Su Zhan looked at the soldiers before him, drenched in blood, and gave a slight nod, his tone calm. "Just doing my duty. No need for thanks."
He did not boast about his rits, nor did he deliberately try to be close, maintaining a sense of distance that was just right.
But this plain response, in the ears of the officers and soldiers at this mont, only served to highlight the deanor of a true powerhouse.
Chen Hao nodded heavily, not saying any more words of gratitude. So debts of kindness weigh heavier in the heart than when spoken aloud.
He switched to reporting. "The remaining monsters have been confird as completely eliminated. We are currently organizing personnel to rescue the wounded, tally the battle losses, and reinforce the temporary defensive line."
"Mhm."
Su Zhan acknowledged with a sound. "Since there are no issues here, I won't stay long."
He had no interest in participating in the subsequent trivial matters. His mission was already complete.
The crisis was resolved, the secret preserved, he had gained a decent reward, and could also enhance his reputation.
Under the gaze of the soldiers filled with imnse respect.
Su Zhan's figure slowly rose into the air, transforming once again into a streak of light as he vanished into the horizon.
...
After this battle.
The direction of public opinion in Daxia began to undergo a significant shift.
Under the combined guidance of official dia, authoritative institutions, and a large number of seemingly spontaneously erging experts and scholars.
The discussion about Su Zhan was no longer confined solely to controversies about his identity, but instead focused more on the tangible results he had brought.
The front-page headline of the "Daxia Daily": "Dual Power, One Heart to Protect, On the Multiple Forms of Heroes in a Special Era"
The article highly praised Su Zhan's achievents at Panshi Fortress, emphasizing... that he had proven his stance with practical actions, responding to doubts with the outco of the enemy's utter annihilation.
An official spokesperson for the Military Departnt publicly stated at a press conference, "Advisor Su Zhan's performance at Panshi Fortress demonstrated his loyalty to the nation and his unparalleled strategic value. In the face of a survival crisis, we should unite all forces that can be united, rather than clinging to preconceptions and tying our own hands."
The Supre Research Institute released a simplified version of the test report on Su Zhan's "no need to consu humans" along with expert interpretations, using authoritative data to dispel public fear from a scientific level.
Trending topics like "Thank you Su Zhan for protecting Panshi...", "Strength is the ultimate truth...", "Don't let heroes shed blood and tears..." were heavily promoted, occupying the top spots on hot searches.
Bloggers created videos one after another to show support for Su Zhan.
A large number of netizens began to speak out:
"I don't care what form he is, I only know that he and his flas protected my compatriots!"
"Su Zhan at Panshi destroyed a Calamity-level! Facts speak louder than words!"
"Do we have to wait until the next fortress is breached, with countless people displaced, before we regret driving away a powerful being willing to protect us?"
"Compared to those hypocritical humans, I'd rather believe in this 'other' who dares to stand in the sunlight!"
"The official authorities and the Research Institute have both endorsed him, experts have explained it, what are we ordinary people still making a fuss about? Trust the nation, trust the hero!"
...
Of course, voices of doubt and fear still existed.
But compared to the almost one-sided criticism before, supportive remarks for Su Zhan now began to form a scale and gradually gained the upper hand.
Once the official public opinion machinery started up, the effect was significant.
The public's attention was successfully steered from "what he is" towards "what he has done" and "what he can bring us."
With a clean and decisive victory, coupled with the full guidance from the authorities, Su Zhan initially gained a firm foothold in this public opinion battle and began to turn the tide of public perception.
A new image of a "Guardian" was gradually being accepted.
...
Su Zhan returned to Black City, placing himself within the secluded cultivation chamber arranged by City Lord Mo Yuan.
This place was rich in spiritual energy.
Recalling the recent shift in the online trend, Su Zhan couldn't help but curve the corner of his mouth into a smile.
Official guidance?
Quite efficient indeed.
He knew perfectly well that behind those overwhelming praises and understanding, there was inevitably an invisible hand precisely controlling things.
This was not a bad thing. On the contrary, it was exactly the situation he hoped to see.
Leveraging the power of the authorities to clear the public opinion obstacles for himself, allowing him to focus more on improving his strength.
Discarding distracting thoughts.
Su Zhan sat down cross-legged and soon entered a deep state of cultivation.
At this mont, if an outsider were present and could glimpse the mysteries of the energy circulation within his body, they would surely be utterly astounded.
Under the guidance of his consciousness, two completely different thods of energy absorption were proceeding simultaneously, in parallel without conflict.
On one hand, he operated the cultivation thod belonging to Awakened individuals. The pores all over his body opened like countless tiny whirlpools, greedily absorbing the heaven and earth spiritual energy gathered within the chamber.
This spiritual energy flowed into his ridians, circulating along profound pathways, and finally converged into his spiritual core.
Bit by bit, it consolidated the foundation of an Ocean Realm Awakened.
Propelling the spiritual energy towards a deeper level of transformation.
On the other hand.
This cultivation was the simultaneous advancent of both his Awakened strength and his Aberrant strength.
Just like how he absorbed the Life Essence of Mist Creatures, it was the sa.
This greatly enhanced his cultivation speed.
This was the miracle brought by the Reforge Fruit...
Su Zhan inwardly observed the two distinct yet harmoniously coexisting energy systems within his body and sighed in admiration once more.
The Reforge Fruit allowed him to be compatible and absorb both simultaneously, progressing on both paths at double the speed!
And what supported this luxurious cultivation thod were the top-tier resources piled in the corner of the chamber, enough to make any Ocean Realm powerhouse envious to the point of madness.
The ten-thousand-year spirit milk emitting a radiant, multicolored glow, a single drop of which could save an Ocean Realm powerhouse months of arduous cultivation.
Here, it was contained within jade bottles, allowing Su Zhan to freely extract its essence.
The Pure Glass Incense, capable of purifying spiritual energy, its fragrance perating the entire chamber, every wisp of breath worth a fortune.
The Hundred Refinents Blood Marrow specifically used for tempering the physical body.
Scattered to the side like ordinary stones, available for him to take and use at any ti to temper his physique.
These were rely what he used for his daily cultivation.
The official supply of resources to him was almost unlimited and wide open.
Whenever he needed sothing, Li Su would gather and deliver it at the fastest speed.
The preciousness of Ocean Realm level cultivation resources was far beyond that of the Dew Realm and Stream Realm of the past.
Su Zhan was certain that even the financial resources behind Liu Ziming and Xie Xi from before could not withstand such extravagant consumption.
The value of Ocean Realm cultivation resources was worlds apart from the others.
Su Zhan was well aware that an ordinary Ocean Realm powerhouse might need to accumulate rits for years to exchange for a small portion of the resources he now consud daily.
Their cultivation funds were probably not even a fraction of what Su Zhan currently consud.
But this was the treatnt of a genius, or rather, the cost of investnt.
The authorities saw unprecedented potential in him, saw the possibility of breaking the deadlock.
Therefore, they were willing to pour massive resources into him, betting on a bright future.
And Su Zhan, naturally, was happy to accept this gift and transform it into tangible strength.
Within the chamber.
Spiritual energy and Mist energy intertwined, forming a faint halo of light that enveloped Su Zhan.
His aura, under the frenzied infusion of top-tier resources, was rising at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Beco stronger, continuously beco stronger, until he was strong enough to control his own destiny, and even... influence the landscape of the entire world.
This was the only thing he cared about.
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