The undead have descended upon the world? I possess a sword that can cleave the heavens once more!

Five minutes after receiving the message from the Dongling Research Institute, at the headquarters of the Anomaly Investigation Bureau, in the central conference room.

The conference room lights were all on, and white light poured down from the ceiling, illuminating the dark, long conference table.

Although it was late at night, the long conference table was already filled with torchbearers dressed in black trench coats.

The man sitting at the head of the conference table had an extremely serious expression.

His black trench coat was unbuttoned, and the collar of his white shirt underneath was slightly open, revealing a small section of tanned skin below his Adam's apple.

He had deep-set eyes, high brow bones, and a faint old scar on the bridge of his nose.

His gaze swept from one end of the conference table to the other, lingering on each person's face for less than half a second before returning to his own.

He looked around and then spoke.

"The research institute's analysis report on the two sets of ritual implements that were deliberately released by the Corpse Species faction and seized during Operation Cleansing has been released."

He paused.

"One of these sets, apart from being able to unleash a large burst of dark energy in an instant, has no other substantial function."

"It's highly likely that the zombies are using this to distract us."

"But the other one—"

He didn't finish his sentence, but waved his hand instead.

The next moment, a light screen rose from the center of the conference table.

The content on the screen wasn't a single page, but many pages, filled with pictures, numbers, and densely packed small text.

The image shows an analysis of the patterns on that ritual set, with lines of different colors indicating the direction of energy and the distribution of nodes.

The numbers are a summary of experimental data, and the sheer number of columns is dizzying.

The smaller print is a summary of the analysis report, with each point concisely summarizing the key conclusions.

After everyone had finished reading, the man in the main seat spoke again.

"This ritual, which seems to help those with abilities cultivate, is actually a way to create a connection between the dark realm and reality."

"The hidden danger is enormous!"

"Although we still don't know the specific purpose of the Corpse Race in implementing this ritual."

"But the general direction is definitely related to invading the real world."

"We have absolutely no idea what role this drilling tool played or what function it served in all of this."

After he finished speaking, he looked around again, his gaze sweeping across everyone's face.

"Tell me your thoughts."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

Then, a torchbearer with half-white hair but few wrinkles on his face stood up.

"Director, you yourself have said that this ritual has significant hidden dangers."

"I propose that we immediately destroy all existing blueprints and immediately place all those who have used this ritual under unified containment and control."

At this moment, another slightly younger man in a black trench coat also stood up.

His hair was still completely black, but there was a deep vertical line between his eyebrows, the kind of lines that people who are constantly thinking or angry would have.

His brow was furrowed, and his voice was more urgent than the previous person's: "Chief, I don't think simply implementing controls is enough!"

"Not only is it unreliable, but we also need to dedicate a portion of our resources to this!"

He took a deep breath:

"I suggest we go straight for it—kill them!"

"Nip all potential problems in the bud!"

When the word "kill" was uttered, the air in the conference room visibly froze for a moment.

At this moment, another man with slightly gray hair and a black trench coat stood up: his hair was darker than the first person to speak, but his temples were already gray.

He looked at the torchbearer who had suggested killing him outright and said:

"No."

"Although we cannot be completely certain of the exact number of people who have used that ritual, a conservative estimate is that the total number across all provinces is at least in the tens of thousands."

"They are human beings too!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"Moreover, the reports submitted also show that many of them played a significant role in the cleanup operation."

"Some of them helped maintain order, some assisted the torchbearer team in cleaning up the corpses, and some even voluntarily handed over their ritual blueprints to cooperate with our questioning."

"Many of them are even willing to join us and fight for humanity."

"The situation is dire, and we cannot afford to let go of any effort we can make."

"Therefore, I think it's not advisable to condemn them all with one blow!"

Upon hearing this, the slightly younger man in the black trench coat who had just spoken frowned:

"It is precisely because the situation is so dire now."

"Therefore, we would rather forgo this force than take any possible risks!"

"Our ability to withstand risks is now extremely poor!"

At this moment, the torchbearer, who was sitting in the second seat to the side of the main seat at the conference table, wearing a black trench coat over a white lab coat and thick-lensed glasses, stood up.

"Everyone, there's actually another crucial issue now." His voice wasn't loud, but everyone's eyes turned to him.

"That means we currently lack a method or instrument to directly detect whether someone with special abilities has used this drilling device!"

"Even if the research institute starts working overtime right now, it will still take at least a week to develop the technology."

After hearing his words, the seated man in the black trench coat asked him:

"If direct methods don't work, what about indirect detection methods?"

"For example, could torchbearers with abilities such as mind reading and lie detection conduct interviews with them in batches?"

Upon hearing this, the torchbearer, wearing a white lab coat over a black trench coat, shook his head.

"It's difficult to implement."

He lowered his voice slightly, as if explaining a less optimistic fact: "On the one hand, the number of torchbearers with abilities such as mind reading and lie detection is extremely small."

"If broken down further, each city probably wouldn't even get one."

He paused, then reached up and pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Secondly, we may have overlooked a group."

"We should not only consider those who have already used this set of hole rituals, but also those potential users who have not yet used it but have memorized the rituals."

"Everyone has read the information and understands that in addition to its effect of creating a connection between the Dark Realm and the real world, this ritual can also assist in cultivation."

"It even has a very low barrier to entry; it can be set up with just a few low-grade energy stones, and it's quite effective at aiding cultivation."

"Most wild ability users lack training resources."

"It's not just a lack, it's a severe shortage."

"Especially those completely wild individuals who haven't joined any organization."

"It's easy to imagine how attractive this ritual was to them."

After hearing his words, the torchbearers fell silent.

If we include potential users, then there are even more things to consider.

Those who have already memorized the ritual, and are potential users who haven't yet used it but might suddenly decide to use it someday in the future—

Are they considered users? Should they be regulated? Could they one day become the new creators of holes?

If we want to control it, how should we control it?

The torchbearers present were also human beings, and naturally understood what human nature was.

When someone has been lacking cultivation resources for a long time, suddenly a low-cost and highly effective alternative is presented to them.

Will he use it? Will he tell himself, "I'll only use it once"? Will he use it once, find it effective, and then use it again?

How many wild ability users would succumb to this temptation?

Nobody knows.

At this moment, the man in the main seat finally spoke.

His voice was a little deeper than before.

"Potential users are indeed a very serious problem."

"There is no dispute that the existing blueprints must be destroyed first."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping from his left to his right.

"As for whether to kill them outright or to control them—"

"The prerequisite is to first determine which ones have been used and which ones are known but not used."

"Therefore, the most urgent task is to develop a mass-producible detection tool, and then conduct a joint screening with Torchbearers who have the ability to read minds and detect lies."

"Regarding the issue of insufficient numbers of torchbearers possessing abilities such as mind reading and lie detection..."

"We can only allocate it to the best of our ability."

"If that's really not enough, then prioritize cities with larger populations."

"Or we could combine two less populated cities into one testing zone."

He paused.

"For now, those ability users are still under centralized control, so there's no need to worry about the spread of the ritual."

"However, there is also a problem with this."

"That means it will take some time to develop the testing tools."

"During this period, in order to ensure that the hole instrument does not spread and to prevent possible accidents, we can only maintain a state of unified control."

"This will consume a significant portion of the available resources of the municipal investigation bureaus."

"It is very detrimental to maintaining the existing defense line."

He paused, then looked at the torchbearer who was still standing, wearing a black trench coat over a white lab coat.

The other party understood and did not refuse.

He thought for a moment, tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, and then spoke.

"Aren't many of these controlled individuals eager to join us?"

"Perhaps we can make use of this part of our power."

"We can gather these capable individuals from various cities and collection points and set up an unorganized team."

"Then each squad leader is a qualified official torchbearer who is responsible for supervision and guidance, and will only intervene when necessary."

"These additional teams will then be responsible for the unified management and control of related tasks."

"The treatment of the extra-team members will be the same as that of the torchbearers of the corresponding rank."

"In this way, not only can we greatly reduce the manpower pressure in various cities, but we can also let those wild ability users see our attitude towards those who are willing to fight for humanity."

"Perhaps it can attract more capable individuals to join us, thus creating a positive cycle."

After hearing his suggestion, most of the seated men in black trench coats nodded in agreement.

"Agreed."

"feasible."

"You can give it a try."

"agree."

"agree."

. . .

Seeing this, the Torchbearer who had suggested killing all the wild ability users involved wanted to say something, but seeing that the man in the main seat did not speak, he could only give up for the time being.

The man in the main seat pondered for a moment before nodding.

He looked around to make sure no one had anything new to add.

"In that case, let's decide on this for now."

Then he began to issue orders.

"Research Institute, time is of the essence; we must develop the testing tool as soon as possible."

"General Office, immediately formulate a corresponding plan and arrangements, and then send the order to all municipal bureaus. Don't wait until tomorrow, do it tonight."

"The Ministry of People's Livelihood should also cooperate in this process. Those with disabilities also have relatives and family members, so local public security bureaus need to coordinate and issue notices to minimize unnecessary panic."

"And the Ministry of Education—"

"The faculty, curriculum, and assessment system of the Martial Arts University must be finalized before the start of the semester."

. . .

After giving the order, the man in the main seat paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over every face present, and nodded.

"Go ahead and get busy."

The sounds of chairs being pulled, footsteps, and doors opening and closing echoed in the conference room for a while before gradually fading away.

Just as Wu You was soundly asleep at the Jiuli Base in Yunshang Province, orders were already being issued from the Investigation Bureau headquarters.

The commands originated from the headquarters' servers and traveled along the encrypted fiber optic network, reaching the terminals of every municipal-level anomaly investigation bureau in the Eastern Spirit Kingdom in less than a minute.

The massive machine of the Eastern Spirit Kingdom began to operate rapidly and efficiently.

. . . . . .

(This part has been added to Chapter 48 of the previous article, but to prevent readers who have been following this far from missing it, I'm posting it here again.)

(This isn't just padding the word count, please have faith in Laoyue, everyone! (◍•ᴗ•◍)ﾉ♡)

The New Calendar, The Chronicles of the Sword Ancestor, Chapter Six: The Beginning of Calamity

After entering the public service, the Sword Ancestor began to learn about killing and warfare. His swordsmanship was rudimentary, and his talent was beginning to show. However, he was also starting to become arrogant. Once, he was ordered by the Bureau to go out and exterminate evil spirits. On the way, he encountered a thousand-faced corpses. These corpses were of royal lineage, endowed with qualities different from ordinary corpses. Their cultivation was unfathomable, and their power was overwhelming. They were far superior to the evil spirits he had previously slain.

When Shi Zu had just mastered his swordsmanship, relying on his newfound abilities, he fought with all his might, employing all his skills. However, the power of the Thousand-Faced Corpse of the Royal Clan was overwhelmingly different. Shi Zu tried every possible way to defend himself, but he was clumsy in both advancing and retreating, helpless and without any chance to retaliate. He was trapped in a desperate situation and was in imminent danger.

Just when all hope seemed lost, his colleagues from the same bureau rushed to his aid, fighting valiantly to stop the royal corpse demon and break its killing momentum, thus saving his ancestor from certain death. After this battle, his ancestor deeply reflected on himself and realized the formidable power of the otherworldly corpse demon, the shallowness of his own cultivation, and that his past minor achievements were utterly unreliable.

He then purified his mind and tempered his nature, rid himself of arrogance and impetuosity, abandoned all worldly thoughts, and devoted himself to the way of the sword. He honed his skills day and night, without ceasing in the cold or heat, thoroughly investigated the principles of the sword, and practiced diligently without slacking off. His swordsmanship became more and more profound, and his foundation became increasingly solid.

Then came the great upheaval in Lanhe, with corpses and evil spirits rising everywhere, plunging the world into chaos. Amidst the chaos, Zu encountered the Thousand-Faced Corpse Demon of the former royal family once again. By then, Zu's swordsmanship had been perfected, and his cultivation had surpassed his former weakness. He drew his sword to fight, displaying his divine swordsmanship to the fullest, battling fiercely against the evil spirits, and finally slaying this royal corpse demon, avenging his previous defeat.

The treatise states: Pride is an obstacle to progress on the path, while humility is the foundation for enlightenment. The Sword Ancestor, newly forged, encountered a powerful foe and narrowly escaped death. This was not a humiliation, but rather a divinely bestowed opportunity for refinement. Without that defeat, he would not have had the will to diligently cultivate; without dedicated effort, he would not have possessed the might to slay the corpse at Lanhe. Undeterred by the setback, he remained steadfast and then rose again—this is why he became the supreme Sword Ancestor.