If I let you practice martial arts, you'll compress your vital energy ten thousand times?

The central capital.

Longyuan City.

As dawn broke through the clouds, the energy towers suspended in mid-air began to glow with a cold, blue-white light.

This isn't a small border town like the Seventh Security Zone.

This is the true heart of the Federation of Humanity.

It is the location of Longyuan Academy.

It is the location of the central royal family.

It is also a power center jointly occupied by countless aristocratic families, military departments, academies, the Sky Patrol Bureau, and martial arts associations.

But on this very morning...

A top-secret battle report from the Seventh Security Zone, like a deep-sea energy bomb, was silently delivered to several of the highest-authority agencies in the central government.

Almost at the same time.

Longyuan Academy.

Royal Cabinet.

Central Military Headquarters.

Sky Patrol Headquarters.

The main residence of the Xiao family.

We received the entire battle report.

The battle report title consisted of only one line.

Outside the seventh safe zone, a powerful cultivator, suspected to be an ancient body cultivator, made a move and killed the Earth-Splitting Demon Rock Dragon, a cultivator at the early stage of the Commander Realm.

boom!

In the council of elders of Longyuan Academy, an old man with white hair suddenly stood up.

He stared intently at the line of words on the screen, his voice changing.

"A Rock Dragon of the early Commander Realm?"

"Killed by a mysterious person who appears to be an ancient body cultivator?"

"When did the Seventh Security Zone start hiding someone like this?!"

The senior members of Longyuan Academy, sitting on either side of the long table, all had solemn expressions.

The light screen continued to scroll.

Cangming fell.

The leader of the seventh branch of the Dark Spirit Society has fallen.

Xiao Chen suddenly suffered a heart attack.

Remnants of a commander-level battle were discovered in a desolate valley.

Target codename: Humanoid restricted area.

System analysis: Suspected ancient style.

Danger level: Commander-in-Chief or above.

Current stance: Suspected of sheltering Lin Yuan, a student from the Seventh Security Zone, and his sister Lin Xiaoya.

When the last item was seen, the entire conference room fell into dead silence.

A middle-aged mentor frowned.

"Lin Yuan?"

"Is that the Qi and Blood Realm Level 1 trash who got an S-level recommendation from the Seventh Army?"

The other person sneered.

"Now it seems that he was no ordinary piece of trash."

"Behind him stands an ancient body cultivator capable of killing a great demon at the Commander Realm."

"No wonder Su Zhan dared to forcibly apply for an S-level spot."

"That old fox has been hiding his true colors well!"

Someone spoke in a deep voice:

"The question is, what exactly is the background of that blood-faced ancient cultivator?"

"Wasn't the ancient cultivation system extinct two hundred years ago?"

"Now a body cultivator capable of directly killing a Commander-level demon has suddenly appeared, and the Central Government had no record of it before?"

No one answered.

The issue itself is disturbing enough.

unknown.

It is always more terrifying than strength.

A powerful marquis-level expert must at least have a background, influence, ties, and rules.

However, an ancient body cultivator of unknown origin and system who can kill a great demon at the Commander Realm on his own is like a forbidden source core buried in the Seventh Safe Zone.

Nobody knows when he'll explode.

Nobody knows which side he's on.

Just then.

At the end of the long table, a vice dean who had remained silent slowly raised his head.

"What did the Xiao family say?"

Someone in the meeting room answered in a low voice:

"Xiao Chen is dead."

"Cang Ming is dead too."

"The Xiao family has gone mad."

……

The main residence of the Xiao family.

boom--!!!!!!

A priceless jade table was smashed to dust with a single blow.

Xiao Zhenyue, the current head of the Xiao family, had a face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

Both sides of the hall.

All the elders of the Xiao family lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.

Right in front of them, a light screen was repeatedly playing summaries of battle reports sent back by the Seventh Security Zone.

Xiao Chen.

He died from a sudden cardiac arrest.

Azure Sky.

He went missing after venturing into the wilderness without permission. It was later confirmed that his life jade pendant was shattered, and he is suspected to have died from the impact of a monster at the Commander Realm.

Suspected?

spread?

As Xiao Zhenyue looked at those words, the killing intent in his eyes almost materialized.

"fart!"

"Cang Ming is a late-stage protector of my Xiao Family Town!"

"Even if he really encountered a powerful demon at the Commander level, there's no way he wouldn't be able to send out a distress signal!"

"And Chen'er!"

"He was humiliated in the Seventh Safe Zone during the day, and then suddenly suffered a heart attack at night?"

"Do you take me for a fool?!"

No one dared to speak.

Everyone knows this is definitely not normal.

But the problem is, it's clearly stated in the battle report.

Outside the Seventh Safe Zone, a powerful demon at the Commander Realm has indeed appeared.

Indeed, a powerful figure with a blood-red face, suspected to be an ancient body cultivator, made a move.

If Cang Ming really did crash into that battlefield and was swept up in it and perished, it makes logical sense.

What a coincidence!

It was so coincidental that it seemed as if someone had deliberately laid out all the clues in front of them.

Even if they have suspicions, they won't be able to find the person who actually took action.

Xiao Zhenyue took a deep breath, his eyes turning cold.

"Where is Luo Xingshuang?"

"Lord, Luo Xingshuang is the only eyewitness at the scene."

"Her testimony was that Elder Cangming followed the mark on Lin Yuan out of the city, but eventually encountered the mysterious master behind Lin Yuan, who was the Blood-Faced Ancient Cultivator."

"Elder Cangming then perished."

"Young Master Chen... was diagnosed with severe injuries and a collapsed heart meridian."

"Luo Xingshuang..."

Xiao Zhenyue slowly uttered the name.

A murderous intent surged in his eyes.

He certainly didn't believe that Xiao Chen had died of natural causes.

Behind Kolosson is the central royal family.

She gave her own testimony, so the Xiao family couldn't directly break off relations.

not to mention.

The one the Xiao family truly fears now is not Luo Xingshuang.

It was that blood-faced ancient cultivator!

It can kill the Commander-level Earth-Splitting Demon Rock Dragon.

This allowed the Seventh Army to directly designate it as the "Humanoid Forbidden Zone".

Even if the Xiao family wanted revenge, they couldn't simply crush such an existence as they would an ordinary border warrior.

Xiao Zhenyue remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he spoke coldly:

"Put pressure on the Sky Patrol Bureau."

"I order them to thoroughly investigate the Seventh Security Zone."

"Chen'er cannot die in vain."

"Cangming, you cannot die in vain."

"Especially that Lin Yuan."

Xiao Zhenyue's voice was icy cold.

"Why would a mere Qi and Blood Realm Level 1 waste receive such protection from an ancient body cultivator?"

"I need to know what secrets he is hiding."

……

Central Sky Patrol Headquarters.

Compared to the commotion at Longyuan Academy and the Xiao family, this place was unusually quiet.

A pure black tower stands quietly on the very edge of Longyuan City.

The tower has no superfluous decorations.

There are only two simple silver characters.

Sky Patrol.

This section is dedicated to investigating federal anomalous events.

Investigate the traitor.

Investigate cults.

Investigate contamination in restricted areas.

They also investigated those unknown powerful individuals who shouldn't exist in the archives.

Top floor.

A review room without windows.

A young man wearing a long black trench coat was sitting quietly at the table.

He looked young, with a thin face and gentle features.

Unlike an interrogator.

It doesn't resemble a combat warrior at all.

Instead, he seemed more like an office worker who spent most of his time in the library.

Within the Sky Patrol Division, almost no one dared to underestimate him.

Gu Changye.

Special Investigator of the Sky Patrol Division.

Peak of the Grandmaster realm.

Realm level doesn't matter.

However, he never made a wrong judgment in any of the unusual cases he handled.

Even a powerful general at the town level would find it difficult to withstand three sentences of lying in front of him.

now.

On the light screen in front of Gu Changye, all the battle reports of the Seventh Safe Zone were being displayed.

The Ghost King Incident.

The Lin Yuan recommendation incident.

The incident of Xiao Chen being injured.

The disappearance of Cangming.

The fall of the leader of the Dark Spirit Society.

The Earth-Splittering Rock Dragon died.

Xiao Chen's heart meridian collapse incident.

He neatly arranged timelines on the light screen.

Gu Changye read very slowly.

Very slow.

Unlike others, he wasn't immediately drawn to the news of "the fall of a great demon at the Commander Realm".

They didn't focus all their attention on the four words "Blood-Faced Ancient Cultivator".

His gaze, however, fell on another name.

Lin Yuan.

Qi and Blood Realm, Level 1.

Students from Gaowu No.1 Middle School in the Seventh Security Zone.

Both parents are deceased.

My younger sister, Lin Xiaoya.

The Seventh Military Force applied for an S-level guaranteed admission quota to Longyuan Academy.

Gu Changye tapped the table lightly with his fingertips.

Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

In the review room, only this voice echoed.

After a while.

He raised his hand and connected all the events in chronological order.

First, the Ghost King died.

This is the first time the Blood-Faced expert has attracted the attention of the military.

Second, Lin Yuan was recommended for S-level admission by Su Zhan.

Third, the central special envoy arrived, and Xiao Chen humiliated Lin Yuan, but was seriously injured in return.

Fourth, Cang Ming tested Lin Yuan, causing him to lose his composure.

Fifth, Cangming tracked Lin Yuan out of the city at night.

Sixth, the Blood-Faced Ancient Cultivator appeared.

Seventh, Cang Ming died.

Eighth, the leader of the Dark Spirit Society died.

Ninth, the Earthshaker Rock Dragon dies.

Tenth, Xiao Chen died.

Gu Changye looked at the line and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"interesting."

The adjutant standing behind him whispered:

"My lord, do you also think that the blood-faced ancient cultivator is problematic?"

Gu Changye said calmly:

"Of course there's a problem."

"An ancient body cultivator with no prior history suddenly appeared outside the Seventh Safe Zone and successively killed a Town General, a peak Town General, and a Commander-level Great Demon."

"That in itself is the biggest problem."

The adjutant nodded.

"So, will our investigation focus this time be on the Blood-Faced Ancient Cultivator?"

"No."

Gu Changye shook his head.

The adjutant was taken aback.

"No?"

Gu Changye raised his hand and gently tapped Lin Yuan's name.

"The key point is him."

The adjutant was stunned.

"Lin Yuan?"

"But the data shows that he is only at the first level of the Qi and Blood Realm."

"Moreover, multiple tests have proven that he has no true qi, no special bloodline, and no martial arts talent."

Gu Changye said calmly:

"Precisely because all the data proves that he is ordinary."

"He is the most extraordinary one."

The adjutant didn't understand.

Gu Changye didn't explain, he just continued reading.

Lin Yuan was publicly humiliated by Xiao Chen, but he did not get angry.

Lin Yuan was struck by a palm strike from a Qi Gathering Realm cultivator, while Xiao Chen was injured in return.

Cang Ming made a probing move, but his energy deviated from its intended direction.

Cang Ming followed Lin Yuan's marker out of the city, but bumped into the blood-faced ancient cultivator.

The Blood-Faced Ancient Cultivator warned Luo Xingshuang, and Xiao Chen subsequently died.

Everyone is saying that Lin Yuan has a master standing behind him.

Everything seemed perfectly reasonable.

But what Gu Changye disliked most was an explanation that was too reasonable.

Because true lies are often not riddled with flaws.

Rather, it's too perfect.

He spoke slowly:

"From the Demon King incident to the death of the Earth-Splitting Rock Dragon."

"Every time the Blood-Faced Ancient Cultivator appears, it is related to Lin Yuan."

"When Lin Yuan was humiliated, the Blood-Faced Ancient Cultivator left behind a protective measure."

"When Lin Yuan was being hunted down, the Blood-Faced Ancient Cultivator was already waiting in the wilderness."

"Lin Yuan obtained the S-level recommendation qualification, and the Blood-Faced Ancient Cultivator used a Commander-level Great Demon to suppress all doubts."

The adjutant frowned.

"My lord, do you mean... the relationship between Lin Yuan and the Blood-Faced Ancient Cultivator is more than just master and disciple?"

Gu Changye did not answer.

He was just looking at Lin Yuan's file photo.

The boy in the photo has delicate features and a calm gaze.

Hands in pockets.

Standing on the edge of the crowd.

It looks unremarkable.

But the more Gu Changye looked at it, the more interesting he found it.

A true piece of trash shouldn't be so calm when facing a central genius and a powerful town general.

Even if one possesses a protective treasure.

It shouldn't be so calm as if you're looking at a dead person.

That's not confidence born from having a trump card.

It was a deeper kind of indifference.

It's like standing on a higher place, looking down at a group of insects that think they are powerful.

Gu Changye's lips curled up slightly.

"Get ready."

The adjutant immediately said:

"Is the master going to the Seventh Safe Zone?"

"Um."

Gu Changye stood up, picked up the black gloves on the table, and slowly put them on.

The Xiao family wants the truth.

"Longyuan Academy needs to explain."

"The royal family needs stability."

"The military needs to keep this a secret."

"And me..."

He looked down at Lin Yuan's name on the screen, his voice gentle.

"I just want to meet this student who is at the first level of the Qi and Blood Realm."

The adjutant hesitated and said:

"My lord, if that blood-faced ancient cultivator is truly protecting him, wouldn't it be risky for us to make contact rashly...?"

Gu Changye smiled.

"Therefore, we cannot act rashly."

Be polite.

Be gentle.

"Be like an investigator who truly cares about student safety."

Speaking of it.

He paused.

He added another sentence:

"By the way, bring the best blood density meter."

The adjutant was startled.

"You suspect that Lin Yuan has a problem with his blood and qi?"

Gu Changye did not give a direct answer.

He simply turned off the light screen.

The review room fell into darkness once again.

Only his voice rang out softly.

"I don't doubt anyone."

"I just believe that behind every coincidence, there is a fulcrum."

"And this time, the fulcrum..."

"It's very likely Lin Yuan."

soon.

outside the window.

Above Longyuan City, a black airship bearing the emblem of the Sky Patrol Division slowly lit up its engines.

aims.

The Seventh Security Zone.