Very quickly, a rift that spanned across the firmant violently burst open. Blood-vessel-like veins grew along its edges, and chaotic substances weaving black and red together surged within.
A roaring akin to a beating heart emanated from the depths of the rift, clearly audible even from here.
With every throb, the blood-colored canopy shuddered violently. Wisps of dark, bloody mist seeped from the edges of the rift, as though it were slowly bleeding outwards.
"Is this... a Corrupt Rift?" He Kang looked terrified.
"Today is supposedly the day of execution for that Priest..." Xiao Ying frowned deeply, his tone filled with incomprehension. "Why would executing a Priest of Black Buddha draw out 'Crimson's' thods?"
As the two conversed, a protective do began to weave and converge in the sky above the Adjudication Court. Each layer flowed with energy halos of different attributes.
The inner layer was woven from golden symbols, while the outer layer was enveloped by a dark purple defensive matrix, constructing a three-dinsional defensive network along spherical coordinates.
"I don't know, but sothing bad is probably about to happen. Let's go." He Kang's expression was grave as he consciously took up his duty as an Adjudicator.
"Nothing major can happen. It's just a single Corrupt Rift; the Chief can definitely handle it. I'm going back upstairs to have another chat with Chief Inquisitor Wei." Xiao Ying's expression shifted slightly.
With He Kang present just now, many things had been inconvenient to say.
"You..." He Kang coldly swept a glance over him. Even at a ti like this, he was still thinking about those filthy matters.
Too lazy to say anything more, he directly darted off. Many Adjudicators were already mobilizing, heading towards the area outside the Adjudication Court.
...
"Why such a massive commotion just to save a single Priest of Black Buddha? Is it worth it?"
Su Chen had also stepped out of his residence. Looking into the distance at the massive crimson rift in the sky, crimson lightning fell as if aiming to swallow the earth.
It was rely an optical illusion due to the visual perspective; in reality, the location where the Priest of Black Buddha was to be executed was practically outside the city boundaries.
"Furthermore, it seems it's not just the Believers of Black Buddha trying to save him. We actually hooked a big fish."
The scene before his eyes reminded him of the two-winged creature he had witnessed during his first Somniloquy Trial.
Azure-red flas rose from the ground, sweeping towards the firmant, then transforming into chains that entangled both sides of the rift, forcefully suppressing its expansion.
The sky seed to unfold into a flowing painting. Above was surging, blood-colored chaos, while below was an ascending sanctuary of frost-fire.
"Chong Jingtian..." Seeing this scene, Su Chen instantly understood. This was the 7th-tier mid-level profession: [World-Purifying Fla Spirit].
"Looking at it, it shouldn't be a big problem. There are four other people as incredibly overpowered as Old Chong in Yingfeng," Su Chen thought to himself.
Suddenly, a vigorous female voice rang in his ears: "High-level Adjudicators without ergency assignnts, follow to the execution grounds."
A streak of flowing light tore across the sky above the Adjudication Court. It was Chief Inquisitor You Shan leading people to provide support. The scene before them clearly exceeded her expectations.
"Hmm?" Su Chen's heart suddenly jumped. "If that's the case, Chong Jingtian and You Shan are both absent, and Jiang Shumo is gone too. Out of all the Chief Inquisitors in the Adjudication Court, only Lei Tieyan remains."
"Who knows, he might have gone as well. But even if he hasn't, the Judgnt Departnt is very far from the dical Departnt."
"Perhaps... this is the perfect opportunity."
Upon realizing this, Su Chen couldn't help but feel excited, but he quickly suppressed it. "No. Wei Yinshuo still has guards around him. Just that Xue Fei alone is not soone I can deal with."
"But... maybe it's worth a try. If my guess about him is correct..."
The noise outside continued unabated. Su Chen could clearly sense one powerful lifeform after another passing by.
The sky was crimson, dyeing the ground a matching hue as constant roars shook the air.
Su Chen retrieved a black cloak from his storage space.
【Hermit's Cloak — 3rd-tier: Compressed from the hide of a Dark Night erkat. Can collect environntal data for camouflage.】
He shook out the cloak and draped it over his shoulders. The edges of the fabric rippled with water-like distortions, and his silhouette began to produce visual errors.
When moving, the cloak would form a dynamic visual camouflage. This was one of the items Lei Tieyan had sent over, specifically ant for stealth.
The other item was a silver tallic mask placed over his face, covered in streaks of gray markings.
【Shadow Steel Mask — 4th-tier: forged from a special alloy, can disrupt ntal energy.】
This was a 4th-tier item with an exorbitant price tag nearing ten million gold, driven by ntal energy as its power source. If he hadn't initially ford his system to withstand the consumption, he genuinely wouldn't have dared to use it.
Su Chen completely disappeared from visual sight; only the sound of the wind remained.
...
"...What a massive commotion." Wei Yinshuo looked out the window and couldn't help but ask, "Aren't we executing a Believer of Black Buddha? Why did the Believers of Crimson make a move?"
"What on earth do the various cult factions in Yingfeng want to do?"
Even the voice by his ear carried a hint of astonishnt and doubt. The believers remaining in Yingfeng were mostly there to help them gather intelligence and cover up news, only occasionally executing important missions.
It wasn't that Yingfeng lacked importance, but rather that years of confrontation had allowed Yingfeng to master basic screening thods, making it extrely difficult for their people to stay hidden.
Abruptly, Wei Yinshuo's expression tightened. Turning his head, he saw Xiao Ying, who had been brought back in by Xue Fei once again.
"Why are you back again?" Wei Yinshuo frowned, looking at Xue Fei in displeasure.
"Uncle, he said he has important information." Xue Fei feigned helplessness before giving a bitter smile, exiting, and closing the door.
"Chief Inquisitor Wei..." Xiao Ying cut straight to the chase this ti. "There are no outsiders here, so I'll be direct. Are you truly going to sit back and watch Xia Hanshi's student beco the Chief Inquisitor?"
"Do I even need to say how many conflicts exist between the two of you? Just regarding the petty tricks played from the shadows during Su Chen's assessnt... it's not as if no one knows about them."
"Right now, Chu Xuan is dead. Among your students, who else can shoulder the burden? Are you counting on Xue Fei?"
"Of your three sons, two are already dead, and the remaining one only possesses a Brilliant Silver talent. Your grandsons are also unfit for great responsibilities."
Xiao Ying spoke with profound sincerity. "By the ti he becos the Chief Inquisitor, you'll be old and decrepit. The annihilation of your family is right before your eyes!"
"My family..." A complex, indescribable expression surfaced on Wei Yinshuo's face as he asked coolly, "What exactly do you an?"
"Kill him!" Cold light glinted in Xiao Ying's eyes.
"Did Wei Yufan ask you to pass this ssage?" Wei Yinshuo narrowed his eyes, interrogating.
"Would the answer affect your decision?" Xiao Ying retorted.
"Su Chen is only at the 3rd-tier. Do I even need to kill him myself?" Wei Yinshuo shook his head. "Even you could finish him off."
"I could." Xiao Ying's voice was grave. "But he almost never leaves the Adjudication Court. His whereabouts are unpredictable. Doing it silently without leaving a trace is extrely difficult."
"You want to break the rules," Wei Yinshuo frowned tightly.
Xiao Ying lowered his voice to the extre, but the fierce glint in his eyes nearly materialized. "History is written by the victors."
"Is Wei Yufan that terrified?" Wei Yinshuo's gaze was profound, nearly bottomless.
"Not terrified, rely neutralizing a threat." Annoyance laced Xiao Ying's tone. "If the Chief hadn't acted so arbitrarily, things wouldn't have co to this."
A single challenge arena inexplicably wiped out years of arduous effort. It was great for newcors like Su Chen and Chu Xuan, but what about them?
"If you agree, your family will produce another Chief Inquisitor. If you don't, you can hand over to the Chief." Xiao Ying seed to have burned his bridges.
Only after a long while did he hear Wei Yinshuo sigh: "I understand."
A hint of joy flitted across Xiao Ying's eyes. He didn't speak further, rely saying sincerely: "You won't regret this."
Watching Xiao Ying leave, Wei Yinshuo heard the voice ring in his ear again, "This Wei Yufan... seems like soone we can get in touch with."
...
"Just as I expected!"
Exiting the main doors of the dical Departnt, Xiao Ying couldn't suppress the excitent in his heart. His joy was almost visible on his face; even the surging crimson sea of lightning on the horizon seed to be celebrating for him.
"I knew it. How could an old fossil like Wei Yinshuo undergo a complete epiphany just from suffering severe injuries once? It was rely a matter of the price not being high enough."
The gloom in Xiao Ying's heart completely dissipated. The reasons driving his urge to neutralize Su Chen were, on one hand, the other party's talent and strength, and on the other, the dark cloud from the day of the bidding.
How long had it been? Yet Su Chen could already persuade the higher-ups of the Supervision Departnt to act on his behalf. Waiting any longer would lead to disaster.
Although the Security Bureau had also sent people to contact Wei Yufan, the space around him was already crowded, tolerating no room for others to dictate terms.
In contrast, Su Chen was a lone wolf, making him easily viewed as an attractive prize in their eyes.
Because of You Shan's mobilization order, there was practically no one to be seen around the dical Departnt, which was located in a remote corner to begin with.
Constant roars echoed from the horizon, akin to muffled thunder, with dazzling, bright lights bursting occasionally. That massive rift gradually began closing; Chong Jingtian's reputation was indeed well-earned.
Due to subconscious habits developed over many years, Xiao Ying walked within the shadows on either side of the path.
"Should I take out Ming Lin too...?" he mused, then imdiately discarded the thought. "Forget it. His threat level isn't as high as Su Chen's. If I kill him too, it'll be far too obvious."
"If Old Wei hadn't decisively advanced to the 5th tier, and had instead been defeated head-on in the challenge arena, what the hell would there be left to fight for?"
"What a pity..." Shifting his thoughts, a trace of pity erged in Xiao Ying's eyes: "If he wasn't this formidable, perhaps we could have been friends..."
CRACK!
Another explosive crack of thunder resounded. Xiao Ying froze, his expression undergoing a drastic change, because this thunder didn't originate from the firmant, but exploded right beside his ear!
The air beside him was violently torn apart. A thunder orb condensed to the absolute extre exploded with a deafening boom. Amidst the blinding white light, the silhouette of a straight-bladed longsword could faintly be seen, its blade entirely enveloped by dancing plasma.
The lightning didn't scatter. Instead, like a living creature, it coiled around the blade's edge, continuously emitting explosive roars.
The trajectory of the descending longsword dragged a visible trail of ionization behind it, leaving a scorched, blackened tear in the air wherever it passed.
Before the blade edge even arrived, Xiao Ying's skin already experienced a needle-like stabbing pain.
Soone is attacking !
Who!?
Xiao Ying was gripped by shock and fury. Yet, completely lacking the ti to react, the blade edge had already reached his front, as if it had popped out of thin air, utterly without warning.
The dazzling lightning blinded his vision, making it completely impossible to see the wielder hidden within.
Su Chen's gaze was ruthlessly cold, gripping the blade with both hands. Even his arms were trembling, every single muscle and vein twitching.
This ambush consud over half of the nutritional substances stored in his Abyssal Stomach.
He first used [Holy Hand] to enhance [Azure Thunder Cloud-Crumbling], attached it to the blade ford by the [Liquid Gold Phantom Blade], and then hid in the shadows, charging it to its absolute max.
Xiao Ying was a 4th-tier professional after all. Even if he was only of the ntal-type, Su Chen didn't underestimate him the slightest. Going all out, he delivered his strongest strike to date!
Who! Just who is it!
Xiao Ying roared, or at least in his cognition, he was roaring.
The thunder blade cleaving toward his head was indeed formidable, but it hadn't reached the point where he was incapable of blocking it, as long as he could... could...
He shockingly discovered that his majestic ntal energy was actually gradually collapsing.
Not only that, the vision before his eyes set the world spinning, everything beside him falling dead silent. The roars from the horizon, the explosive thunder inches away—everything was vanishing.
And as a ntal-type professional, the very majestic ntal energy he possessed had instead beco his burden in this mont.
He could clearly, consciously recognize that he was stepping toward death, yet he was utterly powerless to reverse it.
"Who!?"
Xiao Ying was unwilling. The previous excitent had yet to fade, his great nesis was on the verge of being eradicated, yet he was actually being ambushed and killed right inside the Adjudication Court.
"Who is it... just who is it..."
That perpetually dissipating ntal energy attempted to gather together in the final monts, seemingly wanting to see clearly exactly who was ambushing him.
Crackle!
Yet, accompanied by a flash of lightning, it completely collapsed and perished.
Before the severed head of the separated body even crashed to the ground, it vanished simultaneously alongside the tottering corpse. Even the spurting blood failed to touch the earth.
Su Chen's figure disappeared without a trace. Everything was buried beneath the roars of the horizon.
"Phew..."
Within the spatial layer, Su Chen's actions were very slow. He retrieved a compressed nutrient fluid from his storage space and slowly raised it to his mouth.
On one hand, to replenish the consumption of the Abyssal Stomach, and on the other, to rapidly convert it into ntal energy to maintain his activity within the spatial layer.
"I didn't expect to run into this guy." Su Chen was also quite surprised. Extrely familiar with the situation nearby, he had advanced cautiously the entire way.
Yet just as he arrived nearby, he saw Xiao Ying walk out of the dical Departnt with unbridled joy, unaware of what happy event had occurred.
After a brief mont of thought, he simply decided to use him as a test subject to gauge the waters and see what the current situation in the Adjudication Court was like.
"However, killing him was far simpler than I imagined."
Xiao Ying was a 4th-tier ntal-type professional. To improve his physical durability, he had attempted physical professions, but reached only the 2nd-tier.
Hiding in the spatial layer, Su Chen launched an all-out strike.
And who knew what Xiao Ying was thinking about; with practically zero wariness, he was effortlessly picked off.
Waiting a mont longer, he discovered absolutely zero activity. No one had noticed the accident to co investigate.
"The situation is about the sa as I expected. The attention of the vast majority has been drawn outside." Pondering, Su Chen inhaled deeply. Xiao Ying was just an appetizer; next ca the main event.
Within the spatial layer, Su Chen gradually transford into the "Priest of Black Buddha" state. That clear and searing sensation poured out from the dical Departnt before him.
"I hope... my guess is correct."
...
"...I am fond of humans who possess desires, and who are willing to trample on their bottom lines for the sake of their desires."
Listening to the voice by his ear, Wei Yinshuo shook his head, "It will be very difficult for you to turn Wei Yufan into one of our own. He's different from . After Su Chen disappears, he'll still be him—the most likely candidate to beco the Chief Inquisitor."
"Treat him as an idle piece on the board. Su Chen is just an extra assignnt. We need more people."
Wei Yinshuo's eyes flickered, wishing to inquire further, but sensed the voice beside his ear abruptly spike in pitch, growing increasingly stunned and doubtful: "I sensed it again! That Priest from before appeared, right outside!"
"How is that possible? That Priest was scheduled for execution today." Wei Yinshuo instinctively denied it, then realized, asking in shock, "There's another Priest outside?"
"Doesn't Yingfeng only have one Priest? Where did this one co from?"
The voice by his ear was also puzzled, but quickly stated, "No, I must go out and et him."
(End of this chapter)
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