Illness

No problem, the Mystic Thread had already found the standard answer behind the drawer. She took out a pen and began to answer at a speed much faster than normal.

"Alright, alright, that's enough." The boy smiled as soon as he saw that he had answered all the multiple-choice questions correctly. "Congratulations, you've joined the company."

"Thanks."

"Let me record my information."

The other party handed me a form.

It's nothing more than name, gender, age, class, and the like.

After everything was done, the long-haired black-haired doll-like girl suddenly said to Ye Qian, "Can you come with me for a moment?"

"Hmm? Okay." Ye Qian nodded on the spot.

The other two boys looked curious, and the doll-like girl explained, "I'll introduce our club activities to her."

"OK, go ahead."

And so, Ye Qian followed the doll girl outside.

As they walked down the empty corridor, the girl said with a half-smile, "Did you discover something?"

Ye Qian deliberately feigned confusion.

"You should have figured it out by now. I originally thought you were just an ordinary student, but now I'm certain of one thing: you are a Hidden One who has contact with the extraordinary world."

"Mmm~~"

"Don't be nervous. Although there aren't many Hidden One, there aren't a small number either. But you should be the first to sense my situation... To put it in a more metaphysical way, you have a high level of spirituality."

"Spirituality?"

"That's right." The doll girl's tone was drawn out. "Everyone has a spirituality, which is not perceptible in a normal state. Generally, we believe that the higher the spirituality, the more one can detect Pollution. After becoming Transcendent, spirituality is crucial for taking one to the next level."

Click!

Upon reaching a metal door on the third floor, the other party tried to push it open, revealing the interior.

This is an office.

Behind the long mahogany desk, an elderly man with a full head of white hair leaned quietly against the wall. At that moment, the doll suddenly turned her head and smiled, saying, "We meet."

Ye Qian: "..."

After a long silence, she tried to ask, "That... is your true form? Or is this girl actually your puppet?"

"As expected, I knew you had already figured it out." The doll girl remained noncommittal, instead gesturing for Ye Qian to sit in the chair opposite the old man.

She sat down out of curiosity.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Norton, the true founder of the Mystic Club, and I am here to seek out highly spiritual individuals."

"Y-you... hello, Grandpa Norton?"

Norton: "..."

After a moment of silence, the old man coughed and said, "Just call me Mr. Norton. Although I'm old, every time someone calls me 'Grandpa,' I feel like I'm about to die."

"Phew, Mr. Norton."

"Hmm, this is the first time I've met someone like you who can tell at a glance that she's an alchemical puppet. Do you know that even a Saint-level Transcendent couldn't see through this puppet?"

Chapter 102 Illness

"Holy Spirit Rank?"

Ye Qian's attention was immediately drawn to this level.

She knew that the first realm of Transcendent was Black Iron, so following this process, it should be Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and so on, right? She didn't expect it to be Holy Spirit.

Judging from the name, it sounds pretty impressive. Could it be some higher realm? Then isn't this old man... a powerful expert?

The moment this thought popped into his head, the old man in front of him laughed.

"It seems you're not very clear about these things. The so-called 'rank' is a classification of the strength of Transcendent. For example, those who have just been promoted are generally called Black Iron. After Black Iron comes Mithril Rank. The origin of these two ranks is that after Mithril, a second promotion will lead to becoming a Holy Spirit. This rank is what we call the Holy Spirit rank."

"The third level?"

Upon learning of this, Ye Qian suddenly felt pressured again.

Even though Transcendent already have such a huge advantage over ordinary people, she only realized how difficult it is for ordinary people to kill Transcendent at a higher level after she advanced. If this trend continues, won't it be even harder to kill at higher levels?

The old man in front of me spoke so casually; he must be of a high rank.

Ye Qian tried to sense some targets using the Mystic Thread and found that the information she could receive was indeed very blurry.

Of course, it's only vague; if you sense it carefully, you can still perceive the other person's thoughts.

"Excuse me, what exactly do you want to do by calling me here?" Ye Qian appeared slightly nervous, which was both a deliberate act and a reflection of her true feelings.

Facing a potentially extremely powerful being, it would be difficult to protect oneself should any unexpected event occur.

Fortunately, the old man named Norton did not show any malice for the time being, but instead smiled and asked, "What is your understanding of the world of Transcendent?"

Ye Qian thought for a moment, unsure if the other party was testing her, but she still whispered, "Probably to become stronger and explore the essence of the world."

"Exploring the essence of the world? Hmm... perhaps so, but the process of contacting the essence is itself fraught with danger. Power is Pollution, and anyone who comes into contact with it will inevitably pay a price." The old man looked intently at Ye Qian's face as he said this, "You are different from them. You are not only a lover of the mysticism, but also have extremely high spirituality, so I don't mind guiding you from the perspective of someone who has been there."

Ye Qian's heart skipped a beat, and she asked softly, "Then... what price will I have to pay?"

"Haha." The old man laughed on the spot. He had to admit that the girl in front of him was smart. She immediately realized that he couldn't give her any benefits for no reason, so she asked about the price.

Indeed, he came to Ye Qian with a specific purpose in mind.

Moreover, he couldn't be sure at the moment whether the girl in front of him could meet his requirements.

But this girl was incredibly intelligent; even from his perspective, he felt that she was hiding some kind of secret.

This is the most likely candidate.

"This can't be called a price, little girl. I do hope you can help me with some things, and there are indeed risks involved. In return, I will guide you on the path of becoming Transcendent and make you stronger. Only then can you help me accomplish that task ahead of schedule."

"Hmm."

Ye Qian deliberately acted even more nervous.

This was a necessary fear, even though she wasn't worried at all inside, she looked like a normal little girl, which was surely right.

Norton seemed quite fond of the lovely girl, and asked again in a kind voice, "So, are you willing?"

"Can you tell me what I will gain, and what I might lose?"

"What do you get..." The old man thought for a moment and shook his head. "Rather, as long as you are careful enough and use the power I give you step by step, you will most likely not lose anything. You will be very safe. I could have found anyone to do this, but the current situation is really bad. If your spirituality is insufficient, your growth will be extremely limited."

As he said this, he turned and took a book from the bookshelf next to him, pushing it towards them. "I will try to transfer you to a special school created by a clandestine force... specifically for training Transcendent. There is a saying that this academy was once a Magic Academy in the Second Era, which was destroyed at the end of the Second Era, and is now just using the name from the past."

A photograph fell out of a book; it showed a very large school.

"Your task is to retrieve something called the Elemental Core from the storage room for me, but to get access to it, you must first infiltrate the school and gain the trust of some of the people there."

"Is that all?" Ye Qian asked.

"Yes, if you agree, I will sign a contract with you under the witness of the God of Light Prayer. I promise not to harm you and to give you support, but you must do this for me only if you are capable enough and can guarantee your own safety."

"Good."

Ye Qian nodded directly.

It wasn't that she wasn't wary, but she couldn't be sure if the old man in front of her was truly trustworthy. If she refused, he might do something drastic, and that would be the end of her.

Judging from the perception of the Mystic Thread, the other party was very reluctant to reveal information about the elemental core to him.

Now that you've said it, what will you do if you refuse again?

For safety's sake, just agree; at least the outcome might not be too bad.

"Oh? Child, I didn't expect you to agree so readily." A look of surprise appeared in Norton's eyes.

"Because I'm very curious about everything in the mystical world, Transcendent... that's something I yearn for too."

"In that case, I'll lend you a hand."

He suddenly stood up, took out a book from the cabinet on Ye Qian's left, and pressed down one of the knobs.

"I can sense your state of mind; you're probably only one step away from promotion. I can offer you a few paths to advancement, but whether you can cross that threshold depends on yourself. Generally speaking, for someone as spiritual as you, promotion should be easier, but the process is also more likely to involve unpredictable dangers."

The bookshelf slowly opened, revealing a secret passage.

"Let's go."

Looking puzzled, Ye Qian followed the other person downstairs.

As we slowly arrived at the basement, the view at the end of the passage was immediately visible.

"This is the place, come in."

Following the old man through the gate, Ye Qian discovered that it was a room with virtually no decoration, the walls of which were all made of cement.

There were several special items placed in the middle.

Ye Qian noticed that one of the cement recesses was just big enough to fit a person, and her lips twitched involuntarily.

I know it's nothing, but seeing this scene, why does it look so much like an execution ground?

"Try this, stick it on your forehead." The old man took a transparent Crystal Ball from the cabinet next to him and handed it over.

Ye Qian curiously took it and tried pressing it. To her surprise, five different colored orbs of light appeared inside.

Blue is the brightest, followed by green, and the remaining colors, red, yellow, purple, and orange, are about the same.

"I see. It's about spirit first, then intelligence. Generally speaking, women are slightly weaker than men in terms of physical strength due to their physical condition, but they have a slight advantage in terms of spirit. Your spirit undoubtedly amplifies this advantage. I only have the main essence and secondary body here. Although it's not a perfect match, if you can accept it, you might be able to try to advance."

As the old man spoke, he took out a card from his person.

Main Essence Subsidiary Body: God-Forbidden

The suppression of the soul and thoughts makes one's mental state as pure as matter.

To put it simply, one can shape their own destiny and guide their future in the direction they desire. They can also influence the predetermined fates of others, gaining significant impact in battle.

Physical constitution enhances the body's resistance to all poisons and diseases, naturally increasing physical resistance. Meanwhile, the mind itself has the effect of influencing the consciousness of enemies.

Promotion method: Infect yourself with a disease to the point of near death, or severely poison yourself. Ideally, you should use related Pollution to simulate toxins. Survive in that state and seek the so-called "enlightenment" to complete the promotion.

Ye Qian glanced through the contents and was inexplicably speechless.

"This is like walking through the gates of hell."

If you get infected with a disease and are on the verge of death, or suffer from severe poisoning, even if you recover, you're still crippled.

Even if such a promotion makes Transcendent, the latter half of their life will inevitably be filled with suffering.

"If we use ordinary methods, it definitely won't work. I prefer to use mental Pollution. Although there will definitely be aftereffects in the end, it's better than that."

The old man took out a box, and when he opened it, there was a strange Human Skin Mask inside.

[Item: Mask of Innocence]

[Note: Poisoning! Poisoning! Once you put it on, you'll feel like you're being tortured by poison to the point of unbearable pain, wanting to take it off, but some force is preventing you from doing so.]

When Ye Qian saw the system notification, the old man said, "With my assistance, I will help you take it off when you are almost done, and then treat you. Although there will be aftereffects, it will be much better than that of ordinary Transcendent."

"Yeah?"

Seeing Ye Qian hesitate, the old man sighed and said, "The pain on the path to transcendence is inevitable. Every Transcendent has to endure it. I can't help you completely avoid it, I can only do my best."

"Hmm, but what is this 'Ming'?" Ye Qian asked.

"I don't know, you'll have to see for yourself." The old man smiled helplessly. "This thing is very mysterious. Everything extraordinary is related to Pollution. How can you explain something like this?"

Ye Qian: "..."

Thinking that it was just a clone anyway and wouldn't have a big impact, and considering that she really wanted to try a different approach, she took the mask and said, "Can we start right away?"

"Yes, I can see that. You should have reached the threshold by now."

So Ye Qian put it on right there and then.

For a split second, I almost broke down.

First, the nerves in my head started to ache intensely, and then each tooth felt as if it had pulpitis, striking straight to my soul.

In the mirror, the person wearing the Human Skin Mask immediately turned purple, as if thick blood was about to gush out.