He still wanted to freeload off Cheng Lang, so he simply left alongside Du Yu.
On the way, he learned the general situation within the Supervision Departnt from Du Yu.
"The situation is much better now. The day after the Pang Family was annihilated, the aroused public sentint was so intense that they wanted to storm the Adjudication Court right then and there to capture your Chief Inquisitor alive..." Du Yu spoke in his usual unreliable tone.
Several Tribunal Officers walking ahead of them turned their heads with unfriendly expressions, glaring fiercely at Du Yu. He jumped in fright, only settling down after they noticed Su Chen beside him and retracted their hostility.
"That's why I didn't dare wear my uniform here," he muttered quietly.
Su Chen was also speculating inwardly. 'I wonder what the Council of Elders is really thinking. They didn't let the Supervision Departnt intervene at all when wiping out the Pang Family. Even if they suspected others, sending a minister to keep an eye on things would have at least eased the tension...'
As his understanding of Yingfeng deepened and he sorted out the major factions, he finally completely understood just how much hatred the Adjudication Court's actions had drawn that night.
It was impossible for Chong Jingtian and the others not to see the hidden dangers behind this, yet they still went through with it.
Suddenly, Su Chen rembered sothing. "I almost forgot. Why hasn't my share of the profits from the Pang Family's destruction been delivered yet? The process is moving so slowly."
Du Yu had to return to the Supervision Departnt, while Su Chen headed straight for the Class Decoding Departnt.
......
Beneath the shade of the trees inside the Class Decoding Departnt, Cheng Lang had been waiting for a long ti.
Seeing Su Chen arrive, his deeply furrowed brows eased slightly. After throwing out the bait last ti, Su Chen had shown no follow-up, which left him muttering inwardly.
Su Chen had co from a lower-tier city. For soone with no foundation to show absolutely no reaction for nearly a month when faced with recruitnt from the Security Bureau—and even the guarantee of an Apex Profession—was astounding.
This level of composure exceeded his expectations. After much thought, Cheng Lang decided to take the initiative to make contact again.
Since Su Chen had not refused, there was still a chance. However, Cheng Lang did not ntion the previous recruitnt offer. Instead, he sighed and said, "Yesterday, another Tribunal Officer died."
"Another one died..." Su Chen frowned slightly. This was the third news of a Tribunal Officer's death he had heard since the Pang Family's annihilation. "Was the cause of death still Professional Aberration?"
Cheng Lang nodded. "On the surface, yes. Perhaps it is retaliation from the Pang Family."
The main mbers of the Pang Family had been caught in one fell swoop, but among those scattered in other places, there were bound to be so fish that slipped through the net.
"Why withhold the bodies?" Su Chen could not help but shake his head.
"You should ask Chong Jingtian why he acted against the Pang Family without giving any notice." Cheng Lang's tone was cold, yet tinged with helplessness. "The friction between the Adjudication Court and the Three Departnts has existed for a long ti. I am afraid it will be difficult to eliminate without decades of effort."
Cheng Lang stopped just short of speaking frankly—waiting to say that once Su Chen beca the Chief Inquisitor, they could work together to resolve it.
"Indeed." Su Chen deeply concurred.
'This kid...' Seeing that this guy had so much patience, Cheng Lang had no choice but to speak first. "Have you considered what I ntioned last ti? A month has passed, and I heard Chu Xuan is one step closer to an Apex Profession."
"I can consider it," Su Chen mused.
Even with Cheng Lang's well-cultivated composure, a surge of anger inevitably rose within him. He represented not just the Supervision Departnt, but the Security Bureau, and this kid actually dared to say he would "consider" it?
"However, shouldn't you show a little sincerity first?" Su Chen probed.
Cheng Lang's face fell. At least those other guys maintained so of the dignity expected of a Core Seed. This kid, on the other hand, imdiately asked for benefits right off the bat.
Since it was stated so nakedly, Cheng Lang dropped the pleasantries and said in a deep voice, "We only provide sincerity to Core Seeds."
"Heh..." Su Chen let out a cryptic laugh. 'Just as I thought. They talked a big ga before, but when it's actually ti to bleed, it's a different story.'
Cheng Lang's aning was obvious. If he lost this status after advancing to the Rank 3 Professional level, he would no longer be worth investing in.
"Then there is no sincerity." Su Chen shook his head in feigned disappointnt. "I thought the Security Bureau would not be so petty minded."
Cheng Lang gritted his teeth in anger, his voice growing colder. "Being generous doesn't an being a sucker."
"Then... how am I supposed to believe your promises?" Su Chen shook his head and said,
"You should have investigated and found out that I originated as one of the Refugees. Years of living as a refugee taught one truth: the future promised by others might be beautiful, but whether I can fill my stomach right now is what matters most."
'His horizons are just too narrow...' Cheng Lang naturally knew about this. With his brows locked tightly, he pondered for a long ti before asking, "What do you want?"
"Five Mystic Energy Crystals, and five different types of Thunder Cores." Su Chen made an exorbitant demand.
Cheng Lang's expression turned ugly. The kid's horizons might be narrow, but his appetite was certainly massive.
Not even counting the social connections required, the on-paper value of these items was nearly twenty million Gold.
To the Security Bureau, this was naturally nothing, but if they just handed it over, they would look like complete fools.
"That is too much..." Cheng Lang refused imdiately. "One Mystic Energy Crystal, one Thunder Core."
They could offer appropriate benefits, but they would not be played for suckers.
"You guys are too stingy," Su Chen frowned. "How about this, let's cut to the chase. I just want Mystic Energy Crystals. Three of them."
Cheng Lang's expression shifted continuously. After hesitating for a long ti, he finally agreed. "Fine."
A brilliant smile imdiately blood on Su Chen's face. "Actually, I have admired the Security Bureau for a long ti."
"Oh, right, deliver the items to as soon as possible."
Cheng Lang's cheeks twitched at the sheer speed of his changing face. By the ti he reacted, the other party had already turned and walked away.
Staring at Su Chen's retreating back, Cheng Lang's expression flickered before finally settling into an indescribable smile. 'We don't fear you having desires; we only fear you wanting nothing.'
Once he realized his position as a Core Seed was truly unstable, the drop in status would naturally force Su Chen to seek out people who could help him.
They were not afraid of Su Chen actually falling from the position of a Core Seed. On the contrary, they welcod it; only then would they have the opportunity to truly control him.
......
Since he was already at the Class Decoding Departnt, he originally wanted to find Old Sang to catch up and build their relationship. However, when he visited his Laboratory, he found the man was not there, so he had no choice but to head back to the Adjudication Court.
Just as he ca out of the parking lot, Su Chen noticed a large group of Tribunal Officers gathered together. They were filled with righteous indignation, their voices echoing loudly.
In the brief ti it took to walk past them, Su Chen figured out what was going on.
It was still about the deaths of the Tribunal Officers. Three Tribunal Officers dying consecutively in a single month was already considered a major incident.
But with the bodies detained at the Supervision Departnt, the investigation could not proceed at all. Even when the Second Justice who remained at the Adjudication Court stepped forward, the Supervision Departnt gave no face.
And without orders from the Council of Elders, the Adjudication Court lacked Law Enforcent and Investigation Authority within the city. This group of people was bottling up a massive amount of rage.
'When any faction develops to a certain extent, it naturally has a tendency to expand itself. Chong Jingtian cannot solve this problem either; he cannot possibly strike at his own foundation.'
'...Unless there is an external crisis forcing them to unite. Perhaps when Yingfeng was first established, they were truly of one mind. But now that it has survived for over a thousand years, the external environnt can hardly be called a crisis anymore...'
Su Chen's thoughts wandered uncontrollably. When he returned to his villa, he found Gu Bing waiting there. Her complexion did not look good, and a small Hovering Transport Vehicle was parked at the entrance.
"Su Chen..." Seeing him return, Gu Bing's expression barely softened. "Here are the tal Materials you asked for."
"Alright." Su Chen opened the door and placed the materials into the Basent. Looking at the absent-minded Gu Bing, he asked, "Senior Apprentice Sister, is sothing on your mind?"
"Ah?" Gu Bing was startled, looking a bit hesitant.
"If there are any difficulties, you can tell ," Su Chen probed further. He had a good impression of the Gu Family.
If he was enjoying their benefits, he naturally had to stand up for them.
"It's like this..." Gu Bing organized her words. "Didn't you briefly ntion Mystic Energy Crystals and Thunder Cores to before? The Mystic Energy Crystals are a bit troubleso, but the Thunder Cores are much easier."
"We originally agreed with the people at the Resource Depository to purchase three of them for a price of four million Gold. But yesterday, they gave us last-minute notice saying they couldn't give them to us."
"Even when my grandfather offered to add five hundred thousand per core, it was useless."
"Hmm..." Su Chen was quite surprised. He had indeed brought up the Thunder Cores once, just to ask about the specific difficulty and price of acquiring them.
He hadn't expected the Gu Family to take it so much to heart.
"It's fine. I don't need them for now," Su Chen consoled.
"It's not just because we didn't get the items," Gu Bing whispered. "The reputation of the Resource Depository is quite good. My grandfather approached an old acquaintance, so logically, there shouldn't have been a problem."
"After being intercepted yesterday, my grandfather went to see his old friend overnight. The other party vaguely revealed that the person who snatched them away is from within the Adjudication Court."
Within the Adjudication Court... Su Chen's expression grew serious. In that case, the other party wasn't targeting the Gu Family; they were targeting him.
His contact with the Gu Family couldn't be hidden from those who cared to look. The Gu Family had never dealt with things like Thunder Cores before. Buying them suddenly was, nine tis out of ten, because of him. It was an easy deduction to make.
'Chu Xuan?' Su Chen subconsciously thought.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sound of knocking echoed abruptly. Su Chen's eyes flickered. "Interesting. I just got back."
Gu Bing looked sowhat bewildered, not knowing what Su Chen ant.
"Junior Apprentice Brother Su..."
Standing outside the door was a young man with a seemingly amiable smile, though his eyes were completely tranquil.
"Senior Apprentice Brother Liu..." Su Chen recognized the other party. Liu Chen... an Inner Court Seed, Crimson Gold Talent, Rank 3 Professional.
Not long ago, it was he who fought a bitter forty-minute battle with Ming Lin, earning the reputation as one of the people closest to becoming a Core Seed.
"I hope I'm not interrupting." His gaze swept over Gu Bing standing behind Su Chen. Without waiting for Su Chen to answer, he continued on his own, "Actually, I am here to offer my humblest apologies."
"Offer your humblest apologies?" Su Chen's eyes flashed slightly, seemingly making a guess. "Whatever for?"
Seeing that Su Chen wasn't inviting him inside, Liu Chen's expression turned a bit sour, but he quickly reined it in. "It's like this. I have a younger brother at ho who needs to go out on a mission, so I thought about getting him so weapons for self-defense."
"That's why I set my sights on the Thunder Cores. Upon asking, I found out that this month's production had already been fully reserved. Left with no other choice, I had to cut in line and take three of them."
Hearing this, Gu Bing pursed her lips.
'Left with no other choice, cut in line'—those were the goods her grandfather had reserved at a considerable cost.
Liu Chen spoke with feigned helplessness, "It was only just now that I learned I had snatched them away from the Gu Family. I truly didn't expect it, so I specifically ca to my Junior Apprentice Brother's door to say I'm sorry."
He had started off talking about offering his humblest apologies, but now it had turned into a re 'I'm sorry'. Su Chen stared at him with an inscrutable smile, but said nothing.
'He's not even anxious over this?' Liu Chen was quite surprised. This kid's composure was rather solid.
He quickly continued, "The reason I ca this ti was also to ask if Junior Apprentice Brother needs them urgently. If it's urgent, I can have soone bring them over and let you use them first."
Gu Bing's expression turned ugly. Reaching this point, even she understood that Liu Chen was absolutely not here to apologize. He was clearly here to give a dismounting display of authority.
Su Chen would only get them if he begged him.
This was not just a matter of the Thunder Cores; it also encompassed everything Su Chen would need in the future. This was a ploy to force Su Chen to pick a side.
She couldn't help but look at Su Chen with worry, only to see this junior apprentice brother's smile remaining unchanged as he gently shook his head. "I am actually not in a rush. It's better to prioritize your younger brother. If sothing were to happen to him, that would be terrible."
Liu Chen's expression froze, but he forced a fake smile. "It's good that Junior Apprentice Brother hasn't taken it to heart. If there is ever anywhere you need this Senior Apprentice Brother's help in the future, just say the word."
After speaking, without waiting for Su Chen to respond, he turned and left.
Walking into the distance, Liu Chen looked back at the tightly shut door. A flash of contempt crossed his eyes. 'Dying to save face, living to suffer.'
Professional Developnt, fulfilling requirents—which of these didn't require resources?
Su Chen had co from a lower-tier city and still wanted to stay out of it, quietly watching others fight to the death. It was utterly laughable.
"Su Chen..." inside the room, Gu Bing called out softly, her face showing worry.
"What's wrong?" Su Chen turned around in confusion.
Gu Bing wanted to remind him not to act on impulse, but seeing Su Chen's normal expression, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Yet she then heard him ask, "Is this Liu Chen's family very powerful?"
Gu Bing explained, "Liu Chen's family has cultivated their influence in the Adjudication Court for generations. Although they have never produced a figure like a Justice, they currently have several deputy division chiefs and over a dozen high-ranking Tribunal Officers who are all mbers of the Liu family."
"He himself was ticulously nurtured from a young age. His First-Tier and Second-Tier professions were both Apex Professions. When he joined the Adjudication Court two years ago, it attracted a lot of attention."
Gu Bing asked carefully, "He is Wei Yufan's man. I don't know why he is targeting you. Could there be so kind of misunderstanding?"
"Perhaps." Su Chen remained noncommittal.
After seeing Gu Bing off and finishing dealing with miscellaneous matters, Su Chen returned to his previous training rhythm for the subsequent ti.
Ti flowed like water.
On this day, in the Gravity Room, Su Chen's head trembled. His ntal energy leaked out in all directions, and the surroundings seed to be covered in a hazy mist.
[Cloud Breath ditation Technique has advanced to Master-tier. Gained ability: Cloud Spirit. Slightly increases ntal acuity.]
The numbing sensation gradually subsided. Su Chen clenched his fists, his bones popping loudly.
"With the Wind and Thunder Adept state active, I should be able to kill Zhou Xian head-on..." Su Chen estimated his current strength. The bit-by-bit accumulation from his body tempering techniques made his power far exceed others of the sa tier.
Even those with other Apex Professions would find it difficult to compare.
Exhaling a breath, Su Chen looked at the System Panel with burning eyes.
[Wind and Thunder Adept: 87%]
[Psionic Adept: 100%]
[E-grade Profound Iron Body Tempering Technique — Proficient: 40%]
His Thunder Radiance Body Tempering Technique had reached Master-tier long ago, granting him the ability known as [Thunder Bone], which enhanced his bone strength, and he had since swapped body tempering techniques.
But the most crucial part was that the Cloud Breath ditation Technique had advanced to the Master-tier, aning he could now advance to the Rank 3 Professional level.
And on the panel, the profession [Mystic Weaver] had also changed to [Mystic Holy Hand].
The Mystic Energy Crystals Cheng Lang had promised had been delivered a few days ago.
As soon as Su Chen got his hands on them, he directly triggered the transformation of the Mystic Weaver.
Just as he expected, under the influence of Black Buddha's power, the Qualification Requirents hadn't changed; they remained the exact sa.
He had guessed this long ago. After all, he had been able to continue fulfilling the transformation conditions for the Gale Hunter even after advancing.
Following the transformation, there was no need to supplent any additional conditions. This was enough to prove that the fundantal essence of a profession could be altered before advancing without affecting the employnt requirents.
"Only the Trial of Whispers remains..."
Producing an elental ability with Second-Tier intensity was sothing Su Chen achieved effortlessly; the professional strength of the Wind and Thunder Adept was no joke.
"Then, let's prepare..." Su Chen's expression grew much more solemn.
Leaving the Gravity Room, he arrived in his Bedroom. There was a window here, and the walls weren't thick. If anything went wrong, he could get exposed to the light as quickly as possible.
He also set a tir on Zero to produce light after one hour.
Quickly setting up the dark environnt, Su Chen took a deep breath. He was already incredibly proficient in the preparation process.
When the Symbol on his chest was completed, Su Chen felt an unprecedented dragging sensation. His body felt as if it had been struck by an imnse force before plunging into an abyss. This was a feeling he had never experienced before.
Previously, it had always been a slow imrsion, but this ti, it felt as if a pair of hands was forcefully yanking him into so domain.
The surrounding darkness seed to transform into a viscous, living entity.
He could still breathe, but the air gradually took on a stale, rotten stench.
A sound slowly echoed in his ears, like sothing dragging across dry, fallen leaves.
It rang out from above, below, left, and right all at once, lacking any source or pattern, weaving into a boundless net that bound him tightly.
'It's different from last ti...' Su Chen tried hard to keep himself calm. He had looked through a lot of records.
ntal Aspect Professions were incredibly varied, but eighty percent of their Qualification Requirents involved the Trial of Whispers.
The domain where the Trial of Whispers took place was known as the "Nether Realm." Yingfeng's records contained various speculations, but the mainstream thought was that it was the final resting place for the spirits of all living things.
His limbs felt like they had been filled with lead, or perhaps tightly bound by that viscous darkness. Su Chen couldn't even lift a single finger.
Finally, a hazy gray light rippled before his eyes. To his shock, he saw a boundless, smooth expanse of ground crisscrossed with gigantic, dark lines.
'This place is...' Su Chen looked around, but could see nothing else. He tried to walk forward a bit, then crouched down and knocked on the ground, producing a dull thud.
Rumble!
All of a sudden, the ground trembled fiercely. Su Chen was hurled into the air as the ground continuously shrank beneath him. Intense pain flared all over his body, as if he were being sliced inch by inch by sharp blades.
'What the...' Su Chen's pupils quaked violently. The continuously shrinking ground below him gradually transford into a circle, and those crisscrossing black lines astonishingly rged to form a vertical pupil.
The place he had just been standing on wasn't so ground at all; it was clearly a head—the head of Black Buddha!
"F*ck!"
This ti, Su Chen really cursed out loud. With only himself as a point of reference amidst the high-speed movent, it was difficult to fully perceive exactly how massive this head was.
But without a doubt, it was terrifying to the extre.
This Evil God had already had its eye on him, so wasn't he just walking right into a trap?
Under the oppressive threat of being devoured, Su Chen had a flash of inspiration in his desperation and quickly shifted his profession to the Priest of Black Buddha.
"*?"
A voice laced with bewildernt and sounding like a great ringing bell echoed by his ears. Su Chen couldn't comprehend what it ant.
However, the tearing sensation wracking his body genuinely started to fade. Yet, his soaring trajectory reversed, swiftly pulling him back in. The head before his eyes rapidly enlarged once more!
Black Buddha had discovered him!
Just at that mont, a speck of light abruptly blossod before Su Chen's eyes.
To prevent himself from sinking too deep and becoming unable to control his physical body, Zero—whom he had placed in the corner on a tir—suddenly emitted a blindingly intense light from its eyes.
Like a drowning man abruptly hauled out of the water, Su Chen sucked in a massive breath and subconsciously shot to his feet. His heart was hamring at an incredible speed, only calming down after a long while.
He opened the window, and only when the natural light stread in did Su Chen finally breathe a sigh of relief, his heart still palpitating with lingering fear. "That was f*cking terrifying. To think I actually ran into Black Buddha."
Taking a mont to recover, Su Chen looked at the System Panel. After 'Mystic Holy Hand', the word 'Employed' finally appeared in large text, only to scatter shortly after.
In an instant, Su Chen felt his brain explode with a resounding boom. His ntal energy surged outward and expanded wildly, instantly sweeping Zero off its feet and slamming it into the wall.
[Psionic Adept has successfully advanced to Mystic Holy Hand!]
[Mystic Artifact Lord has been enhanced — Controllable Mastery Secret Tools 1]
[Crimson Thunder Strike has transford — Crimson Thunder Prison: Consus ntal energy to expand a lightning domain around the body.]
[Psychokinesis has been enhanced!]
[Mind Control has transford — ntal Implantation: Splits off ntal Seeds that can be planted in lifeforms with insufficient ntal resilience for monitoring.]
[Gained professional ability — Gaze of Black Buddha: Power stolen from Black Buddha. Can briefly drag a target's Spiritual Body into the Nether Realm.]
The skyrocketing ntal energy slowly settled down. Su Chen worked hard to retract the ntal energy dissipating around him, adapting to his new three-hundred-and-sixty-degree vision that could perceive even the specks of dust in the air.
He was already highly experienced in dealing with this sensation, quickly reining in his expanded ntal energy.
Scanning through the System Panel's information, everything that should have transford did, and everything that should have been enhanced was enhanced.
The Crimson Thunder Strike had beco a wide-range area-of-effect attack. With a slight shift in thought, arcs of crimson lightning lit up all around the Bedroom.
Crackle! Spark!
Because of its high tal content, Zero, who was lying in the corner, swiftly attracted a fledgling streak of crimson lightning.
Boom! Various chanical parts scattered all over the floor. His eyelids twitched, and he hastily dispersed the energy.
"The power is this great, and that was just the beginning of the charge-up..."
Zero was a chanical puppet, and the materials used to build her were nothing to scoff at. An ordinary Rank 2 Professional wouldn't even be able to dismantle her.
"Not bad, not bad at all..." Su Chen nodded repeatedly. This was the might of an Apex Profession. If he were to run into Zhou Xian again, he figured a single glance would be enough to smite the man to death.
He was also quite curious about this [ntal Implantation] ability.
He gingerly attempted to activate it. He felt a sting in his Spiritual Body, like the prick of a needle, before splitting off a minuscule ntal Seed that was invisible to the naked eye.
'This is quite the surveillance tool for gathering intelligence... And with my level of ntal strength, I might even be able to plant it in soone of the sa tier,' Su Chen mused.
Lastly was the [Gaze of Black Buddha], which was his reward from this Trial of Whispers.
"The Nether Realm... that place is definitely not ant for humans." Su Chen still felt a lingering dread just thinking back on it.
The compounding layers of his Apex Professions, coupled with the enhancents from his various ditation techniques, pushed his ntal strength far beyond that of a newly advanced Rank 3 Professional.
Unless they possessed a Third-Tier Apex ntal Aspect Profession, they would find it incredibly difficult to block this Pupil of Black Buddha.
He was extrely satisfied with this advancent. The abilities on the System Panel being enhanced, transford, or even fused did not an his original abilities vanished.
The System Panel was rely an information integrator; the essence of these abilities still belonged to him, allowing him to utilize them with flexibility.
"Third-Tier... Liu Chen..." Su Chen sifted through Zero's wreckage and fished out a thumb-sized Luminous Blue Bead. As long as this thing was intact, Zero was still technically alive.
Glancing out the window, the sky had already grown dim. A cold glint surfaced in his eyes.
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