The metal door opened a crack, and Sun Miaomiao poked her head in.
"Captain, we've been notified that there's a meeting. Someone from headquarters is here, and they want to urgently discuss the upcoming defense and patrol arrangements."
Shen Tingxue nodded, then turned to Gu Yuan and pointed at the equipment in the center of the room.
"Practice here on your own and get used to controlling your qi and blood projection."
With that, Shen Tingxue opened the door and headed toward the conference room.
Sun Miaomiao turned around and was just about to follow Shen Tingxue when she felt something tugging at her.
Gu Yuan held on tightly to her sleeve. With his free hand, he fished a piece of hazelnut chocolate out of his pocket and put it in hers.
"Don't rush off, Sis Miaomiao," Gu Yuan said in a lowered voice, leaning closer.
"What's the deal with that Alchemist Realm Warlock? Why's the Bureau making such a big fuss today?"
Sun Miaomiao glanced down at the chocolate in her hand, then expertly tore open the wrapper and took a big bite.
She peeked outside the door to make sure Shen Tingxue was gone from the hallway. Only then did she pull her head back and lower her voice.
"I heard headquarters found out that the Warlock is connected to the Fusion Sect."
"The Fusion Sect?" Gu Yuan was stunned.
In his eighteen years, he'd heard of ferocious beasts, cults, and foreign heretics—but never anything like this.
"It's normal that you haven't heard of them." Sun Miaomiao swallowed the chocolate in two or three bites and brushed the crumbs off her hands. "They only appeared in the last couple of years. Their organization is called the Fusion Sect."
"They replace parts of their bodies with ferocious beast organs." A look of disgust crept onto Sun Miaomiao's face as she spoke. "That gives them stronger bodies and greater explosive power."
"I heard they can even transform completely into ferocious beasts."
Gu Yuan immediately pictured someone with a pig's head and a lizard's tail. The image was so horrifying he couldn't even bear to imagine it.
What kind of inhuman perversion was this? Turning yourself into a monster?
"But the price is steep." Sun Miaomiao pursed her lips. "Once they take on a ferocious beast's form, they completely lose their reason and become killing machines."
Gu Yuan nodded. It sounded like some shoddy genetic modification experiment.
"Oh, and recent intelligence says they're also trying an even more sinister technique." Sun Miaomiao's expression turned serious.
"What technique?"
"Transplanting someone else's Dao Foundation."
A chill ran through Gu Yuan, and he couldn't help shivering.
Transplanting a Dao Foundation?
You could transplant those things?
Wasn't that like digging out a Supreme Bone in a fantasy novel? Just ripping it out by force? What a bunch of deranged cultists.
Sun Miaomiao abruptly turned and fixed her gaze on Gu Yuan.
"Especially talented geniuses like that." She lowered her voice. "They only take high-grade Dao Foundations to improve their own talent and perception of the world."
Highly talented geniuses?
Wasn't she talking about him?
Gu Yuan swallowed, feeling like the world had suddenly turned against him.
"Then, Sis Miaomiao..." He gave an awkward laugh. "What happens to the people whose Dao Foundations get taken?"
"Uh..." Sun Miaomiao tilted her head and thought for a moment.
"You could say they go peacefully."
Gu Yuan's face darkened.
Peacefully, my ass! That just meant they were dead!
Sun Miaomiao stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. Even with ten times their nerve, they generally wouldn't dare strike in the city center."
"Besides, the Destiny Bureau has the whole city under lockdown and is stepping up its searches. Those rats can only think about how to sneak out of Sea City with their tails between their legs."
"All right, the chocolate was good. Thanks!" Sun Miaomiao waved at Gu Yuan. "I still have to brief the captain on the key points from the meeting, so I'm off."
She opened the door and walked out with a spring in her step.
Gu Yuan watched as the metal door closed again.
The training room fell completely silent.
He walked over to a nearby chair and sat down, looking at his hands.
Tier 1 Martial Artist, qi and blood projection, two tons of punching power.
He'd finally crossed the threshold into becoming a true martial artist. At last, he had a little more confidence in his ability to protect himself.
Suddenly, the phone in his pocket vibrated, interrupting his thoughts.
Gu Yuan took it out. The first message was from Zhang Yining.
"Old Gu, meet at the martial arts gym tomorrow? My cousin Zhang Tian's back from Tianbei Martial University. He said he wants to see whether we've been slacking off lately."
Gu Yuan rubbed his chin.
Zhang Yining's cousin, Zhang Tian.
Just hearing the name brought to mind a swaggering show-off with his nose in the air.
Zhang Tian was one year ahead of them. Ever since they were kids, he'd used the fact that he started training a year earlier to put on airs as their senior.
He'd gotten into Tianbei Martial University last year, and at every holiday gathering, he couldn't go three sentences without saying, "At our Martial University, we..."
Now that he was back for the holidays, he claimed he wanted to "see whether they'd been slacking off," but he was probably just going to lecture them again and flaunt his superiority as a top student from a Martial University.
Gu Yuan's fingers flew across the screen.
"I'll be there on time tomorrow."
After sending the message, he slipped his phone back into his pocket.
He stood up and turned his gaze toward the humanoid alloy target in the center of the training room.
Gu Yuan walked up to the target, lowered his center of gravity, and instantly channeled his qi and blood into his right leg.
He took a step forward, his waist suddenly driving into the movement. His whole body snapped open like a fully drawn bowstring.
His right leg cut through the air with a sharp whoosh, and he slammed a powerful roundhouse kick into the target's midsection.
"Clang!"
A tremendous metallic hum thundered through the enclosed training room.
The alloy target, weighing several hundred pounds, shook violently.
Gu Yuan watched it, lowered his right leg, and stood firmly in place.
He stepped closer for a look.
A clear footprint, a full two inches deep, was dented into the target's sturdy waist armor.
Gu Yuan brushed the dust off his pant leg, satisfied.
Ten p.m.
Shen Tingxue personally drove Gu Yuan home. It was rare for the Destiny Bureau to work overtime this late.
Soft music played in the car as Shen Tingxue held the steering wheel with one hand.
Gu Yuan sat in the passenger seat, watching the streets slide past outside.
The SUV slowly approached the Destiny Bureau's gate.
Armed guards stood on either side of the entrance, and the atmosphere was noticeably more tense than it had been during the day.
As they drove out, Gu Yuan habitually glanced at the guard booth to the right of the gate.
Inside, the old man was holding an enamel mug and leisurely sipping his tea.
[Steel Bone] (Purple) A line of small text appeared beneath the entry. [Requirement: Guard the gate together with the entry holder 10 times.] [Progress: 0/10. Each completion increases qi and blood control and defense.]
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