The End

A breeze swept through the classroom curtains. 520 Official Website

www.

The noon sunlight was somewhat scorching.

Only two or three hours had passed since the assessment began... yet this Transcendent assessment, originally expected to take at least ten to fifteen hours—perhaps even an entire day—had completely come to an end.

The end, in every sense of the word.

All three Nightmare-level Sealed Items had completed their respective Dream Interpretations.

This was an outcome no one, including the five assessors, had expected... completing the Dream Interpretation of three Nightmare Sealed Items in one go was a task impossible for a newcomer.

Not only had Gu Shen accomplished it, he had also broken three records.

It was difficult to describe this boy's talent for Dream Interpretation in words... even the highest praise of one in ten thousand seemed somewhat pale. Perhaps unprecedented would be more fitting.

The Grand Arbiter looked painfully at the Cage of the Netherworld Phantom before him. A tear had split the old lantern's oiled-paper skin, and its ever-burning mental flame had suffered a devastating blow. It was on the verge of going out, with only a tiny flicker left.

His expression was indescribably complicated.

A Sealed Item that had accompanied him for over a decade had been damaged in a dream by a newcomer... this boy truly deserved his "S-Class" rating. His Transcendent power far surpassed that of newcomers at the same level.

"The assessment is over."

Tang Qingquan let out a soft sigh. A trace of confusion appeared on his face, cold as a snow-capped mountain, as he said seriously, "I have one last question... Gu Shen, what is your Transcendent Ability?"

Gu Shen opened his mouth.

He recalled the scene within the Cage of the Netherworld Phantom and fell into thought.

Chu Ling's words appeared in his mind.

"Gu Shen, haven't you always been curious about what your Transcendent Ability is?"

"You'll see it soon."

Within the dream of the Cage of the Netherworld Phantom, that immense power which had torn apart all the Evil Thoughts in the entire world with a casual wave of his hand... was that his Transcendent Ability?

Or was it... merely a dream?

"It was... light..."

Gu Shen's voice was also somewhat uncertain. He said quietly, "This power is very strong, and using it requires an enormous price. But within the Cage of the Netherworld Phantom, I felt its presence."

The Grand Arbiter sat upright, his expression turning incomparably grave.

"Light?"

It sounded like a natural-affinity Transcendent power... clearly an ability ranked extremely highly.

"No... not light..."

Gu Shen recalled the scene from the dream and muttered, "In the Cage of the Netherworld Phantom, I saw the entire dream swallowed by Evil Thoughts. Order had already collapsed, but after I used 'it,' the darkness was torn apart. Rather than saying that power was 'light,' it would be more accurate to say that power created 'light.'"

All the assessors instinctively exchanged glances. Every one of their colleagues wore an utterly bewildered expression.

"Based on Gu Shen's description, this Transcendent power does not exist in any known records of the Transcendent classification chart." Lin Beizhu pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Clearly, this is an entirely new Transcendent power... judging from the description just now, it should possess characteristics of both natural affinity and Mental Affinity. Furthermore, it most likely combines the traits of 'tearing' and 'blazing light.'"

Gu Shen froze when he heard this.

Tearing and blazing light.

What a coincidence... the power he possessed in the dream happened to match the on-site report from the Fire Disaster Case.

He offered no explanation, merely clenched his fist silently and felt the lingering sensation from the dream.

"Can you use it?" Tang Qingquan asked solemnly. "We want to see it."

Gu Shen looked awkward. He wanted to imitate the dream, to wave his hand and tear apart the entire world as though ripping paper... but reality did not permit him to strike such a flashy pose.

If he waved his hand, the only thing he could tear apart was the wind.

"For now... I can't control it proficiently." Gu Shen came up with an airtight excuse. "During the Fire Disaster Case, my life was threatened, so my potential erupted... but in everyday life, I can't freely use this power. However, within special dreams, I seem able to use 'it.'"

After all, within the Cage of the Netherworld Phantom, he had indeed sensed the presence of Transcendent power.

Gu Shen let out a long breath.

Even acting now felt much more convincing.

"Mm... excessively powerful abilities often come with a tremendous cost to use. It seems this is a great killing weapon." The Grand Arbiter nodded. "It seems that you will need a rather long time to explore the use of your Transcendent power. No one can help you with that. You can only rely on yourself."

Gu Shen thought to himself that these big shots were truly meticulous in their Thoughts. He did not even need to say anything... and they had already figured out most of the details of his Transcendent power.

"Very good. Go wait next door. We still have some matters to discuss." The Grand Arbiter spoke, sounding somewhat weary.

Gu Shen was ushered into the next room.

The members of the Assessment Team exchanged glances.

Although Gu Shen's performance in the assessment had been flawless, concern remained in their eyes... that Report of Accusation had yet to be resolved. That was the greatest trouble.

"Ring, ring, ring."

At that moment, Tang Qingquan's phone began to ring.

The Grand Arbiter frowned.

He answered the call.

Han Dang's voice came from the other end.

"Hello..."

Han Dang's voice was soft. "Grand Arbiter Tang, it's about the Report of Accusation... I want to withdraw that report."

"..."

Tang Qingquan was silent for a moment. He switched on the speakerphone and set the phone on the desk, allowing everyone on the Assessment Team to hear Han Dang's voice.

The Grand Arbiter lightly tapped the document pouch and asked unhurriedly, "Han Dang, when you say 'withdraw,' do you mean withdrawing the document from the Assessment Team and transferring it to the East Continent Council, or withdrawing it completely?"

"Completely withdrawing it."

Han Dang gave a quiet, apologetic laugh. "We made a mistake about this matter. I'm truly sorry... If possible, I hope you can take this Report of Accusation..."

"Bastard!"

The Grand Arbiter cut him off with an angry roar. "Do you have any idea how serious the accusations in this report are? You submit it when you feel like it, and withdraw it when you feel like it! What do you take the Special Assessment Team for?!"

Dead silence filled the other end of the call.

"Where is your evidence?" Tang Qingquan said coldly. "Didn't you say you had evidence sufficient to prove the report?"

Han Dang could not utter a single word.

"To impeach Zhou Jiren, you truly stopped at nothing and exhausted every scheme."

Expressionless, the Grand Arbiter said, "Fabricating accusations out of thin air and framing a newcomer—Gu Shen nearly died because of you... I will report this matter to the Council truthfully. You'd better pass the message to Zhu Wang and tell him to prepare himself!"

With that said.

He hung up.

On the other end of the call, black hair like seaweed pinned Han Dang against the wall, while the phone used for the call hung bound in midair.

Han Dang's throat tightened.

After the call ended... the phone was guided by the hair strands and stuffed into Han Dang's pocket.

He stared fixedly at Luo Er, his eyes filled with resentment and hatred. That call just now, and the withdrawal of the case, had not been his wishes at all, yet the words had slipped from his mouth beyond his control.

"Your gaze is quite interesting." Senior Apprentice Sister Luo sat in her chair and smiled. "Compared to the accusations Gu Shen was about to face... your trouble is nothing. At most, you'll receive some criticism from the Council."

"This matter ends here... It has already come to a perfect conclusion, hasn't it?"

Luo Er rose and walked up to Han Dang. Enunciating every word, she said, "Of course... to make absolutely sure, we need to add something else. If I remember correctly, it's a tactic you're quite fond of."

"Han Dang."

The instant Senior Apprentice Sister Luo's eyes met Han Dang's—

The Mental Domain unfolded in an instant!

Han Dang's gaze immediately turned vacant. The voice that rang in his mind seemed to possess boundless magical power.

"You came to Da Teng City to investigate the 'Fire Disaster Case.' After submitting the Report of Accusation... you discovered that your investigation had been inaccurate and chose to withdraw the report voluntarily. You will feel guilty, and you will sincerely repent for your actions."

Han Dang's consciousness struggled for a moment before being submerged.

The final voice told him.

"After sleeping, you will forget everything that happened here. Return to the Great Capital District and accept the Council's punishment."