Investigation

"Artificially engineered?!" Major General Le Jun's expression changed instantly, a sharp killing intent flashing through his eyes.

A wave of sharp breaths echoed around the tent as the experts' astonishment turned to horror.

If this was not a natural disaster, but a man-made calamity... then the implications and threat behind it would be even more terrifying than the plague itself!

The tent immediately erupted into an uproar. The experts whispered among themselves, and the previously silent, oppressive atmosphere was shattered as discussion surged like a rising tide.

Some experts frowned, their faces full of suspicion as though weighing the validity of Xie Jiayun's conclusion. Others gestured excitedly while arguing fiercely with those beside them, trying to analyze this shocking theory from different angles.

At that moment, a middle-aged man stepped out from the crowd. He wore a crisp research uniform, and the badge on his chest showed that he was an accomplished expert in toxin research.

He pushed up his glasses, rigor gleaming in his eyes, and asked loudly, "But Colonel Xie, if this is an artificial toxin as you say, then how do you explain its terrifying ability to spread?"

His voice rang out with particular clarity amid the noisy discussions, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"Rather than infection, it would be more accurate to say that the patients were triggered into falling ill." Xie Jiayun answered unhurriedly, his voice calm and firm, as if he had long given the matter deep thought.

"Triggered into falling ill?" someone in the crowd repeated softly, their face full of confusion.

"That's right." He paused before continuing, "Those patients who developed symptoms later were never 'infected.' The toxin had already been inside their bodies, merely lying dormant before.

These toxins may have entered the human body unnoticed through the air, water sources, or some other medium.

Like a time bomb hidden in the dark, they showed no signs in ordinary times. But after being stimulated by something external—such as a specific sound, light, temperature, emotional change, or a certain fluctuation of soul power—the toxins began to take effect, and the patients suddenly fell ill."

"Emotions—it's emotions!" Zhou Mingyu (sword), who had been standing silently in the corner, spoke up. "After the first patient appeared in Clear Spring Town, Clear Spirit City was placed under martial law. The patients who fell ill afterward had never participated in the same group activities. The only possibility is that their illnesses were triggered by panic."

"Think carefully. After the lockdown, all of Clear Spirit City seemed to be shrouded beneath an invisible net of fear.

People were trapped in their homes, constantly hearing news of those around them falling ill and dying. Panic spread through every corner of the city like a virus." There was a trace of heaviness in Zhou Mingyu (sword)'s voice, as though he could feel the terror in the hearts of those trapped residents.

One scholar said, "This may be a reasonable deduction. We have been overlooking an important factor: the effect emotions have on the human body. In the world of soul masters, emotions are not merely a psychological state. They are closely connected to our soul power and bodily functions.

Powerful emotional fluctuations, especially negative emotions, can greatly affect our bodies and the circulation of our soul power."

"I boldly speculate that the reason this artificial toxin was able to erupt on such a massive scale among people who seemed completely unrelated was likely because it used people's panic as its activation signal.

When a person falls into extreme panic and anxiety, their body undergoes a series of physiological and psychological changes. Those changes may trigger the latent toxin within them and cause it to take effect."

As everyone listened to his analysis, the expressions on their faces gradually shifted from initial shock to contemplation. Major General Le Jun frowned slightly and stroked his chin, seemingly considering the feasibility of this theory.

"If that is really the case, then it is far too terrifying," an expert murmured. "The enemy is using people's fear to trigger an outbreak. This is practically psychological warfare.

And once panic spreads, it becomes very difficult to control. It will keep triggering the toxins in more people."

Le Jun's subordinate had also obtained the patient statistics by then and said:

"Based on the distribution of the patients, after the first case appeared in Clear Spring Town, panic rapidly spread among residents in the surrounding regions, and the number of cases sharply rose along with it.

Meanwhile, in areas where information was relatively limited and panic was lower, the rate of illness was clearly far lower. This at least shows that there is some connection between emotions and the onset of illness."

After hearing this, Le Jun immediately turned to the subordinate beside him and said:

"Notify the healing soul masters and the troops at once. During the lockdown, focus on calming the public. Strictly forbid the creation of an atmosphere of panic."

"Also, immediately investigate the movements, diets, and daily routines of these patients over the past month. See whether they have anything in common. In particular, closely investigate what they did during the three days before falling ill!"

"Yes." The adjutant accepted the order and quickly left to make arrangements.

Xie Jiayun spoke up at this point. "That can only slow the spread of the epidemic. To save people, we still need an antidote. There is too little time; it will be difficult for us to develop an antidote ourselves in the short term. We still need to find the poisoner as quickly as possible.

The place most likely to have been poisoned is probably Clear Spring Town, where the first patient was discovered. I suggest sending people there for a thorough investigation."

"Mm. We still need to inspect Clear Spring Town," Le Jun said.

Night

When the first ray of moonlight pierced through the heavy clouds, its soft glow fell over the epidemic command tent. Inside, everyone remained busy.

Le Jun sat in the chief seat in his crisp military uniform, his expression grave. The table before him was piled high with documents and reports. His gaze was fixed tightly on the investigation report in his hands, his brows deeply furrowed.

Soft moonlight fell across him, yet it only made him feel a bone-deep chill.

Le Jun cleared his throat and slowly rose to his feet. His gaze swept over everyone present as he said steadily, "Everyone, I have both good news and bad news to tell you.

The good news is that, through the tireless efforts of our investigation team, we have indeed found traces of the toxin in the underground river beneath Clear Spring Town."

As soon as he said this, a low murmur arose within the tent, and relief appeared on some faces.

However, his tone shifted, and his expression became even more solemn. "But the bad news is that the underground river beneath Clear Spring Town runs through a vast area. Like a giant web, it links many surrounding regions together."

He walked over to the map in the tent, tracing the course of the underground river with his finger. "If all the people downstream have been poisoned and the epidemic erupts, it will be a disaster without precedent in Federation history."

The moment those words fell, the entire tent exploded into uproar. People whispered frantically among themselves, their faces filled with terror and worry. Some officers clenched their fists, while some soldiers turned pale, utterly at a loss.

Le Jun raised a hand to signal for silence. After the tent had quieted somewhat, he continued, "The severity of this incident is no longer something I can handle. Faced with such a complex and dire situation, I have already reported it to the legion commander. He will personally come to deal with this matter."

Seeing the unrest in the tent and feeling the atmosphere grow so oppressive it seemed one could wring water from it, the officers either stood with furrowed brows and anxious faces or whispered to one another, their words full of fear and concern over this unknown disaster. Le Jun stood to one side, deep worry in his eyes. He knew all too well what severe consequences unstable morale could bring.

Xie Jiayun keenly sensed the tense, dispirited atmosphere. He knew that if this continued, the entire anti-epidemic operation would crumble from within before it had even properly begun.

They had to give everyone a shot in the arm and ignite the spark of hope.

So he drew a deep breath and stepped out from the crowd with firm strides.

He stood tall, confidence and composure shining in his eyes. His clear, ringing voice echoed through the silent tent. "Everyone, please! Quiet down for a moment. I also have some news to share." Everyone's gazes immediately focused on him, filled with both doubt and a trace of anticipation.

"Just this afternoon, after countless attempts and failures, my team and I finally succeeded in developing a medicine."

At this point, he paused slightly, sweeping his gaze over every person present. The air in the tent seemed to freeze as everyone held their breath and waited for what came next.

"This medicine can effectively delay the onset of the toxin!" He stressed the words, light gleaming in his eyes. "As long as these doses are distributed to the patients in time, their survival time can be extended to one week."

The moment he said this, the tent instantly erupted.

The officers first stared in astonishment, then looks of delight and hope gradually appeared on their faces. Some could not help cheering softly, while others clenched their fists in excitement.

A young officer said excitedly, "One week is enough for the patients to hold on until those senior healing-type soul masters arrive. They will definitely be able to find a way to cure them completely!"

A long-lost smile appeared on Le Jun's face as well. He patted Xie Jiayun on the shoulder and said approvingly, "Brother Xie, you've truly delivered charcoal in the snow! With this medicine, we'll have more time and energy to deal with this crisis."

Xie Jiayun smiled modestly and continued, "However, production is currently limited, so we need to distribute it reasonably. I suggest prioritizing patients in severe condition and those at critical points in the toxin's spread. That will allow us to maximize the medicine's effect and slow the toxin's rate of spread. Also, I currently lack raw materials."

"The Spirit Pagoda is willing to provide them," Zhou Mingyu (sword) said at this point. "I can directly transfer the necessary materials from other regions."

"The Southern Legion will give its full support as well!" Le Jun declared.

Everyone nodded in agreement. The gloom that had hung over the tent instantly dispersed considerably. Their fighting spirit reignited, their eyes filled with resolve and determination as they began actively discussing plans for distributing the medicine and the subsequent anti-epidemic measures.

At this moment of challenge and crisis, the news Xie Jiayun brought was like a dawn ray tearing through the darkness. It gave everyone hope and infused their battle against the epidemic with new strength.

Of course, it was all thanks to the sea of consciousness space. Without it analyzing the toxin's composition, Xie Jiayun would not have been able to produce an inhibitor directly.

But even knowing the composition, creating an inhibitor and creating an antidote were entirely different matters. The fastest solution was still to obtain the antidote directly from the poisoner.