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

The black-clad corpse, now only half-formed, was not dead.

Its body transformed into a viscous black liquid, like melting asphalt, flowing down the ground and silently into the shadows beside it, disappearing completely in just two seconds, as quiet as a shadow being blown away by the wind.

The burly man watched the black shadow disappear into the distance without giving chase, only shaking his head: "Sigh, these thousand-faced corpses with offspring are the most annoying. I have to kill them twice every time."

He turned his head, looked Wu You up and down, and then smiled again.

"But young man, you don't need to worry. It won't recover in less than a few months."

Wu You sheathed his sword, stepped forward, and earnestly bowed in thanks: "Thank you for saving me, senior. May I ask your name..."

"Me?" The burly man scratched the back of his head, smiling casually. "Speaking of which, we've already met before."

Wu You was stunned for a moment.

That voice... is rugged and full of energy; I've definitely heard it somewhere before.

He quickly went through it in his mind.

A moment later, he suddenly remembered.

Hu Cheng, Hu Cheng's father, is the deputy director of the Xilin Province Anomaly Investigation Bureau.

"You are...General Manager Hu?"

Hu Lie frowned, his expression somewhat disdainful: "Young man, why are you like Ye Yi, always spouting official jargon? Just call me Uncle Hu."

Wu You readily agreed: "Um... Uncle Hu, what brings you to Lanhe?"

He didn't believe that the other party, a deputy director of a provincial investigation bureau, would make a special trip for a royal corpse.

The levels don't match.

Hu Lie thought for a moment and then said, "Oh, this matter, it's alright to tell you."

He paused.

"Your city police chief was attacked on his way to Lailanhe. I came to check on him."

What?

Wu You's mind went blank for a moment.

The new director was attacked on his way to take office? The person who was supposed to succeed the old director got into trouble before he even arrived?

He recalled what Wang Qi had said last time—the Lustful Corpse Clan used to only appear in a few northern provinces, but now it had suddenly appeared in Xilin Province; he recalled that among the corpse species he had killed in the past month, the proportion of those that had been parasitized was getting higher and higher; and there was also that Thousand-Faced Royal Corpse Clan.

These events, strung together, are like a thread connecting all the points.

Something big is about to happen in Lanhe City.

The appearance of Hu Lie further confirms this point.

"Uncle Hu, what about the Lustful Corpse Clan..." he asked tentatively.

Hu Lie nodded to him, his tone calm: "Don't worry, the bureau has made arrangements. That's why I'm here."

Wu You understood the situation and didn't press the matter further.

Since Hu Lie is willing to say so much, he is probably doing so out of respect for Hu Cheng. Asking any further questions would be against the rules.

At this point, Hu Lie changed the subject.

"Xiao You, may I call you that?"

"sure."

Hu Lie nodded, then looked at him with a smile, his gaze seeming to see right through him.

"You're at level five now, right?"

Wu You was taken aback.

He does indeed possess fifth-tier strength now.

After mastering the Phantom Cloud technique, he already possessed the strength of a fifth-tier cultivator, but he never mentioned it to anyone, and apart from just now, he never used his full power.

"You found out." He scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

Hu Lie waved his hand: "Hey, Xiao You, you don't need to hide your abilities. In our Investigation Bureau, the capable rise and the weak fall. Talent and ability are the most fundamental things. If you have both talent and ability, everyone will treat you like a treasure, and resources will be allocated accordingly."

He paused, then his tone became serious.

"So, Xiaoyou, boldly showcase your talent. You will surely have a place on the stage of the future world."

"What I mean is, is it okay to be so...reserved?"

After observing Wu You for a month, Hu Lie also discovered a problem: Wu You was too cautious, even holding back on everything and everyone.

While caution is a good quality, excessive caution can stifle one's courage and drive. To become a true strong person, a fearless heart is essential.

Hu Lie also discovered this problem, which is why he said those things just now.

Wu You fell silent.

Hu Lie's words were like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating ripples in his heart that he had long deliberately ignored.

Be cautious and reserved.

These two words became almost the only creed for him to survive in this world.

From the moment he opened his eyes in the dark, mist-filled realm, everything around him—the new world, the zombies, the ability users, the Investigation Bureau—was completely foreign to him. He felt as if he had been thrown naked into a jungle filled with invisible rules, where every step could trigger unknown dangers. Living, using all his energy to observe, avoid, and hide the enormous flaw known as the "transmigrator," had already exhausted most of his courage.

He used to come from an ordinary world, where the greatest danger might be failing an exam or the pressure of work. But here? Life-threatening dangers are everywhere.

His caution, along with his cheat code, allowed him to survive and get to where he is today.

But... is it just about being alive?

This thought, like an icicle, suddenly pierced the cocoon he had carefully woven.

He came into this world, experienced life and death, and carried a secret that no one could tell. Was it merely to prolong another humble life like a frightened bird?

He thought of Li Wei's family. He thought of what Li Wei's family had gone through; he thought of Hu Cheng standing in front of him, saying, "Child, come here, come behind me"; he thought of Peng Yong pushing Xu Ji aside and facing that black net himself.

And there was also the torchbearer's oath that he had once taken.

He lowered his head and looked at the sword in his hand.

His excessive caution may have indeed helped him avoid many open and hidden attacks, but it also made him conceal all his sharpness. To the point that he almost forgot that a sword is born to point outwards.

Beyond survival, there is still a path. But walking the path requires not only the caution of walking on thin ice, but also the sharpness and courage to cut through the fog and face the unknown.

He had always considered himself an "outsider" and his ultimate goal was "survival," so he viewed everything in this world as a threat that needed to be guarded against and avoided.

But what if... what if he wants more than just to live?

What if he wanted to touch those higher powers, to understand why he came here, and to truly exist here according to his own will?

Therefore, this soul-stirring caution must be transformed.

It's not about abandoning it—it's the survival wisdom gained through blood and tears, the fundamental rule for dealing with this world. It's about internalizing it, transforming it from a chain that binds your hands and feet into a rhythm that becomes part of your instincts.

When it's time to hide, one must still blend perfectly into the shadows. But when it's time to draw the sword, one must be able to burn with courage, driving the sword in hand to deliver a strike that is unrestrained and unstoppable.

Wu You slowly exhaled a long breath.

His eyes changed. It wasn't the kind of sharpness that suddenly shone through, but something more complex was quietly growing—a re-examination of his own path, an awareness of transforming caution from a "prison of fear" into a "ladder of reason."

He looked at Hu Lie, said nothing, and simply nodded.

Transformation begins with acknowledging the existence of shackles and, for the first time, truly wanting to control them, rather than being controlled by them.

Just then, he suddenly remembered a sentence he had seen in his previous life:

Human life is actually twice. When you realize that you only have one life, the second life begins.

Since I've been fortunate enough to live my life again, I should at least do something about it.

The moment the thought arose, the Sword Manual panel twitched slightly.

A new message appeared before his eyes.

Sword Master: Wu You (Sword Heart Clear)

Right after his name, there was a new entry he had never seen before.

Sword mind is clear.