"Those two had already developed to the latter half of Tier 1?" Su Chen could not help thinking. "I didn't feel much resistance when I made my move."
But considering the two top-tier professions he possessed, along with a special Tier 2 item, such overwhelming superiority was only natural.
"Blackflame Potion. Perfect, let's see how it tastes." Su Chen licked his lips.
He had long since used up the Blood-Activating Potion, and he rather missed that feeling of high efficiency.
He pulled out the stopper and took only a small sip. Given the current situation, he could not afford to let down his guard.
It was as though he had swallowed molten lava alive. The scorching liquid rolled down his throat, gradually spreading throughout his body as a stabbing pain radiated from within to without.
"Fuck, that's intense..." Even Su Chen was startled. The potion's effect exceeded his expectations; even a single sip was this fierce.
[Molten Stone Training Method] activated on its own. The two forms of stimulation did not stack but instead clashed against each other. The stabbing pain gradually faded, yet his body became increasingly active.
Southwind City, inside the municipal administrative building, City Lord Zhang Hongbo stood before the window, staring gravely at the horizon. From this high floor, he could vaguely see the endless city walls.
Bang!
The door was flung open, and Yuan Chenyang and Zhou Xian entered one after the other.
Yuan Chenyang looked haggard, his expression heavy.
Zhou Xian remained silent as he surveyed the people in the room: the Patrol Department, Exploration Department, Research Department, Inspection Department behind them, and himself, the head of the Internal Affairs Hall. The city's upper ranks had all gathered. This was no minor matter.
"Director Yuan, I heard the thief was found, but you accidentally killed him, and the Holy Word Stone still hasn't been recovered," the head of the Patrol Department said flatly.
"That was something we painstakingly recovered from a ruin last time, something even Yingfeng had taken notice of. Only half of the professional information on it has been deciphered, and it involves space. Its value is extraordinary."
"Yingfeng's people are already on their way. Have you thought of how you'll explain this?"
Yuan Chenyang shot him a cold look. Quite a few of those present wore undisguised expressions of schadenfreude.
He snorted inwardly and replied indifferently, "How I explain myself is none of Minister Feng's concern."
Even so, he could not help feeling powerless. Someone had clearly been cooperating from within and without this time, yet he had failed to find out who that person was.
The timing of the thief's appearance was also suspicious. He had hidden for so long, only to suddenly show himself for no apparent reason.
Yuan Chenyang had clearly held back, yet the other man had still died. He could not even be interrogated, leaving Yuan Chenyang at a dead end.
Forget explaining himself—he had not even cleared himself of suspicion that he had killed the man to silence him.
There was no one in Southwind City capable of judging him, but once Yingfeng's people arrived, things would become troublesome.
The other man snorted and was just about to speak when Zhang Hongbo turned around and interrupted him. "Now that everyone is here, I'll begin."
Everyone held their breath.
Zhang Hongbo said solemnly, "The Fortress Guard in the A2 sector of the southern city has been unresponsive for over twenty-four hours. It is reasonable to suspect that it has already been breached."
Everyone's expressions changed in shock. "How could this happen so suddenly?"
"It was likely an unforeseen consequence caused by a high-level lifeform passing through," Zhang Hongbo said.
"The southern city?" Zhou Xian suddenly asked, his expression turning extremely ugly.
"That's right. It is precisely the direction of South Harvest Academy's routine city patrol this time." Zhang Hongbo nodded.
"What?" Yuan Chenyang abruptly rose to his feet, no longer caring about the thief. "Then what are we waiting for? Send people after them immediately."
"No. I'll personally lead the team."
"Yes, we need to dispatch people as quickly as possible. If something goes wrong, the consequences could be severe, especially with Yingfeng's people about to arrive." Zhou Xian's expression shifted as he echoed the sentiment, concern written across his face.
Everyone knew that Zhou Xian's son and Yuan Chenyang's student were both in that team. Their anxiety was entirely understandable.
"I'm not finished." Zhang Hongbo glanced at them before continuing. "The Research Department has also detected a sudden surge in fog concentration in the direction of the southern city. A ruin is suspected to have appeared."
"A ruin? So close... Could it be related to the A2 Fortress Guard losing contact?" The others could no longer sit still. Every ruin that appeared represented enormous benefits.
"I share that suspicion. Therefore, I've decided to personally lead the team. Director Yuan and Director Zhou will come with me." Zhang Hongbo nodded.
"I have no objection," Yuan Chenyang immediately replied.
After reaching an agreement, they immediately began moving. Zhang Hongbo summoned the elites of the Exploration Department to accompany them.
In less than half an hour, the team had been assembled. They departed from the southern city and followed the route in pursuit.
Buzz... The purple stone door before him slowly opened. Jiang Rong looked at the graceful figure emerging from it and could not help letting out a breath of relief. A gratified smile appeared on his aged face. "As expected of my daughter."
It was Jiang He, who had been missing for so long. A faint, strange radiance flickered in her eyes, causing invisible ripples to spread through the surrounding air.
"Almost..." Jiang He's voice was hoarse, still carrying lingering fear. "I almost didn't make it back."
"It's good that you successfully advanced. You're already a Tier 2 Professional now; the Blood Oath Contract can no longer affect you too severely." Jiang Rong also relaxed before adding, "There's something else. Yuan Chenyang isn't behind Qi Chuan."
"Hm?" Jiang He suddenly looked at him, a pale purple glow surfacing in her pupils.
"The reason Su Chen was able to enter the key training class seems to be because of... Bai Fengxi." Jiang Rong's expression was strange. He had not expected Su Chen's connections to be so convoluted, and it had taken some time to figure them out.
"Bai Fengxi?" Jiang He was blank for a moment before recalling, "Yuan Chenyang's female student."
"He certainly has some skills." Jiang He's expression was difficult to describe. "In a way, he has some connection to Yuan Chenyang as well."
"Yuan Chenyang may not even be able to protect himself now..." Jiang Rong shook his head meaningfully. "The thief was found, but the stolen item was not. Once Yingfeng holds him accountable, he'll have to take responsibility."
Jiang He realized, "Then we can still use Su Chen to figure out Qi Chuan's situation?"
He nodded. "That's right. Something has happened outside the city, and those who went out will return soon."
"Since Su Chen wasn't placed on the key list by Qi Chuan, Qi Chuan will definitely make a move outside the city. But he doesn't know Su Chen's background, and he doesn't have enough time. It will probably be difficult for him to accomplish much."
"Once Su Chen returns, his curiosity about Su Chen will only grow stronger."
It took Jiang He some effort to sort through the connections, but she tossed them aside the next moment.
Su Chen... She licked her slightly chapped lips, and her interest in that little wolfhound surged again.
This time, she was a Tier 2 Professional. She would take the upper hand again.
"Hm?"
Su Chen abruptly opened his eyes. His skin was flushed, wisps of mist curling around him. It felt as if flames were burning inside his body, yet he had an unusual sensation.
"It seems to be... the Blood Oath Contract..." Su Chen pressed a hand to his chest and murmured, "Has it been lifted?"
An indescribable urgency rose in his heart. It was not because of Jiang He, but because his sense of security had been weakened another degree.
He had no substantive conflict with Jiang He, but neither did he consider her a friend. Because of the Blood Oath Contract, they might even become enemies.
He glanced at the panel—
[Sky-Rending Warrior: 30%] [Molten Stone Training Method—Proficient: 5%]
Only visibly increasing progress could give him even a slight sense of security.
He pondered, "Still, I need to put a spiritual meditation method on the agenda. Otherwise, the Mystic Artificer profession can only remain stuck here."
"What a pain..."
The night passed. Su Chen drank an entire bottle of Blackflame Potion in small sips, raising the development level of [Sky-Rending Warrior] to 32%.
[Molten Stone Training Method] also reached 20% under high-intensity operation, though its improvement rate had slowed slightly compared with the beginner stage.
The following morning, the main group assembled. The students were not in particularly good spirits, and Zhou Zong was especially exhausted. He had stood watch for Su Chen the night before, and with too little rest, his eyes were bloodshot.
Su Chen, on the other hand, was in good spirits. A Mystic Artificer was, after all, spiritually inclined; staying awake for several nights was not much of a problem. The Blackflame Potion also contained nutrients sufficient to replenish his body's consumption.
The logistics staff distributed breakfast. Compared with the roasted meat from the previous night, breakfast was rather simple: standard compressed nutrient solution.
Hu Xiang looked around, but his gaze kept drifting toward Su Chen, who was eating with his head lowered.
After calming everyone down last night, Hu Xiang had deliberately searched around the coordinates where Su Chen had been keeping watch, yet he had not found the corpse he had expected.
That inevitably made him suspicious. Had Su Chen concealed himself deeply enough to kill the attacker in return?
Or had that person truly only followed Old Zhao's instructions, returning to notify the camp once the time was up, while the two attackers had been killed by some unknown danger in the fog?
Hu Xiang's instinctive guess leaned toward the latter.
Otherwise, if Su Chen had been able to quietly eliminate two Tier 1 Professionals in such a short time, then he had hidden his strength far too deeply.
Yet reason told Hu Xiang that Su Chen seemed to have already seen through him, leaving him unable to make sense of it.
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