically forming a branch within the Security Bureau to crack down on smuggling operations directed toward the Great Song.


    The Federation President had even approved Li Xianglong¡¯s request to redeploy the Federation¡¯s Second Starship Group¡¯s First Rapid Response Fleet under the supervision of the ¡®Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center.¡¯


    The Longevity Association must seize control of this institution if they hope to offset their lack of operational permits to some extent and exert pressure on the Federation¡¯s major cargo companies.


    ¡°Director Qi,¡± Fang Kongfang cast his gaze elsewhere with a hint of worry: ¡°What¡¯s the current situation? There won¡¯t be any major incidents, will there?¡±


    He was concerned that combat between top-tier martial artists could spill over into the entire Ninth Base City district.


    Huo Bangguo, that rascal, just had to head off to Sky Extreme Star at this moment to attend the opening ceremony of the Great Song Star Port.


    That guy¡¯s just begun his second term, so he¡¯s no longer under any pressure, is he?


    ¡°Not yet, the fight hasn¡¯t started. Waiting for the right moment.¡±


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s gaze appeared shadowed: ¡°In terms of high-level martial prowess, you all clearly hold the advantage right now, and we¡¯re being heavily suppressed.¡±


    By ¡°we,¡± he naturally meant the Longevity Association.


    ¡ªThat Linghu Mingde¡¯s Sword Intent was especially dominant, giving a sense of unfathomable depth.


    Qi Tianquan even suspected that Linghu Mingde hadn¡¯t yet reached his ultimate limit.


    At the moment, not only were the three Congressman-level individuals struggling to catch their breath, but even Qi Tianquan, who had not yet joined the fray, felt immense pressure.


    He recognized this as Linghu Mingde¡¯s warning.


    Qi Tianquan silently marveled at Linghu Mingde¡¯s 700 years of accumulated experience, which was indeed extraordinary. Having only just ascended to the Ninth Realm, he was already at the Senior Divine Envoy level, and in the past few months, his combat prowess seemed to have improved further.


    This individual¡¯s combat prowess certainly couldn¡¯t rival Li Xianglong, but Qi Tianquan estimated that he could hold off three to five Congressman-level figures without much difficulty.


    Qi Tianquan even felt a vague sense of regret now, thinking the one-year alliance agreement signed previously might have been too short.


    At this moment, Qi Tianquan received new information. Narrowing his eyes, he remarked, ¡°However, Cameron Brown has already arrived. He¡¯s also mobilized additional personnel from other base cities. Today, both sides are undoubtedly going for a showdown, although this fight shouldn¡¯t involve civilians.¡±


    Qi Tianquan predicted that when top-tier forces from both sides eventually clashed, they would still try to restrain themselves as much as possible.


    Within the Earth Federation, the government and pro-government forces remained strong.


    Should the war between the Longevity Association and the Forest Group led by Rui Fang affect civilians at scale, it would undoubtedly provoke widespread discontent and even result in direct military intervention.


    Furthermore, as Qi Tianquan understood it, even within the Longevity Association, many did not wish to see massive civilian casualties. They hoped to maintain social order.


    Otherwise, companies like Tianquan Biological and Taiyi Biological wouldn¡¯t have anyone to sell their medicines and armaments to. And where would major financial firms like Beitian Finance find their ¡°sheep to shear¡±?


    Not to mention that Ninth Base City is home to numerous biotech-related researchers, and excessive casualties would certainly impair the Federation¡¯s and Longevity Association¡¯s research capabilities.


    Moreover, there was Li Xianglong. The Longevity Association would have to invest tremendous strength, potentially even mobilizing its top three leaders, just to keep him restrained.


    Thus, the ultimate outcome of this war would depend on the middle and upper echelons of both sides.


    ¡°It¡¯s estimated that this war will likely unfold at the outskirts of the base city or around the Forest Group¡¯s dock facilities. Whether your forces can withstand it remains uncertain.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fang Kongfang chuckled awkwardly and shook his head slightly: ¡°Director Qi, you¡¯re joking. The Sky Blue Group currently has no plans to participate.¡±


    Although Lin Rui is a member of the Sky Blue Group¡¯s board of directors, he has no influence over its decision-making.

 Chapter 713: 664 Hegemony_2

    Chapter 713: Chapter 664 Hegemony_2


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t consider them true allies, so he hadn¡¯t informed them beforehand.


    Qi Tianquan thought to himself, ¡°So this is what he meant by ¡®not yet¡¯.¡± While nodding slightly, he shifted his gaze to the southern side of the Base City.


    Because 171 miles south, an explosion suddenly occurred, sending massive black smoke and dust billowing into the sky.


    ¡°The South District Police Chief, Sakakibara Shinya!¡± Qi Tianquan murmured as he narrowed his eyes into slits.


    This Lin Rui really intends to uproot the Longevity Association¡¯s influence in the Ninth City.


    Where on earth does his confidence come from?


    Moreover, the ¡®Forest ¡¤ Rui Fang¡¯ Group¡¯s speed of elimination is astonishing¡ªit has already taken down the eleventh high-ranking master.


    Sakakibara Shinya, as the police chief of the South District, held the strength of a Seventh Realm Super Emperor, yet was eradicated in an instant!


    This shows that Lin Rui¡¯s forces include at least three highly powerful action teams operating efficiently within the Base City, carrying out relentless slaughter.


    Their demonstrated strength is overwhelming. Many high-ranking members of the Longevity Association in the Ninth Base City had already been alerted and attempted to escape and hide but were all cornered by the ¡®Forest ¡¤ Rui Fang¡¯ Group, effectively pinning them down and awaiting execution by the group¡¯s top fighters.


    Now, apart from three Honorary Members and their respective forces, nearly all core personnel of the Longevity Association in the Eight Realms and above have been killed by Lin Rui¡¯s forces. The focus has now shifted to those in the Seventh Realm.


    Fang Kongfang stroked his chin, wondering, could Lin Rui actually win?


    Though his nephew-in-law was young, he certainly wasn¡¯t foolish and wouldn¡¯t provoke the Longevity Association without sufficient strength.


    Especially with Linghu Mingde and Fang Ranran observing everything.


    The Sky Blue Group¡¯s intelligence director assessed that regardless of the outcome of this battle, the Longevity Association¡¯s influence in the Ninth City would suffer a devastating blow.


    Based on the personalities of these three, she believed the battle would likely result in severe casualties on both sides for Lin Rui and Linghu Mingde. With Li Xianglong¡¯s assistance, they might reach a stalemate with the Longevity Association, leading to intervention and mediation by the Federation Government to halt the conflict.


    Fang Kongfang found the intelligence director¡¯s judgment hard to believe, which is why he sought Qi Tianquan¡¯s external perspective.


    Explosions and tremors continued throughout the Base City¡¯s interior, though the affected areas remained small. Thanks to the municipal government¡¯s risk advisory and lockdown orders issued ten minutes earlier, most civilians were unaffected.


    However, some level of panic still gripped the citizens inside the Base City. They mostly stayed at home or huddled inside large buildings, skyscrapers, and urban transit stations, closely following major news channels.


    Fang Kongfang was also glued to the news, keeping seven news channels and three political commentary programs simultaneously active.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªAt 2:22 PM today, Mayor Huo Bangguo issued a lockdown order, mobilizing the Base Defense Forces and Armed Police Force to seal off major intersections and transit routes. He also issued a risk warning, urging citizens of the Ninth Base City to avoid unnecessary outings.¡±


    ¡°Since 2:00 PM today, explosions have persisted within the Ninth Base City. Reports suggest multiple high-ranking government officials have been assassinated. Sources claim this may stem from conflicts between the Longevity Association and the Forest Group.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening in the Ninth Base City now? Effectively, it¡¯s the Longevity Association VS the Children¡¯s Song Killer. During the Longevity Association and Security Bureau¡¯s full-scale conflict, the Children¡¯s Song Killer launched a fatal assault. As for who the Children¡¯s Song Killer is? Everyone knows. The Longevity Association kills high-ranking government officials without restraint; the Children¡¯s Song Killer is equally ruthless!¡±


    ¡°I believe this battle will determine who holds power in the Ninth Base City for the next year. However, I doubt this was Lin Rui¡¯s initial intention. It¡¯s likely the devastating setbacks suffered by Lin Tianchen and Li Xianglong forced him and Linghu Mingde to act defensively out of shared vulnerability.¡±


    ¡°This may also be related to the City Council¡¯s urban expansion proposal. Lin Rui¡¯s faction appears to be clearing obstacles for the expansion plan.¡±


    ¡°¡ª¡ªHowever, I firmly believe that today, the Forest Group will meet its end! Lin Rui has seriously overestimated himself while underestimating the Longevity Association. Most people don¡¯t realize the sheer magnitude of the Longevity Association¡¯s power¡ªit¡¯s a behemoth grown from the corpse of the Divine Illumination Association!¡±


    Fang Kongfang¡¯s lips twitched. This political program certainly didn¡¯t shy away from bold claims¡ª


    He also noticed that the ¡®Forest ¡¤ Rui Fang¡¯ Group¡¯s cleanup was accelerating¡ªlikely because the truly difficult targets had been eliminated.


    Nonetheless, at this moment, every high-ranking figure and influential player throughout the entire Base City was closely following this battle.


    This sudden outbreak of war was indeed deciding the balance of power in the Ninth Base City.


    If Lin Rui and Linghu Mingde emerged victorious, then until Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan¡¯s Divine Contracts expired, they would dominate the Ninth Base City, unchecked and unrestrained.


    At that instant, a bright flash erupted again from the southern area of the Base City.


    This time, the light was not only exceptionally intense but also emitted massive amounts of radiation that disrupted the surrounding electrical systems.


    Qi Tianquan raised an eyebrow slightly: ¡°¡®Six-Eyed Heavenly Serpent¡¯ Palin Hoover! ¡®Phoenix¡¯ Karina Fraser.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªThese were two Quasi-Members, nearly at the level of Honorary Members¡ªelite fighters! They had directly confronted the ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer.¡¯


    The appearance of these two fighters suggested that other members of the Longevity Association would soon follow. Vice President Brown had undoubtedly already entered the Base City. The Longevity Association was preparing to rally its forces and launch a counteroffensive.


    ¡°Starting off with two Quasi-Members¡ªwhat a display! Wait, no!¡±

 Chapter 714: 664: Hegemony_3

    Chapter 714: Chapter 664: Hegemony_3


    Qi Tianquan focused his senses, and more unusual phenomena appeared in his pupils. He detected the presence of more ¡®Honorary Members¡¯¡ªalready five of them. No! Including Brown, there were six!


    More than five Quasi-Members had arrived as well!


    The foundation and strength of the Longevity Association had not disappointed him; in fact, it far exceeded his expectations.


    In such a short time, despite the Longevity Association¡¯s ongoing confrontation with Li Xianglong and the Security Bureau, they could still mobilize such power?


    ¡°Interesting!¡±


    Thirty kilometers away, Yang Lingxiao hovered in the air, letting out a faint laugh. Satisfaction with the Longevity Association flashed in his eyes, along with a cold, murderous intent aimed at Lin Rui.


    His figure began moving forward, eventually halting seven kilometers in front of Linghu Mingde, directly confronting Linghu Mingde¡¯s Martial Intent pressure.


    Though Yang Lingxiao was restricted by the Divine Contract and unable to directly join the battle, even diverting Linghu Mingde¡¯s attention would be beneficial.


    Linghu Mingde indeed turned his focus toward him, while Yang Lingxiao responded with a provocative smile. Observing the fight up close wasn¡¯t against the rules, right?


    While others feared Linghu Mingde, he didn¡¯t care. Yang Lingxiao¡¯s strength was nearly at the Divine Envoy Level.


    Meanwhile, Palin Hoover, the ¡®Six-eyed Serpent,¡¯ was launching a frenzied assault on Lin Rui.


    His cobra-like face twisted into a sinister grin, and the three pairs of glowing eyes generated by his special Armament radiated murderous light.


    ¡°Children¡¯s Song Killer, eh? Sing a song for Grandpa¡ªsing it out loud!¡±


    Palin Hoover¡¯s Mecha Dragon resembled more of a warped demon, featuring not only a snake-like lower body but also three pairs of arms, each wielding six long battle sabers.


    The three pairs of eyes and arms each embodied distinct forces: petrification, pulse, and sound waves.


    The petrification could paralyze a person¡¯s body by turning it to stone; the pulse could devastate internal organs; the sound waves disrupted consciousness continually.


    Palin Hoover¡¯s movement technique was serpent-like, as he slithered and twisted, unleashing his carefully prepared 8SSS+ Extreme Move, targeting the ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯ in front of him.


    He knew his opponent wasn¡¯t just a Congressman but also the chairman of two major corporations¡ªwith estimated valuations exceeding 7 trillion federal coins despite not yet being publicly listed¡ªand commanded legions of elite warriors. Yet, this only fueled Palin Hoover¡¯s excitement.


    Killing such a newly risen Federation giant would be an immense honor, rewarding him with significant benefits and achievements within the Longevity Association, alongside enhanced support.


    But what shocked Palin Hoover was that Lin Rui and his ¡®Emperor Radiant Divine Sun Dragon,¡¯ under the direct bombardment of his 8SSS+ Extreme Move ¡®Six Absolute Heavenly Punishment,¡¯ were completely unscathed even after enduring it for two full seconds.


    They effortlessly maneuvered and evaded¡ªtransforming into light and thunder, commanding thunder-fire, controlling the void, or navigating temporal sequences¡ªswift and unpredictable, their movements enigmatic.


    Lin Rui was even leisurely humming the children¡¯s song ¡®Little Bunny, Be Good,¡¯ while gracefully dodging Palin Hoover¡¯s storm-like blade strikes and energy beams.


    He couldn¡¯t even muster the interest to reply to Palin Hoover, his demeanor overwhelmingly arrogant, as if looking down upon moths from on high.


    ¡°What kind of Escape Skill is this?¡±


    Palin Hoover was astounded, wondering if such abilities could truly be executed by a Sixth Realm Martial Cultivator.


    What puzzled him even more was that the Martial Intent and forces he targeted at Lin Rui had no effect whatsoever.


    Palin Hoover¡¯s 35% petrification Concept failed to influence Lin Rui even a fragment; as soon as his energy infiltrated Lin Rui¡¯s body, it was instantly neutralized.


    Yet this only made Palin Hoover more enthusiastic: ¡°Don¡¯t run! Aren¡¯t you fond of killing people? Killing while singing children¡¯s songs? Kill me! Why run?¡±


    ¡°Hah?¡± Lin Rui sidestepped to avoid another wave of blade strikes from Hoover.


    He glanced at Palin Hoover with mild astonishment, thinking, ¡®This Six-eyed Serpent is bold, huh? Does he have such a strong death wish?¡¯


    Lin Rui then issued an order to the Forest Group combat division.


    ¡°Purity Plan, Step Two¡ªbegin!¡±


    The first step of the Purity Plan was to sweep away the Longevity Association¡¯s powerful pawns within the Ninth Base City; the second step was to suppress their counterattacks, exploiting their misjudgment of intelligence to completely sever one of their hands!


    On the southern rooftop of a skyscraper, Ji Shenyan¡ªclad in Emperor-grade 8SSS Exoskeleton Armor¡ªslowly opened her eyes and gazed at the figures of a man and a woman blocking Lin Rui¡¯s path 120 kilometers away.


    ¡°Arrogant!¡±


    Anger surfaced in Ji Shenyan¡¯s eyes, tinged with crimson, which bulged slightly outward as veins spread along the corners.


    Palin Hoover¡¯s words left her irritated and deeply furious.


    She not only regarded Lin Rui as her benefactor, but also held deep respect for his character and ideals; she couldn¡¯t tolerate such vulgar insults toward him.


    Without hesitation, Ji Shenyan flicked her oversized sleeves, summoning a towering flame giant eight zhang high behind her.


    The Flame Dharma Body, derived from her contemplation of the Fire Deity, instantly merged with Ji Shenyan¡¯s Mecha Dragon, erupting into a sky-searing inferno, blazing like clouds!


    Ji Shenyan then dashed forward, her figure moving like lightning, her dragon and herself charging toward the battlefield like bolts of electricity.


    In the battle power hierarchy of the Earth Federation, Ji Shenyan was technically at the Quasi-Member level. However, her position was highly inflated¡ªpropped up by the Imperial Bloodstone¡¯s selection of bloodline talent¡ªand her Martial Arts Accomplishment lacked half a tier necessary to meet the Quasi-Member standard.


    This human body, the Armament Mecha Dragon, and Exoskeleton Armor were all newly acquired and unfamiliar to her.


    But deep within Ji Shenyan¡¯s soul was engraved a Secret Skill¡ªa source of lingering pain and irreparable despair¡ªthat was rooted in her instincts.


    This was the 8SSS+ Secret Skill she self-created during the catastrophic night the city of Silver Moon County burned in its entirety under extreme emotional stimulation¡ªFlame of Burning City!


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    As Ji Shenyan drew her saber, flames instantly erupted into the air, billowing like clouds, resembling a solar flare exploding into the sky, scorching waves swirling in a frenzy, devouring all!


    Nearby, in two adjacent skyscrapers, Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi widened their pupils slightly, momentarily stunned by the overwhelming force of Ji Shenyan¡¯s attack.


    Yet moments later, they collected themselves, drawing swords alongside their Mecha Dragons, channeling their 8SS+-grade Outer Elixir to unleash the 8SSS+-level Secret Skill¡ªSuper Instant Slash¡ªthey had learned from Lin Rui and refined over time!


    Four dazzling saber beams instantly sliced through the void, splitting the heavens and earth across a hundred kilometers!

 Chapter 715: 665: Go to Die

    Chapter 715: Chapter 665: Go to Die


    When Ji Shenyan made his move, Wang Tianwu sensed it immediately.


    At this moment, Wang Tianwu was actually in a very sorry state. Although he was technically at Quasi-Member Level, his specialization lay in magic and illusion techniques, and his close combat skills were not strong. He was no match for the fiery-haired ¡®Phoenix.¡¯


    Fortunately, Wang Tianwu¡¯s Battle Dragon was hidden in an electronic altar seventy kilometers away, casting spells remotely without directly facing the oppressive might of the SSS-class Battle Dragon.


    Fortunately, after pledging loyalty to Lin Rui, he gained access to top-tier war machines.


    Not long ago, he sold his two Type 8 robots to pool funds to buy an upgraded SS+ Red Spider 8PRO from Vasiliyev. With the help of the Red Spider 8PRO¡¯s beam cannon and force field shield, Wang Tianwu could barely hold his own against ¡®Phoenix¡¯ Karina Frazer.


    This woman specialized in both wind and fire, boasting extraordinary destructive power, though her tunneling speed was slightly inferior to Wang Tianwu¡¯s.


    Wang Tianwu used long-distance magic tunneling to evade the lock-on bombardment of the Phoenix¡¯s SSS+ secret technique.


    Frazer¡¯s ¡®Undying Imperial Flame Dragon¡¯ spread its fiery wings, unleashing an oppressive conflagration across the battlefield. The temperature skyrocketed within mere breaths, scorching Wang Tianwu from the inside out, compressing his survival space dramatically!


    Seven openings on Wang Tianwu¡¯s face began to emit fiery streams, rendering him unable to cast spells swiftly or precisely.


    Yet at this moment, he started laughing.


    Finally, it¡¯s here!


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s eyes turned fierce as he glanced at Parlin Hoover. He had deliberately been maneuvering Karina Frazer¡¯s sea of flames toward this man to amplify the divine edge of Ji Shenyan¡¯s incoming strike.


    On the other side stood the red-haired ¡®Phoenix¡¯ Karina Frazer. Her expression suddenly tightened: ¡°Hoover, watch out!¡±


    She too had sensed the sprawling fire cloud above, capable of incinerating everything in its path!


    Karina Frazer¡¯s eyes widened in shock¡ªthis was the 8SSS+ ultimate move unleashed by an Eight Realms Emperor Rank Martial Cultivator, a quasi-member!


    Was this the Dragon Guard Captain Xianyu Yan under the Hidden Crown Prince Lin Hao of Great Song? No, the red-armored woman suspected to be Xianyu Yan was standing on a rooftop two hundred kilometers away, unleashing her overwhelming storm-like Martial Intent across Base City¡¯s skies.


    This woman, clad in red armor, rooted her Martial Intent in the fire and lightning elements.


    The problem was that their internal intelligence had not indicated Lin Rui hiring experts of this caliber.


    The Longevity Association¡¯s reach infiltrated every major dark web network, including Vasiliyev¡¯s ¡®Bakery.¡¯


    Although Vasiliyev himself opposed the Longevity Association staunchly, his bakery staff were not as firmly positioned as their boss.


    Currently, all quasi-member-level mercenaries available on the dark web and mercenary markets numbered only about twenty, each of whose whereabouts were under the Longevity Association¡¯s control.


    What was terrifying was that the woman now visible in the sky was an Eight Realms Emperor Rank martial cultivator!


    Though technically quasi-member level, an Eight Realms Emperor Rank martial cultivator¡¯s potential far surpassed those of Ninth Realm Emperor Rank martial cultivators like themselves!


    The ¡®Six-eyed Heavenly Serpent¡¯ Parlin Hoover¡¯s pupils narrowed sharply: ¡°Damn it!¡±


    He was forced to abandon Lin Rui and turn to face the descending fire cloud in the skies. The blade light from his ¡®Six-armed Emperor Serpent Dragon¡¯ unfolded into a dense network of slicing arcs, severing and sealing the heavens.


    But the fire cloud still plummeted, swallowing Parlin Hoover and his Battle Dragon whole.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Within the fiery cloud, one could hear an intense clashing of blades and Parlin Hoover¡¯s groans of pain.


    He felt as if the fiery longsword wielded by the red-armored woman carried the resentment of hundreds of thousands, tearing at his spirit and flesh.


    While Parlin Hoover was giving his all to resist, he hadn¡¯t noticed Lin Rui, who had been evading all this time, and his ¡®Imperial Sun Dragon,¡¯ both drawing their long knives from their waists.


    In that instant, six blade lights simultaneously shimmered in the void.


    Parlin Hoover¡¯s expression changed drastically, his pupils reflecting intense fear.


    Defending against Ji Shenyan¡¯s ¡®Flame of Burning City¡¯ had already pushed him to the limit, and now he had to muster all his remaining strength to fend off the six blade lights rushing toward him from the void.


    These four sword arcs and two blade shadows not only harnessed the peak power of light and lightning but also fused space and temporal forces.


    Yet even with all his efforts, Parlin Hoover could not escape the Martial Intent lock-on imposed by Lin Rui, Ji Xueying, and Shangguan Tianyi.


    ¡°Damned!¡±


    Parlin Hoover let out an indignant roar from his throat.


    ¡ªThese three Sixth Realm Super Monarch martial cultivators not only practiced the swiftest light-and-lightning martial arts but also wielded at least three types of Emperor Rank and Super Monarch Rank space-time abilities.


    Because of this, these three¡ªeven by Eight Realms standards¡ªstood on the edge of the Emperor Bloodline Realm! And their Outer Elixirs and Exoskeleton Armor pushed their True Yuan infinitely close to the true Eight Realms!


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    Parlin Hoover desperately resisted, but after just one hundred twenty wild strikes, his body and Battle Dragon were reduced to thousands of fragments by those three large and three small blade strikes.


    The ¡®Phoenix¡¯ Karina Frazer¡¯s face turned pale as she decisively retreated, transforming into a fiery streak darting far away.


    The opposing side¡¯s overall combat prowess far exceeded the predictions of the Longevity Association¡¯s intelligence department. On the opposite side were three Eight Realms Super Emperor Rank experts and two quasi-members!


    Karina Frazer knew that if she delayed her retreat even slightly, her death was inevitable!


    From afar, Yang Lingxiao¡¯s expression darkened deeply upon witnessing the scene.


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s pupils contracted slightly.


    Were there more ambushes?


    The three 6SSS+ experts and their unleashed ultimate moves made even Qi Tianquan feel uneasy.


    And who was that red-armored woman? Did Lin Rui have yet another quasi-member level subordinate?


    This was undoubtedly Lin Rui¡¯s trap for the Longevity Association¡ªa heavy blow right to its face!


    Qi Tianquan then sensed something anew, turning his gaze behind him, his eyes growing even more shocked.


    He saw a sudden battle erupting three hundred twenty kilometers away.


    One side featured a familiar quasi-member-level expert, ¡®Stone Dragon Hand¡¯ Imai Kanata!


    The other side, however, left Qi Tianquan startled¡ªit seemed to be Lu Hanyuan!


    Lu Hanyuan stood on the edge of a high-speed road leading to the Forest Dock Base, wielding a shield as he faced the gigantic stone-man form of Imai Kanata, whose body was covered in thick stone armor.


    Their Battle Dragons clashed fiercely nearby, crushing surrounding structures into rubble amid their chaotic combat.


    ¡°Ninth Realm Emperor Rank!¡± Fang Kongfang gasped audibly from afar. ¡°That¡¯s nearly Quasi-Member level!¡±


    Lu Hanyuan had not only broken through the Ninth Realm but even preserved his Bloodline Power at Emperor Rank level.


    Fang Kongfang knew that Lu Hanyuan had mastered an 8SSS defensive secret technique, which he was now deploying!


    With his current level of power, he qualified to serve as any one Congressional Honorary Member¡¯s deputy!


    And at three hundred twenty kilometers away, Lu Hanyuan silently braced himself, using his massive shield to withstand the frenzied Fist Gang of the stone giant before him.


    Imai Kanata earned his ¡®Stone Dragon Hand¡¯ moniker because, when deploying his 8SSS+ ultimate move, every punch packed the might of his Battle Dragon. His punches were ferociously swift and burdened with domineering primordial magnetic force, making it impossible to evade due to Primordial Magnetic Absorption.


    Lu Hanyuan was not simply standing firm; he redirected nearly half of his opponent¡¯s power into the ground.


    As far as the earth element concept was concerned, Lu Hanyuan was only 3% inferior to his opponent.


    Nonetheless, blood began to flow from the corners of Lu Hanyuan¡¯s lips as his internal organs were gradually pulverized under his opponent¡¯s relentless force.


    Yet Lu Hanyuan¡¯s eyes blazed with unparalleled resolve, his fighting spirit soaring.


    Today marks the foundation of the BOSS¡¯s grand enterprise! Victory in this battle would secure a solid foothold for the BOSS¡¯s ¡®Forest ¡¤ Rui Fang¡¯ group!


    Especially since their group¡¯s Second Princess had already arrived!


    Lu Hanyuan spotted Lin Yi near the battlefield. She hovered at a height of three hundred meters, quietly observing below, completely undetectable and beyond anyone¡¯s perception.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui¡¯s nearby ambush involving two Red Spider 8PROs and a Dragon Slayer 9SS was primed for a synchronized assault, simply awaiting the moment when Imai Kanata¡¯s strength waned.


    Determined, Lu Hanyuan vowed to endure no matter the cost. He couldn¡¯t falter in this clash¡ªhe had to withstand ¡®Stone Dragon Hand¡¯ Imai Kanata¡¯s ultimate move¡ªand then send him to his grave!

 Chapter 716: 666: The Wrath of the Heavenly Fox

    Chapter 716: Chapter 666: The Wrath of the Heavenly Fox


    Imai Kanata had no idea of the ¡®Suffering Heavenly Girl¡¯ above him¡ªwho was also the ¡®Divine Law Heavenly Girl¡¯, Lin Yi.


    He looked at Lu Hanyuan with astonishment: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that under Lin Rui¡¯s banner, there would be a master like you!¡±


    The gap between this old man and a Quasi-Member is just a matter of an 8SSS+ level Extreme Move.


    In terms of martial arts accomplishment, this old man has barely touched the threshold of the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank.


    However, in terms of defense, he has already reached the Quasi-Member level.


    The problem is, Imai Kanata had never heard of such a person in the Ninth Base City before.


    Under the Super Emperor of Eight Realms, the Armored Martial Cultivators could hardly catch their eye, and the level of their circle was different.


    ¡°But how long can you hold out against me?¡±


    The residual force of Imai Kanata¡¯s Eight Realms Super Monarch Secret Fist ¡®Stone Shackled Prison Gate¡¯ had already run out.


    However, the reason he could become a Quasi-Member was due to his all-around strength in power, bloodline, cultivation, equipment, and concepts!


    Though Imai Kanata¡¯s punching power and speed weren¡¯t as overwhelming as before, they were fierce and domineering to the extreme, with each punch, Lu Hanyuan was also gradually exhausting his strength.


    At this point, he was not only bleeding from his nose and mouth, but blood spots also began to seep out from the pores all over his body.


    But just as Imai Kanata¡¯s lip curled into a mocking smile, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Imai Kanata¡¯s spiritual sense detected an extreme danger signal, but nothing happened around him; everything seemed normal.


    Why, then, did his heart continue to contract and his entire body shiver in fear?


    At this moment, above him, Lin Yi simultaneously injected a Type-9 Stimulant, a Type-9 High-Concentration Nutrient, and a Type-8 Pseudo-Source Essence Medication into her neck.


    She then pointed downward with a cold expression: ¡°Decree¡ª¡±


    Lin Yi¡¯s long black hair and clothes danced without wind: ¡°From this moment, this person cannot think! Cannot move! Cannot resist!¡±


    In an instant, Imai Kanata¡¯s mind went blank.


    It was then that two Red Spider 8PROs, a Dragon Slayer 9SS+, and a dozen various brands of Type-8 robots ambushed in nearby buildings simultaneously locked onto Imai Kanata and fired powerful particle beam cannons and plasma cannons.


    In less than a millisecond, they broke through Imai Kanata¡¯s Outer Firmament and Stone Armor, piercing his body one after another.


    Imai Kanata¡¯s powerful Primordial Spirit, at that moment, struggled free from Lin Yi¡¯s decree, regaining consciousness.


    But at this point, his body was not only riddled with holes, but even his eyes were shattered by two heavy particle beam cannon blasts, and even his soul was almost obliterated by the electromagnetic radiation impact.


    ¡°How could this be?¡±


    Imai Kanata couldn¡¯t believe it!


    These Type-8 and Type-9 combat robots were nearby, less than 30 kilometers away, so why couldn¡¯t he detect them?


    Was it the concept of law?


    ¡ª¡ªThen what kind of power is this? It actually suppressed my spiritual sense?


    But the awareness of ¡®Stone Dragon Hand¡¯ Imai Kanata ended here.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    ¡ª¡ªThat was when Lu Hanyuan mustered all his remaining strength to swing his massive shield, smashing Imai Kanata¡¯s remaining body and his severely damaged and weakened Primordial Spirit into a pulverized bloody mess!


    He grinned, showing an immensely satisfied smile.


    Even in the Longevity Association, there can¡¯t be many at the Quasi-Member level like Imai Kanata! The ¡®Resurrection¡¯ and ¡®Artificial Sky¡¯ technology that the BOSS mentioned must have flaws.


    At that moment, in the Ninth Base City, the several ¡®Honorary Member¡¯ levels who were remotely confronting Linghu Mingde and Xianyu Yan felt a deep foreboding.


    Qi Tianquan couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth: ¡°Damned bastard!¡±


    ¡ª¡ªThis was ¡®Stone Dragon Hand¡¯ Imai Kanata! He was rather tricky even among the Quasi-Member level, yet he was still killed by that Lin Rui!


    Along with Paul Hoover earlier, the Longevity Association has now lost two Quasi-Members today!


    Qi Tianquan, a core member of the Longevity Association, knew that the association could resurrect Quasi-Members, but this kind of ¡®resurrection¡¯ still had significant flaws; both the physical body and the soul are imperfect.


    That¡¯s why the two Quasi-Members who died in the Security Bureau earlier were in fact expendables tossed out by the Longevity Association.


    It¡¯s because their physical bodies couldn¡¯t be maintained, lasting only one or two months before their souls had to return to the Artificial Sky.


    Those were merely utilizing waste materials, using experiment bodies that were already on the verge of being destroyed for the assassination of Thunder General.


    But the deaths of the two Quasi-Members today really stung the Longevity Association.


    What exactly happened just now? Why did Imai Kanata stand motionless, allowing those combat robots to bombard him?


    What on earth occurred?


    Though Qi Tianquan had been watching the entire time, due to the distance, he couldn¡¯t perceive the details.


    However, he could conclude that it must be an extremely powerful, high-level force!


    This also means that the strength under Lin Rui¡¯s command is still unfathomable!


    Qi Tianquan felt his mouth go dry; perhaps the peace treaty signed a while ago is indeed too short.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    At this time, Qi Tianquan¡¯s expression changed slightly, and his peripheral vision shifted to Cameron Brown, who had arrived about a minute earlier.


    This person, along with his Battle Dragon, was disappearing southward in flashes, in Lin Rui¡¯s direction.


    Qi Tianquan realized that this person might be desperate enough to incite a battle between Members and Divine Envoy Level within the Ninth Base City, just to eliminate Lin Rui!


    At that instant, five unidentified ¡®Honorary Member¡¯ level individuals in exoskeleton armor advanced their positions by twenty kilometers, exerting greater pressure on Linghu Mingde and Xianyu Yan!


    Xianyu Yan furrowed her brows, looking in the direction where Cameron Brown vanished.


    ¡°Go! I¡¯ve got this.¡±


    At the moment, Linghu Mingde held the sword at his waist, a mocking smile appearing on his lips: ¡°It seems this old man is being underestimated. Just five members dare to suppress an old man like me?¡±


    Maybe if they had tried when he had just ascended to the Ninth Realm, they might have succeeded, as his entire armament was not fully upgraded and his state hadn¡¯t been adjusted to the best.


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, nodding to Linghu Mingde, then pursued in the direction of Cameron Brown.


    Her storm not only generated ¡®Thunder¡¯ but also ¡®Kinetic Energy¡¯.


    With the support of several powerful Divine Artifacts, Xianyu Yan¡¯s tunneling speed subtly surpassed Cameron Brown¡¯s.


    Cameron Brown had initially intended to go all out, to breach the obstacles of Wang Tianwu and Ji Shenyan, the two pseudo-member levels, in the shortest time possible, to slay Lin Rui.


    But when he flashed 30 kilometers in front of Lin Rui, he had no choice but to swing the scimitar back towards the back with his Mecha Dragon.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    First, there was a metallic ringing, followed by a series of deafening metallic bangs!


    Xianyu Yan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. She couldn¡¯t stop the Invincible Dharma King before, could she not withstand this heavily injured pseudo-Divine Envoy?


    What startled Cameron Brown was that Lin Rui and his group, instead of retreating, advanced to encircle him.


    Fortunately, ¡®Phoenix¡¯ Carina Frey also returned, shielding his flank.


    Even so, Cameron Brown had to endure immense pressure, engaging in a fight with Xianyu Yan.


    The speed of their attacks was incredible, engaging in clashes more than a thousand times in such a brief instant, the intense Blade Astral and Sword Qi swept across the sky, impacting in all directions.


    Though the city government promptly activated the protective force field within the city¡¯s interior, it couldn¡¯t withstand the aftermath of their battle.


    Luckily, the Armed Police Force and City Defense Army in the Ninth Base City had already been organizing the evacuation of civilians or guiding them to nearby shelters.


    Lin Rui and others had also arrived, neutralizing the most dangerous threats to the civilians.


    Many neutral masters within the city¡¯s interior had rushed over, neutralizing the Blade Astral and Sword Qi that were enough to sweep through the residential areas.


    These individuals launched full-force attacks to prevent the disaster from spreading, while intensely observing the fierce battle above, deeply shocked.


    Many among them had watched the live broadcast of Li Xianglong fighting against the Longevity Association¡¯s masters through a paid encrypted channel and knew that Cameron Brown was clearly severely injured.


    However, this person was, after all, close to the Divine Envoy Level.


    And that woman in red armor could contend against Cameron Brown without falling behind!


    At this moment, seven kilometers in front of Linghu Mingde, Yang Lingxiao stared deeply at Xianyu Yan¡¯s back, a hint of wariness apparent in his eyes.


    This woman could stand against a weaker Honorary Member by herself easily.


    The speed at which Lin Rui¡¯s wings were growing was astonishing, leaving him both incredulous and unrested.


    ¡ª¡ªIn today¡¯s battle, the Forest Group had already confirmed possessing three and a half Quasi-Member level masters!


    From what Yang Lingxiao knew, Lin Rui had stationed Li Yuehua, Hou Yuting, and Zhu Youheng, three Super Emperors of Eight Realms near the Forest Dock Base. With the help of the base¡¯s ultra-strong firepower, they managed to hold back two Quasi-Members¡¯ leading two 9A combat groups and eight 8S combat groups in the assassination mission at ¡®Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute¡¯.


    The Longevity Association had always been interested in the ¡®Armored Biological Research Institute¡¯ under Rui Fang, simply because an increasing number of biological engineers and several top Academician Levels were gathered there.


    However, their attempt suffered a severe setback¡ª


    Now Yang Lingxiao had no sense of winning at all.


    If he doesn¡¯t borrow the strength of the Longevity Association, even if he steps into the Divine Envoy Level a year later, he might not be able to suppress the Forest Group.


    At that moment, he felt the energy around him shift, and Linghu Mingde¡¯s Sword Intent suddenly grew sharper.


    ¡°Fall back!¡±


    Linghu Mingde swept his sleeve, causing the light in the entire central area of the Ninth Base City to suddenly dim.


    ¡°Do not say I haven¡¯t warned you; advance once more, and you die!¡±


    Yang Lingxiao snapped back to reality and found that one of the five members had also wanted to bypass Linghu Mingde to reach the battlefield.


    This had enraged Linghu Mingde, who not only pointed his Sword Intent killing intent remotely at the person but also suppressed the other four members with his formidable Conceptual Power.


    Yang Lingxiao was secretly startled; did this old man still have strength left! Was the battle a few months ago not his limit?


    However, after slight hesitation, the five ¡®Honorary Members¡¯ continued their previous tactics, with four advancing while facing Linghu Mingde¡¯s Sword Intent to pressure him, and one speeding up to take a bypass.


    Linghu Mingde chuckled.


    The Earth Federation nurtured so many ¡®members¡¯; it wasn¡¯t easy. Every one of them was precious in terms of the overall strength of mankind, yet these people still forced him to draw his sword to kill.

 Chapter 717: 667: Rage of the Heavenly Fox 2

    Chapter 717: Chapter 667: Rage of the Heavenly Fox 2


    The one attempting to flank Linghu Mingde from behind to assassinate Lin Rui alongside Vice President Brown was named Kubo Taiyo.


    He bore the title ¡®Contemporary Sword Master¡¯ and was regarded as the most deserving wielder of the ¡®Sword Master¡¯ name in this era among the Dahe Clan¡¯s powerful Armored Martial Cultivators.


    This man clearly paid no heed to Linghu Mingde¡¯s warnings.


    After all, merely a year ago, Linghu Mingde had been nothing but a forgotten corpse in a grave.


    While it was unclear how the old man had clawed his way out of the grave, Linghu Mingde, derived from the first-generation armament, still embodied the unsolved hazards of contemporary biotechnology!


    Though Linghu Mingde had entered the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, achieving the ¡®Divine Envoy Level,¡¯ he couldn¡¯t possibly overcome the inherent flaws of the first-generation armament. His Primordial Spirit would, without a doubt, fail to attain Perfection¡ªa flaw entrenched in both the first and second generations of Alien Walkers that persists to this day.


    Thus, Kubo Taiyo believed it was worth the gamble¡ªa wager that Linghu Mingde¡¯s strength couldn¡¯t truly reach the higher echelon of a ¡®Senior Divine Envoy.¡¯


    Kubo Taiyo also recognized that Lin Rui must be eliminated at all costs. This individual and the Forest Group behind him had already become dire threats to the Longevity Association!


    ¡ªThis was the opportunity to eradicate him once and for all!


    Otherwise, with his talent and that of his two attendants, it might only take three to five years for him to evolve into an unimaginably formidable adversary.


    ¡°Arrogant!¡±


    At that moment, Kubo Taiyo noticed the surroundings plunged into absolute darkness.


    It was not even three in the afternoon; the Artificial Sun atop the Base City was still operating as usual, emitting intense light. Yet, in an instant, the entire city fell into pitch blackness, the heavens completely shrouded.


    Simultaneously, a sword light akin to a falling sun streaked across the sky above the city¡¯s countless skyscrapers.


    The four ¡®Honorary Members¡¯ suppressing and pinning down Linghu Mingde simultaneously changed expressions upon witnessing this.


    In that instant, all four, along with their Battle Dragons, bore the brunt of a single sword from Linghu Mingde.


    Boom!


    In an instant, boundless radiance, endless electromagnetic storms, and infinite radiation ignited flames within and without their bodies, subjecting both their flesh and Primordial Spirits to extreme pain.


    Yang Lingxiao, situated less than seven kilometers from Linghu Mingde, felt his pupils contract into pinpoints.


    ¡°9SSS+!¡±


    Clearly, this was a Ninth Realm Super Monarch-level Secret Skill!


    Yang Lingxiao also perceived the nearby conceptual powers related to ¡®Sky¡¯¡ªlight, thunder, wind¡ªall experiencing a comprehensive increase in intensity by 48%!


    His heart palpitated with unease. The Linghu Mingde before him was no longer merely a Divine Envoy Level opponent; he was now a true Senior Divine Envoy!


    ¡°Since you insist on a fight, allow me to grant your wish!¡±


    With Linghu Mingde¡¯s voice, the so-called ¡®Contemporary Sword Master¡¯ Kubo Taiyo roared in fury.


    He felt innumerable ¡®threads of light¡¯ shooting in from all directions.


    ¡ªEvery single one of them was Linghu Mingde¡¯s sword!


    All light, thunder, and violent winds within this realm had already fallen under the dominion of the ¡®Sky Fox.¡¯


    Kubo Taiyo and his ¡®Titanium Monarch Blade Dragon¡¯ unleashed an overwhelmingly ferocious barrage, forming an impermeable screen of blades. Initially spanning a hundred meters, the blade barrier exuded an overwhelming force, severing and repelling all foreign powers nearby.


    Yet, the barrier was quickly forced to shrink¡ª100 meters, 60, 40, 20, 10 meters¡ªin less than a ten-thousandth of a second, the blade barrier and his ¡®Titanium Monarch Blade Dragon¡¯ had contracted to a mere meter-wide radius.


    Nevertheless, the threads of light continued weaving through, flowing like mercury, penetrating every crevice.


    ¡°Damn it! Impossible!¡± Kubo Taiyo¡¯s expression shifted from disbelief to thinly-veiled terror.


    His voice cracked with resignation: ¡°Please stop, Linghu-san! I surrender! I, Kubo Taiyo, am willing to step down from this battle.¡±


    Though the Ninth Realm Super Monarch¡¯s True Spirit could remain immortal within the Heavenly Curtain, and the Longevity Association possessed technology for artificial renditions of it, Kubo Taiyo was uncertain whether this death would allow his return¡ªor if he did, whether he¡¯d succumb to total control by high-ranking officials of the association.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s aged voice, raspy yet resolute, coldly declared: ¡°But I¡¯ve warned you already¡ªthose who dare advance any further shall die!¡±


    The remaining threads of light began piercing through Kubo Taiyo¡¯s body, riddling his flesh and Primordial Spirit with countless holes. Step by step, his form disintegrated, collapsing into nothingness.


    The four ¡®Honorary Member¡¯ Armored Martial Cultivators observing from afar couldn¡¯t suppress the hairs rising on the back of their necks.


    Initially paralyzed by the might of Linghu Mingde¡¯s 9SSS+ sword skill, they now seized the chance as Linghu concentrated his power on Kubo Taiyo. Breaking free, they launched coordinated counterattacks, attempting to aid Kubo Taiyo¡¯s escape.


    But every single one of their attacks was deflected by the reflective mirroring of the Heavenly Mirror Demon.


    The four were horrified to discover that the bloodline power of this Heavenly Mirror Demon seemed enhanced!


    It wasn¡¯t the 8SSS from their intelligence reports but 8SSS+, and even proficient in Ninth Realm Emperor-Rank Secret Skills!


    This woman, battling one versus four, had deflected and mirrored their entire onslaught within a fraction of a millisecond, emerging unscathed.


    Was it Linghu Mingde¡¯s breakthrough that promoted the Heavenly Mirror Demon¡¯s bloodline evolution, or was there another factor?


    After obliterating Kubo Taiyo, Linghu Mingde and his Ninth Realm ¡®Heavenly Venerate Emperor Dragon¡¯ unleashed countless light swords, aiding the Heavenly Mirror Demon in neutralizing the quartet¡¯s ferocious barrage.


    When the force of their Extreme Moves waned, Linghu Mingde¡¯s Sword Intent locked onto the easternmost individual among them.


    This person, clad in a 9SSS+ Emperor-level exoskeleton armor and sporting a face mask, was nonetheless recognized by Linghu Mingde.


    ¡°You¡¯re Ji Fanjing! My student from approximately 340 years ago, back when I served in the military.¡±


    Linghu Mingde advanced while suppressing Ji Fanjing with overwhelming Sword Intent: ¡°Among the people here, some employ heretical methods, causing mass casualties, becoming Federation fugitives. Some are lone forces who can¡¯t gain footing in Congress. Yet you, Ji Fanjing, are a genuine Congressional Honorary Member! Presiding over a conglomerate worth trillions, holding a position of immense power¡ªwhy have you joined the Longevity Association?¡±


    Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan¡¯s expressions subtly shifted upon hearing his words.


    They too were true Congressional Honorary Members, commanding megacorporations worth trillions. Yet they had also joined the Longevity Association.


    And how could this Linghu Mingde possibly be this strong?


    Clang!


    After a brief aerial pursuit, Linghu Mingde and Ji Fanjing clashed. With their first strike, Ji Fanjing spat blood from his mouth.


    ¡°You ask why I joined the Longevity Association?¡±


    Ji Fanjing sneered, accepting his inability to escape. He rallied all of his remaining strength, engaging Linghu Mingde head-on: ¡°Because the Federation¡¯s progress in biotechnology is too slow, Linghu-laoshi! Don¡¯t you know? The decisive battle between the Three Gods of Purgatory and the Sky Extreme Five Gods is imminent. Once a victor emerges, the Earth Federation will be doomed.¡±


    Though Linghu Mingde¡¯s sword was as swift as lightning, Ji Fanjing¡¯s strikes bolstered uncanny ferocity.


    Yet, after just seventy-four exchanges, Linghu Mingde severed one of Ji Fanjing¡¯s arms.


    Ji Fanjing¡¯s Battle Dragon was also riddled with dozens of wounds, plummeting to the ground in agony.


    ¡°So your solution is violating Federation laws, conducting inhumane, unethical research?¡±


    Controlling countless light swords, Linghu Mingde lopped off one of Ji Fanjing¡¯s legs.


    He then stepped on Ji Fanjing¡¯s body, hurling them both onto a highway overpass, smashing through it and creating a massive crater below.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we research it?¡± Ji Fanjing roared, unwilling to yield: ¡°Humanity is on the brink of extinction, so why concern ourselves with morality? With laws? Since 200 years ago, the Federation has been a stronghold of the powerful. The strong make the rules! We, who dominate the Federation and humanity, naturally bear the responsibility for humanity¡¯s future! And what right do you have to criticize me? Have you not broken Federation laws countless times throughout your life?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, this world is ruled by the strong,¡± Linghu Mingde coldly stated, severing Ji Fanjing¡¯s other arm. Summoning countless beams of light, he forged a long sword in his hand.


    He gazed indifferently at Ji Fanjing: ¡°Since you called me teacher earlier, I¡¯ll give you an opportunity. You have one second to decide¡ªleave the Longevity Association or die now.¡±


    As Ji Fanjing hesitated, tens of thousands of light swords surged like torrents, bombarding the three other ¡®Congressional Honorary Members¡¯ in a relentless barrage, preventing their escape from the battlefield.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s chilling voice reverberated across the entire Ninth Base City: ¡°The same goes for all of you! Today, none of you shall leave. Either abandon the Longevity Association or die!¡±


    This was the entirety of Lin Rui¡¯s Phase Two Purifying Plan¡ªto obliterate the Longevity Association¡¯s mobile forces!


    And Linghu Mingde was the chess piece second only in weight to the two major Abyssal Weapons in today¡¯s game.


    Yang Lingxiao and Qi Tianquan¡¯s faces were ghastly pale. Although riddled with mutual grievances, they couldn¡¯t resist exchanging glances, seeing trepidation and caution mirrored in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Meanwhile, Cameron Brown, locked in a fierce battle with Xianyu Yan while fending off Lin Rui and his allies, felt his morale sink to rock bottom.


    He had believed Lin Rui¡¯s operation was aimed at clearing out the Longevity Association¡¯s influence within the Ninth Base City government, but it turned out to be merely bait.


    Lin Rui¡¯s real target was the ¡®Honorary Members¡¯¡ªa brazen, shocking gambit.


    Cameron Brown drew a deep breath, his gaze turning icy.


    He issued a command over a private communication channel: Activate Despair Heavenly Dragon and Pain Heavenly Dragon! Remember to administer the Abyss Potion! Simultaneously, deploy all seven Ninth Realm Demonic Divine Weapons within the Ninth Base City!


    ¡ªIf Lin Rui had chosen to strike first against the Longevity Association, then they no longer needed to hold back.


    Especially considering Lin Rui¡¯s growing power and influence, continuing to preserve the Despair Heavenly Dragon and Pain Heavenly Dragon posed a dangerous threat.


    Next, Cameron Brown sent a call for reinforcements: Chief Executive¡ªI¡¯ve botched things this time. Your direct intervention might be the only way to avert a catastrophic loss on our end.


    At that moment, Lin Xi¡ªknown as the ¡®Despair Heavenly Girl¡¯¡ªsensed the shift.


    Lin Xi (Xia Moqian): Brother, they¡¯re mobilizing my Battle Dragon.


    Lin Rui clicked his tongue. He knew it had come to this.


    The other side had chosen not to retreat but to go all in.


    Yet Lin Xi and Lin Yi¡¯s Abyss Battle Dragons were Lin Rui¡¯s greatest assets for launching this purge operation!


    He sent Lin Xi and Lin Yi a message: Watch the clock. I calculate you have no more than one minute and twenty seconds of combat duration before your internal pollution exceeds its limits. Not even my Purifying Fire can save you then.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Do not overextend, no matter what!


    Cang Bai Ru Shi (Lin Yi): Understood, will take caution.


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): Got it! A minute¡¯s worth of Longevity-level combat strength is more than enough.


    Now standing alone atop the Rui Fang Group tower, Lin Xi clenched her fists tightly.


    Her eyes gradually turned blood-red!


    Lin Xi recalled the day her family was torn apart.


    In a span of just ten hours, her mother had been attacked and killed, her younger sister abducted, and her father forced into hiding.


    At this moment, she finally had the chance to exact her vengeance upon the Longevity Association!


    You filthy scum, all of you must die! Die for me! Die!

 Chapter 718: 668 Despair and Pain 1

    Chapter 718: Chapter 668 Despair and Pain 1


    ¡°Fine, I quit the Longevity Association!¡±


    Ji Fanjing¡¯s gaze flickered as he coldly stared at Linghu Mingde, whose foot was pressed against his body: ¡°I hereby swear upon my Primordial Spirit that I will immediately sever ties with the Longevity Association, bear no further connections to it, and no longer oppose you from this day forward.¡±


    As the ancient saying goes: the inchworm curls itself to extend forward, and the dragon and snake lie dormant to preserve their lives; there¡¯s no need to resist blindly at a time like this.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Linghu Mingde swung his Light Sword and sliced open Ji Fanjing¡¯s face mask, revealing the features of this Congressional Honorary Member: ¡°You intend to fool me with just a few words? Write up a Divine Contract yourself. I know you have Dragon Skin Paper of Ninth Realm or higher¡ªremember, you have only one second to write everything necessary!¡±


    Ji Fanjing¡¯s expression fluctuated between light and dark.


    At this moment, the entire center of the Ninth Base City began to tremble. The conceptual forces of ¡®Destruction¡¯ and ¡®Twist¡¯ began to blanket the base city, encompassing even its core commercial district where they were located.


    Ji Fanjing¡¯s mind stirred slightly as he speculated that the Longevity Association might have already employed Abyss Weapons.


    But time was running out¡ªLinghu Mingde¡¯s blade was about to fall!


    Ji Fanjing¡¯s eyes reflected helplessness and frustration, yet he decisively took out a sheet of Dragon Skin Paper, using his own Essence Blood as ink to inscribe his oath upon it. He even consciously included the names of three Divine Venerables.


    Still, Ji Fanjing set the time limit to 20 years¡ªthis was the maximum he could accept.


    Ji Fanjing was not like Kubo Taiyou, the so-called ¡®Sword Master of Now,¡¯ who was a solitary figure with nothing but a 9SS mercenary group, his equipment, and his samurai sword.


    Ji Fanjing, however, possessed vast enterprises and a financial conglomerate valued at nearly 5 trillion.


    Thus, Ji Fanjing couldn¡¯t afford to take the risk. If he were to die, these assets would certainly be divided among various factions, leaving nothing behind. Even if the Longevity Association revived Ji Fanjing after his death, he¡¯d have lost everything.


    After signing the Divine Contract, he unceremoniously tossed it to Linghu Mingde: ¡°Thanks, Teacher Linghu! Though the Abyss Weapon of the Longevity Association is next¡ªgood luck handling it.¡±


    Ji Fanjing knew that Linghu Mingde allowing him to make the choice was already showing leniency, so he bore no grudges.


    What Ji Fanjing felt more keenly was heartache and discontent. His financial conglomerate had numerous collaborations with the Longevity Association, and quitting now meant those partnerships would terminate.


    The Longevity Association¡¯s research was on the verge of fruition, yet he was forced to bow out on the eve of victory.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern.¡±


    Linghu Mingde glanced at Ji Fanjing¡¯s Divine Contract before transforming into beams of light that dissipated from Ji Fanjing¡¯s body: ¡°From this day forward, the bond between student and teacher is severed. Ji Fanjing, take care of yourself.¡±


    His figure then appeared behind another fleeing ¡®Honorary Member,¡¯ whose escape was firmly intercepted by Linghu Mingde¡¯s sword-light tide and Qiu Jingshu¡¯s mirror construct.


    The so-called ¡®Congressional Honorary Members¡¯ referred to the 48 lifelong Honorary Members currently serving in Congress.


    These individuals were not only powerful enough to meet the candidate Divine Envoy, Divine Envoy, and Senior Divine Envoy standards of the Sky Extreme Star but also backed by formidable martial power and wealth.


    Yet even beyond Congress, several individuals had reached candidate Divine Envoy and Divine Envoy levels but, for various reasons, had failed to join Congress.


    In the Earth Federation, these individuals were also termed ¡®Congressman Level,¡¯ and those with slightly lesser abilities were labeled ¡®Quasi-Members,¡¯ akin to the ¡®Vice Divine Envoy¡¯ rank on the Sky Extreme Star.


    The earlier ¡®Sword Master of Now,¡¯ Kubo Taiyou, and the individual Linghu Mingde now faced were both armored Martial Cultivators whose mastery of martial arts, bloodline power, concepts, and extreme moves had reached the Nine Realms Emperor Rank.


    On the Sky Extreme Star, they could rank as candidate Divine Envoys or even become elders of a Holy Sect.


    However, one of these individuals couldn¡¯t enter Congress due to anti-human-level offenses; the other became entangled in a feud with a Senior Divine Envoy Honorary Member, who systematically suppressed him. Ultimately, he was convicted of major crimes by the Federation¡¯s judicial system and stripped of his Honorary Member status.


    The underlying issue was a lack of influence¡ªthey couldn¡¯t secure a foothold in Congress¡ª


    How could a bona fide Congressional Honorary Member be convicted by the judicial system?


    The judicial system couldn¡¯t even touch Lin Rui, now widely confirmed through indirect evidence to be the ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer.¡¯ Lin Rui had spent nearly 120 billion federal coins on this legal battle, hiring numerous lawyers and leveraging his influence over Congress¡¯s judicial committee, rendering the judicial system powerless against him.


    ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang!¡±


    Amid the metallic collisions and explosive bursts, the Sword Qi shockwaves ravaged a hundred-kilometer radius, carving massive rifts into the ground and pulverizing sections of concrete walls at the edge of the base city.


    With Qiu Jingshu and two Battle Dragon units assisting Linghu Mingde, it took a mere three seconds and a total of 5,722 sword strikes to completely pierce through the person¡¯s defenses. He cleanly severed both arms and pinned the figure to a concrete wall.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Linghu Mingde pointed his sword at the individual¡¯s forehead: ¡°¡®Flame Dragon Sword¡¯ Duke Houston, your resignation from Congress was understandable in the past. Therefore, I am willing to give you a chance. Will you quit the Longevity Association or face death?¡±


    Duke Houston¡¯s gaze darkened as he stared through his visor at Linghu Mingde¡¯s figure.


    Though the old man wore exoskeleton armor, he exuded a celestial and ethereal demeanor. Without a mask, his gaunt features appeared benevolent and serene, yet his aura was overwhelmingly domineering and ferocious!


    ¡°Truly a ¡®Heavenly Fox!''¡± Duke Houston sighed: ¡°I quit¡ª¡±


    At that moment, a searing brilliance erupted in front of Duke Houston, emitting intense electromagnetic radiation and an earsplitting roar that caused his eardrums to throb with pain.


    It was a beam of Sword Light piercing from a hundred kilometers away, freezing the Time Sequence Void along its trajectory, hurtling toward Linghu Mingde.


    Linghu Mingde had to turn his sword to block it. As the two clashed, the surrounding ground and concrete walls began to freeze over, only to be shattered into countless fragments by the immense forces unleashed.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s form flickered into streaks of flowing light, appearing thirty meters away.


    He raised his head to glance upward at the towering, slender, and commanding figure with an air of subdued majesty.


    ¡ªIt was Yi Duxing, Chairman of the Beitian Financial Group, Congressional Honorary Member, and Chairman of Congress¡¯s Financial Committee!


    Floating at his side was a massive eye.


    This blood-red eye, as large as a seven-story building, was surrounded by numerous neural blood vessels.


    A grotesquely short yet humanoid demon resided beneath the eye.


    It was Yi Duxing¡¯s Protective Demon¡ªthe Blood Eye Demon!


    ¡°Director Yi!¡± Linghu Mingde¡¯s white brows twitched as a sneering smile formed on his lips: ¡°Seems you¡¯ve got a hand in the Longevity Association too,¡±


    Countless Sword Lights coalesced behind him, forming a towering Light Sword.


    The entire sky within the base city turned dark once more.


    ¡°You arrived quickly¡ªhm~ and brought along four Quasi-Members and three Congressman Level figures. Have you decided to abandon General Li completely?¡±


    Boom!


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s Sword Intent exploded with staggering force, simultaneously countering Yi Duxing and constraining the Quasi-Members and Honorary Members accompanying him.


    But inwardly, an unease stirred in Linghu Mingde¡¯s heart¡ªthe Longevity Association seemed to have too many Quasi-Members and Congressman Levels.


    Their technology came from the Rui Fang Institute, but what was fueling the Longevity Association?


    Yi Duxing¡¯s expression remained icy. Along with other Longevity Association members, he had utilized Quantum Migration Devices to traverse millions of kilometers instantly to reach Satellite Number Nine, knowingly relinquishing restraint over Li Xianglong.


    Li Xianglong had now set his sights on the Longevity Association¡¯s most expansive and critical biological research base.


    Yet it no longer mattered; the core personnel had already been evacuated. The supercomputers and databases had self-destructed, leaving only researchers, equipment, and myriad experimental subjects of lesser importance relative to the Ninth Base City.


    The Longevity Association had made enormous sacrifices and was determined to eradicate all threats within the Ninth City!


    ¡°General Linghu, back when I served in the Federation Army, I was your pupil. In the era of Alien Walkers, you sheltered me under your wings once. Thus, today, I address you as ¡®teacher.''¡±


    Yi Duxing spoke with calm resolve, his voice devoid of emotion: ¡°I, too, am willing to grant you one chance. Withdraw immediately from this battle, and the Longevity Association will overlook everything prior.¡±


    He then turned his gaze towards Lin Rui¡¯s direction.


    At that moment, Cameron Brown¡¯s predicament had worsened, his movements constrained by Xianyu Yan¡¯s Sword and Wang Tianwu¡¯s Mind Illusion Technique, paired with Lin Rui¡¯s Three Talents Sword Formation.


    ¡®Phoenix¡¯ Kalina Fraser was unable to assist Brown as she was held off by another Quasi-Member skilled in Fire Element martial arts.


    However, now several Quasi-Members who had arrived to aid them were flying in that direction.


    Yi Duxing narrowed his eyes, a glint of ruthless killing intent flickering within.


    ¡°I know you view him as a prospective grandson-in-law, but a grandson-in-law can always be replaced. If your life is forfeit, then your granddaughter, along with the Linghu family, will vanish into the Heavenly Curtain just like you.¡±


    Linghu Mingde laughed at the remark, his robes fluttering despite the absence of wind: ¡°Vanish into the Heavenly Curtain? Let¡¯s see if you can accomplish that.¡±


    Lin Rui wasn¡¯t merely his prospective grandson-in-law but also his savior.


    Without Lin Rui, there would be no Linghu Mingde today.


    ¡°I also believe, Director Yi, that you¡¯re incapable of such a feat.¡±


    At this moment, a deep, aged voice echoed from afar.


    With these words, a white-haired elder clad in an East Asia National Security Bureau Two-Star Marshal uniform appeared on the roof of a nearby skyscraper.


    ¡ªSurrounded by four Dragon Slayer 9SS+ Combat Robots, he cast a cold gaze toward Yi Duxing: ¡°Yi Duxing! The Ninth Base City is the territory of the East Asia Republic. Whatever you intend to do, I urge you to exercise restraint!¡±


    ¡°Xu Mengran!¡±


    Yi Duxing¡¯s expression turned somber as he realized the Director of East Asia¡¯s National Security Bureau had arrived with several Quasi-Members and Congressman Level experts.


    This indicated that East Asia had fully aligned with Lin Rui and Linghu Mingde, prepared to intervene directly in the conflict.


    Yi Duxing exhaled heavily: ¡°You¡¯re courting death.¡±


    At that moment, the tremors within the Ninth Base City intensified abruptly.


    Linghu Mingde looked around and saw nine warehouse-like buildings within the city¡¯s urban center shattering. From within flew nine gigantic demons of varying forms, their monstrous enormity beyond imagination.


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s pupils contracted slightly.


    He sensed that the demonic aura of these nine entities had all reached Ninth Realm Emperor Rank!


    Could this be the biological weaponry the Longevity Association was researching? Had their experiments progressed to this extent? They already possessed such immense capacity?


    What concerned Linghu Mingde even more was the deep Abyss Divine Power emanating from the heart of the Ninth Base City.


    ¡ªIt was the Absolute Despair Heavenly Dragon and the Agonizing Pain Heavenly Dragon! Their conceptual forces were intensifying, spreading over a 1,200-kilometer radius, while their core strength in the center had reached at least 72%. The weaker entities within the base were twisting and succumbing to destruction!


    These two Abyss-Level biological weapons were awakening rapidly!

 Chapter 719: 669

    Chapter 719: Chapter 669


    In a warehouse located in the western district of the Ninth Base City.


    A group of personnel in white lab coats were gathered around a massive Battle Dragon sleeping pod, performing operations.


    A team of guards stood nervously, their eyes fixed on the figure inside the translucent pod¡ªa Battle Dragon, towering at 35 meters, its body covered entirely in dark scales.


    All of them looked pale, their expressions anxious, as they desperately suppressed their terror to complete the final steps, summoning the ¡®Abyss Battle Dragon¡¯ within.


    The researchers knew all too well the horrifying terror of this Abyss Weapon. The surrounding Void Time Order gradually shattering, the ground splitting apart, and the countless destroyed objects¡ªit all pointed to the overwhelming power of the ¡®Despair Heavenly Dragon¡¯ inside the pod.


    Some of these researchers already had their limbs disintegrated, their internal organs obliterated, blood flowing from their mouths and noses.


    Yet they had no choice but to grit their teeth and continue with their operations.


    ¡°Limb temperature has returned to normal levels; organ temperature at 22¡ãC.¡±


    ¡°Heartbeat has resumed, neural activity detected in the Battle Dragon¡¯s brain.¡±


    ¡°Fourth dose of Type-9 high-concentration nutrient injection completed!¡±


    ¡°Biological control center fully configured; target locked onto Lin Rui and Linghu Mingde, with Lin Rui as the highest priority!¡±


    ¡°Swallower Stimulant injection completed!¡±


    ¡°X321 experimental medicine injection completed.¡±


    ¡°Third dose of Type-9 X Source Essence injection completed! Proceeding with the fourth dose¡ª¡±


    ¡°No more stimulants can be administered. This Battle Dragon has already reached its limit, its flesh beginning to show signs of disintegration.¡±


    ¡°The genes have stabilized! But it¡¯s undeniably at its limit. It will lose control¡ªand destroy everything in the Ninth Base City.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! The biological control center has a self-destruct sequence configured.¡±


    ¡°But under the current circumstances, how could it possibly self-destruct?¡±


    ¡°¡ªRetreat! Retreat! It¡¯s waking up!¡±


    The researchers and guards in white lab coats frantically fled outside, but some weren¡¯t fast enough and were directly ¡®annihilated¡¯ by the destructive force emanating from within the pod, their flesh and souls obliterated!


    A gnawing sense of despair burgeoned within the minds of the survivors, driving some to the edge¡ªpulling out pistols to shoot themselves in the head, or using their weapons to end their own lives.


    At last, the giant Battle Dragon sleeping pod cracked open with a resounding crash, and the massive Battle Dragon within rose into the air and ascended skyward.


    Its back violently split open, revealing blood-red wounds from which extended a pair of bone wings, each spanning 77 meters. Crown-like white bone crests emerged from its bloodied flesh atop its head, encircling it like a regal diadem.


    Qi Tianquan watched this scene unfold, his complexion shifting between ashen and pale.


    He was grateful for his foresight in transferring this Despair Heavenly Dragon to a warehouse outside the city¡¯s core two months ago; otherwise, his Tianquan Tower would have been destroyed, and few inside would have survived.


    However, the Longevity Association¡¯s unilateral decision to activate the Despair Heavenly Dragon, bypassing his consent, filled him with resentment and vexation.


    Even the researchers and guards he hired did not report anything to him, directly carrying out the orders of the Longevity Association. This left him feeling a deep chill within.


    Qi Tianquan didn¡¯t know whether this was Cameron Brown¡¯s initiative or an order from ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing.


    Either way, it signified a total lack of respect toward him¡ªa Congressional Honorary Member¡ªby the upper echelons of the Longevity Association!


    Meanwhile, in the city¡¯s core district, Yi Duxing extended a hand toward Linghu Mingde.


    The powers from the nine Ninth Realm demon weapons froze the space-time around Linghu Mingde in an instant, even sealing his internal organs with the combined force of Yi Duxing¡¯s Concept Ability and Void Time Order!


    Not only him, but Xu Mengran and several East Asia experts nearby also found the space-time surrounding their bodies partly frozen!


    Even hundreds of kilometers away, Lin Rui felt as if he was encased in a massive block of ice. His vitality, limbs, and body were all restrained, practically immobilized.


    The ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯s¡¯ Concept and Martial Intent focused on freezing and immobilization, capable of sealing everything!


    ¡°Teacher Linghu, I¡¯ll give you one last chance!¡±


    Yi Duxing¡¯s pupils glinted an icy blue: ¡°Live¡ªor die!¡±


    ¡°What a joke!¡± Linghu Mingde¡¯s massive Light Sword exploded abruptly, shattering the frozen Void Time Order around him into a spider-web of cracks, like broken glass.


    A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips: ¡°Do you really think an immature biological weapon like this can decide my life or death? You lack the capability, my promising student.¡±


    He had already detected flaws in the demon bloodline of the nine Ninth Realm entities. Though their power rivaled a Ninth Realm Super Monarch, their battle AI was riddled with problems, and their Concept Ability performance barely reached 30%.


    It was an inherent issue with the biological control chip within the demons. The chip aimed to control the demons for combat while simultaneously preventing the chip itself from developing sentience, thus escaping their grasp. The Longevity Association still hadn¡¯t mastered this delicate balance.


    However, the method Yi Duxing used to summon the demons¡¯ bloodline abilities was quite novel, as though he had nine external extensions attached to his body.


    This allowed Yi Duxing to freeze space-time without leaking a trace of chilling power!


    ¡°Stubborn fool!¡± Yi Duxing shook his head, tightening his outstretched right hand: ¡°Then die!¡±


    Under Linghu Mingde¡¯s explosive power, the fractured space-time was forcibly stabilized!


    At the same time, a giant Dead-Eye Demon beside Yi Duxing began projecting crimson rays at Linghu Mingde.


    Yi Duxing¡¯s third Concept Ability, ¡®Collapse,¡¯ and the Dead-Eye Demon¡¯s abilities, ¡®Exhaustion¡¯ and ¡®Death,¡¯ simultaneously bombarded Linghu Mingde¡¯s body, causing blood to pour from his facial features.


    Collapse drove all matter into a state of disintegration, while Exhaustion and Death consumed all substances, returning them to nothingness!


    Yi Duxing understood that these powers wouldn¡¯t be sufficient to kill Linghu Mingde outright!


    The projection magic of Linghu Mingde¡¯s Mirror Demon was exceedingly troublesome, redirecting the Concept Force from Yi Duxing and the Dead-Eye Demon into the Mirror World, and reflecting it back from alternative angles.


    Though Yi Duxing held the upper hand, it was clear that killing the ¡®Heavenly Fox¡¯ would require at least half an hour.


    Half an hour¡ªby then, Li Xianglong might arrive, introducing countless variables.


    Thus¡ª


    The Despair Heavenly Dragon and Pain Heavenly Dragon, now soaring at 30,000 meters, unfurled their colossal bone wings behind them, unleashing Abyss Divine Power as dark as ink to its fullest extent, veiling the entire sky.


    The artificial sun above the Base City was first to succumb. It detonated violently, releasing a torrent of flames before collapsing into silent annihilation, plunging the entire city into pitch-black chaos.


    The two towering Abyss Battle Dragons, each 35 meters high, turned their gaze to the distant Lin Rui.


    They were locked on their primary target via their Biological Control Chips: Lin Rui must be killed first, followed by Linghu Mingde.


    Within the Base City, the expressions of war¡¯s participants and spectators varied widely.


    Fang Kongfang¡¯s face was solemn, Cameron Brown¡¯s lips curled into a smile, Yang Lingxiao laughed heartily, Yi Duxing¡¯s eyes were cold, and Xu Mengran¡¯s heart sank into icy dread.


    Suddenly, they witnessed an unexpected turn¡ªthe two Abyss Battle Dragons, despite keeping their gaze on Lin Rui, didn¡¯t unleash their Abyss Divine Power.


    Both the Despair Heavenly Dragon and Pain Heavenly Dragon struggled to lift their right hands, slowly clawing toward their own brows.


    Their movements were painstakingly sluggish, muscles trembling violently as though battling internal resistance, yet they were resolute.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Cameron Brown¡¯s shock was evident as he glanced about, even amid his clash with Xianyu Yan.


    He then noticed two lithe figures rising into the sky, heading toward the two Battle Dragons.


    Those were¡ª


    ¡°Despair and Pain Heavenly Maidens?¡± Cameron Brown¡¯s pupils constricted sharply, an ominous dread overtaking him: ¡°Executive Yi, these two must die¡ªthey cannot control the dragons!¡±


    It was common knowledge in the armament biology field! The primary host has supreme control over the Battle Dragon¡ªno other control method can surpass this since ¡®Battle Dragons¡¯ are part of a Martial Artist¡¯s own body, derived from their flesh and genetic makeup.


    Still, Vice President Brown was puzzled: why hadn¡¯t these two women died?


    Given their physical state, they should have succumbed to Abyss Pollution and bodily degradation as soon as the two Abyss Battle Dragons were infused with Abyss Source Material.


    Yet not only were they alive¡ªthey maintained their self-awareness? How could this be?


    Could these Despair and Pain Heavenly Maidens endure such intense Abyss Pollution and retain their self-awareness, surviving in the process?


    This was impossible! They must have become vessels for the Despair and Pain Heavenly Venerates¡¯ will¡ªthey couldn¡¯t possibly survive!


    Yi Duxing¡¯s expression darkened as he extended his hand toward the hovering Despair and Pain Heavenly Maidens.


    But the immense power and freezing Concept surrounding them disintegrated upon approach, twisting into chaos.


    Yi Duxing¡¯s face contorted as despair flooded his soul, his entire being consumed by searing agony¡ªso intense it distorted his very spirit!


    Both Heavenly Dragons clawed deeply into their heads with razor-sharp nails nearly a meter long, extracting tumor-like masses from within and crushing them in their grip.


    Lin Xi and Lin Yi¡ªnow positioned at the dragons¡¯ side¡ªhovered with cold, hate-filled gazes toward the ground below.


    Lin Xi let out a long exhale: ¡°What vile and repulsive things!¡±


    ¡ªHence, destruction is necessary!


    Lin Yi closed her eyes: ¡°What an unbearable past. Even revisiting a fragment brings unimaginable pain.¡±


    ¡ªHence, distortion is required!


    Boom!


    The nine colossal demons scattered across nine directions began twisting violently in unison.


    They instinctively resisted the overwhelming Concept Divine Power. Yet their vitality, flesh, biological control chips, and empty souls self-destructed in the process!


    The feelings of ¡®despair¡¯ and unrelenting ¡®pain¡¯ within them bred no resistance at all.


    All nine massive demons twisted into knots under the Concept Divine Power, before exploding, their fragments dissolving into blood powder raining upon the earth!


    Following that, the two towering 35-meter Despair and Pain Heavenly Dragons turned their scarlet eyes toward Yi Duxing.


    In that fleeting moment, the face of ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing drained entirely of color.

 Chapter 720: 670: Twisting Twists

    Chapter 720: Chapter 670: Twisting Twists


    Yi Duxing, at the moment of the twisted destruction of those nine colossal Ninth Realm demons, acted without hesitation. He manipulated his 9SSS+ ¡®Emperor¡¯ exoskeleton armor through telekinesis to inject four stimulants into the spine area, while the helmet expanded, fully covering his body.


    His figure slid silently, retreating southward.


    ¡ª¡ªOver there was a secret base of the Longevity Association, where certain items could help him evade detection from all enemies present.


    However, Yi Duxing had not yet managed to leave the city¡¯s central area when he felt the forces known as ¡®Twist¡¯ and ¡®Pain,¡¯ ¡®Destruction¡¯ and ¡®Despair,¡¯ acting upon his body.


    In just an instant, his 9SSS+ ¡®Emperor¡¯ exoskeleton armor began creaking loudly.


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Yi Duxing¡¯s pupils flared with anger, and an immense chilling aura erupted from his body, freezing the void around him and suppressing the power of the two Heavenly Maidens.


    The ¡®Death Eye Demon¡¯ emitted an ear-piercing scream, its massive, blood-red eyeball instantly swelling to three times its size, releasing an overwhelming field of death and exhaustion into the surroundings.


    Linghu Mingde had already shattered the frozen Time Sequence Void around him and escaped, but at this moment, he was not only heavily injured but also had to care for Qiu Jingshu.


    The two of them, during the battle against Yi Duxing and his subordinate, as well as the nine Ninth Realm demons, had Qiu Jingshu voluntarily taking on the greatest burden.


    Still, when Linghu Mingde saw the scene before him, he let out a soft laugh of mockery and looked with interest at the struggling Yi Duxing.


    This was true Immortal Level power!


    ¡ª¡ªNo wonder he was the strongest biological weapon in the Earth Federation this century.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Qi Tianquan¡¯s face turned pale, every hair on his body stood on end, and his fear caused him to tremble uncontrollably.


    Those two women were actually able to control two Abyss Battle Dragons that had been heavily injected with stimulants and X-source medicine!


    Not only had they survived, but they retained their sanity and destroyed the Longevity Association¡¯s Abyss Weapons in one fell swoop!


    And now, they were set on annihilating the Longevity Association¡¯s Deputy Chairman, Senior Divine Envoy-level ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing!


    How could their bodies endure this? Why hadn¡¯t they succumbed to Abyss Pollution?


    Xu Mengran gazed at Lin Yi and Lin Xi in the sky, his expression turning increasingly feverish: ¡°Immortal Level! No, nearly Abyss Level!¡±


    This marked the first appearance in Earth Federation history of Immortal Level, or even nearly Abyss Level power in public!


    ¡ª¡ªThis was not the full strength of the Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯s powers of Despair and Pain. The two women lacked utter despair and pain, so their Conceptual Power had not reached 100%, but it was already terrifying and undoubtedly ¡®Immortal Level¡¯!


    It was unimaginable that these two horrifying existences had been created entirely by the Longevity Association.


    Xu Mengran sensed numerous specialized cameras and perception devices throughout the Base City capturing this scene in the sky.


    It was obvious that soon, the entire Earth Federation would be plunged into a storm!


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Cameron Brown was pushed to the brink of rage. He forced Xianyu Yan aside and charged toward the Despair Heavenly Girl in the sky.


    Out of the two Heavenly Maidens, ¡®Pain¡¯ was already at the Seventh Realm, while ¡®Despair¡¯ remained at the Sixth Realm, slightly weaker in power.


    Cameron Brown¡¯s eyes turned increasingly blood-red: ¡°Stop! You are nothing but failed experimental rejects! Who gave you the audacity to challenge your master? Stop, all of you!¡±


    He would not allow anyone to harm his benefactor!


    Especially not those two Abyss Weapons, which had been made by him and Zhen Hao, as part of numerous Deputy Chairman-approved projects, personally executed by them¡ªthe so-called defective experiments.


    Lin Xi felt an instinctive response and glanced downward at Cameron Brown.


    Her eyes instantly burned with intense disgust, hatred, and murderous intent.


    This man was the chief supervisor of the long-ago ¡®Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯ project.


    Lin Xi still vividly remembered, fourteen years ago, she and Lin Yi lying in cultivation tanks, watching this man and Zhen Hao as they devised every manner of cruelty to toy with them.


    Dissection, slicing, organ removal, injection experiments¡ªevery horror that Lin Xi refused to recall.


    Especially after the project¡¯s failure, their carefully planned rebellion was brutally suppressed, and the Longevity Association¡¯s torment grew even worse.


    Until their mother, unable to bear it any longer, used a top-secret Longevity Association project to blackmail the organization, allowing them to escape their nightmare and lead normal lives.


    But the mother who gave them new life was killed¡ªexecuted¡ªby this very man and his team!


    ¡°Die!¡± Far away, Lin Yi, eyes blood-red, stretched her hand out toward Cameron Brown.


    She wanted this scum to die twisted in endless pain!


    Cameron Brown let out a sudden, miserable wail. His body contorted unnaturally, every bone within him shattering into dust with resounding cracks.


    Even worse than his physical anguish was the pain within¡ªit was undoubtedly the most extreme pain imaginable! It was unbearable even for someone whose cultivation bloodline was Ninth Realm Emperor Rank.


    Lin Xi wanted Lin Yi¡¯s Pain to torment Cameron Brown for longer.


    But she ultimately could not suppress the hatred boiling in her heart: ¡°Disgusting filth!¡±


    This beast deserved to die in utter despair!


    In that instant, black flames engulfed Cameron Brown¡¯s entire body.


    These flames, a fusion of the Concept of Destruction and Lin Xi¡¯s Yang Element power, formed the Destruction Divine Flame, burning Cameron Brown¡¯s body.


    Cameron Brown¡¯s body began descending involuntarily, and with every meter he fell, a portion of his physical body and Primordial Spirit burned away.

 Chapter 721: 670 Twist Dough Strips_2

    Chapter 721: Chapter 670 Twist Dough Strips_2


    After just 4720 meters, Cameron Brown¡¯s body and Primordial Spirit dissolved into black ash, vanishing completely!


    300 kilometers to the south, Lin Rui stood suspended in midair, his hands behind his back, gazing coldly at the battle unfolding in the core of the city.


    ¡°Keep an eye on the surroundings. Don¡¯t let these guys escape. Since they refuse to leave the Longevity Association, let them die.¡±


    At this moment, the two East Asia Honorary Members standing behind Xu Mengran winced slightly upon hearing his words.


    These were five Honorary Members and seven Quasi-Members!


    The total number of individuals in the Earth Federation who had achieved Honorary Member status was barely 120, even with freelancers included. This was far weaker than any single nation on Sky Extreme Star.


    Would all of these people meet their end here today?


    The two instinctively wanted to voice a protest, but shut their mouths under Xu Mengran¡¯s subtle hint.


    This chairman of the Forest Group had a life-or-death feud with the Longevity Association, and the appearance of an additional Honorary Member within the Longevity Association posed a huge threat to Lin Rui and Linghu Mingde. They had no grounds to intervene.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Lin Xi and Lin Yi followed their elder brother¡¯s orders without hesitation.


    In a fraction of a moment, a distant Honorary Member frantically trying to flee had his body grotesquely twisted, exploding into a cloud of black ash.


    Everyone present shuddered. That person was likely Igor Bodley, a rising star of the last seventy years.


    Though his current influence was limited and he had not yet entered Congress as an Honorary Member, media predictions suggested he had no more than ten years before joining the ranks of true Honorary Members in Congress.


    ¡°I surrender! Don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯ll leave the Longevity Association!¡± On the outskirts of Ninth Base City, a frantic Honorary Member in blue-painted battle armor roared.


    He didn¡¯t have time for words, resorting to using Divine Thought to project his intent outward.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sign a Divine Contract! Right now! You¡¯re all damn lunatics. Using this level of weaponry inside the base city¡ª!¡±


    But the powers of despair and pain continued to envelop him mercilessly.


    The Honorary Member¡¯s pupils narrowed slightly as he kept pleading through Divine Thought: ¡°You can hire me in the future! As many times as you want, just pay me¡ªeven if you pay 80%, 75%, 70% of my bakery prices! I, Firepower Mad Bear Balder Martinez, will never say no as long as there¡¯s time!¡±


    The forces of destruction and distortion finally halted.


    Balder Martinez opened his face mask, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead.


    Not daring to delay further, he shouted again: ¡°Duke Houston, Ji Fanjing, old Ji! Do you have a Dragon Skin Paper of Ninth Realm? Lend me one! Count it as me owing you! Hurry up!¡±


    Though the destructive and warped forces had ceased obliterating his physical form, they continued to strain his exoskeleton armor with creaking sounds.


    ¡®Firepower Mad Bear¡¯ Balder Martinez felt a deep pang in his heart; his armor, Emperor Bear Mark IX SSS-grade, cost him a staggering 240 billion federal coins. He then spent an additional 70 billion federal coins to equip it with twelve extremely powerful floating cannons, earning his notorious nickname.


    Ji Fanjing and ¡®Flame Dragon Sword¡¯ Duke Houston both winced slightly at his words.


    They had both been forced to promise their withdrawal from the Longevity Association earlier. Though Duke Houston hadn¡¯t signed a Divine Contract, he was a man of his word.


    Thus, when the ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing had arrived, the two had refrained from further engagement.


    And now it appeared to have been a wise decision¡ªotherwise, they might have found themselves in Balder Martinez¡¯s humiliating predicament, yelling for mercy.


    Duke Houston didn¡¯t carry any Dragon Skin Paper with him and ignored the request. Ji Fanjing, after brief thought, handed one over. After some hesitation, he also tossed a sheet to Duke Houston.


    Duke Houston¡¯s expression shifted between pale and ashen, but he still accepted it. Seeing Linghu Mingde¡¯s gaze locked on him, he knew the Divine Contract was unavoidable; he had to sign it.


    In just this short duration, yet another Congressional Honorary Member and two Quasi-Members¡¯ bodies were twisted apart, exploding under the powers of Despair Heavenly Maiden and Pain Heavenly Maiden.


    The remaining individuals, including ¡®Phoenix¡¯ Karina Frey, imitated Balder Martinez¡¯s actions. Each took out their Ninth Realm Dragon Skin Paper and signed their respective Divine Contracts.


    Around half of them were merely mercenaries hired by the Longevity Association, not core members, and their surrender came swiftly.


    Atop the Sky Blue Group building, Fang Kongfang swallowed hard, thinking to himself: What would my elder brother think about this situation?


    Ranran¡¯s boyfriend is no ordinary man. Though his cultivation level was merely at the Sixth Realm, his talent was unprecedented in the Federation¡¯s last 800 years. Moreover, the power he wielded was formidable¡ªthree and a half Quasi-Members, seven Super Emperor Eight Realms combatants, and even wielding two Abyss Weapons...


    The battle for control over Sky Blue Group seemed settled; it was destined to become Lin Rui and Fang Ranran¡¯s empire.


    No matter how much his nephew was favored by their elder brother, he would only have the fate of a rich idler or end up working for his sister, just like Fang Kongfang himself did within the group.


    Turning, Fang Kongfang issued orders: ¡°Spread the word. Fully cooperate with the Forest Group to blockade the Star Port. Warn all corporations and families in Ninth Base City: From now on, they must seriously reconsider working with the Longevity Association. Those who already have dealings with them should terminate them as soon as possible! Otherwise, they¡¯ll not only be opposing ¡®Forest Rui Fang¡¯, but the Sky Blue Group as well.¡±


    After today, his niece¡¯s husband would stand as the undisputed ruler of Ninth Base City.


    Fang Kongfang didn¡¯t want their family¡¯s friends to act rashly and end up caught in Lin Rui¡¯s crosshairs.


    Just then, Fang Kongfang exclaimed in surprise as a deafening explosion resounded across the sky.


    He focused his gaze upwards, spotting the colossal ¡®Dead-Eye Demon.¡¯ Its bloodline power reaching the Ninth SSS Realm, its Primordial Spirit had already been largely eradicated by Despair Heavenly Maiden, with the remaining fragments grotesquely twisted. Unable to endure any longer, its body exploded under the forces of Pain Heavenly Maiden, scattering blood across the skies in a grim spectacle.


    ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing realized that the life expectancy of his own physical form was now pitifully short.


    With the Dead-Eye Demon¡¯s demise, he could no longer sustain himself.


    In an instant, Yi Duxing¡¯s physical form was forcibly twisted a dozen times, resembling a mangled rope.


    Yet he remained stoic, glaring coldly at Lin Rui: ¡°Interesting. I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d make those two Abyss Weapons operational. I don¡¯t know how you achieved this, but we¡¯ll return. We¡¯ll find the truth! I, Yi Duxing, will make you regret today¡ª¡±


    Before Yi Duxing could finish, his body exploded into a cloud of blood, scattering into the sky.


    Lin Xi coldly surveyed the scene below, obliterating Yi Duxing¡¯s remains completely with her destructive Divine Power.


    She knew Yi Duxing hadn¡¯t truly perished. A Senior Divine Envoy from Sky Extreme Star was almost impossible to kill. Coupled with the Earth Federation¡¯s advanced technologies, their life force became exceedingly resilient.


    Yi Duxing, nearly a Super Divine Envoy, was exceptionally hard to eliminate.


    Lin Xi thought to herself, ¡°You won¡¯t get the chance. I¡¯ll never allow you to avenge your grudge against my brother and us.¡±


    She then summoned her will, causing the fingertips of the ¡®Despair Heavenly Dragon¡¯ to seep blood.


    Flying toward Lin Xi, the blood wrapped around her body, seeping through her skin¡¯s pores into her system.


    This would infuse Lin Xi with vast quantities of Abyss Source Material from Despair Venerate. Though it brought heavy pollution, it would also rapidly enhance her physical capabilities to their limit, simultaneously strengthening her Divine Soul.


    Just like Shi Yan experienced rapid advancement to the Seventh Realm under Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯s guidance.


    From afar, Lin Rui watched, his face darkening. He immediately messaged his sister.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Xiao Xi, what are you doing? Are you trying to die? You¡¯re absorbing such heavily polluted blood from the Despair Heavenly Dragon!¡±


    Summer Breeze Whispers (Lin Xi): ¡°My cultivation is still too slow. I know you can purify it, brother, so please let me indulge myself just this once.¡±


    Lin Rui laughed bitterly. Purification was energy-intensive, and Lin Xi¡¯s shortcuts might carry unforeseen risks.


    He shook his head, replying: ¡°Never again! I mean it.¡±


    Having already acted before consulting him, Lin Rui could only agree. Could he stand by and let his little sister die?


    Lin Rui, in truth, wished for Lin Xi to reach the Seventh Realm as soon as possible.

 Chapter 722: 671: Turbulence

    Chapter 722: Chapter 671: Turbulence


    At the moment when the ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing and his Battle Dragon were torn apart by the two Great Abyss Battle Dragons.


    Shi Yan was at the edge of the Base City, watching this scene from afar.


    She, along with Gong Hengdao, Fei Yunlai, and others, had been fighting continuously. When Cameron Brown arrived, he brought not just a few Honorary Members and Quasi-Members, but also a large number of Eight Realms Martial Cultivators.


    As soon as these people arrived, they attempted to annihilate the battle group of these three.


    Shi Yan refused to show weakness, working together with Linghu Group¡¯s many Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners, engaging in a prolonged battle with the opponents.


    The Longevity Association had over twelve Eighth Realm Super Emperor Rank combat forces, and Yi Duxing brought three more upon his arrival.


    However, Shi Yan¡¯s Abyss Power and Immortal Mysterious Technique surpassed the concept of conventional Martial Arts, restraining the majority of the opponent¡¯s strength.


    But when the Despair and Suffering Heavenly Maiden appeared in the sky, these Armored Martial Cultivators from the Longevity Association lost all their fighting spirit, fleeing in panic from Ninth Base City in every possible way.


    Shi Yan was then able to spare time to observe the internal battle within Ninth Base City that had escalated to an ¡®Immortal¡¯ level.


    ¡°Is that Lin Yi and Lin Xi? Are they really Lin Rui¡¯s sisters? Despair and Suffering Heavenly Maidens? Are they the resurrection vessels for Despair and Suffering Heavenly Venerates?¡±


    Her gaze was filled with shock and incredulity.


    On one hand, Shi Yan was shocked by the power displayed by these two, and on the other hand, she was shocked by Yi Duxing¡¯s death¡ª after all, he was the well-known ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ of the Earth Federation!


    Since the appearance of ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing, Shi Yan had been worried that if Lin Rui couldn¡¯t resist the Longevity Association, he could only resort to using his Divine Artifact ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, or forcibly drag Shi Yan there to have Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable withstand those two Abyss Battle Dragons and nine Demon weapons.


    Not to mention that the current Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable doesn¡¯t have this ability, even if he did, he would exhaust the last bit of Primordial Qi and Divine Soul.


    Unexpectedly, Lin Yi and Lin Xi turned out to be the Despair and Suffering Heavenly Maidens, who actually managed to control the two Abyss Battle Dragons, crushing ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing and annihilating the forces of the Longevity Association!


    Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯s ethereal voice echoed in Shi Yan¡¯s mind: ¡°So it¡¯s Pain and Despair; the depth of your BOSS¡¯s foundation is far more profound than we imagined. To be honest, I had long felt something off with Lin Rui¡¯s two sisters. They both had a certain Abyss aura about them. But back then, when I observed them, perhaps they had already been purified by Lin Rui, and the aura was not that intense, so I didn¡¯t think in the direction of Abyssal vessels.¡±


    Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯s voice paused: ¡°They may not even be vessels of the Abyss. Judging by their conditions, they could indeed be the true Pain and Despair.¡±


    ¡°The true Pain and Despair?¡± Shi Yan raised an eyebrow: ¡°Weren¡¯t these two Heavenly Venerates already fallen? Judging by their appearance, they don¡¯t seem like they have been resurrected.¡±


    Otherwise, their power wouldn¡¯t just be at the Immortal level.


    According to what she learned from Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable, Martial Cultivators from Divine Envoy Level to Immortal Level primarily shifted their cultivation direction towards the concept.


    Martial Cultivators from Divine Envoy Level to Senior Divine Envoy, and then to Super Divine Envoy, generally had Conceptual Power intensity ranging from 45% to 70%.


    However, to truly enter the Immortal Level, one must conceptualize their Martial Intent to at least 65% or more to possibly step into the Immortal Realm.


    Between Immortal and Quasi-Abyss Realm, it ranges from 71% to 99%.


    Just now, the Conceptual Power of the Pain and Despair Heavenly Maidens reached at most 90%, not even reaching the Quasi-Abyss level.


    ¡°Why is it impossible?¡± Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable chuckled lightly: ¡°At least in my view, we are no longer ourselves after entering the Root. It is we outside of the Root who are the true selves.¡±


    Shi Yan was taken aback, glancing once more at the two Heavenly Maidens who were slowly descending from the sky.


    An ordinary person couldn¡¯t look directly at a God, but Shi Yan was no ordinary person.


    Moreover, those two in the sky hadn¡¯t yet shown the power of God Level.


    She thought, according to Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯s words, could it be that Lin Rui¡¯s two sisters are indeed the true ¡®God¡¯?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    About 3 seconds later, the Pain and Despair Battle Dragons followed their main bodies into the high-speed tunnel leading to Rui Fang Port Base.


    Lin Rui had long prepared an oversized Sleeping Cabin over there for their maintenance, intended to preserve these two Abyss Battle Dragons.


    In the future, they will also serve as guardian deities for the Rui Fang Biological Prosthetics Research Institute and Port Base, ensuring the safety of Lin Rui¡¯s core industry area.


    With the departure of the Pain and Despair Battle Dragons, the Abyss Divine Power and Conceptual Power that pervaded the skies over Ninth Base City also vanished.


    The interior of the Base City began to brighten gradually, even though the artificial sun was damaged, there were backup light sources within the base.


    As the battle ended, those backup power supplies were activated one by one, illuminating the entire city once more.


    At various locations, police stations, the Armed Police Force, and defense forces, as well as the fire departments, all launched operations in accordance with the ¡®Urban War Emergency Plan¡¯, starting emergency repairs of circuits, clearing passageways, and assisting the wounded.


    In the core commercial district, many Eight Realms and Ninth Realm experts watching the battle fell silent, each one watching Lin Rui and the departing figure of the Heavenly Maiden sisters with various emotions: some in shock, some in fear, some in dissatisfaction, and some in joy.


    Yang Lingxiao¡¯s complexion turned as black as the bottom of a pot, his eyes dark and cold.


    Watching Lin Rui and his siblings disappear from view, he aggressively flicked his sleeve and vanished from the rooftop of the Taiyi Biological Group headquarters.


    Qi Tianquan¡¯s face was deathly pale with no color of blood; after standing silently for a while, he despondently flashed away.


    Fang Kongfang swiftly maneuvered his Battle Armor down the rooftop of the Sky Blue Group headquarters.


    Following this, he had many tasks to handle, from reporting to Fang Xianzheng, dealing with inquiries and flattery from various acquaintances.


    Most critically, he needed to contact Fang Ranran and Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui was a director of the Sky Blue Group, and his great victory over the Longevity Association included their share.


    Linghu Mingde, with hands behind his back, gazed at the artificial sun track above: ¡°These Longevity Association terrorists are atrocious beyond belief! This damage to the artificial sun is severe; it needs complete reconstruction. Old Xu! We might need some financial aid from the East Asia side and the Federation Government for our city.¡±


    Even the concrete walls surrounding the base had collapsed partly due to his sword power. These walls were not just the arched load-bearing walls within the Base City, but also the insulation layer, effectively reducing the loss of heat and air within the Base City.


    Xu Mengran was speechless upon hearing this, thinking that wasn¡¯t this exactly what you and Lin Rui were aiming for?


    With Longevity Association¡¯s government officials slaughtered, the artificial sun damaged, and the outer load-bearing walls also destroyed, all resistance to Ninth Base City¡¯s expansion disappeared.


    However, the expansion of Ninth Base City was a good thing for the vast majority.


    Xu Mengran¡¯s eyes were bright, looking intently at Lingh Mingde: Linghu, did you already know about the power of those sisters? I want to know how long they can last at most? And the state of their bodies? This is critical, Linghu!


    Xu Mengran didn¡¯t dare say this out loud in public and directly sent a message to Linghu Mingde via Quantum Communication.


    In the final stage of the battle, Xu Mengran had noticed subtle signs of cracking on the delicate skin of the sisters.


    Their bodies were evidently struggling to withstand the Abyss Source Material and Conceptual Power of the ¡®Pain¡¯ and ¡®Despair¡¯ Heavenly Dragons.


    Xu Mengran wanted to know how long the two sisters could sustain the Longevity power, how they bore the Abyss Pollution, whether they could again wield and command the ¡®Pain¡¯ and ¡®Despair¡¯ Heavenly Dragons, the state of the sisters¡¯ bodies, whether they could survive, and for how long?


    This was crucial for the East Asia Republic and the Earth Federation! Should the people of Tianji invade the stars in the future, this ¡®Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯ duo might be an essential resistance force for the Earth Federation.


    In addition, some forbidden zones within the Sky Etreme Star require Immortal Level standing to explore.


    Linghu Mingde shook his head, smiling as he responded: You need to ask Lin Rui or judgment yourself. This is Lin Rui¡¯s core secret, don¡¯t ask me.


    He glanced at the empty headquarters of the Forest Group.


    He had learned of the Lin Xi sisters¡¯ situation a month before the operation through Lin Rui¡¯s report, discovering they had such an ace up their sleeves.


    Lin Rui mentioned Lin Xi sisters¡¯ combat time could last about one minute or so.


    However, Linghu Mingde long noticed that Lin Xi sisters had very little Abyss Pollution on them.


    Coupled with the abnormal purification effect observed in himself post three surgeries, both in armament and soul, Linghu Mingde could deduce some key information.


    Lin Xi sisters were merely Abyss Weapons, but their brother might be a higher-level existence¡ª


    Of course, the sisters¡¯ future is also immeasurable. They can currently only sustain combat for about a minute, but in the future?


    In the future, they could ascend to Level Nine, or even Immortal.


    Linghu Mingde thought of Ranran; despite her merely above-average talent, she had the luckiest streak in finding a boyfriend.


    At this moment, Linghu Mingd received a call from the Capital Ship.


    ¡°Presidential Chief of Staff?¡±


    Linghu Mingde was not surprised at all and answered promptly.


    He presumed that at this time, the President must be personally calling Lin Rui.


    His disciple, Ji Fanjing, was not wrong; in today¡¯s age, strength reigns supreme, and power dictates all.


    Now, Lin Rui had shown strength capable of contending with the Longevity Association.


    This battle at Ninth Base City would surely stir up waves across the Earth Federation, even possibly altering the internal dynamics of the Federation.


    Linghu Mingde had already seen his email inbox amass over 1000 unread messages in less than a minute, alongside more than a hundred communication requests


    He also sensed countless projected screens lighting up in buildings and shelters below, broadcasting the news about this Immortal level war at Ninth Base City.

 Chapter 723: 672 Divine Emblem

    Chapter 723: Chapter 672 Divine Emblem


    Lin Rui indeed received a video call from the current President. The President showed no intention of reprimanding or holding him accountable. He didn¡¯t even mention Lin Rui¡¯s act of initiating a war in Ninth Base City. Instead, he was full of concern for Lin Rui, showing great care for this Federation-famous entrepreneur who had suffered persecution from the Longevity Association.


    After chatting briefly, Lin Rui suddenly looked astonished and said, ¡°You want me to serve as the Presidential Financial and Commerce Advisor? Mr. President, I think I¡¯m too inexperienced for this role.¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself that he only had a partial understanding of finance, yet now he was being asked to be the President¡¯s Financial and Commerce Advisor?


    In the Federation¡¯s system, the President¡¯s advisors and assistants wield significant authority, comparable to the Ritual Supervision Bureau of the Ming Dynasty and the Ministerial Supervision Bureau of the Han Dynasty. Together with the President¡¯s Chief of Staff, they constituted the ¡®Ministerial Supervision¡¯ of the Presidential Mansion.


    The Financial Advisor was responsible for assisting the President in managing government organizations such as the Commerce Department, Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau, and the Federation Central Bank, among others. They provided financial advice, implemented the President¡¯s financial strategies, and coordinated interactions with Congress¡¯s Finance Committee.


    Lin Rui instantly understood that the President intended to utilize his power to suppress the financial world, especially the so-called ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ and a group of financial magnates in Eighth Base City.


    Lin Rui was well aware that the Financial Emperor, Yi Duxing, could not be dead. Martial Cultivators who had reached Candidate Divine Envoy and Divine Envoy levels were impossible to kill.


    Their True Spirit would remain immortal under the Heavenly Curtain.


    Especially Armored Martial Cultivators. Unless their ¡®main body¡¯ and ¡®alien body¡¯ were both destroyed entirely, they would eventually return from the Heavenly Curtain.


    Moreover, the Longevity Association still possessed technology to resurrect Vice Divine Envoys and Candidate Divine Envoys.


    Right now, it was only unclear what state Yi Duxing was in¡ªwhether he¡¯d be directly resurrected or would need several years. Upon resurrection, would he return with his full strength from his prime?


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t this be appropriate? In East Asia, there¡¯s a saying: ¡®Wisdom does not depend on age, and empty words mean nothing even if one lives a hundred years.''¡±


    In the video, the current President was extremely courteous, his smile warm and approachable: ¡°Mr. Lin, you started your business from scratch and built such an impressive empire in just over a year. Your unique insights into commerce and finance are undoubtedly exceptional.


    Even if there are areas where you are uncertain, you can always consult think tanks, right? Besides, the Bright Front, to which you belong, is already part of our ruling alliance. That¡¯s why I firmly believe this position is perfect for you.¡±


    And the most critical factor¡ªthis position of Financial and Commerce Advisor required outstanding competence above all else.


    The person on the other end, Mr. Lin, despite his young age and cultivation still at the Sixth Realm, had just moments ago directly defeated the Financial Emperor Yi Duxing and taken out a faction of the Longevity Association.


    The strength displayed was undeniably sufficient. Judging from the earlier battle, this man commanded three and a half quasi-members of Congress, seven Super Emperors of Eight Realms, and two commercial groups that were amassing wealth daily¡ªhis financial resources were substantial.


    There were also those two Abyss Weapons that had spectacularly crushed Yi Duxing alive!


    Although Lin Rui was not yet a Congressional Honorary Member, his overall power far surpassed that of most Honorary Members, making him someone the Federation Government must ally with. Without such an alliance, his slightest dissatisfaction with the government could destabilize the very foundation of the Federal structure.


    The current President genuinely wished to leverage Lin Rui¡¯s influence to subdue the financial world and to better regulate the banking and finance industry.


    The financial elites in the Federation were akin to octopuses feeding on the corpse of the Earth Federation itself. They exploited loopholes in regulations and even manipulated Federation laws, relentlessly pursuing personal gain.


    After financial groups in Eighth Base City merged with the Longevity Association, their behavior became even more unrestrained.


    This position of Presidential Financial and Commerce Advisor absolutely required someone with exceptional power, as well as integrity¡ªto avoid colluding with the financial elites.


    Mr. Lin was ideal for the role, not only for his fearlessness toward Yi Duxing but also for his deep-seated hatred for the Longevity Association.


    The current President had long sought to increase regulation over the financial sector and amend certain financial laws but lacked sufficient political support for such moves.


    Lin Rui was naturally eager to accept.


    Taking on the role of the Presidential Financial and Commerce Advisor meant resigning from his current position as a permanent member of the National Budget Committee. However, in terms of power and status, the two roles were worlds apart.


    Plus, he was currently struggling to find effective means to strike against the Longevity Association. Being the Presidential Financial and Commerce Advisor was an excellent opportunity¡ªit gave him control over the Association¡¯s financial resources.


    As the President mentioned, even if he lacked knowledge in the financial and commercial sectors, he could employ consultants to aid him. How expensive could hiring a finance think tank possibly be?


    Although the idea of a Presidential Advisor hiring external advisors might sound odd, this practice had been common on Earth Federation for thousands of years.


    The President subtly shifted the topic to probe Lin Xi¡¯s and Lin Yi¡¯s situation, but Lin Rui expertly deflected the questions.


    Lin Rui would never foolishly allow outsiders to uncover the true state of his two sisters. Uncertainty was the most fearsome and intimidating status.


    The President then lowered his ambitions, inquiring whether Lin Xi and Lin Yi would be willing to accept positions within the Federation Government. He also revealed that he had proposed to the Federation Defense Ministry and Congressional committees to grant Lin Rui the title of ¡®Four-Star Marshal¡¯ in the National Guard and the role of National Guard Commander of Ninth Base City, encouraging the siblings to contribute more to the nation.


    Although these were militia ranks and roles, they were genuine military titles and responsibilities, which came with a certain degree of actual power, far superior to the token positions in the reserve forces.


    Lin Rui would have authority to inspect all training and equipment of the National Guard in Ninth Base City. Moreover, in the event the Federation issued a mobilization order, Lin Rui would directly command all National Guard units in Ninth Base City.


    Shortly afterward, Lin Rui received a call from Mayor Huo. Mayor Huo began furiously condemning the Longevity Association and their terroristic acts, his tone filled with rage and indignation.


    The profound impact of the Abyss Divine Weapons and nine demonic armaments deployed by the Longevity Association had deeply shaken Huo Bangguo.


    Huo Bangguo was somewhat familiar with the background of the Double Heavenly Maidens, the Abyss Divine Weapons¡ªthese matters involved Abyss research. High-ranking government officials and several Federation Academicians had repeatedly assured him there would be no issues, leaving him resigned.


    However, he was entirely ignorant of the demonic armaments developed by the Longevity Association. Their research facilities had made no reports, leaving him infuriated and unsettled, his scalp tingling as he privately counted his lucky stars.


    Next, Huo Bangguo expressed great concern for Lin Rui¡¯s situation, making bold assurances that upon his return, efforts would be fully dedicated to eradicating remnants of the Longevity Association and combating corruption, thereby granting the citizens of Ninth Base City a clear and peaceful sky. He also vowed to push forward the city¡¯s urban expansion plan with maximum effort.


    Huo Bangguo believed the previous proposal from the Bright Front was solid. It suggested expanding the city to a 5,000-kilometer diameter while establishing twelve satellite city interfaces. This would not only provide massive job opportunities during the construction phase but also relocate citizens from Lower Zones en masse, improving security and further thriving the city¡¯s core.


    However, the proposal undoubtedly stomped on the profits of real estate tycoons entrenched within the city, who relied on collecting rent. These tycoons were the main reason behind the urban expansion plan¡¯s stagnation in recent months.


    They had invested immense resources and gone to extraordinary lengths to resist the expansion. Although the Lin Family, Linghu Family, and Fang Family alliance nominally controlled the city council, a portion of councilors always defected during voting.


    Huo Bangguo himself faced significant obstacles due to the influence of these tycoons, with resistance mounting throughout the municipal government and hindering progress.


    However, all of that could now be put to rest. With the appearance of the Double Heavenly Maidens, even the Federation Government had to treat Lin Rui deferentially¡ªwho would dare to challenge him?


    Further, Lin Rui¡¯s wanton purge of government officials during this ordeal, though nominally targeting Longevity Association members, had revealed his disregard for the current Federation rules.


    ¡ªAfter all, this man was none other than the notorious ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯! A complete madman!


    When an elephant remains calm and abides by the rules, you¡¯d be wise not to provoke it into destroying them.


    Moreover, with many senior government officials assassinated by Longevity Association terrorists, numerous key positions in the municipal government were left vacant. Mayor Huo inquired whether Lin Rui had any recommendations for filling these roles, promising priority consideration for his suggestions.


    Mayor Huo also praised the willingness of the Forest-Rui Fang Group to shoulder all medical and compensation expenses for casualties in the terror attack, and expressed gratitude for Lin Rui¡¯s individual donation of 100 billion federal coins to rebuild the city and cover heating costs for citizens during the artificial sun¡¯s downtime.


    Lastly, Mayor Huo asked Lin Rui to fully support the municipal government¡¯s work to ensure public safety in Ninth Base City, and requested he assume the role of Honorary Commander of the Base Defense Force.


    Just as he concluded his conversation with Mayor Huo, Lin Rui received a priority message marked with the highest urgency.


    Wang Yinyue: ¡°BOSS, I¡¯ve cracked the database you provided. I think you should come over right now to take a look.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately flashed toward Wang Yinyue¡¯s lab.


    Though plenty of post-battle cleanup remained, with countless emails and communication requests piling up in the electronic system, Lin Rui temporarily ignored them all.


    After arriving, and with Wang Yinyue¡¯s assistance, Lin Rui quickly browsed through the vast amounts of video data within the database.


    The surveillance footage here was extensive¡ªXue Bogao hadn¡¯t just monitored the government housing area but, through internal Security Bureau permissions, controlled a total of 320 holographic HD cameras within the base and its surroundings, with recordings spanning ten years.


    What caught Lin Rui¡¯s attention most was the footage surrounding the death and resurrection of ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ and ¡®Xue Bogao.¡¯


    Wang Yinyue had already prepared the footage in advance, thoughtfully combining angles into a single high-definition holographic video composite.


    Lin Rui concentrated intensely, meticulously watching the footage, especially his own ¡®death and resurrection¡¯ events.


    He replayed the key parts five times in disbelief, feeling a splitting headache afterward. His mind was overrun by unfamiliar images¡ªwere they memories that truly belonged to him?


    Wang Yinyue stood nearby, visibly uneasy and concerned as she observed Lin Rui. To her astonishment, the ¡®Sun¡¯ emblem emerged between his brows, and his pupils turned platinum.


    Wang Yinyue recognized the divine seal¡ªit was unmistakably the Divine Emblem of the Great Sun Venerable!


    However, surrounding the blazing sun symbol was a layer of white flame. Within the sun¡¯s core, lightning-like patterns flickered, puzzling Wang Yinyue as she failed to decipher their meaning.

 Chapter 724: 673: The Frenzy

    Chapter 724: Chapter 673: The Frenzy


    On the southern side of the Ninth Base City¡¯s military dormitory district, an elderly man, dressed in an admiral¡¯s uniform, his hair graying yet posture tall and erect like a pine tree, with a stern and commanding presence, was staring intently at the news being broadcast on the holographic television.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªLadies and gentlemen watching on television! This is the footage we captured on-site. You can see that the video imagery is very blurry, particularly in areas closer to the two Abyss Battle Dragons, where the distortion becomes severe.¡±


    ¡°According to the information we¡¯ve gathered, all devices inside the Base City that attempted to directly record the two Abyss Battle Dragons¡ªwhether video cameras or sensory equipment¡ªexperienced varying degrees of damage. This operates under the premise of the ¡®rule of not gazing directly into the Abyss,¡¯ which means even technological devices cannot visually capture the Abyss itself!¡±


    ¡°Citizens of the Ninth Base City should vividly recall that, at the moment the two Abyss Battle Dragons appeared, it was impossible to raise one¡¯s head. Many in the core district suffered mental shocks, some so overwhelming that they were forced to kneel under pressure. Fortunately, both Heavenly Maidens appeared simultaneously, restraining and containing the powers of the dragons; otherwise, numerous individuals would have been mentally broken or polluted!¡±


    ¡°Now look at this footage. Around the Ninth Base City, nine Demon Weapons appeared. It¡¯s said their bloodline power reached the level of the Super Monarch of Ninth Realm. Yet, following the appearance of the Heavenly Maiden of Despair and Pain, it took less than three seconds for them to be torn apart! As the imagery of the bodies exploding is excessively graphic and potentially harmful due to Abyss pollution, we¡¯ve censored the footage with pixelation, and we ask for the audience¡¯s understanding.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, this immensely powerful figure¡ªrumored to have reached the Super Divine Envoy Level¡ªthe ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing was killed by the Heavenly Maiden of Despair and Pain in a mere 37 seconds.¡±


    ¡°This is the Abyss Battle Dragon! They showcased Immortal Level power in this combat! This marks the Earth Federation¡¯s first public revelation of beings that have entered the Immortal Level domain, and these two dragons are currently under the control of Rui Fang and the chairman of Forest Group, current Congressman Lin Rui,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rumored that the true identities of the Heavenly Maiden of Despair and Pain are Lin Xi and Lin Yi, Abyss Weapons secretly created by the Longevity Association and adopted in childhood by Lin Rui¡¯s family.¡±


    The white-haired elder squinted slightly as he gazed at the holographic television, which displayed a photo of the three siblings. He stared for a long moment before switching channels.


    Today, all major television networks were broadcasting coverage related to the Ninth Base City¡¯s terrorist attack and news about the two Abyss Battle Dragons, as well as hosting political commentary programs.


    Even entertainment channels were interrupting their regular programming with breaking news bulletins.


    ¡°Breaking news today: The Ninth Base City was subjected to a massive terrorist attack! According to a statement released by the Federation Government¡¯s spokesperson, the terrorist organization known as the Longevity Association orchestrated an operation starting at noon today. They assassinated numerous government officials, including Adam Rayner, the Customs Chief of Ninth Base City, and Xu Feiyu, the Naval Commander. Ultimately, they activated Abyss Weapons and Demon Weapons secretly developed by the Longevity Association in an attempt to destroy the Ninth Base City. Their actions were cruel, malicious, and utterly reprehensible!¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the heroic efforts of Federation Congress Honorary Member Linghu Mingde and Congressman Lin Rui, the Longevity Association¡¯s heinous plot was thwarted.¡±


    ¡°Let us observe the footage from the scene. It¡¯s said to have been captured by state-of-the-art municipal equipment, providing the clearest imagery of the moment. In this footage, we can see Congressman Lin Rui and his two sisters, Lin Xi and Lin Yi, flying into the sky and commanding the two Abyss Battle Dragons.¡±


    The white-haired elder¡¯s expression turned peculiar as he watched.


    He was a high-ranking official in the Military Intelligence Bureau and privy to the true nature of this war.


    Since the first assassination within the Base¡¯s interior, he had closely monitored the developing situation within the city.


    During the climactic battle between the Longevity Association and the Forest Group, the elder had even ventured close to the battlefield to observe the war up close.


    Thus, he understood that this Immortal Level battle in the Ninth Base City was entirely instigated by Lin Rui.


    And now the Federation was pinning all blame and fault on the Longevity Association and the ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing?


    He chuckled, his lips curling into a faintly sarcastic smile.


    Was it even conceivable that the perpetrators of these egregious acts could be anyone but Congressman Lin Rui, who possessed two Abyss Weapons?


    Would the Federation dare hold someone accountable who commanded two Immortal Level forces?


    This was, in truth, a template the Federation Government had followed for over two centuries whenever responding to major public safety incidents: they were compelled to downplay their stance and bow in deference to such supreme individuals.


    Even his grandson, notorious for his ruthlessly bloody methods, was no exception.


    Switching to another channel¡ª


    ¡°¡ª¡ªWe demand answers from the government: were you aware of the Longevity Association¡¯s research? How could they place such dangerous experiments at the heart of the Ninth Base City?¡±


    ¡°Currently, a large number of Federation citizens have taken to the streets, preparing to initiate protests against the government.¡±


    ¡°From video footage, scenes of military and police personnel working tirelessly on recovery efforts can be seen. They are rescuing survivors and clearing debris from the streets. Let¡¯s salute these admirable individuals.¡±


    Switching again¡ª


    ¡°Several Federation Academicians have jointly issued a plea urging Lin Xi and Lin Yi to cooperate with the Federation Science Academy¡¯s studies. They hope to understand the methods by which the two sisters resisted Abyss pollution, since this could lead to significant breakthroughs in human biotechnology.¡±


    ¡°One Federation Academician stated that, given the Federation¡¯s current level of biotechnology, it might be possible to further unlock the potential of the two Abyss Battle Dragons, potentially opening humanity¡¯s path to Longevity.¡±


    Switching once more¡ª


    ¡°Certainly! The battle in the Ninth Base City will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the Earth Federation¡¯s political landscape. Yes! The rise of the Forest¨CLinghu¨CSky Blue alliance is now inevitable!¡±


    ¡°You may not know this, but I¡¯ve heard an unconfirmed rumor suggesting that Lin Rui has already sent a clear message through the Sky Blue Group: from today forward, those who comply with the Ninth Base City will thrive, while those who oppose it will perish.¡±


    ¡°It seems the expansion plans for the Ninth Base City are finalized. Personally, I think this is a good thing. Even the residents of the Lower Zone deserve to see the sunlight. Actually, the city¡¯s artificial sun has become outdated¡ªit¡¯s more than 600 years old¡ªand now is the perfect time for replacement.¡±


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! I do have a question: in this terrorist incident, were those government officials killed at the beginning truly victims of the Longevity Association? I¡¯ve received a video that seems to show the ¡®Children¡¯s Song Killer¡¯ in action murdering¡ª¡±


    The video feed suddenly went black¡ªnot from a switch of channels but rather a signal cutoff.


    When the broadcast resumed, the guest speaker was gone, replaced by someone else.


    The white-haired elder thought this was hardly surprising. That political commentator was audacious enough not to consider the current circumstances before making such incendiary remarks.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªUndoubtedly, this was a terrorist act carried out by the Longevity Association! You¡¯ve seen those Abyss Weapons and Demon Weapons, correct? You might only be concerned about the dangers of their experiments, but you¡¯re unaware of the sheer cruelty behind them. According to reliable intelligence provided by insiders at the Security Bureau, it¡¯s suspected that annually, hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants within the Lower Zone have been used as disposable materials for their experiments. Lin Xi and Lin Yi had exceptionally tragic and painful childhoods until they were adopted by Lin Rui¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°However, I truly didn¡¯t expect the ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing to be connected to the Longevity Association, possibly even as one of its leaders.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, the Longevity Association shows no signs of surrendering yet. They are continuing to battle the Federation Security Bureau, with their attacks becoming even fiercer. Just within the past half hour, several more high-ranking Security Bureau officials have died or been injured. However, the Ninth Base City has calmed down substantially.¡±


    ¡°General Li Xianglong¡¯s counteroffensive has also been strikingly aggressive. Reportedly, he has destroyed yet another material distribution base belonging to the Longevity Association in outer space¡ªthis marks the seventh large base. Oddly, the other three generals in the Security Bureau have not made any significant moves.¡±


    Switching between several channels, the white-haired elder turned his attention to his communication device.


    In this short span of time, hundreds of emails had flooded his inbox.


    Most messages inquired¡ªAdmiral Lin, is it true that Rui Fang and Forest Group Chairman, Congressman Lin Rui, are your grandson?


    A portion of those more informed appeared to attempt leveraging him to connect with Lin Rui.


    Even his former superior was requesting his help in arranging a meeting with Lin Rui, hoping to engage with the congressman who also recently assumed the title of ¡®President¡¯s Financial and Business Advisor.¡¯


    The fact that the child had become the ¡®President¡¯s Financial and Business Advisor¡¯ didn¡¯t surprise him. Lin Rui¡¯s unification value now even surpassed that of Senior Divine Envoys.


    Yet, beneath his pride, the white-haired elder remained guilt-ridden.


    Indeed, Lin Rui was his true grandson, the offspring of his second son, Lin Cong.


    However, the elder felt utterly unworthy of addressing Lin Rui as ¡°grandfather.¡±


    Reflecting momentarily, he utilized a quantum-encrypted Military Intelligence Bureau channel to call his eldest son, Lin Da.


    Since the conclusion of the Ninth Base conflict, Lin Da had made several attempts to call, but Lin Jingxuan had been absorbed in processing intelligence and had yet to respond.


    Once connected, Lin Da¡¯s enthusiastic voice immediately filled the channel: ¡°Father, did you see today¡¯s battle? I truly didn¡¯t expect Yi and Xi to be so formidable¡ªthey tore Yi Duxing, the ¡®Financial Emperor,¡¯ apart!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    Lin Jingxuan sternly reprimanded before gravely saying, ¡°Contact Rui. Inform him I have urgent intelligence to share, and tell him to bring a top-tier Illusionist when he comes.¡±


    Cloaked within his subconscious was a string of digits his former daughter-in-law, Fu Xuexian, had implanted using special spiritual abilities.


    The code, a safe deposit box¡¯s address and key, had remained secure due to Lin Jingxuan¡¯s inability to recall or comprehend it in his woke state.


    Only now, triggered by the events, did the buried memory surface¡ª


    An instruction left by his wayward son prior to his escape, repeatedly urging him that if his grandchildren someday reached the pinnacle of Earth Federation¡¯s hierarchy, he must deliver the sequence to Lin Rui.


    Turning his gaze back to the television¡ª


    ¡°¡ª¡ªCongressman Lin Rui¡¯s spokesman has just issued a significant announcement, planning to allocate 100 billion federal coins from his personal live-streaming revenue. The funds will be used for the reconstruction within the Base City, as well as heating expenses for citizens during the artificial sun¡¯s downtime!¡±


    Lin Jingxuan¡¯s expression turned complicated as he thought about how Lin Rui had undoubtedly risen to stand among the Earth Federation¡¯s most powerful elites.

 Chapter 725: 674: The Expert

    Chapter 725: Chapter 674: The Expert


    When Yi Duxing stepped out of the basement sleeping cabin, he immediately sensed the presence of tens of situational awareness devices outside his manor villa, along with over a dozen different powerful spiritual senses probing into the interior of the villa.


    The security personnel of the manor villa, along with the numerous experts under Yi Duxing¡¯s command, were fully mobilized, their defenses strict and ready. However, they did not dare to expel the skilled individuals lurking outside.


    This made Yi Duxing both gratified and enraged.


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    Yi Duxing¡¯s immense Divine Soul instantly swept across an 800-kilometer radius outside the manor, not only freezing and confronting the Divine Souls and bodies of these Eight and even Ninth Realm experts but also declaring his return and existence to the outside world!


    The experts outside the manor immediately let out muffled groans. Though their bodies turned icy and stiff, they withdrew quickly from the vicinity of the villa with the utmost speed.


    Yi Duxing did not give chase. He frowned deeply, pressing his fingers against his temple as an unbearable headache overtook him.


    This was the inherent defect of artificial sky revival technology, a flaw that had yet to be resolved.


    The so-called ¡°artificial sky¡± essentially simulated everything within the ¡°sky curtain¡± of Tianji Star¡¯s atmosphere, replicating its materials and structures by harnessing the power of Tianji Star¡¯s ¡°Root.¡±


    For this reason, the artificial sky also inherited all the characteristics of the ¡°sky curtain.¡±


    The sole difference is that the artificial sky is controllable, subject to the direct oversight of the President and three Deputy Chairmen of the Longevity Association.


    Thus, even someone like Yi Duxing, granted the highest privileges, was required to make an equivalent exchange to emerge from the artificial sky.


    He had to sacrifice an equivalent amount of ¡°souls¡± to replicate his True Spirit and conscious self from within the artificial sky.


    These ¡°souls¡± were mostly extracted from the Lower Zone, meaning several Presidents and certain permanent council members of the Longevity Association controlled a portion of these Lower Zone livestock to serve as materials for resurrection.


    However, Yi Duxing, having utilized the souls of these livestock for his revival, naturally bore their ¡°pollution.¡±


    These were a group of parasites, entirely meaningless to the Federation and society, mere consumers of resources. Each had its own thoughts, obsessions, and lingering emotions from the moment of death¡ªpain, despair, resentment¡ªall of which became interwoven with Yi Duxing¡¯s Primordial Spirit, creating an unbearable mental tumult.


    After some moments, Yi Duxing¡¯s expression gradually relaxed.


    He temporarily sealed away these impurities using his freezing concept, waiting for his ¡°Death-Eye Demon¡± to handle them.


    Yi Duxing¡¯s ¡°Death-Eye Demon¡± was in the process of revival. Her concepts of death and exhaustion allowed for these impurities to gradually weaken and be eliminated, purifying his soul.


    Yi Duxing next extended his Divine Thought and Spiritual Sense again, intending to locate a few of those brazen individuals spying on his manor to make examples of them. However, to his disappointment, they had all fled far away from the villa and were now deeply concealed, rendering their trails untraceable.


    Yi Duxing could only once again unleash his Primordial Spirit Power and martial intent concepts, sweeping across all territories of the Eighth Base City to intimidate any potential troublemakers.


    In the process, Yi Duxing briefly clashed with the presence in the city¡¯s core district¡ªa rival equal to him in both business and strength.


    ¡°The Financial Sage!¡±


    Yi Duxing let out a soft snort, wiping the blood from the corner of his lips.


    This latest resurrection had come at a cost. First, the strength of this backup body was considerably weaker than his previous one.


    Second, problems with ¡°spirit and body integration¡± persisted. Although this body¡¯s prosthetic components were crafted by a top-tier Prosthetic Maker to replicate his original body¡¯s prosthetics perfectly, even matching the electromagnetic field properties exactly, Yi Duxing was still unable to achieve the true spirit and body integration he once had with his original form.


    Additionally, there was the Primordial Spirit issue¡ªthe powers of the Despair Heavenly Girl and the Suffering Heavenly Girl inflicted direct damage to his True Spirit within the sky curtain. After his soul was replicated, these injuries were fully transferred, leaving his current combat power at only 60% of his peak strength.


    He needed time to recuperate, dissipate, refine, and integrate in order to gradually restore his full strength.


    Yi Duxing then retrieved a backup communication terminal from his study desk, opened the quantum communication channel, and sent out several messages to reassure his subordinates.


    The core Martial Cultivator team of Beitian Financial Group had been loyal followers for years and were unlikely to waver easily. However, other factions relying on him were uncertain, and Yi Duxing needed to provide them with solid assurances to stabilize his financial empire.


    In this moment, his expression hardened as he received a message and four emails.


    The message came from the President¡¯s financial and business adviser¡ªmore accurately, a former adviser now.


    This former adviser was not only the chairman of a trillion-dollar finance company but also someone Yi Duxing had fully supported during the last election, leveraging the Longevity Association¡¯s resources to push him into prominence.


    However, this individual had already been dismissed by the President, who sent the message to inform Yi Duxing personally while seeking his assistance.


    Yi Duxing felt helpless; even with his eyes closed, he could predict whom the President would appoint as the replacement adviser.


    The current President of the Federation was decisive, strategic, and had grand ambitions to reform the Federation¡¯s commercial environment and eliminate entrenched corruption, though lacking in sufficient power to do so.


    Now, with an opportunity to suppress the financial sector, how could the President let it go?


    Especially since the Longevity Association was aiming for rebellion; why would the President show leniency?


    If the Association were dissatisfied, they could go complain to Lin Rui and risk the wrath of the Abyss Weapons.


    Among the four emails, three were from the Federation¡¯s Security Bureau¡¯s ¡°Anti-Terrorism Investigation Center¡± and ¡°Financial Crimes Investigation Division,¡± as well as the Ninth Base City¡¯s ¡°Inspectorate,¡± regarding investigations into charges that Yi Duxing had orchestrated and participated in terrorist activities, caused substantial casualties among government officials, and triggered mass civilian deaths in the Ninth Base City, including financial crimes. They demanded Yi Duxing appear for questioning.


    The fourth email came from Congress¡¯s ¡°Security Committee¡± and ¡°Honorary Member Management Committee.¡± Citing Yi Duxing¡¯s involvement in organizing, leading, and participating in terrorist organizations and planning major terrorist attacks in the Ninth Base City, the two committees issued a notice suspending all his congressional privileges while authorizing the Security Bureau to investigate and review his honorary member status.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Upon reading this, Yi Duxing clenched his fist tightly, his face dark and cold to the extreme. An icy aura surged outward, freezing his study and the lower half of the villa.


    He had expected waves of chaos in the wake of his debacle, knowing well that the Federation Government¡¯s establishment and conservative factions would retaliate fervently.


    However, these accusations disgusted him. When had he ever harmed government officials? All the deceased officials were members of the Longevity Association, killed by Martial Cultivators under Lin Rui!


    And when had he and the Longevity Association ever planned any terrorist attacks?


    Yi Duxing took a deep breath and suppressed his fury.


    There wasn¡¯t much to be angry about¡ªthe Earth Federation was already rotten to its core, devoid of a reason to exist.


    It wasn¡¯t a significant problem for him; he would merely need to spend a few hundred billion federal coins to wage a judicial battle.


    The Federation¡¯s judiciary first had to prove that the ¡°Yi Duxing¡± in the Ninth Base City was the real Yi Duxing; otherwise, they couldn¡¯t convict him.


    While rubbing his temples and trying to suppress the disturbances in his Primordial Spirit along with the growing pollution, a pair of jade-like hands suddenly appeared, gently pressing and massaging his temples.


    It was a beautiful woman with blood-red hair, striking features, and a blood-red eye embedded in the center of her forehead.


    ¡°Master, we don¡¯t have enough materials right now to resurrect Cameron Brown.¡±


    ¡ªIt was Yi Duxing¡¯s ¡°Death-Eye Demon!¡±


    This was a humanoid demon, capable of maintaining a human form so long as she hadn¡¯t entered combat mode or activated her special bloodline.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve already arranged for more materials to be gathered; there are billions of expendable lives in the Lower Zone of the Eighth Base City.¡±


    Yi Duxing enjoyed the Death-Eye Demon¡¯s massage while sensing the gradual death of the pollution within his Primordial Spirit.


    Regrettably, her concepts of exhaustion and death were only at 42%, meaning she couldn¡¯t truly eliminate the pollution.


    ¡°But there¡¯s no urgency in resurrecting Cameron Brown. Until our pollution is entirely resolved, bringing him back would only subject him to suffering.¡±


    The Death-Eye Demon nodded, then asked curiously, ¡°What about the internal affairs of the Longevity Association?¡±


    Cameron Brown was Yi Duxing¡¯s right-hand man, the representative and enforcer of Yi Duxing¡¯s will within the Longevity Association.


    ¡°Look at the state we¡¯re in¡ªwhy bother with the Longevity Association? Just an hour ago, Li Xianglong obliterated seven large bases of ours again. I can¡¯t stop him right now, and holding the position without acting achieves nothing. Better to step aside and let the other two Deputy Chairmen show their mettle.¡±


    Yi Duxing let out a cold laugh, his eyes tinged with anger: ¡°The Federation calls me lawless, branding me as a terrorist orchestrating attacks. Well, let them experience the tactics of the two true lawless ones.¡±


    He considered his own approach rather moderate. Without his restraints and limits, the Association¡¯s methods would have been far more aggressive and domineering.


    This was an opportunity to probe Lin Rui¡¯s core strength. The survival and operational readiness of two Abyss Weapons were astonishing, necessitating further investigation by the Association.


    ¡°Our immediate priority is to obtain that Abyss Divine Artifact. Only by achieving Immortal-level strength can we exact revenge and regain footing within the Federation.


    Moreover, the Knowledge Barrier between Lin Rui and the Invincible Dharma King must remain intact! We must quickly establish obstacles between the two, preventing any connection.¡±


    Yi Duxing¡¯s eyes gleamed with a resolute determination.


    Earlier, Cameron Brown had carried out his orders to meet the next-generation ¡°Dreamy Heavenly Maiden¡± of the Dreamy Heavenly Venerate. However, she had declined their request, citing inadequate compensation for her master¡¯s contribution.


    Yi Duxing surmised that this ¡°inadequate compensation¡± referred to the Despair and Suffering Heavenly Girls. Was the Dreamy Heavenly Venerate already aware of their condition and thus wary?


    Yet this reasoning didn¡¯t add up; if the Despair and Suffering Heavenly Girls were actual Divine Spirits, it might have been understandable.


    After all, anyone attempting to obscure the perception of a Divine Spirit would face staggering costs. But these girls weren¡¯t yet gods.


    Furthermore, since the failed negotiation, contact with the Dreamy Heavenly Maiden had been entirely lost.


    Nonetheless, Yi Duxing had connected with a formidable figure in the depths¡ªa being who had lived for over ten thousand years, someone whose power approached Quasi-Abyss Level¡ªand this individual had agreed to their transaction request.


    Yi Duxing shook his head, saying: ¡°Beyond that, I have a few matters that require your personal involvement, Little Eye.¡±


    The Death-Eye Demon paused her massage: ¡°Master, what are they?¡±


    Yi Duxing, keeping his eyes closed, said: ¡°In my vault, there¡¯s a ¡®Divine Origin¡¯ syringe. Send it to Zang Shaochen. He only needs one more bloodline power to break into 9SSS+ and master the Secret Sword, becoming a Senior Divine Envoy. Inform Zang Shaochen that if he wants this syringe, he must pledge maximum support to me for the next three years.


    Second is the revival of Ling Huan. Brown has operated this to the final step. You must take over and ensure his resurrection in the shortest possible time; and finally, the Evil Pirate Group. Take my seal and meet the group¡¯s leader personally. Inform him that I am lifting all restrictions on them from now on¡ªlet them mobilize fully, without any hesitation or restraint!¡±


    The Death-Eye Demon looked at Yi Duxing with surprise: ¡°But isn¡¯t that going to plunge the Federation into chaos? Didn¡¯t you say, as financial leaders, we despise disorder the most?¡±


    Yi Duxing thought to himself, chaos would be ideal.


    Only in chaos could he buy time to recover and simultaneously secure the Abyss Divine Artifact he had long coveted.


    The humiliation he had suffered in the Ninth Base City would, without question, be avenged personally, sooner or later!

 Chapter 726: 675: Trusting Our Own People

    Chapter 726: Chapter 675: Trusting Our Own People


    One day later, at the Great Song Star Port.


    Lin Rui sat in a waterside pavilion within the Star Port Governor¡¯s Mansion, his gaze unfocused and scattered.


    He was pondering over a string of numbers in his mind.


    Those numbers were the information Wang Tianwu had wrested from his grandfather¡¯s mind with considerable effort.


    Lin Rui truly didn¡¯t expect that Fu Xuexian and Lin Cong would hide their critical information within Lin Jingxuan¡¯s soul and also set up mind suggestions that required specific conditions to trigger Lin Jingxuan¡¯s recollection of the matter.


    The Longevity Association must have investigated Lin Jingxuan many times over, consistently monitoring Lin Jingxuan and Lin Da¡¯s activities and communications.


    But they probably didn¡¯t expect this, did they?


    Lin Jingxuan had always been deliberately distancing himself from their family. Not wanting to be implicated by his second son, he hadn¡¯t seen Lin Rui since the incident with the Lin family.


    This old man usually appeared as someone heavily focused on his career, pragmatic and driven by strong self-interest. He practiced prudence and avoided risk, carrying traits of conservatism and rigidity.


    Lin Rui could never have guessed that this man would willingly allow Fu Xuexian to implant such dangerous information into his mind.


    Even so, Lin Rui still hadn¡¯t figured out what this sequence of numbers meant yet. He had compared it against safes, bank accounts, online databases, and still hadn¡¯t found a match.


    Wang Yinyue was already building a supercomputing model to decode the numbers for him.


    Shaking his head, Lin Rui brought his focus back to the scene in front of him.


    At the moment, Lu Hanyuan¡¯s true form was seated beside Lin Hao, his expression solemn, while Ji Xueying guided a black-clad man¡ªwearing a black robe, face covered, and draped in a black cloak¡ªinto the pavilion from outside.


    The demon dragon Ma Tianlong lay idly outside the pavilion, using his barrier ability to create layer upon layer of water barriers that shielded the surrounding void.


    Ma Tianlong¡¯s dragon body had grown significantly since Luo Wangshu had gifted him to Lin Rui, now almost an entire circle larger, with exceedingly thick and metallically gleaming scales covering his body.


    Over the past two months, life wasn¡¯t bad for him.


    Lin Hao had injected him with numerous doses of Heavenly Demon medicine, enhancing his body to a state of extreme resilience, and had also implanted two SSS+ water-element armaments. Not only did these further strengthen his barrier techniques to achieve a concept strength of thirty-eight percent, but they also amplified his power and Water Mist Technique to a high level.


    Currently, Ma Tianlong was an Eight Realms Emperor Rank demon dragon, though he still lagged somewhat in martial arts and combat skills.


    Nonetheless, thoughts of his many consorts in Luo Wangshu¡¯s dragon stables, along with the two prospective candidates he was close to ¡°securing,¡± left him feeling despondent.


    This despondency eroded his willpower to the point that the small piece of ¡°Purgatory Source Crystal¡± within his body became difficult to suppress. He had no choice but to request Lin Hao¡¯s help to extract it.


    Ma Tianlong genuinely felt that this crystal was becoming increasingly hazardous¡ªthe mutations it caused within him grew more uncontrollable with each occurrence. Extracting it was ultimately a good decision.


    As the masked man stepped into the pavilion, Ma Tianlong lifted his nose to sniff, emitting a low ¡°hmm¡± sound.


    There was something peculiar about this individual¡ªhe carried a strong aura of Guang Ming, reminiscent of someone from the Demon Sect, possibly even a high-ranking member.


    The masked man was none other than Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling, who had come to the Star Port seeking an audience with ¡°Lin Hao.¡±


    Upon entering, a brief pause crossed Zhao Chongling¡¯s face. Why did he feel that the two individuals seated in this pavilion bore some familiarity?


    The young man seated in the primary position gave him the strongest feeling of familiarity, likely due to Zhao Chongling¡¯s frequent review of materials and images related to Lin Hao recently.


    And the figure beside him¡ªreferred to as ¡°Lu Hanyuan,¡± an Outer Heaven Demon¡ªwhy did he seem somewhat familiar too?


    Zhao Chongling quickly collected himself and bowed respectfully towards ¡°Lin Hao¡±: ¡°I am Zhao Chongling, Shancai Divine Envoy of the Divine Sect, here to pay respects to the National Guardian Marquis. I greatly appreciate your willingness to meet with me amidst your busy schedule.¡±


    He knew that the individual before him was undeniably preoccupied, especially with the Great Song Star Port set to open tomorrow and dozens of influential figures, wealthy merchants, and powerful Outer Heaven Demons due to converge.


    As the National Guardian Marquis, Lin Hao was exceptionally esteemed and had immense authority, yet there were certain people he had to meet and treat with respect despite his lofty standing.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formalities; please sit.¡±


    Lin Rui smiled as he gestured faintly with his hand, using Astral Force to lift Zhao Chongling from his bow: ¡°The trade plan that Zhao Divine Envoy previously discussed with Butler Lv¡ªButler Lv has informed me, and overall, I¡¯m quite satisfied with it; there¡¯s nothing in particular that requires revision.¡±


    Previously, Lu Hanyuan had already met this envoy once, albeit under the identity of Lv Jingwei, the steward of the National Guardian Marquis Mansion, to negotiate trade terms with the Divine Sect.


    Now, however, Lu Hanyuan was meeting him as Lin Rui¡¯s trusted confidant.


    Part of the reasoning was to avoid any appearance of impropriety, and the other part was practical¡ªgiven Lin Hao¡¯s current position and prestige, personally meeting Zhao Chongling for negotiations would diminish his standing. A brief meeting afterward was more than sufficient.


    ¡°Moreover, I quite like the gift you¡¯ve presented.¡±


    Lin Rui lifted his hand, summoning a radiantly golden, sun-shaped wheel-like Magic Artifact to his palm.


    This artifact, called the ¡°Sun Transformation Divine Wheel,¡± was a defensive artifact of the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank.


    It could convert external forces into light-flame energy and dissipate them outward, reportedly capable of transforming a portion of concept divine power as well.


    Notably, upon learning that Lin Hao possessed a Ninth Realm Super Emperor Rank shield known as the ¡°Turtle End Shield,¡± the Light God Sect¡¯s artifact refiner had even modified the ¡°Sun Transformation Divine Wheel.¡±


    Lin Rui could now embed the two artifacts together, allowing external forces that the Sun Transformation Divine Wheel couldn¡¯t convert to be absorbed and diffused by the Turtle End Shield.


    This greatly enhanced the defensive capabilities of the Sun Transformation Divine Wheel, making it several times stronger than the Phase Transfer Armor commonly fitted on Federation Model 9 Combat Robots and Model 9 Exoskeleton Armor.


    ¡ª¡ªThough this gift for ¡°Lin Hao¡± was personally selected by King Ming himself from the Light God Sect¡¯s treasury and modified under his personal direction by the sect¡¯s artifact masters, Lin Rui was nonetheless pleased and satisfied with it.


    ¡°But signing a Divine Contract is unnecessary.¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head, thinking to himself¡ªcould anyone trust themselves less than he did?


    ¡ª¡ªToday¡¯s meeting was essentially himself negotiating with himself.


    ¡°As I understand it, even King Ming and the Invincible Dharma King cannot completely dictate the affairs within your Light God Sect. Within your sect¡¯s Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings, there are many who act independently; this marquis has no intention of handing over leverage, so signing the Divine Contract is unnecessary.


    As long as your sect adheres to Star Port regulations, pays taxes accordingly, and refrains from instigating rebellions within the Great Song¡¯s territory, this marquis has no reason to sever his own source of revenue or invite unnecessary trouble. If your trade volume is substantial and the taxes collected are sufficient, then even if the Great Song Court or the Divine Palace raises concerns, this marquis can mediate on your behalf.¡±


    Lin Rui was keenly aware of Earth Federation¡¯s insatiable demand for Tianji Star¡¯s resources!


    Many biotechnologies for physical enhancement and life-extending anti-aging medicines produced by Earth Federation relied heavily on Tianji Star¡¯s medicinal ingredients.


    Nonetheless, due to their exorbitant costs, these advancements from Tianji Star remained inaccessible to most within the Earth Federation.


    Even though the fourteen Base Cities of Earth Federation on Tianji Star were wartime frontlines where food scarcity was common and industrial synthesis was essential for survival, waves of illegal immigrants still braved the dangers to smuggle themselves there.


    The first reason was the high income level in the Base Cities¡ªseveral times, even dozens of times greater than Earth¡¯s homeworld and other colonization stars¡ªcoupled with its sprawling metropolitan areas rarely seen elsewhere within Federation borders. The second was that it served as the birthplace of Biochemical Martial Arts, boasting top-tier biotechnology and electronic mechanical technologies capable of extending life, healing terminal illnesses, and curing rare diseases.


    Additionally, the Earth Federation¡¯s industry was profoundly reliant upon Tianji Star¡¯s minerals.


    Despite advances making Earth Federation¡¯s spacefaring and warfare technology exponentially stronger compared to 800 years ago, much of this technology depended on materials from Tianji Star.


    Thus, even if Tianji Star¡¯s raw material output increased a hundredfold or thousandfold, Earth Federation would still absorb it all.


    Light God Sect currently stood as the Federation¡¯s largest supplier of basic materials; incorporating their trade into Star Port operations could increase tax revenues by at least forty percent and ensure future continuous growth.


    The next step rested on the choices of the court and the Divine Palace¡ªturning a blind eye and taking the money, or cutting ties with Light God Sect for the sake of eradicating the Demon Sect.


    Zhao Chongling frowned slightly, his gaze tinged with disappointment.


    However, he quickly adjusted his attitude.


    This outcome wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected¡ªsigning the Divine Contract meant handing a form of leverage over to their Light God Sect.


    The Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song would never commit such an unwise mistake.


    As someone adept at negotiation and business, Zhao Chongling firmly believed shared interests were more dependable than a contractual document. Bowing slightly again, he said, ¡°That aligns perfectly with our sect¡¯s intentions! However, Marquis, aside from trade, I had discussed with Steward Lv the possibility of using your channels to bypass Earth Federation¡¯s prohibition and purchase Heavenly Demon materials at standard prices¡ªespecially Heavenly Demon¡¯s elixirs, armaments, and the like.¡±


    Lin Rui smiled bitterly at the remark and solemnly replied, ¡°Now this puts me in a difficult spot. As the Great Song¡¯s Spy Catcher Bureau Commander, my duty is to oversee all matters involving Outer Heaven Demons. How could I consort with demons or possess such channels?¡±


    After a brief pause, he continued, ¡°Nonetheless, during my responsibilities over demon-related trade and Star Port opening efforts, I¡¯ve encountered several trustworthy demon merchants. For instance, the gentleman beside me, Lu Hanyuan, serves as the trusted aide of the Forest Group¡¯s chairman, Lin Rui, and as the CEO overseeing Forest Trading, Forest Freight, and shipbuilding enterprises. If your Light God Sect has demands, you could negotiate with him¡ªI can vouch that the Forest Group he represents is a reliable commercial partner.¡±


    Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling frowned deeply at this statement.


    Lin Rui¡¯s words implied Lu Hanyuan was merely his assistant, which irked Zhao Chongling. He had already tolerated dealing with Lin Rui¡¯s steward during negotiations.


    But as a key figure wielding military power capable of commanding millions of troops and thousands of Dragon Transformation Martial Artists, Lin Rui¡¯s influence far outmatched that of the Divine Sect¡ªwhat allowed him to relegate even financial discussions to his assistant?


    At that precise moment, Lin Rui concealed a smile behind his folding fan and chuckled lightly, ¡°Zhao Divine Envoy may not know, but just yesterday, in the Ninth Origin Realm of the Heavenly Demons, the Forest Group¡¯s chairman Lin Rui used two Abyss Battle Dragons engineered through demon cloning technology to kill the ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing. Subsequently, Lin Rui was appointed as the demon president¡¯s ¡®Financial and Commercial Advisor.''¡±


    Zhao Chongling¡¯s pupils constricted violently, immediately exuding newfound respect for Lu Hanyuan.


    He was familiar with Yi Duxing, the Financial Emperor. The individual ranked twelfth on the Tianji Star bounty list issued by the five god-palaces.


    This was not due to any lack of strength but because Yi Duxing had ventured into Tianji Star less frequently in recent years.


    An entity close to the Super Divine Envoy Level¡ªa staggering achievement for Lin Rui to have slain him!


    And what of these Abyss Battle Dragons mentioned? What possibly could that entail?

 Chapter 727: 676: Indignation

    Chapter 727: Chapter 676: Indignation


    ¡°As far as I know, the Chairman of the Forest Group, Mr. Lin Rui, has unparalleled influence and vast connections within the Earth Federation. Whatever the Light God Sect seeks, unless it¡¯s exceedingly rare or advanced, this Mr. Lin should be able to procure.¡±


    Lin Rui, within the Earth Federation, undoubtedly lives up to the phrase ¡°unparalleled influence.¡±


    His cooperation with East Asia is deeply entrenched¡ªnot only in the co-development of the new armament, but Lin Rui has also personally participated in the East Asia Science Academy¡¯s X Project.


    The East Asian side even wishes to dispatch three Academicians to intervene in the observational research on Abyss Battle Dragons and two Heavenly Maidens. However, the conditions offered by East Asia have not yet met Lin Rui¡¯s expectations, so he has temporarily declined.


    Lin Rui naturally wishes for sufficient strong scientific support to help him and his two sisters devise strategies against the Abyss revival and seek methods to further enhance the Abyss Battle Dragons and strengthen their human bodies. But the premise has to be absolute safety and reliability.


    Thus, the items Lin Rui now seeks from the East Asian side are essentially all negotiable. Even the bakery owner, Mr. Alexey Vasiliyev, has expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation with him.


    The Federation Government, meanwhile, dares not provoke him. Just yesterday afternoon, the Procuratorate withdrew charges against him.


    Moreover, the two Generals of the Security Bureau have tacitly allowed his forbidden trade dealings with the Light God Sect.


    Lin Rui, speaking and smiling simultaneously, stood up and said, ¡°You two, have a good discussion. This Marquis has important matters to attend to, so I shall not accompany you further.¡±


    At this moment, Zhao Chongling¡¯s expression shifted slightly, and he spoke up, ¡°National Guardian Marquis, recently rumors have spread inside and outside Luojing City, saying that Cui Peipei is very likely to let her disciple Han Xian¡¯er challenge you on the day of Star Port¡¯s opening. There are even betting pools wagering on the outcome between you and Han Xian¡¯er.


    According to our Light God Sect intelligence, Han Xian¡¯er has been staying at your Great Song relay station for three months, practicing an Eight Realms Super Monarch-level Secret Sword. Please, National Guardian Marquis, be extremely cautious.¡±


    Han Xian¡¯er is a master at Emperor Rank of the Seventh Realm, surpassing this Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song by an entire realm!


    If this woman truly possesses the Eight Realms Super Monarch Secret Sword, her odds of victory will significantly increase.


    If Lin Hao falls to Han Xian¡¯er, that would certainly stir some excitement.


    ¡°Han Xian¡¯er?¡± Lin Rui, hearing this, didn¡¯t feel worried but instead his lips curled slightly in a smile, and his eyes revealed an expression of anticipation: ¡°This Marquis has it under control, Divine Envoy, rest assured!¡±


    After this Star Port opening, his fourth Quasi-Member-level subordinate would soon fall into his pocket¡ªhow could he not be happy?


    Don¡¯t be fooled by Lin Yi and Lin Xi¡¯s ability to wield Abyss Battle Dragons, achieving Immortal-level combat power for a minute¡¯s duration. The reality is that his faction still sorely lacks top-level experts like Han Xian¡¯er and Xianyu Yan to bolster its prestige.


    This time, Lin Yi and Lin Xi might have demonstrated their divine prowess, but the pollution accumulated within their bodies remains a dire problem. Even Lin Rui now requires at least a month¡¯s time to completely purify the toxins within them.


    In other words, for the upcoming month, the two sisters can only serve as ornaments¡ªnot only unable to engage in combat but also unable to train normally.


    Thus, at present, his two sisters can only act as trump cards and not conventional combat forces.


    Lin Rui, in the Federation, entirely relies on bluffing; his greatest fear now is multiple factions harassing him, leaving him exhausted and stretched thin.


    Lin Rui¡¯s sales channels across various Base Cities, along with a few sect zones and hospitals, are currently beyond his reach and the most easy to strike.


    He cannot always send his two sisters into action.


    The Longevity Association has many astute members¡ªthey should quickly discern his weak points.


    Lin Rui has already begun establishing communications with various Base City bigshots, planning to entrust these hospitals and chain pharmacies¡¯ security at high costs to their private security companies.


    Beyond that, however, he needs reciprocal deterrence capability to counter the Longevity Association tooth-for-tooth.


    After Lin Rui departed, Lu Hanyuan smiled faintly and said in a sincere tone, ¡°I wonder what items Divine Envoy Zhao wishes to procure, and what quantities? Let¡¯s make it straightforward¡ªyou can make a list now, and I¡¯ll provide you with a price quote right away?¡±


    He actually had a lot of tasks to handle and couldn¡¯t spare much time for small talk with Zhao Chongling.


    Lu Hanyuan, aside from overseeing and organizing the trade fleet, had to assist Lin Rui in acquiring some companies and recruiting Dragon Transformation Martial Artists.


    In this instance at Ninth Base City, the deaths of three Congressman-level individuals and five Quasi-Members had left a number of valuable assets.


    Among them are a drugstore chain with 22,000 outlets, a hospital chain with 37 branches, two Alien Companies, and two Dragon Transformation Martial Artist teams of 60 to 70 members each, which can significantly bolster Lin Rui¡¯s strength.


    However, the issue up for discussion with Zhao Chongling next holds greater importance to Mr. Lin.


    ¡°As the National Guardian Marquis just mentioned, as long as the items you wish to buy aren¡¯t the absolute top-tier controlled goods, our Forest Group can get them for you. And on behalf of the Marquis, the prices will never exceed the normal black market rates of Sky Extreme Star.¡±


    At this moment, Lu Hanyuan¡¯s voice paused, his tone sinking coldly and seriously: ¡°But our Chairman also has a matter¡ªone that he wishes to request the Light God Sect¡¯s assistance with, precisely an intervention from King Ming himself!¡±


    A moment later, Zhao Chongling¡¯s expression subtly changed.


    The matter Lu Hanyuan entrusted him with understandably caught him by surprise.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Not long afterward, Lin Rui received a message from Lu Hanyuan: BOSS, it¡¯s settled. Regarding the rescue of the Second General, the man surnamed Zhao didn¡¯t agree outright. He said they need to consult King Ming and conduct an internal discussion first.


    Lu Hanyuan: The man surnamed Zhao is incredibly tough with bargaining. He said if King Ming consents to act, the goods we provide cannot exceed 85% of the black market price.


    When sending this message, Lu Hanyuan shrugged.


    Consulting ¡°King Ming¡± is essentially asking the BOSS himself for his opinion.


    Zhao Chongling didn¡¯t realize that his supposed ¡°negotiation¡± here was essentially a show orchestrated by the BOSS, simply to mislead other observers.


    Even at 85% of black market rates, the margin remains highly profitable¡ªat least 155%. Nonetheless, the Light God Sect is not yet part of the BOSS¡¯s personal empire, so they must earn what they can, especially given the risks involved.


    Shortly after, Lin Rui received a forwarded message sent by the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy from the Shancai Divine Envoy.


    Currently, internal communications within the Light God Sect, including all notes from the ¡°Three Pillars, Five Envoys, Seven Kings¡± directed to King Ming, are received and forwarded by the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy.


    As for the Shancai Divine Envoy¡¯s request, Lin Rui naturally had no reason to refuse.


    His proposed price had been determined long ago: three 9SSS-grade Outer Elixirs, six units of Type-9 High-Strength X Source Essence Injections, one Emperor 9S+ Exoskeleton Armor, and two 9SS+ Red Spider Combat Robots.


    The 9SSS-grade Outer Elixir represents the pinnacle of Earth Federation¡¯s Outer Elixir technology, with each unit costing up to 3 billion federal coins.


    As for SSS+ units, they remain unstable at present.


    The Type-9 High-Strength X Source Essence Injections were requested specifically for Luo Wangshu. Luo Wangshu¡¯s Martial Intent conceptualization had already reached a sixfold level. To progress further, reach the threshold of Immortal Level, and optimally enhance physical attributes, X Source Essence was required to help Luo Wangshu manifest her own Abyss Source Material.


    Similarly, the Emperor 9S+ Exoskeleton Armor was asked for Luo Wangshu, who coveted the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s set dubbed ¡°Mad Dragon.¡±


    Thus, Lin Rui requested a blank white Emperor 9S+ model as the base to ensure functionality at the 9S+ level, later allowing Luo Wangshu to seek out the Mechanical Master for custom modifications.


    While Lin Rui¡¯s asking price might seem steep, it was entirely fair.


    After all, activating the Supreme Divine Artifact entails not only increasing pollution for King Ming but likely even shortening his lifespan, alongside facing the risk of antagonizing the Abyss in dormancy.


    Had Lin Rui offered low prices, Li Xianglong and Lin Tianchen would have suspected him of wrongdoing.


    Lin Rui knew that the negotiation baseline for the Second General was 10 trillion federal coins, which had been fully entrusted to him and the Ming Sect for negotiation. Thus, he planned to offer only two 9SSS-grade Outer Elixirs: one each for ¡°King Ming¡± and his master.


    As for High-Strength X Source Essence Injections, only four could be provided. At present, each injection¡¯s market price reached 500 billion federal coins. Meanwhile, the Exoskeleton Armor and Red Spider Combat Robots posed no significant obstacles.


    The Security Bureau would surely cover all material costs.


    Although Lin Tianchen didn¡¯t operate within commercial avenues, his wealth was undeniably substantial. Not only did he control between 3 trillion to 7 trillion federal coins in emergency funds within the Security Bureau, but his immovable assets alone exceeded 20 trillion federal coins. Moreover, plenty of connections in the corporate and political realms depended on Lin Tianchen¡¯s protection.


    Following several rounds of negotiation by ¡°both sides,¡± terms were finally agreed upon, prompting Lin Rui to send a message to Lin Tianchen: General, the negotiation is complete; the specific plan has been sent to your inbox for review.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Apologies, old Lu mentioned that Zhao Chongling is a tough negotiator. He said the price he could settle for you at most is this¡ªdelivery could take 3 to 5 days, provided you supply sufficient materials for the Array Altar in advance.


    At this moment, Lin Tianchen remained in the East Asia Science Academy¡¯s Ninth Base Branch Laboratory¡ªa fortress-like institute.


    He was staring at a list¡ªthe death toll of his direct subordinates.


    After the Longevity Association¡¯s setback at the Ninth Base City, their offensive intensified rather than waned, pushing the casualty numbers on the list up to 43!


    Within the Security Bureau, Lin Tianchen¡¯s direct lineages and core affiliations had been purged nearly halfway, leaving the rest in a precarious, anxious state.


    Though they¡¯ve sought refuge or hidden themselves in the bureau¡¯s secure facilities, today alone word came that three had encountered misfortune.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s expression appeared indifferent, but his eyes harbored extreme resentment and guilt.


    None of his trusted associates had defected so far. While this brought him a sense of relief, it also deepened his anguish and frustration.


    At this juncture, he received Lin Rui¡¯s message and email.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s heart momentarily jolted, his eyes shimmering with a glimmer of hope.


    ¡°King Ming agreed?¡± Agreed to intervene¡ªto activate his Supreme Divine Artifact.


    Lin Tianchen subsequently skimmed through the email, paying it little attention afterward.


    Requesting King Ming¡¯s intervention certainly required a hefty price. The steeper the terms, the more genuine the intentions were. Moreover, all the requested items were obtainable, with some at no personal cost to him.


    Supporting King Ming was highly beneficial for the Earth Federation.


    Lin Tianchen exhaled a long sigh of relief and replied to Lin Rui: Xiao Rui, once the Star Port opening is completed, let¡¯s arrange time promptly to replace my armament.


    With Lin Rui¡¯s expertise, it¡¯s estimated the replacement for armament would take just a day.


    Once replaced, he could free more of his spiritual power and ensure, as King Ming took action, his True Spirit could ascend from his Divine Country.


    Lin Tianchen cast another glance at the death list on his virtual screen, before clenching his fists tightly, accompanied by a crackling sound.

 Chapter 728: 677: Astonishing Amount of Tax

    Chapter 728: Chapter 677: Astonishing Amount of Tax


    After receiving Lin Tianchen¡¯s response, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache coming on.


    This business with armament would take up an entire day again¡ªhe practically hadn¡¯t had a moment¡¯s rest.


    But this second General-in-Chief was not just the benefactor who had promoted ¡°Thunder,¡± but also a natural ally against the Longevity Association. Helping Lin Tianchen was, in essence, helping himself.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit issue absolutely needed to be resolved as soon as possible, or else Li Xianglong would be left isolated within the Security Bureau.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Understood, I¡¯ll arrange for the time.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was inside ¡°Rui Fang¡¯s Hospital¡± near the Starport Governor¡¯s Mansion, checking his physical data.


    This armament hospital had taken three months to construct and consisted of five buildings, the tallest reaching 472 meters with 75 floors. Even the shortest had 70 floors. The architecture combined the styles of Sky Extreme Star and Federation buildings, presenting a breathtakingly elegant appearance.


    There was even a Divine Emblem of the Divine Law Venerable embedded outside the buildings, personally set by the Divine Law Heavenly Girl. She claimed it would provide a guarantee for the hospital, ensuring the safety of its armament offerings and surgical procedures.


    Inside the hospital, over two thousand doctors and more than seven thousand nurses were busily preparing for the grand opening. Meanwhile, Lin Rui had only brought over one set of top-tier diagnostic and medical containment equipment, reserved exclusively for the National Guardian Marquis and his affiliated forces.


    One advantage of the Great Song Starport was that anything related to the Heavenly Demon could be conducted openly.


    ¡°Comprehensive spiritual power score: 62,821. Spiritual strength score: 53,231. Spiritual sensing score: 84,214. Spiritual intensity: 92,311 points¡ªall far exceeding the standard for a General and approaching the threshold for a One-star Marshal.¡±


    The person conducting the testing for Lin Rui¡¯s alien body this time was Si Malin. He focused intently on Lin Rui¡¯s test data, amazement flickering in his eyes.


    After Lin Rui successfully underwent Dragon Transformation, the East Asia Science Academy placed increasing hope in their ¡°X Project.¡±


    The academicians who had initiated the research project originally took a scattershot approach, hoping to gather as much data as possible. Yet they had not anticipated that the concentration of X Source Essence in Lin Rui¡¯s body would escalate so significantly. Even various pseudo-X Main Armaments displayed signs of further Abyss Transformation.


    Thus, they hoped to further observe and gather detailed data on Lin Rui¡¯s alien form.


    However, Lin Rui currently trusted only Si Malin and was only willing to let him view the most critical physical data, which left Si Malin feeling somewhat humbled.


    ¡°Comprehensive physical fitness score: 32,411 points¡ªjust over 3,000 more to reach the threshold for implanting that pseudo-X-level ¡®Divine Power Pillar.¡¯ I never expected that after entering the Sixth Realm, your cultivation progress could be so rapid. The key is that despite your speed, there¡¯s not even a hint of instability or disorder in your foundation. It¡¯s truly unbelievable.¡±


    Si Malin shook his head slightly as he made this observation.


    The baseline for a General¡¯s physical and spiritual attributes was 30,000 points. The standard for a One-star Marshal was 100,000 points.


    Thus, Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual and physical attributes had, in essence, fully reached or even surpassed the Seventh Realm.


    The frightening part was that when Lin Rui had recently replaced his entire set of advanced armaments, his body had undergone a comprehensive restructuring. Any part that needed enhancement had been enhanced, and any area needing integration had been integrated.


    Currently, all of Lin Rui¡¯s Main Armaments were pseudo-X-level. Furthermore, he possessed five SSS-level bloodline abilities, four SSS+ bloodline abilities, and two pseudo-X-level bloodline abilities. The intensity of his bloodline abilities would enable him to reach the Super Monarch Rank even in the Eighth Realm!


    As for his martial arts accomplishments, they were no less extraordinary. His skills were extraordinary to saintly¡ªhe was practically a hexagonal warrior with no weaknesses.


    Even his Battle Dragon had reached a pseudo-X level. In theory, it could transform into any type of dragon and had been derived from the ¡°Vajra Battle Dragon Seed¡± provided by the Earth Federation. Naturally, it could utilize 40% of the ¡°Vajra¡± concept, 30% of the ¡°Defense¡± concept, and 30% of the ¡°Solid¡± concept, and it would further strengthen as Lin Rui¡¯s cultivation improved!


    This was nothing short of a monster!


    Even without relying on any external strength, Lin Rui could directly withstand an Eight Realms Super Emperor, and he was even approaching Quasi-Member-level strength. How was Han Xian¡¯er supposed to win against someone like that?


    Si Malin was now seriously considering whether he should place a bet in the gambling pool. Currently, Lin Rui¡¯s odds were still favorable, at approximately 2.4:2.6.


    Lin Rui, on the other hand, merely gave a wry smile upon hearing this: ¡°I have no choice but to be this fast. Even Yi has reached the Seventh Realm. Besides, Professor, aren¡¯t you aware of my current situation? It¡¯s the circumstances forcing me forward¡ª¡±


    As he spoke, Lin Rui consulted the skill lists of Slot 2 and Slot 3 in the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Excluding higher-tier martial arts such as Tongtian and Divine Illumination, 13 Dragon Stage-level Body Refinement methods remained. However, there were no cultivation methods left for Primordial Spirit or soul power; he had already copied all of them.


    Lin Rui estimated that by acquiring three more, he could meet the requirement to implant the ¡°Divine Power Pillar.¡±


    Yet his accumulated soul power points were nearly depleted, leaving only 134,000 points¡ªbarely enough to exchange for one Dragon Stage Grandmaster-level Body Refinement method.


    Over the past two months, Lin Rui had been frantically exchanging resources, using the ¡°Radiant Holy Altar¡± to assist in refining. This frenzied pace was what had enabled such rapid cultivation progress.


    Even so, Lin Rui remained dissatisfied, wishing he could go even faster.


    He had to figure out a way to collect more soul power points. Additionally, his Blood God Wings were lacking in refined Blood Qi.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but think of the countless demons within the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, licking his lips with yearning.


    Truthfully, Si Malin wasn¡¯t entirely correct. Such rapid cultivation carried significant risks. Lin Rui had already sensed the power of the Great Sun Venerable growing rampantly within his body, infiltrating at an alarming rate. Even employing the ¡°Pure Method¡± and ¡°Radiant Holy Altar¡± failed to fully purify it.


    However, reaching the Seventh Realm was critical for Lin Rui. Only at this level could he ensure that he would have the ability to protect himself in most situations and avoid suffering a repeat of the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s surprise assault.


    Without deploying Abyss Concepts, Lin Rui knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat the Invincible Dharma King. However, with the pending arrival of nine SSS-level Outer Elixirs, two newly acquired Emperor Rank Magic Artifacts, and his Blood God Wings secret technique, Lin Rui could escape even in the presence of Senior Divine Envoy-level or Super Divine Envoy-level opponents.


    If he could flee to Luo Wangshu¡¯s location or the Divine Palace in the East Abyss, no one would be able to lay a hand on him.


    At that point, Lin Rui would also have access to more powerful Abyss Source Cores and greater Abyss Source Material, providing him with longer-lasting support for his Abyss Concepts.


    Thus, only after reaching the Seventh Realm could he pause to consolidate, gradually eliminating potential risks.


    Right now, Lin Rui had to spare no expense, charging full speed ahead on his path to the Seventh Realm.


    The following morning, the Great Song Starport held a grand opening ceremony.


    It was truly a gathering of all kinds of devils and demons! The Earth Federation Government had not only sent a delegation led by the President¡¯s Chief of Staff to attend the ceremony but also dispatched various high-ranking officials and business tycoons. These figures congregated at the Starport, preparing to inaugurate their respective Chambers of Commerce.


    In contrast, Great Song¡¯s presence appeared far less impressive. Apart from the Second Divine Envoy Yu Huaxuan, Lin Hao, and Han Baxian from the Divine Palace overseeing the event, the rest of Great Song¡¯s high-ranking officials, noble families, and sect leaders were notably absent. Most had merely sent delegates, stewards, or shopkeepers, resulting in an event bustling with people.


    This demonstrated that various factions on Sky Extreme Star were still apprehensive about trading with the Heavenly Demon and sought to avoid suspicion.


    However, the real spectacle would take place after the ceremony. The Earth Federation had organized a trade fleet of 15,000 ships to commence trade at Starport. They aimed to secure a good start, using trade tax revenue to impress the Great Song Court and pave the way for further trade liberalization.


    Lin Rui, Yu Huaxuan, Han Baxian, and the Grand Steward of the Emperor¡¯s Inner Court all sat in the Governor¡¯s Mansion, quietly awaiting the accounting results from the financial offices.


    Thanks to Lin Rui¡¯s prior arrangements, the first wave of opening-day trade would be tallied within two hours, and the corresponding tax revenue calculated.


    Among the four, Han Baxian was the most impatient, glancing outside from time to time.


    He was now notably clad in red robes, having attained the rank of Red Priest.


    Nevertheless, Han Baxian was keenly aware that his career in the Divine Palace was now inexorably tied to Lin Hao and the policies he represented. Thus, he placed great importance on the tax calculations for this trade.


    Yu Huaxuan, by contrast, calmly sipped tea. His expression remained serene, though he had refilled his teacup 27 times without changing the tea leaves.


    About an hour and a half later, Han Baxian could no longer contain himself. ¡°National Guardian Marquis, you must have a rough idea of the scale of this opening trade. Could you provide us with an estimate of the tax revenue for this Starport?¡±


    ¡°An estimate?¡± Lin Rui had actually already received preliminary figures from Ji Xueying and others surveying the accounting offices.


    Pretending to ponder, he then smiled. ¡°I would estimate between 43 million and 49 million taels of Divine Gold.¡±


    In reality, the figure was approximately 44.23 million taels, with some portions unaccounted for. The final total probably wouldn¡¯t exceed 46 million taels.


    Frankly, even Lin Rui himself was astonished by the unexpectedly high trade volume and hadn¡¯t yet figured out the reasons behind it.


    Yu Huaxuan¡¯s hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and his expression grew grave.


    The initial licensing fees and land lease payments for the Starport amounted to 58 million taels of Divine Gold, roughly equivalent to 40% of Great Song¡¯s annual land tax revenue¡ªa figure that had already exceeded his expectations!


    But now, the first day¡¯s tax revenue was reportedly this high?


    How could this be? How could the Starport¡¯s trade revenue possibly be this enormous?


    Yet if it were true¡ª


    Yu Huaxuan could already envision the scenes of Great Song¡¯s court ministers and Divine Palace elders reacting to this figure!


    This astounding tax revenue would undoubtedly shock Great Song¡¯s entire court and might even catch the attention of the Divine Spirits. Lin Rui¡¯s position would become even more unshakable.


    The Grand Steward of the Inner Court wore a complex expression, a mix of doubt, shock, happiness, and wariness.


    His doubts stemmed from disbelief, his happiness from the potential relief this revenue could bring to the Great Song Court, and his wariness from Lin Hao himself¡ªboth Lin Hao¡¯s capabilities and the wealth and power he commanded.


    Only Han Baxian felt pure joy in his heart. He trusted that Lin Hao would not speak without basis, and even if the revenue was halved, it would still be remarkable.


    At that moment, a voice echoed outside the Governor¡¯s Mansion: ¡°Where is National Guardian Marquis Lin Hao? On this day, Han Xian¡¯er of Great Wei has come as promised to challenge you to a duel!¡±


    The people in the hall all showed a reaction upon hearing these words, turning their gazes outward in unison.

 Chapter 729: 678: Gods Might

    Chapter 729: Chapter 678: God¡¯s Might


    Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s voice was melodious and crisp. Enhanced by True Yuan, it not only penetrated the heavily defended Array of the Governor Mansion but also spread across the entire 70-kilometer-wide Star Port district, allowing all the Heavenly Demon elites in the surrounding Commerce Guild buildings to hear it clearly.


    In their minds, a single thought flashed¡ªthis Han Xian¡¯er really came.


    Some were immediately intrigued, schadenfreudically anticipating the battle between Han Xian¡¯er and Lin Hao, something they had been waiting for eagerly. They also wondered who would ultimately emerge victorious. Others were deeply worried¡ªHan Xian¡¯er had already reached the late stage of the Seventh Realm Emperor Rank, equivalent to a General of the Earth Federation. It was said she even mastered an 8SSS+ Secret Skill with extremely high combat strength. Of course, Luo Wangshu wouldn¡¯t have agreed to ¡®Lin Hao¡¯s¡¯ duel without having some confidence in her disciple. But what if he lost?


    It must be noted that Lin Hao was a key proponent of the trade opening policy within the court of the Great Song Dynasty. Previously labeled as a ¡®Conservative,¡¯ he was now considered a member of the ¡®Enlightened Faction.¡¯


    In short, Lin Hao, the Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song, held ultimate authority over the nation¡¯s trade opening initiative. Should anything happen to him, it could directly affect the current policies of the Great Song Court.


    The trade openings of the Great Song had only just begun and could hardly afford any disruptions. No one wanted to see trouble arise at such a crucial time.


    ¡°Han Xian¡¯er?¡± Yu Huaxuan gently set down his teacup with a smile, ¡°A few months ago, this woman challenged others across Luojing, acting recklessly and dominating nearly all her peers. Although it was our Great Song that was at fault initially and the truly skilled martial artists of her tier did not wish to stoop to her level, it still says a lot about her combat prowess and startling talent.¡±


    He glanced at Lin Rui. ¡°I wonder, Marquis of National Protection, do you have the confidence to avenge the honor of our Great Song¡¯s officialdom?¡±


    Lin Rui chuckled silently and, with a wave of his hand, summoned a radiant long blade hanging on the wall beside him, its dazzling brilliance piercing the air. He weighed it in his palm and said nonchalantly, ¡°Confidence? Certainly. We¡¯ll know soon enough.¡±


    When Yu Huaxuan noticed the blade in Lin Rui¡¯s hand, he couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue, thinking that Luo Wangshu really doted on Lin Hao to an extreme.


    He recognized the blade as ¡°Quhuang Tianzhan,¡± a Ninth Realm Super Emperor Magic Artifact that had recently appeared at the Magic Artifact Market in Luojing.


    At the time, various factions had prepared enormous sums to acquire this treasured blade, but Luo Wangshu ultimately traded the former Ninth Candidate Divine Envoy Qi Wuji¡¯s treasured blade, ¡°Sky Splitting Slash,¡± along with ten thousand taels of gold, to secure ¡°Quhuang Tianzhan,¡± a weapon capable of manipulating the forces of the void and blazing light.


    Lin Rui was now donning a set of Heavenly Demon Armor too, his ¡°Tianzhi.¡±


    Yu Huaxuan let out another contemplative sound, his gaze sharpening. ¡°Has this suit been modified? Which master craftsman worked on it?¡±


    It was a gift from the Divine Palace, a Seventh Realm Heavenly Demon Armor known as ¡°Tianzhi,¡± but it appeared to have been significantly enhanced, now looking much stronger than before.


    Particularly striking was the overwhelming Spiritual Power of the three attributes¡ªLight, Thunder, and Fire¡ªemanating from the armor, clearly reaching the standard of the Eighth Realm!


    It should be noted that this set of armor was originally designed as a collective of Seventh Realm Super Monarch-level Magic Artifacts. Its individual components¡ªarm guards, chest piece, and face mask¡ªeach functioned as standalone Super Monarch-level Magic Artifacts, leaving minimal room for modifications.


    Whoever had revamped it must have possessed extraordinary craftsmanship.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been enhanced. I heard that its offensive power can reach that of an Eighth Realm Super Emperor, while its defensive capabilities match that of an Eighth Realm Super Monarch.¡± Lin Rui nodded slightly before adding, ¡°As for the name of the craftsman, I must keep that confidential.¡±


    In truth, Lin Rui¡¯s ¡°Tianzhi¡± had been personally modified by Wang Yinyue, one of the original creators of the armor.


    Wang Yinyue hadn¡¯t made many changes but incorporated the mechanical engineering technologies she had recently mastered for optimization and improvement.


    She had also replaced its power source with a stronger, experimental eighth-type antimatter power furnace, enhancing the energy and conduction components and upgrading its internal framework to the standards of a ninth-type combat robot.


    The front of the armor was even embedded with an 8SSS-tier Outer Elixir called ¡°Haotian,¡± purchased from the Eastern Heavenly Demons.


    These enhancements dramatically transformed the capabilities of the ¡°Tianzhi¡± Heavenly Demon Armor!


    ¡°Eighth Realm Emperor Rank?¡± Yu Huaxuan¡¯s face twitched slightly at the thought of his disciples, whom he had indulged in opening betting pools across Luojing.


    Yu Huaxuan couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ªwas Lin Rui planning to use this battle armor in the duel? Wouldn¡¯t that be a victory lacking in honor?


    Before he could voice his concerns, Lin Rui took to the air, soaring to a position just outside the Governor Mansion gates.


    By now, numerous lights of tunneling energy had already gathered at the entrance, where they halted two hundred meters away to observe the impending battle.


    In front of the Governor Mansion, several overwhelmingly powerful Martial Intent Conceptual Powers loomed, sealing off the void and faintly guarding Lin Hao.


    At least seven Divine Envoy-level experts or Candidate Divine Envoys had lent their power to this setup.


    ¡ªIt was worth mentioning that among these individuals were the 11th Candidate Divine Envoy Shentu Rong and the 12th Candidate Divine Envoy Situ Xiu.


    The two had previously assisted Luo Wangshu in recovering a fragment of the Divine Tablet and helping to eliminate the former King Ming, Yin Qianqiu, thereby partially absolving themselves of past offenses.


    Later, with Lin Rui¡¯s backing, they were appointed as Commander and Vice Commander of the Star Port military, responsible for its defense and anti-smuggling efforts.


    While Situ Xiu¡¯s strength matched his ranking, Shentu Rong had been suppressed by the Emperor and Divine Palace, forcing him to sit in the 11th spot. His true strength, however, might rival the top three and was not far behind some weaker Divine Envoys.


    The remaining five experts hailed from the Earth Federation. They made it clear they wouldn¡¯t allow harm to come to the Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song, as it could jeopardize diplomatic relations between the Earth Federation and the Great Song.


    But when ¡°Lin Hao¡± appeared fully armed, not only did Han Xian¡¯er freeze momentarily, but many of the observers also looked visibly astonished.


    Lin Rui paid no attention, instead smiling as he scanned Han Xian¡¯er from head to toe. ¡°It¡¯s been months, and Fairy Han¡¯s elegance has only grown more dazzling.¡±


    Her Sword Intent, as well as the strengthening of her physique and blood essence, made him anticipate the battle with glee.


    Cui Peipei had certainly trained her servant well, sparing no expense to ensure Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s physical enhancement.


    Lin Rui then raised his blade in one hand and cupped his other in a salute toward Han Xian¡¯er. ¡°I, Lin, am busy with official duties and short on time. Let¡¯s begin this duel immediately and settle the outcome; that way, Fairy Han can start serving under my Governor Mansion sooner rather than later.¡±


    Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s face turned blue with rage, thinking this Lin was unbelievably arrogant, as if victory were already assured.


    Her gaze became icy as she tightened her grip on her sword. ¡°Lord Lin, are you intending to face me wearing that armor?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a fair fight?¡± Lin Rui replied innocently, casting a questioning look at Han Xian¡¯er before asking, ¡°Shall we include a Battle Dragon in this duel?¡±


    As he spoke, a pair of Blood Wings spread open behind him.


    Upon hearing Lin Hao¡¯s first reply, Han Xian¡¯er felt stifled. How could he talk about fairness while wearing such formidable battle gear?


    But then, recalling that Lin Hao¡¯s Cultivation was only at the Sixth Realm Dragon Transformation stage while she had already reached the Seventh Realm Divine Power stage, she calmed once more.


    In terms of fairness, she had no standing to criticize Lin Hao.


    However, Lin Hao¡¯s subsequent question caused Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s face to darken even further.


    Could it be that this man intended to deploy the ¡°Spiritual Sky Dragon¡± in this fight?


    Han Xian¡¯er had previously watched footage of ¡°Lin Hao¡± in battle within a subterranean mine. Using the Blood Evil Secret Technique as the carrier for the ¡°Spiritual Sky Dragon,¡± he had elevated the dragon¡¯s combat effectiveness to the Eighth Realm Super Monarch level, making it monstrously powerful¡ªcapable even of briefly standing toe-to-toe against Qi Wuji¡¯s Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Battle Dragon!


    Though she had brought a Dragon Box with her, she quickly shook her head. ¡°No need! We are here to test our martial arts skills; why involve Battle Dragons?¡±


    While speaking, Han Xian¡¯er glanced toward the distant Cui Peipei, standing atop a skyscraper with a grim expression before gritting her teeth and declaring, ¡°Let us duel with such ¡®fairness¡¯!¡±


    Han Xian¡¯er lacked any comparable Dragon Armor; the ¡°Heavenly Demon Armors¡± on Sky Extreme Star were capped at the Seventh Realm. Unless it was something like Lin Hao¡¯s unparalleled ¡°Tianzhi¡± or the ¡°Mad Dragon,¡± such gear had ceased to offer meaningful protection to Seventh Realm Martial Cultivators.


    Although she had privately acquired an eighth-type emperor-class battle armor from the Outer Heavenly Demons, she lacked the funds to refurbish it and didn¡¯t dare to use it publicly.


    Meanwhile, in the distance, Cui Peipei¡¯s gaze remained steely and menacing.


    This ¡°Lin Hao¡± was utterly despicable¡ªperhaps even more so than his master, Luo Wangshu.


    ¡°No wonder Luo Wangshu is so confident,¡± remarked Zong Xiushan, the Third Divine Envoy of the Da Cheng Country, casting a sidelong glance at Cui Peipei. ¡°Should we intervene? I¡¯ve heard that the ¡®Tianzhi¡¯ incorporates decades-old core technologies from the Mechanical God Temple. Its defensive prowess is unparalleled, and it can amplify Conceptual Power by at least ten percent.¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± Cui Peipei snorted coldly. ¡°Xian¡¯er¡¯s Eighth Realm Super Monarch Secret Skill isn¡¯t something just anyone can withstand.¡±


    Lin Hao thought he could rely on that Dragon Armor to endure? Dream on!


    By now, Lin Rui and Han Xian¡¯er stood a hundred meters apart, with blade and sword raised respectively. Though they had yet to officially clash, their Martial Intent Concepts had already collided in the air, fiercely locking horns.


    The Second Divine Envoy, Yu Huaxuan, stepped out of the Governor Mansion with his hands folded behind his back. ¡°Fairy Han, as a guest from afar, and the Marquis of National Protection, being a Red Priest of our court, hold positions of great prestige. Neither must incur harm. Shall I act as your arbiter?¡±


    ¡°No need! I am assured of my ability not to harm her in the slightest,¡± Lin Rui shook his head lightly while focusing his attention fully on Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s Sword Intent.


    Water and thunder elements, was it? Han Xian¡¯er combined them quite adeptly.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but look forward to experiencing the power of Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s Eighth Realm Super Monarch Secret Skill firsthand.


    Though every investigation indicated that Han Xian¡¯er had isolated herself in her quarters to practice a Secret Sword Technique, no one knew what form the Secret Sword would ultimately take.


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Draw your sword! Let me see the sovereign might of your Secret Skill.¡±


    By now, Han Xian¡¯er was both uneasy and enraged.


    Uneasy, because Lin Hao¡¯s ever-shifting Martial Intent and Conceptual Powers¡ªalternating between light, thunder, and fire¡ªall with formidable strength, were disorienting her.


    Enraged, because of Lin Hao¡¯s earlier remark about not harming a single hair upon her head¡ªit was sheer arrogance.


    ¡°Boastful nonsense!¡± Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s pupils burned with fury. ¡°Take this¡ªmy sword!¡±


    At that moment, nearly everyone could feel the surging waves of Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s Sword Intent, and anticipation lit up their faces.


    It was clear that Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s Eighth Realm Super Monarch Secret Sword was extraordinary, given its overwhelming might.


    Yet, the next instant shocked them. The Heavenly Demon Armor ¡°Tianzhi¡± on Lin Hao gleamed blindingly, followed by a golden blade light that instantly stopped in front of Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s forehead.


    Han Xian¡¯er had yet to fully draw her sword, and thirty-one milliseconds later, the onlookers two hundred meters away finally heard the sound of a blade being unsheathed with a ¡°clang.¡±


    Among the crowd, including Yu Huaxuan and Cui Peipei, expressions shifted subtly.


    In that fleeting moment, they sensed an immensely powerful Conceptual Power named ¡°Light Trace¡± emanating from Lin Hao¡¯s strike, reaching an astonishing intensity of at least 47%!


    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just ¡°Light Trace.¡± At least three additional Concepts had also exceeded 30% in strength, driving Lin Hao¡¯s blade speed to Extreme Speed and making his movements remarkably unpredictable.


    This mere Sixth Realm cultivator¡¯s mastery over Conceptual Powers already surpassed the vast majority of Candidate Divine Envoys!


    Several Outer Heavenly Demons were also momentarily stunned. They recognized that Lin Hao was executing a signature blade technique¡ªLin Rui¡¯s famous ¡°Yang Pulling Slash.¡±


    However, this evolved iteration appeared both more potent and faster, evidently advancing to an even higher level, likely equivalent to 8SSS+ in strength.

 Chapter 730: 679: The Shocked Crowd

    Chapter 730: Chapter 679: The Shocked Crowd


    Lin Rui pointed his blade at Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s neck, the corner of his lips slightly rising, ¡°You lost!¡±


    He cared deeply for his own subordinates; how could he allow Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s arduously cultivated 8SSS+ Secret Sword to be exposed under the gaze of so many Eighth and Ninth Realm experts present?


    However, Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s sword style was indeed too slow, with glaring flaws.


    It seemed she had barely mastered it, yet not practiced to proficiency. Against ordinary Seventh Realm combatants, perhaps even Eighth Realm fighters, it posed little trouble. But when facing true masters, she might not even have the opportunity to unsheathe the blade. She must further practice and enhance, or awaken a bloodline ability to increase speed.


    Han Xian¡¯er, on the other hand, was completely blank-minded. Had she really lost this quickly?


    Han Xian¡¯er, a dignified Seventh Realm Emperor Rank master, had trained arduously for months in preparation for this duel, yet she couldn¡¯t withstand a single slash from Lin Hao?


    Her heart wasn¡¯t filled with indignation. She even thought that, had Lin Hao not worn the ¡°Heavenly Decree¡± Battle Armor or strengthened his Light Trace through conceptual power to over forty-five percent, she could have drawn her blade in time.


    Yet Han Xian¡¯er also knew deep down that her thoughts were mistaken.


    She had indeed lost¡ªlost to Lin Hao¡¯s speed, lost unequivocally!


    The entire area in front of the Governor Mansion was now a deathly silence, the gathered spectators deeply shaken.


    Initially, it wasn¡¯t that no one had faith in the ¡°National Guardian Marquis¡±; even the 2.4:2.6 odds had indicated that many believed Lin Hao had a chance of winning.


    Luo Wangshu wasn¡¯t foolish; he would never agree to an unwinnable duel.


    But no one had anticipated Lin Hao defeating Han Xian¡¯er with just a single slash!


    The two of them¡ªa Sixth Realm against a Seventh Realm¡ªsurely a reversal of power dynamics was shocking enough, but was the gap between them truly this vast?


    ¡°Holy crap! Damn useless¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, a curse erupted from the crowd.


    The attending elite business figures of Sky Extreme Star turned their heads in unison, only to see the Alien form of Kou Xuanwang sour-faced, gritting his teeth as he glared at Lin Hao and Han Xian¡¯er.


    Everyone understood Kou Xuanwang¡¯s current state was not one to be trifled with. Most quickly withdrew their gaze and began their own hushed discussions.


    ¡°Was that the Yang Pulling Slash? What exactly is the relationship between Lin Hao and Lin Rui?¡±


    ¡°It was the Yang Pulling Slash, though there were obvious modifications¡ªmore attuned to Lin Hao, incorporating not just ¡®Light Trace¡¯ but also ¡®Leap,¡¯ ¡®Divine Speed,¡¯ and ¡®Universal Illumination¡¯ conceptual powers. He even distorted space-time using his bloodline powers!¡±


    ¡°Looks like the cooperation between these two runs deep. Sharing subordinates previously and now displaying an unhidden alliance that seems astonishingly solid.¡±


    ¡°Such quick blade work! Martial Intent, Concept, Divine Soul, sensing power, speed, reflexes¡ªall are exceptionally strong. For someone in the Sixth Realm, he appears almost without weaknesses! Honestly, even without the Battle Armor, this fellow might still have the strength of the Eighth Realm Super Emperor Rank.¡±


    ¡°If I had to name a weakness, it¡¯d be pure strength, limited by his cultivation. But this is an utterly terrifying individual; his potential after breaking into the Seventh Realm is boundless!¡±


    ¡°Terrifying indeed, but also unfortunate. Han Xian¡¯er herself is no slouch¡ªif she were to join Lin Hao¡¯s banner and undergo enhancement through Heavenly Demon Technology, she might achieve Vice Divine Envoy Level in mere days!¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. This woman lost too miserably; her Dao Heart might just shatter from this defeat.¡±


    ¡°Guess how much Old Kou lost? Look at his bloodshot eyes¡ªlooks like he¡¯s ready to kill someone.¡±


    Kou Xuanwang snorted coldly, sharply glancing at the person speaking.


    He wished he could slap that guy to death, but alas, that fellow was the Chairman of the Federation Commercial Bank, as well as the Deputy Chairman of the Martial Arts Association, known as the ¡°Financial Sage.¡±


    Unlike the Longevity Association, the Martial Arts Association had only one ¡°Deputy,¡± and this ¡°Financial Sage¡± could rival even Li Xianglong in terms of battle prowess.


    Kou Xuanwang could only retract his gaze, refocusing his attention on Lin Hao.


    He had wagered on ¡°ten moves,¡± betting that Lin Hao would win within ten moves at odds of 9:1¡ªstaking fifty billion federal coins. Instead, Han Xian¡¯er couldn¡¯t even draw her sword; she had an Eighth Realm Super Monarch-level sword skill but no opportunity to unleash it.


    However, he wasn¡¯t quite mad enough to kill over this sum of money¡ªhe was mostly puzzled.


    Was Lin Rui and Lin Hao merely allies? He felt they resembled the same person.


    Yet their Battle Dragons were completely different, and their collaboration was blatantly displayed for all to see, as if daring people to recognize the connection between them.


    Kou Xuanwang dismissed his thoughts, pondering what difference it made whether Lin Hao was Lin Rui or not to him.


    He sent a message to Li Xianglong: ¡°Old Li, lend me fifty billion federal coins! I need it right now.¡±


    Li Xianglong: ¡°Scram!¡±


    Li Xianglong replied instantly but followed up with another message shortly afterward.


    Li Xianglong: ¡°Fifty billion federal coins? Didn¡¯t you tell me you quit gambling? You haven¡¯t secretly spent the emergency military budget Congress allocated to the base defense force, have you?¡±


    Li Xianglong: *****¡ª


    His response contained a string of obscenities censored out. Kou Xuanwang awkwardly smiled and was about to close the communication when Li Xianglong sent yet another message.


    Li Xianglong: ¡°Anyway, forget about borrowing money from me! And explain which betting platform you wagered on¡ªI want their information.¡±


    Kou Xuanwang¡¯s expression shifted as he rubbed his chin, considering.


    Indeed, running gambling operations was illegal; why play fair with them? Besides, these people were despicable¡ªthey had tempted him even though he¡¯d been resolved to quit.


    Zong Xiushan, the Third Divine Envoy of Da Cheng Country, was also closely observing Lin Hao, his eyes filled with suspicion.


    ¡°This fellow wields an extraordinary range of conceptual powers¡ªit¡¯s peculiar. This boy has significant secrets,¡± Zong Xiushan muttered while narrowing his gaze.


    Moments earlier, he had declared an interest in observing the divine might of Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s Secret Sword. Yet she hadn¡¯t been allowed to even unsheathe it.


    He paused mid-sentence, suddenly turning his attention behind him. He spotted Cui Peipei, her face ice-cold with fury, flicking her sleeve as she flew off into the distance.


    ¡°Divine Envoy Cui, you¡¯re leaving already? Not staying for the tax report from Star Port?¡±


    They had lingered this long primarily to witness Han Xian¡¯er challenging Lin Hao on the port¡¯s opening day, but also to await the Star Port¡¯s first-day tax figures.


    ¡°I¡¯m not waiting!¡±


    Cui Peipei was upset beyond measure, her flying light unstable and unsteady.


    Her trip to East State had been a series of heavy setbacks, unbearable to recall. ¡°Please notify me with a flying book once you¡¯ve learned the tax figures, Divine Envoy Zong.¡±


    At that moment, Han Xian¡¯er also noticed Cui Peipei¡¯s distant figure. This sight made her already-distraught state worse, as if struck by lightning. She stood frozen in place.


    Han Xian¡¯er understood deep down that she had no room for regret. The agreement she had made with Luo Wangshu involved pledging to their respective Gods under oath.


    Defying the oath would be a severe insult to the West Abyss.


    From her defeat onward, her fate as Lin Hao¡¯s servant and slave was sealed. Yet her master¡¯s rejection and departure struck her heavily, leaving her feeling so miserable she wanted to cry.


    Nearby, Han Baxian visibly relaxed.


    He had great confidence in Lin Hao, though he couldn¡¯t entirely rid himself of worry over the possibility of Lin Hao losing.


    ¡°This is truly¡ª¡± Yu Huaxuan, previously astonished, shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°The National Guardian Marquis¡¯ slash was simply clean and decisive.¡±


    No pity was shown for the beautiful challenger, nor was face spared for the visiting delegation from Great Wei.


    ¡°Fairy Han¡¯s combat prowess is exceptional, boasting Seventh Realm cultivation, and her conceptual powers rival Vice Divine Envoys. This marquis had no choice but to go all out.¡±


    Lin Rui felt, given Han Xian¡¯er was now his subordinate, he ought to salvage some dignity for her.


    He then pulled out a piece of Ninth Realm Dragon Skin Paper, long prepared. Using True Yuan, he sent it toward Han Xian¡¯er.


    ¡°Fairy Han, as per our agreement, please sign this Divine Contract.¡±


    Though Han Xian¡¯er had already sworn an oath to her God earlier, Lin Rui was always meticulous.


    Han Xian¡¯er stared vacantly, despondent, not bothering to scrutinize the contents of the Dragon Skin Paper as she clumsily signed the Divine Contract.


    She thought that, since this man was now her master, whatever Lin Hao said must certainly be correct.


    Lin Rui smiled faintly, and after Han Xian¡¯er had signed the contract, he glanced meaningfully at Ji Xueying.


    Ji Xueying immediately understood, dragging Han Xian¡¯er away toward Rui Fang¡¯s Hospital.


    Han Xian¡¯er, still in a state of dazed despair, staggered behind Ji Xueying without conscious awareness, following her steps into a clinical, gleaming room equipped with numerous Heavenly Demon instruments. There, Ji Xueying began removing Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s clothes and placed her into a futuristic-looking surgical pod. Han Xian¡¯er jerked awake: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Colonization surgery, of course¡ªwhat else?¡± Ji Xueying replied with a confused look. ¡°Your bloodline control is excellent, but given your current state, you should be able to awaken one more Super Monarch-level bloodline. The master expects much from you; he hopes you¡¯ll ascend to the Eighth Realm within days.¡±


    She pointed toward the adjacent preparation room. ¡°The master even arranged for a top-tier prosthetic doctor to be summoned a day in advance: Sophia, an academician from the Eurasian Union of the Earth Federation, recognized for her SSS-grade surgical skills.¡±


    Lin Rui was terribly busy; in a few days, he needed to dedicate an entire day to perform surgery for Lin Tianchen, utilizing the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire to extract this man¡¯s True Spirit from the Abyssal Divine Country.


    Besides, for people of Sky Extreme Star, colonization surgery was merely an intermediary for bloodline awakening. The surgical standards required were relatively low; SSS-grade competence sufficed.


    ¡°A day in advance? He was certain of victory all along?¡±


    Han Xian¡¯er let out a bitter laugh, curling up in the pod, her expression wooden. ¡°Fine, do whatever you want.¡±


    Ji Xueying blinked, sensing that Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s Dao Heart had indeed shattered¡ªthe woman had evidently given up entirely.


    This state wouldn¡¯t enable ascension to the Eighth Realm, nor mastery of ¡°Limit Heart Origin.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expectations for this woman actually surpassed those he had for Xianyu Yan.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really want to serve my master, right?¡± Ji Xueying mulled for a moment before reminding: ¡°You can recall the terms of the Divine Contract you signed. Master doesn¡¯t like forcing people, so he granted you the possibility of regaining your freedom. As long as you can defeat him in a battle observed by the Divine Law Venerable, under absolutely fair conditions, you¡¯ll be free again.¡±


    Han Xian¡¯er froze, her mind racing to confirm the contract terms. Indeed, there was such a provision.


    Her eyes began to gleam with renewed hope.


    Observed by the Divine Law Venerable? Absolutely fair conditions? That meant Lin Hao wouldn¡¯t be allowed to use the Heavenly Decree Battle Armor?


    If so, there was a chance¡ªa real chance¡ªso long as she could unleash her Eighth Realm Super Monarch-level Secret Sword! Victory was within reach!


    Just as Ji Xueying had said, she could still awaken another bloodline and ascend to the Eighth Realm!


    What Han Xian¡¯er failed to notice was Ji Xueying¡¯s bashful expression as she looked aside, avoiding eye contact out of guilt.


    Ji Xueying felt she had deceived Han Xian¡¯er.


    Lin Rui was approaching Seventh Realm already¡ªhow could Han Xian¡¯er possibly defeat him?


    Above all, her master was a God!


    If Master deployed conceptual power and the Supreme Divine Artifact, he¡¯d possess Immortal-level combat strength! Though only for ten seconds, it wasn¡¯t something anyone could overcome.


    Ji Xueying suppressed the tremor in her voice, ¡°By the way, what bloodline power would you prefer? This hospital stores numerous SSS+ grade colonizations; I can prepare a list for you.¡±


    Han Xian¡¯er squinted her eyes, ¡°No need! I only desire one bloodline¡ªSuper Monarch-level Eternal Thought!¡±


    Ji Xueying pouted slightly, thinking Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s choice was just as Master had predicted.


    The container holding ¡°Eternal Thought¡± was right outside!


    Meanwhile, at the Governor Mansion, the tax figures reported were displayed before Lin Rui¡¯s group.


    All their faces bore complex expressions.


    ¡°Forty-eight million two hundred thousand Divine Gold!¡± Yu Huaxuan let out a wry laugh, suppressing the shock on his face. ¡°We might have to inform the Divine Palace as soon as possible¡ªno! We must urgently return to Luojing to report this matter to God!¡±

 Chapter 731: 680: The Great Celestial Masters Surprise

    Chapter 731: Chapter 680: The Great Celestial Master¡¯s Surprise


    According to Lin Rui¡¯s intention, he actually wanted to review the accounts, clear up the calculations, and figure out why the trading volume and tax revenue this time were so high¡ªmore than double his expectation.


    However, whether it was Yu Huaxuan or Han Baxian, both advocated for returning to Luojing City as quickly as possible to report the matter to the gods.


    Even the Grand Steward of the Inner Court was also eager to return to the capital swiftly.


    Lin Rui had no choice but to comply with their wishes, instructing the accountants to prepare duplicate account ledgers and load them all onto Yu Huaxuan¡¯s Eight Dragon Flying Carriage.


    Just as he finished directing the group and stepped out of the main hall, he saw Fei Yunlai dressed in a seventh-rank official robe, kneeling by the roadside in a defeated OTZ pose of despair.


    ¡ª¡ªThis fellow did have an official post in the Great Song Star Port Governor¡¯s Mansion.


    After Lin Rui was appointed as Minister of Commerce and Starport Governor, the Court Cabinet had deliberated and granted him nearly 7,000 official posts, of which 180 were ¡®interpreters¡¯ and ¡®trade advisors.¡¯


    Abiding by the principle of keeping benefits within the family, Lin Rui gave Fei Yunlai a seventh-rank post as ¡®Chief Interpreter¡¯ in the Governor¡¯s Mansion, letting this penniless man earn an additional salary.


    But what¡¯s with this guy? He looked as if his parents had died.


    Lin Rui glanced sideways at Wang Tianwu, his eyes carrying a question.


    Wang Tianwu struggled to restrain his laughter, squinting and motioning: ¡°Old Fei gambled again. He borrowed money to place a huge bet in an underground casino in Luojing, wagering 8 billion that you¡¯d win in one move.¡±


    Lin Rui froze upon hearing this: ¡°Didn¡¯t he make a reasonably smart bet this time? Since he won, why does he look like this?¡±


    ¡°That casino got smashed, apparently by Kou Xuanwang.¡±


    Wang Tianwu couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore; he snickered gleefully: ¡°The house claimed all the money was taken by Kou Xuanwang, they can¡¯t compensate anything¡ªcan¡¯t even pay a penny¡ªonly refunding one-third of the principal.¡±


    Lin Rui immediately gave Fei Yunlai a sympathetic glance but quickly raised an eyebrow: ¡°Kou Xuanwang¡¯s gambling ethics are indeed questionable, but he wouldn¡¯t outright rob people. That house seems unreliable. Hmm~ a casino daring to take a bet from Kou Xuanwang is probably not a legitimate one either.


    Old Fei, take my warrant and pick out two Ninth Realm, four Eighth Realm, and eight Dragon Transformation teams from the Port Control Department. Go bring that house¡¯s people back and interrogate them thoroughly until they cough up all the money they owe Old Fei.¡±


    The Port Control Department is a new agency established by the Great Song Imperial City Department, currently under Lin Rui¡¯s command as Starport Governor.


    Given the court¡¯s significant attention to the Star Port, the department housed many experts.


    However, Lin Rui reckoned that once the account records were handed in, the court¡¯s level of concern would likely escalate even further.


    Lin Rui casually wrote a warrant and tossed it to Fei Yunlai: ¡°Old Wang, cross your blades and help him too! Damn it, it¡¯s one thing to scam people, but to hit us at home?¡±


    Fei Yunlai¡¯s face flushed red, his heart filled with both shame and gratitude.


    The 8 billion federal coins were no small amount to him¡ªnearly a year¡¯s salary.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s face fell, thinking, ¡°Why is Fei Yunlai losing money suddenly linked to me?¡±


    Moreover, judging by the boss¡¯s tone, he intended to have the house compensate Fei Yunlai, meaning Old Fei could end up profiting.


    Wang Tianwu was quite unpleased, but when he remembered Old Fei owed the boss several billion, he suddenly understood.


    Lin Rui was already too lazy to deal with these two clowns and left with Xianyu Yan and Shangguan Tianyi, boarding Yu Huaxuan¡¯s flying carriage.


    Ji Xueying was supposed to accompany them, but she needed to stay with Han Xian¡¯er for a few days to help her adjust.


    Ji Xueying had a pure and upright demeanor; anyone could tell she was a straightforward, kind-hearted girl. With her petite stature and endearing presence, she easily won others¡¯ favor, making her the ideal candidate to comfort Han Xian¡¯er.


    What Lin Rui didn¡¯t know was that at this moment, in the Divine Palace above Luojing City, the Great Celestial Master had already received Yu Huaxuan¡¯s flying book spanning 300,000 miles sent by Han Baxian.


    Han Baxian had expressed his intention to return to the Divine Palace to report in person but had already sent the flying book ahead to inform the Great Celestial Master of the findings.


    The Great Celestial Master looked at the figures in the flying book, momentarily stunned: ¡°Forty-eight million taels of Divine Gold! Equivalent to 4.8 billion taels of Magic Silver?¡±


    There were some small amounts left over, but the Great Celestial Master couldn¡¯t bother counting them.


    He stared blankly at the clouds sky ahead, then let out a sigh: ¡°Fortuitous!¡±


    Previously, the Great Celestial Master didn¡¯t pay much attention to the Great Song Dynasty¡¯s tax revenues.


    The state of the dynasty, good or bad, had little to do with the Divine Palace or the divine figure.


    If the Great Song fell into decay and the court became beyond salvation, it would simply mean replacing one ruling family with another¡ªwhat harm would it do to the Divine Palace?


    The more sordid and corrupt deeds the Great Song Royal Family committed, the more legitimate it would be for the divine intervention to eradicate the royalty when the time came for a celestial upheaval.


    Even if the Purgatory Three Gods¡¯ army invaded the surface during the dynasty¡¯s twilight, the Divine Palace had ways to expend human lives to resist them.


    The Purgatory Three Gods might command demons, but so could the divine figure. The palace held cultivation methods capable of hastening the creation of demon armies¡ªwithin days, millions could be raised to battle against Purgatory.


    As long as enough population was preserved to keep the Heavenly Curtain from collapsing, the dynasty¡¯s downfall wouldn¡¯t matter, and other four continents could still maintain order.


    Once Purgatory was worn down to exhaustion, the divine figure could strike and annihilate them in one fell swoop.


    However, this time, the Purgatory Demon Tide seemed unusually suspicious, and the arrival of Outer Heaven Demons added significant uncertainties.


    Whether it was the Purgatory Three Gods or the Purgatory Demon Army, they were far stronger than decades prior.


    The Three Gods had no reservations about bringing in anything that could bolster their strength to break into the surface.


    This made Purgatory¡¯s acceptance of Heavenly Demon items substantially higher than the surface¡ªby magnitudes.


    The Great Celestial Master even sensed the divine figure¡¯s will; the divine figure would not allow the Great Song Dynasty to fall!


    This might be tied to the expansion of the Heavenly Curtain, which, in merely two or three centuries, could extend to major Heavenly Demon Origins in the Tianji World.


    But should war erupt, causing a decline in population, the Heavenly Curtain¡¯s spread would inevitably retract significantly.


    It might also involve the Root, as the increasing pull from it since mid-last year suggested Purgatory Three Gods might feel further compelled to invade the surface.


    Thus, over the past year, the Divine Palace had taken an unprecedentedly serious stance, urging the Great Song Divine Envoy Department and Court Cabinet to prepare for war.


    Yet, centuries of accumulated corruption in the Great Song couldn¡¯t be reformed overnight.


    This unexpected windfall brought by Lin Hao was, therefore, invaluable.


    The Great Celestial Master thought Lin Hao was indeed deserving of his prior support and the divine figure¡¯s emphasis.


    Both the Great Celestial Master and the divine figure were well aware that Lin Hao harbored major secrets, possibly even being an Outer Heaven Demon himself.


    But Lin Hao¡¯s tangible efforts against Outer Heaven Demons and the Demon Sect had brought genuine improvements to security around Luojing.


    Comparing these gains to the silver Lin Hao had brought to the court, his dubious identity seemed insignificant.


    In the divine figure¡¯s eyes, all beings below demigod level were akin to ants, even those deemed ¡®Longevity.¡¯


    Outer Heaven Demons, too, were fated to become its subjects and sheep.


    The divine figure¡¯s true enemies were only the Abyss entities and a few gods nearing transcendence outside the Heavenly Curtain thanks to unique cultivation methods.


    Inclusivity across worlds and dominion over ten thousand realms were the nature of the divine figure. How could it genuinely fear or guard against heavenly demons?


    The Great Celestial Master rose and turned towards the Divine Sky Hall.


    Today, Yu Huaxuan and Lin Hao would enter the hall to report, and the divine figure¡¯s consciousness would inevitably awaken and descend. Preparations had to be made in advance.


    As the Great Celestial Master instructed priests to clean the halls and light the incense favored by the East Abyss, the Emperor and the First Divine Envoy, Luo Wangshu, gradually arrived.


    The Great Celestial Master turned, casting a sidelong glance at the three: ¡°Are you aware of today¡¯s Starport tax revenues?¡±


    He folded his hands behind his back and sighed: ¡°Forty-eight billion taels of Magic Silver! Equivalent to two and a half percent of the Great Song¡¯s land tax, and one and a half percent of its head tax. I recall the divine figure¡¯s decree instructing the court to prepare six months of military resources? The shortfall in military funding is about one hundred billion, isn¡¯t it? This showcases Marquis of National Guardianship¡¯s dedication to the dynasty and earnest efforts!¡±


    The First Divine Envoy and Luo Wangshu exchanged glances but remained silent.


    The Emperor furrowed his brows slightly, his expression complex.


    He detected the sarcasm in the Great Celestial Master¡¯s tone.


    Head tax, or the poll tax, was set at one tael of Magic Silver per registered male citizen annually, with about 620 billion men on record across the Great Song. Yet only half could meet their tax obligations yearly.


    Land tax, initially at 290 billion taels of silver during the dynasty¡¯s founding, had long since plummeted to 192 billion, despite farmland multiplying fivefold. This decline stemmed from unchecked noble land grabs and tax evasion, yielding the current mess.


    Meanwhile, the Starport¡¯s opening day revenues alone surpassed 48 billion taels of Magic Silver, amassing over 100 billion when including prior land and permit sales.


    Though today¡¯s numbers were inflated by attention-grabbing efforts from Heavenly Demons and weren¡¯t representative of long-term trade volumes, even scaling it down to one-thirtieth would represent an astronomical regular income.


    The Emperor particularly minded the Great Celestial Master¡¯s subtle critique. He recalled how previous emperors stealthily manipulated land taxes, gradually losing control as administrative corruption snowballed, shattering accountability.


    Attempts to reform tax laws had recently seen scapegoats punished¡ªthousands executed¡ªbut only 20 billion silver restored.


    Yet those who truly deserved disciplinary action remained untouchable, forcing resolve within the dynasty precariously fragile.


    Learning his ancestors were active within Purgatory added to the Emperor¡¯s cynicism, plunging him into ambiguity.


    The Starport revenues only served to deepen his conflicting emotions.


    The Great Celestial Master smiled faintly as divine aura appeared overhead, commanding attention: ¡°The divine figure has awakened; all shall await its judgment.¡±


    By now, Lin Rui had reached Luojing.


    Located less than ten thousand miles from the Star Port, Yu Huaxuan¡¯s flying carriage surged with radiant energy, crossing this span in mere two hundred breaths, arriving at the Divine Palace promptly.


    The Eight Dragon Flying Carriage landed directly in front of the Divine Sky Hall.


    As the group descended, the Divine Sky Hall bell tolled, a divine thought bursting forth from the heavens and enveloping the hall in its overwhelming majesty, sweeping through the palace entirely.


    Lin Rui and company froze and steadied their expressions, recognizing the arrival of the East Abyss deity.


    Yu Huaxuan, resolute and solemn, led the group up the Divine Sky Hall¡¯s steps and into the grand chamber.

 Chapter 732: 681: Divine Blood

    Chapter 732: Chapter 681: Divine Blood


    As soon as Lin Rui stepped into the Divine Palace, he felt an immense divine pressure.


    This Divine Sky Hall was as vast and empty as it was the last time he came, with only a single Cloud Platform perched high above.


    Ahead of the Cloud Platform hung a nine-layered curtain of pearls and veils, with a shadowy figure indistinctly sitting within.


    Last time Lin Rui merely glanced at this figure and felt excruciating pain in his eyes, as if they were about to explode.


    The boundless divine might also forced Lin Rui¡¯s Primordial Spirit to shrink tightly together, trembling violently and almost shattering.


    However, this time, perhaps due to his enhanced cultivation or the acquisition of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, the pain wasn¡¯t as severe.


    Still, Lin Rui feigned a look of great pain, avoiding direct gaze at the deity.


    Yu Huaxuan stepped forward and bowed in report, ¡°Minister Yu Huaxuan greets the Divine. The first trade since the opening of the Starport has concluded, with a total tax reaching forty-eight million two hundred thousand liang of Divine Gold. As this amount greatly exceeded expectations, far beyond our estimates, we specially brought back the account books from each dock area to report to the Divine.¡±


    The figure behind the veil lightly flicked a sleeve, ¡°The Great Celestial Master has already informed me, I am aware!¡±


    The deity¡¯s voice remained as resonant as a bell, yet also as vast as the sound of all creations, possessing indescribable depth and authority, imbued with endless power.


    With the deity¡¯s voice, the wooden crates outside the hall suddenly opened, and numerous account books flew out, thousands of them flipping rapidly in mid-air.


    In just moments, the books simultaneously fell to the ground, and the mighty divine voice rang out again, ¡°Have all the tax silver coins been stored?¡±


    ¡°Already stored!¡±


    Lin Rui bowed, ¡°However, Heavenly Demons do not produce Divine Gold or Magic Silver, so I reported to the Divine Envoy to allow the Heavenly Demons to substitute with various rare earths, alloys, and pharmaceutical raw materials they produce, even nuclear power reactors and various weapons above the Sixth Realm, calculated at eighty percent of the current market price.¡±


    This, without doubt, is profitable for the Great Song Court.


    Those Heavenly Demon alloys and nuclear power reactors can be used to forge various weapons and battle armor, especially the Heavenly Demon Armor, which can be mass-produced.


    Pharmaceutical raw materials can also be used to refine new elixirs.


    The Medicine God Sect¡¯s methods of refining elixirs have, in recent years, absorbed the strengths of the Heavenly Demons, evolving rapidly, with pharmacists inventing many cheap and practical prescriptions requiring the raw materials provided by the Heavenly Demons.


    The Earth Federation also benefits, as their surplus production can be monetized through the extraction and refinement of various rare earths and alloys¡ªindeed a great boon.


    ¡°Good!¡± The deity¡¯s voice carried a tone of approval, ¡°You may inform those Heavenly Demons that not only rare earths and alloys, but also their so-called ¡®machines¡¯ can substitute for silver coins. The Cabinet may discuss relevant regulations to encourage trade of these items by the Heavenly Demons. Duke, what you have established at the Starport, these so-called ¡®factories¡¯ and ¡®training classes,¡¯ are very commendable, and I am very pleased with them.¡±


    Lin Rui slightly squinted his eyes and bowed in acknowledgment.


    It seems that during the Divine¡¯s slumber, there was still attention on the Starport.


    The others, including the Emperor, noticed this shift in attitude towards the Heavenly Demons with keen interest.


    What could be the reason for this change?


    At this moment, the divine voice paused, becoming stern and chilling, causing everyone present to feel a shiver down their spine, covered in goosebumps.


    ¡°I have awakened today for two reasons: First, the tax revenue of the Starport far exceeded expectations; second, concerning the Three Gods of Purgatory. My Divine Sense perceives from the Heavenly Curtain that the Three Gods of Purgatory may dispatch troops within ten days, dividing forces into five routes, primarily targeting our East Continent!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s hearts skipped a beat at the words, thinking indeed the Purgatory Demon Army is planning their attack!


    When they heard the last line, they were taken aback, wondering why target the East Continent?


    Although the Great Song of the East Continent is the most ancient among the Four Great Dynasties, in terms of national strength, the Great Song ranks among the top two, just slightly below Da Liao.


    The current Emperor and the First Divine Envoy have, over the centuries, worked diligently to recover some of the Great Song¡¯s decline.


    Especially over the past year, Lin Hao ascended, purged the Heavenly Demons and the Demon Sect, opened ports for trade, further enhancing the Great Song¡¯s national strength.


    Moreover, their Divine ¡®East Abyss¡¯ is second only in power to those two in Central Continent and is recognized as the strongest single-combat Abyss!


    Are the Three Gods of Purgatory out of their minds to choose to breach from the East Continent? Aren¡¯t they afraid of hitting their heads and bleeding?


    Lin Rui and several Divine Envoys immediately noticed that both the Divine and the Great Celestial Master were gazing intently at the Emperor.


    They instantly realized that the choice of the Three Gods of Purgatory is likely related to the Grand Ancestor and Grand Emperor of the Great Song Royal Family.


    These two Longevity Realm beings have been lurking under the Purgatory for thousands of years, with no signs of movement.


    But recently, rumors have surfaced that someone witnessed the two entering and exiting the Divine Palace of the Three Gods of Purgatory.


    The Emperor felt his scalp tingle, but he braced himself, bowing and declaring in a resolute voice, ¡°Divine! I will personally command the Imperial Guard and the Yulin Army to directly defend the Sky Pond against the Demon Army! I swear by the names of the Divine Law Venerable and the Green Blood Venerate, should the henchmen of the Three Gods of Purgatory dare to come, no matter who they are or what their status, I vow that these demons will find no return!¡±


    ¡°Good! Your resolve is commendable.¡± The figure behind the veil nodded, ¡°You may leave the Imperial Jade Seal in the Imperial City and go with the First Divine Envoy and Third Divine Envoy to defend the Sky Pond!¡±


    Lin Rui heard this and couldn¡¯t help but feel peculiar, thinking Li Xianglong¡¯s schemes might actually succeed.


    However, does this mean that his master Luo Wangshu must also go to defend the Sky Pond and battle the demons?


    The Emperor¡¯s face turned ghostly pale, but he did not dare hesitate, bowing again, ¡°I obey.¡±


    At this moment, the deity¡¯s gaze shifted towards Lin Rui, ¡°Duke, based on your estimates, how much can the Starport maintain in monthly tax revenue in the future?¡±


    Lin Rui pondered slightly and then bowed, ¡°Divine, the reason this time far exceeded expectations was due to my blockade for nearly a year, causing many goods to accumulate. Future transactions will see a significant reduction in both the value and quantity of traded goods. As long as the entire Great Song remains prosperous and stable, in the next two months, the Starport¡¯s daily tax revenue should be around two million to two hundred fifty thousand Divine Gold.¡±


    While returning to Luojing on Yu Huaxuan¡¯s Flying Chariot, Lu Hanyuan had already informed him through quantum communication about the reasons behind such high revenue.


    One reason was indeed Lin Rui¡¯s blockade for nearly a year, causing a substantial stockpile of materials within the Great Song.


    These materials were mainly high-grade raw resources, as traders first sought to hoard them to inflate prices; second, they dared not easily bring these high-value bulk materials to trade, fearing they would be confiscated by the Imperial City Department, leading to significant losses.


    The second reason was the anticipation of a policy change by the Great Song Court. Everyone was eager to trade in expensive Heavenly Demon items, especially Armaments and injectables.


    As long as they passed through the Starport and paid their taxes, these goods became legal, and the Imperial City Department could no longer pursue them.


    Many even fabricated transactions, passing previously implanted Armaments through the Starport and paying taxes to legitimize them.


    Lin Rui himself did the same, legitimizing the injectables and Armaments for his master and subordinates.


    Everyone shivered upon hearing this.


    Two million liang of Divine Gold daily? That amounts to at least seven hundred thirty million liang of Divine Gold annually! Seven billion three hundred million liang of Magic Silver.


    This would not only double the court¡¯s tax revenue! Almost close to doubling!


    Luo Wangshu looked at Lin Rui with slight concern, wondering if the Starport could indeed achieve such high income; it would be foolish to boast.


    If Lin Rui couldn¡¯t deliver, it would invite calamity upon himself.


    The Great Celestial Master noticed Lin Hao¡¯s expression, as if he wanted to speak but hesitated, and frowned, ¡°Before the Divine, do not stammer.¡±


    Lin Rui then clasped his hands and spoke, ¡°Divine, the reason this trade amounted to twenty-four million liang of Divine Gold may also involve the Demon Sect. In the recent two months, this sect and various forces have engaged in frequent battles, and the Outer Heaven Demon has issued a ban on magic to the Demon Sect. The Demon Sect may want to use the Starport¡¯s channel to buy and sell various materials.


    I am uncertain whether to rigorously examine and expel them or to observe the situation. As the Spy Catcher Bureau Commander, my duty is to eliminate demons and traitors, but I also serve as the Minister of Commerce and Starport Governor. If we permit the Demon Sect¡¯s materials to enter the market, it could potentially increase the Starport¡¯s daily tax revenue by another million liang of Divine Gold, possibly increasing further to two million liang in the long run.¡±


    The scale of future dealings with the Demon Sect would be enormous, certainly not easily concealed. Lin Rui wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to think he could hide it from the Divine, so he preemptively addressed it.


    The Great Celestial Master initially intended to reprimand him.


    But upon hearing an additional daily revenue of one million liang of Divine Gold, he swallowed back his words.


    One million liang of Divine Gold per day amounts to three billion six hundred fifty million annually.


    Lin Rui clasped his hands again, ¡°I am indeed inclined to use this trade channel to hold the Demon Sect in check, ensuring they don¡¯t cause trouble in Luojing¡¯s eight prefectures and the inner twenty-four territories of the East Continent.¡±


    The East Continent is vast, divided into the inner twenty-four territories and the outer forty-eight territories.


    The outer forty-eight territories are sparsely populated, home to many demons and fierce beasts.


    Even at the founding of the Great Song, management of the East Continent was primarily diplomatic, with only a small tax levied.


    ¡°Let us observe first!¡± The Divine¡¯s voice was like jade, ¡°Emperor, Duke¡¯s proposal to open trade and establish the Starport is meritorious.¡±


    The Emperor immediately understood, ¡°The Duke¡¯s loyalty and bravery shine like the sun and moon, his literary and martial talents prominent under heaven, truly a pillar of the nation. He should be elevated to the rank of Duke of the State to acknowledge his achievements!¡±


    The figure behind the veil slightly shook his head at these words, ¡°State? A small state, the title should remain as Duke, Duke of the Nation.¡±


    The Emperor bitterly smiled upon hearing this.


    The Divine did not grant Lin Hao a direct elevation, affording him some face.


    Yet, choosing the word ¡®Duke¡¯ serves as a cautionary note.


    Lin Rui felt indifferent, seeing no difference between Duke of the Nation and Duke of the State. It was merely a matter of higher rank without any real change in authority.


    However, the next moment, he saw three drops of golden blood suddenly fly towards him.


    The blood drops hovered, radiating golden light, illuminating the surrounding ten yards, making the already luminous and serene room even more splendid.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    He recognized this as the ¡®Divine Blood¡¯ granted to him by the Divine!


    This divine item could help one condense the highest bloodline talent, significantly enhancing True Yuan and strengthening the physical body.


    Unfortunately, after being granted this once, despite his numerous accomplishments, Lin Rui had not received it from the Divine again.


    ¡°Your cultivation advances swiftly, and you are just a step away from Divine Skills. These three drops of ¡®Divine Blood¡¯ can aid you in reaching the Seventh Realm Divine Power sooner.¡±


    The figure behind the curtain then scanned the room, ¡°Apart from the Starport, do you have any other pressing matters to report? My awakenings are rare, make your submissions quickly.¡±


    Lin Rui joyously collected the three drops of ¡®Divine Blood¡¯ into a jade bottle, carefully placing it within his sleeve.


    In that moment, his mind flickered, and he glanced suspiciously downwards.


    Just then, Lin Rui sensed something amiss with his Divine Sense.


    It seemed as though someone was obscuring the connection between his Primordial Spirit and certain elements of the world.


    Lin Rui found this perplexing; what was this person trying to do? What trickery was this?


    Suddenly, his mind raced, contemplating if this was the Knowledge Barrier, but it was so blatant. Did they take him for a fool?


    Lin Rui quickly realized that the other had not failed to conceal, but that he, as a God, could not be shielded from.


    The question remained, what was the other trying to hide from him?

 Chapter 733: 682: It Seems Like Ive Offended God

    Chapter 733: Chapter 682: It Seems Like I¡¯ve Offended God


    Deep within Purgatory, in a region ablaze with fire and submerged in molten magma, the ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing stood respectfully at the mouth of a cave, bowing deeply to an elderly man with six eyes: ¡°Junior thanks Senior Ge for your assistance this time. My gratitude knows no bounds.¡±


    The elder was diminutive and emaciated, standing at only around 1.4 meters tall. His face indeed bore six eyes, with a massive gold-red eye dominating most of his visage.


    Bald with gapped teeth, his hunched figure resembled a decrepit ¡®Six-eyed Demon¡¯ nearing the end of its days.


    Yet Yi Duxing dared not show the slightest disrespect.


    This was because the elder before him, known as ¡®Ge Xianshan,¡¯ had been a renowned and peerless master, a Super Divine Envoy-level expert famed across the Five Continents and Six Seas of the Sky Extreme Star over ten thousand years ago!


    A millennium later, Ge Xianshan had further ascended to become one of the twelve Longevity-level cultivators confirmed by the Earth Federation.


    His cultivation spanned the heavens and the earth, unfathomable and profound. It was rumored he was already close to the Quasi-Abyss level, his combat ability rivaling that of a Demigod.


    In his youth, he was handsome and elegant, possessing a refined demeanor. However, after hiding in Purgatory for ten thousand years, his body and bloodline underwent significant mutations.


    This transformation was, in fact, a deliberate adaptation to survive in the unique environment deep within Purgatory.


    For experts of his caliber, controlling flesh and genetic material was easy. He could restore the standard body of a Tianji Star person in an instant.


    ¡°No need for such courtesy.¡± The six-eyed elder chuckled casually, pretending indifference: ¡°This is merely a transaction. You brought me something satisfactory, and I deployed the Knowledge Barrier for you¡ªnothing more.¡±


    However, a faint unease glimmered in the depths of the elder¡¯s eyes.


    While casting the spell was relatively smooth and simple, just as the process neared its conclusion, Ge Xianshan had felt the gaze of an immensely powerful entity from the Heavenly Curtain fixate briefly on him.


    That lone gaze caused his Primordial Spirit to tremble violently, his scalp to tingle, and his entire body to break out in goosebumps.


    The being withdrew its gaze almost instantly, yet the six-eyed elder still felt unsettled. Even now, his heart pounded erratically, his blood surged turbulently, and an unshakable dread gripped him.


    This was clearly his Primordial Spirit and bloodline warning him of an extreme danger.


    ¡°By the way!¡± The six-eyed elder Ge Xianshan asked seemingly offhandedly: ¡°During my spellcasting to sever past knowledge and suppress traces of destiny, I noticed certain anomalies in the Heavenly Curtain. Yi Duxing, when you sought out the Dreamy Heavenly Maiden earlier and she declined your offer, what exactly did she say? Please recount her words verbatim.¡±


    Previously, Yi Duxing had explained that this Knowledge Barrier was linked to the invincible Dharma King from the surface, as well as two Abyssal Clones, necessitating the intervention of a force on the brink of Quasi-Abyss level.


    After thorough investigation, the six-eyed elder Ge Xianshan identified no immediate issues. He even employed Stargazing Skills to study the skies, detecting no anomalies. Coupled with the enticing terms Yi Duxing presented, he had agreed to assist.


    Now, however, it seemed this ¡®Knowledge Barrier¡¯ transaction might have deep flaws.


    Regret had begun to gnaw at Ge Xianshan; had he known earlier, he would have enlisted the help of his close friend, a professional Stargazer.


    Ge Xianshan himself was not a specialist in Stargazing; his knowledge of the practice was superficial.


    The finest Stargazers, capable of tracing star paths and perceiving destiny¡¯s traces, required their Primordial Spirit to deeply merge with the Heavenly Curtain¡¯s root essence.


    While these individuals gained divine power to foresee future fates, they also became a part of destiny itself, powerless to condense conceptual force, escape the vortex, or change their own fate.


    Yi Duxing found this inquiry somewhat odd but maintained a solemn demeanor as he bowed and replied, ¡°The Dreamy Heavenly Maiden said that while setting up this Knowledge Barrier would be simple, it would bring substantial future troubles, and the reward I offered was insufficient to move an Immortal Venerable to act.


    The reward I had presented was a ¡®Primordial True Source X Injector,¡¯ infused with flesh granted by the Three Gods of Purgatory. It is the pinnacle of biotechnology developed by our Longevity Association, and even enriches the resources of a Dreamy Heavenly Venerate. Thus, I found her refusal baffling. Shortly after, however, the Pain and Despair Heavenly Maidens abruptly emerged.¡±


    Hearing this, Ge Xianshan¡¯s face twitched ever so slightly; he then gave an impassive nod: ¡°I see!¡±


    He pointed downward: ¡°Go now. The lava lake here is about to rise; any delay, and you¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow when its tides recede.¡±


    Yi Duxing dared not linger, activating his flight and heading toward the crimson cave exit immediately.


    The lava lake was far from ordinary molten magma; it contained a significant quantity of Purgatory Light and also a measure of Root Power.


    If a Martial Cultivator¡¯s cultivation hadn¡¯t reached the Tenth Realm or their Martial Intent hadn¡¯t conceptualized, even brief contact with the lake¡¯s substance would trigger uncontrollable aberrations.


    After Yi Duxing departed, Ge Xianshan¡¯s complexion darkened instantly.


    Just moments ago, he sensed someone gazing in his direction again through the Heavenly Curtain and along the magical connection forged during the spellcasting process.


    Ge Xianshan pondered: Who could this be? A Quasi-Abyss entity, a Demigod, or perhaps even a genuine Divine Spirit?


    The only certainty was that the entity possessed an incredibly high status in the Heavenly Curtain.


    Quasi-Abyss entities were those whose Martial Intent had reached 99% conceptualization¡ªjust one step away from the Abyss, though that single step was akin to a chasm.


    Demigods had part of their essence aligned with the Abyss layer¡ªbe it their Primordial Spirit, physical body, or concept.


    These titans all stood far above Ge Xianshan in the hierarchy.


    What was the link between them? Was it due to the Knowledge Barrier he had constructed moments ago? This didn¡¯t make sense.


    The invincible Dharma King possessed formidable conceptual power but had yet to achieve conceptualization of Martial Intent, still far from Longevity-level cultivation.


    Lin Rui¡¯s two sisters were merely Abyssal Clones; even their original bodies hadn¡¯t fully restored genuine Abyss-level strength.


    One thing was clear though¡ªhe had been utterly entangled in Yi Duxing¡¯s deceit as an Outer Heaven Demon!


    The Dreamy Heavenly Venerate, hidden within the collective dreams and subconscious minds of all Tianji Star inhabitants, observed the external world.


    This was likely why she had declined Yi Duxing¡¯s proposition¨Csomething far beyond his understanding.


    Ge Xianshan didn¡¯t even dare let Yi Duxing know of his current predicament.


    The cunning and ruthless Outer Heaven Demon would show no mercy. Should he learn of Ge Xianshan¡¯s plight due to a Quasi-Abyss gaze, the demon would likely rally his Longevity Association peers to eliminate Ge Xianshan and investigate the so-called secrets of ¡®Longevity.¡¯


    Ge Xianshan had even considered silencing Yi Duxing in a fit of rage but refrained.


    The Yi Duxing that arrived wasn¡¯t his true self but a clone; even eliminating it wouldn¡¯t resolve the issue.


    Ge Xianshan also dared not dissolve the Knowledge Barrier he had constructed himself, for once it dissipated, he would be entirely exposed under the watchful eyes of either a Quasi-Abyss, Demigod, or Divine Spirit.


    After some thought, he raised his hand, summoning every item within the cave to gather before him. Using Divine Power, he conjured a Dimension Void to stow them away.


    Only one object remained¡ªa blood-red jade bottle shaped like a human heart, cradled carefully in his hand.


    This was a potent Abyss Divine Artifact, known as ¡®Supreme Divine Heart.¡¯ It was Ge Xianshan¡¯s key to surviving in Purgatory¡ªa device even the Three Gods of Purgatory couldn¡¯t contend against.


    Within Purgatory, average ¡®Longevity¡¯ cultivators could secure footholds and even become esteemed guests of the Three Gods of Purgatory.


    But individuals like Ge Xianshan, whose power neared Quasi-Abyss levels, faced relentless elimination efforts from the Three Gods.


    Though the artifact¡¯s conceptual nature clashed with Ge Xianshan¡¯s path, its unique properties significantly augmented his strength.


    Ge Xianshan ascended into the air, streaking toward his backup sanctuary 17,000 miles away.


    He needed to set up an array immediately to guard against further probing from the Quasi-Abyss entity.


    The trouble was, direct confrontation of his Primordial Spirit with such a being might render him incapable of defending himself.


    A clash of Primordial Spirits was the fiercest of dangers.


    Ge Xianshan now could only hope the entity was merely Quasi-Abyss. If so, he might yet stand a chance.


    Should it prove to be a Demigod or Divine Spirit, however, his life would be in severe jeopardy.


    Moreover, many knew of his current dwelling. If someone came calling during his Primordial Spirit battle, he might face mortal peril¡ªhe had to guard against this eventuality.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui sat inside Luo Wangshu¡¯s flying chariot, continuing his observation of the Heavenly Curtain and the Root, tracing the magical vestiges in an attempt to uncover the source of this Knowledge Barrier and discern what was being concealed.


    Previously, in front of the ¡®East Abyss,¡¯ Lin Rui had to withdraw his Divine Thought, unable to scrutinize too closely. Even now, he exercised utmost caution, as the Divine Sense of the East Abyss had yet to retreat to the heavens.


    The other party¡¯s concealment was formidable, with power saturating the Heavenly Curtain and shielding his attempts to visualize and perceive.


    Yet Lin Rui sensed the opposing force was like a thin veil¡ªone he could perhaps pierce with just a little more effort.


    The problem was that Lin Rui lacked energy and strength at the moment. One reason was his reluctance to use his Pure Concept or Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire under the watchful eye of the East Abyss; another was that his Abyss Source Material and Abyss Source Core hadn¡¯t yet matured enough to sustain his Abyss Concept.


    He had no choice but to wait¡ª


    Wait for the East Abyss to return to Divine Sleep, and for Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan to finish constructing a grand formation for him.


    Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan, besides being a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank in magical arts and a quasi-Divine Envoy-level expert, was also a Grandmaster of formations, far surpassing Wang Tianwu.


    The Sage was currently using materials provided by Lin Tianchen to secure the Radiant Holy Altar.


    When the altar was completed and Lin Rui ascended, he would maximize the power of Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and retrieve Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit.


    At that moment, he could also investigate the true nature of this Knowledge Barrier!


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly, collecting his thoughts, and then saw Luo Wangshu tossing over a jade bottle containing three drops of ¡®Divine Blood.¡¯


    ¡°This Divine Blood should be free of issues. That individual prides themselves on their magnanimity, as vast and boundless as heaven and earth, admiring storm clouds and embracing rivers. Even if they intended to kill you, they¡¯d do so openly and find an appropriate justification¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t tamper with this bottle.¡±


    Luo Wangshu smiled at him: ¡°When will you attempt your Seventh Realm ascension?¡±


    With these three drops of Divine Blood, Lin Rui could ascend today.

 Chapter 734: 683: Choosing a Date for Promotion

    Chapter 734: Chapter 683: Choosing a Date for Promotion


    Lin Rui pondered for a moment, then slightly shook his head and said: ¡°Things have been relatively stable lately; let¡¯s wait a bit longer. I estimate that in thirty days at most, or as little as seven days, I will meet the criteria to implant the X-level Divine Power Pillar. By then, using this artifact will not only greatly enhance the limits of my physical body and Primordial Spirit but also further develop my Bloodline Power, which will be immensely beneficial for my future.¡±


    Lin Rui reflected that there were no imminent crises in the next few days.


    Assisting Lin Tianchen in pulling out the True Spirit mainly relied on the Radiant Holy Altar and the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire. Even if his cultivation advanced, his contribution to this matter would remain negligible.


    When facing Divine Spirits, what difference does it make between the Sixth Realm and the Seventh Realm? They¡¯re all ants.


    It is Lin Rui¡¯s own foundation that, the firmer it is now, will increase the likelihood of breaking through to the Immortal Level in the future.


    Lin Rui¡¯s priority is clearly his own life and future; there is no reason to risk them for the sake of the Second General Lin Tianchen.


    ¡°When advancing to the Divine Power Realm, your Primordial Spirit truly contacts the Heavenly Curtain. The stronger your foundation, the better.¡±


    Luo Wangshu nodded her head, but then still offered a reminder: ¡°However, don¡¯t delay too long. East Abyss has bestowed you the ¡®Divine Blood,¡¯ perhaps indicating an intention to position you as Regent. There are several candidates under consideration, but your rank among them is undoubtedly the highest. However, your Sixth Realm cultivation is still too low.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui squinted slightly, realizing he may have overlooked this possibility.


    Acting as Regent in place of the Emperor and wielding the National Treasure, huh? That indeed demands speeding up progress.


    By helping Lin Tianchen extract the True Spirit this time, Lin Rui could immediately begin preparing for advancement, ideally completing it within three to five days.


    ¡°I understand, Master,¡± Lin Rui said solemnly, nodding his head. Then he added, somewhat concerned, as he looked at Luo Wangshu: ¡°Master, heading to Sky Pond this time brings significant risks; you must remain vigilant and cautious!¡±


    According to Lin Rui, the Three Gods of Purgatory shelter several Immortal Level individuals, serving as henchmen for the counterattack against the surface.


    In every Sky Pond campaign, the death rate of Divine Envoys and Candidate Divine Envoys is extremely high for those passages chosen as the primary offensive direction by Purgatory.


    Around fifty years ago, the Emperor of the Da Cheng Country and three Divine Envoys perished at the Southern Continent¡¯s Sky Pond, and the Federation has yet to recover its Primordial Qi from the impact.


    Luo Wangshu chuckled softly and reached out to pinch Lin Rui¡¯s cheek: ¡°Don¡¯t worry. A year ago, I might not have been confident in preserving myself within the Sky Pond. However, the current me¡ªshould I encounter those Immortals¡ªat least possesses the strength to fight back. On the other hand, you must be careful living alone in Luojing.¡±


    According to Lin Rui¡¯s observations, her physical body has already been developed to 83% all thanks to his medicines and surgical contributions.


    Luo Wangshu has also implanted two SSS+ grade Armaments and is currently triggering the awakening of her Bloodline Power.


    It¡¯s worth noting that Heavenly Demon Armaments can immediately activate related Bloodline Abilities upon implantation.


    As such, her physical body, cultivation, and Bloodline Power have already reached the standards of a Super Monarch of Ninth Realm.


    Luo Wangshu also injected a 9-Type High-Concentration X-Source Essence Agent traded to her by Lin Rui, which is now generating her unique X-Source Essence.


    At the same time, Luo Wangshu is working on refining her ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword.¡¯


    The Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword is a Secret Sword bestowed by East Abyss upon her promotion to Divine Envoy. Luo Wangshu is now attempting to integrate her Sword Dao and Martial Intent into it for refinement and ascension.


    The progress has been promising so far, with Lin Rui constructing a supercomputing array for her comprising 120 super quantum computers. The setup, worth over 70 billion federal coins, is aiding her in simulation and calculations.


    Once Luo Wangshu completes this step, she will officially transcend into the Super Divine Envoy Level and lay a foundation for further Martial Intent conceptualization.


    Moreover, Lin Rui has also obtained for her a 9SSS-grade Outer Elixir named ¡®Tai Zhen¡¯ and a set of 9S+ grade ¡®Emperor¡¯ prototype Battle Armor.


    Unfortunately, both the armor and the elixir were just handed over to a ¡®Lesser Heavenly Master¡¯ in the Mechanical God Temple for modifications, with an estimated delivery date about two months away.


    ¡°After I leave, if there¡¯s anything your senior brothers or senior sisters can assist with, don¡¯t hesitate to use them. Still, trust them only to a limited extent.¡±


    ¡°Although I came from humble beginnings and compromised many times on my path to become a Divine Envoy, their temperaments are actually quite good. However, their choices are often constrained by family backgrounds, thus making them unsuitable as core supports¡ªgood for wings but never pillars.¡±


    Luo Wangshu continued her guidance: ¡°Only your Senior Sister Meng, your Junior Sister Zhuang, and you can be considered my true disciples. Though your relationships with them are already unique, I don¡¯t need to elaborate further. Speaking of, has Meng Weiyun already transformed into an alien body?¡±


    As she spoke, she cast a sidelong glance at Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui awkwardly chuckled. With the help of Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ medicines and biological technologies, it would take Meng Weiyun at most one year to ascend to an Emperor-Class Bloodline in the Eighth Realm, with battle power approaching Congressman Level.


    Considering his current sales channels were under heavy threat, Lin Rui wouldn¡¯t let go of such a valuable ally.


    Fortunately, Meng Weiyun also has a keen interest in the human world, spending today wandering around the Ninth Base City.


    At this moment, Luo Wangshu changed the topic yet again: ¡°As for Yuefang and Xinmei, I¡¯ll have them stay in Luojing for a few days so that you can perform purification surgeries for them.¡±


    Luo Wangshu referred to her Dragon Guard Captain Jing Yuefang and Vice Captain Su Xinmei.


    She previously hoped Lin Rui would handle the surgical operations to free the two women from the control of the Divine Palace.


    However, she had been cautious, quietly observing whether the Divine Palace had left any extra measures or traps on the two women and assessing whether this would potentially expose Lin Rui¡¯s identity.

 Chapter 735: 683: Choosing a Date for Promotion_2

    Chapter 735: Chapter 683: Choosing a Date for Promotion_2


    Until now, Luo Wangshu was finally certain: ¡°If it¡¯s convenient, you can also cultivate their alien bodies. If manpower is lacking in Heavenly Demon Origin, there¡¯s no need to ask for my permission¡ªyou can directly mobilize them for battle.¡±


    Cultivating alien bodies is beneficial for martial cultivators. With the support of two bodies, their spiritual power limit could be raised by at least 20%.


    Luo Wangshu herself wanted an alien body as well, but having already reached the Super Monarch Rank of the Ninth Realm as a partial generator of Abyss Source Material, the process of cultivating an alien body was far more complicated for her than for lower-level martial cultivators.


    Currently, Lin Rui had secretly hired a specialized expert team to research this issue, but progress was slow.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui¡¯s spirit was lifted. Jing Yuefang and Su Xinmei were both top-level experts at the Super Emperor Rank of the Eighth Realm, trusted confidants akin to direct disciples by Luo Wangshu¡¯s side!


    Unfortunately, neither of them had managed to master the 8SSS+ secret skill, slightly limiting their potential. However, considering them as quasi-members of the council was entirely reasonable.


    As long as their equipment was upgraded, their overall combat strength wouldn¡¯t be inferior to Lu Hanyuan¡¯s.


    As the two conversed, the flying chariot they were traveling in had already arrived at the star port. After dropping Lin Rui off, Luo Wangshu maneuvered the chariot to soar into the skies once again.


    When Lin Rui returned to the Star Port Governor¡¯s Mansion, he discovered that Fei Yunlai and the others had already apprehended the Zhuang family and were interrogating them in the mansion¡¯s dungeon.


    This individual had considerable background; surprisingly, he was a royal uncle too, with his sister being one of the emperor¡¯s favored concubines¡ªa lineage of significant prestige.


    Unfortunately, he happened to cross paths with ¡°Lin Hao.¡± If this guy didn¡¯t pay up the owed money, even the emperor¡¯s presence wouldn¡¯t be of help.


    Lin Rui visited the dungeon, but not to watch Fei Yunlai and the others interrogate the suspect¡ªhe wasn¡¯t that idle.


    His real aim was the dozen high-level demons that Li Yuehua and Hou Yuting had captured for him, which just happened to be enough to gather 400,000 soul power points. These points would allow him to exchange for three Grandmaster-level Dragon Stage Body Refining Secret Techniques.


    Lin Rui craved soul power points desperately, and coincidentally, his one-year agreement with the tower guardian of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower had come due. He could now enter the tower for a massive harvest of soul power points.


    Lin Rui had also set his sights greedily on Huang Fuqing¡¯s battle dragon.


    Both Lin Rui and Huang Fuqing had been researching ways to enable the ¡°resurrection¡± of Huang Fuqing.


    But if Huang Fuqing truly came back to life, leaving his battle dragon in the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower would undoubtedly become a fatal flaw.


    Thus, it was imperative to find a way to extract the battle dragon as soon as possible.


    For now, however, the 400,000 soul power points Lin Rui had acquired by slaying these Sixth and Seventh Realm demons were already enough for him to ascend into the Seventh Realm.


    Once he entered the Seventh Realm, he could then start strategizing to steal Huang Fuqing¡¯s battle dragon without haste.


    After Lin Rui had finished slaying the demons, he summoned the Battle Spirit Ring: ¡°Ring Spirit, help me copy the Dragon Stage body-refining technique ¡®Nine Dragons Divine Seal¡¯ from Battle Dragon No. 2.¡±


    Prompt: Copying ¡®Nine Dragons Divine Seal (Grandmaster)¡¯ requires 220,000 soul power points.


    ¡ª¡ªThis was the strongest body refining secret technique that Huang Fuqing had mastered. It simulated the stances of nine powerful dragon races to refine one¡¯s body and soul, with effects nearing the Sky-reaching Level. The soul power points required for replication were exorbitantly high.


    As soon as this secret technique was copied, Lin Rui¡¯s blood and meridians began surging wildly, while his bones and flesh issued bursts of cracking and clattering sounds.


    This was because the already robust and dense muscle tissue, fascia, and bone cells within Lin Rui¡¯s body were undergoing further optimized restructuring, resulting in these unusual sounds.


    In fact, just two days ago, Lin Rui had exchanged for another Grandmaster-level secret technique, the ¡®Blood Core Fusion Yang Technique.¡¯ The residual potency of this technique was still enhancing his physical constitution.


    Originally, Lin Rui had planned to wait a bit longer¡ªperhaps five days¡ªto unleash 80¨C90% of the strengthening effects of the Blood Core Fusion Yang Technique before exchanging it for a new power body.


    But Luo Wangshu¡¯s words changed his mind. Since the East Abyss had bestowed him with the ¡°Divine Blood,¡± it clearly intended for him to ascend quickly. Thus, he decided to comply.


    Lin Rui waited quietly until the wild surge of energy triggered by the ¡°Nine Dragons Divine Seal¡± gradually subsided and returned to calm. Only then did he use his divine thought to interface with his smart biological chip, bringing his consciousness back to his main body.


    Next, he needed to prepare for the operation to equip Lin Tianchen with the new armament¡ªa surgery that would take an entire day.


    What Lin Rui didn¡¯t yet know was that shortly after his main consciousness returned to the Ninth Base City, almost every major commercial leader in Great Song Star Port received the news. It was the announcement that Lin Hao¡ªthe Red Priest of Great Song, also serving as Cabinet Minister, Minister of Commerce, Star Port Governor, and Spy Detection Bureau Commander¡ªhad been promoted to ¡®National Guardian Duke,¡¯ bringing widespread jubilation.


    This news spread like wildfire online and caused a massive stir across the business sector within the Earth Federation.


    Everyone was shocked by the divine favor and trust that the East Abyss had bestowed upon Lin Hao. They also recognized the political implications of conferring the title of ¡°National Guardian Duke.¡±


    At the same time, the ¡°Financial Sage¡± stood on the rooftop of the 69-story Federation Chamber of Commerce building in the starport, gazing with a pleased expression in the direction of the Star Port Governor¡¯s Mansion.


    ¡°It looks like the East Abyss is quite satisfied with this trade tax policy. Before this National Guardian Duke falls from grace, this open-port trade strategy won¡¯t see any changes.¡±


    He then turned around, his gaze deep as it focused on a shadow standing behind him.


    ¡ª¡ªIt was none other than the ¡°alien¡± of Li Xianglong, who was currently engaged in a fierce battle against the Longevity Association!


    The ¡°Financial Sage¡± narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself that the Longevity Association likely hadn¡¯t realized that this figure had already mastered the ¡°One Origin Two Forms¡± technique, enabling his primordial spirit to control both his main body and alien simultaneously.


    Thus, the fight between Li Xianglong and the Longevity Association had yet to show his full capabilities.


    Since the outbreak of the conflict between these two forces, this individual had stayed close by his side.


    A smile surfaced on the ¡°Financial Sage¡¯s¡± face: ¡°However, the intensity of your battle with the Longevity Association has been escalating day by day. It¡¯s already disrupting societal order. Judging by their momentum, they seem determined to bring down Lin Tianchen. Rumor has it that the laboratory where he¡¯s hiding, along with its surrounding network, has been subjected to tight surveillance by the Longevity Association?


    If not for the intervention of that rising star from the Federation, Mr. Lin, who purged their forces from Ninth Base City and deployed two abyss weapons to guard, they might have already stormed in to take Lin Tianchen¡¯s head. Yet, even under such circumstances, you still have the leisure to leave your alien here? Are you not worried that the Longevity Association might, at any cost, leverage Forest Group¡¯s resources to kill Lin Tianchen?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Lin Tianchen possesses sufficient capability to handle the Longevity Association. The feud they¡¯ve formed with him this time is utterly foolish.¡±


    Li Xianglong¡¯s alien stood with hands behind his back: ¡°Right now, monitoring you is of greater priority.¡±


    The Financial Sage couldn¡¯t help but laugh bitterly, his gaze tinged with helplessness: ¡°I¡¯ve already told you¡ªI am definitely not the ¡®President¡¯ of the Longevity Association. You really have the wrong person.¡±


    ¡°Whether you are or aren¡¯t, your claims mean nothing.¡± Li Xianglong kept his hands clasped behind his back: ¡°Be patient. I won¡¯t keep pestering you for long. In two days, at most, I will know for certain whether you are indeed the President of the Longevity Association.¡±


    Two days from now, Lin Tianchen would be able to break free from the Ancient God¡¯s Divine Country.


    By then, the entirety of the Longevity Association would have to confront the wrath of this second General of the Security Bureau.


    While Li Xianglong and the Financial Sage were speaking, in the imperial palace of Luojing City, the emperor¡ªwho had just issued the formal edict appointing Lin Hao as ¡°National Guardian Duke¡±¡ªstood clad in luxurious golden battle armor in front of the Jinluan Palace, deeply pondering.


    The Imperial Guard and the Yulin Army were still rallying troops and organizing supplies. It would take some time before their expedition to the Sky Pond could commence, giving the emperor an opportunity for extended contemplation here.


    At that very moment, a lamp beside the emperor flickered suddenly, and an ancient voice transmitted into his ears: ¡°My descendant, it seems you are troubled.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s heart tightened instantly, instinctively raising his head to look above.


    His unease slightly abated upon realizing that the East Abyss had entered divine sleep.

 Chapter 736: 684: Age of Divine Battle

    Chapter 736: Chapter 684: Age of Divine Battle


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have come!¡±


    The Emperor¡¯s eyes held a hint of helplessness, a bit of anger, and even a trace of resentment.


    He took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent emotions, and withdrew his gaze from the sky: ¡°At least not now.¡±


    ¡°Your mood is quite off.¡±


    At this moment, the flame in the oil lamp had already condensed into a small figure the size of a finger. He spoke calmly, without any ripple: ¡°The situation indeed has undergone significant changes. Lin Hao¡¯s port is open, with a daily tax of 48 million taels of Divine Gold. Do you think this Great Song Dynasty can continue, or that the two of us shouldn¡¯t have appeared at this time and should not contact you now?¡±


    ¡°Is it not so?¡± The Emperor sneered a laugh, with his hands behind his back, he asked back: ¡°As long as an empire has money, it can always sustain itself. Do you know that with Lin Hao¡¯s over a hundred million taels of Divine Gold in storage, how many more troop formations can the Great Song establish? How many more magic artifact battle armors can be made? To what extent will the morale of the Purgatory Army rise? Do you have the capability to break through the Abyss?¡±


    The Emperor had studied the rise and fall of the previous dynasties and knew that as long as a court still had money and provisions, it wouldn¡¯t rot too much.


    Not to mention, he had already been working hard to clean up the aftermath left by the two Grand Ancestor and Grand Emperor of the Great Song, the failure of the Great Song system, the root of which lies in these two individuals.


    Now, with the income from the Star Port, he could act more recklessly, decisively clean, and in the last few decades, try to clear the chronic ailments of Great Song to prolong the life of this court, which should have been completely rotten.


    ¡°Indeed, under normal circumstances, the Great Song, with the income from the Star Port, could sustain itself for another three to five thousand years. We could accumulate more strength.¡±


    The flame figure said in a serious voice: ¡°The problem is, the Gods will not give us time, and we don¡¯t have much time left. The reason the two of us have emerged at this time is because we have no other choice.¡±


    The flame figure also looked up at the sky: ¡°You should know, right? The Gods have been observing those Outer Heaven Demons, constantly plotting to expand the Heavenly Curtain beyond the Tianji World.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± The Emperor scoffed.


    The appearance of these two Great Song ancestors truly came at the wrong time. Not only did they choose the worst timing, but they also made his situation even more awkward and constrained, with centuries of patience almost in vain.


    The flame figure continued: ¡°Over these years, the Gods have been weary and the days in Divine Sleep have far exceeded before because they have been using Divine Thought to interfere with the Heavenly Demon Origin, seemingly inconspicuous, but actually influencing the subconscious of the demons in a subtle way.


    The Abysses, not only stood by while the Federation established on the fourteen Heavenly Demon Origins, but also vigorously pushed the Armament Martial Arts of the demons, even intentionally or unintentionally promoting their population growth. Six hundred years ago, the people of the entire Great Song were terrified due to the appearance of the Outer Heaven Demons, and the Great Song Court was also highly alert and defensive against their ¡®Alien Walkers¡¯, but have the Abysses ever taken direct action against the Heavenly Demon Origin? Seven hundred years ago, they clearly had the power to destroy the newly established Heavenly Demon Origin.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the Emperor¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly.


    He knew that the attitude of the Divine towards the demons was always both defensive and indulgent.


    They were wary of the collaboration and mutual flows between the Outer Heaven Demons and the major royal families and Holy Sect within the Sky Etreme Star, yet they allowed the power and force of the demons to grow unchecked.


    The Gods once ordered the establishment of the Spy Detection Bureau, only saying to purge and eliminate demons, to cleanse the infiltration of demons into the Great Song Court.


    Within the Imperial City Department, there is also the Demon Suppression Bureau, currently, there are seventeen thousand nine hundred Demon Suppression Envoys reverse infiltrated into the Heavenly Demon Origin.


    However, it is unclear whether intentionally or unintentionally, the Divine Palace has been suppressing the large-scale sabotage activities of the Demon Suppression Bureau within the Heavenly Demon Origin.


    Currently, the duties of these Demon Suppression Envoys are mainly to infiltrate the Heavenly Demon Origin, collect various technological and military intelligence from the Earth Federation, and assassinate some Federation officials.


    Even if someone initiates actions within the Heavenly Demon Origin, severely damaging the Outer Heaven Demon Origin, afterward, they would be removed from their positions, left idle,


    At first, the Emperor couldn¡¯t understand, but gradually, he saw clearly and clearly understood the intentions of that East Abyss.


    Sometimes, the Emperor even thought that the East Abyss might even have an alien form within the Heavenly Demon Origin.


    The Long Life Association and Divine Illumination Association run deep, the Long Life Association appears to have dozens of mountains standing tall, yet the identity of the President and several founders of the Long Life Association remains unknown.


    ¡°¡ªThe Three Gods of Purgatory know their opponents intend to transcend, wishing to rid themselves of the Root, and have been doing all they can to obstruct. The Sky Extreme Five Gods are also laying their own plans to seize the initiative. These Abysses have never ceased their struggle within the Heavenly Curtain; they even extended the war into the Earth Federation Congress. A few months ago, the East Abyss issued a final ultimatum to the Federation, the purpose of which was actually to interfere with and manipulate the political situation of the Outer Heaven Demons.


    However, the alliance of the Sky Extreme Five Gods ultimately has the upper hand. Theoretically, they could expand the Heavenly Curtain in at most four to five hundred years, but now there is a new development.¡±


    The voice of the flame figure paused slightly at this moment: ¡°Within the Heavenly Demon Origin, a new Heavenly Curtain has already appeared, and it is independent of the Root.¡±


    ¡°A new Heavenly Curtain?¡± The Emperor¡¯s expression flickered slightly, with a look of shock and unease in his eyes.


    The appearance of the new Heavenly Curtain means the Five Great Abysses are about to transcend? Is it the Long Life Association?


    The flame figure slightly shook his head: ¡°That is an artificial Heavenly Curtain created by the demons, they don¡¯t know what foolish thing they have done, or maybe they do, but they are eagerly anticipating.


    Rest assured, this Heavenly Curtain is not truly complete yet, still very fragile, and cannot bear the True Spirit attachment of the Five Great Abysses, even after completion, it can only bear one Abyss.¡±

 Chapter 737: 684: Age of Divine Battle_2

    Chapter 737: Chapter 684: Age of Divine Battle_2


    The Emperor squinted his eyes slightly.


    ¡°An Abyss, is it? So in a few years, only one Abyss will be able to transcend the Root?¡±


    ¡°This is absolutely intolerable for the Three Gods of Purgatory. Even within the Sky Extreme Five Gods, there are internal struggles both open and covert. Those semi-transcendent Gods are eyeing each other greedily, not to mention the Ancient Gods that have not fully perished, eager to awaken from the Root. Thus, a chaotic era of Divine Battle is approaching, my descendant! This is a situation unseen in the Tianji World for hundreds of thousands of years.¡±


    A fiery figure laughed bitterly: ¡°The Three Gods of Purgatory want to launch an all-out invasion onto the surface world. How could they allow my son and I to remain as indifferent observers? If we dare to defy their intentions, we will have no place to stand within Purgatory. However, this also presents an opportunity for us.¡±


    His voice turned icy and resolute: ¡°Within the next dozen years, several Gods in this world are bound to fall, and one God¡¯s Divine Throne will transcend beyond this sky.¡±


    The Emperor gazed expressionlessly at the twelve moons of varying sizes in the sky above.


    He realized that within the coming years, not only would new Gods appear within the Heavenly Curtain, but the Artificial Sky of the Heavenly Demon Origin would also bring opportunities.


    This Artificial Sky, while allowing those Gods to transcend, could equally serve as a vessel for creating a new ¡°Abyss.¡±


    ¡°My descendant, I know you are short of just over ten years of accumulation¡ªperhaps even only a few years¡ªto step into ¡®Longevity.¡¯ We have disrupted your original plans.¡±


    The fiery figure¡¯s voice turned low, hoarse, persuasive: ¡°But that Divine Palace Great Celestial Master has always been watching you; would they ever allow you to have your way? You are our descendant, the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. No matter what happens, you cannot gain the trust of the Gods. This time, the Gods retrieving the ¡®Imperial Jade Seal¡¯ from you is clear evidence.¡±


    ¡°However, with our assistance, and with the support of the Three Gods of Purgatory, you actually do not need the Imperial Jade Seal to prove ¡®Longevity.¡¯ The road to Longevity is not confined to one path.¡±


    The Emperor¡¯s gaze flickered uncertainly for a moment, then he let out a cold laugh: ¡°Speak. What do you want me to do?¡±


    The fiery figure chuckled as well: ¡°I only need you to help me with one task. You know what is sealed beneath the Demon Suppression Forest south of Luojing, right? I need you to create an opportunity for us.¡±


    The Emperor¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    Were his two ancestors taking such brazen actions right from the start?


    ¡°We will wait until you lead your army into the Sky Pond before taking action.¡±


    The fiery figure crossed his arms before his chest and said leisurely: ¡°After that, you won¡¯t need to do anything else¡ªjust focus on fully defending against the Purgatory Demon Army. As for you and me, extending the Great Song Dynasty¡¯s imperial legacy while expending more of the Three Gods of Purgatory¡¯s power is not necessarily a bad thing.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Twenty hours later, Lin Tianchen slowly awakened inside the surgical capsule.


    Lin Rui, who had performed the surgery, stood by the capsule, peeling off his gloves: ¡°The surgery went quite smoothly; it was completed four hours ahead of schedule. General Lin, you might want to sense internally and check if there¡¯s any discomfort?¡±


    Before Lin Rui could finish speaking, Lin Tianchen had already stepped out of the surgical capsule, nurturing his divine senses within.


    A look of shock and excitement quickly emerged in his eyes.


    The modifications to Lin Tianchen¡¯s suite of armaments had certainly made an impact. He could clearly sense how these new armaments perfectly integrated with his body¡¯s meridians. Not only did they bring him an immense surge of vitality, but they also reduced his mental burden by at least 32%.


    The upgrades did not consist entirely of replacements; instead, certain armaments were enhanced while others were consolidated into a kind of bloodline armament. The original twenty-two auxiliary equipment pieces were compressed down to seventeen.


    He understood the capabilities of these new armaments, which is why he had entrusted Lin Rui to develop and implant two new Super Monarch-tier armaments.


    Most crucially, his Primordial Spirit and his physical body seemed to have undergone an ¡°initialization,¡± seamlessly integrating into these bloodline armaments without any signs of rejection!


    Moreover, the electromagnetic frequencies of these new armaments were identical to those of his previous ones.


    This meant he only needed a brief adaptation period to achieve an initial state of ¡°spirit and body integration,¡± and within a month at most, he could consolidate all these armaments into a single entity.


    Lin Tianchen activated his vitality and attempted to use the newly acquired abilities within his body.


    As someone who cultivated both martial arts and magic, he didn¡¯t need to directly engage in combat using martial techniques; he could cast spells remotely from up to 2 kilometers away, targeting the magic practice room beyond.


    Within moments, Lin Tianchen evaluated his physical condition and recalculated his combat prowess.


    His bloodline power had fully entered the Super Monarch level. Due to the new armaments, his physical stats saw an enhancement of nearly 42%, which promised continued growth and refinement. Furthermore, the efficiency of all auxiliary armaments had improved by nearly 47%!


    Lin Tianchen had been studying 9SSS+ ranked spells, and these could now be cast effectively¡ªalbeit with slightly longer preparation times, requiring cover from his combat robots.


    The only shortfall was in his martial arts and Conceptual Power.


    Both his martial skills and magic reached only 9SSS, while the maximum limit of his conceptual strength lingered at 52%. They were still slightly weaker than Linghu Mingde¡¯s, but he could make up for the deficiency with the old God¡¯s Abyss Divine Artifact.


    The old God wanted to awaken using his alien body, yet in the process, Lin Tianchen managed to steal a fragment of its power.


    A gleam of ambition flickered in Lin Tianchen¡¯s pupils. Once he reclaimed his True Spirit, he could step with certainty into the realm of the Super Divine Envoy, virtually matching its combat capabilities.


    ¡°I¡¯m in excellent shape; everything¡¯s fine. Lin Rui, your surgical armament abilities are on par with, no¡ªsuperior to Huang Fuqing¡¯s! Truly impressive work.¡±


    Lin Tianchen had previously commissioned Huang Fuqing to implant two armaments for him, so he spoke from experience.


    Especially with Lin Rui¡¯s surgical expertise, which allowed his Primordial Spirit and physical body to initialize and adapt perfectly to the new armaments. It left him deeply impressed.


    Lin Rui smiled upon hearing this: ¡°General Lin, you flatter me. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave for now. As you know, these past few days have been utterly hectic for me.¡±


    He still had other matters to attend to and needed to rush over to the Light God Sect¡¯s Main Temple.


    Before leaving, Lin Rui pointed outside: ¡°General Lin, you¡¯re planning on reclaiming your True Spirit shortly, right? When the time comes, you must remain extra vigilant. There¡¯s quite a crowd of little pests outside.¡±


    Outside the research institute of the East Science Institute, several indistinct Divine Thoughts were probing inward, surveilling the base covertly.


    These individuals had been elusive. When Lin Rui summoned Xianyu Yan and her quasi-member team to purge them, they vanished instantly, disappearing like ghosts and hiding with astonishing precision.


    Though his two sisters and Shi Yan were holding the fort in the Ninth Base City, the Longevity Association didn¡¯t dare act recklessly for now.


    But should Lin Tianchen be caught off guard and killed in an instant, Lin Rui could do nothing about it.


    Privately, Lin Rui lamented the degree of contempt the Longevity Association held for the second general. It was utterly audacious.


    Lin Tianchen glanced outside, his expression ice-cold: ¡°Mr. Lin, don¡¯t concern yourself with me. I have everything under control. Xu Mengran will be arriving soon to act as my protector.¡±


    He personally escorted Lin Rui out of the research institute, watching as Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Holy Shield¡¯ government vehicle drove away into the distance. Then, with piercing sharpness, Lin Tianchen swept his gaze around his surroundings.


    A mocking smile played on his lips as Lin Tianchen ascended into the air, heading in the direction of the research institute¡¯s fourth magic laboratory.


    He had already prepared a large-scale electronic altar there, to aid him in reclaiming his True Spirit.

 Chapter 738: 685: Refining

    Chapter 738: Chapter 685: Refining


    Lin Rui¡¯s primary consciousness descended into his alien body and immediately donned the ¡®Hidden Dragon¡¯ armor crafted by Skull Mechanic Sky Monarch Li Gu Chan. Using a set of quantum transfer equipment hidden beneath the Governor Mansion, he arrived at the Ming Sect¡¯s main temple.


    Lin Rui actually also controlled several backup passageways to enter the main temple, but quantum transfer was the most convenient and safest.


    Other methods, whether curvature navigation or wormhole traversal, could potentially be sensed and interfered with by others.


    Upon arriving at the plaza behind the main temple, named ¡®Guang Ming Paradise,¡¯ Lin Rui discovered not only a fully prepared Array Altar but also a cleared venue.


    This vast marble plaza contained only Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan, Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling, Dharma King Bai Xishi, and the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, alongside nine ¡®Light Saints¡¯ and thirty-six ¡®Red Priests.¡¯


    Among them, Gong Bonan, Zhao Chongling, and Heavenly Fragrance were tasked with protecting the ¡®Ming King.¡¯ The assembled ¡®Light Saints¡¯ and ¡®Red Priests¡¯ were there to lend their support, while Dharma King Bai Xishi oversaw the Protecting Sect Divine Army, sealing off ¡®Guang Ming Paradise¡¯ inside and out.


    Gong Bonan took this transaction very seriously.


    If it were up to him, he would not have wanted the ¡®Ming King¡¯ to take such risks.


    However, His Majesty the Ming King insisted on this course, and that second General from the Outer Heaven Demon Security Bureau proposed highly favorable terms.


    Lin Tianchen not only offered top-tier medicines and war machines worth nearly ten trillion federal coins as compensation for Ming King¡¯s efforts but also made a promise to Shancai Divine Envoy and signed a Divine Contract.


    As long as the current ¡®Ming King¡¯ remained in power, Lin Tianchen pledged to sell approximately 200 billion worth of Heavenly Demon materials monthly via the Forest Group¡¯s fleet channels to the Guang Ming Sect.


    Thus, this transaction was critical to the increasingly dire situation of the Guang Ming Sect.


    Gong Bonan had no choice but to give his all to construct the Array Altar for the Ming King, planning meticulously to ensure the Ming King¡¯s safety and mitigate risks.


    Lin Rui surveyed the surroundings and appeared quite surprised: ¡°An electronic altar? Was it you, Sage Master, who created this?¡±


    The core component of this altar turned out to be a metal altar powered by electricity.


    Gong Bonan possessing such skills to forge an electronic altar? Unbelievable!


    With a calm demeanor, Gong Bonan replied, ¡°This is a formation diagram I designed alongside several Saints, named the ¡®Universal Dharma Pivot.¡¯ Theoretically, this can repeatedly serve as the core for all large-scale spells and formations, saving future setup costs.¡±


    Seeing the incredulous and puzzled look in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes, Gong Bonan patiently explained further, ¡°We Guang Ming Sages abide by the teachings of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader: never rigidly stick to tradition or stagnate. We¡¯ve been studying the talismanic arrays of the Heavenly Demons, drawing from their strengths to compensate for our weaknesses.


    The design for the ¡®Universal Dharma Pivot¡¯ was completed thirty years ago, but we lacked the financial resources to realize it. This opportunity came thanks to the generosity of the Heavenly Demon General, who provided all the needed spell materials. Thus, we took advantage of this opportunity to forge it.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips twitched as he recalled the material list Gong Bonan had given him.


    He had felt something was off with the list at the time but hadn¡¯t looked into it deeply.


    Turns out, the General was truly being bled dry.


    Lin Rui shook his head, ascending step by step to the Radiant Holy Altar and taking his seat on the altar¡¯s summit.


    The ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ instantly spread outward, transforming into a lotus with twelve petals, elevating Lin Rui¡¯s form.


    Those below the altar beheld this scene and couldn¡¯t help but let their eyes gleam with awe.


    No matter how many times they witnessed the Ming King¡¯s ascension, they were genuinely struck by the divine mystique.


    The sacred flame, imbued with the will of twenty-seven billion believers, became docile as a puppy under the feet of a mere Sixth Realm Ming King.


    Moreover, whether by illusion or reality, over the past two months since the Ming King ascended, the holy flames on the Radiant Holy Altar had seemed purer and brighter.


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    Lin Rui clasped his hands together, forming a Dharma Seal: ¡°Let¡¯s not keep him waiting.¡±


    At that moment, three drops of fresh blood flew out from his sleeves.


    It was the Essence Blood provided by Lin Tianchen, meant to guide Lin Rui in locating his True Spirit.


    Essence Blood is not something given lightly; if entrusted to the wrong individual, the consequences could be disastrous.


    Lin Tianchen had no choice but to hand over his Essence Blood under duress.


    The altar controlled by Gong Bonan began to activate, while the nine ¡®Light Saints¡¯ and thirty-six ¡®Red Priests¡¯ on the altar were consumed by luminous Holy White Flames.


    Their vitality, their strength, their Divine Sense¡ªall converged onto Lin Rui.


    Gradually, four Holy White Flame Dragons took form around Lin Rui. Holding the Dharma Seal, he closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, his vision had shifted to another realm.


    This domain was a boundless void, yet hidden within the void were ghostly phantoms, with countless unsettling, chaotic gazes falling on him from every direction.


    As Lin Rui attempted to examine these phantoms and gazes, sacred white flames suddenly ignited around him and piercing screams erupted.


    ¡°That¡¯s a God!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Abyss!¡±


    ¡°Such intense light, such scorching thunder and fire!¡±


    ¡°So painful, so painful! He wants to burn us alive!¡±


    In an instant, the phantoms and gazes vanished without a trace.


    Lin Rui looked around once more, scanning himself.


    He realized his body was now ethereal, devoid of physical substance, enveloped by white Divine Flames, sitting upon a sacred Fire Lotus imbued with immense Thunder Power.


    Lin Rui immediately understood he had entered the ¡®Heavenly Curtain.¡¯ This soul body was but a fragment of his soul within the Heavenly Curtain.


    Federation soul scholars had long discovered that all living beings inside and outside Sky Extreme Star had a portion of their soul imprinted and extracted by the Heavenly Curtain and Root at birth.


    When Martial Cultivators reached the Ninth Realm¡¯s ¡®Divine Illumination,¡¯ they could ¡®illuminate¡¯ their True Spirit into the Heavenly Curtain, merging with it to strengthen their spiritual connection and transform it into a True Spirit.


    Thus, ¡®Quantum Jump Technology¡¯ was widely utilized within Sky Extreme Star.


    Quantum Jump essentially leveraged quantum entanglement phenomena to transmit information and matter, pre-configuring entangled quantum states in the target zone to reassemble matter, bodies, and even a person¡¯s soul.


    This long-distance transmission technology effectively evaded the Abyss¡¯s and top-tier experts¡¯ perceptions but was prohibited in other Federation star domains.


    Without the Heavenly Curtain of Sky Extreme Star, who could guarantee that the ¡®person¡¯ restored from transmission genuinely remained themselves?


    Lin Rui now observed himself adorned with intricate networks of countless destiny threads, varying in size and color, stretching outward in all directions.


    ¡°These must be traces of destiny!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze followed these threads: ¡°I am the Abyss, influencing the fate of many individuals, especially my closest companions and those twenty-seven billion Light believers. So many destiny lines converging form a miniature sun, or a whirlpool, drawing others toward me.


    The higher my cultivation and the stronger I become in the future, the larger the whirlpool will grow. My existence will alter and impact everyone¡¯s fate, perhaps even dictate their life and death. Hmm~¡±


    In the dark void, Lin Rui ¡®saw¡¯ a crimson trace of light.


    The end of the light trace led to a layer of crimson light curtain.


    ¡°That must be the Knowledge Barrier!¡±


    Lin Rui was determined to uncover this light curtain layer today and investigate what¡¯s hidden beneath.


    However, Lin Tianchen¡¯s matter remained a higher priority, and Lin Rui decided against alarming anyone. He merely glanced at it, then withdrew his gaze.


    But even this brief glance caused the crimson curtain to tremble.


    Following the Essence Blood¡¯s guidance, Lin Rui trailed toward Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit.


    After about two hundred breaths, Lin Rui arrived before a palace.


    It was a colossal yet utterly dilapidated palace.


    The structure floated lonesomely in the void, its cracked walls bearing the ravages of time, ruined almost beyond recognition and teetering on collapse.


    Ahead were two half-open massive stone doors, carved with dragon-beast totems and formation patterns. Though blurry, traces of extraordinary craftsmanship from the ancients could still be discerned.


    Through the crevices of the doors, one could glimpse piles of broken glass tiles, decayed wooden beams, and a grayish mist permeating the air, carrying an eerie sense of mystery.


    From within came faint, ghostly murmurs.


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes, pondering if this was the Ancient God¡¯s ¡®Divine Country?¡¯


    So the Abyssal beings¡¯ so-called ¡®Divine Country¡¯ was structured like this? Condensing soul energy from the Heavenly Curtain into near-physical form to construct a god¡¯s domain?


    Lin Rui quickly dispelled his musings.


    The power and authority he wielded now were thanks to Lin Tianchen¡¯s generous donation of spell materials and ¡®Ether Origin Stones,¡¯ as well as the immense vitality and Soul Power contributed by the nine ¡®Light Saints¡¯ and thirty-six ¡®Red Priests.¡¯


    Thus, it was time to focus on the main task. It wasn¡¯t yet the right moment to probe the structure of the Divine Country since Lin Rui was far from becoming a true Abyssal entity.


    With a single thought, the Divine Flames burning across Lin Rui¡¯s body flared even more intensely, while the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ beneath him extended outward to form three tiers of Fire Lotus stacked one atop the other.


    Simultaneously, a massive Thunder Spear, entirely composed of lightning and burning with Holy White Flames, began to materialize beside Lin Rui.


    The so-called ¡®Divine Country¡¯ is a realm created by divine beings within the Heavenly Curtain.


    Within their realms, gods possess absolute power and authority!


    Even if the god has perished, their Divine Country remains exceedingly formidable, as evidenced by Lin Tianchen¡¯s personal experiences.


    Thus, Lin Rui had no intention of entering this abandoned Divine Country. His approach to drawing out Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit was straightforward¡ªusing god-like power to destroy the enormous palace.


    As Lin Rui prepared to strike, a commanding, dignified voice swept into his Primordial Spirit.


    ¡°Who are you? A newly risen Demigod, why do you seek to oppose me?¡±


    Before Lin Rui could respond, his Battle Spirit Ring issued a prompt.


    Prompt: The residue of the Ancient God¡¯s consciousness has launched a pursuit and attack on your physical body. It has been injured by the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and the Radiant Holy Altar. Would you like to spend three hundred thousand soul power points to refine the Essence Soul fragments left by the Ancient God¡¯s consciousness within your physical body?


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils dilated instantly, realizing just how formidable the Abyssal entities were. They had already traced back to his physical body?


    Thankfully, his preparations were thorough; otherwise, he would have met disaster.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes turned sharp as he unhesitatingly chose ¡°Agree,¡± while simultaneously hurling the colossal Thunder Spear beside him.

 Chapter 739: 686: Expedited Refinement

    Chapter 739: Chapter 686: Expedited Refinement


    Lin Rui¡¯s Thunder Spear blasted a massive hole in the crumbling walls of the palace.


    It was said that a true Abyss Divine Country transcended time and space, residing almost in another dimension.


    But the one before him, evidently due to the Abyss¡¯s fall, had ¡®fallen into disrepair¡¯ and descended from its original dimension. Its internal talismanic array had also collapsed and disintegrated, unable to withstand Lin Rui¡¯s Thunder Spear assault.


    With just one strike, Lin Rui shattered a small portion of the front walls of this grand palace into ruins.


    At the same time, a beam of white light erupted from within the palace and blasted toward Lin Rui.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    In that instant, boundless Light Fire exploded around Lin Rui, with holy white flames shining radiantly like a miniature sun.


    This was the power of an ancient god, clashing with him head-on, colliding fiercely with the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire surrounding Lin Rui.


    The conceptual energies of the two also spread throughout the surrounding void.


    ¡°Is this Li He Venerate?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils contracted as he thought to himself, ¡°Holy crap, I¡¯ve bumped into a nemesis!¡±


    Earlier, Second General Lin Tianchen had mentioned his True Spirit was trapped within an Ancient God¡¯s Divine Country. His Alien form had also fallen into the ruins of this Ancient God. However, his primary consciousness, forcibly awakened by Li Xianglong, had lost related memories and had been clueless about which Ancient God¡¯s Divine Country he was trapped in.


    Only now did Lin Rui finally confirm that the opponent was undoubtedly Li He Venerate, as documented in ancient texts!


    Lin Rui speculated, ¡°Could this also be fate¡¯s guidance? Was it the so-called aggregation of Conceptual Divine Skills, as those historians and scholars of Sky Extreme Star hypothesized?¡±


    His own Fundamental Martial Arts revolved around ¡°Unity,¡± not only embodying the Unity of All Things but also the concept of ¡°One Births All Things.¡± It was both affirming and negating.


    The enemy, however, was ¡°Separation and Union,¡± which overlapped significantly with Lin Rui¡¯s power.


    At this moment, his Soul Body and his powers were falling apart under the opponent¡¯s conceptual and spiritual impact.


    However, Lin Rui quickly restored himself. His Martial Intent had been conceptualized and, under the power of the Divine Tablet, had reached sixty percent conceptual realization, his conceptual level distinctly surpassing the opponent by a margin.


    Bolstered by the powers of the Radiant Holy Altar and Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, he was utterly unafraid of the opponent¡¯s power of Dispersal.


    Prompt: The residual consciousness of the ancient god simultaneously pursued attacks on your primary body, Alien form, and Sky Curtain Spirit. It was again wounded by your Fire of Serenity, Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder, and Radiant Holy Altar. You require 400,000 soul power points to refine the residual consciousnesses of this ancient god scattered in your primary body¡¯s Essence Soul.


    Prompt: Insufficient soul power points detected. Please collect soul power promptly. You have 10 minutes remaining; after that, the ancient god¡¯s residual consciousness will dissipate.


    Lin Rui was already somewhat regretful that he hadn¡¯t made a trip to Ten Thousand Dragon Tower before his current action.


    He hadn¡¯t anticipated encountering such an event in this ancient Divine Country!


    Lin Rui immediately activated his quantum chip and messaged Ji Xueying, Shi Yan, and others in his combat group.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Help me quickly! Everyone, head to the Lower Zone and deliver all the high-ranking wanted criminals and gang leaders you can find to North District Prison. Leave them breathing; I need them alive. Move fast and gather as many as you can within 8 minutes.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Didn¡¯t the Longevity Association base have those Demon experimental specimens? Stop preserving them¡ªall of them should be delivered to North District Prison.


    At this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s primary body left the Sleeping Cabin under the control of the auxiliary combat AI and flashed toward North District Prison.


    This was a prison jointly operated by the Security Bureau and the Police Department, dedicated to holding powerful criminals.


    As for those Demon experimental specimens, they were supposed to be bargaining chips Lin Rui had saved to negotiate with the Federation Government or even East Asia, but now he just wanted to liquidate them and convert them into usable soul power points.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t simultaneously control both bodies, but he discovered he could issue instructions to his primary body¡¯s auxiliary combat AI.


    Thankfully, due to Lin Rui¡¯s numerous identities and fear of extreme situations where he might be unable to manage both sides, he had implanted a highly advanced auxiliary smart biological chip into his primary body¡¯s brain.


    Others feared that biological chips might develop self-awareness, causing loss of control over both body and chip, but Lin Rui had nothing to worry about; he merely needed to cleanse the chip daily using Fire of Serenity.


    The chips embedded in Lin Rui¡¯s subordinates were the same. Manufactured by Rui Fang Laboratory, these chips excelled in both logical and computation abilities, far surpassing commercially available ones, while remaining immune to loss of control.


    At this moment, Xianyu Yan, Ji Xueying, Ji Shenyan, and Shangguan Tianyi all hardened their gazes and immediately transmitted their primary consciousnesses to the Alien forms stationed in Ninth Base City, then rushed toward the Lower Zone.


    Wang Tianwu, Lu Hanyuan, and others, already stationed in Ninth Base City, began acting at the first opportunity.


    Xue Lingxue and Lin Xi, meanwhile, started gathering every fragment of intelligence from the Security Bureau and online sources to support Xianyu Yan and others.


    After the war with the Longevity Association, Lin Rui and Linghu Mingde had already been planning a cleanup operation for the Lower Zone, integrating it with the Base City expansion initiative to improve survival conditions in Ninth Base City¡¯s lower strata.


    Thus, Xue Lingxue and Lin Xi had long drafted a cleanup plan, collecting ample and detailed intelligence on relevant matters.


    Lin Rui continued fiercely using his Thunder Spear to attack the massive palace, each burst of Thunder followed by the burning of Holy White Flames that spread around, gradually engulfing the building in a sea of fire.


    He himself was ablaze with torrents of Holy White Flames.


    This ancient Abyss god¡¯s power was supremely formidable, as even residual consciousnesses could simultaneously pursue attacks on his primary body and Alien form.


    However, the battle over Primordial Spirits between the two primarily centered within the Heavenly Curtain.


    As Lin Rui¡¯s attacks persisted, the ancient god¡¯s remaining consciousness started to lose focus.


    Prompt: You need 800,000 soul power points to refine the residual consciousnesses scattered within your primary body¡¯s Essence Soul.


    Prompt: You need 1.2 million soul power points¡ª


    Prompt: You need 1.4 million¡ª


    Lin Rui summoned all his Divine Power intensely, leveraging every possible resource and power to its peak.


    After nearly five minutes of relentless assaults, the intensity of the ancient god¡¯s counterstrikes finally began to subside.


    The deity¡¯s thoughts reverberated once more.


    ¡°¡ªNew God, why do you attack me, why do you oppose me?¡±


    ¡°New God, I see your soul entangled with Great Sun Venerable, Light King, and a foreign Divine Spirit. Please cease your assault; I can assist you.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression turned icy, and he disdainfully refused to reply, continuing his fierce attack.


    But the ancient palace before him was extraordinarily vast, and Lin Rui¡¯s relentless bombardment over 8 minutes had only demolished about a tenth.


    At this point, the ancient god¡¯s residual consciousness had obviously suffered significant damage, reducing the intensity of its counterattacks to near insignificance. Even the power of Separation and Union had weakened.


    Lin Rui gritted his teeth and formed another Dharma Seal with his hands.


    This was a Spell he acquired from Ling Huan¡ªthe ¡°Fearless Divine Seal,¡± designed for spiritual confrontations. It maximized the defense of one¡¯s Soul Body and Sky Curtain Spirit.


    Lin Rui¡¯s primary consciousness briefly returned to the Alien form before jumping back to his primary body.


    The move was supremely hazardous, considering it was a deep-space Abyss Level opponent in his sight.


    Even if only some residual consciousnesses remained, it was still a terrifying existence, leaving Lin Rui¡¯s actions utterly reckless.


    Still, Lin Rui had no choice¡ªhe realized that the residual spirit of Li He Venerate was critically important to him.


    The conceptual power of this entity closely mirrored his own, promising substantial benefits in the future; it was essential to refine it.


    Furthermore, Lin Rui was eyeing the concept of ¡°Separation and Union,¡± seeking to seize and unify it under his control.


    At this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s primary consciousness bypassed the ¡°Quantum Divine Machine,¡± relying directly on his Sky Curtain Spirit and Abyss Source Core to jump between Alien form and primary body.


    Lin Rui had long suspected he might be able to do away with the Quantum Divine Machine and achieve seamless transitions between his primary consciousness and Alien form using his own ¡°Unity¡± concept.


    But Lin Rui had previously hesitated to attempt this, fearing damage to his Spiritual Body.


    Today, emboldened by the support of Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder and Radiant Holy Altar, especially since Radiant Holy Altar functioned as a pseudo-Sky Curtain, Lin Rui ventured a risky trial, which shockingly succeeded.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes gleamed faintly. If he could traverse the Heavenly Curtain to project his consciousness millions of kilometers to a satellite, what about other Abysses and Longevity-related realms?


    Setting aside these stray thoughts, Lin Rui refocused on the scene before him.


    At this moment, Xianyu Yan, Ji Xueying, and others positioned themselves around him, with bodies lying all around.


    The majority were dangerous criminals wanted by the Earth Federation, with others being infamous heads of the Underworld.


    Most were either near death or restrained and suppressed by high-tech equipment operated by Lu Hanyuan and others.


    In the distance stood twenty-odd cages from experimental bases of the Longevity Association, containing bizarre and powerful Demonic specimens.


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze sharpened as countless tiny Flying Swords hissed from inside his sleeves, forming a vast tide of blades.


    Die!


    Lin Rui, who hadn¡¯t used sword techniques for a long time, now activated his specialized 9-series enhanced Flying Swords to support his movement technique.


    The Flying Swords scattered, instantly piercing and shattering the vital points of these beings.


    Be it humans or Demons, Lin Rui¡¯s sword tide swept through dozens of surrounding prisons, leaving behind carnage and deathly silence.


    Whether the prisoners suffered from Armament Syndrome or not, Lin Rui didn¡¯t bother distinguishing; he simply slaughtered them.


    His actions clearly violated Federation law, yet he couldn¡¯t care less about legal constraints now.


    The Procuratorate had previously accused him of being the infamous Children¡¯s Song Killer, launching rounds of enforcement skirmishes that had eventually been quelled, reflecting the current judicial system¡¯s ineffectiveness.


    Prompt: Do you agree to spend 2.12 million soul power points to refine the residual consciousnesses scattered in your primary body¡¯s Essence Soul?


    Lin Rui calculated his harvested soul power points, totaling approximately 3.2 million points.


    He agreed, immediately sensing a blazing inferno igniting within his Primordial Spirit.


    ¡°Xue, handle the cleanup!¡±


    Xue Lingxue, a top-tier operative cultivated by the Security Bureau, knew precisely how to erase evidence and navigate judicial investigations.


    While Lin Rui couldn¡¯t care less about the law, he wasn¡¯t foolish or arrogant enough to leave vulnerabilities.


    After all, judicial battles also required substantial financial resources.


    Lin Rui¡¯s consciousness promptly returned to the Heavenly Curtain, where fortunately his Sky Curtain Spirit remained intact. Despite the Thunder and Divine Fire being torn apart by Li He Venerate, his Spiritual Body remained undamaged.


    Lin Rui resumed gathering and manipulating Thunder Spear attacks, sustaining them for about 30 breaths until Li He Venerate¡¯s spiritual and conceptual presence retreated deep into the palace.


    Lin Rui felt a pang of regret¡ªnot only had he refined a portion of the ancient god¡¯s Essence Soul, but he also failed to fully utilize his harvested soul power points, leaving approximately 300,000 points unused.


    At this moment, the central section of the vast palace abruptly collapsed, disintegrating into scattered fragments that vanished into the void.


    Lin Rui¡¯s spirit lifted slightly as he finally caught sight of Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit.

 Chapter 740: 687 Divine Artifact

    Chapter 740: Chapter 687 Divine Artifact


    That was a landscaped pool located at the center of the palace. The pool no longer contained water; its dried-up bottom was overgrown with weeds. The surrounding buildings were in ruins, and the flowerbeds around it had been reduced to dead branches and withered plants.


    Lin Rui spotted a thumb-sized tiny figure sitting in a decrepit pavilion beside the pool.


    The appearance of the tiny figure was strikingly similar to Lin Tianchen¡¯s true form, so Lin Rui recognized it instantly¡ªit was undoubtedly Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit spiritual body.


    This figure was enhancing Soul Power intensity by condensing and contracting its Soul Body to defend against the Divine Power erosion of Li He Venerate.


    The two sides were fiercely combating, and powerful Primordial Spirit fluctuations surged outward in all directions, with their Conceptual Powers clashing around the decrepit pavilion.


    Lin Rui observed carefully and thought to himself, ¡°What formidable Soul Power Lin Tianchen has! What formidable Conceptual Power!¡±


    He sensed that Lin Tianchen specialized in cultivating four concepts: ¡®Water Element,¡¯ ¡®Soft and Hard,¡¯ ¡®Aggregation and Separation,¡¯ and ¡®Cutting.¡¯ Each concept had reached at least 75% mastery!


    The concept of ¡®Aggregation and Separation¡¯ was derived from the power of Water Element, but it could only aggregate and not merge, differing slightly from the Separation and Reunion Technique.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s Divine Soul was also extraordinarily strong, reminiscent of the impression Invincible Dharma King had left on Lin Rui before.


    Yet it was inconceivable that the second General could be this powerful!


    A Martial Cultivator¡¯s Conceptual Power reaching 70% is already at the Immortal Level, and most Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators can only achieve this degree of mastery.


    Unless their Essential Martial Intent manifests and elevates their Conceptual Power further, it is nigh impossible to surpass this threshold¡ªeven at the risk of Abyss Pollution taking over.


    Unless one possesses inherent power derived from the ¡®Abyss,¡¯ like Invincible or Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui soon realized this must be related to the Divine Artifact obtained by the second General.


    What emboldened Lin Tianchen to explore this Ancient God¡¯s Divine Country was precisely that Divine Artifact, combined with the method offered by the East Asia Republic¡¯s soul Academician. It was said to temporarily enhance his Soul Body intensity to the Immortal Level.


    To Lin Rui¡¯s surprise, not only had Lin Tianchen¡¯s Soul Body strength reached the Immortal Level, but his Conceptual Strength had also ascended to that level.


    This proved that the East Asia Republic¡¯s Academician Peng did have some prowess, and Lin General was not the reckless fool Li Xianglong claimed him to be.


    ¡°King Ming!¡±


    At this moment, Lin Tianchen also sensed the arrival of ¡®King Ming¡¯ outside and was elated in his soul, emitting Divine Soul waves: ¡°He resides within my True Spirit. I entrust this matter to King Ming.¡±


    The eyes of Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual body transformed into a fiery golden hue as he began to examine Lin Tianchen¡¯s Soul Body.


    Indeed, the Residual Spirit of Li He Venerate was nestled within Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit, corrupting and eroding his spiritual body.


    Lin Tianchen was striving desperately to defend himself, repelling Li He Venerate¡¯s Residual Spirit. Man and god were locked in a fierce contest of entangled Soul Bodies and Spiritual Senses.


    Lin Rui felt a sense of relief in his heart.


    Earlier, when he battled Li He Venerate, the Residual Spirit of this Venerate had placed at least half of its strength on Lin Tianchen, repressing the General.


    Had Li He Venerate¡¯s Residual Spirit focused entirely on Lin Rui, his Soul Body might have been damaged beyond repair.


    Moments later, Lin Rui squinted his eyes and said, ¡°Sir, I am about to act. Please be careful.¡±


    And in the blink of an eye, Lin Tianchen¡¯s entire being ignited with Holy White Flames, accompanied by flashes of Thunder that surged into the depths of Lin Tianchen¡¯s Soul Body.


    Lin Rui manipulated these forces with surgical precision, striking and dismantling Li He Venerate¡¯s Residual Spirit piece by piece, searing it into oblivion.


    Lin Tianchen, however, dared not refine the scattered Essence Soul of Li He Venerate, choosing instead to expel it immediately.


    His Divine Soul Power was vastly inferior to Li He Venerate¡¯s, and even though the Essence Soul fragments had been broken, burned, and purified by King Ming¡¯s power, he dared not keep them within his Soul Body.


    Li He Venerate¡¯s consciousness would inevitably recover, especially since he possessed the ¡®Aggregation¡¯ technique, allowing him to reassemble the scattered Essence Soul fragments.


    Moreover, the Divine Artifact Lin Tianchen was utilizing was nearing its expiration, and his True Soul Body was about to regress from Immortal Level to Divine Illumination.


    Forcing himself to refine Li He Venerate¡¯s Essence Soul now would be suicidal.


    While this could provide a temporary boost in strength, it would eventually become a source of contamination for his Soul Body.


    Lin Rui, witnessing this scene, couldn¡¯t help but feel regret¡ªwhat a pity he couldn¡¯t absorb and refine these Essence Soul fragments into his own body.


    In truth, he could have Ji Xueying and the others continue helping him harvest soul power points from the lower zone. Plenty of insane gangsters infused with Armament Project technology could be scavenged there.


    With a thorough search, gathering two million soul power points wouldn¡¯t be hard.


    But Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®surgery¡¯ was far from over. Li He Venerate¡¯s Residual Spirit recoiled like a tide from Lin Tianchen¡¯s body, retreating deep into the palace before vanishing without a trace before Lin Rui¡¯s eyes.


    Lin Rui let out a soft ¡°hmm¡± and gazed deeper into the palace.


    Li He Venerate¡¯s Residual Spirit was indeed quite cunning, understanding the situation was irreparable and opting to cut its losses in time.


    That wasn¡¯t entirely bad¡ªLin Rui¡¯s current strength couldn¡¯t truly deal with such beings anyway.


    Now he could reserve more energy to investigate the Knowledge Barrier.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit, meanwhile, ascended decisively into the air, swiftly retreating from the massive dilapidated palace.


    After exiting the Divine Country, Lin Tianchen finally exhaled deeply, his soul brimming with exhilaration and joy.


    Lin Tianchen was a deeply shrewd person who prided himself on maintaining composure in all circumstances.


    Yet at this moment, he couldn¡¯t contain the surging torrent of emotions in his heart.


    What had seemed like a fatal predicament when he first fell into this ancient Divine Country had filled him with despair. Yet, with the help of Li Xianglong, Lin Rui, and others, he had clawed his way back from the brink of death.


    Lin Tianchen eventually managed to suppress his emotions, sealing away most of his Spiritual Senses. He bowed deeply toward Lin Rui and said, ¡°Lin Tianchen offers his thanks to King Ming! Your great act of salvation is engraved in my soul!¡±


    Although he had paid a substantial price, including tens of trillions in top-tier serums and war machines to enlist King Ming¡¯s aid, Lin Tianchen was still deeply grateful.


    Without this intervention, he would have been doomed.


    This moment came at a time when Lin Tianchen was being humiliated and driven to despair by the Longevity Association, making the warmth of human kindness acutely felt.


    ¡°No need for such words,¡± Lin Rui replied with a soft chuckle, his eyes gleaming oddly, ¡°You and I signed a Divine Contract under the witness of the Three Gods. How could I dare to slack off? If you truly wish to thank me, then in the future, I ask that you provide me with more Heavenly Demon artifacts.¡±


    Lin Rui then looked toward the depths of the palace, his tone filled with caution: ¡°Although Li He Venerate has been injured, his essence remains intact and continues to watch you. For now, I urge you to leave. In the future, stay vigilant, as the spiritual connection between you and him subjects you to the risk of continuous contamination.¡±


    Lin Tianchen heard this and felt an indescribable sensation in his heart.


    He felt this figure before him seemed familiar, as if they had encountered each other before.


    However, King Ming had donned the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire,¡¯ a status nearly divine, and gods were not something one could gaze upon directly.


    His entire being emanated Infinite Bright Light, akin to a miniature sun. Lin Tianchen¡¯s Soul Body felt deeply uncomfortable, forcing him to retract most of his Spiritual Senses to avoid provocation, making it impossible to discern his essence.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s spirit grew tense as he chuckled bitterly, saying, ¡°I understand. Thank you, Your Highness, for the warning.¡±


    In truth, he knew his entanglement with Li He Venerate was far from resolved.


    Lin Tianchen dared not linger any longer and controlled his True Spirit to fly far away from the dark void, distancing himself from the ruined palace.


    When he determined Li He Venerate could no longer sense the position of his True Spirit, Lin Tianchen withdrew his consciousness from the Heavenly Curtain, returning it to his Alien body.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s Alien body was located within underwater ruins, atop a pyramid-shaped altar in the depths of the sea.


    Surrounding the altar was a vast mixture of seabed sludge and decayed structures, marked by massive beams, surviving totems, and fragments of carved stonework¡ªglimpses of magnificent grandeur and faded splendor from a bygone era.


    As Lin Tianchen surveyed this magnificent and sorrowful scene, he exhaled heavily, overcome by the profound feeling of narrowly evading death.


    Finally, his consciousness had returned to his Alien body, enabling him to escape these ancient ruins.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s gaze shifted to the altar¡¯s center, where two objects about a meter in length resembling machetes floated.


    These were the Abyss Divine Artifact known as the ¡®Separation and Union Scissors¡¯ left behind by Li He Venerate. When separated, they served as blades; when united, they became scissors, possessing both the Separation and Union technique and the ability to sever anything.


    This artifact bore residual traces of Li He Venerate¡¯s Divine Power, with the altar beneath harboring potent forbidden techniques. Anyone attempting to seize or touch the artifact would trigger an attack from the Scissors or be forcibly pulled into Li He Venerate¡¯s Divine Country.


    A year ago, this was the very artifact that dragged Lin Tianchen into that forsaken Divine Country.


    Contrary to what Li Xianglong believed¡ªthat he had been incited by Academician Peng to explore the path to Longevity and the Abyss¡ªLin Tianchen had been compelled by the pursuit of this Abyss Divine Artifact.


    With a surge of Divine Sense, the artifact moved into Lin Tianchen¡¯s grasp.


    This was partly because the forbidden techniques on the Scissors had disappeared, and partly because Lin Tianchen had gained fragments of Li He Venerate¡¯s Divine Power during his forced contamination.


    Lin Tianchen gently caressed the pair of divine scissors, a fierce light gleaming in his eyes.


    ¡ªThe Longevity Association!


    His molars clenched tightly, and his hands audibly cracked. The overwhelming killing intent and murderous aura caused the underwater currents to rage violently, churning with dark tides.


    Having emerged alive, it was time for certain individuals to pay the price¡ªtheir monumental price!


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui was taking a final glance at the towering palace before him.


    He had been covering Lin Tianchen¡¯s retreat, steadfastly stationed there, observing the Ancient God¡¯s every move within the palace.


    Lin Rui waited for half an hour, estimating that Lin Tianchen¡¯s True Spirit had fled far enough to sever its psychic connection with the Ancient God. Only then did Lin Rui withdraw from the void.


    He retreated cautiously to a considerable distance, monitoring the surroundings closely¡ªnot only to evade the Ancient God¡¯s pursuit but also to ensure no other powerful entities in the Heavenly Curtain were tailing him.


    After all, Lin Rui had yet to anchor his True Spirit within the Heavenly Curtain. Should the feeble Sky Curtain Spirit be targeted by dominant entities prowling within, it could spell trouble.


    Simultaneously, Lin Rui needed to avoid the eight enormous vortexes and nine colossal Heaven Pillars looming in the dark void.


    These vortexes and pillars were strikingly conspicuous in the Heavenly Curtain, exerting immense pulling forces upon approach. Lin Rui had no choice but to steer clear to avoid being noticed by the entities within the vortexes.


    After roughly half an hour, Lin Rui halted and began to study the crimson Light Trace surrounding him, focusing on the barrier concealing his trace of destiny and causal connections.


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes, ruminating on what lay behind the Knowledge Barrier.


    He formed a Dharma Seal with his hands, and three layers of fire lotuses from the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ bloomed beneath him in an instant.


    At the same time, a Thunder Spear wreathed in Holy Fire began forming at his side.


    With a single thought, Lin Rui sent the Thunder Spear hurling toward the crimson light barrier.


    At the exact moment when the Thunder Spear struck the crimson barrier, blood spurted from the mouth and nose of Ge Xianshan, who was hiding in a backup cavern in Purgatory.


    His pupils shrank drastically. ¡°Is this King Ming? No, it¡¯s that New God!¡±


    ¡ªThe one who recently mastered the Pure Method!

 Chapter 741: 688: Crushing

    Chapter 741: Chapter 688: Crushing


    Within the Heavenly Curtain, the crimson light barrier had already been riddled with countless holes from Lin Rui¡¯s relentless Thunder Spear bombardment.


    With Li He Venerate¡¯s deliberate retreat, Lin Tianchen had been freed prematurely, allowing Lin Rui to unleash his full strength against this crimson barrier without restraint.


    But to his astonishment, after almost ten minutes of continuous bombardment¡ªlaunching more than 5,000 Thunder Spears¡ªthe crimson barrier still showed no signs of breaking.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression grew serious as he pondered. This person who had implemented the Knowledge Barrier... could they possibly be at the Immortal Level and approaching ¡®Quasi-Abyss¡¯?


    ¡ªAt least 95% mastery of the ¡®Sealing¡¯ Concept! Along with more than 90% proficiency in ¡®Water Element¡¯ and ¡®Ice Element.¡¯


    This individual might even possess an ¡®Abyss Divine Artifact¡¯, as their usage of these Conceptual Powers was abnormally strong.


    But something still felt off. Lin Rui had the support of nine ¡®Light Saints,¡¯ thirty-six ¡®Red Priests,¡¯ and the collective Faith Divine Fire of 2.7 billion believers gathered by the Radiant Holy Altar.


    Lin Tianchen had also provided him with a substantial quantity of high-quality ¡®Etherium¡¯ sourced from the depths of Purgatory, which allowed him to unleash 70-80% of the divine might of the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ and his ¡®Pure Fire¡¯ Concept, sustaining it for over an hour.


    During that hour, Lin Rui was effectively a bona fide ¡®Demigod,¡¯ capable of rivaling the Abyss in certain aspects!


    Could it be that his Demigod status was a mere facade? Could an Immortal Level cultivator really be this powerful? Powerful enough to withstand ten minutes of his Divine Power bombardment?


    If Immortal Levels were truly this strong, why would they hide in Purgatory?


    Hadn¡¯t the ancient texts of Sky Extreme Star repeatedly described the gap between Immortals and the Abyss as insurmountable, akin to the divide between the heavens and mortals? Were those records lies?


    At that moment, Lin Rui¡¯s brows slightly arched.


    He had just received a notification from the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Notification: You have refined all of Li He Venerate¡¯s dispersed Essence Souls. Spirit Abyssalization has reached 27%, organ abyssalization 22%, bloodline abyssalization 28%, physique abyssalization 7%, source material abyssalization 64%, Abyss Source Core development 32%.


    Notification: By fusing Li He Venerate¡¯s Essence Soul, you have mastered 73% of the ¡®Dispersal¡¯ and ¡®Aggregation¡¯ Concepts.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.


    Since investing millions of soul power points to refine Li He Venerate¡¯s Essence Soul, his spiritual core had been steadily strengthening and transforming.


    This directly affected his control over the Pure Fire and Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.


    He could distinctly feel that things had become easier. With the help of the Array within the Main Temple, Lin Rui now felt an unprecedented mastery over his Abyss Concepts, as though they obeyed his will like extensions of his own body.


    The speed at which he generated Thunder Spears had noticeably increased¡ªat least double his previous rate.


    At the same time, Lin Rui also felt subtle changes in his bloodline and physical form.


    What surprised him even more was how the Battle Spirit Ring provided precise measurements for his Spirit Abyssalization and Source Material Abyssalization.


    Judging by these figures, those fake X implants provided by the East Asia Science Academy were indeed effective. Lin Rui¡¯s overall transformation toward the Abyss was progressing steadily, especially in the domain of ¡®Source Material,¡¯ where abyssalization had reached 64%.


    The only weak spot was the relatively low progress in physique abyssalization, but that was understandable given that Lin Rui was still only in the Sixth Realm of cultivation.


    What thrilled him most, however, was the final notification.


    73% mastery of the ¡®Dispersal¡¯ and ¡®Aggregation¡¯ Concepts? These were powers at the Immortal Level!


    Those 3 million soul power points had been an incredibly worthwhile investment!


    While refining Li He Venerate¡¯s Essence Soul, Lin Rui had been passively absorbing the memories and knowledge embedded within.


    Not only had he developed a foundational understanding and insight into the ¡®Separation and Union¡¯ Concept, but he also felt an ever-closer resonance between his soul and these two overarching forces that permeated the heavens, manifesting from the Heavenly Curtain and the Root itself.


    Lin Rui felt that with a single thought, he could summon the overwhelming power of the ¡®Separation and Union¡¯ Concept.


    He had been itching to test it out but had restrained himself for fear of disrupting the refinement process.


    Now, he narrowed his eyes and, without hesitation, infused the ¡®Separation and Union¡¯ Concept into his Thunder Spear.


    ¡ªAlthough it was only slightly more than seventy percent mastery, it was now truly his own power.


    The Aggregation aspect further amplified his Pure Method, along with the Great Sun, Guang Ming, Holy Thunder, Tribulation Fire, and Light-infused Great Sun Concepts.


    Conversely, the Dispersal aspect could shatter his opponent¡¯s power into fragments.


    Boom!


    As this Thunder Spear struck the crimson barrier, it instantly collapsed over a vast area, disintegrating as it crumbled downward.


    A sharp gleam flickered through Lin Rui¡¯s eyes.


    He licked his lips and cast one last glance back in the direction of Li He Venerate¡¯s Divine Country, a blazing hunger igniting in his heart.


    Lin Rui profoundly desired to devour what remained of Li He Venerate¡¯s fragmented consciousness.


    Yet unfortunately, his current strength was insufficient. With its retreat into the depths of the Divine Country and no longer needing to divide attention over Lin Tianchen, the Venerate¡¯s remaining power was enough to stand on equal footing with Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui¡¯s current Demigod status was entirely dependent on the support of the Array, the energy supplied by nine ¡®Light Saints¡¯ and thirty-six ¡®Red Priests.¡¯ He could not outlast the Venerate.


    He had no choice but to wait¡ªwait until he ascended to the Seventh or even Eighth Realm before seeking out Li He Venerate once more.


    Meanwhile, deep within Purgatory, Ge Xianshan spat out another mouthful of fresh blood.


    His appearance had undergone a tremendous transformation. No longer the six-eyed elder he once was, he had morphed into a towering ten-zhang-tall demon with a robust and imposing build, six eyes, and a pair of wings sprouting from his back!


    His head resembled that of a ¡®dragon,¡¯ with curved horns jutting out like blade edges, and his fleshy wings were covered with countless patterns that resembled eyes.

 Chapter 742: 688: Overwhelming_2

    Chapter 742: Chapter 688: Overwhelming_2


    ¡ª¡ªThis is precisely the most powerful form of the ¡®Six-Eyed Demon,¡¯ also known as the ¡®Six-Eyed Demon Dragon.¡¯


    Ge Xianshan had known for ages that the oldest ¡®Abysses¡¯ never had Battle Dragons.


    In recent times, some powerful individuals who achieved Longevity would fuse with their own Battle Dragons, achieving a unity of man and dragon, thus acquiring greater strength to break into the Abyss Realm.


    Ge Xianshan had been attempting to refine his Battle Dragon, and he was on the verge of success.


    With the help of the items he traded with the ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing, the Six-Eyed Elder was confident he could reach ¡®Quasi-Abyss¡¯ within a few months and elevate his Conceptual Power to 99%.


    But he never expected that this transaction would provoke a ¡®Demigod¡¯-level enemy.


    At this moment, Ge Xianshan was not only bleeding from all seven orifices, but even his pores were oozing blood.


    His pupils had already contracted into needlepoints.


    The power of that Demigod had grown even stronger!


    Apart from the Pure Method, this individual also mastered a Longevity-level ¡®Separation and Union¡¯ Concept!


    Could the current ¡®King Ming¡¯ of the Light God Sect truly be this powerful?


    In that instant, a Demon standing eight zhang tall by his side exploded into a mist of flesh and blood with a deafening ¡®boom.¡¯


    ¡ª¡ªThis was an Eighth Realm Demon that Ge Xianshan had forcibly captured yesterday.


    There were over 200 demons like this scattered throughout the vast cavern, embedded within the Array Ge Xianshan had set up, serving as his sources of Blood Qi and power.


    Ge Xianshan now had no choice but to transfer the ¡®King Ming¡¯s¡¯ power onto these demons!


    He knew it was like drinking poison to quench thirst, but he had no other options.


    Otherwise, this body of his would be blasted to pieces by the opponent first.


    He cursed his predicament and deeply regretted his decisions.


    Ge Xianshan no longer wanted to maintain this Knowledge Barrier! Although he had signed a Divine Contract with Yi Duxing, breaking it would come at a heavy price.


    But paying the price was better than forfeiting his life.


    Yet, Ge Xianshan dared not remove it; he feared that if he did, the opponent would intensify their pursuit and obliterate him completely!


    ¡ª¡ªThe current King Ming unexpectedly turned out to be a New God, a Lord of Purity who had mastered one Abyss Concept and two Longevity Concepts!


    Ge Xianshan thought to himself, if he were that King Ming, he would undoubtedly silence him to ensure secrecy!


    Lin Rui once again received information from the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Reminder: Slayed an Eighth Realm Demon, gaining 164,532 soul power points.


    ¡°Oh?¡± His eyes gleamed, instantly assessing the situation.


    The ¡®Longevity¡¯-level figure employing the Knowledge Barrier might have already reached their limit.


    So, this person was leveraging the Array and the power of Demons to fight him¡ªno wonder they could hold out for so long.


    Sure enough, as he intensified his attacks, continuing to bombard with Thunder Spears, the Battle Spirit Ring kept sending notifications.


    Reminder: Slayed an Eighth Realm Demon, gaining 131,536 soul power points.


    Reminder: Slayed an Eighth Realm Demon, gaining 193,541 soul power points.


    Initially, they were all Eighth Realm Demons, even two Ninth Realm ones! Until 42 notifications later, with the soul power points surging to a massive 6.7 million, the subsequent notifications shifted to the Seventh Realm.


    Notifications for slaying Seventh Realm Demons flooded in, totaling more than a hundred in quick succession.


    Lin Rui was elated, thinking to himself this was akin to striking a fortune¡ªa huge haul!


    Seventh Realm Demons typically provided soul power points ranging from 30,000 to 70,000.


    At this point, his total soul power points had ballooned to an astonishing 13 million!


    Meanwhile, the opponent¡¯s resistance was rapidly weakening.


    Although this Longevity-level enemy transferred Lin Rui¡¯s power onto the demons, making them endure the Thunder Spear¡¯s lethal force, it also significantly reduced their supply of power and Blood Qi.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Divine Power began tearing through the crimson Heavenly Curtain, relentlessly pursuing the source of the Knowledge Barrier.


    Moments later, Lin Rui glimpsed a massive blood-red cavern and saw a Demon ten zhang long, with six eyes and wings on its back.


    His eyebrows lifted instantly: ¡°Six-Eyed Demon? It¡¯s really a Longevity-level being!¡±


    Boom!


    Lin Rui¡¯s Thunder Spear crossed hundreds of thousands of miles of void, slamming into the figure¡¯s torso and blasting a massive blood hole in its chest and abdomen.


    The Thunder Spear not only shattered the Six-Eyed Demon¡¯s internal organs but also obliterated its heart.


    Ge Xianshan was consumed by extreme agony and despair in that instant.


    Despite making the most thorough preparations and paying a colossal price to confront this Demigod, he still failed.


    Staring at the bloody chasm in his chest, Ge Xianshan thought, could this be the end of his life?


    Immediately, his expression shifted as his gaze fell on the Abyss Divine Artifact in his hand¡ªthe ¡®Supreme Divine Heart¡¯¡ªwith a resolute gleam in his eyes.


    Ge Xianshan surprisingly stuffed the ¡®Supreme Divine Heart¡¯ into the cavity in his chest and simultaneously injected the ¡®Primordial Source X Syringe¡¯ he had obtained from Yi Duxing into his neck.


    It was common knowledge that the three ¡®Supreme Divine Artifacts¡¯ in this world were entirely evolved from the ¡®Abyss.¡¯


    As for ¡®Abyss Divine Artifacts,¡¯ they were either forged from the remains of a Demigod, or crafted by merging a portion of Abyssal flesh with objects, combining limbs, internal organs, and Abyssal essence.


    The ¡®Supreme Divine Heart¡¯ originated from the heart of one such Abyss.


    Ge Xianshan knew that only the Abyss could counter the Abyss, so he gambled everything, intending to use the ¡®Primordial Source X Syringe¡¯ to activate the Abyssal heart while fusing it into his body, replacing his own heart with the ¡®Supreme Divine Heart¡¯! In this way, he could acquire some Abyssal traits.


    Of course, it came with immense risk¡ªif he could not suppress and truly refine the ¡®Supreme Divine Heart,¡¯ then everything he possessed would be devoured by it, becoming a part of this Abyss Divine Artifact.


    At the same time, Ge Xianshan began unleashing his full Longevity Concepts and Abyssal fluctuations into the surroundings.


    Both he and that King Ming were entities who thrived in the shadows; if they drew the attention of the greater ¡®Abysses,¡¯ they would be doomed.


    Thus, they had always restrained the aftermath of their powers to prevent those beings from taking notice during their battle.


    Yet now, Ge Xianshan could no longer care; he instead hoped his actions would attract the attention of those Abysses and force this New God to withdraw!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The second Thunder Spear struck down in front of Ge Xianshan.


    However, this time, Lin Rui¡¯s spear failed to pierce Ge Xianshan¡¯s body.


    A red light surged in front of the Six-Eyed Demon, forming what seemed like a shield that blocked the spear!


    Lin Rui then struck twenty more spears in succession, but none were able to shatter the shield, though each caused the Six-Eyed Demon to bleed from its seven orifices, leaving it in a more wretched state.


    But in the next instant, terror flashed across Ge Xianshan¡¯s eyes.


    As Ge Xianshan¡¯s powers waned and his Primordial Spirit sustained further damage, he realized that his blood and strength were being consumed by the ¡®Supreme Divine Heart¡¯ in his chest.


    Ge Xianshan let out a furious roar, his entire body contracting rapidly, transforming into a massive fleshy sphere that tightly encapsulated the ¡®Supreme Divine Heart¡¯ within.


    ¡°Self-sealing? This guy¡ª¡± Lin Rui¡¯s brow furrowed slightly.


    He noticed that the Six-Eyed Demon was attempting self-sealing to resist the Abyss Divine Artifact.


    Under such circumstances, the demon was completely defenseless, making this the perfect moment for Lin Rui to kill it.


    In truth, even without Lin Rui acting, the Six-Eyed Demon likely wouldn¡¯t survive. In its current state, it stood no chance of resisting the Abyss Divine Artifact¡¯s devouring corruption.


    Lin Rui¡¯s focus shifted onto the ¡®Supreme Divine Heart.¡¯


    ¡ª¡ªThis was undoubtedly an incredibly powerful ¡®Abyss Divine Artifact,¡¯ and after consuming the Six-Eyed Demon, it would become even stronger¡ªparticularly suitable for his Master.


    But at that moment, Lin Rui sensed the gods of the Abyss from the Heavenly Curtain all looking toward his location simultaneously.


    There was no time left¡ª


    Lin Rui could only cast one last glance at the Six-Eyed Demon, striving to memorize its position.


    Unfortunately, the distance was too great¡ªa full 200,000 kilometers separated them, so Lin Rui¡¯s Divine Sense could only discern a rough direction.


    At the same time, he began utilizing his ¡®Unity of All Things¡¯ and ¡®Aggregation¡¯ Concept to rapidly patch up the dissipated Knowledge Barrier of the Six-Eyed Demon, intending to obscure all the gods¡¯ perception of the ¡®Supreme Divine Heart.¡¯


    Lin Rui thought, since he was masking knowledge anyway, he might as well also hide portions of his own destiny.


    He didn¡¯t forget his primary goal; his immense Divine Thought followed the traces of destiny shrouded by the Knowledge Barrier, attempting to uncover their origin.


    ¡°Hmm? These sealed traces of destiny originate within our Light God Sect? What exactly is he trying to conceal?¡±


    Just as Lin Rui attempted to delve further, the godly power of the West Abyss swept over the area.


    Knowing it was too late, Lin Rui hastily withdrew his Divine Thought and power, simultaneously commanding his Sky Curtain Spirit to swiftly depart this dark void.

 Chapter 743: 689: The Power of the Heavenly Venerate

    Chapter 743: Chapter 689: The Power of the Heavenly Venerate


    Lin Rui¡¯s consciousness returned to the alien body, and he immediately consulted the Battle Spirit Ring.


    ¡°Ring Spirit, based on the existing clues, help me deduce¡ªwhat exactly is this Knowledge Barrier hiding from me?¡±


    Prompt: Detected a powerful Heavenly Venerate manipulating and influencing your fate. To penetrate this Knowledge Barrier, 170,000,000 soul power points are required.


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils constricted sharply, and then he sat on the Radiant Holy Altar, sinking into deep thought.


    A powerful Heavenly Venerate? Could it be referring to the Great Sun Venerable?


    So, he was actually walking along a fate trajectory set by a certain Heavenly Venerate?


    Lin Rui could now confirm that the matter this ¡°Longevity Realm¡± wanted to conceal was internal to the Light God Sect and was directly related to him.


    It must be a matter of critical importance, something that could even affect the Great Sun Venerable¡¯s pollution and corruption of him.


    Thus, this individual went to great lengths to interfere with fate, preventing him from piercing this layer of Knowledge Barrier.


    Lin Rui was deeply wary of the forces behind this ¡°Longevity Realm.¡±


    What were they trying to do? Could it be an attempt to rebel, seize the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, and usurp the position of King Ming? So, they cloaked his perception for their scheme!


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart tightened slightly, a cold unease rising within him.


    This was a force capable of enlisting the power of a ¡°Longevity Realm¡±!


    That Longevity Realm he had almost obliterated, who was nearly devoured by the Abyss Divine Artifact and had no choice but to self-seal, was a combatant whose strength could rival a demigod!


    And as for Lin Rui, despite his earlier awe-inspiring display within the Heavenly Curtain, exuding boundless divine might, truthfully, it was thanks to the massive formation there, bolstered by the power of nine ¡°Light Saints,¡± thirty-six ¡°Red Priests,¡± twenty-seven billion believers, as well as the consumption of tremendous amounts of high-quality casting materials and Etherium.


    His real body and alien body remained fragile. Although he could now utilize his Abyss Power, the duration was limited to a mere ten seconds at most.


    Fortunately, for reasons unknown, this ¡°Longevity Realm¡± had merely placed a layer of Knowledge Barrier around him. If the person had chosen to directly confront Lin Rui or infiltrate the Light God Sect Headquarters for an assassination attempt, even hiding in the deepest recesses of the headquarters would not guarantee his survival as King Ming.


    Lin Rui glanced down at Tian Xiang, Shancai, and the others, as well as the numerous ¡°Light Saints¡± and ¡°Red Priests¡± below.


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten the dire straits Yin Qianqiu had faced in Luojing, surrounded on all sides with no one to turn to.


    The Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings within the Light God Sect were all inherently rebellious individuals.


    Even someone as seemingly dependable as Tian Xiang could turn traitor if Lin Rui¡¯s actions displeased her.


    He could not afford to lower his guard!


    The Bright Sage Master, Gong Bonan, noticed the elemental power fluctuations within the array stabilizing, and the energy consumption of the electronic altar and Etherium was correspondingly decreasing.


    His expression shifted slightly as he gazed toward the top of the Holy Altar. ¡°Your Highness, King Ming, have you returned safely?¡±


    ¡°I am unharmed, and the General of Heavenly Demons has also escaped unscathed,¡± Lin Rui replied with a gentle tone, waving his hand. ¡°Bright Sage Master, please deactivate the array. Thank you all for your hard work!¡±


    Hearing this, Gong Bonan¡¯s expression relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief.


    His greatest concern had been King Ming¡¯s safety. Earlier, the Abyss entities trapped in ¡°Divine Sleep¡± within the Heavenly Curtain had stirred, causing alarm and tension to writhe within him.


    Though he was dying to know what exactly had occurred within the Heavenly Curtain and what had caused such tremendous commotion, Gong Bonan restrained his curiosity. He had not been chosen as the Bright Sage Master merely due to his near-Divine Envoy-level cultivation but also for his tact, composure, and shrewd reserve.


    He quickly suppressed his questions and instead deployed multiple streams of elemental power, progressively shutting down the massive formation.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui rose from the Holy Altar and descended, asking in passing, ¡°Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, is it true that our Dharma King Bai Mei still refuses to come to the Headquarters to meet me? Have you uncovered the reason behind his absence?¡±


    Halfway through his question, he noticed that the gazes of everyone present were trained on him with some peculiarity.


    Lin Rui froze for a moment, taken aback, before realizing that all those people were looking at his feet.


    Lowering his head, he saw that the sacred white flames on the surrounding steps were shrinking and bowing, as if in worship of him.


    Lin Rui instantly understood that this phenomenon must be related to his integration of Abyss Essence Soul, which had significantly deepened the Abyss Transformation of his soul.


    Evidently, he had inadvertently exposed some of his true essence. But this wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing¡ª


    Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy stared at the flames on the steps, momentarily dazed, before snapping out of her trance under Lin Rui¡¯s gaze. She cupped her fists. ¡°Your Highness, to date, the Headquarters has dispatched four messengers to the Tianzhou Diocese to proclaim your decree. However, Dharma King Bai Mei has consistently refused to see them, citing severe illness and ongoing secluded recovery.


    This individual is highly skilled at managing his resources; his core subordinates are almost impenetrable. As such, the Heavenly Fragrance Holy Hall is yet to gather any information on Bai Mei Dharma King¡¯s recent activities. Nevertheless, I have sent several exceptionally capable Fragrance Clothing Envoys to investigate the truth. We should receive news shortly.¡±


    Lin Rui squinted slightly, suspecting that, for now, Bai Mei Dharma King appeared to be the most dubious figure within the Light God Sect.


    As the disciple of Elder Wan Xin and the elder brother of the previous Sect Hierarch, this man had glaringly displayed his defiance by failing to visit the Headquarters to pay homage to the new King Ming for two whole months since Lin Rui¡¯s ascension.


    Just as Lin Rui was about to ask more about Bai Mei Dharma King, the Protecting Sect Dharma King, Bai Xishi, entered from outside.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Bai Xishi¡¯s icy expression remained cold as he cupped his hands toward Lin Rui. ¡°Red Priest Li Guchan has returned to the Headquarters and says he wishes to meet with Shancai Divine Envoy as soon as possible!¡±


    Hearing this, Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling¡¯s face darkened slightly. Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan was the right-hand man of the Invincible Dharma King.


    His return to the Headquarters undoubtedly meant he was here to push him, the Shancai Divine Envoy, to supply more resources.


    Indeed, the Light God Sect had recently sold off a batch of goods at a high price through the Great Song Star Port¡¯s channels.


    However, ever since the Invincible Dharma King began his war against the Great Cheng Country over two months ago, the sect had been operating at a deficit across the board with no significant revenue streams.


    Drafts for resources hung over not just the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s areas but also every diocese and holy hall, each teetering on the edge of running out of provisions.


    Lin Rui briefly observed Bai Xishi with intense scrutiny.


    This Protecting Sect Dharma King was in a position equivalent to the commander of imperial guards¡ªa quasi-Divine Envoy-level cultivator.


    In terms of raw power, this made him even more formidable than the likes of Zhao Chongling and several other Divine Envoys.


    Over the past two months, Lin Rui had expended significant effort trying to win this man over.


    However, Bai Xishi seemed impervious to both flattery and threats. His demeanor, speech, and actions were consistently rigid and aloof, giving the impression of a cold machine.


    This man had risen to power during the eras of Elder Wan Xin and Yin Qianqiu, and Lin Rui could not suppress his unease toward him.


    If only he held more authority; as things stood, he was still a puppet with limited power. Or else, his first move would have been to replace this Protecting Sect Dharma King.


    ¡°From what I know, since the Three Gods of Purgatory designated the Great Song as their main target, the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s battles along the Great Cheng frontline have resumed. For Red Priest Li Guchan to return at this time, it must be a matter of utmost urgency. Zhao Divine Envoy, proceed as you see fit.¡±


    Lin Rui then added, ¡°Once you conclude your official discussions, have him come to the Great Ming Hall. I need to speak with him.¡±


    He was reminded of the two 9SS+ Red Spider Combat Robots and the 9SSS-grade Outer Elixir ¡°East Monarch¡± that Lin Tianchen had traded to him.


    Lin Tianchen had given him two 9SSS-grade Outer Elixirs in total. One, ¡°Tai Zhen,¡± had been given to Luo Wangshu, while Lin Rui intended to keep ¡°East Monarch¡± for his own use.


    Lin Rui planned to embed this Outer Elixir onto his Hidden Dragon Battle Armor.


    Additionally, the two 9SS+ Red Spider Combat Robots also had further room for modification.


    These were genuine Type 9 models¡ªnot the downgraded 8PRO series. The Red Spider, in particular, was renowned for its thick armor and impressive adaptability.


    After dispatching Zhao Chongling, Lin Rui returned to the Bright Hall. Opening the quantum communication system, he navigated to Luo Wangshu¡¯s contacts.


    Although Luo Wangshu did not yet possess an alien body, Lin Rui had already implanted her with a quantum communication chip to facilitate internet access, allowing her to explore the Heavenly Demon Origin.


    His master exhibited great interest in the Outer Heaven Demon¡¯s network.


    However, unlike Ji Xueying and Meng Weiyun, who became addicted early on, Luo Wangshu handled her newfound online freedoms more selectively, engaging only during her rare intervals of spare time.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Master, I¡¯ve found an Abyss Divine Artifact that suits you. Take a look.


    While sending this message, Lin Rui attached a video.


    Though the ¡°Sky Curtain Spirit¡± could not record videos, he could use the supercomputing AI to generate visuals according to his thoughts.


    These visuals were undoubtedly distorted and highly abstract, but they were sufficient to convey the main idea.


    Lin Rui did not wait long for Luo Wangshu¡¯s response when a message from Lin Xi popped up on his device.


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): Brother, two minutes ago, Lin Tianchen boarded a Security Bureau Escort Ship and left the port.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly: ¡°Can you determine the direction in which the escort ship is headed?¡±


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): I suspect it¡¯s heading toward the ¡°Capital¡± class ship. About thirty minutes ago, he left the East Asia Experimental Base. First, he visited Zhou Yunfei and two other former subordinates¡¯ remains, and then he boarded a ship to leave the Star Port.


    Xia Moqian (Lin Xi): Sister Xianyu met with him briefly. She said his killing intent was palpable, incredibly intense! She also got a sense of his power¡ªimmense, absolutely immense! She said it reminded her of the Invincible Dharma King, making it hard for her to even draw her sword.


    Lin Rui immediately understood. This was a tiger being let out of its cage.

 Chapter 744: 690: Super Divine Envoy Level!

    Chapter 744: Chapter 690: Super Divine Envoy Level!


    The escort ship carrying Lin Tianchen, with the aid of a tugboat, slowly entered Dock Four of the Capital Ship.


    As the hatch opened and Lin Tianchen descended the gangway, he instantly realized he had been betrayed.


    At that moment, a young man with white hair and a Western face stepped out from the depths of the dock, smiling as he gazed at Lin Tianchen.


    ¡°Old Lin, what¡¯s your intention in coming to the Capital Ship at this time?¡±


    With the appearance of this figure, six other silhouettes gradually emerged around the dock.


    All of them were either Quasi-Members or Congressman-Level masters.


    Yet, their expressions and demeanor were off: some had faces stiff and cold, looking like the dead; others had blood-red eyes and vicious, enraged expressions, resembling rabid beasts.


    Their Battle Dragons were hidden in the dark, sharing similar conditions.


    Around them were eighteen cages, within which towering Demons slowly emerged, their eyes locked on Lin Tianchen, drooling at the lips, emitting low, guttural growls.


    Lin Tianchen immediately raised his head to look toward the command station above the dock.


    This B4 dock belonged to the Security Bureau, managed by his old subordinate, Li Changkun.


    The escort ship Lin Tianchen rode was entirely under Li Changkun¡¯s control, with no involvement from others, having only been notified about 20 minutes ago by both Li Xianglong and Li Changkun, the Security Bureau¡¯s transport service center director.


    Li Changkun was an SSS-level hacker, and theoretically, no one should have been able to track Lin Tianchen¡¯s movements accurately.


    Yet here, members of the Longevity Association not only blocked him but deployed special instruments and Arrays to suppress his awareness.


    Through the command station glass, Lin Tianchen could see Li Changkun shrink back, possibly out of fear or guilt.


    Around the dock, Lin Tianchen also noticed twenty-four large military-grade Ether Electromagnetic Interference Vehicles, all the latest models.


    It was precisely these vehicles that had suppressed Lin Tianchen¡¯s Spiritual Sense and concealed the Ether reaction of the dock area.


    His gaze then returned to the white-haired youth, his eyes subtly changing. ¡°White Knight Bruce, I never imagined you¡¯d join the Longevity Association.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about that? I¡¯ve always agreed with the core philosophies of the Longevity Association and the Divine Illumination Association. Since the moment our Divine Light Sky merged with True Spirit, we ceased to be ordinary humans, and our fates have intertwined with Sky Extreme Star.¡±


    White Knight Bruce let out a mocking laugh: ¡°Li Xianglong just sent an email to the Security Bureau¡¯s higher-ups, saying that per your request, a special meeting is to be held, requiring the attendance of all One-star Marshal-Level personnel and above. Old Lin, what are you trying to do? Are you planning to resign? Or are you attempting to mobilize the Security Bureau¡¯s forces to defend against us, the Longevity Association? But leaving Ninth Base City under Lin Rui¡¯s wing at this moment is sheer folly!¡±


    He clicked his tongue, sneering: ¡°Who could have imagined? The dignified deputy director of the Security Bureau, rumored to have attained the Divine Envoy Level, Lin Tianchen, the Second General, now has to rely on the protection of a mere kid to cling to life.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, without Mr. Lin¡¯s protection, I probably would¡¯ve died at your hands days ago.¡±


    Lin Tianchen descended the gangway with an indifferent expression: ¡°Are you recording videos? Is your master watching this livestream?¡±


    He noticed several high-definition cameras in the vicinity, capturing his holographic image.


    ¡°Indeed!¡±


    White Knight Bruce observed Lin Tianchen approaching and stealthily placed a hand on his sword. ¡°Many are watching, including numerous Longevity Association members eager to witness your downfall. In the future, this video will flow into the dark web. Your brutal death will make many reconsider their positions.¡±


    His chin tilted upward with a smirk: ¡°However, our two executives are still willing to give you a chance. Join the Longevity Association now, sign a Tenth Realm Divine Contract, and become our dog. Not only would we spare your life, but we could even help your True Spirit escape from that Ancient God¡¯s Divine Country. What do you say, Old Lin?¡±


    Lin Tianchen thought to himself that these people actually knew about his True Spirit¡¯s imprisonment in the Ancient God¡¯s Divine Country, which explained their audaciousness.


    He turned his head toward one of the high-definition cameras, letting out a cold laugh, with icy killing intent flashing in his eyes: ¡°Watching, are they? Excellent. Just perfect.¡±


    White Knight Bruce¡¯s initial reaction was a brief moment of confusion, followed by sudden, bone-deep dread. An extreme sense of crisis sent chills down his spine.


    Without hesitation, Bruce drew his sword, unleashing all his Martial Intent and Conceptual Powers to their limits.


    Though Bruce couldn¡¯t understand the source of this looming danger, he was certain that striking first was the right decision.


    But in the next moment, Bruce distinctly felt his soul and body being sliced, accompanied by a faint ¡°shhh¡± sound.


    Bruce looked at Lin Tianchen with bewilderment and dread.


    What had just happened? Had he been dissected? Split apart?


    White Knight Bruce saw blood spray from within his body, wondering how Lin Tianchen had struck.


    No¡ªthat wasn¡¯t it! Lin Tianchen hadn¡¯t even drawn his blade; he had simply used Conceptual Power to disassemble Bruce¡¯s body!


    Bruce¡¯s gaze shifted toward the twin weapons floating behind Lin Tianchen, each stretching 12 feet long.


    ¡ª¡ªThey appeared to be a pair of falchions, wrapped in Dragon Skin inscribed with countless Runes.


    Bruce hadn¡¯t sensed any aura from the falchions earlier and had paid them little attention, merely noting the change in Lin Tianchen¡¯s choice of weaponry.


    But just now, Bruce felt the faint aura leaking from the falchions.


    It made his soul tremble and his mind reel.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ªAbyss¡ª¡±


    It must be an Abyss Divine Artifact! Lin Tianchen had actually acquired an Abyss Divine Artifact!


    And his Bloodline Power appeared to have significantly strengthened! Moments ago, Lin Tianchen had simultaneously activated several spatial and temporal abilities, nearly crushing Bruce in the process!


    Yet, before Bruce could finish uttering the word, his body shattered into pieces, scattering in all directions.


    Bruce¡¯s body had already been segmented into hundreds of pieces, his survival held together by sheer will alone. Once that will collapsed, his body immediately disintegrated.


    At the exact moment Bruce¡¯s body fragmented, the eighteen Demons nearby, the six Congressman and Quasi-Members present, even their Battle Dragons¡ªall simultaneously exploded into massive chunks of flesh and pools of blood on the ground.


    Lin Tianchen had never even glanced at Bruce once; his gaze remained fixed on the holographic camera.


    Only after everyone had perished did Lin Tianchen raise a finger and point toward the camera.


    ¡ª¡ªThis was his declaration, a revenge proclamation for the livestream audience!


    Clang!


    With a piercing sound, all the cameras and the numerous Ether Electromagnetic Interference Devices were sliced into fragments.


    Lin Tianchen then directed his gaze toward the command station above the dock.


    The only surviving witness remained there¡ªOne-star Marshal of the Security Bureau, transport service center director Li Changkun.


    He stood behind the glass window, his face pale as a sheet, staring tremblingly at Lin Tianchen.


    Lin Tianchen held no particular hatred for Li Changkun and could understand his actions.


    The Longevity Association evidently intended to eradicate his subordinates, and Lin Tianchen had been forced to cower in the East Science Institute with no ability to protect his men.


    Under such circumstances, Li Changkun¡¯s betrayal to join the Longevity Association was perfectly logical, and Lin Tianchen didn¡¯t blame the man.


    But understanding did not equate to forgiveness.


    As the Second General of the Security Bureau, forgiveness for any act of betrayal was a dangerous precedent and a source of future calamities.


    In the instant Lin Tianchen shifted his gaze away, Li Changkun¡¯s body disintegrated.


    Li Changkun¡¯s mind in that moment was consumed by infinite regret.


    The Second General seemed to have recovered¡ªand even experienced an inexplicable boost in power!


    That Congressman-Level White Knight, Bruce, had been slain in a single encounter!


    Until last evening, he had firmly held his stance.


    Why, why¡ª


    Lin Tianchen then raised his hand, summoning Bruce¡¯s severed head into his grasp.


    He had broken Bruce¡¯s body and soul into hundreds of pieces, but deliberately left the man¡¯s head untouched.


    The head of a Congressman-Level figure still served as a potent symbol of intimidation!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    About two minutes later, Fang Xianzheng was video conferencing as he walked toward his office.


    ¡°Deputy Speaker, is there a pressing matter? Regarding Lin Tianchen¡¯s dismissal motion? Hmm~ This is indeed troublesome; Ranran and Linghu Mingde continue to apply pressure, while Li Xianglong remains neutral, so the Security Committee is unlikely to pass it.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng looked slightly resigned: ¡°Ranran is my daughter, but she¡¯s also the leader of the Bright Front and the executive deputy chairman of the Rui Fang Group. You know, she¡¯s rather independent, heavily influenced by her boyfriend¡ªyou know the saying, ¡®a married daughter is like spilled water!''¡±


    ¡°Ah~ The eleventh and twelfth division heads of the Security Bureau, Deputy Speaker, these positions are public safety matters and cannot be exchanged for personal favors.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng squinted, listening to the new terms offered by the Deputy Speaker, his lips curling upward slightly: ¡°But given the current situation, Lin Tianchen no longer seems capable of fulfilling his role as the Security Bureau¡¯s Second General. Allow me to try; I¡¯ll do everything I can to push this forward over the next couple of days.¡±


    He used to have fairly amicable relations with Lin Tianchen; their cooperation over the last decade had been pleasant enough.


    Lin Tianchen was also a crucial figure in the Federation Government¡¯s balance against Li Xianglong.


    But now, Lin Tianchen was clearly on the verge of downfall, and the terms offered by the Deputy Speaker and the forces he represented appeared quite enticing.


    It was then that Fang Xianzheng noticed the Deputy Speaker¡¯s expression suddenly change.


    The man abruptly ended the call with no further explanation.


    Fang Xianzheng was confused but instinctively sensed something was amiss.


    Could something have happened?


    He immediately messaged the intelligence director of the Sky Blue Group: ¡°Find out if anything occurred today, especially during the last time segment.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng had just pushed open the door to his office and stepped inside.


    His face turned ashen pale in an instant.


    Behind his desk sat a man¡ªnone other than Lin Tianchen, Second General of the Security Bureau!


    The man lounged in the chair, his piercing cold eyes fixed on Fang Xianzheng.


    On the desk lay a blood-soaked head¡ªFang Xianzheng recognized it instantly. It belonged to White Knight Bruce!

 Chapter 745: 691: Abyss Divine Artifact!

    Chapter 745: Chapter 691: Abyss Divine Artifact!


    Fang Xianzheng felt that the gaze Lin Tianchen cast upon him was like the sharpest blade, aiming to slice him apart and grind him to dust. His scalp tingled, and goosebumps spread across his body.


    Still, his expression quickly returned to calmness, and he sat down with composure on the opposite side of the office desk.


    ¡°Congratulations to General Lin for safely escaping the Heavenly Curtain. It seems the proposal raised by Ms. Edian Kinman earlier can be concluded. I¡¯ll handle this matter for you shortly.¡±


    This was a reminder to the man opposite him about the inquiry initiated by Edian Kinman in Congress, where Fang Xianzheng had exerted some of his influence.


    Fang Xianzheng didn¡¯t know the specifics of Lin Tianchen¡¯s current condition. Yet the fact that this man could sit here, carrying the severed head of Bruce the White Knight, without alerting the security systems of the congressional building ¡ª and all the while keeping Fang Xianzheng¡¯s security personnel completely oblivious ¡ª was proof enough that Lin Tianchen¡¯s strength had recovered to the point where he could, at the very least, fight normally.


    ¡°Then much appreciated,¡± Lin Tianchen said, his gaze mocking as it lingered on Fang Xianzheng. ¡°But from hearing your call earlier, it appears you sold me for quite the hefty price? Vice Chairman Fang, you should be thankful you have a good daughter.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªThe crux lies in having a good son-in-law.


    Fang Xianzheng chuckled awkwardly. Facing the cold and piercing gaze of Lin Tianchen, he raised his hand to make tea for the man: ¡°General Lin coming personally to visit me must mean there¡¯s something you need me to handle?¡±


    His expression turned solemn and resolute: ¡°As long as it¡¯s within my ability, I¡¯ll do my best to take care of it for you.¡±


    Lin Tianchen nodded, retracting the murderous intent in his eyes.


    He had never intended to harm Fang Xianzheng, nor had he any feelings of anger toward the man.


    Because Lin Tianchen had long understood what kind of person Fang Xianzheng was ¡ª merely an emotionless political machine, willing to turn anyone or anything into a bargaining chip.


    This guy had only chosen to sell him out at this stage ¡ª which wasn¡¯t bad, considering it was all due to the Bright Front, and his daughter and son-in-law.


    Moreover, the man had one redeeming quality: he was perceptive!


    ¡°There are indeed a few matters I need you to handle.¡±


    Lin Tianchen handed a document to Fang Xianzheng. ¡°You have one day. Get these five tasks done.¡±


    Fang Xianzheng opened the file to take a glance.


    Drenched in cold sweat instantly.


    The first task Lin Tianchen required was relatively normal: designations for the heroic sacrifices of certain Security Bureau high-ranking officials and their generous posthumous compensations.


    This made sense. Lin Tianchen¡¯s direct subordinates had suffered brutal blows from the Longevity Association, with over twenty generals and marshal-level figures being killed or severely injured.


    Now that this man had regained his True Spirit and recovered much of his strength, compensating those fallen troops was naturally expected.


    But the trouble lay in the following tasks. Lin Tianchen¡¯s second instruction was for Fang Xianzheng to propose to Congress a motion of appointment ¡ª transferring Lin Tianchen to Commander of the Second Fleet Group while nominating Linghu Mingde as Deputy Commander of the Security Bureau!


    The third task was to launch an investigation into Hephaestus Heavy Industries Group under the accusation of colluding with the terrorist organization ¡°Longevity Association¡± to smuggle arms, coupled with issuing a ban forbidding the sale of any Hephaestus Heavy Industries products.


    The fourth task involved suspending three Honorary Members of Congress and revoking seven other members¡¯ qualifications ¡ª including Edian Kinman ¡ª on charges of collusion with the terrorist organization ¡°Longevity Association,¡± alongside corresponding investigations.


    The fifth task was to control the conference progression of the Security Committee, ensuring the comprehensive approval of personnel appointments within the Security Bureau.


    According to Federation regulations, all appointments of officers ranked General and above but below the four Commanders within the Security Bureau must be decided by the ¡°Marshal Joint Leadership Conference¡± inside the bureau, then submitted to the congressional Security Committee for review and voting.


    After finishing the file, Fang Xianzheng paused briefly and then looked at Lin Tianchen with strangely contemplative eyes. ¡°General Lin, the first matter is no issue ¡ª I can get it done for you within an hour. The fifth one, as long as personnel appointments fall within the realm of reason, poses little difficulty either. But the remaining three tasks... I¡¯m afraid not one of them will pass Congress.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not negotiating with you.¡± Lin Tianchen spoke, tapping a finger against the office desk. ¡°I¡¯m informing you ¡ª they must be done!¡±


    At that very moment, within a one-kilometer radius surrounding this office, more than twenty Eighth Realm and Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators approaching quietly suddenly turned pale.


    They felt a faint blood streak crack open across the area of their necks.


    These High-level Martial Cultivators were either Fang Xianzheng¡¯s personal bodyguards or congressional security personnel.


    They had covertly moved closer after receiving Fang Xianzheng¡¯s distress signal, yet simultaneously, their necks had been cut open by Lin Tianchen¡¯s power.


    The wounds were precisely measured ¡ª neither too deep nor too shallow ¡ª stopping exactly one millimeter away from severing their cervical spines and carotid arteries.


    Moreover, an immensely sharp and overwhelming Divine Thought laden with infinite killing intent had locked onto them from afar, freezing them entirely in place ¡ª not even able to twitch.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s lips curled faintly, his mocking eyes brimming with disdain and hatred. ¡°You know well how my subordinates died, Fang Xianzheng. This is the answer you and the Security Committee owe me.¡±


    At that moment, Fang Xianzheng¡¯s brow split open, blood gushing down and staining the corners of his forehead.


    Yet he remained silent, motionless.


    Indeed, three members of the Security Committee had betrayed these high-ranking officials from the Security Bureau, even facilitating the Longevity Association ¡ª by deliberately withdrawing their defensive forces or assigning them to zones ripe for an attack from the Longevity Association.


    Although Fang Xianzheng hadn¡¯t directly participated, he had stood by and allowed these reckless actions from the three members.


    A sudden revelation now surged through his chest, stirring a storm of turmoil.

 Chapter 746: 691: Abyss Divine Artifact!_2

    Chapter 746: Chapter 691: Abyss Divine Artifact!_2


    That was a message from his security director: ¡°Mr. Fang, I suggest you do not provoke him. I sensed that this one just used at least 72% intensity of the Cutting Concept! Lin Tianchen has definitely reached the Senior Divine Envoy Level and has mastered the Abyss Divine Artifact. His combat capability is not inferior to a Super Divine Envoy!¡±


    Fang Xianzheng had no doubt in his security director¡¯s judgment.


    ¡ª¡ªThis was a powerhouse at the Quasi-Member Level! He was someone left to Fang Xianzheng by his father, someone who had always suppressed threats and protected the Fang Family and the Sky Blue Group as a pillar of support.


    Fang Xianzheng looked at Lin Tianchen before him, realizing that in the coming days, the Earth Federation was bound to face a storm of blood and chaos!


    ¡°I can initiate the corresponding proposal!¡± Fang Xianzheng took a deep breath. ¡°But I can¡¯t guarantee the proposals will pass. I can only make sure my people cast affirming votes¡ªroughly 45 votes. For the rest, you¡¯ll need to figure it out yourself.¡±


    At the same time, he sent a message to Fang Ranran, who worked in the same building: ¡°Ranran, are you there? Can you come to my office for a moment?¡±


    Fang Xianzheng realized that at this moment, only his daughter or Lin Rui stepping in could ensure his life¡¯s safety.


    ¡ª¡ªThe threats to his life now weren¡¯t limited to Lin Tianchen in front of him but also included the Longevity Association.


    Fang Xianzheng foresaw that once he submitted these proposals, the Longevity Association members would be seething with rage.


    Although Fang Xianzheng was backed by a powerful faction, if the Longevity Association chose to retaliate at all costs, he couldn¡¯t be sure he would survive.


    Only the two Abyss Weapons in Lin Rui¡¯s hands could truly deter all parties and make the Longevity Association think twice before acting.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Ten minutes later, Odin, the third General of the Security Bureau, walked into the Security Bureau¡¯s Capital Branch, his face heavy with thoughts as he headed straight for the first conference room.


    He was here to attend the Security Bureau¡¯s emergency meeting.


    This Marshal¡¯s joint meeting was convened at Lin Tianchen¡¯s request by Li Xianglong. The venue was set at the Security Bureau¡¯s Capital Branch, requiring all officials at Marshal-level and above to attend. The meeting involved large-scale personnel appointments, and absence would be considered as abstention and recorded as a major internal offense.


    Odin had always paid close attention to Lin Tianchen¡¯s situation and movements. Adding to that, Li Xianglong had emphasized the large-scale personnel changes in his notification email, making Odin very serious about this meeting from the beginning.


    In the past ten minutes, Odin had received intelligence updates from various channels.


    ¡ª¡ªLin Tianchen had safely arrived at the Capital Ship.


    ¡ª¡ªIt seemed that combat had occurred at Dock No. 4 of the Capital Ship.


    ¡ª¡ªThe Longevity Association was mobilizing comprehensively, gathering large numbers of experts in major base cities.


    ¡ª¡ªLin Tianchen headed to the Congress building to meet Fang Xianzheng, during which many congressional security personnel were injured.


    ¡ª¡ªDozens of senior members of the Longevity Association had gone off the radar, their whereabouts unknown.


    ¡ª¡ªMajor corporations such as ¡°Hephaestus Heavy Industries Group,¡± ¡°Taiyi Biological Group,¡± and ¡°Beitian Financial Group¡± urgently sealed their headquarters buildings while strengthening defenses. Some companies even directly declared holidays.


    Odin¡¯s brows furrowed tightly, forming the shape of a ¡°´¨.¡± He realized that the current situation had undergone massive changes, changes that he and the Atlantic Union behind him least wanted to see.


    Based on the current intelligence, Lin Tianchen likely had reclaimed his True Spirit and achieved a significant enhancement in combat power¡ªso significant that even the Longevity Association felt threatened.


    Odin¡¯s head throbbed painfully, deeply aware that both he and the Atlantic Union had made monumental mistakes.


    These mistakes not only deeply offended Lin Tianchen, a top-tier expert, turning colleagues into enemies but also caused significant rifts within the Security Bureau.


    As Odin stepped into the first conference room, his pupils slightly contracted.


    Odin saw Li Xianglong seated at the head of the conference table, his expression icy and without a hint of emotion.


    Seated to Li Xianglong¡¯s left was Lin Tianchen, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression calm, gaze indifferent.


    He didn¡¯t even glance in Odin¡¯s direction.


    Below Lin Tianchen sat Kidman, the fourth General, his expression incredibly solemn, frowning deeply like Odin.


    Everyone else in the room wore similarly cold expressions, silent, as the atmosphere in the conference room was as chilling as ice.


    Odin took a seat opposite Lin Tianchen, initially intending to say something to him, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t utter a word, merely letting out a long sigh in his heart.


    Their decades-long camaraderie had ended the moment Odin witnessed Lin Tianchen¡¯s direct lineage soldiers being slaughtered by the Longevity Association without taking any action.


    From that very moment, the unity within the Security Bureau had crumbled.


    Five minutes later, Li Xianglong tapped the conference table. ¡°The meeting is now in session. Anyone who couldn¡¯t arrive will be considered absent. I now have a personnel appointment proposal submitted by Tianchen¡ªlet¡¯s vote to pass it.¡±


    He directly shared a document with everyone present.


    Odin¡¯s mind snapped to attention, noticing that Li Xianglong emphasized the words ¡°vote to pass,¡± adding an extra sense of tyranny.


    He began meticulously reading the personnel proposal, his expression turning even graver.


    The proposal involved the appointment and replacement of 104 positions, including twenty-two Generals and six Marshal-level officers.


    Most were positions left vacant by Lin Tianchen¡¯s killed subordinates, while some involved their own subordinates.


    The most noteworthy was Lin Tianchen¡¯s arrangement for the ¡°Thunder General.¡±


    Effective immediately, the Thunder General would be promoted to a Security Bureau One-star Marshal, also acting as the Federation Security Bureau¡¯s ¡°Security Guard Forces¡± Commander-in-Chief.


    The Federation Security Bureau had its own military, subordinate to which were two fleets, ten Heavy Equipment Divisions, and twenty Mechanics.


    Odin¡¯s brows furrowed deeply. ¡°The appointment of the Thunder General seems inappropriate. He¡¯s only at Seventh Realm cultivation and already holds key positions as Director of the Headquarters Sky Extreme Star Trade Monitoring Center and the National Security Special Action Center. Why give him such critical authority on top of that? And at his current strength and age, isn¡¯t promoting him to Marshal premature?¡±


    Lin Tianchen looked faintly at Odin. ¡°Can¡¯t you understand, Odin? I¡¯m not negotiating with you¡ªI¡¯m informing you this must be done! This is my personnel appointment proposal. You either agree, or you immediately retire from the Security Bureau!¡±


    With a flick of his sleeve, the ¡°Dragon Skin¡± entwined by the Separation and Union Scissors behind him spread out fully, releasing an Abyssal aura that engulfed the room.


    If the Longevity Association and certain Federation figures believed that brute force was the supreme rule, then Lin Tianchen would now follow that rule, imposing his will with his own fists.


    Odin, Kidman, and all the Marshals in the meeting room stared in stunned silence at Lin Tianchen and the ¡°Separation and Union Scissors¡± behind him.


    ¡ª¡ªThat was an Abyss Divine Artifact!


    This second General hadn¡¯t only reclaimed his True Spirit; he had also acquired the Abyss Divine Artifact, which meant his combat power undeniably had reached the level of a Super Divine Envoy!


    At this moment, Odin merely felt a bitter taste in his mouth, his emotions tumultuous and indescribably complex.

 Chapter 747: 692 Lin Tianchen

    Chapter 747: Chapter 692 Lin Tianchen


    In the dead of night, aboard the Capital Ship, on the 42nd floor of the Hephaestus Heavy Industries Group¡¯s capital division building, a holographic television was playing the news from the ¡®All-Day Political News Channel.¡¯


    ¡°¡ª¡ªBreaking news today, at 4:22 PM, the Federation Congress and the President passed a personnel appointment bill, reassigning former Security Bureau Second General Lin Tianchen as Commander of the Star Navy¡¯s Second Fleet Cluster, with his Security Bureau Second General post concurrently assumed by Linghu Mingde.¡±


    ¡°Reports indicate that the personnel bill was initiated by Security Committee Vice Chairman and People¡¯s Party Party Whip Fang Xianzheng, ultimately passing with 357 votes and a 63% approval rate, and was signed by the President within three minutes.¡±


    ¡°Since April of this year, when former Second Fleet Cluster Commander Zang Shaochen turned himself in, the position has remained vacant for six months. Today, it was finally resolved.¡±


    ¡°Following this, People¡¯s Party Party Whip Fang Xianzheng moved for a vote of no confidence against seven congressmen, including Honorary Members Ulrik Asplin and others, as well as Security Bureau Standing Member Idien Kinman, calling for a suspension of their congressional qualifications and initiating investigations. The motion passed with 306 votes and a 55% approval rate. Reports suggest the Security Bureau has conclusive evidence proving these congressmen¡¯s involvement in the terrorist organization Longevity Association¡ª¡ª¡±


    At that moment, Idien Kinman was hiding under her desk, clutching her legs with trembling arms, her body shivering uncontrollably. Tear stains had ruined her once exquisite makeup, leaving her face a mess, and her body bore dozens of wounds.


    From beneath the desk, she could see Lin Tianchen, mentioned in the news, reclining with his feet up on a nearby chair.


    Further away lay chunks of flesh¡ªthe remains of thirty-four corpses, dismembered into over three thousand scattered pieces on the floor, with blood flowing everywhere.


    Among them were three of her fellow congressmen, as well as Alex Laiburn, the regional general manager of Hephaestus Heavy Industries Group¡¯s capital division.


    This was an Eighth Realm Super Emperor Rank expert, yet he had been disintegrated in mere moments.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s all you know?¡±


    Lin Tianchen said, opening the projection of his personal terminal.


    He multitasked, simultaneously hacking into the surrounding security systems and searching the intranet of Hephaestus Heavy Industries Group: ¡°About your Longevity Association President and the identities of those founders¡ªdon¡¯t you have something to say?¡±


    As his words fell, another dozen or so small wounds split open on Idien Kinman¡¯s body.


    This former Second General was a forensic expert and had precisely targeted areas where pain nerves were the densest, causing her face to twist in agony from the intense pain. She sobbed uncontrollably and cried out hysterically: ¡°I¡¯m just a congresswoman they chose! How could I possibly know who the President is? But within Longevity Association, there¡¯s speculation that those founders are either Immortal Level individuals from Purgatory or beings from the ¡®Abyss¡¯ of Sky Extreme Star. But do you believe that? Can you believe that?¡±


    She glared at Lin Tianchen with eyes full of hatred: ¡°You lunatic! You dare kill congressmen on the Capital Ship, and even use torture on me! You treat Federation law as if it¡¯s nonexistent! The Federation Government won¡¯t let you go, nor will those congressmen! You¡¯ve gone too far, Lin Tianchen!¡±


    Earlier today, when she was suspended and investigated, and the Federation Special Service Bureau had withdrawn her security team, Idien Kinman immediately knew the situation was dire. She fled with several other suspended congressmen to the Hephaestus Heavy Industries Group capital division building.


    Yet the moment she stepped inside, Lin Tianchen unabashedly stormed into this building.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s expression shifted as he then accepted an incoming video call.


    ¡°How long are you going to keep me waiting, ¡®King of Divine Craftsmanship,¡¯ Hephaestus Balramt? Or are you planning not to show up at all? Not coming to check your office aboard the Capital Ship?¡±


    On screen, Hephaestus Balramt¡¯s square-shaped face and fiery red beard appeared.


    He glanced around but saw nothing.


    The video¡¯s signal had already been processed, as Lin Tianchen wouldn¡¯t foolishly provide him with evidence that could mobilize Federation forces against him.


    Balramt¡¯s expression remained calm as he stared evenly at Lin Tianchen: ¡°I won¡¯t be foolish enough to pick a fight with someone wielding an Abyss Divine Artifact at Divine Envoy Level right now.¡±


    An Abyss Divine Artifact could drastically enhance the combat capabilities of all Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators.


    Before his True Spirit was trapped, Lin Tianchen¡¯s bloodline power had already reached the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, with combat abilities at Quasi-Divine Envoy or even Divine Envoy levels. Now, armed with an Abyss Divine Artifact, he was undoubtedly a Super Divine Envoy!


    Moreover, based on their internal supercomputing model, analyzing Lin Tianchen¡¯s three battles earlier today, his bloodline power had seen substantial improvement. Not only had he acquired two additional SSS+ grade armament abilities, but the efficiency of these armaments had also increased by over 40%!


    As for Lin Tianchen¡¯s Abyss Divine Artifact, it was likely the ¡®Separation and Union Shears¡¯ mentioned in ancient texts.


    The cutting concept of ¡®Separation and Union Shears¡¯ was only its first ability. As its name implies, the shears also possessed the ¡®Separation¡¯ and ¡®Union¡¯ conceptual powers, rendering it exponentially stronger! At its limit, it could exceed 80%!


    For Martial Cultivators below the Immortal Level, using an Abyss Divine Artifact often came at a steep cost, particularly when pushing its limits. This would not only deplete their Essence Soul and life span but could also lead to contamination.


    But the man in front of him, the former Security Bureau Second General, had clearly been provoked to the extreme, driven by vengeance, and seemed utterly unconcerned about the toll of using the Abyss Divine Artifact.

 Chapter 748: 692 Lin Tianchen_2

    Chapter 748: Chapter 692 Lin Tianchen_2


    Needless to say, Commander Lin also possesses six units of 9SSS-class Dragon Slayers!


    In ordinary circumstances, Balramt wouldn¡¯t mind clashing with Lin Tianchen to test the edge of the Abyss Divine Artifact.


    But now, Li Xianglong and his allies are attacking on all fronts, coupled with Linghu Mingde and Lin Rui entrenched in the Ninth Base City, posing immense pressure on the Longevity Association.


    ¡°I¡¯m here on behalf of the Longevity Association to negotiate peace with you. If you agree to cease hostilities and stop launching attacks of aggression, my Longevity Association is willing to offer 20 trillion federal coins as reparations and also acknowledge the key proposals you¡¯ve passed in congress. Moreover, we will overlook all of your actions today.¡±


    Beneath the office table, Idion Kinman listened to the words of this ¡®King of Divine Craft,¡¯ unable to suppress the icy chill spreading through her body.


    Overlook all of Lin Tianchen¡¯s actions¡ªcould that really include them??


    Wasn¡¯t the Longevity Association omnipotent? How could they be so helpless against Lin Tianchen?


    And just earlier, didn¡¯t Balramt mention that this man had acquired the Abyss Divine Artifact?


    ¡°Peace talks? You¡¯re negotiating peace with me now?¡± Lin Tianchen couldn¡¯t help but laugh upon hearing this, his expression marked by incredulity, as though he¡¯d just heard the most absurd joke imaginable.


    His pupils gradually turned crimson, filled with boundless ferocity and murderous intent: ¡°You killed so many of my subordinates, even targeting their families, and now you want to talk peace with me? Want to stop the war? Are you daydreaming, Hephaestus Balramt?¡±


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s face turned cold as ice: ¡°If you dare not face me, then stay hidden. Don¡¯t let me find you, Balramt! From this day forth, your Longevity Association will never know peace; fire and chaos will follow you incessantly. I will use your lives to comfort the departed souls of my former comrades.¡±


    At that moment, with a mere thought, he decapitated Idion Kinman.


    The woman was no longer of any use; abandoned by the Longevity Association, extracting useful information from her was no longer possible.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    An hour later, at the Capital Police Department Prison, eight Martial Cultivators dressed in Security Bureau uniforms with one-star and two-star marshal insignias arrived outside the single-person cell occupied by Zang Shaochen, the former commander of the Second Fleet Group of the Star Navy.


    Inside the cell, Zang Shaochen was watching the news on the prison TV, his mood heavy and somber.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªDear viewers, take a look¡ªthis is the Capital branch building of Hephaestus Heavy Industries Group. Just an hour ago, this building became the site of a bloodbath. Four congressmen, led by Idion Kinman, who had just been suspended from office, were killed, along with 2,321 armed personnel inside the building, including the general manager, Alex Rabern.¡±


    ¡°According to the official statement from the Capital Police Department, evidence collected at the scene suggests this horrific massacre is likely related to the Longevity Association, with suspicions pointing to them intending to silence investigations launched by congress.¡±


    ¡°Congressman and senior member of the National Security Committee, Zheng Jingzhi, was found dead in his home¡ª¡ª¡±


    This news added to Zang Shaochen¡¯s unease, marked by a furrowed sword-like brow as he glanced towards the figures outside his cell: ¡°What do you want?¡±


    These individuals were ¡®Execution Marshals¡¯ of the Security Bureau, possessing roles similar to the guest elders and tributors of Sky Extreme Star.


    They held no leadership positions, but with their outstanding cultivation levels, received significant pay.


    Due to the Federation¡¯s advancements in biotech, the combat power of these ¡®Execution Marshals¡¯ generally far exceeded cultivators of the same stage on Sky Extreme Star.


    ¡°They¡¯ve come to escort you to the Security Bureau Headquarters Prison.¡±


    The Capital Police Department¡¯s Chief emerged from the shadows. His expression was marked by a mix of helplessness and anxiety: ¡°By order of the President, as of today, all cases related to Zang Shaochen are being transferred to the Security Bureau for investigation. This is the document signed by the President; I am now transmitting it to you.¡±


    Zang Shaochen¡¯s face darkened slightly. He immediately shattered the ineffective Spirit-Suppressing Device on his head, his Divine Thought swept outward violently.


    Soon after, his pupils contracted slightly.


    Near the prison were six Ninth-Realm experts, twelve Eighth-Realm experts, and numerous Type-9 and Type-8 combat robots.


    Additionally, twenty ¡®Ether Electromagnetic Interference Vehicles¡¯ were interfering with and blocking his divine sensory perception.


    At the same time, the quantum communication chip buried in the palm of his right hand received a warning message.


    It was from the ¡®Financial Emperor¡¯ Yi Duxing: Escape! Lin Tianchen wants to kill you. According to our supercomputer¡¯s projections, there is an 89% probability he will strike after you leave the Capital Ship.


    Yi Duxing: This man has obtained the Abyss Divine Artifact ¡®Separation and Union Shears,¡¯ and his combat power has reached the Super Divine Envoy level. Unless the President or one of the founders intervenes, he cannot be resisted! I have dispatched a ¡®Sub-light-speed Yacht,¡¯ along with five honorary congressmen and 23 Divine Illumination Demon weapons to this location to support your escape. Don¡¯t worry about Li Xianglong, we have people holding him off.


    Zang Shaochen¡¯s face turned deathly pale.


    The news earlier had already left him feeling uneasy. How could the nomination case for the Star Navy Second Fleet Commander pass so easily? And the no-confidence motion against the three honorary congressmen and the investigation into Hephaestus Heavy Industries Group seemed equally baffling.


    The ever-adroit Fang Xianzheng¡ªhow dared he propose such resolutions?


    Lin Tianchen has already achieved Super Divine Envoy-level combat power? This is utterly disastrous.


    By this point, the cell door had opened, and the four two-star Execution Marshals carried in sets of heavy restraints, preparing to replace his current bindings.


    Zang Shaochen could not afford to let these restraints be placed on him.


    He recognized these as newly developed restraints by the Security Bureau, possessing formidable binding abilities.


    While they couldn¡¯t completely confine him, they would leave him fully exposed to Lin Tianchen¡¯s slaughter!


    From the current intelligence, it was clear Lin Tianchen¡¯s mind had been consumed by hatred, disregarding federal law entirely.


    Zang Shaochen couldn¡¯t take the chance¡ª


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Instantly, all the restraints on him were pulverized. A magnificent wave of force surged outward, blowing the Execution Marshals away.


    At that moment, he heard a cold, cutting hum.


    ¡°You dare resist and escape custody? Defy the law with violence?¡±


    Zang Shaochen¡¯s pupils slightly contracted as he sensed, from twelve miles away, Lin Tianchen fiercely glaring at him, flanked by six 9SSS-class Dragon Slayer combat robots and an imposing 27-meter Battle Dragon.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    As Lin Tianchen spat those two words, two colossal ¡®Water Dragons¡¯ instantly materialized around him, brandishing bronze blades as they violently slashed toward Zang Shaochen.


    At that moment, Zang Shaochen¡¯s scalp tingled intensely¡ªLin Tianchen was unleashing a 9SSS+ level water-element spell, the ¡®Mad Dragon Super-God Slash¡¯!


    Even without the Abyss Divine Artifact, this move carried devastating power!


    ¡°Senior Divine Envoy!¡±


    Zang Shaochen¡¯s thoughts sank to an icy abyss.


    Lin Tianchen had actually reached Senior Divine Envoy-level cultivation, just like him!


    The man lagged slightly in martial arts and conceptual prowess but far surpassed Zang Shaochen in bloodline ability!


    Simultaneously, Zang Shaochen sensed 72% mastery of the ¡®cutting¡¯ concept and 81% of ¡®separation and union¡¯!


    Lin Tianchen was willing to risk abyssal corruption and irreparable mental damage just to kill him!


    Fortunately, Lin Tianchen could only activate these conceptual powers but not wield them with the control of a true Immortal Level cultivator.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Zang Shaochen shattered the surrounding cell area, while also punching a massive hole on the left side of the Capital Ship.


    He dared not confront Lin Tianchen¡¯s 9SSS+ spells and Abyss Divine Artifact head-on and fled directly into outer space, speeding toward the yacht coordinates given by Yi Duxing.


    However, Lin Tianchen¡¯s twin bronze blades were faster, slicing through the void and scattering all resistance, closing in behind Zang Shaochen in an instant.


    At that moment, a towering 27-meter Giant Battle Dragon emerged behind Zang Shaochen.


    It was Zang Shaochen¡¯s Battle Dragon, ¡®Grand Void Thunder Emperor Dragon,¡¯ which transformed into an overwhelming ocean of thunder, attempting to block the blades. Within moments, the Abyss Divine Artifact effortlessly cut it into hundreds of thousands of fragments!


    Zang Shaochen now bled profusely from his seven orifices, his Divine Soul wracked with unbearable pain. Refusing to slow down, he accelerated madly into the depths of outer space.


    He could sense dozens of warships nearby, their Star Annihilation Weapons charging to unleash on him.


    Zang Shaochen could only hope that Yi Duxing¡¯s arranged faction of warriors and demon weapons acted swiftly; otherwise, he was doomed!

 Chapter 749: 693: Pinching

    Chapter 749: Chapter 693: Pinching


    At the Light Main Altar, within the Bright Hall, Lin Rui looked at the people below who were arguing, his head aching.


    Earlier, Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan returned to the Main Altar seeking an audience with Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling. Lin Rui thought they could resolve their discussion in three to five hours at most.


    Unexpectedly, War Sky Dharma King Fei Yi also rushed back, not only requesting aid for several districts in the West Continent but also making exorbitant demands for vast amounts of money, grain, weaponry, and manpower from Zhao Chongling.


    It was all because the situation in the West Continent was critical; the Great Wei was mobilizing a large military force, stationed at the borders of the West Continent¡¯s major districts and sacred halls.


    That region had always been the domain of Regent Deputy Sect Leader Wanyan Layman, who was now extremely tense, intensifying preparations for war.


    Meanwhile, on the Da Liao side, trouble was brewing as well. Wan Lei Yuanjun dispatched a powerful Red Priest to request funding from the Main Altar.


    These people were continuously arguing over the allocation of Light God Sect¡¯s money, grain, and weaponry, eventually escalating their dispute to Lin Rui¡¯s presence. Hoping their ¡®King Ming¡¯ could mediate and uphold justice, they turned to him. However, when Lin Rui finally spoke, none were willing to listen¡ªthey continued their arguments, even dragging Wisdom Divine Envoy Xiao Xingyi into the fray.


    Had Gong Bonan and Discipline Divine Envoy not been present to restrain the situation, these individuals would likely have resorted to direct conflict then and there.


    Lin Rui felt helpless. His authority had not yet been firmly established, and currently, only Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy could barely be considered his ¡®staunch ally.¡¯ Yet, the ¡®Heavenly Fragrance Holy Hall¡¯ ranked second to last in strength among the five major holy halls of the sect, with its members spread across distant regions, unable to consolidate their influence.


    As for Gong Bonan¡ªwhile widely revered, he wasn¡¯t directly involved in sect affairs.


    Thus, in this financial battle, Lin Rui could only play the role of a bystander.


    When their discussions finally concluded, Lin Rui would simply sign off for approval.


    Fortunately, Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling and Wisdom Divine Envoy Xiao Xingyi were supportive of the ¡®King Ming¡¯s¡¯ underground farm project. Without Lin Rui needing to speak, the two were vigorously defending and ensuring funds for the Main Altar¡¯s reconstruction.


    The ¡®King Ming¡¯ had already leveraged a deal with Lin Tianchen to acquire four modified ¡®Star-Class¡¯ colonial battleships.


    Reportedly, East Asia¡ªrenowned for its immense shipbuilding industry¡ªwas responsible for constructing them. They were expected to be delivered to the Light God Sect within three months.


    At that time, these colonial battleships would not only function as mobile farms but each could accommodate one million sect members, allowing for the underground farm¡¯s expansion sixfold.


    Therefore, securing the funds for building the underground farm was imperative!


    Lin Rui observed Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan gradually gaining the upper hand.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped¡ªamong the sect, Invincible Dharma King possessed the strongest power. Not only was he the Regent Deputy Sect Leader, but he also repelled Da Cheng Country¡¯s invasion not long ago, earning immense prestige within the sect.


    Especially among the sect¡¯s hardliners and radicals, who had been gradually consolidating under Invincible Dharma King during the months of sustained conflict, further amplifying his influence.


    ¡ªThis was precisely what Wanyan Layman and his group feared most.


    The challenge was that the sect¡¯s current reality had shifted significantly due to Lin Rui successfully ascending the Radiant Holy Altar, displaying no harm after sitting upon the Fire Lotus. Not only did he win the approval of mid-to-lower-tier priests, quelling concerns of division, but he also elevated his legitimacy to its zenith.


    Lin Rui¡¯s appointment of the ¡®Regent Deputy Sect Leader¡¯ naturally granted substantial authority within the sect¡¯s hierarchy.


    Thus, Li Guchan frequently invoked the name of Invincible Dharma King, stating that his decrees carried the latter¡¯s backing, even daring them to directly challenge the Regent Deputy Sect Leader. He further threatened to convene a ¡®Light Assembly,¡¯ summoning all Light Priests to collectively deliberate, reorganizing the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings. This proposal left the disputants speechless.


    While reorganizing the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings wouldn¡¯t necessarily harm their positions, redrawing district boundaries would spell disaster.


    Moreover, with both Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan and Hundred Wings Saber King Situ Leng aligned under Invincible¡¯s banner and enjoying his towering reputation, convening a Light Assembly would undeniably ensure their promotion.


    The last time ¡®King Ming¡¯ painstakingly forced these two into the roles of Red Priests, how could he possibly allow them to ascend to become sect ¡®Dharma Kings¡¯ so quickly?


    Amidst the ongoing arguments, Lin Rui distractedly glanced at Earth Federation news.


    ¡°Zang Shaochen escaped prison, was injured by Second Fleet Group¡¯s newly appointed commander Lin Tianchen. During the battle, Lin Tianchen not only slew Zang Shaochen¡¯s Battle Dragon but also killed two congressman-level entities and eliminated all Longevity Association demon weapons onsite. Including Zang Shaochen¡¯s arm, Lin Tianchen was truly formidable. But, alas¡ª¡±


    It was a pity that he fell short of finishing Zang Shaochen entirely.


    This demonstrated how much the Longevity Association valued Zang Shaochen; they deployed such powerful forces and suffered significant losses just to ensure his escape.


    Lin Tianchen should have reached out to Lin Rui for assistance earlier¡ªhe could have mobilized at least three Honorary Members and three Quasi-Members for that battle.


    While Lin Rui didn¡¯t have any congressman-level individuals under his direct command, a few days ago he had finalized a Divine Contract with Firepower Mad Bear Balder Marti?nez and two other congressman-level figures.


    As long as he had enough money, he could hire them without limits.


    ¡°Hmm~ Thunder General has been promoted to One-star Marshal and is concurrently serving as Security Guard Force Commander-in-Chief?¡±


    Lin Rui saw an internal email from the Security Bureau personnel center, raising his brow slightly, reflecting, ¡®Thunder¡¯s¡¯ status was becoming increasingly prominent, making it harder to detach from him.


    The Federal Security Guard Force¡¯s two overstaffed sub-fleets each carried three battleships. Alongside their anti-smuggling fleet, this amounted to combat strength equivalent to half a fleet group!


    As Lin Rui watched these updates with interest, he received a video call from Luo Wangshu.


    Glancing at the still-arguing individuals, he stepped out to his private quarters at the rear and answered the call.


    In the video, Luo Wangshu¡¯s gaze burned sharply: ¡°That appears to be the divine artifact ¡®Supreme Divine Heart.¡¯ It does suit me, but the question is¡ªwas the Six-eyed Demon in your video perhaps God-Sealing Master Ge Xianshan?¡±


    The video Lin Rui provided had been too distorted, too abstract for her to be certain.


    ¡°It likely is,¡± Lin Rui had researched Six-eyed Demon¡¯s records thoroughly.


    Among the Super Divine Envoys and Quasi-Immortal Level experts over the past ten thousand years, there were fewer than five hundred individuals total. The one most aligning with the characteristics of the Six-eyed Demon was indeed this God-Sealing Master.


    ¡°This person¡¯s conceptual power resembles that of the Finance Emperor from the Federation, but his focus is magic. His sealing concept is at ninety-five percent!¡±


    ¡°Then it must be him,¡± Luo Wangshu¡¯s eyes sharpened further, ¡°Can you narrow down his location? The region spanning ten thousand miles is simply too vast.¡±


    This ¡®Supreme Divine Heart¡¯ was not only formidable but tailored to her. Having absorbed Ge Xianshan¡¯s strength and flesh, it could very well become the closest Abyss Divine Artifact to achieving Supreme and National Guardian levels.


    The artifact would allow her to escape into Purgatory when facing the East Abyss in the future, preserving her life.


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly, a look of helplessness crossing his face.


    Though he had connected via magic and successfully inserted the Thunder Spear into Ge Xianshan¡¯s cavern, revealing its internal scene, the situation was akin to making a video call. While it enabled visual communication, pinpointing the exact location remained a challenge.


    He smiled bitterly: ¡°For now, I have no way to achieve that¡ªunless I reopen his knowledge barrier for further sensing.¡±


    However, reopening the knowledge barrier would release the Abyssal aura of the ¡®Supreme Divine Heart,¡¯ certain to attract attention from several Abyss figures.


    ¡°Don¡¯t open it! The knowledge barrier involves you; should any Abyss figures grow curious and trace the thread of fate, the consequences would be disastrous.¡±


    Luo Wangshu shook her head slightly: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this matter. I¡¯ve already established myself at Sky Pond and will seek that cavern myself. Judging by Ge Xianshan¡¯s state, he should still be able to endure for some time¡ªlikely around a year and a half.¡±


    This also meant the knowledge barrier shielding the Abyss levels would only last for a year and a half.


    They both had to locate Ge Xianshan¡¯s cavern within this timeframe; otherwise, not only would Lin Rui¡¯s exposure become inevitable, but she would also lose this chance at acquiring the Abyss Divine Artifact.


    Lin Rui rubbed his nose thoughtfully, considering how he could possibly stand by idly.


    After all, the quickest way to crack the knowledge barrier was to find Ge Xianshan himself.


    As long as the Abyssal aura of the ¡®Supreme Divine Heart¡¯ could be shielded, he could safely trace the fate concealed within the knowledge barrier.


    The conversation turned to Lin Tianchen¡¯s affairs.


    By this time, Great Song¡¯s upper echelons had already learned about the Earth Federation¡¯s newly added ¡®Super Divine Envoy,¡¯ causing significant shifts internally. This was being observed closely.


    For Great Song, this was good news.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s alignment with the Federation Government suggested strengthened trade agreements between the two sides.


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s critical blow to Zang Shaochen, nearly resulting in his death, also won favor with certain factions within Great Song.


    Soon after, when Lin Rui returned to the Bright Hall¡¯s main chamber, he discovered that Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan and the others had reached an agreement.


    Li Guchan¡¯s demeanor was cold as he handed a roll of bright yellow dragon skin paper to Lin Rui: ¡°Your Highness, this outlines the allocation clauses for money, grain, and weaponry as agreed upon by myself and Shancai Divine Envoy. Please endorse it. If there are no changes in circumstances within the next six months, this plan will remain in effect.¡±


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t immediately endorse it but instead carefully examined the dragon skin paper.


    This was a decree issued under the identity of ¡®King Ming.¡¯ The people within the Bright Hall had drafted it without consulting him, their ¡®King Ming.¡¯


    Li Guchan watched as Lin Rui meticulously reviewed the text, his expression turning slightly disdainful.


    The allocation plan for money, grain, and weaponry was essentially the collective will of the three major Deputy Sect Leaders, resulting from compromises among them. Did ¡®King Ming¡¯ think he could alter it?


    After about half a quarter of an hour, Lin Rui finally retrieved a seal from his waist and stamped the decree.


    Zhao Chongling had done well. As long as funds for expanding the underground farm weren¡¯t touched, everything else was negotiable!


    ¡°Please remain for a moment, Li Priest. I have something to discuss with you afterward.¡±


    Li Guchan¡¯s brow furrowed immediately, his gaze tinged with impatience. What could he possibly need to discuss with this ¡®King Ming¡¯?


    When the others had all departed, Lin Rui smiled.


    ¡°Li Priest should be aware of Lin Ruizhen, correct?¡±


    ¡°Lin Ruizhen?¡± Li Guchan raised his brow, ¡°The individual wielding two Abyss Weapons, a well-known figure in Ninth Sky Demon Origin. Anyone even slightly familiar with the Heavenly Demon would know of him.¡±


    Especially his superior, ¡®Invincible Dharma King,¡¯ who had always kept the Ninth Sky Demon Origin under close observation.


    Ever since learning about Lin Ruizhen, Invincible Dharma King had inexplicably taken a particular interest in Lin Ruizhen and his sibling, consistently collecting their information.


    Yet even Invincible Dharma King couldn¡¯t explain why¡ª


    ¡°The trade channel established earlier by Shancai Divine Envoy was through Lin Ruizhen¡¯s Forest Chamber of Commerce. At the time, Lin Ruizhen¡¯s negotiation representative handed me a letter through Shancai Divine Envoy.¡±


    Lin Rui, seated within his Hidden Dragon Battle Armor, looked at Li Guchan with intrigue: ¡°The contents of the letter are confidential, so I can¡¯t reveal them. However, it mentioned the former First Saintess of the Mechanical God Temple¡ªapparently, she¡¯s fallen into Lin Ruizhen¡¯s hands.¡±


    Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan¡¯s body shook violently in response.

 Chapter 750: 694 Seventh Realm Divine Power

    Chapter 750: Chapter 694 Seventh Realm Divine Power


    When Skull Mechanic Sky Monarch Li Guchan arrived at the Great Ming Hall, he was imposing and arrogant. However, upon leaving, his thoughts seemed astray¡ªequal parts joy and worry.


    For the first time, he defied the wishes of the Invincible Dharma King. Instead of immediately returning to the Southern Continent frontlines, he used a Flying Book covering a million miles to request leave from the Dharma King. Then, he made his way to the Mechanical Holy Hall at the Main Temple, intending to borrow a workshop from several Red Priests for the purpose of modifying the Dragon Armor and combat robots of ¡®King Ming.¡¯


    The Light God Sect¡¯s Main Temple also housed a Mechanical Holy Hall, tasked with crafting various Heavenly Demon Armors and war machines. However, it didn¡¯t receive much attention from the Main Temple.


    While the Mechanical Masters within were skilled, their cultivation and combat abilities were rather underwhelming.


    These Mechanical Masters valued their tools and workshops highly. Yet, when Li Guchan presented King Ming¡¯s decree and raised his fist, they had no choice but to begrudgingly hand over the workshops.


    In the Great Ming Hall, Lin Rui had already removed the ¡®Hidden Dragon¡¯ Battle Armor he was wearing and handed it over to the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, instructing her to deliver it to Skull Mechanic Sky Monarch Li Guchan for modifications and enhancements.


    This time, Lin Tianchen had provided a significant amount of top-tier alloy, allowing the skeletal structure of the ¡®Hidden Dragon¡¯ Battle Armor to be further strengthened.


    Lin Rui himself returned to the Star Port Governor¡¯s Mansion. Then, using his primary consciousness, he returned to his original body and began exercising his authority as the ¡®Commander of the Security Guard Forces,¡¯ under the alias of Thunder.


    Lin Tianchen had assigned him this position both as a reward and to express his trust, though it undoubtedly made him even busier.


    Fortunately, the Security Guard Forces required little management. This unit was co-controlled by Li Xianglong and Lin Tianchen, with their trusted individuals overseeing all of its divisions.


    By nominating ¡®Thunder¡¯ to this position, Lin Tianchen¡¯s true objective was to transfer his influence within the Security Bureau to Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui was someone both he and Li Xianglong accepted and trusted, capable of preventing the Longevity Association from infiltrating the unit.


    Thus, ¡®Thunder¡¯ toured the sub-fleets and regiments of the Security Guard Forces with Xue Lingxue, quickly gaining authority over the unit.


    The subordinates had all been instructed by Lin Tianchen and Li Xianglong to cooperate, giving him significant respect.


    This stood in stark contrast to the situation with the Light God Sect.


    Lin Rui mused to himself: Here, within the Earth Federation, I could mobilize at least fifteen Heavy Equipment Divisions, twenty-five Mechanics, and three reinforced fleet divisions with a single order. In the Great Song Dynasty, I could instantly deploy tens of thousands of Dragon Transformation warriors and millions of troops, with the prospect of even achieving the position of ¡®Regent.¡¯ Yet, in the Light God Sect, I¡¯m treated as nothing more than a puppet stamp. Utterly baffling.


    If not for the ¡®Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder¡¯ I possess, fearing exposure or betrayal by the Invincible Dharma King, I might have already abandoned this post.


    However, Xue Lingxue¡¯s words had merit: Be it the Earth Federation or the Great Song, the power wielded ultimately belongs to others. The Federation Government and the East Abyss could bestow such authority upon me today, but they could just as easily revoke it with a single decree tomorrow.


    Conversely, if I were to diligently manage the Light God Sect, it could become something akin to Rui Fang and the Forest Group¡ªa power truly my own, untouchable by others.


    Two days later, Lin Rui finally achieved perfection in his cultivation, meeting the requirements to implant the Seventh Realm pseudo-X-level ¡®Divine Power Pillar.¡¯


    Since this was part of the East Asia Science Academy¡¯s X Project, the surgery was originally meant to be conducted by Si Malin. However, Si Malin proposed that, given the procedure involved both the spine and cerebral marrow, it would be best if Lin Rui performed the operation on himself, with Si Malin assisting.


    Additionally, Si Malin advised conducting a meticulous inspection of the pseudo-X-level ¡®Divine Power Pillar¡¯ before the operation.


    Lin Rui noticed something unusual about Si Malin¡¯s demeanor. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his mind seemed elsewhere, raising suspicion in Lin Rui¡¯s heart.


    Using his Battle Spirit Ring, Lin Rui inquired about the matter, verifying some earlier conjectures he had.


    After deliberating briefly, Lin Rui agreed. By this time, having assimilated and refined part of the Abyss Essence, his soul¡¯s composite score had reached a terrifying 231,450 points.


    Though not yet in the Seventh Realm, Lin Rui¡¯s Primordial Spirit had already attained the standard of a Two-Star Marshal, making him fully capable of existing independently from his physical body. Performing brain surgery on himself would pose no issue.


    As Lin Rui busily prepared, two warning messages arrived.


    The first was from Wang Tianwu.


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): BOSS, I can now confirm, ¡®Ling Huan¡¯ has been resurrected.


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow and responded: Are you afraid?


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): Afraid? Hell no. The situation¡¯s completely changed now.


    Wang Tianwu was not only unafraid but even seemed a bit eager.


    A year ago, he had been hunted relentlessly by Ling Huan, with nowhere to escape. A year later, he now boasted a newly upgraded armor system with an 8SSS overall rating and stood backed by the dominant force in the Ninth Base City.


    Meanwhile, Ling Huan was now nothing more than a stray mutt.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Keep tracking Ling Huan¡¯s movements. I¡¯ll have Yi assist you. When the chance presents itself, wipe that piece of trash out.


    This time, he had absolute confidence in bringing ¡®Ling Huan¡¯ to a true and final death.


    Shortly after, another message arrived from Li Xianglong.


    Li Xianglong: Mr. Lin, are you planning to ascend to the Seventh Realm and implant the ¡®Divine Power Pillar¡¯?


    Lin Rui wasn¡¯t at all surprised by the message Li sent.


    The pseudo-X-level ¡®Divine Power Pillar¡¯ had been developed at Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, using the latest armament concepts.


    The blueprint was co-designed by several academicians, including Si Malin, and the final product was fabricated and refined through numerous iterations by Huang Fuqing.


    Two of these academicians had long-standing connections with Li Xianglong. With Li himself being an SSS+ level hacker, it wasn¡¯t surprising he could deduce Lin Rui¡¯s next move.

 Chapter 751: 694 Seventh Realm Divine Power_2

    Chapter 751: Chapter 694 Seventh Realm Divine Power_2


    Lin Rui: It¡¯s being implanted. Does Li Shuai have something on his mind?


    Li Xianglong looked at Lin Rui¡¯s formal manner of addressing him and couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue. This kid is really growing some wings.


    Still, it¡¯s better than Lin Rui calling him ¡°Old Li¡± or ¡°Old Li-head¡± behind his back.


    Li Xianglong: If you¡¯re implanting it, do it quickly. We might have to clash with the Longevity Association next. I suggest you prepare for combat as soon as you ascend to the Seventh Realm.


    Li Xianglong: If full-scale war breaks out in a few days, how much strength can Rui Fang ¡¤ Forest Group muster? Can your two sisters still fight?


    Lin Rui immediately realized that this latter sentence was the real reason Li Xianglong had reached out to him.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Eight at 8SS+ level, four Half-Fake Congressman level? Oh, and three Congressman level ones. I¡¯ll be signing employment contracts with Firepower Mad Bear and the others shortly to keep them on standby.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): As for Lin Yi and Lin Xi, that¡¯s hard to say¡ªdepends on the time and circumstances.


    Even in front of Li Xianglong, he was unwilling to disclose the foundational strength of his two sisters.


    He also refrained from factoring his own power into the calculation.


    Upon reaching Seventh Realm Divine Power, his combat strength could likely match the Congressman level!


    If he utilized the ¡°Separation and Union¡± Concept, then with the assistance of various equipment, he might be able to challenge the Divine Envoy level. However, his stamina was too weak; lasting ten minutes would already be impressive.


    Li Xianglong gazed at the information Lin Rui had sent and couldn¡¯t help but feel a deep sense of amazement. The Rui Fang ¡¤ Forest Group has indeed become a colossal presence now.


    Eight at 8SS+ level, four Half-Fake Congressmen? Surely, this guy still has something reserved.


    Note that Lin Yi has already ascended to the Seventh Realm. The two sisters are both at 7SSS+.


    But their bodies have undergone Abyss Transformation, their overall physical constitution is incredibly strong, and their Bloodline Power even stronger, essentially qualifying them as pseudo-X level. Therefore, even in a normal state, their combat capability reaches equivalent 8SSS level, fully capable of facing off against Quasi-Members.


    Additionally, Lin Rui now commands Han Xian¡¯er.


    Li Xianglong: Mr. Lin, you¡¯d better have those two sisters restore their combat capability. This time, the Longevity Association might bring out a ¡°Quasi Immortal.¡± When the time comes, you¡¯ll need your sisters¡¯ presence to stabilize the situation.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): The Longevity Association has ¡°Quasi Immortals¡±?


    Lin Rui had suspected that the Longevity Association wasn¡¯t so simple, but he remained somewhat surprised.


    Li Xianglong: Yes! But they¡¯re like rats hiding in the gutter, afraid to see the light.


    Li Xianglong: You probably guessed it too, right? This organization, like the Divine Illumination Association, was actually established by several ¡°Immortal¡± level individuals from Sky Extreme Star. Its original purpose was indeed to break through to the ¡°Immortal¡± level, but more specifically, it was meant to help those individuals¡¯ alien forms achieve the Tenth Realm ¡°Immortal.¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but squint his eyes.


    Earth Federation¡¯s biotechnology still cannot break the boundaries of the Tenth Realm ¡°Immortal,¡± which has resulted in this group of alien forms remaining stuck at the Ninth Realm ¡°Divine Illumination,¡± has it?


    Still, these individuals can utilize ¡°Immortal-level¡± Conceptual Power, qualifying them as Quasi Immortals.


    Li Xianglong: However, Earth Federation was secretly influenced and manipulated by Abyss forces over two hundred years ago, which is why they dare not expose their identities. The founders¡¯ influence in the Longevity Association has gradually been replaced by the three Deputy Chairmen led by Yi Duxing.


    Li Xianglong: The problem is, Tianchen was too ruthless this time and has pushed the Longevity Association to the brink. The next phase of the situation is hard to predict.


    Li Xianglong: I¡¯ve coordinated with East Asia, West Asia, and Eurasian nations within the Earth Federation. They still have some resources and theoretically can suppress the Longevity Association¡¯s retaliation. However, you still need to prepare what you must.


    Lin Rui¡¯s mood turned increasingly heavy. Deep down, he didn¡¯t want to see Lin Yi and Lin Xi involved in combat, hoping Li Xianglong and others could hold the line.


    The pollution from the time the sisters controlled the Abyss Battle Dragon was only just starting to be cleaned up, currently leaving them with a maximum of twenty seconds of combat time.


    Lin Rui¡¯s thoughts then shifted subtly as he considered the newly acquired Concept of Aggregation.


    After ascending to the Seventh Realm, he might be able to use the Aggregation method to further enhance the Divine Fire formed by the collective willpower of Radiant Holy Altar¡¯s 2.7 billion followers, achieving a stronger purification effect.


    Still, looking ahead, it¡¯s best to promptly transport the two Abyss Divine Tablets to Earth Federation, enabling Lin Yi and Lin Xi to refine Martial Intent.


    Their previous Primordial Spirit cultivation hadn¡¯t met the necessary conditions. Now with their regained Abyss Battle Dragons, they have the foundation for the conceptualization of Martial Intent.


    That single minute of combat time is far too short, while Martial Intent conceptualization could significantly extend their combat duration.


    Judging from the internal situation of the Federation, the war with the Longevity Association seems bound to escalate further.


    As Lin Rui felt a growing headache, Li Xianglong surprised him with good news: By the way, during my recent raid on a Longevity Association base, I found the ¡°Orderly Source Transformation¡± technology you mentioned. The documentation includes all their research.


    Li Xianglong: I skimmed some of the material. Their experiments were extremely cruel, resulting in many deaths to get this far. There are still significant flaws and serious risks, so use it cautiously! That said, the tech shows promise. You can study it, but use responsible methods¡ªI don¡¯t want to see you turning into another Longevity Association.


    Li Xianglong then sent over a massive compressed file bundle, totaling a whopping 4 YB¡ª4 yottabytes.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes gleamed as he received the package and began unpacking and browsing part of its contents immediately.


    This technology, while inherently risky for most, was perfectly suited to Lin Rui and his forces, allowing them to further enhance their spiritual power and bloodline abilities.


    The sheer volume of data in the compressed files was overwhelming, making it impossible to digest all at once.


    Lin Rui verified that the technical details indeed pertained to ¡°Orderly Source Transformation¡± and forwarded the materials to Huang Fuqing and Si Malin.


    He reserved time to pull out three drops of ¡°Divine Blood¡± granted by East Abyss and swallowed one of them.


    The ¡°Divine Blood¡± possessed the capability to coalesce the ultimate Bloodline Talent, but with the help of his armaments, Lin Rui wasn¡¯t particularly interested in its bloodline-related abilities.


    Lin Rui only wished to use its power to push his own Primordial Spirit, physical body, and True Yuan to their peaks before implanting them into his ¡°Divine Power Pillar.¡±


    Yet within twenty minutes of absorbing the first droplet of Divine Blood, Lin Rui¡¯s eyes flashed with intense astonishment.


    ¡°This is¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui noticed that the six Main Armors and eleven auxiliary equipment within his body were further integrating into his physique.


    Some of their components were being ¡°dissolved,¡± simultaneously influencing his DNA in reverse, transforming his genes to incorporate them into his bloodline DNA!


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze sharpened, his pupils glinting with brilliance. He sensed the effect of the first droplet of Divine Blood fading and immediately swallowed the second droplet, ready to refine it further.

 Chapter 752: 695: Massacre

    Chapter 752: Chapter 695: Massacre


    A day later, at the headquarters base of the Second Fleet Group, Lin Tianchen stepped into the enormous Meeting Room No. 23 within the base.


    Present were over two thousand officers of the Second Fleet Group, along with twenty-two Marshals and Execution Marshals; yet, about one-third of the seats in the room remained vacant.


    Everyone wore either grim expressions, distraught and uneasy, or anxious and restless. The oppressive atmosphere was frozen to the extreme.


    The numerous officers eyed Lin Tianchen as he walked in, holding their breath, not daring to make even the slightest noise.


    However, there were also some whose expressions appeared excited, their gazes filled with anticipation.


    Lin Tianchen stood firmly at the podium and swept a cold glance across the crowd. His powerful Divine Thought instantly enveloped the room, and his aura was fierce and chilling.


    ¡°I assume you all know why I called for this full-military officers¡¯ meeting, correct? As you might have guessed, my self-nomination as the Commander of the Second Fleet Group was for one purpose: to purge Zang Shaochen¡¯s remaining poison and return control of this fleet group to the Federation Government.¡±


    He glanced at the empty seats in the meeting room and sneered, ¡°Those absent bastards are really clever, aren¡¯t they? But don¡¯t worry, none of them will escape! Bring them in! What good is being outside? How are you going to capture them otherwise?¡±


    At Lin Tianchen¡¯s command, the doors of the meeting room simultaneously opened, and armed security bureau police poured in, creating a thunderous rumble.


    ¡°This time, the number of arrests isn¡¯t high¡ªjust over 200 people¡ªall suspected of involvement in Zang Shaochen¡¯s anti-government terrorist organization and smuggling groups. I¡¯ll call out the names shortly; those named should cooperate and put on the restraints provided by the Security Bureau comrades.¡±


    Lin Tianchen projected a list before him, his cold voice unwavering, ¡°For those not named, you can remain at ease. I have already discussed with the President; this purging operation will not expand further. As long as you haven¡¯t committed murder or engaged in anti-government activity during your tenure, you¡¯ll be forgiven!


    Those who are arrested need not worry either. As long as you cooperate and confess, the military tribunal will be lenient, and your sentence reduced. If you achieve merit, charges may be waived, and you¡¯ll be allowed to retire. Now, I¡¯ll begin calling the names. Three-star Marshal Adam Kars!¡±


    The Three-star Marshal named Adam Kars froze momentarily, seemingly unprepared to hear his name on Lin Tianchen¡¯s list of arrests.


    He watched as several Security Bureau One-star Marshals approached him holding cuffs, his face flickering between pale and flushed shades.


    Ultimately, Kars complied in silence, allowing the restraints to be placed upon him.


    The remaining individuals sat in quiet despair, with no one daring to resist.


    They were all acutely aware of who stood before them¡ªa terrifying presence! They also knew that Lin Tianchen was locked in a desperate death-match with the Longevity Association and had become utterly bloodthirsty!


    The officers within the Second Fleet Group had long traded various pieces of intelligence about their new Commander.


    He was a Super Divine Envoy¡ªthe Earth Federation¡¯s pinnacle combat power¡ªallegedly on par with Star Navy Chief of General Staff and Security Bureau First Commander Li Xianglong!


    Four days ago, Lin Tianchen had massacred the capital division of Hephaestus Heavy Industries Group, forcing the ¡°King of Artisans¡± Hephaestus Balramt into hiding.


    Even their former Fleet Group Commander, the Senior Divine Envoy ¡°Star Sea White Wolf¡± Zang Shaochen¡ªallegedly stronger than ever¡ªhad barely escaped assassination by Lin Tianchen! The Longevity Association had paid an immense price to extract Zang Shaochen to safety.


    Over the past three days, five corporations valued above 30 trillion experienced gruesome incidents. The news labeled them as terrorist attacks by the Longevity Association, but everyone knew better¡ªit was Lin Tianchen¡¯s doing.


    According to the Underworld¡¯s intelligence, three Honorary Members-level individuals from the Longevity Association were also located and killed by Lin Tianchen recently.


    Earlier this morning, Lin Tianchen had arrived at the Second Fleet Group Headquarters Base, bringing an entire Security Bureau escort fleet and three Heavy Equipment Divisions. Meanwhile, Star Navy Chief of General Staff Fyodor Mihailovich had left the premises within ten minutes of Lin Tianchen¡¯s arrival¡ªa move that deeply unsettled everyone in the Fleet Group.


    Why had Chief Mihailovich refused to permit any ship departures in recent days? Why had he swiftly departed following Lin Tianchen¡¯s arrival, neglecting even to organize a transfer-of-command ceremony? And why had Lin Tianchen brought so many Security Bureau officers?


    Part of the fleet suspected the answer and braced for a life-or-death confrontation. Others, like Adam Kars, hoped for some slim chance of mercy and refrained from resisting.


    Just as Kars sank into despair, feeling helplessly apprehensive, the room was jolted by a piercing alarm as warning lights flashed red in the corners.


    A hologram of a female Admiral materialized before Lin Tianchen.


    ¡°Marshal, headquarters base is under attack. Divisions 202 and 203, as well as portions of Divisions 205 and 206, are assaulting the dock in an attempt to forcibly depart.¡±


    Lin Tianchen chuckled softly upon hearing the report, his eyes brimming with unmistakable anticipation.


    His figure flickered; in an instant, he appeared 100 kilometers before a Battleship.


    This was the Federation¡¯s latest model Constant Star-class Battleship, named Star Authority.


    By the time Lin Tianchen arrived, the Battleship had already activated all its defense systems. Far from stopping its advance, it was accelerating directly toward him.


    Simultaneously, all of its cannons were either charging or firing.


    Meanwhile, on its bridge, a Two-star Marshal and a group of officer-level personnel watched the front with tense expressions.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    In that moment, a thunderous impact reverberated outside the Battleship.


    Everyone aboard experienced Lin Tianchen¡¯s Divine Thought attack, which carried his growing intention.


    ¡ª¡ª Shut down the engines, surrender your weapons, and death will be avoided!


    ¡°Ignore him!¡± roared one Star Navy Admiral serving as deputy captain, his shout resembling that of a wild beast. ¡°Ram him! Crush him!¡±


    Another officer resolutely muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Our Constant Star-class Battleship is the ¡®4140 Triple Shield Edition.¡¯ We possess maximum-strength Force Field Shields, Phase Shields, and Curvature Shields¡ª¡±


    At that point, the bridge lighting abruptly extinguished.


    Not just the lights¡ªall electronic devices within the Battleship ceased functioning.


    Meanwhile, its Force Field Shields, Phase Shields, and Curvature Shields had all shut down.


    ¡°It¡¯s a virus! He disabled the Battleship¡¯s engines.¡±


    Star Authority¡¯s captain¡¯s pupils narrowed, recalling outside that Lin Tianchen was also an SSS-level hacker!


    However, the virus had been implanted earlier¡ªbefore Lin Tianchen had even taken command.


    The Two-star Marshal gritted his teeth audibly, muttering under his breath, ¡°Damn government scum!¡±


    The Federation Government wasn¡¯t assisting¡ªthey were indulging Lin Tianchen¡¯s carnage, condoning his purging!


    Lin Tianchen himself maintained his cold gaze as he faced the oncoming Star Authority Battleship, his eyes suddenly glowing scarlet. His Marshal¡¯s coat fluttered wildly in the vacuum of space!


    Die!


    ¡ª¡ª All members of the Longevity Association must die!


    In that instant, every officer aboard the Battleship erupted with thin crimson lines across their bodies.


    As blood sprayed, they were all reduced to chunks of flesh scattered across the ground!


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s piercing gaze then shifted toward the other dozens of rebellious warships.


    ¡ª¡ª Under Federation Military Law, individuals or groups that organize, plan, or execute armed rebellion or armed riots, who continue resistance after warnings have been issued, may be immediately executed!


    Meanwhile, approximately 700,000 kilometers away in a luxurious yacht equipped with stealth technology, Zang Shaochen¡ªwhose arm had been severed by Lin Tianchen¡ªwatched the distant slaughter with a pale, sickly complexion.


    Today¡¯s massacre at the Second Fleet Group Headquarters Base was undoubtedly a devastating blow to him.


    That bastard had nearly clipped all his wings!


    His hundred-year effort to cultivate the Second Fleet Group was now undone, with the exception of divisions 209 and 210, which had departed earlier this week. The rest would either fall to Lin Tianchen or be annihilated!


    Zang Shaochen took a deep breath, suppressing the hatred and fury within his chest.


    ¡°Executive Yi, is your only plan to sit idly by? To allow this Lin to act recklessly, committing unbridled slaughter, wiping out all of your members? If this is the approach, I doubt the Longevity Association even needs to exist anymore.¡±


    Yi Duxing sneered coldly at Zang Shaochen¡¯s words.


    Today¡¯s predicament for the Second Fleet Group was entirely Zang Shaochen¡¯s own doing.


    If he had relinquished control after surrendering, his subordinates would not have ended up under Lin Tianchen¡¯s command¡ªin such nightmarish circumstances.


    Yet Zang Shaochen still held immense value for the Longevity Association.


    After all, he was a Senior Divine Envoy¡ªone of fewer than fifty Senior Divine Envoys in existence, across the heavens and earth.


    Beyond the two divisions under his control, even three divisions within the ¡°Evil Pirate Group¡± were his assets!


    Zang Shaochen had even provoked East Abyss on behalf of the Longevity Association. Defending him was necessary to uphold morale among their members.


    ¡°Rest assured,¡± Yi Duxing said, hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm. ¡°Given the gravity of the situation, the President will have no choice but to intervene. Furthermore, it¡¯s possible that several Founders will also make their move. They won¡¯t tolerate Lin Tianchen and Li Xianglong¡¯s arrogant rampage.¡±


    Yi Duxing¡¯s eyes gleamed with derision. ¡°Li Xianglong desires our President¡¯s true identity¡ªhe seeks the roots of the Founders? Wait until they finally act. I fear that the two of them won¡¯t be able to withstand it!¡±

 Chapter 753: 696: Promotion

    Chapter 753: Chapter 696: Promotion


    Lin Rui found the process of implanting the fake X-level ¡®Divine Power Pillar¡¯ into himself quite enjoyable.


    His mindset remained relaxed throughout, humming songs while swapping out various bones in his body.


    At this moment, the surgery had advanced to the spinal region. He flipped his body over, operated the mechanical arm to make an incision along his back, and began replacing his vertebrae piece by piece from bottom to top.


    Previously, Lin Rui had an implant called ¡®Twin Heaven Bones,¡¯ a fusion of the SSS+ grade implants ¡®Wan Lei Heaven Bone¡¯ and ¡®Great Sun Heaven Bone.¡¯


    To achieve this, he had already replaced all the bones in his body, except for the skull, twice.


    However, seven days ago, Lin Rui¡¯s alien body received a counteractive infusion from the Battle Dragon, awakening the bloodline talent ¡®Vajra Heavenly Bone.¡¯


    This originated from the ¡®Vajra Battle Dragon Seed¡¯ given to him by the President¡¯s Chief of Staff, enabling the Battle Dragon within him to awaken this power belonging to the Vajra Venerate, subsequently influencing his alien main body.


    Lin Rui intended to add complexity to his body, partly to resist the Great Sun Venerable, and partly because ¡®Vajra Heavenly Bone¡¯ is an exceedingly practical SSS+ capability. It also comes with a portion of the source essence from the Vajra Venerate, granting access to 40% of the ¡®Vajra¡¯ Concept, 30% of the ¡®Defense¡¯ Concept, and 30% of the ¡®Solid¡¯ Concept. He would be a fool to abandon it.


    To be honest, bloodline talents like these are rarely used in truly top-tier Divine Envoy-level combats.


    Even if they are used, it¡¯s typically abilities that enhance overall conceptual power¡ªsuch as Lin Rui¡¯s current full set of ¡®Radiant Thunder Sacred Body,¡¯ which already boosts all conceptual powers related to ¡®Light,¡¯ ¡®Thunder,¡¯ and ¡®Fire¡¯ by 6%.


    But some abilities, while you might not use them, you cannot afford to be without!


    For example, abilities concerning void and time sequence¡ªif you lack them, you¡¯ll be severely suppressed, possibly killed instantly in a battle.


    ¡®Vajra Heavenly Bone,¡¯ however, comes with the unique ability ¡®Vajra Unbreakable,¡¯ which not only pertains to void but also touches upon time sequence.


    In gaming terms, this ability allows the user to enter a state of true invincibility for an instant¡ªthe literal ¡®Vajra Unbreakable,¡¯ impervious to any attacks or abilities.


    Lin Rui also grew tired of being constrained by the framework of ¡®Radiant Thunder Sacred Body.¡¯ He is a god! He can forge and develop his own Bloodline Holy Body rather than treading the familiar paths of predecessors.


    Thus, while implanting the ¡®Divine Power Pillar,¡¯ Lin Rui decided to also replace his internal ¡®Twin Heaven Bones¡¯ with ¡®Three Heaven Bones.¡¯


    Additionally, he planned to change his skull, as the ¡®Vajra Heavenly Bone¡¯ possesses unparalleled impact resistance, capable of withstanding Gong Hengdao¡¯s sniper cannon rounds without issue.


    It must be noted that prior to undergoing the implantation surgery, Lin Rui merged the ¡®Wan Lei Heaven Bone¡¯ and ¡®Great Sun Heaven Bone¡¯ completely into his gene chain.


    After Lin Rui and Huang Fuqing conducted computational modeling with the large-scale system, they concluded that this fusion wouldn¡¯t harm Lin Rui¡¯s body or interfere with his ability usage. Instead, after the subsequent implantation of ¡®Three Heaven Bones,¡¯ it might slightly enhance the upper limits of these two Heaven Bones¡¯ capabilities.


    Meanwhile, in the adjacent observation room, several East Asia Science Academy academicians were staring intently, discussing as they watched.


    One exclaimed with amazement, ¡°Not only did he merge three Heaven Bones into one, but he also combined them with new implantation technology, integrating the fake X-level ¡®Divine Power Pillar¡¯ into a single entity. I never thought someone could actually accomplish this in our world. I¡¯m increasingly curious about the prosthetic technician Mr. Lin hired¡ªwhat extraordinary figure must they be? I¡¯m starting to suspect that Academician Huangfu somehow reincarnated! This level of implantation craftsmanship could only be achieved by Academician Huangfu.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lin¡¯s mental resilience is freakishly strong. I received a report earlier stating that his auxiliary implant count is only eleven. Yet, the ¡®Three Heaven Bones¡¯ combining three Super Monarch-level capabilities counts as one! Effectively, he has fifteen items, all of which are above SSS-level.¡±


    ¡°So far, the implantation is proceeding well. This X Cultivation Project might actually succeed¡ªit might truly break the boundaries of the Immortal Level.¡±


    ¡°What about his mental state? Has Mr. Lin shown any emotional fluctuations? Are the instruments here accurate?¡±


    ¡°None. All indices are within the normal thresholds. Don¡¯t worry; the Children¡¯s Song Killer behavior is likely his way of stabilizing and venting emotions¡ªit doesn¡¯t mean he has a syndrome. Speaking of which, one of my students is preparing to propose an academic project: can slaughter combined with singing children¡¯s songs alleviate the mental stress caused by implantation? Are there alternative methods?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lin¡¯s surgical skills are remarkably advanced, managing perfect connections between various neural, vascular, and airflow circuits. Sima, I can hardly believe this¡ªdid you truly train him?¡±


    Si Malin couldn¡¯t be bothered to reply. Keeping an expressionless face, he stared intently at the situation inside the surgery room. However, his peripheral vision continually monitored the behavior of the surrounding academicians.


    About ten days prior, Chen Long, the Chief Priest of the Longevity Association¡¯s implantation sciences, contacted him. Chen Long suggested that if Lin Rui were to invite him for implant surgery, he should ensure to make some subtle alterations to Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Divine Power Pillar,¡¯ as much as his capabilities allow.


    Chen Long¡¯s choice of words was polite yet hinted at veiled threats, implying that someone would be keeping an eye on him.


    Si Malin suspected the authenticity of Chen Long¡¯s claim.


    If the Longevity Association truly had such capabilities, Rui Fang¡¯s armored biological research institute¡¯s new implantation technology would have already been leaked.


    Yet the Longevity Association is still investigating and pressuring him. They want to uncover what Rui Fang Group has been researching, considering the enormous funding and human resources invested in their institute. This indicates that Rui Fang Group¡¯s security measures are well-executed.


    And then there¡¯s their HR director, Wang Tianwu¡ªtruly worthy of being a top-tier Mind Illusionist. All the biological engineers he employs are incredibly reliable.

 Chapter 754: 696 Promotion_2

    Chapter 754: Chapter 696 Promotion_2


    Si Malin may not believe it, but he can¡¯t afford not to guard against it.


    At the same time, he was secretly troubled by the ¡®Longevity Association¡¯.


    Si Malin had been in the Longevity Association for nearly eight years but still didn¡¯t understand its foundational secrets. However, he did know the immense future potential of the Lin Rui siblings.


    Lin Rui, who single-handedly created the Rui Fang¡¤Forest Group, had no shortcomings whether in financial power, combat capabilities, or technological resources. The three siblings of Lin Rui had limitless prospects.


    How foolish would someone need to be to ignore the support of Lin Rui and dive headfirst into the corrupt swamp of the Longevity Association?


    The issue was that Si Malin had been coerced into participating in the Longevity Association¡¯s research in the past, leaving behind many loose ends that were extremely troublesome to resolve.


    While Si Malin continued observing and contemplating, wondering if any of these academicians could be moles from the Longevity Association, he suddenly heard someone exclaim: ¡°The last vertebral bone has been replaced, next is the skull. Such craftsmanship is truly awe-inspiring! Now it¡¯s the final step, connecting the occipital structure.¡±


    ¡°The last step is indeed the most dangerous. His spirit will link to the Heavenly Curtain and encounter his ¡®Sky Curtain Spirit,¡¯ achieving a connection with it.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, incredibly risky. Mr. Lin¡¯s talent is extraordinary! A total of seven Fake X-level main armors and eleven auxiliary armaments rated above SSS-level. Even entering the Seventh Realm, he¡¯s at 7SSS+, infinitely approaching X-level as a mighty SSS+.¡±


    ¡°Within the Heavenly Curtain, the disembodied souls of deceased Ninth Realm Divine Illumination spirits, and even Tenth Realm Longevity spirits, could go mad for him. A single misstep might trigger a Primordial Spirit-level clash of Divine Illumination.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s truly worrying. Mr. Lin bears significant Abyss Source Material within him, and I suspect he might draw the covetous attention of deceased Abyss entities.¡±


    Si Malin was deeply concerned as well. The peril of advancing to Seventh Realm Divine Power lies precisely in this.


    A person can be viewed as a house, while the Heavenly Curtain is likened to a wildland teeming with dangerous beasts. Ordinarily, there is no connection between the house and the wildland, but the ¡®Divine Power Pillar¡¯ opens a door between the two.


    From that moment forward, the house¡¯s owner can certainly step outside for the abundant resources of the wildland. Yet, it also becomes possible for ferocious wolves in the wildland to invade the house.


    Lin Rui was cautious as he carefully connected to the occipital structure.


    However, when he experienced resonance with his own ¡®Sky Curtain Spirit¡¯ and established a spiritual connection, he finally let down his guard.


    In the location where his Sky Curtain Spirit had ¡®logged out¡¯ a few days ago, everything around remained clean, with no True Spirits of Divine Illumination daring to target him.


    As Lin Rui gazed into the Heavenly Curtain, various ¡®spirits¡¯ scattered frantically in all directions, like frightened sparrows.


    ¡ª¡±Beneath divinity, all are ants,¡± and these spirits were no exception. They could not look upon a god directly.


    Lin Rui shook his head and redirected his focus to his corporeal form and alien entities.


    At the moment he implanted the complete ¡®Divine Power Pillar,¡¯ Lin Rui¡¯s alien entity and his two Battle Dragons simultaneously generated Fake Abyss-level ¡®Divine Power Pillars.¡¯ Meanwhile, his physical body and soul underwent earth-shattering transformations.


    The intensity of this transformation far exceeded Lin Rui¡¯s own expectations!


    Lin Rui sensed everything within his body and experienced a profound joy.


    Starting from this moment, not only had the essence of his life ascended a minor step, but he also gained the strength to secure his position in a world dominated by the strong.


    This strength genuinely belonged to him!


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    About twenty-two days later, still inside Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, Lin Rui conducted another examination of his body with Si Malin¡¯s assistance.


    ¡°Overall physical attributes: 111,222 points, among which strength value: 123,123 points, reflex: 171,103 points¡ªIt¡¯s been less than a month since the implantation of the ¡®Divine Power Pillar,¡¯ and yet the enhancement has reached such heights. Truly astonishing!¡±


    Si Malin shook his head in sheer disbelief.


    It¡¯s worth noting that the standard for an Eight Realm, One-star Marshal¡¯s overall physical attributes is one hundred thousand points. This meant that Lin Rui, despite being Seventh Realm in cultivation, already possessed the physical prowess of the Eighth Realm.


    However, the subsequent data was even more shocking.


    ¡°True Essence intensity: 394,213 points, True Essence quantity: 324,455 points, spiritual power overall value: 363,034 points¡ªparticularly spiritual power intensity, reaching 532,221 points.¡±


    Si Malin couldn¡¯t help but twitch slightly at the corners of his mouth. For a typical Three-star Marshal, the entry-level data would be around 400,000 points.


    So Lin Rui was essentially already at 8SSS+, and not just any 8SSS+, but a mighty one!


    Aside from slightly lower physical attributes, all his other qualities could rival those of a Ninth Realm Martial Cultivator!


    Si Malin suspected that the X experiments revolving around Lin Rui in East Asia had issues. Lin Rui¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t universally applicable.


    From now on, they could only use Lin Rui¡¯s bodily and armament data and structural transformations as references and samples for future improvements to Fake X implants, ensuring that no other experimental subjects were compared to him.


    Lin Rui himself was also greatly surprised by the changes in his body.


    Narrowing his eyes, he wondered: Could it be because of the three drops of ¡®Divine Blood¡¯? Or was it due to his integration of the implants into his own gene chain?


    Thinking about his DNA, Lin Rui felt slightly conflicted.


    He was no longer sure whether he still counted as a human. He probably did¡ªhis similarity to human DNA exceeded 99%.


    But human beings and domestic pigs share a genetic sequence similarity over 95%; for mice, it¡¯s even more remarkable at around 99%.


    ¡°Should we proceed with measuring the strength of conceptual power next?¡± Si Malin concentrated on the examination data. ¡°It¡¯s worth observing whether there¡¯s any notable change in your conceptual power.¡±


    Most Martial Cultivators wouldn¡¯t dare touch concepts until reaching the Seventh Realm.


    However, Lin Rui and his genius martial artist siblings were different; they had already mastered a certain degree of conceptual power.


    After opening the ¡®Divine Power Pillar,¡¯ the intensity of their conceptual power generally experienced a 1%-4% enhancement.


    Since Lin Rui implanted a Fake X-level ¡®Divine Power Pillar,¡¯ his improvement was extraordinary¡ªthree days earlier, the data revealed a full 5% enhancement.


    For instance, Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Light Trace¡¯ concept, which previously could reach 37% intensity under the amplification of his bloodline power, had now surged to 42%, nearing Divine Envoy Level!


    Similarly, his ¡®Vajra¡¯ concept now reached 45%, a level capable of contending against leading Candidate Divine Envoys in ranking.


    The only regret was that the Divine Power Pillar provided no assistance to Martial Intent conceptualization. His physical attributes were still slightly lacking, and his True Essence quantity remained insufficient, preventing prolonged high-intensity use of conceptual power. He had to rely on exoskeleton armor and outer elixirs to compensate for these shortcomings.


    Thinking about all this, Si Malin couldn¡¯t help but feel deeply moved again.


    His student¡¯s overall strength undoubtedly belonged to the ranks of both ¡®Candidate Divine Envoy¡¯ and ¡®Honorary Member,¡¯ and among the Honorary Members, he ranked among the strongest tiers!


    This young man had achieved this status in less than two years¡ªtruly mind-boggling.


    ¡°Continue the testing! I need more detailed data.¡± Just as Lin Rui and Si Malin were speaking, Lin Rui received a message from Li Xianglong.


    Li Xianglong: Mr. Lin, is it convenient for you to deploy forces now? Tianchen has been ambushed by the Longevity Association in the Seventh Base City. Their president has shown up.


    Li Xianglong: Currently, both sides are in a standoff near the outskirts of the Seventh Base City in space. This confrontation is quite significant¡ªI sense at least three Fake Immortal-level individuals nearby. Best to mobilize as much combat strength as you can.


    Li Xianglong: Bear in mind, the situation may not necessarily escalate into full-scale war, but preparations must be made.


    After receiving the message, Lin Rui narrowed his eyes. He first confirmed his availability to Li Xianglong and then issued deployment orders across several combat groups.


    Simultaneously, Lin Rui inquired to his family group chat with Lin Xi and Lin Yi: ¡°How are you both holding up now?¡±


    Lin Xi: Not great, Martial Intent conceptualization is still only at 4%.


    Lin Yi: I¡¯m doing better, already at 5%!


    She added an expressive emoji, distinctly smug, subtly asserting superiority over her sister in Martial Intent conceptualization.


    Lin Rui chuckled silently, thinking that 4% sufficed.


    With the current level of purification for Lin Xi and Lin Yi, they should be able to extend the combat duration of the Abyss Battle Dragons to about 1 minute 30 seconds to 1 minute 35 seconds.


    If his sisters still couldn¡¯t resolve the problems themselves, Lin Rui was fully capable of stepping in.


    The concept powers of Despair Heavenly Dragon and Pain Heavenly Dragon could only max out at 95%, but Lin Rui¡¯s Pure Method and Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire allowed him to operate at full 100% intensity.


    Even without external aid, Lin Rui could sustain this¡ª35 seconds of Abyss-level strength!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°You both have three minutes. Prepare the Battle Dragons for deployment and board the ship promptly.¡±


    Both Old Li and Marshal Lin were waiting for Lin Rui to stabilize the situation and provide strategic support. Lin Rui knew he had no choice but to step up.


    This battle was certain to influence the future power dynamics of the entire Earth Federation; Lin Rui absolutely couldn¡¯t afford to falter.

 Chapter 755: 697: Draw the Knife

    Chapter 755: Chapter 697: Draw the Knife


    With the battle imminent, Lin Rui had no time for further testing. He flew directly out of the laboratory and donned the Exoskeleton Armor he had left in the locker room.


    His previous 8X-type ¡®Imperial Authority¡¯ had already been handed down to Lin Xi, while he himself had upgraded to a set of ¡®Heaven¡¯s Will¡¯ Battle Armor.


    This was a customized 9SS-level base model of the ¡®Dragon Slayer¡¯ Exoskeleton Armor, modified by Wang Yinyue.


    Lin Rui was now fully capable of operating 9-type Exoskeleton Armor and had even begun seeking enhanced 9-type base models from major mechanical companies more than two months ago.


    Given Lin Rui¡¯s current power, wealth, and status, he was already a VIP guest of the top mechanical companies and the Science Academy, all of whom granted him access to purchase their most advanced war machines.


    Initially, Lin Rui had been leaning toward the ¡®Emperor,¡¯ given its comfort and superior human-machine coordination. He could obtain an Emperor 9S+ from a Western military tech company for 240 billion federal coins.


    However, Dragon Clan Heavy Industry approached him, offering to provide a 9SS-level Dragon Slayer base model at a ¡°friendly price¡± of 260 billion. Without hesitation, Lin Rui switched to Dragon Clan Heavy Industry.


    It was well known that the stronger the base model of a Battle Armor, the greater its potential for customization. The Emperor¡¯s slight comfort advantage was nothing compared to the additional ¡®S¡¯ suffix on the Dragon Slayer.


    Wang Yinyue¡¯s modification approach was inspired by Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Heavenly Decree¡¯ on Sky Extreme Star. Each component of this Dragon Slayer was crafted as if it were a Magic Artifact and then seamlessly integrated, resulting in greater power.


    Due to time constraints, this Exoskeleton Armor was not yet fully modified, only reaching the 9SS+ level.


    Still, it already possessed the most critical function of the ¡®Heavenly Decree¡¯ Battle Armor¡ªenhancing and releasing ¡®Conceptual Power.¡¯


    The formidable strength of the ¡®Heavenly Decree¡¯ lay in its internal ¡®Abyss¡¯ mechanism, which could amplify all Conceptual Powers by up to 10%!


    Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Heaven¡¯s Will¡¯ matched this standard, empowering his ¡®Light Trace¡¯ Concept to 52% and his ¡®Vajra¡¯ Concept to 55%, with an ultimate enhancement cap of 70%. This surpassed Heavenly Decree¡¯s 60% cap, thanks to Wang Yinyue¡¯s significant advancements in mechanical engineering during her studies in the Earth Federation.


    Meanwhile, ¡®Heaven¡¯s Will¡¯ featured a top-tier miniature nuclear fusion furnace along with a 9SSS-level external elixir named ¡®Haotian¡¯ attached to its chest.


    The combination of these two components not only allowed Lin Rui to quadruple his True Yuan output for ten minutes of combat but also extended the duration of his ¡®Abyss¡¯ transformation to 47 seconds!


    When Lin Rui arrived at the dock in his Heaven¡¯s Will Battle Armor, he found the many warships there in a state of intense preparation.


    In total, there were 24 destroyers, 48 Guardian Battleships, and 60 heavily armed merchant ships.


    Additionally, there were three Yinglong-class battleships and twelve Yunlong-class cruisers¡ªmany of which had been leased to him by the East Asia Republic. Most of their crew members had not yet retired.


    Xu Mengran had anticipated twenty days ago that a clash with the Longevity Association would be inevitable. She had urgently transferred this fleet segment under the Forest Group¡¯s banner through long-term ¡°leases¡± to bolster Lin Rui¡¯s forces.


    The East Asia Republic thus made its stance clear: complete support for Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Mecha Dragon had already been delivered to his flagship, the ¡®Forest,¡¯ followed by Lin Yi and Lin Xi¡¯s Pain Heavenly Dragon and Despair Heavenly Dragon.


    These were the core assets of the Forest Rui Fang Group. Given the inherent danger of the Abyss Battle Dragon, Lin Rui had specifically hired two professional Dragon maintenance teams at high salaries.


    They worked meticulously and with extreme care.


    Approximately five minutes later, this reinforced fleet departed in grand formation, heading into space toward the Seventh Base City.


    Meanwhile, Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s Alien form stood inside another Yinglong-class battleship.


    She gazed out the battleship¡¯s porthole into the void outside, her eyes filled with both daze and bewilderment.


    Han Xian¡¯er had pledged allegiance to the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song, Lin Hao, a mere 28 days ago.


    In these short 28 days, Han Xian¡¯er had implanted Armaments, utilized top-tier medicines derived from the Outer Heaven Demon to develop her body, strengthened her Divine Soul, cultivated an Alien form with a Mecha Dragon, and transitioned from the Sky Extreme Star Martial Cultivator to an Alien Walker. Three days ago, she officially ascended to the Eight Realms!


    Now, here she was, standing ready to join Lin Rui¡¯s fleet for battle.


    ¡ªThe entire process was surreal, so fast it left her feeling unmoored, as if lost in a fog.


    ¡°The eldest miss has shared the latest updates on the Seventh Base City battlefield in the operations group. You¡¯ll also find the battle plans jointly drafted by Fleet Director Zhu Youheng and the company¡¯s Strategy Director. You should take a look¡ªit¡¯s quite user-friendly.¡±


    Ji Shenyan, aboard the same ship as Han Xian¡¯er, was tasked with assisting this ¡°newcomer.¡±


    With a sidelong glance at Han Xian¡¯er, she added an explanation: ¡°Our tasks are twofold: one, to release Divine Thought and Martial Intent to intimidate the enemy; and two, to ensure the safety of this battleship at all costs. If combat shifts to open space and we¡¯re forced to engage, be extremely cautious! Space warfare is nothing like battles on Sky Extreme Star, and neither of us is trained in space combat.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Han Xian¡¯er replied.


    She began reviewing the battle plans in the group chat.


    Though she hadn¡¯t learned the Heavenly Demon language, the biological intelligent chip of her Alien form instantly translated the document as she opened it.


    While reading, Han Xian¡¯er asked curiously, ¡°Ji-jie, I noticed that Mr. Lin and the National Guardian seem deeply collaborative. They¡¯ve completely pooled their resources and personnel. Don¡¯t they worry about trust? Not even a little?¡±


    Ji Shenyan mused that the two were, in fact, the same person, so there was no need for distrust.


    Still, it was no wonder Han Xian¡¯er was confused; Lin Hao and Lin Rui operating separate Battle Dragons defied most people¡¯s logic.


    ¡°I can¡¯t explain it now; you¡¯ll find out in time,¡± Ji Shenyan replied with a slight shake of her head. ¡°Instead of pondering this, focus on studying the space combat tips summarized by the Heavenly Demon and watch a few instructional videos. Sharpening your skills at the last moment is better than nothing.¡±


    Just three minutes later, the Forest Rui Fang Group fleet entered the battlefield.


    They had directly quantum-jumped to a jump zone secured by the Federation Security Bureau and the Star Navy.


    ¡ªThis area was under the defense of two top experts: Li Xianglong and Star Navy Chief of Staff Feodor Mihailovich, along with numerous Divine Envoys and Congressman-level experts providing perimeter protection.


    Two Star Navy fleet groups and three reinforced fleet groups under Marshal Thunder were stationed at the jump zone¡¯s outer edges, ensuring the safety of all incoming reinforcements as they quantum-jumped to the frontline.


    Upon his arrival, Lin Rui received orders from the Ministry of Defense and the National Guard Chief of Staff. The Defense Ministry ordered him to organize and consolidate all militia fleets in the Ninth Base City and direct their operations.


    Lin Rui, as a Four-star Marshal of the National Guard and Commander of the Ninth Base City¡¯s National Guard, was the natural choice to command these militia forces once the Earth Federation mobilized them.


    However, Lin Rui had no expertise in fleet command, so he delegated the task to Zhu Youheng before leaving the ¡®Forest¡¯ battleship and standing at the ship¡¯s prow.


    Standing firmly, Lin Rui surveyed the colossal fleet around him.


    Besides the Star Navy and Security Bureau forces, there were over a thousand warships from the National Guard¡¯s auxiliary forces gathered here.


    Additional warships continued to quantum-jump into the zone, swelling the giant fleet further.


    ¡ªThese were private military forces belonging to various major corporations, summoned by the Defense Ministry and National Guard Chief of Staff to join the battle.


    The Earth Federation¡¯s National Guard was already a behemoth. Even the Ninth Base City, largely focused on biopharmaceuticals, could field twenty-seven fleet groups capable of forming three fleet formations.


    As Lin Rui scanned the surroundings, countless eyes were also fixed on the Forest Rui Fang Group¡¯s fleet.


    This was not only due to the impressive size, strict formation, and awe-inspiring aura of Lin Rui¡¯s private fleet, rivaling the top financial oligarchs¡¯ private militaries, but also because of the two Abyss Battle Dragons within it.


    These were undeniably the main characters of the day¡¯s battle and the true pillars of the Federation Government¡¯s combat strength on this side.


    Some Honorary Members of Congress present also focused intently on Lin Rui.


    For the past six months, intelligence agencies had been paying close attention to the Federation¡¯s rising tycoon, Lin Rui. They had not only been collecting all information related to him but also using large supercomputers to predict his behavioral patterns.


    Thus, these Honorary Members knew that the President¡¯s advisor on commerce and finance had likely advanced to the Seventh Realm!


    A mix of curiosity and speculation filled their minds. Just how powerful was Lin Rui as a Seventh Realm cultivator? Could he rival those at the Congressman Level?


    After all, back in the Sixth Realm, his combat prowess had already surpassed many 8SS+ experts!


    Lin Rui, however, ignored all the curious gazes.


    He was concentrating on observing the direction of the Seventh Base City, searching for Lin Tianchen¡¯s whereabouts while assessing the enemy¡¯s positions.


    At that moment, the perfectly smooth hull of the battleship behind Lin Rui shimmered with white arcs of light.


    Linghu Mingde stepped gracefully out of the reflective hull plating and stood beside Lin Rui.


    A faint smile tugged at Linghu Mingde¡¯s brow as he raised an eyebrow with delight. ¡°Impressive! I didn¡¯t expect, Xiao Rui, that after breaking through, your Spiritual Strength has reached such heights.¡±


    ¡ªLin Rui¡¯s Spiritual Strength was at least 500,000 points! His overall physical strength exceeded 300,000 points.


    Linghu Mingde mentally calculated and deduced that Lin Rui¡¯s overall combat power was sufficient to take on even Divine Envoy Level opponents!


    This young man had unquestionably secured his place at the pinnacle of the Earth Federation¡¯s power structure.


    Lin Rui, however, turned his focus forward and curiously pointed ahead. ¡°Family Elder, do you know what¡¯s really going on here? What¡¯s the current situation with Lin Tianchen?¡±


    Lin Rui had already sensed the presence of three Quasi Immortals. The question was, what had Lin Tianchen done to provoke the Longevity Association to this extent?


    Although Li Xianglong and Lin Xi had shared some intelligence with him, both had only been able to piece together fragmented clues, leaving the core puzzle unsolved.


    Lin Rui had even attempted to privately message Lin Tianchen, but the latter had no time to reply.

 Chapter 756: 698: Prominent and Outstanding

    Chapter 756: Chapter 698: Prominent and Outstanding


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure.¡±


    Linghu Mingde crossed his arms, his white eyebrows slightly raised, his expression peculiar: ¡°Li Xianglong should have told you, I¡¯ve been tailing Lin Tianchen alongside Li Xianglong and the others for the past few days. And just twenty minutes ago, Lin Tianchen entered the Lower Zone of the Seventh Base City and somehow stirred up a hornet¡¯s nest, startling out three ¡®Quasi Immortals¡¯.¡±


    Lin Rui felt a tinge of disappointment upon hearing this. Linghu Mingde didn¡¯t seem to know more than the information Lin Xi had gathered.


    However, Linghu Mingde¡¯s next words made Lin Rui¡¯s heart stir.


    ¡°But I sense that the Longevity Association intentionally guided Lin Tianchen in this direction, as if they wanted to force a few of the founders of the Longevity Association to show themselves.¡±


    Linghu Mingde¡¯s eyes flashed with a cold smile: ¡°I¡¯ve been retired and silent for 300 years, and it feels like the waters within the Federation Government are getting deeper and deeper.¡±


    He thought about Fang Xianzheng; Linghu Mingde had always suspected that an unknown yet powerful force backed his son-in-law.


    Linghu Mingde used to suspect it was the Longevity Association or the Divine Light Army, but now he had an even more terrifying guess.


    ¡°Hmm~¡± Lin Rui stroked his chin, pondering how Li Xianglong and Yi Duxing¡¯s group seemed to have aligned their goals this time.


    This was advantageous for Lin Rui.


    He had always believed the Earth Federation Government and Sky Extreme Star were opposing races and forces.


    But now he realized that all fourteen Base Cities of the Earth Federation were also enshrouded by the shadows of the Eight Great Abyss of Sky Extreme Star.


    It was possible that they had aliens lurking in the shadows, secretly manipulating the Federation and monitoring everything within it.


    Currently, the ¡®Forest Rui Fang Group¡¯ had grown conspicuously, becoming a bit too prominent under the watchful eyes of the Abyss.


    At this moment, forcing those few Quasi Immortals into the open could effectively divert the Abyss¡¯s attention.


    Lin Xi and Lin Yi, despite wielding the Abyss Battle Dragon and being copies of the Twin Venerable of Despair and Pain, were actively resisting and rejecting the contamination. In the eyes of the Abyss, the two sisters were unlikely to truly merge with the Abyss and thus posed less of a threat than the Longevity beings in Purgatory.


    ¡°Where is Lin Tianchen? Where is he now?¡±


    Lin Rui had already scanned the entirety of space but couldn¡¯t find Lin Tianchen¡¯s silhouette.


    ¡°Not far ahead. At the moment of the incident, Lin Tianchen forcibly severed the Void Time Order and traversed to this location. He¡¯s now trapped in a timeless and immutable void. Unless you sense him at close range, you won¡¯t see him.¡±


    Linghu Mingde transmitted a coordinate to Lin Rui and added with a tone of admiration: ¡°It was Chairman Xie of the Martial Arts Association who sealed him into the ¡®Eternal Stone,¡¯ thereby preserving his life.¡±


    ¡°This man truly lives up to being the strongest in our Earth Federation. His 9SSS+ Spell ¡®Eternal Stone¡¯ is impenetrable even to those few Quasi Immortals.¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but direct his gaze toward a figure standing shoulder to shoulder with Li Xianglong up ahead.


    The man was not wearing exoskeleton armor but was clad in a Four-star Marshal¡¯s military coat, his jet-black hair floating and dancing in the void of space.


    ¡ªIt was Chairman Xie Xingyun of the Martial Arts Association!


    The sole Super Divine Envoy within the Federation! And a Super Divine Envoy who possessed an Abyss Divine Artifact!


    Over the past few decades, many speculated that the Security Bureau¡¯s First Commander, Li Xianglong, and the Star Navy¡¯s Chief of Staff, Fyodor Mihailovich, might have already reached or were approaching Super Divine Envoy-level combat strength.


    Yet, Xie Xingyun had been recognized as a Super Divine Envoy by the Federation 200 years ago! He had stood firm as the Stabilizing Pillar of the Earth Federation during the upheaval of the ¡®Divine Illumination¡¯ 200 years ago!


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes narrowed at this moment: ¡°Did you engage in brief combat? Has Old Li broken through to the Super Divine Envoy level?¡±


    Linghu Mingde smiled faintly, thinking his granddaughter¡¯s husband was exceptionally sharp.


    Li Xianglong was clearly leveraging Lin Tianchen¡¯s predicament to force the Longevity Association to show its cards and reveal its foundations.


    But it¡¯s evident that the Longevity Association held an impressive hand. Without a straight flush of his own, why would Li Xianglong dare to reveal their cards recklessly?


    If the Federation Government couldn¡¯t suppress the situation, how would things conclude?


    ¡°Not yet at the Super Divine Envoy level, but I estimate he¡¯s close. His Martial Intent conceptualization has reached at least 52%.¡±


    Linghu Mingde squinted: ¡°Just now, he even fought a Quasi Immortal whose Conceptual Power reached 78%, and managed to force him to retreat. I suspect Li Xianglong has also acquired an Abyss Divine Artifact, which the Quasi Immortal sensed.¡±


    Linghu Mingde sighed deeply as he continued: ¡°It¡¯s said that reaching 65% Martial Intent conceptualization enables one to challenge Longevity. Truly, the waves of the Yangtze River continue to push forward. Growing old is an inevitable fate!¡±


    Although he participated in the battle this time, he merely played a subsidiary role.


    The ¡®Quasi Immortals¡¯ were also Ninth Realm Divine Illuminations, yet Linghu Mingde only endured three moves against them before his blood and energy surged violently.


    Linghu Mingde inwardly lamented that he had lingered at the Eighth Realm for far too long. While it hadn¡¯t hindered his martial arts accumulation, his progress in conceptualizing Martial Intent and Conceptual Power lagged far behind.


    Currently, Linghu Mingde¡¯s Martial Intent had yet to achieve conceptualization. His True Yuan was rapidly accumulating with the aid of various top-tier Federation medicines, now barely crossing the threshold of the Four-star Marshal and entering Late Ninth Realm. Achieving Martial Intent conceptualization would still require additional time.


    Lin Rui detected a hint of unwillingness in Linghu Mingde¡¯s tone, thinking that conceptualization shouldn¡¯t be too challenging.


    If Linghu Mingde¡¯s cultivation reached the Ninth Realm peak, he could push Martial Intent conceptualization to 40% within two months.


    Just then, Lin Rui¡¯s expression abruptly changed, his demeanor turning solemn.

 Chapter 757: 698: Prominent and Outstanding_2

    Chapter 757: Chapter 698: Prominent and Outstanding_2


    He sensed the arrival of two more Quasi-Immortals and a large number of high-level experts at the Ninth Base City, bringing the count of Quasi-Immortals to five. Additionally, over fifty Longevity Association Divine Envoys and Congressman-Level figures were concealed in the void, locked in a distant standoff against the Federation Army.


    Li Xianglong referred to these people as rats skulking in the shadows, and he wasn¡¯t wrong. Despite the other side possessing more than fifty Divine Envoys and Congressman-Level figures, none dared to openly appear. Most of their private armies had also been conscripted by the Earth Federation¡¯s Ministry of Defense and integrated into the fleet surrounding Lin Rui.


    However, the size of those shadowy leaders was undeniably overwhelming ¨C both in number and stature.


    At this moment, Star Navy Chief of Staff Fyodor Mihailovich transmitted a command over the communications channel: ¡°All units enter Level One combat readiness status immediately. Connect to the ¡®Concept Macro Force Field.¡¯ Set concept mode to Defense, Suppression, and Destruction! All Battle Dragons initiate preparations.¡±


    In an instant, all three hundred squadrons, encompassing over 22,000 warships in this stretch of void, activated their formation with battleships at the core, generating an immensely vast Conceptual Field!


    ¡ª¡ªA field embodying the three concepts of Defense, Suppression, and Destruction! With each concept reaching nearly 85% intensity!


    This was the culmination of 800 years of the Earth Federation¡¯s mechanical engineering research into Sky Extreme Star Rune Technology: the ¡®Concept Macro Force Field.¡¯ It was a technological marvel upon which the Earth Federation pinned its hopes, believing it might one day stand against the Abyss.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression subtly shifted as he glanced toward the direction of the Sun.


    There, he noticed the sunlight dim ever so slightly, and the 5,000 ¡®Dyson Cannons¡¯ in that vicinity flashed with dazzling brilliance.


    In an instant, an immense electromagnetic field spread across the void near the Ninth Base City.


    Lin Rui could keenly sense within this electromagnetic field a tremendous Conceptual Power.


    ¡ª¡ªThis was a weapon system built at enormous expense by the Earth Federation Government to counter several Abyss Level entities from Sky Extreme Star. Yet, it remained incomplete.


    Though far from sufficient to counter the Abyss, it was highly lethal against Quasi-Immortals.


    The Dyson Cannon Array used stars as natural nuclear fusion reactors to power their operation. Once an electromagnetic field generated by the array ensnared its target, they would face a devastating salvo of firepower.


    Even true Immortal Level beings would hardly escape unscathed under the barrage of 5,000 Dyson Cannons.


    At this moment, Mihailovich issued another command: ¡°Maintain the current formation. Advance towards the predetermined coordinates at Speed Level Three!¡±


    With Mihailovich¡¯s order, the fleet of more than 22,000 warships rumbled forward, advancing with impeccable precision under the guidance of supercomputers and data links.


    The so-called ¡®Concept Macro Force Field¡¯ was essentially driven by the power cores of various classes of warships, operated by shipborne supercomputers, and supported by Armored Martial Cultivators as its cornerstone, forming an ultra-large-scale electronic array.


    By assembling tens of thousands of warships and millions of Armored Martial Cultivators, they wielded the terrifying divine power of an immense Abyss Divine Artifact!


    Moreover, with the Earth Federation¡¯s Electronic Rune Technology advancing rapidly, the Concept Macro Force Field technology continued to evolve. It was rumored that it might one day achieve Quasi-Abyss Level or even Demigod Level capabilities.


    This was precisely why the Earth Federation Government tolerated the potential militarization risks of the ¡®National Guard¡¯ units¡ªdespite the threat of internal factionalism. They still allowed corporate consortiums to raise large-scale private armies.


    As the massive fleet advanced, the Concept Macro Force Field moved with it, expanding and crashing forward.


    Within just three minutes, the Federation Fleet¡¯s Concept Macro Force Field clashed with the Conceptual Power unleashed by several Quasi-Immortals.


    The space-time fabric of the void began to ripple violently, teetering on the edge of collapse! Cracks even started forming on the exterior of dozens of warships at the fleet¡¯s forefront.


    Sound could not travel in the vacuum of space, yet Lin Rui almost seemed to hear the brittle snapping sounds of those dozens of warships groaning under pressure¡ªon the verge of being torn apart in this vast void.


    ¡°It seems this Concept Macro Force Field is still lacking!¡±


    At that moment, the Martial Arts Association¡¯s Deputy Chairman, the ¡®Financial Sage¡¯ Julian, clad in exoskeleton armor, hovered at Li Xianglong and Xie Xingyun¡¯s side. He gently shook his head and remarked, ¡°The Conceptual Power is indeed strong, but it¡¯s uncontrollable, lacking flexibility, and insufficiently cohesive. It¡¯s still no match for these Immortal Levels. Can we always depend on Old Xie? What if he¡¯s not around?¡±


    Julian noticed Li Xianglong casting him a sideways glance with a peculiar expression. Unable to suppress his irritation, Julian glared in return: ¡°I keep telling you I¡¯m not the President of the Longevity Association! You¡¯ve been shadowing me for so long¡ªwhat more will it take for you to believe?¡±


    Having been under constant surveillance for an entire month, Julian, the ¡®Financial Sage,¡¯ was nearing his breaking point.


    Though most of Li Xianglong¡¯s doubts about Julian had been eased by now, he withdrew his gaze and, expressionless, said, ¡°Marshal Mihailovich, how much longer do you plan to wait? The duration of the Eternal Stone is about to run out. We need to move now.¡±


    Fyodor Mihailovich rubbed his temples in frustration: ¡°I think you¡¯re courting disaster. People already call Kou Xuanwang a gambler, but your recklessness surpasses his. Haven¡¯t you considered what happens if you can¡¯t pull this off?¡±


    ¡°The problem is, we¡¯ve come this far¡ªwe can¡¯t retreat now, can we?¡± Li Xianglong laughed coldly. ¡°What, should we just let Lin Tianchen die here? He¡¯s only our Federation¡¯s second Super Divine Envoy Level figure. Even if I can¡¯t control the outcome, I have no choice but to try. There¡¯s no other option.¡±


    Mihailovich¡¯s expression flickered thoughtfully, wondering if Li Xianglong might actually have an Abyss Divine Artifact in his possession.


    Could that be possible? If so, wouldn¡¯t that mean he himself was falling behind?

 Chapter 758: 698: Prominent and Outstanding_3

    Chapter 758: Chapter 698: Prominent and Outstanding_3


    What is this guy¡¯s trump card? The Federation¡¯s member states do have some foundation, but none has reached the Immortal Level, and none of it has been tested in real combat.


    Their Abyss Project, while exaggerated to the extreme in PPT presentations and claimed to punch the Immortals and kick the Abyss, has outcomes in actual combat that no one truly knows.


    The only remotely reliable one is the ¡®Mechanical Dragon God¡¯ that¡¯s being fully developed by East Asia. Has the Mechanical Dragon God Project succeeded?


    The problem is, even the Mechanical Temple on Sky Extreme Star, which has been steeped in runes and mechanisms for tens of thousands of years, has only managed to produce a ¡®Quasi-Abyss¡¯ Mechanical God thus far.


    Reportedly, it¡¯s a massive waste of a machine spanning several thousand kilometers in length and breadth, with absolutely no mobility and no practical combat value¡ªa colossal failure that¡¯s only able to sustain its quasi-Abyss Level power for one minute before breaking down.


    Or perhaps it¡¯s the Pain Heavenly Maiden and the Despair Heavenly Maiden?


    Mihailov shook his head. According to the Military Intelligence Bureau¡¯s supercomputing model, the Abyss Weapons owned by the Forest Group¡¯s pair of entities can only last for about twenty seconds at most.


    As this Star Navy Chief of Staff ruminated deeply, Xie Xingyun, standing beside him, spoke in a quiet voice: ¡°Mihailov, Li Xianglong is right¡ªwe cannot abandon Lin Tianchen. We must press forward today.¡±


    ¡°My intuition tells me that if war truly breaks out here today, we have at least a seventy percent chance of victory. Also, don¡¯t worry about my condition¡ªI can endure it.¡±


    Mihailov¡¯s eyebrows shot up instantly. His hesitation on the brink of battle stems from his worry for Xie Xingyun.


    If both sides unleash their full force, Xie Xingyun will have no choice but to overclock the ¡®Abyss Divine Artifact.¡¯


    While the ¡®Abyss Divine Artifact¡¯ boasts immense divine power, it significantly drains a person¡¯s life span and soul power.


    Especially under full-load mode and overclocked mode¡ªthe consumption is devastating, and it will also backlash against the artifact¡¯s wielder.


    Mihailov promptly issued an order on the command channel: ¡°All units, increase output! All Star Navy soldiers, inject stimulants! Engage all warship power reactors in boost mode, and overclock all supercomputing systems to 120%! National Guard forces may choose whether to engage in overclocked combat voluntarily!¡±


    He then turned to Xie Xingyun: ¡°From here onward, I¡¯ll leave the burden with you, Chairman Xie.¡±


    Xie Xingyun nodded, his delicate features radiating a cold and resolute expression: ¡°All of you, pay heed¡ªthe moment the ¡®Eternal Stone¡¯ ends is also the moment when Lin Tianchen¡¯s fate is decided!¡±


    He extended his palm to the side, and instantly a massive yin-yang fish diagram formed in the void of space. A faint golden hue then enveloped all the warships of the entire Federation Fleet.


    The concept named ¡°Eternal¡± not only halted the disintegration of the forward ships but also stabilized the enormous Concept Macro Field surrounding them.


    The 22,000 warships resembled a majestic and imposing mountain, charging forward with irrepressible momentum!


    The Conceptual Powers of those five Quasi-Immortal entities were indeed strong, indeed brilliant, capable of wielding their mastery to the point of transcendence and ever-changing fluidity.


    Yet, when the Concept Macro Field formed by the 22,000 warships solidified under the guidance of Xie Xingyun¡¯s Eternal Power, those five Quasi-Immortals had no choice but to avoid its sharp edge.


    They were compelled to rely on the dozens of Divine Envoys and Congressman Level individuals from the Longevity Association to delay and impede this giant fleet¡¯s advance.


    Mihailov squinted and spoke earnestly: ¡°Notify the Dyson Cannon Array¡ªhave their Force Field Capturers focus entirely on capturing those Quasi-Immortals. All National Guard sequenced warships, engage overclocking at 105%! Additionally, request all Quasi-Honorary Members, Honorary Members, and senior Honorary Members to unleash their Concepts at full force!¡±


    His voice paused for a moment: ¡°Everyone, today¡¯s battle concerns the future of the Federation and humanity! Please give it your all.¡±


    At this moment, Linghu Mingde raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled faintly: ¡°It truly concerns the future of the Federation and humanity¡ªthat much is correct.¡±


    In his view, regardless of victory or defeat in today¡¯s battle, neither the Federation nor humanity will truly lose.


    If this battle is lost, it will allow the Abyss entities to realize the degree to which the Immortal-level powers within the Federation have grown. They may retreat further beneath the wings of the Abyss, relying on the power of those gods to suppress the Longevity Association.


    If this battle is won, humanity can straighten its back slightly and take limited control over its own fate.


    If not for this, why would the President have allowed Li Xianglong to act with impunity?


    The only risk the Federation must bear is Lin Tianchen.


    Linghu Mingde turned his head toward Lin Rui: ¡°What is your plan?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Lin Rui pondered briefly before laughing self-deprecatingly: ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    His relationship with the Longevity Association is one of life and death; others might preserve their strength, but he cannot.


    Under no circumstances can Lin Tianchen be allowed to fall.


    Lin Rui issued orders in the combat group: ¡°All members whose Conceptual Powers exceed 35%, unleash your Concepts at full force!¡±


    Boom!


    The fleet of the Forest Rui Fang Group suddenly erupted with twelve pillars of golden blood energy. Twelve individuals wielding nineteen different Conceptual Fields instantly expanded across the battlefield under the influence of the Concept Macro Field.


    In that instant, all high-level Armored Martial Artists within the Federation¡¯s 22,000 warships turned their astonished and utterly shocked gazes toward the fleet of the Forest Rui Fang Group.


    Even Xie Xingyun, the Chairman of the Martial Arts Association, couldn¡¯t help but glance over at Lin Rui¡¯s fleet. Squinting his eyes, he remarked: ¡°Not bad¡ªa promising rising star.¡±


    This financial conglomerate... three Congressmen, and eight and a half Quasi-Congressmen!

 Chapter 759: 699: Showdown

    Chapter 759: Chapter 699: Showdown


    At this moment, the combat group of each fleet within the Federation was abuzz with lively discussion.


    ¡ª¡ªHoly crap, which company¡¯s fleet is this? They can field 12 Congressmen and Quasi-Members just by themselves?


    ¡ª¡ªWho else could it be? That¡¯s the Forest Rui Fang Group!


    ¡ª¡ªThree Congressmen, eight and a half Quasi-Members, so extravagant! Is this really a conglomerate that rose within a year?


    ¡ª¡ªThey also have two controllable Abyss Weapons, they¡¯re incredibly formidable. Haven¡¯t you seen that Lin Rui has already become a Four-star Marshal of the National Guard and a Presidential Advisor for Commerce and Finance?


    ¡ª¡ªNo wonder, the Ninth Base City¡¯s fleet group would take their company¡¯s fleet as the core! This should count as a top-tier financial group.


    ¡ª¡ªEven top-tier financial groups aren¡¯t this badass; this force owns two Abyss Battle Dragons! I heard that Taiyi Biological Group is surveying the Fourteenth Base City and considering relocating their headquarters.


    ¡ª¡ªTsk tsk! Haven¡¯t you noticed? There are two types of concept forces coming from Mr. Lin himself. The only shortcoming is in his Qi and Blood aspect, but his conceptual power can completely contend with Congressman Level forces.


    ¡ª¡ªLook, the majority of the militia fleets from Ninth Base have all entered into a 110% overclock combat mode; they¡¯re going all out, which shows Lin Rui¡¯s strong influence over those financial groups at the Ninth Base.


    ¡ª¡ªHow can it not be strong? Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals alone has over 100 hospitals, 5,200 armament clinics, and 53,200 pharmacies; they¡¯re holding the lifelines of these companies, not to mention he¡¯s an ally of the Great Song¡¯s Hidden Crown Prince, controlling the trading licenses of the Great Song Star Port. Which private fleet would dare not contribute?


    At this time within the Forest Battleship, Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying exchanged glances.


    There was a trace of unwillingness in the eyes of the two women.


    Their conceptual power had actually reached 34% and 33%; just a little bit more and they would reach the standard for participating in battle.


    Ji Xueying then scratched her head in frustration.


    She was truly diligent and hardworking in her cultivation, not daring to stop for even a moment.


    The problem is that cultivation in the Sixth Realm is much harder than in the Fifth Realm.


    Even with the help of the Earth Federation¡¯s armament technology, Ji Xueying estimated she would still need three months to advance to the Seventh Realm, while Shangguan Tianyi would need only two and a half months.


    They couldn¡¯t compare to their master¡¯s extraordinary talent, and of course, this was only natural, since their master is a ¡®God¡¯!


    Ji Xueying was looking forward to the Seventh Realm; not only would it give her a stronger body, stronger spiritual power, a more powerful bloodline talent, but she would also acquire a ¡®Divine Power Pillar¡¯ capable of inheriting her master¡¯s power!


    She and Shangguan Tianyi now are their master¡¯s ¡®priests¡¯. The problem is that only by having a ¡®Divine Power Pillar¡¯ can they inherit their master¡¯s Concept Divine Power.


    At the very front lines of the battlefield, Mihailovich had already withdrawn his gaze that was directed toward the Forest Rui Fang Group¡¯s fleet.


    Just a moment ago, he was deeply shaken by Lin Rui and the power under Lin Rui¡¯s command.


    Mihailovich thought of his student and ex-subordinate Zhu Youheng ¡ª recently, the information from this guy was becoming less frequent.


    Could it be that he had been won over and bought by Lin Rui, completely forgetting his former faith and ideals, becoming a henchman to that up-and-coming conglomerate?


    Mihailovich¡¯s gaze was serious.


    He actually had no intention of dealing with Lin Rui, just wanting to keep a close watch on him and his forces.


    Mihailovich was well aware of the rules of upper-echelon struggles. Unless Lin Rui and the Forest Rui Fang Group¡¯s military and financial power were destroyed, the Federation¡¯s judiciary couldn¡¯t do anything to Lin Rui.


    And as early as during the pharmaceutical wars, Lin Rui¡¯s power was already not inferior to the majority of Congressional Honorary Members. Now the Forest Rui Fang Group was an important piece of the puzzle in the Federation government¡¯s dominance.


    The problem is, Lin Rui has deep ties with the Sky Extreme Star¡¯s forces, and also has associations with East Asia and Li Xianglong.


    This guy has the infamous reputation of the Children¡¯s Song Killer, his mental aspects must be different from ordinary people; Mihailovich, being the Chief of Staff of the Star Navy, must consider the variables brought about by this person when making various decisions.


    Mihailovich quickly refocused his thoughts because, ahead of their fleet, five massive Battle Dragons, each 27 meters tall and of varying appearances, had appeared successively.


    They moved swiftly in space, avoiding the capture fields from the direction of the Dyson Cannon Array, while charging towards the fleet group.


    ¡°Mecha Dragons!¡± Mihailovich let out a soft hum: ¡°As expected!¡±


    The actions by those Quasi-Immortal beings were within his expectations.


    Using Mecha Dragons neither exposed their alien identities within the Earth Federation nor did it entail risk.


    Even if the Mecha Dragons were gravely injured or even fell, it would merely cause damage to the Primordial Spirit without harming their Primordial Qi.


    ¡°I need to enter the command cabin to direct the combat; I¡¯ll leave the rest to you,¡± Mihailovich said, casting a cold glance at Li Xianglong.


    If humanity¡¯s accumulation of Primordial Qi over 800 years were to fail here, it would be unfinished business between him and Li Xianglong!


    He made a final flash step to the bridge of the Federation Star Navy¡¯s flagship, ¡°Great Power.¡±


    At the center of the bridge was a giant capsule connected to the shipboard supercomputer. Mihailovich sat inside, placing a sci-fi-styled helmet on his head.


    In the next moment, circuits inside the helmet interfaced with Mihailovich¡¯s nerves, linking the Chief of Staff¡¯s Divine Sense and thoughts with the shipboard supercomputer. His consciousness then extended through the quantum communication system across the warships, eventually encompassing the entire fleet.


    ¡°All fleet star annihilation weapons, fire as per flagship directive!¡±


    Despite the current powerful computer technology, it remained incapable of accurately predicting the actions of Immortal Level experts.


    Those Quasi-Immortals mastered Escape Skills superbly, able to rip through the void at will, manipulate time, and even reverse time to some extent.


    Hence, relying solely on the shipboard supercomputer¡¯s computational might couldn¡¯t accurately hit these top-tier experts; intervention by someone like Mihailovich was required, employing their top-level martial arts accomplishments and predictive abilities to command firing and weave a barrage.


    At this very moment, 22,000 warships, with a total of over 130,000 star annihilation weapons of various types, commenced segmented volleys.


    They were organized into seven sections, continuously bombarding forward, creating a dense barrage that sealed off the void.


    Mihailovich intended not only to prevent those Quasi-Immortal level Mecha Dragons from approaching but also to gradually compress their evasion space, attempting to lock them in a particular spatial area and then blast them to pieces!


    Yet, things didn¡¯t go as wished. The firepower net formed by 22,000 warships, along with the capture field from the Dyson Cannon Array, merely slightly slowed the advance of the Mecha Dragons!


    They continued to close in, having advanced within a thousand kilometers, now initiating threats to the safety of the front-line warships.


    He also sensed Xie Xingyun¡¯s Qi and Blood rapidly depleting, as he held the ¡°Concept Macro Force Field¡± steady, engaging in exhaustive opposition with several Quasi-Immortal beings.


    Mihailovich was silently apprehensive, thinking, is this what a Quasi-Immortal is?


    This wasn¡¯t even their Immortal Level true form, just their Mecha Dragons, and merely at the Ninth Realm Divine Illumination Level, yet they were already so troublesome!


    At this time, Li Xianglong had already merged with his Battle Dragon, flashing out from the fleet group, with a brilliant Sword Intent sharply directed at the mightiest among the five Quasi-Immortal Dragons.


    The sword light he maneuvered, like the first ray of dawn piercing through space¡¯s darkness and chaos, caused this Battle Dragon, with concept power reaching 82%, to harbor a trace of dread for the first time, starting to retreat, evading Li Xianglong¡¯s transcendent sword techniques that seemed to blend thousands of sword moves and reasonings!


    Mihailovich noticed this scene but couldn¡¯t help narrowing his eyes slightly.


    He realized that this Quasi-Immortal level Mecha Dragon wasn¡¯t wary of Li Xianglong¡¯s sword, but a latent force within Li Xianglong.


    Following Li Xianglong, Linghu Mingde and King Kou Xuan, Financial Sage Julian, and several senior Divine Envoys on the side of the Federation Government also flew into the void ahead.


    They could not confront these ¡°Quasi-Immortals¡± head-on but went all out to curb and obstruct them, preventing them from breaching the Federation fleet group.


    What slightly eased Mihailovich¡¯s mind was that, at this time, several immensely powerful concept forces had also surged within the Federation, almost matching those Quasi-Immortals in strength.


    First was a massive mechanical dragon, in the shape of an ¡°Yinglong¡± as depicted in Eastern mythology, over 500 meters long, rushing out from the belly of a Kunpeng-class large armed freighter of the East Asian Revolutionary Army; then from the direction of the Atlantic Defense Army, rising was an entity, 200 meters tall, resplendent and glorious, with a haloed head and six pairs of white wings, resembling an angel-like artificial being.


    Mihailovich knew these were the so-called ¡°Mechanical Dragon God¡± and ¡°Blazing Angel,¡± products of the ¡°Artificial Abyss¡± plans from the East Asia Republic and the Atlantic Union, respectively.


    Unhesitatingly, they charged into the void ahead, engaging in fierce combat with two Quasi-Immortal Dragons.


    One could see the Blazing Angel¡¯s divine and immaculate skin rapidly dimming and aging, while the mechanical parts of the Mechanical Dragon God, merely engaging in battle for three seconds, already had some components entering an operating overload state.


    But those two Quasi-Immortal Dragons were nevertheless suppressed, and within this brief moment, they were bombarded by the two Abyss Weapons until covered in scars and dripping with blood.


    Mihailovich felt that if they could persist for 50 seconds, they might successfully slay the two Mecha Dragons.


    Subsequently, an ice-blue beam blasted coldly toward another Mecha Dragon in the void, accurately striking this powerful being, which thousands of star annihilation cannons had been unable to lock onto, causing a layer of thin ice to form all over it.


    The ice-blue beam happened to originate from a gigantic eye hovering among the Federation fleet group, continuously emitting blue beams. Simultaneously, with a powerful 82% cold and freezing concept, it fought against that Quasi-Immortal level dragon.


    ¡°Ice Goddess!¡±


    Feodor Mihailovich squinted once again.


    That was the Eurasian Union¡¯s Abyss Weapon ¡ª the Ice Goddess.


    The technological route of East Asia¡¯s ¡°Mechanical Dragon God¡± was purely mechanical, whereas the Atlantic Union¡¯s ¡°Blazing Angel¡± was purely biological.


    The Eurasian Union¡¯s ¡°Ice Goddess¡± was a hybrid of mechanical and biological, although at present, the Ice Goddess had only developed one eye, progressing far less than the ¡°Mechanical Dragon God¡± and ¡°Blazing Angel.¡±


    At this moment, Mihailovich received a message, his expression instantly becoming exceedingly grim.


    It was Star Navy, stationed at the North American Federation Defense Army: Marshal Mihailovich, the North American Abyss Weapon had encountered a minor issue and could not be deployed properly; urgent repairs are underway here.


    Mihailovich¡¯s face changed immediately, cursing internally with a damn!


    Also at this moment, he sensed from behind, four immensely powerful concept forces diffused into the void.


    ¡ª¡ªThese were Pain and Twist! Despair and Destruction!


    It was Lin Rui¡¯s two sisters, the Twin Goddess!


    Mihailovich involuntarily directed his Divine Thought toward the Forest Rui Fang Group, at the two Abyss Battle Dragons already exited the cabin, releasing conceptual power.


    With the faltering of the North American Federation¡¯s Abyss Weapon, the Twin Goddess¡¯s importance in this war was even more heightened!


    They had become the key to whether Lin Tianchen could escape successfully¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 760: 700 Root Slash (Two in One)

    Chapter 760: Chapter 700 Root Slash (Two in One)


    When the Pain and Despair Heavenly Dragon appeared, all commanders at or above the rank of Marshal on the battlefield focused intently.


    The news of the North American Abyss Weapon malfunction had somehow leaked and spread instantly, causing an uproar across various combat units within the fleet. The communication channels were filled with curses, though attention was also sharply directed toward the Forest Rui Fang Group¡¯s Twin Abyss project.


    ¡ª¡ª¡±Those North American sons of bitches! I curse their ancestors to the eighteenth generation! They act high and mighty all the time, but when it truly matters, they fail!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡±Do you think they did it on purpose? I¡¯ve seen their internal test footage a few times. Though the videos were heavily distorted, it seemed fine to me.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡±That¡¯s highly possible. From what I know, the North American Federation Government is likely the most deeply infiltrated by the Longevity Association.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡±Or maybe they¡¯ve been set up. I heard that the North American Federation Government¡¯s ¡®God¡¯s Scepter¡¯ project initially relied on research materials and ideas provided by the Longevity Association.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡±The real question now is: can the ¡®Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯ hold the line?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡±Combat strength isn¡¯t an issue. Those are ¡®Quasi-Abyss¡¯ level! However, the general speculation is that the external usability of the ¡®Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯ is time-limited. According to the Military Intelligence Bureau¡¯s calculations, they believe the ¡®Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯ became deeply contaminated during the battle a month ago and can last no more than 20 seconds.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡±Look! They¡¯re holding it off! No wonder it¡¯s said to be the most powerful Abyss Weapon of the century!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡±Holy shit, the Concept Strength is up to 75%! This is a true Abyss-Level Battle Dragon! Even with the same level of Concept, it¡¯s much stronger than those Quasi-Immortal beings!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡±It¡¯s at 81% now! Still rising¡ªit¡¯s going all out. Is it going to reach Quasi-Abyss Level?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡±Quasi-Abyss Level? That¡¯s unlikely. It¡¯s a theoretical limit, after all! They¡¯re just replicas of Despair and Pain. Controlling even a single Concept is impressive enough. To push it past 90%, they¡¯d need equivalent emotional power to fuel them.¡±


    Fyodor Mihailovich monitored the battlefield, his mind easing slightly.


    The Pain and Despair Heavenly Dragon had not entered the forward space battlefield for close-quarters combat with those Quasi-Immortal Battle Dragons. Instead, it unleashed its Conceptual Powers from above the Forest Rui Fang Group¡¯s fleet with full force!


    This had caused the Quasi-Immortals at the frontlines, along with several of the Longevity Association¡¯s hidden masters, to simultaneously feel Pain and Despair¡ªalongside Twist and Destruction!


    ¡°This is Extreme Longevity¡ªno! It¡¯s Super Longevity Level!¡±


    Fyodor Mihailovich¡¯s pupils contracted slightly. He sensed that the Pain and Despair Concepts from the Twin Maidens had reached 84%, while Twist and Destruction had broken through to 83%!


    The Pain and Despair Heavenly Dragon¡¯s primary targets were the five Quasi-Immortal beings at the frontlines, alongside the Longevity Association¡¯s many Divine Envoys and expert legislators. Yet its Conceptual Powers inevitably spilled over, radiating shockwaves.


    Even Mihailovich felt minor effects¡ªhis body tingled painfully, and he was overwhelmed with a sense of despair at everything before him.


    A thought crept into his head: the Double Heavenly Maiden can only fight for 20 seconds at most. In such a short time, there¡¯s no way we can breach the Longevity Association¡¯s blockade and interception! Humanity is doomed. The Earth Federation has no future left; we¡¯ll all become nothing more than playthings in the hands of the Abyss¡ª


    Fyodor Mihailovich shivered inwardly. He realized his heightened despair stemmed from extending his Spiritual Antenna across the entire fleet, amplifying the emotional feedback to his soul.


    Yet even such residual echoes of these Conceptual Powers were enough to affect someone like him, whose Martial Intent had been conceptualized beyond 50% and whose combat capability neared the Super Divine Envoy Level. It was a testament to the immense strength of Despair and Pain Concepts!


    But the ones most affected were clearly the Longevity Association. Mihailovich could already sense over ten legislators abandoning the battlefield under the influence of despair emotions, fleeing into the nearby Seventh Base City.


    Mihailovich marveled at the overwhelming power of the Double Heavenly Maiden, inwardly envious, wondering when he himself might reach their level of combat strength.


    But he immediately shook his head, recalling the details of the Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯s files and history.


    These two girls were cultivated in test tubes and had lived their entire lives in absolute despair and profound pain.


    Perhaps it was precisely because they had experienced despair so deeply, understood pain so profoundly, that they could control these two Quasi-Abyss Concepts.


    Mihailovich could sense clearly that the Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯s control over the ¡®Pain¡¯ and ¡®Despair¡¯ Concepts far exceeded their mastery of Twist and Destruction.


    The question was: how much longer could they maintain this state?


    Mihailovich sent a direct message to the person in charge of North America¡¯s ¡®God¡¯s Scepter¡¯ project: ¡°Casey! I want to know how much longer it¡¯ll take to get that damned Abyss Weapon of yours online! Is it really God¡¯s Scepter, or is it God¡¯s Fault?¡±


    The person responsible for the project was a female North American engineering academician named Casey Wood.


    Her reply dripped with helplessness: ¡°Apologies! There¡¯s been a mole in our team¡ªthey tampered with the program and burned out the Abyss Weapon¡¯s synaptic neurons. We¡¯re replacing them urgently but will need at least 45 seconds.¡±


    Mihailovich: ¡°*****!¡±


    The Star Navy¡¯s Chief of Staff, who prided himself on his composure, couldn¡¯t help but curse, making Casey Wood¡¯s face turn dark with anger as she immediately cut off their video connection.


    Mihailovich continued swearing under his breath as he urgently checked the status of the Abyss Weapons from the South Asian Republic, Southeast Federation, and Mediterranean Alliance.


    But his expression darkened even further.


    While these weapons had started up nominally, as Mihailovich had predicted, their respective Abyss projects amounted to nothing more than good-looking PowerPoint presentations. When put into actual use, they couldn¡¯t even sustain basic combat operation, let alone activate Immortal-Level Concepts.

 Chapter 761: 700 Root Slash (Two in One)_2

    Chapter 761: Chapter 700 Root Slash (Two in One)_2


    It was at this moment that he heard someone speaking on the combat channel: ¡°87%! Getting closer to Quasi-Abyss level!¡±


    ¡°Impressive. Their target is that ¡®Vajra Emperor Dragon.¡¯ Are they planning to destroy this Quasi-Immortal Battle Dragon?¡±


    Mihailovich immediately looked toward the battlefield ahead.


    He saw a towering Quasi-Immortal Battle Dragon, twenty-seven meters tall, its body clad in platinum and gold, suddenly beginning to twist unnaturally.


    Its entire body was engulfed in black flames¡ªthose were clearly the Flames of Destruction, consuming the blood and flesh of this Quasi-Immortal Battle Dragon.


    The ¡®Vajra Emperor Dragon¡¯ wielded Conceptual Power at a strong 75%, but it was ultimately just a Ninth Realm Divine Illumination-tier Battle Dragon, whose actual power couldn¡¯t compare to that of the Twin Abyss Dragons.


    This Battle Dragon¡¯s tunneling speed was drastically reduced, gradually being trapped within the Dyson Cannon Array¡¯s ¡®Capture Field.¡¯


    Not only this ¡®Vajra Emperor Dragon,¡¯ but the other Quasi-Immortal Battle Dragons were also in a dire state.


    With the twin wings of Despair Heavenly Dragon and Pain Heavenly Dragon fully extended, the force they unleashed grew increasingly overwhelming, their aura becoming more terrifying and unsettling by the second.


    Mihailovich watched this scene, his nerves tightening.


    A month ago, during the battle that erupted in Ninth Base City, the ¡®Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯ only utilized about 80% of their Conceptual Power for approximately 50 seconds.


    Their current Concept Strength had far exceeded what it was a month ago. How much longer could it last?


    From the moment the Twin Abyss Dragons appeared until now, over 15 seconds had passed.


    Strangely enough, Mihailovich¡¯s inner soul remained calm, his energy and blood circulating normally without any signs of anxiety.


    Like Mihailovich, Xu Mengran, who was accompanying the East Asia Republic¡¯s Revolutionary Fleet in battle, also had a furrowed brow.


    He gazed at the pair of Abyss Battle Dragons, spreading massive black wings and enveloping the battlefield in their majestic Conceptual aura, his expression profoundly serious.


    ¡°¡ªIf we have no other options, we can still deploy ¡®Nuwa.¡¯ Li Xianglong must have a contingency plan; the risks remain within controllable boundaries!¡±


    This was the East Asia Republic¡¯s Revolutionary Army Commander. This fifty-year-old man, with an upright posture and eyes as sharp as an eagle¡¯s, stood at the bridge¡¯s forward observation window, simultaneously releasing Conceptual Martial Intent to assist Li Xianglong in battling these Quasi-Immortal entities, while observing the larger tactical situation.


    The East Asia Republic¡¯s Abyss technology strategy didn¡¯t solely rely on the ¡®Mechanical Dragon God.¡¯


    They were uncertain which current Abyss technology approaches could ultimately succeed, so they advanced several paths simultaneously, fully supported by the Republic¡¯s economic strength.


    The ¡®Nuwa Project,¡¯ which followed a biological path and involved various dangerous biological experiments, faced slower progress due to considerations of humanitarian concerns and public opinion. Nonetheless, it could now be deployed in combat, albeit still unstable.


    Their confidentiality measures were airtight; the ¡®Nuwa Project¡¯ remained completely shielded from external disclosure.


    ¡°Those Quasi-Immortals aren¡¯t even exerting their full strength. They simply don¡¯t want their identities within the Federation to be discovered or to expose themselves directly in front of the Abyss.¡±


    Xu Mengran shook his head slightly, still focused on the direction of Despair Heavenly Dragon and Pain Heavenly Dragon: ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not worried about the outcome of this battle. I¡¯m more curious¡ªhow did Lin Rui manage to purge the Double Heavenly Maiden of Abyss Pollution?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been carefully sensing the emotional state of the Pain and Despair Heavenly Maidens. Their souls remain astonishingly pure, showing no signs of Abyssal contamination. This suggests that the persistence duration of Despair and Pain Battle Dragon is significantly longer than our supercomputing estimates.¡±


    The Revolutionary Army Commander¡¯s spirit was stirred by these words, thinking it was excellent news.


    The longer the Double Heavenly Maiden could endure, the higher their odds of victory in this battle.


    The Commander turned his head and cast a warning glance toward Xu Mengran: ¡°Don¡¯t act recklessly. No matter what method Lin Rui is using to achieve Abyss purification, it¡¯s not something we can casually investigate. Unless they actively share it with us¡ªthose three siblings have great trust in us East Asians and hold us in high regard. Let¡¯s not jeopardize that trust.¡±


    Not only were the Double Heavenly Maiden crucial, but Lin Rui himself and his ongoing X-Fostering Project held increasing strategic importance amid the East Asia Republic¡¯s numerous Abyss initiatives.


    Additionally, the Rui Fang Armored Biological Research Institute¡¯s new implant developments were being explored in deep collaboration by both sides.


    ¡ªMr. Lin had already been designated as a vital ally and strategic partner by the East Asia Republic.


    If the ¡®Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯ today could truly last more than 30 seconds in combat as Xu Mengran predicted, then the importance of the trio to East Asia would rise further.


    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t act foolishly.¡±


    Xu Mengran cast a sidelong glance at his old comrade behind him, wondering why this guy thought him so rash.


    ¡°Still, after today¡¯s battle, I plan to personally ask Mr. Lin to implant the new armament for me!¡±


    The Revolutionary Army Commander instantly understood his intent; this implantation surgery might provide Xu Mengran with some insights.


    With a grave expression, he replied: ¡°You want to do it now? I think it¡¯s too risky. My suggestion is to test it out on a couple of old-timers first.¡±


    Most of East Asia Republic¡¯s First and Second-Generation Alien Walkers had perished, leaving only Xu Mengran and the Commander themselves.


    However, there were still several Third and Fourth-Generation Alien Walkers remaining, some of whom were nearing the end of their lifespans or had been driven to despair by Armament Syndrome. It would be safer to conduct trials at Rui Fang first.


    The Republic had many Congressman-level powerhouses, yet altruistic individuals like Xu Mengran and the Commander willing to serve the government were rare¡ªthey couldn¡¯t afford to lose even one.

 Chapter 762: 700 Root Slash (Two in One)_3

    Chapter 762: Chapter 700 Root Slash (Two in One)_3


    The Republic now must guard not only against Tianji Star but also against many political forces within the Federation.


    If they cannot dominate and suppress all member states of the Federation with their own strength, they won¡¯t even be able to sleep at night.


    ¡°No more waiting.¡± Xu Mengran gently shook his head. ¡°Since we have to enter full anesthesia mode and no observations are allowed, this experiment is pointless. Lately, I¡¯ve had a premonition that the situation between Tianji Star and various factions in the Federation could progressively worsen in the next few years. We can¡¯t afford to delay anymore, brother.¡±


    The comrade behind him was also a Second-Generation Alien Walker.


    This person, although he had ascended to the Ninth Realm, did so at the cost of sacrificing a significant portion of his bloodline power and armament, thereby downgrading to the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank.


    Over the following centuries, this People¡¯s Army Commander-in-Chief could barely improve to the Nine Realms Super Emperor Rank, and then remained stuck at that rank, unable to advance further.


    At this moment, an exclamation suddenly burst through the combat channel.


    ¡°Concept Strength at 88% and still climbing!¡±


    ¡°Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯s combat duration has already exceeded 24 seconds, everything seems normal.¡±


    ¡°Look! The body of ¡®Vajra Emperor Dragon¡¯ has breached its defense; its Vajra Concept has shattered, its heart already destroyed by the Despair Heavenly Girl, and its body is about to be torn apart by the Suffering Heavenly Girl!¡±


    ¡°The Dyson Cannon Array reports that their Capture Field has already locked onto the ¡®Vajra Emperor Dragon¡¯ and is preparing for a full salvo!¡±


    ¡°Amazing! This is indeed the most powerful Abyss Weapon of the century, a true pillar of the Federation!¡±


    ¡°Can they keep fighting? I hope they last a bit longer¡ªjust another 50 seconds, and we should be able to annihilate all of these quasi-immortal Battle Dragons.¡±


    The atmosphere in the flagship was bursting with elation, even the People¡¯s Army Commander-in-Chief showed a relieved expression.


    However, Xu Mengran¡¯s mind tightened, and a strong sense of warning arose within him.


    From afar, he noticed a faint, shadowy figure quietly appearing behind Lin Rui.


    The figure concealed itself and emerged with extreme abruptness; even Xu Mengran could detect it only through his superior bloodline and conceptual powers.


    At that moment, neither the fleet¡¯s top-tier situational awareness devices nor the hundred-plus Divine Envoys and Congressman-level individuals detected the presence.


    ¡°Not good!¡± A sharp glint of alarm flashed in Xu Mengran¡¯s eyes. ¡°A quasi-Divine Envoy rank assassin! They actually have assassins of this caliber!¡±


    The person possessed a terrifying bloodline power, as well as the conceptual strengths of ¡®Death,¡¯ ¡®Destiny,¡¯ and ¡®Ghostly Concealment¡¯¡ªall tailored for assassination!


    Furthermore, judging by this assassin¡¯s exoskeleton armor, which was 0.6 meters taller than those used by humans¡ªit was highly likely that he was one of the Tianji people.


    If his judgment was correct, there might be one quasi-immortal secretly assisting this assassin, allowing him to disregard the conceptual macro force field across the fleet as well as its myriad top-tier situational awareness devices.


    ¡°Wait¡ªtwo people! Three¡ªtwo more Congressman level!¡±


    The People¡¯s Army Commander sensed that two additional figures, presumably Congressman-level experts, were also hidden near Lin Rui. However, their concealment ability was weaker, remaining about 580 meters away from him.


    Notably, their exoskeleton armor had also been adjusted and stood as tall as 3 meters!


    ¡°There¡¯s another quasi-immortal nearby!¡±


    He deduced that another quasi-immortal individual was lurking, and that this bastard had somehow torn a massive gap in the Federation fleet¡¯s conceptual macro force field!


    The People¡¯s Army Commander sent out a torrent of deliberate thought waves, communicating with Xu Mengran while surging upward with Sword Control, zipping out of the battleship like a bolt of lightning.


    As he rushed forward, he realized he would not make it in time.


    The two quasi-Divine Envoy assassins could only be handled by Lin Rui himself, and perhaps Lin Rui¡¯s subordinates might lend a hand.


    ¡°Old Xu! What¡¯s your judgment on Lin Rui¡¯s combat strength now? Can he make it through this ordeal?¡±


    The People¡¯s Army Commander, riddled with anxiety, fired this thought pulse at Xu Mengran. Lin Rui¡¯s survival was of paramount importance; more important than even Lin Tianchen.


    This gang of Longevity Association members possessed both ruthlessness and an acute sense of the Federation¡¯s vulnerabilities.


    Lin Rui was now more than just the moral pillar of the Double Heavenly Maiden; he was the nexus connecting multiple factions within the Federation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±


    A bead of cold sweat trickled down Xu Mengran¡¯s forehead as he frantically deployed Illusion Technique, trying to disturb one of the quasi-Divine Envoys.


    But for now, he couldn¡¯t overcome the assassin¡¯s overwhelming Martial Intent.


    ¡°His physical data is classified as level X¡ªso it¡¯s beyond my access. But theoretically, the upper limit of the Seventh Realm should only be quasi-Congressman level! Hmm¡ª¡±


    Meanwhile, floating within the gaps of time and space, a shadowy figure quietly observed Lin Rui intently.


    The figure¡¯s lips curled slightly; he mused whether this era¡¯s ninth Abyss master, wielder of the ¡®Pure Concept,¡¯ might be Lin Rui himself.


    This little fellow was suspicious to the extreme!


    To achieve such meteoric success in just a year and ten months, commanding a vast financial empire and possessing such potent combat power?


    Even though Lin Rui inherited his parents¡¯ blessings and numerous miracle cosmetic formulas, with many of his experts originating from the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song, Lin Hao¡ª combined with the Double Heavenly Maiden as his wings¡ªit was still baffling and borderline miraculous.


    The shadowy figure sensed traces of Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®fate¡¯ having been manipulated and wondered if the Seventh Generation Sect Leader of the Light God Sect or the Great Sun Venerable were involved?


    Back in Lin Rui¡¯s childhood, the Great Sun Venerable had deeply corrupted him. The fact that Lin Rui had survived until now was nothing short of miraculous.


    The cultivation method Lin Rui practiced now, centered on Light, Thunder, and Fire, coupled with the abnormal state of the Double Heavenly Maiden¡ªall raised questions that begged investigation.


    So how would Lin Rui counter this quasi-Divine Envoy and two Congressman-level ambushers?


    Lin Rui also sensed an alarming presence behind him; a subtle yet perilously sharp sword light was stabbing toward his back.


    Its edge was blindingly precise, brimming with boundless killing intent and an indescribable rhythm, yet its concealment was impeccable¡ªleaking no energy, causing no ripples.


    The sword trajectory was nearly flawless, closing in swiftly and leaving only 10 meters between them.


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, then let out a confident chuckle.


    A quasi-Divine Envoy-level assassin? No, it¡¯s one quasi-Divine Envoy and two Congressmen!


    The surrounding conceptual macro force field had also been forcibly breached by a quasi-immortal.


    ¡ª¡ªClearly, they thought very highly of him.


    Without hesitation, Lin Rui released a strand of Sword Qi from the center of his forehead, letting it pierce outward from his body.


    This was the 8SSS+ Secret Skill ¡®Root Slash,¡¯ which he had meticulously prepared upon ascending beyond the Seventh Realm.


    But before the assassin clashed with him, it was Xianyu Yan who intercepted him first.


    Unlike her past failures, Xianyu Yan had long sensed the assassin¡¯s presence this time.


    As she unleashed her sword with full force, her gaze carried a scornful edge.


    The true Longevity Association believed that a quasi-Divine Envoy-ranked assassin could truly take her master¡¯s life?


    Her master, even without using his Abyssal Divine Power, could still contend with a genuine Divine Envoy! Not until his True Yuan was completely drained would he ever lose!


    To her, this opponent was courting death!


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    When their blades clashed, the sharp reverberations deafened them both. Xianyu Yan¡¯s meticulously prepared 8SSS+ sword technique hurled the assassin¡¯s figure back a thousand meters!


    The assassin¡¯s pupils contracted drastically, filled with disbelief.


    For Lin Rui¡¯s strand of Sword Qi had already shot toward his face.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    After enduring Xianyu Yan¡¯s 8SSS+ Secret Sword, the assassin was left powerless.


    At that moment, suffering additional attacks from the techniques and illusions of Wang Tianwu, Xu Mengran, and other masters left him defenseless, resulting in Lin Rui¡¯s Sword Qi directly blasting through his skull!


    Witnessing this scene, Xu Mengran¡¯s pupils contracted sharply as he focused on the center of Lin Rui¡¯s forehead.


    He vaguely sensed the terrifying nature of that Sword Intent; though he only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg, it left him secretly shaken.


    That Sword Intent seemed to embody an exploration of the cosmos¡ªdelving into the origins of the heavens and earth, the essence of existence, and the very roots of causality.


    ¡ª¡ªHow powerful! Frighteningly powerful!


    Within the Federation fleet, everyone watching Lin Rui¡¯s situation fell silent, their expressions bewildered as they contemplated the nature of this sword technique.


    The skill¡¯s designation was merely 8SSS+, yet its power far exceeded that range, exuding a profound sense of the Abyss.


    A distant shadowy figure concealed in time and void shifted slightly in expression, also sensing the dreadful force of Lin Rui¡¯s released Sword Qi.


    Within that strand, the shadow discerned at least seven Congressman-level conceptual powers and an exceptionally terrifying Sword Intent!


    But how was that possible? How could he combine so many conceptual forces?


    More importantly, the shadowy figure cared deeply about Lin Rui¡¯s fate, especially now that the two Congressman-level enemies had reached his side.


    In that instant, the space surrounding Lin Rui violently twisted; bolstered by the ¡®Heaven¡¯s Will¡¯ Battle Armor, the distortion concept magnified to an astounding 57%, completely warping the surrounding space into chaos.

 Chapter 763: 701: Congressman Level!

    Chapter 763: Chapter 701: Congressman Level!


    Beside Lin Rui, an almost absolute level of distortion caused the sword trajectories of the two approaching Honorary Members to veer off completely!


    Not only did they fail to kill Lin Rui as planned, but they were forced to pull back their swords to defend with all their might.


    Because Lin Rui had already drawn his blades! Two beams of brilliance-like blade shadows slashed toward each of them.


    Although the space around Lin Rui was distorted, the two long swords in his hands remained unaffected.


    These blades were crafted using Abyssal Source Stones obtained by Li Xianglong during the mining pit battle and commissioned by an expert who fused cutting-edge technology to create a pair of 9SSS-grade magic artifacts.


    One was named ¡®Taiping¡¯, the other ¡®Zhen¡¯an¡¯; not only were they magic artifacts, but they were also high-frequency vibrating particle blades!


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    A thunderous explosion-like sound rang in Lin Rui¡¯s ears.


    The clash of blades echoed from the direction of his arms, almost tearing through his eardrums.


    The dazzling blade aura pushed the two Honorary Members backward, forcing them to retreat into the void of space.


    ¡°Honorary Member level!¡± The two were shaken to their cores, their expressions filled with dread.


    Based on the brief exchange, Lin Rui clearly exhibited the combat prowess of an Honorary Member level, a candidate for Divine Envoy on Sky Extreme Star!


    The only shortcoming was his raw physical strength, which was only at the early stage of the Eight Realms. However, his bloodline talent, Primordial Spirit strength, and Conceptual Power were all at¡ªand even exceeding¡ªHonorary Member levels! His equipment was top-notch as well.


    This guy¡¯s Conceptual Powers were absurdly abundant! Especially the 57% Twisting Concept, which could stand toe-to-toe with Divine Envoy-level powers even in direct confrontation.


    Having failed in their assault, the two swiftly fled, activating the power systems of their exoskeleton armors in full gear, leveraging Lin Rui¡¯s sword momentum to Flash Escape into the distance.


    However, within the Federation fleet, at least thirty Honorary Members and Divine Envoy-level individuals had already locked their Martial Intent and Concepts onto them.


    A few others had moved ahead to intercept their escape route.


    At that moment, a mysterious figure in the void suddenly grabbed through the distance, forcibly ¡®plucking¡¯ a section of the void where the two Honorary Member assassins were located.


    The mysterious figure was exerting full power, bypassing the limitations of temporal sequence and dimensional restraints, trying to forcibly bring the pair in front of him for a safe escape.


    After all, these two assassins were Honorary Members! Honorary Members worldwide numbered fewer than 800!


    The Longevity Association did possess Artificial Skies that could guarantee their lives, bringing them back after death, which was why these three assassins willingly acted as Death Soldiers, risking everything for the kill amidst an army.


    The problem was that the Artificial Sky functioned at a cost, and revival could result in some degree of psychological impact. Saving lives was still preferable if feasible.


    Just at this moment, the mysterious figure felt a chill gripping his mind. He noticed the two Abyss Battle Dragons simultaneously gazing in his direction.


    Were they discovered?


    The mysterious figure narrowed his eyes, an intense danger surging within him.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The two assassins targeting Lin Rui were suddenly torn apart by the Conceptual Power of the Pain Battle Dragon!


    Their bodies twisted into spiraled tangles like pretzels, accompanied by the grisly cracking sound of bones and flesh, then explosively disintegrated, scattering into a mist of blood particles across the void.


    The mysterious figure had no time to concern himself with them, as two mighty forces simultaneously descended upon him from over seventy thousand miles away.


    One was Lin Xi¡¯s ¡®Despair and Destruction,¡¯ while the other was Lin Yi¡¯s ¡®Pain and Twist¡¯!


    The sisters seamlessly coordinated, with one decimating the mysterious figure¡¯s vital energies, reinforcements, powers, and Concepts, while the other twisted with ferocity, intending to contort him into an obliterated spiral!


    The mysterious figure seemed to glimpse Lin Yi and Lin Xi aboard the belly of the ¡®Forest¡¯ Battleship, their gazes brimming with furious hatred, fixed upon him.


    Die!


    The two sisters transmitted their intent crystal-clear through their Divine Sense and Concepts with unrivaled clarity.


    Meanwhile, the entire Federation fleet was whipped into a frenzy.


    ¡ªHe¡¯s at the Honorary Member level! Mr. Lin is undoubtedly an Honorary Member, and a strong one at that! His Conceptual Power has reached 57%.


    ¡ªThat¡¯s not all! Earlier, Mr. Lin¡¯s sword strike outright obliterated a Quasi Divine Envoy!


    ¡ªDon¡¯t know for sure, but that strike was definitely beyond 8SSS+ grade Secret Skills. Above SSS+ should have its own classification: 8X grade!


    ¡ªTruly terrifying. My boss just mentioned that it almost resembled the Root of power. Even without external interference, that assassin would have been annihilated or severely crippled by that strike.


    ¡ªI¡¯m talking about the strength, speed, bloodline, spiritual power, and Concept Mr. Lin showcased during his clash with the two Honorary Members! Absolutely Honorary Member tier! Especially his bloodline ability and spiritual power, which not only directly resisted that Quasi Divine Envoy but also caused favorable changes to the surrounding spacetime for Mr. Lin.


    ¡ªAn Honorary Member at the Seventh Realm? Unbelievable.


    ¡ªEven our Marshal said, if Mr. Lin were to face a Divine Envoy-level opponent, he might stand his ground for a while. And Mr. Lin¡¯s battle armor¡ªwhose top-level designer modified it¡ªcan enhance Conceptual Power by 10%, with room for further upgrades, potentially reaching 9SSS-grade standards.


    ¡ªThe key was how he managed to integrate so many types of Conceptual Powers! That earlier sword strike included multiple Concepts exceeding 50%, with ¡®Light Trace¡¯ and ¡®Fated Death¡¯ surpassing 52%. Incredible! Typical Honorary Members reach only about 40% Concept strength; stronger ones barely hit 43%.


    At this moment, the focus of everyone once again shifted to the two Abyss Battle Dragons within the fleet.


    ¡ªThe Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯s Conceptual Power has increased beyond 90%.


    ¡ªDespair Concept strength at 90%! Pain has hit 91%!


    ¡ªDestruction Concept at 89%, Pain Concept at 90%!


    ¡ªThe Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯s combat duration has already surpassed 35 seconds! Far exceeding the predictions of the Military Intelligence Bureau¡¯s supercomputers. Can they sustain it further?


    Inside a vast hangar within the belly of the ¡®Forest¡¯ Battleship, Lin Xi¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, tears of blood streaming down her cheeks as her garments fluttered without the presence of wind.


    Lin Xi was channeling and unleashing her powers recklessly, unbothered even as the contamination from the ¡®Despair Venerate¡¯ swiftly accumulated within her.


    She was already mortal enemies with the Longevity Association, and their attempted assassination of Lin Rui only fueled her rage!


    Lin Xi involuntarily recalled the years she spent confined in a nutrient tank, her days grim and devoid of light, the despair of witnessing her mother¡¯s murder, and the crushing anguish when she saw her brother Lin Rui¡¯s head explode.


    Lin Xi had tasted despair deeply and would never allow her siblings to endure it again!


    Not far away, Lin Yi¡¯s delicate skin had split inch by inch across her body.


    At the moment she sensed the assassination attempt on Lin Rui, painful memories she had intentionally buried surged back into her psyche, breaking past the seal she placed on them.


    ¡°It hurts! It... hurts¡ª¡±


    Lin Yi¡¯s lips trembled, uttering cries of anguish akin to a blood-dripping thrush¡¯s lament.


    She had escaped that hell of pain, so why were these people forcing her to relive it? Why did they want to steal everything from her now?


    These bastards wanted to kill her brother, plunging her into a perpetual abyss!


    Blood-red light filled Lin Yi¡¯s eyes, and the blood seeping out from her body coalesced into a pair of massive Blood Wings behind her.


    At that moment, she resembled the ¡®Pain Goddess¡¯ from the distant past of Sky Extreme Star!


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    Outside the battleship, the ¡®Pain Heavenly Dragon¡¯ roared in fury. Though sound could not propagate in the vacuum, its roar nevertheless reverberated across the battlefield.


    In that instant, the distant ¡®Vajra Emperor Dragon,¡¯ which had been resisting all along, finally crumbled, its massive body exploding violently into smithereens¡ªtwisted and pulverized into bloody fragments by the Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯s Conceptual Power!


    ¡°Brilliant!¡±


    In the command cabin, Star Navy¡¯s Chief of Staff Feodor Mihailovich clenched his fist triumphantly.


    The Vajra Emperor Dragon¡¯s destruction by the Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯s power marked a turning point for the Federation fleet¡¯s position.


    It revealed the deep fear that the Longevity-level entities had for the Abyssal forces. They would rather see their Mecha Dragons destroyed than reveal their identities within the Earth Federation.


    At that moment, Mihailovich received a message from the North American Federation¡¯s Casey Wood: The Abyss Weapon¡¯s synaptic nerves have been replaced, and God¡¯s Scepter is nearly operational.


    Mihailovich dismissed the message with disdain, flipping the North American Federation fleet a middle finger.


    At this juncture, who cares about God¡¯s Scepter?


    ¡°Attention, all units: commence 125% overclocked combat mode immediately!¡±


    This time, his orders weren¡¯t restricted to military forces but extended to ¡®all¡¯ units.


    Ten seconds earlier, Mihailovich wouldn¡¯t have dared issue such a command, knowing that corporate private armies wouldn¡¯t comply.


    But now the tide had changed. The strength displayed by the ¡®Pain and Despair Heavenly Maiden¡¯ had instilled a glimmer of hope for victory while reinforcing governmental authority.


    Simultaneously, Mihailovich instructed his command staff, ¡°Continue monitoring the Double Heavenly Maiden! Report real-time metrics to me.¡±


    ¡°Chief of Staff, the sisters¡¯ data remain steady. Although Abyssal contamination in their souls is increasing, it remains under control!¡±


    ¡°The Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯s Conceptual Power is still rising; the Longevity Association has brushed against their reverse scales¡ªit¡¯s terrifying! Already at 92%.¡±


    ¡°Combat duration: 38 seconds. They should be able to hold on!¡±


    ¡°The other Quasi Immortal battle dragons are failing too. They¡¯re retreating!¡±


    ¡°Pin them down. This opportunity is too valuable; we must capture at least two.¡±


    ¡°Attention! Attention! The entire fleet has arrived at designated coordinates!¡±


    In outer space, Martial Arts Association President Xie Xingyun¡¯s face turned pale as a sheet, devoid of any color.


    However, his lips curled into a faint smile of satisfaction.


    ¡ªLi Xianglong¡¯s audacious gamble paid off in the end.


    ¡ªThe sisters¡¯ combat performance was astonishing. Judging by their duration in battle, the pair could likely hold their ground against two Longevity-level entities and, if necessary, drag them into mutual destruction.


    ¡ªAnd Lin Rui, what incredible potential this young man shows!


    Xie Xingyun withdrew his gaze from the ¡®Double Heavenly Maiden,¡¯ his Divine Thought notifying all Divine Envoy-level entities present: ¡°Take note, I now release the Eternal Stone!¡±


    In that moment, a sharp blade-like radiance flashed at the head of the Federation fleet, seemingly bifurcating the surrounding space.


    Lin Tianchen, merged with a Battle Dragon, strode out from the cleaved void, his posture slightly disheveled as he landed beside Xie Xingyun.


    Initially astonished by the nearby Abyss Battle Dragons, Lin Tianchen was shaken by the Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯s Conceptual Power, which was closing in on ninety percent. Then his attention turned forward, his gaze sharp as a blade.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s Blade Intent locked onto the Quasi Immortal ¡®Emperor Flame Dragon¡¯ ahead. A pair of scissor-like Separation and Union blades, shaped like broadswords, clanged as they shredded through the void, striking toward the ¡®Emperor Flame Dragon.¡¯


    He noticed the dragon had not only fallen captive to the Dyson Cannon Array¡¯s Capture Field but was also being crushed by the devastating force of the Pain and Despair Heavenly Maiden!


    At that moment, Lin Tianchen received multiple Divine Thoughts from individuals, including Li Xianglong and Xie Xingyun.


    Without exception, they were all asking what Lin Tianchen had done in the Lower Zone of the Seventh Base City to provoke the Longevity Association into deploying six Quasi Immortals.


    Li Xianglong was most direct: Tianchen, can you confirm the alien identities of these Longevity-level beings?


    Lin Tianchen¡¯s brows rose sharply, his crimson-tinged gaze sweeping fiercely toward the frontlines.

 Chapter 764: 702

    Chapter 764: Chapter 702


    ¡°I found their research base in the Lower Zone of the Seventh Base City. All their Mecha Dragons are here, and they are testing the ¡®Heart of Eternal Life.¡¯ It seems to allow their Mecha Dragons to partially reach Immortal Level standards.¡±


    Lin Tianchen sneered coldly, ¡°I now know the alien identities of three of them, including the President of the Longevity Association.¡±


    The only ones receiving his Divine Thought responses were Xie Xingyun, Lin Rui, Li Xianglong, and Mihailovich, just these few individuals.


    As Lin Tianchen exchanged Divine Thoughts with them, the ¡®Imperial Flame Divine Dragon¡¯ was already under his control, sliced into two by the Separator Scissors, and subsequently twisted into dust by the power of the Double Heavenly Maiden.


    At this moment, the Longevity Association was already in disarray. The hidden Divine Envoys and Congressman Level members of the Longevity Association had long since fled without a trace.


    The remaining four Quasi-Immortal Mecha Dragons were all caught in the Capture Fields of the Dyson Cannon Array. Not only did they have to face the conceptual powers of the Heavenly Maiden of Despair and Pain, and the numerous experts led by Xie Xingyun, but they also had to withstand the barrage of 130,000 Star Annihilation Cannons from the Federation Fleet and the 5,000 Dyson Cannons aimed from the Sun.


    In less than a second, yet another ¡®Brilliant Imperial Heart Dragon¡¯ was twisted into a knot and then exploded with a resounding bang.


    By this time, the six Quasi-Immortal entities had already escaped the battlefield, leaving behind their Mecha Dragons to cover their retreat.


    And within just three seconds, these Mecha Dragons were jointly obliterated by Xie Xingyun and the others!


    The entire Federation Fleet continued its sweep, advancing to the outskirts of the Seventh Base City.


    Under Mihailovich¡¯s command, the two Star Navy fleets deployed their ground forces, who quickly landed and surged like a tidal wave into the Lower Zone of the Seventh Base City, marching fully armed toward the research base location provided by Lin Tianchen.


    After the battle, Lin Rui returned to the bridge of the Forest flagship. He first checked on the condition of his two younger sisters and found that the Abyss Pollution in their bodies was still within controllable limits, much lighter than the last time.


    However, Lin Xi and Lin Yi were both drenched in blood due to extreme outbursts, especially Lin Yi, who was practically covered in wounds.


    Lin Rui felt heartache, helplessness, frustration, and fury all at once.


    He knew that his two sisters had reached their limits because of him, and Lin Yi¡¯s condition was especially due to recalling her past experiences with the Longevity Association and the Divine Light Army, causing old wounds to resurface.


    ¡°In the future, go easier in these situations. I didn¡¯t even use the ¡®Unity¡¯ and ¡®Aggregation¡¯ concepts. What could they do to me?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Unity¡¯ could be enhanced by 5% with the amplification of the Heaven¡¯s Will Battle Armor, reaching a strength of 65%.


    His ¡®Aggregation¡¯ couldn¡¯t be enhanced but still held at 73%, which was Immortal Level!


    After achieving the Seventh Realm Divine Power, Lin Rui was already unrivaled; there were very few in this world who could kill him.


    Lin Rui personally treated their wounds and then used his authority within the Security Bureau to retrieve a few intelligence reports, his expression showing slight surprise.


    These ¡®Immortals¡¯ from Sky Extreme Star had indeed deeply infiltrated the Earth Federation internally.


    On the surface, they kept a low profile, and even within the Longevity Association, they stayed behind the scenes. Yet, within the Federation, they wielded immense power and influence, secretly manipulating the Federation¡¯s policies.


    For instance, the President of the Longevity Association¡ªLin Tianchen confirmed his identity¡ªwas the governor of the Federation Central Bank.


    No wonder Li Xianglong suspected that the Financial Sage was the President of the Longevity Association.


    This person controlled the Federation Central Bank, led the Federation¡¯s financial decisions, and was not only the most important funding source for the Longevity Association but also one of the primary roots of their rapid rise.


    Lin Rui immediately shared Lin Tianchen¡¯s intelligence with his most trusted advisor, Fang Ranran.


    Fang Ranran directly responded: ¡°I predict the next step for the Longevity Association will definitely involve negotiations with you and the others. The question is, what do you intend to do?¡±


    Lin Rui undoubtedly wanted to kill these Immortal Level individuals and flatten the Longevity Association entirely, but the problem was that he currently lacked the ability to do so.


    Don¡¯t be misled by Lin Yi and Lin Xi¡¯s recent sweeping slayings of several Quasi-Immortal Mecha Dragons, which seemed overwhelmingly heroic and unstoppable. The truth is, they relied on the backing of 22,000 Federation warships, 5,000 Dyson Cannons, and over a hundred Congressman Level Divine Envoys led by Xie Xingyun.


    These Quasi-Immortal beings weren¡¯t willing to fight to the death. If they truly fought with reckless abandon, any one of them could have perished alongside Lin Yi and Lin Xi.


    Unless Lin Rui was willing to risk exposing his Abyss Power and being surrounded and killed by the Abyss, there was no chance of completely eradicating the Longevity Association.


    ¡ªAnd that was assuming the Longevity Association was even willing to engage in a decisive battle.


    Lin Rui also thought about those Abyssal forces beyond the Heavenly Curtain, and a shadow of unease crept into his heart.


    If these Immortal Level figures could infiltrate the Federation this deeply, then what about the Abyss entities?


    When Lin Rui thought that someone within the Federation might be the ¡®East Abyss,¡¯ someone who might have been watching him all this time, he felt a chill down his spine.


    Of course, the likelihood was slim. The Eight Great Abysses all required Divine Sleep, and they mostly manipulated fate and subconscious minds from beyond the Heavenly Curtain, influencing the Federation indirectly.


    As Lin Rui deliberated, his quantum communication system received a video conference request from an unknown individual.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes narrowed in confusion as he opened the sender¡¯s profile.


    But before he could browse it, his intelligent terminal projected a virtual image out of nowhere.


    Lin Rui found himself forcibly pulled into a virtual conference room. There were only twelve people in the room. On the left sat the Federation President, Xie Xingyun, Lin Rui, Li Xianglong, Lin Tianchen, and Mihailovich. On the right sat six shadowy and indistinct figures.


    Lin Rui squinted slightly, his thoughts aligning with Fang Ranran¡¯s earlier guess.


    The six individuals on the opposing side were most likely the six Quasi-Immortals from the battlefield earlier, still concealing their identities even now.


    On the left side, with the Federation President and Xie Xingyun in the lead, Lin Rui was surprisingly seated in the third position in the conference room hierarchy, placed above even Li Xianglong and Lin Tianchen, both Senior Divine Envoys.


    The opposing side truly thought highly of him¡ª


    ¡°Gentlemen, we need to talk,¡± rasped one of the shadowy figures in the lead. ¡°If this war continues, it will benefit none of us.¡±


    Lin Tianchen sneered, ¡°How can you say there¡¯s no benefit? At the very least, we can eliminate the Federation¡¯s internal traitors and eliminate the immense threat posed by the Longevity Association.¡±


    ¡°That would be mutual destruction!¡±


    Another figure coldly stared at Lin Tianchen. ¡°I advise you to know your limits. With our power, if we engage in indiscriminate attacks or embark on a ¡®Superlimit War,¡¯ humanity within the Federation cannot bear the cost.¡±


    The President and Xie Xingyun both wore heavy expressions.


    This was indeed their greatest concern. With the strength of the six Longevity Realm individuals opposing them, along with the numerous Congressman Level members and Divine Envoys in the Longevity Association, they indeed had the capability to severely cripple the Federation.


    Nevertheless, at this moment, undermining Lin Rui and Lin Tianchen was not an option.


    These two were the most crucial pillars of military power in the Earth Federation. Without their support, the Federation Government would have no starting position for negotiations with the six Immortals across from them.


    ¡°Mutual destruction? You flatter yourselves.¡±


    Lin Rui leaned back in his chair. In reality, he sat comfortably in the master command seat aboard the Forest¡¯s bridge.


    The seat was incredibly ergonomic, and Lin Rui¡¯s expression remained nonchalant. ¡°I have a friend in the Great Song who told me that the ¡®East Abyss¡¯ actually wishes for peace and stability across the fourteen bases of the Earth Federation.¡±


    The six Immortals visibly tensed at his remark, looking at Lin Rui with suspicion and uncertainty.


    Even the Federation¡¯s representatives couldn¡¯t help but cast sidelong glances at Lin Rui, pondering whether his words were true or not.


    Was Lin Rui¡¯s so-called ¡®friend¡¯ the Hidden Crown Prince of the Great Song?


    Did this mean Lin Rui and the Hidden Crown Prince had some kind of alliance, one that was tacitly allowed by the East Abyss? Could Lin Rui himself be a tool of the East Abyss¡¯s interference within the Federation?


    What about the five other Great Abysses¡¯ stance on the Federation? Everyone had speculated about it before; now, it was unclear whether Lin Rui¡¯s claims added up to the truth or a bluff.


    The fourth Immortal, seated on the opposing side, finally spoke, ¡°The Sky Extreme Five Gods are our mutual enemies. Purgatory is launching its invasion on the surface. If we break out into war at this time, it will only bring pain to allies and delight to the enemy.¡±


    He turned to look at Lin Rui and Lin Tianchen. ¡°We are willing to compensate both of you and the Federation¡ªwith funding, technology, even rare treasures harvested from Purgatory. All can be negotiated. We only ask that you and the Federation set aside these grudges, even if not permanently¡ªat least grant us time to settle things with the Sky Extreme Five Gods.¡±


    Lin Rui and Lin Tianchen exchanged a glance, their piercing gazes colder than ice.


    They could not drag the entire Earth Federation into a deathmatch with the Longevity Association.


    Lin Rui let out a faint chuckle, ¡°Well, what about the Heavenly Curtain? Can we also discuss the Artificial Sky you created?¡±


    The Immortal beings across from him visibly tensed, their auras subtly shifting.


    Seated at the head of the Federation representatives, the President looked utterly perplexed.


    Artificial Sky? What was this?


    However, Xie Xingyun, Li Xianglong, Lin Tianchen, and Mihailovich all remained expressionless.

 Chapter 765: 703: Mice Love Rice

    Chapter 765: Chapter 703: Mice Love Rice


    The Federation President asked Li Xianglong without hesitation: ¡°What is the artificial sky that Lin Rui mentioned? Does your Security Bureau have any relevant intelligence?¡±


    Li Xianglong first shot a peculiar glance at the President, then replied: ¡°The Security Bureau suspected as early as three months ago that the Longevity Association is creating an artificial sky. In almost every intelligence brief we¡¯ve sent to the Presidential Office, this matter has been mentioned.¡±


    With telekinesis, he manipulated some relevant intelligence, packaging it and transmitting it over.


    Li Xianglong: ¡°Additionally, we recently observed significant population disappearances in the lower zones of major base cities, leading us to deduce that their resurrection technology likely originates from the artificial sky.¡±


    The Federation President¡¯s expression became grim: ¡°I¡¯ve seen all the intelligence briefs, and there was never any mention of this!¡±


    Li Xianglong smirked faintly, his eyes tinged with sarcasm: ¡°Then clearly there is a problem within your Presidential Office. All those briefs we provided are verifiable.¡±


    Li Xianglong: ¡°Alternatively, they may have been intercepted. Their side has a quasi-immortal who is the chairman of ¡®Detley Communications Company.¡¯ He controls 37% of the Federation¡¯s quantum communication servers and is also the primary service provider for Capital.¡±


    Sending another message, Li Xianglong tried to soothe: ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not a significant issue. Even if you had found out earlier about the artificial sky, there wasn¡¯t much you could do. Until today, the Longevity Association wouldn¡¯t have even cared about the Federation. The only thing they feared was the Abyss.¡±


    The Federation President furrowed his brows, understanding Li Xianglong¡¯s point.


    If not for today¡¯s victory, the Earth Federation would have no qualifications to sit at the table.


    Even if the artificial sky issue were exposed, it would only fall into the hands of the Abyss, and neither humanity nor the Federation would gain any benefit.


    After this victory, the Federation finally has a chance to reclaim the resources rightfully theirs from the other side¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Artificial sky?¡± The quasi-immortal seated in the fourth position seemed confused: ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Seems like your sincerity in negotiations is rather lacking.¡±


    Lin Tianchen sneered audibly, rubbing the pair of unadorned sabers in his hands in reality, his tone laced with killing intent: ¡°If this is your attitude, then there¡¯s nothing to discuss.¡±


    Lin Rui responded without restraint: ¡°We demand all technical documentation and control rights related to the artificial sky. Otherwise, there¡¯s no room for negotiation.¡±


    The artificial sky forms the foundation of the Longevity Association¡¯s existence.


    Unable to topple the Longevity Association for now, Lin Rui aimed to destroy its cornerstone.


    He raised the terminal bracelet in his hand: ¡°I guarantee that in no more than an hour, the five Abysses will receive all intelligence related to the artificial sky.¡±


    The artificial sky was indeed a treasure; Lin Rui¡¯s first thought upon confirming its existence through various intelligence sources was not to destroy it but to ponder how to usurp control over it.


    Demigod + artificial sky equals what? That would essentially equal a transcendent god. Lin Rui practically salivated at the thought.


    However, if he couldn¡¯t have it, then there was no reason to let it exist.


    Across the table, the six immortals of the Longevity Association furrowed their brows and exchanged glances.


    The Longevity Association Master, seated at the head, fixed Lin Rui with an icy, blade-sharp gaze.


    Though this was merely a virtual conference room, everyone present could feel the boundless killing intent of this immortal-level powerhouse.


    Only after a moment did he withdraw his gaze.


    He noticed that Xie Xingyun, Lin Tianchen, and Li Xianglong were glaring coldly in return, even Mihailovich staying perfectly aligned with their stance.


    The top-tier experts of the Earth Federation were evidently far more united than those in the Longevity Association.


    The Longevity Association Master spoke with an expressionless face: ¡°We can share the artificial sky technology with the Federation. I can also grant you six Tier-One permissions for the sky...¡±


    Before he could finish, Lin Rui interjected forcefully: ¡°Not just for us six, but for all Federation-appointed members and quasi-members. Furthermore, let¡¯s cut the word games¡ªour permissions must be equal to yours! The Longevity Association must also guarantee that the resurrection of members will no longer rely on sacrificing illegal immigrants.¡±


    He then lifted his chin, his voice resolute: ¡°Moreover, the highest authority over the artificial sky must be under Federation control!¡±


    The Longevity Association Master¡¯s glare intensified as he scrutinized Lin Rui.


    He wondered if this young man could possibly be the ¡®Lord of Purity.¡¯


    Polluted deeply by the Great Sun Venerable, Lin Rui¡¯s identity was enigmatic enough to warrant further speculation.


    Just a year and a half ago, Lin Rui was killed, only to be resurrected under circumstances still unclear.


    The only certainty was that the Great Sun Venerable had yet to revive, and the Seventh Generation Sect Leader remained trapped in desperate straits.


    The Longevity Association Master pondered whether granting high authority over the artificial sky to Lin Rui could lead to bringing a demigod into their inner circle.


    After a brief chuckle, he dismissed the notion.


    This youth might indeed be the ¡®Lord of Purity,¡¯ a demigod. But at merely the Seventh Realm, he was still far from being a true god.


    Especially in conceptualizing martial intent¡ª among those immortal-level figures, none had condensed and refined their martial intent in less than a century, some taking several centuries.


    And the deep-tier permissions of the artificial sky rested entirely in his hands, far beyond the reach of the Federation or Lin Rui.


    The truth entering the artificial sky would actually present an opportunity for the Longevity Association Master to seize the Pure Concept.


    Though deeply coveted by the Great Sun Venerable, the ¡®Pure Concept¡¯ wasn¡¯t something even he dared to desire outright.


    Yet, if Lin Rui¡¯s true spirit entered the artificial sky under his control, everything would change.


    Lin Rui was merely the product of the battle between the Great Sun Venerable and the Lord of Purity, a chosen vessel for their resurrection¡ªa pawn bearing others¡¯ conceptual achievements¡ª trapped unknowingly in the web of fate.


    Lin Rui¡¯s power wasn¡¯t enough to firmly grasp the Pure Concept.


    ¡°Very well!¡±


    The Longevity Association Master¡¯s face turned stern: ¡°Let¡¯s do this: The Longevity Association will grant equal permissions to the Federation¡¯s six highest authorities. As for the artificial sky¡¯s supreme authority, I propose it be held by the Federation President. We will also forgo using sacrificial methods for resurrection of members. But let me be clear, without the sacrificial process, the artificial sky¡¯s value significantly diminishes.¡±


    Internally, he sneered. These Divine Envoys and legislators among humans, could they resist the temptation of using the permissions they obtain?


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. Did this man truly agree?


    The Longevity Association was unlike any other entity; they had access to records from Lin Rui¡¯s childhood and knew he had been profoundly corrupted by the Great Sun Venerable.


    Even if they deduced Lin Rui to be the new King Ming, Lin Rui still wouldn¡¯t be surprised.


    This was effectively granting the mouse access to the grain silo.


    Lin Rui spat twice, scoffing internally. He wasn¡¯t any mouse.


    Still, what was happening here? Was Ge Xianshan¡¯s Knowledge Barrier in effect?


    Fearing a retraction, Lin Rui kept his face unreadable and said, ¡°Sounds acceptable. But your six positions within the Federation and the power you still wield make me uneasy.¡±


    The Longevity Association Master frowned again, deliberating: ¡°I can resign, but not at this moment. The Imperial City Department has infiltrated at least ten thousand Demon Suppression Envoys across the Federation, constantly monitoring every internal development. If I resign now, it will leave a blatant clue and raise suspicion.¡±


    The Longevity Association Master turned to the Federation President: ¡°Mr. President, you may assign trusted personnel to monitor me in my duties.¡±


    Li Xianglong immediately sensed something amiss, but just as he attempted to speak, the President said: ¡°Your proposal warrants consideration.¡±


    Lin Tianchen and Xie Xingyun glanced at the President, their gazes heavy with implications.


    Lin Tianchen let out a cold chuckle and said frostily: ¡°You have yet to convince me or Mr. Lin. Frankly, the grudges I carry won¡¯t allow me to cease hostilities or stop the war with you.¡±


    ¡°General Lin, although I am the Association¡¯s President, several others here are the Founders. Operationally, the Association is managed by an executive trio, and all actions against you were decided by them, not us.¡±


    The Longevity Association Master smirked faintly: ¡°This is a private grudge between you and them that we founders shall not interfere with.¡±


    His eyes flashed with annoyance.


    Their exposure came directly because Yi Duxing and his allies deliberately led Lin Tianchen to find them.


    The Longevity Association Master wished to teach these people a sharp lesson while ensuring the Association¡¯s internal cohesion wasn¡¯t completely destroyed.


    Scanning the group, his gaze locked tightly onto Lin Rui.


    ¡ª This was the crucial variable, and the weightiest one.


    He needed to mollify Lin Rui and lure his true spirit into the artificial sky.


    After musing briefly, the Longevity Association Master stated decisively: ¡°We founders are willing to compensate Mr. Lin with 10 billion federal coins and three defensive Ninth Realm Emperor Rank magic artifacts, in exchange for Mr. Lin signing a non-aggression agreement with us.¡±


    As long as Lin Rui abstained from assisting Lin Tianchen, Yi Duxing and his allies wouldn¡¯t suffer too catastrophic a defeat.


    While Lin Tianchen had Li Xianglong and others backing him, Yi Duxing and Zang Shaochen were equally formidable senior Divine Envoys.


    Lin Rui sneered immediately, thinking, ¡°Do I look like someone who lacks money? 10 billion federal coins is an insult¡ªdoes the amalgam of the Clear Concept and two Abyssal weapons only amount to this much?¡±


    And three Ninth Realm Emperor Rank magic artifacts do nothing for him; through Luo Wangshu and East Asia¡¯s connections, he could obtain the materials to craft artifacts perfectly tailored to himself.


    Seeing Lin Rui¡¯s indifference, the Longevity Association Master realized how difficult this young man was.


    Smiling after a brief pause, he added: ¡°We can further offer materials to construct a sky curtain base. I¡¯ll send you the inventory. This base could house up to 12 million ¡®Sky Curtain Spirits,¡¯ with the highest permissions delegated to you.¡±


    The materials listed were originally intended for the Ninth Base City, for expanding the Ninth Sky Curtain there.


    But now that the Ninth Base City had completely fallen under Lin Rui and his allies¡¯ control, the Association found themselves unable to proceed, even with the materials in hand.


    Thus, the Longevity Association Master decided it was better to use Lin Rui¡¯s hand to complete the task instead.


    ¡°Artificial sky materials?¡± Lin Rui glanced over the files sent by the Longevity Association Master, his expression quickly growing peculiar.


    The Light God Sect still held historical archives from the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, detailing materials used to forge the ¡®Radiant Holy Altar.¡¯


    The overlap between the two material lists was astonishingly extensive; the main components were almost identical¡ª

 Chapter 766: 704: Replacement

    Chapter 766: Chapter 704: Replacement


    Federation Congress Hall. Fang Ranran had not received Lin Rui¡¯s reply for a long time, so she sent another message over, only to receive the response: ¡°The recipient is in a virtual meeting, please contact later.¡±


    Fang Ranran immediately understood, thinking that the speed of the Longevity Association was astonishingly fast.


    After she closed the communication window with Lin Rui, she noticed that a group of Congressmen around her had peculiar expressions as they looked at her.


    Fang Ranran swept her gaze across them; some hurriedly avoided her eyes, while others smiled faintly and nodded to greet her.


    Even the two high-ranking senior and deputy speakers of the Congress smiled amiably and raised their hands in greeting.


    Although these two speakers were stern and unsmiling just a month ago, their attitudes toward her had dramatically shifted, and today, they were exceptionally friendly and approachable.


    At this moment, a few Congressmen from the Bright Front shared screenshots from their work group chats with her.


    They were discussing the sudden outbreak of war in the Seventh Base City, with all eyes focusing on Fang Ranran¡¯s boyfriend Lin Rui and his two sisters, the ¡°Double Heavenly Maiden.¡±


    At this time, their work group chats were like boiling pots, producing hundreds of messages every second.


    ¡ª¡ª Seventh Realm and at the Congressman Level? Such talent is too outstanding. It¡¯s said that he¡¯s even at the advanced Congressman Level, capable of briefly confronting those at the Divine Envoy Level. If he advances to the Eighth Realm, what then?


    ¡ª¡ª It¡¯s said his 8SSS+ swordsmanship is incredibly powerful, seriously injuring a Quasi-Divine Envoy with one strike.


    ¡ª¡ª Even scarier are his two sisters¡ªthis battle saw the ¡°Despair and Pain¡± Heavenly Maiden achieve sustained combat for 42 seconds, with a Concept Strength exceeding 90% for at least 5 seconds. They were the core force in allowing the Federation Fleet to defeat the Longevity Association.


    ¡ª¡ª Wasn¡¯t it previously said that the Twin Goddess¡¯ maximum combat duration over the past two months was 20 seconds, and anything longer would lead to disaster? The military¡¯s so-called ¡°reliable information¡± sure sounded confident.


    ¡ª¡ª I don¡¯t know about that, but following this battle, the Twin Goddess will undoubtedly become the pillar of the Earth Federation.


    ¡ª¡ª The Federation has truly undergone a transformation. Starting now, the Forest Rui Fang Group is the Federation¡¯s top-tier financial conglomerate. Can you fathom it? Two Quasi-Abyss members, four Congressman Level figures, eight and a half Quasi-Members, a subdivisional fleet, and five Heavy Equipment Divisions¡ªwhat¡¯s the value of all that?


    ¡ª¡ª Anyways, their family has solidified its position. Do you guys know? My boss is now panicking. He used to believe this group wouldn¡¯t last long, rejecting Fang Ranran¡¯s several proposals without even providing a reason. He¡¯s in big trouble now.


    Some were also discussing the Longevity Association.


    ¡ª¡ª I never expected so many Quasi-Immortals within the Federation¡ªare all of them Alien Immortals from Tianji Star? It¡¯s truly terrifying.


    ¡ª¡ª The major news channels are eerily quiet, with no reports. I checked all the political forums and couldn¡¯t find a single post detailing the battle.


    ¡ª¡ª Undoubtedly it¡¯s news control. Right now, we only know scraps of information.


    ¡ª¡ª Why? And an organization as cruel and bloodthirsty as the Longevity Association¡ªwhy can¡¯t it be exposed and brought to public attention?


    ¡ª¡ª Are you an idiot? If matters involving the Longevity Association were widely spread, it would incite public panic. Besides, those few Immortal Level individuals are mortal enemies of the Abyss. Starting a war with them would bring no benefit to the Federation.


    ¡ª¡ª They must have struck covert deals, jointly controlling the media. Incredible. This incident is practically an internal war¡ªover 22,000 warships were mobilized, and there¡¯s not a trace of it online. Damn, my boss is looking for me, asking me to sign an information confidentiality agreement.


    Fang Ranran used her alternate account to browse through the chat records in these work groups. As she blissfully enjoyed herself, she heard crisp notification sounds¡ª¡¯ding-dong¡¯¡ªinforming her of new incoming emails, marked as important.


    When Fang Ranran opened the email, she discovered it was regarding the expansion plan for the Ninth Base City. Funding that had been stuck within the Federation was finally approved¡ªa total of 52 trillion federal coins. The outrageous sum Fang Ranran had asked for was remarkably granted in full.


    Fang Ranran let out a quiet sigh. She thought to herself that this money was simply the extraction of the lifeblood and sweat of civilians from various Federation colonial stars.


    The current national policy of the Earth Federation was to mobilize the entire nation¡¯s resources to support the war front, specifically the 14 satellite bases of Tianji Star.


    The highest levels of the Federation Government were resolute, believing that evasion was futile. They must swiftly decipher the Martial Arts secrets of Tianji Star, allowing humanity to achieve parity in power and fortify all 12 satellites of Tianji Star into indestructible fortresses¡ªthe first line of defense against the people of Tianji Star.


    As a result, the major colonial stars of the Federation faced severe exploitation, causing many Federation citizens unable to survive to migrate to Tianji Star or smuggle themselves in.


    Some colonial stars sought independence, aiming to overthrow the Earth Federation¡¯s rule, but were unable to contend with the overwhelming military might of the 14 Base Cities.


    All the Earth Federation needed was a single subdivisional fleet and one Heavy Equipment Division to suppress these colonial stars.


    Their Armored Warriors, while unable to freely manipulate various natural forces in other star domains, possessed physical qualities, strength, and speed far surpassing regular humans.


    However, what puzzled Fang Ranran was that 220 years ago, when the Federation Government was still located on Earth, nearly one-third of the Federation¡¯s elite leaders advocated detachment from Tianji Star.


    They believed the universe was vast and that the Federation, yet to fully explore even the Milky Way, could simply avoid Tianji Star. On the contrary, deeply engaging with Tianji Star¡¯s inhabitants, enabling this race to escape their planetary shackles, posed the real danger.


    Yet, after the Federation relocated its government to the Capital Ship stationed at Tianji Star, this political viewpoint began to vanish, replaced by an outright inclination toward Tianji Star.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    After the war concluded, Lin Rui had no time to rest and had to continue working tirelessly.


    First, he had to help Xu Mengran replace his Armament. Once finished, Li Xianglong followed closely behind, accompanied by Lin Tianchen.


    Since both required a considerable amount of armament replacements¡ªand needed the implantation of two new SSS+ Armaments on top of their existing ones¡ªthe surgeries took over 24 hours each. Lin Rui worked nonstop for two days without sleep, completing both transformations.


    But with his Seventh Realm cultivation and extraordinary vitality, two sleepless nights hardly fazed him¡ªfar out of reach for ordinary people.


    Once Li Xianglong¡¯s surgery was complete, the first thing he did upon waking was test his new Armaments.


    The test results left him extremely satisfied. Perhaps owing to Li Xianglong¡¯s deeper cultivation, the overall efficiency of his new Armaments surpassed that of Lin Tianchen¡¯s significantly. The enhancements to various Bloodline Abilities reached an astounding 45%, and after the implantation of the two new SSS+ Armaments, Li Xianglong even had some residual spiritual power capacity.


    The key point was that the two new SSS+ Armaments not only granted him greater spatiotemporal abilities but also boosted his Concept Strength by an additional 4%¡ªenough to bridge the gap between Senior Divine Envoy and Super Divine Envoy levels.


    The question remained: through what method had Lin Rui refined his body and soul, enabling him to adapt to new Armaments and reestablish the bond between spirit and body?


    Li Xianglong privately messaged Lin Tianchen: ¡°Old Lin, did you notice anything during your surgery?¡±


    Lin Tianchen: ¡°Nothing. Lin Rui¡¯s anesthetics are extraordinary. His mastery over the concepts of ¡®Paralysis¡¯ and ¡®Divine Poison¡¯ is at least 38%, and paired with his Heaven¡¯s Will armor, it¡¯s even harder to resist.¡±


    Lin Tianchen: ¡°You have higher cultivation than me and were on guard¡ªsurely you retained some awareness during the surgery?¡±


    Lin Tianchen, in truth, had little interest in probing Lin Rui¡¯s secrets.


    Unlike Li Xianglong, Lin Tianchen considered himself deeply indebted to Lin Rui. Without Lin Rui, he would never have avenged those assassinated among his former associates.


    Li Xianglong, upon hearing this, turned black-faced. He thought he¡¯d be able to preserve some consciousness, but underestimated the potency of Lin Rui¡¯s medicine.


    Li Xianglong shook his head in resignation: ¡°Such a pity!¡±


    The pity lay in the fact that the first to sixth-generation Alien Walkers were almost wiped out.


    Among these Alien Walkers, there were numerous exceptionally gifted figures who met tragic ends due to defective Armaments.


    Their Martial Arts foundations were profound. Should they escape the influence of the Armaments and cure their Armament Syndromes, they could soar high, exponentially augmenting the Federation¡¯s military reserves.


    The East Asia side managed to preserve some grace when addressing veteran Alien Walkers afflicted by Armament Syndrome, so there were still survivors among those from before the sixth generation.


    However, the North American Federation and the Atlantic Union were far too ruthless with their Darwinistic approach to Alien Walkers, resulting in the complete extinction of anyone beyond the third generation.


    At this moment, Li Xianglong sensed powerful life force surging nearby, accompanied by waves of overwhelming Ether Spiritual Tide emanating from an adjacent laboratory.


    ¡°Ninth Realm Emperor Rank?¡± Li Xianglong glanced over in surprise, ¡°Is it Xu Mengran?¡±


    He instantly grasped the situation, turning his gaze toward Lin Rui through the observation glass: ¡°Did you implant the Ninth Realm Main Armor, ¡®Divine Platform,¡¯ for him?¡±


    Li Xianglong had not anticipated Xu Mengran¡¯s audacity in directly breaking through to the Ninth Realm before even adjusting to his new Armament.


    Lin Rui also glanced in Xu Mengran¡¯s direction and nodded slightly: ¡°It was Commander Xu¡¯s own request. With his cultivation and accumulation, it¡¯s actually sufficient.¡±


    Li Xianglong felt a mix of joy and concern.


    Joy for the Earth Federation gaining another Senior Divine Envoy, and concern for the imminent shifts in the Federation¡¯s internal power dynamics.


    After Xu Mengran¡¯s breakthrough, a wave of Alien Walkers from the East Asia Republic would undoubtedly follow suit in upgrading their Armaments, rapidly boosting East Asia¡¯s military prowess and disrupting the balance within the Federation.

 Chapter 767: 705: Altar of God

    Chapter 767: Chapter 705: Altar of God


    Xu Mengran, who had just advanced to the Ninth Realm, was actually pondering how Lin Rui managed to initialize his body and soul. How did Lin Rui help him adapt to the new biomechanical implants and achieve another fusion between spirit and body?


    Unlike Li Xianglong, Xu Mengran had completely lost consciousness during the surgery, but he had some speculations about Lin Rui¡¯s methods.


    After all, during the battle against Ling Huan a year ago, Xu Mengran had caught a glimpse of something with his peripheral vision.


    Xu Mengran¡¯s mouth felt inexplicably dry.


    Could it be possible, as he had hypothesized, that Lin Rui was truly a ¡®God¡¯?


    This matter required further confirmation; reckless assumptions couldn¡¯t be made.


    Fortunately, based on the information Xu Mengran had, there might soon be an opportunity.


    Early the next morning, when Xu Mengran was leaving the Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, Lin Rui personally came to see him off.


    ¡°This next period may trouble you a lot. We currently have ninety-two survivors among the first six generations of Alien Walkers in East Asia, all of whom need their biomechanical implants replaced. Xiao Rui, coordinate the arrangements in whatever way is most convenient for you,¡± Lin Rui said.


    Walking side by side, Xu Mengran and Lin Rui exited the Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute. Xu Mengran cast a deliberate glance towards the direction of the Ninth Division of the Security Bureau, his expression not particularly pleasant: ¡°Li Xianglong, that wretched guy, talked to me all night yesterday, rambling on and on. Between the lines, it was all about prioritizing the overall situation. He fears that East Asia might disrupt his so-called Federation power structure but hasn¡¯t thought about which side he himself should be sitting on.¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue, thinking that if he were Li Xianglong, he might worry too.


    Those early Alien Walkers who had survived until now were essentially the best of the best; their martial arts foundation far exceeded that of Quasi-Members and Congressman-Level individuals today.


    If these people successfully cured Armament Syndrome and advanced their bloodline and cultivation, they would undoubtedly become top-tier warriors.


    Terrifyingly, there were as many as ninety-two such figures in East Asia! If the Federation suddenly gained ninety-two new Members and Quasi-Members overnight, what kind of implications would that hold?


    Even if East Asia prioritized the big picture, holding such powerful tools often led to the spontaneous rise of killing intent.


    Of course, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t perform all the surgeries in a single day; he estimated that he would only be able to free up two to three days within a month.


    ¡°Actually, Old Li¡¯s concerns are not unfounded,¡± Lin Rui said with a faint smile. ¡°The more top-tier warriors the Federation has, the fewer positions there are to accommodate them. A major upheaval is bound to happen.¡±


    Xu Mengran¡¯s expression turned serious as he nodded slightly in agreement: ¡°Mr. Lin, you¡¯ve made a valid point. That¡¯s why we need to arrange proper opportunities for them ahead of time. Your Forest Rui Fang Group should still be in need of manpower, right? If you trust us, you can help arrange a few new positions for them.


    Also, I heard that recently the trade at the Great Song Star Port has been flourishing. Just two days ago, daily revenue exceeded 3.8 million liang of Divine Gold, and cargo ships are running short. Is there a chance to issue an additional ten thousand trade licenses this year? Could East Asia be given a greater allocation?¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself that Li Xianglong¡¯s worries were already coming true. As East Asia grew stronger, they would naturally seek more.


    But this was a development he welcomed¡ª


    ¡°I am, of course, eager to recruit talents; the more, the better. That said, I¡¯m just afraid these senior figures might prefer being the head of a chicken rather than the tail of a phoenix and disregard my group,¡± Lin Rui remarked thoughtfully. ¡°As for the trade licenses, I¡¯ll do my best to arrange them. The issue is that scarcity creates value. If too many are issued in a short time, it might not favor further liberalization of Great Song¡¯s trade. We must ensure that the Great Song Court and legitimate traders earn enough profit and derive substantial benefits so that this prosperity lasts.


    Therefore, harmony on Great Song¡¯s surface is paramount. Only when the eight provinces of Luojing are peaceful can we procure sufficient supplies. Additionally, with regards to the Light God Sect, could East Asia consider providing them more support?¡±


    Lin Rui smiled slightly: ¡°They have a large population and strong capabilities. Recently, they purchased four improved ¡®Stellar Class¡¯ colonial battleships from your side, seemingly intending to use their Divine Artifact ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ for underground farming ventures. I find this promising. I believe East Asia could lend them some funds to build ten more ¡®Stellar Class¡¯ ships. Provide seeds and technical support for deeper collaboration between both sides.¡±


    ¡°Stellar Class? Underground farming?¡± Xu Mengran fell into contemplation.


    He should have long suspected that Lin Rui, as the ¡®Supreme,¡¯ might also be the new leader of the Light God Sect.


    If Lin Rui were indeed a ¡®God,¡¯ recognized as the Supreme by numerous Hearts of Light, then his connection to the Light God Sect would be highly suspicious.


    Yet for some reason, Xu Mengran had never considered this angle.


    After a moment, Xu Mengran nodded. ¡°I can arrange for someone to contact King Ming to explore this possibility!¡±


    The improved ¡®Stellar Class¡¯ colonial battleships had adopted a variety of new technologies but were still largely based on designs from 800 years ago. Their construction didn¡¯t demand ultramassive Quantum Transfer Devices, relying instead on curvature drives to navigate beneath planetary layers. Thus, their cost was only about one-sixth that of an ¡®Yinglong-Class¡¯ battleship.


    If negotiations with the newly appointed King Ming led to a successful deal, then East Asia would ultimately monopolize the shipbuilding order.


    Moreover, East Asia¡¯s previously decommissioned underground mobile bases could also be sold to King Ming through financing schemes.


    The East Asia National Security Bureau remained highly cautious of the Invincible Dharma King. Since taking office as the Regent Deputy Sect Leader, his forces had already expanded to 500,000 troops, with an additional thirty-five starships.


    Thus, the internal consensus within the East Asia National Security Bureau was to bolster King Ming¡¯s position in order to restrain the Invincible Dharma King within the Light God Sect.


    ¡°Speaking of the Light God Sect, I also have intelligence related to them to share with you. Mr. Lin, you¡¯ve likely heard by now that Ling Huan has been resurrected.¡±


    Xu Mengran noted the flash in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes, signaling his growing interest. Xu Mengran smiled slightly: ¡°We recently discovered traces of Ling Huan¡¯s alien form in Tianzhou, among the archipelago of Dalu Islands.¡±


    ¡°Tianzhou? The Tianzhou Diocese?¡± Lin Rui leaned in: ¡°Why would he go there?¡±


    The Dalu Islands were among the twenty-eight islands of Central Continent, governed by the Dalu Kingdom. The nation comprised seven large islands, each with one or two jurisdictions.


    Among them, Tianzhou Island was controlled by the Light God Sect and established as a diocese by Dharma King Bai Mei, Yin Wansui, who oversaw the ecclesiastical affairs of Eastern Isles within Central Continent¡¯s twenty-eight islands.


    ¡°Likely to rescue Elder Wan Xin from captivity.¡±


    Xu Mengran raised his hand to operate a virtual screen, forwarding relevant intelligence to Lin Rui: ¡°He¡¯s an old adversary of mine. Since Ling Huan¡¯s resurrection, I¡¯ve been closely tracking his movements. His primary body remains recuperating, but his alien form ventured to Tianzhou.¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself, I¡¯ve been tracking him as well. Not only has Wang Tianwu been pursuing his mentor, but Lin Xi, as the Intelligence Director, has also been assisting.


    Additionally, Lin Rui, under the alias Thunder, had mobilized some forces within the Security Bureau, yet was initially unaware of Ling Huan¡¯s alien form¡¯s whereabouts.


    And now the effort to rescue Elder Wan Xin¡ªwhat was going on?


    This made it clear that the Forest Group¡¯s intelligence resources had notable gaps.


    Of course, they were merely a company and couldn¡¯t compete with a national entity.


    Xu Mengran continued: ¡°While tracking Ling Huan¡¯s movements, I stumbled upon an intriguing revelation. Elder Wan Xin of the Light God Sect has also been resurrected, but he was betrayed by his disciple, Dharma King Bai Mei, Yin Wansui, who suppressed him somewhere within Tianzhou. Ling Huan, together with remnants of the Divine Light Army, is attempting to free Elder Wan Xin.¡±


    Lin Rui narrowed his eyes.


    He had nearly concluded that Dharma King Bai Mei, Yin Wansui, was a rebel preparing for insurrection.


    But now it seemed that while Yin Wansui indeed harbored treacherous traits, the truth appeared more complex¡ª


    ¡°What, then, is General Xu¡¯s proposal?¡±


    ¡°My suggestion is naturally to collaborate with Mr. Lin and ensure Ling Huan dies once more. I presume Mr. Lin shares this sentiment? The current situation is already messy enough; we can¡¯t let the Divine Light Army continue stirring up trouble.¡±


    Xu Mengran clapped Lin Rui¡¯s shoulder: ¡°If Mr. Lin plans to take action, kindly notify me in advance.¡±


    Having replaced his biomechanical implants and advanced to the Ninth Realm, Xu Mengran was eager to give Ling Huan a surprise.


    The Earth Federation¡¯s current foremost authority in illusion techniques had returned to its original master¡ªXu Mengran.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    After seeing Xu Mengran off, Lin Rui stood at the harbor, lost in thought for quite some time before taking to the skies and arriving at Wang Yinyue¡¯s workshop.


    Gathered here were the key technical talents he depended on most¡ªWang Yinyue, Huang Fuqing, representative of the Heart of Light known as ¡®Number 9,¡¯ and Shi Yan, who had been possessed by Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± Lin Rui sat boldly in the main seat. ¡°How goes your research on the Sky Curtain Base blueprints sent by the Longevity Association?¡±


    Wang Yinyue furrowed her brows: ¡°There are issues, but I can¡¯t pinpoint them.¡±


    Huang Fuqing shook his head, replying to Lin Rui via a quantum chip: The issues are significant, but we cannot identify them.


    Shi Yan, however, spoke up: ¡°It¡¯s a Knowledge Barrier. They¡¯ve concealed the most critical aspects, likely with another layer of hidden permissions behind the so-called highest clearance.¡±


    At this moment, Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable was naturally the one controlling Shi Yan¡¯s body.


    In ancient times, Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable was reputed for having the highest mastery of talismanic arrays, second only to the creator of the art himself, Divine Talisman Venerable.


    Although Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable lacked familiarity with modern technology, he could provide invaluable assistance to Lin Rui.


    When Wang Yinyue helped Lin Rui modify the ¡®Heaven¡¯s Will¡¯ Battle Armor, Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable had participated in designing the talismanic arrays.


    This time, Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable didn¡¯t disappoint either.


    ¡°Knowledge Barrier?¡± Lin Rui murmured, furrowing his brows slightly.


    He was well aware of the sheer power of the Knowledge Barrier. Despite the fact that the Longevity Association and Xu Mengran had gleaned extensive key intelligence about him, they still couldn¡¯t ascertain his true identity.


    Even the Longevity Association Master dared to grant him control over advanced permissions within the Sky Curtain¡ª


    ¡°Then is my modification plan feasible?¡±


    Pointing to his sketch, Lin Rui asked, ¡°Can you forge a ¡®Jingyi Altar¡¯ and disguise it within the artificial sky?¡±


    He could have simply replicated a ¡®Radiant Holy Altar,¡¯ which had far lower technical challenges.


    But Lin Rui refused to settle for repetition; he was determined not to become a mere vessel for the resurrection of Divine Spirits. He had to forge his own path¡ª


    ¡°The difficulty is considerable,¡± Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable shook his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t just about talismanic arrays; it also involves a significant integration of mechanical and electronic technologies. I¡¯ll need some time to study deeply.¡±


    Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯s eyes gleamed with a mix of curiosity and fervor.


    Earthlings had actually developed something as extraordinary as the ¡®Artificial Sky.¡¯


    Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable realized that he had to showcase his utmost value before Lin Rui to gain reciprocal rewards.


    Wang Yinyue also nodded, as the intricate mechanisms within the ¡®Artificial Sky,¡¯ intertwined with divine mysteries, were beyond her immediate comprehension.


    Light Heart¡¯s Number 9, connected through a Red Spider 8PRO, participated in the technical discussion, her voice firm and excited: ¡°The Heart of Light will exhaustively simulate and calculate to realize the will of the Supreme!¡±


    At that moment, her conviction only strengthened that the Supreme was their ¡®God¡¯¡ªthe savior heralded in the Light Teachings.


    Lin Rui, however, frowned slightly, detecting the underlying message in Number 9¡¯s words¡ªthat calculations would be exhaustive but couldn¡¯t guarantee a timeline.


    Yet the artificial sky¡¯s deployment was a matter of urgency; his only viable recourse seemed to be his Battle Spirit Ring.


    He needed more soul power points to see if the technical solution for the ¡®Jingyi Altar¡¯ could be pushed forward.


    After brief deliberation, Lin Rui messaged Huang Fuqing: ¡°Stay prepared for today¡ªI¡¯ll be requiring your primary consciousness to descend upon your Battle Dragon.¡±


    Huang Fuqing¡¯s spirit surged as he realized that his master was preparing to re-enter the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.

 Chapter 768: 706: Dragons Bane

    Chapter 768: Chapter 706: Dragon¡¯s Bane


    That night, Lin Rui rode the demon dragon Ma Tianlong and, along with Ji Xueying, Shangguan Tianyi, and others, once again arrived at the front of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    Unlike a year ago, this time the Tower Guardian of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower was already waiting at the gate with a group of subordinates.


    Seeing the respectful demeanor of the Tower Guardian, Lin Rui felt a bit apologetic in his heart.


    Over the past year, the Tower Guardian had catered to Lin Rui¡¯s every demand, supplying limitless quantities of Dragon Skin Paper of various grades, eagerly trying to curry favor and build a connection, only for Lin Rui to end up scheming against him.


    Lin Rui had already prepared a duplicate of Huang Fuqing¡¯s Emperor Hao Divine Dragon, hidden in a Dragon Box behind him.


    He planned to stir up some trouble tonight, thereby completing a sky-swapping scheme to cover Huang Fuqing¡¯s Battle Dragon escape.


    Lin Rui hoped that everything would go smoothly today. The smoother the process of substituting the Battle Dragon, the fewer loose ends there would be, and the less impact it would have on the Tower Guardian¡¯s future career.


    ¡°Old Qi, how many demons have you prepared for me this time?¡±


    Lin Rui leaped down from the demon dragon¡¯s back, bombastically received the salute from the Tower Guardian and others, and walked straight into the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, jokingly saying: ¡°If there are too few, I won¡¯t forgive you. Next time you come to my house to drink, you¡¯ll first have to punish yourself with three cups!¡±


    The Tower Guardian¡¯s surname was Qi, named Qi Lechun. Hearing Lin Rui¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t help but smile broadly, ¡°Rest assured, my lord Duke. I spent a whole year preparing this time. Just the Ninth Realm Demons, Demon Cultivators, and Battle Dragons alone make up 62 heads.¡±


    Regarding Lin Hao¡¯s matter, a year ago Qi Lechun was somewhat careless, but as the Duke¡¯s status and influence steadily increased in the Great Song Empire, his attitude changed from ¡®I must pay some attention¡¯ to ¡®I must handle this impeccably¡¯ and finally to ¡®I must go all out to show the Duke my effort.¡¯


    Among the 62 Ninth Realm Demons, more than half could actually last another decade or two. Killing them now might pose problems for the Song Court¡¯s supply of Dragon Skin in the future.


    However, Qi Lechun didn¡¯t care about the future now.


    And with the impending war between the Song and Purgatory, more demons would be locked up in the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, and he was just freeing up cells in advance.


    Sure enough, after Qi Lechun reported this, he saw a relieved smile on Lin Hao¡¯s face: ¡°Not bad! Recently, I¡¯ve been discussing with the cabinet masters about the vacancy for the Pingbei Army Jiedu Envoy, and whether we could transfer you there.¡±


    Qi Lechun was ecstatic upon hearing this. Although the Pingbei Army Jiedu Envoy, a high-ranking but distant military post, was still better than the position of Tower Guardian.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was exchanging messages with Lin Xi: How are things on your end? Are you ready?


    Lin Xi: Ready, just waiting for your signal to take action.


    Lin Xi: We hired the 9SS class ¡°Heaven Killer Mercenary Group.¡± This group is not only powerful but also bold. The funds and employment relations have gone through several firewalls, ensuring that if exposed, it won¡¯t implicate us.


    Lin Xi had hired them through a bakery, a 9SS class mercenary team.


    Why was the Great Song Empire so troubled by Alien Walkers? Because many among them were death-defying desperados who, as long as the profits matched the risks, held nothing in reverence, not even gods.


    This time, Lin Xi spent a steep price of 140 billion federal coins to have the ¡°Heaven Killer Mercenary Group¡± blast three holes at the corners of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower¡¯s walls, feigning a jailbreak, while releasing a specially concocted medicine by Lin Rui inside the tower.


    If things really blew up, the Great Song Empire would surely ask top Stargazers to scrutinize the trace of destiny.


    However, with a god overseeing their side, they weren¡¯t afraid of the other party¡¯s Stargazing Technique.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui, already alongside Qi Lechun, flew up into the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower to the execution platform.


    It was still that high platform on the south side, the 666th floor, where a crowd of dark demons was gathered, all firmly restrained by Soul Suppressing Nails and City Lock Stakes.


    Seeing this, a hint of joy flashed in Lin Rui¡¯s eyes and his brows raised slightly.


    Qi Lechun had indeed done a great job this time. Besides the 62 Ninth Realm Demons, there were also 235 Eighth Realm ones below!


    Unfortunately, this was a one-time deal.


    In the future, Lin Rui would have to go to the ¡°Sky Pond¡± to harvest soul power points.


    However, though there were many more demons in the ¡°Sky Pond,¡± how could it compare to binding a bunch of demons in the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower for him to slaughter?


    ¡°Not bad!¡±


    Lin Rui first gave a light compliment, and then, with a flick of his sleeve, released a blood-red cone-shaped magic artifact.


    ¡°Blood Kylin God Cone?¡± Qi Lechun instantly recognized this item, his pupils slightly contracting.


    This artifact, offered by Song Taizu to the god, was now in the Duke¡¯s hands.


    The Blood Kylin God Cone flashed with thunder and lightning, instantly blowing off the heads of ten Eighth Realm demons, providing Lin Rui with 3.2 million soul power points.


    Lin Rui then raised his hand, forcibly extracting blood qi from these demons, finally gathering it into a blood-colored pill in his hand.


    However, Lin Rui didn¡¯t refine and absorb this blood qi as usual.


    In his mind, he called out to the Battle Spirit Ring: ¡°Ring Spirit, help me further evolve the Blood God Wings secret technique to 9SS+.¡±


    Prompt: Evolving Blood God Wings to 9SS+ requires 3 million soul power points.


    Lin Rui had actually inquired this morning.


    At that time, he wanted to evolve the 9SSS+ ¡°Blood God Wings,¡± but the required soul power points were a bit steep, needing 30 million points.


    Additionally, the Battle Spirit hinted that the 9SSS+ Blood God Wings might need two Super Divine Envoy level blood qi souls as ¡°catalysts¡± to ensure transformation, while the 9SSS level would need two Senior Divine Envoys.


    Lin Rui could only lower his expectations and settle for less.


    As Lin Rui invested his soul power points, the blood-colored pill in his hand instantly began to turbulently transform, and then burst into a blazing blood flame.


    Watching the constant refining, the structure of the blood flame, Qi Lechun¡¯s eyes flashed with another hint of amazement.


    A year ago, he had witnessed the opponent demonstrating the Seventh Realm Super Monarch rank Blood Evil Secret Technique ¡°Blood God Wings.¡±


    Yet after a year, the Blood Evil Secret Technique had undergone a huge transformation, becoming more mystical and refined, even carrying a trace of terrifying aura that made him uneasy.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Meanwhile, south of Luojing, outside the Demon Suppression Forest.


    A young man clad in a twelve-chapter royal robe descended 30 miles outside the Demon Suppression Forest, overseeing the dense forest formed by giant metallic spears below from afar.


    ¡°The earth veins have recovered slightly, seems like it was delayed¡ª¡±


    After a brief scan, the young man let out a bitter laugh.


    He should have acted three days ago when his descendant tried various ways to drain the earth veins of the Demon Suppression Forest, lowering the ether elements within to its lowest, reducing the divine power of the arrays inside to one-third of its full strength.


    However, a disturbance in the Seventh Base City in the Federation had ensnared him, preventing him from attending to anything else for days.


    Only yesterday, with the Longevity Association and Federation Government truly ceasing warfare, could he set about carrying out this action on the Demon Suppression Forest.


    ¡ª They didn¡¯t sign a ceasefire treaty with the government at the top level.


    After all, the Federation Government had to consider the opinion of the Great Song, and the Longevity Association was also recognized as a terrorist organization by the government.


    So, their agreement was signed with a few experts on the government side, and the Longevity Association paid a huge price for it.


    Merely the permissions for the Artificial Sky had stirred great discontent among some core members within the Longevity Association.


    They had invested massive funds into the Artificial Sky, sacrificed so much manpower, even reluctantly or willingly did a lot of dirty work violating morals and laws, yet the Federation government, those bastards, managed to gain equal or even superior authority by just waging one war.


    Apart from the permissions, they even had to gather 10 trillion federal coins for compensation for Lin Rui, and prepare three Ninth Realm Emperor Rank magic artifacts.


    Just appeasing those committee and managing directors of the Longevity Association took these Immortal Level members a whole day.


    The young man in the yellow robe¡¯s gaze shifted: ¡°Although I missed the best timing, with this earth vein strength, I can still succeed¡ª¡±


    At this moment, a sudden bright flash emerged around the Demon Suppression Forest, with the blasts of high-explosive Annihilation Bombs and violently electromagnetic radiation turning the surrounding heaven and earth into a blazing white expanse.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Only then did the giant explosion sound reach the young man in the yellow robe¡¯s ears.


    The region within a hundred-mile radius began to quake and shake, as twelve massive mushroom cloud masses rose high into the sky.


    The young man in the yellow robe saw the four ¡°Vice Divine Envoys¡± and numerous Dragon Guards within the Demon Suppression Forest flying anxiously in all directions, trying to suppress and maintain the collapsing defense array within.


    The young man in the yellow robe gave a sarcastic smile and then looked coldly at the center of the Demon Suppression Forest.


    With a powerful grasp in that direction, the core array within the forest crumbled even faster.


    The young man in the yellow robe¡¯s eyes brimmed with anticipation¡ª You may awaken now, Abyssal Dragon Wretch, whose strength was usurped!

 Chapter 769: 707 Riot (Please Subscribe)

    Chapter 769: Chapter 707 Riot (Please Subscribe)


    Inside the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, Lin Rui, who had just finished deducing the Blood Evil Secret Technique, felt the ground violently quake, followed by the mountain shaking and the earth trembling.


    The entire Ten Thousand Dragon Tower let out a thunderous ¡°crack-crack-crack¡± sound, as if it were about to split open, with sand and gravel cascading down.


    Around him, the Demons that had been bound and suppressed by various restraints all had their pupils glowing red and began to struggle violently. Even the Demons imprisoned in the tower¡¯s cells let out piercing howls and grew restless.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression slightly changed as he released dozens of small Flying Swords from his sleeve, slaying all the Demons that were struggling too fiercely.


    In truth, the sealing Runes restraining these Demons were quite sturdy. It was merely the fear of death, coupled with the recent violent tremor, that made them believe they had a chance, thus engaging in futile and hopeless struggles.


    After using slaughter to calm these Demons down, Lin Rui began extracting the blood-qi Essence Souls scattering around him, refining them as they floated before him. Meanwhile, he furrowed his brow and glanced below the execution platform.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    He asked Lin Xi the same question: What¡¯s happening? Did those mercenaries from the Heaven-Slaying Mercenary Group detonate the bombs early?


    Lin Xi (Summer Moqian): No, there¡¯s no sign of an explosion near the Dragon Suppression Tower. It seems to be coming from the direction of the Demon Suppression Forest in the south of the city. Just now, there was an intense flash of light there¡ªalmost like the Sun. I¡¯m investigating the situation.


    Lin Xi (Summer Moqian): The shockwave and tremors also came from the south of the city. I saw 12 mushroom clouds over there, and the radiation is incredibly strong. My goodness, at least twelve billion-ton TNT equivalents!


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart froze slightly as he read Lin Xi¡¯s reply.


    The Demon Suppression Forest? Who in their right mind would dare target the Demon Suppression Forest?


    Since the last time he detonated a few Anti-Matter Annihilation Bombs there to retrieve Huang Fuqing¡¯s Battle Spirit, the Great Song dynasty, fearing history would repeat itself, greatly reinforced the defenses of the Demon Suppression Forest.


    Though they transferred away the Eleventh Candidate Divine Envoy Shen Tuo Rong and Twelfth Candidate Divine Envoy Situ Xiu, they had stationed four Vice Divine Envoys within the Demon Suppression Forest.


    Vice Divine Envoys usually monitor regional military towns on behalf of the higher gods and oversee local matters.


    In theory, there are only a total of 24 Vice Divine Envoys. However, a year ago, the Divine Palace promoted an additional four Vice Divine Envoys specifically for suppressing the Demon Suppression Forest. Thus, now there are 39 Vice Divine Envoys, with 11 of them assigned elsewhere.


    Beyond this, the Forest¡¯s protective Array and foundations were significantly strengthened. After gathering substantial funding from Star Port, the court added 200,000 personnel to the Demon Suppression Army and a battalion of 300 Divine Guards dedicated solely to guarding the Demon Suppression Forest.


    It was now virtually impregnable, making even Lin Rui¡¯s scalp tingle.


    Who was the master strong enough to dare strike the Demon Suppression Forest again after only one year? What was their aim?


    Lin Xi (Summer Moqian): Brother, I sense an extremely aggressive, domineering, and chaotic Primordial Spirit pressure from that area. It¡¯s unsettling. Could it be that thing?


    At that exact moment, Lin Rui sensed the dangerous aura emanating from the direction of the Demon Suppression Forest, along with an immensely overwhelming and chaotic Divine Thought pressure.


    His heart tightened as he realized it was the Abyssal Dragon Spawn! It was an artifact left by the Immortal Dragon Venerate, whose powers were stolen by the East Abyss!


    This horrifying creature had been released!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Have the Heaven-Slaying Mercenary Group detonate the bombs immediately! Warn them to evacuate as quickly as possible after completing the task.


    Lin Rui felt conflicted, both thrilled and concerned.


    Thrilled because someone else would take the blame for this event, greatly reducing suspicion on him; concerned because the East Abyss was bound to awaken from its Divine Sleep, potentially disrupting their plans.


    An ordinary person in this situation might halt their operations altogether, but Lin Rui was no ordinary individual. Instead, he decided to seize this chaotic opportunity, wagering that the East Abyss would have no attention to spare for the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    Tower Guardian Qi Lechun remained exceptionally composed. First, he fully activated the protective Array of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower and shouted loudly, ordering the prison guards and officers within the tower to wield their iron whips and blades to suppress the disturbances inside the tower.


    After dealing with the initial chaos, Qi Lechun suspended himself in the air and gazed doubtfully toward the east: ¡°Lord Duke, it seems there¡¯s been an incident in the direction of the Demon Suppression Forest.¡±


    Qi Lechun perceived a presence in that direction¡ªextremely chaotic! Also extremely terrifying! It made Qi Lechun¡¯s heart palpitate.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed the Demon Suppression Forest¡ª¡± Lin Rui held his blade with one hand, intending to say something when the colossal 5,000-zhang Ten Thousand Dragon Tower began to shake violently again.


    This time, the magnitude of the tremors was far more intense, carrying an apocalyptic flair of heaven and earth upheaval, massive shockwaves sweeping upward. Many prison guards inside the tower couldn¡¯t keep their footing, crashing into the walls, bleeding from all seven orifices.


    After the violent quaking subsided, Lin Rui heard a deafening rumble from the direction of the tower¡¯s base.


    Even with his current Seventh Realm cultivation, he felt a slight ringing pain in his eardrums.


    Lin Rui also noticed a network of spiderweb-like cracks rapidly spreading through the interior of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower. More stones tumbled from above as the structure crumbled, filling the interior with choking dust. Simultaneously, a surge of turbulent blood-qi rushed upward.


    He was secretly astonished, wondering how many tons of Anti-Matter Annihilation Bombs the Heaven-Slaying Mercenary Group had deployed. The commotion was far too enormous!


    The task Lin Rui had assigned merely required them to blast open three breaches¡ªit never mentioned bringing down the entire 5,000-zhang tower.


    But the explosion points were strangely excessive, totaling fifteen, most of which were detonated from within the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, intensifying the impact on the tower¡¯s structure.


    As Lin Rui marveled at the extraordinary scene, he couldn¡¯t help but feel baffled, thinking to himself: something¡¯s not right. He had discreetly arranged for the Heaven-Slaying Mercenary Group to conduct this operation solely based on his authority as Cabinet Minister and his control over the Commander¡¯s Seal of Luojing¡¯s eight provinces.

 Chapter 770: 707 Riot (Please Subscribe)_2

    Chapter 770: Chapter 707 Riot (Please Subscribe)_2


    How is the Heavenly Killer Mercenary Corps so formidable? They actually managed to sneak so many bombs into the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower?


    No, this isn¡¯t just the Heavenly Killer Mercenary Corps¡ªthere¡¯s another group detonating explosions inside the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    The internal explosions aren¡¯t limited to Annihilation Bombs¡ªthere are also over a dozen Ninth Realm demon bodies self-destructing!


    Lin Xi sent a message at this moment: ¡°Brother, it seems like we¡¯ve collided with others. There are other forces targeting the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower. Judging by their posture, they genuinely intend to break into the prison.¡±


    Summer Xia (Lin Xi): ¡°The Heavenly Killer Mercenary Corps asks whether we should proceed?¡±


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Proceed! Tell them to increase the dosage of the hallucinogens¡ªrelease them mercilessly, and retreat once finished.¡±


    While Lin Rui and his sibling were exchanging messages, the tremors inside the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower gradually stabilized, though all 2,221 floors of demons began rioting and roaring in chaos.


    Unlike the previous earthquake, this time, many creatures within the tower saw a genuine opportunity. Some even managed to escape their cracked cells.


    Especially near the three ruptured gaps at the tower¡¯s bottom¡ªit was flooded with hundreds, thousands of demons and demon cultivators surging out, using the smoke and dust as cover to flee.


    Lin Rui noticed that the smoke contained thick swirls of white mist¡ªit was precisely the hallucinogenic potion he personally concocted, highly potent and abundant.


    The Tower Guardian Qi Lechun was no longer able to stay calm. Crimson-eyed and pale-faced, he looked below and growled: ¡°Which blasted scoundrel dares target my Ten Thousand Dragon Tower? Utter lawlessness!¡±


    With a quick survey, he discovered six gigantic fissures among the tower¡¯s lower levels, from the first to the nineteenth floor.


    These ruptures caused countless prison cells to crack, releasing nearly twelve thousand demons.


    Fortunately, the tower¡¯s array remained intact, suppressing the demons¡¯ magical blood Qi, making movement difficult and reducing their combat power to less than one-tenth of their peak strength.


    Around the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower stood 100,000 Yulin Army soldiers guarding the perimeter. The demons¡¯ chances of escape were slim.


    The question remained¡ªwho dared provoke Luojing and simultaneously strike both the Demon Suppression Forest and the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower?


    Qi Lechun¡¯s expression shifted from shock to fury. Murderous intent burned in his eyes, almost tangible: ¡°Your Grace¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tower Guardian, act immediately!¡± Lin Rui interrupted with a furrowed brow and solemn expression: ¡°No need to worry about floors above 100. I will oversee them personally. Focus all your efforts on suppressing those below 100!¡±


    ¡°The Ten Thousand Dragon Tower within Luojing contains no less than 300,000 demons¡ªwe cannot afford any failure! Let not even half escape!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Your Grace, and please watch over yourself.¡± Qi Lechun was filled with gratitude as he saluted deeply. ¡°I shall slay these reckless, vile beasts immediately! To think these scum dare target my Ten Thousand Dragon Tower¡ªthe audacity!¡±


    Qi Lechun failed to notice how Lin Rui¡¯s face darkened slightly when hearing the phrase ¡°reckless, vile beasts.¡± He steadied his blade and dove straight toward the depths of the tower.


    ¡°Summon the Battle Dragons into the tower to aid in quelling the chaos!¡± Lin Rui gave the order as flashes of sword light flickered from his sleeves, releasing countless miniature flying swords.


    The swords swiftly executed over thirty rebellious demons making trouble near the execution platform and vanquished fifteen demons that had escaped their cells on the upper floors of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    These demons¡¯ cultivation ranged between the Sixth and Eighth Realms, but the tower¡¯s array suppressed and weakened them to the extent that their blood energy was stagnant and depleted.


    Facing Lin Rui¡¯s flying swords, they stood no chance, meeting their demise in an instant.


    Lin Rui proceeded to extract their blood Qi, forcibly refining and purifying it, merging it with the pair of blood-red wings behind him.


    Following Lin Rui were Xianyu Yan and others, who¡ªwhile summoning the outside Battle Dragons to join the fight¡ªsoared into mid-air, aiding prison officers in capturing and apprehending escaped demons to deliver them to Lin Rui¡¯s swords.


    In mere moments, Lin Rui slew over two hundred demons, continuously absorbing vast amounts of pure blood Qi into the scarlet pill in his hand.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    As time passed, the blood wings behind Lin Rui extended to their utmost, growing from nine-zhang width to twelve-zhang.


    ¡ª¡ªThese blood wings, despite being condensed from demonic blood Qi, bore no trace of frenzy or corruption¡ªinstead, they exuded an aura of sacred purity.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui¡¯s accumulated soul power points surged rapidly, exceeding fifty million in an instant, with the refined blood Qi continuously fueling the Blood God Wings.


    The influx of blood Qi surpassed Lin Rui¡¯s processing speed, leaving him slightly overwhelmed.


    Nevertheless, Lin Rui¡¯s gaze remained intensely focused on the lower levels of the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    Seemingly watching Qi Lechun and the numerous experts rushing to suppress the demonic chaos, in truth, Lin Rui¡¯s attention was locked on Wang Tianwu and the Demon Dragon.


    Under the cover of the hallucinogenic mist, the duo began employing illusions and conceptual powers to pull off their plan¡ªto secretly swap Huang Fuqing¡¯s Battle Dragon.


    Huang Fuqing had already descended his consciousness onto the Emperor Hao Divine Dragon, assisting Wang Tianwu in their precision execution of the swap.


    At this moment, Lin Rui felt another surge of intuition and turned to gaze southward.


    The ¡®Heavenly Eye,¡¯ suspended at ninety-thousand-zhang altitude, scanned toward the Demon Suppression Forest, conducting repeated sweeps.


    Within the city of Luojing, the Second Divine Envoy and the Great Celestial Master promptly fled as soon as the turmoil began, rushing toward the Demon Suppression Forest.


    The East Abyss awakened in that instant¡ªa divine thought of tremendous magnitude immediately enveloped the Demon Suppression Forest.


    As Lin Rui predicted, following its awakening, the East Abyss prioritized the Abyssal Dragon Spawn within the Demon Suppression Forest¡ªnot the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower!


    Powerful Horse King (Wang Tianwu): ¡°Boss, the operation succeeded¡ªHuang Fuqing¡¯s Battle Dragon has been replaced, and we¡¯ve successfully escaped the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.¡±


    At this time, Demon Dragon Ma Tianlong crouched near the dragon box where Wang Tianwu and Huang Fuqing concealed themselves, trembling violently.


    His eyes were blank as he stared at the massive fissures cracking the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, billowing black smoke. His thoughts spiraled: What had he just done? What was his master¡¯s true purpose in orchestrating such chaos within the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower?


    Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song? Why abandon his position as Duke and commit such rebellious acts?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): ¡°Excellent. Adjust subsequent plans¡ªfocus entirely on intercepting fleeing demons!¡±


    Lin Rui had just sent this message when he felt the ground below shaking violently once again.


    The tremors were far mightier than the explosions of twelve Annihilation Bombs in the Demon Suppression Forest, reverberating continuously for more than twenty occurrences.


    This tower¡ªonce solid and imposing¡ªnow swayed in danger, as though it might collapse at any moment!


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression hardened, his thoughts racing with unease.


    He not only sensed the tremors emanating from at least 30,000 li beneath the earth but also felt the conceptual forces twisting and clashing ferociously in that region.


    ¡ª¡ªWithout a doubt, two God-level entities were engaging in battle!


    Their powers extended upwards to the heavens, tearing parts of the Heavenly Curtain asunder.


    One God was likely the East Abyss, while the other was most certainly one of the Three Gods of Purgatory.


    The seismic chaos persisted for nearly fifteen minutes before it subsided, and shortly thereafter, Lin Rui received a Flying Book summons from the Great Celestial Master, commanding him to proceed to the Divine Palace for an audience with the Divine.

 Chapter 771: 708: Regent

    Chapter 771: Chapter 708: Regent


    Lin Rui did not ride his Demon Dragon to the Divine Palace; instead, clad in his Heavenly Demon Armor, he soared through the air and arrived before the Divine Sky Hall.


    The Demon Dragon was notoriously cowardly. After helping Huang Fuqing replace the Battle Dragon, it had been trembling pitifully outside the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    Luckily, despite its cowardice, it was quite thorough and efficient when carrying out tasks. Otherwise, Lin Rui would have considered killing it long ago.


    This creature had lorded over the outskirts of Wangcheng County, defying all laws, but today, during the prison break at the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, it was so frightened that it practically shriveled into nothing.


    Thus, Lin Rui dared not bring it to the Divine Palace at this critical moment. With the Divine¡¯s omniscient sight and the Great Celestial Master¡¯s keen perception, any slip-up from the Demon Dragon could lead to disastrous consequences.


    At this moment, numerous high-ranking officials of the court, noble members of the Great Song imperial family, and forces like the Divine Strategy Army, Imperial Dragon Guard, and Imperial Guard were gathered before the Divine Sky Hall. Among them were several Candidate Divine Envoys and Vice Divine Envoys stationed in the capital.


    Upon Lin Rui¡¯s arrival, the majority of these gathered figures bowed in respectful salutation toward him.


    The Candidate Divine Envoys and Vice Divine Envoys whose statuses equaled Lin Rui¡¯s had complex expressions as they watched him continue undeterred, striding boldly into the Divine Sky Hall.


    As Lin Rui stepped into the hall, he first directed his salute toward the high platform in the center.


    The platform was empty, as the East Abyss had yet to return. Nonetheless, Lin Rui could not forego his respects; he performed his ritual obeisance as though the Divine were present.


    At this moment, only the Great Celestial Master, the Second Divine Envoy, and the Fourth Candidate Divine Envoy were present in the expansive hall.


    It was the fourth month, meaning the Fourth Candidate Divine Envoy was on duty monitoring the Divine Envoys and thus qualified for an audience with the Divine.


    As for the Emperor, the First Divine Envoy, and Luo Wangshu, they were all leading military campaigns outside the capital and unable to return.


    After completing his ceremonial rites, Lin Rui noticed the Second Divine Envoy scrutinizing him with an unusual gaze.


    He furrowed his brow and questioned with a puzzled expression, ¡°Divine Envoy Yu, is there something amiss with me?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the Duke¡¯s stature, but judging by your spirit mechanism and energy flow, you seem to have advanced to the Seventh Realm, correct?¡±


    Yu Huaxuan¡¯s voice paused briefly before he chuckled lightly, ¡°How curious! Your ally Lin Rui, not long ago, also reached the Seventh Realm Divine Power? The two of you¡ªone earthly, one heavenly¡ªstepped into the Divine Power Realm nearly simultaneously, both within a year. It¡¯s hard not to draw some connections.¡±


    ¡°Lin Rui?¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head slightly: ¡°I have only worked with Outer Heaven Demons on government matters; there¡¯s no basis for an alliance. However, Lin Rui is indeed extraordinarily talented. It¡¯s said he possesses an Abyss-level gift among Outer Heaven Demons, surpassing my cultivation aptitude. It¡¯s not surprising he ascended to Divine Power within a year.¡±


    He looked toward the heavens, his gaze heavy: ¡°It¡¯s rumored that he wields a pair of Abyss Weapons; in the future, he might well become a formidable adversary for my Sky Extreme Star.¡±


    Yu Huaxuan, observing Lin Rui¡¯s earnest nonsense, found himself momentarily unable to discern its truth. Squinting slightly, he then remarked, ¡°So why did the Duke visit the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower today? It¡¯s rather intriguing¡ªlast year, when you went to the Demon Suppression Forest, it incited chaos; this year, you go to the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, and it nearly collapses. Then, there was the Abyss Divine Tablet¡ªyour knack for drawing trouble truly inspires awe in this Divine Envoy.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s face darkened at those words.


    Speaking of this matter, he felt unfairly accused.


    He had merely commissioned the Sky Assassin Mercenary Group to blow up three small holes outside the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, staging a prison break in order to execute a deception swap.


    One must understand the bureaucratic style of Great Song¡ªtransforming major issues into minor ones and minor issues into non-issues. Such a trifling magical disturbance could be resolved within the Cabinet without escalating further.


    Qi Lechun surely wouldn¡¯t want the higher-ups to learn, during his impending transfer, that he had failed in his supervision and neglected his duties, leading to Outer Heaven Demons deploying anti-matter annihilation bombs during a near-successful prison break at the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    Thus, this matter would neither alarm the Divine Envoy Monitor nor reach the Divine¡¯s ears.


    But the actions of those aligned with Purgatory had caused this to escalate wildly.


    Nevertheless, Lin Rui would not shoulder this blame.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression turned steely: ¡°My visit to the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower to cultivate Blood Evil was arranged with Qi Lechun a year ago and previously reported to the Divine Palace. Speaking of which, I find it curious¡ªover the past two years, Luojing¡¯s security has been under Divine Envoy Yu¡¯s supervision, yet since my arrival in the capital, I¡¯ve encountered numerous disturbances. In just a year and a half, there have been over ten assassination attempts on me.


    Furthermore, major incidents continue to erupt near Luojing¡ªDemon Suppression Forest, Divine Palace, sacrilege cases, and the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower. It¡¯s one thing for major incidents to occur, but the fact that culprits repeatedly succeed¡ªDivine Envoy Yu, under your supervision, how exactly is Luojing being monitored?¡±


    Yu Huaxuan¡¯s face darkened as well, thinking this man had indeed grown bold. In Luo Wangshu¡¯s absence, he dared to challenge him within the Divine Sky Hall, even speaking with veiled sarcasm.


    Yu Huaxuan thought to himself that he was merely supervising Luojing¡¯s security, not directly managing it.


    Moreover, the capital was rife with power structures¡ªthe Imperial City Department, Capital Administration, Imperial Guard¡ªall issuing commands and competing for dominance. His role was merely nominal.


    Not to mention that the magical disturbance this time¡ªwasn¡¯t it also the responsibility of the Spy Detection Bureau Commander?


    Yu Huaxuan reconsidered and realized Lin Rui indeed bore no responsibility.


    The Spy Detection Bureau primarily focused on defending against Outer Heaven Demons, preventing infiltration by Alien Walkers.


    ¡°Today¡¯s havoc at the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower allowed seventy-seven Ninth Realm demons to escape from their cells. Upon investigating their identities, I discovered that half of them were celebrated ministers and generals from our dynasty over the past four thousand years who had mysteriously fallen to demonic influence and been imprisoned in the tower.¡±


    Lin Rui bowed toward the Divine Platform: ¡°I did my utmost to assist in quelling the chaos at the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, slaying most of these demons. Of the seventy-seven, only two managed to escape.¡±


    Had Lin Rui not been present, and had the Sky Assassin Mercenary Group not administered copious amounts of hallucinogens, the number of escaped demons would have been far higher.


    In return, Lin Rui had harvested an astonishing amount of soul power points and Blood Evil essence.


    At that moment, the Fourth Candidate Divine Envoy also nodded and offered a fair statement: ¡°Based on the outcome, it¡¯s evident that Purgatory attempted to exploit the upheaval in the Demon Suppression Forest to release the demons from the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower. Without the Duke¡¯s presence today, the consequences would have been unimaginable.¡±


    As his words fell, the Great Celestial Master, who had been standing in the center of the Divine Sky Hall, gazing at the Heavenly Curtain and stars, released the Dharma Seal formed by his interlaced hands.


    His refined brows furrowed deeply into the shape of a ¡°´¨¡± character: ¡°Hold your disputes for now. Based on the star formations, today¡¯s disturbances were orchestrated by the Three Gods of Purgatory, and neither of you bear responsibility.¡±


    The Great Celestial Master gazed through the traces of fate within the stars but saw nothing, as all marks had clearly been suppressed by the Three Gods of Purgatory.


    What he could confirm without a shred of doubt was that the turmoil in the Demon Suppression Forest had been orchestrated by the Great Song¡¯s Grand Ancestor and Grand Emperor, who were supposed to be long dead¡ªalongside collusion by internal traitors.


    Given that these were the culprits, the imperial court¡¯s entire assembly of officials stood little chance of defending against the chaos.


    Upon hearing this, Yu Huaxuan¡¯s expression relaxed slightly. He had targeted Lin Rui out of fear of receiving blame or punishment from the Divine.


    Just then, Yu Huaxuan suddenly stiffened.


    The East Abyss had descended!


    Through the veiled curtain hanging above the high platform, a faint abyssal form appeared.


    As Yu Huaxuan, Lin Rui, and the others quickly re-initiated their ceremonial bows, the Divine voice of the East Abyss resounded in their ears: ¡°Why were the two of you¡ªGreat Celestial Master and Yu Huaxuan¡ªso slow to reinforce the Demon Suppression Forest?¡±


    He was specifically questioning the two of them.


    The Great Celestial Master spoke gravely, bowing: ¡°Divine One, we feared that these demons might spark further disturbances within the city.¡±


    Yu Huaxuan smiled bitterly and added: ¡°Divine One, I also worried that attackers might be misdirecting our focus. Indeed, not long after, an internal riot broke out within the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.¡±


    ¡°That is reasonable.¡± The East Abyss appeared to deliberate: ¡°And were the Emperor¡¯s dealings involved in this matter?¡±


    ¡°I am unsure!¡± The Great Celestial Master replied without hesitation: ¡°I gazed at the stars and found only illusions; all traces were obliterated. Additionally, I confirmed the instigators of today¡¯s magical disturbances were that pair of treacherous villainous ancestors.¡±


    Yet the very act of suppression raised suspicion¡ª


    The Grand Ancestor and Grand Emperor of Great Song had passed onto the heavens long ago, so even mentioning those villainous names was forbidden.


    ¡°I see!¡± The voice of the East Abyss echoed coolly: ¡°In that case, Luojing must appoint a Regent to maintain order within the city.¡±


    Outside the hall, among the gathered imperial family members, Candidate Divine Envoys, and Vice Divine Envoys, breaths grew heavy.


    Only Yu Huaxuan¡¯s face turned grim.


    Sure enough, the next moment, he heard the Divine¡¯s voice decreeing: ¡°Duke Lin Rui, hear my command! During the Emperor¡¯s campaign against the Sky Pond, you shall act as Regent, managing court affairs and suppressing all demonic entities.¡±

 Chapter 772: 709 National Leaders

    Chapter 772: Chapter 709 National Leaders


    Lin Rui felt a bit dazed as he stepped out of the Divine Palace.


    Although Li Xianglong and Luo Wangshu had analyzed months ago that Lin Rui was highly likely to become the Regent of Great Song, when the moment arrived, Lin Rui still found it surreal.


    How absurd¡ªhe, an Outer Heaven Demon, had somehow risen to regent, supervising governance in place of the Emperor, and suppressing the myriad demons of Luojing.


    After flying out of the Divine Palace and returning to the Duke Zhen Guo Mansion, Lin Rui received messages one after another from acquaintances and friends.


    Linghu Mingde: Congratulations.


    Linghu Mingde, a Second Rank Imperial Censor in Great Song, had been present at Divine Sky Hall earlier and personally witnessed East Abyss appoint Lin Rui as regent.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Congratulations to you too!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Father-in-law, I¡¯ll draft an imperial decree to appoint you Imperial Censor. I¡¯ll trouble you to keep an eye on the Imperial Censorate and the court affairs inside and out.


    Since Lin Rui joined the court, the position of Imperial Censor had remained vacant due to the unyielding rivalry of multiple factions. Linghu Mingde had shown no intention of stepping up further¡ªnot wanting to escalate tensions in the Great Song court, nor wishing to draw undue attention to himself. Even after rising to Senior Divine Envoy, he had remained content as Second Rank Imperial Censor.


    But things were different now. Lin Rui¡¯s appointment as Regent by the Divine elevated the standing of the Third Divine Envoy faction in the court.


    Moreover, to monitor governance, Lin Rui would undoubtedly need reliable insiders.


    The saying holds: ¡°Brothers fight tigers; father and sons march together into battle.¡± At this moment, who else would he rely on but Linghu Mingde?


    Linghu Mingde: Imperial Censor? Are you trying to put me in the hot seat?


    Linghu Mingde did not refuse, though. He had long been bound to Lin Rui; if Lin Rui stumbled, Linghu Mingde would hardly be able to remain in Great Song.


    Xu Mengran also sent Lin Rui a message at this time: Congratulations, Mr. Lin!


    Xu Mengran: On behalf of the Elder Council and the leadership of the East Asia Republic, I congratulate the Duke of Great Song on being appointed Regent.


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow at Xu Mengran¡¯s message, feeling somewhat unsettled.


    Old Xu¡¯s tone resembled that used to congratulate a foreign leader.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Commander Xu, you exaggerate. I¡¯m merely acting on East Abyss¡¯s command as an interim regent. My official position hasn¡¯t changed¡ªwhat¡¯s there to celebrate?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): That said, I personally look forward to further deepening cooperation with East Asia during my regency, working together for mutual prosperity.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): I also hope the East Asia Security Bureau can offer support and coordination for my work. If there¡¯s anything critical, notify me in advance so we can communicate and exchange ideas.


    Having infiltrated Tianzhou, Xu Mengran chuckled at Lin Rui¡¯s words: Understood, Mr. Lin. Rest assured, East Asia will fully cooperate with your administration.


    Xu Mengran understood Lin Rui¡¯s intention¡ªhe hoped the East Asia Security Bureau would refrain from causing disturbances during his regency.


    Xu Mengran could relate¡ªLin Rui¡¯s position had changed, and so too would his stance.


    Cooperation was inevitable, whether to secure more industrial resources or to further Tianji Star¡¯s openness¡ªthey had to help Lin Rui stabilize the situation.


    But who would¡¯ve thought this little guy really managed to become a national leader?


    Although Lin Rui¡¯s official position hadn¡¯t changed after becoming Regent, his Cabinet Minister role, Starport Governor title, Minister of Commerce responsibilities, Spy Catcher Bureau Commander position, and his Commander¡¯s Seals¡ªall remained intact!


    With the addition of the Regency, the weight of these powers had transformed.


    Lin Rui¡¯s status in Great Song now rivaled the Divine Envoys and even the Emperor¡ªsecond only to the Divine.


    At this moment, Lin Rui received another message, this time from Li Xianglong: Mr. Lin, you¡¯ve been appointed Regent of Great Song?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Yes, Regent.


    The Federation Security Bureau¡¯s intelligence channels in Great Song were still sluggish, lagging behind Xu Mengran by several beats.


    Li Xianglong: I knew you had a shot¡ªkeep at it! It seems the Emperor of Great Song won¡¯t last much longer either.


    At the Security Bureau headquarters, Li Xianglong stared at the message he¡¯d just sent, feeling a bit dazed.


    Lin Rui had truly become the de facto highest leader of Great Song¡ªeven if only temporarily. Yet the power and the National Treasure he possessed were unquestionably real.


    Should this news spread across the Earth Federation, the entire Federation¡¯s court and people would burst into uproar.


    Their Alien Walkers had infiltrated Tianji Star for hundreds of years, and now they finally approached its uppermost echelons.


    Li Xianglong quickly cleared his mind of its many distractions: Mr. Lin, what exactly happened with the Demon Suppression Forest¡¯s chaos this time? How did the Undying Dragon Monster get rescued? East Abyss couldn¡¯t apprehend them?


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): What else could it be? Just collusion inside and out. Someone drained the geothermal veins early, which left Demon Suppression Forest unable to withstand those twelve Annihilation Bombs. East Abyss has handed the case to the Second Divine Envoy, ordering him to uncover the truth within a month.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): From what I gathered from the Great Celestial Master¡¯s tone, it seems the Grand Ancestor and Grand Emperor of Great Song are behind this. As for that dragon monster¡ªof course it wasn¡¯t caught. Otherwise, I might not have ended up as Regent.


    Li Xianglong: What a pity!


    Li Xianglong indeed felt deeply regretful.


    The so-called Undying Dragon Monster was a Battle Dragon left behind by the ¡®Undying Dragon Venerate.¡¯


    This incredibly powerful god had dominated from 170,000 to 290,000 years ago.


    Earth Federation¡¯s historians and archaeologists uncovered numerous records about the ¡®Undying Dragon Venerate¡¯ on Tianji Star. It¡¯s hypothesized the god had mastered not only the miraculous Conceptual Power of ¡®Immortality¡¯ but also four formidable battle-oriented concepts, thus self-styled as ¡®Divine King¡¯ and ruler over other gods as Divine Servants.


    Yet even this ¡®Immortal¡¯ being could not escape the fate of falling.


    Around 170,000 years ago, the Undying Dragon Venerate mysteriously disappeared, and their dominion over Tianji Star crumbled.


    Federation archaeologists deduced, based on ancient texts, that the god likely perished, with evidence pointing to two of their conceptual powers being usurped by their Divine Servants.


    ¡ªUntil Lin Rui witnessed the ¡®Undying Dragon Monster¡¯ in the Demon Suppression Forest.


    The Divine King¡¯s Battle Dragon was still alive, and from its state at the time, East Abyss had evidently extracted some of its power.


    Li Xianglong initially had ambitions for the dragon monster, wondering if he could steal its genetic samples or even smuggle it back to the Federation for breakthroughs in biological technology. However, Purgatory acted first.


    Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise; with Great Song opening trade ports and its diplomatic relations with Earth Federation steadily improving, the Security Bureau was no longer in a position to act against Demon Suppression Forest.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): The Great Song¡¯s situation will undoubtedly be tense in the months to come. I¡¯ll have to rely on you, Commander, to help stabilize the situation.


    Lin Rui thought to himself, with the Great Song¡¯s ancestors instigating rebellion, could its internal conditions possibly be good?


    Li Xianglong: Don¡¯t worry; the Security Bureau will spare no effort to assist you in stabilizing Great Song¡¯s political scene.


    At this moment, Lin Rui received a response from Luo Wangshu.


    The first person he notified upon leaving the Divine Palace was Luo Wangshu.


    Only now did Luo Wangshu find time to reply: You¡¯ve really become regent? Did you get the Imperial Jade Seal? They say this artifact can purify Martial Intent and conceptualize it?


    Lin Rui lowered his gaze, with a strange glint in his eyes, at the white Jade Seal about two palm-lengths in size within his hand.


    Inscribed upon it were eight large characters¡ª¡±Mandated by the Divine, Nation Flourishes People At Peace!¡±


    This was a powerful Divine Artifact forged from the conceptual powers of Green Blood Venerate¡¯s ¡®Elixir Heart¡¯ and ¡®Unity,¡¯ channeling the collective will of Great Song¡¯s 1.7 billion citizens.


    Its ¡®Elixir Heart¡¯ manifested in the phrase ¡°Nation Flourishes People At Peace,¡± enabling it to suppress the nation¡¯s fortune.


    Yet the phrase ¡°Mandated by the Divine¡± subjected it to constraints from East Abyss.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Got it. I tried it briefly¡ªit can indeed purify Martial Intent, but the conceptualization speed is too slow. The effect is less than a thousandth of what the Abyss Divine Tablet can achieve.


    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the artifact could be combined with the Radiant Holy Altar and Tribulation Fire of Divine Thunder.


    The Imperial Jade Seal¡¯s ability to conceptualize Martial Intent stemmed from its power to harness the collective will of billions of Great Song citizens, safeguarding the seal wielder¡¯s Divine Will from corruption as they delved deeper into the ¡®Root.¡¯


    Even so, despite the backing of 1.7 billion citizens, users still needed to exercise great caution.


    But if combined with the Radiant Holy Altar and Divine Thunder¡¯s Tribulation Fire...


    Moreover, Lin Rui himself was Divine¡ª


    Luo Wangshu: It definitely can¡¯t compare to the Abyss Divine Tablet. Otherwise, with the Emperor wielding this artifact for 400 years, they¡¯d have ascended to Immortal Level long ago. The limit of a 400-year rule set by the Divine is likely tied to the nature of the Imperial Jade Seal.


    Luo Wangshu: Still, considering today¡¯s Emperor¡¯s Martial Arts talent alongside the biological technology your Earthlings provided, it¡¯s likely he¡¯s already crossed into Immortal Level, with his conceptual power potentially reaching eighty or ninety percent completion.


    Lin Rui squinted, thinking his master¡¯s assessment was likely accurate.


    He roughly surveyed the Demon Suppression Forest¡¯s incident and concluded it couldn¡¯t have occurred without covert assistance from the Emperor.


    While the Emperor had cleared all traces, choosing to act only after setting out for Sky Pond a month earlier, ensuring no one could catch him red-handed¡ªstill, who else in Luojing City had both the ability and motive to extract geothermal veins?


    Under such circumstances, logical deduction had high reliability.


    Lin Rui suspected the Emperor¡ªwhether through desperation or a newfound confidence¡ªhad plans of his own.


    Therefore, Lin Rui had to exercise utmost caution moving forward. He couldn¡¯t assume being Regent equated to security.


    Luo Wangshu: Since you have the Imperial Jade Seal, approve the state affairs and official appointments I¡¯ve previously prioritized.


    Luo Wangshu: That foul Emperor has been stalling¡ªclearly approved by the Divine Envoy, yet he drags them out without stamping them, and for months.


    Luo Wangshu: Furthermore, though the Imperial Jade Seal pales compared to the Abyss Divine Tablet, it can still help you progress further. Xiao Rui, over the coming period, you must not slack off; conceptualizing Martial Intent as quickly as possible is crucial.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Understood, Master!


    Lin Rui thought to himself that advancing his Martial Intent conceptualization was indeed essential.


    The more he conceptualized Martial Intent, the less likely he was to succumb to divine possession.


    Moreover, the celestial and earthly shifts hinted at looming turmoil.


    Lin Rui also received about a dozen congratulatory messages at this time from trusted aides and confidants aware of his true identity.


    He replied to each message briefly, then strode, Jade Seal in hand, toward the basement.


    When he arrived at the mansion¡¯s largest lead room underground, he once again activated the Battle Spirit Ring: ¡°Ring Spirit, simulate the construction blueprint for Jingyi Altar according to my specifications!¡±


    Prompt: Simulating the construction blueprint for Jingyi Altar will require 15 million soul power points. As the process involves Heavenly Curtain, it may trigger anomalies between the Heavenly Curtain and Root. Please choose an appropriate location for execution.


    This was precisely why Lin Rui had come to this underground lead room; he decisively approved the action and was soon startled by the flashes of light in his eyes.

 Chapter 773: 710: Something is Wrong

    Chapter 773: Chapter 710: Something is Wrong


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡±


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes, gazing at the Battle Spirit Ring in his hand.


    The lead room where Lin Rui was located not only had walls 20 meters thick but was also surrounded by an outer 49-meter-thick layer of heavy concrete. After being infiltrated by the Invincible Dharma King last time, additional fortifications were applied, making the isolation nearly absolute. It could completely block electromagnetic radiation as well as the spiritual sense detection of someone at Linghu Mingde¡¯s level.


    He occasionally performed surgeries involving Purifying Fire inside without worrying about alerting the Divine.


    Yet, while Lin Rui was deducing, his consciousness was, as always, connected to the Heavenly Curtain above and the Root below.


    His mind and Divine Soul seemed to transform into a top-tier supercomputer, extracting and collecting all relevant knowledge from the Heavenly Curtain and the Root for deduction and computation.


    Simultaneously, he triggered a slight abnormal reaction within the Heavenly Curtain.


    There seemed to be a force within the Heavenly Curtain, resonating from the distant void with his actions.


    The question was, how exactly was the Battle Spirit Ring connected to the ¡°Heavenly Curtain¡± and the ¡°Root¡±? Could it be utilizing quantum communication technology?


    ¡°Not right, very not right!¡±


    After stepping into the Seventh Realm, Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual sensing ability had greatly enhanced. He could now confirm without a doubt that the Battle Spirit Ring was likely an artificial Heavenly Curtain akin to the ¡°Radiant Holy Altar.¡±


    Moreover, this artificial Heavenly Curtain seemed to be embedded within the ¡°Heavenly Curtain¡± itself.


    Tip: Due to your distraction, unnecessary soul power points were consumed. Please allocate an additional 320,000 soul power points to complete the design of the Jingyi Altar blueprint.


    Lin Rui felt even more perplexed, thinking, Isn¡¯t the blueprint deduction being completed by you? Does my focus really matter that much?


    His proficiency in Formation only reached the ¡°Sky-reaching Level (Master)¡± standard. His expertise in ¡°Electrical Engineering,¡± ¡°Information Engineering,¡± and ¡°Computer Engineering¡± was merely at the proficient level¡ªskills he copied from Huang Fuqing, a biological Academician who dabbled in multiple disciplines, including applied physics.


    However, his level of expertise still fell far short of being capable of designing an ¡°artificial Heavenly Curtain,¡± didn¡¯t it?


    Neither his mind nor his soul was truly a supercomputer¡ªwait, no! Lin Rui faintly sensed that far away in the void, there seemed to be another version of himself?


    Lin Rui made a concerted effort to enhance his sensing ability, trying to lock onto the position of this ¡°self,¡± yet he could not establish a connection.


    At that moment, another notification from the Battle Spirit Ring appeared, informing him that his distraction required an additional allocation of 250,000 soul power points.


    Lin Rui had no choice but to calm his mind and focus on the deduction process.


    He felt that his role was minimal; he was merely observing the thoughts emerging in his mind, observing the knowledge extracted and collected from the Heavenly Curtain and the Root, and then seeing them being pieced together, gradually uncovering a complete blueprint.


    Moments later, Lin Rui used the biological chip implanted in his brain to convert the blueprint stored in his memory into a file and sent it to Wang Yinyue.


    ¡°Ring Spirit! Help me decipher the meaning of this set of numbers¡ª¡±


    It was the very information intercepted from his grandfather¡¯s mind by Wang Tianwu.


    Tip: Insufficient intelligence to conduct deduction and decryption.


    Lin Rui furrowed his brows slightly, pondering what this set of numbers represented.


    Wang Yinyue had already set up a supercomputing cluster for him, involving 800 machines worth tens of millions, utilizing the most advanced search AI, and had even granted Thunder Marshal level permissions to the system, yet no results had been achieved thus far.


    Lin Rui called upon the Battle Spirit Ring again: ¡°Ring Spirit, repair the Battle Spirit Ring¡¯s completeness to 60%!¡±


    Tip: Repairing the Battle Spirit Ring¡¯s completeness to 60% requires 3 million soul power points.


    Lin Rui then chose to further restore it to 70%, which would require 10 million soul power points.


    After receiving the reply from the Battle Spirit Ring, he felt a pang of dismay in his heart.


    One must know that even the magical cultivators possessing Ninth Realm Divine Illumination within the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower could only provide between 300,000 to 600,000 soul power points.


    From his recent journey to the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, he had accumulated a total of 82.3 million soul power points.


    Yet, Lin Rui decided without hesitation to choose ¡°repair.¡±


    In the past, Lin Rui had been conservative in repairing the ¡°Battle Spirit Ring¡¯s¡± completeness, primarily because the collected soul power points were insufficient. He had always prioritized converting those points into personal strength.


    As for the ¡°Battle Spirit Ring¡¯s¡± completeness, as long as the artifact remained functional and did not hinder his growth in power, he was willing to make do.


    However, during the deduction of the Jingyi Altar¡¯s construction blueprint a moment ago, Lin Rui had sensed the presence of another ¡°self.¡±


    He realized that fully restoring the ¡°Battle Spirit Ring¡± completeness as soon as possible might help unravel the mysteries of this artifact.


    Lin Rui then considered pushing for further restoration of the Battle Spirit Ring¡¯s completeness to 80%.


    Tip: Repairing the Battle Spirit Ring¡¯s completeness to 80% requires 10 million soul power points and the blood qi and soul of a Super Divine Envoy level individual. You are lacking the required materials.


    Lin Rui paused in surprise. The next stage of repairing the Battle Spirit Ring actually required the Primordial Spirit and blood qi of a Super Divine Envoy level being?


    While Lin Rui¡¯s thoughts were churning tumultuously, he received a reply from Wang Yinyue.


    Wang Yinyue: Divine One, where did you procure this blueprint? I only skimmed through it, and though it is based on the ¡°Radiant Holy Altar,¡± along with your Martial Intent of ¡°One,¡± it astonishingly also integrates the power of the ¡°Green Blood Venerate.¡±


    Wang Yinyue: It appears to incorporate the concepts of ¡°Unity¡± and ¡°Elixir Heart,¡± very cohesively. It practically merges the Green Blood Venerate¡¯s power and the artificial Heavenly Curtain to perfection. May I ask whose craftsmanship crafted this design?


    Lin Rui thought that this woman had quite the discerning eye. One of the criteria he had set for the Battle Spirit Ring¡¯s deduction process was that it had to be based on the Imperial Jade Seal in his possession.


    To put it simply, while the power of the Radiant Holy Altar might have resembled that of the Imperial Jade Seal, the two items were fundamentally different in nature.


    The Radiant Holy Altar was an artificial Heavenly Curtain, containing within it the Sky Curtain Spirit formed by 2.7 billion followers. Through the propagation of doctrines centered on the conceptual power of ¡°Purity,¡± the internal sanctity was maintained.


    In contrast, the Imperial Jade Seal harnessed the conceptual power of ¡°Unity¡± to collect the collective aspirations of Great Song¡¯s 170 billion population, who longed for ¡°peace and prosperity.¡±


    These two items each had their own unique essence, incomparable yet not conflicting, capable of harmonizing seamlessly.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Whose design it is isn¡¯t your concern. I¡¯m only asking if you can construct the Jingyi Altar according to the blueprint?


    Wang Yinyue: I can! However, I¡¯m not fully certain if the constructed altar will operate as expected or meet your design requirements.


    Although the blueprint itself seemed flawless, at least no apparent problems were visible to her.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Then proceed with construction as quickly as possible. Your next task prioritizes the completion of the Jingyi Altar above anything else!


    Wang Yinyue: Understood! However, based on the annotations in the blueprint, we still need to prepare some additional materials. Please collect them at the earliest, Divine One.


    ¡ª¡ªThe ¡°artificial Heavenly Curtain base¡± and the ¡°Radiant Holy Altar¡± were already at the level of Abyss Divine Artifacts. This blueprint even added the conceptual power of the Green Blood Venerate, requiring the Sky Curtain Spirit¡¯s population to expand to 300 million, which meant their current materials were grossly inadequate.


    Wang Yinyue: Furthermore, our Forest Heavy Industry and Forest Shipbuilding are critically understaffed, especially in engineers proficient in both talismanic arrays and mechanical engineering. Divine One, please find a solution quickly.


    At the docks of the Ninth Base City, Wang Yinyue stared at the blueprint unfurled before her, her eyes brimming with astonishment.


    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder who the designer of this blueprint might be. Could it be the Divine One himself?


    The blueprint not only involved the artificial Heavenly Curtain base constructed with the conceptual powers of ¡°Purity,¡± ¡°Unity,¡± and ¡°Elixir Heart,¡± but it could also disguise itself perfectly, integrating seamlessly into the Earth Federation¡¯s artificial Heavenly Curtain base.


    Wang Yinyue even caught a glimpse of Lin Rui¡¯s ambitious vision. This Jingyi Altar boasted powerful and covert ¡°interfaces.¡± Not only could it integrate itself into the artificial Heavenly Curtain of the Ninth Base City, but it also held the capability to deploy across other Base Cities, forming an independent Sky Curtain network.


    However, the blueprint¡¯s core lay in Lin Rui¡¯s Essential Martial Intent, the fundamental concept of ¡°One.¡±


    It was the ¡°One¡± that represented the unity of all things, and also the ¡°One¡± that birthed all things.


    In this world, who better understood the cultivation method of ¡°One¡± than the Divine One?


    Lin Rui, meanwhile, was beset with headaches.


    The Forest Group under his command faced severe manpower shortages in the fields of mechanical engineering and shipbuilding, struggling to make ends meet.


    Despite the numerous ¡°Hearts of Light¡± under his command who could multitask, they were limited in their comprehension of the Sky Extreme Rune Formation. Their abilities maxed out around SS+ upgrades below the Sixth Realm. No matter how much they studied or leveraged large-scale model simulations, their skills simply stagnated beyond this point.


    Lin Rui had been offering lucrative salaries to recruit talent for months, but he had yet to secure any truly top-tier engineers.


    However, Wang Yinyue proposed a solution¡ªthe Heresy Prison of the Mechanical God Temple.


    Not only did the prison detain many ¡°heretics¡± of the Mechanical God Temple, but it also held some Alien Walkers well-versed in mechanical manufacturing techniques.


    Wang Yinyue suggested raiding the prison to directly resolve the manpower issues plaguing Forest Heavy Industry and Forest Shipbuilding. If fortunate, they might even uncover two SSS-level or even SSS+ level top-tier engineers.


    This course of action would undoubtedly antagonize the Mechanical God Temple significantly. However, if Lin Rui could secure top-tier mechanical manufacturing and conceptual capabilities, of what concern were the objections of the Mechanical God Temple to him?


    Lin Rui then reined in his scattered thoughts and retrieved a jade scroll from his sleeve.


    Inscribed on the jade scroll were five ancient characters¡ªHeavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword!


    This was one of the items conferred during today¡¯s Divine Council, alongside the Imperial Jade Seal from the East Abyss.


    Lin Rui pressed the jade scroll against his brow, attuning himself to its contents.


    ¡°Ring Spirit, help me elevate the Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword to the Great Grandmaster level!¡±


    For a long time, Lin Rui had admired Luo Wangshu¡¯s 9SSS+ Secret Sword¡ªthe ¡°Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword.¡±


    This Secret Sword seemed to be a product derived from the East Abyss¡¯ exploration of the universe¡¯s myriad mysteries, tracing the origins of the heavens and the earth, and excavating the essence of causality.


    Moreover, like Lin Rui¡¯s ¡°Root Slash,¡± a Secret Sword inspired by one from the East Abyss, the Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword could accumulate momentum before a battle and unleash it in an explosive burst during combat!


    Furthermore, the longer the buildup, the more destructive the sword¡¯s power upon release.


    The power of these two techniques was comparable; however, ¡°Root Slash¡± could only target a single individual, whereas the ¡°Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡± could encompass an entire area.


    This ultimate skill was imparted by the East Abyss, and without Divine permission, Luo Wangshu could not pass it on to others.


    Today, Lin Rui finally received formal transmission of this Secret Sword technique from the East Abyss, enabling him to comprehend its mysteries fully.

 Chapter 774: 711: Tremors

    Chapter 774: Chapter 711: Tremors


    While Lin Rui was studying Martial Arts through the Battle Spirit Ring, Lin Hao¡¯s appointment as Regent of the Great Song spread rapidly across Sky Extreme Star and even throughout the Earth Federation.


    When Yi Duxing received the news, he was aboard a warship in space, meeting with Zang Shaochen and Yang Lingxiao, Chairman of the Taiyi Group, to discuss the current situation.


    Factionalism was rampant within the Longevity Association. The three of them, originally major power players, were now forced to unite under Lin Tianchen¡¯s relentless attacks and pursuit.


    ¡°Lin Tianchen is not much of a threat, honestly,¡± Yi Duxing said calmly as he sipped tea brewed by the Dead-eyed Demon. ¡°Though he wields the Abyss Divine Artifact and boasts Super Divine Envoy-level combat power, he is not without weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°The truly terrifying ones are Lin Rui and his Twin Goddesses. The oppressive threat of these three siblings is gigantic, and their potential is equally daunting. The few Immortal Level figures aligning with them are undoubtedly raising a tiger to cause future harm.¡±


    With Lin Rui and the Twin Goddesses looming overhead, who would dare openly oppose Lin Tianchen?


    The current situation was such that even the various factions within the Federation, no matter how much they wanted to secretly aid his enemies, had to carefully weigh their actions.


    What¡¯s more, Lin Rui¡¯s talent truly inspired boundless dread.


    At merely the Seventh Realm, he was already a ¡°Senior Legislator¡± capable of going toe-to-toe with Divine Envoys.


    What would happen when he ascended to the Eight Realms and implanted one or two types of Armament Bloodlines? That guy might very well break through to Super Divine Envoy-level.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gone up against Lin Tianchen twice in combat. His so-called Super Divine Envoy-level combat power is overblown. He¡¯s not as formidable as claimed!¡±


    Zang Shaochen furrowed his brows. ¡°Lin Rui is the true enemy of the Longevity Association. I¡¯ve heard that the Forest Freight Company recently put in a commercial retrofit order for two decommissioned battleships and four decommissioned cruisers in East Asia. Their escort fleet will soon scale up to two full squadrons.¡±


    ¡°And then there¡¯s ¡®Firepower Mad Bear¡¯ Balder Martinez, who has formally joined the Forest Group as Deputy Director of Forest Freight Company and Head of Freight Land Operations. He even shared his contract on his personal social media¡ª200 billion federal coins monthly salary plus stock dividends. I have no idea where Lin Rui is getting all this money from. His family doesn¡¯t own a bank!¡±


    Zang Shaochen, after his jailbreak, had been forming his ¡°Star Wolf Pirate Fleet.¡±


    He reclaimed three squadrons from the Evil Pirate Group and used his reputation, along with the Longevity Association¡¯s financial resources, to poach members from various pirate groups.


    As of now, with the addition of two squadrons that defected from the Second Fleet Group, the Star Wolf Pirate Fleet had grown to eight squadrons.


    This pirate fleet sounded powerful, but in reality, its strength came entirely from Zang Shaochen¡¯s personal savings and various grants from within the Longevity Association.


    They merely had eleven battleships across their squadrons, were severely lacking in warships, and even more so in highly skilled combatants.


    Hearing this, Yang Lingxiao couldn¡¯t help but internally sneer, thinking that Zang Shaochen, who was being relentlessly hunted by Lin Tianchen and forced into hiding in space, still dared to claim Lin Tianchen to be ¡°not much of a threat.¡±


    Nonetheless, Lin Rui¡¯s rapidly growing power also weighed heavily on his mind.


    The ¡°Firepower Mad Bear¡± Balder Martinez was one of the three Legislators who signed a Divine Contract with Lin Rui to leave the Longevity Association. Perhaps he felt that since he was already going to accept employment with the Forest Group, and their treatment was fair, with decent strength, he might as well join them outright.


    A monthly salary of 200 billion federal coins was indeed substantial¡ªamounting to 2.4 trillion annually.


    A 3 trillion market-capitalization company might barely make that in net profit, and that¡¯s without considering commercial risks or the burden of self-sufficiency.


    Balder, also a Senior Legislator, was skilled at leveraging all kinds of high-tech equipment.


    He was a Martial Cultivator focusing on the Conceptual Powers of ¡°Unbreakable¡± and ¡°Enhancement,¡± which he could also apply to nearby Combat Robots. The more robots he had, the stronger he became.


    Years ago, ¡°Firepower Mad Bear¡± even had a duel with Yang Lingxiao that ended in a stalemate, matching the Divine Envoy-level strength of Yang Lingxiao blow for blow.


    Yang Lingxiao couldn¡¯t help but worry. If not for the ceasefire agreement negotiated between the Longevity Association and Lin Rui before the Battle of Purgatory, he would have already moved his company headquarters to another Base City.


    ¡°And you say it¡¯s not sustainable? The Forest Group holds 150 ship plates under the Great Song Star Port, leasing out 50 and retaining 100 for themselves. Internally in the Great Song, the Hidden Crown Prince¡¯s faction provides him with a large amount of affordable goods.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t confirm their exact revenue, but I estimate Forest Group¡¯s monthly net earnings to be around 200 billion federal coins. And that¡¯s based on their focus on consumer goods alone.¡±


    Yang Lingxiao let out a bitter smile. ¡°The greater income earner is Rui Fang Group. Their skincare and wellness products were already smashing successes, and now their recently launched medicines are sweeping through the Federation. This month¡¯s net profit is likely to hit 930 billion.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if Lin Rui is a genius himself or if he just commands a top-tier pharmaceutical team. Regardless, the patents and drugs we pharmaceutical companies sold to Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, they¡¯ve managed to tweak and rebrand into miraculous products with massively improved efficacy.¡±


    ¡°And then there¡¯s their Armaments. Rui Fang¡¯s Armaments gained credibility after being endorsed by the ¡®Divine Law Heavenly Girl.¡¯ In the Great Song¡¯s upper echelons, only Armaments provided by Rui Fang are considered acceptable.¡±


    ¡°That high?¡± Zang Shaochen¡¯s expression transformed upon hearing this.


    He had guessed Lin Rui¡¯s conglomerates were highly profitable but hadn¡¯t imagined their revenue would be on such a staggering level.


    Neither Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals nor Forest Group publicly disclosed financial reports, but Zang Shaochen had no doubt about Yang Lingxiao¡¯s estimates.


    Yang Lingxiao¡¯s Taiyi Biological Group operated across pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and logistics, and his deep connections and industry expertise ensured his projections carried weight.


    Zang Shaochen looked perturbed. Even the internet companies, so beloved and hailed by the financial world, didn¡¯t grow as fast as Lin Rui¡¯s two conglomerates.


    Confused, Zang Shaochen asked, ¡°Are you just going to let Lin Rui¡¯s forces swell to this level? Can¡¯t you suppress his sales network or hospitals? I remember the Longevity Association had plans for this. Why were they abandoned so quickly?


    Even if the ceasefire treaty binds the Longevity Association, surely there are other forces within the Federation? What about the Divine Light Army? And his armed transport fleet¡ªare the Evil Pirate Group and Star Chain Pirate Group going to watch idly?¡±


    ¡°The Forest Group fleets have always operated in synchronization with the Tianhu Interstellar Trading Company. With Linghu Mingde personally overseeing operations, neither of those pirate groups can do anything. Now, Lin Tianchen, promoted to Commander of the Second Fleet Group, is providing dedicated protection for their fleets.¡±


    Yi Duxing kept sipping his tea. ¡°Cosmetics and medicines are lightweight and compact, so Lin Rui simply entrusts Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ goods to a few large East Asian logistics companies for transport.¡±


    ¡°As for Rui Fang¡¯s sales network and hospitals, while they aren¡¯t profitable, Lin Rui continues to heavily invest in them. He even has them insured¡ªfor 120 billion federal coins monthly¡ªby seven of the largest insurance companies in the Federation.¡±


    Zang Shaochen blinked in astonishment, then silently cursed under his breath.


    The handlers of these seven major insurance companies were all Earth Federation magnates, at least Divine Envoy-level, with the weakest being someone like Yang Lingxiao.


    To top it off, the ¡°Financial Emperor¡± Yi Duxing himself had shares in several of these firms.


    What made this even worse was that Lin Rui not only commanded such a massive distribution network but also wielded unprecedented influence over the pharmaceutical companies in Ninth Base City.


    ¡°Take a look at this.¡±


    At this moment, Yang Lingxiao placed a small, exquisitely designed porcelain bottle in front of them. ¡°This is called ¡®Rui Fang Lifespan Pill,¡¯ a new health product from Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals. It¡¯s also considered a skincare product. If you haven¡¯t heard of it, you can check online.¡±


    Yi Duxing glanced at the bottle and chuckled bitterly.


    He had already heard of the ¡°Rui Fang Lifespan Pill.¡±


    Zang Shaochen ran an online search, and his expression darkened.


    The ¡°Rui Fang Lifespan Pill¡± was Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ new health supplement. It improved physical functionality, extended lifespans, and eliminated ailments. It also enhanced skin health, making people radiant inside and out.


    The health benefits only required usage every 3 to 5 months, but the skincare effects lasted merely five days. However, when combined with Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ other skincare products, the results were enhanced.


    This product had already become wildly popular in fourteen Base Cities. Due to supply shortages, its black market price had surged to 50,000 federal coins¡ªmore than four times its official price of 10,800.


    ¡°The entire financial sector is now hoping Lin Rui¡¯s two companies will go public. At this point, Lin Rui¡¯s power is nearly impossible to confront directly¡ª¡±


    Yi Duxing, however, was more concerned about Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ Armored Biological Research Institute.


    The institute had gathered countless top-tier biological talent, and in the past year alone, received nearly 2 trillion federal coins in funding from East Asia and the Security Bureau. It continuously acquired top-grade Armament materials from the market.


    However, the institute was deeply embedded within the stronghold of the Forest ¡¤ Rui Fang Group. Its security was airtight, guarded fiercely, and further bolstered by the Twin Goddesses. A forceful assault was out of the question.


    Yi Duxing, along with many within the Longevity Association and agencies such as the Atlantic Federation Investigation Bureau, had dispatched elite forces to investigate and infiltrate Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute. But this endeavor would take time.


    Shaking his head slightly, Yi Duxing spoke with a somber tone: ¡°Due to the limitations imposed by the ceasefire treaty, it¡¯s exceedingly difficult to target Lin Rui head-on. Such an approach would result in needless casualties. Instead of focusing on taking down Lin Rui, it may prove more effective to direct our efforts at Lin Hao¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lin Hao?¡± Zang Shaochen pondered briefly. ¡°Start by cutting off his wings and allies? It could work. The two of them currently support each other, forming a pincer strategy with Great Song Star Port trade to constrain the Federation¡¯s major freight operators. It¡¯s indeed problematic.¡±


    ¡°The effort is supported by factions within Purgatory and endorsed by multiple Dynasties of Sky Extreme Star. The increasing profits from Great Song Star Port have alarmed all sides on Sky Extreme Star, especially Purgatory, which is willing to offer a hefty reward for intervention¡ª¡±


    Yi Duxing¡¯s words were cut short as his terminal bracelet buzzed with an emergency email.


    He opened it and instantly his expression darkened.


    Across from him, Yang Lingxiao too received information from his intelligence director. His face turned deathly pale: ¡°Lin Hao of the Great Song has been appointed as Regent.¡±


    An hour earlier, Yang Lingxiao had already heard about Song Taizu¡¯s assault on Demon Suppression Forest and the rescue of the Undying Dragon Monster sealed within.


    What he hadn¡¯t anticipated was that the East Abyss would endorse Lin Hao as Regent.


    Zang Shaochen¡¯s expression also turned extremely grim: ¡°Does that mean the Imperial Jade Seal of the Great Song has already fallen into Lin Hao¡¯s hands?¡±


    This was undoubtedly catastrophic news.


    Lin Hao, now not only in charge of Great Song¡¯s political affairs but also empowered by the Imperial Jade Seal¡¯s might.


    The power of the National Treasure was immense. Even emperors of the Great Song with only Seventh Realm cultivation had Super Divine Envoy-level combat strength within the Luojing vicinity.


    Their plans to undermine Lin Hao were crumbling even before they began.


    Yi Duxing¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. The Longevity Association absolutely could not allow the forces of Lin Hao and Lin Rui to continue their unchecked growth.


    But now that Lin Hao had been named Regent, many of their initial tactics were no longer viable. It was imperative they devise a new strategy.

 Chapter 775: 712 Congratulations, Regent

    Chapter 775: Chapter 712 Congratulations, Regent


    The Invincible Dharma King, Li Weiliang, learned of Lin Hao being appointed as the Regent of Great Song slightly later, about eight hours after the fact.


    At that moment, she was discussing the state of the Beicheng District battle with her subordinates. Upon hearing the news, she was briefly stunned, then let out a bitter smile, thinking that the Great Song Duke was indeed justified in his refusal to join the Light God Sect as the ¡®King Ming.¡¯


    Li Weiliang pondered that if he hadn¡¯t inherited the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire,¡¯ it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for him to become the Emperor of Great Song.


    Moreover, that man has already reached the Seventh Realm! Such rapid cultivation speed.


    ¡®Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder¡¯ and ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯ in his hands would undoubtedly enhance his divine might.


    Li Weiliang, despite priding herself on her magnanimity, couldn¡¯t help but furrow her brows deeply when thinking about Lin Hao¡¯s terrifying talent and the three Divine Artifacts he possessed.


    The future ¡®King Ming¡¯ will definitely reclaim his authority step by step. Can she achieve her goal before ¡®King Ming¡¯ becomes the true King Ming?


    Present at the meeting were Divine Sword Dharma King Shi Jue, Heavenly Blade Dharma King Wu Wushuang, Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan, Hundred Wings Saber King Situ Leng, along with more than twenty Red Priests and Red Robed Master Priests.


    ¡ªTheir cultivation levels ranged from the Eighth to Ninth Realm, all possessing immense combat prowess, the sort forged in mountains of corpses and seas of blood.


    Li Weiliang had been battling against Cheng Country in Beicheng District for nearly half a year, steadily growing her reputation and military power. A faction centered around her had already formed.


    When they heard that Song Taizu had rescued the ¡®Undying Dragon Monster,¡¯ and Lin Hao was appointed as the Regent of Great Song, they were only slightly surprised, and soon began mocking and gloating cynically.


    In the face of Great Song¡¯s formidable enemies, Song Taizu personally sabotaged his dynasty by appointing a mere Seventh Realm greenhorn as Regent. The coming days for Great Song seemed bleak. That figure in East Abyss was likely already in utter confusion, unable to sleep or eat peacefully, hence the decision to commission such a young and inexperienced individual.


    After they had discussed the matter for some time, the conversation shifted to internal affairs within the sect. They worried about ¡®King Ming¡¯s¡¯ steadily growing influence among the grassroots followers of the sect.


    The new ¡®King Ming¡¯ hadn¡¯t done anything significant since his ascension. He merely sat at the altar during routine ceremonies and occasionally lectured on intermediate and foundational martial arts cultivation in the sect. Yet, he gained tremendous support from the sect¡¯s Priests, which was then disseminated further to the grassroots followers through these same Priests. Now, his influence within the sect far surpassed that of the Invincible Dharma King, who had been risking her life for the sect for nearly half a year in direct confrontation with Cheng Country, leaving many of them resentful.


    Recently, ¡®King Ming¡¯ seemed to have gained the support of Judge Divine Envoy Zhuang Fatian. The reason was his unwavering assistance, over the past three months, in Zhuang Fatian¡¯s efforts to purge corruption and excess power within the sect. Whenever the Judgement Holy Hall made a request, as long as there was concrete evidence, ¡®King Ming¡¯ approved without exception.


    It was said that even when confronted and pressured by Deputy Sect Leader Wanyan Layman, this figure didn¡¯t yield in the slightest.


    Later, Judge Divine Envoy Zhuang Fatian personally told a few trusted subordinates: ¡°Since ascending the throne, King Ming¡¯s actions have been both righteous and impartial, every decision governed by fairness and justice. Truly, he is a blessing to our Divine Sect.¡±


    The issue, however, was that the Judgement Holy Hall¡¯s ability to take down several Red Priests ultimately depended on the threat posed by the Invincible Dharma King, leaving Wanyan Layman unwilling to break ties with the Divine Sect Headquarters, nor take any action against King Ming. As a result, all the benefits and reputation ended up accruing to King Ming.


    They then discussed ¡®King Ming¡¯s¡¯ underground farm project.


    The Light God Sect Headquarters housed nearly a million people, a large population with many mouths to feed. Thus, the project to build an underground farm at the Headquarters spread rapidly and widely within the sect, becoming a hot topic.


    However, the exact location of the underground farm beneath Headquarters was kept secret, known only to a scant handful of individuals within the sect.


    The Headquarters¡¯ underground farm, situated 9,000 miles deep below the surface, was built from a modified ¡®Stellar-Class¡¯ colonial battleship gifted by the Heavenly Demon. Entry and exit relied on pre-configured docking points accessible via small Quantum Migration Devices. As long as the sect¡¯s internal location remained unexposed, not even divine consciousness could pierce the layers of earth to pinpoint their exact whereabouts.


    Regarding the underground farm, Li Weiliang was also very concerned.


    ¡®King Ming¡¯ had sent several Flying Books about this matter, consulting her regarding the plan.


    He even proposed looking to Heavenly Demon for funding through ¡®loans¡¯ to construct more improved ¡®Stellar-Class¡¯ colonial battleships, aiming to expand the scale of the farm to its absolute maximum, and hoped for her full support as Regent Deputy Sect Leader.


    ¡°Guchan, you¡¯ve seen their farm at Headquarters, right? What¡¯s your opinion? Can this project be successful?¡±


    Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan had returned to Beicheng District just a day prior; he had been at Headquarters earlier, modifying and enhancing ¡®King Ming¡¯s¡¯ ¡®Hidden Dragon¡¯ Battle Armor.


    His brows furrowed, and his gaunt face showed a serious expression: ¡°I think it can succeed! Actually, the first batch of Spiritual Medicine planted in the five layers of the underground farm at Headquarters has already reached maturity and will soon be harvested. King Ming chose ¡®Lighting Blood¡¯ and ¡®Longevity King Grass¡¯ as the crops¡ªthey are of excellent quality. Shancai Divine Envoy estimates that this harvest alone could sell for 3 million taels of Magic Silver.¡±


    ¡®Lighting Blood¡¯ and ¡®Longevity King Grass¡¯ are both intermediate-grade medicinal herbs with high demand. They grow quickly and, with ample lighting and exposure to high concentrations of Ether Element Power, their growth rate is especially fast.


    Li Guchan¡¯s words instantly caused an uproar among those present.


    Even the Invincible Dharma King, Li Weiliang, couldn¡¯t help but focus her gaze sharply. Three million taels of Magic Silver¡ªthat amounts to three billion federal coins, enough to buy a second-hand Guardian Battleship.


    The underground farm spanning five layers within Headquarters is so small in area. Yet, in less than four months of planting, it can generate such immense profits?

 Chapter 776: 712 Congratulations Regent_2

    Chapter 776: Chapter 712 Congratulations Regent_2


    Li Guchan continued: ¡°The difficulty in planting spiritual medicine underground in the past was the ¡®Purgatory Light.¡¯ Even Martial Cultivators of the sixth or seventh realm face the risk of demon transformation if exposed to the ¡®Purgatory Light¡¯ for over three months. If their emotions fluctuate slightly, they might fall into the category of demons, which is why the Sky Pond troops of various nations must rotate regularly.¡±


    ¡°Secondly, various mechanisms and the herbs themselves can also undergo mutations. Mechanisms can develop spiritual sense, and herbs contaminated by large amounts of Purgatory Light experience changes in efficacy, often driving people mad.¡±


    In this regard, the Mechanical God Temple excels at crafting various mechanical devices. When placed in Sky Pond for just a few months, these devices begin developing spiritual wisdom.


    Thus, the Mechanical God Temple not only gathers numerous mechanical masters but is also a city of machines, containing countless intelligent mechanisms within.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªHowever, Ming King, through the Radiant Holy Altar and the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, illuminates an underground area spanning 1,600 miles, purging the contamination of ¡®Purgatory Light.¡¯ Recently, he even developed a ¡®Purifying Flame Technique,¡¯ personally ascended the altar to perform it, and taught it to saints and priests alike. This technique can not only cleanse all magical contamination from oneself but also enable Ming Sect followers to move freely within a 3,000-mile radius around the Radiant Holy Altar and even purify various herbs.¡±


    Li Guchan spoke as he ignited a pure holy flame in the palm of his hand.


    This sight made the gathered Red Priests and Capital Chief Priests in the conference room express astonishment once more.


    They observed that this was a technique requiring minimal consumption and a very low threshold; perhaps as long as one could accumulate a bit of True Yuan in the Dantian and had a devout belief in the Light Teachings, one could perform this technique.


    ¡°This is a technique developed by Ming King?¡±


    Li Weiliang was briefly surprised but quickly regained her composure: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Ming King¡¯s strategy is indeed promising.¡±


    She understood that the difference in price between low-level herbs and mid-to-high-level herbs cultivated by the Light God Sect was tenfold, if not more.


    The sect¡¯s medicine fields, scattered on the fringes of the Five Continents near Tianji, often failed to produce the value of even a single acre around Luojing.


    Yet, theoretically, with the demon seeds and farming technology used by the Light God Sect underground, the yield should surpass that of Luojing¡¯s eight surrounding states above ground.


    How much fertile land could be cultivated in that 1,600-mile radius?


    The safest approach, however, was to use star-class colonial battleships capable of navigating underground, allowing for relocation at any time.


    A modified star-class battleship, 60 miles long and 12 miles wide, could eliminate a residential area housing 500,000 people and accommodate 25 levels of farms within.


    A harvest every four months would yield 15 million taels of Magic Silver, amounting to 60 million taels annually, equivalent to 60 billion federal coins.


    A star-class colonial battleship costs only approximately 50 billion federal coins in East Asia, according to the quote Ming King provided. If commissioned through his ally¡¯s shipbuilding company, the Forest Group, the price could be reduced further.


    Li Weiliang mentally calculated this and couldn¡¯t help but take a sharp breath.


    In other words, just the income from the farms inside this star-class colonial battleship could repay its loan within a year?


    The 500,000 onboard could also manage a larger farm surrounding the battleship, with minimal costs to establish it.


    Lin Hao claimed that the annual revenue of a single star-class colonial battleship would not fall below 200 billion federal coins, which hardly seemed exaggerated.


    If the sect could collect the materials to allow him to construct another ¡®Radiant Holy Altar,¡¯ the scale of the farms could be further expanded in the future.


    Regarding the materials for the ¡®Radiant Holy Altar,¡¯ the past Seventh Generation Sect Leader actually prepared a supply of them, stored in the warehouse all this time.


    ¡°Enough. Today, our agenda is to address how to confront the fleet of the Central Continent Business Alliance at sea; let¡¯s not digress. The affairs of the Main Temple are unrelated to you all.¡±


    Li Weiliang¡¯s gaze sharpened as she pointed to the map before her: ¡°My decision is made. No matter the cost, at least one of these armies must be crushed first! Now is the optimal time, and if we miss it, the opportunity will be gone forever.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªOtherwise, this Beicheng District will surely fall into a noose, gradually strangled by the opposition.


    Hundred Wings Saber King Situ Leng stared at the map before him, his expression slightly anxious.


    The fleet from the Central Continent Business Alliance was personally commanded by the Second Divine Envoy of the Central Continent¡ªhow could it be easy to crush them?


    Li Weiliang had waged continuous battles for six months in Da Cheng Country, facing the First and Second Divine Envoys repeatedly, often fighting one against two.


    Could her body withstand it now?


    Situ Leng was equally worried about that Ming King, but he patiently waited for the military meeting to end. Only after all the gathered Red Priests and Capital Chief Priests departed did he speak: ¡°Regent, while the underground farm might significantly increase the income of the Light God Sect, it would also consolidate Ming King¡¯s position and bolster the strength of the Main Temple.¡±


    Each additional star-class colonial battleship the Main Temple acquires represents 500,000 people.


    Of those, roughly 100,000 would consist of priests and Protecting Sect Divine Army members selected from various branch temples, while the rest would be their families, simultaneously serving as laborers.


    If the Main Temple possessed ten such battleships, just how formidable would its power grow?


    Li Weiliang responded with a wry smile and shook her head slightly: ¡°Situ, you¡¯re aware of the state of our sect¡¯s various districts and halls, no?¡±


    Situ Leng fell silent at her words.


    While he had only heard about the state of other districts, he had personally witnessed the situation in Beicheng.


    Due to the war, the cultivated land in Beicheng¡¯s outskirts had diminished to seven-tenths of its previous level.


    While grain was less affected, the medicine fields remained unsellable even when mature, rotting in the ground without a market or transport.


    Currently, the Light God Sect undoubtedly needs stable financial resources.


    Hundred Wings Saber King Situ Leng felt a headache brewing; he persistently believed that Li Weiliang¡¯s support of the Ming King would result in endless troubles.


    If that Ming King were to rise, it would inevitably become a grave threat to Li Weiliang.


    Yet, to avoid splitting the Light God Sect in the end, supporting the Ming King to ascend would be the only viable choice.


    Situ Leng clasped his hands in a salute: ¡°Then I ask that Your Highness prepare in advance, strengthening control over the farms and Main Temple to prevent unexpected events!¡±


    Li Weiliang responded with a slight nod, pondering that Situ Leng¡¯s words were well-reasoned!


    If she desired to achieve her goals and invade the Ninth Sky Demon Origin, the sect¡¯s financial and military power would have to remain firmly in her grasp!


    The Skull Mechanic Sky Monarch Li Guchan hesitated but refrained from speaking.


    He found the Ming King to be a decent person¡ªa good individual.


    This prince performed all actions openly and honestly, even helping him establish contact with the ¡®Mechanical God Heavenly Maiden¡¯ far away in the Sky Demon Origin.


    The Invincible Dharma King could undoubtedly collaborate candidly and faithfully with Ming King.


    Li Weiliang¡¯s intent to strengthen control over the farms and Main Temple would necessarily sideline the Ming King, inevitably intensifying conflicts and sparking disputes, creating significant internal friction.


    ¡°Actually, I already have a plan for this matter.¡± Li Weiliang handed Situ Leng a letter: ¡°This is a message passed to me by the Vice Divine Envoy of the Xiangyi Holy Hall. Within a month, the Protecting Sect Dharma King can be bound within my web.¡±


    Situ Leng took the letter and glanced at it, his expression tightening: ¡°The Protecting Sect Dharma King¡¯s daughter has already undergone demonization?¡±


    ¡°Demonized for four years now, and has transformed into a non-human demonic entity, restrained beneath his residence all this time.¡±


    Li Weiliang sighed: ¡°Though this action may seem unsavory, my medications and control secret technique can somewhat restore the Protecting Sect Dharma King¡¯s daughter¡¯s reasoning. This transaction doesn¡¯t leave him at a loss, as it fulfills mutual needs.¡±


    Situ Leng practically beamed with joy: ¡°Congratulations, Regent!¡±


    As long as they successfully draw the Protecting Sect Dharma King to their side, this Ming King, no matter how highly regarded within the sect, would be akin to an insect caught in a spider¡¯s web¡ªtrapped and unable to budge.

 Chapter 777: 713: Im Actually Fine

    Chapter 777: Chapter 713: I¡¯m Actually Fine


    Two days later, at Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, in the 21st secret laboratory, Lin Rui was still using the Battle Spirit Ring for ¡®adding points and upgrading¡¯ himself.


    He leaned his head against the glass window, observing the situation of the two Seventh Realm Emperor Hao Divine Dragons inside the laboratory, while summoning the Ring Spirit.


    ¡°Ring Spirit, enhance the ¡®Fated Death¡¯ concept to 50%.¡±


    Prompt: Your ¡®Fated Death¡¯ concept has reached the 40% limit, and cannot be enhanced with soul power points.


    Upgrade: Your ¡®Fated Death¡¯ concept needs a soul at the Candidate Divine Envoy Level, or Lifebound Essence Blood at the Immortal Level, or remains of a God¡¯s flesh to break through the limit.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he continued summoning the Ring Spirit: ¡°Ring Spirit, enhance the ¡®Heavenly Foot¡¯ concept to 40%.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Heavenly Foot¡¯ concept was at 30%. Beyond 30%, each 1% enhancement of the concept required 100,000 soul power points. To enhance to 40%, it would consume 1,000,000 points.


    Concept enhancement was accompanied by a large amount of conceptual knowledge, requiring deduction, memory, and mastery.


    However, after exchanging, Lin Rui felt his connection with the ¡®Infinite Heaven Venerate¡¯ will deepened further.


    The Heavenly Venerate will, which had sunk into the depths of the root, was watching him, and Lin Rui seemed to hear its whispers by his ear, like an auditory hallucination, making him want to hear what It was saying.


    ¡ªThis was exactly what Lin Rui wanted. He couldn¡¯t wait for more Gods to watch over him.


    Unfortunately, ¡®Heavenly Foot¡¯ reaching 40% was the limit. When Lin Rui wanted to raise this concept to 50%, the Ring Spirit replied similarly as before.


    Two days ago, Lin Rui actually wanted to deduce ¡®Root Slash¡¯ and ¡®Super Instant Slash¡¯ to 9SSS+.


    Unfortunately, deducing Martial Arts Technique at this level not only required the investment of soul power points, it also consumed two souls at the Divine Envoy Level.


    Lin Rui later discovered that not only these two Secret Swords, but almost all Cultivation Techniques, Martial Arts, and Secret Swords, needed souls above the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank to deduce to 9SSS or 9SSS+ or required Divine Envoy Level souls as an introduction like the ¡®Blood God Wings¡¯.


    At that time, Lin Rui realized that his Martial Arts and concept cultivation after the Nine Realms Divine Illumination would likely be a bloody road, piled with the bones of Divine Envoy Level martial cultivators.


    Today¡¯s enhancement of conceptual power was the same, getting stuck at the threshold of the Divine Envoy Level, requiring some extra elements.


    However, there were some exceptions¡ª


    ¡°Ring Spirit, enhance the ¡®Vajra¡¯ concept to 50%.¡±


    Prompt: To enhance the ¡®Vajra¡¯ concept to 50%, 3,000,000 soul power points are needed.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyebrows arched, and he chose to enhance without hesitation.


    Among all the concepts mastered by Lin Rui, positive conceptual powers like Great Sun, Burning, Light Speed could be directly enhanced to 50%, but Lin Rui dared not touch them now.


    Similarly, concepts like Light Trace, Thunder, Limit, Paralysis, and Divine Poison, which he had a deeper understanding of, could be raised to above 40%, but currently, the highest was just 43%.


    For concepts like Vajra that could be directly enhanced to 50%, only ¡®Twist¡¯ and ¡®Destruction¡¯ were similar.


    Lin Rui thought it was probably because of the ¡®Seed of the Vajra Battle Dragon¡¯, which originated from the flesh of a True God!


    ¡°Ring Spirit, enhance the ¡®Defense¡¯ concept to 50%, enhance the ¡®Solid¡¯ concept to 50%!¡±


    This time, another 6,000,000 soul power points were spent.


    The previous time at the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, Lin Rui gained so much that even after repairing the Battle Spirit Ring to 70% and learning the Great Grandmaster Level ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯, he still had nearly 50,000,000 soul power points left.


    Now he only had 23,000,000 points remaining. The enhancement of dozens of ¡®conceptual¡¯ powers almost emptied his gains from the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower.


    But these enhancements to the conceptual powers of the Vajra Venerable were very worthwhile. When Lin Rui used these three major concepts, a layer of pale gold appeared on his entire skin.


    Lin Rui used telekinesis to rise, controlling a pair of 9SSS-level high-frequency vibrating particle blades ¡®Taiping Zhen¡¯an¡¯, which he slashed with all his might onto his hands, producing a ¡®clang¡¯ sound, as if it was the sound of metal and stone.


    The double blades ultimately only penetrated an inch into his flesh, and after the skin split, it healed instantly.


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips curled slightly, thinking that his current defensive ability was likely much stronger than the Firepower Mad Bear Balder Martinez, who specialized in external martial arts.


    These three conceptual powers of the Vajra Venerable were greatly beneficial to him.


    Among them, Solid and Vajra could make his body more solid and powerful, thus capable of carrying more Abyssal Divine Power.


    The power and knowledge of the Defense concept could be integrated into his Martial Arts Sword Technique.


    Lin Rui estimated that they could be further enhanced to 70% without any problem.


    But he had to consider the issue of Abyss Pollution. Lin Rui brought in ¡®Vajra Venerable¡¯ as a shareholder to balance the Great Sun Venerable and the Seventh Generation Sect Leader but did not want the Vajra Venerable to take control of his body through poisoning.


    Just at this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s expression shifted as he looked over at the glass window beside him.


    Inside, two 24-meter-tall Battle Dragons, covered in platinum with purple-gold stripes, could be seen.


    One was a Battle Dragon, the other a Mecha Dragon, both of their bodies writhing and trembling intensely.


    At this moment, one could feel the surging waves of elemental power, along with the majestic auras of Guang Ming and Thunder, gushing out from inside the laboratory, even the thick composite cement layers of this 21st secret laboratory couldn¡¯t block it.


    ¡°Is it already the final stage?¡±


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes, his expression full of anticipation.


    The reason he moved his upgrade point to Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute was to resurrect Huang Fuqing.


    After getting his Battle Dragon back, this Academician Huangfu couldn¡¯t even wait an hour, strongly demanding Lin Rui to help him resurrect as soon as possible.


    Having no other choice, two days ago, Lin Rui worked non-stop for three hours, allocating resources, injecting medicine into two Emperor Hao Divine Dragons, cultivating embryos for Huang Fuqing, and personally overseeing the entire process of Huang Fuqing¡¯s resurrection.


    Until this moment, both of Huang Fuqing¡¯s bodies were complete.


    This academician, both in terms of his own strength and his understanding of the human body¡¯s structure, was much stronger than Ji Shenyan.


    Thus, it succeeded in one go.


    Lin Rui could sense that Huang Fuqing¡¯s soul within the Battle Dragon had truly ¡®come alive¡¯, with the blend of spirit and body, active consciousness, and abundant Blood Qi.


    Lin Rui then turned his gaze away: ¡°Ring Spirit, enhance the ¡®Truth¡¯ concept to 40%.¡±


    This concept can significantly enhance the divine power of the ¡®Heavenly Principle Divine Heart Sword¡¯ and ¡®Root Slash¡¯.


    Prompt: Your ¡®Truth¡¯ concept is only 21%, enhancing it to 40% requires 1.27 million soul power points.


    After choosing to enhance, Lin Rui, while sensing the mysteries and essences of ¡®Truth¡¯, thought about how his True Yuan and Divine Thought were still insufficient.


    Utilizing conceptual power consumes True Yuan and Divine Thought; the stronger the concept, the more it consumes.


    One concept at 50% strength doesn¡¯t consume much, and with Lin Rui¡¯s current True Yuan and spiritual power indices, lasting a day and a night isn¡¯t a problem.


    The issue is that whenever Lin Rui fought, wouldn¡¯t he always use seven or eight types of conceptual powers together?


    If during this period he simultaneously used 100% of the ¡®Purity¡¯ concept, it would be even more deadly.


    After strengthening the Vajra and solidity, Lin Rui estimated his ¡®Abyss¡¯ duration could now last about 45 seconds, this time not because his body couldn¡¯t keep up, but due to insufficiency of True Yuan and Divine Thought.


    Approximately three hours later, the back of the armored Mecha Dragon located on the left in the lab suddenly opened, and a person covered in mucus fell out from inside.


    ¡ª¡ªThis was a man around forty years old, with regular features, a broad forehead, and a strong, upright posture.


    His temperament should be elegant and steady, just like those videos and photos of Academician Huangfu, but now he was stark naked, an extremely stinging and ungraceful sight.


    Lin Rui looked at Huang Fuqing in the lab, his lips curving slightly: ¡°Congratulations, Academician, on returning from death!¡±


    Huang Fuqing first coughed violently for a while, then took a deep breath: ¡°Thanks, I never thought I could actually come back to life. How do I put it? This feeling is extremely uncomfortable yet truly wonderful! It feels like everything around has turned bright.¡±


    He stood up, moving his limbs, adapting to his body: ¡°Could I trouble the BOSS to implant those new armors for me? This body without any armor feels very uncomfortable.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded: ¡°Already prepared for you, in the lab next door, according to your request, 8 Fake X-level main armaments, 14 auxiliary armaments, but be careful, with so many Fake X-levels, beware of being polluted by the Light King, Great Sun Venerable, and Thunder Venerable.¡±


    The academician in the lab not only wanted to recover his armaments but was also ambitious, wanting to directly advance to Eight Realms.


    Huang Fuqing chuckled mischievously.


    In the past, he¡¯d be very worried, but the BOSS had the Purifying Fire, which could expel the Abyss pollution to a certain extent.


    Besides, the ¡®Great Sun Venerable¡¯ obviously had its eyes on the BOSS, probably not very interested in him.


    Huang Fuqing, thinking of those Fake X-level armors, had eyes full of strong anticipation.


    Under normal circumstances, Armored Martial Cultivators couldn¡¯t replace main armaments; whatever grade of armor they originally implanted was the grade they remained.


    But his BOSS can reintegrate spirit and body with the armaments.


    Huang Fuqing hoped to have stronger potential and greater combat power.


    He knew that although Lin Rui¡¯s current situation seemed stable, under the calm surface, undercurrents were surging.


    Huang Fuqing estimated that within at most a year¡¯s time, countless storms would once again rush towards this BOSS.


    And he and Lin Rui would share glory and loss together.


    However, the next moment, as Huang Fuqing looked towards Lin Rui, his eyes suddenly widened, a worried expression on his face: ¡°BOSS, it seems your condition of being eroded by the Great Sun Venerable is quite serious.¡±


    He saw that Lin Rui¡¯s black hair had completely turned to a golden-red color, and his whole being exuded a strong presence of light, flames, and thunder.


    Standing in the lab, Lin Rui seemed like a small sun, illuminating all around.


    Hearing this, Lin Rui was first stunned, then realized that he had been continuously exchanging various conceptual powers and had forgotten to restrain his Great Sun aura.


    He immediately waved his sleeve to contain all these visions, then laughed softly: ¡°I¡¯m actually alright, not as serious as you think.¡±

 Chapter 778: 714: A Great Harvest

    Chapter 778: Chapter 714: A Great Harvest


    Still at Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, but the location has shifted to the 11th Secret Laboratory. Lin Rui lies within a gigantic examination chamber, undergoing scanning by Ether Mechanism.


    Huang Fuqing is uneasy about Lin Rui¡¯s physical condition and insists on another test of his overall physical aptitude.


    Huang Fuqing also summoned Si Malin for a specialist consultation for Lin Rui.


    The entire Rui Fang Armored Biological Research Institute, though already hosting numerous biological experts, only Si Malin gains Huang Fuqing¡¯s approval.


    This person is a SSS-level Armament biologist both theoretically adept and practically skilled.


    ¡°Overall aptitude reaches 151222 points¡ª¡±


    Si Malin focuses on the virtual screen before him, his expression astonished: ¡°This is your second month of entering Seventh Realm Divine Skills, and your body¡¯s ability growth pace is actually accelerating.¡±


    It¡¯s only been a few days since the last tests and Lin Rui¡¯s strength, reaction, speed, etc., have remarkably increased by twenty to thirty thousand points.


    In terms of spiritual power, it¡¯s somewhat slow, only about ten thousand points, but this Primordial Spirit¡¯s growth rate is still astonishing; generally, Seventh Realm Martial Cultivators can¡¯t necessarily elevate this much in a year.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Abyss!¡± Huang Fuqing wears a mask, his expression contemplative.


    He knows if his resurrection event is exposed, it would cause enormous waves across the Federation, and it would also reveal Lin Rui¡¯s most crucial ability.


    So, Huang Fuqing not only dons a mask but has also deliberately altered his appearance to avoid associations.


    His eyes sharp as he thoroughly reviews Lin Rui¡¯s various data: ¡°It should be the Great Sun Venerable is pushing hard for his cultivation enhancement speed.¡±


    Inside the examination chamber, the corners of Lin Rui¡¯s lips also slightly twitch.


    He knows his physical abilities have been improving rather quickly lately, but he did not expect it to be this swift.


    Previously, Lin Rui desperately wanted to boost his cultivation. Now, he wants to slow down and let things settle, but the Abyss is relentless, forcibly driving him towards the Eight Realms.


    Si Malin¡¯s face also becomes heavy: ¡°This is troublesome!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s main body isn¡¯t much of a problem; as long as he doesn¡¯t implant the main armor of the Eight Realms, he remains in the Seventh Realm.


    The trouble lies with Lin Rui¡¯s alien body¡ªLin Hao. With Lin Rui¡¯s current pace, Si Malin estimates that in no more than five months, it¡¯ll reach the Eight Realms threshold.


    If Lin Hao forces suppression, perhaps it can be suppressed for a while, yet over time, it¡¯ll gradually inflate into an increasingly large balloon, destined to burst eventually.


    Moreover, Lin Hao¡¯s excessively formidable aura will also expose Lin Hao as the Great Sun Venerable¡¯s vessel.


    Si Malin then subtly moves and retrieves another set of data: ¡°The Light God Sect¡¯s Seventh Generation Sect Leader¡¯s X Source Essence and genetic scan map have surfaced, but speaking of which, Mr. H, where did you acquire the Seventh Generation Sect Leader¡¯s lifebound essence blood?¡±


    The masked individual beside him claims the name Mr. H, introduced by Lin Rui, is reputedly an elusive SSS+ level Armament refiner within their ranks.


    Si Malin is curious about this person¡¯s identity; such an existence with SSS+ level Armament refining technique cannot possibly be unknown within the Federation.


    But more astonishing is this person¡¯s possession of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader¡¯s lifebound essence blood.


    From various information, it seems the Light God Sect¡¯s Seventh Generation Sect Leader is potentially an achievement of the Abyss.


    Though ultimately becoming the Great Sun Venerable¡¯s vessel, having to perish alongside the Great Sun Venerable with mutual termination.


    Huang Fuqing hears this and frowns, followed by a slight nod: ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten.¡±


    This drop of Seventh Generation Sect Leader¡¯s lifebound essence blood is obtained from a small concealed base by Lin Rui.


    As for why this essence blood is hidden there, how did he acquire it, Huang Fuqing cannot recall.


    Huang Fuqing realizes he has lost a segment of memory, a crucial segment indeed.


    Si Malin finds it even stranger, thinking how could such important matters be forgotten?


    His attention quickly shifts to the comparative data graphs before him, Si Malin¡¯s gaze growing more serious: ¡°X Source Essence and genetic similarity reached 35%!¡±


    The Seventh Generation Sect Leader was assimilated by the Great Sun Venerable, so this data can also mean Lin Rui¡¯s similarity with the Great Sun Venerable exceeds 35%.


    Si Malin flips to another page: ¡°Similarity with Vajra Venerable also reaches 22%, and 19% with Leide Venerable.¡±


    The Earth Federation already holds several god specimens, and Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, as a primary collaborator of the East Asia Science Academy, can directly access their sample database.


    Lin Rui squints his eyes, brewing caution within.


    The similarity is unexpectedly high? Despite feeling fine usually, he has already been subtly assimilated to this extent by the Great Sun Venerable!


    His expression remains calm: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a way to counteract.¡±


    Huang Fuqing and Si Malin exchange a glance, their expressions semi-skeptical.


    It¡¯s divine corruption, what means could Lin Rui possibly have to deal with it?


    Huang Fuqing rubs his temple, smiling wryly and settling into the chair behind: ¡°I¡¯ll mix two medicines for you first and see if they can slow down the corruption process.¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Lin Rui truly has a method to counteract divine corruption.


    About an hour later, Lin Rui¡¯s primary consciousness descends onto his alien body.


    At this moment, he sits within a flagship of the Forest Group¡ªthe Forest Battleship.


    One thousand miles ahead of this battleship is a massive island.


    The island roughly spans the size of two Sha States, seventeen thousand miles from north to south, also ten thousand miles from east to west.


    It is called an island, but in essence, it is a concept relative to Sky Etreme Star, with an area surpassing 40 million square kilometers, almost matching the total area of Asia on Earth.


    What amazes people is that nearly half of this giant island is composed of various abandoned machinery and metal parts.


    This is precisely the only Divine Sect on Sky Etreme Star, claiming to have existed for 120,000 years, the Mechanical God Temple!


    ¡°Is that the so-called Mechanical God?¡±


    Lin Rui used the drones released by the warship to observe the northern side of this enormous island ahead.


    On the sea, there floated a gigantic mechanical structure 1000 kilometers in length and width, resembling a Rubik¡¯s Cube.


    ¡°It¡¯s called a ¡®Mechanical God,¡¯ but it¡¯s actually just a complex, useless waste that squanders materials.¡±


    The one speaking was Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan, his expression filled with disdain and anger. ¡°Yet, even such a grand yet futile object is nearing its end. The three Great Celestial Masters of the Mechanical God Temple are unable to repair it. Without the technology of Heavenly Demons, it would have perished 900 years ago.


    The Heavenly Maiden merely advocated for assimilating the mechanical technology of the Heavenly Demons to recast a new ¡®Mechanical God,¡¯ but those in the temple, clinging to outdated ways, branded her as a heretic. It¡¯s ridiculous that they still have to use Heavenly Demon technology to extend this so-called Mechanical God¡¯s lifespan¡ª¡±


    He paused and said, ¡°Your Highness, could you act a little faster? I don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    He had secretly fled from Beicheng to assist the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song, Lin Hao, in a prison break.


    Li Guchan vaguely suspected Lin Hao¡¯s identity, possibly being their ¡®King Ming.¡¯


    After all, he had personally witnessed a confrontation between Luo Wangshu and Invincible Dharma King over the sea.


    Li Guchan also heard that Lin Hao had become the Regent of Great Song, wielding the National Treasure of Great Song. Even far from Luojing¡¯s eight states, he possesses Divine Envoy-level power.


    Plus, this action was at the request of the ¡®Saintess¡¯, making Li Guchan still respectful towards him.


    Lin Rui nodded slightly at his words: ¡°Then please take care, and I hope you¡¯ll be careful!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s method to counter the Abyss assimilation pollution is the ¡®Jingyi Altar.¡¯


    He would build his artificial canopy with his concept of ¡®one¡¯ as the core.


    The Seventh Generation Sect Leader¡¯s idea to counter the assimilation of the Great Sun Venerable was correct, but he started building the ¡®artificial canopy¡¯ too late. At that time, there were fewer followers of the Light God Sect, unable to sustain the artificial canopy.


    Building the ¡®Jingyi Altar¡¯ was urgently needed, and he also had to revise the doctrines of the Light God Sect.


    The Divine Sect on Sky Etreme Star is quite troublesome, so it can only proceed step-by-step. However, the Light King Sect in the Earth Federation, including numerous ¡®Heart of Light,¡¯ under Order No. 9, is already adjusting the sect¡¯s doctrines at his command.


    The core idea is the Holy Thunder that cleaves darkness, the Tribulation Fire that purifies the world, and at the same time, the great existence of one becoming a myriad and myriad into one.


    The Light King Sect is currently fully eradicating the old sect, speeding up the unification process with the support of the Forest Group.


    One of the biggest benefits after signing a ceasefire agreement with the Longevity Association is that the Light King Sect is completely unrestrained, free to expand without being hindered by any government or corporate forces.


    After consolidation and sorting, it¡¯s estimated that the Light King Sect will have 240 million followers, with the Ninth Base City alone having 39 million.


    Due to Lin Rui¡¯s financial support, along with government policy inclination, the Light King Sect expanded rapidly in the Lower Zone, with the number of followers more than doubling in just a year and a half.


    The other earlier reclaimed Seventh District and Sixth District also have around 32 million people each.


    Lin Rui¡¯s goal is to expand the scale of the Light King Sect to 700 million in the next two years, even if he has to spend money to pile up the Light King Sect¡¯s size to support two to three ¡®Jingyi Altars.¡¯


    However, to build a ¡®Jingyi Altar,¡¯ several powerful Array Talisman Masters, Artifact Refiners, and Mechanics are needed; one Wang Yinyue and Shi Yan are far from enough.


    And the Heresy Prison of the Mechanical God Temple has all the talents he wants.


    Li Guchan felt invigorated upon hearing.


    He chuckled, walking towards the warship¡¯s bridge exit, saying, ¡°Rest assured, there are more people in the Mechanical God Temple who sympathize with the Saintess, who sympathize with those heretics, than you think. If the hallucinogens you provide are really as effective and miraculous as you say, if your illusionists are as great as you claim, then there will be no problem this time. I guarantee we won¡¯t leave a trace.¡±


    Li Guchan agreed to cooperate with Lin Hao¡¯s operation because there are many of his comrades and friends in that Heresy Prison.


    He genuinely wanted to rescue these people from the bitter sea of the Heresy Prison.


    What Li Guchan didn¡¯t know was that after he left, Wang Yinyue¡¯s image was projected beside Lin Rui.


    With a hint of apology on her face, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Divine, I subtly probed his intentions; Guchan was very grateful to Invincible Dharma King and can be said to be loyal to him, making it very difficult to turn him.¡±


    Lin Rui snickered at her words, waving his hand: ¡°Why apologize for this? Do I not know what kind of person this Li Guchan is?¡±


    To recruit and corrupt someone like Li Guchan cannot be rushed; it must be approached slowly.


    For now, he was already satisfied with being able to make this person work for him to some extent.


    ¡°But just now, while chatting with him, I learned some news related to the Guardian Dharma King of the Light God Sect.¡±


    Wang Yinyue said this with a peculiar look: ¡°It turns out the Guardian Dharma King¡¯s daughter has been possessed for several years.¡±


    At that time, she was speaking to Li Guchan via the internet, so she could not accurately judge Li Guchan¡¯s situation.


    The issue is that Li Guchan usually kept his mouth tightly shut, which was why when the Mechanical God Sect purged the heretics, only Li Guchan escaped safely.


    And as far as Wang Yinyue knew, Lin Rui¡¯s side not only had a top illusionist Wang Tianwu, but had also brought in illusion experts from East Asia, like Xu Mengran, for this action.


    Critically, the Divine¡¯s skill in making various hallucinogens and anesthetics was simply amazing.


    So from the end of Li Guchan¡¯s communication with her to now, he seemed unaware of what he had revealed.


    ¡°I heard it just now,¡± Lin Rui said with a faint smile, his lips curving slightly, ¡°this is truly a significant gain.¡±

 Chapter 779: 715: Five-star Marshal

    Chapter 779: Chapter 715: Five-star Marshal


    Li Guchan discovered that the hallucinogen of the Hidden Crown Prince was indeed extraordinary.


    With the help of those ¡®comrades¡¯ in the Mechanical Hall he contacted, their prison break this time was extremely easy.


    All the guards along the way were either members of their Heterodox Sect or were confused by illusions.


    As for the arrays within the Mechanical Hall, they were completely open to them.


    This Mechanical God Island is vast in area, so the defense array could not completely cover the whole territory, having numerous flaws and omissions.


    The truly tricky ones were those ¡®spiritual mechanisms¡¯ with self-awareness. They had no flesh, no bodily organs, and could, to a certain extent, be immune to hallucinogens.


    However, the Hidden Crown Prince was well-prepared and brought a large number of ¡®Spiritual Sense Interference Devices¡¯ developed by the Saintess, which could interfere with the spiritual senses of mechanisms within a range of hundreds of miles.


    These mechanisms were various devices brought to life and activated with self-awareness by the ¡®Purgatory Light.¡¯ The majority did not have visual systems and relied on their spiritual sense to perceive the outside world.


    As long as their spiritual sense perception was disrupted or interfered with, they could be made to overlook things.


    In less than one hundred and seventy breaths, Li Guchan was already standing at the entrance of the Heresy Prison, riding a single-man aircraft made by the Forest Group.


    It was a massive white luminous stone building constructed like an abandoned mechanical junkyard, vaguely resembling the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower of the Great Song Dynasty, but much shorter.


    This Heresy Prison held over 130,000 heretics from the Mechanical God Temple, most of whom had extremely strong mechanical manufacturing capabilities. Even the Mechanical God Temple didn¡¯t want to abandon their talents and abilities.


    So they built this Heresy Prison in a mechanical junkyard, allowing these people to pick up discarded parts and create new mechanical devices to sell to the Mechanical God Temple for profit.


    Meanwhile, the upper echelons of the Mechanical God Temple were worried that these people would create war machines and escape, so they used translucent white luminous stone to construct the prison for convenient surveillance anytime.


    At this moment, Li Guchan saw that most of the guards here had already fallen into unconsciousness, and some were confused by illusions, overlooking the anomalies around them.


    Li Guchan looked slightly admiringly at his partner Wang Tianwu, who participated in the action alongside him: ¡°The Duke really didn¡¯t exaggerate. Your hallucinogens and illusions are indeed unfathomable, otherworldly.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªIt¡¯s simply leaving no trace.


    However, with so many mechanics and array talisman masters in this Heresy Prison, using them on a large scale would definitely reveal some clue.


    By then, would the people at the Mechanical God Temple not know what¡¯s going on? The only question is how Lin Hao will handle the Mechanical God Temple.


    Li Guchan subconsciously touched the mask on his face, thinking that grievances have heads and debts have owners, hoping Lin Hao wouldn¡¯t drag the Light God Sect into this mess¡ª


    Wang Tianwu, looking at one of the ¡®victims¡¯ of illusions and hallucinogens in front of him, was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.


    ¡°I¡¯m still inexperienced; the truly powerful one is the person behind us.¡±


    Wang Tianwu glanced back.


    That Xu Mengran never showed her face throughout, yet the range of her illusions and the number of people influenced far exceeded his own.


    ¡°Moreover, what we truly rely on is still our BOSS¡¯s hallucinogen.¡±


    The BOSS¡¯s hallucinogen was formidable enough that all forces in the Earth Federation dreaded it immensely, frightened at its mention. Antidotes, mechanical devices, and magic artifacts that could prevent poisoning sold at exorbitant prices on the black market.


    Over at Sky Extreme Star, the place had not yet been tortured by the BOSS, so not only was Li Guchan unprepared, but the Mechanical God Temple showed no preparedness, as if entering an uninhabited land.


    It was at this point that Wang Tianwu¡¯s expression shifted, letting out a light exclamation.


    He saw Lin Rui¡¯s figure flicker, appearing by their side.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Lin Rui praised, then looked with an unusual gaze at this massive white luminous stone prison.


    At this moment, a series of messages from the Battle Spirit Ring bombarded his mind.


    Notification: Two-star Marshal-level Battle Spirit detected, capture?


    Notification: Three-star Marshal-level Battle Spirit detected, capture?


    Notification: Four-star Marshal-level Battle Spirit detected, capture?


    Notification: Four-star Marshal-level Battle Spirit detected, capture?


    Lin Rui then suppressed his emotions and sent a coordinate map to Wang Tianwu: ¡°Wang Yinyue¡¯s body is right here, suppressed on the seventh underground level. Old Wang, go and get her body out as fast as possible.¡±


    He had to perform surgery on Wang Yinyue as soon as possible to return her primary consciousness to her corporeal form.


    Lin Rui did not plan to release all the prisoners in this Heresy Prison.


    If they wanted freedom, they would have to sign a Divine Contract with him and work for him for a period of time in the future; otherwise, why bother incurring the wrath of such a force as the Mechanical God Temple, which had three Divine Envoy-level forces?


    For this purpose, Lin Rui brought a large amount of dragon parchment.


    Due to the upheaval of Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, a great number of demons died over there, resulting in a significant increase in the supply of dragon parchment from the tower. A significant portion was ¡°offered¡± to Lin Rui by the new Tower Guardian, totaling 30,000 sheets, which is more than sufficient.


    Lin Rui was confident he could ¡®persuade¡¯ the vast majority of people in this prison to sign a Divine Contract, excluding those heterodoxies from the Mechanical God Temple with steadfast beliefs.


    These were exactly the people with the strongest mechanical manufacturing capabilities among all the prisoners, so he needed the help of this ¡®Mechanical Heavenly Maiden¡¯ to persuade them.


    After Wang Tianwu left, Li Guchan also moved, following eagerly after Wang Tianwu, his expression excited, anxious, and impatient.


    Lin Rui used his divine thought to summon the Ring Spirit: ¡°Ring Spirit, help me screen for war spirits that have the potential for resurrection, and whose martial arts attributes fit my core martial arts!¡±


    His core martial art was, naturally, ¡®One¡¯.


    Currently, Lin Rui no longer deliberately rejected Yang-type martial arts like Light, Thunder, Fire, but tried to align as much as possible with his core martial art.


    Notification: Two war spirits matching resurrection potential and core martial arts have been discovered; the first is Four-star Marshal Liu Xinlan, with the secret martial techniques of Light, Thunder, and Fire of Divine Illumination, and a core martial intent of ¡®All Transformations¡¯, in which All Transformations and Thunder concepts have reached the Super Divine Envoy level; the second is Five-star Marshal Tan Shenzi, who possesses secret martial techniques of Divine Illumination in gold, fire, and earth, and a core martial intent of ¡®Truth¡¯, with Truth and the concepts of gold, fire, and earth all reaching a Weak Longevity level.


    ¡°Super Divine Envoy and Weak Longevity?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression changed drastically, his eyes filled with disbelief upon receiving the notification.


    He immediately contacted Wang Yinyue: Yinyue, do you know about Liu Xinlan and Tan Shenzi?


    A person of this stature couldn¡¯t possibly be unknown.


    Wang Yinyue: Tan Shenzi? He was the 222nd Chief Master of our Mechanical God Temple, but he was expelled from the temple, and the temple erased all historical records about him.


    At the terminal base, Wang Yinyue sat in front of a supercomputer¡¯s projection display, filled with doubt.


    Currently within the Mechanical God Temple, fewer than ten people knew about him, so how did the Divine above know of Tan Shenzi?


    Wang Yinyue: He was our Mechanical God Temple¡¯s greatest heretic. 2300 years ago, he planned to merge our Machine God with his own body as the core, to become the true ¡®Mechanical God¡¯, but he failed, seemingly killed by the five Abyss of Sky Extreme Star.


    Wang Yinyue: He was at the Longevity level, so the Battle Dragon remains active inside our Machine God till this day.


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, looking towards the ¡®Mechanical God¡¯ of the Mechanical God Temple.


    A crazy idea popped into his mind: why not steal the Battle Dragon inside this ¡®Machine God¡¯ too?


    Wang Yinyue: As for Liu Xinlan, known as ¡®Master Wan Hua¡¯, she was hired as a guest elder by our Mechanical God Temple fourteen hundred years ago, but suddenly went missing, vanishing without a trace.


    Wang Yinyue: Rumor has it she was a disciple of Limitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong, and our Mechanical God Temple was pressured by the Abyss to deal with her.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    Limitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong was also the teacher of Crazy Saber Lord Qin Yan. According to Professor Han¡¯s research and surveys, before his demise, he had actually entered the Abyss Realm!


    Lin Rui then shook his head and contacted the Battle Spirit Ring: ¡°Ring Spirit, help me capture the Four-star Marshal Liu Xinlan and the Five-star Marshal Tan Shenzi!¡±


    With his Battle Spirit Ring restored to 70%, he possessed seven battle spirit slots.


    Among them, Xue Bogao had already truly perished, so he still had four slots left.

 Chapter 780: 716: Must Serve as Beasts of Burden

    Chapter 780: Chapter 716: Must Serve as Beasts of Burden


    Lin Rui returned to the Forest Battleship one day later.


    At that moment, his CEO office located in the midsection of the battleship, about 50 square meters, was piled with a small mountain-shaped stack of dragon skin parchment.


    As many as over thirty thousand sheets, ranging from Seventh Realm to Ninth Realm, each bearing three to four signatures.


    Lin Rui looked at this pile of dragon skin parchment, unable to contain his joy.


    This means that from today onwards, under his command, he will have a total of 130,000 artifact refiners, array talisman masters, and various senior mechanical talents.


    At the same time, they are all powerful martial cultivators and mages, with cultivation above the Fourth Realm!


    It must be known that these exiles imprisoned by the Mechanical God Temple are all skilled individuals; the temple looks down on those without abilities, and they are not qualified to be regarded as exiles.


    He then sent a message in the ¡®Rescue Group¡¯: Yin Yue, forget about the remaining 200 or so people, evacuate quickly, I am feeling uneasy right now, probably can¡¯t hide it much longer.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Old Fei, urge each ship to speed up and quickly gather the people, strive to set sail within ten minutes.


    To rescue these 130,000 people, Lin Rui not only deployed the Forest Battleship but also brought along thirteen cruisers and destroyers with enhanced stealth capabilities.


    At this moment, Lin Xi¡¯s video call also came through. She rubbed her forehead, her expression both delighted and helpless: ¡°Brother, you have really given me a big problem this time. The number of alien walkers among these 130,000 people is much higher than we expected, about forty-seven thousand.


    They are all medium to high-level alien walkers, with cultivation above mid-level Colonel. Among them, there are nearly 500 dragon transformation martial cultivators. Such a big deal, we can¡¯t possibly suppress it, I have to seek help from Sister Ranran to see if she has any solutions.¡±


    The vast majority of the bodies of these forty-seven thousand alien walkers are sleeping in the sleeping pods of the government¡¯s public welfare agency ¡®Alien Rescue Shelter¡¯.


    Should so many people awaken simultaneously, the commotion would be imaginable, and it could even cause an uproar in various major media outlets of the Federation.


    Lin Rui wants to suppress public opinion, to silently retrieve the bodies of these people, and integrate them into his alien company and Forest Heavy Industry. Easier said than done?


    Upon hearing this, Lin Rui raised his eyebrows slightly, thinking that the Mechanical God Temple was heavily infiltrated by alien walkers.


    Also, this heresy prison is not as purely framed and wrongful as Li Guchan said.


    But this is indeed good news for him.


    ¡°This is a good thing; our group¡¯s dragon transformation martial cultivators only number 450 now.¡±


    Lin Rui clasped his hands in front of him: ¡°The problem is not big; do your best. If you can handle it, do so. If not, let them temporarily affiliate with the Light King Sect as light believers.¡±


    When the time comes, any engineering and production tasks of the Forest Group can be outsourced to the Light King Sect.


    ¡°Light King Sect?¡± Lin Xi contemplated for a moment, then asked with a meaningful gaze, ¡°Will the real exiles from the Mechanical God Temple be handled the same way?¡±


    Lin Xi thought her brother had become quite cunning after the ¡®resurrection¡¯.


    ¡°More or less,¡± Lin Rui smiled slightly, ¡°the Light God Sect has an Iron State branch at the southern end of the East Continent, which can accommodate them. This is actually good for the sect; they lack all kinds of war machines.¡±


    The so-called Iron State branch is actually the people who migrated south from the two counties of Tiantong and Xuanhua.


    These people had already settled in Iron State at the southern border of the East Continent under the support of Lin Rui and the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy.


    That place is the basic platform run by the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, having undergone an internal purge, it¡¯s relatively reliable.


    Lin Rui has always wanted to create revenue for them.


    The light believers from these two counties, although they used medicine, fertilizers, and good crops provided by Lin Rui to cultivate large tracts of land in Iron State, their lives are certainly not as comfortable as those near Luojing.


    Once the time goes on, presumably, most faiths of the Iron State branch will waver.


    Lin Rui hopes to rely on those thousands of exiles from the Mechanical God Temple to build a small industrial area in Iron State to produce Heavenly Demon Armor and Dragon Crossbows, these war machines.


    Once this industrial area reaches scale, slightly leaking to the civilian side would allow the people of these two counties to live well.


    ¡°Speaking of the Light King Sect, I recently discovered something peculiar.¡±


    In the video, Lin Xi folded her arms, her expression puzzled: ¡°You being a ¡®Supreme¡¯ of the Light King Sect is already a public secret within the Federation, there are many rumors and evidence posts online, but recently, a force on the web is clearing these messages. I suspect it¡¯s the Longevity Association, but I have no evidence and don¡¯t know their motive.¡±


    Lin Rui was taken aback, feeling puzzled inside, wondering what the Longevity Association intends? Have they known Lin Rui is King Ming? But even if so, there¡¯s no need for such large-scale deletion and clearing of information.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Fei Yunlai is now very strong in organization and execution; having served as the alien director in the Forest Alien Body Company for over a year, he has been well trained and took just about three minutes to gather all the participating exiles onto the ship. Subsequently, the entire fleet set sail, navigating stealthily towards the outside of Mechanism Island.


    Fei Yunlai was constantly concentrating on the various situational awareness devices inside the bridge, observing any changes in the surroundings.


    Until the fleet safely sailed out of Mechanism Island, Fei Yunlai sat dazed in the captain¡¯s seat, wondering if Lin Rui might have rescued a few too many alien walkers?


    There are nearly 500 dragon transformation martial cultivators, among which there are 22 Seventh Realm and 5 Eighth Realm!


    What¡¯s terrifying is that among these Seventh and Eighth Realms, there are 5 with Super Emperor bloodline!


    Among them unexpectedly are two who can achieve an SSS+ rating as mechanical grandmasters in Wang Yinyue¡¯s words!


    The exile prison of the Mechanical God Temple indeed doesn¡¯t imprison ordinary people, those who go in are indeed of high caliber.


    Fei Yunlai couldn¡¯t help but gulp, feeling a chill creeping all over his body.


    Unknowingly, the BOSS¡¯s subordinates have become masters aplenty, and commanding officers like raindrops. His bloodline ability barely reaching the Seventh Realm Emperor Rank makes him a mere small fry among them.


    He thought of Lin Rui¡¯s promise of shares to him, as well as next month¡¯s appointment as a director of the Alien Company, and felt a bit flustered, uneasy in his seat.


    Fei Yunlai believed that promises would be kept, but he feared he couldn¡¯t uphold them, couldn¡¯t sit securely!


    He realized something more terrifying than being a workhorse¡ªto want to be a workhorse but not attain it.


    ¡°I warned you, stop hanging out with Wang Tianwu at the bar.¡±


    Beside him was the Heavenly Dog Demon, disdainful with a look of ¡®hate to see iron not turn into steel¡¯: ¡°And that bartender¡¯s daughter Zoey, how much time and money are you wasting on her? I can tell, she¡¯s not sincere, the one who truly likes you is Sister Jade, yet you don¡¯t care at all.¡±


    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± Fei Yunlai rubbed his temples painfully: ¡°What do you know? Adult matters, kids keep quiet.¡±


    His Heavenly Dog Demon was only 12 when transformed into a demon and due to a very special experience formed a bond with him, her intellect stayed at this stage ever since.


    So how could this girl understand? That Zoey merely cost him some money, but Yu Feicui would lead him to a grave!


    Though recently, he was indeed a bit slack.


    Fei Yunlai reflected deeply and clenched his fist simultaneously!


    He was actually close to entering the Eight Realms.


    Although he had only elevated his cultivation to Admiral rank last year, before that, Fei Yunlai had stagnated at the Seventh Realm for 6 years, and remained at the Sixth Realm for 10 years.


    In Martial Arts and concepts, Fei Yunlai had ample accumulation.


    Previously he was a moonlight type person living day to day without certainty of meals, whether armaments or drugs, always making do, hence True Yuan could never accumulate.


    Now, everything he used was the best, as long as True Yuan reached the peak of Seventh Realm, Fei Yunlai was confident to break through.


    Gong Hengdao was unlucky, estimating no advancement in one or two years.


    As Fei Yunlai pondered this, his expression suddenly shifted, he glanced at a nearby situational awareness device and thought BOSS¡¯s sensing ability was indeed formidable.


    This Ether Scanner detected a powerful Primordial Spirit response from the direction of that prison.


    Fei Yunlai even sensed the conceptual power sweeping the sky.


    Even though their warship had flown 2000 kilometers away, they were still impacted by the residual force of this conceptual power.


    At the rear of the ship¡¯s bridge in the director¡¯s office, Lin Rui was observing the situation of the Heresy Prison through several drones flying at 300 kilometers altitude.


    He saw an elderly man in white robes fiercely pounding the ground with a purple-gold staff about twelve feet long, letting out an angry howl.


    The howl instantaneously shattered the drones in the sky into powder, leaving Lin Rui¡¯s video feed in dark screen.


    Xu Mengran messaged him: This Chief Master used Divine Sense impact, let me translate for you, Mr. Lin, his intent was to call Li Guchan a heretical rebel! He vowed to bestow the harshest Divine Punishment on Li Guchan on behalf of His Majesty the Mechanical God, ensuring Li Guchan¡¯s soul is scattered and erased eternally.


    Xu Mengran: He might have used the Stargazing Technique, all concerns are associated with ¡®Guang Ming¡¯, but Mr. Lin, is your action really wise? Your Light God Sect may be unable to withstand it, not even the Invincible Dharma King can directly confront both the Great Cheng¡¯s First Divine Envoy and the Mechanical God Temple¡¯s Chief Master, two Super Divine Envoys.


    Lin Rui calmly sipped his tea: Yin Yue said the problem isn¡¯t big, the Mechanical God Temple is busy extending their ¡®Mechanical God¡¯s¡¯ lifespan, likely unavailable for the next half a year.


    He primarily didn¡¯t want ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ to get involved, regarding Lin Rui and King Ming, neither actually feared the Mechanical God Temple¡¯s retaliation.


    Xu Mengran: As long as you have a plan, I¡¯ll return to Tianzhou first, but make preparations, Ling Huan might show up in the coming days.


    Lin Rui squinted, then responded: I¡¯ll have Wang Tianwu accompany you, any situation notify me first.


    At the moment, Huang Fuqing¡¯s message also arrived: BOSS, my armament has stabilized in fusion.


    Huang Fuqing: I saw your message and video from the initial test data of Battle Spirit No. 1¡¯s Battle Dragon, its condition is very poor, all aspects of life force are extremely weak, even weaker than Ji Shenyan¡¯s Imperial Flame Battle Spirit, might need some time to recoup and heal, before cultivating her main body.


    Huang Fuqing: However, cultivating a Super Divine Envoy level body has high difficulty, I need to examine further testing data first.


    Lin Rui recalled not long ago, he excavated that Battle Dragon from the deepest part of the Heresy Prison.


    Replacing Battle Spirit No.1, Liu Xinlan, her Battle Dragon was suppressed deep within the Heresy Prison, barely surviving.


    It had nearly three hundred wounds all over, a third affected the organs, the wounds still harbored remaining Martial Intent.


    Super Divine Envoy level Battle Dragons possess immense life force and recovery, yet it struggled for self-recovery.


    If Lin Rui had come decades later, this Battle Dragon faction could have perished.


    The resurrection of Super Divine Envoys is indeed challenging, Conceptual Power from Sky Extreme Star induces great genetic changes between humans and Sky Extreme Star, the stronger the Conceptual Power, the more significant the changes.


    Before resurrecting Liu Xinlan, he must fully understand this Super Divine Envoy level¡¯s genetic structure diagram.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Never mind about these, you said your armament has stabilized, are you ready to enhance ¡®Limit Heart Origin¡¯?


    Besides armament, Lin Rui could also use the Battle Spirit Ring to enhance Huang Fuqing with bloodline armament not awakenable by normal means, even Earth Federation hasn¡¯t mastered, without bothering his master.

 Chapter 781: 717 Seven Illusion Heavenly Feather

    Chapter 781: Chapter 717 Seven Illusion Heavenly Feather


    A day later, deep in the sea 4000 kilometers to the north of the Southern Continent, the sunset here was like blood, dyeing the horizon a solemn crimson. The entire sea surface seemed like a serene painting ripped apart by violence, with turbulent waves and surging currents, and hundreds of warship wrecks resembled giant steel tombstones, half-sunken and half-floating among the waves.


    There were also a large number of wreckage fragments and oil-stained wooden pieces, as well as tens of thousands of corpses, tossed around with the fierce waves, drifting in all directions.


    At the center of the battlefield, a great battle was nearing its end.


    The Second Divine Envoy of the Central Continent Business Alliance, Gu Qingyu, suspended in mid-air, appeared terribly wretched, bleeding from all seven orifices. His aura, after being pushed by several Secret Techniques, was nearing exhaustion.


    He looked at the Invincible Dharma King in full battle armor before him with a furious and desperate glare, his eyes bloodshot, nearly bursting: ¡°You demonic fiend¡ª¡±


    Just an hour ago, this Invincible one led 3000 warships and an army of 550,000 elite soldiers from the Light God Sect, launching a full assault under the cover of a storm. It only took two hours to completely crush the Central Continent¡¯s main fleet of 4000 warships under his command.


    Gu Qingyu was unprepared for the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s boldness, given that she had entirely abandoned the southern front with the Da Cheng army for this battle, and concentrated all her force and elite personnel. He also didn¡¯t expect Invincible to have ninety ¡®Star Breaker¡¯ Type 9 Plasma Cannons¡ªthese are top-tier Star Annihilation Cannons from the Heavenly Demon, specifically used for battleships and cruisers.


    This woman had pre-emptively ambushed this cannon group nearby, capable of sinking at least 60 of his warships in one volley.


    What surprised him more was Li Weiliang¡¯s Conceptual Power being so strong! Her ¡®Impossible¡¯ Concept reached 75% at its limit, coupled with the Super Monarch of the Ninth Realm¡¯s Extreme Move. With just one encounter, she slain Gu Qingyu¡¯s Deputy General, the Central Continent Business Alliance¡¯s Second Candidate Divine Envoy, and even injured Gu Qingyu himself, wounding his vital organs.


    The outcome for both sides was already decided at the onset of the battle.


    The ensuing two-hour-long fierce engagement was merely Gu Qingyu and his subordinates struggling desperately for life, exerting all their strength, fighting to escape from the battlefield and flee from the blades of the Invincible Dharma King and her forces.


    Yet up to this moment, Gu Qingyu¡¯s entire Primordial Qi had nearly depleted under the relentless assault of the Invincible Dharma King, and he grew increasingly desperate: ¡°Li Weiliang, don¡¯t think you can kill me! Reinforcements from Da Cheng Country are imminent! Invincible, for slaughtering my 970,000 navy subordinates of the Central Continent, the entire Central Continent Business Alliance will not rest until justice is served, and you will pay for this!¡±


    As if responding to his words, a deep, resonant roar thundered from the distance, echoing in the void: ¡°Stop this at once!¡±


    A golden-red tunneling light rushed and flashed over from a thousand miles away.


    Gu Qingyu¡¯s spirits lifted significantly, recognizing the voice of the incoming person as the First Divine Envoy of Da Cheng Country, Qin Fei!


    This Divine Envoy had been in position for over 200 years, a truly Super Divine Envoy-level being! His Concept and Martial Arts required no external aid and were already close to Longevity.


    Li Weiliang, the Invincible Dharma King, glinted coldly in her eyes, turning her head to glance at that tunneling light, a part of her once black hair turning grayish-white within her battle armor.


    Li Weiliang¡¯s unfinished Extreme Move ¡®One Hand Covering the Sky¡¯ of the Ninth Realm Super Monarch level suddenly completed the power accumulation in an instant.


    If Luo Wangshu were present, he would have noticed significant differences in Li Weiliang¡¯s Extreme Move compared to several months ago.


    After months of continuous battles with Da Cheng Country, Li Weiliang had become increasingly skilled in mastering the Martial Arts passed on by Cheng Zaotian!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The first to strike was Li Weiliang¡¯s ¡®Divine Heart Invincible Dragon,¡¯ unleashing ¡®One Hand Covering the Sky¡¯ and solely attacking against the countering Battle Dragon power, landing a strike that caused a blood mist to erupt from Gu Qingyu¡¯s entire body.


    Following suit, Li Weiliang also executed ¡®One Hand Covering the Sky,¡¯ reducing the Second Divine Envoy of the Central Continent Business Alliance, Gu Qingyu, to a mass of shredded flesh.


    At that moment, a seven-colored radiance emerged beside Li Weiliang, spreading toward the golden-red tunneling light in the sky that had neared within thirty miles.


    ¡°Seven Illusion Heavenly Feather!¡±


    Qin Fei, the First Divine Envoy of Da Cheng Country, felt his entire power become chaotic and almost completely ineffective.


    He let out a startled exclamation and then swiftly retreated a hundred miles, disengaging from any contact with Li Weiliang.


    Qin Fei first gave Li Weiliang a glance of shock and wariness at the seven-colored brilliance behind her, before shifting his gaze back onto Li Weiliang herself.


    ¡°The Abyss Divine Artifact in your possession, so it is indeed this item!¡±


    Everyone on Sky Extreme Star knew Li Weiliang held an Abyss Divine Artifact, yet no one had ever known precisely what her Abyss Divine Artifact was!


    This woman somehow survived multiple Abyss Pollutions, mastering several Conceptual Powers exceeding 70% in strength.


    Although Li Weiliang couldn¡¯t fully control it freely, it didn¡¯t hinder her combat power, which had reached the Super Divine Envoy level!


    Qin Fei, having clashed with Li Weiliang in battle several times, only witnessed the true form of this Artifact today.


    ¡ªIt was indeed a Super Divine Artifact with Conceptual Power exceeding 90%! Its overall strength was only second to the National Treasure!


    No wonder Gu Qingyu fell swiftly to Li Weiliang¡¯s hand, despite being an almost Super Divine Envoy level mage, well-versed in talismanic arrays. Yet, with the Seven Illusion Heavenly Feather in her grasp, mastering over 70% of the ¡®Impossible¡¯ Concept, all the world¡¯s magic, Forbidden Techniques, and talismanic arrays were rendered null before Li Weiliang, as if nonexistent.


    Qin Fei ended with one last scornful laugh: ¡°In the Eight Realms body, wielding the might of a Super Divine Artifact has cost you at least 5 years of your life today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still young, with a lifespan of 800 years. It¡¯s not a problem to kill you, Qin Fei, before I die.¡± Li Weiliang said expressionlessly, as she gathered the colorful radiance into her hand, turning it into seven colorful feathers.


    At the same time, the momentum of her fists was rapidly accumulating.


    Qin Fei noticed that the four people nearby¡ªDivine Sword Dharma King Shi Jue, Sky Saber Dharma King Wu Wushuang, Skull Mechanic Sky Monarch Li Guchan, and Hundred Wings Saber King Situ Leng¡ªhad all given up chasing the remnants of the Central Continent Fleet and were closing in from all directions.


    These four had strength close to the Divine Envoy level and could rank in the top five among the candidate Divine Envoys of the various countries, which even Qin Fei couldn¡¯t ignore.


    He shook his head slightly, ¡°800 years of lifespan? Are you trying to deceive me or yourself? The concepts of longevity level inevitably come with a price. Given your insufficient cultivation and forced high-frequency usage, surviving another 50 years would be a miracle.¡±


    Qin Fei then ascended into the air, continuing to retreat from the encirclement of several people: ¡°I wish for you to live longer, but alas, it¡¯s difficult to fulfill. Invincible, to avoid being attacked from both sides, you first eliminated the fleet of the Central Continent Business Alliance, yet ¡®Central Abyss¡¯ will avenge. Killing Gu Qingyu will only infuriate them.¡±


    After saying this, his figure flickered and disappeared completely above the sea.


    Li Weiliang watched him leave, remaining still until she could no longer sense his spirit mechanism, then suddenly felt a surge of blood in her mouth.


    Li Weiliang forcibly swallowed the blood again, turning to look at Divine Sword Dharma King Shi Jue who was flying over.


    ¡°Dharma King Shi, how is the situation in the diocese? How many casualties among the followers?¡±


    Divine Sword Dharma King Shi Jue originally worried about Li Weiliang¡¯s body and wanted to ask her about it, but upon hearing this, he could only bow and reply: ¡°I just received a flying book. The south is doing well. After discovering our main force had shifted, the Great Cheng army advanced over four hundred miles on four fronts. However, they have now stopped and gone on the defensive. Because our army was prepared, the casualties were extremely light, although we lost quite a bit of farmland this time¡ª¡±


    They lost at least three county territories in the Beicheng Diocese.


    Sky Saber Dharma King Wu Wushuang hesitated, as he too wanted to inquire about Li Weiliang¡¯s injury. After all, Qin Fei¡¯s words sounded alarming, yet they were reasonable.


    However, Wu Wushuang then noticed that this Invincible Dharma King was still full of primordial qi, appearing as if nothing had happened.


    He hesitated, then retracted his words and smiled instead: ¡°Congratulations, Regent! Today, the Regent dealt a massive blow to the Central Continent Fleet, slaying the Second Divine Envoy of the Central Continent. It will surely shock the world and completely reverse our Divine Sect¡¯s decline! I suggest the Regent should report the victory to the Main Temple and announce it to each diocese and shrine.¡±


    After this battle, the Regent Deputy Sect Leader¡¯s prestige within the sect will surely increase, attracting more benevolent and righteous people to gather under the Regent Deputy Sect Leader¡¯s command!


    ¡°I will soon write a victory report!¡±


    Hundred Wings Saber King Situ Leng was also concerned about Li Weiliang¡¯s body, but his face showed no change. Instead, he looked at her with admiration, smiling: ¡°Everything was as the Regent predicted. Qin Fei indeed had no firm will to fight and was just going through the motions.¡±


    Among the several large armies encircling the Beicheng Diocese, the one truly determined to fight was the Second Divine Envoy of the Central Continent, Gu Qingyu.


    As for Da Cheng Country¡¯s Qin Fei, his combat power was formidable and unfathomable.


    However, the term of a Divine Envoy is only three hundred years. Qin Fei¡¯s future is uncertain, with his life nearing its end. How could he have the heart to fight to the death for the Great Cheng?


    As long as Gu Qingyu is dealt with, the Beicheng Diocese can transform the danger into safety.


    Invincible Dharma King, however, shook his head slightly, ¡°Though this battle is won, it is merely like drinking poison to quench thirst. The situation of the Divine Sect is still precarious as if on a fragile egg. Qin Fei was not wrong; Central Abyss indeed holds grudges, and the Central Continent Business Alliance is also powerful. With their national power, organizing another fleet is easy.¡±


    Li Weiliang moved with emotion as she spoke, turning to Skull Mechanic Sky Monarch Li Guchan: ¡°Guchan, I see you¡¯ve been silent today. Do you have something on your mind?¡±


    Li Guchan had been acting strangely in recent days, especially yesterday, when he seemed to have snuck out and didn¡¯t return until noon, almost causing mishaps and delaying the arrangement of the Star Annihilation Cannon Group.


    Li Guchan was chatting happily with Wang Yinyue via the Heavenly Demon¡¯s quantum biological chip, discussing the electromagnetic technology of the Outer Heaven Demon, exchanging words with joy.


    Upon hearing the question, he snapped back to reality, bowing with no change in expression: ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve recently gotten in touch with some old comrades from the Mechanical God Temple and have some personal matters to attend to.¡±


    At this moment, Li Guchan suddenly had a thought, recalling what ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ instructed when he came back from the Mechanical God Temple.


    ¡°By the way, Regent, my old comrades have considerable strength and can manufacture a large amount of Heavenly Demon Armor and various war machines, including the ships of the Outer Heaven Demon. If the Regent has any needs, I can mediate a purchase on the Regent¡¯s behalf.¡±


    The words piqued Invincible Dharma King Li Weiliang¡¯s interest.


    She had recently been troubled over sourcing starships since ¡®King Ming¡¯ had opened up a channel for trading Heavenly Demon materials, but it didn¡¯t include Heavenly Demon starships.


    Yet, Li Weiliang quickly smiled bitterly, for having a channel now was useless, since the Divine Sect was out of money.


    The Beicheng Diocese¡¯s apparent victory was strategically a failure, having lost three county city territories, drastically reducing income.


    Thus, ¡®King Ming¡¯s underground farm plan had to be carried out.


    However, this necessitated a prerequisite, which was the need to control the Main Temple, ideally gaining control over the Protector Dharma King¡ª

 Chapter 782: 718 Bai Xishi

    Chapter 782: Chapter 718 Bai Xishi


    About an hour later, while the entire Divine Sect Headquarters was celebrating the good news from the Beicheng District, the Dharma King Bai Xishi quietly arrived at the farthest deck of the Star-class Colonial Battleship.


    Looking out through the porthole here, one can see a lush underground farm ahead.


    ¡ª¡ªThat is the sixth level of the ten-layer farm, though it has been less than a month since it was established, the crops inside, under the illumination of high-fidelity agricultural sun lamps, are already bursting with vitality and lush greenery.


    After Bai Xishi arrived here, he looked sharply at a middle-aged man with a fair face, dressed in the robes of a Red Robed Master Priest.


    This man was the Vice Divine Envoy of Xiangyi Holy Hall, Lv Dongqing, the deputy of the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, an expert of the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank.


    Bai Xishi recently learned that this person had been recruited by the Invincible Dharma King and had joined under her wing.


    Bai Xishi¡¯s tone was unapologetic: ¡°Bring the item out, then you can leave.¡±


    Lv Dongqing squinted, then laughed freely, holding a pill bottle in his hand: ¡°It seems the previous medication is working, isn¡¯t it? Otherwise, the Dharma King wouldn¡¯t seek me out, but I dislike your attitude, if you need something, you should act like it.¡±


    Bai Xishi¡¯s face was cold as ice: ¡°If you and Li Weiliang desire to use this matter to threaten me, you¡¯re thinking too much.¡±


    ¡°How could it be a threat?¡±


    Lv Dongqing, hands behind his back, looked sarcastically at Bai Xishi: ¡°The issue is that making these medicines requires money, and our Regent must expend a great deal of energy. Does the Dharma King think our Regent should labor for you for free?¡±


    Then he changed his tone: ¡°Dharma King, you could see this as a transaction. We¡¯re not asking you to betray the Divine Sect, just to strengthen collaboration with the Regent.¡±


    Bai Xishi remained expressionless, turning to glance at the lush crops outside the porthole.


    ¡°I consider Ming King to be wise and enlightened, naturally talented, and virtuous. I do not know what the Regent¡¯s intentions are!¡±


    ¡°Ming King indeed has talent and virtue, but he is too young.¡±


    Lv Dongqing laughed softly, speaking persuasively: ¡°The worry is that this Prince is too clever and may be manipulated by certain treacherous figures in the sect to be hostile to the Regent. You surely do not wish to see internal conflict within the sect causing calamity?


    You were promoted by the former Eleventh Sect Hierarch and have been the Dharma King protecting the Main Temple for 20 years, witnessing the turmoil and chaos under Elder Wan Xin¡¯s leadership. You should know the Divine Sect cannot withstand trials now, and regarding Yin Qianqiu¡¯s incident, you Bai Xishi cannot shirk responsibility.¡±


    Lv Dongqing then shook his head, tossing the pill bottle to Bai Xishi: ¡°The Regent¡¯s measures are merely for self-preservation, fighting the enemy desperately outside while avoiding being stabbed in the back. My words end here, I ask the Dharma King to consider carefully.¡±


    After speaking, he looked meaningfully at the still cold-faced Dharma King Bai Xishi before proceeding down a corridor ahead.


    Once he had walked ten miles back to the city¡¯s interior of the headquarters, his face darkened, and his eyes held a trace of alarm, his aura turned cold and severe.


    Lv Dongqing then through the biological chip in his mind, sent a message to someone marked as ¡®Executive Your Excellency¡¯ in his communication book: Executive, I have handed over the medication to Bai Xishi, but this Dharma King¡¯s intelligence needs updating, his strength may have reached the Divine Envoy Level, he just wanted to kill me to silence me.


    Executive Your Excellency: Oh? It seems this Dharma King is deeply concealing his abilities, with internal and external problems in the Light God Sect, prosperity waning to this extent, yet talents emerging from within.


    Executive Your Excellency: Don¡¯t worry, he endured Wan Xin for his daughter for so many years, now he can endure you too, your next task is to continue gaining Li Weiliang¡¯s trust while deepening control over Bai Xishi.


    Lv Dongqing, upon reading this reply, involuntarily turned his head, looking towards the rear of the warship with a glance of pity.


    The Invincible Dharma King Li Weiliang thinks everything is within her grasp, unaware that a vast web has been woven secretly for her.


    This Dharma King remains wary towards Li Weiliang, unaware they are being schemed against by both Li Weiliang and others.


    This is the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind¡ª¡ª


    He replied: I understand, Executive, I will not disappoint you.


    Executive Your Excellency: Very good, I have applied the highest level of ¡®Orderly Source Transformation¡¯ for you, within five days there should be news.


    Executive Your Excellency: You¡¯re fortunate, Invincible used the Abyss Divine Artifact ¡®Seven Illusion Heavenly Feather¡¯ in a naval battle in the Southern Continent today, now several founding elders have taken interest in her, so your confidentiality and task levels have increased. Complete this task well, your future is boundless.


    Executive Your Excellency: Also, try to lock in the position of the Divine Sect Headquarters under safe circumstances.


    Lv Dongqing, after reading these three messages, was instantly invigorated.


    ¡®Orderly Source Transformation¡¯ technology is renowned in their Longevity Association, the highest level ¡®Orderly Source Transformation¡¯ is sufficient to propel his Bloodline Power into the Nine Realms Emperor, qualifying him for the rank of Divine Sect Dharma King.


    Lv Dongqing immediately frowned, looking towards the warship¡¯s dome overhead.


    Here, deeply underground, coupled with interference from Sky Extreme Star Rune Technology and Federation electromagnetic technology, he has recently been unable to accurately locate the position of this underground cavern despite exhausting all methods.

 Chapter 783: 718 Bai Xishi_2

    Chapter 783: Chapter 718 Bai Xishi_2


    It is said that currently, in the sect, only six people know the exact location of this place¡ªKing Ming, the Three Pillars, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, and the Bright Sage Master.


    He wants to complete this task, which is even harder than controlling the Protecting Sect Dharma King Bai Xishi.


    Lv Dongqing thought carefully and decided he needed to start with Bai Xishi. As long as this Protecting Sect Dharma King offers even a little convenience, he could use his assembled measuring instruments to locate this underground cavern.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When Bai Xishi returned to his abode, his expression seemed calm, but his thoughts were in turmoil.


    This chaotic mind also affected his perception and judgment. It wasn¡¯t until Bai Xishi stood in front of his door, ready to enter, that he felt something was wrong.


    Bai Xishi¡¯s face turned instantly pale. He quickly pushed the door open, strode in, and with lightning speed, reached his basement.


    Due to limited space at the Divine Sect Headquarters, the standard living area for a Dharma King is only about one acre.


    However, Bai Xishi utilized his authority to create a basement beneath his room, in the ship¡¯s internal interlayer.


    Bai Xishi¡¯s daughter was locked and suppressed in this place.


    At the moment, in this approximately 300 square meter basement, aside from his daughter who had undergone demon transformation, there were two unexpected guests.


    ¡ªThey were none other than the sect¡¯s current ¡®King Ming¡¯ and Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy!


    ¡°Chu Tianxiang!¡±


    Bai Xishi glared at the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, his eyes filled with tangible killing intent.


    He instinctively thought that the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, who was in charge of the Xiangyi Holy Hall, discovered his daughter¡¯s situation and brought King Ming to this place.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy felt embarrassed but also furious.


    As the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, in charge of the Xiangyi Holy Hall, she had been completely unaware of this matter, constantly kept in the dark by the Protecting Sect Dharma King. If King Ming hadn¡¯t suddenly brought her here today, she had no idea how long it would have taken her to discover it.


    ¡°Bai Xishi!¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy widened her almond eyes, glaring at the Protecting Sect Dharma King, her martial intent clashing against Bai Xishi: ¡°You¡¯re hiding a demon in your home, what are you scheming?¡±


    What made her even angrier was that this Sect¡¯s Protecting Sect Dharma King had just a moment ago shown an extremely clear intent to kill King Ming.


    At the same time, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy was secretly shocked, given that this guy¡¯s conceptual power had previously reached at least forty-two percent¡ªthis was Divine Envoy level!


    At least, his martial arts and concept had already reached the standards of a Divine Envoy!


    Bai Xishi didn¡¯t reply, only pressed his waist silently with a sad and helpless gaze, while using his divine thought to connect with his Battle Dragon, awakening it.


    Because of the limited space at the Headquarters, their Battle Dragon was also stored and cared for uniformly.


    Bai Xishi¡¯s killing intent had dissipated, because both these people were not wrong, he was the one at fault.


    Yet at the same time, Bai Xishi was ready to risk everything to see if he could escape the sect with his daughter.


    Wearing the ¡®Hidden Dragon¡¯ battle armor, Lin Rui observed the demon, suppressed and locked with numerous magic artifacts and chains, thoughtfully.


    This Bai Xishi¡¯s daughter could hardly be called ¡®human¡¯ anymore. She now resembled an octopus, with very few bones inside her, her head was a soft lump, with over seventy tentacles and suckers, and inside the tentacles hid rows of sharp teeth.


    These chains couldn¡¯t really restrain her; if it weren¡¯t for the gold spikes pierced into her body, this ¡®Hundred-Handed Demon¡¯ could have already escaped.


    However, these gold spikes also brought her enormous pain.


    This ¡®Hundred-Handed Demon¡¯ stared with scarlet eyes, filled with hatred and hunger, gazing at them and Bai Xishi.


    Lin Rui wanted to carefully observe more, but Bai Xishi behind him couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and was about to make a move.


    ¡°Protecting Sect Dharma King, please calm down.¡± Lin Rui glanced at Bai Xishi: ¡°The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy said she is your daughter?¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy paused upon hearing that, thinking this Hundred-Handed Demon is Bai Xishi¡¯s daughter?


    She then thought about Lin Hao¡¯s identity as the Spy Detection Bureau Commander, silently alarmed that Great Song¡¯s Spy Detection Bureau had infiltrated the sect to this extent?


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    He said emotionlessly, with a cold voice: ¡°I violated the sect regulations, and according to the rules, I should face the five-year Flame Prison punishment, but I cannot leave Zihan like this, nor do I wish to become an enemy of the sect, or clash with fellow sect members. Could you let me take her away from the sect, and once Zihan¡¯s matter is settled, Bai Xishi is willing to return for punishment.¡±


    ¡°Dharma King, your words are insincere, your crimes are more than just hiding a demon.¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head: ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is why you cooperated with Wan Xin and Yin Wansui, obstructing the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯s selection of a master? He helps alleviate your daughter¡¯s pain, you helped interfere with the Holy Fire.¡±


    This Protecting Sect Dharma King was promoted by the previous sect hierarch, and from Lin Rui¡¯s two-month observation of this person, Bai Xishi usually conducted himself and his duties meticulously, the Protecting Sect Divine Army at the Headquarters also maintained strict discipline and orderly conduct.


    However, during the sect hierarch inheritance thirteen years ago, Elder Wan Xin couldn¡¯t have interrupted the Holy Fire transmission without Bai Xishi¡¯s cooperation.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy was even angrier, seeing Bai Xishi¡¯s face grow paler yet not denying anything.


    This meant Wan Xin indeed interfered with the Holy Fire, and this bastard was indeed involved.


    Lin Rui still noticed the flicker of hatred and helplessness in Bai Xishi¡¯s eyes, he pondered slightly: ¡°Seems your daughter¡¯s demon transformation has something to do with Elder Wan Xin?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Bai Xishi was secretly surprised by King Ming¡¯s acumen, he closed his eyes, the veins bulging on the hand pressing his sword: ¡°Zihan was still a half-demon a year ago, she fully transformed only after Wan Xin¡¯s death, however, her demon transformation indeed involved Wan Xin and the Outer Heaven Demon, Wan Xin and Yin Qianqiu assumed I was unaware, but secretly I investigated and discovered some clues before and after Zihan¡¯s demon transformation.¡±


    Saying this, Bai Xishi¡¯s face even twisted slightly: ¡°Interfering with the Supreme Divine Artifact inheritance was a grave mistake, I am solely responsible, however, I cannot accept punishment now, I only ask to escape the Headquarters with my daughter.¡±


    At this time, his heart was filled with resentment, guilt, pain, and helplessness, he ultimately had come to this point¡ª


    Bai Xishi felt guilt for his actions over the years, having personally pushed the Light God Sect to the edge of a cliff, and now had no chance for atonement; the pain was due to his youthful ambitions, decades of light faith, all rendered meaningless today.


    With his daughter¡¯s situation, he may never be able to return to the sect in his lifetime.


    Lin Rui thought so that¡¯s how it is, he then raised his hand and summoned a white porcelain bottle from the table nearby.


    He waved it before Bai Xishi: ¡°Is the medicine in your hand intended for your daughter? Where does it originate? Do you know there¡¯s an herb in it called Heart-breaking Grass, specifically used to control demons? It seems modified to ensnare any demon completely.¡±


    Previously, the Federation¡¯s ¡®Spirit Essence Spray¡¯ used this herb, Zhu Tianmao in Silver Moon County also used it.


    Bai Xishi¡¯s pupils contracted sharply.


    He had heard of Heart-breaking Grass; initially used as a suppressive drug against demon transformation, people later found this herb had huge addiction potential, also escalating the risk of further mental and flesh demonic transformation, so its use was gradually abandoned.


    Bai Xishi¡¯s teeth ground audibly: ¡°These medicines were given to me by Vice Divine Envoy Lv Dongqing of Xiangyi Holy Hall, said to be prepared personally by the Invincible Dharma King.¡±


    Lin Rui paused at the word, wondering if this was medicine prepared by the Invincible Dharma King, what was her intention?


    Lin Rui then shook his head: ¡°Don¡¯t use this medicine again; its effects can somewhat restore her sanity while alleviating her pain. I can prescribe another medicine for you, along with an acupuncture skill, which will be more effective.¡±


    He then hesitated slightly: ¡°However, if you wish to restore your daughter to a normal human shape, this medicine won¡¯t suffice; Bai Dharma King, would you mind if your daughter lived as an Outer Heaven Demon? With a demon identity? If so, her demon form can also transform into human shape.¡±


    Only by ascending to the Tenth Realm of Longevity can a demon restore human form.


    But humans don¡¯t face this issue; Earthlings have a remarkably stable gene chain, so they only face Armament Syndrome, not demon transformation.


    Armament Syndrome, however, falls within his expertise; as long as her mental frenzy can be reduced to a certain extent, her demon form will transform correspondingly.


    Bai Xishi was first amazed; could this Dharma King master medicine and medical skills? Then his body shuddered, incredulously looking at this ¡®King Ming¡¯.


    King Ming has a way to restore his daughter to human-shaped demon? Is that possible?

 Chapter 784: 719: Divine Effect

    Chapter 784: Chapter 719: Divine Effect


    Bai Xishi was shocked beyond belief, while Lin Rui continued to inspect the elixir in his hand.


    Indeed, there was ¡®Heart-breaking Grass¡¯ inside, but it was added abruptly.


    The original components of this medicine complemented each other, forming a harmonious whole, but the addition of Heart-breaking Grass somewhat disrupted its efficacy.


    Moreover, this Heart-breaking Grass seemed to have been genetically modified, making it more addictive.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Bai Xishi finally came to his senses, clenched his fists, and asked, ¡°Your Highness, are you serious? Does making Zihan an Outer Heaven Demon mean turning her into an Alien Walker?¡±


    Lin Rui nodded, ¡°More or less. I have connections with the best hospitals, top pharmaceuticals, and the best prosthetic doctors on the Outer Heaven Demon¡¯s side. If you trust me, you can leave her to me. It¡¯s estimated that in three to five months, she can regain consciousness.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªIf the Pure Method is used, the time will be even shorter.


    He noticed the hesitation on Bai Xishi¡¯s face, which didn¡¯t surprise Lin Rui at all. If it were him, he would be hesitant and uncertain too.


    Lin Rui chuckled lightly, ¡°Dharma King Bai, do you have paper and a pen here?¡±


    He scanned the area and summoned a set of paper and pen from Bai Xishi¡¯s room upstairs.


    With a swift hand, Lin Rui wrote a prescription and an acupuncture guide in no time.


    He tossed the two sheets of paper toward Bai Xishi, ¡°This prescription is custom-made for her condition. All the herbs can be found in the Main Temple¡¯s pharmacy. You can try it and see the effect. It should keep her in a relatively clear state for 12 hours, allowing her to resist a demon¡¯s instinctual drives. You might even be able to talk to her.¡±


    Also, if this medicine is used in conjunction with Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals¡¯ latest Sacred Breath type 6 mental sedative, the effects are better. I recall Shancai Divine Envoy got some last time; you can get it from him.


    Actually, the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s prescription is quite good too, with a master¡¯s level. But she probably hasn¡¯t seen Bai Xishi¡¯s daughter¡¯s condition, so it can¡¯t be entirely accurate.


    The ¡®Sacred Breath¡¯ type 6 sedative is a concoction Lin Rui devised and improved, derived from a drug transferred from Taiyi Biological Pharmaceutical, particularly suited for Armament Syndrome.


    Bai Xishi held the prescription in his hand, looking half-convinced and half-skeptical.


    He had glanced through the prescription quickly and found it contained mostly low to mid-tier herbs, nothing particularly rare or valuable.


    Can this really keep his daughter awake for twelve hours? Can King Ming really transform Zihan into a humanoid demon?


    Invincible Dharma King Li Weiliang is recognized as a master in mental health, especially adept at resolving mental distortions, which is why she amassed such influence so quickly.


    Yet she couldn¡¯t restore a deeply half-demonized cultivator¡¯s normal spiritual wisdom, let alone a demon.


    A year ago, Bai Xishi had probed Invincible Dharma King for answers, only to be greatly disappointed.


    When Invincible learned of his situation this time, and offered him medication proactively, it also left Bai Xishi disappointed.


    Invincible¡¯s medication only made Zihan¡¯s emotions less volatile, with a slight calming effect on her mind.


    ¡°Regarding your daughter¡¯s alien situation, Dharma King Bai, consider carefully. I can assure you that I have the means to turn her into a humanoid demon and provide her with the best medical resources.¡±


    Lin Rui thought if a divine being could intervene, wouldn¡¯t that be the highest-grade treatment?


    As he spoke, he walked toward the stairs, ¡°But as for your crimes, the Divine Sect will undoubtedly pursue them. The time isn¡¯t now, but it will eventually come. Of course, you can flee, but I hope you keep your promise: leave without damaging a tree or plant in the Main Temple. Also, I should forewarn you that the Divine Sect will treat you as a traitor and pursue you to the ends of the earth if they have the strength.¡±


    Tian Xiang Divine Envoy frowned as she stood coldly watching Bai Xishi.


    But when Lin Rui stopped at the staircase, giving her a warning look, Tian Xiang Divine Envoy snorted lightly and released her grip on the sword: ¡°Bai Xishi, take care of yourself.¡±


    After the two left, Bai Xishi looked disheartened, gazing dejectedly at his daughter.


    His daughter, Bai Zihan, seemed utterly unaware of the meaning of recent events. Instinctively, she bared sharp teeth, attempting to bite Bai Xishi, her tormentor.


    Bai Xishi watched her frenzied state, then gritted his teeth and hurried out to the pharmacy to prepare the medicine for his daughter.


    Bai Xishi wasn¡¯t afraid of being deceived by this ¡®King Ming¡¯. Whether the medicine was effective would be seen after just one dose.


    His daughter¡¯s condition was such that he had to grasp any straw to save her; medicine was his only hope now.


    Within just two hundred breaths, Bai Xishi returned to the basement with some herbs and a vial of the ¡®Sacred Breath type 6 sedative¡¯ as mentioned by King Ming.


    The Colonial Battleship of Stardom was only 60 miles long, a small place, and Bai Xishi¡¯s Flash Escape covered twenty miles in one go.


    Although the Main Temple had rules against using Escape Skills, he ignored these for his daughter¡¯s sake.


    Even if he was later whipped by the Judgement Holy Hall, he could endure it.


    So, Bai Xishi spent most of the two hundred breaths in the pharmacy and obtaining that vail of injection.


    Bai Xishi meticulously concocted the medicine according to the prescription given by King Ming.


    Having been plagued by illness long enough, Bai Xishi had collected various ancient prescriptions over the years, attempting to make medicine for his daughter. Although he didn¡¯t become a doctor, he was familiar with the basics of alchemy and medicine preparation.


    Bai Xishi even had a top-tier ¡®Electromagnetic Refining Furnace¡¯ from the Heavenly Demon.


    Soon after, Bai Xishi cooked up a bowl of ink-black liquid medicine.


    Though its appearance wasn¡¯t appealing, it exuded a rich fragrance that soothed the mind.


    Bai Xishi¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, thinking King Ming¡¯s prescription was likely effective ¡ª judging by its calming scent alone. But could it deliver the results King Ming promised? And where did His Highness learn such skills?


    Without hesitating further, he used True Yuan to subdue his daughter¡¯s octopus-like body, forcing the medicine down her throat and injecting her with the ¡®Sacred Breath type 6 sedative¡¯.


    Bai Xishi then slumped in a corner of the basement, watching in silence as his daughter flailed wildly with dozens of tentacles.


    His mind was in turmoil; at times, he was furious, suspecting that Invincible Dharma King¡¯s addition of Heart-breaking Grass was an attempt to control Zihan and, by extension, himself. Then came guilt, thinking how his daughter fell into this state because of him, pondering how to face his long-departed wife. He must find a way to restore his daughter, at least let her live like a normal person; other times, he was filled with doubt, wondering if he should trust King Ming and his intentions.


    Could his daughter truly become a humanoid demon?


    Though humanoid demons are demons, they can retain humanity and reason.


    In the demon-filled Purgatory, humanoid demons have the status of royalty while other demons are akin to livestock.


    But is this possible? Under normal circumstances, does a demon need to reach the Ninth Realm to adapt to a humanoid form? And to the Tenth Realm to become a real ¡®human¡¯?


    Bai Xishi couldn¡¯t bring himself to trust King Ming, after experiencing so much disappointment and deception.


    His heart was already shrouded in darkness and despair, questioning even the Light Teachings, if the Holy Thunder that cleaved the Dark World, or the Holy Fire that burned all filth existed.


    And would the true light ever arrive?


    But just a moment later, as Bai Xishi was lost in thought, he suddenly became aware; he found his daughter had quieted down, not making a sound for a long time.


    Bai Xishi opened his eyes sharply and saw his daughter Bai Zihan retract her seventy-something tentacles, hugging her head tightly.


    A moment later, the Hundred-Handed Demon seemed to sense her father¡¯s intense gaze, slightly parting the tentacles to peek outside.


    Bai Xishi noticed that although the Hundred-Handed Demon¡¯s eyes were still crimson, they no longer held malice and madness¡ªonly hatred, rejection, self-loathing, and intense self-disgust.


    His body trembled slightly, then his eyes warmed, almost bringing tears to his eyes.


    His Highness King Ming¡¯s medicine indeed worked, calming his daughter down.

 Chapter 785: 720: Devour Their Blood and Eat Their Flesh

    Chapter 785: Chapter 720: Devour Their Blood and Eat Their Flesh


    Lin Rui, who had returned to the Great Ming Hall, had already handled the accumulated official duties and was preparing to return to his Zhen Guo Mansion.


    The affairs here were not particularly busy; the regent and the two Vice Sect Hierarchs managed the sect¡¯s affairs. He was essentially a rubber stamp, mostly dealing with matters of principle that needed to be firmly rejected.


    Lin Rui, wearing the Hidden Dragon Battle Armor, walked towards the small Quantum Jump Device in his sleeping quarters: ¡°Next, you¡¯ll have to keep an eye on this Dharma King who protects the sect for me. If he shows any signs of movement, notify me immediately. If he intends to leave, do not stop him; inform the Judgement Holy Hall after he departs.¡±


    He had been quite busy these past two days, with the accommodations for those mechanical engineers, artifact refiners, and array talisman masters from the heretic prison. Lin Rui couldn¡¯t be entirely hands-off, ignoring everything.


    Especially considering those top-level mechanism masters with SSS and SSS+ abilities, Lin Rui had to personally show up as a sign of respect.


    The construction of the ¡®Jingyi Altar¡¯ was also expected to formally begin.


    The creation of this structure is extremely challenging; its overall framework, while more refined and efficient compared to the ¡®Artificial Sky¡¯ of the Longevity Association, meets extraordinarily high standards, comparable to the ¡®Radiant Holy Altar,¡¯ and reaches the level of Divine Artifact, though it¡¯s smaller in scale, only capable of housing the Sky Curtain Spirit for 300 million people.


    If it solely relied on Wang Yinyue and the Heart of Light, it might not be completed even after a year.


    Lin Rui¡¯s construction deadline, however, demanded that the first ¡®Jingyi Altar¡¯ be put into service within two months.


    Within four months, two additional ¡®Jingyi Altars¡¯ must be deployed in the Sixth and Seventh Base Cities¡ªonly then can he stabilize his True Spirit.


    His thoughts were entirely focused on this project; if not for the extensive unifying value of this Dharma King who protects the sect, Lin Rui would not want to return to the Light God Sect Headquarters anytime soon.


    Of course, Bai Xishi also gave him a surprise; her conceptual power surprisingly reached 47%, reaching the Divine Envoy level.


    A figure like her, in his hands, was essentially a Divine Envoy, because for him, bloodline power was the easiest issue to resolve.


    However, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy frowned: ¡°Your Highness, Bai Xishi may have been coerced by Elder Wan Xin to betray the Divine Sect and the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, which is understandable, yet it shows her lack of true faith. Her dedication to Guang Ming is questionable.


    Her interference in the Holy Fire inheritance with Elder Wan Xin caused our sect immeasurable losses. The magnitude of her crime is unforgivable, you shouldn¡¯t let her go like this.¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head: ¡°I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d let her go, just delay her punishment. The Divine Sect is currently in need of manpower and can¡¯t afford any disruptions¡ª¡±


    From Lin Rui¡¯s perspective, Bai Xishi caring for her children was very normal, it was human nature.


    On the contrary, this group led by Tian Xiang, filled with followers of ¡®Light¡¯ and the ¡®Holy Fire¡¯ of the Divine Sect, often puzzled him.


    With someone like Bai Xishi, as long as her daughter is in his control, he can ensure her loyalty.


    Let Bai Xishi choose between her daughter and her belief in Guang Ming, it would surely be her daughter she¡¯d choose, but for fanatics like Tian Xiang, the outcome wouldn¡¯t be certain.


    For now, she is loyal to him for the sake of ¡®Light,¡¯ but tomorrow, she might stab him in the back for the same reason.


    Just as Lin Rui was about to step onto the small Quantum Jump Device, the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy received two books from a Flying Book transmitted over a million miles.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy¡¯s expression stiffened, because both books were from the Tianzhou Diocese.


    One was from one of her capable subordinates, while the other was sent by ¡®Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯ Yin Wansui to King Ming, which she received on behalf.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy sensed her own book with Divine Thought and then slightly changed her expression, handing the other Flying Book to Lin Rui: ¡°Your Highness, this Flying Book comes from Tianzhou¡¯s Dharma King Bai Mei, who knows what it means, but our people recently observed intense combat at his residence. Afterwards, Bai Mei issued an order for the Tianzhou Diocese to be on full alert.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lin Rui glanced at the book from a million miles away: ¡°It¡¯s a plea for help. He says that he¡¯s refrained from visiting the headquarters for months because he¡¯s been suppressing Elder Wan Xin, claiming he had long been aware of Wan Xin¡¯s private power dealings and unscrupulous plans, undermining the sect¡¯s heritage with numerous misdeeds, but couldn¡¯t act due to Wan Xin¡¯s alliance with Yin Qianqiu, which made them formidable and hard to control, only able to endure in silence.


    He admits his complicity as an accomplice and feels deeply ashamed towards the sect, hence when Elder Wan Xin was about to awaken, he tried to perish together with Wan Xin, trapping him back into the Sky Curtain, but now Wan Xin received external aid and he¡¯s almost unable to contain it, requesting the headquarters to send two to three Dharma King-level experts for reinforcement, preferably¡ª¡±


    At this moment, Lin Rui suddenly uttered an exclamation of surprise, as he received messages from both Xu Mengran and Wang Tianwu simultaneously.


    Xu Mengran¡¯s message also included a blurry short video.


    Lin Rui took a quick glance and then slightly lifted the corners of his lips: ¡°He suggests it would be best if King Ming could personally go; at this moment, only the Holy Fire Tribulation Thunder can resolve the great threat of ¡®Elder Wan Xin¡¯ to the sect. Bai Mei also mentions he has conclusive evidence proving Elder Wan Xin¡¯s betrayal and proof of his manipulation of the Holy Fire inheritance.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy hearing this felt a strange sense of disbelief; why did Dharma King Bai Mei now seek assistance when he had been avoiding visiting the headquarters to worship King Ming and hadn¡¯t explained his reasons to the headquarters?


    ¡°However, I also have a different information channel, and according to that source, their account of events differs from Bai Mei¡¯s.¡±


    Lin Rui searched through his Hidden Dragon Battle Armor.


    Fortunately, this armor built upon the Emperor¡¯s Exoskeleton Armor still retained the video projection system.

 Chapter 786: 720: Devour Its Blood, Eat Its Flesh_2

    Chapter 786: Chapter 720: Devour Its Blood, Eat Its Flesh_2


    He projected the video sent by Xu Mengran in front of him.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that Bai Mei wants to go down with Wan Xin, but he¡¯s already fallen now.¡±


    The video showed a man whose facial features resembled Yin Qianqiu¡¯s, yet with white eyebrows and hair, embedded in the wall in a spread-eagle position.


    This Bai Mei man¡¯s entire body was drenched in blood, with hundreds of deep wounds revealing bones, and a fist-sized hole in his chest and abdomen.


    The terrifying part was that within these wounds, there were numerous tiny worm-like creatures crawling and squirming, twisting the man¡¯s face into one of utmost misery.


    Nearby, there were also a large number of Battle Dragon flesh fragments, one of which had large main pieces sprouting numerous flesh buds, attempting to mend with other pieces, but was whipped by a nearby long whip, shattering it to dust.


    ¡°Bai Mei¡¯s condition seems dire, not far from death.¡± Lin Rui¡¯s eyes held a trace of helplessness.


    He had Wang Tianwu keeping an eye on Tianzhou, and with Xu Mengran stationed there, as soon as ¡®Ling Huan¡¯ showed up, they could strike with Thunder and grant eternal rest.


    However, their enemies were extremely cunning and careful, and now it¡¯s them who got struck by Thunder instead.


    This person, when not acting, stayed still, but moved with overwhelming force, immediately stabilizing the situation, catching Wang Tianwu and Xu Mengran off guard.


    Now, Ling Huan and Wan Xin had joined forces, with several Congressman-level experts from the Divine Light Army entrenched in this Tianzhou Diocese.


    Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy furrowed her brows after watching Lin Rui¡¯s projected video: ¡°Your Highness, this is a trap! They want to lure us in, Your Highness, Elder Wan Xin is also close to the Super Divine Envoy level, our Main Temple cannot handle this, we must seek help from the three Vice Sect Hierarchs.¡±


    She had considered whether to ignore the situation? That Dharma King Bai Mei indeed had accomplices in crime, deserved death.


    This person might have had a change of heart, but he hadn¡¯t reported to King Ming, nor negotiated with the Main Temple, acting on his own; he deserved to die!


    But she soon dismissed the notion, realizing that the Light God Sect could not abandon the Tianzhou Diocese.


    Indeed, the Dharma King Bai Mei deserved death, but the nearly billion followers of the Tianzhou Diocese were innocent.


    Elder Wan Xin not only mastered illegal acts but was also adept at bewitching minds; Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy could not imagine these nearly billion followers falling into Wan Xin¡¯s hands and what the future would look like.


    Lin Rui looked at Heavenly Fragrance, his eyes mocking: ¡°Which of these three Vice Sect Hierarchs can extricate themselves now?¡±


    Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy opened her mouth, but could not speak.


    Currently, Wan Lei Yuanjun, Wanyan Layman, and Invincible Li Weiliang were all under immense pressure on the front lines of the battlefield and could not leave for a moment.


    Lin Rui stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out at the sky: ¡°Prepare yourself; soon you will accompany me to Tianzhou, no need to notify others, we¡¯ll handle this ourselves.¡±


    Meanwhile, he sent a message to Huang Fuqing: Academician, how¡¯s your Alien form? How about becoming a Red Robed Master Priest at the Light God Sect? I might need your assistance soon to quell a rebellion in the Tianzhou Diocese.


    Lin Rui had already planned to arrange Huang Fuqing¡¯s Alien form in the Light God Sect.


    He was significantly weak in influence within the Divine Sect itself; among the so-called Three Pillars, Five Envoys, and Seven Kings, not one was reliable.


    Huang Fuqing: Red Robed Master Priest? That¡¯s no problem. I¡¯m actually quite interested in the Light God Sect, especially the various ancient treatises in the Seventh Generation Sect Leader¡¯s ¡®Light Holy Hall.¡¯


    Huang Fuqing: But BOSS, you¡¯ll need to give me half a day to adjust and adapt to my Bloodline Power.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): It might take a day before we make our move, you can head over first.


    Lin Rui then called upon the Battle Spirit Ring: ¡°Ring Spirit, help me enhance the ¡®Sun-controlling Divine Technique¡¯ to the Seventh Realm¡¯s Reach the Sky stage! Try to avoid being polluted by the Great Sun Venerable.¡±


    This Sun-controlling Divine Technique was based on the Secret Technique of ¡®Divine Breath Blood Refining¡¯ and ¡®Tendon Changing Bone Refining¡¯, with Lin Rui¡¯s past deduction requiring using Dragon Transformation stage power to control the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire!''¡±


    Now that Lin Rui¡¯s cultivation had advanced to the Seventh Realm¡¯s Reach the Sky, with even greater power, he could further enhance the divine power of the ¡®Sun-controlling Divine Technique.¡¯


    He wanted to control the Great Sun, rather than be assimilated by it.


    In truth, Lin Rui really didn¡¯t want to use the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ and the ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯ against people unless absolutely necessary.


    That Great Sun Venerable was pushing his body and Divine Soul to continuously heighten and strengthen, while Lin Rui was desperately suppressing, trying to bide time, hence avoiding using the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ as much as possible.


    Yet, Wan Xin and Ling Huan were both significant threats to him, needing to be eliminated without delay.


    Even if it meant bearing the cost of deepened pollution by the Great Sun Venerable, Lin Rui would not allow these two to survive.


    ¡°Just the two of us?¡± Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy appeared somewhat hesitant.


    She knew this person before her was still the Duke of Great Song, with extremely powerful forces under him, yet she still felt uneasy.


    ¡°I think we could inform Divine Envoy Shancai and Divine Envoy Judgement, inviting them to accompany us.¡±


    Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy could perceive the attitude change of Divine Envoys Shancai and Judgement towards the ¡®King Ming.¡¯


    This matter was exceedingly important; even for the safety of His Highness King Ming, these two would not ignore it.


    ¡°Shancai and Judgement?¡± Lin Rui was considering when his expression suddenly changed, looking forward.


    He saw the Dharma King Bai Xishi, with a solemn expression, walk up to the front of his sleeping quarters and kneel half on the ground: ¡°Minister Bai Xishi seeks an audience with His Highness King Ming!¡±


    Lin Rui raised his eyebrows, put on his face mask, and walked out of the hall.


    Bai Xishi, half-kneeling on the ground, focused his gaze on him for a moment and then deeply knelt, bowing: ¡°Sinner Bai Xishi gratefully thanks His Highness King Ming for his magnanimous grace.¡±


    Lin Rui hastily released a current of True Yuan to help Bai Xishi up: ¡°Dharma King Bai, please rise; within the Light Church, we are all brothers, and we only bow to the Light.¡±


    Yet Bai Xishi did not stand up firmly, instead bowing deeply once more: ¡°The sinner is willing to clear obstacles for Your Highness, enduring the mountain of swords and sea of flames without hesitation!¡±


    In his heart, he thought that what he bowed to was ¡®Light.¡¯


    For him and Zi Han, His Highness King Ming was their light.


    Lin Rui saw this bow, his face behind the mask broke into a slight smile; Bai Xishi¡¯s bow seemed sincere, willing to pledge loyalty to him as this ¡®King Ming.¡¯


    Having joined the Ming Sect for nearly half a year, he finally had an imperial guard general he could barely rely on.


    Lin Rui then slightly moved his expression: ¡°Dharma King Bai, I just received news that Elder Wan Xin has returned from the Heavenly Curtain and resurrected in the Tianzhou Diocese; would Dharma King Bai be interested in accompanying me to Tianzhou to eradicate this scourge of the Divine Sect?¡±


    Upon hearing the name ¡®Elder Wan Xin¡¯, Bai Xishi¡¯s pupils slightly dilated; of course, he was interested.


    A year ago, when Zi Han was still Half-demon, Bai Xishi was under this person¡¯s control, harboring resentment and hatred, yet could only endure.


    Now that Zi Han had undergone Demon Transformation, he couldn¡¯t wait to drink Wan Xin¡¯s blood and eat his flesh!

 Chapter 787: 721: Taking Position

    Chapter 787: Chapter 721: Taking Position


    When Lin Rui traveled to Tianzhou with Bai Xishi and the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, they took the Forest Group¡¯s ¡®Blue Sky Medical Cruiser¡¯.


    Bai Xishi personally watched the process of the Rui Fang Group¡¯s prosthetic doctor cultivating the alien body for his daughter Bai Zihan.


    He was unaware of how His Highness, the ¡®King Ming¡¯, was involved with the recently famous Forest Group among the Outer Heaven Demons, nor did he care to know.


    Bai Xishi only noticed that his daughter was very calm during the cultivation of the alien body, allowing several Heavenly Demon doctors to manipulate her.


    She seemed to be looking forward to it, looking forward to the moment of becoming ¡®human¡¯ again, even if it meant becoming a ¡®human¡¯ like the Outer Heaven Demons¡ª


    Lin Rui crossed his arms and looked through the glass window into the operating room: ¡°Dharma King Bai can be assured, Rui Fang¡¯s Hospital is a commercial institution holding the divine seal of the Divine Law Venerable, and vouched for by the Divine Law Heavenly Girl. Their work is clean and reliable, they don¡¯t act recklessly.¡±


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy also praised: ¡°This hospital¡¯s reputation is quite good, I haven¡¯t heard of their prosthetics or medicine having any hidden dangers.¡±


    She had also obtained a discount card from the Ming King a few days ago, and took the opportunity to implant an SSS+ level prosthetic at Rui Fang¡¯s Hospital to slightly enhance her combat power.


    The Ming King and Lin Rui, the master of the Rui Fang Group, are allies. With such resources, there is no reason not to use them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Rui Fang Hospital¡¯s reputation, it¡¯s said to be bustling at the Great Song Star Port.¡± Bai Xishi nodded, thinking that he could only broaden his thinking.


    Even if Rui Fang Hospital intended to do something on his daughter, he actually had no other choice.


    He then took a deep breath and made up his mind: ¡°Your Highness, since you can mobilize the doctors from Rui Fang Hospital, perhaps you could also have someone implant two new prosthetics for me? I hope to have them implanted before facing Elder Wan Xin, I can pay with Divine Gold, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s expensive.¡±


    Lin Rui was stunned upon hearing this, and turned his head to look at Bai Xishi with a puzzled expression: ¡°Is it really that urgent?¡±


    Although he had high hopes for Bai Xishi¡¯s potential, this Dharma King promoted by the eleventh generation Sect Hierarch could elevate his martial arts and conceptual power to the Divine Envoy level at over 90 years old.


    Such talent was almost on par with Luo Wangshu.


    However, for the upcoming battle in Tianzhou, Lin Rui planned to directly address the issue himself using his own strength and that of the Forest Group.


    Since Elder Wan Xin could collude with the Divine Light Army, Lin Rui naturally could also ally with the Forest Group.


    The reason he brought Heavenly Fragrance and Bai Xishi along was partly to calm the believers in Tianzhou and secure the Tianzhou Diocese; another purpose was for Elder Wan Xin.


    After all, Wan Xin was a former Vice Sect Hierarch of the Divine Sect, and Lin Rui wanted to eliminate this person without using ¡®outsider¡¯ means, in order to avoid criticism.


    He planned to personally take action, with Bai Xishi and Heavenly Fragrance providing support.


    Bai Xishi¡¯s knuckles vibrated as he held his sword, emitting a subtle cracking sound: ¡°I am currently no match for Wan Xin, but if I can awaken two more bloodlines, even if I can¡¯t defeat him, I won¡¯t lose.¡±


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but squint; at that moment, he not only sensed Bai Xishi¡¯s fighting spirit but also perceived the terrifying power contained within Bai Xishi¡¯s sword, and the twisting of space-time around it.


    ¡ªThat should be an SSS+ level Extreme Move, related to time sequences, integrating both swordsmanship and Escape Skill.


    This Dharma King once again surprised him, as this person was almost like Lin Tianchen, needing only one or two more bloodline powers to achieve the Super Monarchical Extreme Move of the Ninth Realm.


    His progress was even higher than Lin Tianchen¡¯s.


    In other words, with just one surgery, Bai Xishi¡¯s strength could reach close to that of a Senior Divine Envoy.


    The so-called ¡®Divine Envoy Level¡¯ requires physical fitness, Primordial Spirit Power, bloodline talent, and martial arts accomplishment to all reach the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, and must master at least one extreme move of the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, with conceptual power also reaching a level of 45%!


    A Senior Divine Envoy goes even further, requiring at least three out of the physical body, Primordial Spirit, bloodline, martial arts, conceptual power, and extreme move to reach the Super Monarchical level!


    The strength of the physical body and Primordial Spirit is relatively easy to manage; the challenge lies with the other four aspects.


    After the surgery, Bai Xishi will not only have various abilities reaching the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank but will also be halfway into the threshold of a Senior Divine Envoy.


    ¡°I see.¡± Lin Rui stroked his chin: ¡°Alright, Dharma King, what kind of bloodline power do you wish to awaken? I¡¯ll have someone bring it for you.¡±


    Coincidentally, Huang Fuqing¡¯s alien body was ready and was about to sail across the Heavenly Curtain to meet him in Tianzhou, allowing Huang Fuqing to bring it to Bai Xishi.


    ¡ªIn addition, he is also a top-notch prosthetic doctor, possessing SSS+ level surgical skills and mastery over ¡®meridians¡¯.


    One of the greatest benefits of Huang Fuqing¡¯s recovery was that many surgeries no longer needed his personal involvement.


    Lin Rui then went through the latest intelligence reports from Tianzhou, provided by Lin Xi, Xu Mengran, and others, and fell into deep thought.


    It was highly likely that there was not only the Divine Light Army in Tianzhou but also the Longevity Association.


    Xu Mengran believed that the reason Dharma King Bai Mei fell so fast might be due to the covert assistance of the Longevity Association.


    However, it was still unclear which faction within the Longevity Association was involved.


    Furthermore, these people seem to be targeting not only the ¡®King Ming¡¯ but also intended to confirm some matters with this trap¡ªsuch as the connection between ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ and ¡®King Ming¡¯.


    Lin Rui laughed faintly, his eyes filled with mockery yet harboring a murderous intent.


    Back in the Sixth Realm, he would have been worried about being linked between ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ and ¡®King Ming¡¯, but now that his cultivation reached the Seventh Realm, he was fearless.


    If he could bide his time a bit longer, it would be ideal. He could continue to accumulate strength, grow muscle and bone, and hone his henchmen.


    However, if his presence became too significant to hide, then it wouldn¡¯t hurt to show some strength within the Light God Sect.


    Lin Rui was deeply curious about what the knowledge barrier of Ge Xianshan was trying to hide from him. Why were they erasing all connections between Lin Rui, the Supreme, and King Ming online?


    What exactly were his enemies afraid of?


    Lin Rui considered that perhaps the outcome of this battle would reveal all.


    Lin Xi sent a message: Brother, should Yi and I prepare for combat?


    Lin Rui pondered slightly, then shook his head in response: You all prepare and stand by to support at any moment, but do not intervene unless absolutely necessary. This time you shouldn¡¯t be needed.


    The Twin Goddess persisted for over 40 seconds in the last operation; Lin Rui didn¡¯t want them to further deepen the contamination.


    At this time, in the newly established Tianzhou combat group, people were already reporting in one after another.


    Ji Shenyan: I have arrived at the combat position!


    Balder Martinez: Boss, I¡¯m here.


    Li Yuehua: Ready!


    Hou Yuting: Ready!


    Han Xian¡¯er: Ready!


    Shi Yan: Ready!


    Considering the situation on the Federation side was still unstable, Lin Rui only mobilized half of the Forest Group¡¯s strength this time.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Meanwhile, in the Holy Hall of Tianzhou Diocese, which had been transformed from the Tianzhou government office, Elder Wan Xin stood with hands behind him, gazing at Dharma King Bai Mei, who was hung up on the wall and tortured beyond human form.


    His eyes were fierce, and his piercing gaze seemed capable of shredding Dharma King Bai Mei: ¡°Can you speak now? Why did you betray me? What have I done wrong to you that makes you want to perish together with me at all costs?¡±


    Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯s one eye had already been blinded, and he looked towards the light pouring in from outside the door with his remaining eye.


    He laughed mockingly and then, with difficulty, almost uttering one word at a time, interfered and hoarsely spoke: ¡°I! Already said! It is Light!~¡±


    Elder Wan Xin snorted coldly, and a whip shadow swung immediately from behind him, heavily striking a piece of Battle Dragon¡¯s fragmented flesh beside Dharma King Bai Mei, which had partially recovered, only to be shattered again by Elder Wan Xin¡¯s strike.


    Man and dragon are interconnected, Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯s body violently trembled under the amplified agony that Elder Wan Xin¡¯s Conceptual Power had increased several times over.


    ¡°Light? Do you mean for the Light Teachings?¡± Elder Wan Xin¡¯s face turned grim, his gaze sarcastic: ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe it? Tell me, who is inciting you? Is it Invincible or Wan Lei Wan Yan? Or is it Purgatory and the Longevity Association? Or perhaps that King Ming? What did they promise you? There must be a reason.¡±


    Within the Light God Sect, no matter who told him they sincerely believe in the Light Teachings wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but it certainly shouldn¡¯t be Yin Wansui.


    This scoundrel was Wan Xin¡¯s most valued disciple.


    This guy actually told him that it was for ¡®Light¡¯ that he wanted to perish together with him, utterly mad.


    A person who could assist him in manipulating the Holy Fire¡¯s inheritance actually claimed to truly believe in Light? Isn¡¯t that absurd?


    At this moment, an old man with a flowing white beard, a lean face, a tall posture, and the demeanor of an immortal, walked in from outside the door.


    This was Ling Huan, one of Wan Xin¡¯s allies among the Heavenly Demons¡ªaccurately speaking, Ling Huan¡¯s alien body.


    He glanced sideways at Dharma King Bai Mei on the wall and then withdrew his gaze uninterested.


    This person said he betrayed Elder Wan Xin for ¡®Light.¡¯ Ling Huan actually believed it, but it mattered little to him.


    ¡°There¡¯s a situation. Our intelligence network monitored several experts from the Forest Group suddenly disappearing; currently, their whereabouts are unknown. What¡¯s the situation over at the Light Main Altar?¡±


    Elder Wan Xin furrowed his brow at the news: ¡°What I have grasped on this side is that King Ming remains in the Light Holy Hall, listening to Bright Sage Master¡¯s preaching, yet there¡¯s been no action.¡±


    Despite ¡®dying¡¯ for a year, Yin Qianqiu had fallen for quite some time, and after Invincible took the regency, he worked hard to eradicate Elder Wan Xin¡¯s former subordinates.


    However, he formerly held the position of Vice Sect Hierarch for 200 years, and still had numerous followers, countless disciples within the Light Main Altar.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Ling Huan murmured and then shook his head immediately: ¡°Regardless, we must be prepared to face any battle.¡±


    The ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ was certainly the Supreme of the Light King Sect and remarkably deployed military forces at this moment, truly suspicious.


    Forestry Group might also be coming for Wang Tianwu ¡ª his prized disciple, now an executive director at the Forest Alien Body Company.


    Besides that, Ling Huan was extremely concerned about his previous ¡®death.¡¯


    After awakening, Ling Huan discovered not only a gap in his memory but also a permanent loss of some Soul Power.


    He couldn¡¯t recall how he died; his memory only reached him chasing Wang Tianwu¡¯s tracks to Longze East Road.


    ¡ªIt was inappropriate, theoretically, Ling Huan¡¯s memory should have been synchronized with his Heavenly Curtain True Spirit, but now those memories had vanished.


    Ling Huan instinctively suspected Wang Tianwu and Thunder Admiral, as well as Wang Tianwu¡¯s boss¡ª Lin Rui!


    He investigated that Lin Rui was very close with Li Xianglong and Xu Mengran, allies of theirs.


    Additionally, Wang Tianwu, his disciple, was a mage of the Eighth Realm of Super Emperor Rank, and according to accurate intelligence, the guy had now entered Quasi-Member Level.


    Why did Wang Tianwu join the Forest Group before and after Ling Huan¡¯s death? How could Lin Rui have the qualification to recruit such an expert?


    Moreover, after seeing Lin Rui¡¯s holographic photo, Ling Huan was struck by an indelible sense of fear.


    Ling Huan had no idea where this fear arose from; after all, at that time, Lin Rui was merely a Martial Arts Star, at a mere Fourth Realm cultivation.


    But this time, he should be able to uncover the reason behind all of it.


    No matter what, everyone who participated in that encirclement a year ago must pay the price, starting first with Lin Rui and Wang Tianwu¡ª

 Chapter 788: 722: Times Have Changed

    Chapter 788: Chapter 722: Times Have Changed


    ¡°Forest Group?¡± Elder Wan Xin walked to the entrance of the Holy Hall with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the starry sky: ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this Heavenly Demon power, it¡¯s not part of our agreement.¡±


    He had a cooperative agreement with Ling Huan. Ling Huan helped resurrect him and aided him in reclaiming authority within the Divine Sect, while Elder Wan Xin assisted in dealing with the Earth Federation¡¯s pursuit and helped develop the Divine Light Army.


    However, this did not include clauses for combat against the Forest Group.


    Even though he¡¯d only been ¡®Awake¡¯ for a day, he had already gathered a lot of information.


    Elder Wan Xin knew there was a power that could provide three Candidate Divine Envoys, eight and a half Deputy Divine Envoys, and also possessed two ¡®Abyss Weapons¡¯. The head of this power, a mere Seventh Realm cultivator, was a genius capable of Candidate Divine Envoy-level combat strength.


    Ling Huan smiled slightly upon hearing this and walked to Elder Wan Xin¡¯s side: ¡°Elder Wan Xin may not know, the chairman of the Forest Group has another identity. He¡¯s the Supreme of the ¡®Light King Sect¡¯ and the so-called ¡®Light King Sect¡¯ originated from the Light Faith of the Sky Extreme Star. It currently has two hundred million believers in the Earth Federation. We have reason to suspect that this person is connected to the new King Ming of the Light God Sect¡ª¡±


    Elder Wan Xin¡¯s face immediately changed, his mood turning cold: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I think the so-called trap you¡¯ve laid out is stupid! Utterly foolish!¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, the Double Heavenly Maiden is unlikely to take action, and I wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to confront Abyss-level power directly,¡± Ling Huan said as he slightly raised his hand, sending a piece of Dragon Skin Paper in front of Elder Wan Xin: ¡°Look at this.¡±


    Elder Wan Xin took one look and raised an eyebrow: ¡°Is this a Divine Contract?¡±


    ¡°A Tenth Realm Divine Contract and a promise at the Immortal Level! If the Double Heavenly Maiden appears or any power beyond the Divine Envoy Level emerges, he will personally cover our retreat.¡±


    Ling Huan also lifted his gaze, looking up at the blue sky: ¡°This Longevity wants to verify some matters through you and me, so this trap, even I can¡¯t refuse.¡±


    ¡°Longevity!¡± Elder Wan Xin¡¯s face grew even more solemn, and the feeling of being forced caused frustration and helpless anger.


    Instinctively, he cracked a whip towards Yin Wansui¡¯s direction again.


    But just halfway through the whip, Elder Wan Xin retracted it.


    Yin Wansui was already near death and couldn¡¯t endure punishment anymore, yet Elder Wan Xin still wanted to torment him for longer. At the same time, he was also using him as bait; he couldn¡¯t die just yet.


    Subsequently, Elder Wan Xin thought of the Great Song¡¯s Hidden Crown Prince Lin Hao and Luo Wangshu.


    He could confirm without a doubt that he never obtained those three Abyss Divine Tablet fragments before his death and could also conclude that the remaining two fragments were still in Lin Hao¡¯s possession.


    ¡ª¡ªThey were his! And his hope for crossing into Longevity.


    Elder Wan Xin wished he could resolve the matters here now and head to the East Continent to reclaim what¡¯s his.


    Meanwhile, on the wall beside them, Dharma King Bai Mei, Yin Wansui, with scattered consciousness, was dazedly looking at the entrance of the Holy Hall.


    In that instant, he remembered his childhood.


    A massive drought struck the eastern islands of the Central Continent, affecting Tianzhou Island as well.


    During that time, his family became refugees, his mother transformed into a blood mouth demon, killed by passing officials¡¯ Martial Cultivators. His father took several siblings to wander, and in hunger, agreed to exchange children for food.


    At that time, Yin Wansui was tied to a tree trunk, about to be severed of his limbs, when, in his despair, the priest of the Light God Sect appeared.


    Back then, the hand the priest extended to him and the bun he offered felt like light penetrating his soul.


    Afterward, Yin Wansui shut his eyes in pain.


    Light existed, but that light was destroyed by his own hands!


    He would also pay the price for this, eternally sinking into darkness.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Three hours later, at the border of Tianzhou, Lin Rui raised an eyebrow: ¡°So this Yin Wansui might truly believe in Light, and wanted to perish together with Elder Wan Xin for his faith?¡±


    ¡°More or less.¡±


    In the video, Xu Mengran replied with a calm expression: ¡°He had such experiences, and his faith in Light is surely more steadfast than his brother¡¯s. If my guess is correct, Yin Wansui helped Elder Wan Xin interfere with the transmission of the Holy Fire because he was deceived by Wan Xin, and harbored unrealistic expectations for his teacher and brother. After all, at that time, Wan Xin and Yin Qianqiu had no wrongdoing, appearing as good teachers and good brothers in his eyes.


    Based on the information I have, Yin Wansui was indeed a little disappointed with the Light God Sect at the time. The Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire had been passed down for generations, not only failing to bring light to believers but causing the sect to worsen. Thus, he believed change was necessary, and rather than letting the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire randomly select a master, it should be passed on to someone he trusts and expects.


    But he was disappointed. In the following two years, he witnessed worse internal changes within the sect, causing Dharma King Bai Mei immense pain, leading him to spend most of his later years hiding in the Tianzhou Diocese, unwilling to face his teacher or brother. However, his teacher Wan Xin also misjudged him, choosing Dharma King Bai Mei as the cornerstone for resurrection, a Heavenly Ladder from the Heavenly Curtain.¡±


    Yet, neither of them was actually interested in the reasons behind Yin Wansui¡¯s betrayal of Elder Wan Xin; they discussed it idly during the video call.


    ¡°By the way, Lin Rui, has your Imperial City Department received any news from the Light Main Altar? Dharma King Bai Mei asked for help, yet the Main Altar remains so quiet? Does the King Ming not plan to offer rescue?¡±


    Xu Mengran shook her head: ¡°The Invincible Dharma King did dispatch two Vice Divine Envoy-level experts to check things out, yet their power was evidently insufficient, and their actions remained cautious, forever circling outside. Meanwhile, the two Vice Sect Hierarchs haven¡¯t dispatched a single soldier.


    Dharma King Bai Mei colluding with Elder Wan Xin to manipulate the Holy Fire transmission is indeed despise-worthy, but if the King Ming gives up on the Tianzhou Diocese¡¯s believers because of this, he¡¯ll greatly lose their faith.¡±


    Lin Rui calmly drank tea, thinking to himself, ¡°I¡¯m certainly not going to stand by; the person is right in front of you, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    However, this confirmed that the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy and the Bright Sage Master protected his identity very well, having not revealed his roots up to now. Coupled with a Dharma King to protect the sect, the internal structure of the Main Altar could already be considered solid.


    ¡°The Imperial City Department is unable to track the King Ming¡¯s movements, but from the current situation. The current King Ming possesses remarkable talent, not to be underestimated, and perhaps he has already taken action unbeknownst to you.¡±


    Lin Rui was blowing his trumpet when his expression shifted suddenly as he received information and documents from Shi Yan.


    Shi Yan: BOSS, the Immortal Venerable¡¯s analysis is complete; this is an ancient ¡®Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation¡¯, surrounding the Tianzhou Prefecture. It can greatly increase the spiritual power of the two illusionists in the city, potentially raising their combat strength to the Super Divine Envoy level.


    Shi Yan: Meanwhile, the ¡®Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation¡¯ will also severely suppress our conceptual power, condensing the Purgatory Light, triggering demon transformations among our Martial Cultivators.


    Shi Yan: They combined human technology, replacing the formation base with thirty-six electronic altars enabling rapid deployment, but it remains essentially the ¡®Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation¡¯. The Immortal Venerable analyzed several methods to break the formation, requiring multiple channels and simultaneous action. Please see which is appropriate.


    Lin Rui had been waiting for this message from the Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable.


    Regarding array talismans, he was truly a master, far superior to Wang Tianwu and Wang Yinyue.


    Although Lin Rui had exchanged for the ¡®Sky-reaching Level Formation (Master Level)¡¯ from the new No. 5 Battle Spirit, he was still far from comparing to the Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable.


    After all, this Immortal Venerable existed with more than 80% enhancement of the array talisman concept!


    He promptly forwarded Shi Yan¡¯s provided document to Xue Lingxue: Draft the battle plan!


    The Blue Sky Medical Cruiser had arrived at Tianzhou three hours ago, yet Xu Mengran had informed him of extremely unusual etheric fluctuations both inside and outside Tianzhou, suspecting the enemy had set up formations, now proven true.


    Within ten minutes thereafter, the battle plan drawn up by Xue Lingxue was distributed via personal emails to all involved personnel.


    The hidden Wang Tianwu outside the Tianzhou Prefecture¡¯s face turned serious upon opening his email to examine the battle plan.


    The plan itself was pretty straightforward: attack the designated location according to the scheduled time, simply destroying the array altar there.


    ¡°Eight 6S+ combat squads coordinating? 32 Dragon Transformation-level snipers and shooters, all equipped with S+ level Bloodline abilities? BOSS recruiting a truly great number of soldiers recently¡ª¡±


    Especially since the Forest Rui Fang Group gained renown within the Federation, it has become a place where genuine experts in the Federation aspire to be.


    Especially those with ¡®Armament Syndrome¡¯, who now know that joining Rui Fang Group is the surefire solution to the syndrome.


    Some medications from Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals, though restricted by production and sales licenses from market release, remain usable internally, attracting experts plagued mentally to seek employment at the two groups.


    Just as he had previously mentioned to the BOSS, circumstances had significantly changed; they had become a new force altogether.


    Wang Tianwu cast his gaze towards Tianzhou City with strong anticipation: ¡°Finally, it¡¯s about to begin!¡±


    He eagerly awaited another bout against his teacher, hoping to put him, his teacher, to eternal rest!


    At that moment, two 8PRO Red Spider robots beside Wang Tianwu stood up with a ¡®click¡¯, moving towards the target direction.

 Chapter 789: 723: Reveal the Cards?

    Chapter 789: Chapter 723: Reveal the Cards?


    Before the operation began, Wang Tianwu took one last look inside the Tianzhou Combat Group.


    Xue Lingxue¡¯s preparation time was very tight, requiring them to reach the vicinity of the mission target within fifteen minutes, enter the combat initiation position, and then several temporarily assembled tactical companies would simultaneously launch the operation.


    Wang Tianwu had already arrived on site, with his temporary tactical company consisting of eight 6S+ combat teams and four Seventh Realm Divine Power experts already in position, yet he was concerned whether the other action groups could start on time.


    This was a massive ¡®Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation¡¯, which could only be destroyed by simultaneously destroying several array pillar hubs.


    At the same time, their actions had to be swift to avoid giving Ling Huan and others time to react.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Lin Xi and her team have almost completed the hack and are implanting the virus.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Are all action units in position? Report your numbers, and if ready, type ¡®1¡¯.


    A row of ¡®1¡¯s instantly appeared in the group chat.


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Alright! You have 3 minutes and 20 seconds more to prepare. We will start the operation at exactly 8:55, and following Lingxue¡¯s request, try to complete the combat within two minutes!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Lingxue¡¯s battle plan is based on existing intelligence, and due to time constraints, there might be inaccuracies in the intel. Report any difficulties your units encounter in time, we have sufficient reserves, don¡¯t worry!


    Wang Tianwu thought to himself that these newly recruited Dragon Transformation and Divine Skills Martial Cultivators under the BOSS had remarkably high military qualities, not a single one delayed.


    Of course, this was also related to the transportation used in their actions. Their BOSS was willing to invest, using the top single-soldier combat vehicles which not only had high stealth and protection capabilities but could also reach Ninth Realm Martial Cultivator¡¯s tunneling speed inside Sky Extreme Star, each costing as high as three hundred million.


    Watching the seconds tick towards the hour, Wang Tianwu lowered the visor of his exoskeleton armor.


    His Emperor 8SSS armor was surprisingly covered by a black robe resembling a cloak, continuously emitting electrical discharges with a crackling sound.


    ¡°Action!¡±


    At the exact moment the clock hit 8:55, Wang Tianwu fiercely ascended into the air, charging in the direction of the target.


    ¡ªIt was one hundred and fifty-five miles away. A temple ruin once belonging to the Central Abyss, chosen by the Divine Light Army as one of the twenty-four formation hubs of this ¡®Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation¡¯ because of the rich earth veins.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s action style this time was radically different from before, appearing domineering and fierce.


    Just as his tunneling light shot forth, two Red Spider 8PRO combat robots opened fire with full force, instantly unleashing fourteen plasma cannons and particle beam cannons, along with hundreds of 40mm caliber micro-nuclear shells from six-barreled CIWS, bombarding in the direction of the temple ruins.


    Simultaneously, in eight surrounding directions, action groups brought sixteen armored cars equipped with Type 9 ¡®Six Roots Pure Wheel¡¯ automatic systems, and thirty-two 12-tube 80mm rocket nests, all pouring ammunition towards the target.


    The total yield of those micro-nuclear shells reached a terrifying 35 million tons of TNT, boasting speed and penetration comparable to Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators, tearing apart the temple ruins¡¯ array defenses in an instant, demolishing nearby a total of thirty-seven firepower points and shells, followed by intense high temperatures, nuclear radiation, electromagnetic pulses, and explosive shockwaves flattening everything around!


    The penetration and speed of those rockets were slightly less, but soon caused a second round of nuclear explosion coverage, making the vicinity of the temple ruins scorching like a Great Sun descending.


    However, at the explosion center, a human Armored Martial Cultivator and a powerful Battle Dragon withstood the powerful nuclear explosion and whizzing ¡®Six Roots Pure Wheel¡¯ shots unscathed with their formidable martial arts.


    They even had spare capacity to maintain the electronic altar, keeping the electronic altar inside the ruins largely intact, only temporarily failing under the strong electromagnetic shock.


    Around the temple, almost forty concealed firepower points and turrets opened fire, enduring the massive magnetic storm Astral Wind and shockwave, firing and shooting in Wang Tianwu¡¯s direction, instantly covering his figure with dozens or even hundreds of dense tongues of fire.


    They now disregarded counterattacking the ¡®Six Roots Pure Wheel¡¯ fiercely firing around, just aiming to fully obstruct Wang Tianwu.


    However, all automatic turrets were tampered with by hackers from the Forest Group, having significant deviation in shooting, barely reaching the hem of Wang Tianwu¡¯s garment.


    Yet, twenty-odd Battle Dragons and over twenty Martial Cultivators in exoskeleton armor also leapt into the air, colliding towards Wang Tianwu¡¯s tunneling light.


    Though knowing they were no match for Wang Tianwu, they charged unhesitatingly like moths to a flame.


    ¡°Block him! Don¡¯t let him get close to the altar¡ª¡±


    ¡°Bastard! Go die for me!¡±


    ¡°Damn! They at least have 50 Dragon Transformations, 4 Seventh Realm Divine Powers, with top-level hackers, top-level war machines. TMD!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll die with you!¡±


    Wang Tianwu paid no heed to those Martial Cultivators and firepower points below, his eyes suddenly bursting forth with a burst of intense blue light.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s Battle Dragon hidden seven miles away also formed seals with its hands, eyes bursting with blue light, the surrounding portable electronic altar flashing with lightning, emitting a ¡®buzzing¡¯ sound.


    In that instant, all surrounding enemies¡¯ minds became dazed.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A deafening explosion sound reverberated in the surrounding void once again, overshadowing even the massive tremor triggered by the nuclear explosion.

 Chapter 790: 723 Unveiling the Cards?_2

    Chapter 790: Chapter 723 Unveiling the Cards?_2


    It was actually fifty Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners, four with Seventh Realm Divine Powers, and their Battle Dragon firing simultaneously, the sound of dozens of powerful sniper rifles and cannons merging into one, like a single roar.


    A series of ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ echoed as all combat teams fired at the maximum speed and fullest extent.


    The bullets hit their targets amidst the fierce radiation and shockwave, either silencing the enemy¡¯s firepoints or blowing apart the bodies and heads of the Armored Martial Cultivators, thus opening a path for Wang Tianwu.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s tunneling light had already approached the ruins of the Divine Temple, and a boundless, wild Thunder suddenly burst out around his body.


    This Thunder eventually absorbed the surrounding radiation and electromagnetism, forming a towering Thunder Giant six zhang tall.


    ¡ªIt was the manifestation of the ¡®Thunder Heavenly Venerate¡¯ attached to Wang Tianwu¡¯s body.


    In an instant, he slashed twice, cutting two Seventh Realm Martial Cultivators trying to block him, who were momentarily dazed by his illusions, in half, then forcibly entered the nuclear explosion center, landing above the ruins of the Divine Temple.


    And at this moment, he clashed with a Quasi-Member Level¡ªalso known as a Vice Divine Envoy Level Martial Cultivator at the center of the nuclear explosion.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s 8SSS+ Spirit Secret Method was effective, but only managed to interfere with the opponent for a moment, and then the wild Thunder and fierce Blade Astral exploded between them.


    The Quasi-Member Level Martial Cultivator had also amassed an 8SSS+ Secret Skill, which, despite being disrupted by Wang Tianwu, still unleashed vast residual power sweeping in all directions.


    The two then exchanged dozens of blows in a split second, resounding with clashing roars.


    ¡°Is that the ¡®Mind Electric Robe¡¯?¡± the opponent snorted angrily, ¡°You are Wang Tianwu of the Forest Group! Your family is quite generous to give you this 9SSS-level Magic Artifact.¡±


    Wang Tianwu chuckled lightly, disdaining to reply.


    The black robe on his Exoskeleton Armor emitted even more powerful Thunder and lightning, making the manifestation of the ¡®Thunder Heavenly Venerate¡¯ appear more lifelike and imposing.


    The dual blades in Wang Tianwu¡¯s hands were wrapped in wild and unrivaled lightning, striking with even more violent blade speed.


    Although he is a mage, with the power of this ¡®Mind Electric Robe¡¯ to summon the Thunder Heavenly Venerate, his close combat capability is now no less than that of most Quasi-Members.


    Plus the Spirit interference from his distant Battle Dragon, he even forced this Quasi-Member and his dragon to retreat continuously, overwhelmed.


    This Nine Realm Emperor Rank Magic Artifact ¡®Mind Electric Robe¡¯, compensated to Mr. Lin by the Longevity Association, matched him perfectly, not only greatly enhancing his Spiritual Power but also controlling Thunder, strengthening his illusory and Thunder Concept up to 38%.


    At this moment, the shoulder of the Divine Light Army Quasi-Member was hit by a sniper cannon, blowing off an entire piece of armor, with another thunderous crash.


    The four Seventh Realm Divine Powers who accompanied Wang Tianwu had surprisingly freed themselves, beginning to target the most formidable enemy above the ruins of the Divine Temple with their gunfire.


    The face behind the face mask of the Divine Light Army Quasi-Member looked extremely frustrated, yet his voice was exceedingly arrogant: ¡°Did your Forest Group just bring this few people? A mere Quasi-Member, four Seventh Realm Divine Powers want to take me down? Dream on!¡±


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s lips curled slightly; although he couldn¡¯t slay this person quickly, he didn¡¯t need to.


    The boss had recently raided the Heresy Prison of the Mechanical God Temple, bringing another advantage to the Forest Group: hacker power!


    The number of S-level or above hackers they had had reached over 220, an exaggerated figure! Now, the hacker strength of their group rivaled that of the Federation Security Bureau and the East Asia National Security Bureau, only weaker by a few top supercomputers, requiring time to accumulate computing power.


    ¡ªAnd now is the time for them to shine!


    In the next moment, the electronic altar below suddenly burst with an abundance of lightning and exploded with a ¡®boom¡¯.


    The Divine Light Army Quasi-Member was initially slightly stunned upon seeing this, and then realized it was the Forest Group hackers, hacking into the chip and system of the electronic altar as he battled Wang Tianwu, thus blowing up this altar.


    His eyes immediately turned crimson, letting out a roar full of unwillingness and began to attack Wang Tianwu frantically.


    Wang Tianwu sneered coldly; his mind was like an icy mirror, responding with extreme calm and composure.


    He had already destroyed the formation hub as planned, and now it was time to deal with this secondary target in front.


    Meanwhile, in another valley 3000 kilometers away, a mushroom cloud rose from the wounds of this place as well.


    At the innermost center of the nuclear explosion, in a place as hot as a purgatory furnace, Han Xian¡¯er was pouring endless sword light upon her opponent.


    Han Xian¡¯er trained under Cui Peipei, specializing in the Water and Thunder elements of Martial Arts, her swordsmanship embodying not only the boundlessness of the ocean but also the fury of Thunder.


    The Super Monarch of Eight Realms sword move she practiced to defeat Lin Rui is as endless and relentless as the surging waves of the sea!


    This sword move originally had flaws, but after Han Xian¡¯er joined Lin Rui¡¯s side, the two types of SSS+ level armament she implanted not only elevated her Bloodline Power to infinitely close to the Super Monarch of Eight Realms, but also remedied the flaw of insufficient speed in the sword. It truly fused the Water and Thunder Techniques, making it even stronger, more domineering, truly boundless and endless, with unparalleled Divine Power!


    Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s opponent was a real Congressman Level, yet at this moment, he was suppressed by Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s waves of sword light, unable to counter for a full five breaths. He couldn¡¯t dodge and could only barely resist under the dense sword light.


    His whole body was immobile under Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s sword momentum, relying on his strong physique and Astral Force to withstand the surrounding high temperatures and radiation impact.


    When Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s surging sword tide finally showed signs of decline, preparing to strike suddenly, a sharp ¡®clang¡¯ rang out.


    ¡ª¡ªIt was Shi Yan!


    She had unexpectedly split her opponent and his exoskeleton armor in half with one sword strike.


    According to Xue Lingxue¡¯s battle plan, Han Xian¡¯er and Shi Yan jointly attacked this most crucial formation hub.


    Han Xian¡¯er was responsible for holding off the Congressman Level in front of her, while Shi Yan focused all her might on attacking another Quasi-Member.


    The vessel of the Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable truly did not disappoint Lin Rui, for Shi Yan took only five breaths to slay that Quasi-Member!


    Shi Yan struck again, shattering and destroying the electronic altar below, forged from battleship-grade impact alloy, fulfilling their mission objective.


    Shi Yan then glanced at Han Xian¡¯er, sensing that this woman could still hold on with ease.


    Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s mastery of the Water Technique Concept had already reached 38%, making her swordsmanship dense and fluid. She had profoundly comprehended the truth that ¡®nothing in the world is softer than water, yet nothing is stronger in attacking hard¡¯.


    Strictly speaking, Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s defensive capability was actually close to the Congressman level.


    She could transfer all external forces into the surrounding ¡®ocean¡¯, stronger than those practicing Martial Arts>¡¯


    Shi Yan then confidently suspended herself in the void, building sword momentum while raising her gaze to the sky, a strange brilliance appearing in her eyes: ¡°Immortal Level!¡±


    ¡ª¡ªShe clearly sensed the presence of the Immortal Level.


    The person was high above in the clouds, overlooking the whole of Tianzhou like a God.


    ¡°A weak Longevity, it seems he wants to expose the trump card of your BOSS.¡±


    Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯s consciousness entered Shi Yan¡¯s mind: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, he¡¯s digging his own grave, your BOSS is prepared.¡±


    Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable had learned much human knowledge from Shi Yan, and knew that humans liked to play poker.


    Lin Rui¡¯s trump card is the ¡®King and Queen¡¯, appearing leads to death!


    Shi Yan nodded slightly, shifting her attention to another Congressman Level.


    This person, after withstanding Han Xian¡¯er¡¯s 8SSS+ level Secret Sword, was frantically retreating eastward.


    He instinctively realized Shi Yan¡¯s terrifying nature! The two of them combined could easily slay a Congressman Level!


    Fortunately, from the east flashed a Quasi-Member Level of the Divine Light Army coming to assist.


    This one came to help, but unfortunately was a step too late; the electronic altar here had already been destroyed! This person immediately adjusted, using a Sword Intent from afar to hold back Shi Yan and Han Xian¡¯er, aiding his companions to escape.


    However, Shi Yan¡¯s gaze grew colder, her killing intent surging.


    ¡ª¡ªThese two people, she didn¡¯t want to let a single one go!


    Over the past half-year, Lin Rui had been very good to her, offering various rewards and benefits generously, so Shi Yan was willing to exert herself to death for Mr. Lin whenever possible!


    Moreover, the Divine Light Army was her mortal enemy, once nearly plunging her into a realm of eternal doom!


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    With a sharp sound, Shi Yan¡¯s profound and ethereal sword light again swept and shone brilliantly in the void.

 Chapter 791: 724: Surprised or Not?

    Chapter 791: Chapter 724: Surprised or Not?


    ¡°¡ª¡ªDharma Platform No. 7 has failed!¡±


    ¡°Dharma Platform No. 12 has been confirmed destroyed!¡±


    ¡°Marshal Bill Muns has been detected to have lost vital signs.¡±


    ¡°Dharma Platform No. 14 destroyed!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! All radars and Ether Monitors aren¡¯t responding, there was no detection of any enemies beforehand, I can confirm they¡¯ve all been hacked.¡±


    ¡°Vice President, the Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation is no longer functioning properly!¡±


    This is the seventh courtyard located at the back of the Holy Hall in Tianzhou Diocese,


    Originally the residence of the Governor of Tianzhou, later occupied by Dharma King Bai Mei Yin Wansui, and now crammed with various high-tech equipment, dozens of supercomputers, having been transformed into a temporary command center.


    A group of Divine Light Army Alien Walkers busied themselves in front of these devices, occasionally letting out exclamations, making the atmosphere inside the command center increasingly tense and heavy, with panic and fear spreading in everyone¡¯s hearts.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the radars and Ether Monitors, all our warship reconnaissance equipment and UAVs have also been controlled by the enemy, we¡¯re now blind and deaf.¡±


    ¡°Communication with Dharma Platform No. 3 has been cut off.¡±


    ¡°Marshal Zhang Hao is severely injured, retreating toward East City.¡±


    ¡°A large fleet spotted at 9 o¡¯clock direction, a total of 7 battleships, 25 cruisers, likely a joint fleet of Forest Group and Sky Fox Group, along with some warships from East Asia National Security Bureau and Federation Security Bureau, expected to engage in three minutes.¡±


    ¡°Marshal Iwata Kazushi sacrificed!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! The supercomputing group of Hacker Team No. 4 is burned out, several comrades over there have lost vital signs, their heads burnt¡ª¡±


    Ling Huan listened to the reports of these people, feeling extremely miserable.


    For the operation in Tianzhou, besides himself, the Divine Light Army had also assembled 3 Congressmen, 16 Quasi-Members, 300 Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners, 800 combat squads of levels 4 to 6, and plenty of four-band anti-stealth radars and Ether Monitor devices, along with numerous air monitors.


    They even mobilized a fleet the size of a reorganized flotilla to conceal above Tianzhou as support firepower.


    Yet, as soon as the battle began, they were routed by the enemy.


    The enemy took less than two minutes to ruthlessly crush several hubs of the Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation and killed dozens of Dragon Transformation Masters and a large number of combat personnel including two Deputy Councilmen and four Two-star Marshals!


    The Divine Light Army was utterly powerless to retaliate, unable to make any effective response till now.


    The destruction of the ¡®Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation¡¯ made Ling Huan extremely angry, his heart in pain.


    This was an experimental talismanic array weapon the Divine Light Army had spent heavy funds on.


    The materials for the twenty-four electronic altars alone cost seventy to eighty billion, in addition to a substantial investment of mages and engineers, so the actual expenditure exceeded thirteen billion.


    Ling Huan initially had great hopes for this ¡®Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation¡¯, hoping it could help them resist powers beyond the Divine Envoy.


    They also believed strongly that this ¡®Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation¡¯ could help them combat all enemies.


    As long as this formation was in place, even if the Earth Federation Star Navy went all out, deploying all six fleet groups, they couldn¡¯t contend with the Divine Light Army in Tianzhou.


    The only things capable of threatening them would be Longevity! Only Divine Spirits!


    Yet a mere handful of Congressmen and Quasi-Members, along with some hackers, managed to break this formidable formation.


    ¡°Seems like the situation isn¡¯t too favorable?¡± Elder Wan Xin listened to the reports of the surrounding Outer Heaven Demons, his brows similarly furrowed.


    He couldn¡¯t understand the demon language, but could sense the anxiety and panic in their words.


    Elder Wan Xin could also sense the change in surrounding ether elements.


    The huge formation prepared by the Divine Light Army was broken¡ª


    He was secretly astonished, was the Forest Rui Fang Group truly this powerful?


    The Divine Light Army is a seasoned force of the Outer Heaven Demons, a quasi-military organization, yet was prepared well in advance, only to be beaten to defeat by an emerging force.


    Ling Huan¡¯s expression was calm, without any change in color: ¡°The situation is slightly tricky, the Federation Security Bureau and East Asia National Security Bureau have also intervened, along with Forest Group, they¡¯ve deployed at least fifteen Congressmen and Quasi-Members, along with a large number of warships and Dragon Transformation Masters, their hacking ability is exceptionally strong.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªStrong enough to cover hundreds of Dragon Transformation Masters to launch an attack near their Dharma Platforms without the Divine Light Army being any the wiser, caught entirely off guard.


    Ling Huan was equally shocked this time.


    After his resurrection, fellow members of the Divine Light Army had warned him that the combat strength of the Forest Group should not be underestimated.


    And before mastering Longevity and power, it was better not to provoke them.


    The Forest Group¡¯s power was indeed strong, their two Abyss Weapons, three Congressmen, eight semi-Quasi-Members, even forced the Longevity Association to sign a treaty under duress.


    But now, it seems, their strength wasn¡¯t just those Congressmen and Quasi-Members.


    The Forest Group¡¯s hacking ability, individual quality of Dragon Transformation Practitioners, marksmanship, and equipment are all top tier.


    The high-level combat strength of the enemy should be less than the Divine Light Army, yet they¡¯ve taken the upper hand.


    Ling Huan found it hard to believe that such a powerful force was built in merely a year and a half.


    ¡°So what do we do next?¡± Elder Wan Xin asked with an unusual expression while carrying his hands behind his back: ¡°Our trap didn¡¯t lure in King Ming, instead, we¡¯ve attracted such a big fish.¡±

 Chapter 792: 724: Surprise or Not?_2

    Chapter 792: Chapter 724: Surprise or Not?_2


    Ling Huan said that the chairman of the Forest Group, Lin Rui, is the Supreme of the ¡°Light King Sect¡± and is likely the same person as the newly appointed ¡°King Ming¡± of their Divine Sect.


    However, several subordinates under Elder Wan Xin who infiltrated the Heavenly Demon Origin provided him with different information.


    They were unable to find any information linking Lin Rui with the ¡°Light King Sect¡± on the Heavenly Demon network and dark web.


    Instead, there seemed to be a deep hatred between Lin Rui and the Divine Light Army.


    The Divine Light Army had attempted to assassinate Lin Rui, and his sister, the Suffering Heavenly Girl, was also imprisoned and tortured by them for several years.


    Two of Lin Rui¡¯s generals, Shi Yan and Wang Tianwu, also harbored deep hatred towards the Divine Light Army.


    Of course, this information might be distorted, as Elder Wan Xin¡¯s subordinates are struggling and can only gather information via the internet and dark web.


    Nonetheless, Elder Wan Xin instinctively began to have suspicions.


    He didn¡¯t mind being used as a tool by the Divine Light Army, but the other side would have to offer him something in return.


    Ling Huan didn¡¯t respond; he was using his quantum biological chip and relying on intelligence channels from the Divine Light Army and the Longevity Association to investigate some vital information.


    The Forest Group¡¯s hacker capabilities are very strong, but fortunately, they surprisingly still adhere to Federation regulations and do not dare hack into the quantum communication relays of the Alien Body Administration.


    Ling Huan was tracking the whereabouts of Linghu Mingde, the Twin Goddess, Lin Rui himself, as well as Lin Tianchen, Li Xianglong, these strong allies of Lin Rui, along with the locations of the Second Fleet Group and the Security Bureau¡¯s anti-smuggling fleet¡ª


    He then looked in surprise to the direction of the joint fleet to the west,


    Currently, the only ones missing are Lin Rui himself and Xu Mengran.


    Are only these two coming this time? Isn¡¯t that a bit too presumptuous?


    Lin Rui¡¯s combat strength can reach that of a strong councilman, and Xu Mengran is also of strong councilman level.


    With the addition of the Security Bureau¡¯s third General Odin already in battle, and Firepower Mad Bear Balder Martinez, Earth Federation has a total of four strong councilmen.


    However, in his view, these four were still not enough.


    Ling Huan then patiently waited for someone to name their price.


    The current situation for the Divine Light Army is indeed not promising; they no longer have the ¡°Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation,¡± while the opposing side has two and a half fleet-scale fleets for fire support.


    The feedback from all directions is bad as well; under the heavy artillery and star annihilation weapon support of the enemy, the Divine Light Army¡¯s personnel in all directions are either embroiled in tough battles or are in perilous situations.


    Because their perception equipment was blinded, they suffered significant damage right from the start and have yet to complete the deployment of their combat power and stabilize their formation.


    Ling Huan believed that although the Divine Light Army still held an advantage in overall combat power, even if they won this war, they would suffer heavy casualties,


    Ling Huan¡¯s mentality was similar to that of Elder Wan Xin: the Divine Light Army could be used as a tool, but the other party must provide support and offer a price.


    The Divine Light Army doesn¡¯t necessarily have to fight the Forest Group to the death; if the person behind the scenes is unwilling to raise their bid within 30 seconds, Ling Huan will prepare to issue a retreat order.


    At this moment, he received a message from someone¡ªa complete set of orderly source transformation technology, three initial positions in the Heavenly Curtain¡¯s management.


    After this, the person sent another message¡ªsix 9SSS-level demon weapons.


    Ling Huan¡¯s spirit immediately lifted; this was exactly what their Divine Light Army wanted most!


    ¡°As I said before, the Forest Group will be handled by us, and we need your help on the side of the Security Bureau and the East Asia National Security Bureau. This is your obligation as an ally, Wan Xin Daoist friend.¡±


    Ling Huan withdrew his gaze from the nine o¡¯clock direction to the west: ¡°This ¡®Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation,¡¯ after repairing it, I can give it to you as additional support.¡±


    Although the Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation was damaged, the materials still remain.


    What truly pained Ling Huan was the effort and time the Divine Light Army invested in it.


    Elder Wan Xin raised his eyebrows in surprise upon hearing this; he knew the Divine Light Army had laid an array, and it was completed in a very short time, leaving him in awe.


    However, Wan Xin did not know that this was the ¡°Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation.¡±


    This renowned Divine Illumination-level formation was so easily broken by the Forest Group?


    He immediately grew resentful; the ¡°Nether Spring Heavenly Prison Formation¡± was indeed renowned, but if it was broken in less than two minutes, it was something grand but useless.


    Just as Wan Xin was about to haggle, his heart suddenly stirred, and he turned to the golden light flying from his east.


    It was a flying book covering a million miles, carrying vital information: the whereabouts of the Dharma King and Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy were unknown.


    Elder Wan Xin squinted, thinking that he finally lured in the fish he wanted this time.


    ¡°So it¡¯s settled, I¡¯ll give you two months to repair it!¡±


    After all, it is a rapidly deployable Divine Illumination-level formation with certain value, and once acquired, improvements can be made in the future.


    ¡°Deal!¡± Ling Huan let out a light laugh, and his figure transformed into a black tunneling light shooting upward,


    In just moments, he arrived before a burning dense forest.


    At first glance, Ling Huan saw his proud disciple Wang Tianwu, who was chasing one of their valuable Divine Light Army members¡ª¡±Iron Gall¡± Haimuer Jorg.


    This deputy councilman, who was originally tasked with overseeing the No. 7 Dharma Platform, was now forced to flee here, with both he and his Battle Dragon covered in injuries, appearing extremely embarrassed and his gaze vacant.


    If a strong expert does not intervene, this ¡°Iron Gall¡± is not far from death.


    ¡°We meet again, my dearest disciple.¡±


    With illusionary flames burning within his eyes, Ling Huan coldly looked at Wang Tianwu: ¡°Look at you, with your armament, psychic robe, and two Red Spider 8PROs. It seems you really are different now.¡±


    As soon as Ling Huan arrived, Wang Tianwu sensed it in his mind, and he also lifted his head to look in Ling Huan¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Of course, I am different now.¡± Wang Tianwu¡¯s expression was joyful as he laughed, revealing a mouthful of white teeth: ¡°This is all prepared to send you to the grave, my teacher. Aren¡¯t you pleasantly surprised, my mentor?¡±


    He bought a second Red Spider 8PRO specifically to kill Ling Huan, for which he owed a massive sum of two trillion Federal Coins.


    At that moment, the two Red Spider 8PROs behind Wang Tianwu fired simultaneously, launching 16 bursts from plasma cannons and high-energy particle beam cannons.


    But the target was not Ling Huan; it was ¡°Iron Gall¡± Haimuer Jorg!


    Ling Huan made no hesitation, ordering his Battle Dragon to assist this subordinate.


    The Divine Light Army had limited resources, and every deputy councilman was precious.


    However, at this moment, Ling Huan discovered that everything before him was an illusion.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    ¡ªIt was an incomparably sharp sword that attacked from his back, not only breaking through his protective astral force but also piercing through his exoskeleton armor.


    At the same time, there were 64 powerful Type 9 plasma cannons and high-energy particle beam cannons simultaneously firing at him, blocking all avenues of escape.


    Unfortunately, Ling Huan¡¯s Battle Dragon had just accepted his order to support Haimuer Jorg, leaving his body unprotected for the moment.


    ¡°Xu Mengran!¡± Ling Huan gritted his teeth, his mind in turmoil!


    He immediately guessed that it must be Xu Mengran, who possessed six Dragon Slayer Type 9 combat robots!


    This old opponent had unexpectedly advanced to the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank!


    This person actually used 9SSS+ level mind illusion techniques in league with Wang Tianwu to obscure his divine thought and spiritual sense.


    In other words, this old fellow was now a Senior Divine Envoy?


    How did this guy manage it? This second-generation Alien Walker, with his shoddy armament, how could he ascend to the Ninth Realm? How could he become a Senior Divine Envoy?


    ¡°This is the genuine surprise.¡± Xu Mengran let out a cold laugh: ¡°I¡¯ve allowed you to be arrogant and unrestrained for so many years; now it¡¯s time to end.¡±


    The sword in his hand pierced through Ling Huan¡¯s back and out through his chest!


    Although due to Ling Huan¡¯s timely dodging, it didn¡¯t truly reach vital parts, the poison from Lin Rui on that sword had already permeated deep into Ling Huan¡¯s flesh and blood.

 Chapter 793: 725: Time Freeze Zone

    Chapter 793: Chapter 725: Time Freeze Zone


    Just as fierce battles erupted inside and outside Tianzhou, the Red Priest of the Beicheng District of the Light God Sect, Le Hongyang, along with another Red Priest, Yan Xin, quietly infiltrated Tianzhou State City.


    ¡°These Outer Heaven Demons are probably here targeting the Divine Light Army. As for the Federation Security Bureau and the East Asia National Security Bureau, they¡¯ve always been striking against the Divine Light Army. As for the Forest Rui Fang Group, intel shows that the leader of this force has deep enmity with the Divine Light Army, to the point of being irreconcilable.¡±


    Standing on the city wall, Le Hongyang glanced outside before turning his gaze toward the Holy Hall of the diocese¡ªformerly the direction of the state government: ¡°This is an opportunity.¡±


    Yan Xin smiled bitterly upon hearing this. Even if the Divine Light Army was held back by those Outer Heaven Demons, they could do nothing with this state government.


    The two of them feared they wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with the protective array of the state government.


    Additionally, there resided their former pillar of the Light God Sect, the powerhouse at the Senior Divine Envoy Level¡ªElder Wan Xin!


    He shook his head: ¡°I think we should be cautious. Our purpose is to gather intelligence and try to protect the nearly one hundred million believers of Tianzhou Diocese, not to rescue Dharma King Bai Mei, who is guilty of serious crimes.¡±


    Le Hongyang was stunned by this but then frowned: ¡°Indeed, Dharma King Bai Mei is guilty, but for you and me to protect Tianzhou Diocese, the best way is to rescue Bai Mei and help him escape.¡±


    The Tianzhou Diocese was built single-handedly by Dharma King Bai Mei. He held high prestige in Tianzhou, and therefore, as long as Elder Wan Xin controlled Bai Mei, he could control the entire diocese.


    This former Chief Vice Sect Hierarch excelled in illusion techniques and also proficient in spirit secret methods. Given three to five days, this person could control many high-level officials within the Tianzhou Diocese, further worsening the situation in Tianzhou.


    For them to protect the Tianzhou Diocese, the best way was to rescue Dharma King Bai Mei or obtain his personal letter.


    But he knew Yan Xin was right; neither of them had the power to contend with Elder Wan Xin.


    By then, they would not only fail in rescuing but also trap themselves.


    Le Hongyang irritably scratched his head: ¡°Is there still no movement from the Main Temple? Is His Highness King Ming just sitting by idly?¡±


    Le Hongyang, although aware that the personnel at the Main Temple was insufficient and the situation difficult, and that His Highness King Ming was only at the Sixth Realm, with inadequate cultivation, making it unlikely for him to control the Holy Fire in combat, still couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed.


    Surely, the Main Temple shouldn¡¯t completely ignore the Tianzhou Diocese?


    Looking at the current situation, it indeed seemed like a trap, but now the Divine Light Army was already held back by Outer Heaven Demons.


    All the Main Temple needed was to dispatch two to three candidate Divine Envoys and Vice Divine Envoy-level experts to slightly counterbalance Elder Wan Xin and protect a portion of the believers.


    Yan Xin shook his head again: ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s said that the Dharma King protector and Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy haven¡¯t shown up for two hours in the Main Temple.¡±


    Just then, they saw six beams of tunneling light in the sky, like meteors, falling toward the direction of the Tianzhou State Office.


    Simultaneously, dozens of dazzling scarlet beams also flashed, bombarding from the Cloud Sky toward the Tianzhou State Office, rendering the entire vicinity of Tianzhou a blinding white.


    The direction of the state office then emitted a tremendous roar and violent vibration, causing a small mushroom cloud to rise with powerful Astral Force and impact.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Outer Heaven Demon¡¯s so-called Star Annihilation Particle Beam Cannon.¡± Le Hongyang was first surprised, then his eyes lit up, soaring through the sky toward the state office: ¡°It¡¯s the Dharma King protector and Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy! Let¡¯s go too.¡±


    That His Highness King Ming was indeed discerning and bold, risking so much to send these two candidate Divine Envoy-level experts, not disappointing anyone.


    But why would those Outer Heaven Demon¡¯s warships coordinate with the actions of these two?


    And who was the person and dragon in those other two beams of tunneling light? It seemed to be another Red Priest, but they hadn¡¯t seen them before.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    As the protective array of the state office shattered, Elder Wan Xin sat openly in the Holy Altar, gazing mockingly at the outside of the hall.


    He knew if the Dharma King protector and Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy came, they would certainly come to rescue Dharma King Bai Mei, hence waiting here to catch them.


    For the Light God Sect to rescue the believers of Tianzhou, they could only start with Dharma King Bai Mei.


    After all, in Tianzhou, Bai Mei¡¯s decrees were more effective than King Ming¡¯s edicts. As long as he controlled Bai Mei, he could use him to command the diocese.


    As expected, while the Divine Light Army and Outer Heaven Demons outside Tianzhou City were fiercely battling, both the Dharma King protector and Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy rushed directly to the state government.


    However, Elder Wan Xin did not expect the Outer Heaven Demons to cooperate with their actions, using dozens of annihilation cannons to directly destroy the state office¡¯s protective array and the force field shield system brought by the Divine Light Army.


    Could it be that His Highness King Ming was connected to Lin Ruizhen?


    Elder Wan Xin promptly contained his emotions, ¡°Meeting old friends again.¡±


    He looked with disdain and coldly at the two landing in front of the hall, using an overwhelmingly grand Divine Thought to oppress them: ¡°Dharma King Bai Xishi! Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy Chu Tianxiang, only you two were sent by the Divine Sect to greet this seat¡ª¡±


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    Before Elder Wan Xin finished his sentence, the Light Holy Hall let out a sharp ¡®clang¡¯, nearly split into two by a slice of extremely fierce white blade light.


    The white blade light directly charged to Elder Wan Xin, engaging in a fierce confrontation with his Martial Intent and Conceptual Power.


    ¡°Bai Xishi!¡± Elder Wan Xin looked surprised at Dharma King protector Bai Xishi standing firm at the hall¡¯s entrance.


    The slice just now already had the level of a Divine Envoy!


    What surprised him wasn¡¯t just this, as Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy who fell with Bai Xishi, along with a nearby Red Priest, also attacked him simultaneously.


    As for Heavenly Fragrance, that was understandable; despite her bloodline ability improving significantly over the past year, her martial arts mainly focused on support, not attack.


    But that Red Priest truly shocked Elder Wan Xin.


    This person¡¯s cultivation was only at the Eight Realms, yet he possessed bloodline power at the Super Monarch rank, with martial arts and conceptual power both extremely formidable. The oncoming power of light and electricity was not only swift and fierce like true electrifying flashing flints, but also insidious and pervasive.


    ¡ªThis was evidently another candidate Divine Envoy at the Eight Realms level!


    In the next moment, the hall was torn into pieces by the forces of the four, exploding open.


    The entire Holy Temple, surprisingly, only Elder Wan Xin and the wall embedded with Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯s body remained intact.


    At the same time, Elder Wan Xin¡¯s ¡®Lingming Mind Ape Dragon¡¯ standing behind the Holy Temple was exposed.


    It swung a long whip, simultaneously targeting Bai Xishi and the other three¡¯s direction.


    This Magic Artifact at the Nine Realms Super Monarch rank, combined with Elder Wan Xin¡¯s heart¡¯s spirit secret method at the Nine Realms Super Monarch rank, made even Bai Xishi and the other three frown with a touch of pain.


    Bai Xishi and the blade light of the Battle Dragon behind him were transformed at this time into a glorious rainbow, unfurling amidst the river of time.


    At this instant, a suffocating silence permeated the air. In this moment, time seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand of the practitioner, freezing everything in the space, including the enemy¡¯s breath, heartbeat, and even the flow of time, all maintaining a static state, with only Bai Xishi¡¯s blade light in motion.


    But just as Bai Xishi¡¯s blade was about to slash through Elder Wan Xin¡¯s forehead, the surrounding void exploded with a thunderous sound, and the flow of time returned to normal.


    Elder Wan Xin used his spiritual power and bloodline ability to forcibly break free from this time freeze but could not sustain his Nine Realms Emperor Secret Technique, only able to counterstrike the blade of Bai Xishi and the dragon, forcibly repelling them.


    ¡°Nine Realms Emperor Secret Sword, Time Freeze Zone?¡±


    Elder Wan Xin was deeply shocked in his heart that this Bai Xishi had also cultivated a Nine Realms Emperor Secret Sword?


    The Time Freeze Zone technique was something the Light God Sect¡¯s Seventh Generation Sect Leader forcibly seized from a formidable enemy, yet although the Seventh Generation Sect Leader obtained the cultivation method for this move, no one within the sect had ever mastered it.


    In the next moment, he and his ¡®Lingming Mind Ape Dragon¡¯ simultaneously raised their right hands abruptly, each grabbing at a blinding white beam before them.


    ¡ªThose beams were actually two beams of sword light, launched by the Eight Realms Red Priest as an Eight Realms Emperor Secret Sword!


    This person¡¯s coordination with Bai Xishi was seamless, attacking consecutively, striking when the power of Elder Wan Xin just ended and new power had not risen, making him overwhelmed.


    Boom!


    Elder Wan Xin surprisingly couldn¡¯t catch this beam, getting struck in the forehead by it.


    As a spray of blood powder floated away, both Elder Wan Xin¡¯s and Lingming Mind Ape Dragon¡¯s skulls were chopped off by those two beams of sword light, nearly obliterating their primordial spirit cores with two grievous strikes.


    Elder Wan Xin¡¯s heart and mind trembled, wondering who this Red Priest was. Where did such a master emerge from? He had never heard of such a figure within the Divine Sect before.

 Chapter 794: 726: King Ming Arrives

    Chapter 794: Chapter 726: King Ming Arrives


    At the outbreak of war in Tianzhou, within a gigantic rock inside the ¡®Planet Ring¡¯ of Sky Extreme Star, Yi Duxing returned to his residence with a worried expression.


    At this time, although the Longevity Association had signed a ceasefire agreement with Lin Rui, this agreement did not include Yi Duxing.


    The former Twin Goddess plan, Lin Cong¡¯s disappearance, and Fu Xuexian¡¯s death were all related to Yi Duxing.


    Lin Rui harbored a deep grudge against him and insisted on hunting Yi Duxing down, saying that peace was possible but only if Yi Duxing and Zang Shaochen were excluded.


    The Quasi Immortals had no choice but to ¡®sacrifice¡¯ Yi Duxing.


    In the views of these Quasi Immortals, the troubles caused during Yi Duxing¡¯s tenure as Deputy Chairman, involving Lin Rui and the Twin Goddess, were not their responsibilities to bear for Yi Duxing.


    It was already quite good if they could help him fend off the Earth Federation and prevent the federal judicial system from seizing his assets.


    Furthermore, with Lin Tianchen¡¯s relentless and unending pursuit, Yi Duxing could not return home and had to hide in his secret base inside the Star Ring.


    This base had been built by Yi Duxing twenty years ago, at great expense and designed to the standards of a star fortress.


    At that time, he had ample financial resources, even had extra funds to build a large villa simulating a natural environment within.


    This villa named ¡®Green Lake¡¯ was not only vast but also filled with green trees, serene and pleasant, with the lake¡¯s light and mountain scenery intertwining, giving the impression of a lush landscape painting.


    Yi Duxing, however, had no interest in the beautiful scenery before him. With a flash of tunneling light, he quickly arrived at a pavilion inside the villa and saw the honored guest visiting the secret base today.


    It was a young man with a tall and straight posture, and a lean yet handsome face.


    He wore a flowing cyan robe, with its edges swaying gently with the wind, almost merging with the breeze between heaven and earth, with long black hair draped over his shoulders, exuding an unrestrained and aloof aura.


    This young man was standing with his hands behind his back, intently watching a holographic video projection before him, his gaze cold and stern.


    Yi Duxing stood outside the pavilion and glanced at the videos, discovering that all were combat images from Tianzhou Island.


    These were likely filmed by dozens of drones from an altitude of 500,000 meters, with such high definition that even the textures of the grass and trees on the ground could be seen.


    Yi Duxing was secretly surprised by this, as he had also arranged a large number of intelligence personnel in Tianzhou, and before the battle, they had released many reconnaissance drones, but without exception, they were hacked and controlled by the Forest Group¡¯s hackers.


    Yi Duxing¡¯s expression immediately hardened, bowing to the young man: ¡°Did the President visit today because of the matter in Tianzhou?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The young man in the cyan robe responded indifferently, his expression detached: ¡°The situation set up by Wei Jingtong in Tianzhou, was it incited by you, Yi Duxing?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Yi Duxing sensed the cold Sword Intent and ruthless killing intent of the young man in the cyan robe.


    It was like a sharp sword, pressed against his neck.


    Yi Duxing¡¯s mood sank slightly, calmly explaining: ¡°After I died at the hands of the Twin Goddess last time, I initiated the plan to resurrect Wan Xin and Ling Huan, intending to restrain Lin Rui and the Invincible Dharma King, but there were some troubles during Wan Xin¡¯s resurrection, sealed by his disciple in the Heavenly Curtain, unable to return.


    I did plan to rescue Wan Xin, but had no intention to lure King Ming and Lin Rui into the situation. This situation in Tianzhou was forcibly intervened by Elder Wei three days ago, who obtained all the intelligence concerning King Ming and Lin Rui from me, then took action to assist Wan Xin¡¯s return from the Heavenly Curtain and even funded the cultivation of a fully developed Physical Body Battle Dragon, and hired the Divine Light Army.¡±


    Wei Jingtong is an Immortal Martial Practitioner from Purgatory and one of the eight Founders of the Longevity Association!


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The young man in the cyan robe shook his head slightly, continuing to watch the video before him: ¡°I also thought you wouldn¡¯t be so foolish, but since this trouble started because of you, you must handle the aftermath properly.¡±


    ¡°Aftermath?¡± Yi Duxing¡¯s expression solemn: ¡°Does the President mean the Invincible Dharma King?¡±


    ¡°Who else?¡±


    The young man in the cyan robe sneered, questioning: ¡°You caused such a commotion, it¡¯s hard for the Invincible Dharma King to not pay attention. Can you bear the consequences of Invincible and Lin Rui joining forces?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yi Duxing¡¯s heart sank again.


    He certainly couldn¡¯t bear the consequences; Lin Rui¡¯s Forest Rui Fang Group was growing increasingly powerful, with enormous influence.


    The Invincible Dharma King¡¯s prestige was also rising sharply, controlling nearly half of the military force of the Light God Sect; not long ago, he used the Super Divine Artifact ¡®Seven Illusion Heavenly Feather¡¯ to kill the Second Divine Envoy of Central State, shocking the world!


    If the mother and son join forces, with their powers supporting each other inside and out, it would not only be a disaster for the Longevity Association but would also make Yi Duxing¡¯s situation more difficult.


    There¡¯s also that newly appointed King Ming, Yi Duxing is very worried that this King Ming may be an alien version of Lin Rui.


    Yi Duxing furrowed his brows: ¡°President, Wei Jingtong said he would handle the aftermath personally.¡±


    ¡°Him?¡± The young man in the cyan robe shook his head: ¡°I fear that Wei Jingtong won¡¯t have the chance to handle the aftermath, so it¡¯s best if you go personally. Remember to go all out, no holding back, I know you¡¯ve found the Abyss Divine Artifact, and now your combat power is at the Super Divine Envoy Level. Also! No matter what you hear or see this time, keep it to yourself.¡±


    Yi Duxing felt puzzled upon hearing this, wondering how could it be?


    Wei Jingtong is not only at the Immortal Level but is personally overseeing Tianzhou with his true form.


    He¡¯s not foolish enough to confront the Double Heavenly Maiden head-on, so how could he not have a chance to deal with the aftermath?


    Suddenly, Yi Duxing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, his expression changed drastically: ¡°President, do you think Elder Wei is in danger? Is it Lin Rui or King Ming that could threaten Elder Wei?¡±

 Chapter 795: 726 King Ming Arrives_2

    Chapter 795: Chapter 726 King Ming Arrives_2


    Although that King Ming controls two Divine Artifacts, Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and Radiant Holy Altar, his cultivation is merely at the Sixth Realm, and he simply doesn¡¯t have the ability to use these two Divine Artifacts.


    Then there¡¯s Lin Rui. Indeed, his power and talent are formidable, but currently, the truly frightening aspect of the Forest Rui Fang Group is the Twin Goddess.


    According to the information Yi Duxing has gathered, the Twin Goddess are still in the Ninth Base City and did not set out with Lin Rui.


    They are constantly monitoring the movements and whereabouts of the Twin Goddess.


    Yi Duxing¡¯s brow furrowed deeply: ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the President dissuade Elder Wei?¡±


    The young man in the azure robe remarked indifferently: ¡°If I could dissuade him, I wouldn¡¯t have come to seek you.¡±


    That Wei Jingtong seeks to discern the true nature of Lin Rui, suspecting anomalies in Lin Rui¡¯s arrangements within the Artificial Sky, and wants to ¡®consume¡¯ Lin Rui.


    Meanwhile, this person also questions the connection between Lin Rui, the Supreme, and King Ming.


    The young man in the azure robe paused, a mocking smile playing at his lips: ¡°Why should I dissuade him?¡±


    He also wants to know whether Lin Rui and King Ming are the same person, and whether the Pure Method is in Lin Rui¡¯s possession.


    From the current situation, Lin Rui is increasingly suspicious.


    He seems uninterested in hiding, just like Shi Yan under his command, who has recently been openly active.


    The question remains, how did this carrier of the ¡®Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable¡¯ manage to recover?


    Another astonishing matter is that since Yin Qianqiu¡¯s death, the Five Great Abysses have shown indifference to the ¡®Lord of Purity¡¯, seemingly losing interest entirely¡ªwhat does this signify?


    This spawned a terrifying suspicion in the young man in the azure robe¡¯s mind.


    Lin Rui might sense it too, using today¡¯s battle to confirm¡ª¡ª


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    In the Tianzhou State Office, Elder Wan Xin¡¯s skull was cleaved off, yet he didn¡¯t die. Instead, he coldly regarded the Red Priest clad in Heavenly Demon Armor, with a robe draped over it.


    ¡°Interesting, my Light God Sect is truly abundant with talent. In less than a year after my demise, a Super Monarch of Eight Realms has emerged within the sect!¡±


    As Elder Wan Xin spoke, continuous astral wind explosions erupted around him, causing a large collapse of the state office¡¯s internal buildings.


    The combat among the four did not cease, rather it grew increasingly fierce.


    Wan Xin and the Spiritual Minded Monkey Dragon¡¯s heads reformed instantly, and the Spiritual Minded Monkey Dragon swung its whip at a speed beyond normal human perception.


    Elder Wan Xin formed a Dharma Seal with both hands, using the Power of Spirit and Illusion Technique to confuse and disrupt the five senses and spiritual sense of the Dharma King and Tian Xiang trio, while releasing countless strands from his sleeve.


    These were strands refined from the head of a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank ¡®Thousand Silk Demon¡¯, wielded as whips, creating countless whip shadows in the void.


    However, these Thousand Silk Demon¡¯s strands were often severed and sliced by the sword light of the Red Priest after only reaching three meters.


    Elder Wan Xin couldn¡¯t help but become more amazed: ¡°What sharp swordsmanship! Not only are your bloodline at Super Monarch level, but your Conceptual Powers are also strong, both light and Thunder reaching forty percent. Which parish are you from? State your name, I¡¯ve never heard of such an outstanding newcomer from the sect¡ª¡±


    Elder Wan Xin had long known of the exceptional talent of the Dharma King Bai Xishi, hence he was only slightly surprised to learn that he had reached Divine Envoy Level.


    The eleventh Sect Hierarch had promoted him to Dharma King, intending to groom him as the next Sect Hierarch.


    Had the eleventh Sect Hierarch not been harmed, allowing Elder Wan Xin to exploit and control them, Bai Xi Shi would have grown under the wings of the eleventh Sect Hierarch for another dozen years, possibly becoming the next King Ming.


    Yet Elder Wan Xin had never seen the Red Priest, whose Conceptual Powers reached forty percent and stood at the Super Monarch Rank of Eight Realms.


    In that instant, Elder Wan Xin suddenly emitted an angry hmph: ¡°Chu Tianxiang! You dare display Illusion Technique before me?¡±


    Boom!


    With that explosive shock, the ground near the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy¡¯s location was reduced to powder by a whip shadow.


    The Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy had already retreated five hundred meters beforehand, a cold smile on her lips: ¡°Wan Xin, you¡¯re only realizing it now? It¡¯s too late, Wan Xin, you¡¯re destined to die today!¡±


    In the last twenty breaths, she had consistently used her Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Extreme Move ¡®Heavenly Fragrance Illusion Mist¡¯, shielding Huang Fuqing¡¯s sword poison with her Illusion Technique and Divine Incense Concept.


    However, this poison sourced from ¡®King Ming,¡¯ the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy was unsure of its specific effects.


    Yet Elder Wan Xin sensed the poison¡¯s dreadful and malicious nature, finding himself increasingly irrational and disoriented.


    Following this, he struck out several whips consecutively, failing to hit the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, while Bai Xishi and the Red Priest teamed up, slashing him seven times with swords and five with blades, leaving him drenched in blood.


    Elder Wan Xin thought, what kind of toxin is this, so dominant and fierce?


    Realizing he couldn¡¯t delay further, his entire body burst apart, transforming into strands of blood, converging towards the direction of the embedded Dharma King Bai Mei on the nearby wall.


    ¡°Heart Swapping Technique?¡±


    Bai Xishi¡¯s expression tensed, understanding the formidable nature of Elder Wan Xin¡¯s Secret Technique.


    Once the Heart Swapping Technique reaches Great Success, he can plant Lifebound Essence Blood into another¡¯s heart ahead of battle, turning it into a ¡®Heart Origin¡¯ cauldron.


    Through this Secret Technique, Elder Wan Xin can swap hearts at any time, his consciousness and Divine Thought awakening within another¡¯s body, completely substituting the ¡®Heart Origin¡¯ cauldron.


    This is the origin of Elder Wan Xin¡¯s name ¡®Wan Xin¡¯, and because this Secret Technique is rather cruel and uncanny, the reputation of it within the Light God Sect has always been poor.

 Chapter 796: 726 King Ming Arrives_3

    Chapter 796: Chapter 726 King Ming Arrives_3


    However, Wan Xin has always claimed to use condemned prisoners as the ¡®Heart Origin¡¯ cauldron, and for two hundred years, the Judgement Holy Hall has not found any issues.


    Wan Xin relied on this secret technique to be nearly immortal, and if he hadn¡¯t brazenly provoked East Abyss, it would have been very difficult for anyone to kill him.


    Bai Xishi had actually always been wary of Elder Wan Xin¡¯s secret technique, yet never expected Wan Xin to choose Dharma King Bai Mei as the ¡®Heart Origin¡¯ cauldron.


    He immediately unleashed a blade light, aiming to destroy Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯s heart before Wan Xin realized, slaying him!


    Though both were fellow members of the sect, Bai Xishi had always regarded Dharma King Bai Mei as Wan Xin¡¯s accomplice, thus showed no mercy.


    But just at that moment, a subtle sword light descended from the sky, splitting apart the blade light of Dharma King Bai Xishi.


    Bai Xishi and Huang Fuqing both frowned, glancing towards the eastern sky.


    This clearly indicated the intervention of a powerful individual; in that instant, both sensed an extremely powerful Sword Intent.


    ¡ª¡ªIt was likely a Longevity!


    ¡°You¡¯ve really improved! I almost fell into your hands.¡±


    At this moment, Elder Wan Xin had astonishingly awakened within the body of Dharma King Bai Mei Yin Wansui.


    He intended to lift his head, but sensed Yin Wansui¡¯s intense resistance and repulsion.


    This rebellious disciple, tortured to the brink of death, still erupted with such fierce resistance, vying for control of the body, attempting to expel him.


    Wan Xin¡¯s eyes widened in anger, Divine Thought erupted: ¡°Get out of here!¡±


    Yet Yin Wansui did not give up resisting, instead a boundless power arose within his soul, engaging in confrontation with Wan Xin¡¯s Divine Thought.


    ¡ª¡ªThis was a perfect opportunity!


    Yin Wansui knew he would not survive, having destroyed his own light, his vision long turned to darkness.


    But before falling completely into darkness, Yin Wansui wished to drag Elder Wan Xin down with him, to perish together!


    However, in the next moment, the Essence Blood previously bursting from Elder Wan Xin¡¯s body began to pour into this physical form.


    That was the Essence Blood Qi from Elder Wan Xin, not polluted by toxins, gradually giving him the upper hand in the spiritual confrontation with Yin Wansui.


    ¡°You rebellious scoundrels.¡± Wan Xin¡¯s eyes also flashed with a hint of blood light: ¡°I truly did not wish to use this method, nor harm my fellow sect members, but you forced my hand.¡±


    He dared to engage at the Tianzhou State Office, always remaining composed, trusting first in his cultivation and battle prowess to suppress these three, and secondly, having a fallback plan with a full tenfold certainty of victory.


    At that instant, the heads of nine thousand priests from the Light God Sect strapped to an electronic altar in the state office¡¯s cellar simultaneously exploded.


    Their blood was refined by the electronic altar into strands of blood-colored spiritual light, merging into Elder Wan Xin¡¯s new body, as well as the body of the Spiritual Enlightenment Heart Ape Dragon.


    Wan Xin then paused slightly, followed by hearty laughter: ¡°Good! Good! Good! It¡¯s unexpected that these priests hold such admiration and reverence for you, Bai Mei.¡±


    These Blood Evil spirits were astonishingly compatible with his body, causing Wan Xin¡¯s power to expand at extreme speed.


    Seeing this, Bai Xishi and Huang Fuqing both frowned deeply, exchanging glances, both sensing the other¡¯s helplessness.


    ¡ª¡ªToday¡¯s Tianzhou disturbance still requires the appearance of ¡®King Ming¡¯ His Highness.


    The two of them, together with the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, did not rush to act against Wan Xin, but instead bowed respectfully towards the sky: ¡°May King Ming His Highness arrive!¡±


    Boom!


    At that moment, the clouds in the sky suddenly burst into a golden-red hue, resembling the intense radiance of the sun,


    followed by the descent of a massive chariot emblazoned with four golden Demon Dragons, sparkling with golden light from the clouds.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Wan Xin also looked up at the clouds, his eyes showing astonishment: ¡°King Ming?¡±


    He recognized that the chariot was the exclusive vehicle of their sect¡¯s hierarch, the ¡®Divine Sun Chariot¡¯, indicating that King Ming His Highness had also arrived?

 Chapter 797: 727 Ignition

    Chapter 797: Chapter 727 Ignition


    As the ¡®Divine Sun Chariot¡¯ rapidly descended to the ground, golden light burst forth from above the clouds, and a gigantic box plummeted like a meteor, crashing into the center of the state government before the Divine Sun Chariot arrived.


    It should be a Dragon Box, but its design was even more majestic and exquisite, its surface adorned with intricate and ornate patterns, looking splendid and opulent.


    Elder Wan Xin frowned deeply, faintly sensing an extremely dangerous aura within this Dragon Box.


    ¡°Playing tricks!¡±


    He sneered, focusing his Divine Thought towards the direction of the Divine Sun Chariot, concentrating on the figure clad in Heavenly Demon Armor standing at the helm: ¡°King Ming? So what if King Ming has returned? In front of me, there¡¯s no room for your antics!¡±


    At this moment, Elder Wan Xin had gathered the Qi Blood Essence of nine thousand Priests, his Spiritual Power at least tripled from before, and his Conceptual Power nearing sixty percent, reaching the Super Divine Envoy Level!


    Wan Xin originally thought that by attacking King Ming with all his might, he could at least confuse the young one¡¯s mind, or even pull him down from the chariot.


    However, the opposing King Ming stood motionless atop the chariot, looking down at him with a faint expression: ¡°Scatter!¡±


    Boom!


    With a booming explosion, the Primordial Spirit Power condensed by Elder Wan Xin was forcibly dispersed, scattering in all directions, with not a single strand able to touch this ¡®King Ming¡¯.


    Elder Wan Xin¡¯s pupils instantly contracted, and his mind experienced a violent shock.


    ¡°Separation and Union?¡±


    This was more than seventy percent of the Separation and Union Conceptual Power!


    Did this King Ming possess an Abyss Divine Artifact with the Separation and Union Concept?


    It didn¡¯t seem so. If it were a weak Abyss Divine Artifact, Elder Wan Xin was confident he could handle it.


    His power had also reached the Super Divine Envoy Level, enough to counteract the solidified concept of an Abyss Divine Artifact.


    Yet King Ming could control this concept, taking the upper hand in the conceptual confrontation with Elder Wan Xin.


    Moreover, this King Ming has already reached the Seventh Realm!


    Also feeling shocked were the two Red Priests, Le Hongyang and Yan Xin, who had long been lurking nearby.


    After they arrived, they originally intended to assist, but found that not only was the level of this battle extremely high, it was also extremely intense.


    Le Hongyang and Yan Xin, both Super Emperors of the Eight Realms, couldn¡¯t intervene and could only wait in hiding.


    At this moment, the two of them involuntarily exchanged glances, both internally shocked.


    They clearly sensed the conceptual clash between King Ming and Elder Wan Xin just now.


    ¡ªThat was more than seventy percent of Separation and Union! Possibly reaching seventy-two percent.


    Could their King Ming truly be this powerful?


    Moreover, the newly appeared Red Priest today, along with the Protective Dharma King Bai Xishi, also shocked them.


    The Protective Dharma King Bai Xishi was already at the Divine Envoy Level!


    And the Red Priest, which district did this expert emerge from? Surprisingly, it was a Candidate Divine Envoy with only Eighth Realm cultivation!


    Yan Xin couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows, feeling slightly worried.


    He was in favor of the Invincible Dharma King further seizing power within the Divine Sect, but given the current situation, the current King Ming was not someone to be easily underestimated.


    Judging by the attitudes of Protective Dharma King Bai Xishi and Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy Chu Tianxiang earlier, it was clear they genuinely supported King Ming.


    With the internal power of the Divine Sect like this backing King Ming, it¡¯s certain that in the future, he would retrieve it, not allowing the Invincible Dharma King to continue holding the ¡®Regent¡¯ position.


    When Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Divine Sun Chariot¡¯ hovered and steadied before the state government, Bai Xishi spoke with a mix of shame and resentment: ¡°We are useless, even now needing His Highness to make a move.¡±


    Bai Xishi felt resentment at his own inability, having received so many resources from King Ming yet still unable to rival Elder Wan Xin.


    Simultaneously, Bai Xishi felt a sense of amazement.


    He had previously sparred with His Highness King Ming; how could Bai Xishi dare to engage without knowing King Ming¡¯s capability?


    However, at that time, what King Ming displayed was not his Separation and Reunion Technique, but his control over ¡®Holy Fire Tribulation¡¯ and ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯.


    Bai Xishi never expected that His Highness would also possess an Immortal Level Conceptual Power.


    ¡°No worries.¡± Lin Rui waved his hand, then glanced with disdain at Elder Wan Xin, who was possessing the body of Dharma King Bai Mei, along with his ¡®Spirit Bright Heart Ape Dragon¡¯.


    ¡°Are you Wan Xin? In consideration of your past contributions and achievements as the Vice Sect Hierarch of the Divine Sect, I can give you a dignified end. End yourself, and spare me the trouble.¡±


    This man even dared to harm his fellow sect members, using a blood sacrifice of nine thousand devout Priests, indeed, he was utterly insane!


    However, Lin Rui had already checked Wan Xin¡¯s information within the Security Bureau¡¯s database and the Divine Sect Headquarters.


    About fifty years ago, this Chief Vice Sect Hierarch was still fairly competent.


    If it weren¡¯t for Wan Xin¡¯s efforts in managing the situation, the Light God Sect might have faced extinction fifty-seven years ago.


    His Heart Swapping Technique, though brutal and bizarre, made the Divine Envoys of various nations extremely wary. At his peak, he could take on three opponents at once, his prowess not inferior to today¡¯s Invincible Dharma King, a pillar of the Divine Sect.


    Later, for some unknown reason, perhaps due to too many heart swaps, his soul became polluted, increasingly straying down the wrong path.


    ¡°How bold!¡±


    While the ¡®Divine Sun Chariot¡¯ was descending, Elder Wan Xin had continuously been battling with his Martial Intent and Conceptual Power against this ¡®King Ming¡¯.


    He couldn¡¯t believe this newly appointed King Ming could possess such strength, mastering an Immortal Level concept with a mere Seventh Realm cultivation.


    Hearing this, his pupils flared with anger, feeling an immense humiliation, with blood boiling and hairs standing on end.


    Elder Wan Xin¡¯s Spiritual Power ascended another level, his voice dripping with sarcasm: ¡°You, a mere child, dare to tell me to end myself?¡±


    Even if this person mastered an Immortal Level concept, the current combat prowess could at best be equivalent to him.


    This child, with a mere Seventh Realm cultivation, how long could he wield such Conceptual Power?


    Lin Rui observed him, shaking his head slightly, his gaze cold: ¡°Since you don¡¯t want dignity, so be it.¡±


    Boom!


    In that instant, both the body of Elder Wan Xin and the Spirit Bright Heart Ape Dragon simultaneously erupted in Holy White Flames.


    Within the flames, strands of thunder also burst forth, causing Elder Wan Xin to emit an extremely shrill scream.


    He discovered his soul was burning from the inside out, and everything of his was turning into fuel for the Holy White Flames.


    The tremendous pain from the burning flames, more than a hundred times worse than being flayed, left Elder Wan Xin unable to bear it for a moment.


    ¡ªThis was clearly Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire! A progeny of the Holy Fire.


    Elder Wan Xin¡¯s eyes held disbelief and regret beyond measure.


    He realized this Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire originated from the Evil Spirits of Dharma King Bai Mei and the nine thousand Priests, it was their daily contemplation of the Holy Fire, condensing the Holy Fire Seal.


    And this King Ming could control it, ignite it!


    ¡°You brought this upon yourself, there¡¯s no escape from your fate!¡±


    Lin Rui shook his head, diverting his gaze from Elder Wan Xin.


    If this person didn¡¯t employ the Blood Sacrifice Technique, it might have taken Lin Rui some effort to eliminate Wan Xin, but he brought about his own downfall, costing Lin Rui nothing.


    At this moment, Lin Rui gazed towards the sky, his eyes filled with mockery: ¡°You can reveal yourself now, didn¡¯t you expend so much effort in Tianzhou just to draw me here? Well, I am here now.¡±


    He gestured towards Wan Xin: ¡°Your pawn is wasted, so if you want to see my capabilities, you¡¯ll have to try it yourself.¡±


    ¡°What a fine King Ming, then Wei shall grant your wish!¡±


    As these words echoed, the clouds in front suddenly split in two, and a majestic and vast sword light dramatically descended from the sky, slashing towards Lin Rui!

 Chapter 798: 728 Super Longevity

    Chapter 798: Chapter 728 Super Longevity


    As the sword light spanning a thousand feet fell, the expressions of Huang Fuqing and the Dharma King Bai Xishi changed drastically.


    The sword light wasn¡¯t directed at them, yet it rendered them immobile, even lifting a finger was extremely difficult.


    Their conceptual power, merely brushing against it, disintegrated and scattered apart.


    ¡ª This is truly a Longevity level!


    The gap between a Longevity level and them wasn¡¯t merely that twenty percent of conceptual power, but the conceptualization of Martial Intent!


    They transformed their Martial Intent into concepts, reaching over sixty-five percent, integrating them into the Heavenly Curtain, utilizing their own concepts and Martial Intent as deities would, achieving true transcendence, from the extraordinary to the saintly!


    Therefore, when their conceptual power made contact, it was as fragile as glass, shattering on touch.


    Lin Rui snorted, and suddenly a thunderbolt as thin as thread split the sky, shattering the imposing thousand-foot sword light.


    At the same time, Lin Rui¡¯s conceptual power began to confront this Longevity level head-on,


    Lin Rui¡¯s concept of Separation and Union was effective against Super Divine Envoy Level, but still fell short against true Longevity.


    He could only rely on the power of Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, using the concept of ¡®Holy Thunder¡¯ to confront the enemy.


    The void began to collapse, time folded, the entire world like shattered glass, splitting into fragments.


    Threads of thunder grew around him, snaking like serpents, pulverizing and annihilating the Sword Qi slicing down from the clouds.


    Although these thunders were as thin as hair, there were thousands and thousands, their divine might boundless!


    They quickly formed a massive and majestic thunderstorm, an immense electromagnetic field, releasing intense fierce radiation, the brilliant golden light so dazzling that Martial Cultivators below the Eighth Realm couldn¡¯t open their eyes, the piercing sounds like shattering clouds and splitting stone converged, shaking heaven and earth, stabbing the eardrums of Dharma King Bai Xishi and the others painfully.


    They had to retreat, not only because of the thunder¡¯s residual power, but also due to the billion threads of fragmented Sword Qi exploding around Lin Rui.


    The Longevity level expert didn¡¯t pause for a moment, slicing down countless sword lights in an instant, overwhelmingly and violently like a storm, almost submerging Lin Rui completely.


    This Longevity¡¯s main target was Lin Rui, yet he didn¡¯t spare Bai Xishi, Huang Fuqing, and Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy either,


    Even the hidden Red Priest Le Hongyang and Yan Xin nearby were nonchalantly slashed a few times.


    If not for Lin Rui¡¯s timely assistance, blasting threads of thunder in their direction to shatter the sword lights slashing towards them, they¡¯d have perished long ago.


    They instantly realized if they lingered here they wouldn¡¯t help, instead, they¡¯d become burdens for Lin Rui.


    ¡°This is the art of slaughtering! It¡¯s the sword of the Emperor, it¡¯s the Taizong of Great Wei, Wei Jingtong¡ª¡±


    As Dharma King Bai Xishi retreated, he reminded Lin Rui.


    Yet, ¡®King Ming¡¯s¡¯ conceptual power was stronger, at a stunning eighty-five percent of ¡®Holy Thunder¡¯!


    Although Wei Jingtong¡¯s Sword Qi charged relentlessly, covering sky and earth, it shattered, collapsing upon contact under King Ming¡¯s thunder strikes!


    Le Hongyang and Yan Xin, retreating, were an amalgam of shock, delight, and disbelief beyond words.


    ¡ªThey could hardly believe what¡¯s happening before their eyes.


    King Ming actually wielded the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯, using the ¡®Holy Thunder¡¯ concept among it!


    The fearsome part was, this King Ming was merely a Seventh Realm in cultivation! But with such a Seventh Realm body, he wielded the Supreme Divine Artifact, possessing Super Longevity Level combat strength!


    How on earth did he manage this? Where did he get the power to wield the Holy Fire and the Longevity concept?


    No matter what, King Ming¡¯s talent and potential are on par with the Seventh Generation Sect Leader!


    The two instinctively released Flying Books from their sleeves, wanting to convey this crucial news to the Invincible Dharma King.


    Lin Rui stood firm, thinking that this Taizong of Great Wei¡¯s swordsmanship indeed had the imagery of slaughtering heaven and earth!


    But he had already locked onto Wei Jingtong¡¯s location.


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze sharpened: ¡°What a pity, sir, you¡¯ve lost the Emperor¡¯s grandeur, and you¡¯re in no position to slaughter heaven and earth before me, your sword is merely so¡ª¡±


    Boom!


    At that moment, a white mass of Holy Fire suddenly erupted in the Cloud Sky.


    It was precisely the ¡®Tribulation Fire¡¯ from Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, burning intensely around Wei Jingtong and his Battle Dragon.


    The motto that long defense undoubtedly leads to defeat resonated, Lin Rui¡¯s True Yuan and Abyss Source Material were far inferior to the opponent, certain loss loomed with prolonged consumption.


    He must defeat and knock this person down in the shortest time possible!


    ¡°Interesting!¡± Wei Jingtong¡¯s voice, tinged with pain and anger, resonated from afar, shaking heaven and earth like a mighty bell and drum,


    Then a gigantic figure ten feet tall plummeted from the sky.


    It was unmistakably a Tenth Realm ¡®Titanium Gold Emperor Dragon¡¯, brandishing a twin great sword to charge at Lin Rui!


    Though engulfed in the sacred white Tribulation Fire, its body scarred and flesh cracked, it fought unaffected.


    The brilliant dense sword light cleaved and shattered the spectral threads of thunder in the void, in an instant closing in a hundred feet from Lin Rui.


    From afar, Bai Xishi and Huang Fuqing tightened in their hearts at this scene.


    The Taizong of Great Wei¡¯s Battle Dragon was imposing; although King Ming wielded Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, not necessarily could he withstand it.


    Lin Rui merely smirked again, eyes full of disdain.


    At this time, others were looking at flowers through a mist, hard to discern the truth; only he and the Taizong of Great Wei knew the real situation.


    Wei Jingtong¡¯s slaughtering concept had already collapsed under the burning thunderstrikes of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire!


    This Taizong of Great Wei and his Battle Dragon had, in fact, been burned into the viscera by his ¡®Tribulation Fire¡¯, injuries intensifying every moment.


    The ¡®Titanium Gold Emperor Dragon¡¯ seemed powerfully fierce yet truly was just posturing, the extreme outburst of blood Qi and True Yuan.


    The opponent insisted on seeing his Battle Dragon, seeing his roots.


    Lin Rui thought to himself, as you wish¡ª


    With a wave of his hand, the Dragon Box beside him boomed open.


    The ¡®Primordial Heavenly Dragon¡¯ inside had already begun to regress, reverting into the ¡®Emperor Hao Shen Yang Dragon,¡¯ which was Lin Rui¡¯s Battle Dragon form.


    Lin Rui¡¯s cultivation time was too short, unable to master the third form of the Battle Dragon.


    However, he didn¡¯t care. Even if his foundation was exposed, what could anyone do?


    Today, above heaven and below earth, besides those eight gods and potential super longevity level and quasi-abyss beings, who could possibly harm him?


    Thus, Lin Rui was the Ming King¡ª


    But in the next instant, Lin Rui¡¯s expression froze slightly, a surprised look crossing his face as he glanced at his Dragon Box.


    When the Primordial Heavenly Dragon regressed into the Emperor Hao Shen Yang Dragon, it unexpectedly transformed in a way even Lin Rui¡¯s will couldn¡¯t reverse.


    As the Dragon Box opened, it released boundless golden light, shining like the intense brilliance of the sun, illuminating the entire Tianzhou State City, connecting a surrounding area of 300 miles in white light.


    At the moment when Wei Jingtong¡¯s ¡®Titanium Gold Emperor Dragon¡¯ cut through the dense thunder fire and approached twenty zhang before Lin Rui.


    A battle dragon, nearly eight zhang tall, glowing entirely with platinum light, covered in purple-gold runes, equipped with six pairs of bright wings, suddenly flashed in front of Lin Rui,


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    This battle dragon wielded no weapon, yet it used condensed Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire as its weapon, advancing at light speed before the ¡®Titanium Gold Emperor Dragon,¡¯ severing one of its arms with a single strike!


    These two battle dragons differed by three realms, and the platinum dragon was inferior to the ¡®Titanium Gold Emperor Dragon¡¯ in terms of strength, speed, and bloodline ability.


    However, the disparity in conceptual power enabled it to break through the majestic sword tide of the ¡®Titanium Gold Emperor Dragon¡¯ in an instant.


    At this time, the Dharma King protecting the battlefield, Bai Xishi, finally saw the form of that battle dragon, squinting his eyes and murmuring, ¡°Is this the Radiant Eternal Dragon?¡±


    The two Red Priests, Le Hongyang and Yan Xin, were also dumbfounded, watching the back of the ¡®Ming King¡¯ in astonishment.


    The Radiant Eternal Dragon¡ªwas not only the battle dragon of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader but also reputedly the battle dragon of the former Great Sun Venerable!


    This revelation stirred up torrents of emotions within the two of them!


    The eyes of the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy were glowing.


    She was not wrong! His Highness the Ming King was indeed the true Ming King, the one destined to cleave darkness and burn away all the filth of the world, the ¡®Master of Light¡¯!


    Lin Rui was likewise stunned, but then a sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.


    He was shocked by how profoundly the Great Sun Venerable had corrupted him, yet amazed by the changes within his own body.


    Just a moment ago, Lin Rui sensed a hint of Abyss Source Material within his body and Primordial Spirit.


    This Abyss Source Material contained incomparably pure light power, which Lin Rui could control with ease.


    At the same time, Lin Rui was filled with curiosity.


    The transformations in the Primordial Heavenly Dragon must be related to the Great Sun Venerable, but what exactly was this Great Sun Venerable afraid of?


    This being hadn¡¯t even resurrected, and surely there would be a price to pay for such actions.


    Yet the Great Sun Venerable was willing to pay the price, personally intervening to alter the Battle Dragon form of the Primordial Heavenly Dragon.


    Was the Great Sun Venerable so unwilling to let the connection between Lin Rui and the Ming King be exposed?


    Lin Rui quickly pulled his thoughts back, turning his gaze to Wei Jingtong.


    Their battle was not yet finished; the Great Sun Venerable¡¯s intentions could be explored afterward.


    ¡°Die!¡± Lin Rui¡¯s gaze was as sharp as a blade, carrying with it unparalleled cold killing intent.


    The Radiant Eternal Dragon immediately transformed into a beam of golden light, flashing towards Wei Jingtong.


    It is said that it is impolite not to reciprocate; his foundation was not something anyone could look into casually.


    This Great Wei Taizong had better be prepared to pay with his life beforehand!


    At this moment, Wei Jingtong in the air clutched his left hand, his expression filled with excruciating pain.


    He gazed at the fast-approaching Radiant Eternal Dragon, his eyes filled with both fear and anger.


    Wei Jingtong never expected that this ¡®Ming King¡¯ could control the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire to such an extent.


    What he sought to uncover was fearsome beyond imagination¡ª


    Wei Jingtong¡¯s gaze took on a sharp glint.


    At that moment, inside a battleship hidden in the cloud sky, a massive electronic altar began to operate.


    All three nuclear fusion power reactors in the battleship simultaneously activated, providing abundant energy to the electronic altar.


    Meanwhile, Wei Jingtong¡¯s ¡®True Spirit¡¯ in the heavenly curtain suddenly raised a hand, reaching towards Lin Rui from afar,


    ¡°Come to me!¡±


    Wei Jingtong had long prepared a backup plan, set to counter the supreme artifact method.


    This new ¡®Ming King¡¯ was indeed fearsome, wielding the power of the supreme artifact, his combat power had reached super longevity level!


    But people like Ming King had an inherent flaw¡ªtheir primordial spirit and true spirit were still weak!


    So the ensuing combat would take place on the heavenly curtain.


    So this brat actually dared to try to kill him? What sheer folly¡ª

 Chapter 799: 729: You Saw My Cards

    Chapter 799: Chapter 729: You Saw My Cards


    As Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Radiant Eternal Dragon¡¯ light illuminated a range of three hundred kilometers around Tianzhou State City, the battlefield between Xu Mengran and Ling Huan was also affected.


    The vast expanse of white light had a certain impact on the illusions of the three people.


    This was because, accompanying the brilliance, was the incredibly powerful conceptual power of the ¡®King Ming¡¯.


    Even though it was three hundred kilometers away and the concepts of Holy Fire and tribulation thunder were already weakened, they still instantly overwhelmed their spiritual power and illusions.


    ¡°Is this King Ming?¡±


    Ling Huan was shocked, finally understanding why Wei Jingtong had yet to make a move to help him escape.


    The strength of the newly appointed King Ming was enough to rival the Emperor of Da Wei, and even to defeat him in battle.


    In such a situation, how could Wei Jingtong have any spare energy to assist him?


    He quickly had no time to focus on the battle situation in the direction of Tianzhou because Ling Huan¡¯s current state was already on the brink of desperation, extremely dire.


    Ling Huan¡¯s Battle Dragon had already been destroyed by the combined efforts of Wang Tianwu and Xu Mengran.


    If not for the light shining from the direction of ¡®King Ming¡¯, he might have been killed by these two.


    But this only slightly delayed his time of death.


    Ling Huan was frantically fleeing, desperately trying to escape, to save his life.


    However, the two Red Spiders 8PRO and six Dragon Slayer Type 9 were weaving a dense network of firepower, blocking all his escape routes.


    And the toxins from the blades and swords invading his body also affected his divine will, paralyzing his nerves.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s eyes were blood-red, filled with an exhilarating light, as he chased and attacked Ling Huan like a shadow.


    ¡°Do you see, teacher, today is different from the past.¡±


    After that time Ling Huan died, not only did he lose part of his Primordial Spirit Power, but it was not that simple.


    In that battle, all four of Ling Huan¡¯s Red Spiders 8PRO were destroyed, and his powerful magic artifacts were either damaged or lost to the Security Bureau.


    Although Ling Huan was resurrected, relying on his previous accumulation and the support of his comrades to buy two Red Spiders 8PRO, he only managed to upgrade them to 9S+ rank, far weaker than before and were jointly destroyed by the two¡¯s eight combat robots Type 9 at the very start of their fight.


    In contrast, Wang Tianwu¡¯s Bloodline Power, exoskeleton armor, combat robots, and magic artifacts were all comprehensively enhanced.


    The power balance between master and apprentice shifted, and in true combat, Wang Tianwu alone could contend with Ling Huan.


    Not to mention that there was also a Senior Divine Envoy-level Xu Mengran!


    Even at the peak before Ling Huan¡¯s death, he was only just touching the edge of the Divine Envoy level.


    His Bloodline Ability reached Ninth Realm Emperor Rank, but his martial arts and conceptual power hadn¡¯t reached that level.


    This led to Ling Huan¡¯s spiritual secret techniques and illusions being completely broken by Xu Mengran.


    ¡°Teacher, when you devoured my senior brothers back then, did you ever think you¡¯d have a day like this? Hm?¡±


    As the lightning flashed, after Wang Tianwu¡¯s escape skill transformation, another sword slashed at Ling Huan¡¯s back.


    He watched the blood spilling from Ling Huan¡¯s body, and the knots of resentment and grievances in his heart began to dissipate.


    Wang Tianwu felt a sense of extreme satisfaction, as if he had reached a height of understanding.


    He had once been hunted by Ling Huan and never imagined, no matter how optimistic he was, that he could have a day like this to repay all his humiliation, fear, and fury to Ling Huan.


    Ling Huan¡¯s mind was cold as ice.


    In normal circumstances, even if he wasn¡¯t the match of these two, he could still escape.


    He was adept at all kinds of life-saving and escape techniques and would always prepare fallback routes before entering a battle.


    The problem was that the toxins on the blades and swords were too terrifying, with seventy percent of Ling Huan¡¯s power suppressing this poison.


    Yet even so, he couldn¡¯t prevent the poison from infiltrating and spreading.


    This poison must have originated from Lin Rui, befitting the Children¡¯s Song Killer who rose from anesthetics; this man-made toxin could paralyze the Primordial Spirit of a Ninth Realm Divine Illumination so swiftly.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    That was Xu Mengran¡¯s sword, severing Ling Huan¡¯s right leg.


    For Ling Huan, who mainly cultivated illusion techniques at Ninth Realm Divine Illumination, having or not having legs didn¡¯t matter much, as it didn¡¯t affect his escape skills.


    The problem was that with the loss of his right leg, his exoskeleton armor was also heavily damaged.


    Ling Huan couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath, knowing that he could delay no longer.


    He knew his life couldn¡¯t be saved, but he had to preserve the hope for future resurrection.


    His soul body True Spirit had already been used up once and could not suffer any more loss.


    Suddenly, Ling Huan¡¯s entire body was engulfed in a spirit flame, and then he exploded with a loud bang.


    All of Ling Huan¡¯s flesh, bone fragments, and the damaged exoskeleton armor burst outward with terrifying force in all directions.


    At the same time, the powerful astral force and shockwaves not only caused the ground below to collapse for several hundred meters but also swept and destroyed everything within a 40-mile radius.


    Wang Tianwu and Xu Mengran had to avoid the edge of the explosion and retreated to 50 miles away to escape the shockwaves of Ling Huan¡¯s self-destruction.


    Until the flesh and blood all settled to the ground, a mushroom cloud rose in the sky, and the two returned to the place where Ling Huan had self-destructed, amidst the swirling dust.


    ¡°As expected of Ling Huan, ruthless and decisive, not giving us the slightest chance.¡± Xu Mengran turned his head, smiling at Wang Tianwu: ¡°How about it? Do you dare to accompany this old man into the Heavenly Curtain?¡±


    The Eight Realms reach the sky, although capable of connecting the Primordial Spirit with the Heavenly Curtain, manifesting like a star above it, they had yet to condense their True Spirit.


    Wang Tianwu only had the ¡®Sky Curtain Spirit,¡¯ his Primordial Spirit entering it meant potential contamination, significantly diminishing his spiritual power.


    Not to mention, Wang Tianwu couldn¡¯t take his top-notch magic artifacts into the Heavenly Curtain.


    But now, if they truly wanted to ¡®kill¡¯ Ling Huan, they could only enter the Heavenly Curtain to destroy Ling Huan¡¯s True Spirit.


    Wang Tianwu laughed silently: ¡°I must go in and have a look, if I don¡¯t kill this teacher of mine, I will find no peace.¡±


    He raised his hand, wiping a trace of blood from his sword¡¯s edge.


    This was collected during Ling Huan¡¯s self-destruction, allowing Wang Tianwu to track down Ling Huan¡¯s True Spirit.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s eyes shone with a strange light: ¡°I also happen to want to see what¡¯s inside the Heavenly Curtain, to help me advance to the Nine Realms Divine Illumination in the future.¡±


    He had been stuck at the level of the Eight Realms for over a decade.


    Wang Tianwu¡¯s cultivation had long been sufficient, yet he dared not advance.


    Because his teacher, Ling Huan, was the shadow of his life.


    Now, Wang Tianwu finally had the confidence to resolve this shadow that had troubled him and obstructed his path.


    Upon hearing this, Xu Mengran nodded: ¡°Rest assured, with me watching over you inside the Heavenly Curtain, there won¡¯t be much of a problem.¡±


    He also wiped a bit of blood from his sword¡¯s edge.


    At the same time, Xu Mengran summoned his six combat robots nearby to form a protective array for the two of them.


    The Battle Dragon, which had been hidden fifty miles away on an electronic altar, also began casting spells.


    Like Wang Tianwu, they were now stronger in physical combat, so with the Battle Dragon casting spells, the body engaged in close combat, and the combat robots provided fire support.


    Moments later, Xu Mengran felt his soul suddenly soar.


    With the help of the main armament ¡®Divine Power Pillar¡¯ and ¡®Sky-reaching Divine Platform,¡¯ Xu Mengran¡¯s main consciousness, as usual, entered his Heavenly Curtain True Spirit.


    When he opened his eyes, he did not see the usual dark void.


    Xu Mengran saw a light, like the sun, a bright light illuminating the dark sky like daylight.


    Xu Mengran couldn¡¯t help but let out a moan of extreme pain, instinctively wanting to retract his Divine Thought and retreat from there.


    He inwardly lamented his bad luck; entering the Heavenly Curtain this time, he unexpectedly encountered such a terrifying existence!


    Judging by the conceptual power illuminating from it, it was at least at the level of a Quasi-Abyss!


    No, this might actually be a God!


    An unknown Abyss was using its boundless divine power to illuminate this void of the Heavenly Curtain.


    Xu Mengran was more worried about Wang Tianwu; with his True Spirit not yet gathered, this time, he feared he would be severely injured if not killed.


    Xu Mengran immediately sensed something was amiss.


    The intense light illuminating him bore striking similarities to the light King Ming had emitted from the direction of Tianzhou earlier.


    Could it be King Ming?


    To his surprise, after illuminating him, the light turned gentle, making the piercing pain in his soul body greatly subside.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Although Xu Mengran knew not to gaze directly at a deity, he couldn¡¯t resist looking towards the layer of radiance.


    He was instantly stunned, a tempest of shock and awe surged within him.


    Xu Mengran saw Lin Rui standing at the center of the radiance, his entire being radiating platinum light, incomparably glorious and dazzling.


    So this unknown deity was Lin Rui?


    Boom!


    That was the ¡®eye¡¯ of Xu Mengran¡¯s True Spirit, which exploded at this moment.


    He couldn¡¯t withstand the impact of the divine power, causing severe damage to this part of his Primordial Spirit.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was mockingly looking at Emperor of Da Wei, who was struggling fiercely and screaming miserably.


    Lin Rui sneered: ¡°You¡¯ve now seen my foundation, are you satisfied?¡±


    Curiosity truly can kill the cat.


    The next moment, holy white Fire of Serenity ignited inside and outside of Wei Jingtong¡¯s True Spirit.


    The pure concept, reaching 100%, was burning and purifying everything inside and outside his True Spirit!


    Meanwhile, not far from Xu Mengran, Ling Huan¡¯s True Spirit also perceived this scene, horror and despair welled up within his soul.


    Ling Huan finally understood the reason for his previous death in Ninth Base City¡ª

 Chapter 800: 730 Default

    Chapter 800: Chapter 730 Default


    Wei Jingtong¡¯s True Spirit was incinerated by the Purifying Fire in an instant.


    Lin Rui received a notification from the Battle Spirit Ring.


    Notification: Do you wish to consume 1.33 million soul power points to refine the scattered Essence Soul of this Longevity Realm entity within your body?


    Just now, Lin Rui¡¯s main consciousness was forcibly pulled into the Heavenly Curtain by Wei Jingtong, and received a notification from the Battle Spirit Ring saying he had suffered a mental attack.


    This was simply walking into the trap. Wei Jingtong¡¯s mental attack resulted in his residual spirit being absorbed into Lin Rui¡¯s soul body.


    Lin Rui still had plenty of soul power points and didn¡¯t need to harvest temporarily like the last time. He chose to refine it and received another notification.


    Notification: You have obtained a portion of Immortal Essence, acquiring 70% of the slaughtering concept.


    Wei Jingtong¡¯s slaughtering concept is certainly not limited to 70%, it should be around 78%.


    Unfortunately, Lin Rui couldn¡¯t acquire all of it, but seventy percent of the conceptual power is already at the Immortal Level, which satisfied him greatly.


    Especially, Wei Jingtong¡¯s Immortal Essence offered a significant boost to his spiritual power, allowing for future purification and refinement based on Immortal Essence.


    This also serves as a foundation for future resistance against the assimilation by the Great Sun Venerable.


    Lin Rui now sought differentiation and diversification.


    At this moment, Lin Rui glanced at Ling Huan with a slight gleam in his eyes.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Ling Huan¡¯s True Spirit also blazed with sacred white flames, the power of 100% Pure Method turning all his Divine Soul into pure soul power molecules.


    Lin Rui cast a glance toward Xu Mengran, his gaze somewhat helpless.


    This time was different from when he assisted Lin Tianchen in the Heavenly Curtain.


    Then, he had made sufficient preparations and had a very powerful Array Altar and the strength of dozens of Red Priests assisting, thus able to conceal from Lin Tianchen.


    Today, Lin Rui was also caught off guard, as Wei Jingtong somehow managed to forcibly drag him into the Heavenly Curtain.


    Therefore, he was entirely using his own True Yuan and Abyss Source Material to evoke the Abyss Concept.


    Lin Rui had to deliberately restrain his powers to avoid injuring Wang Tianwu and Xu Mengran, completely without the spare power to conceal his Heavenly Curtain power.


    Furthermore, this chief of the National Security Bureau had special bloodline abilities to perceive reality.


    Lin Rui then withdrew his thoughts, not fearing the exposure of the relationship between him and King Ming, let alone others knowing he is the new Master of Serenity.


    Previously, the Five Great Abysses had also hunted Yin Qianqiu as the New God; even Yin Qianqiu was unafraid, so what was there for him to fear?


    However, considering the current phase, if he could bide his time and continue accumulating strength, it would be quite advantageous. Therefore, after returning to the outside world, he still needed to seek Commander Xu to sign a Divine Contract.


    Lin Rui¡¯s main consciousness then exited the Heavenly Curtain, returning to his own body.


    He immediately messaged Xue Lingxue: Xiaoxue, your speculation was right. Those five Abysses indeed hope I can resist the pollution of the Great Sun Venerable, and want me and the Seventh Generation Sect Leader to entangle and delay the Great Sun Venerable¡¯s return to life.


    Lin Rui previously puzzled over why the Five Great Abysses were indifferent to the New God following Yin Qianqiu¡¯s death.


    No! It was earlier when they learned Yin Qianqiu wasn¡¯t Master of Serenity, they stopped putting much effort.


    The East Abyss, although still letting the Imperial City Department investigate the identity of Master of Serenity, hadn¡¯t exerted pressure for a long while.


    But only Xiaoxue could make such a bold speculation.


    At this moment, at the Security Bureau headquarters, Xue Lingxue, focused on the battle, suddenly pumped her fist.


    Xue Lingxue: I guessed right, Yin Qianqiu was too weak, couldn¡¯t thwart the Great Sun Venerable, so the Sky Extreme Five Gods wouldn¡¯t allow him to wield the Pure Method, nor permit more Power of Great Sun to descend upon him.


    Xue Lingxue: They hope the container for the Great Sun Venerable¡¯s resurrection must be like the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, with the potential to resist the Great Sun Venerable, delaying its return.


    Xue Lingxue: BOSS, you must also be careful; if this is the situation, the Five Great Abysses may already know your roots and are manipulating your destiny in secret.


    Xue Lingxue: But it¡¯s possible the Seventh Generation Sect Leader reached some agreements with them long ago; anyway, the current situation is unpredictable; caution is needed, the Great Sun Venerable surely won¡¯t rest easy.


    Lin Rui squinted his eyes, deep in thought.


    Xiaoxue is right, he cannot underestimate the ¡®Lord of Purity¡¯ just because the gods have tacitly accepted his existence.


    The Great Sun Venerable must have some backup plan.


    It¡¯s possible that among those reclusive gods, there are allies of his.


    The Great Sun Venerable also has enough resources to incite those of Super Longevity and Quasi-Abyss, even demigods, to serve him¡ª


    Lin Rui then noticed that several people around were looking at him.


    Protective Dharma King Bai Xishi, Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, and two Red Priests Le Hongyang and Yan Xin, all of whom withdrew their stunned gazes from Wei Jingtong and his Battle Dragon, then fixed their eyes on Lin Rui.


    Just now, for some reason, the two men and dragons were suspended in mid-air, and in less than a fiftieth of a breath later, Wei Jingtong and the ¡®Titanium Gold Emperor Dragon¡¯ simultaneously lost their life force, both igniting into flames, falling to the ground like two burning logs.


    With a subtle thought, Lin Rui understood the reason; these people were probably astonished by the inexplicable death of Wei Jingtong.


    However, he was under no obligation to explain to them; he couldn¡¯t possibly tell them he used the complete Pure Method to swiftly conclude the battle?


    Lin Rui focused his gaze on Red Priests Le Hongyang and Yan Xin: ¡°Are you two subordinates of the Invincible Dharma King?¡±


    The two, upon hearing, respectfully bowed: ¡°Red Priest Le Hongyang, Red Priest Yan Xin, pay respects to His Highness King Ming. We are here by the Regent¡¯s command, to assist the Tianzhou Diocese and aid the people of Tianzhou.¡±


    They had already held respect for this King Ming, acknowledged by both the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and the Radiant Holy Altar, and now with greater reverence, they dared not act presumptuously.


    ¡ªThis one had slain a Longevity-level existence in less than half a moment, something even King Ming Yin Qianqiu could not accomplish at his peak.


    Hearing this, Lin Rui nodded: ¡°Later, you two may assist the Tianzhou Diocese in disaster relief, and when you return, you can pass a message to the Regent to focus on her duties, with all efforts to face the enemy, and not to worry about anything else.¡±


    The battle between him and Wei Jingtong had nearly destroyed the entire Tianzhou State City.


    Especially the area within a hundred-mile radius near the state government, it was all leveled by their power.


    Dharma King Bai Mei might have anticipated a life-and-death struggle between him and Elder Wan Xin, so he had evacuated the people near Tianzhou City to the wilds 150 miles away in advance.


    Yet, the aftermath of his battle with Wei Jingtong, along with the forces of many participating Divine Envoys, Members, and Quasi-Members, still caused a natural disaster throughout Tianzhou Island, necessitating immediate aid.


    Upon hearing these words, Red Priests Le Hongyang and Yan Xin had a stirring in their hearts, pondering if His Highness¡¯s words ¡®not to worry about anything else¡¯ held deeper meaning.


    What was not to be worried about? Was it reassuring the Invincible Dharma King to fight with ease, or a warning to the Regent and those around her not to think of things they shouldn¡¯t?


    At this moment, Lin Rui issued a slight exclamation, focusing his gaze on a nearby glowing torch.


    That torch was Dharma King Bai Mei Yin Wansui!


    Supposedly, this person should have been burned to death. Although Lin Rui didn¡¯t use the Fire of Purity on him earlier, he did employ eighty-five percent of the Holy Thunder and Tribulation Fire¡¯s power, not only able to burn Elder Wan Xin to death but also to incinerate all of Yin Wansui¡¯s impurities.


    Yet, this person not only retained his life force, but even his injuries were healed, and Yin Wansui¡¯s Battle Dragon was restored to its original state, quietly standing behind Yin Wansui.


    Yin Wansui himself sat cross-legged with closed eyes, his expression contorted in near-agony.


    Though those sacred white thunder tribulation fires couldn¡¯t harm him the slightest, they brought him immense pain.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but squint: ¡°Interesting!¡±


    This situation with Yin Wansui had only one possibility, he held an unwavering belief in Guang Ming and Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and faced it with open, fearless heart, hence he did not fear the burning of the tribulation fire.


    More interesting was that the essence soul of Elder Wan Xin after being burned, along with the blood essence of those 9000 Light Priests, all merged into Yin Wansui¡¯s body.


    Just as Ji Xueying had done once, in Silver Moon County.


    Lin Rui immediately had a change in expression, withdrawing the sacred white tribulation fire, transforming it into a flame held in his palm.


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips slightly curled: ¡°Yin Wansui, do you know your crime?¡±


    Yin Wansui then had the strength to open his eyes, staring blankly at the King Ming clad in Heavenly Demon Armor, bathed in pure white radiance.


    Yin Wansui thought his light had been destroyed by his own hands, yet now he realized how shallow his thoughts were.


    The thunder that split the darkness, the tribulation fire that burnt away filth, how could they be destroyed by someone like him lacking sincerity?


    The light exists in truth, it has just yet to arrive.


    Yin Wansui took a deep breath, then deeply bowed to Lin Rui: ¡°Yin Wansui acknowledges his crime! I have sinned, gravely and grievously, I earnestly entreat Your Highness to deal with it!¡±

 Chapter 801: 731 Dreamy Heavenly Maiden

    Chapter 801: Chapter 731 Dreamy Heavenly Maiden


    Two moments later, the Red Priest Le Hongyang and Yan Xin stood atop a section of broken city wall to the south of Tianzhou, both furrowing their brows deeply, gazing distantly at the southern sky.


    Just moments ago, King Ming had commanded the ¡®Divine Sun Chariot¡¯, leading Dharma King Bai Mei and others away in this direction, disappearing into the clouds.


    Yan Xin¡¯s expression was peculiar: ¡°Brother Le, why did His Highness King Ming not remove Bai Mei from his position as Dharma King, but only send him to the Main Temple¡¯s Judgement Holy Hall for punishment? What does this imply?¡±


    Le Hongyang thought to himself, what else could this mean? His Highness King Ming surely intends to keep the Tianzhou Diocese firmly in his grasp.


    As long as Bai Mei is not directly removed and retains this position, the Divine Sect cannot appoint a new Dharma King internally.


    King Ming ordered the Red Priest named ¡®Huang Quangu¡¯ to act on Bai Mei¡¯s behalf to preside over Tianzhou¡¯s affairs, including the six major halls around Tianzhou Island, making it all legitimate and proper.


    This ¡®Huang Quangu¡¯ is somewhat unknown in the sect, yet his cultivation is already at the Super Monarch of Eight Realms, with combat power as strong as the Candidate Divine Envoy level, qualified to replace Dharma King Bai Mei in overseeing the Tianzhou Diocese.


    Furthermore, the Dharma King Bai Mei is utterly obedient to His Highness King Ming, showing no resistance to the transfer of the diocese, cooperating wholeheartedly.


    Thus, the fate of the Tianzhou Diocese is already sealed.


    In addition to the Tianzhou Diocese, the surrounding several major islands, six halls, and over two hundred million followers are all developed by Elder Wan Xin in the past, with deep roots established by both master and disciple in this vicinity.


    Without the cooperation of Dharma King Bai Mei, no one else could stand firm or take control of Tianzhou.


    Yan Xin furrowed his brow, appearing somewhat helpless: ¡°His Highness¡¯s actions, there is a suspicion of private dealings.¡±


    He felt indignant on behalf of Skull Mechanic Heavenly Monarch Li Guchan, Hundred Wings Saber King Situ Leng, and others under the Invincible¡¯s command, who had risked their lives for the sect in the past half year, yet remained just Red Robed Master Priests, not even Vice Dharma Kings.


    Le Hongyang, however, was broad-minded: ¡°Brother Yan, if it weren¡¯t for His Highness King Ming¡¯s intervention today, the Tianzhou Diocese might have been lost, not to mention slaying Elder Wan Xin, the greatest traitor in the sect¡¯s history, and Wei Jingtong, the ¡®Immortal Level¡¯.¡±


    He emphasized the words ¡®Immortal Level¡¯ heavily in his speech.


    Though the Invincible Dharma King has indeed achieved numerous feats, how could he compare to His Highness King Ming¡¯s reputation of slaying an Immortal Level and saving the Tianzhou Diocese?


    ¡°Moreover, when Yin Wansui assisted Wan Xin in the past, all actions were under Elder Wan Xin¡¯s orders, during which Elder Wan Xin wielded the authority, without a trace of rebellion evident. How could following his orders be wrong for Dharma King Bai Mei? The decision on this matter ought to be determined by the Judgement Holy Hall.¡±


    Le Hongyang then gazed into the void: ¡°Before coming, I never imagined that His Highness King Ming would be so powerful, with innate talent reaching such heights. Brother Yan, this indeed marks unprecedented change for our sect in centuries.¡±


    He felt both joyous and worried inside.


    The joy naturally stemmed from this generation¡¯s ¡®King Ming¡¯, whose brilliance far exceeded his expectations.


    Le Hongyang had assumed that in the coming years, the prestige of the Light God Sect would inevitably continue to decline.


    Yet, this generation produced outstanding figures, with the appearance of the Invincible Dharma King out of nowhere, followed by King Ming¡¯s ascension.


    The worry arose from the ensuing situation, as the battle of Tianzhou would not only create enormous waves across the entire Tianji World but also stir significant turmoil within the Light God Sect.


    The Invincible Dharma King not only seeks to maintain his regency but also wishes to further expand his power within the sect, undoubtedly leading to conflicts with His Highness King Ming.


    Furthermore, Wan Yan and Wan Lei, these two Vice Sect Hierarchs, each dominate a region, how they perceive the situation is also unpredictable.


    Hearing this, Yan Xin fell silent, then shook his head; ¡°Let¡¯s go, we must report these matters to the Regent as soon as possible.¡±


    However, just as Yan Xin and Le Hongyang were about to rise into the air one after another, they saw two streaks of golden light shooting towards them from the front, landing before them.


    Le Hongyang, slightly surprised, picked up one of the golden lights.


    ¡ª¡ªThese were precisely the Flying Books of a million miles they had previously released.


    ¡°Were these two Flying Books sent out by you?¡±


    At this moment, a figure adorned in gold-colored exoskeleton armor stepped through the air towards them: ¡°It took considerable effort for me to catch them.¡±


    Le Hongyang and Yan Xin both tensed, each placing a hand on their weapons: ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Before their voices even fell, they realized that a thin layer of ice covered them from head to toe.


    At the same time, they felt a terrifying conceptual power envelop their bodies.


    This was at least eighty percent of the Ice Seal concept!


    The opponent possessed a powerful Abyss Divine Artifact¡ªthis was a Super Divine Envoy!


    The two fled desperately, pushing their bloodlines and all their True Yuan to the extreme.


    Despair began to set in their hearts, the power gap was simply too vast; they were merely two Super Emperors of Eight Realms, while the opponent was at the Super Divine Envoy Level.


    Their bodies had already been completely frozen within a moment, even though they had fled a distance of over 50 miles.


    Their frozen bodies then plummeted to the ground, but at that moment, the golden clad figure flashed over, reaching out a hand to raise them into the air.


    Meanwhile, another female figure emerged from the void.


    She was dressed in a silver-white female version of exoskeleton armor, appearing exquisite.


    She curiously observed the two ice blocks, eyes filled with amusement: ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to kill them? Is Yi Dong getting cold feet?¡±


    The figure clad in gold exoskeleton armor was none other than the alien form of Yi Duxing. He let out a cold snort, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about alerting the snake.¡±


    The Light God Sect not only has the powerful ¡®Soul Lamp¡¯ cultivation method, which can monitor the life and injuries of all members above the Seventh Realm, but also has numerous Stargazers who can observe the trace of destiny.


    If these two people die now, it will surely catch the attention of King Ming and the Invincible one.


    And these two¡ªI can¡¯t match either of them.


    ¡°Next, I¡¯ll leave it to the Heavenly Maiden. What I hope for is the maximum cover-up of this matter. I hope your power is worthy of the price we offered.¡±


    ¡°Your sincerity is enough, I will definitely give it my all.¡±


    The female in silver-white exoskeleton armor let out a light laugh, ¡°But will this help? Although there are no living people around here, and not many witnessed directly, the Forest Group has so many warships and many situational awareness devices, there will definitely be data records and videos.¡±


    ¡°This is nothing the Heavenly Maiden should worry about.¡±


    Yi Duxing clasped his hands behind his back, ¡°In information warfare and cognitive warfare, our level is no less than that of the Dreamy Heavenly Venerate.¡±


    This Tianzhou incident has escalated so much, not only Wan Xin and Ling Huan are dead, but also an Immortal Level one died, making it hard to suppress the situation.


    However, psychology talks about the so-called primacy effect and recency effect.


    The primacy effect refers to the significant impact the first impression has on a person¡¯s perception, while the recency effect occurs when multiple stimuli of different meanings appear in succession, and the decision factor of the impression is the newly appearing stimulus.


    They can fabricate some information that looks more like ¡®truth¡¯ or more exaggerated news to confuse the facts.


    The matter of ¡®King Ming¡¯ at merely the Seventh Realm killing the Great Wei Taizong is indeed very exaggerated, hard for people to believe.


    But if Great Wei Taizong died at the hands of another Immortal Level or a God, then it becomes very reasonable.


    As for the Invincible Dharma King, they are almost in control of all information channels around Invincible.


    A person whose ears are covered cannot hear the thunder outside.


    Yet there¡¯s one thing that slightly puzzled Yi Duxing.


    The President explicitly requested that Yi Duxing¡¯s handling of the ¡®beginning and end¡¯ must include King Ming.


    However, in the battle two quarters of an hour ago, King Ming used the ¡®Radiant Eternal Dragon¡¯, which shows that their previous guess was wrong, King Ming and Lin Rui are indeed not the same person.


    What could be the reason for this? Does the President hold some information he hasn¡¯t been able to grasp?


    The Dreamy Heavenly Maiden fixed her gaze on Yi Duxing for a moment, then let out a light laugh, ¡°Then I¡¯ll do my best. I am really curious, how long can you hide the relationship between them, mother and son?¡±


    Yi Duxing¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed at the words, this Dreamy Heavenly Maiden and the Dreamy Heavenly Venerate indeed knew the truth.


    He squinted his eyes, ¡°Your Excellency Heavenly Maiden, I am also really curious, why did Your Excellency refuse to set up the Knowledge Barrier for me before? This time we offered a price comparable with before, why are you willing to help?¡±


    ¡°The reason I refused at the time is naturally that your offer then was too low. You subsequently asked Ge Xianshan to set up the Knowledge Barrier, right? His situation now is not so good, he has already paid the price for it.¡±


    Dreamy Heavenly Maiden let out a light laugh, slightly shaking her head, ¡°As for why I agreed to your request this time, naturally there is a reason, but it cannot be said.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t tell Yi Duxing that although the situation in Tianzhou seemed more severe, it wouldn¡¯t anger the Lord of Purity.


    Moreover, this New God protected the Taixuan Heavenly Venerate, her Divine self still decided to give this one a little lesson, a little warning.


    What¡¯s more, another powerful God has already paid a price, the reward given by the Longevity Association is actually just a garnish.


    The Dreamy Heavenly Maiden then sealed her hands and covered the entire battlefield with Dream Power.


    Yi Duxing¡¯s brows furrowed even deeper.


    He didn¡¯t know what Ge Xianshan¡¯s situation was now, only that after asking Ge Xianshan to take action that time, Ge Xianshan suddenly disappeared, and the trace of destiny he had been suppressing and hiding appeared in the heavenly curtain, and the Stargazers saw that his destiny was indeed extremely dim.


    What exactly is the situation with him? What kind of secret exists in the fate link between Lin Rui and the Invincible Dharma King mother and son that makes even the Dreamy Heavenly Venerate so apprehensive?


    Yi Duxing then looked at Tianzhou State City with a peculiar expression.


    Yi Duxing still found it hard to believe.


    Great Wei Taizong Wei Jingtong died here, at the hands of King Ming!


    The newly enthroned King Ming is actually so powerful¡ª


    Yi Duxing still didn¡¯t understand how Wei Jingtong died?


    Wei Jingtong indeed wasn¡¯t a match for King Ming, but he had already dragged King Ming into the heavenly curtain!


    King Ming was only at the Seventh Realm! How did he manage it? How did he instantly kill Wei Jingtong?


    Yi Duxing realized they must use every means to provoke a conflict between King Ming and the Invincible Dharma King.


    Not only can they not let the Invincible Dharma King and Lin Rui reunite as mother and son, but they also can¡¯t let the Light God Sect be united, forming a unified force.


    Of course, the most permanent and foolproof method would be to eliminate both the Invincible and King Ming directly.

 Chapter 802: 732: Mother Is Still Alive

    Chapter 802: Chapter 732: Mother Is Still Alive


    Lin Rui indeed harbors intentions to seize the Tianzhou Diocese.


    To change the teachings, he must gain control over some priests and a large number of grassroots believers.


    Now is a heaven-sent opportunity; with the cooperation of Dharma King Bai Mei, he can easily capture the Tianzhou Diocese and its six incense halls totaling over three hundred million followers.


    The situation of Dharma King Bai Mei, Yin Wansui, is also very intriguing.


    Strictly speaking, he can no longer be considered the true Yin Wansui; instead, he is a special entity born from the aggregation of nine thousand priests¡¯ spiritual wisdom, with Yin Wansui as the main body.


    Most of their consciousness has been burned away by Lin Rui¡¯s Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, leaving them with one commonality ¡ª faith and worship of the light.


    Interestingly, what they believe and worship is neither the ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ nor the Light Teachings, but Lin Rui himself.


    After the event, Lin Rui and Huang Fuqing were curious about the situation of Dharma King Bai Mei and conducted a special examination on him.


    The two found nothing conclusive, but discovered an impressive image in Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯s mind ¡ª a scene of Lin Rui driving the Divine Sun Chariot, descending like a deity upon the Tianzhou state capital.


    He dispersed all darkness, bringing immense light to Dharma King Bai Mei and the 9000 priests who were then suppressed and fused by Elder Wan Xin.


    This scene has also become the core pillar of the Primordial Spirit of Dharma King Bai Mei, the foundation for him and the 9000 priests to consolidate their Soul Body.


    This may also be related to Elder Wan Xin¡¯s malevolent actions during his lifetime, deliberately undermining true belief in the light, causing the entire Tianzhou Diocese to distrust the ¡®Holy Fire¡¯, doubt the existence of light, leading to a shaken faith.


    In short, these people were originally ¡®heretics¡¯ within the Divine Sect.


    They completely trust Dharma King Bai Mei, allowing them to gather together, and they consider Lin Rui to be their god, their light, and devoutly believe in him.


    This faith is so devout that Lin Rui can even sense its existence from a distance.


    Previously, only Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi could achieve this.


    Dharma King Bai Mei can also use his divine power to perform divine arts and receive conceptual powers from him.


    Divine arts are the ¡®Fire of Serenity¡¯, and conceptual powers include the concepts of Purity, Separation and Union, and Slaughtering.


    Lin Rui holds many conceptual powers, but only those reaching the Immortal Level can be bestowed upon his priests.


    Of course, these concepts are not as strong when bestowed upon Yin Wansui; even the Fire of Serenity achieves only about 55%, surpassing the Divine Envoy Level, while the other two concepts are only at 40%.


    However, Lin Rui¡¯s Fire of Serenity and Separation and Union concept greatly benefit Dharma King Bai Mei.


    The Fire of Serenity can keep his soul pure, and the Separation and Union concept allows Dharma King Bai Mei to consolidate his soul.


    Unfortunately, Lin Rui¡¯s concept of ¡®One¡¯ has not reached the Immortal Level; otherwise, Bai Mei¡¯s Divine Soul Power could fully achieve ¡®Strong Longevity¡¯.


    This significantly changed Lin Rui¡¯s attitude towards Dharma King Bai Mei.


    Initially, he paid no attention to the life and death of Dharma King Bai Mei, only wanting to obtain the Tianzhou Diocese; after the battle, he thought of Dharma King Bai Mei as a useful tool to effortlessly and bloodlessly capture Tianzhou; now he decides to fully protect Dharma King Bai Mei.


    Of course, punishment is required, but strictly speaking, the truly heinous person is Elder Wan Xin. Whether Dharma King Bai Mei and the two Dharma Kings defending the sect are guilty is still debatable.


    Lin Rui¡¯s change of attitude is not just because Dharma King Bai Mei can quickly elevate to the Divine Envoy Level, or even to the Senior Divine Envoy Level in terms of combat prowess, but because he is considered the first person within the Light God Sect to truly believe in him, and one who can seek divine arts from him.


    Everyone within the Light God Sect essentially believes in the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire; their divine arts and the sub-corporeal of the Holy Fire are also sought from the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, yet Dharma King Bai Mei is different.


    He can also become a valuable assistant to him.


    Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯s ¡®Fire of Serenity¡¯ can effectively partner with Huang Fuqing and Si Malin to perform the Surgical Implantation purification procedure, without Lin Rui needing to intervene personally, producing results only slightly less effective.


    Lin Rui¡¯s time is now very precious, and the top-level Mutant Walkers waiting for him to perform surgery have now lined up over 270.


    At Lin Rui¡¯s rate of three surgeries a month, those whose strength is below the Eighth Realm of Super Emperor Rank might have to wait decades.


    If they can¡¯t wait, then Dharma King Bai Mei, as well as Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi, who will soon break through the Seventh Realm and are also capable of receiving the Fire of Serenity, are a good alternative.


    Therefore, on that day, Lin Rui allowed Dharma King Bai Mei to be implanted with a mutant body, and personally performed the Surgical Implantation for him, boosting his bloodline power to the Ninth Realm of Super Monarch¡ª


    The mutant body can significantly boost the bloodline redundancy of a Martial Cultivator; however, Lin Rui¡¯s trust in the Dharma King and the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy does not surpass his current trust in Dharma King Bai Mei.


    Lin Rui can vaguely sense Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯s thoughts and feelings, while the Dharma King and the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy cannot.


    Just after the operation, Lin Rui discovered that Xu Mengran had sent him several messages three hours ago.


    Xu Mengran: Mr. Lin, regarding the Light God Sect¡¯s loan and its first phase support plan, East Asia has already approved the interest-free loan to build 8 revised Constant Star class colony battleships, with the support plan to build 8 ships, rush to be delivered within a month.


    Xu Mengran: Also, related seeds, farming machinery, etc., six Dragon Slayer 9, along with combat robots and automated turret defense equipment, and three Constant Star class fusion furnaces and a complete set of super-sized force field defense devices, plus two sets of enhanced ¡®Artificial Sky¡¯ base materials you requested, with a total value of 8.4 trillion federal coins.


    Xu Mengran: Furthermore, regarding the Light King Sect, some base cities in East Asia can offer limited support under conditions of government oversight, prohibiting political interference and accepting donations.


    Xu Mengran: You should have said earlier, knowing that the Church of Light is your enterprise, Mr. Lin, we would definitely support it to the greatest extent.


    Xu Mengran: Also, this is the access card you always wanted, SSS+ level, allowing you to access any intelligence below X from the National Security Bureau.


    Lin Rui was taken aback at this, then sent a message back: Old Xu, are you serious? Such a large amount of support funds, is it really okay?


    This time, Xu Mengran¡¯s support was substantial, far exceeding Lin Rui¡¯s expectations, both in terms of the National Security Bureau access he provided and the funds.


    But after all, Xu Mengran had signed a divine contract, agreeing to keep confidential for a year without revealing what he saw inside the sky dome.


    Xu Mengran: It¡¯s fine, the elders are already aware of your situation. Just your identity as the Sect Hierarch of the Church of Light is worth this investment.


    At the headquarters of the East Asia National Security Bureau, Xu Mengran, who had already returned to the First Base City, picked up a teacup in his office.


    His hand holding the teacup actually trembled slightly¡ª


    Lin Rui didn¡¯t want people to know he was the Lord of Purity yet, but he didn¡¯t mind others knowing he was the ¡®King Ming¡¯ of the Divine Sect.


    However, Xu Mengran did face some pressure; he used his centuries-old connections and reputation to ensure this large support plan passed in East Asia.


    The most valuable were the materials for the two sets of enhanced ¡®Artificial Sky Dome¡¯ bases, delivered according to Lin Rui¡¯s list.


    According to estimates by East Asia¡¯s Array Talisman Masters, once these bases were refined, they could accommodate 1.5 billion people each.


    Moreover, many components inside these bases reached the standard of a Divine Artifact, making the cost extraordinarily high, with a single set priced at 3.5 trillion federal coins.


    Even the two elders in East Asia known for their ¡®radical¡¯ views regarded this support bill as utterly insane.


    However, the one across from him was a god! A completely new god that belonged to humankind!


    Gu Ying Tiandao (Lin Rui): Then I¡¯ll thank you first, I¡¯ll treat you to tea when there¡¯s time!


    Xu Mengran felt exceptionally complicated upon seeing the words ¡®treat you to tea.¡¯


    He silently opened his desk drawer, took out a cigarette, lit it, and wondered what it would be like to be invited for tea by a god, what sort of feeling it would bring?


    Lin Rui had already opened Xu Mengran¡¯s access card to start reviewing the National Security Bureau¡¯s intelligence database.


    This was what Lin Rui had been requesting from Xu Mengran for a long time.


    Although the ¡®Artificial Sky Dome¡¯ base was also urgent, what Lin Rui wanted to see most now were certain key pieces of information that might exist within the National Security Bureau¡¯s intelligence database.


    About three hours later, Lin Rui suddenly leaned back, his eyes filled with shock and amazement.


    Afterwards, he sent a message in the family group chat: You two come to my office for a bit, I have something very important to tell you and something to show you, quickly!


    At that time, Lin Xi was in Luojing, Great Song, helping Lin Rui with administrative affairs.


    After becoming the Regent, Lin Rui had a plethora of tasks to handle, innumerable and unending.


    Lu Hanyuan, Wang Sen, and Li Li could no longer handle them, so Lin Rui had to recruit more people. Not only did he bring in Fang Ranran¡¯s alien Zhao Yingxu as a recording officer in the Duke Zhen Guo¡¯s Mansion, but he also leveraged his own sister, letting Lin Xi serve as a reading scholar and act as his Chief of Staff in the Cabinet.


    Seeing Lin Rui¡¯s message, she felt slightly puzzled, wondering what matter her brother wanted to discuss with her and her sisters.


    Lin Xi sped up, handling the two pending affairs at hand, then returned her main consciousness to her body.


    When she hurried to Lin Rui¡¯s office, she found that Lin Yi was already there.


    Lin Rui was setting up an array.


    Beneath his office was originally a super large array covering the entire dock area.


    But now Lin Rui was reinforcing it, using various items he had to strongly enhance the defensive capabilities of the formation.


    Lin Rui also mobilized five constant star-level nuclear fusion furnaces from the dock base, forming an incredibly powerful defense force around the office.


    After completing all this, Lin Rui also indicated for the two to respectively employ the concepts of destruction and distortion to further isolate the interior from the outside.


    Lin Xi felt increasingly puzzled inside, yet she complied, using her strongest degree of Conceptual Power to seal the surrounding airspace of the office.


    Just when she was about to ask what exactly was going on, she saw Lin Rui standing by the office window, looking out with a complex expression: ¡°Our mother, Fu Xuexian, she might still be alive.¡±


    If Fu Xuexian was indeed still alive, Lin Rui could likely guess her identity.


    Although Lin Rui had no evidence¡ª


    At this moment, Lin Xi and Lin Yi both couldn¡¯t help but feel a massive shock in their hearts, their chests surging with turbulent waves.

 Chapter 803: 733 The Real Lin Rui

    Chapter 803: Chapter 733 The Real Lin Rui


    Ten minutes later, a 3D holographic video was playing in Lin Rui¡¯s office.


    ¡ª¡ªIt was precisely the scene of Lin Rui¡¯s murder at 11 o¡¯clock on June 1, 4161, captured by several holographic surveillance cameras, stitching together a 360-degree view of the events surrounding Lin Rui¡¯s death.


    Lin Xi watched the video with an unusual expression.


    She had long suspected that the database in Xue Bogao¡¯s possession likely ended up in Lin Rui¡¯s hands.


    And with Wang Yinyue¡¯s help, Lin Rui had probably already cracked the database.


    However, since her brother hadn¡¯t said anything, she didn¡¯t ask, initially worrying about alerting the enemy, and later on, fearing to know the truth.


    Today, however, Lin Rui voluntarily brought out the video of his ¡®death¡¯ back then.


    Lin Yi, upon seeing the scene of Lin Rui being shot in the head three times, became restless, and the surrounding void began to distort.


    She never knew that her brother had once been killed.


    Changes occurred two breaths after Lin Rui fell, as white flames began to burn around him, and his flesh started to mutate, especially with sprouts of flesh growing from the wound on Lin Rui¡¯s head.


    Lin Xi and Lin Yi widened their pupils, incredulous at the scene before their eyes.


    Lin Rui merely sat behind his desk, drinking tea with a calm expression: ¡°You should know that when Lin Cong and Fu Xuexian were researching the flesh of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, there was an experimental accident where she, in a moment of carelessness, experienced a soul consciousness impact from a Great Sun Venerable replica.


    She was fine at the time, but Lin Rui, who was still in her womb, was possessed by the Great Sun Venerable, severely damaging his soul, causing it to undergo continual decomposition. Fu Xuexian had been trying to solve Lin Rui¡¯s soul decline problem, but from the scene, it seems his Great Sun pollution remains severe.¡±


    Lin Xi thought that Lin Rui¡¯s pollution was more than ¡®severe¡¯.


    Human genes are very stable, much more so than the gene chains of people of Tianji Star, yet they were still mutating under the influence of the Great Sun Venerable¡¯s power.


    But what¡¯s strange is that although her brother had outstanding talent in Thunder Martial Arts, it was only slightly better than the average person¡¯s.


    Lin Rui then saw the video where Xue Bogao rapidly flew in, holding a tranquilizer gun, and fired five tranquilizer darts into Lin Rui, then took out two unmarked, unknown-model injectors and injected them into Lin Rui.


    Xue Bogao then used a knife to cut a piece of flesh from the back of Lin Rui¡¯s neck, exposing a small data interface connected to the spine.


    Lin Xi¡¯s mind was shaken, wondering what was going on. How could her brother have a data interface inside him?


    What shocked her soul more was Xue Bogao¡¯s next move.


    Xue Bogao pulled a fiber optic data cable from his wrist terminal and connected it to this data port.


    He then opened a virtual screen in front of him and quickly operated it.


    In just two seconds, the white flames on Lin Rui completely extinguished.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lin Xi couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What exactly is he doing?¡±


    ¡°He should be trimming the soul.¡±


    Lin Rui then paused the 3D holographic video and projected a large file onto his desk, opening a software named ¡®Rui 3.3¡¯: ¡°This is something stored in Xue Bogao¡¯s database, the database he used appears to be an ancient Tianxuanwu C304 model from the year 4030, but actually is the latest Tianxuanwu D421 model from 4142, containing three D421 data arrays, with storage twelve times the Tianxuanwu C304 model, reaching 20 YB (yottabytes).


    As for this ¡®Rui 3.3¡¯, according to Wang Yinyue¡¯s identification, it is software dedicated to editing and trimming Lin Rui¡¯s soul, most likely created by Fu Xuexian. As for this folder, it¡¯s full of Lin Rui¡¯s mental data and memory banks.¡±


    Lin Yi listened with a blank expression, unable to understand what was happening.


    Lin Xi, however, widened her pupils, feeling it¡¯s incredible and unbelievable: ¡°How is this possible? Is this soul datafication or data soul?¡±


    ¡°Fu Xuexian is the top expert in the field of soul studies in the past 20 years, also possessing the most top-notch computer engineering skills. Based on the intelligence we¡¯ve gathered over the past year, Fu Xuexian not only led the design of the Longevity Association¡¯s Artificial Sky but also spearheaded soul datafication research.¡±


    Lin Rui squinted at Lin Xi: ¡°The Longevity Association can control the Artificial Sky because there isn¡¯t any particularly powerful presence within the Artificial Sky itself, but also due to the combination of soul datafication and the Artificial Sky, which can pre-record soul data to effectively eliminate pollution, equivalent to having an anchor outside the curtain.


    And what¡¯s stored in this database is Lin Rui¡¯s soul data, which Fu Xuexian presumably used to eliminate Great Sun pollution.¡±


    At this moment, Lin Rui then shifted his tone: ¡°However, when Wang Yinyue cracked the database, he discovered that when Xue Bogao was purifying and trimming Lin Rui¡¯s soul, the ¡®Rui 3.3¡¯ software at the time redirected a link to the East Asia National Security Bureau¡¯s intranet, and then 17 YB of data was transmitted over, almost completely overwriting Lin Rui¡¯s soul.¡±


    While speaking, Lin Rui started the 3D holographic video on the desk again: ¡°So the following is this scene.¡±


    In the video, the data interface at Lin Rui¡¯s spine actually fell off.


    Xue Bogao seemed also extremely surprised; however, at this time, pedestrians had already appeared around, and he urgently picked up the data interface from the ground, cradling Lin Rui, and hurriedly flew in the direction of the medical room.

 Chapter 804: 733 The Real Lin Rui_2

    Chapter 804: Chapter 733 The Real Lin Rui_2


    Lin Xi stared blankly for a moment after looking at it, then she personally operated it, flipping through this Rui 3.3 log, discovering that at 11:14:32 on June 1st, there was indeed a website redirection, where the software automatically opened this link, and indeed 17YB of data was transferred from over there.


    Lin Xi attempted to open this link again, but received a prompt indicating access was denied due to expired permissions.


    Lin Xi fixed her eyes on Lin Rui: ¡°Brother, did you find out where within the National Security Bureau this link connects to?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the National Security Bureau¡¯s Center for Joint Management of Evidence and Assets Involved in Cases,¡±


    Lin Rui continued to sip tea, his face obscured in the steam rising from the hot tea, his voice mysterious: ¡°About ten years ago, the National Security Bureau confiscated several sets of supercomputer arrays from a secret research base of the Longevity Association, reportedly used for soul digitization research involving large models.


    After soul studies by several researchers at the East Asia Science Academy, it was discovered these supercomputer arrays were all early research, of little value, so after copying the data, it was handed over to the National Security Bureau. What¡¯s surprising is one of them was still powered, connected to the network, and continuously operating.¡±


    Lin Yi and Lin Xi listened quietly, yet both furrowed their brows tightly, their emotions extremely complex.,


    At this moment, Lin Xi saw Lin Rui share some intelligence files with her, as she listened and opened them to read, her heart started to surge again.


    That was information Lin Rui found after obtaining SSS+ permission from the National Security Bureau, Lin Rui even shared the permission card with her, allowing her to confidently examine the specifics of this supercomputer array.


    Lin Rui continued: ¡°Although this supercomputer array is a product from fourteen years ago, it utilized 24 top-of-the-line supercomputers of the time, simulating a historical period between the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century on Earth, evolving into an extremely realistic electronic world, akin to a large virtual network game, yet more expansive and real than such games.


    The experimental process was quite horrifying, reportedly the project lead requested the Longevity Association to ¡®recruit¡¯ a large number of volunteers in the terminal stage of illness, using their incomplete soul digitization technology to upload their souls to the supercomputer, enabling them to live in this real world, collecting various signals of human thought and memory while verifying the shortcomings of their soul digitization technology.


    But in fact, the so-called ¡®recruitment¡¯ by the Longevity Association mostly came from the Lower Zone, enticing these so-called ¡®volunteers¡¯ with money to participate in the experiment, and this 17YB of data came from within this simulated world, a high school student named ¡®Lin Rui¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Lin Rui?¡± Lin Xi¡¯s eyes narrowed, she searched within this supercomputer world, indeed finding a high school student named Lin Rui in this world, but this Lin Rui had already died in 2024 from leukemia.¡±


    She suddenly had a revelation, clenching her hands tightly: ¡°This Lin Rui, is it you, brother?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    Lin Rui turned his chair around with the teacup, casting a complex gaze outside: ¡°My memories are quite similar to this Lin Rui, and I don¡¯t know what I am now, whether I count as both your brother¡ª¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui wondered whether he was the ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ in that virtual world, his memories are incredibly realistic, he remembers his relatives and friends, remembers those classmates, their appearances and personalities, and he remembers his suffering during leukemia.


    ¡ª¡ªWas all of this fake?


    Lin Yi¡¯s eyes turned red after listening, yet the twist around her gradually subsided.


    She was thinking that her brother, whether he was the previous Lin Rui or not, was her brother.


    It was her brother who risked his life to pull her out of hell, continuously caring for her to this day, helping her eliminate pollution, keeping her away from pain, away from despair.


    She loved the previous brother too, but the death of ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ was not the brother¡¯s fault.


    Lin Xi, however, thought it definitely was!


    Lin Rui was truly Lin Rui, her Brother Rui.


    This supercomputer large model was her mother¡¯s creation, a project led by her mother,


    Furthermore, she found during her search in this supercomputer world that there was only one Lin Rui in the entire supercomputer world.


    But Lin Xi still doesn¡¯t know why her mother did this?


    Lin Xi was about to search further to verify Lin Rui¡¯s information, but Lin Rui continued speaking: ¡°Let¡¯s focus now, it¡¯s time to move to the main topic, amplify your despair and twisting power to the maximum.¡±


    Their previous discussion was not the most sensitive content, so Lin Rui only asked the two girls to increase the concepts of destruction and twisting to 65%, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t last this long watching videos or discussions, and neither of the two girls would endure anyway.


    Yet for the matters about to unfold, Lin Rui indeed didn¡¯t want anyone to know.


    Lin Yi and Lin Xi exchanged glances, then maximized their conceptual power again, boosting the intensity to 92%.


    Lin Rui then spoke: ¡°I¡¯ve lately been studying some mechanical engineering and rune array technology, investigation revealed there is hidden within this supercomputer array a small, complete Heavenly Curtain Spirit Platform, capable of accommodating about five people.¡±


    ¡°Heavenly Curtain Divine Platform?¡± Lin Xi asked curiously: ¡°What is that?¡±


    She thought her brother¡¯s rune array technology was indeed impressive, according to Wang Yinyue, Lin Rui¡¯s prowess in this area was nearing that of a top-tier Array Talisman Master, but when had he studied mechanical engineering?


    Lin Rui explained: ¡°I mentioned to you before, didn¡¯t I? The Longevity Association¡¯s Artificial Sky is integrated with soul digitization technology, allowing control of the heavenly curtain, removing its pollution, and the Heavenly Curtain Divine Platform is a device to preserve soul data, a product of human computer technology combined with Sky Extreme Star rune technology.¡±

 Chapter 805: 733 The Real Lin Rui_3

    Chapter 805: Chapter 733 The Real Lin Rui_3


    Lin Yi and Lin Xi¡¯s pupils slightly widened again; this supercomputer fell into the hands of the East Asia National Security Bureau 14 years ago.


    This means that at that time, their mother, Fu Xuexian, had already perfected the artificial sky and soul data technology 15 years ago?


    ¡°I personally speculate that Fu Xuexian probably obtained the technical data of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader of the Light God Sect. The Radiant Holy Altar of the Light God Sect is a complete artificial sky, so this artificial sky technology was perfected 400 years ago. It¡¯s possible that Fu Xuexian¡¯s soul digitalization technology was inherited from the Seventh Generation Sect Leader.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes were immensely complex: ¡°This Heavenly Curtain Divine Platform currently only preserves the soul data of five people, which are all members of our family. These data upload records are numerous, ending six years ago.


    The download records only occurred twice; once when Lin Rui died, and once six years ago, two hours after Fu Xuexian¡¯s death. The data shows that only a small portion of the soul data was downloaded, prompting a warning of insufficient exchange cost, excessive pollution of the Heavenly Curtain causing confusion in the Divine Platform¡¯s soul data, urging termination of network connection with the Biological Intelligent Chip to ensure the purity of the soul data.¡±


    Lin Yi and Lin Xi felt a surge of shock upon hearing this,


    both of them showed a gleam of hope and excitement in their eyes.


    Could their mother truly be alive? Otherwise, why need to download soul data?


    Further considering, Fu Xuexian was not only an expert in soul and computer technology but also personally led the development of artificial sky and soul data technology. Given their intelligence, how could the couple not leave themselves a way out, while residing in danger within the Longevity Association.


    Lin Xi had already seen the data of the Heavenly Curtain Divine Platform shared by Lin Rui.


    She had no understanding of the sky technology at all, and if Lin Rui hadn¡¯t shared it, Lin Xi would never have found this data.


    Upon reviewing the data, Lin Xi¡¯s expression changed once more.


    She discovered that the soul data of this artificial sky was associated with three characters from the simulated world.


    These three characters in the simulated world were entirely born from these three pieces of soul data.


    Besides Lin Rui, the other two were Lin Rui¡¯s father in the virtual world, named Lin Tongming, and Lin Rui¡¯s mother, Fu Weiliang. Fu Weiliang died in the virtual world six years ago, coinciding with the timeframe of their mother, Fu Xuexian¡¯s death.


    Lin Xi couldn¡¯t help but bite her lower lip, overwhelmed with joy.


    This Lin Rui must be her brother.


    Lin Xi even conceived a thought, perhaps this is her real brother¡ª


    In the virtual world, Lin Rui died of blood cancer, and Lin Xi speculated whether this ¡®blood cancer¡¯ was essentially the Great Sun¡¯s pollution?


    She couldn¡¯t resist continuing to search for information about Lin Rui in the virtual world, trying to find evidence.


    Lin Rui, looking through the mist of the tea, gazed wistfully out the window.


    In his memory, he was what was called a left-behind child at the time. His parents worked in the big city, coming back to see him a dozen times a year, and they provided ample living and medical expenses each month, quite a lot of money¡ª


    Looking at the access records of the supercomputer array he tracked down, the timing coincided perfectly with the times his parents came to see him.


    This situation continued until it ended six years ago, after his mother¡¯s death, when his father Lin Tongming took him to Shanghai for personal care.


    Lin Rui smiled bitterly, filled with anxiety and confusion.


    He could roughly guess what the situation was; it was probably a countermeasure against the Great Sun¡¯s pollution, but he still couldn¡¯t understand what kind of existence he really was? What kind of entity?


    And the Battle Spirit Ring in his hand, where did it come from? What kind of thing was it?

 Chapter 806: 734 Competitor

    Chapter 806: Chapter 734 Competitor


    The office of Lin Rui quickly returned to normal.


    Although the protective array here is still maintained, the destructive and twisting power of Lin Xi sisters has already been contained.


    The pollution from their previous battle has not been completely removed. Under the full power of concept, it can only be maintained for a maximum of 42 seconds, and to be prepared for any eventuality, Lin Rui asked them to keep a redundancy of 15 seconds.


    The three of them tacitly stopped discussing their mother.


    They can basically confirm that the Invincible Dharma King of the Light God Sect is their mother, Fu Xuexian¡¯s alien form, or it may be the other way around; however, since the Great Sun Venerable has repeatedly intervened to prevent Lin Rui from learning their connection with Li Weiliang, it is obviously because there is an absolute secret involved.


    The Great Sun Venerable is different from the Longevity Association; this divine spirit cannot be afraid of the merging of their mother and son¡¯s powers.


    In the eyes of this god, a group of ants together are still ants, what¡¯s the difference?


    There must be very, very crucial information on the Invincible Dharma King, crucial to the point that it makes the Great Sun Venerable dread it.


    This information is likely to determine the victory or defeat between Lin Rui and the Great Sun Venerable, and even with the Seventh Generation Sect Leader.


    Lin Rui currently does not want to alert them and let the Great Sun Venerable know they have already grasped this key information.


    He does not know why the Great Sun Venerable did not directly kill Invincible Dharma King Li Weiliang but wants to prevent the Great Sun Venerable from directly flipping the table.


    This not only puts Li Weiliang in extreme danger but also makes it challenging for the three siblings to stay alive.


    Lin Yi silently sat beside Lin Rui, tightly embracing one of his calves, resting her delicate head on his knee.


    No matter the truth, he is her brother.


    Lin Xi remained silent and continued examining the intelligence Lin Rui shared with her.


    Approximately an hour later, Lin Xi looked at Lin Rui with both pain and compassion.


    She just checked numerous medical records of Lin Rui, discovering that his attending physicians noted his pain is highly unusual, tens to even a hundred times beyond the normal pain threshold for leukemia patients.


    Lin Rui was diagnosed with leukemia at five, but by then, it was already mid-stage cancer, potentially enduring that inhumane suffering prior.


    Afterwards, Lin Rui endured this extreme pain until nearing adulthood.


    Lin Xi synthesized existing intelligence and formed several hypotheses.


    Lin Rui is genuinely Lin Rui, or at least a part of ¡®Lin Rui.¡¯


    Their parents placed their brother¡¯s soul in this virtual world; on one hand to resist the Great Sun Venerable, on the other to ¡®refine¡¯ the pollution from the Great Sun Venerable.


    Lin Rui¡¯s medical records show he underwent several ¡®chemotherapy¡¯ treatments, each very effective, briefly reverting his body to normal.


    Thus, Lin Rui could attend school and endure over ten years under leukemia¡¯s torment.


    Lin Xi herself is an Abyss Weapon, suffering from Abyss Pollution trouble.


    She combined Lin Rui¡¯s medical records and symptoms, deducing this so-called ¡®chemotherapy¡¯ might be the refining pollution process, though merely conjecture, no proof.


    Furthermore, this supercomputer array was likely delivered intentionally by their parents to the East Asia National Security Bureau, escaping Longevity Association¡¯s control.


    Why this supercomputer array retains power and can connect to the internet remains unknown to Lin Xi.


    Presumably, the parents employed some techniques; they are top-tier scientific talents and surely have methods to accomplish it.


    Lin Xi then took a deep breath: ¡°Brother, is he already dead?¡±


    Lin Xi used ¡®him¡¯ to refer to their father, Lin Cong.


    She found the soul data within the Heavenly Curtain Divine Platform has not been updated for six and a half years.


    The virtual world persona ¡®Lin Tongming¡¯ also hasn¡¯t accessed or logged any activities for six and a half years.


    This figure was influenced by a special program command from the supercomputer model six and a half years ago to bring Lin Rui to Shanghai for care.


    Besides, one resurrection rule for Heavenly Curtain is equivalent exchange.


    Lin Xi struggles to imagine their father going as far as sacrificing ordinary souls for their mother¡¯s revival.


    Coincidentally, their father was a Sixth Realm Martial Cultivator, only slightly lacking in bloodline power compared to their mother¡¯s 6SSS, merely reaching Sixth Realm Super Emperor Rank evaluation.


    ¡°Highly probable, otherwise Longevity Association would not have failed to locate him for so long, unless he is indeed dead, naturally leaving no trace or activity.¡±


    Lin Rui noticed Lin Yi¡¯s hands around him tightening, promptly patting her head with a smile: ¡°But with this soul data present, he stands a chance to return.¡±


    Lin Xi pondered their father¡¯s situation differed from their mother.


    Their father had not cultivated a True Spirit but has been dead for six and a half years; can his Sky Curtain Spirit still persist?


    Even if intact, how much pollution erosion has occurred?


    Lin Xi could confirm neither their parents¡¯ Sky Curtain Spirits are within the Artificial Sky.


    First, the Artificial Sky was not yet completed at that time; second, Lin Cong and Fu Xuexian would never let their souls enter the Artificial Sky, otherwise the Longevity Association would surely not let them off.


    Lin Xi immediately perked up; she recalled that her brother was already a ¡®God¡¯ and one who wielded the Pure Method as a Divine Spirit.


    As long as her brother achieved a complete Divine Status, then their father still might have hope to return.


    ¡°Then what about that information in Grandfather¡¯s head before?¡±


    Lin Xi furrowed her brows, ¡°Given how cautious Mother is, this information must be very crucial.¡±


    ¡°It is definitely crucial, I can confirm it¡¯s a key, capable of unlocking an information repository hidden within my soul.¡±


    As Lin Rui spoke, he gestured toward his head, ¡°But there¡¯s a prerequisite, which is that I must reach the Ninth Realm! Our parents clearly believe that only by reaching the Ninth Realm will I be qualified to learn this critical information, or¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression turned peculiar as he gazed out of the glass window, toward the location of Sky Extreme Star.


    ¡°Or, I have enough ability to ensure the safety of the three of us along with her.¡±


    At this moment, scenes replayed in his mind as his parents returned from Shanghai, observing him.


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes slightly heated up.


    If he truly was ¡®Lin Rui¡¯, not someone who traveled from over 2000 years ago to this era, but someone emerging from this large model¡¯s evolved virtual world, then although his world was false, his parents really existed, and their emotions were just as real and genuine.


    Both of his parents had sacrificed everything for him¡ª


    Lin Rui had also pondered whether he was the ¡®spare¡¯ Lin Rui? If the other ¡®Lin Rui¡¯ did not die, would he never have a chance to return to the real world in his lifetime?


    However, Lin Rui was astutely aware that his thoughts couldn¡¯t stand scrutiny, and everything he had also came from them, so there was nothing to resent. He must exert all efforts to protect Li Weiliang for a lifetime of peace, to bring Lin Cong from the sky to the human world.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Meanwhile, in Earth Federation¡¯s First Base City, the Dreamy Heavenly Maiden had already returned to the Dreamy Heavenly Venerate¡¯s realm, hidden within the dreamscape of all beings, arriving before the Dreamy Heavenly Venerate¡¯s Divine Throne.


    Dreamy Heavenly Maiden first prostrated herself on the ground, respectfully reporting her experiences in Tianzhou in broad strokes before furrowing her brows and raising her head: ¡°That¡¯s how things are. I tried my best not to interfere with the souls and cognition of Invincible and Lin Rui¡¯s siblings, casting spells to obscure them, but I still think the Divine is too tolerant of that Lord of Purity. That is merely a fortunate Demigod wielding the Pure Method, why are you being so~ so courteous to him?¡±


    Dreamy Heavenly Venerate smiled gently at these words, ¡°It¡¯s not courtesy but caution. You don¡¯t need to give me face!¡±


    ¡°Divine!¡± Dreamy Heavenly Maiden raised her head with a dissatisfied expression.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him,¡± Dreamy Heavenly Venerate shook his head, ¡°The Great Sun Venerable and Seventh Generation Sect Leader are currently using his body and Primordial Spirit to fight, oh yes, also adding the Light King, who has been mostly devoured by the Great Sun Venerable; Lin Rui himself is also a player, and he may win to obtain all divine power from the Great Sun, Seventh Generation Sect Leader, and the Light King, becoming the most formidable existence within and outside Sky Extreme Star.¡±


    Dreamy Heavenly Maiden didn¡¯t believe it: ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    The powers forcefully fused by the Great Sun Venerable with the ¡®Great Sun¡¯ method can¡¯t possibly match the Divine, who has existed for 320,000 years, immortal and untouchable!


    ¡°At least, in terms of combat power in the material world, even confronting him directly would come at a heavy price.¡±


    Dreamy Heavenly Venerate¡¯s mouth curled high: ¡°What if he wins? What if he chooses to seek me out during the critical moment of fighting for transcendence hope? So, it¡¯s best not to offend him, if possible.¡±


    Dreamy Heavenly Maiden thought this was impossible.


    How could Lin Rui, a mere mortal, ever win against those two Divine Venerables?


    Not to mention the Great Sun Venerable, even the Seventh Generation Sect Leader was a challenge Lin Rui couldn¡¯t overcome.


    The Seventh Generation Sect Leader was astonishingly talented, a rarity in Dreamy Heavenly Maiden¡¯s life.


    Just from how he twisted the original Light Teachings into its present form, blending the various concepts of light, heat, illumination, burning, and thunder under the Great Sun Venerable into ¡®Holy Thunder¡¯ and ¡®Tribulation Fire¡¯, and even creating the Pure Method, can one glimpse his prowess.


    This person even forged his divine body into Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, thus dragging his contest with the Great Sun Venerable for another 400 years.


    She then noticed the expression of Dreamy Heavenly Venerate, her mind stirring: ¡°Divine, has Lin Rui already noticed?¡±


    ¡°He has noticed! It was worthwhile for me to keep secret for their couple in the dream realm for so many years.¡±


    The smile on Dreamy Heavenly Venerate¡¯s face grew more evident: ¡°I hope this child can stall him a little longer, just a few more years, and this one can be knocked out of the race.¡±


    Sky Extreme Star living beings gained spiritual wisdom, from dragon to human, in a mere 670,000 years of history, and in the following period, only 339 wise Divine Spirits emerged.


    Of these, no more than 18 have the hope like Tai Xuan Immortal Venerable and Despair, Pain, able to return in this period.


    It¡¯s these 18, along with the eight present-day Gods, plus several semi-transcended individuals, who are qualified to vie for this chance of transcendence.


    The greatest probability belongs to the Great Sun Venerable.


    Below the Great Sun Venerable, including him and Undying Venerable, and another mighty Divine King among the Three Gods.


    Also, if East Abyss enhances its strength further to reach Divine King Rank, or if the leader of the Three Gods of Purgatory escapes from Purgatory, there¡¯s a slight hope.


    As for the rest¡ª


    Dreamy Heavenly Venerate¡¯s eyes reflected disdainful laughter, these individuals, including Divine Law, Green Blood, and Three Gods of Retribution, can only run for show.

 Chapter 807: 735: Earth-Shattering

    Chapter 807: Chapter 735: Earth-Shattering


    Time flies, and eight months have passed in the blink of an eye.


    Demon Suppression Divine Envoy Fang Junhao arrived at the Divine Sect Headquarters once more, a year after King Ming ascended the throne at the grand Light Conference.


    When Fang Junhao, along with a group of priests selected from the Beicheng District and surrounding Holy Halls, used a small quantum migration device capable of transporting up to 500 people to enter the Main Temple, he saw Wisdom Divine Envoy Xiao Xingyi standing at the entrance outside.


    After seeing Xiao Xingyi, Fang Junhao frowned, wondering what this guy was doing here waiting. Was he here to greet him?


    Once the quantum migration device stabilized and stopped operating, Fang Junhao rose into the air and flew to the entrance of the hall used to house the quantum migration device.


    Standing there, Wisdom Divine Envoy Xiao Xingyi smiled and greeted, ¡°Brother Fang, it¡¯s been years since we last met, how have you been?¡±


    Fang Junhao, however, showed no good face, while casually handing the seven Flying Books from his sleeve to a Great Chief Priest nearby, as he walked towards the entrance.


    This is the rule of the Main Temple since its location was shifted. Flying Books are not allowed to be brought inside by anyone.


    Those inside who wish to use the Flying Books to communicate with the outside must use the liaison set up jointly by the Heavenly Fragrance Holy Hall and Judgement Holy Hall to send Flying Books; the same applies for external Flying Books wishing to come inside, they must be transferred via the liaison.


    Fang Junhao is one of the five Divine Envoys, this rule was devised by him and others in the presence of King Ming.


    Currently, the Quantum Divine Machine at the Divine Sect Headquarters requires signal transfer once to prevent outsiders from tracing its location.


    Upon seeing this, Xiao Xingyi looked helpless and became solemn: ¡°Brother Fang, I was sent by King Ming to welcome you! You went to support Beicheng District, fought seventy-two battles in a year with courage and honor, earning great merit; King Ming asked me to extend his thanks for your hard work!¡±


    Fang Junhao sneered internally, thinking if King Ming truly valued his efforts, he wouldn¡¯t have sent Xiao Xingyi to greet him.


    Even if it wasn¡¯t Zhao Chongling or Chu Tianxiang, it should have been the Protection Dharma King Bai Xishi or Yin Wansui, who served before King Ming with a guilty conscience.


    However, Fang Junhao felt somewhat comfortable in his heart, but his face remained cold as he returned the salute: ¡°No need for such courtesy, Brother Xiao. As the Demon Suppression Divine Envoy of the Divine Sect, aiding Beicheng District is simply my duty.¡±


    Fang Junhao had already exited the hall at this point, and glanced ahead quickly, slightly stunned.


    Ahead lay a vast, expansive circular gigantic hall surrounded by a total of 60 small doors, each leading to a small hall equipped with a small quantum migration device.


    The door directly ahead was a wide one, twenty feet in both width and height, grand and elegant, with the majestic words ¡®South Heavenly Gate¡¯ inscribed above.


    Surprisingly, the entrance was thronged with people, bustling and noisy.


    These were a group of priests and Martial Cultivators of the Third Realm or below, totaling to over ten thousand, swarming to enter through the main door.


    Wisdom Divine Envoy furrowed his brows.


    Though he had great patience, hearing Fang Junhao¡¯s words sparked a bit of annoyance in him.


    He wondered what he had done to offend Fang, and why Fang was venting on him.


    Wisdom Divine Envoy realized that Fang possibly had a deep-seated contempt for him, making him all the more irate.


    He sneered internally, slightly raising the corners of his lips: ¡°Brother Fang has such insight, that¡¯s excellent; however, His Highness King Ming has meted out rewards and penalties clearly since ascending the throne, and everyone within the Main Temple sings praises¡ª¡±


    Seeing Fang Junhao suddenly halt, Wisdom Divine Envoy glanced ahead, smiled knowingly and said, ¡°Indeed, there are quite a few people today, coinciding with the opening of Farm Warships number 29 and 30; each major district selected around 500,000 priests and Divine Guards for training in the Main Temple.¡±


    Recalling his own bewilderment months ago, like Fang Junhao now, Xiao Xingyi¡¯s anger subsided slightly, turning to wistful sentiments: ¡°Brother Fang, you wouldn¡¯t know, but the interior of the Main Temple has transformed greatly. I had only left for official duties for two or three months, and upon returning, I almost didn¡¯t recognize it.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Fang Junhao¡¯s expression was noncommittal as he continued outward: ¡°I¡¯ve heard from a few subordinates, they mentioned that after King Ming¡¯s ascension, the Main Temple has undergone rapid changes, prospering steadily. I am eager to witness it myself.¡±


    In truth, his heart was full of curiosity and anticipation, according to those trusted subordinates, the current Main Temple is ever-changing, thriving constantly, growing daily and monthly, causing them to highly praise King Ming¡¯s management skills.


    The significant improvement in the Divine Light Sect¡¯s financial situation further corroborates their words.


    Reportedly, in this past year, the farm revenue of the Divine Sect Headquarters has reached half of Light God Sect¡¯s annual income previously.


    Hence even the Regent acknowledged King Ming¡¯s capability in financial management and operation.


    Moreover, Shancai Divine Envoy, who previously sought to replace Zhao Chongling, no longer wishes to do so.


    The reason lies in Zhao Chongling¡¯s vigorous support of King Ming¡¯s underground farm plans, and gradually growing closer with King Ming.


    Currently, within the Divine Sect, no one supports the Regent anymore; Zhao Chongling had been doing well previously, tirelessly maintaining the messy state of the Divine Sect internally; now with increased financial strength, there is no reason to replace the meritorious one at this time.


    What if the replacement disrupts the current favorable situation of the Divine Sect?


    Furthermore, Zhao Chongling himself is no friendly character and has been getting closer to King Ming. In recent months, he has completely sided with King Ming, frequently advocating for him in religious sect affairs alongside Tian Xiang.


    ¡°The main entrance is too crowded. Brother Fang, why don¡¯t you take the express lane with me?¡±


    Wisdom Divine Envoy Xiao Xingyi took the initiative to walk to the front to guide Fang Junhao.


    He led Fang Junhao into a fully transparent elevator, then clasped his hands behind his back and said leisurely, ¡°If I didn¡¯t guess wrong, Brother Fang¡¯s return to the headquarters this time is not only to preside over the Demon Suppression Envoy selection and the Heavenly Demon Test, but also carries the mission of the regent? The regent must be quite angry about the decision to reject her order to purchase 100 Sky Demon Starships.¡±


    Fang Junhao¡¯s eyebrows slightly moved, and he glanced at Xiao Xingyi, ¡°Does Brother Xiao have something to say to me? You might as well be straightforward.¡±


    This time, his return to the headquarters, as Xiao Xingyi said, is firstly to preside over the annual selection of the Demon Suppression Holy Hall and the Heavenly Demon Test; secondly, he bears the mission of the Invincible Dharma King to negotiate sect affairs and financial issues with His Highness King Ming.


    In these three months, His Highness King Ming and the regent have continuously clashed over many affairs within the sect, affecting various facets, including finance, personnel, and sect affairs. King Ming, the regent, and the two Vice Sect Hierarchs have been fiercely tearing into each other,


    King Ming hopes to renovate the current Glory Temple, increase the capacity while expanding the coverage area of the Fire of Serenity, and build another Holy Altar, thereby constructing more underground farms and Bright Farm Battleships, thus expanding the underground farm to two thousand miles in circumference, while the regent wants to purchase more starships to form more Protection Armies.


    ¡ªThough the number of starships under the regent¡¯s jurisdiction has already reached 300, equivalent to three flotillas by Outer Heaven Demon standards, the regent is still dissatisfied.


    However, this month, His Highness King Ming has consecutively rejected the regent¡¯s orders seven times, causing great dissatisfaction in the regent.


    ¡°Envoy Zhuan has always been bold and uninhibited, straightforward and sincere,¡± Xiao Xingyi nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll speak frankly with you, initially King Ming wanted the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy to welcome Fang Divine Envoy, but I volunteered to come on her behalf.¡±


    Fang Junhao couldn¡¯t help but twitch his lips slightly upon hearing this.


    Thinking to himself that his anger was in vain, King Ming originally intended to let the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy come to welcome him.


    Now, he is more eager to see Shancai Divine Envoy Zhao Chongling and Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy Chu Tianxiang.


    The former is in charge of the sect¡¯s finances and is a main force against the regent, while the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy is King Ming¡¯s most trusted left arm and right hand.


    What business does Xiao Xingyi have in volunteering for what courage?


    ¡°Actually, it is also at the behest of Wan Lei Yuanjun; she asked me to inquire on behalf of the regent.¡±


    Xiao Xingyi¡¯s expression turned solemn and severe: ¡°The Light God Sect is besieged by the Five Continents and surrounded by enemies, the situation still perilous as eggs, yet the regent wants to build a hundred starships at this time, what is the intention?¡±


    Fang Junhao frowned upon hearing this, his gaze also turning serious.


    It turns out Xiao Xingyi was representing Vice Sect Hierarch Wan Lei Yuanjun in negotiations with them¡ª


    Truth be told, even within the Beicheng and South Island districts controlled by the regent, many do not understand the regent¡¯s decision, believing it unnecessary to invest heavily in developing starships at this time.


    Just as Fang Junhao was about to respond, the completely glass-made transparent elevator they were in suddenly shot out of the building called ¡®South Heavenly Gate¡¯.


    Fang Junhao only felt his vision suddenly broadened in front of him, and then shock appeared in his eyes.


    He saw an extremely vast expanse of fields, where various medium-high level Spiritual Medicines familiar to Fang Junhao were scattered, thriving under the illumination of highly realistic agricultural sun lamps, like a yellow-green painting, giving one a refreshing and joyful feeling.


    This should be the sixth layer of the underground farm, said to be already a thousand miles long and twelve hundred miles wide, hence one cannot see the boundary at a glance.


    The only downside was that the ceiling above was a bit low, only about forty miles high.


    Fang Junhao also saw the headquarters next to the South Heavenly Gate and more than twenty Bright Level farm battleships that were upgraded from Outer Heaven Demon ¡®Stellar Class¡¯ colonization warships.


    These enormous battleships surrounded the headquarters, evenly arranged on the sixth layer of the underground farm, like the guardians of the headquarters, each holding their ground in a different direction.


    According to Fang Junhao¡¯s information, the first batch of 4 farm battleships ordered from the East Asia Republic by the headquarters was delivered eight months ago, the second batch of 16 farm battleships was completed six months ago, and the third batch of 8 was constructed by the Forest Group of the Outer Heaven Demon, making the total number of farm battleships reach 28.


    Now, the delivery of the 29th and 30th farm battleships, which are part of the fourth batch ordered by the sect in East Asia, reportedly partially financed by loans from East Asia, some funded by East Asia¡¯s support, with 16 more to be delivered over the next two months, increasing the number of farm battleships in the Light God Sect to 44.


    ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Xiao Xingyi¡¯s eyes were peculiar: ¡°It was the same for me when I returned to the headquarters before, but this is not the limit. We can continue to expand, and after the total delivery of all farm battleships, next year¡¯s revenues are expected to reach 54 million taels of Divine Gold, more than twice the Light God Sect¡¯s annual income before!


    But our greatest gain is still the people; now, the headquarters farm can allow 8 million low-level priests to delve deeply into the Light Teachings and practice the Light Technique at the headquarters, while sustaining an elite Divine Army of 4 million people!¡±


    ¡ªThis is the greatest benefit the underground farm brings to the Light God Sect!


    Once these 8 million low-level priests complete their training and are released to all major districts, it can greatly strengthen the grassroots forces of the Light God Sect and consolidate its faith!

 Chapter 808: 736: Holy Thunder from Afar

    Chapter 808: Chapter 736: Holy Thunder from Afar


    Fang Junhao¡¯s expression was as usual, seemingly without a trace of emotional fluctuation, but inside his heart was tumultuous.


    A year ago, when Ming King ascended the throne, all the mid-to-high level members of the sect felt that the great building was about to collapse.


    An unidentified, weak cultivation Ming King, along with a regent deputy sect leader whose actions were radical and feared by the Heavenly Demon, coupled with the joint siege by the Four Great Dynasties and Central Continent, even made someone as resolute as Fang Junhao harbor pessimistic thoughts.


    But the fact is that over the past year, the Invincible Dharma King has been invincible in the Beicheng District, repeatedly defeating Beicheng and Central Continent¡¯s sieges, not only stabilizing the Beicheng District but also expanding its territory and follower population in the past four months.


    This ¡®Ming King¡¯ proposed the underground farm plan, carving out a new path for the Light God Sect and reversing its declining financial status.


    Even the two Vice Sect Leaders, Wan Yan and Wan Lei, managed to hold their districts against the pressure from the Wei and Liao countries with the endless financial support from the sect.


    Last year, the sect¡¯s income reached 32 million taels of Divine Gold, although this figure is pitiful compared to the Four Great Dynasties and Central Continent, considering the tax revenue of the Great Song¡¯s Star Port alone exceeds 4 million taels of Divine Gold daily.


    But they do not need to pay salaries for the lower level priests and Divine Guards; these devoted followers serve the sect for faith. They either farm, gather herbs, operate shops, or rely on their crafts to sustain themselves.


    So this 32 million taels of Divine Gold can allow the sect to accomplish many things.


    As Xiao Xingyi mentioned, the biggest wealth harvested from the underground farm plan is the 800,000 priests.


    They can enter the Main Temple to contemplate the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, thereby deepen their understanding of the Light Teachings and practice the Light Technique.


    In the future, these people will be the cornerstone of the Light God Sect, spreading the seed of light.


    At this moment, everyone in the sect feels that the Light God Sect has regained its momentum from decades of decline and is thriving.


    Therefore, Fang Junhao does not sincerely wish to see any conflict between Ming King and the regent, which would spoil the excellent situation of the sect.


    ¡°So Brother Fang should understand that everyone in the sect, including Wan Lei Yuanjun and myself, hopes to further expand the underground farmland.¡±


    Wisdom Divine Envoy Xiao Xingyi looked at the scenery ahead with admiration, though his words were laced with sarcasm: ¡°The regent deputy sect leader wants to purchase a hundred starships; what benefits does it bring to our sect? Given our sect¡¯s circumstances, dealing with the evil gods of the Five Continents is already tough; why provoke the Outer Heaven Demon?¡±


    The regent knows that the embargo policy of the Heavenly Demon was started because of her, costing the sect an extra 5 million taels of Divine Gold this year just to purchase Heavenly Demon supplies! Furthermore, the medicinal and mineral productions of various districts have piled up into mountains, difficult to sell. Even if they can be sold, they are pressed to seventy percent or even fifty percent of the market price! Does the regent not realize that her further expansion of the starship fleet would only make the Heavenly Demon more alert? Is the regent seriously considering leading us into the Heavenly Demon Origin?¡±


    Fang Junhao frowned deeply at Xiao Xingyi¡¯s barrage of questioning: ¡°The regent¡¯s acquisition of starships is precisely to avoid having our sect¡¯s lifeline controlled by the Outer Heaven Demon. These Heavenly Demons are not of our kind; they have different intentions and must be watched and guarded against. With starships in hand, we can trade independently without relying on the starships and channels of the Outer Heaven Demon, being able to respond should conflict arise.¡±


    Xiao Xingyi slightly shook his head, the mockery in his eyes growing stronger: ¡°Then may I ask Fang Divine Envoy, what has been the profit of the regent deputy sect leader¡¯s starship fleet over the past year?¡±


    Fang Junhao was rendered speechless upon hearing this.


    Indeed, the regent¡¯s starship fleet did engage in some trade with Fang Junhao¡¯s help, but the profit was little. If the starship acquisition cost were included, overall, it actually resulted in a loss.


    ¡°To my knowledge, the fleet¡¯s revenues are increasing month by month at a rate of thirty percent. It must be understood that in interstellar trade, the more ships, the greater the profits, especially as the regent deputy sect leader oversees the Southern State Diocese and places great emphasis on sea and air supremacy amidst the siege of the Central Continent Business Alliance fleet.¡±


    As Fang Junhao spoke these words, his tone was clearly lacking confidence: ¡°The regent has a vision and insight beyond ordinary people. She is fully committed to building the starship fleet for her own reasons, which we do not comprehend wholly.


    Moreover, the regent has been leading the battles in Beicheng, winning time after time, protecting the Beicheng District and the surrounding incense halls with three billion followers intact. This is true toil and merit; without the regent, our sect¡¯s situation would have already collapsed.¡±


    Xiao Xingyi coldly scoffed at these words: ¡°So the sect should invest tens of millions of Divine Gold just to purchase warships and credit her with the achievement? If Ming King¡¯s Highness firmly refuses, what would the regent do? Would she leave the sect with several Dharma Kings and various red priests under her wing? Is Fang Divine Envoy also preparing to follow the regent?¡±


    Fang Junhao¡¯s demeanor turned cold, his voice chilled: ¡°Not to that extent, Xiao Divine Envoy, you overthink. Yet it seems Xiao Divine Envoy¡¯s allegiance has already shifted towards Ming King¡¯s Highness?¡±


    He realized Xiao Xingyi might have volunteered to take over from Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy in welcoming him, possibly with the intention to spar on behalf of Wan Lei Yuanjun, but his main aim might have been to persuade him on behalf of Ming King¡¯s Highness, thereby currying favor with His Highness.


    ¡°Looking at Ming King¡¯s Highness¡¯s actions over the past year, they are awe-inspiring, balancing literature and military, embodying benevolence and wisdom, truly another virtuous master after our Seventh Generation Sect Leader!¡±


    Xiao Xingyi¡¯s expression was spirited, unabashedly exhibiting his admiration and esteem for Ming King: ¡°Naturally, I will wholeheartedly assist, aiding Ming King¡¯s Highness in recreating the glorious era of the sect, just as it was four hundred years ago.¡±


    Fang Junhao¡¯s emotions were complex, astonished that the reverence for Ming King within the sect has surged to such a degree? Even Xiao Xingyi, someone so proud and haughty, has become a devotee of Ming King.


    On closer examination, Ming King hasn¡¯t done much beyond delivering regular sermons and officiating at the altar.


    Although he proposed the underground farm plan, the chief executors were Shancai Divine Envoy, Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy, and the Protecting Sect Dharma King; Ming King¡¯s Highness rarely interfered with the practical affairs.


    There¡¯s also the battle of Tianzhou eight months ago, shrouded in mystery and uncertainty¡ª


    Fang Junhao thought of this, a slight glimmer appearing in his eyes.


    The Battle of Tianzhou has numerous versions of rumors, one of which claims that King Ming personally acted during the battle, not only burning Elder Wan Xin to death but also killing Great Wei Taizong Wei Jingtong.


    It is said that the Dharma King Protector joined forces with the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Envoy and another Red Priest named Huang Quangu for a great battle with Elder Wan Xin, demonstrating strength approaching that of a Senior Divine Envoy!


    Fang Junhao found this version of the rumors to be the most absurd.


    King Ming is only at the Seventh Realm, how could he possibly have killed Elder Wan Xin and Great Wei Taizong Wei Jingtong?


    As for the Dharma King Protector, consider that the Sect Leader¡¯s two Deputy Sect Leaders, Wan Lei and Wan Yan, are also only at the Divine Envoy level, approaching Senior Divine Envoy status.


    This Huang Quangu, moreover, with an Eight Realms status, squeezed into the ranks of candidate Divine Envoys. Yet before this, Fang Junhao had never heard of such an outstanding figure in the sect.


    Even though he saw some scattered video clips afterward, he still found it hard to believe.


    After all, the so-called AI technology of the Heavenly Demons is extremely advanced, capable of fabricating all kinds of video images, making it difficult to discern their authenticity.


    However, after the Battle of Tianzhou, Dharma King Bai Mei voluntarily went to the Main Temple to plead guilty at the Judgement Holy Hall, which is factual, and afterward, the Tianzhou Diocese fell into the control of Huang Quangu, a trusted right-hand man of King Ming.


    This person, not long ago, even squeezed into the ranks of Vice Dharma Kings alongside Skull Mechanic Sky Monarch Li Gu Chan and Hundred Wings Saber King Situ Leng.


    In truth, Fang Junhao deeply recognized King Ming.


    This King Ming is far more outstanding than Fang Junhao had initially anticipated, imparting Light Teachings through religious doctrine and virtues, establishing a lofty reputation silently and unobtrusively over the year, thereby subduing the Three Pillars, Five Envoys, Seven Kings, and controlling the Divine Sect both internally and externally.


    He handles administrative matters effortlessly; indeed, he governs by simply holding court, and the world is at peace.


    Yet Fang Junhao also deeply worries about potential schisms within the Divine Sect.


    Since Prophet Li Weiliang assumed regency, he has battled for a year in the Beicheng District, growing increasingly powerful.


    Under his command are numerous masterful experts and mighty generals, already forming the most powerful faction within the Divine Sect.


    Such factions also include Wan Lei, Wan Yan, smaller ones like Divine Power Dharma King Niu Tao, War Sky Dharma King Fei Yi, and even Fang Junhao himself.


    These are issues left over from the Light God Sect¡¯s past, but were they King Ming¡¯s fault, improper handling might lead to the sect¡¯s fragmentation?


    Therefore, it¡¯s still necessary to discuss with King Ming, see if a method can be devised to appease the regent, and maintain the current situation.


    He thoughtfully looked at Xiao Xingyi beside him: ¡°Brother Xiao, are you sure next year the Divine Sect¡¯s income can truly reach 54 million taels of Divine Gold?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely!¡±


    Xiao Xingyi responded with a bright smile: ¡°But brother is mistaken, this is only the income from the farm. If combined with other sect incomes and could reach 80 million taels, if the expansion of the Glory Altar according to King Ming¡¯s plan succeeds, and another is built, breaking through 200 million taels of Divine Gold next year is no difficulty. The prerequisite is the postponement of the regent¡¯s Starship purchase plan¡ª¡±


    By then, the two had already entered the Main Temple, and Fang Junhao was startled once more, seeing the dazzling pure brilliance from the direction of the Radiant Holy Altar.


    He looked from a distance and found that today King Ming was not seated on the altar, yet the Holy White Flames on the altar still soared nine fathoms high, emanating Infinite Bright Light, not only tremendously grand; Fang Junhao very clearly sensed this Divine Fire was purer, even more, pure than a hundred years ago.


    Fang Junhao then thought that currently, around this Main Temple, not only are there 8 million priests gathered, but also nearly 20 million relatives of these priests and the Protecting Sect Divine Army.


    With so many pious worshippers gathered together, the presence of this Radiant Holy Altar is naturally different.


    Fang Junhao furrowed his brow, thinking that this Holy Altar indeed needed expansion.


    Judging by the presence of the Divine Fire, it was evident that it was constrained by the altar, unable to reach its full potential.


    Perhaps the Seventh Generation Sect Leader who created this item was constrained by material shortages or anticipated the sect¡¯s current situation, thus this Radiant Holy Altar cannot bear the sincere prayers of the 28 million worshippers outside the Main Temple, nor accommodate their pure wills and thoughts.


    Then Fang Junhao heard around the Holy Hall, tens of thousands of priests singing the Holy Song.


    ¡°Holy Thunder glows, Tribulation Fire shines, pity us mortals, troubled and laden; worldly affairs tumultuous, demonic dust pervasive; heaven and earth filthy, evil pervasive bringing disaster, ailments progressing; what joy in life, what anguish in death?


    Thus there is Ming Virtue in the world, purging the darkness of the nine heavens, eliminating the pollution of the nine earths, renewing all realms; magnificent Holy Thunder, pioneering of all forms, revitalizing our Ming nature, inspiring our clear hearts; bright Tribulation Fire, originating all transformations, purifying our imperfect bodies, promoting good and eliminating evil¡ªurging you to refrain from all evil, practice all good, purify your intentions, these are the principles of Light!¡±


    Fang Junhao suddenly furrowed his brows deeply, feeling significant differences in the priests¡¯ Holy Song compared to previous versions.

 Chapter 809: 737: One Births All Things

    Chapter 809: Chapter 737: One Births All Things


    Fang Junhao furrowed his brows and asked cautiously, ¡°What¡¯s going on with this Holy Song? Why is it different from before? Who dared to alter the Holy Song?¡±


    Xiao Xingyi shook his head slightly, his expression peculiar, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. As far as I know, about three months ago, on a certain day, numerous priests were envisioning the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and the Radiant Holy Altar. Suddenly, someone started singing this altered Holy Song. Tens of thousands of priests present followed suit, and within just a few days, it spread throughout the entire Main Temple.


    Afterward, the Judgement Holy Hall and Light Holy Hall jointly investigated the source of this Holy Song but couldn¡¯t find anything. The priests present unanimously claimed that while envisioning the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, they were inspired by the Holy Fire and naturally sang this new Holy Song. They also found that reciting this song could enhance their Pure Fire Technique and Divine Fire.


    Strangely, on that day, the range covered by the Holy Fire in the Underground Farm expanded by a full fifty miles. So, after repeated discussions by the Bright Sage Master and the nine Light Saints, they could only conclude that this was indeed an inspiration from the Light, a divine miracle.¡±


    Xiao Xingyi had already returned to the Main Temple by then, personally experiencing this event, knowing that the Light Holy Hall actually accepted it reluctantly, with clenched noses.


    By then, this Holy Song had spread among millions of priests, all of whom genuinely believed from their hearts that it was a divine miracle by the Light.


    The Divine Sect couldn¡¯t possibly dismiss all these millions of priests as heretics, right? That would shake the foundation of the Divine Sect.


    Moreover, judging from the situation back then and from these people¡¯s words, it did have a semblance of ¡®divine miracle.¡¯ Eventually, after discussions within the Light Holy Hall, five people believed the lyrics did not violate the fundamental teachings. They couldn¡¯t reach a consensus, so they consulted the King Ming and reluctantly accepted this new Holy Song.


    Currently, four veteran Light Saints believe this is an act of blasphemy and want to restore the order.


    Fang Junhao contemplated with a puzzled expression, ¡°Bright Lord? Glorious Holy Thunder, initiating all phenomena? Bright Tribulation Fire, originating all transformations?¡±


    ¡°The term ¡®Bright Lord¡¯ existed during the time of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader. The Holy Song back then wasn¡¯t like this. You can check the classics to see that after the Seventh Generation Sect Leader refined the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, it was concealed. As for ¡®initiating all phenomena¡¯ and ¡®originating all transformations,¡¯ many priests practiced ¡®Ming King Seated Lotus Temple,¡¯ believing that the Holy Thunder splitting open the Dark World, the Tribulation Fire cleansing heaven and earth, had the powers of a creator, capable of birthing all things and unifying all things.¡±


    While Xiao Xingyi explained, his expression grew even more peculiar, ¡°I have also re-envisioned the Ming King Seated Lotus, discovering that the atmosphere is indeed vastly different from the previous Kings seated on Lotuses. Even my own Divine Fire has seen some improvement. I personally speculate that perhaps the previous generations of Sect Leaders were limited in their abilities, unable to express the true essence of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡ª¡±


    He then furrowed his brows, ¡°This matter is also debated internally within the Divine Sect. Apparently, four Saints agreed, thinking it¡¯s only natural. Our sect¡¯s savior, the Bright Lord, naturally should have the authority of a creator! The Master of Light can birth all things and unify all things. Moreover, there are two neutral Saints, and three express dissent, but they also dare not oppose. As for the Bright Sage Master, his attitude is unclear.¡±


    At this moment, the Main Temple of the Divine Sect has gathered eight million priests, all of whom are the most devout Light believers, extremely fervent in their faith in the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.


    Even the three Light Saints of the Ninth Realm Emperor Rank did not dare to say that the Master of Light does not possess the divine power of birthing all things and unifying all things.


    Fang Junhao nodded slightly; so that¡¯s the truth.


    In the past, he was also extremely fervent in his faith in the Light, believing that the Master of Light, destined to split open the dark and refine the world, must be omnipotent.


    Fang Junhao also thoroughly studied the teachings of the Divine Sect, knowing that during the Seventh Generation Sect Leader¡¯s time, the Holy Song did indeed contain the words ¡®Bright Lord,¡¯ only changed after the Seventh¡¯s demise.


    This made Fang Junhao suspicious, wondering if this new Holy Song might really be a divine miracle, inspired by the Light, restoring the original order?


    Fang Junhao pondered that he must find an opportunity to personally experience the Ming King Seated Lotus Temple and see for himself.


    ¡°Then where is Ming King¡¯s Highness?¡± Fang Junhao turned his gaze toward the direction of the Great Ming Hall, ¡°Could he be inside handling sect affairs?¡±


    He still found it bothersome to talk with Xiao Xingyi, as he could learn about the sect¡¯s leaders¡¯ attitudes from him.


    As for the matters entrusted to him by the Regent, he still needed to discuss them with Ming King¡¯s Highness.


    Xiao Xingyi didn¡¯t mind this remark. His purpose in personally receiving Fang Junhao was to exert pressure on this Demon Suppression Envoy, so that he made the correct assessment of the situation.


    He wasn¡¯t foolish enough to think that he could sway Fang Junhao¡¯s resolve with just a few words.


    ¡°Not today.¡± Xiao Xingyi shook his head, ¡°Come with me. Ming King¡¯s Highness is inspecting the cultivation base opened at the rear of the Main Temple. The Shennong Holy Hall has cultivated and improved a new Spiritual Medicine based on the technological data provided by the Forest Group, inviting the Ming King for inspection.¡±


    He paused, his eyes again gleaming with an unusual light, ¡°This matter is regarded by Ming King as the current Divine Sect¡¯s top priority. It¡¯s said that if this Spiritual Medicine can be mass-produced, the range of the Underground Farm can continue to expand by another two hundred miles, doubling the income.¡±


    Fang Junhao was slightly stunned upon hearing this, knowing that the ¡®Shennong Holy Hall¡¯ was a newly established institution by the Ming King.


    This Holy Hall has three responsibilities: firstly, directly managing the Underground Farm of the Main Temple; secondly, guiding and overseeing all districts, all incense halls in their cultivation, animal husbandry, forestry, and fisheries; thirdly, mimicking the Outer Heaven Demon to cultivate Spirit Species using biological technology.


    Especially the last responsibility, the reason the Ming King established the Shennong Holy Hall was also to prevent the lifeline of the Divine Sect from being controlled by the Outer Heaven Demons.


    Surprisingly, the agricultural technology advancements of the Shennong Holy Hall have been astounding; starting four months ago, various districts and incense halls began receiving various Spiritual Medicine seeds from the Shennong Holy Hall, reportedly increasing yields by three to fifty percent over previous amounts. If cultivated according to their taught methods, yields can increase by another twenty percent.


    This is what Fang Junhao admired about the Ming King.


    Currently, these Spiritual Medicine seeds have not yet reached the harvest phase, but if the people of the ¡®Shennong Holy Hall¡¯ are not lying, then all districts and incense halls will be reliant on the Main Temple, thus deepening the control of the Main Temple over the districts and incense halls, combined with those 800,000 priests, it¡¯s a multifaceted approach.


    Fang Junhao wondered what kind of Spiritual Medicine it was to be so highly valued by the Ming King?


    He followed Xiao Xingyi into the five-layer farm beneath the Main Temple¡¯s Starship, finding the current Main Temple vastly different from when he left last year.


    Inside the farm, there was a bustling scene of activity, yet everything was orderly. The priests passing by were mostly energetic and full of spirit, walking with a brisk pace.


    The defense forces within the Main Temple have also been greatly strengthened.


    Fang Junhao saw dozens of Type 7 and Type 8 Combat Robots along the way, as well as numerous automated turrets infused with Conceptual Power.


    Part of this is funded by the Heavenly Demon faction, and part is self-produced by the Divine Sect.


    Furthermore, the armor and force field generators outside the Main Temple have also been significantly enhanced¡ªthey are the handiwork of the Divine Sect¡¯s Mechanical Masters.


    It¡¯s said that half a year ago, the Divine Sect acquired a large number of highly skilled Mechanical Masters, allowing them to independently build war machines and even possessing the capability to manufacture warships.


    Under the fleet of the Invincible Dharma King, there are thirty starships and 800 Heavenly Demon Armors, all crafted by them.


    These Mechanical Masters not only provide the Divine Sect with ample war machines, but have also begun to sell externally.


    Some suspect that the Mechanical Masters acquired by the Divine Sect may have come from the Heresy Prison of the Mechanical God Temple.


    This has caused the relationship between the Mechanical God Temple and the Light Holy Sect to rapidly deteriorate, with the Mechanical God Temple sending envoys twice consecutively to the Invincible Dharma King and Ming King for accountability.


    However, both the Invincible Dharma King and Ming King dismiss the concerns of the Mechanical God Temple, unwilling to return these Mechanical Masters.


    The people of the Mechanical God Temple are busy extending the life of their ¡®Mechanical God¡¯, unable to spare the effort to confront the Divine Sect.


    The Invincible Dharma King and Ming King merely dispute over the ownership of these Mechanical Masters.


    The Invincible Dharma King believes these heretic Mechanical Masters from the Mechanical God Temple should be sent to the frontlines of Beicheng to support the Beicheng District combat.


    The Ming King contends that these Mechanical Masters are not followers of the Divine Sect and cannot be treated as congregants, and even if they joined the Divine Sect, they should be managed by the Mechanical Holy Hall.


    This has stirred discontent among the followers under the Invincible Dharma King, deeply dissatisfied with Li Guchan.


    They also suspect the raid on the Heresy Prison might be related to Li Guchan.


    As a result, the Regent took the blame for Li Guchan but got no benefit at all; how could this guy manage to have the tens of thousands of heretic Mechanical Masters fall under the jurisdiction of the Ming King and keep a tight lip, saying nothing?


    As for Fang Junhao himself, he outwardly agrees with the crowd, while inwardly he thinks Ming King did a brilliant job.


    Although Fang Junhao doesn¡¯t know exactly what Ming King did, the acquisition of these Mechanical Masters by the Divine Sect saved a lot of expenses.


    Fang Junhao and Xiao Xingyi soon arrived at the cultivation base of the Shennong Holy Hall, where they met ¡®Ming King¡¯.


    This figure wasn¡¯t wearing the Hidden Dragon Battle Armor but was clad in lightweight armor, kneeling in the field, intently observing a two-foot-tall, entirely fiery red Spirit Grass.


    Even though his face is masked, Fang Junhao instantly recognized this figure¡¯s identity upon first glance.


    Just by sensing the Divine Fire Sub-Body within and the perception of the Light Seal, there couldn¡¯t be a mistake.


    However, Fang Junhao¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to a towering golden armored figure nearly two yards tall standing next to ¡®Ming King¡¯.


    Wearing dazzling Heavenly Demon Armor, this figure was enveloped in brilliant and dazzling Light Power, as blinding as a torch.


    He stood in attendance behind Ming King, entirely motionless like a solid golden pillar.


    ¡°Dharma King Bai Mei?¡± Fang Junhao narrowed his eyes.


    Fang Junhao was always focused on the internal affairs of the Divine Sect and knew the current situation of Dharma King Bai Mei.


    This individual was punished by the Judge Divine Envoy, required to wear the Dragon Armor ¡®Divine Mark¡¯ for 10 hours each day for 50 years.


    It¡¯s said Ming King spent a fortune to have three top heretic Mechanical Masters collaborate in crafting it for Dharma King Bai Mei.


    This is a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank Battle Armor, yet wearing it requires enduring the immense pain of Divine Fire burning, with 999 retractable Golden Needles deeply embedded within the flesh.


    What startled Fang Junhao was observing ¡®Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯, perceiving his Light Power as vast and deep as the ocean.


    Fang Junhao couldn¡¯t discern the true strength nor weakness of this individual, but when ¡®Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯ glanced over, Fang Junhao felt a tremor in his heart, secretly apprehensive.


    Previously, Fang Junhao¡¯s subordinates told him about this, but he didn¡¯t believe; now, however, he thinks his subordinates simply lacked sufficient cultivation to recognize the horror of ¡®Dharma King Bai Mei¡¯.


    What exactly did this figure experience in the battle of Tianzhou? How did he survive? Why has he achieved such formidable power?

 Chapter 810: 738: Suns Blood

    Chapter 810: Chapter 738: Sun¡¯s Blood


    At this moment, ¡®King Ming¡¯ Lin Rui also noticed the arrival of Fang Junhao and the others. He stood up, clapped the dust off his hands, and said with a smile, ¡°Divine Envoy Fang has arrived? Divine Envoy has returned from a hundred battles in Shengzhou, hard work indeed!¡±


    Fang Junhao¡¯s expression was solemn as he, along with Xiao Xingyi, deeply bowed to this King Ming, ¡°Minister Fang Junhao pays respects to His Highness King Ming! As the Demon Suppression Envoy, it is my duty to battle on behalf of the Divine Sect. I dare not claim it as hard work.¡±


    Lin Rui nodded and then beckoned to Fang Junhao and Xiao Xingyi, ¡°Please come forward, you two, can you recognize what this is?¡±


    Xiao Xingyi, who had been paying attention to the Shennong Holy Hall¡¯s project for a long time, smiled silently upon hearing this.


    Fang Junhao carefully observed and hesitantly said, ¡°It seems to be a Blood Sunflower?¡±


    ¡°It is a variant of the Blood Sunflower, a product using Outer Heaven Demon¡¯s gene editing technology.¡±


    Lin Rui plucked the flower of this Blood Sunflower and played with it finely in his hand.


    This flower somewhat resembles Earth¡¯s sunflower, so the Federation¡¯s official translation followed the sunflower pattern.


    ¡°Although the gene editing technology of the Outer Heaven Demon is amazing, under the influence of the Purgatory Light, as long as the DNA of various crops is somewhat unstable, mutations are inevitable. Therefore, while the Shennong Holy Hall carries out over 700 projects simultaneously, only the Blood Sunflower in my hand holds the hope of success.


    From the trial planting situation, it not only adapted to the environment of this Underground Farm but also retained and enhanced the medicinal properties of the Blood Sunflower. It can purify a trace of Purgatory Light and transform it into beneficial components for the human body, making it the main ingredient for drug preparation. It not only intensely soothes the spirit but is also effective for both us humans and the Heavenly Demons and can even help the Outer Heaven Demons produce some telomere activity, repairing the telomeres, thereby extending the life span.¡±


    At this point, Lin Rui¡¯s voice paused, and his eyes filled with a different gleam, ¡°The key point is that this type of Blood Sunflower is not only easy to grow but also has a shortened growth cycle to five months, only half of the previous. The yield of sunflower seeds increased by 280%, making it affordably priced.¡±


    Fang Junhao was moved upon hearing this and couldn¡¯t help but be impressed, ¡°280%, Your Highness, what exactly does it mean for it to be ¡®easy to grow¡¯?¡±


    He understood why His Highness King Ming valued this plant so highly.


    It¡¯s known that the Blood Sunflower is a high-level spiritual medicine, a primary ingredient for many elixirs and medications, which always relied solely on harvesting, with no way for large-scale breeding and cultivation.


    ¡°There are still limitations; currently, it can only survive around the Radiant Holy Altar, 200 miles surrounding the Main Temple, and 100 miles for the deputy temples. This requires the power of the Holy Light Fire to combat the Purgatory Light. Despite this, an annual benefit of over 80 million teals of Divine Gold is achievable, more than doubling our Underground Farm¡¯s income!


    I plan to name this type of Blood Sunflower ¡®Sun¡¯s Blood¡¯. After harvesting those spiritual medicines outside, we will begin large-scale planting of this plant.¡±


    Smiling as he said this, Lin Rui cupped his hands towards the dozens of ¡®priests¡¯ who were either working in the fields or observing and recording, ¡°The fact that our sect can reap such a wondrous thing, with a bright future ahead, relies heavily on all you gentlemen¡¯s efforts. Please accept my bow!¡±


    Those ¡®priests¡¯ were flattered and quickly got up to return the bow, repeatedly saying they dared not accept it.


    These individuals are essentially members of the East Asia Science Academy¡¯s Biological Research Institute and the Agricultural Research Institute, scholars¡¯ ¡®Aliens¡¯ from two major research institutions, including seven academicians and the research teams they lead.


    Lin Rui reached a cooperation agreement with the East Asia Science Academy seven months ago, establishing the ¡®Shennong Holy Hall¡¯ within the Light God Sect, with personnel dispatched from the East Asia Agricultural Research Institute to assist the sect in the development of crop improvement and animal husbandry methods for the Underground Farm while also nurturing talent within the sect, and Lin Rui was responsible for providing protection.


    The Biological Research Institute and the Agricultural Research Institute themselves also hold great interest in this cooperative project.


    They have been studying the impact of the Purgatory Light on various crops and organisms, and for an entity like the Light God Sect, which uses the power of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and the Radiant Holy Altar to resist the Purgatory Light, the subject of large-scale underground cultivation of various crops greatly benefits their research.


    This Underground Farm¡¯s environment is unlike any other Earth Federation¡¯s underground research base, so these scholars were very enthusiastic and even proactively brought in substantial supporting funds for this project.


    Yet Lin Rui did not expect Shennong Holy Hall to yield results so quickly.


    The Blood Sunflower, although one of several spiritual medicines he designated for research at Shennong Holy Hall, inherently has an unstable DNA structure.


    Currently, the Earth Federation¡¯s research on Purgatory Light and various spiritual medicines of Sky Etreme Star remains at a fairly rudimentary level, and they have not yet grasped the deeper principles of how Purgatory Light affects genes.


    Thus, there is no shortcut for cultivating this spiritual medicine, only through massive amounts of experiments.


    Therefore, the current harvest is an unexpected surprise, truly exhilarating.


    Upon hearing the term ¡®Radiant Holy Altar¡¯, Fang Junhao frowned slightly and gave a soft sigh.


    His loyalty had completely shifted towards King Ming, believing the expansion and construction of the Radiant Holy Altar to be a pressing matter for the sect.


    The profit from the Radiant Holy Altar is indeed enormous!


    A single Radiant Holy Altar can bring in tens of millions of teals of Divine Gold in a matter of months. Who in the sect wouldn¡¯t be tempted?


    Previously, King Ming used spare materials left by the Seventh Generation Sect Leader to build a new ¡®Radiant Deputy Altar¡¯ over six months.


    Its scale is small, with Divine Fire covering only a 1000-mile radius underground, just an eighth of the main altar¡¯s area.


    At that time, many within the sect opposed it, believing it was a waste of resources. But now, Fang Junhao wished for as many Radiant Deputy Altars as possible.


    He bowed again, earnestly speaking, ¡°Your Highness, I observe that the Regent is very keen and anxious about the Starship. If the Main Temple firmly refuses, the Regent may not relent easily.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s lips subtly curved upon hearing this.


    He knew that since the Invincible Dharma King was his mother, he was no longer interested in digging the Invincible Wall.


    However, now the importance of the Jingyi Altar far surpasses that of the Starship, and he must quickly build more Jingyi Altars and simultaneously transform the Divine Sect¡¯s Radiant Holy Altar.


    This has created a fundamental conflict between him and the Invincible Dharma King.


    Lin Rui signaled to Dharma King Bai Mei, Yin Wansui, beside him with the Power of Concept to seal off the surroundings, then said gently, ¡°Do you know why the Regent is so obsessed with the starship?¡±


    He actually understood where the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s obsession came from; his mother should be driven by instinct and fragmented memories, wanting to return to the Ninth Base City as soon as possible.


    Even though the couple had made plans before their death, properly laid out their arrangements, Li Weiliang still worried instinctively for their siblings.


    Fang Junhao was perplexed, furrowing his brow, ¡°Your Highness, I have also been trying to understand the Regent¡¯s intentions, but both the Regent and her trusted aides are very secretive about it.¡±


    Although the Regent has given many grandiose reasons for procuring the starship, Fang Junhao knows these are all fabricated excuses.


    Lin Rui nodded: ¡°I did hear from someone close to the Regent that she is building a starship fleet to breach the Ninth Sky Demon Origin. Both she and the Hundred Wings Saber King have an obsession with this place, wanting to go there to find something and do something.¡±


    Fang Junhao raised his eyebrows immediately.


    He knew he had not yet reached the Invincible Dharma King¡¯s inner circle nor obtained the true trust of the Regent Deputy Sect Leader, but how did King Ming find out?


    Who was this ¡°someone¡± beside the Regent?


    At this moment, Lin Rui shifted his tone again: ¡°Actually, for the Regent to go to the Ninth Sky Demon Origin, it¡¯s not necessary to rely on the starship; using an Alien is also possible. I heard the Forest Group has already mastered the cultivation technology of High-level Martial Cultivator¡¯s Aliens. Even with Ninth Realm cultivation, they can achieve spirit and body integration!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fang Junhao¡¯s pupils involuntarily widened: ¡°Achieving spirit and body integration? Is Your Highness serious? How is this possible?¡±


    His jurisdiction over the Demon Suppression Holy Hall was built by direct order of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, with duties including cultivating the Divine Sect¡¯s internal Alien Walkers.


    Therefore, Fang Junhao knows that once Martial Cultivators reach the Sixth Realm and above, it¡¯s impossible to cultivate ¡®Aliens.¡¯


    At this level, even if an Alien is cultivated, it can¡¯t achieve spirit and body integration and has less than one-tenth of the combat power of the main body.


    Moreover, the higher the cultivation, the weaker the Alien¡¯s strength.


    Thus, being a Demon Suppression Envoy, he did not have his own Alien.


    ¡°Can it be false? This is an open secret within the Earth Federation. All forces suspect Lin Rui, the owner of Forest Group, has created Aliens for the experts around Lin Hao, the Hidden Crown Prince of Great Song, but so far, no evidence has been found.¡±


    Lin Rui said leisurely, ¡°However, my Light God Sect¡¯s collaboration with the Forest Group is deepening. As long as we have enough ¡®Sun¡¯s Blood¡¯ supplies, I can have enough leverage to ask the Forest Group to make an Alien for the Regent.¡±


    Fang Junhao¡¯s heart moved, thinking if so, perhaps he could probe the Regent¡¯s mood, maybe even change her stance.


    He frowned immediately: ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s unreliable and hard to convince the Regent.¡±


    ¡°I have channels and can ask the Divine Law Heavenly Girl to guarantee. If the Regent still doubts, we can let someone pilot it first to see the Forest Group¡¯s integrity and capabilities.¡±


    Lin Rui waved his hand, turning to Fang Junhao: ¡°I wonder if Envoy Fang is willing to mediate on behalf of my King? It¡¯s not just the Regent; even your Demon Suppression Holy Hall has been declining since the Seventh Generation. My King intends to deploy elite forces from the Divine Sect into the Demon Suppression Holy Hall, funded by the Main Temple, to cultivate Aliens that achieve spirit and body integration. Moreover, if the ¡®Sun¡¯s Blood¡¯ can be greatly successful, my King intends to allocate funds to ask Mechanical Masters to create sixty Quantum Divine Machines for the Demon Suppression Holy Hall.¡±


    Fang Junhao was again deeply moved.


    In the era of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, due to the powerful combat strength of the Demon Suppression Envoy, they not only bore the task of reverse infiltration into the Outer Heaven Demon but were also a pillar of martial force within the Divine Sect.


    However, over the past four hundred years, the Light God Sect has repeatedly suffered attacks from the Sky Extreme Five Gods, and the Demon Suppression Holy Hall has suffered heavy losses.


    The current members are less than ten thousand, and the Quantum Divine Machines are only around 130.


    They even lost control over the internal ¡®Bright Holy Sect¡¯ of the Outer Heaven Demon a hundred years ago, gradually declining, their Demon Suppressor mostly mingling at the lower levels of the Heavenly Demon, with few reaching high positions.


    Fang Junhao¡¯s ability to become a major figure within the Divine Sect primarily relied on his previous control of the West Liao Diocese and several halls, rather than relying on the Demon Suppression Holy Hall.


    Only in the last half year, supported by the Regent, has the strength of the Demon Suppression Holy Hall somewhat recovered.


    The Regent¡¯s starship fleet was able to complete two interstellar trades with the assistance of the Demon Suppression Holy Hall.


    This was why Fang Junhao was willing to support the Invincible Dharma King.


    After thinking briefly, Fang Junhao bowed slightly: ¡°I must quickly return to the Beicheng District once, and I request King Ming to patiently await good news!¡±


    He resolved in his heart, with determination in his eyes, thinking that regardless, he must persuade the Regent to accept the decision of the Main Temple!


    Lin Rui sensed Fang Junhao¡¯s intent wave, smiling with satisfaction: ¡°Then I must trouble Envoy Fang.¡±


    He naturally would not rely solely on Fang Junhao for this matter.


    To convince the Invincible Dharma King to restrain her internal obsession, multiple strategies are required; Fang Junhao is only one pen in the plan.


    Lin Rui used his mind to sense within himself, feeling the increasingly powerful body, increasingly vast True Yuan, increasingly rich Abyss Source Material, and could not help but feel an uneasiness.


    He truly does not have much time ¡ª

 Chapter 811: 739 Approaching

    Chapter 811: Chapter 739 Approaching


    ¡°According to the test results, your Abyss Source Material Coincidence Rate is already close to 72%, getting closer to the true Abyss. However, your X Source Material and genes have a 48% overlap with the Seventh Generation Sect Leader.¡±


    An hour later, in Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, secret lab number 11, Si Malin gasped: ¡°The overall physical quality also reached 372,422 points, True Essence Quantity 433,426 points, True Essence Strength 485,341 points. Just this month, your physical qualities in all aspects have been enhanced by about 13-18%, and the speed has accelerated, already nearing the limit¡ª¡±


    It is known that in the Nine Realms Divine Illumination, all aspects of physical and spiritual qualities are only between 300,000 to 600,000 points.


    Some individuals can reach 700,000 to 800,000 or even over 900,000, those are at Divine Envoy, Senior Divine Envoy, and Super Divine Envoy Level.


    Si Malin continued flipping through the test report: ¡°The comprehensive spiritual power value hasn¡¯t increased much, 451,034 points, spiritual strength 631,231 points, almost reaching Divine Envoy Level, mainly the quantity is holding you back.¡±


    Although, according to Lin Rui¡¯s current cultivation, his comprehensive spiritual power value and spiritual strength are already considered monstrous, yet the growth speed is still not matching his physical body.


    And these growths mainly came from eight months ago when Lin Rui said he devoured and refined part of the Essence Soul of Great Wei Taizong Wei Jingtong.


    Since then, Lin Rui¡¯s Primordial Spirit Power has also been growing rapidly but has never matched the speed of his physical enhancements.


    Si Malin turned his head to look at Lin Rui: ¡°You won¡¯t be able to suppress it like this, sooner or later, you¡¯ll expose the foundation, and in three to five months at most, you must advance.¡±


    If Lin Rui advances to the Eight Realms now, the assimilation rate will definitely surge over 60%.


    At that time, the situation will become tricky.


    And Lin Rui¡¯s comprehensive spiritual power quality of 450,000 points is increasingly difficult to control and suppress his strong qi and blood. There will certainly be flaws in front of the Great Celestial Master and the East Abyss in the future.


    Si Malin actually admired Lin Rui quite a bit; being able to elevate spiritual power qualities to such heights within just two years.


    If not for this, Lin Rui would not have been able to sustain it long ago.


    At this moment, a piercing alarm sounded outside the lab; Si Malin glanced outside unconcernedly.


    Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute had long been under the attention of all parties, drawing countless forces from the Federation to spy.


    They wanted to find out how Lin Rui was cultivating mutants for the high-level Martial Practitioners on the Sky Extreme Star and also desired to steal the manufacturing technology of new model armaments.


    Concerning the Rui Fang Group¡¯s new armaments, six months ago, there was already a leak, causing a huge storm across the Federation, all three realms of politics, business, and military were in turmoil.


    So now every month, the Armament Research Institute has over a dozen espionage and data theft cases.


    However, the Forest¡¤Rui Fang Group is no longer what it used to be.


    On one hand, there¡¯s financial growth, currently, not only is the Rui Fang Group expanding its territory in the pharmaceutical market, but the Forest Group¡¯s growth in trade and heavy machinery is gradually catching up to Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals; on the other hand, the military strength of the Forest¡¤Rui Fang Group is increasing day by day. The two major groups altogether have 12 Heavy Equipment Divisions, 4 task forces with three battleship escort fleets, 1,500 Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners, and 120,000 Alien Walkers. The private armed forces of the Forest¡¤Rui Fang Group have entered the first tier among the Federations¡¯ financial oligarchs.


    And over these eight months, he and Mr. H have performed armor implant surgery on 73 Second and Third Generation Alien Walkers.


    This has made the top-level combat power of the group particularly strong.


    Currently, they are mainly limited by the speed of armament research and development. Most of the early Alien Walkers¡¯ armaments are relatively cheap and require a substantial additional fund for R&D. Otherwise, the combat power of the Forest¡¤Rui Fang Group¡¯s Congressman and Quasi-Member level would be able to increase by more than double!


    It should be noted that Wang Tianwu, responsible for the personnel and audit of the Institute, advanced to the Ninth Realm five months ago and is of Bloodline Emperor Rank!


    Although this individual is somewhat lacking in accumulation of martial arts and magic, and their Conceptual Power is slightly inadequate, he is nevertheless a strong Congressman level expert skilled in Mind Illusion Techniques! Together with Wang Tianwu¡¯s powerful Magic Artifact, and the 4 Red Spider 8PRO Combat Robots modified to 9SSS-level which he bought on heavy debt, he could barely fight a match against a Divine Envoy Level adversary.


    Moreover¡ª


    Si Malin glanced outside the lab¡¯s door.


    Outside the lab door stood a figure clad in golden Exoskeleton Armor, emitting a brilliant and magnificent aura.


    This person held a sword in one hand, standing there like a statue, silently guarding the door.


    ¡ªThis is another expert Lin Rui recruited seven months ago, currently responsible for overseeing the research institute.


    Initially, Si Malin wasn¡¯t aware of this individual¡¯s prowess, but recently, two Third Generation Alien Walkers, after undergoing surgery, mentioned this person, saying their strength was utterly unfathomable, maybe even Divine Envoy Level! Or possibly a Senior Divine Envoy!


    With these two standing guard over the research institute, one can imagine the difficulties those forces would face trying to steal the technology from Rui Fang Institute.


    Lin Rui looked at his test data, his eyes flickering: ¡°It¡¯s a bit troublesome, but still within controllable range.¡±


    However, several of his plans need to be accelerated.


    ¡°As long as you are aware, it¡¯s fine. When I knew you earlier, I thought your sister Lin Xi¡¯s issue was extremely troublesome. She was contaminated by the Abyss, and the possibility of eventually falling was 99.99%, yet I never expected your situation to be the most precarious.¡±


    Si Malin shook his head, manipulated the equipment to remove the cables from Lin Rui¡¯s body: ¡°I really don¡¯t recommend you continue injecting pseudo-X Source Material and Martial Intent Polarization Injections. Your Martial Intent Conceptualization, has already become difficult to enhance with injections. Continuing to inject will only further evolve your X Source Material and genes towards the Seventh Generation Sect Leader and Great Sun Venerable.¡±


    When he spoke this sentence, his expression changed slightly.


    The guy in front of him somehow obtained an opportunity, and his Martial Intent has been conceptualized almost to the Immortal Level.


    As for Lin Rui¡¯s two sisters, their Martial Intent conceptualization has also reached 45%.


    According to Si Malin¡¯s knowledge, Li Xianglong, who previously underwent armament replacement surgery and a comprehensive body inspection at their research institute, had only achieved about 48% Martial Intent conceptualization.


    Lin Rui also looked at the data sheet in front of him, another piece of test data that caught his attention.


    ¡ªMartial Intent Conceptualization: 68.33%!


    Lin Rui¡¯s Martial Intent was only one step away from the Immortal Level, yet this step was insurmountable.


    The Martial Intent Polarization Injection, a fruit of the East Asia Science Academy¡¯s Abyss Project, can help Martial Cultivators polarize their Martial Intent into Conceptual Power. Thanks to his alliance with the East Asia side, Lin Rui could obtain eight each month.


    However, as Si Malin said, this thing can no longer help further conceptualize his Martial Intent; instead, it increases the speed of assimilation pollution, making the cost-benefit ratio not high.


    Even his master, Luo Wangshu, was stuck at 69.75% and unable to progress further into the Immortal Level.


    Generally speaking, there¡¯s hope to reach the Immortal Level at 65% Martial Intent conceptualization, but based on ancient texts and various information collected by the two, it¡¯s most prudent to seek advancement only after reaching 70%.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯ll stop after two more injections!¡± Lin Rui noticed Si Malin¡¯s frown and seemed about to advise him, so he changed the topic: ¡°I heard that the teacher has already moved the family to the dock base?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no choice; the Longevity Association is putting a lot of pressure on me.¡±


    Si Malin sighed: ¡°Moreover, while the entire Federation appears calm, it¡¯s actually very chaotic beneath the surface. Recently, several Abyss Divine Artifacts have appeared within the Federation, and your base is the most stable at present.¡±


    Si Malin used to be a member of the Longevity Association, so strictly speaking, he is not protected by the ceasefire agreement.


    The Longevity Association used to fear the Forest Group greatly, not daring to take action against Si Malin and his family for fear of provoking retaliation from the Forest Group.


    However, it¡¯s said that the Longevity Association¡¯s power has not decreased but rather increased significantly.


    Those ¡®Quasi Immortal¡¯ experts seem to have mastered some part of the alien ¡®spirit-body unity¡¯ technique and have participated in the Longevity Association¡¯s affairs over the past year, stabilizing its near-collapse state from a year ago.


    Then there¡¯s Yi Duxing, who suddenly struck against Lin Tianchen three months ago in a starry battle.


    Not only did he heal his old wounds, but he also mastered an Abyss Divine Artifact, gaining the upper hand in the battle and almost severely injuring Lin Tianchen.


    It¡¯s said that several other experts from the Longevity Association were lurking nearby at the time.


    If it weren¡¯t for Li Xianglong and Xu Mengran keeping watch and the Suffering Heavenly Girl¡¯s Battle Dragon arriving afterward, Lin Tianchen could have perished.


    Currently, the safest place in the entire Earth Federation is none other than the Forest Group¡¯s dock base.


    Not only does it gather many experts from the Forest Rui Fang Group, but Lin Rui has also been investing large amounts of money over the past year to build it into a Star Castle fortress.


    It boasts the highest standard alloy walls, the strongest force field generators, tens of thousands of combat robots, nearly twenty thousand various gun emplacements, and a massive Divine Illumination-level large-scale array.


    It can already exist independently of Satellite No. 9 and become a Star Castle fortress roaming the void.


    Of course, what assures people the most is the Twin Goddess.


    ¡ªThis is an Abyss Weapon with 45% Martial Intent conceptualization and increased combat time to 145 seconds!


    However, Si Malin still looked at Lin Rui with some concern, ¡°Come to think of it, your agreement with the Longevity Association is about to expire, right, Xiao Rui?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about to expire, in just about three months or so.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression was calm, with a hint of ridicule in his eyes: ¡°Rest assured, teacher, they won¡¯t dare to act until a suitable opportunity arises.¡±


    Si Malin doesn¡¯t know about the Battle of Tianzhou, in which the Great Wei Taizong Wei Jingtong died by his hand.


    But it must be known within the Longevity Association.


    So they have been very obedient recently. Over the past eight months, the Longevity Association has been the only force that hasn¡¯t dared to take action against Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute.


    Their desired opportunity should be when he transfers the Sky Curtain Spirit into the Artificial Sky.


    As for the Abyss Divine Artifacts that Si Malin mentioned appearing one after another, it¡¯s because the ancient Abyss beings have entered the scene, using their Abyss Divine Artifacts to interfere in this struggle for transcendence.


    Therefore, Si Malin¡¯s premonition is correct: the Earth Federation and Sky Extreme Star are about to enter their most chaotic era.

 Chapter 812: 740: Milk and Eggs

    Chapter 812: Chapter 740: Milk and Eggs


    After Lin Rui left Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, he arrived at the top of a high wall in the dock base¡¯s outer courtyard, and looked outward.


    He was observing the Ninth Base City after its expansion.


    The diameter of the upper district of this city was originally fifteen hundred kilometers, but now it has expanded to five thousand kilometers in diameter, with the area expanding more than ten times to an astonishing 19 million square kilometers, almost equivalent to a continent on Earth¡¯s mother planet.


    And the city¡¯s outer wall conveniently encompasses a small part of Lin Rui¡¯s dock base at the eastern side.


    The expansion project of the base city has basically been completed, and a larger powered artificial sun has been replaced.


    However, construction sites and large building robots can still be seen everywhere, especially in the suburbs of the city, where construction is ongoing everywhere.


    Towering buildings are springing up one after another, along with construction of sports centers, Martial Arts Halls, schools, hospitals, and malls, among other functional buildings.


    The outer wall of the city base is also under construction, with countless workers and building robots laying steel plates and pouring high-strength military cement.


    The vast vacant land in the outer layer of the city is being utilized and transformed into multi-layered hydroponic farms and breeding fields.


    ¡ª¡ªThis is just what can be seen.


    In the unseen Lower Zone, large-scale construction is also underway.


    The Ninth Base City and the Federation Government have invested heavily to renovate underground living pipes and transportation tunnels, leveling the cramped and dark cavern living areas in the Lower Zone, meanwhile relocating the immigrants of the Lower Zone to the surface.


    The original upper district area of the Ninth Base City was 1.76 million square kilometers, excluding industrial zones, farm zones, breeding zones, and those large biological research centers and Martial Arts halls, leaving little residential land, barely enough to accommodate 1.23 billion legal citizens of the Ninth Base City.


    But now with the city¡¯s area, it can easily accommodate 10 billion people, along with the tenfold farm area.


    However, the city government¡¯s cleanup results of the Lower Zone are also shocking, as the population of the Ninth Base City is far more than the 2.5 to 2.8 billion forecasted by major media and institutions, reaching a staggering 3.2 billion!


    ¡ª¡ªIn those dark cavernous paths of the Lower Zone, accommodating a full 2 billion people.


    These people are now granted provisional citizenship, holding low-interest housing loans subsidized by the city government to relocate to the surface, thus creating massive housing demand.


    The City Council also uses the low-interest housing loan policy to attract illegal immigrants from other bases, migrating to the Ninth Base City, with the current internal population reaching 3.5 billion.


    Lin Rui then gathered Spirit in his eyes, causing his eyes to turn red gold.


    He saw within this base city, an immensely large Array.


    Using the ¡®Forest Rui Fang¡¯ twin towers in the center area of the base city under construction as the core, with twelve 999-story skyscrapers at the city¡¯s edge as the Array Pillar hubs, combined with the runes buried underground and in the outer wall, forming a colossal Array Plate covering the entire base.


    This enormous Array is almost complete, with at most a few days left for its construction.


    Lin Rui is eagerly anticipating its true completion, by then this Ninth Base City would be his unshakable foundation, the fundamental force he relies on to counter the Longevity Association and resist the deifying assimilation of the Great Sun Venerable.


    This is precisely Lin Rui¡¯s advantage over the Longevity Association.


    The Longevity Association is very powerful, yet cannot possess such unparalleled control and influence over a base city like Lin Rui.


    But simultaneously, Lin Rui, with Spirit gathered in his eyes, also saw two figures beside him.


    On his left, a towering figure radiating sun-like brilliance, dazzlingly bright and hard to look at directly, with an appearance impossible to discern; another was a refined scholar clad in a simple robe, the hem untainted by dust, exuding a transcendental worldly allure, his gentle as jade face coated with a soft golden hue from the Sun-like radiance beside him, his lips curled in a slight smile, giving an impression akin to a warm sunlight of a spring day.


    ¡ª¡ªThat was precisely the Seventh Generation Sect Leader whom Lin Rui had seen in portraits!


    Unlike the oppressive gaze from the Great Sun Venerable beside him, this person¡¯s gaze upon Lin Rui was serene and calm, his slender eyes akin to deep, wise pools filled with warmth and gentleness.


    Simultaneously, there is a trace of curiosity and anticipation, seemingly curious about how Lin Rui would struggle.


    Lin Rui couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue, thinking ¡®here it comes again.¡¯


    He observed for a moment, confirmed the progress of this super-large Array was normal, without any abnormalities, then proceeded towards the western side of the dock base.


    This dock base has undergone numerous expansions, now shaped like a sphere with a diameter of 180 kilometers, most of its internal areas occupied by the docks, shipyards, biological research institutes, and factories of Forest Rui Fang Group, with only its western part leased to ¡®Light King Sect¡¯, for establishing a grand Holy Temple.


    This is where the ¡®Jingyi Altar¡¯ is settled.


    When Lin Rui walked into the Holy Temple with the ¡®Light King¡¯ plaque hanging over its doorway, he saw a Holy Altar similar in shape to the Radiant Holy Altar.


    Only it has shrunk quite a bit, partly due to Lin Rui¡¯s optimizations based on technical data of the Radiant Holy Altar, partly due to its capacity indeed being inferior to the Radiant Holy Altar, with a capacity of only six hundred million.


    Lin Rui¡¯s initial design standard was three hundred million, later the Forest Group truly earned a lot through trade with the Light God Sect, hence the ¡®Jingyi Altar¡¯ was expanded repeatedly.

 Chapter 813: 740: Milk and Eggs_2

    Chapter 813: Chapter 740: Milk and Eggs_2


    At this moment, a woman in white is visible, seated in meditation here, her hands forming seals, chanting the Light Scripture, her body ablaze with holy fire that resonates with the radiant ¡®Jingyi Altar¡¯.


    Her features are elegant and delicate, though the left side of her face is metal, resembling a mask.


    If any Ninth Realm Divine Illumination Martial Cultivator with slightly higher cultivation were present, they would be astonished to discover that this woman is clearly a fusion of machinery and flesh.


    Yet, her holy fire contains an incomparably powerful Conceptual Power.


    It comprises at least fifty percent of the Pure Method, with around forty percent of Separation and Union and slaughtering.


    Lin Rui, upon seeing her, also displayed a peculiar look in his eyes.


    ¡ªThis is Heart of Light No. 9, now one of Lin Rui¡¯s priests, an unexpected delight for him.


    This was personally orchestrated by Lin Rui, who spared no expense, spending three million soul power points to exchange for Spirit Ring No. 5, the Mechanical God Temple¡¯s 222nd generation Chief Master Tan Shenzi¡¯s ¡®Divine Light Machine (Grandmaster)¡¯-level skill, combining mechanical technology with Federation biotechnology to create.


    Using Federation cyborg technology as a blueprint, Lin Rui invested heavily in research, spending 420 billion federal coins to gather materials for Lin Guangming, crafting everything according to the standards of the Ninth Realm Martial Cultivator¡¯s body.


    Due to Lin Guangming¡¯s small body size, comparable to an adult, unlike the massive 9-type Combat Robots, the cost was even greater, with a comprehensive development cost of 530 billion federal coins per unit.


    However, this cyborg¡¯s various qualities still fall short of the Red Spider 9-type and Dragon Slayer Type, with only power, speed, reflex, impact resistance, and other indicators barely reaching the Ninth Realm standard, while other sensing abilities are quasi-Ninth Realm.


    Lin Rui did this to exchange for the opportunity to have Lin Guangming and the other ten Hearts of Light completely shut down, to change their core programs and doctrines.


    Lin Rui never expected this to bring him three priests whose combat strength reaches powerful ¡®councilor¡¯ level, able to directly draw upon his Conceptual Power, equivalent to the ¡®Junior Celestial¡¯ in each Divine Sect.


    ¡ªThis is actually Lin Rui¡¯s biggest harvest in eight months, his strongest hidden card.


    Unfortunately, Lin Rui¡¯s financial resources are exhausted, currently only able to replace the bodies for Lin Guangming and No. 6, No. 7, with Lin Guangming being the strongest, his Pure Concept reaching 55%.


    But Lin Rui is already designing formations; in the future, the eleven Hearts of Light ¡®Junior Celestial¡¯ will fight in formation, and the combat strength can be anticipated.


    They have another advantage as well¡ªthose Hearts of Light uphold his doctrines and can replace him in spreading teachings.


    Lin Guangming sensed Lin Rui¡¯s arrival and immediately rose to salute: ¡°Supreme!¡±


    Her eyes flickered with fanatical gleam.


    In Lin Guangming¡¯s perception, the Supreme is both the thunder that splits darkness, the Tribulation Fire that cleanses the world, the light illuminating all beneath the sky, and the God who is one and all.


    Ancient eras¡¯ Great Sun Venerate, Light King, Li He Venerate, and even recent Seventh Generation Sect Leader were all incarnations of the Supreme, angels of the Supreme.


    ¡°Continue,¡± Lin Rui nodded calmly, then stepped onto the Jingyi Altar.


    The Jingyi Altar instantaneously radiated brilliance, a cluster of pure white holy fire transformed into a Fire Lotus on the altar.


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression shifted slightly: ¡°Recent seems the believers in the ninth district have increased somewhat?¡±


    He perceived that the Sky Curtain Spirit within this altar had already grown to 320 million.


    Luckily, he expanded the altar¡¯s capacity; otherwise, it would have been insufficient.


    However, while Sky Curtain Spirits are numerous, they are far less devout than the Light God Sect believers on Sky Extreme Star, leading to diminished purity and holy power of the altar compared to before.


    ¡°Indeed, increased a lot.¡± Lin Guangming furrowed her brows, her expression somewhat displeased: ¡°My ninth district has 450 million registered believers, though the vast majority came for the district-provided daily free Holy Meal or several subsidies.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s charitable foundation invested substantial charitable donations into the Light King Sect.


    The Light King Sect can provide believers with free meals every morning, consisting of a bottle of milk, two eggs, and steamed buns made from artificial flour.


    Additionally, followers of the King Sect can receive preferential treatment from city government, such as quasi-citizen status and corresponding housing subsidies, educational subsidies, etc.


    Some people also came for the numerous factory job opportunities in the ninth district.


    Thus, in these eight months, the ninth district¡¯s believers have exploded like a balloon, swelling from over 20 million to over 400 million, leading many priests to jest that Light King Sect is simply a milk-and-egg sect.


    Other districts are similarly affected, with the sixth and seventh districts having approximately 150 million followers as well.


    Lin Guangming felt somewhat uneasy, seeing that real faith in Light among these believers is scarce, and they are a motley collection, chaotic.


    Yet, this adheres to the Supreme¡¯s doctrine, indeed benefiting followers and many people.


    This is also the underlying reason Lin Guangming wholeheartedly believes in and worships the Supreme; Lin Rui truly brings light to 2 billion people in the Lower Zone.


    ¡°Very good!¡± Lin Rui, however, is quite satisfied: ¡°Nonetheless, it still requires strengthening doctrine lectures, allowing believers to truly grasp the Light philosophy.¡±


    Actually, Lin Rui doesn¡¯t mind the shallowness and chaos of believers¡¯ faith.


    His Martial Intent is One Births All Things, Unity of All Things, so to him, one has one¡¯s benefits, chaos has chaos¡¯s uses, without needing to enforce Purity.


    As long as the 320 million people within the Sky Curtain know he is the Light King, the Supreme, that is sufficient.


    Standing on the altar, Lin Rui leveraged the recognition from these 320 million Sky Curtain Spirits, consistently focusing his Primordial Spirit, simultaneously differentiating and integrating, purifying and refining, so that two shadows nearby vanished within moments.


    Lin Rui pondered how the artificial sky curtain created by the Seventh Generation Sect Leader truly serves as the ingenious method to resist Divine Spirit erosion and assimilation.


    ¡ªHowever, this certainly isn¡¯t enough; even the Seventh Generation Sect Leader was assimilated by Great Sun Venerate, forcing his Divinity to turn into a Divine Artifact.


    ¡°By the teachings!¡± Lin Guangming bowed deeply, her willow eyebrows furrowing even further: ¡°But, Supreme, currently the sect¡¯s priests are insufficient; I dare plead the Supreme to bestow Holy Fire progeny for lower-level priests to meditate and fathom the Light philosophy.¡±


    She knows the ¡®Supreme¡¯ holds the Light Seal and is indeed the ¡®King Ming¡¯.


    Yet Lin Rui¡¯s Martial Intent hasn¡¯t reached the Longevity Realm, so how could he dare to grant Holy Fire progeny for the priests to meditate upon?


    The believers his congregation gathered daily from so many eggs, so much milk, so many buns, leading them to ultimately worship the Seventh Generation Sect Leader¡¯s ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯?


    To reverse Light God Sect¡¯s doctrine, Lin Rui has already exhausted his efforts.


    Not only did he spend 20 million soul power points to deduce a cultivation method of ¡®Divine Power Summoning¡¯, but he also tirelessly summoned believers day and night, having them sing new Holy Songs, while negotiating with the Bright Sage Master of the Light Holy Hall and nine saints.


    Lin Rui wasn¡¯t planning on repeating this process within Light King Sect.


    Moreover, only three of the eleven Hearts of Light have just been transformed; before modifying all their core programs, he doesn¡¯t dare to extensively spread current Light teachings, avoiding potential conflict and division among the eleven Hearts of Light upon comparison.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed necessary to cultivate more priests; however, now isn¡¯t the time, so let¡¯s wait a bit.¡±


    Right after Lin Rui uttered these words, he sensed something, activating his instant communication system.


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): Brother Rui, Professor Han has already located Du Zunlong¡¯s cave abode.


    Weirdo Youth (Wang Sen): But the situation here is somewhat unfavorable, and might need you to assess firsthand.


    Listening to this, Lin Rui squinted his eyes.


    ¡ªLimitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong, this will be his hope for Martial Intent conceptualization, breaking through to Immortal Level!


    Lin Rui¡¯s Battle Spirit Ring can deduce almost all Conceptual Powers! Yet, it proves ineffective in Martial Intent conceptualization.


    Lin Rui originally intended to use external insights to polish his own jade, aiming to consume the Residual Spirit of Li He Venerate.


    He even prepared thoroughly, exerting two Radiant Holy Altars and three Unity Altars altogether.


    However, when Lin Rui went seeking, he found the Residual Spirit of Li He Venerate, along with his Divine Palace, had vacated the original location, whereabouts unknown.


    Now Lin Rui can only place his hope on the Limitless Saber Venerable.

 Chapter 814: 741 Wang Sen

    Chapter 814: Chapter 741 Wang Sen


    At this moment, Wang Sen is wearing an exoskeleton armor, standing in a vast cavern beneath Sky Extreme Star, 190,000 miles underground, carefully shutting down a large anti-interference quantum communication repeater before him.


    Because they are deep underground, coupled with the interference of the ¡®Purgatory Light,¡¯ they needed to carry this high-powered equipment for relay communication.


    This expedition team, funded by the Forest Group, carried only two such devices, mounted on all-terrain armored cars, treated like treasures by the entire expedition team.


    To prevent the repeater from becoming contaminated and mutated by the Purgatory Light, they¡¯re cautious not to keep it on for long, only using it for extremely important information.


    Han Kedao stands beside Wang Sen, frowning, his eyes worryingly gazing outside: ¡°What did Mr. Lin say?¡±


    Outside the cavern they are defending, spanning over 100 square kilometers, lies a vast group of caverns, also expansive in their internal space, filled with complex natural caves and labyrinthine tunnels. Dark, damp, enigmatic, pervaded by a musty smell.


    However, utilizing the dark red Purgatory Light here and the situational awareness and observing systems inside their exoskeleton armor, it can be seen that countless ¡®demons¡¯ are gathering within these cavern groups.


    They vary in shape, some cloaked in black scales, resembling abyssal dragons; others distorted in shape, with limbs as thin as dead branches; some with eyes glowing eerie green and large bat-like wings unfolded; others covered in heavy shells, wielding sharp, giant pincers, akin to giant insects.


    The air is filled with an indescribable stench, a unique odor exuded by the demons, mixed with the smell of blood and rotten earth, nauseating to the senses.


    At the entrance of the cavern, 220 armored cars equipped with type 7 and type 8 ¡®plasma cannons¡¯ and ¡®high-energy particle beam cannons,¡¯ along with 200 combat mechas, 300 various models of combat robots, and 1800 units of exoskeleton armor are spewing beams, mercilessly locking down the cavern entrance.


    To the rear, there are 30 320-mm howitzer antimatter annihilation cannons providing powerful fire support to the front.


    Although the number of these antimatter annihilation cannons is small, a single shot often results in devastation, even demons of Sixth and Seventh Realm do not dare face them head-on.


    Han Kedao felt a chill in his heart, and some regret emerged.


    Moments ago, through carelessness, he triggered the forbidden technique of Du Zunlong¡¯s sanctuary, resulting in the loss of four armored cars and two Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners, causing this underground demon tide, gathering these countless demons here.


    Fortunately, Wang Sen took immediate action, retreating to this enclosed cavern, relying on the 24 all-terrain rune-armored cars they brought, along with three mobile electronic altars for defensive arrangements, or else this expedition team would have been annihilated.


    However, their current situation is also very precarious.


    With the strength of just one Heavy Equipment Group of the exploration team, plus 80 Dragon Transformation Martial Practitioners, they probably can¡¯t hold for long.


    The crucial issue is the insufficient amount of ammunition they carried.


    A total of 60 ammunition cars, how long can they last?


    Wang Sen, unaffected: ¡°Professor, rest assured. Our Commander is a retired General from the Divine Eagle Brigade. If he says he can hold out, then he can hold out, and the reinforcements will arrive in a maximum of ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Ten minutes?¡± Han Kedao paused in surprise: ¡°How is that possible? This place is nearly 100,000 kilometers from the surface, how can they be so fast?¡±


    Below, it¡¯s impossible to use the quantum migration device; other technologies like curvature navigation and wormhole technology are also unavailable.


    The mass and size of Sky Extreme Star are enormous, its diameter almost equals to the Sun in the terrestrial star system, under normal circumstances it should have become a star, but in fact, its gravity, gravitation, and the mass-to-volume ratio are completely disproportionate.


    This is due to the special gravitational field inside Sky Extreme Star, in addition to the pervasive Purgatory Light here, which interferes with all electronic equipment.


    ¡°There are some people down there, not far from here.¡± Wang Sen smiled, continuing to observe the front line: ¡°Brother Rui always acts forethoughtfully, taking preventive measures. How could he let us tread lightly into a perilous situation?¡±


    Lin Rui dispatched numerous congressman and quasi-member level masters under Luo Wangshu, just about 40,000 miles away, seemingly searching for something.


    However, this is another important secret of the Forest Group, inconvenient to share with Professor Han.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Professor Han relaxed, his tense heart settling.


    Nonetheless, as five minutes passed, Professor Han watching the increasingly dense demon tide outside, grew more anxious.


    Actually, the width of the cavern entrance is limited, the firepower of the expedition team can completely seal it, no matter how many demons below the Seventh Realm come, it¡¯s of no use.


    The fear lies with those demons of Eighth and Ninth Realm.


    Within their expedition team, there are only two stationed at the Eighth Realm of Super Emperor Rank, along with Wang Sen¡¯s Seventh Realm Emperor Rank ¡®Ice Blood Demon.¡¯


    Professor Han started making idle chatter: ¡°Hey Sen, I heard your alien identity was recently exempted from the position of Deputy Commander of the Star Port military by Mr. Lin? Is everything okay?¡±


    Wang Sen raised his eyebrows at the words.


    If it were anyone else, they might feel displeased, thinking that Professor Han bears ill intent, touching the sore spot. Wang Sen, however, knows this teacher genuinely worries for him.


    Indeed, he was removed from the position of Deputy Commander of the Great Song Star Port military, and from three months ago began fading out of Lin Hao¡¯s inner circle, no longer participating in any affairs of the Da Song Court and the Star Port.


    ¡°Professor, don¡¯t worry. Brother Rui thinks there could be major changes between Star Port and Luojing in the coming months, relieving me from my duties now is for my own good, to avoid making me the target of public criticism.¡±


    After explaining this to Han, Wang Sen inwardly chuckled bitterly.


    In the end, his strength is still insufficient. He is still at Sixth Realm cultivation, and although he is a rare Sixth Realm Super Emperor, he cannot stand his ground amidst the upcoming turmoil.


    His protector Zhu Yuanhan is about to break through to the Eighth Realm, and can reach it in at most half a year.


    Zhu Yuanhan¡¯s cultivation in conceptual aspects is also considerable. Once promoted, he can possess Quasi-Member level combat power.


    However, during this period, Wang Sen remains in danger if he continues to be the Deputy Commander of the Star Port army or the Captain of Lin Hao¡¯s trusted aides.


    But Wang Sen does not care. He looks up towards the direction of Du Zunlong¡¯s cave, his eyes revealing a burning light.


    Everyone thinks that he has lost Brother Rui¡¯s trust, yet they do not know the tasks entrusted to him by Brother Rui are actually crucial to Brother Rui.


    The reason Lin Rui tasked him with this expedition team, accompanying Professor Han to find Du Zunlong¡¯s cave, was partly due to trust and partly not to draw attention.


    Professor Han assumes that the Forest Group¡¯s huge investment in helping him find Du Zunlong¡¯s cave is due to the bond between mentor and student, not knowing the matter is of great concern to Brother Rui.


    ¡°Boom! Boom!¡±


    With these two sudden blasts, a massive amount of rubble fell from the dome ceiling of the cave.


    Even more concerning are the numerous fissures that suddenly appeared in the cave wall 50 miles to their left-front and part of the dome.


    Professor Han glanced once and his face darkened slightly.


    Clearly, there is an extremely powerful demon attacking the cave wall.


    At this moment, the exploration team¡¯s data chain command system is very quiet.


    The Forest Group employs battle-hardened veterans, calm and composed, and their commander is indeed experienced, having anticipated this.


    Following a series of thunderous explosions, the partial dome in their left-front and upper region was finally breached.


    And at this moment, Zhu Yuanhan, who had been lying in wait in the front, along with an Eighth Realm Super Emperor expert, simultaneously acted, causing the six incoming Eighth Realm demons and two Ninth Realm Demon Dragons in the crevice to suddenly be halted by the combined force of cold sealing from one human and one demon.


    In the next instant, a plume of blazing white light erupted around them.


    Six 5.5 million TNT equivalent nuclear fusion mines, pre-laid by the exploration team and empowered by Despair Heavenly Girl and Suffering Heavenly Girl with the powerful conceptual powers of ¡®Destruction¡¯ and ¡®Twist¡¯, were simultaneously detonated, ripping apart and destroying these eight strong demons in an instant.


    Yet the resulting immense radiation and shockwave not only overturned over 200 armored cars and mechas of the exploration team but also triggered further cave collapse.


    This was within the commander¡¯s expectations, as the massive falling debris also clogged the crevice in front of them.


    ¡°Well done!¡± Wang Sen couldn¡¯t help but praise, thinking this commander is truly a tough one, worthy of the hefty sum Brother Rui spent to recruit.


    The tactics employed not only killed eight powerful demons but also provided the exploration team with a breathing space.


    Professor Han¡¯s face showed a smile too: ¡°As expected of ¡®Divine Eagle Brigade¡¯, the top-secret unit of the Federation¡ª¡±


    However, his smile gradually froze.


    For the massive rocks that collapsed in front of them had instantly been shattered into powder.


    As smoke and dust rose, Professor Han¡¯s exoskeleton armor¡¯s situational awareness equipment detected two extremely powerful ether reaction sources behind those shattered rocks.


    Actually, it¡¯s unnecessary to rely on these devices, as the concept power of these two powerful demons has already filled the interior of the cave, reaching over 35%!


    ¡ªThey are two humanoid demons possessing Ninth Realm Super Emperor Rank bloodline power.


    The demons with 9SS+ bloodline power are not terrifying, but it¡¯s frightening that they maintain a humanoid form and can wield powerful conceptual power.


    ¡ªThese are clearly two Purgatory Dukes!


    With Han Kedao¡¯s demeanor, he couldn¡¯t help but curse ¡®damn¡¯, thinking the army of the Three Gods of Purgatory was fighting with the Great Song in the Sky Pond Passage, wasn¡¯t it?


    The two sides have been fighting in the Sky Pond Passage for almost a year, increasingly pouring in power, reportedly extending the battle line over 2000 miles, carving countless cave paths underground, fiercely contending around the Sky Pond Passage.


    In this season, how could Purgatory Dukes appear here?


    Just at this moment, Professor Han¡¯s observation system vaguely captured two fleeting flashes of blades and Sword Qi.


    The next instant, Professor Han saw those two humanoid demons split open from the middle beyond the smoky dust, with all their Divine Sense power and concepts disappearing in an instant without a trace.


    Wang Sen saw this and his lips slightly raised.


    He recognized them as Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi, Brother Rui¡¯s close attendants, two outstanding geniuses with Seventh Realm Super Monarch cultivation! Their combat power is unfathomable, and to this day, no one knows their limits.


    Since these two are here, it must mean Brother Rui is not far behind.

 Chapter 815: 742: Utterly Foolish (Two-in-One)

    Chapter 815: Chapter 742: Utterly Foolish (Two-in-One)


    Wang Sen¡¯s guess was incorrect, and at this moment Lin Rui¡¯s alien ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ was still inside the Great Song Star Port, strolling with the Great Celestial Master.


    Originally, he planned to use his alien self to personally go to the deep layers of the Sky Pond to support Wang Sen and others, while also getting a glimpse of Du Zunlong¡¯s cave mansion.


    But just as Lin Rui was about to set off, he received the news that the Great Celestial Master was coming to the Star Port for inspection.


    Lin Rui instantly understood that Wang Sen¡¯s exploration team had attracted attention.


    The Great Celestial Master coming to the Star Port at this time was definitely not a coincidence.


    The enemy¡¯s intentions were extremely sinister; now ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ must either ignore the perilous situation of Wang Sen and Ji Xueying and others, allowing the enemy to trap and kill some of his trusted subordinates.


    Or he could disregard everything and continue to the depths of the Sky Pond.


    But in doing so, he would also fall into the enemy¡¯s trap.


    What exactly was the relationship between Lin Hao and Lin Rui? How could Lin Hao ignore the Great Celestial Master who came for the inspection and rush to the depths of the Abyss to assist Lin Rui¡¯s subordinates?


    This will make the Great Celestial Master, and those behind the East Abyss, think what?


    Lin Rui could also use his Biological Intelligent Chip to deal with the Great Celestial Master, going with his true self instead, but the probability of being caught was high.


    Lin Hao¡¯s Biological Intelligent Chip was very powerful, almost perfectly simulating his Divine Soul Spiritual Sense.


    But since it¡¯s ¡®almost,¡¯ there must be flaws that couldn¡¯t be hidden from this incredibly strong Divine Soul, and the prepared Great Celestial Master.


    Lin Rui had long seen the turbulent undercurrents inside and outside the Sky Extreme Star, but didn¡¯t expect the enemy to make a move on him so quickly.


    He didn¡¯t know what role the Great Celestial Master himself played in this? Being used or directly involved?


    He couldn¡¯t help but glance around, feeling countless venomous snakes staring at him from the darkness.


    Lin Rui immediately let out a mocking laugh, calmly arriving at the Governor Mansion to welcome the Great Celestial Master, then accompanied him to inspect the Star Port.


    Neither of them brought assistants, together riding a magnetic levitating convertible car originating from the Heavenly Demon, driving down the wide streets of the Star Port.


    Surprisingly, this increasingly bustling and bustling street, teeming with noise, no one could detect their presence.


    Even the vehicles driving on the street naturally bypassed them.


    The Great Celestial Master sat in the convertible car, looking at the ¡®Outer Heaven Demons¡¯ filling the streets, and those mingling harmoniously with the demons, his eyes slightly strange.


    He looked further ahead, seeing hundreds and thousands of skyscrapers arranged in neat rows, towering into the clouds, standing majestic, and countless floating cars weaving among them.


    The Great Celestial Master couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the engineering and construction abilities of these Outer Heaven Demons, and Lin Hao¡¯s management skills.


    A year and a half ago this was still a barren land, now it had become a more prosperous city than Luojing City.


    The key was that during the construction, Lin Hao also brought a lot of money to the Great Song Court.


    According to the Great Celestial Master¡¯s knowledge, now not only are the Outer Heaven Demons buying land here, constructing business buildings, but many dignitaries of the Great Song Dynasty are also buying real estate properties here.


    Some people are purely investing, optimistic about the land value here, while others purely crave and yearn for the lifestyle of the Outer Heaven Demons.


    A year and a half ago, when the Divine agreed to Lin Hao¡¯s request to open trade and establish the Star Port, the Great Celestial Master was actually uneasy, not knowing whether it would be beneficial or detrimental to the East Continent, to the Divine, whether it was a blessing or a curse?


    He once observed the starry sky, gazing at the trace of destiny, yet the sky¡¯s destiny trajectory had long been tangled into chaos by the living Abyss and those All Gods who were reviving.


    The difficulty and cost of gazing at destiny had exceeded ten times the past.


    However, now, the Divine Palace and the Great Song Court seemed increasingly unable to resist.


    Just because the real estate in the Star Port annually provided as much as twenty-three million taels of Divine Gold in property tax.


    Be aware that the annual Land Tax in Great Song was only around one hundred seventy million taels of Divine Gold.


    Further ahead could be seen large factory zones, covering more than 160 square kilometers, astonishing in scale.


    Six months ago, the Great Song Court and the Divine Palace had major disputes over the increasing number of factories in the Star Port area.


    Now, hardly any voices of dissent could be heard because the raw material processing in these factory zones made various goods of Sky Extreme Star more valuable.


    This not only absorbed all the wanderers near Luojing but also brought a lot of wealth to both the Great Song Court and Divine Palace.


    Especially the mechanical processing and smelting plants opened in the past six months provided a lot of steel, mechanical parts and alloys, and even shells and a small portion of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s engineering machinery to Great Song.


    Now the daily income of the Great Song Star Port reached five hundred twenty thousand taels of Divine Gold, slightly exceeding ¡®Lin Hao¡¯s initial promise.


    ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ as Regent, has not betrayed the expectations of his superiors and the Divine.


    This young man has vigorously reformed bureaucratic governance, cleansed the court¡¯s conduct, improved tax laws, and enforced thrift.


    Lin Hao even ordered the Ministry of Industry and the Divine Affairs Office to cooperate, gathering a large group of craftsmen skilled in Heavenly Demon electronic technology to create an electronic office system, implemented in the major government offices of the eight regions of He Luo, especially in major warehouses.


    This move has directly increased the annual revenue of the Great Song Court by nearly one fifth!


    However, despite such huge revenue, Great Song still couldn¡¯t meet its needs.


    The war on the Sky Pond Passage was like a giant gold-eating beast swallowing all of Great Song¡¯s fiscal growth completely.


    All the money flowed to the Outer Heaven Demons just because this war happening in the deep underground had become completely ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ in nature.

 Chapter 816: 742: Utterly Foolish (Two-in-One)_2

    Chapter 816: Chapter 742: Utterly Foolish (Two-in-One)_2


    Under the shroud of Purgatory Light, Purgatory and the Sky Pond are vast with inexhaustible top-quality spiritual medicine and minerals.


    This allows Purgatory Demons to exchange through the Longevity Association for various mecha, combat robots, armored cars, plasma cannons, close-in weapon systems, as well as tunnel boring machines, rock drilling machines, engineering robots, and other war and engineering machines.


    Even the armies of the Great Song have to follow suit and purchase all kinds of war machines from the Heavenly Demons.


    Previously, the wars between Purgatory and the surface were an endless tug-of-war inside some existing tunnels.


    But now both sides are trying to dig tunnels to attack from behind, so the battle lines are getting longer and wider.


    The engineering machines of the Heavenly Demons can perform underground construction and excavation, or directly blast with a hundred-fold to a thousand-fold efficiency of manual labor, hence a tunnel originally only 30 miles in length can be expanded to over 1,200 miles in diameter, with hundreds of auxiliary tunnel groups around it.


    Thus, the tax revenue collected by the Great Song at the Starport flows like water into the pockets of those Outer Heaven Demons.


    This makes many within the Great Celestial Master and the Great Song internally discontented, yet there is nothing they can do.


    Therefore, when the factories within the Starport began supplying some military resources to the armies of the Great Song, everyone welcomed the establishment of these factories within the Starport with open arms, even urging and encouraging it.


    ¡°Orderly, prosperous, flourishing.¡±


    The Great Celestial Master felt there was no need to look any further; seeing the condition of this street alone was enough to know the general situation of this Starport.


    He stopped the floating convertible car at the end of the street, turned his head, and looked at ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ with admiration: ¡°The Duke¡¯s management skills can truly be said to measure the heavens and earth, with foresight.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me, Great Celestial Master.¡± Lin Rui gave a humble and shy smile: ¡°How could I have any management skills? It¡¯s just some whimsical ideas that, thanks to the competence of my subordinates and the diligence of officials, could be implemented, otherwise it would all be empty talk.¡±


    ¡°The Duke indeed has many talents under his command.¡± The Great Celestial Master nodded slightly: ¡°This shows the Duke¡¯s keen eyes for recognizing talents and his ability to appoint people humanely.¡±


    He then changed the subject: ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient here, let¡¯s speak elsewhere.¡±


    With one hand using True Yuan, he grasped ¡®Lin Hao¡¯ and within a flicker, they arrived at a spacious hall.


    It was the main hall of Lin Rui at the Star Port Governor¡¯s Mansion, where two people were already waiting.


    One was Han Baxian, who had been promoted to Red Priest, and the other was Tan Xiangsheng, the Vice Envoy Commander of the Spy Detection Bureau under Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui understood the situation as soon as he saw Tan Xiangsheng.


    Previously, among the three commanders of the Spy Detection Bureau, Xing Hai had already been imprisoned and questioned, and Sun Shicheng saw that Lin Hao¡¯s power within the Spy Detection Bureau was overwhelming and had gradually transferred himself away.


    Only the Deputy Commander, Tan Xiangsheng, was not dealt with harshly by Lin Rui, considering his close relationship with the First Divine Envoy.


    In less than two years since he took office, he had imprisoned the two deputy commanders and seven supervisors within the Spy Detection Bureau, forcing some to leave; if he continued, it might affect his reputation and people might accuse him of eliminating dissent with narrow-mindedness.


    So even though Lin Rui was aware that this person was openly and secretly investigating his identity and subordinates, he took no action.


    Lin Rui just couldn¡¯t understand why the First Divine Envoy would be so foolish as to turn against him at this time. Had he lost patience?


    Tan Xiangsheng blushed slightly upon seeing Lin Hao, then lowered his head.


    At this moment, he felt both anxious and excited.


    Perhaps after today, the entire Great Song would undergo drastic changes.


    This Lin Hao, even if he wasn¡¯t an Outer Heaven Demon, was deeply colluding with them, and the evidence was conclusive.


    ¡°Tan Xiangsheng reported and accused you and your 143 subordinates, along with Zhou Yunxi, Divine Law Heavenly Girl, and Imperial Censor Zhao Yang, of being Outer Heaven Demons.¡±


    The Great Celestial Master sat calmly on the top of the main hall desk: ¡°He has also collected a lot of evidence, which you can review.¡±


    With a slight flick of his sleeve, he tossed a large stack of documents and several Heavenly Demon data pens beside the desk in front of Lin Hao.


    Lin Rui casually flipped through those documents and opened the data pens to take a look.


    He found that Tan Xiangsheng, worthy of his background in criminal law, had indeed collected quite detailed evidence.


    Among them was evidence of activities in the Sky Extreme Star by Lin Rui, Lin Hao, and their followers Ji Xueying, Wang Sen, Li Li, and Lin Xi, with comparisons to events in the Heavenly Demon Origin.


    ¡ª¡ªHe had even identified their alien forms and filmed video images.


    This couldn¡¯t have been accomplished by Tan Xiangsheng alone; it must have involved cooperation from internal forces within the Earth Federation.


    Only his steward Lv Jingwei and the alien form of the Divine Law Heavenly Girl remained unknown.


    Lu Hanyuan had always been cautious, so he never showed any weakness. As for Lin Yi, they probably couldn¡¯t imagine any link between the Divine Law Heavenly Girl and the Suffering Heavenly Girl.


    There were also some account books proving that during Lin Hao¡¯s tenure as Starport Governor, he had repeatedly facilitated Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and Forest Group.


    Additionally, Tan Xiangsheng verified that a total of 123 interpreters and clerks within the Starport were hidden agents planted by the Outer Heaven Demon.


    Lin Rui glanced at it and cursed Li Xianglong and Xu Mengran inwardly.


    Only half of these 123 people were known to him; the other half, Lin Rui genuinely didn¡¯t know about.


    He then showed a disdainful expression, placing the files and data pens back on the desk: ¡°Great Celestial Master, these are all slanderous conjectures, without real proof.¡±

 Chapter 817: 742: Utterly Foolish (Two-in-One)_3

    Chapter 817: Chapter 742: Utterly Foolish (Two-in-One)_3


    Lin Rui bowed to the Great Celestial Master: ¡°The trusted subordinates I employ have all passed the Heavenly Demon Test. My adopted sister Zhou Yunxi and others have even passed the highest intensity of the Heavenly Demon Test. How could they be Outer Heaven Demons? Saying I am Lin Rui is even more ludicrous, so I will not bother to explain further.¡±


    As for some of the Heavenly Demons mentioned in Tan Xiangsheng¡¯s list, I am indeed aware of them. To open trade, we must employ a large number of talents versed in arithmetic, commerce, Heavenly Demon knowledge, and language. However, although the East Continent is vast and has a population of trillions, less than one percent can read, and those who know the Heavenly Demon language and commerce are fewer still. As for Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals and Forest Group¡ª¡±


    He glanced at Tan Xiangsheng, his eyes sharp as knives: ¡°I have indeed had dealings with Lin Rui and have repeatedly provided assistance. However, the reason I value him is because Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals sells all its medicines and Armaments to both young and old in our Great Song without deceit, and has had no issues to date. The various weapons and war machines sold to the Great Song by Forest Group are at eighty percent of market price, almost at cost. The goods they sell to Sky Extreme Star are essential supplies for the populace, improving livelihoods.¡±


    Tan Xiangsheng sneered halfway through, his eyes revealing a hint of sarcasm.


    He did not wish to leave the Great Celestial Master with an impression of disrespect. While patiently waiting for Lin Hao to finish, he was composing words in his mind, ready to confront with a most fierce and sharp posture.


    But in the next moment, he saw the Great Celestial Master lift the teacup presented by a servant, his voice calm: ¡°Baxian.¡±


    Han Baxian smiled slightly, lightly patting Tan Xiangsheng on the shoulder, thinking this man cannot see the situation¡¯s direction, sealing his own fate.


    Tan Xiangsheng froze completely, his gaze incredulous, staring in shock at the Great Celestial Master seated above, and Han Baxian beside him, his heart filled with confusion and doubt.


    Then his life aura quickly vanished, his whole being turned into black-gray dust, swept away by the wind through the hall.


    ¡°Tan Xiangsheng seems clever but is indeed foolish to the extreme.¡±


    The Great Celestial Master shook his head slightly, continued sipping his tea: ¡°Duke, are you certain about the new ship plates?¡±


    He paused: ¡°I trust in your financial management and governance abilities, Duke. However, the Three Gods of Purgatory will not stand by as our Great Song¡¯s finances continue to grow. You must strike against the Longevity Association and exclude them, as the Immortal Level beings will not give up easily. Tan Xiangsheng is just the beginning of turbulent waves, you must prepare mentally.¡±


    Half a month ago, Lin Hao forcefully pushed the Cabinet and Divine Envoy to pass a policy, planning to issue fifty thousand ship plates at the Great Song Star Port.


    Lin Hao¡¯s reasoning was that the rules and regulations at the Star Port have stabilized, and many trade-related talents have been trained, enabling handling of more complex situations; partly because Central Continent Commerce, as well as the countries of Da Liao and Great Wei, intent to open trade and establish a Star Port.


    Lin Hao planned to further consolidate Great Song¡¯s early advantages, continue expanding the Star Port, and auction off fifty thousand ship plates.


    Lin Hao also planned to use half of the funds from auctioning ship plates to repair roads, dredge waterways, creating a transportation system covering the entire East Continent.


    Currently, the finances of Great Song are increasingly strained. If no other revenue sources are found, in two months at most, there will be no money available for use.


    Lin Hao consistently resisted raising taxes, making Star Port expansion imperative, with almost no opposition among the court.


    However, this will inevitably place Lin Hao and the Great Song Star Port into the limelight.


    The Great Celestial Master predicts that this turbulence may be too much even for the Emperor to handle.


    He worries that the prosperous momentum of the Star Port will face a major setback.


    ¡°I actually do not have absolute confidence, but the issuance of ship plates cannot be delayed any longer, I can only strive to do my best!¡±


    Lin Rui bowed his hand, his face resolute: ¡°Great Celestial Master, the issue of raising taxes is absolutely unfeasible! It will only lead to more Demon Transformation, Demons flourishing locally, worsening public order, and the court will have to pay a greater price to suppress them. Therefore, our Great Song must find money from trade and commercial taxes, trying not to burden the people.¡±


    In fact, Lin Rui himself needs a substantial amount of funds.


    He wants to support the Light King Sect to build ten more ¡®Jingyi Altars,¡¯ each costing trillions in federal coins.


    Lin Rui also plans to use eggs and milk to recruit more followers, to replace bodies for the remaining nine Heart of Light, and to support the increasingly large member and quasi-member team, as well as supply the research at Rui Fang Biological Research Institute.


    Furthermore, he has formulated plans for four fleet warships and the expansion of eight Heavy Equipment Divisions, requiring money everywhere.


    Plus, there is a shortage of transport ships, the number of Star Port transport ships is clearly insufficient.


    Warehouses are beginning to tighten, causing backlog of Forest Group¡¯s self-produced industrial goods and Light God Sect¡¯s medicinal materials.


    The Great Celestial Master heard this and sighed quietly, feeling self-mocking.


    He knows that Lin Hao¡¯s words are correct, at present, it is best for Great Song to not raise taxes if possible.


    Ironically, now the Grand Ancestor and Grand Emperor of Great Song¡¯s court are bent on disrupting East Continent and unsettling Great Song; whereas the Divine Palace, which previously disregarded the life and death of the East Continent¡¯s ant-like populace, now must go all out to maintain East Continent¡¯s stability.


    ¡°If all court ministers were as loyal to the country and sincerely dedicated as the Duke, why worry about the stability of the eight provinces of the Yellow River and seventy-two circuits of the East Continent?¡±


    He sighed emotionally, shook his head, took another sip of tea: ¡°Duke, you must have important matters? You may go, do not worry about petty villains in the court.¡±


    Lin Rui blinked, looking perplexed: ¡°Why does the Great Celestial Master say this? I do indeed have many official duties today, but they are all trivial matters, not worth mentioning.¡±


    The Great Celestial Master was momentarily taken aback, his expression curiously exchanged glances with Han Baxian below.

 Chapter 818: 743: Arent You Dead? (Two in One)

    Chapter 818: Chapter 743: Aren¡¯t You Dead? (Two in One)


    At this moment, the alien form of Financial Emperor Yi Duxing is also in the Great Song Star Port.


    He stood inside a tall building, looking at the industrial district in the distance: ¡°President, are you aware that just the consumption of various ammunitions and energy in the Heaven and Earth Battlefield below exceeds 80 billion federal coins daily?


    Not to mention, besides ammunition and energy, there¡¯s also soldiers¡¯ salaries and rewards, wear and replenishment of various equipment, and war materials including Heavenly Demon Injection, totaling possibly over 450 billion federal coins, making the Great Song Star Port¡¯s revenue crucial to the Great Song Dynasty, and must not be compromised!¡±


    450 billion federal coins is equivalent to 45 million taels of Magic Silver, which converts to 4.5 million taels of Divine Gold, while the current daily revenue of the Great Song Star Port ranges between 4.5 million to 5.2 million taels of Divine Gold.


    Yi Duxing shook his head disapprovingly: ¡°This child has been the regent for more than eight months, and has already gathered a host of reform-minded architects within the Song Court, along with many astute ministers skilled in Heavenly Demon industry and commerce, collectively known as the ¡®New Party¡¯.


    Now, merely relying on what Tan Xiangsheng has in hand to shake Lin Hao is simply a fool¡¯s dream! I¡¯m only afraid that even those mighty beings, the Great Celestial Master and East Abyss, even knowing Lin Hao is an Outer Heaven Demon, will still use him without consequence.¡±


    At this moment, not only is Great Song¡¯s new policies fully implemented by Lin Hao, but even the trade systems between Great Song and the Heavenly Demons are designed by Lin Hao.


    Under his leadership, nearly ninety percent of Great Song¡¯s talents proficient in Heavenly Demon arithmetic and commerce have gathered.


    If the Divine Palace were to topple Lin Hao now, not only would the Da Song Court be thrown into chaos, but the new reforms pushed for less than a year would abruptly cease, severely impacting both Heavenly Demon trade and the star port.


    And what would become of Lin Hao¡¯s ¡®New Party¡¯?


    If widespread persecution ensues, imprisoning these talents, upon whom will the Divine Palace rely in the future to govern the star port and manage the empire? Can it depend on the Emperor and the First Divine Envoy?


    Let¡¯s not forget Lin Hao¡¯s master Luo Wangshu, who commands 3 million troops within the Sky Pond, taking positions of authority.


    Once something happens to Lin Hao, how could Luo Wangshu not react?


    Some believe that finding evidence that Lin Hao is an Outer Heaven Demon would shake him, but they truly overestimate.


    How could the East Abyss and the High Priest be so nai?ve as to harbour no suspicion of Lin Hao¡¯s identity?


    Yet these two still entrust Lin Hao with the responsibility of acting as regent, simultaneously overseeing star port trade, aiming to stabilize Great Song¡¯s political scene and fiscal income, and to procure war funds.


    As long as Lin Hao manages these two tasks well, his standing within the Great Song Court will remain unshakeable, even more solid than that of the three Divine Envoys and the Emperor.


    As long as the war between Great Song and Purgatory doesn¡¯t end, East Abyss and the Great Celestial Master must continue to rely heavily on him.


    ¡°How could I not know?¡±


    It was a tall, slender young man dressed in flowing green garments, his beauty free and prestigious.


    Seated behind the office desk, he gazed through the glass window toward the Governor Mansion.


    Yi Duxing worried his scrutiny might raise alarm from the Great Celestial Master and Lin Hao, meanwhile, this charismatic and aloof youth seemed thoroughly unconcerned.


    ¡°I let you allow them to move simply for my reasons, follow orders as commanded.¡±


    His eyes carried a hint of a mocking smile.


    Currently, East Abyss indeed holds no concern for Lin Hao¡¯s identity, irrespective of whether Lin Hao is an Outer Heaven Demon, East Abyss and the Great Celestial Master value his contributions immensely.


    But what if this Great Song Hidden Crown Prince is also King Ming of the Light God Sect, the Lord of Purity?


    The Battle Dragons used by Lin Hao and Lin Rui are different.


    Moreover, the ¡®King Ming¡¯ and Lin Rui¡¯s Battle Dragons also differ, King Ming¡¯s is ¡®Radiant Eternal Dragon¡¯, while Lin Rui¡¯s is ¡®Emperor Hao Divine Sun Dragon¡¯.


    Lin Rui must possess some method to alter Battle Dragon forms.


    Yi Duxing smiled wryly: ¡°I merely fear that such a move will startle the snake.¡±


    The green-clad youth thought inwardly, startling the snake is precisely what I intend to do.


    He has waited within the Artificial Sky for a full eight months, yet Lin Rui has delayed connecting the Sky Curtain Base, and his Primordial Spirit has yet to enter the sky.


    The green-clad youth grows slightly impatient; since the signing of the treaty by the Longevity Association and Earth Federation, numerous Federation Government and human elites began cooperating with the construction plan of the Artificial Sky, accelerating its expansion throughout the year.


    Thus it can be foreseen, the eventual expansion of Artificial Sky to accommodate Divine Spirits will surely advance substantially.


    Therefore, he must obtain the Pure Method as soon as possible; only by claiming this complete Concept first, can he be better prepared and gain a greater chance of victory when the epic Divine Battle arrives.


    Yi Duxing, puzzled by the details, frowned dissatisfied, pondering what is this President¡¯s ultimate goal?


    He suspects the person is still concealing some crucial information from him.


    While pondering this, he cautiously probed, ¡°Mr. President, I plan to return to the Eighth Base City soon; there are significant matters there that require my personal attention.¡±


    Yi Duxing hasn¡¯t returned to Satellite No. 8 in over a year, leading some people to openly exploit assets of the ¡®Beitian Financial Group¡¯.


    The green-clad youth tilted his eyes upon hearing: ¡°If you wish to die, then by all means go, Lin Rui is awaiting you.¡±


    During these eight months, that ¡®Lord of Purity¡¯ has kept a close eye on Yi Duxing, Zang Shaochen, and the recently resurrected Cameron Brown.


    They await the moment of caution¡¯s lapse, to expose their whereabouts, and to eliminate them all at once.


    Previously, during Yi Duxing¡¯s battle with Lin Tianchen, Lin Rui had actually been nearby.


    The forces assembled by the Lord of Purity far exceed what the green-clad youth had previously imagined!

 Chapter 819: 743: Arent You Dead? (Two in One)_2

    Chapter 819: Chapter 743: Aren¡¯t You Dead? (Two in One)_2


    If no movement, then it¡¯s fine, but once moving, it strikes like thunder!


    At that time, if Yi Duxing had been slightly slower in retreating, he would definitely have died.


    Yi Duxing¡¯s mood grew heavier, pondering that the President feared Lin Rui to this extent, could it truly be that he believed Lin Rui and Lin Hao to be the same person?


    If it were true, that would indeed be very troublesome.


    Yi Duxing now wields the Abyss Divine Artifact, and his power is incomparable to before.


    The fighting prowess of the Double Heavenly Maiden is certainly terrifying, yet their battle duration is exceedingly short.


    Yi Duxing was confident that with his current strength, he could easily endure until the Abyss Pollution of the Double Heavenly Maiden exploded.


    But if Lin Rui is Lin Hao, then he holds an Imperial Jade Seal in his hand.


    How could this be possible? Their Battle Dragons are different.


    Nonetheless, this child is indeed the most troublesome enemy for him and the Longevity Association.


    His current two allies are the Great Song Regent and the ¡°King Ming¡± of Sky Extreme Star.


    Especially the latter, who not only wields the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire but might also possess a complete Pure Method!


    Yi Duxing recalled the scene 8 months ago when Emperor of Da Wei was burned alive by King Ming, and his eyes showed a hint of dread.


    Just then, a young man in green clothes let out an exclamation.


    He discovered that Lin Hao was still in the Governor Mansion hall, discussing state affairs with the Great Celestial Master, with both his Soul Consciousness and aura unchanged.


    Suspicion grew in the young man¡¯s eyes, wondering if he might have been mistaken?


    Are Lin Rui, Lin Hao, and King Ming not the same person?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Meanwhile, deep within 190,000 miles beneath Sky Extreme Star.


    Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi instantly slew two Purgatory Dukes and, with their Battle Dragons, swiftly penetrated the army array.


    The two women¡¯s Battle Dragons stand nearly eight yards tall, remaining alert with hands on their swords, ready to strike at any moment.


    Wang Sen asked Ji Xueying, who had flashed to his side, with a puzzled expression: ¡°Why not leave them for Brother Rui?¡±


    Typically, in these situations, they would leave a breath in these demons for Brother Rui to handle, allowing him to extract Blood Qi elemental power.


    Especially since Brother Rui had repeatedly instructed recently that he now needs the most top-tier souls.


    Ji Xueying merely shook her head and warned everyone through the tactical data link system: ¡°All units continue to be on guard! There are strong enemies around; quickly restore formation.¡±


    After issuing the warning, she answered Wang Sen: ¡°Things have changed; the master¡¯s alien form can¡¯t come, must use the original body, so it¡¯s slightly slower, we two advance first.¡±


    Shangguan Tianyi also pressed her sword, looking sharply ahead: ¡°Be careful! We can¡¯t hold back, there¡¯s a huge problem lurking near!¡±


    Just when they struck, they sensed even stronger enemies hidden in the shadows, decisively unleashing full power to eradicate the two humanoid demons rated at Quasi-Member Level.


    Then retreating back into the army array of the Exploration Team, they used the array¡¯s cover to gather strength anew.


    Wang Sen¡¯s heart shivered, contemplating that even more dangerous enemies lurk in the shadows?


    Those prior two Purgatory Dukes were already quite unexpected.


    In an instant, Wang Sen realized that he and the others were probably being targeted.


    Without hesitation, Wang Sen headed towards the all-terrain armored car equipped with the ¡®Large Anti-Interference Quantum Communication Repeater.¡¯


    Wang Sen needs to notify Brother Rui quickly, so he can prepare for the situation.


    This place might be a trap; Brother Rui now must either bring more people over or abandon support.


    Ji Xueying glanced at Wang Sen and the armored car and understood his plan.


    Actually, it would be easier and more convenient for Ji Xueying to contact Lin Rui.


    She and Shangguan Tianyi are priests to the master, capable of directly praying to the master and using the Heavenly Curtain¡¯s perception to communicate.


    Yet Ji Xueying did not stop him; she was still gathering strength, preparing her Extreme Move.


    Just as Wang Sen activated the Quantum Communication Repeater, he heard a faint scoff from Zhu Yuanhan: ¡°Stay back!¡±


    Wang Sen¡¯s body involuntarily was pulled fifty yards away, and that all-terrain armored car was split in half by a bone blade light forcefully bursting into the array.


    Seeing this, Wang Sen felt a chill and his skin crawled.


    If his Protective Demon hadn¡¯t dragged him back promptly, and if that bone blade light hadn¡¯t been intercepted by the outer array for a fraction of an instant, he would have already been decapitated.


    ¡°What kind of demon dares to plot against our Family Head?¡±


    At this time, Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi had already engaged the master of that bone blade light.


    The two women and their Battle Dragons exploded with their maximum strength instantly.


    Ji Xueying employed the ¡®Yang Pulling Slash¡¯ taught by Lin Rui, while Shangguan Tianyi wielded the ¡®Instant Thunder Slash¡¯ modified from ¡®Instant Light Slash.¡¯


    This is an 8SSS+ level Secret Technique, personally improved and tailor-made for them by Lin Rui, taught personally, with detailed guidance, hence the two women not only learned it quickly, but its power exceeded 8SSS+ by half a level.


    Their cooperation was seamless, the combined effect far surpassed one plus one, causing the master of the bone blade light to let out an angry groan.


    Spectacularly, it was a female demon with eight arms, each arm tip holding an incredibly sharp white bone knife, her entire body covered in white bone armor.


    Yet four of this demon¡¯s blade arms had already been severed by Ji Xueying and the two dragons.


    Still, with her remaining four blade arms, she fought against Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi, two strong Congressmen Level opponents.


    Their strike speed was incredibly fast, nearly a thousand hits in an instant, their weapons like shadows flowing light, roaring and clashing over the army array, the scattering Blade Energy and sword light not only further collapsing the cavern but easily tearing open their armored cars and Mecha.

 Chapter 820: 743: Arent You Dead? (Two in One)_3

    Chapter 820: Chapter 743: Aren¡¯t You Dead? (Two in One)_3


    ¡°Eight-Armed Sword Demon? It¡¯s Divine Envoy Level!¡±


    Fortunately, this Divine Envoy Level humanoid demon failed to transform into a Battle Dragon, giving Ji Xueying and the other girl a clear advantage.


    Zhu Yuanhan clutched Wang Sen¡¯s body, shifting to evade not only the falling rubble from above but also the aftermath of the battle from the three figures in the air.


    At the same time, Zhu Yuanhan and her ¡®Ice Blood Emei Dragon¡¯ concentrated an Ice Soul Divine Light, aiming it towards the Eight-Armed Sword Demon.


    Among the top experts of the Exploration Team, only she, equipped with 8SSS-level battle armor and a 9SS+ Magic Artifact, barely qualified to intervene in this battle.


    Wang Sen poured all his resources into Zhu Yuanhan, enhancing her Bloodline Ability, physical quality, and Primordial Spirit Power to the limit.


    At this moment, numerous armored cars and combat robots from the Exploration Team were also firing relentlessly.


    The collapsed cave entrance had completely opened, and demons outside swarmed inside like a tide. They had to weave an intense barrage to fend off the demons, all while dodging the collapsing rubble and the ongoing Blade Astral slashes.


    Zhu Yuanhan paused, her eyes revealing a sense of horror.


    She discovered a shadow silently lurking in the void, not far behind Ji Xueying, less than 100 meters away.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Zhu Yuanhan felt a chill inside.


    This was yet another Divine Envoy Level humanoid demon, ¡®Shadow Nightmare Saber Demon,¡¯ a Purgatory Prince!


    Her warning was already late; when this demon appeared in her perception and field of view, it meant the person was about to strike.


    But just at that moment, a graceful figure wearing dark gold exoskeleton armor emerged in the void.


    Zhu Yuanhan was shocked because the woman¡¯s emergence was right near that Purgatory Prince.


    This woman¡¯s stealth ability was even stronger than the Purgatory Prince Level ¡®Shadow Nightmare Saber Demon¡¯!


    Additionally, this ¡®Shadow Nightmare Saber Demon¡¯ also hadn¡¯t transformed into a Battle Dragon.


    Humanoid demons without ¡®Battle Dragon Seed,¡¯ cultivated from a lower realm, find the challenge of Dragon Transformation increasing as they reach higher levels.


    Back then, Zhu Yuanhan was aided by Lin Rui, obtaining Mecha Dragon first, then her original form transformed into her own Battle Dragon.


    Her Dragon Transformation process was reversed compared to other Alien Walkers.


    ¡ª Not every humanoid demon encountered a boss like Lin Rui, willing to invest resources, possessing unique abilities and powerful technical skills, to help humanoid demons under their command transform into dragons.


    A humanoid demon without a Battle Dragon is slightly stronger individually, but certainly cannot match the combined force of humans and Battle Dragons.


    Especially those of Emperor Rank and Super Monarch bloodlines, equipped with Spiritual Wisdom.


    However, what was even more astonishing was the conceptual power displayed by that woman.


    Zhu Yuanhan carefully discerned, perceiving at least 62% Thunder! Additionally, another conceptual power also exceeded sixty percent.


    ¡ª This seems to be a Super Divine Envoy?


    The boss¡¯s subordinate surprisingly had a Super Divine Envoy! Was it Luo Wangshu, the boss¡¯s mentor?


    No! It wasn¡¯t Luo Wangshu, but rather another Super Divine Envoy Level Martial Cultivator.


    The ¡®Shadow Nightmare Saber Demon¡¯ was instantly in a desperate situation.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The ¡®Shadow Nightmare Saber Demon¡¯ immediately disintegrated into a blood mass, exploding with a bang.


    Yet, the female ¡®Super Divine Envoy¡¯ did not take the opportunity to kill this ¡®Shadow Nightmare Saber Demon¡¯ completely. Instead, she forcibly constrained its mass of flesh and its soul beside her.


    Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi caught a glimpse of a mocking intention in their eyes.


    They did not know who was setting up against their Family Head, yet clearly, the enemy underestimated their leader¡¯s power!


    Both women and both dragons, at that moment, maximized their Bloodline Abilities, not only increasing their strike speed by nearly twenty percent instantly.


    Their Light, Thunder, Fire conceptual power also amplified by 3% within that instant.


    Though seemingly slight, it was sufficient to unbalance the scales of the battle!


    Especially since their goal was merely to assist their nearby Super Divine Envoy Level in killing the enemy before them!


    The face of the Eight-Armed Sword Demon whitened, eyes filled with horror.


    Under the full-scale offensive of the three individuals and three dragons, she was instantly gravely injured, her body sliced into over a hundred fragments.


    And as the female Super Divine Envoy prepared to repeat her tactic, intending to constrain the Eight-Armed Sword Demon¡¯s soul and flesh, suddenly a distant roar erupted.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    The roar sounded like thunder bursting, nearly shattering their eardrums.


    The female Super Divine Envoy felt her mood sinking as the opposing force¡¯s powerful Divine Thought and equally formidable conceptual power enveloped the entire cave!


    Fortunately, she hadn¡¯t yet released her 9SSS+ Extreme Move from her Ninth Realm Super Monarch Battle Dragon.


    But at least this allowed her, Ji Xueying, and Shangguan Tianyi to avoid a quick death.


    Amidst a thunderous boom, a figure of one person and one dragon flashed before the three women.


    In that instant, the three women and their Battle Dragons were drenched with blood.


    The female Super Divine Envoy wielded her Wan Hua Divine Blade, fiercely resisting the opponent¡¯s sword light and sword curtain, as well as the daunting conceptual power.


    Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi also engaged calmly.


    Both women lacked in physical quality, martial arts, bloodline, and concepts compared to their opponent and their new colleague.


    However, they could still request Lin Rui¡¯s Divine Power and Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire for support.


    Especially the Power of Purity reaching 58%, it could remove the influence the opponent¡¯s concept applied on them.


    In addition, the 9SS+ battle armor they wore helped slightly mitigate the power gap.


    The opponent also possessed powerful exoskeleton battle armor, but in an overall comparison, their side gained more.


    Even if they could withstand three to five blows for their colleague, it would significantly reduce their colleague¡¯s stress.


    The clash of their Divine Will and concepts had collapsed the surrounding Time Sequence Void and thoroughly weakened the cave walls and dome, resulting in a large area collapsing, almost burying all the Exploration Team soldiers below alive.


    Additionally, countless low-level demons exploded, their entire bodies bursting into blood dust.


    ¡ª The opponent was clearly an Immortal Level! Likely the mastermind behind today¡¯s schemes.


    This person possibly never expected Lin Rui¡¯s forces to grow so powerful, forcing them to step in personally.


    Their tone carried deep confusion and incomprehension: ¡°Master Wan Hua, Liu Xinlan! You died, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Fourteen hundred years ago, this disciple of Limitless Saber Venerable perished in the Mechanical God Temple!


    Liu Xinlan had no strength to speak and was indifferent to answering as she activated all her powers, striving with all her might to resist.


    Fortunately, the two new SSS+ armaments implanted in Liu Xinlan after her resurrection and those mysterious medicines and exoskeleton armor from the Outer Heaven Demons greatly enhanced her overall strength.


    The person then let out a soft hum: ¡°Enough, what if I kill you again?¡±


    But just at that moment, they heard a mocking laugh: ¡°Ancient Sword Sect¡¯s Zhao Wenhan, who do you want to kill in my presence?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Wenhan¡¯s heart raced.


    He sensed Lin Rui¡¯s presence, who was the chairman of the Forest Group!

 Chapter 821: 744: Its God (Two in One)

    Chapter 821: Chapter 744: It¡¯s God (Two in One)


    Zhao Wenhan sensed Lin Rui¡¯s arrival, and his figure quickly retreated, disrupting the flow of time. Both a man and a dragon transformed into streams of light, retreating the tunneling light to 22 miles away.


    This was not just due to their various conjectures about Lin Rui¡¯s identity, but because Lin Rui had managed to approach within ten miles of Zhao Wenhan without making a sound!


    A strong sense of crisis made his heart vaguely ache.


    Currently, including Zhao Wenhan, all forces are speculating about Lin Rui¡¯s Alien identity; one is King Ming, another is Great Song Regent Lin Hao.


    Although these three have different Battle Dragons, they still secretly doubt and openly and covertly search for evidence.


    This time they couldn¡¯t resist laying traps and testing.


    So Zhao Wenhan was already apprehensive about Lin Rui.


    Because either of Lin Rui¡¯s two identities was tricky, one wielded Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire, the other wielded National Treasure.


    Not to mention, behind Lin Rui stood the Despair and Pain Double Heavenly Maiden.


    In the battle eight months ago in Tianzhou, there were many confusing rumors, including traces of Dreamy Heavenly Venerate¡¯s power, making it hard to discern Lin Rui¡¯s and King Ming¡¯s realities.


    Before Zhao Wenhan made his move, he hoped Lin Rui¡¯s Alien identity wasn¡¯t any of these, and he could best attract the Despair and Pain Double Heavenly Maiden through this action.


    Zhao Wenhan and his allies had been eyeing Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute, wanting to see into it, only by luring away these Twin Goddesses would they have a chance to act.


    However, when they initiated their plan, unexpected events occurred.


    Zhao Wenhan didn¡¯t expect Lin Rui to have a Super Divine Envoy under his command! This envoy, as soon as he acted, severely injured two Divine Envoy Level demons cultivated by Zhao Wenhan with much effort, almost killing them.


    Zhao Wenhan initially didn¡¯t intend to appear personally, but he had to show up to save his two subordinates¡¯ lives.


    After Zhao Wenhan contacted his allies, his expression became more astonished.


    Lin Hao was still in the governor¡¯s office, discussing political affairs with the East Continent Great Master, and the Imperial Jade Seal he wielded was still at the Great Song Star Port and hadn¡¯t left.


    The Despair and Pain Double Heavenly Maiden¡¯s Battle Dragon hasn¡¯t moved, still at the Forest Group¡¯s dock base.


    Then what was the source of Zhao Wenhan¡¯s strong sense of crisis?


    This mere Seventh Realm Lin Rui, with combat strength only at a strong Congressman Level, how could he evade his perception and enter Zhao Wenhan¡¯s vicinity?


    When Zhao Wenhan saw behind Lin Rui, the Battle Dragon towering nearly eight yards tall, radiating platinum brilliance, with whole body adorned with purple-gold runes, possessing six pairs of Bright Wings, his gaze slightly jolted.


    ¡ªThat was not the ¡®Emperor¡¯s Divine Sun Dragon¡¯, but the ¡®Radiant Eternal Dragon¡¯!


    With just a thought, Zhao Wenhan understood; Lin Rui was truly the new ¡®King Ming¡¯ of the Light God Sect!


    Clearly, he was deceived by some people; those scoundrels from the Longevity Association, for unknown reasons, muddled perceptions after the Tianzhou battle, hiding some key information.


    At that moment, Zhao Wenhan and his Battle Dragon were engulfed in white Holy Fire.


    Not only him, but all the demons in nearby caves also burned with white fire.


    ¡°Eight months ago, Wei Jingtong was intent on probing my essence and reality, I fulfilled him by causing his downfall in Tianzhou.¡±


    Lin Rui, flying and resonating like the sun, spoke mockingly: ¡°Didn¡¯t expect after just eight months, you, Zhao Wenhan, also want to follow in his footsteps.¡±


    Clang!


    A loud metallic resonance shook a wide area of underground cavities.


    Not only did the demons below wail in misery, but many soldiers of the exploration team endured unbearable pain, letting out muffled groans, and even bleeding from seven orifices.


    It was their first clash.


    Lin Rui¡¯s pair of 9SSS-level high-frequency vibrating particle blades, ¡®Taiping¡¯ and ¡®Zhen¡¯an¡¯, blasted Zhao Wenhan¡¯s body into the stone layer ahead, like a meteor creating a huge crater.


    Zhao Wenhan¡¯s ¡®Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Dragon¡¯ even more suffered, with its chest being deeply scarred by Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Radiant Eternal Dragon¡¯, blood spraying.


    Zhao Wenhan was immediately shocked and terrified; this guy in front of him, whether in strength, True Yuan, or Soul Power, far exceeded a normal Seventh Realm, even an Eighth Realm, reaching the standards of Nine Realms Divine Illumination!


    The ¡®Radiant Eternal Dragon¡¯ was even stronger, almost reaching Longevity!


    No wonder it was the battle dragon exclusively of the former Divine King ¡®Great Sun Venerable¡¯, its abilities in all aspects far surpassed peers, especially the radiant eternal Escape Skill and attack speed, so fast that Zhao Wenhan couldn¡¯t react.


    Yet what truly made Zhao Wenhan unable to resist and defeated in the clash was Lin Rui¡¯s immensely powerful Conceptual Power.


    With ¡®tribulation thunder¡¯ and ¡®Holy Fire¡¯ concept reaching over ninety percent, Zhao Wenhan¡¯s power was almost wiped out in an instant.


    ¡°Presumptuous!¡± Zhao Wenhan¡¯s gaze was piercing, thinking how could he be akin to Wei Jingtong?


    Wei Jingtong had only been in the Immortal Level for three thousand years, with Conceptual Power at most seventy-four percent.


    When he wielded the ¡®Imperial Jade Seal¡¯, he could steadily surpass him by a margin, but when he avoided into Purgatory, he lost eight-tenths of his strength, the weakest among all Immortal Levels.


    Whereas Zhao Wenhan, through his cultivation, never relied on any external force, once rivaled Du Zunlong in reputation and influence.


    Now with Martial Intent Conceptual Power close to eighty percent as ¡®Strong Longevity¡¯!


    ¡°Divine Artifact may be good, but pity your current cultivation absolutely doesn¡¯t have the ability to wield it, how much Source Essence do you have now, how much elemental power to activate Holy Fire?¡±

 Chapter 822: 744: Its God (Two in One)_2

    Chapter 822: Chapter 744: It¡¯s God (Two in One)_2


    Zhao Wenhan¡¯s tunneling light burst out from the pit and collided with Lin Rui again.


    A mocking smile appeared on his face: ¡°You¡¯re merely a divine embryo vessel of the Great Sun Venerable and the Seventh Generation Sect Leader. How dare you show off before this old man?¡±


    Zhao Wenhan could already discern the truth just from Lin Rui¡¯s extraordinary strength, speed, and Divine Soul power.


    This boy is definitely being used by the Great Sun Venerable as a resurrection embryo, hence the exaggerated strength of his physical body.


    As they clashed for the second time, Zhao Wenhan¡¯s expression changed again!


    Lin Rui¡¯s Conceptual Power was still overwhelmingly dominant.


    This boy¡¯s use of ¡®Holy Thunder¡¯ and ¡®Tribulation Fire¡¯ was indeed somewhat stiff and mechanical, yet they could transform!


    Lin Rui could manipulate these two powerful conceptual forces to a certain extent to counter Zhao Wenhan¡¯s Concept of Time!


    This guy is only at the Seventh Realm, yet he can control Holy Thunder and Tribulation Fire?


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    After just a few dozen exchanges, white flames flowed from Zhao Wenhan¡¯s mouth and nose.


    He was forced to retreat more than two hundred miles under Lin Rui¡¯s relentless sword light, the shock and dread in his eyes growing more intense.


    This Lin Rui¡¯s might lies not only in his Conceptual Power but also in his formidable martial arts and swordsmanship!


    After reaching Nine Realms Divine Illumination, the path of the Martial Cultivator ascends to another level, emphasizing the comprehensive use of one¡¯s strength, speed, reflexes, Divine Soul power, bloodline abilities, and concepts.


    At this stage, one can no longer follow the paths of predecessors.


    They must create their own Martial Arts Technique; only something suitable for themselves can fully unleash Divine Power.


    Though Lin Rui is only at the Seventh Realm, his martial arts are undoubtedly at the level of Nine Realms Divine Illumination, capable of pushing Lin Rui¡¯s and the glorious Immortal Dragon¡¯s attributes to the utmost limit.


    Zhao Wenhan initially thought his strength would be sufficient to endure sixty breaths, until Lin Rui¡¯s True Yuan was depleted, or until he was driven mad by the infiltration of the Power of Great Sun.


    But in the brief clash thus far, not even one breath has passed, and Zhao Wenhan already felt incapable of sustaining the fight.


    To his greater trouble, Liu Xinlan and Lin Rui¡¯s two guards had already intercepted his escape route, each ready and waiting with their power accumulated.


    Particularly Liu Xinlan¡¯s blade momentum and Blade Intent, coupled with ¡®All Transformations¡¯ and ¡®Thunder¡¯, not only sealed Zhao Wenhan¡¯s retreat but also collaborated with Lin Rui in threatening his back, suppressing his power.


    Zhao Wenhan knew Liu Xinlan was preparing the Extreme Move of the Super Monarch of Ninth Realm.


    She was once the most outstanding disciple of the Limitless Saber Venerable, one who became a Super Divine Envoy in just 150 years, a martial arts prodigy profoundly inheriting Du Zunlong¡¯s true teachings, someone even Zhao Wenhan dared not ignore.


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Zhao Wenhan, with an angry expression, unleashed his Blood Qi with all his might, forcing Lin Rui back slightly, then swung his sword fiercely behind him.


    The Concept of Time manipulated the time stream, not only causing temporal chaos and reversal but also disturbing the surrounding gravity, leading to massive space distortion and collapse.


    Zhao Wenhan managed to sweep Liu Xinlan and her two companions away, forcing them back.


    However, Liu Xinlan¡¯s blade light still restrained Zhao Wenhan momentarily, limiting him to using only about forty percent of his power to deal with Lin Rui.


    At this time, Lin Rui, with a cold expression, pursued relentlessly, his voice entering Zhao Wenhan¡¯s ears like the whispers of a demon.


    ¡°Since you know I am the resurrection vessel of the Great Sun Venerable and the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, why not guess my other identity¡ª¡±


    Zhao Wenhan frowned slightly, wondering what this brat meant.


    Then, his expression changed subtly, his pupils contracted: ¡°Pure Method!¡±


    Since this person became the resurrection vessel of the Great Sun Venerable and the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, naturally, he is also the master of the concept of ¡®Purity¡¯!


    Zhao Wenhan instantly understood why Lin Rui could cure the Armament Syndrome of those Second and Third Generation Mutant Walkers, restoring them to normal.


    This guy turned out to be a Demigod!


    He regretted intensely, wondering why he hadn¡¯t thought of this. Was it the Dream Method of the Dreamy Heavenly Venerate or the Knowledge Barrier?


    Suddenly, the Holy White Flames around Zhao Wenhan erupted more fiercely, burning through everything in his body, including his mental elemental power.


    And from the center of Lin Rui¡¯s brows, a tiny flying blade shot out.


    His ¡®Root Slash¡¯ had been poised for many days, but due to Zhao Wenhan¡¯s time interference, he had never been able to truly lock onto Zhao Wenhan¡¯s Primordial Spirit.


    Until this moment, Lin Rui¡¯s Blade Intent peeled away Zhao Wenhan¡¯s multiple layers, like peeling an onion, finally locking onto Zhao Wenhan¡¯s Divine Thought core.


    Upon seeing this scene, Zhao Wenhan¡¯s face turned ghostly pale, even giving rise to a sense of despair.


    Lin Rui¡¯s Secret Blade, despite being only 8SSS+ level, contained extremely terrifying power.


    It was 100% ¡®Purity¡¯, and 92% ¡®Holy Thunder¡¯ and ¡®Tribulation Fire¡¯!


    Any blade technique or sword technique, once infused with these three powers, would become overwhelmingly powerful, rendering someone like Zhao Wenhan, with robust Longevity, incapable of resisting.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    In just an instant, Zhao Wenhan¡¯s entire brain shattered, with copious amounts of blood and brain matter splattering and scattering, then transforming into white fire to burn.


    The remnants of Zhao Wenhan¡¯s Primordial Spirit were utterly terrified; he completely abandoned his physical body, merging into his Battle Dragon body, continuing to escape madly.


    Yet the next moment, Lin Rui and the glorious Immortal Dragon¡¯s blade lights descended once more,


    Their combined slashes, accompanied by vast Holy Thunder and mighty Tribulation Fire, enveloped the entire cave in a white haze.


    At this moment, Lin Rui let out a surprised ¡°Hmm?¡± as he sensed a patch of darkness spreading from an adjacent cave, extinguishing a small part of the ¡®Guang Ming¡¯ he emitted.

 Chapter 823: 744: Its God (Two in One)_3

    Chapter 823: Chapter 744: It¡¯s God (Two in One)_3


    ¡ªThat is divine power, a force equal to his ¡®Purity¡¯ concept!


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui heard a venerable and stern voice reach his ears: ¡°Please show mercy, Lord of Purity!¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, then he decisively stopped, floating in the void along with the dragon, facing the darkness approaching from the front.


    Yet at the same moment, Zhao Wenhan and the ¡®Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Dragon¡¯ beneath him shone brightly,


    Countless tiny flames surged out from the body of the ¡®Emperor¡¯s Heavenly Dragon¡¯, causing the mighty ten-zhang Battle Dragon¡¯s large structure to disintegrate, dissipating into tiny particles in the void.


    What remained of Zhao Wenhan¡¯s consciousness and divine thought impacted all around, allowing people to sense his extreme pain just before dying, along with his intense unwillingness and despair.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    In the cave where the Exploration Team held their defensive stance, the stratigraphy collapsed significantly due to the Immortal Level battle, burying Wang Sen and everyone else deep within.


    Fortunately, everyone in the Exploration Team was equipped with exoskeleton armor and mecha, and all had highly advanced life-support systems.


    Han Kedao was quite unlucky; the Emperor 8SS+ exoskeleton armor he wore unexpectedly mutated under the irradiation of Purgatory Light, developing self-awareness.


    Earlier during combat, the operating system of this exoskeleton armor showed no abnormalities.


    However, after being buried underground, this exoskeleton armor not only cut off Han Kedao¡¯s oxygen supply, but also turned the fusion furnace to maximum power, rapidly heating up the interior in an attempt to burn him alive.


    Luckily, the armor did not want to harm itself, so it didn¡¯t aim a gun at Han Kedao¡¯s head and fire.


    This is the terrifying aspect of Purgatory Light.


    Previously, various mechanisms in the Mechanical God Temple lacked electronic devices and operating systems, but under the continuous irradiation of Purgatory Light, there was still a high probability of transforming into metal life.


    Moreover, all human machinery are equipped with electronic devices and programs, making them more prone to mutation.


    So after venturing thirty thousand li into Sky Pond, all their machinery and electronic equipment were kept off whenever possible, usually covered with radiation-resistant cloth.


    Their all-terrain vehicle was also dragged by demons and beast power as much as possible.


    This time they had no choice but to power up for full combat.


    As a result, less than half an hour after the battle started, Han Kedao¡¯s exoskeleton armor developed spiritual wisdom under Purgatory Light and went as far as attempting to burn its master alive.


    Just as Han Kedao couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, feeling he was about to melt, a sharp Sword Qi infused with cold ice hit the fusion furnace, causing the exoskeleton armor to halt operations.


    Then a hand touched his back armor, instantly filling it with vast cold power, forcibly suppressing the scorching heat within the armor.


    Afterward, someone forcibly tore open the cockpit from behind.


    Han Kedao shivered all over.


    The feeling of heat then cold was quite unpleasant, yet Han Kedao felt relieved, a sense of survival after a calamity.


    This was likely Wang Sen¡¯s Ice Blood Demon.


    When Han Kedao looked back, he indeed saw Wang Sen and Zhu Yuanhan standing behind him.


    ¡°Thanks, if it weren¡¯t for your timely aid, I would have perished here¡ª¡±


    Han Kedao sighed first, then his expression grew serious, incredulous: ¡°Little Sen, what just happened? Was that really Mr. Lin?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t believe the scene he saw just now.


    At the moment Lin Rui appeared, that Immortal Level expert ran crazily like a mouse seeing a cat, even being blasted by Lin Rui into a distant pit wall with one saber strike.


    This was ten times more shocking than Han Kedao knowing that Lin Rui had experts of Super Divine Envoy Level under his command.


    ¡ªThat was ¡®Ancient Sword Sect¡¯ Zhao Wenhan! A powerhouse from the same era as ¡®Limitless Saber Venerable¡¯ Du Zunlong, once famed alongside Du Zunlong!


    Han Kedao, having researched Limitless Saber Venerable for years, also knew Zhao Wenhan¡¯s feats well.


    For him to be alive now, he must be an Immortal Level master, and likely above Strong Longevity!


    What¡¯s scarier is that, according to Han Kedao¡¯s senses, within 30 li surroundings, all demons suddenly burned out! All demon creatures below the strata turned into torches, being burned alive into ash by the Holy White Flames.


    ¡°Is there any doubt?¡± Wang Sen chuckled softly, then looked up with a strange expression at the sky: ¡°Our BOSS, he long became a ¡®God,¡¯ the King Ming of the present world, the sovereign of Purity!¡±


    Wang Sen then noticed that Han Kedao seemed not to have heard clearly, still looking at him with confused eyes.


    Wang Sen squinted his eyes, thinking how astonishing the power of this God is.


    Since eight months ago, Brother Rui started using the ¡®Purity¡¯ method recklessly, no longer hiding his relationship with ¡®King Ming,¡¯ even publicly advocating One Births All Things, All Things Return to One teachings within the Light King Sect, proclaiming that Seventh Generation Sect Leader and Great Sun Venerable are the incarnations of so-called ¡®Supremes.¡¯


    But what was surprising was that although Brother Rui acted so obviously, many people still remained oblivious and deaf to it.


    He now spoke so clearly in front of Han Kedao, yet Han Kedao still acted obliviously,


    Wang Sen shook his head, changing his explanation: ¡°Teacher, Brother Rui¡¯s two sisters are Despair and Pain Heavenly Maidens, how could he be a mere mortal?¡±


    Meanwhile, at Zhao Wenhan¡¯s place of death, darkness engulfed the area.


    In this void, only where Lin Rui and the resplendent Immortal Dragon stood remained a gleam of light.


    Liu Xinlan, Ji Xueying, and Shangguan Tianyi, along with their Battle Dragons, had to hide beside Lin Rui, seeking shelter under his light protection.


    Lin Rui, clutching his saber with both hands, glared with fierce eyes at the distant source of darkness.


    His expression grew increasingly solemn and heavy, his body emitting Fire of Serenity to the utmost degree, resisting the encroaching darkness from all around.


    If his judgment was correct, this must be the Lord of Darkness, one of the Three Gods of Purgatory!

 Chapter 824: 745: Heart of Darkness (2-in-1)

    Chapter 824: Chapter 745: Heart of Darkness (2-in-1)


    ¡°Lord of Purity, why do you trouble yourself? It¡¯s only Zhao Wenhan. What harm can it do to let him live? Why deepen the pollution of the Great Sun Venerable for such insignificant longevity?¡±


    With a soft laugh emerging from the darkness, a towering figure, draped in a black robe, stepped out from the source of darkness.


    At this moment, Lin Rui found it hard to describe his feelings.


    He clearly saw this powerful ¡®God¡¯ before him, yet it was as if he were looking at a void.


    Lin Rui reckoned that the true form of this Lord of Darkness should have surpassed the imagination of mortals.


    In Lin Rui¡¯s perception, this being was both an invisible void and boundless darkness. It was also the embodiment of the night with a presence as profound as the Abyss, immeasurable and unseeable.


    His eyes resembled two extinguished stars, sleeping beneath the boundless night sky, seemingly harboring the power to devour all Guang Ming.


    It was these eyes that shrouded the Lord of Darkness in an eternal mantel of night, concealing the stars and eluding the light, forming an invisible barrier between Him and the world.


    Lin Rui also saw mockery and helplessness in the other¡¯s gaze.


    Just now, he had indeed exerted all his bloodline ability, as well as the power of the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and Quiet Skill.


    Even at the risk of being further tainted by the Great Sun Venerable, he was determined to eliminate Zhao Wenhan.


    This was Lin Rui¡¯s warning to all those in ¡®Longevity.¡¯


    Previously Wei Jingtong had allowed them eight months of peace, and after removing Zhao Wenhan, he could enjoy some safe days again.


    ¡°Does the Lord of Darkness not know the principle of killing the chicken to scare the monkey?¡±


    Lin Rui raised his hand to summon the weapon left behind by Zhao Wenhan into his hand.


    When the weapon entered his hand, Lin Rui was slightly pleased.


    To his surprise, it was a Super Monarch of Ninth Realm Divine Weapon, seemingly nurtured by Zhao Wenhan¡¯s essence blood, possessing 52% of the ¡®Time¡¯ concept, qualifying it as a Quasi-Abyss Level!


    The ¡®Time¡¯ concept is extremely powerful; this kind of Time Sequence Void conceptual power is quite difficult to cultivate.


    If Zhao Wenhan had primarily pursued another type of conceptual martial intent, he might have already reached ¡®Extreme Longevity.¡¯


    Lin Rui waved his hand, letting this gloriously magnificent sword artifact land before Shangguan Tianyi.


    Shangguan Tianyi raised her brows, her heart filled with joy.


    But now with the enemy in front, it was not yet time for celebration.


    She held the sword, maintaining a vigilant stance, yet like Liu Xinlan, she kept her eyes tightly shut.


    The opponent was a ¡®God,¡¯ master of the ¡®Darkness,¡¯ ¡®Void,¡¯ and ¡®Assimilation¡¯ concepts, reportedly controlling ¡®Death¡¯ as the leader of the Three Gods of Purgatory, an existence she absolutely could not directly face.


    Lin Rui gave an odd look towards a man and a dragon emerging behind the Lord of Darkness from the boundless gloom.


    Unlike the three women behind Lin Rui, this man and dragon could directly face him, directly face the divine spirit form of Lin Rui.


    The man was dressed in a ceremonial robe, with features somewhat resembling the Emperor of Great Song, possibly Taizu or Taizong of Great Song.


    However, what concerned Lin Rui more was the dragon that this person held as if walking a dog.


    The dragon stood about 90 feet tall, its entire body covered in green skin, filled with bone spikes, and hundreds of unhealed wounds.


    Its head and face were extremely ferocious, its crimson eyes glaring menacingly at Lin Rui, with divine thought aura overwhelmingly domineering and frenzied.


    Lin Rui recognized this colossal beast because he had encountered this dragon closely once before.


    ¡ªThat was indeed the Undying Dragon Monster!


    This made Lin Rui¡¯s heart slightly unsettled.


    This was once the legacy of the King of All Gods ¡®Undying Dragon Venerate,¡¯ now treated like a dog.


    Lin Rui thought that if he were in this position, he would rather be dead.


    Simultaneously, he also realized this was meant as intimidation and a warning from the Lord of Darkness.


    Once a god falls, the situation might be worse than a dog¡¯s.


    Lin Rui turned his gaze back to the Lord of Darkness: ¡°You have set a trap to lure me here; what advice do you have?¡±


    He saw through the setup today, which seemed to be Zhao Wenhan and the others¡¯ handiwork, but ultimately, it stemmed from this Lord of Darkness.


    The Lord of Darkness nodded upon hearing: ¡°Today, firstly, I wanted to witness the demeanor of the current Lord of Purity, and secondly, indeed, there is something to discuss with the Lord of Purity.¡±


    His voice paused, then grew cold: ¡°I heard that the Lord of Purity has close ties with the Great Song Regent, mutually allied. Currently, nearly 60% of the medicine and 30% of the arms in Great Song are directly supplied or procured by the Lord of Purity at market prices of eight to ninety percent?¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Lin Rui responded openly, without concealment: ¡°The reason I could prosper is largely due to the support of the Great Song Regent, so we are mutually pledged in a Blood Alliance, supporting each other, achieving together, sharing fortunes and misfortunes.¡±


    He more or less guessed what the Lord of Darkness wanted to say next, so he emphasized ¡®Blood Alliance¡¯ to preemptively block this God¡¯s intentions.


    The Lord of Darkness squinted slightly, then laughed freely: ¡°The Lord of Purity need not fret, I have no intention for you to betray your alliance. I simply wish to ask, are you selling your arms and medicine too cheaply? Could you limit the production? Furthermore, I would like to request the Lord of Purity to inquire with the Great Song Regent if he is willing to become the sovereign of a new dynasty?¡±


    ¡°To my knowledge, the Longevity Association has also sold a considerable amount of arms and medicine to Great Song, continuously and without end.¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s face remained indifferent: ¡°You are asking the impossible, I have no reason not to make money, if I don¡¯t do this business someone else will, and whatever the Great Song Regent requests, I will not refuse. As for your message, I can pass it on to the Great Song Regent.¡±

 Chapter 825: 745 Darkness Heart (2-in-1)_2

    Chapter 825: Chapter 745 Darkness Heart (2-in-1)_2


    He glanced sideways at the figure, unsure if it was the Great Song Ancestor or Taizong, but saw that this person bore a cold expression, as if it weren¡¯t his own affairs being discussed.


    Lin Rui thought to himself that he would be foolish to betray the East Abyss at this moment.


    Supporting the continued conflict between the East Continent and Purgatory would be in his best interest.


    He was relying on the trade of Star Port and this war to fund the construction of the Jingyi Altar and the replacement of the Heart of Light¡¯s vessel.


    Only by putting pressure on the East Abyss might it open up further trade opportunities and offer more chances for the Light God Sect.


    What meaning does the ruler of the new dynasty hold for him?


    He is already on the path to divine ascent, with no retreat, and must die if he doesn¡¯t become a god.


    ¡°Then you can inform your ally, if he can assist me in changing the ruler of the East Continent, I can grant him the status of a demigod, a dynasty lasting ten thousand years.¡±


    The Lord of Darkness then shifted the tone of his voice: ¡°As for you, the Lord of Purity is also the King Ming of the Divine Sect, controlling 2.9 billion followers and possessing millions of troops. If you wish to ally with me and Purgatory, the Great Song of the East Continent can be annihilated overnight, and at that time, the Light God Sect can truly stand in the sunlight.¡±


    ¡°Does the Lord of Darkness think I¡¯m ignorant?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s expression grew even colder. He thought that if he did this, cooperating with Purgatory to attack the East Continent and put East Abyss in a pincer, he and the Light God Sect would surely become the target of all.


    By then, it wouldn¡¯t just be the level of the Divine Envoys coming after him, it would be all gods personally stepping in.


    He not only decisively refused but also took the lead: ¡°I am not interested in the East Continent or the East Abyss, but I have some interest in the Southern Continent¡¯s Great Cheng. If Purgatory can change its course and focus its main attack on the Southern Continent¡¯s Great Cheng, the Light God Sect will fully cooperate.¡±


    The Lord of Darkness frowned slightly, then laughed: ¡°The Lord of Purity truly plans far ahead!¡±


    Lin Rui heard the underlying meaning in his words, indicating that his scheme was too loud.


    The Southern Continent¡¯s Great Cheng is not only the main enemy of the current Light God Sect, but the South Abyss also holds the techniques of ¡®Immortal¡¯ and ¡®Burning Annihilation¡¯.


    He also smirked slightly: ¡°Isn¡¯t the Lord of Darkness the same? If you have no interest in the Southern Continent, then there¡¯s no need to talk further. If one day you change your mind, it won¡¯t be too late to find me again.¡±


    The ¡®Radiant Eternal Dragon¡¯ behind Lin Rui then unfolded six pairs of wings, shielding Lin Rui, Liu Xinlan, Shangguan Tianyi, and others, and flew swiftly towards the distant tunnel from which they came.


    The Lord of Darkness crossed his arms and silently watched Lin Rui¡¯s departure without any intention of stopping him.


    Only after Lin Rui and the others disappeared from his sight did the Lord of Darkness chuckle lightly: ¡°This Lord of Purity is not an easy opponent.¡±


    The robed man behind him let out a bitter smile, with an apologetic expression: ¡°It¡¯s my incompetence, failing to lead Lin Hao into Purgatory.¡±


    If only Lin Hao had come down and met with the Lord of Darkness, then this Great Song Regent wouldn¡¯t be able to explain himself even with ten mouths, and would have no choice but to let them manipulate him.


    Although it was that Longevity Chairman who arbitrarily intervened, enticing Zhao Wenhan and others to change the original plan, yet the robed man was also guilty of negligence.


    He then furrowed his brows: ¡°Divine, since Lin Hao and Lin Rui are not the same person, the situation is a bit tricky.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡±


    The Lord of Darkness shook his head, eyes showing a hint of doubt.


    He knew that in the past, there was a remarkably talented Alien Walker who created the ¡®One Origin Two Forms¡¯ technique, capable of simultaneously controlling both the alien body and the original body.


    However, this ¡®One Origin Two Forms¡¯ technique was not easy to achieve. It was said to require not only Dragon Transformation cultivation and special materials but also surgery and, at least, 20 years to master.


    Lin Rui entered the Dragon Transformation Realm less than a year and a half ago. No matter how high his talent, it was impossible for him to master ¡®One Origin Two Forms¡¯ in such a short time¡ª


    The Lord of Darkness also knew that the ¡®Radiant Eternal Dragon¡¯ of the Great Sun Venerable could mutate based on any yang-type Battle Dragon, provided that the Battle Dragon¡¯s master was selected as a container by the Great Sun Venerable.


    So what¡¯s the origin of Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Imperial Hao Divine Sun Dragon¡¯ and Lin Hao¡¯s ¡®Glorious Thunder Emperor Sun Dragon¡¯?


    The Lord of Darkness then withdrew his thoughts. Why would he care about the relationship between a divine container and an ant?


    He said with a half-smile: ¡°So do you know what your Chairman¡¯s goal is?¡±


    The robed man¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly: ¡°He should be eyeing Lin Rui¡¯s Pure Method, wanting to set a trap within the Artificial Sky to devour and absorb it.¡±


    ¡°He has the ambition to swallow an elephant. The things of the Great Sun Venerable aren¡¯t so easy to take. Isn¡¯t he afraid of choking?¡±


    The Lord of Darkness, arms crossed: ¡°But no matter, this person is also close to the Quasi-Abyss. Let him try as well.¡±


    He then looked at the robed man with profound meaning: ¡°You should be interested too, right? The power of the Great Sun Venerable and the Seventh Generation Sect Leader hasn¡¯t extended into the Artificial Sky. This is a rare opportunity, an excellent chance to seize its root essence.¡±


    The robed man, however, respectfully lowered his head: ¡°I dare not!¡±


    His eyes reflected a strong ambition.


    The robed man knew that the Chairman¡¯s Sky Curtain Base technology had some issues.


    Moreover, behind the so-called highest authority, there was another layer of hidden authority.


    The robed man also controlled this hidden authority, so why shouldn¡¯t he dare?


    ¡°What is there not to dare? If you can truly obtain the Concept Divine Power of the Great Sun Venerable, I¡¯d be delighted, though I advise you to choose the Pure Method first.¡±


    The Lord of Darkness¡¯s eyes carried a sarcastic tone: ¡°The situation of this Seventh Generation Sect Leader should be quite precarious now. He desperately threw out the Pure Method to avoid it being seized by the Great Sun Venerable. This Concept Divine Power, entangled with Lin Rui and growing to this day, has undergone a refining process equivalent, and its connection to that Seventh Generation Sect Leader has significantly weakened.¡±

 Chapter 826: 745: Heart of Darkness (2-in-1)_3

    Chapter 826: Chapter 745: Heart of Darkness (2-in-1)_3


    The man in the imperial robe bowed in response, but in his heart, he thought about the ¡®assimilation¡¯ of the Lord of Darkness and the purity of ¡®Lin Rui¡¯, which might achieve the potential of a Divine King.


    He had followed the Lord of Darkness for several thousand years and clearly sensed this figure¡¯s greed for the concept divine power of ¡®Purity¡¯.


    The Pure Concept also suited another Purgatory Abyss lord, the ¡®Master of Devouring¡¯.


    However, the Lord of Darkness had previously sent the Master of Devouring to the boundless starry sky.


    ¡°And,¡± the Lord of Darkness continued with a sarcastic look in his eyes, ¡°hasn¡¯t that Great Sun remnant always wanted to eliminate the Invincible one? Go inform them that I can allow them to act.¡±


    ¡°Understood, my lord!¡± The eyes of the man in the imperial robe flashed with an unusual light again.


    He understood the Lord of Darkness¡¯s intention: If he couldn¡¯t persuade Lin Rui with words, then he would have to apply some pressure on him.


    According to what the man knew, that Invincible one was clearly hiding secrets of the Great Sun Venerable, possibly even the key to defeating the Great Sun Venerable, which was why the Invincible Dharma King was able to gain the favor of All Gods and survive to this day.


    The Lord of Darkness didn¡¯t care who won between the Great Sun and Lin Rui, he just needed to delay until the contest of the Heavenly Curtain was settled.


    The man then glanced at the ¡®Undying Dragon Monster¡¯ he was holding by the hand.


    He actually relished the fierce battle between Purgatory and the Great Song.


    Only thus could the ¡®Undying Dragon Monster¡¯ absorb more fresh primordial energy and blood, recovering more power.


    What the man didn¡¯t know was that within the sleeve of the Lord of Darkness¡¯s robe, eyes were also open, observing him and the ¡®Undying Dragon Monster¡¯ with an implicit mocking gaze.


    The Sky Extreme Five Gods allowing the Immortal Level beings on the surface, and even the Quasi-Abyss ones, to avoid entering Purgatory actually had another agenda.


    For fifty thousand years, the gods of Purgatory had undergone two cycles of replacement, yet both occurred beneath Purgatory, unable to affect the surface.


    And eight months ago, the process in which the Great Song Ancestor seized the ¡®Undying Dragon Monster¡¯ had too many suspicious points.


    The Lord of Darkness found it hard to believe that, with the East Abyss¡¯s character and capability, they would allow a second chance after a disturbance had already occurred in the Demon Suppression Forest.


    This was not only his old rival but also the most dangerous enemy on his future path to the Supreme road.


    The East Abyss excelled at capitalizing on circumstances, guiding and shifting the situation in the world to ultimately change in his favor.


    Just like the opening of the Great Song Star Port, was it truly the intention of the Great Song Regent Lin Hao? Or was it the East Abyss deliberately guiding it?


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    When Lin Rui returned to the pit where the Exploration Team was holding out, he found the team¡¯s members were still in self-rescue.


    They used engineering machinery to press and compact the earth and rocks, creating a small cave about three square kilometers under the collapsed ground while digging tunnels to rescue people.


    Once Lin Rui and the others returned, the task became simpler. Ji Xueying and the others effortlessly pulled their buried colleagues out of the soil.


    However, the deaths and injuries still reached over 400 people, with a casualty rate close to 30%.


    Nearly half of them died from the aftermath of Immortal Level battles, while the other half died at the hands of machines that had developed spiritual wisdom.


    This was another reason why the Earth Federation was wary of the Sky Extreme Star¡ªtheir machinery and electronics couldn¡¯t be used in Purgatory.


    All war machines, once activated, would develop spiritual wisdom if exposed to Purgatory Light for a while.


    Moreover, various magic artifacts and weapons also needed proper maintenance and must be isolated with radiation-proof items, or they would develop artifact spirits, which could be quite troublesome.


    Purgatory didn¡¯t care about this, as all were demons anyway, and whether mechanical or metallic, they could all be used by the Three Gods of Purgatory.


    This is also the source of faith for the Mechanical God Temple; they firmly believed that the God of All Machines and his servants were hidden within the Purgatory Light, waiting for a suitable body to descend and awaken.


    At this time, everyone in the Exploration Team, including Professor Han, looked at Lin Rui with a hint of strangeness, even daring not to look directly at him.


    Although Lin Rui killed Zhao Wenhan on a battlefield 300 kilometers away, and even though after returning, he gave no explanation even when questioned directly by Professor Han.


    However, the fact that all four of them returned unharmed already explained the situation.


    Moreover, when Lin Rui rushed over, the Ancient Sword Sect Zhao Wenhan fled upon hearing the news, and many witnessed Zhao Wenhan being slashed into the cave wall by Mr. Lin.


    Lin Rui was too lazy to explain anything, as due to a certain power, if he spoke the truth, others would hear but not listen, and lying was unnecessary.


    And just a while later, Lin Rui was taken by Wang Sen and Han Kedao to the front of Du Zunlong¡¯s underground palace.


    This was a massive underground structure, covering an area of 1000 square kilometers and encompassing 10 layers up and down.


    But when Lin Rui followed the two inside, he found it desolate, with nothing but emptiness everywhere.


    ¡°This should be Du Zunlong¡¯s former dwelling. We found many traces of Du Zunlong¡¯s and his disciples¡¯ lives here, but¡ª¡± Wang Sen paused and smiled bitterly, ¡°We found that most of the forbidden techniques inside have been destroyed, leaving nothing truly valuable.¡±


    Lin Rui was not surprised upon hearing this.


    After all, this is Purgatory, and Du Zunlong was a being who had once reached the Abyssal level.


    The Three Gods of Purgatory might not be interested in ordinary Immortal Level beings, or even Quasi-Abyss and Demigods, but they would certainly not spare Du Zunlong¡¯s dwelling.


    Those at the Immortal Level within Purgatory probably raided Du Zunlong¡¯s place many times.


    But Lin Rui had no interest in Du Zunlong¡¯s leftover items.


    He only wanted the true spirit location of Du Zunlong, sought his Infinite Method!


    He glanced sideways at Liu Xinlan: ¡°Senior Liu, is this the secluded retreat of Sword Lord Du?¡±


    This time, being able to find Du Zunlong¡¯s place owed much to Liu Xinlan¡¯s efforts.

 Chapter 827: 746 Luo Wangshu

    Chapter 827: Chapter 746 Luo Wangshu


    ¡°This is indeed the place where my fellow disciples and I practiced.¡± Liu Xinlan¡¯s eyes were very complicated.


    She actually didn¡¯t know the exact location of Du Zunlong¡¯s underground palace.


    After Du Zunlong reached ¡®Quasi-Abyss¡¯ in cultivation, his situation became rather embarrassing. He changed his residence several times, and his disciples used a Teleportation Array to enter and exit this underground palace.


    Later, after Liu Xinlan¡¯s resurrection and learning the knowledge of Outer Heaven Demons, she realized that this so-called teleportation technique was actually the curvature navigation technique, using runes to twist gravity, thereby creating a curvature bubble to travel through space and time.


    Because the teleportation array was enormously expensive, they only used it once every twenty or thirty years.


    Liu Xinlan could only rely on her own perception of heaven and earth to roughly infer the location of Du Zunlong¡¯s underground palace.


    She immediately flew forward, saying, ¡°Master, please follow me.¡±


    Liu Xinlan traveled along a familiar path, avoiding the various remaining Forbidden Techniques within the underground palace, and arrived in front of a vast hall.


    After Lin Rui landed, he found that this hall was almost identical to the main hall of Qin Yan¡¯s ¡®Frenzied Sky Saber King¡¯s¡¯ cave dwelling but several times larger.


    ¡°In the past, my master preached and taught here.¡±


    Liu Xinlan walked to the center of the hall, her eyes filled with nostalgic sorrow: ¡°I still remember 3200 years ago when I first arrived at this underground palace, my master¡¯s 2,200 disciples gathered here, but unfortunately¡ª¡±


    Unfortunately, all these 2,200 people, along with over ten thousand others once taken by the master, were gradually wiped out, either killed, surrendered, or betrayed under the pursuit of the gods over several thousand years.


    By the time Liu Xinlan was alive, only a few remained, and 1,300 years later, they had all but disappeared.


    Since Liu Xinlan¡¯s resurrection, she has used Lin Rui¡¯s resources to gather information on her fellow disciples, only to be disappointed.


    ¡°But this is only the place where inner disciples receive instruction.¡± Liu Xinlan then summoned True Yuan and pushed forward, opening a door at the left rear of the hall.


    She stepped inside with large strides and stopped at the center of this side hall, looking up: ¡°Only true disciples can enter the master¡¯s ¡®Cloud Palace,¡¯ which is the master¡¯s place of cultivation.¡±


    The so-called Cloud Palace was actually within the Heavenly Curtain, a Divine Palace Realm Du Zunlong created for himself.


    Lin Rui walked inside following Liu Xinlan, observing and scanning the surroundings to gather any potentially useful information.


    However, this underground palace had indeed been thoroughly ransacked, and the entire large hall was empty, with the remaining items having no value.


    When he stepped through that door, he focused on the position where Liu Xinlan was standing.


    Limitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong was proven not to be here in the Abyss, but at the Sky Extreme Islands of the Central Continent. After his death in battle, his corpse was gone, leaving only the remains of the Battle Dragon.


    Earlier, Professor Han obtained a fragment of Battle Dragon remains from Qin Yan¡¯s cave dwelling and handed it over to the Federation Science Academy and the academies of the major member states, confirming that Du Zunlong attested to the Abyss before his demise.


    They also acquired two ¡®Cloud Palace Jade Tokens,¡¯ which remained with Lin Rui.


    However, despite nearly two years of research by Professor Han and others, and going through numerous documents, they could not pinpoint the exact location of the ¡®Cloud Palace,¡¯ only deducing that Du Zunlong had several underground palaces within Purgatory, serving as his large-scale teaching places.


    After reaching Longevity level, he began to take in many disciples. At the peak of rumors, he had 3,000 disciples, all renowned experts of the time.


    It wasn¡¯t until after Liu Xinlan¡¯s resurrection that they learned the truth about the so-called ¡®Cloud Palace.¡¯


    Earlier, Lin Rui also retrieved a portion of the Battle Dragon remains allocated to them from the South Asia Science Academy through his connections.


    He attempted to use these remains as a guide to find Du Zunlong¡¯s True Spirit location but failed.


    Lin Rui could only place his hopes on the ¡®Cloud Palace.¡¯


    He closely observed the spot below Liu Xinlan, which was a formation approximately thirty zhang in diameter.


    Although the formation had obvious signs of damage, it was generally intact. Inside Purgatory, all runes and formations could last long, their duration more than double that on the surface.


    Thus, Lin Rui easily deduced the complete form of this formation.


    Essentially, it was a ¡®Heavenly Ladder,¡¯ similar to the ¡®Divine Power Pillar¡¯ of the Seven Martial Cultivation Realms, allowing Du Zunlong¡¯s disciples to enter the ¡®Cloud Palace.¡¯


    However, the formation¡¯s level was too high, and despite Wang Sen and Han Kedao¡¯s Exploration Team being equipped with skilled Array Talisman Masters, they lacked the ability to repair this array.


    Lin Rui had to personally repair the Dharma Platform.


    He asked Wang Sen to send over some materials, which he then smelted using the power of Tribulation Fire to cast various runes and embed them into the missing parts of the Dharma Platform.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui¡¯s Alien also returned to the Light God Sect Headquarters.


    Inside the headquarters, the two ¡®Radiant Holy Altars,¡¯ one large and one small, along with 108 Red Priests and 324 Capital Chief Priests, were all in position.


    This was the advantage of ¡®One Origin Two Forms,¡¯ allowing the main body and the Alien to act simultaneously.


    The so-called ¡®One Origin Two Forms¡¯ was essentially multitasking, similar to ambidexterity, using the Sky Curtain Spirit as a relay to project the Primordial Spirit onto both the main body and Alien.


    This Secret Technique was obtained by Lin Rui from Li Xianglong. He took ten seconds to deduce it to a Grandmaster Level but spent nearly six months to barely utilize it.


    To truly engage in combat, with the main body and Alien fighting simultaneously, would still require about a year¡¯s practice. However, for handling some simple affairs, there was no problem anymore.


    This time, Lin Rui used this method to deal with the East Continent Great Celestial Master, so once again, he owed Li Xianglong a great favor.

 Chapter 828: 746 Luo Wangshu_2

    Chapter 828: Chapter 746 Luo Wangshu_2


    Just as Lin Rui finished repairing the array, Liu Xinlan embedded the five ¡®Cloud Palace Jade Tokens¡¯ onto the Dharma Platform.


    Two of them were obtained by Lin Rui from Qin Yan¡¯s cave, while the other three were collected by Liu Xinlan from the relics of fellow disciples to help Lin Rui retrieve them.


    ¡°Entering the Cloud Palace requires not only a formation and jade tokens, but also the essence blood of a true disciple for guidance. However, the Heavenly Palace was opened in the heavenly curtain by my master with His supreme divine power. If we guide outsiders in without the master¡¯s permission, we will be punished.¡±


    Liu Xinlan seemed a bit lost at this point: ¡°I don¡¯t know what state my master is in right now.¡±


    Lin Rui glanced at her again: ¡°Senior, rest assured, I promised that as long as your master can maintain normal sanity, I will do my best to help Him.¡±


    He had already helped a Taixuan Heavenly Venerate, so helping another Du Zunlong was not a big deal.


    Similar to Taixuan Heavenly Venerate, such existences as Despair and Pain also seek transcendence, but they are somewhat different from the living gods.


    Their expectations are relatively lower; they only seek to escape the heavenly curtain and free themselves from the root.


    They know their limits, so they don¡¯t expect to control the heavenly curtain nor have the ambition of the Lord of All Gods.


    Like Taixuan Heavenly Venerate, His true spirit is almost exhausted, now only seeking a place on the artificial sky, plotting for recovery.


    Of course, if these gods see an opportunity to control the heavenly curtain, they definitely won¡¯t give up.


    ¡°Thank you, my lord! However¡ª¡±


    Liu Xinlan sighed: ¡°Let¡¯s see my master¡¯s condition first.¡±


    In the past, Du Zunlong spent seven hundred years accepting thirteen thousand disciples, making the Infinite Martial Sect flourish and famous.


    However, after Du Zunlong¡¯s death, the Sky Extreme Five Gods and the Three Gods of Purgatory spared no effort in hunting down the disciples of the master, eradicating all traces and inheritance of the master.


    Nevertheless, these eight from the Abyss did not only target Du Zunlong but also treated other gods similarly.


    Liu Xinlan didn¡¯t understand the reasons in the past; later, she joined the Mechanical God Temple, and under its protection, deeply studied the secrets of the divine, discovering that her master had spread the Tao widely before ascending to godhood. This was both to cultivate wings and because He foresaw an unpredictable future that might lead to His downfall, intending to use His inheritance and disciples as anchors to lock his self and true spirit in immortality.


    The reason existing divine spirits wanted to extinguish these fallen abyss ones was partly to prevent their resurgence and partly to keep them suppressed to fill the pit called ¡®root.¡¯


    This pit is like a bottomless quagmire, and only by filling it thoroughly can others standing on it slow their sinking pace slightly.


    Liu Xinlan then looked around at the people present: ¡°This Dharma Platform can accommodate a maximum of five people entering simultaneously. Who are you planning to bring in? And who will escort us?¡±


    If the master¡¯s true spirit is still hidden in the Cloud Palace, the interior of this palace would undoubtedly be extremely dangerous.


    The master¡¯s true spirit, regardless of its current state, possesses divine-level power.


    At the same time, the Cloud Palace might hide great benefits, which could explosively enhance one¡¯s primordial spirit power and possibly even harbor an Abyss Divine Artifact of Du Zunlong.


    After the master¡¯s fall, the Abyss Magical Artifact He carried also vanished without a trace, and Liu Xinlan hasn¡¯t heard any news of it to this day.


    And accompanying Lin Rui, Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi would definitely go in with Lin Rui.


    Although these two women¡¯s cultivation levels are a bit weak, they are Lin Rui¡¯s priests, able to serve as mediums to channel and bear the power of the Light God Sect¡¯s ¡®Radiant Holy Altar.¡¯


    Wang Sen, however, only has a Sixth Realm cultivation and hasn¡¯t even implanted the ¡®Divine Power Pillar.¡¯


    The deeper layers of the Sky Pond are also perilous. Although Lin Rui just slew a Zhao Wenhan, there are no fewer than 50 ¡®Immortal Level¡¯ entities hidden within Purgatory and the Sky Pool Passage.


    Additionally, the Three Gods of Purgatory, and Liu Xinlan suspects that the ¡®Lord of Darkness,¡¯ must know the situation inside the Cloud Palace, perhaps even having visited it.


    The master¡¯s Divine Palace realm is dangerous to others, yet it cannot block the true divine spirits.


    It¡¯s hard to say what attitude the Lord of Darkness holds.


    Lin Rui turned his gaze towards the door: ¡°They should be arriving soon.¡±


    Liu Xinlan also felt a sense of anticipation, looking towards the door.


    She saw a man and a woman arrive from outside, walking in sequence through the entrance.


    The man must be the true form of Dharma King Bai Mei, dressed in bright and gleaming battle armor. His divine soul aura and martial intent were also brilliant, resembling a torch wherever he went.


    The woman, however, was a beautiful lady with brows like distant mountains, eyes as clear as autumn waters, with a cold and otherworldly temperament.


    She wore an elegant flowing cloud gauze dress, her clothing gently swaying in the wind, both ethereal and with an unspeakable purity, devoid of any worldly aura.


    Liu Xinlan narrowed her eyes slightly: ¡°Luo Wangshu?¡±


    This should be Luo Wangshu, the Third Divine Envoy of the Great Song, and Lin Rui¡¯s master¡¯s disciple.


    After being resurrected, Liu Xinlan focused on researching this woman¡¯s information and consulted her profile.


    After Luo Wangshu entered, Lin Rui, Ji Xueying, and Shangguan Tianyi all greeted her in unison.


    Luo Wangshu directly embraced Lin Rui¡¯s arm and then pinched Lin Rui¡¯s waist: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask for my help on such a big occasion today? Not even a word of greeting¡ªdo you think your master¡¯s cultivation is too weak to hold up?¡±


    In the presence of so many, she had to save Lin Rui¡¯s face; otherwise, she would have directly tugged at Lin Rui¡¯s face.


    Lin Rui grinned wryly, enduring the pain at his waist: ¡°Not only were they targeting Lin Hao this time, but they also had their sights set on the master. How can the master¡¯s position be easily moved?¡±


    Lin Rui had some confidence that even if Lin Hao¡¯s identity was revealed, the East Abyss wouldn¡¯t immediately attack them, but why take the risk?


    ¡°Consider yourself reasonable.¡±


    Luo Wangshu released her grip, then bowed towards Liu Xinlan: ¡°Luo Wangshu greets the senior, I¡¯ve long heard of your great name. Thank you for taking care of my disciple.¡±


    She was respectful to this senior female cultivator.


    Liu Xinlan achieved the Super Divine Envoy Level in 150 years, a peerless prodigy renowned 3000 years ago.


    Unfortunately, her primordial spirit was impaired, and her true spirit injured, causing her cultivation to stagnate at the Ninth Realm Divine Illumination under the persecution of the gods.


    She later joined the Mechanical God Temple and barely recovered a bit under its protection, only to be betrayed and killed by the temple.


    Liu Xinlan quickly stepped aside: ¡°I dare not!¡±


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s respect delighted her, but as Lin Rui¡¯s Battle Spirit servant, Liu Xinlan must not act presumptuous before Luo Wangshu.


    Liu Xinlan secretly felt a sense of envy.


    Luo Wangshu is now also a Super Divine Envoy, but she has Lin Rui, a divine spirit, to rely on; they support each other and achieve together, with a bright future ahead.


    Meanwhile, Liu Xinlan¡¯s path was destroyed the day her master fell.


    Although now resurrected with Lin Rui¡¯s power and the extraterrestrial demon¡¯s biotechnology, Liu Xinlan had glimpsed the true nature of this object from within the Battle Spirit Ring, knowing she could never step into the divine spirit ranks.


    Luo Wangshu then activated her bloodline ability, giving Liu Xinlan a firm look.


    She raised her eyebrow slightly, thinking that this woman was indeed as Lin Rui had said, severely damaged in her primordial spirit.


    Her true spirit seemed to have been wounded by divine power, incomplete, and even with Lin Rui¡¯s mysterious methods of resurrection, it couldn¡¯t fully recover.


    However, this time the Cloud Palace holds the opportunity for Liu Xinlan¡¯s recovery and also presents a chance for Luo Wangshu and others to greatly enhance their power.


    Luo Wangshu then took a step to stand on the east side of the Dharma Platform, her eyes filled with anticipation: ¡°Everyone is here, let¡¯s begin quickly.¡±


    She chuckled softly: ¡°I sincerely hope that the true spirit of the Limitless Saber Venerable remains in the Cloud Palace.¡±


    This not only represents Lin Rui¡¯s martial intent surpassing the 70% threshold to reach the Immortal Level¡¯s final gateway, but also decides if the many relics of the Limitless Saber Venerable can still be retained in the Cloud Palace.


    Lin Rui nodded, ¡°I trouble Dharma King Bai Mei to protect us.¡±


    Dharma King Bai Mei bowed and then silently sat at the door of this side hall.


    As Lin Rui drew a magic spell with his hands, bits of spiritual light began to manifest on the Dharma Platform under them, successfully activating it.


    The consciousness of the five on the platform blurred, and suddenly their vision changed to a different world.


    Lin Rui and Luo Wangshu were initially startled, both sensing the extremely dense aura of root power here.


    Both, practicing the abyss through the ¡®Abyss Divine Tablet,¡¯ had profound understanding and sensitivity to the power of origin.


    However, after the initial shock, they both felt a slight joy.


    This is because any power of origin is a deadly poison for those from the abyss, something they would prefer to avoid.


    And where does this power of origin come from?


    It can be seen that the residual true spirit of the Limitless Saber Venerable must be hidden in this palace, and the remaining relics of the Limitless Saber Venerable must not have been taken away.

 Chapter 829: 747 Infinite

    Chapter 829: Chapter 747 Infinite


    What Lin Rui and others didn¡¯t know was that just as they passed through the talismanic array and entered the Cloud Palace.


    A majestic figure in human form, wearing Exoskeleton Armor, was hovering 300 miles outside Du Zunlong¡¯s underground palace, gazing into the interior of the palace.


    He regarded the multiple barriers and hurdles within the underground palace as nothing and directly observed the core inside the palace, though he couldn¡¯t pierce through the Light Power emanating from a side hall.


    Beside this majestic figure hovered another person.


    This was an elderly man clad in a green robe, his posture as upright as a pine, and his face marked by the traces of time.


    His face was entirely marked by the signs of frost and wind, yet his features were very dignified, and his eyes still bright like stars, exuding an air of purity and transcendence, with a celestial aura.


    A rustic long sword hung at his waist, its scabbard carved with intricate totems, and the elder in the green robe tightly grasped the sword¡¯s hilt, reluctant to let go even for a moment.


    This person also ignored the multitude of barriers, looking toward the interior of the underground palace, but when he attempted to gaze into the core zone, beyond 30 miles, he could not discern clearly.


    The elderly swordman frowned: ¡°He is quite cautious, that should be Dharma King Bai Mei, his strength is difficult to ascertain, likely between Divine Envoy and Senior Divine Envoy Level, they have also arranged formations on the periphery, not only did they use Armored Cars to set up arrays, but they are also repairing the Array Core of the underground palace, yet this stance can only defend against Longevity, only Lin Rui¡¯s Radiant Eternal Dragon can threaten the lord¡ª¡±


    He turned his head to gaze at the majestic figure beside him: ¡°But for the Divine, this is not a problem, the only worry is the attitude of the Lord of Darkness, he seems not to want you to contact the Lord of Purity.¡±


    Thus, the Master of Devouring¡¯s true form was sent far into the starry sky by the Lord of Darkness, descending here in human form.


    The elderly swordman was quite curious about the power of this Master of Devouring¡¯s alien form and its state.


    Due to the issue of Spirit and Body Integration, not only can Divine Spirits not exert full battle power after acquiring alien forms, but even Immortal Level entities are similar.


    The alien forms manufactured by the Longevity Association¡¯s technology can currently only exert about 45% of their true form¡¯s battle power.


    Thus, for a lengthy period, alien forms have not only failed to aid them but have been their flaw, neither Longevity nor Divine Spirits can directly intervene, only indirectly influence the Earth Federation¡¯s situation.


    The elderly swordman thought it quite significant that the Master of Devouring chose to come today in human alien form, indicating his greed and emphasis on the Pure Method.


    The question remained as to how much of his human form¡¯s power compared to his true form?


    The elderly swordman harbored no ill intent, knowing that these Divine Spirits, even with only 1% of divine power left, are not something they at the Immortal level can withstand.


    ¡ªOnly God can contend against God!


    Thus even though there were over ten Longevity entities present today, coveting Du Zunlong¡¯s apocalyptic relics, they could only lurk in shadow and hesitate to approach.


    An hour ago, the scene where Lin Rui burned Zhao Wenhan alive shocked everyone and quashed any remaining hope.


    Although this was merely the chosen resurrection vessel of the Great Sun Heavenly Venerate, an unfortunate soul, he is not someone they at the Immortal level could provoke or challenge.


    ¡°My elder brother must be displeased.¡± the Master of Devouring let out a light laugh, his tone filled with self-mockery: ¡°But even if He is displeased, even if He regards me as an adversary, I must obtain the Pure Method. I am called the Master of Devouring, yet I cannot digest what I consume, what kind of Master of Devouring am I? He refuses to give me his assimilation method.¡±


    The elderly swordman¡¯s eyes revealed an odd sheen, knowing the Lord of Darkness surely wouldn¡¯t consent.


    If the Master of Devouring simultaneously mastered both the assimilation method and the Pure Method, he would certainly have the stature of a Divine King!


    He shook his head: ¡°And when does the lord plan to act?¡±


    The Lord of Purity thought other Divine Spirits did not wish the Great Sun Heavenly Venerate to swiftly resurrect within him, so he acted recklessly, boldly delving 200,000 miles underground, not realizing that this lord actually anticipated the arrival of the Great Sun more.


    If the Great Sun did not come, who could deal with that Dreamy Heavenly Venerate, or handle the East Abyss and the Lord of Darkness?


    The Central Abyss absolutely won¡¯t be willing, the two joining forces can briefly resist at the God King Level, their real-world strength even surpasses the Dreamy Heavenly Venerate.


    They certainly hoped for the expansion of the Artificial Sky to accommodate both of them, those two were the least expecting the arrival of mass killing calamity and remained the final reliance of the Outer Heaven Demon.


    The eight Divine Spirits alive each had their own schemes and positions, giving them at the Immortal level a sliver of ¡®transcendence¡¯ notion.


    The elderly swordman hoped the world would become chaotic, the more tumultuous the situation, the better chance they have.


    ¡°Wait a little longer.¡± The Master of Devouring placed both hands behind his back, his gaze profound and inscrutable: ¡°Wait until he acquires the Infinite Relics.¡±


    He was still very interested in those things left by Infinite.


    The Master of Devouring once wanted to consume the Limitless Saber Venerable and acquire His ¡®Infinite¡¯ power.


    This, in a way, could also resolve the problem of him only being able to ¡®devour¡¯ but unable to digest.


    The Master of Devouring could at least accomplish ¡®assimilation¡¯, integrate into Infinite Chaos.


    Unfortunately, due to indirect obstruction by All Gods, the Master of Devouring could not fulfill his wishes.


    Additionally, he cannot act within the range of the underground palace.


    The Lord of Darkness¡¯s darkness method spans widely, all areas covered in darkness are within his sensing range.


    The Master of Devouring has yet to test his extreme distance, it might be between 300,000 to 350,000 miles from his true form.

 Chapter 830: 747 Infinite_2

    Chapter 830: Chapter 747 Infinite_2


    The Lord of Darkness can freely enter and exit within his sensory range, moving at will.


    Thus, although he had retreated deep into Purgatory, the Master of Devouring dared not act recklessly.


    To be safe, it is best to take action at a location forty thousand miles away from Purgatory, as only this distance can evade the detection of his ¡®brother¡¯.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    Upon entering the Cloud Palace, the moment Lin Rui sensed the Root aura, he opened his ¡®Separation and Union¡¯ technique to the maximum, dispersing and aggregating the surrounding Root aura to repel it far away.


    This substance is akin to a toxin for the Abyss, accelerating their descent into the Root; it was almost the same for Lin Rui.


    The previous ¡®Abyss Divine Tablet¡¯, though originating from the Root, was a solidified entity, whereas these Root auras were scattered and active.


    Lin Rui¡¯s ¡®Separation and Union¡¯ technique couldn¡¯t completely isolate them, but he still had the Purifying Fire to cleanse and purify the slight root auras eroding his Divine Soul.


    Since the day 500 years ago when the Earth Federation learned about the existence of the Root from top Armored Martial Cultivators, they have harbored numerous speculations about the truth of this ¡®Root¡¯.


    Currently, a more credible explanation, recognized by many top scholars and Divine Illumination Martial Cultivators, is that this so-called ¡®Root¡¯ might be a ¡®space¡¯ or even a ¡®world¡¯ with a certain level of self-awareness, a ¡®universe¡¯.


    It can be understood as a universe that has come alive, like a single-celled organism gaining life.


    Within Sky Etreme Star, the ¡®Root¡¯ is the intersection of two worlds, two dimensions; it is also the tentacle that this space infiltrates through.


    All anomalies on Sky Extreme Star, including Purgatory Light and ether elements, originate from this activated world. Therefore, whether humans or the people of Tianji Star, the more ether elements in their bodies and the stronger their Divine Thought, the stronger the Root¡¯s attraction to them.


    Some scholars believe that this activated world must be incomplete and is using this ¡®reclamation¡¯ method for self-learning and improvement.


    It¡¯s currently challenging to determine what this activated world will eventually become; maybe it will become a ¡®Creator God¡¯? No one can say for sure now.


    Some scholars also hypothesize that this is an activated world created and controlled by a powerful civilized race.


    This activated world has been severely damaged, possibly even on the verge of Destruction, and it is repairing itself while reviving the powerful race that created it.


    The Heavenly Curtain is a subspace formed by a mixture of Spiritual Power and ether elements.


    The so-called ¡®transcendence¡¯ of the people of Tianji Star could be understood as humanity once escaping Earth¡¯s gravity; as long as they can leave a certain distance, they can escape the attraction of the Root.


    Some scholars even boldly speculate that in past years, some people of Tianji Star have actually escaped from this planet, but after escaping, they could not maintain their power.


    At this moment, Luo Wangshu¡¯s expression turned stern: ¡°Be careful!¡±


    She had already sensed a vast and chaotic Blade Intent crashing out from the black mist ahead.


    At the same time, an incomparably powerful Conceptual Power enveloped the entire void.


    This Conceptual Power was so mighty that Luo Wangshu and Liu Xinlan¡¯s concepts were shattered before they could even unfold.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s pupils slightly contracted.


    This was nearly complete Conceptual Power, almost reaching 100%!


    The only fortunate aspect was that this Conceptual Power was incomplete and extremely chaotic and disordered.


    She instantly pointed forward, and a massive sword condensed in front of her, slashing towards the source of the Blade Intent, while her Divine Thought rolled up, enveloping Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying, and retreated behind Lin Rui.


    Liu Xinlan¡¯s reaction was just as swift, her Divine Thought condensed into a blade, cooperating with Luo Wangshu to slash forward.


    Her eyes were filled with sorrow: ¡°Master~¡±


    Boom!


    With a tremendous explosion, the Divine Sword Intent condensed by Liu Xinlan and Luo Wangshu shattered instantly, and the powerful Divine Thought surged in all directions, causing the soul bodies of the four women to tremble unsteadily.


    Yet they still managed to retreat behind Lin Rui.


    At this moment, the Sacred Fire had already ignited around Lin Rui¡¯s soul body.


    His consciousness had connected with the alien entity of the Divine Sect Headquarters and received full support from the Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and two Radiant Holy Altars, two electronic altars, as well as 108 Red Priests and 324 Capital Chief Priests.


    He stood like an indestructible rock, bracing against the impact of the Blade Intent.


    ¡°Infinite Method! Wait, no¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui not only used ¡®Holy Thunder¡¯ to counterblast the Blade Intent but also scattered Tribulation Fire in all directions, burning all matter, all concepts, all energy!


    The so-called ¡®Infinite¡¯ of the Limitless Saber Venerable was merely a human translation on this side.


    Because some scholars believe that the Conceptual Power of the Limitless Saber Venerable closely resembles the ¡®Infinite¡¯ concept of Earth¡¯s Taoism, thus it was named Infinite.


    It was close to the origin of the universe, embodying all existence and all variables.


    It can be said that it is a combination of Ten Thousand Changes and All Transformations, infinite, both unified and chaotic, nearly Chaos, the Root of the formation and development of all things, without any rules or restrictions.


    Therefore, early in his Extreme Longevity stage, the Limitless Saber Venerable was greatly feared by All Gods, and the Three Gods of Purgatory could not allow him to exist.


    He battled with the gods for over 800 years, hiding across the regions of Sky Extreme Star, gathering disciples, and passing down his inheritance.


    Unfortunately, He finally failed, falling at the Sky Extreme Islands after briefly entering the Abyss Realm.


    However, the many Divine Illumination Martial Cultivators and scholars of the Federation, after studying the Battle Dragon Source Essence of the Limitless Saber Venerable, have never understood the reason for His downfall.

 Chapter 831: 747 Infinite_3

    Chapter 831: Chapter 747 Infinite_3


    The concept power of the Limitless Saber Venerable is extremely strong, and the difficulty of cultivation is also very high, far exceeding Zhao Wenhan¡¯s ¡®Time¡¯!


    Because the limitless of the Limitless Saber Venerable encompasses all time, space, matter, and energy!


    Theoretically, once the Limitless Saber Venerable achieves the Abyss Engraving, it should possess power close to that of a Divine King. Even if not an opponent against all gods combined, the Limitless Saber Venerable has enough capability to retreat from the pursuit of the gods.


    Among those divine spirits, only the Central Abyss, East Abyss, and the Lord of Darkness truly pose a threat to him ¡ª yet this one has fallen!


    Lin Rui now understands the reason.


    The Blade Intent of the Limitless Saber Venerable is ever-changing, like mercury flowing, with no gap it cannot enter.


    It is like a master key that can open any lock, regardless of the type of your door or lock.


    At this moment, Lin Rui uses his ¡®one¡¯ as the core, commanding the Holy Thunder, Tribulation Fire, and Pure Method, responding to all changes with invariance.


    Standing like a Heaven Pillar, like a rock, unbreakable!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    At this moment, another thunderous roar caused the Primordial Spirits of the four women behind Lin Rui to tremble violently, inciting feelings of pain.


    However, the Blade Intent of that majestic Soul Power and the Blade Intent called ¡®limitless¡¯ have already dissipated before Lin Rui.


    At this time, the surrounding Root aura, also scattered in all directions under the impact of both sides¡¯ power and Divine Thought.


    Lin Rui finally saw the True Spirit of the ¡®Limitless Saber Venerable¡¯.


    This person¡¯s True Spirit form is a mist of chaos.


    Upon first seeing, Lin Rui could see the layers of blade edges within the chaotic mist. Each blade edge transcends dust, like electricity and dragon, and is extremely harmonious and balanced, ubiquitous, and all-reaching.


    Looking more closely, one could see countless things and natural phenomena in this chaos.


    It seemed as if the essence of all things in the world and all the mysteries of the universe were contained within.


    Lin Rui also saw within the chaos, a pair of scarlet ghost eyes full of madness, violence, and greed, and within them, a real blade!


    That blade is made of no ordinary iron, as if gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the essence of the sun and moon, containing the supreme laws of heaven and earth and the pinnacle of martial arts.


    It even makes one think it is as if it is nature and chaos itself, the sole existence between heaven and earth.


    ¡°Is this the Abyss Divine Weapon?¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils slightly widened, his gaze incredulous.


    This is definitely not the Abyss Weapon that the Limitless Saber Venerable wielded in life. The power intensity is also incorrect; it is almost at the level of Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire.


    This turned out to be a Super Divine Artifact with conceptual power reaching over ninety percent!


    Lin Rui immediately understood everything, revealing an expression of ecstasy in his eyes.


    He realized this blade must have been formed from the body of the Limitless Saber Venerable.


    It¡¯s a pity that the body of this Saber Venerable likely never fully underwent Abyss Transformation, and in life, it probably withstood irreparable severe injuries, so this Divine Artifact could not reach the level of a Supreme Divine Artifact.


    In his joy, Lin Rui pointed forward, condensing all the Holy Thunder, Tribulation Fire, and Pure Method at his fingertip, forcibly withstanding the sharp Divine Blade slashing out from the chaos.


    He used this Illusory Fire, employing three concepts that he could barely control, facing this ever-changing, pinnacle-reached Sword Dao, the Limitless Saber Venerable whose man and blade were united! Amazingly, he managed to withstand it, blocking that Super Divine Weapon before him.


    ¡°What a pity!¡± Lin Rui sighed lightly, endlessly regretful.


    This Limitless Saber Venerable was likely pushed to the extreme by the eight abyssal masters of Sky Extreme Star, forcibly elevating a part of his Martial Intent to the Abyss level.


    That was essentially the concept of ¡®Ten Thousand Changes¡¯!


    Therefore, the limitless of the Limitless Saber Venerable was not the true ¡®limitless¡¯, already deviating from his Fundamental Martial Arts, a compelled act.


    And Lin Rui, although merely struggling to control his three concepts, his conceptual power is complete. The Holy Thunder and Tribulation Fire among them are at least the combination of seven concept powers.


    Lin Rui could further harm with his essence, drawing upon the will of the 108 Red Priests, 324 Capital Chief Priests, and the 2.9 billion followers of the two Radiant Holy Altars, providing him with near true-divine-level blood and divine power.


    The True Spirit of Du Zunlong, which was cut over with man and blade united, held against Lin Rui for a moment, causing the surrounding Heavenly Curtain void to tremble violently once more.


    Then it unexpectedly abandoned the Infinite Divine Sword that encompassed the supreme laws of heaven and earth and the pinnacle of martial arts, plunging entirely into Lin Rui¡¯s Soul Body.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was not startled but delighted!


    Especially at this moment, Luo Wangshu had already reached out and touched his back closely.


    The ¡®Limit¡¯ and ¡®enhancement¡¯ had reached as high as 62%, and ¡®Solid Law¡¯ and ¡®Growth¡¯ 58%, maximally enhancing Lin Rui¡¯s spiritual power and various concepts.


    Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi also stabilized their positions, guiding more power from the Radiant Holy Altar to descend here!

 Chapter 832: 748: Supreme (Happy New Year to everyone)

    Chapter 832: Chapter 748: Supreme (Happy New Year to everyone)


    When the Limitless Saber Venerable plunged into Lin Rui¡¯s body, a majestic and grand thunder network suddenly erupted around Lin Rui.


    Gold and white thunder snakes, incredibly violent, coiled and exploded within thirty zhang around, illuminating the surrounding void to a blazing white.


    At the same time, a sacred silver fire rose relentlessly from beneath Lin Rui¡¯s feet. Initially, it surrounded Lin Rui¡¯s body, and then astonishingly began to burn all materials! All concepts! All phenomena!


    The thunder and tribulation fire then started to fuse, entwine, and clash with one another, ultimately forming an unprecedented powerful force inside and outside Lin Rui¡¯s body, burning all, purifying all, refining all within.


    This true spirit of the Limitless Saber Venerable was also severely damaged and incomplete, yet His divine sense and conceptual power remained extremely strong. Once He entered Lin Rui¡¯s primordial spirit, He immediately transformed into thousands of sword lights raging, infiltrating everywhere, as if slicing with extreme ferocity, intending to shred Lin Rui¡¯s primordial spirit into fragments.


    His divine blade also erupted with an even stronger blade astral and blade intent, with the sharp brilliance at the tip slowly slicing into Lin Rui¡¯s fingertips.


    Lin Rui could only withstand it with his concepts of ¡®one¡¯ and ¡®separation and union,¡¯ counter-attacking with three conceptual powers: ¡®purity,¡¯ ¡®holy thunder,¡¯ and ¡®tribulation fire.¡¯


    Luo Wangshu managed to elevate these two conceptual powers to approximately 70% and 78% respectively.


    Then with his own ceaseless vitality, the fire of divine will accumulated from the will of 2.9 billion people, he engaged in a hard struggle against the Limitless Saber Venerable, refining his true spirit little by little, burning, purifying!


    Liu Xinlan was completely unable to assist, only able to use her ¡®all transformations¡¯ blade intent to shield Lin Rui¡¯s two maids, allowing them to more comfortably receive the power of the radiant holy altar.


    Her face was incredibly bitter, filled with helplessness and sorrow.


    The instant Liu Xinlan sensed the blade intent of Limitless Saber Venerable Du Zunlong, she knew her master might have truly fallen.


    Her all transformations blade intent originated from Du Zunlong, thus her sensing was very clear, her master¡¯s true spirit still held a strong self-awareness, even able to directly confront and battle Lin Rui, yet Liu Xinlan felt it was filled with fundamental essence.


    Her master did not even recognize her. The feeling he gave was extremely foreign, cold, as if devoid of any humanity.


    Liu Xinlan realized her master had been dragged into the root, his residual true spirit had been conquered and corrupted by the root, becoming an unknown entity.


    The stalemate and intense battle between Lin Rui and Du Zunlong lasted nearly a quarter of an hour.


    During this time, he was continually receiving prompts from his Battle Spirit Ring.


    Prompt: Your Sky Curtain Spirit is under attack from the Master of All Changes, Du Zunlong. He has partially burned and cleansed his true spirit using your purifying fire, holy thunder tribulation fire, and radiant holy altar. You need 320,000 soul power points to refine the abyss true spirit fragments scattered within your body.


    Prompt: ¡ª¡ªYou need 420,000 soul power points to refine the abyss true spirit fragments scattered within your body.


    When these prompts appeared, Lin Rui chose to refine rather than let it accumulate.


    Eight months ago in the Ten Thousand Dragon Tower, he had harvested soul power points that weren¡¯t used up, and over these eight months, he had accumulated quite a lot additionally.


    Previously, to refine and absorb the residual spirit of Li He Venerate, Lin Rui had specifically gone to the Heaven and Earth Battlefield hosted by Luo Wangshu to harvest a wave of demons. Unfortunately, the Li He Venerate vanished along with his Divine Palace, making it difficult to find traces, causing Lin Rui¡¯s soul power points accumulation to reach 63 million with no place to use them.


    At this moment, Lin Rui was simultaneously refining and comprehending the infinite wonder of the Limitless Saber Venerable, absorbing the nutrients of this Infinite Method to enhance and complete his concept of ¡®one.¡¯


    ¡°Such a pity, such a pity¡ª¡ª¡±


    Lin Rui¡¯s gaze grew increasingly regretful, more and more regrettable.


    Du Zunlong¡¯s conceptual power indeed had significant flaws, greatly incomplete, even undeserving of the title ¡®infinite.¡¯


    It was merely the merger and mixing of ¡®Ten Thousand Changes¡¯ and ¡®All Transformations,¡¯ an aggregate concept of time, space, material, and energy.


    Ten Thousand Changes included all probabilities and energy variables, while All Transformations was all changes in matter and phenomena.


    Additionally, perhaps due to Du Zunlong¡¯s own true spirit being incomplete or corrupted by the root, or even ¡®replacement,¡¯ these two conceptual powers were also incomplete.


    The ¡®Ten Thousand Changes¡¯ appeared complete but was actually riddled with holes, leaving only 92%; the other conceptual power ¡®All Transformations¡¯ hadn¡¯t reached the abyss level, leaving only 86%.


    Yet the residual combat instinct within Du Zunlong¡¯s true spirit was extremely strong. He almost vanquished Lin Rui¡¯s primordial spirit head-on with these incomplete conceptual powers.


    However, as time went on, Du Zunlong¡¯s residual spirit was being refined step by step by Lin Rui. His power diminished gradually, his participating true spirit reduced, and the pressure on Lin Rui lessened.


    At the moment Du Zunlong¡¯s true spirit was nearly obliterated, Lin Rui received two more notifications!


    Prompt: Detected presence of ¡®root material¡¯ within your body, whether to consume 1.2 million soul power points to refine it?


    Prompt: Detected presence of ¡®exotic realm residual spirit¡¯ scattered essence soul within your body, whether to consume 430,000 soul power points to refine it?


    Lin Rui¡¯s pupils contracted to the extreme, revealing a look of shock and bewilderment.


    He understood root material, clearly Du Zunlong¡¯s true spirit had been assimilated and eroded by the root, but what was exotic realm residual spirit?


    Could those scholars¡¯ speculations be true, that the so-called ¡®root¡¯ is actually a vitalized world created by advanced civilization, and this advanced civilization might be a ¡®ascended¡¯ race¡ªmeaning through technology, spiritual power, or other means evolved or transcended species and civilization?

 Chapter 833 - 748: Supreme (Wishing everyone a Happy New Year)_2

    Lin Rui was particularly grateful at this moment, as he had accumulated enough soul power points in his hands.


    Afterwards, the two kinds of prompts from the Battle Spirit Ring kept appearing, and the number of soul power points needed continued to grow.


    Not until Lin Rui completely refined Du Zunlong''s true spirit did the new prompts stop appearing.


    At this point, Lin Rui''s soul power points had been consumed down to only 3.32 million.


    Lin Rui''s mind then looked inwardly, contemplating what the so-called ''Root Material'' and ''Exotic Realm Residual Spirit'' truly were.


    He was momentarily stunned, a wave of extreme shock and surprise surging in his heart, to the extent that Lin Rui''s soul body trembled violently.


    "What is this?"


    Previously, the numerous impacts of Blade Intent from the Limitless Saber Venerable couldn''t dismantle and crush Lin Rui''s divine sense.


    But now his primordial spirit seemed on the verge of disintegration.


    Even the ''Super Divine Artifact'' class divine weapon of the Limitless Saber Venerable had already fallen to the ground, motionless.


    "Lin Rui, how are you now?" Luo Wangshu looked at him curiously and confusedly, "Where is the true spirit of the Limitless Saber Venerable? Has it been refined and incinerated by you? What''s the harvest?"


    In truth, she couldn''t understand how Lin Rui would draw nourishment from the conceptual power of the Limitless Saber Venerable, perfecting his Unity Martial Intent.


    Yet, in the past, Lin Rui had received a 72% strong ''Separation and Union'' concept from the Li He Venerate.


    Liu Xinlan heard this and her heart darkened; she could no longer sense the soul consciousness aura of the Limitless Saber Venerable, and this one''s conceptual divine power had already continuously diminished to nearly nothing half a moment ago; now, there was nothing left at all.


    Lin Rui was brought back to his senses by the question, and his lips curved slightly: "The harvest is great!"


    Then, with a thought, he conjured in front of him a brilliant long saber entwined with thunder and holy fire!


    It was Lin Rui''s core of the Unity cultivation method, forming through his various concepts and all his power.


    Luo Wangshu was slightly dazed after looking at it, only to see the cold light flowing on the blade, akin to countless nebulae rotating, aggregating just like a star river flowing.


    Looking more carefully, it was clearly unformed laws in manifestation, circulating and flowing, with the fabric of time and space even forming a double spiral structure on the spine of the blade.


    Luo Wangshu saw in this circulation, all things of the world and also the origin and destination of all things.


    She gasped a cold breath, her gaze somewhat skeptical: "Lin Rui, has your Unity Martial Intent completely conceptualized?"


    Previously, Lin Rui''s Unity Martial Intent was only around 68%, which Luo Wangshu could comprehend, glimpsing its profundity and substance.


    But now she could no longer understand it; even just a slight focus made her head spin.


    Evidently, Luo Wangshu had long felt that Lin Rui''s Unity Martial Intent had a greatly vast framework, with grand and magnificent aura, though this path was also extremely challenging, not much inferior to the Limitless Saber Venerable''s ''Infinite'', and even more superior.


    Yet Lin Rui was advancing extremely fast and smoothly on this path, far surpassing her already.


    Shangguan Tianyi and Ji Xueying were also watching, and the two women soon felt a tearing pain in their divine souls.


    Solely because this Blade Intent contained several abyssal-level powers, something absolutely unbearable for their Seventh Realm selves.


    Fortunately, both women were Lin Rui''s priests; when they closed their eyes, this pain receded and vanished.


    Lin Rui lightly shook his head, suppressing the joy in his heart: "How could it be? It''s only at 74% at most; I''ve merely further aggregated my purity, holy thunder, and tribulation fire power into one."


    He chose not to absorb the ''Infinite'' or the concepts of ''Ten Thousand Changes'' and ''All Transformations'' from the Limitless Saber Venerable, but instead, he fused the essence into his essential martial intent.


    His Unity Martial Intent was indeed very challenging to cultivate, even though he had refined and absorbed all the residual spirits of the Limitless Saber Venerable, achieving only 74% conceptual strength.


    However, if he split his Unity concept into two parts¡ªOne Births All Things and Unity of All Things¡ªthe former could reach 78%, attaining the level of strong longevity.


    Of course, the capacity of a barrel is always determined by its shortest stave.


    Yet Lin Rui was already quite satisfied because his essential martial intent had crossed the Immortal Level threshold, allowing him to further integrate his concept divine power.


    At the same time, his primordial spirit power also considerably fortified after refining and absorbing the scattered essence souls of the Limitless Saber Venerable.


    Even though the formation on Lin Rui''s alien side had ceased operating, no longer providing spiritual blood to him, Lin Rui still felt an unprecedented strength in his spiritual power.


    His primordial spirit was as vast as the star river, boundless. His spiritual sense, fused with his will, seemingly could pierce through all illusions, sensing the finest dust within dozens of miles, even the molecular structure and conceptual composition of this dust, and control them at will.


    Of course, the greatest gain was the ''Root Material'' and ''Exotic Realm Residual Spirit'' he refined this time.


    Although Lin Rui absorbed only a minuscule amount, it confirmed his understanding of the Roots.


    Lin Rui not only gained benefits that all divine spirits would envy, but also saw another possibility.


    Moreover, he also acquired all the relics of the Limitless Saber Venerable.


    Lin Rui raised his hand to summon the divine saber formed from the godly body of the Limitless Saber Venerable into his hand, playing with it.


    This saber was as crystalline as cold jade throughout, its edge as thin as a cicada''s wings, its blade slender and elegant, with faint golden patterns flowing on its edge, as if countless small runes were traversing within, exuding an indestructible sharpness.


    The spine of the blade was entirely covered with naturally occurring runes, each seemingly breathing, whispering the laws from when the heavens and earth initially opened, emitting an oppressive majesty, making the entire saber seem akin to the heavens and earth themselves, majestic and inviolable.


    He weighed the saber in his hand, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, his expression a bit regretful.


    His previous happiness was a bit premature; this saber had not reached the Super Divine Artifact level, with concept power only reaching 86%.


    Previously, it should have been the divine weapon and the true spirit of the Limitless Saber Venerable combined, achieving a Spirit and Body Integration effect, enabling extraordinary performance.


    Yet 86% of the Infinite is very strong; this is inherently a very powerful concept, making this item, although a strong divine artifact, not much inferior in actual combat power to those super divine artifacts.


    The key is this saber suits him; Lin Rui now seeks not battle power but the integration of concept power, the ability to sustain prolonged combat.


    "The Tao reaches supreme! The deepest has no bottom! Infinite is the beginning, the supreme is the end, from chaos to the extreme, from infinite to supreme. From today on, I will rename you to Supreme Heavenly Saber!"


    At this moment, Lin Rui also noticed the different expression on Liu Xinlan''s face, smiled, and looked over: "My apologies, senior! The true spirit of the Limitless Saber Venerable has been completely contaminated by the Roots. I cannot communicate with it, nor could I hold back."


    If Luo Wangshu hadn''t been there, he might have been overwhelmed by the Blade Intent of the Limitless Saber Venerable.


    Liu Xinlan bitterly smiled, just about to respond, but Lin Rui''s voice turned: "However, the Limitless Saber Venerable still left behind His body, and His true spirit is connected to the inheritance of the Infinite Method. There''s a thread yet unextinguished, linked in His remaining Taoist classics and martial works, and also within you. Only His Tao can prosper in the world, sooner or later, it will reunite the true spirit, truly belonging to his true spirit."


    Liu Xinlan''s pupils suddenly brightened slightly, with a gaze filled with uncertain surprise.


    Lin Rui at this time also dispersed all the root aura around to glimpse the full view of this ''Cloud Palace.''


    However, just as Lin Rui''s divine sense perceived and explored in all directions, aiming to search for other relics of the Limitless Saber Venerable, his gaze slightly condensed.


    It was Lin Rui remaining in the underground palace who sensed a sliver of previously elusive abyssal presence.


    Besides, there were a dozen or so Immortal Level figures around.


    Lin Rui, however, didn''t pay them much attention; what concerned him was only this powerful abyss hidden in the dark!


    His mind slightly sank, thinking the situation this time seemed a bit troublesome as an ''Abyss'' actually could not restrain itself, wanting to make a move on him.


    Fortunately, this ''Abyss'' had not exceeded his previous predictions, and he had methods to deal with it.


    "Let''s go, we will venture to that Limitless Divine Palace!"


    Lin Rui sensed strong divine thought and Ether Element Spirit in that direction; the two divine artifacts of the Limitless Saber Venerable should be here.

 Chapter 834: 749: Concentrating God Ice Crystal

    Chapter 834: Chapter 749: Concentrating God Ice Crystal


    The Cloud Palace actually occupies a vast area, approximately two-thirds of the Lihe Divine Palace.


    Its design is mysterious and grand, floating in the dark void within the Heavenly Curtain, as if it¡¯s a product of the interweaving of reality and illusion.


    The outer walls of the Heavenly Palace are even more breathtaking, seemingly composed of flowing liquid metal, with a surface that shimmers with a rainbow-like luster¡ªsometimes smooth as a mirror, sometimes surging like waves.


    The central ¡°Limitless Divine Palace¡± seems to defy physical laws, made up of countless twisted metals and the aura of origin, its outline constantly twisting and reforming in the void, as if redefining its shape at every moment, radiating a soul-captivating brilliance.


    The walls are embedded with countless long blades, pointing at every intruder, as if capable of piercing the Primordial Spirit of any invader.


    The gate is a giant vortex, seemingly capable of devouring everything and shattering all.


    However, to Lin Rui, who commands the Pure Method and the Supreme Divine Artifact, this forbidden technique is nullified.


    Lin Rui swept his robe sleeve, opened his Concept Divine Power, and protected the four women behind him as they forcefully barged into the vortex of the gate.


    Inside the vortex, countless fine Blade Astrals exploded instantaneously, each Blade Astral filled with the aura of origin and the dangerous Conceptual Power of the Limitless Saber Venerable, yet they failed to shake Lin Rui¡¯s power in the slightest.


    Luo Wangshu, under Lin Rui¡¯s protection, entered the hall unharmed. She then raised her eyebrows, looking at the giant throne above the hall in surprise: ¡°Is this the Root Stone?¡±


    The throne is also made of countless twisted metals and the Power of Origin, filled with a mysterious and majestic aura.


    What caught Luo Wangshu¡¯s attention was the throne¡¯s aura of origin, which was much more concentrated.


    In this entire Supreme Divine Palace, it¡¯s clear that a large amount of derivatives from the origin¡ªthe Root Stones¡ªwere integrated!


    The throne¡¯s Root Stone content is notably high, almost akin to the Abyss Divine Tablet remnant forged by Purgatory earlier.


    In other words, this giant throne, over 6 meters in both length and width, is also a large piece of top-tier artifact refining material.


    Yet, how the Limitless Saber Venerable withstands such a dense aura of origin in this place.


    ¡°Before ascending to godhood, my master had to collect a large amount of Root Stones to blend into his heavenly palace, to prevent the gods from finding him, and this also serves as a defense against them, with the concentrated and pure Power of Origin making them slightly wary.¡±


    Liu Xinlan¡¯s eyes dimmed, thinking this is why her master fell into the origin so quickly.


    Lin Rui then focused his gaze on the long blade floating beside the giant throne.


    The blade¡¯s body is also slender and flowing, surface covered with a layer of dynamic silver light patterns, seemingly containing infinite energy. The spine of the blade bears a naturally gathered spiraling dragon pattern, the dragon seeming alive, slowly flowing along the blade spine, exuding an imposing aura.


    Lin Rui thought this should be the Limitless Saber Venerable¡¯s companion weapon ¡°Solid Law Heavenly Saber,¡± supposedly possessing seventy-nine percent Solid Law and seventy-eight percent enhancement.


    This Divine Artifact supposedly originates from a Battle Dragon¡¯s Abyss Source Material.


    Most of the Abyss Divine Artifacts on Sky Extreme Star originate from the Abyss Source Material and Source Core of Martial Cultivators, rarely are they artificially created.


    The purpose of these Immortal Level beings and the Abyss in doing so is to maintain their existence to the greatest extent.


    Lin Rui raised his hand and summoned the Solid Law Heavenly Saber before him, then glanced sideways at Luo Wangshu: ¡°Master?¡±


    Luo Wangshu shook her head: ¡°This artifact is just icing on the cake for me, providing little help.¡±


    She herself has achieved 62% in both Limit and enhancement, 58% in Solid Law and growth, and 69% in refinement and ascension; she is only limited by her essential Martial Intent ¡°Only Heart and Only Me,¡± which hasn¡¯t reached the Immortal Level, so no increase can be made.


    All these are concept powers she can freely wield, and under the integration of Luo Wangshu¡¯s essential Martial Intent ¡°Only Heart and Only Me,¡± the actual Divine Power she exerts is not inferior to the Solid Law Heavenly Saber.


    Therefore, this Divine Artifact is indeed of little assistance to her.


    Besides, Luo Wangshu has long set her sights on Ge Xianshan¡¯s Super Divine Artifact ¡°Supreme Divine Heart,¡± which is truly suitable for her.


    Luo Wangshu has searched Purgatory in various ways for nearly a year and has, in fact, practically pinpointed the location of Ge Xianshan¡¯s cave mansion.


    However, the Earth Core Purgatory World is shrouded by the Divine Powers of the Three Gods of Purgatory, especially by the Lord of Darkness, whose sensing ability is extremely terrifying.


    Luo Wangshu temporarily cannot find a suitable opportunity to delve into Purgatory to retrieve that Super Divine Artifact.


    Lin Rui nodded slightly, then swept his long sleeves, sending the Solid Law Heavenly Saber to Liu Xinlan¡¯s front.


    ¡°This Abyss Divine Artifact will temporarily be under the command of Senior Liu.¡±


    The two concept powers of the Solid Law Heavenly Saber are indeed quite suitable for Liu Xinlan¡¯s Transformation Technique, maximizing her combat power.


    However, the meritorious service since Liu Xinlan joined Lin Rui¡¯s ranks doesn¡¯t yet warrant him bestowing this Divine Blade.


    Though Liu Xinlan was key for Lin Rui to find the Supreme Heavenly Palace, Wang Sen and Professor Han were the ones who willingly risked death, working tirelessly underground for half a year to discover this place.


    Liu Xinlan heard this without any discontent, and she somewhat joyfully accepted this Solid Law Heavenly Saber, with a grateful expression and respectfully clasped her hands: ¡°Thank you, Lord! Liu Xinlan will not forget the grace of revival and the virtue of the bestowed blade.¡±


    Her mind is broad, straightforward, and uninhibited.


    After acquiring the blade, Lin Rui prioritizing his own master¡¯s needs is perfectly reasonable.


    Besides, Lin Rui being able to resurrect her into the world is already akin to the great kindness and virtue of a rebirthing parent.

 Chapter 835: 749: Concentrating God Ice Crystal_2

    Chapter 835: Chapter 749: Concentrating God Ice Crystal_2


    She could now wield the Divine Weapon left by her master, an opportunity she never dared to dream of before.


    Liu Xinlan knew that although Lin Rui said to let her temporarily hold it, in reality, he had given the blade to her, and as long as she could achieve enough merits, the blade would belong to her.


    Liu Xinlan gently stroked the blade in her hand, a hint of sharpness flashing in her eyes.


    Perhaps due to being overwhelmed with excitement and losing control, a series of sharp sword lights appeared around her, leaving fine cracks on the surrounding ground.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Luo Wangshu glanced at this scene, a faint unusual light flashed in her starry eyes.


    She originally thought Senior Liu¡¯s Dao Heart had crumbled.


    This senior might have been severely impacted by an endless 1000-year-long pursuit by all gods, and numerous betrayals, hence she was cautious and reserved, lacking self-confidence, having lost her drive for progression and perseverance.


    Such was the state of Senior Liu, even if her Primordial Spirit was restored, her future prospects were limited, probably only advancing to a Weak Longevity level with difficulty to move further.


    But now it seems, this senior only restrained her sharpness and claws; Liu Xinlan¡¯s Dao Heart remained firm as a rock.


    Lin Rui next gazed at the center of this hall.


    There stood majestically a jade tripod about six feet tall, its whole body crystalline and shimmering with a soft glow. The tripod body was intricately carved with mountains, rivers, birds, and beasts, each detail exquisitely meticulous, as if heavenly craftsmanship had captured the Spirit Essence of all beings within, breathtakingly beautiful.


    Below it was equipped with a Dharma Platform of about twenty zhang in circumference, moderate in size, and astonishingly, this platform was still operational, emitting radiant spiritual light.


    Lin Rui assessed that this should be the legendary Abyss Divine Artifact ¡°Condensing Essence God Jade Tripod¡±, said to absorb wandering Soul Power and Water Element Spirit from the Heavenly Curtain, refining and extracting their essence.


    This object could produce a ¡°Concentrating God Ice Crystal¡± every ten years, significantly enhancing one¡¯s spiritual power and healing soul wounds.


    In the past, the core disciples of the Limitless Saber Venerable greatly benefited from it, their spiritual power being exceptionally strong.


    This was also the most valuable item in the Cloud Palace besides the two divine blades.


    And at this time, it had been 2800 years since the fall of the Limitless Saber Venerable!


    When Lin Rui lifted the tripod cover, his eyes brightened; inside the ¡°Condensing Essence God Jade Tripod¡± lay a heap of seven-colored ice crystals.


    These ice crystals were about the size of a baby¡¯s little finger, shaped like six-sided ice pillars, each face smooth as a mirror, reflecting fantastical hues.


    Even a powerful Martial Cultivator like Lin Rui could sense the pure and extremely refined soul power within them.


    Lin Rui swept his Divine Thought around to sense it, identifying that the total number of these ¡°Concentrating God Ice Crystals¡± was 340, with 60 more due to the auxiliary augmentation of the Dharma Platform.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s expression was pretty surprised too, showing strong joy.


    She originally thought these ¡°Concentrating God Ice Crystals¡± might have become contaminated with a strong root essence.


    Although the power of the ¡®Root¡¯ could help a person integrate Martial Intent with the Root and the Heavenly Curtain, fully conceptualizing Martial Intent, and preserving and solidifying concepts, making it excellent artifact material, integrating it into one¡¯s body and soul wouldn¡¯t be quite appropriate.


    The Limitless Saber Venerable, completely polluted by the Root, was a cautionary tale.


    However, this mattered to those on the journey of Longevity or even sinking into an Abyss, but for ordinary people and most Martial Cultivators, it was still of immense benefit.


    Yet, these ¡°Concentrating God Ice Crystals¡± produced by the ¡°Condensing Essence God Jade Tripod¡± were quite pure, without a trace of root essence.


    Of course, even if they were tainted, it didn¡¯t matter, as they had a ¡®Lord of Purity¡¯ beside them, capable of aiding in the purification.


    ¡°The legend about the ¡®Condensing Essence God Jade Tripod¡¯ proves true, this Soul Power is indeed condensed and pure!¡± Lin Rui mused, thinking that today¡¯s expedition into Purgatory was indeed risky, yet the harvest far exceeded expectations, truly reaping a bountiful reward.


    What Lin Rui lacked now was Primordial Spirit Power, crucial to resist the pollution and corrosion of the Great Sun Venerable.


    He then flicked his sleeve, selecting 40 ¡°Concentrating God Ice Crystals¡± from the tripod and distributed them to the four women behind him: ¡°Use them according to your capabilities.¡±


    These ¡°Concentrating God Ice Crystals¡± were indeed Divine Artifacts, Lin Rui estimated that just one could increase one¡¯s comprehensive spiritual power by fifty to thirty thousand points, but the subsequent effects would diminish, reducing to below three thousand points.


    Liu Xinlan held onto the 10 ¡°Concentrating God Ice Crystals¡± in her hands tightly, feeling immensely invigorated.


    These ¡°Concentrating God Ice Crystals¡± meant more to her than just increasing spiritual power, they could also repair her broken Spirit Origin, allowing her to realize the martial arts accumulation of 1600 years before her death.


    She had once achieved the level of a Super Divine Envoy in 160 years, yet stagnated for over 1600 years afterwards, remaining at the Super Divine Envoy level at her death.


    This was because her Primordial Spirit was seriously damaged, impairing her ability to continue conceptualizing Martial Intent.


    Also in joy were Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi.


    They too held the seven-colored ice crystals in their hands tightly.


    This was their hope for quick advancement in the future, a further step to carry Lin Rui¡¯s divine power.


    Both women knew the internal matters of Lin Rui, aware that a brutal battle determining Lin Rui¡¯s life and death was imminent.


    Although both had superior talent and understanding, they could not hope to possess the power to interfere in the battle of gods within a few short years.


    However, as long as their Primordial Spirit and physical strength could keep up, they would be able to carry more of Lin Rui¡¯s concepts and divine power.


    Luo Wangshu was then, with great interest, putting her hands behind her back: ¡°Lend me this tripod, let me study it for a bit.¡±


    This ¡°Condensing Essence God Jade Tripod¡± has 82% condensation, 83% extraction, holding many similarities and parallels with Luo Wangshu¡¯s concept power.


    Besides, only in her hands could this object swiftly extract ¡°Concentrating God Ice Crystals¡± at the fastest rate.


    ¡°Master wants it, just take it, no need to talk about borrowing it.¡± Lin Rui said while shifting his gaze around the space.


    This was Du Zunlong¡¯s place for cultivation and residence, a hideout avoiding divine senses, thus there was a strong presence of life here, and both sides of the hall piled with all sorts of sundries, along with more than twenty bookshelves and medicine shelves, holding a large quantity of elixirs and books.


    These items were similarly contaminated with a strong abyssal aura.


    Lin Rui looked at these materials, and those four walls fused with the Root Stones, his expression peculiar as his lips slightly curled upward.


    The five of them stayed in the Cloud Palace for a good half an hour before retreating their consciousness from the Heavenly Palace, returning to their bodies within the underground palace.


    They also brought down a ¡°Condensing Essence God Jade Tripod¡± and two divine blades, along with a multitude of items.


    There was a teleportation array based on curvature principles inside the Heavenly Palace, capable of sending items directly to the underground palace.


    Though, this array was partially damaged and couldn¡¯t operate.


    Lin Rui spent considerable time repairing it, otherwise, these items could not have been brought down directly and would have required much effort.


    At this time, eight modified armored guardian battleships were hovering in front of the underground palace.


    These were guardian battleships equipped by the Rui Fang Group specifically for the exploration team, providing firepower support, personnel, and logistical supplies.


    Normally, these ships hid outside the strata, only entering deeper Purgatory during transportation and missions.


    And they could only stay briefly below, to avoid being illuminated by the high concentrations of Purgatory Light, giving birth to metallic life forms inside the hull.


    Wang Sen had summoned these armored guardian battleships for the preparation of evacuation.


    As Lin Rui¡¯s consciousness returned, Wang Sen ordered everyone to board the ships as quickly as possible,


    They abandoned most armored cars and special equipment vehicles, leaving them in the underground palace, taking only mecha, combat robots, a small number of special equipment vehicles, and heavy cannons.


    This was due to the limited space inside the guardian battleships, only able to carry the truly valuable equipment.


    The evacuation process that followed went smoothly, even though those nearby, tempted Immortal Level individuals were ready to move, they ultimately did nothing, all watching as this small fleet activated the curvature navigation mode, passing through the stratums and entering the Sky Pool Passage.


    However, as the fleet rose in the Sky Pool Passage to seventy thousand miles from the surface, preparing for the quantum migration mode to directly jump out of the Heavenly Curtain, Lin Rui¡¯s expression shifted slightly,


    At that moment, the void around them suddenly tore open into countless bloody marks, and a pair of eyes burning with ghostly blue flames appeared from the void.


    Under the gaze of these eyes, all the crew members on the six ships felt as if their souls were being devoured and shredded, their souls filled with incomparable pain.


    Lin Rui¡¯s heart tightened, his hand pressing on the blade as his eyes shone with sharpness: ¡°Master of Devouring!¡±


    ¡ªThis was the second Abyss he confronted today directly!

 Chapter 836 - 750: Devouring Divine Battle

    The dread, fear, and despair of all the crew and passengers on the eight armored guardian battleships were soon burned away by Lin Rui''s purifying fire.


    Meanwhile, Lin Rui also incinerated the forces devouring their souls and even purified the five senses and visual images in their minds.


    Mortals lack the capability to gaze upon gods directly!


    Today''s divine battle scene is a disaster for all ordinary people and Martial Cultivators below the Sixth Realm, even if a trace remains in their memory.


    "To be able to master the Pure Method to such an extent, how interesting!" The Master of Devouring uttered a sneering laugh, tinged with surprise.


    Lin Rui''s response was not only timely but also very clever, showcasing his control over the Pure Method, though this control was rather coarse and lacked precision.


    Thus, while these crew members and passengers appeared calm, their minds were temporarily blank, unable to produce any emotions for a short period, simply because Lin Rui had burned away other things.


    However, now Lin Rui indeed walks the path to becoming a god, mastering concepts.


    This young one, should he encounter any weaker god, might indeed usurp and seize their power.


    It''s a pity¡ª


    The Master of Devouring then firmly locked Divine Thought onto Lin Rui, forcefully increasing His ''absorption'' and ''devouring'' powers.


    This time His target was solely Lin Rui himself, but the residual power still attracted all eight escort ships and all surrounding materials.


    Ahead in the sky, there appeared a giant blood-red maw, resembling a bottomless abyss, with savage teeth, not only devouring the surrounding light and darkness but even time and space mercilessly.


    Lin Rui''s purifying fire immediately expanded across the entire space, confronting the Master of Devouring.


    At the same time, an immense surge of thunder erupted at that moment, shattering and dissipating the Concept Divine Power the Master of Devouring applied to himself and the ships.


    Lin Rui continued to press his hand on the Infinite Heavenly Blade at the warship bridge, coldly watching ahead: "You can toss the things out now."


    At this moment, Ji Xueying, Shangguan Tianyi, and Liu Xinlan, standing by several hatches of the escort ship, each picked up several large cloth bags and threw them from the ship.


    Inside were items they had brought down from the Cloud Palace, including various elixirs, furniture, rune stones, and even bricks and tiles used for wall construction.


    Once these objects detached from the ship, tribulation fire ignited around.


    It was through the Burning Method within tribulation fire, severing the Master of Devouring''s sensory connection to these items.


    Luo Wangshu stood expressionless at the deep hold of the escort ship, motionless.


    Behind her was the massive throne in the Infinite Divine Palace.


    ¡ªThis was their final resort, a chair about a zhang wide and long, at least half its material composed of ''Root Stone.''


    If other methods couldn''t repel the Master of Devouring, this was their last hope.


    "You have so much Source Essence and Source Core?" The Master of Devouring''s voice was filled with surprise and delight.


    As the Master''s voice reached out, His huge, bizarre form also manifested in the Sky Pond.


    This deity''s shape resembled that of a toad on Earth, and His blood-red maw had grown nearly twice as large, with an endless vortex of darkness forming within.


    Like a black hole, He devoured everything surrounding Him, trapping even light, with the maw continuously expanding, seemingly to engulf the entire universe, causing the surrounding world''s space-time to collapse and implode.


    The Master of Devouring knew His actions would certainly incur the displeasure and suppression of the Lord of Darkness, but since He had already made His move, there was no turning back, He must succeed!


    He was confident in reaching a compromise with the Great Sun Venerable, assisting Him in reviving on earth, while seizing the Pure Concept that rightly did not belong to the Great Sun Venerable, and devouring the Abyss Source Material and the Abyss Source Core related to ''purity'' from Lin Rui.


    The Great Sun Venerable might be somewhat unhappy, but having just returned from the Heavenly Curtain, He''s without the power to say ''no'' directly!


    In helping the Great Sun Venerable resolve the Seventh Generation Sect Leader''s issues, what right does this ancient Divine King have to be dissatisfied?


    Surprisingly, the ''quantity'' of Source Material Core and Source Core within Lin Rui far exceeded his Cultivation, far outstripped expectations, at least six times his estimation! Allowing Lin Rui''s Concept Divine Power to permeate the surrounding virtual space for ten miles, holding off for 30 full seconds without falling behind or showing signs of Divine Power exhaustion.


    ¡ªHowever, this bounty now belongs to Him!


    "Roll over here¡ª"


    Just as the eight armored guardian battleships were creaking and about to break apart, nearly tearing, the Master of Devouring''s voice abruptly halted, and the vast, furious abyssal aura suddenly froze.


    Because, at that moment, a dozen large cloth bags simultaneously exploded within His devouring maw.


    The Master of Devouring instantly sensed the rich root aura inside, unleashing an unfathomably furious roar: "Insolence!"


    The swallowing and breathed-out powers from His maw abruptly halted, turning to spit out the contents.


    In a voice filled with wrath, echoing like thunder through all the spaces within this part of the Sky Pond: "You filthy insect, vile ant, how dare you desecrate My Majesty with root materials! I will make you taste the world''s most painful torments, tear your soul into fragments, leave you unable to live nor die!"

 Chapter 837: 750 Devouring Divine Battle_2

    Chapter 837: Chapter 750 Devouring Divine Battle_2


    Lin Rui could understand His feelings.


    It was akin to someone who eagerly anticipated a delicious meal, only to be force-fed a pile of dung.


    Yet Lin Rui smiled with pleasure, lifting the corners of His lips: ¡°Number 9, help all ships reactivate the Quantum Jump Devices.¡±


    At that moment, all crew members inside the vessel had lost consciousness, but Lin Rui had earlier instructed Heart of Light Number 9 to implant subprograms into the central computers of these ships.


    The energy for quantum transfer had long been stocked on these eight armored guardian battleships, and with Lin Rui¡¯s command, the Quantum Jump Devices began to enter activation mode once more.


    The Master of Devouring let out an angry snort, attempting to absorb once again, but recalled dozens of large sacks sensed near those ship hatches, along with the throne one zhang in circumference, mixed with a large quantity of Root Stones.


    While He hesitated, the eight starships began to disassemble into atomic states, disappearing and dissipating before His eyes.


    The Master of Devouring knew that these dispersed particles were now unrelated to Lin Rui and the others; these people and ships had already reassembled outside the Heavenly Curtain.


    His fury was uncontainable, and ferocious power began to unleash around, shattering and tearing apart the entire Sky Pool Passage within a thousand miles, leaving the walls of the passage in ruins.


    Until the power released by the Master of Devouring gradually diminished, an elderly Swordman flickered in from the distance, returning to His side: ¡°O Divine, please quell your Thunderous Fury! Doing this will attract more Abyssal attention here.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just the Abyss; beneath the Sky Pond, there were also some Immortal Levels, like wild dogs that had smelled meat, rapidly approaching.


    The Master of Devouring heeded these words and restrained His power, coldly staring at the elderly Swordman: ¡°Why did you stand by and watch just now? Where is the thing I asked you to retrieve?¡±


    ¡°There was no opportunity for me to act.¡± The elderly Swordman¡¯s expression was serious as he shook his head: ¡°The outcome of the Divine Battle was undecided, that starship was covered by ¡®Holy Thunder,¡¯ how could I dare to intrude rashly?¡±


    His task was to aid the Master of Devouring in acquiring the ¡®Condensed Origin Essence Cauldron.¡¯


    The Master of Devouring¡¯s plan was to obtain this powerful Abyss Divine Artifact, even if unable to consume the Lord of Purity.


    Just because this object could help the Master of Devouring digest, at least partly¡ª


    The problem was that this Third Abyss of Purgatory was downright useless.


    The Master of Devouring was actually very powerful, known for being able to devour everything.


    Yet He couldn¡¯t digest or choose what to devour, bearing a critical weakness, hence considered the weakest among All Gods.


    The elderly Swordman didn¡¯t mind much before, just passing the days.


    Whether the Divine was strong or weak, it had little to do with him, as long as the Divine was willing to offer protection and support his cultivation.


    But the elderly Swordman never thought that His own Divine couldn¡¯t even deal with an incomplete newborn God.


    The Master of Devouring squinted His eyes, a cold gleam surfacing in His gaze.


    He felt this subordinate lacked respect for Him.


    But while the Master of Devouring pondered how to punish this insolent, a chilling and distant voice sounded across the void: ¡°Swallowing Sky, come see me at once.¡±


    The Master of Devouring recognized the voice, it belonged to His brother ¡®Darkness,¡¯ and His expression slightly darkened.


    Meanwhile, in the deep layer of Purgatory, within a White Jade Hall equipped with the top-tier anti-radiation techniques of Outer Heaven Demon, the Lord of Darkness, seated in meditation, opened His eyes coldly and sternly.


    His gaze contained hints of surprise and self-mockery.


    This seemingly brash Master of Devouring had managed to secretly create an alien body over on the Outer Heaven Demon¡¯s side; this was indeed interesting.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    At this moment, the eight escort starships of the Exploration Team had crossed outside the Heavenly Curtain and were flying toward the Ninth Base City.


    At this time, the Exploration Team members and crew onboard were waking up one after another.


    Most of them exhibited bewildered looks, unsure of what had happened, but some experienced, sharp-witted Armored Martial Cultivators felt a sense of dread.


    They realized that they not only lost a segment of memory involving traversing the Sky Pool and quantum migration, but their flesh had undergone deformities, with some developing external tumors and others internal cancers.


    Their mental states were also severely compromised; even without hunger, they felt a strong urge to consume something.


    Undiscriminating in appetite, they desired to devour everything in sight, including tables, chairs, their clothing, the alloy walls inside the ship, and even the ¡®humans¡¯ in front of them.


    ¡ªThis could only mean one thing: they had encountered something related to the Abyss, their souls polluted by Abyss Power!


    In the previous war in Ninth Base City, the Despair and Pain Heavenly Girl had appeared for only 40 seconds, causing many to develop tumors and cancer, while many suffered from depression and have yet to recover.


    If not for the hospitals under Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals providing free treatment, many would probably die in the next month or two.


    Their current situation was similar.


    This time, it was likely they encountered a quasi-Abyss Level being like the Despair and Pain Heavenly Girl or were affected by a quasi-Abyss Level battle.


    Even Professor Han did not think in the direction of the actual ¡®Abyss.¡¯


    Because this level of power was something their souls could not bear; it wouldn¡¯t be possible for anyone aboard these ships to survive.


    At this moment, Luo Wangshu was bidding farewell to Lin Rui, preparing to return to the Sky Pond using a small Quantum Transfer Device inside the Escort Ship.

 Chapter 838: 750 Devouring Divine Battle_3

    Chapter 838: Chapter 750 Devouring Divine Battle_3


    Lin Rui did not try to hold them back. First, because he and his apprentice could contact each other anytime using the smart biological chip, and second, because Luo Wangshu was leading a battlefield deep in the Abyss with millions of troops under her command and indeed couldn¡¯t be away for long.


    Third, because he had already prepared an alternate identity for Luo Wangshu four months ago.


    The technology to create alternate identities for Ninth Realm Martial Cultivators is very difficult. Fortunately, the East Asia Science Academy has a rich accumulation in this area, but they cannot solve the ¡®spirit and body integration¡¯ issue.


    Lin Rui paid a price to obtain the complete Ninth Realm alternate identity cultivation technology, and it was precisely by relying on this technology that Liu Xinlan was able to be resurrected.


    Luo Wangshu¡¯s original body needed to guard the Abyss, but her alternate identity frequently wandered around the Ninth Base City.


    Luo Wangshu occasionally would call out her two Dragon Guard captains, Ji Xueying and Shangguan Tianyi, along with Xianyu Yan to shop and have tea together, experiencing the bustling and tranquility of the human metropolis.


    And just ten days ago, the master and apprentice even watched a magical three-dimensional holographic movie together.


    However, this Guardian Battleship¡¯s energy storage device is still far inferior to destroyers and cruisers. After a quantum jump, it must be recharged and coordinates must also be plotted.


    While waiting, Luo Wangshu gazed outside the porthole with a distant look: ¡°That Master of Devouring, although the weakest among All Gods, must not be underestimated because of this setback. His devouring ability is extremely powerful, and if pushed to desperation, he has the ability to perish together with any being below the Divine King!¡±


    Lin Rui thought to himself, should I truly underestimate an actual god?


    He himself is a demigod, well aware of the terrors of the gods.


    In the future, he ought to prepare more ¡®matter¡¯, no, it should be Abyss Stones.


    ¡°Disciple understands, will not be careless.¡± Lin Rui nodded solemnly: ¡°As for Master, regarding the two matters I reminded you about, you must be extremely cautious! Concerning the divine artifact in Purgatory, I will create an appropriate opportunity for you, and once you perceive any movement from the Heavenly Curtain, act directly, don¡¯t wait for my message prompting.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Luo Wangshu slightly furrowed her brows.


    Previously, Lin Rui had used divine power at the Cloud Palace to obscurely remind her of two matters, one concerning the Dreamy Heavenly Venerate; and the other concerning the Supreme Divine Artifact.


    Over the past year, Lin Rui increasingly clearly sensed the presence of the ¡®Dreamy Heavenly Venerate¡¯, feeling that his fate was manipulated by the Dreamy Heavenly Venerate.


    The Dreamy Heavenly Venerate possesses the ability to control and deceive all perceptions. While he rarely uses this kind of conceptual divine power, once he does, it surely relates to a significant matter.


    Additionally, Lin Rui detected an aura similar to ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ outside the underground palace.


    ¡®Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire¡¯ is a supreme divine artifact, and in today¡¯s world, there are two other items of the same rank, which are also extremely terrifying existences.


    Luo Wangshu, being in the Abyss, must be on high alert and prepared.


    ¡°And one more thing¡ª¡± Lin Rui raised the corners of his lips: ¡°Within no more than a month, I will give you a surprise.¡±


    ¡°A surprise?¡± Luo Wangshu raised an eyebrow: ¡°Is it the Orderly Source Transformation technology? Is it nearing success?¡±


    She knew that Lin Rui¡¯s Rui Fang¡¯s Armored Biological Research Institute had cracked the Longevity Association¡¯s Orderly Source Transformation technology seven months ago and subsequently organized strong research forces to improve this technology.


    By using the ¡®Purgatory Source Crystal¡¯ to stimulate the orderly source transformation of alternate identities, thereby gaining stronger mental load capabilities, so that the Alien Walker can possess more potent bloodlines.


    Moreover, Rui Fang Pharmaceuticals had been collecting and storing related pharmaceutical materials, so once the technology breakthrough is achieved, Lin Rui¡¯s numerous high-ranking martial cultivators could enhance their combat power in a batch manner.


    Luo Wangshu was also eagerly anticipating this technology.


    Her ¡®Only Heart and Only Me¡¯ had reached 69%, and perhaps with just a quasi X-level bloodline associated with concept, it could break through to the Immortal Level in concept power.


    However, before Lin Rui could respond, Luo Wangshu¡¯s figure had already disappeared in the transfer chamber of the small quantum migration device.


    He shook his head and sent a message back to Luo Wangshu via the communication system.


    At the same time, Lin Rui also contacted Huangfu Qi and Si Malin, telling them to meet in the laboratory.


    It¡¯s time to conduct an inspection. The trip to the Cloud Palace not only greatly enhanced his spiritual power but also allowed his essential martial intent to break through to seventy percent.


    Lin Rui wanted to see if the eroding state of his body by the Great Sun had improved.


    Subsequently, Lin Rui contacted Lin Tianchen: Brother Lin, I heard your second fleet group captured another batch of pirates? Could you send over those suffering from Armament Syndrome?


    Previously, Liu Xinlan had captured for him two Demigod-level envoys from Purgatory, and Lin Rui himself had harvested Zhao Wenhan¡¯s soul,


    Lin Rui intended to make a big move, using the souls of these three to deduce the ¡®Root Slash¡¯ secret skill to its extrapolated limit.


    However, the reply from the Battle Spirit Ring indicated a need for 12 million soul power points, while he currently only had 3.32 million.


    Lin Rui knew that the Master of Devouring was still targeting him, with his Pure Method being an ideal choice for furthering the Abyss Power; the opponent certainly wouldn¡¯t let this slide, so he didn¡¯t want to go to the Abyss or Purgatory in the short term.


    He planned to gather resources within the Ninth Base City, and if necessary, consider how to conceal the spirit mechanism aura before heading to the battlefield under his master Luo Wangshu¡¯s control to reap benefits.

 Chapter 839 - 751 Immortal Level

    Four hours later, at Rui Fang''s Armored Biological Research Institute, in the 11th Confidential Laboratory, Huang Fuqing and Si Malin stood with their arms crossed, observing Lin Rui''s test results.


    Si Malin''s gaze was surprised: "Xiao Rui, your trip to the Cloud Palace yielded good results. The Abyss Source Material Coincidence Rate is nearly 81%, an increase of 9%, surpassing many Immortal Levels. The X Source Essence and gene coincidence rate with the Seventh Generation Sect Leader is 47.5%, a decrease of 0.5 percentage points."


    Lin Rui inside the testing chamber was invigorated.


    Although 0.5 percentage points isn''t much, it signifies a glimmer of hope, a new beginning.


    "Comprehensive spiritual power value is 663034 points, with spiritual power strength reaching 832221 points, and spiritual power reserves at 932413 points. It''s infinitely close to Immortal Level standard¡ª"


    "True Essence Quantity is 533426 points, True Essence Strength is 545341 points, True Essence is closely related to your spiritual power. This advancement is substantial, with the body''s overall quality reaching 393412 points, an increase of around 10,000 points."


    Lin Rui''s mood became even more buoyant. With such a powerful spiritual power value, he could delay advancing in the Seventh Realm for several more months.


    Lin Rui can refine what needs refining, ensure all preparations are complete.


    Before entering the Eight Realms, he requires more formidable spiritual power, to completely transform all Hearts of Light, and at least 5 Jingyi Altars, 3 improved Radiant Holy Altars.


    "The source essence and source core detection technology led by the East Science Institute has also been developed successfully. Using Abyss as 100% standard, Xiao Rui, your source essence is 48%, and source core is 49%."


    Previously assessed was the Abyss Origin Material Coincidence Rate, now the ''quantity'' of source essence and source core.


    This is quite astonishing, considering Lin Rui is only at Seventh Realm cultivation.


    This implies that if Lin Rui isn''t afraid of further pollution by the Great Sun, and isn''t worried about physical and spiritual collapse, he could use the Pure Concept to continue fighting for a long duration.


    Possibly over 10 minutes¡ªthus, if he truly risked everything, he''d be extremely formidable.


    However, this is also why the Great Sun Venerable can swiftly erode Lin Rui''s body and spirit.


    Si Malin predicts that the Seventh Generation Sect Leader of the past certainly didn''t experience such rapid erosion by the Great Sun Venerable.


    The Seventh Generation Sect Leader essentially had thirty to forty more years of preparation than Lin Rui.


    "The situation isn''t bad." Huang Fuqing also lightly smiled, appearing relaxed: "Also, based on the design diagrams you provided, ''Mixed Element Blood'' has completed all research processes. Of the total 7 biological test subjects, all show no issues with high-intensity use, and some minor defects have been corrected. I believe, Xiao Rui, you can proceed with implantation."


    ''Mixed Element Blood'' is a new armament designed and deduced by Lin Rui.


    It isn''t based on any bloodline power from the Sky Extreme Star nor modified from any previous armament.


    It''s a fake X-level armament developed by Lin Rui based on his own ''One'' Martial Intent, a fusion of ''Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Space-Time, Yin, Yang''¡ªeleven attributes of S-level Bloodline Power, organically integrated, improved and enhanced¡ª a completely new armament, a new Bloodline.


    It''s also Lin Rui''s first step in making his Sacred Body independent from the Great Sun Venerable and the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, a crucial step.


    It is a very potent pseudo-X-level bloodline; according to experimental results, each attribute ability can be enhanced by others, reaching SSS-level.


    Huang Fuqing has been managing this matter for Lin Rui for the past 8 months.


    Simultaneously, he is experimenting with two other pseudo-X-level armaments for Lin Rui, which are still in testing and require several months before yielding results.


    Lin Rui''s spiritual capacity is exceedingly robust, capable of safely implanting five to six types of pseudo-X-level bloodlines.


    Yet Lin Rui hasn''t proceeded with implantation, continuously suppressing his physical body with spiritual power to prevent the awakening of Bloodline Powers, not wanting to follow the old path of the Seventh Generation Sect Leader.


    This was why their concerns were growing earlier when Lin Rui''s overall physical quality was nearing his spiritual power value, fearing he wouldn''t be able to suppress further awakening of the Great Sun Venerable''s Bloodline Powers.


    Huang Fuqing is now intimately connected with Lin Rui, sharing in both glory and loss, he eagerly awaits the emergence of a true ''Abyss'' among humans.


    "Then let''s proceed with the implantation immediately!" Lin Rui responded without hesitation: "Make preparations, we''ll perform the surgery shortly¡ª"


    This pseudo-X-level armament has only undergone 7 biological experiments, making complete verification difficult.


    However, materials for a complete pseudo-X-level armament are extremely costly, reaching 50 billion federal coins. Lin Rui lacks the resources for large-scale production.


    Lin Rui also can''t find more highly talented individuals capable of bearing a pseudo-X-level armament for experimentation.


    Among these 7 experimental subjects, two are his mentor and sister, along with Ji Xueying, Shangguan Tianyi, and Shi Yan.


    The remaining two, introduced from East Asia, have already joined his ranks as Second Generation Alien Walkers.


    ¡ª¡ªLin Rui is reluctant to use such excellent resources on others.


    Moreover, the development of bloodlines inherently carries risks; in the days when All Gods refined and developed bloodlines, they conducted no research or experimentation.


    They simply harbored an intense desire and intention for the direction of powers, allowing their bodies to naturally awaken according to need, which carried significant risks of causing physical flesh collapse.


    Academic speculation suggests those ancient Divine Spirits all perished due to further abnormal mutations of flesh, dying on the path of evolution.


    Lin Rui now can utilize ''armaments'' to reverse-control the awakening of his bloodline capabilities, significantly safer and more reliable.


    Lin Rui possesses top-tier medical techniques, top-tier armament fabrication technology, and top-tier biological knowledge reserves. Even if issues arise with ''Mixed Element Blood,'' he can adjust it himself.