'I can only extract one portion of the Dark Plague Essence right now,' Su Chen thought to himself. 'But given the difficulty, even if I swap it out, the requirents probably will not be easy to fulfill.'
'Or I could gamble with the Faceless Ghost Essence.'
Both options were entirely random. It did not matter which ca first, as the outco was beyond his control either way.
'Let's go with the Faceless Ghost Essence first.' Su Chen did not hesitate for long. The reason he had not used it earlier was that he could not quite grasp the class fusion requirents for his Myriad Aspect class.
Now, however, class fusion likely would not be a major issue, so he decided to take a gamble on the Life Burner class.
'A one-in-three chance is not too low either.' Su Chen invoked the Faceless Ghost Essence, applying it to the Life Burner class while silently praying for the Great Exalt's blessing.
[The Life Burner has been influenced by the Faceless Ghost Essence, driving it to the brink of madness. The third class advancent requirent has been erased.]
"Excellent!" Su Chen grinned, praising out loud, "As expected of the Great Exalt!"
'With this, the most troubleso issue of burning away my lifespan is solved. Now, all that is left is touching the Fla of Life.'
Touching the Fla of Life was not exactly hard, but it was not easy either.
Su Chen had looked up relevant information the night before. The best thod, naturally, was to have a chance of touching the flickering Fla of Life with one's ntal power when on the verge of death.
But there were shortcuts too. After all, since it concerned a person's specific lifespan, plenty of people paid close attention to this matter.
'Guided by a Tier 6 ntal-type class and aided by a runic array, one can behold their own Fla of Life.'
The only Tier 6 ntal-type professional in Yingfeng City he was sowhat familiar with was Inquisitor You Shan. Once she returned, asking for her help should not be a big problem.
'The Fla of Life is not an issue. The real question is, which requirent should I spend this Sly Fox Essence on...' Su Chen could not help but scan the two remaining conditions.
He valued this reward quite a bit. The Life Burner exchanged lifespan for formidable power, making it incredibly useful during life-and-death struggles.
However, Su Chen was greedy. It would be even better if the reward could erase the drawback of burning lifespan entirely. Given his experience with the Armant Nurturer class, it was not entirely impossible.
'Even if the power squeezed out as a result is slightly diminished, it is not like I cannot accept that.'
However, the Sly Fox Essence extracted from the divine statue had already been used. Forging another one using divine power would take another half a month, so there was no rush.
After a flurry of operations, Su Chen glanced over his inventory again.
He only had one or two portions of low-tier divine power left for each type, which was not worth ntioning. Excluding the amounts used to forge essences, for mid-tier divine power: Black Tuo, Sly Fox, and Scarlet each had two portions left; Faceless Ghost had three portions; and Dark Plague was down to just one.
Five essences were currently in the process of being forged, and he still had one unused Black Tuo Essence on hand.
Shifting his gaze, Su Chen could not help but fall into deep thought. He was genuinely curious about what effect this Black Tuo Essence would have when applied to a special class.
'Going by my past experiences with divine power, the influence on a class will not affect the advancent process itself or its requirents.'
He pondered for a mont before deciding to use it first on the Life Burner, which possessed a higher ceiling.
[The Life Burner has been influenced by the Black Tuo Essence and suddenly bursts with an unprecedented yearning, attempting to tamorphose into a Sacred Class. However, the essence's power is insufficient. The Life Burner yearns for more Black Tuo Essence. Please supply two additional portions of Black Tuo Essence to assist the Life Burner.]
'What the hell? Sacred Class?'
Su Chen was stunned. Looking at the prompt that popped up on his interface, he could not help but sit up straight. A Sacred Class—this was the first ti he had ever heard of such a concept.
'This does not seem like an advanced form of the Life Burner, but rather an evolution beyond special classes.'
Su Chen did his best to analyze more information from the limited text provided.
'It takes three portions of Black Tuo Essence just to initiate the evolution, and right now it is only revealing the upgrade requirents. This difficulty is extraordinarily high...'
But that also signified just how powerful a Sacred Class would be.
"Sacred Class... Sacred Class..." Su Chen muttered under his breath. The sudden appearance of this concept undoubtedly filled him with curiosity.
But he guessed that absolutely no one on the Crimson Thunder Planet knew what it was all about.
'Is my Pure One class also a Sacred Class?'
Su Chen suddenly thought of his still-incomplete path as a Pure One. Fusing five special classes into one had a high probability of resulting in a Sacred Class as well.
'Sacred Class... perhaps it is not just about having stronger abilities, but a class that must et a certain fundantal requirent. Could it be Morning Star rank?' Su Chen's imagination ran wild.
With too little information to go on, he quickly suppressed the fluttering excitent in his chest.
'But even at a generous estimate, I only have two portions of Black Tuo Essence on hand, and Yingfeng City has already been bled dry. Unless...' Su Chen narrowed his eyes. 'Yuandu, Blazing Sun, Tianqing...'
Yingfeng was not the only city on the Crimson Thunder Planet; there were three others. Yuandu City, in particular, likely had an accumulation of various eerie divine powers that was not far behind Yingfeng's.
'I will need to figure out a way to deal with Yuandu first. Then, combining the strength of Yuandu and Yingfeng, we can order the other two cities to deliver all their hoarded eerie divine power. Though, if I do that, I will be swindling quite a lot of people.'
'I still have to see how Yuandu reacts next. Hong Xuan is dead, so they should not have any other choices. It should not be a big problem.'
Su Chen could not help but feel a hint of hesitation. For him to obtain more eerie divine power, the reactions of Wu Chenpei and Yuandu City were of the utmost importance.
However, those matters were for Chong Jingtian and the others to handle. His current strength was insufficient, making it difficult to intervene.
Turning the thoughts over in his mind, Su Chen gradually imrsed himself back into his class developnt.
"Yingfeng..." Outside Yingfeng City, Wu Chenpei looked up at the magnificent, colossal city before him, his gaze flickering.
Beside him stood Chong Jingtian. The two had broken off from the main force and traveled day and night on a cutting-edge aircraft, returning to Yingfeng in just over ten days.
The small aircraft they rode in halted for an inspection to confirm they were not imposters.
During the process, Wu Chenpei remarked, "The people from Yuandu, Tianqing, and Blazing Sun are already en route to the ruins. We have fallen behind, so let's not waste any more ti. We need to head there as soon as possible."
"Yes, I share the sa thought." Chong Jingtian nodded. The inspection procedure quickly concluded, and the aircraft soared straight into Yingfeng.
"Who is Yingfeng planning to have lead the team to the ruins this ti?" Wu Chenpei asked probing.
"I will lead it personally," Chong Jingtian replied, glancing at him.
"Just you alone, Chief?" Wu Chenpei put on a surprised expression.
"The Son of the Faceless God has infiltrated us with unknown motives. To prevent any accidents, we must leave enough manpower behind for defense."
Chong Jingtian's face was completely solemn.
"You are very thoughtful, Chief." Wu Chenpei nodded in profound agreent, but inwardly, he let out a sigh of relief.
It was best if only Chong Jingtian went. Another Holy Envoy from Yuandu was already secretly on their way. By the ti they reached the ruins, there would be two Holy Envoys present.
Even if their plot to assassinate Su Chen was exposed, they would still be able to control the situation.
With these thoughts in mind, Wu Chenpei watched the scenery blur past outside the aircraft. Seeing that they seed to be heading straight for the Inquisition, he could not help but say, "Chief, you can just drop off here. I will make my own way back to the guesthouse."
"There is no rush," Chong Jingtian said, waving a hand dismissively. "You have contributed greatly to our Yingfeng, Holy Envoy. You must be properly rewarded. A guest should follow the host's arrangents, so please do not decline."
Seeing that Chong Jingtian was not giving him a chance to refuse, Wu Chenpei thought about it. It was not a major issue either way, so he had no choice but to accompany Chong Jingtian back to the Inquisition.
Chong Jingtian possessed the highest level of clearance. The aircraft flew straight into the Inquisition headquarters and landed atop the central building.
"Despite your absence for many days, the Inquisition remains as orderly as ever." Stepping out of the aircraft, Wu Chenpei glanced down and offered a sigh of admiration, throwing in a little flattery.
The two exchanged so polite modesty before Chong Jingtian finally led the way into a conference room.
The mont he pushed the door open, the smile on Wu Chenpei's old face froze. Seated along both sides of the long conference table were several figures, every single one of whom he recognized.
Director of Security Zhou Yanwu, Director of Resources Shi Yunzhou, Director of Internal Affairs Min Shengrui, and Director of Auxiliary Classes Zhong Yanghui. Including Chief Inquisitor Chong Jingtian beside him, the Five Elders of Yingfeng were all present. What was more, they had all completely concealed their auras before his arrival.
Such a massive lineup instantly gave Wu Chenpei a severe premonition of danger.
"This..." He subconsciously wanted to back away, but Chong Jingtian had already blocked his retreat.
Shi Yunzhou stood up with a genial chuckle. "Holy Envoy, co, take a seat, sit..."
Wu Chenpei's expression shifted drastically. He caught sothing out of the corner of his eye, and his face completely warped in shock.
"Lu Kai? Why are you here?!"
Seated at the very end of the conference table were actually two more people: Xia Hanshi and Lu Kai.
Xia Hanshi's face was as calm and deep as a stagnant pool, while Lu Kai looked utterly bitter as he called out, "Holy Envoy..."
"Where is Hong Xuan?" Wu Chenpei's heart seized. He already had a terrible hunch and hastily asked the question.
"Holy Envoy..." Chong Jingtian suddenly clamped a hand down on his shoulder and sighed. "While you and I were away, so things happened in Yingfeng. It is hard to explain in just a few words, but we happen to have a recording we would like you to see."
"A recording..." Wu Chenpei's face was tense. Seeing the other four Elders simultaneously cast their gazes upon him, he had no choice but to helplessly follow Chong Jingtian and take a seat.
Shi Yunzhou snapped his fingers, and the lights in the entire room dimd. A massive virtual screen was projected right before their eyes.
"...Yuandu utilized the guesthouse to harbor the Son of the Faceless God. Their intentions are treacherous, and their cris are unpardonable!"
An explosive opening strike. Hearing Xia Hanshi's furious roar from the recording, Wu Chenpei's face twisted violently. He said in a low voice, "Absurd nonsense! We—"
"Holy Envoy!" another majestic-looking middle-aged man interrupted. It was Zhou Yanwu. As the leader of a violent institution, he naturally exuded a fierce and savage aura.
"Keep watching." After barking that command, his tone softened again, forcing Wu Chenpei to clench his fists as he tried to suppress the raging storm in his heart.
The recording continued with the standoff between Xia Hanshi and Lu Kai, then Hong Xuan walking down, and finally, Xu Siyuan, who was standing right beside him, transforming into the Son of the Faceless God.
Wu Chenpei was completely dumbfounded. "This... this... how could this happen?!"
"I was planning on asking you the exact sa thing!" Zhou Yanwu harshly reprimanded. "Why was Hong Xuan colluding with the Son of the Faceless God?!"
"I... this... he..." Wu Chenpei took a deep breath, a vicious glint flashing through his eyes. He did not even need to think to know that Yingfeng was definitely playing tricks behind the scenes.
Yet, he could only suppress the fury in his heart. With a suppressed voice carrying a hint of probing, he said, "Let see Hong Xuan. There must be so misunderstanding here."
"Keep watching," Chong Jingtian said coolly.
Wu Chenpei's eyebrows twitched. His gaze could not help but fall back on the screen. Xia Hanshi's killing intent was too obvious; his heart could not help but sink to the bottom of the abyss.
He believed that Yingfeng as a whole might consider the broader picture, but a lunatic like Xia Hanshi might attack without any reservations whatsoever.
Just as he was about to lose control of his rage, he saw Hong Xuan propose a duel, and Shi Yunzhou, that classic nice guy, actually agreed to it.
'This... could it be...?' Wu Chenpei could not help but feel a spark of hope.
He could tell that even if Hong Xuan won, relying on Xia Hanshi to keep his promise was a massive gamble. He guessed Hong Xuan's plan: betting his life against another's.
If the timing was right and Hong Xuan managed to get up close to Su Chen, it was not entirely impossible for him to kill the target before the others could react...
But suddenly, Wu Chenpei's expression morphed into sheer horror. His facial muscles twitched as he gasped out, "This... how is this..."
Before his thoughts could even settle, the battle was already decided. Half of Hong Xuan's shoulder had been sheared off, and he was wailing on the ground.
Without even managing to withstand a single strike, Hong Xuan had suffered a crushing defeat.
Not only did he fail to capitalize on that one-in-a-million chance, but he had also handed Yingfeng the perfect excuse.
However, Hong Xuan's subsequent spilling of their secrets and his suicide made Wu Chenpei secretly grind his teeth. He actually felt a surge of anger toward Hong Xuan. With things ending up like this, it was almost impossible for Yuandu to find any moral high ground.
The others subtly exchanged glances, their eyes locked on Wu Chenpei's face. When they had first watched this recording, their reactions had not been much different. Su Chen's display of strength had truly exceeded their wildest imaginations.
"Holy Envoy!" Zhou Yanwu suddenly unleashed another furious roar, his face etched with pure anger. "What is the aning of this, Yuandu? You ca knocking on our door, claiming that the chosen one could save the Crimson Thunder Planet. We tread carefully, doing everything we could to cooperate!"
"But look at the results! Not only were you harboring malicious intentions and planning to settle scores after the fact, but you also attempted to assassinate Su Chen! Even this Hong Xuan was not a native of the Crimson Thunder Planet, secretly communicating with outsiders! Do you actually want to save the Crimson Thunder Planet from damnation, or are you trying to drag us all into the abyss?!"
Listening to the reprimands ringing in his ears, Wu Chenpei's face turned incredibly ugly. He wanted to flip the table and storm out, but he actually had nothing to fall back on. Instead, Yingfeng had caught him dead to rights and was now aggressively interrogating him.
Years of scheming had gone up in smoke in a single day. Wu Chenpei was filled with burning rage. He did not even need to think to know that Xia Hanshi, sitting at the far end of the table, must be internally scoffing at him.
They had calculated everything to assassinate Su Chen before the ruins, but that lunatic Xia Hanshi had actually acted without any hesitation, proving to be even more decisive than they were!
"You bully us... you bully us... you bully us..." Wu Chenpei's eyes were completely bloodshot. Energy vaguely overflowed from his body as he let out a beast-like roar. "You push us too far!"
"I defended you all against the Faceless Cultists, and you dare deal us such a venomous blow behind our backs?!"
"You all know perfectly well why Hong Xuan really died!"
"Hong Xuan committed suicide," Shi Yunzhou said breezily. "His skills were inferior, so he took his own life to atone for his sins."
Wu Chenpei choked. He was extrely unwilling to accept this, yet he gritted his teeth and forced himself to say, "Do you honestly think my Yuandu will just dance to your tune? At worst, we can all just die together!"
"Supporting outsiders and planning a purge afterward... what do you think Blazing Sun and Tianqing will think of that?" Chong Jingtian said coldly. "Who exactly would be willing to die alongside you?"
"Then let's see if you can even open these ruins without my Yuandu!"
Wu Chenpei's anger, suffocating frustration, and extre bitterness over his ruined sches—mixed with his burning desire to avenge his brother who was killed many years ago—culminated in a chilling, dead-eyed stare. "I, Wu Chenpei, swear to avenge—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden knock on the door broke the tension. The explosive atmosphere instantly stalled as everyone frowned simultaneously.
Jiang Shumo's voice rang out from the hallway. He did not even wait to be announced, sounding incredibly frantic. "Chief! A group of people has arrived outside Yingfeng City! They claim to be from the Royal Court!"
"The Royal Court?"
Zhou Yanwu's face changed. Shi Yunzhou suddenly shot to his feet. Chong Jingtian looked startled and uncertain, while Xia Hanshi's eyes narrowed slightly.
The Royal Court?
Wu Chenpei, who just monts ago was seething with rage, suddenly felt a chill run through his heart. His expression rapidly shifted as his gaze swept over the faces of the others. In a flash of lightning, he sorted through the pros and cons of the situation.
Forcing down the fiery wrath in his chest, he actually squeezed out a trendously ugly smile and said hoarsely, "Hong Xuan's death is no pity."
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