Everyone had escaped alive, so it was only natural for relief to show on their faces.
The darkness that had surged through the passage like a tidal wave still left them shaken, even after they had escaped.
Almost instinctively, they all looked toward Lin Shuguang, their backbone.
They had fled too early to see any trace of the blood-colored blade. Only Lin Shuguang had seen it clearly.
He glanced back at the black hole passage. It had already shattered and dissipated into wisps of green smoke.
Lin Shuguang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Not long after, a large number of figures appeared in the distance.
Everyone's expressions changed.
Afraid that they were Demonic Cultivators again, they all summoned their weapons and stood ready for battle.
Only after Lin Shuguang spoke did they relax. "They're our people."
Hearing this, everyone focused their eyes on the approaching figures.
Only when the group drew closer did they see that the person leading them was Si Qianjun.
This time, Si Qianjun had personally led people there. When he saw that Lin Shuguang was safe and sound, his stern expression finally softened. "You've been gone for seven whole days."
It wasn't only Lin Shuguang—even Professor Wang was stunned.
Seeing their expressions, Si Qianjun's face changed slightly. He walked over and asked, "What happened?"
In fact, he had noticed from the beginning that only the last dozen or so members of Lin Shuguang's team remained. The scale of their losses was obvious.
"I... felt like only half a day had passed inside." Lin Shuguang made a rough estimate, then turned to look at Professor Wang and the others.
After all, he had been pulled alone into another small world. It was entirely possible that time had passed differently there.
Professor Wang and the others pondered briefly before nodding. "Indeed, less than six hours have passed. Ruoyi, record this."
"Yes, Teacher." Pei Ruoyi immediately took out a pen and notebook and recorded the phenomenon.
Si Qianjun looked toward the other Special Management Bureau warriors. Every one of them had bloodstains on their faces. In a deep voice, he said, "Thank you for your efforts, everyone."
"Thank you for your concern, Director!" The seven men straightened their backs, their expressions resolute.
Si Qianjun waved his hand. "Let's go back."
The hundreds of Special Management Bureau warriors he had brought formed a protective ring around Lin Shuguang and the others. The group boarded the bulletproof buses that had already stopped by the roadside.
Several armored vehicles led the way, while hundreds of people surrounded more than a dozen cars as the mighty procession drove from the outskirts into the city.
It drew countless astonished looks from the citizens.
"Did some big shot come to our Huai City?"
"This is way too grand!"
"Armored vehicles leading the way..."
"I feel like something must have happened..."
"Could it be related to that huge explosion a few days ago?"
"Maybe the people in those vehicles are all heroes..."
"Heroes?"
The many citizens standing along both sides of the road curiously watched the bulletproof bus where Lin Shuguang and the others were resting.
Twenty minutes later, everyone returned to the Special Management Bureau.
Professor Wang and the others immediately went to the laboratory.
They had already explained the general course of events on the bus.
But just as they entered the laboratory—
Lin Shuguang was left behind by Si Qianjun in his office.
"Write a report on what happened this time. At least three hundred words. Hand it to me in half an hour."
"I have to write it?" Lin Shuguang's scalp went numb the moment he heard that he had to write a report.
He would rather draw his blade and hack away at those Battle Axe Blood Corpses than waste time writing an essay.
Si Qianjun said irritably, "If you don't write it, am I supposed to? Hurry up. I'm going to the laboratory and will be back soon."
Lin Shuguang wore an aggrieved expression.
Left alone in Si Qianjun's office, he sat in the director's chair, pen in hand, scratching his ears and cheeks.
Then inspiration struck.
He finished it in ten minutes.
He had even written the experience in that alternate dimension so densely that the entire page was covered.
The office door was pushed open by Si Qianjun.
Lin Shuguang immediately rose. "Director Si, the task is complete. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."
Si Qianjun was stunned. "That fast? Wait a moment."
He picked up Lin Shuguang's report, and his face immediately darkened. "How many words is this?"
"Exactly two thousand."
"You wrote seventeen or eighteen hundred words describing the battle in a two-thousand-word report? And the whole thing is full of 'whoosh, whoosh, whoosh'?"
"I was merely trying to reproduce the battle scenes accurately."
Si Qianjun personally took up a pen and revised the report for Lin Shuguang, deleting a large portion of the battle scenes while retaining some records of Lin Shuguang's crucial appearances when the situation had become critical.
As he edited, he explained, "This mission report will be submitted to the Governor. Some things need to be more formal."
"Thank you for the reminder, Director Si." Lin Shuguang smiled harmlessly.
Si Qianjun shot him an exasperated look, deleted and revised another long section, then fell silent for a moment before asking, "What did you discover during this mission?"
Lin Shuguang paused for a while, put away his joking expression, and replied, "Director Si, have you heard of a Parallel World?"
Si Qianjun stopped writing and pondered. "Truly another world..."
He raised his head and looked at Lin Shuguang again. "I just went to examine that Walking Corpse. The War Armor on it doesn't belong to our world, and its material is a Rare Metal. These things are of vital importance to our country's research. If there's anything you need, you can bring it up. As long as it's not excessive, the higher-ups will definitely agree."
Lin Shuguang immediately grinned. "My request isn't excessive at all."
"Go on." Si Qianjun lowered his head to revise the report and spoke casually.
"It isn't much. The state can reward me with eighty or a hundred billion. I don't need any cultivation resources—leave them for those who need them. I only want money."
"..." Si Qianjun stopped writing and looked over, forcing out a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Eighty or a hundred billion? Heh."
Si Qianjun grabbed Lin Shuguang by the collar and was about to throw him out.
"Don't, Director Si! I've been injured—seriously injured! If you do this, my wounds are going to split open..." Lin Shuguang said with a face full of pain.
Si Qianjun stopped and looked over suspiciously. "You're injured? Where?"
Lin Shuguang lowered his head, revealing no expression at all, and said thickly, "Internal injuries..."
In the end, Lin Shuguang escaped the Special Management Bureau and let out a long breath.
Even so, he still cast a lingering glance at the building behind him where Si Qianjun worked. "Fine, you won't give me eighty or a hundred billion. But why did you have to get angry when I asked for eighty or a hundred bottles of Bone Tempering Pills?"
He shook his head and sighed before standing at the intersection to hail a taxi.
"Sorry for the trouble—Commerce District."
After getting into the back seat, Lin Shuguang pretended to close his eyes and rest. In reality, he pulled up the Attribute Panel.
He had gotten too caught up in the fight with those Blood Corpses earlier. He had spent tens of millions just throwing money at the problem.
He had no idea how strong he had become in the end.
But there was no doubt that his current self could crush the version of himself from seven days ago with one hand.
Name: Lin Shuguang; Blood Energy Value: 53240 cal; Skills: Undying Nine Revolutions Divine Body Heart Sutra Lv6, Blade of Slaughter - Nourishing Art, 128 Fusion Lv2; Blade of Slaughter - Killing Art, 100 Fusion Lv2; Cultivation Method: Heaven and Earth Black and Yellow Breathing Technique; Destined Soul: Slaughter Blade; Special Abilities: Drain Lv4; Lightning Ray Lv4; Achievements: Bronze Skin and Iron Bones, Netherflame; Cultivation: Bone Tempering 51 Resonances
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