I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

[Linjiang City, Temporary Military Command Center, Profiling and Analysis Room]

[Time: 15 minutes before the Behemoth of Huishui Bay erupts]

While the command center outside was in complete chaos due to the giant beast emerging from the water, this small room enclosed by soundproof glass was eerily quiet.

An elderly man with gray hair and gold-rimmed glasses was staring blankly at the wall covered with data and photos.

He is Han Wenshan, a specially appointed professor at the National Public Security University and one of the top criminal profilers in China. He has assisted in solving countless high-IQ serial murder cases and is adept at sketching out the psychological profile of suspects from just a few words.

But today, he encountered the biggest setback of his career.

"Professor Han, what conclusions do you have regarding that 'Kunlun Taoist'?"

"A young liaison officer asked anxiously. Director Zhao Jianguo urgently needs information about this mysterious organization, even just a little personality analysis would be helpful."

Han Wenshan took off his glasses, rubbed his temples, and pointed to the whiteboard in front of him.

The whiteboard was covered with keywords, but they were all crossed out one by one with red crosses.

"That's strange."

Han Wenshan's voice was filled with deep confusion. "Generally speaking, no matter how much a person pretends, their online statements will always bear traces of their 'true self.' For example, a desire to show off, a desire to control, or a certain kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder."

He pointed to the article titled "Some Popular Science and Warnings about Recent Anomalies in the Qi of Heaven and Earth".

"But this post... is too 'clean'."

"There is no emotion, no interjections, and no expression of personal preference. This writing style doesn't sound like a modern person, or even like a 'person' speaking."

"Doesn't look human?" The liaison officer was taken aback.

"Like a history book."

Han Wenshan's gaze was profound. "It's like when you read the Tao Te Ching or the I Ching, you feel like the Tao is writing words through human hands. This kind of condescending indifference, this calm in treating all things as straw dogs... If it's acting, then this person's psychological qualities have surpassed the limits of humanity; if it's real..."

Han Wenshan paused, then smiled wryly and said, "Then what we're facing might really be a god."

……

[Data Backtracking Area]

Han Wenshan did not give up. Since he could not analyze "God," he would analyze "humanity."

He turned his gaze to a pile of "junk files" that had been filtered out by the big data system.

"How many people did the system just filter out?" Han Wenshan asked.

"Professor, we initially screened 30,000 people, identified 500 as key cases, and ultimately ruled them all out."

"Show me the exclusion list."

Han Wenshan is also stubborn. "Machines believe in logic, but I believe in intuition. In this chaotic world of 'spiritual revival,' the most illogical thing is often the truth."

He began quickly flipping through the discarded files.

Zhang San, Li Si, Wang Wu...

One name after another flashed before his eyes.

Suddenly, his hand stopped.

He pulled out a file. The photo showed a young, handsome man with gentle eyes and a faint smile on his lips.

Name: Gu Qing

[Recent unusual activity: purchase of antique iron swords, custom-made expensive Hanfu (traditional Han clothing), searching for Taoist classics, misdiagnosis of cancer.]

Han Wenshan frowned.

This is the file that was just excluded by the system as a "rich second-generation chuunibyou".

"A rusty iron sword, custom-made Hanfu, and cancer that modern medicine can't cure..."

As Han Wenshan looked at these records, his professional instincts made him feel a sense of unease.

If someone is just an ordinary cosplay enthusiast, why wouldn't they buy a beautifully crafted sword instead of searching for a rusty piece of scrap metal at an antique market? And what about the possibility of misdiagnosing late-stage cancer with current medical technology…?

Moreover, Gu Qing's address is only 1.5 kilometers away from Huishuiwan, the scene of the incident, as the crow flies.

"What a coincidence."

Han Wenshan tapped his fingers lightly on Gu Qing's photo. "When coincidences reach their extreme, they are usually a cover-up."

[The Gu Family Old House, Study]

Gu Qing, who was controlling the paper doll clone, suddenly felt a slight twitch between his eyebrows.

A yellow warning message popped up on the system panel.

[Warning: You have been subjected to a high-level mental profiling!]

[Source: Han Wenshan (A mortal with exceptional mental strength).]

The other party is attempting to lock onto the host machine through a logic vulnerability.

"Oh? Someone actually managed to bypass the logic of big data and find my way here just by intuition?"

Gu Qing's lips curled up, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.

"The country is indeed full of talented people. However... it's still lacking something."

"System, increase the power of [Heavenly Secrets - Formless]."

"Additional effect: [Mediocrity suggestion]."

[Consumes 500 Faith Points.]

……

[Profiling Analysis Room]

Han Wenshan stared at Gu Qing's photo, his suspicion growing stronger. He was about to pick up the phone and have someone bring Gu Qing back for questioning.

Just then, an extremely subtle feeling enveloped him.

As he looked at the photo, he suddenly felt that the young man in the picture had become... very boring.

It felt like seeing a generic face, with no memorable features.

The doubts in my mind about the "rusty iron sword" and the misdiagnosis were suddenly "convinced" by my own new set of logic:

"Yeah, young people these days who like retro things are all about 'patina' and 'aging.' They buy a rusty sword, sharpen it themselves, and post it on social media to look sophisticated. Isn't that typical 'artsy nouveau riche' syndrome? As for the cancer, it's probably just a machine malfunction."

"Besides, if someone is truly a master, how could they possibly order clothes on Taobao and use their real name to receive packages? That would be too low-class."

"A true sword immortal should be someone who doesn't partake in worldly affairs, whose clothes are all made of spiritual energy..."

Han Wenshan shook his head and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"I must be getting senile to suspect that a 'rich second-generation' buying Hanfu on Taobao is actually a peerless sword immortal."

He casually tossed Gu Qing's file back into the pile of "junk files" without even glancing at it a second time.

That document that truly touched on the truth was once again buried among piles of waste paper.

……

[At this moment, on the big screen]

"Look! They've made contact!!"

The liaison officer's exclamation interrupted Han Wenshan's thoughts.

Han Wenshan suddenly looked up.

On the screen, the white-clad "Li Changgeng" was already standing in front of the giant mutated black python.

Although it was only broadcast through drone footage, Han Wenshan still felt a suffocating sense of oppression.

This time, as a profiler, he finally saw the "suspect's" face clearly.

It was a face that was flawless, yet utterly indifferent.

Even when faced with a behemoth large enough to devour a tank, his pupils did not contract even a micrometer.

"That look in your eyes..."

Han Wenshan muttered to himself, his whole body trembling.

"This is not how a human looks at a wild animal."

"That's... the look a butcher gives when looking at dead meat on a chopping board."

On the screen, "Li Changgeng" moved.

There are no fancy starting moves, and no cringeworthy shouts of move names.

He simply drew his sword and slashed down.

Clang—!

A thin purple line flashed across the night sky.

Han Wenshan hadn't yet realized what had happened.

next second.

The arrogant behemoth on the screen suddenly froze.

Immediately afterwards, a neat red line appeared from the top of its head to its tail.

puff!

Blood gushed out like a waterfall, staining half of the backwater red.

The enormous snake head slid slowly down the smooth cut and crashed into the river.

The entire command center was deathly silent.

Only the fountain pen in Han Wenshan's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".

As he watched the figure on the screen slowly sheathing his sword, his white robes unstained by a single drop of blood, all the profiling and psychological analysis he had previously put into his mind collapsed at that moment.

"Profiling my ass..."

The old professor slumped into his chair and muttered a curse word in a daze.

"In the face of absolute power, psychology... is a joke."