Investigation

"Man-made?!" Major General Le Jun's expression changed instantly, and a sharp killing intent flashed through his eyes.

A chorus of sharp intakes of breath rose around them. The experts' expressions shifted from surprise to horror.

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

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

Some experts frowned deeply, their faces full of suspicion as though pondering the validity of Xie Jiayun (Healing)'s conclusion. Others gestured excitedly and argued fiercely with those beside them, trying to analyze this shocking notion 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, his eyes gleaming with rigor, and asked loudly, "But Colonel Xie, if this is an artificial toxin as you say, then how do we explain its terrifying ability to spread?"

His voice was especially clear amid the noisy discussions, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"Rather than infection, it would be more accurate to say that those patients were triggered into falling ill," Xie Jiayun (Healing) replied unhurriedly. His voice was calm and firm, as if he had already considered this question deeply.

"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 fell ill were never 'infected.' The toxin was already inside their bodies; it had merely been dormant before.

These toxins may have entered the human body through the air, water sources, or other mediums without anyone noticing.

Like a time bomb hidden in the darkness, they showed no signs at first. But once they were exposed to external stimuli—such as a specific sound, light, temperature, emotional shift, or a certain Soul Power fluctuation—the toxins began to take effect, and the patients suddenly fell ill."

"Emotions—it was emotions!" Zhou Mingyu, 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 lockdown. The patients who fell ill afterward had never participated in any group activities together. The only possibility is that their illnesses were triggered by panic."

"Think about it carefully. After the lockdown, the entirety of Clear Spirit City seemed to be shrouded by an invisible net of fear.

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

One scholar said, "This may be a reasonable deduction. We have overlooked an important factor: the influence of emotions 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 can erupt on such a massive scale among seemingly unrelated people is likely because it uses people's panic as an activation signal.

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

As everyone listened to his analysis, their expressions 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's really the case, then it's too terrifying," an expert muttered. "The enemy is using people's fear to trigger an outbreak. This is practically psychological warfare.

And once panic spreads, it will be difficult to control. It will keep triggering the toxins inside 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 patient appeared in Clear Spring Town, the number of people falling ill in nearby areas rose sharply as panic spread rapidly among the residents.

Meanwhile, in areas where information was relatively cut off and panic was less widespread, the rate of illness was clearly much lower. At the very least, this 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 System Soul Masters and the troops at once. During the lockdown, focus on reassuring the public. Strictly prohibit the creation of an atmosphere of panic."

"Also, immediately investigate the patients' movements, diets, and daily routines over the past month. See whether they have anything in common. Pay special attention to what they did during the three days before they fell ill!"

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

Xie Jiayun (Healing) then spoke up. "That can only slow the spread of the epidemic. If we want to save people, we still need an antidote. There isn't enough time for us to develop one ourselves, so we need to find the poisoner as soon 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."

"Yes, we still need to investigate Clear Spring Town," Le Jun said.

Night.

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

Le Jun sat in the main 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 hand, his brow furrowed.

Soft moonlight fell over him, but all he felt was a chill.

Le Jun cleared his throat and slowly rose to his feet. His gaze swept across 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 toxin residue in the underground river beneath Clear Spring Town."

The tent filled with quiet discussion, and a trace of relief appeared on some faces.

However, his expression became even more serious as he changed tack. "But the bad news is that the underground river beneath Clear Spring Town runs through a vast area. Like an enormous net, it connects many surrounding regions."

He walked to the map inside the tent and traced the underground river's course with his finger. "If all the people downstream have been poisoned and the epidemic breaks out, it will be an unprecedented disaster in Federation history."

The tent exploded into an uproar. People whispered among themselves, their faces full of terror and worry. Some officers clenched their fists, while some soldiers went pale, at a complete loss.

Le Jun raised a hand to signal for silence. Once the tent had quieted somewhat, he continued, "The severity of this incident is beyond what I can handle. Faced with such a complicated and dire situation, I have reported it to the legion commander. He will come personally 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 frowned anxiously or whispered among themselves, their words filled with fear and concern over this unknown disaster. Le Jun stood to one side, deep worry in his eyes. He knew all too well how grave the consequences of unstable morale could be.

Xie Jiayun (Healing) keenly sensed the tense, despondent atmosphere. He knew that if this continued, the entire anti-epidemic operation would collapse from within before it even properly began.

They had to be given a shot in the arm and have the Core Flame of hope reignited.

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

He stood tall, confidence and composure in his eyes. His clear, resonant voice echoed through the silent tent. "Everyone, please calm down first. I also have some news to share." All eyes immediately focused on him, filled with both doubt and a trace of anticipation.

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

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. The air in the tent seemed to freeze as everyone held their breath, waiting for what came next.

"This medicine can effectively delay the onset of the toxin!" He emphasized the words, light flashing in his eyes. "As long as it is distributed to the patients in time, their survival time can be extended to one week."

The tent instantly erupted.

The officers were stunned at first, but surprise and hope gradually appeared on their faces. Some could not help cheering under their breaths, while others clenched their fists excitedly.

A young officer said excitedly, "One week is enough for the patients to hold on until the senior Healing System 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 (Healing) on the shoulder and said approvingly, "Brother Xie, this is truly help in the nick of time! With this medicine, we'll have more time and energy to deal with this crisis."

Xie Jiayun (Healing) smiled modestly and continued, "However, production is currently limited, so we need to distribute it reasonably. I suggest prioritizing patients in more serious condition and those at key points in the toxin's spread. That will maximize the medicine's effectiveness and slow the toxin's spread as much as possible. Also, I am short on raw materials."

"The Spirit Pagoda is willing to provide them," Zhou Mingyu said. "I can directly transfer the required materials from other regions."

"The Southern Legion will give its full support!" Le Jun added.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Much of the gloom that had blanketed the tent instantly dispersed. Their fighting spirit was rekindled, their eyes filled with determination and resolve as they began actively discussing the medicine's distribution plan and the subsequent anti-epidemic measures.

At this moment of challenge and crisis, the news Xie Jiayun (Healing) brought was like dawn cutting through the darkness. It gave everyone hope and injected new strength into this battle against the epidemic.

Of course, it was all thanks to the Sea of Consciousness Space. It had analyzed the toxin's composition, allowing Xie Jiayun (Healing) to produce an inhibitor directly.

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