"This..." Su Chen declined, "It's not that I'm unwilling to go, but having just entered the Adjudication Court, there are too many things to do. I truly cannot extricate myself."
"Big Brother Su..." Pang Xingwen gritted his teeth, smiling bitterly: "It was my fault for failing to recognize Mount Tai earlier. I beseech you to absolutely not take it to heart. This little brother begs you to make the trip and give me a chance to atone for my sins!"
The more the other party wanted him to go, the more suspicious Su Chen felt in his heart as he stared at Pang Xingwen without speaking.
"Big Brother Su, I know you harbor anger in your heart..." Pang Xingwen felt indignant, wanting to just turn around and leave, but then he thought of his father.
First release website domain 𝓉𝓌𝓀𝒶𝓃.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Taking a deep breath, his voice actually carried a faint trace of a sob as he stretched his face forward, "Big Brother Su, if your anger hasn't vented, then just slap me on the face."
He definitely harbors malicious intentions, Su Chen concluded in his heart. How could this possibly be directed at resolving a misunderstanding?
Pang Xingwen's intention was to put him in a tough spot. If this slap landed, it would simply be heading straight for a situation where they wouldn't rest until one of them died. Was his father truly sending him to issue an invitation?
"No need." Su Chen shook his head and let out a sigh: "Tomorrow night, right? I understand."
Understood was understood, going was going.
A trace of joy surfaced on Pang Xingwen's face, as he immediately said: "Good, good! My father will be waiting for you tomorrow. I shall disturb you no further."
He left hurriedly, behaving as if he had completed some sort of mission.
"The Pang family... Zhou Xian. Surely not..." Su Chen's brows furrowed tightly.
Closing the door, he retreated to his bedroom and walked into the walk-in closet. His mental energy surged out, meticulously seeping into every single crevice to ensure there were no surveillance measures.
Afterwards, his hair gradually receded, transforming into the Priest of Black Buddha.
He had previously inquired with Gu Bing. The Adjudication Court indeed possessed methods capable of detecting the power of Evil Gods within a certain range, but they were unable to detect the believers themselves.
Just as he transformed, Su Chen's eyelids twitched, "North, south, west, everywhere... the fluctuations feel like Evil God Artifacts, yet not quite the same. Moreover, they are very blurry. I can only sense a rough direction..."
Yingfeng was very large, so it was inevitable for people from the Evil God Cults to be active in a place like this. Su Chen had anticipated this long ago.
But he hadn't expected to sense three separate fluctuations purely within his perception range, not to mention other Evil Gods as well as the outer periphery.
"Furthermore... my perception is actually heavily weakened. Even the directions are difficult to pinpoint." Su Chen transformed back, muttering in his heart.
It was different from what he had expected. After advancing to a Priest, his perception range expanded, so logically it should have become even more precise.
"Because Yingfeng possesses something that can capture Evil God Artifact fluctuations, they also employed methods to conceal themselves... resulting in a weakened perception." Su Chen hesitated:
"In that case, it won't be easy to ascertain the situation with the Pang family."
"Forget it. Just hide first." Upon thinking about it, Su Chen simply walked back to his old path.
Staying inside this Adjudication Court, what could anyone even do to him?
When the thought of playing it safe arose, the world became vast.
"However, I still have to inform Old Xia."
Su Chen walked out of the closet. The gravity room and Spirit Realm Instrument hadn't been installed yet, so he only partook in some brief training before getting into bed to rest, also informing Number Zero of what he wanted to eat the next morning.
Around five or six o'clock the next day, Number Zero headed out to the cafeteria to fetch a breakfast that practically only Core Seeds could enjoy.
"It's this delicious?"
Su Chen looked at the white porridge laid out before him, curling with wisps of white steam. It looked simple, but upon entering his mouth, it was fresh, fragrant, tender, and smooth.
Taking a bite of the meat bun beside it, juices exploded within his oral cavity, making his taste buds dance, to the point where even his cells became much more active.
"These are rice grains planted within isolation chambers. They have never come into contact with the mist from the outside world, and are specifically boiled by a high-level chef. The meat is from a second-tier Cyan Python Pig, domesticated over many years. Its meat is extremely delicious and possesses the ability to elevate cell activity," Number Zero explained.
"Food that has never been exposed to the mist, and a high-level chef..." Su Chen came to a realization. High-level chefs could perfectly unleash the characteristics of food ingredients, creating the ultimate mouthfeel.
It was said that special-grade chefs could utilize high-tier ingredients to create food that possessed effects similar to potions.
"Nanfeng definitely doesn't have these conditions..." Su Chen sighed even more at the extravagance of this lifestyle. Fortunately, the one enjoying it was himself, otherwise he would definitely have to fiercely criticize it.
With delicious food settling in his stomach, Su Chen's mood improved considerably, while Number Zero compiled the news from the Adjudication Court.
"...Because the Chief Inquisitor made an exception to recruit two Core Seeds yesterday, it has already triggered quite a massive wave internally."
"...The mainstream public opinion is: since exceptional talent gets an exception, then why not just cancel the evaluations altogether and allocate positions entirely based on talent? Bronze goes to the Outer Court, while Brilliant Silver enters the Inner Court..."
"...There are also people attacking you, claiming that you altered your personal records and were originally a refugee..."
"Wait..." Su Chen interrupted mid-bite. "Where did you get this news from?"
"It's from the internal forums of the Adjudication Court. I've roughly compiled the news. Master, you can also view them one by one." Number Zero projected a virtual screen.
"Forget it, just your compilation will do." Su Chen waved his hand. Number Zero had indeed saved him a lot of effort.
"...The Chief has already opened his golden mouth, so the exception is a foregone conclusion. What's the point of stirring this up? The Chief can't possibly retract his words." Su Chen pondered in his heart.
Number Zero suddenly spoke up again: "Master, news came from the Internal Affairs Department. They will come today to install the gravity training room and the Spirit Realm Instrument. Do you permit this?"
"Permitted..." Su Chen's eyes lit up. "Old Xia sure handles matters swiftly."
After breakfast, Du Yu sent a message indicating he was bringing over his clothes and some miscellaneous items.
Su Chen had Number Zero open up a temporary access pass for him. Not long after, knocks sounded on the door.
"That fast?" Su Chen went to open the door, only to find a stranger standing outside. He was dressed decently, but the most eye-catching feature was his pair of mismatched eyes—one black and one white.
This also allowed Su Chen to confirm his identity.
Ming Lin... Su Chen's eyes shifted. This person... was exactly the only one previously among the four Core Seeds to possess an Ink Jade-tier talent.
Yesterday, Gu Bing had specifically mentioned him, and he was also the guy Zhang Yunqing said had invited him to a banquet.
Yet today, he had actually paid a personal visit.
It was said that the other party's profession was unusual, which was why his eyes had turned into one black and one white. He should currently be a third-tier professional, extremely close to the fourth-tier.
"Brother Su..." Ming Lin was very amiable, holding a bottle of grayish-yellow wine in his hand. "Showing up uninvited, I hope I'm not intruding."
"Not at all, please come in." Su Chen stepped aside, speaking politely: "Not knowing that Your Excellency was coming, I'm afraid I hadn't prepared anything."
"This isn't any fine wine on my end either." Ming Lin sat at the dining table with a chuckle. Glancing at the large meat bun on the plate, he gasped in surprise: "What a coincidence, Cyan Python Pig meat? To pair with this wine of mine, it's the absolute best..."
"This wine is gentle and delicate, suited for morning consumption. It can stimulate mental activity."
Tsk... He knew what I was having for breakfast before he even got here. Formidable.
Su Chen thoroughly realized in his heart that the other party was showing off his muscles. Unbothered, he accepted the other party's wine and had Number Zero pour two glasses.
The two exchanged a few praises with each other. Seeing that Su Chen refused to ask why he had come, Ming Lin adjusted his evaluation of Su Chen. This was a very patient person.
Too lazy to continue playing around, he cut straight to the chase: "However, the two of you caused a huge commotion yesterday. The number of Core Seeds abruptly increased by two out of thin air. The internal factions within the Adjudication Court are probably going to face a reshuffle."
"I've heard a thing or two." Su Chen feigned helplessness: "I continually declined back then, but the Chief Inquisitor acts dictatorially, so there was nothing I could do."
He's even acting shamelessly! Ming Lin's expression somewhat failed to mask his reaction. His teacher had been right there at the scene, so how could he possibly not know the exact situation?
Left with no choice, he could only helplessly echo: "Outstanding people rightfully deserve to enjoy better resources. This is only natural."
Perhaps feeling that his own words were a bit disgusting, Ming Lin hastily skipped this topic, lowering his voice: "The four Core Seeds became six. Those three old guys are extremely dissatisfied and are inciting their subordinates. Their goal is precisely to provoke conflicts."
"However, you must absolutely not get mixed up in it."
Su Chen's eyes flashed imperceptibly, bearing a semblance of a smile: "They are dissatisfied, but are you satisfied, Your Excellency?"
"They became Core Seeds early, but their talents are all only Red Gold. Naturally, they sense a crisis. But you and I, along with that Chu Xuan, all share Ink Jade talents. We are the ones who belong to the same strata." Ming Lin smiled, seeming full of confidence:
"Only with competition is there progress."
Su Chen commended: "What a broad mind. In my eyes, this position of Chief Inquisitor belongs to none other than Your Excellency."
Nothing but ghost talk. Ming Lin waved his hands repeatedly, unceasingly adjusting his cognition of Su Chen in his heart. He already felt that this guy was somewhat tricky to deal with.
"That Chu Xuan, before even entering the Adjudication Court, coerced a massive faction. While he appears to possess great momentum, he has also become the bird that sticks its head out," Ming Lin couldn't help but shake his head. "Quite a few under his command have already been dragged into it, inciting public opinion and engaging in resistance."
"Stuck between a rock and a hard place." Su Chen pointed it out in a single sentence.
And very smart too... Ming Lin narrowed his eyes, nodding: "Correct. Those under his command are all newcomers from this batch. Their foundation is insufficient. Once a conflict arises with the veterans, he won't be able to smooth things over, and he'll be utterly discredited."
Being a leader and a boss didn't just represent benefits; it also came with responsibilities.
If you can't smooth things over for the people under you, who would be willing to charge forward for you?
Ming Lin tentatively praised: "Your Excellency is still the smarter one. Keeping to yourself, watching the fire from across the river; nobody can do anything to you."
"Why would I think that far ahead? I just didn't want to expend effort dealing with others." Su Chen laughed involuntarily.
For a moment, Ming Lin couldn't figure out Su Chen's thoughts. Was he truly too lazy to recruit subordinates, or was he choosing to bide his time and lay low first?
He had come this time carrying a certain objective to rope him in, but Su Chen was as slippery as a sphere, actually making him unsure of how to open his mouth.
However, he hadn't expected to make the other party bow and submit with just a few words anyway. To truly subdue this kind of talent, one had to take it slowly.
The timing, geographical convenience, and human relations were all indispensable.
Therefore, he decided to project a sufficient amount of goodwill during this meeting.
"Brother Su's thoughts are quite similar to mine. What a pity... I can never return to that state of staying aloof from worldly affairs." Ming Lin revealed a bitter smile, closely following up with:
"The structure of the four major Core Seeds has been established for a long time. Even though there are flaws, it's passable overall."
"But following the popularization of the Vault Light system, the population has grown explosively, and more and more talents have emerged."
"In these past few years alone, just the Red Golds accumulated in the Inner Court have reached over thirty."
Su Chen was deeply thoughtful. In the past, when the population was small, they would fear a Red Gold would melt if they held them in their hands.
Yet now, Red Gold-tier talents appeared in every batch. For three out of the four Core Seeds to just be Red Golds naturally made it difficult to convince the masses.
Ming Lin continued: "However, those guys hold the advantage of having become Core Seeds early. A massive faction had long since gathered around them."
"Even the Chief couldn't directly revoke their qualifications. He could only make an exception to increase the number of Core Seed positions."
Su Chen understood the other party's meaning. Time was an advantage. Even if they were all Red Golds, they were older, stronger, and possessed more forces, so the others couldn't get a chance to pop their heads out.
Ming Lin sighed: "The structure has become a stagnant pool, but beneath this stagnant pool, it churns unceasingly. The Chief has constantly been trying to think of a better solution to alter the structure."
"It seems he has faintly found a method, and you two are precisely the opportunity. Just awaiting the outcome is fine."
This couldn't be called a hint; it was practically stating it outright. The internal structure of the Adjudication Court was about to experience a massive shift, and the best course of action right now was to not do anything.
Su Chen pondered briefly, involuntarily saying sincerely: "Many thanks for the reminder, I understand."
Sensing that Su Chen had accepted his goodwill, Ming Lin engaged in some idle chatter before preparing to leave.
Su Chen stopped him: "Brother Ming, I was just planning to head out to select my advanced professions, but I don't know the exact location where the selection takes place. Could you lead me there?"
"Of course, no problem." Ming Lin smiled, accepting the goodwill Su Chen was releasing.
The two headed out, chatting idly along the way. Ming Lin provided a rough introduction to the other three Core Seeds for him, their personality traits, and so on.
In the morning Adjudication Court, there were quite a few people coming and going. Su Chen roughly estimated that out of ten people, five would greet Ming Lin.
And among those five, two or three would be exceedingly respectful.
"This is the place..."
The two stopped before a silvery-white building. It was heavily guarded on the outside, and the auras radiating from those guards made even Su Chen feel slightly apprehensive.
"Go on in yourself. I don't have the clearance," Ming Lin said. "I estimate it will take quite a while to choose, so I'll leave first."
After the two exchanged contact credentials, Su Chen finally presented his identity to enter.
"Not a single simple guy here. Sigh... why can't there be more idiots like Pang Xingwen?" Ascending the stairs, Su Chen couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
The main hall was quite expansive, containing only a single reception desk, also manned by a mechanical puppet. Before Su Chen could even step close, she had already spoken up:
"Core Seed Su Chen. You still have two chances to exchange for a third-tier profession. The maximum limit is an upper-tier third-tier class, with one each for the physical and mental sides. Please use them prudently."
"It really is two types. Old Xia works swiftly." Su Chen grinned.
On the way here, Ming Lin had given him a simple introduction. Professional selection seemed simple, yet was exceedingly complex.
One had to consider whether their previously inaugurated professions were compatible, whether the future professions they might inaugurate could take them far enough, and also their personal circumstances, age, and so on.
Generally speaking, before making a choice, one would find an analyst to research it meticulously, thereby producing an optimal choice.
On the physical front, he had already consulted Sang Hanhai for an analysis, so without any hesitation, he immediately called out the name: "For the physical side, I want Gale and Swift Thunder Adept."
"Gale and Swift Thunder Adept. Third-tier, upper-tier. Accessing now, please review..."
A virtual screen popped up in front of Su Chen, and lines of text surfaced upon it.
【Discovered 3rd-tier Upper-Tier Profession -- Gale and Swift Thunder Adept. Complete requirements to advance.】
【Advancement Requirement 1: Elevate three types of E-Grade bodily forging methods to the Master-level】
【Advancement Requirement 2: Infiltrate a building guarded by a third-tier professional without being discovered, utilizing three different methods.】
【Advancement Requirement 3: Within a thunderstorm zone, envelop oneself in lightning elements and persist for over an hour.】
The three requirements were listed out ostentatiously upon it.
"Tsk... The difficulty got higher. It's only upper-tier, yet it became three inauguration requirements." Su Chen sighed.
The first requirement was considered standard, but the second was a bit troublesome. The higher the tier, the more complex the composition of strength became. To remain undiscovered, and for three separate times, the difficulty wasn't low.
"Furthermore, this requirement is extremely idealistic. If you're discovered, you're discovered. Finding your own people to do it isn't simple either," Su Chen pondered. "And the last one: surviving in a thunderstorm zone enveloped in lightning elements. You'd be a living lightning rod."
The difficulty wasn't low, but he wasn't anxious at all, not just because of his panel's existence, but also because Ming Lin had mentioned it on the way here.
When Core Seeds like them advanced, the Adjudication Court would dispatch a team based on the requirements to formulate plans and perform multiple attempts.
"For the mental side, I need Mystic Weaver..." Su Chen spoke up again, but right as his words fell, a prompt abruptly popped up from his panel—
【The Gale and Swift Thunder Adept arrived, casting a disdainful gaze, yet upon discovering the seated Crimson Flame Responding Thunder Great Exalted, he was involuntarily struck by utter terror. Resorting to fawning and flattery, yet realizing that the Great Exalted remained silent, he pondered repeatedly before deciding to weaken his inauguration requirements.】
【Advancement Requirement 2: Weakened to requiring only a single infiltration method.】
【Advancement Requirement 3: Weakened to persisting within a thunderstorm zone for merely half an hour.】
"Hah..." Su Chen couldn't help but laugh out loud. 'Arrived, casting a disdainful gaze'. As an upper-tier third-tier class, compared to the other professions he bore, it could indeed cast a disdainful gaze. What a pity...
For the inauguration requirements to be further weakened was naturally good news. Only after Su Chen returned to his senses did he hear the voice of the mechanical puppet.
"My apologies, the viewing duration has not exceeded twenty minutes. A new profession selection cannot be made."
"Just these few lines of text, and I'm forced to stare at it for twenty minutes? As if they're afraid I wouldn't be able to memorize it." Rendered speechless, Su Chen could only dryly wait here.
Once the time was up, he pulled up the Mystic Weaver.
【Discovered 3rd-tier Upper-Tier Profession -- Mystic Weaver. Complete requirements to advance.】
【Advancement Requirement 1: Elevate three types of E-Grade meditation methods to the Master-level】
【Advancement Requirement 2: Persist in the Trial of Whispers for over an hour.】
【Advancement Requirement 3: Independently design three elemental abilities with an intensity of at least the second-tier.】
"Trial of Whispers? And it has to be for a fucking hour..."
The other requirements were fine. Even independently designing elemental abilities wouldn't be a huge problem for him with the aid of his physical profession. But that Trial of Whispers was simply too bizarre.
He looked at his panel expectantly. Sure enough, it didn't disappoint him—
【The Mystic Weaver arrived cautiously, yet upon discovering the seated Crimson Flame Responding Thunder Great Exalted, he cautiously offered his greetings. The Great Exalted remained unbothered. He pondered repeatedly before deciding to slightly weaken his inauguration requirements.】
【Advancement Requirement 3: The number of elemental abilities designed is reduced to one.】
"Why didn't the Trial of Whispers get reduced? This Mystic Weaver is quite crafty."
Su Chen muttered. This guy was obviously smarter than the Gale and Swift Thunder Adept. And in truth, the Great Exalted hadn't moved a single inch either of these times; it was purely the thoughts of the two themselves.
"Weakening is always better than not weakening..."
With both professions secured in his bag, Su Chen's goals were accomplished, and he immediately prepared to leave.
"My apologies, the viewing duration has not reached twenty minutes. You temporarily cannot depart."
The main doors were sealed shut. Left without a choice, Su Chen turned back around again. "Right, I still have a portion of low-tier Evil God Power. Who should I use it on?"
Su Chen calculated, "My mental talent is higher than my physical talent. Coupled with that Spirit Realm Instrument whatever, I estimate I'll reach the third-tier faster."
"Then it'll be the Mystic Weaver."
Su Chen didn't take too long to ponder before making his decision.
【Mystic Weaver was steeped in the power of the Evil God, causing its body to expand unceasingly. However, hindered by its own limitations, it could only get stuck halfway.】
【Acquire three "Mystic Energy Crystals" to allow the Mystic Weaver to complete its metamorphosis and become a top-tier profession.】
"Elevating the profession grade again?" Su Chen stroked his chin. "Could it be that the power of Evil Gods is exclusively used for elevating profession grades? Or is it merely a power characteristic of Black Buddha, and the changes brought about by the powers of other Evil Gods are different..."
Without more Evil God powers, he could only stop at speculation. As for Mystic Energy Crystals, he had never even heard of them before, so he'd have to head back and search for information.
"According to what Ming Lin said, I can also order a custom weapon or equipment piece not exceeding the third-tier at the Crafting Department."
The twenty minutes still weren't up. Remembering this matter, Su Chen tried to open his smart bracelet, only to discover that the virtual screen wouldn't pop out no matter what.
"Warning, the usage of any electronic devices is strictly prohibited within the Class Archive." The mechanical puppet showed no politeness whatsoever.
"Alright..." Su Chen shrugged. It wasn't until the time was up and he had stepped out the main doors that he could finally access his smart bracelet, connect to the Adjudication Court's internal network, and find his custom weapon options.
A large page popped up, displaying three choices upon it—
【Attack】, 【Defense】, 【Support】
"For attacks I have the Azure Cable, and for defense I have the scale armor..." Su Chen pondered. The Secret Artifacts he controlled possessed naturally advantageous capabilities. The ability boosts they provided weren't merely simplistic attachments, but rather a thorough convergence with him.
Therefore, he merely intended to upgrade the weapons he had on hand rather than replace them.
"Since that's the case, let's look at the support equipment first..." Walking along, Su Chen pressed the button, causing a new page to pop up—
【Necklace】, 【Ring】, 【Belt】...
"I'm getting somewhat familiar with this..." His curiosity piqued, Su Chen clicked them open one by one to inspect them.
"Constructing mental defenses, assisting in increasing elemental control, and conducting mental attacks. It really is quite complex..."
Su Chen flipped through them as he walked, his thought churning furiously. "I'll find something that can amplify my greatest advantage..."
His greatest advantage wasn't strength, nor was it explosive force, but rather agility.
Both wind and lightning provided tremendous amplifications to his speed. Starting from the first-tier, it had constantly been enhanced. Currently, if it was purely a contest of speed, even Zhou Xian wouldn't necessarily be able to catch up to him.
"Shadow Evasion Wind Boots. Engraved with Shadow Evasion and Gale properties. Capable of accepting ordinary elemental energy supply. Boosts personal speed by up to twofold... and bears a certain amount of cloaking capabilities."
Su Chen quickly locked onto his target, and without much hesitation, immediately placed the order.
.........
At the same time, Pang Xingwen was looking at his father cautiously, saying in a low voice: "That's what he said. I already invoked your name, so barring any accidents, he will definitely come tonight."
"Mm." Pang Father shot him a glance, stating coolly: "Yesterday evening you stayed with Chu Yunze and his group?"
"Mm." Pang Xingwen nodded, explaining: "The celebratory banquet hadn't ended yet, and they insisted on dragging me back."
"Chu Xuan... build a good relationship with him," Pang Father nodded.
Pang Xingwen nodded hastily, "Those Core Seeds have already sensed the crisis of being challenged and are secretly stirring up trouble. Chu Xuan needs us to share the pressure."
"Go on." Lacking the desire to converse further, Pang Father waved his hand to dismiss him.
Pang Xingwen left, his head lowered.
"This son of yours is too stupid. That guy probably won't come." Someone stepped out from the shadows. Bizarrely, his face was utterly devoid of facial features, and it was completely unknown where his voice was being produced from.
"The intended goal was for him to not come." Pang Father's tone was indifferent. "If I brought him here and assassinated him, my Pang family would face immediate annihilation."
"Black Buddha's people might be willing to pay any cost, but I have no intention of becoming that cost. Yesterday was just me putting on an act."
(End of this chapter)