Tainted by Variants
The air in the woods fell into a brief, deathly silence as the Judge's alluring invitation drew people in.
Vice Principal Liu was slumped on the ground, suddenly widened his eyes. He had originally thought that the Judge would swiftly kill this masked man who knew too many secrets, but he never expected that the Judge would actually invite the other party to join!
"Your Judge! This mustn't be! This kid attacked a school leader, and he knows too much about us..." Vice Principal Liu hurriedly spoke, instinctively trying to stop him.
"I refuse."
Before Vice Principal Liu could finish speaking, Dongfang Yueming's cold, hard voice decisively cut off all room for maneuver.
Without the slightest hesitation or dragging things out.
Upon hearing those three words, Vice Principal Liu was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.
He refused?! In Jinling City, someone actually dared to refuse an offer from a senior investigator? Is this kid tired of living?!
The Judge paused slightly as he adjusted his glasses, and the refined smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a gloomy expression.
He was clearly very surprised by this answer.
"Reject?"
The Judge narrowed his eyes, his gaze behind his glasses turning as cold and menacing as a venomous snake.
"Are you truly stupid, or... are you one of those ' Resisters ' who lurk in the shadows like Rat, plotting to overthrow the order?"
Before he could finish speaking...
"Boom--!!!"
An overwhelming and terrifying pressure erupted from the Judge's seemingly frail body!
The surrounding trees swayed violently under the impact of this force, and leaves fell like a torrential rain! The true energy within the Judge's body was like a river bursting its banks, creating a continuous roaring sound in the night sky!
Qi Gathering Realm!
Moreover, he is a master of the Qi Gathering Realm who has reached the [Middle-Tier Perfection: Qi Surges Like a Tide]!
The Vice Principal Liu was paralyzed on the ground, was forced to retreat repeatedly by this oppressive force, his eyes filled with undisguised shock!
"Gathering Qi... the mid-stage of the Qi Gathering Realm Middle-Tier Perfection?!"
He never imagined that the strongest person in Jinling City was only Half-Step Qi Gathering or a beginner Qi Gathering, while this seemingly unassuming senior investigator from the Night Watchers was actually the most terrifying hidden figure in the entire Jinling City!
Seeing the reactions of Vice Principal Liu and the surrounding environment, a smug and arrogant look reappeared on the Judge's face.
This is the source of his confidence in dominating all the underground rules of Jinling City!
"That's really surprising."
Dongfang Yueming stood in the gale, his black hooded sweatshirt fluttering in the wind, but his hoarse voice remained calm and undisturbed.
"But..."
"Hahaha! But what?! But you're dead today!"
Seeing the Judge display such invincible power, Vice Principal Liu, standing to the side, suddenly felt emboldened. He scrambled to his feet, pointed at Dongfang Yueming, and roared with arrogant laughter, "You little beast! You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to drink the penalty cup! The Judge is here; today you are destined to be reduced to ashes!"
Annoyed by Dongfang Yueming's composure and Vice Principal Liu's incessant chatter, the Judge snorted coldly.
"You fool who doesn't know what's good for him, then I'll personally send you on your way!"
The Judge suddenly formed a hand seal in front of his chest, and an extremely sinister and sharp true energy instantly gathered!
Profound Grade Qi Technique!
Moreover, as he pushed out with both palms, countless fine yet incredibly strong lines of true energy appeared in the surrounding air, weaving together a Heavenly Net and Earthly Web that descended upon Dongfang Yueming!
The Perfection Qi Technique of Profound Grade Qi!
"What a terrifying Qi Technique!" Vice Principal Liu, hiding behind, trembled with excitement as he watched the massive net of true qi that seemed to shred the Xukong itself. His eyes were filled with fanaticism. "This kid won't even have a single piece of flesh left!"
However.
Faced with this deadly Profound Grade Profound Truth, Dongfang Yueming simply raised his head slowly.
"Boom--!!!"
The next second, a terrifying true energy, even more powerful and vast than the Judge's, and even carrying an overwhelming quality, soared into the sky from Dongfang Yueming's body!
That was a dazzling rainbow of true energy!
Superior Qi Gathering Perfection -- [Qi Transforms into a Long Rainbow]!
"What?! How is this possible?!"
Vice Principal Liu's arrogant smile froze on his face, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.
The Judge was struck dumb. His supposedly invincible [Qi Surges Like a Tide] was like a stream in a vast ocean in front of this [Qi Transforms into a Long Rainbow], and he was instantly suppressed and unable to lift his head!
"You... you're actually at the Upper-Tier Perfection?!" the Judge exclaimed in surprise.
But soon, a ruthless glint flashed in the Judge's eyes. After a brief moment of shock, he keenly noticed a detail.
Although the masked person's face was obscured, judging from their physique and the tone of their voice, they were definitely very young!
"To have pushed one's cultivation to the Upper-Tier Perfection at such a young age!"
The Judge gritted his teeth, frantically calculating in his mind, "Although his true energy is abundant, how could he possibly keep up with the rapid progress in cultivating Qi Technique?! He absolutely cannot have time to comprehend the profound mysteries of Qi Technique!"
He must be killed here!
The Judge's eyes blazed with murderous intent, and he pushed his inner energy to its absolute limit. The light of the net of inner energy surged instantly, determined to nip this genius in the bud!
Seeing the Judge's desperate stance of advancing instead of retreating, Dongfang Yueming's eyes turned cold.
"A Qi Technique?"
He slowly raised his right hand.
"Great Wilderness Azure Clouds... Shattering Heaven Hand"
He struck out with his palm.
There are no unnecessary frills.
But in that instant, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in mid-air went berserk! A giant hand of azure true energy, as large as half a forest, materialized out of thin air!
Earth Grade Qi Technique!
Even more terrifying, as the giant hand descended, the surrounding space seemed to have all its energy drained, forming an absolute crushing gravity field!
Earth-Level Profound Truth -- [Covering the Heavens with One Hand]!
"Earth -Earth Grade Qi Technique?! And an Earth-Level Profound Truth?!"
The Judge's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and his face was completely distorted with extreme fear!
How is this possible?! A young man, not only possessing heaven-defying cultivation, but also effortlessly wielding Earth-Level Profound Truth?!
"Bang—Crack!"
A crushing defeat without any suspense.
The Judge's proud Profound Grade Qi Technique, the Great Net, was like a fragile spider silk before the Earth-Level Profound Truth, and was instantly torn to shreds!
The giant cyan hand of true energy, its momentum undiminished, slammed heavily onto the Judge's body.
"Pfft!"
The Judge coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of his internal organs. As if struck by a meteorite, his protective aura shattered inch by inch, and he was slammed heavily into the depths of the earth, his bones completely broken!
One strike, instant kill!
The Vice Principal Liu, who was standing to the side, was so frightened by the scene that his legs went weak, he wet his pants, and collapsed to the ground, unable to utter a single word.
In the rubble pit.
The Judge was covered in blood, his gold-rimmed glasses shattered. He was breathing heavily, his life force rapidly fading away.
He watched as Dongfang Yueming slowly approached, his face covered in blood, his expression extremely complex. There was shock, resentment, and also an almost morbid sense of relief.
"That's really surprising..."
The Judge spoke haltingly, coughing up blood.
"He is... an exceptional genius."
"But..." A bitter smile curled at the corner of his lips, "In this world, who hasn't been a genius at some point?"
He stared intently at Dongfang Yueming, as if using his last strength to plant a seed of self-doubt in the man who had defeated him.
"You just said that 'not seeing through' is also a kind of seeing through. That's correct."
"But..." The Judge's Spirit Transformation empty and deep, as if staring at the massive system that had forced him to submit, "When one day you go to Central Capital, go to Demon Capital..."
"When you face those lofty figures at the [Meridian Opening Realm], [True Power Realm]... or even those legendary figures..."
"Faced with absolute power and rules, can you still use the words 'cannot see through them' to confidently claim that they are also wrong?"
Faced with the Judge's dying "soul-searching question," Dongfang Yueming remained silent.
Seeing the masked man remain silent, the Judge's bitter smile widened. He thought his words had finally broken through the young man's psychological defenses; he thought he had "won" on the level of cognition and rules.
However, Dongfang Yueming simply watched him quietly, as if he were watching a clown.
"You exploit the Variants to harvest civilians, using them as medicinal ingredients for advancement..."
Dongfang Yueming finally spoke, his voice tinged with a sorrowful mockery.
"You who consider yourselves superior executioners, have you never considered...?"
"Perhaps one day, you yourselves will also become Variants?"
"What... what did you say?!"
The Judge's laughter stopped abruptly, his eyes widening in utter shock and disbelief!
But Dongfang Yueming did not answer him again.
Because at this moment, in Dongfang Yueming's eyes, which had quietly activated the [Illusion-Breaking Void Pupils], a nauseating scene was unfolding.
As the Judge's life force rapidly diminished, the Qi Technique finally shattered completely.
And deep within his already shattered true energy and flesh.
Those so-called "high-grade Variants blood essence potions" that he had once swallowed in pursuit of power and to prolong his lifespan have now completely lost their master's control and have begun to backfire wildly!
Beneath the Judge's battered skin, countless dark red buds of flesh were writhing wildly, and his bones began to twist and deform uncontrollably.
In the last second of his life, his proud human body had transformed into a hideous half-human, half-monster form.
He, too, was Variants.