Just how much Evil God Power had the Adjudication Court amassed over the years?
Su Chen had no idea.
But he did know that within Yingfeng's jurisdiction, all items related to the Evil Gods, including Evil God Artifacts, were ultimately sent to the Adjudication Court.
Evil God Power could actively stimulate classes, triggering emotional reactions from their professional spirituality.
Naturally, the more of this power he had, the better. However, he genuinely had nowhere to look for it.
It was not that he had never considered targeting the Evil God Artifacts collected by the Adjudication Court before, but those items were heavily guarded. Moreover, if he actually managed to requisition an artifact, he certainly could not return it completely drained of power.
Eventually, Su Chen set the matter aside. But the situation was different now; Chong Jingtian was about to leave.
With Old Xia taking charge, as long as he could smooth-talk his teacher, the Adjudication Court would beco a massive treasure trove ripe for the taking!
It was exactly because Su Chen had just thought of this that he changed his excuse from "dreaming" to "conditional precognition".
"Consuming Evil God Power..." Xia Hanshi paused his movents, looking sowhat surprised.
"Right now, I do not even know if I have been corrupted or not," Su Chen said with a bitter expression. "I have passed the Adjudication Court's inspections several tis, so there have not been any issues on that front."
"Enough," Xia Hanshi said, shaking his head as he looked at Su Chen's distressed appearance. "While stealing the power of Evil Gods for one's own use is quite dangerous, it is not as if similar classes do not exist. The Arcane Arts Lineage specializes entirely in this path."
"Wu Chenpei also ntioned that professional spirituality harbors a deep loathing for Evil Gods."
'So the Great Exalted's spirituality despises Evil Gods,' Su Chen thought, learning this for the first ti. In a roundabout way, this actually served to corroborate his fabricated story.
"That is good to hear." Su Chen feigned a sigh of relief.
"However, you should keep this matter from anyone else," Xia Hanshi suddenly cautioned him. "That includes Chong Jingtian."
"Understood," Su Chen nodded. Sensing that Old Xia might have misunderstood sothing, he quickly emphasized, "The Chief Inquisitor has Yingfeng's best interests at heart, and I deeply respect him for that, but you are my teacher."
Truth be told, he placed less trust in Chong Jingtian than he did in Ming Lin.
Xia Hanshi narrowed his eyes and waved his large hand, prompting Su Chen to tactfully take his leave.
"To think precognition actually possesses such capabilities," Xia Hanshi murmured, his gaunt body almost sinking into the sofa. "A thod to solve nurous troubles all at once..."
...
'Old Xia really does things in an unconventional manner. Once Old Chong leaves, he will probably requisition the Evil God Artifacts directly.'
On the way back, Su Chen could not help but think about this, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He wondered exactly how many types of Evil God Power Yingfeng possessed.
He was genuinely curious about whether the powers of other Evil Gods would have any effect on him.
'However, since I will be consuming Evil God Power, I definitely need to produce so results. Precognition... Tsk...' Su Chen pondered the matter again. 'I should disguise myself when I get back and see if any of those things have slipped into the city recently.'
'Right, after Old Chong leaves, I should also collect the cultist classes of other Evil Gods and feed them to my Priest class.'
As he thought about it, Su Chen could not help but grin. Looking at it this way, once Chong Jingtian left, Xia Hanshi really would have the final say over the entire Adjudication Court.
Given Old Xia's formidable reputation, it was highly unlikely that anyone would dare to disobey him.
And only Old Xia would brazenly ignore the Adjudication Court's nurous strict rules.
'Ah... It is finally my turn to throw my weight around,' he mused.
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, his residence appeared before him. Looking up, he saw Ming Lin already waiting by the door.
However, Ming Lin had not co over just to chat this ti. He was there to pass on a ssage, his tone carrying a hint of envy. "Elder Sang is looking for you. He asked you to reply to his ssages."
"Elder Sang?" Su Chen blinked in surprise. He then looked down and opened his wristband interface, discovering several unread ssages. Judging by the tistamps, they had just been sent to him recently, asking him to visit the Class Decoding Departnt to discuss a matter.
After sending a quick reply, Su Chen turned back to Ming Lin. "My apologies, I usually keep my notifications on 'do not disturb' mode. Sorry for making you run an errand."
"No worries," Ming Lin said, waving a hand dismissively. "It is probably urgent, so hurry along."
Naturally, Su Chen headed straight for the Class Decoding Departnt. Upon arriving, he found Sang Hanhai already waiting for him at the entrance.
"Elder Sang, why are you waiting at the door?" Su Chen asked, quite surprised. He had never received this kind of treatnt before.
Sang Hanhai stared at him intently. "You kid, you really are unimaginable..."
'Is that really a proper way to describe soone?'
Su Chen silently grumbled to himself, though he already understood the situation. Pu Zhenghong must have inford Sang Hanhai about him gaining the Great Exalted's recognition.
"But suppressing Yuandu sure makes a man feel good," Sang Hanhai added, clearly in high spirits. When he had first heard about the Three Dragon Phantoms manifesting, he had indeed been utterly shocked.
Although he had held certain expectations for Su Chen, he never expected this kid to be so fiercely capable.
"Did you call over in such a hurry just to shower with complints?" Su Chen teased.
"What, is there a rule against it?" Sang Hanhai shot back with a laugh. After dragging Su Chen into the Class Decoding Departnt, he finally lowered his voice mysteriously. "Actually, I am not the one who called you over. It was my senior apprentice brother."
"Elder Pu?" Su Chen imdiately recalled the dark expression on Pu Zhenghong's face when he left earlier.
Calculating the ti, Pu Zhenghong had likely notified Sang Hanhai to summon him before he had even made it back to the Class Decoding Departnt.
"What is the matter? Why the rush?" Su Chen inquired.
"I have no idea," Sang Hanhai shook his head. "However, my senior apprentice brother seems to be acting a bit strange."
"Then do you know what kind of grudge Elder Pu has against my teacher? They seem to be completely at odds with one another," Su Chen asked.
"Ah, that. I do know a thing or two," Sang Hanhai glanced left and right before lowering his voice. "It stems from that incident years ago."
"After the accident in the Ruins back then, your teacher fiercely advocated for a forced expedition to save those trapped inside. However, Chong Jingtian, who was a Core Seed at the ti, advised against it for the sake of the bigger picture."
"Your teacher sought my senior apprentice brother's help, but in the end, my brother took Chong Jingtian's side."
Sang Hanhai sighed. "Chong Jingtian has always had that kind of personality—cautious and composed. But your teacher ended up labeling my senior apprentice brother a cowardly turtle."
When explained, it was actually quite simple; just a tangled web of grudges between the older generation.
As Su Chen listened, he followed Sang Hanhai into the Small Room.
Pu Zhenghong was already inside his Small Room. But this ti, he was not tinkering with his Godspeak. Instead, he sat upright and attentive, waiting for them.
"Elder Pu..." Seeing this formal posture, Su Chen hurriedly greeted him.
Even Sang Hanhai was montarily stunned.
For so many years, almost nothing besides Godspeak could capture Pu Zhenghong's attention.
Every ti Sang Hanhai visited, the man would be deep in his research, rarely even lifting his head.
"Sit," Pu Zhenghong gestured. Su Chen carefully took a seat.
"You are already a 4th-Tier Professional. I heard from Little Sang that you have a soft spot for Special Professions, so I went out of my way to find one that perfectly suits you," Pu Zhenghong said. With a casual wave of his hand, a virtual projection popped up.
Sang Hanhai's astonishnt only deepened. Just how long had it been since Pu Zhenghong analyzed or offered class advice to anyone?
Su Chen instinctively scanned the projection.
[Special Profession Discovered: Gale Dancer. You may assu this class upon completing the professional requirents.]
[Requirent 1: You must have previously assud four top-tier Physical-Type classes.]
[Requirent 2: Without relying on external aid, obscure your senses and perfectly evade one hundred attacks from an opponent of the sa tier right before the attacks land.]
[Requirent 3: Take a Wind Song Gem and a Storm Frenzy Feather into the eye of a category eight storm to capture a Wind Spirit and form a Wind Dance Pact.]
Special Professions did not strictly adhere to tier levels. However, so requirents involved the total number of main classes assud, which essentially acted as a disguised tier restriction.
Requiring at least the 4th-Tier to assu the class, and demanding that all previous classes be top-tier, was fundantally a test of physical constitution. This profession had to be extraordinary.
"The [Gale Dancer] specializes in speed, and its strength is quite high. Once you assu this class, its abilities will allow you to effortlessly escape from dangerous crises. Since you are already adept at speed, this should be like giving a tiger wings," Pu Zhenghong explained.
[Transforming the body into flowing wind, and the will into a startled dragon, the Gale Dancer elegantly pays its respects to the Crimson Fla Responding Thunder Great Exalted. The requirent for perfect evasions is reduced to ten tis.]
With the difficulty lowered by a substantial margin, Su Chen withdrew his attention from his System Panel and spoke hesitantly, "One should not accept benefits without earning them. What is the aning of this..."
Previously, Pu Zhenghong's attitude toward him could not be considered bad, but it was not exactly warm either. It was only after helping him expose Yuandu's underhanded tricks last ti that his attitude had noticeably improved.
'Does gaining the Great Exalted's recognition really give this much face?'
"Alas..." Pu Zhenghong sighed, his gaze turning profound and distant. "My days are numbered."
"Senior Apprentice Brother!" Sang Hanhai's expression changed drastically.
'Last words?'
Seeing the gravity of the situation, Su Chen felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. He worried that he was about to be burdened with so impossible task.
Pu Zhenghong raised a hand to stop Sang Hanhai and spoke slowly, "My talent is limited, and I have wasted far too much ti and energy lingering on Divine Oracles."
"Xia Hanshi thinks I am a cowardly turtle, while I think he is brainless. My reason for researching Godspeak is actually to restore those Ruins to their original state."
It did not seem like he was going to assign an impossible task after all. Su Chen straightened his posture.
Pu Zhenghong continued, "Back then, we brought the Vault Light and the broken stone slab out of those Ruins. As a result, the Ruins entered a state of high alert, vastly increasing the danger within."
"It is practically impossible to forcefully break through the power of those Ruins head-on. But Godspeak might just be able to manipulate the Ruins."
Hearing this, Su Chen grew even more curious about just how charming this Ji Rou really was.
She had caused a drastic change in Xia Hanshi's temperant, driven Pu Zhenghong to sit in the Class Decoding Departnt for thirty years researching Godspeak, and made Chong Jingtian...
Uh, Old Chong actually seed quite normal. No, wait, he had remained unmarried his entire life, and moreover...
Su Chen suddenly recalled the unusual thing about Chong Jingtian. He was the only Chief Inquisitor in the history of the Adjudication Court who had not cultivated his own Family Clan forces. His parents had passed away over twenty years ago, and he had remained utterly alone ever since.
Su Chen could not help but speculate. For a woman to leave such a lasting impression on three exceptional n, she definitely had to be sothing special...
"I have achieved nothing with my Godspeak, yet his student is now the one about to enter the Ruins," Pu Zhenghong chuckled dryly. "I do not know which of us was right and which was wrong, but it no longer matters."
"Take this." Pu Zhenghong produced a Saint Word Stone. Various symbols flickered intermittently across its surface.
Su Chen glanced at it and noted that there was no class information on it. Surprised, he asked, "What is this..."
"This is the culmination of more than thirty years of my blood, sweat, and tears. It might prove useful in those Ruins, or it might not..." Pu Zhenghong sighed. "Take it. Better to have it than not."
'Did he actually manage to figure sothing out?'
Su Chen reached out, accepted the stone, and tucked it away. He finally understood. Seeing that Xia Hanshi's persistence had yielded results, Pu Zhenghong likely felt a bit of lingering reluctance and thus called him over to hand off this item.
Yet, for so inexplicable reason, he truly felt an aura of fading twilight radiating from Pu Zhenghong, as though the item he had just accepted truly encapsulated the elder's lifeblood.
Su Chen remained silent for a mont before another thought crossed his mind. He could not help but ask,
"Elder Pu, when I ca in, I noticed a few symbols engraved on the Defensive Spirit Ring. I never thought much of them before, but this ti, they felt faintly familiar. In fact, the sensation was sowhat similar to what I felt when I looked at that stone slab."
"What is the deal with those symbols?"
"The Defensive Spirit Ring..." Pu Zhenghong paused slightly before nodding. "You are right. Those symbols were indeed derived from the stone slab."
Through Pu Zhenghong's explanation, Su Chen learned that with Chong Jingtian's level of strength, he could easily sweep away the hazy mist shrouding the stone slab, and its spirituality could do nothing to stop him.
They had attempted to study it for a period of ti, but in the end, they only managed to trace out two lines of symbols.
Pu Zhenghong further clarified, "However, even to just trace those two lines, the material required to bear those symbols had to be sourced from the Ruins themselves. Only then could we barely manage to record them."
'So that is how it is,' Su Chen thought, his doubts resolved. After chatting with Pu Zhenghong for a few more minutes, he bid his farewells and left.
"My senior apprentice brother, he..." Sang Hanhai sighed repeatedly as he escorted Su Chen out.
Su Chen offered a few words of comfort before departing under Sang Hanhai's watchful gaze.
'The Ruins, the Ruins...' Su Chen could not help but ponder in the car. 'I wonder what kind of sight they will be.'
Affected by Pu Zhenghong's deathbed-like speech, Su Chen felt sowhat heavy-hearted. After taking a mont to compose himself, he opened his System Panel.
The progression for the [Ravager] class had already reached 3 percent. He had to admit, the progress was quite fast. After all, everyone loved to punish a trash-talker.
'The requirents for the Gale Dancer are quite troubleso, though...' His gaze shifted to the newly acquired profession.
'I cannot rely on external aids, and I have to obscure my five senses to perfectly dodge an attack right before it lands. The window of opportunity is only a split second... Tsk, tsk...'
'And then there is this Wind Dance Pact, which looks quite complicated. I have never even heard of the required items. I will need to ask around once I get back.'
Calculating his plans along the way, Su Chen returned to his residence at the Adjudication Court. The sky had already grown dim.
He headed down to the Gravity Room. The familiar environnt gradually cald his racing thoughts.
At that mont, everything that had happened today flowed through his mind like a gentle stream. Su Chen slowly exhaled. 'Right now, I will have to wait for Yingfeng to finish dealing with the Faceless Ghost Cultists before I can head to those Ruins.'
'Hmm, there is no longer any need to hide the fact that I am at the 4th-Tier. I will have Gu Bing prepare the auxiliary potions first.'
He opened his wristband and sent a ssage. Very quickly, he received a reply from Gu Bing. It was a long string of question marks, proving just how shocked his senior apprentice sister was.
As if finally recovering her wits, she sent another ssage two or three minutes later: "I understand. I will go prepare them right now."
anwhile, Su Chen recalled the other task he had planned to do. His body gradually concealed itself within the spatial folds, and the Priest class initiated its disguise.
He started with the Black Buddha Priest State. Within his perceptual range, there was no difference from before—it was completely empty.
"They have not sent anyone over for so long. They must have all gone to prepare for that Holy Banquet thing," Su Chen muttered with a frown.
Imdiately after, he shifted into the Faceless Ghost Priest Form.
This ti, however, Su Chen's expression changed slightly. He instantly detected an unusual sensation at the very edge of his perceptual range, coming from the direction of Yingfeng's South City District.
'This feeling... Why is it sowhat familiar?' He perceived it carefully. It did not feel like an Evil God Artifact, but rather...
'A Faceless Ghost Divine Son.' Su Chen suddenly rembered; this was the exact sa feeling ng Qi had given him. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. 'So they really did slip inside.'
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