A Professor on the Hook

Had this Daoist misjudged her?

Or could this awakened Psionicist temporarily raise her realm after awakening?

Wang Jixuan frowned in thought and did not act rashly.

The two had each other locked down. Any movement would trigger the other's full-force assault.

With his spiritual sense, he could see that Fu Jian had detected the abnormal Psionic Fluctuation here and would arrive in roughly fifty seconds. In other words...

This Daoist doesn't need to fight to the death. Stalling for fifty seconds will be enough.

Wang Jixuan's gaze flickered slightly. He suppressed the urge to directly use demonic arts and stared into her eyes.

"Aren't you going to attack?"

Professor Shen raised her chin slightly. Those eyes, which had always shown little emotional fluctuation, now carried a hint of impatience.

"You knocked them out and collected the data here. Did you come here to steal secrets? Are you mute?"

"No."

Wang Jixuan's electronically distorted voice came out, and he said nothing further.

Professor Shen slowly raised her left hand. Her slender fingers spread one by one, and the various blades in the laboratory gathered before her palm.

The assistants had already hidden behind the operating table.

Their mental fortitude was fairly good. They immediately crouched down with their heads covered and carefully observed the situation.

Wang Jixuan employed a tactic:

[Bluff].

"You're no match for me," he said simply. "Mo Feng and Huo Rong both died by my hand."

—It was not really a bluff. He simply did not want to use demonic arts right now, and his preparations were not particularly sufficient either. He did not have a grand formation formed by a drone swarm.

Sure enough, the tactic worked rather well.

Professor Shen's movements became a little hesitant.

She did not lower her left hand, only saying:

"True, I'm not particularly skilled at combat. I don't have much real combat experience, and I'm no match for Huo Rong either. But that is not a reason for me to sit here and await death."

"You're researching Preachers?"

Wang Jixuan crossed his arms and relaxed as much as possible, using his body language to convey his contempt for Professor Shen's combat strength.

Sure enough, this research-focused awakened A+-Class Psionicist became even more wary at the sight.

Wang Jixuan spoke as casually as if chatting about household matters. "How much do you know about Preachers? Have you ever communicated with one directly?"

"No," Professor Shen said with a frown. "I'm only researching the principles behind Preacher mimicry and applying them to mecha."

"Were those Psionic Mecha in the warehouse made by you?"

"By the team I led."

"You want to use the mimicry principles of Preachers to modify those Psionic Mecha?"

"Yes." Professor Shen habitually pushed at her "glasses," only to remember that she no longer needed to wear them after completing Psionic Infusion.

Professor Shen quickly said:

"Is that all you wanted to ask? Or do you intend to capture me and bring me back to D5 to serve Fu Jian? If it's the latter, then I need you to do one thing."

"What?"

"Kill Fu Jian."

"That's impossible," Wang Jixuan said leisurely. "I can't kill my old comrade."

More curiosity appeared in Professor Shen's eyes. "Are you also some old monster who has lived for over a hundred years?"

"I don't particularly like the term old monster."

Daoist Wang laughed inwardly.

This troublesome woman was actually chatting with him?

He took the opportunity to ask, "You harbor a certain hatred toward Fu Jian."

"Yes. My grandfather died in the war over fifty years ago. He was only a researcher, yet a Half-Human Mech blasted him to death.

"My father died in a conflict twenty years ago. He too was only a researcher, but D5's Special Operations Team bombed him to death... Half the base was completely destroyed by several thermobaric bombs."

Professor Shen stared at the Half-Human Mech.

"So tell me, should I hate him?"

"He was merely fighting against the Six Elders."

"But my family and I became sacrifices in that struggle."

"So," Wang Jixuan lifted his chin toward Professor Shen, "you infused yourself into a Psionicist? And received inspiration from Spiritual Practitioners?"

"You possess that many secrets?"

Professor Shen was clearly somewhat surprised. Confusion flickered in her naturally peach-blossom eyes.

"Isn't the Spiritual Practitioner secret something those six old fossils guard with their lives? Why do you know about it?

"Oh, right. The fourth wall Fu Jian seized fifty years ago has already been activated by you people."

"You got half of it right. Honestly, I look down somewhat on the techniques of Spiritual Practitioners."

Wang Jixuan smiled.

"Could it be that I once detained Huo Rong's soul and learned many things about her?

"For example, her real name was Li Shujuan. She always believed that eating high-protein foods could whiten her skin. Despite having lost her fertility long ago, she particularly enjoyed pretending to be in her thirties and dating young men.

"However, Professor Shen, I'm more interested in you now.

"You're researching Blade Beasts, so you should know they are creations of the Spiritual Practitioner Civilization. The Blade Beasts merely lost control and developed into a powerful civilization themselves, becoming mortal enemies of the Spiritual Practitioners.

"Do you want to study Blade Beasts to gain a greater grasp of Spiritual Practitioner technology?

"I have a question. With your abilities, your technology, and that brain of yours that appears quite intelligent... logically, you should have received the protection of the Psionic Capital. Why are you staying in this backwater?

"Were you excluded?

"Or did they want you to conduct research you did not wish to do, and you refused? Your eyes have answered me. It seems that really is the case."

"I hate talking to you."

Professor Shen pursed her lips and frowned. Unfortunately, her mask covered most of her face, revealing only her slightly pointed chin.

Her raised left hand slowly lowered. "Let's return to the main topic..."

Boom!

A massive explosion sounded from overhead.

Wang Jixuan's spiritual sense had been covering every area. At that moment, he could clearly see:

The clash between the Peak Maid Group and the S-Class Psionicist Philly had reached a temporary conclusion. Philly had been injured and begun retreating, while the Peak Maid Group had become entangled in the offensive of the local garrison.

Philly's crisis was not over.

The Peak Maid Group had already injured Philly, and the Buddha Hall Squad was on its way to intercept her.

Wang Jixuan no longer had any concerns—because while he had been chatting with this young female professor, Fu Jian had arrived!

Using his brain was far more useful than using demonic arts.

Moreover, Wang Jixuan stared at the symbols on the woman before him and sensed her aura.

Strangely enough, she carried neither karmic sin nor Resentful Energy.

At the very least, she had never personally killed anyone.

As for the specifics, he would still need to search her soul to see clearly.

Uh, when did this Daoist start treating soul-searching as a routine method?

Wang Jixuan lowered his arms. Wearing X Armor, he stood with his hands behind his back, his posture somewhat strange.

He asked, "What main topic are you referring to?"

"You kill Fu Jian, and I work for D5."

"Are you crazy, or am I?"

"I can provide D5 with a great deal of Psionic Technology, including more efficient Psionic Infusion, as well as a small portion of Spiritual Practitioner technology."

Professor Shen spoke softly.

"I belong neither to the Dominion Faction, the Naturalist Faction, nor the Beast God Faction. The Psionic Capital does not yet know my true strength.

"I conducted my own Psionic Infusion experiments. There is no Self-Destruct Chip in my brain."

Wang Jixuan asked, "You have an Infusion Wall?"

"I replicated three of them. The walls used here were all made by me."

Professor Shen unhurriedly removed her protective suit, dispersed the symbols on her body, and slipped both hands into the pockets of her lab coat. She calmly watched Wang Jixuan.

"I can prove that my value exceeds Fu Jian's.

"I've read your intelligence reports. Huo Rong died by your hand, so I'm no match for you either. Since I'm no match for you, then in the interest of survival, I may as well strive for better terms."

A deep male voice sounded outside the laboratory door. "Everything except taking out Fu Jian is negotiable. D5 wants your knowledge."

"Is that your helper outside?"

Professor Shen calmly said:

"Other than that condition, I can accomplish almost anything else on my own."

Wang Jixuan advised, "Is your hatred really that great?"

"Have you ever lost your father?"

"I have," Wang Jixuan answered honestly. "Though he died of old age."

"Then do you know what a family faces after losing its pillar and backbone in a twisted living environment like the Psionic Capital?"

Professor Shen calmly asked in return:

"Most of my hatred for Fu Jian stems from the environment. It is not directed at him personally. He is merely the embodiment of my past suffering.

"I have analyzed that carefully.

"But this is my only pursuit at present."

Wang Jixuan said, "Don't you want to protect humanity and become a hero?"

"I don't possess such a strong sense of collective honor." Professor Shen tilted her head up slightly. "I only do what I want to do. Everything else is off the table. If you won't kill Fu Jian, that's fine. Give me a research subject that interests me. Recently, I've been so bored that I want to dissect a King-Class Blade Beast."

Wang Jixuan considered carefully.

He said, "I can give you a research subject, but I must search your soul and see your complete memories to determine whether you are a good person or a bad one."

"Ha!"

The professor laughed outright, clearly laughing in anger.

"What kind of arrogant nonsense is that? You can search souls? And you're going to give me a research subject just like that?

"Do you know how many issues of the most prestigious Psionic Technology journals I've published in?

"Do you know how much I've contributed to reducing the fatality rate of the Psionic Infusion Ritual? I think you're insulting—ugh."

Professor Shen stared closely at Wang Jixuan's left hand.

Wang Jixuan opened his armored left hand. A jade-green rectangular strip of paper fluttered gently. The talisman on it lit up, and the strip transformed into a fire serpent that flew toward the Preacher on the operating table.

Boom!

An explosion rang out, blasting two pieces of exoskeleton off the Preacher.

Wang Jixuan swept his Sword Finger across the air, firing a flashy but impractical stream of sword qi.

At his current Great Perfection Returning to Truth Realm cultivation, the sword qi swept past and instantly decapitated the Preacher. Its crystal core happened to roll out and was drawn into Wang Jixuan's palm.

Wang Jixuan quickly absorbed the spiritual power from the crystal core, causing it to shatter on its own. A remnant soul resembling a Preacher flew out from within.

The Daoist snapped his fingers without making a sound. The Preacher's remnant soul revealed itself, directly visible to Professor Shen and the assistants.

Before their eyes, Wang Jixuan casually pinched the Preacher's remnant soul. A tiny black flood dragon appeared on his shoulder, opened its mouth to bite off the remnant soul's head, then swallowed the rest in two bites.

Wang Jixuan patted the black flood dragon's head, recalled the strange soul, and looked up at Professor Shen.

Professor Shen frowned tightly.

She could understand things that other Psionicists could not.

In other words, she knew quality when she saw it.

"When can you search my soul?" Professor Shen asked.

"Definitely not here. My students are still fighting Philly," Wang Jixuan said simply. "As your Pledge of Allegiance, perhaps you can personally kill this Philly."

"Fine. I'll give you my Pledge of Allegiance."

Professor Shen answered calmly, turning to leave. After taking two steps, she could not help stopping. She turned to look at Wang Jixuan.

"Sir, can you teach me how to control Blade Beast souls? I can exchange the technology you want for it."

Wang Jixuan said, "That's very simple. You can do it right now. Let's discuss it after returning to D5. You know too little."

That was an empty promise.

Professor Shen nodded lightly. "That is indeed true. My perspective was too narrow before. I offended you in many ways... Thank you. You have given me a long-lost sense of interest."

She removed her mask, revealing a rather beautiful, delicate face. After taking off her lab coat, her simple sweatpants and black short-sleeved shirt could not conceal her curvaceous figure in the slightest.

She simply tied up her dry black hair, which reached just to her neck, and quickly said:

"Give me six minutes. I need to change into a Combat Suit and then head to Philly. Some of the research team here are my followers. I have a way to take them with me. Please do not kill them."

Wang Jixuan shook his head. "That depends on whether their hands are clean."

"When it comes to psionic experiments, it is impossible for anyone's hands to be completely clean. Most of our research concerns reducing the fatality rate of psionic experiments."

"Ask the person outside. I don't handle that."

Professor Shen was somewhat suspicious. She pulled open the laboratory door, and her entire body froze.

Fu Jian stood there with his hands behind his back.

Professor Shen froze for a moment. Her eyes, which had always held little emotion, became slightly bloodshot as she struggled not to cry.

Her body trembled several times. Then she took a deep breath, lowered her head, and hurried away.

"I'll kill Philly. Remember to give me a research subject."

"Wait for me. I also need to go grade my students. Exploration here is finished."

Wang Jixuan walked outside, tossed the Data Device to Fu Jian, and smiled.

"Three King-Class Blade Beast crystal cores. You can pay in installments.

"Mobilize troops quickly. There are many good things here, and this research team can be brought back as well. They are highly valuable."

"I'm negotiating with D3's General Headquarters."

Fu Jian slowly nodded. Turning to look at Professor Shen's retreating figure, he murmured,

"It was actually her."

"Hm? You know her? She was only a girl of twenty-six or twenty-seven, wasn't she?"

"The Naturalist Faction's intelligence mentioned her several times. Her name should have been Shen Qionglin, a genius girl hidden away by the Six Elders, a special-grade researcher who angered the Six Elders yet received no punishment. She had once made several major contributions to Psionic Technology, but the Dominion Faction classified the details of those contributions.

"There had already been no news of her for five years.

"I never expected her to turn herself into a Psionicist and hide in some backwater like this to continue her research."

Fu Jian smiled in satisfaction.

"Knock out the people inside, then follow her. Even if we don't kill that Philili this time, it'll be fine. We have to bring her back.

"I thought she would attack me. That would have made it easy to electrocute her unconscious."

Wang Jixuan casually unleashed a spiritual-sense hammer, causing the few people inside to fall into a light coma.

He sighed softly. "In the end, she was just like Lord Ye, fond of dragons only from afar."

"What did that mean?"

"It was hard for me to explain too," Wang Jixuan said. "Her hatred for you was only a driving force when she was lost? But when you appeared before her, she suddenly realized that what she hated was this world? Something like that."

Fu Jian: ...

"Then she might as well hate me directly."

"Catch up to her. Don't let her get away."

Wang Jixuan said in a low voice,

"People from the Psionic Capital can't be trusted too easily. Your guard was far too low, Commander-in-Chief."

Fu Jian did not argue, merely revealing a composed smile.

Wang Jixuan had already activated the armor's power-assist system and dragged Fu Jian forward in a sprint.

Through his spiritual sense, he could see that the Buddha Hall Squad had already begun fighting Philili. However, Philili had clearly been frightened by the Peak Maid Group. Seeing eight enemies in similar outfits, she began retreating frantically as soon as they made contact.

Ahead, Shen Qionglin turned into a changing room. Without even closing the door, she began undressing, opening a locker to reveal a set of purple skintight Combat Suit inside.

Wang Jixuan stopped probing with his spiritual sense, only vaguely sensing her movements as he guarded against her suddenly striking.

Do not look upon impropriety; do not touch impropriety.

This poor Daoist is a proper Righteous Person.