Chu Ran's Shadow trembled slightly, then slowly receded.
"Your ability is quite strong," Ling Yi commented.
"I know." She lowered her head, her voice tinged with bitterness.
"But I'm only at the Second Tier. In the Kami God Cult, the Second Tier means nothing."
Hmm? Ling Yi frowned.
Is it Second Tier?
A blurry memory flashed through Ling Yi's mind once again.
Awakened ones are also called those with special abilities.
Those who awaken Innate, and those who awaken Acquired.
The First Tier is the weakest, the Ninth Tier is the strongest, and above the Ninth Tier is the God Tier God Tier, which is further divided into nine levels.
Above the God Tier, there is the Transgod God Tier, which is also divided into nine levels.
Besides the Awakened, there are also Martial Practitioner in this world.
Acquired, Innate, Master, Grandmaster, Land Immortal.
These memories seemed to have always existed in Ling Yi's mind.
It was just that it had been locked in a box before.
It's open now.
"How long have you been awakened?" Ling Yi took a deep breath and asked Chu Ran.
"Eight months."
Reaching the Second Tier in eight months is actually quite fast.
But Chu Ran clearly has higher expectations for herself.
Ling Yi stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the darkening sky outside.
You want to rescue your parents.
"Yes." Chu Ran nodded seriously.
" The Kami God Sect will most likely not release them easily," Ling Yi said.
"I know."
You need greater power.
"I know." Chu Ran nodded again.
He looked at Ling Yi with a strange expression.
I have a feeling that Ling Yi has Changes in some way at this moment.
Ling Yi turned around and looked at her.
"I can help you," Ling Yi said, "But on conditions."
Chu Ran looked at him, her gaze scrutinizing him.
What are the conditions?
Chu Ran didn't question why Ling Yi could help her.
Even if Ling Yi is just an ordinary person.
With the help of Ling Yi's cousin, whose identity is uncertain, she could indeed be of assistance.
"First, tell me everything you know about the Kami God Cult: its strongholds, its personnel, and its operational plans."
"Secondly, from now on, you have to listen to me. You have to do exactly what I say."
Chu Ran frowned.
I almost blurted out the words "Why should I?"
But thinking of Ling Yi's cousin, she swallowed back the words that were about to come out.
"Third..." Ling Yi paused, "Don't lie to me."
Chu Ran remained silent for a long time.
The living room was so quiet that the only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall.
Finally, she nodded.
"Good."
The answer wasn't very thoughtful, but Ling Yi was quite satisfied.
At least, there was no nonsense.
Night fell.
Ling Yi sat on the sofa in the living room, with a sheet of white paper spread out in front of him, covered with dense writing.
Chu Ran sat opposite him, wrapped in a blanket, holding a cup of ginger tea that the White Bone Demon had just brewed.
Her face looked much better than during the day; at least it was no longer that frighteningly pale color.
The White Bone sat on the chair next to him, holding a pen in his hand, occasionally adding a few words on the white paper.
Three people, or rather, two and a half, are conducting an intelligence gathering.
"Are you sure there are two Kami Cult strongholds in Dafeng City?" Ling Yi asked.
"Two."
Chu Ran nodded. "It's in an abandoned factory area in the north of the city. On the surface, it's a chemical plant that has already ceased production."
"Another one, located in an underground shopping mall in the south of the city, was disguised as a private club."
Ling Yi frowned.
This doesn't match the information in his "memory".
In Ling Yi's memory, there was only one stronghold of the Kami God Cult in Dafeng City.
What about staffing?
"The chemical plant stronghold has approximately fifteen to twenty people, with the highest rank being Third Tier."
"It's a steward named Zhao Kui."
"The underground shopping mall location has fewer people, about ten, but I don't know the person in charge; I've never met them."
Ling Yi wrote down this information on the paper, then looked up at Chu Ran.
"You said the Kami Cult is currently developing a potion that can grant ordinary people superpowers."
"Is this medicine already in mass production?"
Chu Ran shook her head. "It's still in the experimental stage."
"Before I left, fewer than fifty had been produced."
"Each one is strictly controlled, and only core members are qualified to use it."
What about the side effects?
"The superpowers are granted for 24 hours after the injection, and last for 72 hours."
"Seventy-two hours later, the superpowers will disappear, and the body will age rapidly."
"According to experimental data, a single injection can reduce one's lifespan by approximately five to ten years."
Ling Yi's pen paused briefly on the paper.
Five to ten years.
What if it needs three injections?
Fifteen to thirty years.
In other words, if an ordinary person were to receive three consecutive injections of the Kami Cult's drugs, it would essentially be tantamount to signing a death sentence.
How many people within the Kami Cult have used this drug?
"As far as I know, no more than twenty people."
"But the Kami Cult has been searching for more test subjects, they..."
She suddenly stopped, as if she had remembered something.
"What's wrong?" Ling Yi asked, puzzled.
Chu Ran frowned, seemingly hesitant about whether to say what she was going to say next.
They have a plan.
"It's a huge plan. But I only know part of it; the specific details are beyond my rank."
"Say what you know."
"They plan to launch an operation against a key location in Dafeng City soon."
Chu Ran's gaze turned serious.
I don't know the specific location.
"But I know the purpose of this operation is to create massive chaos and cover up another, much larger plan for them."
Ling Yi put down his pen, leaned back on the sofa, and closed his eyes.
Massive chaos.
A bigger plan.
The fragmented memory flashed through his mind again—
Scene: Students answering questions in their seats at the National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) examination hall.
Pale green cesium gas gushed out of the ventilation ducts.
The students began coughing, struggling, and collapsing. Some of their bodies began to mutate; black cesium scales grew on their skin, and their eyes turned blood red.
The image flashed by in an instant.
Ling Yi suddenly opened his eyes.
"That important place you mentioned..."
"Could it be a school?"
Chu Ran paused for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm not sure."
"But if the goal is to create massive chaos... schools are indeed the best target."
"Students are concentrated in large numbers, making security measures weak; if an incident occurs, the impact will be enormous."
Ling Yi did not press the matter further.
Chu Ran's injuries had not yet healed, and her face was still pale.
Ling Yi glanced at the time.
It's already around 10 PM.
"That's all for today." Ling Yi stood up. "Get some rest, we'll continue tomorrow."
Chu Ran nodded. " Ling Yi."
"Um?"
Why did you help me?
Ling Yi stopped and turned to look at her.
The living room light shone on her face from the side, creating a half-light, half-dark effect, like an oil painting.
He recalled that many years ago, or rather, many worlds ago, he seemed to have been asked the same question by someone else.
The image was so blurry it was almost impossible to see, but a feeling remained.
A Warmth, bittersweet feeling that makes you want to protect someone.
"It's just a transaction, I need information!"
After Ling Yi finished speaking, he turned and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
White Bone yawned and went back to his bedroom.
Only Chu Ran remained, sitting silently on the sofa for a long time before finally getting up and returning to her room.